Reality Check

'The Biggest Loser': A trip to D.C.

2009-11-04T04:32:46Z

On tonight's Biggest Loser, the remaining contestants head to D.C. for a challenge, a lobbying session, another challenge, and a visit to the White House.

For the first challenge, each person had to get as many people as possible to head down to the Washington Monument to participate in a public workout with Bob and Jillian. Immediately, I'm wondering whether any of you went and what it was like. It looks like it was filmed this summer some time.

Allen managed to wrangle a bunch of firefighters, but in the end Liz gathered more people and won the challenge.

After a quick detour to speak with some congresspeople about childhood obesity and health education, it was time for the main challenge for immunity.

For the first part of the challenge, the teams have to run a mile around Constitution Garden. Liz's advantage is to skip one of the four rounds, but she doesn't get to find out that the other three rounds are first. She decides to participate. The top six finishers, including Liz, have to grab pennies off the Watergate steps and put them in their "bank." The first three people who get pennies to the line in their banks make the third leg. Liz opts to skip this part with her advantage. The last spot comes down to Allen and Rebecca, and it's so close that Allison Sweeney is jumping up and down in excitement. Rebecca takes it, and she's excited, too.

]]> For the third stage, the four remaining contenders have to balance on a narrow ledge while holding a pilates ball over their heads. Daniel is out pretty quickly, and Liz follows fairly quickly, leaving Rebecca and Rudy to compete in the final stage. Rudy struggles for a bit because his feet are so big and the ledge so narrow, but you can't feel that bad for him since his giant hands helped him so much in the second challenge.

For the last stage, they are in front of the White House. Whoever takes 206 steps (representing the total number of contestants who have been on the show) first wins. Rebecca pushes hard and wins immunity, and she's pretty dang psyched.

Allison then tells them they'll all get to go to the White House the next day. They meet with Sam Kass, assistant White House chef. The contestants get to pick some vegetables from the White House garden (which fellow Sun blogger Susan Reimer has written about quite a lot).

Then you know what time it is? Last chance workout, of course! Torture torture, yell yell, grunt grunt, sweat sweat.

Insanely, they actually do the weigh in in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Is it calibrated the same as the scale back at the ranch? Scary. Oh, did I mention that they aren't in teams any more? It's all about individuals now.

Rebecca, with immunity, loses 4 pounds but has no worries about the yellow line. Shay is determined to get under 400; she's at 402. She loses 9 and ends up at 393 and is so excited. Tracey loses 3, and she is not amused. Daniel wants to come back after two bad weigh-ins. He does, losing 11. Allen loses 9, Danny 12, Rudy 9. Liz only loses 3 after hearing she needs to lose 4 to stay above the yellow line. Amanda is the last to weigh in, and with 7 pounds, she's safe. This means Tracey and Liz are in danger.

In their please, Liz is kind of resigned and Tracey kind of apologizes for all her gameplay, so it's unclear what's going to happen. In the end, Tracey gets sent home, which isn't a huge surprise, considering some of the shenanigans of the past few weeks.

In her catchup interview, Tracey looks amazing. She goes back to California to rerun the mile that she collapsed after in episode one, landing in the hospital for days. She does it in 11:22 and in the end footage, it says she's training for a full marathon in December. Nice job!

'Dancing With the Stars' results: Who goes home?

2009-11-04T03:06:04Z

Guest recapper Carla here to help Sarah out on Reality TV Tuesday. "Dancing With the Stars" kicks off this with a reprise of Monday's Team Tango. But what does the audience really want? Results. But next, we get a recap of last night's performances and scores.

First, we learn Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel are safe, and Lacey Schwimmer and Mark Dacascos are in the bottom three. (Of note: Lacey was ill last night, so Mark danced with Anna Trebunskaya.) Then, we get a performance by Colbie Caillat. What is it with women singer-songwriters flocking to "DWTS" this season?

Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson are safe, too. But Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova are, like last week, in the bottom three.

]]> The Ballas Hough Band performs its single "Move." That's right: Mark Ballas and Derek Hough have a band. Which you all probably already knew. I'm not quite sure what to say.

And .... that's over. We then learn about the "rules of ballroom" -- the first rule of ballroom is that you don't talk about the trophy. FYI.

The next three couples have all sat atop the leader board this season. Mya and Dmitry Chaplin are told they are safe first. Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough are, too. That means Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff, who got two 10s last night, are not. Aaron makes a face.

Rod Stewart performs the, as Samantha Harris calls it, "all-time classic," "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" Just kidding. He sings "It's the Same Old Song."

Now for the BIG results. Michael and Anna are out. Lacey is surprised; she and Mark will be in the dance off with Aaron and Karina.

Lacey and Mark dance a cha cha. It's fun, and I can't help but like Mark. Judge Len Goodman says it was clean, sharp and rhythmic. Judge Bruno Tonioli says he can turn more tricks than Heidi Fleiss! Ha! He says what cha cha there was was good. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba says the flow from the tricks to dance was effortless.

Aaron and Karina dance a jive. It is fun, too, and, well, superior. Go, Nick Carter's little brother, go! Bruno says he can't believe the couple are in the dance off. He says the jive was just as good as last night's. Carrie Ann says she disagrees; it was better. Len calls him the comeback kid.

The judges unanimously want Aaron and Karina to stay. That means Lacey and Mark are out.

Sound off!

'So You Think You Can Dance' recap: Top 18 perform

2009-11-04T03:02:20Z

I thought we were getting back to normal on So You Think You Can Dance this week, but no, the judges are making the cuts again tonight, and viewer voting doesn't start until next week. Oh, well.

The first thing I notice is that Noelle, who was injured last week and couldn't compete, dances during the intro. I'm relieved for her, but I don't really know her style that well yet. But we'll see soon.

Have we mentioned yet that during the intro segment, when the tappers do their solos, they turn on the audio for a few seconds? It's ... necessary, but a little awkward. Maybe a little too loud or something.

Nigel Lythgoe makes a couple of announcements: First, Billy Bell, who had to drop out due to illness, can rejoin at the Top 100 in Vegas next season, and Brandon, who replaced him and then was immediately cut, can reapply next season. Both of those things are good news.

