The impending nuptials of Jules and Grayson have been driving the third season of Cougar Town from the time he proposed. Like it or not, if you were in the couple's world in any extent, you had to deal with the typical wedding worries, only Jules-ified. There have been storylines dedicated to Trav "auditioning" to be the wedding photographer, a maid-of-honor competition between Ellie and Laurie, and Grayson asking for Chick's blessing, but the time for preparation is over.

There's about to be a Cul-de-Sac Crew wedding and yes, it may be time to panic.

You'd think, at least. A finale wedding is typically hectic, full of mishaps and a whole lot of misunderstandings, but it looks like the only confusion here is Jules and her six viewings of Groundhog Day. (No spoilers!) But really, Jules and Grayson are surprisingly calm for a couple about to walk down the aisle, possibly thanks to their decision to elope. Jules has a very hard time letting go of control, particularly of her dream wedding following a, ahem, modest ceremony with Bobby, but her love for Grayson may actually override the need to be in command.

Elsewhere with the Crew, Ellie turns the charm on to get a hotel employee (guest star David Arquette) to get Jules and Grayson a reception venue and Laurie talks about her time at the Stud Farm in preparation for Jules' bachelorette party. Additionally, the founder of Krazy Kakes is in charge of the wedding cake, leading to another serious flirtation with Trav. The two have some pretty intense chemistry (and have gotten better at acknowledging it), but thanks to their age difference and Laurie's Army boyfriend Wade, they've never really acted on it. Perhaps all the romance in the air has become contagious?

The one-hour season finale of Cougar Town airs Tuesday, May 29th at 8:00 on ABC. The show has been picked up by TBS for a fourth season, set to premiere in early 2013.

Cougar Town Season Finale Sneak Peeks: Jules and Grayson are Getting Married

There are basically two types of season finales that can put into play, depending on a variety of factors. The first type is the clean finale, one that ties up loose ends, corrects mistakes, and generally finds each of the main characters in a pretty favorable place going forward. It might not make for the most compelling of television, but a clean finale is best utilized when a show is truly on the bubble or knowingly ending once and for all. A bubble show ending cleanly calms the inevitable firestorm of "Save Our Show" campaigns that pop up every May, while a show ending for good can spend its final moments basking in the happy and celebrating the characters we've all grown to love. Whereas a messy finale (like Suburgatory), with no (real) conclusions and little warm-and-fuzzy moments to speak of, leaves things hanging until next season, in hopes of making the summer hiatus that much more painful.

It couldn't have been any other way, right? From the moment it bounded onto TV screens last fall, Suburgatory has been anything but clean, in the best way possible, and ending its debut season with hugs and a knowing voiceover explaining this week's life lesson wouldn't have felt right. Take, for instance, the subversion of expectations that came from Tessa's uninvited guest and Lisa's exposure to the truth about her paternity. Each could have very easily turned into a Special Moment, but rather than give into the potential cliche, the show flipped each on its ear in a way that intrigues me that much more for season two. Bringing back Tessa's grandmother, rather than her mother, and having Tessa's reaction be centered on using her to get out of Chatswin gave the ending more of a bite than it would have had otherwise, another instance of Tessa demonstrating her cynicism has yet to fade from her time in the 'burbs. But it didn't play as her being scheming or especially manipulative; it played as Tessa being sad, fed up with Eden, and lonely given the time of year, ready to do anything that she can to finally get out. And if she has to fake it til she makes it (out), then so be it.

Lisa, on the other hand, found out that she was biologically Sheila's - it's her brother Ryan that was adopted. Once the letter came with the results, I assumed that the plot was dead, another blow to Lisa's hopes of distancing herself from her mother, so I was rather taken by the blood freezer and its contents. I don't know how much more you can do with a plot like this, but I'm down for more time with the Shay family, particularly if all four members get to play a role in the paternity issue. Ryan, especially, hasn't had much to do in recent weeks, so centering a plot like this around him could bring him into the fold a little more and allow the entire family dynamic to get an exercise. Lisa and Sheila are, of course, arch enemies, but we've not really had an extended Lisa/Ryan story and something like this, far fetched as it may be, gives them the excuse to bring the two siblings together for a few episodes.

The Shay family highlighted another pretty fun plot in the Mother's Day 5K, ridiculously competitive Sheila taking home first place with Dallas ending up in the hospital. (Chekhov's Golden Shoes?) Like a lot of shows with richly talented ensemble casts, Suburgatory benefits from bringing multiple unrelated characters together for various plots. You get a different vibe from each combination and it strengthens the town's position as a character in the show, so having the two moms face off, head in opposite directions, and end up in good plots of their own was a nice piece of writing. (If the show uses the 5K next season, I hope it's its own major plot, rather than a stepping stone, though.) Dallas, in particular, headed to an interesting place, injuring her ankle, hallucinating Yakult as talking to her (through the voice of Whoopi Goldberg, hilariously), and reaching out for Dalia, currently in Israel. Dallas and Dalia have had a very weird time lately, the divorce driving a wedge between them that has been slow to dislodge itself, so hearing Dallas ask for her daughter in a moment of pain was sweet (and another display of her growing humanity). The heartbreak, though, that it brought Tessa, desperately looking for a mother figure and rejected once again, was palpable and a testament to how much the two have bonded during the season.

Also, it may not have been a plot development or anything especially deep, but my biggest laugh of the night came from the James Ingram cameo and his rendition of "One Hundred Ways" delivered in the Shay living room. Suburgatory can sometimes be a little too wacky for its own good, but this was on the right side of silly and hinted that the Sheila Shay that stands before us might not have always been this way. Am I the only one that would die for a flashback episode of Suburgatory? Considering how good (and random) the Ingram cameo (and info that he used to date Sheila) were, I think it could be a delight.

The only thing that didn't quite work for me was Eden, unfortunately. I like Alicia Silverstone (a lot), but the surrogacy angle, as well as her character's not-that-pleasant personality, have made the character a bit more of a drag than I thought. I completely get what they're going for in having her around, since she brings tension to George's relationships with Noah and Tessa, but it just saps a little bit of fun from an exceedingly fun show. George having a semi-permanent non-Dallas love interest is one thing, something that could bring a little double-punch of spice and stability to the proceedings, but her late-term pregnancy, overbearing personality, and the growing distance between George and Tessa aren't things that make Suburgatory better. They've taken, arguably, the core of the show and hidden it behind an unnecessary plot complication, hopefully to be overturned during the second season. George and Tessa's relationship is Suburgatory and now that George is an inch away from being on an episode of Maury, it's very much on the backburner. I like the trope where a single parent begins to date again and bring around their new love interest, since it rocks a pretty stable dynamic and enforces the changing nature of life, but here, it's felt like too much too soon. George went from a lonely single dude looking for a little companionship to housing a walking, talking plot point, very little personality to speak of (and what we've seen hasn't been that nice.).

Suburgatory ends its first season on an appropriately messy note. Nobody's that happy, everybody wants something more for themselves, and it's all a great big ordeal. Like life. Even though the show can edge toward being a live-action cartoon now and then, the thing that I love, and the thing that keeps me coming back, is the note that they hit time and time again. Despite differences in outward appearance, money in their pocket, and eccentricities, there's not much difference between the Altmans and the Chatswin residents. In the end, they all want to be loved, to find someone to accept them for who they are, to feel wanted. They might go about finding that love and attention in different ways, but it doesn't change the fact that George, Dallas, Tessa, Dalia, and all those in between are vulnerable and looking for a way to fit in in a town all about looking happy on the outside. Little do they know that behind every plastic smile and sequined jump suit lies a little bit of themselves.

Thoughts, Quotes, & Observations:
-"There are 950 dead snakes on this wall alone."
-"Is it because of my blue throbbing spider veins?"
-"Did she hold off on your latest bout of ringworm?"
-"You look good...with your fine ass."
-"Yakult, so cryptic."
-"Bitch, ain't nobody talkin' 'bout Tessa."
-I really liked that Tessa didn't get her internship (and that we didn't know until the end of the episode). Following her as she tries to get out of Chatswin next season should be pretty fun.
-What did you think about the slightly altered theme song?
-Thank you guys for reading, commenting on, and sharing my Suburgatory reviews this season. A case of chiffon wristlets and crystal Joy Behars for you all, if I could. Here's hoping we all reconvene in the fall to talk will they/won't they, mama drama, and the latest delicious dirt going on in Chatswin.

Suburgatory 1.22 "The Motherload" Review

Upfronts Week continues and today it was ABC's turn to announce their 2012-2013 primetime schedule (following those of NBC and Fox).  The network has renewed freshman series like Once Upon a Time and Revenge, while also handing out renewals to veterans like Grey's Anatomy and Modern Family.  In addition, ABC ordered 10 new dramas and comedies. There are a few schedule changes for returning shows, including the fact that Revenge is moving to Sunday nights.

New series Red Widow, Zero Hour and Mistresses will premiere later in the season.

