FINALE BLOWOUT: 'Case' Closed on Another Season

I love when procedurals take chances. By definition, they are so set in a formula that it can grow a bit tiresome over time. Last night's season finale of Cold Case took a big chance, and it paid off nicely for the show. Like its sister show (and new Sunday night partner) Without a Trace, the show shines just as brightly when it pulls away from its formula as it does when it sticks to it. The reason last night's experiment worked well was because creator Meredith Stiehm has done such a beautiful job creating the complicated, flawed and fascinating character of Lilly Rush. As I have said in the past, this show should always focus on her and her quest to solve the unsolved because Lilly is the bread and butter of a wonderfully crafted crime drama. Without her, the show becomes another crime show clone lacking that extra oomph. Of course, they only have an hour to tell a story (or more accurately, 44 minutes in Case's situation, which is actually one of the longest shows on television), so Lilly's personal story line came at the expense of the case of the week. Said case was terribly under developed, and contained plot holes so big that they almost swallowed the audience (No fingerprint ID on the body from 2005? Joseph had a record, and therefore, prints on file). Thankfully, Lilly was the hour's saving grace and her intricate story kept me from dwelling on or even caring about the obvious case missteps. I was completely enthralled with Lil's dilemma much in the same way she was with her latest victim. I wasn't expecting that to happen because I was very spoiled about this episode, and had been for weeks leading up to it. I knew about Joseph and the scene between Lilly and Scotty at her house and the last scene with Lilly and Joseph in the jail, but I didn't know what mistake she was going to make and that was the episode's biggest shocker and delight.


It all started when Lil got a look at the victim - Joseph Shaw. He worked as a drug counselor with teens, owned cats and was looking for a woman who was intelligent, passionate about her work and not allergic to cats. Does that sound like anyone we know? Add to that the fact that they both believed that the people behind their cases get lost in the files, and you have a serious match made in workaholic heaven. We learned last season that Lilly likes to take a picture of the victim home and put it on her nightstand, but Kat made sure to remind us when she asked her about it. I loved the way Kat instantly handed Lilly the picture of Joseph and told her that he was someone worth putting on the nightstand.


Which leads us to Lilly at home that evening. After learning all about Joseph through the family that runs the center where he worked, Lilly decided that he was more than just a nightstand ornament. They seemed to have a lot in common, and she just couldn't get past it. This was certainly the beginning of her spiral, but things were only going to get worse. The next day, she decided to go visit a farm house that Joseph's foster mother owned, but she did so at night and against orders. Stillman told her to wait until the morning and to take Scotty with her. When she got to the farm, she snooped around, and encountered the very alive Joseph hiding out. She was so caught off guard by this revelation and the fact that the guy that she had been obsessing over was standing in front of her that she forgot to identify herself and she automatically believed him when he told her that he didn't kill the real victim (his foster brother), and she agreed to keep his status a secret. Wow, Lilly just made a HUGE mistake! If this guy had killed his foster brother, he was high-tailing it straight out of dodge for sure.


Things got even more interesting the next day when Lilly called in sick. Of course, she wasn't sick, but trying to avoid lying about Joseph. She used her "sick day" to do some of her own investigating. Armed with the knowledge that Joseph was alive, Lil cornered Mr. Holden about his wife. She didn't get anywhere, so she found one of the center's former teens and learned that she had seen Mrs. Holden carrying on an affair with the teen who was accused of murdering another teen at the center. Joseph was the only witness to the murder, so it was looking like all signs were pointing to Mrs. Holden. Lilly called Joseph that evening to fill him in on the day's events, so it seemed that she was now working for him instead of PPD. Deeper and deeper, my friends.


Scotty dropped by Lil's place as she was finishing up her conversation with Joseph. He seemed a little perturbed about Lil calling in sick, and even more so when he found out that she went to the farm and found Joseph. In an interesting move, Lilly admitted that her feelings about Joseph were clouding her judgment, and Scotty seemed to back off. It was so wonderful to see these two acting like friends again! Of course, Scotty still didn't spill about his injured hand (sustained during that perv beat down from the last episode), but the scene was an insta-classic all the same. It was so good, that I'll let it speak for itself as I have uploaded it for you.

If you're having problems viewing the video here on the site, you can click HERE.


The next day was Lilly's moment of truth. She had to come clean to Stillman, and he was none too pleased. In fact, I think this scene is the maddest that I have ever seen him. He scared the bejeezus out of me, and I wasn't the one getting the verbal lashing. Of course, Stillman had every right to be angry with Lilly because what she did was incredibly stupid. When he asked her if she knew where Joseph was, I was so afraid she was going to lie, but she didn't. It made me sad that he told her that what she did might not be fixable because he wasn't just talking about her career. It was like her huge mistake caused him to see her differently, and he wasn't sure if that was reparable. This scene was another insta-classic and it was enhanced by the beautiful work of both Kathryn Morris and John Finn. Of course, I uploaded this one as well. Watch carefully when Stillman really lays into Lilly because Lilly's scared reaction is so natural that I'm still not sure if John Finn actually scared Kathryn or not. Check it out.

If you are having problems seeing the video, click HERE.


Luckily for Lilly, Joseph eventually showed up and saved her butt. The two took a moment to talk in the hallway at the jail, and it seems that they were both equally enthralled with each other (as if there was any doubt. Seriously, these two knew they loved each other before they even met and now that Savage Garden song finally makes sense!). I was extra proud of my Lil because she didn't run for the hills, but rather, somewhat admitted that she was interested in this guy. She even played a little coy with him when he tried his best to ask her out. It was cute, and yes, I uploaded it as well.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, click HERE.


The closing montage was to Howie Day's beautiful "Collide," and they really couldn't have chosen a better song. It was like it was written for Lilly in this episode. Check out these lyrics:

"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find, you and I collide."

And even though we saw Lil open up more this episode than she has in three seasons, there are still questions remaining as to how long this will last and will she continue this thing she has with Joseph? I hope so, and I hope that the writers take us along for the journey next season.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how Lilly's boo-boo affects her relationship with Stillman. He looked a little bummed at the bar when he was staring at her empty seat. If she is disciplined (as she should be), I have a feeling Stillman will issue the punishment and not let her mistake reach the higher-ups. Joseph came through and the case was solved, but Lilly compromised it in a HUGE way. As much of a romantic sap as I am, I thought that her mistake was the best part of this episode. It showed us a completely different side to Lilly while still keeping her within the parameters of her character. I understood what she did and even felt for her, but I was also disappointed with her actions (or lack of them). I found myself feeling the same pit in my stomach that Lilly must have been feeling when she faced the boss, and I worried along with her when he said that he wasn't sure that her mistake could be fixed. And of course, I rejoiced when Joseph showed up and saved her from completely flushing the entire case down the toilet. It was an intriguing story line, and Kathryn Morris told TV Guide that we will continue to visit the effects next season. I can't wait!

