Thursday, May 31, 2007

Best Of Miami

It's Here!!!!

The Miami New Times has put out its annual "Best of" List for everything under the sun (restaurants, shops, music, city life, etc)

Notable categories: Best Inexpensive Italian Restaurant (Luna Café), Best Natural Foods Restaurant (A), Best New Dining Trend
(Use of locally grown foods), Best NonVegetarian Restaurant for Vegetarians (Lido at the Standard), Best Restaurant to Open Past Deadline (Michael's Genuine Food & Drink), Best Carnival Center Parking (NE First Court between Thirteenth and Fourteenth Streets), Best Class Disparity (Biscayne Boulevard between 69th and 70th streets), Best Criminal Conviction in the Past Year (John Couey), Best Local Girl Made Good (Ulrike "Uli" Herzner), Best Place to Meet Single Men (Playwright Irish Pub and Restaurant),

A special CONGRATS to Critical Miami for the well deserved "BEST WEBSITE" award!

(And just in case you are interested, Broward has a Best of, too)

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The Starter Wife

Now that all my favorite TV shows are on break, I thought I would check out what is in store for us over the summer. So far the new show "The Starter Wife" has caught my attention.

Here is the brief summary from it's website:

After being blacklisted from premieres to pilates, Molly Kagan (Debra Messing) searches to rediscover life after divorce. A brief respite in Malibu and some oh-so-Hollywood friends prove to be the perfect cocktail for her transformation from "Starter Wife" to her new life.

The show premiers tonight (May 31) on USA at 9pm. I really like Debra Messing so I am willing to give this show a shot. If not tonight, then at least on TIVO.

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Thinking of Relocating?

Today on AOL.COM there is a nice little presentation of the best cities in America for Singles, Families and Professionals.

Check it out: Best Cities for Every Stage of Your Life - AOL Money & Finance

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Quote

"I've always found paranoia to be a perfectly defensible position."
- Pat Conroy

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Now That The Summer Is Here...

All of the good TV shows are on a summer break (I wish I was, too) so our long blog posts with TV show recaps are gonna be on a break as well (until Project Runway returns). So we will go back to the regular random blogging format...

But I would love to hear if anyone has any suggestions for posts or things they would like to read about. Any new TV shows? Any events? News? Presidential campaign? Food? Recipes? Diet? Celebrity stuff?

Let us know what you like to read about and we will try and accommodate!

Our #1

I thought Nina (Kavoor 36) deserved a special shout out because of her continued support and commenting on this blog. Thanks for sending the pictures!!!

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Quote

"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are."
- Bertolt Brecht

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Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Congratulations, Happy Roy

Yesterday was a big day for our contributor, Happy Roy. She married her love, George. Let me just tell you this wedding was AMAZING. There was so many people, so much food, so much dancing, so much love, so much beauty - I was honored to be part of it all. Thank you, Happy Roy and George, for allowing me and Elad to be part of your special day.

And as a special treat we finally got to meet Kavoor36 (our #1 reader) and I can't wait for her to send me some of her pictures from the event. It was so great to meet you, Nina!

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The Best New Thing

My friend showed me this great new service from Google over the weekend...

She told me that if you text Google (46645) and put in a search term they will email you back the results. This works best if you are trying to find a store or restaurant. (Go to the Google site to see what Google Mobile is capable of - local listings, flights, weather, driving directions, glossary, movies, sports...much more)

The charge is only how much it costs you to send and receive text messages.

So let's say you are looking for "Baja Fresh, Miami FL" - text that to 46645 and within a few minutes you will get back a list of Baja Fresh restaurants in Miami FL. I just tried it out and got back from Google (in less than a minute) the two locations (in Brickell and Coral Gables), with their full addresses and phone numbers. Amazing!

Try it out - it is way cheaper than calling 411 and it is fast and easy!

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Quote

"Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working."
- Pablo Picasso

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Sunday, May 27, 2007

Post Secret pick of the week



I decided to fill in for shawn today! Here is my pick :)

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Saturday, May 26, 2007

Maureen Whitehouse on ele.vision

Maureen Whitehouse is the woman I happily work with, here is an interview with Elephant Magazine, I'm excited to share this because she has had such a profound positive influence on my life

In-Joy

Author of Soul-Full Eating, A (Delicious!) Path of Higher Consciousness

http://www.soul-fulleating.com




Brightcove.Com

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Thursday, May 24, 2007

Lost - Season 3, Episode 22 - "Through The Looking Glass" Recap/Review

Well, it's over. The third and most epicist (I just made up that word) of Losts' seasons is done. And we're all more confused than we were in January!

I have a confession to make. I'm new to Lost. I know, I know, I talk with so much authority, it's almost as if I'm as big a fan as everyone else. But I'm an impostor. I only started watch Lost over this past summer. Season 3 was the first season I watched as it aired and not in one frenzied two week marathon. So, it was a different and - honestly - less satisfying experience. Yet there's something to be said for slogging through the weeks and the months of build up and anticipation. There's definitely a feeling of completing a journey that comes with the end of a season of a show like Lost. We've seen deaths of friends, tricks of fate, reversals of loyalty, and cruel justice.

