Long Time No See

Hi guys. I'm just checking in. 

Normally, when I publish posts they have Topics (with a capital T!) that they focus on, tv shows they discuss, books they review, stories they tell. But today, for the first time ever, I think I'm just going to write, without a direction.

The first thing I have to say is sorry. I assumed that once I was done with exams (!!!) I would have a ton of time to blog. And truthfully, I do. But between spending time with friends and family and my writing and crafting and reading, I just haven't blogged.

I think partly, it's because I haven't been able to think of a good topic. I mean, I could talk about the fact that I'm totally loving Tim McGraw/Faith Hill duets. Or I could discuss the Make It or Break It finale (Payson and Max! Kaley and Austin! And, of course, Summer and Sasha!!!). Or I could review Oymg or Stay or If I Stay or Where She Went or any of the other books I read this week. But, somehow, none of those things feel like they could fill a whole post.

Instead, now, I'll give you the grab bag of my week:

-I went to Goodwill with my father last thursday. Now, normally, I maybe find one or two books if I'm lucky. But this week I hit the jackpot! A brand new hardcover of Jennifer Weiner's last book! An awesome collection of medical stories! And that's not even the best part. I have three words for you: Advanced Reader Copies.

I know!! Now, for legit book bloggers that actually have followers and things, these are easy to come by. But for people like me, an ARC is like a secret little stolen gift. And there were so many! Many of which don't come out until the summer, at least! So excited!

-I bought a prom dress yesterday. Now, I'm finding the whole prom thing rather fascinating. You'd think someone like me would go crazy for prom. I mean, it's a staple of the young adult romance genre, a must see event on any teen tv show. Glee. Gossip Girl. Princess in Pink. Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson. Never Been Kissed. She's All That. Second Helpings. Everwood. Dawson's Creek. Given how much I love (or love to hate) all those things, I should be insanely excited for prom. It's a huge cultural phenomenon! Yet, I don't find myself caring. At all. It's inexplicable. But, any way about it, no matter how much I buy into the prom concept, I still have to go. And so, I went to the mall with my friend yesterday and bought a very pretty white and silver dress. I like it. But I still don't want to wear it to prom. Ugh.

-While I quilt, I've taken to watching the second season of the OC.

I don't like it exactly, but it's enjoyable enough. It's interesting to watch, in comparison to Gossip Girl (both created by the same man--Josh Schwartz). There's a definite overlap. The OC storylines are less ridiculous--less Georgina's baby with a Russian mobster, more stupid misunderstandings. But the base set up is the same. A lot of episodes end with giant parties. And the characters all date each other incestuously. Yet, I think I enjoy GG more. Because, once upon a time (read: First season, when the show was actually good), I invested in those characters. I fell in love with Chuck and Blair, and I even liked Dan and Serena. That's why, all these years later, I still get excited about Chair babies, and why I still watch GG live every week. But with the OC, it's like I'm jumping into the fourth season of GG with fresh eyes, never having known the characters. I'm a lot less invested in them, and so I enjoy the show a lot less. It's an interesting comparison for me.

-The whole writing thing is going well. Very well, if I may say so myself. I have a requirement for myself: 500-1000 words a day. So far it's working. I go to bed at ten, pull out my laptop, and usually finish between 11:30 or 12:00, and I fall asleep before 12:10. Perfect routine! It's only been a few days though, so we'll see how it goes.

So yeah, that's me. Nice to check in every once in a while. I'll try to think of some topics so I can write a real post next time. See you soon!

TV Finale Trends (Spoilers Ahead!)

I love tv finales. They always shake up the show, bring some new, exciting twist to contemplate for the summer. A good finale can change a whole season. It's so much fun!

This week was the week of finales. Tons of cliffhangers--is Pete going to survive on Private Practice? What's going to happen with Mer/Der on Grey's Anatomy? What about Penny and Raj and Leonard on Big Bang? All so exciting! But the one of the most popular cliffhanger this season has seemed to be pregnancy. Cristina and Owen on Grey's. And, of course, my two favourites: Chuck and Blair on Gossip Girl and Booth and Brennan on Bones.

The pregnancies have totally different implications on each show. In this post, I wanted to explore those implications a little bit while (1) evaluating the finale as a whole and (2) assessing the predictability of the pregnancy. Sound like fun? Can I hear a hell yes?

Let's go chronologically, starting with Gossip Girl (Bones fans, skip down a while!)

Let me start by saying that I find it absolutely hilarious how they tried to make it seem like it could be Serena or Blair who's pregnant. Yeah right. It's Blair, no doubt about it. It was Blair's garbage can. It was exactly three weeks since Chuck and Blair slept together. Not to mention the fact that Serena hasn't dated anyone since Ben, who has been written out of the show and is not coming back. People have suggested to me that Serena could have slept with someone off camera, which would be totally lame. GG is lame A LOT of the time, but I don't they'd be that lame here.

So, it is a Chair baby! YAY!!!!! Do you know how long I've wanted this? Seriously, at least three seasons. I've always thought a baby would be the perfect thing to link Chuck and Blair. When they had a pregnancy scare in season one, it was good they didn't have the baby. Their relationship wasn't ready. Chuck sure wasn't ready. Since then, they have grown up a lot. They are still somewhat immature, and they still make a helluva lot of mistakes, but they're in a better place overall.

I pray for a pregnancy at every finale, and it never happens. So, you know, I'm happy. And I don't really count it as predictable. Going into the episode, I didn't think there was any chance of it happening. But, when you think about it, what more do they have? They've exhausted most of their options with Chair.

On the whole, the baby makes me excited for next season. The rest of the cliffhanger stuff (Charlie is Ivy, Vanessa and Dan and the book, Serena and her stupid new job) is okay. Standard Gossip Girl. Nothing I particularly want to watch. But a baby? SO EXCITED! There are just so many questions: How will everyone find out about the pregnancy? How will Chuck react? And what happens to Louis? And, if they keep the baby, will they get together? What will they be like as parents? I mean, can you imagine Chuck cooing over a baby? Hilarious! All I know is that that kid is screwed, having such awful parents. But hey, it'll be fun to watch!

I also question what this means for the show. If two characters are tied down with a kid, that really changes the nature of Gossip Girl. And what about the rumours that Leigthon Meester and Ed Westwick are leaving the show after next season? What does that mean for a baby? Does it mean a possible end date for the show?

See what I mean about finales? So many questions! So much fun!

Now, of course, we have to talk about Bones where a baby means very different things.

After last week we knew the finale was going to be big. After all the questioning and theorizing, we would get our answer to the huge did they/didn't they question. And, hopefully, we would get something on the future of their relationship. Not to mention a standard case and a Hodgins/Angela baby. So, we knew it was going to big. But we didn't know it was going to be this big. 

Also, the news about Emily Deschanel's (Temperance Brennan, for anyone not obsessed with celebrities like me) pregnancy broke a few weeks ago. So, we knew that the probability was a little bit higher with the lead actress be pregnant. But, most likely, it was going to be written out of the show. Hidden. Plus, there's the fact that the show is going off the schedule midseason, so we wouldn't see Deschanel at her most pregnant. Going in to the episode, I didn't think there was much chance that pregnancy was on the table. 

The episode itself was okay. The case was below average. The Raven guy was too obvious, too creepy. The fact that Max was a part of the bowling league was a little too convenient. It wasn't the best. But no matter. We got a perfect baby boy for Angela and Hodgins, which was great. And of course, we got all the stuff between Booth and Brennan. 

