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Song of the Day: Matt Pond PA, "If You Want Blood"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:48:26 -0700

Don't be scared by the gruesome name or the hatchet-motif cover art. Matt Pond PA's new song, "If You Want Blood," is an energetic Summer anthem, heavily infused with orchestral strings, punchy tambourines, and swerving guitars.

Fans of Andrew Bird and The Shins should definitely give a listen to this roadtrip-worthy track, which will appear on the band's upcoming EP of the same name. Here's hoping the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Philly group's long-awaited sixth album follows soon. If you like this track, you should also check out "Magic Boyfriend" on the band's MySpace page. To hear "If You Want Blood," read more

The Vampire Diaries "The Turning Point": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:15:00 -0800

I was already bummed knowing this was the last week of new episodes of The Vampire Diaries until January; and now, having seen it, I'm freaking out a little bit. I knew there was going to be an epic cliffhanger, I just didn't know how epic!

With new vampires, violence and passion come "The Turning Point" - a title that would apply to many things that happened this week. So as usual, let's break down the good, the bad, and the bloody of this week (plenty of spoilers ahead!) when you read more.

The Good

Stefan and Elena finally gave up on their "are we or aren't we" dance and got together. I mean, together together. Vampire boots were knocked, but there wasn't a happy ending. More on that later.
Logan's vampiric turn made for gruesome excitement, especially now that Damon is trying to be on his best behavior. It also brought forth new mysteries; why did Sheriff Forbes bury Logan and write emails on his behalf instead of saying it was an animal attack? And who did turn him? My money was on Alaric, but now I'm not so sure. I also enjoyed his interactions with Damon, despite their constant shooting of wood bullets at each other.
OK, fine: I do like Caroline and Matt together now. Their coupling is just kind of sweet, and the fact that they bonded over So You Think You Can Dance?! I felt like it was my birthday.
I'm a fan of cool guy teacher Alaric, even if he is probably a vampire. I like to think he's more exciting than that - could he be a good vampire like Stefan? Interestingly, I don't think that Stefan or Damon has actually interfaced with Alaric yet, which is telling to me. If I had to guess, I'd say they knew each other. And what of him also being a "daywalker," when Stefan and Damon are so secretive about their rings?
I need to know more about the Gilbert family legacy, especially since Jeremy discovered an ancestor who wrote fiction about monsters. I like that the show made me care about more side characters I hadn't previously, like Jenna, Jeremy, and even Tyler. About Tyler. . . I don't want to speak too soon, but I think there's something very interesting happening with him.

The Bad

Isn't it a little too early to be saying "I love you," Elena? She even wants to see and make out with his scary vampire face when he gets turned on. Weeeird.

The Bloody

Newborn Logan is literally out for blood, but that pile of hoarded bodies that Logan was keeping made me sick to my stomach.
Anyone else feeling sorry for Caroline? Girlfriend's always getting bloodied up. Someone give her a self-defense lesson.
So basically unless you're Stefan or Damon, if you're a vampire you will only last one episode before being staked. Logan gets staked by Alaric by the end of the hour, which is unfortunate for Damon, because Logan had just promised him there was another way to break the spell holding Katherine and the other vampires under Fell's Church. Guess we'll just have to wait to meet little Miss Vixen.
It might have been time for Stefan to hide the Katherine photo, or at least have come clean about their resemblance. Lord knows finding a photo of my doppelganger at my undead boyfriend's house would freak me out too. That's what happens for Elena, who leaves Stefan's in a devastated rush. When someone stands in front of her car, she has a gnarly crash, which is terrifying in itself. It gets much more horrifying when the "person" she hit uncracks their limbs to stand up and come toward her. Yeesh! (BTW, did that scene remind anyone of Tara in the first season finale of True Blood?)

