SYTYCD S8: Top 8 Results

Sorry for the delay on this wrap up of this week's results, friends! My family has been in town and it's been busy busy times. That being said, I got to watch the results show just now, so here we go.

First of all, I just have to say that perhaps my wildest dreams came true in terms of eliminations tonight. Jordan and Jess! What! To be perfectly frank, I was expecting it to be Ricky, but he got a save from the voting public in that he wasn't even in the bottom two guys at all. Instead, it was the awesome Tadd. Really, America? Tadd in the bottom?! I know he had kind of a lackluster ballroom dance, but after seeing his amazing solo tonight, how can you even doubt he belongs there?

Ahem. Okay, my Tadd rant is over. Also in the bottom four was Caitlynn, which was no surprise considering the only other two girls left are Melanie and Sasha, and they aren't going anywhere. It seemed like Jordan was pretty much expecting the results tonight, and instead of going home in tears, she went home smiling. So, to reiterate:

Bottom:
Jordan
Caitlynn
Jess
Tadd

Out:
Jordan
Jess

A couple final notes... The league of extraordinary dancers were pretty freakin' extraordinary, I must say. That was all kinds of awesome.

Did you all see Mark dancing with Gaga? Yep, in case you didn't know, he's been on her tour for a while now, and that's why he hasn't returned as an all-star this season. Good for him, sad for us. At least we got to see a little bit of him tonight!

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SYTYCD S8: Top 8 Perform

It's funny, the judges basically declared exactly who I think should be in the top four tonight as their favorites. Psychic powers! Not really, just paying attention to the best dancers.

Joining Nigel and Mary on the judging panel tonight were Rob Marshall and Lady Gaga. Now I wasn't sure what sort of judge Gaga was going to be on a dancing show, but she actually had some good comments, with maybe some inadvertent choreographer disses thrown in too, ha. But hey, that's refreshing when all they usually do is lavish praise. Not that the choreographers don't deserve praise, they definitely do when they have to pull out so many routines in so little time and adjust depending on what dancers they get.

Okay enough rambling. Let's get on to the dancing! Tonight was finally what I (and others) had wanted - one dance with an all star and one dance with a fellow contestant. And we're off....

Sasha and Pasha - What's this? Sasha in a, gasp, dress?! Can it be? It's like they heard me wondering whether she would ever be in a dress! Let's just forget about that unfortunate headband thing because it's better that way. She and Pasha had a Jonathan Roberts quickstep. This dance is usually the kiss of death on this show, but it was a lot more spunky than we usually see. I think the choreographers have caught on that the ballroom numbers can't be too formal or they won't get votes. I did note that the final lift seemed kind of wonky, though.

Caitlynn and Ivan - I just want to take a moment and reflect on how awesome Ivan was in this Marty Kudelka choreographed hip hop piece. He was just so smooth, I loved him. But I'm supposed to be talking about Caitlynn, right? Caitlynn had some moves on her too, but I found my focus constantly shifting back to Ivan the whole time. If it weren't for another girl in the competition, I would say this was Caitlynn's final week, but I think she has one more week in her.

Jordan and Ade - Oh, speak of the devil! Yes, Jordan is the other girl I was talking about above. She and Ade had a Tyce Diorio jazz piece that the judges had a lot of praise for, but I just wasn't feeling it. I thought it was sort of boring and did not like the music choice at all. I was baffled by a lot of the music choices tonight, actually. I feel like the judges were sort of just making it up to Tyce after last week or the week before when they were sort of ragging on him. Whatever. Not good enough in my eyes.

Melanie and Neil - When I first turned on my TV to start the show, this piece was playing, and all I really heard was the music. I said to myself, "Mandy Moore!" and I was right. Lady is predictable with her '80s music stylings! I think we can all agree the best part of this dance was when Melanie ran across that floor and just jumped into his arms with complete abandon. Otherwise it felt very regular contemporary. Maybe that's just because I've seen so many of these types of routines on this show over the years. I'm becoming jaded?! Oh no. But as Rob said, there's something poetic about Melanie's movement, and that was not lost in this performance.

Ricky and Anya - These two had a Jason Gilkison jive number, and it was another one that I was having some serious music choice concerns over. So much love for Celine Dion on this show! Couldn't they have just gone with the original River Deep Mountain High? Two Tina Turners in one night would be too much maybe? In ANY event, the number did pick up the pace as it went on and became more interesting, but overall I don't know. The lifts felt really labored. And trust me, I'm not just repeating what Mary and Nigel said, it just so happens that I wrote both those things down before they said them. It's my psychic powers, you see. Why can't my psychic powers apply to things other than So You Think You Can Dance? The world may never know.

Jess and Lauren G. - I've got to confess, I barely even paid attention to this number. It was a NapTab hip hop piece that the judges again heaped a lot of praise on (except for Gaga, who wondered at the need for a prop!), and again I wasn't feeling it. Of course this may partly be because I am just not the biggest Jess fan. Gasp! I'm not a Jess fan! This has not been obvious at all! For real, though. All I really wrote was, "blah blah."

Tadd and Lauren F. - The case of the dropped hat. It was totally hilarious watching Tadd play around with an invisible hat once he lost his. I have some sympathy in the hat losing department, as that once happened to me on stage during a dance number. What's this? I used to dance? Um, a looooooong time ago, don't get too excited. But I did lose my hat and have to come back and get it afterward, which the audience applauded and made me turn bright red. Guess how old I was! ANYWAY. Sorry, narcissistic moment there. It's too bad, though, that the hat was dropped, because otherwise I really liked this Mandy Moore jazz piece (which featured another song from the '80s, no less!). Tadd just has a certain smoothness to him, an adaptability that is rare, it's great.

Marko and Allison - These two had a Sonya Tayeh contemporary piece that brought a lot of tears to the house. It was certainly beautiful, but I must admit, my eyes were drawn to Allison the whole time. There's something about her dancing that is just so magnetic. Nothing against Marko, but it's hard for anyone to outshine her when she's doing her thing. This piece had a lot of personal meaning for Marko, though, and that came through in his dancing as well.

