Remote Rewind: Sully's Heart Song

When we last left off, Sully and Michaela had finally thrown caution to the wind, run into each other's arms and professed their love for each other after a fateful trip to Boston. It was TV romance at its best, but things did not stay quite so rosy once they settled back into normal life in Colorado Springs. First, they struggled with their different lifestyles and expectations, but soon discovered that all they needed was each other -- everything else would fall into place. Later in the season, Sully developed a close (but innocent) relationship with a white woman raised by Native Americans. She kissed him, Michaela found out, and she and Sully broke up shortly after. Next, Michaela briefly "courted" the reverend when they bonded over a group of orphaned children (he asked her to marry him, but she declined). All the while, she and Sully remained separate. They slowly began to build their friendship again, but nothing materialized on the relationship front. It seemed, once again, that their intense, overwhelming feelings for each other had created a fear so strong that it kept them apart. All of that changed in this episode when renegade Cheyenne kidnapped Michaela, and Sully found himself risking his own life to spare hers.

After Sully and Michaela witness an incident between a group of renegade Cheyenne (dog soldiers) and the army, they're thrust into the middle of the conflict. Michaela tells Sully that if the army asks, she will not be able to lie about what she saw. The army asks, she tells the truth and the dog soldiers go on the attack. They set fire to houses on the outskirts of town and when their path crosses with Michaela's, they take her while Sully watches helplessly. The dog soldiers, led by One Eye, go on the run and keep Michaela as a prisoner. Cloud Dancing's son takes pity on Michaela and decides to risk his own life to save his father's friend. He frees Michaela and when One Eye finds out, he kills him. She doesn't get very far and One Eye takes her shoes so she cannot run again. Sully finally catches up to them and sends a voice signal to her. She pretends to have to go to the bathroom, so One Eye takes her to the woods where he tries to rape her. She fights back and Sully seizes the moment to jump in, grab Michaela and get out of there. The two escape after crossing a river in the dark. When Michaela wakes up the next morning, they are safely atop a ledge and Sully brings her some honey and berries. Faced with almost losing her, he decides to go for it one more time. Michaela realizes how devoted Sully is to her and how much she truly cares for him.

By the end of the episode, the pair make it back to town just in time to stop General Custer from executing innocent women, children and elders of the Cheyenne nation. Custer being Custer, wants to continue with the execution anyway, but Sully is able to stop it. Cloud Dancing is safe, but Michaela and Sully's future is still a bit up in the air. At least they're back on the right track.

Feeling nostalgic for Dr. Mike, Sully and the rest of the residents of Colorado Springs? Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Series is now available on DVD.

'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.

Roundup: 'Closer' Family Affair; 'Bar' Gets Petty

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

The Apple Didn't Fall Far From the Tree

So let's just skip to the good stuff in this week's episode of The Closer - which just so happens to be the personal, not the professional.

At least for me.

BJ's niece Charlene (make that Charley), played by none other than Kyra Sedgwick's real-life daughter, Sosie Bacon, which began the first of a four-episode arc for the Charley character.

Can I just say: AWESOME.

And this is coming from someone NOT generally a fan of the whole I'm-related-to-my-costar thing.

But the personal has, is and always will be one of my favorite things about this show. For five seasons, they've managed NOT to sacrifice personal character storylines for the procedure of crime solving. They balance the two, mix it together and deliver forward progress to us, the viewer, right at that pitch-perfect moment.

And they did so again this week. I absolutely dug the fact that Charley responded to her aunt's hands-off, yet still controlled, approach to keeping tabs on her. This reminded me quite a bit of my own favorite aunt who, usually against the advice of just about everyone except my own mom, treated me like an adult and didn't necessarily punish me for being a teenager when she couldn't figure out all the nuances of teen life. I SO loved her for that. Moreover, I SO respected her for that. It helped shaped who I am today as compared to the rule-with-an-iron-fist approach of ... wait for it ... my grandparents.

Admittedly, I wasn't a troublemaker.

And from the looks of things, neither is Charley. Sure, she's a teen. But that in and of itself doesn't constitute life in grandparent jail without the possibility of parole.

I also enjoyed watching BJ still manage to escape the when-are-we-going-to-have-our-own-kids discussion with Fritzy once again. Even if she doesn't necessarily want kids and doubts her own ability to have Charley stay with her for the remaining part of the summer, she seemed awfully apt handling her own niece.

Now, it could all blow up in the next set of episodes. Charley could completely violate Brenda's choice in treating her more like an adult than a teen. But can I just say I'd love for Charley to end up being some sort of Clay-like character (from Saving Grace), where she becomes an extension of the squad, and more importantly, serves as an important rock and/or anchor-like character for Brenda just as Clay does for Grace.

Crossover ep, anyone?

Kidding.

And note to self: Kevin Bacon is back directing one of the next three episodes. Yay! We just love it when KB helms an ep.

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.



Petty is as Petty Does

File this week's episode of Raising the Bar under: ultimate pissing contest.

Between Judge Kessler and Judge Farnsworth.

Yowza, folks.

Seriously.

And Farnsworth punishes one of Jerry's clients for no other reason than to make his point with Kessler? Do we really have judges like this?!?!?!?

Deep breath.

Again, what I've learned of our legal system in the last two years watching this show is starting to scare me - even WITH a healthy dose of creative license.

But let's talk about Currie Graham's Nick Balco for a moment.

The man is a slime ball. Creepy. True misogynist.

And yet, I have to say some of that womanizing/wandering eye/inappropriate behavior has been toned down a bit this season. His relationship with star prosecutor Michelle Ernhardt has gotten to be almost ... well, dare I say mentor-ish?

But all good things must come to an end.

And this week we got a hybrid version of Nick - seeming to want to give Michelle a fantastic professional opportunity, but really just used her to finish off a stall of a case gone bad for him several years back whereby he got one-upped by the defense attorney who ... let's just say had certain ways of persusasion Nick is not capable of resisting.

