'Grace' Goes on Faith

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Well, nothing like a jump off a 12-story building to test one's faith.

Wow.

Aside from the fact the stunt itself was impressive, the lead-up to it was equally impressive.

Grace's point blank refusal to Earl to go on faith.

His urging her to face the moment at hand.

Her fear of dying.

His not being able to love her as much as God does.

And that was all in the last five minutes, folks.

And yet, it was almost like Grace operated completely out of her element for most of the ep so that her defining moment at the end would culminate in a where-do-we-go-from-here teaser for what will be the series' final episodes (airing next summer). It seemed to go against her newly reformed self, yet maintain it at the same time.

Whether it was Grace being overly protective of Rhetta trying to step out and have coffee with a new guy (now if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is); or, learning Clay told his dad to f*** off, thus, earning himself one heck of a black eye as he got smacked around and hit his head on the table (ouch); or, Ham actually turning DOWN Grace's let's-do-a-nooner offer, saying he's now seeing someone (seriously, folks, I never thought I'd see that day).

Whatever it was, she seemed like the odd man out.

Until the end.

When she seemed promoted to angel.

To Neely.

Er, let's make that angel assistant.

And what's up with Neely wanting to challenge faith by jumping of a 12-story building - as in, if there really IS a God, he'll save me? How about Rhetta truly now being set to file for divorce after learning Ronnie bonked her mistress IN the bedroom of their house? And Ham's potentially abusive father?

All these directions in which to go.

Only nine episodes left in which to do it.

For a summer finale, this certain set the table for what lies ahead for us next summer.

New episodes of Saving Grace return in the summer of 2010. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

How Will 'Grace' Wrap it Up

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

In light of the recent news that this third season will be the last for Grace Hanadarko, I have to say I'm looking at this past week's episode a little differently.

We recall I've continued to talk about the maturing of the character, and her subsequent embracing of her new role alongside Earl as his co-pilot in the do-good-for-others department. We now have about nine episodes left to figure out what that really all is going to mean.

And what legacy Grace Hanadarko will leave behind on the television landscape.

But more immediately, what exactly is Neely going to do - or not do - to this partnership between Grace and Earl? And what is Neely going to become to Grace?

What - if anything - is Johnny going to contribute as the go-between for both Grace and Neely (all the while still not realizing he's actually met Earl, which I think is one of the best B-storylines going on the show at the moment - next to Rhetta's personal troubles with her soon-to-be-ex husband)?

And what about Ham seeming to start living a life outside of the mind-numbing, energy sucking, codependent mess of a relationship he obsesses over with Grace?

The fact the case this week was an odd role reversal of an abusive relationship - that is, a lesbian couple, where one partner beats the other and/or takes things a little too personally when someone else might get close to her - kind of paled in comparison for me as I now start to wonder how this series is set to wrap up.

We recall back during season one, we posed the question is Grace really worth saving? And if so, once she's "saved," would that be the end of the show?

I now think the answer to both those questions is yes.

She's proven she is worth saving.

And she's moved more into the "saved" direction than not.

Next week's episode is set up as the summer series finale; it teases us with the idea that Grace could die trying to save a jumper. We obviously know she won't, but give it nine episodes and maybe we'll be singing a different tune.

One thing's for sure, the Saving Grace folks will keep it interesting until the very end.

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Saving Grace' Done After Three Seasons

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

It looks like Grace won't be saved after all.

Darn.

Just when it was starting to get really good, too.

TNT announced this week that the Saving Grace will end its three season run next summer (2010).

While TNT wanted to continue with the adventures of all-things Grace Hanadarko, Fox (which actually produces the show) decided to end production after disappointing overseas and DVD sales.

As part of the decision, TNT will not air the winter run of the remaining six episodes on tap for the third season until next summer; and, Fox will film an extra three episodes to tie up all loose end so as to give the series a proper send off.

So look for the final nine episodes of the series' third installment to all air next summer.

Guess Angel Earl is going to have to find another assignment, eh?

Sources: TNT Publicity; LA Times.

'Grace' Goes for One Big Psych Out

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

WTF was that?

Like, the lamest episode of Saving Grace this season?

Seriously.

The first half was one big practical joke on Bobby and Butch.

The second half was one big copycat of the Norman Bates character and case in Psycho.

Did the writers get so preoccupied planning the practical joke part - which seems to me to be something the actual cast took to their own level, which then served as inspiration to make its way IN to A script - and just throw in the Norman Bates knock-off suspect/story for the second half because they couldn't stretch the practical joke out for 50 minutes?

Whatever.

This is the first ep that fell seriously short for me this season.

It wasn't funny.

It wasn't interesting.

The neighbor living next door to Grace's fireman brother being obsessed with his mother, having killed her, yet still thinking she's alive and coming home for dinner was just way too lazy of a storyline. All that was missing was filming this episode on the Universal back lot in the actual Psycho house (which I think is still there; if not, my bad).

Come on, folks.

And yet ... there were a few good tidbits: Rhetta is still completely irked with Ronny's infidelities even though he's trying to convince her otherwise. As in, takes a lie detector test but of which finds the results inconclusive. I have to say I'm thrilled she is NOT caving in to his I'm Sorry routine, and that she still believes Grace OVER Ronny. Go ahead and throw him out on his arse, Rhetta.

And how about Grace's other brother, Father John, having a dream whereby Grace tells him its time to meet Earl - and he WANTS to try?

Very interesting.

More interesting is Rhetta's continued coaching of John on the particulars of Earl - the "evidence" she's kept of his dealing with Grace, which sort of "proves" his existence (in a Rhetta/science kind of way); her explanations that one cannot ever remember what Earl looks like or how to describe him, so IF one actually does meet him, one can't really remember that one did.

That is a clever take on Touched By An Angel's throughline that human assignments COULD remember the angels - even though they would always re-approach a previously held assignment cautiously in case said human could only remember the EXPERIENCE, not the ANGEL.

That seems to be Grace's MO.

But a Catholic priest believing his wild-child sister's angel invasion? Maybe serving to reinvigorate his own faith?

I like it.

But this episode ... not so much.

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace's' New Promise

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Thank you, Laura San Giacomo, for reminding me once again why I love you.

And Rhetta.

You saved the first season of Saving Grace for me.

You got me through the second season.

And you are now poised to become an even more critical role to the continued character development of Grace Hanadarko that it makes me just want to ... well, buy you a beer.

Seriously.

This week's episode of Saving Grace was all about Rhetta for me.

I didn't care about the case (some old fogey who died after some woman he was involved with lost his money in gambling or something? Sorry, but I wasn't even paying attention given the Rhetta's-husband-is-cheating-on-her bombshell that was dropped before opening titles even rolled. I will say, though, Grace seemingly moving into the old timer's place and going through EVERY piece of anything the man owned was ... weird. Like, wearing his old bomber jacket? Having Captain Perry over for dinner? Go home, Grace. It's not your house, eh?)