That's all for this special Finale Blowout edition of Pass the Remote. To read more finale blowout editions of Pass the Remote, click on over to The Best of Pass the Remote at PassTheRemote.net. Next up, Lost and Alias. Also, this isn't the last of my Cold Case discussions for the season. I have some surprises in store for this summer, so stay tuned to Pass the Remote for plenty of summer coverage of Lil and the gang! And be sure to tune in later today for the regular edition with thoughts on the season finale of Desperate Housewives (It was awesome and then not)!

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

FINALE PREVIEW: 'Cold Case' Gets Personal with this Weekend's Finale

Things are about to get a little more personal for Cold Case's Lilly Rush. In the third season finale, expect to see her even more invested in her current case than usual. That's because she feels an instant connection to the victim in the 2005 case. The official CBS press release states (WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD) that "Lilly is strangely drawn to the victim, Joseph Shaw, a popular drug counselor" and that could spell trouble for the case because "she breaks some procedural rules, putting herself and the other investigators in danger" (END SPOILER WARNING). TV Guide magazine caught up with the show's star, Kathryn Morris, and grilled her on what we can expect with all of this personal mixing with the show's usual procedural feel. Here's the magazine's interview in the May 15th-21st edition (SPOILERS):

Q&A with Kathryn Morris
We're used to seeing Det. Lilly Rush get emotionally involved in her investigations of forgotten victims, but in tonight's third-season finale of COLD CASE (CBS 8/7) she takes it a little too far. She becomes fixated with a popular drug counselor of teens who was apparently killed two days before he was to testify against one of his students. After a year in which Lilly reconnected with her alcoholic mom and an old biker boyfriend who broke her heart, Kathryn Morris wonders if you can really blame her character for abandoning her by-the-book ways...

SO, WHAT'S THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE FOR LILLY?
She takes a sick day.

THAT'S GOT TO BE A FIRST.
Nobody knows what to do. This individual appears and throws off her world. It's like I'm investigating someone who is exactly like me. He has cats. He's a crusader and a bleeding heart. We know how Lilly loves to get involved with the dead. But it becomes too real.

AND THIS LEADS TO SOME GREAT PERSONAL REVELATION AND SOME BIG CHANGES FOR THE CHARACTER?
Lilly does some things that are not so professional because her heart is so overtaken. She doesn't want to be alone anymore. But we won't know until the beginning of [next] season. It goes against everything that's forged Lilly's career. It's like when somebody says, 'I don't want to work at TV Guide anymore -- I want to go sailing around the world.'

SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.

-Stephen Battaglio

One of this season's best scenes occurred when Lilly and her mother collided to emotional results. It's a scene that seems to be the catalyst for Lilly's behavior in the finale. In the episode "Beautiful Little Fool," Lilly drunk dials her former boyfriend Kite and admits that she wants to stop living her life alone. And because I love you guys, I found the scene on YouTube, so here it is for your viewing pleasure:



I think the Emmy voters need to see this video clip along with those screen caps from the Veronica Mars finale so I can cross off both Kathryn Morris and Kristen Bell from my list of television's most underrated actors. Cold Case's season finale airs this Sunday, May 21st at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS. Be sure to tune in to Pass the Remote on Monday for the big Cold Case finale blowout! Plus, you'll also get the regular edition with thoughts on the Desperate Housewives finale and all the latest television news!

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net

Danielle Rises to the 'Top'! Plus the 'Idol' Moment and More From the Upfronts

Happy dance! Happy dance! Happy dance!! Danielle (right - photos courtesy UPN) is this cycle's America's Next Top Model! I was so sure that her accent was going to dog her, and I would have been so pissed because it can be fixed with a dialect coach. I swear, the judges kept harping on her accent to throw us off on the fact that they loved Danielle. I've said this before, but I just didn't see the big deal with the way that she speaks since it was something that could be rectified. Everything else about Danielle screamed model. She has the looks, the walk, the attitude, the pictures and everything else that just comes naturally. These are things that many of the other girls were lacking. I loved Joanie, but she is not quite at the same level as Danielle. She takes beautiful, chameleon- like pictures, but in person, Danielle is a better fit.
I was impressed with both girls' appearances in that incredible Thai fashion show, but Danielle was stronger. She looked like a professional model when she was up there strutting her stuff.


That CoverGirl commercial shoot was hilarious. I don't know what Jade has against learning her lines, but she was terrible. Even with the cue cards she still messed up the lines! How do you mess up the lines when you're reading them on a cue card??!! It boggles the mind. Joanie was like a two-take wonder. She is so good at taking what they tell her and using it to her advantage. Jay told her she was a caricature of herself in the first take and to try to be more natural the second time. Done! Danielle got up there, and she messed up her lines, but at least she had the excuse that she was focusing so hard on her accent that she couldn't think about anything else. The pictures from the shoot all turned out well, but Danielle's just floored me. It was so elegant, beautiful and regal and it looked exactly like a CoverGirl ad. Panel was a little nerve-wracking, but Jade's departing comments made me laugh. I love how her only regrets were about how the judges made a mistake and how they didn't understand her. Man, this girl needs to get a clue. Nobody wants to work with someone who thinks they know everything already and refuses to take advice. Jade showed no signs of amending her attitude, so eliminating her was the right decision. I was jumping for joy! To be truthful, I would have been happy with either Danielle or Joanie, but I was very excited to see Danielle win. I'm going to miss these girls when the next cycle rolls around, but not Jade of course. I will be talking to Danielle next week, so if you have any questions for her, leave me a comment and I'll try to get them answered.

The judges loved everything about Danielle (except her accent), but they seemed to be most enthralled by her beautiful photographs. Here's a montage of all of her photo shoots in order from top left through bottom right (except her CoverGirl photo which you can see above). You can click on the image to enlarge it.




