TV listings for the week of Feb. 12 - 18 in PDF format are also available at latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv

Weekly TV Listings and more can be found at: www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv

This week's TV Movies

IN “CRIMINAL MINDS,” a suspect confronts Jennifer (AJ Cook) in a new episode set in California, at 9 p.m. on CBS.

SERIES

Survivor: One World: The unscripted series returns with host Jeff Probst (8 p.m. CBS).

The Middle: Frankie (Patricia Heaton) tries get Sue (Eden Sher) tickets to a Justin Bieber concert, while Mike (Neil Flynn) coaches Brick (Atticus Shaffer) for the school spelling bee in this new episode (8 p.m. ABC).

American Idol:  The Hollywood round continues in this new episode (8 p.m. Fox).

Are You There, Chelsea? Chelsea (Laura Prepon) dates a customer (Nat Faxon) in this new episode (8:30 p.m. NBC).

Suburgatory: Tessa (Jane Levy) decides to run for student body president, with Lisa (Allie Grant) as her campaign manager, in hopes of breaking the school-wide obsession with sports in this new episode (8:30 p.m. ABC).

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation:  The murder of a man’s ex-girlfriend has Russell (Ted Danson) seeking help from an ex-colleague, played by Elisabeth Shue, who joins the cast in this new episode (10 p.m. CBS).

Royal Pains:  Jack (Tom Cavanagh) pays a price for ignoring his health, and Hank (Mark Feuerstein) stays by his side for medical and emotional support in this new episode (10 p.m. USA).

SPECIALS

Cave People of the Himalaya: Everest climber and thrill seeker Pete Athans searches the caves and mummies of a lost civilization in the Himalayas in this new special (7 and 10 p.m. KOCE).

Oprah’s Oscar Special:  The annual special airs on a new network (9 p.m. OWN).

SPORTS

College basketball: Villanova at South Florida (4 p.m. ESPN2); Georgia Tech at Wake Forest (4:30 p.m. FSN); North Carolina at Miami (5 p.m. ESPN); Oklahoma State at Missouri (6 p.m. ESPN2); USC at UCLA (7:30 p.m. FS Prime).

Hockey: The Ducks visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (4 p.m. FS Prime).

Pro basketball: The Portland Trail Blazers visit the Golden State Warriors (7 p.m. ESPN); the Washington Wizards visit the Clippers (7:30 p.m. FSN).

Photo: Cliff Lipson / CBS

TV listings for the week of Feb. 12 - 18 in PDF format are also available at latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv

Weekly TV Listings and more can be found at: www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv

This week's TV Movies

Today The Westminster Dog Show; Star Jones; Khloe Kardashian; Giada De Laurentiis. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC 

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA 

Good Morning America Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj; Demián Bichir; Richard Blais. (N) 7 a.m. KABC 

Rachael Ray The cast of “Hot in Cleveland.” (N) 8 a.m. KCAL 

Live With Kelly Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj; Khloe Kardashian; Tony Potts. (N) 9 a.m. KABC 

The View Ricky Gervais; Westminster Dog Show host David Frei. (N) 10 a.m. KABC 

The Talk Thandie Newton; Dr. Travis Stork. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS 

Dr. Phil A guest says she is so fed up with her meddling mother-in-law she has filed for divorce. (N) 3 p.m. KCBS 

The Dr. Oz Show How to lose weight at home. (N) 3 p.m. KABC 

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Ellen Pompeo; Josh Dueck; Dierks Bentley performs. (N) 4 p.m. KNBC 

Anderson An interventionist puts an unhappily blended family through boot camp. (N) 4 p.m. KTTV 

Tavis Smiley Directors Robin Fryday and Lucy Walker. (N) 11 p.m. KOCE 

Charlie Rose (N) 11 p.m. KVCR; midnight KOCE 

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (N) 11 p.m. Comedy Central 

Chelsea Lately Reese Witherspoon; Josh Wolf. (N) 11 p.m. E! 

