With Karen back in the mix, it was expected that Hank would be putting to rest the three quasi-relationships that he’d been building since the season premiere. You’d think that the nature of each coupling was such as to make that an easy assignment. But then I suppose you never pondered the wonder that is Hank Moody.

First up was Jackie. A call to Hank’s office was naturally at first mistaken for a sex-romp, but that was quickly cleared up when Jackie started in on the plight of the sex worker. Why do people feel as if they’ve been used in these types of situations? Hank never started a formal relationship with her — where’s the using? It was extremely funny that Dean Koontz walked in just as Jackie was getting into position on all fours for a little goodbye … and funnier still that he in some way bought her explanation of a “joke.” But long story short she’s not letting Hank go.

Next up was my choice for Hank, Jill. Jill got an invite to a nice lunch, but Hank’s speech was interrupted by the appearance of Jill’s “egg waster,” his new fiance on his arm. You can’t tell me that Hank isn’t a good guy after he went over there and pretended that he and Jill’s ex had had a sexual encounter, during which Hank contracted a VD. Unfortunately for Hank, that only endeared him more to Jill. Strike two.

Last came Felicia, who I’ll admit would be an interesting side project for Hank while dating Jill. Felicia had actually moved on with her freebie — I hadn’t realized that Hank had turned her down with any finality — to yet another writer, this one played by Ken Marino (Tony from Reaper). And this time it was Hank who ruined things by “saving” Felicia from going the wrong route with her extramarital affair, instead magnanimously offering himself up as her mate. Always the gentleman.

But it was all good fun, and it was definitely a return to the strong start that season three had made. I told you that the classroom needed a voice in the episodes to be good right now!

Becca was off again … who was surprised that she was covering for Chelsea and a guy, as opposed to being in the room naked with her when Hank walked in? I totally thought that that’s where their friendship was heading. It also kind of stuck out as a total non-sequitur to both the rest of the episode and the rest of the season. But then again Becca tends to be doing that a lot lately.

Also a bit off was Sue and Charlie’s visit to her original client Peter Fonda, although I had no idea who he was while watching the episode (they didn’t say!). What was that all about?

But whatever; a little divergence was not going to harm such a strong outing. And like I said, stay tuned for next week. And before Collini’s out:

“You’re Runkle; you’d whack it to a cat dancing on YouTube.” – Sue

Related posts

• Californication – When will Hank abandon Becca at his local firehouse?
• Californication stumbles after starting strong
• Strippers, professors, and assistants – for Hank Moody that’s not just role play

Ruby T., a writer from Chicago and a science-fiction/fantasy aficionado (all right, a geek), is Guest Clacking for us again today with thoughts on the second season premiere of Legend of the Seeker.

As I watched the opening scenes of “Marked,” the first episode of Legend of the Seeker’s sophomore season, I was a bit anxious. The people were celebrating Richard’s defeat of the tyrant Darken Rahl with a victory feast, complete with children singing in the Seeker’s honor. Just as I was wondering whether the show would have enough conflict, danger, swordplay, fill-in-the-blank, now that the Seeker had fulfilled the prophecy and killed the main baddie, a creature from the Underworld interrupts the feast, sends the people scrambling, and gives Richard an opportunity to wield the Sword of Truth once more. (He looked as relieved as I was not to have to listen to any more singing.) Well, that didn’t last long, I thought.

Legend of the Seeker had such a solid first season because it offered everything you’d expect from a fantasy adventure series — epic New Zealand scenery, action, romance, a beautiful heroine, a funny wizard, a noble hero, and a mustachioed villain. The best episodes were the ones that that drew a bit more from the Terry Goodkind novel Wizard’s First Rule and that featured the evil, svelte, soft-spoken Darken Rahl (played by Craig Parker, a.k.a. Haldir the redshirt Elf from Peter Jackson’s The Two Towers). The Mord’Sith were also Season 1 fan favorites, adding a dash of excitement whenever they show up in their red-leather dominatrix gear and beat the crap out of someone. “Marked” has me looking forward to Season 2 for a few reasons.

First, Darken Rahl is still around, albeit in the Underworld. The new major story arc for this season seems to be that there is a crack in the earth (created when Richard used the Boxes of Orden to defeat Rahl), and the Keeper of the Underworld plans to escape through the crack with his creepy minions and kill every living thing. Thanks to a bunch of exposition from Zedd and Kahlan (still a weakness of the show), we learn that Richard can seal the crack using the Stone of Tears. Now, if Darken Rahl was not still around to taunt Richard, I don’t know whether this would be a compelling storyline. A great villain is essential for a show like this, and the disembodied voice of the Keeper is not enough. So, hurray for Darken Rahl!

Second, the Mord’Sith Cara has joined the Seeker’s company, providing some badness to offset Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd’s squeaky goodness. In particular, she offers a contrast and conflict for Kahlan, who sees Cara not only as a threat but also as a potential rival for Richard’s affections. Cara adds beauty, wry humor, and danger to the mix, so fans should be pleased, as they will be getting a weekly dose of Mord’Sith awesomeness.

Third, the writers have piled on challenges for the Seeker to overcome. Richard was prophesied to defeat Darken Rahl, so we knew he would. It was just a question of when and what it would cost him. I was surprised that it happened so soon; the story could have been drawn out for a couple of seasons. Instead, the show changed direction (which is great). Richard now has been prophesied to fail. Also, this season Richard, as Darken Rahl’s long lost brother, is the new Lord Rahl. Even though he turns down the title, it surely will present some interesting conflict for him.

I plan to read Stone of Tears because I know the writers will change enough of the story that I still will be surprised by how things work out. Are you amazed at how many liberties have been taken with Goodkind’s story? Sometimes, I’m glad because it keeps the show fresh; sometimes I’m disappointed because I think it would be more daring to stick to the story (for example, letting Richard accept the title of Lord Rahl instead of turning it down presumably to preserve the adventure-of-the-week formula).

“Marked” had a lot going on — I would call it scattered — but it promises some good stuff for season 2. What did you think of the episode and where Legend of the Seeker is headed?

Related posts

• Legend of the Seeker – Prophecy/Destiny
• The Legend (of the Seeker) lives on (to a second season)
• Haven’t we moved beyond clip shows, Legend of the Seeker?

I have missed the Supernatural boat. Everyone tells me what a great show it is, but I’ve never taken the time. If this week’s lead quote is any indication, I sure am missing out. The week before the start of November Sweeps also brings us some good quotes from Modern Family and Community. Next week, however, I promise the return of Glee!