First up are Russell and Noelle. They're working with new choreographer Jamal Sims on a routine in which a lovey-dovey couple goes into a death match ... with tennis racquets. Intriguing. The performance is pretty fun and super-crazy-fast, but dance with tennis raquets is kind of odd. They have fun, though, which is fun for the viewer as well. The only thing that jumps out at me is that Noelle's still looks pretty happy and cutesy during some of the parts that are supposed to be death match. Adam Shankman says Jamal does a lot with character and that he felt like they were a little overwhelmed by the character and the speed a bit. Mary Murphy says Russell won the match, but yes, it is his style. She credits Noelle for showing no weakness despite her injury. Nigel says it was so fast that they didn't really "get hold of it." He also said he liked the Matrix slo-mo (which amuses me a little because I was thinking, "Hey, um, how long ago did The Matrix come out?" It was 1999, by the way).

]]> Jakon and Ashleigh are doing a Viennese waltz with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. They are portraying a couple on their wedding day, doing their first dance. I'm not going to lie: Off-stage, Ashleigh kind of annoys me, but when she's dancing, she has my attention. She's helped by Jakob, who is just so good. You can't watch him and not understand what the judges mean when they talk about amazing extension and good lines. This translates into grace and power in this routine, which is simply lovely. Adam says they can do no wrong and that he's madly in love when them. He says Ashleigh is winning him over (so I guess I'm not alone). Mary says Jakob's dancing wasn't that great -- meaning his ballroom technique, which is of course her specialty, but, um, I didn't notice. Nigel says they are a beautiful couple, that they were great.

Victor and Bianca are working with Tyce DiOrio on a piece to music from The Color Purple. They are supposed to be a couple being moved by the spirit in church, and the routine is fast and full of energy. It is so fast that I feel like a little character and connection is lost, but they are fun to watch. I feel a little bad for Bianca because one of the notes they gave her last week was to make sure she works on keeping her shoulders down, but her costume has big ruffles on the shoulders, so it's tough to see whether she's actually doing that. Adam says it's very important to be a studied dancer and know what came before you. He feels like they danced it well, and, "I wanted to see you guys lose it," and he feels bad that it's a criticism on this particular show. Mary says it was a really, really good, but it didn't really go anywhere, and they lost character. He felt like they were doing choreographer instead of taking it to the next level. Nigel agrees that the characters weren't strong enough.

Mollee and Nathan work with choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan on a Bollywood routine about a warrior prince who is going to war, and his princess is unhappy about it. The routine is very energetic (duh) and has some really interesting staccato movements that are a little different from the Bollywood routines we've seen in the past. They are so young that I was worried they would look like little kids up there, but they don't. Adam says they are an exciting couple and that Mollee is coming into her own and danced with maturity. Mary screams and says she adored the beginning and it kept getting better. Nigel says it was fabulous and credits them as well as Nakul.

Phillip and Channing are doing the samba with Tony and Melanie, who calls it a classic competition samba. Their performance is fun and has that party energy ... until they get to their lifts, which seem pretty labored. I like Phillip, but I think as a tap dancer he doesn't have to carry around his partner all that often, and it shows. Some of the lifts, it feels like the dance comes to a standstill, and that's pretty much the opposite of what you want. Adam says he could see them struggling with the style and that they just have to make it work and don't show the struggle. He credits Channing for her hip action and the support and connection the two dancers had. Mary agrees that she could see how hard they were working, which kind of obscured the party feeling, but their rhythmical actions were great. She says that if Phillip had been there 100 percent for Channing, it would have been great. Nigel says their chemistry didn't work and he felt like Channing looked like she was nervous before each lift.

Kevin and Karen work with Tabitha and Napoleon on a hip-hop routine about a mechanic and a hot girl who comes into the shop. Kevin interviews beforehand that he's hoping to shine since when they danced last week, no one could take their eyes off Karen. This is his style, but I think people are still probably watching Karen. I wanted to really like this because I like this couple, but something doesn't quite work for me. I, however, am apparently the only one. Adam says, "Well, Karen ..." and then falls off his chair. Hee! He thinks Karen, not a hip-hop dancer, tore it up. He thinks Kevin was fantastic, but he expected that. Mary says it was hot and Karen is still on the hot tamale train, and Kevin gets to join her. Nigel says Kevin is lucky because he picked his style out of the hat and that Karen moved parts of her body he didn't even know could move. "You're like an invertebrate, darling!"

Kathryn and Legacy have to take on a contemporary routine, news we learn going into the break, news that has me immediately worrying for Legacy. They work with Stacey Tookey about a woman struggling with fear. And the first thing I have to say is that my fears are unfounded -- this is gorgeous. Adam immediately thanks Stacey for the transformative power of her work. He says Legacy just turned a corner and pointed his feet and was dancing. Mary says it brings the hair up on her arms watching him dance -- seriously she says this seconds after I point out the goose bumps on my arm to my husband, which kind of freaks me out. She doesn't think anyone has shown this much growth this fast, and adds that Kathryn was fantastic, too. Nigel loves the routine. He says Kathryn has been under the radar, but she's proving her critics wrong and points out the moment during the Vegas round when he was touched by choreography for the first time.

New couple Peter and Pauline are working with Wade and Amanda Robson on a routine about people who were discarded from an earlier draft of Starry Night and now they are tormenting Van Gogh. Whoa, deep. It's Wade, so it's wacky and fun, and despite their new partnership, Peter and Pauline work well together. Adam thinks this piece is going to be controversial, but that Wade always forces his dancers to be 1,000 percent committed, and they were, especially Peter. Mary says she loved the concept and the costumes, but she doesn't think it's going to take them anywhere right now. Nigel says it shouldn't because they should stay on the show. Nigel says Wade routines make a statement, whether you like it or don't, and you won't forget it. He adds that Peter needs to make sure he opens up his shoulders and that Pauline danced to her full extent for the first time.

Ellenore and Ryan are the last couple of the night, dancing the Argentine tango with Miriam and Leonardo. There are some crazy lifts, but the biggest attention-getter is that Ellenore's heel gets stuck in her dress for about a third of the performance, and she just keeps on going. Impressive. Adam says they were actually wondering whether they should stop them -- but they carried on with a laserlike connection. Mary says a moment like that is so distracting, and she didn't even stop once. They get a stand up and woo. Nigel says the public can't understand how difficult this kind of routine is and that no other couple could have done it better.

The four dancers in danger are Noelle, Phillip, Victor and Bianca, who have to do solos and prove to the judges that they should stay.

I feel kind of bad for Phillip and Bianca because their solos seem more laid-back just because they're tap-dancing, whereas Victor and Noelle look like they have left everything on the floor.

