Author: Shane

Heroes Season 2 Episode 2

Heroes Season 2 episode 1 saw the debut of some new heroes (Maya, Alejandro, and West), Claire and her father’s (failed) attempts to be normal, Hiro trying to rehabilitate his hero Takezo Kensei, and at the end, Peter Petrelli… with amnesia. It’s almost time for another live blog. In the meantime, check out the spoilers (part 1 and part 2).

The guys looking for the iPods slap Peter around some. He tells them he doesn’t know how he got in there, but they don’t buy it.

Claire complains (again) because she doesn’t want to be normal, and her father tells her his job isn’t a normal 9-5 job but rather keeping his family safe.

Then his wife pulls out the paper showing the photo of Hiro’s father, and she makes him tell her what’s going on. He knew it was going to happen because Isaac painted it. The painting was 1 of 8, and he wants to find the other 7.

Parkman just so happens to get assigned to the case and pretends he doesn’t know the person who died. A witness saw someone push him off the roof, yet there’s only one body. Ando stops by and tells him the mark on the photo is the crest of Takezo Kensei.

Back in the 1600s, Hiro’s still trying to smack some sense into Takezo. Unable to get anywhere, he puts on the mask and fills in for him.

In school, Claire’s learning about lizards capable of cellular mutation. She asks whether it’s possible for people to be able to heal themselves. West gets (more) suspicious.

Bob finds a man with abilities who’s got a virus, the one that killed Suresh’s sister. The only cure for the virus is Suresh’s blood, so he goes to meet him.

Maya and Alejandro find someone who says she will help them without needing money.

Peter’s tied up and bloody. Caitlin walks in to try a kinder way of getting something out of him, rather than just letting her brother beat him up more. She asks his name, but he can’t even remember that. Eventually, he heals himself, and neither can figure out why.

When he arrives, Suresh is told the hero he went to save (the Haitian) doesn’t want the cure, but he insists.

A woman says she’s a healer and offers to help Maya. Alejandro says no, but she insists, only to find out that Maya can’t be healed. She thinks she’s been cursed.

Hiro confronts the enemy. He says he doesn’t need a sword, then takes all theirs. So they gets out the bows, and he makes all of them come to him as well. The swordsmith’s daughter is impressed by this display.

Peter breaks free of his ropes. Someone comes to shoot Caitin. By this time, though, Peter’s figured out how to use his abilities and defends her.

West waits for Claire after class and brings her Suresh’s book. She blows him off and tells him she was just bored in class.

While trying to flee to America, Maya kills again, but Alejandro is able to reverse the damage and return the woman to life.

Claire’s car gets stolen after she left it unlocked, which her dad uses as a metaphor for the larger problems at hand. He warns her that she’s freer there than she would be if she were to be found out.

Mrs. Petrelli is being questioned by the police, and Parkman learns the motive for the murder of Hiro’s father was revenge. She then gets attacked out of nowhere and hands over the photo of herself, which contains the same symbol.

Peter gets blackmailed into helping settle the score over the problems that will be caused by him attacking the guys who came after Caitlin. In exchange for his assistance, he’ll get everything that was on him when they found him.

Hiro promises to make Takezo the hero the swordsmith’s daughter sees. As soon as they step outside, Takezo gets shot and dies. Until he’s healed that is.

It doesn’t take the Haitian long to find Claire’s dad.

Thinking about what her teacher said about pinky toes not being necessary, Claire cuts hers off, hoping it will regenerate, which it does. Obviously, she does this in front of an open window with West watching. He leaves the book he had earlier and takes off, and that’s where chapter 2 ends.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live blog of Heroes Season 2 episode 3, which airs Monday at 9/8c on NBC.

Watch Heroes Online!

Prison Break Season 3 Episode 3

In Prison Break Season 3 episode 2, Michael got Whistler out of his hiding place and cleared his name with Lechero. Now he just needs to figure out how to break him out of prison. Stick around for another live blog. After that, don’t miss the live blog of Heroes Season 2 episode 2.

Link’s in his room looking through the bird book with names and numbers. He gets the pictures he asked for of LJ and Sara, then hears a noise and turns around to find Sucre, who just wants some money and isn’t interested in helping.