The Idol Moment
No big surprise here. Elliot, although very talented, was the weakest of the three remaining contestants the other night. Ever since Chris got knocked off early, I figured Katharine and Taylor would duke it out for the top spot. If I'm being honest, Katharine is the better pick because she'll mold herself right into the Idol image, but Taylor is slightly better. He doesn't over sing, and he seems to have a lot of fun performing. Plus, Taylor would benefit more from going out on his own because he has his own unique style. Katharine is in the same tradition of Kelly Clarkson, so I can see her having a successful Idol career. So, the question is, do you vote for the most talented or the one who would benefit the most from the win? I love them both and find the decision too difficult, so I don't think I'll be voting next week. I'll be happy no matter which way this one turns out. As long as Taylor doesn't get stuck singing pseudo-soul (ala last year's runner-up Bo Bice and his pseudo-rock), I'm good.


About Last Night...NBC won the first hour of the night with Deal or No Deal, followed by Fox's Bones and the first hour of CBS' The Amazing Race. At 9, Fox took over with an hour-long Idol results show, followed by ABC's Lost and NBC's Dateline (the second hour of CBS' Race landed in fourth). The final hour of the night went to NBC's Law & Order, followed by CBS' CSI: NY and ABC's Invasion. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass: All Finales Edition~
FEATURED FINALES!!!
That 70s Show (8 p.m. Fox) - As the Formans prepare for their move to Florida, Kitty puts Red in charge of showing their home to prospective buyers. But Red scares them away, so Kitty takes over the job, only to discover it's not as easy as it looks - especially when touring the home forces her to look back at all their special family moments on the 1-hour series finale.

Will & Grace (9 p.m. NBC) - This is preceded by an hour-long retrospective special. The culmination of eight seasons' ends tonight - will Will and Grace raise a child together and find ultimate happiness? Will Jack find anyone that loves him as much as he loves himself? Will Karen find true happiness with the absence of Stan? Harry Connick, Jr., Kevin Bacon and Bobby Cannavale guest star on the 1-hour series finale.

CSI (9 p.m. CBS) - The CSI team holds vigil at Brass' bedside after he was shot in the line of duty and may not survive on the 6th season finale.

The O.C. (9 p.m. Fox) - The end of senior year is finally here, bringing the excitement of graduation and the anticipation of new lives in college and beyond, and oh yeah, word on the street is that someone dies on this 3rd season finale.

Without a Trace (10 p.m. CBS) - While investigating the disappearance of a young female former assistant district attorney, Jack and the rest of the team are blindsided when the woman's ex-boyfriend (Jason Priestley) suddenly opens fire on the FBI offices on the 4th season finale.

OTHER FINALES!!!
American Inventor (8 p.m. ABC) - 1st season finale
ER (10 p.m. NBC) - 12th season finale

To see what else you can catch on television tonight with customized listings for your area (via Zap2it), visit the TV Listings area of PassTheRemote.net.


QUICK CUTS

*UPFRONTS UPDATE: The CW officially announced its schedule (as opposed to the one from Mike Ausiello that I posted earlier) and it's identical to the earlier version, except for Sunday nights. Sundays will lead off with Everybody Hates Chris at 7 p.m. as opposed to 8 p.m., and it will be followed by All of Us, Girlfriends and new show The Game. At 9, a Top Model encore will air. I corrected the earlier version, which you can see HERE along with the new network's logo. Notice that all of us Veronica Mars/Gilmore Girls fans got the dream pairing that we wanted. According to the CW's press release, "Tuesday nights are all about girl power." If you would like to see how the fall schedule is shaping up across networks, click on over to TVGuide.com to see a grid of the new season.
To see Fox's fall schedule, click HERE.
To see CBS' fall schedule, click HERE.
To see ABC's fall schedule, click HERE.
To see NBC's fall schedule, click HERE.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.


That's all for today. I'm off tomorrow (and not a day too soon after this crazy, fun week!), BUT I will be posting a special edition of Pass the Remote tomorrow morning. So, be sure to tune in tomorrow for that, and come back Monday for a Finale Blowout edition featuring Sunday's very personal episode of Cold Case and the regular edition later that day with thoughts on the Desperate Housewives finale and all the latest television news!

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

'TAR' Edition: Teams Flag Down the Finish Line!

Well, it was another thrilling finale of The Amazing Race last night, but it didn't live up to other editions' finales. Namely the family edition, which I still maintain, despite the overall disappointment, had the best TAR finale ever! This finale was exciting, but I didn't find myself really getting into the action until that final flag challenge. It was a great way to end the Race and it reminded me of Family Edition's ending puzzle map (but not as good). Things started off well in the newest country on my list of dream vacations: Thailand (if you watch this show and Top Model, you so know why). The Hippies left first and learned that they needed to travel 75 miles by Taxi to the Royal Kraal where an elephant would give them a T-Mobile Sidekick that contained their next clue. All of the teams rushed to the Royal Kraal only to find that it didn't open until 4 a.m. (Insert "Debbie Downer" music here). Did anyone else find the opening time odd? I mean, are there a lot of people lined up to get in this place at 4 a.m.?? I'm all for an elephant giving me a Sidekick, but I can certainly wait until a more normal hour like 9 or 10 a.m. Moving along because each team got their Sidekick and learned that they needed to fly to Tokyo, Japan and search the many lit-up boards in that city's version of Times Square for the one that gave them their next clue. When they were showing those hella-busy pedestrian crossings at Times Square: Tokyo Style, I kept hearing Dave Matthews Band's "Ants Marching" in my head. This intersection is the world's busiest according to Phil (and if Phil says it, then you can rest assured it's true. The man is a walking atlas, so from Phil's lips to God's ears). At the airport, things got interesting. The Slackers and Ray/Yolanda searched for the earliest flight and found the same one, but the Hippies assumed it would be faster to travel on a Japanese airline and wound up missing the earliest flight. They were now an hour and a half behind the other two teams. Even better, this time there was no magic commercial break that fixes everything, just an ordinary one that puts you an hour and a half behind.


