Kara McCoy - Page 2

Brace yourselves, fellow reality TV junkies. Tonight's SURVIVOR is supersized, with two episodes airing back to back. That's double the challenges, double the backstabbing, and double the ridiculous hashtags. Double. The. Drama. Really. 'Tensions are running high' and 'patience is running low' in Huyopaville, which I guess is to be expected at this point of the game. With just eight contestants left on the island, the stakes are only getting higher, and the million dollars is only getting closer. It's time to be a little cutthroat. A little conniving. Plus being stuck with the same people week after week probably just gets annoying. It's only natural. Whatever it is, it makes for better TV--am I right?! (*Waits patiently for a high-five.*)

Last night's mid-season finale of AMC's THE WALKING DEAD delivered yet another gut-wrenching episode complete with twists, turns, and plenty of tears. Basically, everything we've come to expect from this zombie hit, still going strong with record-breaking ratings at season five. Even though we have to wait until February to see what's next for Rick Grimes and the gang, these two recappers still have a lot to talk about. Check out my conversation with THE WALKING DEAD recapper Jennifer McHugh, because a lot happened, and you need to know about all of it. Spoilers abound, so proceed with caution.

Last week we said goodbye to Sass Master J, and, well, I just don't know what to do with myself now. With Jeremy gone, who's going to give me my shady eye rolls and snarky asides? Who?! Wes, probably; dude's a total chatterbox. Lol jk, have we heard more than five words out of that guy this whole season? Like, my goodness, sing out, Louise! Alright, enough with the jokes. But I really am going to miss Jeremy and his unwavering dedication to the sassy cause. I guess I understand why they voted him out...Well, no, actually, I don't. But! Ultimately, my opinion means nothing. So good job, Huyopa. You, er, saw a threat, and you, um, got rid of it. Kudos to you. Ten points to Gryffindor.

Sigh. Let's revisit last week's SURVIVOR, shall we? No matter how painful and emotionally taxing it may be, I think we all need to talk about it. It's the only way to move on. To get some closure. To find inner peace. To learn to love again. (Oh, c'mon, Kara, cool the histrionics. Nope, sorry, shan't, won't.) So grab some Kleenex and dab your eyes, dear readers, because we're going to talk about Josh.

As I reflect on this season of SURVIVOR, the road so far, if you will, a couple of things are shocking to me. Number one: We're already down to 11 contestants. Number two: We're only down to 11 contestants. What is that, an oxymoron? Situational irony? Antithesis? Somewhere, both of my parents are weeping over my clearly wasted English degree. Well, anyway, whatever it is, it's true. Is this season moving at lightning speed, or in slow motion? Or both? I simply can't tell. Stick it on the bookshelf of unsolved mysteries, right between Roanoke and the Bermuda triangle.

Guys. Oh my gosh. Guys. It's tonight. It's finally happening. Tonight. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. That's right, friends. For the second time this season, Jeff will utter one of the series' signature phrases, those three little words that will have you kicking off your shoes in a fit of joy: Drop. Your. Buffs.

Last week, the island got flipped, turned upside down (okay, my second Fresh Prince reference in a week? 90's kids really do have a tough time letting go) as Hunahpu and Coyopa were mixed up to create two new tribes, thereby eliminating any hope I could have possibly had at keeping these contestants straight. It wasn't quite a merge, which is really the one checkpoint that every SURVIVOR junkie oh, so eagerly awaits, but it was certainly something--a necessary something, because Hunahpu's prior winning streak was getting lame, let's be honest. Now, the 'blood vs water' theme can really come into play, maybe even more than it would in an actual merge. On Hunahpu, fate in the form of an blue buff declared that Josh and Reed be the only new pair of loved ones on the new tribe. It wasn't a problem for them last week because Hunahpu won the immunity comp--oh my gosh, it's really starting to sound like a broken record; even with a new tribe, Coyopa can't win--but if they go to tribal this week, you never know. They could definitely be targets, which makes me sad, because I don't want either of them to go. Especially now that they've just been reunited; what a tragic Nicholas Sparksian love story that would be.

