My Take on Twilight's Casting

I know that everyone and their little sister have already weighed in on the Twilight movie adaptation's casting decisions, but I can't help but throw in my two cents as well.

Of anyone in the whole world, I think the person who best embodies the vampire's combination of excessive beauty and inherent scariness is Jonathan Rhys Myers. There's certainly something other-worldly about him. Unfortunately, Twilight couldn't really capitalize on Jonathan's clear vamp-ish qualities, because he doesn't really fit any of the book's characters. Perhaps one of the other myriad of vampire related films and shows will be able to take advantage of them at some point.

I'm not sure entirely which Twilight role they should have given him, but I'm convinced that Ed Westwick should have been in the movie. These photos prove that he's got the pale, beautiful, and brooding thing down. Masterfully.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the casting of Twilight's leads. Kristen Stewart is okay by me, and I think she fits Bella pretty well. And Robert Pattinson has certainly turned out to be quite the find. What confuses me is the supporting cast. And namely that several members of the supporting cast were featured in the sub-par season three of The O.C. I don't think Josh Schwartz even liked that season, so why would anyone look there for casting inspiration? And if you had to scavenge amongst The O.C. season three actors, why wouldn't you pick Willa Holland or Johnny Lewis or Eric Mabius, who were definitely the bright spots among the new cast members that year? Why would you pick Volchok and Sadie and Caitlin's boarding school boyfriend? The choices just seem bizarre to me.

Frankly, I imagine I'll always hold some sort of grunge against Cam Gigandet for playing the guy who killed Marissa Cooper and Nikki Reed for her stint as whiny Johnny's annoying jewelry-making cousin. Ick. It's been years, and I still don't even like to think about that whole debacle. What's especially weird about Nikki's casting is that she's playing Rosalie who is supposed to be tall and blond and Nikki is neither of those things. And it's not like tall blondes are rarities in Hollywood, right? I would think you could walk down the sidewalk and swing your arms around and hit 20 or 30 of them.

But this necessary hair dying thing seems to be a trend with the Twilight casting selections. The blond kid from 90210 (Kellan Lutz) had to dye his hair brown. Peter Facinelli had to dye his hair blond. It seems like they were trying to force certain people into certain roles whether they really fit or not.

Peter Facinelli, for instance. I like Peter; I thought he was great in Damages. But I don't think I'd necessarily classify him as "more handsome than any movie star," which is what Dr. Cullen is supposed to be. (And especially not when he's got this freaky blond hair and white makeup.) My suggestion for Dr. Cullen, and I'm pretty confident about this one, would be Ryan McPartlin a.k.a. Chuck's Captain Awesome! I cite his appearance in Mad Men as proof of his handsomeness. I mean, Betty Draper wouldn't put down her gimlet and have a tryst in the back room of a bar with just any guy, right?

Oh, and I've also been pretty turned off to Elizabeth Reaser in general by her messing with poor Alex on Grey's Anatomy and her love of combining Ugg boots and shorts in The Ex List.

I am kind of excited that Rachelle Lefevre landed a role in the film. She keeps popping up in various television shows I watch, and I always wonder what else I've seen her in before I remember that it was Big Wolf on Campus. Yes, I'm admitting that I used to watch Big Wolf on Campus.

So, anyway, my copious television watching has certainly colored my opinions about the Twilight cast. Will any of this stop me from going to see the movie at my earliest convenience? No, it absolutely will not.

(photo: Twilight Official Movie Site)

Pushing Daisies: Do You Believe In Magic?

Pushing Daisies:
"Oh Oh Oh... It's Magic"

Speaking of magic, Pushing Daisies could have used a little magic in the ratings department for the episode that aired on Wednesday, but unfortunately none materialized. In fact, the ratings were even worse than usual, which is something I totally saw coming. After two weeks off the air and no promotion by ABC to speak of, even I (who have sent postcards to ABC to plead for it to continue to air PD) almost forgot that PD was going to air this week. Would it kill ABC to substitute every third Desperate Housewives commercial for one about Pushing Daisies? Whatever, ABC, PD's 11/19 ratings woes fall directly on your shoulders. The show is delightful, and it shouldn't take too much of a marketing genius to be able to convey that to the people out there in the world who want to watch some delightful television. Where is Don Draper when we need him?

