Down to the wire!

There are only a couple days left of 2011, so if you haven't done so already please take my WWE 2011 Year End Survey!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JKHRDDS

I've been really happy with the turn out so far, but the more participants the better.

I decided that I'm going to do a short video for each question, with one posted each day, so I think I may need a week or so to prepare. So pencil in January 7th for your first video (but it could be earlier....it could be later). I'll stop counting votes after January 1st, though. So vote!

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LIVE Raw thoughts - December 26, 2011

11:05 - Really weak ending to Raw, mostly because the audience wouldn't seem to react the way WWE anticipated (or at least wanted). Along with that, it doesn't seem like Kane has quite grown comfortable in his new character. The odd speech pattern was something we weren't used to, which took away from the words he was trying to say. I still think they should have shown us one more 1/2/12 promo, just after the "WWE" logo appeared to end the show.

10:57 - So how long will Kane (the performer) continue to wear that outer mask before he gets tired of trying to take it off without removing the inner mask?

10:50 - Looks like I was right with my second prediction. So how do we end the show? With a Kane promo? With a super promo for 1/2/12? Let's see... Just odd to NOT end the show on Punk in Chicago.

10:34 - Alternative prediction: They surprise us and only go two matches, with Ziggler eking out the victory. My one issue with Henry being in there is that while they've allowed Superstars from both rosters to appear on each show, they've done a fairly good job of keeping the matches brand specific. Now we'd have a Smackdown guy challenging for Raw's top title.

10:32 - Prediction (obvious): Punk beats Swagger with little difficulty. He beats Ziggler after a highly competitive, semi-long match. He then loses to Henry due to outside factors (perhaps Johnny Ace interferes, while attempting to look innocent).

10:15 - If there's one Superstar who should only be used sparingly, I think it's the Big Show. People ride John Cena for being stale, but there's really nothing about Big Show that excites me. He'd be a great Special Attraction act. Making matters worse is that they seem to shift between him being a monster, a stand up comic, and an emotional mess on a weekly basis.

10:04 - I'm still not sold on Truth being a face. The dude was so incredibly awesome as a crazy heel. I always found him to be a bit stale as a face. Let's see how it pans out.

9:57 - To be honest, I'm a little surprised Cena doesn't get more respect in Chicago. Actually, I could see Cena slowly making his way back into the hardcore fans' hearts by becoming a respected, hard working wrestler.

9:53 - Cole, it's "Cenation" not "Cena Nation."

9:45 - What are the chances that Cole or Lawler even mention the Hart Dynasty during this match?

9:42 - Fun little story about Zack Ryder: For Christmas last year, he received that flip cam. Now one year later, that flip cam directly brought him to the most success he's ever experienced. Bravo to you, Zack.

9:21 - I have to agree with what many others are saying -- there's definitely at least one more "It Begins" promo coming tonight. Otherwise, why show one so early?

9:14 - So did that video answer any questions for anybody? The only think I kept wondering to myself was, "Why is Cody Rhodes in the background?"

9:03 - "This crowd has been booing him so loudly that he couldn't hear himself suck" - Lawler of Johnny Ace. Great line.

8:48 - We're about 10 minutes from the beginning of Raw and I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday weekend. I don't know about you, but Friday to today (which I had off) were far more tiring than your typical week of work. I am pooped!

Anyway, how about a quick pre-Raw discussion? Last week's show was universally regarded as a refreshing, rejuvenated episode. Yet, discouragingly, it not only did poorly in ratings, but it actually lost viewers as the show went on. What does this mean?

Personally, I wish wrestling fans steered clear of ratings reports altogether. First and foremost, people tend to only view ratings when it fits their argument. When the ratings are high and a Superstar they like is being showcased, it means that the person should stay on top. When the ratings are down and somebody they don't like is being highlighted, it means viewers are uninterested in the character. But when ratings are down and somebody they like is the star of the show, there are a million excuses that oddly don't apply to the other two scenarios.

Secondly, it's a truly archaic metric. For all we complain about the abundance of Twitter references, I honestly believe it's a far more valuable and accurate representation of your viewing audience. Consider this: If 10% of the wrestling audience is on the Internet, and Twitter is one of the top 10 visited sites on the Internet, that number is likely far more accurate than the LESS THAN 0.05% of viewers that Nielsen represents. When Michael Cole says "anal bleeding" once, offhandedly, and it's trending on Twitter, it DOES mean people are watching. Yes, advertisers care about Nielsen ratings, but I honestly don't know if that will still be true (or not as true) in 5 years.

The good news is that the show is in Chicago, which means the crowd should be electric and CM Punk should be at his best. Along with that, it's the last week before 1/2/12, so we're sure to see an awesome cryptic clip. Let's hope for Jericho!

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True or False #2 - With Santa & Jesus (Christmas Edition)

It's only the second edition of True and False and I'm already getting gimmicky! I apologize, but with today being Christmas Eve (which, for almost all of my childhood, I preferred over Christmas because I got gifts that night, and still had gifts to look forward to the next day), this seemed like an acceptable exception. So, using an online Ask Santa and Ask Jesus feature, I present to you a special Christmas edition of True or False, featuring the very representations of the holiday, Santa Claus and Jesus Christ. Enjoy!

1. Between Santa and the Easter Bunny, Christians have an interesting way of celebrating the beginning and end of Jesus' life.

Santa: I think it looks very possible.

Jesus: "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." - John 15:2

2. You are the true representation and spirit of Christmas.

Santa: Are you sure you want to ask that question?

Jesus: "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:10

3. The Jesus/Santa fight on South Park was better than the one on American Dad.

Santa: Mrs. Claus says yes.

Jesus: "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." - John 15:3

4. Beards, right?

Santa: Only with my Reindeer.

Jesus: "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." - John 13:7

5. At least one person will find this True or False offensive.

Santa: Everyone at the North Pole thinks so.

Jesus: "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:20

6. Most readers won't find this offensive, but they won't find it very funny either.

Santa: Well, it looks promising.

Jesus: "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. " - John 14:7


Of course, my intent here is not to upset anybody so I hope you were able to enjoy this with your tongue firmly in your cheek. And no matter what your religious beliefs are, this holiday season often allows us the opportunity to spend time with family, friends, and other loved ones. Take advantage of this time. I wish the best to all of my visitors. Happy Holidays!!!

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New Shows to Watch - Part 4: Once Upon A Time

And now, the new show this season that I recommend above all of the others I've written about for this feature, Once Upon A Time. To be perfectly honest, I originally had no intention of watching this program. In fact, when I first saw ads for it, I assumed that it was just some mini-series. I actually didn't even catch the first episode until a month or so into its run. One Sunday I just plowed through, like, 5 episodes and became an avid viewer. So what turned me around? Well, I read a pretty interesting article in Entertainment Weekly, and it made me realize that this is a pretty clever and interesting show that combines the two great mythologies: fairy tales and Lost. I'm going to continue my review after the page break, which contains spoilers up until the last new episode.

Continue reading "New Shows to Watch - Part 4: Once Upon A Time"....

Admittedly, my knowledge of fairy tales is pretty rudimentary. I know pretty much what Disney taught me about 25 years ago. But I actually think that works to my advantage. I know all of the characters and their basic story, but I'm not so completely invested that I get up in arms when the show decides to make its own interpretation of a certain tale. For example, according to Once Upon A Time (and, to my knowledge, not the actual fairy tales), Jiminy Cricket was once a human who took advantage of innocent people through various scams. And Cinderella didn't actually get her wish granted by her Fairy Godmother. Instead, Rumpelstiltskin hijacked the moment and made a deal with her. Hey, I actually appreciate that the show isn't restricting itself to the accepted interpretation of the stories. They're allowing themselves to mold the characters and the story to their liking.

And the characters are pretty damn easy to get into. My absolute favorite, at the moment, is Rumpelstiltskin. I LOVE how, in the fairy tales, he's this bonkers, daffy loon that bounces around and speaks with pep. Yet in the real world, he's so incredibly dry and understated. He walks with a limp, barely raises his voice, and dresses rather conservatively. And I love how they're being so vague about whether or not he remembers his past life, and knows about the curse. And if he does, what are his motives? He doesn't seem explicitly evil in the real world (although his actions with Cinderella were less than chivalrous). When the Sheriff was coming close to remembering his past, Rumpel didn't stop him. And when Prince Charming began remembering his fake memories, Rumpel almost seemed pained (although he did crack a slight smile). If any character from this show is Ben, it's Rumpelstiltskin. And the actor does a fabulous job with the dual role.

