I've been out of the country with limited Internet access, thus was unable to keep up on some of the reality TV news. Check out what's been going on:

Apparently, several blogs are reporting that executive chef Jill Snyder of Red Maple on North Charles Street is one of the 16 finalists who will appear on Top Chef. In other Top Chef news, Season 2 cheftestant Marcel "I make foams" Vigneron was arrested in Southern California on suspicion of drunken driving. See the details here.

Check out the new Survivor cast. Among the contestants are a 22-year-old pro video gamer and a 2004 Olympic gold medalist in track. There is also an actress who apparently was on Gilmore Girls.

Finally, Ollie and Michelle were both evicted from the Big Brother 10 house. Read more about it here.

 

 

 

Hey, it’s Ishita again with this week’s Project Runway recap. Last week, the designers dressed drag queens, and Joe won the challenge, earning himself immunity for this week. Daniel and his “high taste level” were out.

Kenley opens the show by declaring, “Daniel was like my best friend here.” I guess that was before she laughed at his taste? And Keith is shaken by his placement in the bottom two last week, and the harsh criticism he received from the judges. “I want to change the way the world dresses,” he says. Apparently we’ll all be wearing shapeless fringe in the future.

Since the models did not walk in last week’s runway show, there are two models up for elimination, should Joe abandon his model Topacio. He doesn’t, so both Kelli’s and Daniel’s models are out.

Heidi tells the designers to go to a midtown rooftop to receive their challenge. Blayne thinks that they’re designing for some crazy superstar on a rooftop, and Korto thinks that that star is Mariah Carey (she is crazy…). The address is to a parking garage, and as the designers go up to the top level, Kenley remarks that it’s like a haunted house. There’s also the obligatory “the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire” comment.

Tim Gunn is waiting for the designers on the top of the roof, joined by Chris Web, the lead color designer for Saturn. Also on the roof are five Saturn Vue hybrids, which hold the raw materials with which the designers must create their outfits. This week’s challenge is to create an outfit from Saturn car parts.

Tim tells everyone that this challenge is similar to the Gristedes challenge from the first episode. That challenge produced a lot of unimpressive and unimaginative tablecloth dresses, so “this is a second chance for you to wow the judges,” Tim says.

The designers have only four minutes to plow through the cars for material, so everyone is running around crazily. Except Stella, who laughs at the other designers. “How embarrassing, like rushing,” she says. That’s just asking for trouble…

The designers are in consensus at this point: No one has a clue as to what they will create. Tim informs them that the winner of this challenge has immunity for next week, and Joe is relishing his immunity from last week. Kenley is throwing headlights on the ground to break them, and Blayne observes that everything in the design room “is very experimental right now.”

Keith is still really worried about the judges. He says, “I’m going to make sure whatever I do next is more tailored and a little toned down.” So no seatbelt fringe? Suede is talking about himself in third person again and updates us on the cuts and blisters he’s developed while working with these tough materials. Ishita thinks that she’s had it with the third person. Enough already!

Stella says she wants to step outside the box and do something pretty for a change. I’m a bit skeptical – I don’t think we have similar concepts of pretty. Suede again gives a shout-out to a dead relative, this time his dad, and Keith says he is more worried about what the judges are going to think than what he is going to design. Not a good sign.

Korto is weaving seatbelts to create a coat (her sketch looks gorgeous), and Kenley is drawing a zebra print with Sharpie on air vents. Blayne has a seatbelt gown in the works, but the sewing machines aren’t working on the tough fabric. Perhaps it’s a sign from the fashion gods to rethink a seatbelt gown?

Stella says she’s got a Planet of the Apes thing going. Sure, this has always been my idea of pretty.

The models come in for their first fitting, and Tim tells Kenley that her model, Shannon, has dropped out, so Germaine will be filling in. Cue complaining from Kenley about how “Germaine is flat and boxy where Shannon was narrow and curvy” (they all look tall and skinny to me). “It’s all about me right now, so it’s making me mad,” she says. I officially can’t stand her.

Tim checks in on the designers the next morning. He’s unimpressed by Blayne’s weird fringe seatbelt creation (apparently fringe MUST be featured in each episode this season), but he likes the futuristic look on Jerell’s top and the ‘60s mod look on Korto’s weaved jacket. Tim doesn’t think Stella is being innovative enough. But she says she’s got a longer skirt! Hopefully it’s longer than this offering from Episode 2. Leanne elicits a “wow” from Tim – but to me the silhouette on her cocktail dress is a little strange.

There’s drama after Tim leaves when Terri relates Korto’s design to the Scarecrow and “Jeepers Creepers.” Jerell says that Terri has “two faces and four patterns.” LOVE it. Keith flips out about the sewing machines and worries about his confidence. All the attention on Keith makes it seem like he’s going home.

Back at home, Stella says that she’s been in a relationship for three years with William, a.k.a. Ratbones. Oh-kay. The next morning Korto declares “It’s on” (like Donkey Kong). Tim advises the designers, “Work like there’s no tomorrow, because for one of you, there won’t be.” The competition is heating up!

The models come in for last minute fittings. Keith repeatedly warns his model to not sit down while wearing his skirt, but of course, she comes back from hair/makeup with a rip. He’s obviously upset, and before she leaves for the runway he tells her, “watch your breathing and don’t sit down.”  It’s a good thing they’re not selling these designs on Bluefly – could you imagine the disclaimer on that item?

There are a few new judges today: Season 3 finalist Laura Bennett is filling in for Nina Garcia, and the guest judge is Rachel Zoe, the stylist to the stars who was responsible for Nicole Richie’s dramatic transformation.

I’m only going to comment on the top and bottom three, but you can see all of the designs here. Terri, Suede, Joe and Kenley were safe, and Korto, Leanne, Blayne, Keith, Stella, and Jerell were in the top three and bottom three.
 
Rachel Zoe loves the tailoring on Jerell’s top (“I can’t believe how intricate it is,” she says) and Heidi Klum thinks that it’s “exciting and interesting to look at.” The fit on the top of Blayne’s gown is distracting to Laura Bennett. I think she’s being kind – the top is a weird blob that makes Blayne’s model look very uneven. I do like the broken glass decorations, though Heidi reminds Blayne that there’s “seven years no sex if you break the mirror.”

Korto’s woven seatbelt coat is a huge hit with the designers. Rachel Zoe says, “I would walk out the door with that.” I agree completely. Michael Kors loves Leanne’s cocktail dress. “The shape is fabulous,” he gushes. I think the model’s hips bulge out awkwardly, like tennis players with tennis balls under their skirts.

The judges don’t think Stella’s seatbelt skirt and racing-style vest go together and are confused by the back of Keith’s outfit. There’s some odd netting back there, supposedly to cover up the rip in the skirt, as Keith explains (I thought the rip was in the front of the skirt?). Laura Bennett doesn’t like that there’s no concept to the outfit, and Keith gets a little feisty on stage. He brings up Michael’s “dowdy chicken” comment about this outfit from last week. Michael shuts him down though, and it’s pretty much official – Keith’s going home.

The designers leave the runway so the judges can deliberate. Everyone is impressed by this challenge – the designers took Tim’s advice to heart. Michael likes that Jerell’s “whole thing was a very cohesive thought,” and Rachel Zoe wants to wear Korto’s coat. Heidi appreciates that Leanne “took a risk, and it paid off.”

In the bottom three, the judges didn’t like the combination of Stella’s vest and skirt, and the poor construction of Blayne’s gown. Rachel Zoe says that Keith’s outfit was not “flattering from the front, the back, or the side.” Ouch! He’s gone.

The designers are called back out on the runway, and Jerell and Korto are safe. Leanne wins the challenge (apparently bulging hips are stylish). Blayne and Stella are also safe, and as expected, Keith is out. He cries, Tim’s sad – we all knew it was coming.

Next week: Famed designer Diane von Furstenburg is on the show, and the designers are freaking out.

The first couple of minutes are a recap of Sunday's episode. (Yawn.) Then we get down to business.

The back-stabbing starts immediately. Dan says that he intends to go back on his word if Ollie chooses to save Jerry from eviction. (Dan had previously agreed to save Michelle from eviction.) Keesha tells Dan that she doesn't think things will work out the way he wants. Keesha and Renny later realize that Ollie and Michelle have had an alliance.

Meanwhile Michelle, Jerry and Ollie are meeting in private and discussing strategy. Jerry says he doesn't trust Dan.

It's time for America's vote. The public gets the opportunity to chose a gift for the housemates. This time, America chooses someone from the house to get a phone call from home. Keesha and Michelle get very emotional at the thought of connecting with their families. Renny and Jerry comfort Michelle separately. Jerry cries privately in a confessional. He shares that his wife has Parkinson's disease.

The camera cuts to a ringing phone in the living room. Michelle answers the phone and finds out that Jerry's family is on the other end. Jerry talks to his great-grandson, and then to his wife. Michelle starts to cry because she says that she's missing her family. (She's so self-absorbed.)

After Jerry wraps up his conversation, he yells a thanks to America for voting for him.

The emotion is quickly replaced with strategy in Dan's Head of Household room. Memphis, Dan, and Keesha talk about getting rid of Michelle. Dan says he's going to go back on his agreement with Ollie because Michelle is such a strong competitor.

Next is the power of veto competition. Ollie is the only player not selected to play. (Dan, Memphis, and Jerry picked contestant's names out of a hat to see who would participate.) Ollie and Dan talk in Dan's room. Ollie reminds Dan of their agreement, which will allow him to tell Dan who to choose as a replacement if someone uses the power of veto.

The contestants walk into the backyard of the house, which has been transformed into another planet's surface. All of the contestants are dressed as astronauts. Michelle, Dan and Keesha are in the first heat of the game, One Giant Leap. The game requires the contestants to complete a fairly large puzzle. One catch: They have to jump from one ledge to another while being supported by ropes. Keesha wins the first heat. Memphis beats Jerry and Renny to win the second heat.

Memphis and Keesha square off in the finals. The cameras cut to Ollie in a confessional. He is salivating over the fact that he anticipates being able to call the shots if either competitor uses the power of veto.