Once the Slackers and Ray/Yolanda got to Tokyo, they made their way to the hotel that housed the marked cars they would need to travel to Times Square version TKO. Things took a drastic turn, though, when the Slackers went into the hotel and asked for directions while Ray/Yolanda (a.k.a. Fran/Barry when it comes to directions) drove off without asking anyone. Oh boy, we're in for plenty of Ray/Yolanda lost shots coming up. Enter the Ray/Yolanda lost shots. Yeah, it didn't take long because the highway signs were seriously the most confusing signage ever!! They were basically a bunch of lines going all different directions and the lines (read roads) were color coded with red and yellow and I have no idea. I was lost and I wasn't even in the darn race. Ray/Yolanda stopped to get directions, but the language barrier made it impossible to get anywhere. Meanwhile, the Slackers cruised along with their excellent directions and map courtesy of the hotel guy. They reached Times Square: Far East, and found the message that read: FIND HACHIKO. It seems Hachiko is a statue erected to honor a beloved dog in Japanese lore and they would need to find the man with nifty TAR/Harry Potter scarf to get their next clue (this guy was so supporting Gryffindor). The statue was a few steps behind them, so they found it and Harry Potter and opened the clue to find a Detour: Maiden or Messenger. In Maiden, teams had to travel 7 miles by taxi and carry a maiden in a traditional transporter for Asian royalty 1/3 mile to a tea ceremony. In Messenger, teams had to put together two folding bikes and then use them to deliver two messages through the crowded Tokyo streets. The Slackers chose Maiden (big shock!) and headed on their way. Meanwhile, Ray/Yolanda were still lost (somebody just wake me up when they get there) and the Hippies landed in Tokyo and used Tyler's knowledge of the country and the language to quickly reach Crouching Times, Hidden Square, the clue and the statue. They chose Messenger and quickly worked through the task with their usual excitement. The Slackers carried the maiden (and hoped that she was "hot") to the tea party where they received their next clue that told them to go to the Capsule Land Hotel. The Hippies finished their Detour as well and both teams found the hotel and learned that they would be spending the night in individual capsules that were not built with the claustrophobes in mind. I'm just going to fast forward through Ray/Yolanda because this thing is long enough and all you need to know is that they finally found the sign, statue, Maiden and hotel. The Slackers had a 9 a.m. departure time, the Hippies had 9:15 and Ray/Yolanda had 9:30.


The next morning, the teams learned that they needed to drive 80 miles to Fujikyo Highlands, an amusement park located at the base of Mount Fuji (and Phil let us know that it's wildly popular with the young kids. Who knew Phil had his finger on the pulse of the youth generation in Japan? I'm telling you people, an atlas!). The best part of the explanation was seeing Japan's newest thrill ride: the PhilCoaster. The teams made their way there, but not without a few antics. First one member of Team Slackers decided that the mountain behind Fujikyo Highlands was Mount Tokyo. Thankfully, the other one called him out on it by saying, "No dumbass, that's Mount Fuji." The Hippies got in front of the Slackers and they raced to the clue box where they found the Roadblock. One member had to ride three rides, and while riding, look for the man holding the sign with their next clue. The boys took off and started on their first ride. Meanwhile Ray/Yolanda pulled something that anyone who has ever been on the Jersey Turnpike knows too well. They lost their ticket, and luckily for them, they weren't in New Jersey because they held up the line of cars while they searched their entire car for slip of paper. Finally, the toll operator asked them to pull over to the side and a man came out and had them pay the full amount just as you would on the Jersey Turnpike. Then something happened that only happens at the rest areas on the Jersey Turnpike, the second toll operator slapped Ray on the behind. Ray was so out of sorts over the whole thing that he almost got in the wrong side of the car. Meanwhile back at the park, the boys had completed two rides and still no sign, although, Tyler tried to pull a fast one and told Jeremy that he saw it on the second ride and Jeremy being Jeremy, totally believed it. On the last ride, both of them saw the actual sign (Lake Yamanaka) and got their next clue, which of course, instructed them to drive to Lake Yamanaka and peddle the little duck to the big swan (little duck being a paddle boat and big swan being a river boat), the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. I don't know why, but something about those instructions just cracked me up. The two teams raced to the lake and began peddling, but the Hippies reached Phil first. The Slackers whined about the Hippies playing mind games and Phil pretended to not want to roll his eyes. Again, let's fast forward through Ray/Yolanda (who I totally love BTW, and wanted to win) because after the ticket thing they got into one of their fights about nothing and it carried on for way too long and I was totally confused. They finally reached the Pit Stop in last place and Phil took all of their money and belongings because this was a non-elimination round (Phil didn't even bother with the whole "the last team to check in here, MAY be eliminated" speech leading into the Pit Stop explanation. He knows we all know the drill).


The next morning, the teams learned that they needed to travel back to the hotel where they first got their cars and wait for a shuttle to the airport where they needed to fly to Anchorage, Alaska. The Hippies left some money on Ray/Yolanda's car before heading back to the hotel. On the way to the hotel, the Hippies took a shortcut, but the Slackers figured the Hippies were lost and would arrive at the hotel after them. The shortcut paid off because the Hippies reached the hotel and found the Internet access they needed to search for flights. They asked the hotel front desk not to tell the other teams about the Internet access. Team Slacker arrived and the front desk held true to their word, but it didn't matter because the Slackers found an earlier flight over the phone. At 6 a.m., the shuttle arrived and both teams boarded without Ray/Yolanda. The pair was busy begging for money and struck the big time when they found some drunk business men who thought Yolanda looked like Janet Jackson. They then made their way to the hotel and airport. The Slackers managed to pull off their earlier flight, but the other two teams caught up with them in Taipei, and all three were on the same flight to Anchorage.


Once in Anchorage, all three teams found their marked vehicles and the clue that instructed them to drive to Lake Mirror. I started to think that this was where Ray/Yolanda were going to catch up and make this thing interesting, but alas, it was not. The Hippies and the Slackers arrived at Lake Mirror together and found another Detour: Deliver it or Drill it. There's really no point in explaining Deliver it because it involved a plane and delivering medical supplies, but the weather conditions prohibited this Detour from taking off. In Drill it, teams had to use an auger to drill 10 holes in the ice, and then push a shack across the ice until it was covering two of the holes. As you can imagine, both teams worked as quickly as they could to drill the holes, but it was incredibly difficult. The Slackers finished first and of course, picked the pink shack to push across the ice. They centered it in place and received their next clue, which instructed them to drive to Kincaid Park, put on snowshoes, and use a map to find their next clue. The Hippies finished just as Ray/Yolanda were finally getting to the lake. They had decided to stop and ask directions because of their poor navigational skills, but overcompensated by stopping every so many miles and asking again. So, they got there without getting lost, but it took them 10 times longer. They can't win for losing! The other two teams arrived at Kincaid Park, with the Slackers having a decent lead. The Hippies couldn't find the snowshoes even though they were Right. In. Front. Of. Them!!! Shades of Fran/Barry in Brazil began to fill my mind. I guess these two really do travel with the ghosts of the former teams. They finally found the gear and began searching for the clue. Meanwhile, the Slackers found their clue and learned that they needed to fly back to where the Race began in Denver, Colorado. They would then need to travel 30 miles to the town of Golden and find Clear History Park. They made their way to the airport and booked a flight, but the Hippies arrived shortly after and booked the same flight. Ray/Yolanda worked through the Detour, found the clue in the dark with their snowshoes and map and booked the same flight as the other two teams. This had to be the point where Ray/Yolanda finally entered the race and made thing interesting, right? RIGHT???


