Survivor, Ep. 33.2

Gen-X Camp
CeCe is on the outs because she was aligned with Rachel. David is on the outs because...well...he's David. He's paranoid, he's looked for idols, and he's rubbed people the wrong way. He thinks he's more of a Cochran than an Ozzy. Clearly.

They finally get some fire, and David was the one to do it! Way to go, David! They all congratulate him...but...Chris still says he is the next to go. They want to keep him busy so he doesn't have time to think and worry about things.

Again, he goes out to look for an idol. He said he was going to look for rocks to sit on around the fire. He now has an allibi. He's now feet away from something that looks suspicious. It's a coconut with a marking on it. The trouble is...he has to get it open. He's the weakest person on the tribe, so this could be interesting. He actually got it open after bashing it for a little while. And it's not just a clue, it's an idol. Wow. I am shocked.

Holy crap! Ken just speared a humungous octopus! He wasn't kidding when he said he is at home doing this kind of thing. He had David help him clean it up and prepare it. David was pretty grossed out, naturally. They did kind of have a bonding session, as Ken is actually on the outs as well. He was not in on the Rachel vote. He thinks Paul is running the show. I actually like this pair. Ken is hot, David is hilarious. They could make an awesome duo...to watch at least. I don't know if they can actually make something happen or not. David wanted to show his trust, so he confided in Ken that he has an idol. He was so nervous when he told him, he was like shaking and he begged Ken not to tell anyone else. Ken said he wouldn't.

Ken and CeCe talk about Paul and how he's running things. Ken thinks if they work together, they can work their way to the top of the group.

Meanwhile, as expected, Paul goes down. He is the tribe member who has to have a visitor from the medic. He needed water and he sat down. He said his hands were numb and he looked like he was having trouble breathing. He said his chest was getting tight, and his hands were shaking. It was a pretty scary scene. The medic thought he might have had a heart attack, but he did a test and said he doesn't appear to have any damage to his heart. Dr. Joe said it was probably just heat exhaustion.

David hated to say it, but Paul's incident could work in his favor since he's the one he wants out.

Millennial Camp
Taylor is gaga over Figgy. He feels like he has love goggles on. she thinks his blue eyes are dangerous. Love is definitely in the air. This could break a major record for how quickly a couple has started making out! This is like day 6! Michaela thought it was disgusting as she heard them smacking lips in the dark. Jay can't believe he kissed her already and he thinks they are STUPID! He said the power couple could screw everything up for their alliance. He said couples never last on here and he sat Taylor down and told him what's what. Taylor knows this will could kind of put a target on them, but he doesn't actually think anyone cares that much. Zeke thinks they need to remember that they are supposed to be playing Survivor.

Michaela tries to lay low because that's what you need to do at the beginning of this game. She said it's hard because she knows how much is going on. Even though she might not be talking, her face and eyebrows are saying a lot. But...her and Figgy got into a little tiff.

I love Adam. Can I just say that again?! He's hilarious. He seems to be so smart about this game and he sees what's going on around him. He knows that you should lay low and you should not get into a cat fight to draw more attention to yourself! Clear Survivor 101 rules.

Immunity & Reward Challenge
Winner: gets a tarp
Sitting out: Hannah

Challenge: climb a cargo net, jump and get a key; swim the key to the platform then open a chest and get swimming mask to dive and get 5 rings; finally toss all 5 rings onto posts

Chris vs. Michelle - Chris started fast and had a slight lead
Paul vs. Will - Paul is doing very well for having an incident and being old - he beat Will!
Sunday vs. Michaela - Gen-X still in the lead
David vs. Zeke - Zeke passed up David! Look at Zeke go! David struggled getting up the cargo net and he looked so timid jumping, but he got the key. His swimming gave a huge lead for the Millennials

Millennials now opening the chest while Jessica tries to make up time

CeCe goes down first and comes back with nothing. Jay stays down and he gets 2 rings. Next Mari goes in.

Lucy gets the first ring for Gen-X, and Bret gets #2 and is closing the gap.

Mari gets #3 followed by Ken getting #3 for Gen-X. It's so close!

Taylor gets #4 and Gen-X gets #4.

Jay gets #5, but Bret is close behind with #5.

CeCe makes 2 tosses in a row. Jay gets 2 and it's tied. Ken gets #3.

Jay misses. Ken hits #4 and Jay gets #3. Ken hits #5!! Wow!

Gen-X just whooped the Millennials! Paul was looking so spry and he dove in the water to swim out to Jeff to get the immunity idol. What did they do, give him some kind of magical cure?! He looked stronger than ever!

The spoilers were actually wrong because they alluded to Gen-X going back to Tribal. CBS even posted a photo of a Gen-X member with a caption saying they were thinking before Tribal.

Millennial Camp - Pre-Tribal
Zeke is tickled to get to go to Tribal. He tells Adam and Mari that Figgy is the one leading the others and they need to break up the couple. Zeke then talks to Adam and Jay. Jay is now worried because they want Figgy out and there isn't much he can do about it. Jay relays that info to Michelle. She thinks they should go after Mari because she's smart.

Michaela tells Hannah that Figgy should go to break up the couple and then they have no power.

Jay goes to Figgy and Michaela and he tells her that they want her out first and then Michaela. Figgy and Michaela have not gotten along, but with her name being tossed around, she might need to work with them.

Will asks Michelle who she wants gone and she said Mari. She said Figgy is an easy vote later. He is nervous to change up the vote so close to Tribal.

Michelle isn't sure they have the numbers to save Figgy so she might have to pull some strings at Tribal to make it happen. Not sure what she could do, but this could be interesting.

Tribal Council
Hannah outs the pairing up of Taylor and Figgy. So funny! Figgy said they all kid around about it and it's too early to be worried about them. Zeke said it's clear that they would be loyal to each other over anyone else.

Michaela calls out Figgy for lying to her face. Meanwhile Jay, Michelle, and Hannah are whispering and Hannah gets all giddy about the whole Survivor experience. Jeff has no idea what's going on. Too funny!

Michelle said that Figgy is in the middle of some things going on and that she should be worried.

The Votes
Hannah starts to do math and count people on her fingers at the voting station. She is so confused and knocking things over. Jeff actually peeks around the corner to see what's taking her so long. Wow, that's a first!

Figgy
Mari
Figgy
Mari
Figgy
Mari
Mari
Mari
Mari

Adam looks completely shocked...and devastated. In the preview for next week, Adam and Zeke are upset that they too, were blindside. Mari said she didn't see it coming at all and it hurts.

We see that Will, Hannah, and Michaela all vote for Mari. The votes for Figgy were Adam, Zeke, and Mari.

Next week, a new twist!

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

The Voice, Ep. 11.4

Blind Auditions continue...

Team Adam

Simone Gundy, 26
Really nice voice. Lots of power, but very controlled. I think she was off when she went for the big high notes in the middle. She recovered well and had a nice finish.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Miley)

Nolan Neal, 35
He tried out last year. I liked him last year, but I do think he got better this year. He actually kind of made me like "Tiny Dancer". Boy did he rock out that ending!
Chair Turns: 4

Team Alicia

Gabriel Violett, 28
Another really surprising voice. He sang a pop song, but I could see him doing country, and even some classic rock. He had such a clear and strong held-out big not. I loved what he did with the song.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Alicia)

Michael Sanchez, 25
Where are these guys coming from?! Each guy on the show tonight has had a certain look, and then their voice and their song choice is completely opposite of what you would expect. I can't say that I loved his style and what he did with the song. He looks to be a good entertainer. It will be interesting to see what else he can do.
Chair Turn: 1

Halle Tomlinson, 18
Hate the song. Hate the style. Adam was in love with the first note and he couldn't stop smiling through the entire song.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Alicia)

Team Blake

Josh Gallagher, 25
I wasn't too impressed at the outset, but as he got more into the song, I really started to see some personality. He hit a very nice high note. Not all that different from mainstream male country artists right now, but he was good.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Alicia)

Austin Allsup, 32
I didn't know if I was going to like him or not, but man, he's got a really nice voice! I didn't know the song, but I liked it. Oh wait, now I know the song! Wow, it sounded so different! That's crazy!
Chair Turns: 1

Team Miley

Aaron Gibson, 25
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! What an interesting take on REM's "Losing My Religion"! I love the grit in his voice! I never would have expected this out of him. The song sounded so new but yet still you could tell what song it was. That was awesome! I have no idea why Adam didn't turn around! This guy would have been perfect for him.
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake, Alicia, Miley)

Darby Walker, 17
She has a good voice, but I feel like we've heard a lot of singers like her.
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake, Alicia, Miley)

Khaliya Kimberlie, 16
Wow, how is she only 16? I think she's got something special. I really like her voice.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Miley)

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

The Voice, Ep. 11.3

The Live Auditions continue...

