Hart of Dixie "Lovesick Blues"

        Flu season threatens the town of Blue Bell and Mayor Lavon Hayes initiates a quarantine to keep his constituents safe. I love the small town, quirky plot lines on this show. Lavon is so worried that Blue Bell will lose its strawberry tourists to a neighboring town because of a seductive commercial they are set to air, so he has George work on a strawberry commercial for Blue Bell. Lavon and Annabeth star in the commercial together and the chemistry between the two of them is undeniable. So much so that Annabeth feels guilty, says she is coming down with the flu and heads home. Lavon who was so intent on finishing the commercial drops everything to bring Anna Beth soup. The scene between them was really sweet. I feel bad for Annabeth. I know she is trying to be a good friend to Lemon, and I respect that but I do feel like Lavon is a grey area. He did have a relationship with Lemon, but it was an affair when she was with George. So I don't know if Lemon has much of a claim to him. Annabeth had feelings for him before she knew about the history he shared with her best friend.
      Lemon's new BF offers to cook her dinner and Anna Beth clues Lemon in on his likely plans. At fist Lemon is shocked because its only been eight weeks! But she decides she is ready and tries to make the night special and plan it all out. One thing that can really mess with your romantic plans however, is the flu. Luckily Walt is a stand up guy and spends the night taking care of Lemon.
      Anna Beth returns Lavon's soup pot to him and tells him nothing can happen between them and he kisses her! I was rooting for Lemon and Lavon but I think I have jumped ship! I'm excited to see what happens between these two. Lemon has a good guy right now and now is not the time for her and Lavon.
      Zoe tries and tries to get in touch with Wade, and is quite concerned. Partly because of the flu and partly because he is staying with his ex. Turns out he broke quarantine and was home sick. When Zoe figured it out she broke in and tried to take care of him. This wasn't the sweetest Zoe/Wade interaction we have seen but Wade finally understood that they need to take care of each other. Especially that he needs to stop being so stubborn and let his doctor girlfriend help him.
      The best part of this episode was Annabeth and Lavon, which maybe is why it wasn't so spectacular to me. I didn't get my Zoe and Wade fix that I was looking for. But I still liked it, this show is always fun to watch.

-Avalon

Go On: "Pass Interference"

This episode was really endearing. I always love the moments where we get to see Ryan talk to Janie. Even though she's a ghost and it's a little weird, I think it's sweet. He spends a lot of the show being the cool, popular, funny guy, so I love seeing his vulnerable side-Janie. And while I will admit that I don't like him with Simone (he's supposed to be with Carrie!), I thought they also had some sweet moments. I loved at the end of the episode when he got down on one knee and asked her to be crazy with him. I think we've all felt crazy at times, and can appreciate when someone is there for you when you're crazy rather than turning and running in the other direction. And of course there was the goddess party. I'm all about female independence but I love weddings, so I thought this was the perfect combo of the two! It was fun to watch the Fausta, Yolanda, Sonia, and Anne celebrate the fact that they can be happy on their own.

Favorite quote: 

Sonia: "I even wore my good underwear today!"
Anne: "You're an adult, you should only have good underwear."

PS. Did anybody else think that Simone was Kristen Cavallari at first? I was 99% sure it was her for awhile!

-LC

The Bachelor "Week 4"

      Another great week on The Bachelor. I am finally starting to like more of the girls, I think Sean is making some good choices and has some great options. I think Sean is the best Bachelor yet. I may eat my words if he chooses Tierra in the end, but for right now, I like him.
      The first date was with Selma, they took a private jet to Joshua Tree and did some rock climbing. I was actually really impressed with how well she did. She doesn't look like an adventurous, outdoorsy girl but she rocked that climb. Afterward Sean wanted to kiss her but she told him that because of her strict Arabic family and their beliefs she isn't going to kiss him on TV until she is the only one left. I don't know how well that's going to work out for her.... But for now she is safe and left the date with a rose.

      The group date was with Tierra, Amanda, Sarah, Robyn, Lindsay, Jackie, Catherine, and Ashlee. The plan was for the girls to split into two teams and compete in a roller derby. This is possibly the worst date idea I have ever seen on this show. I am all for the adventurous and nerve- racking dates but this just seemed really dangerous and not at all fun. Amanda fell on her jaw and had to go to the hospital and she was probably the only one who looked like she might know how to roller skate. The rest of the girls made me almost too nervous to watch. Sarah was really scared, and rightly so. Sean decided to scrap the competition and just have a free skate. Good idea.
      Afterwards they all got their one on one time with Sean, and Tierra caused some DRAMA! She got upset that she didn't feel included with the other girls and interrupted Sean and Lindsay to say she can't take the "torture" anymore. I had my fingers crossed that she was going to go home, but Sean talked her into staying and gave her the rose. Also, Amanda returned and seemed to be recovering just fine. She even admitted that she was going to use her fall to her advantage and milk it for all it's worth.

      The last one on one was with Leslie. It was a Pretty Woman themed date. He gave her earrings, took her shopping on Rodeo Drive and took her to Neil Lane to complete her outfit with a very pricey necklace. At dinner Sean asked her lots of questions and they seemed to have lots in common, but Sean wasn't feelin' it so he sent her home. I really respect the bachelors and bachelorettes when they have the guts to send people home like that. They weren't a match so I'm glad he cut her loose before she got more attatched. 