Wait, you say, right? All the stuff? There was barely any Booth/Brennan in the episode! On the surface, that is true. But there were a lot of hints about the pregnancy. A lot of hints about them getting together. I was convinced it was going to happen halfway through the episode. I didn't notice it until someone was talking about it online, but the look Booth gave Brennan after he kissed her on the cheek was amazing. And the "you'll be my girlfriend moment". We might not have gotten a ton, but got enough for B and B. 

And, of course, we got the last scene. It was so perfect! Her testing him, seeing what he thought about babies. She seemed scared, uncertain. And his great response. And the smile. I love David Boreanaz for that smile. 

So, I am unbelievably excited for next season. Again, there are so many questions: Are they really going to get together? And what does that mean exactly? Just dating? But won't Booth want to get married? 

Amidst all the excitement, I'm still a little disappointed that we didn't get to see them get together. But now they definitely have a future, I think I can deal. 

SO EXCITED!!!!! I love finales! And now I have so many little babies to look forward to as well! 

Morality on TV: What's the line?

I don't take tv shows as examples of how I should live my life. I'm not stupid. I find it insulting when networks like ABC Family decide that every single characters who has sex must get pregnant, to teach a lesson about contraception and how premarital sex is evil. I'm smarter than that. I believe teenagers girl are smarter than that. We don't need moral lessons handed down to use my some middle age network executives thank you.

If Emily can be so smart as to reach the Olympics, I believe she can be smart enough to use contraception. And now that Emily is pregnant, I have no problem with her getting an abortion. Not because I agree or disagree with the practice, but because I can understand that this is a character on a tv show. If I disagree with her, I don't have to be like her. When I watch tv, I can separate myself from the characters. I am a teenager girl, but I am not stupid, no matter what adults may believe.

I don't judge tv shows on moral standards. I judge them on entertainment quality. I didn't care when Lux slept with her teacher on Life Unexpected. I didn't care when Amber started doing drugs on Parenthood. I don't care when the kids drink on Glee or when the people have sex all the time on Gossip Girl. I appreciate those shows for what they are--entertaining television programs, not moral compasses.

But even I have a line. And this week, Gossip Girl crossed it. Specifically, Chuck Bass crossed it when he attempted to rape Blair. That's too far. I'm sure the show will forget it in an episode or two, but I won't. It a line you can't cross, a place of no return.

Due to my outrage over the whole thing, I've read a lot of interviews and articles discussing the incident at length. Many of those articles made me really mad.

For example, one suggested that any Chuck and Blair fans got what was coming to them. We had bought into a character that was fatally flawed, from the beginning, and now we were shocked when he repeated an action he attempted in the pilot. No one was outraged in pilot.

To me, the situation was entirely different. I didn't care about Chuck in pilot. If I recall correctly, I was largely concerned with Blair and Nate, and Dan and Serena, as hard as that is to believe. At that point, Chuck was the random character that didn't fit in with the rest, the oddball I kind of ignored, the way I now ignore Serena or Vanessa or Jenny. But over the course of the next four seasons Chuck stopped being that guy that tried to rape Jenny. He became Chuck. He made me buy into him, and he made me buy into Chuck and Blair as a couple. I felt like Chuck had changed. I didn't care that he drank a lot. I don't find alcoholism morally reprehensible, and even beyond that, I don't think it matters what I think is morally right and morally wrong on tv shows. Moreover, it didn't effect his relationship with Blair. I don't love Chuck as a character. I like Chuck as part of a specific relationship. When he's off screwing Raina, I don't care. When he has troubles with his mother or father or uncle, I don't care. I only care when he's with Blair. Period.

I cared when he traded Blair for a hotel. I didn't think it was morally wrong. Chuck and Blair manipulate each other all the time. I was disappointed in Chuck, but I wasn't repelled by him. My line wasn't crossed. If one is to use that as evidence of an abusive partner, than Blair abuses Chuck just as much he abuses her. Neither of them or good people. No one ever believed that for a second. But what people did believe is that they loved each other, that they were good enough for each other.

Than, we saw last week's episode, and many of us were disgusted, scared. I've almost abandoned the couple all together. Because I had bought into Chuck and Blair. I cared about them now. They're the only reason I watch the show! Chuck has told us that he loved Blair, again, and again, and again. And I believed him. But his actions don't match his words. Never before had I been scared for Blair's life. I think that's the line for me--is it harmless tv? Or are there actual stakes?

So, I was upset as a person, and I was upset as a Gossip Girl fan. It's not that I think the attack is out of character for Chuck--it's that I'd hoped we'd long since seen the back of that part of his character. I thought he had grown. I thought they had grown together. I feel tricked almost. Crushingly disappointed, to say the least.

I don't think they should have gone there. Normally, I don't judge characters or tv shows by moral standards. But when you've spent so many episodes--full seasons--trying to get me to buy into these characters and their future as a couple, I find it insulting that they went there. I almost feel like I have no choice but to stop watching. I would, if I had any self control.

But it isn't the fact that I think teenage girls are going to learn from this example, think that is the proper way a relationship should be. No teenage girl is basing their relationship off Chuck and Blair. Teenagers are young and impressionable and confused. But they are not, nor they will never be, stupid. That is not the problem. The issue is that the show turned what used to be a good relationship into a poisoned relationship--which is both bad television, and bad moral standards, so far past the line, that it seems to me that they're forgotten that the line exists. Normally, I don't care about morals and tv. Right now, I do. Not because I think this episode makes rape okay--nothing ever could. But because I think this episode makes rape okay in Chuck and Blair's relationship--which I hoped it never would.

The creator of the show came out and defended Chuck. I don't think that's right. Here's a link to the article. And here's a link an interesting video, with a very different take.

What do you guys think of the whole mess? Should we have seen this coming? Was it appropriate for the show to cross that line? And, most importantly, will you keep watching?

My Top Questionable TV Moments

So many exams this week! But so much tv I could not miss! Don't worry, I got both done. Math and english exams both went relatively well. And the tv sure was exciting. Anyway, if I'm ever going to write this post and get back to studying (which is what I should be doing in the first place), I should get listing...

1) The Most Adorable Baby Zola, Grey's Anatomy 


A good episode. A very good episode. Mostly because it featured the cutest baby I have ever seen, and the most adorable incarnation of McDreamy I have ever known. I'm not a huge Mer/Der fan, but that baby is just the best thing ever. I'm all for McBaby, as the internet is already calling it.

The rest of the episode was solid. Arizona and Callie were both beautiful (Is it wrong to think Arizona's dress was better?). The parent drama was annoying. I did kind of like the scene with Callie's mother. It's a tough situation, when your beliefs are challenged by the people you love. Of course, I'm on Callie's side, but I did have some sympathy for her mother. And I loved the scene when Bailey came to convince Callie. I always love Bailey. She's the best!

I am getting into this whole chief resident race. Who's it going to be? Alex, the annoyingly obvious choice? Avery, the dark horse, with his rats? April, who might not have a flashy project, but sure has a lot of heart? And what's happening with Christina? What about Meredith? I really don't want Mer to get in trouble. And I don't think I could stand another Mer/Der fight (especially if it means losing Miss Adorableness, Queen Zola, as I've come to think of her). So many questions, with so few (one?) episodes to answer them!!

