"Dirt" mimics, mocks society

Season two of the FX show Dirt dives deeper into the world of the power-hungry and ruthless editor-in-chief of "Dirt Now," a tabloid magazine, and her unveiling of Hollywood gossip and scandal. Courtney Cox plays Lucy Spiller, the magazine’s brutal editor, who exposes the secrets and lies of the famous and notorious. With help from her personal photographer and confidant, Don Konkey (played by Ian Hart), "Dirt Now" stands out because of his behind-the-scenes and revealing photographs of stars at their best, but mostly worst.

“Dirty Slutty Whores” is the title of episode two of this season and follows the outrageous and obnoxious behavior of celebutante Milan Carlton, who is constantly in the public eye. Another story unfolds that focuses on a leaked video and a voicemail from Jimmy Darby, an old sitcom star, and his shocking and drunken behavior around his family. Lucy has an on going problem with Milan and the appalling stunts that are always getting her in trouble; however, the wealth and power of her name and family are always getting her out of that trouble. Lucy feels the need to put Milan in her place. Through prying, sneaking around and jumping fences, Don is Lucy’s main man when it comes to getting all the dirty truth behind these excessively wealthy and shameless public figures.

Ian Hart’s character of Don Konkey is one of the most interesting. He noticeably has an OCD disorder and talks to his cat, who sometimes talks back, but he is an amazing photographer and works harder than anyone else at "Dirt Now." The relationship between the workaholic Lucy and peculiar Don is the strongest and most meaningful in the show. Lucy has a sense of duty to care for Don since he is the one who is making the magazine thrive and succeed through his images. Lucy explains how a story isn’t anything without his work because we are in a “world of images.”

Dirt is witty and relevant to today’s culture and society and the stars, or victims, of her magazine relate to the stars we see and hear about everyday. The character of Milan Carlton (played by Elisabeth Harnois) is parallel to our well-known Paris Hilton. Milan is portrayed with her bleached-blonde hair, skimpy clothing and typical little dog similar to Hilton’s Chihuahua. Milan is arrested for a DUI and is sent to jail where she is given special treatment. Upon being released early, the press photograph her exiting the jail in homely and conservative attire. Sound familiar? The character of Jimmy Darby (played by Tom Arnold) is an Alec Baldwin/ David Hasselhof cross. An angry phone message to his daughter and a video of him drunkenly eating food off the floor is publicly released.

What makes Dirt smart and more than just a series that mocks real stars is the way the writers twist these already familiar storylines into something unexpected and startling. The writers of Dirt use these past events and in the last 15 minutes of the show, add a sense of humor to the story or they bend it to make it more scandalous. These twists add some humor and insight into what the writers, and probably most of the public, wish would happen to many of the celebutantes and other greedy heirs in Hollywood.

Dirt is captivating and distinctive because of its ability to use real life scandal stories and go behind the scenes of gossip magazines. Courtney Cox’s character, Lucy, is ruthless and cunning; she will go beyond all boundaries to get the story she wants. She is a good journalist and only deals with the truth, which makes it even more interesting to see just how far she will go to break someone for a story. Dirt is an intriguing show to follow and to pick up on the racy stunts and parallel stories that portray our culture’s obsession and demand for celebrity gossip.

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"Lost" raises questions, delivers answers worth waiting for

Let me start off by saying I am a very devoted (meaning biased) fan of ABC's hit drama, Lost. Since the beginning, I've spent countless hours with my ass glued to the couch and my eyes fixed on the set. The defining point of my week is Thursday night, when the new episode airs. If you are as devoted a fan as I, then you will surely realize that "The Constant" was one of the greatest episodes of the show so far.

Airing on February 29, 2008, this episode did more to answer the mysteries of the island than any previous one. It focused on Desmond David Hume (as played by Henry Ian Cusick), and began to unravel the reasons for his mysterious gifts. Desmond, the tragic hero of the show, sees flashes of the future. These flashes show what is going to happen, and though they can be altered, their end result will be the same, because as Desmond learns, the future cannot be changed. Last season this created some of the most intense drama on television. Desmond was haunted by flashes of a fellow friend and castaway dying, and time after time, Desmond did all he could to save him, knowing that the universe has a way of "course-correcting" itself and that his actions were only postponing the inevitable. This subplot made Desmond one of the most admirable characters on the show, one who you genuinely care about, and this new episode begins to explain his gift (or curse, depending on how you look at it).

