Five Drinks Into How I Met Your Mother The Final Season Episode 14 "Slappointment in Slapmarra"

Tom's Take:

So I totally lost track of the slaps somewhere along the line, because I was pretty sure this was supposed to be the final slap. Instead it wasn't, but rather what we got was a decently funny episode which took a massive detour from the major plots of the season.

Five Drinks Into How I Met Your Mother The Final Season "Bass Player Wanted"

Tom's Take:

We finally got more screen time for the Mother, and while I enjoyed her performance and the Mother as a character, I didn't particularly love this episode. It had a cute gimmick, but I wanted more flashforwards.

Five Drinks Into Survivor Blood Vs. Water Finale "It's My Night"

Tom's Take:

And the finale had a completely predictable outcome, but it was a fun ride. And I think Tyson delivered a top notch final tribal speech that was definitely worth the million dollars.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV Survivor Season 27 Episode 13 "Out on a Limb"

Tom's Take:

Although, I enjoyed this episode, it had a very predictable outcome. Still I think the journey is more important then the destination.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 12 "Russel Feathers"

Tom's Take:

 Wow. What an amazing streak of episodes. Tyson might be destined for victory, but people are not making it easy for him! Great play from Hayden tonight, and props to Ciera for continuing to play the game and make moves!

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 12 "The Rehearsal Dinner"

Tom's Take:

This was actually a really good episode. All of the characters were in top form, and the ending of the episode was also pretty cute.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 11 "The Gloves Come Off"

Tom's Take:

 This was an amazing episode of Survivor. There were moves, counter moves, and I ultimately didn't know who was going to be eliminated when we made our way to the final Tribal Council.

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 11 "Bedtime Stories"

Tom's Take:

I ended up kind of liking this episode, but it was fairly mediocre overall. I guess the rhyming shtick was fine? It was cute I guess. Not amazing, but it was cute. And it was nice to get some flashbacks.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 10 "The Big Bad Wolf"

Tom's Take:

 So does that make Tyson, Rose Tyler?

What a bizarre episode. Ciera voted out her Mom. Wow. Just wow. It wasn't a good game move, but I can see why she did it. She wants to solidify her role in the final five alliance, and set the stage for her to make it to the end, although I don't think she'll win. I think she'll be there though.

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 10 "Mom and Dad"

Tom's Take:

Not a terrible episode, there were two good jokes, but overall I'm not really digging where How I Met Your Mother is right now. I just think we need more momentum for the story to give this season some edge and drive.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 9 "My Brother's Keeper"

Tom's Take:

A by the numbers episode, but thankfully the producers combined both eliminations into one episode. And it was a fun one. The alliance stayed strong although it also showed cracks, and it is clear that Monica Culpepper is not a very good player.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 9 "Platonish"

Tom's Review:

Here's our flashback episode just as I predicted. With very little time spent in the present, this one is all about the love triangle of Ted, Robin, and Barney and how Ted missed his chance where he could have hooked up with Robin. Instead he let Barney seize his thunder.

Oh an also we learned that Barney has met the Mother in the past. Which was cool, and I was happy to see. I hope they hang out more in the present, although I no longer thing Barney will be the character who spends the most time with her.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 8 "Skin of My Teeth"

Tom's Take:

What a great merge. Even though this Tribal Council's result was completely predictable, I feel like we're in for a great game. There are so many different factions brewing, and in this episode they came together to overthrow the King in Aras and break apart the couple's alliance. Now the question is how this "alliance" will break apart going forward.

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 8 "The Lighthouse"

Tom's Take

In what was otherwise a subpar episode, "The Lighthouse" delivered a fastforward that was truly wonderful. We got to see Ted propose to the mother!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 7 "Swoop In For the Kill"

Tom's Take:

Another fun episode that served as great set up for next week where we'll see a merge, and then the war between Tyson's Five and the Aras-Tina-Katie-Vytas foursome. The key players going forward in this merge will be Monica and whoever comes back from Redemption Island in determining how this will all shake out.