Scofield offers to help Lechero out with Sona. Lechero makes it perfectly clear it’s his show and he doesn’t want to be bothered. After that, Link goes to visit Michael with the picture of Sara, pointing to a specific spot in the newspaper, which they believe tells them where she’s being held. Michael tells him it’s already been three days, and he’s got nothing, so if he can’t break out, Lincoln’s going to have to break her out of where she’s being held.

Michael asks Whistler who he is, and he says he’s just a fisherman. He then asks McGrady for a cell phone, which only Lechero has access to. Link tells Susan she must let Michael speak to Sara, and that it’s a demand, not a request. Scofield turns to a reliable old friend to get the phone, T-Bag. He threatens to tell about his crimes if he doesn’t help him out.

Whistler’s girlfriend Sophia stops by and is happy he’s still alive. She tells him that Scofield’s brother took the book. She asks who that is, but he tells he tells her as little as possible. She asks what she can do, and he says nothing.

Whistler gets angry that Link has the book and treats Michael like the enemy. The response he gets is that Sara’s all that matters, and that he doesn’t care about him or his book.

Mahone starts going crazy without his little pills. He meets with his public defender, who tells him his trial date is a year away, “great news” since it’s less than the average of two and a half years. He says that he’s got a guy on the inside (Scofield) who will testify on his behalf, which he’s told doesn’t matter because it’s one inmate taking the fall for another. So Mahone asks for his pills to be smuggled into the prison. Needless to say, this doesn’t go over well.

T-Bag unplugged the phone so it was dead and still needed to be charged. After Lechero says to leave it to charge and heads off for his haircut, T-Bag grabs it and gives it to Michael, telling him he’s got less than half an hour. He calls Link, but Link lets him know Susan hasn’t even agreed to let Sara talk to him yet. Link tells her to stop pretending she’s in charge because she needs them. They get their way, and Sara calls Michael. She tells him it’s a lost cause but then gives him a vague clue indicating that the original interpretation of the first clue was wrong. She’s forced to hang up, and then Michael dashes to put the phone back where it belongs. He’s almost caught by Lechero, but T-Bag interrupts and lets him get away. Because the phone wasn’t placed back in the charger all the way, though, Lechero gets suspicious and redials, calling Link, who hangs up.

Sophia pulls a knife on Link, who tells her what’s really going on and says they’re on the same side and she should talk to her boyfriend. He then hops in a cab to try to figure out what Sara saw. He’s looking around trying to find her, and she sees him and throws something out a window to break it. He charges into the building and proceeds to beat the crap out of people, but they manage to get LJ and Sara into a van and take them away. After that, he breaks the bad news to Michael but tells him it’s got to be possible to break out because otherwise they wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of setting this up.

Whistler explains his story to Michael and tells him he needs the book to plan what to do after they escape. Michael tells him his only concern is getting him out of there and that what happens afterward is not his concern. I’m sure that will change soon enough.

Lechero’s other men start to harass T-Bag and say they’ve got him figured out. In retaliation, he tells Lechero that they’re trying to take him down because they’re not getting their cut.

Link gets back to a passed out Sucre and gets a call from Susan. She tells him he’s never going to try anything like that again. Just so they’re clear, she tells him to check in the garage, where he finds a box. What’s in the box? We’ll find out next week. What do you think is in the box?

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live blog of Prison Break Season 3 episode 4, which airs Monday at 8/7c on Fox.

Watch Prison Break Online!

Life Is Wild Episode 1

Life Is Wild is one of The CW’s new shows this season, about a family that moves to South Africa. The father is a vet, and his ex-wife (now deceased) lived there as a child. Replacing 7th Heaven (and before then, the only show to ever work for The WB on Sunday night, Charmed), it’s got some big shoes to fill. Based on the UK series Wild at Heart, the show has been referred to as African 7th Heaven by some.

The show starts off with the family driving through Africa. They pull over to take a rest, only to realize an elephant is charging toward them. Everybody hides in the car, but the father, Colin (Calvin Goldspink) is like Dr. Doolittle and calms it down.

Katie (Leah Pipes, also the narrator) has a flashback to why they’re there in the first place. The parents decided to move to South Africa as a chance for the stepfamily to get closer. They go to stay at her mom’s father’s “cutting edge” lodge, which is not quite what everyone was anticipating. When they get there, they’re greeted by a drunk, half conscious grandfather, Art (David Butler), who informs them of the snakes and warthog.

