Oscars 2011!

I have always loved the Academy Awards. I don't know why. None of the films I like ever get nominated. But this year, somehow, my favourite film of the year was actually getting some buzz. It looked like it could make a sweep--Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, plus the technicals. I was so excited to actually have a film to invest in, for the first time ever. It was shaping up to be a great awards season.

And, the film kept getting awards. Every one in the book. In January, it was the assumed winner. Then, it all went to hell. It won the technicals and screenplay, but nothing else. If you haven't guessed by now that film was The Social Network.

When The King's Speech started to overshadow The Social Network, I decided I wouldn't buy in this year. I wouldn't read the millions of articles first predicting the nominees, then predicting the winners. When Andrew Garfield wasn't nominated I almost decided not to watch.

Best. Human. Ever. How dare you not even nominate him!

But, alas, I did fall prey to a few traps. I read a few of the articles. And I watched the telecast. But my heart wasn't in it. I didn't have that usual obsession. I accepted in January that The King's Speech would win Best Picture. And, big shocker, it did.

That's my true issue with the Oscars. Not that Social Network didn't win or Andrew Garfield wasn't nominated. No, the thing that truly gets to me is the predictably. By the time the winners are announced, there are no surprises left. No big upsets. Just look at tonight: Colin Firth won (expected), Natalie Portman won (expected), The King's Speech won (expected). The only tiny upset was Best Director, but it wasn't even an upset in my favour, I wish I could stop reading the articles, so I could be surprised. But it's so hard to resist. With all of this in mind, I give you a few quick thoughts on what should have been my favourite Oscars, but turned out to be one I barely paid attention to:

-Why in the world was James Franco there? What did he do? Anne carried the whole show!

-Speaking of Anne, I think she did okay. I found her enthusiasm adorable. She's very genuine. Of course, I'll always be loyal to her because of Princess Diaries, so I'm glad to see her doing anything.

-Aaron Sorkin won! Yay, West Wing victory! Sadly no references to the show or anyone who worked on it or anything...

-This seemed to be the year to celebrate the history of the Oscars, which I personally enjoyed. I liked what they did with the stage. It seemed a little odd juxtaposing so much history with what was repeatedly called the "young Oscars", but this youth appreciated it, for one.

-I liked Helen Mirren's french. I don't know why.

-"He doesn't own a shirt"--classic!

-I liked the opening Best Picture montage, that built momentum, but I hated the last one where stupid Colin Firth talked over the whole thing. Ugh.

-Apparently Melissa Leo's crazy. Pretty much.

-Chuck can sing! Who knew?

-I do not like Nicole Kidman's accent. It's too sharp. But Jackie Weaver's accent was nice--so much softer.

-Canadian film lost! Hey, at least the word Canada was mentioned at this thing!

Personally, for me, I judged most of this year's winners on their previous work. I clapped like crazy for Natalie Portman, not because I cared at all about Black Swan, but because I loved her inWhere the Heart Is, all those years ago. Conversely, I booed Colin Firth because of the god awful Bridget Jone's films. And, of course, I cheered for Aaron Sorkin. He wrote West Wing! He is a genius! The Social Network wasn't bad either, mind you.

Last year, I wrote a million posts on the Oscars. This year, I think I'm done. I didn't buy into it and tonight's telecast didn't make me regret that decision.

Things I Feel Secure About

I always intended to write a counter post to "Things I Feel Insecure About" post. But....I kept putting it off. I wrote about Greek and Gossip Girl and other garbage like that, to avoid writing this post. Because it easy for me to talk about the things I hate about myself. That is a never ending list. That post was just the tip of the iceberg. Trying to talk about things I actually like about myself is much, much harder. In part, because I am insecure teenager who barely knows what she's doing in life. And in part, because of how counter it is to our culture. At fear of sounding arrogant, we simply don't say good things about ourselves. It's better to be insecure than a show-off, right? WRONG. So, today I will show off, or at least, share a short list of things I do feel secure about, things I actually like about myself. I encourage you to do the same. Because even though you're probably an insecure teenager just like me, and you probably grew up being told to be humble, it's good to appreciate ourselves every once in a while :)

Things I Feel Secure About

1) My Writing

Believe it or not, I didn't start this blog to talk about tv shows. I started this blog to practice my writing. I love writing, and I am very good at it academically. I wanted to expand a little bit. And, as always, practice makes perfect. I don't like all my blog posts, but there are some I enjoy. It doesn't matter to me if you agree. I like them, and I like my writing, on the whole.

2) My Academics

I may feel insecure about my intelligence, but I don't doubt that I'm good at academics. I am great at them. I am a great student. I get every assignment done, very well, on time. All my teachers like me, and my classmates like me. I get very good grades. If there is anything I am good at, it's academics. Everyone has one thing. Mine is schoolwork.

3) My Face

I hate my skin, and my eyebrows, and my nose, and my hair colour. But sometimes, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I like what I see. Oddly, it's usually right before I go to bed at night, after I brush my teeth. I don't know why, but sometimes I just look in the mirror in my pajamas, and I think "wow, I'm actually pretty". I can appreciate my face sometimes. I think it's nice to look at, at the right angle.

4) Certain parts of my personality

I can be funny. I can be a really good friend. I am helpful and nice and fun. I'm not arrogant or mean or spiteful. I like that about myself.

And now, I'm stuck. But I got a few. Check back in with me a few years from now. Hopefully I'll have a few more.

How about you?

