Pass The Remote

Final Goodbye

2010-10-14T15:36:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to finally post this final sign-off. I had planned to finish out the regular season of Ice Road Truckers and then finish PTR, but time got away from me -- FAST! In any event, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped with PTR over the last 5 years. HUGE thank yous to:

Senior staff writer LillyKat for all of your wonderful posts, interviews and web help.
All of the staff writers who have contributed over the years especially Trublu.
My fellow TV bloggers who have linked to, promoted and supported this site.
Kathryn Morris's biggest fan RichE from Kathryn Morris UK for all of the "Kathryn scoop" and photos.
Look Again for all of the Cold Case help and support.
All of the networks, including broadcast, cable and premium, who have supplied this site with info and news about our favorite shows.
The wonderful folks at Veronica Mars who allowed me and a small group of regular old bloggers to visit their set.
The PR folks who gave us opportunities for interviews and scoops.
All of the shows, actors, writers, etc. who have helped along the way.

And last, but most certainly not least, thank you so much to all of the readers. Your comments and support have kept this site fun and interesting. It has truly been so much fun to do this blog. If you'd like to continue getting (shortened) news and thoughts on the new TV news, follow PTR on Twitter for. Happy TV viewing!

'Ice Road' Melting

2010-09-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

Normally, I'm glued to the drivers and the perilous conditions they drive through on the mighty Dalton Highway in Alaska. But this week, I was completely transfixed by the folks who work hard to keep the Dalton up and running and make sure it's safe (as safe as an iced-over road with steep drop-offs can be anyway). Whether it was the people dishing out the violations to perennial violator Hugh and a newcomer to the citation game or the Alaska DOT worker known as "K Bear" who had one of the scariest jobs I've seen (and that's saying a lot for a road that has an avalanche crew) -- this week was all about the behind-the-scenes people who keep everything running so that important supplies can get to the North Slope. The theme of the week was melting ice, and as we learned in this one, the simple act of snow and ice turning into water isn't just a welcoming sign of impending spring.

Melting ice also means a slushy, slippery road which led to even more dangerous conditions than we're used to seeing on the Dalton. It meant a couple of spin outs for rookie Ray (which led to some friendly ripping from fellow driver Greg) and some indecisive moments for Lisa. She came across Jack on the haul road and decided to ride along with him for a little while. As they approached a series of steeper inclines, she asked Jack whether or not he was going to stop to chain up (the melting roads = more slipping, ergo, chains might be required in places where they aren't normally). He left it up to her and while she was deciding, they got a message over the radio that other drivers were chaining up for the second incline because other trucks had spun out. Apparently, one had caught the ditch and was turned over on the side of the road. Lisa decided to play it safe.

Meanwhile, Jack was hauling a highly flammable load of jet fuel. This caused him to take even more precaution than usual, but it also made him a target for the DOT inspection officers. He got pulled over along the Dalton and had to turn over his log book, medical card and his little orange hazmat book. He had no problem with the first two, but the last one was nowhere to be found. He hadn't grabbed a copy of the book that tells drivers what to do with a flammable substance in case of an emergency. So Jack Jessee, the Dalton Ace, got a citation. The other driver caught in the DOT's crosshairs was not a surprise. Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland had to stop at the scales just outside the Carlile lot for an inspection. His log book showed that he had gotten from Prudhoe to Fairbanks in 10 hours which would mean he traveled an average of 60 mph -- 10 mph above the speed limit. Hugh insisted he wasn't speeding, but the officer gave him a list of violations anyway. But in a surprising turn, he was able to go with just a warning. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

One of the bridges on the Dalton crosses the Dietrich River. There's nothing unusual about it except when the melting season begins. The water below the ice starts to rise above it as overflow. This process causes damming and an obstacle like a low bridge makes for a perfect damming spot. The problem is, water is an extremely powerful force, so at some point that dammed-up water is going to burst through the ice (especially as more and more of the ice becomes water) and take the bridge out. So, DOT worker K Bear had to get some equipment down there to start digging out the ice blocking the water flow under the bridge. First, he tried the heavy equipment, but the arm of the machine kept hitting the bridge. So, he brought in some steam power to start breaking up the ice. Then, he added a Bobcat with a drill on the front of it. The drill started breaking up the ice in larger chunks and that's when K Bear warned his crew that they needed to start getting off the ice. Soon, the Bobcat would break through to the water on the other side of the bridge and that water would start gushing through to the other side. As the Bobcat drilled through the last few chunks, I held my breath. How could the driver possible get the Bobcat off the ice before the water he was releasing began running through? He couldn't, but he was able to get out of the way before it swept him and his machine away. As with everything on this show, it was intense!

The season finale of Ice Road Truckers airs next Sunday on History followed by the season premiere of Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

PTR Announcement

2010-09-16T09:37:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers,

As the summer comes to a close and the new fall season approaches, exciting times are ahead. We will soon eagerly welcome back our favorite shows and characters and make room on our TV schedules for new favorites. Like many of you, I am excited to see the return of my faves (most notably Bones, which returns in 1 week), and I'm still deciding which new shows to add to my "Season Pass" list on my DVR. Over the last five years, Pass the Remote has been covering many of those old and new favorites along with some TV news and specials peppered in. It has been such a joy to write my thoughts down about something that I truly love: Television. So, this is a decision I have not made lightly. At the close of the summer season, I will no longer be updating and/or blogging about television here at PTR. Changes in my own life (all good) have caused me to not be able to dedicate the time and resources I would like (and that you have rightfully come to expect) to updating and maintaining this site.

I will still be watching my favorite shows and might even post a special write-up from time to time if a particular episode takes me out of TV blogger retirement, but officially speaking, PTR will go dark at the end of the summer season. For those of you who follow PTR on Twitter, I will continue to post short thoughts and TV news regularly over there. For those who do not follow PTR, but would like to, click the link on the side bar or find me HERE. This site will stay up as an archive, so all of PTR's past writings will be accessible at all times.

Thank you all, dear readers, for allowing me to write about something that I love for the last five years. When I set out to create this blog, I wasn't expecting anything from it, but I have gotten so much from all of you throughout the years. Thank you to all of the networks, PR people, shows, actors, writers, etc. who have helped me along the way. A special HUGE thank you to the wonderful folks at Veronica Mars who allowed me and a small group of regular old bloggers to visit their set and spend the day getting an inside look at one of my favorite shows of all-time. It has been so much fun to do this blog and I will miss it. But, good things are on the horizon and a new TV season is about to begin, and I will be watching this one as a regular TV fan for the first time in years. When the summer season has officially ended, I will post a final goodbye. Until then, we have an all-new episode of Ice Road Truckers to look forward to this Sunday! We'll discuss on Monday.

Sincerely,
TVFan

Convoy on 'Ice'

2010-09-13T16:07:00.001-04:00

Well Ice Road Truckers fans, we've got ourselves a convoy! I know it's highly doubtful that Carlile coincidentally chose only the stars of the series to run this convoy to Nuiqsut, but I don't care. I LOVED the fact that they all traveled together, got stranded in Prudhoe together, and ventured out onto the river ice together. Of course, there were some tense moments between the drivers, but there were some fabulous bonding ones as well. One such moment happened in one of the most remote places on earth and involved a unique native tradition and an even more unique menu. But first, the drivers had to make it 500 miles through some pretty hairy conditions and then across weakening river ice.

Imagine living in a village so remote that supplies can only be delivered once a year by truck (more frequently by air, but that costs a lot more). And, deliveries by truck depend on the river being frozen enough to support the uber-heavy loads that are bound for the tiny native village. With the end of the season approaching quickly, the truckers needed to get as many supplies through as possible before the river ice started to melt and travel became impossible. Thus, the convoy was born. The truckers first drove the 500-mile Dalton to Prudhoe and then had to take the journey across the river ice to Nuiqsut. Things started out OK (save for Lisa who got partially up the road only to find out that Carlile gave her the wrong load costing her 2 hours). There were a few squabbles between the drivers along the way. Alex was annoyed with Greg because he wasn't going fast enough up and down hills to give Alex the proper momentum for his heavier load. But, overall, they made it up the Dalton just fine. They managed to get a sober reminder along the way (an overturned truck that caught the edge of the road before tumbling into a ditch), and they drove the last 40 miles white knuckle through a Phase 2 blow. But, that's just all part of the experience, right?

Once in Prudhoe, they hit a bit of a speed bump. The Phase 2 blow was getting worse and travel to Nuiqsut was not advised. So, they hunkered down in their respective trucks and got a good night's sleep. The next morning they woke to even worse weather. After 36 hours and a few shared meals, they were finally on their way across the dangerous river ice. Ironically, this part of the trip was the least eventful of the entire thing. They maintained the appropriate slower speed (so as not to cause a powerful wave of water that would eventually break through the ice and swallow the trucks) and got into the village without complication. The most difficult part came when they needed to each find their individual locations. Lisa got lost trying to find the owner of the repaired snowmobile she was hauling. Jack had the all-important fuel, but had no problems finding where it belonged because he had made an earlier run to the village. Greg took his school supplies to a local school and got to meet some of the kids. Alex delivered carpet to a local church while rival Hugh returned a boat to a happy owner. It was seriously like watching Santa make his rounds! After all of the deliveries were made, Hugh, Alex, Ray and Greg stayed in town to attend a Potlatch ceremony at the community center. They dined on walrus and whale before taking part in some of the native dance customs. It was awesome! I only wish Lisa and Jack had been able to stick around for it.

And speaking of awesome, there are NO WORDS to describe how happy I am about this....

In the meantime, Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

Live and Let Spy

2010-09-09T13:36:00.000-04:00

I'm sure everyone is still buzzing about THAT moment from Psych's summer finale this week. BUT, I was left a little underwhelmed by it and I'm not exactly sure why. We've been watching the romantic tension between Shawn and Jules build over the course of the seasons. We've been rooting for Shawn to finally get the girl. We've rooted for Juliet to get her moment. But now that the two shared a momentous kiss just as she was about to jet off to the Amalfi coast with Declan, I'm not all that satisfied. To be clear, I wouldn't be anymore satisfied if Jules had ditched the Amalfi (and Declan) for Santa Barbara and Shawn (after all, it is a "beach community"). Maybe it was the sorta cliche way in which Jules finally learned the truth or the kinda overused finale tactic of having Jules heading off with another man but thinking that she might be making a mistake just as the episode (and the season) came to a close. I don't know, but the story line has a big question mark hanging over it for me and I don't think I'll make a final decision on it until we see more in November. In the meantime, let's focus on the funny from this otherwise excellent finale in this week's edition of "The Funny, The Funnier and OK, For Real, My Side Just Split" after the jump.

THE FUNNY
Lassie feels important. We all know that Lassie has a high opinion of himself and considers himself to be leaps and bounds above all other detectives, but this week, he got some validation from an unlikely source: the Feds! First, they told Shawn and Gus to wait in the helicopter because they were tired of looking at their faces (much to Lassie's pure joy), and then they made Lassie point on the investigation. He was like a kid in a candy shop and Shawn and Gus were dumbfounded. Shawn even pointed out that Tom had two watches and Lassie couldn't compete with that. But the icing on the cake was the explanation the feds gave for making Lassie point on the case: experience tells them that the guy without a life puts the most into the investigation. Hahaha!

THE FUNNIER
Shawn and Gus read the news... in the dark. Trying to be inconspicuous and act like real spies aren't exactly things that Shawn and Gus are very good at (after all, earlier in the episode, the two caused such a stir on the pier that it got back to Lassie in a matter of minutes). So, Shawn drew on every spy movie tactic ever put on the big screen and wore a trench coat, sat on a bench alone in the middle of an empty park and read a newspaper (in the dark of night) in order to look ~~exactly like~~ nothing like a spy waiting for a meet-up. Nadia spotted him right away (imagine that) and proceeded to call him on his silliness. And then we learned that he had Gus doing the exact same thing on an adjacent bench! Nothing to see here, keep it moving. Later, Gus reminded Shawn, "I told you the newspaper wouldn't work!" Thankfully, Shawn took his advice from the movies because this scene was hilarious!

OK, FOR REAL, MY SIDE JUST SPLIT
Gus in the helicopter. OK, so there wasn't a true side-splitting moment in this one, but Gus freaking out in the helicopter came close enough to warrant the prize. After determining that searching for Nadia's former spy in the Los Padres National Forest was far too great of a task on foot, Shawn got an idea (that 99.6% of the time would not have worked, but since about a week ago, he knows a guy who can help). They needed a helicopter and Declan just happened to have one (along with a personal chef who makes creme brulee to order). After convincing Declan to let them use the chopper, they take to the air to see if they can spot the former spy's super-secret hideout. Declan was at the controls, but it soon came to light that he got his pilot's license only three days prior. Gus got nervous. Then, Nadia mentioned that they need to hurry and find the place before an F14 shoots them down. Gus's freaked out "What??!! We're gonna get shot down??!!" reply cracked me up! Finally, Declan confessed that landings are "dicey at best" for him. Even Shawn gets concerned, but it's Gus's worried look that left me laughing.

Psych will return this November on USA Network. Catch up on this episode and others at hulu.com. And learn more about the awesome-ness that is Shawn and Gus at USA's official site or friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

'Ice Road' Racing

2010-08-31T10:09:00.000-04:00

On the Dalton, racers never win. Especially when one of those racers is a rookie who spent some serious time in a ditch just one episode ago and he's racing one of the biggest cowboys to ever drive the Dalton (at least out of those whom we've seen on IRT). Ray was kinda doomed the moment Hugh passed him, but trying to reclaim his lead while driving in the southbound lane while climbing a steep hill sealed his fate. Not to mention raised a red flag with the Carlile management back in Fairbanks. I'm wondering if Hugh will get in trouble as well since he is already on a sort of probation. While Ray and Hugh were raising up the Dalton, Jack was pushing a HUGE load up it with the return of my new favorite ice road tactic: Push-Trucking.

Anyone who has watched this show for the last couple of seasons knows that Jack Jessee may be the "Dalton Ace," but he isn't exactly the first one on the road in the morning. He likes to take his time, enjoy a big breakfast, and check and recheck the security of his load before heading out. This left heavy-haul driver Carey Hall waiting.... waiting.... and then waiting some more for his lead push-trucker. After deciding to leave without him, he and his pilot car and other push-truck driver headed north. Later, Jack caught up, but he was having a slight problem. He wasn't in his own truck and was having difficulties shifting the one he was piloting. Normally, this would be an annoyance, but with push-trucking, every shift matters when you're pressed up against the more than 100,000 lb. load in front of you. So, the heavy load made it down the Rollercoaster slowly as planned, but things took a scary turn when it attempted to climb up the other side. Jack locked on, but missed the gear and became separated from the load. He fought his way back and locked onto Carey's rig again. This time, he was able to stay connected for the duration of the climb. They spent the night in Coldfoot and hit the road the next morning heading to Atigun. After Jack caught up right before the dangerous Pass, the rest of the trip went smoothly.

Meanwhile, Greg was grounded in Fairbanks after mechanical issues weren't addressed over the weekend in the shop. He finally got his truck back, but didn't make it very far up the road before he had to drop his load and head back to Fairbanks for more repairs. Lisa had a load of pipe, but she wasn't taking the relatively easy load for granted. She spent the night in Coldfoot so she could rest up before completing the trip to Prudhoe. After she delivered her load of pipe, she scored a coveted backhaul. Next week, it looks like the gang is going to have to work together in a huge convoy to a remote village. It should be interesting to see Hugh and Alex working together instead of trying to beat each other.

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

PTR Reveals the Best Episode of the Season!

2010-08-27T09:23:00.001-04:00

We have made it through the summer-long countdown! This can mean only one thing: it's time to reveal the #1 Best Episode of the Season!! For the final time, here's a look at the rules for this year's winners. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. Since this was a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, we revealed a few each week all summer. Before we get to numbers 3-1, here's a quick review of numbers 28-4 after the jump.

28. “The Sexless Innkeeper” – How I Met Your Mother

27. “Hairography” – Glee

26. “Busted Parts & Breakdowns” – Ice Road Truckers

25. “Thrill Seekers & Hell Raisers” – Psych

24. “The Beginning in the End” – Bones

23. “Laryngitis” – Glee

22. “August” – Fringe

21. “Perverted” – L&O: SVU

20. “The Proof in the Pudding” – Bones

19. “Arctic Ice” – Ice Road Truckers

18. “Solace” – Parenthood

17. “Years of Service” – Nurse Jackie

16. “Time Keeps Slipping” – Medium

15. “The Rough Patch” – How I Met Your Mother

14. “High Noon-ish” – Psych

13. “Waivers of Extradition” – The Closer

12. “Let’s Get it Ahn” – In Plain Sight

11. “The Bishop Revival” – Fringe

10. “The Last Drive-in/Bullet” – Cold Case

9. “Wassup” – Parenthood

8. “Maternal Instincts” – The Closer

7. “Ab Aeterno” – Lost

6. “Journey” – Glee

5. “Chuck Vs. The Other Guy” – Chuck

4. “The Parts in the Sum of the Whole” – Bones

And now, the Top 3 episodes of the season...

3: "The Son" - Friday Night Lights

This episode of Friday Night Lights was raw, emotional and tough to watch. It was one of the show's finest hours. Watching Matt pick up the pieces after his father's sudden death was HEART WRENCHING! I wasn't expecting the elder Saracen's 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 painful and difficult. And it was all done with the show's usual realism. He spent most of the episode going through the motions: sitting in the same spot at the wake while everyone went up to him to give their condolences, getting angry at the soldier charged with escorting his father's body, picking out a funeral package and trying to come up with a eulogy for a man he had spent most of his life hating. But his decision to lift the lid on his father's casket forced him to stop going through the motions and to start feeling all of the emotions that were swirling around inside him. This was both good and bad. It came to a head when he stopped by the Taylors' immediately after the casket incident. It boiled over during dinner when the carrots touched his chicken. Suddenly, he was going on about how easy it had been to hate his father and to blame him for everything wrong in his life and then he broke down and walked out. The too-wonderful-for-words Coach Taylor went after him, but only to walk him home. Seriously, was there a better moment of television this season? This year? This decade? Incredible, powerful TV and there were only 5 words spoken: "I'm gonna walk you home." Wow. Just wow. Written by Rolin Jones.

2: "Over There" - Fringe

This was one of those hanging-on-every-word, glued to the edge of my seat, mouth and eyes wide open awesome thrill rides of an episode that demonstrated how a series should end its season. Twists, turns, fight scenes, romance, explosions, tense moments and a quest to find Peter and get back to our universe were just some of the things that made this episode so freakin' fantastic. The final scene made jaws drop and left us wondering how the writers are going to fix this huge issue next season. When the explosion went off and William Bell regained consciousness and saw Olivia standing over him, I was concerned that it was the wrong Olivia. But then, the gang made it back across, so I thought I was wrong. When Olivia got back to "her" apartment and started looking around, I began to suspect once again that this was the wrong Liv. And then, we saw her: the real Liv trapped in the other universe with Walternate!! How is Walter ever going to get back over there to rescue her? Bell is dead, Liv is stuck over there, her classmates are dead and he can't exactly open another door. Yikes! MAJOR kudos to the film and editing crews who nailed that kick butt Liv vs. Liv fight scene and made it look like the two were really fighting each other. Props to Anna Torv for playing both versions of Liv and giving them their own nuances. And to top off an absolutely perfect episode, the show threw in a little development between Liv and Peter that I didn't see coming -- THEY KISSED! With the real Liv in the other universe and Peter back in ours, this episode had us craving the new season. Written by Jeff Pinker, Akiva Goldsman and J. H. Wyman and directed by Akiva Goldsman.

And now, after an entire summer of counting down episodes, we're finally up to the number one episode of the past season. Drum roll please....

1: "The End" - Lost

Series finales always tend to divide fans into two camps: those who hated it and those who loved it. Obviously, PTR LOVED this one! Were all of our questions answered? No, but the most important ones were and we got come closure for the characters we loved for 6 seasons. There was so much tragedy on the island over the course of the series. The show even ended with Jack’s death on the island, and yet, it still managed to leave us on an uplifting note. That “alternate universe” we’d been watching all season (you know the one where Oceanic flight 815 lands safely in Los Angeles) was not an alternate universe at all. It was a sort of limbo, a place the survivors of Oceanic 815 created to find each other. The characters in it were all dead and they were all waiting for Jack before they could cross over. As Jack’s father explained, some of them died before Jack and some long after, but they all came together in that place to be with the people they loved before they crossed over. The reveal was emotional and it was beautiful. It gave us hope and amazing, tear-inducing reunions between the characters who survived and those we lost on the island. Back on the island, we watched Jack battle the Man in Black and Kate finally kill him. We saw Jack sacrifice his life to safe those he loved and the island he was charged with protecting. And we learned that Hurley became the new Jacob with Ben by his side. In the end, good prevailed and evil wound up battered on the rugged rocks at the bottom of a steep cliff. And the characters we cheered for, cried for, laughed with and loved got the proper send-off they deserved and we yearned for after six amazing seasons. Written by showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed by Jack Bender.

Well, there you have it -- the complete list of PTR's Best Episodes of the Season! Do you agree? Disagree? Are there episodes that PTR left off the list? Leave us a comment with your thoughts on the final list. If you would like to take a closer look at numbers 28-4, click the "Best Episodes" link at the bottom of this post.

'Ice Road' Ditch

2010-08-23T16:24:00.000-04:00

What is it they always say? Oh, right... pay back's a b*tch! Of course, they also say that there are two kind of drivers on the Dalton: those who have been in a ditch and those heading into one. Both of these little pearls of wisdom apply to Ray's unfortunate incident during this week's episode of Ice Road Truckers. Thankfully, no one was injured and considering the amount of people who die every year on the Dalton for taking their eyes off the road for a split second, that's saying a lot. Ray wasn't the only driver having a bad trip, though. Two others found themselves struggling with their loads and one wound up in a bit of hot water upon his return to Fairbanks. But, Ray's trip into the ditch was the night's scariest mishap.

Everybody loves a nice serving of irony served with a side of humble pie -- everyone except Ray, I'm sure. After he spent the first part of his haul from Prudhoe to Fairbanks making fun of Alex's "dumb laugh," he found himself in a situation where Alex (and his "dumb laugh") was quite the lifesaver. Ray was ahead of Alex and had scored a coveted backhaul. He radioed ahead to announce his approach into Ice Cut, but had some trouble putting the CB radio (or "microphone") onto its hook. He tried a couple of times before he took his eyes off the road to place the radio where it belonged. That short break in focus was just long enough for him to lose control of his rig and wind up deep in a snow-packed ditch. A few Carlile drivers stopped and tried to tow him out, but the chain snapped like a twig as they were attempting to pull him out. Finally, Alex came along and he and Ray and a few others shoveled the snow around, under, and in (as in, in the engine) the truck for 4 hours. It worked. After the back-breaking (and heart attack-inducing) shoveling, the truck was finally able to break free from the ditch and get back onto the haul road. Ray seemed genuinely grateful to Alex for his help and even declared that he'd be willing to wipe the slate clean and start over. See, teamwork does bring people together! Since there was no damage and no one was injured, Ray got off with a drug test and a brief meeting with the boss.

Meanwhile, Hugh was having some trouble of his own. He had orders to haul a load of heaters to Prudhoe. After referring to the job as "easy money," he made it to Deadhorse in record time. BUT, he delivered damaged merchandise -- a MAJOR no-no in the trucking industry. The thing is, Hugh knew that the two heaters were rubbing up against each other. Even our favorite trainer Phil (a.k.a Phil Billy) stopped him along the Dalton and helped him check the load. Hugh kept insisting that the fact that the two heaters were so close together wasn't his fault since he wasn't the one who loaded the trailer. The folks at Carlile were none too pleased. They suspected that he had failed to take his "check the load" breaks every two hours as required by the company. When confronted about the damage, Hugh still refused to take responsibility. This made the Carlile bosses even more unhappy. In the end, Hugh was placed on a form of probation, so the bosses will be watching him carefully going forward.

And then there was Lisa's struggle with her oversized bear cage. The size and shape of the load made strapping it down tricky. A little ways outside of Coldfoot, she noticed that one of the straps was flapping. Since she's cautious and determined to do the right thing, she stopped to check it. Good thing she did because the strap had actually been sliced by the edge of the cage. She replaced the strap and tried to create a cushion between the strap and the sharp edge of the cage. Back on the road, she noticed that the strap was once again flapping. She pulled over again and was able to use a bungee cord to tied her over until the pit stop at Coldfoot. Once again, her determination and can-do attitude got her through the obstacle and safely to the pit stop.

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

The Countdown Enters the Home Stretch

2010-08-20T09:35:00.001-04:00

The finish line is in sight this week as we wind down our summer-long countdown of the Best Episodes of the Season! Before we get to the #1 episode next week, we have three awesome episodes to tied you over. But before we get to them, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in every Friday to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 6-4.

6: "Journey" - Glee

Words cannot describe my warm and fuzzy feelings for this wonderful season finale. Every scene was emotional, every Sue moment was HI-LARIOUS (and one was actually touching), every song was awesome and the surprises were perfect. But the most exciting thing about this season ender was that fan-freakin-tastic Journey medley that New Directions performed at Regionals. Oh. My. Steve Perry!! It was the greatest thing since, well, the last time Glee did Journey (a little awesome number called "Don't Stop Believing"). I loved the way the show cut between Quinn in labor and Vocal Adrenaline performing at Regionals. Great juxtaposition of Quinn in agony with Jesse giving another performance of his life and the parallels between the song and Quinn delivering were well-played. Also loved the way things turned out: Quinn got to go back to being a "normal" teenager, Ms. Corcoran got to start the life she missed with Rachel, and Beth got a loving home. Back at Regionals, Vocal Adrenaline's performance was better than New Directions, but they were simply going through the motions without actually feeling them. And let's not even discuss Aural Intensity (seriously with the name??!!). So if the judges had actually judged based on talent, heart and performance, then New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline should have been the first and second place finishers (in either order). But, the judges were on some sort of elitist power trip and decided that the motley crew that makes up our beloved glee kids was not good enough to place. There was one judge who did the right thing, though, and it wasn't who you'd expect. Sue "I Hate Glee Club" Sylvester cast her first place vote for New Directions. Since glee club did not place at regionals, they were suppose to be disbanded, but Sue had one last surprise up her sleeve. She used her leverage over Principal Figgins to get the glee club another year. Maybe Sue does see herself in those kids or maybe it has to do with her sister or maybe deep down inside she really is a good person. Whatever the reason, my fellow Gleeks and I are very, very grateful. Written and directed by Brad Falchuk.