      At the rose ceremony Sean sent Amanda home! Thank goodness! I guess her strategy of milking her injury didn't pay off this week. Let''s face it, she was out of her mind. If Sean can see that, I'm hopeful Tierra won't fool him much longer. I still like Desiree, Sarah and Lesley but there are a couple others I am interested to see more of like Catherine, Selma and Lindsay. There is still a ways to go in this Bachelor journey, including two episodes next week! I predict that Daniella and Jackie will be the next to go. What are your predictions? 

-Avalon

Grey's Anatomy "Walking on a Dream"

This episode of Grey’s Anatomy introduced a new character, Dr. Alana Cahill (played by Constance Zimmer). She is a physician advisor who has been sent to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital to help them avoid bankruptcy. The hospital is in danger of bankruptcy because of the plane crash that killed the pilot, Lexi, and Mark. The hospitals insurance won’t pay because if you remember right before the plane took off Arizona got mad at Alex for wanting to do his fellowship at Hopkins so she took his seat on the plane and therefore breaking protocol on the number of Resident/Attending ratio. So the hospital now must fork out the millions they owe Derek, Meredith, Christina, and Arizona.

Alana starts her day off in the E.R. which it took 45 minutes before anyone came to treat her fake symptoms. April helps Stephanie take on the pit. Another character was introduced and he is a paramedic—and I might add he is very good looking! After spending a day staring at April he finally asks her to coffee at the end of the episode.

Shane gets the privilege of working with a very hormonal, pregnant Meredith (poor guy). She can’t help but cry every time she is mad, which happens a lot when she works with Shane. They are on a mission to get a pregnant patient a new liver. The first liver they go to get Meredith lets Shane take the donor liver out and he screws up and the liver is no longer able to be used. They get lucky and get a chance to get a new liver but it requires taking a plane. At first Meredith makes Bailey get on the plane but at the last minute she faces her fears and gets on the plane. They get the liver but then Shane notices a mass on the liver. They did extra testing and found it was safe to use. They save the patient and a not so good day ends on a great note for them.

At the end of the episode Alana brings up a very disliked option to save the hospital money and that is to close the E.R. She says it is not bringing in any money and it is a great way to start saving so they don't shut the hospital down. Everyone starts freaking out which make Bailey yell and ask if anyone else has a better idea and if not to stop yelling and let Alana finish her presentation.

We will see how the show continues but I do have to say this is the first year I like the intern doctors since Meredith’s year. They are great characters with good backgrounds. I love that Meredith is finally pregnant and happy about it. She defiantly has come a very long way from her dark place where she would get drunk and hook up with a stranger and kick them out in the morning. She has evolved and I am excited for her, Derek, and Zola.

-Meg

Parks and Recreation "Women in Garbage"

 
   I don't have a lot of time to post today, but I didn't want to skip Parks and Rec because it truly is one of my favorite comedies on TV right now and it deserves our acknowledgement. 
      
So quick recap and then some quotes: 
      Leslie starts a commission for women's rights. And her and April take over the garbage route to prove women are just as efficient. Ron with the help of Ann babysits his girlfriend's daughters and he admits he loves her (his girlfriend, not Ann). Tom asks Andy and Ben for help learning about basketball to impress is young Rent a Swag customers. And Chris struggles to understand the status of his relationship with his new lady reporter friend, Shauna Malwae-Tweep.

Tom: "All the kids that shop in the store are basketball crazy! It's all they talk about, I need to be able to schmooze them. And I can't keep referring to basketball players as Khloe Kardashian's husband and his friends."

April: "You know what, I think men are better than women. They provide for us and we must obey them because they are our masters."
Leslie: "April, stop it."
April: "Leslie, you'll never land a beau with that domineering tone We must always walk being the men."

Chris: "I don't entirely understand the behavior of young people. Recently we engaged in something called a group hang. It was like a date but there were seven other people there."

-Avalon

The Office "Customer Loyalty"

   
     I love that they are bringing back some of Jim's pranks on Dwight this season. Those have always been my favorite. The episode started off with Dwight finding a letter from Rober Dunder that led him on a quest for the holy grail that Jim had planted years back. He didn't find the chalice, unfortunately it had already been discovered by one of the warehouse workers. 
      Dwight is upset when he finds out that Daryl plans to move to Athlead with Jim permanently. He calls Jim  to ask him when it will stop. Jim tell him to take his worst fear and multiply it by infinity and that he won't stop until he has poached everyone, even Dwight. To which Dwight replies "No, I'll be damned if I'm gonna let us lose me." And so Dwight calls everyone together to discuss "customer loyalty", and no Keven that's not when you get a free sandwich after you have already eaten 10 sandwiches. 
      Dwight kidnaps Daryl and tries to show him that he can have fun in the paper business. He takes him to a drive thru window and throws a milkshake at the worker through the window yelling "fire in the hole!" Daryl makes him go in and clean it, and Dwight gets a taste of his own medicine, seems like Dwight wasn't the only one who saw that YouTube video. Loved it!
     Nelly becomes concerned that she is to blame for Erin and Pete's flirtatious relationship as she has put them to work together on Dunder Mifflin's social media. She brings it up in the meeting and successfully breaks them apart, but then Toby points out that Andy hasn't really been there for her after abandoning her on his boat trip and Nelly reassembles Pete and Erin's social media team. At first I hated this whole Erin and Pete thing but I think Toby is right Andy has been a terrible boyfriend. BTW when is Any coming back? He replaces Michael and then just takes off? why can't the Scranton branch keep a manager?
      Also can we talk about Toby and Nelly? So weird, but I kind of like it. They somehow make sense in my mind. I hope she will come around to it. 
      Jim and Pam, this episode was heartbreaking. Their fight was one that probably any real life couple could have, but we aren't used to seeing it and so it's quite concerning. This kind of heavy plot line isn't one we usually see so it makes me wonder if this is something we should really be worried about. Jim and Pam have to survive this! Next week is an hour long, so there could be big things to come!
      One last thing, this was the first episode that we saw the documentary crew. I am not sure that I want the mystery of the documentary to be solved, I was fine not knowing. I just hope that it's done well and it's not another Gossip Girl thing. Let's be honest I would have been fine not knowing Dan was Gossip Girl. I did like when Michael left and he took of his mic, but I'm not thrilled about seeing much more of the crew and behind the scenes stuff. We'll see, there aren't too many episodes left. All I ask is that Jim and Pam have a happy ending. 