MONDAY
8:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars
10:00 p.m. Castle

In January:
8:00 p.m. The Bachelor
10:00 p.m. Castle

TUESDAY
8:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars the Results Show
9:00 p.m. Happy Endings
9:30 p.m. Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
10:00 p.m. Private Practice

In January:
8:00 p.m. How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) (new series) (watch a preview)
8:30 p.m. The Family Tools (new series) (watch a preview)

WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m. The Middle
8:30 p.m. Suburgatory
9:00 p.m. Modern Family
9:30 p.m. The Neighbors (new series) (watch a preview)
10:00 p.m. Nashville (new series) (watch a preview)

THURSDAY
8:00 p.m. Last Resort (new series) (watch a preview)
9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 p.m. Scandal

FRIDAY
8:00 p.m. Shark Tank
9:00 p.m. Primetime: What Would You Do?
10:00 p.m. 20/20

In November:
8:00 p.m. Last Man Standing
8:30 p.m. Malibu Country (new series) (watch a preview)
9:00 p.m. Shark Tank
10:00 p.m. 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 p.m. Saturday Night College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos
8:00 p.m. Once Upon a Time
9:00 p.m. Revenge
10:00 p.m. 666 Park Avenue (new series) (watch a preview)

Go to the next page for descriptions of all of ABCs new dramas.

ABC: 2012-2013 Primetime Schedule & Previews for New Shows

Last Man Standing has been renewed for a second season by ABC. The multi-camera comedy, starring Home Improvement's Tim Allen, debuted this past October and has proved to be an okay building block for a potential multi-cam comedy night.

It'll likely be paired with Reba McEntire's Malibu Country, which received a pickup earlier tonight. McEntire, a country music legend and former sitcom star in her own right, will be playing Reba Gallagher, a woman that discovers her husband's infidelity. Once she makes it through a painful divorce, Reba moves to California with her children and mother, in a bid for a new start on life. There's a major culture shock, though, and Reba Gallagher has to figure out a way to plant her roots and begin her life as a single mother.

Malibu Country is the only multi-cam comedy that ABC picked up for the 2012-13 season, having given the greenlight to the likes of Family Tools, How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life, and The Neighbors. How to Live with Your Parents bears a little similarity to Malibu Country, both comedies following the journey of divorced women looking to land on their feet after traumatic life change. Whereas Malibu Country finds the Gallagher family moving across the country, How to Live with Your Parents has its heroine Polly moving back home with her parents.

ABC has been quite busy today making room for their new shows, deciding the fate of every 2011-12 show and ordering an impressive fleet of dramas and comedies to fill in the cracks. To catch up on every ABC move, check out the ABC tag here at TVOvermind.

Last Man Standing aired its season finale on May 1st.

What did you think about the first season of Last Man Standing? Do you think that Reba and Tim Allen make for a compatible match, in terms of timeslot and content? What's been the best move that ABC's made today?

Last Man Standing Renewed by ABC, Likely To Be Paired with Malibu Country

What a day for ABC, right?

They've issued countless renewals, cancellations, and pilot pickups, but it all had to come to an end. Like NBC, ABC put off the bad news for later in the day, cancelling a chunk of its freshman shows in one swoop. Having already dispatched GCB, ABC has given the walking papers to Missing, Pan Am, and The River, according to TV Line. None are especially surprising considering the low ratings and middling-at-best hype for each of the three, with only Missing still airing new episodes. Pan Am finished its abbreviated run in February, while The River ran through its eight episodes in February and March.

Private Practice, meanwhile, has been given a final season order of 13 episodes. Producers of the medical drama, which moved from its post-Grey's Anatomy slot earlier this season, had been locked in negotiations with the network for terms of the order. Creator Shonda Rhimes may not have gotten a pickup for The Gilded Lilys, but all three of her shows currently on the air earned a renewal, Grey's yesterday and Scandal and Private Practice today.

Body of Proof was a bit more of a question mark, though. In its Tuesday timeslot, the slot that Private Practice took over, Body of Proof had been presumed dead until perking up in its final few episodes. Combine that with strong international sales and repeatability thanks to its procedural format and you have a pretty decent case for renewal. Like Private Practice, Body of Proof has been renewed for 13 episodes.

Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23 will also be returning for another season, as the comedy has developed a fairly solid audience in its brief time on air.

Did you see any of Missing, Pan Am, or The River through to the end? What do you think about all the moves that ABC made today?

ABC: Learn the Fates of Missing, Pan Am, The River, Private Practice, Body of Proof, Apt. 23

ABC has added to their pickup list from earlier, this time bringing on two additional dramas and an additional comedy for the upcoming season.

666 Park Avenue takes place at The Drake, an apartment building whose tenants don't know that their home is enveloped by the supernatural. Every tenant has made a deal with the Devil and that's not quite the environment that the new managers, played by Rachael Taylor and Dave Annabale, had in mind when they took the job. 666 Park Avenue stars Vanessa Williams, Terry O'Quinn, Robert Buckley, and Mercedes Masohn, among others.

From Shawn Ryan, Last Resort takes a look at a submarine crew that disregards orders to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan. As a result, they themselves are hit, eventually sunk, and fighting for their lives. However, the crew manages to gather themselves and relocate to a nearby island where they try to piece together everything that happened. Last Resort stars Andre Braugher, Autumn Reeser, and Scott Speedman.

How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life follows recent divorcee Polly (Sarah Chalke) as she moves back home with her parents in a tough economy. With her daughter in tow, Polly has to find a way to balance her working life with her personal life, getting back on her feet and becoming the role model that she always wished she had.

Earlier in the day, ABC picked up Nashville, Red Widow, Zero Hour, Family Tools, and The Neighbors, along with cancelling GCB and renewing Scandal. Private Practice, Body of Proof, and Last Man Standing are the remaining bubble shows on ABC, with the first currently locked in negotiations for a final season.

Do you think that 666 Park Avenue can be properly scary on network TV? How long can something like Last Resort run? Are you excited to have Sarah Chalke back on TV on a full-time basis?

ABC Picks Up 666 Park, How to Live with Your Parents..., Last Resort

Y'all, the GCBs aren't coming back.

ABC has indeed given GCB (aka Good Christian Belles, aka Good Christian Bitches) the axe after a disappointing first season, according to Deadline. Originally thought of as a Desperate Housewives replacement, GCB had never solidified itself over a 10-episode run following the ABC giant. Ratings had been pretty soft, but considering the incredibly crowded cable landscape, a late start date, and the impending DVD availability, there was a slight hope for more Texas goodness in the future.

GCB became most famous not for its solid performances or brighter-than-the-sun tone, but for the origin of its name, itself taken from the book of the same name. Ratings bounced up once the controversy erupted, but unfortunately, they failed to stay at levels necessary for renewal. It had been one of the most talked about shows on ABC for its Housewives comparisons, but it quickly became apparent that GCB lacked the dark, mysterious tone of their sisters from Wisteria Lane. Instead, it became a slightly goofy but always good hearted satire of religious hypocrisy, basing a lot of its roots in the comedic.

To me, part of the problem stemmed from the fact that GCB was not a 10:00 show. It was too light and fluffy to compete with the likes of Mad Men or The Borgias, not being helped by a weakened Housewives and a week with a Titanic miniseries as a lead-in. Had GCB launched in fall, or at an earlier hour, I think it could have pulled through with one divine renewal of its own.

GCB aired its series finale on May 6th and will be available on DVD this June. Fellow ABC midseason shows Scandal and The River will also be released during the summer.

How do you feel about GCB being c-a-n-c-e-l-l-e-d? Did you get enough closure from the finale? What would you have wanted to happen in a second season?

GCB Canceled by ABC

ABC has picked up its first new shows for next season and it's a pretty assorted bunch, to say the least.

On the drama side of things, the Alphabet has given the go to musically inclined Nashville, crime/revenge caper Red Widow, and action-heavy Zero Hour. Nashville stars Connie Britton as an aging country music diva forced to tour with an up-and-coming artist (Hayden Panettiere), but the young chanteuse has other ideas than simply learning career tips and singing pretty songs. Red Widow follows a woman's trip down the rabbit hole of organized crime, as the recent murder of her husband sends her deeper and deeper into the darkness that she didn't know existed. Zero Hour takes a paranormal junkie and has him use his belief in conspiracies and codes to solve the abduction of his wife.

On the comedy side of things, though, there has been two pickups, as Family Tools and The Neighbors are both going to series. Family Tools, a retitled remake of British comedy Red Van Man, stars Kyle Bornheimer as a perpetual screw-up forced to take on his family's handyman business when his father has a heart attack. The Neighbors, from Dan Fogelman, takes us to the suburbs where we meet your average, every day, typical American family, freshly transplanted from the city and ready to meet their neighbors. The only problem? The neighbors are aliens.

These, of course, aren't all of ABC's pick ups for the season, but they're a pretty good starting point. The 2012-13 ABC primetime schedule is set to be revealed next Tuesday, where you'll find out the landing points of your favorite shows and the most promising pilots.

Which of the five shows do you think sounds the best? The worst? What current ABC shows do you think each could be paired with?

ABC Picks Up Nashville, Red Widow, Zero Hour, Family Tools, and The Neighbors

After watching the first six episodes of Scandal, the one thing I can say is that you don't say no to Olivia Pope. And apparently, ABC feels the same way, as they've given the latest Shonda Rhimes vehicle a renewal for a second season.

There's no word yet on the number of episodes ordered, but season one had a brief seven episodes to its name. Considering that leading lady Kerry Washington, awash in critical raves for her first regular TV role and performance, has a healthy screen career, I wouldn't be surprised to see another abbreviated season behind Grey's Anatomy.