Memphis wins the competition and the power of veto. He and Dan rejoice in the privacy of Dan's room. Memphis refers to Michelle as a derogatory term. Dan later tells Keesha and Renny that he is going back on his word with Ollie, and he's going to nominate Michelle instead of Keesha or Renny.

Dan then calls Ollie into his room for a private conversation. Ollie says he wants Keesha to be put up for eviction if Memphis takes himself off the chopping block. The oh-so-shady Dan nods in agreement.

Dan decides to play a game during the power of veto ceremony. He asks all of the contestants to publicly name another contestant to leave the house. He wants everyone to turn on one another during the power of veto ceremony. Renny is hesitant to be part of Dan's plan.

"If this all works, I'm going to see fireworks in the air and I'll be watching from my HOH room," Dan says during a confessional.

Memphis uses the power of veto on himself.

Dan immediately announces that all of the contestants are going to play "Replacement Nominee Roulette." He gets them to play by telling them to participate in the game or risk an automatic trip to the chopping block. All the contestants participate. Dan then chooses Michelle for eviction. 

Ollie is shown throwing around items in disgust. 

Find out what will happen Thursday during a special two-hour eviction episode.

Move over that "mysterious" beverage Paula Abdul. You'll have a little less time to say one less "dog" Randy Jackson. And Simon Cowell, well I doubt he's really going to change much this coming season of American Idol when a fourth judge is added to the show. Read more here.

Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi, will provide a little "girl power" to the judging panel according to a Fox executive.

Adding a fourth judge is no a novel idea according to the show's executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz. 

"We had originally intended for American Idol to have four judges," she said. 

DioGuardio has written songs recorded by Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood and Pink.

What do you think about adding a fourth judge to the mix? Will the chemistry be negatively affected. Will this give Paula less of an opportunity to make a fool of herself? We'll find out when the show debuts on Fox in January.

In other Idol news, Ace Young, who competed on season five, will join the Broadway cast of Grease on September 9. Young will play Kenickie. The 27-year-old will make his debut two days after season six Idol winner Taylor Hicks completes a two-month stint as Teen Angel. 

 

ABC's hit show Dancing with the Stars is back in a couple weeks, and the new cast includes Maryland native Toni Braxton (left); daytime television's Susan Lucci, who is known for her portrayal of the character Erika Kane on All My Children; and Paris Hilton's infamous former best friend Kim Kardashian.

Braxton, a Grammy Award-winning singer, will be paired with Alec Mazo, Lucci will be paired with Tony Dovolani, and Kardashian will be paired with Mark Ballas.

The rest of the lineup:

Lance Bass, singer and actor, who will be paired with So You Think You Can Dance alumna Lacey Schwimmer. Brooke Burke, a model and television host, will be paired with Derek Hough. Rocco DiSpirito, the chef and cookbook author who starred in the reality television show The Restaurant, will be paired with Karina Smirnoff. Maurice Greene, the gold-medal-winning Olympic sprinter, will be paired with Cheryl Burke. Cloris Leachman, Oscar-winning actress, will be teamed with Corky Ballas. Cody Linley, the Hannah Montana co-star, will be paired with Julianne Hough. Misty May-Treanor, a two-time gold medal beach volleyball player, will team with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Ted McGinley, an actor, will partner with Inna Brayer. Jeffrey Ross, a comedian, will be paired with Edyta Sliwinska. Warren Sapp, a former NFL player, will team with Kym Johnson.

I know the show hasn't started, but do you have any idea who has the best dancing ability? And who will be the first contestant out? I think Bass should do well on the show. He spent all those years as a member of the heavily choreographed group 'N Sync. Check it out when the show returns Sept. 22.

I'm not sure whether Dan is incredibly smart or kinda stupid after watching last night's episode of Big Brother 10.

Dan and Ollie were the final contestants left in the Head of Household competition, which required them to the hold themselves up by a rope. Dan told Ollie to sacrifice himself so that Dan could become the next HOH. If Ollie agreed, Dan said he would protect Michelle and put up a contestant of Ollie's choosing for eviction. Ollie essentially held all the power with the agreement.

Keesha immediately noticed that something was awry and commented that the pair were probably working out some type of deal. (She was right.)

Anywho, Ollie agreed. He sacrificed himself, and Dan became HOH. For all you hardcore BB fans, you know that the HOH gets a private room filled with various gifts. This week was no exception. His room was filled with pictures of his family and his girlfriend. The room also contained a T-shirt from his girlfriend that read: "Taken." (Dan wore it happily; Memphis got all macho and said he would never wear such a thing.) 

Dan got choked up when reading a letter from his girlfriend, Monica. Ultra-cheesy violin music played in the back.

Renny was impressed with Dan's show of emotion.

Renny and Dan talked later that night about relationships. She wanted to know how many women he had "been with." Dan never answered.

Later, Ollie came to Dan's room for a little strategy. Ollie said he wanted to put up Memphis for eviction.

"It's a huge risk to put my closest ally on the block," Dan said during a confessional.

The next day, Memphis and Dan talked about evictions. Dan told Memphis that he had agreed to let him manipulate the evictions. Dan and Keesha started talking strategy later. (I swear, the back-stabbing is worse than Mean Girls!) Renny joined Keesha and Dan in the HOH room. She said she didn't trust Memphis. The three agreed to add Memphis to their group. They agreed to eliminate Memphis in the finals.

After contemplating his decision, Dan called everyone inside for the nomination ceremony. He told everyone that he struck a deal during the competition.

"I'm going to honor that deal," Dan told the group.

Dan nominated Memphis and Jerry for elimination. He used some lame football analogy to explain his decisions.

Jerry took it in stride. Ollie was confident that he had all the power in the house. Memphis was ticked off.

Tuesday is the power of veto competition. Stay tuned.

Sorry for the delay; I am out of the country and didn't have Internet access Thursday or Friday. Here is the BB10 recap by Patrick Gutierrez:

With Dan refusing to use the power of veto, April and Jerry were left to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, Renny’s alliance is still puzzled by her decision to nominate Jerry instead of Ollie. Dan asked Renny point-blank if she had made a deal with Ollie, and she said no.

Michelle seemed overly concerned that someone offered Dan $5,000 prior to the veto meeting to get taken off and set out to find out who that was. Meanwhile, Memphis tried to keep the target on April.

April, oblivious to the havoc she's caused in the house, seems stunned that she might be on her way out the door. With Ollie in her corner and Keesha and Memphis set on evicting her, she needed to persuade Michelle and Dan to vote her way. She and Ollie went to work on Michelle, who seemed open to the idea, but only if Dan's vote was secure. Ollie then took his case to Dan, and afterwards April got him alone in the storage room and once again offered him the $5,000 she banked earlier in the game along with safety from her and Ollie in exchange for his vote.

During the eviction ceremony, April was voted out 4-1, with boyfriend Ollie being her only vote.

The HOH competition, King of the Jungle, had each contestant hanging on a jungle vine. The last person remaining will win head of household. The winner would not be determined Thursday night, but we did find out that next week will be a … wait for it … double eviction night!!!

Thoughts: With Keesha's alliance still intact, Ollie and Jerry are on the outside looking in. They should join forces and work on getting Michelle to join them. Unless Keesha or Memphis wins HOH, at least one of them is likely to go on the block. And with next week being a double eviction night, it might be both!

Dan is sitting pretty right now. Other than Jerry, he has no obvious enemies. We'll see if Jerry lets bygones be bygones since Dan essentially kept him in the house ...

New guest blogger Ishita Singh writes about Project Runway:

Carla’s on vacation, so I’m filling in for her tonight. In case you missed last week’s show, here’s a quick recap: The designers paired off to create a look for Brooke Shield’s character on ABC’s “Lipstick Jungle.” Keith won the challenge, and Kelli was out.

The show starts with the designers’ reactions to last week’s judging. Korto is surprised that Kelli is out (Michael Kors called her outfit “slutty, slutty, slutty” – was there even a doubt that she was leaving?) and Blayne and Joe comment on Keith’s aesthetic, or lack thereof.

Heidi Klum brings out a guest to introduce this week’s challenge. As promised, it is Season 4’s Chris March, dressed like an operatic valkyrie, with disco balls covering his chest and a ridiculously large viking hat. Chris explains that the designers will have to create an outfit for a drag queen and brings out 11 lovely ladies so that the designers can choose their models. His one piece of advice? “Be as theatrical and over-the-top with your designs as you want to be.”

Keith won last week’s challenge, so he gets to pick his model first, and he chooses Sherry Vine because she has great legs. Blayne picks Miss Understood, no doubt because she has bright pink hair and is wearing Kermit the Frog in sequins.

After everyone else picks their gals, they head to the workroom. Tim Gunn warns the designers that they must reflect the unique personalities of each queen with the looks that they create. He, too, tells the designers to go “theatrical and over-the-top.” He also tells them that their designs will be auctioned off to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The designers meet with their clients briefly. Suede, who’s working with Hedda Lettuce, wants to make something that’s shiny and glamorous, yet tasteful. Good luck. And Stella, working with Louisa Verde, wants to grommet everything. What else is new? (Ed. note: She didn't say a thing about leather this episode! That's either some serious restraint or excellent editing.) Leanne wants to create something “Jetsons, but fashion-forward” for Sharon Needles (interestingly enough, Suede’s design is reminiscent of “The Flintstones”), and Joe wants to design a retro catsuit for the “southern Ann Margaret” style of Varla Jean Merman. Doesn’t make sense to me, but it’s still early.

The trip to Mood is pretty ho-hum, just a lot of sequins (Ed. note: In sum total, still less than what was on Miss Understood's Kermit outfit), and Tim announces when they get back that the winner of this week’s challenge has immunity. Game on!

Everyone seems a little tentative initially, except Terri, who has designed some drag stuff before, she says. Blayne decides his drag name would be “Neonlicious.” It’s fitting because his skin is so orange that it actually is neon. Everyone is over the “licious” at this point – it’s pretty clear that it will not become a phenomenon like last season’s “fierce.”

The next morning, Suede tells us that he had a dream where his dead grandfather tells him to put seeds on his dress. Weird. (Ed. note: He also gets a little misty-eyed when discussing his grandfather. Ohhh-kay.) He decides to put Bibb lettuce leaves on the gloves of his outfit, apt for Hedda Lettuce. Keith is yet again working with fringe for Shelly Vine, and Kenley says she’s not sure how long he’ll last with swatches.