Supernatural

“You gotta calm down.” — Sam
“Calm down? I’m wearing sunglasses at night!! You know who does that? No talent douche bags! I hate this game! I hate that we’re in a procedural cop show and you want to know to know why … because I hate procedural cop shows! There’s like 300 of them on television and they’re all the freaking same. It’s, ‘Oh, plane crashed here.’ Oh shut up!” — Dean

30 Rock

“You’re setting him up to get it. You don’t think I know that trick. You don’t think I’ve been brought in on a million auditions just to make Kim Catrall seem grounded and human.” — Jenna, on Liz’s plan to get a new cast member hired.

“My mom used to send me articles about how older virgins are considered good luck in Mexico.” — Liz

“I’m not gay. I’m…bilarious!” — Homosexual man waiting on line to see Hugh Jackman

Community

“Listen… Randi can be the name of a guy or a girl. But in this case… it is definitely a girl.” — Troy

“I’m an artist. I write what I feel. And I feel that you suck.” — Vaughn

“TV’s the best dad there is. TV never came home drunk. TV never forgot me at the zoo. TV never abused and insulted me. Unless you count Cop Rock.” — Jeff

“I lived in my car for a stretch in the ’70s. Nothing like bedding on one in the vinyl backseat of a Skylark. Of course we didn’t have the same safety standards back then, so… no condoms. I tell you, before AIDS, sex was like shaking hands.” — Pierce
“Hence AIDS.” — Abed

Parks and Recreation

“Pawnee’s library department is the most diabolical and ruthless bunch of bureaucrats I’ve ever seen. They’re like a biker gang. Only instead of shotguns and crystal meth they use political savvy and shushing.” — Leslie

“It was like doing peyote and sneezing slowly for six hours… that woman really knows her way around a penis.” — Ron on sleeping with his ex-wife Tammi

Vampire Diaries

“I’m worse than shallow — I’m a kiddie pool.” — Caroline

“Unexpected surprise? I think the wrong brother went back to high school.” — Lexi to Damon

“Are you wearing polyester?” — Caroline to Bonnie after she gets zapped by her necklace

Modern Family

“And Mitchell is still upset because Claire quit the team right before some meet.” — Cam
“Some meet? The 13-and-under regional championship. Just the Emerald City at the end of my yellow brick road.” — Mitchell
“Oh, you did it.” — Cam
“What?” — Mitchell
“You made figure skating sound even gayer.” — Cam

“Last year you said basketball was going to be my sport.” — Luke
“Look, I’ve said a lot of things I wish I could take back, but I can’t.” — Phil

“It doesn’t matter to you because you had your own moments…. You had cheerleading and high school plays and making out with the quarterback….” — Mitchell
“Oh come on, you made out with him too.” — Claire

“That wasn’t angry talk?” — Jay
“No, that was happy talk.” — Gloria
“I’m beginning to see why there’s so much conflict on your continent.” — Jay

How I Met Your Mother

“That must be that tantric bagpiping that Sting is into … shut the bagpipes up.” — Ted to Robin, about the noisy “bagpiping” neighbors upstairs

”I’ll wash my manhood when I’m good and ready!” — Marshall

Greek

“I hate crickets. Ever since Pinocchio … they’re too bossy.” — Beaver

“Cappie, who do the Kappa Tau’s hate the most?” — Casey
“Ryan Seacrest. Oh no, no, no, wait, wait; Officer Huck.” — Cappie
“And who do the Omega Kais hate the most?” — Casey
“Liberals?” — Cappie

“We’re in.” — Evan
“Well, we’re in further.” — Beaver
“Do you have any idea what comes out of your mouth?” — Tripp
“No … do you?” — Beaver

“We’re all gonna go to girl jail, like those prison movies my boyfriend watches.” — ZBZer, after the fire

The Office

“I am not robbing the cradle … if anything, I’m robbing the grave.” — Michael, on dating Pam’s mom

South Park

“What would you call a straight man, who doesn’t own a Harley, but likes them and might buy one someday?” — Woman
“You call him bike-curious.” — Cartman

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I’ve gotta hand it to Taylor Swift, she did an excellent job as host of SNL this week. Not only was she solid at performing on live TV, but her acting was totally up to snuff and she was in nearly all of the skits (all but a pre-taped commercial and Weekend Update), along with performing twice. I’ll throw up at least a golf clap for all that. That’s the way to do it, though — why only appear in a few skits when you’ve got the honor of being on SNL? (Videos clips of most skits are embedded below.)

Cold Open — Am I the only one getting sick of the politically themed cold open? I think we may as well call it the Political Open at this point. Alright, so seeing them mock FOX News’s coverage of the election was pretty funny. I’m still tired of the politics, though.

Monologue: Taylor Swift — Probably one of the better monologues of the season, hitting everything fans of Swift wanted her to talk about without, well, talking about it. And because I have some weird thing about transcribing lyrics to songs on TV shows, here’s Taylor Swift’s “Monologue Song (La la la)”:

I like glitter and sparkly dresses
But I’m not gonna talk about that
in my monologue

I like baking and things that smell like winter
But I’m not gonna talk about that
in my monologue

La la la
La la la

I like writing songs
about douchebags who cheat on me
But I’m not gonna say that
in my monologue

I like writing their names into songs
so they’re ashamed to go in public
But I’m not gonna say that
in my monologue

La la
La la la la la
This is
My musical monologue

You might think I might bring up Joe
that guy who broke up with me on the phone
But I’m not gonna mention him
in my monologue

Hey Joe, I’m doing real well
I’m hosting SNL
But I’m not gonna brag about that
in my monologue

La la la
Ha ha ha
Ha ha ha
Ha ha ha
La la la

And if you’re wondering if I might
Be dating the werewolf from Twilight (Hi Taylor)
I’m not gonna comment on that
in my monologue

La la
La la la la la
This is
My musical monologue

You might might be expecting me to say
something bad about Kanye
And how he ran up on the stage
And ruined my VMA monologue

But there’s nothing more to say
‘cuz everything’s OK
I’ve got security lining the stage
It’s my SNL monologue

La la
La la la la la
This is
My SNL monologue

La la
La la la la la
That was
My SNL monologue

Commercial: Carter & Sons’ Swine Fever — This reminds me of the poor company behind the dietary supplement “Ayds,” pronounced as you might think. No, seriously, there was a diet pill called Ayds. Even if they got the idea from that unfortunate naming clash, this was a pretty funny one.

The View — I still get a kick out of seeing two of the three hosts of The View being played by men. By the way, Andy Samberg’s Nick Cage impression was spot on!

