So I have FINALLY had the chance to watch the Coraline movie, my first 3D movie no less, and what a visual treat the show is. Naturally as movies go, it’s a riff off the original book, with several changes made for length and such, but overall I think it was a stunning 3D interpretation of the text.

Some thoughts, spoilers below:

The artwork and visuals are a spectacular riot of colour. There’s always something to look at in every scene, and perhaps that’s what the director thought to, because I thought the set-up for the story was a little long. The climax happens when Coraline escapes the first time and her parents are trapped and she needs to rescue them, but before that there is lots of exposition on the beautiful gardens, the mouse circus, the theatre… Necessary yes, but a little long, to a point where people who have not read the books might be wondering what the point of the movie is.

Not sure why there was a need to include Wybie? Also known as Wyborne, he doesn’t really play an integral part here but to occasionally save Coraline, and what I liked about the books is that Coraline got herself out of trouble through pluck and wit, so it does reduce her heroine role somewhat, especially when he pops up at integral moments to save her. According to wikipedia, he was introduced so that she wouldn’t be portrayed as talking to herself all the time. Ah well.

In typical Neil Gaiman fashion, Coraline has that little sense of macabre and creepiness amidst the colour and fun. Buttons for eyes is scary sounding enough in the book, but to see it for real is a tad creepy. There are little moments where things really leap out at you (and you might jump in your seat, as my movie partner did when in the Other Theatre Showdown), and especially with the 3D, it really comes right up to you!

3D movies are awesome, I loved the depth of field and that sense of going into the distance or things poking out at you. The uncomfortable 3D glasses? Not so much though.

 Overall, enjoyed it! am going off to read the books once more, and maybe i’ll d a movie/book/comic comparison…

Its election time as Trip Van der Bilt awaits his campaign results. Advisor Nate embraces his Van der Biltness while Blair and Serena fight big time!

The end of Blair and Serena? Say it isn’t so! Blair and Serena are most awesome when they’re together (though Chuck and Blair are too), and its sad to see that these friends have just grown apart! They’re the ultimate frenemies, from whacking each other’s shins with hockey sticks, to exposing fake drug scandals, but they always made up at the end, until this time…

This time around it’s a war to see who can toss whose date out first, and with Serena’s fake boyfriend peeing in plants and drunk as a skunk, and Blair’s new friend turning out to be a high class escort, they both humiliate each other sufficiently, and it takes a sensible Chuck to try and get them to see things. Chuck wisely decides to talk to Serena first and remind her that Blair is Blair, always slightly crazy, and that she needs to read the Waldorf subtext before it all blows up, but it looks like it’s too late. Serena, in her quest for adulthood, is losing her family and friends one by one. With Nate on the outs and now Blair too, it seems like the end of the non judging breakfast club!

Chuck comforting a sad Blair at the end was so sweet though. At least there’s still Chuck and Blair, and Chuck knows how important the two girls are to each other, so hopefully he manages to wrangle a make-up somehow!

Nate obviously doesn’t seem to go to school, no matter how offhandedly he mentions going there, given how much he seems to be running his cousin’s congressional campaign! Nate, like Serena, also plays the role of PR manager, as he first tries to convince Vanessa not to run the revealing tapes of the fake rescue, and then setting up the fake transaction, and when that doesn’t work (they always make copies Nate!), steps up like a man to take the fall. He might not be the most popular figure now, but it’ll pass just as long as he keeps working those blue eyes and dimpled smile!

Also, it’s revealed that it wasn’t Grandfather Van der Bilt who set up the fake rescue like everyone was made to believe, but the seemingly innocent wife of Tripp herself, to get Grandfather out of Tripp’s life! OMG grandfather got played! I was kinda hoping Nate would turn it on the Buckleys and blame them for setting it up instead, but apparently he’s got a moral compass as V reminds him, so oh well. Will we see the Buckleys anymore? And is Nate actually going to spend time in Columbia now that the campaign is over? Or will we see him hanging around as Dan’s very handsome friend instead?

Meanwhile over in the Humphrey’s loft, Dan and Olivia are busy getting it on, Olivia tells an embarrassing story about Dan who gets the nickname ‘Bathroom Boy’, but it’s alright Dan’s not pissed and they celebrate their one month anniversary! Aw, ok that’s their storyline this week, seriously. Also, Jenny is all sick and eyeliner-less (BECAUSE ERIC”s NOT THERE) while Lily and Rufus are still blissfully married.