Caitlynn and Tadd - In the first of the paired couples, Caitlynn and Tadd had a Jonathan Roberts foxtrot. My notes say something along the lines of it being perfectly serviceable but not a number that will get a lot of votes. The understated ballroom pieces are just hard to get truly excited about, even though that's not necessarily fair. But it just didn't quite have that extra something to make it very memorable.

Marko and Ricky - I think I might have just said only last week how I wanted to see Marko do a hip hop number, and lo! Lo and behold! Here he is with a NapTab one! And he was just as good at it as I thought he would be. Ricky was fine, but I didn't think he got as down and dirty with it as he could have. But then he's just so tall and lanky that it's hard for him to look down and dirty.

Jordan and Jess - Easily my least favorite dance of the evening. They had a rumba from Jason Gilkison, and while the choreography itself was perfectly fine, I felt absolutely no connection between the two of them. Jess was certainly trying, but Jordan only seemed to be concerned with looking out into the audience. Um, not when the dance is supposed to be about how you are too into him! Just saying. I can only hope that it lands them in the bottom tomorrow.

Sasha and Melanie - Oh yes. I said to myself at the beginning of the show, "what if it's Sasha and Melanie together? Unstoppable!" And I was not wrong, especially not when they were handed a Sonya Tayeh jazz number. Match made in heaven! It was just everything you wanted it to be, and the reaction to it all made me believe that Sonya and Gaga may be sort of soul mates. Definitely the routine of the night. I think these two ladies might be the top two come finale time!

My prediction for who's going home tomorrow: Jordan and Ricky. Joining them in the bottom will be Caitlynn and, I hope, Jess. If it's Tadd, I will weep. Not really, but I will be annoyed.

As a note to anyone who cares, I may not be able to post my usual wrap up on the results tomorrow night. My family is coming into town and I'm going to be busy busy!

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Supernatural: Most Controversial Characters (Seasons 1-6)

The Supernatural fandom is nothing if not passionate. Vocally passionate. About everything from plot details to Sam's hair to the subject of this particular post: recurring characters. For the most part, we're a fandom of love. But sometimes there are characters that, for whatever reason, get people fired up, and not necessarily in a good way. A character you hate and a character you love to hate are two very different things.

The characters in this list are ones that seemed to have inspired the most passionate love/hate from fans. You will notice that a certain gender seems to dominate this list. What does that say about the fans? Hmm. Hmmmmm.

Castiel

A lot of people love Castiel, but lest you forget, a lot of people also hate the whole angel storyline, and therefore are not so big fans of Cas. Those that are not so big fans of Cas, I think, don't like that he detracts from the true love story of the series - the bro love of Sam and Dean. But hey, you know Sam will always come before Castiel for Dean, you guys. Especially now that Cas isn't entirely Cas anymore. What's to become of him this next season? Who knows.

Lisa and Ben

Personally, I was always a fan of Lisa and Ben. They represented the life that Dean always secretly wanted, and let him have it for a while. That relationship did make for some awkward fits and starts in the sixth season, though, so I can understand how people were more or less relieved to see their story wrap up. But you can't deny that the way it all ended was heartbreaking. 

Jo

Jo is an interesting one. When she first came on the show, it was so blatant that they were trying to make her a love interest for Dean, and there was just so little chemistry that it just all felt sort of... hinky. Eventually this was remedied to be more of a one-way interest, except for that part where Dean kissed her before she died, you know. Then it didn't seem as weird. What? Huh? A few years makes a difference, apparently! Like I said, an interesting transformation. Beginning: no one much likes her. End: everyone loves her and is sad to see her go. Go figure.

Ghostfacers

Oh, Ghostfacers. Myself, I love the Ghostfacers. I thought that whole episode was genius and I find them really hilarious. Others, for some reason, seem to hate them. I don't know if it's because in their episode Sam and Dean weren't the main focus, and that makes some fans nutso, or what. But come on! The theme song alone! It remains to be seen whether they will make a reappearance, though they did get their own mini web show you can find online somewhere.

Bela

Here's the thing about Bela. Her introduction was awesome, but somehow after that her antagonistic flirtations seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. Maybe it was because she wasn't a very sympathetic character, or maybe fans just hate women, even though they're like 80% women themselves. Self-haters? In any event, Bela's backstory, that may have warmed people up to her, came way late in the game, perhaps too late to redeem her in fans' eyes. Plus she was in that horrible ship episode, and we all like to forget that one, even Kripke.

Ruby

You knew this one was coming. Ruby is perhaps the most controversial character ever to grace the Supernatural series. But what's really interesting is this: most people did not like Ruby from the start, in season three, when Katie Cassidy was playing her. Then the strangest thing happened. Come season four, Genevieve Cortese (now Padalecki!) took over the job, and suddenly everyone was saying they loved old Ruby and hated new Ruby. Innnnteresting. And to be perfectly honest, I kind of find myself in that camp. It's nothing against Genevieve, I guess what we didn't like was that she didn't seem like the same character, and as I've heard Genevieve say, that was what they wanted her to do. So... it's not her fault, people. Nonetheless, everyone cheered when Ruby was killed. You know you did too.

Time to vote for who you think is/are the most controversial character(s)!
Don't worry, I've got some more ridiculous lists coming up. Like the best Dean eating scenes. You know there are a lot of those!

For my past top ten lists: click here.

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Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Oh Costco and your huge portions of food. I see a flat of bright red raspberries and I just can't resist. I mean, seriously, how pretty are they?

The answer is: very pretty. Perty even.

Thus, with many a raspberry coming out of my ears, I went searching for some recipes. This buttermilk cake was the first one that I had the other necessary ingredients for, so it won out. There's also this other cream pie one that looks delectable, but I did not have about, oh, 40% of the ingredients, and one trip to a grocery store in a day is enough for me. Seriously, grocery shopping? I kinda hate it.