-Avalon

The Vampire Diaries "Catch Me If You Can"

 
     If we haven't already made it clear to you, The Vampire Diaries is our favorite show. So I am very honored to share with you our first post on TVD.
     First off, I never expected to say this but I LOVED Stefan last night! Don't think I'm trading in my Delena card for a Stelena one, it's single Stefan/Stebekah that I love. I think hearing the truth from Elena about how she feels about Damon and how she feels about him helped Stefan to move on, which is great because the whole whiny/self righteous Stefan was driving me insane! Let's discuss the best Stefan moments from this episode:

• The Stefan and Rebekah conversation about  their "crazy sex." in the 1920's. There's more chemistry there than we ever saw with Stelena.
• Stefan coming to the rescue and saying "You're welcome." Snarky Stefan is so much fun. 
• Stefan saying to Elena "You don't know what I look like when I'm not in love with you." It gave her a little taste of what Stefan felt last week and I must say the Stefan not in love with Elena is by far my favorite! 
• And of course.... Hot Stebekah sex! I LOVED this! Stefan needed to let go a little and have some fun. After all, here's more to life brooding/pining over Elena and ripping peoples' heads off. 

     I can't give all of the credit to Stefan, he was amazing this time, but Damon is amazing every time. I love the dynamic between Jeremy and Damon, it's a love/hate brotherly bond and it's always fun to watch. I do find it a little funny that Jeremy is so desperate for Damon's approval. He just keeps bringing up how Damon doesn't care about him. He just needed proof that he is more than just a map and a solution to the sire bond problem and I hope he got it. Sure, most of Damon's concern for Jeremy is because he is Elena's brother and he knows what it would do to her if she were to lose Jeremy. But he still cares about Jeremy and he has been trying to find the safest way for Jeremy to finish his mark, he's not just recklessly creating vampires like Stefan and Klaus. Damon sacrificed his life for Jeremy's tonight, he told him to shoot him in the heart because he knew that was the only way Jeremy would be safe. For anyone out there saying Damon is selfish, explain this move to me. And in turn Jeremy chose to shoot him in the head, risking his life to try to save them both.
      Matt took over for Caroline and Stefan tonight as the judgy anti-Damon voice. Am I the only one who sees that it was Klaus's plan not Damon's that put Matt at risk? Damon let Matt and Jeremy run for it to keep Matt safe and it wasn't his idea to use Matt as bait in the first place. I thought Matt understood Elena's feelings for Damon, but I guess not so much.
      Elena's whole "you can resist compulsion because you love me" thing is a little silly. Does she think loving her gives people(or should I say vampires), superpowers? And correct me if I'm wrong, but Stefan didn't resist compulsion, he bit her. Sure he gave it a good try, but he didn't succeed. And neither did Damon. It just can't be done. Sorry Elena, you're great and all, but there are some things that even love can't overcome.
      It seems to me that Klaus is being a little lax when it comes to the whole "Race for the Cure". He compels all those newbie vampires and then just goes home to what? Relax by the fire? Then when Elena comes to him for help he doesn't seem terribly concerned that his plan is endangered. Not only that, but he could have easily daggered Kol, and he gave up pretty easily when the Gilberts turned down his plan to take Jeremy with him. Maybe he doesn't see Kol as a real threat? I don't know but it seems like if I were Klaus I would e taking matters into my own hands and not leaving so many things to chance.
     So I know there's all this talk about Elena suggesting a "genocide" and people are questioning her morals etc. I honestly didn't see it that way. I know that killing Kol would mean many "innocent" vampires would die, but isn't that going to happen anyway if Jeremy is to complete his mark? And Jeremy can't drag this on forever, his urge to kill his sister will become too strong. I think Elena's plan is a good one. With one kill Jeremy's mark will be complete and Damon will be free of his compulsion. I don't know how he will defeat the original, but I think Jeremy will succeed. If Matt can kill Finn, Jeremy can kill Kol.
      I still don't know what to think of Shane. He is so mysterious. How can he hypnotize and control Bonnie like that? Does he have some kind of superpower or is it just something he has trained himself to do like how he can resist compulsion? I have heard theories that he is Silas, not sure if that makes sense but I guess we will see. I don't think he is all bad though. The people that he has sacrificed he thinks will be revived. Maybe he is misinformed, but nobody on TVD is ever purely evil, not even Klaus.
      There is so much more we could discuss that I'm not really going to get into, like Delena's anti climatic reunion, Bonnie's dark magic, and Caroline and Tyler's absence. But one last question I want to bring up is who was that compelled guy in Shane's office and who sent him? Is there in fact another team in search of the cure? Was it Elijah or Katherine that sent him? I want to hear every one's theories so comment below or tweet us! @televisionistas