When Desmond turned the key in the hatch, back in the season two finale (like I said, you have to be a fan for any of this to make sense), something happened to his brain. Whether it was being exposed to extremely high levels of radiation or something more surreal that granted him his gift, it is fully explained. Desmond's consciousness has been traveling back in forth in time, and leaving the safe confines of the island has had the side-effect of destroying his perception of time, causing him to think he is living ten years in the past. He has no idea what is going on in the present, and his reality keeps jumping back and forth, forcing him to live within two different worlds, two different times. Quantum physics comes into play in this episode, and the writers delve deep into the science behind the island for the first time. The island has always had its supernatural and sci-fi elements, but now they are brought to the forefront as the viewer begins to understand just what the island is.

This episode was so ambitious, so revealing, that it really is amazing that it was not a complete catastrophe. The show could have turned absurd when the time travel element was introduced, but everything seems plausible. Every moment is so intense and entertaining that the viewer will not care how far-fetched an idea may be, especially when the creators make it work this well Every moment is executed perfectly, every set is lush and fully realized, every performance is memorable, and everything is so perfectly- balanced that none of the elements sink. The episode's presentation is excellent, jumping back and forth sporadically at first with no explanation, jarring the viewer's brain in the same way that Desmond's brain is being jarred.

The new character Daniel Faraday (played by Jeremy Davies), an awkward, out-of-place physicist, becomes a much more significant part of the show. The mysterious scientist (who is on the island for reasons no one can guess) formerly specialized in Quantum Physics at Oxford, and it seems that he will become a much more significant part of the show as he appears to hold the answers to (and may be the root of) some of the islands mysteries, particularly those surrounding time travel and the concept of time on the island.

In the present, Faraday learns about Desmond's side-effects, so he urges him to travel back to Oxford the next time his consciousness flashes into the past, so he can meet up with a much more eccentric Faraday then. At this time, a disrespected Faraday is still being ridiculed by his peers for his crazy ideas, but he has found a way to allow the brain to travel back and forth through time. This does come with side-effects, as Desmond realizes when Faraday's time-traveling guinea pig dies of a brain aneurysm. Unwilling to meet the same fate, Faraday tells Desmond that he must find a constant, something his brain can use as an anchor in any time, in order to stabilize it and save himself.

The series has always been known for its great cliff-hanger endings that tease the viewer by offering even more questions for the following week. This ending reveals a note that Faraday wrote to himself at one point, saying, "Desmond will be my constant." This leaves even more implications for time travel in the show's future, and may be foreshadowing Faraday's rise to become one of the most important characters.

It's impossible to predict how big of a role these revelations will have on the overall mystery of the island. It seems to be one of the most important episodes in the series thus far (if not the most), and may present a turning point for the series. Up until now, the show has been about raising questions in the viewer's minds. Now the creators have finally started to answer some of these questions, and they have proved that the answers were well-worth waiting for.

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100th episode premiere: "One Tree Hill"

In a season full of shows in perpetual re-runs, One Tree Hill is going strong with new drama. The CW show, in its fifth season, has come a long way. The season began by jumping four years ahead from the previous one, bringing all the characters into post-college-age adulthood. The cast also celebrated its 100th show, a milestone marked by new beginnings, endings and a returning.

The show centered on pretty boy and author, Lucas and his editor, Lindsey getting married. Karen, Lucas’ mom and her daughter Lily returned to America from France for the occasion while a suspenseful scene plays out with the psycho nanny, Carrie and the newly out of prison Dan, Lucas’ biological father. Are you following? It was an overload of drama for one hour.

