A Case of the Munchies – A Recap of The Vampire Diaries’ “The Five”

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Are your tummies growling, Fangbangers?  There was a whole lot of “messy eating” going on this week, on The Vampire Diaries. Vampires ate college coeds . . . vampire hunters ate hybrids” ears . . . The Original Family ate . . . chicken and vegetables?

I don’t know about you.  But I’ve personally been starving for some serious fang action, all week!

So, tie on a nice big bib, and polish that silverware, because it’s time to share a hearty meal with your favorite vampires in Mystic Falls . . .

Today’s Episode is brought to you by the letter “H” (for Hot Sweaty Shirtless Men) and, of course, the number “five”

I’m willing to bet that a lot more moms would watch Sesame Street with their kids, if the show taught tots how to count, this way.  Kudos, Julie Plec and Co.  This scene is Male Objectification in its purest form.  And it is, in a word, AWESOME!

The episode begins, way back in 1110 A.D.  Some old witchy lady with Crazy Witchy Lady Hair is hanging out in the BadThingsAlwaysHappenHere! Forest with what appear to be five strippers from some Game of Thrones-themed Male Review.

Is that a Storm of Swords in your pocket, or are you just happy to be on TVD?

The half naked men form a circle around her, and stare blankly into space, while she holds a fiery cauldron triumphantly above her head, like it’s Baby Simba at the beginning of the Lion King.  She’s even chanting gibberish, like they do at the beginning of that movie!

“NAAAAAAH SVENYAHHHH MAMAGICHI WAWAHHHHHHH!”

Then, Witchy Lady lowers the cauldron and the fire branches out to the five men, who, from VERY far away (1) look like they are EXTREMELY hung; and (2) appear to be pissing out flames.  I bet they can’t do that on Game of Thrones!

This gives a whole new meaning to the term “fire crotch.”

But the fun is far from over!  Next up, everyone gets their Magical Tattoos!

“Duuuuude!  That hurt even less than that time on my 18th birthday, when I drank an entire bottle of tequila, and woke up with my ex-girlfriend’s name tattooed on my Fire Crotch!”

Meanwhile, back in the present day . . .

Deny, Deny, Deny . . .

 De-Nile may very well be a river in Egypt, but it’s also got a pretty steady current running through Mystic Falls.  We see plenty of denial going on around town, during the first few minutes of the episode.  Damon still actually thinks Connor is dead . . .

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This is despite the reality of Damon never actually having seen the vampire hunter’s corpse.  Not to mention the well-known fact that the gods of Mystic Falls would never, EVER, allow a hot male villain, like Connor, to croak, without getting him to take his shirt off at least once.

Also in denial?  Stefan.  He thinks he’s “totally over” Damon’s and Elena’s little hand-suck blood exchange, a couple weeks back.

Yeah, this guy?  He’s not jealous of his brother at all!  No sir!  Not a bit!

Speaking of denial . . . sure Elena, Stefan has nothing to worry about.  Just because you are going to an all-night frat party with Damon, doesn’t mean that you are going to spend the entire night dry humping him on the dance floor, and/or sucking on his fingers.  You’re DEFINITELY going to be 100% faithful to Stefan . . . He’s your “boo,” after all, isn’t he?

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Oh, and might I add, that “convenient” explanation as to why Elena could ONLY learn how to feed from that sexy studmuffin / awesome kisser Damon, and not from Caroline, because she’s “too good” at controlling her vampire urges?

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That’s a TOTAL crock of dog poo!  Need we all be reminded of an incident, back in Season 2, that I like to lovingly refer to as “Carter-gate?”

So much self control!  She even managed to brush her hair out of her eyes, before snapping his neck with her teeth.  Honestly, I don’t know how she does it!

Still more stops on the Denial Train.  Next we have Beks, who is stalking Matt Donovan at the Only Bar / Social Establishment in Mystic Falls.  She mistakenly believes she can still get into his pants, despite the whole, “sending his car over the Wickory Bridge” thing.

I think it drowned, Matt  . . . along with your dignity.

Desperate for redemption (and nookie), Rebekah even goes so far as to buy Matt . . . wait for it . . . A BRAND NEW CAR!

OMG!  Rebekah Michaelson is like Richard Gere, and Matt Donovan is her Pretty Woman . . .   Except, money can’t buy Matt’s love!  He’s keeping the car, but he still won’t kiss Rebekah on the mouth . . . too personal.

Heck, I’d kiss Rebekah on the mouth for a new car.  And I don’t even roll that way.  Go figure . . .

Don’t you just hate it when your family members are around to see you strike out with the opposite sex?  Poor Rebekah!  Klaus is sitting at the bar, ready and waiting with a “He’s just not that into you,” speech.

“You had to start with a car?  You couldn’t have gone with something less expensive?  Like a lottery ticket?  Or a lollipop?“

Klaus knows that Rebekah is still pissed at him for, you know, not appreciating her, and stuff.  But he still has information for her about “The Five.”  Rebekah pretends she doesn’t care.  But we all know she TOTALLY does . . .

“What can I say?  I wear my heart on my sleeve . . . no, I mean literally on my sleeve, like a big fat bloody cufflink.

Hot for Teacher, Not for Frat Boy

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Did you know that, before she was “That Old Lady Who Died Twice on The Vampire Diaries,” Bonnie’s grams was a college professor, who specialized in the occult?

Well, now you do!

What a convenient way to get Bonnie, Elena and Damon to road trip to “college,” while, at the same time, introducing a new fairly attractive, Alaric Saltzman 2.0 type, who may or may not end up being a villain and/or a witchy new love interest for Bonnie . . .  Anywhoo, he lectures about witches, and blah, blah, blah . . .

 Meanwhile Damon instructs Elena on the best, and worst types of people to feed off of . . .

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I assumed Damon would advocate eating fat people (MORE MEATY!).  But, instead, he instructed Elena to suck on airheads and the self-absorbed. (LESS CALORIES?)

(Fun Fact: Nerdy girls are bad meals, because, apparently, they are instinctively mistrustful of people who are nice to them.  So, at this point, I’d like to say, to all my fellow nerd girls out there, HOLLA!)

While Bonnie wanders off to have some more boring conversation with Professor Boo Radley, or whatever, Damon coaches Elena through her first feed.

Things start off well enough.  But then Self-Absorbed!Girl inadvertently shows Elena a picture of her baby sister, and Elena FREAKS OUT!  (Honestly, I think the emotional impact of the failed “tasting,” would have been more effective, if the little girl was Miss Would-Be Blood Bag’s daughter.  Now, that would have been poignant.  But baby sister?  Meh!)

No worries!  Damon’s got a better idea!  He decides to take Elena to a frat party.  You know, because everyone who goes to frat parties MUST, by definition, be a terrible person, worthy of bloody neck hickies.  Also, no one who goes to frat parties has a baby sister . . .

Once again, out of convenience, the frat party in question, has a death theme.  (You’ll learn why that’s convenient in a bit.)  Also, out of convenience, Hot Professor Boo Radley just so happens to be attending the party.  Because, lord knows, underage kids throwing kegger parties just LOOOVE to invite late 30-something looking teacher types to witness their debauchery and misdemeanors . . .

“I thought she was 18 . .  . I mean . . . I thought she was 21 . . . I mean . . . Someone put something in my drink?”

In what I can only assume was an “inside joke,” Damon arrives at the party dressed as Jack the Ripper, with Elena and Bonnie traveling in tow, as his “victims.”  (Take THAT, Ripper Stefan!)

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Elena finds a  frat boy, who, by roofie-ing a girl’s drink in plain view, renders himself just douchebaggy enough that Elena can feed off of him, without offending her “personal moral code.”  (Also, we can all assume he’s an only child.  Or, if not, an only child, at least doesn’t carry around a cute picture of his sibling on his cell phone.)

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Elena munches heartily, and immediately becomes swept up in the euphoria of Vampire’s First Feeding Frenzy.  “I want more,” she whispers seductively in Damon’s ear . . .

So, does he, Elena . . . So does he . . .

Eventually, Elena’s whole Dexter the Vampire rationale of “I only eat BAAADDDD PEOPLE,” goes right out the window.  We see her later chomping on an innocent looking chica, who most definitely had an iPhone filled with adorable siblings.  No matter!  Elena was having much to much fun, to concern herself with petty details like morality.

And we all know what Elena does, whenever she’s having fun, right?  You guessed it!  It’s DelenaDANCESEX time!

I know a lot of people had mixed opinions about this scene.  But I, for one, absolutely adored it.  I loved how messy it was . . . how Damon and Elena were more drunkenly swaying than actually dancing.  I loved how sweaty they were, how mussed both of their hair was, how their eyes looked bleary, glassy, and heavy lidded.

I even loved the ridiculousness of the fact that neither of them thought to wipe off the nasty-ass blood dripping from their mouths onto their shirts, despite the fact that, no matter how drunk people were at this party, surely SOMEONE would have noticed that.

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Believe it or not, I think the sloppiness of the scene gave it an added sense of realism.  If submitting to blood lust is a metaphor for being really drunk, or really high on drugs like ecstasy or heroine, it makes sense that the blood lusters would look and act like inebriated people.  People who were truly living in the moment . . . not thinking, just feeling, and enjoying life . . . not caring what other onlookers might think of them.

Then, of course Cock Block Extraordinaire Bonnie has to pop by, in order to give Elena THAT LOOK . . . You know the one.  It’s that all-too-familiar Judgy Bonnie look . . . the one that never fails to bring Elena right back to her boring self . . . which, of course, is Bonnie’s most impressive Super Power . . . MESMERIZING DULLNESS . . .

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Judge not, lest Bonnie ALWAYS judges . . .

Elena scampers off in tears.  She wants to go home, dammit!  Damon, understandably, is a bit “miffed” by it all . . .

Try not to take it too personally, Damon.  I think Elena’s just feeling guilty about chowing down on too many douchebag blood carbs.  Now, she’ll NEVER be able to fit into that Miss Mystic Falls Gown!

Back home, and hanging out on Elena’s front porch, Elena and Damon engage in another version of what is basically the exact same conversation they have with one another every few episodes.  And it basically boils down to this:  Damon is a BAD BOY.  Elena wants to be a GOOD GIRL.  She’s afraid that if she keeps hanging out with Damon, she will have wild, crazy, amazing vampire sex with him, and never ever want to stop . . . also become a BAD GIRL.  So, she has to stay with Stefan, because he’s . . . you know . . . “good” and stuff at least, when he’s not murdering thousands of people across the Eastern Seaboard.

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Stefan pops up on the porch, before things between Damon and Elena can get more heated (Geez, he and Bonnie make a great pair. TEAM COCKBLOCK!)  Cue Elena b*tching and whining about how AWFUL it was drinking that SCARY blood from those SCARY college coeds’ necks.  Oh, how she wishes she could have been home eating bunnies with Stefan . . . or knitting socks, or whatever it is “good” vampires are supposed to do on Friday nights . . .

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Little does she know that Stefan has spent his day plotting and scheming with the baddest vampire around . . . his Secret Boyfriend Klaus . . .

50 Shades of Connor Jordan

My that Klaus!  He really is a kinky bastard, isn’t he?  I mean, I totally get why he needed to chain up the Big Bad Vampire Hunter, who is undoubtedly the key to his Next Big Plan!  But putting him up against the wall, spread-eagled, half-naked, and, probably under a heat lamp (because no one sweats that much inside an air-conditioned home in the middle of Fall)?  Come on, that was obviously an exhibition of Klaus’ S&M fantasies come true.  (Watch out Caroline . . . and Stefan.  Because you are both soooo next!

Speaking of kinky, another one of my favorite scenes this week was the one where one of Klaus’ nameless soon-to-be-dead hybrids comes to “tighten up” Connor’s S&M chains, and the vampire hunter ends up BITING OFF A RATHER LARGE CHUNK OF HIS EAR!

Seriously!  I was not expecting that!

Cooler still?  Connor actually had a logical reason for doing this, one that much more complex than a simple “I was hungry,” or “Hybrid ears taste like chicken.”

Nope . . . Connor bit Random Hybrid’s ear to STEAL HIS EARRING, AND USE IT TO UNLOCK HIS CHAINS!  POSITIVELY GENIUS!

Smoke em if you’ve got em SUCKAS!

[Random sidenote:  When I was a little kid, I used to drink a lot of Shirley Temples at parties.  And if you’ve ever had a Shirley Temple, you know they come with a cherry garnish.  Anyway, rumor has it that if you can  tie a cherry stem into a knot with your tongue alone, that means you are a good kisser, and . . . if not . . . well . . .

Unfortunately, it’s something I’ve never been able to manage.  Take from that what you will.  All I can say is, given how tongue and teeth challenged I apparently am, I can 100% appreciate Connor Jordan’s ORAL PROWESS.  It also makes me really want to make out with him . . . like . . . a lot.]

“And I’m too sexy for your ear .  . . too sexy for your ear, too sexy, my dear!”

We’ll get back to Connor, and his teeth, in just a moment.  But for now, let’s get back to Kinky Klaus and Studly Stefan, shall we?

It’s Time for Another Round of Ye Old Important Flashbacks . . .

Ever since Stefan showed up on his doorstep, sniffing around for information about The Five, Klaus has been hitting on him, in a major way.  He’s definitely putting out all the stops . . . inviting him into his home, flattering him, invading his personal space, batting his puppy dog eyes.  As I’ve been genuinely missing these two’s weekly game of Hide the Salami for quite some time (Ahhh . . . memories of Early Season 3), it was nice to see it again this week.

Klaus’ rationale for hitting on Stefan (aside from the obvious, of course) is that he wants Stefan to convince Rebekah to tell them  both what she knows about The Five.  Through the use of flashbacks (and lots of goofy lion’s mane wigs), we learn that Rebekah used to occasionally hump one of these mystical FIVE, back in the day.  And that he, may or may not, have pillow-talked all his dirty secrets to the Original Vamp.

“I’ll show you my fangs, if you show me your fire crotch.”

Stefan is initially immune to Klaus’ charms,  until Klaus evokes the magical spell that never fails to make Stefan puddy in his hands.  Just in case you ever happen to run into Stefan, and want him to become your sex slave, I’d be more than happy to share the words of this spell with you.  Here it is: “DO IT FOR ELENA.”

Yes, once again, Klaus has made Stefan his loyal puppy dog, by evoking the Elena Clause in their Occasional F*ck Buddy Contract.  Stefan pops by the Only Bar / Social Establishment in Mystic Falls, where Rebekah apparently still hasn’t moved, since being rejected by Matt there hours ago.  Maybe she’s under the “DO IT FOR ELENA” spell too . . .  Stefan somehow convinces Rebekah to temporarily play nice with her brother.  And eventually the three end up making plans for dinner.

(By the way, remember when Rebekah and Stefan used to be in loooooove with one another?  Because, sometimes, I feel like the writers don’t remember it at all . . .)

The Scene that Will Inevitably Spawn 1,000 Jeremy/Connor Slash Fanfics

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Meanwhile, back at the Hybrid House of Horrors, Klaus, remembering that a couple of weeks ago, Jeremy went from being “Elena’s Little Brother – That Kid Who Sees Dead People” to “Elena’s Little Brother – That Kid Who Sees Dead Ancient Invisible Ink Tattoos,” kidnaps  invites Mini Gilbert over for an impromptu art session, whereby Jeremy will draw the tatts from Connor’s Hot Glistening Body.  (Mental Note:  Time to sign up for one of those art classes, where you sit for an hour each week, and draw naked people.  It’s suddenly sounding like a great idea!)

“Just let your Inner Goddess fly free!”

Connor is a little pouty with Jeremy.  Because he thought the two of them were TATT BROTHERS, and now, here Jeremy is “drawing for the Enemy.”  To this valid accusation, Jeremy responds, more or less . . . wait for it . . . “I’M DOING IT FOR ELENA.”

“Oh, well, if you are DOING IT FOR ELENA, than I forgive you,” replies Connor.  (Just kidding . . . sort of.)

Connor explains to Jeremy that his ability to see the tattoo marks him as a “potential” SUPER Vampire Hunter (which sounds very Buffy the Vampire Slayer-y to me).  He also explains how his tattoos grow each time he murders another vampire.  Well, that sure is cost-efficient.  Tattoos can be expensive!

What we eventually learn is that, as bad ass a vampire hunter as Connor might be, he’s apparently not bad ass enough to have a complete Vampire-Killing Arm Tattoo.  Klaus examines Jeremy’s drawing and finds it to be woefully incomplete . . . FOR NOW . . .

Ye Olde Flashbacks 2: Electric Boogaloo

A little while later, Klaus, Stefan and Rebekah sit down for one of their deliciously dysfunctional family dinners.  I always love it when Klaus caters a meal on this show.  He always puts about ten fancy courses of food on the table, and then NOBODY EVER EATS!

That’s got to really dust his doilies, don’t you think?  Maybe he should start spiking the dishes with Soccer Mom blood.  Then, at least, he wouldn’t have so many leftovers . . .

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Fake dinner seems like a great opportunity for another flashback.  And, so, we get one, in short order.  Just as Klaus suspected, Rebekah’s lover, Vampire Hunter Alex was quite the Chatty Kathy during sex.

“Check it out.  This sword and these tattoos together form a road map to my weiner . . . you know, just in case you can’t find it on your own.”

In a state of presumed post-coital bliss, Alex reveals, both to Rebekah, and to us, that the Five have a weapon that will surely wipe all vampires off the face of the Earth . . .A CURE TO VAMPIRISM . . .

Yeah, yeah . . . I think we all pretty much knew that was coming . . .

What does surprise me about this plot point, though, is how long this supposed vampire cure has purportedly been around.  You would think, for example, that Witchy Mama Esther or even Evil Vampire Eater Mikael would have heard about it, and at least tried to find it, before resorting to attempting to murder their own children . . . Just a thought . . .

Poor Rebekah!  She’s starting to rival Elijah and Alaric as Most Murdered Character on TVD!  Not long after Alex spills the beans to her about the Vampire Cure, he stabs her with a white oak stake, along with the rest of her siblings.  Rat BASTARD!

