The Celebrity Apprentice: What does Gary Busey have to do to get fired?

For weeks now we've been watching the seemingly very solid Backbone slowly fall apart under the pressure of Gary Busey. Whether Busey is just brain damaged from the motorcycle, or some kind of mad genius who tries to play Xanatos Gambits in real life I do not know. For that matter, neither do his teammates.

While John Rich firmly believes Busey is pulling the Gambit, Lil John and Meatloaf don't seem as certain that Busey is really in control of his faculties. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if Gary is crazy, or crazy like a fox, because this was the second week in a row in which Gary was universally named as the person to be fired. Prior to that, his name came up frequently when Backbone, the men's team found themselves staring down Mr Trump. Yet somehow, someway, Gary always remained. I'm inclined to think that his presence was dragged out a bit for the sake of ratings in all honesty. Which is how anybody following the newest season of Celebrity Apprentice wound up asking, "What is Gary Busey going to have to do to get fired?"

Now we know the answer. All Gary had to do to get fired, was make Meatloaf cry. Poor, poor Meatloaf. (Loaf, is you see this, I love your records, I love you, and I'm sorry they made you look so fragile.) Meatloaf is a man of passion, and compassion, and as the show has gone on his patience has been constantly tested by Busey. So much so that on a bad day, and with a slight misunderstanding, Meatloaf had a full blown meltdown. You could tell Meatloaf was embarrassed, but I can easily see how the working conditions for team Backbone could rub anybody's nerves raw. In fact, Meatloaf looked like his nerves had been rubbed until they just stopped working.

The poor man was exhausted. He was speechless. Don Jr points out that Meatloaf seems to be, quite literally, unable to articulate how frustrated, exhausted, and upset he has become with Gary Busey. Just look at him in this clip. Is he crying? Is he praying? Both? Honestly, I'm ecstatic that Trump, who's still pretending to be President to try and keep this show relevant after all these seasons, finally pulled the plug on Gary. It's been increasingly obvious that working with Gary is incredibly difficult. Essentially every member of the men's team has said as much at some point. Sometimes they assume it's because his brainbox got beat up in that motorcycle accident he had. A few of them have speculated that he was some brilliant schemer creating discord with an eye towards out lasting everybody. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Gary probably was trying to be devious. He's also probably got some issues upstairs because of mass cranial trauma. Either way, Gary's been shown the door.

Next week, next week the spackling paste that has been covering the cracks in the women's team begins to fall off, while a Gary free men's team will probably be an exemplary model of cohesion, enthusiasm, and efficiency. Personally, I can't wait until Nene and Star get into it. It is going to happen. It will be two geological forces, avalanches, colliding together and woe to anything caught between them when it happens. Also, Nene just might rip of Latoya's head at some point. That could be fun.

Doctor Who and Amazon Prime: Talk about an archive

Logo copyright BBC

If you do not have an Amazon Prime membership, this might not matter to you. Though, if you're a big fan of Doctor Who, this might give you a reason to become an Amazon Prime member. Initially the Amazon Prime status got you things like expedited or discounted/free shipping, and it still does. But now that Amazon is trying to compete with content providers like Netflix, and Hulu, Amazon Prime membership comes with another pretty sweet perk. A lot, and I mean a lot, of films and shows available from Amazon Direct are free to Amazon Prime members, the biggest "find" I've noticed so far being Doctor Who.

Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction program on television. It was first broadcast in 1963. Through out the years the Doctor has regenerated periodically, allowing a new actor to step into the role, and to flesh it out and make it his own. These days, we are currently at the Eleventh incarnation of the good Doctor. That's a lot of history. In fact, a lot of the episodes featuring the second and third Doctors were lost to history and old BBC archival policy. Through the years though they've been pushing hard to track down and release as much of the show's history as possible.

While Netflix will stream the series since the 2005 relaunch, they don't stream the specials, and they definitely do not stream anything pre-2005. Amazon however has almost all of Doctor Who, from 1963 to 2011, available. What's more, most of that, basically everything right up until series 5 of the relaunch, is available for  free to Amazon Prime members. Essentially the first 10 Doctors, in their entirety, are free to Amazon Prime members through Amazon Direct. I once tried to collect that myself, and I know first hand that is a lot, and I mean a lot of content. It was overwhelming. If you're a fan of Doctor Who, and you're also a member of Amazon Prime, you have to take advantage of this while you can. Licensing of media for vendors like this is temporary at best. Just ask anybody who bought a copy of 1984 for their Kindle...

