90210's Shenae Grimes Considering the Fashion Industry
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for IMG
Fashion Week in New York seems to have gotten into Shenae Grimes' blood a little. The 90210 actress sat down with OK! magazine after the stylistic over-stimulation of Charlotte Ronson's show.
"I want to go every season! It’s always a crazy whirlwind, but it's just so much excitement," she told OK!
She also commented on her desire to go back to school and earn a college degree. New York City looks appealing to the 20-year-old actress, who is considering studying in some area of the fashion industry and possibly opening her own line one day.
ANTM: Janice Dickinson thinks Tyra looks like a man
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Entertainment Fusion Group & Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Glamour Magazine
You know how you're not supposed to burn bridges even when you're leaving your job? Janice Dickinson never got that memo.
The former supermodel and America's Next Top Model judge told celebrity media source Starpulse that she thinks Tyra Banks looks like a man.
"She's huge. She's a big woman. I used to think she was a man. I used to look at her and think, 'Something isn't right here,'" Dickinson told Starpulse.
Dickinson was fired from the show after alleged disagreements with Banks regarding plus-sized models.
It seems Dickinson has a well-rounded disdain of "bigger" women. Too bad no one told her a big mouth is far less appealing.
In today's age of increasing technological dependency and dwindling human contact, it's nice to know that there's one more thing we can take care of online. Well, not us, but you can, maybe.
Tyra Banks is touting her new campaign for America's Next Top Model contestants with an online application service. If you can't make the casting call in your local city, hate waiting in lines or just plain dislike people, you can apply for cycle 15 on Tyra's website. According to Ms. Banks, this is also the only way to guarantee that she will personally sift through your application.
Contestant hopefuls will need to send in four photos of themselves in a bikini; requirement details are listed on the website.
Tyra is also still encouraging the "fiercely real" a.k.a. plus sized models to apply. We don't quite understand the "fiercely" qualifier, "real" would probably suffice.
If you think you have what it takes, meet ANTM's requirements and have a high tolerance for made-up words like "smize" and "dreckitude," check out Tyra's Web site to apply. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, March 30 at midnight (EST).
The folks on Life Unexpected got an object lesson in truth-telling this week -- and it didn't work out so well for Lux. Of course, NOT telling the truth will inevitably come back to bite you in the butt, so we're guessing Cate and Baze's problems are far from over...
But what's the real truth? Take our true-or-false quiz and tell us what YOU think:
True or False: Cate and Baze still have a thing for each other
On the true side:Cate seems to talk a LOT about Baze on air, and Baze hasn't been bed-hopping as much since he bedded Cate. There's a certain protest-too-much vibe we get from them, and, this being television, we can't imagine two gorgeous people will keep their hands off each other for too long.
On the false side: Cate really is smitten with Ryan, and Baze really is a bit self-involved for Cate. Actually, Cate really is a bit self-involved for both Base AND Ryan, but Ryan, at least, knows how to handle her.
Our verdict: We buy Cate's explanation: Seeing Baze puts her back in high school emotionally, and so having the quarterback fall for her is flattering. When she's being rational, she knows they're no good for each other. We're calling this one false -- as long as they stay away from each other in moments of weakness (or drunkenness.)
There's more after the jump -- read on!
True or False: Jones has a thing for Lux, and Lux may be learning towards Jones
On the true side: Did you look at them? Jones is OBVIOUSLY smitten with Lux, and who can blame him? She's adorable!
On the false side: Lux does love Bug, even when Bug is being unreasonable. She's not going to give that up lightly
Our verdict: Jones is definitely crushing on Lux, although we think part of it may be the mystery of her -- he really hasn't met anyone outside his privileged bubble. We kind of think Lux may be crushing on the IDEA of Jones more than the actual person -- but that could be because we have a soft sport of Bug.
True or False: Bug's a bad guy and Lux is better off without him
On the true side: Well, he DID steal Jones' car.... and he did irrationally lash out at Lux. That's... not good.
On the false side: Look, considering his upbringing, Bug is a prince. And his reaction when confronted with the idea he was becoming his father, he left rather than hurt the one he loved.
Our verdict: We heart Bug, all the way. But yes, he has anger issues.
True or False: Sometimes the truth should be fudged
On the true side: When given the opportunity to come clean to Ryan -- when he asked her outright if she'd slept with Baze -- Cate chose discretion over the whole, painful truth. And that ended the conversation and kept everything safe...
