Category Archives: TV Show

Lisa Marie Takes A Look At The Amazing Race 39.5 “That’s Honestly On Them”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

One thing about The Amazing Race is that you can always tell when Phil dislikes a team.

As of last night, Matt and Michelle have now finished first for two weeks in a row. Last week, Phil could barely force a smile at the sight of them. This week, he seemed downright indifferent to them. Phil also was clearly not happy when Daisha and Dalton arrived in second place. Their sin was apparently not helping Riley and Ann-Marie at the Detour.

Phil likes the teams that help each other out, and I imagine that he really likes Riley and Ann-Marie. Myself, I’m a little bit tired of Riley and Ann-Marie. I’m sure that they’re nice people, and I was happy that Riley took the time to let Anuar know what he was doing wrong at the first Roadblock. (If she hadn’t, Anuar would have been there all day.) But Riley and Ann-Marie both tend to be a little self-righteous and preachy, and I get a little bit tired of them going on about how important it is that everyone help each other (especially since that usually translates to “everyone needs to help us”).

This leg saw the teams traveling to Albania. This was the first time that the Race went to Albania, and it really did look like a lovely country. Matt and Michelle pretty much spent the entire leg in first place. By being the first to arrive at each Roadblock, they were in “the Driver’s Seat,” which means they got to determine how difficult each Roadblock would be for each team. Needless to say, this didn’t make them popular with the other racers, but seriously, what were Matt and Michelle supposed to do?

At the first Roadblock, teams had to harvest and grind a certain amount of grapes. Matt and Michelle publicly assigned 50 pounds to themselves, Ann-Marie & Riley, and Erin & Javi; 75 pounds to Conner & Garrett, Dafina & Saran, and Daisha & Dalton; and 100 pounds to Ali & Joanna, Anuar & Andrea, and Doug & Dylan. The only thing I really disagree with there is assigning 100 pounds to Doug & Dylan. That did feel mean. I would have assigned 100 pounds to Ann-Marie and Riley because they’re the stronger team.

At the second Roadblock, teams had to roll out dough for a pastry. (I would have sucked at this challenge, but my sister would have kicked its ass!) Matt and Michelle publicly assigned eight pastries to themselves; twelve pastries to Ann-Marie & Riley, Dafina & Saran, and Doug & Dylan; and sixteen pastries to Ali & Joanna, Anuar & Andrea, Conner & Garrett, Daisha & Dalton, and Erin & Javi. Erin struggled with this Roadblock, to the extent that she and Javi probably would have been eliminated if not for Dafina & Saran getting lost on the way to the Pit Stop.

Here’s how everyone finished last night:

1st — Matt and Michelle. Phil and the other teams may not like them, but Matt and Michelle are a strong team. Matt pretends to be goofy, but in his way, he’s just as ruthless as Michelle.

2nd — Daisha and Dalton. They came on strong during this leg of the race. As for them not sticking around to help Ann-Marie and Riley… hey, it’s a race. You don’t get an extra trophy for being nice.

3rd — Conner and Garrett. I never thought that Conner and Garrett would become my favorite team, but they have. They’re good-natured, they work well together, and unlike some people, they can be nice without feeling the need to brag about it.

4th — Ann-Marie and Riley. I’ve said all I need to say about them this week.

5th — Ali and Joanna. The soccer players finally used their Express Pass and still only managed a fifth-place finish. They’re a good example of a team that’s strong but somehow still not as strong as they should be.

6th — Doug and Dylan. Doug and Dylan actually did better than they usually do during this leg. They moved up from 9th to 6th, despite being targeted by Matt and Michelle.

7th — Anuar and Andrea. Anuar and Andrea struggled this week. First, Anuar didn’t understand how to grind the grapes. Then they got lost and ended up arguing with each other. Still, they avoided elimination.

8th — Erin and Javi. Erin and Javi narrowly avoided elimination this week. They’re going to need to pick things up a little because, other than when they use their Express Pass, they’ve struggled in almost every leg.

9th — Dafina and Saran. Dafina and Saran came in ninth and were eliminated. I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I was still sorry to see them go. They were a team that never gave up and worked well together.

Next week, the Race continues in Albania. Conner and Garrett still have their Express Pass, so I imagine they’ll use it at some point during the sixth leg, which is the last leg in which it can be used. Everyone else is going to have to depend on their own skills to make it to the Pit Stop in time to avoid elimination.

