Week of October 3, 2003
Missed your favorite shows? No problem. Primetime updated gives you the rundown on what happened on TV this week.
Friends
Last week we left the show with Joey and Rachel sharing a “goodnight kiss” with Ross looking on from the doorway. This week’s episode centers on Ross’s inability to deal with this newfound relationship. In an attempt not to show his disapproval, Ross becomes overly accepting and goes so far as to invite the new couple to have dinner with him and Charlie. The dinner turns into a drunken disaster, with Ross having more than his share of the margaritas, and then carrying a hot pot without oven mitts. After Charlie leaves the “party” Rachel and Joey share a moment where they verbalize the possibility that Ross may never be OK with their dating. Rachel leaves as well, and Ross and Joey fall asleep on the couch. In the morning Ross’s true feelings are revealed that he wants to be OK with the new love, and that after 6 years of not being a couple with Rachel, his feelings shouldn’t stand in the way of Joey and Rachel’s happiness. In the end, Ross decides that, since he’s with Charlie, it’s time to move on.
Speaking of moving on, since being married Monica and Chandler discovered that they couldn’t bear their own children. This episode begins their journey into the adoption process. Monica isn’t getting any answers from the paperwork the agency gave her, and so Phoebe sets the couple up with another couple she knows, who’ve been through the process and are willing to answer any questions they have. Upon meeting them, Monica is in awe at the wife’s organizational skills while Chandler leaves for the bathroom. On his trip to the bathroom he runs into the little boy that the couple had adopted and not knowing the boy doesn’t know, Chandler reveals the “secret” to the boy, who doesn’t react well and confronts his parents about it. Monica and Chandler leave.
Phoebe’s boyfriend Mike isn’t in this episode, but remember her little brother Frank, and his triplets, which Phoebe gave birth to? They’re back and the babies are older now, and time has taken its toll on the young father. It becomes the subject of discussion that Frank may need to get rid of one of the triplets, and Phoebe inquires which one and why. In discussing each child, Frank remembers the positive aspects and in the end decides that he couldn’t possibly give any of them to Phoebe. However, since she is his sister and loves the triplets more than anything, Phoebe offers to baby-sit anytime Frank and Alice need it.
The end clip of the show involves Phoebe and the triplets at Central Perk, and Monica and Chandler arrive, and tell Phoebe how they injured the family home of her friends. Chandler then, jokingly, reveals to the triplets that Phoebe gave birth to them, and then discusses how he’s going to tell Emma that she was an accident.
Friends airs on Thursdays at 8:00pm Alberta Time, on Global (channel 7 in Calgary)
SURVIVOR: Pearl Islands
At the conclusion of last week’s episode, the Morgan tribe had suffered 3 consecutive losses and no wins, and had gone to tribal council to vote out Skinny Ryan. This week’s episode was not much different.
We see the drastic contrast between the two tribes especially through the topics of conversation they choose. On the one hand, we have Drake, who laugh merrily and stuff their faces with fish and other foods. They make one small attempt to search for their treasure, however give up as they only have one piece of their map. There is even a fight between Jon and Sandra about who is the better, stronger, swimmer. The fight includes yelling and swearing but is easily ended by Jon giving Sandra the last word. It’s funny as well, to see Jon sitting out of the next challenge. On the other hand, the Morgan tribe are continuously discussing game strategy and wearing out all possibilities in their minds before any decisions are made. They still have no food and are complaining of the sleeping conditions. Lill goes so far as to whine about missing her husband and cry about the thought of her possible departure from the island. Interesting too is the producer’s choice of musical accompaniments for each segment. Those involving the Drake tribe are accompanied by merry pirate music, which emphasizes the excitement of the festivities, whereas Morgan’s activities are accompanied by soft mourning music. This pitiful tribe better pull themselves together before they disintegrate into nothing.
The reward challenge involves the sinking of boats, as each tribe has two. Tools to be used are a hook to pull corks out, a bucket to either bail ones own water or splash water into the opposition’s craft, and paddles, to steer around the enclosure. The reward: an air mattress, four blankets, four pillows, a piece of the treasure map, and the chance to steal any item from the opposite team’s camp. Drake takes an easy victory as Osten’s choice to stand up on his own boat easily submerges it and shortly following that Rupert uses brute strength to push one end of the Morgan’s second boat underwater and it too is easily submerged. This fourth loss leaves the Morgan tribe doubting themselves.
