Television

February 12, 2012

Sneak Peek: Downton Abbey ‘Episode 6′

Episode five of Downton Abbey was so full of dramatic turns that I remained on the edge of my seat for almost the entire 120 minutes!

(WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!)

Just as things start to settle down a bit this Sunday now that the war is behind them, the love triangle between Matthew (Dan Steves), Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Lavinia (Zoe Boyle) is heating up. Matthew’s sweet fiance has proven herself to be a devoted partner but the attraction between he and Mary is just too strong to be ignored by everyone involved.

This of course includes Mary’s fiancee Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen) who is in over his head in blackmail and all sorts of evil in order to ensure his marriage moves forward. Just how long does Richard think he can hold the scandalous death of hottie Mr. Pamuk (Theo James) over her head is beyond me.

For Mary’s sake, I hope something BIG happens to prevent the marriage from taking place. Please don’t let me down writers!

Another storyline that has me utterly stressed out is the one between poor Mr.Bates (Brendan Coyle) and his beloved Anna (Joanne Froggatt). Now that his psychotic wife Vera (guest star Maria Doyle Kennedy) is dead, you would think these two love birds would be free to live happily ever after. But Ms. Looney Toon knew exactly what she was doing when she took her own life, ensuring all the evidence would point at her husband. Lucky for Bates, Anna won’t be scared off so easy.

And in a shocking turn of events, the Spanish flu strikes the household, disrupting one match, hastening another and transforming the fortunes of all. Tune into an all new episode of Downton Abbey, Sunday, February 12th at 9pm only PBS.

Nicolas Cage chugs Cuban coffee on live tv!

Poor Nicolas Cage had no idea what was coming at him when he agreed to be on Despierta America this morning! The hosts of Univision’s version of the Today Show chatted with the Academy Award winning actor about his upcoming film, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and they previewed a trailer before handing him a warm cup of coffee.

You see….Nic had been up since really early in the morning and was dying for a cup of joe. Little did he know the lovely folks from Univision prepared him a warm cup of Cuban Coffee.

For those of you that have never had any…..it’s strong. Very strong. You normally only take a couple of shot sized portions but the 48-year-old decided to chug the entire contents of the mug!

Ay Dios Mio Nic….why didn’t anyone warn you?

REVIEW: Glee “The Spanish Teacher”

Hola Gleeks! Nothing makes me happier than entitled American people butchering other languages resulting in hilarious nonsensical translations and this week’s Glee was mui completo of it. When a tenure position opens up at McKinley the race is on to secure the coveted position. Sadly Mr. Schue is on the bottom of the pile due to his complete and utter lack of a grasp on the spanish language which happens to be the subject he teaches. Oh had you forgotten that too? I thought I was the only one. Seems to me that he spends 100% of his time in the choir room but I could be wrong. Anyway, he signs up for a night class to learn some Spanish and ends up meeting his Latin Fairy Godfather…David Martinez (Ricky Martin).

Before the cast names have stopped flashing on the screen Schue (Matthew Morrison) has invited David and his bon bon to sing for the Glee club and teach them what it means to sing with duende and spins a horrifying tale of a future where we all speak Spanish. Horror! Mr. Martinez puts the kids at ease immediately with his tight blue jeans and his white teeth and his rapidly oscilating tush as he reminds those of us who forgot he existed just how sexy he is. Do you really want it? Oh yes.

Meanwhile outside the choir room plot is happening and this week it involves Sue (Jane Lynch) and her dusty vagina. Seems she wants to fill it with a baby and she wants a few ounces of Mr. Schue’s baby gravy so the kid will have good hair. Sue seems to have calmed down a bit this year and I like it. That doesn’t mean that we don’t get the snappy one liners anymore. They just come mostly from the coach of the McKinley Guppies, Roz Washington (NeNe Leakes). Color me sorprendido but I actually dig NeNe as the sassy Roz. She may be the most annoying Real Housewife on television but get her away from Kim and Sheree and give her a script and she’s actually quite funny. And let’s not forget that when she enters a room she OWNS IT. Her delivery is a little stiff from time to time but she got all the good lines this week. Roz is making a move on Sue’s job and she’s relentless.

It wouldn’t be Glee without a hot mess of unresolved relationship drama and this week it was mostly about Mercedes (Amber Riley) trying to figure out if she really likes hot blond muscular trouty mouth Sam (Chord Overstreet) or that tank of a man she wanders the hall with. Emma (Jayma Mays) suggests they not speak for a week to determine their true feelings. I wonder if they’ll find another way to communicate? A way that involves music?

In other unresolved relationship drama news the word is out about Rachel (Lea Michele) and Finn’s (Cory Monteith) engagement and no one is happy about it. It’s Kurt (Chris Colfer) that throws the biggest monkey wrench in the works with his locker room pep talk so it’s anyone’s guess how that will play out. Will and Emma have a minor tiff after Will is a supreme douchebag to her, but in the end the make up nice and make kissy faces.

