About: Glee "The Power of Madonna"

Let me start by saying that I have never really been a fan of Madonna. I don’t own any of her albums and I only know the words to a handful of her songs. With that disclaimer out there I have to say I really enjoyed “The Power of Madonna”.

I have to admit I was a little worried. Not because I thought that the cast was incapable of living up to the icon that is Madonna, but because I wasn’t sure how they’d be able to weave the songs messages in with the plot. For the most part it seems that the songs used in each episode are picked because of how they portray the things the characters are going through. So, when you decide to write an episode using music by only one artist that makes things pretty tricky. I was really pleased that this decision didn’t take anything away from the episode. I felt like the songs were pretty seamlessly woven into the pre-established story line without much need to create new side plots to accommodate. That’s not to say the episode was without its faults in that department. I did think the “Like a Virgin” story line rushed the Will and Emma plot a little. Just last week she was breaking up with him so that he could figure out what he wanted. This week she’s ready to lose her v-card to him. Not to say I didn’t enjoy that number, because I really did!

Speaking of losing your v-card I was definitely caught off guard by Finn. I knew Rachel wouldn’t be able to go through with things with Jesse because she still has obvious feelings for Finn. I thought Finn wouldn’t go through with it because he really wants to get Rachel back. So I figured the logical choice was to play it safe and have the adults do it. It was definitely an interesting plot twist. Especially since both Finn and Rachel decided to lie to each other. It was a little Dawson’s Creek-esque. Anyone?

I was surprised by the Jesse comes to McKinley High twist. It definitely makes for more juicy plot lines to have the enemy so close. I am, of course, fully prepared to hate his guts I just think that having him around more will be a great source of drama. I am curious to find out what his game is. Does he just want a preview of their set list or is there a larger master plan. I have to believe there is. Sue leaked their set list once before so it would be just lazy to go that route again. It would be interesting if Sue caught on to Jesse’s plot and they joined forces to try and bring the glee club down. Just a thought.

As far as songs go my top pick for the night would have to be Rachel and Finn’s rendition of “Open Your Heart”. I think they are best when they want to be together but can’t. There is a great tension between them at this point and I love to see Finn fight for what he wants, I just hope they don’t lose that chemistry when they finally get together.

As for my favorite quote of the episode, you can bet that it will almost always come from Sue Sylvester-

“I thought I smelled cookies from the tears of elves weeping that live in your hair.”

Thanks for reading!

About: Supernatural “Point of No Return”

Happy 100th! It’s hard to believe it’s already been 100 episodes but at the same time I feel like I’ve known these boys forever. Can you believe how far this show has come since the woman in white? What a trip!

So let's talk about "Point of No return". I really enjoyed this episode. There was a lot time spent on the relationships between the characters and how they've evolved over the seasons. But most of all I think "Point of No Return was about Faith; faith in family, faith in what is right, and faith in yourself.

The spare Winchester is back! I have to say I really liked Jake Abel as Adam Milligan (Winchester). He not only looks and talks like a Winchester but he’s got the devil-may-care attitude down to a tee. I was glad to see them bring his character back. While things don’t look good for him at this point, I don’t think this is the last time we’ll see Adam Winchester (more on that later).

If we learned anything from “Point of No Return” it was that you do not want to piss off Cas. Dean got a royal ass kicking that was not totally undeserved. Cas has sacrificed everything for Sam and Dean. While I understand Dean’s feelings too, no matter how selfish they seem, Cas is not ready to see these boys fail. I think he’s secretly holding on to a shred of hope that the God he has served for who-knows-how-long will intervene. I am definitely holding on to that same hope.