-Avalon
     

Modern Family "Fulgencio"

     Ok, so to be honest, this wasn't my favorite Modern Family episode... in fact I don't even know if I should be the one to write on it because I zoned out quite a few times. But there were still some redeeming parts, so don't worry this won't be a completely negative review. 
      I really liked the whole "Godfather" thing they had going on. Luckily I have seen the movies, so the references weren't lost on me. I think my favorite part of the whole episode was when Phil said  "Don't ever ask me about my business, Claire" and then Luke shuts the office door. The Zebra head in that kid's bed was pretty funny too. 
      What really killed this episode for me was Gloris's mom and sister. They were irritating and it wasn't funny so I'm not going to bother writing about it. 

I'm just going to share a couple funny lines and then we will move on from the beautifully named episode, "Fulgencio", poor child. 

Jay: "Son of a bith, I'm Phil."
Phil: "I can't believe someone's balloons were blocking my billboard, Phil-board, my Philboard."

-Avalon
   

Parenthood "Because You're My Sister"

   
      So normally Andrea is the official Parenthood blogger, but I am pleased to substitute this week because I absolutely love this show. This season has been by far my favorite! No other show makes me laugh and cry so hard within one episode. It's just so real and so well done. I can't believe season four is already over, it's only January! Why do you always end so soon Parenthood, why?
      Kristina's story line this season has been heartbreaking. Every story this season has been great, but Kristina's cancer has been the one that has really kept me hooked. Seeing Kristina and Adam deal with this has been so beautiful. They have had some truly rough moments but they have also found joy and happiness together. I just love their relationship. And I am so happy that at least for now she is cancer free and they are enjoying themselves in Hawaii.
      Sarah, Sarah, Sarah.... Seems like her love life is always a mess and when she almost pulls it together it falls apart. I was undecided as to who I wanted her to pick, Hank or  Mark. Mark is so sweet and stable and in so many ways he is what she needs, but they are in different places in life and I don't think ultimately they want the same things. Hank on the other hand, isn't sweet. He's kind of a jerk in fact. But there is something about a guy who comes across so cold and detatched finally falling in love. It feels like he wouldn't fall for Sarah unless there was something really special there. This was really the only cliff hanger we were left with this season. Will Sarah move to Minnesota to be with Hank or will she admit she was wrong and try to get Mark back? We'll have to wait and see. But if she moves to Minnesota I will miss her too much, so I hope that doesn't happen!
      The kids on this show all do such a great job. I'm always so impressed. I loved the interactions between Sydney and Victor in this episode. It was so sweet when he asked Syndey to come to his court hearing and told her he wanted her there because she's his sister. Victor is so lucky to be a part of the Braverman clan and I'm glad he finally realizes that and realizes that he is truly loved.
      Crosby and Jasmine are pregnant! I don't have a lot to add about that, but it is exciting! They didn't have very important story lines this year so maybe season 5 will focus more on them and their new baby!
      Amber has grown into such a strong young woman. It's great to see her in a healthy (Well hopefully now, anyways) loving relationship and to see her be the strong put-together one. I'm so happy for her and Ryan and I think that there is so much to explore within that relationship, I can't wait!
      Drew is going to Berkley! I'm glad he will be close by! Speaking of which, is Hattie ever going to be a part of the main cast again? I know college is important and all, but there's gotta be another way.
Drew's goodbye scene with Amy was really great. I think they both got some closure and were able to share some good news and hope with each other after a really difficult time. It's looking like we won't be seeing much more of her any time soon. But I'm happy for Drew that he has a whole world of opportunity ahead of him.
      All in all it was a great episode. Didn't leave us with a cliff hanger, but that isn't always necessary to make a good finale. I'm really going to miss the Bravermans, but I'm sure I'll find something else to do with my Tuesday nights. Anybody else excited for Smash?

-Avalon

The New Girl "Pepperwood"

So this weeks episode was so funny! Let's start off with the "Pogo's". The roommates discover that they all talk about each other when the other is not there about a characteristic that is odd, gross, or annoying, that each roommate has. It started out with Winston bumping into Cece in the morning and his penis (they nickname Pogo) ran into her. Schmitt told Winston they talk about him and his "pogo" happening a lot when he is not there. This started a chain of reaction when each roommate wanted to learn what their "pogo" is.

Here are the Pogo's:
Winston- Penis always bumping into everyone
Schmitt- His gross long toenails
Jess- Know-it-all
Nick-They are concerned he won't survive without them (they put vitamins in his drinks and put cash in his pockets before they go in the washer)

Also in the episode Jess thinks she makes a breakthrough with one of her adult writing students. Nick however thinks his writing is crazy and wants to kill her. He goes undercover to her writing class as "Pepperwood" to prove to Jess the student is nuts. They follow him to his house where they see him putting a huge duffel bag in the garage. They get spooked and run off. Later "Pepperwood" goes back to the garage and gets trapped while he is in there an older lady hits him over the head. Jess and the student make it back to his house where Nick and the older lady is. In the end they discover the student is not a killer.