Lisa Marie Takes A Look At Survivor 51.5 “Not Here To Get A Pedicure”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Last night, after Toka won immunity, both Savu and Dina went to Tribal Council. That’s right, we got two Tribal Councils. Only one of them was interesting, though.

The Savu Tribal Council was predictable. Yes, the show’s editors did their best to make us think that there was a chance that Jelly and Ori would blindside Devin and save Alexis. But the fact of the matter is that there was never any real possibility of either Ori or Jelly betraying the Helicopter Alliance. Though the show has kind of tiptoed around it, the Helicopter Alliance is an alliance that, much like Big Brother’s Cookout, is based primarily on race. Ever since the start of reality television, alliances are typically based on a common bond that all of the members share. The strength of the alliance usually mirrors the strength of the bond and the shared experiences that go along with it. Alliances that are based on race typically don’t break until they absolutely have to. So, no, it was not a shock to see Alexis voted out 3-1.

The Dina Tribal Council was a bit more interesting. Lewis and Kilby went into Tribal Council outnumbered by the former members of Savu, but they were still able to not only take over the entire council but also force the former Toka members to agree to unanimously vote out one of their stronger members. This was thanks to Maggie, who, instead of taking part in her tribe’s reward for winning immunity, was taken to another beach and given two extra votes that she could give to anyone she wanted. She gave the two votes to Lewis and Kilby.

At Tribal Council, while the former Savu members all voted for Lewis, Kilby and Lewis were able to cast four votes for Linnea and tie things up. (Maggie specifically asked them to vote for Linnea.) A revote revealed the vote to be 4-4. Jeff Probst told the tribe members who had not received votes that they would now have a chance to negotiate with each other and try to come up with a unanimous consensus on who was going home—Lewis or Linnea. If they couldn’t do that, Lewis and Linnea would be safe and the remaining tribe members would draw rocks to determine who was being sent home.

Despite having three former Savus ganging up on him, Kilby held firm. Obviously, he understood that, if he joined the former Savu members, he would always be at the bottom of their alliance. Soon, the former Savus were sobbing over the prospect of having to draw rocks. Kilby had the courage to risk his game on a rock draw. The other members of Savu did not. They agreed to vote out Linnea so that they wouldn’t have to go to rocks. What a bunch of wimps! Watching Eric cry, I suddenly realized that Rob was right about the guy.

Oh, what a pathetic display. Now, the big question is whether or not next week will feature another tribal shakeup or if the new Savu tribe will continue with just three players. If Savu goes to Tribal Council again, this will be the first time that the Helicopter Alliance will lose one of their own. I’m just looking forward to seeing how awkward things are going to be over at Dina when they all get back from Tribal Council.

Late Night Retro Television Review: 1st & Ten 5.8 “Vindication”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing 1st and Ten, which aired in syndication from 1984 to 1991. The entire series is streaming on Tubi.

This week, some of the players get trapped in the woods.

Episode 5.8 “Vindication”

(Dir by Stan Lathan, originally aired on December 6th, 1989)

It’s time for the Barbara Ann Awards.

The Barbara Ann Awards are a never-before mentioned annual tradition in which Dr. Death, Jethro, Bubba, and Zagreb go to a cabin in the woods with a bunch of women and the women compete to be the new Barbara Ann.  Yep, it’s just as sleazy as it sounds.  Fortunately, this year sees the players being stalked by two mask-wearing, chainsaw-carrying psychoes.  While the women hide in the cabin, the players go out to battle their stalkers and, instead, they end up getting caught in a net.  Oh no!  Is this the end of the California Bulls?  (Well, four of them, at least….)

Fortunately, no.  It turns out that it was all a practical joke that was set up by the women.  Yay!  Put those men in their place!  The players are so impressed that they give the title of Barbara Ann to the woman who came up with the joke.  This whole thing was pretty silly but at least it felt appropriate for October viewing.

The episode’s other storyline featured Johnny Gunn being interviewed by reporter Susan McDermitt (Catherine MacNeal).  With protestors constantly picketing the games and calling Johnny a murderer, TD Parker (OJ Simpson) figures that it’s time for some damage control.  TD understands just how damaging it is to the reputation of the game to have a player who is routinely accused of being a murderer.

So, Susan and Johnny go to Johnny’s hometown in Pennsylvania.  We learn about Johnny’s past as a foster kid and a high school football star.  In a somewhat implausible scene, Johnny’s ex-girlfriend (Tally Chanel) admits on camera that she lied about what happened the night that Johnny killed a man.  It turns out that Johnny was actually acting in self-defense.

