Beary Christmas

Okay, bad pun. But it's Christmas, I'm allowed one, right?

In Yogi's First Christmas, Yogi and sidekick Boo-Boo are awoken from their annual hibernation by the arrival of fellow Hanna-Barbera cartoons Augie Doggie, Doggie Daddy, Snagglepuss and Huckleberry Hound. They are staying at the Jellystone Lounge which is in danger of closing. The owner, Mrs. Throckmorton, is worried the winter festival held around Christmas will get a repeat of the previous year's mysterious occurences. However, she hires Yogi who manages to thwart the culprits' (Throckmorton's own nephew Snively and local hermit Herman) attempts. In the end, everyone gets a merry Christmas--even if Yogi's is cut short by natural habits.

A bit confusing if one notes that Casper's First Christmas aired a year before Yogi's but the bear was present for those festivities, it is still a treat to see the Hanna-Barbera cartoons interact. It is like watching the Jetsons meet the Flintstones--you know the characters, yet they seem new when interacting with the others. The new original characters--Mrs. Throckmorton and Snively--are an interesting bunch. She is an aunt that tries to drag her reluctant nephew through the winter festival but hopes he won't win so he'll learn some humility. He fulfills the usual spoiled brat role but his sudden conversion at the end is a mere plot contrivance. He seems to be uncaring about the entire thing until he is left out, not really learning humility--he still gets his way!

Also, the subplot with the romance between Cindy and Yogi takes on a rather obsessive and creepy nature. It seems clear that Yogi does not return Cindy's affection, yet the show wants to portray him as the guy who doesn't want to be caught but still cares.

For all of this, I award this special three and a half candy canes out of five. Still a good special to enjoy, particularly if you are a Yogi fan. Or if you have a child who is a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh--time to introduce to the bear who is "smarter than the average bear."

Goodness Makes the Badness Go Away

It is a rule of television: If you are a popular cartoon, you will inevitably get your own Christmas special.

And thus is true of The Smurfs. You know--those loveable blue creatures that are only three apples high. And they celebrate Christmas too. In fact, in the middle of their Christmas preparation, they find two children stranded in the snowy woods. Their uncle is a powerful lord and their grandfather is hurt. The Smurfs care for the children as a powerful warlock seeks revenge on their uncle. He uses Gargamel as a pawn, but in the end, the Smurfs' goodness saves the day!

It is a cute story, if a bit predictable. The best part has to be the little boy mistaking Papa Smurf as Santa Claus. Though it is a bit easy to do so--he has a long white beard and wears red. The trouble comes with the fact that Santa isn't three apples tall nor blue. The special also shows even Gargamel knows when the line has been crossed though he was probably acting more to save himself than following his conscious.

And it has to achieve a new level of cheese with the Smurfs' Christmas song: "Goodness makes the badness go away. Goodness makes the badness go away. Badness can't start if there's goodness in your heart. Goodness makes the badness go away." I am sure people familiar with this type of storyline knows how this song gets used. But it is catchy and you will find yourself humming it. All day long.

So for introducing a song more sugar-filled than "it's a small world" but for bringing Christmas cheer to the Smurfs, I award this special four candy canes out of five.

So, Taste Buds? Life Savers Apparently.

Two beat cops are patrolling a neighborhood late at night. The older of the two is grumbling against their new commander, feeling he is working such a late shift so the commander could keep an eye on him. But he stops his grumbling when he spots something. They turn on their huge spotlight, revealing a guy stuffing a woman in a trunk. They chase him down but as he goes over a fence, he impales himself.

Meanwhile, Mac is doing some late night shopping. As he walks around the store, he gets an uneasy feeling. You know that feeling you have when you feel you’re being watched or followed? But as you take in your surroundings, there is no way that’s possible? That’s how Mac feels. But in the cereal aisle, he runs into a familiar face—Ella, the young woman whose mother killed her father in the last episode I recapped prior to the Messer-Monroe Baby revelation. She and Mac talk and joke for a bit as Ella reveals her postcards of people’s secrets will be published as a book (One of my life’s goals). She invites him for breakfast but he gets called to the scene we just saw.

Danny and Flack meet him there as they try to figure out what happened. No signs of rape or defensive wounds. Mac tells them to take the bodies to Sid as dead woman vic gets a text message from a restricted number: Is it done yet? Her life? Yes. The episode? Not even.

CREDITS!

When we come back, the bodies are being moved while a really cool song plays. I always love the music this show gets. Meanwhile, Danny investigates the car the dead woman vic was being shoved into. He finds some blood and the car’s registration. Mac comes over to tell Danny Flack ran the plates but Danny interrupts to say the car’s owner is Isabelle Vaught. So dead woman vic has a name! She was an up-and-coming designer. Meanwhile the blood wasn’t really blood, but some sort of vegetation but Danny doesn’t know how it go there as it wasn’t on either dead body. Flack tries to get the number of our mysterious text messenger from the phone company. Mac figures it was a dump site and wonders where the primary scene is.

New York! Sid goes over dead male vic’s body as well as Isabelle’s. He pulls trace off one and finds acid in another. He calls Hawkes to come see Isabelle. Her organs melted and liquefied. Both vics had a strange dinner according to their stomach contents. Oh, and dead man’s name is Tony. Sid reveals Isabelle drank 18 oz (at least) of sodium hydroxide (commonly found in drainer cleaner). Hawkes realizes that it wasn’t accidental but it was forced on her. They are confused. Who dumps a suicide victim’s body?

Angel brings Stella to Declan Rooney, dead from a snapped neck and broken fingers. It reminds Stella of the Rat Fisherman’s death. He had disappeared but Angel figures he’s back. The security cameras are fake and something is missing from the store.

Meanwhile, Adam tells Danny that he found dung under Isabelle’s fingernails. Danny offers to buy Adam a drink if he gets more information, but Adam tells him to save his money since children are expensive. As his dad reminded him constantly. He then gives a type for Danny and Lindsay to combine incomes, but we all know how the marriage proposal went down. Lindsay walks by and says she felt the baby kick. Umm, was it just me or wasn’t she still in her first trimester LAST WEEK? Now, she’s noticeably pregnant and the baby’s kicking, but not when Danny’s around.

Hey, anyone know if Anna Belknap’s pregnant again and that’s why this storyline came up?

And food! Lindsay uses the pregnant excuse to get Mac to put a few berries in his mouth. From his face, it’s not pleasant but it is the trace Danny found in the car. It’s the miracle treat that I remember from the Graham Norton show. You have it and it’ll make bitter foods taste sweet—which may explain why Isabelle drank the drain cleaner so readily. So Isabelle was murdered but why?

Danny, Hawkes and Flack find the remains of the party and the miracle fruit. Flack gets a call and finds out our text messenger is Quincy Feeney. He and Mac ask her why she texted her boyfriend with the message. Quincy says she idolized Isabelle but Tony panicked when he found her dead in the apartment. They thought she had a fatal allergic reaction and he didn’t want some so famous dying in his apartment. Mac asks for her boots, finding a squished berry on her boot—matching the trace. She helped move the body. Quincy felt that Tony was too drunk to drive. The plan was to dump the body, dump the car and then go back to the city.

Back at the apartment, Danny and Hawkes pack away a meal they can’t believe people ate. They find a blood trail to the bathroom, finding blood all over the sink. She probably threw up as the cleaner went to work. Danny finds half empty Drain-o. They figure Tony spiked Isabelle’s drink while the party raged on.

New York! Ella is waiting in Mac’s office. She knows something about Isabelle’s murder. She brings up a card designed like Isabelle’s purse, flips it over, and it reads: “I want her dead.” Spooky.

Runway! Models show off Isabelle’s bags. They talk to Isabelle’s partner or soon to be ex-partner. Isabelle was suing her but the partner owned the label. They show a partner a picture of the card but it strikes a nerve, even though she designs knowing who made it. Meanwhile, Hawkes finds the Drain-o cocktail was made in the blender. But it wasn’t from the drain cleaner as the sodium hydroxide was pure. Time to find which guest had access to chemicals!

Sid talks to Mac and Stella about Declan’s murder. She figures the Greek assassin wanted something in the pawn shop. Sid finds some trace which she runs to process. She scans the silver as Danny comes in. It matches the coin from Indiana Jones and the Amulet of Rudy Giuliani. Stella figures there are more coins and the Greek Assassin is trying to locate all of them, killing the people who stand in his way.

You know what? Both my heritages have been the enemy on this show. I’m half-Greek and look, we have an evil Greek assassin. I’m also half-Irish and the Irish Mafia broke into the crime lab in the season 3 finale.

New York! Stella and Angel talk to some obnoxious parolee. He is Stan and he’s a counterfeiter. They want him to design some coins in exchange for Stan’s brother to be moved to a closer prison.

Hawkes goes through an electronic device. Apparently, the device isn’t working properly (or the business partner doesn’t have any DNA). Mac goes for the device. Adam confirms there was elephant dung in a bag in Tony’s apartment, matching the elephant dung under Isabelle’s fingers. The dung matches that of the elephants in the Manhattan zoo. Seems the zookeepers sell the dung to a man named Colby who makes paper out of them. Lovely. Anyway, Colby was at Tony’s party. Adam goes for a high five but Danny wisely leaves him hanging.

