Watching The CW

And as long as I’m talking about Buffy, can I share a little gripe that I had recently about an Angel episode that was on TV? I was never as big a fan of Angel as I was of Buffy, although I own all those DVDs, too, and have seen every episode. Several times. Anyway, Angel is on TNT every morning at 6 am and 7 am (ET) and most mornings, I watch it while I’m doing other stuff.

The other day, they aired this one episode from Season 5 was entitled, “Why We Fight” and I’ve never liked it. Its not a bad ep, as episodes go, and I understand why they did it the way they did it, but I still don’t like it. And I’ll tell you why. That is, if anyone is actually reading this and actually cares. The episode is told through flashbacks to World War II, where they have Angel working with the US Navy to recover a captured German submarine with American sailors on board. The Nazis have got Spike and some other vampires in their employ. I get what they are doing. They need to have both Angel and Spike involved, and they wanted to show something in the past, to make the show interesting.

But from other Angel history that we’ve seen in the past 7+ years of these two shows, supposedly Angel had spent close to 100 years being all brooding and wimpy, eating rats and stuff to stay alive, after he got cursed with his soul in 1898. It just seems doubtful that he pulled together the chutzpah to behave the way they have him behaving in this episode, set in 1940s, cause we’ve seen him as a wreck, starting around 1900, and then in both the 1970s and 1990s. There was also an ep in 1950s, where he clearly wants no contact with humans. So what would make him decide to fight for the Americans during the war? Why would he even care, he’s not even American.

Also, we’d been given to believe that Spike didn’t know about Angel’s soul, when he first met back up with him on Buffy in Season 2. The implication was that they hadn’t seen each other since shortly after the turn of the century, back in 1900. Obviously, if Spike had hung around with Angel in the 1940s, he would have known all about the soul.

Like I said, I get it. Since Spike was turned in 1880, I realize that if they wanted to do something in the past that involved both of them, they only have about a 20 year span to place them in, and I’m sure they just got tired of that. Plus, maybe they didn’t want to have to deal with adding in Darla and Druscilla. It makes sense. But still the entire episode ends up feeling forced to me, since they are trying to play around with history. And I hate when shows do that.

So even though this silly show, Farmer Wants A Wife, has been cancelled and won’t be back next season (and believe me, I could not be more thankful for that), they are continuing to air the rest of the eps for this season. Lucky us! The only reason I’m still watching at this point, is cause I like to finish what I start. Plus, I’m a bit of a masochist, obviously. Thefreedictionary.com defines “masochist” as “a willingness or tendency to subject oneself to unpleasant or trying experiences.” Which just about sums it up.

There can’t be too many more weeks of this, can there?

This week, after a longish and totally unnecessary recap of last week, we start out with Matt talking about his late night visit from Brooke and Lisa, and Brooke also sharing that information (in confidential whispers) with Amanda, who promptly goes and tells everyone else.

Next, we get to watch a goat giving birth. In the pouring rain. My husband still talks about the time we stayed at a B&B on a farm in West Virginia and I held a newborn lamb. It was still kinda icky and he can’t get over it. It was pretty cool, though.

The challenge this week is to pick bushels of corn, two dozen ears in each of three baskets. And then they will be sitting pretty, won’t have to go back to the city. If I hear Matt say that once more, I’ll put my fist through the screen. Brooke wins again. Her second challenge in a row, which made more people mad than happy. Also, Lisa stole one of Amanda’s baskets, sorta on purpose, but also sorta accidentally. Now she’s really worried, cause she was part of the duo that messed up by showing up at Matt’s house in the middle of the night. Since Brooke is safe, that makes Lisa feel much less safe. Stacey, however, was the very last one to finish, which is pretty much par for the course with her.

Christa tells Ashley that the two of them and Amanda are probably the only chicks that are real contenders. But I’m not so sure.