As for tonight's episode, I have a lot of criticisms. Things I would have preferred be different. Various lapses in logic stand out and diminish the episode, but I would definitely say I walked away satisfied (which is more than I can say about the last five movies I saw), with the episode and the with the season as a whole.

Let's get to it then. First part: The recap!


We start with Jack, on an airplane, with a frazzled beard. Drunk. He sees a newspaper in the next seat. We can't quite make out what it is, but by Jack's reaction, it seems to be an obituary. Someone has died. Next we see Jack driving up to a bridge and stopping by the railing. He pulls out a piece of newspaper, glances at it, and begins to cry. He attempts a phone call but stops midway through his first sentence. Jack gets out of the car.


He goes over to the railing and stands very close to the edge. He looks up at the sky, says, "forgive me," and leans over. Behind me, the sound of a car skidding and crashing. A woman's voice cries, "Help me," and a little boy shouts "Mama!" Jack rushes to the rescue.

Cut to Jack - beardless - on the island, on the beach. Everyone is still getting ready to leave. Last minute moments are in full- effect. Jack has a heart-to-heart with Sayid. Jack smiles at Kate. Kate smiles at Sawyer. Rosseau longly watches Claire and Aaron. Rose tries to convince Bernard to stay behind. Jin tries to boss Sun around and then speaks English! Juliet longly watches Jin and Sun. Hurley looks serious.


And then they're off up the beach, the survivors of 815, a caravan of people with enough random no-name characters to fight a mini war. Staying behind, Sayid Jerra, Bernard Nadler, and Jin Kwon.


In the Looking Glass Station, Charlie is being beaten by the two women. He's tied to a chair, bleeding from the mouth. After the punches, the women start asking questions like who he is and where he came from. The blond woman, Bonnie, recognizes him as "one of them," and suggests they call Ben to find out how to proceed.


Ben gets a call on his walkie. For some reason he steps out of his tent and allows Richard and Mikhail to hear his conversation, even though it regards the Looking Glass station, which Mikhail and the Others thought was flooded. Ben tells the girls to hold on, he's sending help, in the form of Mikhail.


Night falls on the Beach Camp. In the bushes nearby, the Others confirm the presence of the white-marked tents and their lack of security. They set off into the camp with their guns raised. Sayid, Bernard, and Jin watch patiently as they enter the tents and begin to examine the fake bodies. The Others shout, "It's a trap!" as Sayid and Bernard pull the trigger and blow up two tents. Others fly into the air like dolls. Jin tries to hit his target but his last-place pistol doesn't want to cooperate. The team notices him in the bushes and returns fire. One of them comes at Jin from the side and takes him prisoner. Bernard, sensing trouble, begins to run only to get stopped short by Mr. Friendly, our favorite bad guy. Sayid, meanwhile, has entered the camp looking for Others to kill, but he's greeted only by Mr. Friendly, with Bernard at gunpoint.

Bearded Jack returns, in a hospital room. A nurse stitches up his wound and tells him the woman he saved is stable. A familiar face shows up, Sarah, Jack's ex-wife and once-patient. She's very pregnant. She asks Jack if he's drinking "again. Jack is defensive, but asks her if he could get a ride. She says no.

Out in the jungle, on top of a hill overlooking the beach, the survivors hear two explosions and some gunshots. Rose and Sun immediately start to freak out and think their husbands are dead. They want to wait for them or go back to check on them. Jack says no and they continue forward.

In the Looking Glass, Charlie is still being interrogated by the two butch women. He starts to impress them with his knowledge. He says he knows what the station is for and that he's here to shut off the jamming signal. The women are surprised, but they play along. They ask him, then, what's the code? Charlie is stumped. Code for what? he asks.

On the beach, Mr. Friendly calls up Ben on his walkie-talkie and informs him of the sad news about their compatriots. They have three prisoners but they won't talk. Ben commands Tom to kill Jin so that the others know they're serious. Bernard stops them and talks. He tells them where the rest of the camp went and that Juliet told them everything. But wait, Ben says, Juliet thought they were coming tomorrow. Bernard continues: A young boy named Karl came up to the beach and warned them. Ben looks disapprovingly at Alex.

We next see Ben drawing lines on a map, from the beach to the Radio Tower. And then from his position to the Radio Tower. He marks a spot where both points meet and circles it. He's heading off. Richard Alpert comes over to him and asks him about all the rumors flying around that the 815 survivors killed everyone on the Beach and they're getting ready to leave the Island. Ben insists that he plans to go to them and to, quote, "talk them out of it." Alex asks to come with him and Ben agrees, saying, "You'll see Karl again!"

On the journey to the radio tower, the survivors stop for rest and water. Kate approaches Sawyer and asks him what's wrong. She says he's been different since he got back from his night with Locke. Sawyer won't elobrate. Then Kate says she wants to head back to the beach to check on Sayid, Bernard, and Jin. Sawyer tells her not to be ridiculous. They have no guns and no way to rescue them. Elsewhere, Noami teaches Jack how to use the sat-phone in case something happens to her.


Above the Locking Glass station, Desmond finally wakes up from his forced nap. He notices Charlie's "Greatest Hits" in his pocket. And suddenly gunshots erupt all over the boat. We flash to Mikhail, on the beach, with a rifle. Desmond dodges a couple shots and then jumps into the water. He follows the cable to the Looking Glass station and comes up into the moonpool. Charlie is astonished. "Des!" he shouts. "Hide!" Desmond complies, but not before Bonnie and Gerta hear something from inside a closed room and come out to investigate. Charlie starts to sing to himself, the classic Drive Shaft diddy, "You Are Everybody!"