In play, too, is the fact that the first season will be available on DVD beginning in June. The brevity of the first season, then, becomes an asset, as more people can get their hands on the episodes and catch up before the next season begins. Scandal has been remarkably consistent behind Grey's, having a soft-ish debut and only dropping .1 in the following five episodes. It may be a case not of people not liking the show but of depressed springtime ratings and people not actually seeing the episodes, something that could be solved by early DVD availability.

With Scandal's renewal, only a handful of other ABC shows are left wondering about their fate. Among them are fellow midseason replacement GCB, procedural Body of Proof, comedy Last Man Standing, and fellow Shondaland creation Private Practice. The latter has been rumored to be on the edge of a final season renewal, though nothing is official yet.

The season finale of Scandal airs next Thursday at 10:00 on ABC. You can read a review of last night's penultimate episode fro Leigh Raines here.

Are you excited for more Olivia Pope in your life? Would you like an extended episode order for next season?  Do you think that Olivia and President Grant love each other?

Scandal Renewed for Season 2 by ABC

It looks like there'll be another year of Penny (suck it, taxpayers!) for Happy Endings, as the hyperactive ensemble comedy has been renewed by ABC. The show will be back for another 22 episodes thanks to its critical praise, watercooler buzz, and solid performance behind Modern Family.

The only question now is where to air the show. Given its 22 episode order, it's more likely to be on the fall schedule and something like (currently unrenewed) Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23 seems like the most logical companion. They're both loud, weird, in-your-face comedies that, tonally, don't fit with ABC's single-cam family laughers; but is either strong enough to lead off an hour? Both Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B held up alright following Modern Family repeats, so moving them to a slightly less competitive night and pairing them up could solidify their success.

Happy Endings debuted at the very end of last season, doubling up episodes behind Cougar Town. It may not have broken out then, but ABC gave it a surprise renewal and a plum timeslot to expose it to as many viewers as possible. The show's quality grew with its ratings, going from good and promising to pretty good and oftentimes great during its second season. In the second season finale, Dave and Alex reconnected at Derrick's wedding, though Dave and Penny had a bit of a moment as well. Could it have been the occasion or will Dave give a third season romance a go with either his ex or his good friend?

Currently waiting news on their fate are Don't Trust the B, GCB, Scandal, Body of Proof, Last Man Standing, and Private Practice, with shows like The River, Pan Am, and Missing presumed cancelled.

Are you ready for more Happy Endings? Which other ABC comedy would you like to see it paired with next? Who's your favorite member of the group?

Happy Endings Renewed for Season 3 by ABC

Suburgatory has to achieve a pretty difficult balance in order to create a quality episode. They may be tied to be a pretty classic fish-out-of-water theme, but the tone of the show is anything but classic, very energetic with an admirable amount of weirdness to it. If the show doesn't get the formula right, keeping itself grounded without being rote and quirky without being over-the-top, it can be doomsday for that particular episode. Promisingly enough, the show has managed to hit the target amount of humanity and surreal moments more frequently as its season has developed; however, after last week's episode felt extremely dated and overly broad, I began to worry about a possible backslide.

Thankfully, though, Suburgatory managed to right the ship in "The Great Compromise", the penultimate episode of the show's auspicious debut season. Most notably, the "Eden is carrying Noah's baby" plot came back down-to-earth after being launched on a rocket into Hack-y Sitcom Land last week. Though I like the fact that the show is showcasing a different kind of parenting in surrogacy, it didn't have remotely the amount of pathos and weight needed to have an impact before tonight. The entire point of Suburgatory is that there's more to a person, place, or situation than meets the eye, that there's hidden depth to things that you wouldn't expect there to be; tonight, the depth in the Eden/Noah/George plot got teased out a lot more and it hit a lot harder as a result. Instead of focusing on how ooey-gooey George felt for Eden or the awkwardness that he felt in the situation, it expanded and included more nuance to such a delicate ordeal. Granted, Suburgatory is still a sitcom, but it's best when treating its characters like three-dimensional people; for example, having Noah break his manic, emotional facade to show off vulnerability at the thought of his child not knowing him that well brought a nice amount of reality to the situation. And it made the character, one of the loudest in volume, writing, and color, a little more human and relatable, a man that gets the way he does because of how deeply he cares about something. Keeping him tethered like this makes his behavior in general a little more understandable; rather than simply have him come off as overbearing or melodramatic, we know there's a reason behind the intensity, a source for the behavior that is rooted in insecurity and pain.

George and Eden moving in together came off a little too sitcom-y, but it gave us a chance to fast track their romance and cut through the gushy stuff to get to some real issues. They say you never know someone until you move in with them and it showed here, Eden's outspoken attitude and rank diet clashing with George's lone wolf tendencies. It may not have been the ideal way to get to that conclusion, but having your new girlfriend pregnant with your friend's child isn't exactly ideal, either; I do like that George may have found somebody to be happy with and tonight gave more insight into their actual dynamic, not the dynamic they have at the beginning of a relationship. It also hit on underlying issues, particularly for George, as Mr. Altman just isn't used to sharing space with somebody else. His wife has been gone for so long and there hasn't been another serious relationship yet, so George is having to adjust to three major life events at once: pregnancy, a new(ish) relationship, and someone moving into his house. As expected, it made him feel smothered and bore upon, especially once it related to Tessa. She resented having a new pseudo mother figure and I think on some level, George resented having to bring a pseudo mother figure into the mix, due to the amount of control he's had on parental decisions being disrupted and the reminder that Tessa's mother left the family and neither has quite healed from it yet.

Tessa may be resistant to change on the home front, but her aspirations took a big leap forward with the introduction of a possible summer internship at the Village Voice. It hit back on The Chatswin Chatterer, introduced early in the series, as well as gave the character something to do and a device by which to crack Eden and George's faberge egg of a relationship. Tessa has had major ambition ever since the pilot; she wants to do big and exciting things, things that don't take place in Chatswin and get her closer to the city. I kind of wish that they had touched on her writing more often through the season, since her time at the paper has been over for a while and her poetry didn't exactly have a warm reception, but a summer commuting in New York can only enhance Tessa Altman in season two. Elsewhere, Lisa and Malik (or Malisa, as I referred to them earlier in the year) are figuring out their summer plans in a fun, silly D-plot that highlighted one of the best pairs on Suburgatory. Having this run concurrent with Tessa's quest for a ticket to New York made for a nice contrast, the nerves and exasperation from Tessa not really effecting Lisa and Malik. Rather, the two just got a chance to hang out and play off of one another, weighing the decision of macrame camp or lacrosse camp, culminating in a rather sweet moment at the end of the episode.

"The Great Compromise" was an episode about the give and take of life, about how it might not matter what you do as much as who you do it with. That those that push the hardest may be the softest on the inside, hiding their vulnerability for fear of being rejected. That living with a significant other can bring out things you didn't know existed but that needed to be addressed to move on. It was a definite step up from last week, in terms of tone, storytelling, and general funniness, an episode that highlighted the similar journeys that its characters are undergoing. Luckily for the, they each have somebody there to help them get to where they want to go, one step at a time.

Thoughts, Quotes, & Observations:
-"I can't feel my own goodness!"
-"She's worried about the baby having babies?"
-"She's got that baby wrapped around her uterus."
-"This is it, Dalia! This is how the monkeys rose!"
-"Knot up, Malik, and find your weave."
-"That rude 'roo ruined my rooms."
-"I'm gonna weave you a macrame bikini, girl."
-My favorite gag of the entire episode was Dallas watching The X Files at the end and begging Mulder to kiss Scully. How meta.
-Second favorite gag: Eden doing a crossword on Noah's head.
-Again, what is Sheila's motivation here? Her own sick joy? Bitterness over her surrogacy perils? I don't quite get her pot stirring yet.
-I loved Penuche destroying the entire house.
-Next week on Suburgatory: On the season finale, Dalia goes to Israel without Dallas, the baby shower for Noah's baby raises a red flag for Eden, Fred surprises Sheila with a gift, and Lisa makes a discovery about her paternity.

Suburgatory 1.21 "The Great Compromise" Review

Dancing with the Stars’ double elimination sent home comeback kids Roshon Fegan and Melissa Gilbert in week 8 of the competition. On Monday’s performance show, these two contestants gave their best dances and received their best scores of the season. It wasn’t enough to help them dance into the semifinals next week because they were the official bottom two.

Disney star Roshon Fegan was eliminated first, and it’s sad because he’s such a phenomenal dancer.  What he lacked was a solid fan base to save him.  At least he “went out on a high note” as partner Cheslie Hightower stated, having received their highest scores ever in the competition, a 29 for the ballroom dance and a 27 for the trio paso doble.

Actress Melissa Gilbert was eliminated next, and she too had received her highest scores of the season, three 9s for her trio paso doble. When hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke pointed out she was being sent home on her birthday, she welled up with tears and expressed her gratitude for being part of the show and being with Maks. See video below. Melissa isn't a good dancer, and was in the bottom two most every week. She survived this long only because of a huge fan base for her and partner Maks Chmerkovskiy that power voted.  If results were based on performance only, she would have been sent home weeks ago.

The official Dancing with the Stars semi-finalists are Donald Driver, Katherine Jenkins, Maria Menounos and William Levy. Next week they will battle it out for the finals. Dancing with the Stars: The Semifinals kicks off Monday, May 14 at 8 p.m. (ET) on ABC.