5: "Chuck Vs. The Other Guy" - Chuck

This fantastic romantic outing had so many "pinch me, I must be dreaming" moments it was hard to keep track. Chuck thought Sarah was in trouble. He thought Shaw was working with the Ring and that he had kidnapped Sarah because he learned that she was the agent who killed his wife. He thought Shaw was going to kill Sarah to avenge his wife's death. After an embarrassing rescue attempt, the threesome went on a mission to capture the director of the Ring. There were so many red herrings about Shaw that I started to believe that I was wrong about him. Maybe he really was a good spy. It certainly seemed that way until he "shot" the director. Then, Sarah was on her way to Paris with Shaw and everyone thought that Chuck was wrong. But something big happened at Chuck's house before Sarah was Paris-bound. Chuck was wallowing in a bottle of whiskey and a fake Guitar Hero guitar. As he lay there in his underwear, Sarah entered. He wasn't exactly in tip-top shape, but he decided to ask a question anyway. He wanted, nay needed, to know if Sarah loved him. She hesitated. Then she said yes. And they finally kissed for real (as in, under no pretense of spyhood). Fast forward to Paris with Sarah and Shaw. Shaw trapped Sarah and with help from his new buddies in the Ring, he disabled her central nervous system with a toxin. And then it happened... a waiter entered behind Shaw. But it wasn't a waiter -- it was Chuck!! He and Shaw fought, but Shaw got away with Sarah. Chuck followed and he gave Shaw every chance he could to surrender. He didn't want to kill Shaw, but it was either that or let Shaw kill Sarah. He chose the former and as Shaw's body fell over the wall of the bridge, his hand grabbed Sarah's and began to pull her in with him. Chuck raced to the wall and grabbed Sarah right before Shaw pulled her paralyzed body into the river with him. In the end, Sarah and Chuck decided to spend a little extra time in Paris together. Chuck finally got to see the Eiffel Tower in person, but more importantly, he got to be with Sarah -- for real this time. Could there be a more perfect episode of Chuck? Written by Chris Fedak and directed by Peter Lauer.

4: "The Parts in the Sum of the Whole" - Bones

There is only one way to describe this monumental 100th episode of Bones: HEART-WRENCHING!! It was important for so many reasons with the most basic being that it gave us the beginning of the story between Booth and Brennan. But, it was so much more than that! Of course, it was heart-wrenching, but it was also funny and revealing and it had me on the edge of my seat (especially during that last scene). These two characters have always had chemistry, so it was no surprise to see them both taken with each other the moment they met. It was surprising to see how forward they both were about their attraction to one another right from the start. Sweets was convinced that if the pair ever started down the road to something more than partners, they'd never return. When Booth and Brennan told him how they kissed in the rain outside the bar with plans of catching a cab back to one of their apartments, he instantly thought that he was wrong about them. But, he couldn't have been more right. That kiss in the rain was the catalyst for all of the pent up unresolved feelings between the pair to this day. They didn't let the dam open up and they've been paying the price ever since. Then Sweets reminded Booth that he's the gambler, and therefore, should be the one to take the chance. Afterwards, everything that they had just discussed was hanging there and it wasn't going away. So Booth took the gamble and he laid it all on the line. He told her that he wanted to try to make it work between them. He told her to shoot for a different outcome. And then he kissed her and for a very brief moment, everything seemed right. But then she pushed him away -- both literally and figuratively. She explained that she hadn't been protecting herself all this time -- she was protecting Booth from herself. They both looked so sad and Booth was so deflated. My heart broke for both of them. It was raw and it was uncomfortable, but it was also kinda brilliant. Written by showrunner Hart Hanson and directed by series star David Boreanaz.

So, there's a look at the next set of episodes on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment with your thoughts. You can also view previous entries by clicking the "Best Episodes" label below. And be sure to tune in next Friday when the #1 Best Episode of the Season is finally revealed!!

The Countdown Gets Emotional

2010-08-13T09:08:00.001-04:00

Single digits, Y'all!!! That's right, this week on the summer-long countdown of the Best Episodes of the Season we finally hit the single digits with three episodes that were heavy on the emotion. But before we get to them, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in every Friday to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 9-7.

9: "Wassup" - Parenthood

This is a show that gets better each week, but this outing from the first half of the season broke through as an early favorite. It isn’t easy to pinpoint the exact reason because there were so many things about this one that made it shine. All of them were indicative of the awesomeness of the show itself. Everything was done to perfection from Julia trying to navigate the difficult waters of parenthood (something that doesn’t come natural to her) and feeling apprehensive about having her flighty sister’s teenaged daughter babysit to Crosby continuing to recover from the shocking news that he has a son and then building a relationship with the young child. But the highlight of the episode was Haddie’s true-to-life story line. Anyone who has been a teenage girl or has raised one knows how spot-on this story was. A secret “Facebook official” boyfriend, sneaking out, storming off, and accusing her parents of violating her privacy pretty much covered the typical teen life. Of course, it’s all a part of growing up and pushing boundaries and spreading wings and all of that, but I also think it has something to do with her parents’ (justifiable) focus on Max. In the end, Haddie’s “Facebook official” boyfriend became “family official” as she brought him to the weekly cook out. Major kudos to Sarah Ramos and Monica Potter for that tender and true scene in Haddie’s bedroom that just seemed to capture the essence of the ever-fragile mother/teenage daughter relationship. But then again, this is a show blessed with a brilliant cast and writers! Written by Tyler Bensinger and directed by Michael Engler.

8: "Maternal Instincts" - The Closer

Emotions always run high when kids are involved in tragic crimes. But as PTR Senior Staff Writer LillyKat wrote last summer, this stand-out episode tugged at our heart strings just a bit more than usual. Maybe that had something to do with Brenda Leigh Johnson. "It's not often we get to see the softer side of [Brenda]. The weaker side. The maybe-I-made-a-mistake-side. But we did this [episode]. Not only did we see her get emotionally attached to her victim - outright tears of sadness when he passed away after severe gunshot wounds to the abdomen. But, we also saw that the checking of her emotional sensibility at the door as she once again chose to close her case over all else stung her more than usual. Crime solved: good. Emotional cost: high. After she plunked Charlie at the hospital, assigning her to keep an eye on said victim given BJ was called to the scene WHILST transporting Charlie somewhere over the rainbow, Charlie befriends the victim in a pretty darn clever way to cover her being ... well, dumped in the hospital. But BJ's deliberate attempt to keep Charlie at bay when she knew he was on his last breaths, thus, interrogating him on his last breaths as to who might've been the shooter got BJ in a whole lot of hot water at the end of the ep. Especially having to deliver the news to Charlie that her newfound friend had died. And having prevented her from saying goodbye. Not the first time BJ had gotten into trouble by her relentless pursuit of closing her case. Not the last time. And that's a good thing. It makes for good episode viewing given we rarely see Brenda be wrong. She always manages to hold the upper hand - even when her methods are questionable. And yet with this ep, I'm not sure [her] choice was wrong even if it was somewhat painful to those closest to her. In a way, it was almost an ironic form of payback. And yet, I can't fault her for staying until the very end with the boy - not simply coming in, getting what she needed and bailing. She filled in in a mother-like way, nor managing to nail the brother for the shooting. Painful justice. But justice nonetheless." Written by Leo Geter and directed by David McWhirter. (HUGE thanks to LillyKat for allowing me to borrow from her fabulous write-up)

7: "Ab Aeterno" - Lost

Since the day we first met Richard Alpert, his intriguing story has become as much of a mystery as the show itself. Why doesn’t he AGE?? What’s his connection to Jacob? We were thirsting for answers and this moving, fascinating and all-around stellar hour provided them. Ironically, the answers took a backseat because it was Richard’s heart-wrenching story that owned this episode. Honestly, they could have left us high and dry in the answers department and I still would have loved this one. First, Richard’s dying wife gives him her crucifix necklace, then he accidently kills the horrible doctor who refused to treat his wife, then he makes it back to her but it’s too late! After time in prison, he boards a slave ship to the New World (boy, was that the truth!): The infamous Black Rock. And when that ship wrecks on the THE island, things really get weird. For some reason, the Smoke Monster decides to spare Richard and then uses his dead wife to earn his trust. Finally, he tries to get Richard to kill Jacob (sound familiar?). Luckily, Richard doesn’t follow through and instead, winds up forming a special relationship with the mysterious island keeper. He learns from Jacob that the island is the only thing keeping the evil contained. And as a token of Jacob’s commitment to Richard, he grants him eternal life. Wow! All of this and so much more transpired over the course of just one glorious hour-long episode, but it could have easily been an epic film. Beautiful, poignant and gripping. Written by Melinda Hsu and Greggory Nations and directed by Tucker Gates.

So, there's a look #9-7 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment with your thoughts. You can also view previous entries by clicking the "Best Episodes" label below. And be sure to tune in next Friday when PTR reaches the Top 5 episodes on the countdown!

Blood 'Road'

2010-08-09T15:46:00.000-04:00

The promo for this week's episode of Ice Road Truckers promised that there "will be blood." And while the circumstances surrounding that story were as crazy and convoluted as the movie by that title, thankfully, it didn't leave me with the same underwhelmed, disturbed feeling as the film. But let's face it, that bloody encounter on the side of the Dalton was just weird. Alex wasn't the only driver having a strange week, though. Greg was fighting to keep his job, Lisa was afraid that a scary accident was going to derail her career after coming off of such a huge accomplishment last week, and Ray was just hoping to live to truck another day. It was just another bizarre and dangerous day on the Dalton.

Alex had barely made it 25 miles outside of Fairbanks with a load of timber when he came across a frightening sight. He saw at least two men bloody and shaken wandering around the road. Their pick-up truck was on its side down in a snowy ditch. They were disoriented and one of the gentleman had a deep gash on his cheek plus gashes to his hands. The scene seemed bad enough, but then the men informed him that there was a third man involved in the accident. The good samaritans at the scene searched for another victim, but found nothing but some tracks leading off into the freezing (as in, -15 degrees) woods and a solitary boot. One of the witnesses claimed that the men had been drinking. She said that she could smell it on their breath (and since smell-o-vision has yet to be invented, we'll have to take her word for it). Alex stayed with the men until the ambulance and police got there. He hung around to convince the more injured man to allow the paramedics to place the neck brace on him and load him onto the stretcher. Then, he gave his statement and was on his way north once again. From the comfort of my couch, it was hard to tell if the men were drunk or just in shock (after all, they had suffered a bad accident and were bleeding and were out in the -15 degree temps). If the witness smelled alcohol and the one man fled while the others seemed very reluctant to talk to the cops and go to the hospital, then it seems reasonable to assume this was more than shock. There are a lot of things that don't mix well with the Dalton, but I'm pretty sure that alcohol is about the worst one.

Speaking of things that don't mix well with the Dalton, Ray was driving through the night to meet a deadline and doing everything he could to stay awake. He had suffered a 6-hour delay in Fairbanks after learning the hard way that turning off your truck in subzero temps makes it freeze up and not start the next morning. So, his rig spent the morning in the shop under the heaters. On the other side of Atigun, he started getting very sleepy. He was fighting exhaustion and his shuttering eye lids with everything he had, but the dangerous situation grew too scary for him so he pulled over to get a 20-minute power nap. Unfortunately, he made the decision to catch his Zs by leaning his head and arms forward on his steering wheel. When he woke up, his right arm was asleep. He couldn't get the tingling to stop the rest of the drive to Prudhoe. When he arrived, he had the Carlile dispatcher drive him to the closest medical facility because he was worried that he was having a stroke or heart attack. Thankfully, it was only a pinched nerve. So, he had to take his doctor-prescribed muscle relaxer and a 10-hour break in Prudhoe.

Meanwhile, Greg was sidelined in Fairbanks with mechanical issues. But, that suddenly became the least of his troubles when he got called into the boss's office. Apparently, each truck is equipped with a computer "tattle tale" system that records data and lets the Carlile folks know if a driver is violating any rules. Greg's computer showed a top speed of 69 mph, but drivers aren't supposed to go over 50 mph. This, combined with last season's accident, caused him to have a target on his back and he sweated out the boss's decision until he got a phone call telling him to take another truck and haul a load north.

Lisa was worried about her own future up in Prudhoe. She had forgotten to fuel up before heading to Fairbanks. She turned around and headed back, but miscalculated how slick the road had gotten. She tried to make the turn off to Prudhoe, but slid into a ditch instead. There was no damage and the plow truck she narrowly avoided helped pull her out. After learning that it was a "non-recordable incident" (always better to come clean to management like she did, though), she was relieved. But her ego took a beating once again. And the pressure of being a woman on the ice road and always trying to do everything perfectly seemed to get to her this week as she took it out a bit on the camera crew. The always smiling and easy-going Lisa covered the camera a couple of times throughout the ditch ordeal. I have to hand it to her, though -- she's in a tough position and she always rises to the challenge. Whenever she makes a mistake, she doesn't give up. She becomes more determined to conquer it. I admire that and I hope she doesn't let this latest mishap dampen her spirit. As we all know, things can change drastically from one second to the next on the Dalton.

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

The Countdown Reaches the Top 10

2010-08-06T09:08:00.000-04:00

We are more than halfway through the summer-long countdown of the Best Episodes of the Season. This week, there are three episodes with some pretty profound moments. You know the kind -- the ones you have to rewind your DVR to watch a few times before what just transpired sinks in. But before we get to them, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in every Friday to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 12-10.

12: "Let's Get it Ahn" - In Plain Sight

This was the momentous episode when we all discovered that the feelings we thought we were crazy for thinking Marshall had for Mary were, in fact, very real. It started with his strange reaction (as in, not happy) to her exciting news about her engagement. Then, Marshall gave Mary back the ring (which, in a very funny side story had gotten stuck on his finger when he tried it on -- don't ask). He looked defeated, disappointed and like someone had just ripped out his heart and stomped all over it. It was as if giving back her ring made the engagement real and sealed their fate as nothing more than partners. Perhaps, that's a reality Marshall wasn't prepared to face. His speech to her at the end was so touching, and I noticed how he couldn't look her in the eye even when he told her that he loved her (he wanted it to come across in a friendly/partner way, but we all knew what he meant -- including Mary). It was pretty shocking! Todd Rundgren's "Torch Song" at the end pretty much summed it up: "I will carry my torch for you" and "When you break somebody's heart." But, we weren't the only ones realizing Marshall's true feelings in this one. Mary definitely began to piece things together when Marshall made that speech. It was actually more of what he didn't say and how that danced across his face when he finished speaking. That sad, defeated, heart-broken look wasn't lost on Mary, and she seemed to have a sad look of her own. Even considering more recent events, though, I'm not sure Mary and Marshall should be anything other than partners. But keeping the possibility alive, that got its start in this stellar outing from last season, doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. Written by David Maples.

11: "The Bishop Revival" - Fringe

This intriguing mystery took us back to WWII and Nazi Germany. But it started in the present at a very happy event that suddenly turned very tragic: a wedding. The groom's family was Jewish -- all descendants of a Holocaust survivor on his father's side. That connection caused all of them to suffocate from the inside out in, to quote Walter, "a room full of air." But only the groom's paternal family perished, meaning someone had specifically targeted them with a very specific toxin. As the case progressed, and another group was targeted (this time those with brown eyes), Walter recognized the signature on the deadly formula: his father's! Apparently, Grandpa Bishop was a Nazi scientist who fled Germany and spied for the Allies. In his research, he hypothesized a formula in which certain traits or types of people could be singled out and killed. But who was using it with modern science and how did he get it? After a false start involving Peter selling his grandfather's old books, the team found the evil mastermind behind the experiments. When they got to the perpetrator's residence, Walter almost succumbed to a trap with a toxin designed to kill him. Thankfully, Olivia's quick thinking saved his life. So, Walter engineered the formula to kill only the killer. What made this episode even more intriguing was the way it didn't wrap up everything at the end. We were left with one very fascinating mystery: Who exactly was the killer? The Holocaust survivor recognized him at the wedding even uttering, "It can't be!" And at the end of the hour, we saw him in one of Walter's old photos of his father. I wonder if there's an Walternate Sr. in the other universe who could provide some answers? After all, this is the show that boasts "endless impossibilities," so you never know! Written by Glen Whitman and Robert Chiappetta and directed by Adam Davidson.

10: "The Last Drive-In"/"Bullet" - Cold Case

There wasn't a single thing wrong with this 2-parter, but there was a lot right about it starting with guest star Susanna Thompson as FBI Agent Diane Yates. I'll admit that Yates was tough to take at first. She pushed her way into PPD's files after sweet-talking Stillman about the good old times. She refused to let any of them know why she was interested in what seemed to be a simple cold case. She hit on Valens after implying that he and Lil were hittin' the sheets. And, she took the lead with her pushy, warm-and-fuzzy style during the interviews. Things changed when Lil did her own research and caught on to Yates's investigation. The two started to morph into teammates instead of opponents and that's when the case blew wide open. A seemingly simple mugging/murder in the park suddenly became the latest incident in a sniper's sick game. Yates had a hunch and she confirmed it with ballistics and then the entire crew was looking into possible victims from the last 20 years. The only thing linking the victims was a connection between a potential suspect and his financial situation. Then things started falling into place, and Lil and Yates went to the Poconos to speak with a witness. In a shocking turn of events, the witness was shot (sniper style) right in front of them as they got out of the car. They entered the suspect's cellar and another shocker unfolded as they found a body and discovered that the dog tags had their suspect's name on them. Cut to the suspect's son hitching a ride with a sniper rifle on a secluded mountain road. In the second hour, things took a more urgent turn when the gang discovered a new victim. It seemed their sniper was starting his killing spree anew -- shooting everyone who wronged him the same way he killed those who wronged his father. Things came to a head when they tracked him down in his basement and Yates had to make a decision: kill an unarmed murderer or slap cuffs on him and let the judicial system decide his fate. Thanks to Lil, she chose the latter. This edge-of-your-seat thrill ride reminded us of everything that was right about this show. Written by Elwood Reid (Part I) and Christopher Silber (Part II) and directed by Chris Fisher (Part I) and John Showalter (Part II). Screencap courtesy KathrynMorrisUK.

So, there's a look #12-10 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment with your thoughts. You can also view previous entries by clicking the "Best Episodes" label below. And be sure to tune in next Friday when PTR reveals the next episodes on the countdown!

When Cougars Attack

2010-08-05T16:08:00.000-04:00

It was Shawn and Gus vs. Lassie and Jules this week on Psych. There is only one word that can describe this match-up: HILARIOUS!! Each team thought their suspect was the killer and each was eager to prove they were right. Well, let's just be honest here: It was really Shawn and Lassie. Gus and Jules were just along for the ride. Shawn and Lassie were hell-bent on beating the other to the real killer. Thankfully, this match-up didn't lead to the huge screw-ups of the Shawn/Jules vs. Gus/Lassie experiment from a few weeks back. But that doesn't mean that this one was any less hilarious. And now, here's a look at some of the best moments in this week's edition of "The Funny, The Funnier and OK, For Real, My Side Just Split" after the jump.

THE FUNNY
Gus feels dejected. After Shawn ropes him into going on a double date with two cougars, Gus has a decidedly not-so-good time. His date doesn't seem too interested. She didn't talk to Gus and seemed annoyed whenever he tried to make conversation with her. He even tried to get her to touch his head. Nothing worked. When the night was coming to a close, Gus attempted to get her to kiss him, but that too, failed. He had no interest in going on the double date, but when his date wasn't attracted to him, his ego took a hit and he made it his mission to get her to like him. Of course, his efforts were all futile, but even learning the truth wasn't enough to nurse his bruised ego. He visited her in jail to find out why she hadn't tried to poison him (after all, even Shawn got "barely" poisoned complete with a hospital stay and IV catheter which caused him to scream like a little girl when his dad ripped it out).

THE FUNNIER
Shawn and Gus's sophisticated dinner. The entire scene was funny, but there was one part in particular that cracked me up. After Gus kept continually striking out with his date, Shawn decided to help out his buddy. He ~~non~~chalantly dropped his napkin. Then, he and Gus went to pick it up and Shawn took the "spontaneous" moment alone with Gus beside the table to tell him that his date likes gardening. He suggested that he ask her something about flowers, but Gus said he didn't know anything about flowers. Shawn pushed him to make conversation about the topic, so Gus blurted out, "So, exactly how old are you?" Shawn smacked the table and they were all thankfully saved by a waiter delivering a bottle of wine.

OK, FOR REAL, MY SIDE JUST SPLIT
Shawn meets his match: the perfect gentleman. Once Shawn settled on a suspect, he paid him a visit. But this suspect was quite the gentleman. In fact, Clive Prescott taught classes on how to be a gentleman to attract a more sophisticated caliber of woman. Shawn being Shawn had to challenge the guy. And before we knew it, he was in a showdown at a bank over the affection of the aforementioned cougar. It seemed, Shawn won the battle, but in the end, he definitely lost the war. It was the little things that made this story line so funny: the thank you notes back and forth ("I said, 'Good day, sir'"), the showdown at dinner, and my favorite hysterical exchange of the night:

Clive Prescott: When was your last successful relationship?
Shawn: Define relationship.
Clive Prescott: "The way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected" or "the state of being connected." Webster.
Shawn: I hardly think Emmanuel Lewis is an authority on relationships.
Clive Prescott: May I ask you a personal question?
Shawn: Sure.
Clive Prescott: Have you ever been tested for idiocy?

Bwhahahahahaha!!

Psych airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. Catch up on this episode and others at hulu.com. And learn more about the awesome-ness that is Shawn and Gus at USA's official site or friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Push 'Truckers'

2010-08-02T16:10:00.000-04:00

Ice Road Truckers certainly hit the mother load this week! I can't believe that I have yet another thing to add to the top of my list of elements that make for the best episodes of this fan-freakin-tastic show (alongside wicked weather and avalanches). It's hard to believe that we keep getting introduced to more challenges on the Dalton. You'd think after a spectacular freshman run last season that we would have seen it all, but this season has been full of surprises and edge-of-your-seat moments. In short, it has been AWESOME!! This week, we witnessed something that was one step beyond "I've seen it all." It was so outrageous, so intense, and so large that I found myself actually getting a stomach ache just watching some of the scenes involving it unfold. So, just what was so awesomely-horribly-terrific? Only the biggest load of the season.

We've seen the loads of pipe with the ability to decapitate its driver if not properly secured. We've seen the sloshing fuel tankers with the instability only liquid brings to push a truck right over the edge of the mountain. We've even seen Jack Jessee haul some ridiculously heavy loads. BUT, we've never seen anything quite like the load this week that required three ice road truckers to get it to the oil fields in Prudhoe Bay. Lisa and Jack were dispatched more than 300 miles south to Anchorage to meet fellow driver Carey. There, they learned that Carey would be hauling a modular building up to Prudhoe to house some of the staff working up there for the winter. Total load weight: more than 209,000 lbs!!! The load was so heavy, that Jack and Lisa were there to help push it up the steep hills of the Dalton in a technique known as "push trucking." The hauler goes first and sets the pace. Then, the first push trucker (armed with a special bumper attachment to absorb some of the shock) hits the hauler and keeps his truck locked onto the hauler's bumper. Finally, the second push trucker hits and locks into the first push trucker's bumper. The force of the two push truckers literally pushes the heavy weight of the hauler up the hill.

So, Carey was off with Jack close behind and Lisa behind Jack. Things went smoothly from Anchorage to Fairbanks, but then the crew had to start the 500-mile journey up the treacherous Dalton. Jack, being the "Dalton Ace" and all, was no new-comer to push trucking, but Lisa had never had the privilege. She was beyond excited, but grew quite nervous as she approached her first challenge: the Rollercoaster. This steep drop intimidates me from the safety of my couch when a normal truck is descending it and then ascending the other side. Lisa needed to shift correctly, lock onto Jack and then maintain speed/RPMs. The push truckers are not allowed to steer their own trucks because the force locking them together makes the lead truck in charge of steering as long as the push trucks maintain their gears and speed. Lisa had previously made a rookie mistake on a smaller hill when she began to steer her truck because she thought it was coming unhooked. This time, she made another rookie mistake. In an effort to shift as quickly as possible, she missed the gear and came unlocked. But if there is one thing about Lisa, it's that she rarely (if ever) makes the same mistake twice. Instead of feeling defeated, she feels determined and she gets it right the next time around. Such was the case this week as well. From that point forward, she was flawless even navigating through the crazy, scary Atigun Pass.

After three days of push trucking, the crew made their way to Prudhoe safely and the modular building got there in one piece. Lisa felt a huge sense of accomplishment for conquering one of the most difficult tasks of her career. In fact, she was disappointed that it was over! Three days of white-knuckle driving and laser-focus had her wanting to do it all over again! This is why I love Lisa.

Meanwhile, Ray spun out on Ice Cut 80 miles south of Prudhoe. He had to get out in -42 degree temperatures to chain-up. But when he got back in his cab, his trailer wheels wouldn't move. He got out again and discovered that his brake valve was frozen shut. He had to get the torch and the hammer to try to unfreeze his brakes. After hours of torching, hammering and sliding down the hill, the frustration took its toll on Ray. He took it out on the camera crew in his cab. Finally, after rolling backwards several times and torching and hammering his brakes for more than 4 hours, he got back on the road. Thankfully, the camera crew escaped as well. And you thought driving was the only dangerous job on the Dalton!

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

The Countdown Dips into the Top 15

2010-07-30T21:00:00.002-04:00

It's time to crack the Top 15 on the summer-long countdown of the Best Episodes of the Season. This week, we focus on a hilarious scene involving a Storm Trooper, a trip to the wild west and a thrilling chase scene. But before we get to them, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in every Friday to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 15-13.