I don't know how I'm going to deal with the show's hiatus for two long months, let alone waiting that long to find out what was coming for Elena. Or, who Alaric is; did he kill Logan to protect Jenna, eliminate a problem-causing newborn, or something more insidious? To talk more about the show (especially in the next few weeks without new episodes) join the Hooked on Vampire Diaries group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Vampire Diaries "History Repeating": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

Dear The Vampire Diaries, I see your master plan now: it's to bring it every week now. Please continue to do so. Moving on, this week we learned more about Bonnie and her family ties, revealed Damon's master plan, and met the new mysterious, history teacher.

But that's not even half of the amazing things that went down, so to see the good, the bad, and the bloody from this week's episode, just read more.

The Good

Bonnie's talisman/necklace is bringing her nightmares and visions of her ancestor Emily, who we learn was definitely Katherine's handmaiden back in the day. Her appearances are so creepy, but I was kind of digging that the scares were coming from a non-vampire source.
Damon and Stefan's interactions this week are brilliant. The role reversal, where Stefan takes on Damon's persona and Damon mocks Stefan in kind, are priceless. There even seems to be some genuinely affectionate times between the brothers, but was it just Damon's vulnerability/lack of strength due to avoiding human blood?
New characters for this show have tended to be pretty intriguing, and new teacher Alaric Saltzman is no exception. The dreamy Alaric, played by Legally Blonde's Matt Davis, has a shady past (dead wife who was almost certainly murdered) and every sign points to him being a vampire: the sun-protecting ring, the lingering exchange of Jenna not inviting him in. It's almost too obvious. If he is a vamp and not some other supernatural being, then what role does he play? I'm sure he must know the Salvatores.
Gratification! In one episode, we get two mysteries solved: why Damon came back to Mystic Falls and what's up with Emily and her necklace. The master plan - and Damon's reason for return - is Katherine. Specifically, to rouse her from the spell that left her trapped but unharmed (well, relatively unharmed, considering she was already dead) underneath the church 100 plus years ago. It's news to Stefan that Katherine didn't perish in the fire, but that's not the only revelation about her; the boys trade barbs about their last encounters with their shared first love, and they both end up wounded. I think Stefan is lying when he insists that Katherine compelled the brothers into loving her and that it wasn't real; why else would he have come out of hiding to pursue Elena?
One seed-planting I appreciated: The Gilbert family history. You know Jeremy's on the verge of discovering something big. I have my theories.

The Bad

Right about now I feel the need to introduce something I'd like to call Twilight Corner. It'll be where I bring up any glaring similarities The Vampire Diaries has to that other vampire story. This week, it's Stefan leaving Elena, telling her it's for the best. I smirked early on, when Stefan tells Elena that he's backing off from school, that it's the right thing to do; but I pretty much spit my water out at the end of the episode when Stefan tells Elena he's leaving to protect her while they're in the woods. Shades of New Moon! Generally, the show has distinguished itself from Twilight but that's waaay too close for comfort.

The Bloody

Damon swears off drinking human blood in a demonstration of goodwill to Stefan after killing Lexie last week. My my. Damon, showing repentance? What is this crazy fake world coming to? However, he doesn't maintain his new diet for long: he takes a big bite out of a possessed Bonnie after she, as Emily, destroys the amulet and Katherine over the Fells Church ruins.
OK, let's talk past bloody: We got more of the story of the history of Mystic Falls, including what sounds like an epic, ongoing battle between vampires and humans. It was no accident that Katherine was in that church, having been rounded up by the townspeople to be killed. And she wasn't alone; Emily sealed up the whole church, full of other vampires, who potentially could have been freed upon the town this week. Stefan accuses Damon of not wanting to free Katherine out of love, but revenge, rather; he nearly introduces an army of angry, ancient vampires on the ancestors of the people who exterminated them. Personally I think it was a little bit of both for Damon - love and revenge. He almost has his soul mate and a group of allies back in his life.
I'm counting Damon's broken heart as a casualty this week, as cheesy as that sounds. I just can't ignore how wrecked his face looks at the end of the episode. We went from seeing how inhumane Damon is just last week, to being confronted by an emotional man who faces a final loss of love. Ian Somerhalder, you're rocking it.

