BuzzSugar

10 Entertainment Moments I'm Looking Forward to For '09

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:30:19 -0800

We've barely gotten into 2009, and already, I have a packed entertainment calendar. With albums from some of my favorite artists coming out early in the year, some major movies on the horizon, and TV looking like it could be great again, I have my fingers crossed for an amazing year in pop culture ahead. Want to see some of the things filling up my '09 dance card? Just hit start.

View Slideshow ›

FlashForward Breakdown, "Playing Cards With Coyote"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:30 -0800

After Al's tragic suicide on last week's episode of FlashForward, this week shows how the idea of "changing the game" has affected all the characters. Mark and Olivia start to find new hope for their relationship, Lloyd teaches Simon a lesson, and Aaron learns more about where his daughter has been for the past two years.

Ready to get into all the details? Just read more.

"The future can be changed": Al's death makes headline news when Celia gets her letter in the mail, instilling hope in Mark and Demetri - for a bit. Mark whisks Olivia off on a romantic getaway and things seem to be much happier between the two. But once they're back to regular life, they both get a reality check: Mark gifts her the lingerie she's wearing in her flash forward, and Aaron's reunion with Tracy makes Mark go back to believing that the visions may be set in stone.

The stars are aligned: Mark thinks he has a big lead when some footage shows up of a man he recognizes from his vision - a woman named Ingrid reports a crime and her phone images reveal a man with a tattoo of three stars on his arm. Thinking it's the same pern who breaks into his office in the future, Mark immediately dedicates himself to finding the guy. Using Ingrid as bait, Mark manages to take kill him, and rushes home to Olivia to tell her that they're going to have a second chance because he changed the game. But then - surprise! There's a whole crew of dudes with that tattoo. Um, seriously Mark? This never occurred to you? It's not like the guy has an unmistakable tattoo of Edward Cullen on his arm.

That was a crazy game of poker: Feeling guilty about that whole deadly experiment thing, Lloyd sends out an email to a few colleagues saying "We have to take responsibility." Of course, Simon isn't pleased about Lloyd's plans to go public and wants to settle their argument over a game of Texas hold 'em. There's plenty of trash talking from Simon, who thinks that he and Lloyd are gods for the impact they've had on the planet. He tosses around ideas of fate (was anyone else thinking about Lost's Charlie and his fate finger tape?) and just when Simon thinks he's sitting pretty, Lloyd turns the tables with a sleight of hand. (Some U2 lyrics come to mind here). Somehow I still don't think Simon is going to make it easy for Lloyd to publicize what they've done.

Reunited and it feels so good? Tracy is back at home with Aaron, but she's not exactly the same girl that went off to war. She's lost her leg in combat and suffering from PTSD, which she's reluctant to discuss with her dad at first. Feeling confident from his flash forward, Aaron encourages Tracy to open up about what happened overseas. She finally reveals that her near-death experience was an ambush from Jericho, a group of military contractors that she ratted out after seeing something she shouldn't. Tracy is paranoid after living a life on the run for two years (and is not at all pleased when Aaron talks to Mark about her situation). Though keeping track of all the different characters and their separate story lines is getting confusing, I'm liking this new development in Aaron's story.

Other plot points:

Janice tries to quit but Stan won't let her. As she continues to contemplate Al's death and her vision, she starts looking into sperm donation - does this mean those are tears of joy in her flash forward?

Ingrid says that she remembers one of the shooters saying "QED," which is also brought up during Simon and Lloyd's poker game.

Ingrid and her bird collection can be added to the list that already includes the crows and the bird crashing into Fiona's window.

So, is that Simon strangling Nicole in her vision? Creepy. I'm wondering if she finds out his secret and tries to intervene.

How'd you feel about this week's episode? Any new theories on what's going to happen over the next few months? Let's get the conversation going!

Meet Scrubs's New Docs on the Block

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:30:04 -0800

Now that Scrubs has an official premiere date (just a few weeks away!), it's time to check out the fresh meat we can expect for season 9. We already know that Bill Lawrence is taking the show in a new direction, this time focusing on the med students as Dr. Cox, Turk, and J.D. take their positions as mentors. We can expect to see those three in December, along with Eliza Coupe as Denise.

