The Great Debater

I'm going to give Cold Case some props this week.  They managed to surprise me and make the doer believable!  This is a rare occasion (we all know my dislike for the show's penchant to "surprise" us with the doer by making him/her the least likely person in the story).  Part of my surprise was fueled by the fact that the debate coach seemed too obvious and he had too many reasons to kill Luke making him an "instant cross-off" on the suspect list for CC.  The other part dealt with a clever red herring that had me believing Luke's father was involved.

Cheaters Never Win

One of the things that I really like about this show is its ability to provide side stories and undertones that allow the actual case of the week to not have to hold my interest in order for me to enjoy the episode.  Such was the situation this week when Booth and Bones investigated the murder of a local gaming champ.  I'm really not familiar with the world of gamers or any of the games they compete in for bragging rights.  I couldn't even tell you if the game in the story is real.  I've heard of things like "Dungeons and Dragons," "World of Warcraft," "Halo," and "Doom," but I have little to no idea what any of them are or how they're played.  But, it didn't matter with this one because I was busy focusing on the other stories that held my interest more than the case.

One of those other things was a hilarious plot line that involved the new movie Avatar, some really interesting tattoos and pitching a tent on the sidewalk in the middle of D.C.

'Fringe' Parasites

Anyone with pets is a little too familiar with parasites: hooks, whips, rounds and so on.  Thankfully, those parasites aren't quite as large as the one infecting the victims of human trafficking in this week's episode of Fringe.  Those parasitic worms did provide something good (a super immune booster that could help with many medical conditions), but the whole incubation part is a bit of a b!tch.  When we first saw one of those things coming out of the smuggled immigrant's mouth, I thought it was some sort of mutant squid.  It wasn't until that lovely scene at the shipyard that I realized that they were more worm-like complete with long slimy bodies.  Yum!  And poor Peter had to hold one without gloves!  Seriously, sometimes I wonder about Walter.  Handing Peter the over-grown parasitic worm when he wasn't wearing gloves wasn't even the craziest thing he did this week.  For that, we have to jump ahead a bit.

'Friday Night' Sadness

This episode of Friday Night Lights was raw, emotional and tough to watch.  It was one of the show's finest hours (which is saying a lot for a series that's full of amazing outings).  I'll admit that I thought the death was going to be Matt's grandma, so learning that it was his father last week was shocking.  Of course, his father's job in the armed forces and his deployment meant that his life was always at risk, but I still wasn't expecting his tragic death.  And quite frankly, Matt wasn't either.  When he got the news, he didn't seem to process it or how it would change everything right away (who does?).  Watching him work through that process was heart-wrenching, painful and difficult.  And it was all done with the show's usual realism.

Losing someone we love is hard enough, but watching someone else go through it as authentically as Matt did this week was almost as tough.  There were so many heartbreaking moments.

Once Upon a Mattress Ad

This week's episode was sorta destined to fall short after last week's awesome outing, and yet, it had moments that made me very happy.  It's no secret that I enjoy the episodes that center around the glee kids and steer away from the Will/Terri/Emma triangle, so things were on shaky ground from the get-go.  But then, something great happened!  Will discovered the truth about Terri's fake pregnancy!  I was so frickin' excited.  That story line played itself out weeks ago and I was so over it.  I'm so glad he knows that she's a faker.  I have to say, though, that moment was bittersweet.  It was vindicating and heart-wrenching to see Will discover the truth and to then watch that truth play out on his face.  I can't even imagine the disappointment and anger he had to have been feeling in that scene.  And yes, Emma had a point (and I kinda hated that she did), but the fact is that faking a pregnancy isn't Terri's only fault and it isn't the only thing that makes her a bad match for Will.  She's incredibly selfish.  I hope Will takes the time to really evaluate his relationship with her before he goes running back to her prematurely.

Remember how I was saying last week that I (heart) Quinn more and more with each passing episode?  Well, this week filled me with Quinn-love.  Talk about gumption!