I love how Nick is always at Jess' rescue. I think their friendship is important and I like how the writers are taking their time with it and not rushing them into a relationship.

-Meg

Private Practice: "In Which We Say Goodbye"

Private Practice is over for good, and my feelings are bittersweet. Bitter because this is one of my favorite shows on TV right now, and sweet because the finale was just so good. I loved how everything came together and all of the different characters were able to find their happiness. 

Let's start with Cooper and Charlotte. I have always loved Charlotte's feisty don't-take-shit-from-anybody attitude, but even more I've loved seeing her soft side come out as she's become a mom. We've seen her pregnant for the majority of the season, but this was the first episode where we really got to see her be a mom. It was really endearing. And watching Cooper be a dad has been great too! I always knew he would be a great dad since he loves kids, but it's fun to watch him struggle through the shocks of being a new parent. I love the little family him and Charlotte have with the triplets and Mason, it's a strong, unique family. They've both grown up a lot and been through so much together. It's great to see them in such a good place at the end of the series.

Then there's Amelia. Besides Addison of course, Amelia is my favorite character on the show. She's strong, brilliant, independent, and feminine. In my opinion she's had the greatest heartbreak on the show, so seeing her find her happiness with James was the biggest triumph of all. She deserves a really great guy, and I think James is that guy. I wish we would have had a chance to see the two of them get married and have babies, but I'm still happy that they ended up together.

And then Sam and Naomi. The big shock of the episode! I knew that Naomi would be coming back for the finale when I saw Audra McDonald tweeting about it, but I never would have suspected that her and Sam would have ended up getting back together with a baby on the way. It's a little weird that their granddaughter will be older than their daughter, but I still love it. I was never a fan of Sam and Addison together, but I love Sam and Naomi together, so I'm really happy that that happened. They may have had a lot of bumps in the road, but I think they are the ideal couple.

Sheldon....who doesn't love Sheldon? As the season started to draw to an end, I was getting worried that they would make him end up alone, which was really sad to me since I think he is the most date-able guy on the show. Then when they got him together with Miranda, I was really worried that she would die at the very end, which was even more sad. With her stage 4 cancer, it's inevitable that she did die, but I'm glad that rather than end his story with that, they ended it with them sitting on the beach together. It was a really happy moment despite the sad situation.

Violet Violet Violet. Violet is another character who has been through a lot on the show. I had been hoping she would find someone else to be with now that Pete is gone, but I have to say I liked this ending much better. We got to see her help one last patient and write a new book with a hopeful message. As Violet said, "it's about joy." And that's what I feel her life is about at this point in time. She's at a happy place and really experiencing joy for the first time in a long time, despite the fact that she isn't with someone. And I thought it was absolutely brilliant that she decided to name her book Private Practice. It was the perfect way to tie everything together.

And last, but certainly not least Addison. It's no secret to all of my friends that I want to be Addison when I grow up. Despite her many flaws, I love her character and think she's a strong, talented, intelligent, independent woman who anybody can look up to. Like I mentioned before I was never a fan of her and Sam together, and ever since Jake entered the picture, I've been team Jake all the way (some of my fellow bloggers gave me some crap for that at first, but they eventually came around ;). Jake is sweet, smart, and handsome-everything a woman wants in a man. And he loves Addison unconditionally and really fought for her. I think he really deserves her, and she deserves him. I was so thrilled when she picked him, and I loved being able to see them get married and have their happily ever after :) and of course, she looked gorgeous. As always.

-LC

The Following "Pilot"

   
  I don't want to do a re-cap of this episode because I don't want to spoil it. I just want to say that I think everyone should watch this show, and not just because I am a biased Kevin Williamson fan, but because it is great TV. What I love about it is that it's so original. It's not not CSI, it's not Castle. It's a serial drama. It's the kind of thing that you usually only see in the movies, but now we get to enjoy this deliciously creepy thriller from the comfort of our own homes (I am also partial to TV over movies if you didn't already get that). There were definitely some shocking and quite honestly, disgusting scenes in this first episode. But if I can handle it, you can handle it.
      The idea of focusing on one serial killer is one that obviously can't go on forever. But the idea that he has this whole cult following is fascinating and sets the story up for endless possibilities. Watch this pilot episode and next week we can get into all the spoilery plot details.

-Avalon

The Carrie Diaries "Lie With Me"

   
  So I don't feel like this episode was as compelling as the pilot. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it but it didn't have the umph that the first one did. Maybe it was just the anticipation and excitement of the first episode that made the pilot better, not quite sure. I loved the music, the clothes, the hair, the whole 80's atmosphere and the excitement of her getting to the city. This week she was mostly at school or cooped up at home or at her internship. I guess that's what being grounded is all about. No surprise I find it a little boring.
      Carrie does meet up with Sebastian at the pool, but gets busted when Dorrit tattles on her to their dad. Side note: who names their daughter Dorrit? That is possibly the most unfortunate name I have ever heard. Carrie doesn't receive further punishment for her transgression, however her dad doesn't want her seeing Sebastian. I have a feeling Carrie is going to have a hard time following that rule. Sebastian seems like a pretty good guy, he didn't give in to Donna who was throwing herself all over him. And he seems to genuinely like Carrie. What does Mr. Bradshaw know about Sebastian that makes him want to keep Carrie away from him?
      The situation between Maggie and Walt is heartbreaking. I feel terrible for him, and for her. I am looking forward to seeing how this story develops, particularly with Walt. I can imagine how hard it would be to come out as an adolescent and this is the 80's, before Glee and Ellen. I think this will be a great story.
      One last thing, I love that Carrie used fashion to get on her boss's good side. I just love these little glimpses of how this Carrie becomes the HBO Carrie that we all know and love. She is smart, crafty and of course a fashionista! 