Nigel thinks neither woman did her best in their pair dance tonight, and adds that they weren't unanimous. He tells Noelle that she danced for her life, and that is why she's staying, so Bianca is out. She's sad, and so am I. Nigel says this upsets him more than he can really let anyone know. He promptly says that Phillip is out, which is two tappers out, and it breaks his heart. Sigh. Phillip says that it's been a rollercoaster for him because his father died a week and a half ago, and that the support from the Top 18 has been amazing. Well, now everyone is crying. (Including me.)

'The Amazing Race' recap: The bell tolls for thee

2009-11-03T20:26:05Z

Longtime Reality Check reader Bucky has graciously volunteered to guest blog about The Amazing Race, and I'm so glad because my typing muscles are more tired than the Poker Girls' hammer-swinging muscles. Take it away, Bucky ...

Last Sunday’s leg began with everyone racing madly to the airport, where they found the next flight (to Amsterdam) wouldn’t depart until midnight. I hate it when that happens. So, they all hung out and got to know each other a little better, including the Globetrotters recapping the water tower drama and Sam and Dan coming out to the group.

Everyone arrives in Amsterdam where they face a task of counting all the bells in a landmark bell tower. (Wouldn’t you have loved to see Mika climbing to the top of the bell tower and disclosing that, in addition to heights and water, she has a fear of things that ring?) All the competitors, save Ericka, count the bells quickly and in just one try…there are 62…and hand a little slip of paper with the answer to the bell ringer guy who gives them their next envelope of instructions. Ericka counts 46. When she hands the slip of paper to the bell ringer guy he laughs, right out loud and says, "What the heck?"

Ha Ha Ha. OK … no, he didn’t do that. That’s what I did, sitting on my sofa, cracking up.

]]> When I say that "all the competitors … count the bells," that’s not exactly true. The Poker Girls cheat, by getting the answer "62" from Sam and Dan and heading straight to the bell ringer guy. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," I think to myself. "Cheaters never prosper."

Everyone but Brian and Ericka heads to the Detour challenge, while Ericka recounts the bells so many times that I lose count and start feeling sorry for having mocked her.

At the Detour, the contestants have to dress in traditional Dutch costumes, grab bicycles and ride a couple of miles to either a putt-putt golf course set up in a farmer’s field, or to a little party where they will have to learn a traditional Dutch folkdance and eat traditional Dutch hors d’oeuvres. Oh, and if they pick the former, they have to swim across a traditional Dutch canal to get to the golf course; if they pick the latter, they have to hit a traditional Dutch carnival bell with a sledge hammer, making the bell ring.

Sam and Dan, together with Meghan and Cheyne choose golf and it turns out the clubs are wooden shoes attached to long sticks. The Globetrotters, Gary and Matt and the Poker Girls choose the dance contest.

After an extended period of time and drama, Ericka finally counts the bells correctly. She is relieved, but not as much as the bell ringer guy. Brian and Ericka rush right past the bicycles and start walking to the Detour challenge. Yes! Walking! In wooden shoes! No more sympathy from me!

Sam and Dan conquer the putt-putt course in short order and head off to the Pit Stop. Meghan and Cheyne have a little trouble because Meghan hasn’t played golf with wooden shoe clubs before, but she actually masters it pretty quickly and they are second to arrive at the Pit Stop.

Back at the dance, Matt and Gary are going great guns until Matt spies the traditional Dutch hors d’oeuvres, which is herring covered with diced onions. Gary says he doesn’t eat fish. What? They are from Montana, aren’t they? Home to some of the best fly fishing in all the U.S. Oh, well. They abandon the dance and head for the golf course.

Meanwhile, back at the bell ringing game, the Poker Girls are taking turns lifting the sledge hammer up to waist-level and letting it drop, send the bell-ringing thing only about knee-high, when it needs to soar to the roof line to ring the bell. They try this over and over and over and … well, I lose count again.

Gary and Matt finish their round of golf and head to the Pit Stop.

The Globetrotters do the dance, eat the fish and head to the Pit Stop. The Poker Girls give up on ringing the bell and head to the golf course. Ericka and Brian FINALLY arrive and decide to do the dance and eat the fish, which they do with surprising ease. But, being all tuckered out from the long walk, they borrow some bikes from some nearby Dutch people and pedal off to the Pit Stop.

The Poker Girls make almost as many attempts at hitting the big golf ball with the wooden shoe club as they had made trying to ring the bell. By and by they give up and return to the dance which means, of course, that they have to ring the bell before going inside. This time, the TAR producers provide an on-screen counter so nobody, contestants or viewers, will have to count anything else for the rest of the show.

Of course, the Poker Girls still can’t ring the bell and, in fact, are becoming exceedingly arm-weary trying. There is a small break where they hug and tell each other how much they admire the other. Then they decide TO GO BACK TO THE FREAKIN’ GOLF COURSE!!!!! Oh, sorry … I got carried away with all those exclamation points.

Ericka and Brain arrive at the Pit Stop, but Phil tells them they are going to have a 30-minute penalty for walking instead of riding bikes from the bell tower to the Detour.

What? This is — I’m sorry — just stupid. Admittedly, they didn’t follow the instructions. But the error they made didn’t give them an advantage … it put them waaaaay behind the other teams. I don’t like this penalty and if the Poker Girls show up in 29 minutes, I’m writing to the producers.

Back at the golf course (and remember, they have to, again, swim across the canal to get there) they flail away at the golf ball, but by now their arms are so tired they couldn’t flip a card that fills an inside straight flush if it meant winning the World Series of Poker. So they hug and cry some more.

Thirty minutes pass and Phil checks Ericka and Brian into the Pit Stop. Then he somehow magically appears at the golf course (and I think he changed clothes, too.) The Poker Girls — Tiffany and Maria — sort of officially and formally announce to Phil that they don’t think they can finish this leg of the race successfully. "No duh," Phil thinks to himself, "why do you think I came out to the farm field golf course instead of waiting back at the Pit Stop?" But he doesn’t say this, of course.

What did you think of this episode? At what points in the show did you actually get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, feeling bad for Ericka and the Poker Girls? And don’t you think that Phil should have had to swim across the canal, too, to get out to the golf course?

(Photo courtesy of CBS)

'Top Chef: Las Vegas': Swoon!

2009-11-03T18:24:23Z

(Andre F. Chung/Baltimore Sun photo 2008)

This goes out to all you Brothers Voltaggio! fans: They tell The Baltimore Sun's Laura Vozzella about the attention from hometown Frederick fans, the rivalry and being recognized at the grocery store.