What did you think of "History Repeating"? Are you disappointed at all that Katherine didn't rise from the grave tonight, along with a crew of her nearest and bloodthirstiest? Do you even believe she's totally gone? And what about Jenna's situation - are both Logan and Alaric out to suck her blood? For more chatting beyond this week, join the Hooked on Vampire Diaries group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:30:22 -0800

This week's 90210 and Melrose Place combo don't have a ton of shocking moments, but it's obvious both shows are gearing up for major stuff to go down. (Like a drug bust, murder arrest, and Heather Locklear, for instance?!) We do, however, get some nice moments between the characters. Teddy, for one, is acting like an angel - although I can't tell if it's sincere, because I've made it a rule not to trust a guy who ties sweaters over his shoulders. And the gang from Melrose have a nice come-together moment around the pool, which I'd like to see more of.

Not that everything is warm and fuzzy. Hardly. There's still scandal to go around, so ready to decide which gave us more gossip-worthy material? Just read more.

90210 point: Navid discovers Jasper selling Adrianna drugs in her car in the school parking lot. Navid calls Adrianna to confront her, but she of course denies his accusations. Jasper also says the story isn't true and threatens Navid in a "hypothetical" way. Like, "hypothetically if I was a drug dealer, you wouldn't want to mess with me, because I know bad people." Real discreet stuff.
Melrose Place counterpoint: The blood tests from last week's discovery of Sydney's murder weapon come back - and Auggie is the guilty party. Auggie might as well be off the show already, because he is nowhere to be found, supposedly on a trip in Mexico. Ella's relieved, Riley has doubts, and Violet continues to defend him, seeing as how they slept together and she's crazy. When she told Riley that she and Auggie were "intimate" with each other, I nearly ralphed.

90210 point: Debbie is in the doghouse with Dixon. He tries to go comfort Sasha after her "miscarriage," and Debbie admits that Sasha faked the pregnancy - and that she hid the truth. Dixon's unreasonably angry with Debbie, telling her "you're not my real mom anyway." Come on, Dixon. Deb doesn't deserve that.
Melrose Place counterpoint: David sneaks over to Michael's house while he's at work and borrows Noah. He takes his little bro to a fair, but things go amiss when Noah climbs a wall and falls. David rushes him to Lauren at the hospital, and she administers treatment - but not before Michael gets wind of everything. He's understandably furious but later tells David that he's glad he cares about Noah. Could this be the start of an actual relationship between the father and son?!

90210 point: Liam is on the rampage after he tells Mr. Matthews that Jen is psycho and Ryan doesn't believe him. He takes his attitude out on Ivy, Teddy, and an entire group of surfers. Later, Liam explains his behavior, opening up to the guys (and Ivy) about his history with Jen, and the entire thing culminates in a cheesy friend speech to take Jen down, complete with a high-five. [eye roll]
Melrose Place counterpoint: Violet is back to blackmailing Michael. This time, we find out that she's wanted for a court trial for previously resisting arrest. She enlists Michael, suggesting that he find her a lawyer in return for her discretion about their one-night stand. He, in turn, threatens her back, telling her that he can make the sentencing go against her unless she erases the sex video. Which she does . . . or so it seems. I'm still not 100 percent sure that it won't pop up later, but the power play between the two of them was an episode highlight for me.

90210: With Silver's half birthday approaching, her mom decides to make up for years of missed celebrations and throw her multiple parties at once, dressing up their entire house in different themes. The whole thing seemed like a stretch - really, Teddy called his dad's set designer friend to rig up the ambiance? - but it was still nice to see her and her mom get their moment together. Unfortunately, at the end of the episode, Silver goes to wake her mom in the morning and realizes that her mom has passed away.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Whoa, whoa, whoa - Ella makes a move on Jonah that's bold even for her. It all starts when she needs him to pose as a publicist at a lunch with a hot new indie director. The director comes on to Ella, and Jonah swoops in to put off his advances by pretending to be her fiance. They share a steamy kiss to be extra-convincing, and sure enough, once the director is out of sight, Ella suggests that the two of them go to a nearby hotel, so Jonah can see what he's been missing. He angrily tosses Ella's advances by telling her he's in love with Riley. You could tell part of her feels hurt by his words - and that part of him doesn't actually mean them.