I've actually really enjoyed all of the characters. The Evil Queen/Mayor is easy to dislike. Snow White/Mary Margaret is easy to root for. The Sheriff is awesome (but more on him later). Prince Charming/David is surprisingly bad ass. Jiminy Cricket/Dr. Hopper is just kinda cool because I found it funny when Henry so nonchalantly told Emma, "That's Jiminy Cricket" in the first episode. Emma has the unenviable task of being the one character without a familiar backstory, but she does an admirable job as the center of the show.

Come to think of it, the overall story is just plain fun. It turns out these fairy tale characters are real, but there's a curse on them and they can't remember their past. They've been trapped in the real world for the past 28 years (obviously they haven't aged, so there has to be SOMETHING preventing them from maintaining actual memories. Besides, how else would they comprehend that Cinderella has been pregnant for nearly three decades?) And there are a lot of places they can take this mystery. For example, how did Henry become so knowledgeable? Who gave him the book? How did he become such a firm believer?

Plus, I enjoy the little hints the throw at you to fill you in on these people's fairy tale past. Little Red Riding Hood, fittingly named Ruby, has a decorative wolf hanging from her rear view mirror. Her Grandmother runs a bed & breakfast called "Granny's House." The Mirror on the Wall runs a tabloid newspaper called, you guessed it, The Mirror. Sleepy the dwarf falls asleep while on security duty. Hell, even Pongo (of 101 Dalmatians fame) showed up! It's just cool seeing a character and wondering, "Who is that supposed to be?"

Not to mention, the Lost-esque manner of storytelling -- using flashbacks to fill in the character's past or explain their motives -- works great with its own spin (instead of traditional flashbacks, we see their fairy tale lives).

One thing that does make me furious, though, is that they killed off the Sheriff. This guy was my absolute favorite (good guy) character! In my opinion, they could have stretched out the mystery of which fairy tale character he is for the entire season. It's not even something the show needed to hone in on....it could have just been a fun question for the viewers to ponder. He was also a surprisingly complex character. He clearly cared about Emma, yet was carrying on a scandalous affair with the evil mayor. But despite this sordid relationship, he still always seemed to do the right thing. There was a whoooooooooole lot of fuel left with the Sheriff, and I really think they screwed the pooch by revealing his identity and killing him off in the very same episode. Big mistake, in my opinion (then again, I'm biased because I thought he was cool).

Now, let me pose the question that I've asked for the past few series in this feature: Does Once Upon A Time lend itself to a long shelf life? Honestly, I think it fairs a better chance than some of the other shows. If Lost taught me anything, it's that a show built on mysteries and secrets can shift and evolve rather easily. I highly doubt any of the characters will remember their fairy tale past by the end of season one. If anything, I imagine that Emma will become a firm believer. Beyond that, maybe a character or two, but certainly not everyone. And once all of the characters do believe, the story can move forward towards reclaiming their former lives. But in order to truly succeed, I think the show needs to have an end date in mind -- like with Lost -- to avoid any unnecessary stalling.

But, yeah, highest recommendation.

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Could be worse, right? :)

Also, please take a moment to fill out my WWE Year End Survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JKHRDDS

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New Shows to Watch - Part 3: American Horror Story

Like my last installment, I'll be doing a page break here for people who would like to avoid spoilers. I'll be discussing what has happened on the show since the last new episode, which I believe is the final one before the season finale. For those of you who haven't seen American Horror Story yet, I highly recommend it.

Continue reading "New Shows to Watch - Part 3: American Horror Story"....

When I first saw previews for American Horror Story, I wasn't quite sure what to think. If I'm not mistaken, they did a bit of a viral campaign, where the guy in the black rubber costume hid in various places (like a bathroom) and jumped out and scared people. I might be remembering things wrong, but it gave me the impression that the show would be a Punk'd type program, like Truth or Scare. Then I saw more traditional commercials and became intrigued. I'm a bit of a horror movie buff, and for the most part I enjoyed Nip/Tuck, so I figured it was worth a shot.

Anyone who reads my columns has probably pieced together that I tend to enjoy any show if I enjoy the characters, and this show is no exception. At the center of this series is the Harmon family. Right off the bat, there's just something about Dylan McDermott (Ben) that wreaks complexity. From his manner of speaking to his physical presence, there's just something about him that makes you want to equally like him and root for him, and punch him right in the face. He seems smug and arrogant, yet strangely likable. So he's perfect for this role, where he always WANTS to do the right thing, but just sometimes doesn't. And I appreciate that the writers don't always try to justify his bad behavior. Sometimes he just does bad things, even though he's not necessarily a bad guy.

Connie Brighton, who plays his wife Vivien, is much the same way. She looks and speaks so angelically, but you can tell that she's a hard edged, tough woman when she needs to be. Some of the things she does and says are downright ruthless. Yet all of that is forgivable, because of what she's had to endure. Even their daughter Violet, who plays the angsty teenager character that television audiences always hate, has been rather redeemable the past few episodes.

So, yeah, what makes this show work are its characters. Horror stories are notoriously polarizing, so that's important. And much like Lost, you don't quite know who's good or bad. "Old" Moira, for example, is always soothing and supportive. Yet "Young" Moira (the same character portrayed by a different actress) is constantly trading sexual deeds and generally stirring up trouble. Hell, she's even assisted in a few murders, if I'm not mistaken. Similarly, Adelaide seemed troublesome, yet when people broke into the house, her first instinct was to get help. And Constance....she's a complete mystery and thus one of the most interesting characters!

The series has also provided us with a surprising amount of revelations and twists during its short run. The first was that Tate, a troubled patient of Ben who has been sneaking around with Violet, is actually dead and is Constance's son. We also learned that he was the person running around in the rubber suit, raping Vivien and killing former homeowners.

Another major revelation was that Violet had accidentally killed herself and was also a ghost in the house. A lot of people had long suspected this truth, as she had been holed up in the house since her suicide attempt, but it was still a really major plot turn, and the actress (and Tate) did a really great job with the material.

Arguably, this twist was dwarfed by what happened in the last episode, where Vivien died during childbirth. This was, in my view, very unexpected and really turns the series on its head. At this point, all members of the Harmon family have finally accepted the truth about their house -- that it's haunted by those who have died on its property -- making the scene so much more powerful. Seeing Ben slowly accept the fact that these ghosts are real and helping him was visually and thematically great (particularly him going from yelling "Who are these people?" to asking the ghost doctor questions about his wife's well being, as you would in a hospital). Actually, Ben's slow realization that he was wrong about the house was one of my favorite parts of the entire season (particularly the scene where he seems Moira transform from young to old, with her telling him he's finally able to see things now).

Much like with some of the other shows in this feature, my one concern is whether this series can have a long shelf life. Where do they go from here? With Vivien and Violet already dead, and the whole family in on the mystery, has the series given us too much, too soon? Somebody had suggested that they just feature a new family living in the house each season, but can't that get repetitive? And can this story be retold any better the second time around? My advise would be to keep Ben alive and have him as your character that can roam the outside world and try to uncover the mystery of why the house is the way it is. He can maintain his family life with Viv and Violet, as they're ghosts in the house. They can even have Ben struggle with meeting somebody new, and wondering if continuing a life with his dead wife is fair to him and the rest of his life.

To those of you who do watch the show -- based on everything we now know (and that's a lot), where do you see the series going for season two?

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WWE 2011 Year-End Survey

I had mentioned this in my LIVE Raw thoughts post, and on Twitter several times, but I am once again doing a WWE Year-End survey. Please take a moment to fill it out (there are just 10 questions), because the results are a lot more fun when there are a plethora of people participating. Take a moment, it'd be very appreciated.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JKHRDDS

THANKS!

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LIVE Raw thoughts (Slammy Edition) - December 12, 2011

11:05 - I guess that answers that! Kane is back!! And he seems to be a hybrid or his past incarnations. His tights have both the stitching look, and the flames. I kinda like the mask he enters with, although it makes him look like the Predator. And the half mask underneath (the one that looks like the one I never liked) kinda works. This could be an interesting mini-feud to keep Cena busy.

10:57 - I don't know if any other readers (you're out there, right?) are checking out the comments section, but Kyle and I are talking about plans for Cena leading into WrestleMania. One question I posed was whether he was even on the card for this weekend's PPV. According to WWE.com, he's not, and there are already 6 matches scheduled. I assume a Divas match will be added as well. And to be honest, there's nobody left off of the card that he's even casually feuding with. I like Cena and I think I understand his value to the company, but personally I don't think it'd be a bad idea to leave him off of some of the PPV cards leading to Mania in order to build the story of his reaction to the fans turning on him. Allow that story to flesh out organically, instead of attempting to manipulate reactions (positive or negative) based on his opponents. Leave him off of TLC, use him at the Rumble, and then use the Rumble to Mania with pure build. Which means no match at Elimination Chamber.