Last night’s episode also had some very heartbreaking moments and what I thought was some really great acting. When Dean told Bobby that he wasn’t his father he may as well have slapped him across the face. Bobby has been such a great help to these boys over the years and he has been more of a father to them then John ever was. Bobby has kept going for these boys even after he was paralyzed and more recently forced to kill his own wife, again. I obviously, don’t think Dean meant what he said but it was selfish of him to say regardless. It seemed like Dean had a hard time keeping his thoughts to himself last night. I was surprised by what Dean said to Sam about not believing in him. We knew that Dean never really forgave Sam for abandoning the family to go to school. He also has never trusted him in the same way since the demon blood addiction and alliance with Ruby. But for Dean to come out and say something that hurtful to Sam was a really low blow that couldn’t have come at a worse time. I guess I hadn’t realized the depth of mistrust Dean had for Sam. Sam has spent a long time trying to make up for his mistakes and to have that go un-noticed by Dean must have been very hurtful. (Look at me forgetting that these aren’t real people) And Sam has clearly never lost his trust in Dean. I thought his decision to bring Dean along to save Adam was the stupidest thing I had ever heard. But clearly, Sam knows Dean better than I do. I will say that I was glad to have the boys really talk about their trust issues. For so much of the season they have pretended that these deeper issues aren’t there. They’ve had a lot on their plate and I guess their trust in each other can’t take precedence over the apocalypse but these are issues that they needed to sort out if they are ever going to fight as a united front.

My roommate and I were discussing whether or not Adam Winchester’s character was created specifically for the purpose he served in “Point of No Return”. Did Kripke know back in season four’s “Jump the Shark” that he would use Adam as the Zachariah’s bait to get Dean to agree to Michael’s proposal? It seems like a huge thing to introduce another Winchester brother only to kill him off in the same episode. I think Kripke is more creative than that. I also don’t believe that Adam is dead now. I would be a little disappointed if they brought him back just to kill him off for a second time; although, multiple deaths seem to run in the Winchester family. I think Adam will pop up again at a moment when Kripke has us thinking that all is lost. Although, I'm not sure how things can get darker for the Winchester’s at this point.

Another question I discussed with my roommate (are you sensing a theme?) is whether or not we think Michael is all that bad. We met Lucifer who is obviously no good but so far, Michael is yet to be seen. This makes me think that maybe he’s not all bad. In fact, maybe God is using Michael- I still think God is testing the Winchester’s faith. Maybe not so much their faith in God, because that seems shot to hell at this point, but maybe their faith in what is right and their faith in each other which seemed to be the main theme of “Point of No Return”. In this episode, it looked like God sent Zachariah on the mission to resurrect Adam which was maybe supposed to be a hint at God’s position on the subject of Dean as Michael's vessel. But I really wonder if God knew how everything would play out. I wonder if he knew Dean would end up in that room and would have to make the decision to accept Michael’s proposal and fail or continue to fight for what he thinks is right. Either way, I refuse to believe that God has “checked out”.

I am very interested to see how things play out as season five comes to a close. Either way, the boys will be back next season so I’ll find hope in the fact that they can’t die, yet.

Here’s to 100 great episodes and counting!

About: Glee “Hell-O”

After the longest hiatus known to man, Glee is finally back! While last night’s episode was not the most artfully crafted where plot was concerned I was so happy to have Glee back that I almost didn't care.

They threw a lot at us in the first few minutes of the episode. There were a few new couples, well maybe no new as much as “official”; Will and Emma, Rachel and Finn, Quinn and Puck. It was a lot of information to get at once but none of it was necessarily unexpected. But as quickly as they threw these couples together, they tore them apart.

Emma reveals to Will that she’s never been “intimate” before, something he seems to take pretty well, so why the unexplained make out session behind enemy lines? That was by far my least favorite thing about “Hell-O”. I’m sorry but didn’t Will just realize that Emma was the love of his life? I was so confused about this moment that I had myself convinced it was some kind of dream he was having out of sexual deprivation. At least that would have made sense. Needless to say, I don’t know where they were going with that and why it came out of the blue.

I was so proud of Emma for making Will take time to find out who he is and what he wants. She already knows who she is, recognizes her own flaws where cleanliness is concerned, and is working to correct them. I am a little concerned about the timing of when Emma will find out about Will’s infidelity. It seems pretty clear that these things don’t go unnoticed in shows. Eventually, Emma will find out about it and hopefully it won’t be a make or break moment in their relationship. Although, I guess that’s where the best drama comes from.