And now, on to the newbies. First there's Lucy (Kerry Bishe), who's been described as a go-getter and the first in her blue-collar family to attend med school. Then there's Cole (Dave Franco - yes, James's bro) who's supposedly overconfident and a little spoiled, which probably means it won't take long for Dr. Cox to knock him down a peg or two. Rounding out the trio is Drew (Michael Mosely) who's a bit older than the other two, and is returning to med school after dropping out years ago.

Though I thought Scrubs had a very poetic and fitting finale last season, I'm hopeful about breathing new life into the show. What about you - are you excited to see the new faces?

For more photos of the doctors old and new, just read more.

View 8 Photos ›

FlashForward Breakdown, "The Gift"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:30:48 -0800

On this week's episode of FlashForward, we get some of those big payoffs that Sonya Walger promised. While the main characters' most important relationships grow more tense, the FBI agents learn more about the blue-hand situation, and the end of the episode has two very big twists.

There's plenty of excitement to discuss, so to get into it, just read more.

Call me Al: We don't learn much about Al in the first handful of episodes of the season, but boy do we get an eyeful and an earful this week. Turns out Al's flash-forward is a lot more jarring than just a dead bird - it's followed up with a phone call revealing that a still-mysterious chain of events ends in Al "accidentally" killing a mother of two. Throughout the episode Al seems to have a laid-back, collected demeanor (even when he opts in for a game of Russian roulette), but inside he's a mess. In the end, Al is so overcome with grief about having a death on his hands, that he decides to "change the game" and commits suicide. I have to admit, as heartbreaking as that scene is, I was kind of glad Al went through with it - just to prove that the flash-forwards aren't necessarily the future. Everything is changed now, the paths can be adjusted, and both Mark and Demetri realize this as they head home to their significant others. Now that they believe the visions can be adjusted, I can't wait to see what else they try to do to throw their visions off course.

My blue heaven: Following up on Demetri and Al's scavenger hunt to find the "blue hands," the fun continues this week as the FBI agents discover that the blue hands are actually a "death club," with meetings set up all over the country for people like Demetri who didn't see a flash-forward ("living ghosts"). It kind of reminded me of Fight Club, though Mark defines it as a "book club with bullets." The guys are hilarious in their street clothes headed to the party, though what they find inside is pretty horrific. After a quick game of Russian roulette, the guys enter what can only be defined as a torture den - people who believe they are going to die doing all kinds of creepy things to each other. I have to say, if I was one of those "living ghosts" I think I'd either be trying to do all the fun things I never got to do before - or I'd just want to get it over with. Why anyone would want to be tortured when he or she is already tormented by the idea of their inevitable death is beyond me.

Blast from the past: Aaron gets a visit from Mike, a friend and solider who served at the same time as Aaron's daughter Tracy. Mike passes on a Swiss Army knife to Aaron, a good-luck charm that Tracy wanted her dad to have should anything happen to her. Aaron is overjoyed since the knife also appeared in his vision, though Mike isn't exactly receptive to the notion that Tracy is still alive. He explains to Aaron that he watched Tracy die (though hello! He didn't even check to see if she was breathing), but surprise! Tracy is sitting in Aaron's kitchen at the end of the episode.

Other plot points:

As tensions rise between Demetri and Zoey, Demetri finally admits to Zoey that he didn't have a flash-forward and is going to die. Zoey refuses to accept it, insisting that should could feel Demetri in her vision and that nothing's been decided yet. Demetri seems skeptical about choosing Zoey's side to "hope" for the best, but after Al's suicide, he seems to have warmed up to the idea that he can change his fate.

Like Demetri, Al's death is a wake-up call for Mark. After suffering problems with Olivia (how sad is it when Charlie catches him crying?) he runs home and embraces her sweetly.