10:45 - The universe has righted itself here. Congrats Punk. But do you agree? Take my survey!!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JKHRDDS

10:37 - Well it seems pretty obvious to me that CM Punk SHOULD win Superstar of the year. But since he's been laid out and thus cannot accept the award (since it would take away from the beating he took), I would say his chances aren't good. And considering that it'll probably lead directly to the last match, I'm guessing it'll either be John Cena or Mark Henry. Hey, maybe they'll shock us and give it to Henry. But it really should go to Punk.

10:26 - My guess is the Muppets win, since they probably already filmed something for them for Tribute to the Troops. Who should win? Hugh Jackman.

10:19 - I love the fact that they're teasing that Kane will be wearing the mask again. And the videos have been cool, too. I just hate that they're using the mask I disliked the most. Why not go back to the classic one, or the black version of the classic one?

10:08 - I don't know if you caught it a moment ago, but Michael Cole just told people that JR released his rap on Twitter and urged people to check JR's Twitter page to read it. So WWE is now using their show to alert people to check Twitter. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

10:03 - So why exactly are Cole and King talking about how Punk doesn't even need to be involved in the decision to lose the title, and how Miz could pin ADR to win the title. They do know they're fighting in a TLC match, right? Where the only way to win is to grab the title from the ladder?

10:00 - Their tricky editing is how I would have ended the match in the first place. Orton chases off Barrett and Miz slips back in.

9:50 - I'm glad Cena showed a little hostility and edge towards Rock tonight. He's usually so pandering and respectful, but it's nice to see him stick it to the fans a bit for reminding them that they keep cheering for a guy that never shows up. Of course, as I write this, he's back to kissing up to Rock.

9:46 - I see Edge winning this one, especially with Christian presenting. I swear to Christ, if Nash wins it, though....

9:43 - I will say this, the Slammy Awards also provide us with some fun returns and reunions.

9:37 - Why was the winner's name in an envelope when the winner was determined during the match?

9:35 - Absolutely fantastic match, which helps make up for the lackluster in-ring action earlier. And c'mon, deep down we all knew Daniel Bryan was going to eat that pin, right?

9:31 - So the latest 1/2/12 video has been posted on YouTube and it's an interesting one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNdd9W5__TY&feature=player_embedded

I have wondered this since the last video, but who does the little girl in the video represent? The overall assessment seems to be that this is marking the return of Jericho, and I'm inclined to agree, but there really hasn't been any females in Jericho's past. Except for Trish, but this little girl actually reminds me more of Lita. Or is the girl something symbolic, like she represents 2012 or WWE or something. Thoughts?

9:25 - So according to my Twitter feed, both Ryder and Ziggler are trending, but Ryder is trending higher. Yet they're both below Tony Atlas!

9:22 - For those of you wondering, according to his Twitter page, this was the rap JR had intended on performing during the opening segment:

Michael Cole you're a damn fool.

King beat you like a government mule.

I should call Raw, you're not in my class.

You kissed King's feet, now you can kiss my ass!

9:19 - So what happens if none of them trend by the time the match ends? Do they just have them continue to wrestle until they get confirmation that somebody is trending?

9:17 - I mean, Zack Ryder has to win this one, right?

9:10 - Ah, gotta love Triple H. The one guy too cool for a Slammy. So why are we watching?

9:04 - Triple H's entrance has surpassed the amount of wrestling we've had tonight. Listen, I like the Slammy Awards, but this year has been disappointing. Aside from Punk, the winners have been pretty bland. Unfortunately, there hasn't been any action to counter that.

9:02 - I'm not surprised Undertaker/Triple H won.....honestly, I thought it should have.....until I saw that Punk winning the title was a contender as well. THAT was the moment of the year that everybody was talking about. That should have won.

8:57 - I like Kelly more than most people, but Beth's Glam Slam to Eve on the top rope was visually almost as great as the Mark Henry/Big Show slam.

8:54 - Is it me or has Lita's mic skills really improved since she retired? I don't know if the current crop of Divas just sound so manufactured and fake, but Lita seemed really natural and comfortable behind the mic.

8:44 - It's too bad they couldn't edit that opening segment into the Pipe Bomb montage.

8:38 - Road Dogg coming out is a nice little surprise, actually. Him coming out in an HBK/HHH DX shirt is funny.....didn't he and Billy Gunn rip them apart in all those interviews?

8:34 - Is it me, or did Big Show kinda crap on the concept of going through a table and getting hit with a chair? Just before a PPV built on that very premise.

8:31 - This "Holy Blank/Bleep/You-Know-What" nonsense is getting annoying. Obviously, you can't say what you want to say. And these cutesy ways of getting around it are not edgy. Just call it "Holy Cow" and get it over with.

8:23 - Told ya.

8:21 - Big Show/Henry will win this one. They LOVE that clip, and it'll push their PPV match. Don't even need to see all of the nominees.

8:20 - Foley looks pretty good in a suit, it's really too bad he doesn't dress better.

8:13 - Wow, pretty terrible opener. Why do I have a feeling that JR wasn't supposed to forget his lyrics like that? I have to say, Cole actually came close to saving that segment by interrupting JR when he clearly forgot the next line.

What I find frustrating, though, is that they keep bringing back JR, but it's to do things like dance offs and rap competitions and spineroonies. If they recognize JR's popularity and he's willing to participate, why not let him just do what he does best? Or at the very least, let him do something where he can contribute to the product? It's getting uncomfortable to watch.

8:03 - Well since it's a special Slammy edition of Raw, I thought this would be the perfect time to unveil my own yearly award nominations. Please take a moment to take my survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JKHRDDS

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New Shows to Watch - Part 2: Ringer

So welcome to the second installment of my new shows reviews. And being that I will be discussing major matters that have occurred so far on Ringer, I'm going to do a page break. Click the link below for my complete thoughts (spoilers up to the last episode that have aired within).

Continue reading "New Shows to Watch - Part 2: Ringer"....

I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to give Ringer a shot, but I like Sarah Michelle Gellar and the premise seemed interesting enough to give it an initial viewing. And actually, that was a mini-miracle in itself, because I don't think a lot of articles that previewed the series did them any favors (perhaps they didn't even fully understand the show). While I still don't necessarily comprehend the entire mystery, I really do care about the characters and I am invested in seeing what happens to them. It's the same reason I (and many others) stuck with Lost all those years.

What I like about Ringer is the role reversal and the overall theme of redemption. Bridget has always been troubled and has made some bad decisions, but we're never left to believe she's a bad person. Siobhan (which I would never be able to spell if I didn't look up) has always been put together and responsible, yet she cheated on her wife with her best friend's husband, and is currently involved in some conspiracy to apparently have her twin sister killed. To an outsider, Bridget seems "bad" while Siobhan seems "good" -- but the opposite is true. And in line with the idea of role reversals, in the past Siobhan was cleaning up after Bridget's mess. Now, Bridget is trying to fix the mistakes Siobhan has made with her life. And honestly, I'd really like to see her succeed.

One treat is that Sarah Michelle Gellar is incredible at playing savvy females. You can really believe that she's that quick on her feet and sly with her comments and actions. It's a lot of fun watching her in this dual role.

My one fear: Because I have really grown to like his character, I just have this sinking feeling that Andrew is going to end up being something somewhat sinister. He just seems a little TOO good, like the writers are deliberately trying to make us sympathize with and root for him before the other shoe drops.

Another thing I worry about with this show (and with all of the shows in this feature, except Terra Nova) is that I wonder what sort of shelf life it could have. How long can they keep this mystery going? How long can they have Bridget keep this secret, while continuing to make it interesting? I'm not saying it's impossible, but there is an inherent challenge to shift the focus of the show the longer it goes on.

Out of the four shows I will be writing about, this is the one that is probably the hardest to join in on at this point. But don't worry, it's in the midst of a winter hiatus, so you have a few weeks to catch up on the season (and since CW is pushing it pretty hard, I wouldn't expect a mini marathon to get new viewers up to speed.