Matt calls the house and tells them there’s going to be a barn dance, and sets up square dance lessons for the chicks. Just watching this week, it seems like Stacey should leave, cause she really comes across as the most high maintenance, making everyone wait in the cars while she searches for an appropriate pair of shoes. But then we only get to see what they want us to see, after all, so who knows.

Then the unholy triumvirate, of Amanda, Ashley and Christa start throwing a hot dog around and giggling, talking about Brooke and Lisa. So mature. Then the chicks dressed up in country square dancing dresses and Matt brought them all corsages and took them to the dance. After a little argument, Ashley gets the first dance with Matt. The next dance is a waltz and Amanda grabbed Matt for that one. Watching all the couples dancing at the barn dance, I realized that I could never live in the country, just for the fashion alone.

At this point, also, I’m wondering just how much longer is this show. Isn’t it over yet?? Plus, at least five more eps, right? *sigh*

I just saw a commercial for another season of Beauty and the Geek. Starting Tuesday. Is that for real? I thought it was cancelled. Its not a repeat of this past season, so maybe it’s a repeat of a different season. I’m gonna have to check it out. *sigh sigh*

For the elimination, the girls have to pour some moonshine from a jug into a jar. If they have enough in their jug to fill the jar, they are staying, if they don’t, they are leaving. Amanda, Christa and Ashley are safe first. Then Kanisha. Leaving only Lisa and Stacey. I think it should be Stacey going hime, really. And it is! Wow, I called it.

Now we have to sit through the date with Matt and Kanisha. The other girls (except maybe for Lisa) bet Kanisha $5 each if she will give Matt a visible hickey on their date. I think that’s a bad idea on her part, but whatever, cause I don’t like her that much anyway. So they go horseback riding, which isn’t really that much fun. At least, I don’t think so. I’m a little afraid of heights, and I went riding once with a friend in Colorado, it was beautiful country, but I spent the entire time just trying to hold on so high off the ground, terrified of falling off. I’d rather go on a romantic hay ride.

And now, finally, its over and I don’t have to watch these people again until next week. Yay, me!

(OK, I went back and checked, and the CW seems to be repeating Season 4 of Beauty and the Geek. I’m not gonna watch it and no one can make me.)

Since, I’ve been sharing the Buffylove, there’s one more thing I should mention. Joss Whedon, creator of the Buffyverse and general all around good guy, has also written several graphic novels, outlining Buffy’s 8th season. Which is a very good thing, especially for those of us who missed the show even before it was off the air. I was super glad to see Buffy back in action. It was so awesome to know that Joss loved us and loved the characters enough to not let it just die, even though the show was off the air. Plus, obviously, you can do lots more in print than you can on a TV show.

The second compilation of graphic novels is coming out on June 29, and I prefer to purchase them that way, instead of buying all the separate books. Its just less to deal with and I get a longer read. I’ve been saving a Barnes and Noble gift card since Christmas so that I can buy it when it comes out. I kid you not.

So, if you’re gonna start watching the series now, you might as well start reading Season 8, too. I’d recommend watching all of the series before reading the graphic novels, cause then things will make more sense. Plus, you don’t want to get spoiled by finding out stuff before you see it happen, right.

You can buy them all over the place. So you should check out your local comic book store, or Barnes and Noble, or Amazon and get them.

As you might already know, I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s been my favorite show for years now. Of course, I have all the DVDs and I watch them all the time. I’ve probably seen every ep at least a dozen times. More. Anyway, when I first got sick (and if you want to know all the sordid details of my on-going illness, check out my other blog at www.watchingsitcoms.com, and believe me when I say its even worse than it seems), I thought I was only gonna be off work for a couple of weeks at most. So I had gone to the library and got lots of other DVDs to watch to pass the time while I sat around and hoped to get better.

Well, I’m still sick. And also, getting more and more depressed. So, to make myself happy, I’ve started to watch Buffy again. Buffy always makes me happy. And it’s almost working. But then I’m only about half way through season 4 right now, so there’s lots more to watch.

