Top Chef Masters

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Ploughing my way through someone's Top Chef Masters playlist on YouTube. I had heard of it, but I didn't really have the time to watch it until now.

Different host for this one (Kelly Choi) and the format is slightly tweaked: Four chefs compete for a spot in the Champions Round. There's the usual Quickfire and Elimination Challenges; the former usually a rehash from the Top Chef ones, like the vending machine challenge. The Elimination ones are about the same. Scoring goes by most number of stars, wins.

Out of the Critics panel, I only recognise Jay Rayner (who's only book I read was The Apologist), the token English judge on an American reality competition show.

Some of the cheftestants (like Bayless and Dufresne) were also Top Chef guest judges at some point in its run. I also remember some of the others from Iron Chef America. It's fun to watch them be judged and not judge. Not to mention the level of difficulty in the Elimination Challenges, like cooking a three course meal out of a college dorm room, which is cool if you're not the one doing it.

1. I have no idea who Kelly Choi was. If you take her out of the frame and leave the voice in, I would've thought it was Padma.
   
2. I love watching the salty chef language slip through and make it on basic cable.
   

Abby goes to LA - yay!

More NCIS - NCIS: LA crossing over/guest casting stunt: this week on NCIS: LA - Abby Sciuto! It was a sweeps stunt, but I'm sure it drew NCIS fans.

I admit I clapped and went "yay..." to myself when I first saw Abby walk into their briefing room, saying "Oops, I think I took a wrong turn" before actually coming into frame - LOL...!

Abby getting abducted and her life threatened - not the first time, but a first in LA. Never something you'd like to see happen to a beloved TV character.

The rescue scene was such a nail-biter even though I know that there's no way she was getting killed off anytime soon, you can't help but hold your breath as the killer was about to take the axe to her neck... until Callen breaks through the skylight (anyone remember that scene in Batman and Robin? Heh.) via firehose and peppers the guy with bullets, while LL's on the roof holding said hose. I was laughing when everyone in the office breathed a sigh of relief, haha...

I thought it was weird that she was referred to as being in her late 20s when Pauley Perrette is closer to 40 (if she isn't already). She had me fooled for a long time, good on her.

I think there'll be a showdown between McGee and Nate for her affections in the works. I just feel it.

I generally like this episode, even if Gibbs' team was mentioned but never seen (was said to be on their way to rescue Abby).

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• Abby's crossover to NCIS: Los Angeles was excellent (tvsquad.com)

nip/tuck - Alexis Stone

Got done with last week's episode of nip/tuck and I was kicking myself for not watching it earlier.

Evil bitch grandma wants to take custody of her own grandkids for her young Italian cub husband to play daddy. WTF. Vanessa Redgrave has me convinced of her character's bitchiness. Characters like hers also goes to show that you don't mess with PhD holders in clinical psychology....

Having real life tranny actress Candis Cayne (who I remember from Dirty Sexy Money) play a woman who was born a man who wants to be a man again is classic nip/tuck clientele. According to Wikipedia there's gonna be a Part 2, so see what happens.

This episode reminds me of why I watch the show in the first place. To be fair, I'll also be glad that they'll be done with their 100th episode, so they'll be in syndication for all eternity.

To be fair the season hasn't been that great so far (even though Teddy finally got killed off). They've also split the last two seasons in such a way that I've no idea whether I'm still watching the fifth season or not. It's taking them nine years to finish six seasons, good thing they usually have a catch up montage for those of us who don't remember everything that's happened.

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• Review: Nip/Tuck - Alexis Stone (tvsquad.com)

NCIS: LA random thoughts

• I still think that it should still be called NCIS: OSP (Office of Special Projects) - calling it NCIS: LA just reminds people of the CSI franchise.
  
  
• It took them 8 episodes to vaguely mention what had happened to Macy (Louise Lombard) from the backdoor pilot episodes - that she got an overseas assignment. (in other words: recast).
  
  
• The LA people are too casually dressed. Then again they also do more undercover work compared to Gibbs' team...
  
  
• How is it that they have no way of finding out what Callen's first name was with all that technology?
  
  
• The multi touch screens - a bit cool lah, I admit, but a bit gratuitous.
  

Shorty season of ANTM is over.

The short girl cycle of America's Next Top Model is finally over.

I don't care what everyone else says, I'm glad that Nicole won. I am glad that an awkward girl (finally) can win a reality show, especially one about modelling.

I have to say this: Bloody Eyeball won America's Next Top Model. LOL.

Anyway, it's been quite the season (after so many seasons, I admit they needed a form of stunt casting and having a season of petite models was it).

Other random thoughts about the season:

• Bald Bianca should've gotten the boot sooner - what is it with ANTM and black, bitchy girls named Bianca?
• I think they ran out of famous petite models to guest judge during panel.
• I never knew Marisa Miller is considered "petite".
• I also never knew who half the guest judge petite models were.
• Having a double elimination in the penultimate episode saves money - cheaper to shoot 2 sets of Cover Girl commercials and photo shoots than three, as how it was always done. It's the recession, I tell you.
  
• Miss Jay and the huge puffed sleeves in final panel judging crack me up.
• You know there is a recession going on when the usual "exotic destination" for the final six girls is Hawaii, which is one of the 50 states. That's like going to Langkawi if Malaysia had its own Top Model show during this recession.

I'll bet that the next cycle of Top Model will be 14 plus sized chicks. Surely.

Project Runway finale, Pt. 1

• I'm glad that it is the finale because the season has been a little meh.
  
  
• It's been awhile (or a first) that the finalists are all female.
  
  
• I don't know why the finalists are so surprised when Heidi tells them in person (also never a good sign) that they have to do a thirteenth look - it's not the first time this has happened. You think by now someone would've made one just in case.
  
  
• It's also nice to see the show back in NY again, even if it's for the finale. Mood New York and the Parsons workroom brings back memories. Project Runway LA - FAIL.
  

Why you must watch NCIS: LA

If you've been watching both NCIS and NCIS: LA this season, you would've seen a crossover episode of sorts Director Vance makes a personal appearance on NCIS: LA to track down a Korean assassin (played by Kelly Hu - don't get me started on getting Chinese people to play Koreans and vice versa), with whom has gone back many years, found to be grievously injured by the end of the episode. Abby also made an appearance on said episode and liaised with Eric in the LA office. Fair enough.

A week or two later, the story continues on NCIS, where the assassin travels to DC. Either I missed the news, or it wasn't announced sooner.

Digressing a little bit - With LA Eric in the picture, I don't think Abby and McGee could be together romantically (again) anytime soon.

I tell you, it's just a shrewd way for the producers to make sure that audiences watch both shows because it's the LA show didn't have a good start. Not even the CSI franchise crosses over each other so often (until recently, with Langston making trips to both Miami and New York).

Smart move, NCIS team.

Family Guy Presents Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show

• The one Microsoft was supposed to sponsor to promote Windows 7, but didn't because they didn't know how offensive the show is on a regular basis. *head slap*
  
  
• Family Guy totally has too much money to spend.
  
  
• Found the "discarded screen tests" bit a little useless.
  
  
• Seth MacFarlane can sing. Scary.
  
  
• No idea why they made fun of de facto deaf actress Marlee Matlin's speaking voice. But can't say I didn't laugh when Alex Borstein (the voice of Lois Griffin on the show) sang Lady Gaga's Poker Face in that voice. I also didn't expect the real one to come on and "rip them a new one". The bit ran too long in typical Family Guy fashion.