“The Box” Goodwin Games Recap

We’ve finally reached the end of this random summer series. It grew on me more than I anticipated and now that it is over I am sorry to see it go. The last episode was great and left me wanting more, which is how it should be.

The intro sequence with Henry Goodwin (Scott Foley) was great! The only thing that was missing was maybe some Eye of the Tiger in his montage. That sequence was similar to a lot of my mornings, mostly the part about getting ready and then tripping over things and everything going wrong.

Scott Foley

Chloe (Becki Newton) and Jimmy (TJ Miller) are basking in the afterglow of their relationships with Ivan (Adam Rodriguez) and April (Melissa Tang), but they both have different reasons for keeping them secret from Henry. Mostly because each of them are unethical in their own way.

As Chloe and Ivan say their goodbyes, she tells him about her special parking spot at school that always seems to be free whenever she arrives. She wears her Valentino heels (see the previous recap here) and an Herve Leger Riley Ombre Bandage Skirt ($572). I found a number of additional options in blue and plum at various price points.

Herve Leger Riley Ombre Skirt

Herve Leger Riley Ombre Skirt

Chloe and Jimmy want Henry to go through a box of their dad’s old things. Henry is avoiding it and decides to take it to Lucinda (Kat Foster) at the church as a donation. Henry is overwhelmed in all aspects of his life and he seems to be letting things drop through the cracks…someone is on his way to a nervous breakdown.

Chloe heads off to school and realizes that she doesn’t have a magic parking spot. April has been holding her spot with cones every day and moving them right before she arrives. Her father asked April to do this because Chloe gives up to easily. If she didn’t find a spot, she would probably skip class and go for yogurt.

April

The siblings are summoned to April’s office for another video from their dad. This week he gives each of them a riddle to solve:

  • Jimmy: Hokey pokey steeple chase, answer this to win the race.
  • Chloe: Trouble, eye of another spy, Chloe find him, fly goose fly.
  • Henry: Green potato, rancid cow, old wild shoe, who’s sorry now.

office

I found this great blazer from BCBG Max Azria ($268) that is similar to the one Chloe wears above:

BCBG Keely Print-Blocked Jacket

BCBG Keely Print-Blocked Jacket

Jimmy stays behind so he can have another tryst with April. Chloe wonders if her father is meddling in Jimmy’s life too, through April. He dismisses this idea, but suggests that Ivan could be a setup which makes Chloe paranoid for the rest of the evening.

Chloe wears a Michelle Mason Peplum Dress ($143) for her date with Ivan. I assume that the costume department added in the touch of yellow to complement Chloe’s character theme:

Michelle Mason Peplum Dress

Michelle Mason Peplum Dress

On her date, Chloe starts to see parts of her riddle in what Ivan is saying, so she runs off. Then she confronts Ivan and breaks up with him because she assumes that he is in cahoots with her dad and April.

Henry’s wedding and hospital worlds are starting to collide. He gets called into his boss’ office and they tell him that he is overworking himself which is a liability for the hospital. They tell him to take a whole week off to get his head together. He starts to believe Chloe’s theory that someone is messing with them.

Henry gets home and starts freaking out. He finds out that Jimmy and April are sleeping together and that Chloe and Ivan are together. April admits that their father was just messing with them and that the riddles meant nothing. He wanted to remind them to enjoy the journey not just the destination.

Chloe calls Ivan and has him meet her at the bar to apologize. He accepts her apology, but is tired of getting his heart broken. She ends up going to his house to win him back over and it works!

The-Goodwin-Games-Finale-2013-The-Box-6-550x409

Henry has a heart-to-heart with Lucinda and she gets him to admit that he is grieving and working too much as a coping mechanism. It’s too bad the show is over because I bet these two would get back together at some point.

April keeps trying to break up with Jimmy to no avail. She freaks out about where her job is going and that she is now sleeping with a felon. Jimmy tells her to listen to her heart and enjoy the journey.

The series ends in a touching moment with Henry going through his dad’s old stuff and finally saying goodbye.

henry

What did you think of the Goodwin Games series finale? Was it everything you hoped it would be?

For more Goodwin Games recaps click here.

If you missed this episode you can purchase it on the iTunes Store for $2.99 or the entire series for $20.93.


“Happy Hour” Goodwin Games Recap

On Episode 6 of the Goodwin Games, Chloe (Becki Newton) tries to make friends at college, but it doesn’t go very well. Instead, she runs into Ivan (Adam Rodriguez) and finally realizes that he is her old colleague from middle school. Ivan finally asks her out for a drink.