While we waited for Lucas and Lindsey to get married, aspiring record executive, Peyton, who is still in love with Lucas (even after denying his proposal years earlier) questioned whether or not to proclaim her feelings for him at the ceremony. Her eventual decision not to was completely overshadowed by Lindsey abruptly leaving Lucas at the altar. Her reason for the exit? Lucas is clearly still in love with Peyton. His new book is even a testament to how much he still cares for her, disguised as a boy waiting for a comet to return. What tipped Lindsey off? Peyton’s car, the one that broke down the first time she met Lucas, is a Comet. Lindsey saw it parked outside the church that day. What a coincidence that she never saw it before the wedding.

In other news, married high school sweethearts Nathan and Haley find that reconciliation is harder than it seems. After Haley caught the now ex-nanny Carrie in the shower with Nathan, her whole world was shaken. Though Nathan was innocent in the matter, she cannot find the nerve to trust him. All she has is her son, Jamie.

Jamie, the show’s cutest star and by far one of the best actors (yes, he is four) leaves the church sanctuary for a bathroom break. While he is gone, he stumbles into Nanny Carrie, as he calls her, in the lobby. She tricks him into leaving and kidnaps him. The whole cast is frantically sent looking for him. This twist brings Nathan and Haley closer than ever. The good news? Jamie returns home safely, but only because of Dan, the most hated man in Tree Hill.

After killing his brother and going to prison, Dan is a free man. It is still unclear if his motives were pure, but bringing Jamie back was no less than noble. The look on everyone’s face when he showed up with Jamie was a priceless, shocked look of fear, anger and confusion all rolled into one.

What will become of all of this? The ending of Lucas and Lindsey clearly leaves room for a love between him and Peyton, but is somehow seems wrong now. He said “I do,” but she left. Why was he going to marry Lindsey when his heart was so conflicted? Even if Lucas and Peyton are meant to be and it is what everyone wants, it still feels too soon.

As for Dan returning, there is much to be explained. He is far too hated to be a good guy again, but his safe-keeping of Jamie can’t be overlooked. Haley and Nathan seem to be on the road to a happy marriage, thankfully, because they are a constant in a batch of unstable relationships. For the 100th episode, much was revealed and still much to be explained. Would it be so interesting without a dozen or so story lines? I think not. Read more!

Season Finale: "Dexter" successfully wraps things up

In the final installment of the second season of the Showtime series Dexter, it’s all drama and things get crazy. An explosion of shocking events, emotions and revelations make this season finale one of the most exciting 60 minutes of television you have ever seen.

Forensics expert by day and serial killer by night, Dexter’s (Michael C. Hall) secret slowly leaks out as the Miami Police Department probes deeper into the “Bay Harbor Butcher” case. Dexter has been scrambling to cover his footsteps and now his sleazy and obsessive ex-girlfriend is stalking him, finding out more about him every day. Lila won’t tell the police, but that’s not Dexter’s worry. Being the manipulative psychopath that she is, she tries to use this information to connect herself on a deeper level with Dexter, jeopardizing his attempts to rekindle his relationship with longtime girlfriend Rita.

Played by Jaime Murray, Lila is an annoyingly underdressed sneak with a history of arson and an addictive personality. She seems to screw up Dexter’s plans in every way possible, from uncovering his secret life to ruining his relationship with Rita by seducing him. Everything she does is to get closer to Dexter even though he very clearly states that he wants her gone. Maybe he heard me wailing in frustration at the TV set because he figured out her shady games and thankfully, this episode brings an end to not only the season, but also Lila’s character. Perhaps the purpose of her 10-episode run was to be eye candy for the male viewers, but I found the British accent and palm-sized outfits irritating and couldn’t be happier about the demise of Lila.

Another pest trying to blow Dex’s cover, co-worker Sergeant Doakes, is also offed in this episode. After Doakes finds out who the “Bay Harbor Butcher” really is, Dexter captures him and keeps him caged up in a secluded cabin, cleverly creating evidence to frame him as the killer. Whether or not Dexter intended to kill Doakes, he didn’t have to worry because crazy old Lila came along with her pyromania and did the job for him.