The drag queens come in sans makeup and costumes for their fitting and are unrecognizable. The collar on Jerell’s “ocean-themed” dress is not a hit with his client LeMAY and looks a little watered down for someone as aesthetically outrageous as Jerell. Varla Jean Merman suggests a nautical theme to Joe for his Elvis-y pantsuit, which comes in a fantastic shade of pink.

Hedda Lettuce complains that she looks like Godzilla in Suede’s outfit and says that maybe Suede got a little lazy in creating gloves instead of sleeves. That statement elicits an “Oh, no, she didn’t” from Terri, and earns Hedda the nickname “soggy lettuce.” (Ed. note: Hee! How did I miss this bit last night?)

Chris March makes the rounds with Tim today, and in a surprise to absolutely no one, says that he likes the “sculptural” flames on Korto’s fire-inspired outfit for Sweetie and suggests that Korto design a removable skirt. Blayne has wings coming out of his outfit for Miss Understood, which Tim describes as a “pterodactyl out of a gay Jurassic Park.” Blayne thinks that’s the “greatest compliment he can get.” And that’s why I can’t wait for him to leave. (Ed. note: Snort!)

Tim and Chris love Joe’s work, tell Keith he has time issues yet again, and Daniel admits he’s unconcerned about Tim’s criticisms. Famous last words? He then asks Blayne to try on his neon orange and yellow gown for Annida Greenkard, which Blayne describes as “just an evening dress versus a drag queen dress.” It’s not the first time Daniel completely misses the point of the challenge – remember that purple Olympic cocktail dress?

The next morning, Tim tells the designers that they have an hour to send their models to hair and makeup, in which Suede and Hedda Lettuce resolve their issues (Ed. note: Hedda goes for the ultra-flirtatious way of resolving the issue, which never hurt anyone), and Sherry Vine tells Keith she wants more fringe. Really. After last-minute fittings, it’s runway time!

The guest judge this week is drag’s biggest queen, Ru Paul, looking fabulous as always. (Ed. note: I loved that wig!) Kenley’s first down the runway, and describes the dress she made for Farrah Moans as “liquid silver.” It’s pretty much what any Marilyn Monroe wannabe wears on Halloween. Next is Blayne, whose wings have drooped. He’s worried about the judges docking him for poor construction. I’d worry about the fact that your outfit HAS WINGS.

Joe’s nautical-themed outfit for Varla Jean Merman looks great. He says it’s “Ann Margaret on the Love Boat.” Suede is up next, and though she didn’t like the outfit initially, Hedda Lettuce really works it when she’s onstage. (Ed. note: I thought it was eerily similar to what she first came in wearing. Short, green, flouncy ... where's the inspiration?)

Terri has created a samurai outfit for Acid Betty, who is huge, by the way, and looks a little terrifying coming down the runway. Jerell’s outfit for LeMAY is pretty toned down, and Korto’s skirt for Sweetie is a big hit. Keith’s fringe for Sherry Vine looks like toilet paper. Again. Annida Greenkard looks unremarkable in Daniel’s cha-cha dress, and Louisa Verde looks blah in a tartan and spandex creation by Stella. I do like Leanne’s Jetsons-inspired outfit for Sharon Needles – the blue shoes are a great touch! You can see everyone’s designs in this photo gallery.

Korto, Terri and Joe are the top three, and Daniel, Keith and Jerell are the bottom three. The judges love Terri’s “cross between between KISS, heavy-metal band, and Mahogany,” as Nina Garcia says, and predictably hate Keith’s messy fringe. Ru Paul commends Joe on “hiding the candy” admirably in his pink pantsuit (Ed. note: Belts were meant to be functional!), and Michael Kors is surprised that Jerell created something “normal” for this challenge. I am, too.

Michael thinks that Korto’s outfit, with the removable skirt, has drama and exuberance, and the judges berate Daniel for yet again not getting the challenge. He thinks sequins are “too gaudy” for drag – at this point, is there any question he’s going home?

The designers leave and the judges discuss. Ru Paul thinks Terri’s outfit was like a “Gene Simmons and Diana Ross love child,” which I guess is a good thing. Heidi thinks Korto is very innovative, and Michael says that Keith is not paying enough attention to the body, just manipulating fabric. Jerell’s outfit is a yawn for Heidi (never thought I’d hear that!), and the judges note that Daniel isn’t open to criticism.

Joe wins the challenge, and Terri and Korto are safe. Jerell is also safe, and though Keith sweats it out, Daniel is in fact out. He assures us all before he leaves that he does have a “high taste level,” and somewhere in midtown Manhattan, Kenley is cracking up.

Next week, the challenge seems to involve construction wear, and Season 3 finalist Laura Bennett is a guest judge.

Patrick Gutierrez on Big Brother 10:

With Libra gone, the house is now evenly split. Keesha, Renny, Memphis and Dan are on one side, while Jerry, Ollie, April and Michelle make up the opposition. Of course, with Renny as HOH, April's alliance will most likely be one person lighter after this week.

Privately, Renny is worried about Keesha's relationship with Memphis. She quizzed her about it, but Keesha played it off like there was nothing there. Meanwhile, April is already plotting her campaign against Jerry should the two be nominated.

Renny broke down crying when she saw vintage pictures of her parents in her HOH room, and afterward the house had fun beating up on April's toy dog outside.

Ollie is convinced his relationship with April is real and has long-term potential, even jokingly asking her to marry him as they snuggled in bed together.

Michelle and Renny had a long chat about the game, and Michelle promised not to put her up next week, essentially ensuring her safety this week.

During the food competition, the house divided into two teams and played a disgusting game of rock, paper, scissors but they were using slop, crickets and pig ears. In this game, slop beat pig ears, pig ears beat crickets and crickets beat slop. Players took turns squaring off, with each person privately selecting a food he would eat. The winner would then have to eat that food to earn his team a point. The first team with four points woiuld get food for the week, while the losers would get slop.

Dan won the first round vs. Memphis when he chose crickets over Memphis’ slop. Dan ate his crickets and earned his team a point, as did Michelle. Jerry got his team on the board by eating pig ears and Memphis followed suit, tying the game at 2-2. Michelle’s pig ears beat Dan’s crickets so after she was finished eating them, her team was up 3-2. April sealed the win for the her team when she, a vegetarian, chose and ate the pig ears that topped Jerry’s crickets.

Renny seemed unsure about who to nominate alongside April and talked it over with her group, who implored her to choose Ollie or Jerry. She talked privately with Ollie to find out where he stood.

At the nomination ceremony, Renny nominated April and Jerry, with April clearly being her target for the week. Let the POV battle begin!

Thoughts: If Renny wants April out this week, she would've been better off putting her up against Ollie. Nobody is going to vote Ollie out, but a case could be made for evicting Jerry. April is going to be making that case all week.

I believe Keesha and Memphis have designs on going to the end together. Somebody better break that pair up -- they look like the power couple right now.

Dan continues to fly under everyone's radar. We'll see how much longer he can keep that up ...

Patrick Gutierrez gets us up to date on BB10:

It's another eviction night, but the focus in the house is more on Jerry calling Dan "Judas" during the POV ceremony than the fact that Keesha and Libra are on the block. Clearly everyone thought that was out of line.

Dan is eating up the sympathy from the rest of the house. He's very happy with his position. On the other hand, Libra is saying publicly that she's on her way out, but April seems intent on targeting Keesha because of what she perceives as Keesha's jealousy of her.

"It’s because I'm prettier than her," she told Ollie.

Memphis and Dan talked outside about approaching Keesha and Renny about forming an alliance that would give them the power over April, Ollie and Jerry if Libra were to leave. Once again, Dan appears to be the swing vote this week, only this time he'll be making the decision on his own.

Libra took Dan in the pantry to feel him out. Dan is being cautious, not promising anything because, beginning this week, the evicted house guests will be on the jury to decide the winner, so he doesn't want to make any enemies.

During the eviction ceremony, Keesha and Libra both took the high ground, expressing appreciation for their time in the house. In a surprise move, the house voted unanimously to evict Libra.

At the HOH competition, "Diary Room Confessions," contestants were given an actual quote from an evicted house guest's diary-room session and had to guess who said it. If they guessed correctly, they got to stay in the game and eliminate someone else, but if they got it wrong, they were eliminated. The last one remaining would be HOH.

Renny got the first question right and eliminated April. Dan guessed the next question correctly and eliminated Jerry. Ollie, facing 4-1 odds, quickly rang in for the next quote but was incorrect, eliminating himself and leaving the power up for grabs between Memphis, Dan, Keesha and Renny.

Memphis missed the next question so he was out. Dan was next to go. Renny got the last question right, winning HOH over her buddy Keesha. After being a supporting act all this time, now she will take center stage.

Thoughts: A case could've been made for keeping Libra around, but in the end, she just couldn't be trusted, not even by her own alliance. You can't afford to keep a wild card like that around.

With Renny as HOH, Keesha is going to have a very big say on the nominations. Bad news for April, I guess. Ollie is quietly hanging around. He's been happy letting April be the lightning rod. At some point, probably next week when she's evicted, he's going to need to make some kind of move.

It seems people have forgotten what a dangerous player Memphis is. Keep an eye on him. At this point, he's my favorite to win.

I apologize for not recapping last week's show. However, I finally got a DVR, so recording will (hopefully) go a bit smoother!

As fans know, Korto won the last challenge. That means she can either keep her model or switch things up. She keeps Katarina. Alex is out and wishes the designers luck. Host Heidi Klum then tells them that their challenge will be to design for a high-powered and glamorous professional woman.

Blayne doesn't want her to be Hillary Clinton; he says he'd never win with a neon pants suit. Hillary? High-powered? Yes. Glamorous? Not so much.