Here's the story.

And an oldie but goodie: Facts about the Brothers V.!

'Dancing With the Stars' recap: Paso vs. Tango

2009-11-03T04:02:34Z

Tonight's Dancing With the Stars will feature an individual dance from each star and his or her partner, as well as a group paso doble or tango.

Louis Van Amstel is wearing the craziest pants I have ever seen, bright blue fringed trousers. Like COVERED with fringe.

Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova are first, dancing the foxtrot. He's working so hard and definitely having more fun, but I feel like his arm movements are still too small and restrained and kind of awkward. Head judge Len Goodman says he's glad he made it through last week because his foxtrot was well done. Bruno Tonioli says his musicality has improved, but he needs to work on his posture and "funny arms." Carrie Ann Inaba says he was gracious, fluid and had content. She also likes the costume he designed for Anna. Oh, so Louis has Kelly to blame for those pants? Ouch. Scores: 8-8-7, for a 23/30.

Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson have the quickstep this week, and Donny's concerned because he had a tough time keeping up with Kym last week. I'm hoping neither of them gets an arm hooked in all the strips all over the top of Kym's costume. This week's dance, he keeps up much better -- there's less of the desperation he had going on last week -- and the style suits his style. Bruno says he's solid as a rock as a performer, but "nobody could cover up all the mistakes as well as you did." Carrie Ann says it was pretty good and his footwork was light, but he went wrong a few times. Len says he came out "full bore from start to finish, full of attack." He seems less concerned by the mistakes. Scores: 8-8-8, for a 24/30.

]]> Mark Dacascos' usual partner Lacey Schwimmer is ill, so he's dancing with Anna Trebunskaya. He also got some training with Tony Dovolani, who happened to be in New York, where Mark was for work. After that, Anna came in since Mark couldn't exactly dance with Tony on the show. They're doing the samba. The dance itself seems OK, but I'm super distracted by Mark's goofy facial expressions. Carrie Ann says it was a total mess and completely disjointed and full of nervous energy. Len says they've had a tough week and a hard dance -- he says he didn't find it terrible, but it wasn't his best dance, but he coped well under the circumstances. Bruno says it was animal yes, but Brazil no. Scores: 6-7-6, for a 19/30.

Mya a Dmitry Chaplin are doing the foxtrot, and she says it is their first elegant dance since week one, when Len gave them a 5 (for no reason), so they're aiming to please him this time around. They get some tips from Cloris Leachman, who points out, rightly, that they need to work on their connection and actually look at each other a little more. Their dance is lovely and flowy, though I'm thinking Len might find a couple of parts of it kind of gimmicky. Len says he liked the parts that were in hold, but again, "too many gimmicks ... but probably you pleased the other two." So ... yes, what I was worried about. Bruno loved it, saying she looked a dream and danced like an angel. Carrie Ann says, "Len is officially smoking crack." She loved the dance, especially their footwork. Len is being so nice to some of the other stars and just so hard on Mya. What is the deal? Scores: 9-7-9, for a 25/30.

Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff are doing an absolutely insanely fast jive. I mean, really. And they're dancing to Twisted Sister, which, what? Anyway, as much as Aaron had fears about this dance (and its speed), he handles it well. In particular, the kicks and footwork work well with his loosey-goosey limbs. Bruno says he kicked ass and that this was his best performance. Carrie Ann says he was like a little Road Runner. "It so good!" Len says it had enough energy to light up Hollywood, that it was wild but it was clean and fast but controlled and fun but not slapstick. He adds, "I was tempted to dust off my 10 paddle." Scores: 9-10-10, for a 29/30.

Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel are taking on the salsa, and Louis is pushing Kelly to the limit. She gets very anxious, but going into break, she mocks herself for crying. Their dance is much less "beige" than last week, but you can see Kelly still thinking some things through. If only Louis could get her to smile through the whole performance; when she's smiling, she just shines up on stage. But still ... it's a fun one. Louis' pants get even worse when he starts dancing -- it looks like he's wearing half of a Cookie Monster costume, but thankfully he tears them off halfway through. Carrie Ann calls her forward for a high-five. She says it was brilliant, elegant and unafraid. Len says he was afraid she was going to be a little girl, but she did well. He adds, though, that all aspects of the dance need to come up another level and Louis was right to push her. Bruno jumps up on the table and shakes his tail-feather. He adds that she needs to find the character and she'll be golden. She thanks him for calling her beige last week. Scores: 8-8-8, for a 24/30.

Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough have the rumba, the dance of love. They have this whole goofy segment of Derek having a fantasy about dancing with Joanna on the beach. It's so silly. Their performance, however, is not. They do a lovely job with it, but something about the choreography doesn't sit right with me -- there are some jerky movements that appear to be on purpose, but they seem out of place and a little awkward. Len says he thinks the dance fulfilled everyone's requirements. Bruno says she is a goddess, but had a little stumble. Carrie Ann says she often dances on the edge and seems like she could go wrong at any second, but she didn't have any of that going on tonight. Scores: 9-9-9, for a 27/30.

Team Paso -- Aaron, Mya, Mark and Michael -- are up first in the group dances. Team Tango is Kelly, Donny and Joanna. (And their respective partners, of course.)

Team Paso dances to "I Hate Myself for Loving You," and they're fairly in sync and very powerful. Bruno says the dance was strong, powerful and dynamic, but they lost sync some. He adds that Mya and Dmitry stood out. Carrie Ann says that Mark redeemed himself from his individual dance, and Len credits Michael for bringing everyone together at rehearsal and getting everybody back on track. Scores: 8-8-8, for a 24/30.

Team Tango dances to "You Give Love a Bad Name," and I feel like they're operating at a higher level. Carrie Ann runs over and high-fives them and then spanks all the boys for the lifts. Len says tango was a little easier to be in sync because they are in hold, but nevertheless, this was superior. Bruno, well, in short, he loved it. Scores: 9-9-10, for a 29/30.

Team Paso's members might be in trouble tomorrow.

What do you think?

'Survivor: Samoa': Evil Russell strikes again

2009-10-30T17:31:01Z

It really looked for a bit there like Jaison was going home on last night's Survivor. In the immunity challenge, he was worn out and couldn't help push the boat or figure out the puzzle. He even admitted his weakness at tribal council, which is usually a sure-fire way to get your fire extinguished.