90210 point: Annie is falling hard for Jasper. Their back and forth "I love yous" were pretty sickening, and she even gets in a sting at Dixon, defending Jasper and telling Dixon he's a bad judge of character because of Sasha. But the most cringe-worthy part is Annie tells Jasper that she wants him to be her first - and they start tossing on the bed as the episode wraps. Oh, Annie - you're so gonna wish you had given it up to Ethan instead.

Melrose Place counterpoint: You saw it coming: Lauren and David finally kiss! David's actually a standup guy this episode by taking care of Noah, but his speech to Lauren about how he wants her to see the best in him was unexpected - and welcome, in my opinion. Lauren of course is hesitant due to her call girl lifestyle, which David still doesn't know about. I just hope they don't let that hold her back too long, so we can explore these two as a couple.

This is tough one to call, since neither show packed a ton of drama, relatively speaking. I'm going to go with Melrose Place though, since we find Auggie's blood on the murder weapon, Ella propositioning Jonah, and David and Lauren locking lips. But would you argue for 90210 instead? I'll agree that it did include some pretty nasty lines, and obviously Silver's storyline with her mom carries some weight.

Let me know your pick in the comments, then head over to the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community to discuss the show in more detail.

Photos courtesy of The CW

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:12 -0800

This week's CW drama block may have its share of cool guest stars like N.E.R.D. and Samantha Ronson, but, on the whole, it's a total mess. On the one hand, you've got the unstable girls of 90210 having emotional breakdowns at the drop of a hat; on the other, the Melrose Place residents are busy sneaking around to cover up their crimes. Personally, I was a bit annoyed by all the over-the-topness - especially you, Annie. Oh, and you, Ivy. But hey, at least it gives us a few surprising moments.

Ready to dissect each show and decide which packed more punch? (Warning: major spoilers!) Take a peek at my arguments and then weigh in with your own when you read more.

90210 point: Sasha is officially a nut job. First she tells Dixon that she's pregnant, but when Debbie gets wind of it, she questions Sasha even further to catch her in her baby lies. But the best part? When Debbie says the line, "It starts with you're not pregnant, and it ends with stay away from my son." Oh, snap! Congrats Debbie, you just went up a notch on the list of cool TV moms. Sasha backs off, telling Dixon she had a "miscarriage."
Melrose Place counterpoint: Did David kill Sydney? They sure try to make it seem that way. David tells Ella that he was blackout drunk that night after finding out that Syd was sleeping with his father - and then he has a flashback where he wakes up with blood all over himself and a knife in his hand. I gasped a little over the big reveal, but I'm not entirely convinced that David wasn't set up by someone else.

90210 point: Annie is getting in way over her head with Jasper, and unfortunately, she seems much too insecure to dig herself out. When Navid hears that Jasper is a dealer, he tells Annie and she confronts Jasper about it. Jasper wigs out, making Annie cry and beg forgiveness. Later, we see Jasper selling drugs to someone, so we know the rumors are true. For more on his buyer, keep reading.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Jonah makes out with Kendra, the hot movie producer, literally within the first five minutes of the episode. (That didn't take long.) He stops things from going further, but when he comes clean to Riley, he gets on her case again for her kiss with Auggie. She apologizes profusely, but the damage has already been done. By the end of the episode, I was thinking, Wait, did they actually just break up?! I don't think so, but if you stuck around for next week's promo, things do not look good for the engaged couple.

90210 point: Jen is back, throwing around her prima donna wicked attitude. She walks in on Ryan during his date with the bartender from the previous episode and goes into attack mode with the verbal jabs. ("You look older closer up.") Ryan is actually turned on by her jealousy, and the two become exclusive. But what I can't understand is why, after he knows that she lies, does he actually trust her story about Liam coming on to her? He totally buys it!
Melrose Place counterpoint: Auggie finally gives his a-hole boss Marcello a piece of his mind, er, fists. Marcello passes off one of Auggie's recipes as his own, and then he makes a few lewd comments about Riley - and you know how Auggie feels about Riley. He starts swinging, knocking Marcello out. Back at the apartment later, Violet shows up, and in a moment of what I can only blame on Auggie's emotional distress, the two finally knock boots. I'm guessing this means we'll be seeing Violet's worst kind of crazy very soon (right before she and Auggie say sayonara).