Danny and Flack meet Colby. He was pulling a college prank on her as the first person he saw. It was to test the berries. Colby swears he didn’t kill Isabelle, they were occasional bed buddies. And he used to make the paper for Isabelle’s labels. Danny, meanwhile, spots sodium hydroxide and confiscates it. Lindsay goes over the card Ella brought over but can’t find any trace. Except for signs of Ella. A sketch was found underneath the purse. Mac runs a handwriting analysis using Ella’s statement. The card was a fake so Mac goes to confront her. And she is about to learn you don’t piss off Mac Taylor. Ella apologizes but reveals that she thought Mac cared about her. She has daddy issues, acting out for attention.

Danny tests the sodium hydroxide. He confirms a match and hauls Colby back into interrogation. Flack goes at him. Isabelle and Colby chatted it up constantly for two months. Then Isabelle cut him off but he phone stalked her. Colby admits that Isabelle broke up with him because he was cheating on her. Colby still swears that he didn’t kill Isabelle and reveals the ex-business partner was the woman he cheated on Isabelle with. He’s still denying it when Danny reveals Isabelle was killed with his sodium hydroxide.

Meanwhile, Mac finds out about Stella’s plans with Stan. And he doesn’t approve on grounds it compromises the lab’s integrity. He tells her to stand down. She fights back. He orders her to stand down. She leaves angry. And Danny comes in to tell Mac that Colby got a lawyer. Hawkes comes in with DNA news. Apparently, the blender used to make the Drain-o cocktail had traces of leaf that, if ingested, could mask DNA in saliva. And it’s find in Southeast Asia. The ex-business partner revealed she was from Thailand. Hmm…If you weren’t smelling a rat when Colby admitted she was his lover, this is definitely sounding the alarms. Motive, opportunity and means.

Guess who is in interrogation? With a snuff box full of those leaves and traces of sodium hydroxide. She killed Isabelle, who stood up for herself. And so she killed her.

Angel meets a Greek diplomat in a dinner and passes him an envelope. It has a coin in it. Looks like Stella’s plan is in effect despite Mac’s orders. As she and Stella drive off, Mac gets a call. It’s just crying and then Ella apologizes for something. He rushes to her apartment, kicks in the door, and finds a bloody knife. She cries she’s tired of being alone and reveals her wrists. She’s not dying; she did it the wrong way. It’s up the block, not across the street! And it’s sad I know that. Mac carries her out of the apartment as the camera focuses on a secret that says “I will make him love me.” Creepy.

I smell February sweeps set ups! An Ella kidnapping/crazy stalking Mac Taylor? Stella having an intense confrontation with the Greek Assassin? Messer-Monroe Baby? What do you think?

My Favorite Version of a Christmas Carol. Ever.

And is anyone familiar with my blog surprised it is the Disney one?

Mickey's Christmas Carol stars Scrooge McDuck as, appropriately, Ebenezer Scrooge. Mickey and Minnie Mouse naturally play Bob Cratchit and his wife with one of Mickey's nephews portraying Tiny Tim. Goofy is a not-so-scary Marley while Jiminy Cricket, Willie the Giant and Peg-Leg Pete play the ghosts (Past, Present and Future respectively). Donald Duck plays Scrooge's nephew Fred while Daisy plays Scrooge's old girlfriend Isabelle.

Unlike Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, this one acknowledges Fred and shows the ghosts in proper order. However, a warning for those with little kids, the Ghost of Christmas Future's sequence may be a bit intense for the tots as flames arise out of Scrooge's tomb. However, it is one of the few times this particular Dickens ghost gets a face.

Seeing the classic Disney characters act out one of the best known Christmas stories is a thrill and may help introduce younger views to such characters as Willie the Giant or Mr. Toad (who played Fezziwig). And it's always good to see Mickey and the gang in 2-D (clearly, I'm not a fan of the 3-D Mickey).

My father taped a showing of Mickey's Christmas Carol which also featured a few old animated shorts, including one of Goofy's old "How to" shorts (if you have never seen these, do. They are hysterical, particularly the winter sports). My other favorite involves Chip and Dale, Pluto and Mickey's Christmas tree. It is beautifully animated and quite a good watch.

Perhaps I'm a bit biased, but I think I shall give this one five candy canes.

Merry Christmas to all and in the Morning, I'm Getting a Cat-Scan!

The last movie dealt with one scenario of Santa's beginnings. This one proposes a different theory: Put on the red suit, you become Santa Claus.

Yes, The Santa Clause. It tells the story of Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) an executive who isn't the Christmasy or fatherly type. One Christmas Eve, he and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), disturb Santa Claus right off the roof. Scott puts on the suit, Charlie finds the sleigh and the next thing he knows, he reluctantly gives out all the presents. The reindeer take him to the North Pole where he meets elves Bernard (David Krumholtz) and Judy (Paige Tamada) who try to guide Scott to be Santa. However, he's convinced it's a dream but Charlie knows it is real. As Scott goes through the transformation from Tim Allen to Santa Claus, his ex-wife (Wendy Crewson) and her new husband (Judge Reinhold) grew more worried about his relationship with Charlie. As Scott embraces his inner-Santa, the police start a manhunt for him and Charlie.

This is one of Allen's best, allowing him to show a range from his typical comedic shtick to dramatic moments. Lloyd also held his own despite his age and Reinhold plays well off of Allen. Krumholtz is also a delight as an elf.

The script has very light moments that serve the holiday spirit well. It can also easily be the best of the three Santa Clause movies. For that, I give it four and a half candy canes out of five.

Let It Be Known Across the Land From Sea to Sea...

Let's face it. Come December, the most popular guy on the planet is Santa Claus (no matter what you call him--St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, Pere Noel, etc). And there are many movies out there that star the jolly merrymaker facing many different scenarios. Yet, what are Santa's origins?

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town seeks to answer that question. It tells the young story of Kris Kringle, the adopted son of a family of toymakers. He grows up learning how to make toys, be generous and little tricks that he would later apply to his trade. Upon reaching adulthood, he decides to go hand out his family's toys in a nearby town. Unfortunately, the Burgermeister--the ruler--has just declared toys illegal after suffering an injury. Kris has to sneak in the toys with the help of local schoolteacher Jessica, the Winter Warlock, and a penguin named Topper. In time, Kris adopts the name Santa Claus and limits his visits to Christmas Eve, but is still the generous soul he ever was.

Narrated by Fred Astaire, the store is told in the claymation style that was popular in TV's early days. Like Rudolph and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, the songs in this special are particularly memorable as well. There is the title song that everyone knows by heart crooned masterfully by Astaire. My family's favorite is "No More Toymakers to the King!"--regarding the Burgermeister Meisterburger's decision to outlaw toys. And I know I've hummed to myself "One Foot in Front of the Other" in difficult or nerve-wracking times.

Another thing I love about this special is how strong-willed and independent Jessica is in it. She stands up for the children, helps Kris bring joy and finds a way to break him and his friends out of prison. In some ways, she is his greatest ally and it is no surprise that she becomes Mrs. Claus. One most hope the women who have played (or will play) Santa's wife take a few lessons from Jessica. She is how I imagine Mrs. Claus to be--Santa's equal partner.

For Jessica Claus and a rallying anthem, I award Santa Claus is Comin' to Town five candy canes out of five.

And I leave you with one quote: "A yo-yo? I love yo-yos!"
"Sire, you are breaking your own law!"

Never underestimate the power of a yo-yo.

New York Has Its Own Bermuda Triangle?

It’s been awhile since I did a recap. Sorry.

We hear a radio news broadcast as they show the Empire State Building. Some guy walks through midtown, talking about transmissions and listening to a busted iPod. Some guy’s radio goes out. Danny calls Lindsay that they changed his bus’ route and is running late. He then asks her about the baby. BABY? Lindsay’s pregnant? Is Danny the father? He says he has something important to say, but the call gets dropped. Everything goes haywire as an armored car suddenly gets electrocuted.

Credits! I am so excited for the Messer-Monroe baby…I hope it’s Messer-Monroe, that is.

Empire State Building! All done up in blue and white. Passover? High Holy Days? Hanukah? The armored vehicle driver is upset as he’s interviewed by Don. Mac and Stella investigate the dead guy. They spot burns as well as a wound. Stella talks but realizes Mac is no longer listening. Don says the victim’s name is Carl. His living partner is Greg. No consistent eye witness accounts. They try to spot Mac and Don wonders if it’s New York’s Bermuda Triangle, caused by the Empire State Building.

Sid gets Carl. He finds something lodged in the wound. He opens Carl up and microwaves something. He gives Hawkes busted metal fragments that were once Carl’s pacemaker. It was the thing that exploded. Sid is microwaving a pig’s liver to show that Carl’s liver was microwaved. Sid explains that communication devices that used to be at the World Trade Center were moved to the Empire State Building—causing the “Bermuda Triangle.”

Which gives Adam and Lindsay some problems with the video. Lindsay sneaks out to feed her cravings. Danny finds her and quizzes her on family history. When she passes, he asks her to marry him. She says no. LINDSAY! Why the hell not?

From baby drama to crime drama…Hawkes does some investigation and tries to put the pacemaker back together. Mac shows up and Hawkes confirms that it did explode. He gets a code and finds that Carl had remote reporting on his pacemaker. The maker knew he was going haywire at 4:56, same time the video conks out. Mac, Danny and Hawkes goes to the top of the Empire State Building. And I don’t mean the observation deck. They go to read the wires at the top. They walk around with devices, but most remain between 1 and 2, safety levels. Danny: “I can see the Poconos but I can’t see any dangerous microwave levels.” Mac rules out the building and turns to a possible microwave weapon. Flack calls but it is all crackling. However, Mac heard enough to know that no one stole any money from the armored car.

