CITY BOY GEEKINESS

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LET'S CONNECT

Changes are definitely on the horizon for The CW!

Announced today via an article by news website TV Line, 90210 will be ending its run after five long seasons on The CW this year. With only seven episodes left in the season, a series finale (originally slated as a season finale) is scheduled for Monday, May 13, 2013.

The series, which starred such names as AnnaLynne McCord, Shanae Grimes and Matt Lanter  is a reboot of the international 90's hit Beverly Hills, 90210. While the show started off as a hit for the network, recent years have seen the series' ratings decline with the latest episodes attracting more than just half a million viewers.

Also revealed earlier this week is a new development for The CW's midseason thriller Cult. After two very low-rated episodes, Cult is being shipped off to Friday nights at 9 p.m. It's former Tuesday night timeslot will be filled with reruns of other shows, starting with Beauty and the Beast on March 5, 2013.

No word yet has been revealed about the status of The CW's bubble programs such as Hart of Dixie, The Carrie Diaries, Nikita or Beauty and the Beast.

 
Will you miss 90210 now that it's ending? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

When caught between two options, making the right choice is never simple.

This week on The Carrie Diaries, the group must make tough decisions between the things they want and the choices they can't seem to make. On the upside it all takes place at the school's winter dance!


TEAM SEBASTIAN OR TEAM GEORGE?
After two somewhat inactive and lazy episodes, Carrie is beginning to define her opinions about love and sex. She can't admit that her feelings for Sebastian are still there and believing that George is the "one" is only hiding her lies. Mouse and Maggie are also caught between two decisions: Mouse with her balance between love and academics and Maggie with her unknown future and love prospects. Carrie puts it best about her future: "If I'm in my 30s and still talking about finding love and boys, someone please smother me with a pillow." She takes a chance on George and invites him to the dance.

While at the dance, it's clear that Carrie is faking her feelings for George while Sebastian stares on. Sebastian doesn't need to speak, he only needs to smoulder to make his presence known. Carrie tries to flaunt her new rich boyfriend in Sebastian's face but it's clear that she can't get him out of her head. Speaking of head! George turned into such a jerk this episode. He pressures Carrie into having sex in the backseat of his limo (while his driver is in the front) and when she refuses, he expects her to help finish him off. The entire experience didn't feel sanctimonious or an after school special - she honestly didn't want to sleep with him for her own reasons. Well this marks the end of George! His presence brought down the show a bit and I'm happy to see him finally leave. I loved Gossip Girl but let's leave the Upper East Side out of the show.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Maggie and Mouse both had minor storylines this episode. One was absurd (Mouse) while the other could prove to be interesting (Maggie). Mouse is the overachieving type - she works hard for her grades and scoring a B+ is unthinkable. She blames her slip of grades on her relationship with Seth. Their plotline involved trying to submit an extra credit and having a mature break up in the process. Maggie, on the other hand, came toe-to-toe with her rivalry with Donna LaDonna this episode after Donna caught Maggie after having sex with her on-again-off-again hook-up. Donna is truly an evil villain The Carrie Diaries needs: she used the discovery to blackmail Maggie into keeping Carrie away from Sebastian. Though the Maggie came clean to Carrie, it was a sweet bonding moment that made Maggie into more than just a supporting friend.

BITING MY WORDS
I felt sympathy for Dorrit. (There... I said it!) The irritating presence in previous episodes were justified with her confession in this week's episode. Coming clean about why she's been acting crabby towards her father delivered genuine emotion and likeability that I never saw. I think we can all relate when we lose someone - it's hard to know where things stand without that person in your life. The father tried to compensate by bringing her to the Nutcracker, but Dorrit said it best: "Carrie had you. I had mom. And now I have no one."

A NEW SERIES SHIFT? 
Larissa! My favourite Brit popped up and brought the fun Manhattan storylines with her. Inspired by Carrie's contribution to the latest issue of Interview, Larrisa offers Carrie an internship at the magazine. Carrie has until now flirted around the idea of writing but now the series is moving in a new direction. (Which it desperately needs.) The show needs to add some risky moments beyond the sweet teen storylines - there needs to be a little drama. Sooner better than later...


Will Carrie's new role at Interview change the direction of The Carrie Diaries? Share in the comments and let me know your thoughts on this week's episode.

What happens when a fictional FBI team swarms one farmhouse? Absolutely nothing.

This week on The Following, Ryan is held hostage while the FBI is getting closer to saving Joey. Plus, Claire meets a new scary friend and we learn a little bit more about Debra.