90210 point: Adrianna is inching closer to her previous life of drug use. It starts when she plays a song asking for Navid's forgiveness. (So cheesy!) He turns her down, so she continues sulking in bed, sobbing. Silver and Naomi want her to go to a meeting so she can stay clean, and with due concern - at the end of the episode, we see her buying from none other than Jasper.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Ella's squeaky-clean client, Jessie, is hospitalized with major cocaine in his system, so she begs Lauren to write a fake report citing an allergy as the cause of his stay. Lauren refuses. (Anyone else confused about why Lauren continues to take the high road, despite her side prostitution gig?) Ella then discovers a wad of cash in Lauren's room and realizes her Pretty Woman secret. Of course Lauren denies the accusations, but no matter - Ella decides to let her star take the fall anyway and promises to never question Lauren again.

90210 had way more melodramatic outbursts, but those ladies were so crazy that it kind of turned me off. (You girls give women a bad name. Even Violet seemed normal this week compared to you.) So I'm giving this week to Melrose by default: I was genuinely shocked at David's bloody flashback and the fact that Jonah has suddenly broken out of his perfect-fiance persona. I expect scandal from someone like Auggie or Ella, but from Jonah? Come on!

Do you disagree? Were you actually loving all of the melodrama on 90210?

Don't forget that you can also keep the conversation going over in the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community. Check it out!

Photos courtesy of The CW

An Open Letter to Breaking Dawn's Screenwriter

Buzz Community — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

This post comes from the group The Books of Twilight from member Audreystar.

Dear Ms. Rosenberg,

First let me say that I thought you did an impeccable job at screenwriting Twilight from Stephenie Meyer's novel. From what I can see you did a great job on New Moon as well. I can only assume that Eclipse will be no different. You have proven yourself a competent and talented screenwriter. Hell, you write episodes of Dexter for goodness sake! Your ability is not in question.

I am here to discuss Breaking Dawn. This will be the ultimate test of your career. If you can manage to pull a workable movie out of that piece of literature you should (hands down) win the Academy Award in screenwriting. Everyone seems to be wondering who will be chosen to direct Breaking Dawn because they believe that is (ultimately) the person who will sink or swim in making a film work on the last book. I beg to differ. This all lies with you and that is quite a big burden to bear. The world is on your shoulders. The movie will make a ton of money so Summit can't be THAT concerned with the script. But I know you aren't a writer to please all the people who will watch anything with Robert Pattinson in it. You actually care about putting out quality work.

To read the rest of the letter (WARNING: Breaking Dawn spoilers ahead!), just .

So here are my questions. How are you honestly going to manage to write the birth scene and still maintain a PG-13 rating? How are you going to write for Renesmee and her not look like a freak of nature? Regarding Renesmee, the hardest challenge will be for the casting directors/CGI geniuses. They have a daunting and hard and impossible job. The honeymoon scene is what everyone will be flocking to the cinema to see (the rabid fans I mean) and I am sure Mrs. Prude Meyer will be ALL OVER the writing and filming of that. Look I know she didn't write the books for a mature audience and is trying to keep it morally sound. But this is the last movie and we have to have more than just a fade to black. But I know it won't happen because SM wouldn't even let the first kiss scene stay the way Catherine had it (i.e., steamy). I find it rather hypocritical that SM has an issue with a tasteful sex scene however has ZERO problem with blood and gore which Breaking Dawn the novel is filled to the brim with. You want to see Edward and Bella consummate their relationship. . . sorry, you aren't gonna get it. But if you are excited to see Edward rip Bella's belly open with his sharp vampire teeth, well you are in luck.