New York! Stella goes into Mac’s office to ask where he disappeared to. He responds he was with the FBI, Dean Walsh—we see in a flashback. Wished it was someone from Without a Trace. Remember the case with the person who had everything about everyone in New York on a flash drive? Remember how that drive disappeared? The FBI thinks Mac took it since he was the last to see it. The FBI threatens him not to use the drive. Mac flashes back to Hawkes giving it to him then goes to check the property room. Not there. Officer Kevin Cross vouchered the drive.

Lindsay goes to check in with Adam, who processed the armor car doors. He tried to figure out how someone opened the door. He gets a Satan ring, a very powerful magnet. He puts it over the lock, has Lindsay turns it and they crack the keypad. They realize the person who opened it had one. Don gets the picture and leaves immediately. He goes to see someone named Ernie Benton, an ex-con. Apparently, Ernie used the Satan’s ring. He pays off a young woman, saying he will lock up. He says he has cancer and didn’t do the robbery. He promises to be in the bar should Don need him.

Lindsay works on some trace—nameless the pineapple sticker found on Carl’s sleeve. She runs out of chemicals and hesitates getting some more—the fumes can’t be good for the baby. She does her best to protect the baby and load the chemical. Stella comes to check in. It is doused in fruit oils and zinc. Turns out Stella is also the Safety Officer. Lindsay asks about being a pregnant “friend” who is worried. Stella assures Lindsay it is fine and tells her that her “friend’s” coworkers will be understanding. And one has to wonder—does Stella see through this “friend”?

Hawkes and Mac talks about the microwave weapons while Danny comes in to say something is up with the armored car. The two go to the next bank on the car’s list. Some security car signs in and walks out with money, but signed in as Carl. Carl was dead. They figure the robber—not Ernie—had to know how to stop the real Carl from coming and know the schedule. Carl’s death probably wasn’t on the menu but it was clearly an inside job.

New York! Stella and Mac curse out the New York Bermuda Triangle. Danny can’t prove it’s an inside job. Mac remembers a sky-cam, one which shows the bank the guy robbed. They find our crazy guy who is a witness. Stella and Danny try to talk to him. The guy took something off our suspect. He goes back to detecting the frequency on the busted iPod. Adam examines the shoulder patch taken off the suspect. But it comes back clean for DNA and no scent. Lindsay suggests using the dogs. They collect a smell sample, give it to the dog. And run! He leads us straight to Greg—the driver.

Greg denies he was involved, saying Carl was like family. Mac and Don interrogate him but he swears he didn’t do it. He then tells them his spare uniform was picked up at his dry cleaners by someone who wasn’t him. They show him a picture of Ernie. He doesn’t know him. He storms out insisting he didn’t do it. Mac and Don believe him. Don theorizes that Ernie stalked the driver, disguised himself and did it. But Mac says he needed a partner to stop the car.

Hawkes gets a break. He tells Stella a lab in the city has a prototype microwave gun. He rushes off as Lindsay comes in. She says the pineapple was used to create a tantoo—a design created while tanning. Purposefully, not like that smiley face I had on my back all summer due to the tan lines caused by my bathing suit. Stella points out it isn’t tan weather but I come from the land of orange people—tanning salons are open all year round and very popular. Stella thinks the perp may have accidentally transferred. She got some DNA—which shows Ernie has a daughter. Probably that young woman.

New York. Stella and Lindsay give Mac a rundown about Ernie’s daughter. Hawkes says the gun could’ve been used, but someone had to know how to use it and wipe it down. She uses it to disrupt the traffic, killing the camera and then killing Carl’s pacemaker. Don and Stella go to ask Ernie were his daughter is. They figured daughter got greedy. He says he didn’t have anything to leave her so decided to do another job. He tries to attack Don, allowing Stella to get the daughter’s name. Jamie works for the lab and is seen taking a helicopter. The camera focuses on her pineapple design tantoo. She gets a text message and the helicopter leaves.

New York! Mac finds the dead body of Officer Kevin Cross, the property clerk. Mac sees some sneaky looking people in a black car. Meanwhile, Danny and Lindsay talk about her rejection. She says it’s the wrong time. He thinks that’s code for “wrong guy.” Lindsay assures him that she wants him to propose for the right reason. He agrees. They exchange “I love you’s” before going to tell Mac that they’re going to be parents. No words are said, but they get hugs. Aww…

Next time: A holiday episode. A rather interesting feast. And girl crying that she just wanted to see someone again. And images of blood.

Baby Messer-Monroe! I can’t wait! Anyone else as excited about this as I?

It's Great to be Back! Back!

Ahh, is there anything more classic Christmas than Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? There have been several adaptations of the story and a few will likely end up on this list. This is the first--Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.

Mr. Magoo (Jim Backus, best known as Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island--you know, the Millionaire) returns to the stage as Ebenezer Scrooge in a musical version of the Dickens classic. The role fits as Magoo himself is a miser--who won't even spring for a pair of much needed glasses. Magoo's lack of eyesight is often a catalyst for many calamaties off set. The story, otherwise, is well known--miserly Scrooge is visited by three spirits in hopes he will regain the Christmas spirit. The family of Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchit--particularly the ill young son Tiny Tim--help Scrooge realize tis better to give then receive.

It is unknown why the special changes the order of the ghosts. The Ghost of Christmas Present is the first ghost while the Ghost of Christmas Past follows him. Also, they knock out the story of Fred, Scrooge's nephew. But the story still retains the other characters we all know and love. I also think this one has the best Past sequence, with the hooligans selling Scrooge's possessions while singing about how bad they are. The legendary Paul Frees lends his voice to many characters, including some of these ne'er-do-wells.

The songs featured in the show are memorable. From the lament young Scrooge sings about being alone in the world to the the Cratchits joyous celebration of Christmas, all will have you humming (and sometimes clapping) along.

For being an entertaining retelling of A Christmas Carol but for never really telling us what a razleberry was, I give Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol four and a half candy canes out of five.

The Meaning of Christmas

Who doesn't love Charlie Brown? And who doesn't root for him? Who doesn't pray that this time, he really will kick the ball? Or that his baseball team will win? Everybody loves Charlie Brown. And everyone loves A Charlie Brown Christmas, the half-hour special that debuted in 1965.

Charlie Brown is concerned. Christmas is coming and he doesn't feel excited. He looks at how commercialized the holiday is--his dog Snoopy decorating his dog house to win a prize, his sister Sally asking Santa for money--and becomes more melancholy. Lucy decides he needs to get involved, making him the director of the Christmas pageant. However, no one listens to him so he goes to get a tree. When ridiculed for his tree, Charlie Brown finally explodes, asking for the meaning of Christmas. Linus tells him the meaning of Christmas, but he storms out. In the end, the children realize the tree isn't all that bad and Charlie Brown gets his Christmas spirit.

This is a classic and rings truer every year. It seems as the commercials start earlier and earlier (Honestly, one year, we're going to wake up on the day after Labor Day and see Christmas ads running), more and more people focus on the commercialism of the holiday. Charlie Brown reminds us that it isn't about how we decorate the house, what we ask Santa for, what we get under the tree. It reminds us that Christmas is about being together, about putting a smile on someone else's face. And the part where Linus repeats the lines from Luke's Gospel regarding the shepherds says it all: "Peace on earth and goodwill to men."

And it tells it all in a simple, funny manner. My screenwriting professor showed this as an example of a sitcom, knowing we'd be able to pay attention to the format rather than the content. And we were as we were saying the lines with the movie: "Don't you know sarcasm when you hear it?" "I've been kissed by a dog! Get some hot water, get some disinfectant, get some iodine!" "Do innkeepers' wives have naturally curly hair?" etc.

And who hasn't seen a rather pathetic little Christmas tree and called it a "Charlie Brown" tree?

This classic gets five candy canes for having staying power and for reminding it's audiences about the true meaning of Christmas.

Misfits ROCK!

"Why am I such a misfit? Why am I such a misfit? Just because my nose glows..."

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the longest running Christmas special, debuting a year before the classic Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown! We've all sung the song, but a refresher. Rudolph is born with a glowing red nose. His parents, Donner and his wife, cover up the nose but it's discovered. Rudolph is ridiculed by everyone. Meanwhile, elf Herbie is having trouble fitting in with the other elves. You see, Herbie doesn't want to make toys. Herbie wants to be a dentist! He is ridiculed by the other elves. He and Rudolph decide to run away, where they go on many adventures--befriending Yukon Cornelius, running from the Abdominal Snowman and visiting the Island of Misfit Toys. Eventually, they return to the North Pole to save Christmas.

The movie comes with humor, poignancy, yet a moral lesson at heart: Treat everyone with respect. No one's dreams should be crushed, mocked. And I must say, recently rewatching this classic, I was disturbed with how cruel everyone really was. Young reindeer? Okay, we've all made fun of that funny kid (and have been that funny kid). Head Elf/Taskmaster? Yes, we've all had this type of boss/teacher. But SANTA CLAUS? The man who determines who is naughty and who is nice? The most generous man on earth? He is downright mean to Rudolph throughout most of the movie, viewing the nose as some sort of disability that prevents Rudolph from having a normal life. Fortunately, he comes around and admits he was wrong. I guess even Santa needs to learn a lesson or two.