FROM HERO TO HOSTAGE
Cliffhangers are a great way to leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Last week, Ryan finally located Joey but Paul, the sexually confused member, placed a gun at the back of Ryan's head. Somehow with TWO (yes, two guns!) pointed at Ryan, a stand off still ensued - take the chance and fight him or risk being killed in the process. Emma, the real evil genius of The Following, took charge over the situation (by using 1% of her brain) and pulled out a taser to shock some sense into Ryan. Electric currents can harm pacemakers and Emma has no qualms in killing Ryan with the direct approach. (Maybe she should just make the decisions from now on?)

Ryan thought that he could hold out until the FBI arrives; however, the groupies would rather use their previous hostage Megan as fodder to improve their bargaining chip. FBI specialist Debra Parker reasons with the group, particularly by bringing up Emma's past with her mother. When the mysterious Roderick delivers a warning via the internet, the groupies start to crumble as Ryan continues to manipulate Paul and Emma reaches out to Debra yet again. 

Photos courtesy of BuddyTV
There's definitely a change in Emma this episode; she's a lot more distant and impatient when dealing with her boyfriends. When Roderick would only call her directly to provide plans, she used the opportunity and information to escape with Joey alone; leaving behind Jacob and Paul to the FBI team. Ryan, in the meantime, broke free from his restraints and freed Megan in the process. The boys must have wished upon a star because Roderick's allies arrived and the boys took off into the night. Was this Emma's middle school version of shunning someone? Emma coldly abandons the boys and leaves them to the wolves. A very cold, cold woman!

DALE VS. BILLY GRIMM
Did Billy Grimm do a guest spot on The Following this week? For those who don't know, Billy Grimm is a fictional character on The CW's Cult, which is a "show-within-a-show" about obsessive followers and cults. Billy Grimm is the leader on the fictional show in Cult and he surprising looks like this new character Dale. Part of the focus of this week's episode is the backstory of Debra Parker, the FBI cult specialist new to the case. Flashbacks revealed that Debra grew up in a cult society where her family was pressed under the thumb of their leader Dale. She went back after all these years to forgive her parents for them letting Dale rape her as a child. (Yes... she forgave them?!) I have some newfound respect for Debra. It takes a lot of courage to go back to the place where you were abused. Wait a minute... she's in the FBI and Dale's not arrested for statutory rape? Something's not right here.

THE STALKING GAME
Claire needs a serious dose of a reality check. She left police protection to find her son by trusting a serial killer, Charlie. (How she's still alive I will never know?) Let's meet Charlie: a tall, dark and mentally unstable former reserve member who has been watching Claire for two years under Joe's orders. While it's clear to everyone (except Claire) that Charlie is not to be trusted, she willingly stays until Joey arrives. If it wasn't for the FBI team who saved her, I have a feeling Charlie wouldn't have restrained himself. Claire should know better - she married a convicted serial killer!


Now that the groupies have disbanded, will Roderick be the new big bad? Post in the comments and let me know what you thought of this week's episode.

The investigation is on for this high concept mystery.

Feedback about Cult has been mixed at best. Some have stated it's a story that could intrigue viewers with its many twists and turns while others have classified it as a confusing mess. I'm an open minded person and the trailers did interest me enough to watch the pilot early online. So far the show has interested me to catch a few more episodes and see where this mystery is heading. A "show-within-a-show" concept can be confusing at times to describe so I promise I'll try to be clear.

This week on Cult, former big time news reporter Jeff (played by Matthew Davis) is searching for his missing brother when Cult television researcher Skye (Jessica Lucas) helps to lead him deeper into the secret world of the show's obsessive fans.


OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?
Midway through its first season, Cult has become a popular underground show where fans try to dissect the hidden meanings and plot. The show was created by a mysterious man named Steven Rae who refuses to be seen in public. Nate, Jeff's reckless younger brother, thinks he has discovered a secret after the most recent episode. However, he's scared that his life may be in danger. He asks Jeff to meet him for lunch and discuss his findings - though Jeff believes that Nate is using drugs again, Nate flies off the handle and forces him to protect a pair of 3D glasses. Seemingly abandoning his younger brother as a lunatic, Jeff receives a muffled and static phone call from Nate in distress. Turns out Nate is now missing and possibly could be dead. (That was A LOT of blood for a simple kidnapping.)

The police immediately don't believe Jeff and his story. Their theory: Nate has been using again and this was just another drug deal gone wrong. Jeff ignores their hesitation and searches for his missing brother on his own. I'm still confused at this but... Jeff watches five minutes of Cult and believes that the show (yes, the television show within THIS show) might be connected to his brother's disappearance. Still holding onto his glory days - more accurately a press pass - Jeff lies his way onto the set of Cult where he meets Skye, an ambitious researcher who thinks that the show's intense fans could be connected to Nate's disappearance.

