SYTYCD Top 20

Finally!  Live So You Think You Can Dance episodes have arrived!  Let's not waste anymore time and get down to it!

• Jordan and Tadd performed an African Jazz routine and what a way to start out the show!  They had so much power and energy and gave more then I think anyone really expected.  There were one or two moments where the timing appeared to be slightly off between the two but nothing enough to take away from the great performance they gave.
• Sasha and Alexander performed a Travis Wall contemporary routine so you knew right away it would be amazing!  They both danced it beautifully (as they should have since it was right within both of their wheelhouses). 
• Clarice and Jess danced a broadway routine choreographed by Tyce and while they were both great Jess really stole the show in my opinion.  He was so animated and joyful, Clarice just wasn't able to quite match him.
• Ryan and Ricky danced a lyrical hip hop number which I loved.  There was a bit of confusion about why Ryan was smiling but I don't think it took away from how great the number was.  They both danced it beautifully!
• Caitlynn danced a jazz routine with Season 7 alum Robert due to Mitchell injuring his elbow in rehearsal.  This was definitely one of the best routines of the night!  Robert was amazing of course but Caitlynn really brought it!  She attacked this number head on and was so strong and powerful with every move she made.  She's one to watch!
• Miranda and Robert danced a jive which was actually done fairly well.  Robert definitely stole the show when it came to energy and personality; Miranda needs to step it up with the confidence or she's not going to make it very far.  The flicks could have been a little sharper and Robert does need to point his toes but all in all I was impressed.
• Missy and Wadi danced a jazz routine with some amazing choreography!  I felt that Missy out danced Wadi in certain places in the number but he definitely held his own in a style that is completely unfamiliar to him.
• Melanie and Marko danced an unbelievable contemporary piece by Travis Wall!  I got chills watching it and was without a doubt the stand out number of the night!  They have such chemistry together and it was just mesmerizing.
• Ashley and Chris did a hip hop routine and they were definitely expected to bring it.  It was a solid performance but the emotion shown on their faces didn't completely match the storyline they were portraying in the piece.  Nothing real memorable for me.
• Iveta and Nick had the dreaded quickstep and I think it's pretty safe to say that they will both survive this one.  She clearly had the advantage with this one since she is a champion ballroom dancer but I was so impressed with Nick!  He was AMAZING!!!

All in all it was a great first night of competition and it'll be interesting to see who goes home tomorrow night!

The Voice Ep.2

This week we saw Team Adam and Team Cee Lo go head to head in their quarter finals round but before we get into that let's talk about the results regarding Team Blake and Team Christina.  America chose to save Beverly on Team Christina which should have come as no surprise to anyone.  It also shouldn't have come as a surprise that she decided to save Frenchie, although for a minute there I thought she might go with Raquel.  Team Blake had more surprising end results.  America saved Dia which was completely expected but then Blake went on to save Xenia which I for one did not see coming!  I thought for sure he would save Patrick, especially after the chilling performance he gave last week!  I for one will miss Patrick a lot!

Now it's time to get down to the business of this week's episode and just like last week's blog I will be breaking it down by team and then giving my opinion as to which team came out ahead.

Team Cee Lo

• Tori & Taylor Thompson-They sang "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by The Andrews Sisters which was a completely unpredictable song choice.  It was a solid and entertaining performance but I was left without that wow factor.  At times I felt like one voice overpowered the other instead of working as one cohesive unit.
• Vicci Martinez-She sang "Jolene" by Dolly Parton and I loved her rendition of it.  You could clearly see all of the emotion she brought to her performance and it was one of the most heartfelt ones yet.
• Nakia-He sang "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon and did a great job.  He's such a great performer and entertainer but once again I was left missing the wow factor performance that I thought he would deliver.  Even so, he had a great performance and it was a good song choice.
• Curtis Grimes-He sang "Addicted To Love" by Robert Palmer and had I not been familiar with the song I never would have guessed it wasn't meant to be a country song.  He completely made it his own and as always he sounded great.  The ending was a little odd but I give him major props for stepping outside his comfort zone.