15: "The Rough Patch" - How I Met Your Mother

Picture this: 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 setting a plan into motion that seemed destined to break up the pair: make them relive their four worst fights. Lily 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 she watched the unsuspecting couple from her binoculars. During the hilarious stake-out, Ted couldn't stop pointing out lines from his newly acquired porn collection. Marshall couldn't stop complaining about the station wagon. Alan Thicke couldn't stop complaining about how long it was taking, the pizza guy couldn't quit going on about the sausage pizza, and the "Storm Trooper" just wanted a slice of pizza for crying out loud! So. Freakin'. FUNNY!! Why were Lily, Ted and Marshall bent on breaking up Barney and Robin? Well, ever since B/R became a serious couple, they stopped caring about themselves. They kept diving deeper and deeper into a permanent state of unhappiness. Barney was eating his way through his troubles (special nod to the awesome make-up/costume effects) and Robin wasn't showering. But most of all, both of them were miserable. So, the plan was hatched and the players were put in place to trigger the couple's four biggest fights (dirty dishes, a crazy ex-girlfriend, a Storm Trooper and one simply dubbed "The Canadian/American War"). And while all of the hilarity ensued outside in the stake-out station wagon, Robin and Barney sat inside the restaurant seemingly unaware. Then, they saw their own reflection in the window and neither could believe what they had turned into. That realization triggered them to both admit they were unhappy. When the gang had seen them kissing in the diner (and assumed they were in love and had overcome a simple rough patch), Barney and Robin were breaking up. Or rather, two friends were getting back together. So, it seems, too much awesome-ness does cancel itself out. Written by Chris Harris and directed by Pamela Fryman.

14: "High Noon-ish" - Psych

It's no secret that I have a certain affinity for westerns. I also have a certain affinity for all things Psych, so combining the two in this fantastic episode was pretty much perfection for me. The Bonanza-style music playing over sweeping aerial shots, the "Saddlesore Saloon," the "cowboy" talk, and pretty much every other western staple made this one that much more awesome. And then there was Sheriff Shawn. Those scenes were just plain HILARIOUS! When Lassie walked in and found Sheriff Shawn and Blacksmith Gus sitting around the desk playing poker and speaking "cowboy," I lost it. Shawn really embraced that simpler time when people weren't dependent on electronics ("or living past the age of 40" -Gus) and he got kinda used to the whole sheriff thing. Loved his shoot out at the "Saddlesore Saloon," his "New sheriff in town" speech, his ride on horseback two feet down the road to the saloon and his pointing to his sheriff's star at the end when his authority was questioned. But, the best was saved for last as Shawn and Gus fell into the mine shaft. Their little girl whimpering upon landing on a pile of rocks was funny, but the ensuing coccyx bone discussion was a whole new level of hilarity. Shawn, who previously thought that a Ponzi scheme had something to do with The Fonz, didn't understand that the coccyx bone is the proper name for the tail bone and not another part of the (male) anatomy. This made references to rubbing lotion on the coccyx and massaging the coccyx and so on and so forth absolutely HILARIOUS! If there was ever a side-splitting moment, this was it. Classic Shawn and Gus! Written by Kell Cahoon and directed by Mel Damski.

13: "Waivers of Extradition" - The Closer

This fifth season finale did not disappoint. And, as PTR Senior Staff Writer LillyKat wrote last summer, neither did director Kevin Bacon. "Two words: Kevin Bacon. For three seasons, he's directed at least one episode of The Closer. For three seasons, he's never disappointed. This episode was the first time we've seen him direct a finale, and I can still say there's something amazingly perfect about his episodes. For me, he has a way of creating a certain kinetic energy with the camera. It's constantly moving, constantly generating curiosity, suspense, action and perfect-pitch pauses of reflection all at once. He doesn't show you everything; he lets you guess at what's coming, then delivers it in a way that makes you think for a moment. Or two. Or three. Whether it was the truck pursuit sequence (THAT was fun to watch); or, the chilling confession Brenda gets from the serial killer (listening in punctuated silence nearly sick to her stomach, the underscore mimicking a girl's feint scream, placing each victim's personal item on the map to indicate where the murder took place ... GENIUS!); or, the tender stillness between BJ and Charlie when she has to force Charlie to return to Atlanta even though BJ does (at least IMHO) seem to want her to stay ... all of these moments lead me to continue to say that Kevin Bacon-helmed episodes consistently stand out. The way he chooses to set-up his shots, what he gets from the actors, how it packages it together doesn't seem procedural. It's original. Different. Clever." I couldn't agree more. That truck chase scene alone was worth the price of admission, but it was Brenda's emotional and disturbing interrogation that put this one on the list this year. Written by Adam Belanoff and directed by Kevin Bacon. (HUGE thanks to LillyKat for allowing me to borrow from her fabulous write-up).

So, there's a look #15-13 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment with your thoughts. You can also view previous entries by clicking the "Best Episodes" label below. And be sure to tune in next Friday when PTR cracks the Top 10!

(Not So) Close Encounters

2010-07-29T17:24:00.001-04:00

Was I the only one humming The X-Files theme song during the opening scenes of this week's episode of Psych? I was literally humming it out loud while the lawyer and his associate were outside the house shielding their eyes from the bright light of the "UFO" hovering over them. Maybe it's just me, but I thought this was one of the coolest, funniest episodes of the series! Everything about it was so incredibly well-done and the interaction between Shawn and Gus was even more hilarious than usual. Throw in an intriguing alien story and a surprise ending for Shawn and Gus's high school friend Dennis, and you get one heckuva hour! And now, here's a look at some of the best moments in this week's edition of "The Funny, The Funnier and OK, For Real, My Side Just Split" after the jump.

THE FUNNY
Shawn and Gus fight the urge to invoke aliens. Or rather, Shawn fought the urge while Gus went all in on the alien abduction theory even after the presumed abductee showed up claiming he had been at home with his cell turned off. Gus really, really, REALLY wanted this case to be an alien abduction, but Shawn fought the propensity to involve their childhood obsession. It was a bit of a role reversal with Shawn playing the voice of reason to Gus's out there theories, but that just made it more fun. Add a little Freddie Prinze, Jr. as a geek-turned-jock hiding a secret (and hidden lair) from his drop-dead gorgeous jock-obsessed wife, and things turned from funny to funnier.

THE FUNNIER
Shawn and Gus raid Dennis's secret lair. What in the world, other than their inner geek-selves, possessed these two to wear the Battlestar Galactica helmut and Star Trek sunglasses out in public while they were spying on the associate lawyer (sidebar: how funny was it that someone asked for Gus's autograph? Can't say I blame her, though)?? Nope, no one was going to notice them like that! After the lawyer spotted them, freaked out, and ran, the two quickly discovered that their borrowed geek wear was not made for running. Shawn broke the helmut and Gus couldn't see a thing! But hey, at least they looked Geektastic in the process!

OK, FOR REAL, MY SIDE JUST SPLIT
Shawn looks like K.D. Lang. As if it wasn't funny enough that the show cut from Shawn and Gus discussing telling Roy that he did witness an abduction and to keep it on the QT to the story leading the evening news with a picture of "Shawn Spencer and Gurton Buster," but then, they went for the money part. In the photo, Shawn looked a little "off." He noticed it immediately and declared that he looked liked K.D. Lang. If I had had liquid in my mouth, it would have been all over my couch and coffee table. I absolutely lost it! It was that freakin' funny. This led to Shawn later asking his dad if his picture on the news made him think about Shawn singing "Constant Craving" and then jokes about Lilith Fair. It was classic Psych and so funny that it's actually still funny today. Good stuff.

Psych airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. Catch up on this episode and others at hulu.com. And learn more about the awesome-ness that is Shawn and Gus at USA's official site or friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

'Bones' At Comic-Con

2010-07-27T09:08:00.002-04:00

Bones at Comic-Con (from L to R: creator Hart Hanson, Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz. Photo: Fox)

Bones stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz joined showrunner Hart Hanson at the annual Comic-Con event in San Diego last week. The trio took questions, chatted with the press and signed autographs for fans during a meet and greet session. They didn't spill too many season 6 secrets, but they did set the scene for the dynamic between Booth and Bones when the season starts up in September. As you'll recall, the pair had parted ways for a year to pursue other interests -- he was going to train soldiers in Afghanistan and she was participating in an important find in Indonesia. They promised to meet at their spot on the Washington Mall in one year. We were left wondering if the pair's absence would make their hearts grow fonder or tear them further apart. Find out what's in store for these two after the jump (WARNING: SPOILERS CAN BE FOUND AFTER THE JUMP).

The three revealed that Booth is not returning from Afghanistan solo. While training the troops, he meets a war correspondent and that leaves Brennan feeling a little jealous according to Deschanel. "The time apart may have given me some time to reflect and consider that I might have made a mistake when I said no to getting together when he put his heart out there," Emily spills. "But now he's got this girl, so it causes a little conflict," she tells E! Online's Watch with Kristin. But Boreanaz says not to worry. "We'll see how that builds as far as what it does to our [Booth and Brennan's] relationship. I can say honestly I don't think it's going to do much to the relationship. It'll challenge it. It might make her a little jealous," he teases. For more on Bones at Comic-Con visit Watch with Kristin. You can watch the entire panel appearance at Emily Deschanel Fan. Here are a couple more photos from the event:

Stars Deschanel & Boreanaz and creator Hanson take questions (Photo: Fox)

Star Deschanel signs autographs during the meet & greet (Photo: Fox)

Bones returns this September on Fox.

Avalanche 'Road'

2010-07-26T16:02:00.000-04:00

For those of us who do not live in avalanche danger zones, it's easy to underestimate their tremendous, deadly power. Recently, I took a fabulous vacation to Montana. During my stay, I learned all about the scary process of trying to ski the bowls at the top of the state's mighty mountains. I heard about testing the snow before skiing down and the thought of it made me shiver and question whether I'd want to go back in the winter and ski one (and I love to ski!). The folks on the Dalton Highway don't have much of a choice. If they want to stay employed, they have to travel through Atigun Pass where the threat of avalanches always looms. Luckily, there are good people like Reid Bahnson out there to prevent as many tragic avalanches as possible. This week, however, he was a little too close to the action, and one of the drivers was a little too close to becoming another white cross on the side of the road.

Ever since the huge avalanche of 1993, the Alaska DOT has worked to prevent as many tragedies as possible. Employees such as Reid go out there and test the conditions to make sure no truckers are caught in Atigun when the snow begins to tumble down at breakneck speeds. This week, Reid knew the conditions were right for some big avalanches. He was planning on taking his crew up there the next morning to shoot the canons. He warned as many drivers as possible -- some decided to stop in Coldfoot overnight and some decided to take their chances and push on. Rookie Ray was in the latter category which was especially surprising given his son's ominous warning. He had dreamt about his dad having an accident and cautioned him to be careful of bridges and left turns -- both of which are found in Atigun. He crossed the Pass in the pitch black and gave a sigh of relief after he made it safely past each slide shoot marker. But then he thought he heard a weird noise and we were left wondering while the show took a commercial break if he had become a victim of an avalanche. Thankfully, he made it through safe and sound and continued on to Prudhoe safely as well.

That same night, Reid went out to check the Pass around 3 a.m. and came upon a line of stopped trucks. He knew something was amiss. When he got to the front of the truck line, he saw deep snow covering the road -- the remnants of an avalanche. Luckily, no one had been traveling through that slide shoot when the snow came tumbling down. Although, Ray had traveled through there missing the avalanche by mere hours. Reid called in the heavy equipment to get the road cleared as quickly as possible. The next morning, he drove further into the Pass and got out of his truck to check the conditions. But before he could climb up and perform his tests, a loud roar came from higher up the mountain. Reid yelled for the camera crew to back up as he ran for his life away from the falling snow. Thankfully, everyone was fine. Another bullet dodged! After watching this one, I may have to put "avalanche episodes" on the top of the intensity list above "wicked weather." That was IN-SANE!

Back in Fairbanks, Lisa was sidelined with a broken truck. She was forced to wait for repairs causing her to miss another couple of days of work (after missing two for the citations and health exam). On the plus side, she missed the avalanches and learned more about her truck. On the not-so-plus side, she fell behind in the "Dash for the Cash." Next week, it looks like she more than makes up for it with the largest load of the season! Can't wait!

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

The Countdown Continues

2010-07-23T08:48:00.001-04:00

So far, the summer-long countdown of the Best Episodes of the Season has showcased thrills and emotionally-charged moments, but this week, things are taking a more profound turn. These episodes certainly gave us something to think about well after the closing credits. But before we get to them, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in every Friday to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 18-16.

18: "Solace" - Parenthood

Sometimes one scene can make an entire episode. And that scene can be so powerful that it lands the episode on this list. Such was the case with this entry on the Countdown. Of course, this being Parenthood, the entire hour was awesome, but there was one scene in particular that made this episode stand out from the rest. It dealt with a mother and her daughter and a realization after relating an event that had happened earlier in the evening. In a bit of a role reversal, Sarah stayed up waiting for her mom to come home from an evening out at the art show with her charismatic instructor. After learning about her husband’s bad investment and revealing to Sarah that her father had had an affair, Camille was feeling a little sad and welcomed the attention her intriguing art teacher was giving her. They left Sarah at the first art show and headed off on their own. When she returned home hours later to her waiting daughter, she told her about the rest of her evening. She relayed the story matter-of-factly, but when she got to the part where she slept with her art instructor, the weight of the fleeting act fell on her like a ton of bricks. It overcame her and she realized what she had done and what it meant. It was heartbreaking. It was raw. And, it’s what made this episode so darn good! Written by Jeff Greenstein and directed by Ken Whittingham.

17: "Years of Service" - Nurse Jackie

It’s difficult to pull out episodes of this show to put on the countdown because it’s the overarching stories that make it so good. Every episode is a piece of the awesome-ness that is the whole. Having said that, this season’s ender had that extra something that made it a standout on its own. Part of the brilliance of Nurse Jackie is the way it makes you uncomfortable rooting for its title character. Let’s not mince words – she’s a drug addict and we tend not to root for drug addicts. Yet, we end up rooting for Jackie, and in some cases, we even root for her NOT to get caught. Yeah, it’s messed up, but that’s what makes the series so beautifully complicated. Still, there was something poignant and unnerving about Kevin and Dr. O’Hara confronting Jackie at the end. The truth is, she needs to be caught and now that she has been, she doesn’t seem quite ready to face facts. And this was after a super scary drug dealer shook her down in the hallway of All Saints for stealing his very expensive stash of prescription meds! Coop provided his usual unintentional dose of laughs with his plight to get another nurse fired (this time because he punched Coop for sleeping with his girlfriend). And then there were the sweet moments between Zoey and her new beau. He brought her duck sauce (LOTS of duck sauce) and she gave him a pocket watch that reminded her of him. Basically, this one had something for everyone and then some. And let us not forget that quintessential Jackie moment at the very end after being confronted… you know the one where she looked in the mirror and called herself a drug addict and then proceeded to laugh. Just another perfectly uncomfortable moment that makes this show one of TV’s best. Written by Liz Brixius and Linda Wallem and directed by Paul Feig.

16: "Time Keeps Slipping" - Medium

The folks at Medium have discovered a hidden gem and they wasted no time this season allowing her to shine. That gem is young actress Sofia Vassilieva who plays the multi-dimensional Ariel DuBois. Ariel could have been another typical troubled TV teen, but the writers decided to dig deeper and Vassilieva has been running with it and amazing me week after week. Her best work came during this intriguing and engaging hour that found Ariel losing time as she jumped to different points in her future. Imagine being in school one moment and then at a murder scene the next and then working at the school as a teacher the next… it would feel a bit discombobulating to say the least. But the real shocker was when Ariel got a ride home to a house she didn’t recognize with a husband she didn’t know and a young girl calling her “Mom.” She had no memory of any of the events in between these jumps, and her family (including her mom) couldn’t understand why she was acting like a stranger. Even the simple acts of kissing her husband and tucking her daughter in for bed felt foreign and uncomfortable. Of course, this being Medium, things were not as they seemed. This made waking up to find that she was still a kid and living with her family all that much bigger of a relief, and left us happy we got to go along for the ride. Written by Robert Doherty and Heather Mitchell and directed by series star Miguel Sandoval.

So, there's a look #18-16 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment with your thoughts. You can also view previous entries by clicking the "Best Episodes" label below. And be sure to tune in next Friday when PTR breaks into the Top 15!

Happy Feet

2010-07-22T17:07:00.000-04:00

As much as I LOVE Shawn and Gus working together on Psych, I have to admit, this week's switch-up was HI-LARIOUS! Those four where so concerned with beating each other that they practically blew the entire case. At one point, they actually did blow the entire case! While Jules was focusing on catching a murderer, Shawn was distracted with beating Gus. And then, all four of them were consumed with the prospect of being the first team to solve the case. What they failed to realize is that it's the four of them working together as a team that solves the cases each week. So for the sake of the fine residents of Santa Barbara, I'm glad this little partner swap experiment ran its course by the end of the hour. In the meantime, it served for so many funny moments. And now, here's a look at some of those funny moments in this week's edition of "The Funny, The Funnier and OK, For Real, My Side Just Split" after the jump.

THE FUNNY
Both teams show up at the suspect's house. In their competitive game of one-up-man-ship, Shawn and Jules arrived at the suspect's home as the same time as Gus and Lassie. But, Lassie and Gus gained the edge because they got there a second later and used their tardiness to their advantage. They pulled their cruiser closer to the house and blocked in Shawn and Jules. They then proceeded to argue over the parking situation while the suspect drove his SUV through a wall and took off without either team on his tale. Thanks to their hilarious competition, the suspect got away and the four of them got quite the reprimand from Henry. The rest of us got quite the laugh!

THE FUNNIER
Lassie tap dances. It started out as an assignment to appease his therapist, but by the end of the hour, Lassie was a tap dancing fool! After Gus taught him some basic steps, Lassie realized that dancing allowed him to clear his mind. Clearing his mind led to him discovering details of the case that he had missed the first time. So, Gus closed the blinds and got Lassie tapping when he needed a new direction to give him the advantage over Shawn. It worked, so Lassie started tapping on his own in front of everyone else in order to see the case more clearly. But the funniest moment came at the end when an extremely talented Gus finished his dancing duet. The curtain opened and Lassie was front and center doing his tapping thing with the rest of the tappers at his level: kids!! And better yet, all that tapping had him declaring that he knew the identity of the East Side Strangler!

OK, FOR REAL, MY SIDE JUST SPLIT
Gus decides when "it's on." After Shawn found out that Gus was working with Lassie behind his back, he made the mistake of saying that Gus isn't able to solve a case without him. Gus took it as a challenge and declared that it was "on." Shawn didn't want to play along, but soon the two of them were engaged in a competition. Gus then declared "it off" because only he can decide when something is "on." He got into the car with Lassie and attempted to buckle his seatbelt. He pulled and pulled, but the stupid thing kept locking up. Finally, he took a slower approach and the seatbelt finally stretched out of its holder and into the buckle. Then, without skipping a beat, Gus officially declared, "Now, it's ON!" Hahahaha! It seems someone finally beat Shawn at his own game.

Psych airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. Catch up on this episode and others at hulu.com. And learn more about the awesome-ness that is Shawn and Gus at USA's official site or friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the 'Ice Road'

2010-07-19T16:29:00.000-04:00

No one can deny that Alex Debogorski is a nice guy. He's the type who would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it and I love him for that, but this week, he might have been a little too nice. I remember my dad hitchhiking after our family car broke down when I was very young, but that was 20 + years ago, and let's face it, the world is a different place. Thankfully, his hitchhiker was a bit strange, but harmless. After that entire bizarre exchange, I was left wondering just one little thing: Why in the world was he hitchhiking on the Dalton in 55-below temperatures??!! Yikes! The hitchhiker incident wasn't the only strange occurrence in this week's episode, though. In fact, the entire hour was a different sort of outing all together. But there was one part that was more cool than strange and it had nothing to do with hitchhikers.

The treacherous Dalton Highway winds its way through the stunning mountains of the Brooks Range as it heads north into the Arctic Circle ending at Prudhoe Bay. The infamous Atigun Pass is over 4600 feet in elevation and more often than not, proves to be a difficult foe for more than one truck driver. But there is one element of the Pass that we have not had to encounter in the two seasons since the show moved to the Alaskan haul road: AVALANCHES! The mighty (and extremely dangerous) force of nature has been a non-player, and more than likely, that's thanks to an avalanche technician by the name of Reid Bahnson with the Alaska Department of Transportation. We watched him test the snow last week, but this week we got to see him do the coolest part of his job. He and his crew took some canons up to the Pass, closed it down to traffic, and shot the canons at the mountains to cause the snow to slide down in a controlled action. The idea is to do this periodically so the snow doesn't pile up and eventually buckle under the heavy weight and tumble down the hillside into the road taking whatever objects are in its path (including picking up multi-ton big rigs like they're toys). It was so much fun to watch Reid blast that snow! I even contemplated a career change until the little graphic popped up and reminded me that it was -55 degrees out!

Meanwhile, Lisa spent most of the episode sidelined thanks to some DOT violations and an about-to-expire health card. On her way back to Fairbanks, she was hoping to get another load and get back on the road after falling behind thanks to last week's wicked weather. Apparently, the state DOT had a different idea in mind. She stopped at the weigh station, but had to undergo a full inspection since she hadn't had one in 2 months. The inspector found a missing hazard triangle, straps that were too far apart and a few other minor violations. When it was all said in done, she had a $160 citation and an appointment at the local health center for her routine physical. After paying her fine and getting a clean bill of health, she was finally ready get back on the road and start making money to pay for the day's unexpected expenditures.

Hugh was busy dealing with some hostilities from his fellow drivers. Apparently, there's some resentment on the Dalton for those who come over from Canada. The American drivers see it as the Canadiens stealing their jobs, and in a tougher economy, the tension seems to have risen. He received some nasty radio chatter that had him feeling a little hot under the collar. Of course, that changed when he found out that rival (and fellow Canadian) Alex was having some problems of the mechanical kind. Alex made it to Coldfoot, but switched his load with a Fairbanks-bound driver because he wanted to get the steering wheel in his rig checked. This left him grounded in Fairbanks for the time being. Elsewhere, rookie Ray reached Prudhoe and got some good news. He was assigned a load that was bound for the river ice and the native village of Nuiqsut. He was a bit nervous to drive on the slick ice, but made it to the village without any problems. And speaking of remote villages, Merv was finally able to get across the frozen river to bring much-needed fuel and supplies to the town of Bettles! Jack Jesse was busy dealing with a rookie pilot driver as he hauled another oversized load to Deadhorse. The rookie made a big mistake when she radioed on the wrong frequency, but overall, it seemed that she got the thumbs up for the Dalton Ace. This episode may have been less intense than others, but it looks like it was merely the calm before the storm. Next week looks INTENSE!

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

Birthday Wishes

2010-07-18T10:15:00.000-04:00

PTR Fave Kristen Bell celebrates a birthday today!

Happy Birthday Kristen!!

Your Friends at PTR

For her 30th birthday this year, Kristen is asking everyone to donate to MyCharity:Water. All donations will fund clean water projects in developing nations. Kristen writes, "45,000 people will die this week alone from contaminated water illnesses. Y’ALL, LETS GET OFF OUR HINEYS AND FIX THIS. Please help me get to my goal of 100K and let’s have a clean water toast." To make a donation for Kristen's 30th birthday, visit MyCharity:Water.org. And be sure to check out Kristen on the big screen this fall in her new comedy You Again.

The Countdown Intensifies

2010-07-16T08:47:00.002-04:00

This week, the summer-long countdown of the Best Episodes of the Season cracks the Top 20 with more fabulous outings. But before we get to them, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in every Friday to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 21-19.

21: "Perverted" - Law & Order: SVU

When this episode started with Olivia at home with the flu, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Then, her vintage Mustang showed up on a list of vehicles matching the description/license plate of the murder suspect’s vehicle and I was thrown for a complete loop. But, I was also totally enthralled from that point forward. I knew Olivia didn’t, nay couldn’t, have killed the badass biker, but I never imagined how the show was going to write itself out of her DNA (from her blood) being found on the murder weapon. Maybe the test was wrong. Maybe samples got switched. Maybe Liv was drugged and unaware when the real murderer borrowed some of her blood. Each explanation seemed more ridiculous, but I just couldn’t imagine how someone managed to murder the biker and put Olivia’s blood on the knife when Liv had no wounds on her body. The answer, it turns out, was beyond the usual forensics crime drama vernacular. Someone had discovered a way to take a person’s DNA and plant it in a DNA-neutral blood sample. Suddenly, the new solve-all in modern crime solving (or at least on crime shows) was being used against those who rely on it the most. Imagine the implications if this technology were to come true. Let’s just hope it doesn’t and leave it at that. This episode raised questions, solidified the strong bond between partners Benson and Stabler and twisted into a knot everything we thought we knew about DNA. And wrapping Olivia up in the middle of it: Brilliant! Written by Dawn DeNoon and directed by David Platt.

20: "The Proof in the Pudding" - Bones

This episode was very risky. It took on one of this country's greatest mysteries -- one of our most tragic moments, and perhaps, the incident most cloaked in conspiracies and secrets: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. They presented both sides of the argument, they drew some interesting conclusions and they left us with almost as many questions as the assassination itself. But, taking on something as huge as the Kennedy assassination deserves an ending with as much intrigue as the real tragic incident. The Jeffersonian was charged with investigating mysterious remains. These remains certainly seemed to be those of President Kennedy, but the agency who sent them could have used someone of similar stature who died around the same time and recreated Kennedy's wounds to test the folks at the Jeffersonian. Perhaps, they did want to see if modern forensics are able to ascertain the truth to the assassination. Maybe it was all just to test one or more members of the team. Hard to say. The important thing with this case was Booth's connection to it. He didn't want to think that his government could lie about Kennedy because that might lead him to believe that they lied about the people he killed as an Army sniper. He wanted to trust it and the work that he did for it. Once Bones understood where he was coming from, she let him have this one. There was no way to know for sure who the bones belonged to, so she let the benefit of the doubt stand as the truth in order to give Booth back his sense of faith in the government. So, just whose bones were those at the Jeffersonian? And who were the mysterious "men in black?" Why was the team investigating the cause of death of the individual on the table? None of it was clear at the end, but honestly, I wouldn't have liked it any other way. Written by Bob Harris and Emile Levisetti.