But it’s ok, the non judging breakfast club have always been my favourite part of Gossip Girl, here’s to more of the awesome foursome! XOXO!

Coach deals with the fallout of forfeiting the last game, Tami fights off Evil Panthers, Tim Riggins finds a new home and Matt tries to be an artist. Also, we meet 2 new characters…

Oh, Coach! What Eric Taylor had going for him as a Dillon Panther is that his guys all trusted in him implicitly and never questioned his decisions. While he took most of the flames from the forfeit (poor Tami trying to clear the yard before Coach saw it, and Matt and Julie trying quietly to stop him from going outside), the rest of his team is humiliated and boycott practice, even Landry gives Coach the go to hell vibes!

Coach might be a proud and stubborn man, but he’s humble enough to apologize to his team, after successfully recruiting Vince to talk to them. “Let me finish this fight with you” had me tearing up, oh Coach! It took a lot, and they’re far from perfect, but at least the Lions are willing to let Coach take them on this journey, as they merrily burn up the last game’s tapes and torn up jerseys (Coach mutters in the end that he needs to find a way to get his kids new jerseys, hee! Lions Fundraiser anyone?)

Also… TIM RIGGINS offering help to Coach! AWESOME! I was hoping they’d show Tim having a hand in bringing the Lions back, but apparently Tim’s help will come in some other form later… exciting! Maybe Tim will help whip these young ‘uns into shape. Tim’s still in the doghouse with his bro Billy and sleeping in the open (that was a very pretty opening shot of his truck against the dawn skyline), and finally gets a break by renting a trailer from his one night stand, though it looks like he’ll be sending Singing Girl Becky to school every day at this rate…

With most of our new gang installed in East Dillon, we see a side of Dillon we rarely saw before. While Tyra and Tim were made out to be poor, at least they still lived in houses and got on well enough. These kids in East Dillon and East Dillon high have crappy facilities and overall, it’s just looking rather sad. Especially in comparison to West Dillon, the situation never looked so dire.

I find it interesting that after 3 seasons of growing to love Dillon, we’re suddenly seeing the Dillon we know as the ‘bad guy’. There might have been hints of it before, like all the funds going to football and all, but comparing the facilities of East and West Dillon, the Dillon we knew seemed like a luxurious heaven. It’s an intriguing dynamic, and definitely keeps things interesting. It’s like the Panthers are the bad guys now, especially with Evil Joe and Wade leading the way!

Poor Tami is caught in a situation where anything she does against West Dillon is seen as favouritism towards her husband in East Dillon, as she gets embroiled in the controversy of Luke Cafferty, the star running back with a fake West Dillon address. (If he was a star, where was he in previous seasons? Or was he always there, just overshadowed by our past heroes? I like to think that he improved in the offseason and it’s his turn to shine now). I like that even though he lied about his address and all, he really doesn’t seem like the bad guy, and even poor Tami felt bad telling the kid he now has to slum it out in East Dillon and all that he worked for with the Panthers is done. Ouch.

I love Tami Taylor taking on Evil Joe though. After they accost her in the carpark and threaten to take away Coach’s previous titles, she adeptly turns the tables on them by exposing Joe to the boosters. You go Tami! Unfortunately, poor dear gets boo-ed by the whole school with Evil Joe smirking on the sidelines, which results in Tami finding comfort in that little victory and some wine (and a hot husband!).

With Coach in East Dillon, the fight in West Dillon is now a covert and civil (for now!) one between Tami Taylor and Joe McCoy. While Joe has Wade and everyone else on his side, the Taylors have a silent spy and supporter in Buddy Garrity, now displaced as head booster to mere underling under Joe’s rule. Go be a Lions booster Buddy! That was you can harrass Coach all you want and you won’t have Evil Joe looming over you! Also, the Lions need the money, stat, or they’re playing the next game with no shirts!

 Side story on Matt trying to be an artist in Dillon, and getting an internship with a dude who’s GROSS in his undies and shoes and socks and more interested in welding and making Matt move stuff than teaching him about art. Will Matt finally find his dream? Hope it happens soon, and hope we see him perhaps offer his help to Coach Taylor as well now that Riggins is on board, so we don’t just only see him now as Julie’s boyfriend.