And still isn't.

Kinda interesting.

Except for his grudge.

And using Michelle.

And banging the defense attorney.

Then again, this is Nick Balco.

Note to Charlie: 100 points for your loyalty to Kessler, but seriously ... GO WORK FOR FARNSWORTH. He clearly showed he was the better man this week - especially with his apology.

Note to producers: Please keep John Michael Higgins around in a recurring role. He.Is.Too.Good

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

Spot Check: 'Pains' Still On Track (Even If I'm Not)

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Regular readers may have noticed I've not reviewed the past two weeks worth of episodes of Royal Pains.

Now, before anyone assumes I've gone off the show, let me state for the record that I haven't. Not even close. In fact, I look forward to all-things Hank Med every Thursday at 10 p.m. on USA Network. And, seeing as the series was just renewed for a second season, I'm completely thrilled its found its audience, averaging anywhere in the 6-7 million viewers.

And yet, that's my problem: it's humming along so nicely that I'm not finding anything overly compelling to write-up; instead, I'm finding that it's become the show that lets me take a vacation during the week.

I know that sounds like an "ouch," but it's not meant to be.

Honest. Swear. Promise.

It's just that the show has become somewhat of diversion for me - that is, it's the one I want to watch for no other reason than because it's fun.

It's not pushing my buttons like Raising the Bar.

It's not making me wonder how BJ is going to get herself out of said scenario on The Closer.

It's not simultaneously making me proud and driving me nuts like Saving Grace.

It's just ... well, fun. And rather than repeating the same thoughts again and again (Hank rescues client/Diveya does her thing/Evan is still annoying/Life is good in the Hamptons), I think I'd like to switch to more of a spot-check write-up.

When it wows me, I'm here.

When it's just fun, I'm on vacation.

And when it's somewhere in between ... well, I'll figure that out before the second season begins.

My biggest question as it stands right now: what is up with Boris? When is he coming back? What is with his supposed perfect-health-illness?

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!

A Not So 'Plain' Witness

"Well that's a new one. We gave a fake identity to a man who already had one!" Marshall Mann

That pretty much sums up this week's intriguing episode. When Phillip (a.k.a. Roy) said that he and his good friend looked "so much alike," I had that sinking feeling that Phillip was really Roy, but I waited for it to play out. This explains why Roy, a lowly commoner from West Virginia, was so concerned about ripping people off and why that concern motivated him to turn against his associates and go into WITSEC. The real Phillip Ashmore may not have been as sympathetic to the common man. If nothing else, Roy did give Phillip a nice legacy and he certainly mastered that British accent! Of course, you have to wonder about a family that has one brother who's pretending to be a member of an important British family and another brother who is holding his brother's wife for ransom! The whole "pretending to be an Ashmore" thing doesn't sound as wrong all of a sudden. That train scene at the end was pretty intense. There was one shot that showed Marshall and Mary's car with the approaching train from the right and whoa! When Marshall says he can't make it, he can't make it.

This week we started to get some of the residual effects of Marshall's reaction to Mary's engagement. Only, I thought it would be Mary who started acting weird. Marshall was very bent out of shape that Mary told Raph what she does for a living. He made up some mumbo-jumbo about her telling Raph what she does is the same as her telling Raph what Marshall does and he isn't comfortable with Raph knowing what he does. While I see his point, I think that this was just scratching the surface and his over-blown reaction to it was some misplaced anger. He's upset that Mary is marrying Raph because he has feelings for her and that emotion manifested itself as anger this week. No matter what Mary said, it wasn't going to help. Maybe these two need to have a serious heart-to-heart and lay it all out on the table to see where they stand. Maybe then, Marshall could either get what he wants or get the closure he needs to move forward. Either way, some of that tension might finally disappear. And speaking of tension, I feel some brewing back at the Shannon household. I'm just not sure how this Raph/Brandi/Mary thing is going to play out and with next week's finale looming, it may be a while before we know for sure. But seriously, how awesome does next week's season ender look??? Can't wait.

In Plain Sight airs Sunday nights on USA Network. If you missed this week's episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com

The 'Ice' Begins to Thaw

After they told us that Lisa would be hauling her load over the frozen Arctic Ocean, I waited the entire episode for those nerve wracking 36 miles. When the clock showed 9:59 and Lisa still wasn't on that ice, I thought they were going to end the episode without showing us my favorite part, but thankfully, I was wrong. They saved the best for last -- as in, the very last minute of the episode. And just to be sure that we were good and nervous enough, they were sure to throw in the line about the climbing temperatures beginning to melt the thick ice (cue video of sudden death when falling through the ice into the freezing cold Arctic Ocean just for fun) and the shots of the already cracking ice below her 40,000+ pound load. Yup, it's April in Alaska and the ice road is about to become the waterway road in 3 weeks (give or take). But just because it's April doesn't mean that the temps aren't still subzero or that blinding wind storms don't pop up without notice. Just ask Lisa, George and Tim. They faced one over the bluffs and it was INTENSE! Visibility was less than 50 feet and trucks were coming at them with little to no notice. For some reason, these three were convoying together. Lisa "It just seems like I'm fast because the other drivers are slow" Kelly was stuck behind George (a.k.a Mr. Slow and Steady) and Tim until they switched and gave her the lead. This worked well at first, but she missed a gear on 2 1/2 Mile (a steep incline) and spun out causing her to hold up traffic while she backed down and started again. Luckily, she made it up the second time. So, it was a slow start for Lisa this week, but she finished strong.