Skye manages to provide two new leads for Jeff: a long list of text messages from a mysterious woman named Meadow (see below for reference) and a hangout location for the obsessed and the geek chic. Fan Domain Cafe is a quaint little internet hotspot where fans have posted their thoughts and clues. Hidden beneath all the handwritten notes and posters is a photo of Nate in full Billy Grimm costume.

WELL HEY,  THESE THINGS JUST SNAP RIGHT OFF
New leads and a prime focus have pulled Jeff and Skye closer to finding Nate. Roleplaying is popular with fans of a show - they consider that Nate and Meadow, the woman from the photo, must be at the next meeting. Skye locates an address and the pair discover a group of fans running away from the motel in fear. Meadow, raving and hysterical at this point, is refusing any help and worries that "THEY" will be coming to get her. Not sure if it was irony but she recites that one line ("Well hey, these things just snap right off.") and boom: Meadow commits suicide by shooting herself in the head.

Let's please rename these police officers as ANGRY COP #1 and Skeptic Cop #2 as neither believe Jeff yet again and Cop #1 proceeds to call him out on his past. Last time I check, the law was supposed to be blind, not judgmental. Skye is ready to end their new partnership but Jeff pulls her in with another discovery: he finds a CD disk hidden among Nate's private books.  The 3D glasses from earlier unlock a code when - completely out of the blue - Nate calls and criticizes Jeff for using the disk. Who wouldn't search for a missing sibling?! There's blood all over the apartment and Jeff tries everything he can to locate him yet unlocking the disk was crossing the line. Nevertheless, these mysterious people now have Jeff's information and offered an ominous warning: "you're next!"

BEWARE OF BILLY GRIMM
Cult's show-within-a-show is revealed through cutaway scenes and television clips. Scenes that are primarily shown have a tie-in with the events of the current episode. From what has been revealed so far: Kelly Collins (Alona Tal) is a former cult member that has joined the police force to investigate the mysterious actions of Billy Grimm (Robert Knepper), the cult's leader. Kelly's sister Meadow and nephew were kidnapped by the group and Kelly is searching to find the truth - she believes that Grimm is involved somehow. Unfortunately for Kelly, Meadow's husband has died, her only source committed suicide in a fit of desperation and she has no clue if Meadow is still alive.

Are you excited to see what's next for Cult? Will Skye and Jeff get closer to finding Nate? What is this mystery surrounding the creator of the show? Time to post in the comments and share your thoughts about this week's episode.

Time for another holiday themed episode during our cold winter season. (Wouldn't be surprised to see Christmas next week!)

This week on The Carrie Diaries, Carrie channels her late mother and prepares a family Thanksgiving dinner with help from Mouse. Plus, Maggie spends an awkward dinner with Walt's family and an unexpected guest arrives at Carrie's door.


TURKEY SURGEON
Apple pies and disaster dinners are on the menu this week when the Bradshaw family must deal with preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Some of Carrie's best childhood memories with her mother are when she would be cooking the Thanksgiving dinner - naturally, Carrie decides to take on the role as matriarch this year. Though, the day didn't start off quite easy enough. Carrie is trying to impress her new boyfriend George with her cooking abilities while the recipes for her mother's meals are ruined and Dorrit is acting more of a pain than usual. (Hmmm... I wonder how those recipes were destroyed.)

Aspiring surgeon Mouse tags along for this little Thanksgiving adventure and helps Carrie with her cooking duties. Neither girl can handle all the disasters that come their way, what with the turkey not fitting into the tiny stove and both girls being disgusted from pulling out the turkey's insides. (Mouse said it best: "I want to be a people surgeon... not a turkey surgeon!" Oh, I love Mouse.) Meanwhile, while the girls are trying to hold in their lunch, Dorrit is sparking a new crush on her sister's boyfriend. It's quite obvious that she likes the guy from the way they talked on the couch and how she keeps looking at him. Would George cheat on Carrie? Could happen. (It's only the sixth episode after all...)

Dorrit, defiant as ever, goes off on another dramatic tirade and smokes weed in the privacy of her bedroom. Unfortunately for Carrie, this little distraction caused her or Mouse to not notice the food burning in the stove. No one could have saved that mess in time! If you thought Dorrit was over-dramatic, Carrie set off all her inner resentment and let loose on her father in front of EVERYONE. Cooking can be a stressful task and Carrie just really needed to let out all her frustrations towards Dorrit and her father. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if she was channeling "Carrie" from the Stephen King book instead of her mother. The power went out, the party died and she was left to pick up the pieces yet again.

MAJORLY UNDECIDED
Not everyone knows by high school what they want to do in life - Maggie is currently in the same boat. Is a university education in her future or will she be stuck in Castlebury forever? While spending Thanksgiving with Walt's VERY proper and upper-crust family, who clearly don't like Maggie or want anything beyond perfection for Walt's future, the dinner has left her thinking about the future and asking her simpleminded brother what could be in store for her. Also reemerging this week is Maggie's casual hook-up buddy who gets shut down when he's looking to start up their previous relationship. Maggie really needs better taste in men!