In any event, "Oh Oh Oh... It's Magic" was a delightful episode, and Pushing Daisies viewers should really cherish every episode we get. Ned started off the episode a little whiny for my tastes, but he rallied and ended up bonding with his half-brothers. He even figured out a way to trick Lily into admitting to Chuck that she's her mother, while not spilling the secret that Chuck's alive. The scene in the car of Ned and Chuck listening to Lily's stories and holding their hands up to the glass that separated them was simply beautiful.

I'm wondering if Ned's dad had some kind of a secret that drove him into repeatedly abandoning all of his family members. Some Ned-like magical ability, perhaps?

Highlights and thoughts:

• Young trick-or-treating Maurice and Rawlston were cute!
• The "Magicians? Illllluuuuuusionists!" exchange was straight out of Arrested Development.
• Quote of the episode:
  Emerson: "A magic show?! Where did I put that rat's ass I could give?"
• Wow, Chuck got all kinds of dressed up to go to the magic show. I didn't realize that magic shows were such formal occasions.
• Emerson: "I was just going to tell you all to shut up, but you stopped talking, so I didn't have to."
• Well, at least Chuck's unsuccessful crank calls to Lily are giving her the opportunity to practice her accents.
• "Cementia" turns out to be quite the involved trick...what with the blow torch and all.
• Ned's dad ditched the twins at a Sunday matinee magic show! Ouch! At least he was nice enough to send Ned to a school before disappearing on him.
• Chuck's dad and Ned's dad were both in the Peace Keepers? Neither Charles Charles nor Ned's dad strike me as much of a do-gooder.
• Olive: "He's also dead, so that's why he really can't talk."
• What in the heck is going on with the collar of Chuck's coat?! She looks like she has a black lion mane or is dressed like a black Big Bird! Holy moly!
• Ned: "Herman will be avenged. I don't mean vigilante style justice, because what kind of an example would that be?"
• Ned: "Rawlston, we're two grown men with dad-related bodily fluid issues."
• Emerson: "You need to get yourself a bigger human shield; you're hanging out all over the place."
• Ned's shirt/sweater combo is very grandfatherly.
• Lily: "Tell me, when you were a jockey, did you ride the horses or just beat them when they were dead?"
• This pesky former-Peace Keeper friend guy knows way too many secrets now.

(photo: ABC/Pushing Daisies)

Gossip Girl: More Holiday Drama

Gossip Girl: "The Magnificent Archibalds"

So, if last week Gossip Girl achieved a Nabokovian real tower by bringing Clueless' Mr. Hall into the already fantastic Waldorf family, it was ten times awesomer this week to have sitting around Blair's dining room table: Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn/Cyrus), Lisa Wiseman (Margaret Colin/Eleanor), and Lois & Clark's Lex Luthor a.k.a. John Shea (to whom I wrote a fan letter a couple of lifetimes ago and received a very nice signed photo back from). Blair Waldorf might not always realize it, but she's got one crazy-awesome family.

Unlike poor Nate, who has a ridiculously horrible family. His dad was trying to con him and his mom into going away with him so he could extort Nate's grandparents for ransom money?! Oy vey! I guess we shouldn't be surprised by anything Mr. Archibald comes up with at this point, and it figures that the guy can't even hide in the Caribbean without messing it up. Finally, finally, finally, however, Nate did find a way to coerce his dear old dad into doing the honorable thing and turning himself into the FBI. Congrats go out to Nathanial on that impressive achievement, and I wish him a hearty welcome back to his old, swanky life.