“Dear sister, I thought your room could use a bit of sprucing up.  How do you like your new wall decor?“

Fortunately for us, Klaus is immune to White Oak Stakedom, and takes this opportunity to murder Alex and one of his FIVE-Y friends, conveniently leaving the other three alive to spawn Connor Jordan, Mini Gilbert, and whatever other sexy male guest stars TVD chooses to introduce in the near future.

Vampire Hunter Nick Miller, anyone?

But wait a minute.  If Klaus already knew all this crud about The Five, why is he bothering Poor Rebekah with bad memories of yet another lover her used her and discarded her like trash?

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A-ha!  See, this is where things get sort of interesting.  Apparently, those crazy tattoos Connor has on his body are a map to the Vampire Cure.  And the key to reading that map is on the sword of each of the Original Five.  Klaus (rightfully) as it turns out, assumes that Rebekah knows where that sword is.  Once found, that sword, combined with Jeremy’s drawing, will enable Klaus to locate the cure, give it to Elena, and then continue to use her as a bloodbag for the creation of new hybrids.

Nifty plan, right?  Except, Rebekah’s not budging with the information, no matter how many threats or insults Klaus hurls her way . . .

Hey Klaus, haven’t you ever heard the saying you catch more vampire siblings with honey?  Wait . . . that’s not how it goes.

Rebekah storms off in huff, but Klaus seems unmoved.  As it turns out, this was precisely his plan.  You see, Klaus wanted to put Rebekah in an emotional enough state to reveal the location of the secret sword to STEFAN.  And why again would Stefan want to help Klaus?  Repeat after me, everyone, “HE’S DOING IT FOR ELENA.”

That’s right.  Because if Elena can be made human again, she can revert back to the sweet docile kittenish girl Stefan always loved, cherished and worshipped, as opposed to the naughty keg standing, motorcycle riding, doucheboy drinking, Damon sucking soon-to-be Damon screwing, pencil flinging vampire girl she has become . . .

This recap has become long enough as it is, so I’m not going to bore you with the details.  Long story short, Stefan cleverly manipulates the vulnerable Rebekah’s romantic side into revealing that she buried Alex’s sword, along with his corpse, in the church where the couple was to be married . . . you know, before he stabbed her in the chest, and her brother cut out his heart . . . otherwise known as The Good Old Days.

Klaus is conveniently around to hear this information, and, for reasons I don’t quite understand, decides to stake Rebekah again, upon receiving it.

“Trust me, this hurts me way more than it is hurting you.”

“Somehow, I doubt that . . .“

Seriously, dude?  AGAIN!  Klaus, you have to find better ways to express your emotions than staking your siblings every time they piss you off.  You’re becoming like that kid in the Twilight Zone movies, who keeps sending everyone in his family to the Evil Cornfield every time they don’t give him candy, or enforce his bedtime.  It’s time to get another outlet for your anger.  Might I suggest the batting cages, or S&M sessions with Connor and Jeremy . . .

Speaking of people you secretly want to have sex with, Klaus.  Could you explain to me why you felt the need to keep this whole “sword / tattoo” map thing a BIG Secret between you and Stefan?  Is it because you think it will make it easier to get into his pants, while you two are spending hours alone scheming with one another behind closed bedroom doors?  Don’t you think Damon the Scooby Gang could you help you find it faster, than just the two of you working alone?

Just saying . . .

So many headless hybrids, so little time . . .

And so our Big Bad Sexy Shirtless Scoundrel Connor uses that trusty earring to break free from Klaus’ Den of Rough Sex, just as we knew he would.  But geez, did he HAVE to decapitate ANOTHER one of Klaus’ precious hybrids.  You would think these guys are human PEZ Dispensers, given how easily their heads pop off at the slightest touch . . .

Connor Jordan . . . gives good head.

Connor’s action, of course, has the added benefit of conveniently finishing off his Vampire Hunter tattoo.  I wonder how many bloodsuckers he had to do in, to earn all those stripes . . . I wonder if you get more “points” for killing hybrids . . . so many questions. . . .

In the final scene, we see a pissed off Connor whining to his leader.  “Why did you send me to this PLACE, where all anybody ever does is have flashbacks, and sit around and talk about how they are ‘DOING IT FOR ELENA?”

WAH, WAH, WAH . . . cry me a bloody river, Connor.  But in all honesty, I’d be interested in knowing the answer to this question too.  What say you, Connor’s Exalted Leader. .  . Professor Boo Radley?

Next week, on The Vampire Diaries . . .

See you then, Fangbangers!

[www.juliekushner.com][Fangirls Forever]

It’s Not Easy Being a Leprechaun – A Recap of Glee’s “Pot O’ Gold”

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Welcome back, Gleeks!  Can you believe it’s been a month since the last time Sue tried to destroy Glee club . . .

. . . or Quinn made a Puss Face . . .

. . . or Blaine sang a song by Katy Perry, while wearing an item of clothing that you would laugh at on anybody else, but, on him, it looks surprisingly adorable?

 “What the hell is on your head, fool?” 

Well, it has been . . . But wait no more, because our New Directions crew is back in action!  And, this time, they have the Luck of the Irish on their side . . .

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That’s right!  This week marked the debut of Glee Project winner, Damian McGinty, as Rory Flanagan, an Irish exchange student, who wears WAY too much green, loves Lucky Charms, and is desperately seeking a Pot of Gold inside Brittany’s pants.

 

In honor of his premiere episode, the character was granted: (1) not one, but two, solo numbers; (2) a truly awful hair style that only an Elvis impersonator could love . . .

(Enough hairspray to make the cast of the Jersey Shore cower in fear . . . )

 . . . (3) and a WHOLE LOTTA green t-shirts .  . .

 . . .  with matching SHORTS! 

So, who cares that it’s still MONTHS away from St. Patty’s day!  Crack open your green beer, dress yourself up in four leaf clovers, and . . . yeah .  . . I can’t think of a third thing since, like most people. I tend to spend my St. Patty’s days completely wasted because it’s time to dig in to the “Pot O’Gold.”

How a Bunch of Corpses Saved West Side Story

“Vote for ME!”

Surprise!  Sue is still using her national political campaign to try and screw over Glee club.  This time, she does it by attacking the school’s production of West Side Story, which, of course, stars ONLY Glee clubbers.  After getting McKinley High parents all riled up, by broadcasting the show’s $2,000 plus budget on the local news, she then incites them to lash out at Principal Figgins . . . kind of like this lady is doing .  . .

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(This was my favorite part of the entire episode, by the way . . .  I have a feeling I will be using this GIF A LOT, in the future.)

Since Principal Figgins almost always caves quickly and easily to Sue Sylvester Pressure . . .

Hmmm . .  . I wonder why? 

 . . . New Directions soon finds itself without a school play . . . unless, of course, it can raise the $2,000 on its own.  Mister Schue suggests that the kiddies sell ad space in school publications to raise the missing funds.  “But WHO will buy the ads?” You might be asking yourself.

“Oh, please let it be someone cool . . . pretty please let it be someone cool.” 

Enter the ever-adorable Burt Hummel, and his merry band of morticians / funeral directors.  (I’m guessing Burt’s Auto Body Shop offers a two-for-one special on fixing hearses?)

)This looks like an advertisement for the Hair Club for Men . . . )

Doh!  So much for “cool” . . .

These men decide to front the cost of West Side Story, because . . . well . . . a lot of characters die in the play.  So, basically, it’s like One Big Fat Funeral Home Commercial!

Yay, Death! 

The aforementioned exchange (along with some nagging from Will) prompts Burt to enter the political arena, and challege Sue for the congressional seat, as a Pro Arts Candidate.  Of course, Burt appears on the  Sue’s precious local news program, to announce his “write-in” candidacy.  You GO, Burt!

Is that really Kurt’s dad?  I almost didn’t recognize him without the baseball cap . . . 

Speaking of hats . . .

The Dorky Hat Dance

Who are the dudes in the background?  Do they even go to this school? 

In completely (and I mean completely) unrelated news, Blaine performs “Last Friday Night” with the rest of New Directions, while wearing an extremely dorky hat.

He does this to “unite” the Glee clubbers, after the untimely loss of Mercedes from Glee club, which has seriously dragged on the group’s spirits of late.  You know, because nothing brings teenagers together like stories of public intoxication and alcoholic blackouts . . .

“No kidding . . .”

Unfortunately, rather than bringing the group together (though most of them seem perfectly happy to rub up on one another, throughout the song), the musical number has the unintended consequence of making Finn jealous of Blaine (probably, because he could never pull off a hat like that) . . .

“And he still looks attractive . . . amazing.”

 . . .  and Santana to become extremely annoyed at him (because she ALSO could never pull off a hat like that, but also because she assumes that Blaine and Rachel will now share all of New Directions’ solos, just as Rachel and Finn did, last year).

This prompts Santana to quit Glee club, and join Mercedes in Shelby Corcoran’s group, where the solos are a-plenty, and the members who pee standing up are a-zero.

But could Santana ever REALLY leave her lady love Brittany floundering all alone in an extra curricular activity, without her?   PERISH THE THOUGHT!

This reminds me .  . . did I mention that Santana and Brittany are “officially and item now?”  Because they are!  At some point during the hiatus, Santana and Brittany have apparently progressed in their relationship to eating shrimp cocktails together at Breadsticks (Santana pays, of course), and holding hands underneath napkins.

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Even better is the fact that they leave little love notes / daily affirmations in eachother’s locker from their favorite pets . . .

I hereby would like to start a campaign to nominate Lord Tubbington for an Emmy.  Who’s with me?

In Fox TV land, this is practically the equivalent of marriage . . .

But let’s get back to the Lucky Charms . . .

That’s One Horny Leprechaun!

New Irish Exchange Student, Rory Flanagan, wants to make friends . . . badly.  He figures that if he does, maybe he’ll stop getting pushed into lockers, every five seconds.  Fat chance considering you’re about to join New Directions.  These people practically live with their backs up against the lockers, and their hair covered in red slushie. But, more importantly than that, Rory wants to get laid . . . by anyone, really . . . but specifically by Brittany, at who’s house he is currently staying.

My goodness!  It’s yet another stupid hat.  Was there some kind of two for one special in the wardrobe department? 

Fortunately, Brittany thinks Rory is a leprechaun.  And, apparently, she’s always really wanted to screw one of those  . . . which is kind of disturbing, actually.  (Then again, this is the girl who once created a campaign poster featuring Kurt Hummel being “ridden” by a unicorn.)

What a horny girl! 

So, Brittany promises Rory that, if he grants her three wishes, she will show him her “pot of gold.”

“Does that mean what I think it means?” 

Now, I suspect,  is supposed to mean her . . . um . . . Happy Place.  However, knowing Brittany, could actually just mean her favorite  . . . gold pot . . . or some really quality reefer.  Nonetheless, this is a risk Mr. Leprechaun is willing to take.  In fact, he even sings about it, performing a rendition of “It’s Not Easy Wanting to Bone Brittany Being Green.”

It was all right, I guess.  But I liked it better when THIS guy sang it.

Brittany’s first wish is to have a box of Lucky Charms made entirely of marshmallows . . . a wish that Rory the Leprechaun can grant easily enough, because . . . you know .  . . he and the Lucky Charms Leprechaun go WAY back.

Magically delicious! 

Her second wish is a bit more tricky.  She wants her pet cat to poop chocolate.  (Doesn’t everybody?)  Rory cleverly uses a bit of trickery (and some Baby Ruth bars) to satisfy this second wish.  And then he and Brittany “eat the poop” together.

OK . .  . now that’s just gross.

Santana uses up Brittany’s third wish, to get her to quit the Glee club, and join Shelby Corcoran’s all-girl singing group, the Troubletones, which, up until this week, only featured Mercedes and the tone-deaf, Sugar.  However, it recently added the ever-fed up with her lack of solos, Santana to its roster.  Brittany is clearly upset with her girly girl’s choice of wish.

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But, far be it for her to disobey a leprechaun . . .

What really seals the deal though is Finn’s absolutely MORONIC attempt to get Brittany back onto New Directions, upon hearing from his new “friend,” Rory, what Santana has done.  “You are an idiot,” Finn tells Brittany.

Uh oh!  Finn, we all know what happened to ARTIE, when HE called Brittany stupid.

So, yeah . . . off she goes to join the Troubletones.

Once there,  Brittany and the rest of the group dress up like Old-Fashioned USO girls, and sing Christina Aquilera’s “Candyman.”  There performance is undoubtedly something the old hardass Vocal Adrenaline coach, Shelby Corcoran would have hated.  But, since Shelby is a completely different character now a mom now, who’s a bit more kind-hearted, when it comes to these things, she loves it.

MORE stupid hats . . . I can’t believe it! 

Later,  when Finn comes to apologize to Brittany for calling her an idiot, Rory reminds Brittany that he has now granted HER three wishes, since Finn is now totally cool with her leaving New Directions.  Recognizing that Finn is not REALLY happy at all, and is just putting on a brave face, Brittany comes to the sudden realization that (horror of horrors) leprechauns aren’t real.

Ruh roh!  It looks like Rory’s days of digging through Brittany’s Pot of Gold are over, before they even started . . .

But hey!  At least now he can stop wearing green, switch to McKinley high’s token color, red, and . . . wait for it . . . join New Directions.

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 They even let him sing a song to welcome himself to the gang, “Take Care of Yourself.”  I thought it was just OK, but Rachel apparently thought it was “magically delicious.” Go figure . . .

Elsewhere in school . . .

How to Quiet Your Baby (and satisfy your cougar)

Quinn commandeers Puck in her villainous plan to get Shelby to lose custody of Baby Beth, so that she can get her back, and have something else to look forward to in her future, aside from being really, really pretty for the next 15 to 20 years.

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Man, I miss Goth Quinn.

At least she had cool hair, fun minions (the Skanks), and an ironic Ryan Seacrest Tattoo . . . Psycho Killer / Baby Napper Quinn just bugs me.  (But I really like her wardrobe!) 

I mean, how exactly do you redeem a character from a horrible arc like this, aside from giving her a Life Altering / Brush with Death experience?  In other words, if I were Quinn I wouldn’t be (1) going to the doctor; (2) getting into a car; (3) or pretty much leaving the house at all for the rest of the season.  Just sayin’ . . .

The plan begins, cleverly enough, with Puck and Quinn buying Shelby some concealer, and subtly telling her she looks like crap, because she’s been spending too many late nights with the baby.  The pair then offer to babysit, and give her the night off.

Shelby complies, and, while she’s away, Quinn starts planting all this Bad for Baby crap in her house.  She doesn’t go so far as to get Beth taken away from Shelby, but not for lack of trying.  In fact, she even calls child services on the Glee club teacher’s ass, but they are conveniently “backlogged,” and can’t do anything about the alleged child abuse.  (Nice, right?)

Cut to Shelby getting Puck a pool cleaning gig, and Puck feeling super guilty about how he helped Quinn ruin Shelby.  So, Puck visits the teacher’s house to remove all the Bad for Baby Items planted therein.  Once he’s done with that, Puck and Shelby share a moment, over how terribly lonely being a single mother can be. *gag, snort, puke*  When Beth starts throwing a temper tantrum, Puck immediately makes her stop crying, by singing a bad 80’s song, “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” which he accompanies on his guitar.

Clearly, Beth has lousy taste in music . . . But, then again, so does Shelby, because she’s looking at Puck now, like she wants to swallow him whole.  Puck takes advantage of this “sure to help me get laid” moment, by grabbing Shelby’s hand,  looking deeply into her eyes, and telling her that he will be there for her, whenever she needs him . . . always.

Shelby must buy it, hook, line, and sinker, because, at the end of the episode, the pair makeout.

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(SUCKER!)

Ahhh .  . . just what prime time television needs, yet another, vaguely inappropriate student-teacher relationship, in which the actor who plays the student is only actually a few years younger than the actor who plays the teacher, and actually looks about the same age as her or him.  We’ve never seen that before.  No sir!

And that was “Pot O’Gold” in a nutshell.  So, tell me, my fellow Gleeks.  What did you think of the episode?  Are you already a Rory fan, or do you, like Santana, wish that he would just “do everybody a favor and disappear?”

Are you shipping Shelby and Puck?  Do you wish Lord Tubbington stopped smoking?  Are you digging the Troubletones?  And finally, where do you think I could get a ridiculous hat, like the one Blaine was wearing in his performance of “Last Friday Night?”

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Speaking of Blaine, next week, it seems like he will cash in Kurt’s V-card, while Finn cashes in Rachel’s (though hopefully not at the same time, or in the same room, because that would just be weird).

“Like a Virgin?”  NOT ANYMORE!

You can check out the promo for The First Time,” here:

(That’s funny . . . I’ve always suspected that Finn was terrible in bed.  As it turns out, I’m right.  Go figure!)

Until next time, Gleeks!

[www,juliekushner.com][Fangirls Forever]

It’s Lonely on the Inside – A Recap of Gossip Girl’s “Memoirs of an Invisible Dan”

[For those looking for a recap of The Vampire Diaries’ “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” it’s on it’s WAY!  I just have to load a few more Delena-centric gifs ;), and rework some photo captions.  Best case scenario: it should be up early this afternoon.  Worst case scenario, it should be up by 7 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)  There’s nothing wrong with being a little “fashionably late,” right? ;)]

“Say cheese, all you miserable people from Dan’s book!”

I’m going to break tradition by beginning this recap with a personal anecdote.  (I promise you it’s at least partially relevant to this recap.)  Here goes . . . I’m a novelist . . . definitely not a famous one, and, possibly, not even a particularly good one.  But, still I (self) published two novels.

And when I did, everyone who knew I published them, inevitably wanted to know if any of the characters in either of the books was based on them.

This is despite the fact that one of my books was about warlocks, and the other one was about a vampire.  (Not exactly memoirs.)  Once the people in my life found out that the books were NOT about them, their next inevitable SUGGESTION was that I write the NEXT one about them.  To this I would always respond some variation of “HELL NO!”  And this episode of Gossip Girl is precisely why . . .