SNL Digital Short: Firelight — Holy. Fricken’. Awesome. I mean, come on, we’ve got a thousand vampire and/or werewolf movies, so where’s the Frankenstein lovin’? “I’m afraid I might choke you to death … by accident.”

Hollywood Dish Interview — Most nights I would have thought this wasn’t so bad, but tonight it really wasn’t good at all when standing up to the rest of the show.

T.R.A.A.A.P.D. — Swift in another skit, with her first musical number coming up next! Seriously, I’m not a Taylor Swift fan, but she’s definitely earning her keep as host. Oh, and any parent watching this skit knows all of those dangerous situations in the car are so true. Well, hopefully except the sex and relationship talk ones.

Musical Guest: Taylor Swift — I have no idea what Swift sings, so all of this was new to me. But damn, she really does sing about boyfriends and breaking up and stealing guys. But isn’t that all country music?

Weekend Update — Wow, they even threw in a last-minute joke on the passing of the Health Care Reform bill, which was announced a mere hour before Weekend Update aired live. Not a brilliant joke, but great work keeping really current. One of the few skits Taylor Swift didn’t make an appearance in. Best joke of the night: the woman with two vaginas story having “too many holes” in it.

Wedding reception with Penelope — Can someone please stop giving Kristin Wiig these regular characters to play? I hate Gilli and I hate Penelope. Oh, and that Target checkout chick … alright that one’s not so bad. Finding them much more annoying than funny.

Scared Straight — Alright this is ridiculous. Is this a record for a guest being involved in skits in one episode? This one seemed to scream out that she was going for one. Loved this skit the first time I saw it, loved it again tonight. Always great to see the cast lose it. “1.21 gizz-a-watts!”

Anna the close roommate — For this late hour of the episode, this was a surprisingly decent skit. Maybe it’s because at one point in my life, I could have totally related to being Samberg’s character.

Bunny Business — Everyone’s impressions were awesome in this skit. I’m not sure I could pick a favorite. Alright, maybe Hader as Eddie Vedder — that got the biggest laugh out of me.

Related posts

• Saturday Night Live – Neil Patrick Harris; Taylor Swift
• Saturday Night Live – Drew Barrymore; Regina Spektor
• Saturday Night Live – Ryan Reynolds; Lady Gaga

“New Terrain” was something of an odd episode, and not just because the episode title referenced Allison’s new car. The episode seemed to take a while to get up to speed. The dream about the girls in the car, and then the accident at the school, weren’t connected at all to the bank case, and made for some strange pacing. Fortunately, while the structure felt a little odd, the episode ended up being excellent as Allison unraveled the twists behind the big heist.

Since it did play a role in solving the case, we should probably talk about Allison’s new wheels. I’m one that is generally very touchy about product integration, because it is so often done so poorly. But this was really an example of doing it right. It never felt like a GMC commercial had been jammed into the show, and Allison’s move into the technology future has been long overdue. I even made a comment about the fact that Allison still doesn’t have a hands free device earlier in the season.

The case took a rather circuitous route in getting Allison to the answer. I bought into the spooky-radio right away, so was never into the theory that Sanborn (Todd Louiso) was anything other than a patsy. Seeing Reeder (Franc Ross) building the bomb in his trailer though… that really did seem to seal the deal. It was perfectly understandable when Scanlon and Devalos were ready to call it closed. That twisted path is really what made the episode. They did such a good job selling Wilkes (Shea Whigham) as a hero cop that the revelation of his master plan came as quite a surprise.

Meanwhile… Ariel’s powers are continuing to grow, in a rather frightening way. I suppose that on the balance, and one day looking back, it’s a very good thing. She did, after all, save Jamie’s (Hayley McFarland) life. Still, things like the newspaper, in the middle of her school day, are a pretty heavy load for a teenager to be carrying.

All things considered, I’m marking this one down as an excellent episode. It took a while to get to the big case, but it turned out to be my favorite case of the new season. And the additional exploration of the girls’ powers continues to be a good addition to the show. Season 6 is progressing nicely.

Other posts

• Rescue Me – Sweet Lou
• Brothers and Sisters: Oh, your lackluster season
• See Jane Clack – Obama gets shunned, Kitty’s a dope

The story of Angela and Hodgins is, to many fans, as integral to the overall plot as the story of Brennan and Booth. It started with a crush, was solidified with a Gravedigger, and almost ended in marriage. Despite the fact that the two have been broken up for quite some time, many fans, this one included, always suspected that the two would find a way back to each other. What if something stood in their way? Not a little bump in the road like Roxie, but something with more long term potential?

This week, we saw the first hints of a burgeoning relationship between Angela and Wendell (And by “hints,” I mean them making out in the lab, in case you missed it). Angela was coming to an end of her self imposed celibacy vow, and Wendell, whom I think has always had a thing for Angela, was in the right place at the right time. More important than the timing, though, was his fairly sweet reaction to Angela’s mission to save the piglet. Despite the fact that he professes his love for all things pork, and meat in general, he still gave up every dollar he had in his pocket.

That act of compassion ended in a kiss, but the connection was more than just one scene, and was apparent to Booth at the end. Only Cam and he caught on by the end of the episode, so Hodgins was still in the dark. I wonder how long the relationship will last, because I think the characters (though not necessarily apparent yet between the actors) could develop some nice chemistry. I think Wendell is a much bigger roadblock to Angela and Hodgins than, say, Sully was to Bones and Booth.

What do you think? Are you a Hodgins/Angela ‘shipper, or are you liking what Wendell brings to the table?

Other stuff:

• How much Bones would a woodchuck annoy?
• Loved the conversation between Hodgins and Wendell (actually a lot more) as a Fringe homage
• When Deschanel was slimed with the syrup, you could totally see her smiling and having a good time.
• I love a good chicken sandwich as much as the next guy, but I was kinda pulling for Angela’s chicken revolution.
• Loved the Booth/Bones dynamic about her fight with Angela, but Sweets getting kicked under the table was classic.
• “OK, if I have sex, will you donate to save my pig?”
• I didn’t think I would like a possible Angela/Wendell pairing, but I was totally wrong.
• “I got demoted from Plucker. Bet you didn’t think there was something worse than Plucker?”

Related posts

• Who should be Bones’ permanent assistant?
• Bones – Of bouncing turkeys and chili con carne
• Last week on Bones: dull, dull, dull

Today’s Guest-clacker is JJ, who lives in Austin, TX and is a Systems Engineer. He claims he watches waaaayyyy too much TV and he’s always looking for the next “better” show. To date, he’s never found anything better than Showtime’s Brotherhood.