On the false side: ... for now. Come on, you KNOW this is going to come out at the worst possible time.
Our verdict: Cate! You idiot! The cover-up is ALWAYS more damaging than the crime!
What's your take on the lies, the fictions and Cate's heinous boss? Do you want to see Lux and Jones together, or are you hoping for Lug? Talk about it in the comments!
According to a report from People magazine, Gossip Girl actor Matthew Settle and his wife, Naama Nativ, have split up.
A source told the magazine that they had been living separately for some time now. Settle, 40 and Nativ, 26, eloped in 2006 and gave birth to their first and only daughter, Aven Angelica Settle, in March of 2009.
For those of you that listen to our podcasts, we can bet that Jackie is crossing her fingers that Rufus will appear on her doorstep (in the rain, of course), and tell her how grievously wrong he was to not ever have met her and to marry someone else.
And then whip out his acoustic and serenade her with his big hit "Every Time You Walk Away."
People's source also said that divorce papers have not been filed yet, so that might be another minor stumbling block for Jackie. Frankly, we're not sure which outcome to root for.
So this week on One Tree Hill, Brooke and Juilan... ok, um, Mouth and Lauren... well, Victoria and Alex... oh, who are we kidding. MAMA JAMES DIED! SOB!
Seriously, there was a certain amount of open weeping here at CW Source Central, and we're not to proud to admit it. Even the dark, cynical heartless members of our fiendish cabal couldn't help but sniffle when Haley freaked out over the soup, and there was outright blubbering when Jamie brought the book that Haley always reads to make him feel better to Mama James' sickbed. And when Taylor finally showed up and had that heart-to-heart with her dying mom? Oof! We nearly drowned the cat with all the tears.
All of which, again, makes it difficult to focus on anything else that happened in this episode. But we have to admit, we're thrilled that we actually got some movement in the Brooke/Julian storyline. Actually, we're thrilled we got some violence in the Brooke/Julian storyline, but that could be our bitter, cynical side trying to suppress all the warm-squishy feelings we had about Mama James.
As predicted, Brooke seeing Alex in Julian's bed was all a big misunderstanding, and Julian wasn't the phantom showerer. For once, we don't think Brooke overreacted -- there are only so many ways to interpret naked girl in bed -- but we do wish she'd talked to Julian -- or even Alex -- about it instead of going into a passive-aggressive (then aggressive-aggressive) tizzy. Still, when Julian snotted that Brooke still didn't trust him, we wanted to fling something at him. NAKED GIRL. IN YOUR BED. What was Brooke SUPPOSED to think?
Still, their make-up scene was quite sweet, and we're happy for them. Just... get over the drama, will you? Please?
We could have used MORE drama from Victoria, who confined herself to slapping Boy Alex instead of dismembering his body and shipping him to several different destinations. Come on, Victoria -- we expect more from you! He slept with skank Alex, and he doesn't get to just apologize, no matter how long he camps out on the sidewalk. Blech!
It looks like we'll get plenty of drama with another couple of storylines: Clay's Dead Wife Doppelgänger looks to be turning into a Dead Wife Doppelgänger/Stalker. We KNEW things would go horribly wrong when he told Quinn that he loved her and "nothing's ever going to change that." Dude, haven't you watched this show? Don't tempt fate like that!
And then there's Mouth and Lauren. We were thrilled when Lauren revealed that she'd turned Mouth down -- it's about time that a girl who is out of his league said no. But no, it was not to be -- Lauren confessed that she didn't want Mouth to be her rebound date, but now, she's ready to get to it. Of course, that's the cue for Skills to walk in... so we expect plenty of fireworks when the show comes back in April. (APRIL? HARRUMPH!)
What's your take on the episode? Tell all in the comments!
We've quickly become smitten with Life Unexpected, so we were thrilled to catch up with creator Liz Tigelaar and ask her about the genesis of the show. Find out what inspired the pilot, what Liz herself wanted from a parent (hint: red power suits were involved...), and what we can expect from the rest of the season.
What's your take on Liz's teasers? Talk about it in the comments!