Once in Colorado, the teams made their way to the park and learned that they needed to search all of it for their next clue. This was basically the same task as the one prior in Anchorage, except with less snow and more hidden places. The Slackers, as usual, found theirs first and learned that they needed to travel to Red Rocks. They jumped in their taxi and took off while the Hippies quickly found theirs as well. Ray/Yolanda searched and searched, but couldn't find a clue. Never mind, I give up! They're totally out of it. This is where things heated up. The other two teams arrived at Red Rocks, with the Slackers having a slight advantage. The location held the final Roadblock of the race. In it, one team member had to locate all of the flags of the countries that they visited on the Race, and then put them in order of their travels. There was a little board there designed to help and trick the teams because it contained unlabeled pictures of all of the flags and some extras to throw them off. After completing the task, teams needed to run to the finish line to win the $1 million. Eric worked quickly, but BJ soon started the task as well, and they were moving along neck and neck. Eric gathered all of his flags first, but he had them in the wrong order. He kept rearranging them, but he couldn't get it right. Meanwhile, BJ finally got all of his flags and began arranging them. He got it right on the first try and he and Tyler sprinted to the finish line, landing in first place and winning the $1 million. The Slackers came in second and Ray/Yolanda finished in third. So, another season of The Amazing Race has come and gone and the Hippies are now a million dollars richer. What did you think about the outcome? How about this season of TAR? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

All of the pictures in this edition are from cbs.com. The site has a lot more pictures and info if you just can't get enough of TAR. You can also click on over to The Early Show's site (click on "Watch Team Hippie Wins 'Race'") to watch today's interview with the final three, including Ray's surprise for Yolanda. And be sure to tune in later today for the regular edition of Pass the Remote jam-packed with thoughts on the new Top Model. Plus, the Idol moment and all the latest television news!

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: The CW Sets its First Schedule; Keeps 13 Shows, Adds 3

We've made it through the hectic week known as the Network Upfronts, and we've finally landed on the new CW network. As you know, this network is the product of a merger between CBS Corp. and Warner Bros., with each getting 50% of the pie. This means that UPN and The WB will no longer exist as of this fall. As a result, many shows didn't make the cut. The most notable, of course, is Everwood, which seems to be the only bubble show that got snubbed. The CW picked up 7 shows from The WB (7th Heaven, Gilmore Girls, Smallville, Beauty and the Geek, Supernatural, One Tree Hill and in a surprise move Reba) and 6 from UPN (All of Us, Girlfriends, Veronica Mars, WWE Smackdown, America's Next Top Model and Everybody Hates Chris), and it is adding three new shows. Here's a look at the fall schedule (from Mike Ausiello):

Monday:
8 p.m. -7th Heaven
9 p.m. - Runaway (N)

Tuesday:
8 p.m. - Gilmore Girls
9 p.m. - Veronica Mars

Wednesday:
8 p.m. - Top Model/Beauty and Geek
9 p.m. - One Tree Hill

Thursday:
8 p.m. - Smallville
9 p.m. - Supernatural

Friday:
8 p.m. - Wrestling

Sunday:
7 p.m. - Everybody Hates Chris
7:30 - All of Us
8 p.m. - Girlfriends
8:30 - The Game (N)
9 p.m. - America's Next Top Model (encore presentation)

The network will also add a coming of age drama from Kevin Williamson at the midseason point. For more on all of these new shows as well as the renewals, click on over to The Futon Critic. And be sure to tune in later today for The Amazing Race edition and the regular edition with thoughts on the new Top Model and the Idol moment. Plus, all the latest television news. Stay tuned to Pass the Remote all day for breaking upfronts news.

To see Fox's fall schedule, click HERE.
To see CBS' fall schedule, click HERE.
To see ABC's fall schedule, click HERE.
To see NBC's fall schedule, click HERE.

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: Fox Sets its Schedule

It's the fourth and final day of the network upfronts, and that means that the final two networks are announcing their schedules today. First up, Fox. Nothing too earth-shattering here. As usual, 24 will join the line-up in January along with American Idol. Overall, the network is adding three new dramas and two new comedies. Here's what you can expect this fall and at the midseason point:

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK
9:00-10:00 PM VANISHED

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM STANDOFF
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM JUSTICE

THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM 'TIL DEATH
8:30-9:00 PM HAPPY HOUR
9:00-10:00 PM THE O.C.

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NANNY 911
9:00-10:00 PM TRADING SPOUSES: MEET YOUR NEW MOMMY

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA STRIKES BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM FOOTBALL OVERRUN (COMEDY ENCORES)
7:30-8:00 PM FOOTBALL OVERRUN (COMEDY ENCORES)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: BEGINNING JANUARY 2007
(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM STANDOFF
9:00-10:00 PM 24

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM JUSTICE
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:30-10:00 PM THE LOOP

THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM 'TIL DEATH
8:30-9:00 PM HAPPY HOUR
9:00-10:00 PM THE O.C.

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM THE WEDDING ALBUM

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA STRIKES BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY REPEATS
7:30-8:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME

For more on all of these new shows as well as the renewals, click on over to The Futon Critic. And be sure to tune in later today for The Amazing Race edition and the regular edition with thoughts on the new Top Model and the Idol moment. Plus, all the latest television news. Stay tuned to Pass the Remote all day for breaking upfronts news.

To see CBS' fall schedule, click HERE.
To see ABC's fall schedule, click HERE.
To see NBC's fall schedule, click HERE.

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

'L&O:SVU' Cruises Through its Finale! Plus More From Upfronts, 'Chief' Movie and Nielsen Wednesday

There were two happy ele- ments during last night's Law & Order: SVU finale: Olivia was back and the obvious allusions to Tom Cruise. So, I'm super psyched that Liv's back and all, but what exactly was the point of her little Computer Crimes excursion? I thought it would carry over for the duration of star Mariska Hargitay's pregnancy and that Connie Nielsen would be filling in for the beginning of next season. Weird. I guess we'll have to see what happens in the season premiere. I'll discuss the Tom Cruise stuff later, but first, I was so excited to see American Dreams' Brittany Snow in this episode. I wasn't an avid Dreams watcher, but I always enjoyed the episodes that I watched, and I loved Meg Pryor. It seems from this role and what I heard about her role on Nip/Tuck that Ms. Snow is trying to break out from her sugar-coated goodie-goodie Meg role and grow as an actress. She did a great job last night as a 16-year old who stopped taking her meds to treat her Bi-Polar condition. The role essentially required Snow to play two different people, one on the meds and one off, and she pulled it off beautifully. Like Casey, I felt torn about how to charge and punish this girl. Yes, she tried to kill herself by ramming her parents' car into a crowd of people, killing one of them, but she was also a victim. On her meds, she was a normal functioning young lady, but off of them, she became someone that even she wouldn't recognize. I do agree with the guilty verdict and Casey's sentencing recommendation to a mental facility so she can get the help that she needs. It's a shame that the entire downward spiral could have been avoided had she just taken the meds.