On to the recipe!

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
(via Smitten Kitchen)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup (5 ounces) fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool until just warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

In photos:

Butter and sugar mixed together.

With the vanilla and egg.

And the buttermilk and flour all mixed in.

Oooh pretty raspberries!

With some sugar on top.

Uh oh, all of my raspberries sank to the bottom! The lines are from the wire rack I set it on. Oh well. If you don't want your berries to sink, you can try tossing them in some flour first.

Even though the berries sank, it still tastes great. It's one where you're not sure how much you like it at first, then you find yourself going back for more and more.

Would also taste great with some whipped cream on top, if you're feeling fancy.

SYTYCD S8: Top 10 Results

Tonight was a night of absolutely no surprises whatsoever, apart from maybe the fact that apparently the judges are still the ones dealing eliminations instead of it just being by the votes only? Isn't it supposed to be that way at this point? Because honestly why else claim that it's America's favorite dancer if it's never really our actual votes? Just sayin'.

I can also say with certainty that I am plum sick of solos. Maybe it's because the same people keep having to do solos every week, I don't know, but dang. I'm done with 'em. Please tell me in next week's performance show we don't have to be subjected to them all again? Pretty please? I'd much rather see two partner dances.

Speaking of partner dances, the all star line up is apparently changing week to week this season, and next week's will feature: Ivan, Jaimie, Anya, Pasha, Lauren G., Neil, Ade, and Lauren F. I thought it was pretty funny that Anya & Pasha were just billed together rather than separately. Are they an actual couple or just dance partners? The world wants to know.

Anyway, on to the results of the evening. The two guys and two girls in the bottom four were:

Mitchell
Clarice
Ricky
Jordan

And I think from that lineup alone it's pretty easy to tell who was let go - Mitchell and Clarice. I am not saddened at all, to be perfectly honest, and unless something crazy happens next week, I expect it will be Ricky and Jordan sent home.

That's it for another week, dance fans! Can you believe it's only 3 weeks until the top four?! Crazy.

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SYTYCD S8: Top 10 Perform

Tonight's show was the first time we've seen the dancers split from their original partnerships. They had two performances - one with an all-star, and one solo. I was rather hoping they'd have an all-star dance and another duet with someone else in the top 10, but maybe that is coming in the next weeks? I can understand wanting to do solos, so that the people who've never been in the bottom three can show their individual styles.

In the spirit of solos, I'm going to go through the performances in solo order. How many times can I say solo? Solo solo solo! Han Solo! Ok, it's starting to lose any meaning. Let's get this party started.

Sasha - I literally almost just typed solo again. Sasha KILLED it tonight. As perhaps Lil C would say, her solo demonstrated an organic musicality of movement, making it easily the best solo of the night. At least for me. That's the kind of solo I enjoy (solo!). For her all-star dance, she was partnered up with fan favorite tWitch for a Chris Scott hip hop piece that was, to put it bluntly, awesome. My favorite of the night, easily. No offense to Alexander, but hello! Now that is what partner chemistry should look like. They were totally in sync. Great. Love it.

Jess - Now it's no secret that I have not been a big Jess fan. What's funny is that I remember really liking him when he auditioned, but then he quickly became muggy muggerson, which, funnily enough, guest judge Neil Patrick Harris most dutifully pointed out. His solo was a lot of leaps and bounds and a cute flirtation with Cat at the end, but while that was more what we've come to expect from him, his partner dance with all-star Kathryn in a Stacey Tookey contemporary piece was anything but. It was definitely his best performance on the show to date, but that doesn't mean I've changed my mind really, because Kathryn was the lead of that number, and my eyes were constantly drawn to her.

Melanie - Melanie started the night with a quiet, controlled solo with an interesting version of a song I have since forgotten but know was from Grease. I think. While not the most showy of solos, it was very her. For her partner dance, she was teamed up with ballroom king Pasha in a Jason Gilkison Viennese waltz. Uh oh, the Viennese waltz? Like NPH said, it can often be a recipe for disaster, but not for these two. They floated across the stage. The floatiness was probably aided by the nature of her dress, which I was coveting, but yes. It looked effortless, which that type of waltz rarely does on the show, so props indeed.

Ricky - While I felt like Ricky's solo was just more of the same that we've seen from him in his other solos, his partner piece with all-star Allison actually made me take notice of him in a much more positive way. And, not to go quoting NPH again, but I can't help it if he says things that I'm also thinking! Anyway, he said how he's had a hard time connecting to Ricky because he's so lean and that's just his nice way of saying his movement is more feminine than the other guys on the show, which I distinctly remember voicing awhile ago. But hey, in the Tyce Diorio jazz piece they had about nightmares, he was strong and for once actually had a partner I felt he connected with. I actually really enjoyed it, which is more than I can say for the other Tyce piece of the night. But oh, we're not there yet? Okay okay.

Clarice - Clarice has been something of a blank slate for me this entire season, and I'm not entirely sure she isn't still, but as my notes say, she was workin' it in her solo. Second best solo of the night behind Sasha's, in my humble opinion. Her partner dance was a Nakul choreographed Bollywood piece with all-star Robert. It was certainly a high energy piece that they both danced well, but I'm still not sure I was getting much of a connection with her. Am I alone in this, or will she be the girl going home tomorrow?

Mitchell - Poor Mitchell was really the only dancer of the night to not get great reviews from the judges on his all-star dance, which was a Tyce Diorio Broadway jazz piece in which he was partnered with all-star Melody. While they danced it okay, I have to agree that it's pretty much forgettable. There was some not so subtle dissing of Tyce going on, but you know what? His Broadway dances are hardly ever any good, and I'd say about 80% of the time it's because of the music. I know it's supposed to have Broadway music, but something always grates me. Anyway, Mitchell did not really help himself much with his solo, particularly not with those white shorts that bunched up to make him look like he was wearing diapers. Since he's already been in the bottom three a couple times, his outlook does not look so great come tomorrow.