But in all seriousness, this week was all about Grace catching Rhetta's husband having an affair - or the beginnings of an affair - with the woman who is selling their farm.

As in, Rhetta's family farm.

The one owned by multiple generations.

The one that holds her blood, sweat, tears, memories, legacy and everything else that has ever meant anything to her.

Yup, that would be the one.

Laura San Giacomo's performance in this ep was just phenomenal. She portrayed the shock of the revelation in a way that was so stunningly real. Her subsequent calm, methodical questioning of every male officer on the squad as to their thoughts on cheating, infidelity and affairs was painful yet brilliant to watch. And her scientific examination of her husband's clothes - to which she could identify perfume that was NOT hers on three different shirts - was equally as poignant given it was her only way to cope with the bombshell that had just exploded unto her life.

But the kicker was her confrontation with Grace.

The anger at Grace's out-of-control sexual escapades that has lead her to be - on a bazillion different occasions - "the other woman" to so many married men, and the source of the pain for all those married women; threatening to forfeit their friendship unless Grace promises to abandon that behavior given she could no longer love Grace if she selfishly causes so many women the same pain Rhetta is now enduring.

Just.Freakin'.Brilliant.

Powerful.

So Rhetta.

From Day 1, Rhetta has always been the moral compass of the show, and specifically, to Grace. She has quietly comforted, cleverly cajoled, secretly investigated and unconditionally supported Grace's development - especially as it pertains to Earl, and even more especially as it pertained to Leon Cooley.

To see her deliver this ultimatum to Grace once again proved that the show is doing some of its best work this season.

Now we wait to see if Grace actually KEEPS that promise.

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace' Goes MIA - For a Moment

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Here's the difference between this season's Saving Grace and the previous seasons:

Our opening jump-the-bones sequence would've been a whole lot more graphic, drawn out, dwelled upon, over-exaggerated and focused on additional HHWM: Holly Hunter Wardrobe Malfunctions in the first two seasons.

But last night, we got a 10-second footnote version and moved on to the more important things.

Thank yewwwwwwwwwwww! (as Brenda Leigh Johnson might say)

Now, that's not to say I'm thrilled with Grace and Ham back to their old tricks, but with a reduced focus all the way around it almost - emphasizing almost - makes it something I can live with. (Plus, I knew it was too good to be true to have Grace Ham-free for so long).

What I can't live with, however, is Ham having flipped way too far out when Grace goes MIA while investigating the case of a woman who was kidnapped, held hostage and brutally raped for multiple days on end. (Turns out Grace was just caught up in one of her friend from high school's off-my-meds moment that got her in a bit of trouble, yet we learned she kind of put herself at risk by STILL associating with this guy in the first place. In other words, she was NOT abducted by the same guy who abducted the rape victim).

I also can't live with the fact that Captain Perry allowed Ham to continue to be part of the investigation. Completely unbelievable and what would seem to be a totally inaccurate portrayal of a Captain's behavior, though perhaps not Perry's first indiscretion.

Still, no right-minded senior level officer would allow someone THAT overly-emotional and unstable to continue to be on the team. Not to mention we have seen countless other Captains, Lieutenants and Chiefs REMOVE people from investigations if said person is too close to the missing officer and/or the family so they don't make irrational, stupid decisions because they can't think straight, and thus, jeopardize and/or compromise the investigation.

Did any technical advisor sign off on this conduct? And if so, do they let crazed detectives run loose in OCPD?

I guess they must considering there IS Grace.

Still, Kenny Johnson acted like a paranoid spaz in the most unbelievable of ways that he completely took away from every other actor's very poignant performance - especially Laura San Giacomo's beautifully understated Rhetta. Everybody else was worried, concerned, focused, temporarily flustered but not spastic and out of control.

I just wanted Ham - and Johnson - to shut up and go sit in the corner.

Seriously, I don't know what has happened to Johnson, but he's just annoying to watch, now. Ham has turned into this horny toad of a buffoon that seems more intent on getting into Grace's pants than doing anything relevant to any investigation. Who knew having the character be divorced would create such a one-sided dimension to this portrayal.

Now Earl ... have to say I was surprised by his inability to find Grace. I thought he would ... I don't know, like, just know where she was. He seems to have been able to find her at the drop of a hat prior, so this seemed somewhat off YET it worked. Almost like he wasn't being allowed to tap into what would normally have allowed him to find her, and thus, he had to call in a team to help him out.

And do his own soul-searching.

I liked that.

The weird looking "dog" with the extraordinarily long tongue being the Almighty "God" ... dunno. Never got that one on Touched By An Angel. And yet, it would be just like Saving Grace to put their own dog is God/God is dog spin on things.

After all, it spells itself.

Good ep. Minus the Ham nonsense.

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace' Tests the Jewish Faith

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So as I excuse myself for the lateness on recapping all-things Saving Grace this week, I'm trying to think about what it was that really jumped out from this episode.

I did like it, but it felt more like a study of the customs and traditions of Hasidic Judaism than anything else. And yet, the reason I liked the ep was that it forced Grace to once again ask some pointed questions of Earl and/or observe the practices of a faith that she would not normally do, which in turn, continued to challenge her understanding - her acceptance - of spirituality.

A particularly enlightening moment was when Earl essentially showcased just how powerful prayer is as he allowed Grace to listen in - if only for a moment - to the millions of voices praying to God all at once. Given how disbelieving Grace has generally been about all-things faith, I thought that scene was unique. It seemed to be another of Earl's guiding moments that continue to help Grace's new sense of enlightenment and make her more spiritually inclined.

So far, she hasn't really turned back.

Now, I didn't really care for the mooooooooooooooooo cow nonsense, even though the killing the cows was important to the case given the victim was connected to meat plant that the cows were from. But it did seem ... well, kinda dorky at times.

In other news ... Ham's sister-in-law (the wife of his now deceased brother) seems to not quite have dealt with her grief. I confess I was shocked that Ham himself seemed more at peace and/or having moved on than her. Seriously? Codependent slobbering mess Hamilton?

As for Grace's continuing caretaking of Neely ... that took an interesting turn this week with Neely: a) having woken up and begun speaking fluent Portuguese so as deliver a strangely coded message to Grace; and b) having "left" the hospital by the end of the ep. It seems Earl whisked Neely off to this so called “Room of Miracles” in a Bonfim Church in Brazil whereby wax dolls and limbs hang from ceilings and, as Earl says, you put up whatever is ailing you only to have millions of voices pray for you to recover (that whole hear-everybody-praying thing I mentioned earlier). Now, seeing as Neely DID seem to be awake and conscious and/or interact with Grace YET gone from the hospital at the end of the ep, does this mean she's well? Was Earl the one praying for Neely's recovery in Brazil and/or took her there as part of her recovery? Did Grace?