Greek: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Homework I am avoiding by writing this blog post: giant french presentation, math review

Amount that I care: 50%

What I actually want to say:

I have watched A LOT of tv. An unhealthy, abnormal, coach potato amount. But, strangely, I haven't watched a lot of series finales. Off the top of my head, I can only think of a handful: Friends (so sad!), Lost (meh. Jack and Kate got their moment. I was happy enough.), Gilmore Girls (Luke and Lorelai rocked, but the rest of it was garbage), Dawson's Creek (Pacey and Joey! So good it almost made up for the whole Jen dying thing), Sex and the City (Pretty good. Except I'll always be team Aidan!), Everwood (Both my couples ended up together. And they got great closing scenes!), and West Wing (Josh and Donna! CJ and Danny! Oh, and some Santos stuff I really didn't care about..). That may seem like a lot to you, but considering that I've watched dozens and dozens of shows, it's not a lot. And very few shows that I've loved have gotten canceled prematurely. I mean, I vaguely cared when 10 Things I Hated About You or Life Unexpected ended. I would rather they were still on the air, but it wasn't true heartbreak.

Now, I must prepare for my heart to bleed. Last night the third last Greek episode EVER aired. Only two more left! How will I go on? Only two more hours of Casey and Cappie! And Rusty! And Ashleigh (or, preferably, Rusty and Ashleigh)! And Rebecca! And Calvin! And Beaver, and Katherine, and Evan, and Dale! I love them. I'm going to miss them so freaking much!

That's the thing about Greek. All of the characters are so lovable, so adorable and funny and unique that it's just awful to see them go. Even in weaker episodes like lasts nights I am content to just sit and watch my favourite cast of characters talk and laugh with each other. Here's my break down of last night: the good, the bad, and the ugly (naked Dale!).

The Good: Evan tries to screw over Casey yet again

Do you remember a time before Evan was a complete douche? Because I don't. I remember that vaguely, a very long time ago, I had some type of affection for him. But I really can't figure out why. I suppose I enjoyed that brief period when he was friends was Cappie last season. But that's really a credit to Cappie, who is awesome No. Matter. What. It's a weird relationship I have with Evan. He keeps doing things to make me hate, yet I still love him, because I know him so well. It's the devil you know, and all that.

I mean, it could be worse. Demon baby attacks!

Overall, I enjoyed the Casey/Evan court story. I liked to see Casey being a strong woman. I found the whole Katherine freaking out freaking convenient (and out of character), but whatever, because, in the end, Casey won, and we got the great Casey/Evan moment where Casey started doubting her relationship with Cappie to trick Evan. Classic! I mean, for a minute there, I was freaking out, as any Casey/Cappie fan would, but it was worth it. I loved to see Evan Almighty taken down a peg. Go, Casey, go!

The Bad: Ashleigh whores herself out, wasting time so she can end up with Rusty in the finale

Oh, Ash. What were you thinking? You're usually such a smart girl! Like Rusty said a few episodes--"you are human magnet". You could have anyone you want. Why do you pick this idiot?

Now, if this were Gossip Girl this story line would be fine. At least he isn't married or a drug dealer or an ex-teacher who convicted of sexual harassing her, like some of the fine studs that have been featured on that show. Professor Segal would be an improvement on GG.

But on Greek, where the quality is so much greater and the standards are so much higher, I was a little bit disappointed by this storyline. From the moment he asked her out you knew it would end badly. The entire relationship was set up as an obstacle to Rusty and Ashleigh getting together, and we all knew that. It was so predictable.

I never saw anything alluring in him. Especially not in comparison to my Rusty! And while I'm willing to forgive Evan, Segal has not earned any such loyalty. Douche through and through. Done.

The Ugly: Dale gets (almost) naked and rocks out

Dale has never been my favourite character on Greek. In the first season he was beyond annoying. In the second and third, he grew on me a little in little ways. By this year I have come to like him. So, I did feel bad for him. A little part of me thought he got what was coming to him, joining the stupid Omega Chi's, when the Kappa Tau's are clearly the best. But, mostly, I just wanted to hug him and stop him from humiliating himself.

Oh my, poor, poor Dale.

Tripp needs to die, basically. And Calvin needs to be a helluva lot more aware of what goes on in his own house. And someone needs to protect Dale! (anyone rooting for Laura at this point, besides me?). I didn't may much attention to the first half of this storyline, because I'm not that interested in figuring out who is messing with KT or whatever. But, I will admit, I did enjoy the pledge skits. Dale and Rusty and Calvin were so adorable! Cheesy, but cute. As always, I love the characters, and don't care so much about the situation. The rest of the storyline might have been annoying and what those boys did may have been very ugly, but, in the end, I got Rusty and Dale and Calvin dancing on stage in their underwear. Worth it!

The Other Random Stuff:

• Who else thinks Cappie + Ashleigh = gold (or, for that matter Cappie + ANYONE = gold)??

• Loved the moment when Ash got all grossed out at Cappie and Casey. Too cute!

• I have a secret love for the random law couple that are getting a divorce. So ridiculous, but somehow hilarious!

• Evan's line about Casey winning because Ashleigh was dating Simon? Loved that ZING!

• Our Rebecca is back! Love her!

• I was totally let down that the last scene wasn't Ashleigh coming back to the apartment and kissing Rusty. But, alas, I suppose they must save something for the finale.

So that's last night episode. Only two more left! They better be good!

I have to do that homework that I was avoiding at the beginning of this post. And I have to start mentally preparing myself for the end. I better get busy!

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...

Happy Blogiversary to Me

It is a popular thing, in the blogosphere, to celebrate one's blogging anniversary or "blogiversary" as some call it. Well, mine is coming up next week, so I guess you could say (or better yet sing) "happy blogiversary" to me.