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New Shows to Watch - Part 1: Terra Nova

This is going to be a four part piece, and I thought I'd start with the bottom (as harsh as that sounds). Terra Nova is a really fun show and the premise is clever, but I can't help but feel like it's the weak out of the four new shows that have joined my television line up. Ultimately, the thing that bothers me most is that they haven't bothered to explain why going back to that particular time -- to a period in which modern technology does not exist and, ya' know, dinosaurs are roaming around -- in order to save society. For example, 2011 appears to be relatively safe, environmentally and socially. Why not bring people to that period instead? And, naturally, this can't possibly be a long-term plan. It may still be several million years away, but there's the matter of the extinction and ice age coming. If the purpose is to save the human race, why go back to a time that we know extinction is an inevitability?

That's a pretty major criticism, but to tell you the truth, that's probably the only one. The effects, while not perfect, are passable for television and don't really detract from the viewing experience. The characters are mostly likable and its easy to root for the family the show is built upon. Plus, I think I have a slight crush on Naomi Scott.

There are some interesting mysteries, as well. Who's the spy (hinted at heavily in the last new episode, but I'm not sure that was a confirmation)? Are the Sixers truly the "bad guys"? Is Taylor really the "good guy"? I wouldn't be surprised if the Sixers don't end up like the Others (of Lost fame), where we learn that they're not actually bad, however their methods may be.

Speaking of Taylor, I'm wondering if they're going to delve into the fact that one man holds ALL of the power in this society. He truly is the judge, jury, and executioner (literally -- he played the role of all three in one episode). It sorta makes me understand why people would want to limit his power.

Overall, I do recommend this show. There are some kinks to work out, but it's an enjoyable hour and I am interested in seeing how things play out. And hey, I'm giving the show its own tag, so at least that means I plan on discussing it again in the future.

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Dive Bar Shirt Club: Buckhorn Bar

Stand back -- I think I have an official favorite Dive Bar Shirt Club t-shirt! I opened up the package and loved this thing. It's a faded red and has a distressed logo/design on the front. Very cool looking. It actually reminds me of the Old School t-shirts on WWEShop.com. Well, here's a thing or two about the bar itself:

When you're feelin' kinda parched in old downtown Laramie, you can mosey on over to the Buckhorn. It took more than a hundred years to get it like this, the perfect watering hole for the cowboy spirit that likes to range and ride. Mounted rifles and wildlife are caught in time. Art and artifacts pay their respects to the manly pursuits and the woodsman's blade carves out an adventurous history. There's something in every nook and cranny and each with a story. Some stories were punctuated with fistfights and guns. Random bullet holes remind folks what can happen when one too many meets up with love gone wrong. Upstairs you find the parlor for a different level of amusements. In the old days in this neighborhood the upper floors could mean female pleasures. It's no different at the Buck. You have your own bar, live music and a well-worn dance floor to find your groove with your gal. The night of the hunter is dark and dangerous and you might want to take care. This place can be a temptation to whip out that six-shooter.

Dive Bar Shirt Club: http://www.divebarshirtclub.com/Default.asp

Dive Bar Shirt Club T-Shirt Gallery

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LIVE Raw thoughts - December 5, 2011

11:08 - That was a satisfying ending to an overall strong Raw. However, I continue to find WWE's self awareness, but unwillingness to change, extremely strange. They seem fully aware that fans don't care for Michael Cole and want Jim Ross back. They'll tease us with the possibility of giving us that, but they won't. They make outward reference to Johnny Ace being boring, but they won't replace him. They know most people don't care for the WWE Championship -- to the extent that performers, on the air, will promise to change it -- but they won't give us a new design. It's very unusual.

11:03 - "If you say 'it's your destiny' I'm going to start drinking." Even better than the last line.

11:02 - "That was a lot of information."

10:51 - Bravo, Mr. Ryder, for appearing in three separate segments.

10:44 - Didn't Cole already use the "looking to play spoiler" line earlier tonight?

10:40 - Really? That's how they're reintroducing Evan Bourne?

10:36 - Alright, let's see how this goes...

10:28 - The booking for this Zack Ryder/US storyline is pretty brilliant. The secret, though, is having Zack Ryder actually win the title. This is the perfect example of why I disagree with people who say that wins and titles don't matter. The difference between Ryder winning the match and the title, and Ryder losing and failing to win the title are worlds apart.

10:24 - Gotta love the World Heavyweight Champion being a pawn in the US Title story.

10:18 - Johnny Ace is only MODERATELY interesting when he's acting heelish. Why not just have him be an out-and-out heel? The guy doesn't have the presence to pull off ambiguous.

Also, I love these Kane videos. It would look utterly awesome to have him bring back the towel and mask. I do hope for the full mask, though, not that crappy half one.

10:07 - I love the poetic nature of this match. John Cena has been the one pushing for Ryder to get his US title shot, and now he's the one who crushes those dreams.

10:02 - Did King just claim that Zack Ryder tried to use him to get the rub?

9:55 - I've enjoyed the these viral videos -- rumored to be Chris Jericho. I'm inclined to believe that, because they're so much in the style of Jericho's past two debut videos. Plus the narration of this video included those big words he loves to use.

9:47 - What also didn't help was having Cole point out that Bryan was unable to beat the injured Henry, and then for Lawler to use Bryan's injuries as an excuse for losing.

9:44 - And after Cole ripped him apart and called him a loser, WWE has Alberto Del Rio escape one of Bryan's submission moves, and then makes Bryan tap in a match that lasted about two minutes. So incredibly odd how they can do such a great job building him up, but then tear him down.

9:42 - Remember that highly competitive match that Daniel Bryan had with Mark Henry, where he looked great even in losing? Yeah, Michael Cole just did everything he could to destroy that for anybody who didn't see the show.

9:38 - I actually liked the announcement and implications of Cena vs. Ryder. Very clever, where two friends are forced to fight while both have something to lose. Plus I think Cena will go out of his way to make Ryder look good.

Oh, and that Ladder match is absolutely ridiculous. In a ladder match, both guys are legally allowed to use the ladder as a weapon. If you can just beat the crap out of somebody with a ladder, why even bother with the sledgehammer?

9:26 - That ending made Orton look like a real doofus. I didn't mind him running off and chasing Barrett, thus losing the match, because Orton didn't have anything to win. But why throw Miz back in the ring, allowing him to win?

Oh, and it looks like that WWE Network logo was legit.

9:23 - By the way, WWEShop.com released another line of Limited Edition t-shirts. This is one of my favorite collections, I wish they did them more:

http://www.wweshop.com/category/men/tshirts-limitededition

Orton's is probably the coolest looking (unfortunately, since I'm not a huge fan), but Punk's is pretty sweet also.

9:17 - I have to wonder, when numerous Superstars come out and say they deserve a title shot, the result is always an opportunity to get said title shot. So why doesn't everybody just come down?

And just once I'd love to see the General Manager single somebody out and be like, "Not you. You're completely unqualified."

9:11 - For some reason I thought the line "Who has the most entertaining match of the night......on purpose!" hilarious.

9:01 - And thank the Lord, it looks like CM Punk was FINALLY added to the signature at the opening of the program. About time.

8:57 - Raw starts in about 5 minutes, but before the show starts I thought I'd give some blog news: This week I'll be posting some -- gasp! -- non-wrestling related content! With The Vampire Diaries on hiatus, my television discussions have been extremely limited. As I like to have a diverse readership, that's been somewhat disappointing. Well throughout the week, I'll be discussing four new series that have joined my TV line up: Terra Nova, The Ringer, American Horror Story, and Once Upon a Time. So stay tuned!

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LIVE Smackdown thoughts - November 29, 2011

10:36 - Sorry friends, I had some Internet issues. But I really enjoyed the Henry/Bryan match. Granted, I haven't seen any PPV's since Henry became champion, but I might go as far as to say it was Henry's best match to date. And Bryan looked fine in losing as well. Nicely done and great psychology.

9:46 - Relatively minor quibble, but I don't like Mark Henry coming to the ring with a t-shirt. Henry has an interesting build.....he's built like a house and strong as a horse, but he doesn't LOOK strong in the Batista or John Cena sense. So when he comes wearing a huge shirt, he just sorta looks fat.

9:39 - So since joining WWE AJ has had flings with Primo, Hornswoggle, and Daniel Bryan. And I'm jealous of all three of them. Oh, and Daniel Bryan's ring jacket is all sorts of awesome.

9:29 - I'm not saying that Sheamus should have squashed Hornswoggle -- since the audience is sympathetic towards the little guy -- but I'm also not sure how I feel about turning Sheamus into such a softy either.

9:26 - Michael Cole, of Hornswoggle: "If they're not careful, he could eliminate all four people." Excellently delivered.

9:02 - Wow.....John Morrison sure is going to look like a real wuss if David Otunga appears on Raw this Monday...