Jordan - Even though Jordan is not my favorite dancer of this season, I have to say that tonight was one of her best nights, if not the best. Her solo wasn't overly sexualized, even though she did still put in some of those leg extensions she so loves. But it was quiet and more heartfelt than I feel like we've seen from her. And maybe that was partially inspired by her contemporary piece she had with all-star Brandon, choreographed by Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richardson. Except, you know, still a lot of leg extending stuff. Because ever since someone mentioned she does those all the time, I can't help but notice it. Still, it was a strong piece, but I'm not sure it was memorable enough to keep her out of the bottom, seeing as I can hardly remember anything about it right now.

Tadd - Now Tadd, Tadd knows how to work a solo. Everyone should take a note from his, because for real, they are great. Part of that has to do with the humor factor, which obviously is easier for a b-boy type to pull off in a solo, but you can also tell that he has planned the whole thing. It moves with the music and ends at the right time. Love it. For his partner piece, he was teamed up with all-star Comfort for a Chuck Maldonado hip hop number. I'm going to be completely honest and say that while I love Tadd, I was not so in love with this piece. I think it was because Busta Rhymes just raps so fast, it was hard to concentrate on anything but the music behind the dancing, which didn't seem to keep up with the rapping. I know it kept up with the beat behind it all, but it felt slow regardless. But whoa, Busta. That is some rapping skillz.

Caitlynn - You know, I like Caitlynn. I feel like she's been something of a dark horse this season. Of course, her solos could really use some work. Maybe instead of always picking an intense song and flailing about, she could pick something more understated and make the movement more meaningful. Take her partner dance, for example. She was teamed up with Pasha for a Miriam and Leonardo tango that was all about subtlety and sensuality. It was slow, but in an intense way that built as it went. She also looked gorgeous, I mean, come on. The lifts were also great, there was some around the back thing with the legs held in place that I really liked. If there could be three girls in the top four, she might squeak past one of my favorite guys.

Marko - We all know that I love Marko, but while the judges gave him a lot of praise for his opening piece with all-star Chelsie, I honestly felt like it wasn't that great. It was a samba choreographed by Jason Gilkison, and to me some of his footwork felt off, but then what do I know about ballroom type dancing? Not a lot. Chelsie looked great, though, so if I can notice a difference, that must mean something, right? No? I'm full of crap. FINE. Marko's solo, however, was the best contemporary guy solo of the night, though. But maybe that's just because it's the first solo of his that we've seen on the show! I have contemporary solo fatigue from the other guys, ha. Seriously, though, it was quite lovely, and I liked his little groove thing at the end. It made me really want to see him attack a hip hop number. Pretty please?

You know, I've already picked out who I think should be in the top four. Inevitably whenever I do that, one of my favorites gets ousted right at the end and someone I hate gets put in instead, so maybe I shouldn't even talk about it. But what the hell. My top four, in no real order: Sasha, Melanie, Marko and Tadd. Who are yours? Who do you think will be sent packing tomorrow? Does Mitchell stand a chance?

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Supernatural: Sam's Hair Through the Seasons (Seasons 1-6)

Since I did a great many lists last summer, counting down the top episodes and such, this year I'm going to do some sillier ones. Unless you want me to go back and update the old ones. If that's the case, leave me a comment and let me know. Otherwise, it's going to be more, um, creative rankings.

Like, for instance, Sam's hair. Sam's hair is practically a character unto itself on Supernatural. Once a proud wearer of emo bangs, Sam's hair has slowly evolved over the seasons to become something more of a long mop. Unlike Dean, who always has the closely shorn, sometimes sorta spiky hair. Wouldn't it be weird to see them with reversed hair?! We would all die of shock, I'm sure.

Anyway. Here are my rankings. This is probably going to be one of the more subjective lists I've done, as everyone has different opinions and preferences for hair.

6. Season Five

 

His hair was under control at the beginning of the season, but got completely wacky long by the end. All I wanted was for him to get a haircut. Yeah, yeah, they're fighting the oncoming apocalypse and don't have time, blah blah. But Dean's hair is still short. And he has time to shave every day and get his sideburns just so. Man, those sideburns too! Am I wrong or did they seem to extend further into his face? Don't get me wrong, I love me some longish hair on dudes, but this was getting unruly even for me. Or not even unruly. You know what it is! It's the excessive smooth-ness! What shampoo are you using, Sammy? I want some for my hair. Maybe that is more of a Jared question.

5. Season Six

Sam wore a heck of a lot of plaid in season six, huh? I swear each cap is from a different episode throughout the season. Now let's get real, his hair does not look a heck of a lot different in season six than it did in season five, but it was slightly more manicured, and that's why it goes a slight notch above five.

4. Season Two

By the end of season two, they had finally seemed to figure out what to do with his hair, but whoa, look at that hair from Everybody Loves a Clown! Some kind of helmet-y thing happening, for real. I'm kind of in straight up love with his hair in the second picture, all flipped out on the ends. But yes, you can see here how the texture is not as smooth as the above two seasons, and I apparently like that. Am I alone?

3. Season One

Aw, the adorable emo bang mop of season one. Sometimes I still miss this hairstyle, but I can understand it makes him look young, and that's why they changed it. And sometimes it got a little too weird when they didn't give it enough texture, as you can see in the third picture. The emo bangs work best with some texture. It seems to me this hairstyle is either straight up love or straight up hate in the fandom - what's your take?

2. Season Three

As I mentioned earlier, at the end of season two they started to figure out what to do with Sam's hair, and it continued on through season three. I almost put this season at number one, but when I went and looked at the picture for the next one again, I switched. What can I say? My opinions are changeable! The main reason that this one doesn't get the top prize is that sometimes there was a little too much poof. It's a delicate balance, I'm sure you've come to now realize. Later seasons, not enough poof/texture, sometimes in the earlier seasons, too much! Oh the intricacies!