Instead of helping out at the church, Nicole lands a gig volunteering at Olivia's hospital. We learn that she speaks Japanese pretty will, and now is helping Bryce try to find the mysterious Japanese woman from his vision. Will this somehow lead to Nicole's scary vision? Is she sticking her nose where it doesn't belong?

What did you think of this week's episode? Do you think other characters will try to "change the game," too?

More Chuck, Less Trauma, and Scrubs On the Way!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:30:24 -0700

Earlier this week I broke down the ins and outs of Fall TV with my scorecard, but there are a few new developments to add. First, we've got another one to add to the R.I.P. list - NBC has pulled the plug on Trauma, and the show will be removed from the lineup after the initial 13 episodes are aired. I can't say I'm particularly sad about this development, since it means good news for one of my favorites: NBC has ordered six more episodes of Chuck, which was originally intended to have a shortened season. Plus, now that Trauma is out, it's more likely that Chuck will be back even sooner than March!

That's not all the news for today: the new (and improved?) Scrubs is officially on its way, with the season premiere scheduled for December 1 at 9 p.m. Hopefully the show will add some much-needed punch to the Tuesday night lineup which is a little lackluster right now.

So, will you miss Trauma? Or are you too excited about more Chuck and Scrubs to care?

FlashForward Breakdown, "Gimme Some Truth"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:30:56 -0700

This week's episode of FlashForward was a bit blah for me. The plot made a teeny bit of headway, but now that we're four episodes deep, I was hoping things would pick up a bit this week. Instead, the FBI agents head to DC to score funding for the Mosaic investigation - using any methods necessary.

There's still plenty to discuss, so to get going just read more.

Flash backward: We do get a bit more insight into Stan Wedeck's life before LA. Apparently he lived in DC and was the right hand man to the guy who eventually becomes the president. When they meet again (in the Oval Office, no less), the president offers Stan a job as the Director of Homeland Security. Instead, Stan blackmails the president into providing the necessary funding for the Mosaic investigation.

Who's your daddy? A few weeks ago, that creepy Nazi Guyer implies that Janis is a lesbian, and it turns out to be true. Janis makes a connection with Maya, a chef she meets in karate class. Unfortunately their courtship is cut short when Maya "mosaics" Janis (it's even better than google stalking) and wants to know if the pregnancy means Janis swings both ways. Janis gets flustered and calls the whole thing off, but right now she's got bigger problems - at the end of the episode she gets shot just as Mark and Demetri do on the other side of the country. Now that my theory about Demetri being the baby daddy is out the window, what are your theories? It seems too easy to hope that she and Maya get back together and work something out, but I'm also afraid to consider a darker alternative, like rape.

Drowning in lies: Mark's alcoholism plays a big role in this week's episode. First, Olivia overhears Aaron advising that Mark attend a meeting, and later she reveals that Mark has a tendency to fall off the wagon when he's away from home. When Mark is put in the hot seat about his flashforward, he dances around the reason why his vision is a little fuzzy, and Senator Clemente uses his fumble as a reason why the Mosaic investigation doesn't deserve funding. Eventually Mark confesses to Stan that he's drunk in his flashforward, and someone tells Olivia like two minutes later. I'm glad Olivia finally knows and that it's out in the open a bit more, but who sold Mark down the river so quickly? And why? Was it someone who overheard the conversation or is one of Mark's fellow agents a rat?

Other major plot points:

The agents get another clue about the dead crows in Somalia when they discover a group of asphalt structures that were built just months before the 1990 blackout.

Now that the FBI agents are officially being targeted, how long can Demetri (and everyone else) avoid death?

What'd you think of this week's episode? Are you starting to waver in your love? Luckily, it seems like next week's episode may pick up, but for now, sound off in the comments!

FlashForward Breakdown, "Black Swan"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0700

It's been two weeks since the blackouts, and in this week's episode of FlashForward, the people of the world are slowing getting back into their old routines. The only problem is, their outlook on the world is a bit marred to say the least. Nicole finally resurfaces, Olivia and Bryce spar over the meaning of the flashforwards, and Demetri and Mark come to blows.

We get a little more insight, a glimpse at Dominic Monaghan and one very big reveal, so just read more.