I always assume that everyone who was ever gonna has probably already seen BtVS. But maybe not. So I’m appointing myself as the official spokesperson for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you haven’t seen it, you should. Don’t let the name put you off. Its really good. Snappy dialogue, well written, directed and acted. Plus, great character development.

There’s more than one way to see the show, too. You can watch it on weekend mornings, at 7 am (ET) on FX. I think they are somewhere in the middle of season 2, right now. (And, scarily enough, even though I’ve been watching the DVDs, I usually still manage to catch the eps on TV, too). You can also watch all of seasons 1 and 2 on hulu.com.

I’m serious. Go check it out. I think if you just give it a couple of eps, you’ll be hooked.

The CW has posted their 2008-2009 season primtime schedule:

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL
9:00-10:00 PM ONE TREE HILL

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM 90210 (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM SURVIVING THE FILTHY RICH (New Series)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
9:00-10:00 PM STYLISTA (New Series)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
8:30-9:00 PM THE GAME
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (Encore Presentation)

Notably missing from this schedule are Aliens in America, Beauty and the Geek (just when I started watching it!), Farmer Wants a Wife, Girlfriends, Pussycat Dolls, Life is Wild and WWE Friday Night Smackdown.

It may appear that Reaper is also missing, but don’t worry, it’s coming back mid-season. So we are losing seven shows, and only gaining three, but I think these are good decisions. Maybe annoying reality TV is on the way out, which is a good thing. And apparently, at least on the CW, it’s being replaced with young adult soaps, which can also be a good thing. I guess we’ll find out.

Here’s a link back to the CW blog, where they have lots more info on the shows and what’s happening, as well.

I was surprised to see that they are reviving everyone’s favorite zip code in 90210. I wasn’t a huge fan of the original series, but I was certainly aware of it and I think it will be interesting to see how they have updated and modernized the show. I’m also interested cause I heard Rob Estes is in it and I’m in love with him. And I mean, really.

In any case, it looks like the CW has a great season set up for us and I’m looking forward to checking out the new shows. As for this summer, I plan to also try to catch up on some of the shows from this season that I just didn’t get a chance to watch the first time around. When I do, I’ll let you know all about. You count on that!

If you’ve been reading my America’s Next Top Model reviews, you’ll know that Fatima was no favorite of mine. As a matter of fact, I pretty much regularly trashed her every time I wrote about the show. But I am, above all things, fair and will admit when I’m wrong. Well, not always, but it sounds good to say it. In any case, I read this great Q and A article at TVGuide.com all about Fatima Siad and I thought you, my faithful yet silent, readers might find it interesting. I know I did.

As it turns out, the person writing the article, Ben Katner, was not a Fatima fan either. But he found out that maybe she’s not as self-centered and egotistical as she came across on the show. He also found out that she’s not too fond of Whitney. But that’s not exactly news, is it? Apparently, at least from Fatima’s point of view, she is much nicer than she seemed on the show. And she says that Whitney is a lot less nice than she seemed. Being honest, I wouldn’t be able to say that I always thought Whitney was that nice. She was just really, really pretty and looked like a model should look. Also, I think I was really rooting for the plus sized model to win.

Anyway, enjoy the article and I’ll keep my eyes open for anything else good from TVGuide.com, since we’re gonna have to wait until Fall for the next cycle of America’s Next Top Model.

For some reason, I’m still watching Farmer Wants a Wife. It must be an illness.

This week, the chicks decide to wash Matt’s truck. Which is basically just an excuse for them to run around in skimpy outfits and squirt each other with the hose.

The girls are then taken to a quilting bee. A couple of them have problems just handling the needles. I’m just so amazed when I see these chicks on reality TV. Are girls honestly so stupid these days, so incapable? Is this where women’s lib has brought us? I could cook and clean and sew when I was in my teens, and I was not brought up on a farm. I was just brought up in a normal home.

Matt suggests that they all go drive tractors. Lisa decides to go in high heels. They get a quick lesson in tractor driving and then have to go haul something from somewhere to somewhere else. Whatever. I’m still not feeling too well. Kanisha cannot figure out how to get the tractor in gear. Then she gets turned on by a sweaty Matt coming to her rescue. Can I just say ewww?