Drake, again, must decide what kind of item they want to pirate from their foe. The discussion surrounds the idea of a water pot. Some people look at it as a smart move, since they only have one and if they have two, and Morgan wins the right to steal, they will always have at least one. However, remember from last week, it seemed Morgan only had one, which they used to boil water, and so taking their water source seemed a cruel idea. However, it is wonderful Rupert who reminds us that they are pirates, and so the tribe sends Christa, the 24-year-old engaged computer programmer from Los Angeles California, to loot Morgan’s pot. It is made known, however, that they do have another one to use a source of water, so they are not yet decimated.
In the middle of their pity party, Morgan’s scout leader, Lill, takes off to go fishing alone and ends up losing their last hook. Ryan O, and Andrew spend time complaining that if she had waited for one of them to go, (since the presence of any arrogant man can prevent bad things from happening) it never would have happened. As a back up, Ryan O tries to make a fishing tool out of an old decrepit piece of netting. Andrew, who you may remember is the tribe leader, explains to viewers that Drake’s success comes only from the Euphoria of their winning streak, and not from actual skill, determination, and teamwork. He predicts that if Morgan wins one event, they too will enjoy a winning streak.
This leaves us at the immunity challenge which is a test of pure strength and will. Each team’s smallest member is suspended above the water using a rope and pulley which runs to the beach, where the rest of the tribe must hold on as long as they can. Every 5 minutes one tribe member must let go until finally it is a battle between Osten and Rupert. After over two hours, Osten is the first to give in, and he lets go of the rope. Morgan suffers their 5th consecutive loss and must again go to tribal council.
Since we have a core alliance of Andrew, Tijuana, Osten, and Ryan O, the options for the vote are Darrah and Lillian. We haven’t seen much of Darrah so far this season, but as a refresher she is the 22 year old single mortician from Liberty, MS. Lillian on the other hand, has been the mother hen of the group. We’ve seen her start the fires, rat out Nicole (the first chick kicked out) and befriend the skinny guy (Ryan, who was the second kicked out). In this episode we’ve seen her disobey the men (who happen to form the core alliance) and lose the tribe’s only food source. Although her loyal puppy dog attitude would seem more important that Darrah’s strength, we know Morgan needs to win some challenges soon, or perish as the pirates did. Their choice:to vote out Lillian, whose final comments include saying her mistake was not going farther in the game and representing her scouts and her husband for a longer period of time. You go, mum!
In the preview for the next episode we see Drake contemplate losing immunity on purpose as an attempt to get rid of a pest, as well as Osten yelling for help at one of the challenges. Andrew and Ryan go in search of a good fishing spot, but instead they find themselves in a dangerous situation: lost in the jungle without water. One tribe recovers a buried treasure. But will it have been worth the search? The Immunity Challenge shocks the tribes with an unexpected reward. Lubricated by whiskey, one Survivor creates a spectacle at a Tribal Council that is not to be missed. Will Drake throw immunity and will Osten put aside his pride? Find out next week, on Survivor.
Survivor airs on Thursdays at 9:00pm Alberta time on Global (channel 7 in Calgary)
The Bachelor
Well, funny story this one. I’ve been on vacation for the last 8 days, and I asked my step dad to tape the Bachelor. Instead, he taped Survivor and Friends, as well as CSI, which I watched while I was away. To make matters worse, I couldn’t even find a website half decent enough to allow myself to BS my way through this blurb. Some chicks got kicked off, that all I know. If there’s anyone out there who did watch it, please email me and let me know if anything interesting happened. =)
If you’re not familiar with the show, the progress is as follows: In an effort to find a bride, Bob Guiney searches for his dream girl, as he is introduced to 25 single women. On the first episode, Bob will narrow it down to 15 women. On the second episode, he will take five women at a time on three different dates. Then, he will choose to keep eight. After introducing the women to two of his friends, they helped him narrow the field to four. Then, with the remaining four, he will meet their families and they met his. Finally, Bob will narrow it to three, and he will go on a fantasy date with each. For the last show, there were only two remaining, and he will select THE ONE.
The Bachelor airs Wednesdays at 9:00pm (E/P)
If there are any other shows you want updates on, or any comments in response to my comments, please email me at abaldwin@shaw.ca and I’ll see what if I’m interested or if I can clarify my opinions!