But don’t think this show is all about violent killings. No, there’s love. Dexter’s younger stepsister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter from The Exorcism of Emily Rose) falls hard for the much older Special Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine) after struggling to get over her relationship with a serial killer and Dexter’s long lost biological brother in the first season. The peculiar and scandalous relationship blossoms. However, her fear that he would leave after the “Bay Harbor Butcher” assignment comes true when the case closes. Being the good sister that she is, she chooses to stay in Miami with Dexter. Not good enough? If you’re looking for a more satisfying love story, here’s a happy ending, Dexter seeks forgiveness from Rita, and reunites with the one person who makes him feel human. Now that deserves a big “Aww.”

Yeah, he’s a serial killer, but somehow he’s loveable and we all want things to work out for Dexter. He kills for a good causes, directing his obsession and uncontrollable violent desires to eliminate deserving criminals from the world. He narrates in his calm, lowered voice, contrasting his violent and deliberate actions with deeply human emotions. His inner dialog is honest, often questioning whether what he is doing is right, sometimes pushing him to maybe turn himself in. His sarcastic commentary brings a dark humor to the show. Disturbingly, somehow I can understand and relate to this murderer through his thoughts. It’s really an intriguing, portrayal of a killer, played flawlessly by Michael C. Hall.

This finale ties the season up neatly, explaining the questions we’ve asked all along with shocking conclusions and unexpected events. If you’re sad it’s over, it does leave just enough of a loose end to prepare viewers for the third season, premiering September 30, 2008.

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A juicy piece of "Gossip Girl"

The age of the guilty pleasure is dead. Gone are the days when a person had to watch their favorite trashy television secretly and hope that their friends (who certainly had better, more high-minded taste) would never suspect their low-brow leanings. Lindsey Lohan is on the cover of New York Magazine and Perez Hilton runs one of the most popular websites on the internet by drawing lewd doodles on paparazzi photos of the marginally famous. Everything campy and delightful is in, and everyone who wants to have their fun should be watching The CW’s Gossip Girl.

Set in the ritzy, exclusive Upper East Side of Manhattan, Blake Lively and Leighton Meester play Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf, privileged socialites-in-training who attend the same private high school. In the series’ first episode, Serena is back from a secretive year at a Connecticut boarding school (surprise!) and frienemy Blair panics because of her suspicions that her boyfriend, brooding hottie Nate (Chace Crawford), is secretly in love with Serena (which are totally true, by the way). We also meet Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) who is also in love with Serena (does she get all this love because she’s blond?) and his little sister Jenny (Taylor Momsen), both private school outcasts desperate to be on the inside.

All of this intrigue plays out thanks to an anonymous gossip blogger known as Gossip Girl, who publishes the sordid details of the teens’ lives like they’re Hollywood stars, thanks to text tips from other students. Gossip Girl also apparently operates some sort of text alert service to let the school’s population in on the most urgent social news as it happens; she’s a veritable one-woman CNN.

Serena and Blair drink martinis in lavish hotel bars, dress like they stepped straight off the runway (I totally covet Serena’s boot collection, just as I am supposed to), and basically embody the people that every self-absorbed teen was in their own heads. These are the girls that the popular girls aspired to be like in high school.

Gossip Girl requires you to suspend disbelief for an hour once a week. Blair’s desire to lose her virginity to Nate figures prominently in the series’ pilot, but when we see her swilling hooch in a variety of different situations, one has to wonder if a drunken high schooler would really have held on to the v-card this long to begin with.

Well, don’t wonder. Just let it happen. Go with it. The production values on this show are so outstanding, the styling so fabulous, there is no reason to pay attention to things like pesky plot loopholes or the conundrum of teenage drinking. Not since Sex and the City has television given us such a panoramic view of the New York City that everyone dreams about, and the clothes on this show are just as good (and just as unattainable). So mix a few drinks, settle in to the couch with your girlfriends, and have a campy, snarky, fabulous good time. Don’t worry, no one’s going to judge.