19: "Arctic Ice" - Ice Road Truckers

Lisa is surprisingly strong for her small stature and she can lug chains, tighten straps and haul the big loads right along with the boys. But, this outstanding episode focused on her goal to become one of the Dalton elite: A heavy-haul driver. She had a load of 80-foot pipe bound for somewhere even more remote than Deadhorse. It had a one-way ticket for the oil rigs out in the Arctic Ocean, which meant harrowing miles across the frozen ocean over sea ice. A trek so dangerous, drivers have to maintain the 10 mph speed limit in order to keep themselves from compromising the ice, and ultimately, falling through into the ice-cold waters below. Instantly, Lisa noticed the wave-like feeling as she edged out onto the frozen ocean. But have no fear, the narrator (executive producer Thom Beers) informed us, "The wave-like motion is the weight of the truck making the ice sag and stretch." Sag and stretch??!! Not the words you want to hear while driving a multi-ton vehicle over ice. But, she did get to cross "driving across the frozen Arctic Ocean" off of her "bucket list." She excitedly exclaimed, "Put a big ol' fat red check mark next to it." And then there was the seemingly innocent concept of going "barefoot." First-year driver Tim had to drive back to Fairbanks "barefoot." This kind of barefoot refers to driving on snow and ice down steep hills without chains to help you gain traction. Then after starting his next load, he had a few scares when his truck lost traction with the ice and his steering became almost impossible. It looked liked he was going off the road, but luckily, he was able to regain control and steer his truck safely away from the snowy banks and steep edges. Yup, I love me some IRT!!

So, there's a look #21-19 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment with your thoughts. You can also view previous entries by clicking the "Best Episodes" label below. And be sure to tune in next Friday when PTR reveals the next entries on the countdown!

Heavy Hauls & Close Calls

2010-07-12T17:43:00.000-04:00

Next to wicked weather, my second favorite type of episodes of Ice Road Truckers are the ones where Lisa gets heavy hauls. The oversized loads give her cred and help her build up her resume as one of the most dependable drivers on the Dalton. Plus, she just gets so darn excited about getting the confidence-building assignments! With heavy hauls, virtually everything becomes a difficult obstacle and that's before the truck even leaves the town of Fairbanks. Plus, heavy hauls lead to some of the most intense non-weather moments on the show. This week, however, the scariest and biggest edge-of-your-seat scene was courtesy of a very surprising source.

Jack Jesse had a relatively routine load of diesel fuel that he had to get to the remote native village of Nuiqsut. They were running dangerously low and had been waiting for the river to freeze enough to safely support a heavy truck loaded down with heavy diesel fuel. So, Jack was off on his way to Deadhorse and then across the river ice to Nuiqsut. Things were going along just fine until he started ascending Atigun Pass. As he was climbing the steep 4800-foot mountain, we were getting a lesson on the danger of diesel loads. And then, as if on cue, the hypothetical danger started to become a reality. The problem with the liquid load is its constant state of movement. It sloshes around as the truck travels, but becomes especially hazardous during an incline. The fuel sloshes back and forth and the motion can throw a trucker off the side of the pass if he/she isn't experienced enough to compensate for the movement. Of course, Jack is very experienced, so no worries. Yeah, not quite. As he was climbing the hill, his tires lost traction and the slipping caused the fuel to rock in the tank. The truck veered toward the edge of the road and all but went off the side. Jack "Dalton Ace" Jesse was worried. You know things are about to go seriously wrong when something rattles him. Thankfully his cool, calm demeanor kept the situation under control and the truck stayed on the road. Later, he had to stop on the river ice after blowing snow conditions made travel near impossible. He hoped the conditions would get better, but after sitting still over bowing ice for too long, he decided to press on despite the worsening blowing snow. He went to Nuiqsut and got there safely with the much-needed fuel.

Meanwhile, Lisa got an extra wide/extra-extra tall load to haul to Prudhoe. Things got hairy as she navigated through the city streets of Fairbanks and came this close to not clearing a traffic light pole overhead. Seriously, the side view of that clearance was unbelievable! After encountering a fast-moving truck who got a little too close for comfort, she seemed to be home free. The drive was going along uneventfully, and she was closing in on Prudhoe when she faced a new obstacle: the local law enforcement. Apparently, North Slope police do more than issue speeding tickets. They also pull over truckers randomly to make sure their log books and paperwork are in compliance. Lisa saw the cop pull out after she passed, and she knew she was about to get a spot check. She was concerned, but the cop drove right by her pulled-over rig. She breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into Prudhoe and set a new goal for herself this season: to not get pulled over by the cops!

Alex and Hugh kicked their rivalry into high gear as they pulled out of Fairbanks within a few hours of each other. Alex got the jump, but Hugh planned to pass his rival in Coldfoot. He figured Alex would sleep in and this would allow Hugh to get up early and on the Dalton before Alex even knew he had been in Coldfoot. Hugh purposely parked his truck close to Alex's to block him in so he couldn't beat him out of Coldfoot the next morning. But Alex found a way to get his truck out anyway -- by hitting the mirror on the SUV parked near him! Don't worry, though, he left a note (or at least he started to until the driver came out and told him not to worry about it since his other mirror was already broken). Hugh woke up to find a broken mirror and no Alex. After having a good chuckle at his frienemy's driving skills, he got on the road. He eventually caught Alex just outside Prudhoe, but took advantage of Alex's wrong turn and beat him with the off-load.

Ray got an emergency load at 11 o'clock at night and headed north. He began to get a bit sleepy and then he made a huge Dalton mistake: he took his eyes off the road for a split second. In that split second, his truck started to go off the road and tragedy seemed inevitable. He managed to miss becoming another statistic by the skin of his teeth. Just another close call on the craziest road on TV! Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. To catch up on this season, click on over to History.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

The Countdown Gets Moving

2010-07-09T09:08:00.002-04:00

Last week, PTR kicked off the summer-long countdown of the Best Episodes of the Season with FOUR great episodes. This week, we're back to the countdown's usual 3 episodes/week format and we have three fabulous outings that moved us (almost to tears at times). But before we get to them, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in every Friday to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 24-22.

24: "The Beginning in the End" - Bones

The title of this season ender says it all -- at least that's what I kept telling myself over and over again as I watched that heart-wrenching final scene between Booth and Bones. Brennan wanted to be a part of the anthropological find in Indonesia. She was excited, distracted and longing to be a part of history, but she wasn't exactly packing her bags. Then, she found out about Booth's offer to train soldiers in Afghanistan for a year. Daisy may be annoying, but she was right when she suggested that they were holding each other back. Once Booth thought that Bones was definitely going to Indonesia, he decided to go to Afghanistan. And when Bones heard that Booth had decided to go to Afghanistan, she decided to go to Indonesia. I do not believe that either of them took the jobs to get away from their FBI/Jeffersonian work. Sure, Brennan wants to be a part of that find, but she decided to go because she needed to get away from Booth. She said as much herself when she told Angela that she needed to take a step back and re-evaluate her life objectively again. She has feelings for Booth -- the same that he has for her -- but she's too scared to pursue them. Maybe she's hoping that their year apart will allow her time to get over those feelings and go back to working with Booth as a partner. Booth, on the other hand, knows what he wants -- he just can't have her. Perhaps, he hopes the distance will help him get over her. Hopefully, Brennan will realize something while she's away from Booth: her feelings aren't going anywhere. This is why this separation could be a very good thing for these two. That reunion on the reflecting pool in one year is going to be one hell of a scene! And hopefully, a lot less heart-wrenching than the final scene of this stellar finale. Written by executive producers Stephen Nathan and Hart Hanson and directed by Ian Toynton.

23: "Laryngitis" - Glee

Could they have packed any more awesome moments into a single episode? Rachel's story with the former football player paralyzed from the chest down was incredibly moving. I feel pretty confident declaring the scene at the end between them one of the most moving scenes ever. In the span of a single episode, this show managed to make me laugh out loud and blink away tears so I could see without the blurry glow that tear-filled eyes bring. In general, Rachel Berry is a tough character for me. I want to like her and I want to hate her. The show won't let me do either exclusively, so I wind up fluctuating between "like a lot" and "annoyed a lot." Maybe I just like to see the good in everyone, but I've always felt that underneath all that selfishness, arrogance, perfection, obsession and high- and- mighty- holier- than- thou attitude was a good person. A bit misguided, but still good... somewhere... buried deep. At first, things were going along in typical Rachel fashion. For her project, she chose Miley Cyrus's "The Climb" and declared that the song described her current self because the rest of glee club was the big obstacle in her way. Then, she lost her singing voice and became obsessed with what would happen if she never got it back. But then, something magical happened. Something out of character and wonderful. Rachel Berry's heart grew. She began to feel something... for SOMEONE ELSE!! I know! I could barely believe it either, but it happened. She met someone who had lost a lot more than his voice. He lost his body, and in the process, found his voice. Their duet at the end to U2's "One" was brilliant, sob-inducing and poignant. Written by executive producer Ryan Murphy and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.

22: "August" - Fringe

For the better part of the last couple of seasons, we have wondered about the man we only know as The Observer. He is often seen, but hardly ever heard. We learned previously that he is really several men -- all dressed the same, all with the bald head and fedora and all observing time. One of those men, simply known as August, went from observing to participating. And that's when the trouble started. He had been observing Christine Hollis since she was a little girl. He was supposed to observe her losing her life in a tragic plane crash off the coast of Italy, but instead, he kidnapped her (preventing her from getting on the plane). He interfered with fate -- something that the Observers are not suppose to do unless the person is "important." So, the other Observers decided to correct August's wrong and ordered a hit on Christine. August turned to Walter who told him to "make Christine important," so he made her responsible for the death of one of the observers. Why did August go to so much trouble to save this one girl's life? Because somewhere along the way, The Observer went from observing his subjects to becoming like them. He became human. He fell in love. It was a moving journey that asked an important question: What does it mean to be human? Certainly, the Observers look the part (even if they are a bit strange in their appearance), but are they human? They travel through time, or in their world, time is merely a series of events all taking place congruently. They observe without interfering (unless warranted) and prior to August's actions, never show an ounce of emotion along the way. And yet, one of them began to feel: one of the most basic of human elements. At the end, the Observers reminded us once again of their purpose: they watched as Olivia enjoyed a day off with her niece. In seeing her joy, they remarked that it's a shame that things are about to get so difficult for her. An ominous warning that proved true in subsequent episodes. Written by Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman and directed by Dennis Smith.

So, there's a look #24-22 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment with your thoughts. You can also view previous entries by clicking the "Best Episodes" label below. And be sure to tune in next Friday when the countdown cracks the Top 20!

BREAKING NEWS: Emmy Noms Announced

2010-07-08T10:48:00.001-04:00

I know what you're thinking, "But PTR, you don't cover the Emmys. You have a long-standing boycott of these predictable TV awards." And while you are absolutely correct, I am officially ending the boycott this year. Why, you ask? Because the reason for the boycott has been broken. Long-time readers will remember that I stopped covering the awards because of their continued egregious snub of Friday Night Lights. And while the show still didn't get a best drama nod, its two stars Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton finally got best actor/actress nominations!! I know, I couldn't believe it either. In fact, I re-read the story just to be sure. Overall, Glee received the most nominations with 19 followed by Mad Men with 17. HBO led the pack with 101 total nods. New series The Good Wife and Modern Men also received nominations. To see the complete list of the main nominees, keep reading after the jump.

From The Futon Critic:

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory · CBS · Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper
Curb Your Enthusiasm · HBO · Larry David as Himself
Glee · FOX · Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester
Monk · USA · Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk
The Office · NBC · Steve Carell as Michael Scott
30 Rock · NBC · Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Breaking Bad · AMC · Bryan Cranston as Walter White
Dexter · Showtime · Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan
Friday Night Lights · DirecTV · Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor
House · FOX · Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House
Lost · ABC · Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard
Mad Men · AMC · Jon Hamm as Don Draper

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Glee · FOX · Lea Michele as Rachel Berry
The New Adventures Of Old Christine · CBS · Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell
Nurse Jackie · Showtime · Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton
Parks And Recreation · NBC · Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope
30 Rock · NBC · Tina Fey as Liz Lemon
United States Of Tara · Showtime · Toni Collette as Tara Gregson

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
The Closer · TNT · Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson
Damages · FX Networks · Glenn Close as Patty Hewes
Friday Night Lights · DirecTV · Connie Britton as Tami Taylor
The Good Wife · CBS · Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit · NBC · Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson
Mad Men · AMC · January Jones as Betty Draper

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Glee · FOX · Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel
How I Met Your Mother · CBS · Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson
Modern Family · ABC · Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell
Modern Family · ABC · Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker
Modern Family · ABC · Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy
Two And A Half Men · CBS · Jon Cryer as Alan Harper

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Breaking Bad · AMC · Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman
Damages · FX Networks · Martin Short as Leonard Winstone
Lost · ABC · Terry O'Quinn as John Locke
Lost · ABC · Michael Emerson as Ben Linus
Mad Men · AMC · John Slattery as Roger Sterling
Men Of A Certain Age · TNT · Andre Braugher as Owen

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Glee · FOX · Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester
Modern Family · ABC · Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy
Modern Family · ABC · Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
Saturday Night Live · NBC · Kristen Wiig as Various Characters
30 Rock · NBC · Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney
Two And A Half Men · CBS · Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Burn Notice · USA · Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen
Damages · FX Networks · Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons
The Good Wife · CBS · Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma
The Good Wife · CBS · Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart
Mad Men · AMC · Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris
Mad Men · AMC · Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olso

Outstanding Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm · HBO
Glee · FOX
Modern Family · ABC
Nurse Jackie · Showtime
The Office · NBC
30 Rock · NBC

Outstanding Drama Series
Breaking Bad · AMC
Dexter · Showtime
The Good Wife · CBS
Lost · ABC
Mad Men · AMC
True Blood · HBO

Read more: Breaking News - Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards: Nominations | TheFutonCritic.com.

Summer TV Heats Up

2010-07-07T09:46:00.002-04:00

Thermostats across the country might have been saying summer for a few weeks now, but TV sets have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of summer TV. That wait is about to end when many of our favorites begin returning next week (and a few potentially new faves). They'll join other PTR summer faves Ice Road Truckers, Deadliest Catch and So You Think You Can Dance in heating up our television screens for the rest of the summer season. Today, PTR takes a closer look at what to expect when some of summer's best returning and promising new shows make their debut. And it all begins next week with the kick off of several faves.

THE CLOSER

NEW SEASON PREMISE: Brenda and co. move into new high-tech digs and a shake-up at the top leaves Brenda and Pope possibly up for promotions. Meanwhile, Fritz deals with his own career decisions.

BONUS: Expect cases involving a sniper, a serial rapist and a deadly drug-related custody battle

BOTTOM LINE: Brenda's back and we couldn't be happier!

PREMIERES: Monday, July 12th at 9 p.m. (EST) on TNT. For more information, visit tnt.tv. Watch an exclusive sneak peek at TVGuide.com.

COVERT AFFAIRS

PREMISE: CIA trainee Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) gets called up to be a field agent a month shy of finishing her training. But it might be due to something -- or someone -- other than her test scores.

BONUS: When the "girl next door" gets thrust into the world of intrigue and danger, she gets a killer tech ops expert (Christopher Gorham) to help her navigate it.

BOTTOM LINE: Looks like a lighter cousin to Alias and Perabo has charm and star quality

PREMIERES: Tuesday, July 13th at 10 p.m. (EST) on USA. For more information, visit USANetwork.com. Watch a sneak peek HERE.

PSYCH

NEW SEASON PREMISE: Shawn and Gus return for laughs, hijinks and help solve murders, but this season, Shawn gets a new rival (Lost's Nestor Carbonell who will join the show for a several-episode arc).

BONUS: Expect cases involving fast cars and UFOs. In the premiere, the duo takes a case involving a Chinese triad gang.

BOTTOM LINE: Get psyched about the return of Psych!

PREMIERES: Wednesday, July 14th at 10 p.m. (EST) on USA. For more information, visit USANetwork.com.

MY BOYS

PREMISE: PJ and the boys return for more laughs and sports analogies.

BONUS: After more than a year off, it will be nice to see this show return.

BOTTOM LINE: My Boys shows that the dating world isn't easy for women or men

PREMIERES: Sunday, July 25th on TBS. For more information, visit tbs.com.

THE BIG C

PREMISE: A suburban wife/mother's life gets rocked when she learns that she has cancer. Through the tough news, she finds hope, humor and the lighter side of the "C" word.

BONUS: Laura Linney, Laura Linney, Laura Linney! LOVE her!!

BOTTOM LINE: With Linney and Showtime involved, what could go wrong?

PREMIERES: Monday, August 16th on Showtime. For more information, visit sho.com. Watch a preview HERE.

These are only some of the great shows set to start-up in the coming weeks. For a full list of premiere dates for all your faves, visit TV.com (NOTE: they have the old premiere date listed for Psych. The show, according to the official site, returns 7/14 as noted here at PTR).

Bell 'Again'!

2010-07-06T08:28:00.002-04:00

For those of us still missing the fabulous Veronica Mars (and watching the DVDs over and over again while running on the treadmill every day is beginning to make you worry that you just might wear them out someday and THAT would be a major catastrophe -- Oh, that's just me? Never mind then), good news about her fabulous portrayer Kristen Bell. Her new movie You Again has a premiere date, poster and trailer!! The poster to the left is courtesy of Kristen-B.net. In the comedy, Kristen plays a young career woman whose brother is getting married. But when she realizes that the woman he's marrying is the same person who made her life miserable in high school, she sets out to reveal the woman's true colors. It also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and the always hilarious Betty White. It doesn't come out until September, so we have a couple months to wait (which is good because I'm almost at the end of season 2 where Veronica has figured out that Weevil was somehow involved in Thumper's "disappearance" and she's trying to tie the Fitzpatricks to the bus crash, so this should give me time to wrap up seasons 2 and 3 plunging me into a Veronica void which should be somewhat filled by this Kristen Bell movie -- Again, just me?). In any event, check out the trailer after the jump.

You Again hits the big screen on September 24th.

Off Duty 'Trucker'

2010-07-05T09:09:00.003-04:00

I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but I figured since we don't have a new episode of Ice Road Truckers to discuss this week, it's worth a bigger mention. Fellow IRT fans know that Lisa Kelly is one badass mother-trucker out there on the Dalton. She navigates through the dangerous haul road to carry supplies from Fairbanks to the oil-rich Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean. She carries super-heavy chains and attaches them to the tires of her big rig (something that proves challenging to some of her male counterparts). And, she endures her share of ribbing from the boys on the Dalton (whether it's blocking out mean radio traffic or having to work harder to prove herself). She does it all with a smile on her face. Recently, though, Esquire magazine highlighted Lisa's softer, more girly side when they named her "The Sexiest Trucker Alive." Check out whether she's a country or city girl, how she got into trucking and how she feels about her new celeb trucker status after the jump.

In the Esquire Q&A, Lisa describes herself as a "country girl at heart." She says that the choice to become a truck driver seemed "obvious" to her. "I had gone to college and I liked school. I started delivering pizza and I decided I liked being out of the building, so I started driving a school bus to get my licensing. I'd actually never been in a truck before I worked at Carlile and I announced before they even hired me that that's what I wanted to do," she tells the magazine. Since her debut on the show last season (the show's first, and thus far, only female driver), Lisa has become a bit of a celebrity. She tells Esquire that her new-found celebrity trucker status feels "really weird." And when this season of IRT wraps later this summer, we have a new trucking experience to look forward to this fall: the Himalayas. Luckily, Lisa will be along for that journey as well. For the full Q&A with Lisa, check out Esquire's site.

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History. New episodes resume this Sunday, July 11th, at 9 p.m. For more on Lisa, visit her official site with pics, a bio (learn how motivated and determined she was to accomplish her goal of becoming a trucker and what she does for fun), and a forum where fans can chat about, and sometimes with, Lisa. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Ready, Set, COUNTDOWN!

2010-07-02T09:05:00.001-04:00

This season, we made awesome new friends, but sadly, we also said goodbye to some old ones. It was an uneven season that gave us a ho-hum first half and a kickass second. There were ups and downs and laughs and tears and overall, this recently concluded season was strong. But the '09-'10 season is wrapped and in the books, so this means PTR's popular Best Episodes of the Season summer-long countdown is just beginning. PTR has come up with another great list. Before we get to that, though, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. We ended up with 28 incredible episodes that demonstrate the diversity and quality of the current television state. The shows and their episodes are from both NETWORK and CABLE television. All episodes aired between June 2009 and June 2010. Each episode that made the final list moved us in some way; either by making us laugh out loud, cry our eyes out or just left us with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! Since this is a summer-long countdown to the number 1 episode, PTR will reveal a few each week all summer. So, be sure to tune in every Friday to find out which episodes are on the countdown! Today, we're going to take a look at numbers 28-25.

28: "The Sexless Innkeeper" - How I Met Your Mother

What happens when Barney becomes a poet? This funny outing told us. Ted thought chicks were digging his new professor attire. He seemed to be the right when a cute girl asked him to take her upstairs to his apartment. The next morning, we learned that nothing happened because she fell asleep on the couch. Barney jumped in to explain that Ted had become a "sexless innkeeper." He began to recite a poem that took place in the time of Oliver Twist (even though it was supposed to be 2008), making it even funnier. Apparently, Ted was the victim of being taken advantage of by girls who live outside the city and need a place to crash after partying. In the end, Ted got the last laugh as he wrote the final chapter by finding a girl who was interested in sleeping with him and not just at his place. Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily were on an endless quest to find another couple to hang out with, play charades with and take a trip with to Vermont during maple syrup season. They came on too strong with Robin and Barney and ruined the Vermont trip with gouda, a broken egg timer and Marshall's photo/musical montage tribute to the night. But then things took a different turn when Marshall and Lily found a new couple who was just as into them as they were them. Suddenly, Robin and Barney got incredibly jealous, then depressed, and finally desperate. In a hilarious ending bit, the duo wooed Marshall and Lily back with a series of egg timers and a rain-soaked reunion that culminated in a group hug. HI-LAR-IOUS!!! Written by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays and directed by Pamela Fryman.

27: "Hairography" - Glee

Will became obsessed with "hairography" after seeing another school's alluring use of the skill (the act of swinging one's long, flowing locks to make it appear as if you have actual singing and dancing talent), and he decided that his glee club needed to master the trick. This did not go over well with Rachel, and after seeing them perform it, I think we can all agree she was right. But this episode's best moment was also its most moving. The performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" from the club's other competitor, a local high school for the deaf, was amazing, awesome, and inspiring! And then the glee kids joined them. Their vocals beautifully blended with the lead singer's moving spoken lyrics. Incredible! One of this season's biggest surprises was the beautiful character development of Quinn Fabrey. This episode's emotional journey through the hardest decision she had to make was painted with ups and downs. Should she or shouldn't she keep her baby? And then there was the heart-wrenching scenes between Rachel and Kurt. The ending scene with them watching as Quinn and Finn walked past them seeming in love as ever and Rachel and Kurt just looking at each other from across the crowd with the same sad, knowing look was so good. One of many excellent moments from this outing. Written by Ian Brennan and directed by Bill D'Elia.

26: "Busted Parts & Breakdowns" - Ice Road Truckers

Murphy's Law was in play on this episode of Ice Road Truckers. Lisa was heading south to Fairbanks when she and her passenger encountered a breakdown. She began to smell diesel fuel inside her cab and she stopped and discovered that her truck was leaking. Unfortunately, no one was within radio contact and they were stranded on the side of the road with no heat and a cab that was getting colder and colder by the second. After an hour, another truck crossed their path and stopped to help. She got back on the road and traveled the remainder of the 500 miles with strong diesel fumes in her cab leaving both her and her passenger with headaches and unsettled stomachs. Meanwhile, Alex was set to leave Deadhorse for Fairbanks with an out-of-service truck on his trailer when his truck suddenly got a flat tire. Once on his way for the second time, he realized that the broken-down truck he was hauling was leaking toxic anti-freeze. Luckily, the third time was the charm and he was finally southbound on the haul road. Dalton Ace Jack was hauling a crucial load of diesel fuel to Prudhoe. The eruption of Mt. Redoubt meant that the only supply line to the oil fields was the Dalton, so the generators needed to provide power to the buildings and rigs were running desperately low on fuel. Elsewhere, Hugh encountered problems before he even picked up his load in Fairbanks. His exhaust system was on the fritz, so he was stranded while he waited for the mechanics to fix it. Later, he descended Atigun Pass and his "J brake" refused to engage and downshifting was only slowing him down a bit. He was barreling down the hill when his J brake finally engaged and slowed down his rig. Somehow, no matter how many episodes I see of this show, it still manages to put me on the edge of my seat. This episode was no exception.

25: "Thrill Seekers & Hell Raisers" - Psych

This episode was so jam-packed with goodness, I'm not quite sure where to begin. Perhaps, the hilarious introduction scene between Shawn and Gus's secret girlfriend Ruby. But the show was only warming up. Shawn decided to crash Ruby's afternoon with her friends so he could "see her in her element," and therefore, vet her properly. Except, he thought he was crashing a picnic. Not so much. Turns out, Shawn and Gus were about to go white water rafting. But never fear because Shawn is a pro -- he has ridden "It's a Small World" several times and apparently, the experiences are comparable. He even promised Gus that he'd barely get wet. So, they were off and everything was going surprisingly well. The boys were at ease getting to know Ruby and her friends better. They were "livin' on the edge" without freaking out. It was a good trip. Until suddenly, Shawn started to hear something up ahead -- something loud and scary. He thought it was a plane cleared for take off. Then, he saw it: a rolling rapid of rushing water and crushing rocks. Both he and Gus started to freak out while everyone else cheered. The rest of the outing centered around a missing member of Ruby's group. Once the boys solved the crime, Gus got a chance to be a hero in front of his girl. He jumped on the paraglider with the murderer as he tried to flee. Gus proceeded to knock the guy out (by squeezing him for dear life, but whatever, I'm going to let him have that one) and then land the paraglider safely. All in a day's work. Now if he could only get Shawn to stay out of his relationships... Written by Saladin K. Patterson and Kell Cahoon and directed by Mel Damski.