 

 

Before Tim Gunn introduces her, the designers throw out some ideas in the work room: Heidi Klum (good guess!), Nancy Grace (please, God, no), Joan Rivers (ditto). Naturally, Stella wants it to be Sharon Osbourne. Nope! It's Brooke Shields! I'm pretty sure I had her Barbie-like doll when I was 3. The designers need to create an outfit for Brooke's character, Wendy, on Lipstick Jungle (which I honestly thought had been canceled). The look needs to carry her from day to night. I'm sure Blayne interprets this as Day-Glo to Night.

All will sketch, then Brooke will pick six designs (meaning the designers must work in pairs). I enjoy when Stella pitches a corset. Brooke says, "She's still gotta go to work in this!" Ultimately, she chooses the sketches by Keith, Korto, Jerell, Kelli, Terri (the only one who pitched pants) and Blayne. She wants something different, but not too shocking. Let's hope there's a little less shock in this challenge than in challenges past.

It's time to pair up. Blayne picks Leanne. Then it goes: Keith/Kenley, Terri/Suede, Korto/Joe, Kelli/Daniel, Jerell/Stella (in that order). There will actually be leather on Jerell's outfit. So all hope is not lost for that last pairing. Next, a trip to Mood to shop for fabrics. At the store, Kenley makes her opinions known (loudly).

Ready, set, sew! Tim announces there will be no immunity for this challenge (this seems to be happening more than usual this season). Instead, the winning design will actually be worn by Brooke on the show, unlike last week's outfits for the Olympics Opening Ceremonies. If Korto's outfit had been worn, the Americans, in my opinion, would have looked dreadfully out of place last Friday.

In the sewing room, Kenley whines some more about Keith's ideas. Kelli whines that she likes working alone. Whine whine whine. Suede and Terri are running into big problems with amount of fabric and communication. "Please, man up!" she whines to the camera about Suede.

Korto and Dan are doing something orange. Kenley tells Keith to redo his top. Both outfits seem atrocious. Jerell and Stella's, however, looks nice so far. I'm pleasantly surprised by their progress. Time passes, then Tim comes in and says he's sending in the models for an early fitting. Meanwhile, Daniel and Kelli's skirt looks "horrid" (Kelli's words). It needs to be remade. Terri is still not happy about the garment Suede is making. "It's jacked up," she says. Theme of this episode so far? Everything you can do I can do better. More whining.

It's only been about five TV minutes since Tim departed, but another dose of his criticism is much needed. He thinks Blayne's Bermuda shorts look "sporty." Jerell and Stella have a lot done. He likes the whole palate and likes that it looks like a "true collaboration." (I agree!) Kelli and Daniel: Tim's dubious. The nighttime look looks a bit like (trashy) lingerie. Tim thinks Terri and Suede's outfit works. He says the neckline is gorgeous. (I agree! Tim and I agree a lot.) It didn't look like this before the commercial break. Keith and Kenley have a pretty print, but the dress isn't quite there yet. Korto and Joe show off the ugly orange jacket, which Tim calls a "big sweet potato." Korto reminds Joe that she has immunity, and that Joe needs to speak up if he doesn't like what's happening. They go off to discuss the issue in the lounge.

The next morning, Daniel still needs to remake his skirt. Terri's running around wearing her very-Terri outfit, calling it "hot." Korto and Joe, says Leanne, "are still having issues." Tim comes in and tells the designers that they have an hour to send their models to the hair and makeup room. Hairdryers, flat irons and spray makeup (awesome) get to work. After some final fittings, it's time for the runway!

Brooke, naturally, is the guest judge. They call her a style "icon." Perhaps she was in the '80s, but not so much now. Now I'll run through the highest- and lowest-rated outfits and what the judges said. See all the garments here. (Note: ugly orange jacket-makers Korto and Joe are safe.)

Jerell and Stella show their pretty pattern-y dress with belt. I love it. Heidi loves it. Judge Michael Kors loves it. Brooke is a bit concerned about belt, but otherwise loves it.

Kelli and Daniel are next with their leopard-print thing. Brooke says "the shape of it is the truly unfortunate part." Kelli should have edited more, and Daniel should have spoke up, the judges say. Kenley starts laughing ridiculously loudly when Daniel says he has "high-end" taste. The laugh is so loud that it's clearly being forced. I really wanted to like Kenley, but she is just so, so, so annoying. When asked who should go, Kelli names Daniel and Daniel names Kelli.

Keith and annoying Kenley: The dress is pretty. Michael says it's a cross between Kenley's button-up aesthetic and Keith's quirks, and that something great happened.

Blayne and Leanne: The look is a bit too causal for Wendy. Judge Nina Garcia says she's surprised (maybe because it's not flourescent?). Heidi adds that "she looks like a woman that didn't have a mirror." When asked who should go on their team, Blayne says he would, because he was the leader. Leanne agrees because it was Blayne's design.

After the designers leave, the judges rave about Jerell and Stella's outfit. They add that Keith and Kenley thought about the challenge and made something appropriate for the character. Michael says Kelli just showed what Kelli likes (leopard?). Heidi notes Daniel hasn't brought anything to the table in this challenge or others. (Agreed! I haven't like anything he's made, including that black cocktail dress.) It doesn't seem like Blayne and Leanne will go home. Sure, as the judges note, it's the Blayne Show, but at least you could walk down the street in their outfit and not get cat calls.

Keith wins, redeeming himself from past blunders. Kelli is out!

Kelli makes some comments about winning a jackpot and having the funds to make "classy" clothes. Right.

Next week: Season 4 finalist Chris "I made clothes with human hair" March is back, and the designers create outfits for drag queens. 

 

 

 

It appears Tyra Banks is pulling out all the stops this year to attract viewers to America's Next Top Model. That means for the first time in 11 cycles of the show, there will be a transgender contestant among the finalists. AND, she's from Maryland!

Her name is Isis, and she hails from Prince George's County. I have often wondered how the show would deal with this if it ever became an issue. Obviously, Tyra and company feel that beauty is beauty, regardless of gender. 

In other Top Model news, I'm sure you've all heard this old piece of gossip: Cycle 9 villain/contestant Bianca Golden was involved in a fight with Hairspray star Nikki Blonsky in Turks and Caicos Islands. Blonsky's father was finally released from jail this week.

 

Patrick Gutierrez watched BB 10, and here's his recap:

With Keesha and Libra on the block, it's friend vs. friend going into the veto competition. Keesha seemed more upset that April's key was pulled out first than the fact that she was nominated. Libra promised not to campaign against Keesha while Michelle reassured Keesha that Libra is her target.

April, Memphis and Jerry were selected to play in the veto competition. While April's alliance seemed to be on board with getting Libra out, Jerry secretly wanted Dan out. He went up to Michelle's room and confided in her his belief that Dan is America's Player.

With the tension level still high, Dan and Memphis tried to lighten things up a bit by storming into Libra's bedroom while the girls were asleep and giving them a pillow-whacking.

The veto competition was called "Cry Me a Veto" and featured a backyard full of onions. Contestant had to chop onions and place them into a plastic square container hanging from their neck (and under their nose!), and then transfer the chopped onions back to their station. There, they would choose between placing the onions in their veto bin or their mystery-prize bin. At the end of 45 minutes, whoever had the most onions, by weight, in their veto bin would win POV, while the top two mystery prize bins would win … a mystery prize! Once again, greed vs. strategy!

 

The contestants had three chopping tools to use: a mallet, a knife and a dicer. April was filling both bins, while Memphis went straight for the mystery prize. Jerry wanted the veto so he could back-door Dan, so you would think he would only use the veto bin.

They revealed the mystery-prize results first. Everyone had onions in their mystery-prize bins except Libra. Memphis and April easily won the mystery prizes. Memphis won a custom-made onion necklace that he must wear for 24 hours. April's prize was much better. She won five designer outfits to take home.

The veto boxes were weighed, and Michelle was in first place at 31 pounds with Jerry and Libra's boxes yet to be weighed. Libra took the lead by one pound, but Jerry swooped in and won the veto with 36 pounds. He immediately began targeting Dan, trying to get Michelle to put him up as a replacement if he used the veto.

Meanwhile, the house was treated to a lavish feast courtesy of the last food competition. Everyone took turns giving a toast as heated rivalries were put aside for the moment. Dan tearfully apologized to Jerry and Keesha, and April tried to patch things up. Libra pulled Ollie aside and broke down in front of him because of what he said to her during her fight with April. She told him Keesha orchestrated Jessie's ouster.

After the dinner, Michelle set out to turn Libra and Keesha against each other. She had April tell Keesha about the comment Libra made during dinner that Keesha was only being nice to April because she wanted her designer clothes. Michelle brought Libra up to the HOH room where Libra defended herself. It was an innocent comment said in jest, Libra said, but the group took it and ran with it. Then the tables turned on Keesha when she admitted she was behind Jessie's eviction. She stormed out of the room, and Michelle followed after her. When they got to Keesha's room, she laid it all out for Michelle how April is getting away with everything and how furious she is about it.

At the veto ceremony, Jerry continued his attack on Dan but, in the end, decided not to use the POV. Libra and Keesha remained on the block, and Libra vowed to not go down without a fight …

Thoughts: Jerry is ridiculous. He talks a big game, but the only way he can win a competition is if there are other things to play for.

Keesha and April really can't stand each other. They try to be nice, but the negative feelings between them are evident whenever they are in a room together. I understand Keesha's frustration that April is skating by without accepting any responsibility for anything. After all, she got the Jessie ball rolling when she told Keesha and Libra that he was the one talking behind their back.

If I were Dan, I'd promise April's alliance his vote this week to put to rest any lingering suspicions that he is America's Player …

(Editor's note: Sorry for the delay. My workload got in the way of delivering John-John's recap!)

Twelve contestants, 10 weeks and I'm none the wiser. I'm still scratching my head over last night's season finale of The Mole.

Jon Kelley began the show saying that the winner would receive $420,000. Jon said it has been 12 weeks since Mark, Nicole, and Craig took the final test. He also announced that the entire cast has gathered to learn the identity of the Mole.

Jon then showed a series of clips that made each of the remaining contestants appear Mole-like. After more clips featuring eliminated contestants, Jon is ready to crown the winner -- Mark. He went into a speech about how much the cash will help his family. (Blah, blah, blah.)

Next, Jon revealed the Mole. To the surprise of many contestants, it was Craig!