Other holiday highlights:

• Why would you (Serena) want to introduce a guy who is dating you and several other people to your family?
• Eric is condoning Jenny's emancipation scheme?! Come now, that boy has more sense than this.
• Ahh, Nate's prodigal father returns...
• Uh oh, I get nervous when Gossip Girl goes radio silent (blog silent) during the holidays, and I don't have her to guide me through the treacherous world of the Upper East Side!
• Mr. Archibald has been living in a house on the beach in the Caribbean all this time while his wife and his son were floundering? This guy just keeps getting better and better.
• I like Serena's hair flat ironed like this. It's nice. And more proof that she's way too good for this artsy punk.
• Bart knows that Eric's Jonathan is cheating on him?! That is creepy.
• Chuck found the "most amazing photos of Gina," his Italian au pair, in Bart's vault ;-)
• Geez, even the stupid artsy punk's sweater is a disaster.
• Gasp, Cyrus is eating Blair's pie!!
• Blair (to Darota): "Who do you work for?!"
• Oh, Dan, how do you manage to work in all of Serena's character flaws into one random conversation in the supermarket?
• Vanessa is working on paperwork at the gallery on Thanksgiving?!?! (The guy who writes EW.com's recaps is going to have a field day with this one...) Could this girl be any more pathetic?!
• Umm, no, Nate you didn't already alienate Chuck. He tried to talk to you yesterday, and you blew him off (again). If you're so bummed that you alienated him, how 'bout you talk to him nicely for a change, and you'll find that you haven't alienated him! It's that easy.
• Geez, how short is that skirt Serena's wearing?! I know I should be used to it by now, but I'm not. My sister said, "Serena's outfit is ridiculous. Looks like she belongs in Moulin Rouge."
• Chuck: "You have my word, whatever that's worth."
• 8/7/69: Chuck's mom's birthday. As in, were she alive, she'd be 39 years old. And have an 17-year-old son. You'd think they could have stretched the generation gap a little more between her and Chuck since she's dead and they don't have to cast her and embroil her into steamy love triangles. Especially since Bart is clearly not 39. So he was marrying younger women even back then. I mean, this means the poor lady died when she was only 22.
• Darota's ring tone for Eleanor is "I'm a Slave 4 U." Hahahahaha, that's classic.
• Blair: "If we have to wander the Upper East Side like outcasts in a Jane Austen novel, so be it!"
• Did Dan really think he'd be welcome in the Bass home after the stunt he just pulled on Bart?
• Ha ha, I kind of enjoyed watching Dan get called a liar even if it wasn't true.
• "The annual van der Woodsen diner family dinner."
• Lily was in an institution when she was 19?! How does that figure into her already jam-packed back story? That lady lived a pretty darned packed life before the age of, what, 22 when she had Serena. There was her relationship with Rufus that lasted for awhile, hanging out in the back of the Nine Inch Nails tour bus, getting blackmailed into dumping Rufus by her mom, finding and marrying Serena's (never mentioned) father, and now a stay in an institution?! Maybe she just checked in because she was tired and need a rest.
  
• Lily: "How did you get so wise?"
  Eric: "The nanny."
• Poor Jenny doesn't even have a coat. She just keeps getting more and more pathetic. Aww, Eleanor gave Jenny her wrap! That was so sweet! (Except now Jenny really looks homeless.)
• Wow, so it turns out Eleanor is a better mother than Lily after all. Lily lets train wreck Jenny stay at her house and hide from Rufus for days while she flounders around about what to do, but Eleanor takes one look at Little J and drives her straight home where she belongs. Thank you! Finally someone with some sense.
• Harold! Yea!!!
• How can Serena even lie down in that skirt without displaying her entire butt?
• Eeeeew, Aaron's hair is even worse when he's not wearing a hat or whatever he normally has on to cover it up! It's really awful, and should not be exposed to the world.
• Lily calls Eric "E"? That's just silly.
• Oh, that Nate's such a pretty little liar: he sent Jenny a letter to the effect of: "I don't know how to stay away from you, but I have to. I don't know what to do; I really care about you." I have to admit that despite the creepiness factor, I like Nate/Jenny better than Nate/Vanessa.
• So, is Lily's stay in the institution in anyway correlated to her pathetic parenting skills (a hidden mental illness)? And if poor parenting is a sign of a concealed mental illness, when is Rufus going to check in to the Ostroff Center.

I'm including not just one, but two promo pics for this episode in the post. The first one made it because I love John Shea. The second made it because I wanted to provide proof of just how short Serena's skirt was.

Headband Monday: I've forgotten to document my headbands from the last few weeks, but I have been wearing them. Today I wore a headband that is a row of faux pearls.

(photos: cwtv.com)

The Ghost of Grey's Past...