Finn never ceases to amaze me with his stereotypical dumb jock attitude and general gullibility. He’s so insecure in himself and now the two people he trusted and cared about most have betrayed and humiliated him. But his constant fear of being perceived as an outcast is one of the most frustrating things about him. You would think he’d have learned by now that popularity has never brought him real happiness. Yet even through his density (am I allowed to use this word like that?) he continues to charm me. He somehow remains this naïve boy who is just learning life’s lessons at a slower pace than his peers; a contemporary Forest Gump with singing and dancing. So how could we be mad at him for breaking up with Rachel to sow his wild oats? And how could we not want Rachel to take him back immediately after his change of heart?

I think we all knew from the beginning that Jesse James was no good. Sorry Rachel but a dream guy that also happens to be a huge fan of your work and is coincidentally the lead singer of your arch rival glee club is not the best person to choose for a boyfriend! I do feel bad for her because it seems like she’s always getting her heart broken. For so long Finn spurned her advances, and then she tried to make him jealous by going out with Puck who it turned out was using her too. Then, in a momentary lapse in judgment she fell in love with Mr. Shu. Let’s just say she hasn’t had much luck with love this year. It’s really too bad because she is the kind of character that really puts her heart into everything she does. She may be painfully annoying at times, and a bit of a control freak but she really is a sweet girl. It seems like Finn is beginning to see her for who she is and accept her. And it sounds like he’s willing to put up a fight for her which he may have to if he finds out about Jesse James. Although I am curious to see how they handle the fact that Finn isn’t over Quinn yet. Or was his speech to Rachel at the episode's close supposed to show us that he's put Quinn in his past?

As far as my favorite song of the episode- Finn’s rendition of “Hello, I love you” was one of the best performances I’ve heard from him this season. I am fighting the urge to download it on itunes tonight!

After seeing Sue Sylvester’s Vogue video I could not be more excited to see how they handle the Madonna episode next week. Jane Lynch is a genius! Her comedic timing never fails.

Thank goodness we're back from hiatus and rolling on toward regionals!

Thanks for reading!

About: Gossip Girl "The Unblairable Lightness of Being"

Wedding bells were ringing on last night’s episode of Gossip Girl but there was still a distinct chill in the air from last week’s unfortunate events.

Dorota and Vanya tied the knot in their slightly ridiculous Russian ceremony and are moving out of the Waldorf’s penthouse and in to the apartment Cyrus bought them. And it got me thinking, will this be the end of Dorota? As this season developed we were seeing less and less of Dorota’s eager face and it seemed like Blair no longer needed her queen minion now that she had Chuck. But now Blair is single again and it looks like Dorota and Vanya are being phased out. Life is tough for the Queen Bee these days. School has been hard for her this year and she’s having trouble locking down her NYU empire. Now, Chuck is out of the picture and she doesn’t seem to have anyone to turn to. Serena is in her own world these days with her search for her father and her relationship problems own (more about that later). So, who’s Blair to turn to? While I don’t think it’s likely I would love to see a friendship blossom between Blair and Dan. I wouldn’t want to lose the witty banter between them but it would be great if Blair had someone else to talk to and “Lonely Boy” has seemed particularly lonely these days.

What is with Serena’s obsession with finding her father? With the way they’re building this up I better see an A-list actor playing Serena’s dad. I’m thinking Richard Gere…I think what’s most difficult about this storyline is that I really don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me whether or not Serena ever meets her father. This is a huge problem where writing is concerned. I should care. And I don’t see why Serena wants to see him after the way he’s been avoiding her. I am intrigued to see what is going on between him and Lilly though. What good reason could there be for abandoning your husband for days at a time to see an ex? I don’t think she’s cheating, that would be too easy. He must be holding some past indiscretion over her head. But what?

