The finale consists of three jobs that the contestants have done before. In each round, one person will be eliminated until there is only one person remaining.
The first elimination round takes them back to San Angelo, Texas and bull fighting.
But first, each of the four finalists (Ben, Steven, Sandy and Michaela) are told that each of them has won a brand new 2009 Dodge RAM 1500 for making it to the finals.
Each contestant will have 90 seconds in which to grab a ribbon that's attached to the head of a bull. Each person will go alone so that the others can't see how they did.
Steven is up first, and he gets hit a lot, but he finally manages to grab the ribbon after 1:11.
Ben is up next, and he does a fabulous job, getting the ribbon off after only 12 seconds.
Next is Sandy, who has difficulty getting the ribbon, but she also gets tripped up by the bull, which then stomps on her, leaving her lying on the ground. They stop the clock and lure the bull away as Sandy is tended to. She's mostly angry that she didn't get the ribbon, and eventually, it's determined that she just got the wind knocked out of her and didn't get hurt by the bull. But it's revealed later that when she was angry about what happened, she slammed her hand on the gate, breaking a finger. She was in the ring for 36 seconds before time was called, so that's her time.
Last up is Michaela. She is concentrating on getting the ribbon and focussed on the front of the bull, so she doesn't notice it bucking its hind legs, and the bull ends up kicking her in the back of the head, kind of around and below the neck area. She pops back up, but then she crumples in pain. She's taken aside, and she's given a neck collar and taken by ambulance to the hospital. When she leaves, she has a neck brace on, and everyone's outside with flowers to meet her. She says that it's nothing permanent and that it will take 6 to 8 weeks for her to recover. She only lasted 7 seconds in the ring, and with her injury, she is eliminated.
The remaining three finalists head back to Odessa, Texas for oil rigging. There are a variety of tasks they have to complete, and whoever takes the longest is out.
Ben goes first, and his time is 3:12.
Steven goes second, and he has a little trouble with the last task, and his time is 4:37.
Last up is Sandy, who is hindered in a few of the tasks, like climbing the ladder and pulling the rope, because she broke her finger. Her temper ends up costing her the competition because with her handicap, her time is 4:50, and she is eliminated.
The last competition brings Ben and Steven back to Port Angeles, Washington and logging. Again, there are a series of tasks that they have to complete, including felling a tree, cutting another tree into segments and loading the cut logs onto a truck. Instead of going in legs like in the previous two tasks, they will be going head to head, and whoever finishes first wins the grand prize, which is the combined salaries of all the jobs they've done during the course of the competition, which totals $298,000, and, of course, the new Dodge.
Ben does a good job in cutting the section out of the tree, whereas Steven has a much more difficult time because he can't get the second cut to line up with the first cut. However, Ben has difficulty getting the wedge to stay in the tree, but he eventually manages to fell the tree. He has already cut the logs and is attempting to load them onto the truck with a crane when Steven finally manages to fell his tree. Steven starts to cut his logs and sees that Ben is having a hard time getting the logs properly situated, but after a number of attempts, he finally manages to get it done right, and Ben is the winner.
It's revealed at the end that Ben is using his money to buy a house, and that he's training to be a Monster Jam driver, a job he was best at during the competition.
Ben wouldn't have been my choice to win - I would have preferred either Sandy or Michaela to win, and barring that, I wanted Steven to win because of his mother, but preferences aside, it was just about who did the best job, and Ben did the best job.
I really enjoyed the show, so I hope it returns next summer.
Showing posts with label America's Toughest Jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America's Toughest Jobs. Show all posts
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
"America's Toughest Jobs" - October 18, 2008 episode
The five remaining contestants are taken to Mt. McKinley, Alaska, where their next job will be as a mountain guide. Their boss looks so young, and he certainly doesn't look old enough to have 20 years of experience. He looks like a kid!
The first thing they learn is self-arrest, where if they're falling or someone else is falling, they have to be able to stop themselves with nothing but a pick axe. Next, they go on a hike to where their campsite will be, and along the way, they have to carry a pack with gear that weighs 100 pounds, and they're climbing uphill, and the air is getting thinner so they're getting less oxygen AND there's a snow storm. Sandy is having a particularly difficult time through all this.
When they get to where they'll be making camp, they still have to dig in the snow to set up their site, including trenches where the kitchen and sleeping tents will be put up as well as a latrine for their use. Once the tents are pitched, they cook a make-shift dinner and eat before finally going to bed.
The next morning, they have to learn how to rescue someone who has fallen into a crevasse. They have to stop themselves from falling, tie knots to transfer the line to a pulley system, and then pull the person up from over the edge. They will each be "saving" another member of their group.
Steven goes first, rescuing Ben, and he does an excellent job. Michaela is up next, rescuing Sandy, and she has a hard time planting herself initially, but she makes up for it in the rest of the task. Sandy rescues Rommel and does a pretty good job, and Ben rescues Steven, but he also has a hard time planting himself, so since Steven had fallen further, Ben has to pull him up a longer distance. Rommel is last to go, rescuing Michaela, and he does a good job as well.
The last task is the next day, when they have to make a high-altitude summit climb, to Control Tower, which is the peak. It's a very difficult time, and Sandy is still having a hard time being tired and losing her footing, and Rommel messes up their anchoring system at one point, putting them all in potential danger, but finally, five hours later, they make it to the top and are able to enjoy the view for a short time before having to make their way back down.
So they go through adding the salary to the winning pot, and a first-year guide makes something like $15,000. Are you kidding me? Cold, wind, potential death - all for $15,000? No frickin' way.
The best of the group is determined to be Michaela, and the bottom two are Sandy and Rommel, which was pretty evident based on everything that happened. The final challenge is to rescue a 100 pound dummy who has fallen into a crevasse, and the person with the fastest time goes on. In the end, Sandy's time is 4:41 and Rommel's time is 4:53, so Rommel is eliminated. Sandy was dead on during her portion of the challenge, and Rommel was doing a really good job as well, but near the end, he had a problem with his rope, which he had to adjust, and I think that's what cost him. I'm glad that Sandy made it through.
The final four are Michaela, Sandy, Ben and Steven, and next week is the season finale. Who will come out on top? I'm rooting for it to be either Sandy or Michaela because I like them best.
The first thing they learn is self-arrest, where if they're falling or someone else is falling, they have to be able to stop themselves with nothing but a pick axe. Next, they go on a hike to where their campsite will be, and along the way, they have to carry a pack with gear that weighs 100 pounds, and they're climbing uphill, and the air is getting thinner so they're getting less oxygen AND there's a snow storm. Sandy is having a particularly difficult time through all this.
When they get to where they'll be making camp, they still have to dig in the snow to set up their site, including trenches where the kitchen and sleeping tents will be put up as well as a latrine for their use. Once the tents are pitched, they cook a make-shift dinner and eat before finally going to bed.