Grey's Anatomy: These Ties That Bind

In the past two episode of Grey's Anatomy, Dr. Izzie has been besieged by the hauntings of the incessant ghost of her dead fiance Denny Duquette. Now I love Denny as much as the next person (and people do still like him a lot, considering he was killed off three seasons ago), but seriously?

The unrelenting haunting story is certainly causing a ruckus (examples one and two), but my objection to it is not so much that Denny's back as a ghost, but that Denny's back as a ghost AGAIN.

It's hard to not get the feeling that when the Grey's writers are sitting around and brainstorming ideas, invariably someone says, "Hey, remember Denny? He was great." And then someone else says, "Yeah, I love Denny and Jeffrey Dean Morgan is adorable." And then Shonda says, "I also love Denny and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and it stinks that I was never able to finish working on that pilot about foreign correspondents that I was writing for him before the network made me devote all my attention to Addison's spin-off/character assassination." And then they all decide to write an episode (or, better yet, a multi-episode arc) where Denny comes back as a ghost.

So far, my hypothesis to explain the whole Izzie-sees-hears-and-touches-a-ghost thing is that Izzie has a brain tumor (I learned from previous episodes of Grey's that brain tumors can cause hallucinations) or aneurysm (a la Eli Stone). Which conveniently feeds into the Izzie-is-getting-killed-off rumor that's been floating around out there since Katherine Heigl ticked off the show's writers by taking her name out of Emmy consideration. I'm okay with giving Katherine something more important to do than performing CPR on a deer, but I don't want to see her killed off. I firmly believe that there's more story to tell about Isobel Stevens; the writers just have to find it.

I'm also a bit annoyed with the timing of this whole incident. Why do all of Alex's girlfriends end up crazy? That hardly seems fair; the poor guy's been through enough. Also, there's already precedent for this: the first time Alex finally manned up and admitted he wanted a relationship with Izzie, Denny showed up and derailed the whole thing. Now, three years later, Alex and Izzie are finally making another go of it, and darned if it isn't Denny showing up to ruin it again.

Where the heck was Denny during the debacle that was Gizzie (George and Izzie)? I would have gladly welcomed undead Denny showing up to ruin that disastrous coupling (preferably before that bathtub scene).

Speaking of Gizzie: what has happened to George? He used to be a main character, but I don't think he has had a darn thing to do all season (I guess he did get to retake a test...fascinating). Wasn't one of Isaiah Washington's weird post-firing assertions that T.R. Knight leveraged his gayness into juicier story lines? Seems like it's time for T.R. to gay himself into something more interesting than one line asking someone to fill out some paper work.

(photo: abc.com)

Chuck: Kissing Casey

Chuck:
"Chuck vs. The Ex"

Yea, college flashbacks! I was excited to find out the whole story about Jill. It was interesting to find out that she dumped Chuck and got together with Bryce after Chuck had already been kicked out of Stanford. For some reason, I had been under the impression both of those things kind of happened at once. Also, we found out that she and Chuck had more or less broken up before she got together with Bryce, which was also not my original understanding of the situation. Obviously, though, it makes sense for the storyline, because if they want to make Jill sympathetic at all, she can't have had cheated on Chuck with Bryce while they were still together.

Interestingly, it turns out that Chuck might not be as over Jill and onto Sarah as we thought. Plus, it's nice that for once someone who Chuck knows outside of the CIA actually knows the truth about what he does. That's gotta be a load off his mind. However, I doubt that this situation will last very long, since it seems that Chuck is destined to be lonely.

BTW, this episode was flat-out hysterical. Highlights were: Chuck not realizing that his microphone was live and ending up in Jill's phone conversation; Morgan and Lester getting Jeff to choke on the pen cap on purpose so that they'd find out the answers to the Heimlich maneuver portion of the test; and Chuck kissing Casey in a misguided attempt to save his life. My goodness, it just kept getting funnier and funnier.

