Online Nation: Yeah, But What About Us?
Jason C. asks Online Nation host Stevie Ryan about source material, the characters she plays, and, most importantly, how we can get on the show! Check out the clip, then vote in our poll or leave your thoughts in the comments: Should the CW Source be on Online Nation?
CW Now: Jason C. Finds Out What's Hot
Jason C. gets more scoop from CW Now host Tanika Ray on what sets the show apart form other TV trend shows -- the global reach, the no-commercials format, and the incessant use of the word "hot." (OK, we added that last one. Sorry Tanika -- we love you, but get another adjective!) Plus, check out her amusing rant about current Hollywood fashions -- apparently, Tanika wasn't loving her stylist at that moment!
September 27, 2007
Smallville: Death Doesn't Seem To Stick
Aw, yeah, baby: explosions and floods and electrical fires and lots of lots of destruction – that’s the way to start a season!
We’d love to hear what you thought of the season opener of Smallville, so we’re starting with a couple of polls. As for what we thought – that’s after the break.
We kind of love Bizarro, and hope he’s not gone for good. Yeah, yeah, he’s evil, but you have to admit, he’s loads of fun when you’re a fan of mayhem. Still, we were glad Clark was able to defeat him – although did anyone else start shouting at the screen when J’onn J’onnz looked around the barn and said humanity wasn’t Clark’s only strength? "Farm implements! Hay! COWS!" we yelled. Or, you know, a yellow sun. Eh, we kind of wish cows were Bizarro’s weakness. He could be felled by milk!
Other thoughts: Why hasn’t Lex moved to a desert yet? He seems to get trapped under water in cars rather a lot. Lucky for him, his "angel" was there to save him. We wonder if she’ll come to regret that move?
And then there were the deaths – none of which seemed to stick. Lois was healed at the end of last season, and managed to get out of the damn. Chloe was declared dead and given a toe tag, but she got better. And Lana? Apparently she – or her doppelganger – has been hanging out in Shanghai. Not bad!
That leaves Lionel – he got fished out of the river, but by who? And what happened to him? We just hope "Dueling Banjos" isn’t playing anywhere – that would be unpleasant.
Overall, that was some good stuff to start off. We’re dubious that vaporizing a river is particularly good for the planet – and we hope somebody out there likes poached fish – but we applaud Clark for thinking on his feet. And we love the way everyone kept yelling at Clark for not being able to fly. Get on that, Smallville!
So what did you think? Tell all in the comments!
Plastic!Interview, Part Two: The Show Strikes Back
Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with Andie Masino, the brilliant mind behind the addictive Plastic!Winchester Theater. Here, Andie talks about finding out she has fans up in Vancouver, and how we can tell the difference between Plastic!Sam and Plastic!Jared.
CWS: I've heard that someone on the Supernatural production staff wrote to you – tell me about that.
We started the postcard campaign up to Vancouver, where we were basically sending postcards of support to the show, and we tried to pick catchy ones. Alyssa, a girl online who really liked the Plastic!Winchesters, asked if she could put together a comic-style postcard that had a funny scene from one of the episodes. She sent it up there, and when they took the picture of the boys in the room with all the postcards, we saw that the postcard was right there on the shelf. It was great – "Oh my god, they saw it!" But I didn't really think anything of it..
Then Alyssa e-mailed me: "You'll never believe what I got in the mail today!"
"I got this postcard from a woman who is one of the set designers on Supernatural, gushing about you, saying we watch your stuff, we think it's really funny, your attention to detail is amazing – it's my job to pay attention to detail, so watching you do it, we love." I was just like "You're kidding me!" Alyssa says "No, it gets better. It's the actual postcard from Dead Man's Blood. Part of the note on it was saying that we thought you'd enjoy this little piece of the set, because you give us so much, we'll give you a little joy there." It's a piece of the set!