Chloe wears a yellow snakeprint blouse with her Marcie leather satchel bag (as seen in “Hamletta”).

Chloe meets with Ivan

The snakeskin blouse isn’t available anymore, but I’ve found a number of different options that are similar:

Jimmy (TJ Miller) is still trying to find a job, so he decides to play the guitar and sing about his past crimes. Henry (Scott Foley) is sending “boudoir” photos to his fiance, Kate except he accidentally sends it to his ex, Lucinda (Kat Foster). He tries to beat the text, but Lucinda sees it anyways.

This prompts them to have a conversation about why their relationship ended. Henry reveals that he had a breakup speech that he never used. Lucinda refuses to delete the photo until Henry shares the speech with her.

Jimmy asks Chloe to hand out fliers about his new gig, but he acts really weird. She runs into April (Melissa Tang) on her way to the bar and discovers that April used to have a huge crush on Ivan so she invites her to come along on their date.

Chloe wears a Herve Leger Metallic Colorblock Bandage Dress ($179) and BEBE Jacket with a fur collar ($69.99):

Herve Leger Colorblock Dress

Herve Leger Colorblock Dress

BEBE Jacket with Fur Collar

BEBE Jacket with Fur Collar

ID Source: PopDetour

In an effort to redeem her friendship with April, Chloe tries to set her up with Ivan, which is awkward since Ivan likes Chloe. This makes for a very weird date, since Chloe is forcing Ivan and April together.

Henry meets up with Lucinda at the bar and he still won’t give her the breakup speech. Henry tells her that she left him for a man named God (ha!). It’s obvious that there are still unresolved issues here. The siblings keep telling Henry that Lucinda is the love of his life.

Jimmy is working behind the bar as his new job. He seems concerned that Chloe would want to set up April and Ivan. April tells Chloe that she doesn’t need to set her up with Ivan, but Chloe insists and heads off to leave them alone. Ivan follows Chloe outside and he tells her that he named a star after her (so cute!). She can’t help but kiss him and April walks outside and sees them together.

Chloe and Ivan

Chloe and Ivan

It’s time for Jimmy’s performance, which isn’t very discreet. He sings about his illicit affair with April (I definitely didn’t see that coming!) and shares way too much information with the entire town. April finally stops the song before he details their sex positions.

Jimmy's Song

Jimmy’s Song

Henry chases Lucinda and they finally get closure with a real breakup. He gives her the breakup speech, which is actually a pretty good speech (minus the Closing Time part). She tells him that if had said that speech to her in the moment, she never would have let him go. If this show were going to continue longer than seven episodes, I bet these two would end up together.

April lets Chloe off the hook and Chloe gets to make out with Ivan. The siblings end the night together but neither of them believe that Henry is over Lucinda. April stops by to say goodnight, but ends up sneaking into the house to spend the night with Jimmy. She tells Chloe it is the last time (I don’t buy that for a second!).

Closing Time

Closing Time

For more Goodwin Games recaps click here.

If you missed this episode you can still watch it online here.

What did you think of this episode? Chloe and Ivan are so cute together. Since we’ve never seen Kate, I am leaning towards Henry and Lucinda together. The next episode is the series finale, I wonder if they will ever bring this show back?


“The Birds of Granby” Goodwin Games Recap

This week’s episode begins with another one of dear old Dad’s challenges. He tells them that they need to appreciate the birds of Granby, a simple assignment but one with a lot of hidden meanings.

Chloe (Becki Newton) is wearing a plaid blouse from Equipment. Her color is sold out, but you can get it in green or blue here ($208):

Equipment blouse

Equipment blouse

The siblings head out to the park to “appreciate the birds” and they run into Piper’s mother, Hannah (Janina Gavankar from True Blood). We learn how she met Jimmy (TJ Miller) and how Piper (Kaitlyn Maher) came about.

Hannah is wearing a Free People Henley shirt in Indigo ($68):

Free People Henley

Free People Henley

Henry (Scott Foley) and Chloe wonder why Jimmy has never introduced them to Piper. They decide to forgo the birds of Granby mission and help Jimmy bond with his daughter. They give him a makeover, getting him to wear Henry’s clothes, which fit him poorly. As they arrive at Hannah’s house to make a good impression, Jimmy chickens out and decides to go through the window instead. This results in Jimmy knocking down the trellis:

birds

Chloe accessorizes with the Coach Legacy Leather Penny Shoulder Purse ($198):

Coach Legacy Leather Penny Shoulder Purse

Coach Legacy Leather Penny Shoulder Purse

The siblings finally meet Hannah, Piper and Chad (Hannah’s fiance, guest star Chris Diamantopoulos). Chloe tries to find ways to bond with Piper and they start by playing a game of chess. Jimmy works on impressing Hannah and Henry helps Chad fix the trellis.