Back on the road, Sawyer calls for Jack. A stream of people pass behind him. Sawyer says he's going back to the Beach. Jack, of course, says No. But Sawyer says he's going anyway. Kate says she wants to go too, but Sawyer rejects that idea. Jack reasons that their mission is futile, they have no guns, what are they going to do? Then Juliet chimes in and says she knows where there's a hidden cache of guns. They can stop there on their way to the Beach. So, just like that, Sawyer and Juliet become an unlikely team, but not before Juliet and Jack kiss in a much-discussed moment.

Back in the Looking Glass, Desmond sneaks into a locker while Bonnie and Greta decide to get rid of Charlie for good. They're interrupted by Mikhail who appears in scuba gear. He's surprised to see the women. "I thought you were on assignment in Canada." Mikhail asks them "Where's the other one?" but they insist he's alone. Charlie distracts Mikhail by mentioning that Gerta and Bonnie are jamming communications off the Island. Then, on cue, Ben calls. Mikhail takes the call and challenges Ben why he lied to him and the Others. Ben says a good line, "Everything I did, I did for the Island." He goes on to says the Island is under attack and they must protect it at all costs. That's why he needs Mikhail to kill Charlie. Oh, and while you're at it, Bonnie and Gerta. "They must not tell the others what we've done." Mikhail, without the eyepatch, looks in a way more sympathetic and less mischievous.

Sawyer and Juliet are walking through an overgrown runway when they are called over by Hurley. He wants to come with them. He wants to help. Sawyer, like Charlie last episode, turns him away, rudely. Hugo, sadly, walks away. (but where did he go next??)

The next scene starts with the familiar Lost eye shot. We open on Locke, still alive in the Dharma mass grave. His legs don't work. He's shot and dying in a pit. He sees a nearby weapon and picks it up. He checks that there's bullets in the weapon and then points at himself. He's stopped, though, by a call from above. He looks up. It's Walt. Older, wiser (apparently), Walt tells John that he can't die. He needs to stand up and climb out of that hole. He has work to do.

Off the Island, Big Beard Jack is driving, listening to Nirvana (is this 1994?). He stops and pulls out that piece of newspaper. He looks to his side at a funeral parlor and reluctantly decides to get out of his car. He walks into a room full of chairs, but no people. A coffin is in the front of the room. A man comes out and says that no else has come but Jack. He asks him, "Family or friend?" Jack says, "Neither."

On the Island, Jack has a conversation with Rosseau. She tells him that even if they get rescued, she's staying on the Island. As they're walking, Rosseau stops. Ahead of them, waiting, is Ben and Alex.

In the Looking Glass, Mikhail dons his signature eyepatch and steps out of the room. The girls are excited to kill Chalire, but Mikhail asks them why they're here, if the equipment is safe and would survive even if the station were flooded. Mikhail asks Bonnie why she never questioned Ben's order. Bonnie says she can't disobey orders, otherwise their whole mission "here" would be for nothing. He pulls out his weapon, aims at Charlie, but then shoots Greta, the brunette. She falls, dead. Bonnie starts to run. Mikhail follows her chase with a menacing walk and shoots her in the back. Before Mikhail has a chance to turn around and take care of Charlie, Desmond steps out and shoots Mikhail with a speargun. Bonnie, dying, reaches for a pistol but Desmond stops her. He's about to shoot the pistol, when Charlie shouts, "No! We need her."

Back at tension-city, Jack and Ben stare at each other. Jack approaches but keeps his distance. Ben spots Noami and introduces himself. Jack tells him to shut up and demands to know what he wants. Ben just wants to talk, alone. Jack says No. Ben reminds him he just killed seven of his people, he could spare five minutes.

In a flashback-quicky, Jack is taking a lot of drugs.

Jack and Ben find a romantic spot not far away and sit down for a chat. Ben says that once, not long ago, he made a decision that killed forty people. And that Jack is about to do the same thing. Noami is not who she says she is, says Ben. She represents people who have been looking for this island and will kill everyone on it. Ben tells Jack he has to get the sat-phone and give it to him.

Um.. right. I actually think Ben was telling the truth in this scene, but Jack doesn't listen, of course. When Jack refuses, Ben asks for his walkie, which Jack gives him (huh???). Ben communications with Tom. He commands Tom to murder the three survivors on the beach unless Jack gives him the phone. Jack almost considers, but refuses again. Three gunshots ring out over the radio. Jack, enraged, flies at Ben and beats the shit out of him. Jack then takes him back to the others and tells Rosseau to tie him up.

In the Looking Glass, Charlie has a heart-breaking scene with the woman who just kicked his ass. She tells him the code, it's the opening bars of "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. The programmer was a musician. Charlie smiles. Fate is with him.

Back on the long road to the Radio Tower, Ben, with his face a bloody mess, gets thrown to the ground. Alex comes over and so does Rosseau. Ben sighs and introduces Alex to.. her mother. Rosseau looks like she might actually have an emotion. It's cute.