But Russell had his sights on Liz, and he got his way. She was a good competitor, but questioning Russell put her on his radar and a handful of moments of showing her frustration made a handy excuse for everyone else. But really, could you blame her for getting irritated when she was desperately trying to start the fire while Natalie and visiting-from-Galu Laura blabbed about Harleys and books? On the other hand, Russell wasn't wrong when he said that Natalie was doing the right thing trying to woo Laura since they're having such a severe numbers problem.

So is this alliance between Laura and Russell the real deal, or is she just stringing him along so he doesn't target him at the merge? Playing the men-are-superior card, whether she believes it or not, was probably the exact right move with Russell since he has a problem with women who question him.

So farewell, Liz. But now I can't wait to see what happens at the merge.

'America's Next Top Model': Down to Five

2009-10-30T16:20:53Z

John-John Williams IV reports on this week's America's Next Top Model:

Erin started the episode lamenting about her disastrous Covergirl commercial from the week before. And for good reason, she was in the bottom two last week.

Tyra met the girls at their house to tell them that they needed to tidy up. She pointed out ants, dirty dishes, and scattered clothes. I was fully expecting Tyra to go on a huge tantrum about respecting the house. Instead she told the girls she was condemning the house, which would force them to take a trip to Hawaii. The girls quickly packed, boarded a plane, and were on their way.

After settling into their new ultra fabulous digs, and sharpening their claws – Erin and Brittany hate each other-- the girls met Sofia Beschen, a petite model and surfer, and Buzzy Kerbox, a surfer and model. The girls learned how to surf by the model-surfers. The girls were suppose to learn body control with their surfing lesson.

]]> Mr. Jay Manuel met the girls and told them that they would be charged with posing on surfboards with male models for the day’s photo challenge, which Erin won. As a result, she was allowed to pick Brittany and Nicole to take a helicopter tour of Maui. Erin later complained that she didn’t win a tangible prize, and the other girls were so disgusted with her complaining. Meanwhile, Laura was tending to her sunburns that she suffered from the day’s photo shoot. She was worried that her reddish skin would negatively affect her in the next day’s photo shoot.

The next day, the girls learned that they were going to be photographed again by Tyra. Tyra informed the girls that they were going to pose as mix of two ethnicities. Laura was Mexican and Greek. She was a little shaky at first. But after asking for a quick pointer from Tyra, Laura turned her photographs into praise-worthy efforts. Erin was Tibetan and Egyptian. (Tyra didn’t appear too impressed with Erin’s performance. She called it very commercial. That’s not good at all.) Sundai was Morrocan and Russian. (Mr. Jay said that Sundai nailed her photo shoot.) Brittany was Native American and East Indian. (Tyra said that Brittany was a little stiff.) Jennifer was Batswana and Polynesian. (Tyra said that Jennifer was a mess. Ouch. But after a quick pointer from Tyra, she came alive.) Nicole, who was Malagasy and Japanese, could do no wrong. She looked phenomenal. (The judges later agreed calling her performance “stunning.”)

The next day at judging, the girls were introduced to guest judge supermodel Kirsty Hume. Nicole was judged to have the best photo of the bunch. The bottom two was comprised of Brittany and Erin. Tyra said that: Brittany had formulaic photos; and Erin had been self sabotaging herself.

Brittany said she was hurt. She thanked Tyra for the opportunity. She later said she was going to continue, and that the show was a jumping off point for her.

'So You Think You Can Dance': What a crazy week!

2009-10-29T17:51:58Z

Do you think that after realizing that baseball is going to mess up their schedule so much that the producers of So You Think You Can Dance are regretting this whole fall season thing?

It sure messed me up. I was still out of town (but that vacation is over now, and I am back, readers!) and didn't even realize they were doing that special episode on Monday or that there wasn't a results show this week until I was catching up on the DVR yesterday. (Bad blogger, BAD!)

But now I am all caught up, and all I can say is: Wow. I loved the show introducing the Top 20 and giving them all a chance to dance in their style before the votes start coming in. The big group performance and all of the genre performances were fabulous and finally got me pumped about this season.

And the first competition show was pretty excellent, too. But again, what drama! I was so sad to hear that Billy Bell is out of the competition -- he was already one of my favorites, and I hope he's doing OK with whatever illness he is fighting. Noelle Marsh was also sidelined -- she injured her knee and was unable to compete, sitting on the sidelines with her leg in a giant brace.

I won't go one by one through the performances (though I will be back with that next week), but some of them were spectacular. I loved the goofy Dave Scott hip-hop routine with the caveman theme and the Sonya Tayeh fallen angel routine, in particular. I felt bad for Russell, who had to perform his foxtrot with the co-choreographyer, Melanie LaPlatin, instead of Noelle. Here's hoping she's well enough to return next week.

I'm hoping, too, that Nigel doesn't keep up with the whole "this empty chair is for Paula Abdul" thing for the rest of the season. I assume he's being so public about it because she really is coming to the show in one capacity or another, but who knows.

Besides Billy Bell, the person I felt the worst for was Brandon -- he doesn't make the Top 20, he watches the episode in which he gets cut, he gets a phone call that he's in, rallies and learns a ballroom dance with a new partner in very little time, performs and then gets cut. What a roller coaster. Interesting that Nigel says they are going to try to change the rules to let him in the Top 20 in the future if he makes the cut since he kind of got screwed over by all this madness. Along with Brandon, dancer Ariana Dubose was also cut.

What did you think about this crazy week on SYTYCD?

'Top Chef: Las Vegas': Natalie Portman's vegetarian steakhouse

2009-10-29T03:03:17Z

Hey gang, Liz and Justine here again for another week of Top Chef recapping.

We're getting down to the wire. Only seven cheftestants remain after last week's much-anticipated Restaurant Wars episode. Everyone seems pretty nervous in the previews for this episode, and there's always the chance someone we hate will go home, so we're excited. There was also a cameo by actress Natalie Portman (does anyone remember anything else she's been in besides Star Wars and Garden State?). Celebrity guests usually bring a curveball with them, so let's hope Natalie delivers.

Enough with the swooning over Natalie Portman. On to the cooking!

]]> Poor Jen. She did terribly last week (who cooks that much seafood to order?) and is trying to psych herself up for this week's challenges. Good luck, honey. You're coming unraveled, and we can all see it. On the other side of the delusion spectrum, Robin was thrilled with how her team prevailed during Restaurant Wars, mostly due to the Voltaggio brothers' leadership in the kitchen. Robin knows how to ride a mean coattail. But how long can it last?