2) Chuck Attacks Blair, Gossip Girl

This wasn't a good moment, but it is a moment I just have to discuss. Oh my god! I can't believe they went there! And I don't know where we go from here! I mean, I love Chuck, and I love Blair, and everyone knows I love Chuck and Blair more than anything else on this earth, but I don't know if I can keep rooting for them. He basically tried to rape her! That's just unacceptable. I felt so scared for Blair. I don't know how she'll ever forgive him. I don't know how I'll ever forgive him. This feels like it could be a point of no return, if not for the show, for this Chair fan. I don't know if they'll ever be able resurrect him. I just don't know. All I can say is that all the Chair fans are pretty scared right about now. And that's before we begin to consider the Blair/Louis engagement! Ahhhh!

3) Emily's Pregnant!, Make It or Break It

This is another one where I'm not quite sure how to react. Emily has always been my favourite character on Make It or Break It. Payson's solid, Kaylie's fine, Lauren sucks. Emily's always been the underdog. My clear favourite. And now, what? Is she, dare I say, leaving the show? I don't know! She's not in any of next week's previews, but Damon is. And they can't keep Damon around and not Emily, since she's having his child. I mean, she has to come back, right? RIGHT? How else will I keep watching? Most weeks I watch for what I hope will happen, rather than what actually happens. I hope Emily and Damon will get together and love each other and be a good, stable couple. I hope Summer will realize the error of her ways and get back together with Sasha. I hope all the girls will do well and win the golds they so rightly deserve. But I'm not getting any of that. In fact, every week steers us farther and farther away from that. Damon kissed Kaylie! Summer's engaged to Steve! And Emily's gone!

It would feel like all my couple's have abandoned me, if it wasn't for the next show on my list..

4) Bones is Made of Awesome, Bones 

I was talking to a friend who said she'd stopped watching Bones because the episodes weren't very good anymore. I have to disagree. I think Bones is at a creative high point. They keep turning in amazing episodes, this week's being no exception.

I loved how they explored Brennan's coldness, through Sweets and the squints. We are so used to seeing Brennan through Booth's perspective and we all love her so much, that we forget she can still seem as awful as she did when we first met her. But we know, and Booth knows, how amazing Brennan really is. I loved seeing Brennan open up, I loved Booth defending Brennan, and I loved the whole personal part of the episode.

The case was strong as well. I really liked how it evolved. I came to love the Samantha girl. Not the best case ever (for me, that will always be the one where Brennan and Hodgins got trapped by the gravedigger), but better than average. All in all, a strong episode, with very good character development. Every new episode gets me more and more for the finale, "The Change in the Game"--All my sources tell me this is going to be a big one!


5) Marti Kisses Her (Ex) Law Professor, Hellcats


This is the first time Hellcats has ever made this list! Wahoo! Isn't it exciting?

I was sure excited by this week's episode. Well, not by most of it. I wanted to gag when AJ Michalka, aka Alyson Michalka real life sister, showed up playing her sister. I used to watch Family Channel a lot, and so I am well acquainted with the duo that made up Aly and AJ and produces songs such as Do You Believe in Magic and Into the Rush. I actually have some of their songs on my ipod. So, I know how forced this whole arc is.

Didn't care for the Savannah storyline much either. I did like the moment when Marti comes in, upset about her sister, and Dan and Savannah looked at each other--"who should deal with it?". But other than that, the episode was something of a dud, save for the last moment, when Marti went to her professor's house and kissed him. Now, normally I don't like student-teacher relationships (Dan and Ms. whatever her name was on Gossip Girl, Lux and her teacher on Life Unexpected, Serena and her professor on Gossip Girl, etc). But I like these two. I don't know why. I'm sure I'll come to hate them soon. After all, this is the network that brings us Gossip Girl every week. Chuck demonstrated to us this week how the CW deals with relationships.

This weeks has been a week of questions. Which is good, because we're heading right down finale alley, where there's sure to be a few answers, and many more questions. I can't wait for the cliffhangers! I also can't wait for exams to be over! Four this week--one english, three history. It may just kill me. But if it doesn't I look forward to seeing if Mer/Der gets their adorable baby, discovering how they resolve Chuck's almost rape, figuring out what exactly is happening with Emily, finally getting Booth and Brennan's happy ending, and watch some more law professor scandal. It should be interesting!

Dreams, Romance, and Study Notes

In the fourth grade, Eric Walters visited my school as part of the Silver Birch Reading Guild, presenting his nominated title, Camp X. I hadn't read the book, and I still haven't to this day, but it was that book, that visit, that day, that changed my entire life. It was that moment that I decided I had to be Eric Walters. I wanted to be a teacher and a writer, just like him. I thought it would be a perfect life. 

Of course, as I grew up, I abandoned this idea. It was silly. I'm not a writer. And I couldn't be a teacher. And I hadn't even read his book! I can't base my entire life on a writer I've never even read! But now, more than eight years later, here I am, about to graduate from high school, about to go to college, majoring in english and education, setting myself up to become a writer and a teacher just like Eric Walters. Apparently, I still think this would be the perfect life. 

Having realized I wanted to do these things, I decided it might be a good idea to actually try my hand at writing. The first step was the blog, which I started over a year ago, and thoroughly enjoyed up to this day. Now, I think it's time to actually try and write a story. I'll be finished exams in a little over two weeks, and, after that, I'll have more than three months off, to do whatever I want. It seems like the perfect opportunity to give writing a go. Now I just need a story. 

So many people say that you have to write something that you would want to read. Well, for me, I love reading great romances with really great characters. So, that's what I'm going to write. And I'm sure the story is going to suck. But I'll learn from, and I'll enjoy writing it. There won't be any pressure. It'll just be for fun. I'm very excited. 

As I'm planning and plotting and developing characters and relationships in my head (and in my word document), I've come to realize that a little research is necessary. If I want to write a good story, and if I want to learn about writing, I really need to examine what goes into a good romance, a good character. I've decided to do this in a somewhat scientific system, making a list of all my favourite couples of all time, and examining why I love them so much and what I can learn from them. To prevent this post from getting too ridiculously long, I've decided to just start with the tv couples. I'll cover the book and movie couples another day, I promise. Anyway, here's the list, and the study notes:

Cappie and Casey, Greek

Why I love their relationship:

-I love Cappie, as a character. He is so adorable, so funny and goofy, and so real. I wish I knew him. He's easily my favourite character on the show. I know his endless devotion to Casey probably isn't realistic, but I love him for it anyway. He dates Rebecca, and she dates Evan and Max, but he never moves on from her, never forgets her. He is a cool and confident guy, and a really great friend and leader, but he is also so vulnerable. He has weaknesses. He is not an idealized guy. He is incredibly immature, which can be really awesome, but also really awful. He is a great character--with so many strengths, as well as a few important weaknesses. I suppose this may be a benefit from being a tv show character and not a book character, but I think it has to be noted how well rounded Cappie is. In so many young adult books we see the world from the girl's perspective, and we only see the guy in relation to the girl. So much of Cappie is in relation to Casey, but so much is not. He has his friendship with Rusty, and Rebecca, and Evan, and, of course, the KT house. He loves Casey more than the whole world, but he still has his own world too.

-I like Casey a lot. I know some people hate her, but I don't. I admit she has limits, but I like her. I don't love her like love Cappie, but I can appreciate her, let's say. And, much like Cap, she has a whole world beyond the romance, with her great relationship with Ashleigh and her tumultuous relationship with Rusty, and her academic journey.

-I love how realistic their relationship is. Or, at least, how realistic is by tv standards, especially teen tv standards. Cappie and Casey are not fated to be together. It's not love at first sight. And it's not the easiest love. They each have their individual strengths and weaknesses, and their own interests and passions. They compliment each other, but they also contrast each other. Their relationship is not perfect and they specifically acknowledge that at many points. Cappie knows Casey is controlling, and Casey knows Cappie is immature and afraid of the future. But they both know that their love is big enough, important enough to overcome those weaknesses. They know that they are worth it. All together, it is a well developed, realistic relationship between two well developed, realistic characters, that I could not stop myself from falling for.