On the beach, Tom and Ryan, the two burly Others, regret their "fake" killing of the survivors. Sayid, Bernard, and Jin are behind him. We pan to Juliet and Sawyer in the bushes wondering how they can take them down with no guns. When - suddenly! from out of nowhere! - a van (a Dharma van!) comes crashing through the woods. It's Hurley! Driving his van from..um, a while ago. He runs over Ryan and, in the chaos, Sawyer grabs a gun and chases the others. Sayid, arms bound, manages to kick one of them to the ground and then strangles him with his feet. There's just Tom left. The man surrenders, but Sawyer shoots him anyway and says, "That was for taking the boy off the raft."

Back in "the world," Jack is still drugs. In a previous scene, he was denied at a pharamcy. Now he's stealing tranquilizers from work. He gets interrupted by Pain In the Ass Doctor, who grills him on everything. Jack starts to break down and asks them to go get his father, if Jack's drunker than he is, he'll quit right now. He tells the doctor, "don't you know what I've been through??"

Back in the Island, Jack hears a familiar voice over the walkie he stole from Ben. Hurley says, "Attention Others!" Hurley is pleased to hear Jack. He tells him that he saved everybody. Everybody: Sayid, Bernard, Jin, Juliet, and Sawyer. The crowd goes wild for a minute. Everyone hugging. It's nice.

In the Looking Glass, Charlie and Desmond are also celebrating. They separate to take care of business and Charlie goes into the communications room to shut off the signal. He does so, easily, and a message light appears. Charlie presses the button, and it's Penny! Charlie is overjoyed. He gives her the Survivor 815 sphiel and then mentions Desmond. "Did you say Desmond?" Penny asks. "Is he alright?" "He's brilliant!" Charlie says. Then he asks if she's on the boat. But Penny says, "What boat?" Penny doesn't know anything about Noami. Charlie starts to freak out and then he hears a knock. He looks out a porthole and it's Mikhail! In scuba gear, with a grenade.

Outside the room, Desmond sees Penny on the screen and runs to speak to her, but Charlie closes the hatch as soon as possible. Desmond screams, but Charlie just shakes his head. Outside the station, Mikhail pulls the cord on the grenade and blasts a hole in the side of the Looking Glass station. The room gets flooded and Charlie stands in awe of fate. He turns around and quickly writes something on his hand. He shows it to Desmond. It says, "NOT PENNY'S BOAT." He exchanges a long look with Desmond before drowning. (We'll miss you, Charlie.)

On the Island, Noami hears a friendly twittle from her phone. The light has turned green, the jamming is gone. But when she tries to send a signal, she hears Rosseau's message. Just as they arrive at the Radio Tower.

Inside the small station beside the tower, Rosseau leads a team inside and with a sigh shuts off her message that had been playing for sixteen years. Noami tries to get a signal inside and fails but when she steps outside, she plays with the gadgets, and it works! The phone starts to ring, when, suddenly!, John Locke appears and throws a knife at Noami's back, stabbing and kill her instantly. Jack grabs the phone and Locke pulls a gun. Damn! He's determined to keep everyone on the island. But Jack holds onto the phone as it rings for a very long time. Finally, Locke lowers his weapon.

A person comes on the radio. He asks them about Noami. Jack asks him if they have helicopters and could they find their location. The man enthusiastically shouts, "Hell yeah we can! Sit tight," he says, "We'll be right there."

Bearded Jack returns. He's surrounded by bottles of alcohol. He pulls out his phone and dials a number. He says, "It's me," and that they have to meet. "By the airport," he tells the mysterious stranger, "you know where."

In the next scene, Jack waits in his car until another car quickly speeds up and out comes Kate. Jack shows Kate the newspaper article and asks her why she didn't attend the funeral. Kate is offended. "Why should I?" she says and then says that she has to go, "he" will be waiting. Jack wants to spill his heart out but she's not listening. He says they made a mistake. They were never suppose to leave the Island and they need to go back.


* * *

Wow! Okay, that was pretty damn cool. At first I was very confused, what, this is the future? But i guess it is. The Lost writers took the flashback format and changed it up. Very cool! Very innovative.

The episode was massive in scope and really well executed. I'm not in the camp of people who want "answers." I want to be entertained and not pissed off. I was a little pissed that we spent two hours in pseudo-flashback land and had no idea who we're suppose to be grieving for. And the Hurley/van surprise was a little.. um, easy.

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NICE BUNS!

Friday will mark the 30th Anniversary of the release of the film STAR WARS. Now, I am not a huge science fiction fan; I'm no Dungeons & Dragons player obsessed with fanart and role playing. I am, however, a child of the 80's. I grew up with the heroics of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. I was terrified by the evil of Darth Vader, and I swooned at the romantic ideals of the lovely Princess Leia.

The films are classic. They aren't the high tech schlock that Lucas has since produced. Rather then trying to woo audiences with the glitz of big budget special effects, these films are old school stories. They won us over because of their simplicity. At the heart of the STAR WARS legacy is the story of a battle. It is the battle of Good vs. Evil. It is the battle of Luke to find his true identity and discover his past. It is the battle of Han Solo to fight his womanizing ways and eventually win the heart of the lovely Princess Leia. And, it is the battle of Leia Organa to wow us with her top notch 'dos.