Meanwhile, Jack was hauling a load of DRA (the substance that helps the oil flow through the Trans Alaska Pipeline) to a station outside of Coldfoot. Seems like an easy enough load until you learn that the tank was only 3/4 of the way full giving Jack what's known as a "live load." The load is constantly moving -- sloshing back and forth in the tank -- depending on the speed, brake pressure and incline/decline of the road. Things took a scary turn when Jack descended the Rollercoaster and the DRA sloshed to the front of the tank. The movement can propel the truck down the hill at a faster rate of speed causing a very dangerous situation for Jack. When he started up the next incline, it sloshed to the rear of the tank causing the truck to struggle to make it up the hill. He eventually made it to the station with the "live load" intact.

Straps and wildlife posed the other obstacles on the Dalton this week. Alex was hauling an oversized load back to Fairbanks when he and his convoy leader encountered a patch of bad frost heaves. The violent bumping knocked a strap loose and the sharp edge of his load cut the loose strap off. It was flapping in the wind dangling dangerously close to the tires while the load started to sway back and forth. Alex finally pulled over and made the proper adjustments before continuing on to Fairbanks. Further up the Dalton, Hugh and Phil encountered a lone caribou running up the road. She seemed content to stay in the road instead of moving to the snow-filled sides. Phil tried to steer her toward the side by closing in on her a bit and she finally made her way off the road. I tell you, if it's not moose than it's caribou! So many hazards for one road.

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 show info, driver bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

Weekend Watch: Hallmark Sends Cybill Shepherd to 'Smith'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

It's that time of year again, eh, kids?

And Hallmark Channel has several movies running this weekend that focus on those three words most of you students don't want to hear: back to school.

(I'm not a student anymore, but can it already be the end of July? Where did the summer go?)

It went to Smith.

Er, make that Cybill Shepherd is heading to Smith College as she stars in the Hallmark Channel original movie, Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith, which premieres Saturday, August 1 at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) and repeats again Sunday at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central). In the film, she portrays a middle-aged divorcee who returns to college to finish the degree she never earned, disrupting stately Smith College in the process. It’s a role that she calls “just a huge boost to me as an artist and a person. It was just amazing on so many levels.”

Which levels would those be?

“Well, first off, it was just thrilling to get to play the lead in something that wasn’t just another ensemble,” Cybill says. “This was truly one of the most wonderful stories I’d ever read. It was just such a cool part I couldn’t believe they’d even offer it to me. Really. I don’t get thrown this kind of stuff every day anymore."

How about the offer to play some b-ball?

Turns out she can still throw around a basketball.

Pretty darn well, actually.

And in the film, her alter ego, Alice Washington, makes the Smith College team, which meant Cybill had to get in game shape and sink actual baskets for the camera.

“I’d played a lot of basketball in high school, so it wasn’t entirely foreign to me,” says the 5-foot-8, Memphis-born actress. “It was a huge amount of fun. But beyond that, this role kind of fulfilled a dream in a way. As actors, one of the great things is to be able to live your life sideways and experience something through playing it. That happened for me in pretending to be a college basketball player - and finishing college.”

Cybill took a lot of college classes part-time during her modeling and early years as an actress. But like Alice, she never got that degree.

“It was a major vicarious thrill to finally get it,” she stresses, “even just as make-believe.”

The other thrill was reuniting with Jeffrey Nordling, with whom Shepherd had co-starred in a made-for-TV movie entitled Baby Brokers some 15 years before. In Mrs. Washington, Nordling portrays a poetry professor upon whom both Alice and her pink-haired rebel roommate (Corri English) have a crush.

“Jeffrey and I have great chemistry, so working with him again was a real treat,” she says.

Being a mid-life college girl dovetailed nicely with Cybill's real life in that 21-year-old twins Zach and Ariel Oppenheim, her kids with second husband Bruce Oppenheim, are both still in college themselves. Her daughter Clementine Ford, 30, produced with first husband David Ford, is a successful actress who played Shepherd’s daughter on The L Word and currently is starring on the daytime soap The Young and the Restless.

Having enjoyed a lengthy and successful (some would even say legendary) career and a life lived very much on her own terms, Cybill is winding up her fourth decade as an actress and all-around celebrity.

And it doesn't look to be ending any time soon.

“I don’t feel old yet," she says. "I still feel like I’m right in my prime. I’ve been around long enough that this is, like, my fifth comeback or something. Whatever they want to call it is fine by me."

Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith, which premieres Saturday, August 1 at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) on Hallmark Channel. It repeats again Sunday at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central). For the inside scoop on the film, head on over HallmarkChannel.com


Source: Hallmark Crown Syndicate

The Countdown Cracks the Top 20

This week, the summer-long countdown breaks into the Top 20! But before we get to that, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. LillyKat and I ended up with 33 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 2008 and June 2009. 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, we 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: "Hey! Mr. Pibb" - Damages
Payback is a b*tch. Patty Hewes know this. She's normally giving it, not receiving it. But in "Hey! Mr. Pibb," Daniel Purcell, on the stand, totally frakes up Patty's attempt at filing a motion against UNR (read: evil energy company killing everyone with their polluted water in West Virginia) to start a class-action lawsuit AFTER he told her a) he'd run the test on the water that was snuck out of town by his on-the-down-low reporter, compliments of the Ellen and Tom Traveling Road Show; and, b) go on the record UNR doctored his original toxicity reports. Patty's seething, silent rage just came blazing through the screen at the moment Purcell screwed her. There is nothing like Glenn Close and THAT look. You know the old saying: If looks could kill, we'd all have been dead a long time ago (at about the time Fatal Attraction came out). It is seriously rare to one-up Patty Hewes. et, Purcell's screwing over of Patty's case wasn't the only OMFG moment: it was followed shortly thereafter (er, kinda simultaneously) by the reveal that he was IN on the murder of his wife. Solid episode. Written by Aaron Zelman and directed by Mario Van Peebles. LillyKat - PTR Senior Staff Writer.