So, why then you ask yourself, did she stop taking her meds? This is where Tom Cruise comes in. A rock star (who we'll call Tom Cruise for fun) went on a morning talk show (that we'll call The Today Show, again for fun) and told a reporter (who we'll call Matt Lauer) that psychological drugs are bad and completely useless. Our young, impressionable Bi-Polar 16-year old heard the interview and decided to give it a try without meds. We all know the results. Rock Star (a.k.a Tom Cruise) paid for her defense and tried to use her case to further his cause. He managed to keep her off her meds during the trial, a violation of her release, so she was force fed the meds. Once on them again, she revealed that Rock Star: Tom Cruise Style had been in a mental institution as a child and given electric shock treatments, which led to his crusade against the meds. Of course, the story was in fact "fiction" and any resemblance to real-life people and events was mere "coincidence," and as far as we know Tom Cruise never spent any time in a mental hospital receiving electric shock treatments (although, that would explain some things, wouldn't it?), but the point was made and it was hilarious!
To read thoughts on last night's Scrubs finale in the special Finale Blowout edition, click HERE.


Well, it was make or break time last night on American Idol, and all of the contestants had a little bit of both. Overall, I thought that Katharine and Taylor were the best last night. Elliot has an amazing voice and deserves the competition, but I think Katharine and Taylor are a touch better, so I'm picking them for my final 2. The Clive Davis songs went over like three lead balloons. Katharine's rendition of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" was so over sung that I half expected Christina Aguilera to come out and accompany her. This is what bugs about Katharine. She over sings the crap out of almost every song. The girl has a beautiful voice, but it sounds its best when she just sings the damn song! The judges' choices were much better. I actually really liked Elliot's "What You Won't Do for Love," and Katharine's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was brilliant because she didn't over sing it. I can't remember which song, but Taylor had Paula up and dancing and I figured nobody would be able to get her down after she got up there. I have to give a big shout-out to Simon for telling her that she was good for her age. So awesome! Taylor's version of "You Are So Beautiful" was just amazing. I think it was his best performance all season. Elliot singing Journey's "Open Arms" made me smile, and learning that Randy was once a part of Journey made me love him even more. You see, I have an unnatural love of all things Steve Perry and Journey. Laugh all you want, but their cheese-tastic love songs never fail to evoke some sort of impromptu singing session. I mean, you have the aforementioned "Open Arms," "Don't Stop Believin'," "Lights," "Lovin', Touchin' Squeezin'," "Faithfully" and countless other songs that you hear on all of those Romantic Moods CDs for 3 easy installments of $19.99. What's not to love? Anyway, the last round was a bust for me, except for Taylor, whose star shone brightest last night anyway. Who will make the final 2?

About Last Night...Fox won the first hour of the night with American Idol, followed by CBS' NCIS and the ABC special Celebrity Debut, which lagged considerably behind the other two. At 9, Fox stayed in front with House, followed by CBS' The Unit and the first hour of ABC's Boston Legal. NBC's back-to-back episodes of Scrubs landed in fourth. The final hour of the night went to NBC's Law & Order: SVU, followed by another episode of CBS' The Unit and the final hour of ABC's Boston Legal. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - CBS' The Amazing Race wraps up another edition with the final three teams racing to the finish line in the 2-hour finale. Over on UPN, it's the 6th cycle finale of America's Next Top Model and either Jade, Joanie or Danielle will walk away a winner. As usual, I've seen some advance clips, and the girls seem to struggle with their CoverGirl commercials and Jade feels herself getting closer and closer to winning the competition. ABC's Alias finds Sydney staying undercover and partnering with Sark to track down Rambaldi's final clue before Prophet Five finds it

@9 p.m. - We find out which two contestants are going to the final on Fox's American Idol 1-hour results show. Over on ABC, Michael convinces Jack and several castaways to help him rescue Walt from The Others on Lost (NOTE: Runs until 10:04 p.m.).

FINALES TONIGHT!!!
Bones (8 p.m. Fox) - 1st season finale
CSI: NY (10 p.m. CBS) - 2nd season finale
Invasion (10:04 p.m.) - 1st season/series finale
Law & Order (10 p.m. NBC) - 16th season finale

To see what else you can catch on television tonight with customized listings for your area (via Zap2it), visit the TV Listings area of PassTheRemote.net.


QUICK CUTS

*UPFRONTS UPDATE: E! Online's Kristin Veitch is reporting that The CW will pick up the following shows when it makes its official announcement tomorrow: Veronica Mars (already confirmed through creator Rob Thomas), One Tree Hill and Supernatural. TVGuide.com says that Gilmore Girls and Smallville will also make the cut, but both sources say that Everwood will not (BOO!). Elsewhere, MyNetwork (the network that will pick up the affiliates left abandoned by the UPN/WB merger) ordered 5 pilots yesterday. Click over to The Futon Critic to get a sneak peek.
To see CBS' fall schedule, click HERE.
To see ABC's fall schedule, click HERE.
To see NBC's fall schedule, click HERE.

*The second season of Joan of Arcadia is finally coming out on DVD. TVshowsondvd.com is reporting that the full season set will be out sometime in September. No other details have been released, but the important news is that the long wait is finally over for all of us Joan fans!

*The show might not be returning, but how about Commander in Chief the movie? ABC is in talks with the show's creator, Rod Lurie, to produce a 2-hour movie that would revisit the first female president. The network cancelled the show earlier this week, but ABC Chief Steve McPherson says that the movie could gauge whether there is any interest in moving forward with the show. For now, talks between ABC and Lurie are ongoing and are expected to last through the summer.