Lots of good questions. Not sure they seemed completely answered.

But THAT is a good thing these days.

On side note, I'd like to congratulate Grace herself, Holly Hunter, on receiving a Primetime Emmy nomination this week for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. This her second year in row being nominated.

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace' Gets Two Angels - One Good, One Bad

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Okay, Saving Grace.

You seem to be doing NOTHING wrong for me at the moment (as I outlined last week).

And now, you really have me tapping into some seriously fantastic Touched By An Angel memories with Grace being fought over by "good" angel Earl and "bad" (or, perhaps we should say "alternative") angel Matthew.

YES!

File this under: another.cool.development.

I know the SG folks like to remind us they are anything but TBAA. And we know they're not. It only takes an episode or two with wild-child Grace doing something absurd to remind us of this fact. Plus, Earl is ... well, not Monica by any stretch of the imagination.

But, seeing as TBAA eps are ridiculously fresh in my mind right now (given a) Hallmark Channel is doing me a favor airing four eps a day; and, b) Roma Downey is best.interview.ever), I could not help but watch this week's ep of Saving Grace and remember when Roma's Monica had to fight off evil temptations taking over her assignments either via b) early-season bad girl angel, Kathleen, or, b) her own evil twin, Monique. Earl now seems to be having to do almost the exact same thing opposite cryptic Matthew.

As in, keep your dang hands of my Grace. kthanxbye.

I think what is perhaps the BEST news about the fight over Grace is that Grace herself is not only willing to accept the fact it IS happening (which, again, shows huge progress on her part given she fought Earl and his existence for most of the first two seasons), she is also remaining fiercely loyal to Earl (even if she doesn't fully understand why two angels would be fighting over her in the first place).

Now, it is true she might have been momentarily tempted by Matthew's I'll-solve-all-your-cases-for-you option. But when she questions Earl about what he does or does not do for her, he talks about choices always being hers to make - not his. This, in turn, reminded me of one of the main recurring themes of TBAA: angels don't interfere with human free will. And that, it seems, is what Grace is exercising in a far more mature and educated way these days - and she does so alongside Earl, not against him.

Go, Grace, go.

In other news ... what is the deal with Ham and birds? Wow. Maybe want to take something for that, eh Hamilton?

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace' Is On It

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Here's a slightly scary thought: I think I actually look forward to watching Saving Grace MORE than I do The Closer right at the moment.

Whaaaat?

Did I just say that?

About a show I almost abandoned after the first season and still rumbled through the first part of the second season?

Hmmm ... who are you, and what have you done with the real LillyKat?

In all seriousness, I don't have anything against BJ and Co at the moment. But Grace has been on a roll since the end of last season, and the direction the show is moving is everything I thought it WOULD be when I first began watching. That is, we care about Grace; and, she gives us a reason to believe why she should have a last chance angel in the first place (who is becoming, like, more of her partner with each passing episode - love.that).

Case in point: this week's near attempt on Grace's own life by someone not all too happy with her from her past. Sure, we've heard this one before, except this time Grace does get seriously upset upon learning all members of her family are being targeted in this pseudo-revenge plot against her. She clicks into an ultra-protective mode, which I've always appreciated.

In season one, she would've blown all this off. Not cared. Figured out a way to make it NOT a big deal. Drank herself into denial. Banged Ham to get over it.

Now, we've got responsible-on-it-going-to-protect-everybody-at-all-costs Grace AND still make time to visit her ailing buddy in the hospital to check on her recovery (which seems to be going quite fine as Angel Earl seems to be sneaking her away for margaritas. True, Neely is still in a coma in THIS time space, but Lord knows how the partying is going with Angel Earl elsewhere).

And all of this is what I love about the show right now. Grace has got so much ELSE going on, and she's consciously making the decision to do the right thing for OTHER people, not just herself. That is just a true pleasure to watch because it shows such growth of character.

I'm proud of her. Can I even say that?

Even with Rhetta - who is having such a tough time in being forced to sell her family's farm. The Rhetta/Grace relationship is still blossoming, and it is Grace who now seems to be Rhetta's rock - even if she DID throw out all of Rhetta's momentos from the time capsule they buried on the farm when they were 10-years-old.

Hey, they were 10-years-old. It was a neener-neener thing. Can't really blame her, can we?

In any event, Grace has really gotten it together of late: she's on with her job; she's on with her family; she's on with Earl; she's on with Rhetta; she's OFF with Ham (thank.God).

She's.Just.On.

And I'm lovin' it.

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

Week's Roundup: The Closer; Raising the Bar; Deadliest Catch; Saving Grace; Royal Pains

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Since I've been completely bowled over by real life this week, I'm dreadfully behind on recapping. Sooo, in the interest of time, space and the final frontier, I'm going to wrap it all up in this post ... and borrow a page from Editor-in-Chief TVFan's "The Good" / "The Bad" Bones write-ups.

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The Closer

The Good: Brenda Leigh Johnson has a history of protecting Sergeant David Gabriel. She also has a history of not taking lightly to other departments butting into her business - whether they have the right to or not. In this week's episode we got both. When Gabriel found himself in an odd mess of wrong place, wrong time, thought-I-saw-a-one-armed-man scenario, she clicked into her protective mode once again. And when Mary McDonnell's Capt. Sharon Raydor, head of the Force Investigation Division (FID), begins investigating Gabriel ... well, that went over like a lead balloon making for some FANTASTIC antagonistic chemistry between the two in-charge female characters. That said, I've always felt BJ's relationship dynamic with Gabriel was one of the show's strongest - there were a couple of eps las season ("Ruby") where Gabriel lost it, and it was only BJ who could really square him away. His botched relationship with Detective Daniels was also something BJ warned against, tried to steer him in the right direction. And yet, that leads us to ...

The Not-So-Good: ... not liking "repeat" kind of storylines whereby it feels as if I've seen it before. Unfortunately, this whole thing with BJ protecting Gabriel has a been there, done that kind of vibe to it. Now, using it as a way to introduce the Mary McDonnell character WAS good; I'm definitely looking forward to how that plays out given the talent contained therein. However, I didn't feel wowed. And ... can I just ask why Jon Tenney's Fritz Howard seems to have been reduced to being a house husband and cat babysitter? I guess that is going to change with next week's ep, but I find myself being a little less-than-impressed with his reduced screen time. Then again, that's just MHO.

New episodes of The Closer air Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT. For the scoop on the series, head on over to the show's official site.