Can the future really save people?
Olivia and Bryce meet Edward Ned (who hilariously insists on being called "Ned Ned"), a new patient with a constant sense of calm and a conviction that in sixth months he'll have transformed into a black man ("like Oprah black"). At first he just seems nuts, until Bryce uses Ned's vision to diagnose him. Still trying to convince herself that the flashforwards may not come true, Olivia refuses to use Bryce's method and nearly kills Ned before changing her mind. Ned declares that the "future saved him" and Bryce agrees. But what about the people who are afraid of their visions? Can the future save them too, in that they can somehow avoid what they see? (Side note: I almost choked when I recognized Ned as Todd from Wedding Crashers).

Does Nicole deserve to be punished?
Nicole finally picks up her baby-sitting gig again, and it's revealed that she and Aaron are connected through his daughter Tracy. Clearly disturbed by her vision, Nicole seeks out a priest in hopes to start some volunteer work. She eventually reveals to Mark that she's being drowned in her flashforward, and the murder feels deserved. But why? Mark assures her that she did nothing wrong, but we all know it won't be that simple. In the pilot Nicole is gettin' busy on the couch while Charlie is sleeping, so she has a bad girl side. But now that she knows her possible fate, what could she do to warrant a punishment like that? Also, I could be wrong about this - but her attacker looked like he could definitely be Dominic Monaghan, aka Simon.

What's the deal with Alda Herzog?
Referred to as the "female Osama Bin Laden," Alda Herzog is clearly shady - but what does she know about the blackouts? She toys with both Demetri and Mark, sending them on a wild goose chase to the Customer Choice Restaurant Group, and later telling Mark that he's just "a little boy in the dark." She easily gets a rise out of both of them, even prompting Mark and Demetri to start a fist fight. I can't help but wonder if she's got them totally wrapped around her finger, a la Nazi Guyer from last week's episode, or if she's really sent Mark down the right path to get some answers.

How is LLoyd Simcoe involved in the blackout?
Lloyd continues to struggle with caring for Dylan after spending so many years as an absentee father. He continues to try to garner help from Olivia, but she pushes him away in constant fear of her flashforward. Lloyd has a tender moment at Dylan's house as he attempts to learn a little bit about his boy, and the two make a connection back at the hospital. Everything is all puppies and roses until he gets a call from Simon - who implies that the two are responsible for causing the blackouts.

Other points:

I loved the Shakespeare in Love throwback when Mark is being silly with Charlie: "You're the Shakespeare of cheesy dad humor!"

The opening of the episode, set to Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet" was a very poetic way to look at the blackouts - especially since we can't hear all the catastrophic noise and commotion that usually defines the incident.

There seems to be a long focus on the "Pimp" necklace during the trailer park scene. Is that going to come back to haunt us?

What'd you think of this week's episode? Do you think there's a connection between those who see hopeful visions and those that see hurtful ones?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Invasion"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:23:13 -0700

Seattle Grace has been invaded, and this time it's with new doctors in addition to fresh patients and injuries. It doesn't take very long for the surgeons to butt heads with the Mercy West newbies - in fact, Izzie is ready to throw down after one of the doctors takes George's locker in the locker room. Eventually, Izzie is the only one who warms up to the Mercy Westers, only to get burned first by a new friend and then by the chief.

Ready to talk about all of the drama with the new kids on the block? Just read more.