The next morning, they have to learn how to rescue someone who has fallen into a crevasse. They have to stop themselves from falling, tie knots to transfer the line to a pulley system, and then pull the person up from over the edge. They will each be "saving" another member of their group.
Steven goes first, rescuing Ben, and he does an excellent job. Michaela is up next, rescuing Sandy, and she has a hard time planting herself initially, but she makes up for it in the rest of the task. Sandy rescues Rommel and does a pretty good job, and Ben rescues Steven, but he also has a hard time planting himself, so since Steven had fallen further, Ben has to pull him up a longer distance. Rommel is last to go, rescuing Michaela, and he does a good job as well.
The last task is the next day, when they have to make a high-altitude summit climb, to Control Tower, which is the peak. It's a very difficult time, and Sandy is still having a hard time being tired and losing her footing, and Rommel messes up their anchoring system at one point, putting them all in potential danger, but finally, five hours later, they make it to the top and are able to enjoy the view for a short time before having to make their way back down.
So they go through adding the salary to the winning pot, and a first-year guide makes something like $15,000. Are you kidding me? Cold, wind, potential death - all for $15,000? No frickin' way.
The best of the group is determined to be Michaela, and the bottom two are Sandy and Rommel, which was pretty evident based on everything that happened. The final challenge is to rescue a 100 pound dummy who has fallen into a crevasse, and the person with the fastest time goes on. In the end, Sandy's time is 4:41 and Rommel's time is 4:53, so Rommel is eliminated. Sandy was dead on during her portion of the challenge, and Rommel was doing a really good job as well, but near the end, he had a problem with his rope, which he had to adjust, and I think that's what cost him. I'm glad that Sandy made it through.
The final four are Michaela, Sandy, Ben and Steven, and next week is the season finale. Who will come out on top? I'm rooting for it to be either Sandy or Michaela because I like them best.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
"America's Toughest Jobs" - October 10, 2008 episode
The six remaining contestants end up in Port Angeles, Washington, where their job will be logging - cutting down trees and preparing them for processing into lumber. The first thing they do is watch a controlled tree fall, which amazes them. They are then taught to climb a tree using a rope and spikes on their shoes. Most do well, but Rommel has some trouble.
Next, they are taught to cut down a tree using a chainsaw to cut a chunk out of the front to control the direction of the fall, and then to cut a straight line out of the back and then use an ax to hammer in a wedge until the tree is pulled down by gravity. Bryce has a hard time, Steven's tree falls too fast which potentially puts him in danger, and Rommel is struggling, partly because of his shoulder injury from the prior job.
The contestants then have to haul a cable across from one end of the camp to the other so that a wire can be set up, but Rommel falls behind. Bryce also injures himself from a fall, so Bryce's banged-up knee and Rommel's shoulder prove hindrances to each of them.
The next job is to attach cables to the trees so that they can be hauled for processing, and then they have to be cut into the right sizes for transportation. Most of the contestants are falling a lot, and their bosses are yelling at them. When Ben and Rommel are going to the processing site, they both cross under the zip wire, which is the biggest safety transgression there is, and they are both reemed out for having completely forgotten everything they've been taught. Rommell doesn't fare any better when he's in the processing camp, and he repeatedly tries and fails to even start up his chainsaw.
The best of the group is deemed to be Sandy, and the bottom two are Rommel and Bryce. The final challenge is to climb a tree, undo a hook, climb back down, and then chop the tree down. First one to finish wins. As with before, Rommel has a very difficult time making it up the tree whereas Bryce races up, so Bryce is already on his way down when Rommel still has a bit of climbing to go. However, Bryce falters when it comes to cutting the chunk out of the tree. His cuts don't match each other, so he can't get the chunk out, and Rommel ends up making up all the time he lost in the tree climbing, and Rommel cuts his tree down first, eliminating Bryce. I'm glad that Bryce is finally gone since he's been such a pain, but at least in this episode, he took his lumps and didn't complain as much, and at the end, he knew he had screwed it up and said that Rommel deserved to win. Rommel was being called out by everyone else for complaining so much about his injuries and pain when everyone else was in pain and bruised as well and just sucked it up and kept on going.
The show moves to Saturday next week. I'm wondering if that means the ratings aren't doing well, since it started on Monday before moving to Friday and then is now moving again. Definitely not a way to keep an audience, but I love the show, so I'll be following along.
Next, they are taught to cut down a tree using a chainsaw to cut a chunk out of the front to control the direction of the fall, and then to cut a straight line out of the back and then use an ax to hammer in a wedge until the tree is pulled down by gravity. Bryce has a hard time, Steven's tree falls too fast which potentially puts him in danger, and Rommel is struggling, partly because of his shoulder injury from the prior job.
The contestants then have to haul a cable across from one end of the camp to the other so that a wire can be set up, but Rommel falls behind. Bryce also injures himself from a fall, so Bryce's banged-up knee and Rommel's shoulder prove hindrances to each of them.
The next job is to attach cables to the trees so that they can be hauled for processing, and then they have to be cut into the right sizes for transportation. Most of the contestants are falling a lot, and their bosses are yelling at them. When Ben and Rommel are going to the processing site, they both cross under the zip wire, which is the biggest safety transgression there is, and they are both reemed out for having completely forgotten everything they've been taught. Rommell doesn't fare any better when he's in the processing camp, and he repeatedly tries and fails to even start up his chainsaw.
The best of the group is deemed to be Sandy, and the bottom two are Rommel and Bryce. The final challenge is to climb a tree, undo a hook, climb back down, and then chop the tree down. First one to finish wins. As with before, Rommel has a very difficult time making it up the tree whereas Bryce races up, so Bryce is already on his way down when Rommel still has a bit of climbing to go. However, Bryce falters when it comes to cutting the chunk out of the tree. His cuts don't match each other, so he can't get the chunk out, and Rommel ends up making up all the time he lost in the tree climbing, and Rommel cuts his tree down first, eliminating Bryce. I'm glad that Bryce is finally gone since he's been such a pain, but at least in this episode, he took his lumps and didn't complain as much, and at the end, he knew he had screwed it up and said that Rommel deserved to win. Rommel was being called out by everyone else for complaining so much about his injuries and pain when everyone else was in pain and bruised as well and just sucked it up and kept on going.