We double up on One Tree Hill podcasts this week and contemplate the imminent demise of Mama James. Was she right in the way she decided to approach it? Do you sympathize with Taylor's reaction? Were you pissed off by the way she told Jamie? We debate all of this and more. And then, when the death stuff gets to heavy, we rhapsodize about the return of Owen (Back off, Darcel, he's MINE!), yawn over the 3,347,987,234th iteration of the Brooke/Julian story, contemplate who could be Victoria's lover, and wonder why the hell we're supposed to care about a singing bartender and a near-naked record exec. Plus, dead wife dopplegangers! Aieeeee!
Supernatural 100: Misha Collins on Sex-Fiend Cas and Challenges on Set
Oh, Supernatural fans, do we have a treat for you! While we're waiting out the long, looooong hiatus between new episodes, take a look at this priceless interview with Misha Collins at the Supernatural 100th episode party. Misha is his normal delightful self, talking about everything from the search for God, what it will take to go from Angel Castiel to Sex-Drugs-Booze FutureCas, where he wants his character to go in season 6, and what's particularly challenging to deal with on set (hint: said challenging element is approximately 8 and a half feet tall and has a mischievous sense of humor.) Check it out!
What do you think? Are you as smitten with Misha as we are? Does this interview make you more likely to vote for Cas in the Battle of the CW Hotties? Tell us about it in the comments!
Supernatural: The Sequel -- New Showrunner Sera Gamble Teases Season 6
We've been through the wringer in the last 24 hours, haven't we, Supernatural fans? First we hear that our show will definitely be coming back next season (yay!), then we learn that Showrunner/Evil Genius Eric Kripke will be taking less of a hands-on role in the new season (Aieee!). What does this mean? How will the show change? What's longtime writer and new showrunner Sera Gamble gong to bring to the table?
Well, we can't answer all of those questions, but we can share this interview we had with Sera Gamble at the Superntural 100th Episode party. This was before the news of the pickup came out, so she's couching her answers (to your questions, we add) in speculative terms, but now? Now what she's saying has the potential to be the basis for the new Winchester Gospels. Check it out:
All right, Super-fans -- what do you think? Are you thrilled, worried, intrigued or confused by Sera's answers? Or is it too soon to tell? Talk about it in the comments!
Oh, One Tree Hill. Why must you torment us -- and every one of your characters? Can't anyone be happy for more than 2.5 episodes? As it is, we're running out of tissues and Tums. Do you need to hurt the ones who love you so much?
The list of people having a very bad time of it are as follows:
The Sisters James, Mama James, and Jamie
Taylor stormed off in a huff, and we're starting to think she had the right idea, because Mama James isn't content with just springing the news of her impending death on her offspring, she also seems to want them to blithely go about their lives as if nothing is wrong. Mama James, we love you, but it may take more than a breakfast or two before your remaining daughters can chatter over toast.
And what's the deal with telling Jamie that she's dying? She should not have done that without talking to Haley and Nathan first -- or at least she should have made sure they were there when she told him. And if THAT'S too much to ask, maybe she wanted to mention to Naley that she'd just dropped the death bomb on Jamie? Come on!
Ok, ok, we'll admit that the Christmas-in-February things was adorable and touching. But we're still moderately peeved.
Quinn and Clay
I love you more. No, I love YOU more! No, I want to be here to be here to support you! No, I want you to build your business! No I love YOU mo..... hold on a sec. Is that tennis player a dead live ringer for my dead wife? Sorry, who was I talking to again? Quinn who?
Brooke and Julian and Alex and Alex
Here we go again. Brooke and Julian have a couple of tender, touching, flirtatious moments... and then everything goes to hell, when Julian gets jealous of boy Alex, girl Alex gets discomfited by noisy neighbors, and Brooke talks her way into Julian's hotel room. only to find Alex asleep here. Did Julian sleep with girl Alex, or is he just being chivalrous? Brooke doesn't stick around to find out.
Mouth and Millie and Owen and Miss Lauren
Owen is in Millie's AA meeting and Millie starts hanging out with him. (And on a shallow note, the scruffy beard thing works for Owen. Yowza!) Millie sees Mouth playing video games with Miss lauren, and she gets wigged out. Owen convinces Millie to talk to Mouth, but Mouth convinces himself to ask Lauren out. Le sigh.
Grubbs and Miranda
Miranda is so convinced she wants Grubbs to make a record with her that she agrees to all sorts of ridiculous conditions -- eating pickled eggs, talking like a pirate, etc. -- to get him to sign. But he still refuses, saying that recording and performing is like wandering around in his underwear. Here's the thing: Miranda has no shame (and a smokin' bod, and one hell of a lingerie budget), so she walks around in her underwear to prove a point and get him to sign. OK, so they didn't have a particularly bad time of it, but we did, as this whole plotline annoyed.
