The Amazing Race, Ep. 25.12 -- Finale

Leg 12 -- The Final Leg: Manila, Philippines > Los Angeles, USA

4 teams are left...hoping that the only good team worth rooting for, Adam & Bethany, come out with the win.

Brooke is NOT happy to see Amy & Maya were not eliminated and are still racing.

After arriving in LA, Misti & Jim get lost and go the wrong way.

Adam & Bethany and Amy & Maya arrive at City Hall first to receive their clue. Misti & Jim aren't too far behind. Brooke & Robbie are driving around and have no clue what they are doing. They are way in last place. They started out in first, and are now in last. Last leg, they were last and ended up in first. I've never seen a team so up and down. And now they are just arguing...not looking good for them.

Amy & Maya ask strangers to use their phone so they can find directions to their next location. Adam & Bethany stop at a fire station for directions, where one of the firemen recognizes her. Unfortunately, they can't stay and chat.

Road Block: Action Hero

Survivor, Ep. 29.14 -- FINALE

It's all about the Survivor finale tonight!!!

My thoughts before the finale starts:
I think Natalie deserves to win (and how funny would it be, since Nadiya was the first voted out?!). It would be kind of great to see Keith win, as the funny, sometimes clueless underdog. Of the other 3, I don't see any way that Baylor and Missy can win (at least I hope the jury is thinking the way I am). Jaclyn doesn't deserve to win with all her (and Jon's) weekly flip-flopping...unless she can somehow spin that as some kind of genius strategy. However, if it comes down to a really despicable final 3 of Baylor, Missy, and Jaclyn...I would have to root for Jaclyn. If the jury dislikes the other 2 as much as I do, Jaclyn could have a chance to win. I think if Natalie makes it to the finals, she's got it in the bag. Missy and Baylor might just be dumb enough to take her along, and I think if it's up to her, she takes the two of them and wins easily. Her problem might be with Keith and Jaclyn...if it's up to either of them, they would probably be smart enough to realize what a threat she is. The commercials say there's one more big blindside, and that makes me worried for Natalie, because hers would be the only one I would consider a "big blindside". She has the hidden immunity idol, so she would be absolutely stupid not to play it at the next Tribal, so if they were going to blindside her, it would be at the next one.

Can't wait to see what happens...here we go!!! I sure hope I can keep up...2 hour Survivor and a ton of Survivor alumni tweets to read at the same time. Loving the hashtag #twinnieforthewinnie!

The Voice, Ep. 7.24 & 7.25 -- FINALE

It's the final night of performances, and tomorrow night we will find out who will be the Season 7 winner!

For once, I actually like all of the finalists. It's a miracle! Because I like all 4, my critiques are going to be very brief, so I'm not repeating the same thing over and over again..."great voice", yada yada yada.

I have to say that I think this is the absolute closest finale, and we have not only 3, but 4 incredibly talented singers that I've loved from the very beginning. And to think it's a guys' sweep...no girls...that's pretty much unheard of. And I can honestly say that I've enjoyed this finale more than any other (yes I've added this part after watching the episode...just didn't want to have that thought get lost at the bottom of this post).

Are we ready for some singing? Each of the 4 is singing 3 songs...wow! They will each sing with their coach and also perform an original song.

Team Adam

BBAU 11: Week 12 Recap -- FINALE

Week 12 Recap--FINALE!

It's final week in the house, and we're down to 6 housemates: Priya, Ryan, Skye, Travis, Lina, and Penny

I've got to say, that I really hate that they bring so many people in the house, and then they have to do so many double and triple evictions at the end.

Secrets Revealed
Big Brother reveals some of the housemates' dirtiest secrets, most secretive conversations, and a few nominations. Things this season have just been so petty and childish, so there really wasn't anything too revealing. I don't think anyone was really surprised what they saw and heard.

The funniest thing was Skye's crush on Ryan, and then showing that she nominated him like 5 times because he was a threat to her.

...and then she had a complete meltdown. She is so self-conscious of herself and she doesn't think it was a good idea to come on the show. She doesn't like that people think she's not smart. She goes to the bedroom and starts crying. Travis and Priya try to cheer her up.

Penny then, out of nowhere, decides to take a knife and start covering herself with chocolate from the chocolate fountain.

Backyard Cricket
They have 20 minutes to get 20 balls over the pool and into the net. If they pass the challenge, they get a KFC feast. If they fail, Big Brother will take food out of the kitchen.

These are the kinds of things that were severely lacking this season. I wish they would have done more things like this to show them having fun!

They passed!

Big Brother's Birthday
It is the 1000th episode of Big Brother!

Big Brother's Little Sister told Ryan that they need to celebrate. Skye dresses up like Marilyn Monroe, and she is going to sing "Happy Birthday" to Big Brother.

Travia
Travis's made up game of Travia...he comes up with the questions and the answers, and what he says goes. First to ring their bell and say their name, gets to answer.

Tie-breaker between Ryan, Skye and Priya.

He said "This questions is..." and before he could finish, Ryan buzzed and said "massive", and Travis said that was right! "Massive" was one of Travis's favorite words,and a word he had trouble spelling.

Things got off to a bad start when Travis called on Ryan even though he didn't say his name. Priya then continued to get upset about every little thing in the game, and I don't know if he was doing it on purpose or not, but Travis continued to just upset her throughout the whole thing. Everyone, including herself that that her behavior was really childish and selfish.

Ryan's prize was some food and wine, and he decided to share it with everyone.

While Priya was talking to Big Brother, everyone decided to hide from her. When she came down, she couldn't find anyone. They were all hiding in the supply closet. She went outside, then inside, then outside, then inside again. She tried the supply door, but they were holding it shut. "This is so weird" she said. They came out into the dining area and pretended to have been there the whole time.

Eventually, Travis and Priya have it out, in a full-out fight. Neither of them are right and neither are wrong. There is no talking to Priya...she doesn't listen, she just talks.

Ned and Kelly
It's time the puppies to go to their new home. It's a sad day to see them go. Penny was so upset...she said she is sadder than when some people have left. Ha! The eviction also brought together Travis and Priya, and they made up.

I love the video montage of their time in the house. We missed so much fun with them! They were hardly even shown on the show, but they actually did quite a bit with them, and dressed them up in cute clothes. Last season, we saw Mr. Clooney a lot, but we hardly saw Ned and Kelly. I wish we could have seen more of them having fun with the housemates.

Music Video

Amazing Race, Ep. 25.11

Leg 11: Manila, Philippines

Misti & Jim lead it off. Misti injured her foot in the last leg and had to be bandaged up by medical.

Misti & Jim and Amy & Maya take the same transportation, and find out they were going the wrong way.

Speed Bump
Brooke & Robbie arrived at the Detour 2nd, but have to complete the Speed Bump because of the non-elimination last leg. They have to take stuff and move it from one cart to another.

They completed the task before the other 2 teams make it to the Detour, so they didn't lose their place, only some time.

Detour: This or That
There is no explanation of what either Detour is...it's a blind pick.

This: shoot hoops while being guarded by a local team. They have to get 21 points.

That: teams have to ride bikes with side cars, and they have to complete the course in a certain amount of time.

Adam & Bethany arrive first, and choose "This". They work well together, but it's hard for her to pass with one arm. Adam missed free throw after free throw. Finally, after what seemed like a lot of misses, they get 21 just as Brooke & Robbie show up.

Brooke played basketball growing up, so she thinks this will be an easy task for them. Let's just say, she was a little bit rusty. Once she got started, she started nailing everything. I'm not sure if Robbie made any.

Misti & Jim and Amy & Maya decide to do whatever is the closest, and that happens to be "That". Steering and breaks are real issues with these bikes. Each lap, they have to switch. Misti's foot proved to be a problem for her pedaling the bike.

