When last week’s “Amazing Race” ended with “To Be Continued,” it was a different ending than we’re used to seeing with that particular phrase: whereas sometimes the show has done this when a leg gets extended (and the “Pit Stop” becomes a halfway point), in this case it was to put off the inevitable conclusion temporarily. Josh and Brent were failing miserably at the Synchronized Swimming Detour after falling behind due to a missed connection, but then James and Abba lost a passport, meaning that it was a race to see whose failure would be most insurmountable.

 

“We Was Robbed” tells that story and a few others, although they’re also different stories than you may be used to seeing. If you watch “The Amazing Race” to see teams race against one another, you likely enjoyed the first twenty minutes of tonight’s episode. If you watch “The Amazing Race” to see teams race against themselves in a seemingly meaningless march to the finish line, though, you were in for a treat.

 

To find out who won the race for failure, and who ended up leaving Russia empty-handed, click through for the full recap…

 

"You're asking people to give you a million dollars and as human beings, nobody in their right mind wants to give an a***hole a million dollars, unless he's up there with other a**holes," says Artis Silvester, summarizing one of the basic truths of "Survivor."

 

Those are wise and fitting words for the 53-year-old, who became the most recent player voted out on "Survivor: Philippines."

 

Artis didn't get an especially complimentary edit on "Survivor," receiving very little screentime and spending much of that time mocking, maligning or fighting with returning player Mike Skupin.

 

However, Artis came away as practically saintly compared to his alliance-members Pete and Abi.

 

In his exit interview, Artis makes it clear that while he was aligned with Pete, the more problematic Abi was merely an unfortunate byproduct. He also discusses his issues with Skupin and he insists that he knew who Jeff Kent was, even if that never was featured on TV.

 

Click through for the full Q&A.

 

It's been a busy couple weeks of "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" content on this blog. 

 

I've posted video interviews with stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner and Elizabeth Reaser & Nikki Reed and Kellan Lutz & Jackson Rathbone and Michael Sheen, as well as director Bill Condon.

 

Closing the week, on the day of the film's premiere, my last interview is with Melissa Rosenberg, the franchise's lone screenwriter dating back to "Twilight" in 2008. 

 

Hardly an unknown when she landed the "Twilight" gig, Rosenberg's credits including "Birds of Prey" and "The O.C." on the small screen, as well as a little dance film called "Step Up." Still, Rosenberg has achieved a new level of prominence for transferring Bella and Edward and Jacob from Stephenie's Meyer's books to blockbuster effect.

 

And with that new level of prominence has come a new level of scrutiny, as Rosenberg has felt the love of "Twilight" fans when she perfectly captured Meyer's key moments and the outrage when she changed punctuation or a hair style. With "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," she's ready for both reactions, especially for a key late scene that may surprise even devoted readers.

 

That prominence has also led to more big-ticket writing gigs, including ABC's midseason drama "Red Widow," starring Radha Mitchell.

 

In this interview, Rosenberg discusses her connection to the "Twilight" franchise after scripting five films, as well as her expectations for audience reactions to The Scene We Can't Discuss in Detail. 

 

We also talked a bit about "Red Widow," which will bring a very cable sensibility to wherever ABC decides to slate it this spring. 

 

Click through for the full Q&A.

 

I suppose it was my fault, but my interview with "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" director Bill Condon involved more discussion of "Dreamgirls" than I might have expected.

 

The thing that most "Twilight" fans probably don't realize is that Condon previously stared down a rabidly devoted fanbase when he adapted that beloved musical, steering Jennifer Hudson to Oscar gold. But don't worry, Condon is quick to note that "Twilight" fans are the more passionate lot. 

 

In our conversation, Condon discusses his confidence that those fans will enjoy The Scene We Can't Discuss from "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," the scene that isn't exactly in Stephenie Meyer's book and that's sure to cause plenty of rumbling (positively and, perhaps, negatively). 

 

He also talks about his three stars and how they differ from their public image, or at least how two of them differ. Which one lines up with their reputation? You'll have to watch the full interview.