Conan Tom Arnold; Curt Schilling. (N) 11 p.m. TBS 

The Colbert Report Claire Danes. (N) 11:31 p.m. Comedy Central 

Late Show With David Letterman Jon Stewart; Yelawolf and Kid Rock perform. (N) 11:35 p.m. KCBS 

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Bill Maher; Alexandra Wentworth; Punch Brothers perform. (N) 11:35 p.m. KNBC 

Jimmy Kimmel Live Sean “Diddy” Combs; “Science Bob” Pflugfelder. (N) midnight KABC 

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson Jon Cryer; Morena Baccarin. (N) 12:37 a.m. KCBS 

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Greg Kinnear; Poppy Montgomery; The Drums perform. 12:37 a.m. KNBC 

Last Call With Carson Daly Deadmau5; Jamestown Revival; Walk the Moon performs. (N) 1:36 a.m. KNBC

HLN host Nancy Grace appeared on sister network CNN on Monday to discuss the death of pop star Whitney Houston. But her commentary quickly turned into wild speculation, causing CNN's more serious-minded anchors to hurry in to control viewer reactions.

While speaking to CNN's Brooke Baldwin, Grace admitted that the cause of Houston's death had not been determined, but she quickly began spinning out the possible future of the investigation, drawing parallels to Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson.

"I'd like to know who was around her," Grace said. "Who, if anyone, gave her drugs following alcohol and drugs. And who let her slip, or pushed her, underneath that water?"

Though police revealed that Houston was found submerged in her bathtub and have conducted an autopsy, they have not released a cause of death. But they have begun investigating the prescription medicines found in her room. However, an investigation does not mean a conclusion, and Grace's speculations appeared to jump ahead in time.

"Apparently, no signs of force or trauma to the body," Grace continued. "Who let Whitney Houston go under her water?"

In an attempt to keep the discussion grounded in reality, Baldwin responded, "All excellent questions. Again, we don't know the cause of her death."

After the segment, CNN news anchor Don Lemon appeared on camera to conduct damage control. He told viewers that any discussion of Houston's prescription drugs contributing to her death should not be taken as fact. "This is not CNN's reporting," he said. "We don't know that to be true."

Grace has long held an unconventional role as a commentator on legal affairs. During the Casey Anthony trial, she campaigned nightly for Anthony's conviction. And after Anthony was acquitted, she railed against the jurors and defense attorneys. She did the same during the trial of physician Conrad Murray.

It appears, with the death of Whitney Houston, Nancy Grace has a new cause.

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— Patrick Kevin Day

Photo: Whitney Houston on "Good Morning America" in 2009. Credit: Evan Agostini / Associated Press

The Duggars of "19 Kids and Counting" made their first public appearance following the miscarriage of their 20th child Tuesday morning on "Today."

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar appeared -- without their 19 children -- to promote the season premiere of "19 Kids," which airs Tuesday night on TLC. The premiere episode of the show's ninth season will deal with Michelle's December miscarriage of their 20th child, Jubiliee Shalom, and the aftermath -- a tough subject for a show that usually dwells on the joys of parenting.

Despite the miscarriage, Michelle told "Today" in the green room that "I would do it again."

Ann Curry, ever the hard newswoman, couldn't let the whole interview go by without bringing up a recent case in which a woman allegedly attempted to extort money from Discovery, TLC's parent company, claiming she had scandalous photographs of the Duggars' niece, Amy, with a much older man. The woman has since been arrested.

Jim Bob addressed the question, saying, "It ended up she just had some picture of this guy that Amy knows -- it's a family friend. They're standing beside each other. The pictures were of no substance at all. I guess she had some mental issues. We pray she can get her life straightened out."

As Curry noted, the Duggars left their kids at home for this trip to New York and planned a romantic Valentine's Day in the city. Will this trip result in another addition to the Duggar clan? Stay tuned.

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-- Patrick Kevin Day

Photo: Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar pose with their 19th child, Josie. Scott Enlow / TLC

Movie: "Cinderella” (1997) 1 p.m. Tuesday, BET: (G) Whitney Houston, Brandy. A fairy godmother helps a young woman meet a charming prince in a musical version of the classic tale.

Movie: "Waiting to Exhale” (1995) 4:05 p.m. Tuesday, Encore: (R) Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett. Relationships preoccupy Phoenix friends: divorcee Bernadine, careerist Savannah, popular Robin, and Gloria, whose ex-husband is gay. 

“Glee” 8 p.m. Tuesday, Fox: Heart: Will asks the glee club members to find and perform the world's best love songs in honor of Valentine's Day; Mercedes (Amber Riley) sings "I Will Always Love You."

“Extra” 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, NBC: The death of Whitney Houston; Bobbi Kristina Brown; Houston's final interview. 