Amy & Maya lose control and their bike goes free-wheelin' and smacks into a parked car.

Amy & Maya finish first, and not far behind Misti & Jim finish, and they were both under the allotted time.

Adam can't find the clue! Oh no! Luckily they remember part of the name of the street they need to be on. I just hope they don't get penalized for not having the clue. They continue to look for their clue, and he finally finds it buried in his bag!

Roadblock: Deliver the Goods
Pick up and deliver coconut products to 3 different shops. The items were brooms and bowls...and there's a lot of them to carry through the narrow and congested streets.

Robbie chose to do the task. He missed that there were posted locations of where the items needed to be delivered to, so he had to go back.

Misti & Jim and Adam & Bethany arrive at the same time. Jim and Adam are doing the task, and neither of them see the posted list of where they need to go.

Robbie finds his first location, and he finds out that he didn't pay attention to "how many" of each thing he needed to deliver where. Oh my! Eventually, he does make his first delivery, and so far he's still in the lead.

Amy & Maya arrive, and Amy chooses to do the task.

Adam tells Jim that they should go back and look at the list again. By now, Robbie has made 2 deliveries.

Adam and Jim make their first delivery as Robbie makes his 3rd and final delivery. Meanwhile, Amy is on her own and is very lost. She is also injured, so this really isn't a good task to be doing. At one point she stops and says that she can't do it, and drops everything in the middle of the street.

Adam was kind of leading the way, and Jim was trying to keep up with him, but Adam was moving quickly to try to lose him.

Jim finds someone who will lend him a cart to load all his stuff on. PLEASE tell me that that is illegal and he will get penalized for that!

Amy also finds a cart that someone lets her borrow. Come on...not fair!

Adam finishes before Jim, and Adam didn't cheat! Way to go Adam!

Jim finishes, leaving just Amy left at the task. She's limping along, and looks dehydrated, but she finished.

Pit Stop
1. Brooke & Robbie -- from last to first...and they are still racing!!!!
2. Adam & Bethany
3. Misti & Jim
4. Amy & Maya -- non-elimination (come on, another one!) Amy had to be checked out because she wasn't looking so good. I'm sure they were hoping for a rest...but...they're still racing.

...and the final 3 are off to Los Angeles for the final leg!

For the first time in Amazing Race history, 4 teams get to race the final leg. And, I'm bummed. That's just one more team to mess things up!  Go Adam & Bethany!!!!

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Survivor, Ep. 29.13

I can't wait to see the aftermath of Natalie's move last Tribal that stunned EVERYONE! Plus the description of this episode says that a surprising Tribal Council results in one of the biggest blindsides of the season! We've had some big ones so far, so we could be in for another treat! I sure hope it's not a Jon blindside...with his idol...

Huyopa Camp 
Natalie said she was confused who was voting for who...since they had decided to split the votes. That's actually not a bad idea. She said no one checked in with her and she got mixed up. Baylor didn't buy it, but Jon...big surprise bought it hook, line and sinker.

Natalie told Keith that she was basically there because she saved him. She is hoping that he will, in turn, help her take down Jon.

Reward Challenge

The Voice, Ep. 7.23

Semi-Final Results & Wildcard

For the first time in The Voice history, all eliminated singers will sing again, and one of them will have the chance to re-enter the competition. This will either be a good thing (if it is Ryan) or a bad thing (if it is anyone else).

3 singers advance, and 1 will come back...who will it be? I don't know, but it better be Matt, Chris, Craig in the top 3.

Going through are: Chris, Craig, Matt!!!! Woohoo!!!!

I can't believe that all 3 I wanted to make it, did! That never happens! There's usually at least one in there that I don't like at all. So, this is awesome! I'm really worried about the Wild Card though....I really, really, really hope it's not Danica, Anita or Sugar. How fitting that Adam and Blake again show their strength and knowledge of music and talent, as they slay the other 2 coaches yet again.

The Wildcard won't be announced until tomorrow morning. Crossing my fingers and voting a bunch for Ryan!

Wildcard Performances

Reagan (Team Blake) -- OK, and better than some of her last performances, but she still isn't back to where she was at the beginning of the competition.

Jessie (Team Blake) -- Love the song and she sounds a lot like the original. But, she didn't sing my favorite part, therefore, it was just OK.

Ryan (Team Gwen) -- I wish he would have done a different song, but I think he did a really good job with this. Still rooting for him to come back.

Anita (Team Gwen) -- Ugh! Why do we have to listen to her again? This was a pretty good song choice, but I hated what she did with it by adding all the scatting.

Taylor (Team Gwen) -- Another good song choice for him...I just wish he wasn't so boring. I like his voice, but he needs to add something to his performance. I liked his high falsetto note until he started coming down and it sounded like he was crying...and not in a good way.

Damien (Team Adam) -- Love this song, and this was a great one for him! It's a dramatic song, but not really a sad song, like what he tends to do a lot. Very nicely done.

Sugar (Team Pharrell) -- I absolutely love this song, and this was a pretty good choice for her. I would say she did Amy Winehouse proud. I still don't care for her overused vibrato though. She had some really impressive moments in this performance. If she would have performed that well in the competition she probably wouldn't have been eliminated.

Luke (Team Pharrell) -- Another great song choice (not sure what's gotten into all these singers tonight!). If he would have sang songs like this in his time on the show, I definitely would have been on the Luke bandwagon. I've always loved his voice, I've just hated his song choices. Tonight he actually picked a really good song, and his performance was amazing.

Danica (Team Pharrell) -- Of course they give her the last spot...don't be fooled people, she is not the one who should go through, they just want to think she is by having her sing last. Yes, she sang fine, but those low notes were atrocious. Remember that when thinking she was so great because she sang so loud and did a bunch of runs.

UPDATE: the Wildcard winner has been announced, and the winner is...

Damien!!

I'm definitely OK with that, and I'm happy for him. He joins his other Team Adam teammates, and Adam's team, again, is completely intact. That's crazy!

The final 4 for the finale are:

Team Adam

Matt McAndrew
Chris Jamison
Damien

Team Blake

Craig Wayne Boyd

Team Gwen

no one

Team Pharrell

no one

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The Voice, Ep. 7.22

I can't believe we are at the Semi-Finals already! 5 great singers left...all guys, can you believe it?!

Tonight there's 2 rounds: one song the coaches pick and the other the singers pick as a hometown dedication.

Team Adam

Damien
"She's Out of My Life" by Michael Jackson (Adam's Pick)
Sorry, Michael Jackson fans, I only know this song as one of 98°'s songs. This was a good pick for him. It's right in his wheelhouse, and allows him to get really emotional, which is what he does best. I don't know how he can do that night after night being so emotionally invested in the song, to the point where he has tears in his eyes. Incredible, and absolutely beautiful.

"I Don't Want to Wait" by Paula Cole (Damien's Pick)
What a strange song choice. I never in a million years would I have ever guessed him to pick this song. Gotta say, I wasn't a fan of the song before, and I definitely didn't care for his version...at all. It was kind of nice to hear him do something more upbeat, instead of the sad and emotional stuff he usually does, but this was not the right song. I don't even think his vocals were that good on it...he sounded off and strained in a lot of places. That was disappointing.

 Matt McAndrew
"Make It Rain" by Ed Sheeran (Adam's Pick)
Love this song...great pick Adam! Oh, that voice! If we thought he was amazeballs before...he just took it to a whole 'nother level! Seriously...holy crap dude! I love that he has so many dynamics within one song. He goes from soft and emotional, to full out screaming...but the good kind of screaming...the kind of screaming that is still singing, not the scream-scream kind. Winner winner, chicken dinner! Can we just call it now, please?!