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Raising the Bar

The Good: The case, which involved determining whether an attack by a group of African Americans on a gay man constituted a hate crime - even when said gay man had somewhat of a history provoking people into confrontation. I have to say I really wasn't sure how this was going to go; and, the fact that one African American man from the group WAS convicted even though he was not the one who actually assaulted the gay man had me thinking about our legal system in a way I normally don't. Then again, this show makes me do that quite a bit - which is a good thing. And ... can I just say Judge Farnsworth rocks? He's so neurotically brilliant that I forget there even is a Judge Trudy Kessler. I have to say his interactions with Jerry are far more interesting to watch - almost like a chess match vs. a bullying contest (which seems to be Kessler's MO). Button anyone?

The Not-So-Good: None.

New episodes of Raising the Bar air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. For the scoop on the series, head on over to the show's official site

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Deadliest Catch



Good Juju: The Wizard's Captain Keith finally caught a break this week, stumbling upon some serious crab and getting back to doing what he does best: fishing. Given the last two weeks of PTSD, it seemed he was due for some good juju. How long it will last will be anyone's guess. However, note to Keith: don't ever do that tarp nonsense again.

Bad Juju: Last week, I wondered what the odds were for the Cornelia Marie to actually make it into St. Paul before being frozen in place by the fast approaching ice pack. Turns out they DID make it, but not before Captain Phil blows an engine ramming the ship THROUGH the ice pack TO make it so as not to spoil his entire load of crab. After five days of being frozen into the docks AND $67,000 in repairs, that circulation pipe leak from last week seems like child's play now, eh? I'm not sure this is the Cornelia Marie's year, and I kinda agree with Phil that it seems the ship is being held together by band aids and crazy glue. Just me?

Did You See My Gear?: The Northwestern's Captain Sig finally lost his gamble fishing so close to the ice pack. As in, it moved in quicker than expected and almost swallowed his gear. I don't even know how they managed to salvage the pots - when the buoys are barely visible, dragged three miles from position. Not to mention having to make sure the hook line doesn't snag on the ice when they DO retrieve the pots. Seriously, these guys pull off what seem to be the most miraculous things to us, the average viewer, but of which for them is just a normal day at the office.

New episodes of Deadliest Catch air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery Channel. Visit the official Deadliest Catch Web site for the latest on the captains and crews of the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, Wizard, Early Dawn and North American and the new boat, the Incentive. You can also catch up with Deadliest Catch folks on Twitter: fvnw_erin / CaptPhilHarris / northwesternpat / NorthwesternPR / captjohnathan / northwesternsig / DeadliestCatch (which is actually the Cornelia Marie) / DiscoveryChPR.


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Saving Grace



The Good: Grace seemed to pull a Brenda Leigh Johnson this week in that she kind of went pseudo-undercover in an alcoholics anonymous group (irony?) to find the killer of one of the group members seeing as no members talk about each other or what is discussed in group OUTSIDE of group. Soooo, she befriends one gal, a former sponsor, does a pretty good impression of being a fall down drunk (not a stretch for Grace), and manages to fool said woman into confessing who did what. She also seemed to have no qualms about letting the woman GET DRUNK to tell her this. Hmmmm. I kind of thought it was genius, but probably bordering on unethical. Like, something BJ would do. And ... how about Rhetta? Awww. So bummed she's got to sell her farm. Still one of the best relationship dynamics on the show is Grace and Rhetta, not to mention the ever blossoming partnership between Earl and Grace.

The Not-So-Good: Ham's obsession - make that addiction - to Grace, which thankfully is only being spoken about and NOT acted upon of late given Grace has got other things on her mind. Seriously. Get a life, Ham. Sitting, staring at your phone, hoping she's going to call makes you look like a goob. And this is Grace Hanadarko - she isn't going to be settling down with you any time soon. I've really come to kind of loathe this relationship (gee, you couldn't tell, right?), especially as Grace seems to have turned such a big corner in accepting her role alongside Earl. Ham seems like yesterday's news, and I'm afraid Kenny Johnson is playing it too much on one note for me. Half the time I think the character is drunk, when in fact, he's just slurring his speech around as if he WERE drunk. And the smothering/stalking thing has got.to.go. They need to write in another girlfriend for him or something.

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.


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Royal Pains



The Good: Let's just call it everything. Again. I am consistently enjoying nearly every aspect of this show. And can I just get another Amen to the aerials?!?!?!?! The shots are just spectacular. Anyhoooo, it was good to get to see Divya get out on her own (as it were) and handle some things without Hank's supervision. Seriously, she is the BEST thing to happen to him. And she can tell Evan to stick it where the sun don't shine (thank.God.). So can Boris (let's get an Amen for Campbell Scott who is just so quietly powerful in his role). The main patient this week was interesting, having what I'll call and almost-stroke where she lost her memory and had to be administered to in a short period of time to avoid permanent damage. Again, Hank to the rescue, which for me, doesn't play overly cheesy. I even liked the throw back to the fact that he was having to deal with the fact his now defunct wedding date arrived. He confessed to Jill - who seems to have had her own failed engagement.

The Not-So-Good: Evan. Seriously, shut.the.frak.up. This is no disrespect to Paulo Costanzo, but I'm starting to have Trust Me flashbacks whereby Tom Cavnagh's Conner would just ramble on ridiculously - bordering on mumbling - to the point of overkill. We get Evan is supposed to be annoying, pushy, press Hank's buttons, possibly get everyone in trouble by his cockiness. But every other scene? It's starting to detract from the other characters, who for me, have become far more interesting. Evan seems almost like a cartoon at times. My advice would be to dial it down.

New episodes of Royal Pains air Thursdays at 10 p.m. on USA Network. You can join other fans on Facebook; follow Royal Pains on Twitter, or visit the official Royal Pains Web site for the scoop on the series!

(My) 'Grace' Has Arrived

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

You could say I've waited three seasons for this.

Hoped for it.

Wished for it.

The evolution of Grace Hanadarko: maturing, growing up, acting her age, seeming worthy - and accepting - of the fact she's got an angel looking over her shoulder.

We might have finally arrived.

Er, I hope we have.

The third season premiere of Saving Grace continued the very promising premise that ended season two: Grace has gotten to the point where a) it's not all about her; and, b) she's ready to work WITH Earl as opposed to against him.

Hallo-freakin-lluah.

Does that mean we've seen the last of her wild ways? Her smothering codependent nonsense of a relationship with Ham?

Probably not, though that IS my own personal wish.

Nonetheless, this premiere has left me with a lot of promise for the third season. And the continuing evolution in the relationship between Earl and Grace seems to suggest Grace did indeed turn a corner with the passing of Leon Cooley, and that she might finally embrace her own grace and accept her role alongside Earl to help him do whatever work he's got in store for her.