First off I think I should preface by saying I’m a pretty big fan of Criminal Minds. I started watching it religiously, probably back mid-season two, and have watched Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) grow as a leader then turn around and fall as a failure. This episode is the first episode where Hotchner is no longer the team lead and in the “changing of the guards” Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) becomes the lead FBI agent.

This episode is pretty straight forward; it’s focused on the new leadership style of Morgan and didn’t have many — if any — twists in the episode, which is very unlike Criminal Minds. It had the typical start of the dark and depressing “killer beginning” attempting to set the mood of the episode, but honestly feels as if it fell short.

I did notice something that isn’t very typical for Criminal Minds which is we actually see a majority of the killer’s face in the first few scenes; the show usually attempts to hide the killer with overcasting shadows. This actually turned me off from the episode almost instantly because unlike the norm for the show, they concentrated on the character development instead of the crime.

Another thing about this episode that just got under my skin was that the religious undertones were too contrived, almost to the point where it was ludicrous. Something I’ve always loved about Criminal Minds is that it distances itself from any major hot button issue, and tells original interesting stories. This episode, it just seems that it just didn’t care; this just stunk of a filler episode. Religion is always a hot button issue, and they did a horrible job attempting to hide the influences. A couple examples being: the cross that Morgan gets, the “savior” for his off-limits love interest and the BAU, the Buddhist, “my sister can’t rest in peace because she’s not complete,” and the quote of scripture “Matthew 5:29.”

I do feel that Morgan will be a great leader, but this episode just didn’t give him the assertiveness that he needs. Close to the end of the episode, Hotch did do something that Morgan would have done, and then showed complete role reversal, Morgan scolding and Hotch smiling, but this also seemed contrived and fake. I have better hopes for the episodes to come.

In all seriousness though, if you’re a fan of the show, you do need to watch this episode, it’s truly the “changing of the guard feeling” (I can’t stress how much I felt that watching this), but if you catch episodes here and there, stay away, FAR FAR AWAY. I give this episode a lame 4/10.

Related posts

• Finally, a long-term case on Criminal Minds
• Criminal Minds season 5 – Yes, there’s something to look forward to even on a procedural!
• Criminal Minds – Paradise

Stargate: Universe came out of nowhere for me. Despite being a big Sci-Fi geek, I was never a fan of the previous iterations, be it the movie, or the two other television shows. I’m not saying they weren’t good, because I know they all had a very passionate fan base. Regardless, I’m loving SG:U so far; despite how others feel like it’s been very hit or miss, I’m totally on board.

The one aspect of the show that I really don’t like (or, at least the one aspect not named Rush that I really don’t like) was the communication stones that were heavily featured this week. I liken this show to what Star Trek: Voyager should have been, much more so than Battlestar Galatica that, with which it shares quite a bit tonally, has less in common with than is given credit for. What SG:U doesn’t share with both of the shows, that it should, is the sense of isolation.

When you can schedule trips home for everyone to see their families, when the REMFs can dictate and direct, then our heroes, while in danger, don’t have that Lost in Space feel, which is what I think this show is supposed to be about. What’s the point of being untold millions of light years from Earth if you can still go back home for one last jump with the Mrs.? Or to a party with your friends? Just to realize that you lead a pretty sheltered life before? Yeah, well, so what? I think we knew Chloe was doing some pretty quick crowing up already.

The stones aren’t completely without merit, and there is obviously a certain drama that comes from their use (just wait until Young finds out that Telford just stopped by the Mrs.’ house after their poorly timed switcheroo). I just don’t think that’s the story that they should be telling, because there’s so much more potential in doing it another way.

Other stuff:

• I changed the channel just a bit late, and was WAY freaked out by TJ and Young making out, and even more so to learn that there might actually be real history there.
• Being new to the Stargate universe (ha!), but has Chloe’s husband Morris always been around?
• Telford locking up Greer immediately put him on my “he’s a total Kanye-bag” list.
• I like Chloe/Eli, but I also do like Chloe/Scott.
• I was wondering about a little bit of accountability to the changee’s bodies back on Earth, but my concern about Chloe getting her body drunk was overshadowed by what Telford experienced.

Related posts

• The trouble with MacGuffins – BSG, Earth, and Cylons run amok
• Regarding tonight’s Battlestar Galactica: I can’t say much
• Frakkin’ Clack – A sneak peek at BSG’s return; a call with Moore and Eick

I’ve talked often this season about how Callie Torres has really filled out as an amazing character (a lot of which had to do with the killer performances by Sara Ramirez). Much of it, however, is rooted in her relationship with Arizona Robbins. While they’ve not been together a full season yet, they’re quickly becoming my favorite couple on television. These are some of the reasons, just in this week’s episode, that you can see why:

1. The two racing down the hall for the only prepped OR, but Callie not getting too pissed for losing
2. Callie’s look when Arizona described how “her” Peds rotation works
3. Callie’s continued pride when discussing the 25 million donation
4. How Callie gave Arizona the confidence to do the surgery
5. I doubt the Arizona we first met would have the conjones to kick the Chief out of her OR
6. Chemistry, baby …  More than Mer/Der, more than Mark/Lexi, and yes boys and girls, more than Cristina/Owen
7. Callie staying awake (or trying to) for Arizona, and more importantly, the look in her eyes when Arizona told her that she loved her
8. (Note that I didn’t mention, at all, the lingerie Callie was wearing at the end of the episode … Erm … well, until just now, but hey, I’m not blind)

Other stuff

• Alex in Peds, while makes so little sense when you say it out loud, works so incredibly well on the screen.
• Reed crushing on Karev makes more sense than Jackson crushing on Cristina (but that’s because Reed comes across as Little-Izzie sometimes).
• Mark/Lexi, Cristina/Owen, and Arizona/Callie need to all hang out more often.
• “Surprised parties are hostile. They’re dark. People jump out and scream at you … they never come to any good.”
• The whole story with Izzie’s medical bills is, frankly, a bit too much.
• “Take off your shirt.”/”No, take off your shirt!”
• For all of the Coconuts, I don’t buy that Hunt would forgive Cristina so quickly for going rogue so quickly.
• For that matter, the whole intern/resident/attending dynamic seems all kinds of jacked up this season.
• We saw a flash, just for a second, of the old Chief, when he put Jennings in his place.

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• Give Grey’s Anatomy’s Sara Ramirez her Emmy today
• Thatcher Grey made Meredith the woman she was yesterday

I adore TNT. For me, they seem to have come out of nowhere when Leverage boomed onto the scene (I know, I’m a late bloomer), but I’ve been keeping a good eye on them since then, and every decision they have made has been a winner.