What I can learn from them:

-If you want people to love the romance, you have to make them love the characters. The most important thing in writing romance is not the steamy kisses or the sexual tension (though those things certainly help!), but a well constructed relationship between two well developed characters who compliment each other, and also contrast each other. It is all about character development--as always!

-You have to expand your characters. Their romance is important, but so is the rest of their lives! They need real friends, not just placeholders. They need parents and back stories and goals and dreams and strengths and weaknesses. They need to be real people!

-No relationship is perfect. Everyone has faults, and every relationship has faults. In order for people to fall in love with your love story you need to explore the limits of relationship, and you need to let the relationship grow and change, just as the character's do.

Booth and Brennan, Bones

Why I love their relationship: 

-I love Booth. I am crazily attracted to Booth (David Boreanaz). But beyond that, I love how manly he is. That's not normally something I would like. But I can appreciate it in him. I love how protective he is, how honourable and genuinely nice and strong he is. In a show full of scientists, I love how different he is. I love everyone in this show, which brings me to my next point...

-I love Brennan. She has limitations, of course. Brennan is terribly flawed, but in ways that you can't help but love her. And she's brilliant. And she always tries to do the right thing and tries not to hurt anyone, if she can. She's a good person, though she may not always realize what that means. And she is willing to change. She wants to change. Like she said in the amazing elevator episode, she used to be an impervious substance. Now she is a strong substance. There's a difference, and she knows that, and she continues to work on herself, and her relationship with Booth.

-I love how they click. She is the scientist, who only cares about facts and figures, and never accounts for feelings. His emotions drive him. He is the believer, the lover, such a very human character. Their friendship, and hopefully, their eventual romance, forces them to grow together. They push each other. He makes her grow, makes her expand outside herself and her little bubble. And he understands her. As many, many characters have noted over the years, Brennan can come off as abrasive and mean and just kind of awful. But Booth knows that that is not Brennan's intent. He knows that she's really a good person, which other people can't recognize sometimes because she has so many problems communicating.

-I love how mature they are. They are both smart people, and they both acknowledge their feelings for each other. But they also know that any romantic relationship they would have would be hard. They know they have to be ready for it.

-I love their little moments. By this point, it's pretty much become routine. The case ends. There's a scene with Cam and whoever or Daisy and Sweets, or Angela and Hodgins, or whatever. Then, the last scene is always saved for Booth and Brennan, usually in the bar, sometimes in the lab (earlier seasons), where they talk about the case, and about what they've learned that day. They laugh and grow closer, and just enjoy each other. I know it's becoming a little tired, like the parties that end every episode of Gossip Girl, but I always love these moments. I love being able to just enjoy them, being themselves, just appreciating each other. To me, that's true tv love.

What I can learn from them:

-Again, a good romance is about good characters. And unique and memorable characters. Not in an annoying, overly quirky way, but in a real way. Brennan is unique because of the way she communicates with people, the way she sees the world. Booth is unique in a less obvious way--he is hilarious and a man's man and just so him. If you want to write a good romance, you have write good characters that people like, and that people are going to remember.

-Once you get people to love your characters, you should really give them something for it. You may know your characters, every thing they think and feel and whatever. But the audience doesn't. Throw them a bone. Sometimes, give them a scene, a moment where the characters are just enjoying each other. Every moment doesn't have to be huge and dramatic. In fact, your book will be more realistic if they aren't. Let your characters breath.

-Ask yourself: Why does he love her? Why does she love him? Why do they hate each other sometimes?  If you can't answer those questions (which, surely, could be answered about Booth and Brennan), don't write the story.

Chuck and Blair, Gossip Girl

Why I love their relationship*:

*This one's a little more difficult than it would normally be, since we pretty reached a point of no return this week with Chuck's (SPOILER ALERT) attempted rape and window breaking. For the sake of the list, let's just forget the ending of the episode, and remember Chuck and Blair at their best, not at their worst, like they've been lately.

-I can't hate them. They can't hate each other. On any either show I would both of these people. I would hate Chuck for being such a slut and such a freaking idiot all the time. And I would HATE Blair, I mean HATE Blair for how awful she is to everyone, with all her scheming, and how valueless she is. But on this show, I love them most of all. This is probably in part because all the rest of the characters suck so much worse (ugly hair, no personality Nate, creepy, stalker Vanessa, self-obsessed and awful Serena). But it's also because they are just so ridiculous--which makes them so hilarious. I should hate them, but I don't. I love them. I love how unique they are, and I just laugh at their shenanigans (you know, when they ruin people's lives or whatever. No big deal). They are both so evil, and corrupted, except to each other.

-They need each other. They depend on each other. They sacrifice for each other. They love each other so much. And this produces such great moments. Just search Chuck and Blair on Youtube, and watch the scenes from each episode, especially season 3, and even season 4. They have so many little moments, testing their relationship, testing each other, leaning on each other. They are weak apart and strong together. And they love each other, and they will never stop. No matter how much Blair wants to marry the prince.

What I can learn from them:

-You characters and your romance has to fit in with the setting and atmosphere, and general world in which your story takes place. Characters like Chuck and Blair only work in the heightened reality that is the Upper East Side. They wouldn't work on a show like Bones or Greek--they would be so out of tune with rest of the show. You have to think about what type of story you want, what world you want to create, and you have to make sure your characters live within those limits.

-We all want to needed. Chuck needs Blair whenever drama with his dad comes up. Blair needs Chuck whenever she has drama with Serena or any other non-existent friends. This is part of what binds them together. When do your characters need each other?

Luke and Lorelai, Gilmore Girls

Why I love their relationship:

-I am always a sucker for the love-her-from-a-far storyline. I like almost any variation of it--best friend, best friend's brother, ex-boyfriend, what have you. And Luke and Lorelai are a pretty great example of this type of romance. He always loves her. He keeps the horoscope all those years! He gets jealous when she's dating Max! He waited for her, and once he decided he wanted her, he went and got her. And he so sure that he wants her, forever. I love them! I love them! I love them!

-I love Lorelai. She's an amazing character, played by an amazing actress, Lauren Graham. I love how great a mother she is to Rory. I love how independent she is. I love how funny and special she is. I just love her. She deserves a man like Luke, who's such a good guy.

What I can learn from them:

-Ultimately, it comes to a strong main character. Lorelai was so strong, so well developed, so adorable. Develop your main character! Make her vulnerable and real, and make people love her!!!

-Maybe, just maybe, write a love-from-a-far story. You're supposed to write something you would want to read. This is your favourite kind of romance! It's worth exploring.

--

Part one done, folks. Look for part two whenever I have another extended study break, which will be never, or May 23, whichever comes first.

So bad it's good, or so good it's bad?

Did you know that there are people who actually think Gossip Girl is a good show?

I don't mean good as in enjoyable, as in this-show-is-so-freaking-bad-its-hilarious. I mean legitimately good, on par with quality shows like West Wing or Cougar Town or Community. I find this very hard to believe. Don't you?