The show moves to Saturday next week. I'm wondering if that means the ratings aren't doing well, since it started on Monday before moving to Friday and then is now moving again. Definitely not a way to keep an audience, but I love the show, so I'll be following along.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
"America's Toughest Jobs" - October 3, 2008 episode
The job this week is bridge maintenance, set in San Pedro, California at the site of the Vincent Thomas Bridge. Their initial tasks include pulling up supplies and cleaning the bridge, from about 20 stories up in the air. Chris' fear of heights gives the other contestants quite a laugh. The hardest task is having to walk up the suspension bridge to clean the lights. Most are ok with it, but Chris' fear is getting the better of him, but prior arguments aside, Sandy is his cheerleader and gives him a pep talk to strengthen his courage and resolve, and he admits that she was the one who got him through it. The last task is to paint a part of the bridge, with the group divided into two teams and Ben as the supervisor. Sandy makes a grave error, though, and almost puts a ladder in the path of an oncoming car.
Ben is deemed the best of the group, and the bottom two are Sandy, for her huge safety error, and Chris, for his performance. The face-off challenge between the two is having to climb the bridge again, but this time, at night, to turn on four lights. The person taking the most time to complete the task loses. Sandy is humbled by how losing focus and making a stupid mistake put her in the bottom two, and she's determined to do better, racing to finish her job. For Chris, though, without Sandy's assistance, he can't bring himself to make it to even the first light, and he gives up, so when Sandy returns after completing her task, he is eliminated. Sandy is happy that even though they clashed previously, she has at least won some respect from Chris. I'm glad to see Chris go.
At the end, it is stated that Chris is now a police officer in Pasadena. A sexist, homophobic guy with anger-management issues, on the Pasadena police force? God help them.
Ben is deemed the best of the group, and the bottom two are Sandy, for her huge safety error, and Chris, for his performance. The face-off challenge between the two is having to climb the bridge again, but this time, at night, to turn on four lights. The person taking the most time to complete the task loses. Sandy is humbled by how losing focus and making a stupid mistake put her in the bottom two, and she's determined to do better, racing to finish her job. For Chris, though, without Sandy's assistance, he can't bring himself to make it to even the first light, and he gives up, so when Sandy returns after completing her task, he is eliminated. Sandy is happy that even though they clashed previously, she has at least won some respect from Chris. I'm glad to see Chris go.
At the end, it is stated that Chris is now a police officer in Pasadena. A sexist, homophobic guy with anger-management issues, on the Pasadena police force? God help them.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
"America's Toughest Jobs" - September 26, 2008 episode
The task this week is at a rodeo bowl, otherwise known as American bullfighting, in San Angelo, Texas. Their job is to distract the bull so that the rider can get to safety.
Their first training is with a wheelbarrow with horns, and they are taught to not run in a straight line because they can't outrun the bull but rather, to make quick cuts. Both Ben and Chris get hit because they're not running right (and Chris is an ass again - he manhandles the wheelbarrow and says he can do the same with the bull but doesn't get that the bull is a lot bigger, heavier, stronger and has a mind of its own). Rie falls during her training and ends up hurting her knee severely.
After training, Chris shows himself to be an ass again and apparently can't deal with the fact that Sandy is a lesbian and he says something to her about being a real woman, which apparently means being a slave and a cook to a man. Whatever, asshole.
The next training is with an actual bull in an empty arena. Sandy ends up getting hit, but she pops right back up and wants to try it again. Unfortunately, the injury is more than she thought, as the bull actually stepped on her. After a trip to the hospital, she discovers that her ankle isn't broken, but she has a brace on and is on crutches. She cannot do the final show, but the judges decide that she's done enough to move on in the competition.
The last thing the contestants have to do is during the actual show/event. But right before, they get a nice reward in the form of family member visits, and the family get to sit in the stands and watch them.
Michaela does really well on her turn, but Rommel ends up going in too early, and when he grabs the bull's horn while the rider is still on, the bull bucks and dislocates his shoulder, which they have to pop back in. Owwww. He's later shown in a sling.
Rie hadn't done the training with the other bull so she could rest her knee, but she ultimately decides to do the final step.
Ben engages the bull the most and is declared the best of the bunch.
Because there are fewer contestants, they're only doing the bottom two, who end up being Rie and Steven, because both were bad at protecting their riders.
The final competition is bull hockey, where two goals are set up on either side with a line in between stacks of hay, and the object is to defend your own goal while trying to score by getting the bull to run through the other person's goal. Rie almost manages to score, but the bull crosses Steven's goal sideways, and then Steven gets its attention and gets it to chase him straight through Rie's goal, scoring his win and eliminating Rie.
Their first training is with a wheelbarrow with horns, and they are taught to not run in a straight line because they can't outrun the bull but rather, to make quick cuts. Both Ben and Chris get hit because they're not running right (and Chris is an ass again - he manhandles the wheelbarrow and says he can do the same with the bull but doesn't get that the bull is a lot bigger, heavier, stronger and has a mind of its own). Rie falls during her training and ends up hurting her knee severely.
After training, Chris shows himself to be an ass again and apparently can't deal with the fact that Sandy is a lesbian and he says something to her about being a real woman, which apparently means being a slave and a cook to a man. Whatever, asshole.
The next training is with an actual bull in an empty arena. Sandy ends up getting hit, but she pops right back up and wants to try it again. Unfortunately, the injury is more than she thought, as the bull actually stepped on her. After a trip to the hospital, she discovers that her ankle isn't broken, but she has a brace on and is on crutches. She cannot do the final show, but the judges decide that she's done enough to move on in the competition.
The last thing the contestants have to do is during the actual show/event. But right before, they get a nice reward in the form of family member visits, and the family get to sit in the stands and watch them.
Michaela does really well on her turn, but Rommel ends up going in too early, and when he grabs the bull's horn while the rider is still on, the bull bucks and dislocates his shoulder, which they have to pop back in. Owwww. He's later shown in a sling.
Rie hadn't done the training with the other bull so she could rest her knee, but she ultimately decides to do the final step.
Ben engages the bull the most and is declared the best of the bunch.
Because there are fewer contestants, they're only doing the bottom two, who end up being Rie and Steven, because both were bad at protecting their riders.
The final competition is bull hockey, where two goals are set up on either side with a line in between stacks of hay, and the object is to defend your own goal while trying to score by getting the bull to run through the other person's goal. Rie almost manages to score, but the bull crosses Steven's goal sideways, and then Steven gets its attention and gets it to chase him straight through Rie's goal, scoring his win and eliminating Rie.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
"America's Toughest Jobs" - September 15, 2008 and September 19, 2008 episodes
September 15, 2008 episode
The contestants travel to Salinas, California, where their next job is going to be driving monster trucks as part of Monster Jam, and their boss is well-known Monster Jam driver Grave Digger. Rick is particularly excited since he's a long-time fan of Monster Jam, and he has idolized Grave Digger, so he's thrilled to be able to meet him and interact with him.