Dancing with the Stars Week 8 Results: Two Comeback Kids Eliminated

Dancing with the Stars week 8 determines the semi-finalists of Season 14 with a regular ballroom round of dances and the first ever “Latin Trio” round. First up was the ballroom round, with all six couples performing a new dance. Then came the highly anticipated trio dances, where a previously eliminated pro or member of the Troupe was added to the dance to form a “threesome.” The two sets of scores were added together, and William Levy tops the leaderboard with 57 while Melissa Gilbert (as usual) rounds out the bottom with 51.  The pressure was at a fever pitch as the contestants face a double elimination this week.

Donald Driver’s first dance was a fierce tango that was underscored. While he received no real criticism, the judges settled on 9s across the board. His and Peta’s trio jive with Karina Smirnoff was one of the best of the night, and finally he gets a 10.  Maria Menounos' flawless, emotional Viennese Waltz earned 10s from Carrie Ann and Bruno, but not Len. Len felt partner Derek Hough should have kept her in hold more where she shines. For their trio samba with Troupe member Henry Byalikov, they incorporated a Bollywood theme, but Len didn’t care for it, giving them an 8. While the Bruno and Carrie enjoyed the creativity, Len felt it had no connection to the Samba.

Melissa Gilbert’s foxtrot was a bit rough in the beginning with some missteps but she finished flawlessly.  All three judges were kinder than we could have imagined, given their typical harsh treatment of Melissa and partner Maks Chmerkovskiy.  Melissa had a rough week in rehearsals with Maks who lost his patience and cursed repeatedly. And he blamed her for bringing that out of him. Melissa didn’t break, she held it together and told the cameras that people are responsible for their own emotions (take that, Maks!) By the time they were given their scores, Maks was apologetic and Melissa was in tears.  They brought in Val Chmerkovskiy for their trio samba which excited the crowd, especially during Melissa’s big finish with each of her hands on the Chemkovisky butts.  Bruno’s comment “It obviously takes two to get the best out of you” was right on the money and Melissa earned her first set of 9s.

Katherine Jenkins suffered a concussion courtesy of partner Mark Ballas’ knee during rehearsals for their Viennese Waltz.  And watching the intricate floor spin Mark put her through, it’s no wonder. Len did not like the spin, but appreciated the waltz content. Bruno and Carrie Ann both noted Katherine lost her balance for a moment, leading Carrie Ann to reference 'cirque du soleil' again.  Pro Tristan MacManus joined them for their trio cha cha which would have been flawless, except that she found herself trapped in a wardrobe malfunction. Her tear away pants were caught on her foot and she actually danced with it for a few seconds before being able to kick it off. See video below.  The judges commended her for never missing a beat during that frightful moment.

Roshon Fegan was finally vindicated for the awesome dancer that he is. He went in to the week  feeling discouraged that he’s been in dance duel twice but also worried that it’s not there to save him. Thankfully he was able to shine in his foxtrot and the judges responded appropriately (for once.) Bruno compared him to a young Mickey Rooney and even Len gave him the Len seal of approval “good job dog”.  Roshon received two 10s, and overall,  his hightest scores ever. Roshon and partner Chelsie’s trio paso doble was with Troupe member Sasha Farber, who assured them he’d keep them out of the bottom two. Their trio was fabulous, but Bruno and Carrie Ann noted he was out of sync with Sasha for a second. Bruno did say that there were moments he couldn’t distinguish between Roshon and Sasha. Len on the other hand didn’t even mention it, calling the trio two skinny fries chasing the ketchup. Host Tom Bergeron quipped that Len has had his happy meal.

William Levy’s foxtrot. Can this man do no wrong? Carrie Ann called it “super hot and sexy”, words not typically used to describe a foxtrot. Bruno gushed as usual. William and partner Cheryl Burke received 10s across the board. Cheryl brought in pro Tony Dovolani for their  trio paso doble which was in fact super-hot and sexy. Len saluted the three of them, but amazingly Bruno noted William lost synch with Tony.

Week 8 Leaderboard Performance scores + Latin Trio scores
William & Cheryl 30 + 27 = 57
Roshon & Chelsie 29 + 27 = 56
Donald & Peta 27  + 28 = 55
Katherine & Mark 26 + 29 = 55
Maria & Derek 28 + 25 = 53
Melissa & Maks 24 + 27 = 51

On tomorrow night’s Dancing with the Stars: The Results the bottom two couples will be sent home, paving the way for the Season 14 semifinals. The Results Show will feature a tribute to Dick Clark and his American Bandstand show, with a big dance number by Karina, Tony, and the Troupe. Chris Brown will be the musical guest performing his hit “Turn Up the Music. Dancing with the Stars: The Results airs live Tuesday, May 8 at 9 p.m. (ET) on ABC.

Dancing with the Stars Week 8: William Levy Soars, Melissa Gilbert Cries

In week 8 of Dancing with the Stars, we have yet another twist in an already tumultuous season. This week we kiss theme week goodbye, but we have a new feature, the “trio dance”, as well a double elimination.   The couples will each have two dances to perform, including a dance they haven’t yet danced, and this new trio dance performed to a Latin style of dance. The trio dance involves the star and pro pair dancing with a previously eliminated pro or a member of the Troupe.

According the ABC press release, “In addition to their regular criteria for judging dance routines, the judges will pay extra attention to how well each celebrity is showcased in the performance with an extra dancer in the mix.”  Based on this, it would appear that the judges are judging the pros as well as the contestant, because it’s the pros' choreography that determines how well the celebrity contestant is showcased. Things that make you go hmmm.  So who’s dancing what? Well, not all the info is out yet. Seems a few couples are keeping tight lipped on their dances, hence the ? is some places:

Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd: Tango and Jive with Karina Smirnoff
Melissa Gilbert & Maks Chmerkovskiy: Foxtrot and Samba with Val Chemerkovskiy
Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower: Foxtrot and Paso Doble with Sasha Farber?
Maria Menounos & Derek Hough: Waltz and Samba with Henry Byalikov?
Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas: Vienesse Waltz and Cha Cha with Tristan MacManus
William Levy & Cheryl Burke: Foxtrot and Paso Doble with Tony Dovolani?

There are only three weeks left in Season 14, so in order to end up with 4 couples in the semifinal week and 3 couples in the final week, 2 couples will be eliminated this week.  On the Dancing with the Stars Results Show will be a tribute to Dick Clark and his American Bandstand show, with a big dance number by Karina, Tony, and the Troupe. Chris Brown will be the musical guest performing his hit “Turn Up the Music. Dancing with the Stars week 8 kicks off Monday, May 7 at 8 .pm. (ET) on ABC.

Tonight on Dancing with the Stars Week 8: Latin Trio Dances!

The end of the season stretch can be pretty influential on the path of a freshman show like Suburgatory. By the time you get to the final few installments of your debut season, you tend to know what works, what doesn't work, and what seeds need to be planted before next season. It's a lot of information to have to sort through, but if you fumble badly enough, it can leave a sour taste in the mouth of your audience, a taste that could take an entire summer hiatus to get over.

"Hear No Evil" wasn't exactly a fumble, stumble, or bumble, but it felt like a step back from the show's recent creative hot streak. A typical episode of Suburgatory has a whole lot going on, all bright colors and loud noises, but there was just a bit too much here, too many plots and not enough attention paid to, well, any of them. That lack of narrative focus, which can be overwhelming if you're not expecting it, made the episode feel cluttered and in need of a good edit or two. That's not to say that the plots here weren't good; there's just no way to make a determination, since everything is crammed together and painted in neon green spray paint, all flash and no breathing room. For example, the "Lisa thinks she may be adopted" plot has a hell of a lot of potential, as it'd utilize the entire Shay family and allow Allie Grant the chance to play off of Ana Gasteyer, two of the actresses that have the most innate chemistry and intriguing dynamic. There wasn't any time for it, minus a brief pocket here or there, and it could have benefited by being shifted back an episode; there's so much material to mine from this, a fairly familiar sitcom set-up, that it being smothered by all the Altman drama was a little disappointing. The only positive about the lack of time tonight is that they didn't give it a false ending, so Lisa's search for the truth (and her "real mom", Edie Brickell) will get its moment in the sun.

And to be honest, I'd rather spend time with Lisa and Malik than have another plot like the random "Tessa becomes obsessed with money" thing. That came out of pretty much nowhere, right? Even though I like that they came back to her job with Dallas (and used it to connect Dallas back to George for a pretty heartbreaking scene), it was strange to see Tessa go from aloof tomboy to Paris Hilton within the span of one episode. Nothing we've been shown about her in the past 19 episodes has given an inkling that this was who Tessa is and I don't buy her being blinded by a chiffon wristlet and a made up title. Maybe it could be fan-wiped away as a side effect of her mother issues, as Dallas is her mother figure and she finally got the approval she had been wanting from her "mother", but still, the transformation was a little too quick and out of character to be believable. Suburgatory can do big, silly plots and make them accessible, but Imelda-Gate gave me the vibe that they knew they had to do something with Tessa this week and they didn't know what.