The docs are on the defensive from the minute they are "invaded" by Mercy West. New guy Jackson (aka hot guy from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2) immediately gets on Owen's good side by suggesting a new method of appointing patients. Throughout the episode, Jackson proves to be most likable of the new doctors, which makes Cristina hate him even more.
For the second week in a row, Cristina has beef with Owen because he doesn't play favorites. Her self-assurance continues to plummet, and by the end of the episode she has a breakdown in Meredith's hospital room about how much she misses heart surgeries. It was interesting that she mentions Burke after all these seasons of silence (though at this point it feels like he's been gone forever), and I loved that she jumps right into Mere's bed even though they are both in a "dark and twisty" place.
Callie's father returns, though it's not exactly the joyful reunion she's been hoping for. He brings a priest along for the trip, prompting Callie to protest that you can't "pray away the gay." Later they square off again, citing religious quotes, but ultimately he begins to accept his daughter for who she is. This is a major breakthrough for Callie's relationship with Arizona, as she's the one who gets through to Callie's dad, even admitting that she loves Callie. Aww.
Lexie tries to be welcoming to the new doc she's working with, though it doesn't take long for her to see that the newbie is one-upping her photographic memory. Prompted by the patient she's working with (who happens to be a thief), Lexie turns the tables and uses the newbie's diary to get the upper hand. In true Lexie fashion, she feels bad in the end and apologizes. Am I the only one who thinks the new doctor is kind of like Lexie 2.0? Their dynamic reminded me of when Lexie first started and tries really hard to make nice with Mere, but gets the cold shoulder in return. Maybe Lexie and Meredith are growing more alike as they get to know each other.
The most dramatic moments of the night are wrapped up in Izzie. Though wary at first, Izzie quickly bonds with and embraces her new friend Charles - until she overhears him referring to her as his "own surgical bitch." (Ouch). It obviously gets to her, and Izzie lets her emotions get in the way of her work, nearly killing a patient waiting for a transplant. It's clear that the other doctors aren't willing to give her a free pass because she's a cancer survivor; Bailey hands her a heavy reprimand and ultimately the Chief lets her go.
Alex continues to try to defend Izzie to the chief, though this week his pleas are starting to sound desperate. He gets so fiercely competitive with newbie Reid that a patient's family member is forced to step in. At the end of his stressful day, he gets the biggest bomb of all - Izzie breaks the news that she's leaving him a note. We all knew the firing was coming, but I didn't think her relationship with Alex would end so quickly. He has a rare emotional moment breaking the news to Mere and Cristina, and even they don't know how to comfort the usually cocky Karev. (Gotta love the moment of comic relief when Meredith is trying to prompt Cristina to give him a hug).

Now that Izzie's gone, what do you think will happen when she gets back? Is it really over for her and Karev? Did you like seeing the fresh meat at Seattle Grace or were you just as irritated as the doctors?

For more on everything Grey's, check out the Grey's Anatomy Junkies group in the BuzzSugar Community!

FlashForward Breakdown, "137 Sekunden"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:46 -0700

This week's episode of FlashForward isn't exactly action-packed, but we do finally meet a few significant others - including Demetri's fiancee, Zoe - and get a bit more character insight and some clues about the blackout. Not to mention the introduction of one creepy former Nazi.

It wasn't my favorite of the first three episodes, but this show is still keeping me on the edge of my seat. Would ABC just pick up the full season already? To break it all down, just read more.

Did Mark and Janis get played?
The focal point of this week's episode is wrapped up in Guyer, a former Nazi who's imprisoned in Germany but sees his flashforward as a bargaining chip for freedom. When Mark hears that he makes an appearance in Guyer's vision, he and Janis soon square off about whether or not his "information" is worth setting a Nazi free. In the end, Guyer's biggest revelation is that the crows seem to have blacked out and died at the same time as the human race did. Janis and Mark are disappointed at first, until Mark realizes that this isn't the first time crows have "blacked out." Last week there was talk of pigeons, now crows. Could the mysterious blackouts be all wrapped up in birds?
Did Zoe really see Demetri in her flashforward?
Yay! This week we finally get to meet Demetri's fiancee, Zoe (Gabrielle Union). Am I the only one who is loving the couples on this show? Mark and Olivia are often very sweet together, but I'm also digging Demetri and Zoe's younger love. When Zoe describes her wedding day flashforward to Demetri, she seems totally confident that he is there - but does she actually see him, or just assume as much? While some of the other visions seem hard to believe given the six-month interim period (Olivia sleeps with a new man, boyfriend-less Janis is already pregnant) - this one takes the cake for me. If Demetri is really murdered, could his fiancee recover and find a new man to wed that quickly? I'm banking on the glimmer of hope that this means Demetri can overturn his fate.
Is Tracy alive or not?
Determined to get to the bottom of the veracity of his flashforward, Aaron pays a visit to his ex-wife, hoping to get her permission to exhume their daughter's body for DNA. We see that Aaron's not the only one who's been deeply impacted by his daughter's death, though Katie still refuses to sign the affidavit. Eventually, Aaron gets around it and has Demetri dig up the body - though the DNA is a match, meaning that Tracy really is dead. So, is Aaron lying or is it possible that his vision may not come true after all? I'm wondering if this could be a sign that some of the flashforwards come true and others don't? Though, I have a feeling that we'll still see Aaron heading to Afghanistan sometime soon.