There was more - Victoria announces that she's taken a lover, but gets stood up; boy Alex is kind of a tool, again, some more; Girl Alex's costar is a vapid horndog -- but none of that sunk in. We're still haunted by Mama James telling Jamie that she's dying, and Jamie's reaction, which was to cry for his mom, not himself. Sob! Just how much heartbreak will we have to endure, show?
What was your take on the ep? Talk about it in the comments!
Oh frabjuous day! The CW just sent out word that some of our very favorite shows would be back on our screens next season -- and we're in the mood to celebrate! The net announced that America's Next Top Model, 90210, Gossip Girl, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries are already on the books for Fall 2010. That sound you hear? That's a whole bunch of CW fans doing the happy dance. Glee!
Some of these early pickups are hardly a surprise. The Tyra Banks juggernaut is bringing fashion legend Andre Leon Talley to the judging table, and we're just dying to see how that will turn out. Will he be back for Cycles 15 and 16 next year? Likewise, Gossip Girl may be the most buzzed-about show out there. The season has stumbled a bit -- who knew a threesome could be so soporific? -- but we can't imagine the TV season with Chuck, Blair, Serena and the rest.
We're also not surprised -- thrilled, but not surprised -- that The Vampire Diaries is coming back. We're in love with the show, and we're not alone -- it draws the biggest audience of any show on the channel. Who could resist the blend of smart writing, spooky situations and great acting?
Then there's Supernatural, which, as you all well know, makes our little hearts go pitter-pat. We've debated whether the show should return, considering Kripke has talked about his five-year plan, and hey, how do you top the Apocalypse? We're really, really looking forward to seeing how they pull this off.
Finally, 90210 gets the nod, which, we have to admit, surprised us a bit. Not because we don't like the show -- we're loving the soapy storylines, the bitchery and back-stabbing, and the eeeeeevil elements that make out world go 'round. But we were a bit surprised to see it get an early pickup over a show like, for example, One Tree Hill or Melrose Place -- until we saw that it gets lots and lots of DVR love. Ratings for the show nearly double when you add in the TiVoing throngs.
And what if your favorite show isn't on this list? Well, don't panic -- these are early pickups. There's still plenty of time to hear good news about One Tree Hill and Melrose and Life Unexpected and Smallville... but we'll jsut have to wait and see.
What's your reaction to the early renewal news? Talk about it in the comments!
Dad's fun! An overgrown manchild! Mom is an overbearing boring neurotic former party beast. Apparently churros don't compete with window shopping for handbags. And Lux is called foster freak at school. Hey wait I know! Let's have a party! Dad can host, Mom can prove she's not boring, and the kids at school will think I'm awesome.
John Huuuuuuuuuuuughes, we miss you.
Now, we did totally love that Lux called out Miss I Feel Objectified by pointing out that she has the word JUICY spread across her backside.
More after the jump!
This is the part where we point out what is expected:
Conflict between choosing old friends and new bitchy ones
Friends wanting Lux to provide beer at the party instead of bringing their own
Mom embarrassing everyone by proving she's not old and boring
Lessons learned and almost everyone making up in the end, giving each other the benefit of the doubt because after they all reacted from their own point of view, they considered the situation from the other side and they get it now.
What we did not expect:
Bug to take off with Mr. Quarterback's car.
Parents to be dumb enough to get themselves arrested.
Gah! Ew! Blech! Supernatural said "I love you" in the way only it could -- by hitting us hit up with a particularly horrific opening scenario. We're still recovering. The site of people taking chunks out of each other -- and liking it -- was sickening enough. But what really got us was the realization that after being literally eaten alive, one of the lovers was "still chewing a little." Gah!
Happy Valentine's Day indeed, Supernatural!
So yeah, it took us a while for the nausea to subside. But after that, we found plenty that was, um, tasty about the ep:
Meeting (a) Cupid
Now that? That was funny. We were loving the slightly goofy, moderately dumb, and completely oblivious lug from the moment he picked Dean up in a rapturous bear hug. And we loved that he wouldn't be denied his snuggles, no matter how much the guys tried to escape (although we wonder if Jared, Jensen and Misha were having con flashbacks.) But the best part? How horrified the guys were to be dealing with a big fuzzy puppy/child hybrid in the form of a large naked man. And it sounds like all Cupids are like this. Hee!