I did like, though, how "Hear No Evil" showed the distance that had developed between Tessa and George, only because that's a realistic growing pain of a teenager getting out into the working world for the first time. The relationship between the two has been one of my favorite parts of Suburgatory, so giving them a bit of a lull period in their connection puts their father-daughter bond to the test, particularly with the inclusion of Eden. Even though I could watch Jeremy Sisto and Alicia Silverstone all day together, as their natural timing together has made the rapid progression of the George/Eden relationship feel realistic, I don't know how I feel about their story tonight, which featured pregnancy portraits, a wacky ultrasound, and a last minute plot point that's a touch worrisome. It felt too broad and a little hack-y, like something that could have been solved if people used their mouths and, y'know, talked to one another. I get that this isn't a particularly plot-heavy show and that this had a very old school comedy vibe, but to me, it was more rehash and less homage. Having one big event that ties a lot of the supporting characters together is one thing, but Noah making a contract about George's sex life and Sheila getting Jill more paranoid both didn't work for me. The latter, especially, didn't have much motivation and read more like the character getting tacked on instead of having a real purpose in the story. I know she implied having problems with a surrogate of her own, but it didn't give me enough understanding of why it was so pivotal for Jill to keep an eye on Eden.

Though Suburgatory has had a great past 6-8 episodes, "Hear No Evil" fell back a bit. The cast is still one of my favorites on TV, but even they couldn't bring limp plots like these to life, thanks to a reliance on capital-s Sitcom writing that was both obvious and off-putting. Did anybody doubt that Eden would be moving in with George and Tessa? Or that Sheila would revert to the archetypal pesky neighbor? Or that Tessa would come to her senses by the end of the episode? I don't need super complex plotting on my comedies, but if you're building a character-based world, you have to give them interesting things to do that are in character and entertaining. "Hear No Evil" was a bloated, tired episode that is hopefully a part of late-season malaise and not an indication of the direction of Suburgatory.

Thoughts, Quotes, & Observations:
-"George! Come...pee with me."
-"She's probably fantasizing about pushing you down a flight of stairs right now."
-"I briefly take my eye off the ball and she turns into Imelda Marcos."
-"Those lesbian clogs look comfortable, if nothing else."
-"There was a dernk? You dernked her?"
-Here are recent interviews with Jeremy Sisto, Ana Gasteyer, and Jane Levy, as well as Alicia Silverstone talking about her time on the show.
-The Sioux City Journal did a profile on Suburgatory and its quirky sense-of-humor.
-Next week on Suburgatory: In the penultimate episode of the season, George, Eden, and Tessa have to adjust to living with one another, Sheila can't mind her own business, and Lisa and Malik have an important choice to make.

Suburgatory 1.20 "Hear No Evil" Review

“It’s Monica all over again except without the blue dress, without any kind of proof.” Stephen made this musing in the opening scene of last night’s Scandal, “Hell Hath No Fury.” The proof in this specific case was whether or not Amanda Tanner had actually had an affair with President Grant.

We already know that Olivia is positive it happened, but she can’t reveal how she knows without implicating her own affair with the President. After all, when your only proof is the two word personal sentiment “sweet baby,” it’s not going to seem as concrete to the rest of the world.

Scandal didn’t waste any time warming up when it first graced our TV’s two weeks ago. In fact, I haven’t seen such fast paced chatter since the days of Gilmore Girls, but I digress. When you’re in the business of crisis management, such as Olivia Pope and Associates, you need to move at the speed of light.

The Amanda Tanner storyline is definitely the backbone story of the season, but the week-to-week cases are the variables. Olivia stated in the first episode that she always goes with her gut and her associates were quick to back up the idea that her gut is always right.

Perhaps Olivia’s gut about Amanda Tanner was initially off because she was blinded by her own love for the President; the desire to believe a man who she had her own deeply personal secret with. However, “Hell Hath No Fury” had me questioning Olivia’s gut again.

Once again Olivia’s personal relationship, in this case the wealthy son of her client Sandra, got in the way of her initial instinct. Thankfully Harrison’s instincts were dead on this week. Travis’s insensitive comment about how “they always take the money in the end,” was a dead giveaway that he wasn’t as innocent as Olivia thought.

While the crew was able to unearth Travis’s guilty secret in this week’s episode I think there is still a lot to be uncovered about Amanda. Personally I think something else is going on below the surface with Amanda Tanner case. I believe that it wasn’t Gideon on the phone with Amanda. I don’t think the pregnancy was the only thing she was hiding.

Everyone on this show has secrets and I think that includes Cyrus. He is the President’s right hand man and worked with Olivia for years, yet he had no idea about the affair until he caught them. There are sure to be some bitter feelings there. After all, it affects his career too.

I couldn’t believe how angry and callous Cyrus was with Olivia at the state dinner. Especially with considering he seemed to have a warm relationship with her over the years. This is a big part of why I think he is hiding something. Also how do you think he got that tape? Is it possible he procured it himself?

Perhaps the biggest and most badass shock of the episode is that the First Lady knows about the President’s extracurricular activities. In the beginning it seemed like she was just a concerned wife in the dark about why her husband seemed troubled. But by the end, when she said that she thought seeing Liv would help, it was clear that she is not just a supporting player. This woman is much smarter than anyone thinks.

So how are you all liking Scandal so far? What do you think Cyrus’s involvement is in the Tanner case, if anything? Is Amanda hiding anything else? Is Olivia’s gut as dead on as she thinks?

Scandal Review: "Hell Hath No Fury"

There's a lot that I like about being such a big TV fan, but one of my absolute favorite things is watching a show grow into itself, realizing whatever potential the pilot/cast/concept had opened up. You can't help but feel a little pride while slowly watching the pieces come together, considering the time (and emotion) you may have invested in the show and its world building. Obviously, you aren't a part of the production, but good becoming very good could potentially lead to very good becoming great; there's an extra bit of confidence going forward from writers who understand what they can and cannot do. All the problems may not immediately go away and there may be an occasional misstep or two, but with the rougher edges smoothed away, the ceiling for what the show (in this case, Suburgatory) could be gets raised.

"Entering Eden" may not be the greatest episode in Suburgatory's brief existence, but it's the episode that has given me the most encouragement as to the direction of the series. For one, having George get out there and actually date someone makes him more of an active participant in the show, rather than being a more reactionary figure to the growing independence of Tessa and Dallas. I like George a lot as a character and getting the last bit of mopeyness over Dallas out of his system frees him up to go out and live life. He may have previously been with Zoe and the art teacher, but this is his first trip into the dating world since Dallas got her divorce and it was a necessary hurdle to get over. It didn't hurt matters that Jeremy Sisto and Alicia Silverstone have inherently fantastic chemistry, highlighted by the endless, damn near delightful string of Clueless references that filled their opening and closing scenes together. (My favorites: "Which is it - does it suck or does it blow?" and the song from The Cranberries) They have this fun familiarity around one another that just sold it without being hammy; I mean, I'm not a huge fan of the "meet-cute", but I don't know if it gets any cuter than George and Eden meeting at the market and later, the hospital. Eden's obviously not going to be the love of George's life, especially considering the fact that she's Noah's surrogate (a little unnecessary, but I'll go with it), but he needs to get back on his feet and if that's her purpose, bring on more Clueless references.

While George was dipping his toe back into the dating pool (and standing up for his right to be with whomever he wants), Tessa was playing doggy detective with Dalia, as Yakult ran away from home. Somehow, Suburgatory managed to cram in the three participants in the two greatest rivalries on the show (Dalia/Yakult, Dalia/Tessa) and make it work extremely well. There's this natural tension between the two girls that never fails to make for an exciting, funny subplot and this was no exception. They may have needed a coincidental citing of a dog hair on culprit Mr. Wolfe's jacket in order to properly finger their suspect, but the thing about Dalia and Tessa is that they really do work well together, all things considered. There'll be some snark traded and the possibility of a poor comment on the other's outfit, but whenever they collaborate on something, it tends to end up going pretty swimmingly, perhaps due to how they complement one another. The plot itself may have been a tiny bit rote, having been included on a Full House episode, but Suburgatory's not especially plot driven and that could be excused by the effect the dog search had on the other people they interacted with.

Dalia's continued acting out toward her mother, thanks to her feelings of loneliness, may have gotten resolved  as a result of her finding Yakult. It made for a nice moment to have them make up without getting sappy, since they have to rely on each other more now that they're on their own. Dalia may be vapid and messy, but Suburgatory gave her some depth and humanity once the divorce happened. Don't get me wrong, I think she's consistently an episode highlight, but I like getting to see the person behind the lip gloss and that, well, that there's actually a person behind the lip gloss. It makes you care more about the fate of the characters and while Suburgatory is very funny, it doesn't produce enough jokes per episode in order to ignore characterization. We got a nice reconciliation between Dallas and Dalia, with the latter still hating Yakult for being such a life ruiner, but my favorite little moment of the night belonged to Mr. Wolfe and his new boo Chef Alan. After getting together around the holidays, the two hadn't made much noise, but I have to admit, I was quite touched to see Alan become more accepting of his sexuality through the events of "Entering Eden".

One of the major improvements that Suburgatory has made is being able to go between tones more easily; the last batch of episodes has been able to balance the heart and the silliness quite well, which it did with Mr. Wolfe's plot tonight. All the doggy clothing and slo-mo 60s cop show chase sequences couldn't take away from the poignancy of Chef Alan pledging his commitment to his significant other after many months of referring to them as "roommates". Of course, the chase sequence was a bit of well-produced goofiness and the emotional moment only lasted briefly before a makeout had to happen, but it's there, it gave another angle to the dog-napping tale, and Mr. Wolfe got another layer added to his character. And a happy ending to boot.