Little J was in fine form last night playing the concerned friend. I just can’t believe that Nate is still buying into it even after Jenny kissed him. Part of me thinks he really does care about her and they’re friendship. Part of me thinks he likes the attention. It will be interesting to see what happens now that he thinks Serena went off with Carter. Will he accept Jenny’s advances out of revenge or will he be the decent honest man we know he’s capable of being? Unlike some Bass-terds

Speaking of which, I was very proud of the show for not immediately giving us the satisfaction of Chuck and Blair reunited. While I still find myself loving Chuck, even after his less than rousing plan with uncle Jack, there is no way that Blair should take him back so quickly. We’ve seen how she can make him beg on his hands and knees and I think that’s exactly what he deserves. He has to show her that he’s seen the error of his ways but I don’t think he’s there yet. On the other hand, I don’t really believe that Blair doesn’t like who she’s become with Chuck. She is the best version of herself I’ve seen baring one bad choice made in the name of love. The fact of the matter is that Chuck is the man for her no matter how screwed up he can be at times. We’ve all seen what he’s capable of when he’s got Blair’s love and support.

Thanks for reading!

About: Supernatural “99 Problems”

Well, we’re back from hiatus and we’re definitely rolling toward the Apocalypse. “99 Problems” was a snap back to the reality of all that these boys are facing. The world is falling apart around them. They have angels and demons on their tail and no real allies to count on except for Bobby, Castiel, and each other, sort of. And on top of all these problems, they also have to face the fact that they’re vessels in an apocalyptic war that they don’t want to be a part of. It seems too much for any sane person to handle.

The episode began in the midst of a chase scene between the boys and some angry demons. Already off to a good start. But I definitely wasn’t expecting a Lutheran demon-fighting army to show up. How ironic that Sam and Dean come across a God fearing group of hunters after finding out that God, their last hope in this fight, doesn’t think the Apocalypse is really his problem anymore. Although, I still think God is testing these boys but that’s just a side note.

We were introduced to Leah, the so called prophet, and at first was thinking these boys had finally found a group of allies to help them. I should know better by now. This “whore of Babylon” definitely came at a different angle than we’ve seen before; Fake exorcisms, fake visions and worst of all, false hope. I really felt bad for the town. These people are just desperate. With the apocalypse looming on the horizon they’d do anything to ensure a one way ticket to paradise. This episode did a great job of humanizing the apocalypse for us. Who couldn’t see themselves in the shoes of the poor mother who lost her son and would do anything to see him again? And now it seems she's damned.

The pressure is definitely mounting between these brothers. Dean lost any shred of hope he had when he realized that God doesn’t care about him or Sam or anyone else for that matter. It seems he’s had enough “dead-beat dad” drama to last him a while. Meanwhile, Sam is trying desperately to hold it together. You could see his worry and reluctant mis-trust of Dean building throughout the episode. Sam knows that Dean has given up but it seems like he's refuses to give up on Dean. It was heartbreaking to watch Dean confess his feelings to Lisa knowing that he will never have a chance to be happy the way he wants to. And I felt so bad for Sam when I heard Dean’s car start up. Sam seems to have known for a while that he may loose Dean to this battle and I don’t think Sam thinks he can resist Lucifer on his own. It's more difficult to watch knowing that Sam and Dean are both justified in feeling the way they do. But it doesn't seem like they can both get their way. Dean can’t really think that the angels with accept his ground rules. Even if they do agree to keep Lisa and Ben safe, there’s no way they’d agree to a guideline that keeps Sam protected. It seems like a selfish decision on Dean’s part. He’s too willing to sacrifice himself for the ones he loves. And every time he does, he ends up leaving them in more danger and alone.

So we walked away with a few questions this episode. How is it possible that Dean was able to kill the "Whore" when it had to be a warrior of heaven? My roommate and I were discussing the possibility that Dean has already consigned himself to being the vessel. He may not have vocalized it, but he’s had a change of heart so maybe that’s all it took. Another thing I’m trying to decide is when the turning point was for Dean. When did he decide he was going to say yes to Michael? Was it the conversations with Pamela in heaven? Was it after he found out that God wasn’t going to help him? Or is he just looking for quick a way out?