“This book is like the perfect second child I never had . . . We’re just going to pretend Jenny doesn’t exist, OK?”

Good stories require deeply flawed characters . . . the more flawed the better.  No one wants to read a book filled with Mary Sues.  As a result, writing a GOOD book about your friends is the quickest way to lose them.  It’s as simple as that.  (Besides, all my friends are absolutely perfect, and have no flaws, whatsoever. ;))

It’s TRUE! 

Additionally, from personal experience, I can tell you that most books written by a first time novelist take anywhere from seven months to a year to write, sometimes longer.  I only say this because, despite the fact that Dan the Donut might have claimed that he never planned for anyone to read his book, NO ONE works on something for close to a year, just so they can keep it to themselves .  . . Just sayin  . .  .

“Money?  Fame? GIVE ME MORE, NOW!  EWWWW GROSS!” 

But enough about me.  Let’s talk about “Memoirs of an Invisible Dan.”

How to Lose Friends and Alienate Upper East Siders

We open up the episode with what I believe is the first of many “flashbacks” to scenes from Dan’s book.  The scene features Dan, er, I mean “Dylan,” walking through a sea of old fogey well wishers at his book party, without a friend in sight.

“All by mysellllf (surrounded by old people) . . . don’t wanna be, all by myself (surrounded by old people), anymoreeeeeeee.” 

The REAL Dan wakes from his reverie to hear his new publisher’s assistant babbling on about his upcoming book party, during which he will be revealed as the anonymous author of “Inside.”

“Would you just shut up about my book, for a second, so that I can show you my awesome Elvis impersonation?  Thank you . . . thank you very much.” 

Hmmm . . . so let me get this straight . . . at the end of “Inside” the Dan character publishes a book similar to “Inside,” which is actually similar to the Gossip Girl books, on which the Gossip Girl show is based?

Excuse me, I think my head just popped off trying to wrap my brain around all this . . .

Don’t worry . . . I’ll put it back on . . .

Dan continues to assure the publisher’s assistant that the Dylan character in the book is NOT actually him.  And yet he’s frightened to tell all his friends about the book, because the Dylan character’s friends in the book are almost exactly like THEM, with some key changes.  You know, as the apparent “voice of his generation,” Donut Dan sure isn’t particularly creative, now, is he?  If he REALLY didn’t want his friends and family to know this was a memoir, he might have tried . . . I don’t know . . . being a bit more inventive about his character’s names . . .

“Coming up with character names is HARD.” 

Here are the characters’ in Dan’s book:

Dan Humphrey = Dylan Hunter

Blair Waldorf = Claire Carlyle

Serena VanDerWoodsen = Sabrina VonSomething

Nate Archibald = Derek VonSomething (more on that later)

Chuck Bass = Charlie Trout

No . . . actually . . . you’re Charlie Trout.  Didn’t you read the book? 

For one thing, it would make the inevitable defamation lawsuits a lot easier to defend against . . .

Dan finally relents, and asks for six copies of his book, so that he can deliver them personally to his so-called friends, only some of whom actually know how to read . . .

DOH!

Elsewhere in town, Blair is complaining about her ever-growing pregnancy boobs . . .

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And I have to say, whatever the makeup and wardrobe department are doing with Leighton Meester to make her look pregnant (whether it’s the oddly flat hair, or the tired eyes, or the slightly paler skin, or the not entirely flattering dresses ), it’s WORKING. 🙂  (Don’t worry, Blair!  We still think your gorgeous.  If you weren’t, every single solitary male character on this show wouldn’t be madly in love with you.)

“Yes,  I know.  I’m awesome.” 

Where was I?  Oh yes . . . Blair’s boobs . . . Cue Louis-bot to rise up and fondle said tatas mechanically, as he makes a not particularly funny joke about Blair’s bad moods not being related to pregnancy hormones, since Blair always suffers from mood swings, anyway.  (Real nice, Douche!)

“How else can I make you feel extremely uncomfortable about your pregnancy?  Ooh!  I know, I can squeeze your boobs, while making honking noises.” 

In Louis-bot’s defense, most of the robots I know can barely get through a simple knock-knock joke.  So, are far as cyborgs go, his sense of humor is fairly advanced.

“I am a comedic genius!  (Take that, R2D2!)”

Blair worries that Louis’ parents won’t respond well to her pregnancy, and that she will end up on some trashy reality show, like Unwed and Pregnant Princesses or Royally Screwed.  (In other news, MTV has just added two new reality shows to its line-up.)  Louis assures her that his parents will be THRILLED that she’s knocked up, since they have always viewed royal women as nothing more than Future-King Making Machines, anyway.  Heaven forbid, she actually gives birth to a girl!  Off with her head!

(Don’t worry!  I won’t post the Decapitation Picture, again!)

Meanwhile, Serena is totally rocking at her job, and completely impressing her new boss.  Clearly, we must have stepped into an Alternate Universe of some sort, where Serena actually has Life Goals.

“Wait a second, did you just call me a smart cookie?  Am I being punked?”

Of course, her most impressive feat is getting Daniel Day Lewis’ people to call her boss back, on possibly starring in a movie, just by sending him flowers with the script, or something.  Yeah . . . something tells me “flowers” wasn’t the only thing Serena sent Daniel Day Lewis.  Then again, maybe “flowers,” is a euphemism for something else . . .

“Hey Mr. Lewis, wanna see my flower?” 

Meanwhile, Wicked Witch of the Upper East Side Diana, and her Flying Monkey Nate (not to be confused with Chuck’s Monkey, of course), are busy plotting World Domination, and raping the cell phones of Manhattan’s elite . . .

“That Anthony Weiner guy is HILARIOUS!” 

Of particular interest to Diana is the cell phone that USED to belong to Charlie / Ivy / Call Me Serena, since she suspects the owner of that cell phone is the key to a BIG story of some sort.  Diana also wishes she had Blair’s and Serena’s phones.  Unfortunately, for her, apparently, there are some things even a Flying Monkey won’t do.  And one of those things is screw over your friends . . . both of whom, coincidentally, Nate has already screwed.

It should come as no surprise to you that my favorite scene in this episode, features none other than that Dynamic Duo,  Chuck and Blair, as they “coincidentally,” meet up with one another, on their way to the Non-Judging Breakfast Club Book Club Meeting Dan has arranged.

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Considering how heartbreakingly poignant, Chuck and Blair’s last meeting was . . .

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 . . .  it was kind of refreshing to see these two former (and future) lovers, reunite, so soon after that epic devastation, and fall right back into the easy comfortable flirtation that embodies their one-of-a-kind relationship.  Of course, Chuck was walking his new best friend, Dan Monkey, at the time.  And watching the three (well, four, if you count Blair’s unborn baby BASS, BASS, IT HAS TO BE A BASS Louis-bot) together, I couldn’t help feeling as though I was looking at the future first branches of the new Bass family tree . . .

“Blair, I know you want to have sex dance with me, but we have to go meet Dopey Dan about his book.”

This becomes even more apparent, when Chuck drops his carefree facade to ask Blair, in earnest, how she is doing.  In response, Blair instinctively clutches her stomach, where her unborn baby lies, before telling him that she is doing well.

“You take good care of that Little Bass-tard.  Do you hear me?”

 The moment is at once, sweet, subtle, and meaningful, as it illustrates the ever-lasting connection between Chuck and Blair, one that supercedes petty jealousies and paternity tests.  At this point in our story, Chuck is convinced that he will never again experience the joy of having Blair as a lover.  And yet he still cares so deeply for her, that he is willing to put his own personal heartache aside, in order to ensure her continued happiness.

Comfortable comraderie and witty banter give way to electric chemistry, and hidden longing, when Monkey starts trying to escape Chuck’s grasp, causing Blair to “accidentally” jump into Chuck’s waiting arms.  The usually confident Chuck is adorably shy in this scene, mumbling something about squirrels, as he tries to reign in his impulse to kiss this beautiful soon-to-married woman on the mouth.

Blair too seems temporarily caught up in the moment, and is a bit breathless, when she finally extracts herself from Chuck’s grasp.

It’s time for Dan’s Big Meeting, where he finally tells everyone (except Chuck, who already knows) that they are the stars of his book.

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Dan wants all of them to read what he wrote in a SINGLE DAY (selfish much?), so that they can decide whether they still like him enough to attend his book party.  At first, we don’t get too many details, except for the tantalizing tidbit that, for some reason we will learn a bit later, Dan has decided to make Nate’s character GAY . . .

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Nate seems surprisingly cool with this, provided his character is portrayed as being highly adept at getting dick.  And if the little clip / daydream / flashback we got of Nate and his LOVER is any indication, our resident boy toy was portrayed faithfully in that regard.  (Though, admittedly, Nate’s book beau does seem about 10 years younger than the people Nate USUALLY dates.)

He IS pretty hot, though . . . 

By the way, watching this scene, I couldn’t help but be reminded of THIS . . .

Certain that she will be portrayed horribly in the book, given the pair’s checkered past, Blair is unusually icy and insulting to Dan, even for her.  And if I said this didn’t make my Chair loving heart sing, I’d be lying.

“Cheers!”

She actually calls Dan’s book “America’s Next Doorstop,” (which is pretty clever, by the way).  She also bails on his party, to meet with Louis’ parents, and tells Dan that she’s not even going to read it.  OUCH!

The not-at-all-conceited Serena promises Blair that “everybody loves a villain,” but only because she’s certain Dan will portray her as the perfect little innocent flower that she still honestly believes herself to be.

Speaking of people who live in a bubble, Faux-Charlie somehow convinces Nate that she can find the owner of that phantom cell phone, who is DEFINITELY NOT her, NO SIR!

“I NEED my cell phone back, without it, I’ll never remember what my name is supposed to be today.” 

After the meeting, everyone starts finding out what Dan wrote about them from others, but few of them actually READ the book.  You know . . . because reading is like . . . hard . . . and stuff.  Silly Serena has no qualms about telling her coworkers that she is the real life “Sabrina” in Dan’s book, because, like I said, she’s positive she’s going to come out of this smelling like a rose.  But then, she learns that her character smells more like poo, and wishes she wasn’t so hasty to reveal her identity.

“Sabrina” is slutty, flighty, often drunk, irresponsible, selfish, and self-absorbed.  Now THAT doesn’t sound like anybody WE know, does it?  In fact, “Sabrina” / Serena is apparently portrayed like such a worthless waste of life, that DANIEL DAY LEWIS doesn’t want to work with her BOSS, even though Serena bought him FLOWERS!

Riiiight . . . because famous actors always make their decisions on what movies they plan to do based on how many people the production company assistants for those movies have had sex with!

Complete lack of believability aside, Dan pretty much ruined Serena’s BIG AMAZING TWO WEEK LONG CAREER with his totally true piss poor betrayal of her in his book.

“Oops.  Did I do that?” 

You know who else’s life is getting ruined by Dan’s book? BLAIR!   Because Dan apparently used his “memoir” to live out his NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN wet dreams of bedding the Queen Bee.  When Louis-Bot reads this, he TOTALLY malfunctions, believing what he’s read, INSTANTLY, without even asking Blair if it’s true.  (What a loving future husband?  Right?)  This short circuit in his Perfect Prince Microchip causes him to cancel his parents arrival, during which he was supposed to inform them about the pregnancy, and storm off like a toddler, much to Blair’s horror.

“You do realize the douchier you are to me, the shorter your guest star character arc will be.”

Meanwhile, Dan’s hanging out with Chuck and Monkey, while worrying (with good reason) about how everyone is going to react to his book.

I tend to find Dan at his most tolerable, when he’s hanging out with Chuck.  These two are just adorable together.  And I love how utterly non-judgmental Chuck is about . . . well . . . everything!  “Scotch?”  Chuck offers, as Dan cuddles with Monkey (but doesn’t spank his own, thankfully).

“It’s 2 p.m.”  Dan whines.

“Valium then,” Chuck responds coyly.

Dan then notes that while his dad is probably finished with the book, Nate is only page 20.  I actually think that is a harsh assessment.  I think, by this point, Nate probably finished the book, from cover to cover.  Then, once he didn’t find any pictures, he put it away, and went back to reading Curious George.

“Ahhh, Curious George!  I love that little scamp!”

Dan, of course, is wondering why Chuck, of all people, is being so nice to him, considering he KILLED HIM IN THE BOOK!

Oh wait . . . it gets worse.  Do you want to know HOW DAN KILLED CHUCK?  Well, they don’t exactly come out and say it, but based on  context clues, I’d say it has something to do with a little thing called auto-erotic asphyxiation.

I’m not going to describe that to you in depth, because this site has already been labeled as having adult content, without me telling you what that is.  But you can go ahead, and Google it, if you dare.  All you need to know, if that Chuck’s character’s death in the book was “accidental,” even though he SEEMS to have hung himself in his closet by a belt.  (Chuck claims, in real life, he would have used a designer scarf.)  Are you picking up what I’m putting down here, kiddies?

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Don’t cry , Chuck!  We don’t believe anything that bad man said about you!

By the way, was anyone else wondering how DAN came up with the idea to make auto-erotic asphyxiation a plot point?  Hmmm . . .

Anywhoo, Chuck reminds Dan that all success comes at a price, including his own . . . wise sage words, for a guy who’s alter ego is currently hanging in the closet next to the Armani suits . . .

Speaking of “only up to page twenty” Nate, Dan’s assessment of him was actually pretty close to correct, since, instead of reading the book, Nate was busy allowing Faux-Charlie to steal back her own phone from Diana’s office.  This, of course, ultimately led to Diana putting two and two together about who Charlie was, and blackmailing her for information about the Upper East Side crew, in exchange for keeping her secret.  It looks like Diana won’t need Nate to get intel on Blair, Chuck and Serena, after all . . .

“I’ll get you my pretty.  And your little Ivy / Charlie / Call Me Serena too . . .” 

But back to Nate, I’m starting to think he really might NOT actually be able to read, as Chuck had to explain to him that his alter ego, a gay character named Derek VonSomething, who’s two years younger than the rest of the characters, and Serena’s character’s little brother, is actually much more Eric VanDer Woodsen, then he is Nate Archibald .  . .

“You put me in your book, Dan?  I’m going to get REVENGE on you (but only because I left Gossip Girl to star in a show called REVENGE)!”

I think it’s kind of funny, that Nate’s character is probably the most positively portrayed of all the characters, yet he’s pissed because he has to share him with Eric!  “But I’m YOUR BEST FRIEND!”  Nate whines on the phone to Dan, before his Mommy comes to change his poopy diaper.

This is probably one of the few times during the hour, when I’m actually on DAN’S side.  And when Nate balks at the notion of showing up at his supposed best friend’s book party, I can’t help but kind of wish that Dan hung Nate’s character in a closet, at the end of the novel .  . . well . . . I guess Nate’s character would probably hang OUTSIDE of the closet.  But that’s neither here nor there . . .

Worst Book Party EVER!

“But Serena, when I said you were flighty and irresponsible, I only meant like 98.6% of the time.  The rest of the time, you’re fabulous.” 

All the poo really hits the fan at Dan’s book signing party, where Serena and Blair confront Dan to rip him a new one for their portrayals in the book.  Then, Dan has to try to stop Louis-bot and Blair for coming to blows with one another over the little Dair sex scene he included therein.  “I thought my suspicions about the two of you were ridiculous.  But, it turns out, the only thing ridiculous is me,” bleats out Louis-bot.

Well, he’s right about one thing.  .  . 

Dan earns some major points with me, by admitting to Louis that said sex never actually happened . . .

And earns some more points, by informing Serena that the world doesn’t revolve around her, when she completely IGNORES the turmoil that HER friend is undoubtedly going through, regarding the impending breakup of her marriage, as a result of this book.  “If you can’t tell the difference between what I did to Blair, and what I did to you, then maybe all that stuff about you in the book actually IS true,” says Dan.

Slight redemption aside, Blair isn’t about to let Dan off the hook so easily for humilating her in this way.  “You better hope I can stop your fantasy life from destroying my real one,” she tells him.  And then later, she says, “Get it through your head,  There is no US!  There never was!  All we had was friendship!  And now there is not even that.”

“And for the record, Dan Humphrey, I’ve seen FANFICTION writers who are better at writing smut than you.” 

Woah!  Meanwhile, outside, Chuck is calmly trying to hit on the publisher’s assistant, who is really quite awful, isn’t she?  I mean she really knows how to make a person feel like crap.

“The economy is never going to get better.  The world is doomed for all eternity.  And you are going to die, alone and unloved.  And so is your dog.  By the way, my name is Alexandra.  Nice to meet you.”

Alexandra casually remarks about Charlie Trout’s auto-erotic demise, wondering how long he hung in the closet, before anyone found him.  “I have plenty of staff.  I’m sure they would find me rather quickly,” explains Chuck.  “Because . . .”

“Staff . . . not friends and family?  That’s even worse,” replies the EVIL WENCH.

Excuse me?  Do you not realize you are talking to a REAL person about their LIFE, you DESPICABLE SHREW!   You know what, Alexandra?  If YOU were hanging in the closet, something tells me YOUR so-called friends and family would throw a party RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR LIFELESS CORPSE.

Did I go too far?  Sorry . . . I get very sensitive about my Chuck Bass.

Speaking of Chuck, he totally saves the day (though I kind of wish he didn’t), by rushing out to tell Louis what a MORON he is, for letting go of a girl like Blair . . .

“If you read Dan’s book, you know how I turn out.  You have a chance to be happy, and not end up alone, hanging in a closet.  Don’t give up you’re own fact for someone else’s fiction.”

WOW!  That was really beautiful.  And I must admit, it made me a little teary . . .

You know what else made me teary, when Chuck came to Lily toward the end of the episode, and admitted that he didn’t want to be the unrepentant bad boy anymore, and that he feared that Blair was lost to him forever . . .

I must admit, I was a bit annoyed at Lily for simply AGREEING with him, though.  What is this, Make Chuck Want to Kill Himself Day?