FNL still touches my heart and is awesome! Can’t wait for the next episode! I think if I can I’m going to rewatch and recap the awesome Season 1 here, just so we can all relive the good ol’ memories of our favourite Panthers when they were the underdogs and the good guys.

(Did anyone watch the episode of CSI S10 E05, where the murder victim was a Football Coach, and one of the prime suspects was the head booster called Pal Arnold with a car dealership and a texan hat and was kinda slimy? Wondering if that was an intentional callback to FNL with the whole football thing and the Pal-Buddy thing!)

Season 4 is back! I have totally missed FNL, and this season premiere was just AWESOME. Sadly, some familiar faces are gone (Tyra and Lyla) but they are replaced by new ones (Hello Vince, Singing Girl), and our favourite Taylors are still around, along with Matt and Tim and Landry. 

It’s the start of the new school term, and the town is split – Tami remains principal of now West Dillon High along with Julie, while Coach Taylor is the Head of the East Dillon Lions and joined by Landry. Matt’s delivering pizza while Tim’s trying to figure college out.Tami’s facing a tough time as people are very unhappy about the new redistricting. Coming to work can’t be as much fun anymore, especially now that she has to deal with Coach Wade, crony of Joe McCoy (Buddy too isn’t happy in the new system, without his good friend Coach Taylor and having to run after Wade & Joe. He might be kinda slimy, but he’s always had good intentions.). Loved how she tried to subtly sabotage them after they make her do the coin toss, resulting in her missing the Lion’s first game.

As much as Tami says that West and East Dillon are equal, it is only too obvious to anyone with eyes that they are not. Look at the fancy field the Panthers have, the shiny equipment, the jumbotron, the golf cart Wade rides 10m in… in contrast to the graffiti lined walls of East Dillon, shitty field and torn uniforms. Poor Coach Taylor has his work cut out for him, especially with his new team of players, who unlike the motivated Panthers of old, are a bunch of ragtag misfits who aren’t really about Clear Eyes Full Heart. As Matt says, if Landry looks like he’s the best player on your team… the big moment will definitely come when East Dillon faces West Dillon. That will surely be monumental for everyone! Go Lions!

It’s a little weird cheering for the Lions after being all Panthers! for 3 seasons. But I only loved the Panthers for their players and Coach Taylor. So now it’s Go East Dillon Giraffes… oops, Lions! After the first half of their first match, the Lions are beaten up so badly, that Coach is forced to forfeit the game for his players. That must really have hurt his pride, but it was the only thing to do. Get them into shape Coach! Coach tears his players a new one, and some of them choose to walk (cowards!) but I’m just waiting to see how Eric Taylor transforms this team.

I’m sorry people like Mac didn’t follow Coach over (though one guy does, didn’t get his name though?) when he tries to poach them. Also, his new fanboy assistant coach who keeps barking words inappropriately and repeating everything Coach says? HILARIOUS. That guys definitely has some sort of problem~ Coach Taylor must surely be tearing his trademark cap hair out by now! (Why not Coach Taylor get Riggins and Matt to help out in the meantime? They did help coach the powderpuff game previously, that would be awesome!) 

Loved that little moment with Grandma Saracen when she comes out to see Matt and Landry throwing the football around. “Stop throwing the ball, you look like a girl!” made me laugh out loud. I love that Landry is still playing for Coach, it would just be wrong for him to be on the Panthers. He had one hero moment last season, and I bet he’ll have more miraculous hero moments on the Lions with Coach behind him!

The other bright spark on the team is Vince, wayward kid whom Coach takes under his wing. He’s no Smash but he shows promise, speedy guy whom even the cops have a hard time chasing down. Coach will definitely turn him into the next superstar, as he did with Smash and Street!

Matt’s no longer a Panther, and not on his way to Chicago unfortunately. He can’t even get into the Dillon Tech art program, and now delivers Pizzas (Panther Pizza, hurhur), and is stuck delivering to one snotty JD McCoy, who still hates Matt and Coach after his embarrassing meltdown last season. JD picks on Matt not going to college, and while Matt manages to take his usual high road, it gets the better of him when he sees JD manhandling Julie at a party and gets into a scuffle. (This is the same JD who never took a drink last season? Suddenly he’s a drunken partyboy, things surely have changed!) Those dirty McCoys, ugh.