Brooke is the winner, and it makes everyone else angry cause they don’t like her. She just beat out Krista who had been in the lead, but dropped a hay bale and had to go back. The other Christa is really starting to get on my nerves. She just always seems to have an attitude about everything. Christa brings on the drama with Brooke and it was all just too weird. I’m not even honestly sure what it was all about.

Tomorrow is going to be a group date and the girls are told to bring their bikinis. They have a little picnic down by the river and then they swim. Matt is throwing a stick around and hits Krista in the hand. Isn’t she the same one who got hurt last week? I don’t know, they all look alike.

To find out who is leaving, he has someone come and stitch a name into an embroidered picture. It seems like they would figure it out too quickly, but maybe they can’t spell. It looks like it will be Lisa, but it’s not, then maybe Krista or Christa. But it turns out its Krista. Matt says he felt like he was boring her. Krista was crying and telling him he was getting played by some of the others.

Matt then chooses Amanda to go on a one-on-one date. He takes her on a date to have dinner with his parents!! It goes surprisingly well.

But afterwards, Brooke and Lisa sneak out and go to see Matt. At first he seems a little taken aback, but then he sits and talks to them. They are a little worried that they just did something that is going to get them cut, but it looks like they are safe at least until next week. When the girls go square dancing!

Beauty and the Geek is down to the last three teams on the season finale - Chris and Cara, Tommy and Amanda, Matt and Leticia.

Wow, all the shows I watch are ending this week, whatever will I do next week?

The first challenge is going to eliminate one couple right away. The couples have to prove how well they know each other by answering questions. Immediately, I think Tommy and Amanda won’t know each other very well, since I feel like we know nothing about Amanda.

The first couple to get three questions right is Chris and Cara. I was surprised, cause I really thought it would be Matt and Leticia. But actually, Matt and Leticia lose out on the sudden death question and Tommy and Amanda make it through.

They are about to go into their final challenge, and they are told there is no way they can prepare. But wait, did he just say the team will make a quarter of a million dollars? So let me get this straight, they go through all this just to split $250,000? It’s totally not worth it.

So they bring everyone back to spend the last night in the mansion. I find it so sad to see Tommy still hung up on Amber. I don’t get it. So then we have a little drama with Christina, Tara and Amanda, all over rumors that Christina supposedly spread. Amanda is letting all the drama get to her. Women never seem to realize that guys generally don’t even notice the drama unless someone is actually crying on their shoulder. And maybe not even then unless they happen to be wearing a special sports jersey or something that they thought you were gonna ruin.

They wake up the next day and everyone is missing. The teams get three hours to drive around Los Angeles and find the missing people. They get a limo, a computer and some clues. The team who returns with the most people wins. Chris and Cara seem to be thinking too much, but maybe that’s just what they want us to think. But Chris and Cara do seem to be one step ahead of Tommy and Amanda.

There’s less than half an hour left, and each team has 4 people. At this point, we don’t get to see what else happens, but they take us back to the mansion and start counting people who come out of the limos. We get up to the four we already know about, and then they build the suspense while we see if there is anyone else in the limos. There is! One more person is in Tommy and Amanda’s limo. I’m glad. Tommy was probably my favorite from the beginning.

Wow, this was my blog for last week. I don’t know what happened, but it looks like it didn’t post. Let me try this again. (Before I blog for this week’s show).

This week on Farmer Wants a Wife, the girls start out washing pigs. Stacy bumps her head, but just keeps going. Two of the girls, Lisa and Josie, don’t really get involved.

Next, they perform some chores: milking goats, marking cows, muck out stalls. Personally, I’m pretty sure I could not milk a goat. Milk comes from the store in nice little containers and I’ve never cared how it got there. Just watching them made me unhappy. I’m fairly certain I don’t see myself running around in a pen full of cows, either. In a twist, however, Lisa was doing the very best in this challenge. Josie, of course, was not. Lisa’s main competition was some other blond girl (Krista), who actually won.

