Song for you.

TV time.

The City: The producers have successfully immersed the girls in the world of New York City fashion; the involvement of people who actually work in the fashion industry has given the series clout (well, more clout than it had). It helps that the entire staff of Elle doesn't mind appearing on camera, thus saving us from another season where Erin and Olivia fight, and Joe Zee weakly tries to explain Olivia's presence without admitting that she's there to get in fights with Erin on TV. The more glossy Bergdorf parties, sideways glances, beautiful clothes and dates with Page Six reporters the better. Plus, Whitney called Olivia a bitch to her face (two weeks ago)! Look how far she's come.

The best thing I saw on TV last week.

The Real Housewives of New York City, S3,

Ep. 11 "Overboard"

"You're not stomping on grapes, I'm going to eat those!"

She deserves this.

On last Sunday's Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains season finale, Sandra Diaz-Twine (pictured here) became the first two-time Survivor winner. She has played the game twice, and she has won the game twice. She is the only player, in twenty seasons, to do so (of course, only nine of the show's nineteen winners have played the game more than once; four of them competed this season: Sandra, Tom from season ten, Parvati from seasons thirteen and sixteen, and JT from season eighteen [the latter three came in fifteenth, second, and tenth, respectively]). In the days following the announcement of Sandra's win, however, a question has arisen: did she deserve it?

Watch this.

Readers, I must advise you watch NBC's terrific Friday Night Lights. If Mad Men delivers the cool detachment of a martini, and Glee supplies the manic sugar rush of Skittles, than Friday Night Lights provides the hearty Americana of a steak. It simultaneously makes you feel like the month of October, the moment you realize you like someone, hooded sweatshirts, that time your coach gave an inspiring speech and you cried, 50 degree weather, and your first high school party.

Song for you.

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 3

I concluded my review of Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2 by saying that "the pace needs to quicken if I'm going to stick around any longer." With Vol. 3, Brian K. Vaughan resolves numerous lingering questions, while pointing the story in a new, international direction. The fantastic "Ring of Truth" arc (the best of the collection) features the return and reformation of Yorick's sister, Hero; a kidnapping; the proper introduction of Toyota (the mysterious ninja woman from previous issues); a sword fight in the rain on the Golden Gate Bridge; the unmasking of Agent 711's killers; two near-death experiences; and a potential explanation as to how and why Yorick survived the plague that ravaged mankind. Consider the pace quickened.

The best thing I saw on TV last week.

Community, S1, Ep. 23 "Modern Warfare"

"Come with me if you don't want paint on your clothes."

Happy birthday.

This afternoon, (Title Pending) turns one. A year ago today, I was sitting in my apartment in Worcester, MA, procrastinating studying for my American Film final. Last May, I raced at the Eastern Sprints, graduated college, and flew to California for the National Rowing Championships. Erick, Kevin and I moved out of our apartment, and myself, Erick, Adam, Bratton, Jimmy, and Terry took our final strokes as Holy Cross rowers. Two days before flying to California, my dad's father died, and for the entire month, I had one of the worst cases of Poison Ivy known to man. It was an emotional time.

X-Force #26

Rest in peace, Kurt Wagner.

Short cuts.

The Hills: You have to love an episode that begins with Stephanie noting that she's "twenty-three, and been to jail twice," ("Like, who does that?") features Lo (who finally makes the opening credits) calling Kristin a "crackhead" (behind her back, of course) and Heidi's step-father commenting that her newest face looks "frozen" (or as Heidi says, "plastic"). None of these moments would have occurred in prior seasons, when the producers kept an air-tight lid on the actually interesting parts of the girls' lives. If Kristin and company (which laughably includes Audrina, as if they would ever hang out in real life) can finally save Heidi from Spencer's sick machinations, acknowledging their various substance abuse scandals on-camera will have been worth it.

Song for you.

TV time.

Glee: Oh hello, Glee! I missed you. "Hell-o" felt like a season premiere, as the writers reintroduced the major characters (Will, Rachel, Finn, and Sue) and shuffled them into place. Similar to the pilot, a lot happens here. I'm thrilled with the addition of Jonathan Groff to the cast - his voice matches Lea Michele's in ways Cory Monteith's never will, and the pair have excellent chemistry. Unfortunately, "Hell-o" also contained a hearty dose of sexism, as Will and Finn strive to find their special snowflake selves despite the "craziness" of the women around them. When Emma told Will "maybe you're trading [Terri's] crazy for my crazy," I almost gagged (I also want to punch Matthew Morrison whenever he makes his "Maybe You're Right That I Am Actually Too Good for You" Face). As usual, I loved Brittany ("Did you know that dolphins are gay sharks?") the most. Next week, this.

Fables #94

King Cole: If you're going to indulge in the messy world of real-politics, Ozma, you've an important lesson to learn - forgiveness only accompanies success. Failure is still and always a crime.

The Unnamed

If Joshua Ferris' first book took a while to grab me (and ultimately, won me over), his second novel, The Unnamed, had me, and then lost me somewhere west of the Rocky Mountains. Initially, Ferris portrays Tim's disease as a tragic disruption of everyday life. A high-powered attorney, Tim walks out in the middle of trial. His wanderings force his wife, Jane, to scour area hospitals and police stations, searching for her wayward husband. He undergoes bizarre tests that leave him home alone watching TV with his overweight, distant daughter. The books begins as a portrait of privileged, suburban life, disrupted by the suddenness of illness. Tim's body does dangerous, unhealthy things he cannot understand; his condition throws his life into chaos.

To Max Records.

I know you are just a kid, but I kind of wanted to slap you for the last third of Where the Wild Things Are. You kept making that same "I Don't Understand These Unintended Negative Consequences of My Actions" Face, and it seriously bugged. I still liked the movie, though (Becca explains why, here). I especially loved Lauren Ambrose's line reading of "They're these really good friends of mine." KW's on-again off-again teen snobbery matched Max's little kid left behind frustration perfectly.

Uncanny X-Men #523

Color me surprised by the number of plot developments that occurred in this issue (the second chapter of Second Coming). Not only did Cyclops admit his role in the formation of X-Force to an increasingly irate Nightcrawler, but the Alpha Squad (pictured here) actually found Cable and Hope (the supposed mutant messiah recently returned from the future).

That said, it's not a very fun time to be an X-Man. The mutant species is on the brink of extinction, a futuristic cyborg (Bastion) has amassed an army of racists who want nothing more than to wipe them off the planet, and their leader (Cyclops) has resorted to sending teenage girls turned living weapons (X-23) into battle with a license to kill. It's all rather dour. The entire line needs some levity before the reading experience becomes as depressing as the stories themselves.

Song for you.

April playlist now posted (with links).

TV time.

Survivor: Goodbye, Boston Rob. At least you left with one of the best exit lines in recent memory (to Coach, "you're a little man"). I was definitely rooting for the Rob/Courtney/Sandra alliance to prevail, but I understand Jerri's decision to side with Russell/Parvati/Danielle. At the end of the day, I'd certainly rather be sitting next to some combination of the latter three (with the exception of Parvati, who is just as dangerous a threat as everyone has made her out to be; she not only plays the game, but the entire construct of the show. You want a te-he "black widow" type? She'll give you one, and then she'll win the whole damn thing [Apparently, I have a lot to say about Parvati]). Russell is a gifted strategist, but he has no idea how to play the social game. He's the ideal final two or three partner because he will get you to the end making big, bold moves that drive people to hate his guts.

"Everybody is saying . . .

. . . that you're doing drugs!"