20: "The Deadliest Ice Road" - Ice Road Truckers
This third season premiere (and the only episode from this season to air in time to make this year's countdown) started me on a journey that I now look forward to continuing each Sunday night. This time the drivers are taking on Alaska's Dalton Highway, a 400-mile plus harrowing stretch of ice-covered highway that winds through steep passes and dangerous downhills while connecting Fairbanks to the oil-rich Prudhoe Bay, and they packed a few new drivers including the show's first female: 28-year old Lisa Kelly. From the moment this episode started and we were introduced to The Dalton and its stomach-dropping stretches such as The Rollercoaster, The Beaver Slide, and Atigun Pass, I was on the edge of my seat. Even ice road veterans Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland and Alex Debogorski struggled at first and found themselves displaced to the passenger seat when their years of experience on Canadian ice was no match for the treacherous Dalton. And then we watched Dalton veteran Jack Jessee make it look so easy as he moved his oversized load along the 400-mile journey. Throw in a little humor from my girl Lisa and you have the makings of the start to one awesome season of IRT. Produced by Thom Beers and Dawn Fitzgerald.

19: "I Lied, Too" - Damages
This episode was Damages second season premiere. And when it finally arrived, it didn't feel as if it had been over a year since the last time we checked in; they brilliantly recapped key points of the first season for everyone WITHOUT running the flashback-this-is-what-we-did routine into the ground; and, they set the table once again for an even more complex web of manipulation and betrayal, with Ellen set to take down Patty once and for all if she could get past her own revenge issues. And that was all laid out for us in just ONE hour. Vengeful Ellen working for the Feds was just a brilliant storyline. She was SO different from the wide-eyed, fresh-out-of-law-school Bambi that was presented to us in the first season. Hardened by Patty's betrayal (uh, you know ... the whole tried to kill her thing), grieving over the murder of fiancé doc David that had her simultaneously wanting to disembowel Arthur Frobisher (can we blame her?), and having this veil of icy calm whilst seething on the inside as she agrees to play nice with Patty only to eventually be able to destroy her in the end ... GENIUS. I was glad to have Ted Danson back in the fold given he was just SO good at being the man everyone loves to hate in season one. Glenn Close was still fabulous. I swear, it's like an honor to get to watch her week in, week out. And I just loved the introduction of William Hurt's character, Daniel Purcell. Even if the storyline did seem a little tobacco industry-esque given he supposedly had smoking gun data to bring down an entire "industry," he was mysterious in a sympathetic way. The history between he and Patty was alluded to just enough to make you want to know more. And that, my friends, is great writing. Hard to believe we h ad to wait a couple of eps to SEE Marcia Gay Harden work her magic, too. Written by Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman and directed by Todd A. Kessler. LillyKat - PTR Senior Staff Writer.

So, there's a look at numbers 21-19 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave us a comment with your thoughts. And be sure to tune in next Friday for #18-16 on the list.

'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.

Remote Rewind: Boston Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

This is my absolute, hands-down, no contest favorite episode of Dr. Quinn EVER!! And it might possibly be my favorite episode of any show ever, but nostalgia is coming into play so I'll just say that it's on my all-time faves list. Up until this point, Sully and Michaela has resisted (and even, at times, fought) their feelings for one another. It was painful for us to watch and we were sitting at home hanging on their every word waiting for the inevitable to finally happen. And when it did in this stellar episode, the payoff was well worth the wait. But before we get to the awesomeness that is "that moment," we need to discuss the build-up that comprised 99% of this second season outing. After Dr. Mike gets a troubling telegram from her sister, she and the kids rush back to Boston to be at her ailing mother's side. She recognizes that her mother has been misdiagnosed, but the attending doctor refuses to listen to her opinion or use any of her "Indian medicine" to treat her mother. A kinder, more open Dr. Burke agrees to take Michaela's diagnosis into consideration and agrees to treat Mrs. Quinn with the Cheyenne cure. Of course, he might have agreed simply because he was a bit smitten with her, but that is neither here nor there at this point. The cure works, and Mrs. Quinn is back home and feeling almost 100% in no time. Time to pack it up and head back to Colorado Springs, right? Nope. Michaela decides to stay in Boston for her mother's upcoming birthday bash much to Matthew's dismay (he's feeling a bit like a fish out of water and he's missing Ingrid).

The extended stay also gives Dr. Burke the opportunity to spend more time with Michaela. He brings her down to the poor houses to help those who cannot afford to get the medical care they need. The two quickly bond over their shared desire to use their skills to help the less fortunate. He takes her out to a fancy Boston dinner and he gets her a speaking engagement at a professional medical conference. Things seem to be moving along quickly between the two, but everything changes when Sully arrives in Boston (after seeking guidance from Cloud Dancing). He shows up at the Quinn residence in his buckskins and tomahawk and creates quite a stir on the streets of Boston and within the halls of the Quinn household. Michaela doesn't seem too excited to see Sully and quickly begins to give him the cold shoulder. He confronts her when she tells him that she'll have a housekeeper make him a fire, but he doesn't seem to get through to her. The kids tell Sully that he needs to take Dr. Mike to the opera and Mrs. Quinn suggests that he start looking and acting like he's in Boston ("When in Rome..."). Sully does both and things seem to being moving back into his favor. He even almost scores a goodnight kiss after the opera, but his success is short-lived.