Team Adam

Bindi Liebowitz, 23
Nice voice. I think she reminds me of Rihanna a little bit. I actually loved her tone. She had just a little bit of grit and a little bit of vibrato that worked really nicely together. The more she sang, the more I liked it.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Elia Esparza, 23
Always love hearing some classic Selena. She has a really nice voice. She had a very nice tone and a very nice range.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Blake, Miley)

Team Alicia

Josh Halverson, 31
He started out so slow, I wasn't sure what he was going to do with it. He's definitely different, but I don't know if it's a good different. I did like when he really got into the chorus. I think he has a nice voice, but I would like to hear him sing some more things.
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake, Alicia, Miley)

Team Blake


Team Miley

Lane Mack, 30
Definitely was not impressed. He just kind of shouted and didn't really have a style. It's a dime-a-dozen and could be heard at any small country bar anywhere, I'm sure.
Chair Turns: 1

Karlee Metzger, 22
OK, she sounds like Regina Spektor at times, and like Ingrid Michaelson at times. It was OK, but we've heard a lot of singers like her before.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Miley)

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 23.3

Week 3: Face-offs!

Things are getting a little shake-up this week because of the Presidential debate tonight. We only have an hour show, so the couples are going to be paired up. Highest scored pairs will get immunity. Should be interesting! I sure hope it doesn't mean that someone good will go home tomorrow night just because of who gets immunity.

Babyface & Allison VS Jana & Gleb - Jive

Babyface & Allison
He' really showing his age. It wasn't the quickest jive, even though the music was really fast. Jive moves could have been better.
Score: 25

Jana & Gleb
Of course, this was awesome! Love the pink! They were so flirty and fun! Loved this! Their chemistry is amazing, and the choreography suits them so well.
Score: 26

WINNERS: Jana & Gleb 
Woohoo!

Rick & Emma VS Vanilla Ice & Witney - Paso Doble

Rick & Emma
Rick rolled his ankle in rehearsals - it looked really painful! Oh man, don't start getting good now! He's a little robotic and seems to be walking a little more than dancing. He's got some intensity, though the steps don't look super hard.
Score: 23

Vanilla Ice & Witney
Love the leather and glittery bling he's got going on! Len is going to hate this as his outfit for a paso. But it works for him! He's got a ton of intensity in that face! His moves are big and he's hitting the moves so hard. He better get an amazing score for this! Love it!
Score: 23

Tie: Len is the tie-breaker
WINNER: Vanilla Ice & Witney
That is just an absolute travesty! Vanilla should have gotten 7s and 8s for that dance. And we don't even get to find out what they didn't like about it. There is no way that it deserved the same score as Rick. I'm so glad Len did the right thing! That was too close!

James & Sharna VS Ryan & Cheryl - ChaCha

James & Sharna
Look at that smooth operator! He is so smooth! That was a hot chacha! He had loosy-goosy hips and their chemistry was amazing! His personality came through like a laser beam in this dance. I loved Sharna's choreography. They were grinding those hips on each other and so in sync!
Score: 29

Ryan & Cheryl
Ryan is so in trouble against James...and James just had an amazing dance! Come on, Ryan! Ooh, we get to see the abs! He looks amazing tonight! He looks a little uncomfortable, whereas James was right at home like he does it all the time. He needs to work on the hips and be a little more slinky. I think he did well, but not going to be good enough to get immunity, I'm afraid. He should feel good about that, though. He's trying and he's having fun.
Score: 25

WINNER: James & Sharna

Terra & Sasha VS Calvin & Lindsay - Viennese Waltz

Terra & Sasha
This dance and this song clearly meant a lot to her. She was graceful and flowing. There seemed to be a lot of separation between them. It looked a little more awkward than their other 2 dances.
Score: 30

Calvin & Lindsay
I love her dress! He seemed a little stiffer and robotic than normal. He loosened up a bit toward the end, but I'm afraid it wasn't enough. His smile, though, still lights up the room, even in the dark.
Score: 32

WINNER: Calvin & Lindsay
Wow! I'm shocked! I can't believe either of those dances scored as high as they did, and I'm equally as shocked that Calvin won!

Amber Rose & Maks VS Maureen & Artem - Salsa

Amber Rose & Maks
Dancing to J. Lo's "Big Booty"....yeah that's an understatement! Again, she looks so much better with hair! She's definitely working her ass-ets. The choreography looks way easy. There wasn't any part of that that looked challenging. It also doesn't look much like a salsa. She's just moving her butt around, but I don't really see anything resembling a salsa.
Score: 25

Maureen & Artem
She looks so pretty! This actually looks like a salsa! There were lots of intricate salsa moves and she nailed them all! She should feel really good about this dance! That looked WAY more challenging and so much more like a salsa than Amber's.
Score: 28

WINNER: Maureen
Woohoo! She deserved better scores than that, but at least she got the win!

Laurie & Val VS Marilu & Derek - Tango

Laurie & Val
I love her hair straightened like that! She looks so mature! She really brought the character (big surprise). I like how their shoes were lighting up with the lasers on the floor. It was almost like their feet were creating sparks. Really cool!
Score: 31 (Carrie Ann saw a lift)

Marilu & Derek
Wow, lots of flexibility on that backbend to the floor. I think she did a pretty great job. I think the lights and the song made it a great performance, but I don't know that her dancing was that spectacular.
Score: 28

WINNER: Laurie & Val
Again, the better pair won!

Week 3 Leaderboard

Calvin & Lindsay - 32 (immunity)
Laurie & Val - 31 (immunity)
Terra & Sasha - 30
James & Sharna - 29 (immunity)
Maureen & Artem 28 (immunity)
Marilu & Derek - 28
Jana & Gleb - 26 (immunity)
Ryan & Cheryl - 25
Babyface & Allison - 25
Amber Rose & Maks - 25
Vanilla Ice & Witney - 23 (immunity)
Rick & Emma - 23

Results

In Jeopardy: Rick & Emma, Terra & Sasha, Amber & Maks
Going Home: Rick & Emma

I was so happy that Ryan was safe! I was so worried because I totally forgot to vote! Good for him! So happy! I'm a little surprised Rick is going because I thought he seemed pretty popular. Definitely the right one to go.

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Big Brother, Ep. 18.42: Finale

It's finale night, on day 99 in the house! Who will be the winner? I don't know, but I sure hope it's Paul!

Here's where we stand, based on live feeds:

• Paul and Nicole each made a final 2 deal with James, so he feels pretty set
• Later, Nicole appears to have changed her mind and decided to take James to final 2, should she win the final HOH comp
• Paul says that if Nicole goes back on their deal, he will not vote for her to win

I think if Paul is in the final 2, it doesn't matter who he goes up against, I think he wins. I don't think James played a good enough game to beat either Nicole or Paul. Paul vs. Nicole could be a close vote, but I think too many people don't like Nicole, so I think it's Paul's to lose if he can get there.

HOH Part 1

They are dressed as cats following a laser beam around the yard. When it stops, they hang onto the obstacle until the laser moves again. If they fall before that, they are out.

James thinks he has this one in the bag because endurance comps are his thing. 

They look so funny running around like little kitties! They have to hang on scratching posts, buttons on a couch, a tilting window sill. All while running through milk and kitty litter. Very interesting comp!

So far, they are all hanging in there. It's now been over an hour. 

Nicole saves herself on her window perch. She is swinging freely with no foothold. Now Paul swings loose. Finally, Nicole drops, and right after her, James falls, too! Paul wins round 1!

Nicole thinks it's odd that James fell right after she did. He was hoping to hang on longer..."it's so fuss-trating" - I hate how he says that word!