“Whitney Houston: Death of a Diva” 12:30 and 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, VH1

“Whitney Houston: Last Days of a Legend” 9 p.m. Wednesday, 3:30 and 6 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, E!: A look at this music icon's life, career and her final days. 

“Whitney Houston, An Icon Remembered” 8 p.m. Thursday, TV Guide:  A one-hour special that looks back at the career Houston. 

“Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Interview” 9 p.m., Thursday OWN: In a 2009 interview, the singer discusses her marriage, drug abuse and retreating from the spotlight. (N)

“Whitney Houston's Greatest Moments” 11 p.m., Thursday VH1: (N)

“20/20” 9 p.m. Friday, ABC: One Moment in Time: The Life of Whitney Houston: From her career achievements to her personal battles with addiction; information on Houston's final days; an interview Diane Sawyer conducted with the singer 10 years ago. (N)

Movie: "Waiting to Exhale" (1995) 8 p.m. Friday, Encore: Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston. Four successful African American women endure the ups and downs of modern love. (R)

Movie: "The Preacher’s Wife" (1996) 10:05 p.m. Friday, Encore: Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston.  An angel comes to Earth on a mission to restore a young preacher's faith and save his dying church, and unexpectedly falls for the preacher's wife. (PG)

-- Compiled by Ed Stockly

Photo: Whitney Houston, left, with Diane Sawyer in 2002. Credit: Handout

That’s all I can say for this bloated, unwieldy, TMI season of "The Real Housewives," which was long on cava and cat fights, but also spousal abuse and alcoholism -- leaving viewers, cast members and, most important, the Bravo network, a bit flummoxed about how to swallow it all.

By the time last night’s third installment of the RHOBH reunion aired, its highlights had already been promo’d so much, it was difficult to distinguish them from the earlier installments, if not the season itself. But here we go.

Taylor told the terrible story of her first beating at Russell’s hands, when he knocked her jaw out of its socket and put her friends in the hospital -- thus leaving Russell room to threaten to sue Camille, who'd said on-air Russell had “broken” Taylor's jaw. Brandi reiterated her desire to get intimate with Lisa's husband, Ken. Dana, the Lost Housewife, with new, smooth extensions and excessive bronzer, was hauled onstage to laugh gamely at her own bragging, which she countered by wearing heels emblazoned with a familiar epithet.

But it's telling that Bravo didn’t put up a video of Taylor’s horrible confessional, and instead put up a video of Mauricio’s pecs to lighten the mood -- which I’m just putting up for the sake of journalism, of course:
  
But that was merely the palate-cleanser for Kim. In a separate location, joined only by @BravoAndy and her sister, she sat under flattering lighting and told the story of her rehab and recovery. Less gaunt but possibly more affectless, she gave us the somewhat self-evident insight that celebrity and privacy don’t mix.

@BravoAndy took that one with a straight face. But, throughout the chest- and soul-baring, all I could think of was, rehabbed and recovered, what will the network do now?

For a clue, I think we can look to @BravoAndy’s show, “Watch What Happens Live," which recently went from once a week to every weeknight. It’s the after-show in which @BravoAndy has revealed himself as the Dick Cavett of our age, one who gives a space for celebrities to show that many of them are in fact intelligent, witty and talented. (See Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, below.) It neatly manages the trick of poking fun at the foibles of the Bravo’s own casts -- with the head of the network the chief provocateur.

“Watch What Happens Live,” which got its juice from dishing on Housewives, now may herald a return to the clever from the craven for that series as well.

After all, the great fun of "The Real Housewives" franchise in the first place was to see how cleverly producers managed to poke fun at their casts’ inflated sense of self-importance -- which was even more delicious for the fact that the cast seemed unaware or unconcerned that any poking fun was taking place.

Witness Sheree Whitfield’s seminal “Whatever Happened to Customer Service”:

And to see what I predict will be the new direction, you only need look toward the Atlanta Housewives and the new New York cast.

In Atlanta, in addition to a bunch of people acting like babies, we have a bunch of actual babies -- Kim and Phaedra’s -- as well as new career directions for the ladies that are more interesting than the infighting of yesteryear. There’s Nene’s new role on “Glee,” Phaedra’s move toward mortuary, Kandi’s continuing series of hits, Kim’s new role as wife (and nicer person), and Sheree’s. ... Well, Sheree always looks nice. 