Dr Who! Dr Who! Dr Who! I am so excited about Dr Who!

Seriously. Easter weekend? What's that? Who cares? April 23rd will be the premiere of the newest season of Dr Who! The opening two parter is both set, and actually filmed on location, in the United States! First time, ever. The fact that the Man from Gallifrey has come to my home nation is not the reason I am so stoked about this premiere. Rather, the strength of last season is why I am so jazzed. If you're not "in the know" it is important to know that when Dr Who first returned to television in 2005 the man at the helm creatively was Russel T Davies. Davies obviously didn't do all the work, that's not how tv shows get made, but he was the primary creative influence for both Christopher Eccleston's 9th Doctor, and David Tennant's 10th.

The Doctor of the Davies era was riddled by guilt. First Eccleston's Ninth was brooding over his actions in the Time War. How does a man who is essentially omnipotent and immortal come to terms with having committed multiple genocides to save the rest of the Universe? It's heady stuff, and it explains the weird distance between Eccleston and Billie Piper's Rose. But when the Doctor regenerates, the new Doctor, portrayed by David Tennant, while bearing the burden of his past, is much more focused on the people now closest to him.

This leads to a period where the show was just chock full of romantic angst as Rose and the Doctor swoon over each other, and Martha swoons over the Doctor who is still swooning for a lost Rose... it's a bit soap opera-y, and a lot of people probably liked that. The farewell tour Ten takes before regenerating at the end of the two part "End of Time" is evidence of how important the Doctor's relationships with his companions were to Davies. More than once Ten commented openly about how he actually needed a companion, and it was a major plot point in the Waters of Mars special.

Then came the time for Ten to finally regenerate into the Eleventh doctor, and with that change, the show runner behind the camera changed as well. But the man to take over the creative reigns was not new to the show. In fact, Steven Moffat had been writing episodes since the series returned, and many of them are considered some of the very best, such as The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, The Girl in the Fireplace, Blink, and of course Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. With Moffat now in charge, the Doctor seems bolder, but kinder. That is to say, he wants a companion to humanize himself, but he is exhausted by personal connections that always seem to lead to disaster. At least, he started that way, and it's no surprise considering what Davies put Ten through at the end.

Needless to say, when Eleven meets the six some odd year old Amelia Pond, he's a bit concerned for her safety, but more, genuinely appreciates her curiosity and bravery. For the first time in 4 years some kind of romantic innuendo between Doctor and Companion would be short lived, almost absent. It was glorious. Though, that's because the romantic innuendo is now focused on proto-Companion River Song, and that's okay, because at least it's not in the Tardis anymore. Despite the lack of romance though, it becomes obvious as season 5 carries on that the Doctor, Amy, and even Rory are actually all some kind of strange familial unit with the Doctor playing the zany and eccentric grandfather in a young man's body.

Anyways, in anticipation of the next episode I have compiled what I consider to be an essential list of episodes to refresh with before the exciting future Mr Moffat has in store for us all.

The Runaway Bride
Blink
Utopia
The Sound of Drums
Last of the Time Lords
Voyage Of The Damned
All of Series 4
The Next Doctor
Planet of the Dead
The Waters of Mars
End of Time, Part 1and 2
All of Series 5


I know that seems like a lot. If I'd posted this 4 days ago it would seem much more reasonable. Also, confession, I've already watched all of these up to "All of Series 5" in the last week... if you want a start point that's more accessible, start at series 5 with the 11th Doctor and Amy. It will only be 13 episodes (14 if you check out the amazing Christmas Special) about 45 minutes long. You've got like 9 days and that is totally doable. Oh, yea, and as a taste, here's the prequel Moffat wrote that sets up the new series.