Clips of Nicole's finest moments were then shown. During the recap the audience learned that Nicole beat her rival Paul by four seconds. (Paul, who was on to Craig from the beginning, said it was a dagger to the heart to know that he only lost to Nicole by four seconds.)

Next, we see how Mark won the game. (Was I suppose to root for a teacher/soccer coach who keeps on having children?) The clips also showed that Mark barely beat Victoria when she was eliminated. The two tied. Mark finished the quiz seconds before she did, which allowed him to advance. The same thing happened with Mark and Kristen. Mark also barely beat Clay. (Did this guy have nine lives?)

Next, Jon cuts to the final quiz between Mark and Nicole. Mark said he needed a perfect score to beat her. Nicole said she did not feel one hundred percent confident.

Mark scored 17 out of 20 questions correct to win. Nicole scored 13 out of 20 on the quiz. (There really wasn't much of a contest.)

Jon then focused on Craig, who said that his goal was to be the best friend of everyone. But it was clear that the contestants' low expectations for Craig allowed him to remain under the radar. (I seriously think that people equate lack of physical fitness with a lack of intelligence, which is very sad.)

The group's bias cost them well over $100,000. Craig really did work them over. He said he played into to stereotype, which was the perfect cover.

"Thanks for being good sports," Craig said. "I had an amazing time."

Mark said: "You just didn't want him to be the Mole."

One interesting note: Craig said he actually suffered from altitude sickness and hypothermia during the mission that he had to get into an ambulance. (I was surprised to learn that.)

Jon returned from the break with clues from the entire season that left me scratching my head. They were ridiculously obscure. One was when the producer's flashed the area codes of the three finalists into subliminal messages during episodes. (Seriously?) One of the most telling clues was that Jon never called Craig's name during any of the executions. (OK, that was a good one.) Overall, the clues were nearly impossible to pick up.

Once more, Mark ticked me off by saying that he won the money to give his wife the chance to stay home. I think its an antiquated Leave It To Beaver mindset. I would feel more of a rah-rah spirit for Mark if there was some type of hardship he hoped to overcome with the top prize. Keeping the "little woman" at home to raise the children -- Is that even a criteria to be on those home-makeover shows? Enough of my rants.

What did you think about Mark winning the competition and Craig being revealed as the Mole? Any final thought on Nicole?

Patrick Gutierrez fills us in on BB10:

Jessie's surprise eviction sent the house into an uproar. First there was silence immediately after the eviction ceremony as everyone tried to come to grips with what had happened. People just paced back and forth in the kitchen, not saying a word. Dan was especially quiet as he, on behalf of America, had cast the deciding vote that sent Jessie packing.

April was livid, as was Jerry. Keesha and Libra were the opposite. You could feel the tension in the house and knew it was only a matter of time before things came to a head. That moment occurred shortly after the HOH competition, which Michelle had won.

First, Renny and Michelle got things going with a shouting match in the kitchen. Then Michelle accused Keesha and Libra of hiding, which brought them into the room for another confrontation. April, now attached to Michelle's hip, jumped into the fray, and her and Libra went at it face to face. Jerry threw his two cents in. Dan stayed hidden in his room while Michelle's group disparaged him and his religion.

Things calmed down eventually, and Dan went into spin control to try and stay in the house. Memphis tried lobbying on Dan's behalf to Michelle and tried to resurrect their alliance. Michelle went to get an explanation from Dan, who threw himself at her mercy.

In the HOH room, Michelle read her letter to everyone. Later, April and Jerry discussed nomination options with Michelle. Libra seemed to be the choice for a target this week.

During the food competition, house guests from seasons past showed up to compete against the group. The game (called “In the News?”) required each house guest to decide if a statement read by the host, Week 1 evictee Brian, was actually in the news or not. The twist: A former house guest would make a statement about the "news" item either confirming or denying it, and house guest had to decide from there. If the guest got it right, the house got food for the day he was playing for. If he got it wrong, the house got slop, and that person's opponent won $1,000.

Dan went first against Mike Boogie from BB All-Stars. The news item was Brett Favre coming out of retirement and getting traded to the New York Jets. Dan, being a football coach, heard Boogie's story and refused to believe it, so he said it was "not in the news." Slop for Monday!

Renny won food for Tuesday when she went up against Jen from Season 8 and guessed correctly that gas prices were not $6.00 a gallon. Jerry believed Jessie was offered the cover of Muscle and Fitness despite Jenelle from Season 6 telling him it wasn't true. Slop for Wednesday! Memphis refused to believe that the Chinese government banned bald and smelly cab drivers from Beijing during the Olympics. No grill party! Ollie matched up against Matty from Season 9 but didn't believe his story that China developed a way to stop rain from falling. Wrong! Slop for Thursday! Libra didn’t believe Cheech and Chong reunited. Slop for Friday! Michelle won a feast for the house when she guessed correctly that the earthquake they felt was real. April believe Chicken George from Season 3 that Britney Spears was going country. Slop for Saturday! Keesha didn't think Paris Hilton told people not to vote for George Bush again and won food for Sunday.

Before the nomination ceremony, Memphis made another attempt to keep Dan safe, while Renny pointed out to Michelle that if April really wanted Jessie to stay, she shouldn't have nominated him. Taking everything into consideration, Michelle nominated Libra and Keesha.

Thoughts: That was a fun food competition. I can't believe some of those things were actually true! I can't believe Dan escaped being nominated. He better hope nobody uses the POV, because he certainly will go up as a replacement.

The power is evenly split between the two groups, with Memphis still unaffiliated, as Jerry has taken up with April, Ollie and Michelle. Getting Memphis on their side will be huge for the two warring factions. It could shift the balance of power one way or the other.

Jerry is a big hypocrite. He spent the whole episode whining about Dan's betrayal when he put his alliance partner out the door in Week 1! Either that, or he's forgetful in his old age …

I'm so sick of two-part season finales!!! I wanted to know the identity of the Mole so badly last week, yet here I am today no closer to an answer than I was in the beginning of the season. Each of the remaining competitors is equally shady and deserving of the Mole label.

Nicole is the most obvious choice. She's been so over-the-top in her antics that she has to be on everyone's radar. Craig has been hampered with physical obstacles all season because of his weight, but he's in the finals (very suspicious). And then there's Mark. He behaved so strangely when host Jon Kelley was burning all of the diaries; it appeared to be an act.

Let's face it: I don't have the slightest clue. Do you? I'm interested to hearing your opinions before tonight's conclusion!

 

Patrick Gutierrez and his BB10 recap:

It's another eviction night, with Jessie and Memphis on the block. For Jessie, it's his third time in four weeks that he's been nominated for eviction, and he is his usual confident self. Memphis is acting like his time in the house is nearing an end since April has made no secret of the fact that he is her target.

Keesha and Libra continued to confide in each other about their shared desire to see Jessie go. They tried to get April to see things their way, but she refused to be swayed. The two women decided to break from their alliance with April and set out to get the votes to keep Memphis. They figured Renny would be on board because of her personal problems with Jessie, but the two still needed one more vote. Jerry hates Memphis, so he's out. Michelle is in love with Jessie, so she's out. Ollie is April's boyfriend, so he won't go against her wishes. That left Dan ...

Keesha pitched the idea of getting Jessie out to him, and he played like he was receptive, knowing full well that, as America's Player, he had no say this week. April sniffed out Keesha and Libra's plan and sent Jerry to talk to Dan to make sure he stayed loyal to their group.

At the eviction ceremony, the first six votes were cast as expected. Jerry, Ollie and Michelle voted to evict Memphis, while Libra, Keesha and Renny voted to send Jessie home. Dan, on behalf of America, voted to evict … Jessie!

With the main alliance in the house now fractured, the HOH competition was especially important. April, as outgoing HOH, couldn't play, so she needed Jerry and Ollie to step up for her, or else she might be a target out of spite. Libra, Keesha, and Dan were sitting ducks if Michelle won since, after April, she was the most upset to see Jessie go.

The game was a true/false Q&A based on annoying messages from fans that were blared through the house the night before. Renny and Ollie were the first two knocked out. The next question knocked out four more players, leaving only Michelle and Libra. Michelle got it right, winning HOH for the week and immediately voicing her desire to seek revenge. "Jessie, I'm gonna get them, don't worry about it!" she said.

Thoughts: Even though Memphis was more of a threat, I won't deny the fact that I enjoyed seeing Jessie get the boot. Did you see the stunned look on his face when he was talking to Julie? Priceless! He tried to play it off, but it was obvious he did not expect to be sitting there. You reap what you sow, buddy!

Michelle's knee-jerk reaction will be to go after Libra and Keesha, which will be a mistake. Memphis is still a huge threat and has no alliance to back him up, so he should still be the main target.

The rest of the house is getting suspicious about Dan, calling him America 's Player and so forth. It's a good thing that it only lasted for a week. Hopefully America didn't do too much damage to his game.

The episode begins with an introduction of of the top 20 contestants, who are on stage dancing. It ends with a freeze frame of each of the top four.

Host Cat Deeley announces that the Jonas Brothers will perform. She also shares that there are a slew of judges during the episode who will pick their favorite routines from the season. The judges include: Mia Michaels, Adam Shankman, Debbie Allen, Lil C, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe. 

During a little conversation with Cat, Adam reveals that the winner of the competition will appear in his next movie Step Up 3D, which he claims will be the first dance movie shot in 3-D.

Next is a mini-recap of highlights from the entire season -- auditions to the final four. The top 20 then do a hip-hop routine choreographed by Shane Sparks. They dance to "Boom" by Sin, featuring T-Pain. They're dressed in red and white street gear and do a great job popping and locking to the fast-paced song. The routine ends with the entire cast collapsing while doing Matrix-inspired moves. The only contestants standing are the top four. It's entertaining.

It's time for the judges to pick their favorite routine. Nigel Lythgoe picks the Bollywood routine with Katee and Joshua. They dance to "Dhoom Taana" from Om Shanti Om. The routine, choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan, is just as good as I remembered. The crowd screams wildly. 

Mary chooses a rumba choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, and danced by  Courtney and Gev. They dance to "Wishing on a Star" by Rose Royce. The routine is a lot sexier than I remembered.