Katie tries to convince herself the year will just fly right by despite the lack of her friends and a computer but tells her father she’s blaming him if everything goes off track. He promises her she’ll thank him one day. Jo (Stephanie Niznik, Everwood/Nina), meanwhile, is upset it’s not a modern facility that she could actually assist with running. After her little tantrum, she says they’re there because the oldest son Jesse (Andrew St. John) got expelled and almost arrested because New York wasn’t working for them.

A villager comes and drags Colin off because they are in desperate need of a vet and can’t wait a couple days for him to start. He brings the two oldest children (his daughter and Jo’s son) with him and tells them to stick together, which may present a problem considering they don’t like each other. She quickly bails on him. Colin arrives to a line of people waiting for him with their pets.

Katie takes the time to walk around town with Tumelo (Atandwa Kani), one of the locals. Jesse, on the other hand, tries to steal some whiskey and takes off without telling anyone where he is. Not good news with a wounded lion on the prowl. When he finally does come home, Jesse’s drunk and informs Colin he’d rather be in jail with his real father than there with him. Unlike Jesse, Katie is very mature for her age, even if that means keeping everything bottled up.

When going to retrieve a soccer ball from their front yard, they run into a baby lion, who Art believes was abandoned. They take it to a nearby (functioning) lodge so Colin can examine it. And of course, the guy there has teenage children, the obvious love interests for the main cast. Jesse strikes out with Emily right away, but Katie doesn’t have much trouble with Oliver. He tells her the place is paradise and will grow on her.

Upon arriving back home, Katie figures out where the injured lioness is. She ransacked the area trying to find food. The youngest son Chase (K’sun Ray) thinks she was looking for her cub. After Katie gets back from her friend Tumelo’s, who brings her to play with a cheetah, they find out that Chase has wandered off to release the cub to its mom. Katie runs off hoping to catch Chase, and Jesse follows her. The only problem is they don’t have much trouble running into the lioness. Somehow, Jesse also channels Dr. Doolittle and saves them. Colin returns after having found Chase, who got lost, and Art shoots the lion with a tranquilizer dart so she can be operated on. Colin needs help from someone other than the drunk Art, so Jesse gets stuck, but it goes without saying that he’ll learn something from it and it will bring them closer together.

Toward the end of the episode, Art finally answers Katie’s question about why he and her mother stopped talking. She hated apartheid, but he didn’t. He says times have changed, although there was some indication from Tumelo that they haven’t changed for everybody. He gives her a bracelet that belonged to her mom, causing her to finally get emotional and say she can feel her there.

Not knowing what will happen, after the operation, they take the cub back to the lion, who Chase believes is his mom, and in the end, it all works out okay. Following that, the family sits down to their first meal without fighting and insults.

The timeslot this show has been put in seems like an instant kiss of death, but if it can overcome that, it has the potential to be a good family show, complete with the amazing animal safari that only filming in Africa can offer.

Life Is Wild premieres Sunday October 7 at 8/7c on The CW. Want to watch the premiere online before it airs on TV? Click here.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of Life Is Wild episode 2, which airs Sunday at 8/7c on The CW.

Mark Burnett Jingles

CBS has ordered 8 episodes of Mark Burnett’s newest show, Jingles, reports Variety. In this show, teams will have jingle writing assignments each week, and they must then perform them for America’s votes.

“This show is sort of like ‘America’s Got Talent’ but with a purpose,” Burnett said. Apparently the purpose is to shove product placement on us like The Apprentice has devolved into lately.

“It’s a very organic way to give advertisers what they’re looking for,” Burnett said. “It’s totally family- friendly, it’s noncontroversial, and (the product placement) is very organic. It’s not about pushing something that doesn’t belong.”

No airdate has yet been set.

America’s Next Top Model 9 Episode 2

Episode 1 saw a bunch of people running around like madwomen and ultimately being narrowed down to the final 13. This episode should have a bit more direction and control to it.

Top Model goes green, with a 100% biodiesel vehicle made of recycled materials. I guess this is the part where I’m supposed to be impressed with their ethical treatment of the environment.

While the rest of the girls have fun going into the pool with their clothes on, Heather holds back and is writing on her own.