1. Season Four

And here we go, the big kahuna, season four. It wasn't too long, it wasn't too short, it wasn't too poofy, it wasn't too smooth. In short, it was just right. Maybe the excess demon blood tamed his hair?! Yes, that's definitely it. But really, I wish they'd go back to this hair.

I also found this fun graphic someone made over on Tumblr for his hair throughout the seasons I thought you'd all enjoy:

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SYTYCD S8: Top 12 Results

It's funny, I was thinking that the bottom three couples were going to be predictable yet again, and then boom! Surprise! That seems to have happened every week, though, when you think about it. There's always one couple you don't expect. And can I just say? I'm a little bit stoked about who was sent home. That sounds terrible, but I felt like it was a long time coming for both Ryan and Alexander, who were the ones who got das boot. Yes, that's right, Sasha and Alexander were in the bottom three this week, for the first time! As soon as that happened, I said out loud, "oooh Alexander, you are in trouble." Right, or right? Right.

Joining those two in the bottom three were the more expected Ryan and Ricky and Caitlynn and Mitchell. You know what, though? I had really different reactions to a lot of the solos than the judges apparently did, apart from Ryan, who we can all agree looked like she knew her time was up and just didn't give a fuh anymore. Caitlynn's was praised, but it seemed like more of the same to me. They said Mitchell's was powerful but didn't really give him much praise, though I thought his was the best out of the guys'. They then said Ricky's was amazing. Really? For doing a bunch of pirouettes? I really enjoyed Sasha's, even though they said it wasn't very good. But she had planned it so well, and it showed a great musicality. And Alexander, I had really no idea he was something of a ballet dancer, and was fairly impressed, then Nigel went and lambasted it. Huh? What? Was I living on another dancing planet tonight? Were they discombobulated from their Emmy nominations?

Who knows, but even though I thought Alexander had a good solo, it was not meant to be. He's been struggling to connect for weeks, and though he did finally have a moment last night, I think we can all agree up until this point he'd been carried through by Sasha's fan base. If it hadn't been for her, he would've been gone long ago. And maybe Nick could've been here instead. I still miss Nick, okay? Deal with it.

Speaking of Emmy nominations. Miss Cat Deeley finally got one! It was as though Jesse Tyler Ferguson had a looking glass into a glorious outcome. She's been sorely overlooked these past seasons, and it's great to finally see her get one.


So, after all of that, the top ten dancers for season eight are, alphabetically by first name, lest you be thinking I am listing favorites or something:

Caitlynn Lawson
Clarice Ordaz
Jess LeProtto
Jordan Casanova
Marko Gemar
Melanie Moore
Mitchell Kelly
Ricky Jaime
Sasha Mallory
Tadd Gadduang

Next week will also feature the return of the all-stars. Nigel informed us that the dancers will be doing two routines - one with another season eight contestant, and one with an all-star. And all is right with the world, this is exactly what I had hoped would occur. And just who are these all-stars? I can tell you one very important name is missing from the list. That is one Alex Wong, who apparently has serious injury issues with feet tendons, because he just injured himself again mere days ago. Sigh. Sans Alex, we have:

Melody, Allison, Pasha, Twitch, Comfort, Chelsie, Brandon, Kathryn, Robert

You'll notice a large percentage of them are the same ones from last season. I wish there was another girl hip hopper instead of Comfort, I have never been a fan. Remember the girl breaker, Sara? Why not her?! She was great. It is nice to see Melody on the list, because I don't think she has benefited from the show as much as later seasons' contestants. That first season was so different!

Anyway, what are your thoughts on the decisions tonight? Are you as excited as me? Can I make another embarrassing confession?

I had ANOTHER dream about this show last night. OMG. What in the world! This time, I was a dancer on the show, and had just made the top 10, but was freaked out because I knew I wasn't good enough and had gotten by thanks to a good partner. The other contestants were also pissed at me because I was still writing this blog and they were mad I dissed some of them. Ryan and I became friends. Then Jake Gyllenhaal showed up and started dancing with me. Okay, um. We can stop talking about the dream now. I apologize.

Previous Episode -- Next Episode

SYTYCD S8: Top 12 Perform

First, an embarrassing confession: Travis Wall was in my dream last night. We were hanging out, and then when I went to leave, I ran into his car, which was just some really old Honda or something. Ah, unconscious, what does it all mean?! That maybe recapping this show makes it infiltrate my brain more than it should? Probably.

Now, I know I usually get sort of snooty about the stunt guest judges, but if they were all as entertaining as Jesse Tyler Ferguson, I wouldn't particularly mind. He is clearly a big fan of the show, and I loved that he commented that Cat should be nominated for reality show host at the Emmy's. She blushed hardcore! But Cat, not that you will ever read this, he's so right!

This is the last week that these couples are dancing together, and they did two dances instead of one. Tomorrow night, the top ten will be revealed, as well as the all stars that will be joining them next week. You know what would be an awesome introduction to the all stars? Have them dance a group number together! Come on! Make it happen! If it does happen, I'm claiming psychic powers. YES. I mean, really, I had a few moments where the comments I wrote down were near exact quotes of what the judges then said. Psychic!

Okay, now on to the dancers.

Sasha and Alexander - For weeks now everyone has been saying it, whether directly or indirectly, that Sasha has been carrying Alex through the competition. It's the truth, she has been. If they had been in the bottom three at any point, he probably would've been sent home. Tonight, however, he finally started to shine. The couple started the night with a paso doble from Tony and Melanie, and though I do get the concept of both being the bull and whatever, I missed seeing her in a red dress. Have we seen her wear a dress? I feel like she's always in pants. Hmm. Anyway, yes, she was strong, but hey, I was actually watching Alex too! This is a first. He got even stronger in their second dance of the evening, a Tyce Diorio piece. What? A Tyce piece I didn't hate? It happens on occasion, rare but true. As Sonya stated, he finally seemed to relax into the dance. Only took him five or however many weeks. Yeesh.