Darn it, now I’m being forced to learn their names.

There was some talk about Matt still being a virgin, because Josie asked him if he would want to have sex before committing to marriage and he said he would want to wait. God bless the little country boy.

Next they all go on a group date to play bingo at the VFW post. It seemed like a real shock to the system of all these old farm folk to have a group of city chicks descend on their bingo game. Josie was being annoying and obnoxious, as usual. She starts asking everyone at her table if they are Republican and how you can tell if a farmer is wealthy. Lisa then separates Matt from the group to head to the bar. Some of the other girls show up to also hang out. Matt brings them back into the bingo game and has the girls introduce themselves and talk a little bit to the community. I guess I can learn the names: Christa, Amanda, Krista, Kanisha, Ashley, Brooke, Stacy, Lisa, Josie. They all sucked. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Now it’s elimination time. He sends the chicks out of the room and takes advice from the bingo crowd. Mostly, they didn’t seem to like Lisa or Josie. And I agree. Krista is immune, so she doesn’t have to take part in the special bingo game. Only one person won’t get bingo and that’s the person who goes home. So what I learned, is that it’s possible to fix a bingo game. Remind me not to play. If I’m ever that bored.

It’s Josie who is going home. Which is a good thing, cause she’s so over the top, she takes time and attention away from the other girls. She complains that Matt is cheap and all he can offer a girl is work. She argues and won’t leave, insisting she should get a present, until he threatens to have someone take her out. She finally goes out of the room and says she’s too good for him. Josie then goes back into the house, refusing to pack or to leave without a gift. So the girls pack her stuff and carry it out on to the porch. Josie still refuses to leave and the guy who is supposed to take her doesn’t look happy. If I was there, I’d have grabbed that fat, ugly skank by her greasy hair and pulled her off that porch into the dirt where she belongs. Wow, where did that come from? What absolutely classless what trash she is. She just sits there hour after hour refusing to leave until Matt brings her a gift. Finally, she gives in and goes. But not until way after the rest of us were ready for her to go.

Matt then chooses to have a one-on-one date with Stacy. While they are on their date, the other girls get cleaned up and go to the local bar. Matt has set up a place to watch a movie on the side of a barn. He had deck chairs, candles, wine (at least it was a bottle of something) and popcorn. The film appears to be an old black and white, but I don’t know of what. Stacy mostly talks, lots and lots of talk. She wants to make sure he doesn’t care that she’s not a virgin (he doesn’t).

The girls meanwhile, are playing pool and chatting. Except for Lisa and Brooke, who are very busy flirting with guys. It has been pointed out that they are the two that are constantly saying they are Christians, and I think they are supposed to be the two virgins.

In any case, it looks like we’ll have even more drama next week, so be sure to tune in. You know, if you’re really, really bored.

We’re down to the last three on America’s Next Top Model - Anya, Fatima and Whitney. I’m happy Whitney has lasted as long as she has, but I wonder if they are ready to let a plus-sized model win. It seems like they like Anya, and I don’t get Anya, so we’ll see.

This week they are shooting a CoverGirl commercial and a print ad. Also, their pic will be on a bill board in Times Square.

I think they all looked a little robotic in the commercials. But I honestly think Whitney did best. As for the pictures, they all looked good, but Anya’s nose looked big. I’m not sure why they did that.

After the judges deliberate, only two chicks are going forward to the runway show, modeling clothing designed by Versace! The first person called is Anya. Leaving Whitney and Fatima. Both are in tears, but only one can go through and it’s Whitney. Which leaves us with two blonds to fight over the crown.

Next Nigel shoots them both for Seventeen magazine’s July cover. (Was that American flag touching the floor??) The covers look great.

As I watch them get prepped for the runway show, I realize that you have to be very secure in how you look, cause they are just baring it all in a room full of people. I could not do that. No way.