Poor Matt, he’s no longer a season regular so surely we’ll be seeing him leave soon like we did with Street and Smash, I still hope things with him and Julie and his family go well. He’s been so downtrodden and forced into taking the high road all the time, it’s time for him to catch a break!

The erstwhile Tim Riggins attends community college and after one lecture, gets inspired to toss his books out of his truck and stay in Dillon, much to Billy’s dismay. With a wife and a baby on the way, Billy’s none too pleased that Tim is going to be hanging around and really gives it to Tim. Poor Riggins, all he wants to do is come back home! Tim ends up making friends and sleeping with a Bartender, (what about Lyla!? But Riggins is Riggins, so much for Lyla…) who has a American Idol wannabe daughter in West Dillon that he ends up giving a lift to school to. I’m sure we’ll probably be seeing more of the new Tyra…

Overall, awesome episode! Can’t wait for more FNL! Clear eyes, full heart, CAN’T LOSE!

Friends are lost all around, as Blair loses Serena in her bid to get back Chuck, Nate is still on the outs with S, and little J turns on her gays to hold on to her Queendom. Despite all that, the Humphrey men have it good, with Dan finally sealing the deal with Olivia despite seeing her Vampire orgasms and Lily gives Rufus a happy Halloween.

Jenny Humphrey hates on her best pals Eric and Jonathan when they dare to sit higher than her on the Met steps. Petty much, little J? Perhaps it’s a passive aggressive move because now that Jonathan’s back, Eric can’t trail in her wake like usual…

Eric doesn’t believe Jenny is a real mean girl, not really… till Jenny sics her minions on Eric  with a yoghurt bath for defying her order (Slushies are the symbol of power  in Glee’s Mckinley High, but here in Constance Billard on the UES, it’s yoghurt that determines your status) and eggs Jonathan till tears. Poor naive Eric.

This is the most we’ve seen of Eric this season, and boy is he not a happy camper, as he declares that he never wants to have anything to do with Jenny anymore. It looks like a lonely reign for little J, who discards the punk princess dresses and even her beloved sewing machine, for new Queenly fineries from her new found wealth. Will it save her from her growing eyeliner though?

The Non Judgemental Breakfast Club is not doing so well either: Serena and Nate are still on the outs from the Buckley-Carter situation (Nate’s snide remarks about being on the list and not working the door, mrao! bitchy!), Chuck still doesn’t completely trust Blair yet from last week’s shenanigans (though he comes to realize that it’s one of the reasons he loves crazy unpredictable Blair and they make up in the end… phew!), and when caught between Chuck and Blair, Serena chooses Chuck, which puts S and B at loggerheads once more. You just know their fight is going to be epic! The last time S and B fought, there were hockey sticks, drug accusations, S pulling out her former mean girlness…

Nate is off hanging out with Dan and convincing him to Endless Knights, a Twilight-like series which features Olivia in many steamy scenes with her rumoured paramour. Seeing Olivia faking an orgasm and buying condoms makes poor Dan freak out, especially when Olivia has to make a public appearance with said rumoured co-star paramour but Serena swoops in and saves the day, making Dan and Olivia’s relationship public, while getting herself a moviestar boyfriend. Oh S, what better way to create publicity than to use your own!

Small little side story with Rufus wanting to celebrate Halloween in a Joey Ramone’s costume and trick or treating, and Lily pandering to him with Vanya recycling lithuanian children to fulfill his wishes. Oh Lily. Good thing Rufus is actually smarter than usual and is just pleased that she made the effort, aw. Blissful married life after 20 years of skirting around each other? It isn’t the UES without some blowups and it’s still pretty early on in S1…

Overall, good episode in a TV starved week, XOXO!

It’s a crazy episode, where Puck hits on Rachel, Will doesn’t discourage Emma and suffers Ken’s ire, and ZOOT SUIT SUE! Also, slush or be slushed, that’s how popularity rolls in  high school.

Bust A Move (Originally by Young MC)

Will breaks out his white boy rapping and breakdance moves as he takes the lead in this song. Infectiously old school rap, you cannot help but bop along to this song. Love the bit where Will’s going ‘and the girl was stacked!’ and poor gay Kurt is like O.M.G.