Jordan and Tadd - It was a mixed bag for these two tonight. I looooved their first piece by Travis Wall, I can't understand why they didn't let them end on that high note by switching the routines, but... oh well. I really liked the vulture concept, and how Jordan would move her arms in that bird-like way to remind us of it throughout the dance. She's grown on me a little over the season, but only in regards to her dancing. Tadd, however, has been a constant delight, and didn't disappoint in this one either. But their second dance, the Spencer Liff broadway piece? Man. First of all: terrible song, terrible costumes. Jesse even made a comment on both of those, so I feel justified saying it too. The whole thing was just... meh. It was lacking that extra something. It makes me worry they'll be in the bottom three since they've already been there a couple times.

Ryan and Ricky - The only thing I can hope after the lackluster night from these two is that they don't drum up a bunch of sympathy votes due to harsh criticism. It's been known to happen in the past, and it drives me absolutely insane. Then again, they've already been in the bottom twice already, so with another not great night under their belts, I'm not sure it matters. Their first dance was a Spencer Liff broadway piece that I found extremely boring. There was just something so muted about the way they danced it, something about the arms not extending enough. I'm no dance expert, but I noticed that. Their second dance, a cha cha from Louie Van Amstel, while better, wasn't enough. Someone commented how Ryan is just trying too hard, and you know what, that might be exactly the problem with her. She wants it so bad, and we can tell, and it's coming across as desperate. Ricky, I mean, he wasn't bad, but he wasn't that great, so... eh.

Caitlynn and Mitchell - Okay, I have to say one thing. There were so many "message" routines tonight, right? I just... Look. I'm not an insensitive person, but when that kind of thing gets employed too often, my cynical side comes a callin' and I can't help but roll my eyes. Such was the case with their Chris Scott hip hop number tonight. The problem, as all the judges mentioned, was that they just weren't in synch. They really had no swagger, particularly Mitchell. It was just missing a groove or something, I don't know. And the message that was being presented would've been completely lost if not for it being emblazoned so brazenly on their shirts. Their second dance of the night was by Travis Wall, and was leaps and bounds better, though I did feel it was missing a certain magic quality. Maybe I am just hard to please.

Melanie and Marko. Aw, this is the last week they're a couple! It is a great shame because these two have such great chemistry. Take their Louie Van Amstel tango, for example. It wasn't perfect, I saw them make a couple mistakes, but you know what? There's something about them that makes you just shrug and go, "but I love you anyway." Sonya said it best when she said they dance with conviction. It doesn't matter if they mess up, they don't let it show. Their second dance of the night was a lovely contemporary piece choreographed by Dee Caspary, all about trying to draw Marko's character out of a dark place into the light, in a literal way, with an actual light. Literal and figurative. While it is not my favorite number they have danced together, it certainly showed why they're so great together. M&M forever.

Clarice and Jess - You know, I don't care how much the judges say they love these two, something about them just doesn't connect with me. Clarice just comes off as such a blank slate, I feel like I know nothing about her. And Jess is the opposite. Too much personality. You'd think they'd balance each other or something, but not so much. Their first dance of the night was a lyrical hip hop by Chris Scott, and you know what? They had way more swag than Caitlynn and Mitchell did in their hip hop. It was light, it was fluffy, it was fine, and then there was a creepy ass painting at the end. Get rid of that thing, yikes. Their second dance of the night was a Tony and Melanie choreographed jive, and, well, it was awkward. When she had to go under his arm: awkward. A lot of the partner moves: awkward. Labored. Like they were really tired, and it was showing. Particularly in Jess. It just got worse as the dance wore on. And the jive is not supposed to look labored. It's supposed to be fun and carefree.

But who will be in the bottom three come tomorrow? Keep in mind that means half the couples. The only two couples I feel certain are safe are Melanie and Marko and Sasha and Alexander. I mean, neither of them have been in the bottom yet. As for the bottom three, the only couple I feel pretty sure about is Ryan and Ricky. Any two out of the other three could join them, but with the way people have been voting recently, it seems like it's going to be Jordan and Tadd and Caitlynn and Mitchell. We'll see tomorrow!

What did you all think? Are you excited for the all stars, or wary? Is it totally weird that I have choreographers in my dreams?

Previous Episode -- Next Episode

Chocolate Chip Cookie Souffles

Let me tell you something. The other day, I went to this restaurant. They had this amazing dessert. It was called a chocolate chip cookie souffle. It came out in a little mini cast iron pan, and was served with ice cream. And it was DELICIOUS. I've already been back for more, in less than two weeks.

The restaurant in question is called La Gondola. It's on Wilshire just east of Doheny in Beverly Hills. Their other food is pretty good too. But this dessert? Amazing.

So amazing, that I knew I had to attempt something like it on my own. Mine did not turn out quite as good, as I do not have the little mini cast irons, and instead used ramekins.

Ramekins make for a thicker souffle thing, with a less-doughy center. And that doughy center is what made the other one so good. So, maybe someday I will find the mini cast iron skillets and be able to make a little piece of heaven in my own oven. 

In the meantime, you can check out this close-and-still-good version.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Souffles
makes 4 ramekins (3 1/2 x 2)
from How Sweet It Is

1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside in a bowl.

Cream butter and sugar together until it’s light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spray 4 oven-safe ramekins with non-stick spray and divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Press the dough into the ramekins – each one should have about 1/3-1/2 cup dough.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the middle is still slightly gooey. Set aside and let cool for 5 minutes until they can be handled then serve with vanilla ice cream.

In photos:

Sifted flour and stuff. I used wheat flour as to try to be more healthy. Big mistake. It tastes different. I can't deal.

Creaming the butter and sugar.

Adding the egg and vanilla.

And the flour mixture. Whoops, blurry photo.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill up some ramekins. Mine are all slightly different sizes, because I felt like being a rebel.

Out of the oven. I did the minimum 18 minutes, because I like gooey.

Gooey center!