Like tending to lost souls.

As was the case in the episode, where Grace tried - consistently - to reach out to an abused young woman but of whom doesn't seem to want anything to do with her.

Or Earl.

We've definitely heard that one before.

So it makes the the irony that Grace is now tasked to help explain (or would that be justify?) Earl's existence to the young woman even more clever.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

In other news: Butch is getting married to ... a TV anchor? What? When did that happen?

And YET, I love how this is played against the fact that Grace and Ham seemed to be ... well, let's just say on two different wavelengths as it pertains to their relationship. Grace seems preoccupied with her new found angel helper role while Ham seems to think that now that he's divorced, Grace is going to now settle down and have his children.

Seriously, Ham?

As if to add to the confusion as to where they might stand with each other on a personal level, Grace told Ham about Earl. I didn't expect him to take it seriously. But, what I also didn't expect was it to cause friction between the two. As in, he already thought she was lying to him with regards to the pseudo-sleuth operation to get in touch with the abused girl; now, with the angel mention, he really is wondering what is up with her.

And Grace isn't apologetic.

So maybe we can hope for an end to the Ham/Grace maddness?

That's too much wishful thinking.

New episodes of Saving Grace air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

Holly Hunter's Sense of 'Grace'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I never get tired of listening to Holly Hunter talk about Saving Grace.

Uh, hello ... It's.Holly.Hunter.

Why wouldn't we want to hear what she has to say about the ever complex goings-on of Detective Grace Hanadarko? I actually need to send her a thank you note (or two) given her insights into the character have gotten me through some of my more critical phases in following the show.

All of which would explain why we've now been on the phone with her three separate times - each time trying to come up with a question or two she hasn't already answered for us. The series premieres its third season, Tuesday, June 16th at 10 p.m. on TNT.

So, what am I looking forward to this season?

Some more quality bonding time between Grace and Angel Earl.

Their relationship seems poised to become more of a partnership than an adversarial relationship, especially given Grace is at the point where she's ready to start talking about what she may - or may not - believe.

Finally.

Turns out Holly is looking forward to seeing this develop as well.

"Yes, me, too," says Holly. "I think it’s interesting you say that because the relationships in the show are really very rich for me personally. I mean, the adventure the two characters of Grace and Ham are on is really fascinating to me and very complicated. And the decade-long history that I have with Rhetta - as two best friends, who have maintained this incredibly intimate relationship - [is also] fascinating to me. And the conflicts - the knowing and the not knowing that we have of one another. But, this relationship between me and Earl is pivotal. It’s really the fulcrum by which the rest of the show operates, and I think that this season, I'm ready to ask him questions. I'm ready to challenge him about belief and he’s ready [to hear it]. He challenges me as well. But I think that there are larger questions that can be asked and that the show can ask, and they can ask these questions through Grace, and Grace can be challenged by questions through Earl."

And with the start of the third season, where does she continue to draw her inspirations for portraying Grace?

"I draw them through endless and ongoing conversations that I have with Nancy Miller, the creator of the show," says Holly. "Nancy and I debate, we agree, we discuss, we challenge each other. We have an ongoing dialect with the other writers, where we talk about what we want to talk about and what the show will talk about. My conversations with the other cast [and] crew have been incredibly stimulating for me. And we do have things we want to discuss as people - as actors - and that is always provocative for me.

"And then there are people who have endlessly inspired me," continues Holly, "from Jack Kerouac to the writer of Henry and June, Anaïs Nin. She is a journalist extraordinaire, who has been a real inspiration for me in her revealing – her willingness to reveal her own desires and Henry Miller's desires; he has been an influence as well. People who live big, sloppy, romantic lives fascinate me."

And Holly continues to fascinate us.

Our thanks once again to Holly Hunter for taking the time to chat with us about all-things Grace Hanadarko. We also want to thank our friends at Turner publicity. The third season premiere of Saving Grace airs Tuesday, June 16th at 10 p.m. on TNT. Be sure to check out the show’s official Web site to catch up.

Leaving in a State of 'Grace'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I sure do like it when everything comes full circle.

Especially for show I gave up on LAST season.

If I recall correctly, I did my best Detective Lilly Rush impression and closed the case of Saving Grace - swore it wouldn't be re-opened, thought I had wasted my time on a show that really seemed to be more about pushing the envelope than in giving us much substance to go along WITH that envelope.

But last June, when I visited the set, the passion of the entire cast and crew forced me to take a second look at the series.

I'm still glad I did.

Yes, I had my gripes this season - which were about the same as they were last season: stop the endless downward spiral of Grace; give us something to care about in her character; separate her away from that co-dependent mess of a relationship she has with Ham Dewey; force her to grow up, be accountable and act like an adult; give some of the other characters a chance to shine.

When the show DID do all of this, it really worked for me. And with last night's second season finale, I think it was the best the show has had on offer.

Grace owned up to not only having been awarded a last chance Angel, but also in accepting her responsibility that comes along with that gift. She faced down her fear and demons - SOME of them, anyway - and was forced to understand her role in the larger circle of life.

That is, it really is NOT all about Grace Hanadarko.

We didn't get the happy ending with Leon Cooley earning a stay of a execution (which was the stronger play story-wise), but we did get some serious soul searching on the part of Grace that brought her face to face with Leon in the end.

And of which allowed her to make some peace not only with Leon, but within herself.

We didn't get the holier-than-thou lecture from Angel Earl (not that he ever really does that), but instead, more of the equal partnership between her and Grace as to the turn of event(s) that have brought them both to this point in time.

It was a page out of Touched By An Angel in that the angels on that show didn't always know the whole "plan" ahead of time. Sometimes, they had to learn it on the job. Or at the last minute. Or all of a sudden. And they had to identify with their human assignment in the same uncertain, uncomfortable kind of way, only being able to offer reassurance there IS a big plan.

Trust in it.

This is the second time in as many episodes that I can make a TBAA comparison. And THAT is a good thing for this viewer (since Grace generally likes to be anything BUT TBAA).

And we also saw the leveling of the playing field between Earl and Grace, which has been progressing nicely for most of this season. That is, they have become friends, gotten to know each other, have come to almost understand one another. And in the end, when Grace really needed Earl, he was there for her though perhaps not with the all-knowing answers that she had expected.

Which forced Grace to own up to it all by herself.

And I have to say, I am proud of her for doing so. I'm happy with where the writers have left her to start the third season. She turned a huge corner in this finale.

Is it temporary? Will she go back to her old ways? Probably. But I'd like to think it may be tempered somewhat, that there may be an even heavier conscience weighing on her now given the loss of Leon - and her role IN that loss.