Things start to go slightly better for the OTHER members of the Non-Judging Breakfast Club, when Serena and Blair share a sweet heart-to-heart, in which Blair FINALLY tells Serena she is pregnant.  And the pair remind us why we’ve always loved their friendship so much, in the first place.  (Yes, I make fun of Serena A LOT.  But I do thoroughly enjoy her friendship with the rest of the GG gang.  See, I’m not a total heartless bastard.)

“You may be flighty, irresponsible, selfish, and slutty, but I LOVE YOU!” 

Then Louis-bot apologizes to Blair, as he always seems to do in the last five minutes of every episode, after he inevitably does something douchey . . .

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It’s not his fault, of course.   This is just how he’s been programmed to behave by the mad scientist who created him . . .

Commence battery recharge . . . 

Then, Serena’s boss tells her that she wants her to get the movie rights to “Inside,” which, honestly, we all should have smelled coming a mile away.  (Hmmm . . . I wonder if Blakey Lively will play the part of Sabrina?)

I said the Non-Judging Breakfast Club was doing better at the end of the episode, but that doesn’t include Dan.  In fact, Dan’s OWN FATHER is incredibly hurt by HIS portrayal in the novel.  Dan wrote him as a money-grubbing trophy husband,  which, while not entirely false, is actually a quite terrible thing to say about the person who raised you . . .

“I’ll only forgive you, if you get George Clooney to play me in the movie.”

Granted, Rufus never struck me as the smartest dad on the block, but compared to some of the other fathers on teen television, he’s practically a saint.  And he really didn’t deserve this kind of treatment . . .

The episode ends, much like it began, with Dan Humpty Dumpty doomed to follow in his character, Dylan Hunter’s footsteps, loved by the masses,  but still utterly alone.  And because that’s an awfully depressing way to end an episode, I’d like to leave you on a much brighter note . . .

That’s better!

Until next time, XOXO!

[www.juliekushner.com][Fangirls Forever]

A Fine Day for Misbehaving – A Recap of The Vampire Diaries’ “Disturbing Behavior”

[ Brief Note:  Recaps for Gossip Girl’s “The Jewel of Denial” and a Boardwalk Empire’s “A Dangerous Maid” should both be up on this site before Midnight, U.S. Eastern Standard Time.  This is what I get for trying to write two recaps at the same time, as opposed to being smart PATIENT, and just choosing one . . .  I blame Chuck Bass and his adorable new puppy, Monkey, of course. ;)]

 

Damon .  . . you’ve got a little something on your face.  I’m just going to lick it off, OK?  You don’t mind, do you?

Reverse psychology . . . it’s the notion that the best way to get someone to do ONE thing is to make him THINK that you want him to do something else.  Parents have been using this strategy to manipulate their teens for CENTURIES.  Why?  Because it works.  Simply put: teens like to rebel.  It makes them feel more grown-up, independent, and, of course, BAD ASS . . .

Now, THAT’S what I call Bad Ass.  I miss you, Elijah! 

This week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries was all about rebellion.  There wasn’t a single character on the show, who wasn’t trying to rebel against SOMEONE’S unreasonable expectations of them.  It’s just too bad more characters aren’t adept in the use of reverse psychology.  If they were, I suspect things would have gone a lot smoother for our friends from Mystic Falls . . .

“Sure, NOW you tell me . . .” 

Let’s recap, shall we?

(P.S. Special thanks, as always, go out to screencapping genius that is my good pal, Andre.)

Wake up!  Time to Shop!

“If I don’t see tents in your pants, I’m not buying it . . .  Well, actually, I only want a tent in Stefan’s pants.  If my brother gets a tent, I might puke up that security guard I just ate.” 

Original Vampire Rebekah has been napping for ninety years.  So, of course, as soon as she wakes up, she wants to go shopping.  (I would probably prefer to catch up on all the good television I missed.  But that’s just me . . .)  In a scene that’s mildly reminiscent of the Shopping Sequence from Pretty Woman, Rebekah tries on dresses from some swanky Chicago store, while Klaus and Stefan get Day Drunk on champagne, and take turns patronizing her, for sh*ts and giggles.

“These champagne glasses are AWESOME!” 

Rebekah is a bit of a “fish out of water” here, having missed out on the modern day joys of trance techno music and short slutty dresses.  It’s a bit ironic  to watch a girl who likes to eat people in public for fun exhibit moral indignation at the concept of wearng a dress that lands above the knee.

Klaus glibly remarks that people wore pant suits in Rebekah’s day, so that women could dress like prostitutes today.  But, honestly, the dress she had on was NOT that short . . . In fact, considering that Rebekah’s last memories stem from the Age of the Flapper, you would think that she’d have seen much shorter dresses in her first life time . . .

But hey, what do I know?

The last time Rebekah saw Stefan, the pair were LOVERS.  They were SUCH MAJOR LOVERS, in fact, that the Original Vamp was willing to defy her psychopath older brother to stay with Stefan.  So, understandably, she’s confused and a bit hurt by Stefan’s seeming indifference toward her.

Hey Rebekah . . . I have some reading material I think you might enjoy . . .

“I can always tell when you’re lying, Stefan,” Rebekah pouts, when Stefan boredly informs her that the dress she is wearing (which is AWESOME by the way . . . seriously, where can I get myself one of those?) is simply “nice.”

“I’m sorry.  I’m currently only capable of being turned on by women who look like Nina Dobrev.  Perhaps if you put on a brunette wig.”

Ummm . . .  actually Rebekah, EVERYONE can always tell when Stefan is lying, because he’s an AWFUL LIAR.

The only one who can’t seem to tell is Klaus.  And I’m pretty sure that this is because Klaus is secretly madly in love with Stefan, and, therefore, fully incapable of seeing his faults kind of like Elena.

Speaking of Stefan’s Fan Club the Original Vampire Brother/Sister Duo, currently, neither of them seem to have any idea, that Stefan regifted Rebekah’s much-coveted Magical Necklace to his last girlfriend, the decidedly not dead Elena.  And Elena, despite having been told, in no uncertain terms to F*&K OFF by Stefan, is still, at this very moment, wearing the damn thing . . .

Coincidentally, I’m pretty sure I saw the exact same necklace selling for $10 at Target, this week. 

Having already undoubtedly been forced by Elena to watch Pretty Woman about 85 times (He says he loves the Cinderella story, but secretly he just likes to ogle a 20-year old Julia Robert’s rack), since they started dating, an EXTREMELY unimpressed Stefan rushes outside for some “fresh air.”  It is there that he runs into a VERY familiar face . . .

“Stefipoo, I see you!” 

“Oh, I forgot, you’re ‘bad’ now . . .

I’m pretty sure that the only difference between Ripper Stefan and Good Stefan is that Ripper Stefan uses more gel in his hair . . . 

I’ve come to the conclusion that, despite Klaus’ assertions to the contrary, Stefan’s great LOVE of Rebekah wasn’t nearly as EPIC as Klaus or Rebekah would like to think it was.   After all, there’s really no love, like your first love . . . or like the love of the girl who looks just like your first love.

The minute Stefan encounters Katherine on a busy street corner, sparks begin to fly.  Katherine is doing that smirky thingy she always does when she’s being extra special flirtatious.  And Stefan is grinning from ear-to-ear, and has suddenly, and mysteriously, become a VERY CLOSE TALKER.

This time around Katherine actually seems kind of worried for Stefan’s well-being.  (My, the tables sure have turned, haven’t they?)  She knows all about the Tale of the Phantom Necklace, and hopes Stefan has a more devious plan for getting it back, than merely playing hard to get with Rebekah, so that Rebekah will become insecure of Stefan’s love for her, and sell out her brother, so that Stefan will “like her better.”  Here comes that reverse psychology . . .

(By the way, judging by the turn of events at the end of the episode, did anybody else wonder whether Katherine’s and Stefan’s surefire “plan” to attract members of the opposite sex was something that Katherine used on Damon, back when she rejected him during “The Return?”  If so, the only thing she got out of it was the Jeremy Neck Snap Incident . . . just sayin.’)

Stefan cockily claims to actually have a more advanced plan.  But, since he is a Salvatore, it seems genetically predetermined that whatever his plan is, it will almost undoubtedly suck royally.

Sorry, Damon.  But you’ve got to admit that I have a point. 

Not that this matters.  After all, the mere hint of a diabolical plan to defeat Klaus, once and for all, is enough to practically give Katherine an orgasm.  She wants IN and she wants in NOW!  But Stefan’s not having it . . . at all. Talk about playing hard to get!

A clearly jealous, and now, pouty, Katherine has some parting messages to leave wth Stefan.  “Watch out for that sister [Rebekah].  She’ll RUIN YOU,” the first Petrova Doppelganger tells the younger Salvatore Brother.  (It’s funny you mention that, Katherine, because Klaus said the same thing to Stefan, back in 1920.)  Could this possibly be an example of FORESHADOWING?

But you know Stefan, he’s “bad” now.  And, Bad Guys don’t listen to reason.  “I’m glad to know you still care,” Stefan says with a smile, throwing Katherine’s own words, from the beginning of the conversation right back in her face.

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Oh yes, Stefan, she DOES care.  And in about 30 minutes, you are going to be VERY relieved about that fact . . .

Meanwhile, back in Mystic Falls . . .

Sexy Kitchen Times with Delena, Part II: Electric Boogaloo

Who knew talking about “chili” could get you so hot?

Back in Season 1 of The Vampire Diaries, one of my first, and fondest, memories of Delena flirting was a now-iconic kitchen scene, in which Damon was joking with, teasing, and just generally rubbing all up on Elena, as the pair did dishes, following a Gilbert Family Dinner.

We got another taste of that this week.  And, if I’m not mistaken, it’s probably the FIRST TIME we’ve seen Elena smile ALL SEASON!

You see, this episode’s Mystic Falls’ Event of the Week, is nothing more than a LAME party at Tyler Lockwood’s house.  Seriously?  Couldn’t they be a bit more creative than that, like holding a Mystic Falls Bacchanal, or something of that nature.  I suspect Damon Salvatore is the kind of guy that could really be down for a Bacchanal . . .

Despite the fact that the ENTIRE TOWN seems to be invited to this damn thing, it’s also apparently a Pot Luck Lunch event.  So, Elena has decided to bake chili, in its honor.  And because all vampires (despite not having the need to eat) generally have manificent culinary skills, Damon is at her house, helping her find her G-spot do it. . .

“EVERYONE brings chili to these things,” gripes Damon.

But Elena is insistent on her choice of “pot” for the pot luck.  “It’s a Gilbert family recipe,”Elena retorts with pride.

“I’ve known the Gilberts for years.  And your family has sucky, chili!” Damon replies.

In response to this “devastating insult” to her family’s chili, Elena giggles like a little school girl (a very un-Elena thing to do, mind you), and then proceeds to hip bump / fondle Damon, as the two regard one another with a mixture of amusement and sheer animal passion.

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Now, THAT’S the Delena I remember . . . the one that consists of a smarky Damon, and a good-humored, non-judgmental, Elena. Keep it up, Writers!

Of course, now that Elena is being a less judgmental version of herself, new guardian Alaric has to step in and give Damon the STINK EYE for having the audacity to flirt wth Stefan’s girl.  (That’s funny, because I never considered Alaric and Stefan to be particularly close.  Did you?)

“How come neither of you wants any Chunky Monkey?  I’m starting to feel left out.” 

This, of course, prompts Damon to FLIRT EVEN HARDER, by cleverly remarking that the reason he has not left Elena’s side since the Big Bad Chicago Vacation, is because he’s very much hoping to make sweet, sweet love to her, on top of her kitchen table he fears she will eventually”crack” from Stefan’s recent dumping of her, and eventually come to need sexual psychological help from Dr. Damon.  As proof of this, Damon notes the fact that Elena is still wearing the vervain necklace Stefan gave to her.

“What do you say, you and me ditch Papa Ric here, and go up to my room, where I can show you all the different places you can, ahem, put my necklace?”

(I mean, sure, she DOES need a steady supply vervain to prevent vampire compulsion, given all the undead baddies she finds herself face-to-face with, on a nearly weekly basis.  But she can get that by drinking the lousy coffee from the Only Bar / Social Establishment in Mystic Falls.  So, the Necklace Filled with Weepy Now-Possibly Evil Ex-Boyfriend Memories is technically unnecessary.)

With Alaric’s jealous angry eyes on him, Damon whirls Elena toward him and tugs on the vervain necklace, so that the pair only have the thin piece of silver between them.  The move is a GOOD one.  And it, clearly, has an effect on Elena, who can’t seems to stop staring at Damon’s mouth (which she REALLY wants to kiss), or his chest, (because she REALLY wants to rip off his clothing.)

Nicely played, Damon, my man .  .  .

Speaking of males and females that not-so-secretly want to bone one another . . .

What, no Ghost Sex?  I feel robbed . . .

“He looks so peaceful.  I wonder what he is dreaming about?” 

“OH!  Cool!”

Jeremy Gilbert is lounging around in bed, having a wet dream about his dead girlfriend Anna, when POOF, she appears in bed next to him.  Now THAT is the coolest super power EVER!  Unlike the past few episodes where Ghost Anna merely stares at Jeremy moonily, utters some words of warning about Vicki, and blinks out of existence, this time, Anna actually TALKS to Jeremy.

“You have no idea how glad I am to see you.  Heaven has NO hot guys, whatsoever.  I guess they all end up in Hell.” 

Jeremy subsequently responds, and the two actually have an EXTENDED conversation . . . one that probably makes Jeremy sound TOTALLY schizophrenic to anyone happening by his room, at the time.  It turns out, Heaven, or wherever the heck it is that Anna ended up, is TOTALLY lame and boring.  And so, my personal favorite of all of Jeremy’s girlfriends, both alive AND dead (The chemistry between these two is really smokin’) is thrilled to have a lover on Earth, who can hear her, and possibly even satisfy OTHER needs she might have  . . . ahem.

So, everything is going absolutely great . . . until Bonnie has to return from her Summer Away from Mystic Falls, thereby ruining Ghost Sex for the rest of us.  Gee thanks, Bonnie . . . or should I say, the Wicked Witch of the Cockblock.

“That man-stealing, B*tch!  I am so going to haunt her ass.” 

On their second meeting Jeremy gets a bit more information, both about why Anna keeps stalking Vicki. (“Everytime she appears, I sense a darkess in her.  I’m worried for you” . . .)

Umm . . . I think I know where that “darkness” came from . . .

. . . what causes her to appear, (“I can only appear when you are having sexual thoughts  thinking about me, and are open to it.”) . . .

“You know what they say about guys with big hands . . .”

. . .  and what sort of fun things they can do together, now that she’s back.  (Despite the fact that Anna is a ghost, Jeremy finds that he can FEEL her touch — OH HELL YES!)

HANDGASM!

Unfortunately, Jeremy starts to feel slightly guilty, when Anna keeps popping up, every single time, he’s with Bonne (who’s relationship reminds me more of brother  / sister than boyfriend / girlfriend, for whatever reason).  And so, after a freak incident, in which, the ghost who Anna claims is Vicki, set fire to a few Bennett spellbooks, putting both Bonnie and Jeremy in danger, Jeremy decides to FINALLY come clean to Bonnie about the whole, “I see dead people,” thingy.

“Actually, I just lent her my copy of The Sixth Sense, and sent her home, so that I could go back to ghost f*&king Anna.”

This causes Poor Anna to begin to fade away, or more accurately, melt, a la the Wicked Witch of the West.  She calls out to Jeremy in tears, begging him not to shut her out of his life, so soon after they both found one another again.  But alas, either he can’t hear her, or pretends not to do so.

“Jeremy!  You have to talk to me!  I can’t go back there!  I keep getting hit on by this creepy witch named Luka.”

No matter . . .  something tells me Anna won’t stay “dead to Jeremy” for long.  And when she DOES reawaken, my Big Dreams for TVD Season 3 Ghost Sex will be promptly renewed . . .

Elsewhere in town . . .

Douchey Daddy Strikes Again . . . Sort of

“Do you think it’s weird that the two of us have the exact same haircut?” 

Renewed besties, Damon, and the artist formerly known as Lizard Forbes, walk together through town, as they make cheesy jokes about Papa Forbes, the Big Gay Right Wing Vampire Racist.  Damon thinks it would be a great idea to kill this BASTARD, who, last week, thought it was a GREAT IDEA to try and BURN HIS OWN DAUGHTER to a crisp, in hopes of teaching her “discipline.”

“Stop it Dad, or I’m going to tell Mom you snuck out to that Celine Dion concert on the first night of your honeymoon.” 

“Liz” is strongly against this idea.  He’s still Caroline’s father, after all.  Plus, she still sort-of / kind-of understands where the guy is coming from, considering, not-too-long ago, SHE was contemplating doing something similar.

“Thankfully, I negotiated a clause in my contract this year, which requires that my character NOT be an evil daughter-killing wench . . .” 

“Just because you and  are on good terms now, doesn’t mean I approve of your [vampire] lifestyle, Liz cautions.

“Is that what you told him, before you two got divorced?”  Damon snarks.

Annnnd the vampires = gay people metaphor cheesy jokes just keep on coming . . .

Down in the same dungeon where Daddy-o was keeping Caroline last week, Liz Forbes is now storing the not-so-proud papa, himself.  Damon does a quick taste test on him to see if he is on vervain.

“Now I can see the resemblance between you and Caroline.  You TOTALLY taste like her.” 

He isn’t.  And so, he compels him to forget everything that happened last week, and simply leave town.

“Peekaboo!  I see you!” 

Sounds good, right?  Well, it turns out . . . not so much.  But more on that later .  . .

Switching Salvatores and “Taking a Beat”

“Coincidentally, if you do plan on boning Damon, I have some GREAT six tips, I’d love to share with you.” 

You know those sitcoms where, for an entire episode, all the supporting cast members tell the about-to-couple couple NOT to couple . . . and then they don’t listen, and decide to couple anyway?  Well, that’s pretty much what this week’s episode of TVD felt like (Though, without the happy desired ending.)