Michaela gives her lecture at the professional medical conference, but the fact that she's a woman and her lecture is on Cheyenne medicine, causes many of the all-male attendees to walk out in the middle of her speech. Sully stays until the end and decides to go back stage to congratulate her. As she steps off the stage, Dr. Burke meets and congratulates her first. He tells her that he loves her and wants to be her partner in both medicine and life and asks her if she wants the same. She hesitates saying that there were moments when she thought it and moments when she was unsure of anything at all. He asks if Sully has asked for her hand and then proclaims that he's asking for it now. Sully witnesses the interaction and confronts Michaela about it outside the lecture hall. She can't give him the answers he desires and he storms off. When she returns to her mother's house, she learns that Sully has left. She rushes to the train station to find him and this angst-ridden scene unfolds:


At this point, I was losing it. We had waited all of this time and she freakin' walked off the train!! Sully put everything on the line and finally told her how he felt and she freakin WALKED OFF THE TRAIN!!! Luckily, Mrs. Quinn, the kids and her own soul-searching made her realize what she truly wanted. After letting Dr. Burke down easy, she and the kids bid adieu and boarded the train and then the stagecoach to Colorado Springs. When the stage finally pulled into town, my absolute favorite TV moment happened. I can in no way do the moment justice, so I will just post the scene in all of its awesomeness for you to enjoy:


Sigh. I'm pretty sure I can trace my hopeless romantic side back to this very scene. But if you thought that it was all smooth sailing from here for these two, you would be mistaken. Several obstacles abound in their path to happiness, but we'll cover some of that next week. For now, let's just enjoy the moment that was.

Feeling nostalgic for Dr. Mike, Sully and the rest of the residents of Colorado Springs? Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Series is now available on DVD.

The Final 'Catch' Is Done ... And I'm Relieved

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Am I the only one ... uh, glad that Deadliest Catch is done for the season?

I don't mean that in a bad way.

Rather, as a viewer, I'm just not sure I could take one more United States Coast Guard rescue ride-a-long. One more sinking vessel. One more pon-pon distress call. One more empty survival suit. One more rogue wave over the bow of the Wizard. One more lost crewman. One more ship rolled 90 degrees. One more Arctic hurricane

Sheesh.

This season was one big Debbie Downer.

And I say that in the nicest - and most serious - of ways.

True, I'm a late bloomer to the world of Deadliest Catch. As we recall, I caught up on the show during a marathon viewing session LAST year, which was just in time to bring LAST season's trials and tribulations to PTR. However, I cannot recall - in all that viewing - ever feeling as relieved as I do now that it's over.

I felt like we watched more rescues this season than fishing.

Listened to more distress calls over the radio than crew fights.

Watched more weather strangle the boats than the setting of pots.

And studied ice flow more than the crab count.

I'm hoping the Bering Sea decides to have an off season next year. That is, she'll be nice.

Doubt it.

In the meantime, I can now go back to breathing again on Tuesday nights from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Sheesh.

You can catch episodes of Deadliest Catch 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.

Roundup: 'Closer' Sets Us Up; 'Bar's' Genuinely Good Guy

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

BJ vs. Stroh - Forthcoming Round 2

THUD!

That is the sound of being hit over the head by this week's episode of The Closer.

More than once.

As in, it was one big set up.

As in, BJ vs. Philip Stroh - Round 2 - is forthcoming.

I predicted this would happen after he became the one-that-got-away at the end of last season - particularly given he was more evil and creepy than George Marks ever was over on Cold Case.

Lilly Rush had her second chance.

I now have no doubt that BJ is going to get one, too.

Especially after having this week's case center on a dying detective's (played by the fantastic Tom Skerritt) personal quest (er, let's make that vendetta) to go after the ONE guy that got away and/or close the ONE case he couldn't close back in the day before he is delivered to St. Peter (read: he ends up killing - er, make that torturing THEN killing - the suspect AFTER he made said suspect tell him where he had buried the bodies of the two missing girls said detective couldn't find back in the day).

THUD!

I think we should just start the countdown now.

Stroh's picture was everywhere - on her desk, in her drawer, on the files.

She's having Gabriel pull every case he's been a part of (we remember is IS an attorney)

She's having nightmares about him breaking into her house.

She's taking files home to study at night, à la Lilly and her I-see-dead-people-in-my-files-on-my-nightstand thing.

Seriously? Could we be more obvious, Closer gang?

THUD!

That's not to say I don't like the idea - and if you're paying attention our Best Episodes Countdown, you'll know why. Stroh WAS a great nemesis. As was Billy Burke's performance.

That said, the obvious connection to BJ's own "vendetta" to get Stroh seemed to overshadow this episode for me. It made me want to just skip to the end.

THUD!

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.



We Can't Save Everybody

Rich Woolsley: Best.Guy.Ever.

Seriously.

I don't care if this statement makes me biased.

And I don't know how you could walk away from this week's Raising the Bar and NOT think this true.

For me, this week's episode was all about Rich's unbelievably selfless act to donate the first payout installment of his Woolsely Fortune Trust (okay, so that's my name for it) - all $3 million of it - to fund a full-fledged civil suit department in the Public Defender's office.

This came about after a) getting berated by his father for having just dumped the money into his checking account and NOT instantly moved it into some supercalifragilisticexpialidocious money making fund account; b) after he goes to the wall to get a big shot law firm to lay off his client about pursuing her to pay nominal $1500 fee that would've essentially gotten her thrown out on the street had the firm continued to come after her; and, c) because he wants to do good by the people who need it most - and he has the money to do it.

Go.Rich.

It is true what Teddy sears told us: Rich is one of the good guys. Genuinely decent. Truly honorable.

Episode after episode, we get to see this play out in subtle ways.

But this episode, it was on full display.

And how proud was I?

Very.

In other news ... as much as Michelle Ernhardt annoys me, she IS really good at what she does. And strangely, she even got an attagirl from Balco this week for winning her case. Now THAT is a rarity.

Bobbi v. Jerry: So, he was trying to help her with the case, giving her a new angle to go on with the make-it-up-as-I-go-along defendant (seriously, I wasn't even believing this guy's story - all 14 versions), and she's irked. Okay, so he went behind her back. Okay, so we know Jerry can be a little self-rightous. Okay, so Jerry does need to be taken down a few pegs now and then.