Team Adam

• Casey Weston-She sang "Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall which is such a great song.  It was a powerful performance but you could tell she wasn't completely comfortable with what she was doing and didn't seem as enthusiastic about it as I would have liked to have seen.
• Devon Barley-He sang "Stop and Stare" by One Republic which I thought was a bit of an interesting choice for him but he made it work.  He was a tad pitchy at times and his voice did crack once but he didn't let any of that stop him from giving a great performance.  He seemed a little uncomfortable at first but you could tell that the more he sang the more comfortable he was and the more confidence he had.
• Jeff Jenkins-He sang "Jesus Take The Wheel" by Carrie Underwood and absolutely killed it!  There was so much emotion behind every word he sang and the fact that he could relate to it definitely showed.  I was left with goosebumps at the end of it and this was definitely my favorite performance of the night!
• Javier Colon-He sang "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan which is such a powerful song in itself.  He did a great job of owning the song instead of letting it own him.  He gave an amazing performance and I would be shocked if we didn't see more performances like this in the near future.

Both teams brought it tonight but if I were to pick one that seemed to have the edge over the other it would be TEAM ADAM!  He just has some serious talent on his team and is definitely someone to contend with.

Bachelorette Ep.4

Ladies and gentlemen please fasten your seat belts and get ready because Thailand is where our destination is this week.  Hope your passports are up to date because here were go....

Constantine got the first date this week and honestly, watching this date was kind of boring.  It's not even the fact that their original date was rained out...I just didn't find Constantine that interesting.  I was waiting for that moment where I start to fall for the guy and it just didn't come.  Maybe he was a lot more interesting during the parts that weren't shown but I was less then impressed.  Although, it would appear that Ashely does see something in him because he did receive a rose at the end of the night.  I just don't see the chemistry between them, there aren't any visible sparks between them which has me wondering what Ashley saw that I didn't.

This group date was hands down one of my favorites because of what they did.  Helping make an orphanage more like a home for those kids both warmed and broke my heart at the same time.  It was so amazing to see how hard these guys wanted to work to make this the best place they possibly could for those kids!  To see how impacted some of the guys were after doing that was truly moving and I'm really glad that they showed that. 

The only thing not amazing about that date in my opinion was Ryan P.  He was so willing to point out all of the things that needed to be done but I didn't really see him actually doing any of that work.  I'm not surprised that the guys are getting really fed up with him...it's only episode 4 and I'm sick of him.  We haven't even seen that much of him but he just seems to have one of those personalities that turns people off...not exactly a quality one wants to have.  On the other hand you have Ben F. and he really impressed me this week!  Wanting to paint that mural was so great...and I don't care what he says because that was a damn good mural!  We finally got to start seeing who he really is and I for one like what I see, and obviously Ashley feels the same.  I can't leave the subject of the group date without mentioning JP's one-on-one time.....can we say HOT?!  I like JP more and more each and every time I see him....I mean how can you not?  They have such chemistry together and add in the rain element and you have something that we haven't seen between anyone else this season.  Oh how I would have loved to be Ashley right then!  Ben F. got the rose....no surprise there, he definitely deserved it!

Ames got the second one-on-one date and I'm glad he did because we haven't seen much of him and I had no idea who he really was.  After seeing his date I'm pleasantly surprised...he actually has a personality and it's a funny one!  It was interesting to hear how spontaneous he really is...I mean cooking school in Thailand on a whim, who does that?  Their date was so amazing and it spoke volumes that they were comfortable enough with each other to not have to talk while on the sea kayak....sometimes the best moments with someone are the ones you spend in silence.  I like Ames a lot....he can be a little cheesy and a little over the top at times but it's not enough to turn me off.  You can tell he's very intelligent...but sometimes I'm not really sure where he is going or what point he's trying to make.  I can see something with Ashley but I'm not completely convinced that what they have is of a romantic nature...I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  He got the rose regardless and hopefully we'll continue to get to see that Ames...the Ames with an actual personality instead of the boring wallflower we've been seeing.

There was a cocktail party tonight and I think it was more informative for Ashley then anything.  It seems like Ashley had a lot of questions for many of the guys and it looks like she got the answers she needed.  Blake's conversation with Ryan P. was interesting but definitely not as explosive as I had anticipated.  Blake was very calm and collected while talking to Ryan and I never felt as though he was attacking Ryan in any way.  Blake impressed me with how he handled himself and the situation...major points were earned with me tonight.  Ashley chose to make her own "rules" tonight and only send one guy home instead of two.  It was clear she felt like she hadn't given these guys the time and attention they deserved and wanted to try and rectify the situation.  In this case it was West that was left standing without a rose.  I am sad to see him go because he was an early favorite of mine but I can see why Ashley made the decision she did.