"The Real Housewives of New York" has also cast off the dead weight. Now, there are three better-pedigreed cast members reportedly positioned to join Ramona and Sonja (Ramonja, pace @BravoAndy): Carole Radziwill, journalist and Jackie O. descendant; Aviva Drescher, high-powered Wall Street wife; and Heather Thomson, successful founder of Yummy Mummy shapewear line. (Burn, Jill!)

This isn’t to say that Bravo is going to entirely drop its formula. After all, the OC ladies are still there in all their raccoon-eyed, foreclosed-upon glory -- though as new divorcees all, they’ve also got story lines I’m happy to see. But it does seem the network is taking the franchise in the same direction it took itself years ago, when it went from a moribund cable channel of B-list re-runs to an avatar of reality programming.

Then, its genius was to create shows about people that created things -- Top Chef, Project Runway -- in which viewers tuned in to see not only drama but tests of skill.

Obviously, the Real Housewives are not going to start being able to actually sing. But for Bravo to continue on the path that led them to Taylor and Kim will yield rewards flatter, if you’ll forgive me the analogy, than Kim’s false pregnancy. We don’t need another season that self-detonates, nor another as tedious as last season's Jersey, in which half the cast members didn’t even attend the reunion.  

Now, I predict a bit more real "reality," if you will. We’ll see charity events for actual charities, poopy diapers that husbands actually change, shoes you can find in stores, fortunes you can count at a bank and, most important, houses not actually on the verge of foreclosure.

After all, poking fun is one thing. But I trust @BravoAndy to know when a bubble has burst.

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— Lizzie Skurnick
twitter.com/lizzieskurnick

Photo: "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast members, clockwise from top left: Lisa Vanderpump, Adrienne Maloof, Taylor Armstrong, Kim Richards, Brandi Granville, Dana Wilkey, Kyle Richards and Camille Grammer. Credit: Richard McLaren / Bravo

With 10 models crammed onto a couch in the Ed Sullivan Theater green room (and not on stage), Letterman commanded the veil to be dropped from a billboard mounted high above Broadway and the cover of the issue was revealed.

Upton seemed pleased, but not overjoyed to have been selected as the cover girl, and the other nine models seemed, well, statuesque in their reactions.

"Will you do me a favor?" Letterman begged the group before the unveiling. "When we announce the winner, will the other nine of you storm out? Turn over the furniture? Wreck the place and then storm out screaming?"

When the models didn't really react one way or the other, Letterman urged them on. "Come on! Jump up and down and storm out of there. Turn over the table! Wreck the dump! Go crazy!"

That spurred them to a round of applause, followed by a halfhearted bump of the table and a rose tossed in the air.

Despite the unveiling having been heavily hyped during the previous night's Grammy Awards telecast, the audience's reaction seemed lukewarm.

And based on Letterman's facial expression at the end of the bit, the 2013 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover may be unveiled elsewhere.

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-- Patrick Kevin Day

Photo: Kate Upton on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Credit: Walter Iooss Jr. / Associated Press

Rae looked every bit the rock star -- and it's easy to imagine, say, the "American Idol" judges putting her through to Hollywood had she auditioned for that show -- but without the boost her arresting looks might have brought, her voice alone didn't compel the coaches to push their buttons. Afterward, as Rae hugged her family, we were treated to an awkward moment where Hilton, who presumably had expected to be celebrating her victory, was called upon to offer comfort. "You're still a star," he said, moving in to join the group hug after a brief hesitation. I'd probably feel sorrier for Rae if she kept humbler company.

Auditionees who had better luck included …

Sarah Golden, a woman whose face and possibly gender were obscured before she took the stage to sing "You and I." She explained that she'd had some interest from the industry, but that she'd been asked to change her look and had declined. Would she be hideous? No, in fact, she was a perfectly pleasant-looking woman with a perfectly pleasant voice that spun first Cee Lo Green, then Blake Shelton around. While Shelton complimented Golden on her "honest" and "refreshing" sound, Green, to whom looks are not immaterial, played hard to get "I only want who wants me." Cee Lo's tactic worked: Golden chose him.