So, there's a look at the first set of episodes on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment with your thoughts. And be sure to tune in next Friday for #24-22 on the list.

It's Complicated

2010-07-01T14:47:00.001-04:00

This week, In Plain Sight wrapped up its third season, and now that it's over, I can officially proclaim it uneven. There were great moments and then there was the terrible decision to have Mary and Marshall work separate cases for more than one episode this season. If nothing else, I hope the show gets constructive feedback on that decision and abandons it next season. But I digress. This week, we have an interesting finale to discuss. There was a shoot-out, a priest on the run, Marshall getting this close to pouring out his heart and Mary leaving us all shocked at the end.

Throughout the episode, there was a little side story about WITSEC employees needing to use their vacation because it will no longer carry over at the end of the year. Mary was annoyed. Even though she doesn't vacation, she likes to be able to roll over her accumulated time. Everyone tried to convince her to take a nice vacation, but she refused. Her mother even stopped by to show her a box of untaken vacations in hopes that it would inspire Mary to go somewhere nice so she doesn't look back on her own box of untaken vacations. By the end of the episode, it looked like she wasn't going anywhere. Then, she seemed to have a slight change of heart. She began to think that she might need to blow off some steam, but I wasn't expecting the next scene. We see Mary in a sun dress on the patio of a nice hotel room. She's talking to the room service kid and I thought, "Wow, she actually went on vacation! Good for her!" And then it happened: the room service kid left and a towel-clad Agent Faber appeared from the bathroom!! Not only did she go on vacation, but she went with Faber! I know I said a few weeks back that it was "Mary's move," but this was not what I had in mind.

Meanwhile, Marshall took Mary's comment about blowing off steam as a good time to pour out his heart... sort of. He told her that even though she doesn't like "messy," it might be exactly what she needs. She just might need someone who gets her and calls her on her crap. Someone who makes her think. Someone like Marshall, perhaps? Stan interrupted them before he continued, but the implication was clear. This somehow caused her take the vacation with Faber (maybe she didn't get the Marshall link or maybe she did.... hmm...). And I just don't know how Marshall is going to take the news. He did have a very good piece of advice -- instead of looking for anyone, Mary should try looking for someone. I'm still not sure that that someone is Marshall, but I don't want to see him bummed either. I guess we'll have to wait until next season to find out how this plays out between them.

In Plain Sight episodes are available at Hulu.com. For more on the show, visit USANetwork.com.

Riders in the Storm

2010-06-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

There is only one thing better than a new episode of Ice Road Truckers: a new episode that deals with wicked weather! A blizzard that blows so hard truckers can't see the road right in front of them, dangerous drifts pile up faster than Alaska state DOT teams can clear them, deadly avalanches could strike at any moment and Atigun Pass closes stranding drivers in Coldfoot (the lucky ones) or in their cabs along the deadly Dalton. In the last post, I mentioned that "rely on the delineators" is my new least favorite phrase, but this week, the truckers couldn't even see them to rely on them! They were basically traversing the section from Atigun to Prudhoe on a wing and a prayer at best. As you can imagine, the dangerous weather elicited different reactions from the different drivers. One driver decided to take a risk while another played it safe. One stuck with a convoy and another tried to live down a new dubious reputation. And one driver had a moment that was a little too livin' on the edge -- and that was before he reached the storm.

In the past, I've wondered if sophomore driver Greg was a little too much of a cowboy on the Dalton. He had been obsessed with beating Dalton Ace Jack and took a few unnecessary risks, but that seemed to change when he saw how quickly things can turn deadly and how taking your eye off the road for the slightest second can get you way too close to the edge. This week, he had the scariest moment of the episode and it had nothing to do with his driving. After Carlile learned about the storm, they decided to take no risks with a second-year driver, so they had Greg take a load of pipe to Coldfoot. He would drop it there and turn and burn back to Fairbanks to pick-up another load. This would keep him out of reach from the storm that was wreaking havoc on Atigun. During his first trip, he hit 25 Curve and his tires stopped hitting the pavement. He lost traction and he began to lose control. He was speeding down the Dalton with no traction and he looked scared. Very scared. Luckily, he was able to down shift to slow the truck down and regain control and traction. Just goes to show that even in good weather things can get scary.

Hugh was supposed to wait for Jack Jesse. Dispatch didn't want one of their second years traveling through a Phase 3 storm (white-out conditions) without a convoy partner. Since Jack's the best, Hugh was supposed to follow him up to Prudhoe. But after waiting for Jack for three hours in Fairbanks, Hugh decided to go on to Coldfoot without him and meet-up with him there. Once in Coldfoot, all of the drivers that had gotten that far were stranded overnight to wait out the blinding storm. This meant that Hugh and Jack met up the next morning over breakfast. Hugh was ready to go, but Jack wanted to enjoy a hot meal. Hugh waited in his truck, but finally decided that he couldn't wait anymore. He called dispatch and got permission to drop his load and return to Fairbanks to pick up another one. Meanwhile, rival Alex drove through the height of the storm from Prudhoe to Coldfoot and then got crap in Coldfoot for the delineator he took out a couple of trips back. He laughed, but seemed none-too-happy when he got back to his truck. Personally, I think he should sign it and the truck stop in Coldfoot should hang it on the wall.

Lisa and Ray were playing it safe this week by sticking with their respective convoys. Lisa made it to Coldfoot and was one of the first truckers out the next morning. She was carrying a critical load that needed to be in Prudhoe within 48 hours. Being grounded in Coldfoot overnight to wait out the storm put a damper on her time table. Her convoy tried to cross Atigun, but wound up pulling over to wait out the worsening conditions. Ray was headed south on the Dalton with his convoy, but they too got stuck on the side of the road after learning that Atigun had closed. As soon as things seemed to break, Lisa and co. started their journey again, but conditions were dangerous. State DOT crews were still unable to plow the road, so her convoy had to blaze its own trail. It got to the point where she was asking the camera crew if they could see the road. One false move and she and her rig were going over the side of a mountain! It was INTENSE!! They made it through the storm and were able to get a smooth ride the rest of the way to Prudhoe (and she made her deadline). Ray and co. saw Lisa's convoy passing them, so they too decided to brave the Pass. It was hairy, but they made it through. Seriously, how awesome are wicked weather episodes??!!

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History Channel. To catch up on this season, click on over to HistoryChannel.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

Happy Reunions

2010-06-17T17:15:00.000-04:00

I have so much love for this week's episode of In Plain Sight! It's my pick for best of the season thus far. Maybe it was the simple fact that Mary and Marshall were working together on the same case at the same time, or maybe, that was just the icing on the cake. Of course watching them together reminded me once again how we've been cheated this season with them working separately, but I didn't care because I was so excited to have them together again. I watched most of the episode with my fingers crossed because I kept worrying that Marshall was going to get pulled to that other minor story involving the tip-happy witness that no one wanted to help. Thankfully, Charlie saved us all by taking an interest in that witness and stumbling upon a shocking discovery. But the thing that made this episode stand out was the story surrounding the witness-of-the-week. It was an emotional ride that had me hooked from that first moment outside the library until the warmed-even-Mary's-heart ending.

Walter was most definitely not your typical witness. He entered the program after seeing a domestic terrorist group drop a bomb in a trash can at a crowded park in Seattle. He was homeless by choice (one of those "reject the structure of society and conformity of the human race" types), a genius and not so good with his people skills. Basically, he was Mary minus the "working for the man" government job. After getting a make-over and a regular job at a chain bookstore (which seemed kinda perfect for the guy who "practically lived in the library" in Seattle) to prove to the prosecutor that the witness would be believable on the stand, Walter had one request. He rejected the money he was making from his hourly job and wasn't thrilled about the government provided roof over his head and the make-over, but there was something he was lacking: closure from his past. Walter was adopted and he was never able to track down his birth mother. He wanted the attorney to use her connections to find his mother.

I was totally with Mary on this idea -- I thought it was a very bad idea. Thankfully, Mary and I were both wrong. Things started out not so good as Mary and Marshall learned that Walter's mom was dying from pancreatic cancer. They raced to get him there in time to meet her, but they were too late. His mother had died before they got to Modesto, California. Walter met his mother's fourth husband (guest star James Reed who I adore from his role on the fabulous North and South) and found out that he and his mom had some things in common. But it was Mary who discovered something in common between Walter and the widower: they were father and son!! It was the coolest moment when she realized that this man was the father of the baby given up for adoption 32 years ago. He may have been the fourth husband, but he was also the first love.

The only question that remained was whether or not Walter would be able to have a relationship with his father while staying in WITSEC. Mary had that covered as well -- after the trial, she had Walter relocated to Modesto where he could see his father on a regular basis. Touching family moments and a happy ending... what else can you ask for? Meanwhile, Brandi made the smartest move of her life. She told her brother no. Well, technically, she told him that she no longer had the money because she used it to put a down payment down on a store front downtown, but at least she didn't give him the money! Go Brandi!

In Plain Sight airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. If you missed this episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com. And for more on the show, visit USANetwork.com.

'Truckers' Get Dealt a Blow

2010-06-14T16:19:00.001-04:00

Hands clenched, sweat beading up on the back of your neck, knuckles quickly turning white... and that was just my reaction while watching those white-out conditions (or, as Alaskans call it, "a blow") during the second episode of History Channel's excellent Ice Road Truckers this week. I can't even imagine how the drivers were feeling! Seriously, the phrase "rely on the delineators" might be my new least favorite saying. Sister show Deadliest Catch (which I also love) puts me on the edge of my seat, but this show does something to me that no other show can: it transports me to the Dalton and puts me right there in that cab with the drivers whose every decision could be the difference between life and death. It's that serious and it's that scary. Just ask the driver who found himself on the very fortunate side of fate this week.

One would think that a 20-year veteran of the Dalton with an accident-free record would be the last driver to find himself wrecked on the side of the road staring at the one thing that kept him from serious injury and death. But as they say on the Dalton, "Your first wreck could also be your last." This driver was lucky -- the fifth wheel that attaches the trailer to the cab broke sending the loaded tanker full of diesel into the ditch and keeping the driver and his cab right-side-up and alive. The driver took his eye off the road for a second, but it was long enough for him to drift over and catch the soft snow causing a chain reaction that landed his tanker in the ditch. Luckily, he was fine, but the accident did have one driver re-thinking his cowboy approach to the Dalton. Greg started his return trip in Prudhoe Bay behind his rival Jack, but he was carrying a much lighter load. He was hell-bent on passing Jack on the road. But after stopping to make sure his help wasn't needed at the accident site, Greg began to think about his need-for-speed and daredevil approach on the dangerous road. He decided that he needs to find a balance between speed and safety.

Lisa got about 70 miles up the Dalton and started having brake problems. The brakes on her trailer were taking a long time to work, so she didn't want to take any chances further along the road. Unfortunately, this came on the heels of some unflattering radio chatter that she was stuck listening to and then trying to shake off. She tried to fix the brakes herself, but it was system that she was not familiar with and she decided to play it safe and head back to Fairbanks for help. Luckily, Ryan (her convoy partner from last week) met her on the haul road and showed her how to work on that braking system. After a bruised ego, she was back on the road. Miles up the Dalton, she came upon a driver who needed help getting his rig back on the road. She was able to tow him out of the snow and get back a little cred in the process.

Lisa wasn't the only driver having mechanical issues this week -- rookie Ray started the episode with an antifreeze leak. He wasn't able to find it, so he decided to push on. About 50 miles outside of Prudhoe, the warning lights came on and the air took on a familiar odor indicating an electrical problem. He tried to fix the problem, and once again revisited the antifreeze leak, but he was unable to see well in the dark and decided to chance it by continuing on to Prudhoe. He made it safely, but got some bad news at the shop in Deadhorse. Meanwhile, Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland finally made it to Fairbanks from his home in Canada. After completing his drug test, he picked up his first load and headed north. In an attempt to make-up some ground on Alex, he neglected to chain up on a incline and wound up stuck. After holding up traffic, he got his chains on and got the truck moving. Alex completed his second run of the season, but he had a difficult time in the white-out conditions and took out two delineators creating a potentially hazardous situation for drivers behind him. And "Dalton Ace" Jack Jesse got a coveted back-haul to Fairbanks: a HUGE oil tank in need of repair -- FAST. It took him 16 hours, but he made it back to the Carlile lot that night and, I'm sure, earned a nice paycheck. Ace title still intact.

Fellow Lisa fans, Esquire magazine just named her "The Sexiest Trucker Alive" (radio chatter be dammed)! You can read her interview and see her glammed up photo at the magazine's site HERE.

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History Channel. To catch up on this season, click on over to HistoryChannel.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

'Plain' Old Truth

2010-06-10T15:21:00.000-04:00

Who would have thought that Mary would find herself in her latest witness? The woman, Judy, had Asberger's (it must be the special needs du jour for the TV world) and Mary was told to handle her with kid gloves, no sarcasm, and to keep everything fair. So basically, she couldn't be her usual sarcastic, hard truth self. After taking this advice for most of the hour, Mary finally ditched it and decided to be herself and let Judy know what was really at stake no matter how hard it was to take. It worked, and the realization allowed Mary to see that she and Judy aren't that different. Mary likes the truth -- not sugar-coated or twisted -- just the straight truth. She doesn't appreciate BS and doesn't want people shielding her from the hard truth. It was an interesting parallel and made for an excellent story line. Despite the great Mary story, there was still one downer about this episode and it's the same downer that has been hanging over the show most of this season.

When I read at the end of last season that In Plain Sight was getting a new showrunner, I was nervous. I thought the show was coming off of its best season yet, and I didn't see the point of shaking things up by bringing in someone new to run the show. My main concern, that they would change the character of Mary, proved to be the only thing that didn't change one bit. The show made some great changes -- making Mary's mother a small part of the show, putting Brandi on the right path and getting rid of Raph -- but they also made some not so good changes. The worst offense: splitting up Mary and Marshall. I could write an entire post about how much I HATE HATE HATE this new direction. The show did not need two witness stories per an episode. The two stories break up the momentum and short-change each witness. But worst of all, they split up Mary and Marshall!! Why, why, why??!! This is a HUGE mistake and it's making the show less engaging and not as good as it once was. I really, really hope this is a temporary disruption. PTR reader John mentioned in the comments last week that this could be some sort of precursor for putting the two of them together, and I don't disagree, but I wish they'd find another way of doing that if they're bent on moving the show in that direction. The best scenes this week were the ones with Mary AND Marshall. Ugh!

Annoying 2-witness format aside, the stories this season are good. I enjoyed Judy's case (when it wasn't broken up by Marshall's much less compelling immigration distraction), and I was glad that she and Mary found some common ground to bond over. And I loved the way Mary found Judy a job working for a stock broker. This show always weaved in between the witness-of-the-week and personal drama for Mary, so including the Brandi stuff this week didn't bother me. I've had my doubts about this brother (even though I want to believe him), and this week things seem to be pointing in the bad news direction. There's always the possibility that the brother isn't really their brother, but for now I'm going under the assumption that he is and he only wanted to reconnect with Brandi and Mary because he needs something. This week, we might have learned what it is -- money. Brandi is an easy target because she's so trusting. She wants to see the good in people and this sometimes blinds her to the bad. I just hope she doesn't give him back that money. Poor Brandi, just when she gets a business plan in place it might all get taken away.

In Plain Sight airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. If you missed this episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com. And for more on the show, visit USANetwork.com.

Don't Stop Believin'

2010-06-09T14:50:00.000-04:00

I liked Glee when it first premiered. I loved it when it returned after a way-too-long hiatus. But after this week's finale, I (heart) it so much words cannot describe my warm and fuzzy feelings for this show. Every scene was emotional, every Sue moment was HI-LARIOUS (and one was actually touching), every song was awesome and the surprises were perfect. In fact, the entire episode was kinda perfect. We even got an awesome Jesse solo (despite his evil, heart-breaking ways, I still adore his angelic voice). But the most exciting thing about this week's season ender for me was that fan-freakin-tastic Journey medley that New Directions performed at regionals. Oh. My. Steve Perry!! It was the greatest thing since, well, the last time Glee did Journey (a little awesome number called "Don't Stop Believing" during the series premiere). And then there was the night's biggest twist that led to a happy ending for several of our favorite characters.

I had been kinda wondering lately if Quinn would be able to give up her baby for adoption. I wasn't sure if the show was going to have her keep the baby after all, but they did something much better. They had Ms. Corcoran adopt Beth. Quinn's labor scenes were INTENSE! I loved the way the show cut between her giving labor and Vocal Adrenaline performing at regionals. Great juxtaposition of Quinn in agony with Jesse giving another performance of his life and the parallels between the song and Quinn delivering were well-played. In the end, Quinn got to go back to being a "normal" teenager, Ms. Corcoran got to start the life she missed with Rachel, and Beth got a loving home. It was win-win-win.

New Directions kicked some serious butt at regionals. That Journey medley was AMAZING!!!! It was truly performed with lots of heart and I think we all know how I feel about the song choices. Vocal Adrenaline was excellent. Their performance was better, but they were simply going through the motions without actually feeling them. And let's not even discuss Aural Intensity (seriously, with the name??!!). So if the judges were actually judging based on talent, heart and performance, then New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline should have been the first and second place finishers (in either order). But, the judges were on some sort of elitist power trip and decided that the motley crew that makes up our beloved glee kids was not good enough to place. There was one judge who did the right thing, though, and it wasn't who you expected. Sue "I Hate Glee Club" Sylvester cast her first place vote for New Directions. The one judge that Will was worried about was the only judge who stood up for his kids and made the right vote. It was almost like that moment in How The Grinch Stole Christmas where his heart grew three sizes larger.

Since glee club did not place at regionals, they were disbanded. I almost couldn't take the sad faces and tribute song to Mr. Shue. Then Will started packing up the choir room and it was just too much to bear. Then, lo and behold, one Sue Sylvester comes in presumably to gloat and rub Will's face in it (and, more than likely, crack a joke about his hair). She begins her gloating, but it's all an act. She used her leverage over Principal Figgins to get the glee club another year. Maybe Anchorman was right -- maybe Sue does see herself in those kids or maybe it has to do with her sister or maybe, just maybe, deep down inside she really is a good person. Whatever the reason, I'm grateful and I can't wait to see what new insults she comes up with next season. Of course, we'll all know the truth.

Glee reruns all summer-long Thursday nights on Fox, and new episodes return this fall. If you missed this week's finale, check it out at Fox.com. The music of Glee is available on iTunes.

'Ice Road' Open

2010-06-07T08:04:00.000-04:00

On the road again! Dalton Ace Jack Jesse, Alex Debogorski, Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland, and my girl Lisa Kelly are back on Alaska's Dalton Highway navigating treacherous conditions, steep passes and hairpin turns in order to bring much-needed supplies to the oil rigs up on Prudhoe Bay -- part of Alaska's oil-rich North Slope. And this TV fan couldn't be happier!! This season, two new drivers are joining the line-up: rookie Ray Vellieux and Greg Boadwine (who sat out most of last season after wrecking his load of pipe on the side of the road and narrowly escaping serious injury). Ray seemed to struggle a bit this week while Greg made it his mission to beat the Dalton Ace to Deadhorse. But new faces weren't the only changes this season because the show decided to up the ante a little by adding two new side roads along the Dalton. One is actually a trail (as in un-paved grassy/woodsy path through the woods) that involves crossing a frozen river and swamp land to get to the remote town of Bettles. The trail is the only way in or out of this town and it's only accessible 30 days out of the year! The other involves crossing river ice to reach the native village of Nuiqsut. And just in case this wasn't enough excitement to start the season, a trucker flipped right outside Deadhorse spilling his entire load of pipe and landing himself in the hospital. He wasn't the only close call, though.

Rookie Ray left his wife and kids behind in Montana and set out for North America's most dangerous haul road after his business went under in the stalling economy. And this week, his first trek up the Dalton stalled as well... at the worst possible spot on the road: the dreaded Atigun Pass -- 4800 feet of sheer terror in the best conditions! He made the rookiest of all rookie mistakes: he didn't "chain up" before ascending the steep pass. Truckers routinely apply chains to their tires before climbing the mountainside because, without them, the truck's tires have a hard time finding traction and they spin causing the truck to slide backwards down the incline. Trucks can get out of control and skid off the side of the mountain and down the deadly cliffs. Ray learned this lesson the hard way as his unchained tires lost traction and his heavy rig began sliding back down the hill. Luckily, it stopped and he was able to apply the chains and keep going eventually reaching Deadhorse without incident.

Lisa's first assignment of the season found her pulling a large car-hauler that required her to go extra slow (as not to pop a tire) and to take extra precautions not to tip the tall, top-heavy load. She was a little hesitant to take the assignment, but she hit the road with a convoy partner and they headed up the 414-mile road to Prudhoe. Things were going... well... slowly. Since they were under a time limit, her convoy partner suggested that they switch loads at the truck stop in Coldfoot. Lisa wasn't too happy about it because she was concerned that the guys on the road (who constitute a hefty majority) would give her crap about it the rest of the season. After a quick call to headquarters to make sure the boss was in agreement, she and her partner switched loads and made it safely (and probably a lot quicker) into Deadhorse. Hopefully, Carlile will give her some oversized loads again and she'll be able to get back her cred.

Elsewhere, Greg failed in his first attempt to beat Jack to Deadhorse, but he did get there safe and sound -- welcome news for his wife and children. Jack took the prize for the largest, craziest load of the week. Alex had a good first run up the Dalton. There were a few hairy moments on Atigun when the temperature started rising steadily the higher he went. As the temperature rises, the ice gets softer and the truck has a harder time finding traction. He made it up despite the 33-degree temperature. Once in Deadhorse, he spent the night before heading out on the river ice to Nuiqsut. I learned this week that I'm never going to get used to hearing the scary sound of the ice cracking as the trucks pass over it. It's creepy! No Hugh this week, but we did see him land at the Fairbanks airport just as the episode was coming to an end, so expect the competition between him and Alex to start anew next week. So EXCITED this show is back!!

Ice Road Truckers airs Sunday nights on History Channel. To catch up on this season, click on over to HistoryChannel.com where you'll also get more information, trucker bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

A Friend Indeed

2010-06-03T14:45:00.000-04:00

In Plain Sight is not supposed to be sad! Mary's biting and charming wit is supposed to be cracking me up on Wednesday nights. Instead, her tears were causing my own eyes to well up there at the end. Having said that, it was nice to see the show's more emotional side this week. We're used to seeing it employed for Mary's personal story, but this episode's sadder notes dealt with the witness-of-the-week. Learning that Mia was dying from a terminal brain tumor certainly put a damper on things both logistically and emotionally. The prosecutor dropped her testimony and WITSEC sent her on her way, but Mary wasn't willing to leave her out in the cold. Mary always cares about her witnesses, but this one was special and she left a huge impact on Mary's life. Maybe that's why the ending was just so darn sad.

Mia had lived the life of a mobster's daughter. She was almost killed by her family (but killed one of them in self defense) and now, she was dying from a brain tumor. That's a lot of tragedy for one person, and yet, the only thing that she was concerned about was the future of her niece. She didn't want her niece to have the life that she had. She wanted her to get out of "the life." So when she had a bad nose bleed and realized that she didn't have a lot of time, she took off back home to see her niece and convince her to run as far as she can from the family. Hopefully, her niece took her advice.

Mary felt a real connection to Mia and grew very close to her during their brief time together. They shared the same smart allylic sense of humor and loathe of others pitying them. They related to each other's family issues. Mary knew Mia's ending -- it had already been written -- and this led her to conclude that she's probably meant for some therapist's couch somewhere. Mia's death was tragic, but that scene with Mary at the morgue was heartbreaking! Thankfully, Marshall was there for her as her knight in shining armor, and this time, she actually let him.

My one complaint about this season is this recent trend toward having Mary and Marshall work different witnesses simultaneously. I don't like it. I don't like it at all. The two best elements of this show are: 1) Mary, and 2) Mary and Marshall working as partners. Things haven't felt the same since they started these parallel cases and it's taking away from the charm of the show. Hopefully, we've seen the last of these sorts of episodes. Fingers crossed.

In Plain Sight airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. If you missed this episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com. And for more on the show, visit USANetwork.com.

'Glee' Has the Funk

2010-06-02T16:43:00.000-04:00

Somebody has egg on their face today and it isn't Rachel! I totally, 100%, completely believed that Jesse St. James was a good guy. Maybe his sweet voice made me want to believe so badly that I finally did -- I don't know, but I was very wrong about him and I'm so, so bummed. In fact, I'm so bummed, I'm in a funk. Maybe I should try the Quinn panacea for getting out of a funk. Or maybe, I should just listen to Jesse sing "Hello" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" over and over until it erases the bad taste of this week's events. I get it -- everyone deals with having to say goodbye in their own way. More than likely, Jesse's horrible behavior was his way of distancing himself from Rachel and focusing on beating her and New Directions at regionals next week, but seriously dude, FIND A BETTER WAY! Preferably one that doesn't break my Rachel's heart. Fortunately, there was one lasting moment at the end that almost made everything O.K.

I'm not sure whether it was the "Oh sh*t" looks on Vocal Adrenaline's faces or the hilarious dialog after the glee kids effectively got in their heads, but that last scene almost made up for Jesse's bad behavior. This was especially brilliant:

JESSE: They did a funk number. We've never been able to pull off a funk number.
OTHER VOCAL ADRENALINE MEMBER: That's because we're soulless automatons.
JESSE: I'm so depressed!