HOH Part 2

Nicole vs. James

They have to go through a line to a ride get photos of houseguests that answer the question, then send them down the ride and snap a photo. The first to take the correct picture of the 3 houseguests that match. If they don't get the photos and the yellow bar in the photo, they have to start over.

This is a major endurance comp because there is a lot of running through the zig-zagging line. 

Nicole did very well with getting the right people. She had to re-do her first photo because she snapped it too early. 

James is up. We know from previous comps that James had not studied the things that happened this season. Has he studied since the last baseball comp? I'm doubting that it will help him much. I don't see him doing well. His first photo didn't get any part of the car in the frame! He got it framed right, but he got one of the houseguests wrong. He's already cramping up from running. He says he is really out of shape. He finished strong.

James: 19:06

Nicole: 7:24

Wow, Nicole! That's incredible! Not even close!

Jury Discussion w/ Will

James: 

• He floated
• He followed Natalie around for the last 6 weeks
• He did nothing, but also got no blood on his hands
• Natalile says that him laying low was his strategy

Paul:

• Paul the player played strategically
• Paul the person can be not very nice
• He owns up to everything he has said and done
• He had Victor as a shield
• He was on the block 6 times and either saved himself with the Veto or didn't need to

Nicole:

• She made big moves
• Girls are bitter because she stuck with her guys' alliance
• She aligned herself with the people she knew could protect her
• Da'Vonne said she used the guys as her puppets
• Michelle thinks getting voted out was personal, Corey said it 100% was not - she bursts into tears and tells Corey to stop smiling at her with his ugly smile and to stop laughing at her

HOH Part 3

Nicole vs. Paul

It's the famous "scale" challenge. They answer questions about how well they know the jury by completing their quote. Most points after 8 questions will tip the scale in their favor and win.

Q1: both right

Q2: both wrong

Q3: both wrong

Q4: Paul is right, Nicole is wrong

Q5: both wrong

Q6: Paul is right, Nicole is wrong

Q7: Nicole is right, Paul is wrong

Q8: both right

Paul wins! Woohoo! Way to go Paul!

Eviction

Paul is the final HOH. He will choose who joins him in the final 2. James would probably be the smarter choice, but he made a deal with Nicole, and he doesn't think that James played a good enough game to deserve to be in the final 2.

Paul chooses to evict: James

He said that he worked hard to keep James safe, but when he needed him the most, he still went behind his back and made a deal with Nicole. He said he's worked too hard to get backstabbed again, so he had to evict him. Nicole was in shock by what Paul said. He said not to worry about it and that jury didn't hear what he said and it wasn't about the jury.

James said he wanted his social game to take him far and he didn't want to be a comp threat. I would say he accomplished that.

Jury Questions

These are just too hard to keep up with all the questions and the answers...sorry!

Most interesting question was from James. He asked Paul if he ever planned on honoring his final 2 deal with him. Paul said he talked to both of them and he wanted to see once and for all who was the most loyal. Nicole relayed everything back to him, while James did not. Wow!

Other than that, the main hilights for Paul were that he was always out front and center when making deals and moves, while Nicole was behind the scenes. This was his first time playing the game and he played his butt off. He fought hard to save himself when he needed to and made sure there was always a bigger target than himself. 

For Nicole, she said coming in as a vet was not an advantage like they might think. She said if they watched season 16, they would have known how she plays the game and how she reacts under pressure, what her strengths and weaknesses were. She did align with the guys and often was behind the scenes because what she wanted to happen was happening without her involvement, so she just let it play out. 

Final Statements

Paul: he was the last standing newbie with 2 vets. He won 7 comps and won his way to the end. He made it without any care package from America. He was the first in the Paris room and had the roundtrip ticket which prevented 5 people from coming back. There was more and it was awesome!

Nicole: she talked so fast! Teaming up with Corey after 2 hours and they made it to final 4. Day 1 she was called a snake. Day 2 she fought on an island and had to convince 2 strangers to "let" her be HOH. Day 3 convince Paulie to be a pawn. She convinced Natalie to put up 2 of her allies. She needed to start winning comps and did. She listed so many things that she did, there is no way to catch all of it!

They both made incredible final speeches. This could be very close! Come on, Paul!

Final Votes

James -- Paul

Corey -- Nicole

Victor -- Paul

Natalie -- Nicole

Michelle -- Paul

Paulie -- Nicole

Bridgette -- Paul

Zakiyah -- Nicole

Da'Vonne -- Nicole

Nicole is the winner by 1 vote! And it was Da'Vonne's vote! Da'Vonne who had so many negative things to say about her all season. She did start to come around as of late, though. Nicole's answers and her final statement was very strong. I knew it was going to be close, but I thought Paul could pull it off. I really wanted Paul to win, but I'm definitely OK with Nicole winning. I do think she deserved it. 

What a great season!

Fan Favorite

The fan favorite this season gets $25,000. 

Victor, Natalie, and James were the top 3 vote-getters. The winner is Victor!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay for him! That's awesome!

Final Thoughts

So, that's it! The season is done. I can't believe they didn't have the rest of the cast get to be on stage to talk about the season...at all! That's a first. That's even more of a ripoff than Survivor not letting people who were pre-jury sit on the stage. No one got to talk or relive any parts of the season. I wonder if they thought it would get too volatile so they just scrapped the whole thing. 

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Survivor, Ep. 33.1

Season 33 is finally here! Woohoo!

Tribe Divisions
2 boats arrive, but they are not yet separated into their tribes. On the beach, Jeff asks them to grab a wrapped buff with their name on it, and they open it up to find what color they have.

Jeff tells them the twist. He announces Will as the youngest (only 18) and he hasn't even graduated high school yet! He left school to be on the show.

Scavenger
Scattered on the beach and in the jungle are items to collect. One station has a choice between 2 items. They have to decide on things that will give them help right away and what will help long term. Pots vs. hammers, fruit, fish, etc.

Jessica saw something - it appears to be a clue of some kind, that was dropped by someone else. She carefully put it in her pocket without anyone noticing.

Millennials took the chickens and left the fishing gear. Gen-X took the fishing gear because it will last them all 39 days. Millennials said they took the chickens because they lay eggs.

Before they leave, Jeff said they are in the cyclone season. He said they will need their shelters immediately and it's going to get real very soon.

Millennial Camp

The Voice, Ep. 11.2

Blind Auditions, Night 2

Team Adam

Andrew DeMuro, 25
I didn't know this song, but I enjoyed his voice and his performance. He had a nice stage presence, and a really nice and easy delivery.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Billy Gilman, 28
Yep, that Billy Gilman. I'm shocked he's doing this show because he was a popular little kid singer. He said he really wanted to be a pop star, but he still sounds kind of country to me. He really does have an extremely beautiful voice. Wow, he actually opened for Miley's dad, Billy Ray!
Chair Turns: 4

Brendan Fletcher, 26
Whoa, I did not expect that smoky voice! Super sexy! So soothing! And he's not too bad to look at, either.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Alicia, and Miley)

Team Alicia

Wé McDonald, 17
Um...where did that manly voice come from?! Yikes! Wow, just wow. Nice to hear that she has an upper register also. She has got some major pipes! Crystal clear tone. Pure power without screaming. I don't necessarily love her very deep, low voice, but man, that girl can sang! And then when she talks, she is so meek and squeaky! What a difference!
Chair Turns: 4

Lauren Diaz, 24
Gutsy to sing one of Alicia's songs. She did a pretty great job. I won't say that I loved it, but there's potential there. I think she might sound even better on a different song.
Chair Turns: 3 (Alicia, Blake, and Miley)

Team Blake

Ethan Tucker, 26
OK, I didn't expect a reggae "Roxanne". It was actually pretty cool. I wouldn't say he's got an amazing voice by any means. I was really hoping no one was going to turn around. Of course, Adam had to at the last moment, along with Blake.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Dan Shafer, 56
He actually has a very nice voice. I was surprised how smooth and effortless it sounded. He really floated to those high falsetto notes.
Chair Turns: 1

Team Miley

Sa'Rayah, 28
Big hair, big voice. Bringin' us all to church. Pretty voice, but a little too over the top for my taste. She was a little screechy, but not too bad.
Chair Turns: 2 (Alicia and Miley)

Sophia Urista, 31
She is super spunky. I really like her style. I love what she did with "Come Together". We've all heard it a billion times, but it sounded fresh and new. I don't think I've ever heard anyone quite like her.
Chair Turns: 2 (Alicia and Miley)

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

The Voice, Ep. 11.1

Here we go! Blind auditions for Season 11!