What child growing up didn't marvel at the engineering genius it must have taken to create the elaborate swirls of Leia's updo? What little girl (or gay boy) didn't don a towel on her head and try to twist it into those ubiquitous braids? Who didn't look into their mirror only to think "if only my hair were a bit more Leia-esque"?


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


Well, for those who ever wanted that intergalactic babe look, search no further! Just in time for the 3oth Anniversary Celebrations, you can create your very own Princess Leia Wig! That's right! Some crafty genius has devised a pattern to allow you to knit your very own Princess Leia Wig. With a few skeins of yarn, a couple of hours time, and an unhealthy passion for SciFi, you too can be the envy of the Rebel Alliance! And what, pray tell, does this wig look like? Here you go!


Now, I just need to find someone who knits. Let me know if you can make me one!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!

Quote

"The Constitution gives every American the inalienable right to make a damn fool of himself."
- John Ciardi

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Lost Pre-Post: "Through the Looking Glass"


It's here! The finale is only a couple hours away and I couldn't be more excited. I'm having trouble focusing on work today cause I'm anticipating the awesomeness of tonight's Lost Season 3 finale. The Official Podcast didn't shed any light on tonight's episode. I saw one cool thing online, but I'm going into this one 100% clean. I don't even know who's going to be starring in the flashbacks!

So, everybody get ready. Tonight's the big night!

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Passive-Aggressive Quote of the Day

Ripped from PassiveAggressiveNotes blog.

hat-tip: Boing Boing

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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Heroes - Season 1, Episode 23 - How to Stop An Exploding Man (Season Finale)

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!

How do you stop an exploding man? That is a question Hiro asked a few episodes ago and last night it all played out.

To recap how we got to this point...

Future Hiro realized that Sylar was going to explode so he went to the past to see a young Peter Petrelli. He told Peter that he must save the Cheerleader so Sylar doesn't get her powers of regeneration. Without the regeneration power, Hiro would be able to kill Sylar with his sword and stop Sylar from blowing up.

However, as the plot unfolded we started to question who really was going to explode. Both Peter and Sylar had the potential to explode and for some unexplained reason Peter could not control his fire hands.

Now it was up to all the heroes to stop both Sylar and Peter from exploding.

The episode opens with DL and Niki with Linderman. The scene from last episode replays and we see DL take the shot for Niki and then pull out Linderman's brain.

DL and Niki hear people coming after them and they need to escape. DL is badly injured from the gunshot wound but Niki puts all her effort into getting DL to use his powers so they can walk through the wall and escape. He manages to get it together and they leave before they are caught.

On a different floor in the same building we go back to the scene from last episode when Thompson sees Matt and Mr. Bennett. Thompson sneaks up behind Matt and as he is about to shoot him, Bennett comes from behind and kills Thompson. Matt and Bennett then find Molly. Mohinder knocks Matt to the floor and Bennett has his gun pointed at Molly while Mohinder has his gun pointed at Bennett.

The scene then changes and Mohinder and Bennett have their guns pointing at each other and Molly is under the bed and she recognizes Matt. He is her hero! He promises to her that nobody is going to hurt her.

Meanwhile, Hiro tells his father he must find Ando and his father disagrees with his plan to save his friend. Hiro's father is worried about their legacy and the fact that Hiro may miss the opportunity to save the world. Hiro puts that aside and goes to find Ando.

Sylar is painting the future and we see what soon will be the final scene - Sylar v Peter.

Nathan is in his office after his victory speech. His mother walks in and breaks the bad news - Linderman is dead. She reminds Nathan that this wasn't only Linderman's dream - it was hers as well. Nathan is supportive and tells her that the world will need him after this tragedy.

Mohinder and Bennett work together to hide Thompson's body. Matt runs in and tells them that Molly is sick. Mohinder gives her a blood transfusion so she can have his antibodies. Her strength will be needed to find Sylar.

Claire and Peter are still in NY and they call Bennett. They tell him about Ted being killed by Sylar. They need to find Sylar so they can stop him and that is where Molly will come into play.

Peter and Claire drive into a parking garage and there is Nathan waiting for them. Peter lied to Claire and called Nathan for help. Claire doubts Nathan's interests and is angry with Peter for calling him. Nathan tells Peter that the explosion is inevitable and suddenly Peter sees that Claire was right. Peter then turns around and Claire is gone.

We see Claire running and she runs into Mrs. Petrelli. She insists that Claire come with them so she won't be harmed by the bomb.

At the same time Molly is using her powers to locate Sylar. When she finds him on the lower east side (Isaac's studio), Bennett calls Claire to let Peter know where to go. Mrs. Bennett answers the call and tells Bennett they are taking her away. Bennett tells Claire to stay with them so she will be safe, but as soon as she can escape she should run. Bennett asks where Peter is but Claire doesn't know. Time to go back to the tracking system.

Peter went to find Claire and ends up outside on the street. His hands start burning and he can't control it. And then suddenly he passes out on the ground.

(as an aside - where are all the cars and people in NYC during this episode?)

Peter wakes up in a scene from his past. It was his first day working for Charles Deveaux (Simone's father) and Mrs. Petrelli is there having a meeting with Charles. In a separate room Peter meets Simone for the first time and they talk about being a hero and death. All the while, present Peter is watching the scene with past Peter standing right in front of him, but nobody can see him. I am guessing he used Hiro's ability to travel time.