Apparently, the best way to get out of a funk is to put your biggest competitor into one. Can't wait until regionals next week when these two go head-to-head (and from the looks of the promo, our favorite glee kids tackle another Journey song -- we all know how awesome this worked last time!!).

If we may, I'd like to re-visit the Jesse thing. He admitted to Ms. Corcoran that he has feelings for Rachel and he told Rachel this week he did love her. So, why act like such a jerk to her now that his assignment is over? Is it really just a tactic to get over his feelings for her and move on to focusing on beating her at regionals? Fine, so break up with her, but don't break and egg on her forehead after wooing her to the parking lot. One thing is for sure, Finn better go ahead and make his move now.

Will tried to get himself out of his funk by putting his nemesis into one... and it worked. Sue Sylvester fell for his act hook, line and sinker. When he pulled the old switcheroo, she was left in a serious funk. One so deep it kept her inside her home in her bed and completely devoid of any motivation to get out there and win another trophy. This was not the Sue we're used to seeing each week. Will had to get her out of it before the Cheerios stopped showering all together and did something much worse than wearing their shirts backwards (haha, Brittany) and turning their hair into rat's nests. As usual, Sue wound up getting the better of Will when she had her ridiculously large nationals trophy delivered to his living room and then later behind bullet proof glass in the choir room. She's already drawing up the plans for the renovation of the choir room once glee club loses regionals and gets disbanded. Talk about pressure going into next week's competition!

Glee airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, check it out at Fox.com. The music of Glee is available on iTunes.

Gaga for 'Glee'

2010-05-31T09:07:00.003-04:00

If Lady Gaga and Glee aren't a match made in Heaven, I don't know what is! A show about the picked on social outcasts at a small town high school took on the music from the woman who champions the outcasts of society. Her dedicated fans lovingly call themselves her "Little Monsters," and more often than not, could each fill a book with their high school experiences. Much like the kids of Glee who have been called "freaks" more times than they care to remember. This is especially true for Kurt who took more than his fair share of crap this week for his love of all things Gaga. But, it was nice to see him back to expressing his true self and being happy with who he is instead of trying to be someone he thinks his father wants him to be (and MAJOR to kudos to his dad for defending him against Finn). This week, however, it might have been Rachel who was having the most difficult time.

And I'm not referring to her very unfortunate costume decision, although, that was HILARIOUS and Kurt's "We have a jumper" might be the funniest line of the season. But I digress. Rachel realized that Vocal Adrenaline's director Ms. Corcoran is her mother, and she worked up the nerve to walk up to her and tell her. At first, things were going well (awkward, but well). They both felt at home in the dramatic awkward-ness right down to their chosen sitting locations in the theater seats. But things grew distant -- FAST! Ms. Corcoran decided that she couldn't have her "baby back" and she couldn't just start a relationship with her teenage daughter as if they already had a bond simply because they were mother and daughter. Needless to say, this was not the outcome Rachel had hoped for and it left her feeling a bit deflated (awesome new Gaga costume notwithstanding). Things were left up in the air as far as where they go from here (Ms. Corcoran and Rachel both agreed that neither was going easy on the other at regionals), but they did do a killer duet to a slowed-down version of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face."

Kurt was dealing with his new roommate and Finn was dealing with being the new roommate. He and his mom moved in with Kurt and his dad and this led to conflict between Kurt and Finn. Sure, they sparred over decorating and privacy, but Finn was having a hard time accepting Kurt and trusting him as a roommate. He wanted to just fit in, but Kurt wanted to continue to be himself. This led to that awesome scene with Kurt's dad standing up for his son. Good stuff. Consequently, Finn learned the lesson and even made an effort to be more comfortable with his true self. Meanwhile, Puck started to grow up a little and even came up with a serious name for his baby (over/under on him and Quinn keeping the baby?). And, regionals are approaching quickly so our favorite glee clubbers better get their songs and dance numbers in order so they can kick some Vocal Adrenaline butt!

Glee airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, check it out at Fox.com. The music of Glee is available on iTunes.

All in the Family

2010-05-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

Count me among those who never saw it coming. Until Chuck was on the floor watching him bleed, I had absolutely no clue that the elder Bartowski was not going to live past this season's stellar finale. But before we get to that fateful moment, we should back-up and take a look at what led up to the face-off between Chuck and super baddie Shaw. We learned during the previous episode that Shaw was still alive, at least, we assumed as much after seeing him from behind and then seeing his picture on the screen as he gained access to the Intersect. This, of course, also let us know that he had the Intersect inside his head. This meant one thing: his brain was slowly being fried just like Chuck's and he, too, needed the one thing that could stop that process. Chuck's father had that one thing and the knowledge to build more. Thus, the showdown was set.

Thankfully, Chuck's dad was able to build a "Governor" for his son's Intersect 2.0. As soon as Chuck put the watch on, the adverse effects of the Intersect began to cease. Things were looking up. But, they soon took a turn for the worse. After being "gaslighted" by Shaw and other high-ranking members of the CIA who were also Ring agents, Chuck, Sarah and General Beckman wound up in CIA custody. Chuck's dad got him out, but a phone call from Morgan brought him back to Burbank to save Sarah and Casey. Morgan and Devon got them loose while Chuck and his father snuck into a secret Ring base to find out what was going on with Shaw and co. Shaw found them and a showdown between the Intersects was about to begin. Shaw decided to increase his chances by causing Chuck to be emotional (and therefore, unable to flash onto one of the Intersect's abilities), so he shot and killed the elder Bartowski! So. Not. COOL!! I'm going to miss him, and I'm wondering who's going to help Chuck with his Intersect issues in the future?

Meanwhile, Chuck bumped into Ellie at the CIA, and the encounter led to him telling her about his spy life. Finally! Devon isn't the only one happy to have Ellie in on the Bartowski family secret. She needed to know, and she was able to help them since she had been (unknowingly) in contact with a member of the Ring. There was just one little problem -- Ellie made Chuck promise to quit the spy world after completion of the Shaw mission. And he agreed. Now, I don't think for a second that Chuck is going to give up being a spy, so this means that he'll be lying to her once again when things resume next season.

And speaking of next season... it looks like Chuck is going to be trying to locate a different parent: HIS MOTHER! The Bartowski that we have yet to meet or hear much about is alive and well and just might be somehow involved in the family secret. Chuck's dad told him in his video spy will that he had done everything for her. Chuck found his father's secret basement chamber and that led to him finding the charm from his mother's bracelet. It looks like this family act is about to expand. You know what they say... a family who spies together, stays together! Can't wait to meet Mrs. Bartowski next season!!

Chuck will return to Monday nights next season on NBC. If you missed this week's finale, you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.

'Fringe' on Top

2010-05-24T08:17:00.001-04:00

Three words: Best. Finale. YET!!! This was one of those hanging-on-every-word, glued to the edge of my seat, mouth and eyes wide open awesome thrill rides of an episode that demonstrated how a series should end its season. At this point, I can't imagine any show other than Lost topping this finale. We know this show has brilliant writers (how else can we explain the way the show makes the impossible completely possible and even, at times, probable?), but this week, they got to have some fun -- A LOT of fun!! Twists, turns, fight scenes, romantic scenes, explosions, tense moments and a quest to find Peter and get back to our universe were just some of the things that made this episode so freakin' wonderful. But it was the final scene that made our jaws drop and left us wondering how the writers are going to fix this huge issue next season.

I'll admit when the explosion went off and William Bell regained consciousness and saw Olivia standing over him, I was concerned that it was the wrong Olivia. But then, the gang made it back across, so I thought I was wrong. I know that Walter and Bell's contraption worked as a "door stop" and that Bell used his crazy messed up atoms (thanks to too many trips back and forth between this universe and the other) to provide enough power to keep the door open, but I still thought they needed Olivia's unique ability to help (and I wasn't sure that the other Olivia had the same ability). When she got back to "her" apartment and started looking around, I began to suspect once again that this was the wrong Liv. I started to think, "Oh no, oh no." And then, we saw her: the real Liv trapped in the other universe with Walternate!! How is Walter ever going to get back over there to rescue her? Bell is dead, Liv is stuck over there, her classmates are dead and he can't exactly open another door. I can NOT wait for this show to return in the fall!!

How much butt did that Liv vs. Liv fight scene kick??!! MAJOR kudos to the film and editing crews who nailed that scene and made it look like the two were really fighting each other. Props to Anna Torv for playing both versions of Liv and giving them their own nuances. I was glad we got some answers regarding Bell too. His alternate universe self is not alive, he stayed over there to prevent a war that Walter's action almost put into play, and he took pieces of Walter's brain because Walter asked him to. Apparently, Walter did not like who he had become (the experimenting on children, the stealing alternate Peter, and the overall mad-scientist thing) and wanted to ensure that he didn't continue down the same path. This episode explained what this show is all about: a grief-stricken father with a mind for science found a way to travel to the other universe to save the alternate version of his son before he suffered the same fate as his own son. He kept the young boy and raised him as his own, but what he didn't know was that that one action caused HUGE ripples in the other universe (grieving parents over there and massive side effects from the door being opened -- how haunting were those "Containment Areas?"). Those ripples caused the other grieving father to take action and that action has led to unfortunate incidents in our universe leading up to, what can only be, an eventual war between the universes. Whoa, that's a lot of fallout!

Normally, I would have led off this piece with the monumental moment between Peter and Olivia near the end, but it actually paled in comparison to everything else going on during this one. They KISSED! I so didn't see it coming! This certainly throws a new wrinkle into Peter's decisions. I know Peter felt that he didn't belong in the alternate universe, but I think his feelings for Liv played a huge role in his decision to go back to the universe where he grew up. This also means that he's going to be quite determined to rescue her when he figures out that she's still over there. Everyone will be in danger once again. As I said, I can NOT wait for next season!!

Fringe will return this fall to Thursday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's awesome finale, you can watch it for free at Fox.com.

Conflict of Interests

2010-05-21T09:54:00.001-04:00

The title of this week's Bones finale says it all: "The Beginning in the End." At least, that's what I kept telling myself over and over again as I watched that heart-wrenching final scene unfold between Booth and Bones. Where the finale scene in the 100th was heartbreaking (as in, actually painful), this one was more hopeful. There was no denying Brennan's feelings as she and Booth said goodbye in the airport lobby. It's only a year, right? Like Booth said, what's a year in the grand scheme of things? And absence makes the heart grow fonder, so in reality, this separation could wind up being a very good thing. I know, I know -- I'm really sunny-siding this, but it's how I'm going to get through this very cruel, cruel summer. Before we arrived at that emotional scene at the end, there was a very interesting process that caused Booth and Bones to decide to leave their work (and more importantly, each other) for a year.

Since she heard about it, Brennan wanted to be a part of the anthropological find in Indonesia. She was excited, distracted and longing to be a part of history, but she wasn't exactly packing her bags. She wanted to, but she wasn't. Then, she found out about Booth's offer to train soldiers in capturing and detaining terrorists. It would take him to Afghanistan for a year. Both seemed to want to pursue their other interests, but neither wanted to leave the other high and dry. Daisy may be annoying, but she was right about the holding each other back thing. Once Booth thought that Bones was definitely going to Indonesia, he decided to go to Afghanistan. And when Bones heard that Booth had decided to go to Afghanistan, she decided to definitely go to Indonesia. It was a classic case of holding each other back, but also not wanting to be there without the other.

So, now they're spending a year in different countries pursuing things that make them happy professionally. And while I think they both could use a break from the murder grind, I absolutely do not believe that either of them took the jobs to get away from their FBI/Jeffersonian work. Sure, Brennan wants to be a part of that find, but she decided to go because she needed to get away from Booth. She said as much herself when she told Angela that she needed to take a step back and re-evaluate her life objectively again (she wasn't specifically referring to Booth, but I think that's what she meant). The simple conclusion: she has feelings for Booth -- the same that he has for her -- but she's too scared to pursue them. Maybe she's hoping that their year apart will allow her time to get over those feelings and go back to working with Booth as a partner and viewing their relationship as such. Booth, on the other hand, knows what he wants -- he just can't have her. Perhaps, he hopes the distance will help him get over her.

In the end, though, I think this finale will prove to be the beginning of something more between them. I think Brennan will realize something while she's away from Booth: her feelings aren't going away as she wants. This is why this separation could be a very good thing for these two. I know one thing, that reunion on the reflecting pool in one year is going to be one hell of a scene! Let's just hope it happens when the new season starts in September.

And now, here is this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:

THE GOOD: I'm optimistic, so I'm going with the time/distance Booth and Bones just put between themselves. I think it was the much-needed next step for their eventual relationship.

THE BAD: Watching the poor Jeffersonian crew having to wade through that crap hole of an apartment. Unbelievable!

THE UGLY: The entire apartment belonging to the hoarder/murder victim. Seriously, I'm so glad smell-i-vision hasn't been invented!

Visit the Ausiello Files to find out what's in store for the show when it returns this fall. If you missed this week's finale ("The Beginning in the End"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

'Sight's' Daddy Issues

2010-05-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

Marshall's brand-new fancy cowboy boots: a lot of money. Putting a young witness through boarding school: even more money. Mary working with Marshall and his father: PRICELESS!! The pleasure she took in watching the Mann men interact was just too good to be missed. But it didn't stop there, Mary thoroughly enjoyed and took advantage of every moment she got to be a part of this family unit. It wasn't all fun and games, though, as Mary soon discovered that Marshall and his father have very different ideas on how to deal with criminals. And that difference came to a head over one of Marshall's witnesses and his young, troubled girlfriend.

As soon as they found out that the elder Mann would be working out of their office for a few days, Mary volunteered herself and Marshall to help him while he was in town. Marshall was thrilled (not) and Mary was, well, actually thrilled. She cracked jokes about the obvious differences in demeanor between the two and wondered how old Marshall was the first time he wondered if he was adopted (4 yrs. old, for those curious). Then, she wanted to know all sorts of things about Marshall, none of which were answered by the somewhat stoic elder Mann. She did, however, find out why Marshall's name is Marshall. Apparently, his mother didn't want her son to follow in his father's footsteps, so she thought if she named him Marshall then he would not want to be a U.S. Marshal (who would want to be Marshal Marshall?? Oh, wait...). Clearly, it didn't work. But kudos to Mary for getting the answer to the question that has bugged me more than any other on this show.

Team Mann was, in reality, nothing more than a chance for the elder to critique his son. He was worried that Marshall's sensitive side made him ill-suited to be a marshal, but learned instead that it makes him perfect to do his job as a WITSEC inspector. Senior Mann took a hard line with the young woman in the interrogation room and it got him squat. Marshall went in and related to her and expressed the importance of finding her boyfriend before the drug dealer did. He got what he needed and saved both his witness and the girlfriend. Through their teaming up, I think Marshall's father garnered a new respect for his son and the work that he does as a marshal.

Family ties seemed to be a theme on Mary's side of the story as well. We finally learned where Brandi has been the last few episodes: in Miami helping her half-brother. This did not go over well with Mary nor did her coming home to find him in her living room. Add in his past record (gambling addiction) and the fact that Brandi lent him $20,000 to help with his day trading business and you get one angry Mary! Cooler heads prevailed in the end, and she gave her new-found family member a chance. I don't blame Mary for being skeptical -- Brandi is a VERY bad judge of character and very gullible -- but, I did think she overreacted. I just hope Brandi really has turned a corner and that her success while learning the ropes of day trading helps her get her life in order.

In Plain Sight airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. If you missed this episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com. And for more on the show, visit USANetwork.com.

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: CW Shifts Returning Faves

2010-05-20T14:37:00.000-04:00

The last of the broadcast networks presented its new fall schedule today, and like CBS yesterday, The CW decided to shake things up a bit. Since today is the last day for the big networks big schedule announcements, we can all commence our sighs of relief for our faves that were renewed and/or our cursing the networks for those that were not. But first, here's a wrap-up of The CW's presentation. Teen dramas 90210 and Gossip Girl will team up on Mondays while returning series One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected will both move to Tuesdays. Fan favorite Supernatural returns and will join Smallville on Fridays. The net will also add two new series, the college cheerleading drama Hellcats and the action-packed Nikita. See what The CW's new fall schedule looks like after the jump.

THE CW's 2010-2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM 90210 (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ONE TREE HILL (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM LIFE UNEXPECTED (New Night)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL
9:00-10:00 PM HELLCATS (New Series)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
9:00-10:00 PM NIKITA (New Series)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL (New Night)

For more on The CW's new schedule (including info on its new shows), visit The Futon Critic.

'Glee's' Not So Impossible Dream

2010-05-19T17:00:00.000-04:00

Neil Patrick Harris and finding out Jesse isn't bad all in the same episode??!! What did I do to Glee to deserve such awesomeness??!! The only thing missing from this episode was Jesse's sweet, sweet voice serenading me Rachel, but I'm going to overlook it this one time because of two incredible duets that made up for it: Rachel and Ms. Corcoran singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables and Will and Brian Ryan (NPH) singing Aerosmith's "Dream On." I think Glee might have crossed that threshold where actors (particularly those broadway-trained) and musical artists are lining up to be on the show. Idina Menzel has a recurring role and NPH made a guest appearance even though he has his own very successful comedy on CBS. I love it! But it wasn't just great guest stars and awesome duets this week. Rachel made quite the emotional journey and ended up uncovering a family secret.

For most of her life, Rachel Berry has wondered about her mother. She loves her dads, but she would also love a chance to know about her mother. Seems reasonable. Jesse, being the ever supportive boyfriend, encouraged her to do some research to find out about her mom. She did, he slipped a taped into the box of stuff from Rachel's childhood (and labeled it "To daughter from mother"), and she eventually listened to the tape and discovered that her mother can sing... REALLY sing! Jesse was totally supportive the entire time, but why shouldn't he be? We learned this week that his ulterior motive for cozying up to Rachel was to get her to approach her mom: Ms. Corcoran. As in, the choir director for Vocal Adrenaline. As in, super-awesome guest star Idina Menzel!! OK, so it wasn't that huge of a shocker, but the fact that Jesse really is sweet and really has feelings for Rachel was, and now I can finally like him without the shame! I think this calls for another season of him singing anything (he could seriously sing the phonebook and I'd be happy). Now, Rachel has to figure out who the voice on the tape is and approach her mom. Let's hope she doesn't get too mad at Jesse for his initial deception (remember the voice, Rachel. Remember the voice).

Meanwhile, NPH guest starred as a recovering glee club addict who is on the school board in charge of budget cuts. His inner glee-frustrated self wanted to cut the program to save money while his desire to still perform and dream wanted to buy glee bedazzled jean jackets and rip-away dance clothing (somebody's still stuck in that 80s flashback from the beginning of the episode). He and Will sparred over their past rivalry and the role of Jean Beljean in a community theater production of Les Miserables. Then, he cut the Cheerios' budget which led to a funny showdown with Sue. In the end, he and Will were able to work something out. Elsewhere, my heart broke for Artie and his struggle to accept the hard truth about his spinal cord injury. Tina gave him hope, but he had to learn to be OK with the possibility that those hopes may never come true. It was fun to see him dancing during the Flash Mob sequence even if it was only in his head. Next week, the show goes GaGa. Can't wait!

Glee airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, check it out at Fox.com. The music of Glee is available on iTunes.

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: CBS Shuffles Schedule, Leaves 'Case' in the Cold

2010-05-19T15:37:00.002-04:00

CBS stepped up to the podium today and broke my TV-loving heart. THEY CANCELED COLD CASE!!! OK, so technically we found out about it yesterday, but today it was official and I'm officially bummed. Thankfully, the show went out on a high note and there was a sense of closure in the final episode, but it still stings. When I have more time, I'll write-up a tribute post to the show. But right now, we're moving on because CBS sure shook things up today! Chances are, if you watch a CBS show, it has moved to either a new night, time or both. Mega hit The Big Bang Theory moves to Thursdays, CSI: Miami relocates to Sundays (in Cold Case's old slot -- sniffle, sniffle. CSI: Miami fans -- welcome to the fun world of your show starting late week after week due to sports) while sister show CSI: NY gets relegated to Fridays, and Survivor moves to Wednesdays. That's a lot of shuffling! Take a closer look at CBS's new fall schedule after the jump.

CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
2010-2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(N=New, NT=New Time, all times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY (N)
10:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0 (N)
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10:00-11:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR (NT)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM THE DEFENDERS (N)
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM $#*! MY DAD SAYS (N)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM MEDIUM (NT)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY (NT)
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS (N)
SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERY
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE
9:00-10:00 PM UNDERCOVER BOSS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI (NT)

For more on CBS's new schedule (including descriptions of the new shows), visit The Futon Critic.

Lyin' and Spyin'

2010-05-19T08:52:00.000-04:00

The Bartowski children sure lie to their dad about the most extreme stuff! Chuck lied about working for the CIA, being a spy (and not just an analyst -- awesome Jack Ryan reference, by the way) and having the Intersect 2.0 in his head. Meanwhile, Ellie was doing some lyin' and spyin' of her own. Most kids sneak out, lie about boyfriends/girlfriends and/or school, but not the Bartowkis (who, admittedly are a bit older than the usual lie-to-the-parents sort). Of course, their father has been lying to them for years. They didn't even know where the man lived! Once the secrets started coming out, though, things got interesting. Ellie's potentially deadly secret remains to be revealed, and it could land her dad and brother in some serious danger.

Every time I see Ellie calling, talking to, or sharing information with the double agent at the CIA I cringe. She thinks she's doing the right thing. She thinks she's helping keep her dad safe, but she's actually leading the people who want to harm him to him. I thought Casey was going to discover her secret, but he thought she was having an affair and then she clobbered him with a frying pan before he had a chance to find the truth. But worst than that, she ran right to the double agent. This was after she planted a tracer on her father's back which led the Ring to almost get their hands on a very important little mechanism. The mechanism, hidden in the elder Bartowski's watch, is the one thing that may be able to save Chuck. It stabilizes the Intersect every time Chuck has a flash and prevents his brain from overheating from the jolt of energy required to flash. Luckily, Sarah got into the cabin in time to help Chuck save his father and himself from the grasps of the Ring. Best lines of the night: "Does she have the Intersect too?" "Nope, that's all her." Sarah kicks serious butt!

Most of the episode focused on whether or not Shaw is still alive. Sarah and Chuck broke into Shaw's old penthouse and tried to break into his safe. Before they could get into the safe, someone entered the penthouse and Chuck and Sarah hid in the closet. Through their heat-sensitive see-thru glasses, they saw the figure of a man who looked like Shaw. I had my doubts and they proved to be accurate as we saw that the Shaw lookalike was really the double agent tricking Ellie into giving up her father. So, Shaw is dead. Good. In the words of ESPN's Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend!" In the closing moments of the episode, we saw someone from behind who looked exactly like Shaw. And this someone was downloading the Intersect! His palm scan read Daniel Shaw and he had the hair... oh please tell me the real Shaw didn't just come back to life and download the Intersect! Danger, Chuck Bartowski, danger!

Chuck airs Monday nights on NBC. If you missed this week's episode, you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.

The Baggage 'Mother' Load

2010-05-18T11:34:00.000-04:00

For a lot of guys, being dragged to the latest rom-com is just about the worst form of torture, but imagine if that rom-com was actually a really bad movie about your life! Or in this case, one chapter of your life that led to some baggage that you still haven't been able to unload. And then imagine that the movie went on to become the 5th highest grossing movie of all-time and a box office blockbuster over seas. Welcome to Ted's life this week. I never liked the way things ended with Stella (that 2-minute date is still one of my top HIMYM moments), so re-living them this week was almost as painful for me as it was for Ted. Plus, as we've discussed in the comments here at PTR, I just feel like this show has lost some of what made it so good. The mama-drama is growing tired and I'm getting to the point where I feel the show needs to "pee or get off the pot." But I digress. This week, it was another girl, another failed relationship. This one, however, was going along fine until some rather large baggage got in the way.

First, it was Ted's baggage (that he seemed to forget he had while he was complaining about the baggage belonging to all of the women he has dated) and then it was Royce's baggage that kept these two from making some pancakes. Ted kinda freaked out after seeing his baggage playing out in the big screen in theaters everywhere. Of course, the story was exaggerated and Jed Mosely was a complete jerk, but this only served to make matters worse for Ted. He'd had enough of the laughing and joking at Jed's expense, so he told off Royce and her friends and stormed out. After some encouragement from the rest of the gang, he rushed to the theater to tell Royce the truth and ask for a second chance (while the movie played in the background mirroring the scene playing out in the theater between Ted and Royce -- it was hilarious!). She confessed that she had been wanting him to make her the promised pancakes and the two were back on track. That was until Ted learned that she had been left at the alter THREE times, has a gambling problem and lives/shares a bed with her brother.

Elsewhere, Barney got into trouble at the theater when he started telling Royce to "kiss" Ted, then asked a theater employee who the "kiss" he thought he was, and then told said employee to "kiss" off (HINT: he wasn't actually saying "kiss"). In the words of Barney, it was... LEGENDARY! OK, not exactly, but it was funny. Then there was Marshall's sunny disposition on the mean streets of NYC. He accidently helped some guys rob an apartment, "lent" them gas money, and gave them his address so they could pay him back. Needless to say, Lily was a little ticked. But, I for one, don't begrudge Marshall for his kindness to strangers. The world could use a few more Marshalls (maybe not the help-the-robbers-steal-people's-stuff variety, but certainly the friendly kind).

How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays on CBS. If you missed last night's episode, watch it for free at cbs.com.

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: ABC Announces Schedule

2010-05-18T09:34:00.000-04:00

It's day 2 of Network Upfronts week and ABC's turn to reveal its new Lost-less schedule. As we learned late last week, the alien thriller V will return (albeit later in the season) while fellow intrigue drama Flashforward will not. Staples Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice will return to Thursdays and Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters will remain on Sundays. Take a closer look at ABC's new fall schedule after the jump (NOTE: while V will return next season, it does not appear on the fall schedule indicating that it will premiere sometime later in the season).