If I had to wish for something on this, my first blogiversary, I would wish for followers. Not hundreds or thousands--just ten, or even just one would be enough for me. I hope my wish will still come true, even though I told all of you.

Since I started, I haven't just gotten another year older, I've also gotten another year wiser. In my real, live life where I interact with real people and discuss things other than tv shows and romance, I have learned a ton. I have learned how to get an A+++ on every theatre assignment ever. I have learned everything ever about ecology and physiology. I have learned how to start saying goodbye to all my friends and family and all the high school that feels so familiar and safe. This year was my last year of high school! This year was a year of last, and next year will be a year of firsts. I'm both terrified and exhilarated by that fact.

In my online life as the writer and editor of a blog, I have also come far. I have learned many, many things:

-Posts about tv shows get more hits than posts about books, because people like to search out their favourite shows after they air each week. TV has a bigger audience, and therefore more google searches, and therefore more page views for me!

-The words and writing are what work for me, but it's really the images that bring in the big bucks. About a month ago I posted some stupid, random picture of Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley while I was discussing how much I hated Dan and Blair. That post still gets 80+ posts a day because of that picture.

-It is impossible to update everyday. Life gets in the way! Homework! Friends! Family! More homework! So it's smarter to just take it day by day. I've figure out I'm comfortable with about one post per week. Maybe not the best in terms of readership or anything, but it's all that I can handle, for right now, if I want blogging to be a treat rather than an obligation.

I have made many mistakes on this blog, and looking back over some of my posts just makes me cringe. But I live and I learn, and I get better with every post, every paragraph, every word. At least, that's what I hope.

I also hope that, if you're reading this, you'll stick around and give this blog a try. Bookmark it if you have a Mac, favourite it if you have a PC, or just plain follow it if you have any type of computer. You would make all my wishes come true. Thank you :)

Canada and Pop Culture

When I first started this blog I was very proud of my Canadian roots. My first few posts were right in the middle of the Vancouver Olympics, so the collective Canadian patriotism was at an all time high. It was a good time to be Canadian.

Since then, my blog has descended into reviews about tv shows, rants about romance, and ramblings about random things. But tonight I bring you back to Canada (with references to tv shows, romance, and random things).

This last week Canada has been popping up everywhere in pop culture. It's been quite amusing for us up here in the Great White North. But I've always wondered what Americans think of Canadian humour? Us Canucks find it funny because we like to laugh at ourselves--but why do Americans care? Is all this Canadian humour just waste of time to them? What exactly is the American appeal to making fun of Canadians?

The examples are neverending. There's the whole Robin is Canadian thing on How I Met Your Mother, which, for me, is a joke that keeps on giving. I loved the whole Canadian pop star thing, and the episode where Marshall and Robin go to the Canadian bar ("Everyone knows Canadians are afraid of the dark"). And I adored the episode when Barney and Robin came to Toronto. I love Barney's comment about Canadian money! And how the lady at Tim Horton's said that Robin wasn't Canadian because she didn't watch the hockey game and she didn't say thank you for her coffee. Personally, I loved all that stuff. The thank you thing is totally true--I always say thank you to the servers at Tim Horton's (or Timmies as many Canadians call it) or Starbucks or whatever. And I agree with Barney--our money is dumb. It has pictures of people playing hockey with random french poetry. It's so much fun for me to hear all these Canadian jokes because I can connect with them, relate them to my own life. But what do Americans care about our money or our obsession with hockey or whatever?

HIMYM is one example of a show that has a major Canadian element. This week there was lots of little Canadian moments. In no particular order:

1) The BNL Bashing on Community

I love the Barenaked Ladies. They're from Toronto! If I had a Million Dollars is like our city's theme song! I grew up listening to Steven Page and Ed Robertson with my Dad. I'll always have a soft spot for BNL. So, I was greatly amused by the whole thing on Community. First, on the most surface level: yay, a Canadian band is getting a shout out! And, of course, on a deeper level: hah, Community, that's right, Big Bang will always kick your butt!

But...why would Americans care about this reference? I'm sure BNL is barely heard of south of the border.

2) The 30 Rock Canadian hate fest

This episode was hilarious. Some of my favourite lines:

"I know. I'm a living stereotype. Everyone assumes a guy from Quebec can do karate."

"I don't know. I tried to ask how far it was to the border and they answered in kilometres!"

"Come on, Avery. We're going to find a Canadian who will take our money!"

I think part of the reason this storyline worked so well (for me at least) was that Jack and Avery weren't just average Americans, who are actually quite similar to Canadians in a lot of ways. Jack and Avery are Republicans, very extreme Republicans. That gave it a different edge. It made more sense why Jack and Avery were being so ridiculous--why they wouldn't support Canadian healthcare, for instance.

3) The Toronto Mix Up on Jeopardy

This one was funny too. Yeah, the main airport in Toronto is Lester B. Pearson International Airport, named after a Prime Minister from the 60's; not at all correct. And we have another airport called Billy Bishop Airport, named after a Canadian hero from WWI; again, nowhere near correct. Besides the fact that Toronto is not an American city. But hey, shout out to Toronto! TO! The TDOT! Go Toronto!

4) Justin Bieber Jokes About Canada

I love this picture! And I laughed at Justin Bieber's interview (for the record I am NOT a Bieber fan. NO WAY IN EVER). I loved his whole thing about the Canadian healthcare system and Canada just being awesome. I agree Justin, I agree.

There are countless other references, but they all lead to the same points:

1) Why is making fun of Canada such a big thing (especially this week?)