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"Grey's" writing and memorable cast will keep it from flatlining

As its fourth season unfolds, the award-winning ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy continues to dole out drama like its own life depends on it. And in fact, it does. With decreased ratings and the prolonged writer’s strike to grapple with, the hour-long show is piling on the sex and intensifying plot lines to keep viewers in their seats – hopefully, on the edge of them. Creator Shonda Rhimes has skillfully inserted new characters into Seattle Grace Hospital while continuing to build upon the lives of the doctors viewers know and love. In doing so, she and the Grey’s Anatomy writing team have strategically counteracted last season’s loss of two major characters.

The brilliance of

Grey’s lies within its intricacy – this is not a show for leisurely viewers. In order to recogni

ze the complexity of episodes like Thursday night’s “Physical Attraction … Chemical Reaction” (original air date 11/8/07), one must already be familiar with, for example, the ongoing love story of Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). However, the show is not a constant development of season-long plots – each episode incorporates the drama of multiple new patients as well as the introduction or resolution of a new character conflict.

Writers Tony Phelan and Joan Rater have exemplified this idea with “Physical Attraction …”, the seventh episode of the new season. As always, Meredith’s voice-over narration opens the show, introducin

g a theme of sorts for

the hour – chemistry. The perfect scene follows as Dr. Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and Dr. George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) struggle to find sexual chemistry in the bedroom. This particular subplot is a continuation from last season, when George’s marriage to Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), another doctor at Seattle Grace, was broken as he and Izzie unsuccessfully tried to suppress their attraction. Their story, more prominent in this particular episode, is one of about five subplots following the 12 doctors/residents at the hosp

ital.

As if the ever-dramatic, and at times overly dramatic, lives of the central characters aren’t entertaining enough, what would a hospital be without patients? Grey’s avoids stagnancy by introducing new patients at Seattle Grace each episode. In “Physical Attraction …”, a cranky and constipated old man brings comic relief to the serious situation of a young mother who dies, leaving her newly adopted baby with a husband who has yet to bond with the newborn. Who knows if these patients are authentic, but their stories are convincing enough and their acting is certainly en

gaging.

The decline in popularity of a show as fast-paced and intense as Grey’s Anatomy seems inevitable, but the quality of writing and acting make this drama a standout. Every member of its diverse cast is memorable – the unyielding devotion to the medical field of Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang, the sass and ferocity of Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey, and the lovable sternness of James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber, chief of surgery, are only small aspects of a talented group of actors. Their work, combined with the witty scripts of gifted writers, will continue to make Grey’s Anatomy a medical miracle. Let’s hope the show avoids a code blue for many years to come..

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A waste of my "Quarterlife"

I think it’s important to state that I am Quarterlife’s target demographic. I know exactly what these characters are feeling and going through. The only difference is that I choose to deal with my problems in a mature adult way rather than in a teen angst kind of way. Needless to say, I begrudgingly sat through the one-hour pilot of Quarterlife just so I could write a fair review for it.

Marshall Herskovitz, the producer behind the ‘90s teen angst drama My So Called Life wrote, directed and produced Quarterlife with what seems to be leftover storylines and whining scenes that Clare Danes should’ve performed. Courteney Cox look-alike Bitsie Tulloch plays the protagonist, Dylan, who is very whiny and Meredith Grey-esque. Dylan publishes her life in a video-blog called “Quarterlife.” In this blog, Dylan speaks the truth about everyone she is friends with, and yet, she can’t be honest with herself about her feelings for her friend Jed. The first blog entry sets up the basic plotline of the series. Dylan has two roommates: Lisa is a blond wannabe actress who uses sex as a confidence booster and Debra is a bookish brunette who is dating the boyish Danny. Danny lives across the street with his best friend and business partner Jed (Dylan’s crush) who is hopelessly in love with Debra. Get it? It’s a love rectangle with one extra cast member who runs around town having sex with strangers and singing emotionally charged karaoke songs at the bar she works at. It’s like Friends meets Coyote Ugly, only not entertaining, funny or musically appealing.