Photo courtesy of The CW
MYSTERY DATE 
Carrie has a mysterious power over the bad boys - they can't stay away from her, even when they're broken up. After his neglectful mother bails on dinner, Sebastian shows up at Carrie's door in the middle of the night to talk... just talk. (And clearly shunning Donna in the process. One point for Bradshaw!) The conversation is his way of hoping to reignite a relationship but Carrie clearly turns him down in the nicest and subtle way possible. He made his decision and now he has to live with the choices - they can't go back... yet. Bet he wishes he didn't break up with Carrie after all.

Will Sebastian ever has a chance with Carrie again? Is there a potential secret romance brewing between Dorrit and George? Can Mouse ever forget the horror of playing turkey surgeon for the night? Share in the comments and post your thoughts on this week's holiday episode.


Tensions are boiling over for both the heroes and villains.

This week on The Following, the FBI get a small lead on Joey's whereabouts when they receive a call from the kidnapped boy. Plus, the groupies' new relationship starts to crumble when Jacob can't take the heat and Joe gets a new lawyer on his case.

FIGHT AT THE FARMHOUSE
The hunt is on to find Joey this episode. After being denied repeatably by Emma to call his mother, Joey sneaks a call in the early hours of the morning and reaches out to Claire in desperation. The few moments that Joey was able to call Claire gives the FBI enough time to track the call and determine which county the call came from. In a matter of minutes, the team determines the surrounding area and sends Ryan to find any leads.

Luckily for them and the local police team, a call is received from a worried couple that states Joey is staying at a neighbouring farm. Ryan and Random Cop #1 descend onto the property and find the mutilated corpses of the elderly couple who had placed the call. They determine that the groupies must be close by and they race through the woods to locate the white farmhouse from Joey's call. A new player has joined the groupies and is skulking around the property to help in their escape, yet Random Cop #1 thinks he can take them all down by himself. Let's take a moment to remember those we lost this episode: newbie groupie and random cop.

Cliffhangers are a great way to tempt people to watch the next episode. Paul has trapped Ryan at the barrel of a gun and the screen goes black! Would be interesting to see Claire, Joey and Ryan get kidnapped together for one episode. Obviously Ryan will find a way to break free and escape in time but it would be a different plot to watch.

RUN, JOEY, RUN!
Joey finally took a stand this episode and defied Emma in calling his mother. Even for a young kid, it took him a long time to realize that Emma couldn't be trusted and something bad was going on. (Not sure how this kid didn't notice something was up after the first day...) Unfortunately for him, Paul discovered Joey mid-call and dragged him back up to his room where Emma fed him a bunch more lies. The groupies expected the new lies to work yet again, except Joey, being the nosy kid that he is, overheard their whispered conversation and took off running into the woods.

Hope arrived in the form of a kind, gently old man. The elderly man and his wife easily noticed that something was wrong and proved to be the smartest extras this season so far. (Hell, the wife knew Joey was kidnapped in mere seconds!) Emma might be the scariest one on The Following - she lies to Joey effortlessly to get him back to the house and then sends Paul to eliminate the elderly couple in the same sentence. Joey's one and only chance imploded in one episode and now he's back in the clutches of the groupies.

CLIENT CONFIDENTIALITY
A new supporting character has joined The Following this week in the role of Joe's reluctant lawyer. Beckoned by the orders of Joe, his lawyer arrived with much hesitation and fear. (I would be too if a serial killer called me out of the blue.) He orders her to be his lawyer again and demands that she be his eyes and ears on the outside. First things first: make an ominous television appearance by reciting Poe (and 'activating' more serial killer groupies in the process).

She obviously hates Joe and wants nothing to do with him, but she can't shy away and hide. Her next mission was to inform Claire on where to go for the chance to see Joey again. The plan works but when she thought that her role was over, Joe pulls the rug from under her. He's not done with her just yet! If Joe has an 'endless' supply of groupies, there could also be a big number of people that Joe blackmailed as well... just like his lawyer.

How will Ryan survive this week's cliffhanger? Can Joey find another opportunity to escape Emma and the others? Will anyone finally save the kidnapped girl in the basement? Post in the comments and share your thoughts on this week's episode.




Looks like the Amanda has finally bit the dust!

This week on Revenge, tensions come to a thrilling conclusion when the identity of this season's victim is revealed. Plus, the Graysons deal with the aftermath of Helen's murder and Padma jumps into the Mystery Machine and joins the Scooby Gang.