-Avalon
      

90210 "Misery Loves Company"

      Ok so I am just now realizing that Dixon's new love interest Megan is Melissa from The Secret Circle! I guess the last episode I watched with her was before I began The Secret Circle on Netflix. I love seeing people from my other shows and it  makes me like her even more! The fact that I am not a huge Adriana fan doesn't hurt my Megan/Dixon hopes either. I think Adriana and Dixon just need to MOVE ON! It was weird from the beginning and not it's just stupid. 
      So what is the deal with the freaky cop girl that had Liam all tied up? I mean yeah, he is obviously hot enough that you would want a life-size cardboard cut out of him, but the tattoo is creepy! And you know you're crazy when you make Vanessa look sane and even likable. I am not sure what to think of Annie and Vanessa teaming up together! Am I supposed to trust Vanessa now? And Annie gets shot trying to save Liam?! Can those two just be together already? They're the best couple on this entire show (not that there's a lot of competition, but still).
      Poor Naomi, I want her and Max to be happy and together again. I really liked the scene with Naomi and her mom. I hope she will realize that her and Max have a marriage worth fighting for and put on that gorgeous family heirloom! 
      Um...Dixon, not a good idea to tell a woman she isn't ready to be a mom. Silver needed some guidance and now she has lost her mind! I don't understand why Silver doesn't just find another donor. Did she stop taking her medication? 
     So next week is going to be some weird Wizard of Oz episode. I really am not a fan of these weird themed episodes, but for some reason people keep making them. I just want to see what happens to Annie! Ugh, I guess I'll just have to suck it up and wait until we're out of Oz and back in Beverly Hills.

-Avalon

The Bachelor "Week 3"

      First off, is it terrible for me to say that I was a little disappointed that Tierra just fell down the stairs? I was hoping for some big drama where she is fighting with one of the girls and gets pushed down. But in all honesty, they really made it seem like that was a much bigger deal. Little Miss Priss lost beach volleyball and engineered a way to get some extra alone time with Sean. I don't if  "falling" down the stairs and then refusing medical attention is the best way to win a guy over, then again what do I know? I've never tried it.
      The first date this week was with Lesley. They set the world record for "Longest On-Screen Kiss". I really like this girl and I think they are cute together, but I will say the same thing as I did last week... So awkward! I think it's sweet that she gets nervous around him but sometimes it's a little hard to watch.

      The group date was a beach volleyball game in which the winning team gets to continue the date with Sean and the losing team goes back to the house. Not surprisingly, these girls can not play volleyball! It was not pretty! But somehow one of the teams did finally win. This was very similar to the baseball game that they played on Ben's season. It's amazing how upset these girls get when they lose. It's just a game! In the second part of the date Lindsay wowed Sean once again and received the rose, which was a smart move on his part. He needed to stay away from the Amanda/Desiree/Kacie drama. BTW, Kacie have you not ever watched the show? I know you've been on it, but your strategy is lacking. When you warn the bachelor about other girls they don't like it and you usually get sent home. I'm so glad he called her out on it. She was acting crazy and it made no sense why she was even talking about them. It had absolutely nothing to do with her! Oh well, she learned her lesson now.

      The last one on on was with Ashlee. I'm not sure how I feel about her. She is sweet, and Sean is right she is very optimistic about life considering all she has been through, but she's not my favorite. Maybe it's the fact that she is a professional organizer, she just seems like she could be a bit of a control freak/high maintenance.

      Going into the rose ceremony Lesley, Lindsay and Ashlee had roses. Sean sent Kacie home before he started handing out roses. And when it was over Kristy and Taryn were left rose-less. Other than keeping Tierra around I think Sean made great decisions tonight and I can't wait for next week!

-Avalon

Revenge "Collusion"

I would say the the tittle of this weeks episode of Revenge is very fitting. You continue to see the characters secretly conspiring against one another, the story line of each character continues to develop and grow. Which I love! Collusion starts with Emily having a hot and steamy dream of Aiden but just when you think things are about to get better, Aiden turns into Daniel... can I get a wah wah wah?! The story line between Emily and Aiden comes to a quick halt after The Initiative give Aiden proof that his sister is alive, but in order for him to reconnect with his sister he needs to kill Victoria. That's right, you heard me! Which is when things begin to get messy in this episode, it looks like the two separate conquests that the love birds were on, begin to twist and twine with one another. Which lead to the question, how far would Aiden go to see his sister? And how much does he care about Emily to not ruin her plans for revenge? 

Meanwhile another couple is going through their own levels of trust, Padma helps Nolan find his new mansion to add to his collection, but while on the house hunt she begins to subtly pry about Carrion, little does she know that she couldn't possibly try and play Nancy Drew and fool the "all seeing eye" that is Nolan. He quickly picks up on the way she refers Carrion as a program instead of as a person like she had on the previous weeks episode. And under his mentors advice, he begins to play her like she has been playing him. Which can only lead to more built up drama in the end! So excited! 