ABC's fall primetime schedule is as follows (all times listed are Eastern); new shows in bold:

MONDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars"
10:00 p.m. "Castle"

TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "No Ordinary Family"
9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show"
10:00 p.m. "Detroit 1-8-7"

WEDNESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "The Middle"
8:30 p.m. "Better Together"
9:00 p.m. "Modern Family"
9:30 p.m. "Cougar Town"
10:00 p.m. "The Whole Truth"

THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m. "My Generation"
9:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy"
10:00 p.m. "Private Practice"

FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Secret Millionaire"
9:00 p.m. "Body of Proof"
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

SATURDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Saturday Night College Football"

SUNDAY:
7:00 p.m. "America's Funniest Home Videos"
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
9:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives"
10:00 p.m. "Brothers & Sisters"

V and other picked-up series not listed will premiere later in the season. For more on ABC's 2010 fall schedule (including information on the new series), visit The Futon Critic.

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: FOX, NBC Set Schedules

2010-05-17T15:37:00.004-04:00

These things are becoming a bit anti-climatic with networks announcing renewals/cancellations ahead of time and, in the case of NBC, releasing the entire fall schedule before the announcement, but nonetheless, it's that nail-biting time we call Network Upfronts Week where our faves get a second chance or an early retirement. Fox was up first and there weren't too many shake-ups. PTR faves Bones and Fringe will retain their Thursday night slots while fellow PTR fave Glee will stay on Tuesdays, but move to an earlier slot (8 p.m.). Glee will also get the coveted post-Super Bowl slot in February. Meanwhile, bubble series Human Target got picked-up, but moves to Friday nights.

Over at NBC, "new" is the buzzword as the network will roll out five new comedies and seven new dramas this fall. On the returning favorites side, Law & Order: SVU will move back to the 9 p.m. slot on Wednesdays where it was earlier this season, PTR fave Chuck will return to Mondays at 8 p.m., and one of TV's best character dramas, Parenthood, returns to Tuesday nights.

Get a closer look at both Fox and NBC's fall schedules after the jump.

FOX FALL 2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM LONESTAR (new)

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GLEE
9:00-9:30 PM RAISING HOPE (new)
9:30-10:00 PM RUNNING WILDE (new)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM LIE TO ME
9:00-10:00 PM HELL'S KITCHEN

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HUMAN TARGET
9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD GUYS

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

For more on Fox's schedule (including details on new series), visit The Futon Critic.

Now, here's a closer look at NBC's new fall schedule:

NBC FALL 2010 SCHEDULE *New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Chuck"
9-10 p.m. - "THE EVENT"
10-11 p.m. - "CHASE"

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. - "The Biggest Loser"
10-11 p.m. - "Parenthood"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. - "UNDERCOVERS"
9-10 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
10-11 p.m. - "LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES"

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. - "Community"
8:30-9 p.m. - "30 Rock"
9-9:30 p.m. - "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. - "OUTSOURCED"
10-11 p.m. - "LOVE BITES"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Who Do You Think You Are?"/"SCHOOL PRIDE"
9-10 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
10-11 p.m. - "OUTLAW"

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7- 8:15 p.m. -- "Football Night in America"
8:15-11:30 p.m. -- "NBC Sunday Night Football"

SUNDAY (beginning March 2011)
7-8 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. - "Minute to Win It"
9-11 p.m. - "The Celebrity Apprentice

For more on NBC's schedule (including details on new series), visit The Futon Critic.

Across the Other Universe

2010-05-17T08:05:00.000-04:00

This week's Fringe thriller was exposition for the second part of this 2-part season finale, but it was interesting and engaging and it left me excited for Thursday's conclusion. We've seen Walter travel to the other universe (via his self-constructed door) to save and eventually keep the other Peter. We've seen Olivia travel there (unwillingly) to meet with William Bell. And we know that Walternate took Peter back to his original universe, but seeing all of the characters over there at the same time was thrilling! Add in the whole doppelganger angle (and near misses with running into each other), and you have a very exciting and fun part one to the conclusion of this season. So many things are about to go wrong that I have the feeling I'm going to be on the edge of my seat for a full hour come Thursday night. But, Peter's apparent fate now that he's re-assimilated into his home universe is the most pressing of them all.

We learned from The Observer's carefully placed sheet of paper that Peter is somehow going to be used as a pawn to end the world. He will be a key piece in the greater whole involving some sort of complex Da Vinci-esque machine. After finding the plans, Olivia and Walter took them straight to Massive Dynamic, but Nina assured them that Bell had not built the machine (although, she also admitted that she isn't sure if her communications are reaching Bell). So, Olivia and Walter turned to the crafty folks at Massive Dynamic to help them find a way to cross over to the other universe to save Peter before he becomes the catalyst for the end of the world. With the help of a few of Olivia's old classmates from Jacksonville, they were able to cross over. Unfortunately, the journey caused her classmate's unusual abilities to act up and turn against them, so they were not long for the other universe. Of course, this begs the question how will Walter and co. get back to this universe after they save Peter? I guess that's a part two or next season problem.

Once in the other universe, trouble seemed to come in spades. Liv saw her doppelganger (with brown hair and a happy relationship!!), Walter got shot and wound up the ER, and Bell failed to meet them at the bridge in Central Park. He did manage to track down Olivia while she was spying on her alternate self, but even he had bad news. Walter is in more trouble than we think. We know Walternate is "Mr. Secretary," but it seems that he's even more important and well-known in the other universe than we thought. He's a powerful man, and it isn't going to take the hospital employees very long to recognize Walter and then the fit's going to hit the shan. Of course, it kinda already did back in the 80s when Walter stole Peter. Apparently, that action set into motion this current chain of events and Peter's return to his original universe is going to complete the entire horrific cycle (thus, the reason why The Observer told Walter never to let Peter return to the other universe). And just when things couldn't get any worse for Liv and co,. we learned that Walternate has, indeed, built the machine of death! It looks like the season isn't the only thing running out of time!

Fringe airs Thursday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, you can watch it for free at Fox.com.

'Bones' in the Court Room

2010-05-14T10:04:00.000-04:00

First, I LOVED this episode. Having said that, I'm nervous about next week's finale. I don't like where things are heading on the Brennan front, but we'll discuss later. Now, remember that I LOVED this episode when I make the next observation: Did anyone else feel that the characters were a bit out of character this week? I'm not complaining -- not in the least -- because I liked seeing the more human side to Brennan and Hodgins. It just took me by surprise. They spend so much of their lives dealing with tragedy that I didn't expect either of them to crack when going face to face with the Gravedigger. I was shocked to see Brennan having nightmares and emotional moments both on and off the stand. Apparently, the entire experience had quite an impact on her because by the end of the hour, she was standing on the edge of a very monumental decision.

The image of Bones sitting in the back of the taxi waving to Booth as he stood by powerless to stop her was deja vu all over again. We saw the exact same scene unfold in the 100th during the flashback to their first kiss. This time, the implications might be a bit more far-reaching. If Brennan decides to leave the Jeffersonian, Booth isn't going to be the only person affected. The timing on her sudden change of heart feels strange. Ever since Booth poured his heart out to her, she has adamantly insisted that their partnership means a lot to her, and now, she wants to end it because all of the sadness and tragedy has taken its toll. It's not that I doubt that it has (actually, it surprises me that people are able to work these jobs day in and day out without wanting to quit), but Brennan has always been so emotionally void that I never questioned her ability to focus on the science and ignore the emotion (who can forget her endless in-sensitivities when dealing with victims' families?). This week, we learned that she has been having nightmares. Perhaps, this work has been affecting her on a very human level all this time. Obviously, Bones can't leave or there would be no show, but I have a feeling that next week's finale is going to be heart-breaking (for the second time in the last month).

I'm really glad the show decided to bring the Gravedigger case back. Having an episode that focused on a trial was a nice change of pace. It was suspenseful seeing the Jeffersonian having to scramble to make their case and have their own science used against them on the witness stand. It made the usually confident scientists seem uneasy. And, it was especially interesting to see Brennan knocked off her game. She let her emotions slip in and it affected her performance on the stand. Crazy Max tried to kill the Gravedigger, but I did enjoy his phone conversation with Bones ("Dad, I don't want you to kill people for me. Just buy me a sweater like a normal dad."). And yay!, Hodgins told everyone about his and Angela's wedding! But with their marriage, Brennan's sudden change of heart and Booth and Bones's decision to not pursue their feelings for each other, I, too, feel that things are about to change. And right about now, I'm feeling as uneasy as Brennan.

And now, here is this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:

THE GOOD: That scene between Booth and Bones in her apartment. She opened up to him about her nightmares and fears. He hugged her. It was good. VERY good.

THE BAD: The poor boy who died after he was buried (barely) alive.

THE UGLY: Brennan's thinking about leaving the Jeffersonian and her partnership with Booth. If she goes through with it next week, things are gonna get VERY ugly for this TV fan!

If you missed this week's episode ("The Boy with the Answer"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

Love in 'Sight?'

2010-05-13T12:07:00.000-04:00

Well, isn't Agent Faber the sly devil! He comes into town with a witness who is in need of a WITSEC agent and sticks around long enough to woo Mary with a picture of his 11-year old son and a bottle of wine. When she politely (and awkwardly) declines, he shows up one last time on her doorstep on his way out of town and gets a little dash of hope before hitting the road back to Denver. "I'd like that" -- three little words that Faber can take with him in hopes that one day when his timing doesn't suck, he might have a chance with Mary. So, it wasn't exactly a Nora Ephron workplace romantic comedy where witty dialog leads to romance, but in the end, Mary sorta-kinda warmed up to Faber. Meanwhile, she had a witness problem that seemed to go from bad to worse.

Technically, Natalie should have been kicked out of WITSEC the first time she tried to pull the housing scam. It was her first night in the program. The sheets on her hotel bed hadn't even warmed up and she was sneaking out under the cover of darkness to pull another scam! She didn't get very far, though, because the local cops picked her up along with some teens for loitering in an unoccupied house. The FBI made the charge disappear and Natalie was back in her hotel room much to the chagrin of Mary. Natalie continuously lied to the FBI and WITSEC, she failed to disclose her personal relationship with one of the Russian mob's low-level associates and she snuck out a second time to pull the scam. This was where Mary and Faber saw their opportunity to make the case against the mob. At first, they thought they could flip the boyfriend, but it became apparent that they could still use Natalie as a witness. They had her secretly watch her boyfriend's interview with the FBI where he immediately proceeded to blame the entire operation on her. Love stinks, indeed.

With the dirt bag behind bars and her witness safely relocated, Mary had time to reflect on her 36-hour marriage when she was 17 (what??!!) juxtaposed with her current day inability to let a guy buy her a drink. Then, Faber knocked on her door. He brought a second bottle of wine and told her that he might see her around. She paused, unable to say what she wanted to say and devoid of something safe to say, and Faber pounced. He wanted to know what it was she wanted to say but couldn't. And then she gave him hope with those three words: "I'd like that." Uh-oh, this one has already bought her two drinks and shared some personal information. It's Mary's move.

In Plain Sight airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. If you missed this episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com. And for more on the show, visit USANetwork.com.

Vocal Expression

2010-05-12T18:20:00.001-04:00

Just in case you forgot, Glee decided to remind you why it's one of the best shows on TV! Seriously, could they have packed any more awesome moments into a single episode? Just when I thought they had max-ed out on awesome, they go and give us that moving story involving Rachel and the former football player who is now paralyzed from the chest down. I feel pretty confident declaring that scene at the end between them one of the most moving scenes ever. In the span of a single episode, this show managed to make me laugh so hard I had to pause my DVR and blink away tears so I could see the characters without the blurry glow that tear-filled eyes provide. And while I missed Jesse (or rather, his perfect voice), the bonus Brittany this week seemed to make up for his absence. But the episode's best lines were once again relegated to one Sue Sylvester.

"Yeah, you know what? I checked out of this conversation about a minute back, so good luck with your troubles and I'm gonna make it a habit not to stop and talk to students because this has been a colossal waste of my time" might just be my favorite Sue-ism to date! It's not just the line, but the way she said it that caused me to pause my DVR for a little laugh break. Here she was pretending to care about Kurt's struggles with his father accepting his sexual orientation and hanging out with Finn more than him, and in true Sue style, she didn't give a lick about him or his "troubles." And later when Mercedes quit the Cheerios (yay!), a very shocked Sue declared that no one quits the Cheerios -- "They either die or I kick them out." Imagine her confusion over a student wanting to leave the popular group because she no longer wanted to be a part of a crowd that didn't match her true self. Go Mercedes!

Rachel Berry is a tough character for me. I want to like her and I want to hate her. The show won't let me do either exclusively, so I wind up fluctuating between "like a lot" and "annoyed a lot." Maybe I just like to see the good in everyone, but I've always felt that underneath all that selfishness, arrogance, perfection, obsession and high- and- mighty- holier- than- thou attitude was a good person. A bit misguided, but still good... somewhere... buried deep... very deep. This week, I feel a tad vindicated. At first, things were going along in typical Rachel fashion. For her project, she chose Miley Cyrus's "The Climb" (a personal fave of mine as well -- don't judge, the song is incredibly inspirational!) and declared that the song described her current self because the rest of glee club was the big obstacle in her way. Then, she lost her singing voice and became obsessed with what would happen if she never got it back ("I'm like Tinkerbell. I need the applause!"). But then, something magical happened. Something out of character and wonderful. Rachel Berry's heart grew. She began to feel something... for SOMEONE ELSE!! I know! I can barely believe it either, but it happened and it was so moving. She met someone who had lost a lot more than his voice. He lost his body and in the process, found his voice. Their duet at the end to U2's "One" was brilliant, sob-inducing and poignant. See, Rachel is a good person!

Props to the show for using "Jesse's Girl" as one of the songs this week (could Finn have chosen a more perfect song?) and for giving Brittany more scenes ("There's so many lyrics"). I'm still loving the relationship between Quinn and Mercedes. Kurt's solo (the second one) was incredible! And, I'm still trying to get over Puck's jazz number! That was awesome!!

Glee airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, check it out at Fox.com. The music of Glee is available on iTunes.

'Chuck' Gets Committed

2010-05-11T10:42:00.000-04:00

As much as I enjoyed this week's detour with Chuck in the mental hospital, I can't wait until the show gets back to its usual self. I want the spy missions back. I want Chuck, Sarah, Casey and (now) Morgan working together undercover to bring down the bad guys and recover whatever intel they're charged with recovering. Not that this week's detour wasn't interesting or important for the future of the characters and the story, but I just want to let the spies be spies again. There were actually two very important details from this episode that will affect every character on the show moving forward. They are both bad developments, and as of right now, none of the other characters knows about them. Ellie may end up causing harm to the entire team and Chuck may do harm to himself.

Chuck's trip to the CIA's mental hospital may have been a false alarm, but the doctor's warning was not. Because the Intersect is a new technology, doctors and the CIA do not know what sort of long-term effects it may have on the brain. This week, Chuck learned that those effects may not be good. He has been having vivid dreams that may/may not be providing clues to things that are about to happen (is Shaw going to turn up alive??!!). The dreams seem to be a side effect of the Intersect, but instead of flashes, Chuck sees bit and pieces of events that don't seem to make a lot of sense (in true dream fashion). The doctor believes that the Intersect messes with the brain, thus, Chuck's vivid dreams are merely the early symptoms of him going completely crazy. He was going to tell Sarah about the bad news, but decided not to when she finally worked up the courage to tell him that she loves him. I'm holding out hope that Chuck's father can get that Intersect out of Chuck's brain before it does any more damage.

Meanwhile, Ellie is entering the spy life on her own. Remember the Ring operative in Africa who made Devon sick by making it look like Malaria? Well, he tracked down Ellie at the Buy More and flashed his CIA badge to get her to meet with him in a quieter location. He told her that her father's life is in danger and she needs to track him down (it seems the Ring is looking for the elder Bartowski -- probably for his Intersect-building capabilities). She agreed to "serve her country" and not tell anyone else about it because the agent convinced him that no one would believe her. Oh, and bonus, he convinced her that Casey is on the wrong side! Ellie became convinced of this when she saw his arsenal of weapons in his living room. Someone schedule some brother/sister bonding time STAT! Ellie needs to tell Chuck before everything falls apart. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Chuck airs Monday nights on NBC. If you missed this week's episode, you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.

Peter Goes Solo

2010-05-10T09:01:00.000-04:00

Fringe has been a little all over the map lately (including this most recent episode), but I thought this X-Files-esque outing had enough going on to keep me from dwelling on it. It was really strange to not have Olivia in most of the episode and almost as strange not to have Walter or Astrid either. They were peppered in here and there -- mainly for a story line involving Walter trying (and failing) to get by on his own -- but this episode's focus was elsewhere. It was mainly about Peter's pit stop in Washington state and how it turned into a hunt for a serial killer. Peter got involved after interacting with a woman who became the latest victim, but it was how he stayed involved that made it interesting. And that was nothing compared to the shocking reveal at the end.

Let's start with the serial killer case. Peter thought he saw Newton at the crime scene. When he learned that the victims had small pieces of their brain removed, he became convinced that Newton was responsible (he knew he had done the same to Walter). Since the waitress was suppose to be meeting Peter at his hotel to bring him a mix CD, Peter thought Newton killed her and took a piece of her brain so he could learn Peter's location. He was convinced that Newton was killing people who came in contact with him in order to find Peter. Later, he saw Newton in the woods during an incredibly creepy cat and mouse scene. Given the show's history and Peter's insistence that this was the work of Newton (and the lengths he went to in order to convince the sheriff that he was not crazy), I had no reason to doubt the narrative. And then the rug got pulled out from under all of us. Turns out, the serial killer was not Newton. It was a crazy guy living on an old farm who wanted to keep a piece of his victims. Newton had nothing to do with any of it. I thought the twist felt forced and way too convenient (there just happened to be a serial killer who was stealing pieces of his victim's brains in the same town where Peter was trying to get lost and Newton was trying to find him). But, it did catch me off guard.

Ever since we watched Walter take Peter from the other universe and bring him into this one, I've wondered about Walternate. It hasn't been one of those steady, nagging question marks, but it comes up from time and time and fades when I get caught back up into the story as it unfolds. Well this week, that recurring question finally got an answer. Walternate is alive and well, and oh yeah, he wants his Peter back. He enlisted the help of Newton to track down Peter so he could take him back to his universe. Considering the fact that Peter seemed to be looking for a ticket back, something tells me he's going to go along willingly. It's what awaits him that worries me. Anyone associated with Newton can't be good. Things are about to get crazy!

Fringe airs Thursday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, you can watch it for free at Fox.com.

The 'Bones,' the Witch & the Wardrobe

2010-05-07T09:03:00.000-04:00

In addition to being a huge fan of Bones, I'm also a big fan of Kathy Reichs's Temperance Brennan novels. So this week's episode -- written by Reichs -- was a dream come true for this Bones fan. I can't believe it took 5 seasons to finally get the stars to align, but it was worth it. Plus, any episode that can combine a modern-day murder, witchcraft, Wiccan ceremonies and the articulated remains of a victim of the Salem Witch Trials is pretty much going to register on my good meter. Unlike Sweets, I'm not super-studied on that particular dark chapter of our history, but my love for everything American history made the articulated skeleton angle of the story pretty cool. But, it was Angela and Hodgins who provided the night's biggest "Did that just happen" moment, and I'm not referring to their incarceration.

Well, I suppose that's a touch misleading because the moment in question happened while they were incarcerated, and more than likely, because they were locked up together alone for a long time. That time led them to remember what they liked about each other. It also gave them a chance to talk about their bizarre break-up and what a colossal mistake it was and how it left them both wishing they hadn't "swerved at the last minute." For the record, when Hodgins said they should have crashed into each other at full speed, I had a completely different outcome in mind. When the show cut back to them and the judge/barber was in the middle of marrying them, I was SHOCKED! Pleasantly shocked, but shocked. At least one couple on the show seems to have things figured out.

The case was very interesting and full of fun little twists and turns. I really had no idea who was going to prove to be responsible for the dark-magic-for-hire's murder. Booth had me cracking up between his "shoddy job" comment in reference to the articulated skeleton and his opinion about nakedness happening to those you don't want to see naked. Of course, I also enjoyed his little Bones figure and the fact that he wished her happiness with it. Oh, and I agree, she was totally relieved.

And now, here is this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:

THE GOOD: The focus on the case. It was interesting, fun, and it distracted from and temporarily eliminated the constant ups and downs of the Booth/Bones saga. I needed a break.

THE BAD: Hodgins's big mouth. It landed him and Angela in a small cell (which wound up being a good thing, but in the beginning, not so much) and got them both caught for outstanding warrants.

THE UGLY: Actually, this week was pretty tame. Aside from the burned remains, nothing out of the ordinary.

If you missed this week's episode ("The Witch in the Wardrobe"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

Birthday Wishes: Happy 50th, Roma Downey

2010-05-06T00:00:00.003-04:00

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

This post may seem completely out of the blue for loyal PTR readers given I've been (and remain) on hiatus from this corner of the television blogosphere. As life continues to take some interesting turns for me of late, there seem to be only a handful of reasons that bring me back to the world of television given I just don't have much time to watch it anymore.

But when one of those reasons is seeing an angel turn 50, I need to take time out and wish her well.

I owe Roma Downey at least that much (actually, way more ... but that's another story for another day).

Having had the great pleasure (er, let's call it honor) of interviewing Roma last year for PTR, it confirmed for me what we here already know: there are certain actors who are timeless, and there are certain shows that are timeless. We owe them as much reverence in hindsight as we did during their prime.

Not surprisingly, Roma remains at the top of that list for us, as does her legendary portrayal of Monica the Angel on the phenomenon that was (and still is) Touched By An Angel.

As she celebrates a milestone birthday today, I break from hiatus to send her our best wishes for continued health and happiness in the coming year.

Happy Birthday Roma!

Your Friends at PTR

And if you're missing Roma these days, tune into Hallmark Channel to catch re-runs of Touched By An Angel (though be prepared for sudden channel lineup changes that seem to put TBAA on a "break"); or, your can visit her official Web site and join her official Facebook page (both run by the lovely Ms. Anna K, long time Webmaster of Roma's official site and friend here to PTR).

'Glee' Has a Bad Reputation

2010-05-05T18:04:00.000-04:00

I know I shouldn't, but I LOVE Jesse St. James! I'm aware that he has some sort of sinister motive for dating Rachel, but he sings like an angel, dances like a dream and has an intensity so strong it burns through my TV screen! I'm going to end up hating myself for this when his true intentions are revealed, but not him -- not with that talent. Seriously, I need help. Moving on because if I don't, this post will quickly morph into a fangirl "I (heart) Jesse" diatribe that no one (including me) wants to read. This episode freakin' ROCKED!! I've said it before, but I'll say it again: this show is at its best when it sticks to the glee club kids and relegates the faculty members' personal stories to the back burner. I didn't post anything about last week's episode because it was not my favorite. In fact, I found the Will/April story line to be boring and completely without merit (I did, however, LOVE the Mercedes story and her scene with Quinn was one of the show's best thus far). This week, the focus was back on glee club and the talented kids in it. More specifically, which of those talented kids posted the "Glist," an act that was destined to give him/her a one-way ticket to suspension.

My money was on Jesse. I thought that this was part of his plan to sabotage Glee. But then we learned that Quinn had made the Glist in an attempt to gain back a little of what she has lost. It was all a bit tragic and sad, but thankfully, an equally reputation-challenged Will was able to offer her some advice and shield her from suspension. Will Schuester for Teacher of the Year! Who's with me? I enjoyed the other glee club members' attempts at becoming badasses and how they all fell flat. Breaking out into "Can't Touch This" in the middle of the library didn't make them more badass, but it did garner them an invitation to perform at the librarian's church on Sunday. Posting that HI-LAR-IOUS video of one Sue Sylvester performing Olivia Newton John's infamous "Let's Get Physical" on the net was pretty badass, but the gang didn't come forward until it was too late. By that time, Sue was an internet sensation (and Top 700 recording star) for her new duet of "Let's Get Physical" with the one and only Olivia Newton John. It turns out, the original video led to the new one and a very happy Sue. Looks like the glee kids are going to have to settle for being the opposite of badass for now.

Meanwhile, Rachel was busy trying to be "musically promiscuous." There was only one problem with this plan -- she forgot to inform the three guys she was planning to use in order to achieve this effect. They didn't find out until her Bad Reputation Project debuted on the big screen in the glee club room. She had shot a music video with each of the three guys in her life (Finn, Puck and Jesse) and then edited it together to make it look like she had all three of them fighting for her. Finn walked out, followed by Puck, and then Jesse dumped her. Whoops! On the plus side, it led to an awesome duet of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" between her and Jesse. There are no words to describe the awesomeness of Lea Michele's and Jonathan Groff's voices or the intensity in their performances during that song.

Exit Question: Is Brittany the best minor character to ever hit TV screens? Someone give her more material -- STAT! And while they're at it, include Santana. Those two are too funny!

Glee airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, check it out at Fox.com. The music of Glee is available on iTunes.

Congrats to Glee's Lea Michele for making the TIME 100 list!! Some photos of Lea from last night's gala in New York:

'Chuck's' Non-Role Models

2010-05-05T08:34:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest fears about putting a "will they or won't they" couple together is that all of the build-up and investment prior to the hook-up will fade once it finally happens. Viewers will get bored and no longer feel as invested in the characters and they're relationship. One of the ways shows deflect this pitfall is to stir up controversy between the two characters. That puts them back in a "will they or won't they" scenario, but this time it's "will they or won't they... get back together" (for an excellent reference, see Rachel and Ross from Friends). This tactic has a short shelf life because after several break-up/make-ups, fans grow tired of the back and forth and once again lose interest. We're only three episodes into Chuck and Sarah's hook-up, and yet, we seem to already be approaching such a crossroads. Episode one: they hooked-up at the end, Episode two: they were happy, Episode three: the first signs of discord began to set in. That was fast! Conflict can be a good thing on TV shows, so I'm not ready to assume that Chuck has fallen into the usual trap. In fact, I thought the way the older spy couple served as both an equal and an opposite to Chuck and Sarah's relationship was clever and certainly not lost of either of them. But, I would be lying if I said that I'm not concerned about the future of Chuck and Sarah: The Couple and their spy careers.