 

In 2003, David Morrissey and Michael Sheen played Gordon Brown and Tony Blair in Stephen Frears and Peter Morgan's political drama "The Deal."

 

For some reason I find it funny that in the past two months I've talked with David Morrissey about hobnobbing with zombies on "The Walking Dead" and Michael Sheen about his latest tour of bloodsucking duty in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2."

 

There's nothing like an acclaimed British actor to add prestige to vampires, werewolves, zombies and more.

 

In "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," Sheen adds more than his respected pedigree. As Aro, telepathic leader of the vampire-ruling Volturi, Sheen adds impeccable menace and, once again, archly camp hilarity. 

 

In particular, Aro's laugh as become a weapon as finely honed as Jane's pain-infliction. That was the first thing I bought up when I sat down with the finely mustachioed Sheen, who explains the laugh's origin, even crediting franchise scribe Stephenie Meyer for assistance. 

 

In our conversation, we also discussed the off-camera bonding among the Volturi, his upcoming Showtime drama "Masters of Sex" [featured in this separate interview snippet] and, in jest one assumes, his James Bond future.

 

Pre-credit sequence. I still don't understand Jonathan Penner's vote from last week's wacky finale. Let's see if we get an explanation as Dangrayne returns from booting Jeff Kent. Mike Skupin is the first to speak, calling it Tribal Council History, raving at Blair Warner stepping in to rescue him. Abi, though, is pissed off at everybody, sarcastically thanking Skupin for voting against her. He didn't. Penner, if you'll recall, did vote against Abi, and he doesn't deny it, saying he doesn't like to be kept in the dark on Plan Bs. Penner is, in fact, still trying to make sense of the overall vote. HAHA. We spent all that time last week trying to make sense of Penner's potentially passive aggressive vote to get Jeff Kent out? Nope. It turns out that he just didn't know the play. "So I'm the one who blew it by not voting for Pete?" Penner asks Man-Dana. He genuinely has no clue if he made a horrible mistake. That's really hilarious and I guess I appreciate his candor. Meanwhile, Blair Warner and Malcolm make bygones, though Blair Warner is feeling like in lying and betraying and breaking promises, she did herself a disservice. "You're just amazing," Blair tells Malcolm, thanking him for being magnanimous. "It's bigger than me," Blair Warner says of "Survivor." 

 

I'm going to insist that you watch this interview with Kellan Lutz and Jackson Rathbone all the way to the end. 

 

Yes, the two members of the "Twilight" Cullen family have a lot to say about "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" and actually getting to take part in some serious action for the first time in the franchise.

 

The bulk of the interview is, in fact, focused -- without any real spoilers -- on The Scene We Can't Discuss from "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," the scene that distinctly isn't a part of Stephenie Meyer's book, specifically how they decided upon the appropriate fighting styles for Emmett and Jasper. 

 

But at the very end of the interview, we discussed what possible spinoffs built around their characters would be like and Rathbone's initial answer, and the pause as Lutz realizes the somewhat absurd reference his co-star was making, is kinda priceless. And unlike a lot of things from these "Twilight" interviews, I get the feeling that this isn't a conversation they had several dozen times during the junket day. 

 

Check it out!

 

Much has been made of the closeness shared by the actors who made up the Cullen family in the "Twilight" franchise and certainly sitting down with Elizabeth Reaser and Nikki Reed, it's possible to get the feeling that reporters are just passing in and out of a lengthy, ongoing conversation between two close friends.

 

In my portion of that long, ongoing conversation, Reaser and Reed discuss their respective last days of shooting on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" -- One of them rushed to the airport immediately, while the other one stuck around and shared some emotions with a co-star -- and the final grace notes for Esme and Rosalie that they wish the film had had time for.

 

And, because Hollywood bean counters probably aren't going to be ready to bid adieu to the cash cow that is the "Twilight" franchise, Reaser shares her version of a perfect "Twilight" spinoff around her character, which sounds like something Stephenie Meyer should get to work on immediately.