Present Peter then steps out into the room where his mother and Charles are speaking. They are debating who is the stronger brother - Peter or Nathan. One of them is going to be chosen to save the world and be a leader after the explosion. Charles thinks the bomb doesn't have to happen, but Mrs. Bennett says it is inevitable. Charles thinks Peter has the ability for unconditional love which will make him a better leader, but Mrs. Bennett thinks Peter is not strong enough.

After Mrs. Bennett leaves Charles says hello to Peter. He saw Peter there the entire time. He tells Peter that he needed to see that scene to know what was really going on. And then he tells Peter he must go save the world.

Peter then wakes up with Mr. Bennett standing over him. Peter thanks him for saving his life, but Bennett only sees it as repaying him for saving Claire's life. And then he tells Peter to call him "Noah" - finally I don't have to say Mr. Bennett anymore!

So almost the entire episode is over and we still didn't see Ando. Finally, we see Ando go to Isaac's studio to confront Sylar. Ando doesn't even get a full swing at Sylar before he is pushed up against the wall in a death grip. Ando dropped the comic book that Isaac made to show how to kill Sylar. Sylar reads it and laughs at the thought of a little man like Hiro killing him with a sword. Then Hiro appears from behind them.

Sylar challenges Hiro to use his powers to save Ando before Sylar can cut open Ando's head. Sylar is caught off guard when Hiro disappears and then reappears next to Ando and they disappear together.

Ando is brought back to Japan to be safe. He wants to help Hiro get Sylar but Hiro insists that Ando stay behind to be safe. Ando understands and let's Hiro go save the world, but not before telling Hiro that he looks "bad ass."

Niki left DL behind so she can find Micah. She sees an open door and sees herself sitting on the couch. Behind the couch she finds Micah laying on the ground and he looks dead. Then the person she thinks is Jessica starts kicking her ass.

As Niki lays on the ground she sees a broken mirror and in the mirror she sees the real Jessica. (we should have known J/N are never physically in the same room at the same time - they can only talk to each other through the mirror). Jessica tells Niki that the woman beating her ass isn't really Jessica and that Niki has the strength to stop her. Niki then gets up and beats down the fake Jessica - who we now know is really Candice.

Micah laying on the floor then disappears and we hear Micah is trapped in a closet. Niki saves him and they escape.

Meanwhile, Matt is on the hunt for Sylar in the lower east side at Isaac's studio. Sylar isn't there but his paintings show a red sculpture that Matt recognizes. Matt heads there to find Sylar.

Nathan, his mother and Claire are in a building getting ready to leave town. Claire is still angry and confronts them on their actions. She can't believe that Peter's family would just let him die and blow up NYC. She then jumps out the window to escape.

And now the final scene comes together. Niki, DL and Micah are escaping out of the building where Peter is waiting downstairs in front of the red sculpture. Mohinder and Molly are not far behind. Noah is there with Peter and Matt shows up shortly after.

As Peter stands there waiting, Sylar shows up. The showdown is about to happen.

Noah shoots Sylar but Sylar uses his power to throw the bullets back at Noah. Noah is down. Somewhere in all this Matt also gets hurt and it is unknown whether he lives or dies.

Sylar pulls up a parking meter to hit Peter with. Niki comes from behind and grabs the parking meter and hits Sylar with it, knocking him to the ground.

Peter then starts to glow meaning he is about to explode. Then Hiro appears and stabs Sylar right through his stomach. Sylar is dying but his powers are still in tact. He sends Hiro flying through the air. The villain is dead but Peter is still a threat.

Claire then appears and takes her father's gun so she can shoot Peter. She can't seem to get up the courage to shoot Peter.

Then in a great twist Nathan comes flying in. He tells Claire the future isn't written in stone. He takes Peter away and they fly into the air to explode in space. NYC is safe. And that is the end of Volume One: Genesis

****VOLUME TWO: GENERATIONS***
The show gave us a tiny taste of what we can expect for next season. Hiro finds himself transported to outside of Kyoto, Japan in the year 1671. It looks as if a war is about to happen and one side has a flag with the helix symbol on it. As the two sides are about to clash a full solar eclipse happens.

Next season we are going to find out the legacies of the big families in this show - Petrelli, Deveaux, Nakamura, Linderman and other families who will be revealed in the next season. A lot of the same characters will appear next season and new heroes will also be revealed.

Will Peter and Nathan survive the explosion in the sky? Will Matt be back? Will DL live? Where will Molly go? Are the heroes all going to live together in one big hero community?

Until next season...

(Pictures from Heroes Pictures)

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Quote

"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead."
- Charles Bukowski

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Monday, May 21, 2007

The Office - Season 3, Episode 23 - The Job (1 Hour Season Finale)

BOOO HOOOO! It's all over until Fall! That makes me sad. But you know what makes me happy?

Jim: Pam. (To camera) Sorry. Um, are you free for dinner tonight?
Pam: Yes.
Jim: All right. Then it’s a date.

WHAT IS THAT? Yes, Pam and Jim are going to go on a very long four month date!

OK, sorry for spoiling that at the start - but I just HAD to get to it. Anyway, let's see how this episode got there...