There's more after the jump -- read on!
Cas' appetites
Holy crap, Cas is eating! And eating... and eating... and eating... it's amazing that his stomach didn't burst from all the burgers. We loved how calm and matter-of-fact he was about it all. When Dean asks him how many he's consumed, Cas just shrugs and says "it's in the low hundreds." Eep!
Famine's bad-assery
OK, so Famine's this decrepit old man demon in a wheelchair. How dangerous can he be? HAH! Just ask the guy who plunged his face into the boiling oil to sate his appetite for french fries, or the demon who lost the Twinkie-lover's soul. Possibly our favorite part: the way the minion demons looked askance when Famine offered them up to quench Sammy's thirst. Dudes -- you're hanging with a Horseman of the Apocalypse. What did you THINK was going to happen?
Sammy's bad-assery
Oh, Sam!! He did his damnedest to insulate himself from bloodlust, but Famine made it impossible for him to resist. Still, when push came to shove, Sam expelled the demons rather than drinking them down. And the way he took out Famine by... ok, we're not entirely sure what he did, but it was like the demons were Diet Coke and Sam's mojo was a pack of Mentos. Bad. Ass.
Dean's rationalization -- and his reaction
We were wondering what the deal was with Dean's immunity to the hunger that struck everyone else. We were theorizing it had something to do with Michael, or with his time in Hell, but we were unsure. So when Cas asked Dean why he didn't have the munchies, we were all ears. "You're saying you're just well-adjusted?" Cas asks. "God no! I'm just well fed." Works for us.
So when Famine met Dean and announced that he had no appetite because he was dead inside, we bridled -- and we're not buying it. He's overwhelmed and terrified, but soulless? Defeated? Completely empty? Nope, not our boy. As evidence, we point to his reaction when Sam was going through Demon Detox again. Dean literally cried to the heavens for help, but got no answer. If he was empty, defeated, would he even try to find help? Would our hearts breaks as we watched his break again? We don't think so.
So what did you think of the ep? And what the heck are we going to do for SIX WEEKS until the show comes back (with zombies!)? Talk about it in the comments!
On The Vampire Diaries this week, there was serious plot development for the series. What do you mean Katherine is not in the tomb!? Gasp! Are you saying that she's been roaming free this whole time and can't be bothered to even Facebook Damon and pretend that they're just friends now? Terribly rude. Damon, you can do sooooo much better than some chick who took off 140-odd years ago and can't even be bothered to send a Halloween card now and then. We suppose that now you'll have to go looking for her. Sigh.
And can we please talk about that tomb. Awfully well crafted and cavernous for a secret vamp hiding spot whipped up at the last moment...and apparently equipped with pneumatic door openers! Did you see that door open? It was a flashback to childhood reruns of Land Of The Lost. Where's a sleestack when you need one.
We were a widge incredulous about the tiny amount of blood it takes to reconstitute a pruney dried up vampire. Apparently it's way less fluid than it would take to reconstitute, say, a prune.
Onto Caroline. You know we love Caroline around here, with her loose morals and zippy one-liners. So that she's turning into a model citizen and actual good girlfriend material, someone who is honest and thoughtful, is a bit of a downer for us. Hooray for her personal development, we guess. She better get fun again soon though.
Poor Grams! Hopefully the ambulance will get there in the nick of time. Poor Jeremy! Losing the girl just as he was getting to really like her, and getting sucked back in to the whole vamp thing. We can at least hope memories of Vicki remain forgotten.
Mostly, though? Poor Damon. He seems to be taking the news of Katherine's abandonment to heart, which just sucks. Hopefully his renewed bond with Elena will bring some comfort. We doubt it, though. Finding out that your eternal true love was an illusion and that the other party never felt that way is a major blow. Happily, he in fact has eternity to heal that wound. We feel you, dog. Trust.
Supernatural 100: Jim Beaver Teases a Love Connection, Dawn Ostroff Hopes for Season 6
We're back with more from the 100th episode party for Supernatural! This time out, we've got the always adorable Jim Beaver, who shows off his sharp threads, speculates on Bobby's chances for walking again, and teases a reunion with his wife... which may not be as romantic as you hope...