Forgetting the predictable plotline, the performances by the actors are, to quote Jed, “medium okay” at best. Tulloch is even more annoying and whiny than Ellen Pompeo on Grey’s Anatomy or Jennifer Aniston on Friends. Michelle Lombardo (Debra) gives a lackluster, forgettable and unconvincing performance. It’s really hard to believe that two men are in love with her, which can also be attributed to the writing. It’s painful to watch the lines come out of Lombardo’s mouth. I feel as if the original actress for the role of Debra had to drop out last minute, so Lombardo took her place without ever practicing the lines or figuring out a personality for the character. Maite Schwartz and David Walton, who play Lisa and Danny, are just as dull as Lombardo. The only silver lining to this show is Scott M. Foster who plays Jed. Foster is well known for ABC Family’s surprise hit Greek. Foster gives the most convincing performance of a lovable and emotionally torn character who can’t get the one woman he loves. However, even Foster’s newfound fame cannot save this show.

The other troubling aspect of the show is the direction, cameras and lighting. It is dimly lit and almost gritty looking—something most soap operas steer clear of. One explanation for the poor lighting and shaky camera exposure is that Quarterlife was originally supposed to be a web-only broadcast; however, NBC decided to go ahead and air it. NBC should’ve reconsidered this decision because the lighting and camera effects make it almost unbearable to watch. The show just looks like a bunch of wannabe actors filming themselves in hopes of winning amateur night at their local film festival only to lose out because they lack a crucial element to the entertainment industry: talent. This technologically challenged show looks more suitable for MTV than NBC.

There isn’t anything remotely interesting about this show. This is surprising because even the worst dramas out there have a killer soundtrack or a fashionable wardrobe so that maybe the audience can forget about the abysmal writing. Quarterlife doesn’t even have those things.

The message of the show seems to be that twenty-somethings are even whinier than teens—something that will seem highly offensive and derogatory to its target audience.

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Verbal Smackdown 2008: Piers vs. Omarosa

It was to be the showdown of the century. Every episode led up to this one moment: the battle between the cocky, British tabloid editor Piers Morgan and backstabbing, former Apprentice contestant Omarosa.

The Apprentice has seen four years of challenges, disputes and “You’re fired’s.” Now in its seventh season The Donald upped the ante with 14 headstrong celebrities left to duke it out in order to win money for charity.

In episode 10, teams Hydra and Empresario compete to sell the most art for the most money at the prestigious Moti Hasson Gallery in New York City. With Piers (Hydra) and Omarosa (Empresario) as team project managers, the battle between these two is on. Their volatile personalities and dislike for the way each other deals with people has caused a vicious rivalry between them since day one and has resulted in several verbal squabbles. The two are ready to go head-to-head.

It was impossible to envision what this episode would have in store. Sure there would be arguing and name-calling but to what extent? As the teams planned their strategies, both Piers and Omarosa remained in their respective corners; however, Omarosa seemed a bit more concerned with what Piers was doing than trying to come up with a strategy of her own. Being one of the more important challenges of the season, Omarosa definitely needed to focus on her game-plan so as to not land in Trump’s hot seat.

As the teams set up their art galleries, it seemed as if a heated altercation would arise as actor Stephen Baldwin of team Empresario began snooping on team Hydra, but nothing exciting came of it. Very disappointing. At the 20-minute mark this episode was looking to be a dud. Then the buyers came. Surprisingly, Empresario sold the most art initially. Omarosa obviously looked excited as Piers began to sweat. But their good luck faded fast as patrons quickly turned to team Hydra’s art. The customers bought plenty and team Empresario didn’t sell another piece. Supermodel Carol Alt of team Hydra even stole a few of Empresario’s customers. Piers knew victory was his.

In the board room, Trump said that Hydra creamed Empresario in the “biggest slaughter” in Apprentice history. Hydra sold 14 of 20 paintings for $164,000 while Empresario only sold three of 13 paintings generating $7,000. This was indeed a “personal win” for Piers. In the final 10-15 minutes, Piers kisses a cowboy while Omarosa calls Piers a “homosexual” and characteristically throws her team under the bus (something she is quite famous for). In the end, Omarosa lost because of poor planning and a consistent losing streak. Even though Trump said he’s a big Omarosa fan, it was time. Finally, after 10 episodes Trump fired Omarosa.