Jim walks in looking extra cute. Andy is now going to refer to him as "Big Haircut."

Jim: Karen suggested that I get a haircut. For the interview tomorrow. So that I could look presentable. And not, as she so lovingly puts it, homeless.

Pam has a camera interview and tells us that her and Jim had a moment to talk after the beach outburst. He admitted that he missed her friendship as well and that she still means a lot to him. All still very innocent.

Dwight has been called into Michael's office and is handed an envelope.

Michael: Please hand this letter of congratulations to Dwight K. Schrute.
Dwight: But that’s my name. (Reads letter) “Dwight, congratulations, a-wipe. Don’t screw the pooch.”

Dwight is so touched that he is brought to tears. Not a pretty face.

Pam seems to want to clear the air with everyone lately. She sees Karen in the kitchen and she takes a minute to talk about what happened.

Pam: Um, about the beach.
Karen: It’s okay. We all say things without thinking.
Pam: Oh no, it’s not that. I’ve actually been thinking that for a long time. And I’m glad I said it. I just, I’m sorry if it made you feel weird.
Karen: Oh. Okay.

After Pam left Karen said something I wouldn't normally agree with, but some reason fit at the moment.

Karen: Pam is … kind of a bitch.

I would never think of Pam as a bitch. But I'm glad Pam was the bitch for 5 minutes there.

Karen suggests to Jim that the two of them head into NYC tonight (the night before the big interviews) so they can go out and have some fun. Jim likes the idea and they plan to leave early.

Kevin and Jim are talking and Kevin pretty much sums up what all the blogs have been fighting over this past season.

Kevin: So Jim, who do you think is hotter, Pam or Karen?
Jim: Yeah, I’m not going to talk about this now.
Kevin: Pam is taller.
Jim: You sure?
Kevin: Yes. She has bigger breasts, too.
Jim: Wow.
Kevin: But I think Karen has a prettier face.
Jim: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. What else?
Kevin: Well, I mean, Pam’s face is really pretty too. It’s a very tough call.
Jim: Really tough call.
Kevin: Yeah.
Jim: You know what? Why don’t you take the rest of the day, figure it out, and then come back, and tell me what you got.
Kevin: Will do.
Jim: All right.
Kevin: Yes.

Part of me thinks Jim was joking with Kevin, but the other part of me thinks that Jim actually was weighing the two options and wanted the second opinion.

Meanwhile the whole office is having a laugh at Pam's beach outburst.

Oscar: Hey Pam? I’ve been meaning to say something to you. I really miss our friendship.
Pam: Ha, ha, that’s very funny.
Stanley: I’ve never heard you talk that much. I thought it was Kelly.
Kelly: Are you kidding? I would never have done that. It was patheticville. No offense, Pam.
Meredith: You know what? Don’t even worry about it. Everyone was so drunk, I bet no one even remembers what you said.
Creed: I remember. I blogged the whole thing.

Ryan reveals that he created a "blog" for Creed which was actually a word document with a fake URL at the top (www.creedthoughts.gov.www\creedthoughts). He was trying to save the internet from Creed's disturbing thoughts. "Even for the Internet, it’s … pretty shocking." But NBC thought otherwise and created a blog just for Creed - Creed's Thoughts.

Michael has made a very stupid move and sold his condo on Ebay in anticipation of getting the NYC corporate job. He sold it for 80% of its value. Oh Michael!

Dwight breaks the news to Jim that Dwight is the new #1. And in Dwight's dream world he makes $80,000 and he is in hell, co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil. Strange.

Dwight: Once I’m officially regional manager, my first order of business will be to demote Jim Halpert. So I will need a new number two. My ideal choice? Jack Bauer. But he is unavailable. Fictional. And overqualified.

Dwight puts up an interview schedule to find a new #2. The only person to sign up is Andy.

And in an unexpected twist, Jan shows up at the office.

Michael calls together his squad of women (from the Women's Appreciation episode) to ask their opinion. They tell him to stay strong and not get back together with her.

Jan wants to get back together with Michael. Michael tries to stay strong but it seems that Jan has some new assets that changes Michael's mind about their relationship.

The office's reaction:

Meredith: I would never do that. Waste of money. In my experience, guys are way more attracted to the back of you than to the front.

Kevin: I love fake boobs. Often times you find them on strippers.

Creed: I find it offensive. Au naturelle, baby. That’s how I like ‘em. Swing low, sweet chariots.

And Michael....well...how does he feel about getting back together for fake boobs?

Michael: That would be shallow. And this is the opposite of shallow. This is emotionally magnificent.

Karen and Jim leave work early and Pam only has positive things to say.

Pam: I’m happy for him. I hope he gets the job. I really just want him to be happy. And I know that sounds cliche, and I know saying it sounds cliche sounds cliche. Maybe I’m being cliche, I don’t care. ‘Cause I am what I am. (Thinks about it) That’s Popeye.

Andy has his interview with Dwight. Dwight gives him a hard time but considering the lack of competition I think Andy is going to get the position.

Andy: I am a great interviewee. Why? Because I have something no one else has. My brain. Which I use to my advantage, when advantageous.

On the drive into NYC, Karen is trying to convince Jim that they both need to move to NYC together. While having a good time in NYC she let's Jim know her real feelings.