A WATERY GRAVE
Wedded bliss on the high seas was the original plan for Jack and his blushing bride Fauxmanda. Last week, it was revealed that the nefarious Nate Ryan had stowed away in the hull of the ship. His plan: exact revenge against the newlywed couple for their involvement in Conrad ending the waterfront deal. After some shared honeymoon time together between the married couple, Nate made his presence known and held the couple at gun point. (He's not just a would-be murderer but a peeper as well!) To the shock of no one, Emily was the first to discover his whereabouts from a photo-bomb sent to Charlotte. (This seems a little too easy for Emily, right?) She and Nolan decide it's up to them to save the pair. Their solution: high speed boat race through the water!

Meanwhile on the Amanda, Fauxmanda reveals the "truth" about blackmailing Conrad and promises to share the information with Nate to help take down the Graysons. Not sure if it was love or denial but Jack didn't mind that his new wife went homicidal in a matter of seconds; she states they need to kill Nate to survive. They trick him into searching below deck for the laptop computer while making their way onto a life raft to escape. Channeling his inner Incredible Hulk, Nate breaks through the bathroom door and fires blindly through the door - Jack is struck with a stray bullet. Fauxmanda, confusing as it as, sends Jack away on the raft alone and fights Nate before being knocked out. From the speed it took the raft to get away, they both would have survived but regardless of horror movie logic...

Taking a tip from Poseidon, Fauxmanda plans to sink the ship from the inside. Water is slowly filling up the hull and when her captor checks on the problem, she finally makes her strike. Emily is the best at saving the day because she shows up at the right time and practically knocks out her enemies in the most dramatic and elaborate fashion. During the struggle, however, a gas line was released and the boat slowly starts to fill up with gas. The girls rush to Emily's life raft when Fauxmanda stops and heads back to grab a childhood necklace. Unfortunately for her, Nate pulls out a match and... boom goes the Amanda! Nate is dead, the Amanda is no more and Emily says goodbye to her close friend in possibly the most emotional send off in the series yet. (At least Emily tried to make room for Amanda on her raft... I'm looking at you Rose!)

FACE OF A NEW FOE
When one door closes, another enemy breaks through the window. Picking up from last week's best Victoria confrontation, the Graysons plot over how to handle Helen's recent murder. Victoria's cold and calculating nature comes alive when she concocts a devious plan to frame Fauxmanda for the murder and use her as a scapegoat for The Initiative. (Hmmmm... who's the pot now, Victoria?) Unbeknownst to the plan, Fauxmanda is halfway to grim territory in the high seas and Helen's replacement, a man named Trask, shows up to locate his missing colleague.

Trask falls hook, line and sinker for all the planted evidence and lies that the Graysons are feeding him. Though, I don't buy this for one second - he looks like the type of man who needs more than Victoria's word to drop the search for Helen. In the meanwhile, the Graysons have used their new found 'reprieve' to announce Conrad's sudden interest in running for Governor. Plot wise it's better than the Stowaway mess that was the Ryan brothers - this new political position could help Emily get closer to Daniel and those who helped frame her father.

THUMBS UP FOR MR. BEAN
Padma, Nolan's bed buddy, came clean last episode with the truth about working for Helen. Her father was kidnapped by The Initiative and she needs to find Carreon to bring him back. Nolan apparently trusts her enough to invite her to the Scooby Gang and have Aidan protect her while he's gone looking for the dying Porters. Padma reaches out for proof that her father is still alive and The Initiative sends her a treat in a little doggy bag: her father's finger! Not sure if her father's actually alive and I've dropped the theory that Padma is evil. Why send Helen a fake phone call if Trask didn't know it was fake? She's off my list... for now.

Did you guess right with the murder prediction? Can Conrad actually win the election without The Initiative? Who will be the next cast member to fall? Time to share in the comments and post about what you thought about this week's episode.
There are some yearly features that I like to try and keep up with for the blog. One of them is highlighting my favourite songs and artists that have impacted my playlist. A few years ago during my retail days, a friend of mine and I discussed who deserved to be in our Top 10 list of artists. Though, it was more an argument to change each other’s thoughts and opinions. Since then I’ve felt inspired to always look back and think about those songs I couldn’t stop singing, the videos I played on loop or the artists that popped up back on my iPod.
 
Note: Just like last year, some of the artists could get an explanation behind their rankings. Artists will be listed from most-to-least and if certain artists below collaborated on the same song then I may only reference it once.


1. Ellie Goulding
Songs: Anything Could Happen, Lights, Starry Eyed, Human, Little Dreams
LYR (Last Year's Rank): NEW
 
Before 2012, I had never heard of Ellie Goulding or really listened to any of her songs. ‘Lights’ and ‘Starry Eyed’ were downloaded on my iPod after it was a random song I heard over the radio one time. At first I wasn’t a big fan and even contemplated removing them; however, after some time listening to the tracks and hearing more of her music, I absolutely fell in love. Ellie Goulding is possibly one of my current favourite artists and I can’t wait to hear more from her. 