So how was the music? I’m glad you asked. Ricky Martin dominated this episode with two performances, “I’m Sexy and I Know It” and “La Isla Bonita” with Santana and both will find their way to my iPod soon. “Bonita” is probably my least favorite Madonna track but they killed it. I think it was Ricky’s oscillating tush that put it over the edge. Mercedes made her feelings for Trouty Mouth known with a Spanish version of Gloria Estefan’s “Don’t Wanna Lose You Now” and Sam returned the favor with “Bamboleo / Hero“. It was Mr. Schue’s horrific rendition of “A Little Less Conversation” while dressed as a matador that really made the hour special. Kudos to Santana for calling him out on his embarrassing stereotypes.

Despite the treasure trove of one-liners from NeNe Leakes this week my favorite quote goes to Coach Bieste who delivered managed to cleverly work in a reference to “her little Cooter” while discussing Emma’s “Taint Misbehavin” educational pamphlet about how to properly clean one’s genitals. Well played Bieste. Well played. Next week it is Valentines Day and I’m betting there will be some tears.

What say you Gleeks? Should Ricky Martin shake his bon bon across the choir room again this season or is he terminado?

Portlandia is getting ready to Wiig out!

As if Portlandia wasn’t a great show already, this Friday it gets even better with Kristen Wiig guest starring in a three part arc. In this scene, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein are Gil and Merrill, members of a struggling rock group who become viral sensations with the addition of their newest member, Kevin the Cat (yes, he’s a cat). Wiig portrays their slightly obsessed fan Kathy, err, I mean Gathy, with a G. Whatever you do, listen to Gathy because she knows how to handle a weapon. What did Pink do to Gathy to make her this way?

Wiig’s odd character name reminded me of her guest appearance on one of the best shows ever, Flight of the Conchords! There she played Brahbrah, owner of a missing “pepileptic” dog named Charlie, and love interest to Bret (Bret Mckenzie) and Jemaine (Jemaine Clement).

Turns out Charlie had actually been missing for six years! Sorry for the spoiler.

Make sure to catch Armisen, Brownstein, and Wiig on Portlandia this Friday, February 10 at 10pm on IFC.

Sneak Peek: Being Human ‘Addicted to Love’

Things have gotten pretty exciting over on Being Human this season! The show is really finding its own way to distinguish itself from its British cousin but still remaining true to the formula.

Sally (Meaghan Rath) is getting a little out of control with all this jumping in and out of bodies. Its about time she has a little fun after all the sadness that has plagued her life, but she is finding out quite quickly that she must pay a painful consequence.

Aidan (Sam Witwer) is another one who is finding himself in a bit of trouble for stepping outside the lines. After the hospital put a stop to his “free blood” program, he is starting to revert to his bad boy self and taking the lifeline directly from the humans. Pairing him off with Suren (Dichen Lachman) will lead to no good, but I think Mother (Deena Aziz) knew what she was doing when she set this up.

Coming up in episode five entitled, Addicted to Love, Josh (Sam Huntington) and Aidan are stunned after seeing Sally’s post-jump face during breakfast. The boys warn their roommate that she might not be using good judgement when jumping into a woman’s body and seducing her boyfriend!

Talk about a love triangle!

Addicted to Love will be the perfect episode to prepare us for the upcoming Valentine’s holiday. It airs on February 13th at 10 pm only on Syfy.

Sneak Peek: Downton Abbey “Episode 5″

With series two of the international hit Downton Abbey in full swing, things start to get serious real fast for both the occupants upstairs and down. In episode five, we learn that both Matthew (Dan Stevens) and William (Thomas Howes) have been injured while away at war.

This is such a terribly sad episode. No one wants to see such people they love suffer through the pains of war, even imaginary character that we grow to love on a weekly basis.

Just keep in mind that for every winter, spring is just around the corner. So I will keep hope alive for a “happily ever after” for Matthew and Mary (Michelle Dockery) even though she hasn’t been the perfect person thus far. That damn Mr. Pamuk (Theo James) has caused some major problems for that girl!

Another favorite couple are Bates (Brendan Coyle) and Anna (Joanne Froggatt). Their love has been tested time and time again and if you think his conniving wife Vera (Maria Conan Doyle) is gone for good, get ready to see her again. Homegirl is not going out without a fight, and she plays dirty!

Tune in to an all new episode of Downton Abbey on Sunday, February 5th only on PBS.

Credit: Courtesy of (C) Carnival Film & Television Limited 2011 for MASTERPIECE

Downton Abbey: Shirley MacLaine joins season three

Big casting news has emerged from one of my favorite shows, Downton Abbey! Veteran actress Shirley MacLaine joins the highly lauded, period drama during season three in the role of Martha Levinson, Lady Grantham’s (Elizabeth McGovern) mother.

We have always known she was American but there was never much information on her family….until now!

“My late grandfather directed Shirley MacLaine in Gambit in 1966 so it is a delight for me that she will be joining us on Downton Abbey,” said executive producer Gareth Neame in an official statement.

Shooting is set to begin next month and will begin airing episodes in the UK come fall. Those of us in America won’t see it until 2013. (Unless you are resourceful with the internet ;) )

Any news about Downton is like air to a suffocating person! I’m so addicted to this show I can’t wait to see new episodes!!

What do you think about this casting news?