2) Why do Americans find Canadian humour funny, when it doesn't connect in the same way?

3) How do Canadians feel about being made fun of all the time?

(To be fair, the Jeopardy question doesn't really relate to any of these things. But still, a shout is a shout out)

To question c), I say that these type of jokes are walking a thin lines. Sometimes I love Canadian humour. Sometimes it just offends me. There was a line in Friends where Joey is telling Rachel why he shouldn't go out with this list of guys, and one of the reasons is that a guy is Canadian. That was a weak, sloppy joke that kind of annoyed me. Thin line, thin ice. Step over too far or too often and you might just fall through.

I'd be interested to go to the states and actually ask Americans what they think of Canadians. I can tell you what Canadians think of Canadians. Generally, I think we're pretty lame. Humble at least. Expect when we win at hockey. We're very proud then (Sidney Crosby is practically our national hero for his Olympics goal). But, generally, we're proud of our country, but we don't show off about it. Living in Canada and being Canadian is great. But, you, sometimes it's not so great, for not so obvious reasons (not because we live in igloos or anything like that). Here are a few examples:

-Ordering anything online is a freaking pain in the butt. We have Amazon.ca, sure, but the selection and pricing is way worse than Amazon.com. So it's a choice--higher price or higher shipping. Or, don't order anything at all?

-Our books, from physical bookstores, cost way more. It says it right on the back of the book. US price: $15. Canadian price? $18.50! Are you kidding me? A $3.50 difference when our dollars are almost on par?

-We refuse to do anything even remotely controversial, even when no one would really care. For example, we won't even say that we won the freaking War of 1812. The Americans claim they won. We say we tied. What kind of lame thing is that? Who ties at a war?!? We need to stand up for ourselves, gosh darnit!

-We have different channels/networks in Canada, which means we get different commercials. Usually, this doesn't matter. But sometimes, especially during the Superbowl, people like to talk about the commercials. Canadians have no idea what anybody is talking about. Totally lost.

But, of course, I love Canada. I celebrate with the best of them on July 1. And I cheer for my country during every sports game or Olympic event or whatever. I love being Canadian everyday. And I love being referenced in pop culture! Us Canadians make fun of ourselves enough, it's okay you Americans do it for a night. One night that is. Don't cross the line. We will get you back in the form of something totally lame and non-controversial. You'd better be scared!

To All You Romantics Out There...

Today is Valentine's Day. I had never really thought about the holiday. Like everyone else, I exchanged valentine's with my classmates in elementary school. And I've watched countless Valentine's day tv specials. But I'd never really celebrated the holiday in that traditional flowers-and-candy-fancy-dinner type of way. For someone who loves romance as much as I do, you'd think I'd be more invested in the holiday. 

This year, I am learning to enjoy it. My friend was complaining about how it just makes her depressed, because she isn't dating anyone. It hadn't even occurred to be depressed about that. That's kind of a constant in my life. Plus, we're still in high school! I think I'll save that particular brand of self pity until I'm 25 or 30. So, no sadness on that front!

Plus, I've come to realize that Valentine's Day is the one time of the year that us romantics are actually celebrated rather than ridiculed! Yay! Valentine's Day has been so awesome this year, if only because there have been so many romantic articles to read: Here, here, and here, are a few, to start you off. 

So, I realized while I was sitting here, reading one of those Valentine's themed articles and eating my giant bag of cinammon hearts, that I rather like Valentine's Day. Because I love romance everyday of the year, and I love that there's specific day that celebrates what I love. I may not be in love, but I'm happy for all those people who are. Sadly, I don't get to sit creepily and watch their romantic nights tonight. But, never, fear, that's what tv's for. 

So, I've decided just to go through my favourited youtube videos and share the most romantic moments with you, just in case you're at home alone like me tonight. Enjoy. Happy Valentine's day to all.

Ephram and Amy, Everwood

Josh and Donna, West Wing

Angela and Hodgins, Bones

Novalee and Forney, Where the Heart Is

Casey and Cappie, Greek

Zoey and Chase, Zoey 101 (random, I know. But I always loved them...)

Happy, happy, happy Valentine's day, with a cherry on top!

The Boy Of My Dreams

I am just so happy. Last nights episode of Greek was just so good. I literally cried (happy tears!)

I'm trying to remember the last time I was this happy that a couple got together. Maybe when (spoiler!) Michael and Mia got together at the end of Forever Princess. That's all I can compare it to. Because most of my favourite couples aren't together for the long haul yet--Chuck and Blair are still scheming, Kai and Erica are still stuck in different time periods, Bones and Brennan can't seem to feel the same way at the same time. And usually, when couples get together, you know they're going to break up--anytime Chuck and Blair get together, anytime Ross and Rachel ever got together. Or, it's the series finale, and all you get is one scene at the end of the episode. And while that last scene is usually great, what Greek did last night was so much better.

First, last night's episode rocked the romance. There were so many sweet moments. Right off, from the first scene, we got this moment:

I love Cappie so much! I loved the look on his face while he's watching her! My heart just melted. I'm a sucker for any watch-her-sleep scene (including the classic Pacey/Joey moment). And this one was just perfect. I wish she hadn't woken up. I could have watched him watch her for ten minutes. It was just so freaking adorable!

From there, the episode was fairly predictable. Casey freaked out, and just wanted to forget the whole night. And I don't blame her (well, okay, I blame her a little. It's Cappie, after all!). But she was right. They are still the same people with the same problems. She's still planning for the future, and he's still stuck in the present. He has some serious growing up to do, there's no denying that. And unlike in other shows I could mention (ahem, Glee and Gossip Girl) the characters don't change willy nilly, based on the writer's every whim. Casey is Casey, and Cappie is Cappie, for better, or for worse; sometimes that means us fans don't get what we want. I was bracing myself for that.