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 (Matt's Pick)
Another great song for him...but then again, what can't he sing amazingly? That said, I think even this hugely popular song might be a little beneath him. I don't think it necessarily showed off just how good he can be...but he proves that every week, so I think he can afford to have a "freebie" now an then. The crowd sure loved it, that's for sure.

Chris Jamison 
"Sugar" by Maroon 5 (Adam's Pick)
So, I love Maroon 5, and I love Chris, so of course this is going to be amazing. I don't know how he ended up in the bottom last week...he's just so good! That falsetto is ridiculous! He's got such a well-rounded full voice, but he can go so high with that falsetto. He might go to the falsetto more than I would like, and that would be my only criticism. This was kind of a risk because most people probably haven't heard this song, since Maroon 5 hasn't released it yet. So, the only way you would know it is if you have their latest album...which I do, of course.

"When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars (Chris's Pick)
This is the best pick by a singer, by far! So perfect for him! This is the stuff I love him singing the best. The first song was good, but this was epic! Exactly what he needed at this stage of the competition and to close out the show. It's a popular song, by a popular artist, so it's going to connect with a lot of people. He totally did it justice and then some. His voice sounded so great, and then that falsetto! He had everyone, Adam included, in a trance. He so deserves to make it to the next round. Come on and vote for this guy people!

Team Blake

Craig Wayne Boyd
"Working Man Blues" by Merle Haggard (Blake's Pick)
Oh boy...we really stepped into the honky-tonk with this one. Not my favorite Blake...you're lucky I like Craig, because this was pretty painful to listen to genre-wise. He definitely rocked it out, that's for sure. I just don't see this as something he would actually record. His voice is too good for a cheesy country song like this. He showed that off with that crazy loud rockin' yell at the end...that was cool.

"The Old Rugged Cross" by Alan Jackson (Craig's Pick)
Now, this is much more his style, I think. I love when he lets his voice just sound amazing, and doesn't let the music overpower him. This was beautiful and so powerful. He sang just as loud, if not louder, on this song than he did on the first one! Crazy!

Team Gwen

Taylor John Williams
"Falling Slowly" by The Swell Season (Gwen's Pick)
The first time I heard this song, I really liked it. But then literally someone has done it every season on like every reality singing competition, and I'm way over this song now. I can't listen to it any more. Now Taylor does it, and I thought he might do really well with it. BUT, the beginning of the song was so off! His low notes were atrocious! I cringed several times...it was bad. Once he got to the falsetto part it was much better. But then back to the low notes of the verses, and he just couldn't land them. Low notes aside, the majority of the performance was pretty good, but pretty boring. I kind of wish that he would have changed up the song a little bit to make it not sound like every other version of the song that I've heard...and no, Pharrell, I don't think he made it his own (that just means that Pharrell must not know the original). And hey, he didn't wear a hat or a headband, so there's something to be positive about!

"Blank Space" by Taylor Swift (Taylor's Pick)
I am so intrigued to see what he does with this song. This isn't the Taylor song I was thinking he would pick when they said he was doing Taylor Swift. I hoped for better...it was OK, but I think he could have done more with it. The lyrics are kind of dark, but Taylor (Swift, that is), makes it a little more light-hearted. Taylor (John Williams, that is) chose to do it darker than the original...which is what he kind of has been known for doing in the competition.

Team Pharrell
Sorry, Pharrell...nobody left :(

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BBAU 11: Week 11 Recap

Week 11 Recap...

Christmas Factory Challenge
I loved this task last season! It's for such a great cause: The Starlight Foundation. They have to go into Santa's Workshop and make and wrap Christmas gifts up to quality control standards.

David's Dinner Date
David was rewarded a dinner date in the Sanctuary with someone of his choice. He chose Penny. If he pulls off the task, he will get to hear scores of his favorite football team. His task was to show off the powerfulness of the house air fresheners. He has to hide a sardine in his suit when he goes to retrieve their meal. Next course, he has to hide a very large fish in his suit. The last course, he had to hide another large fish. After the second one, she looked like she was suspecting something as she was kind of rubbing her nose.

Poor David could barely eat his meal because of the smell. But, he pulled it off, and he passed the task.

Eviction
It's time to go...Leo...or should we say Ryan? We find out that Leo is not really his name, his name is actually Ryan. Since there was already a Ryan in the house, they had to come up with another name so that people wouldn't get confused. They chose Leo because when he was born, the nurse told hims om that he had the heart of a lion, and his mom called him Leo when he was little.

It's time to go...David.
I'm bummed to see him go. I think he should have made the final.

And...that's about it for this week. So much filler stuff of them just talking about the past and wondering who's going to win, blah blah blah...all pretty boring.

They did have a little fun going crazy...the funniest thing being Ryan putting on some of Penny's hair extensions and then proposing to Skye. Haha!

I loved seeing the silly side of Ryan that started to come out, like when they all got up on their "soap box". I wish we would have seen more of this throughout the season...from everyone. This season focused too much on the gossip, strategizing and drama!

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BBAU 11: Week 10 Recap

Sorry it's so late, but I'm now getting caught up! Here's the Week 10 Recap:

Power Play Nominations
This week the housemates are voting for who they want to be the new HOH. They will pick 2 people, they will give 1 person 2 pts and the other person 1 pt.

David -- Ryan 2, Tom 1
Leo -- Skye 2, Richard 1
Skye -- Leo 2, Travis 1
Ryan -- David 2, Tom 1
Tom -- Ryan 2, Penny 1
Travis -- Richard 2, Priya 1

We don't get to see the rest of the votes.

The winner with the most points is...it's a tie! Travis and Richard got the same number of votes. David as the reigning HOH, he gets 1 extra point to give to either Travis or Richard. He chose Travis.

Remote Control Task

Amazing Race, Ep. 25.10

Leg 10: Singapore > Manila, Philippines

Adam & Bethany lead it off.

Adam & Bethany and Brooke & Robbie go to a travel agent to book their flight. Misti & Jim decide to go to the airport first. Amy & Maya call a travel agent on the phone on their way to the airport.

Adam & Bethany, Brooke & Robbie and Amy & Maya get flights on Singapore Airlines for the same flight to get in at 11:00 PM.

Misti & Jim get to the airport and the first flight is booked, so they have to take a later flight. They decided to go to the airport because they got screwed the last time, but this time it really came back to bite them in the butt.

At the destination, they find a sign that says they can't pick up their clue until 6:30 AM. Bummer...that means the dentists are now all caught up.

Detour: Catch or Coach
Catch: use a bucket to transfer fish from the ocean to the beach
Coach: assemble a side car and mount in on a motorcycle

All teams do Coach except for Brooke and Robbie.

Amy & Maya are all confused as the other teams pass them...they are saying that they didn't follow the clue because they didn't get into a motorized tricycle, so they might get a penalty. They finally figure it out and go back.

Brooke continually whines about how bad everything smells. And they choose the fish task...great.

They actually did a pretty good job on the very physical task. I really don't think that any of the other teams would be able to do this task. It was hard because the waves were really crashing on them as they were trying to fill the bucket. Now Robbie is completely grossed out by touching all the fish. What wimps! Then they start arguing because they dumped the bucket. And then Brooke hurt her hand on some bones from the fish. Oh my...I'm so ready for them to be gone. And then a huge storm starts to roll in. Somehow, they finish and end up in first place.

Adam & Bethany work really well together on putting the side car together. He seemed to know what he was doing, and he would tell her what she could do to help.

Misti & Jim are also doing really well. They think they are done, but something is wrong. They think they fixed it, but they are still wrong. And they're wrong a third time! He keeps missing that he has the shocks on wrong.

Adam & Bethany get it right on the first try, and they are now in second place. Woohoo!

Misti & Jim finally get it right, leaving Amy & Maya as the last team. They soon finish...I'm surprised they actually figured everything out and were able to get it all together.