Pip, a bow tie-and-suspender-sporting 19-year-old who told us his voice didn't match his looks. He was right: Though he looked like he might sing tenor in a barbershop quartet or be part of a boy band, in fact, he ripped through "House of the Rising Sun," prettily balancing passion and grit while strolling the stage in his orange Chuck Taylors. Adam Levine spun first, then Shelton, then in rapid succession Christina Aguilera and Green. After enduring a fair amount of coach bickering, Pip took a first-spun-first-served approach and went with Levine.

Erin Willett, a 22-year-old from Gaithersburg, Md., whose dad, she tearfully revealed, had recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She hoped "The Voice" would provide something positive for the family to focus on at a difficult time. Would the coaches make her dream come true? As it turned out, only Shelton spun. "You have a very powerful voice," he told her, adding that Willett was on his team "whether you like it or not." She seemed to like it fine.

Katrina Parker, a North Carolinian who moved to Hollywood to pursue her dreams but found only toxic mold and a soul-crushing cubicle job. Still, she has managed to retain her sense of humor, telling us her job as an underwriting assistant included copying, scanning, filing and "all the fun stuff." Host Carson Daly, surprising her at her bland office in the middle of her bland workday to present her with a blind auditions invitation, whispered, "We've got to get you out of here," before Parker's confused coworkers crowded around to applaud. Her "One of Us" spun only Levine, who declared, "I win," but then told Parker her song included "moments that weren't perfect." Daly reassured her afterward that Levine is "the most picky of those four coaches," which was a kind thing to do.

Geoff McBride, a father of three gorgeous children, Zoe, River, and Hunter, looks like the epitome of cool, but explained that he wears his sunglasses not to make an impression, but rather due to an old kickboxing accident. He also told us his late father, a singer, is present whenever he sings, but when he opened his mouth to perform "Higher Ground," it was Stevie Wonder we seemed to hear. Green and Aguilera contended for McBride. He opted for Aguilera.

Erin Martin, a former model with a big smile and a look she described as "Egyptian warrior princess." Those of us who suspected her voice wouldn't measure up to her looks were soon proved mistaken. She had an unusual and unusually appealing voice, singing "Hey There Delilah," and a disarming stage presence, shooting the coaches straight lines about her legs shaking. Green called her "a wonderful creature of a woman" and then tipped over into cat-strokingly creepy territory. "Quite naturally, you belong to me," he said. Both Shelton and Aguilera also vied for her, though not Levine, who said her singing had left him "confused and a little bit scared." For some reason, she went with Green, who then proclaimed, "She was given to me. I deserve her." (I really can't decide if Green's pussycat-petting lech shtick is funny or creepy. Thoughts?)

James Massone, a 23-year-old kid (he looked like a kid in his letter jacket) with slicked-back hair and one heck of a Boston accent who wants only to leave his family auto body business (he preps "cahs") behind and make a play for musical success. Honestly, his "Find Your Love" sounded shaky and pitchy to me, but Shelton, Green and Aguilera ate it up. Initially overwhelmed, Massone ultimately picked Green as his coach, bursting backstage to greet his family with a triumphant, "How do you like them apples?!" Cute.

Chris Cauley, who played a video of his late, bluegrass-playing grandma for Daly before taking the stage and singing a solid "Grenade." Levine and Green spun, sparred, and called Cauley's performance "smooth" and "amazing." He went with Levine.

Then, after a montage in which we saw three contestants get picked up -- Nathan Parrett (Levine), Brian Fuente (Blake), and M.C. Moses Stone (Aguilera) -- we finally arrived at the last contestant of the night: Jordis Unga, a woman of exotic descent -- her mom is Swedish and I couldn't quite catch where her dad was from.

She sang "Maybe I'm Amazed" with crouched-on-the-floor energy, prompting Shelton to declare that hers was the voice he'd been "waiting to hear" and that it made him "want to push myself to be that much better of a singer." Aguilera and Green also did their metaphorical fan dances, but Unga opted for Shelton, since he was the first to turn his chair.

Phew! Are you still enjoying the blind auditions of 
"The Voice" (no, they're not over yet) -- or are you eager to move on to the competition's next phase?

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-- Amy Reiter

Photo: From left, Adam Levine, Carson Daly, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton. Credit: Art Streiber / NBC.

In an interesting version of "Monday Night Raw," Eve Torres "wants to be just friends" with Zack Ryder.

