You guys know that I'm not a big fan of the "Martin the Addict" story line on Without a Trace mainly because it's just so cliched. I was hoping that last night's episode would spell the end of the story line, but I fear that it is only about to get worse. For those of you who didn't see the episode, we're now at the point where his pain killer addiction is affecting his work. You know the drill from the million and one other shows that have covered this ground in the past; he lashes out unexpectedly to the victims' families, makes poor judgment calls in the line of duty and almost gets himself killed (Danny has to step in and save him right before he gets shot blah, blah, blah). Seriously Without a Trace, you are so much better than this! And for the record so is Eric Close' acting talents, and they just seem wasted on this story line (although, he is doing a fine job with what they have given him). I'm all for throwing a bone to the characters on procedurals from time to time by giving them personal story arcs, but it seems that this show is either hit or miss when it does it, and this addiction arc is a definite miss for me. Regardless, I did enjoy the irony of the case having to do with a prescription drug manufacturer's son. It was very timely with all the lawsuits regarding the newer drugs on the market that got FDA approval based on their clinical trials, but are having adverse affects in the real world. This made the plot very believable and relevant. It was nice to see that this one had a happy ending, too. Maybe not for Martin just yet, but certainly for the 5-year old kidnap victim, his family and hopefully the millions of children who would have been exposed to a drug that may have taken their lives as it did the few children in the trial.I never put anything past CSI. How can you? I mean this is a show that has introduced us to the world of Plushies (people who like to dress up in animal costumes), taken the scuba-diver-in-the-tree urban legend to new heights, explored the world of S&M with Lady Heather and grossed us out with melted bodies in the trunk of a car, so I always expect the unexpected when I sit down for an hour of this show. This is why I always say that the show doesn't take itself too seriously and it has a healthy sense of humor, which is what I expect from this particular crime show. I save the heavy stuff for some of the other crime shows I watch. Last night's body-in-the-chimney story was the perfect piece in the bizarre puzzle that is CSI. As I was watching the beginning of the episode, I really couldn't believe they had a story where someone dumped a body down the chimney because it just seemed so crazy, but then I realized that it was just so CSI. It got less bizarre as the episode progressed, though, because we learned that the body was merely a means to an end. Once the body was discovered, a warrant was obtained and the house searched. Once the house was searched, it was only a matter of time before the team found the second body in the house, which was the real murder victim. The homeowner was connected to a cold case from last year where a young female photographer went missing. He was the prime suspect, but the team didn't have enough evidence to obtain a warrant. So, the victim's father, who worked at a hospital, stole a badly burned body from the hospital morgue and shoved it down the chimney in hopes that the investigators would find his daughter's body and arrest her murderer. It was a complicated plot, but it worked and it fit perfectly into the world of CSI.
An Idol Moment(this new weekly feature will detail the latest elimination(s))
It was elimination time again last night and that meant four more American Idol hopefuls had to pack their things and go. On the girls side, it was Brenna Gethers (top left) and Heather Cox (bottom right). I think these were the correct choices again. Brenna has one of the worst attitudes I have ever seen on this show and I think that kept her from sticking around longer. She has a decent voice (although she really didn't showcase it well the other night), but I think that her biting attitude sunk her. Heather also had a decent voice, but I think that she made a horrible song choice that led the audience to compare her to Mariah Carey. On the guys front, David Radford (top right) and Jose "Sway" Penala (bottom left) were sent packing. David was too forgettable and I always felt that "Sway" was just alright, so I think the correct two went home here as well.
About Last Night... Fox won the first hour of the night with the results show for American Idol, followed by CBS' Survivor and NBC's Deal or No Deal. At 9, CBS took over with CSI, followed by the finale of Fox's Skating with Celebrities and NBC comedies My Name is Earl and The Office. The final hour of the night went to CBS' Without a Trace, followed by NBC's ER and ABC's Primetime. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.
~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - NBC's Deal or No Deal wraps up its 5-night run, but will return Monday to begin its weekly airings. Over on Fox, it's the 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards.
@9 p.m. - My Name is Earl's Jaime Pressly guest stars and Wayne Newton and Howie Mandel make cameo appearances on NBC's Las Vegas as it moves to its new night and time. Over on CBS, Annabeth faces a defense attorney who misleads the jury on Close to Home. A convicted rapist case divides the National Justice Project on ABC's In Justice.
@10 p.m. - NBC rolls out its latest Dick Wolf legal drama Conviction that, according to the press release, is a "character-oriented story focusing on young assistant district attorneys in New York who handle tough, high-profile cases that challenge their experience." Over on CBS, Don and Charlie deal with a personal case involving an anti-war bombing on Numb3rs.
SUNDAY EDITION
@8 p.m. - ABC airs The 78th Annual Academy Awards.
QUICK CUTS
*Actress Carol Burnett will guest star in an upcoming episode of ABC's Desperate Housewives. She'll play the evil stepmother of Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross) who comes to town with her husband after Andrew announces he wants to be emancipated. So far, Burnett is scheduled for only one episode, but the option to bring her back for future episodes remains open. The episode is tentatively scheduled to air April 9th on ABC.
*And finally, it seems that the WB's Charmed will cast its final spell this spring. Multiple sources are confirming to TV Guide's Mike Ausiello in his Ausiello Report that the new CW network (the merger between UPN and the WB) has pulled the plug on the show after eight seasons. Details about the final episode are remaining hush-hush, but according to Ausiello, Brian Krause is likely to appear. The series finale is scheduled to May 21st on the WB.
That's all for today. You don't want to miss Monday's edition, though. I'll have all the dirt from Veronica Mars showrunner Rob Thomas, including which episode he's really excited about, what's in the works for next season, what's next for Kendall and much, much more! That's Monday on the Rob Thomas edition of Pass the Remote! As always, I'll also have all the latest television news. And be sure to tune in Tuesday for a special America's Next Top Model preview.
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1 comment:
I'm guilty of not having watched WaT ONCE this season. I dunno why. Uncomfortable time slot for one, and the Martin/Sam ship was a big killer for me (surprise, surprise, huh--never a shipper was I), along with Jack's long-drawn-out divorce story. Martin's pill-popping I've completely missed, and can't say I'm sorry. That's the oldest trick in the book.
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