Quickfire

Paul Bartolotta, an accomplished Italian chef, is the guest judge. The quickfire is one of the more creative and humorous challenges of the season. They have to give a gourmet makeover to a TV dinner. They draw knives to pick a show to inspire their dish -- Gilligan's Island, The Flintstones, Sesame Street, Seinfeld, Cheers, The Sopranos and M.A.S.H.). The cheftestants even serve their meals in little TV dinners. If knives weren't an issue, Justine would cook a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT for those in the know) because she loves pizza. Liz would cook a meal inspired by Full House -- basically, there would be huge portions and she'd invite John Stamos to dinner and only refer to him as Uncle Jesse. (We lost about 5 minutes getting sidetracked by John Stamos photos on the Google while spellchecking his name. Oops.

Robin was raised on health food and wasn't allowed to watch TV. The only things she knows about Sesame Street are that the characters had big eyeballs and lots of colors were involved. What kind of terrible parents don't allow their kids to watch Sesame Street?

Michael V. was flirting with Jen at the fridge! Jen compares herself to Pebbles and she goes on about Bamm-Bamm ... is Michael her Bamm-Bamm?!

Eli didn't eat TV dinners, and he pulled Gilligan's Island and has little idea what it's about. He went the tropical route, remarking "It smells like a Jimmy Buffet concert over here."

And Jerkface Mike said he's NEVER SEEN SEINFELD. Was he asleep during the '90s? That's just un-American. (Liz: "What a jerkface! That's enough for him to get sent home.")

Bryan V.'s M.A.S.H. meatloaf and mashed potatoes gets a MMM! From Padma (Cue celebration from Justine.)

On the bottom: Jen, Robin

On the top: The phenom that is Bearded Kevin, Bryan. And Kevin wins! He doesn't get immunity, but a version of his dish will be featured as a Schwan's frozen foods meal in their Top Chef line! (During the commercial break, Liz wanted to order 17,934 of his meals, but 1. They wouldn't fit in her normal-sized fridge and 2. The Web site was slow and underwhelming and features dishes from non-winning chefs. What a letdown, Bravo and Schwan's.)

Elimination challenge

We've reached the point in the competition where they skip the gimmicks and just let the cheftestants cook good food. They're going to Tom's Craftsteak restaurant at MGM Grand. They have to serve about 10 guests. Robin's worried that she isn't much of a steakeater. That shouldn't be all she's worried about.

(Did you notice that when the cheftestants were getting ready that Jen had a white sweatshirt that made it look like she had a neck brace?)

Back at the homestead, the boys have a strategy session about what kind of meat they're making (well, the boys minus the Voltaggio brothers). They're excited about making steak. How manly of them.

Off to the kitchen! Tom's beside himself as he introduces Natalie Portman. JFM's eyes shine as he checks her out. Eli introduces her by saying the most important thing she's done is Star Wars. But here's the rub -- she's a vegetarian. So the cheftestants have access to all sorts of meat, but they can't use meat of any sort. DUN DUN DUN!

Robin helpfully points out that "Vegetarians are people, too."

Eli and Jen flip a dehydrated slice of fruit or vegetable they found in the walk-in to decide who gets to cook with the bigger eggplants, and Eli wins. How cute and consistent with the challenge.

JFM is confident that he can please a vegetarian. We're skeptical that he can please anyone. He says his mom was a vegan. Let's hope (or not) he picked up some pointers from her.

Kevin's married! (Liz cried.) And he eats vegetarian during Lent, so it sounds like he's Catholic. He's worried that he won't have a dish to satiate the diner without a meat protein.

Eli would joke that vegetarians are lower human beings, but he's going to try to give them more than a vegetable medly.

They don't focus much on Bryan this episode, so we're optimistic that he's safe for the time being.

(Justine wonders why no one has decided to make pasta. Can vegetarians eat eggs? Does Craftsteak have no flour?)

JFM decides to play off scallops in his preparation of leeks. He's having some trouble with the leeks, but he gives us a smarmy smile all the while.

Robin runs out of time before she finishes plating her stuff, so three plates don't get the fresh garbanzo beans. She makes some dramatic statement like that singular screw-up could send her home. If so, that'll be about three episodes too late.

They're serving Natalie Portman's friends. They look like normal people, not supermodels or actors.

Robin serves first, and the dish has too much salt. Tom didn't get any garbanzo beans, but the dish lacked balance in the seasoning. Padma said she could feel her ankles swelling. Was that because she's pregnant in this episode?

Eli serves next. His eggplant looks kind of like sushi. The texture is good and the salad is good, but the guest judge said he got some lavender flavor that was too strong and made him feel like he was sucking on a bar of soap in Provence.

Michael V. is stressed, but his dish is beautiful and very colorful. Natalie Portman was confused by the polenta with banana (Liz wants to try to make it) but the guests liked the taste. The larger chunks of banana are a little off-putting. It was a daring plate, and they recognized that. Michael was called Picasso … for the second time. Tom thought that was HI-larious.

Jen takes a chance and sauces her charred eggplant with braised fennel at the table and her hands are shaking. We totally expected her to dribble sauce on Natalie Portman's head or Padma's outfit. Gail loves the sauce. Natalie suggests it added a little danger to the presentation because of her shaking. They agree the dish was a beautiful side dish, but not an entree.

JMF's leeks are supposed to give a feeling of protein, but it smells like cabbage. They like the presentation, but he didn't execute the food well. The leeks were undercooked.

Bryan's plating isn't as professional as he would've wanted. There are some things that didn't make it onto the plate. The food seems like it's missing from the plate. (Did you catch the That's What She Said moment between Padma and Natalie? "We went from a little prick to big in your mouth," Tom said. Natalie: "That's what usually happens." Is this why the show is on at 10 p.m.?)

Bearded Kevin's dish isn't as pretty as he'd like. He makes a duo of mushrooms. The food feels more like an entree because it's meaty. Kevin's dish proves vegetarian food can be substantial.

There's a little intracommercial moment where the cheftestants are enjoying food from the guest judge's restaurant. Bearded Kevin seems to enjoy the food so much, it's rather charming.

Judges' Table

On the top: Kevin, Michael V. and Eli (Eli jokes as he's walking out of the stew room: "Did you guys call my name by accident?")

Michael V.'s dish reminded Tom about why you need to keep an open mind about food. Natalie was beaming like a school girl, Tom said.

Gail thought Eli's eggplant and lentils was great.