Switchback: My Ox is Broken
Call-back to Season 5, in one of the biggest breakdowns ever...it's very messy and the oxen have their own ideas about what they want to do. They have to use the ox pulling a plow to churn up their clue.

Brooke & Robbie can't believe they are in first place...I can't either.

Brooke takes the lead because Robbie doesn't like animals. He is so grossed out by the ox poop. Brooke was doing a pretty good job keeping the ox moving. She is regretting her decision to choose the biggest ox and plow, but once they've chosen, they can't switch.

Adam & Bethany chose a smaller ox and plow.

All teams are now at the task at the same time. Who's going to find the clue first?

Jim loses control of his ox and he tries to go to another field. Oh no...they found the clue already! Oh no...Amy & Maya found the clue too! Noooooo!!!! Come on Adam & Bethany!

Adam & Bethany and Brooke & Robbie find the clue at the exact same time! Oh no, I can't take this!

Brooke doesn't have any shoes on, and they drop their bags, but Adam & Bethany beat them by seconds in the foot race. But...it's a non-elimination leg. Ugh! Why?!

This was the closest leg, in almost any of the races. All 4 teams were on the mat at the end.

Pitstop #10
1. Misti & Jim -- they win a trip to Vietnam
2. Amy & Maya
3. Adam & Bethany
4. Brooke & Robbie -- non-elimination

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Survivor, Ep. 29.11 & 29.12

We're in for a double feature tonight! Woohoo! I can't wait to see the fallout of the failed plan to get out Jon and Keith last week.

Huyopa Camp - After Tribal
Alec is ticked at Keith because he blew it at Tribal Council by saying "stick to the plan".

Jon said he was going to play his idol even if Natalie wouldn't have said anything. Yeah right! He looked like he had no intention of using it, and he asked her "are you sure?".

Jon and Jaclyn get into a fight because he listened to Natalie and played the idol, and then he claimed it was his idea...but she said she had a part in it too. She thought that was selfish of him to take all the credit. What? Seriously? You're getting upset over that?

Reward Challenge
Challenge: questions about the people in the game, get a question right and you chop a rope for another survivor...3 chops and you're out.

Reward: horseback riding, a night away and brownies

Round 1: Who has a twin besides Natalie and Nadiya. Answer: Jeremy

Keith is the only one to get it wrong. Natalie chops Reed. Jon chops Reed. Alec chops Natalie. Missy chops Reed, and he's out. Jaclyn chops Alec. Baylor chops Alec. Reed chops Missy.

Round 2: Who owns their own tanning business? Answer: Julie

Jon chops Alec, and he's out. Alec chops Jon. Missy chops Keith. Jaclyn chops Keith. Keith chops Missy. Baylor chops Keith, and he's out.

And then...oh my gosh...a Survivor first! It's down to 5. Natalie asks the group who she should chop. There's so much discussion. Jeff stops them and asks if they are just going to be nice about it and decide as a group who's going to win. They said, yeah, basically. He asked why they should even continue, and who was going to win, and they said Missy, since she hadn't won anything. So, that was it, and Jeff called it, and let Missy win. OK, did that just happen? That was crazy!

Jon is chosen to go to Exile.

Missy chooses Baylor and Natalie to go on the reward with her. Then a huge fight ensues! Reed calls Baylor a brat and Missy gets very defensive. They thought Jaclyn should have been chosen over Natalie because Jon sacrificed for the group (huh?), and then Jaclyn got the shaft. It was clear to everyone that Missy, Baylor and Natalie are extremely tight, and in the group of 5, they think they are 1, 2, 3. Jaclyn is now...you guessed it...rethinking everything! Shocker! It wouldn't be right if she and/or Jon didn't decide to flip sides again.

Exile Island

The Voice, Ep. 7.21

Top 8 Results: 3 going home

Bottom 4:
Chris Jamison
Luke Wade
Danica Shirey
Ryan Sill

The Bottom 4 perform again for 1 instant save by America

This is so tough! I'm so glad that Matt was safe. I'm also happy for Damien and Craig. But that leaves 2 of my favorites in the bottom, and only 1 can stay. Will Ryan be saved for a 4th time? I'm thinking his time is up. Totally rooting for Chris...he better be safe!!! We need to keep Team Adam going strong with 3 singers! But why did he pick "Georgia on My Mind"? What an awful song...but man did he sing it well!

The polls are looking good with Chris at 51% and Danica being next closest at 25%! Go Chris!!!

And the singer with the most votes, and is saved is: Chris!!!!

Going Home: Ryan Sill (Team Gwen), Danica (Team Pharrell) and Luke Wade (Team Pharrell)

Sad to see Ryan go, not sad to finally see Danica go. I could still go either way on Luke.

The remaining singers on each team:

Team Adam
Matt McAndrew
Damien
Chris Jamison

Woohoo Team Adam! So incredible that he still has not lost a singer on his team!

Team Blake
Craig Wayne Boyd

Team Gwen
Taylor John Williams

Team Pharrell
His team is officially wiped out!

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The Voice, Ep. 7.20

Top 8 Perform

Team Adam

Damien - "Someone Like You" by Adele
What an interesting song choice! I'm so glad he is out of the musical rut of crappy song choices that he's been in the last several weeks. This is a great improvement. This performance was so good! His high notes were incredible. He always gives such an emotional performance, and this was no exception. You can't help but feel every note right along with him.

Chris Jamison - "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye
Not my favorite song choice, but he makes everything sound good! This song is old, but he makes it sound so new and fresh.

Matt McAndrew - "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice
I'm not familiar with this song, but man, he could make me love anything he sings. His voice is so smooth, and I absolutely adore his tone. Such an incredible performance. Week after week, he's just separating himself from the pack...he's in a class of his own.

Team Blake

Craig Wayne Boyd - "Take It Easy" by The Eagles
This is such a recognizable song, but he adds his "Craigness" to it and makes it his own. This is definitely the most "Country" he's been in awhile. Somehow, I still find it entertaining and not too Country. It must just be his voice, or something, because normally I wouldn't like this at all.

Team Gwen

Ryan Sill - "Open Arms" by Journey
The wide range of song styles that Gwen has given him just proves how versatile he is. He can sing anything. This week is the tender, yet powerful side of him. I just love his voice. If this doesn't give you goosebumps, you're dead inside...or deaf.

Taylor John Williams - "Royals" by Lorde
This is a great song, and such an unexpected song choice for him. I think this might be my favorite performance of his. I love the stripped down version. I think this is the kind of stuff he needs to keep doing. The more he sang, the more I loved it. It had such a cool vibe to it.

Team Pharrell

Danica Shirey - "These Dreams" by Heart
This is a better song for her than she's been doing. I'm not sure why I still don't care for her much though. She has a great voice, but for some reason I just don't feel any connection to any of her performances. This one was more enjoyable than most, though. Until, that is, that loud screechy note that went awry. That was kind of painful.

Luke Wade - "Holding Back The Years" by Simply Red
Interesting song choice, and definitely not the worst one he's done. I actually kind of liked this and the ways he changed the song. It did get a little boring, though, and I kind of wished it would pick up a little bit. There were a couple times where he wasn't singing, and I'm not sure if he forgot the words, or was wanting the audience to sing, or what, but that was a little strange. Overall, it was a pretty good performance, but it didn't knock my socks off.

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Amazing Race, Ep. 25.9

Leg 9: Malta > Singapore

Adam & Bethany lead it off. Double U-Turn ahead. All teams are in agreement to U-Turn #Cyclists.

The teams are given seats on a flight to Paris, and need to book a connecting flight. However, they can check to see if there is an earlier arriving flight...they don't have to use the Paris flight.