Thoughts and observations:

• Chuck was a tall, adult-like college student. He hasn't aged a day in 5 years ;-)
• Oh dear, Chuck still listens to his "Jill 2003" playlist? This is worse than I thought. Hasn't Sarah (and Lou) made him forget all about Jill by now?
• Jill: "Is there someone who can help me with the tech requirements for my lecture?"
  Guy: "Under the table."
• Chuck: "When you say reconnect, you mean send her an e-mail or invite her to be my new Facebook friend, right?"
• Chuck: "And by the way, she slept with Bryce Larkin."
  Casey: "Who hasn't?"
• Morgan: "Please, we lost Big Mike to doughnuts years ago."
• Buster: "I shudder to think how you would respond to a real catastrophe: a fire, an earthquake..."
  Lester: "An all-out race war."
• Wow, that's quite a car the CIA got for Chuck (that he can't drive).
• Casey's disguise is no good. He looks like John Tesh.
• Chuck: "It doesn't matter... now that I'm alarmingly well-known at this particular restaurant."
• Chuck: "I understood completely 'do you remember biochem?' but after that you lost me."
• Jeff: "Man, if I wanted to take tests, I would have been a boat captain."
• Lester: "So what happens if we don't pass?"
  Morgan: "Oh, we get lousy jobs and live a small, under-realized life in the Valley. Oooh, scary."
• Casey: "I'll just tranq her; she'll wake up in an hour thinking nothing of it."
• Lester and Jeff did a terrible job of making a diversion.
• Chuck's reaction at Jill's boss landing on the roof of the CIA van.
• Jill's last name is Roberts? Is she related to Summer?
• I like Sarah's green glasses! And her Australian accent is nice too.
• The guy who released the bioweapon is CIA? Ahh, he's a Fulcrum agent. Wow, I really don't understand this Fulcrum organization at all. I think I better understood the endgames of SD-6 and the Covenant and all the random Alias terrorist organizations.
• Chuck: "I thought I could spread the anti-virals through saliva."
  Jill: "That's ridiculous."
• It's good that Jill showed up when she did, or Chuck would have had to go all around the room kissing everybody ;-)

(photo: nbc.com)

Gossip Girl: Being Grace Kelly

Gossip Girl: "Bonfire of the Vanity"

In Vladimir Nabokov's Ada (don't worry, I'm not going to talk about the incest...), Ada has a philosophy that that three things occurring at the same time form a "tower." And, if the they are three good things, it's called a "real tower." Well, we had a pop culture real tower on our hands in this episode of Gossip Girl. First, it was an episode of Gossip Girl, which in and of itself is pretty great. Second, it featured another appearance by Margaret Colin, who has been a favorite of mine since Now and Again. And, third, Eleanor's new boyfriend, Cyrus, was played by Wallace Shawn, who played Mr. Hall in Clueless, which is definitely one of my favorite movies ever!

The highlight of this episode was the interaction between Blair and Cyrus. And the coolest part of all was that Blair got out-foxed by Mr. Hall! Who knew he had it in him?

Other highlights and thoughts:

• Rufus = the worst parent ever. His whole don't-force-Jenny-to-come-back-so-she'll-come-back-on-her-own philosophy was asinine. Did he learn nothing from episode 1 of the second season of The O.C.? Seth didn't come home on his own, and Jenny's not going to either. You gotta go get them!
• Yea!!! It's Blair's 18th birthday! Happy birthday, B! It's always nice when TV characters get birthdays (and especially if the get to have them every year like real people and not just one time only).
• That Agnes is a firecracker. Who'd have guessed? Umm, anyone who knew her as Kaitlin Cooper. I guess Little J didn't watch seasons 3 or 4 of The O.C., or she would have known this was coming.
• We're testing Margaret's acting chops here: how believable can she be when she says that Cyrus is the most attractive man she's ever met?
• Why is Bart SUCH an ass? Wait, I know, (SPOILER ALERT) it's because he's going to die soon and they want to make him extra despicable right before he goes.N
• New York Magazine editor about Dan's story: "It's not really fiction though is it?" (Thank you.)
• New York Magazine makes a practice of printing things without putting the writer's name on it? Come on. I called BS when the college newspaper did that on Greek last year, and I'm really not buying it now.
• Dan's article isn't going to open any doors for him if he doesn't put his name on the stupid thing.
• Aaron's hair is tragic.
• Having to watch Serena kiss Aaron is kinda ruining this new Kings of Leon song for me.
• Blair laments that Cyrus has a catch phrase.
• Blair (explaining the pitfalls of being a muse): "But it's only a matter of time before he's into cubism and it's some other girl's eye coming out of her forehead!"
• I can't believe Bart even took the time to talk to Dan. I wouldn't, and I'm a lot less important than Bart.
• Wow, Dan's not only selling out Chuck, but now he's dissing Rufus too. Scum.
  