So that night, we were going through Dead Man's Blood, trying to find it, and there's John and there's the postcard right over his shoulder, tacked on the wall. It's so cool! You look at the postcard, and you can tell they PhotoShopped these people doing silly things in front. When you flip it over, on the back, where postcards have that little byline on the top, it says "Come to Colorado where we have bloodthirsty vampires!" or something cutesy like that. Then they have the name of the motel on the bottom and a fake 555 phone number. I was looking at that thinking, "She sent this to me, a person on the show that I do this for, that's amazing."
I do it for the fans of the show, everyone who is in the same boat as I am, but to have the people that are doing something that I appreciate so much appreciate me, it blew my mind. It was just, holy cow! That was very validating.
CWS: I know you went down to Texas to see Jensen perform in "A Few Good Men." You've said you were taking pictures of Plastic!Dean outside the stage door, and when the door opened, you sprinted away. Why?
When Jared was coming to Fangoria I had every intention of showing him Plastic!Sam. It's just Jensen was a little more… not unapproachable, but ... I didn't want him thinking "Oh, another silly fangirl." It wasn't that I was embarrassed about the dolls, I just didn't want to make him uncomfortable.
Out of the two of them, I figured Jared would be like "Oh my god, it's a Barbie that looks like me!" and just flip out and think it was funny. Obviously I don't know either of them, so I don't know how Jensen would have reacted to it. So that's where the flight instinct came from. If he's coming out here, and he's trying to get to his car, I don't want him to think "Hey, what's the girl with the Barbie doing out here? That's odd."
CWS: Do you find a big difference in the Plastic!Characters – Plastic!Sam vs. Plastic!Jared?
Besides the potty mouth? (Laughs) It was funny, because I think the first time used them as Jared and Jensen was when they went to Asylum, and I had to make it so you knew it wasn't Dean and Sam. You needed to know they were different people. I was trying to think about what we know about them in real life and exaggerate that. Jared became even more of a spaz. The problem was Sam's already a spaz, so to differentiate from that. It's a fine line, but I think it's there.
I think you can tell when it's Jared and when it's Sam. Whereas, I think Dean and Jensen, it's very easy to tell when he's being each one. The clothing doesn't hurt either – stick him in flip flops and they know Sam's not going to wear flip flops.
CWS: Does it change things for you when you know you're doing a real person as opposed to a character?
It does to the point where I think, "Oh, if he's actually reading this, how embarrassed would I be right now!" Part of it is, I understand that they are real people, but we see only one side of their personality. We see the television actor, "I'm whoring my show" side of it. I think of it as taking that one facet of their personality and that's what I'm playing with, not necessarily their entire lives.
There's still more to come! We'll be talking to Andie about her favorite episode, what it takes to make Plastic!Winchester Theater, and more. Check back later for part three!
ANTM: Mila Explains Her Giggly Photo Shoot
The CW Source caught up with Mila after her ouster form the Top Model house. We have to say, we're surprised -- she comes across as a much more serious, self-assured woman than she did on the show. Here, she talks about why she was laughing while portraying a chemo sufferer, what she's up to now (Grad school for economics? Really?) and what's next.
Smallville: Supergirl Speaks!
We're counting down to the season premiere of Smallville, and we just can't wait. If you're jonesin' for Smallville as hard as we are, we know you need something to get your through. So here's our gift to you -- Jason C.'s chat with Laura Vandervoort, the brand-new Supergirl.
Laura talks about her flying style, her dramatic entrance, and what it's like to join the show. Be warned -- there are some spoilers, so don't watch if you don't want to know!
Supernatural: Jensen Spoils Us!
Oh boy, do we have a treat for you today! We're still a week away from the Supernatural season premiere, but we've got scoop on the upcoming season from Jensen Ackles himself!
A warning: This is a spoiler-heavy clip, so don't watch if you don't want to know! (If you want to appreciate Jensen without learning too much, you can always watch with the sound off. Hey, we know you'll do whatever you have to to get a hit of the boys!)