9:00 - Alright, who said what? That was an awfully long silent censor.

8:50 - Is there anything more dreadfully boring than those WWE backstage parties?

8:43 - Ever since Kofi abandoned the Jamaican colors and started modeling his attire after pop culture items, his coolness factor has risen significantly in my eyes (and I already liked him!) There's his Slimer and Stay Puffed from Ghostbusters. There's the Robin and Green Lantern trunks. There's the Stormtroopers pair, the U.N. one. Am I missing any other great designs?

8:28 - Out of all of the secondary Nexus/Corre guys (excluding Bryan), I honestly thought Justin Gabriel had the brightest future. He's got a great look, a unique but easy to understand accent, and he's got a style that the audience responds to. And with Mysterio and Sin Cara injured, and Morrison on his way out, why not take advantage of this talent?

8:24 - Here's a prediction I know WILL come true: That "Did You Know" is going to send fans into an uproar.

8:20 - Guess I was wrong. By the way, is it me or does Mick look a lot worse than usual? I don't know if it's his haircut, which doesn't really flatter the shape of his face, or if he's just put on a lot of weight, but his face looks really round.

8:17 - Prediction: There will be a spot where AJ has a chance to win, but can't reach the mistletoe.

8:09 - I like the Make a Wish battle royal idea. This reminds me of Team Bischoff vs. Team Austin, where Bischoff rewarded his winning team by saying he'd grant each member one wish. It lasted multiple weeks and was a clever device. Wouldn't mind seeing something like that again (on a grander scale than tonight).

8:03 - Referring to Daniel Bryan as "Tiny Tim"? Not doing him any favors....

8:01 - What the Hell, why not?

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(Sorta) LIVE Raw thoughts - November 28, 2011

9:30 - When they announced Morrison/Miz instead of Morrison/Brodus Clay, I figured they changed their mind on doing a total squash and decided to let Morrison go out with a spectacular match -- although losing. This seemed like a wasted opportunity to me.

9:26 - "Hey, you know that acrobatic guy? For his last match, let's severely limit his mobility." It's been nice, John. Wish things would've worked out.

9:17 - Yeah I I know that I said this wasn't going to be a full recap, and it won't. But I just had to comment on that opening -- it was fantastic. I don't know what they have planned for Cena, but this is a great way to develop his character. This isn't the first time they've explicitly referenced the boos, but this is the first time they've made it such a central aspect of the character and story. Cena's "Rise Above Hate" irks a lot of people, but it's good to know that it seems to be leading somewhere. Maybe Cena will snap and turn heel. Maybe he'll finally do what Piper wants, and he'll go off on the audience (perhaps turning into a Bret Hart type character, where he just hates a segment of the audience). Whatever it is they are planning, I'm eager to see what's next. I actually wouldn't mind if they took Cena out of the ring for a bit and just developed the angle behind the mic (give him a promo instead of a match at TLC). I'm eager to see where this is going.

8:21 - So there isn't going to be a formal edition of LIVE Raw thoughts tonight, because I'm not feeling very well and I have a lot going on this week for which I need to be healthy. However, there is one Pre-Raw topic of discussion I wanted to bring up. Over on WWE.com, there's a video of Johnny Ace in which he congratulates Punk on his title reign. Admittedly, I didn't watch the video (the character bores me to tears), but it did make me think of Johnny's promo last week where he said he has nothing against Punk.

Which brings me to the discussion: Did we learn nothing from the Triple H debacle? It's counter productive to Punk's character to make him an obnoxious jerk towards somebody who isn't outwardly against him. Much like with Triple H a couple of months ago, when Punk is an ass and the boss retaliates, it doesn't necessarily make the boss look like the bad guy. It makes Punk look like he's getting what he has coming.

Fans are already booing Johnny Ace. In all likelihood, they're NEVER going to cheer him. Plus, the natural progression of his character is to be a bad guy. What's with the resistance? The guy doesn't have the charisma of a Vince McMahon or Eric Bischoff, who can pull off the "gray area." Why not just turn him into an outright bad guy? Again, they're doing Punk no favors otherwise.

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My proud Twitter moment

I've been fortunate enough to have a few of my questions answered by celebrities on Twitter, which is really cool, but for the first time ever somebody actually got a real kick out of it! Somebody asked Lance Storm if he missed wrestling for WWE, to which he said, "Some parts yes, some parts no." I then sent a tweet to Lance saying "Some Parts Unknown?" He responded saying "Big Pop," which made me smile. The small things in life, folks.

Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everybody enjoys the day and eats a lot of delicious food!

If you live in the New York City area, check out ABC news at 4:00 today. There MIGHT (big might) be a story on the firm I work at about our volunteer work this week.

Anyway, have a safe and happy day!

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 21, 2011

11:05 - That was a really curious closing segment, and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Cena isn't typically shy about a large portion of the audience booing him, but it felt like an extra emphasis was placed on it for this promo. It's almost as if they wanted to hammer the point home that there are a lot of people that dislike him, which is an interesting decision (not a bad one, mind you, until we see how it plays out). And even his response seemed to have a bit of a short edge to it. Further, his actions of stirring the pot and then just leaving seemed unusual.

Regarding Miz and Truth breaking up, I thought it worked really well. It did seem a bit rushed -- I mean, in a matter of 2 minutes they went from tight and chummy to coming to blows -- but WWE has recently fallen into this trap where they take so long building up tension between partners that by the time one of them turns, the fans don't even care anymore. So I suppose this is the lesser of two evils.

Having said that, I think the concept of them breaking up happened way too soon. These two worked really well off of each other (and it was mutually beneficial, since neither was in the title picture). And if handled properly, this turn could've happened around the Rumble to build towards a WrestleMania match (and I do think people would have cared about the break up at that point). Perhaps most of all, I just don't think at this point in time, Truth can find success as a character if he's a face. His heel act has been BRILLIANT. His face routine was really, really bland. I don't think this was a great move for him at this point in time.

10:52 - Ha, it just occurred to me that Jonah Hill was supposed to be on the show. At least they're bumping him and not one of their Superstars. Unless you're Brodus Clay.

10:46 - I'm not upset that Barrett won, and it was a great match, but I hate how Kofi is used as enhancement talent in so many situations. Along with being a tag champion, he's also a really talented guy with a great upside.

10:32 - I'm glad Barrett brought back his long jacket. Much better than the overdone t-shirt entrance look.

10:23 - Interesting vignette hinting at Kane's return. I've said it before (and many others have as well) but I really think Kane needs to revert back to the mask. I actually wouldn't mind if they did a hybrid -- bald head, no shirt, but wearing the mask. One thing, though: Please, don't have him wear the last mask he wore, with the mouth section missing. I hated that mask, and it really took away a lot of the allure of him finally unmasking.

By the way, worth nothing that Kane seemed to be wearing the full glove he used to wear with the classic mask, and not the fingerless ones he wore later on (and now).

10:17 - Now that was a really great match. When I do my year end survey next month, Dolph has a legitimate shot at being the breakout star of the year. He began the year feuding with Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship, and since then he's really come into his own with some awesome matches against a variety of Superstars, and his personality has really come through. I wouldn't mind seeing these two feud legitimately in the coming months.

9:57 - Another new theme for Dolph?

9:51 - Looks like we're getting a Booker T/Cody Rhodes feud. I'm fine with that, as I like Booker and he's a talented guy. Plus, I'm sure he'll put Cody over and continue to make him look strong. My only issue is that there are plenty of people on both rosters that can't seem to break through -- so why not give one of them the shot? Like a Justin Gabriel, perhaps?

9:39 - I swear to God, if I see this Triple H/Nash segment one more time....

9:23 - Well, at least Ryder lasted longer against ADR than Morrison did. I don't have a problem with ADR going over clean, either. It was a competitive match, losing didn't hurt Ryder.

9:15 - An enjoyable Punk promo with just the right amount of snark. I'm glad he didn't harp too long on how there are people up top who are against him, because that potential story arc sailed away following the Triple H debacle. I'm also glad that they're not going to go the easy route and continue the ADR feud for another month (although they may). I was actually thinking about this earlier -- this has become such a repetitive crutch that it feels like these feuds never truly end, especially with such frequent title changes. From this point forward, why not say that the rematch clause is reserved for the live events following the title change? It would keep the main event matches fresh, and who knows, maybe it'll encourage some people to buy tickets to house shows.

9:04 - Good call starting the show with Punk. Right decision. Now, let us sit back and enjoy this promo.