“I’m glad that’s taken care of!” OJ says as he watches the news report.

This is another episode of 1st & Ten that’s impossible to watch without thinking about OJ Simpson’s later life.  Every time OJ started to talk about how unfair it was that Johnny was being judged for being a murderer, I cringed just a little bit.  The episode’s contention that one positive news story was all Johnny needed to get on with his life was almost charming in its naiveté.

Next week …. well, who knows?  Hopefully, it won’t involve any more murders.

Horror on TV: Thriller 1.8 “The Watcher” (dir by John Brahm)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

For tonight’s televised horror, we have another episode of the Boris Karloff-hosted anthology series, Thriller!

In this episode, a religious fanatic in a named Freitag (Martin Gabel) lives in a resort community and targets young people who he believes have failed to live up to his standards.  His latest targets are played by Olive Sturgess and Richard Chamberlain.  This is actually a rather grisly little episode.  With its theme of religious hypocrisy, I can only imagine how people reacted when it was first aired on November 1st, 1960.

Retro Television Review: The Love Boat 8.17 “Ace Takes the Test/The Counterfeit Couple/The Odd Triple”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing the original Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986!  The series can be streamed on Paramount Plus!

This week, it’s love and fraud all aroud.

Episode 8.17 “Ace Takes the Test/The Counterfeit Couple/The Odd Triple”

(Dir by Nell Cox, originally aired on January 12th, 1985)

Ace’s friend Donna (Teresa Ganzel) boards the ship with her macho husband, Gus (Christopher Mayer).  Gus owns a moving company.  The first thing he does is crush Ace’s hand while shaking it.  Gus then beats Ace in an arm-wrestling contest.  He then asks Ace to solve a riddle, requests that Ace read the bottom line on a menu, and he asks about Ace’s hearing.  Is Gus jealous?

Actually, Gus is testing Ace because he and Donna want to have a baby but Gus appears to be shooting blanks.  Gus explains that all of his brothers have at least six kids.  Gus just wants to have one.  Would Ace consider donating his sperm?

Ace does consider it but ultimately, he decides that he can’t.  Fortunately, Donna later faints and, when Doc Bricker examines her, he discovers that she’s pregnant.  Gus’s boys can swim after all!

Meanwhile, Susie Epshaw (Crystal Bernard) has a crush on Gopher but Gopher falls in love with Susie’s mom, Annette (Mary Ann Mobley).  Susie is okay with it and good for her.  Gopher was a little bit old for her.  That said, Gopher falls in love several times a season so neither Susie nor her mother should get too excited.

Two strangers (Richard Gilliand and Erin Moran) both buy tickets from scalpers, just to find themselves booked in the Honeymoon Suite together.  (Apparently, the couple that originally bought the tickets broke up before the marriage.)  “Barbara” and “Lyle” pretend to be married and then they fall in love for real.  They admit the truth to the crew and everyone is just fine with the fraud.  As long as the tickets were paid for, the Captain doesn’t really care who stays in the Honeymoon Suite.  That’s a good attitude.  I was a little surprised to discover that the Honeymoon Suite was just a normal cabin.

This cruise was another example of the eighth season’s tendency to be, in general, pleasant but predictable.  I laughed a few times at Ace being tested by Donna and Gus, just because of the contrast between super smooth Ted McGinley and the rough-hewn Christopher Mayer.  Otherwise, this was a cruise that wasn’t bad but also wasn’t particularly memorable.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Pacific Blue 5.2 “The Naked Truth”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Pacific Blue, a cop show that aired from 1996 to 2000 on the USA Network!  It’s currently streaming everywhere, though I’m watching it on Tubi.

This week, everyone’s going undercover!

Episode 5.2 “The Naked Truth”

(Dir by Sara Rose, originally aired on July 25th, 1999)

When a wealthy sorority girl is found dead on the beach with her head caved in, it falls to the bicycle patrol to solve the case.  Where are the Homicide detectives?  We know that the Santa Monica PD has a homicide division because Chris keeps talking about transferring there.  I know I bring this up every episode but it simply doesn’t make sense for the bike cops to be the ones investigating all of these crimes.  I mean, essentially, they’re traffic cops.  In the real world, they’re job would be to secure the crime scene and wait for the real detectives to show up.