*And finally, it's Nielsen Wednesday! Once again, CBS won the week in total viewers and Fox took the 18-49 year old crown. The Eye network was led by CSI (#3), CSI: Miami (#7), Without a Trace (#8), the Survivor finale (#9) and the Thursday edition of Survivor (#10). American Idol (#1, #2), House (#4), Grey's Anatomy (#5) and Desperate Housewives (#6) rounded out the top 10. To see the list of the top 20 shows from last week, click on over to USA Today.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.


That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for 2 for 1 Thursday (which will more than likely be 4 0r 5 for 1 Thursday with all the upfronts news) with a special early edition with thoughts on tonight's Amazing Race conclusion and the regular edition with thoughts on the Top Model finale and the Idol moment. Plus, all the latest television news and breaking upfronts news from The CW and Fox!!

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: CBS Announces Schedule, Moves 'Trace,' 'Case' and 'Race'

It's the third day of the network upfronts, and that means it's CBS' turn to play the scheduling game. Since it's the number 1 network, you weren't expecting many changes, right? Wrong! Gone is the weekly CBS Sunday night movie, and in its place, shifted programs. Sunday nights will now feature The Amazing Race at 8, Cold Case at 9 (and pitted up against ABC's uber-successful Desperate Housewives) and Without a Trace at 10 p.m. That's right, CBS is moving Without a Trace to Sunday nights! How will this all shape up? We'll have to wait until September to know for sure. Here's a look at the network's new line-up:

MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLASS (N)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM THE UNIT
10:00-11:00 PM SMITH (N)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM JERICHO (N)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 PM SHARK (N)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GHOST WHISPERER
9:00-10:00 PM CLOSE TO HOME
10:00-11:00 PM NUMB3RS

SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS: MYSTERY

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE (NT)
9:00-10:00 PM COLD CASE (NT)
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE (NT)

For more on all of these new shows as well as the renewals, click on over to The Futon Critic. And be sure to tune in later today for thoughts on Law & Order: SVU and Idol. Plus, all the latest television news. Stay tuned to Pass the Remote all day for breaking upfronts news.

To see ABC's fall schedule, click HERE.
To see NBC's fall schedule, click HERE.

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

FINALE BLOWOUT: 'Scrubs' Leaves us in Stitches!

How awesome was this season of Scrubs??!! It was incredible and it was capped off with two back-to-back hilarious episodes last night. I was laughing so hard at some of the scenes that I had tears running down my face! What more can you ask for from the season finale of TV's funniest comedy (with all do respect to both My Name is Earl and Everybody Hates Chris, which are hilarious in their own rights)? Of course, those tears of laughter soon faded to tears of sadness because the realization set in that this was the last new episode until "some point next season" (read midseason). But, let's not dwell on the sadness because the good news is that the show is, indeed, coming back and that's more than I can say about other beloved shows (Everwood sniff, sniff). Plus, with so many laughs last night, it's hard to not walk around today with a smile on your face. We had Janitor stealing the teaching mannequin so he could use the HOV lane, wedding rings with the power to make women invisible, an awesome bonus in the opening credits that had urologist Kim (Elizabeth Banks) stopping the song and turning the X-Ray around because it was backwards and that always bothered her, yet another Dr. Acula appearance (and this time we caught some of the film!!), a soggy rug after Janitor mopped it, an overly emotional Carla, Greasers complete with the hair, car and lingo, a blackmailed Dr. Kelso, that catchy Mazda tune "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom," Kelso's "oddly youthful legs," more from Ted's a cappella group, JD's porch is now a hang out for old gay men, a "preggie teddy" (lingerie for pregnant woman), JD thinking he could ride bare back on his horseback riding on the beach date without getting injured to the tune of "Love Hurts," Elliot Reid: Moment Killer, an interesting conversation between Dr. Cox and a pencil, JD's scooter rally, a Neal Diamond concert that almost ruined JD's night off and the funniest scene of the night - Carla's baby shower. I was crying people, crying! I had to pause the show to regroup because I was laughing so hard at the baby shower. Everything from Dr. Cox and Jordan's speech about the "joys" of parenting to Elliot's baby games booth to all of the presents from Dr. Cox and Jordan to the morgue guys getting a little too close to the discussion about pregnant sex to Ted's group singing the "Chili's Baby Back Ribs" song because it's the only song they know with the word "baby" in it and absolutely everything in between had me laughing out loud. Best. Baby. Shower. EVER!! And definitely the funniest! All of this baby shower talk takes us to the two surprise pregnancies last night. First, Jordan and Dr. Cox are expecting their second child, which was made funnier when you combined the news with their behavior at the baby shower (see, it's all about the baby shower). Then, we got the shocking news that JD's girlfriend is also pregnant, but is the baby JD's? Tune in next January to find out for sure. Yeah despite my happiness over the show's return, I'm still going to be snarky about the delay until midseason. Anyway, here's a look (for the last time until January) at last night's best, funniest and all around awesome lines in this super-sized edition of the Scrubies...

The Scrubies!!!
(see I told you it was super-sized)

"Perry got uppity with me for and I quote, 'spending $20,000 we don't have on shoes,' so I figured I'd get back at him by treating everyone to drinks tonight." Jordan to Elliot and Carla, but the best part of this line was the look on Elliot's face when Jordan said that she spent $20,000 on shoes

"I don't know. Maybe I was surfing the hospital's web site and I saw that someone posted the Dr. Acula-delivers-the-baby-then-eats-it scene. Someone with the screen name 'Rotinaj.' Rotinaj is just Janitor spelled backwards, Rotinaj!" JD to Janitor after accusing him of stealing his video camera with all his scenes from his "Dr. Acula" screen play
"Morning Dr. Rotinaj." Janitor to a Dr. Rotinaj who walks up

"What? I'm pregnant, I'm crying, I'm laughing. Enough already! It's boring." Jordan to Elliot after shoving an overly emotional and pregnant Carla out of the way

"Apparently that musical he was producing was a front for a Crystal Meth lab. And here's the kicker, he fled to Toronto, so now the freakin' Mounties are involved! Anywho..." Dr. Kelso to all the "name tags" regarding his son

Kelso: "Do you know the difference between me and you, Dorian?"
JD: "Your melon-sized prostate?"

JD: "She thought it would be better if I treated him medically."
Cox: "First of all newbie, no one's ever thought that."