Last week, in what was probably the most satisfying tribal council of the season so far, we said goodbye to Drew. And not, like, a particularly sad goodbye. Not one of those 'handkerchief-waving, sending your son off to college' goodbyes. No, no. More like a 'champagne-popping, gone with the wind FANTASTIC' goodbye. The dude with the 'tude is officially off the island and probably back to enjoying his hair dryers and down feather comforters as I type this. From chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all useless at camp, to throwing the immunity comp, to conspiring against the girls--purely because they're girls--Drew's game weakened his tribe at best and showcased his crummy personality at worst. Woah, was that too harsh? Alright, alright, well, suffice it to say, he's gone. And he deserves to be gone. Okay, rant done.

Last week the island saw its first real blindside of the season, as John Bad-mouth Rocker was sent packing. Not too shabby for only the third episode. Now, I'm about to embarrass myself by revealing how seriously I take my reality shows, but we're all friends here, so here goes. It's very refreshing to see actual moves being made this early in the game--those aptly named 'power moves.' If you watch BIG BROTHER, another CBS reality stalwart, you know how long it can take before a contestant makes any attempt to shake up the game. In fact, it could never happen at all. BIG BROTHER is famous for its unanimous evictions, as week after week the house, the BB equivalent to a tribe, votes together according to the Head of Household's wishes. Predictable. Uninteresting. And believe me, as boring to watch as it is to write about. So thank you, Coyopa. You're keeping me on my toes.

Last week the island saw possibly one of the silliest game moves since J'Tia's rice dump--well okay, maybe it's not quite the same; Season 28's ricegate wasn't really a game move, per se, more of a temper tantrum. Val, on the other hand--how she could have possibly thought lying would actually help her game is still a mystery to me. This is SURVIVOR, after all. SURVIVOR! Lying on SURVIVOR? Who lies on SURVIVOR? Oh. Right. Everybody. Well, still. Let Val's prompt dismissal last week serve as a cautionary tale to the remaining contestants. If you're going to lie, be smart about it. Not silly. Heck, lie about mildly believable things at least. Do not, I repeat, do not, lie about having multiple immunity idols by day five. Inevitably, someone will call you out on it, and then you'll just be up a creek without an idol. Sorry, Val. It would have been fun to see what other kooky fabrications you could have cooked up. Maybe your husband Jeremy will have some similar tricks up his sleeve. I can only hope.

Is there anything better than a Wednesday evening spent dodging sand crabs, whittling spears, and sleeping on planks of bamboo? Yes. Many, many things are probably better. So why endure the perils and discomforts of island life yourself when you can sit back and watch 18 (oops, 17, now) strangers do it for you?

It's shocking to me, fellow lads and lasses, that we've already reached Episode 8. Seems like only yesterday we were tumbling through the stones of Craigh na Dun like a wee little Sassenach. I approach this mid-season finale with mixed emotions. Of course I'm excited to see what happens next to the Highlands' newest 'it' couple, but with a recently announced air date of April 4, 2015, the midseason premiere just seems so far away. Too far away, I tell you! And I know tonight's episode will end with a cliffhanger, because showrunners just love messing with fans that way, don't they? They seem to get some sick joy out of it, and I both love and hate them for it. Such is the burden of the TV junkie.

It's a big night on CBS. Before a winner can be crowned on BIG BROTHER 16, SURVIVOR's gotta make a comeback, coming in hot with its 29th season premiere. And I mean hot. Like really hot. I've never been to San Juan del Sur, but a preliminary Google search tells me that the humidity can get up to 100%. Phew.

This week's episode of OUTLANDER was a pretty special one, so mazel tov, newlyweds; this recap's for you. We get an opening shot of Claire and Frank walking hand and hand, all lovey dovey, down the street—a flashback to their own wedding day, which was a very simple, and totally spontaneous, affair. They share a kiss and then—oops, snap back to reality—we're in Scotland again, and it's Jamie and Claire doing the kissing. Because they're married. It happened. If you sneezed, you probably missed the entire ceremony, it's that short. But don't you worry, fellow romantics—the bulk of the episode is devoted to backtracking, so you get a closer look at the actual wedding eventually, piece by piece. First, however, we get a snapshot of the tension-ridden awkwardfest that is the wedding night. Claire and Jamie are left alone in the honeymoon suite while the party guests grow ever rowdier, and no doubt drunker, just outside their door, refusing to go to bed until the marriage has been made, er, shall we say, official.