Before Leverage, TNT was going strong with The Closer and Saving Grace, two unique series driven by strong women. Nothing bad about that angle! Since then they’ve realized their original programming is kind of kick-ass, so they’ve debuted Dark Blue and HawthoRNe. It’s like watching a good game of poker, as Kenny Rogers said: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em (Leverage), know when to fold ‘em (Trust Me), know when to walk away (Saving Grace being allowed to finish out), know when to run (*cough*Trust Me*cough*)….”

TNT also knows just how to pick the shows they air in syndication: Angel, Bones, Charmed … someone’s got a crush on David Boreanaz (no need to feel embarrassed), and someone likes to dabble in the supernatural over at the TNT Powers That Be.

Now, two recent decisions on TNT’s part solidifies that someone working there has cornered the market on savvy, especially when it comes to knowing what the viewers want and the networks can’t deliver. First of all, they picked up NBC’s canceled Southland, which they’ll at least finish out. Time will tell if they decide to film new episodes.

And in a press release today, we’ve learned that TNT has acquired exclusive syndication rights to The Mentalist. Could that show fit in any better with TNT’s lineup? A stroke of brilliance, I tell ya!

If I were NBC, I’d plant an inside man to find out who is making all of these great decisions, and start wooing them away. It’s clear that NBC needs some help from someone with a proven track record.

Read on to the next page for TNT’s official press release on The Mentalist pick-up.

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“I’m worse than shallow — I’m a kiddie pool.” – Caroline

I’ve got to hand it to The Vampire Diaries. Just when I think they are going to deliver a boring episode, or go someplace entirely lame or sappy with the storyline, they fool me. In a good way, because they are not afraid to kill, maim or otherwise off a character that we all (well, those of us who didn’t read the books anyway) thought had some staying power for one reason or another.

Where I need to suspend my disbelief, or extend my total trust to the writers, is when it comes to everyone being so very stupid when it comes to Damon. OK, Caroline can’t really help it, but everyone else should be able to have a synapse or two from their brains firing at some point in the episode. It’s not going to be much fun if Damon gets away with everything, all the time.

If I were the leader of a secret organization, I wouldn’t trust anyone that came to me second-hand. Shame on you, Sheriff! Just because he’s Zach’s relative and comes bearing vervain? I bet you’d sleep with the first guy who brought you roses, would you? No wonder one of you has already gotten himself murdered. Take a lesson from Buffy 101: Don’t let in any new Scoobies without letting them build some trust first.

Then we have Lexi (a great guest appearance from Arielle Kibbel, for you Gilmore Girls fans), who is supposed to be an older, wiser, stronger vampire. Sure, she’s a little drunk and has some vervain coarsing through her dead circulatory system, but don’t you think she could have somehow seen it coming, saved herself, gotten out of it without ending up dead? Because a) I kind of liked her and b) Damon has yet to be thwarted, and that’s just ridiculous.

Finally, we have Stefan. Oooo, big scary vampire out for revenge. All that anger and angst. He finally gets the better of Damon, pins him, stakes him and then… spares his life? Seriously? I get that there wouldn’t be much of a series without Damon, but could Stefan at least have tried? Perhaps there’s some vampire mythology I’m not aware of, like when you are a good vampire you lose your testicles or something….

Other stuff:

• Loved the title of this episode, “16 Candles.” It spoke to my ’80s teenager.
• “Unexpected surprise? I think the wrong brother went back to high school.” – Lexi to Damon. There’s some subtle, sharp writing in this show if you listen for it.
• Did anyone else think of the Capri Sun juice boxes (or pouches, as the case may be) when Lexi was snacking on the blood bank blood?
• Caroline gets zapped by Bonnie’s necklace and delivers a quote that send me into a fit of giggles: “Are you wearing polyester?”
• Bonnie’s dream at the end… what’s coming? A brain for the Sheriff? Some testicles for Stefan? I guess we’ll find out next week, on The Vampire Diaries….

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Way to go, Julia. You write about how great the episode endings with Abed and Troy are, and Community stops doing them. As much as I did enjoy the rap at the end, it really just wasn’t the same. Other than that, I loved this week’s episode, although it brings up a worrisome point for me: where are these people going to go?

Yes, that’s a concern in any school-based series, but Community faces some challenges that others don’t. If this were a group of high school students, they could all randomly decide to stay in town and go to college together, as has been the way for years, from Saved by the Bell’s UC Berkeley (CAL) to Gossip Girl’s NYU. If it were a regular college show, new castmembers could be rotated in to pick up the slack after original ones graduated. However, Community is a little bit more difficult– and this week’s episode highlights that difficulty.

Community colleges are generally only two-year programs (which has made me question how Jeff is planning on getting his bachelor’s degree since the beginning, but let’s just leave that aside for now), so the timeline is even shorter than a normal college show. Plus, these characters, with the exception of Annie, Troy, and Abed, are not straight out of high school students. They’re adults with bills, and mortgages, and fancy faucets. Jeff doesn’t have a job. How is he going to continue to support himself?

Even if he does graduate and get his license back, is he going to be a creepy lawyer still hanging around the community college he used to attend? Are he and 18-year-old Annie going to remain friends? I’ve been pleasantly surprised by many things on this show so far, most notably the evolution of Abed’s character from punchline to actual person, so I do have faith in the writers. I’m just really curious as to how they’re going to get out of the corner they’ve seemingly painted themselves into.

Speaking of Annie, I love the Annie/Troy storyline so much more than the Britta/Jeff not-romance, and it was nice to see the focus placed on the former this week. There’s something that’s just so much more entertaining to me about a quiet, slightly crazy, unrequited love, than a “will they or won’t they” situation.

I just like the fact that Annie and Troy have become genuine friends, after he ignored her all through high school. I’d actually like to see that friendship explored a little more instead of Annie telling him her feelings right away. Him pretending to be her backpack was so funny and sad all at the same time; I don’t want to see Annie suffer, but it does provide some entertainment.

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Another wild episode to add to the stable of them that The Office has produced. The main plot, as the title of the episode (”Double Date”) suggests, was a double date involving Pam and Jim, and Helene (Pam’s mom) and Michael. On Helene’s birthday. A more awkward dining experience I can’t imagine.

Or can I? Anyone else recall the ill-fated lunch that Jim and Pam shared with Phyllis and Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration? The one where Phyllis and Bob disappear, only to have Jim and Pam discover that they’re having sex in a closet? I’m honestly not sure which date was worse.

