'Cold Case,' 'Without A Trace,' and 'Desperate Housewives!' Plus, TV on DVD Monday!

I have another chock-full edition today, so let's dive right in with week two of new girl watch on Cold Case. So, we all know how I was really hesitant about Josie (a.k.a. "new girl") joining the cold case squad because I was worried that she would take away from the existent characters and their only-slightly explored backstories. I was most concerned about Lilly since her role has somewhat diminished over the last few seasons (re-watch the first season on TNT and you'll see what I mean). It seems that I was concerned about the wrong characters in every sense. Scotty once again seemed to have the bulk of the case, although, Lilly didn't seem so out-of-sorts this week like she did in the premiere. Josie had a nice chunk as well, but it was at the expense of Vera and Jeffries. I think they had a couple of scenes each at most. I know it's still early, and the writers are trying to introduce Josie, so I'm hopeful that we'll start getting more of each of the characters. Anyway, onward to the case. Veena Sud wrote this episode, so I knew we were in for an emotional ride. She manages to tug at my heart strings every time, and last night's was no exception. How horrible was Laurie's death at the end? The fire was raging, and Dirk yelling for help - it just killed me. I really felt horrible for her dad, losing his wife and then his daughter. Even though the fraternity brothers didn't cause Laurie's death, they were so much worse! I found the entire storyline quite disturbing because I know things like this must be going on all the time. I see Scotty tried to get the goods on the new girl. I got the impression that she might not be guilty of what all the gossip accuses her of doing, and if that's the case, Vera owes her a huge apology! Overall, another strong episode, but I hope to see more of Lilly and her fabulous interrogations and interviews in the coming weeks.

I finally caught up on Without A Trace, and I was surprised to see Sam so broken up about Martin's injuries. It was nice to see Sam concerned, but I was surprised to see her that concerned. This show is so hit or miss, so I never know whether I'm in for an amazing hour of television or a huge yawn-fest with a side of eye rolls. I LOVED this show in its first season, strongly liked it in its second, and started losing interest fast in its third (and yet the ratings were the best they have ever been in its third, so what do I know?), so I'm hoping it makes a return to glory for its fourth season. The premiere was just a continuation of the finale, so I'm going to reserve judgment on this season until I've seen more episodes. I'm so over the soapy storylines (I never wanted them to begin with), so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this show dumps them and returns its focus where it should be - on the missing persons. As I've said before, I like my procedurals with a side of personal and not vice versa. It was nice to see Danny get a chunk of the storyline the other night. Enrique Murciano is a terrific talent and I always enjoy his episodes. I was glad they got Paige back, I can't imagine what would have happened to her had she gone on trial in that other nation. I'm looking forward to this week's episode. From the previews, it looks really good.

So, I thought that the season premiere of Desperate Housewives was fabulous and so funny and poignant at the same time, but this week's fell flat for me. The best part was given away in the previews - Susan's ex (Karl) hooked up with Edie. The ensuing scene between Susan and Edie was hysterical, and the highlight of the episode. Gabby and Carlos are always funny, and I enjoy their screen time. Lynette's rat trick backfired, but she did get a clean house out of it and a saved marriage (for now). Bree is my least favorite housewife, so her storylines tend to bore me a bit. I really dislike the pharmacist because he is pure evil, and I wish Bree would kick out her mother-in-law. That woman is insane! Speaking of insane, new neighbor Betty almost got caught! The sleeping pill trick was a quick fix, but I wonder how long until someone on Wisteria Lane finds out what's going on in that house. Next week, it looks like Gabby's back with John. When will she learn?

About Last Night... CBS's Cold Case won the 8 p.m. hour, followed by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC. Fox landed in third with its combo of The Simpsons and The War At Home, followed by The West Wing on NBC. At 9, it was an easy win for the night's most watched program Desperate Housewives on ABC, followed by Law & Order: Criminal Intent on NBC, and the first hour of the CBS Sunday movie Mayday. The final hour of the night also went to ABC with Grey's Anatomy, followed by Crossing Jordan on NBC, and the final hour of the CBS movie.

On Friday night, it was a clean sweep for CBS. The eye network won the 8 p.m., 9 p.m., and 10 p.m. hours with Ghost Whisperer, Threshold, and Numbers respectively.

~Primetime Pass~
Welcome to the newest feature on Pass the Remote! This will replace the Premiering Tonight feature since premiere season is winding down. Every day, I'll highlight some of the night's best programming. Here's what to watch for tonight in primetime:

At 8, global warming, plagiarism, and a dead brother's voice all highlight a new episode of Surface on NBC. On Fox, look for Charlize Theron and Scott Baio on a new episode of Arrested Development. At 9, Michael is forced to risk even more as a full riot ensues at the prison on Fox's Prison Break. And at 10, Allison wakes up to find nothing is as it used to be on NBC's Medium.



QUICK CUTS

*NBC is making some changes to its struggling Wednesday night line-up. New shows The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and E-Ring are swapping timeslots. Now, E-Ring will kick off the night at 8 p.m., and Martha will follow. Both shows have struggled in the two weeks that they have been on, landing in fourth place in the coveted 18-49 year old group. The change will take place this week.

*And you thought they were bitter timeslot rivals! It seems the masterminds behind Lost and Veronica Mars are more friend than competition. In fact, the folks at Lost are rooting for Mars to succeed. For more on the bond between the two shows, visit Zap2it.

*Bravo's popular reality series Project Runway is coming back for another season of designer wannabes. Heidi Klum will once again host the program where 16 contestants vie for the chance to launch their own clothing line. The show returns December 7th.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the TNT mini-series Into The West to hit shelves tomorrow. For a full list of tomorrow's releases, visit tvshowsondvd.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for Surface and Medium and a new edition of Primetime Pass. Plus, all the latest television news!