Personally, I go into each Gossip Girl episode knowing that is going to be terrible. I know that the plots are going to be wildly unrealistic and I know that the characters are going to be inconsistent and annoying and I know that the relationship twists will be stupid and inexplicable. I know that it is going to suck. To me, a good episode is not one that handles its characters well or is well written or anything like that. That is way to much to expect. In my books, a good episode is one that meets one of the following requirements:

1) It has a number of really good Chuck and Blair scenes

2) It shows Serena struggling some how and actually realizing the consequences of her selfish, slutty actions

3) It involves the Power of the Four, aka a grand Chuck/Blair/Nate/Serena take down

4) It is so freaking bad and ridiculous that I spend the whole hour mocking it, laughing like crazy

Sadly, last nights episode only partially met (1), completely invalidated (2), had Nate screwing Raina, so no chance at (3), yet wasn't ridiculous enough to reach (4). It was an average episode. Less predictable than I thought it'd be, if you can believe it. Well, certain parts. Lets story by story it.

1) Cousin Charlie Comes to Town, aka the one where Serena finds another little minion to corrupt

I feel bad for little sweet, naive Charlie. She started this show so pure, so nice and genuine and innocent. And you just know that when she leaves it, she's going to be as corrupted and disgusting and annoying as the rest of them. Right now she's Jenny, circa season one, 

And we all know how that turned out:

So really, Charlie has no chance. So why bother commenting on the fact that the actress didn't seem 18 at all? Or the fact that I kind of agreed with Charlie's mom about the whole money thing? Or even the fact that Charlie has some mysterious secret from her past? So what? This is Gossip Girl! Dan raised a Russian mobster's baby! Blair was sold for a hotel! Serena slept with her english teacher, who also happened to be the man her mom got wrongly convicted! Whatever Charlie's dark secret is, I know it can't be worse than the time that Serena "killed a man". Can you beat that Charlie, can you?

"Yes, I'm excited to try! Maybe I can even beat you Serena"

Alas, we already know where this going, so we might as well move on

2) Nate Screws Raina, aka the one where Nate screws Raina (is there more to this storyline? If there is, I'm not aware of it)

Raina's concerned about her mother. Giant snore. Apparently, her mother is dead. I did not know this. I have never paid attention to Raina, no matter if she was screwing Chuck or his best friend Nate. 

Anyway, Raina is angsty. That's all we really got, since this storyline was totally separate from all the other ones, and was only shown in 1 or 2 minute cut aways every 15 minutes or so. Poor Raina, I would say, if I cared. But I don't, so screw Raina. Oh wait, Nate already is!

3) The Royal Portrait, aka the one where they delay the Chair reunion in any way they can

If I was a Dair fan, I would be MAD right now. I mean, we wait six freaking weeks to see the result of that kiss, and this is what we get?!? NOT AT ALL WORTH IT! If I were a Dair fan, I'd have about the same expression Dan did last night. After all, that whole kiss thing was a pretty big freaking deal, 

But yeah, no. No, no, no. The show decided to do a complete 180, steering away from Dair...right into the arms of Chair. I'll admit, as the true Chair fan I am, there were some pretty good moments. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Chuck's speech to Blair about how worthless Dan was, when Dan was standing RIGHT THERE. My mother was watching with me, and she couldn't believe it when I burst out laughing. She thought Chuck was being cruel. But I was so long ago desensitized to such things, I loved it. I mean, it was horrible and classist and just plain mean. But also classic! 

I also loved how they kept showing Chuck sad in the photo. He he he he he. Gotta love it. Unless you're a Dair fan of course. Luckily I am not. 

But unluckily for both of Chairs and Dairs, this man showed up, threatening everything, 

Of course, we all know it's not going to stick. But it's so hard not to get paranoid about it anyways.

If you care at all about Gossip Girl, you know that Blair is getting engaged by the end of the season. Theoretically, there are three possibilities: Dan, Chuck, Prince. But it can't be Prince whatever his name is, because then he'd have to become a regular, and we already have too many of those. And it can't be Dan because Dan and Blair have barely dated and Dan has to end up with Serena anyways. 

That leaves Chuck. As it should be. He's the only one that makes sense, since he has actually expressed the desire to marry her, on numerous occasions. He would have proposed at the end of the last season if stupid Dan and Jenny hadn't interrupted. 

Either it's Chuck, or its no one. Or she gets engaged to the Prince for like five seconds, only to realize she was meant to be with Chuck. CHUCK! CHUCK! CHUCK!

4) Vanessa's Internship, aka the one where Vanessa has super sonic hearing as well as super creepy spy skills

I know that I should write something about Lily and her sister and whatever, but I don't care about them, as much as Gossip Girl wants me to, so instead, I just had to have a good laugh at Vanessa. 

Remember when she overheard Ben threatening Damien from a cab 25 feet away? Well, her superhero talents are back this week, as she hides behind corners, finding out everything about Blair and Dan and Chuck and blabbing it all to Serena for no good reason other than to further story. LOVED IT! Definitely a classic it's-so-freaking-bad-it's-good moment. One for the ages. 

What did everyone else think? And does anyone else take this show seriously?

Rules of Attraction

What makes the perfect male lead? This is a controversial topic, particularly in the young adult blogosphere. Some guys are not desirable enough. Some are too desirable, too perfect, too idealized. What, exactly, are the rules of attraction?

Everyone will have a different answer to this question, because everyone is attracted to different things. I can only attempt to explain my rules of attraction, by analyzing my favourite couples, and discovering what it is I like most in male characters. 

The first thing that comes to mind is vulnerability. I love, love, love vulnerable guys. For example, I don't watch The Vampire Diaries, but I always check in on it just to see Jeremy and Bonnie's relationship. I love Jeremy because he is so nervous, so unsure, so vulnerable. When he finally kisses Bonnie, he waits to see her reaction. When she smiles at him, he looks so shocked and relieved. I eat that right up. Just like the next week, when he asked Bonnie if she liked the kiss. So cute. Melts me to the ground. 

I wrote a post a while back about how I didn't like "bad boy" characters, and I think this why. Bad boys are always so confident. They make the protagonist come to them, not the other way around. Jess made Rory practically beg him. He wasn't vulnerable, most of the time. I'm not attracted to confidence like that. So, for me, vulnerability is the first ingredient. 

I also like boys who are unique. I cannot stand generic guys. To me, there is almost nothing worse than a male lead that has blond hair and blue eyes. He's just too perfect. In that way, I agree with the people who complain about idealized guys. They're boring. Too easy. Too bland. 

In Hellcats, I barely pay attention to Dan. He's just so stock, so stereotypical. Like Evan on Greek. Or Carter on Make It or Break It. Or Nate from Gossip Girl. Or Finn from Glee. They are too generic, too easy to like. They're not memorable. I like a guy who is unique, who has faults. I would much rather have an interesting guy that a perfect one. 

Chuck, for instance, isn't perfect. My god, he can be an awful, awful person, selling Blair for a hotel. But, at least, he's different. He doesn't look like everyone else, and he doesn't act like them either. He's his own character. Or, of course, Cappie. He's immature and irresponsible, but he's also hilarious, and loyal, and passionate. He's always Cappie, always unique. He doesn't always do the right thing, but at least he's not afraid to break the mould. 

In terms of stereotypical guys, I have already rejected the bad boy and the perfect guy. I also detest the jock, no matter how nice they try to make him, and the male slut, no matter how many times he may pledge to love the main character. The biggest stereotype I buy into is the geeky/nerdy guy. I always fall for him. First, because they are usually very vulnerable characters. They aren't very popular, and they usually don't get the girl. And I love them for that. 