2. Ke$ha
Songs: Die Young, C’Mon, Warrior, All That Matters (The Beautiful Life)
LYR: #4 

Ke$ha has vastly improved her place on my playlist. Her dance tracks are incredibly catchy and most days I really do need an upbeat dance song on the way home. Her new album dropped in 2012 and most of the songs made their way on the list already. I’m not sure if all the ones above will become videos, but it would be great to see if it actually happens.


3. Dragonette
Songs: Let It Go, Live In This City
LYR: #16 


Another group that has climbed up the ranks from year-to-year. Pop-rock isn’t a genre that I’m used to but I have really developed an appreciation for Dragonette. Their last album was great and even though I have listened to their new tracks yet, their last two singles were amazing. Let’s see how 2013 turns out for Dragonette.


4. Owl City
Songs: When Can I See You Again?, Metropolis, Good Time, Speed Of Love, Bombshell Blonde
LYR: NEW

Owl City’s sound may be a little tween for me. A few of the tracks are catchy pop tunes and I really do like the tone. It all started with his collaboration with one of the artists on the list and I decided to check out a few of his other songs. Suffice it say, I’m somewhat hooked and I really wanted to see if he’s good as a live performer.



5. The Black Keys
Songs: Lonely Boy, Dead And Gone, Run Right Back
LYR: NEW
Rock music is definitely not my main genre. It’s something I don’t really listen to on repeat and I’m not really sure how I was introduced to The Black Keys. It may have something to do with work and someone sharing with me their album to listen. Apparently I really liked the songs because a few weeks later, the entire album is now on my playlist and ‘Lonely Boy’ was on repeat for a while. Maybe I will give new genres a chance in 2013.


6. Carly Rae Jepsen
Songs: Call Me Maybe, This Kiss
LYR: NEW

The song that defined the summer. ‘Call Me Maybe’ inspired parodies, online videos and practically everyone knows the lyrics. I had to put her on the list regardless and the tracks deserved to be in the Top 10. Her follow-up songs were good and hopefully she becomes known for more than one song.



7. FUN.
Songs: We Are Young, Some Nights
LYR: NEW

Well... FUN. has officially won the Grammy for their debut song. The group is slowly growing on me and last year definitely showcased two of their current top hits. FUN. definitely has something and they could become even bigger this year. I should check out more of their album tracks to see if there are other songs I can add to my playlist. Any suggestions I should know about?



8. Nicki Minaj
Songs: Starships, Pound The Alarm, Va Va Voom
LYR: NEW

Her music is a hit-or-miss sometimes. I really love her more dance and pop songs compared to some of the harder tracks. Her recent appearance on American Idol may delay any future songs for a while so be prepared to wait.


9. Foster The People
Songs: Pumped Up Kicks, Houdini
LYR: NEW

Trying something new this year with different artists and groups. One of the few new groups I've listened to was Foster The People. 'Houdini' is a great song that I love to hear on dull afternoons and the remixes have been getting better and better. The group is still somewhat new so I haven't heard much in terms of songs yet. Though, I would love to hear more.

10. Tegan and Sara
Songs: Body Work, Closer
LYR: NEW

Another new addition to the list this year. Tegan and Sara have been around for a while and I’ve heard about them before but never really heard much of their music. Last year, they worked with a DJ who helped spice up their music and ‘Body Work’ was an amazing track. Slowly they’re starting to pop up more but I’d like to see how things develop in 2013.



11. Lana Del Rey
Songs: Blue Jeans, Born To Die, Ride
LYR: #25

12. Adele

Songs: Skyfall
LYR: #6

13. David Guetta

Songs: Titanium, Laserlight
LYR: #2

14. Bruno Mars

Songs: Locked Out Of Heaven
LYR: NEW

15. Florence and The Machine 

Songs: Shake It Out
LYR: NEW

16. Metric

Songs: Youth Without Youth
LYR: NEW

17. Anjulie
Songs: You and I
LYR: #13

18. Kelly Clarkson

Songs: Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)
LYR: NEW


19. Britney Spears

Songs: Scream and Shout
LYR: #1

20. Kat Graham

Songs: Put Your Grafitti On Me, Sassy, Boyfriend’s Back
LYR: NEW

21. The Saturdays

Songs: All Fired Up, Notorious
LYR: NEW

22. Katy Perry

Songs: Part Of Me, Wide Awake
LYR: #5

23. Demi Lovato

Songs: Give Your Heart A Break
LYR: NEW

24. Rihanna

Songs: Diamonds, Where Have You Been
LYR: #22

25. Christina Perri

Songs: A Thousand Years (Part Two)
LYR: NEW


Agree or Disagree with the list? Share your thoughts and comments below about which artists or songs influenced you for 2012!