The good: Shawn Michaels returned and told Triple H that he doesn't believe him when he says he doesn't want to wrestle The Undertaker at WrestleMania. It was a strong interview by Michaels, who showed that he is in a different league than most guys on the roster when it comes to putting over the importance of a match and making what happens in the ring seem important and believable. Also, Kane's plan to make John Cena embrace the hate took another step. He put Eve Torres, the girlfriend of Zack Ryder (who spent the whole show in a wheelchair and neck brace because of Kane's previous attack on him), in the back of an ambulance and prepared to speed off when Cena came and saved the day. Torres was so grateful, she gave Cena a passionate kiss right in front of Ryder. There's only one way this has to end: Torres has been working with Kane all along. It would be great to link the two, and it would give Torres mega-heat with the audience, as evidenced by the loud boos Torres received at the end of the show.

The bad: The opening debate segment featuring all six "Raw" superstars who will appear in the Elimination Chamber match at the next pay-per-view was really hokey. It was filled with bad comedy and didn't make me want to rush out and buy the show. It also diminished CM Punk, who took part in the debate and usually rises above poor material such as this. Not this time.

All in all, an erratic edition of "Raw," which seemed more like a place-holder for WrestleMania rather than a step toward it. Michaels saved the show and proved once again why he is Mr. WrestleMania.

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--Houston Mitchell

Photo: Shawn Michaels, left, confronts Triple H in the ring on "Monday Night Raw". Credit: WWE.

As he explained, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops objected to a measure that would have required Catholic charities, hospitals, and universities -- though not actual churches -- to adopt insurance plans that provide free contraceptive care.

Stewart went right for the jugular. "We are men of God! That money must not be used for contraception," he said, impersonating the bishops. "That money has been set aside for out-of-court altar boy settlements and of course some priest relocation."

Stewart also suggested that the controversy was being stoked by the "old dudes" who run the church, rather than Catholic lay people.

These same "old dudes" -- and their conservative allies -- also object to the compromise Obama announced on Friday, which would allow religious groups to opt out of the mandate and require insurers to provide birth control directly to consumers. 

"This is simply someone trying to impose their values on somebody else with the arm of the government," presidential candidate Rick Santorum said in a clip from the Conservative Political Action Conference gathering held in Washington over the weekend.

In yet another clip from the campaign trail, the staunch Catholic explained why he believes our legal system ought to have Biblical origins."When God gives us rights, he doesn’t say 'Here are your rights, do whatever you want to do with them.' In fact he has laws that we must abide by," he said.

Stewart suggested it was Santorum who was trying to impose his belief on others, not President Obama: "In the American system of government, you’re saying we should all be free to live by Christian law. "

In the latest development, now some Republican legislators are trying to extend the exemption to any employer opposed to birth control, not just the Catholic church. Stewart warned this would create "chaos" in the healthcare system, allowing employers to object to any kind of coverage for any reason whatsoever.

To demonstrate his point, Stewart invited Elliott, a "sick" member of his writing staff, to join him on stage. "I’m an employer and I personally believe in the healing power of comedy," Stewart said, dousing his employee with seltzer.

"Why can’t you give me Zithromax?" Elliott wondered. 

Stewart's response? "I don't believe in Zithromax."

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— Meredith Blake

Twitter.com/MeredithBlake

Photo: Jon Stewart. Credit: Frank Ockenfels / Comedy Central.

Though the conniving model may not appear to be all that book smart, I've got to hand it to her: Girl got game. Unlike the other women who act like Ben is the second coming of Christ, Courtney withholds her feelings, making "The Bach" come to her. At one point this week, she tried to console the other women by telling them that Ben isn’t the only guy in the world.

"Did she just say Ben isn't the only guy in the world?" Emily said in disbelief, which is sad on about 3 million levels.

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The thing is, deep down, Courtney is obviously just as insecure as the other women, despite being genetically perfect. Before finding out that she'd landed one of the week's coveted one-on-one dates, Courtney threatened to leave the show if she wasn't selected for some solo time with Ben. She was in bed, writing in her journal -- God, how I would pay to read those insightful pages -- and crying. It was nice to see a momentary flicker of emotion from her, and for a moment, I almost bought into the fact that she is falling for Ben.

But sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case. Courtney just seems like one of those girls who has never had to fight for a guy's affection, and now she can't deal with the fact that she's not the center of attention.

Accordingly, at the beginning of her date with Ben in Belize, she told him she felt the spark between them had fizzled and that she was contemplating not bringing him home to meet her parents.