Suburgatory produced one of its best episodes yet in "Entering Eden". Endearing, intelligent, heartfelt, and appropriately silly, it made strong use of the supporting cast and managed to do everything it does well even better than before. Though always enjoyable, Suburgatory has raised its game recently and made me excited to see where this season ends up and where the next begins. With George dating, Tessa on the road to independence, and the likes of Lisa, Dallas, and Mr. Wolfe happy with their current situations, life in Chatswin, Whereverthisttakesplace has never been better.

Thoughts, Quotes, & Observations:
-"It tastes like...my throat's closing."
-"Mommy, I just fired Tessa without severance."
-"You. Swept. Yakult."
-"Buddy, I love you, but you're no Seal."
-"How would you feel if Jill and I wanted to have sex on top of Tessa?"
-"We're not roommates. We're homosexual lovers."
-"Yakult was living as a gay male dog in East Chatswin."
-Dalia's rant about Tessa bringing her to East Chatswin to kill her, get plastic surgery, and become cool was so strange, fantastic, and perfect. It didn't top the infamous organic lesbian catering business diatribe from earlier in the season, but it was still awesome.
-I also loved the meeting of the KKK in the bathroom, where they all shifted their weight to the right to help them think.
-Suburgatory is on hiatus next week, but when it returns on May 2nd, we're in for a decidedly George-centric episode. He'll be introducing Eden to Tessa while also dealing with Noah and a meddlesome Sheila, the latter of which makes Eden uncomfortable.

Suburgatory 1.19 "Entering Eden" Review

Dancing with the Stars debuted the “dance duel” in Latin Week and not surprisingly, it sent Gavin DeGraw home. Gavin charmed viewers with his sweetness, gentle sense of humor and constant smile. Unfortunately he had some rough weeks throughout the season and found himself in the bottom two every week except one, so it was time for him to go.

Gavin was at the very bottom of the leader board with a 19 and not enough votes to help him recover, and along with Jaleel White with a score of 24, had one last chance to redeem himself with a cha cha. Neither contestant had danced a cha cha in the competition as of yet. Jaleel being the better natural dancer gave the better performance, and the judges unanimously saved him. It was a suprise that Jaleel found himself in the bottom two, while lower scored Melissa Gilbert and Gladys Knight were saved. His plight may be attributed to having danced first Monday night, which is the worst placement. By the time the show is over, nobody remembers the first dance.

The “dance duel” was not easy to watch.  The two couples danced simultaneously on either side of the dance floor, and the dances were shown in a split screen format.  This made it nearly impossible to watch both at the same time. See video below.  Fans on Twitter weren’t impressed with this new elimination scheme, but the purpose of the dance duel is to save the better dancer.  Dancing with the Stars claims that too often good dancers are sent home and viewers complain, and therefore the dance duel will fix that.  Makes sense, but the viewers don’t trust this new process at all.  They smell rigging and are afraid the judges will use this to save their own favorites. There will be two more dance duels, in Weeks 6 and 7. Then the results return to the power of the voters.

Next week on Dancing with the Stars is Motown Week, and as Gladys says, she will get to see some old friends.  The contestants will be dancing to performances by The Temptations, Martha Reeves and Smokey Robinson. There will also be a double elimination next week to even up the number of remaining dancers wiith the number of weeks left in the season. Dancing with the Stars Week 6  kicks off Monday, April 23 at 8 p.m. (ET) on ABC.

Dancing with the Stars Week 5 Results: Dance Duel Eliminates Fan Favorite

One of the hallmarks of earlier episodes of Suburgatory is a certain type of comedic aggression that either raised the bar or brought things to a crashing halt. When the show could channel that energy and readiness to do anything for a laugh, it made the corresponding absolutely pop and easily differentiated it from other comedies of its ilk. However, when it didn't quite balance the ambition with the execution, it turned episodes too loud and too in-your-face; you had to admire their willingness to turn the volume up to 11, but there's a line between being quirky fun and garish for the sake of being garish. It's only in the last six to eight episodes that Suburgatory has learned to control its id, with "Down Time" notable for its reliance on reactionary storytelling.

Instead of sending a character (or several characters) on a mission like a bat out of hell, Suburgatory instead spent its return from hiatus letting its residents stew in and react to all the relationship drama that's been happening in Chatswin. After kissing at the end of "Fire with Fire", Lisa and Malik are now an item, basking in the glow of future body part touching and sexy, sexy fondue. Unfortunately, that leaves Tessa a little bit on the outside of the only friends she has at school, something that shakes her a little. So much of Tessa's struggle to belong dissipated once she found Malik and Lisa and revisiting that square-peg-round-hole dynamic through teenage relationship dynamics felt like a natural progression for the show to make. In a way, you could think about the sudden coming together of Malisa (Lililk?) as a mile marker for Tessa Altman, in that she's proven (to herself) that not all people from Chatswin are awful and she can indeed have friends here. Now, what happens when you feel like you don't belong after getting a taste of friendship? Luckily, the bond between the three has been airtight and Malisa's kind hearted attempts to set Tessa up (with a boy wearing a belt made of staples) kind of proved that. Lisa is not going anywhere, you guys, and if she has to throw Tessa to the nerd wolves to get her a boyfriend and soften the blow of Malisa, so be it.

I do weirdly enjoy Tessa and Ryan together, though. Initially, it could have come off as silly or easy humor, pairing the acerbic outsider with the hot, dumb jock, but the two have chemistry. Tessa's already had a boyfriend that she thought was perfect for her in his altruism/intellect, so maybe she needs somebody a little more spontaneous and fun. And Ryan's got a certain sweetness about him that plays against the dimness, so he's not a total lost cause. Tessa could even be a good influence on him in terms of making him more well-rounded, but anything that can make Lisa uncomfortable (and give Allie Grant more to do) is a-okay with me.

Dallas had to confront her own relationship stuff, as the realization that her divorce being final meant that it was final and she was alone threw her for a serious loop. It had to come soon and I'm glad it came tonight, since it gave her and George some time to build their friendship up. The main reason I like the will they/won't they of George/Dallas is how solid the core of their relationship is, even when they're not on the best terms romantically. It's been a while since the two had progression in their romance, thanks to an ill-advised kiss and the divorce, but they've been slowly coming to terms with the idea of being friends and once the awkwardness subsided, actually being friends. For any good TV relationship, you have to believe there's some reason these people want to be together, something about their dynamic that keeps bringing them together and Suburgatory has done a good job of that here. George and Dallas may not get together anytime soon, but they're important in one another's life and without having them work on their friendship, any romantic time would feel a little empty. Moments like their "pillow talk" tonight in the mattress store show that they relate to one another and that there's something believable about their chemistry, bonds from shared experience and being able to identify with one another's current situation.

The divorce of Dallas and Stephen also deeply impacted Dalia, to the point where she had to go to therapy. There have been little cracks forming in her mean girl armor over the past few episodes and tonight added another, with her comment about feeling alone and not having anybody to lean on. It was a quick, blink-and-you-missed-it comment, but it brought the touch of humanity that a story like this needed to really deliver. I don't need Dalia to turn over a new leaf and become a self-aware zen diva or anything; we're being asked to care about these people and while the jokes are funny, it's nice to be given a reason why. That being said, James Lipton as her therapist? And Yakult being the source of her problems? Genius. When Dalia kept negatively talking about someone and used "her" a lot, only for it to be revealed to be about Yakult, I may have almost died from a giggle fit. The rivalry between the two has been great for Carly Chaiken, giving her something awesomely absurd to play, and "Down Time" took it to the next level for me. It could have been goofy in the hands of other shows, but Suburgatory executes pretty much everything with Dalia quite well, just over-the-top enough to be signature Suburgatory while rooted in something emotionally relevant.

After several weeks off, it's nice to have Suburgatory back and they returned with a very solid episode, to boot. It may not have had a lot of plot advancement, but sometimes, it's nice to just be in Chatswin for 21 minutes a week; the delving into the main issues going on right now, though, was a fun way to ease back into this world. There have been times when you have to wonder just what's going through the mind of these characters and we got a little insight into Dallas', Dalia's, and Tessa's fear of being alone, an issue looked at through three very different perspectives. Although you have to admire the way Suburgatory goes for broke, this is an example of the value of slowing down, taking a breath, and really shining a light on who these people are.

Thoughts, Quotes, & Observations:
-"Are you in love with a drifter?"
-"I'm ravenous from all the intercourse."
-"We're like Thelma and that other ho."
-"You're just naming black people."
-"Take off that brassiere, my dear."
-"The two of them are total cohorts, if that's a word."
-"I want you to let me touch your boob instead."
-Jeremy Sisto spoke to Gold Derby about moving from drama to comedy.
-Next week on Suburgatory: George meets a woman he's interested in, Yakult's missing, and there's an announcement from Noah and Jill. You can check out photos from the upcoming episode right here.

Suburgatory 1.18 "Down Time" Review

If you thought that the addition of baby Tampa would lead to the gang from Cougar Town becoming mature and responsible, you may need to put down the wine. Just sayin'. As a friend.