Newsflash Bobbi: you need him, whether you want to admit or not. (Again, loving Natalia Cigliuti's increased screen time!)

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

Complications in 'Sight'

Since this show began last summer, I have suspected that Marshall had feelings for Mary. I kinda dismissed it as time went on (mainly because I just chalked it up to my overactive imagination when it comes to partners on crime shows because I've seen so many of these play out -- badly), but there was no mistaking it or misinterpreting it this week! In fact, I was shocked at how deeply his feelings run for her. I started to get it when he reacted to her news about being engaged. His reaction was strange (as in, not happy) and he never seemed to recover. Then, in case we weren't 100% sure about how he felt (and I'll admit, I wasn't 100% up until this point), the show got us all on the same page when 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, and it was a reality that Marshall wasn't prepared to face. His speech to her 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). I was pretty shocked. 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." Yeah, it was all spelled out this week.

Clearly, Mary was not as aware of her partner's feelings for her as some of us had been. She definitely began to piece things together at the end 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. I'm not sure if Mary and Marshall should be anything other than partners. I'm not even sure that Raph is the right guy for Mary. Heck, I'm not even sure that Raph doesn't still have feelings for Brandi. I thought that chapter was closed, but the two seemed very cozy in that awkward way this week. Something tells me that Mary and Raph won't be walking down the aisle anytime soon. And that suites me just fine. Now, how Mary and Marshall proceed from here should be very interesting. She isn't one to learn information of this caliber and move on, so I think it's going to have a big effect on her -- probably bigger than she thinks. Things just got even more interesting at WITSEC!

In Plain Sight airs Sunday nights on USA Network. If you missed this week's episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com

Everything But the Taillights

It's amazing how something as small and seemingly insignificant can waylay an entire trip up Alaska's Dalton Highway, and yet, that's exactly what happened when taillights decided to go amuck in this week's episode. Lisa was able to fix hers with a little bungee cord and luck (and advice from "Dalton Ace" Jack Jessee), but Tim was not so fortunate. His malfunctioning tail lights cost him a run up the Dalton and about $1300 in missed income. He discovered the issue just outside of Fairbanks and had to turn around and head back to the Carlile yard to spend more time in the garage (a common theme for Tim's rookie season). But, Tim was not the only driver experiencing problems this week. Hugh returned to Fairbanks ahead of rival Alex, but he was stopped by the Alaskan authorities at the Fox Weigh Station for not keeping proper log books. In Alaska, a driver must rest 10 hours for every 16 on the road. Hugh hadn't crossed the 10-hour threshold according to his logs. His safety instructor (good old "Phil-Billy") retrieved the missing data from the Carlile headquarters, but Hugh was still cited and forced to pay more than $200 in fines, received 3 points on his license and was not permitted to drive in the meantime. And then there was the tanker driver who caught the unplowed snow and wound up in a ditch (not a driver featured on the show).

Despite the sorta "bad day" theme running through the episode, this was a super-awesome outing for me because my two faves -- Lisa and Jack -- were hauling together. Through the convoy, Lisa was able to pick up a few lessons from "The Dalton Ace." One lesson, about shifting on a downhill, led to some harrowing moments as her truck slipped into neutral and wasn't finding the gear that she needed in order to slow her it down before it slid out of control. Jack counseled her over the radio telling her to be patient and not to panic (easy for him to say!) and to give it time. Sure enough, the gear clicked into place and her truck slowed down just in time. Lisa declared the new method a success and decided that she would have to keep practicing. A lighter moment along the Dalton occurred in Coldfoot when Lisa woke up, showered, did her hair and then had to wait for Jack to get ready. First, she had to wake him up with a little honk of her horn. It took him 2 hours to her 1.5 to get ready to leave. Yes, Jack just got beaten in the getting ready contest by a girl. Love it! And then later, the two encountered a couple of adorable Dove Sheep running along the Dalton. Just more examples of how this show can be the most intense hour on TV at one moment and one of the most fun the next.

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 show info, driver bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.

The Countdown Continues

Another week, another set of stellar episodes! But before we get to them, we have to go over the rules for the countdown. LillyKat and I ended up with 33 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 2008 and June 2009. 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, we 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: "Inside Probe" - My Name is Earl
The fictional TV show Inside Probe with real-life personality Geraldo Rivera finally airs its shocking tell-all episode on the disappearance of the original Crab Shack owner. In the process, secrets about the residents of Camden are revealed and everyone becomes a suspect. But the most promising suspects are Earl and Randy Hickey until Inside Probe clears them. This 2-part outing was as funny as season two's "Our 'Cops' is On" with a hilarious inside look at the lives of Camden's finest residents while also enjoying the town's reaction to seeing themselves and their crazy little town on tabloid TV. These sorts of episodes bring out the best and funniest of this now-canceled series. And this one makes me realize that I'm going to miss Earl, Randy, Joy and Darnell next season. Written by (creator) Greg Garcia (part 1) and Michael Pennie and Timothy Stack (part 2) and directed by Greg Garcia (parts 1 & 2).

23: "Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today" - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Cromartie.Was.Terminated. Bottom line, this is why this ep is worthy of a place on our countdown. It was a pivotal moment for the T:SCC series - one in which I actually don't believe they were ever able to recover (though that discussion is for another day). Nonetheless, taking out the pivotal antagonistic character in an OMFG shootout-at-the-OK-Corral fashion was powerful and absolutely stunning. But aside from the Cromartie show down, the ep had a little bit of everything - action, suspense, emotional intensity, unpredictability, and the always good "WTF do we do now?" moments. Not to mention the way it was told was new. Each character got their own snippet, advancing along the same plot line until the end, which ultimately brought them all together. Garret Dillahunt was right: this was one awesome episode. Written by Daniel T. Thomsen and directed by Michael Nanklin. - LillyKat / Senior Staff Writer.