Valentine's Day... it's sometimes a hit or miss for me. This year it was a miss (but not judging or anything). Though, I decided to change things up and actually watched a "romance" movie last week to see what I've been missing. Not really a romantic-comedy person out of all the genres but a rom-com about zombies... I just had to see this. This movie review will be for the post-apocalyptic true love zombie romance: Warm Bodies.


The Premise: Zombies have taken over the world and only a select few factions of the human population are left to survive. R (played by Nicholas Hoult) is an unnamed zombie who spends his days at the abandoned airport with his zombie cohorts. One day when they decide to look for human flesh, they discover a local group of human survivors searching for medical supplies. R quickly is drawn to one the survivors, Julie Drigio (Teresa Palmer) and after killing her boyfriend, his memories intensifies his attraction to her. By sparing Julie and trying to protect her from deadly zombies, the pair begin an unusual romance that could be the cure to the zombie apocalypse once and for all.


The Good: Warm Bodies is unbelievably funny if you don't take the movie too seriously. A story about a human girl that starts to fall in love with a zombie (and vice versa) is a bit cheeky and random even in today's monster romance pop culture. The movie does stand on its own but leaving the theatre I felt that this could be a parody on Twilight and all the other romance films (i.e. like werewolves and vampires). Too many corny and cliche lines were added to the final film that were just too funny to not laugh. While movies like Twilight tried to establish themselves as a serious film, Warm Bodies understood its camp factor and embraced it. 

I have to applaud Nicholas Hoult on his portrayal of a zombie that slowly returns to life. Facial expressions are a natural part of living and trying to look like someone who has had a major dose of daily botox must have been hard to pull off. Plus, his voiceover dialogue really helped Warm Bodies at the small dull points in between the plot. His co-star Teresa Palmer was a better "Kristin Stewart-type" compared to the original homage and thankfully she showed more emotion! Also of note, Rob Corddry and Analeigh Tipton added some comedic relief for both the zombie and human sides as the best friends.


The Bad: Warm Bodies, while incredibly funny in their dialogue, really lacked in their fine-tuning of the special effects. Sure, the make-up and prosthetics were done pretty well when it came to the human zombies, but the "Boneys" didn't impress me. It clearly was CGI and made to the look like burnt zombie skeletons. A few more hours or days put into the design possibly would have helped; it wasn't detrimental to my opinion but it could have helped in the final product.

The campy and cheeky tone of Warm Bodies made the horror rom-com better than I had originally expected. However, there weren't enough of those comedic moments to carry the film. Many of the flashbacks about Perry, Julie's recently dead boyfriend, were pointless especially when it was about a character who died early on in the story. His backstory later on triggered R's romance for Julie and it did provide need plot elements, but it added a more romantic overtone when a comedic element was missing based on the image that was presented in trailers.



The Results: 3.5/5!
Warm Bodies introduced us to a rom-com element that we didn't really think about before: a zombie boy falls in love with a human girl. It's an undefined parody that clearly points a finger at movies like Twilight where it's impossible to believe this would ever really happen. Though, with that being said, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously except for creating an overall good movie that showcased some undervalued acting talent. Will I ever watch Warm Bodies again? Probably. It has its place where it could show up on a movie night for some laughs or on a mini movie marathon. No sequel potential (maybe...) for Warm Bodies so enjoy the film while it lasts in theatres and go check it out.

Agree or Disagree with the final results for the review? Post your thoughts in the comments below about when you thought of Warm Bodies.

Love is a complicated thing but on The Following, it's absolutely twisted.

This week on The Following, Maggie seeks revenge against Ryan for killing her husband in the last episode and the groupies try to figure out what to do with the hostage. Plus, more backstory is revealed about Ryan's relationship with Claire.


A WOMAN SCORNED
The groupies are out for revenge and nobody does it better than Maggie. The recently widowed groupie managed to escape the FBI at the end of last week's episode but she's back again with a vengeance. Maggie places a call to Ryan and states that she is holding his sister, Debbie, hostage at her restaurant. Immediately Ryan ignores Maggie's request by coming alone (he brought Mike) and coming unarmed (he's a cop - he always has a gun on him). They make a deal for Ryan's life in exchange for Debbie's - which Maggie is happy to hold with a twist. She ties him up and plans to kill him in the most "are you serious?" way possible: stopping his pacemaker with magnets.

With Debbie tied to a chair and watching from afar, Maggie uses the magnets to slow Ryan's heart until it stops. A rule among the groupies is that no one is able to kill Ryan except for Joe. Though, since Joe was the cause of Ryan needing the pacemaker, Maggie only wants to finish was Joe started. The plan is working but then she cuts his wrists and lets him fall, only for Mike to sneak into the restaurant and shoot her dead. Seriously? The murder attempt was a little overcomplicated for a revenge ploy.