And why was that doll on the Island of Misfit Toys in the first place? She seemed perfectly normal to my father and I.

The special comes with some great songs, most sung by the legendary Burl Ives. Multiple viewings of Rudolph are the reason why I was listening to a music clip and was able to identify Ives immediately as the singer despite never hearing the song before. "Silver and Gold" has to be one of my favorite songs of the movie.

For a strong moral message, for being a classic, I am awarding Rudolph four candy canes out of five. It loses one because of my newfound awareness of how cruel everyone is in this special.

Talk About Issues, Oy.

"Fred Claus" isn't your usual Santa Claus movie. In fact, it's a movie about family dysfunction masquerading as a Santa movie.

Fred (Vince Vaughn) is the older brother of jolly old St. Nicholas himself (Paul Giamatti). The movie details exactly why Fred becomes estranged from his brother--Nicholas was clearly the darling of their mother's (Kathy Bates) eye. (Papa Claus--Treavor Peacock--just stands there throughout the whole movie and is a waste of space). So years later, Fred is living in Chicago. He loses his girlfriend Wanda (Rachel Weisz) and ends up in jail in one day and, while pleading with his brother for bail money, ends up agreeing to work at the North Pole for money to open a new business. Fred goes up to the North Pole, much to Annette Claus' (Miranda Richardson) dismay. He befriends Willy (John Michael Higgins) and Charlene (Elizabeth Banks) and shakes things up at the North Pole. For some reason, Santa appears to be part of a larger corporation who has sent Clyde (Kevin Spacey) to evaluate the North Pole's efficiency. If Santa fails, Christmas is cancelled. With Fred's misadventures and some underhanded prodding by Clyde, it takes a miracle to save the holiday.

The movie takes care to show why Fred is slightly justified in his feelings toward his family. In fact, if he had written to Dear Abby, I'm sure she would've told him to cut ties with them. And in an intervention scene, there is a moment where you watch them fight and think, "And they think Fred has the problems?" Wanda hits his problem though on the head but the family ignores it--he is afraid to let people love him because he doesn't have the self-esteem to. Santa in this movie is depicted as not knowing that you can do the wrong thing for the right reason (like chopping down his brother's favorite tree to be the family Christmas tree) or that someone is rarely naughty for the sake of being naughty. This was an interesting angle to take.

The movie is clearly supposed to be about Fred and Nick's reconnecting as brothers. I feel it fell far from this point. There are a few moments of brotherly interactions between the two, but Fred had a stronger relationship with Willie than his own brother. He comes back to help his brother out on Christmas Eve, but the feeling that they are reconciled is never achieved between Santa and Fred. This feeling is better between Annette and Fred as well as Wanda and Fred, but not so much where it matters. There is never really a scene showing them not fighting and just being two brothers until the very end, when Fred needs to save the day.

Vaughn does a good job balancing the comedy and dramatic as Fred Claus. He plays the goof-off with a heart of gold well, so this was up his alley. Giamatti was also a good choice as Santa, slightly neurotic yet still the kindly person we all imagine. Bates was spot-on as the overbearing and disapproving mama. Both Weisz and Richardson were severally underused in their roles, Richardson making the best of what she was given in every scene she was in. Spacey stole the movie as Clyde as did Higgins as Willie. Banks was good though she deserved some more costume than something ordered out of Victoria's Secret.

The movie has some cute scenes, particularly when Fred dons the famous red suit. Keep your eyes peeled at the Siblings Anonymous meeting--some famous faces related to even more famous faces play themselves.

So, for being almost cute and not great, for causing me to want to slap everyone in the movie, for underusing Miranda Richardson, for not clearing up certain things (like my sister yelled throughout the course of the movie: "WHY ARE THEY ALL STILL ALIVE?"), I give "Fred Claus" three candy canes out of five.

Three Words That Best Describe Are as Follows

And I quote: "Stink. Stank. Stunk."

Yes, I go to a beloved Christmas special, which for the record, isn't near the above statement.

"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" brings the classic story to life in vibrant colors as a merry cartoon. Everyone in Whoville knows the story: The Grinch lives near Whoville and is not a Christmas person. In order to get some peace, quiet and no holiday cheer, he disguises himself as Santa Claus and removes every physical reminder of the holiday from Whoville. But as he learns that these things don't make Christmas, well, Christmas, will he realize what does?

Boris Karloff, a master of the horror genre, adds a credible level to the Grinch as a mean-spirited, almost menacing, character. And who doesn't love the adorable Max, dragged along as an unwilling participant in his master's plans? The scene as the Grinch recalls what will happen on Christmas morning mirrors what happens in houses across the world as children rush to the tree. And who hasn't looked at a young child with a noisy toy and briefly understood the Grinch's grief: "Oh the noise! Noise! Noise!"

And no matter how many viewings of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," one always has a feeling that maybe, just maybe, the Grinch won't save the sleigh in time. But the smile on your face is always worth it when he does.

Something for the trivia buffs: Watch the Grinch's eyes as he ponders why Christmas still came. They go from red to blue at the line "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." They return to red but remain blue till the end of the special.

And so, maybe in a spirit of nostalgia and in honor of a true masterpiece, I award "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" five candy canes! Okay, everyone, all together now: "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch..."

Graduation Day at Rydell High

Commencement exercises will be on Jan. 4, 2009 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre when the recently revival of "Grease" closes.

The classic musical tells the story of good girl Sandy and greaser Danny, two star crossed lovers fighting their places in high school society to be with them. With their colorful friends by them, will Sandy and Danny ever be together?

"Grease" is a nostalgic look back at the 50s and contains the songs "Grease," "Summer Lovin'," "Grease Lightning," "Hopelessly Devoted," "We Go Together," and "You're the One That I Want."

This revival was known for using television to cast its leads a la American Idol and the (more popular) British show "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" (which gave way to "Any Dream Will Do" and "I'd Do Anything"). Max Crumm and Laura Osnes sang their way into America's hearts and won the competition, aired on NBC. Currently, former contestants Ashley Spencer and Derek Keeling play Sandy and Danny. The show received mixed reviews and often turned to stunt casting (for example, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks as "Teen Angel").

The film counterpart is more beloved, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Rumors of a remake have been floating around for some time, with Michelle Pfeifer (who starred in the disasterous Grease 2--which is so bad it's good) attached as executive producer and rumored to be courting Jessica Simpson to play Sandy.

Love is All You Need

Continuing in my "25 Christmas Movies" of December, I move on to a movie that has become a new holiday tradition for me.

Love, Actually intertwines the lives of several Londoners in the weeks leading up to Christmas. David (Hugh Grant) is the new prime minister who falls in love with a member of his staff, Natalie (Martine McCutcheon). His sister, Karen (Emma Thompson) is trying to console her friend Daniel after the death of his wife and help with his stepson Sam (Thomas Sangster). Karen's husband, Harry (Alan Rickman), has enough of love at his office. One employee, Sarah (Laura Linney), is desperately in love with another, Karl (Rodrigo Santoro), but afraid to make a move due to family obligations while Harry's secretary, Mia (Heike Makatsch), is flirting with him. Mia's friend, Mark (Andrew Lincoln) is trying to keep himself together though is in love with his best friend's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) girl (Keira Knightley). After their wedding, Jamie (Colin Firth) discovers his girlfriend cheating on him with his brother and goes into the French countryside to finish his book. There, he meets his Portuguese housekeeper Aurelia (Lucia Moniz). Meanwhile, wedding caterer Colin (Kris Marshall) decides to go to America to get laid. His friend Tony (Abdul Salis) is against the idea as he continues to work on a film. During the arguments, two of Tony's stand ins, John and Judy (Martin Freeman and Joanna Page) fall in love. And all of this is cut between aging rocker Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) trying to reignite his career with a number one Christmas single--"Christmas is All Around."

Phew! While the plot seems to be difficult to follow on paper, director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral) weaves them all so that they aren't as confusing on film. Mr. Curtis also wrote the script and tells some timeless stories of love: forbidden, unrequited, love-at-first-sight, first love, true love mixed in with betrayal, hard work, and tears. The cast is top notch--Firth, Grant, McCutcheon, Thompson, Rickman and Linney are especially to be commended. Sangster is also a screen stealer, even for his young age, as the precocious and in-love Sam. The scenes between him and on-screen father Neeson are some of the most touching in the movie.

The shots are wonderful--London at Christmas time. Once again the soundtrack is complementary to the stories and back grounds. And it reminds us all what Christmas is about: Love. So, four and a half candy canes. (It loses a half candy cane for not really revealing certain characters' post-Christmas fates).

No Place Like Home For the Holidays...

Ever reach a point in your life where it feels everything is crashing down around you? Ever found that just a change in scenery helps set everything back in order?

This is the basic premise in my first holiday movie review--The Holiday. Both Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) have their lovelifes end tragically--Iris' beau is engaged to another woman, Amanda's is cheating with his secretary. Despondent and frustrated, the two meet through a house swap website. Amanda decides to go to Iris' English cottage for two weeks--Christmas--while Iris occupies the other's LA mansion. In England, Amanda meets Iris' brother Graham (Jude Law), a charmer with a secret. The two begin a fling that develops into something deeper. Meanwhile, Iris befriends Amanda's elderly neighbor Arthur (Eli Wallach), part of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and composer Miles (Jack Black). These two men help Iris find a new self-confidence.