And don't even get me started on how you are going to work out the awful anti-climatic ending. This is going to be the last film in the series and as a talented screenwriter you know you can't end it that way. Sure, if this were an indie film you could get away with it. But, it isn't.

So in conclusion, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers while dealing with this huge predicament and the test of your career. You will deserve a Pulitzer if you can pull this off.

Best regards,
Audreystar

(Please note: I have no clue if she has even been signed as the screenwriter for the fourth film).

There's lots of fun stuff going on in our community - join it, check it out, share your stories and posts in the great groups and maybe we'll feature them here on BuzzSugar!

Law Abiding Citizen: Deserves a Death Sentence

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:30:13 -0700

Oh, Gerard Butler, what were you thinking? You might be able to forgive the 300 actor for starring in this horror flick disguised as a meaningful thriller, but he also served as producer to help finance the train wreck. Did he not even read the script?

Law Abiding Citizen opens with Butler as Clyde Shelton, a devoted father and husband who witnesses the murder of his family by two psychopaths after a break-in. When his lawyer, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), strikes a deal in the case that lets one of them free, Shelton begs Rice to reconsider. And that’s where Shelton's deadly resentment - and the slasher flick stuff- begins.

To hear more about what I mean, read more.

Ten years later, Shelton returns to seek vengeance against Rice and the entire Philadelphia legal system through a series of mass killings and car bombs. The man is understandably still distraught over his family’s deaths, but he’s clearly gone cuckoo.

This is when the movie becomes less of a drama and starts resembling the Saw franchise instead. While Shelton starts off as the good guy, he's later partaking in gruesome torture scenes that leave him completely in covered in blood like the prom scene in Carrie. To make matters worse, Shelton throws out bad jokes as he's wreaking havoc for a few cheap laughs. It negates any possibility for the audience to feel sympathy for Shelton, and the attempted shock value also completely ruins the movie's credibility.

The film wants to make us question the inner-workings of law - when dealing with a killer, is it better to leave things to the justice system or take matters into your own hands? Really though, it would’ve worked better as a cheesy horror movie. It has all of the requirements: splattered body parts, a giant chain saw, abandoned warehouses, goofy wigs and costumes, creepy music, the obligatory muffled voice on the end of the phone - and loads of plot holes. Like, why is Shelton rich enough to buy all of his assassin-style supplies and how does he know how to use them all? The film attempts to answer the question for us later in the film, but it feels tacked on and much too late.

In other words, if you do go see this film, don't try to think too much about it. Foxx and Butler do their best with what they're given, but the film is only good for a couple of thrills that make you jump in your seat. As for me, I just wanted to walk out.

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Movie Reviews community group if you want to weigh in about your own weekend film picks.

The Vampire Diaries "You're Undead to Me": The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:45:29 -0700

We're on the brink of big stuff on The Vampire Diaries, and it's definitely become a reason to stay home on Thursdays nights. Everything just got real - from Damon's nature to the Big Secret. I love dissecting the show almost as much as I love seeing a strapping young vampire in a black v-neck shirt, so let's talk about this week's good, bad, and bloody!

To see them (warning - spoilers ahead!) and chat, just read more.

The Good:

I'm really starting to care for people outside the threesome, particularly Bonnie. Her Carrie-like setting the car on fire is chilling (seriously, no one but Stefan saw that?) and her seeking out her grandma to find out what's going on with her has me really interested. Even if the casting of 47-year-old Jasmine Guy (Whitley from A Different World) is sort of unbelievable.
I'm also intrigued by this ragtag antivampire squad, which includes Caroline's mother, Tyler's mother, and Logan. Last week, they seemed to know exactly what's been haunting Mystic Falls, and I got the ominous feeling that these "regular" townsfolk may not be what they seem. I also want to know more about why they're assembling certain objects, like the necklace and pocket watch (Horcruxes?!)