The photo shot is a public service announcement for why smoking is bad. They are first shot with a cigarette in their mouths, followed by an overexaggerated shot of the bad side effects. Mila thinks the whole situation is hilarious, which it is because it’s so over the top and in your face. Heather actually looks really good with makeup but has trouble doing the shoot with another girl, Saleisha.

When it’s all done, Lisa says Bianca is insecure and conceited (uh, aren’t those two opposite things?), which is followed by a catfight. Bianca later only apologizes for what she said about Lisa being an exotic dancer because she thinks Tyra will look poorly upon her if she doesn’t apologize (as if then admitting that to the camera somehow helps her position).

Ms. J. comes out and gives them a lecture about style and tells them they’re going to go to Old Navy. The judges will determine at panel who did the best job of shopping. They have 10 minutes to rip apart the store and choose an outfit for the next day at panel.

Heather becomes the center of conversation multiple times throughout the night because she’s shy and awkward. She calls her mom and tells her she doesn’t feel like she can trust them, which she’s absolutely right about for the most part. Only a couple girls have a positive attitude about giving her a chance.

Chantal is told her accessories are distracting. They’re overall pleased with her but are concerned with her bedroom eyes. The judges are pleased with Jenah’s emotion in her picture. Victoria says she’s not insecure, even if she is soft spoken. Mila is told her outfit looks like a sack and that they have trouble with how she looks in the picture (because it was a ridiculous picture with a stupid concept). Bianca is told she needs to study and look in the mirror, and getting rid of the purple hair couldn’t hurt. The judges love Ebony’s outfit but don’t like her photo shoot as much. They tell Heather she needs to be more confident. Saleisha wins the best outfit prize, a shopping spree and ad for Old Navy.

Tyra announces that this is a no smoking cycle. As of the next day, smoking has been banned from the show. Then it’s time to reveal who moves on.

Heather
Lisa
Chantal
Sarah
Jenah
Saleisha
Ambreal
Victoria
Janet
Kimberly
Bianca

So it’s between Mila and an already emotional Ebony. Tyra tells them it takes more than just being a pretty girl to be a model. Ebony is safe. Mila is the first one to go home. Mila ultimately got screwed by a ridiculous PSA that, while it was a good message, was just overdone, to the point where it became comedic, which is why she couldn’t stop laughing. They seemed to be more interested in making a (bad) horror movie than giving a message that smoking is bad.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for a recap of America’s Next Top Model 9 episode 3, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on The CW, with Encore presentations at 9/8c on Sundays.

30 Second Commercial Costs

What’s it cost to buy an ad on the top shows? MediaWeek revealed the top 10. Unsurprisingly, American Idol takes home the big prize by a large margin as usual.

1. American Idol Tuesday (Fox) – $700,000
2. American Idol Wednesday (Fox) – $700,000
3. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – $465,000
4. Desperate Housewives (ABC) – $378,000
5. Sunday Night Football (NBC) – $350,000
6. Heroes (NBC) – $330,000
7. The Simpsons (Fox) – $300,000
8. 24 (Fox) – $300,000
9. CSI (CBS) – $290,000
10. House (Fox) – $290,000

Moonlight Is No Angel

I’d read the early criticisms about this show but tried to go into it with an open mind, since I had been a big fan of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and later Angel. For those who are unfamiliar with it, it’s about a vampire PI with a soul dressed in a long black coat driving his convertible around town saving innocent people but unable to get close to anybody because of what he is. Sounds familiar.

Sounded familiar to David Greenwalt, co-creator and writer of Angel, too, and somehow they managed to get him onboard. Unfortunately, that lasted all of two months before he left and the show began falling apart again.

What the producers of this show apparently failed to realize is that Buffy and Angel weren’t cult favorites because they were vampire stories. Like the rest of The WB’s dramas, it was the comedic aspects, the witty banter and quick quips, that made the shows so enjoyable. Sadly, Moonlight has none of that. The handful of good lines are overshadowed by dragging excessive seriousness, and most attempts at humor fall flat.

I started getting into it about 50 minutes in, but for the most part, I found my mind wandering. I’m okay with the stolen story. I just wish it were told better. If you want a good vampire story, you’re better off just picking up Buffy and Angel DVD’s.

So with that said, I ask The CW, which sucked last year but appears to be finding its way back down the path where The WB was a couple years back: can we get a Spike spinoff already?