The Jackie and Sarah Sessions: Supernatural
Everyone here at the CW Source has a favorite show, one that they try to get everyone else to watch. We cajole, we hector, we beg and persuade. And when all else fails, we have semi-rational discussions about the merits of our chosen shows.
Jackie and Sarah have been going back and forth on a couple of their favorite shows. We'll be sharing some of their conversations with you -- maybe they'll persuade you to check out a show you don't normally watch, or give you arguments you can use with your friends.
This time, Sarah tries to convince Jackie that Supernatural is about more than just blood and guts -- it's damn funny, too.
Jackie: ok, so Sarah, I don't get the obsession with Supernatural.
Jackie: sometimes I think I want to give it another chance,
Jackie: but
Jackie: I hate horror.
Jackie: I did try and watch an episode
Jackie: the scary one
Jackie: with THE CLOWN
Jackie: that beckoned to the innocent child
Jackie: and I was too freaked out to continue!
Jackie: are they ALL that scary?
Sarah: No.
Sarah: Look, clowns creep me out, and ANYTHING they were in would be scary for me -- you too, I guess.
Sarah: And some of the episodes are scary -- It is a show about things that go bump in the night
Sarah: But a lot of them are lighter. Try Hollywood Babylon or Tall Tales, the Trickster one with the slow-dancing aliens.
Sarah: These things are FUNNY.
Jackie: okay, the slow-dancing aliens I NEED to see.
Jackie: not just aliens.
Jackie: not even just dancing aliens.
Jackie: SLOW-DANCING ALIENS
Sarah: EXACTLY!
Sarah: Because what's more uncomfortable than the thought of being probed? The thought of having to slow dance with a snuggly alien to bad 80s balladry
Jackie: do you happen to remember the song they were dancing to?
Jackie: I mean, what puts aliens in the mood?
Sarah: Lady in Red, baby
Sarah: Lady. In. Red.
Sarah: Absolutely perfect
Jackie: oh my god!
Sarah: And there was a disco ball.
Jackie: I'm never going to hear that song the same way again!
Sarah: Nor should you
Sarah: And most of the episodes, even the scary ones, have really funny parts in them.
Sarah: The clowns one, for example -- Sam's got a fear of clowns, so there was lot of time spent with Dean torturing him with that fact. He made Sam sit in the clown chair, The look on Sam's face -- priceless.
Jackie: aw, that's fun.
Jackie: torturing Sam seems like endless fun.
Sarah: Oh, yeah, Sam and Dean pushing each other's buttons is always fun.
Jackie: does Dean always have the upper hand?
Sarah: Dean does tend to get the best lines
Sarah: He's the snarky ne'er-do-well, the guy who comes into town, romances all the waitresses and female bartenders, etc., then blows out again.
Sarah: But the fun thing about him is he's a big geek
Sarah: In a really, really nice package.
Jackie: how is he a geek? I find that hard to believe. LOOK at him!
Sarah: He gets all geeked out about ghost-hunting toys and big bad monsters, etc.
Sarah: Yeah, but you have to remember -- he was basically raised by wolves
Sarah: He had no normal human interaction for, like, ever.
Sarah: Sam at least peeled off and went to college and lived among normal people for a while
Sarah: Dean never had that
Sarah: And he never had a childhood, so he never got childish things out of his system
Sarah: One of the many reasons I LOVE him.
Sarah: And Sam -- see, Sam is the little brother
Sarah: So a lot of his snark/humor is from trying to piss of his older brother. He's kind of reactive when it comes to things like that
Sarah: Still very funny, but slightly more withdrawn
Jackie: right.
Jackie: which is funny,
Jackie: because in real life, the actors are kind of the opposite.
Sarah: Oh, hell yeah
Sarah: It's hysterical to watch them at press events
Sarah: Jared has NO FILTER and talks a mile a minute
Jackie: he does!!