Ice cream, plopped. Dig in. Enjoy. Wonder why you've never had this sort of thing before.

Supernatural: Top 5 Season Six Episodes

Long time readers of this blog will remember last summer how I posted many a top 5-10 list centered on my beloved Supernatural. But with so many lists already done, what's a girl to do when in the midst of another summer hiatus?

Make more lists, obviously. Or perhaps just update some of the other ones? Assuming I have the motivation and the time, which, in all honesty, may not be the case. But! Do not fret! Today I bring to you a brand new list, featuring the best episodes of season six.

Now a lot of people didn't like season six, and I can understand that. I was a bit skeptical for a while too, but I think it found its groove eventually, and still produced some quality episodes, as you'll be reminded of below.

As a note, each title is a link to a favorite clip on youtube from the featured episode. Enjoy!

5. The Man Who Knew Too Much (6x22)

The finale of season six seemed to cause some major dissent among viewers, but I lean toward the good rather than the bad on this one. The first half of this episode was particularly strong, as we got to see Sam slowly come to grips with his memories of Hell. I honestly wish we had had more of that, but there's only so much time in an episode, right? We can only hope that his memories will still be an issue come next season. Of course, the other big issue of the episode was a certain angel's descent into crazytown. Castiel gobbled up a bunch of souls and seemed to lose his mind in the process. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, it appears. Will they be able to bring the old Cas back? Time will tell.

4. Weekend at Bobby's (6x04)

Perhaps not an episode that jumps to your mind at first when you're thinking of your favorites from the season, but heck, it should. The episode pulled an extreme focus on the hunter who has been a surrogate father to our Winchester brothers for years now. We got to see just what he goes through to help them out all the time, and that he's got his own stuff to deal with besides just them. This episode also happens to have been directed by Jensen Ackles, who did a fine job, too. While the episode did have its dramatic moments, it was all laced with a certain comedic overtone that worked really well.

3. The Man Who Would Be King (6x20)

Now, you're either a Castiel fan or you're not, and for those of you who aren't, you probably hated this one. And maybe even some of you who are hated it too, seeing your beloved angel doing not-so-nice things. But I thought it was structured very well, jumping back and forth between the past and the present to show us what Cas had been doing about the war in Heaven throughout the season. And that he was the one who brought Sam back from Hell. Though, admittedly, not all of him. Plus, Crowley! Crowley is always a crowd-pleaser, yes? Yes.

2. Frontierland (6x18)

Supernatural goes western! Though the logic about using time travel to get some supposed weapon is a little bit fishy, come on. They wore cowboy hats, and Sam rode a horse! Dean became the sheriff and had a showdown in the town square. Not to mention the numerous references to Back to the Future (the package at the end!). This episode also featured the first real hint that they would find something to defeat Eve, the Mother of All, so, you know, it had plot progress too. I promise. And wenches with gross diseased mouths. Gross, but hilarious.

1. The French Mistake (6x15)

Now you may think that I should've picked an episode that was larger on plot and less on comedy, but I just couldn't do it. This episode makes me bust a gut every single time, even just looking through screencaps to make the graphic. The acting scene alone! I defy you not to laugh the whole time. I may also be biased because I saw the outtakes from that scene when I went to the Paley festival this year, but whatever! It was quality! The Winchester boys were sent into another reality thanks to Balthazar, and this reality just so happens to be one where they are actors on a television show called Supernatural. What! That is some serious breaking of the fourth wall. But hey, go big or go home, right? I would just like to also note, as this seems to often be a search that leads people to my recap of that episode - NO, that was NOT Jared's real house. Okay? Okay.

What about you? What was your favorite episode? Vote in the poll below!

To see my past top 5-10 lists: click!

Psst! Hey you! You should totally go like my Facebook page. I'd love you forever and ever. Click and like: http://www.facebook.com/freshfromthe.com.  

SYTYCD S8: Top 14 Results

I mean. I'm not at all surprised at who was let go tonight, but I do think one couple that should've been in the bottom three only was saved because one person within that couple has a devoted following. Once the couples get shaken up, the other person is going to have a hard time. That's my prediction. My vague prediction. But I think you all know who I'm talking about. Who could it be other than Sasha and Alexander? Seriously.

The couples that were in danger tonight, however:

Ashley and Chris
Jordan and Tadd
Ryan and Ricky

No huge surprises other than Sasha and Alexander should've been in there in place of either Ryan and Ricky or Jordan and Tadd, who both had okay nights but not great ones yesterday evening. In terms of solos, I thought the only two who really had good ones were Chris and Tadd. Which is a shame, because I just knew they'd send Chris home as soon as that bottom was revealed. Yeah, Chris has had some trouble with his dances, but he seems like such a sweet guy. I can't help but root for him. But if I had to choose between him and Tadd, I'd have to go with Tadd. The rest of the solos, however, were more of the same, which, thankfully, Nigel pointed out. The solos need to be planned and they need to be great if you want to stay, that's the bottom line. Ashley was the girl to get the boot this time around, which came as no surprise either. You know, they haven't split up any couples at all this season? Kinda lame.

Only one more week and then it's top 10 time. What! Already? Yep. The only thing that is going to be weird is that they'll be bringing back the all stars for the top ten, supposedly. But does that then mean the top 10 dancers from this season will only be doing one dance a week instead of the usual two that usually happens? Because I like it when they do two. Humph. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

That's all for this week. Au revoir, Ashley and Chris!

Previous Episode -- Next Episode

SYTYCD S8: Top 14 Perform

Travis Wall is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only was he a great contestant, he's turned out to also be an amazing choreographer, AND a superb guest judge! That's right, Travis was one of the two guest judges tonight, the other of which was Carmen Electra, who had minimal things to say. But Travis had great comments and tips for nearly everyone, and that is the kind of judging that I think actually helps the kids on the show. More of that, please!