The Thong Song (Originally by Sisqo)

Ken’s choice of wedding song to dance to, he and Emma approach Will for dance lessons and for him to find a way to mash up this song and ‘I could have danced all night’ from My Fair Lady. Talk about a challenge! Emma is wearing the most HIDEOUS wedding gown with the longest train ever for her dance practice, while Will breaks out the rap (Again! for someone who makes his Glee Club do show tunes all the time, he loves his hiphop!) Will is totally and blatantly flirting with Emma here, and even has a close intimate moment when she trips into him, much to Ken’s ire.

What A Girl Wants (originally by Christina Aguilera)

Short solo snippet by Rachel in her room with her hairbrush as a microphone, but mostly notable for PUCK being there with her! And the subsequent making out. *boggles* Puck rediscovering his jewish side after Schindler’s list and his sudden lust for Rachel? Hilarious!

Sweet Caroline (Originally by Neil Diamond)

Really old school song! Also pretty infectious with the ba-ba-bum~. Rachel declares she won’t go out with someone who can’t take the lead, and Puck rises to the challenge with his trusty guitar and croons a soulful solo. He has a great voice, I daresay I like it better than Finn’s which is a little higher pitched, so hopefully we get to hear him sing more! Lots of great beats in this song – Rachel’s all shy and smiley, Finn looks suspicious and sensing something going on, Santana just looks grossed out, while Quinn suddenly looks at Puck all dreamily and different. Uhoh, someone’s trying to usurp Finn’s leading man role and seems to be succeeding!

Swingers!

Well this isn’t a song per se, but you just have to catch it because archrivals Sue and Schu are dancing merrily together and getting along! and NO it’s not a dream sequence! Here’s a behind the scenes video with interviews with Jane Lynch and Matthew Morrison. We’ve seen Sue dance but we still haven’t heard Sue sing!

 I Could Have Danced All Night (Originally by Julie Andrews, My Fair Lady)

(couldn’t find a video! make do with the audio first…)

First time we hear Emma sing! She looks great in this wedding dress and she waltzes around with Will, her dream man with her dream wedding dance song. Poor girl really is settling for Ken, and Will is really not discouraging her is he.

Anyway some great moments in this episode! in no particular order:

• Kurt ‘taking one for the team’, seriously everyone is in love with Finn. Quinn, Rachel, Kurt… and that plastic raincoat? AWESOME. “Someone get me to a day spa, stat!”
• Sue all decked out in a pimping red suit and discovering Rod and Andrea making out, and when he tells her only the men wear Zoot Suits, she goes with this ‘Further embarrassed”… SO FUNNY.
• Sue and Schu Swinging, once again, SUPER FLY!

I think Puck-Rachel was an interesting combination, would be interesting to see how Puck plays into the impending pregnancy and all, you know Finn is bound to find out eventually! This whole Puck-Quinn-Finn-Rachel quadrangle is sure starting to look interesting!

Also, Singing Sue! Come on show!

It’s betrayal all around, as Vanessa plays both Dan and Olivia, Nate takes Serena for a ride, and Blair hurts Chuck in the worst way possible. Just another day in the Upper East Side!

The first breaking of Chuck and Blair! OMG. Poor Blair learns that while you may screw the rest of the world over, you never, never, ever sell out Chuck Bass, especially when he’s the love of your life. In typical Blair fashion, Blair sells Chuck for a kiss without a thought to get her speech, and not only ends up humiliating herself, she also ends up with a betrayed Chuck refusing to have anything more to do with her. It was really quite sad! Lily asking Blair if Chuck would really deny her anything if she asked, and the horror in Blair’s face as she realized she screwed up, bad!

Nate also pulls an uncharacteristic Archibald move as he sells Serena out for his own revenge against Bree and the Buckleys, using her as a pawn in order to get the Buckleys to release a doctored photograph of his cousin and thus be embarrassed. Serena is nonplussed to find out that sweet Nate is pulling a Chuck/Blair and in righteous S fashion, helps the Buckleys and saves Carter at the same time. Still, no luck on the lovefront as Carter decides he doesn’t want to be saved anymore and leaves S behind. Poor baby~

Vanessa also, for all her moral righteousness, has been irrevocably tainted by the UES, and when faced with a determined scheming Blair, V tries to turn it back on her but ends up burning herself instead. Not everyone can be a Blair Waldorf, hell, even Blair Waldorf was having a hard time being a Blair Waldorf this week. Vanessa’s scheming not only near cost her both Dan and Olivia, it also seems to have hurt her relationship with her mother, the only person to be even more judgmental and disapproving than Vanessa (and that is saying a lot!).

