Courtney Henley - Page 2

To root for, or not to root for? That is the question. Normally, by this point in THE AMAZING RACE, I've made my decision about who I want to win, and about who i definitely don't want to win. While I still have my selection for Team I Absolutely Don't Want to Win (congratulations, Chris and Logan, you take home that prize this season!), I'm not quite sure who I'm rooting for. If I had to pick, I'd go with the Reporters, but they haven't really done much of anything spectacular just yet. Until this last leg, that is!

Tis the season for letting your true colors show on HEROES REBORN! Joanne becoes a kidnapper and a murderer (rest in peace, Caspar - althoug I'm sure you're still alive in some other timeline); Dearing aids a fugitive (albeit, one on the right side of justice); and Quentin abducts Tommy and takes him to who knows where. Poor Emily is caught up in the middle of all of this, probably scared and very, very confused.

I've been a fan of THE AMAZING RACE since I was ten years old. I've seen every single episode, and I've planned exactly how I'll Race when I'm finally on the show. Because of all of this, it would make sense for me to love any other superfan team that gets to race around the world. I should be rooting fervently for Justin and Diana. And yet...I don't love them.  Which means I've been disappointed for the past few legs, as they've had a steady first place lead for quite some time now. 

Some years back, I was lounging around on a weekend, bored, desperately looking for something to watch on TV. I browsed the channels, getting more and more discouraged the higher and higher they went. Then, a show on one of the classic channels caught my eye. There was Dick Van Dyke, sitting on a couch, mid-somersault. I instantly started cracking up. I couldn't help but hysterically laugh for the rest of the episode, so naturally I continued to watch the hours-long marathon that I accidentally stumbled upon. 

Confusing time jumps and cheesy one-liners aside, last week's episode of HEROES REBORN was at least eye-opening and informative, if not even slightly intriguing! Sure, the whole Tommy and Malina being twins tasked to save the future could've been seen from a mile away if you looked hard enough, but them being the Cheerleader's kids? That I didn't see coming. Mostly because there's not much of an age difference between them all. Thanks, time travel. 

Last week, there were a lot of surprises - and arguably even more fights - on THE AMAZING RACE. Who would've ever expected Team Alabama (even with the Express Pass) to climb to the top of the pack and land at the Pit Stop in first place? Not me, I'll tell you that. As for the arguing, well, the came almost exclusively from the Paparazzi, who quickly climbed into first place on my 'teams that should be eliminated ASAP' list. Everybody else seems pretty content (especially the Cheerleaders, who are just loving life right now). This week, we get to watch Team Alabama rap in French. Who's ready!?

Last week on HEROES REBORN, we watched as the collision of individual worlds continued to grow and escalate: Luke and Malina join forces on their quest to find Tommy (and save the future, of course); Katana Girl and Ren finally make it to the fortress where Katana Girl's father is a captive; Quentin finds his sister, but quickly loses his life; and HRG finds Hiro and heads back in time to #SaveTheCheerleader.

The typical 'mandator 24-hour rest period' has gone right out the window for teams this week on THE AMAZING RACE! After last week's catastrophic (and I mean that in every sense of the word) Express Pass mistake by Tanner and Josh, I'm not sure how much more stress the teams (or myself, for that matter) can handle.  And yet, they're being forced to liase with lions and cage dive with crocodiles regardless!

Last week seemed to be the week of bombshells on NBC's HEROES REBORN. The entire episode was one gigantic development after another. Tommy's adopted! Malina and Farah are attacked by a rogue EVO aptly called The Shadow! Dearing is revealed as an EVO! Luke burns down his house! Noah pulls a gun on Erica! So much drama!...

Last week's leg of THE AMAZING RACE was a doozie, to say the least. I'm not sure I've ever seen as much strategic planning from teams as I did during the last leg. Usually, teams fight with teams they don't like, and sure, they use the U-Turn if possible, but Tanner and Josh took Race strategy to a whole new level when they included the rest of the teams into their plan. At the Pit Stop, everyone's hearts broke a little bit as Ernest and Jin, the dancers, got eliminated.

Four episodes in, and we're finally starting to get to the meat of some of these characters! A lot has happened to our HEROES REBORN friends over the past few episodes: deaths, car crashes, ruined marriages, all that fun stuff. I'm hesitant to mourn any of our newly deceased EVO friends – they have super powers, who knows if they're actually gone for good! – but I am curious to see how their troubles translate for those on both sides of the EVO war (I'm calling it a war now). 

Tonight marks the start of season 27 of THE AMAZING RACE. Before you say anything, I know what you're thinking: Season 27 already?! Didn't Season 1 air just yesterday?! Trust me, I feel old, too. But the show has managed to stay just as fresh and interesting as it did on day one, and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us this season! 

Tonight, NBC takes another stab at its 2006 fan favorite science fiction show with a new series, aptly named HEROES REBORN. This time around, we'll be introduced to a whole new set of extraordinary people with a whole new set of extraordinary abilities (in other words, you'll be fine if you've never seen a single episode from the original series). Don't worry, though – a few original favorites are bound to make appearances here and there!

If you took a poll just a year or two ago asking people if they knew who Uzo Aduba was, I'm fairly certain that only a select group of Godspell-loving Broadway buffs would be able to answer that question with a confident 'yes.' If you were to take that same poll today, however, the answer would likely be quite different, thanks to a little show called ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Oh, how quickly things change in Hollywood!

Let's be honest: as we reflect on the impending series finale of Hannibal, we could easily write a novel praising the show from both a critical (and a Fannibal) point of view. For example, we could mention the incredible use of sound design and editing, the meticulously crafted imagery, and the subtle vein of dark humor that runs throughout the series. Or, we could sit for hours and discuss the themes that create the foundation of the show, or how the techniques used in Hannibal hearken back to classic, groundbreaking films made by masters of horror, like Cronenberg and Kubrick. Or we could gush about just how awesome Bryan Fuller really is. 

I'm gonna make this nice and simple: if you're not watching the HBO comedy series THE COMEBACK, you should be. The sitcom stars Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish, a former A-list actress who agrees to document her attempt at rediscovering fame by being the subject of a reality show. It's genuinely hilarious and full of heart – and boasts an extensive list of guest stars, to boot (I'm looking at you, Sean Hayes and Seth Rogen). If you don't believe me, maybe you'll listen to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which just recognized the series with an Emmy nomination for Lisa Kudrow for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. 

This is it, folks: THE AMAZING RACE Season 26 Finale. This leg is for all the marbles. If you thought teams had it rough when they had to ride a 'seahorse' through waves to a buoy, or when they had to channel their inner RuPaul for a drag competition, think again. These last legs are the baddest of the bad; they're the creme de la creme of Amazing Race legs, if you will. This is the last chance for teams to show us what they're made of. Oh, and the million dollars. There's also that. We can't forget that. 

Congrats! If you're reading this, that means you've stuck with me all the way to the home stretch of THE AMAZING RACE. For that, you deserve a prize. It's a shame I don't have any.

We're only two more eliminations away from the season finale of THE AMAZING RACE, folks. I know, I know, it feels like we just started Season 26 yesterday! But the teams are all grown up now, and it's time to start whittling down the racers until we have our final three. 

Amsterdam. Floating hot tubs. Cobblers. If those three things aren't enough to pique your curiosity about tonight's leg of THE AMAZING RACE, then we just can't be friends. Please leave.  If those three things have you thinking, 'THAT'S quality reality television,' congratulations! You have passed the test. You can stay.