The first segment is driver training, where the contestants learn to drive the trucks and some of the safety lessons. Many do well, but a few run into snags. Chris finds that trucks are definitely not his forte as yet again, he screws up where a truck is concerned. There's a kill switch that can be hit which will remotely disengage the truck if the driver is doing something bad with it, and the drivers are told that if the kill switch is engaged, they should brake. On the first pass, Chris' truck is kill-switched, but he doesn't brake. He is specifically reminded that he needs to brake, but on the second pass, he is again kill-switched, and yet again, he fails to brake. And then, when he's called on it, he says he didn't know that's what they wanted him to do. He never seems to admit when he's made a mistake and just keeps arguing with the boss. Bryce has problems too when he jumps the gun and takes off while the red light is on, when there's still a judge nearby. The contestants are then divided into teams to do work on the trucks, and the team of Rick, Rie, Chris and Eric run into major problems when they're trying to change a tire on Grave Digger's truck and end up pushing the truck off a jack, mostly because of Rick's instructions, and destroying the jack in the process.
When they do their actual runs, many do quite well, but this time, Eric loses his focus for a minute and inexplicably goes before the light turns green. Unlike Chris, though, when he's called on it, he just admits that he did the wrong thing and takes his criticism, knowing he has no excuse.
The best of the bunch in this competition is Ben, and the bottom four end up being Eric, Bryce, Chris and Rick. The final competition is a run where the drivers have to try to make a maneuver that would effectively make the truck pop a wheelie with no ramp, sending the truck on a vertical leap. Eric goes first and doesn't do well on the first run but scores on the second run. Chris' first run goes really well, and Bryce has a great first run and a decent second run, even though he ends up flipping the truck on the second run, and he ends up with the best score. Unfortunately, long-time fan Rick isn't up to the task and doesn't succeed on either run, so he's the one eliminated.
September 19, 2008 episode
The contestants travel to Odessa, Texas, where their job will be to work on an oil rig as "worms", the term for newbie oil drillers. It's hard, dirty labor with heavy things to move and lift, all under a scorching 110 degree sun. Sandy gets right to work, but Chris fairly soon is exhausted and complaining about the pace Sandy is taking. Steven has his own problems when he puts his hands where he shouldn't, which could have ended up in disaster as he risked getting his fingers or hand sliced off by the machinery. Bryce expresses the opinion that he's at a disadvantage because he has muscles so people expect him to be able to do a lot. What he doesn't get isn't so much necessarily what he actually does, it's the effort he exerts. Other people have fewer muscles and perhaps less strength than him, but they certainly apply themselves more whereas he often takes the easy way out.
The second day, they're changing out the drill bit, and Eric has a hard time at one point while Chris' fear of heights hinders him when he has to climb 9 stories in a raging wind to get to his next task.
There is then a segment where the women and the men are talked to separately as a group, and the women say that they have to work harder to prove that they can keep up with the men, especially in a field dominated by men, whereas the men think the women are given much more credit for doing less, and Rommel even accuses Rie of flirting with the bosses to gain favor.
At the end of the first round, the title of best at the job goes jointly to Rommel and Rie. Meanwhile, the bottom four consist of Steven, Eric, Chris and Bryce. It's pointed out that in the past several tasks, no women have been in the bottom four, and Steven expresses the opinion that women get points for just showing up, but Sandy calls him on it by talking about how much more work she did and heavier things she carried than some of the men and that she could work circles around them, an opinion that the bosses had previously expressed to the camera. Steven does back down, but Chris insists that you need balls to do the job. When Steven jokingly points out that balls obviously don't help since the women don't have any, and they did the job better than the men, Chris pitches a fit and threatens to deck Steven, all the while insisting that you need balls to do the job. Yeah, dude, whatever, you're a pompous ass who never admits to doing anything wrong, even in the very face of evidence to the contrary. Sit your frickin' ass down. I'll be glad to see him go.
The competition for the bottom four is a series of three tasks that must be completed, and whoever takes the longest is out. Bryce goes first and ends up with the best score. So he can perform under pressure and when working by himself, but how is that any good when he refuses to work under normal circumstances and can't seem to work very well with other people? Steven ends up taking just a few seconds longer than Bryce. Next up is Eric, who has all the spirit and determination in the world, but unfortunately, his body doesn't cooperate as much as he'd like, and he takes a long time to finish. Last up is Chris, who seems to meander his way through the task, even walking from station to station, with no sense of urgency. Unfortunately, he ends up barely beating Eric's time, so Eric is the one eliminated.
Next week - it's a rodeo, and it looks brutal. I'm really liking this show a lot because even though there is some drama, the drama itself doesn't really affect the outcome. It's really just about how well you do the job. I'm really liking Sandy, with her attitude and spunk and willingness to give it her all. And I like that they didn't reveal until this episode that she's a lesbian in a long-term relationship. She makes the point herself that her sexual orientation has nothing to do with what she can do and how hard she can work, and the point was driven home in the previous episode when Grave Digger declared Ben as the best and how looks could really be deceiving if someone used that to pre-judge someone.
The contestants travel to Salinas, California, where their next job is going to be driving monster trucks as part of Monster Jam, and their boss is well-known Monster Jam driver Grave Digger. Rick is particularly excited since he's a long-time fan of Monster Jam, and he has idolized Grave Digger, so he's thrilled to be able to meet him and interact with him.
The first segment is driver training, where the contestants learn to drive the trucks and some of the safety lessons. Many do well, but a few run into snags. Chris finds that trucks are definitely not his forte as yet again, he screws up where a truck is concerned. There's a kill switch that can be hit which will remotely disengage the truck if the driver is doing something bad with it, and the drivers are told that if the kill switch is engaged, they should brake. On the first pass, Chris' truck is kill-switched, but he doesn't brake. He is specifically reminded that he needs to brake, but on the second pass, he is again kill-switched, and yet again, he fails to brake. And then, when he's called on it, he says he didn't know that's what they wanted him to do. He never seems to admit when he's made a mistake and just keeps arguing with the boss. Bryce has problems too when he jumps the gun and takes off while the red light is on, when there's still a judge nearby. The contestants are then divided into teams to do work on the trucks, and the team of Rick, Rie, Chris and Eric run into major problems when they're trying to change a tire on Grave Digger's truck and end up pushing the truck off a jack, mostly because of Rick's instructions, and destroying the jack in the process.
When they do their actual runs, many do quite well, but this time, Eric loses his focus for a minute and inexplicably goes before the light turns green. Unlike Chris, though, when he's called on it, he just admits that he did the wrong thing and takes his criticism, knowing he has no excuse.
The best of the bunch in this competition is Ben, and the bottom four end up being Eric, Bryce, Chris and Rick. The final competition is a run where the drivers have to try to make a maneuver that would effectively make the truck pop a wheelie with no ramp, sending the truck on a vertical leap. Eric goes first and doesn't do well on the first run but scores on the second run. Chris' first run goes really well, and Bryce has a great first run and a decent second run, even though he ends up flipping the truck on the second run, and he ends up with the best score. Unfortunately, long-time fan Rick isn't up to the task and doesn't succeed on either run, so he's the one eliminated.