The movie is a real pick-me-up, with each woman taking a different journey. Iris has been in a funk we've all been in and needs a new outlook on life. Arthur gives it to her using the only way he knows--the movies. He has her watch movies with strong heroines, encouraging her to be the heroine of her own movie, not the best friend. Miles gives her a relationship where she doesn't feel like the dirty little secret or skeleton in the closet. Across the pond, Graham reintroduces Amanda to her fun side, to the side not addicted to work. He brings out a side she's been suppressing since she was a teenager, reconnecting her to her emotions. The movie allows for a great character-study, something not really seen in your typical holiday rom-com.

I do feel that the movie spends more time focusing on the romance growing between Graham and Amanda. While there's no denying that Law and Diaz have a magnetic chemisty, it would've been nice to see Black and Winslet play off each other more. The scenes between Iris and Miles are always uplifting, even when the two are commiserating over their failed relationships. Their romance isn't as built up as Amanda's is and it hurts the ending of the movie. However, Iris' relationship with Arthur overshadows Miles, a mentor-mentoree relationship that is really the catalyst for Iris' transformation. Miles is just a domino in this equation.

With Miles being a composer, the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard. It has a holiday feel even when mixed in with the "taking a stand" and "romance" motifs for each character. Movies also play a large part throughout the film--Iris is surrounded by Hollywood, Amanda is haunted by a voice over artist narrating her life as if it were the theatrical trailers she cuts. Winslet and Diaz are charming as ever, Black has grounded his goofy persona to create a more serious romantic interest while Law can make any woman swoon as Graham.

All these work together to make a wonderful romantic comedy, with just a dash of Christmas thrown in. A good-for-all-year round viewing, not just Christmas. So, it gets four out of five stars but on the holiday scale, three and a half candy canes.

Prepare for Departure...

In another blow to Broadway, Tony Award-winning revival Boeing-Boeing will close shortly after the New Year. It will go on tour, but leave yet another theatre dark.


Boeing-Boeing tells the story of one man and the three women in his life, all flight attendants. This allows him to juggle his love life until it all comes crashing down on him.


The revival was part of a trend where the plays opening on Broadway were getting more buzz than most of the musicals that opened last season. It currently plays at the Longacre Theater.

Boeing-Boeing will close in the same month as hits Spamalot, Hairspray, 13 and Spring Awakening. The news also comes shortly after American Buffalo, starring John Leguizamo, Haley Joel Osment and Cedric the Entertainer, closed after only 8 performances due to lagging ticket sales.

Tickets are too expensive now and have been for quite some time. It's time to figure out a way to bring them down and maybe revive the failing Great White Way.

Like a Bolt Out of the Blue

Every year, my family has a tradition. While other people are shoving and, apparently, killing each other at Black Friday sales, we go to the movies like everyone else who doesn't want to deal with the mall. This year, we went to see Disney Animation's new movie, Bolt.

Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) is the canine star of a hit television show along with his "human," Penny (Miley Cyrus). The show's director (in perfect casting, James Lipton of "Inside the Actor's Studio) is a firm believer of method acting--even for the dog. So he creates an almost The Truman Story like environment. Bolt is never allowed to be a real dog nor see anything that would indicate nothing is real (for instance, a boom mike). Bolt grows very protective of Penny, unaware that she really isn't in danger and that his powers are actually well-choreographed stunts.

This environment backfires when Bolt, thinking Penny has been kidnapped, escapes to save her. He winds up across the country in New York City. A trio of pigeons (approriately named Joey, Vinny and Bobby) lead Bolt to Mittens (Susie Essman), a declawed alley cat. Believing she is working with Penny's abductior, Bolt drags Mittens on a cross-journey trek to save his beloved person. Along the way, they meet a hamster named Rhino (Mark Walton), a big fan of Bolt's. He, too, believes the TV show is real but Bolt soon learns the difference between fact and fiction. He also learns the meaning of friendship and true heroism.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie takes place about halfway through. Bolt has dragged Mittens to Ohio, where they stumble upon an RV campground. Bolt is hungry but needs to be taught how to beg by the cat. In a silly montage, Bolt begs his way to a full meal...but true hilarity happens when Mittens tries to do the same. Of course, if I were at the park, I'd put out a bowl of milk for the cat. While Mittens does play a big role and get an arc of her own, I did sit through the movie wondering what the writers had against cats.

But for the characters who really stole the show, that belongs to the pigeons--be they the New York trio of Bobby, Vinny and Joey or the Cali duo of Billy, Tom and Blake. From the accents to the mannerisms, particularly the Cali duo pitching a script idea to Bolt, they were a delight whenever on the screen. As for the main cast, Travolta gave a spot-on performance as a dog who believes he has powers who is disillusioned during the course of the movie. Cyrus' performance was pretty good, but as Penny's age is never established, sometimes her voice is hit or miss--sometimes perfect, sometimes a bit too old it seems for Penny. Essman and Walton give wonderful supporting performances.

The design, while not as superior as sister company Pixar's, was a vast improvement over "Meet the Robinsons." It seemed more lifelike than the Robinsons' past background designs. When Bolt was in New York, I could recognize the city and was impressed with how accurate it was (Though for the future, Disney animators, New York has not used the "Walk/Don't Walk" signs for quite some time).

All in all, it was a cute movie--much better suited for younger children than Pixar's summer offering Wall-E. It doesn't drag and offers some splending shots--even if they are CGI. Stay tuned for the credits for a lovely duet between Cyrus and Travolta entitled "I Though I Lost You."

Pink Slips All Around!

Tis the season...to close up shop.

In the Broadway realm, 2005 Tony Award winner Spamalot has announced it will close up shop a week earlier than previously expected. The Eric Idle musical will now play its final performance on Jan. 11 rather than Jan. 18. The musical is "lovingly ripped off" of "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail" and originally starred Tim Curry, Hank Azaria ("The Simpsons"), David Hyde Pierce ("Frasier") and Sara Ramirez ("Grey's Anatomy"). It plays at the Shubert Theater.

Likewise, new musical 13 will also close. The Jason Robert Brown ("Parade") offering will close on Jan. 4. The show tells the story of Evan Goldman as he turns that world-shaking age of 13, dealing with love, friendship and a new school. The principle cast is also comprised of teenage performers, many who were praised by critics in their reviews of the show. 13 plays the Bernard B. Jacobs theater.

Spamalot Original Broadway Cast recording is alreay out in stores; 13's will come out this Tuesday.

Theater isn't the only hard hit area. TV has been taking a bit of a beating as well. Last week, NBC cancelled Christian Slater vehicle "My Own Worst Enemy" and there were rumors that "Lipstick Jungle" was on the chopping block as well. However, Brooke Shields has said that nothing is confirmed about the fate of her show. In its daytime department, though, "Days of our Lives" has seen two surprise cuts: Marlena and John will be leaving Salem. Over at ABC, three shows have reportedly been told they will be shuttering: Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money. Looks like my plea at the end of my Top Model recap fell on deaf ears.

In regards to Pushing Daisies, I think one of its main problems was the Writers' Strike that gripped the industry this time last year. It finished up its remaining episodes by December and then ABC unwisely (in my opinion) did not rerun any episodes. If anything has been proved, expecting an audience to wait from December to September is quite stupid. Also, the reruns could've garned more of an audience for the premiere this year if done over the summer. I had been hoping for them while waiting for Top Model to start again because I knew my family liked the show. Plus, I love Kristin Chenoweth. Eli Stone had trouble finding an audience, ABC never let Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money keep theirs.

Also, ABC--holding Life on Mars till near February? Not smart. You're suddenly losing your Wednesday line up (Private Practice is moving to Thursdays in the new year) and already admitted to moving the series to fill it somewhat. Don't hold it. It's confusing when watching from week to week, imagine what a near two month gap is going to do to the audience? It didn't work for Heroes and it didn't work for Lost. Learn from past mistakes! These are shows with season-long arcs, not episodic like CSI or ER--which can withstand such a break. Don't let the audience lose interest!

Who Makes Mama Tyra Proud?

The last cycle: We had 14 contestants and fights, fights, fights. Tonight, we crown America’s Next Top Model. Will it be McKey/Cage Girl? Or what about Analeigh? Or will it be Samantha? Oh, are they bringing back Jeremy Scott, that whiner?

Bring on the winner, baby!

Amsterdam! And TYRA MAIL! “Makkelijk, Fris, Mooi” (Thank you to my new DVR). For us who don’t speak Dutch, Sam translates: Easy, breezy, beautiful. Time for Cover Girl commercials! In Dutch!

Mr. Jay stares as the girls face the opposite way from him. He finally yells “Behind you!” and they turn around. And we know what this: commercial and then the final photo shoot. The winner’s picture will be displayed in both Times Square and Wal-Mart. Mr. Jay brings out Whitney, who talks about the product and then tells them they will be kissing someone. They hit makeup and hair, where Analeigh admits she freezes.

The three girls tell us that the commercial is three girls, on a boat who spot a cute guy and kiss him. Sam goes first and doesn’t have her usual energy. Sam wishes the boy doesn’t have herpes. Lovely. She kisses him as Jay dismisses her. McKey goes in for hers and is frozen in fear from her last (horrible) commercial. Is she in front of a green screen? She sounded good, but kept moving. It’s like when I was in public presentation class and the teacher talked about NOT rocking when speaking. Then Analeigh gets in front of the camera and blanks.