First I'm going to touch on the two group numbers of the evening - the boys and the girls. While I enjoyed both, I have to say that I looooved the guy number, choreographed by Justin Giles. Where has this Justin Giles dude been? His other routine actually made me not hate a couple I have hated from the beginning tonight too! What!

But now let's get to the couples, in chronological order:

Melanie and Marko - Truly the couple to beat, as everyone and their mother has already stated. Tonight these two had a jazz number choreographed by Ray Leeper (who was also responsible for the girls' group number, btw). What these two get so right every week is that, aside from their technically great dancing, of which there is little doubt, they imbue everything with passion. And that, my friends, is especially important on this show. This one made me really want to see them do a crazy Sonya Tayeh routine, but I fear they have already grabbed jazz out of the hat too many times. Indeed, it seems a little fishy that other couples have had ballroom twice already, and these two have had styles in their wheelhouse. Hmm. Hat, schmat.

Sasha and Alexander - These two had a decidedly off night in their hip hop piece choreographed by Shaun Evanisto. Alexander was too clean in his moves, to me. And I just did not believe them at all. Part of it was the music, I thought, but then maybe it just was them not quite selling it. I really sincerely hope these two get in the bottom three couples this week. I know that sounds terrible, but here's the thing: Sasha is great. There is no doubt about that. But Alexander has been missing something this entire time for me. I feel like he doesn't really want it, and honestly, I wouldn't be upset to see him go at all. May be his time, just saying.

Jordan and Tadd - I'm a little worried these two might get in the bottom three this week just because they had a less showy piece in their waltz choreographed by Toni Redpath. Because it was good, but it wasn't amazing, you know? And part of that is just the style of the dance. It's hard to get super fired up over a waltz, no matter how apparently scandalous it was in the 1800s, according to Mary. I will say that Tadd amazes me every week. He never looks like he's out of his style. Go Tadd!

Clarice and Jess - This is the aforementioned couple that Justin Giles actually helped me not to hate this week with a contemporary number. Though I'm still not sure I agree with the judges in their proclamations that they really had chemistry this time. Ehhhh, not buying that really. But they got handed some great choreography, so they probably get a pass again. I'm not sure they deserve a pass, but they seem to have gained a lot of fans since their first week in the bottom three, so what do I know?

Ashley and Chris - Oh boy. These poor kids. They got handed a very tough salsa by Liz Lira that they just didn't pull off. The lifts seemed really labored to me, no matter how much the judges complimented Chris on getting them done. Getting them done and doing them well are two different things. There was a distinct lack of fire in what should be a very fiery dance. Not helping matters were their outfits! That blue dress just did not work with Ashley's complexion, it totally washed her out. Whereas Chris' white suit was too too white. I would have a complete mouth drop moment if these two weren't in the bottom three tomorrow.

Ryan and Ricky - R&R had a quirky jazz number choreographed by Chucky Klapow. What a name! Normally this type of routine would totally be my bag, but, as we know, I am not a big Ryan fan. It doesn't help that she flaunts her relationship with Mia Michaels in her intro package, but whatever. What was interesting about this was that it didn't have a lot of partner work where they were dancing together, but rather a lot of synchronized moves while they were apart, which they definitely nailed. Also, David Bowie. You can rarely go wrong.

Caitlynn and Mitchell - Everyone declared this their favorite routine of the night, and I might have to agree. There was something so effortless to it, which is amazing considering the amount of jumping lifts they were doing. She was just flying through the air, really displayed trust in Mitchell. And it was choreographed by Mandy Moore! My only qualm - Celine Dion? I automatically groan. In any event, they danced this beautifully.

Who should be in the bottom three come tomorrow: Sasha & Alexander, Ashley & Chris, ?? I'm not sure about the third couple! Could be a surprise or it could be that Jordan and Tadd get mixed in there because they had a less showy dance.

Who do you think should be in the bottom?

Previous Episode -- Next Episode

Strawberry Streusel Bars w/ White Chocolate Drizzle

I am not ashamed to admit that this is another strawberry recipe. What can I say? I love me some strawberries. A lot. What I can also say: please buy organic strawberries. They are so, so, so much better, it's amazing. I had some from Costco, and they were huge but sour. I got some from Trader Joe's, and they were small but delicious. Small and delicious is always the way to go. 

What did I make this time around?

Strawberry Streusel Bars, with a white chocolate "drizzle." My drizzle was not so drizzly, so... oh well! My white chocolate was probably not of the highest quality. There I said it! For shame! Eh.

I love strawberries. The end.

Strawberry Streusel Bars with White Chocolate Drizzle
(adapted roughly for a cake pan. Original recipe for a 15x10 jelly roll pan at Tasty Kitchen)

1 cup oats
3/4 cup flour
3/8 cup white sugar
3/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cold, cut into pieces
2 oz fluid strawberry jam
1 cup strawberries, chopped
1/2 oz fluid white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350F. Whisk together the oats, flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend in the butter either with a pastry blender or your hands. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the mixture, but dump the remaining into the ungreased cake pan and press into a crust. Bake 12-13 minutes. You don't want this brown on the top, so don't overbake.

Warm up the jam and drizzle it on the crust. Spread it around if need be. Spread out the chopped up strawberries and sprinkle with the reserved topping. Bake 20-25 minutes until the crumbs on top are slightly browned.

Cool 1 hour.

Melt the white chocolate and drizzle on top. Cut into bars. Or wedges. Or whatever you fancy.

In photos:

Flour mixture all whisked together.

With the butter blended in. Just more crumbly looking, really.

Press it into the bottom of the pan, like so (but remember to save 1/2 cup for later). Stick it in the oven for 12-13 minutes.

It'll come out like this, only probably not blurry in person.

Spread around the jam.

Then the strawberries.

And crumble that 1/2 cup of flour stuff on top. Into the oven for 20-25 minutes!

Take it out of the oven, and it will look like this.

After you've waited an ungodly hour, drizzle that white chocolate stuff and cut into bars.

Enjoy! Please don't mind the clumpiness of my white chocolate. I'm sure you can do better.