Then, it got so much better than I expected. I'll admit, I was a wee bit disappointed in Cappie for reacting so badly to the pregnancy scare. But again, blame character consistency. It wouldn't have made sense for Cappie to react any other way. And he was a good guy eventually. He's there for Casey. We know that.

Then, of course, there was the ending. Oh mon dieu.

After the end of the last episode, I never even hoped for anything this good. I thought it would create tension between Case and Cap, if anything. Instead, it created something so much better.

I'm smiling just thinking about it. I loved every moment of it. I loved the symbolism of it--how Cappie's going to be the adult for the first time, and Casey gets to be the child. I loved the whole swing thing ("you pushed me so high"). And, of course, the line that just melted me,

"You know the truth is, I did resent you Case. You kept pushing me to think about future, when I just wanted to live in the present. Then you pushed me so high that I finally saw it. What my future could look like. A job I actually like, friends I love, and the girl of my dreams on my arm."

Best line ever. It says so much about them, and about him, and it's just so romantic, damn it. That settles it. Cappie really is Prince Charming.

So the actual scenes were great. Then, there's all the meaning! By any conventional wisdom, it would seem as though Cap and Case would have to break up again, so they could get together in the finale. That would certainly happen in a show like Gossip Girl. But really, I don't think that's going to happen here. I think this is it. I think they're going to stay together for the long haul. They gotten over their main problems. I think we're going to spend the last 14 episodes just enjoying watching them be together. They may fight, or face new challenges, but I'm pretty sure they'll stay together. 14 episodes of bliss! I can't wait!!!

Also, I must ask: what does this mean for the endgame. If Casey and Cappie are together already, and they don't break up, what will be there big ending? An engagement? A pregnancy? What else could there be? Lots of questions. But good questions. Happy questions. It can only get better from here.

The whole Cap and Case dominated the episode (obviously), but I should comment on the other little beats.

Rusty's storyline was alright. I'm definitely pulling for Rusty and Ashleigh now. But I appreciate that they didn't get together in this episode. There was already enough goodness for one episode. Something had to be saved for later. So, I'm looking forward for when they get together, whenever that may be. They'll never, even remotely, be Casey and Cappie, but I still like them. I think they'll work.

I also liked that they checked in on Rusty and Calvin's friendship. I liked how Rusty apologized. Good boy, Rusty. The whole search they went on was a little bit dumb, but that's okay. All's well that ends well.

On that note, I should end the post well, with a simple good night, and a sweet goodbye. 'Til next week!

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? 

February 4: Hannah and Bright

I make so many lists, and write so much about romance, but still, some couples fall through the cracks. I've talked about the big ones: Ross and Rachel, Chuck and Blair, Pacey and Joey, Luke and Lorelai. But there's tons of little couples that I absolutely love that have never come up.

Every show has couple A and couple B. Couple A is your Ross and Rachel, or Luke and Lorelai, or Brennan and Booth, or Carrie and Big, who dominate the series, a constant will they or won't they that won't they that doesn't get resolved until the series finale. Couple B is your Rory and Dean, or Monica and Chandler, or Miranda and Steve, who are much less drama, much more stable, and often forgotten. Today's romantic selection is one of my most favouritist B couples, Bright Abbott and Hannah Rogers from Everwood.

In that show couple A was Amy and Ephram, who I loved, because they had such a great ending, but I didn't like really when they were dating. Couple B was Bright and Hannah, who were never the focus of the show, but were always so sweet. I loved Bright and Hannah together, but I also loved them as individual characters. I loved how smart, shy, and just real she was. And I loved how nice and sweet and dumb he was. And together, they were great. Bright was soooo sweet! They were so simple and cute together. I always love Hannah and Bright. One of the best B couples of all time. Even better than Amy and Ephram, in the long run.

Summary (Without Spoilers): Hannah moves to the little mountain town of Everwood and befriends Amy Abbott, little sister of one Bright Abbott (and yes, that is Chris Pratt, Andy from Parks and Recreation). Hannah falls for him pretty early on, but he rejects her. Then they really get to know each other, and the sparks really start to fly!

Summary (With Spoilers): Hannah moves to Everwood, and meets Bright Abbott. They flirt a little bit, but when Hannah tries to start something he rejects her. Then, through the next season, they become really, really good friends. She goes through that whole thing with Hunington's disease, and he's there for her. She dates Topher and he gets jealous. Then, finally, Bright kisses Hannah in the season finale. Hannah goes away for the summer, and when she comes back they start dating, and it is absolutely the most adorable courtship of all time. It's not easy by any means. Hannah's super religious, and against premarital sex, which sends Bright (the player) for a loop. He's going to break up with her, but he loves her to much that he can't. Eventually, they break up because Bright cheats on Hannah (that dog!), only to get back together in the series finale. Yeee!!!

Why I Love Them:

-Because of the absolutely amazing scene where Bright tries to show Hannah how beautiful she is. He's is so sweet! SUCH A GOOD SCENE! So real, and so romantic

-Because of how upset Bright gets when he thinks Hannah's leaving Everwood to go live with her mother again. She has helped him so much, and meant so much to him! I love it!

-Because of that little moment after they are sick together, when Bright says that thing about how he likes simply sharing a bed with Hannah, and being close to her.

-Because of the prom he sets up for her. BEST BOYFRIEND EVER!

-Because of the Three Dates and Out speech. Bright is the best!