There are  few minor story lines that go on in this episode. For one, Conrad comes to the rescue and helps out the Porter clan. Convincing Kenny Ryan to sell their share of bar to him, but in the end the business man inside of him might weigh out after Nate Ryan tells Conrad his plan for the docks. While one Grayson is paving the way for his election for local government, Daniel continues to fight for the Stonehaven account against Jason Prosser and with Emily by his side he proves to ruthless and unstoppable and lands the account, but not before having it out with Victoria as she tries to undermine/protect him (whichever way you see fits best) and assists Jason Prosser. 

While Victoria is cozying up to Mr. Prosser, Aiden goes into assassin mode and attempts to take out Victoria and just as he was going to pull the trigger he was stopped by Emily. Emily convinces Aiden that they are going to get his sister back, but on their own terms. Aiden takes Emily's advice and believes for just a moment that they could play by their own rules and still succeed... which leads to my next wah wah wah moment... At the end of the episode Aiden shows Emily the final video that was sent to him of his sister, which shows that she overdosed from all the drugs they had given her, as Emily tries to comfort him he quickly turns on her and begins to blame her for what could be the death of the person he has been searching for for years. Leaving our favorite protagonist calling out his name as he walks away.

Could this episode have ended any worse?! Not only am I left wondering what this means for Aiden and Emily, but what this means for plot of revenge for her fathers death. Could Aiden go as far as ruining her plan to save his own? Will she rethink her plans to help Aiden's because she feels somewhat responsible for what happened to his sister? I guess we'll just have to see. Until next week followers!  

-Andrea

How I Met Your Mother: "Ring Up"

As always, I loved this week's episode of HIMYM. I knew that watching Barney and Robin deal with being engaged would be a really fun thing to see on the show, and this week's episode did not disappoint me in that. I still have some worries that the wedding might not work out, but this week helped to put some of those fears to rest. Despite that fact that Robin isn't getting free stuff anymore because she has a ring on it, and Barney has had to break up with one-night stands, they were both able to see that they don't actually want those things anymore, they want each other. And I loved that.

And of course there always has to be some little twist in the show :) I loved that Ted's one night stand ended up being Barney's half-sister. This was a great way to push Barney into his realization that he's over one-night stands, and I always love getting a glimpse of his family life since it's been so rare in the series.

Also, I don't know if anybody else has noticed, but this is the second week in a row that the show has had a Harry Potter reference. As I hardcore Potter fan, this just makes me love the show even more.

-LC

Once Upon A Time: "In the Name of the Brother"

This week's episode of Once Upon A Time really bummed me out. First of all, Belle, my favorite fairytale character of all time, has no idea who she or her love Rumpelstiltskin are. And as if that wasn't depressing enough, the entire episode centered around Dr. Frankenstein. 

Ever since the show introduced the Frankenstein storyline, I've been really disappointed. I was really excited that David Anders was on the show at first since I loved him in The Vampire Diaries, but then they ruined my excitement by making him Dr. Frankenstein. Maybe I'm still bitter about being forced to read and pick apart that book in one of my classes last spring, but I'm not a fan of the Frankenstein story. It just doesn't seem to fit in with the fairytale theme they have going on the show. I know that he is supposed to be from another land, but I want to stay in fairytale land. I will say though that the one thing I did like about this story in this episode was how they made his brother the monster. I did think that that put a good twist on things, and it made you actually care about the monster rather than just thinking he was some creepy grunting dude. I'm excited to watch Victor search for a way (presumably one that will use magic) to bring back his brother's soul and really bring him back to life.

Something else that I did like about this episode was the stranger who came to town after hitting Hook. I think he will be a catalyst for a lot of good drama this season, and I'm excited to see what happens to Storybrooke now that someone who has no connection (or does he?) to the curse has arrived. And who is this "her" that kept calling him while he was in surgery? I can't wait to find out!

-LC

Suburgatory "Junior Secretary's Day"

   
 Tessa has to get her wisdom teeth out and Dallas asks George if he is ready for joint decor, which apparently is an important relationship step. George finds Fred in his basement, hiding out from Sheila, dressed as the tin man( they share a psychic connection so by wearing the foil she won't be able to locate him). Tessa runs into Fred in the kitchen and in her delusional drugged state, is convinced he is an alien.
     Ryan asks Tessa what it meant to her when she "slammed her tongue into his". She says it meant something. but they tried it before and it didn't work because they are opposites. Ryan tells her "that's great because opposites don't push each other apart, they do the other thing."
-Avalon

Ben and Kate "Girl Problems"

      Tommy introduces his new girlfriend Lila to the gang, which seems a little uncomfortable. Guessing that Lila feels uncomfortable because Tommy has been in love with Kate for the past 10 years, Kate feels she should try to befriend her to make her feel more at home with the group. However (big surprise), that turns out to be a bad idea. Kate spills the beans about Tommy's feelings that Lila wasn't aware of, and also tells Lila that is is in love with her. awkward. Tommy and Kate team up and straighten things out with Lila.
      Ben is trying to get financing for his latest business venture "Rail Mall" which is like Sky Mall but for trains. The bank won't lend him the money, even with his surprisingly high credit score, without an experienced CEO. So Ben heads to the country club in search of his CEO and finds Vera who seems quite interested, but really is just interested in Ben. But BJ convinces him not to give up and he goes to Vera and convinces her that Rail Mall is a great idea.
      This episode was good but they left out one of the best parts...Maddie. She is so great in this show and this episode really didn't showcase her at all. I hope we get to see more of her in the next episode. 
-Avalon
     