But last night, Michael discovered that Helene was turning 58, and not 49 (for the ninth time) as he believed. “I am not robbing the cradle … if anything, I’m robbing the grave,” said he, in a talking head. Thus began a series of events that began with Michael discussing competing in a triathlon, and ended with Pam slapping him across the face in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot.

In between, Pam gave the couple her blessing, Michael dumped Helene at her birthday lunch, and he offered Pam a raise/bribe back at the office for her understanding. I found myself disappointed in Pam for not actually punching Michael in the face, or at least kneeing him in the groin one of the times that he went to cover his face. What a waste of a good punching tutorial from Toby. You could almost see Toby salivating at the thought of getting the opportunity to be in Pam’s shoes one day.

The “B” plot was a tad more confusing. Dwight’s quest to get everyone in the office to owe him one, with dreams of cashing in those chits to get Jim fired, seemed a bit odd to me, even for Dwight, and even before it veered off into a Dwight/Andy favor-a-thon. At first this season I just saw Andy being wasted, but as my wife pointed out to me recently, Dwight is also not getting much to do. And when he is wading into something, it’s a lot more ho-hum than funny.

I’m not sure where The Office is spending its time instead, because it’s not like Jim, Pam, and Michael weren’t the focus before, but I’m not even sure that Rainn Wilson would qualify for a supporting actor nomination this season — he’s just not involved enough. In fact, somehow the entire balance of the series, and the workplace action, has shifted. To where, I know not.

But I digress. It was funny that a $15 Starbucks gift card from everyone in the office was enough to counter-balance the bagels that Dwight brought in for his coworkers. Also funny was his lesson about deer penis being an aphrodisiac. And it actually did work in the humor department in the close when Dwight attempted to cash in his favor for icing Michael’s face with first a request to have Jim fired, then for a promotion to co-manager, and finally for an office. Maybe it just needed to be put into action to connect.

Anyway, good riddance to the questionable drama in Michael dating Pam’s mom. But did anyone else see a glimmer of possibility when Pam asked Michael to promise not to date any of her other family members? Do you think something’s amiss?

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The powers that be down at Supernatural HQ had a little something up their sleeves with “Changing Channels.” Judging by the previews for the episode, and all that we’ve learned about the show over the years, this one had all the makings of a classic Supernatural romp. As we soon found out though, things were not exactly as they seemed, and the story took a decidedly darker turn once the real culprit behind the Winchester’s trip to TV Land was revealed. That move back to the bigger story, combined with some well crafted shots at Grey’s Anatomy, Knight Rider, and CSI: Miami, made for another very fun episode.

Starting with TV Land, it really was a fun gag. Dr. Sexy, M.D. was my favorite of the bunch, for the simple fact that the little jabs were so well done. Things like Dean’s all-too-knowing descriptions of all of the characters, “Dr. Ellen Picolo, sexy yet earnest doctor at Seattle Mercy Hospital.” Or, the good natured jab at one of their own, “This show has ghosts? Why?” That’s not to say the other segments didn’t have hits as well. You knew exactly what was coming when the title of Nutcracker was announced, but it was still so fun to watch it go down. Then that was almost topped by Dean’s fear of suffering the same fate.

David Caruso probably took the most pie to the face, as both Sam and Dean did multiple takes on the sunglasses/cut to opening theme line. But then, he’s kind of asking for it at this point, right? After all, you know who wears sunglasses at night? “No talent douchebags.” If it had all ended there, when the boys “killed” the trickster on the Miami set, I would have actually been OK with it. I’ve always been a fan of the comedy episodes, and this one held up pretty well at that point. The genital herpes commercial was also an especially nice touch. The writing was already on the wall though.

I started to get suspicious right from the opening. They were showing us way too much about Michael and Lucifer for this to just be a one-off laugher. Added to the way the trickster so easily dismissed Castiel, and something had to be up. I never imagined it would actually be Gabriel. In the big scheme of things, that’s huge, as is the revelation of just where he stands in all of it. His defeatist attitude was completely the opposite of what I had imagined, and it just makes everything that much more mixed up.

It was just one short scene, but it did say a lot. The situation is as dire as it’s ever been. It would seem that Sam and Dean are in the vast minority in thinking that something can be done to avoid destroying the world.  The only positive for the boys is that they have now bested Gabriel once, which does remove one of the dark clouds hanging over their heads. Unfortunately, it’s just one of many. It certainly does look like things are going to get much worse, before they get better. And, for our purposes here, like it’s going to be a lot of fun watching it all unfold.

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I’ve been thrilled with the early returns of the fourth season of 30 Rock. I think for the most part, this season has been stronger than the beginning of last season. I thought this episode, however, wasn’t quite as strong as the previous episodes this year. Yes, it did have an amazing cameo from Brian Williams and featured Tina Fey doing a Christopher Walken impression, but aside from that there just seemed to be something missing.

One of the things that I think has helped the series this year is that they have been able to work all the characters into each episode so far. Last year it seemed like characters would disappear for whole episodes. I like that everyone has played a role in each episode so far. This installment was no different, but there just seemed to be something off. I’m not sure if it was because Jack and Liz were apart more than they were together. They really are the heart and soul of the show and seem to compliment each other a lot when they share a story line.

It could just be that the whole audition story was a little too “industry” for those of us who are not in Hollywood. Sometimes I think that episodes, or sometimes even entire shows (Studio 6o on the Sunset Strip), focus too much on Hollywood itself. Because everyone involved in the production is in the industry, no one can see that it won’t play well with the average viewer. Tonight’s episode of 30 Rock may have been suffering a bit from that, as the whole audition plot seemed to be one huge in joke.

With all that being said, I still think 30 Rock on an off night is better than most sitcoms.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“You’re setting him up to get it. You don’t think I know that trick. You don’t think I’ve been brought in on a million auditions just to make Kim Catrall seem grounded and human.” – Jenna, on Liz’s plan to get a new cast member hired.

“My mom used to send me articles about how older virgins are considered good luck in Mexico.” – Liz

What did you think of tonight’s episode? Am I way off base, or did this seem like the weakest episode of the season?

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Finally.

Finally someone on FlashForward did something to take control of their future. Certainly, it wasn’t in the happiest of fashions, but I think it was a big step forward for the show. It also seems like it is going to be a catalyst for a lot of the characters as the show progresses. At the end of the day, it also made for a pretty darn good episode, one of the better installments of the show to date.

This episode provided an answer to one of the biggest questions raised so far: can the future seen in the flashforwards be changed? As Al’s suicide showed, it most certainly can. We’ve been wondering for weeks now if all the flashes were going to come true. If destiny was written in stone or if any of the characters had control. After tonight’s installment, the question has thankfully been answered, and I think the show will be better because of it.

