(S01E17) "We're here to help Serena no matter what the problem is." - Blair

After a "wow" episode last week, expectations (at least mine) for this week were pretty high. I had loads of questions about the video and hoped that answers would be giving in "Woman on the Verge." The episode definitely met my expectations and set the scene for what could be an action and drama packed season finale next week.

What I liked most about this week's episode is the "no matter what" friendship seen between Chuck, Nate, Blair and Serena. They were able to put their problems aside and work together. As the saying says, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." The quartet definitely proved that saying this week.

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You know, it's been almost four months since I interviewed Lisa Loeb for this very site, and to this day people who've read it continue to say to me the same thing: "Dude, she sounded like she was interested! Why didn't you ask her out?"

To which I always respond: "Dude, I was being a professional! How creepy would it have been, dude, to finish the interview by asking her out on a date? Pretty damn creepy. Dude."

Now, I'm starting to wonder if I should have taken a shot. At least that's what I'm thinking after reading this Orlando Sentinel interview with Loeb from last month. Turns out that, despite finding someone to spend time with at the end of her E! reality dating show #1 Single, she decided to break up with him and go back to L.A. to "concentrate on her career."

Ah, summer. Time for barbecues and flip-flops and beaches. But it's also time for summer throwaway shows and trashy reality programming on the major networks. So you also know what that means: time for yet another show where pretty women get to whine about how they can't find a guy.

The latest example is a new ABC show called How to Get the Guy, debuting June 12, that follows around four women as they do anything they can to find the man of their dreams. According to this New York Daily News article, the women will go around the country applying the super-aggressive man-catching lessons imparted by a couple of dating coaches. Yeesh. Sounds scary, if you ask me.

In case you've missed it -- perhaps you were busy drooling over the latest TV-related pictorials in Maxim -- here are some highlights from the last week at TV Squad:



Winter Olympics

• Day-to-day coverage can be found under our "Sports" category.
• What is the favorite song amongst the Olympic figure skaters?
• Bob thinks NBC is obsessed with curling.

Breaking News

• Don Knotts dead at 81.
• Darren McGavin dead at 83.
• Curt Gowdy dead at 86.
• William Cowsill dead at 58.
• Huzzah! James van der Beek returns to TV!
• ABC cameraman injured in Iraq released from hospital.
• Mike Wallace donates papers to his alma mater.
• Cheri Oteri gets a Best of SNL DVD.
• Supervising producer leaving Lost.
• The New York Television festival is announced.
• FCC about to slam CBS, FOX, NBC for fines; the word "shit" is made taboo.
• Mark Burnett to create a hip news show.
• Former UPN stations to be part of MyTV "network".
• The Reality TV Convention is announced.
• Peter Jennings Way christened in New York City.
• Tom Cruise may sue Life & Style over TomKat split-up story.
  

Discussions

• Lisa Loeb gives me dating advice in Part 2 of my interview with her.
• Here's Part 1 of that interview.
• Listen to TV Squad's APB podcast #3.
• Adam asks readers about the local kids shows they used to watch.
• Is the liberal media bias a myth?
• Should Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich have known about The Daily Show?
• Is Shatner really going to have a "man love" storyline on Boston Legal?
• Which shows are still filmed in front of a live studio audience?
• Who would win in a fight: Adama or Picard?

The Five

• Hybrids.
• Where two heads are better than one.
• Reasons why Kim still likes Simon Cowell.
• Reasons to NOT Kill off Ana Lucia's character on Lost.
• Adam's favorite presidential cartoon and puppet appearances.

Opinions

• Anna thinks polygamy can be funny.
• Adam talks about the show Let's Bowl!
• Anna loves Trick My Truck.
• She's also sick and tired of rich kids on reality shows.
• Annie talks about the voice of Spongebob, Tom Kenny.
• Bob can't stand it when the entertainment shows have "breaking news".
• Adam remembers VH1 Storytellers.
• Lacy examines the Maxim layout of the AI O'Donohue twins.
• She also looks at the layout of Autumn Resser of The O.C.
• I hate it when TV lawyers and doctors are easily allowed to practice out of state.
• Jonathan defends Martha Stewart in her throwdown with The Donald.

Episode Reviews

• Battlestar Galactica: "Downloaded"
• American Idol: Man Fuel
• The Shield: "Man Inside"
• House: "Skin Deep"
• Grey's Anatomy: "Yesterday"

If there is one thing about Lisa Loeb I took away from our interview, it's this: she really, really likes to hook people up. I wouldn't be surprised if in an earlier life she was a village matchmaker somewhere in Eastern Europe. She'll definitely make a great bubbe someday, albeit one with a funky pair of glasses.

Anyway, in Part 1 of this interview, Lisa and I talked about her new show on E!, #1 Single, talking to Howard Stern, and a little about eggs and cheese. Today, things start to get a little odd. I don't know what prompted Lisa to turn the tables on me; it could have been a little bit of boredom, burnout from publicity overload, or she was truly interested in my singlehood. It doesn't matter. Let's just say that about halfway though the interview, things started to get really interesting.

But first, a little discussion about eyewear:

[Photo: Kevin Westenberg]

If you're male and you're reading this blog, chances are you've had a crush on Lisa Loeb at one time or another. It's fully understandable: she's smart, artistic, talented, and cute as a button. Since she burst on the scene in 1994 with her hit song "Stay", she's kept in the limelight via her music and various TV projects. She's done guest spots, cartoon voicework and a Food Network show called Dweezil & Lisa, in which she starred with her then-beau, Dweezil Zappa.

Now Lisa's got a new series, called #1 Single, airing Sundays on E! On the show, viewers follow the 37-year-old singer on dates as she searches for "the one." In her search, she utilizes every method she can think of, under the loving supervision of her sister Debbie and friends like Juan Patiño (another ex-boyfriend) and Illeana Douglas.

Lisa was gracious enough to talk to me by phone this past Friday. In Part 1, we talk about her show, her concerns over how it was going to be produced, and her love of feta cheese omelettes.  In Part 2, which we will post on Friday, Lisa turns the tables on me, getting me to talk about my dating life and giving me tips on where I should meet people.

It was quite an eventful 38 minutes, I'll tell you that:

[Photo: Kevin Westenberg]