-Because of how Hannah responds when Bright falls through the window. She is so concerned, so scared. She loves him, more than anything, always, and forever.

-Because of the finale! I love how selfless Bright is Hannah! And I love how Hannah choses Bright over Notre Dame. She knows what's important

Little Taste of Their Love:

Note: This post runs as part of my month long Romance Celebration featuring all my favourite couples from books, tv shows, and movies. Check in tomorrow for more!

C to the R to the A to the P!

The Summer I Turned Pretty

By Jenny Han

Let's be frank here: This book was crap. Garbage, junk, crap, crap, crap. Barely finished it, barely cared about it crap. Sorry to Jenny Han, but your book sucked.

Let's start with the characters. The protagonist, Belly (stupid name. Stop trying too hard to be unique) was fine. Stupid and annoying, but fine. I had one problem: I didn't understand her at all. Not like I couldn't connect to her--no like, I couldn't freaking understand what she was saying! First, she says that she waits all year to go to the summer house, that it was the highlight of her year. But then she spent the whole book complaining about the summer house. She complained about how mean and distant Conrad was. She complained about her mother. She complained about how Conrad, Steven, and Jeremiah always left her out. If this is the highlight of her year, I feel pretty bad for this girl.

Conrad himself was awful. I couldn't understand why anyone would love him, even for a minute, let alone the years and years and years that Belly was obsessed with him. He was cranky and withdrawn. He was right out mean to Belly again and again and again. I just hated him.

Jeremiah was okay. Better than the other two, but still pretty generic. He was funny and sweet, but he was also a player. I almost wanted him and Belly together, but then he'd go and hit on some girl, and I would just hate him. I liked the bond he had with Belly. But overall he was just a mildly interesting character that would be utterly forgettable in any good book.

Cam was fine. Barely worth mentioning. Steven needs to die, along with Taylor. I loved Susannah, but her supposed secret was so freaking obvious from the first page. Susannah said Belly had a great mom, but I never saw why.

With crap characters like that, it didn't take much make this book crack.

Let me just say, I'm not categorically opposed to summer books. That wasn't the issue. Summer is a cliche, sure, a tried but true plot device. I can see why authors like it so much. They don't have to deal with the daily details of school. They don't have to deal with responsibilities or rules. There is a freeness to summer, a ubiquity to it. YA authors in particular love summer, because they think it is some grand coming of age thing, like one summer can change your whole life. If your Sarah Dessen you can do this. If you're Jenny Han, apparently, you cannot.

So, the whole summer thing sucked. Then there was the stupid freaking love triangle/square. When I read the blurb on the back of the book, I assumed she'd end up with Jeremiah. But then the book didn't seem to be going that way. I was very confused. Who was I supposed to be rooting for?

It bothers me when books do that. I read a book last summer called Loathing Lola, by William Kostakis. The main character had a male best friend, Tom. You know what that means.

Female Protagonist + Straight Male Best Friend = LOVE

So for the whole freaking book I kept pulling for them, even when it seemed less and less likely they would end up together. Then, she ended up with some other guy I had largely been ignoring because I was so focused on the male best friend. I was very frustrated with that book. And I was very frustrated with this book. When a girl has been in love with a guy forever, and you say from practically the first page that he is a complete JERK, they don't end up together. I assumed that much was true. I thought she'd up the alternative guy who was there all along, who she didn't notice until she gave up on dream boy. Jeremiah seemed like a perfect candidate for that role. But then we went on a total detour to Cam-land, which produced nothing of any use. And then she didn't really end up with anyone in the end! There was a hell of a lot of discussion of love, but now actual lovin'. And there was not heat. No chemistry. Zip. Zada. Zilch. Nothing but crap.

So, to summarize, this book was crap. Crappy characters. Crappy plot. Crappy title (what kind of title is that--The Summer I Turned Pretty??? Superficial much???). Harsh I know. No offence to Ms. Han. I'm sure you're a lovely person. And I've read good reviews of your book (which is why I bought it in the first place!). But I'm done with this crap.

P.S. That last part there was just me feeling bad for writing such a mean review

P.P.S. Sorry for all the crass language. I get kind of carried away...

February 3: Marcus Flutie and Jessica Darling

For our third day I have selected couple I just love--Marcus Flutie and Jessica Darling, from the Jessica Darling Series by Megan McCafferty. 

Summary Without Spoilers: Jessica and Marcus live in a small town in New Jersey. Jessica is the smart girl, and a track star. She is sarcastic, funny, and oddly insightful. Marcus is the bad boy: brilliant, but rebellious. Over five books they go from friends to soul mates, in one of the sweetest courtships I have ever experienced. 

Summary With Spoilers: In Sloppy Firsts, Jessica and Marcus flirt. She pees in a cup for him. He is mister mysterious. In Second Helpings, Jessica dates Marcus's best friend, Len, but she always has feelings for Marcus. At the end, they get together, when he sings her a song at prom. They date during the third book, Charmed Thirds. She cheats on him, but he gets over it. He proposes to her in the next book, Fourth Comings, and she says no. They part ways until the fifth book, when they run into each other at the airport. Within 24 hours, they are back together, permanently, forever. 

Why I Love Them:

-Because of the kiss in the bathroom in Second Helpings. It is so hot!

-Because of the ending of Second Helpings. The song!!!! Such a good ending!

-Because of how sweet they were in Perfect Fifths. He loved her so much. He was so attracted to her. He had never forgotten her.

-Because of the last entry in Perfect Fifths--so simple, so sweet. I love just seeing them happy, together. 