Adam & Bethany arrive first and ask about the earliest flights to Singapore FROM PARIS. They book a flight landing at 6:40. Misti & Jim arrive, and ask for the same flight that Adam & Bethany booked. Next come the cyclists, who ask for the earliest flight to Singapore. The agent tells them there is a flight to Rome and from Rome to Singapore that arrives at 6:00. Oh no! Misti & Jim thought Adam & Bethany checked everything out and picked the earliest flight. Bethany didn't realize that they didn't have to use the Paris connection flight. Unfortunately, there's a new rule in play that teams can't rebook a flight once they book a flight. There plans to U-Turn the cyclists is now in jeopardy.

Amy & Maya arrive and the cyclists decide to help them and get them on their flight, so they tell them about the Rome flight and the fact that they don't have to take the Paris flight. Hopefully for the other teams, since Amy & Maya want them out, maybe they can still end up ahead of them and use the U-Turn.

Fast Forward
The first team to accomplish it gets the Fast Forward. The task is to ride the Flo Rider artificial waves and they both have to stay up for 2 minutes.

Kym & Alli are going to try for the Fast Forward because the other teams won't try it, assuming that one of the earlier teams went for it already.

Adam & Bethany read the clue, and they seriously consider going for it because they are surfers...even though they know that someone else may already be there trying it. You don't have to get their first, a team just have to complete it first.

They decide to go for it since they are behind any way.

Kym & Alli are there trying the task when Adam & Bethany arrive. Kym & Alli look like they are doing pretty well...darn it! They have both gotten past a minute, but have fallen several times. When they see Adam & Bethany arrive, I think that messed with their heads a little.

Adam & Bethany go for their first try, with Kym & Alli looking on. Adam looks really unsteady, and he fell even before letting go of the rope. Oh no!

Now it's Kym & Alli's turn again. Kym goes down! It's back to Adam & Bethany. Come on guys! He looks better this time, but there is so much time to go yet. I'm so nervous he's going to fall. Kym & Alli decide it's not worth it to stick around, so they pack up to leave. And Adam & Bethany get it done! Woohoo!

Kym & Alli are furious and fighting because Kym was the one who wanted to go for the Fast Forward and Alli didn't think they should have, but she listened to Kym.

Adam & Bethany now get to go the the Pit Stop!

Road Block: High Wire Act

Survivor, Ep. 29.10

Huyopa Camp - After Tribal
Keith thought Reed was going home...that's who he voted for. He said Reed is a gamer and he knows how to work the numbers. Reed is trying to figure out how to go further in the game, and he's thinking he might need to go after Jon because Jon thinks he's the alpha male right now.

Natalie is still totally confused by what happened.

Jon tells Natalie that he found an idol, and he wanted her to know that he trusted her.

Late that night, Natalie decided to get up and look for the still hidden idol that was at their camp. If she can find it, she would love to be able to use it to somehow get rid of Jon.

Uh-oh...I'm sensing a trend here.

Reward Challenge
Challenge: dive in the water, climb up to a platform and then jump off to get a key; the key unlocks puzzle pieces
Reward: they get to take baseball equipment to some little kids, and then get to share in some baseball food goodies

Teams:
Yellow: Reed, Alec, Jaclyn, Jon
Blue: Missy, Baylor, Natalie, Wes

Keith wasn't picked, so he doesn't get to play for the reward.

Wes and Jon are neck and neck all the way back to the platform. Missy gets a little bit of a head start on Jaclyn. Baylor goes in and Reed is not far behind. Alec vs Natalie. Alec is such a good swimmer, he was flying! Natalie did pretty good to keep up, though.

Yellow was working well together, while blue struggled to find the right key to unlock the pieces. Yellow was getting piece after piece, and blue still wasn't getting the right key. And just like that, yellow wins.

Reed decided to give up his spot for Missy because she had not won a reward yet. This could be a good move or a bad move. We all remember what happened to Jeremy last week after being "nice" and giving someone his reward. Reed's motives were not 100% just for Missy. He wants time with the "reward losers"...which did not include Jon and Jaclyn...to work on them in hopes of getting Jon out. Who knew that this guy who barely said 2 words the entire season before the merge, would now become one of the biggest gameplayers in the game.

Wes was chosen to go to Exile.

Huyopa Camp

The Voice, Ep. 7.19

Top 10 Results -- 2 more going home

Bottom 3: Anita Antoinette (Team Gwen), Reagan James (Team Blake) and Ryan Sill (Team Gwen)

The Bottom 3 sing again for America's Instant Save.

Reagan picked a good song, but the way she has changed her singing voice in recent weeks, just doesn't sound right on the song. Anita...oh Anita...she murdered another great song. She held out a long note, so loud, and so out of pitch, I actually grabbed my ears because the pitch hurt so badly. I'm surprised my ears weren't bleeding...it was that bad. And then there's Ryan. He sang one of my absolute, all-time favorite artists: Howie Day. I would love to hear more people sing his stuff because he is so freakin' awesome (seriously check him out if you've never listened to him)! Ryan sounded great on this song. I love him singing rock, but if he would go down the same musical alley as Howie Day, I would be perfectly happy with that :)

Receiving the most votes, and staying in the competition: Ryan!!! Again, I am absolutely shocked! I can't believe he got more votes than either of the 2 girls. It is really unheard of for someone to be in the Bottom 3 two weeks in a row and be saved. I sure hope he gets the votes next week, because he doesn't deserve to be in the bottom.

Going Home: Anita Antoinette and Reagan James
I am sad about losing Reagan, I really liked her. I can't believe she was in the bottom, and I can't believe she is leaving the competition so early. I am not upset about losing Anita at all...she's been here way too long already.

That means that in 2 weeks, 4 of the 4 people voted off have all been girls. DaNica is the only girl left in the competition. That is just crazy!

The remaining singers on each team:

Team Adam

Matt McAndrew
Chris Jamison
Damien

All of Team Adam is still intact!!! Woohoo!

Team Blake

Craig Wayne Boyd

Team Gwen

Taylor John Williams
Ryan Sill

Team Pharrell

DaNica Shirey
Luke Wade

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The Voice, Ep. 7.18

The Top 10

Team Adam
(Side note: how hot does Adam look in that suit! Geesh!)

Matt McAndrew - "Fix You" by Coldplay
Oh, I have goosebumps before he even sings this! It's going to be so good! You can't go wrong with Coldplay, and with Matt's voice? Yeah...perfection. Those floating high notes, beautiful melody...and then that big push to the big chorus. Holy crap...what a performance! And just when you think it can't get any better, he perfectly shouts the big ending and then comes back in for that tender ending. Such dynamics in this song, and he did it perfectly. That song is hard, and not many people do it justice, but he did that and then some.

Damien - "You and I" by Stevie Wonder
Oh man, another Stevie Wonder song? No, no, no. I love when he does current ballads, I really dislike when he does the old "classics". This is probably my least favorite performance of his, entirely because of the song choice. I love his voice, but this was really painful for me to listen to. I couldn't wait for it to be over actually. Boring, boring, boring.

Chris Jamison - "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Interesting song choice, but Adam knows what he's doing. I love that Adam was singing with Chris to show him what he needed to do. He totally killed this! There was nothing that he could have done any better with this song. It was a tough song because there are so many fast words all run together, but he mastered it. Such a great performance. I continue to just be impressed with how much he works the stage. He is so comfortable up there, and looks so natural. I have fun watching him because he has so much fun performing. I am such a huge fan of his!

Team Blake

Reagan James - "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea
I am not a fan of this song. I normally love her voice, but the way she is kind of speak-rapping this song so low...I really don't care for that at all. Parts of the song, she wasn't even singing, she was like speaking it, and yet somehow it was off-pitch. This song doesn't really showcase really how good she is. She sounds too much like Anita, and that's not a good thing.