2 new coaches this season: Miley Cyrus and Alica Keyes - should be interesting.

As always, I'll be recapping and critiquing the singers who make it through for each team.

Team Adam

Riley Elmore, 16
All he had to say was "I like jazz music" and he lost me. I had to fast forward when he started singing "The Way You Look Tonight". One of my ALL-TIME MOST HATED SONGS! Oh, so painful to my ears. I guess if you like that sort of thing, he was the bees knees and sounded exactly like a recording of Frank Sinatra. I don't need to see or hear any more to know that my ears are going to have to suffer through a whole season of him. Grrr....sorry dude. And of course, he chose Adam over Blake :(
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Team Alicia

Jason Warrior, 21
Hated the song choice, and he took way too long to get it going. He's got a very strong and powerful voice, that's for sure. It got really entertaining when he finally got into it and he really let it rip.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Alicia)

Dave Moisan, 33
"Sex and Candy" - interesting and unexpected song choice for this wholesome looking medical device salesman (love that song by the way). He gave it a very interesting feel. It was a little bit more along the lines of the Maroon 5 version. I really like his voice! Love the falsetto! A lot like Adam's :) He's pretty cute too, so that doesn't hurt. I love what he did with this song!
Chair Turns: 4

Christian Cuevas, 20
He only sang a couple notes, and chairs were flying around. Not sure what they heard so quickly. He did end up having a pretty great voice.
Chair Turns: 4

Team Blake

Sundance Head, 37
Um...I KNOW that name! Why do I know that name?! I think he might have been on American Idol? But he sure didn't look like the Duck Dynasty family back then. I'm pretty sure I would remember him. Quick jump to Google, and...yep! American Idol, Season 6! Man, I'm good! Soulful, country voice.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Dana Harper, 26
She is Derek Harper's (NBA player) daughter. I was surprised when she started singing because her speaking voice is so deep, but she sang in a fairly high register. I mean, she sang Nick Jonas's "Jealous" for goodness sake. I was prepared to not like her, but I like the smooth approach she took to the song. I didn't care for when she did swoop down into the basement, but thankfully she didn't stay there long.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Blake, and Alicia)

Gabe Broussard, 15
I really like his voice, but I'm not really sure what genre he fits into. I think he could probably sing a lot of things. He seemed so confident and he was technically so perfect. Yet, he was soulful and very energetic. Very nice! And he's only 15!
Chair Turns: 1 (Blake and Miley)

Team Miley

Courtnie Ramirez, 17
She's got a huge set of pipes for just a young thing. Taking on Jessie J is no small task. I can't believe the coaches are taking so long to turn around!
Chair Turns: 2 (Alicia and Miley)

Ali Caldwell, 28
She was a member of the girl group Xhale. Her timing seemed to be kind of all over the place. Her voice was OK, but it was borderline screechy at times, in the midst of a lot of power. And we all know how I hate that. She won't be one of my favorites based on that performance.
Chair Turns: 4


And the award for "most bummed he didn't make it":

Chris Cron, 34
He was in the band Melee?! Are you kidding me?! One of my favorite songs is "Stand Up" - mostly known for being in the movie "Sydney White". And he's singing INXS - love it! Ugh...there was one note that he held out for an extremely long time. It was powerful and...just slightly flat. Uncomfortably flat. He didn't move it up and just sat on it. The coaches all kind of cringed. That was it. It didn't matter what he did after that. They all basically said they couldn't get past that note. I sure hope he comes back.

Just in case you want to hear how amazing he can be:

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 23.2

Week 2! The theme is TV night!

All the couples will dance again tonight, and there will be a 2-hour results show tomorrow to eliminate the first couple.

Maureen & Artem - Quickstep
TV Theme: The Brady Bunch
Of course, Florence Henderson shows up to give support again! She was even a part of the on-stage routine. "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" It took way too long on stage to get to the actual dancing. She did a decent job, but it was a little on the slow side, but I think it was because the song was too slow. The song doesn't really fit the quickstep.
Score: 26

Jana & Gleb - Tango
TV Theme: One Tree Hill
LOVE! Gavin DeGraw is back in the ballroom! I love that he is singing his song that was the theme for One Tree Hill, which Jana was a part of. SAD! She tore some muscles between her ribs! Oh no! They told her she shouldn't dance, but she wanted to anyway. She was shrieking in pain in rehearsals. That has to be so painful! On to the dance...she looks amazing! I love the costuming! Gleb's choreography for this is really good - and so does his guyliner. She doesn't look to be in pain, which is amazing. Awesome performance!!!
Score: 29

Rick & Emma - Quickstep
TV Theme: Green Acres
OK, could have guessed that theme! She makes a good Lisa. He makes an even dopier Oliver. He's not moving too bad! It was actually a little bit entertaining! Much improved over last week's awkward endeavor.
Score: 22

Calvin & Lindsay - Foxtrot
TV Theme: Family Matters
Yes, he's Urkel! This is going to be so fun! He is so into character - he's got it nailed! Loved the suspender work - hilarious! He's got really nice lines. He was so much smoother than I thought he would be. Nicely done! That was neat! Best part is when Jaleel White sneaks up behind him after the dance. Mutual love and affection between those 2 - that was awesome! Urkel/Megatron bromance!
Score: 28

Amber & Maks  - Viennese Waltz
TV Theme: Game of Thrones
Holy crap! Maks as Khal Drogo?! What?! Amber as Khaleesi?! I can't stop looking at Maks! Wow, that was so good! That set, the feeling, it was all there. It was way too short, though! Can I just say...she looks so much better with hair.
Score: 24

Jake & Jenna - ChaCha
TV Theme: Go, Diego! Go!
That show was his big break into show business at age 9. This dance style suits the theme song very well. He was a little bit off with the fist pump to "Go, Diego! Go!". He was a little bit behind Jenna on the choreography, just like last week. He seems to always be trying to keep up. He looks good, though, and his moves look good. He just needs to work on his timing and the confidence that he knows the choreography.
Score: 24

Vanilla Ice & Witney - Foxtrot
TV Theme: Married with Children
OK, can't wait to see what he's going to do with this! I just love his attitude and him talking about being a dad. The audience who may not know him I think will love that about him. Witney as Peg is hilarious! I loved the Al Bundy character he brought to it. It was pretty good! He looked surprisingly (or not surprisingly) so comfortable in this dance style! That was so delightful! Way to go, Rob!
Score: 26

Terra & Sasha - Quickstep
TV Theme: Bewitched
So now, let's see how this works to be in hold on an extremely fast dance. Her feet are going to have to move twice as fast as his. She's got the nose twitch down. I don't know how he's doing it, but he doesn't look too bent over. I'm surprised that it doesn't look completely awkward. It has to feel so different for him, but he made it work. She actually pulled it off, and she looked really confident and comfortable. Wow!
Score: 31

Babyface & Allison - Argentine Tango
TV Theme; X Files
Interesting theme. Derek would have turned this into something futuristic, but the laser lights were cool. He was a bit too soft. he didn't have the quick and sharp kicks that are needed for this dance. I thnk he could have been a little more theatrical with it. It was still pretty good, though.
Score: 30

Laurie Hernandez - Jive
TV Theme: Duck Tales
Duck Tales?! Wow, they went way back for that one! How cute is this dance?! What's not to love about this, seriously? She will never have a bad dance.
Score: 32

James & Sharna - Paso Doble
TV Theme: Walking Dead
OK, yet another dance I can't wait to see! Walking Dead, are you kidding me?! Yes! He only had a couple days to prepare his dance, yikes! He is nailing the drama and the power. You would never know he didn't really practice this since last Wednesday. Other than the theme song not really being that close to the actual show, it was still really cool! He is quickly becoming a favorite. They said it might happen, but I didn't think it would happen. His personality and his talent are hard to deny. I'm a fan. Hopefully Sharna will be OK next week...she sustained a nasty zombie bite!
Score: 29