Survivor: Redemption Island WTF Matt? Really?! [Spoilers! but not new ones]

I already shared the fact that brave Christian Soldier Matt on Survivor has found his way back to Redemption Island, where he spent 15 days alone, winning 5 some odd challenges to stay there, again. But I felt it necessary to actually make a separate post from my usual recap to discuss just exactly how mind boggling and WTF inducing Matt's behavior was in this week's episode. Seriously. I have to get it out of my mind, I have no choice.

So, here's the deal, from the first episode the producers have been making it clear to the audience just how important Matt's faith is to him. Matt makes it clear how important his faith is to him. His sincerity is without question. I am more likely to believe it is Matt's faith in God that allowed him to do so well on Redemption Island, than that it has anything to actually do with any God that may or may not exist. His belief alone is apparently enough to give him the mental and physical strength to deal with what must be a pretty harsh experience. So after watching his story build this kind of destined, or blessed, narrative for 5 weeks, Matt is brought back to the main game when the tribes merge.

Now, the thing that's so frustrating is that Matt actually recognizes a very real advantage that he has. He was the second person in the entire game to be sent to Redemption Island. He knows what things were like in Ometepe, and he's had a steady stream of intelligence on Zapatera. He also knows that he was blind sided by Ometepe the first time. The episode's title "This game respects big moves" is something Matt actually said. The Holy Soldier is back, and due to timing, he has ALL the leverage. ALL of it.

Rob has Ometepe, with a head count of 6, mostly locked down, but Andrea was Matt's friend at the start of the game, and she's willing to work with him if he can actually come up with some kind of good plan. As he rambles about "pretending" to be loyal to Rob with the intent to blindside him in a few votes, the look of apprehension rightfully spreads all over Andrea's face. It seems Matt has two settings, he over thinks, or he doesn't think at all.

His conversation with Andrea was actually inspired when Mike of Zapatera came to him and discussed bringing him into their alliance, with an inside track to the final four. Mike would actually up his bid to the final three in an effort to get Matt to make up the one vote Ometepe had over Zapatera.

So Matt has an offer from a voting block of 5 to pick apart the people who sent him to Redemption Island, with the exception of his one friend on that tribe. He has a friend who seems prepared to follow his lead any which way, so long as he actually looks like he knows where he's going. He understands that big moves are how you win the game...

And then he goes to "confess" to Boston Rob. I don't know if Matt's catholic, or protestant (betting protestant of some sort) or what, but while guilt might be part of your religious experience, it's the last thing you want in your Survivor experience. Especially when you're interacting with somebody who is considered to be one of the all time greats of the game (who happens to be in the middle of an absolute tour de force of Survivor villainy this season, btw) Boston Rob, especially than, guilt is not going to help you. So Matt ultimately decides to FORGIVE Rob, confesses any thoughts he had at trying to unseat Rob, and thinks everything will be peachy keen going forward.

Even as the Jeff Probst leads the Survivors through this week's tribal council, it is obvious that Ometepe does not consider Matt part of their tribe. Matt should know better than to trust his luck with them. He points out that the relationship dynamic in the tribe has changed in the two weeks he's been gone. Yet despite all of this, all of this, he chooses to trust Rob. Andrea being smart enough to see a lost cause bailed on Matt in the end. Was it the smart play for Andrea? I think I can theorize a smarter one, which I might post later, but we'll see where her decision leads her. Seriously though Matt, What. The. Fuck. I hope God is with you out there on Redemption Island, you'll probably need him a lot to make it another two weeks out there.

Survivor: Redemption Island "This Game Respects Big Moves" [Spoilers!]

I know I know, I missed last week. Sorry. It wasn't that exciting. It wasn't boring either, but you know, Matt won the Redemption Island Challenge, Rob screwed around with idol clues that were worthless (he literally threw last week's into a volcano), Zapatera continued their nonsensical collapse, and ultimately the annoying hippie tribe mom Sarita got her torch snuffed. Oh, right, and we spent time dumping on poor Mr Saggybottoms. While the episode was entertaining, it also felt a lot like the last three episodes before it. Luckily this week, it's time to shake things up!