Lily and Rufus were pretty funny in their reactions to Superstar Diva Olivia, and still managing a polite front all the time while Olivia was going all Hollywood Starlet on them.

Overall, great episode! I’m headed off to watch this week’s one now…

Oops had a busy weekend, so am a little behind on the usual posts, so here’s a little something extra from the usual Gossip Girl and Glee posts – the only reality TV show that I follow religiously, Project Runway!

So far Project Runway S6 in LA has been… well it’s alright. Still the same winning formula, but perhaps its something about the contestants… this season just seems a little dull so far (there seems to be an overwhelming preference for black, white and neutral colours among this bunch!) , and the clothes have been decent at best, nothing mind blowingly great or wow, even in episodes that call for the OTT like the Bob Mackie Christina Aguilera stagewear one (maybe they had axed those designers who would really have gone nuts with this challenge by then, ah well).

Possible spoilers for anyone who’s not up to the latest episodes of S6 below…

I’m up to episode 10, and the girls are looking pretty strong, with all of them consistently producing good work (save Gordana perhaps, whose work seems to oscillate between very good and very bad). Sorry boys, Logan and Christopher are pretty to look at, but they’re just hanging around waiting to be axed.

If you’ve been following the Gratz Episode Previews (I love their previews, they do make me want to catch the next episode so much more) and their marvelous predictor graphs, you’ll see that they’re right on the money (in my opinion at least) with their predictions – the leaders are just so obvious, and looking at the final 3 collections shown at NY Fashion Week, albeit with no designers, I think it’s pretty clear which designer each collection belongs to.

My educated guess on the top 3 below, spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen the Finale collections! Thanks to Blogging Project Runway for the links.

Collection #1

This has Althea written all over it; something about the headbands and the overall styling just shouts and looks like Althea, the neutral colour palette, simple yet breezily sophisticated. Also, the bralessness – for some reason she always sends her models down the runway with boobs a-flying. In addition, that’s her favourite model Tanisha walking that last dress.

Collection #2

The embellishments make this a Carol Hannah collection, though I have to admit I only caught on when I saw CH’s favourite model Lisa walk the final dress. (Lisa, while I think has a really unique look, sometimes suffers from unfortunate angles because of her face shape. Just a passing thought. Also, that is one raspy voice). There’s a bit more colour with a splash of blue, but still quite neutral throughout.

Collection #3

 The appearance of coats and outerwear in every outfit pinpoint this as Irina’s work completely. It was a little like taking Season 4 Christian’s Black and Tan collection and melding it with first runner up Jillian’s Coats and equestrian and cute knit hats collection. There’s an oversized brown coat that kinda looks like one in Collection #1 too, and reminiscent of the Michael Kors challenge winner, no? Do I also spot Irina’s model Kalyn in a cute little pointy cap there?

Sorry Gordana, Christopher and Logan, looks like you didn’t make the cut. Gordana’s a little too inconsistent, and none of those clothes look like her things; Christopher needs more experience, and Logan, while cute to look at, hasn’t really made anything that made me sit up.

I honestly wish this bunch of designers liked colour a little more – my first look at the collections I was so BORED. it was all very black and neutral; only after staring at it somemore while writing this post did I start to appreciate the details. Perhaps this is in stark contrast to last season’s Leanne/Korto/Kenley collections, which had nary a black piece in them and were a riot of colour. They’re in LA, isn’t is supposed to be brighter and less dreary than NY??

Sue and Schu butt heads big time as co-directors of Glee, as Sue engineers an insider takedown of Glee Club, while Will struggles to find control both at work and at home. Terri figures out how to keep lying to Will about the baby and Quinn, poor Quinn, really ends up at the short end of the stick this episode.

Hate on me (Originally by Jill Scott)

Sue takes the ‘minorities’ – the Asians, Latinos, Gay, Black and Handicapped to become ‘Sue’s Kids’ and gives them everything they’ve been asking for – a hip RnB song with popping and locking (Sue Popping is one of the funniest things ever!) Mercedes takes the lead in this one, and it’s always nice to take a break from the show tunes once in awhile, like with Golddigger back in Epi 2. Kurt is awesomely gay with the little leg kicking thing!