Karen: We don’t have a future in Scranton. There’s one too many people there.
Jim: You mean Kevin?

The scenes of Karen and Jim in NYC are actually really cute. You could almost see Jim stick with Karen and live this fun urban lifestyle. But maybe when it comes down to it, Jim enjoys going out to party for a night but he really wants to "settle down."

The next morning in NYC, Karen, Jim and Michael are waiting in the reception area for their interviews. Michael gets called in first.

Back at Scranton, Dwight has taken over the office. He has assigned Andy the #2 position, but he has something special in store for someone else...

Pam: So you would be the regional manager, and the assistant regional manager, Andy is your number two, I would be the secret assistant regional manager.
Dwight: Mmm, let’s call it secret assistant to the regional manager.
Pam: Mm-hmm.
Dwight: Do you accept?
Pam: Absolutely I do.

We watch Michael's interview just waiting for him to screw it up. David asks Michael to list his strenghts and instead Michael lists a bunch of things he calls weaknesses, but are really strenghts. The interview actually seems to go OK, until Karen gets her facetime. She pretty much says Michael is a big screw up and he shouldn't get hired.

Dwight gets everyone's attention at the office to make it known he is the new #1. He tells them that Michael has inefficiently run the office and there will no longer be meetings. And then, he calls a meeting.

The office gathers in the conference room to learn about how paper is made. Everyone thinks it is a waste of time but Pam makes them all pay attention!

Dwight offers something called a "Schrute Buck" for things done right. 100 Schrute Bucks = 5 minutes extra at lunch.

Dwight: Don’t you want to earn Schrute bucks?
Stanley: No. In fact, I’ll give you a billion Stanley nickels if you never talk to me again.
Dwight: What’s the ratio of Stanley nickels to Schrute bucks?
Stanley: The same as the ratio of unicorns to leprechauns.

At the end of Michael's interview we find out that the position that everyone is interviewing for is Jan's position. Jan is being fired.

Michael sees Jan and tries to get around telling her what's going on, but he slips and tells her that Dunder Miflin is firing her.

Jan freaks out and confronts David, while Karen's interview is going on. He tells Jan that she is unstable, she smokes during work and that she says she is visiting her sister but really she is visiting the Scranton branch. Jan loses it and Michael steps in to be supportive, costing himself the new position.

(yes, she is asking if he is firing her because of "these")

As Jan walks out Michael tells David that he withdraws his application for the job, but only after David tells him he didn't get the position.

Michael: I don’t think I could take my girlfriend’s job. That’s not being a good boyfriend.

While Michael was away, Dwight painted his office in all black.

Andy: It’s like I’m staring into my soul when I look at this wall.
Dwight: It’s like outer space without the stars, it’s so black.

Michael announces to the office that he is back and is never going to leave them again.

Pam takes a moment to reflect on the entire day...

Pam: No, I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m optimistic. And I had fun goofing around with Dwight today. Jim and I are just too similar. Maybe one day I’ll find my own Karen. But, you, that is a, um, you know, not … a man. A man version. But uh, until then, I can hold my head up. I’m not gay.

And we get to see a few moments of her and Jim talking at the beach.

Jim: How are your feet?
Pam: Medium rare. Thanks.
Jim: The real reason that I went to Stamford was because I wanted to be … not here.
Pam: I know.
Jim: And even though I came back, I just feel like I’ve never really come back.
Pam: Well I wish you would.

So it's all coming together. First Pam spills her guts to Jim at the beach. Then Jim and her talked about trying to stop being weird with each other. Then Jim and Karen go to NYC and she tells Jim he needs to leave Scranton for the two of them to stay together.

Then the final piece - Jim is in his interview being told how awesome he is. David asks him where he sees himself in 10 years.

(I think this is the moment he figured it out)

As he thinks of an answer a little note slips out of his paperwork. It says "Don't Forget Us When Your Famous" and it has a gold colored yogurt top like what was used at the Office Olympics.

And at that moment Jim is being asked by David where he sees himself in 10 years, we all think Jim sees himself with Pam.

Karen went off to see friends in NYC and Jim finishes his interview and heads back to Scranton.
When he gets back into the office he finds Pam (who was in the middle of gushing over Jim) and he says

Jim: Pam. (To camera) Sorry. Um, are you free for dinner tonight?
Pam: Yes.
Jim: All right. Then it’s a date.

YES YES YES YES YES!! Jim and Pam going on a DATE! Oh what a huge smile we all had on our faces at that moment.

And then it is revealed - Ryan got the job at corporate. We didn't even know he applied! As soon as he finds out he breaks up with Kelly.

******

So, yes I am sad about the season being over. But what a wonderful season it was. We had some ups and downs with Karen in the picture - but I think it gave all the other funny characters a chance to shine a bit more. Creed, Toby, Meredith, Kevin, Kelly - we got a little bit more of each of them that I can appreciate.

But I CANNOT WAIT to see how next season will start. Will Karen return to Scranton? Did Jim actually break up with her? Will the "date" go well?

Until next season! Enjoy your summer break :) Too bad we can't all have a summer break from our own offices.

Quotes from The Office Tally - you had a few hard days there, glad to see you back!

Screencaps from Klotera - Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

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