It all started with Caroline wondering whether Elena was switching Salvatores, having noticed a generalized flirtiness and chumminess between Elena and Damon of late.  It makes sense that Caroline, of all people, would be one of the first (aside from Alaric, of course) to notice this, given the equally sexually tense “friendship,” she and Tyler shared, before the pair started boning one another’s brains out.  You can always count on Caroline, not to beat around the bush.

“Come ON, Elena!  We all watched ‘The Hybrid’ episode . . .” 

Elena isn’t quite ready to admit to herself how hard she is clearly falling for Damon (and has been for some time now).  So, she merely continues DENYING, DENYING, and DENYING (at least at first) by claiming that Damon has just been “helping her, through the whole Stefan, thing . . .’

Yeah, here’s hoping he helps her with whole “celibate, since Stefan left,” thing too, sometime soon . . .

“See how this water runs down my chest and into my nether regions . . . that could be you, if you play your cards right.”

Elena’s wishy-washy initial response aside, Caroline, having not had the best dating experience with Damon in the past, herself, warns Elena about getting involved with him in that way.  Meanwhile, the newly judgy Alaric is in DAMON’S ear, telling him how INAPPROPRIATE his recent coupleyness with Elena has become.  And HE would know.  He sleeps next door to Elena, and probably hears her call out to Damon in his sleep.  (Dreams, don’t lie, after all!)

“Damon . . . try to remember all the good times we’ve had.  Why would you possibly give up this Chunky Monkey for some girl?” 

“I think you should take a beat,” Alaric tells Damon, regarding his buddy’s less than subtle pursuit of Elena.  (Yeah, Alaric now uses phrases like “take a beat,” because apparently, he has temporarily switched personalities with a square guest star cop from some bad seventies sitcom.)  Damon, of course, is super hurt that Alaric wouldn’t trust him to protect Elena, when that’s pretty much all he’s been doing for over the past two seasons.

Well . . . almost all he’s been doing . . . 

Uh oh, Alaric!  You may have just inadvertently sparked a Salvatore Brother Rebellion . . .

“I’ll show him!  Elena, come have sex with me.  NOW!” 

When your necklace starts BURNING YOUR SKIN, and spontaneously combusting, that’s probably a good sign you should THROW IT AWAY!

“My boobs are killing me.  If I didn’t know vampires couldn’t procreate, I’d be really worried I might be pregnant.”

Back in Chicago, Stefan looks on with his incredibly bad POKER FACE, as Witch Gloria tries to spell the location of “Elena’s Rebekah’s missing necklace.”  As she chants, back in Mystic Falls, said necklace starts doing weird crap, like BURNING ELENA’S skin, and floating in the air, and temporarily bursting into flames.  Elena reluctantly agrees to give the necklace to Bonnie, so that she can do a magical witch autopsy on it, and trace it for EVIL BUGS.

“It’s just a hickey guys.  I really don’t know why you are getting so upset over this.” 

Meanwhile, Gloria claims to KNOW where the necklace is, or at least, who has it.  And yet, for whatever reason, she decides to stall for time, telling Klaus and Co., she’ll have the necklace whereabouts for him shortly.  But, for now, they must leave . . .  “You guys are harshing my juju,” Gloria complains.

“Who are you calling a juju?  I was raised Protestant.”

Neither Rebekah or Klaus appreciate being told what to do by a mere witch.  However, Stefan who suspects Gloria might be purposefully holding something back, something that could be useful to HIM, convinces the brother/sister duo to exit stage left.  “Come on.  I’ll let you choose who we eat,” he says.

“And by that, what I really mean is that I will let you stick it anywhere.” 

Apparently, when it comes to bringing people (and vampires) together . . . there’s no tool quite as powerful as drained corpses food .  . . aside from sex, of course.

Speaking of sex . . .

Bondage Stefan . . . He’s BAAACK!

“First the Tomb Vamps and now THIS!  What did I do to deserve this terrible treatment?  Oh, that’s right, I’ve MURDERED over 1,000 people.” 

When Stefan excuses himself from eating some chick, Klaus assumes he’s off to “brood” or “write on a wall” or something.  But, really, Stefan wants to see Gloria about the necklace.  This is fitting, because Gloria wants to see Stefan too.

“So many hair care questions to ask . . . so little time.” 

In case it hasn’t been made clear up to this point, Gloria REALLY wants that necklace back.  And she knows that Stefan knows where it is.  And if Stefan won’t give up that information voluntarily, well, she’s just going to have to extract it from him . . . literally . . .

“When the director described this scene to me,  I really thought I would enjoy it more.” 

Cut to the next scene, where Stefan is all oiled up and nakey and strapped down to a table.  (Did a woman or gay man, write this episode?  I THINK SO!)  You know when we first met Gloria, I thought she was going to be on “our team,” because she had flirty conversations with Damon, and cool hair.  Well, I GUESS NOT!

Now, she’s slitting Stefan’s wrist to “collect his essence,” clamping his arms with weird bracelets, to prevent him from healing,  giving him headaches, Bonnie Bennett-style, and lathering vervain all up on his naked chest, porno movie-style.  Yet, despite it all, Stefan refuses to talk . . . And it REALLY sucks that he’s such a terrible liar.  Because such a skill would inevitably come in handy, in this instance.

Plus, as it turns out, Gloria doesn’t actually NEED Stefan to talk, because his “essence” is doing it for him.  (Seriously?  What kind of hippy bullsh*t is that?)  Cue the Stelena MONTAGE!  Now, it’s as if Gloria just watched all the “previously on” parts of The Vampire Diaries episodes, from Seasons 1 and 2.  She knows EVERYTHING .  . . from the fact that Elena is the Petrova Doppelganger.  To the fact that Stefan is pretty much FAKING his friendship with Klaus to protect Elena, to how much Stefan luuuuuuuuuuuves Elena.

“My essence really needs to shut the f*ck up!” 

Well, this is annoying!  So, of course, I cheered when BAMF Katherine STAKED GLORIA’S ASS, and killed her dead.  (Actually, I cheered the fact that Katherine saved Stefan.  I actually felt like Gloria and her bad juju should have stuck around a little while longer.  She was COOL!)  My only complaint, to this effect, was that Katherine didn’t then decide to jump his bones, considering he was all naked and waiting.  But, hey, we can’t always get what we want.  Right?

Well, THAT was kind of anti-climactic! 

Speaking of not getting what you want, Katherine finds just this out, when, after all that, Stefan STILL refuses to let Katherine in on his big bad  Klaus killing plans.  He does give her some crucial information, however,  As it turns out, part of Stefan’s “plan” involves locating the Big Bad Vampire Hunter Klaus seems so very afraid of, and getting HIM to do the dirty work for him.

Now, Katherine has what she needs to start her OWN mission.  So, THERE, Stefan!

Speaking of couples I ship . . .

Forwood Sex Revisited .  . . for about two seconds.

“Why are you wearing red?  I thought we decided we both hated the color red?” 

Perhaps, to apologize to us for the blatant lack of Delena, Kefan, and Jeranna sex we got in this episode, we do get one kind of random, but still adorable Forwood scene, amidst all the vervaining, and necklace grabbing, and hot-chili making.  Tyler comes home all hot and sweaty and red tank toppy from running or football practice or whatever, to find a perfectly coiffed Caroline lying on his bed, patiently awaiting his return.  As it turns out, she’s hiding from her father, who just so happens to be conveniently immune to vampire compulsion, and therefore, hasn’t left town as Damon instructed.  (More on that later.)

“Take me, you Big Bad Teen Wolf, you!” 

I love the wide-eyed excitement on Tyler’s face, when he sees Caroline in his bed, and just KNOWS he’s about to get lucky.

*insert cartoon noise of eyes popping out of head*

Teenage hormones and lupine urges aside, Tyler manages to be the sensitive boyfriend, by listening to Caroline talk about how she STILL loves her dad, despite the fact that he pretty much abused her in the worst way possible, and is a TOTAL asshat.  Tyler knows all about bad dads, and can relate.

He pulls Caroline’s head into his chest, affectionately.  And she breaks the spell, by remarking on how skanky his workout clothing smells.   (Hey!  Nobody’s perfect right?)  Fortunately, the stench isn’t enough to keep Caroline from ripping off Tyler’s tank top and beginning to have her way with him, right on his bed.

That’s one of the things I enjoy so much about this couple, put aside all the werewolf / vampire angst, and you’ve got two surprisingly normal, sometimes smelly, teenagers, who occasionally like to use one another’s bodies as scratching posts. It just doesn’t get much more relatable than that.

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So, of course, Elena calls Caroline’s cell phone, and cockblocks the pair.  “It’s an emergency,” she tells Caroline.

Poor Tyler, I suspect he’s got a really bad case of THESE right now . . .

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.  And, I suspect, it won’t be the last, either . . .

Welcome to my Poopy List, Elena Gilbert . . . 

Kill Bill? Not if Alaric (or Caroline) have anything to say about it!

Damon had never been too keen on letting that Turd Bill Forbes live, in the first place.   But NOW that he’s vervain immune, showing up at Anti-Vampire Council meetings Uncle/Father John style, and threatening to “out” Damon (and there are those gay metaphors again!), he’s REALLY dead set on eliminating him!

Cue, Judgy McJudgerson Alaric, and his oh-so-annoying pleas to spare Beeeeel’s life.  Yeah, definitely not a fan of Alaric, this week, though I’m glad to see him finally taking on some responsibilities in this town.  More on that later.  Damon, apparently, isn’t either, which is why he KILLS him . . . temporarily, of course.  After all, Alaric still has his Ugly Ass Ring of Immortality, making him immune to supernatural murders, even those performed through natural means, like neck snapping.

So sleepy. 

To say Elena is not pleased with this recent turn of events, is the understatement of the century, “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”  She exclaims frustratedly.

“You’ve been alone with me for practically four episodes and you haven’t once tried to jump my bones.  It’s Alaric, isn’t it.  Clearly, you’re in love with Alaric.”

Damon patiently (well, maybe not so patiently) explains to Elena that he is a VAMPIRE, and that this is the sort of thing that vampires do .  . . well, the ones who aren’t Stefan and Caroline anyway.

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“I may look really mad at you right now, but I still want to take you to my bedroom and give you the ride of your life.”

“That doesn’t mean that you have to act like one,” Elena pouts.

It seems that Elena somehow feels this need to prove to her friends that Damon isn’t the “monster” they claim him to be.  Possibly so that when she inevitably starts dating him, they won’t give her such a hard time.  Say what, Elena?  What happened to “I like you just the way you are?”  (How soon we forget?)

Elena’s short-term memory loss aside.  I actually think it’s a POSITIVE thing for this couple, that Elena obviously has strong enough feelings for Damon to constantly moan and b*tch about every little thing that he does.  Sure, she might be going about things the wrong way, by trying to make Damon into a surrogate Stefan.  But still, if she DIDN’T love him, she wouldn’t care how he behaved, right?

No?  Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

“I am not Stefan!  How about you stop trying to turn me into him?” Damon replies, before storming off.

As an aghast Elena glares at the space recently vacated by Damon, as she waits for her not-so-guardian to return to life, Damon enters the Lockwood house, and confronts Bill AGAIN.  They each monologue a bit, not saying too much of interest, honestly, except for the part where Bill says that he’s immune to compulsion (particularly Damon’s “lazy” brand of it”), and that he knows Damon would never kill him, simply because he’s Caroline’s dad.

See what I mean about reverse psychology?  The next thing you know, Damon is sucking on Bill’s neck, like its a tootsie pop.  And part of me is REALLY hoping Damon turns him into a vampire.  Because wouldn’t that be the WORST and MOST FITTING PUNISHMENT EVER!  SERIOUSLY!

“DO IT!  DO IT!  DO IT!  DO IT!” 

Enter Caroline.  She’s mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore.  In a scene that’s highly reminiscent of the first time Caroline caught Damon off guard, and kicked his ass, after learning how he compelled her to be his sex slave, back before she became a vampire . . .

. . .  Caroline literally throws Damon across the room, to get him away from her evil father.

“Did I miss something here?” 

“I’m stronger than you are, Little Girl,” Damon retorts as the too battle it out, or as Damon would call it “girlfight” (There was no hair-pulling involved, unfortunately).

“Yeah, but I’m angrier,” Caroline responds, successfully keeping Damon at bay long enough to shove her bloody arm in her dad’s face to heel him,and get him out of harms way.

Many fans were frustrated by the lack of realism (Yes, we often DO talk about realism on a show about VAMPIRES.  Got a problem with that?) inherent in Baby Vamp Caroline so easily disarming Not-So-Baby Vamp Damon, who’s about a century-and-a-half her junior.  From my perspective, Caroline was able to take down Damon this time for the same reason she so easily took him down, back when she first turned.  Simply put:  She caught Damon by surprise.  And he underestimated her strength.

Though I’m sure Caroline was VERY mad at Damon for chowing down on her sperm donor, I highly doubt this alone would have been enough to secure her victory.  She still kicks ass, though.  . .

In short thanks to the daughter he believes is SOOOO evil, Caroline’s AWFUL father got to live happily ever after.   Ummm . . . yay?

Seriously, though, kudos to Caroline for having love in her heart, even for those who do not show her love in return.  I doubt I could have been as mature as she was, if my dad locked me in a dungeon, strapped me to a chair, stole my jewelry, and tried to BURN me.

Original Rebekah – Vampire Snitch Extraordinaire

Now fully clothed (DARN!), and with Gloria out of the picture, Stefan sneaks off to Klaus’ Dead Family Member Museum, and undoubtedly, begins looking for Elijah, so that he can unstake him, and try to dig himself out of the massively deep hole into which he has dug himself, during the past four episodes.

However, before he can do this, Rebekah finds him.  Stefan tries to charm the girl into giving up information about the vampire hunter.  But, as it turns out, he hasn’t been all that charming since 1920.  (Modern-day Stefan has always had more of an understated, broody kind of charm, anyway.)

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It seems that our Cocky Ripper Douche has genuinely over-estimated the power of his weiner.  No Stefan.  Women you have not talked to in ninety years will NOT betray their brothers, and reveal their deepest, darkest secrets to you, simply because you asked nicely.  I’m afraid most of us girls are a bit more complicated than that.  And Rebekah, apparently, is no exception.

The poo REALLY hits the fan, when Rebekah and Stefan make out, and Beks asks Stefan if he will ever again love someone as much as he loves the supposedly dead Elena, “Eventually,” Stefan replies.

Remember when I said Stefan was a bad liar?  Well, apparently, he’s also not so good at kissing people who he doesn’t believe are his soulmates.  And, as you know, Rebekah can ALWAYS tell if Stefan is lying.  The Bratty Original is crushed at having been played.  So, when Klaus returns to the Dead People museum, Rebekah IMMEDIATELY rats Stefan out for being “against [them]” and asking questions about Big Bad Vampire Hunter Michael (Hallelujah!  He has a NAME!)

“Oh! SH*T!  Well that certainly didn’t go as planned.” 

“Haha, fooled you!”

Now, Stefan is up sh*t’s creek without a paddle, because Klaus will most certainly believe his sister over his FAKE brother.  Klaus lunges at Stefan, with murder in his eyes.

Annnnnnnd . . . then, we cut to commercial break . . .

The End of a Bromance

So, remember how I told you how Caroline became my HERO this week? Well, she did it AGAIN, by confronting Elena about her OBVIOUS romantic attraction to Damon, and seeming inability to admit it.

Elena woefully notes that “[If I do have feelings for him] (which she TOTALLY does), what kind of person does that make me.”  It makes you human, Caroline responds, giving Elena a hug.  OH HELL YEAH, CAROLINE!

Coming soon to a TVD episode near you . . . FOR REAL, this time.

You tell her it’s OK to love them both, because it TOTALLY IS!   (Especially, if loving them both, involves regaling us Delena fans with a HOT (but prime time channel appropriate)  sex scene some time in the future.

A girl can dream, can’t she?  Then, Caroline says goodbye to her father, who’s FINALLY leaving Mystic Falls.  Hopefully for good.  (Good riddens!  I HATE this douchebag!)  Papa Forbes gets a VERY minimal amount of points for actually thanking his daughter for saving his life.  But then, he loses them again, by telling Caroline that because she’s a vampire, she will [never be OK again.]

SERIOUSLY?  Why didn’t Damon kill this douchebag, when he had a chance?

Speaking of Damon, he’s back at the Salvatore Boarding House, trying to make amends with Alaric, by offering him a morning class of bourbon and OJ, from when he comes back to life.  After all, nothing says, “I’m sorry I murdered you in cold blood,” like a Big Ole Glass a booze . . .

“You killed me,” Alaric exclaims.

“You pissed me off,” Damon replies matter-of-factly, as if this should adequately explain away everything.

“YOU KILLED ME!”  Alaric exclaims again, clearly not quite sure whether Damon heard him the first time.

Clearly, Alaric doesn’t yet understand what it means to piss Damon off, despite the fact that Damon has killed him . .  . what . . . 85 times, by now.  (Yes, I’m exaggerating here.  But, I think you get the idea).  Oh, and also, Alaric’s ring is apparently on the fritz. It took him much longer to come back to life this time.

Perhaps, there are only so many times you can use this little Get-Out-of-Death Free card before it stops working entirely.  Or, maybe the more times you die, the longer it takes you to come back.  That sounds a bit like that “universe in balance hoo-ha the witches on this show are always, talking about, right?  Whatever the reason is for this recent Ugly Ass Ring of Immortality Anomaly, if I was Alaric, I’d be more than a bit afraid, right now.

In other words, your Chunky Monkey not be able to get you out of a jam, next time around.

But apparently, Alaric, ISN’T afraid.  He’s PISSED OFF.  And he proves this, by wrangling a position on the Anti-vampire Council.

If someone invited THOSE guys, surely Alaric can come too . . .

But he’s not a Founding Family member, you say?  Well, perhaps, not.  But he IS  Elena’s and Jeremy’s sole pseudo guardian / surrogate Gilbert.  He’s also one of the few folks in Mystic Falls who doesn’t secretly have a supernatural child (at least not one that he knows about), making him a fairly non-biased representative of Team Human.  Did I mention that he has a vampire killing weapons arsenal that would make Buffy the Vampire Slayer blush?