The whole runway show is like another world. I mean here is a room full of people who understand this whole fashion thing and really, really care about it. Its so far removed from actual life. I thought both girls did well, Whitney maybe looked a little hoochie, but in a sexy way, and Anya looked a bit scared, not as strong as Whitney.

In panel, they went back over the pics taken since the beginning. They both had good and bad pics and it was hard to tell from the judges comments who they liked best. I’ve liked Whitney best from the start, and it would be amazing to see a plus-sized model win.

America’s Next Top Model is . . . Whitney!!!

There are only four girls left on America’s Next Top Model: Whitney, Dominique, Fatima and Anya. What surprises me, yet again, is two of the most annoying are still here. That would be Dominique and Fatima. I haven’t liked them ever, since the beginning. But Whitney, the plus sized model, is still in the running and I don’t think any other plus sized model has ever made it this far. I did try to research it a bit, but since I didn’t see every single cycle, I’m not positive who the plus sized models were.

First off, we have a little recap of Whitney being in the bottom 2 for the past three weeks, and then some discussion of how Dominique is not well liked by the other girls but doesn’t care. Fatima and Anya just seem very focused on winning the next couple of challenges.

The Tyra Mail seems to suggest some sort of photo shoot. (”Take a picture. You might last longer.”) Ah, what happens is that they are going to be taught to take some pictures of each other. And of Paulina Porizkova. I think I would love to do that. Not that I’m much of a photographer, but I like to take pictures. Well, I like to look at pictures anyway. Dominique was clearly the worst, Anya was just OK; Fatima and Whitney were both really good. The challenge winner was Fatima, which was exciting as it was her first challenge win. I guess being focused really does help.

The photo shoot is a night shoot, with the girls dressed as 50’s movie stars, being stalked by the paparazzi. Plus, they get to be with some sexy Italian male models. Yum! Nigel Barkeris the photographer, which is always fun. Anya looked gorgeous, but she didn’t seem to know how to pose. Fatima has 50 extra frames, from winning the challenge, but she didn’t seem to use them to her advantage as much as she could have. She didn’t look at the camera and didn’t seem to really like the guy she was with. They had to stop her half way through and let her look at her pics. She didn’t do much better even then. Whitney, up next, always seems kinda like she’s just posing rather than showing real emotion. She’s so adorable, but just doesn’t come across the way I think she can. Dominique just looks scary. She still has that drag queen look and just does not look as glamorous or pretty as the other girls did. None of them did too well.

I think Dominique and Whitney are going to end up as the bottom 2. I hope it’s Dominique going home.

In panel, Anya’s pic was really good. Whitney’s was beautiful, but not exactly what they wanted. Dominique looked really bad, I thought. Fatima also looked beautiful, but again, didn’t really get what they wanted. And so, on to elimination, they are called in this order: Anya (no surprise there), Whitney (yay!! she’s not in the bottom 2 again). The bottom two are Dominique and Fatima. I could lose either one, but I’d rather it was Dominique, cause she’s been getting on my last nerve since Day One. Yes, Dominique is going home. Sorry to be so excited, but I really wanted her to go. It has to be kinda hard, when you think you’re so beautiful, to be told that your face is a problem. I’m just noticing, as they go through her pics, did her hair go from being streaked, to dark and then back to light again? Ah, well, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.

Four teams are left on Beauty and the Geek, Chris and Cara, Tommy and Amanda, Joe and Tara, Matt and Leticia. This week they are back in the mansion and I realize that we are still stuck with the two people I wanted to go. Joe, who is annoying, and Cara, who talks like a baby. They decide to give Jason and Christine a Norse funeral, a burning pyre on a paper plate floating in the pool. How sad that the mighty Norsemen are reduced to this.

Now, comes the challenge. The girls are gonna be plumbers and the guys are gonna help geeky chicks with makeovers. But I have an aside based on Cara’s comment that plumbers are not sexy at all. My husband is a pipe fitter and I think he’s very sexy. Plus, plumbers make good money and that’s very sexy, if you ask me.