Sarah: He's a huge puppy
Jackie: he is!
Sarah: Totally -- you ever seen a Newfoundland puppy like, sleeping in its water dish? That's so Jared
Sarah: Huge paws, limbs everywhere, just a bundle of energy.
Next time, Jackie and Sarah discuss a truth that should be self-evident: These boys are HOT! Is that enough to get Jackie watching? And will Sarah be able to spin the hotness into more than just a prurient pleasure? Tune in later for more of the Jackie and Sarah Sessions!
Gossip Girl: Our Queen Bee Talks!
We love Blair on Gossip Girl -- she just seems so bitchy and fabulous. But we might like Leighton Meester, the actress who plays Blair, even more, because she seems like a sweet, laid-back, and (dare we say) goofy girl. Here, she talks about what it's like ont he set, and shares how they pass the time. Sounds like there's a lot of impromptu karaoke going on when the cameras aren't rolling!
America's Next Top Model: Smokin'!
Top Model seems to be all about taking a stand this cycle -- for the environment, with the bio-diesel bus, and against smoking, with the nasty mirror-image photo shoot. We applaud their social conscience, but do you think it will have an effect on the viewers?
So what did you think of the elimination? For once, we agree with the judges -- Mila's picture was nothing special, and we couldn't help but wonder when she got the giggles during her chemotherapy-sufferer shoot. Yes, the whole set-up was ridiculous, but come on, a lot of shoots are going to be bizarre.
Tell us what you thought of the rest of the episode: Vote in the polls, and share your thoughts in the comments!
Gossip Girl: Brunch Can Be Brutal
In our world, brunch is a pretty laid-back affair. You roll out of bed, you throw your hair in a ponytail or put on a baseball cap, and you stagger out the door to meet your friends for some energy-restoring pancakes and bacon. In the world of Gossip Girl? Brunch is a bloodsport.
We felt kind of sorry for Serena this episode -- until she pitched her phone in the trash. Clean that puppy off and sell it on eBay! At the very least, she could donate it to someone who could use it. Oh well.
Speaking of donating -- what did you think of Blair "gifting" that dress to Jenny? We like Jenny, but we cringe every time she opens her mouth around Blair and her compatriots. Jenny, you're sweet, but way too naive to travel in these circles. You're like a little baby wildebeest among starving lions.
We've got plenty of other thoughts -- about Chuck ("Schmuck" is more like it), Dan (speaking of naive...), Blair (we do enjoy an unrepentantly nasty character, especially when we can see how she got that way) and Nate (... actually, we have very few thoughts about Nate. Snore!).
But what more important is what you thought. Vote in our polls, and share your thoughts in the comments! We can't wait to hear what you thought about the characters, the action, and the power struggles on last night's Gossip Girl!
Smallville Big Bad Bracket: Vote for Group Three!
The votes are in for Group Two of the bracket, and most of the matches were almost embarrassing.Martian Manhunter, Red Kryptonite and Bizarro trounced their opponents without breaking a sweat. Only Stunt Casting vs. Zoners was even close, and Zoners managed to squeak by in the end.
Who will advance in Group Three? Is True Love stronger than The Wedding of the Year? Could Super Soldiers take out the Justice League? Your votes will decide! Find out how the bracket works and cast your votes in the new matches below!
Super Soldiers -- Take alien blood, insert it into army personnel, and you’ve got a (semi-) human weapon that can disappear, move fast, throw people through walls, and generally cause mayhem. Yay, mayhem!
Justice League -- Cyborg, Flash, Aquaman and Green Arrow are formidable on their own. Together, they could be unstoppable.
The Wedding of the Year – We always cry at weddings – especially weddings where the bride is blackmailed, the groom kills an obstetrician, and the Dracula music plays.
True Love – Some people are just meant to be together. Too bad about the forced weddings, faked pregnancies, and explosions getting in the way.