Filled with 'Glee'

I haven't written about the wonderful Glee here at PTR yet, but after this week's outstanding outing, I could remain silent no more.  I liked this show from the pilot, but I wasn't in love with it.  I enjoyed the episodes, but it wasn't like I was waiting for the next one with thrills of anticipation.  That changed when the show returned from its baseball-induced hiatus.  Something wonderful happened and this show went from fun and likable to absolutely-can't-miss-because-I-eagerly-await-each-episode.  The focus shifted slightly from the Will/Emma saga and "Terri fakes her pregnancy"(the show's only weak links, IMO) to the amazing kids in McKinley High's glee club.  It sounds like common sense, but this show's strength is its glee club and the stories directly surrounding the kids in it.  These kids have the remarkable ability to make you laugh out loud one moment and move you to tears the next.  But this week's outing had the most moving moment yet...

Observing August

Today, on Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I have the day off so I can finally catch-up on some of my write-ups! Here are some thoughts on last week's stand-out episode of Fringe...

It pains me whenever I hear the depressing news that Fringe is faltering in the ratings.  But after seeing last week's stellar Observer-heavy outing, it makes that pain cut a little deeper.  This was, hands-down, the best episode of the season thus far and it managed to accomplish something that the other outings have not: it perfectly blended the mythology of the show (even advancing it) while also providing a kickass case-of-the-week!  For the better part of the last season and a half, we have wondered about the man we only know as The Observer.  He was often seen, but hardly ever heard.  Last week, we learned that he is really several men -- all dressed the same, all with the bald head and top hat and all observing time.  One of those men, simply known as August, went from observing to participating.  And that's when the trouble started...

PTR Exclusive: The Lighter Side of Kari Matchett

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Every once in a while, a girl just needs to make a little time for herself.

Take a breath.

Have a moment.

Put saving the world on hold.

Stop fighting the aliens.

Meet up with the the dark lords of the underworld at a later date.

Darling of all-things alien and sci-fi, Kari Matchett, needed just that when she signed on for the Hallmark channel original movie, The National Tree.

"I’ve done a lot of aliens and sci-fi stuff," she says with a laugh, "and I just felt like I was in the mood for doing something sweet and light - something that didn’t hurt anybody, didn’t have any violence in it, didn't have any heaviness to it."

That would be standard Hallmark fare, which we here at PTR do actually appreciate given family dramatic programming has become a dying art, and light, bright and airy sitcoms have all but vanished from the television landscape.

So it was refreshing to catch up with newly minted surfer girl grom Kari (pronounced CAR-EE) to chat about her role in The National Tree, which premieres Saturday, November 28th at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. Central). The film is based on the novel by David Kranes and centers on the search for a new national Christmas tree that is to be delivered to Washington, D.C., planted across from the White House, and lit in honor of the start of the holiday season by the President and the First Family. Kari portrays the marketing rep working for the company coordinating the national contest that selects the winning tree.

"It was a story that I thought would have a nice energy to be in for a while - and it was," says Kari.

Barney Calls the Plays

Barney was back and in a very big way this week!  Not that he abandoned everything that makes him great  while he was in a serious relationship, but it was nice to be able to both root against and for him and his never-ending quest to find the most creative way to pick up girls.  Sometimes I wonder if his ridiculous schemes would ever work in reality, and this week, I thought The Scuba Diver could possibly work (if everything played out as planned).  One thing is for sure, Barney is always a step (or two) ahead of the rest of the gang.  He got them so good, and he used them with one little trick.  Of course, his acts are a way of avoiding being himself and feeling vulnerable, but hey, it works for Barney.  For now anyway.

While Barney was busy getting over his break-up by hitting on every girl he could find who would fall for one of his silly schemes, Robin was taking a different approach to get over her split with Barney.

Lilly Crosses a Line

Was it just me or was this week's episode of Cold Case feeling a little Deja vu? Just a couple of weeks ago we watched Lilly and co. solve the murder of a young, promising Philly soul singer and this week, we saw them solve the murder of a young, promising rapper. Same story (complete with weak killer/resolution), different decade and music style. That was a disappoint for me this week. And that's a shame because I liked Donalyn and her compelling story. In fact, I was fully engaged until they revealed the killer was... wait for it... the FOSTER MOM!!! Yeah, I'm still scratching my head too. Would it have been too much to ask to have made the foster father the killer? He was a child predator, a cheater, and an all-around creep! Plus, he had his eye on Donalyn and she rapped about it. Motive - silver platter! The "surprise me" tactic only works when the killer makes sense. Anyway...