Craig Wayne Boyd - "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash
Oh my gosh...you would never know that this was "that" song because he changed it so much by turning it into a ballad! It sounded nothing like the original...at all. I like the original (shocking I know). But, wow, I really like this version too! The more he sang, the more I liked it! This guy is so good! I got goosebumps on that long note at the end that he held forever...woah!

Team Gwen

Dancing With The Stars, Ep. 19.13 & 19.4 Finale

The Final Week!

Round 1: Judges' Picks
The judges pick a dance that they have done before that they want to see them improve on.

Bethany & Derek - Jive (Bruno's Pick)
Such a bummer that the set didn't cooperate, and that threw off their timing a little bit. That said, it was still done very well.
Score: 36

Sadie & Mark - Samba (Len's Pick)
This was, I think, my favorite of their dances...the outfits, the song, Mark's beard...everything about it. I think they also had some timing issues that I don't think they had the first time around. But I don't care, because this dance is just too fun and too cool. I love to watch her strut her stuff. And Mark split his pants! LOL!
Score: 38

Janel & Val - Samba (Julianne's Pick)
I'm so glad her rib injury didn't seem to hinder her at all. I hate when people get injured because it puts them at an unfair advantage. She came out like a trooper, and gave an amazing performance. I think she did a great job. I don't really even remember this one the first time around to compare this to, but I think it was so well done.
Score: 37

Alfonso & Witney - Jive (Carrie Ann's Pick)
You would never ever know that he was so injured by watching him. He moves so quick and effortlessly. Last week I could tell a little bit...but not this week! This was so good on week 1, but I think if it's possible, this was even better. Way to go Alfonso!
Score: 40

Round 2: Freestyle

Amazing Race, Ep. 25.8

Leg 8: Sicily > Malta

Misti & Jim lead it off

Route Info
Teams have to each carry a heavy tray with drinks up stairs. If anything breaks, they have to clean it up and start over.

Most teams have to do it more than once.

Roadblock: Into the Blue
One team member will repel down a cliff, and then search the water below for their next clue.

Alli was first to get down and find the clue. Misti and Tim were next.

It is amazing to see how fast Bethany can swim with only one arm. She was the first to make it down the rope from the second group. She smoked Amy and Robbie.

Robbie was ahead of Amy, but she passed him swimming back to the boat. That was pretty impressive.

Detour: Flag or Shine
They got no description for either one, so they had nothing to go on when picking which one to do.

Flag: walk on a long pole, that was greased, over water and grab 2 flags off a long pole

Tim & Te Jay see the flag challenge, but realize they didn't get the clue. Once they find the clue, they also find their Speed Bump. For their Speed Bump, they have to paint shields with a design.

Misti & Jim also didn't find the clue before starting the flag challenge, so they stop and look for the clue. Since this challenge was hard, they now know they don't want to go back to that one.

Kym & Alli start the challenge, but decide to switch.

Adam and Bethany choose to use their Express Pass instead of completing the flag challenge. I'm not really sure why they didn't even attempt the challenge. They weren't in last place or anything. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I think this might be the last leg they can use it...that would make sense.

Tim & Te Jay can't get the 2nd flag. They have been at this for hours. They don't want to switch because they've wasted so much time on this challenge. Both are getting frustrated with each other. Eventually, they do switch.

Shine: polish armor, while wearing the armor. I thought this one looked easier than the other one, but it was really taking a long time to get the armor completely clean and shiny.

Brooke & Robbie appear to not have that much more to do, but they decide to switch to Flag. After a couple attempts, they give up and come back to the Shine task.

Misti & Jim are the first to complete the task, followed by Kym & Alli. Amy & Maya finish, leaving Brooke & Robbie. Brooke & Robbie were frustrated to be the last team...but then in walks Tim & Te Jay, and suddenly their chances got a whole lot better.

Pitstop #8
1. Adam & Bethany - they win $10,000 each
2. Misti & Jim
3. Kym & Alli
4. Amy & Maya
5. Brooke & Robbie
6. Tim & Te Jay - eliminated

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Survivor, Ep. 29.9

Huyopa Camp - After Tribal
Reed is furious that Josh is gone. He needs to figure out what to do now that he is in the minority. Jon feels bad for leading him on and saying that he was with him. Keith calls Jon out for lying to everyone and making them think that he and Jaclyn were with him. Keith has had it with a bunch of people. He thinks of a plan, and that plan is to tell everyone to vote him off, then he plays his idol and someone else goes home.

Reward Challenge
Reward: a boat ride down the river, and lots of food of course
Challenge: one-on-one face-offs on a wobbly beam, loser falls in the mud! And it's raining!

Teams:
Blue: Wes, Missy, Jon, Jaclyn, Keith
Yellow: Alec, Baylor, Reed, Jeremy, Natalie

Reed vs. Wes -- Tough struggle, but it's Wes who goes in first -- Reed wins (Yellow 1-0)
Natalie vs. Jaclyn -- Natalie tries the bouncing approach, Jaclyn counters, but hits the mud fist -- Natalie wins (Yellow 2-0)
Jon vs. Jeremy -- Jon has a HUGE push -- Jon wins (Yellow 2-1)
Baylor vs. Missy -- Baylor tries the bouncing approach, and a grab, and Missy is in -- Baylor wins (Yellow 3-1)
Keith vs. Alec -- Keith swipes, Alec bounces, but Keith gets him in! -- Keith wins (Yellow 3-2)
Reed vs. Wes -- Reed smacks Wes in the face, Wes swipes back (Reed says "Ow") -- Wes wins (Tied 3-3)
Jaclyn vs. Natalie -- Jaclyn falls backwards -- Natalie wins (Yellow 4-3)
Jeremy vs. Jon -- Lots of arms flailing, but Jeremy goes in -- Jon wins (Tied 4-4)
Baylor vs. Missy -- Great balance by both, lots of arm swipes, Missy falls -- Baylor wins (Yellow 5-4)

Yellow Team wins reward. Natalie chooses to give up her position to Jon and Jeremy gives up his position to Jaclyn so they can have a reward. Nice move...strategically of course. Natalie said that they showed their loyalty in the vote, so they wanted to repay them.

The winning team chose Jeremy to go to Exile. Side note: does anyone think that Jeremy looks 20 years older when he doesn't have his buff on his head? I didn't realize he was so bald! And when did he lose all of that weight? I didn't realize how thin he was getting.

Huyopa Camp

The Voice, Ep. 7.17

Top 12 Results -- 2 singers will go home, no matter what team they are on

Bottom 3: Jessie Pitts (Team Blake), Ryan Sill (Team Gwen), Sugar Joans (Team Pharrell). 2 of these are right (Jessie and Sugar), but why Ryan? Hoping he gets saved!

The Instant Save is in play, and RT to save on Twitter after each of them get to sing again.

Receiving the most votes, and staying in the competition: Ryan!!!!!
I am absolutely shocked, and ecstatic! I thought for sure Sugar would be saved. Thankfully, my tweet counted, and that everyone voted to save him!

Going Home: Jessie Pitts and Sugar Joans

The remaining singers on each team:

Team Adam

Matt McAndrew -- woohoo!!!! First one saved, they saved the best for first :)
Damien -- woohoo!
Chris Jamison -- triple woohoo! I was worried he would be in the bottom 3 since he was Adam's save, and was in the bottom 3 on his team.

It's worth noting that all of my favorite team made it through safely...the only team to do so!

Team Blake

Craig Wayne Boyd -- woohoo!
Reagan James -- woohoo! There was no doubt she would make it through.

Team Gwen

Anita Antoinette -- yuck!!! So ready for her to go.
Taylor John Williams -- meh...not sure what all the fuss is about. He's good, but has a really dull personality, and doesn't have very dynamic performances.