Anyway, when Monica sees that the dead girl was wearing a sequined bikini, she immediately deduces that she was working as a stripper.  (I’m not sure that logic would hold hope in court but whatever.)  Why would a rich sorority girl be working at a strip club?  Monica and Chris go undercover to find out.  Chris is the new housemother at the sorority house.  Monica is a new pledge.  It turns out that working at the strip club started as a hazing ritual but now, all of the girls are being blackmailed (via email, we’re specifically told) into doing it.

Who is the blackmailer?  That mystery is solved when Chris catches the local handyman going through her underwear.  The handyman explains that he’s not a murderer, he’s just a pervert.  He also says that all of the girls have expensive underwear except for one who owns “K-mart panties.”  Because that girl is poor and a computer science major, Monica and Chris decide that she’s the blackmailer.  (Again, I’m not sure that logic would hope up in court but whatever.  I’m too tired to argue with this stupid show.)  I guess the lesson here is to spend money on quality panties.  Well, don’t worry, Pacific Blue!  I buy and wear only the best!

As for the murderer, it turns out to be a cowboy with a country accent who is always hanging out at the strip club and requesting a private dance.  It really wasn’t that much of a shock.

Pacific Blue always talks a big game about how women shouldn’t be objectified but then every episode opens with random bikini shots and this episode looked for every possible excuse to put Monica in a school girl outfit.  I’d have more respect for Pacific Blue if it was just honest about what it is was doing as opposed to having the characters constantly spouting a lot of cliches about empowerment that the show itself doesn’t seem to take all that seriously.

The good thing about this episode is that it ends with Chris telling TC that they need some time apart.  I agree!  You can do better, Chris!

Horror on TV: Thriller 1.1 “The Twisted Image”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Tonight’s excursion into televised horror is the very first episode of Boris Karloff’s Thriller!

Thriller was an anthology series that lasted from 1960 to 1962.  Each episode presented a new story of horror and/or suspense.  What makes this series especially memorable is that each episode was introduced by none other than Boris Karloff!  I’ve seen a few episodes of Thriller (the entire series is on YouTube) and, to be honest, it’s kind of a hit-or-miss show.  But Karloff and that mischievous twinkle in his eye makes it all worth it!

This episode originally aired on September 13th, 1960.  It’s called The Twisted Image and stars Leslie Neilsen as a man being stalked by two mentally disturbed individuals.  This episode was well-directed by Arthur Hiller and, if it’s more of a suspense story than a horror story, it still has its creepy moments.

Retro Television Review: Saved By The Bell: The New Class 2.23 “The D Stands For Dropout”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Saved By The Bell: The New Class, which ran on NBC from 1993 to 2o00.  The show is currently on Prime.

This week, the Gang learns a lesson about not dropping out of school.

Episode 2.23 “The D Stands For Dropout”

(Dir by Don Barnhart, originally aired on December 10th, 1994)

Oh no!  Tommy wants to drop out of high school and work full time as an auto mechanic!

Actually …. that might be for the best.

Since the very first episode, Saved By The Bell: The New Class has portrayed Tommy as being an amiable but dumb guy who just happens to have a savant-like ability for fixing cars.  It’s been established, in several episodes, that there’s nothing Tommy can’t do with a car.  Since Tommy apparently know everything that there is to know about cars and cars are literally the only thing that he cares about and he always seems to be flunking every class that he takes, why shouldn’t Tommy drop out?  What’s he going to do in high school or college?  He’s already learned everything that there is no to know about how to fix a car and a good auto mechanic will always be in demand.  Plus, Tommy’s cute enough that, if he needs to, he can probably find a rich widow in Beverly Hills to pay his bills.

Drop out, Tommy!  Drop out!

Still, Mr. Belding and everyone else insists that Tommy is making a mistake when he drops out of school.  Belding tells Tommy’s father (Nick Angotti) that he needs to show some tough love so Tommy realizes how difficult it is in the real world.  Tommy is kicked out of his house and has to move in with Screech.  Tommy is no longer allowed to help his friends with their science project.  Tommy has one of those Saved By The Bell fantasy sequences where Screech refuses to hire him because he doesn’t have a high school diploma….

And really, this is when Tommy should say, “But I’m actually already getting paid good money to do the only thing that I care about and the only thing that I’m actually good at so who cares?”

Instead, Tommy reenrolls in high school and helps the Gang win the science fair by building a remote control car.  The competition must have been really weak that year.

Poor Tommy.  When he’s an adult, he’s going to look and realize he should have just dropped out when he had the chance.