The Bad:

The newsreel, you guys. The newsreel is so silly - while I balked at that footage being so easy to find and so clear, it's worse that the newsman exclaims "Is that the nephew?!" and have the camera swing to Stefan in the shadows.
My other big problem with this week's episode is the Uncle Zach situation. I can't remember them explaining if Uncle Zach was a vampire, but he really seems to be dead. I assumed he was also a vampire until this week, when he tells Damon that he could have had a real family. So what was he? Human? Vampire? And was the crow Zach's familiar, or a crow that Damon found and killed for sustenance? There are larger implications for the unanswered questions, so I hope they're tied up next week.
Can we also know exactly what the deal is with vervain? K thanks.

The Bloody:

I wasn't expecting Uncle Zach to meet his end so quickly, even if the show had made him pretty inconsequential.
Poor Vickie became another victim of Damon's - she can't have any blood left, right?
We also saw what happens when vampires go out in the sun without their protective jewelry on. Scab city!

It seems like we've reached a pretty big climax in the show: Damon has just asserted himself as a pretty evil villain, while Elena had that oh-so-important realization of every young vampire's love interest: The Epiphany. That scene is not too terribly dissimilar from Bella's (here's a reminder!) and Elena wants answers next week. Also next week? The Civil War-era flashback! I can't wait. What did you think of this week's Vampire Diaries?

Photo courtesy of The CW

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?

The Vampire Diaries: The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:30:25 -0700

The Vampire Diaries must be doing something right, because the CW just ordered nine more episodes of the freshman series. I'm pretty psyched - with its third episode, "Friday Night Bites," Diaries has become one of my favorites of the Fall season.

Even though I've been gushing over Ian Somerhalder's Damon, this week the episode belonged to sensitive Stefan, who put down the blood bag, picked up the football, and brought out the high-school girl in me, who roots for the hot quarterback. Of course, the show hasn't lost all its cheesiness, which I'm ready to talk about (spoilers ahead) when you read more.

The Good

Nina Dobrev really won me over in this episode - her portrayal of Elena got a little more complex this week, which, I guess, is due to Elena getting more complex. I cheered for her when she slaps Damon after leaning in for a kiss, declaring unwaveringly, "I am NOT Katherine."
Speaking of that interaction, the sexual tension between Elena and Damon is out of control, rejections notwithstanding. Her chemistry with Stefan is also great, but the Damon-Elena dynamic is worthy of Eric and Sookie on that other vampire show.
The atmosphere has gone from cheesy (the fog) to palpably creepy. It's not just about the vampiric stuff, either; when Bonnie sees the numbers that have been playing in her head (so Lost-y!) around Coach Tanner's murder scene, I got chills. By the by - can Bonnie predict deaths? That's so much better than a vague psychic or seeing the future ability, but I have a feeling it won't be that specific.
The dialogue seems to get better and better with each episode. It helps when you have Kevin Williamson writing and people like Ian Somerhalder delivering it with such ease: "BTW. That means by the way." You can educate me about acronyms all day, Damon.

The Bad

This is a complaint about many vampire shows or movies, but why do people always think a vampire attack is an animal attack? I get it, a wild animal would bite and go for the neck, but is it really the only possibility to people? Elena: "What kind of animal could be doing all this? Why would it come out of the woods and attack someone in the middle of town?" Exactly. What kind of crack police force does Mystic Falls have?
Thanks for listening to me about the diary writing, Vampire Diaries, but I still saw one crow! It's not really creepy, it's just weird.

The Bloody

So apparently every episode is going to open with a scary scene. I can handle that, now that I know to be prepared. This week's opener is pretty small potatoes in the gore department, but I was still terrified as I watched Damon breathe and sleep (such a faker!) while Caroline tiptoed around the room.
Damon didn't do much to disprove Stefan's humanity theory when he kills Coach Tanner in front of him. The guy was a total douche, taunting his students, and Elena's aunt called him an "asshat" last week. Asshats don't last long in the horror genre. Good riddance.

So were you rah-rahing this week's episode with me? I'm really intrigued for the next few episodes - I want to know more about this Katherine-Damon-Stefan love triangle and, surprisingly, Bonnie. What did you like and dislike about "Friday Night Bites"?

Photo courtesy of The CW