Go On: Gal Pals

Go On: Gal Pals

So I'll be honest. Before this episode, I hadn't really given much thought to the Ryan/Carrie relationship. But now I am LOVING it. I think this episode really did a good job of focusing on their relationship and bringing forward the idea of them possibly having a romance down the road. I love that they were "girlfriends" in this episode. Let's face it-every girl wants a gay best friend. But a straight gay best friend who's Matthew Perry and might secretly be in love with you? Even better. Seeing their close work relationship that has a good balance of flirting and banter actually reminded me a lot of Pam and Jim from The Office. If this series stays on the air long enough (which I really hope it does, because let's face it. I need my Chandler fix), I could totally see Ryan and Carrie becoming a new Pam and Jim. Now they just need a good couple name....Rarrie? Caran? Caryan? Well there's plenty of time to figure that out :)

PS. Did anybody notice who this week's guest star was? Nazanin Boniadi played Barney's girlfriend Nora on How I Met Your Mother! Just a nice tid bit of trivia.

-LC

The New Normal "Stay at Home Dad"

      Bryan and David try to hire a nanny, but after interviewing 11 perspectives decide they would rather have one of them stay home with the baby, the only problem is who? You would think both David (a doctor) and Bryan (a successful television producer) would have a hard time giving up their careers, but as it turns out they both want to stay home. So they decide that they with give Goldie a week long spa vacation in Sedona (which is in Arizona, not Mexico BTW) and they will take care of Shania.
      Bryan takes the first swing at things, which gets a rough start because it turns out when it's 7:30 am that doesn't mean three more hours of sleep. it means time to get up! After finally getting Shania to school, he gets a call that she is sick and then goes crazy trying to make her comfortable! After a long day he isn't so sure he is ready to be a stay at home dad and David takes his turn...
      David wakes up bright and early, fixes Shania hot chocolate and breakfast and leaves plenty of time to go over some homework.  Shania gets to school with time to spare but... it's Saturday. All Shania has to do is have a party with some girls from school, which to say the least is exhausting. David and Bryan have all but given up by the time Goldie returns and encourages them to keep trying. They realize they don't have to do everything on their own, they have each other and they make a great team. This was a fun episode, maybe not the funniest of the season but it was still quite cute.
-Avalon

The Mindy Project: Bunk Beds

I suppose there was a little more to this episode than just "Bunk Beds", although to be honest not a whole lot happened this episode, I did enjoy that we got a little more insight on Dr. Danny Castellano. "Bunk Beds" starts with Danny calling Morgan, Shauna, and Betsy in to work a Saturday, they do anything they can do avoid working from terrible pranks that fail horribly (all of them Morgans ideas) to finding a People magazine which just so happens to be in Danny's desk next to a letter that was never mailed out, addressed to his ex-wife. Naturally, being the snoops they are they read the letter and find the root cause of Danny's bitterness of people and the world around him. After reading this they all begin to send texts to Danny letting him know how much they care about him, so much so that Morgan feels the need to help Danny, he mails out the letter, and to no avail is not able to get it back. I found this to be a very exciting cliff hanger because it could open up a whole new story line and even potentially bring a new character to the show (perhaps someone's ex-wife?!) 

-Andrea

Parenthood: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back was a great set up for the season finale next week. It continues to add suspense to the story lines that have grown since this season has premiered and moved a few other story lines backwards. That make you question how exactly this season will end.

This episode in particular highlights the struggles between Joel and Julia and the tough decision they have to make about whether or not they are going to finalize Victor's adoption. The writers do such a great job of making this story line so relatable even if you have never been in a similar situation. What really drove me to love this story line was towards the end when Crosby tells Julia how he has looked to her as the perfect example of a what a parent should be in past. I don't know about you guys, but that is what makes the show so real, so likeable, they do such a wonderful job at potraying a tight knit family. Coming from such a close family myself I couldn't help but think that would be something I would say to a loved one. And with one heart felt motivational speech from Cros Julia gets the push she needed to feel like she can go ahead with the adoption and really make Victor her son, and even though Victor pretends to be nonchalant when Julia tells him the news, if you look close enough you can see that he is suppressing a smile. Clearly this is the start of a great relationship between Victor and Julia. I am not saying that there might have it's up and downs, but they will become a real family, with real problems (which is what the show is about). 

Another story line that gets more suspenseful is the love triangle that is forming between Sarah, Mark, and Hank. Of course Sarah decides to tell Mark about the kiss she and Hank shared while she was still engaged to him, uh oh... can you say drama? Sure Sarah feels better once she gets that off her chest but that comes to an end quickly after Mark confronts Hank about what he did calling him "manipulative" and letting him know that he will be fighting for Miss Sarah Bravermans affection. At the end of the episode Hank tells Sarah about how Mark is not quite ready to give up on her, and how he is "into this", which is followed by him turning the tables and letting her know that she has to choose, and walking away. So that leaves us with the question of who will it be? Will she choose Mark or Hank? Or will she end up alone, like on the previous seasons? Guess we will have to stay tuned to find out!

-Andrea