THREE'S A CROWD
A new dynamic was introduced in this episode with the three living groupies. Jacob, Emma's boyfriend and Paul's semi-boyfriend, has never killed anyone and can't seem to finish the job. It seems that Paul's ploy at calling Jacob a liar is more about his lack of body count, not what he did with his body. Emma catches wind of his virginity and "encourages" Jacob to kill the hostage in the basement. When confronted with the pain, Jacob lets the hostage go and she makes a break for the door. Unfortunately for her, Emma and Paul hear her SLAM THE DOOR (are you kidding me?!) and they quickly catch her in the barn. 

This isn't a horror movie but it is a horror-inspired drama. Why didn't she just sneak out? That door was incredibly loud and the others caught on in a second. The real strange thing is that after recapturing the hostage, Emma and Paul connect in the bathroom and take a steamy shower together. Distraught over what he did, Jacob says that he's sorry and the others pull him into the shower with them! (I never know what to expect with this storyline).

FLASHBACK TIME
The Following can sometimes be 60% flashbacks. There were a lot tonight - though, the most important ones where when Claire met Debbie and when Debbie confronted Ryan for breaking up with Claire. It's nice to see someone be the voice of reason because I'll never understand why he isn't with Claire. He can make up any excuse he wants but he's still acting as a coward by not being with her.


Who will be the next groupie to fall? Will the FBI discover the location of the house? Can the groupie's love triangle get anymore complicated? Let me know in the comments about what you thought of this week's episode.


Let's take a trip back to Gossip Girl: 80's style!

This week on The Carrie Diaries, Carrie meets a new potential boytoy that invites her beyond the golden gates to the Upper East Side. Plus, Maggie stakes her clique claim against Donna, Mouse plays the battle of the bedroom and Carrie's father loses a piece of his late wife.


YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME
Morning Upper East Siders! Gowns and gossip are in full swing for the formal season and knowing your place on the list is the name of the game. But in the exclusive world of summering in St. Barts and all day shopping sprees on Madison, the tried and true always stand supreme: what you wear to the party isn't as important as who you bring. (I always wanted to do that! Back to normal voice).

While spending time working at her dull internship, Carrie meets a cute boy who quickly takes an interest in the aspiring writer. George, an old acquittance and the son of her father's best friend, invites Carrie as her date to an Upper East Side party hosted by his mother, Kick Silver. She turns down the invite at first but when she discovers that Sebastian has already moved on to mean girl Donna LaDonna, she accepts the invite and pulls together a dress with the help of her stern boss.

The Upper East Side party was different than Carrie had initially envisioned. Jokes she didn't understand, a mother who didn't accept her social standing, and a jealous ex-girlfriend that was ready to claw her eyes out. Before Carrie was about to throw in the towel, Kick's heart grew three sizes that day once it was revealed that Carrie's late mother and Kick were best friends. Carrie earned a new ally in Kick, a potential new boyfriend and some MUCH NEEDED future drama with the wrath of Donna and Blythe, George's ex-girlfriend.

CLIQUE WARS
Not sure what Castlebury, Connecticut has to offer, but if Donna and Maggie are fighting over a booth at a diner, it's clear that Manhattan needs to happen more often. After Carrie spots the new "IT" couple around town (and nearly runs them over), Donna and her sidekicks decide to invade Bradshaw territory and claim the diner as their new hangout. Maggie, being the bestfriend she is, declares war and refuses to give up the bench. Though both sides put up a great fight, Sebastian comes walking in and convinces Donna to give up the bench before starting a real fight. Maybe they're a good couple after all? What am I saying...

EXPERIENCE MATTERS
Was your first time good? Mouse didn't think so. This week, she's ready to jump back in bed with Seth but she's worried that she wasn't good their first time around. Walt, Maggie's secretly gay boyfriend (and apparently great in bed), comes to the rescue with an old VHS tape on how to perform. He gives Mouse his secret weapon and she learns how to impress Seth with her moves. The tactic obviously worked because their montage was suggestive and their reaction hilarious (no subtlety here, folks). Surprisingly from all the hooking up this series has shown so far, I'm surprised people are still complaining it's not like the HBO series. Though, it was revealed that Seth has hooked up since his first break-up with Mouse and he's a bit of the jealous type. (Watch out Mouse! There could be a scary encounter or worse... a pregnancy plotline!)

Will Carrie and George last beyond next week's episode? Will Donna take this fight to the next level? When does Carrie start to obsess about shoes?! Time to share in the comments and post your thoughts about this week's episode.