September 19, 2008 episode
The contestants travel to Odessa, Texas, where their job will be to work on an oil rig as "worms", the term for newbie oil drillers. It's hard, dirty labor with heavy things to move and lift, all under a scorching 110 degree sun. Sandy gets right to work, but Chris fairly soon is exhausted and complaining about the pace Sandy is taking. Steven has his own problems when he puts his hands where he shouldn't, which could have ended up in disaster as he risked getting his fingers or hand sliced off by the machinery. Bryce expresses the opinion that he's at a disadvantage because he has muscles so people expect him to be able to do a lot. What he doesn't get isn't so much necessarily what he actually does, it's the effort he exerts. Other people have fewer muscles and perhaps less strength than him, but they certainly apply themselves more whereas he often takes the easy way out.
The second day, they're changing out the drill bit, and Eric has a hard time at one point while Chris' fear of heights hinders him when he has to climb 9 stories in a raging wind to get to his next task.
There is then a segment where the women and the men are talked to separately as a group, and the women say that they have to work harder to prove that they can keep up with the men, especially in a field dominated by men, whereas the men think the women are given much more credit for doing less, and Rommel even accuses Rie of flirting with the bosses to gain favor.
At the end of the first round, the title of best at the job goes jointly to Rommel and Rie. Meanwhile, the bottom four consist of Steven, Eric, Chris and Bryce. It's pointed out that in the past several tasks, no women have been in the bottom four, and Steven expresses the opinion that women get points for just showing up, but Sandy calls him on it by talking about how much more work she did and heavier things she carried than some of the men and that she could work circles around them, an opinion that the bosses had previously expressed to the camera. Steven does back down, but Chris insists that you need balls to do the job. When Steven jokingly points out that balls obviously don't help since the women don't have any, and they did the job better than the men, Chris pitches a fit and threatens to deck Steven, all the while insisting that you need balls to do the job. Yeah, dude, whatever, you're a pompous ass who never admits to doing anything wrong, even in the very face of evidence to the contrary. Sit your frickin' ass down. I'll be glad to see him go.
The competition for the bottom four is a series of three tasks that must be completed, and whoever takes the longest is out. Bryce goes first and ends up with the best score. So he can perform under pressure and when working by himself, but how is that any good when he refuses to work under normal circumstances and can't seem to work very well with other people? Steven ends up taking just a few seconds longer than Bryce. Next up is Eric, who has all the spirit and determination in the world, but unfortunately, his body doesn't cooperate as much as he'd like, and he takes a long time to finish. Last up is Chris, who seems to meander his way through the task, even walking from station to station, with no sense of urgency. Unfortunately, he ends up barely beating Eric's time, so Eric is the one eliminated.
Next week - it's a rodeo, and it looks brutal. I'm really liking this show a lot because even though there is some drama, the drama itself doesn't really affect the outcome. It's really just about how well you do the job. I'm really liking Sandy, with her attitude and spunk and willingness to give it her all. And I like that they didn't reveal until this episode that she's a lesbian in a long-term relationship. She makes the point herself that her sexual orientation has nothing to do with what she can do and how hard she can work, and the point was driven home in the previous episode when Grave Digger declared Ben as the best and how looks could really be deceiving if someone used that to pre-judge someone.
Monday, September 8, 2008
"America's Toughest Jobs" - September 8, 2008 episode
Still in Alaska, this time, they go to Girdwood, where the Crow Creek Mine is located. This week, the task is gold mining on a creek with 35 degree rushing water.
The first day of the challenge, they are taught the shovel and panning method and how to swirl their pans to get the dirt and sand and rocks out and to try to reveal any gold that might be present. Each of the contestants are working separately, and some take the time to move some really big rocks, under which is regarded to be fertile ground for gold. Phil has an inauspicious start when he slips and falls in the creek, but luckily, there were no other consequences other than losing a bucket. After a long day of working, it's time to pitch the tents for the night, but too many leaders and not enough followers cause problems, with tension rising between Rie and Bryce. The next morning, some of the contestants make breakfast, and some get firewood, but others, like Bryce, just stand around doing nothing. The contestants aren't just being judged on how much gold they find but also things like teamwork.
This second day, they'll be dredge mining, where a tube is used to suck out sand and clay into a fast rushing trough of water that will hopefully trap any gold pieces on the carpet at the bottom. Not all of the contestants are working hard, as Steven is seen slacking off and taking breaks for snacks. After the dredging, the contestants still have to pan through the dirt and sludge they've accumulated.
When the day is over, the two miners decide that the best of the bunch was Sandy for her great effort and willingness to work hard.
The bottom four, though, include Steven, Phil, Bryce and Ben. They will be using the dredge mining method, and the one who mines the least amount of gold in the alloted time will be kicked off.
However, before their final task, they get a surprise - each gets a satellite phone call from a loved one. Steven especially appreciates the opportunity because his mother had breast cancer and now has stomach cancer, and she is able to update him that her condition is steady at the moment.
They are then off to their task. The other contestants can't help, but they try to give moral and verbal support, though they're not as much of a help as they think they are. One by one, they retreat to the tents for sleep, but the four are working all night.
After the deadline the next morning, it's time to measure their gold. Ben goes first and receives the weight of his gold. Next up is Steven, who ends up getting the most gold out of all of them. Then, it's Bryce's turn, and he ends up with one-tenth of an ounce more gold than Ben. Last, it comes to Phil, who ended up with quite a bit less than Ben, so Phil is eliminated from the game, much to the dismay of many of the other contestants who liked him. They all say he was a hard worker, but hard work isn't all that's necessary in gold mining - you have to be able to coax the gold out of the rubble.
At the very end of the show, it was noted that Phil did not go back to his job as a pharmaceutical sales rep. Instead, probably because he did the best in last week's challenge, he ended up accepting a job as a long-haul truck driver in Alaska.
This was a pretty good episode. I had no idea they still really did gold mining, and using fairly old-fashioned methods too.
Bryce was being a complete ass this week. He was so cocky and said he worked just as hard as anyone else when it was obvious that he didn't. He's lucky he slipped by.
I was really surprised, though, that it was the bottom four that had the benefit of a luxury - of being able to speak to a family member when none of them have been able to. It seemed weird to reward the four worst performers of the challenge!
And Ben was just an idiot. Yeah, dude, they're prejudiced against dreadlocks, that's why they picked you. It wasn't that you weren't as good as most of the other people. Whatever.
But it was so cool at the end to find out that Phil ended up being an actual long-haul truck driver! Senta apparently didn't go back to her job either. I wonder how many of the contestants will end up having a career change because of this show.
Next week - monster trucks!