Team Pharrell

DaNica Shirey -- ready for her to go :(
Luke Wade -- meh...I could go either way with him.

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The Voice, Ep. 7.16

Top 12 

Team Adam

Damien - "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies
Not a great song choice, Adam. I've never liked this song. It's so slow and boring. But you can't deny Damien's voice, and his ability to pour out his emotions in his song. It was a good performance...just wish it was a different song.

Matt McAndrew - "Take Me to Church" by Hozier
This is one of my favorite songs right now, and I'm so excited to hear him rock it! I have goosebumps already! This song exemplifies everything I love about Matt's voice. The beginning verse was super good. Then he got to the chorus, and it got even better! The goosebumps have now turned to chills! That was quite possibly the best performance of the season...it was that good! Perfect song, perfect performance, that's all there is too.

Chris Jamison - "Jealous" by Nick Jonas
I think this will be a good song for him, because it really features the falsetto. It's really popular right now, so I hope that will make people want to vote for him. He sounded so confident on this song, but that's nothing new...he always owns every performance. He looks like he's putting on his own show, and it's just so good every time. This was just such a good all-around performance, and it got better the further it went. He just has this innate ability to float from his falsetto to his full voice, it's crazy! Loved it, and love him!

Team Blake

Jessie Pitts - "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia
I'm not a fan of this song, but I'm interested to hear her change it up and do a different version of it. I like that she made it a little darker and it had a very haunting feeling to it. I like that she can be so original and she never sings a song exactly like the original. In fact the songs are usually unrecognizable from the original, and this was no exception. I still wasn't a fan of this song, but I like that she takes risks. One thing she needs to work on is her lower notes. When she hits the bottom of her register, she really struggles to find the note, and it comes out sounding forced. Her high notes that she just floats so effortlessly to, with that vibrato and yodel are her strong skills, and she always sounds good when she focuses on that.

Reagan James - "It Ain't Over Til It's Over" by Lenny Kravitz
This isn't my favorite performance of hers. I don't know if it's just the song or what. I just wasn't into this performance like I normally am with her. I agree with Adam, it was a little too breathy.

Craig Wayne Boyd - "You Look So Good In Love" by George Strait
Craig can do the impossible. He can make listening to country actually tolerable. This wasn't my favorite performance, but I always love listening to his voice.

Team Gwen

Ryan Sill - "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran
I absolutely love this song! It's one of the first songs I remember loving from my childhood. This is such a different song for him. We're used to the light pop sound, but this is darker and edgier, and he sounds almost like a completely different person! I love it! He was good before, but this was excellent! I think he really nailed it. The last huge, high notes were maybe a little off where they should have been, but it was still a really good performance.

Taylor John Williams - "If" by Bread
Another strong performance for John, but it was very boring. He usually has something that makes the song interesting. But this just didn't really go anywhere.

Anita Antoinette - "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley
Yuck. That's it. I'm so ready for her to be gone. I just can't handle the reggae any more.

Team Pharrell

Sugar Joans - "Take Me to the River" by Al Green
She actually isn't annoying this week. This is probably her best performance yet. She still isn't my favorite by any means, but at least I could tolerate listening to this performance. She toned down the scream and only did it at the end, which was much easier to handle.

DaNica Shirey - "Creep" by Radiohead
What?! "Creep"??? Never in a million years would I have ever imagined her singing this song. I am pleasantly surprised, Pharrell! She has been one of my least favorite singers this season, mainly because of the dated song choices that were all so boring. But this...THIS! This was amazing!!!! If she sang songs like this every week, she would be at the top of my list. I love this song, and she did an amazing version of it. I was a little worried because although she has power, I never saw her with this raw, dark, rock edge. But she totally nailed it, and then some! I got chills!

Luke Wade - "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran
This is when Luke is at his best...singing current, relevant songs. I love the range of dynamics he showed with this song. He was soft, and he also brought some power and emotion at the end. I liked this performance.

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Dancing With The Stars, Ep. 19.12

The Semi-Finals!

It's a good sign to see Alfonso in the dancing introductions! News broke a few days ago that he severely injured his back during rehearsals. He could barely walk and was not dancing to practice. It was uncertain if he would be able to compete or not.

Round 1: Plugged Version of the Song

Sadie & Mark - Quickstep
In rehearsals Sadie was so rattled by forgetting a little bit of the dance last week. She showed none of that during this dance at all! She came out like the energetic and confident girl we have come to know and love. This was a crazy Quickstep, and I love the little modern hip-hop moves that Mark threw in there. It was a really cool routine! I'm so glad she bounced back from that moment of insecurity.
Score: 37 (10 from Len!)

Tommy & Peta - Jazz
Immediately when I heard the song "Tainted Love" start playing, I just had to laugh. Such a funny song for him to do. Peta didn't disappoint with this fun and quirky choreography. Unfortunately, I think he got a little lost at times and it seemed a little disjointed as he tried to pick it back up again. But it's always fun to watch him having fun.
Score: 28

Bethany & Derek - Samba
I was like, "that's not Derek on the bench with her!" It was Sasha. Then Derek jumps over the bench and just butt-bumps him right off. Cute! It was a strange song choice for a Samba, and it didn't feel like a normal Samba. You would never know by this fun and cute routine that Derek had a major mental block with coming up with the choreography this week. He always comes through, and every performance is always top-notch. He is just an amazing man. Love him!
Score: 36

Janel & Val - Paso Doble
Can we just talk about Val and Maks dancing together as a couple in rehearsals! How cute was that!

This is not a song I would think of for a Paso, but as it hits the chorus it does really pick up. She looks so fierce in all black! She was really rockin' it, and that was some powerful dancing. She is really incredible, and I just love her chemistry with Val. That dance seemed way too short...I want more! (Just like Carrie Ann said!)
Score: 40!

Alfonso & Witney - Argentine Tango
I hate seeing him in so much pain! The Argentine Tango calls for lifts, so we'll see what they come up with to compensate. For the first time, you can tell that he's being very cautious and trying not to overextend himself. Normally, he would be so extended with his legs, and he would be twisting and turning his upper body, but he's a little more stiff. Which is TOTALLY understandable given the extent of his injury. That said, he still pulled off a very, very good and fun routine. Even as he stands to get his scores, you can see how much p he's in..he's in tears, and I'm in tears for him!
Score: 36

Round 2: Unplugged Version of the Song

The Voice, Ep. 7.15

Top 12 Revealed
The 2 singers with the most votes from each team will advance automatically. Each coach will then save 1 member of their team.

Team Adam

Top 2 Advancing: Damien and Matt McAndrew
Saved by Adam: Chris Jamison
Going Home: Taylor Phelan and Mia Pfirrman

Team Blake

Top 2 Advancing: Reagan James and Craig Wayne Boyd
Saved by Blake: Jessie Pitts
Going Home: Taylor Brashears and James David Carter

Team Gwen

Top 2 Advancing: Taylor John Williams and Anita Antoinette
Saved by Gwen: Ryan Sill
Going Home: Bryana Salaz and Ricky Manning

Team Pharrell

Top 2 Advancing: Danica Shirey and Luke Wade
Saved by Pharrell: Sugar Joans
Going Home: Elyjah Rene and Jean Kelley

My thoughts on the Top 12...

Team Adam: So happy that Matt and Chris are still in it! I also like Damien, so it's a win-win-win for Adam. I am very sad to see Taylor go though, and Mia was growing on me. Adam's team was just so strong, so it could have been any of them to stay or go. But I definitely love all 3 on Adam's team!

Team Blake: Reagan is the only one I really like Blake's team, so I'm glad she's sticking around! Of the others to choose from, Craig and Jessie would have been my picks. So, I'm pretty happy with these 3 as well.