It is true that Will’s style tends to be more traditional with show tunes and a focus on Finn and Rachel more than anything else. Hopefully the others have more chance to take lead vocals in future episodes.

Ride Wit Me (Originally by Nelly)

Split up into Sue’s and Will’s factions, the Glee group meet on the sly and jam together to Nelly’s Ride Wit Me (I LOVE this song! Didn’t think it’d still be in these days though, it’s early Nelly…). These are 12 people who normally would not be caught dead around each other, least to say singing, dancing and having a great time together. I kinda like how happy and comfortable they all look together, it really contrasts against the Sue-Will squabbling, that despite all they fight about, the kids have actually come together and are loving it!

No Air (Originally by Jordin Sparks)

Will’s faction is down to 5 people – Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Puck and Britney. Finn and Rachel take the lead vocals as per usual singing the Jordin Sparks song as a duet. Rachel as usual brings it with the powerhouse vocals. I think Finn’s voice is pretty suited for this song and goes well with Rachel’s. Poor Quinn is relegated to ’swaying back there as props’ and backup vocals and watching her boyfriend cavort around with the girl she knows is after him. On Sue’s orders, she also instigates Puck and Britney to defect to Sue’s side instead.

You Keep Me Hanging On (Originally by the Supremes)

After a showdown with Rachel to tell her to back off Finn, Quinn gets to sing lead for this song. I quite like the cheerleading sequences, coordinated dance work always looks so pretty. Quinn’s voice is a lot lighter and sweeter than Rachel’s, so no powerhouse numbers for her, but it’s pretty nice in it’s own way. Also, Quinn definitely doesn’t look pregnant at all, especially not in that uniform!

Keep Holding On (Orginally by Avril Lavigne)

Sue reveals she knows about Quinn’s pregnancy, and feeling betrayed that her head cheerleader kept it from her, orders the resident sleaze gossip monger to post the news on his blog so the entire school will know. With her reputation about to be shot to shreds, Glee Club promises to stand by Quinn, even if she’s a mean girl, because she’s one of them. It’s pretty sad, and Quinn really pulled off the emo with the crying/sobbing bits. Loved the black and white costumes, and Quinn looks so different and sweet when her hair is down like that.

Some thoughts:

Am wondering if they’re going to have Quinn get more and more pregnant? Or will she lose the baby along the way and derail Terri’s plans to delude Will further? How is Will still not managing to notice that Terri is not really pregnant? This is definitely not going to end well…

Miss Emma! Crazy OCD Emma! Is that why Will is kinda off the rails this episode? Will is revealing more and more of this not so nice guy side.

Sue is awesome and insane. When she says to Will in one of their throwdowns - “I don’t trust a man with curly hair. I can’t help but picture little birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and it disgusts me.” – I laughed SO HARD.

Rachel might be pushy and overbearing and have 2 dads instead of a ‘traditional family’, but she’s really the most well adjusted and mature of the lot at Mckinley high, adults included, in the way she acts and handles herself most of the time. Having to give the Gossip Guy of the school her panties, ew! I’m quite curious to see her dads though! It would be really fun having a meet the parents episode…

Lily and Rufus finally get Married, but it’s not the UES if it doesn’t come with it’s whole bunch of situations! Also Georgina returns and pulls her trump card, crazy as ever. And Blair hates Bree but Bass helps the Buckleys catch up with the Baizen.

 Another great episode of Gossip Girl! This show still remains awesome. I like that we’ve moved away from the high school thing (it might have been pretty boring to have another full season of that!) and moved on to their college and lives. So much to talk about, let’s do it couple style…

Chuck-Blair

Chuck and Blair don’t play a big part this episode, but they’re still awesome. Blair totally hating out Bree just because? So Blair! That she was actually picking up on the right vibe despite Nate and Chuck thinking she was just being jealous, only Blair! I think it’s cute how Chuck doesn’t try to reign her in but just smoothly cleans up after her and lets her be the wonderful crazy Blair that we know.