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 7 "No Questions Asked"

Tom's Take:

A solid episode that finally brought us to the Marshall and Lily conflict, although I am shocked that Marshall still hasn't arrived at the hotel.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 6 "One-Man Wrecking Ball"

Tom's Take:

An amazing episode

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 6 "Knight Vision"

Tom's Take:

Another pretty forgettable episode.  The whole episode was built on an Indiana Jones reference, which I didn't find all that funny. I did enjoy some of Ted with the sad girl, and Robin and Barney, but a lot of it fell flat.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 5 "The Dead Can Still Talk"

Tom's Take:

Not a great episode, although I'm glad Galang finally lost a challenge, so we could see what was going on in the tribe. Meanwhile Tadhana had an uplifting episode, as each of the Tadhana survivors is now a fairly well established character that we can root for going forward.

Five Drinks Into TV: The Final Season of How I Met Your Mother Episode 5 "The Poker Game"

Tom's Take:

The fifth episode of the final season of How I Met Your Mother was a good one. It was funny and also had some genuine heart, as Robin is annoyed by Barney seemingly more loyal to his family than to her. That's a real issue and it was handled well. Meanwhile Ted, Lily, and Marshall had a great sideplot. Overall, just a really great episode.

Five Drinks Into TV: You should check out House of Cards

Tom's Take:

Another great series, that has finally converted me to the ways of Netflix. I think it started stronger than it ended to be honest, but I'm still really into this show and looking forward to a season two.

Although don't watch this series if you're on a diet. You will want to eat ribs.

If you're into good acting, politics, intrigue, or a dark anti-hero, then you should check out House of Cards.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 4 "One Armed Dude and Three Moms"

Tom's Take:

Wow. Another great tribal council after Tadhana loses yet another challenge, and the Locker Room Alliance fell apart this episode. It was really incredible to watch, and I think Caleb made the right move by taking out Brad who was considering blindsiding him already.

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother The Final Season Episode 4 "Broken Code"

Tom's Take:

Huh. So Barney and Ted confronted Ted's feelings for Robin in what turned out to be another pretty forgettable episode. I was kind of disappointed by it, especially since the Ted/Barney confrontation was something I thought would be a major plot point this season, and instead it sort of dropped the ball.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 3 "Opening Pandora's Box"

Tom's Take:

Our third episode of Blood vs. Water was a good one. The Locker Room Alliance turned on each other! Brad got called out! Colton quit! And once again the Blood twist played out with great drama as the brothers faced off in a physical showdown with quite a bit of history behind it. And is it just me or, did Vytas get a super sympathetic edit from this? He's playing a good game, and he's getting an awesome edit. I'm feeling more and confident in my new winner pick.

Five Drinks Into TV: The Americans Premiere Season Review

Tom's Take:

So obviously I'm way late to this party, but I just got caught up on the first season of The Americans, and wow do we have a winner. This clever spy thriller has an amazing premise. The leads are Soviet Spies. And they're sympathetic. Even more surprising is the reveal that this show isn't really a spy thriller at all but rather a meditation on marriage, and a will they/won't they type love story between our two leads, despite the fact that they're already married. Phillip and Elizabeth  Jennings, or actually Mishca and Nadezhda, are an interesting couple that really intrigued me and kept me coming back all season long to see what would happen with them even when the spy thriller parts of the show fell short for me. I highly recommend everyone check this series out.

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 3 "Last Time In New York"

Tom's Take:

Our third episode of How I Met Your Mother was pleasant but ultimately a pretty forgettable episode. So what worked, and what seemed like it was trying too hard?

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 2 "Coming Back"

Tom's Take:

First off, sorry this is late. I didn't realize there were two episodes last week, so I'll make sure to finish writing this before I watch Episode three.