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Survivor Series Predictions

I won't be ordering the show tonight. I might have been convinced to do so if there were a couple more traditional matches -- right now, it just feels like an ordinary PPV. The matches are incredibly tough to predict, if only because a lot of the decisions lately have been very questionable. I'll give it a-go, nonetheless.

WWE Championship Match:

Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk

I'd LOVE to see Punk take the title here -- and I'd say there's about a 50% chance that happens. I'm just not fully convinced. However, I don't see Henry losing his title, and I don't see Rock/Cena ending "happily." Even if Punk wins, though, I'm not sure he's going to get a super long reign. Which is too bad.

World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Mark Henry vs. Big Show

I see Henry retaining here. No cash in from Daniel Bryan.

Traditional Survivor Series Match:

Team Orton vs. Team Barrett

I see Orton and Sheamus as sole survivors.

United States Championship Match:

Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison

I see Zack Ryder getting inserted into the match, making it triple threat. If that happens, I could see them pulling the trigger and having Ryder win it. If it remains as a one-on-one match, Ziggler retains.

Divas Championship Match:

Beth Phoenix vs. Eve

I really like Eve, and she's probably the best option of all the babyface Divas, but I would keep the title on Beth.

Rock/Cena vs. Miz/Truth

There are a lot of options here, and I'm sure they'll go with the least inventive. Rock and Cena win, and Rock gives him the Rock Bottom afterwards. Some other possibilities: Rock abandons Cena, and Miz/Truth win; Cena abandons Rock, and Miz/Truth win; purely happy ending with the good guys winning and celebrating; Rock and Cena win, and Cena gives him an AA.

What do you think will happen? And will you be ordering the show?

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 14, 2011

11:03 - To his credit, Boots to Asses is now trending. Then again, so was Mason Ryan at one point tonight.

10:53 - I'm looking at my Twitter page right now. Boots to Asses ain't trending.

10:46 - The size of The Rock disturbs me. Was he ever this big throughout his entire career?

10:37 - I still hope they'll add one more Survivor Series elimination match. There are still plenty of guys who aren't scheduled for matches yet. Ryder, Morrison, Bryan, DiBiase, just to name a few.

10:24 - Speaking of beards, I guess Orton's is gone now.

10:21 - Kevin Nash definitely looks better with the full beard. That thin goatee thing was creepy looking.

10:00 - So what, we don't take off our shirts when we wrestle anymore?

9:52 - I say this every week but ADR has the absolute worst looking beat downs. Nothing about his attacks look brutal.

9:51 - What a coincidence! My brother was wearing the shirt Miz is wearing right now, and I really liked it. Just today I was trying to find it (affordably).

9:48 - So they can't even fit in Brodus for a 3 hour show? Yikes....

9:43 - Told you.

9:40 - Natalya will lose. Natalya always loses. When you consider that Kelly is also on the cover of Maxim, I'd say that her chances are even slimmer. I do love Kelly, though.

9:31 - I am firmly willing to predict that Sheamus and Orton are the survivors of their team.

9:19 - So how many segments are they going to end with the participants explicitly stating that this has been a waste of time? I mean, I'm not really sure what the point of that segment was. I did get a BIT of a kick out of Foley's attempts at a good gesture continually backfiring, but quite honestly Cena and Foley don't have the history that Rock and Foley had to make the comedy of errors work.

Was the whole point to get Cena to give a rousing speech about how the fans can boo him? If so, we've already seen that a bunch of times before. And on top of that, the segment only gave the audience more reasons to boo Cena.

Rock coming in to Rock Bottom Foley was kinda funny and unexpected, though.

9:12 - How did I not know Bull had this accent?

9:07 - I suspect they're purposely going over the top here, but there's no way this music gets the audience supporting Cena.

8:54 - Doesn't wearing one of those balance bands over your wrist tape defeat the purpose?

8:50 - So, could Ziggler be doing double duty two PPVs in a row?

It strikes me as odd that WWE is so incredibly willing to anger their audience with this JR/Cole thing, with seemingly no plan to have it end happily (with JR getting his job back).

8:39 - I know I'm in the vast minority here, but I haven't necessarily been set on fire by the Rock since his return. Granted, I was NEVER a massive Rock fan -- more than any other main eventer, I felt he did as little as possible in the ring in order to get a reaction. Likewise, he relies on catch phrases more than most behind the mic. I am by no means discounting his talent or success -- both are immense. I just feel like, often, he does as little as possible to get a reaction.

Having said that, my issue with the Rock/Cena feud is the same as my issue with the Triple H/Kevin Nash feud. Very, very little of the issues have occurred on-screen. You're expecting your audience to know all of this backstage information. I wish they would show an old interview where Cena badmouthed Rock, because at the moment all we've seen is Rock and Cena talking about all the things they've said about each other.

8:28 - At least JR is doing the announcing, for now.

Hunico went from a potentially marketable Sin Cara impersonator to a stereotypical Konnan impostor. The Black Sin Cara gimmick had some potential, and I think they gave up on it WAY too quickly.

I'm also really disappointed that Cody has abandoned the mask. Sure, the shelf life may have been limited, but the Dr. Doom look was awesome. Cody is great, but there's not a whole lot about him that stands out. The mask set him apart and really let him shine.

8:21 - Usual spiel. Loved Punk, the rest was blah. Honestly, they should have ended it with Punk giving Cole the GTS and then pulling the announce chair out for JR. That would have made Punk a God to the audience.

Nice to see Foley again, by the way. My feelings on Mick as a performer has wavered over the years, but I think his talent is innate and I'm excited to see what he has to offer.

8:16 - Could this be the return of the CM Punk crazy beard?

7:59 - So Twitter has been advertising that the Cole Challenge would kick off Raw. I don't think the future is bright for JR. If they had planned on doing something as drastic as removing Cole from the booth and giving the position back to JR, I don't think they'd be so casual about postponing the match for several weeks. If Cole wins, nothing changes. He remains as the announcer and JR stays gone. So postponing it, if the end result is Cole winning, is a "no harm, no foul" situation. Not looking good for Mr. Ross, although I hope I'm wrong.

7:49 - We're about 10 minutes from a supersized Super Show. I'll do my best to keep this coverage going for the whole three hours, but I hurt my back today and my chair, while comfortable, is not quite as alluring as my bed. Plus I may need to run out for a bit.

How about a quick pre-Raw discussion? Christian is officially off of, eck, Team Barrett. Who replaces him? The easy answer is Epico or Primo, who have aligned with Hunico against Sin Cara. But do they want to waste a spot on people so low on the card? My bet is on Brodus Clay, who dominates in his "debut" match tonight, and immediately gets picked up by Barrett. What do you think?

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Family Guy: Why last night's episode wasn't (too) controversial

If you were watching my tweets last night, you'll know that I found last night's episode of Family Guy absolutely hilarious. I absolutely LOVED seeing the sleek, high definition animation interact with the crude drawings from the pilot episode. The meta references were great as well, like Brian bringing up Stewie's early unusual manner of speaking and Stewie remarking that the TV wasn't even plugged in. Plus, the glimpse into how animation may look in a few years was fun as well. I thought it was great -- one of the rare moments where Family Guy clearly dominated against the usually stellar American Dad.

Yet when I came online today, I was shocked to see a mini-uproar over the references to 9/11 (unfortunately, even Inside Pulse joined in on the act). Why? Why was this a controversy? First and foremost, the jokes that were made were relatively tame compared to what we're used to seeing (I mean, c'mon, a song about somebody having AIDS?) Secondly, I really think that people are missing the point regarding the whole 9/11 thing -- both on a comedic and philosophical level.

On the comedic level, the fact that Stewie and Brian were high fiving about 9/11 happening IS the joke. They discovered that something far worse happened when they prevented 9/11 (millions of people, opposed to thousands, were killed in a Civil War). In order to prevent that catastrophe, they had to allow the original to happen. Within the context of the show, 9/11 was the lesser of two evils, so yes, they were happy about it. But to the viewer -- who knows that this future Civil War is fake -- the dark humor is seeing these two characters cheering for an awful thing that really happened.

On a philosophical level, it's worth noting that 9/11 was the one thing that they attempted to prevent. For all the discussion about them making light of what happened, how about the fact that it was the one event that, if given the ability to go back in time, they would try to stop from happening?

Make no mistake about it -- 9/11 was a tragic event and many, many people lost somebody dear to them. But I honestly don't believe last night's episode was ABOUT allowing 9/11 to happen. It just feels like people are trying to find controversy where there isn't one.

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Top Ten Cases: Best Mustaches in Wrestling (Movember Special)

Enjoy!