I'm thinking that working as a spy for the CIA has to be a stressful job that takes its toll on relationships. Now, imagine if both people in the relationship are spies for the CIA. There's good and bad (obviously, you understand the other person's work and why there has to be secrets), but watching the person you love make out with someone else for the greater good has to be taxing. Add in the high-stress situations (we've seen how well that works out for many couples on The Amazing Race) and the fear of the other person not making it out of a mission alive, and you get one crazy formula for a marriage. Enter the Turners. The life had certainly taken its toll on them. But, Sarah and Chuck aren't the Turners. For one thing, Chuck isn't like any spy in the CIA and that just might be the key that keeps these crazy kids together and happy in the long run. And speaking of keys, I got Sarah's hesitation about moving in with Chuck. She isn't used to stability or being able to trust someone completely, so the prospect of moving in (and after a relatively short time dating) had to be scary. I was actually surprised that she changed her mind in the end. Nice character growth.

You know, I didn't pay a lot of attention to the Ellie/Awesome scenes because I thought they were just throw-away. Don't get me wrong, I was uber-happy that the show decided to cover their work with Doctors Without Borders because I was worried that we weren't going to see those two again until they landed back in Burbank. But, I wasn't thinking about their story line connecting with Chuck's. I know, I should have known better. On the positive side, this meant that the reveal at the end with the other doctor being a member of the Ring took me by surprise! I was caught off guard and I liked it! I just hope that Awesome is going to be OK (and P.S. -- how great was it that the name the local people gave him loosely translated into him being awesome?? I guess he's awesome in any language!).

Chuck airs Monday nights on NBC. If you missed this week's episode, you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.

Everybody Loves Robin

2010-05-04T09:43:00.000-04:00

There's something about How I Met Your Mother's Robin Scherbatsky. There has to be, right? This week, she had three men vying for her affection and two of them were willing to beg, borrow and steal just to win her back. Barney suddenly decided that he had to have Robin back. Ted got on board while trying to convince Barney that he didn't really want her back. And then there was Don. Since he's her current boyfriend, he had the advantage. In fact, the only decision Robin had to make regarding Don was whether or not she wanted to move in with him. It felt a little fast (to Robin as well), but she decided to consider it anyway. When she finally made her decision regarding all three of them, it seemed that Ted and Barney's actions had an effect -- just not the one they were hoping for.

Since we know these characters and how they interact, I never thought it was strange that Robin hangs out with two of her exes. When Don discovered that she had dated both Barney and Ted, I started to see where that might be a little weird and might make a new boyfriend a bit uneasy. Still, if you're asking someone to move in with you, then you need to know them well enough to trust them around two of their exes. Thankfully, Don realized this as well and came back and apologized the next day. Then, his concerns became legit because Barney decided that he had to have Robin back. Ted showed him "the letter," but it did nothing to quell his longing for her. The letter to his future self was designed to remind him of why he broke up with Robin, but I think he was too concerned with the toy he could no longer have because someone else was playing with it. Once Ted read his own letter, he wanted her back too. This set up a funny showdown between the two, but it left them both without her in their lives temporarily. In the end, Robin decided to move in with Don and to stop hanging out with her exes because she wants to give this thing with Don a chance. A bit drastic, but there you go.

Meanwhile, Lily and Marshall were obsessed with their new twin beds. They had slept in them when they stayed at a hotel and wound up getting the best sleep in years, so they got them for their home. Sleeping alone proved advantageous to a good night's sleep, but it started to wear on their relationship. The distance combined with Don's story about how he and his ex-wife got twin beds and then got divorced worried Lily. Whoever suggested the king-sized bed had the right idea... roomy enough to have your own space, but still sharing the same bed. Lily and Marshall should definitely look into it.

How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays on CBS. If you missed last night's episode, watch it for free at cbs.com.

'Case' Closed?

2010-05-03T16:31:00.000-04:00

Today's post is bittersweet for PTR. This week's Cold Case double-header was fantastic, but it might also be the show's swan song which makes this, quite possibly, the last time I get to write about a new episode of one of my favorite shows. If the rest of the season had proceeded as the first half, then this would be a very different post. I would be telling you how "ready" I was to say goodbye to the show and how disappointing it was to see it go out on such a low note. Thankfully, the second half of the season was nothing like the first and if this week's finale was really it's final episode, at least the show went out on a high note -- a very high note. Somewhere between Christmas and spring, the CC writers decided to shake up the formula and focus on telling good stories for both the case-of-the-week and regular characters instead of being confined by a narrow format. This week's season ender epitomized the change, and it provided some closure to some of the show's personal stories for the detectives. And the story line that I thought I was going to like the least wound up being the one that captivated and moved me the most.

During the last few episodes, I've found myself asking the same question over and over again: "What is this fabulous new show and what did the writers do with the old CC?" To which I usually answer the second part, "Hopefully, they've buried it in the deepest, darkest TV vault available." And that's not a knock on the old school CC. I LOVED old school CC (seasons 1 & 2 and random glimmers of old school greatness sprinkled in between the end of season 2 and the second half of this season), but the show had changed drastically and not in a good way. The second half of this season was like watching a completely different show, but with all the old lovable characters. It. Was. AWESOME!! This is why I worried that bringing back Christina was going to throw a huge damper on the momentum of the last several episodes.

I didn't want to see her again, and I knew Lilly didn't either, but the brilliance of this story line was how it forced some closure for Lil and led to the best Lilly/Scotty interaction the show has ever seen. The two of them working together off the grid had some serious ups and downs, but that's what made it so freakin' brilliant. I've always thought that Lil harbored serious resentment over Scotty sleeping with her sister (everyone is free to infer their own reason for this), so I was glad she got it out during their little screaming match on the sidewalk. His comment about having to worry about his own family was true, but harsh. Lil had put everything on the line when she lied for him regarding his personal vendetta against the man who assaulted his mom (when he was guilty!!). He didn't cut her in on his little jailhouse stunt and he didn't share it with her after (probably to spare her any responsibility), so how was she to know what he was going through after getting that guy killed? Then again, he did have his own serious stuff to worry about when Christina approached him behind Lil's back. Interesting how they fight so personally only over Chris. Old wounds, I suppose (again, infer your own meaning).

When Lil and Scotty finally found Chris, I was seriously afraid that she wasn't going to make it. I had kinda suspected that she had a little girl from the tail end of her phone conversation in the bar before Scotty arrived, but Lil certainly didn't have a clue! I did think it odd that after they got Chris out of the house, they didn't take her to a hospital. Interesting moment at the end when Scotty stopped Lil from shooting the man responsible for beating the crap out of her sister. It was his "don't make the mistake I made" moment and penance all wrapped into one. It was a powerful scene and one wrought with emotion. Lilly was a mess, but Scotty pulled her back. I think it's safe to say that he didn't just save Christina.

Both of the cases in these episodes were good. They both took a serious backseat to everything else going on, but they were strong enough and engaging enough to hold their own. The murders were so tragic and so senseless and equally sad. My one problem with both was that the respective killers seemed to come out of nowhere right at the end to surprise us, but I blame that on the cases being sacrificed for the personal stuff with Scotty and then Lilly. Therefore, I'm OK with the rushed conclusions and weaker killers/motives. Overall, two very strong outings (with the second getting the honor of the stronger of the two) and an excellent way to end the season (hopefully, only the season). Cold Case ends the year 22-0. Screen cap courtesy RichE at Kathryn Morris UK. And to see more caps from this episode, visit his all-inclusive Kathryn Morris site HERE.

WANT TO SEE MORE FABULOUS EPISODES LIKE THIS ONE?

THEN HELP LILLY STAY ON THE 'CASE!' JOIN THE LETTER CAMPAIGN TO GET AN 8TH SEASON FOR COLD CASE!

Rock 'n Roll Fantasy

2010-04-30T10:24:00.000-04:00

Bones took us to a place that was out of Brennan's element, but completely in Booth's: Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp! Booth was like a little kid in a candy shop and Brennan was left trying to figure out why everyone was so excited about attending the camp. She, of course, was much more focused on solving the murder at the camp and Booth's tie (which we'll discuss further later, I promise). So in between rocking out, singing a duet and hanging out with a famous guitarist, Booth and Bones were busy solving the murder of one the camp's attendees whose remains wound up in the industrial washing machine at the hotel hosting the camp. And in between that, Brennan was quite focused on Booth's new tie, but it wasn't really the tie that caught her focus.

Before Booth and Bones could rock out at the fantasy camp, they had to determine who their victim was and how he died. The who led them to the camp and the how led them to a kickass guitar that the killer used to beat the life out of the camper. But who at a rock 'n roll camp would do such a thing to such a nice guitar?! Honestly, even after we learned who killed him and why, I was still left wondering this last question especially since our killer was such a guitar/rock 'n roll enthusiast. Since the victim was kind of a jerk, there were a lot of suspects who had strong motives to kill him. It all came down to jealousy. One camper was outraged that the victim was chosen to play a guitar duet with the camp's featured famous rocker. He was so enraged that he beat our victim with his own guitar and then wiped it clean and left it looking pristine. The killer played his duet and then jumped off the stage and into Booth's cuffs declaring that it was worth it. Wow, not even a shred of remorse!

Aside from their duet (an encore of season one's "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner), Booth and Bones spent the episode on different pages. He was into the camp, she was not. He was trying to downplay his gift from Catherine, she kept bringing it up. He was enjoying the guitar solo, she unplugged the amp. It was clear, these two had lost their rhythm this week. Even though Sweets declared that they are handling dating (other people) well, I respectively disagree. I think Brennan brought up the tie (or "social contract") over and over because she was trying to give the impression that she's doing alright with Booth dating Catherine (a pretty scientist... hmm... sound like someone else we know?). Maybe she was even trying to convince herself. Booth kept downplaying the relationship (perhaps, to keep away any further awkwardness or in a manifestation of his true non-feelings for Catherine), so the ensuing scenes were slightly uncomfortable. It was almost as if Bones was saying, "See, I'm totally OK with you dating Catherine. I mean I must be, right? Otherwise, why would I keep talking about the GIFT she gave you after ONLY two dates?!" I could be way off, but this is how it came across to me. And P.S., I don't think she has any feelings for Andrew.

And now, here is this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:

THE GOOD: The encore performance of Booth and Bones's "Hot Blooded" duet. LOVED it back in season one (before the blast) and LOVED it again this week. And bonus, Bones plays guitar!

THE BAD: Cam dating her daughter's gynecologist behind her back. Thankfully, they worked it out and Michelle is getting a new doctor because, otherwise, just awkward!

THE UGLY: The industrial washing machine after the body had sloshed around in it for the rinse cycle. Yuck!

If you missed this week's episode ("The Rocker in the Rinse Cycle"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

Fishy 'Sight'

2010-04-29T15:57:00.001-04:00

Things certainly took an interesting turn on In Plain Sight with the WITSEC witness-of-the-week! I'm used to Mary and Marshall protecting innocent people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time or people who used to be bad, but are now reformed. This week, though, was a whole new ball game. I'm so glad the show decided to go down this road. It has to happen from time to time in real life, so it was interesting to watch how Mary and Marshall, WITSEC - fictional division, handled it. Of course, I doubt there's much Mary can't handle with her job (her life, however, is a completely different story -- more on that later). So, what happens when the person you're suppose to be protecting suddenly becomes the person you need to protect someone else from? If you're Mary, you do whatever it takes to prevent a tragedy. With only seconds to spare, she took a HUGE risk to save an innocent woman's life.

After growing up with a mobster uncle who always insulted him and had him killing people via explosives from the time he was barely a teenager, it's no wonder that Dom grew up to be a bad egg. I'm always one for redemption, though, so when Dom said that he wanted to open a fish store with his new identity, I believed that he had turned over a new leaf. I know we saw the bit in the beginning, but I wasn't ready to assume that things were as they seemed in that brief clip. But then Mary and Marshall caught the woman he was "going to marry" with her ex, and I knew Dom was going to lose it. He seemed "off" leading up to this bit of bad news, so I had a feeling that the opening scene was about to come true exactly as it had seemed when I first saw it. Mary and Marshall had to take a huge risk (since neither was authorized to pursue protecting this woman from the witness), but it saved the woman's life. I guess this was why we never heard any scolding from Stan.

With Dom on the run, Mary and Marshall went from hiding their witness to drawing him out all in the span of one episode. It was an interesting turn of events, and I enjoyed seeing the show shake things up a little (for an episode). Meanwhile, Mary was worried about Brandi and Marshall was worried about Mary. Turns out, the latter was not in vein because Mary kinda sorta slipped up a bit with Raph. She saw him at the restaurant (which she was roped into going to with Dom) and this set off an excruciating night of jealousy and sadness for her. So, she called him at 2 in the morning and he came over. The two slept together and Mary knew the moment she opened her eyes the next morning that it was a mistake. By the end of the episode, she seemed to finally accept that she and Raph were no more and that it would be for the best -- eventually. She kinda broke my heart, though, when she started crying in her car after Raph took the last of his stuff and drove away.

In Plain Sight airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. If you missed this episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com. And for more on the show, visit USANetwork.com.

Help Rush Stay on the 'Case'

2010-04-27T20:33:00.000-04:00

From the Look Again message board:

This Sunday May 2nd from 9-11 pm (ET) is the Season 7 finale of your favorite CBS prime time drama.

Will Sunday’s final two season episodes be the last new episodes of this series? Do you desire to see Lilly Rush and her “nameless male horde” and Kat back next fall with a fresh set of cases to solve?

It is a fact that Cold Case is “On the Bubble”. What does that mean? It means fans have to vocalize in writing by a letter or postcard to CBS Entertainment. It’s in our hands. Cold Case needs our letter, envelope and stamp now! This is the final call. It must be done one fan at a time. We are providing an address and letter. It’s that simple.

Can a television series be saved solely by the fans? Yes. Various television series’ have been saved by fans when they were scheduled to be dropped from the line up. (Jericho, Angel, Firefly, Veronica Mars) It takes every fan who sees this to respond and tell others everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, other message boards and fan run sites. Cold Case is “On the Bubble” and your response “will” make a difference. Believe it and respond with your letter/postcard to CBS by MAY 8..

ADDRESS:
Nina Tassler
President of CBS Entertainment
CBS Headquarters
51 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019-6188

STANDARD MESSAGE: (use this or devise your own letter/note)

Dear Ms. Tassler;

“People shouldn't be forgotten, even if they are my kind of people. Maybe they don't have a lotta money, they don't have lawyers... but they matter. They should get justice, too.” -Det. Lilly Rush (Cold Case)

Ever since Lilly Rush uttered those words in the pilot episode of Cold Case, viewers like us have been drawn to her personal crusade to find justice for every victim. The fact that her victims have had to wait longer than most makes her job and this show that much more interesting. At the end of each episode, there is a sense of justice that can’t be replicated by other crime shows. Cold Case has always stood out of the pack with its solid writing, raw emotions and ability to transport you to the time period of the latest victim’s untimely death. The show is special and we, the fans, would hate to lose such a quality program.

It is shows such as Cold Case that set apart CBS from the other networks and prove that crime dramas can have character and emotion and not just fancy science. The characters can make you laugh one moment and cry another. And the stories appeal to everyone because justice is a theme we all rally behind.

Before you make your final decision on Cold Case’s fate next season, we implore you to “Look Again” at the series and discover why so many of us want to see it return. Please give Cold Case another season so Lilly can stay on the “Case.”

Sincerely,
(your name here)

So... faithful PTR readers, SEND THOSE LETTERS! Make sure Lilly and co. stay on the Case!

Runaway Train

2010-04-27T10:32:00.000-04:00

Dear Chuck: I'm so, so sorry that I ever doubted you. Can this show get any better??!! It's completely Chuck-tastic! I'm loving every minute of it lately -- so much so that it has shot up into the top tier of my favorite shows. Everything is working: Morgan joining "Operation Bartowski," Casey reinstated, Shaw gone, and Chuck and Sarah together. If I had imagined a perfect world for Chuck, I couldn't have envisioned something this good. But, there was a running theme in this week's episode that threatened this new-found awesomeness. It was poised to put a damper on the happiness that has engulfed the show for the past couple of episodes. This dark cloud was a peculiar kind because it masked itself as a happy, fluffy cloud, but deep down it could have derailed the best decision the show has ever made.

I'm talking about Chuck and Sarah's initial decision to quit the spy life for each other. This sounded like a great idea. And don't get me wrong, the gesture was HUGE and I love the fact that they were both willing to trade in their spy skills for a home in the 'burbs with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids. But we both know that Chuck and Sarah aren't going to be happy unless they're tracking down terrorists and, let's face it, they make a very effective team. That Texas honeymoon routine was CLASSIC! They were beyond-convincing. Too bad they accidently drugged the two INTERPOL agents who were protecting the terrorist-turned-witness, and thus, put his life in danger. Thankfully, Casey and Morgan (yes, I'm as surprised as you are) were there to straighten out the mess.

One of the best scenes (and this is saying a lot because the episode was jam-packed with best scene after best scene) took place in a bakery in Switzerland when the INTERPOL witness (a.k.a. our reformed terrorist who was tired of living on the run) listened to both Sarah and Chuck admit what they really wanted without telling each other. He tried to interject, but neither Chuck nor Casey would let him speak, so the two continued under the assumption that they were both doing what the other person wanted. Thankfully, the witness finally got to speak and Chuck and Sarah realized that they wanted to keep working as spies AND be together as a couple. Even better, General Beckman has a soft side. Who knew?

So, now things truly are perfect in the Chuck-verse. Sarah and Chuck are still spies, still together and Chuck even found a song for her. Chuck airs Monday nights on NBC. If you missed this week's episode, you ~~can~~ MUST watch it for free at Hulu.com.

FBI on 'Sight'

2010-04-26T08:03:00.000-04:00

USA Network has been using the "Characters Welcome" slogan for a few years and it has always been apropos for a network that has given us Shawn and Gus on Psych, every character from the since canceled The 4400, and of course, Mary Shannon of the U.S. Marshal service (WITSEC division) from In Plain Sight. But this week, one tiny scene with one tiny moment (that, ironically, dealt with a lack of dialogue) proved why making "Characters Welcome" on your shows is so important. Sure, the story surrounding the witness-of-the-week is usually interesting, but it is the characters that keep us coming back each week. And there is no other character on TV quite like Mary. I'm pretty sure they broke the mold after they made her. This is what makes her fascinating (you never know what she's going to say next), but it's the more sullen moments that make her sympathetic and relatable. Watching Marshall trying to keep up with her while simultaneously attempting to hide his very real feelings for her is always fun, but I don't think I've ever seen him unable to say anything at all. He was completely vocally impotent for an awkwardly long pause.

Telling your partner that you and your fiance broke up isn't on the list of the easiest topics of conversation, but I don't think that Mary thought the news would stun Marshall into silence. It was already an awkward moment, but Marshall's inability to think of anything to change the subject to made it even more so. All Mary wanted was some sort of distraction from this latest chapter in her dysfunctional personal life, but Marshall couldn't think of anything else to ramble on about leaving the two in a very uncomfortable state of silence as they drove to their next location. Knowing how Marshall feels about Mary, I think his vocal impotence had to do with him being unsure how to take the news. He had to be excited to learn that he has a second chance with Mary, but also sad for her because it was obvious that she was hurting from the decision. Of course, the entire scene was symbolic of his inability to tell her how he feels. Again, I'm not necessarily advocating for these two to get together, but I do find their relationship interesting because of Marshall's more personal stake in it.

The witness this week had Mary and Marshall taking a field trip to Denver where they promptly learned that they were going to be the ones to break the bad news about entering the WITSEC program. The FBI, whom the witness had been helping for three years, neglected to tell him that his involvement in catching and prosecuting his company for laundering money to terrorist organizations would mean that he and his family would no longer be safe, and thus, would need to enter WITSEC. As you can imagine, this did not go over well with Mary and she and Agent Faber (guest star Steven Weber) clashed from the moment they met. Things didn't improve between them when the witness refused the program and wound up kidnapped by the very people Mary wanted to protect him from. In the end, they got the witness back safely and he and his family entered the program so no harm, no foul. Perhaps, this was why Faber thought it the perfect moment to ask Mary out. As she put it, he has terrible timing. Looks like Marshall will have to wait a while to make his move as well. But hey, at least he has his rambling ability back!

In Plain Sight airs Wednesday nights on USA Network. If you missed this episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com. And for more on the show, visit USANetwork.com.

'Fringe' Vibrations

2010-04-24T11:13:00.000-04:00

If someone told me that I'd be watching a scene unfold where an embryonic stage of a shape shifter was dissected and then hooked up to a lot of car batteries to jolt it back to life by continuing it's birthing process in the lab, I'd think that they were nuts. And if I thought for one moment that I would then feel bad for aforementioned shape shifter, I'd think I was nuts! But such is the weekly happenings of Fringe. BTW, was I the only person who thought that jolting the embryo to life was a bad idea? Even if he had lived and taken on the identity of the course (would that have even worked?), he would have been dangerous. As it turns out, this one was not long for this universe and had a conscience that made Walter take notice.

"I'm sorry." Two simple words that carry a lot of weight, but were even more interesting in the context of a shape shifter in Walter's lab. He was also able to give them some info before he died. I'm telling you guys, I felt bad for him even though he was freaky and scary and his "friends" killed two teens horror-flick style. In the realm of good and evil, it's all relative to what side you're on. We've discussed here Walter's past and whether he's good or evil, so one could make a very good argument that Walter and Newton aren't different from one another on the good/evil line. Of course, we don't know exactly what Newton is doing or why, but we do know that Walter's discoveries are what enables the other side to come through to our side. Walter is very complex and made even more so by the fact that we only know the current Walter well, and he's different from the Walter of the Walter/Bell era. Is he reformed? I think, based on last week's episode, he's looking for forgiveness and hopes that his working-toward-reform self will warrant it. From what we know about Newton, it's hard to say.

Which brings us to the bridge. Besides being a really cool scene with an even cooler explanation behind it, it was incredibly pivotal. For one, we learned after that Newton was successful (I had assumed he failed). "Mr. Secretary" made it across the divide between that universe and this one. We don't know who "Mr. Secretary" is or why he's now in this universe, but it can't be good. But the more important discovery to come out of this scene (at least for the purpose of this episode and the characters ongoing story lines) had to do with Peter. While on that bridge, he realized that the man arriving from the other universe was unaffected by the vibrations, but the agent next to Peter from this universe was killed by them. Peter survived. That's when Peter realized the truth: he's from the other universe. Walter tried to explain, but Peter wanted none of it. Now he's MIA, Walter's crushed and Olivia's left to deal with Walter without her liason. Things just got even harder.

Fringe airs Thursday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, you can watch it for free at Fox.com.

'Bones' Jumps In

2010-04-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

I have a feeling that Dr. Catherine Bryar is going to be one of the least popular characters to ever grace a few episodes of Bones. It's not her fault, but she has the unfortunate task of being Booth's love interest and her name is not Temperance Brennan. Yes, most unfortunate for her. I'm not totally convinced that her presence on the show is a bad thing (I'll explain later), but I do find it tough to watch her scenes with Booth and even tougher to watch Booth and Bones talk about her and Andrew amongst themselves. Ever since that darn 100th episode, there has been this undeniable heartbreak hanging in the air between them. It's so strong, it's palpable through the television. But, these two are a classic case of two people who need to both be ready before they take that enormous leap. Until Bones comes around then, they need to go their separate ways even if that means emotionally killing all of us (and most likely, themselves). Which brings us to my earlier point: Catherine just might be a good thing.

Hear this convoluted theory out before throwing tomatoes. I believe that Brennan has massive feelings for Booth -- always has, probably always will. Whether she wants to admit it or not, she does "belong with someone" and that someone is Booth. She became aware of these feelings around the time that he had to have his brain surgery last season, and this manifested itself in the form of her story/his coma-induced alternate reality (which, it is very important to note, she ERASED the minute she finished it). I think the reality of what she was feeling was way too much for her, so she hit the road and headed to South America (once she knew Booth was going to be OK) where she could escape whatever she was feeling. When she got back, she was feeling renewed and feelings-for-Booth-free. That was until she saw him in her office. From that moment forward, she has spent the entire season denying how she felt and using her principles of rationality and science to keep the distance between her heart and her brain.

The trip down memory lane that she and Booth took in the 100th jogged those feelings loose and it scared her. To make matters worse, Booth confronted them. He went all in and he asked her to join him. She was too scared and ran away. Now, she has once again convinced herself that she doesn't belong to anyone and she is perfectly fine with Booth seeing other people. She's not, and here's how I know: I saw the look on her face each time Booth happily described something about his time with Catherine. She might not get it yet, but I believe that having Catherine in Booth's life is going to be the impetus that Brennan needs to finally go all in with Booth. She needs to realize she can and will lose Booth if she doesn't act. And she isn't going to realize it unless another women forces her to, so I'm not against the Catherine character. I think that, from the writers' perspective, she's a tool to advance the story between Booth and Bones. Of course I could be completely wrong, but I'm hoping that I am not.

Meanwhile, Andrew is merely a distraction and I don't think that Brennan's relationship with him is going to last long. He might make her laugh and he may find her literal manner charming, but I believe that she's going to realize that there's nothing else between them and there can't be anything else there because her heart is somewhere else. I liked the case this week. The aquarium setting was so cool and the suspects interesting.

And now, here is this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:

THE GOOD: The beginning of Brennan's wake-up call. She might not wake-up right away, but I think she's on the road to doing so.

THE BAD: Those poor Angel Fish that were pureed into an Angel Fish smoothie! I know, I know -- they died on their own, but it was still unnerving in the way only Bones can pull off.

THE UGLY: The motivational speaker who was full of crap (or, as it turns out, shark stem cells). The man was making oodles of money off of a lie. Not that this justifies his murder, but still.

If you missed this week's episode ("The Predator in the Pool"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.