Hannah wears a Splendid Henley top ($110):

Splendid Breckenridge Henley

Splendid Breckenridge Henley

It is hilarious to watch Henry try to bond with Chad, who is also a “doctor.” Henry is really impressed with Chad and his small town practice and he all but signs up to partner with him. Everything is going great until Henry finds out that he is a Natureopathic doctor and the deal is off.

Chloe takes the third degree from Piper about how her life has turned out. Piper also gives her a run for her money in chess. We find out that Chloe’s dad taught her how to play chess. One of the best moments in this episode is when Piper asks Chloe her advice on how to turn out better than she did. Chloe says that she wishes she would have learned how to fail, which is great advice.

Jimmy tries to convince Hannah that he has changed and is responsible. Hannah doesn’t believe any of this and Jimmy makes a mess of things again.

All of the siblings do a terrible job of impressing the family and they are asked to leave. One of the most heartbreaking moments is when Piper gets hurt and she runs to her “daddy,” which turns out to be Chad, not Jimmy.

Henry and Chloe made Jimmy look better by default and Hannah tells Jimmy that she wants him to be a part of Piper’s life, but only if he can clean up his act.

Just when we think this week’s mission is a bust we learn in a flashback that Piper’s chess teacher was really Mr. Goodwin and that Piper did have a relationship with him after all. Hopefully, this will come out before the series ends.

For more Goodwin Games recaps click here.

If you missed this episode you can still watch it online here.

What did you think of this week’s Goodwin Games? I think this show is starting to grow on me, which is too bad because we only have two episodes left.


Goodwin Games Premiere

I have mixed feelings about the Goodwin Games after watching the premiere episode last night. I loved the premise of the show – children return home for their father’s funeral and find out he left them 23 million dollars (well 22 million since Elijah got a million of that) if they can complete a series of elaborate games.

It was a little cheesy off the top – but I like to give shows a few episodes to gel before I give up.

The Goodwin Games, Becki Newton, TJ Miller and Scott Foley

The Goodwin Games, Becki Newton, TJ Miller and Scott Foley

Winning:

  • The conch blowing at the beginning – that’s what I should do with my conch. It’s like Lord of the Flies. I wonder if I can get mine to actually make a sound.
  • I love the idea of the challenge and how everything is pre-arranged for different outcomes. I have now decided that everyone will solve a series of elaborate challenges at my funeral. Now I just need to come up with millions of dollars for them to win.
  • I didn’t realize how elaborate the challenges would be, but maybe it will get all Hunger Games at the end.
  • The Trivial Pursuit game with the personalized cards rocked my world! That was adorable! I wonder if they do that because it would make a great anniversary present. Or you could DIY your own Trivial Pursuit questions.

Losing:

  • From what I have been reading, FOX created this show last year and then didn’t air it. There are seven episodes in existence. This explains why the actors went on to do other shows.
  • Even if you get invested into this show, it probably won’t last beyond the seven initial episodes. If you just think of it as a short miniseries you may enjoy it more.
  • I wasn’t a fan of TJ Miller’s character, his only redeeming quality was the daughter. I wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be slow or funny. Apparently, he is a up-and-coming comedian so maybe he will improve as the show progresses.
  • Who was the random Elijah character and what did he have to do with the family? They could have lost this part in my opinion.

UPDATE: Possessionista posted her fashion recap on Becki Newton’s great clothes from the premiere here. She also found out that the producers decided that each character would have a “team color” – Becki Newton in yellow, Scott Foley in red and TJ Miller in blue. So take note of that for next week.

On a side note, this made me want to host a Trivial Pursuit game night. check out these cool party ideas from Rachel Ray here

Trivial Pursuit Coasters

Trivial Pursuit Coasters

I also found a Trivial Pursuit themed cheescake from Taste of Home. Click here for the recipe.

Trivial Pursuit Cheesecake

Trivial Pursuit Cheesecake

I think you will see a Trivial Pursuit themed game night in an upcoming blog post. This gave me a lot of ideas.

What did you think about the Goodwin Games premiere? Will you keep watching?

If you missed the pilot you can purchase it on iTunes.

For more information on Summer TV premieres check out my Summer TV Preview Extravaganza post.