I also love them for their intelligence and their awkwardness, two things I can relate to. I love Michael for his brilliance, but also for how long he waits for Mia. I love the end of the second book, when he has such a hard time telling Mia he likes her dress. Just like I love Dexter in This Lullaby because he's always so clumsy, with so much nervous energy. I'm always pulling for the nerd, because I can understand him, relate to him. I think we all can, at some point or another. 

Another quality I always fall for is earnestness. I adore a guy who can love his girl full forced, not caring about showing too much emotion or revealing too much. Not crying, by any means (though a guy can cry anytime he wants, with no judgement from me), but real, genuine love. 

The best example I can think of is Damon from Make It or Break It, specifically, the end of the first season, when he sings the song for Emily and does the radio interview. He admits to the whole world that he loves her. And he's not ashamed, not embarrassed. He's truthful, earnest. No wonder I am salivating waiting for the new season of MIOBI to come on!

I'm usually not into huge romantic gestures. I like the last scene of Anna and the French Kiss, rather than the get together scene. It's less dramatic sure, but it's also so much more real. 

I guess that's all I'm really looking for. A vulnerable guy, with faults and self-doubts, just like everyone else. A unique guy, who'd actually be interesting to talk to, fun to be around. A smart, awkward guy, who I can relate to. An earnest, truly romantic man I can fall for. In short, someone who's real, for better or for worse.

I don't think I ever found a character that meets all those requirements. Seely Booth is close. Michael Moscovitz is close. 

But the real question is: Will I ever find a man like them in real life? 

Appreciate it while it lasts, DAIR fans

Hey everyone, trying a new format for tonight's review. Let's see how this goes!

0:30 Gossip Girl recaps--what is this about Bart Bass killing someone in a fire?

2:00 Ooooh, tricky. So it's a backwards episode! Oh la la! Never, ever seen that before, in the history of television. GG is always one to be original!

2:29 Blair stalking Chuck! This is starting off well!

3:33 Ah, Blair trying to act mature! That is not going to last long. Plus, crap advice she gave to Serena. I can already see that blowing up.

4:17 Is Daniel Humphrey coming over?!? The blasphemy!

7:16 Uh-oh! What does Dorota know?

9:41 Wow, someone is actually questioning the fact that Ben is dating the girl that put him in jail? I'm really taking a liking to Ben's mom all of sudden! (except for the fact that she gave birth to Juliet the stalker, murderer extraordinaire. Not to mention Ben himself)

14:26 AHHHH, what are you doing here Vanessa?

Get off this screen, get off this island, and get off this freaking show! I thought we were done with you. I thought, somehow, the GG gods had eliminated Vanessa and Jenny. Well, I suppose, Vanessa is the lesser of two evils...

18:30 "Like you, being traded for a hotel" "Or, like you, raising Georgina's baby by a Russian mobster"
ZING! ZING! ZING! I will never not love when the Georgina baby scandal is referenced (though Blair is right, it is too soon to talk about the hotel disaster. Us Chair fans are still recovering.)

20:04 Wow, Vanessa reveals what we've all known all along! You know, that thing about Ben that she overheard cause she just happened to be getting into a taxi at the exact right time. You remember, the threat that Ben yelled at Damien that Vanessa somehow heard even though she was a good 20 feet away! Yeah, that's totally legit Vanessa. Remind me why the GG writers wanted to bring you back...

21:08 Okay, as much as really do wish Ben did this, he obviously didn't. A girl can hope though...

25:39 Is it a major fault of the show that I totally agree with Ben's mom about the whole affidavit justification thing?

30:50 "You're smarter than you look Archibald" Best moment of my life! I know she didn't mean this, but I'm going to take it as "You're smarter than your DUMBASS BUTT UGLY DYED HAIR makes you look". You never know, maybe that was what she was thinking...

32:44 YES! YES! YES! Please, dear Gossip Girl gods, let this break up stick! Ben, please see the light. Understand the fact that out of the millions of people that live in Manhattan (let alone the United States of America, or you know, the world), you don't have to date the one girl that put you in jail. THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE BEN! PEOPLE WHO ARE NORMAL! Not on this show, but somewhere (maybe try 90210. You seem like you'd be a good fit there.)

33:00 Uh-oh, a look back. Snap, they are going to get back together. Rats!

34:29 Loving the banter about english grammar! This too are a little teeny bit cute, I will admit.

36:44 Wow, a genuine sweet moment coming from Lily! Love it!

37:00 NOOO! Vanessa already came back! The awful character quota is already filled!

Leave Billy Baldwin! Leave Gossip Girl, and leave tv. Don't go on Parenthood or any other show. 'Cause you really should leave acting to your brother Alec, if you know what I mean.

40:00 Chuck needs Blair! She's the only one who will understand! My heart is melting!

41:12 I thought I wanted this, I really did. But when Dan touched her it just felt like he was violating her. I can support Chuck. I'm sorry Dair fans, I really tried.

41:45 A, what? What just happened here? This is not how Gossip Girl ends! Serena and Chuck were supposed to come in at the exact right moment, to see the big Dair kiss! Does this mean it'll just happen next week, or not at all?

Hope you liked the new format. It's easier for me, but I don't think I'll be sticking to it every week. It was fun to mix it up though :)

In terms of the overall episode, I thought it was okay. I kind of wish the last moment had happened, just so I could see Chuck's face. But the ending did surprise me, and I guess that's a good thing. Other than that, I want Ben to die, as always, along with Vanessa and Serena's father (and Jenny, just for good measure). I'm looking for to next week, I can guarantee that!

The Biggest Decision of My Life

I just made the biggest decision of my life. Or, at least, it feels that way. It's certainly a ginormous weight off my mind.

I have decided what university I'm going to (yay!). I am now at the end of a very long university process, at the end of four years of high school in an academic program that almost broke my back every single day. I am at the end, and I've made the decision. All the hard work has paid off. I am FREE!!!

I've piqued your interest now. Your all wondering! Where, oh where, did I pick? What, oh what, am I going to do? I bet you're on the edge of your seat at this very moment, bitting your nails to the beds. Well, I'll tell you, if you bare with me for a little bit, as I explain how I got where I'm going. After all, it's all about the journey, not the destination right?

Let the cliches begin!

I will start as I always do, with a pop culture reference, of the young adult romance variety. There's an absolutely hilarious part in the second Jessica Darling book (Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty) where she describes how she choose which universities to apply to. I'm going to attempt to do the same, except it will be a lot more random, and a lot less funny. You may just want to buy the book now and forget about this post.

If you're still with me, which you shouldn't be because Jessica Darling is hilarious and Megan McCafferty is a genius, I shall start. Before I can explain what university I chose, I have to tell you a little bit about me, as a student, so you understand what type of options were open to me.

I am a very good student. With an equation of roughly 70%-80% hard work and 30%-20% actual intelligence I pull off very good grades. Plus, I have no social life. That helps too. LOTS of free time. Which allows me to be in the academically challenging program that I am in, as well as lots of clubs and school organizations and what not. Now, I am not, you know, Rory Gilmore. I will not be going to Harvard. But, for all intents and purposes, I have my pick of schools. Yippee! So, with all my options open to me, I sat down, and began my picking process, step by step:

1) Eliminate all schools outside Canada

Yes, that eliminates like, 99.9% of the universities. Sure made my choice easier!