For starters, this is the week where the resident of Redemption Island returns to the main game. Having spent two weeks out there, Matt is the obvious favorite. But wait, it turns out, he cut his foot, and the Redemption Challenge will be putting a disproportionate amount of stress precisely where he cut his foot. It's almost as if the producers were afraid a straight challenge between Sarita and Matt wouldn't be exciting. Alas, God disagrees with the Producers, and Matt somehow prevails! Yay. There was a moment I was afraid I'd have to get another lecture about tribe harmony from the annoying hippie mom. Then the tribes merge, Matt gets to leave Redemption Island with them, and Probst tells everybody that the island is not closed, it is merely resetting.

So the first order of business for the now combined tribe is to come up with a name. As they set eating food that I guess was a reward just for still being on the show, Rob sells them on naming the tribe Murlonio. He tells the contestants it means "coming out of the ocean" or something, then gleefully tells the camera that is in fact utter bullshit. Murlonio is the name of fellow Survivor alum Amber's stuffed animal. Seriously. Rob has spent this entire game just laughing at everybody else, including Russel, on the island. It will be interesting to see if his utter dominance, and joyful treachery, can sway the jury, if he makes it to the final three. Though, if he continues orchestrating the other contestants as he has been, he seems like a lock for one of those coveted 3 spots.

There's also a brief, almost throw away exchange between Matt and Grant, where Matt asks Grant why he was voted out the first time. Grant answers honestly, saying Matt's relationship with Kristina is why he was voted out. Excepting the fact that it was Matt's relationship with Andrea that got him booted, Grant was honest. The important take away though is that the young women of Ometepe are apparently so interchangeable that Grant can't keep them separated in hi mind despite sharing a hut on the beach with them every night.

I must admit I'm perversely rooting for Matt despite my adversion to people who say things like "my purpose here is to honor God" on a reality tv show. Granted, by the time he decides to give his loyalties to Rob, again, I find myself thinking he's nothing but a poor substitute for Fabio. Of course, Rob saw Matt as a threat before, and he sees him as a threat again. It takes less than two minutes for Rob to get Grant, Natalie, Kristina, and Mr Saggybottoms on the "vote Matt out, again" bandwagon. As they head off to Tribal Council the question is, will Matt make the smart move and side with the former Zapatera members, or will he find himself being sent to Redemption Island, again, courtesy of a Boston Rob Blindside.

Well, watching it was of course edited to be high stakes, but the quickest answer is Matt was an idiot. Boston Rob gave him the boot, and the Holiest Survivor is on his way back to Redemption Island. He seems to do well on his own, spending his time in meditation. I'm not sure if he's got the brains to "outwit" anybody, but if he can outlast out there on his own, it could be one of the most interesting paths to Survivor victory anybody has ever taken. Next week, Mr Saggybottoms asks for a sign, and gets a feather headdress. I'm sure there will be plenty of lulz listening to him explain that as a part of the Bushido code.

Survivor: Redemption Island "Their Red Headed Stepchild" [Spoilers!]

Is God a Survivor fan? After this week's episode I cannot help but ask. (Sorry this one is late, but I've been a busy guy.) This week's episode starts on Redemption Island were Christian Soldier Matt continues to battle against the elements alone. When the latest contestant to be voted out of her tribe, Krista arrives, we suddenly find out that she shares Matt's devotion as they both rejoice over the delivery of her luxury item: a Bible. They pray together, have a close contest, and ultimately Matt wins his fourth consecutive Redemption trial. Thanks to her time bonding with Matt, Krista seems very peaceful as she walks off to the hotel she was surely sequestered in until the end of taping. Air conditioning, swimming pool, a Gideon's Bible...

Anyways, back at Ometepe, Phil, now to be referred to by the name Boston Rob gave him, "Mr Saggy Bottoms," (It's his pink briefs. Hopefully the future gives us more episodes like tonights, episodes in which he wears pans.) is in a snit because two of the girls in their tribe make every day beach day, or spa day, or salon day, or day where they do absolutely shit. He's not the only one noticing but he is the only one saying anything. The two in question are... Natalie... and... I don't care. Honestly the pair of them are interchangeable. In fact, most of the young women on this season of Survivor have been presented in a light that makes them seem like paper dolls in bikinis that fit worse and worse with every day. Only Andrea and Stephanie managed to distinguish themselves at all amongst the half dozen or so young women in this season.