Plus, we grabbed CW head honcho Dawn Ostroff and asked her about what the show means to the network and what the prospects are for Season 6. The news is good, people...
What do you think? Are you looking forward to Bobby's undead romance? Are you writing down Dawn's words so you can compare them with the schedule this fall? Talk about it in the comments!
(A quick note: We asked for your questions before the party, and we used as many of them as we could ... but as you can imagine, time was tight and we only got four measly questions per star. If we could, we would have talked to the Supernatural folks all night -- we're that devoted to serving you -- but alas, it was not to be. We promise, upcoming segments will feature some of your fantastic questions, and we're saving some of the really great ones for a feature we're working on, angels and demons and unholy forces willing. More to come on that later!)
Top Model Hopefuls Revealed, Plus a Judging Shakeup
The good folks at KPLR have the first pics of Cycle 14's Top Model hopefuls. We're going back to the regular tall, skinny model types after last season's itty-bitty models experiment. We have no idea whether or not Tyra will be breaking out her Supermodel Superhero gear to defend regular models, but we live in hope.
We also hope for better styling, because the initial pics of these girls... well, they're not good. They're dressed like supervillains who got their powers after being bitten by a radioactive Jane Fonda Workout video, or aerobics instructors who spend time pole dancing onthe weekends. We are, to quote fashion maven Tim Gunn, concerned.
And we can't wait to hear what fashion legend André Leon Talley has to say about it all. The renowned fashion powerhouse will be joining Tyra, Nigel and a rotating guest judge on the panel this season, and we expect great things. Unfortunately, it means that Miss J will not be judging... but will be mentoring the models all season long. That means the opportunity for scathing commentary increases exponentially!
What do you think of this Cycle's crop of hopefuls? What are you expecting from Miss J as a mentor and La Talley as a judge? Talk about it in the comments!
CW Fans: Defend the Hotness Honor of Your Fave Stars!
It's been a while since we've had a knock-down, drag-out fight to the death over the hottitude of our favorite CW stars. Fortunately*, the drought is over -- and you have two opportunities to vote for your preferred people in bracket competitions!
The fine folks at KWGN in Denver are hosting a Battle of the CW Hotties as we speak. Right now, the Women's bracket is up, but you can still vote in the Men's bracket as well. The second phase of the Men's competition launches Friday, and the second round of Women's matches goes up on Tuesday, February 18 -- so get voting!
Then there's an all networks battle to the death over at the South Florida Sun Sentinel, where CW stars are going up against the juggernauts from the other four broadcast networks. The Bad Boys division (which includes Chuck Bass, Dean Winchester and Damon Salvatore -- and Dean and Chuck are currently losing) is already off the front page, but you can still vote. Keep checking this page throughout the next month to support your fave stars!
* We know, we know -- there are those among you who sneer at such things, who protest that we should focus on the content of the shows and the nuances of the acting rather than the exterior facade of the people who bring our favorite characters to life. And we like to think we do that here... but that doesn't stop us from being able to celebrate the aesthetic pleasures these folks bring to bear. Are we shallow? Maybe. But we are having fun!
One Tree Hill broke out the big guns this week when it revealed that Mama James has incurable cancer. The James girls are all horrified, and we cried like babies discovered that our allergies were acting up, too. Of course, when you've got a dying mom, plot points like trying to get a bartender to record an album seems pretty pointless in comparison, don't you think?
So let's get the weepy bits out of the way first: Mama James, nooooooo! We were already a bit wobbly upon learning that Papa James had driven the Winnebago to the Big Trailer Park in the Sky. We so wanted to see Huey Lewis! Then, when Mama James revealed the bit about her pancreatic cancer, we were almost as floored as her daughters.
We loved seeing the different ways the girls reacted -- and for the first time, we were really sympathizing with Taylor. Her mom seems to be the only member of the family who doesn't hate her, so we can understand her rage when she heard that Lydia wasn't pursuing treatment. We get where Lydia's coming from -- she'd like to spend her final days with her family, not dealing with chemo and radiation and a treatment that makes you feel worse than the disease. But we see Taylor's point, too -- her mom seems to be giving up, and by not allowing aggressive treatment, she's denying even the possibility of staying around longer. We're not fans of the way Taylor stormed out without saying goodbye, but we know why she did it. Like Haley, we think it's a mistake, but we understand the impulse.