• Sweet mother of God, Bart invited Dan to the hockey game! This is unbelievable!!!
• Blair: "I am Grace Kelly, Grace Kelly, Grace Kelly..."
• If Jenny's so big on professionalism, does she really think all this black eye makeup is the way to go?
• We're taking a lot of pictures on this show lately... First it was Agnes' creepy boyfriend, now it's Serena's creepy boyfriend...
• Gossip Girl: "Every Bass will have his day."
• Does Aaron's Serena projector show (oh, I'm sorry, "instillation") remind you of the fake snow thing she did for Dan last Christmas? It feel like we've seen this before.
• Blair: "Screw Grace Kelly."
• Who is this random street urchin who knows secrets about Bart Bass, and how did Dan just stumble upon him? And why has no one else found out about this big secret by now? It didn't seem too hard to uncover.
• Sirius: "Your mother is a diamond in an ocean of coal."
• Oh, Blair, he's a sweet guy, just be nice for once.
• Serena! What is the hang up with this Aaron kid?! He's bad news! And he's got gross hair. Move on. This is pathetic.
• Is it wrong that I'm laughing as Agnes burns Jenny's dresses? I feel like Little J had this coming.
• Is it just me, or (except for Cyndi Lauper) is Blair's 18th b-day party pretty lame? It's no where near as cool as her 17th b-day party last year with the sushi and Guitar Hero and Chuck with the Erikson Beamon necklace. I mean, Chuck wasn't even at this party! I'll be darned if I were Blair Waldorf and would ever celebrate a birthday without being in the presence of Chuck.
  
• Cyrus is Aaron's father?! Whaa? If Cyrus is so nice, how did Aaron turn into such a loser? (Hey, normally on GG, it's the parents who are the losers and the kids who are great.)
• Blair: "I wanted a Harry Winston choker for my birthday; instead, I got a conscience."
• Wait, someone died in this building fire? Bart is pretty stupid if he fell for that lame-o Humphrey trick... First Eleanor turns out to have no idea what she's doing, and now Bart? How did these people make it to where they are without the help of their (and other people's) children?
• Blair: "You deliberately let me win factoring in that Cyndi Lauper would prey on my emotions!"
  
• Blair: "You're not what I had in mind."
  Cyrus: "Well, you're not what I had in mind."
• Geez, Dan, can you please name a story something other than a date?! Come on; this already feels soooooooo old.
• Holy crap--Chuck was born in 1991? Did I see that correctly? That's depressing.
• Where did Little J sleep? (Was it Rufus' gallery?)
• It figures Bart apologizes now--(SPOILER ALERT) right before he's about to die.
• Ugh! Rufus' shirt is terrible!
• No kidding, Rufus' plan didn't work out--I told him that was going to happen 55 minutes ago.
• What does not wanting to have forced conversations and social obligations have to do with needing to have multiple girlfriends at once?! I think we're talking apples and oranges here, Aaron.
• Why should Serena have a moment's pause at going outside in her slip? It covers more of her than her "clothes" do.
• Hey, Nate's back next week--I actually kind of missed him. Vanessa, however, not so much.

(photo: cwtv.com)

Gossip Girl: Guerrilla (Fashion) Warfare

Gossip Girl: "There Might Be Blood"

Little J continues her downward (upward?) spiral, Chuck and Blair still have each other's backs, Serena continues her tradition of wearing extremely inappropriate clothing to college interviews, Rufus continues his tradition of being a terrible parent, Nate flip flops on whether it's too smarmy to date a 15-year-old with an unfortunately haircut, and Dan trades his moral code for a letter of recommendation.