Marilu & Derek - Foxtrot
TV Theme: Taxi
Nothing overly special about this dance. It didn't help that the instruments hit some wonky notes. It was nice, but I didn't think the choreography was especially challenging. Derek struggled to come up with something, and this was probably one of his most underwhelming dances. It pains me to say it, but it was pretty forgettable.
Score: 29

Ryan & Cheryl - Quicksetep
TV Theme: Muppet Show
I love the support that his cast members showed him after what happened last week. I'm glad he can smile and move on. I love that he showed his fun, happy-go-lucky personality throughout the dance. He did great with all of the very fast footwork! I hope the judges loved it! Way to go, Ryan!
Score: 24

Week 2 Leaderboard

Laurie & Val - 32
Terra & Sasha - 31
Babyface & Allison - 30
James & Sharna - 29
Jana & Gleb - 29
Marilu & Derek - 29
Calvin & Lindsay - 28
Maureen & Artem - 26
Vanilla Ice & Witney - 26
Amber & Maks - 24
Jake & Jenna - 24
Ryan & Cheryl - 24
Rick & Emma - 22

Week 2 Results

In Jeopardy: Maureen & Artem, Ryan & Cheryl, Jake & Jenna, Amber & Maks
Going Home: Jake & Jenna

Poor kid, he just didn't have much of a shot. He didn't have a huge fan base, and he had a first-time pro for a partner. I'm so incredibly happy that Ryan gets another chance! I didn't want him to be the first to go!

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Big Brother, Ep. 18.41

Strategizing
Paul made a final 2 deal with James before the last eviction. Paul also made a deal with Nicole. He said he owes her for saving hiim in the game and she shook on it.

James says in the DR that he plans on honoring this deal with Paul. Interesting. I would have guessed he would be going with Nicole all the way. Meanwhile, Nicole isn't sure she will honor the deal with Paul because she's not sure that's what's best for her game.

HOH Comp
Round 1 of 3 - they are dressed up like cats! Winner advances to Round 3. They have to follow a laser to various things that they have to climb on until the laser moves again. All are cat things like a scratching post. This looks like it's going to be fun!

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Big Brother, Ep. 18.40

Seeing Paul win that HOH was just so awesome. He broke down in sheer joy. That was so nice to see and I'm so happy for him. He needed that win so badly. He said he did it for Victor. I just wonder what his plan is going to be.

Strategizing
James tells Paul that what happened to him and Victor is exactly what happened to him and Natalie. Paul said that he and James would be stupid to not work together. If they don't, they aren't winning this game. They need to work together to split up the couple. His goal is to get one of them out. If I was him, I would go for Nicole. I think she's a bigger threat to win. Corey is getting pretty good at comps, but I don't know if anyone would give him the money over any of the others left.

Nominations
Paul nominates Corey and Nicole. Wow, it's weird seeing their faces on the wall. Paul said that strategically this is what makes the most sense for him. He said it's great for them to have gotten this far as the power couple of the season.

Nicole was so bummed that she almost made it all season without being nominated. Corey joked that all she had to do was get one more question right. He said he was sorry, "too soon?" lol

Jury
I have no words to describe what took place in the Jury House! That is some CRAZY STUFF!!!! Holy crap! I've never seen anything that volatile! Going at it were Paulie and Da'Vonne. It started when they were watching Natalie's recap tape. Natalie said she would have used the Veto on James. Da'Vonne said that's more than what Paulie did for Zakiyah. They started shouting about gameplay (I think). It really got escalated when Paulie said that he has Zakiyah's back in the Jury House. He said that ever since she started talking to him again, Da'Vonne and Bridget have been treating Zakiyah horribly. He said they can hate him, but they have no right to take it out on her because she never did anything to them. They said they haven't been doing anything to her. Bridget got out of the middle and Paulie and Da'Vonne got right in each other's faces screaming. Paulie said she wasn't being a very good example for her daughter, and Da'Vonne lost it! She said not to bring her daughter into it. She stood right over him and was screaming. He made sure to keep his hands off her. Next thing you know, security had to step in. Cameras were panning all over and it was chaos. Paulie is just a misogynistic jerk! I don't see how he is related to Cody. They seem nothing alike.

Veto
It's the comp where they have to answer questions about the season with what day it happened. The theme is baseball, so they have to run a mini baseball diamond, with each base worth that number of points to get them to the number they need. If they get it wrong, they have to start over. Last one to get it right, gets an out. 3 outs and you're out. Corey is right at home (if he can do the numbers).

Round 1: James gets an out
Round 2: James gets out number 2
Round 3: James gets his 3rd out, and he's out! He admitted he knew nothing and wished he would have studied.
Round 4: Nicole gets an out
Round 5: Corey gets an out
Round 6: Nicole gets out number 2
Round 7: Nicole gets her 3rd out, and she's out
Round 8: Corey gets out number 2 - he only has one more left and Paul has 0 outs!
Round 9: Paul gets out
Round 10: Paul gets out number 2 - we are tied! Wow! I'm kind of rooting for Corey because he can save himself and he is the deciding vote, so that would mean that James is out!
Round 11: Corey is out! :( Paul wins the Veto

Veto/Eviction
Paul decides not to use the Veto. Big surprise (not!). I loved Corey's speech. He referenced Paul's speech in saying that he hadn't reached first base. So, he said he wasn't going to leave without doing that, so he grabbed Nicole and kissed her! She said she was so thankful that she chose him to be her ride or die from the beginning. She said he is so good-looking that she was forgetting her speech and she didn't know that guys like him existed. Awe!

James is the sole voter. I think it's bye-bye Corey. James and Nicole, as returnees, have always had each other's backs.

James votes to evict Corey :( He said that he had to do it if he and Paul wanted a chance. He has a point from a comps perspective, but I still think Nicole is the bigger threat to win.

Corey was actually pretty surprised to be evicted. He thought that he and James had each other's backs.

I can't believe that 2 vets made it to the final 3! That's just crazy! There's always talk of getting returnees out right away, but somewhere along the way, they work their magic, and lo and behold, half of them have made it to the end.

I think Paul deserves to be there, as the final newbie left standing. I think he played the best game of all the newbies. I would love to see him win it. Nicole has also played a great game, so she is deserving as well. Not really sure about James. He flipped so many times and it wasn't always the smartest move. When Nicole flipped, it was the best thing for her game and it worked out.

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Big Brother, Ep. 18.39

Nomination Fallout
Paul and Victor have lost all respect for Corey and Nicole. They really thought they had a true alliance for once. But again, they were lied to and stabbed in the back.

Paul talked to Corey and Nicole to see if anything was salvageable if one of them wins the Veto. Victor was so hurt and he said he will be coming after them now if he stays. He said he doesn't see them as friends anymore.

Paul is going to use Victor's anger to his advantage, because if he continues to be mad and throw a fit, he will for sure go home.

Veto Comp
It's the one with the BB Comics where they have to swing down the zip line and then match up the comics with the studio wall. The one who matches all of them the quickest, wins.

Pau has a good strategy. He decides to get the order first, and then go back and find the correct version of each comic.

James got all distracted by Natalie's comic. Ha!

Corey got off to a great start, as he couldn't find the ladder. Ha!

Corey: 20:37
James: 35:00
Nicole: 13:55
Victor: 29:35
Paul: 18:04

Nicole wins the Veto. Shockingly, Victor did pretty bad at this comp.

Veto Meeting
Of course, Nicole is not going to use the Veto. Paul and Victor remain on the block.

Paul says he won't do what others have said they wouldn't do, and then did anyway, which is to campaign against their best friend. That would NOT be #friendship.

The Votes
Reasons to get rid of Victor: he's a challenge beast and competes best when his back is against the wall, in tough situations. Reasons to get rid of Paul: he talks an amazing game and he will have a lot of votes on the Jury.

Paul said that after 6 times on the block he was running out of material...so he chose to do parodies of former houseguests. He started with doing Natalie, and then did Michelle. Absolutely hilarious!!!!

Victor talked about Nicole looking like an animal but didn't know which one...he would let it "rattle" around for awhile. He also mentioned the knife in his back and said it wasn't like she's ever backstabbed anyone. Ha!