I’m a little sad to see Al go, and it was definitely in a dramatic fashion, but as I said, I’m glad that someone finally took matters into their own hands. I’m certainly not condoning suicide, but it seemed, in this instance at least, to be the only way. As Al was standing on the ledge, I made a little pact with myself. If he didn’t hurl himself off the roof, I was going to be done with this show. After all, we’ve already seen people thinking about changing the future and doing nothing. I can only be teased for so long. I’m hoping that the revelation of Al’s death will have repercussions with the other characters, particularly those who have seemingly resigned themselves to becoming Destiny’s bitch.

Of course, the most obvious choice here is Demetri, who has spent most of the early season feeling bad for himself and whining about his impending murder. Hopefully now he will see that maybe his fiancee really did see him on that beach (although we still haven’t gotten a good look at her flash), and realize that he should take control of his destiny.

It also seemed like Al’s death had a big effect on Mark. He rushed back into Olivia’s arms and appeared to want to reconnect with his wife. Hopefully the unwarranted melodrama that we’ve seen from the Benfords (particularly last week) will be replaced with an empowerment, knowing that they control their own futures.

What did you think of this week’s episode. Was it too extreme for you or are you excited about the new possibilities?

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Nothing kills a good show faster than having it be inconsistently timed. I understand Fox was trying to work around the World Series, but what that resulted in was irregular timing to the extreme. And on top of that, it resulted in the judges choosing who stays and who goes. Isn’t this supposed to be the search for America’s favorite dancer? If I cared about who the judges thought was the best dancer, I’d have tuned in for the Vegas weeks. There’s  reason I didn’t.

2. No rotating fourth judge

Don’t get me wrong – I’m still as much of a fan of Adam as I ever was, which is to say, a huge one. But I think So You Think You Can Dance needs to get over itself and realize that Paula Abdul just isn’t that into them. Give it up and bring in a new voice, please. At this point, I even miss Lil’ C.

3. Lack of interesting choreography

How hard did the producers on So You Think You Can Dance fight to keep Mia Michaels from leaving to work on other projects? Because they needed to fight harder. When you think back on the truly great routines from seasons past, the first ones that pop into your head are probably Mia Michaels routines. Without her, the show’s pretty flat with only the occasional Bollywood, Wade, or Napoleon and Tabitha routines to blow it out of the park, and even my stand-by favorites seem a little wilted.

Last night we had all three of them and while Bollywood delivered, the other two did not. Napoleon and Tabitha put too much work into trying to hide the fact that Karen can’t do hip-hop but can look sexy, and Wade fell into the trap of his concept being so disconnected from his dance that, as wonderful as it was, it kept the dance from its true potential. And I’m not even going to get into how Mia Michaels needs to sue Stacey Tookey for pretty much stealing the entirety of her “Addiction” routine with Kayla and Kupono last year, and then doing a much worse job of it. (Then again, is it physically possible to top that piece?) As for the other choreographers – hip-hop tennis? Really?

4. Not pushing the dancers far enough

Yes, Jakob can leap like a gazelle, and that’s great. But call me old-fashioned, if a dancer’s doing a waltz, I feel like they should be waltzing, not leaping. And we know that Karen is sexy as a ballroom dancer and can be the hot girl, but when Napoleon and Tabitha dumb down a routine to make her shine instead of expecting her to rise to the level of her partner, that hurts the show. And that makes me a) irritated, because the choreographers give some people slack and then demand a lot out of others, which reads like favoritism, and b) it makes me bored.

5. No stand-outs

It’s a good thing I write own names and all their weird spellings while I’m watching, or I’d be screwed, is all I’m saying. I barely have feelings on any of them, not even dislike. I don’t really care about anyone going home, either. Even when someone does a good job and stands out for dancing reasons (like the magnificent Argentine Tango, which was the unquestionable highlight, especially in light of the dress getting caught in Ellenore’s shoe), I don’t really root for that pairing based on that, I just like them for that week. And that, as far as any show is concerned, is the worst criticism to receive – when you don’t have people compelled enough to need to tune in week after week and stick around despite the schedule and staffing changes.

You need to change something, So You Think You Can Dance, and you need to change it fast.

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For the past few years both Hulu and YouTube, now the grandparents of video-streaming sites, have been the main source for viewing shows from our childhood. While YouTube offers thousands of these shows, many of them are just clips — some of below-average quality — that rarely quench the viewers’ thirst. Hulu, on the other hand, offers full episodes, but not as much variety.

Recently (within the last year or so), two new video-streaming sites have gone online that cater exclusively to kids and, most importantly, our fat, near-middle-aged selves. For this column I thought I’d take some time and review the content on KidsWB.com and the brand-spanking new Jaroo.com.

Jaroo, created by Cookie Jar Entertainment, went online early this month with 50 kids programs targeted at the 4-12 year-old age range. All of the programs are from the company’s vast library of both animated and live-action fare. Two titles that will pop out for older viewers will be Inspector Gadget and Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors. Other titles that might trigger significant memories are Beverly Hills Teens, Dino Squad, Pole Position, and The Littles.

Jaroo also offers a number of titles that you may not remember or haven’t seen before. For example, Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad, a live-action series starring Matthew Lawrence. Or The Wombles, a British stop-motion series about a bunch of pointy-eared, furry creatures that live in burrows. Then there’s Siegfried & Roy. Yes, the former Las Vegas superstars had their own animated series back in the late 20th century.

While Jaroo has a number of unrecognizable programs, you’ll definitely recall all of the shows featured at KidsWB.com. Combining resources from Warner Brothers Animation, Hanna-Barbera, and DC Comics, KidsWB boasts the largest amount of cartoons online. Since the site itself only airs a handful of these cartoons at one time, it’s not certain if their boast is true or not. Perhaps they rotate the cartoons in and out.

Current cartoons in their channel lineup include the first season of The Flintstones (complete with original title sequences), The Jetsons, which for some reason are the rehashes from the ’80s, The Smurfs, Space Ghost and Dino Boy, various Looney Tunes shorts, Thundercats, and The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, which was one of the crappier incarnations of the franchise. In addition to the video channels, there are separate websites for DC heroes, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, and a KidsWB Jr. site that features Baby Looney Tunes. The other three sites have a more extensive selection of videos. For example, the DC Beyond site offers up videos from the various animated Batman incarnations, as well as Static Shock.

Needless to say, both Jaroo and KidsWB have enough material to totally decrease your productivity, while bringing you back to another time in your life that may have been a bit simpler. If you’re interested in watching what you remember, go with KidsWB first. If you’re looking for some new material, then jump off with Jaroo. Either way, you’ll be satisfied.