I thought that Tommy and Chris did the best makeovers, then Joe, and lastly Matt. That chick’s hair was just wrong. And the beauties agreed with me, which I thought was interesting. The winner is Chris, which is nice, because Tommy won the last challenge.

Then we have to deal with more Tara and Joe drama. Listen, chick, you picked Joe. You could have picked that other guy, the momma’s boy, remember him? Whatever.

Now the girls are up to their challenge. Acting as plumbers in a stage set which looks like a nasty bathroom. They have to unclog the tub, make the toilet run, and get a ring stuck in the sink (and put the sink back together again). First of all, Tara has her hair loose, which is gross, cause then it’s gonna get in that water. Yuck! And Cara had plumbers crack, which is funny. Leticia was really good. She knew just what she was doing. I think she’s right, being older and having to take care of yourself does give you an advantage cause you probably have had to unclog a drain or re-attach the chain on the toilet handle.

Both Amanda and Tara seemed pretty unhappy about having to go into the elimination room, especially against each other. At this point, I want to get rid of Joe and Tara, since I can’t take anymore of the petty squabbling. Besides, I don’t want to lose Tommy.

The part that made me unhappy is that the chicks were just sitting around on their beds and stuff, still in the clothes they had worn to that challenge. Talk about gross.

Into elimination, the girls are asked about home improvement and the guys about fashion. Tara answers the first question correctly. Tommy answers the next question correctly. (Believe it or not, I knew the answers to the home improvement questions, but not the fashion questions.) Amanda answered the next question right, so now its two to one. Then Joe answers correctly (I knew that one).

Finally, Amanda beats out Tara to answer a question about incandescent light bulbs (I’m surprised she even knew that word), and Tommy and Amanda are safe.

I’m pretty glad to see the end of Tara and Joe fussing. But what will we do for entertainment on the season finale next week?

There’s another new show full of interchangeably random chicks. It’s Farmer Wants a Wife. I have to watch this with the volume turned way down, cause my husband would flip out. He hates all reality TV and thinks I already watch too much as it is. I really had no intention of watching this show, but since I was already DVRing at least a dozen shows while I was out of town, I figured I’d record the first ep of this show, too.

So here I find myself watching these city girls looking to find love with a country man. (”You are my wife, goodbye city life.”) I watch these little girls and I wonder if I was ever that shallow. I guess I’m really old fashioned, but chicks in their early 20’s just aren’t grown ups in my book. I’m just amazed by how they can be so immature and think they are adults, all at the same time. I guess I’d call it socially adult as opposed to emotionally immature. I must say that none of these chicks is as cute as some of the chicks on other shows, like Beauty and the Geek or The Bachelor. They are all pretty average looking, actually. But then he’s not that cute either. If I decide to keep watching, I’ll learn their names, but until then, probably not. Interestingly, we find out at least a couple of them are virgins, especially since I was still reeling from their overall loose morals and lack of character.

So they take a look around the farm and first they get to hold chickens, then feed the cows. Some of them are afraid of the birds and flip out over stepping in cow poop in high heels. The next day they are woken up at 5 am, by a rooster, which apparently at least one girl thought were not real creatures.

First up they have a challenge. Whoever coops up the most chickens is safe from elimination. One girl - a fat, pushy, annoying chick named Josie who thinks she’s all that - refuses to chase around after chickens, because that’s not how a lady behaves. Believe me when I say this chick wouldn’t know a lady if one was kicking her in the head. Two of the girls end up with 10 chickens a piece, so the farmer (who must have name, but I don’t care enough to find it out) proposes a “coop off”, with 7 more coops to be filled. The chick who wins is kinda annoying, so I wasn’t happy.

Next they go on a hay ride and he chats with each girl, asking them about themselves. It’s not an experience I want to relive here.