The Cul-de-sac Crew may have more adult things going on around them, like committed relationships, babies, and engagements, but the sneak peeks for their return from hiatus indicate them as still being the people we love. The focus has shifted back to the wedding a little bit, with Jules looking to find a good great perfect photographer to capture her special day. It seems that there may be a viable candidate under own roof in Travis, recently de-helmeted to the surprise of no one...as none of the gang noticed it in the first place.  Trav's relationship with his mother is one of my favorite dynamics in Cougar Town, partially because it can be played as both creepy and sweet without crossing the line either way.

An episode where he seeks her approval over something for the wedding? Look out.

Cougar Town has added a love interest for Bobby in Travis's professor and it's time the two hung around the rest of the guys to see how they interact. This being Cougar Town, it naturally leads to Bobby and Andy nearly making out in front of Ellie and Angie, therein transforming into an impromptu make out party. It's been nice seeing Bobby make a little forward progress in his life, however rocky his relationship with Angie started.  One of his main positive traits is that he's not afraid to be himself, so Bobby "Wrong Balls" Cobb, the man, the myth, the razzle frazzle is here to stay.

Elsewhere on Cougar Town, Jules reveals details about her first wedding, Ellie shows off her skills as the Jules Whisperer, and Laurie hopes to be pregnant on her wedding day.

Cougar Town airs tonight at 8:30 on ABC.

Cougar Town Sneak Peeks: You Had a Helmet?

After a season of personal and professional progress, the gang from Cougar Town may just have to look toward the past, whether they like it or not.

In sneak peeks from tomorrow's episode, delayed last week by a Dancing with the Stars encore, Grayson pries open a drawer that had been stuck for 15 years. In it, there's the typical blast-from-the-past nostalgia (koosh balls!), but there's something that will plague our dear, beloved Laurie: a Simon.

For those who may not know, Simon is a memory game that combines sound and color into patterns that you have to repeat. It's a great brain teaser, a way to make yourself frustrated, and a symbol of late 1980s pop culture, but in the hands of Ellie, it's a weapon to use against Laurie. After explaining to her the origin behind the "jelly bean" nickname (I won't spoil, but it's a good one), Ellie springs the trap, touching the first button on the Simon and dooming Laurie to  the task of remembering things. Cougar Town has used episode-long gags before, so don't be shocked if Laurie spends the entirety of "You Can Still Change Your Mind" planted in the kitchen, trying to defeat the game.

Elsewhere, Grayson is now baby proofing Casa Jules, thanks to the arrival of baby Tampa in the last new episode. Hopefully Big Carl and all his friends are put out of her reach; goodness knows, we don't need the same tragedy that befell Big Joe to strike Big Carl. I don't think anybody, myself included, couldn't handle another crushing blow like that.

Cougar Town airs Tuesday at 8:30 on ABC after a new episode of Last Man Standing. The season finale is currently scheduled to be a one hour event on May 15th at 8:00.

Did Grayson's baby proofing remind anyone of the time he and Jules took care of Stan? Do you think Laurie will defeat the game and shove it in Ellie's face? The origin of jelly bean: funny or really funny?

Cougar Town Sneak Peeks: Disco Smoke Detector

If you've been reveling in the soapy, fluorescent pink campiness of ABC's GCB, you're in luck, as there's a double dose of Carlene, Amanda, and all the rest coming tonight.

The first episode ("Turn the Other Cheek") finds Carlene and Amanda going hunting for quail for...goodness knows what reason. You'd think that Amanda wouldn't put herself alone in the woods with Carlene Cockburn, but the former mean girl has been trying to clean up her reputation now that she's back in Dallas. Obviously she doesn't particularly care for former high school classmate, particularly due to how poorly Carlene's acted since Amanda came back, but something tells me there's a little wrinkle to this hunting trip that we're not seeing. Could Amanda be gathering information from Carlene? Or perhaps this came about due to Amanda's connection with Luke, with Carlene trying to "bond"?

Whatever it is, one of the two takes a bullet and knowing the ladies of GCB, I don't think the accidental shooter will live it down anytime soon.

The second episode ("Sex Is Divine") finds Cricket and Blake considering having another child, this time through a surrogate. Truthfully, the relationship that these two have is one of my favorite parts of GCB, so I'm not as turned off by the thought of a new baby as I'd be otherwise. I do wonder, though, who they're going to turn to to carry their child, as none of their pre-selected candidates panned out. Perhaps one of the other main characters will be getting an offer they can't refuse in the near future?

GCB airs tonight at both 9:00 and 10:00 on ABC.

How have you been enjoying GCB so far? Why do you think Carlene and Amanda are hunting together? What should Blake and Cricket do about their surrogacy situation?

"Turn the Other Cheek"

"Sex Is Divine"

GCB Sneak Peeks: Don't Get Eaten By a Bear

Tonight’s Dancing with the Stars introduces the first of several theme nights in Season 14, this first one being “The Most Memorable Year of My life” which is simply personal story night. The celebrity contestants will dance out a memorable story from their lives, set to any dance they have chosen. Here are the dances  the couples have chosen to tell their personal story in week 3:

-Melissa Gilbert & Maks Chmerkovskiy: jive
-Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas: slow waltz
-William Levy & Cheryl Burke: salsa
-Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus:  foxtrot
-Jack Wagner & Anna Trebunksaya: samba
-Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower: samba
-Sherri Shepherd & Val Chmerkovskiy: rumba
-Jaleel White & Kym Johnson: rumba
-Maria Menounos & Derek Hough: rumba
-Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd: rumba
-Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff: rumba

This personal story theme is usually well received by viewers and fans, as long as the contestants use a story the audience can relate to on an emotional level. When they don’t, it can go terribly wrong. Case in point: Kristin Cavallari in Dancing with the Stars Season 13. While her competitors danced out sadness, pain and triumph from issues with family, divorce and addiction, Ms.Cavallari chose a story about having to decide between pursuing acting or attending college. Although one of the better dancers cast that season, Kristin found herself booted off the next night. Now maybe she was too young to have suffered any real hardship in her life as of yet, but that emotionally devoid story simply turned off the viewers. Hopefully these contestants got the memo. Oh, and they have to dance well too of course!

So how will they do? The rumba is a lot harder than it might seem, so I worry for Gavin with this one. He hasn't shown all that much promise thus far. Sherri is likely to bring the good emotional story, but the steps could prove challenging. Donald should do okay with the movement, and ordinarily I’d say Jaleel would too, except that he tweeted that he hasn’t had much time to rehearse for tomorrow. Don't know what he's been busy with aside from deflecting some nasty allegations made by an ex-girlfriend. Not sure that Melissa can handle the energetic kicks and flicks of the jive. William will probably nail his salsa since it’s the one dance he claims he could do pre-Dancing with the Stars. With partner Cheryl helping him refine it, he should be fine.

Roshon should do well with the samba, as long as he stays disciplined and doesn’t add the hip hop.  Jack is a bit challenged by technicality (so says Len Goodman) and by hip action (by his own admission) but according to his tweets, he’s putting a lot of time into his samba. He will be dancing to one of his own songs, which in theory could be a plus, but could the band’s rendition distract him?  Gladys had some issues with her quickstep, and the foxtrot is similar, though at a much slower pace. Hard to make a call on that one. Katherine will ace the waltz because she has the elegance and refinement that a waltz absolutely requires.

The Dancing with the Stars 2 hour live performance show for week 3 kicks off tonight, Monday, April 3 at 8 p.m. (ET) on ABC.

Tonight on Dancing with the Stars Week 3: “The Most Memorable Year of My Life”

Dancing with the Stars Season 14 returned for Week 2 and yes, showed us that last week was nothing but a dream. What was bestowed on us tonight was nothing short of a nightmare.There were mishaps, the judges were all over the place, Len Goodman was insane, some song choices were horrible and the show even aired the wrong voting numbers for one couple!  Dancing with the Stars could have changed its name to Dancing with the Chaos.

All started well when Roshon Fegan gave another stellar performance, this time mastering a quickstep which earned him two 9s. This boy has some serious skills. We may be looking at a finalist here. Len was happy and commended Roshon appropriately.

Then the trouble started. Sherri Shepherd gave what should have been a brilliant jive but she “missed a pass.”   It was very apparent on camera, and you could hear Val say “we blew it” afterwards. But we also saw her rebound really well, leading the judges to be super kind about it (a rarity). Even though this dance was more challenging for Sherri than her foxtrot last week, they gave her the same score of 23.

Things turned ugly when Melissa Gilbert goofed her quickstep in a few places. Can’t blame her, who could pull off a quickstep to a Billy Idol song? Ridiculous.  She let us know she dated him back in the day, and maybe the memories were distracting her.  The camera only showed one of several  screw ups, but you knew from her face when things were going wrong.  Melissa needs to summon those acting skills pronto.  The judges called her out on letting her nerves show and gave her the same score of 20.

Jack Wagner gave what I thought was a pretty decent jive, but the judges didn’t agree.  They criticized him a bit harshly and gave him a 21, two points less than last week.  He was robbed, no question.

Gladys Knight tackled the quickstep but her frame was off and Len just didn’t appreciate the dance. He gave her a 5 and was fiercely booed.  Once again, the song choice was poor for a quickstep: Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder. Seriously?

Katherine Jenkins’ perfect jive brought some happiness back to the ballroom midway through the show, and she received two 9s. Still, she gets a 26, same as last week.   I think we are looking at one of our finalists, and partner Mark Ballas may be looking at his third mirrorball.