The first day of the challenge, they are taught the shovel and panning method and how to swirl their pans to get the dirt and sand and rocks out and to try to reveal any gold that might be present. Each of the contestants are working separately, and some take the time to move some really big rocks, under which is regarded to be fertile ground for gold. Phil has an inauspicious start when he slips and falls in the creek, but luckily, there were no other consequences other than losing a bucket. After a long day of working, it's time to pitch the tents for the night, but too many leaders and not enough followers cause problems, with tension rising between Rie and Bryce. The next morning, some of the contestants make breakfast, and some get firewood, but others, like Bryce, just stand around doing nothing. The contestants aren't just being judged on how much gold they find but also things like teamwork.
This second day, they'll be dredge mining, where a tube is used to suck out sand and clay into a fast rushing trough of water that will hopefully trap any gold pieces on the carpet at the bottom. Not all of the contestants are working hard, as Steven is seen slacking off and taking breaks for snacks. After the dredging, the contestants still have to pan through the dirt and sludge they've accumulated.
When the day is over, the two miners decide that the best of the bunch was Sandy for her great effort and willingness to work hard.
The bottom four, though, include Steven, Phil, Bryce and Ben. They will be using the dredge mining method, and the one who mines the least amount of gold in the alloted time will be kicked off.
However, before their final task, they get a surprise - each gets a satellite phone call from a loved one. Steven especially appreciates the opportunity because his mother had breast cancer and now has stomach cancer, and she is able to update him that her condition is steady at the moment.
They are then off to their task. The other contestants can't help, but they try to give moral and verbal support, though they're not as much of a help as they think they are. One by one, they retreat to the tents for sleep, but the four are working all night.
After the deadline the next morning, it's time to measure their gold. Ben goes first and receives the weight of his gold. Next up is Steven, who ends up getting the most gold out of all of them. Then, it's Bryce's turn, and he ends up with one-tenth of an ounce more gold than Ben. Last, it comes to Phil, who ended up with quite a bit less than Ben, so Phil is eliminated from the game, much to the dismay of many of the other contestants who liked him. They all say he was a hard worker, but hard work isn't all that's necessary in gold mining - you have to be able to coax the gold out of the rubble.
At the very end of the show, it was noted that Phil did not go back to his job as a pharmaceutical sales rep. Instead, probably because he did the best in last week's challenge, he ended up accepting a job as a long-haul truck driver in Alaska.
This was a pretty good episode. I had no idea they still really did gold mining, and using fairly old-fashioned methods too.
Bryce was being a complete ass this week. He was so cocky and said he worked just as hard as anyone else when it was obvious that he didn't. He's lucky he slipped by.
I was really surprised, though, that it was the bottom four that had the benefit of a luxury - of being able to speak to a family member when none of them have been able to. It seemed weird to reward the four worst performers of the challenge!
And Ben was just an idiot. Yeah, dude, they're prejudiced against dreadlocks, that's why they picked you. It wasn't that you weren't as good as most of the other people. Whatever.
But it was so cool at the end to find out that Phil ended up being an actual long-haul truck driver! Senta apparently didn't go back to her job either. I wonder how many of the contestants will end up having a career change because of this show.
Next week - monster trucks!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
"America's Toughest Jobs" - September 1, 2008 episode
Last week's series premiere explained that this show wasn't just a reality series - it was about real jobs. Contestants will be taking on real-life, difficult and dangerous jobs, and the one who survives to the end will win an amount equal to the combined salaries of all the jobs put together.
The challenge the first week was crab fishing, where they had to face very long hours, treacherous conditions and lots of heavy lifting. Two of the women, Michaela and Sandy, ended up being the best of each of their boats, showing more effort and determination than some of the men who didn't think that women belonged out there or would be able to handle the job. The bottom four performers as decided upon by the two ship captains had to go back out and were given a second chance to perform better. In the end, Senta was sent home because she kept saying she couldn't do a task or that she needed help constantly.
This week, the task was long-haul truck driving through the most dangerous terrain - the Dalton Highway in Alaska, up near the Arctic Circle. In Fairbanks, Alaska, the contestants were given truck driving lessons to obtain a driving permit. The task was going to consist of a two-day drive, 250 miles each day going north. The first leg was from Fairbanks to Coldfoot, Alaska. Half of the drivers drove that route (there were two drivers per truck, each with a certified instructor), and some had an easy time, while others had more difficulty with driving, especially down-shifting. Chris had such a bad time at one point that his time was cut short, and his instructor replaced him with the other driver.
The second day of the drive was from Coldfoot to Deadhorse, Alaska, and the other half of the drivers had to drive that route, including the Atigun Pass. To me, the division of the driving that way didn't seem fair, as the first leg of the drive, while still difficult, was nowhere near as difficult as the second leg, especially with having to go up and down Atigun Pass. That was different from the first challenge, where they each had to do the same duties. There were a couple of scary incidents, but everyone made it through ok. However, Chris didn't do any better this day than the previous. After his fellow driver made it over and down the Pass, the instructor decided to give Chris another chance and let him drive the rest of the way to Deadhorse. Chris was apparently still angry about the previous day, though his anger wasn't directed just at himself for screwing up, but also to the instructor for replacing him before his leg was up. Chris started calling the instructor names, and the instructor was not having it. What kind of an idiot is Chris that he doesn't know that with the kind of work these guys do, they were not going to put up with people talking crap to them, in their own truck no less? He ordered Chris to stop the truck, and he told the show staff that he didn't want Chris in his truck anymore, so Chris rode elsewhere. There were some people who screwed up on this challenge who knew they'd screwed up and took responsibility for it and just hoped others did worse, but there were others who just didn't seem to understand that they were the ones who had screwed up, and sometimes, screwed up big time.
Phil, Chris' driving partner, was declared to be the best of the group.
The bottom four this time were Amy, Bryce, Chris and Rommel. They had a competition where they had to back a truck into the dock within certain parameters, gaining penalty time if they ran over a cone, and then they had to unhitch the trailer and drive the cab past a certain point. The one who took the longest would be sent home.
Bryce went first but miscalculated so had to straighten himself out before he could back up again, and he took quite a bit of time, so he was worried. Next was Rommel, who did very well, beating Bryce's time by quite a bit. Next up was Chris, who had trouble controlling his rig, probably because he'd had relatively little driving time, and he ended up taking more time than Bryce. Last to go was Amy, who had been incensed when her driving partner Rie had admitted when asked that Amy didn't do very well. Amy apparently didn't think it was that big of a deal that her truck was out of control for a little while, and it was just because the instructor helped her through it that they made it out without any kind of harm or accident. Amy wasn't very good at the last challenge crab fishing either, so I was rooting for her to go. She backed up the truck fairly well, but she made one fatal error. Her cab was at too much of an angle, so when she tried to unhook the trailer, the pin wouldn't come out, no matter how hard and how long she tried. Finally, her time exceeded that of Chris, and she was eliminated. In Amy's final speech, she made some comment about not back-stabbing people. Ummm, yeah, ok, still sore that Rie told the truth, and by the way, so far at least, this is one reality show where it is literally impossible to back-stab someone. Your fortune lies entirely on the merit (or demerit) of your performance. People can talk all they want (though Rie didn't volunteer the information - she was asked), but ultimately the decisions come from the professionals who are witnessing the contestants' performances.