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Inside Pulse Relaunch #7

http://insidepulse.com/

Today marked the relaunch of Inside Pulse (the website I contribute to) and overall I think it looks great. This is the most uniformed the site has ever been, in my view, which I actually appreciate. There was a time that I liked how each zone had its own identity, but now I think websites typically look more professional and "cleaner" when the appearance is more or less universal. Also, be sure to check out my author page (I'll get around to updating the graphics shortly):

http://insidepulse.com/insider/mattbasilo/

So, what do you all think of the new look?

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-9

Since none of my friends watch The Vampire Diaries, and I don’t frequent message boards (in order to avoid spoilers), I’m really not sure what the overall perspective of this season has been. But, for my money, the third season has been on fire! It’s really been one great episode after another, and even the “filler” episodes have provided some fun moments and/or interesting character development. None of the storylines have seemed rushed or illogical, and the character shifts have not only been fun, but they’ve also made me care more about each individual character. Am I alone here, or has everybody been enjoying the season thus far?

Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-9"....

Alright, with that (straightforward) gushing out of the way, this week was the mid-season finale and it was a pretty explosive episode (and that would be gushing that isn’t straightforward). In its final few seasons, Smallville relied heavily on the “___ days/hours ago” manner of storytelling and it usually worked, even though it was entirely unnecessary at times. I was a tad worried this episode would fall into that category (I mean, why begin with Stefan on the phone with Klaus, only to flash back mid-discussion to the preparation for the phone call?) but looking back (ha!) it was actually a really fun, exciting way to tell the story. Yes, that initial example may have been a bit much, but not knowing how things were going to play out – and then fully understanding why things happened the way they did – made for a pretty thrilling hour.

Remember what I said in the introduction about how I cared about all of the characters? Well, that was an important aspect of this episode, as everybody played a part in the night’s events. And through it all, their motivations made sense, and you truly understood their nature. It quickly became obvious that Mikael is NOT a good guy. As Rebekah noted, he was the one who made the family into monsters, and he was the one who had mistreated Klaus throughout his life. And when push came to shove, he had absolutely no qualms about murdering Elena – an innocent, powerless girl who was on his side. For her part, Rebekah ended up being a relatively sweet girl who was willing to kill her brother, despite loving him, because she knew it was for the best (and for that matter, Elena staking Rebekah was a pretty shocking, bad ass moment). Tyler showed that he was still willing to do whatever it took to protect his friends, even though he was under the control of Klaus.

Probably my favorite character performances, however, were Stefan and Katherine. When Damon oh-so-casually mentioned that Katherine told him that Mikael feeds on vampires, I grinned ever so slightly, as it confirmed that she survived the attack. After hearing that, I did suspect her to play a role in the conclusion (and I loved that Mikael didn’t realize it was Katherine and not Elena). And Stefan continued his fun turn as a guy who doesn’t really give a damn, but still has a soft spot for his brother. And, like last week, it was his loyalty to Damon that led to Klaus’ survival (likewise, it was Elijah’s loyalty to HIS family that caused him to save Klaus last season).

In fact, the flashback between Katherine and Stefan, where their portion of the plan was revealed, was perhaps my favorite part of the entire episode. Since Katherine’s return, most of her scenes have been with Damon (which I’ve enjoyed), but her interaction with Stefan this episode was a lot of fun. I loved how Katherine disappeared from the party to wake Stefan, so that – unbelievably – she could knock him out of his senses so that they could save Damon. And in the car, she finally revealed to Stefan that there is a piece of humanity in her, and that she did truly love both of them. It was actually a really great series of scenes, adding a great deal of complexity to all of the characters involved. Actually, Stefan and Katherine as a bad ass pair that don’t give a damn (but kinda sorta do) could be a whole lot of fun over the second half of the season.

Well, that’s it for the mid-season finale. See you guys in January! In the meantime, be sure to visit my blog and, of course, follow me on Twitter!

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Wrestling Rushmore

Over on Twitter, somebody asked former WWE writer Seth Mates who he would include on his wrestling Mount Rushmore. I disagreed with Seth's answer (Vince, Undertaker, Cena, and Rock). If I was forced to choose, I think I'd go with Vince, Hogan, Austin, and Flair. Vince because he's the pioneer of wrestling and the only genuine constant. Hogan because he was the face behind the first wrestling boom, and at the end of the day he's THE MOST recognizable person in wrestling history. Austin because he rejuvenated the industry and brought upon arguably the biggest boom, pop culture wise. And then there's Flair, an absolute legend and perhaps the most respected wrestler ever by his peers.

It remains to be seen what impact John Cena will have on wrestling history, but I'm not sure how you could include him (or Taker or Rock) and not Austin and Hogan. What do you guys think -- who would be on your Wrestling Rushmore?

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 7, 2011

11:08 - That was the right ending but an incredibly lame one as well. The kick looked weak, the camera barely caught it, and Truth holding down Cena's leg really shouldn't have had any impact on Cena lifting his shoulder. I didn't expect it to be clean, but it shouldn't have been THAT fluke-ish. I still don't feel like they've presented a story that leads us to think Cena truly needs Rock -- to the extent that they're putting their rivalry on hold.

11:02 - I hope Ryder doesn't eat the pin tonight. Again, it won't create suspense that Cena needs help.

10:47 - Gotta admit, that was pretty cool how they filmed the Rock/Cena teaming up Survivor Series bus, and then panned up to the Rock/Cena opponents against each other at WrestleMania banner.

10:41 - So are they ever going to mention that Punk and Otunga were both in the Nexus? And another bait and switch by putting off Brodus' debut?

10:37 - So why isn't Punk coming out? Shouldn't he still want to take out Nash?

10:35 - Further, why are people surprised that Nash attacked Triple H? Why wouldn't he? In storyline terms, Triple H sided with Punk over him, punched him in the face, and then fired him.

10:34 - No matter how many times you show me the replay of the Nash/Triple H attack, I still won't care.

10:25 - I wouldn't mind the Divas of Destruction retreating so often if they at least won most of their matches. Natalya almost always jobs and Beth loses just as much as she wins. Let these girls kick a little ass, so that the fans can rally behind a babyface Diva to take them down. I just don't see them as much of a threat at the moment.

10:17 - Why was AJ's music playing as Kelly Kelly was walking through the hallway?

10:14 - Is it me or does Jack Swagger look exceptionally tan tonight?

10:04 - Great segment with Punk. It occurs to me that, aside from that brief interaction with Nash, this is really the first time since Punk's face turn that we've seen him let loose on the mic against a heel. Think about it -- his victims up until now have primarily been Cena and Triple H, both babyfaces. It's refreshing seeing him against somebody where a segment of the audience doesn't have to wonder whether or not it's okay to cheer. Oh, and is it me, or does ADR have the worst looking beatdowns out of anybody in the main event/upper midcard scene? His attacks look awful.

9:51 - Over on Twitter, Gregory Helms just called the heel announcer routine "old" and I'm inclined to agree with him. One of my favorite commentating teams of the modern era was Michael Cole and Tazz, and neither of them explicitly played a heel or face. They were just two guys who sometimes agreed and sometimes didn't, and their views always seemed consistent and real. It's a routine that works and doesn't annoy or insult your audience.

9:42 - Still wondering why Wade Barrett is the captain of his team.

9:30 - Granted....my contacts dried out so I had to switch to my glasses, but I'm PRETTY sure I just saw John Morrison win a match! Wow! Let's hope this is a turning point for Morrison. I've been saying it all year, but John Morrison is a truly unique talent and unlike anybody else they have. Backstage politics aside, they're wasted a special talent.

9:15 - WWE gets a lot of criticism -- and trust me, it's well deserved -- but in the past year guys like Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder have really made a name for themselves. And guys like CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Christian have had incredible years -- probably the best of their careers. That doesn't excuse their mistakes, but still...

By the way, we now have Morrison against Ziggler. A year or so ago Morrison was beating Ziggler consistently in their feud. Let's see how long he lasts before losing clean to Ziggler this match.

9:10 - A year ago -- hell, even a couple months ago -- would you have imagined Zack Ryder getting the hot save (with theme music) for John Cena in the opening segment of Raw? Great moment for Ryder and you can't help but be happy for him.

9:07 - I admire the fact that they're digging themselves out of their own grave regarding Cena beating Miz and Truth last week, but I can't help but wonder why they didn't just avoid that altogether when they had the chance.

9:01 (seconds later) - Yep, there it is.

9:01 - They're in England? Guess we'll be seeing the old school phone booth.