The first half of the season has been a little back and forth when it comes to the importance of the apocalypse from episode to episode. Some weeks it seems to be the main focal point of the episode and other weeks it’s been present only in the background. With the way things are shaping up, and only six episodes left in the season, it seems like it will take a leap to the forefront. It should be an exciting season finale and I only hope the boys can stick it out!

Thanks for reading!

About: Gossip Girl “Inglorious Bassterds”

What happened! I never thought I’d see the day when Chuck Bass returned to his old ways. It was disappointing to say the least. Not only because I thought Chuck had grown out of his scheming, dishonest, manipulative past, at least wherever Blair was concerned, but also because I feel like we weren't even given fair warning. It would be one thing if Chuck really lost it and fell into some kind of life altering depression that lasted over the course of at least a few episodes. Or if we had been given more about his fear of failure in the eyes of those he cares about. At least if we were worried that his livelihood was at stake, which we aren’t because as far as we’ve been told, Chuck Bass is a billionaire with an endless supply of money. You can’t tell me that one little hotel will bankrupt the Bass name. So all that to say, while I found his betrayal of Blair shocking I almost couldn’t buy it. Before this episode aired, if you had asked me to describe Chuck and Blair’s relationship I would have told you that they would never manipulate each other the way they manipulate others. Maybe that’s the drama the show was going for, but without a proper set up within the storyline I find it loses something.

Now, as far as Jenny Humphrey goes I was annoyed but not surprised. Hasn’t everything always been about her? Oh no? She’s not the center of the universe? Try telling her that. Selfish Jenny Humphrey, when will you realize that Nate has loved Serena for years and it doesn’t look like he’s planning on leaving her anytime soon. Jenny will never be satisfied with what she has. She always wants more. I have a feeling she’ll learn her lesson eventually.

From the looks of the preview for next week Serena will be getting a visit from her ex boyfriend Carter Baisen. Who wants to bet that little Jenny Humphrey will catch wind of this and plot a scheme against Serena and Nate’s relationship? I have a feeling it’ll all blow up in her face and she’ll lose not only Nate’s friendship but Serena’s trust. And as we all know you do not want to get on Serena’s bad side.

As far as Dan and Vanessa’s relationship goes, I feel like it’s been underdeveloped up to this point. Ok, we get it. It’s hard to go from best friends to dating but we all got over the fact that you had a threesome together so I’m sure we can find a way to move on from this. I’m curious to see where the writers take their relationship. There seems to be the possibility that Vanessa will trasfer so we might be looking at a long distance relationship. At least from what I’ve noticed the long distance relationship story lines are usually a means to an end. They’re often used to break up a couple or just give one character the boot altogether. I guess we’ll just have to see.

Not too long from now we’ll be saying goodbye to our favorite upper east siders for the summer and from the looks of it we’re shaping up for some real drama between now and then.

Just Getting Started...

As you may or may not know, television has been a passion of mine for years. It started with Sesame Street and has taken me through the TGIF years to the WB, and now into the hodge podge of prime time television I watch weekly. While TV watching may not be classifiable as a hobby, I will do it anyway because in here I’m in charge. I love TV. Most nights I can think of nothing better than coming home after a long day and watching my shows. I love picking apart the dialogue and predicting, often inaccurately, how the rest of the season will play out. There’s something really interesting about the bond you form with the characters over the seasons. Television gives you a glimpse into the mind of people similar to those you encounter everyday. Only, in the world of television you actually get to pick them apart and figure out what makes them tick. It’s like being a fly on the wall of all the juicy conversations you wish you could have heard. But the thing I think is most compelling thing about television is that allows for a deeper understanding of relationship. I wouldn't argue that television is the end-all-be-all of relationship guides, but it definitely offers a different perspective.

So I thought I’d try out this blogging thing for a while since I think that my friends and family get sick of listening to me gush about my first love. I’m not sure how it’s going to work yet. I may write once a day or once a month. But I’ll write about shows I follow and let me know what you think. I love to hear other people’s opinions whether its about the show or my incorrect grammar. Just please don’t comment with any spoilers. There is nothing I hate more. If the writers/director wanted you to know something, they would have told you.

Thanks for reading!