Some final thoughts I'll leave you with: I want to see more Ashley/William time, I think Lucas will get a 1-on-1 next week, someone goes to the hospital, and Bentley returns.  Hope you join me next week and please leave your comments!! 

Bachelor Pad 2 Cast Revealed

Here’s the newest cast that will be competing for that big check (or maybe even true love).

• Gia Allemand (Jake Pavelka’s season, returning to the Pad for a second time to face all the drama with Vienna) 
• Holly Durst (Matt Grant’s season, newly single after breaking off her engagement with Michael Stagliano…who will also be taking up residence in the Pad)
• Vienna Girardi (Jake Pavelka’s season, will be in the house along with Gia, Jake, and new boyfriend Kasey)
• Jackie Gordon (Brad Womack’s season, will be faced with continuing drama with Michelle Money)
• Michelle Money (Brad Womack’s season, will she be as controversial this time as she was during her season?)
• Ella Nolan (Jake Pavelka’s season, this single mom recently called off her engagement)
• Erica Rose (Lorenzo Borghese’s season, this “princess” returns with friend Vienna and Kasey on her side)
• Melissa Schreiber (Brad Womack’s season, the “cougar” famous for her catfight with Raichel)
• Alli Travis (Brad Womack’s season, hopefully she’ll have better luck this time)
• Graham Bunn (Deanna Pappas’ season, the heartbreaker who didn’t reciprocate Deanna’s feelings)
• Kirk Dewindt (Ali Fedotowski’s season, the adorable guy with a father who is a taxidermist)
• Kasey Kahl (Ali Fedotowski’s season, will this guy be able to guard and protect girlfriend Vienna’s heart?)
•  Jake Pavelka (he’ll face ex-fiancee Vienna for the first time since their very heated and very public breakup)
• Justin “Rated-R” Rego (Ali Fedotowski’s season, the liar who not only still had a girlfriend back home but was also leaving her voicemails while on the show)
• Michael Stagliano (Jillian Harris’ season, fresh off of a broken engagement with fellow Pad contestant Holly Durst)

There will also be 3 men joining the cast from Ashley Hebert’s season….let’s just call them our mystery men for now.

• The first of these men was just announced and it's William!!!  So excited to see more of him! 
• The second mystery man is Blake!  Luckily we will be seeing a lot more of him and that gorgeous grin of his! 
• The third and final mystery man is Ames!

Should be a good season with A LOT of drama!

The Voice Live Ep.1

It's finally time for the live shows!  This week it's Team Christina v. Team Blake....question is who will come out victorious?  The show began with a great Queen medley from the coaches themselves!  Adam Levine killed it with his voice and sick guitar skills, Blake looked very sharp, Cee Lo looked a little odd without any glasses on, and Christina sounded great but looked a little off (who okay-ed that outfit?).

Team Christina

• Raquel Castro-She sang "Blow" by Ke$ha which is a song I love but I'm not completely convinced it was the right song for her to sing.  She did it well for the most part, I just don't know if I would have picked it.  She has a lot of energy and definitely has the performer edge.  I felt she was a tad pitchy here and there but overall it was a solid performance.
• Beverly McClellan-She sang "I'm The Only One" by Melissa Etheridge which was the perfect song for her.  She completely killed it, despite being sick!  She had a great energy to her and is just a very natural performer!  Very impressive!
• Lily Elise-She sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie which was a good choice as far as songs go but I didn't care for it.  Honestly I don't think she should have even made it to the live shows and I don't think she'll make it past this week.  I wasn't impressed plain and simple.
• Frenchie Davis-She sang "When Love Takes Over" by David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland and it was a good choice for her.  She missed a note or two in the beginning but recovered extremely well and has such an energy and stage presence that can't be ignored.

Team Blake

• Jared Blake-He say "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon and it was the perfect choice for him!  He had great audience interaction (who saw his connection with that girl....wait, isn't he married?).  I definitely see him taking more of a rock path....he has a Daughtry kind of feel to him that he should definitely stick with!
• Dia Frampton-She sang "Heartless" by Kanye West which was a very unconventional choice but it actually worked.  She made it her own and stuck behind it...the question is whether she can be that unique and confident without having the piano there as a safety net.
• Xenia-She sang "Price Tag" by Jessie J. which was a good choice in the sense that she sounded great singing it.  She was just a little too shy and introverted for me...she has the voice but really needs to work on the performance aspect of it because that just isn't there yet.
• Patrick Thomas-He sang "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack and I can honestly say that there was nothing about that performance that I didn't like.  You could feel the emotion behind each word that he sang and I got chills at the end.  My favorite performance of the night hands down!!