Don't quite know how I feel about Ham having finally divorced Darlene FOR Grace. Line of the night goes to Darlene:

Darlene: "Does she love you?"
Ham: "I don't know."
Darlene: "Then what are you doing?"

Good question.

My own personal Idaho request is not to see any more of Ham's obsession over Grace or vice versa. Both characters are far more interesting to me when they are apart. They actually have to talk, not boink the heck out of each other. And in that, they mature a bit.

Obviously, it's not up to me, and I don't know what the writers have in store for the third season. But if this finale left us with anything, it would be a sense that Grace DOES actually seem to be worth saving.

Can't say I felt that way at the end of the first season.

How's that for full circle?

New episodes of Saving Grace return this summer. If you missed any of the second season, you can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace' Goes for Broke - In a Good Way

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Well, that was even quicker.

I can't quite say that if you blinked, you would've missed Kathy Baker's guest appearance on Saving Grace ('cause she was in two episodes, and her role was significant). But, I do feel kind of as if we saw both she and Christina Ricci fly through the show like they were in the 10 items or less line.

Make that three episodes or less.

Bummer.

Such good actresses. So little time.

That said, I have to give the Saving Grace folks credit for having the Maggie character turn out to be a bit of a schemer - and arguably the worst kind of schemer (not that there are any GOOD kinds). Someone who blows into town to prey on the victims of tragedy, like 9/11 or the Oklahoma City Bombing. But mostly, what I really enjoyed about both the Baker and Ricci characters is they brought out the best in Grace - the older, wiser, more mature, protective and focused Grace as opposed to ... well, you know.

This is why I'll miss them.

I just find this show so much more interesting when Grace is forced to act like an adult. Yes, she's still pretty ballsy. Yes, she's still a spitfire. Yes, she tends to always lean toward her wild-child side. But it CAN be kept in check, it CAN be put aside, and she CAN actually seem worthy of the last chance Angel that has yet to abandon her in the whole of her wild child.

In fact, they've almost become friends - each learning a bit more about each other this season. I have enjoyed even seeing THAT relationship mature.

Hmmm, key word here is mature, yes?

And I haven't talked much of late about Laura San Giacomo, but can I just get a high-five on Rhetta once again? Seriously, she does remain one of my most favorite characters in this series for an umpteen number of reasons I've already stated (she holds Grace accountable, believes in Earl, is all about the greater good, is fun to watch). But I confess I really loved her this week opposite Leon Cooley, reading his last meal request. She hardly said anything, yet there was something so poignant and powerful in the single tear running down her face.

Speaking of Leon ... so it all comes down to the finale next week, eh? He has failed to be granted clemency, yet if we are to believe the previews, Grace is going to have some sort of last word on THAT.

And I'm actually looking forward to it.

Maybe, just maybe, she'll finally learn the lesson that seems to have been set in motion since way back in season one.

I find myself hoping she will Or at least end the season on a strong note for growth NEXT season.

And now for a Touched By An Angel segue ... (since I have YET to do this in the whole of two seasons).

Previously on the television angel landscape, there was an angel named Monica who visited us Sunday nights on CBS. Love her / not love her / don't care / didn't pay attention, Monica was THE angel on TV for a decade.

Now last night, Leon asks Angel Earl if he's ever been in the whole death row inmate situation. And Earl, much to my surprise, says no.

Score one for Monica.

She DID have a death row assignment that she had to see carried out. And no one came in granting clemency - Governor or otherwise.

Death Row Inmate Assignments: Miss Wings 1, Angel Earl 0.

On that fact alone, Monica outranks Earl.

Then again, I might be a wee bit biased. (No, really?)

The spring season finale of Saving Grace airs next Monday at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace's' Nice New Twist

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Whew, that's better.

We returned to the good stuff this week on Saving Grace.

The really good stuff.

And I can now stop lamenting the loss of Christina Ricci to the cast because we've added Kathy Baker (er, at least for a few eps).

I've said from Day 1 some of the strongest eps of this show are when Grace deals with her nephew, Clay. I'm going to have to add to that when she is genuinely concerned for her family on the whole, it also makes for excellent viewing.

It shows us the evolution and maturing of the character.

It gives us the it's-not-all-about-Grace sobering moment.

Like her unsolved case that we'll call The Katherine Rose - and the father that sends her a rose each month to remind her.

Or her revelation that the new bar maid, Maggie (played fantastically by Kathy Baker), is also her brother-in-law's new main squeeze.

Much to her chagrin. And suspicion.

Sure, she acts like she's happy for Doug; that she digs he's finally found someone. Meanwhile Grace is running Maggie through Interpol given the first run through of her record came up clean.

Suspect much, Grace?

And yet, there is something quite genuine in what she's doing. Sure, she might be taking things a bit TOO far. Or abusing her authority as a detective.
But this IS Grace Hanadarko - when does she ... uh, not do that?

And this is, after all, the side of her family she has the most guilt for given Doug is the husband of her sister who died in the Oklahoma City bombing - which as we know Grace feels responsible. Clay is her guilty conscience. Anything that ties back to Clay is in her crosshairs. She is determined not to let anything happen to her family ever again. I kind of dig that about her.

I also suspect we aren't getting the full story with Maggie. Something seems ... fishy? Maybe I'm buying into Grace's paranoia, or maybe it's just the previews for NEXT week's ep.

In any event, I like the side of Grace we're seeing in this second half of the season - save for last week's return to ... ahem, the old days.

I also really, really, really, really want Leon to get off Death Row. The visit from his high school gal pal, and the video message from his high school reunion saying they love him ... awww!

C'mon, Leon. Fight for yourself, will you?

New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace' Back to Her Old Tricks

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

All good things must come to an end.

Like detectives Grace Hanadarko and Ham Dewey remaining thankfully wonderfully blissfully apart.

Ugh.

Did I mention I miss Christina Ricci?

Like, a lot?

Abbey, come back!!!!!!

This week's episode of Saving Grace are the kinds I can do without.

Or, perhaps I should say the return to the smothering, over-the-top, obsessive compulsive codependent mess that is the relationship between Grace and Ham is something I can do without.

It was so refreshing NOT having them together, seeing both characters grow beyond each other's mess. Now that they're back, it's kind of making my skin crawl. Something about Holly Hunter and Kenny Johnson is just becoming too much. Is it possible to have too much chemistry? I dunno. If it is, they are guilty of it. This is no disrespect to either actor, but at some point, I just roll my eyes with their characters' constant drooling over each other with every look, every sentence, every head nod, every laugh, every glance ... just.stop.it. In fact, I'm now wanting IA to find a reason to send both Ham and Grace to opposite ends of the earth.

'Cause then we could bring back Abbey.

