'Cold Case' Lets its Hair Down ! Plus, TV on DVD Monday!

I missed a lot of TV Thursday night and last night and I still haven't caught up yet, so this edition is not going to be as jam-packed as usual. Nonetheless, last night's Cold Case had plenty to buzz about between Lilly's hair, Scotty's knack for falling for the wrong girls, information on Josie's past and an interesting case. I'm not going to say a lot about the case since there was so much other stuff worth buzzing about, but I did feel that it was one of the strongest of the season so far. I found myself very invested in these characters and their stories. Bettie's lobotomy and eventual death were heartbreaking, especially since she thought the procedure would cure her and she would be able to go back to her family. Even though I learned about such practices in history classes, it's still difficult to believe that we used to think lobotomizing people would actually cure them of their mental conditions. Amazing, since 1954 wasn't that long ago. I liked the ending in the art gallery with Otis and his daughter finding the painting of his mother because it brought the story full circle.

After reading Sarah Brown's statement on her official web site last week, I'm willing to forgive the rushed revelations about her character and her "conflict" with Scotty. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that the producers and writers wrote in the silly, soapy storyline between Sutton and Valens simply because they were given a few hours warning before the read-through (according to Brown) about the network's decision not to continue with the character. Because quite simply, such a storyline is beneath this show and I really don't think that they were planning on hooking up these characters otherwise. I was glad to learn that Josie had been the victim of sexual harassment and not some sex scandal, and I enjoyed her stand with Scotty on her not having to explain herself to the men on the team. It reminded me of Joan Allen's character in the movie The Contender. She must be quite strong to hold her stance so firmly in the face of all those men on the team that assumed she was a "slut," as she put it. I do think that Scotty would have kissed her down in that case vault had she not stood her ground and asked him to step aside. He has a knack lately for entering into bad relationships. I'm glad the writers/producers didn't go there with these characters. I can only assume that this is the reason Josie leaves the squad. She can't work with someone so closely when she has feelings for him. Since Brown isn't in any more episodes, I guess her departure in the next episode will simply be a line or so explaining her absence. A big part of me is really relieved. Cold Case just hasn't been itself (with the exception of an episode a couple of weeks ago), and I really think her departure will put things back together.

And now to the most superficial buzz topic of last night, Lilly's new 'do. Let me preface this by saying that I was never one to harp on the whole hair hoopla because I've always felt that women on television take a lot of heat for their hair. Also, I never had a problem with Lilly's hair. I know they were going for a just-threw-it-up-and-ran-out-the-door look, and I always thought it worked. Lilly is a low-maintenance type of girl. I really liked her hair down, though. It was a lot less distracting. This new look is more glamorous, and more Kathryn Morris and less Lilly Rush, but I will adjust. After all, it's just hair! Hopefully, Morris will stop having to constantly hear about her hair, if nothing else! I know I promised a picture or two of the new 'do, so I'll post some in tomorrow's edition. What do you think? Do you like Lilly's hair better down, or was it better with the no-fuss look? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

About Last Night... The first hour of the night went to CBS with the last half of 60 Minutes (late due to football) and the first half of Cold Case, followed by MLB coverage on Fox and ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. At 9, ABC moved in front with the night's most watched program Desperate Housewives, followed by MLB coverage on Fox and the second half of Cold Case (late due to football) and the CBS movie Enough. The final hour of the night went to ABC with Grey's Anatomy, followed by MLB coverage on Fox and Crossing Jordan on NBC. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - A secret is discovered and a scientist is killed on tonight's Surface on NBC.

@9 p.m. - The mystery woman's identity is revealed and Veronica and Nick get an explosive warning on Fox's Prison Break. Danny tracks down the identity of the woman in the photos with his father on NBC's Las Vegas.

@10 p.m. - Allison fears that her recurring nightmare of a massacre at the DA's office will come true on Medium on NBC.


QUICK CUTS

*Mark-Paul Gosselaar is joining the cast of ABC's Commander In Chief. He'll play a slick media strategist. Gosselaar was last seen in a couple episodes of fellow Steven Bochco show Over There. He also starred in another Bochco show, the long running NYPD Blue. Look for his character to make his debut in this season's ninth episode.

*In the pick-ups/cancellations category, UPN is canceling low-rated Sex, Love & Secrets effective immediately. The Denise Richards-starrer failed to find an audience and the network halted production just a couple weeks ago. On the other side of the spectrum, ABC is picking up new show Invasion for a full season. The sci-fi thriller has held its own in a competitive timeslot.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for Alias (season 4), Bewitched (season 2 in color), The L Word (season 2) and Little House on the Prairie (season 9) to all hit shelves tomorrow. For a full list of releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.

That's all for today. NOTE: Thanks to reader CJ, I have enabled the verification feature on the comments. This means that when you leave comments from now on, you'll have to type the word they display for verification. It should cut down on all the spam comments this blog has been receiving. I know they were a constant annoyance for you guys as well as for me. Sorry for the inconvenience. Anyway, tune in tomorrow for Medium and my take on the season thus far as we're about to head into the land of natural disasters, killed off characters and big named guest stars that we commonly refer to as "Sweeps." Plus, all the latest television news! And coming later this week, I'll have a special Sweeps preview! Don't miss it!