The challenge this week grossly favored Ometepe. Zapetera tried to convince themselves that maybe they could have possibly pulled off a victory, but let's be honest, the "catching a ball in the air while running" thing was a lock for Graham, a former NFL player on Ometepe tribe. So while Ometepe had a picnic by a statue on a mountain Zapetera tried to decide if they favored loyalty in the form of Sarita, or "spunk" in the form of Stephanie.

At the picnic Rob continues to play his bizarre game with Grant involving the hidden immunity idol clues. Rob has the idol. Rob has told nobody has the idol. This is the second time Rob has tampered with Grant's access to the clues. Last time he actually switched the newest clue for a older less useful one only he found. Boston Rob's dominance of the Ometepe tribe and this game has to be one of the most impressive games of Survivor ever played. His victims believe they are co-conspirators, and the entire tribe sees only what he lets them.

Which brings us to this week's Tribal Council. Zapatera, suddenly on the slide is starting to regret their decision to throw that challenge to get rid of Russel. As the primary "council of 5" are unsure whom to vote for, the council was a talkative one. Ultimately though the majority favored a weak, but trustworthy team mate at the expense of a fiery, but potentially treacherous one. With Stephanie on her way to Redemption Island, Russel's alliance of three has now been entirely voted out of the tribe. Regardless of who wins, I think Rob has already proven which of them is the better player in this game. What awaits us next week? Does Rob land in hot water over something? Does Matt win a fifth challenge? Is God a Survivor fan? We'll see...

Dragon Age 2 - Just finished

Well, at long last I have completed my initial play through of Dragon Age 2. It came out to be a little over 40 hours. On casual mode I wasn't too annoyed with the combat tedium which was my biggest complaint about the first game.

When I finally got to the final cinematic, I was ultimately left wondering if I missed something. Probably because I never bothered to finish the original game. The story of Dragon Age 2 is about the journey, and not the ending. Ultimately, both Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall (the player character in DA2) as well as the Hero of Ferelden (the player character of the first Dragon Age game) disappear, which has everybody worried about... something. Presumably to be explained in a later installment of the franchise.

Having just now typed that, I can't help but be reminded of the Knights of the Old Republic series, which Bioware started. That franchise also ends with its two protagonists missing, presumably lost in deep space fighting a greater evil. It would seem the Champion and the Warden are also presumed to be in some dangerous hnterland, fighting a greater evil. I guess that's a roundabout way of saying "it's all kind of been done before."

At the end of the day, Bioware is good at RPGs. It is what they do. Dragon Age 2 is a solid fantasy role playing game. That being said, I would rent it or pick it up pre-owned, especially if you did not play, or did not like, Dragon Age Origins

Survivor: Redemption Island "We Hate Our Tribe" SPOILERS!

Tonight's episode starts off, as usual with a dual on Redemption Island. This week former Ometepe members Matt and Kristina meet in a puzzle battle. While I was rooting for the shrewd Kristina (she found a hidden immunity idol without a clue) in the early running, her quest for a million dollars ended abruptly this week.

From there we shift to the Ometepe members who weren't on Redemption Island as contestants or observers. Mostly it was whining from the girls while Phillip tries to gain what little leverage he can try to. Boston Rob seems inclined to keeping Phil around if only because he seems to be driving everybody else crazy with his "pink panties."

We then cut to a montage of Krista and Stephanie, the newest little girls to somehow be suckered by the now departed Russel complaining about their tribe. This is ultimately foreshadowing as this week is the first week Ometepe manages to win immunity on their own.

After this we get some strange bizarre game where Boston Rob goes out of his way to make Grant think that they're co-conspirators for an immunity idol that Rob had already found. It is utterly pointless activity for Grant, but at least Rob, and maybe the audience get a kick out of it.

That levity however quickly fades as we cut to Zapatera's tribe inevitable meltdown under the pressure of tribal council. Remember that the only council Zapatera tribe has faced before is one they chose to go to in an effort to shed the tumor that is Russel. While the main council in Zapatera begins to crumble, we get another montage of Krista and Stephanie cut to make them both look as vapid and stupid as possible. It manages to do a pretty good job of that as they constantly harp that the rest of their tribe "is not playing the game" even though they obviously are.