Kevin's smoked kale impressed Natalie. It was a mouthful of flavor and you didn't miss the meat, the judges said.

And Kevin wins! He gets a suite of GE appliances, but we didn't get a TA-DA! It's better than an autographed cookbook.

Michael V. is bitter and said he could've made Kevin's dish in 20 min. It looks like Michael V. isn't just catty and competitive when it comes to criticizing his brother's cooking.

On the bottom: Robin, Jennifer and Mike. (Weird: Bryan was totally left out of the judging. It's risky to not stand out this late in the game.)

JFM's didn't have a protein. He wanted the leeks to look like protein … but they don't have protein.

Robin throws JFM under the bus by saying she ALWAYS thinks of a protein and it's VERY IMPORTANT to have a protein. The dish had a protein, but since not everybody got them, it barely count. Does a few chick peas on a plate really count as protein? If we were vegetarians, we'd feel cheated.

Jen was so nervous that some of the guests might've worn the sauce. And sounds like she asks to leave by saying she'll try hard if she gets another chance but thanks them for the opportunity to be on the show. Tom says at this point in the competition the cheftestants get worn out, but the defeatist behavior is bad news.

Gail points out that JFM is arrogant. THANK YOU. Finally, someone's on our side. Tom wasn't impressed that he couldn't cook leeks in two hours.

Robin was not focused on the entire dish. Two parts of her dish were things she hadn't done before, and the judges agreed with Natalie that using them was a bad idea.

AND IT'S THE END OF JERKFACE MIKE! PACK UP YOUR KNIVES, SUCKER!

(Liz's neighbors must've heard our celebration. We scared the dog. And Liz's eyes were shining brilliantly while we wrote this.)

His little goodbye speech was still optimistic and cocky as always. We're glad to see losing Top Chef wasn't a humbling experience or anything. Hilariously, Robin lasted longer than JFM. That must have been the part that stung the most for him.

Predictions

Who's going home next: Justine thinks Jen's going to lose it. She's burnt out and nervous, but she hasn't been able to get over it and cook her own food. Liz doesn't think Robin can fool anyone anymore, unless next week is a team challenge.

Favorites: Justine sticks by Bryan; maybe her loyalty will pay off with an invitation to eat at Volt. Liz backs Bearded Kevin; she doesn't think he'll invite her to his restaurant in Atlanta, but a girl can dream. Maybe he can get her Eli's phone number.

If you could cook a meal inspired by a TV show, what show would it be? What's your favorite Natalie Portman movie? What would you make for the Vegetarians?

Also, will you be watching the Top Chef Reunion Dinner Special we saw previewed during the commercial breaks? Liz is excited to see what Marcel's been up to. We'll be watching and recapping all of the drama for you next week, since it's pre-empting our regular Top Chef viewing.

Dancing With the Stars results: Who goes home?

2009-10-28T02:04:06Z

Another "Dancing With the Stars" results show. I'm going to keep the recap quick.

First up, Taylor Swift performs (such a showstopper compared to Norah Jones -- sorry, Norah). Then, we get a recap of last night's performance show. Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough finished at the head of the pack with a 26. There's a three-way tie at the bottom.

The bottom couple will go home; the next two at the bottom will compete head to head in a dance off. Those couples will get to choose the dance. Oh, DWTS, having to keep changing the way things are done, otherwise no one will watch the results shows anymore, except for recappers. (More faithful viewers: Has the show done this before? It hasn't during the results shows of seasons past that I've watched.)

The first couple we learn are safe are Joanna and Derek. They are joined by Mark Dacascos and Lacey Schwimmer.

]]> After some filler, we learn Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson are safe. So are Aaron Cater and Karina Smirnoff. After a commercial break, a performance by Tiempo Libre and some talk about designing costumes (yawn!), they are joined by Mya and Dmitry Chaplin and birthday girl Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel.

Taylor Swift sings her radio hit "Love Story." Then filler, filler, filler. Finally, the couple with the lowest combined total, who are leaving! right! now!, are Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas.

Dance off time. Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova do the samba. It's definitely a style that suits Michael. Judge Len Goodman says Michael has come alive. Overall, he says, it was enjoyable. Judge Bruno Tonlioli calls him a crowd pleaser. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba says the technical part wasn't quite there, but, again, it was enjoyable.

Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower do the jive. Bruno says it was fast and there was energy, and there was also content. Carrie Ann says it was a good jive, but she expected more. Len says the couples didn't realize how important the dance was. He says it was sharp and clean, though.

Bruno says both did well, but that Louie and Chelsie had the edge. Len chooses to save Michael and Anna. Carrie Ann is the tiebreaker. She says she has to judge on what happened right now, not the whole season. She chooses Michael and Anna. Louie is sent packing.

Do you agree with the judges?

'Dancing With the Stars' recap: waltzes and jitterbugs

2009-10-27T02:59:43Z

Tonight on Dancing With the Stars, it's all about waltzes, jitterbugs and a dance marathon. (By the way, still on the mini keyboard, so this won't be quite as detailed as usual.)

The first jitterbug of the night is from Mya and Dmitry Chaplin. They have a lot of fun and bring more character than usual, which was their goal. Head judge Len Goodman feels like they spent too much time with props and intro. Bruno Tonioli says her style was spot on and her timing was incredible. Carrie Ann Inaba says she was expecting a little more character still. Scores: 8-7-9, for a 24/30.

Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas are doing the waltz. They prepare with Mark's mom, who is a hard core expert. She is working very hard in the dance, but there is still a bit of awkwardness to her performance, and her acting of the character isn't quite believable. Bruno: "That wasn't good for Week 6. ... You looked like you were trying to remember what you were told." Ouch. But true. Carrie Ann says it wasn't gliding and fluid. Len says she was elegant and had musicality, but she had some technique problems. Scores: 7-7-6, for a 20/30.