Then we have the elimination. So he has them all stand behind a chicken coop. Whoever doesn’t have an egg under their chicken is going home. I would have voted for Josie or Stephanie. Josie is annoying and Stephanie just didn’t really seem to fit into the farming lifestyle. Well, it was Stephanie, which was OK. I wish he could have gotten rid of two of them, though.

Next, the farmer picks one of the girls to go on a date with. I’m not sure these chicks really understand what the term date means to someone who lives on a farm, but we’ll see. The chick he picked has at least a couple of piercings, and they look weird, even on my big screen TV, the earrings look like big zits or moles. While he is on the date - a bench set up under a canopy with candles and mint juleps - some of the other girls get caught toilet papering his truck. He does kiss his date chick, like three times, but it was just pecks, not real kisses.

Honestly, the show just seemed to go on much too long.

Since I was out of town last week, as previously mentioned, I’m still trying to play catch up on my shows and blogs.

I finally got a chance to watch last week’s episode of Beauty and the Geek. Joe and Tara are still there and most people didn’t want them back. It does look like Joe is planning on being a little less miserable, but we’ll see how long that lasts. They did have a sad farewell party for Greg (without him, of course), and they ate the cake he had made.

So now they are moving the party to Big Bear Resort, which I don’t get, since it will be all cold and snow. I think it’s harder to be sexy looking in a winter parka. But maybe that’s just me. I was a little surprised to see them wanting to hook up with people who aren’t their partners. And it saddens me to think that Tommy still believes there is a chance of something happening with Amber after the show is over.

The challenge is that the chicks have to build a sled with the assistance of their geek, and then they have to slide down a hill on it. Kristina is finished first and she and Jason start down the hill while everyone else is still putting their sleds together. But they don’t have enough momentum to get across the finish line, mostly cause Jason’s feet get in the way. They end up doing it over and over, like four times, and never make it down. Cara finishes next, and she and Chris start out, but tip over immediately. Then Tom and Amanda get on their sled and they get across the finish line the first time.

So Tom and Amanda are safe. But then they are all are told that elimination is going to be based on a vote. Each team picks one team for elimination and which ever team gets the most votes will be eliminated. If its a tie, then Tom and Amanda have to pick. I’m not sure who I want to go home. I used to think it was Joe, but lately, he’s not as annoying as he used to be.

So this is how it happens: Jason and Kristina vote for Tara and Joe. Joe and Tara vote for Jason and Kristina. Chris and Cara vote for Leticia and Matt. Matt and Leticia vote for Chris and Cara.

So, we have a tie, since everyone voted for everyone else. Now Tom and Amanda have to chose who they want to go home. They chose Jason and Kristina to go, and it was sad. But I’ll live.

Sorry there was no America’s Next Top Model review this week. I was out of town, unexpectedly, and so didn’t get a chance to watch. I did, however, DVR it and can now provide you with my exciting and interesting recap. *giggle*

This week the girls get fight training at a gladiator school. That was cool. I’d love to do that. Like dance moves or cheer leading or something. Then they only get 5 frames in a photo shoot challenge. The winner was Whitney, which made me happy, cause otherwise, it would have been Anya and she’s won like every other challenge. I was kinda sorry she chose to take Anya with her, but I guess it is more fun to shop with someone than alone.

One thing I notice is that both Fatima and Dominique over think everything. Maybe Anya does so well because she just does it.

Next they have a modern Renaissance photo shoot. With Tyra! I thought they mostly did OK, and the photos were beautiful. I’m not sure I thought that Dominique was really as good as they thought, but maybe that’s cause I don’t really like her. I think the bottom two are going to be Whitney and Katarzyna, and I hope it’s Katarzyna who goes home, cause she just doesn’t seem to have any personality.

On to panel, the girls were called in this order: Fatima, Dominique, Anya. Well, I was right about the bottom two. I hope I’m right about who is going home. I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope . . . yessssss! Whitney stays. I’m so glad, cause I would be so happy to see a plus sized model win this. It would be incredible.

Well, we say goodbye to Katarzyna this week. It is sorta sad, because its like they all just finally learned to say her name properly.