22: "New York, New York" - Friday Night Lights
I've always felt proud of Jason for what he has been able to overcome. His entire future changed in an instant, and yet, he rebounded. And in this excellent episode, he learned the hard way that NYC is a tough town. But with a little help from Riggins, he got back on that horse more determined and he came away with a job. He made his future a lot brighter, and he faced his feelings and fears. He proved himself to the mother of his child, and he's now on his way to starting a promising career in sports management and a fulfilling home life with the woman he loves and his young son. It's not going to be easy, but you get the sense that Jason knows that and he's up to the challenge. The best part of this outing, though, was a "passing of the guard" scene where Erin took over for Riggins. It was so emotional, and both Scott Porter and Taylor Kitsch really showed their acting chops in that scene. But, it was only one reason why this episode is one of this season's best. Written by Kerry Ehrin and directed by Jeffrey Reiner.

So, there's a look at numbers 24-22 on the countdown. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave us a comment with your thoughts. And be sure to tune in next Friday for #21-19 on the list.

Remote Rewind: Picture Perfect?

"You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss"

Several episodes passed between Michaela and Sully's birthday kiss and it was becoming increasingly clear that this famous song lyric was right. Had Michaela and Sully's first kiss been nothing more than a kiss between friends? It couldn't have been right? The first season finale explored this issue and delved into the meaning of that fateful birthday "gift." Daniel Watkins, a professional photographer, landed in Colorado Springs to take pictures of the beautiful mountains, plants, animals, Native Americans and overall "wild west" lifestyle of the American frontier. But, he was hiding a debilitating health secret. His eyes, the finest tool in his photography arsenal, were failing him. He was suffering from diabetes and back then, there wasn't much anyone could do to help him. He had photographed the Civil War, but was battling his own body to continue doing what he loved with the time he had left. It was tragic and Michaela being Michaela, tried in vain to help him. Everyone quickly decided that there should be a town photograph. This, of course, led to a few (mainly Loren, Jake and Hank) deciding who should, but more importantly, who should not be included in that photo. No "Indians or Blacks" came first, but soon saloon girls and others were added until most folks decided that they wanted nothing to do with the photo anymore. In the end, Daniel Watkins got his photo, with a little help from Sully, of the entire town.

Things weren't so easy on the relationship front. Neither Michaela nor Sully had addressed the night in question since her birthday. They hadn't started a relationship, so what had that kissed meant to each of them? An intimate conversation on the bridge seemed to clarify things, or did it? When Sully finally confronted her about that kiss, she told him that it was, "the nicest gift that I got, but that's all it has to be: a birthday gift." Ouch! Sully seemed to agree (or save face) by pointing out, "If things were different... if we weren't so different..." Michaela quickly agreed and the topic was officially dropped. But, it wasn't resolved. Both showed how vulnerable and scared they were to let the other in or to let the other know their true feelings. Any hope of a future relationship seemed dead in its tracks; the pair had succeeded in derailing that speeding train, but that was before they took a little trip to Boston. There's something about absence and the heart growing fonder and the threat of losing someone to someone else that makes people do things that they would normally be too scared to do. But, I'm jumping ahead, so we'll get to that (incredibly awesome) part of the story next week.

Feeling nostalgic for Dr. Mike, Sully and the rest of the residents of Colorado Springs? Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Series is now available on DVD.

'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.

'Catch' Goes Second to Last

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Why do I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop on our Deadliest Catch gang?

Oh, wait. I know.

It's this deadly hurricane that is about to rip the grounds apart in what will be the season finale next week.

As Capatin Sig says, "This could be the deadliest end, yet."


Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out: So the Time Bandit fired veteran deckhand Russ because ... well, I'm not sure. He, like, irked Andy an ep or two back by spending too much time in the sauna ...? Or with attitude ...? Or ...? I don't get it. Nobody does. And seeing how quickly Keith snatched him up to come work on the Wizard, I half-wonder if the Hillstrands went off half-cocked on this decision. That said, they are done for the season given they raked in monster numbers in crab. Buy those guys some lottery tickets.

Hurricane Cometh: I'm not sure what was worse - listening to all the radio calls forecasting the mother of all Arctic hurricanes OR actually having the whole "48 Hours Before the Storm" / "24 Hours Before the Storm" countdown that introduced a couple of segments. Like I said, I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. And the previews from next week with what looks like the Incentive on the fraking rocks?!?!?! Egads.

Getting Over It: I have to say Captain Keith looked pretty steady in having his crew ditch 40 pots in the increasingly bad weather before making a run to Dutch Harbor to offload. As in, he did NOT appear to be having flashbacks from his worst.decision.ever moment that mangled up his crew at the start of the Opilio season. Go Keith. He even has a sparkling new veteran deck hand to continue to help get rid of the bad juju. Still, no telling whether those 40-foot seas and 90 mile an hour winds from NEXT week will bring on a relapse.

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.

Roundup: 'Closer' Gets Emotional - Again; 'Bar' Sticks Up for the Little Guy - And Loses

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Raydor vs. BJ - Round 2

I happened to be a day late (though hopefully not a dollar short) on my recap of The Closer this week. And yet, as if by some divine intervention, said lateness afforded me to the opportunity to catch a Touched By An Angel re-run LAST night that featured the one and only Captain Raydor (Mary McDonnell) before she was ... well, Captain Raydor. Since MM was again another major player in BJ and Co's face - er, I mean department - this week in the wonderful world of LAPD's Major Crimes, I found the TBAA viewing ironically timely because I.Just.Love.Captain.Raydor.

Can we just make Mary McDonnell a regular? Like, now? Better yet, can we just schedule giving her a guest Emmy nom for next year?

Seriously.