But seriously, since Ham and Grace were jonesing for each other from the get-go, what do we think the case about?

Sex.

Lots of sex.

The 5-6-7-hour Tantra version(s) between a sex god and all of his goddesses - one of whom ends up dead in his pool ('cause when you're gettin' your freak on with everyone in the neighborhood - single, married or otherwise - they can just pop over whenever they feel like it). And since the show has a history of being in your face with and about every sexual encounter Grace has ever had, I found this episode one big let's-talk-about-sex-baby excuse.

And really, that premise got old after season one.

Plus, I had a hard time believing any police department in the nation would allow its detective to practically HAVE sex whilst questioning a suspect.

Or be taught the finer point Tantra.

Or whatever.

I usually am one for lending shows a lot of creative license, but this was just absurd. Again, was this an excuse to allow for more HHWMs? (Holly Hunter Wardrobe Malfunctions; read: have her wander around naked for half the ep?)

Just. Stop. It.

Seriously, we had excellent back-to-back-to-back eps that didn't focus on the Ham and Grace obsession or figuring out how they were going to bang each other in a new fashion.

That included the Bobby storyline, whereby he is continuing to recover from his deep cover assignment as part of a child sex ring. THIS kept me intrigued this week, and it was the highlight of the ep - including his release at the end to Grace (the only good thing she seemed to do for me this week).

I feel for Bobby. I really do. I also feel for Butch, who is stuck in the middle of his partner's delusions as a result of the horrors he encountered WHILST undercover. While I do hope their partnership survives, I confess I wouldn't be sorry if we found another reason to separate Ham and Grace.

Even without Abbey.

New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

A 'Grace'ful Turn of Events

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So, Abbey was IA?

And Captain Perry is still involved WITH Mr. Boss IA?

And now Bobby's cover is blown? (And given he's in a pretty a bad way, tweaked out from his deep cover gig running a sex salve operation, he thinks Butch has stepped out on him with his family???)

And Leon Cooley would rather stay on death row than be granted clemency?

This week's ep of Saving Grace was awfully good.

Like, wow good.

Seriously, I have not enjoyed the show this much in consecutive viewings EV-ER.

I so did not see the Abbey IA thing coming nor did I think Captain Perry was still dating Mr. Boss IA. Since we hadn't seen much of that story since the very beginning of the season, I confess I thought they dropped it ('cause, hey, Cold Case wrote the book on that approach).

Thankfully, that would be a big no.

Not only that, tying the Perry/IA story to the Abbey Charles character was brilliant. I feel like Creator Nancy Miller gave us more with Christina Ricci in three episodes than we got with Grace in the entire first season.

So.Well.Done.

Given the choice to go the IA route with Abbey, I now have no idea how they would bring her back without having it be confrontational bad juju vibe given she IS Internal Affairs.

But I still hope they do.

I just loved what she brought to the show. She held her own in the best possible way. And she made Grace better - even though Grace now wants to wash herself off in a saline solution for having been THAT close to a rat.

And how about Bobby? During our visit to the Saving Grace set last summer, Gregory Cruz told us he wouldn't been seen a whole lot until the second part of the season - but he didn't tell us how or why.

Boy, now do I get it.

Not only does he seem creepily disturbed from his deep cover assignment whereby he set up meetings in an underage boys/sex slave operation, he is peeved (or perhaps delusional) that his ol' partner Butch - whom he asked wholeheartedly to keep an eye on his family whilst he was undercover - took it a little too far.

As in, started having an affair with Bobby's wife.

Now, I think Bobby is suffering from some post-traumatic stuff, and thus, is making a whole lot of assumptions that are not valid. Butch has never struck me as that kind of guy nor would he ever step out on his partner in that way. If anything, Butch is the guy you can count on (give or take his past romps with Grace, which are probably more Grace's fault than his).

Still, Bobby has always been the calm, cool collected presence in the squad. It was a nice turn of events to see the character go a little dark, a little uncertain, a little tweaked. Good for Gregory Cruz.

And Leon ... Leon, Leon, Leon.

Now we know for sure why he's ended up on death row - and, more importantly, why he should NOT be there.

In jail for killing a girl with his car but of whom actually stepped out in front of the car - on purpose. Mom just didn't want to admit that on the stand, and instead, wanted Leon to pay for her own denial.

Okay, bad enough.

But had he not been in prison for that charge, he would've never killed a prison guard WHILST inside - which is the kicker in the case.

I love that Rhetta is taking the bull by the horn, trying to help Leon (alongside Grace's brother, Father John), whilst Grace just remains steadfast in denial. Rhetta has always been such a strong character for me, and any time she gets to hold Grace accountable is a pleasure to watch.

I half think she should get to meet Angel Earl just for being such a good sport.

All in all, this was a great episode. I may even consider it for our PTR Best Ep countdown in the summer - and THAT would be a first.

New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace's' Balanced Approach

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Remind me to send Christina Ricci a thank you note.

Or flowers.

Or an IOU for lunch on me.

Or something to show my appreciation for her turn on Saving Grace.

The woman has single-handedly made the show's return so enjoyable for me to watch. As in, I'm already depressed we've seen two of her three eps, and thus, there is only one more to go.

(Maybe if we ask creator Nancy Miller and Holly Hunter REALLY nicely, they'll find a way to make her a regular?!?!?!)

I seriously cannot get enough of the new dynamic between young officer Abbey Charles and the hardened veteran hellraiser that is Detective Grace Hanadarko. The inclusion of Ricci's character in the cast is giving us the side of Grace we don't always get to see - her good side.

Her focused side.

Her caretaker side.

Her wise side.

Her seasoned cop side.

And yet, we still see her flaws without having to have them jammed down our throat so outrageously that we just could care less whether she's saved or not.

Her wild side has been placed in check.

As such, I am finding I enjoy the show a whole lot more when Grace isn't setting all of Oklahoma on fire in a blaze of her rebellious glory. She still remains interesting, strong, free-spirited and a one-of-a-kind character, but she isn't so out of control that it becomes farcical or beyond believability.

Holly Hunter told us at the beginning of the season the show really seemed to find its groove this season - with cast, with crew, with storylines. I'd have to say, I agree. It seems to have matured - in a good way.

Angel Earl seems to be more of a "friend" or partner to Grace instead of her punching bag. Yes, she still tries to ignore his advice, but it seems less adversarial.

Connecting everything back to Leon Cooley has been quite clever this season. It doesn't seem as heavy-handed as it was the first go around.

There's humor (how funny was last night's meeting between at the bar between Grace's brother and Rhetta whereby he comes to realize Angel Earl's existence AND Grace's chosenwoman role??)