Once we get to tribal council, in an apparent blaze of glory Krista manages to launch several attacks at what she considers the cracks in the Zapatera super alliance. The only question was whether or not those cracks would splinter in time to save her. They did not. Krista became the fifth member sent to Redemption Island where she will face off next week with Matt. If he wins again next week, I might be inclined to think his prayers work.

Also, I wanted to include some video clips, but CBS apparently does not like to share. Jerks.

Batman: Arkham City - Latest Trailer

The latest trailer for Batman: Arkham City is out and it looks awesome. This game is the highly anticipated sequel of the amazing Batman: Arkham Asylum

My favorite thing about the first game was that it managed to make the player really feel like Batman. As you gained access to new moves and gadgets, that feeling became increasingly potent. There was a definite magic in using Detective Vision to watch the pulse rates of the bad guys sky rocket as you picked them off one by one from the shadows.

This trailer certainly makes it appear that you will be spending much more time "outside" than you did in the first Arkham game where most of the events occurred inside the various buildings of the titular Arkham Asylum. The gameplay footage that shows the enhancements to the glide and grapple systems look amazing. It's obvious that the designers realized "feeling like Batman" was the best part of the first game and looked to find a way to recreate that same feeling on what will hopefully be an even grander scale.

Dragon Age 2 - First Impression

Man have I been busy. I've been trying to find time to dig into Bioware's latest epic, but have found myself pulled in a lot of directions lately. I did however manage to get a few hours with Dragon Age 2 over the last few days and I'm ready to talk about some of my early impressions.

First, the combat is, well, I'm not really sure. I'm playing on casual difficulty and it doesn't seem too hard or too annoying. However from what I've heard, the harder difficulty settings will increasingly require the insanely micromanaged combat experience I found so frustrating in the first game. A similar form of pseudo-programming for establishing party AI is back, which while I've tinkered with it a little still seems labyrinthine and frustrating to me.

Second, this game surprisingly feels kind of like Fable. The cartoonish antics and animations may not be present, but the story telling techniques seem very Lionhead-esque. The story focuses on the hero, and the hero's relationships with their family and party members. The use of time lapse events (like the year of indentured servitude your hero endures as the game opens, or the 3 year gap that occurs between the end of the games first and second acts) reminds me very much of the sequences in Fable where the hero is sent to prison, or a citadel, only to return to see the impact their previous decisions had on the world in their absence. The similarity of the animations used to depict the events of these time when they are narrated will also probably look very familiar with anybody who has played the Fable franchise.

Anyways, I'm not sure if I'll have it in me to finish this title, but I am anxious to get back to it and see what happens in the second act.

Dragon Age 2 - Coming Soon

I want to be perfectly clear right now, I would not put any time into either playing, or reviewing, Dragon Age 2 if not for Mass Effect 2. What do I mean by that? Well, as much as I loved the first Mass Effect when it came out, the sequel was so much better than it's predecessor that I was astounded. What does that have to do with Dragon Age? Well, Bioware is the company behind both titles, and while I found the first Dragon Age... lacking, I'm willing to give the second a chance based on the accomplishment of their other current major franchise.

What was it about the first Dragon Age I did not like? Mainly, it was the combat. I played the PC version of the game and was frustrated at how frequently I had to pause the game to micromanage my party in combat. Especially since I could only queue up one action at a time. While Dragon Age Origins did have an AI system that theoretically could have made that easier, it would have required way to much time to really customize and tweak. I appreciate that the developers essentially made it possible to self program the AI of your party. I did not appreciate having to play programmer while trying to engage in an immersive fantasy RPG.

Bioware did succeed in telling an interesting story, with solid characters and as usual a dialog tree so complex it would be almost impossible to see all the possible interactions without cracking open the code and looking them all up. My first play through stalled just before the start of the big End Game content. I was just tired, my party felt somewhat underpowered (common for first RPG run throughs for me) and frankly, I had no desire to go through the tedium of managing my party in a massive battle in an effort to save the world. Some hero I turned out to be.

Anyways, so, the sequel, which follows more expansions than I could be bothered to keep track of, released earlier this week. Hopefully I can get some time in with the game and get at least a early review with first impressions up in the next few days.