Remember when I said I liked the way the show was exploring the darker side of Lil? Well, my friends, I think we just went a little too dark!

Dinner and a Favor

Thanks to his brain tumor-induced coma, Booth is more aware of his feelings for Brennan.  He's also aware that, on paper, they make a terrible couple.  And now, thanks to the always-fabulous Gordon Gordon, he's aware that the heart wants what the heart wants (and when it doesn't get it, that frustration bleeds into other areas) and a little bit of patience could go a long way.  But the one thing that Booth is painfully unaware of, is the fact that Brennan has the same feelings for him and she is just as frustrated by them.  If she weren't, she never would have written a story in which she and Booth were nightclub owners, married and expecting a baby.  Ever since she deleted that story, she has seemed changed.  There have been two moments this season when it appeared that had Booth closed his eyes and jumped in, she would have followed.  The first one was during the premiere when he told her he loved her (and then abruptly took it back by passing it off as their partner relationship), and the second was when her exhibit opened and he brushed the hair off her shoulder.  I'm convinced that had Booth not chickened out, Brennan would have dove in with him.  I guess we'll never know for sure.  I don't think that she ever considered the possibility prior to his tumor, and now she's probably trying to determine whether his feelings are real.

This week, Booth took a few steps that made a pretty convincing argument that his intentions are genuine.

'Friday Night' Divisions

One of the greatest things about Friday Night Lights is its realism.  The show prides itself on it and its small, but devout, audience praises it.  And one of the greatest aspects of its realism is the relationship between Tami and Eric.  What couple hasn't fought over money?  And what spouse hasn't "forgotten" to tell the other (the one who keeps the books) about a check they wrote (or a check card transaction), and consequently, messed up the other person's budgeting?  We've all been there.  But in this case, Eric didn't so much forget about the $3000 check he wrote to Under Armour for new team uniforms (after burning the old ones in a symbolic gesture), he just sorta-kinda failed to mention it to Tami.  Probably because he knew it would illicit the exact reaction it did, and frankly, Tami was completely justified.  And in a nod to the beautiful complexity of this show, so was Eric.  The Taylors have a very good relationship, so after discussing the matter further (and when Eric was a bit more sober), Tami wound up supporting Eric's decision.

Unfortunately, things weren't quite as honky-dorey on the East Dillon Lions' sidelines.

Catching Up with 'Dexter'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I owe Dexter Morgan and Co. an apology.

I'm not really avoiding him.

Er, them.

It's amazing how much DVR time one does NOT have when one is holding down multiple occupations.

So goes the life of this particular writer these days.

But perhaps what is most frustrating for me is that this season continues to impress. Thus, I'm feeling even worse for falling behind on covering life at Miami Metro Homicide.

(Ne'er mind I'm wondering why my lapse in covering the show couldn't have happened LAST year, when I was already bored to tears by the time we reached this point in the season).

So where are we?

How Two Friends 'Met' Again

"Everyone stop!!  Alan Thicke, shut up. Marshall, it's a station wagon -- get over it.  Ted, stop talking about porn.  And for the love of God, somebody get the Storm Trooper some Pizza!" -Lily

"It's not a Storm Trooper!" - Everyone else

And that, ladies and gentlemen, summarizes the funniest scene I've seen on TV so far this season and one of the funniest I've seen on any TV show EVER!!  HI-LARITY that seemed to have no end in sight as the scene just escalated by the second.  Lily, Ted and Marshall, on a mission to break up Robin and Barney, piled into a stake-out station wagon (because the iconic van would have cost them $25 more to rent) and set a plan into motion that seemed destined to break up the pair: make them relive their four worst fights.  Lily, in a one-night only return from breaker-uper retirement, hatched the break-up scheme that brought Alan Thicke, Crazy Meg, dirty dishes and a robot who was supposed to be a Storm Trooper together in a station wagon while Lily watched the unsuspecting couple from her binoculars.  And it just got funnier from there...