And poor Haley -- she doesn't know what she'll do when she loses her mom! "I'm not the glue -- my mom is. When she's gone, everything is going to fall apart!" Oh, Haley!
And then there was the rest of the episode. If it were a normal week, we'd be interested in Millie's struggle with addiction and seeing how she finally started taking meetings seriously. We'd sympathize with Brooke and Julian's dance, and then dope-slap Julian for selling everything he owned to finance this movie (A side note -- just how nice a car did he have? Because we know Mercedes are pretty sweet vehicles, but they're not million-dollar cars.) Sigh. Julian... what were you thinking! Yes, you were able to get a good performance out of Alex, but if she can only emote when she's staring into your eyes, we may have a problem.
But no matter what else was going on, we have a hard time believing we'd care about the Miranda/Grubbs relationship. Why bother? And those bee-yotches in the store who stage-whispered that Millie was "plain" ? We would have booted them out on their asses. Shut up, evil consumer broads!
We're torn on the Alex/Alex hookup, although we kind of think it works. If nothing else, it's practical -- these two are so self-involved that it's entirely possible they moan their own names during, erm, intimate moments. At least now they can plausibly claim that they were cooing about their partner!
What was your take on the episode? Did everything pale in comparison to the Mama James story, or did the rest keep your interest? Talk about it in the comments!
A quick note: Due to monstrous weather and impending travel, we won't be able to podcast this week. We're sorry! We'll be back with a super-sized podcast after next week's episode.
This week's Life Unexpected is all about the drama, drama, drama. What is it this time? Well, the theme seems to be lies - how Lux had been making up lies about a glamorous life, how Cate and Ryan have been lying about being single on their radio show, and how Baze has been lying to himself about being a good father.
There wasn't a lot of funny this time. We missed the funny. More after the jump.
The show started out with Baze and Cate each getting a copy of Lux's file from social services. They were sifting through it, falling in love with tiny hand prints and school projects when they both started gushing over a letter to Santa she wrote when she was eight. Instead of toys, she was saying all she wanted for Christmas was a set of nice parents all her own. Awwww.
Baze immediately started realizing he wasn't at all like the ideal father 8-year-old Lux described. Meanwhile, Cate was feeling pretty good, feeling like she fit the profile pretty well. But don't worry. This is only the beginning of the episode. By the end, Cate was feeling terribly inadequate again.
Meanwhile, we find out the girls at high school had no idea random locker searches might turn up the bong lamp. This gets Lux suspended for five days for selling drug paraphernalia. Lux and Baze are nonchalant about it, but Cate has a mini-freak-out. She tells Lux if this gets on her permanent record it will ruin her life. We had to wonder if Cate is forgetting her daughter has been in high school for at least one year already and was undoubtedly a less-than-stellar student (if the expert ditching we saw in the first few episodes is anything to go by) before moving in with her mom, so we felt like the reaction was a bit over the top.
Since Cate has to fix everything, she rushed off to visit the principal and convince her to give Lux another chance. Her ammunition? Yep, the social services file, cute Christmas letter and all. MeanGirl #2 manages to get her hands on it and spread it around the school, revealing all Lux's lies in one fell swoop. Ouch. Well, we didn't want Lux to be one of the MeanGirls anyway.
Unfortunately, Lux blames her mom and overreacts by moving in with Baze. Baze is happy to let her hang out and not talk about what's going wrong, being the cool parent who never says no. Cate's fiance Ryan finds an opportunity to point this out to Baze, that if he wants to be respected as a father he has to act like one. Ouch. Fortunately, he soon mans up and tells Lux she needs to work things out with her mom.
And when Cate tried to talk things through with Lux there was a big dust-up with accusations about lies, secrets and hypocrisy. It ended with Lux rushing up on stage at a radio station event and outing Cate and Ryan to their adoring public. Sorry ladies and gents, they're engaged... to each other. Ouch.
We have to admit that the ending felt a little bit repetitive - haven't we heard that same speech about how much the foster care system sucks? (maybe several times) and haven't we heard Cate give the same speech about how she's not the perfect mom but she's doing her best? (maybe several times)
Maybe they're trying to give a quick recap to people who haven't been watching from the premiere, but we were a bit puzzled. Maybe moms and teenagers have the same fights over and over again and we're just remembering our own personal teenage phase(s) fondly.
What do you think? Realistic mother/daughter stuff?
