Last Comic Standing 2, Episode 9: Like a Bad High School Reunion

For those of you who missed out on our big, exclusive news Monday, Jay Mohr supplied us with some information about the upcoming LCS3 series that starts on August 31. You can read all the details here.

Before we begin this week's recap, we would like to extend a congrats to all the people involved with Last Comic Standing for getting an Emmy nomination in the Best Competitive Reality Show category. It's a tough category, with LCS facing off against Survivor, The Amazing Race, American Idol, and The Apprentice; but one can never tell how these things will work out.

Ratings got hit for only the second time this season, with FOX pulling out the All-Star Game to win for the night with 8.3 and a 14 share. Of course, one could say that people didn't watch because ANT was gone, but let's just assume it was the All-Star Game. As with the CBS special a few weeks ago, a one-off show is not much to really make any other program sweat, as everything else got hit just as badly. LCS2 ended up with up with a 4.8, but still with a strong 8 share, while also tying with CBS for second place in the 18-49 demographics. Either way, the series has been doing great in the ratings over all, as this week's ratings will no doubt prove.

The episode opens up with a look back at all the previous head-to-heads, followed by Gary arriving back at the house. When Gary comes in, Tammy goes up and hugs him. Gary mentions that he felt bad about winning against Jay, but not when he won against ANT; which makes sense, since, as Gary points out, ANT was vocally gunning for him before their head-to-head.

Jay arrives soon after and sits down with the six remaining comics in the front room. He mentions that all reality shows have surprises for the contestants, and then goes to the front door. He opens it to reveal three members of the Average Joe cast coming in wearing their little banana-hammocks. Corey wants to know if he is going to have to room with any of them and puts up a tall pillow in front of him to shield himself. This begs the question, "Why does Corey keep grabbing tall things when he feels threatened by other guys?"

Jay realizes that the Average Joe guys belong to "the next castle over," and sends them on their way. The six comics laugh at Jay's joke, but most of them are not laughing when Jay opens the door again.

In come the four comics that had been voted off the show already: Bonnie, Todd, ANT, and Jay. Gary is thrilled to see Todd and they hug. Kathleen mentions that Gary's reaction to seeing Todd was like her reaction to seeing the dog in last week's episode. Although Gary is happy, the other five remaining comics look like they would like to vomit. Tammy mentions that all the hostilities, fear, and jealousy in the house came back once the group arrived, and John mentions a similar feeling. John is later seen throwing the garden gnome into the pool and sarcastically telling the camera that it was a "real funny joke" to bring everyone back like that.

Jay sits everyone down. Bonnie sits on the far-end of the couch and slightly away from everyone. This is a telling sign for something later on. Jay tells them that the immunity challenge coming up will be very important, as the comics already booted off will be voting for who will be in the next head-to-head. ANT announces to the group that someone had promised him they wouldn't vote for him and then did so, so he's going to pay them back. John tells the others that that he figures it is himself that ANT is talking about, as they had discussed such a thing before ANT got voted out.

ANT is next seen talking to Tammy and Kathleen in their room about John. ANT also mentions that the others wanted to vote for Tammy. While they talk, Bonnie zooms through the room, but slows down just long enough to rat on ANT. She tells Tammy and Kathleen that ANT told her about their little "alliance." She then stomps out of the room again. ANT tells Tammy and Kathleen that he didn't tell her anything. This was a puzzling sequence to watch. Not because it was like watching grade-school kids tattling on each other, but because Bonnie told TV Guide a few weeks ago that she had been in on an alliance with Tammy and Kathleen. Now we see her telling Tammy and Kathleen that she didn't know about ANY type of alliance until AFTER she got kicked out of the house. Just interesting to note. [Note from Mike: Or Bonnie could just be a psycho. Who knows?]