Hallucinatory Powers – What we wouldn’t give for the power to make people believe they were in a world we created for them. If only we could get Tom Welling and Justin Hartley believe they were our cabana boys….
Mind Control – On the upside, you can get people to do what you want. On the downside, you might accidentally make them scour off their own skin or attempt to kill Lex Luthor. Actually, that last one might not be so bad…
Krypto-Freak Fight Club – Take a bunch of super-powered people in a big ol’ cage and have them fight to the death, all on video for our viewing pleasure. We’re pretty sure The CW has that on tap for a midseason replacement…
Water Powers – Ah the power to turn yourself into water. Great for disappearing down drains, not so great if you’re fighting anyone armed with a mop.
September 26, 2007
Beauty and the Geek: Tony's Tears, A Not-So-Hot Debate... And Three Six Mafia?!
Cringe. Last night's Beauty and the Geek may have reached new heights of awkwardness. Did you see Tony's painful attempt at rapping? And John's spontaneous crotch grab? And Three Six Mafia checking out Nicole's booty!? Her response was classic: "I don't think anyone's ever asked to look at my booty before." Oh, Nicole. Too bad her rap didn't win... but luckily, beefcake Sam won the debating challenge, keeping their team safe for at least another week.
We continue to feel sorry for Jasmine. Yes, she's kinda dumb -- and what's worse, she thinks it's cute. But she's stuck with dismissive Dave for a partner. We wish he'd be a little more open-minded and give her a chance, instead of, you know, TELLING her that she was his last pick for a partner. Ouch. No one wants to hear that. At least just talk about the girl behind her back or something!
The episode wrapped up with Tony and Amanda heading home. For someone who'd been in the house at most a couple of days, Tony was awfully emotional. We can never tell if those final scenes where the geeks and beauties share what they've learned from one another are staged. Tony's tears seemed real, but we're not so sure Amanda was as touched by the whole ordeal.
What about you? Tell us what you thought of last night's rapping and debating -- and vote in the polls!
Gossip Girl's Blake Lively on NYC, Fashion, and Fans
Blake Lively stopped by New York's CW 11 studios for a chat about living in New York (her lifelong dream), fashion on Gossip Girl (she doesn't get to keep the clothes!), and getting recognized by fans. Tell us what you think!
Reaper: The Devil Meets the Slacker
Did you catch Reaper? What did you think? You already know our opinion from our preview -- we thought it was a blast! There was nothing terribly different from the pilot we saw, just Missy Peregrym swapped out for Nikki Reed. At the moment, Andi has so little to do that it hardly matters. Hopefully she’ll have more of a purpose in later episodes.
But the real question is, what did you think? Vote in our polls, and leave your deep thoughts in the comments!
Wednesday's Recap with Jason C.: Gossip Girl
Jason C.'s back with a recap of the Gossip Girl premiere -- and what a premiere it was. Best friend betrayals, unwanted advances, and a glam party to top it all off!
Want more? Read our take on the premiere and discuss in the comments! And keep checking back -- we'll be posting an interview with Blake Lively later today.
September 25, 2007
Mike Richards Talks About The Beauty/Geek Twist... And The Rap
Mike Richards, host of Beauty and the Geek, shares behind-the-scenes scoop on the hottest topic this season: the girl geek and guy beauty. Why is she so dorky? What are his vainest habits (hint: one involves excessive hair removal)? And how does their presence shake up the house dynamics?
Plus, Mike talks more about tonight's episode, where Oscar-winning rappers Three Six Mafia ("It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp") judge the geeks' performances of an autobiographical rap. Ouch. We're nervous for them already, but apparently some of the geeks' inner MCs surface, and a few of them rock the challenge. Check out Jason C.'s chat with Mike for more Beauty and the Geek gossip!