 

 

 

Next are the best happy dances of the season. They're whack! Back to the real dancing.

Next is a showdown between two poppers. A voice compares the two contestants -- Robert Muraine and Phillip Chebeeb -- to Ali and Frazier, and Paris and Nicole. (Seriously?) They dance to "Stronger" by Kanye West. I feel like I'm watching Claymation robots. They do some pretty amazing things with their bodies. They have to be quadruple-jointed or something.

Mia votes for Phillip. Adam votes for Robert. Debbie votes Robert. Nigel votes for Robert. Mary votes for Robert. Lil' C votes for Robert. Obviously Robert wins the dance-off.

Adam chooses a Dave Scott routine danced by Comfort and Twitch. They dance to "Forever" by Chris Brown. They do a good job.

Lil' C picks Mark and Chelsea dancing to "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. Surprisingly, I don't remember this routine. They do a really good job.

Next is a samba routine with Mary Murphy and Dmitry Chaplin from Season 2. They dance to "Baila, Baila" by Angela Via. It's so weird watching her on the dance floor instead of behind the judges table. She's surprisingly good. I have newfound respect for her after watching those legs move across the floor.

Mia chooses a pas de deux choreographed by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. Katee and Will dance to "Imagine" by David Archuleta. It's absolutely amazing. The lift at the end is so unbelievable. The crowd goes wild.

Adam choses a jazz routine choreographed by Sonya Tayeh to "The Garden" by Mirah. I love this piece. Sonya is such a great choreographer. And Mark and Courtney did such a great job.

The top four line up on stage. Cat tells Courtney that she is in fourth place. Courtney says she's not sad and upset. "I'm privileged," she says. She thanks her family and her fellow contestants. "I'm so proud pf myself," she sobs. (It's very touching.)

The top five guys dance to a Nigel Lythgoe-choreographed routine to "Five Guys Named Moe" from Five Guys Named Moe. It's good.

The cast of Cirque du Soleil/Criss Angel: Believe dance to "Homage to the Rabbits" by Eric Serra. The routine is choreographed by Wade Robson. The dancers are all dressed like rabbits and other creatures. It's a little freaky but entertaining.

Katee, Joshua, and Twitch are on the stage. Katee is in third place! (I'm completely shocked!) Katee cries while watching her highlights. She says she's grateful. "I'll never forget any of this," she says. Cat announces that Katee will receive $50,000 for being the top girl. She's overcome with emotion.

The Debbie Allen Dance Academy is next, dancing to "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind and Fire. And OMG, Nigel is out there with them. I'm half expecting Nigel to collapse of a heart attack. He does a great job. Adam says he wants to battle Nigel next year.

Mary chooses the door routine choreographed by Mia. Twitch and Katee dance to "Mercy" by Duffy. The routine is so hot. And what's up with that open-mouth kiss? The routine is just as entertaining as the first time I watched it.

Next are the Jonas Brothers with "Burnin' Up." (Vomit! Teenie bopper girls have absolutely noooo taste. These boys are soooo bad. I'm not even going to devote any more keystrokes to them.)

(Just before the commercial break, Cat announces that the finale attracted nearly 60 million votes.)

Debbie chooses the Viennese waltz choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereux. Twitch and Kherington dance to "A New Day Has Come" by Celine Dion. It's kind of blah compared to the other routines of the night.

Nigel chooses a routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo. Katee and Joshua dance to "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. It's such a wonderful routine. It's probably my favorite routine of the season.

Next, we're shown an update from past contestants. Donyelle, from Season 1, says she's engaged and choreographing for movies. Lauren, from Season 3, says she's toured with Rhianna. Sara, also from Season 3, says she's background dancing and doing some backup vocals for Avril Lavigne.

About 30 dancers from past seasons dance to  "Please Don't Stop The Music" by Rhianna. There are way too many contestants to list.

Next, we find out that the winner is Joshua. I'm sure by now you've already glanced at my post from last night. Read that for his reaction. My fingers kind of hurt. I'm done!

 

 

 

Joshua Allen has just become "America's Favorite Dancer." He's the Season 4 winner of So You Think You Can Dance.

The hip-hop dancer from the Dallas auditions beat out runner-up Stephen "Twitch" Boss, a hip-hop dancer, third-placed finisher Katee Shean, a contemporary dancer, and fourth-placed contestant Courtney Galiano, a lyrical dancer.

With the title, he wins $250,000 and a role in the coming movie Step Up 3-D. Joshua was overcome with emotion and cried.

He encouraged the audience to pursue their dreams and to never give up. "The sky is the limit," he said. "Never let anybody tell you you can't do anything. God is in control. With God, you can do anything."

I'm glad Joshua won. But I'm very surprised Katee was third. She's the strongest technical dancer of the top four. But as one of my readers so smartly pointed out, this is a competition that rewards America's favorite dancer. Not the best one.   

Enough from me. I'll have a full recap tomorrow. What do you think? Did America get it right? Whom did you vote for? And what was your favorite moment of the season and of the finale?

 

Cat Deeley, adorned in an extra-shiny golden mini dress, begins her nightly spiel about the long road that the contestants have taken to get to the finals. She then tells the audience that the contestants will be paired in different combinations. Courtney and Katee will dance as a couple; and so will Joshua and Twitch.

The judges for the night are choreographer Mandy Moore, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe.

Courtney and Twitch first dance a hip-hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo. They dance to "Church" by T-Pain. The routine is about a couple who gets into a fight in a club. They are off at parts and not mirroring each other. I'm not a huge fan of the song. And I swear that there was a malfunction on the last lift.

Mandy Moore says the routine was awesome. She says Twitch was hysterical. Mary says she felt the routine. She calls the routine a knockout. "You guys were really hitting it," she says. She lets out her legendary scream. She predicts good things during the rest of the episode. Nigel says Courtney captured the role perfectly. "The characters were fantastic. It [tended] to lose a little energy at the end. But as soon as you put her on her head … it all came right back." Then, Nigel calls the routine "fun" and "perfect."

Cat is back with a sit-down interview with Courtney. Courtney says she knows she's not the best dancer on the show. She also says she has chemistry with Gev, without any romance. Her routine of the season was a jazz routine choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. Courtney then dances a solo to "They Weren't There" by Missy Higgins. It's nice, but it's nothing really spectacular. Sorry Courtney.

Mandy says Courtney has grown so much. Mary agrees. "You have really been a surprise. … You are a strong young woman, and an inspiration to a lot of women out there." Courtney begins to cry. Nigel says she is inspirational. "You're just such a beautiful girl. You energize everyone around you."

Katee and Joshua are next with a Wade Robson lyrical jazz routine. They dance to "Slow Dancing in Burning Room" by John Mayer. These two are definitely the "A Team." They're in complete unison with each spin, leap, twist and turn. The passion is there. The emotion is overflowing. It's so beautiful.

Mandy says: "That was beautiful." She says it was honest. "Technically, it could have used more work." She says it was exactly what lyrical should be. Mary says the routine was magical. "That was an amazing routine." Nigel says there are many remarkable things about the routine. "This for me was particularly great," he says. Katee dances the routine brilliantly, according to Nigel, and Joshua is a brilliant dancer. "Between the pair of them, they are two of the best dancers we've ever had on the show," he says.

Katee and Courtney are dancing a Broadway routine choreographed by Tyce DiOrio. They dance to "The Trolley Song" by Rufus Wainwright. Mandy says it was "cute." She says it reminded her of Old Hollywood. Mary says it had great chemistry. "You guys pulled it off. You guys looked effortless." Nigel says it is a happy routine. Nigel says that Katee finishes the moves a little better than Courtney does. "You have that extra little bit that makes me go wow," he says.

Twitch sits down with Cat for an interview. He says he grew up in Alabama and got his name because he had a lot of nervous energy as a child. He says his favorite routine of the season was the Viennese waltz by Jean-Marc Genereux. (But, I think, he has been much better in his hip-hop routines.)

He dances his solo to "It Was All In Your Mind" by Wade Robson. Mandy says he's the Little Engine That Could. Mary says she's speechless. Nigel says Twitch has left his mark on the competition. "I could watch you all night," Nigel says. He calls him a great entertainer.

Joshua and Twitch are next with a Youri Nelzine Trepak routine. They dance to "Trepak" from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. The routine is filled with huge tricks. Mandy says the routine was insane: "It was really, really, well done." Mary says she's excited that there are two hip-hop dancers in the finale for the first time. "There was so much energy and power," she screams. Nigel says he expects them to be good at it because it is essentially "street dancing." He praises Joshua's elevation.

Cat sits down with Katee. They talk about Katee almost not making the Top 20 for saying that she wouldn't try out again. She says her favorite routine was the hip-hop routine to "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown.

Her solo is to "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap. She's more explosive than Courtney. She's so good. Mandy tells her to keep dancing. She tells her to continuing working on her knees and feet. Mary says she will cherish Katee's routines throughout the season. Nigel agrees.

Twitch and Katee are next with a foxtrot choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin. They dance to "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble. They look very elegant. But I think they are kind of slow. There is a wonderful lift toward the end that causes the crowd to cheer enthusiastically. Mandy says it was very romantic. She loved the lift at the end. Mary and Nigel agree that he looks like James Bond. Mary says that Twitch was "nice, smooth and controlled." She praises the way he's grown during the season. She says "bravo" to Katee. Nigel says Katee is "splendid." He says Twitch improved as the routine unfolded. Nigel adds that the contestants have spoiled the choreographers all season long.

Cat interviews Joshua next. He says he grew up poor. Cat makes fun of him for being so emotional on the show. He says his favorite routine was a samba with Katee in the beginning of the season.

Joshua dances to "(Not Just) Knee Deep" Funkadelic. He jumps off the stage. He then gyrates in front of the judges and ends with a bang: He drops to the floor in a split, while somehow managing to kick his shoe off and pretend to use it as a phone to get people to call and vote for him. It’s brilliant. Mandy says he was smooth and that he hit each move. Mary says he's been on the hot tamale train from the beginning until the end. Nigel says Joshua has set the standard for untrained dancers. "You've been absolutely superb," he says.