Survivor: Redemption Island "Don't you work for me?" [Spoilers!]

CBS's newest season of Survivor had two "twists" to bring viewers back to this show now in its 22nd season. First, there is the "twist" that made its way into the title, Redemption Island. Instead of being eliminated after being voted out, contestants are sent to Redemption Island, where they will challenge the current occupant for the right to remain on RI instead of go home. At some point yet to be announced, the occupant of RI is to be returned to the regular game. I know, the possibilities are oh so tantalizing.

The second twist was the return of two of the show's greatest villains, Boston Rob and Russel. Neither man has actually won the game in the past, though both had proven their ability to make it into the deep game of Survivor. At least, they both did until last week. Russel, who's arrogance and abrasive attitude set him at odds with the vast majority of his tribe had been sent to Redemption Island last week. They were so anxious to get rid of him, they threw their own challenge.

As per usual this season, the episode opened with the challenge on Redemption Island before Golden Boy for Christ Matt, and skeezy skeezy Russel. The two had to create a line of dominoes that would push a ball to break a plate in order to stay. The challenge went back and forth, but ultimately Matt prevailed which resulted in one of the most gratifying things I've ever seen in reality television, Russel Hantz crying. Maybe that's why he decided to leak show details at the risk of legal action. (Okay, so he's accused of leaking details on his two previous seasons, all the same, he's slime.) Boo hoo Russell.

With that settled it's back to business as usual in the two tribes. Having succeeded in jettisoning Russel from the game, his former tribe, Zapetera went right back to their winning ways. At this rate, Boston Rob's control over the Ometepe will be utterly meaningless by the time the tribes merge. So while Zapetera enjoys some delicious hot dogs and veggies, Ometepe prepares for what will be their third tribal council.

Boston Rob's alliance is split in who they want removed. Some of the younger members are anxious to see the stranger and crazier Phillip go. Though, I'm sure the producers were looking at the footage as it came in and just praying somehow he could avoid being voted out. Personally, I can do without a montage of a middle aged black man spilling out of his saggy pink briefs. Meanwhile, Rob himself is worried about Kristina. You might remember that she found the first hidden immunity idol without the benefit of a clue. (Rob managed to find the new one in tonight's episode, with the help of a clue, some luck, and a lot of bullshitting.)
Ultimately, Ometepe voted Kristina out of the tribe, so she will be facing off against Matt next week on Redemption Island.

Man I really really loved watching Russel cry. That was too awesome. What did you think?

Community Season One

When Community first aired as part of NBC's Thursday Night Comedy line up, I gave it two episodes to win me over. I should have given it three. I initially missed the first season of this amazingly funny show but when a friend of mine who essentially never likes anything told me I had to give this show a chance, I decided to listen. Season 2 instantly won me over, which meant I had no choice  but to track down Season 1 to see all the hijinx and hilarity I had missed.

Fortunately doing that was pretty easy to do. Not only can you pick this season up on DVD for a relative song on Amazon, you can also get it via Direct Download from them as well. While the first two episodes are a little slow, it's only because they take the time to introduce the motley members of the Study Group to the audience, as well as set the stage of what life at Greendale is like. But starting with the third episode, which focuses in on Abed, who's dysfunctional behavior both strains the boundaries of the fourth wall and fuels much of the "meta" humor that makes this show so appealing, Community as a whole really feels like it starts to find its footing.

As the season progresses the show begins to really explore the dynamics of the members of the Study Group and puts a lot of emphasis on the connections that humanize these characters, and ultimately bring them together. By the time you get close to the end of the first season, it seems the writers can do no wrong with classic episodes like Contemporary American Poultry , and Modern Warfare.

Contemporary American Poultry is a brilliant homage to mafia movies like the Godfather or Goodfellas,  and it pulls off the conceit with both class and style. Modern Warfare may not be related to the hit gaming franchise, but it does manage to squeeze in some kind of loving reference to almost every major action movie you could think of.

At the end of the day this show shines. The combination of a top notch cast giving the audience characters that are identifiable and writing that is able to convey both emotional weight as well as a self deprecating self awareness has launched this series to being one of my top two favorite live action comedies on television today.