And quite honestly, putting the Ham/Grace dynamic on ice is a GOOD thing. It was just becoming too much of a codependent mess. Like, smothering. They were always so into EACH OTHER that nothing else seemed to matter. At some point, I just didn't want to watch any more of their romps, their wildness, their whatever. It became repetitive and boring. Thus, pulling those two characters away from each other has been refreshing.

I only hope it can continue, but seeing as Ricci's departure is imminent (she only signed on for a three-ep arc), and with Ham already saying he wants to get back with Grace - on the partnership level, that is - I'm not feeling all that optimistic.

Nonetheless, I hope they leave the door open for Ricci to return, and I hope they keep the toned-down relationship with Ham and Grace consistent for a while.

And can I just give props to Nancy Miller for writing this part for Christina Ricci. When an actor and role meld so well, it's an awesome thing to watch.

And when a guest actor can come into an already established show, instantly blend in with the existing chemistry whilst bringing her own unique energy into the mix, it's an even more awesome thing to watch.

Like I said, remind me to thank Christina Ricci one of these days.

New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace' Returns; Ricci Rocks in Debut

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Are you crying? There's no crying. There's no crying in baseball!
- Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks), A League of their Own

Turns out there's no crying at a crime scene, either.

Unless you're Officer Abbey Charles.

And you've just had your goldfish die on you.

Which has completely thrown you and your 12-year-old son for a loop.

Even if it was just a goldfish.

How genius was it to have THIS be the way we were all introduced to Christina Ricci's character on last night's episode of Saving Grace?!?!

I.Loved.It.

In fact, this goes down as one of the best introductions of a new character I've seen in a while (at least on the shows I like to watch). It was unexpected, yet cute and charming at the same time. We were all being set up to have Grace rip her a new one given her ... ahem, lack of punctuality on her first day. Yet, when she finally does arrive and breaks into tears, even Grace is thrown off her game.

Brilliant!

As was the episode.

I think I'm prepared to say this counts as one of my all time favorite episodes. Everything gelled - some suspense, lots of humor, great personal interactions amongst the characters, nothing was over the top, good pacing.

It all just worked.

Ham has come back from the brink (thank the Earl heavens for that). We recall when we last left him, he had gone so far over the edge about his brother's death that I wasn't buying it anymore. It.was.Too.Much. I'm glad to see him back to his normal self WITHOUT having to romp around with Grace.

We had a nice reminder of Grace's connection to death row inmate Leon Cooley - AND the fact that Rhetta is going to hold her accountable to reexamine the case (Angel Earl's not-so-subtle hints of leaving the case file box everywhere for Grace to trip over notwithstanding).

Grace's sister offered some fantastic comic relief when she wanted to come stay with Grace whilst the team was on the hunt for a serial killer who specialized in killing yogi blondes with breast implants. We don't often get a lot of comic relief on this show, but last night seemed to fire on all cylinders for me in terms of how well everybody bounced off one another.

Speaking of bouncing, the Ham and Butch partnership is a little too much yin and yin (or yang and yang), eh?

But it was Christina Ricci who made this episode fun to watch. She's a perfect addition to the cast. As Holly Hunter told us, the role of Abbey Charles was written specifically for her by Creator Nancy Miller. As such, it definitely fit her like a glove. Christina is good in EVERYTHING she does, and I would love to see her become a regular cast member (or at least recurring). She balances out the testosterone, gives us the young cop v. old schooler angle, slows Grace down a bit to give us a more mentoring, elder detective woman look at the usually wild-child-hellraiser character that is Grace.

And hey, I'm all for badass women cop partnerships - there are too FEW on the tube these days.

All in all, this was a great way to have the series return from it's winter break.

New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Grace' Dynamics w/ Holly Hunter

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

There's nothing like a chat with Holly Hunter to get one fired up about the return of Saving Grace

We've had the the good fortune to speak with Holly a couple of times over the course of the show's second season, and each time we've found her just as passionate, driven and focused on the show's well-being as she was the previous time we spoke with her.

Even better, none of what she says sounds like pre-programmable soundbite nonsense.

It's refreshing.

(Except when you're on a call where everyone is asking meditative deep thought questions about the show and character to which we here at PTR have already had Holly answer for us. But hey, I guess we're lucky in that sense.)

Saving Grace returns to TNT for its final round of second seasons episodes starting Monday, March 2 at 10 p.m. The always-good Christina Ricci joins the cast in a three-episode arc as Grace's new partner, Abbey Charles ('cause when we last left things, we remember Ham needed some time away from ol' Grace).

And when we recently caught up with Holly, we wanted to get her thoughts on just that - the ever changing dynamic that is between Grace and Ham, especially considering Kenny Johnson told us he felt as if Ham and Grace’s roles have reversed this season, with Grace now the caretaker of Ham, and Ham somewhat strung out as a result of the death of his brother.

Says Holly: "It was fantastic to see that dynamic exist [between] Grace [and Ham] because Grace has been an extremely self-motivating character, without a lot of regard for consequences of what she wants to do. It was wonderful to get to explore a real genuine, caretaking aspect of her – that she wanted to take care of him, and he needed someone to take care of him. It’s just wasn’t [all about] Grace. [And yet], he couldn’t handle Grace taking care of him. I love [that] complexity. It certainly allows me to be playing a three-dimensional character. It keeps the humanity of the character alive. [She's] not just one thing, and [she's] not just ten things. [She's] an infinite number of things. So, that dynamic between those two characters was [and is] beautiful, and it was wonderful to see Ham kind of fall apart. It’s going to be fascinating to see where these two characters go because it’s obvious that the love that they have [for each other] is deep. And this what I love about the show is these relationships that I have with Rhetta, with Earl, with Ham. They’re complicated."

She pauses for a second.

"Hey, that was a good question!"

(Wait, did Holly just like my question? She did. Perhaps because it gave her a break from having to psychologize herself into oblivion.)

We also asked her thoughts on Christina Ricci joining the cast ('cause Christina is just so.darn.good in everything she does).

Says Holly: "It was really great. She's wonderful. We really wanted her. [Creator] Nancy [Miller] wrote the part [of Abbey Charles] with Christina in mind. And once again, the character is a very unpredictable character - very, very complex. We had a chance to work together for three episodes, and it was great to have the dynamic of Ricci’s character coming into the office with the [existing] established dynamic that we all have together [as the squad]. To have Christina be this new cop that comes in was great."

I guess we'll put in our request right now to have Christina become a regular on the series. Please - pretty please? With a cherry on top?

Our thanks once again to Holly Hunter for taking the time to chat about the always complex Grace Hanadarko. We also want to thank our friends at Turner publicity. Saving Grace returns Monday, March 2nd at 10 p.m. on TNT. If you missed out on the first half of the season, be sure to check out the show’s official Web site to catch up.