This week's episode of OUTLANDER picks up right where we left off, with the young Jeremy Foster, flanked by his English comrades, asking Claire if she is with the Mackenzies by her own volition. Brief dramatic pause. Claire smiles warmly, gives a big ol' “Yup!” and it's another crisis averted. Sort of. Foster's happy for her and everything, but his commander will still want to see her. Y'know. Just to be sure. So off Claire goes with the gang of Brits, and she finds it comforting to finally be surrounded by her “own people” for the first time since falling through the stones, being looked at with sympathy rather than suspicion. Lord Oliver Thomas greets her happily, delighted by her tales of robbery and murder. No, like, really delighted. It's kind of weird, actually. He's insufferable, dissing Dougal and his clansmen right to his face. I mean, he even makes fun of his accent, and I'm sorry, Lord Thomas, but literally everyone loves a Scottish accent, so excuse you. Claire politely defends the Highlanders, and is ultimately rewarded with an offer of an escort back to Inverness. Oh, Ms. Beauchamp, could the day get any better?

At the end of last week's OUTLANDER, Dougal Mackenzie promised us a road trip, and this week, we got it. Just so you don't get the wrong impression, Dougal's idea of a road trip doesn't include kicking your feet up on the dashboard, singing along to the Spice Girls at an obnoxious volume, or making a McDonald's pit stop on the Jersey Turnpike. The purpose of this trip is very much the journey, not the destination, as Dougal represents the Laird in collecting rent from the residents of surrounding villages. It's a good opportunity for Claire to finally get outside of Castle Leoch and maybe even make a run for it to Craigh na Dun, but as always, the Sassenach must be cautious.

The episode begins with a frantic Claire running through the woods, darting around trees and panting heavily, as a sentry keeps his watchful post from above. It's all wracked with tension and suspense, particularly when we recall Claire's ominous testimony at the end of last week's installment: get back to Craigh na Dun, or “die trying.” Run, Claire, run! we simple viewers implore—for all of ten seconds, until we realize, oh but of course, she's just playing a game. We, and the sentry, relax as Ms. Beauchamp emerges from the trees, a gaggle of pint-sized Scots eagerly giggling at her heels. Claire is smoothly transitioning into life at Castle Leoch, it seems—but as always, Claire is really fixated on just one thing: freedom. And no matter how much fun she and the wee bairns appear to be having, she's using the game to better explore the castle grounds. For escape routes. Oh, girl, that is clever.

Ah yes. Another week, another frolic about the sprawling Scottish highlands. Alright, maybe not so much a frolic. Our heroine Claire certainly has more important things on her mind; survival for one, escape for another. In this week's episode of 'Outlander,' Claire is faced with even more difficulties within the walls of Castle Leoch, as the possibility of returning to her home and her husband seem further away than ever.

Something very exciting is happening on today's small screens. The adult fantasy is becoming an actual thing-and a popular one at that. In a world where 'Game of Thrones' not only exists, but actually thrives on cable TV, Ronald D. Moore's 'Outlander' has all the potential to become another hit, and after the series premiere, I predict it probably will. Which isn't to say that that the new Starz series should be compared with the HBO smash. Both may have originally begun as sweeping epics stretching across thousands of pages of thick-spined behemoths before making it to the screen (the novel Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, is the first of currently eight books upon which the new series is based), but the similarities end there. 'Game of Thrones' has the vast imaginary land of Westeros. Knights in shining armor. Oh yeah, and dragons. 'Outlander' has Inverness. Burly Scotsmen in tartan kilts. And no dragons. So I repeat, this is not 'Game of Thrones,' but, as it turns out, that's just fine. If the series premiere proved anything, it's that 'Outlander' doesn't need to compete with 'Game of Thrones.' It's more than capable of standing on its own two feet. Plus it has time travel. And time travel is pretty cool.