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King of the Nerds episode 104 recap: Comical catastrophe

King of the Nerds kevin smith jason mewes

If anything was made clear in this week’s episode of “King of the Nerds,” it’s that nerds are pretty emotional people. There were a lot of tears shed by the ladies of Nerdvana. Who knew winning the title of this TBS gameshow meant so much to them?

The theme this week was comic books, with the Nerd War challenge in the form of a debate that pondered the topics of superhero realms in real life. Questions ranged from the inquisitive “Is it better to be born with a superpower or earn a genetically-altered one later?” or the practical “Should superheroes be exempt from the law or should they be treated like every other citizen?” It’s an interesting challenge since debating takes some form of, um, intelligence, to succeed – a quality most of the contestants have yet to show. Some comic book knowledge to back up a few theses also couldn’t hurt to add color.

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King of the nerds Danielle freak outThe first tears shed came from Celeste after she admits to a fear of public speech and “embarrassing herself in front of people.” Girl, you should have remembered that fear when you signed up to be on this show! Over on Orange Team’s prep room, Danielle’s still not over the fact that Joshua lied to her. She becomes furious after Josh, who has hosted nerd debates before, picks an “easier” topic to debate and leaves her with something more difficult. When Josh offers to help, Danielle sounds off and breaks down, transforming from her gentle, naked elf cosplay to a fire-breathing dragon – all while angrily stuffing pasta salad into her mouth. Yikes. Don’t wanna mess with that.

At the debate, guest judges Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes surprise the contestants. “Jay and Silent Bob?? What the f***k are they doing here!?” Celeste ponders. They probably have no idea how they got there either, so I’m guessing they’re in between filming Comic Book Men.

Unfortunately, due to the one-hour nature of the show, the debates got edited pretty heavily. You could barely hear what each contestant said other than their opening statements, so I really couldn’t tell why Ivan, Joshua, and Danielle won even though their opponents seem to have equally strong rebuttals. It probably had something to do with the level of confidence in their speech; Despite the fact that Josh incorrectly cites “Mark Miller” as the creator of The Dark Knight comics (seriously, even I knew it was Frank Miller. It was like hearing nails on a chalkboard), Genevieve’s mousy charm couldn’t win Kevin Smith over even though she’s an encyclopedia of comics. Upon losing, Genevieve goes home and cries into a pillow.

Genevieve and Alana, the only two comic book nerds, get sent to elimination where the two fight it out in a trivia. Alana, talking game all season long about her love for Batman, answered all of one question correctly (she guessed the one she got right). The questions were too hard, Alana whines. “I only started reading comics in the 90s.” Genevieve redeems her comic knowledge and sends a tearful Alana straight home. Thank heavens, because she was becoming increasingly awkward for everyone to watch.

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Buzzworthy book, DVD, and Blu-ray releases for the week of October 31
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Here are some of the hottest, most buzzed-about books this week. Download them on your Kindle, read them on your iPad, or go to a bookstore if you like to keep things old-school.
Blue Nights by Joan Didion
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The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation About America by Tom Brokaw
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Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
You probably know Mindy Kaling from her role as Kelly Kapoor on NBC's The Office, but the comedienne and Dartmouth grad has a solid history of work including off-broadway roles and playwright gigs before she made it big as a comedy writer and actress. This humorous book (thoughtfully punctuated with stopping points for bathroom breaks and phone calls) gives us Kaling's take on everything from guys, best friends, and Hollywood, to why guys put their shoes on so slowly. 
 
If you’re looking to add to your movie collection, we’ve selected a few of the best titles coming out this week on DVD and Blu-ray.
Crazy, Stupid, Love
This romantic comedy isn't like all the rest for several reasons, including great acting by Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, and up-and-comer Emma Stone, several intriguing plot twists, and well-built characters who end up interacting in a way you never thought they would. We see the story of a long-married dad (Carell) who ends up in the dating ring after he's blindsided by divorce, the story of a content bachelor (Gosling) who gets shaken up and falls for a fearless redhead, and how the two stories intertwine. 
 
Water for Elephants
In this adaptation of the well-loved and bestselling book, Robert Pattinson stars as the struggling veterinary medicine student who stumbles into an equally struggling circus. Pattinson's character falls for the beautiful platinum-blonde equestrian (Reese Witherspoon) who is married to the Ringleader. The rest of the story unwinds as the woman's horse falls ill and Pattinson's character is enlisted to train her new elephant. He finally steals a kiss, but it may come with trouble. 
 
Californication: The Fourth Season
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Buzzworthy book, DVD, and Blu-ray releases for the week of October 24

Here are some of the hottest, most buzzed-about books this week. Download them on your Kindle, read them on your iPad, or go to a bookstore if you like to keep things old-school.
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
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Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman, who won the Nobel Peace Price in Economic Sciences for his work in psychology challenging the traditional notion of thinking and decision making, here gives us a book about what he describes as two distinct ways of thinking: fast and slow. The author takes the reader on a fascinating tour of his own thoughts about decision making and the benefits of so-called "slow thinking." The cerebral book talks psychological theories but also gives the reader practical uses for such thinking. 
 
Giving 2.0 by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen
This non-fiction book gives us a new and different perspective on the idea of giving and how it can enrich your life. Arrillaga-Andreesen doesn't just mean writing checks to charitable organizations. It's both a philosophical guide to giving as well as a practical handbook for maximizing your impact in whatever way you choose to give back. 
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Captain America: The First Avenger
Marvel Comics hero Captain America, played here by Chris Evans, leads the fight against evil as the world's greatest soldier in this superhero story come to life. Captain America must defeat the evil HYRDA organization including the villain Red Skull in this well-received adaptation. Make sure to check out our review. Check out our review.
 
 
Bad Teacher
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The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition
This three-DVD set includes rare and special performances from musical legends as part of the many years of benefit concerts for The Bridge School, a non-profit organization focused on educating children with severe speech and physical impairments. The DVDs show performances, some of rare songs, from legends like Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Tom Petty, Simon & Garfunkel, and many others. 

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Buzzworthy book, DVD, and Blu-ray releases for the week of October 3

Here are some of the hottest, most buzzed-about books this week. Download them on your Kindle, read them on your iPad, or go to a bookstore if you like to keep things old-school.
Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World by Michael Lewis
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The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins
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Seriously, I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
As one of our era's most beloved and relatable comedians, Ellen DeGeneres releases a memoir of sorts that sees her meander from topic to topic with her usual wit and sass. The topics range from general life lessons, for example: avoid magnifying mirrors at all costs, humorous tidbits that everyone can related to, and more serious subjects like identity and gay marriage. The book is very loosely assembled around the idea of happiness and how DeGeneres herself got there, and anyone who enjoys her hilarious monologues will certainly find humor in the book.

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