Just for interests' sake, I found this great collection of pictures from Arctic Alaska.
And here's video of what it's like to drive Atigun Pass on Dalton Highway.
Next week's challenge is also in Alaska - gold mining.
The challenge the first week was crab fishing, where they had to face very long hours, treacherous conditions and lots of heavy lifting. Two of the women, Michaela and Sandy, ended up being the best of each of their boats, showing more effort and determination than some of the men who didn't think that women belonged out there or would be able to handle the job. The bottom four performers as decided upon by the two ship captains had to go back out and were given a second chance to perform better. In the end, Senta was sent home because she kept saying she couldn't do a task or that she needed help constantly.
This week, the task was long-haul truck driving through the most dangerous terrain - the Dalton Highway in Alaska, up near the Arctic Circle. In Fairbanks, Alaska, the contestants were given truck driving lessons to obtain a driving permit. The task was going to consist of a two-day drive, 250 miles each day going north. The first leg was from Fairbanks to Coldfoot, Alaska. Half of the drivers drove that route (there were two drivers per truck, each with a certified instructor), and some had an easy time, while others had more difficulty with driving, especially down-shifting. Chris had such a bad time at one point that his time was cut short, and his instructor replaced him with the other driver.
The second day of the drive was from Coldfoot to Deadhorse, Alaska, and the other half of the drivers had to drive that route, including the Atigun Pass. To me, the division of the driving that way didn't seem fair, as the first leg of the drive, while still difficult, was nowhere near as difficult as the second leg, especially with having to go up and down Atigun Pass. That was different from the first challenge, where they each had to do the same duties. There were a couple of scary incidents, but everyone made it through ok. However, Chris didn't do any better this day than the previous. After his fellow driver made it over and down the Pass, the instructor decided to give Chris another chance and let him drive the rest of the way to Deadhorse. Chris was apparently still angry about the previous day, though his anger wasn't directed just at himself for screwing up, but also to the instructor for replacing him before his leg was up. Chris started calling the instructor names, and the instructor was not having it. What kind of an idiot is Chris that he doesn't know that with the kind of work these guys do, they were not going to put up with people talking crap to them, in their own truck no less? He ordered Chris to stop the truck, and he told the show staff that he didn't want Chris in his truck anymore, so Chris rode elsewhere. There were some people who screwed up on this challenge who knew they'd screwed up and took responsibility for it and just hoped others did worse, but there were others who just didn't seem to understand that they were the ones who had screwed up, and sometimes, screwed up big time.
Phil, Chris' driving partner, was declared to be the best of the group.
The bottom four this time were Amy, Bryce, Chris and Rommel. They had a competition where they had to back a truck into the dock within certain parameters, gaining penalty time if they ran over a cone, and then they had to unhitch the trailer and drive the cab past a certain point. The one who took the longest would be sent home.
Bryce went first but miscalculated so had to straighten himself out before he could back up again, and he took quite a bit of time, so he was worried. Next was Rommel, who did very well, beating Bryce's time by quite a bit. Next up was Chris, who had trouble controlling his rig, probably because he'd had relatively little driving time, and he ended up taking more time than Bryce. Last to go was Amy, who had been incensed when her driving partner Rie had admitted when asked that Amy didn't do very well. Amy apparently didn't think it was that big of a deal that her truck was out of control for a little while, and it was just because the instructor helped her through it that they made it out without any kind of harm or accident. Amy wasn't very good at the last challenge crab fishing either, so I was rooting for her to go. She backed up the truck fairly well, but she made one fatal error. Her cab was at too much of an angle, so when she tried to unhook the trailer, the pin wouldn't come out, no matter how hard and how long she tried. Finally, her time exceeded that of Chris, and she was eliminated. In Amy's final speech, she made some comment about not back-stabbing people. Ummm, yeah, ok, still sore that Rie told the truth, and by the way, so far at least, this is one reality show where it is literally impossible to back-stab someone. Your fortune lies entirely on the merit (or demerit) of your performance. People can talk all they want (though Rie didn't volunteer the information - she was asked), but ultimately the decisions come from the professionals who are witnessing the contestants' performances.
Just for interests' sake, I found this great collection of pictures from Arctic Alaska.
And here's video of what it's like to drive Atigun Pass on Dalton Highway.
Next week's challenge is also in Alaska - gold mining.
Monday, September 1, 2008
2008 fall television season
Since today is Labor Day, that means it's September, and September means that the start of the new fall TV season is imminently upon us. Here's a run-down of the shows that I plan to be watching this year, which means, unless I get another really bad case of writer's block when it comes to TV shows, these are the shows I will be blogging about.
America's Toughest Jobs - Monday, 9pm, NBC - I really don't need another reality show to watch, but the previews for this show intrigued me enough to watch the first episode. I like that this show isn't just about made-up challenges - the challenges are actual jobs that the contestants have to do, and these aren't run-of-the-mill desk jobs. The first episode involved going out on crabbing boats and being on the water for 24 hours with very few breaks and amazing swells and lots of heavy ropes and cages to lift and sorting through crabs and just a ton of work. It definitely made me appreciate all the work that crabbers have to go through, and it made me annoyed with the people who just wouldn't do the work. I did think it was funny that the person on each team who did the best was a woman, especially since some of the guys had been smack-talking about how it was hard work and it was no place for girls to be. Yeah, dude, shut up and just do the work. They've shown previews of the other jobs/challenges that will be coming up, so I'm looking forward to seeing more.
90210 - series premiere Tuesday, Sept. 2, 8pm, CW - I loved the old "Beverly Hills 90210" show, so I'm going to give this new show a shot. I'm not sure I'm still going to be interested in high school antics, but we'll see. If nothing else, I have to see what they do with Kelly's and Donna's characters.
Kitchen Nightmares - season premiere Thursday, Sept. 4, 8pm, Fox - I have to remember not to eat while watching this show, or at least not look at the screen too closely, but I like this alternate side of Gordon Ramsay. The first episode, showing this week, is supposed to revisit some of the restaurants featured on previous shows, to see what has happened to those restaurants since the shows aired. That should be interesting to see.