-Because of all their little rituals, all their silent moments that mean so much. 

Sweet Little Taste of Their Love:

Note: This post runs as part of my month long Romance Celebration featuring all my favourite couples from books, tv shows, and movies. Check in tomorrow for more!

February 2: Jack and Kate (and Sawyer)

Like any Lost fan, I have debated the Jack-Kate-Sawyer triangle for quite some time. I love Sawyer. I like Jack, enough. And Kates' fine. But who belongs together? I have settled on this:

Sawyer and Kate: Sawyer is the right person for Kate right now. Sawyer is a rebel, an outlaw, a criminal, just like Kate. They both break the rules, and neither of them are afraid to break the law. They don't always do the right thing, which makes them right for each other. They have a common past, and their present sure is steamy. Cage sex, anyone? They have a bond, both a deep physical attraction, and also a meeting of minds. I love how he calls her Freckles. And I love how they tease each other. I love how Kate can always get Sawyer to do stuff, convince him when no one else will. They love each other, and I think they are perfect for each other right now. 

Jack and Kate: If Sawyer is Kate's present, Jack is Kate's future. Jack is the good guy, the hero. He always does the right thing. He is the leader that everyone turns to in a crisis. He is everything Kate wants to be. To quote another love story, he makes her want to be a better woman. And that is why, ultimately, I pick Jack. Sawyer is the easy choice, the comfortable one. But Jack is the right choice. Jack can make her better. They have a different kind of bond. They depend on each other. Kate is like Jack's sidekick. As she says to him at one point, "I was always with you". Awww. 

So, Sawyer and Kate fans, I respect your opinion. But I'm going to pick Jack and Kate. 

Summary Without Spoilers: They get stranded on a wacky desert island, with all kind of mysteries and crap. They become fast friends, with a cute flirtation. Romance ensues!

Summary With Spoilers: Again, they get stranded on the stupid island. Then she stitches his arm (which is where she learns the story!). And then they flirt for a long, long, long time. Lots of random characters make comments about them, or assume they're sleeping together; however, they are all wrong. Finally, Kate kisses Jack in the middle of the second season, and then promptly runs away. They avoid each other for a while, but Jack seems pretty screwed up by it. They start to talk about it, but then the MONSTER appears! (funny how that always happens at the most inopportune moments! Almost like it's some type of transparent plot device!). Then, uh, nothing happens with them. Kate gets together with Sawyer, and Jack gets jealous, which is sweet. Then we start that whole screwed up flash forward thing, where we discover that they have gotten together (which, to me, is a cheap move. Everyone knows the best part is seeing them actually get together. The writers robbed us of that moment!). They're together for a little bit, until Jack decides he has to go back to island (stupid Jack). They kiss in the finale (in real time) and then get together (in the sideways). 

Why I Love Them:

-That first kiss. It is pretty sweet, I will admit. Before she runs away.

-Because he's always so concerned about her safety. It's so sweet!

-Because of the simple "I love you" at the end of the third season. So simple, so truthful. So beautiful.

-Because of the pre-sex scene after they talk about his dad in season 5 flash forward. That's pretty sexy.

-Because of when he's talking to Sawyer about how he still loves her. Such a great scene! Go Jack, go!

-Because of their farewell kiss. He loves her so much!

Sweet Little Taste of Their Love:

Note: This post runs as part of my month long Romance Celebration featuring all my favourite couples from books, tv shows, and movies. Check in tomorrow for more!

February 1: Michael and Mia

So, of course, I had to start with my first romance, Michael Moscovitz and Mia Thermopolis from The Princess Diaries.

Summary Without Spoilers: Mia is the Princess of Genovia, but she's also a regular teenage girl. She has a best friend Lilly, who has a brother named Michael. Michael and Mia always have feelings for each other, and they explore these feelings over the 10 book series.

Summary With Spoilers (these summaries are so much more fun!): In the first book, we meet Michael and Mia. She's confused, but he loves her anyway. He always loves her. He writes songs about her. He sings to her. She is his Tall Glass of Water, if you know what I mean. In the second book, Mia realizes she's in love with Michael, but she never thinks he'd like her, so she dates geeky Kenny. But Michael loves her still. Then the third book (pictured above) they finally end up together! He writes her a poem and a computer program! The ending is just so good! And then, over the next seven books they grow closer: they go to prom, they discuss sex, they help each other through crises. Then, in my favourite book of all time, they get back together. Love it, just love it.

Why I Love Them:

-Because of the slow dancing at the dance in PD1. It's so cute.

-Because of the "Mia, you look...", "Mia you look really beautiful" comment in PD2

-Because of Michael's jealousy all through PD2 and PD3 (and PD10 for that matter). I love jealous Michael!

-Because of the awesome ending to PD4, when he says that, of course, he's "in love" with her. I love how paranoid Mia was (I know I would be that paranoid!) and I love how sweet and sure he is.

-Because Michael is so committed to her. He really loves her. He knows what he wants. He sees a future for them.

-Because PD10 is just about the most amazing thing ever. I have never enjoyed reading a book more. Other books may have been written better. Other books may have been better stories. But I have never so happy and excited to read a book in my life. I grew up reading about Michael and Mia, and seeing them get together was so amazing. The interview--"What did you miss most?" "You". Awww, Michael. And, of course, the carriage ride. And after the prom. LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

Why They Are Perfect For Each Other:

Because he is so smart. And she is smart too. Because he always loved her, and she always loved him. Because they can stick by each other by the good times and the bad. Because they love each other, and their love conquers all.