Nicole -- Victor
James -- Victor

Poor Victor, third time is the last time and this time the eviction will stand. It was an incredible run, though.

HOH Comp
They will watch videos of former houseguests. A blank will be filled in by Julie and they will guess if it's true or false.

#1: all correct
#2: James is wrong -- and it was Natalie talking directly to James and he missed it! lol
#3: James and Paul are wrong; Nicole is in the lead with 3
#4: all correct
#5: James is wrong; Nicole in the lead with 5
#6: Nicole and James are wrong; Nicole and Paul are tied
#7: all correct; Paul and Nicole are tied with 6

Tie breaker: Paul wins!!! Wow! I think he's just a little bit excited! Too bad Victor isn't there to share in his excitement. Honestly, I like all of them, this is so tough now! I wonder what in the world he will do. Most likely target Corey and Nicole?

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 23.1

Season 23! Here we go! This opening is pretty cool!

We have 4 judges this season, so the highest score will be 40.

Marilu & Derek - Jive
Wow, was she excited to get Derek or what?! I mean, who wouldn't be?! The jive is a hard one to start out the season with, but she had a lot of energy and it was definitely quick. It seemed like there was a lot going on, but I didn't really see a lot of kicks and flicks. It was a good opening number, though. I love her raw emotions. She is just so happy and grateful to be there. Good for her!
Score: 27

James & Sharna - Foxtrot
I didn't expect him to be such a goofball. He could be a lot of fun to watch. Their dance seemed EXTREMELY short! It barely got going and then was over. I think he had some really good technique. He moved across the floor very well and was very fluid and graceful. Definitely one to watch, for sure.
Score: 31

Calvin & Lindsay - Cha Cha
The season's resident football player with a huge smile from ear to ear that he keeps throughout the entire dance. When the dancers have fun, we have fun watching them. He was definitely having fun. The doubters all said he couldn't dance, but he didn't do half bad! It wasn't the hardest choreography, but for week 1, it was enough to show that he has some potential.
Score: 26

Maureen & Artem - Viennese Waltz
They are so cute together! She made him cry! I had no doubt that she would have a lot of grace and beauty on the dancefloor. She floated across the floor with really great form. I'm not sure how she will do on some of the quicker Latin dances, but I think she has ballroom nailed. How cool that Florence Henderson was there to support her! So lovely! Another celebrity who is just so happy and excited to finally be on the show. Very cool to see.
Score: 22

Babyface & Allison - Foxtrot
Horrible music. He was maybe a little better than I thought he was going to be. He showed some personality and looked like he was having a good time. I had a hard time enjoying it though, because of the crappy music.
Score; 26

Amber Rose & Maks - Foxtrot
If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I will just remind myself of that as I critique her. Bruno said it best when he said "there was more to her than he expected". Let's just say, she has a very interesting physique. I think Maks is the perfect partner for her. With an attitude like that, I think he's the only one who can contain her her and understand her.
Score: 24

Vanilla Ice & Witney - Cha Cha
I can't wait for this! He's the one I've been most excited for! And to find out that he's never watched the show! He has no idea what he's getting into! Very cool that they are dancing to his most well-known song: "Ice, Ice Baby", of course. He's still got the moves! This wasn't nearly long enough, I want more! He was worried about making a fool of himself with his own song, but he owned it! Awesome choreography! I can't wait to see more from him! That was just awesome. Almost as good as Alfonso pulling out "The Carlton". Bummed the judges didn't think there was enough cha cha content. Boo! And how funny that Witney wasn't even born 25 years ago when his song was a hit. I loved Erin's comment "That's just annoying."
Score: 25

Big Brother, Ep. 18.38

HOH Comp
Victor is having a blast laughing at everyone sliding around and falling down.

Nicole is still going for the smaller jar. She thinks she will get tired quickly and will need the bigger scooper. Corey continues to go for the big jug so that they have both strategies covered.

Paul goes for the small jug because he thinks the others will tire quickly and having the bigger scooper will come in handy.

Paul seems to be falling the most. He had some really big wipeouts! I love Victor's laugh as he goes down time and time again. He is just throwing his body around. He is going to be so banged up and bruised.

James is doing the running man, as he is running and going absolutely nowhere! Hey Victor, I said it first! He gives up, and he decides to crawl just to make some forward progress. Paul decides to do the same, only he's using the "butt slide" strategy. It actually starts to work quite well for him.

Nicole gets the big scooper before Paul. At this point, Corey has about 2/3 full, while James has about 1/2. Nicole gets to about 1/2 full on the big jug when Paul finally gets the big scooper...or does he? He can't get the ball out. James tells him not to worry because not all heroes wear capes. Haha! He decides to quit because there was no way he was catching any of the others.

At 52 minutes, Corey has about 3/4 full. He's doing awesome! And...he wins!

Strategizing
James looks like he is going to side with Nicole and Corey over Paul and Victor. He feels like they have kind of had an understanding the entire game that they all have each other's backs.

Nicole and Corey are ready to start making some big moves, so Paul and Victor should be worried. The Final Four is kaput :(

Corey watches James on the TV in the HOH room. He hopes that he will come up to HOH on his own and not go off to talk to Paul and Victor. They shout for joy when he makes his way up there and they think this is a sign that he is with them.

Nicole and Corey want Victor out. He is the strongest person left when it comes to comps. They know that Paul and Victor are going to be super pissed that they are going against their Final Four alliance.

Victor thinks that Nicole and Corey will still work with them and won't want to work with sneaky James. Paul isn't so sure. He thinks they have to win Veto. Paul goes to talk to Nicole and Corey to find out what the plan is. Corey agrees that James is the target. Paul wants to know if he or Victor will go up as the pawn. He said he literally doesn't care if he goes up or Victor.

Nicole wonders if maybe they should put up James, even though they don't want him to go home. She is worried that he could secretly be working with Paul and Victor. They are all going to be in the same room together this week, and they will be in James's ear.

Pranks on Nicole
For some reason, Corey decided to do to Nicole what James did to Paul. He put salt in her water bottle. He laughed at himself as he was pouring it and stirring it in. Nicole takes a swig and immediately spits it out - directly in Corey's face! Nice shot, Nicole! That was hilarious!

Later, Victor starts picking on her, too. He started spitting spit wads at her, jumping out and scaring her. He literally started hanging all over her, and picking her up everywhere. Can anyone say "third wheel"?

Nominations
Corey nominates Paul and Victor :(

Corey said it was not in his best interest in this game to put James on the block this week. He said "mama didn't raise no bitch" and it was time for him to make a big move.

At this point, I love all of the ones left, so I don't want to see any of them go.

Poor Victor, he looked so hurt. On one hand, Victor has been evicted twice, so technically, he maybe doesn't deserve to still be there. On the other hand, he FOUGHT his way back TWICE and was victorious BOTH times, so that alone is enough to deserve to be there.

James is literally in the best spot possible. Like he said, he is in the middle of two alliances of two that are mad at each other, and it's like he isn't even there. He will most likely go all the way now.

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Dancing with the Stars, Season 23 Preview & Cast Bios

Season 23 starts TOMORROW, Monday, September 12 at 8:00 PM EST on ABC!

3 pros, who have taken a few seasons off, will be returning: Maks, Cheryl, and Derek! It will be great to see them dancing again!

Missing for the first time is Tony Dovolani. Tony has been a pro every single season, except for Season 1 (that's a LONG time!). Mark Ballas is also taking at least one season off to do the Broadway show Jersey Boys. It will be weird not seeing those guys.

I am super excited to see Gleb back! Gleb has only appeared on one other season, Season 10. He was partnered with Lisa Vanderpump, so he wasn't around for very long, but I've remembered him since that season and have been hoping that he would get another shot, with a better partner. He has definitely gotten that this season, being partnered with Jana Kramer. They are going to be a great partnership, I have no doubt.

I think my favorites going into the season are going to be Vanilla Ice, Jana Kramer, Ryan Lochte, and Laurie Hernandez. We'll see if that changes after seeing them all compete in week 1.