Notice how she put the ball in his court? This worked fantastically, as Ben admitted that his "heart drops" upon hearing Courtney's confession, and said he would be "crushed" and "devastated" if her feelings for him weren't reciprocal. 

After Monday's episode, I have a difficult time seeing how anyone but Courtney will be Ben's final pick. This week, he blatantly said he had stronger feelings for the model, and that his connection with her was deeper than it was with the other women. 

But the real tell-tale sign of Courtney's lead came when Ben said he has begun to realize he wants to be with "a woman that has a little bit of edge" -- also known as a chick who isn't a lapdog. Which Courtney most certainly is not. When Ben asked her why she didn't get along with the other women -- and if that was indicative of a larger inability to connect with girlfriends -- Courtney got defensive. Instead of challenging her, Ben immediately backed off, admitting that he didn't want to seem like he was "attacking" her.

Ugh, dude is such a goner. And that's the sad thing. When I start to like Ben, believing that he has more character and brains than some of the Ken doll "Bachelors" of the past, I remember: This dude likes Courtney. A woman who repeatedly says things like "winning" and "oh, snap!" and -- yes -- "kill shot" while shooting fake guns, imagining she's killing off the other women.

Which she did this week, in some respects. After a seemingly normal date, Emily -- arguably the brightest woman on the show this season -- got the boot. And the poor girl went to some extreme lengths to prove she was the kind of down-to-earth, adventurous partner Ben claims to be looking for. She went lobster hunting in the ocean, for God's sake. And those things did not look friendly. I would venture to say that I would have rather gone on the shark-diving date than the lobster-hunting date. 

That's not a sentiment that Rachel, the other woman who was sent packing this week, would agree with. Despite the fact that she conquered her fear of swimming with the kind of shark that I don't think has actual teeth, Ben wasn't feeling her. 

That leaves Nicki, Lindzi, and Kacie B. -- all three sweet women who I think would be decent picks for Ben. I'm not totally impressed by Lindzi. She's nice enough, but she didn't have much to say on her date with Ben, even when they did that whole cute message-in-a-bottle stunt. That she spells her name with a "z" and can't apply make-up properly doesn't help. 

I like Nicki, and I think she has a little hidden spunk to her -- it was pretty endearing when she said she'd tell "these palm trees, these seashells, this [expletive] ocean!" that she was falling in love with Ben. But I'm not sure she has enough fight in her to make it to the end. 

And then there's Kacie, who is my favorite at this point. But because she's pretty and normal and nice and not a game-player, I'm guessing she doesn't stand a chance. 

But enough predicting for now: Hometowns next week! Are you dying? Bring on the kooky parents, overbearing parents, and especially the drunk parents!

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-- Amy Kaufman
twitter.com/AmyKinLA

Photo: Ben and Kacie B. on their date during Monday night's episode of "The Bachelor." Credit: ABC

All repetitions aside, this week did offer one surprise. They up and cast Marilyn. And you thought the McPhee-Hilty claw-down was going to last another 13 episodes.

No, only on "RuPaul’s Drag Race" does one have to wait three months to see a woman in a platinum wig lip-synching for her life crowned queen. On "Smash" they give you the satisfaction in Week 2. (Sidenote: Pitting those two shows against each other is a scheduling mistake of epic proportions. Know your demo, NBC.)

Turns out all it takes to land the Broadway role of a lifetime is a library card, a dressing room mirror in which to practice creepy lip-stability tricks, and some overwrought scenework culminating in a Freudian breakdown of your character’s deeper motives (the Raquel Welch Memorial Award for pout-acting goes to Megan Hilty this week). Oh, and bonking the director. Never forget bonking the director.

I’m not saying that the prospect of an ongoing Ivy/Derek relationship isn’t somewhat compelling -- I’d see Jack Davenport do anything with almost anyone -- but it sets up kind of a bad precedent for the show. She who dazzles in bed gets to dazzle on stage.

And the funny thing is, even without the tryst, Ivy would have likely gotten the part. There was this moment right before he did the Casanova hair-tousle that Derek seemed to decide that Ivy was Marilyn; he framed her face with blond locks, and he just saw it. Ivy, even with her overacting and breathy tryhard ways, is clearly the more pedigree talent. Perhaps recognizing this gave Derek some unspoken permission to pounce on her, what with the justification that she’d already won and all. But I think he would have pounced regardless. 