Now, don’t get me wrong, after watching Alaric drink himself stupid, and be depressed (with weird hair) for a couple of episodes, it really is nice to see him buck up and take a stand to help his town.  I just REALLY hope Alaric doesn’t become the new vampire hating Uncle/Father John Gilbert.  We all know how things turned out for him . . .

When One Road Trip Ends, Another Begins . .  .

Elsewhere in Mystic Falls, Vampire Katherine (who must REALLY be wracking up those frequent flier miles), impersonates Elena again to get her precious MAGICAL vervain necklace from Bonnie.  She then shows up at Damon’s door, giving the poor guy the impression that she’s Elena coming to apologize for all her Alaric-murdering judginess.

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“Trouble-in-paradise already?” Katherine inquires with a smirk, when Damon makes moves to accept “Elena’s” apology.

Katherine wants Damon to go on a roadtrip with her, but she won’t tell him where.  I suspect the destination has something to do with this Vampire Hunter Michael of whom Klaus is so petrified.  Girlfriend is even willing to DRIVE, something, which I suspect she doesn’t offer very often.

Feeling a bit rejected by his Mystic Falls pals, of late (and with good reason, considering the episode he’s had) Damon readily agrees to road trip with the OTHER Petrova Doppelganger.

Rest assured, Vampire Hijinks and probably some Car Sex will ensue!

Elsewhere, Stefan wakes up in a truck, to find Klaus homoerotically watching him sleep (No big surprise there.).  Knowing he’s in BIIIIG trouble, Stefan starts yammering out a speedy apology / explanation / lie about the whole “Rebekah thinks I’m about to betray you” thing.  But Klaus doesn’t seem mad at all.  Just amused.

“You look so pretty, when you are petrified.” 

He knows that Stefan is hiding a secret from him.  And that secret is in Mystic Falls . . . which is where Klaus and Stefan are too now, once again . . . having arrived, quite fittingly, just minutes after Damon and Katherine, Stefan’s (and Elena’s) would be saviors have skipped town . . .

RUH ROH!

SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT:

Next weeks trailer looks juicy, and by juicy I mean bitey .  . . specifically Stefan it seems to suggest that Stefan is being forced (possibly by compulsion?) to chow down on Elena’s neck?  Is it to early to predict a DAMON-Y speedy return and subsequent Elena rescue?  All fingers crossed!

You can check out the trailer for “The Reckoning” here:

END OF SPOILER

So, what did you all think of “Disturbing Behavior?”  Was it sufficiently disturbing for you?  Did either Alaric or Tattletale Rebekah get on  your nerves this week?  Are you Team Bonnie or Team Jeranna?

And, perhaps most importantly, are you as ready for Elena to FINALLY switch Salvatore Brothers as I am?  Feel free to sound off in the comment section below.

Until next time . . .

[www.juliekushner.com][Fangirls Forever]

Eric Northman Wants YOU (to Come and Play With Him) – A Recap of True Blood’s “I’m Alive and On Fire”

Dear Mom,

                       Please buy me an underwater camera for my birthday.

         Hugs and Kisses,

        TV Recapper

Hey there, Fangbangers!  Welcome to another installment of the “I Drooled Over Amnesia Eric So Much that I Forgot Nearly Everything Else that Happened in this Episode” Recap Show (Well . . . except for what happened to Pam.  I wish I could have amnesia for what happened to Pam.  That was GROSS!).  But, truthfully, we learned a lot from this week’s True Blood!  Like, for example, what happens to a vampire, after he’s eaten the WHOLE fairy . . . 

Fairy Goggles . . .

 . . . and how to stake a trailer trash werepanther in the forest, while standing on a tree top (because you never know when a skill like that could come in handy) . . . 

 Thank you, Jason’s Hot Back, for remaining free of scary werepanther bites, and nasty sex scars, against all odds . . .

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We also learned why you shouldn’t leave out markers for your Demon Baby . . .

 Nice penmanship, Evil Spawn!

. . . and, most importantly, we learned HOW TO READ!

So, what are we waiting for?  Let’s start LEARNING! 🙂

(By the way, special thanks to THIS SPECTACULAR SITE, for the majority of the fabulous screencaps you see here.  The less-than-fabulous ones, I made myself. :))

This Butt’s for YOU!

Amnesia Eric thinks Sookie has had a real stick up her butt, lately.  So, he generously decides to extract it for her . . .

When we last left Amnesia Eric, he was chowing down on some sweet Fairy Surprise . . .

 (As in, “SURPRISE!  You’re dead now . . .)

Now Claudine is nothing more than a tasty memory.  But her fairy dust remains, and it’s starting to tickle Eric’s brain .  . .

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First, he falls, face first, to the floor.  But then, he quickly recovers, and starts weaving toward Sookie, with a goofy smile on his face, and blood smeared across his chin, like a very messy baby . . .

“I want MORRRRRRRRE!”  He slurs contentedly.

As per usual, Sookie treats Eric like a disobedient child.  SPANK HIM, SOOKIE!  SPANK HIM!  “No!  You ate the WHOLE Fairy,” she tells him, frustratedly.  “And now you have to go to your room!”

(I love how Sookie doesn’t shed so much as one tear over the untimely demise of her Fairy Godmother.  Because, you know, if this was Cinderella, she would be bawling her eyes out .  . .)

“Damn Straight!”

Eric doesn’t want to go to his room.  He wants to eat Sookie.   And he tells her so, as he leans in close, and seductively whispers in her ear.  (See?  Even completely wasted, Amnesia Eric knows how to score with the ladies.)

“No!”  Sookie exclaims.  (She says “No” this week, almost as much as Eric said “Sorry,” last week)  “You’ll kill ME!”

I loved Eric’s shocked and saddened facial expression here, as he contemplates the notion of murdering his lover.  “I would never hurt you,” he explains earnestly.

But my favorite part of the scene  HAS to be, when Eric REFUSES to go inside (even though it is almost dawn) and gleefully pinches Sookie’s ass TWICE, before running away at vampire speed . . .

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Currently experiencing Ass Envy . . . 😦

Meanwhile, over at Fangtasia . . .

“Take this Crown, and Shove it . . . Your Heiny Highness . . .”

“You, stay away from MY Maker, you mean old Ancestor F*&ker!”

Eager to clean up the evidence of his little Sending Eric off to Be Killed by Witches Scheme, Bill visits Pam at Fangtasia, demanding that she inform him of Eric’s current whereabouts.  Pam kindly reminds Bill what a ruthless slimy crown-wearing douchebag he’s always been become, and then innocently claims that she has no clue where Eric is hiding.

Bill pouts, and says something like this:

So, Pam laughs in his face, and goes back to her job of being awesome and wearing kickass clothes . . .

But over in Rape Town I HATE THIS PLOT, AND AM SOOO GLAD MY JASON BABY FINALLY ESCAPED FROM IT! . . .

“I Want Candy.”

“Awww man, I really hope my Daddy doesn’t watch True Blood . . .”

For about the third episode in a row, Poor Shirtless Gory Jason is being ridden like a pony, by some trailer trash chick.  This girl looks particularly familiar.  I wish I had a screencap of her to show you.  But I think that she’s the same girl who jumped Jason in the police station, back during the Maenad Possession of Season 2.  If someone could confirm this for me, I would be oh so grateful . . .

“And I would be OH SO GRATEFUL, if you got on with this part of the recap, so I could escape this Hell Hole, and go back to being the Sexy, but Dimwitted, Comic Relief, already . . .”

(Sorry Jason! I’m on my way . . .)

So, that first girl, who may or may not have humped Jason back in Season 2, starts crying, because, even though Jason is tied up, and can’t exactly “reciprocate the love,” he still remains the best sexual partner she has ever had.  (Well, I guess when you screw your relatives all the time, things are bound to get a little yucky.  Isn’t that right, Bill Compton?)

The Old Dude from Hotshot sends in the next “candidate.”  She can’t be more than 13-years old . . .

“Breed, Ghost Daddy, Breed!”  Old Dude instructs Jason, before leaving these two to “do their thing.”

The pre-pubescent has learned well from her fellow trailer trash extras from the movie Deliverance, and promptly threatens to cut Jason’s manhood off, if he doesn’t lay there inert, while she, essentially takes her own virginity from herself.

Fortunately, Jason is eventually able to get through to the young girl, by telling her that her first time should be special.  Specifically, Jason explains that the first man Little Girl screws should be a guy who buys her stuff like candy.  (Of course, judging by Jason’s last sexual encounter’s assessment of the “eligible bachelor’s in hotshot,” this is a TOTAL LIE!  If Little Girl stays in Hot Shot, Jason Stackhouse will undoubtedly remain the Best Sex She’s Never Had.  (Join the club, Honey!)

Nevertheless, Little Girl eventually loosens Jason’s cuffs, allowing him to FINALLY ESCAPE THIS MISERABLE STORYLINE . . .

 . . . at least, for now . . .

Bad Dreams, and Puritanettes, Who Needed a Good Lay . . .

“So, let me get this straight . . . you set Eric up to get amnesia, so that he could seduce Sookie with his innocent, sweet, loveable ways?   Thank you!  This is, by far, the kindest thing you’ve done for fans, since that time you got kidnapped, and weren’t around for a couple of episodes.“

“I think I just pooped in my pants.”

Unable to find Eric himself, Bill is forced to call Vampire League Leader Nan, with his tail between his legs, and inform her of the teensy weensy mistake he made.  Nan is undoubtedly beginning to wonder why she hired such an imbecile to be king.  Furthermore, she doesn’t think witches are supernatural adversaries worthy of as much man power as Bill has been using to combat them.  She helpfully explains to us that during the Salem Witch Trial, witches were easily brought down by a bunch of Uptight Puritanettes, Who Needed to Get Laid.  (Who knew?  Aside from Arthur Miller, of course.)

Apparently, both Nan and Pam shop at S&M-Loving Vampire B*tches R’ Us . . .

Nan demands that Bill find Eric and bring him back, without spilling any human (or witch) blood . . .  Ummm .  . . yeah, good luck with that, Mister Beeeel . . .

Speaking of witch trials, Marnie is having a bad dream about the chick who occasionally possesses her body.  In the dream, she is being burned at the stake . . .

“Psst . . . you, down there.  Got a hairbrush?  I’d really hate for my charred corpse to have bedhead.”

“AHHHHHH! Anything but bedhead!”

In the dream, the witch starts chanting curses in Latin against the men who are burning her.  The  writers of the show helpfully translate these for us, in subtitles at the bottom of the screen.  (See above.)  Then Aunt Petunia Marnie, who doesn’t know a LICK of Latin, in her natural, unpossessed state, starts chanting along with the witch, before she waking up in bed, in a cold sweat, and undoubtedly wondering if Harry Potter is still in his bedroom under the stairs . . .

Shirtless Men Fighting Over Sookie (AGAIN)

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Sookie, once again, heads to Alcide’s house in hopes of having some hot doggy style sex, and requests his help in finding the Missing Eric.  Alcide wastes no time unzipping his pants and dropping trou for Sookie . . .

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Then the Lord made Alcide.  And he was GOOOOOD!

Once he has taken a nice long whiff of Eric’s scent, Alcide shifts into that cute little white wolf thing, and dashes off to find Eric.  He eventually locates him in a nearby lake . . .

DOGGY LIKE!

“Who has two hands, and likes to have sex underwater?  THIS GUY!”

Eric goofs around, in the water for a while, loving life, and soaking up the sun.  But when Alcide shifts back to his gorgeous shirtless glory, Eric promptly enters into a pissing contest with him, the unspoken prize being a First Class Trip inside Sookie’s panties . . .

Unfortunately, for Eric, he’s at a bit of a disadvantage, being allergic to the sun and all.  (He has only been able to last this long, as a result of the fairy blood he recently ingested.)  When Eric starts to feel the painful effects of Vampire Sun Exposure, Sookie mothers him, by calling him out of the water, and wrapping his body in her legs a big red blanket.

Papa Alcide then graciously helps Sookie get Eric home . . .

Elsewhere in the forest . .  .

Survivor  – Bon Temps: Jason Stackhouse Edition

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(And coming from the guy who was once thrown in jail on suspicion of being a serial killer . . . that’s saying a lot, CRYSTAL!)

While on the run, Jason rewards us for putting up with this Terrible Gang Bang Storyline, by promptly ripping off his shirt, and positioning his body in all sorts of attractive ways, that hide his unsightly sex bruises . . .

YEAH BABY!

Meanwhile, back in Trailer Trash Town, the Evil Felton has sneakily surmised that Little Girl is still a virgin.

This scene was SO wrong, on SO many levels . . .

Felton then rushes into Jason’s room, and learns that his Ghost Daddy has flown the coop, and tied up Old Dude to boot (maybe they could use him as a replacement “stud.”)

So, Felton rips off his shirt (of course) . . .

You know, if he wasn’t EVIL, and he didn’t come from such a garbage dump of a gene pool, Felton could actually be considered kind of hot!

 . . . turns into a panther . . .

. . . and heads off in pursuit of Jason, a.k.a. the Community Vibrator.  Now, while I do give kudos to the production department for fixing the cheesy werepanther image of Season 3, and making it much more realistic, I MUST gripe about the “panther sounds.”  These were just plain annoying! 

Throughout the scene, every two minutes, without fail, the panther would make a sound . . . the EXACT SAME SOUND . . . EVERY . . . SINGLE . . . TIME.  The sound guys didn’t bother to change the cadence, or the pitch, or ANYTHING. As a result, Felton’s werepanther growl sounded less like something you would hear in the jungle, and MORE like something you’d hear at a football game, before they brought out the mascot.  Just sayin’ . . .

Now, Jason isn’t a guy who known for his exemplary education, but, apparently, he’s at least read Lord of the Flies, since he knows enough, even in his weakened state, to sharpen a tree branch at both ends, climb up a tree, and attack the werepanther from above.  (Then again, maybe they teach you how to do stuff like that in the Bon Temps Police Academy.) 

Jason stabs Were-Felton in the head.  The latter, gets one last chomp at his leg, before falling naked and dead to the ground.

Nice knowing ya’, Felton!  That’s one Evil Werepanther down, one more to go . . . Obviously, I’m referring to Crystal.  (The rest, as far as I’m concerned, are basically just misguided dirty kids, and an Old Dude.  So, we can let them live, I think provided we never have to see them on screen EVER AGAIN.)  Speaking of that OTHER Werepanther that needs to be put to sleep . . .

And to think, I used to love ALL animals . . .

Talk about a wackadoo, Crystal is actually THRILLED that Jason murdered her boyfriend / sex partner / close relative.  And no matter how many times Jason threatens her with a stick, and tells her it’s over between them, girlfriend will just NOT TAKE A HINT.  She’s convinced that he will come crawling back to Hotshot, once his friends and family learn what happened to him.  “I’ll be waiting for you, at the Full Moon,” she calls after him cheerily, as he stomps away.

All I can say is, MAN, I HOPE NOT!  Because I can’t take any more of this crap.

Fortunately, Jason’s storyline ends on a high note this week, with Jess and Hoyt finding him on the side of the road, and Jess feeding Jason her blood to heal him.

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Team Jasicca, anyone?

Awww!  Don’t be mad at me, Hoyt!  I just call em’ like I see em’.  And there was some serious near-death, eye f*&king going on between those two . . .

Speaking of incest . . .

Portia and Bill Sitting in a Tree . . . The FAMILY Tree, that is!

“I know . . . I’ll just keep a copy of my Family Tree over my bed, so everyone I bone can check to make sure they aren’t related to me, first.”

Remember last week, when THIS happened  .  . .

And I reacted THIS way . . .

NOW YOU KNOW WHY!  Yes, boys and girls, Vampire Bill’s meeting with Andy and Portia’s grandmother went swimmingly well . . . at least until they figured out that they were all related to one another.  “Yu ahr mah great, great, great, great granndawtahhhh,” Bill admitted to his girlfriend on the porch, in that grating charming accent of his.

Poor Portia!  I wonder how many times she showered, after learning that she had “a little Compton in her” LOOOOOONG before she had a “little Compton in her,” if you catch my drift.  S0, much for incorporating “sex” into the business relationship . . .

In other effed up family news . . .

Tommy Can Read Books (But Apparently NOT People)

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OK . . . so we all know that Tommy Boy is a bastard, in pretty much every conceivable way.  He tried to steal from Sam, many times, and once, tried to get him hit by a car.  He manipulated Maxine Fortenberry into taking him in and teaching him how to read, only to decide to abandon her, and bilk her out of cash, at the first opportunity.  He’s a WHINY BRAT most of the time. 

A boy only a mother could love . . .

All that being said, I couldn’t help but feel just the teensiest bit bad for him this week.  After all, with parents like Jolie and Whatever-the-Heck-his-Mom’s-Name-Is, did Tommy have any chance to come out any better than he did?

 

Last week, I mentioned that I was a bit skeptical of the whole, “Let’s randomly pay Maxine Fortenberry lots of cash for oil” storyline.  As it turns out, my skepticism was founded, as it appears this may very well have been a ruse to bring Tommy back into the Mickens’ fold. 

Where I missed the boat, however, was in interpreting the reason behind Mommy Micken’s avoidence of the topic of her husband.  I thought she killed him.  That made me happy.

Yes, I’m a BAD PERSON.  Got a problem with that?

And while Mommy patted Tommy on the head, and told him what a smart boy he was for learning to read, I really thought, for a second there, those two might make it out of this season alive.  But then Jolie came out and put a chain around his son’s neck, thereby,  forcing him to return to the dogfighting ring.  And well, that was the end of that . . .  Just, whatever you do writers, don’t make us have to see Jolie NAKED AGAIN!  BECAUSE EWW!

I still think that Sam will eventually end up killing a family member this season, which will result in him becoming a Skinwalker.  However, now, my money is on Mommy Mickens being the victim, instead of Tommy.  (I’d say Jolie, but I don’t think the two are blood related.)

Speaking of Sam . . .

Blah, blah, blah, Jealous Ex Boyfriend Emergency, Bah

“Who’s your Daddy?”