	Amber & Maks Amber Rose Talk Show Host, Model Age: 32 Maksim Cherkovskiy Pro Seasons: 15th Best Finish: Winner, Season 18 Age: 36
	Babyface & Allison Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds R&B Singer/Songwriter Age: 57 Allison Holker Pro Seasons: 4th Best Finish: 2nd, Season 20 Age: 28
	Calvin & Lindsay Calvin Johson Retired Football Player - Detroit Lions Age: 30 Lindsay Arnold Pro Seasons: 4th Best Finish: 3rd, Season 21 Age: 22
	Jake & Jenna Jake T. Austin Actor (Wizards of Waverly Place, The Fosters) Age: 21 Jenna Johnson Pro Seasons: 1st (former member of the DWTS Troupe, and competitor on So You Think You Can Dance) Best Finish: n/a Age: 22
	James & Sharna James Hinchcliffe Indy Race Car Driver Age: 29 Sharna Burgess Pro Seasons: 8th Best Finish: 2nd, Season 21 Age: 31
	Jana & Gleb Jana Kramer Actress (One Tree Hill), Singer Age: 32 Gleb Savchenko Pro Seasons: 2nd Best Finish: 10th, Season 16 Age: 32
	Laurie & Val Laurie Hernandez Olympic Gymnast Age: 16 Valentin Chmerkovskiy Pro Seasons: 11th Best Finish: Winner, Season 20 Age: 30
	Marilu & Derek Marilu Henner Actress (Taxi) Age: 64 Derek Hough Pro Seasons: 17th Best Finish: Winner, Seasons 7, 10, 11, 16, 17, 21 Age: 31
	Maureen & Artem Maureen McCormick Actress (The Brady Bunch) Age: 60 Artem Chigvintsev Pro Seasons: 4th Best Finish: 6th, Season 19 Age: 32
/	Rick & Emma Rick Perry Former Texas Governor Age: 66 Emma Slater Pro Seasons: 6th Best Finish: 4th, Season 17 Age: 27
	Ryan & Cheryl Ryan Lochte Olympic Swimmer Age: 32 Cheryl Burke Pro Seasons: 19th Best Finish: Winner, Seasons 2 and 3 Age: 32
	Terra & Saha Terra Jolé Reality TV Personality (Little Women: LA) Age: 36 Sasha Farber Pro Seasons: 3rd Best Finish: 7th, Season 22 Age: 33
	Vanilla Ice & Witney Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle Singer, TV Personality (The Vanilla Ice Project) Age: 48 Witney Carson Pro Seasons: 6th Best Finish: Winner, Season 19 Age: 22

Photos: TVLine.com
Cast Bios: Wikipedia

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Big Brother, Ep. 18.37

The Demise of Jatalie
Natalie continues to belittle James and blame him for their situation. James continues to apologize for making a bad call.

Every conversation that they have ends up in a fight. Natalie knows she's going home and doesn't want to talk about it anymore. James tries to tell her that anything can happen. He said that she could go home and decide she never wants to talk to him again. He wonders why he let himself get in a showmance in the first place.

Natalie said she can't wait for Thursday for her live eviction and to meet Julie. James told her she was acting like an asshole. He said her true colors were coming out. He called her out for throwing him under the bus. She couldn't believe that someone would say that. She said she didn't do it. He said he's done with her cattiness. He thinks that she was just using him because he was her 4th pick. She started out flirting with Victor, then with Corey, then with Paulie. She couldn't believe he would say that to her. He had tried to snuggle with her in bed on their last night in the house together and she did everything to avoid it and move to another bed. Major problems in the Jatalie world right now. He said he is done with her. He couldn't believe that he was ready to give up his game to let Natalie stay.

Strategizing
The Final Four discuss the plan for eviction. Paul, Corey, and Nicole are all for voting out Natalie. Paul said that he and Victor had a conversation with James. Nicole worries that there was more to the conversation and that maybe he is hoping to work with James if he stays...which he was.

Victor buddies up with James in an attempt to secure him and Paul if James stays. Corey does the same because he feels bad that he's on the block and that Natalie keeps blaming him for everything. He thinks she only has herself to blame. Nicole said his head is just not in the game anymore.

The Votes
Paul -- Natalie
Nicole -- Natalie
Corey -- Natalie

Just as predicted, Natalie gets the boot. This furthers the suspicions/rumors that Nicole and James had a deal before the season even started. Word from the feeds is that Nicole and Corey are ready to work with James and ditch the Final Four alliance :(

I've never seen someone so happy to be evicted. That girl just exudes giddiness.

She tells Julie that her showmance was real and she does have real feelings for James. She says she would never throw James under the bus and that was not her intention.

HOH Comp
It's the slip-n-slide comp where they have to slide up and down a lane and transfer (this time) 8 gallons of butter. There is a small container that they can fill first to retrieve a bigger scooper to transfer more butter at a time.

Core and Paul go for the big container, Nicole and James go for the smaller container. Interesting. Wonder which one will pay off.

I seem to remember Nicole having some pretty good wipeouts the last time she did this comp. I love hearing her scream as she almost falls every time.

Gotta say, I think I'm rooting for Paul in this one! Not sure what any of the other 3 are thinking. I really like everyone who is left,

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Big Brother, Ep. 18.36

Nomination Fallout
Nicole is feeling guilty about James being on the block. She thinks he's a nice person and doesn't deserve to be up there. Corey told her she should not feel guilty.

Natalie: "It's kind of fun being on the block together." Really?!

Natalie says that she and James should have stuck with Paul and Victor, and now it's coming back to haunt them. She said Nicole and Corey would have been easy targets. She is mad at herself for listening to James and she wishes she would have put her foot down.

Strategizing
Natalie apologizes to Paul and Victor for betraying and backstabbing them. She said she put her trust in James and that was wrong. She said she betrayed them and they had her back. She admitted her mistake. Paul and Victor were appreciative, but they were suspicious of her throwing James under the bus. They said she has been playing like she doesn't know how to play the game. Yet...she has made it to the final 6 and now she is putting the blame on James. They couldn't believe that she was jumping ship already, even before the Veto. They immediately told Nicole and Corey, who also couldn't believe what she said.

Natalie told James that she went and talked to Paul and Victor. She told him exactly what she said! I can't believe she told him that! He is not going to be too happy about that. She asked if that was OK. James is sure that he is going home and that he's the target. He doesn't think she has anything to worry about.

Veto Comp
There are only 6 left, so all will be competing. The comp is a MacGyver themed game. They will compete individually to try to escape the quickest from 3 rooms. Cool! I know who wins this, and let's just say I'm shocked!

Natalie is doing a lot better at this than I expected! She has some really great ideas! Natalie: 9:06

Nicole now knows what time she has to beat. Natalie gets to watch as she competes. She isn't moving as fast as Natalie did. Unfortunately, she got blown up in the 2nd room as her time ran out.

Victor is up next. He is moving quickly and is past the 1st room. Nicole and Natalie are cracking up as it took him awhile to find the key and figure out he needed water. He unlocked the 2nd room door with only 45 seconds left. Not looking good. And time ran out...he was blown up, too. I can't believe that Natalie still has the best time!

James's turn. I would think with his military experience that he should do pretty well with this. He is struggling finding the key and he empties out the water container thinking it's in there, and cablooey! He is blown up!

Corey is up! Nicole doesn't have very high hopes for him...she doesn't think he is very resourceful. He quickly got out of the 1st room. He quickly found the key and figured out the water. Wow, that didn't take him long at all! He has a whole 4 minutes to figure out the 3rd room. Wow. And he's got it! He got it in 6:14! Nice job, Corey! I really think that he has been holding back this entire season. He is a lot smarter than we know, and he's really good at playing dumb.

Paul is the last to compete. He go out of the 1st room quickly. He didn't figure out the water for a long time...after he rigged a chain and wire to try to fish out the key, and then the wire fell in. And...he's blown up!

I knew Corey won, but didn't expect it to be such a mental comp. I love the #FinalFour celebrating in the HOH room.

Strategizing
Paul says he wants to send Natalie home because she is super smart. She has been doing so well in comps lately. Paul wants them both gone. They don't think James is that smart. Victor wants James to go because he was voted out because of James before and he doesn't want to let that happen to him again. But, he agrees that Natalie is proving to be more of a threat than James at this point. He also doesn't really like her attitude right now. Nicole said she can respect people who stay loyal to their #1 ally, and she turned on James.