CW Source Exclusive: Reaper Cast on Kevin Smith
Finally -- tonight's the big premiere of Reaper (9/8c), directed by Kevin Smith! In this clip, Jason C. chats with cast members Bret Harrison and Tyler Labine about working with Kevin Smith on the premiere. Plus, executive producer Tom Spezialy talks about how he still can't believe his luck, and Rick Gonzalez gives his take from the set in Vancouver.
Our (IM) Take on The BATG Premiere
Sarah and I love how it's our job to discuss shows like Beauty and The Geek at length. How lucky are we? We get to debate the exact geekiness level of the new geeky gal (in Sarah's opinion, not at all geeky enough), predict who'll hook up, and analyze Three Six Mafia's ambiguous expressions at geek rap night. Here's our take on last week's Beauty and the Geek premiere -- feel free to chime in with your own thoughts in the comments.
Jackie: what'd you think of BATG?
Jackie: it was fun to see Nate and Jennylee
Jackie: actually made me miss season three
Sarah: Heh. Yeah, a little
Jackie: but it always takes me awhile to warm up to the characters
Sarah: Right
Jackie: I like Hollie and Luke
Sarah: Yeah, me too
Jackie: they're totally going to hook up
Jackie: Joshua is pretty painfully awkward, and Jasmine is awful
Sarah: and she was the one that was actually kind of smart
Jackie: right
Sarah: but I still hate Jasmine's partner for being a condescending ass
Jackie: which one is he?
Sarah: the Larper, I think
Jackie: ohhh
Sarah: David
Sarah: I was torn between being amused and appalled when all the beauties would coo and say "awwwww!" when one of the uber-geeky people would come in -- Joshua, for example. They were like "oh, a cute little baby animal!"
Jackie: I KNOW
Sarah: And some of those women are going to have SERIOUS back problems
Jackie: haha
Jackie: totally.
Jackie: this show...
Jackie: did you see the previews? 3 6 Mafia!?!?
Sarah: Yeah, I think. There was strutting on stage, right?
Jackie: how far they've fallen since their Oscar.
Sarah: oh, they looked APPALLED
Jackie: teaching geeks to rap
Jackie: they did.
Jackie: but
Jackie: they still showed up.
Sarah: True
Sarah: Hey, I'm sure they got paid
Jackie: true.
Jackie: also, what's with the scorpions and snakes?
Jackie: it's not Fear Factor, guys.
Jackie: oh, and what'd you think of the guy beauty/girl geek?
Sarah: Too soon to tell
Jackie: the previews made it look like they're alienated
Jackie: especially the girl
Sarah: Although -- she was supposed to be a geek? Because she wore socks with her clogs?
Sarah: that's IT?
Jackie: you didn't think she was geeky-looking?
Jackie: her outfit, hair and glasses... even her posture was geeky!
Sarah: Oh, hell no == that was nowhere NEAR geeky
Jackie: no?
Sarah: I know GEEKS
Jackie: I thought she looked pretty awkward!
Sarah: I know women who are just as geeky as the men on that show
Jackie: but how do you know she isn't?
Jackie: she hasn't said a word yet
Jackie: she could be WORSE than the guys once she opens her mouth!
Sarah: I mean, women who would be in computer code or gamer t-shirts, wearing unwashed clothing, having seriously unfortunately haircuts, looking like.. well, a geek
Sarah: She just looked more fully dressed and less augmented than the geeks
Jackie: but I mean, in my world, Luke's not a geek, either
Sarah: Heh
Jackie: as for the girl, she's just... not stylishly dressed
Jackie: not into fashion
Sarah: No, not stylish, but not hopelessly out of fashion
Sarah: She's not half geeky enough, as far as I'm concerned
Tuesday's Recap with Jason C.: Beauty and the Geek
In last week's Beauty and the Geek premiere, we saw beauties and geeks from around the country narrowed down to the final group. Plus, the twist was finally revealed: a geeky gal and a beauty guy! Check out Jason C.'s recap for all the scoop.