8:22 - Raw starts in less than an hour. I haven't read the spoilers -- nor do I plan to -- but I thought we might jump into a Pre-Raw discussion. WWE.com recently announced that a traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series match would happen at the upcoming PPV. Hopefully this isn't the only one. Anyway, it'll be Team Orton (Randy Orton, Sheamus, Sin Cara, Kofi Kingston, and Mason Ryan) vs. Team Barrett (Wade Barrett, Christian, Cody Rhodes, Hunico, and Jack Swagger). Aside from the fact that they need to bring back those goofy team names (I hate these "Team Enter Last Name" names), I can't help but be surprised that Wade Barrett is considered the captain of his team. His push isn't even that strong, and up until a few weeks ago he was getting his ass handed to him by John Cena. As this alliance emerged, it seemed like Christian was the mastermind/instigator. Plus he's a former World Champion. And then there's Cody Rhodes. He's getting a pretty strong push as well, and he's the one who's feuding with Orton (the other team's captain). Barrett just seemed like a really strange choice, given the options. What do you all think?

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Dive Bar Shirt Club: Friar Tuck

Just a few days after receiving my October shirt, my November shirt has arrived! And perhaps in tribute to everybody's favorite wrestler, this bar comes straight from Chicago! I wonder if I was there when I visited a couple of years ago. Anyway, here you go....

This 40-year-old neighborhood bar is literally a hole in the wall. It serves up a heaping helping of ye old atmosphere while celebrating the monk's holy-est water....beer. Dark walls are covered with photos of past patrons "tucked" behind Plexiglas doors. You'll discover decades of awesome bar going fashion like 70's bell-bottoms and beards and 80's mullets and mustaches. Beyond that you'll find a crackling fire and Friar Tuck himself raising his glass to the star of the show....a sheep. Many places have embarrassing birthday traditions and friends just love forcing them on you. You might say Friar Tuck holds the trophy for the best or most humiliating depending on your point of view. It's a very popular tradition to drink a birthday shot out of an inflatable sheep's butt while the whole bar sings happy birthday to you.

Dive Bar Shirt Club: http://www.divebarshirtclub.com/Default.asp

Dive Bar Shirt Club T-Shirt Gallery

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-8

It feels like only a couple of episodes ago I was remarking that The Vampire Diaries resorted to flashback in order to tell their stories a few too many times. Yet, I have to admit, I really enjoyed this episode (although I was initially skeptical). In fact, it may have been the best flashback episode yet.

So, why was I skeptical? Well, when we saw Alaric going through the cave and realizing that the symbols represented everything they had dealt with, conceivably tying it all together, I couldn’t help but have bad Heroes flashbacks of my own. When the writing of Heroes really started falling apart, they seemed to discover something from their past that seemed to conveniently rewrite their own mythology. On a fairly consistent basis. Thankfully, The Vampire Diaries hasn’t experienced the same writing struggles, so this episode avoided that fate.

Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-8"....

Truth be told, I really liked the flashbacks because they provided a clear cut explanation about the origins of vampires (something I don’t think they did last season) and they managed to do it in a very personal manner. The original witch wasn’t just an ordinary person – it was the mother of Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah. And Mikael isn’t some vampiric vampire hunter – he’s their father. And vampirism in itself wasn’t some diabolical affront against God – it was a parent’s desperate attempt to keep his children and family alive. Until the reveal at the end, I wondered if they were going to realign the season’s story arc because Klaus was coming across as so sympathetic. I thought they were perhaps going to have all of them band together to take on Mikael. In the final moments, however, we learned that Klaus was actually the one who killed his mother, and that he had been psychologically keeping Rebekah and Elijah hostage for thousands of years. It was a really well told story, and for the first time I cared about these new characters as something more than just antagonists.

I often applaud this show for giving us odd or different pairings, but if there’s one twosome that’s always a homerun it’s Stefan and Damon. These two characters just bring out the best in each other, and this was really the first time we saw “bad” Stefan with “good” Damon, in a non-adversarial capacity. And it worked really, really well. When Damon told Stefan that he likes the edge, Stefan just needs to learn to stop falling off of it, I sensed that he wasn’t just “playing” his brother – I really think Damon would be in a state of bliss if Stefan was just like him. Yes, he wants Stefan to go back to his Boy Scout ways because he wants what’s best for him and for Elena, but I really do believe that Damon would be perfectly happy if Stefan was a dick who showed some restraint.

And I really did enjoy the fact that Damon’s life being in danger was what (kinda sorta) made Stefan come to his senses. While it was meant to sound somewhat tragic, I actually found it sweet when Elena remarked (possibly correctly) that Stefan’s love for Damon will be what saves him, not his love for Elena.

This was really a two story episode, so there’s not much else to say about the episode. Which is odd, because so much happened and I really did like it. Oh, I still hope that Katherine isn’t dead!

Anyway, next week is the show’s mid-season finale and it looks pretty thrilling. See you then!

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LIVE Raw thoughts - October 31, 2011

10:42 - So there's only about 20 minutes left and we have the Triple H update (which will be entirely too long), the JR/Cole bout, and Miz/Cena. A lot of show to pack in for a relatively short time. Anyway, I don't mean to leave you guys hanging, but I'm going to lie down. I have to wake up about an hour earlier than usual tomorrow, so I want to pass out pretty much right after the show ends. If that fails, I'll see about updating my post. But enjoy the rest of the show! And of course, comment below.

10:41 - Good for Zack Ryder. If he's able to maintain this momentum -- and I hope he does -- he's a legitimate self-made Superstar. Again, good for him.

10:13 - I'm a bit surprised they had Big Show beat ADR, especially in such a clean fashion. I enjoyed the CM Punk segment, though. By the way, I couldn't make out the design on Punk's tights earlier, but I think I figured it out: They're spiderwebs. And the black and orange is for Halloween.

10:06 - This is a surprisingly competitive match. And pitting the Big Show and ADR against each other does, to an extent, excuse the Punk/Henry match from earlier in the night. Then again, let's see how the match plays out.

9:48 - A six man feud between Christian, Barrett, and Cody against Sheamus, Kofi, and Bourne could be a lot of fun. However -- and I'm not the first one to say this -- I hate when they kick off a feud for the title by having a challenger beat the champion in a non-title bout. Lacks all originality.

9:34 - I'm glad they did the logical thing and put Sheamus and Beaker in a skit together. So I guess the Muppets are real in this universe?

9:25 - The Muppets stuff was pretty harmless. I'm not sure what the reaction will be overall. But I did laugh at Miss Piggy's "Is she a cowboy or a pirate?" comment. And it's a fair question!

9:15 - I hate when they use the World Heavyweight Champion as fodder to advance the WWE Championship story. If they wanted to put Punk up against an unstoppable monster, how about using Sheamus (and if they wanted to avoid a face/face match, how about a debuting Brodus Clay, who already has a history with ADR)? By the way, will WWE EVER let Punk fight his own battles? First Triple H takes out Nash, and now Mark Henry gets the best of Ricardo. Sheesh.

9:07 - I didn't talk about this at length last week, but I didn't quite care for the manner in which they had Cena pick Rock as his partner. I didn't buy his motivation. Why can he trust Rock more than, say, CM Punk -- who has fought by his side and who has also been at the receiving end of a Miz/Truth beatdown? and what motivation does Rock have to help him? It just didn't make sense to me. And the way it played out, it seemed like Cena was reaching out for Rock's assistance -- and Rock got to look cool and bad ass by telling him no (and then got to look like the hero when he changed his mind and said yes). This did Cena no favors.

Instead, I would have had Cena show a little edge and go on and on about how he has been getting brutally attacked week in and week out, while Rock is out filming movies and having a stunt double do all of the physical work. So to even the odds, he's asking Rock to put his money where his mouth is and fight alongside him. That way Cena and Rock get to team up while still reminding the audience that they're fighting at WrestleMania, and neither person has to look bad at the expense of the other.

8:41 - No pre-Raw discussion today, however I do hope that WWE takes advantage of this opportunity and delivers us something special. Between Halloween and the Muppets -- who, it seems, has quite an audience -- WWE has the chance to do something fun and different. Last time they had that shot, with the walkout, they blew it. I hope they come through this time around.

By the way, I had intended on posting a Top Ten Cases video this weekend. It's got a Halloween theme, but due to the big snow storm that hit us I didn't have a chance to work on it. And plus, I'm not done with the rankings yet. So please bear with me when I post a Halloween-centric list days after Halloween. Thanks, pals.

Come back at 9:00 for my LIVE thoughts.

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