]]> Mark Dacascos and Lacey Schwimmer are next on the jitterbug train. They do a trick-filled performance but there is a fair amount of dancing, too, so it's not only gimmicks. In short: way fun. Carrie Ann shouts woo and does a bunch of fist pumps. She does point out one stumble, though. Len: "Sometimes, less is more, but not in the jitterbug!" Bruno calls it truly spectacular except for one timing loss at the end. Scores: 9-9-8, for a 26/30

Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff are hoping the waltz suits them well enough to stay out of the bottom two. I get kind of distracted by Aaron's ginormous collar, but the performance is quite sweet, actually. Len says he danced with maturity, had a good frame and overall calls it his best dance so far. Bruno says the boy has become a gentleman, but points out a couple of times where he lost his footing. Carrie Ann loves the new, dignified Aaron. Scores: 8-9-8, for a 25/30

Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova are worried about this week's double elimination while they prepare for the waltz. In the performance, he looks more joyful than you usually see in the waltz, and he seems much more comfortable on the floor than usual. Bruno says this was not a premium waltz even though he was enjoying himself. Carrie Ann questions them about a possible lift but says the performance was charming. Len says he had the best footwork of any of the waltzes tonight -- "it was really, really good!" Scores: 6-8-6, for a 20/30

Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel work on Kelly's confidence at trapeze school. Their jitterbug is very energetic and tons of fun. Carrie Ann says she brought fun back, but she stumbled a bit and showed when she made mistakes. Len says it was a little flat-footed and was a little disappointing. Bruno says it was cute and nice, but she needs to ignite the performance and sell it. Scores: 7-6-7, for a 20/30.

Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower try to make up forst last week's lackluster performance by adding lots of tricks and more content. It ... kind of works, at times. Len says parts of it were fantastic, but other bits are ... "grundy(?)." Bruno says he loses his precision. Carrie Ann says she loved it, but he dropped his partner twice, which was not OK. Scores: 7-7-7, 21/30

Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough are back together now that Derek's over the flu. Tom says after it's over that it's the "get a room dance of the season." Bruno: "what a performance!" Carrie Ann says the outside of her lines was good, but she still had hesitation at times. Len says her footwork wasn't too brilliant, but it was still the best waltz of the night. Scores: 8-9-9, for a 26/30.

Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson ramp up their performance with a bunch of tricks for this jitterbug, which seems to play to Donny's strengths (especially goofy fun). Carrie Ann says they know how to work a room, but they had some stumbles and some out of sync moments. Len says it was overall very entertaining. Bruno says at times it was like watching a steam engine trying to keep up with a bullet train. Scores: 8-8-8, for a 24/30.

Last performance of the night is the group mambo, aka the "first ever dance marathon for judges' ranking points." They will get tapped out if they aren't doing well enough. Michael and Anna are out first (2 points), then Louie and Chelsie (3), then Melissa and Mark (4), then Kelly and Louis (5), then Mark and Lacey (6), then Donny and Kym (7), then Aaron and Karina (8), then Mya and Dmitry (9), with the final standing being Joanna and Derek (10).

In danger: Pretty much everyone who got a 20, don't you think?

What did you think about the episode?

'Survivor: Samoa': Another one out and a crazy tribal council

2009-10-26T16:18:02Z

Last Thursday's Survivor was crazy -- especially Russell the Unevil being medically removed from the game after fully passing out during a challenge. Usually when the game ends like that for someone and they don't do a vote at tribal council, it's pretty boring, but they came up with a new twist this time.

Even though no one was voted out, everyone came to TC and sat around the fire. First time that's ever happened, and it was a doozy of trash-talking.

I'm vacation-punting again and sending you to Jeff Probst's recap because he's got a lot more insight on all the medical drama. It's pretty interesting.

What did you think of the episode?

'The Amazing Race': Done in Dubai

2009-10-26T16:08:37Z

Last night's Amazing Race had the closest finish I have ever seen, and we've witnessed all-out sprints to the end. Has anyone ever quit a task because of fear like that before? Not that I can remember, and certainly not a WATER SLIDE.

Anyway, back to the beginning. The teams were in Dubai, and for the first challenge, they had to get to a yacht club, where one person would row a small boat out to another craft, where they would be given a watch. Their task was to figure out that the time on the watch was the code for opening a briefcase that they'd been given at the beginning of the leg. Most of the teams figured the code out no problem, but the Globetrotters got fixated on what numbers the hands were pointed to instead of the time and were in last place by the time they got done.

The next task was a choice: either assemble a bunch of hookahs (intricate pipes) or figure out the weight of $50,000 worth of gold, with the catch that the exchange rate was constantly changing -- oh, and that apparently math is hard. Brian and Ericka, in particular, actually went to the gold challenge, couldn't do the math, and left for the hookah challenge instead. Embarrassing!

]]> Sam and Dan actually brought a calculator with them on the race, but they couldn't figure out the formula. Maria and Tiffany, however, could, and were there, so they worked together and got out fast. Meghan and Cheyne, who did the other challenge, maintained their first-place lead and got through the hookahs pretty fast, once they noticed their missing pieces on the ground.

Flight Time and Big Easy saw how many people were at the hookah challenge and decided to, um, go for the gold instead. I laughed and laughed when they dealt with the whole wishing they had a calculator thing by asking to borrow one, which totally worked.

They got through in time to reach the water slide, where Mika was having a complete and total meltdown about her fear of heights and water. She couldn't make herself take the six-story plunge (even with her FLOATIES ON. FLOATIES, PEOPLE), and Flight Time and Big Easy got to go ahead of them, did the slide, ran to the finish and came in second-to-last. Canaan finally decided to go down the slide first, hoping that would show Mika it was OK, but she walked down the stairs, and they walked to the finish mat, where they learned they were eliminated.

I'm not sorry to see them go. Why on earth would you decide to go on this race when you 1) don't run, 2) are afraid of water, 3) are afraid of heights and 4) are apparently unwilling to face those fears? Sorry, but for me, does not compute. I don't mean to be callous because clearly Mika was scared out of her mind -- it would take a lot to cause that much of a break with reality. But it was a water slide -- think of all the other crazy things people have faced on this show, and she fell apart because of a water slide. Yikes.

Elizabeth Large reviews Bryan Voltaggio's Volt

2009-10-26T14:40:10Z

Guest poster Carla here. If you missed it over the weekend, Baltimore Sun restaurant critic and Dining@Large blogger Elizabeth Large took a trip out to Frederick to review Volt, restaurant of "Top Chef" contestant Bryan Voltaggio.

Large says: "But is his statement food worth the considerable price tag and the trek from Baltimore? Or is Volt an emperor's-new-clothes phenomenon?

"If you're serious about food and don't mind a touch of whimsy, the answer is: Yes, Volt is worth the trip and the cost."

Large describes goat cheese ravioli with a scattering of toasted pumpkin seeds, chanterelles and brown butter, and fresh halibut arranged with ruby quinoa, winter squash and marcona almonds.

Anyone want to go to dinner with me?

Photo of Bryan Voltaggio: SOTA dzine