Hole in the Wall - series premiere Sunday, Sept. 7, 8pm, Fox - This is the American version of the Japanese show Human Tetris. I've been looking forward to seeing this, though I'm not actually sure how long it's going to be able to retain my interest since the games will be fairly repetitive. But maybe watching people trying to contort themself without having to think too hard about the show might be a nice weekly break.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - season premiere Monday, Sept. 8, 8pm, Fox - I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the new season of this show. The end of last season was quite explosive, literally, so I want to see how they explain some of the new developments.
Fringe - series premiere Tuesday, Sept. 9, 8pm, Fox - I'm not entirely sure what the show is about, and I haven't even really seen a trailer for the show, but seeing the billboards has intrigued me. I'm not particularly in the J.J. Abrams fan club, but I'm curious enough to give this show a try.
The Big Bang Theory - season premiere Monday, Sept. 22, 8pm, CBS - I'm looking forward to seeing the show this season, to see where they take the Penny/Leonard thing, and to hopefully see them build on the great start from last year. This is my only sitcom this year, so I need it to provide me with lots of laughs.
Heroes - season premiere Monday, Sept. 22, 9pm, NBC - They've already told us what to expect this year by subtitling the show "Villains", and apparently, Nikki isn't so much dead. I didn't think last season was as good as the first season, but I'm still liking the show, and the previews look great.
Knight Rider - series premiere Wednesday, Sept. 24, 8pm, NBC - I enjoyed the movie earlier this year, so I'm glad the show got picked up. Go, Justin Bruening! Looking forward to seeing this show.
Survivor: Gabon - season premiere Thursday, Sept. 25, 8pm, CBS - I've been watching the show now since the end of the first season, but I actually haven't decided whether I'm going to be watching this season. I've gotten a little tired of it, so it will probably be a matter of whether the previews interest me and if the first couple of episodes make me invested enough to keep watching. Sometimes, the people are just too stupid and aggravating to me for me to enjoy the show.
Desperate Housewives - season premiere Sunday, Sept. 28, 9pm, ABC - Since the new season continues the five-years-ahead jump that ended the last season, I'm interested in seeing what all the new developments are, especially since Edie didn't leave like I thought she had.
There are two other shows that I'm looking forward to seeing, but they won't be on for a while.
24 - Yes, the stupid writers' strike meant that last season didn't happen at all, so I have to wait until January 2009 for the new season to start, though there's supposed to be a movie in November, I think. Need to see Jack Bauer again!
Dollhouse - The show isn't currently on Fox's schedule, but it's expected to start airing probably sometime in January. The premise sounds interesting, and I like both Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku, so I've definitely got to give the show a try.
These are the shows that I'll be watching, and here's an article that has the season/series premiere dates for all the returning and new fall TV shows so you can find the ones you're interested in.
America's Toughest Jobs - Monday, 9pm, NBC - I really don't need another reality show to watch, but the previews for this show intrigued me enough to watch the first episode. I like that this show isn't just about made-up challenges - the challenges are actual jobs that the contestants have to do, and these aren't run-of-the-mill desk jobs. The first episode involved going out on crabbing boats and being on the water for 24 hours with very few breaks and amazing swells and lots of heavy ropes and cages to lift and sorting through crabs and just a ton of work. It definitely made me appreciate all the work that crabbers have to go through, and it made me annoyed with the people who just wouldn't do the work. I did think it was funny that the person on each team who did the best was a woman, especially since some of the guys had been smack-talking about how it was hard work and it was no place for girls to be. Yeah, dude, shut up and just do the work. They've shown previews of the other jobs/challenges that will be coming up, so I'm looking forward to seeing more.
90210 - series premiere Tuesday, Sept. 2, 8pm, CW - I loved the old "Beverly Hills 90210" show, so I'm going to give this new show a shot. I'm not sure I'm still going to be interested in high school antics, but we'll see. If nothing else, I have to see what they do with Kelly's and Donna's characters.
Kitchen Nightmares - season premiere Thursday, Sept. 4, 8pm, Fox - I have to remember not to eat while watching this show, or at least not look at the screen too closely, but I like this alternate side of Gordon Ramsay. The first episode, showing this week, is supposed to revisit some of the restaurants featured on previous shows, to see what has happened to those restaurants since the shows aired. That should be interesting to see.
Hole in the Wall - series premiere Sunday, Sept. 7, 8pm, Fox - This is the American version of the Japanese show Human Tetris. I've been looking forward to seeing this, though I'm not actually sure how long it's going to be able to retain my interest since the games will be fairly repetitive. But maybe watching people trying to contort themself without having to think too hard about the show might be a nice weekly break.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - season premiere Monday, Sept. 8, 8pm, Fox - I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the new season of this show. The end of last season was quite explosive, literally, so I want to see how they explain some of the new developments.
Fringe - series premiere Tuesday, Sept. 9, 8pm, Fox - I'm not entirely sure what the show is about, and I haven't even really seen a trailer for the show, but seeing the billboards has intrigued me. I'm not particularly in the J.J. Abrams fan club, but I'm curious enough to give this show a try.
The Big Bang Theory - season premiere Monday, Sept. 22, 8pm, CBS - I'm looking forward to seeing the show this season, to see where they take the Penny/Leonard thing, and to hopefully see them build on the great start from last year. This is my only sitcom this year, so I need it to provide me with lots of laughs.
Heroes - season premiere Monday, Sept. 22, 9pm, NBC - They've already told us what to expect this year by subtitling the show "Villains", and apparently, Nikki isn't so much dead. I didn't think last season was as good as the first season, but I'm still liking the show, and the previews look great.
Knight Rider - series premiere Wednesday, Sept. 24, 8pm, NBC - I enjoyed the movie earlier this year, so I'm glad the show got picked up. Go, Justin Bruening! Looking forward to seeing this show.
Survivor: Gabon - season premiere Thursday, Sept. 25, 8pm, CBS - I've been watching the show now since the end of the first season, but I actually haven't decided whether I'm going to be watching this season. I've gotten a little tired of it, so it will probably be a matter of whether the previews interest me and if the first couple of episodes make me invested enough to keep watching. Sometimes, the people are just too stupid and aggravating to me for me to enjoy the show.
Desperate Housewives - season premiere Sunday, Sept. 28, 9pm, ABC - Since the new season continues the five-years-ahead jump that ended the last season, I'm interested in seeing what all the new developments are, especially since Edie didn't leave like I thought she had.
There are two other shows that I'm looking forward to seeing, but they won't be on for a while.
24 - Yes, the stupid writers' strike meant that last season didn't happen at all, so I have to wait until January 2009 for the new season to start, though there's supposed to be a movie in November, I think. Need to see Jack Bauer again!
Dollhouse - The show isn't currently on Fox's schedule, but it's expected to start airing probably sometime in January. The premise sounds interesting, and I like both Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku, so I've definitely got to give the show a try.
These are the shows that I'll be watching, and here's an article that has the season/series premiere dates for all the returning and new fall TV shows so you can find the ones you're interested in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