Joshua and Courtney are next with a jive routine choreographed by Jason Gilkison. They dance to "The Dirty Boogie" by Brian Setzer Orchestra. They have so much energy. Mandy says they moved their feet 90 miles an hour. Mary says the routine is "so difficult." She says she has to bow down to both of them. Nigel says he is disappointed with the routine: "It wasn't brilliant. It was tired." (Ouch!)

The final four dance a contemporary routine by Mia Michaels. They dance to "Hallelujah" by the Vitamin String Quartet. They all wear Scottish garb and look like they are part of a professional dance troop. Some of the moves are a bit stiff and sloppy, but overall it is a good effort. Mandy says she's at a loss of words. "It was magical," she says. "That was beautiful." Mary says Twitch was a standout in the routine. She says the quality of Courtney's work dropped. She says Katee was flawless. Nigel says the two guys are "so wonderful." Nigel says America was right when Will was eliminated. (Wow!) He says that the two women are shining beacons, and that the routine shows the finalists' athleticism.

In my opinion, Katee has the best night of all the competitors. Joshua is slightly ahead of Twitch. Courtney receives the harshest comments of the evening. I think she should finish fourth.

 

Turns out our contestants on So You Think You Can Dance are leaving everything out on the dance floor. According to this article, two of the finalists collapsed during Saturday rehearsals and were rushed to a nearby hospital. Apparently they were dehydrated. The article does not reveal the identity of the two dancers. (Sorry folks!) 

I was just watching an episode of Chef Gordon Ramsay's show Kitchen Nightmares the other night. Between watching that show while reading Anthony's Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, I may never eat out again!

Nigel Lythgoe is calling it quits with American Idol. I guess Lythgoe is having too much fun judging So You Think You Can Dance. Read more about his decision to leave his executive producing role with Idol here.

Speaking of Idol ... Season 5 finalist Paris Bennett is pregnant! You remember "Princess P," right? She's the teen with the smoky singing voice and the Disney-character speaking voice. 

 

I have to confess: I am so stressed out that I forgot to watch my favorite show last night. I'll try to catch it ASAP and recap. Until then, take a look at this design. The challenge was to create a look that an athlete could wear during Beijing's opening ceremonies. Most designers went with sporty and modern. What was Jennifer thinking? Perhaps J.Crew would be interested? (Jennifer was sent packing, by the way.)

[Photo courtesy bravotv.com]

 

Guest blogger Patrick Gutierrez sums up another episode of Big Brother 10:

Jessie's alliance is in shambles, with both he and Memphis on the block, although Memphis is clearly April's target. April reassured Jessie he would be safe. Meanwhile, America directed Dan to hug Jessie for 10 seconds, so he concocted a story about his girlfriend not being there for him when he gets out of the house. Jessie fell for it hook, line and sinker as a "crying" Dan hugged him for more than 10 seconds, successfully completing the task.

Michelle, Libra and Jerry were selected to play in the veto competition, which was a bad break for Memphis since none of them was likely to use it on him. April's alliance was in her HOH room talking strategy when Libra got upset because she perceived her loyalty was being questioned. She left and went back to her room and started complaining to Keesha about the group. Jessie overheard their conversation and ran to April's room to tell her his version of what they said.

April confronted Libra and Keesha about Jessie's allegations. Keesha got upset and left the room, trying to find out who's been talking. She started going off about April to Michelle and Renny. After working herself into a lather, she stormed back upstairs and confronted April. Things escalated between the two as Jerry, Ollie and Renny came up to referee. Memphis was downstairs with Dan enjoying every minute of it as the power group began to turn on each other.

Since it was Keesha's birthday, the group wanted to celebrate as a way to calm things down, but then Jessie walked into Libra's room and she started going off on him, loud enough for the whole house to hear. Everyone went downstairs to sing "Happy Birthday" in one of the most melancholy celebrations ever. That feeling didn't last, as Keesha and Libra started in on Jessie again, and another shouting match ensued.

The tension was still evident during the veto competition, which was called "Slapshot”"and had a roller-hockey theme. The goal was to use your hockey stick to hit a ball down the lane and land it in the middle of 17 slots. The person farthest after each round would be eliminated from the competition but would earn a prize, one of which was the veto. Of course, that prize could be taken by someone else who was eliminated later, so it became a classic case of greed versus strategy.

Memphis was first to be eliminated and his prize was the POV. Michelle was next, and her prize was a Hawaiian holiday, which she kept instead of trading it for the veto. So much for her loyalty to her alliance, I guess. I really don't think Michelle grasped the concept of the prize structure, because she was overly excited for someone who would likely lose that prize later. Jessie was next to fall, winning a "Slop Surprise," which he quickly traded to Memphis for his veto. After April was eliminated, she kept her prize, $10,000 in gold bars that she could use to buy favors in the house from other house guests or keep for herself when she left the game.

That left Jerry and Libra. Libra hit a perfect shot, winning the competition. Jerry's second-place prize was a letter from home. He cut a deal with April to split the $10,000 with him and Libra, and then he took the veto from Jessie. Libra's first-place prize was the red unitard from seasons past, which must be worn for a week nonstop. Michelle was laughing at Libra's prize until reality slapped her in the face, and she realized she was about to lose her Hawaiian vacation.

Michelle didn't hold back in the diary room, calling Libra all sorts of ugly names. She was upset.

To no one's surprise, Jerry chose not to use the power of veto, leaving Jessie and Memphis to campaign against each other.

Thoughts: Keesha and April's feud has been festering since Day 1. I was surprised to see them in an alliance after the early blow-up they had. They are going to turn on each other for good soon. It will be an upset if Memphis doesn't go home. Of course, America will have a say in that via Dan's vote.

After months of leaps, contemporary routines and annoying screams from Judge Mary Murphy, we're ready to crown a winner.

It's a no-brainer for me: Katee should win the competition. She's the strongest dancer of the remaining four. Yes, Courtney is beautiful and has great versatility. Joshua is strong, and he's done a great job with almost every routine that has been thrown his way. Twitch is a phenomenal showman. But none of them has had absolute stellar weeks from beginning to end like Katee. 

Katee not only excels in all forms of dance -- Bollywood, hip-hop, contemporary and the pas de deux -- but she's also the most expressive of all the dancers. She makes the most use of her arms and her facial expressions. Everything is on point all the time.

If Will was still in the competition, I would give the nod to him. Since America got it wrong a couple of weeks ago and voted him off, Katee is the next best thing.

It's crazy to imagine that she almost didn't make the show because the judges felt she had an "attitude" problem. Katee's attitude has been great this season. So has her dancing. Give her the title!

Lindsay Diokno watches two more episodes of HSM: Get in the Picture. We can't thank her enough.

What can I say? My brother's in town, so I'm a little behind on my reality TV. That's probably not a bad thing.

Let's start with Sunday's episode, which I couldn't wait to watch -- each of the contestants stands up and has the other contestants tell him/her what they think when they see him/her. It's supposed to be a lesson in looking vs. seeing (looking is superficial, seeing goes deeper to who the person is … I guess), but what it boils down to is a montage of identifying each contestant as a high school movie stereotype -- the jock, the arty kid, the dumb blond, the player. It's like watching the brainstorming session for She’s All That. The surprising/hilarious moment? Everyone was STUNNED that one kid actually SAID he viewed another kid as a “dumb blond.” Whether the comments were positive or negative, soft or harsh, all the kids were still judging each other, and that's about right for a show with high school students.

Then the kids get sweet swag bags, a visit to the movie set, a chance to hang out with some of the High School Musical cast members and the director and -- whoa! -- a chance to be extras in a scene for the latest HSM installment. One kid actually talks about "how far we've come" -- it's the first episode for the finalists, you haven't gone anywhere.

Then another contestant, Shayna, points out that Get in the Picture is just like high school -- whether you want to admit it or acknowledge it, you're in a constant competition for something. That's the one interesting thing I heard in the entire hour. There's also some workout routines the kids learn, but I've lost interest at this point. I'm ready to move on to Monday.

Last night's episode kicked off with a live performance. The kids had to perform a HSM song while running around a Kmart, but only they could hear the music via portable music players. I get that this is one of those "let go and go outside your comfort zone for your art" things, but it's also one of those things my mom told me never to do things. (Next Sunday's episode -- hug a stranger -- is also on the list of things my mom told me to never do.) The contestants then take what they learned from the lesson and bring it to the elimination challenge. In groups of three, the kids have to show they can let go through song and a story line they're given.

Anthony, Bailey and Christie sing "There's Always Someone Cooler Than You." It's kind of fun, but I just can't get into it. One of the judges says Anthony relies too much on his personality, another says Christie is trying to hard to sell it. I feel like they all sound a little winded halfway through the song.

Isaiah, Stan and Tierney sing "Unwritten." It sounds and looks pretty solid; Isaiah's voice is better than I gave him credit for in the past. These three are safe for now.

Ether, James and Shayna sing "The Remedy." I think Ether's surprisingly good, but one of the judges says he isn't really letting himself go just yet. I can't believe how much the judges love their performance, because the harmonies sound discordant. Maybe that's why I'm not in the music biz.

Briana, Christina and TJ sing "Man in the Mirror." The rehearsal was a little tense to watch because there's definite friction between the girls, but the performance is fun and sounds nice. The girls are too loud for "backup" singers, though.

At the end, the judges pick the "best student" (winner of the challenge), who reads a cast list of the kids who are still in the competition. The names that aren't called are "sent to the chorus," or eliminated. So much for no small parts, only small actors. Tierney wins and takes an unnecessarily long time to read the cast list. At the end, Briana and tiny Christie from Hawaii are out.

Next week looks like duets, and the flirtation between athlete Stan and "unconventionally pretty" Shayna is affecting some of the other students. I need to start seeing some more drama.

Patrick Gutierrez on BB10:

When we last saw the house guests, they were standing on the ledge of a makeshift wall in a battle for head of household. This endurance competition would determine who would have the power for the week.

Jerry was gone after 26 minutes. Libra was next to leave the ledge. The man-made elements, such as high winds and dust, started picking up, making it that much more difficult. Dan, America's Player for the week, let go after 45 minutes, and then Ollie. That left Jessie's alliance against Renny and April. Jessie started shaking and finally threw in the towel after a little more than an hour. Memphis, sensing he was about to fall, tried to cut a deal with April, but she wasn't having it. He went down, leaving Renny, April and Michelle.