We have our second episode of the final season of How I Met Your Mother, and this one was a winner. It made me laugh on several occasions, and was also charming in that perfect blend that makes a good How I Met Your Mother episode worth watching. Fantastic job.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Episode 2 "Rule in Chaos"

Tom's Take:

We got our second episode, our first truel, and then our second vote. I continue to like this season, and I am really enjoying the layers behind this twist. Tonight's vote was based on utilizing the Redemption Island Switch, and voting out the loved ones of the stronger players on the other tribe.

Five Drinks Into Anime: Ten Anime in the First Ten Months of 2013

1. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Episodes: 27
Rating: 9.7

Review: This is without a doubt the best anime I've watched of the year. There is a childishness to this anime that may turn many away but I advise you don't let. This series is absolutely fantastic. The characters don't have a ton of depth, and there are a couple of weak episodes in the middle, but the completely over the top action and wild enthusiasm at this show's heart more than makes up for it. This show is damn inspiring. And you'll never be bored watching it. 

Five Drinks Into TV: How I Met Your Mother Final Season Episode 1 "The Locket"

Tom's Take:

Well it's here. The final season of How I Met Your Mother is upon us, and even though I was and still am firmly against how long the writers have dragged out the show, I am excited for the final season, and I like the format of having the whole season take place over a few days. And they're off to a good start as this was a pretty good episode that accomplished two very important things that I'll get to below.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Retrospective

Tom's Take:

So I'm taking this time to take a look back on Big Brother 15 and comparing my initial Cast Reactions to what they actually delivered.

First off, I want to take a moment to discuss the obvious controversy that overshadowed the rest of the season. Racism. Do I believe that any of these 16 BB15 houseguests is or was a racist? The honest answer to that is no. Nor do I think any of them were truly horrible people. I think most of the cast made racial or otherwise unsavory remarks, but that doesn't make them racist. Everyone has stereotypes in their head. And everyone I know has made some Non PC remarks from time to time. It happens. It's part of our culture, and honestly it's a part of human nature. Is it a positive part of our nature? No, and it shouldn't be encouraged. If you get cast on BB, I advise you to stay the fuck away from talking about anything racial or any stereotypes period. I think the HG's were dumb for forgetting the cameras were on, and their comments were stupid. But saying stupid shit doesn't make you Hitler. And these people gave up their privacy for the sake of our entertainment, and I don't think they deserve to be crucified for that. Because honestly, the things "fans" have said about these houseguests is far more horrific than anything the HG's themselves said.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Blood vs. Water Episode 1 "Blood is Thicker than Anything"

Tom's Take:

And we got our premiere. I am so excited about this season. We got a great first episode, and there was some great character development and backstory! The twist this season is doing a great job building in drama and relationships, and I'm doing incredibly well on my early predictions, which I always love.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Game and Show Week 13

Tom's Take:

And we have an ending!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 27 Blood vs. Water Preview

Tom's Take:

Blood vs. Water is coming, and I'm really looking forward to it, especially after a season of Big Brother that was quite frankly too long, and very emotionally draining for me as my favorite got hated on by most of America. So now we have a new season of Survivor to look forward to, with lots of returning faces that weren't as expected as the returnees from last season. And of course, we have family and loved ones of our favorites. I actually like this twist as it will force people from opposing tribes to work together and will make the post merge more interesting. So let's dive in!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Game and Show Weeks 11 and 12

Tom's Take:

The Floater Four Triumphed over McCrae, although he took Judd out for the second time in the process. We're left with the most hated Final Three in the history of the show, but there still is ONE decent player amongst them. Although Andy has gotten a lot of hatred online from all corners, he is playing the best game out of everyone left, so I'm endorsing him as being the last possible satisfactory winner.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Game and Show Week 10

Tom's Take:

This was a really hard week for me to watch, as my favorite (Amanda) was evicted, and McCrae, who to be honest I don't particularly like but feel like I sort of HAVE to root for then made a totally boneheaded move and got rid of his only potential future ally in a move that quite frankly showed how in control of the game the Floater Four are. It'll be tough to watch the end of this season, but plod along I must.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Week 9 Game and Show