Poor Karen, jumping through all those futile hoops in her flesh-colored Capezios. Her callback was far better than any of us were expecting -- McPhee’s flat acting in the rehearsal scene may not have been so much “acting,” if you know what I mean -- but no amount of mambo with lithe young boys could score her the part. The “20th Century Fox” number was cheeky fun, but Karen seemed as uncomfortable in it as Norma Jean must have felt during her first full-peroxide job. These “chops” that Julia and Eileen couldn’t stop raving about were almost obscured by her backup dancers.

It is true that Marilyn was green when she began in Hollywood,  oozing with wide-eyed innocence. But even the sapling Monroe knew enough to take sexy pictures and wink at the studio heads that held her fate. Karen doesn’t yet have the cooing ability she needs to navigate the glitz. Is it disheartening that in a post-feminist society, the girl who wears the busty shirts and knows how to bag the guy gets ahead? Yes. But then, as Dev says, there is always going to be a man in power who holds the cards, and if you don’t play along, then you create your own suffering. Is Dev a Buddhist? Kind of a misogynist? Just a Brit with some hard truths? We have to wait and see. We do know he says “shedule” in an adorable way.

Meanwhile, in Making-A-Musical-Land, Julia and Tom are very concerned with “structure.” Because, after all,  this is a show about creating a show, and it would be nothing without a glimpse into the process. What we learn this week is that to make a Broadway hit you will need a lot of index cards and a bulletin board. And that it is a completely original idea to start a show with an actress “standing in a pool of light” by herself. This is why they pay Julia the big money, these ideas. Where does she get them?

A hop, skip, and a fantasy stage sequence later, we are supposed to care about Julia’s other life, with her other husband, the straight one. Theresa Rebeck and Co. are going to make you root for this adoption if it kills them. So, it turns out the couple finds out they are going to have to wait another two years for their Chinese daughter to arrive (the show presents this as a shock, but I mean...they seem to have been working on this adoption for over a decade, right? They know from waiting).

Frank, who is sick of having his only jobs in life be to angrily chop salad and ignore his teenage son, decides to bag the whole thing and go back to work as a foxy science teacher (cannot wait for the spinoff, "Welcome Back, Mr. Houston"). And because an 18-year marriage is “unheard-of in show business,” as we’ve been reminded 100 times, the ship at Casa Julia has hit choppy waters. Even their sullen teenager pipes up to say how much he really wanted a baby sister carried over on the wind. Cue a dramatic adoption meeting in some gray basement with a water cooler and a mention of “lion mothering,” and the ship is back in smooth waters.

The show ends as it began, with an actress (shocker, she is bathed in a pool of light) singing at a cabaret club. Because as we learn, in their off hours, Broadway hopefuls just can’t stop singing. They sing when they waitress, they sing when they get a role, they sing sing shamalama sing. This time, however, Ivy’s song is really happening, as opposed to Karen’s two-drink-minimum karaoke in her head. As Ivy croons a stripped-down version of Carrie Underwood’s “Crazy Dreams,” and blows kisses to her spiritual sensei Tom, a sense of dark foreboding rolls over the show. Crazy dreams come true, yes, but in this show, they are short-lived. As Derek sneers, “Marilyn never tried.” And right now, Ivy is trying like hell. 

 To the songs!

“20th Century Fox”: 4 Jazz Hands

This number could be wildly fun in a real stage version. Just think of the bedazzled mambo costumes and the makeover theatricals! This is the kind of song that makes us understand why Eileen is so girlishly giddy about sending her baby straight to Broadway. 

“Crazy Dreams”: 3 Jazz Hands

How meta was this number? You have an actual Broadway singer, singing an "American Idol" winner’s song, about winning a Broadway part over an actress played by an "American Idol" contestant, who didn’t win. Does your brain hurt yet?

“Let Me Be Your Star” (Reprise): 2 Jazz Hands

It was the perfect finale to the show when we saw it first. Seeing it again exposes the holes in it -- the melody is a bit generic, the lyrics cloying. Because this is a show about a show, we are bound to see some songs repeated -- but they would fare better if not sandwiched in back to back episodes.

What was your favorite?

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-- Rachel Syme

twitter.com/rachsyme

 Photo: Katharine McPhee does Marilyn. Credit: Patrick Harbron/NBC.