Not only do I like watching the characters go toe-to-toe with what each other's priorities - Raydor trying to prevent the LAPD from being sued/wrongly accused/unfairly blamed when a civilian is killed, BJ not giving a rip who does what as long as she solves her murder - the actresses seem to have created this perfect-pitch antagonistic chemistry that remains brimming with irritation, controlled with restraint, and tersely respectful.

The case this week was a tough one. They usually are when they involve the death of fellow officers. The show has delved into this realm before, and I think they once again did a pretty bang up job showcasing just how intense it gets when one of their own is killed. When it turns out that Neo-Nazi's who have a thing for killing cops are to blame, can't say I fully object to the rather confrontational nature Major Crimes adopted in bringing down said subjects. Sometimes, the little black rule book doesn't apply.

BJ never consults it.

Raydor lives by it.

Great conflict.

Strong episode.

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.



We Can't Save Everybody

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: watching Raising the Bar has given me a newfound respect for Public Defenders (PDs).

This, of course, is not surprising given co-creator David Feige WAS a New York City PD. And, any time he writes an episode, there is usually a very intimate and personal look at how PDs have to struggle with the clients they represent.

As in, some of the client's stories are fairly gut-wrenching yet they are not guaranteed a happy ending.

Case in point this week where one of Rich's clients is busted for not paying his court fine. Okay, sounds simple enough ... except for the laundry list of hardships that make it nearly impossible for the poor guy to scrape together $235 to pay the fine. For people like Kathryn Morris, this is lunch money or possibly 1/3 payment for some Christian Louboutin shoes; to those living on public assistance and/or bringing home $30 a day when they HAD a job, this is practically life savings.

And Kessler, true to form, had no sympathy.

And even though Rich does pay his guy's fees after losing the hearing to Kessler, he still kinda-sorta gets in trouble with Roz (in the nicest way) given that PDs can't bail out their clients - no matter how gut-wrenching the story.

Bummer.

Or how about Jerry's client, who gets to go free for four seconds only to be rearrested outside the courtroom on an old charge for violating his parole when he tried to disarm a kid on the street. He held the gun for maybe two seconds, yet because he "handled" a firearm he was busted for violating parole - and sentenced to serve ANOTHER 24 months after JUST getting out serving the same amount of time for the crime in which he was just acquitted. Double jeopardy does not apply nor does his previous time served.

Seriously, I don't think I could be a PD. My heart couldn't take it.

In other news ... Kessler is now signed up with a hoity toity dating service. Too bad she's ... uh, a snore to be with, yet can't admit this to Charlie, and thus, tells him said blind date asked her out again (not). Something tells me Kessler is going to remain pretty lonely for a while.

And Bobbi ... what is up with this girl? I am loving Natalia Cigliuti's increased screen time AND her back-and-forth with Mark-Paul Gosselaar's Jerry. But, I feel like I want to slap the character. Now we're blaming Jerry for the divorce - that she left dearly demented doc because she just so "wanted" Jerry. Uh, 'kay. I thought it was because doc was a nutball? addicted to drugs? abusive? I know the suicide thing is a shocker, but seriously, Bobbi ... blaming Jerry for your issues isn't fair.

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

To Chain or Not to Chain

"Nah. I'm not going to chain up. I'm only carrying 12,000 pounds." Famous. Last. Words! This week on Ice Road Truckers, Hugh quickly learned that what worked in Canada doesn't work on Alaska's Dalton Highway. Chains may not be a part of the daily grind across the smooth, frozen Arctic Ocean, but along the ups and downs and the 4-mile stretch known as Atigun Pass they become a necessity. As Hugh slipped his way up the stretch, he realized that his decision to skip the chaining up process was a mistake. You live and learn and then you chain up. There's only one problem, though; out there on the Dalton, one mistake can cost you your life. Hugh eventually made it up OK and continued on to Prudhoe Bay where he completed his 6th load of the season (one ahead of rival Alex, although, Alex was gaining ground as he headed out of Prudhoe with his 6th load while Hugh remained ground waiting for "Phil-Billy").

This week's episode marked the return of "The Dalton Ace" Jack Jessee. I missed Jack and his ridiculously large oversized loads. This week: a 100,000-pound storage tank and he had a buddy making the haul with him with his own storage tank. We finally got to meet the appropriately named Carey Hall. Like Jack, he's a heavy-hauler and it seems, the two have quite the tit-for-tat when it comes to haul-road pranks. First, Jack taped a message on Carey's side view mirror that read, "If you are looking here, you know ugley (sic)." Carey, not one to be out-pranked, got him back by attaching the largest pair of underware ever onto the back of Jack's truck. He made it quite a ways up the Dalton before Carey finally came clean. In between the joking, there was a tense moment when Carey almost plowed through Jack while they traveled through The Rollercoaster. Jack was unable to find the right gear, and Carey (unable to slow down his rig) was quickly approaching and bringing a whole new meaning to "Objects in the rear view may be closer than they appear." Jack found his gear and another almost-catastrophe was avoided.

This episode was a bit Lisa-Lite, but she had some interesting moments through Atigun Pass and then later through the Beaver Slide on her way back to Fairbanks. First, she found herself having to drive in the opposite lane as she descended through Atigun because the northbound trucks (which always have the right-of-way on the Dalton) were having a difficult time getting traction as they ascended in the northbound lane. She was inches away from the edge (there was a small guard rail separating her rig from thousands of feet straight down) and having a difficult time seeing, but she cleared the descent and allowed the northbound trucks to maintain traction in the southbound lanes. Later, she found herself facing a very slick Beaver Slide. Her wheels spun and she quickly geared down in time to help her truck make it up the incline. Earlier in the episode, she mentioned that there are two kinds of drivers on the Dalton, "The ones who have been in the ditch and the ones who are gonna go in the ditch." So many times on this show it seems that the latter are about to become the former. And this is why I can't take my eyes off of my TV screen.

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 show info, driver bios, and an IRT app for your iPhone.