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This week brings with it the premiere of another new web series, and it’s one that you kind of have to see to believe. It’s just so out there. Those of you that take your sci-fi comedy with two cubes of absurd will feel right at home. If you’ve worn worn out the grooves on your Red Dwarf DVD, and read the words right off the pages in your Hitchhiker’s Guide collection, Hurtling Through Space At An Alarming Rate could be just the thing to satisfy that bizarro urge.

From writer/director Mike Davies, HTSAAR (as all the hip kids call it) is the story of two “astronaughts,” Mike (Mike Davies) and Stuart (Stuart Paap). They’re not your typical astronauts though. No, it seems that Mike and Stuart’s apartment is actually hurtling through space. As you might have guessed, it’s doing so at an alarming rate.  What’s more bizarre, they can still make phone calls, and people can come by and visit.

In their first adventure, the apartment crashes on the planet of tons of dirty laundry. That leads to the inevitable, an epic battle with a laundry monster. Initially, Mike and Stuart try to fight off the laundry monster with ketchup, beer, and wine. Their unseen roommate Gary later points out that you can’t fight a laundry monster with things that stain. (I know! Right?) Fortunately, Stuart’s sister, Elizabeth (Stephanie Thorpe), is able to stop by on her lunch break with some detergent. If that’s not enough, you also have Michelle (Taryn O’Neil), who has decided to pursue her first love, roller-derby girl.

It’s so crazy, you just have to see it. For the click averse, you can watch the embedded episode below. If you would like to see the big, fancy, high resolution version, head over to the HTSAAAR page at Babelgum. You can also find out more about the show on the HTSAAAR tumblr and facebook pages.

In other fantastic premiere news, this week also brings the long awaited debut of Riese. (And, just so you know, both of them are totally shot in Canada.) The first episode, “Hunt,”  is very much about setting the stage for what is to come. We meet Riese, and get an understanding of just what kind of trouble she finds herself in. The rest, is left to the imagination. If you really can’t wait, you can learn much more about where this is all headed at the main Riese site. Riese also has a nice facebook presence. Both of these are shows that I’m really looking forward to seeing more from. Here’s Riese, “The Hunt.”

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(Season 4, Episodes 1-3)

I’m still trying to figure out the timeline of the beginning of this season versus the end of the last. It’s long enough that Lindsay’s out of the hospital, but short enough that she’s still feeling the physical scars of her attack. Considering that the perpetrator is still out there, and that this was a crime that involved an ADA’s best friend, the arrest of a judge, and the death of a known criminal, hopefully they didn’t just wait the four month summer hiatus to pick things up again. Can we trust that the criminal justice system in Boston is more efficient than that?

4.1 “Free Dental”

Only Fonzie (Henry Winkler) could be sympathetic as a dentist with a bug fetish, accused of murdering a patient. Well, maybe not sympathetic, but less than cringe-worthy, so at least a step in the right direction that no one else could have managed. The entire case was a bit odd for a season premiere (and what was with the grape jelly angle?), and I wasn’t quite sure why Bobby AND Lindsay had to be there to help Jimmy. Do they just always come as a pair now?

New ADA addition Richard Bay (Jason Kravits) seems to be the latest in a long line of ADAs who are looking to “make Donnell and Associates pay” for winning so many cases against the district attorney’s office. Maybe it’s time to cast a new role….

George Vogelman returned yet again, newly evicted from his co-op. I don’t like the guy, but how could he be evicted when he’s an innocent man? A jury only delivers a verdict, not public opinion, but shouldn’t we have law upon law in place to protect the innocent, including those once suspected to be guilty but found to be not by a jury of their peers? Don’t get me wrong … he definitely murdered Susan Robin, and likely stabbed Lindsay, but he’s been found guilty of no crime; how can he be treated like a pariah?

4.2 “Boston Confidential”

Jimmy remained embroiled in the Olson (Winkler) trial, or rather the sentence that Winkler’s character received. His scheming brought Judge Kittleson back into things, a situation that’s just getting weirder. Can’t Jimmy be in a relationship that isn’t with a judge who was once dreaming of Bobby, and is a little crazy?

Anyway, Jimmy decided to break privilege, which led Olson’s son, the real guilty party, to commit suicide. It’s nice when you meddle, right Jimmy? The episode highlights the weakest link in the series: no matter how devastated Jimmy was about the situation, no matter how committed he was to getting his friend out of prison, and no matter how mad Olson was about Jimmy’s breaking privilege, it’ll all be forgotten by next week, like 85% of these things on The Practice. I love how many things are recognized as not being simple, but then why do they get left by the wayside once the main plot point (the son’s suicide, in this case) is over with?

Interesting Fourth Amendment violation case for Helen and Bobby (and of course, tag-along Lindsay). It was a great setup by the husband, and if only he’d left town to deal with his “grief,” and had his girlfriend/the cop meet him after quitting the force “in shame,” it would have been a happy ending for them. But I’m not so sure I agree that Bobby called and left that message for Lindsay knowing that Helen would get it. It’s another instance of our being told that something is true without seeing it happen on screen.

Did anyone else think that Helen and Ellenor living together was a good idea? Or that Lindsay moving in with Bobby was a better one?

4.3 “Loser’s Keepers”

I knew it! George is sick, the killer, and Ellenor is an idiot for not seeing it. It literally took him appearing at Ellenor’s door in a nun’s habit for her to see it. It was, however, a little too spick-and-span for Helen to just kill him. Maybe this will scar her, but I expected more of a prolonged captive situation, and then maybe a battle in court — you know, this being a legal drama and all. Like, the firm being forced to watch a defense attorney get him off, as they themselves do for criminals every week, and maybe then, when he came for Ellenor six episodes from now, have Helen kill him.

I’m not surprised that Lindsay’s still scarred from her attack, but for it to only come up three episodes into the season? It’s one of these convenient revelations that generally mean it just slipped everyone’s minds beforehand. I think it’s a bit sloppy, and reads as being a little too convenient when it does finally come into play.

Rebecca’s case was billed as a return to the courtroom of biased and hard-nosed Judge Swackheim (Paul Dooley), but instead I saw it as an interesting case of what people struggling to get by will do for money. And how hard some will fight to make sure that those people don’t throw their lives away for an easy buck. But what happens to Ronnie (Steven Kozlowski) now? Will this be another case of “we’ll never know?”

Who had Judge Kittleson naked in Jimmy’s bedroom when he and six cops burst in, guns drawn? Not I.

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