Natalie is sure that she will be voted out because they know she's good at comps. James doesn't think so. He said he will tell them to vote him out before her. Natalie said that Nicole and Corey don't trust her, so she said they won't keep her. She asked him if he had a final 2 or final 3 deal with Nicole and/or Corey. He said no, and wondered why she was interrogating her. She said if he stays and he works with them, she won't ever talk to him again. He said that was a really mean thing to say. She again blamed him for listening to him and ending up where she is. He has no idea how she could say that to him. He now has some serious doubts about her intentions and feelings for him.

Corey feels bad that James is on the block and actually wants to still work with him. So, he decides to clue him in that he might not be going home. James said he was going to ask them to vote him out. He said she is on the block because of him. Corey told him not to do that.

Paul and Victor talk about what happens if James stays. He will be a free agent, and they want him to get on their side instead of Nicole and Corey. Paul decided to tell James that Natalie threw him under the bus. He was shocked to hear what she had said about her apologizing and that it was all James's idea that she didn't want to go along with. Basically, Natalie told him that she told them, so I'm not sure why he was so surprised. He said this cuts deep, and he was ready to fall on his sword for her and give up his own game for her. Now, he's not so sure he wants to do that. He goes to talk to Natalie and he was pretty much ready to cry. He is incredibly hurt by what she has said and done.

Veto Meeting
Corey decides not to use the Veto, which is not a surprise, as Nicole would be the replacement if he had (because Victor would not put up Paul).

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Big Brother, Ep. 18.35

HOH Comp
Corey decides to go for the Have container first and lands it. He will be a Have for the week.

Victor rolls and gets an O. Natalie also rolls and gets an O. Corey also gets an O.

Victor takes the lead with an H! Natalie and Corey each get their 2nd letter. Meanwhile, James has 0...after over an hour! Wow!

Corey has tried several times to get his H and misses every time. Victor is rolling and missing as well. Natalie can't get her last one either. Corey: "Cheese and crackers!" Lol

Paul now has 2! It's a 4-way tie and whoever gets one more will win. James might as well give up...he has no letters knocked over! What is his problem?! Oh wait, he now got 1. "Jamesy, I'm so proud of you!", says Natalie.

And it's Victor for the win! To say that he and Paul were excited would be a HUGE understatement! They were screaming and jumping all over each other. It was so cute. Good for you, Victor!

Strategizing
Paul and Victor officially give themselves an alliance name. In honor of the duck floatie that Michelle took from Paul, they are calling themselves: The Sitting Ducks.

James pleads his case to Victor about why he didn't give him his vote, and it was because of his final 4 deal with Corey and Nicole. Victor said he was loyal to him and Paulie when it was convenient. James said he shouldn't take anything out on Natalie because she did want to keep him. Victor asked Nicole and she denied that she, Corey, James, and Natalie had a final 4...even though they kind of did. Victor doesn't really care because that's over and done with and he and Paul do have a final 4 deal that he wants to honor, so he will be keeping Nicole and Corey safe.

James tells Natlie that he sealed his fate so that she can stay.

The Funnies
Lots of funny stuff on this episode:

• Corey sleep-talks about Harry Potter!
• Victor, Paul, and Corey make fun of Nicole for coming from a very small town with only a few people in her class at school

Nominations
Victor nominates: James and Natalie

Victor tells Natalie that she wins Veto and can save herself, and he hopes James goes home this week.

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---

Big Brother, Ep. 18.34

If there was ever a lock for an eviction, this might just be it. Corey is 100% voting to evict Michelle for Nicole. Victor is not about to vote out his homeboy. That's 2 solid votes for Michelle. If we needed any more assurance, there's the $5,000 bribe that Corey gave to Victor for his vote. So yeah, that's absolutely the 2 votes they need to force the tie. While James and Natalie are voting to get rid of Paul, there 2 votes don't matter, because Nicole is the deciding vote. Nicole has been targeting Michelle for weeks. So, that's it. Michelle is finished. Poor James is sticking with his gut and is almost positive that Paul is going home. Boy, is he going to be surprised (unless Nicole decides to fill him in at the last minute right before the votes).

Veto Fallout
Paul is pretty happy to still be on the block. Nicole's decision spoke volumes to him because if she really wanted him or Victor out, she would have pulled down Michelle and put Victor up there next to him so that one of them would have to go. I love their devotion to this alliance. They are all playing so smartly right now. I hope they can follow it through to actually BE the final 4.

Paul lies to Michelle saying that he doesn't know which of them will go. Natalie laughed and said she didn't know either. They said that only Nicole and Corey probably know how things are going to go.

The Bribe
Victor and James are making fun of Corey for getting $5,000...that he has to give to someone else. James said he should probably give it to one of his friends so it doesn't go to waste. James told him to seriously consider giving it to him to throw the next HOH comp. He said he was totally serious. He says he feels good about throwing the next comp because he has 2 "secret" weapons -- Natalie and Michelle. One, they aren't secret. Two, they aren't really weapons.

Corey told Nicole about James pressuring him to give him the money. He thinks it's pretty sketchy. She worries that something else is going on that they don't know about.

Nicole worries that Victor could potentially vote out Paul because he's a threat. They think that maybe offering Victor the bribe to secure his vote would be a smart move. Nicole supports Corey's decision, so they call Victor and Paul to the HOH Room. He makes the offer to Victor, and was so shocked! He said Corey was going to make him cry. The whole thing was soooo cute! Paul called it a "mucho friendship move". Paul thinks this Final 4 is a super alliance. So much friendship going on right now! Victor said they are all going to take a trip together. Paul said that that trip is to the Final 4. They can't believe how lucky they all are to have such a great group of people working together. Too bad they haven't been working together since the very beginning - they could have been having so much fun together!

The Votes
Meech made another epic speech. First Paul gave her a kiss, and she said it was better than the last Paul. Ouch! Burn! She said she is threatening them with the fact that she will cry uncontrollably if they evict her and then she will have to go out and see Julie like that. They shouldn't do that to poor Julie. And secondly, she will be going after Victor because he's been evicted twice and doesn't deserve to be there. She said if they aren't careful either Victor or Paul are going to win because they are good at competitions and they are smart.

Victor -- Michelle
Natalie -- Paul
Corey -- Michelle
James -- Paul

And just like we thought, it's a tie. Just like we thought, Nicole evicts Michelle. On her way out, she tells whoever wins the next HOH to get ready for some but-kissing because that's what Victor will do. She said that's exactly why they need to get Nicole out. Her last act of anger on the way out was to grab Paul's inflatable duck floatie that he likes to wear around the house.

Julie called Michelle out for not campaigning. Michelle said that Nicole is the "most boringest HOH ever" because all she does is sit up in the HOH Room and not talk to anyone but Corey. She said no one knew what was going on because she wouldn't talk to anyone. Well, I think that just shows what a good game Nicole is playing and how her game was flawed.

We saw in James's goodbye message that he was in fact blindsided, and that's what was said was going on in the live feeds. James was so sure she was safe and told her it would be best to keep quiet and let Paul be the bigger target. She really thought she was safe, but did start to campaign...but only within the last couple of hours. Either way, it didn't matter, her fate was sealed days ago. The thing is, James was going on his gut. He never actually talked to Nicole or Corey. Michelle never talked to them either. This result really shouldn't have come as such a surprise since they didn't actually talk to them about what was going to happen...they just assumed. Oops.

HOH Comp
It's the chicken wire comp to maneuver eggs. After getting the eggs through the obstacle, they have to roll their eggs to knock over the letters HOH. First one to knock down all 3 wins. There is also a Have/Have Not challenge to get an egg in the Have slot.

Well, we know these comps favor the girls with little fingers. Natalie is the most likely winner in that case. I can see James having tiny hands, so he might do well also. I see Corey as probably having the biggest, most clumsy fingers, so count him out. Paul and Victor are wildcards. This does NOT bode well for the Final 4. They have the numbers, so they should be able to pull off something...hopefully...even if James or Natalie wins HOH.

Oh snap! Added challenge! There are eagles up over head that can try to poach their eggs as they roll them on the top. Yikes!

Go Paul! Go Victor! Go Corey!

---

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin

---