Summer TV Preview Extravaganza

I love TV. Every fall I used to get a schedule together of all the new shows I was going to watch and what I could reasonably tape on my VCR. Many of the networks have changed this format so now I get Fall and Summer premieres. And I have a DVR which means even more shows to watch. It’s like Christmas!

Here are the shows that I plan to tune in for this summer. Some are returning and some are brand new:

FOX The Goodwin Games – premieres on May 20 at 8:30 p.m.

The show focuses on siblings who inherit a fortune from their father but only if they can play by his rules. It is the newest endeavor from the executive producers of How I Met Your Mother and stars Scott Foley who I have crushed on since Felicity. The pilot is currently screening on Hulu so you can check it out in advance. The reviews look promising so far.

ABC The Bachelorette – Season 9 premieres on May 27 at 9 p.m.

I am slightly obsessed with the Bachelor and Bachelorette so I can’t wait for a new season! Desiree Hartsock is this year’s bachelorette. You might remember her emotional exit during Sean Lowe’s season. If you want to know who Desiree picks and spoilers from the season make sure to read Reality Steve’s blog.

If you tune in on Monday night, Desiree will take live questions on Twitter from 8-10 p.m. @DesHartsock.

ABC Mistresses – Premieres June 3 at 10 p.m.

I don’t know too much about this one except that Alyssa Milano is in it and I heart her. I’m interested to see how make the characters likeable even though they’re mistresses. It should be a good soap to watch and I hope everyone will have fantastic clothes!

One of my favorite blogs, Possessionista, has already posted a fashion preview here.

USA Graceland – Premieres June 6 at 10 p.m.

Graceland follows a group of undercover FBI agents as live together in a beachfront house. It’s from the creator of White Collar, Jeff Eastin, which is another great show. I’m mostly just watching this one for the eye candy…Daniel Sunjata…yum!

TNT Falling Skies – Season 3 premieres June 9 at 10 p.m.

My husband and I have watched Falling Skies together since it premiered. It’s an action-packed sci-fi action drama starring Noah Wyle. We last left the 2nd Mass with Tom taking on the role of U.S. President and Anne finding out she was pregnant.

USA Necessary Roughness – Season 3 premieres June 12 at 10 p.m.

This show has really started to heat up! We last left Dr. Dani revealing all of her feelings to Matt, but it looks like Matt’s new girlfriend is pregnant. Rex came out of the closet and Nico might be gone for good. John Stamos is joining the cast so it could mean a third love interest for Dani!

HBO True Blood – Season 6 premieres June 16 at 9 p.m.

True Blood is back! Last season left off with Bill becoming possessed by Lilith, the first vampire, and ended in a cliffhanger. Will Bill kill Sookie and Eric? Who will Sookie end up with? Is Bill gone forever?

Lifetime Devious Maids – Premieres June 23 at 10 p.m.

Created by Marc Cherry and produced by Eva Longoria this show is gunning to be the next Desperate Housewives. The show follows five maids for the rich and famous who use their position to achieve their own dreams. The preview teases lots of different plot twists and if it’s anything like the first season of Desperate Housewives we should be in for a good show.

CBS Under the Dome – Premieres June 24 at 10 p.m.

From auther Stephen King, Under the Dome should be a great sci-fi survival show, after watching the preview it sort of reminds me of Lost. I anticipate lots of fun twists and turns along the way. I also like Rachelle LeFevre and thought she was great in Twilight and Off the Map. I think this will be a show that both my husband and I can watch together.

USA Covert Affairs – Season 4 premieres July 16 at 9 p.m.

Season three ended with some big cliffhangers – Auggie and Annie finally kissed and Annie was presented with a mysterious file from Henry Wilcox. I really liked last season’s arc with Lena and Simon, hopefully we will see Annie get challenged again this year. I think Auggie is great but I would really like to see Annie end up with Eyal because their chemistry is hot!

USA Suits – Season 3 premieres July 16 at 10 p.m.

At the end of season two, Mike finally revealed to Rachel that he never went to Harvard. This didn’t seem to bother her because they hooked up in a very steamy sex scene. Harvey and Jessica are back in control of the firm, but moving forward with the merger. My husband and I love this show and we have a little crush on Gabriel Macht who plays Harvey. It will be interesting to see if he ever gets together with his secretary, Donna. One of my favorite parts of this show are the clothes. The women are impeccably dressed every week and I would kill for their wardrobe.

What shows will you be watching this summer? What are you most looking forward to? Let me know if there are other shows you think I should check out.


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