Sweet Little Taste of Their Love:

Note: This post runs as part of my month long Romance Celebration featuring all my favourite couples from books, tv shows, and movies. Check in tomorrow for more!

The Month of Romance

It is the first of February today, a month I have always been a big fan of. First, because I love that it sometimes has 28 days and it sometimes has 29. I always wanted to born on February 29. I thought it would feel very special.

Second, because it is the month of romance (you must say it with a delicate french accent). And there's so many amazing things that come with that. First, there's my absolute favourite candy, cinnamon hearts,

Now I am a lame loser, so I don't have a boyfriend or anything like that. But I have books. And tv shows. And movies. And I have a million fictional couples that can help me celebrate valentine's day (I already said I was a loser). So, to celebrate this month of romance, I've decided to celebrate one couple a day, from my favourite books or tv shows or movies. While everyone else is out on their romantic dates, I'll be treating my fellow lame losers to a fictional month of romance, with a side of cinnamon hearts. Enjoy.

February 1: Michael and Mia

February 2: Jack and Kate (and Sawyer)

February 3: Jessica and Marcus

February 4: Hannah and Bright

Greek Fairytales in the Making

I was hoping that after the disaster of last night's Gossip Girl, Greek would just wow me with best episode ever. Yeah...no. It wasn't BAD. It just wasn't GREAT. Let's break down!

Alumni Weekend: The story of how Ned Bigby becomes a pledge and how Cappie grows up

I never love alumni weekend episodes. There's so much sucking up, and the alumni just dominate the whole episode. I like my Cappie and Casey and Rusty. I don't care about the one episode alumnis. This episode was no exception. Spidey still freaks me out, because I can only see him as Ned Bidby, from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. And last night I thought he was kind of stupid for picking Cappie as his Big Brother, considering everyone knows Cappie's leaving next year. Wouldn't it be much better to have Rusty anyway, considering he'll actually be around for a while?

To that point, I found the whole big brother thread of this storyline stupid. Rusty shouldn't have to campaign for Spidey. Who does Spidey think he is, turning down Rusty? Rusty would make a great big brother! Well, it all worked out in the end. And they got the goat! Yay!

I did like how Spidey's dad was able to inspire Cappie. Cappie knows he has to grow up, for Casey, and for himself. And Spidey's dad showed him how. I thought the alumni thing paid off, in that way. Of course, the Casey thing is shot to hell anyways, because of the next plot point of the episode...

Best Friends Fight: How Casey copes with stress and how Ashleigh finds a future

Awwww

I'll admit, I have a soft spot for Casey and Ashleigh. And I think last night's fight was good for them. Healthy. Ashleigh needs to move out. Personally, I wish she'd take Casey suggestion and move in with Rusty. Of course, Casey didn't know that Ashleigh had the hots for Rusty when she said that. But I knew that. And I want them together. The last episode made me fall in love with Ashleigh and Rusty and this episode gave me nothing. If they lived together, surely there'd be something.

Anyway, I side with Casey on this one. Ash needs to take a job, any job. Ash needs her own place. Ash needs to get with Rusty! (okay, so Casey didn't actually suggest that. But a girl can dream). And Ash needs to be less mean. She embarrassed Casey and she said really cruel stuff to her. If I didn't love her Ash so much, I would hate her right now.

I said this was related to Cappie. How you ask? Well, at the end of the episode,

The Fairytale: How the prince and princess got back together

That's one enthusiastic prince charming! The Princess looks a little uncertain...

So Casey was sooooo upset over the mean, cruel stuff Ashleigh said to her. So when Rebecca wanted to get her drunk, she accepted. And once she was drunk, she was just crazy enough to do that thing she really wants to do, that thing she knows she shouldn't do. She runs into Cappie's arms, drunk. And at first he plays the good ex-boyfriend, making sure she got home safe and into bed. But then she kisses him, and he can't resist...

I have mixed feelings about that last scene. Since I saw it last night I've been analyzing it to death, trying to figure out what it means. Here are the hints/observations I have amassed:

-They say you do the things you most want to do when your drunk. Does this mean that getting together with Cappie is what Casey really wants? I hope so!

-Initially, I thought Cappie was going to do the whole noble boyfriend thing that has become a cliche of tv shows. But he gave in, in the end. Personally, I'm okay with this. I don't think Cappie was taking advantage of her. Casey loves Cappie. We all know that. And Cappie would never intentionally hurt Casey. I think Cappie wanted to do the so-called "right thing", but he couldn't resist Casey. He just wants her so much.

-I was also skeptical of the whole "fairytale" part. The way she said it, it sounded like a good thing. Cappie obviously thought it was a good thing. But we know the way that Ashleigh said it to Casey. So to Cappie's it's good. To Ashleigh it's bad. What does it mean to Casey? That is the question.

The bigger question is, of course, what does this mean for the future of Casey and Cappie. I don't know. I don't think it means anything too big. Casey and Cappie can sleep together and just forget about it. We saw that in the pilot. If anything, I think it might just create conflict between them, as Casey avoids Cap. Either way, there's sure to be lots of Casey/Cappie action in the next episode, so that's fun!

As always, there are other story lines I've missed, mostly because I didn't care about them. Heath's stupid all of sudden! But they love each other, so who cares! (????). And Rebecca and Evan and having problems. Or, Rebecca is having problems with Evan, more like. He doesn't really seem aware the problems. Either way, that's not going to end well.

In all, with all the major and minor story lines, an okay episode. It wasn't an all time high. I'm not sure how it fits in with the rest of season 4 episodes, past or future. We'll see. Still loving Greek as a whole. So, not a great episode. But better than Gossip Girl (NOT a high bar).