Secretly, we all wanted her fired. Everyone was just waiting for the day and it was certainly an “edge of your seat” moment. But it was almost bittersweet. Sure it was priceless to finally see her get the axe, but no longer would Apprentice fans witness Piers and Omarosa’s sensational antics. Omarosa thought she had it in the bag. She thought that if she blamed her teammates, and did a little name-calling, she could saver herself as she often did. Not this time. At some point, the childish backstabbing had to stop and Trump realized she was just not worthy any more.

As a whole, the episode lacked in the intense drama it was expected to have. There weren’t nearly as many low blows throughout the entire episode as the previews lead on. However the boardroom more than made up for it. No one could have predicted Omarosa calling Piers a homosexual. She really must have been running out of ammo.

The rivalry between Piers and Omarosa had been stewing all season. Whether you were rooting for Omarosa or Piers, it was obvious that Trump made the right decision in firing Omarosa. She is notorious for finagling her way out of situations and putting the blame on others. That’s why viewers love to hate her. We desperately want to see her get fired, but at the same time we want to keep her on the show to see what ridiculousness she will come up with next. Read more!

"American Idol" going strong in seventh season

While some reality series grow stale by the second episode, Fox’s mega-hit American Idol remains fresh even in its seventh season. This week’s pair of episodes, which featured songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for the second consecutive week, proved once again that the show remains exciting and unpredictable.

Tuesday’s performance show featuring the eleven finalists tended to drag a bit due to its two-hour length, since the singing portion of the show only took up about 20 minutes of air time. Nevertheless, it is the interplay between the judges, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell, the host, Ryan Seacrest, the contestants, and often the crowd, that frequently provides the show with some of its best moments, as was the case on Tuesday night.

When the often acerbic Cowell told the first singer of the evening, Amanda Overmyer, that she is beginning to lack variety in her selections, Overmyer fired back, much to the delight of the audience, that she wants to perform songs that best suit her Janis Joplin-like rocker style. Cowell quickly reminded her that she was not famous yet, and that she should heed his advice. Shortly thereafter, Cowell also came into conflict with two of the favorites in the competition, Carly Smithson and David Cook. Cowell suggested that Smithson’s rendition of The Beatles’ classic ballad, “Blackbird,” was overly indulgent after her performance was praised by the other judges. He also labeled Cook as being overly “smug” following his rock performance of “Daytripper.”

On this evening, there were several performances that the always perky Abdul even criticized. Michael Johns’s arrangement of the Lennon-McCartney masterpiece “A Day in the Life,” was criticized by all three judges. However, it was Abdul who made the moment unforgettable with her analysis that Johns’ poor performance must have been because he was working with an earpiece for the first time. When the host Seacrest asked Abdul to explain what she was talking about, Johns revealed that he was not even wearing an earpiece, much to the obvious amusement of a smirking Cowell.

This is just another one of the classic judging moments that have become synonymous with the show, whether it is Abdul’s sometimes bizarre dancing, Jackson’s constant usage of phrases like, “We’ve got a hot one,” or Cowell’s arrogant rebukes.

However, if all of the contestants are bad enough to be strongly criticized, American Idol would not have the seemingly limitless fan base it has. Syesha Mercado’s heavy vibrato on “Yesterday” and David Archuleta’s simplified take on “The Long and Winding Road,” were met with adulation from the both the judges and the studio audience. Cowell went so far as to call Archuleta’s performance “master-class.”

American Idol’s continued credibility derives from the long list of successful recording artists the show has fostered like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Viewership and voting numbers remain high because the show enables the viewing audience to learn the contestants’ back stories. They become emotionally invested in the result through their own participation and knowledge. The quality of the contestants (Season 7 is one of the best in this aspect) continues to bring viewers back, and though the quality of the judges and the host can be disputed at times, they really appear to be having fun. As a result, the viewer at home does too.

The Wednesday night result show often provides almost as much drama as an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. When the contestants learn whether or not they will get to stay another week, Seacrest asks for the audience to become silent and the lights to be dimmed. One by one, the contestants are forced to learn whether they will be in the bottom three or whether they are “safe” for another week.