Quotes and observations:

• Jenny's making a whole clothing line in, what, a week? Come on.
• Nate already forgot about hooking up with the TA at Yale? Geez, boy.
• Serena is wearing THAT to meet the prominent Yale donors? Not only is the neckline plunging, but it's extremely short too. Oh, at least she's put a jacket on to go outside...
• What is with Jenny's miniature hat?! And too much makeup! And extremely short dress! This is not her best look.
• Ick! The donors' daughter is a little hussy!
• A guerrilla fashion show?! Do those really exist?
• Is Agnes going to model all of the dresses? One at a time? That could take days.
• Blair: "I'm not losing Yale because of that little tart's libido!"
• It's kind of fun watching Blair look like she's in hell.
• Chuck: "Looks like you've just hooked yourself a Bass."
• Oh, Blair should know better than letting Emma run around the house when Chuck's lurking.
• Can Nate drive?! I've never seen any of these people drive.
• How does this artsy geek (Aaron) have so many girls? I must be missing something, because I don't get it at all.
• Chuck: "Let's not ruin it with you talking."
• I love Blair's dress (as usual).
• It's nice that Chuck still does whatever Blair wants when she snaps her fingers in his face.
• Blair: "EEW!" (Taking a page out of Summer Roberts' book there.)
• The look of relief on Blair's face when she got the money shot of the donor lady having an affair was hilarious. Luckily, B knows how to blackmail people like she knows the back of her hand.
• Why are Rufus/Dan/Vanessa acting like Jenny's about to hold up a bank?! She's having a fashion show. Why do they seem to think this is wildly illegal? Does everyone besides me know that guerrilla fashion shows are a Class A felony or something?
• Rufus: "You've got to be kidding me?! You're letting the Mr. Softy truck pass us!"
• Blair: "Thank you, God, so much! I won't let You down!"
• Wow, Dan called Nate out for kissing his "15-year-old sister."
  
• Nate: "Don't act like I'm some creepy older guy."
  Dan: "No, you're the guy who traded sex for money!"
• Blair and Chuck's reactions to seeing (naked) Serg.
• Jenny's dress is waaaaaaaay too short. I guess she ran out of time when she was making that one and had to stop when it was half finished.
• Jenny's ad campaign photos look very Marc Jacobs, and her dresses look like a cross between Kenley from Project Runway and Alexander McQueen.
• At least Agnes did find some other models to help with the fashion show.
• The people at this event are amused by these shenanigans? Or at least don't find this whole thing to be completely ridiculous? Vanessa and Lily were especially quick converts.
• Just let Vanessa and her yellow boots walk away, Jenny.
• So what did Chuck have to do to get Gossip Girl to post the fake story? I suppose it could involve money, but my early Chuck-is-Gossip-Girl theory is making a comeback.
• "Muffy the lacrosstitute"
• Emma: "Was your first time with someone you loved?"
  Blair: "Yes, it was."
• Lady donor to her daughter: "You're lecturing me? No wonder I don't to spend time with you!"
• Gossip Girl: "Poor Jenny. All that glamour almost led to the slammer."
• Eew. Serena's showing so much cleavage for just hanging out with Blair. Is that even a dress, or is it lingerie?
• Blair: "Princeton is a trade school."
• Ugh, Dan's trading in his moral code and selling out Chuck. Boooo.
• Rufus hadn't bothered to even check to see if Jenny was in her freaking room?! Worst. Dad. Ever.
• Where does Jenny think she's going?
• Next week: If some (reputable) publication wants an expose on Bass Industries, why would they hire a high schooler to write it? Especially a high schooler named Dan Humphrey.
  

(photo: cwtv.com)

A 'Mad Men' Halloween

Several weeks ago, the perfect Halloween costume idea came to me: Joan Holloway from Mad Men. It was brilliant: I already had the hair, I just needed to add some '60s-esque office attire and a gold pen necklace. Here was the end result:


Aside from me not being stunningly gorgeous like Christina Hendricks, I think the whole thing worked out pretty well.

The costume's main downside was that I couldn't think of a single place to wear it where anyone would have any idea who I was supposed to be. I don't think I personally know a single other person who watches Mad Men. If only I'd been invited to a party with only entertainment bloggers and television critics comprising the guest list, the costume would have been a hit. (Do those parties exist, and how can I score an invite?)

Happy Halloween (a day late)!

(picture of Joan: amctv.com)