Commercial. Anyone else want to see “Four Christmases”?

Canals! Analeigh just breezes through the takes and not in a good way. Jay has to feed her the lines. He praises the way she takes direction, but she needs to find it. And then she gets the kiss. Mr. Jay calls it a wrap on the boat. Now, Jim de Yonker comes back to shoot the photo shoot without Mr. Jay. Sam tries to channel recently departed Marjorie’s Hunchback of Notre Dame pose. Cage Girl scares me when she smiles. Jim calls it a wrap.

TYRA MAIL! “Tomorrow you will meet with the judges. Only two of you will continue on in hopes of becoming America’s Next Top Model.” Analeigh mourns the short tenure of her photo. Sam rubs it in but then it reveals that it’s because she knows she could go home. She and Analeigh fret while McKey sleeps like a baby.

JUDGING! Where’s the rest of Tyra’s outfit? She introduces the guest judge as Addy van den Krommenacker (once again, thank you DVR!), the fashion designer the final two will walk the runway for. They view the commercial. McKey is hardly in it. Sam’s individual is up first. Nigel says she was distracted by herself. Ms. J didn’t understand her. They see her picture and don’t like her smile. Analeigh is next. You can tell she’s pausing to get the next line. Paulina calls her a good actress but wonders what happens. Tyra notes she’s good with the teleprompter. And for the picture, Tyra shows Analeigh how to close her lips and not be too sexy. McKey is last. She turned it out from the last shot though the designer thinks she went too fast. Her picture is praised. She is warned not to look crazy.

I love McKey’s outfit though. And it’s Whitney’s last “My Life as a Cover Girl.” And it’s just all her old ones set to “I’ll Melt With You.” Anyone else notice that they tend to take the girl with the most personality and suck it right out of them for these spots? Man.

Deliberation. Sam screams “catalogue” but can’t pull it off. Analeigh has a great body but Paulina worries about her face. They praise McKey but worry about her work, comparing her to Lurch. ELIMINATION! The first girl safe is: McKey. I really want to know where she got that dress! I’ve been looking for a cute sun dress for summers now! BRING BACK THE CUTE SUN DRESS! Anyway, Analeigh and Sam are in the final two. Analeigh has strong poses but a weak face. Samantha looks commercial but couldn’t pull off a commercial shot. So, who’s stomping against McKey? WAIT, THE HELL? It’s SAMANTHA? Damn you, Tyra. Good news, that idiot who posted on Wikipedia was wrong. But now, I want him/her to be right about the winner—GO CAGE GIRL! Analeigh should be in the bottom two, damn you.

You know, this is like when Saleisha won. They are pitting McKey, who they fear the walk, with someone with a so-so book. It’s Saleisha-Chantal all over again. Anyway, Sam and McKey met Ann Shoket to shoot their Seventeen cover shot. Ann says it’ll be a tough call.

AMSTERDAM! Mr. Jay shows Sam and McKey the runway. Which is very pink. He calls it “Willy Wonka-Dr. Suessian.” He has hills, warning them that it won’t be the hills but the length that gets him. Whitney comes to lead off the show, per usual. The final two hit hair and makeup. Sutan gives Sam a pep talk as the audience fills in. Well, at least they have an audience unlike Saleisha-Chantal’s walk. Tyra goes to speak to the girls and glad to hear them say they are nervous—to release the tension. She tells them to make Mama proud. Sam promises us the best runway show ever.

McKey is nervous something will go wrong as Mr. Jay goes over the runway. The judges enter while Ms. J has some giant balloon. And thus, the fashion starts. I like Addy’s designs so far. Looks like stuff I’d actually wear. And McKey further proves she’s easily distracted as she talks about the audience having fun. She talks about running up the hill in her tin foil dress. Sam quickly changes, as does McKey. Sam struggles to put her shoes on as McKey does her next turn. I like Sam’s final dress over McKey’s. Now, the finale. I don’t think these two are the strongest walkers in the bunch—Analeigh was the last great walker. Tyra praises the girls walking though—saying they stood out. I’m not sure—we know they stood out because the cameras only focused on them. With that…

I WANT THOSE DRESSES! I mean, JUDGING! So, which villainess’ closet did Tyra raid for that? Anyway, we have judges, Ms. J’s bling and the prizes: a contract with Elite Management, a spread and cover in Seventeen Magazine and a contract with Cover Girl cosmetics.

McKey: Tyra liked her faces. I thought she was glaring at them the entire time.

Sam: Tyra compares her to a butterfly. Ms. J loved her walk with the chiffon. Tyra worried about her nerves going to her mouth.

Now it’s time to review the work. Modeling 101 to two of their best pictures—their swimsuits. Sam does look better with short hair. Tyra likes McKey’s muscles. They focus on McKey’s legs. Sam is praised for her face. Tyra’s shoot—Nigel loved Sam’s natural shot but McKey’s glam shot. Tyra and Ms. J like Sam’s glam. Paulina likes how she uses her limb. Now the judges will deliberate and the winner will be declared.

Top Models in Action! ANYA! How, she was beautiful. That was a tough call between her and Whitney. Of course, fortunately, she doesn’t have to talk. She does look better as a brunette though, but still looks absolutely stunning.

So judges final thoughts:

Samantha
Nigel: Samantha looks commercial but is great at high-fashion. Photographs well.
Paulina: She looks like a healthy, California beauty. Needs to practice her walk.
Tyra and Ms. J: Love how she moves her body.

McKey
Nigel: Didn’t see a star until the walk. Thinks she did better at the walk, but not as elegance.
Ms. J: Loves her body.

And I really want those dresses, especially Samantha’s. So, only one can become America’s Next Top Model.

And she is: McKey! Looks like that idiot got at least ONE thing right. Well, okay, s/he knew Marjorie wouldn’t make it to the final three. McKey hugs a crying Samantha then goes to celebrate as Tyra hugs Samantha. I hope she gets to keep that dress. Anyone know where a cheap knock-off can be found? McKey celebrates. Tyra makes her work her neck so hard, I’m surprised she didn’t get whiplash. She was a cute kid.

Nigel shoots McKey’s winner’s shoot as Mr. Jay celebrates with them.

And so, McKey joins the ranks and one can hope she demands better My Life as a Cover Girl. Are you happy? Mad? Sad? Thinking the final two shouldn’t have been the final two, like me? Let me know!

Meanwhile, I’m switching to Pushing Daisies until Cycle 12! Don’t cancel it on me, ABC!

Christmas Classics New and Old

So, I know Thanksgiving is next week but, let's face it--there aren't any really good Thanksgiving movies out there (with the exception of Squanto perhaps). Maybe I'll write one, maybe there is one I don't know about. Either way, the season is upon us: HOLIDAY MOVIES! And I don't mean the ones coming out now so they'll be in the minds of the Academy when voting time comes. I mean the ones that come out throughout November and December that feature everyone's favorite gift-giving holiday.

I absolutely love Christmas movies. Every December means there's a new batch for me to fall in love with--even if I don't view half of them until they air on TV sometime during the summer. However, if you will, I wish to share some of my favorites with you while working on my reviewing skills (don't want to lose those for the day I finally break into journalism. Some day soon, I pray).

I believe I shall start someday this week. If you have an absolutely favorite Christmas movie you think I should see/review, drop me a comment. I'd love to do it!

The True Crime: That a House Built a Century Ago Didn't Go to Richmondtown

Mac walks at night, spotting a possum by flashlight. Flack shows him Kevin McBride, the mutilated victim. A skateboarding kid found him. Hawkes is going over the body while Mac puts TOD at 36 hours ago. Mac goes upstairs and tries to figure out where the victim was dragged from. Stella finds the crime scene separated by the East River. The house is on a barge.

We’re back on the East River as Danny takes a NYPD boat out to the barge. The house looks old and like its seen better days. He exchanges some banter with Lindsay and notes the house came from Staten Island (HOME BOROUGH!) It was going to a stockbroker and not Richmondtown? That’s a crime, considering how old the house appears. Danny figures Kevin was left behind by an unsuspecting moving crew but Stella wants to know why he was in the house.

Sid gets poor Kevin’s body, pulling trace off it. Kevin’s family comes in to identify the body. Mac asks if there are any tattoos or scars on the body. Daughter tells of a scar on Kevin’s finger. It confirms it is him and Daughter is smart enough to realize it’s because they don’t want to reveal the face. Wife breaks down.

Stella, Danny and Lindsay comb through the house. Stella finds a shell casing, making the others wonder if there’s another victim. Det. Angell interviews Kevin’s assistant, who is upset and had a manicure. Angell then tells Flack she met his sister when her beer bottle collided with the police car’s windshield. Turns out she’s hanging with the wrong crowd and wasn’t hauled in due to being Don’s sister. Flack isn’t pleased.

Sid continues going over Kevin’s body while Lindsay examines some trace, including piece of a picture with words on it. Danny tells Lindsay the moving crew all came back clean. She tells him the picture is of Kevin, spots something and then goes off.

Stella receives a phone call saying the fisherman’s death is an unsolved case and not to be a hero. Meanwhile, Lindsay ruffles through the coffee mugs and notes one has the same code as on the picture. It’s a bar code that brings her to a website. She goes off to explore it as Stella talks about our Rat Fisherman from the Indiana Jones and the Amulet of Rudy Giuliani episode. She remembers our evil friend at the Greek embassy and Danny wants to get to him.