That’s right, folks.  Once again, Sam’s storyline was deadly boring.  He stopped by Luna’s house, uninvited.  She seemed briefly annoyed, because she didn’t want him to know she had a kid. 

“Hey, I like kids . . . well, except for the one I shot in the leg . . .”

But Luna’s kid (her name is Emma, by the way) is not the real problem.  She’s cute, and likes to play Barbies.  (What more can a guy ask for in a surrogate daughter?)  The problem is the kid’s dad.  Apparently, he’s that brand of abusive stalker assh*le that only seems to appear in Lifetime movies.  Oh, yeah, and he’s also a werewolf . . .

In brighter news, Sam wasn’t nearly as douchey and detestable this week, as he’s been in recent weeks.  And his scenes with the little girl were actually kind of cute.  So . .  . yay for progress!

You know what’s not cute?  DEMON BABIES!

Terry Finally Wakes Up and Smells the Evil Baby Poop

OK . . . I take that back, Demon Babies can be cute.

So far this season, Baby Mikey has been pretty good about restricting his evilness to only stuff that Arlene could see.  This made Arlene look TOTALLY INSANE . . . which, let’s face it, made me like Evil Baby a whole lot more than I suspect I should have.

Get on with your Bad Self, Evil Baby!

But this time, Evil Baby showed its true colors to Terry by writing “Not your baby” in red marker on the living room wall, as Arlene and her two older children slept nearby.

In MUCH sexier news . . .

Eric Charms Sookie / Sookie Nuzzles Alcide / Debbie Pretends She’s Not Still a TOTAL NUTBALL

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Up until this point, Sookie has seemed kind of annoyed with Amnesia Eric.   It’s almost as though she didn’t quite believe his “condition” is real.  This sweet short scene illustrated the first sign of cracks in the brittle coat of armor Sookie has placed over her heart, ever since He Who Shall Not Be Named Beeeeeeeeeeeeel stomped on it so, mercilessly last season.

Like a cranky small child at bedtime, the afternoon finds Eric in his cubby hole, restless, and unwilling to sleep.  He also doesn’t want to be alone.  “Stay with me,” he begs Sookie, with disarming earnestness.

To which fans replied . . .

But Sookie (though she looked quite tempted by the Viking Vampire’s proposition) replied, “I’ve got human stuff to do.”

WHAT IS SHE NUTS?????!!!!!!  Perfect opportunity for mindblowing sex = WASTED!

Not to worry, Eric.  It’s early in the season yet.  You’ll get her next time . . .

Upstairs and out on the porch, Alcide called Sookie out for trusting Eric, and letting him live in her house, given his dubious past.  To this Sookie replied.  “Ring, ring, ring . . . hello, Pot?  It’s Kettle calling.  Guess what?  YOU’RE BLACK!”

That’s right, Alcide certainly has NO place telling Sookie she can’t let Eric sleep in her cubby hole, when Evil Trailer Trash Debbie is sleeping in his BED.  Unless, of course, he’s .  . . JEALOUS? 😉

Alcide and Sookie than share a WAY MORE THAN FRIENDLY extended hug, much similar to the one they shared together at the end of Season 3, with Sookie burrowing her head deep in Alcide’s muscular chest, and Alcide clearly relishing the closeness of his fairy princess . . .

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Meanwhile, Eric listens in on their conversation, pouting . . . (but at least, he can’t see The Hug from his cubby hole).

Back at Alcide’s House Trailer Trash Debbie in Sane Person’s Clothing inquires suspiciously as to whether Alcide shifted that day and why.  (I have no doubt she smells fairy on him!)  Alcide because he may be strong and sexy, but he’s also dumb as dogsh*t is honest with his girlfriend about spending the day with Sookie.  Debbie acts like she doesn’t mind, and thanks Alcide for being honest.  But there’s a glint in her eye, as she does this that just SCREAMS CRAZY TOWN! 

Hide your pet bunny, Alcide!

Bill Compton – Cockblock Extraordinaire

I mentioned cracks in Sookie’s emotional armor, in the previous scene.  But in this one, we get cracks in her panties as well! 🙂  It all starts when Sookie comes to visit Amnesia Eric in his cubby hole, and finds him depressed and listless.

I remember watching TVD last season, and being shocked at Resident Bad Boy Vamp Damon’s longing for humanity.  I had a similar reaction to Eric’s sad realization that he would never get to truly experience the sun again, in the same way he did earlier that day . . .

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In many ways, True Blood vampires have MORE to miss about being human than other television and film vampire incarnations, because they ARE literally “Dead Until Dark.”  Amesia Eric’s confession got me to wondering whether Memory-Having Eric experienced the same sense of loss last season, after HE got to spend some time in the light, as a result of drinking some of Sookie’s blood . . .

But enough about THAT!  You want to hear about the Seric SEXUAL TENSION, right?

There are plenty of naysayers who say that Sookie’s feelings for Amnesia Eric must be considered as completely separate from her feelings for Memory-Having Eric, as their personalities are so vastly different.  And yet, in this scene, Sookie speaks of Memory-Having Eric fondly, noting how confident and content he always seems to be, and how everything just seems to roll off his back.

 . . . or put him ON his back, whichever you prefer.

I also found it interesting that Amnesia Eric read enough into Sookie’s description of Memory-Having Eric to cause him to be jealous of his former self.  “You think I am weak,” he pouts.”

Sookie smiles sweetly at him, telling him that she simply wants to make him happy.  Well, Eric may have Amnesia, but he is NO DUMMY!  He knows an opening, when he sees one.  “Just kiss me once, and I will be happy,” he tells her.

The pair lean in close to one another, with passion in their eyes.  She looks at him intently.  He returns the gaze.  They move closer to eachother . . . Their bodies are touching . . . Their lips are inches apart. And then . . .

“Somebody, is at the door,” Eric announces.

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STUPID BEEEEL!  GRRRRR!

“Yeah, so I know that you are all big and important, now, and all.  But could you please leave so that I can have hot sex with go back to kissing Eric?”

Bill wants to know where Eric is (“He’s in my pants,” replies Sookie.  “Or, at least he would be if you didn’t come and eff it up!”) .  Sookie lies, and says she has no idea.  When Bill goes to search her home anyway, since, Eric, after all, does OWN it, Sookie lays a guilt trip on him, asking if she has ever lied to him before.  That made me laugh.  Way to go, SOOKIE! 🙂

Bill pushes past Sookie to search her house anyway, but stops at the threshhold.  He then gets a sad look on his face, and leaves.  And for about two seconds, I actually felt bad for Bill . . . but then, I got over it.

Meanwhile, in Scary Witch Land . . .

YOU RUINED PAM’S FACE!  (YOU BASTARD!)

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I love the contrast between the whiny scatterbrained Marnie and the self-assured remorseless Hallow who occasionally possesses her body.  We got to see the dichotomy between these two in full force, when Lafayette, Tara and Jesus, approached Marnie requesting help to remove the Amnesia spell from Eric, so that Pam didn’t kill them all.  To her credit, Marnie really did seem to want to help.  It’s just that . . . as a witch .  . . well, she kind of sucks!

Uhhhh .  . . I didn’t mean that.   Sorry!

“Get your ass on the Goddess Line, and get her to turn it around,” said Lafayette, of Marnie’s “Witchy Godmother.” 

Lafayette had more reason than ANY of them, to want Marnie to follow Pam’s wishes, after all, if anyone knows the evil Eric F*&king Northman can do, it’s HIM.

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Eventually, Hallow DOES give in, and help Marnie to find the spell she is seeking.  And so the Witchy Scooby Gang head out to meet Pam in the middle of the forest.  The problem of course, is that Pam is being extra special ornery, spouting out insults at the entire gang, cursing like a sailor, and lodging individual threats at everyone involved.

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This makes Marnie nervous, but it makes Hallow ROYALLY PISSED OFF, which is why she chooses this exact moment to do something REALLY INCREDIBLY DISGUSTING TO PAM’S FACE!  (In fact, it’s SO DISGUSTING that I refuse to put a picture of it on my blog.  Instead, you’ll get this cute picture of a kitty . . .

You’re welcome!

And that’s all she wrote.  🙂  See you next week, Fangbangers!

(This has sort of become the unofficial “closing credits” for my True Blood Recaps.)

[www.juliekushner.com][Fangirls Forever]

Old Habits Die Hard (But Creepers Die Harder) – A Recap of Pretty Little Liars’ “Blind Dates”

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Doctor Wren has officially won the award for Person I Would Most Want to Be Hugging, When I Learned that My Sister’s Creepo Fiance (Who I Thought Was Already Dead) May Have Offed Himself for Killing My Best Friend.  Congratulations, Dr. Wren!  Come and claim your prize!  (It’s ME!)

Welcome back, My Pretties!  The title of this episode is actually pretty fitting, in that the hour was all about “flying blind,” and venturing into unknown territory . . .   And yet, I must say that, given the title, it was a bit strange that ONE particular character did not appear at all . . .

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“HELLO . . . the episode is called BLIND Dates . . .  I’m BLIND Jenna.  Like, DUH!”

In addition to lacking the unique creepiness of Blind Jenna, “Blind Dates” also: got us up close and personal with my FAVORITE PLL BOY IN THE WORLD . . .

“I’m right here, Baby!”

 . . . showed us how Facelift Jason’s body has changed since the “operation” . .  .

 

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. . . treated us to a free therapy session . . .

“I”m listening.”

 . . . and taught us just how much Zombie Creepy Pedo Ian likes (his own) BRAAAAAAAAIIIINNS!

So, what are we waiting for?   Let’s go on some “Blind Dates!”

Guard your Pawn (and other things I’ve learned from Pretty Little Liars)

“You are a LIAR!  I am SO reporting you to the Shady Pawnbroker’s Association of America.”

Those of us who were a bit scandalized by Spencer’s surprisingly cold decision to pawn off her own sister’s wedding ring for cash to buy her boyfriend a car, were probably a bit relieved to know that she at least PLANNED to buy it back, shortly thereafter.  Now, don’t ask me HOW Spencer got the money to do that so quickly. 

Pretty Little Escort Service?

It doesn’t really matter, anyway.  Because, as we recall from last week, Gloved Hand SOMEHOW convinced the pawnbroker that Spencer was lying about ownership of the ring.  And then, HE OR SHE took it off the pawnbroker’s hands.  How Gloved Hand was able to do that remains a mystery.  Did this person have, by chance, a receipt for the original ring’s purchase?  Did he or she simply pay the guy off?  Or is “A,” by chance, a vampire with strange compulsion powers, who can make people do his or her evil bidding, without argument?

Whatever the reason, when Spencer returns to the pawn shop, Shady Pawn Broker Dude ends up giving her the MOST EXPENSIVE RUSTY HORSESHOE EVER MADE, claiming never to have seen the ring AT ALL!  (Remember the horseshoe, as it will be important later.)

Outside in Shadytown, the PLL girls are admiring a literary reference from The Great Gatsby .  . .

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Don’t you love when PLL rewards you for being a nerd? 🙂

Not only are the watchful eyes in the billboard, a take off on the book’s cover, the creepy advertisement itself comes right out of a passage from the famous novel, which, if I recall, the girls read in Mr. Fitz’s class, a few episodes back.

Spencer rushes outside, making her Spencer Face, and having a hissy fit about the loss of her sister’s ring.

“Hmmm . . . maybe if I pawn Toby’s car, I can get the ring back.”

The girls comfort her briefly, before rushing home to pretend they HAVEN’T been “secretly” hanging out with one another every second of the day, against their lame therapist’s wishes.

As they are leaving, they all get yet another text from “A.”  Something about diamonds being a girl’s best friend.

Hey Aria’s Mom . . . ever hear of the term absence makes the heart grow fonder?  I didn’t think so . . .

So, let me get this straight.  In the matter of about a week, Aria’s mom has gone from living elsewhere, to boinking her husband in secret, to moving back home, to TEACHING ARIA’S ENGLISH CLASS?  Talk about too close for comfort!

I guess Aria will have to find another way to get “extra credit” now.

I don’t know.  I just find it strange that out of ALL the classes Mama Montgomery could teach at school, the administration decides to give her ARIA’S English class.  Granted, Fitzy had recently vacated the position.  But still . . . couldn’t the school have shuffled the faculty around a bit, to prevent this inevitable awkwardness from happening?  Just sayin’ . . .

Now, Mom seems to always be on poor Aria’s ASS, 24-7 . . . telling her not to hang out with her PLL friends EVEN on school grounds, forcing her to meet up with her bratty little brother after school to “give him the keys,” giving her dating advice.  Seriously!  It’s enough to make a girl want to rebel, by screwing a guy seven years her senior. 😉

Speaking of Bratty Little Brother . . .

Aria Gets Blackmailed . . . Reminisces About Her “Goth” Days

 “Look at me  .  . . looking all angsty, and BAD ASS with my pink hair, and my chains, and my medium-sized cup of fat free frozen yogurt with sprinkles . . .”

Aria is on a mission to rescue Bratty Little Brother Mike from The Darkside.  After all, she knows what it’s like to be there.  Back when Aria had (gasp) PINK HAIR she was SUPER “dark.”  So, when Aria heads to find her Bratty Little Brother on the basketball court, and learns he HASN’T PLAYED IN MONTHS . . .

 .  . . Aria is suspicious.  And yet, she is not quite suspicious enough that she feels she doesn’t have time to flirt with a Shirtless Facelift Jason, who, apparently, still plays basketball with high school kids, despite having graduated quite some time ago.  LAME!

Here’s the thing about Facelift Jason.  He has a great body, certainly.  (The comb-over hairstyle could use a bit of work though.)  But he definitely seems like one of those guys who’s forever stuck in the past. 

Forget for a moment that he’s hanging out at the high school shooting hoops, when he should be . . . I don’t know . . . trying to find a REAL job.  Observe the way he compares himself to Aria’s younger brother, by telling Aria that HE TOO used to lie to his parents, and ditch his sister on multiple occasions to do VERY BAD THINGS.  Then, he “flatters” Aria, by telling her that he thinks the pink hair she had, back when she was 12 or 13, totally turned him on, despite the fact that he was probably about 18 at that time, and . . . well . . . that’s just creepy.

Aria doesn’t seem to mind too much though . . .

“Well . . . considering how expensive plastic surgery can be, I’m thinking Facelift Jason has more money than . . . say . . . a guy who teaches at Hollis.  Date HIM, and I can buy all the pink hairdye I want!”

Now, I know . . . I know . . .  there is supposed to be a GREATER age difference, between Aria and Fitzy, and Aria and Facelift Jason.  (This is part of the reason they made the casting change, in the first place.)  The DIFFERENCE, of course, is that Fitzy didn’t know Aria, back when she was in diapers, and Facelift Jason did.   You see what I’m getting at here?

When Aria arrives home, Bratty Little Brother surprises her, by acting all evil and shady. 

Bratty Little Brother basically blackmails Aria to keep a secret from their parents the fact that, for the past few months, he has been mutilating small woodland creatures, when he’s supposed to be practicing his jump shot.  He does this by threatening to tell Ma and Pa Montgomery that Aria has been hanging out with the PLL’ers, even though she promised not to do so.  (But, honestly, if these parents haven’t figured that out by now, they don’t deserve to procreate.)

Watching Bratty Little Brother “act out,” because his Dad screwed his assistant, and his parents were split up for all of two seconds, I couldn’t help but be reminded of another little brother, who similarly “acted out, did drugs, backtalked his Big Sis, and was generally “up to no good,” at the beginning of his television series . . .

(Coincidentally, I think Goth Jeremy and Goth Aria would make an ADORABLE couple.)

The difference, of course, is that Jeremy had a REALLY GOOD REASON to be angsty and pissed off at the world.  Both his parents DIED AT THE SAME TIME.  Let’s face it, that SUCKS THE BIG ONE. 

Douchebag-in-Training

I just have a bit of difficulty garnering sympathy for a kid, who comes from relatively wealthy, generally loving, parents (annoying as they may be) that are willing to put aside their differences, in order to provide stability for their teenage children.  I mean, teens rebel for all sorts of reasons.  It’s kind of a right of passage.  But for Bratty Little Brother to blame HIS rebellion his parents seems like a bit of a cop out to me.

That, being said, who knows?  Maybe he will end up being “A.”

Meanwhile, in Emilyville . . .

Why Samara is Officially My Favorite of Emily’s Girlfriends!

“Don’t worry, Emily!  I won’t accidentally leave my pot-filled bookbag at your house, so that my parents ship me off to de-gaying camp, or try to drown you in the pool, or start dating Boring Sean . . .”

Sometimes I wonder if Samara actually ATTENDS her school at all!  Because, as she mentioned to Emily, after her swim meet, she DOESN’T attend Rosewood prep.  And yet, I’ve seen her wandering around the school hallways more than PLL Significant Other Vortex Resident, Little Orphan Bitchy . . .

Samara wants to congratulate Emily on winning YET ANOTHER swim meet, which Emily seems to do at least once every episode.  She also wants to congratulate her on her acceptance to Danby.  The latter congratulations, of course, make Emily feel like crap.  After all, she just got a package from “Danby” . . .

Get it?  The “A” Team – Har de har har.

The fact that Emily’s mom is being all nice, and non-homophobic, for a change, just makes Emily feel even WORSE for lying to her.   Emily’s mom even goes so far as to invite Samara over for a Celebration Dinner, which Samara gratefully accepts. 

But still, Samara senses Emily’s discomfort with the whole situation, and asks her what’s up.  While, Emily can’t conceivably tell her new girlfriend that she is being stalked by some omnipotent creature named “A,” who won’t allow her family to move away to Texas, she IS honest with her, about the fact that SHE wrote the Danby scholarship / acceptance letter, not the swim team recruiter.  What I love about Samara is that she is completely unfazed by and nonjudgmental of her girlfriend’s confession.  Rather, she simply reassures her that everything will work itself out in the end.

Is it just me?  Or does Emily look like she’s wearing A LOT of makeup, for someone who supposedly just got out of a pool?