I had to stay within Canada, for a few reasons. First, because I love Canada, plain and simple. I am as patriotic as they come. I love Canada, I love being Canadian. I could never live somewhere, for a significant time, that wasn't on Canadian soil. I want to be Canadian, I want my kids to be Canadian. Also, I really didn't want to take any type of stupid aptitude test. In Canada, there's no SAT or ACT or anything like that. So, I would have had no friends to study with, no real time to prepare. It would have been a huge deal, and a ton of work, and I'm glad I got to avoid it. And, finally, and I can't stress this enough: Canada is cheaper! Do you know how much it costs to go to school as an international student? Wholly molly. I'd have to be Blair freakin' Waldorf to afford it. And, you know, I'm not, so Canada it is!

2) Eliminate all schools that didn't have the program I wanted

I kind of always had an idea of what I wanted to do with my life, but I wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even myself. My secret dream was always to be a teacher. It's hard for me to explain why. It just always felt right. I sure hope it's right! With that in mind, I started looking at university. During March Break last year I visited McGill with a few of my friends. There, I learned about the Concurrent English/Education program, which sounded absolutely perfect to me. I could still do all the english stuff I loved, as well as drama as a minor, while doing all the education stuff, right from the get go. I knew then that I wanted to pursue that program, maybe not a McGill, but at some university. Not that many universities had that program, so the list was getting pretty short.

3) Eliminate all the schools that are not in the top 20 in Maclean's rankings

I am not a snob. I just want to go to a good school. And with my grades, I can. So, I literally sat down with my Maclean's and looked at the Top 20 Undergraduate list, and found out, via their websites, if they had my program or not. Viola, only, like 12 schools left!

4) Add in any "speciality" schools, meaning any schools that interest me that aren't on the Maclean's list

There are certain schools that were in the undergraduate top 20 that I was curious about, for one reason or another. One was McGill, since I liked Montreal so much, and it was, in my opinion, the best university in the country. Another was the University of Toronto, since it is the second best university, and I live in Toronto, and it's pretty much required that I apply there. Others included the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria, since I have relatives that live out that way, so it would be like a home away from home. So, the list got a little longer.

5) Eliminate any schools that didn't meet my "special criteria"

By now, all the schools on my list were pretty good schools, all of which had the program I wanted. So, it was time to start considering the other stuff that mattered to me, which included:

• Size of school: I go to small school! And I am really shy! A lot of people overwhelm me. I wanted to go to a small school, where I'd feel comfortable.

• Distance of school: As much as I want to get away from my parents (love you!), I still wanted to be able to come home on weekends or whatever. Ideally, I was looking for a school 2-3 hours away from Toronto. Close to home, but not too close.

• Location of school: I grew up in the biggest city in Canada. And I didn't like it that much! I'm ready to get out of Toronto, to a total change of scene. Either a really exciting city, or a small town. Something different.

• Boy/Girl Ratio: I didn't admit this to my parents, but I'll admit it to you, total strangers. In a world where girls kick butt and often way outnumber guys in university, I wanted a fairly balanced ratio. Because, you know, I love romance. Dating would be a good way to get there.

• Age of School: I love old buildings, so I really wanted to go to an old school.

From there, I just started to browse the websites, and read more rankings. I had a good feeling from a few schools, and slowly I made my list. In the end I applied to six schools. And this weekend I picked one. And, as much as I want to tell you which one, I really can't (I know, I promised. You officially have permission to hate me). But I don't even know you, whoever you are reading this. And my friends don't even know yet! I can tell you that it meets all but one of my criteria. I can tell you that I love it, and I'm very excited for next year. I can also tell you that now that I know where I'm going next year, it's really hard for me to care about stupid high school stuff tomorrow.

Alas, that stupid high school stuff is demanding my attention...

Gossip Girl: Take It or Leave It

I'll take it. It was an improvement. And, at this point, us Gossip Girl are so desperate that any slight improvement is worth something. So while I would have gladly left last week's "Damien Darko" in the dark to die, I'll take this week's "Panic Roommate"with open arms.

One reason this episode rocked is because it marked it first Dair-less episode since the break, as well as the first Chair-ful episode. But, as I've learned with my two week old post that still gets a good 50 hits a day, I can't get any page views without mentioning Dair. Here it is folks: Dan and Blair. But if you landed on this page looking for more than that, I'm sorry. Dair was (thankfully) absent for this episode. So, on to the good stuff that was actually in the episode,

Serena is Stupid: The Ben-Serena-Dan-Damien-Eric Conundrum  

Is it me, or does Ben look a little bit like a Priest in this picture? Isn't that just a little wee bit creepy?

Let's get this out of the way early. It was not the storyline that made this episode good (as you can imagine, that had something to do with Chair :)). First, there was that really screwed up thing where Eric was hanging out with Damien (why, Eric, why?!?), in which we got to see just how bad an actor Kevin Zegers is. That scene where Damien is telling Eric that he is leaving town? Laughable. It seemed as though Damien was lying. But anyone who saw the last episode knows he's not lying; he just doesn't know how to portray emotions properly. 

Over in Brooklyn, meanwhile, the situation isn't much better. First, Ben moves in with Dan (wtf, Rufus, wtf). Then, of course, Ben starts getting close to Serena. She acts all needy and annoying, but he doesn't seem to mind, for god knows what reason. Then dear old Danny boys gets his nose at a joint because:

a) He is concerned for Serena

b) He doesn't like Ben

c) He is jealous of Ben (ding, ding, ding! We have an answer, ladies and gentlemen!)

And, Danny boy does what Danny boys does best: screwing everything up under the pretext of "doing the right thing". This is where the creepy Damien/Eric friendship and the stupid Dan/Ben/Serena stories collide, in one colossal waste of time. 

In yet another Gossip Girl episode that ended with a giant party, the conflict comes to a head. Damien uses Eric to try to screw over Ben (why, exactly? I really don't know at this point). But Serena would never believe Ben would ever do anything bad (except try to turn all her friends and family against her, and then try to kill her. But other than that...he's a real catch). 

In the end, all I learned from this was:

1) Serena is dumb (already knew that)

2) Ben is kind of slimy and not all that attractive (I had a feeling, given the whole "use my sister to destroy your life" plot from the first half of the season)

3) Eric has stolen Dan's nickname Lonely Boy, and we're supposed to feel bad for him (yeah...no, not so much)

4) This whole Juliet/Ben/Serena storyline is the dumbest thing ever to air on television ever

On to bigger and better things,

The A-Team Returns: The first legit Chuck and Blair storyline since last year!

You know I love a good Chuck and Blair scheme. And this one wasn't even really evil! This was good scheme! Aww, how much my babies have grown.

Now, I know, I should be outraged by this episode. Chuck is falling for another woman! The world is coming to an end, isn't it? On another show maybe, if love actually meant something or relationships actually lasted more than two episodes. But that is the beauty of Gossip Girl!

The Raina girl doesn't matter! She is just a stepping stone on the way to the inevitable Chair reunion, whenever that may be. Sure, Chuck seems into her now, but, on this show, that could change in less than 10 minutes. So, even though I am a diehard Chair fan, I can appreciate Raina. Because she allowed for one of the best Chuck and Blair schemes of the whole entire show. Yeeee!

It was just so sweet! I loved how Blair turned to Chuck to fix her W magazine disaster. And, even though it was totally cheesy, I absolutely loved the moment when they both turned and asked each other for help at the same time. Now that is true love!

Yes, I have used this picture before. But it's so perfect, I can't resist! Sorry!

But that wasn't all. There was also that awesome moment when Blair explained how to win Raina over and Chuck was so impressed by her advice. Blair can have her brilliant moments! (on that note, also loved the fake phone call. Genius!). 

Of course, the crowning moment wasn't even a scene with Blair. It was the last scene with Chuck and Raina, when Raina said Blair called her, and Chuck said "Blair has an uncanny knack for always knowing everything about me". Sweetest. Line. Ever. 