Jaleel White, who everyone had such high hopes for, gave a lackluster performance with his jive. For once I agreed with Len, it wasn’t sharp enough and it lacked energy. But, the song “Marry Me” by Bruno Mars, although upbeat, just didn’t seem suited for a jive.  Jaleel dropped 4 points to a 22.

Maria Menounos missed some steps in her quickstep as noted by the judges, yet she was given a 9! How is that fair when Sherri, Melissa and Gladys all paid a price for their mistakes? Maria received a 25, some 4 points higher than last week.   Insane.  What’s was even more insane was Dancing with the Stars  techies flashing William & Cheryl’s voting number on the screen  during the scoring.  It took them until after the next dance to have host Brooke Burke Charvet attempt to correct the error, after Twitter viewers blasted @dancingabc.

Martina Navratilova danced a jive on an injured toe. Not sure if that was to blame for her several screw ups in the dance, but boy did she screw up.  She completely lost it at the beginning, rebounded, then lost it a few more times. It was indeed sad, and brought forth more insanity from Len, who stated it was “too neat” and “too precise.” Huh?  The judges were kind, but not with the scores. She received a  5 from Len and overall a 17, the lowest of the night. I think we will say goodbye to Martina tomorrow night. If you can stand it, see the video of her jive below.

Donald Driver rebounded from last week with a great quickstep, even receiving an apology from Len for underscoring him last week.  Donald received a 24 but deserved way better.

Like Jack, Gavin DeGraw gave a pretty darn good jive, but was criticized for poor kicks and flicks. Maybe it was the camera blocking, but I didn’t notice anything amiss.  He received a 21, one point better than last week.  Total rip off.

William Levy took to the floor and the audience went wild once again.  His quickstep was very good, and he received a 25. Bruno called him a “matinee idol” but Len called him out on lack of body contact and footwork.  Partner Cheryl promises that William wear less clothing as his scores get higher.  She better keep that promise.

The Dancing with the Stars leaderboard for Week 2 combines scores from both weeks:

-Katherine & Mark 52
-Roshon & Chelsie 49
-William & Cheryl 49
-Jaleel & Kym 48
-Sherri & Val 46
-Jack & Anna 44
-Gladys & Tristan 42
-Maria & Derek 46
-Donald & Peta 45
-Gavin & Karina 41 in jeopardy
-Melissa & Maks 40 in jeopardy
-Martina & Tony 37 likely to be eliminated

Seems like the gap will be too wide for Martina to close and she is likely to be eliminated. On Tuesday, March 27, ABC will air a special Dancing with the Stars “The Story So Far” at 8 p.m. before the Dancing with the Stars Results Show at 9 p.m.  Sugarland and Matt Nathanson will perform. The troupe returns with 2 new members, Emma Slater and Henry Byalikovat.

Dancing with the Stars Week 2: A Night of Chaos

Every now and then, there's that episode (like tonight's Suburgatory) that hints at more than it shows. Instead of taking two or three of the ideas machine gunned out and running with them, the episode opts to keep churning out the concepts and not flesh anything out too much. Of course, there's only so much fleshing out you can do on a high energy sitcom like Suburgatory, but a little bit can certainly go a long way.

"Independence Day" pumped out quirky, cool ideas for its colorful cast of characters, but a lot of them felt a little half-formed. There wasn't anything introduced in the episode that I found that objectionable or overly silly, but we barely got to spend time with any of them in order to make that type of value judgment. For example, the appearance by Robin Givens (giving good camp) felt a little wasted, as Dallas having a rival like that could make for a lot of fun, especially a rival that harkens back to her time at college. Tulsa didn't even make that much of an impact in her brief time on the episode; in a sense, she was only there to answer the question of who Steven cheated with, a way to slam the door shut at a possible reconciliation. But there wasn't that much of a sting because we didn't know her and she was gone by the time she finished her insult about M/L panties. I'm fairly certain that Dallas's new crystal store will be around, at least through the end of the season, but it was probably the main culprit of the storylines put out there and then buried. The opening of the store could have been an episode unto itself, but minus a few Joy Behar jokes and Tessa's job interview, it was just kind of...there. In an already overstuffed episode of gags, it may have been better to keep this on the bench for a minute, only to give it the episode time it deserved.

It did set other things in motion in the episode, but I only hope more is done with it, and the Dallas/Tessa working dynamic, in the time to come.

The other thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the emotional ending being undercut by Dalia's text. I mean, I get that they don't want to take the gloss off of Chatswin's reigning Barbie girl, but having her break down the deadpan wall around her to kinda, sorta let her mom in was a genuinely touching moment. I don't want Dalia to become all in touch with her feelings and ooey-gooey emotional, as part of the fun of her character is how vapid she is, but part of Suburgatory's charm has been in showing the person beneath the outer veneer. Even if it's just a tiny peek into the real person away from the persona, we've gotten to know that Fred, Mr. Wolfe, Sheila, Noah, and especially Dallas are more than they let on in public. It felt like a bit of a missed opportunity to deny Dalia that same opportunity to, at least once, be unguardedly herself. It wouldn't even take anything away from her character, considering her antagonism is saved for Tessa and the peons of Chatswin High. And as we all know, even spoiled, shallow Queen Bee's can love their moms.

However, "Independence Day" wasn't nearly a lost cause, considering how much the show did well. Getting Tessa's maternal grandmother Helen introduced was a smart move, as where you come from influences who you are and gives us insight into what got her and George to the point of moving. George has been painted as being overprotective and sensitive, but from the looks of Helen, part of the motivation to leave home was to truly start fresh and put distance between them and Helen/Alex. The final look at the end of the episode makes me think this won't be over just yet, which is a pretty interesting avenue for the show to explore this early. And most importantly, Suburgatory knows the "couples" that work well, giving us Dallas/George and Tessa/Lisa, the two duos with the most innate chemistry. You don't have a soul if you didn't smile at Dallas telling George he was her only true friend in the room at her store opening, or laugh at Lisa offering Tessa cigarettes in East Chatswin because y'know "when in Rome". I mean, c'mon. Every show has pairings that could be filmed reading the encyclopedia and make for fun TV, but Suburgatory got their two strongest together and let them do what they do best.

All of my criticism of "Independence Day" could be for naught if Suburgatory follows up on at least one thing presented tonight. The show has gotten better at being more connective from episode to episode, but tonight's installment could have just as easily been a dumping ground for half drawn ideas as the starting pad for the final five episodes of the season. Time will only tell where this episode of Suburgatory lands in the seasonal hierarchy, but for the most part, I did enjoy "Independence Day". The past handful of episodes or so, the show has demonstrated how deeply they know these characters, which is played up in this episode quite well. Etching out characters that defined can allow a show to have less than perfect episodes, if only because you want to spend time with them for 21 minutes a week. Be they shallow or silly, the residents of Chatswin are becoming those kind of characters, the type that inhabit a place where everybody knows your name (and gossips about your lawn care).

Thoughts, Quotes, & Observations:
-"You know what, Joy Behar? You give me strength."
-"Mad respect, mother bird."
-"Is it meth money?"
-"You like a fat noodle, George?"
-"She's a known liar. She steals from us."
-How gorgeous were the gowns worn by Dallas? The gold was my personal favorite.
-Favorite sight gag: the Billy Crystal.
-NPR did a piece talking about how ABC's Wednesday comedy block is the best night of TV on right now.
-Rex Lee on Suburgatory, nudity, and Entourage.
-Here are looks at Parker Young and Jane Levy before they were famous.
-This is the last new episode of Suburgatory until April 11th. In case you missed the announcement, it's scheduled to have its finale on May 16th, so once it returns, there'll be five new episodes in six weeks.

Suburgatory 1.17 "Independence Day" Review

The gang from Cougar Town is a rather insular bunch, you could say. I mean, they hang out with Tom (or tolerate his presence, depending on the occasion), but after that, it takes a lot to be able to crack the Cul-de-sac Crew.

But what they hate more than new people trying to be their friend is new people trying to disrupt their weekend fun. On tonight's episode of Cougar Town, the gang has to take on a gang of teenage boys on bikes taking a shortcut to the mall, thereby raising a ruckus in their otherwise scenic neighborhood. Surprisingly enough, it's not Jules that leads the charge - it's Andy, who tries to rally the troops to save their way of life. Even though the gang can be pretty apathetic, surely they can outsmart a pack of hormonal teenagers, right?

Well, Laurie may not be able to, but still, Jules' stubbornness + Andy's enthusiasm + Ellie's cruelty + Tom's Tom-ness+ Jules making Grayson participate can make up for any deficiencies on Laurie's end. The final sneak peek reveals what happens to the bike gang and not to spoil anything, but it's a thing of beauty.

Also in the sneak peeks below, get a load at Andy's Braveheart moment, Tom's gay garden gnomes, and the debut of Office Pumpkinhead, would-be protector of the cul-de-sac. Something tells me he won't be around too long.

Elsewhere on Cougar Town, Bobby tries to get Travis to introduce him to a photography professor (Sarah Chalke) and Laurie gets into a romance on Twitter with a man she's never met, currently fighting in Iraq.

Cougar Town airs tonight at 8:30 on ABC. If you missed the season three highlight reel released before the season began, you can check it out here. The first three episodes of the season are currently available on Hulu and the ABC website, should you be behind.

Cougar Town Sneak Peeks: The Spooky Laughs of Officer Pumpkinhead