Team Gwen: This is where things went horribly wrong. I can't stand Anita, so I'm bummed that America voted her through. Granted, had America not, Gwen would have most likely saved her...yuck! She was the only one from Gwen's team that I didn't like. I'm happy that she saved Ryan because I really like him. With the choice between Taylor and Ricky, I would have picked Ricky. I do like Taylor though, so I'm OK with it...but I'm going to miss Ricky. And Bryana was so good! I can't believe she's not moving on. Gwen's team was like Adam's: loaded with talent. Unfortunately, Anita took a spot that could have gone to Ricky or Bryana.

Team Pharrell: Another travesty! How in the world did Jean not make it? She's had some of the biggest and best performances on the show so far. Danica bugs me and I can't understand why everyone thinks she's so good...I'm not impressed. And Sugar REALLY bugs me. She is not good! Her voice is annoying like nails on a chalkboard. I can't believe Pharrell picked her over Jean. I do like Luke though, so I'm happy that Pharrell has at least one good singer left on his team. My favorites were Luke and Jean, and I only got one of them. We're now left with two of the most annoying singers from any team left on Pharrell's team.

So, as usual, I've got to root for Team Adam! Go Matt, Chris and Damien! Plus a shout out to Reagan from Team Blake, Ryan from Team Gwen, and Luke from Team Pharrell. Honorable mentions go to Craig from Team Blake and Taylor from Team Gwen

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Survivor, Ep. 29.8

Huyopa Camp
Everyone is still reeling from Julie's voluntary departure from the game. Everyone's games are kind of up in the air at this point and no one is sure of anything. No one knows for sure where anyone stands since they haven't had a Tribal yet.

Reward Challenge
Challenge: load a cart with large pieces, then use pieces to build a temple, then raise their flag. Winners get a taco bar.

Schoolyard picks:
Yellow: Keith, Natalie, Wes, Jeremy, Reed
Blue: Baylor, Jon, Jaclyn, Alec, Josh

Missy wasn't picked, so she sits out.

Yellow is in the lead on the first run. They are working well together, led by Keith and Wes. Blue starts to catch up building the temple puzzle. Yellow is done first and Natalie releases the flag and yellow wins!

Yellow chooses to send Jon to Exile Island. Keith said he's a big guy and he can do well on his own.

At the reward, Natalie asks "Should we be talking about strategy like everyone else does on a reward?" Keith said if Julie hadn't have quit, he doesn't know who they would have voted for. Jeremy isn't buying it...he knows they were coming for him.

Meanwhile Wes has no shut-off valve. Keep the tacos coming...and then #TacoOverload. His dad warned him to slow down, but he didn't listen, and he paid the price for it.

Huyopa Camp
Josh is sad they lost, but he is happy to be at camp with the people he is so he can talk strategy. He wants to work on Baylor some more. He tells her that she at least owes him one vote because he stuck his neck out for her several times. She felt like he was blackmailing her. She says (not to him) that she doesn't owe him anything and that the Christian thing to do is to give without expecting anything in return. At this point, Josh is fed up with her and he's done trying.

Exile Island
Jon has a clue, and he realizes it's a clue to an idol hidden on Exile, and not back at camp. He heads to exactly where he thinks the clue has told him to go. He was running out of time because the tide was coming in. He climbs this really tall pillar, and sure enough...BINGO! There's the idol!

Huyopa Camp
Wes continues to...um...have some bodily function problems after his #TacoOverload. The girls are disgusted with all of the gross talk. Jeremy is the only guy with some common decency.

Baylor tells Alec that she feels like a slave because he treats her like she's his baby sister. She said she wanted some food and he said "this ain't no charity". Alec continues to shout orders to all the girls to keep the fire going.

After the guys go for a walk, Jaclyn said that they just lost hers and Jon's vote for the way they were treating her and the other girls. Keith may or may not have said that he was going to whoop Baylor.

Alec and Keith want to stick with the plan to get Jeremy out. Alec says the words of his own death "I feel pretty comfortable right now." He said as long as Jeremy doesn't win immunity, they will vote him out. Yep...we'll see.

Immunity Challenge

The Voice, Ep. 7.14

Live Shows, Night 2: Gwen and Pharrell's teams compete

Team Gwen

Anita Antoinette
"All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor
I love this song...finally she sings a decent song. I really love her look tonight! So the beginning was too low and some of her notes were unintelligible. It got better when she got to the chorus, except she seemed to be kind of off the beat and out of breath. Out of all her performances, this one was the most tolerable. It wasn't my favorite by any means, but for her it was better than what she's done so far.

Ricky Manning
"Lay Me Down" by Sam Smith
This is not my favorite song choice for him. It takes the song a little while to get good. Once he gets to the chorus, it's beautiful. He's got such a great tone. This wasn't my favorite performance of his, but I'm still a fan.

Bryana Salaz
"Amnesia" by 5 Seconds of Summer
Even though this song was originally done by a boy band, it really suits her well. She always sounds amazing. She really connected with the song. I think maybe if she would have sung it a slightly higher key it would have been even better. The end of the song was really good.

Ryan Sill
"I Live" by OneRepublic
This is such a great song, and it's a great song for him. His voice is just so beautiful. I love listening to him. He really brought it big at the end of the song. I love the choices he made with the higher notes at the end, which is a little different than the original, but I liked it. And now that song is officially stuck in my head.

Taylor John Williams
"Stuck in the Middle with You" by Stealers Wheel
He always makes such interesting choices. This wasn't my favorite performance of his, but he did a good job with it. I love the bluesy tone of his voice.

Team Pharrell

The Voice, Ep. 7.13

It's time for the Live Shows! America votes to save 2 singers, and the coaches will be saving 1 from their team to move on.

Up first are Team Adam and Team Blake

Team Adam

Chris Jamison
"Don't" by Ed Sheeran
LOVE THIS SONG! I'm so glad he picked it! It is so popular right now, so hopefully that will win some votes. It's definitely a tough song because it's got a lot of words and a tricky rhythm. He totally nailed it! He seriously couldn't have done this song any better. He performed it great too. He always looks so comfortable on stage. I love that he stayed true to the original, but he also added some of his stuff to it. I wondered if he would sing "that line" of the song (if you know the one I'm talking about), and he didn't (which I'm glad). He tastefully switched part of the verse with an earlier part of the song, and it was seamless. Great, great, great performance! Love him!

Damien
"I'm Not the Only One"
I'm so glad Adam picked this song for him, because it is perfect! This is such a great song. The beginning started out a little slow, but once he got to the chorus, it was amazing. I love the little run of high notes he threw in at the end, that was kind of a little surprise, and it was really cool. The end of the song was so beautiful. And that ending...holy crap! That was so good!

Matt McAndrew
"God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
I am not so sure about this song choice. I wish he would have done something more current. This is a very different side than we've seen from him. Even though I don't care for this song, he sounded great. BUT...it was boring...until he got to the "ba-ba-bum" part. I sure hope people vote for him. I hope they remember the cool things he's done up to this point, because, I'm sorry Matt, but this was just so sleepy and boring!

Mia Pfirrman
"Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Ray
She continues to impress me every time I see her. I love her tone. She had a couple of rough lower notes. But her high notes were so powerful. This was a very haunting performance. I think she did a great job.

Taylor Phelan
"Cool Kids" by Echo Smith
I LOVE THIS SONG! It's one of my favorite songs right now, so I 'm really excited to hear him do this. I got goosebumps, and it just started! I always enjoying watching his performances. He's so animated and all over the stage...but he does it in a good way that doesn't make him look to crazy and out of control. This was a perfect song for him. His voice sounded great, and  I love what he did with the song.

This is so not good...I love Adam's entire team! We have to lose 2 of these people, and I don't want to lose any of them.

Team Blake