And, on top of all that Chair greatness, we saw Blair actually do something right, for once in her life! And she got a raise! I'm so proud! Like I said, my little immature, ridiculous baby is growing up! I'm starting to tear up!

Yeah, so basically, the Blair stuff rocked, the Serena stuffed sucked. AS ALWAYS. But this week the Blair stuff (this time of the Chair variety, instead of Dair) was good enough to outweigh whatever ridiculous storyline Serena had. Which is why this episode was good. So, yes, I'll take it. How about you? 

Remember When Gossip Girl Was Actually Good?

Do you all remember a time when Gossip Girl was simple? When it actually made sense? Remember back in the first season, when all we had to worry about was Dan and Serena and their budding romance,

And the biggest drama was the whole Blair's dating Nate, who slept with Serena, who's dating Dan? Don't you miss the good old times? Because tonight, boy oh boy, I missed the old times. I missed the time when Dan was actually a good guy, who wasn't as corrupted as everyone else. I miss when Serena was only a slightly annoying character, instead of the most self obsessed, stupid person on TV. I miss when I actually cared about Rufus and Lily, when he looked normal, and was not a complete douche like he is now

Pre-douche Rufus: It's been so long! I barely recognize you!

But the real douche this episode wasn't Rufus, but, of course, his charming wife Lily. Now, I've always said Jenny and Serena were the worst characters on this show. Lily is certainly giving them a run for their money (at least she doesn't look like a raccoon. Yet). Yes, this week we got a giant serving of Lily douchiness, which is where, I suppose, I will start my review

Lily Screws the World (Again) AKA the first time Serena gets rejected by a man (but not really)

Truthfully, I think Lily's worst crime against humanity was not the whole Ben thing, but the fact that she gave birth to such an annoying, insipid, selfish daughter. Yeah, yeah, yeah, what she did to Ben was bad. But what do you expect? This is what Lily does! She uses money to solve her problems. And she was trying to save stupid Serena in the first place! So maybe, actually, this segment should be renamed: The One Where Serena is a Complete Douche. Because, my lord, was Serena an idiot in this episode.

So, a guy teams up with his sister to attempt to ruin your life, and actually tries to kill you. Then, you find out all of this, and the guy gets out of jail because your mom paid off the judge because it was her fault he was convicted in the first place. What's the first thing you would do?

a) Get the hell away from all the drama and move to another city

b) Enjoy being by yourself and not adored by a man for the first time since you hit puberty (or before that, god forbid)

or, you know,

c) Try to sleep with the guy

Personally, I think any NORMAL or SANE person would hopefully pick a) or b). That's just me, though. Serena, though, picks c). Yes, the VERY NIGHT he is released from jail she goes out to find him. WTF? W-T-F?

I almost felt bad for Ben. Serena wouldn't leave him alone! She just assumed that he'd want to see her! Why? Why would he want to do that? Oh, I know, because EVERYONE LOVES SERENA. Well, everyone is stupid. And Ben is stupid too. Except for his shining moment of the night, with this great line: "I see that look in your eye, and I know what it means! And I don't feel that way about you!"

Booyah! Go Ben!

Finally, for the FIRST TIME since the start of the show, someone rejects Serena! Finally, there is one sane human! Of course, as we saw at the end of the episode, he was lying to her. But, no matter. She still got put in her place. She had her feelings hurt, for the first time ever. She needed that.

That's the only good part of this whole story arc. This entire, season long Juliet/Ben/Serena storyline has been awful, and I just want to see it go. But, alas, it looks like this isn't the last we've seen of Ben. Just no more Juliet. I need some salvation. Speaking of, the second storyline of the night...

Dan and Blair Put Off Sex: Part 1

As promised, a little Dan and Blair love. Or at least like. In an episode where every single storyline sucked this one somehow became the only one I could stand to watch. But that's all I can give you Dair fans. I'm still not jumping on that ship. Not quite yet. First, because of that adorable moment when Chuck checked in, and was so obviously proud of Blair. Their flame will not die!

Yes, I will post a Chair picture every chance I get. I need to balance out the Dair with some Chair!

And second, because I'm really hating how the show is handling the whole Dair mess. Tonight's story was so freaking forced! And I had such good feelings going in. First, because the girl who played Meryl Streep's daughter in It's Complicated was playing the boss. And second, because someone on Gossip Girl was actually doing something productive for the first time ever. I wanted Blair to succeed at the internship. I wanted her to be good and smart, and successful enough to get back with Chuck (see above). But then the contrivance started.

I understand what they were trying to do. But I just don't think they succeeded. I know it was supposed to be role reversal. Oh look! Blair is actually being a nice person! And Dan is being the douche! How shocking! Except, it didn't really work, since what Dan did made absolutely no sense! It's Complicated girl had just finished telling him how awesome he was, and how awful Blair was. He didn't need to do anything else! So it wasn't a role reversal. Because when Blair schemes, it makes sense, and it has heart. What Dan was doing was just stupid and heartless. And that is not the Dan I fell in love with in season one! I want him back!

Oh, Lonely Boy, where have you gone?

All this storyline showed us was what we already knew: Dan needs to become Dan again! And Blair needs to grow up! I've spent the whole post bellyaching about how everyone needs to revert back to season one Gossip Girl. Well Blair's that exception. Because she may look different

The only thing left is the headband!

But she's still that immature sixteen year old. And if she's ever going to achieve something (and get back together with Chuck!), she's going to have to act her age, at least. Come on Blair, you can do it. I believe in you! You're the last good character left in this whole show!

Speaking of my love of Blair, I did adore some of her lines tonight. I was laughing so freaking hard. Here are my favourites:

1) "I don't judge. Today."

2) "Look! Georgina's baby!"

CLASSIC! You may be immature and I may not like your budding romance with Mr. Humphrey, but I'll always love you Blair. Just get back together with Mr. Bass, and everything will be alright. Speaking of Mr. Bass...

Chuck Bass Sleeps with Some Random Chick I Didn't Even Bother to Remember the Name Of

Didn't bother to learn the character's name. Didn't bother to pay attention to this storyline. Sorry! But I'm sure it's something along the lines of Chuck screws some girl, because he's in love with Blair, but he can't be with her because it's too early in the season/series, like EVERY other storyline Ed Westwick has ever been given.

Moving on...

Eric Dates Damien, or Whatever

Didn't pay much attention to this storyline either. Didn't even bother to find a proper picture. It has Damien in it. Good enough for me.

From what I could tell poor little Eric is lonely. Because it's hard to be a rich gay boy that all the other guys are clamoring over! Boohoo! I feel so bad for him! Whatever Eric. Shut up. Stop doing drugs. Stop hanging out with Damien. Because we all know how well that worked out for Jenny (she was written off the show! Take that!).

Oh, and then Damien interfered with the whole Ben/Serena thing, resulting in one of the most non-sensical scenes of series that included the the Serena killing a man/Georgina being involved with a Russian mobster arcs! I don't understand that last scene at all. And the worst part is, I don't even care. That's the problem with tonight's Gossip Girl. And basically the whole season. Last season was just as crappy, but at least I had something to hold on to, something to invest in. Chuck and Blair were enough for me. But this season I have nothing. The only story I mildly enjoyed this week was Dan and Blair, and that's just not worth it for me. If I could find a way to quit this show I would! But then they'd just feature Chuck and Blair in a promo, and would be blown to hell. We all know I'm in this 'til the end. Unfortunately.

XOXO