When it comes to who won the showdown between Team Christina and Team Blake there's really no contest....TEAM BLAKE all the way!!

Bachelorette Ep.3

Wow...what an episode!  There is so much to talk about....1.5 pages of notes on Word to be exact!  Drama was the word of the week where this episode is concerned and don't worry, this blog will not shy away from drama or being opinionated.

The first date went to Ben C. (or Bency as I and so many others like to call him).  This date was really cool...I kind of want to be part of a flashmob now.  I have to give him props for going along with the whole dancing in a public place with everybody watching thing...I have a feeling a lot of guys would have acted like they were too cool to do that (I know many in fact that would act just like that).  I can honestly say that Ben and Ashley really look like a couple.  When they were standing there listening to the Far East Movement and Ben had his arms around Ashley it looked so natural.  I can really see them being a couple in the real world, they have great chemistry.  Obviously Ashley agrees because Ben in fact got the rose.  I'm really starting to like Ben...he's definitely becoming more of a front runner for me.

The big reveal was a big let down (not only for me but clearly for Ashley as well)!  It was obvious that Ashley was not attracted to him at all (it's never a good sign when the person you are trying to impress thinks that you look older then she originally thought).  Personally, I don't find Jeff attractive at all so I'm so not surprised that Ashley felt the same.  There was no spark and no chemistry...no hope there.

Next was the disastrous group date.  First of all, WHO THE HELL CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA??  This was a major fail....there could be no good outcome to a date that involves roasting the girl that you are trying to win over!  Most of the guys played it safe by just going after the other guys and those who did take a jab at Ashley kept it to Ashley's breast size (or lack there of as the case proved to be).  Then there was William....could he have been a bigger idiot??  I think he just got so wrapped up in his excitement about the comedy aspect that he completely lost sight of what he was saying and the impact his words would have on Ashley.  While I completely agree with the fact that he was a complete jerk I still like him...a lot.  There's just something about him that I really like and I think this is something that he and Ashley can work through and move past.  He was clearly destroyed by the reality of what had happened and that said it all for me.  Ryan P got the rose because he was really the only one who comforted her when she was clearly upset and I totally agree with him getting the rose.  I don't know if I completely see them together but we shall see

The real villain of the date in my opinion was Bentley.  He saw Ashley feeling hurt and crying as another game...in fact he even said "I'm not going to miss an opportunity to mess with her head".  She's sitting there pouring her heart and insecurities out to him (when in reality he is every single one of her fears come true).  I wanted to shake her when she still was oblivious even when he said "Out of 25 guys I can guarantee that 24 were excited it was you"....HELLO!!  What more did she need to realize he was that 1 person who didn't want it to be her??  Then when Ashley decided to tell Bentley about what Michelle Money had told her prior to the show and he completely avoided giving her a straight answer she was still in Bentleyland!  He never actually denied what was said about him and all she could do was give him the "I'm totally in love with you" look.  AHHH!

Speaking of Bentley....the moment we have all been waiting for finally arrived!  First of all, let me just say that using his daughter as his excuse to leave is a new low even for him!  There is NO EXCUSE for using your own child as a scapegoat to cover your own lies!  I feel sorry for that little girl and hope that she never has to see her father in that light...I hope he changes before she's old enough to realize how big of an ass her father is.  When a guy is about to break a girls heart and is more concerned with how his hair looks you know he's a real piece of work.  I wanted to punch him in the face SO HARD during that entire "break up" scene....he makes me sick and I am SO SO SO glad that I don't have to set eyes on him next week.  Ashley wonders whether her instincts were wrong....DUH!!!!  Good riddance and bye bye Bad News Bentley!

JP got the 2nd date and at first I felt bad that his date had to follow that whole mess but it actually turned out alright.  The first thing I thought when I saw him was "Where did he get those flowers?"...good move on his part though!  Flowers are ALWAYS a good idea in my book!  He and Ashley had a "relaxing evening at home" as he put it...and I guess that's really what it was.  It was something that an every day couple in the real world would do and I think that those make for some of the best dates.  I can completely see them as a couple in every day life and think that there is a real chemistry between them.  JP is really growing on me and apparently he's a very good kisser....he's welcome to test that opinion on me any time he wants (just putting it out there).  He got the rose at the end of the night (pajama pants and all) which honestly should have been no surprise to anyone.

