Monday, June 28, 2010

Riders in the Storm

There is only one thing better than a new episode of Ice Road Truckers: a new episode that deals with wicked weather!  A blizzard that blows so hard truckers can't see the road right in front of them, dangerous drifts pile up faster than Alaska state DOT teams can clear them, deadly avalanches could strike at any moment and Atigun Pass closes stranding drivers in Coldfoot (the lucky ones) or in their cabs along the deadly Dalton.  In the last post, I mentioned that "rely on the delineators" is my new least favorite phrase, but this week, the truckers couldn't even see them to rely on them!  They were basically traversing the section from Atigun to Prudhoe on a wing and a prayer at best.  As you can imagine, the dangerous weather elicited different reactions from the different drivers.  One driver decided to take a risk while another played it safe.  One stuck with a convoy and another tried to live down a new dubious reputation.  And one driver had a moment that was a little too livin' on the edge -- and that was before he reached the storm.


Thursday, June 17, 2010

Happy Reunions

I have so much love for this week's episode of In Plain Sight!  It's my pick for best of the season thus far.  Maybe it was the simple fact that Mary and Marshall were working together on the same case at the same time, or maybe, that was just the icing on the cake.  Of course watching them together reminded me once again how we've been cheated this season with them working separately, but I didn't care because I was so excited to have them together again.  I watched most of the episode with my fingers crossed because I kept worrying that Marshall was going to get pulled to that other minor story involving the tip-happy witness that no one wanted to help.  Thankfully, Charlie saved us all by taking an interest in that witness and stumbling upon a shocking discovery.  But the thing that made this episode stand out was the story surrounding the witness-of-the-week.  It was an emotional ride that had me hooked from that first moment outside the library until the warmed-even-Mary's-heart ending.


Monday, June 14, 2010

'Truckers' Get Dealt a Blow

Hands clenched, sweat beading up on the back of your neck, knuckles quickly turning white... and that was just my reaction while watching those white-out conditions (or, as Alaskans call it, "a blow") during the second episode of History Channel's excellent Ice Road Truckers this week.  I can't even imagine how the drivers were feeling!  Seriously, the phrase "rely on the delineators" might be my new least favorite saying.  Sister show Deadliest Catch (which I also love) puts me on the edge of my seat, but this show does something to me that no other show can: it transports me to the Dalton and puts me right there in that cab with the drivers whose every decision could be the difference between life and death.  It's that serious and it's that scary.  Just ask the driver who found himself on the very fortunate side of fate this week.


Thursday, June 10, 2010

'Plain' Old Truth

Who would have thought that Mary would find herself in her latest witness?  The woman, Judy, had Asberger's (it must be the special needs du jour for the TV world) and Mary was told to handle her with kid gloves, no sarcasm, and to keep everything fair.  So basically, she couldn't be her usual sarcastic, hard truth self.  After taking this advice for most of the hour, Mary finally ditched it and decided to be herself and let Judy know what was really at stake no matter how hard it was to take.  It worked, and the realization allowed Mary to see that she and Judy aren't that different.  Mary likes the truth -- not sugar-coated or twisted -- just the straight truth.  She doesn't appreciate BS and doesn't want people shielding her from the hard truth.  It was an interesting parallel and made for an excellent story line. Despite the great Mary story, there was still one downer about this episode and it's the same downer that has been hanging over the show most of this season.


Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Don't Stop Believin'


I liked Glee when it first premiered.  I loved it when it returned after a way-too-long hiatus.  But after this week's finale, I (heart) it so much words cannot describe my warm and fuzzy feelings for this show.  Every scene was emotional, every Sue moment was HI-LARIOUS (and one was actually touching), every song was awesome and the surprises were perfect.  In fact, the entire episode was kinda perfect.  We even got an awesome Jesse solo (despite his evil, heart-breaking ways, I still adore his angelic voice).  But the most exciting thing about this week's season ender for me was that fan-freakin-tastic Journey medley that New Directions performed at regionals.  Oh. My. Steve Perry!!  It was the greatest thing since, well, the last time Glee did Journey (a little awesome number called "Don't Stop Believing" during the series premiere).  And then there was the night's biggest twist that led to a happy ending for several of our favorite characters.

Monday, June 07, 2010

'Ice Road' Open

On the road again!  Dalton Ace Jack Jesse, Alex Debogorski, Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland, and my girl Lisa Kelly are back on Alaska's Dalton Highway navigating treacherous conditions, steep passes and hairpin turns in order to bring much-needed supplies to the oil rigs up on Prudhoe Bay -- part of Alaska's oil-rich North Slope.  And this TV fan couldn't be happier!!  This season, two new drivers are joining the line-up: rookie Ray Vellieux and Greg Boadwine (who sat out most of last season after wrecking his load of pipe on the side of the road and narrowly escaping serious injury).  Ray seemed to struggle a bit this week while Greg made it his mission to beat the Dalton Ace to Deadhorse.  But new faces weren't the only changes this season because the show decided to up the ante a little by adding two new side roads along the Dalton.  One is actually a trail (as in un-paved grassy/woodsy path through the woods) that involves crossing a frozen river and swamp land to get to the remote town of Bettles.  The trail is the only way in or out of this town and it's only accessible 30 days out of the year!  The other involves crossing river ice to reach the native village of Nuiqsut. And just in case this wasn't enough excitement to start the season, a trucker flipped right outside Deadhorse spilling his entire load of pipe and landing himself in the hospital.  He wasn't the only close call, though.


Thursday, June 03, 2010

A Friend Indeed

In Plain Sight is not supposed to be sad!  Mary's biting and charming wit is supposed to be cracking me up on Wednesday nights.  Instead, her tears were causing my own eyes to well up there at the end.  Having said that, it was nice to see the show's more emotional side this week.  We're used to seeing it employed for Mary's personal story, but this episode's sadder notes dealt with the witness-of-the-week.  Learning that Mia was dying from a terminal brain tumor certainly put a damper on things both logistically and emotionally.  The prosecutor dropped her testimony and WITSEC sent her on her way, but Mary wasn't willing to leave her out in the cold.  Mary always cares about her witnesses, but this one was special and she left a huge impact on Mary's life.  Maybe that's why the ending was just so darn sad.


Wednesday, June 02, 2010

'Glee' Has the Funk

Somebody has egg on their face today and it isn't Rachel!  I totally, 100%, completely believed that Jesse St. James was a good guy.  Maybe his sweet voice made me want to believe so badly that I finally did -- I don't know, but I was very wrong about him and I'm so, so bummed.  In fact, I'm so bummed, I'm in a funk.  Maybe I should try the Quinn panacea for getting out of a funk.  Or maybe, I should just listen to Jesse sing "Hello" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" over and over until it erases the bad taste of this week's events.  I get it -- everyone deals with having to say goodbye in their own way.  More than likely, Jesse's horrible behavior was his way of distancing himself from Rachel and focusing on beating her and New Directions at regionals next week, but seriously dude, FIND A BETTER WAY!  Preferably one that doesn't break my Rachel's heart.  Fortunately, there was one lasting moment at the end that almost made everything O.K.