Hawkes discovers Kevin was munched on by a Virginian possum. Sid can’t tell what killed him, just that it was blunt force trauma. Sid has more questions than answers but Hawkes finds marks not from the possum but possibly a murder weapon.

Adam is coughing and reveals the carrot found at the crime scene was turned into a pipe. Talk about organic. The shell was used to make the pipe and not kill another victim. And Adam got DNA off the carrot. Flack goes to meet his sister—who has the worst New York accent ever. He tries to bring up her meeting with Det. Angell but she starts to reminisce about trips to the shore. It doesn’t work. He warns her not to use his name as a “get-out-of-jail-free” card. She makes a joke and tells him to lighten up.

Stella walks into a drug paraphernalia store. He panics but she’s more concerned about his DNA, not his bongs. He toked up in a house on Staten Island that was being moved. Though that shot is more of a Manhattan street than a Staten Island street—trust me on that. Daughter, Ella, cries to Mac about taking her father’s things. He tells her they’ll give it back once they catch the guy.

Flack gives Danny a bloody hammer. And Staten Island cops confirm our druggie’s story about jumping out of a house. Lindsay is frustrated about the code. Flack recognizes it and takes her to Sam’s bar. He reveals that Sam has been fired and it looks like someone has a drinking problem!

FISH! The type used for manicures, like the one the secretary had. And Tanner, our druggie, used to live in the house until his mother sold it. Nice. He says he went back to reminisce and maybe take a hammer to it for a bit. He swore he never saw the dead guy. Lindsay finds a SecretU, where people can send their darkest secrets. Mac is confused as to why. Lindsay just offers: “Confession is good for the soul?” Hawkes is still running DNA while Adam notes that the card stock was dragged across a floor.

Mac takes a blow dryer to the floor boards to shrink the wood and get the card. It reads “I’ll tell her if you don’t.” Ominous. Lindsay reads an IM conversation between KMAN and Lola57. He’s been having an online affair. He sends her a picture and she cuts off communication. He tries to reach her and Mac thinks Lola found out Keviin was married. And she sent the e-card. Question is: Did Wife (Annie) know?

Flack pleads with his sister to let him in. She looks worse for wear and refuses. He plays a song for her—the one she was thinking of in the bar. Sam looks really bad. Flack walks away. Mac and Hawkes watch the walk-through video as Lindsay runs in with the information about Lola57. He looks serious and walks into a room wallpapered with the secret from SecretU. And it’s Ella! She’s Lola. How Electra.

Mac believes Ella was trying to prove her father was having an affair, so she became the other woman. She confronted him and killed him. However, Ella says she had met someone online, someone she clicked with. She was shocked to realize it was her dad. The card was the only thing she did to get him to stop—not murder. Stella reveals that the hammer’s mitochondrial DNA comes back to Ella, but both she and Mom have alibis.

Stella re-watches Mom’s walk-through video alibi. She notices something and pulls Annie in. Stella and Hawkes re-enacted a scene from the video and proved Annie changed the time codes. She really shot it at 2:30 PM, not 10:30 AM. Annie had discovered the SecretU card and confronted him. Ella watches through the window and doesn’t want her mom to know who Lola57 is. Mac tells her it isn’t her fault. She just wants to feel important to someone again.

Sam leaves her apartment and big brother Don follows her. She’s in an apartment, talking to someone. She says she’s the screw-up of her family. She says her last drink was 20 minutes ago. She’s at AA! She admits she’s an alcoholic. Flack looks guilty and upset. He meets Det. Angell and kisses her. Stella receives a package—a dead rat. Eww. She wants to join Danny in breaking some rules.

Next week: CSI:NY reaches a century! And they are killing off everybody named Mac Taylor! Also, Chris Daughtry is on.

And who is liking the chemistry between Flack and Angell? And who wishes they’d put Lindsay and Danny back together or did I miss an episode?

Also, anyone else confused about Richmondtown?

MEN!

Last week: Marjorie got lost in Amsterdam and nearly had a nervous breakdown! Tyra took the photos! Elina was sent home! Four girls remain—HOLY CRAP NEXT WEEK’S THE FINAL!

Sorry…So who will come so close yet fall so far? Find out!

Samantha celebrates her picture and plots her way to being America’s Next Top Model (not in MY book, Sammy). Analeigh and Marjorie talk about being in the bottom two and we see what Tyra told my favorite Frenchwoman to lose the nerves. Marjorie confesses she has to.

TYRA POST! “A model who knows how to sell makes the most cents.”

Marjorie and Analeigh talk as sad music plays. Marjorie confesses that her nerves give her the edge and this sad music is making me start to prepare myself for Marjorie’s departure. The models meet Paulina who teaches them how to sell junk. They practice on fish—at least it isn’t me. I get sick when I smell fish. Marjorie works the fish but falls on “romantic” on the phone. McKey gets praise for being focused on poses, Marjorie is good at emotions, Analeigh is a good actress and Sam is good at being funny.

TYRA POST! “Your delivery better be on the Mark.” They think commercial—that’s NEXT week, girls. I’m thinking Mark is the male model promised last week. McKey and Sam talk about making it to the top three. But this is a pretty strong top four—no matter how much I hate Sam.

Amsterdam! Marjorie talks about being positive. She’s absolutely funny in confessional. They go to Amsterdam Worldwide where Paulina meets them. Richard Gorodecky is the creative director of this top ad agency. Looks like they are doing a commercial—with that male model! The girls will not be talking, just smooching Mark Vanderloo—a major male supermodel. Sam is rendered speechless and gibbers in her confessional. It’s a challenge and the girls will be given a shopping spree at a major denim place. A challenge win you can USE in daily life. (Seriously, who is going to go around in $20,000 worth of jewels?)

Sam is first up on the treadmill. She flirts with Mark from the treadmill—I like the “Oh my god!” I can see Sam as an actress. Mark gives her thumbs up. Analeigh acts all coy before running off to kiss Mark. “He’s a good kisser,” Analeigh tells the others and Sam agrees. McKey gives him a little wave from the treadmill before kissing him. “Nice to meet you,” McKey says before running out of the room, adding some humor. Marjorie looks like she’s debating whether to kiss him or not and then goes in for the kiss. Marjorie thanks the bottom two for a kick. Everyone notices the change in Marjorie.

Sam: Adorable, but little over the edge. Calculating and hammy. Analeigh: Cute and sweet, good performance. McKey: Flirtation, good. Kissing, not good. Marjorie: Awkward and scary, but original and believable. The winner is: Marjorie! YAY! She gets a friend and chooses Analeigh—SHOCKER! I saw a cute photo collage of the two. They are still friends. The girls go and Marjorie split the prize evenly. They have fun on their shopping spree.

Windmills! TYRA POST! “Tomorrow you will be going Dutch but you will still have to give 100%” They wonder about the phrase “going Dutch”—you know, where you all split the bill?

Anyway, Marjorie invites the boat drivers over. Thank God they noticed how HOT those guys were. I’d love to just ogle Analeigh’s driver over and over. They bring wine which only the guys and Marjorie drink. Marjorie is apparently a happy drunk. They play charades before Analeigh, Marjorie and a boy play drunken dress-up. McKey and someone else wrestle while Sam entertains another with cards and magic tricks (learned from the Misfit of Magic himself?). Then they play truth and dare. Marjorie makes out with a driver.

Whitney’s a Cover Girl! And treats a surprisingly empty New York as her own personal catwalk! Do your little turn on the catwalk!

The other girls are concerned for a drunk Marjorie, now in a hot tub with a much drunker guy. Even the other guys agree with the girls who try to kick him out. After McKey threatens him, he leaves. Analeigh puts Marjorie to bed, who was grateful everyone else was sober.

The girls go to meet Jay in front of a windmill, which will be their backdrop. He introduces their photographer Barrie who greets the girls—what are they doing with Analeigh’s hair? Mr. Jay is impressed with Analeigh even before she starts jumping. Marjorie freezes up and I wonder how hung over she is. Even Mr. Jay notices it and then gives her a pep talk for panel. Samantha goofs off and says she hates being serious. She goes out in her clogs. Mr. Jay tells her to mind her legs, Barrie tells her to watch her face. They realize the clogs are hurting her, which is showing in her face. Mr. Jay is worried. He gives her a pep talk. “Dude, I sucked, really bad,” Samantha confesses. She goes and cries while Sutan tries to cheer her up. I wish I had Sutan to cheer me up. He looks like he’s really good at it. McKey goes out and knows she has to work it. And she does. She does some climbing. Mr. Jay loves her as much as Analeigh. That’s a wrap!

Amsterdam! Sam is still feeling down—and they all used to jump on Marjorie for this? Well, Marjorie usually rocked and Sam fell flat, but still. And Marjorie goes for the wine. She says she has to look relaxed—going drunk isn’t going to help you, honey!

Did I miss the “Tomorrow you will meet with the judges…”? Cause we’re in PANEL! There are prizes, there are judges, Ms. J’s bling, and the guest judge is Ann Shoket (Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen magazine). Tyra blathers on about avant-garde and windmills. McKey is called first. She looks more “unfrozen cavewoman” than “avant-garde.” She does have long legs. Marjorie is next and applauded for winning the challenge. The picture is just standing down or as someone said: an UFO beamed her down. Tyra says she feels Marjorie is pulling inside to fight the nerves. Sam still can’t dress for panel, but now all she has to do is take off a sweater. She gets praised for her lips but Tyra notes her film was bad. Then quotes Mr. Jay. Sam tries not to cry. Analeigh finishes it up. And it’s the jumping one. The judges love it. Ann loves Analeigh.