Chuck giving Blair a thai massage he learnt from a master in Chiang Mai (when he disappeared when his father died perhaps?) and Blair going ‘hey where are you going? I have tension!’, awesome! Them sharing a moment while Lily’s saying her vows and having little couply things is so cute~

Carter-Serena

So we finally find out the truth about Carter Baizen and the Buckleys – in a state of debt, he courts, proposes and almost married a Buckley, then makes an aboutturn and runs for it. No wonder those Southern Magnates are hunting for him! Chuck tells on him to Bree, and then offers Carter yet another ticket out of the country, but Carter chooses to expose himself at the Wedding and tell Serena the truth, even though he knows she’ll hate him for it. Poor baby.

Serena looks awesome in that green dress at the garden wedding! And that girl shouldn’t be a publicist, she apparently creates miracle weddings in a day! With her in charge and Blair on ‘whip duty’ ordering her minions around, these 2 would be the greatest party planners of all time, suck it Tutera! I like that Carter convinced her to make up with her mum and that she’s embracing her job, even if it has her reorganizing shoe cabinets. It’s nice that we’re not just gonna see all of them head off to College.

Serena changes her mind about Carter when Chuck spills the truth at the end, but is it too late for Carter Baizen, escorted off in a stretch limo between 2 menacing Buckleys? Judging from the promo, it looks like Super Serena will have to swoop him to save her man’s ass!

Bree-Nate

Nate finally brings Bree out on a double date with Chuck and Blair. It’s so nice to see Nate hanging out with his friends again. After Nate finds out that Bree used him to get to Carter Baizen, poor boy looks betrayed, poor baby. He thought he finally found someone who would be able to empathize with him – putting himself before his family, but he probably should have seen that coming. Bree Buckley will always be a Buckley first before being Bree.

Wonder how that will affect Grandpa Archibald’s plans to use Nate-Bree to take down the Buckleys? Maybe he’ll be there trying to get Nate to use Bree this time!

Dan-Olivia-Georgina-Vanessa-Scott

Olivia’s away in Japan this time, and it’s a good thing because she would definitely have been scared off running into crazy G so early on! She still flirts with Dan over IM, and it’s hilarious how Dan uses V’s screen name because Georgina has been stalking his own, haha!

Georgina reappears, and upon finding out that Dan’s moved on, she blackmails Vanessa into breaking up Dan and Olivia with her Scott news. I think it’s hilarious how she just throws away a line that she totally drugged up Scott to make him tell her his secret, or tells Dan that she got Poppy Lifton (who tried to scam them last season) deported. Serena should be a party planner, but Georgina really needs to be a problem solver of the rich and famous, or get recruited in the secret service.

And Dan is a butt grabber! He might be able to lie convincingly and let G stick her tongue down his throat, but his hands don’t lie baby, they ain’t grabbing crazy butt!

Poor Vanessa seems to lose all around, still hung up over Scott and everyone thinking she’s still in love with Dan. Where was she in that final scene at the loft wedding? She’s practically a Humphrey…

Eric-Jenny

Still hanging out all over together since Eric’s boyfriend seems to have disappeared to Fencing Camp for like, forever! I want to see our favourite little gay couple! Also Eric totally needs to have more scenes, he’s so cute. Jenny also doesn’t do much, other then pull a Project Runway and make Lily’s wedding dress.

Rufus-Lily

Our titular character Rufus is awesome this episode, by being the great sane person that he is and keeping Lily in line. Lily in her 6789456734th marriage is experiencing Van Der Woodsenian woman syndrome and threatening to run off again (You know where Serena gets her tendency to flight from!) I love that Rufus is able to convince her to ‘leap’ and finally accept that they’re never going to be a perfect couple and to just wing it, Rufus Humphrey style.

Them arguing in the park and Lily totally barking at poor Scott? OUCH. Her apology at the end at joy at finally recognizing Scott was nice though. Wonder how often we’re going to see Scott back in the UES? Will he finally be anything other than creepy and weird now?

So between Rufus and Lily we have Dan and Jenny on Rufus’s side, Serena and Eric on Lily’s side, Scott who’s their love child, Chuck who’s a step bro from the Lily-Bass marriage… that is one huge family!

Dorota-Vanya

HILARIOUS ending where Dorota gets her Russian doorman boyfriend Vanya to act as a Prince and try to scam Georgina! Wonder what they’re going to do, and you know Blair was definitely behind that whole thing! Nice to see Dorota in a dress and out of her uniform too!

Overall, very enjoyable episode. I’m very curious to see what happens next week, where Nate and Serena scheme things up and Chuck and Blair run into issues… XOXO!