The rose ceremony and the pre-ceremony deliberation definitely had a different tone to them this week.  It was the first week of this season where we really got to see Chris Harrison do his thing and boy is he good at it!  I LOVED what he said about Bentley and how "A real man would have moved heaven and Earth and fought to be here"....Bentley is the furthest thing from being a real man and I love Chris for pointing that out in a very classy but clear way!  In the end Jeff and Chris D. did not receive a rose.  I'm sure many were surprised that William received one but I am REALLY glad he did!  I'm not ready to give up on him and obviously Ashley isn't either....hopefully he can redeem himself and show the man we all saw and fell in love with last week.

Next week Ashley and the boys are off to Thailand!  Apparently along with all the romance and amazing dates that we will get to experience we will also see some drama (shocker) having to do with Ryan P.  The "man claws" are coming out and that isn't something that anyone should want to miss!

I leave you the same way that the Bachelorette left us this week....with the image of Bentley fixing his hair while Jeff (mask and all) is doing some business on the toilet.  Seriously makes you question what really goes on in that house doesn't it??

Bachelorette Ep.2

Just finished watching this weeks episode of the Bachelor and there were definitely some memorable moments.  Let's start with the first 1-on-1 date of the season....the lucky recipient being William.  Off to Vegas they go....and in style no less!  I have to admit...all of the wedding shopping was pretty adorable...especially when they fed each other the cake!  I have to give him serious props for going along with the whole thing...there are a lot of guys out there who wouldn't have been so cool and open to whatever is thrown his way.  Dinner on the water at the Bellagio fountains looked absolutely amazing and it was so great to see William really let his guard down and be vulnerable through telling Ashley about his father.  The two of them had such great chemistry and I'm so happy that he got the rose!  I think it's safe to say he's my first crush of the season.

Next came the group date and how awesome must it have been to be able to dance with the Jabbawockeez, let alone to dance in front of all of those people!  It was interesting to see the guys split in two groups and have to battle it out to stay and continue to spend time with Ashley.  Both groups were pretty bad but I have to agree with the decision of having No Rhythm Nation win....even if it did mean that Bentley got to stay.  The fact that Bentley got the rose kills me because there were two or three other guys there who I would have much rather seen receive that rose!  I just can't help but wonder how Ashley is completely blind to his true motives and how she doesn't see how insincere he looks every single time they are together.

Then came the date that was completely determined by repeated flips of a coin, with Mickey being the big winner from the very start.  I felt so bad for JP!  To come so close to getting that 1-on-1 and then seeing it all disappear with the flip of a coin must have seriously sucked!!  Mickey seemed kinda boring and flat for most of the date...it almost seemed like he was using that coin as a crutch to help bring some type of excitement to the date.  I really hope there is more to his personality then what we saw tonight because if there isn't he won't be around much longer.  The only time I felt like I actually saw a glimpse of who he is was when he told Ashley about his mom.  He seems like a nice guy but I don't think there's a lot of chemistry between them...I see them as being more friends then romantically involved.  He did get the rose, although part of me wonders if Ashley really wanted to give it to him.  To cap off the night Colbie Caillat gave them a private concert and was it just me or did Mickey seem way more excited to see Colbie Caillat then he was to see Ashley??

Other random thoughts about this week:

• Jeff says he’s taking the “stealth” approach by wearing the mask…clearly he doesn’t know what the word stealth means
• I really like West but I'm still not convinced that he's completely over his late wife or whether he's truly ready to be looking for love again
• JP got a kiss off a coin flip...not the most romantic of scenarios in my book
• Jeff seemed even creepier tonight...I'm convinced he was watching Ashley kiss other guys.  I have to say that I do love the Phantom of the Opera music that is cued whenever he is shown by himself!
• We came so close to seeing the big reveal....damn you Matt (you went home anyways so clearly what you had to say wasn't important enough to show up at that exact moment)!
• Speaking of Matt....he called his mom AGAIN!!  Can't say I'm sad to see him go...his mom was more entertaining then he was!

I'll leave you with these Bentley gems of the week:

• "I wouldn't mind if Ashley tickled my pickle"
• "I would rather swim in pee then plan a wedding with her"

See you all next week when Bentley (hopefully) goes home and Jeff finally takes the mask off!!