Tom's Take:

Elissa finally got in the game this week at the same time that Judd re entered the game. The result was her taking the first shot at McCranda and missing horribly. She came out of the week without really making an alliance though, and instead is simply in a slightly better place in the game then McCranda is going into this next week.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Game and Show Week 8

Tom's Take:

This week the Cold War between Helen and Amanda finally heated up, and Amanda won as I knew she would. And now a juror is coming back in yet another mad attempt by the producers to screw over Amanda.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Game and Show Week7

Tom's Take:

A lot of people were pissed off at the "lack of moves" this week, but I enjoy weeks like these, because they are filled with scheming, plotting, and preparation for moves. The Cold War between Amanda and Helen has been going on for weeks under the surface, but this week the Cold War escalated as Amanda finally decided it was time to make her move on Helen, and one of those two will be going up next week, as the two finally clash.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Game and Show Week 6

Tom's Take:

GM won HoH which most  people thought would lead to some giant move but instead lead to a very predictable Candice eviction. Then things got dark when Amanda didn't know who was nominating her and decided to blame it on the one player in the game she thought was smart enough to pull it off, Judd. The result was that America's  MVP status lead to one of the best players in the game getting the boot in the second eviction of this week's double eviction.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Game and Show Week 5

Tom's Take:

Aaryn did the bidding of the house this week, and got Howard out. As an Amanda fan, I was on board with this and was happy to see Howard go. He was nowhere near as interesting as CBS tried to make him out to be. The result was a lot of shaking up as The House alliance shifted around a bunch this week as Howard pretty much solidified the Amanda/McCrae/Helen/Elissa alliance by targeting them.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Game and Show Week 4

Tom's Take:

The "Mean Girls" were broken up this week, and Big Brother 15 has started down what I hope is the path of Aaryn getting redemption. Wouldn't that be the best story of all time.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Week Three Game and Show

Tom's Take:

Week Three is in the books. A lot happened underneath the surface and some new power players emerged and some fun alliances were formed. So let's dive into what these players are doing!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Game and Show Week 2

Tom's Take:

Week Two was a big week for this show. CBS addressed the racism on the live show. The Moving Company was broken up and a new seemingly truly invincible alliance was formed.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 15 Week 1 Game and Show

Tom's Take:

So Big Brother 15 has begun and we've got drama. First things first. For those watching the live feeds, you know that there have been a lot of really uncomfortable and politically incorrect language by some of the house guests. I don't want to spend too much time talking about it since they are going to get a ton of shit after the game is over. Instead let's focus on the game goings on.

Big Brother 15 Cast Preview

Tom's Take:

So we've got our cast, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming season of Big Brother.

First off, I think three nominations is an interesting twist, and I'm curious to see how that plays out, although I hope for the dynamics of the game that three nominations ends by the time they get to jury.

As for the America's MVP twist, I'm somewhat skeptical of this, but we'll see if America can get their heads out of their asses and vote based on strategy and not just for the nice people they like. My guess is that it will be used to pushed Elissa further in the game to give us more opportunities for Rachel Reilly cameos.

Anyways, without further ado  let's jump into my cast preview!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Caramoan Finale and Reunion

Tom's Take:

Congratulation Cochran. It was a well deserved victory, although I do think Dawn had a valid case for the win. But Cochran was the one calling the shots at the end, and he did fully deserve the win.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 26 Episode 13 "Don't Talk About My Mother"

Tom's Take:

The family episode. Am I the only who doesn't tear up at these. Maybe I'm just a heartless bastard.

I did almost tear up for Brenda. Jesus Christ that was brutal. Wow.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Canada Finale

Tom's Take

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 26 Episode 12 "Beginning of the End"

Tom's Take:

Wow. Somehow this episode turned into another great one. This was a great time for a double elimination. Just wow.