Most of Wednesday night’s episode was filler that included a group sing-along of Beatles classics like George Harrison’s, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and the filming of a new Ford commercial featuring the Idol wannabes, however Idol watchers are almost forced into tuning in because the show remains unpredictable in the manner in which it eliminates its contestants.

The elimination is always done at the end of the program, like it was on Wednesday night when Amanda was sent packing, but the Idol producers pack just enough surprise into the show that it forces viewers to watch the entire program. One really shocking moment was the early revelation that Carly Smithson was among the bottom three vote-getters, despite the critical acclaim of the judging panel for much of the competition.

Many shows have tried to replicate Idol’s immense success, but Idol producers caught lightning in a bottle six years ago, and the show’s greatness has not waned with time.

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"One Tree Hill": an old favorite never dies

It’s kind of embarrassing to admit that, after five years, I still tune in once a week to a teen drama driven by love triangles, psycho killers and sibling rivalry. However, having been a devoted fan since high school, the characters of One Tree Hill have become part of my life. I have and will follow brooding writer Lucas (Chad Michael Murray), his cocky half-brother Nathan (James Laferty), promiscuous fashionista Brooke (Sophia Bush), troubled artist Peyton (Hilarie Burton) and good-girl Haley (Bethany Joe Galeotti) anywhere from the WB network to the CW—being a voyeur of their lives will always be a guilty pleasure of mine.

In its golden years (if you can call them that) the show, which first aired in 2003, was about a group of high school kids growing up in the small town of Tree Hill, N.C. Their lives revolved around Raven’s basketball and the latest gossip of who was sleeping with whom. Now, four years has fast-forwarded past college and instead of the pains of growing up, the plot of One Tree Hill is driven by the bends in the road, the highs and lows of being an adult.

Tuesday marked One Tree Hill’s 100th episode, and, to be perfectly honest, if it weren’t because Felicity and Gilmore Girls are off the air and that I have become entangled in the young soap, I probably would have given up watching by now.

Without any transition between seasons four and five, I felt betrayed by the fast-forward mode of the show. I guess everyone else felt the same because recently, creator Mark Schwahn (Coach Carter) started incorporating past incidents and characters to present shows. Even though the 100th episode provides a progressive storyline, it looks like Schwahn is trying to revive the old feel because the new one isn’t getting good ratings—the show lost 550,000 viewers reaching a season low of 2.45 million viewers according to TV Guide’s reports.

Tuesday’s episode revolved around the wedding of Lucas and his annoyingly perfect editor fiancée Lindsay (Michaela McManus). Peyton is forced to choose between intervening or losing Lucas, her true love, forever. In the meantime, Nathan tries to win Haley back after a misunderstanding and Brooke discovers that she needs more than money to fill her void—she needs a family.

Filled with flashbacks and daydreams, the show’s creator does nothing but pack this episode with confusing moments. When Peyton stood up before the “I do’s” and proclaimed her love to Lucas reminding him of the first time they met, I thought she was actually speaking up, but I was wrong. With one daydream after another, I’m still not sure what was fantasy and what was reality, which gives the writer an easy out if he plans on re-writing the outcome of Lucas’s wedding for the next episode.

I had expected something catalytic to happen especially in the centennial episode, but nobody chases Lindsay down the aisle when she leaves Lucas at the altar, Peyton doesn’t have a heart to heart with Lucas and Brooke doesn’t sleep with anyone to fulfill her dream of having a baby.

All these conflicts are merely secondary to the reemergence of Dan, Lucas’ and Nathan’s convict father. I’m tired of all cliff hangers ending with: what did Dan do this time? Which was the cop-out cliff hanger this episode. Hero or villain, after five years of him lingering, his devious character has been exhausted. At this point, I say, put him to sleep, literally—he killed his brother in cold blood, give him the death penalty.

Let’s face it, though, no matter how annoying I find Dan, April 14 (the start of six brand-new episodes) is too long to wait for my next fix. Plus, one thing’s for sure: One Tree Hill always manages to have great music—the kind that is solemn and sentimental and makes you smile while you are crying. The writing used to make me feel this way, but now I rely solely on the music because the plot this season is weaker than ever.

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