Other points:

Nicole the babysitter is still MIA (perhaps spending some time in that other life of hers). I'm dying to know what she saw, so hopefully she comes back soon.

Um, isn't Dominic Monaghan supposed to be on the show? Let's add him to the list of people we want to see next week.

If all the crows die in the flashforward, what about the other animals? Is there going to be a tie-in to that kangaroo we saw hopping around?

Is Demetri going to report Jerome Murphy and his bong-hitting ways? I totally would!

So are you still lovin' FlashForward, or are you losing interest? Which of the visions are you most curious about?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Tainted Obligation"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:30:58 -0700

The title of this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy says it all. Meredith finds herself between a rock and a hard place when her dad enters Seattle Grace in need of a liver transplant, and she's the only viable donor. Meanwhile, the Chief is still trying to navigate the merger, and Izzie continues to struggle with the transition from patient back to doctor.

Check out the Grey's Anatomy Junkies for more discussion, but for now, just read more.

So, married life isn't exactly typical for Alex and Izzie between brushing their teeth in the kitchen sink and the bears greeting them in the morning. The turning point for Alex comes in one of the episode's funnier scenes: he finds a tick in his ear over lunch. Though Izzie defends trailer life at first, I'm glad she finally comes around by the end of the episode - those two have enough problems as it is.
Thatcher makes a grand entrance into Seattle Grace, immediately puking blood all over Meredith's sneakers. At first Mere is back to her typically gloomy self, half hoping her father will die and continuing to hold her lifelong grudge. I felt for Meredith, but after Lexie's heartfelt begging and pleading, I was happy that Mere finally grows up and casts her selfishness aside. Three seasons ago Meredith would never have dreamed of putting Lexie first, and I was proud of her for giving up part of her liver - her offer to get to know her dad was an even bigger milestone.
Doctor Sloan has a lighter case on his hands, though it's still a family matter. He handles an aging man who desperately wants a penile implant. Appalled, his adult children try everything they can to talk him out of it, but their father wants nothing more than to be with his new love in his life. I loved that some of Lexie's pain transferred over to Mark, as he gets all emotional about the sanctity of life and death. And of course his homage to Lexie: "And there's nothing wrong with dating a younger woman. It keeps you young and that's my professional opinion!"
Cristina spends most of the episode puttering about and trying to do anything she can to scrub in on a surgery. When Owen refuses to play favorites, she tries batting her eyes at any surgeon willing to give her a look. In the end she finally gets to help out - though she's less than thrilled to be part of Sloan's "penis pump" surgery. As her confidence continues to break down, Cristina eventually explodes at the Chief. Personally, I'm enjoying the more vulnerable side of Cristina.
Izzie is back to work, but she understandably can't separate her life as a doctor from her past as a patient. She quickly develops a rapport with another cancer patient and his girlfriend and insists on trying a risky surgery to try to save him. When she loses the patient, it becomes clear to Owen that she's not ready yet - and unfortunately, we already know that this ends in her getting fired (looks like next week). I'm not sure what fate lies for Izzie just yet, but I'm glad the writers are handling her recovery responsibly, rather than having her bounce back from melanoma as if it never happened.

Overall, I'm finding this season of Grey's a bit lackluster, but what about you? Were you surprised that Meredith gave in to Lexie and Thatcher? Are you looking forward to the new influx of doctors next week?