Dan channeled his inner football coach and gave April, Renny and Michelle their own motivational speeches. Renny dropped at the two-hour mark, and it was down to Michelle and April. April promised Michelle she wouldn't nominate her, so Michelle, in tears, finally let go at two hours and 40 minutes and April won the HOH.

Memphis and Keesha found some time alone in the sauna room, and April took that as a sign of disrespect. She told Renny and Libra her feelings, and Renny told Keesha.

America directed Dan to try and get Jessie nominated, and he went to work on April. She got suspicious that he might have an agenda and confided to Keesha and April about it.

At the nomination ceremony, April protected her alliance and went after Jessie's crew, nominating him and Memphis. Now we get to see them turn on each other!

Thoughts: April’s nominations were right on. She targeted the two biggest threats to her alliance while keeping her word not to nominate Michelle.

Dan needs to watch how he carries out his tasks as America's Player, or he's going to be found out. I don't begrudge him taking the $20,000, but it is definitely a risky move to alter his game plan. He could've coasted under the radar another week, but now he's got people talking about him.

I'm not sure who I want to see go home, Jessie or Memphis. I think it's better if Memphis goes because he's a better player. Did you see the way he was playing Keesha? Jessie doesn't have that kind of game.

Lindsay Diokno on I Love Money:

I'm a big fan of family dinners on Sundays, but there's a downside -- I missed the first 10 minutes of I Love Money thanks to the guys in my house watching the Hall of Fame game.

When I finally got to tune in, I was greeted with the sight of the contestants crying. I don’t know what the challenge was based on, but I'm intrigued.

This week, the contestants have to make at least one tear cross the line that is drawn on their faces, right under their noses. Every person has to shed at least one tear to win, so there's a lot of slicing onions, blowing cigar smoke and yelling at each other to make each other cry. Pumkin gets the ingenious idea to rub some cayenne pepper in her eyes. Toastee tells 12 Pack to smack her. Real is plucking nose hairs. And for all her talent at fake crying, Brandi can’t squeeze out a single tear.

In the end, the gold team wins, so Toastee is paymaster. There's a segment of everyone drinking and kissing up to Toastee, while Destiney and Entertainer plan to save Destiney from elimination. It's not a terrible plan, but I'm kind of over this segment and tune out for a little bit. After the other of Love shows, drunken debauchery loses its shock value.

In the Vault the next day, the green team immediately picks Destiney for elimination, then Real and Brandi volunteer themselves. Obviously everyone's got it out for Destiney. (On a side note, the show's host will now be in the Vault every time a team picks members for elimination since Mr. Boston's flip out last episode.) So Real, Destiney and Brandi head out for their power outing with Toastee, who's torn between eliminating Destiney, who saved her from the first elimination, and Real, who's a strong competitor and has an alliance with Toastee.

Toastee comes back and meets with her team to discuss elimination, and she says she might drop Real. Pumkin gets upset and starts referencing an alliance she and Toastee have with Real. Did this alliance happen at the beginning of the episode or did I miss something from an earlier episode? This alliance is news to me. Through the magic of editing, Toastee sounds like she's pulling to bounce Real, so Destiney's going home. Entertainer's going to be a jerk to everyone after this.

And shocker, I'm right -- Destiney is bounced.

Final thoughts: I wasn’t as enthralled with this episode as I thought I’d be. Is it me, or are Heather and Hoopz getting NO camera time? I'm actually very disappointed by that. Real -- you aren’t bringing bamboozled back. Please start using another catchphrase.

Next week looks AWESOME …

I just spent 10 minutes looking for a video of next week's episode, and I can't find it, so let me just explain the challenge -- based on an incident from I Love New York, the contestants have to save a Midget Mac mannequin from drowning. Hilarity ensues.

Guest blogger Patrick Gutierrez recaps another eviction night:

Two members of the same alliance, Jessie and Angie, are on the block. One is going home. Michelle seemed torn between her feelings for Jessie and her friendship with Angie, but Angie told her to do whatever the rest of the house is going to do, even if that meant voting her out.

Jessie, on the other hand, seemed confident he's staying, and Keesha believed she has the votes to get Angie out.

Memphis and Jerry's little feud continued to fester, while an innocent conversation Jerry had with Angie about not giving up sent Jessie's group in a tizzy, as they took that to mean he was campaigning against the bodybuilder. The comment that got Jessie's group in an uproar was when Jerry told Angie he felt her group was too cocky last week, a comment she relayed to Michelle, who ran and told Memphis and Jessie. Memphis, like a little schoolgirl, went straight to Keesha's room and told her Jerry was screwing with her plans.

Keesha asked Jerry about what Memphis had told her, and he said they were lying and simply playing the game. Then he went downstairs where Michelle was waiting for him, and the two of them had it out. Jerry took Michelle’s bullying for about five seconds before he started yelling back, taking Michelle by surprise and causing her to back off. He basically put it out there to her and her group that he was tired of them and he wasn't going to be kissing any behinds if they won HOH next week. Angie, the instigator of all of this, sat silently watching.

The house was shaken up, literally, when an earthquake struck Southern California. Meanwhile, Libra began a quiet campaign to get Jessie out, who wasn't doing himself any favors by taunting Libra and insulting Jerry, calling him "Father Time." April, Ollie and Libra decided Jessie needed to go and went up to try and persuade Keesha to give her blessing.

In her last words before the vote, Angie reminded everyone that only one person gets to win the game, and to vote based on who you thought was the bigger obstacle towards achieving that goal. Jessie rambled on about respect but was basically saying he got Steven out last week because that's what the house wanted, and he shouldn't be punished for it. The vote was no contest, as the floaters went along with the power and the house gave Angie the boot, 8-0.

Dan won the vote to become America's Player and was given the offer in the diary room. He accepted it and then got ready for the HOH competition, "Living on the Edge." The event had everyone standing on a ledge of a makeshift wall that began shaking and leaning forward in an attempt to dislodge the players. Since it was an endurance competition, we won’t know who won until Sunday.

Thoughts: I can’t for the life of me figure out what Angie did to get evicted. I think there was a little jealously on Keesha’s part that played a role in her nomination.

Once again, I think a golden opportunity was lost. You get a strong player like Jessie on the block, you have to take him out. Angie's speech was right on about Jessie being the bigger threat. Too bad it fell on deaf ears.

Renny and Dan seemed to have settled into a nice groove, getting along with everybody. Of course, that could all change for Dan depending on whom America wants him to nominate. I’m hoping for Jessie or Memphis.

Michelle is beginning to irritate me. In fact, it would be great to see that whole threesome sent packing. They are definitely gunning for Jerry. He better hope none of them win HOH this week.

It seems like yesterday when this season started, with thousands upon thousands of hopefuls nationwide strutting their stuff for the chance to make it to the finale.

Only six remain: Twitch, Katee, Joshua, Courtney, Mark and Chelsie. Who will remain? We have to get through the group dance first. Chelsie is on stage by herself dancing to "The Rose" by Bette Midler. A few seconds into the song, Katee and Courtney appear. The men follow. They form three couples moving as one. It is very pretty and dramatic. All of them are dressed in white. It's almost like a dream. It comes to no surprise that an Emmy-nominated choreographer crafted the routine.

Host Cat Deeley introduces the judges to the audience. Cat makes a pitch for people to register to vote. Judge Adam Shankman announces that the winner of the competition will receive a featured dance role in a movie he is producing. (Not bad. Let's hope the movie is on the caliber of Hairspray.)

 

Judge Nigel Lythgoe goes into a speech about dealing with rejection. (What is this? An after-school special?) Nigel tells the contestants that each one garnered more than 1 million votes. Judge Mary Murphy praises the way each contestant has grown throughout the season. (Yawn!) Adam says the contestants are "beautiful, kind, genuine" people. (Seriously? Can we get on with the results?)

Cat informs the audience that each of the contestants will dance a solo during the show. Courtney is first. She dances to "Almost Lover" by A Fine Frenzy. She dances in a softer contemporary style. She's very graceful and good.  The audience cheers loudly.

Mark is next. He dances to "Wind It Up" by Gwen Stefani. He's totally on beat, and he uses his suspenders to create various shapes. It's very original.

Katee is dancing to "Beautiful Disaster" by Jon McLaughlin. She's strong as usual. Her routine involves her showing flashes of emotions mixed with tricks and strong moves. She's so good.

Joshua dances to "I Can Make You Dance" by Zapp. He does robot-inspired moves that result in screams and applause.

Chelsie dances to "The Girl's Gone Wild" by Travis Tritt. I feel like I'm watching Riverdance. (That's not good.)

Twitch dances to "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin. I'm surprised by his song choice. But he is very effective. He glides across the dance floor; he's so smooth.

Next is the portion of the show where a dancer performs an exhibition. (It's my least favorite part.) This week, a 6-year-old child named "Lil' Demon" does a break-dancing routine. He does a series of impressive tricks, but the routine is more cute than anything else. I'm not exactly sure that he belongs on the show. 

It's time to eliminate a female contestant. They show a compilation of Courtney's routines from the night before. Next, is Katee's, then Chelsie's, compilation. Cat announces that Katee is in the finale. The show then cuts to commercial break.

We're back with the men. Mark's highlights are shown, followed by Joshua's, then Twitch's. Joshua is safe.

Next is Lady GaGa singing "Just Dance." Am I the only one who thinks that she is freaky looking? And why does she need several dozen back-up dancers? (Get her off the stage. I need to find out who is going to make the finale!)

We're back. Courtney and Chelsie are standing on stage. Courtney is safe. We watch Chelsie's greatest moments on the show. She cries when she says she's thankful she had the opportunity to compete. Mark and Twitch are next. Twitch makes it to the finale. Mark's highlights are shown. He tells Cat that the learning experience has been his favorite part.

Do you agree with the vote? I think Mark should have beaten Twitch. I agree with the female finalists. Next week, I'll tell you my predictions for the winner of the show. (Hint: It's going to be a woman.)