Unlike Emily’s two previous girlfriends, who were SOCIAL disasters around Emily’s parents (Remember Maya, and the “I thought you ate fish” Dinner from Hell?), Samara effortlessly charms Mama Fields, reminiscing with her about the unique joys of scrapbooking.  But Samara doesn’t REALLY prove her worth as a member of Team PLL, until she stops Emily from confessing about the letter.  “I told Emily she should wait until senior year to accept her offer from Danby.  Plenty of other scholarship offers will be made to her, between now and then.  So, she shouldn’t be too hasty in choosing a college.”  Samara says more or less!  (GENIUS!)

“Yep, I’m that good.”

Emily’s mom buys the load of bull poop Samara is selling, hook, line, and sinker.  And Emily, of course, though still nervous about her future, is beyond grateful.  (In other words, I’m thinking SOMEONE is going to be getting extremely lucky tonight! ;))

Hanna Experiments with Multiple Personality Disorder / Wins Award for Best Wingwoman EVER!

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Like most of the parents on PLL (with the exception of Spencer’s asshat favorite-playing parents), Hanna’s mom, who used to be the most dysfunctional mom on the block (sexying up detectives, stealing from old ladies, etc.), is trying her hand at “responsible parenting.”  She does this by demanding that her only daughter attend a private therapy session with Dr. Feel Bad herself, Anne Sullivan, so that she can “cope with the loss of Alison.”

“So, basically, now that you’ve required us all to have separate sessions with you, you get paid four times as much, right?  Clever!”

During the first session, Hanna says nothing.  She’s pissed off that she has to be there in the first place, and doesn’t want to give Dr. Feel Bad the satisfaction of hearing her pour her heart out.  Before Hanna leaves, however, Dr. Feel Bad makes a comment that sticks with her.  She tells Hanna that Hanna has not yet “let go” of Alison from her life, and that this has kept her from healing.

“That will be $250, please.”

At school, Hanna runs into Lucas, who is so nervous about his upcoming date with Danielle that he makes THIS face . . .

He kind of looks like a cartoon character here.  Am I right?

Lucas complains to Hanna that his nervousness has thrown him “completely off his game.” 

“Lucas, you don’t have any game,” Hanna remarks.

(Hey Hanna, that’s not true!  Lucas has plenty of game!  And besides, he’s SETH COHEN-Y!  And that makes him “stealth.”)

A freaked out Lucas threatens to cancel the date, if Hanna doesn’t come with him.  And since Hanna refuses to be a third wheel, he suggests she bring Caleb along.

In that case, I have a GREAT idea as to where the First Date should be!

I really do love the softer side that Lucas always seems to brings out of Hanna, whenever they are together.  She might not be traditionally attracted to him . . . yet.  But she definitely cares about him, in an almost maternal way.  And I can tell you first hand, that this kind of caring, can blossom into attraction, while you are looking in the other direction. 

I’m also enjoyed the unexpected bromance between seeming polar opposites Caleb and Lucas.  Some might argue that Caleb is only “pretending” to care about Lucas’ sex life, in order to get back Hanna’s panties.   But I choose to believe that the brotherly feelings Caleb has toward the guy who brought him back to Rosewood to “make Hanna happy” are genuine.

Where’s your food, Caleb?  Too lovesick to eat?  Or are you just afraid that putting certain things in your mouth will destroy your “street cred?”

What I do NOT buy, however, is Caleb’s blase “yeah, I guess I’ll do it,” attitude, when Hanna agrees to take Caleb with her on Lucas’ now-double date.  Inside, you just KNOW he is doing THIS . . .

On the date with Danielle, Lucas is every bit as awkward as Caleb and Hanna fear he will be.  And the fact that Hanna keeps hovering over the couple like a mommy, certainly doesn’t help matters.

“Aren’t we a bit old to have a chaperone?”

Maybe it’s just the Hanna/Lucas shipper in me, but I DO NOT LIKE Danielle, with her perma-b*tchface, and general lack of smileyness.  If I was on a date with Lucas, you could bet I would be smiling.  I mean, he’s a FUN GUY who wears COOL T-Shirts!  What’s not to like?

And yet, I DO like how Danielle seems to sense the unresolved sexual tension between Hanna and Lucas, in a way that the future couple themselves DOES NOT.  Danielle insists that Hanna “still” has the hots for Lucas, which is why she keeps staring at them, instead of paying attention to HER OWN date.  When Danielle goes to the bathroom, Lucas rushes to Caleb and Hanna, and tells them what Danielle said.  Things aren’t looking good for our fabulous foursome.  Until . . . Hanna gets an idea . . .

She tells Caleb to put his arm around Hanna, and act coupley with him.  Caleb gladly complies with the request.  And, when he does it, you can tell just how smitten with our Pretty Little Liar he truly has become . . .

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Hanna, of course, seems more interested in Lucas’ date, than she is in her own.  On one hand, she looks pleased as punch that her plan worked, smiling benevolently, as Danielle grabs Lucas’ hand.  And yet, there is a specific moment, in which Lucas and Hanna both look at one another, as each is fondling their respective date.  In that moment, something we haven’t seen before between these two is clearly evident . .  . jealousy.

After the date, Lucas stops by Hanna’s house to thank her for being so generous with her time and wingwoman abilities.  He tells her how far she has come from being Alison’s lapdog.  It’s a back-handed compliment, for sure.  But Hanna appreciates it, nonetheless.  And it gives her enough pause to make another appointment with Dr. Feel Bad . . .

“I’m going to be RICHHHHHH!”

Gosh, if therapy was even HALF as universally helpful, and fast-working as they make it seem on television, there would be NO mental illness in the world . . . well .  . . except maybe multiple personality disorder.  Within minutes of arriving in therapy, Hanna is having an in-depth conversation with an empty chair.  (Because THAT’S not crazy at all!)

Of course, SHE doesn’t see an empty chair.  Hanna sees Alison.  And, in her mind, Alison is answering her back, being just as snide and bitchy as she was, back when she was alive.

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“Alison you were the best friend I ever had, and that meant a lot to me .  . You meant a lot to me . .  But you were also the worst enemy I ever had.  And I cant believe it took me this long to realize that,” Hanna begins, all healthy and well-adjusted sounding (except for . . . you know .  . . the fact that she is TALKING TO A CHAIR).

Ghost Alison uses the very same tricks to attempt to keep Hanna under her thumb that REAL Alison used, back when she was alive.   She tells her that Hanna is only popular, because Alison made her so.  She tells her that all the PLL girls will eventually abandon her, and that she will become Hefty Hanna again.  And finally, like an emotionally abusive girlfriend, she tells Hanna that SHE is the only one who truly understands Hanna.

The only difference is that THIS time, Hanna isn’t listening.  “You are gone!  And I am SO over missing you!”  Hanna exclaims triumphantly.

And POOF . . . she’s cured!

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Dr. Feel Bad, who returns to the office in the evening, to find it completely ransacked.

The wall clock has been knocked off the wall.   And, if the time it was broken is any indication, the break-in happened at 6:05 p.m., just minutes after Hanna left Dr. Feel Bad’s office . . .

Clearly, this is “A’s” handiwork, as signified by the very A-like graffiti spray painted on Dr. Feel Bad’s wall.

The police investigating the break-in tell Dr. Feel Bad that there is no sign of forced entry, making Hanna look pretty guilty for the act.

And yet, us PLL fans know that “A” has broken into this office before to put Fitzy’s diploma on the wall.  There’s a good chance that he or she, at some point, stole and made a spare key to Dr. Feel Bad’s office.   “A” may have even been listening to Hanna’s breakthrough therapy session, which would have undoubtedly made the stalker unhappy about the control she was losing over one of her Pretty Little Liars.

The plot thickens . . .

WRENNNNNNN . .  . and Dead (possibly illiterate) Ian

“This sure beats hanging from a bell tower.”

Remember how I said Spencer’s parents suck this season?  How about when Spencer comes home and finds a note on her door from her Mom that says, “take care of your sister.”  Does this woman KNOW her own kids?  Because, if she did, she would realize that was pretty much an invitation to murder.  Just sayin . . .

Anywhoo . . . Detective Spencer is on the loose again.  Her investigation leader her to  . . . of all people . . . DR. WREN!

I love how Spencer is so territorial of the Hookup Buddy she hasn’t swapped spit with in WAY TOO LONG that she promptly dispatches of the Too Perky Looking Nurse walking at his side.  “Could you . . . like .  . . NOT BE HERE right now,” she tells Perkypants!

That’s right, WOMAN!  Get your candy-striping mitts off My Honey!

Spencer wants to know what sort of things Wren and Melissa have been up to these late nights.  Wren admits that he is giving drugs and medical supplies to his ex-fiance for HER husband.  “Ian tried to KILL ME!”  Spencer explains.

“Are you OK?”  Wren asks hilariously.

“No . . . I’m dead now, and you are talking to a ghost.  But thanks for asking,” replies Spencer.  (Sorry . . . that’s what I would have said to Wren after ripping off his clothing and having my way with him five times.)

*sigh*

Apparently, “Ian” told Melissa that he would only tell her his whereabouts, if she brought the drugs.  (Talk about a SWELL husband!  This one’s a keeper, Crazy Nanny Carrie!)  At first, Wren refuses to help Spencer find Ian, because he doesn’t want Spencer to get hurt.  “Everytime I get involved with you and your sister, people get hurt,” exclaims Wren.  (Well .  . . in their defense, Sexy . . . you WERE digging around both of their mouths for gold.)

Back at the Guest House, Detective Spencer snoops around, while Melissa is in the shower, and finds a bag packed with both men’s and women’s clothing, and Ian’s passport . . .

When Spencer is almost caught by Melissa, she hides behind a tree, and makes THAT FACE again . . .

Eventually, my Lover Boy reconsiders, and decides to help Spencer.  Cleverly, he calls Melissa, and tells her that he needs to see Ian immediately, as, based on the symptoms she described, he may have a Staph Infection.  Wren then calls Spencer, so that she and her pals can follow Wren and Melissa to Ian’s location.  It’s the barn.  (SURPRISE!)

Just outside, Spencer hears Melissa, scream.   So, she and the girls rush in.  Once there, they find Melissa in hysterics in Wren’s arms . . .

That’s when they see it . .  . Ian’s dead body.  He’s DEFINITELY DEAD this time!  There’s a gun right where he is positioned, and a bloody bullet wound in his head that may or may not be fresh.  On the wall of the barn, a horseshoe is missing . . . a horseshoe similar to the one Spencer picked up from the pawnshop.  (I smell a setup!)

From Julian Morris and Torrey Devitto to the PLL girls, the acting in this intense scene is flawless.  Everyone looks understandably horrified, by what they’ve found.  And, for me, the scene accomplished the impossible.  It made me feel sorry for Melissa!

But then, I caught sight of that ridiculous suicide note, and I knew that something was rotten in Rosewood.

Creepy Pedo Ian may have been a lot of things, but he WASN’T stupid, an over-achiever like Melissa wouldn’t have gotten involved, if he was.  And this letter looks and sounds like it was written by a 10-year old.  At least, that’s what I thought at first, until I read this ingenious post on IMDB, linking every line of this note, to a previous text or letter “A” sent the girls.   You can check it out for yourself here.

To me, it seems pretty obvious that Ian died in the Bell Tower, and that “A” has been the one texting back and forth with Melissa all this time.  I suspect that “A” was the one who wrote the suicide note, and shot, and already dead Ian, before stealing the horseshoe and exiting stage left.  Given all that, I’m not entirely sure Ian killed Alison.  To go through two-seasons of clues, only to reveal the solution to one of the show’s big mysteries in a suicide note, just seems like a cop out to me.  And I don’t think the writers of this show would want to do it that way.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, Ian’s “suicide” might not be viewed as a suicide for much longer, if Gloved Hand / A can help it.  Because, in addition to giving Spencer the Phantom Horshoe . . . in the final moments of the episode, he or she places Ian’s cell phone in Spencer’s purse.

I hope you look good in an orange jumpsuit, Spencer!  Because things aren’t looking so good for you right now . . .

See you next week, My Pretties!

[www.juliekushner.com][Fangirls Forever]

Greetings from the Walmart of Guns – A Recap of Teen Wolf’s “Magic Bullet”

Is that a Smith and Wesson in your pocket, or are you just happy to see my MASSIVE WEAPONS STASH?

Welcome back, were-lovers!  This week on Teen Wolf, we got to: (1) meet Allison’s “wacky” family; (2) learned about her  .  . . um . . . unique “hobbies;” (3) got to make fun of lacrosse a little bit; (4) were introduced to the fabulous comedic stylings of  the Derek /Stiles duo (PLEASE get these two crazy kids their own Buddy Cop Movie, MTV!); (5) and, last, but DEFINITELY, not least, we FINALLY got to see DEREK HALE  . . . SHIRTLESS!

Well, I’m excited.  (Stiles is obviously excited.)  Are YOU excited?  Let’s got on with the recap!

Meet Aunt Kate – The Werewolf Slayer

I would hereby like to submit for your approval the new promotional poster for the National Rifle Association.

Now, I never thought I’d say this, but the writers of THIS MTV show are SMART!

Yeah, I said it.  These guys (and girls) clearly know their audience.  They know that most of us have seen HUNDREDS of horror movies, and supernaturally-inclined television shows, and know all the cliches, and predictable plot twists by heart.  And yet, rather than steering completely clear of these, the writers of Teen Wolf use them to their advantage, by taking our expectations and turning them completely on their head.

Case in point:  the opening scene of this episode.  We are introduced to a woman we have never seen before on this show.  She is ALONE in her car.  It is the middle of the night.  She is absent-mindedly singing to music on the radio, and openly SCOFFING news reports of animal attacks.  She is fixing her makeup, when she should be watching the road.  In short, she is the quintessential RANDOM FIRST KILL in EVERY HORROR MOVIE YOU HAVE EVER SEEN.

Pssst .  . . there’s someone behind you.

Cue the Intensely Creepy Music, and “that strange feeling that someone is watching you.”  A car halts in front of her, and the “character” we think of as Future Lunch Meat swerves, just barely missing it.  She breathes a sigh of relief, thinking she’s safe.  On the couch at home, we laugh at her naivety, counting down the seconds to her inevitable demise.  “Nice, not really knowing ya,” says TV Recapper out loud, at this point in the show.

Then it happens.  The wolf jumps on the top of Future Lunch Meat’s car, breaks the glass of the driver’s side window, and reaches in and grabs her.  There is a girly scream, and a struggle follows.  We wait for Future Lunch Meat to inevitably be dragged out of the car, her body quickly devoured, and tossed to the side of the road, mangled and bloody, her eyes frozen open in the Horror of Death.

For those of you who watch The Vampire Diaries, doesn’t Aunt Kate sort of resemble Dead Jules?

But Future Lunch Meat somehow manages to fight off the wolf, and emerges from her car unscathed.  A-ha!  The FAKE OUT!  We think to ourselves.  Surely, she is going to get it NOW.  She walks to the trunk of her car, opens it, and . . . HOLY CRAP!  It’s got a weapons cache inside that would make Tony Soprano PROUD!

Now, Future Lunch Meat is shouting threats at an unseen wolf.  Plus, she’s not exactly being conservative about the bullets in her gun, shooting wildly in the air like a crazy person.  But as we’ve seen from her trunk, she doesn’t need to be stingy.  Girlfriend’s got bullets to spare.  She might make it out of this scene alive, yet!

Back at the Argent House, Evil Were Hunter Dad skips out at 2 a.m.  He tries to leave without waking up Allison, but fails.  She wonders where he’s going.  Does Daddy have a Lady Friend?  Is he cheating on Mommy?  I wouldn’t put it past him.  After all, you’ve got to admit, for an evil sociopath dad-type, Papa Argent is KINDA HOT!

DILF

But Evil Were Hunter Dad tells Allison he has to pick up Aunt Kate, who is having some “car trouble.”  Ohhhhh . . . so Future Lunch Meat is “AUNT KATE,” which means she isn’t future lunch meat at all!  Damn you, MTV!  You tricked me!

As it turns out, the Argent family aren’t the only ones who are alerted to Aunt Kate’s “car trouble.”  Apparently, Alpha Wolf has some sort of lo-jack tracking system on his ass.  Because, the next thing you know, both Scott . . .

.  . . and Derek . . .

WILF = Wolf I’d like to . . . 😉

. . . are on the scene.

Unfortunately, at some point during the shooting spree, Alpha wolf gets away.  But Aunt Kate doesn’t give a sh*t.  She’s out for BLOOD.  Scott, hides himself in a warehouse, and manages to avoid the melee . . .

But Derek isn’t so lucky.  He gets a bullet in the arm, which you would THINK he’d be able to release from his body right away.  But the bullet remains.  And the wound begins to fester . . .

Now, of course, a Big Brooding Bad Wolf like Derek isn’t going to GO TO THE HOSPITAL like us NORMAL SMART HUMANS.  That would be too easy too risky, what with his big WERE-PARTS just waiting to be discovered and shipped off to a lab for testing!  Nope.  If Derek wants to heal his infection, he’s going to need help of a non-medical sort.  And he’s running out of time . . .

DON’T DIE, DEREK, YOU SEXY BEAST!

“Don’t Touch My Sh*t”

Back at the Argent household, Evil Were Hunter Dad does not seem particularly sympathetic toward Aunty Kate’s BRUSH WITH DEATH.  He’s more concerned about how her graduation from the Scarface School of Animal Hunting . . .

. . . will negatively impact his campaign to ERADICATE ALL WEREWOLVES FROM PLANET EARTH.

Geez!  Allison’s dad is not exactly Mr. Warm and Fuzzy, now is he?  Nonetheless, I found the conversation between Evil Werewolf Hunter and Aunt Kate intriguing, in that it seems to fly in the face of my theory that a member of the ARGENT family is the Alpha that bit Scott.  I still think they could be werewolves though . . .

We cut to a scene where Allison and Aunt Kate are hanging out in the guest bedroom, and we know instantly that these two are pretty close.  Aunt Kate is one of those adult types who tries DESPERATELY to be cool, and fit in with the teens.  Sound like anybody YOU know?