Top Models in Action! Nigel tells us about Kim from Cycle 5. She’s with Elite magazines and works for MTV news. And is blonde.

The judges deliberate. With the top three in question, it’s time to take off the gloves. Analeigh seems to be loved. Tyra is worried about Sam—this week’s photo, her appearance at panel. Marjorie is editorial. The judges realize that the nerves=Marjorie charms. The judges love McKey’s legs and eyes. What is Tyra doing? Even Ann is wondering that, you can tell.

ELIMINATION! The first name and the person safe: Analeigh (YAY!). Followed by: McKey. Marjorie and Sam end up in the bottom two. This is hard. Both take great pictures, but Sam has the personality. Marjorie has the editorial ability, Sam is the more commercial. Marjorie looks like a model, Sam doesn’t. Who goes? Did Ann and Paulina coordinate before going into judging? Oh, sorry. So, who goes? Marjorie. Aww man.

Tyra tells Marjorie to find a way to calm the nerves without losing what makes Marjorie Marjorie. She and Analeigh cry as they hug. And Marjorie has a gorgeous portfolio—we’re going to see her on Top Models in Action in Cycle 13 or 14.

I’m not just mad that Marjorie is going home but…last week while checking some names on Wikipedia, some idiot posted the final eliminations and winner. Marjorie was posted as eliminated tonight. And now that I was accidentally spoiled. And I HATE spoilers. So now, I don’t want the girl the idiot said wins just because I don’t want the idiot to be correct.

Next week: TOP THREE! Cover Girl commercials, runways and a winner!

Who do you want to win? Samantha? McKey? Analeigh? Who did you call the winner back in the early episodes that are no longer there? Or did you figure on of these three would win? Do you hate spoilers as much as me?

Top Model Alert!

I am not sure how many fans of America's Next Top Model are fans of The Big Bang Theory (or vice versa) but last night, these two worlds combined in the latter.

In the episode, Penny (Kaley Cuoco) interrupts the gang's Klingon boggle game. It turns out that since she and the cable company have different views on paying her bill, they've cut her power. In the middle of Top Model! (Horrors!) So she borrows their TV to watch the rest of the episode. Everyone but Sheldon (Jim Parsons) is immediately entranced by the models. Howard (Simon Helberg) is particularly intrigued to learn that they live in a house in LA, near where they are. He and Rajesh (Kunal Nayyar) work out where the house was using screen caps, landmarks, flyovers by a NORAD pilot on his way to scan Siberia for nukes, and Google street finder. Meanwhile, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) tries to mediate when Penny and Sheldon lock horns after she garners three strikes in the incredibly OCD Sheldon's book and is thus banished. As Sheldon's mom forces him to apologize, Howard and Rajesh got to the Top Model house posing as cablemen. Two contestants let them in and they are Analeigh and Samantha! My favorite model with my least favorite one. I freaked out and then had to explain to my parents why. I then commented that it would've been better had the two run into Isis. And Top Model fans know why.

Was I thrilled with this episode? Pretty much, though the show is funny enough on its own to hold my attention. BUT: I know, as a Top Model fan, that the shows are taped a few months before the premiere. From hints dropped by the girls, I know the fall cycles are taped in May/June, including July (Cycle 5 had to evacuate London after the bombings in 2005. Nicole was crowned America's Next Top Model in America). So for Howard and Rajesh to run into the current models would be impossible. Also, from interviews with the girls, it is known that they don't have TV, musics or books--mostly likely for ultimate chance of confrontation--the cableman rouse wouldn't have worked. If they hadn't been taken away by Tyra's goons before reaching the door.

But Analeigh and Samantha took the cake--though I wonder why them? Now I wonder if there was an acting teach/challenge we weren't shown.

If you want to see the episode of "The Big Bang Theory," go to www.cbs.com. If you want to see an episode of "America's Next Top Model," go to www.youtube.com (also works if Big Bang isn't on CBS' player). Analeigh and Samantha are from the current cycle--11. And I'll be back Wednesday with the episode of America's Next Top Model. I realized that next week's it--someone (Marjorie, Samantha, Cage Girl, or Analeigh) will be crowned America's Next Top Model.

Forget the Whales--Save Adam!

We get shots of New York’s drug scene. A pothead counts Monopoly money. A coke addict snorts it off some prostitute that looks like Amanda Bynes. Another guy snorts coke before going to a club where he takes some pills, one he gives to a woman via a kiss. The pothead opens the door and gets shot. The coke addict is about to score and gets shot. Our clubbing pill-popper drinks with some girls and gets shot. Danny gets the class filled scene. Lindsay and Stella get our coke addict. And Mac and Hawkes get the pothead—along with Flack.

Mac and Hawkes continue to investigate the pothead, whose Monopoly money was what he rolled his stuff in. He had an inhaler and was only known as Scooby but the apartment belongs to Michael Jones. Danny and Emmanuelle Vaugier deal with our clubbing druggie. The girls he was drinking with don’t recall the shooter but one does know where the gun went. Stella and Lindsay continue with our boxer-clad coke addict. They realize he was dumped and that car was the crime scene. Stella realizes the shooter was on the outside.

Everyone gets to see Sid! If only they weren’t dead. Adam rambles to Mac who has no clue what the tech is going on about. Adam gives him his pink slip, saying he’s leaving at the end of the month. They can’t let Adam go! I can use a dedicated yet devastatingly handsome lab tech! Call me! Mac however, can also use him and promises to deal with the pink slip.

Sid reveals that tox must’ve had a field day with these two—they were their own pharm party. Mac reveals he knows all three people. We cut to a court scene. The judge does some counting: 12 jurors, 1 ADA, 3 defense attorneys. No defendants. One attorney is about to speak up when Mac interrupts to let the court know the defendants are chilling out in the morgue.

Mac reveals he collected the evidence that was going to convict these three victims. The ADA reveals the victims were going to give her a name in a plea. She refused to release druggies back on the street but Mac says attorney-client privilege is over. She gives him the most likely to give up the name. Meanwhile, Danny unloads the glass on Adam, who rebuilds the bottles and glasses. Mac goes to talk to Michael Jones’ lawyer, Donovan. After a lawyer joke and bantering, he gives up some guy named Patrick. He asks Mac not to reveal he has a heart. Because you know they take it away once you pass the bar.

Danny works on the gun while some nice music plays in the background. Hawkes works on some of the Monopoly money. The gun comes back to the murder the three guys did. And the Monopoly was very special money—it was covered in drugs to enhance the marijuana. Apparently, this is what Patrick sells, according to Flack. He and Danny take a field trip to a playground. Patrick calls Flack and Danny the “murder police and the cleaning crew.” I like him. Flack flashes a Monopoly $100. Patrick smart-mouths and gets pushed off a swing. They tell him it was found on a dead guy. They figure it was jacked and he was getting revenge, but he says they were going to merge. He walks away with his CFO and COO.

Emmanuelle finds the crime scene and the prostitute, who doesn’t look like Amanda Bynes anymore. She pisses off Emmanuelle, who threatens to rat her out to her pimp. The prostitute can only describe someone in blue hoodie. She thought about calling 911 then went, “Mercedes-Benz. SWEET!” Especially since he was going to pay her in Monopoly money—she dumped it. Meanwhile, Mac’s yelling at the Chief for letting Adam go. Stella comes in during this and learns Adam is on the chopping block. Mac thinks holding off on some sweet technology for the lab. Stella’s like, “Umm…no.” She argues it could put a rapist away sooner. Mac argues the same. Meanwhile, Adam is eavesdropping.

Lindsay reveals the gun was also used to kill the guy the year before and had traces of Limonene on the handle—it’s in make-up, cleaning products and bio-fuel. Well, that narrows it down. Meanwhile, Stella finds the stun gun used on the three druggies. One traces back to a witness. Mac goes to find her and she’s all sliced up. The three druggies attacked her. That’s when she used the stun gun. Maggie’s brother is ready to beat Mac up since he promised she wouldn’t have to testify. Maggie’s more clear-headed than her brothers who can’t see that Mac’s just as confused about the subpoena. Wait…three brothers, one sliced up sister, three dead guys who did the slicing and dicing. I think I smell the murderers!

Mac asks the ADA why Maggie was called. Apparently, the evidence was suppressed because someone checked it out without signing the log. Mac’s upset and this is just proving that budget cuts are evil.

Petrix (Patrick) is the best suspect but some suit reveals he’s been trailing Petrix. Lindsay connects the gun found with the prostitute to Kevin, Maggie’s brother. Can I call it? They haul them in while Flack says if he had done it, the bodies wouldn’t be found. Danny reveals that the jury will be sympathetic and acquit. The brothers aren’t talking so they try to get more evidence. Mac sees Adam, leaves just as they get a hit. Turns out the brothers are innocent. It was the lawyers! Turns out Donovan worked Legal Aid and so had to give his finger prints, which left while gathering some liquid courage. He was impressed with Maggie and her decision to do the right thing. But he’s sure he’ll get off.

Meanwhile, everyone gives up one of their paid vacations to save Adam. I love Hawkes. “Turns out San Francisco is closed in January. Who knew?” San Fran, I can understand. But Costa Rica? Italy? Buenos Aires? C’mon.

No new episode next week? What? It’s November Sweeps!