"I'm going to kill somebody." Laverne after Elliot thought that she had been married for 60 years and Dr. Cox thought she had been at the hospital for 40 years

"Newbie, that's not the answer you wanted to hear, but as always, I. Don't. Care." Dr. Cox to JD

"There's two of them doing it on the 'F' key! I could be wrong, but I think they're both girls!" The Todd regarding the ants that took up residence on Carla's keyboard

"Now that's not to say that I haven't enjoyed the last three years of waking up to a fresh brown trout in your Huggies." Dr. Cox to his son Jack after Jack successfully used the toilet and became partially potty trained

"It's veal piccata night at Sbarro's!" JD to Elliot after she ruined his mall foot court date idea

JD (thinking of date ideas for Kim): "What do you think about a romantic horseback ride on the beach?"
Turk: "Like you and I did on your birthday."
JD: "Yeah, but this time two horses."

"I tried turning my hose on them, but they liked it." JD to Turk regarding the old gay men that took over his porch

"Hey Bob-O, you want to weigh in on pregnancy sex?" Dr. Cox
"It's a freak show!" Dr. Kelso

"How do you think they're going to react to an intruder?" Dr. Cox to Turk
"The baby can't grab me down there. (To Carla) The baby can't grab me down there, right?" Turk

"Actually, it's his third mobile. The other two are deeply imbedded in the dry wall. They can be quite frustrating to assemble." Dr. Cox

Well there you have it - the last edition of the Scrubies of the season. But don't worry because when Scrubs returns next season, so too will the Scrubies. If you have a line that you would like to nominate for a Scrubie, be sure to leave me a comment and I'll publish it in a future edition. You can also help Turk and Carla name their baby, click over to nbc.com for all the details.

Don't forget that the third season of Scrubs is now available on DVD!! Pick up your copy today!


That's all for this special Finale Blowout edition of Pass the Remote. To read more finale blowout editions of Pass the Remote, click on over to The Best of Pass the Remote at PassTheRemote.net. Next up, Cold Case. Also, this isn't the last of my Scrubs discussions for the season. I have some surprises in store for this summer, so stay tuned to Pass the Remote for plenty of Scrubs summer coverage! And be sure to tune in later today for the regular edition with thoughts on the season finale of Law & Order: SVU (complete with an awesome crazy-celebrity inference) and last night's American Idol performances! Don't forget to check Pass the Remote all day for breaking scheduling news from CBS and the new MyNetwork!

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

'Everwood' Wants you to Enjoy the Ride and 'Veronica' Looks to the Skies! Plus More from Upfronts and 'Lost'

I gave Amy the lead picture today because I am just so darn happy that she's back to being the Amy that I love and root for each week. That's not to say that I ever abandoned her because, as you all know, I was defending her all season even through the annoying "I'm so much more open minded because I go to college" phase (and here's to hoping it was just a phase). Like Ephram, I could never give up on Amy. She's a complicated character that I have watched grow and mature through the show's four seasons, so having her back makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She has been much less self- absorbed these last few weeks and focused more on Hannah, Bright, Reid and Ephram. I still maintain that girls at Amy's age are self-absorbed, so it didn't bother me as much as others because it made her more real and relatable. Amy was especially helpful last night, and it came when she least expected it. Sure she convinced Hannah to join her and Bright in welcoming Reid home from the hospital and she went on a pity date with Reid because she was afraid to say no in his fragile state, but the real Amy help came when she was the only one who could honestly relate to what Reid was going through after almost getting to the same place when Collin died. I think hearing that putting up a brave front does nothing to help you through hard times allowed Reid to really get the help that he needs. Like he said, he has to get to the root of his problems and work through them before he can move on and figure out the rest of his life. Not that I thought Reid was in it for the long haul, but I was surprised that he left the show to move back to Denver. I'm just glad that the writers didn't pair him up with Amy before he left.


In other Everwood happenings, Delia did a complete reversal and became a likeable character again. When she told Andy that she uninvited Talia because Talia told her to uninvite Brittany, I was so proud! I was absolutely beaming like a proud parent when she added that she would rather have fewer friends that she likes than a bunch that she doesn't. And then she went and capped it off with her assertion that she's glad that she hung around with Talia because it allowed her to see the type of person that she doesn't want to be. Our little Delia is growing up so fast, which is why I was psyched when the hat made its return. She's growing up, but she's still the same Delia. This show has always done a nice job of portraying that inner struggle between being a kid and growing up and maturing into an adult. We've seen it with Ephram, Amy and Bright and now it's Delia's turn. Elsewhere, Harold was grappling with the realization that he and Rose took each other for granted while they had the opportunity to be together because they were so focused on the adoption. The situation was made more poignant with the un-used nursery serving as the background. To top it off, one of his patients learned that he was dying and his schizophrenic wife just gave birth to their first child. The episode ended with Nina stewing over the possibility of moving to California with Jake. I can't imagine Nina leaving the only town that she has ever known, especially with her restaurant doing so well, but then again, I can't see her holding Jake back as well. It will be interesting to see what she decides. I have to admit to all of you that I write this collection of thoughts today with a heavy hand because I learned this morning that this may be one of the last weekly entries on Everwood. It seems that things are not looking good for another season. Here's the news courtesy of TVGuide.com's Mike Ausiello, who is at the network upfronts this week:

Just returned from NBC's upfront festivities and before I get to the highlights, let me get to a major lowlight: I heard from two separate sources this afternoon that Everwood is, in fact, dead. I'm choosing not to believe it until I hear something official on Thursday, but I thought you should all be prepared for the worst.

So, preparing for the worst is what we'll have to do for now. Honestly, I expected this to happen, but I am not ready to accept it. It's made harder by the fact that if things hadn't changed, the WB would have definitely renewed this show. The only guidance I can offer at this time is to follow the prophetic words of last night's episode title and "Enjoy the Ride" while we still can.

Shifting gears a bit because I hate to end on such a sour note. It's amazing what fans can band together and accomplish for their favorite shows. One of Pass the Remote's favorites, Veronica Mars, is an example of just that. I've been telling you about the "Look to the Skies" campaign, and how fans successfully hired a plane with a banner bearing the message "RENEW VERONICA MARS! CW 2006!" that flew over rush hour traffic from the L.A. UPN offices to the new CW offices in Burbank last Tuesday. Check out this picture from the amazing effort courtesy of Warner Bros. photographer Mitch Haddad and the Look to the Skies group over at Live Journal:

Even star Kristen Bell commented on the campaign to E! Online's Korbi (who's filling in for Kristin Veitch while she covers the network upfronts). Here's what she had to say about the event:

I heard that a whole group of fans rented an airplane that had a ‘Bring Back Veronica Mars sign on it’ and they flew it over The CW. That’s so funny! That’s our fans. That’s why we love ‘em! ‘Cause they’re crazy! ‘Cause they think! Whose show does that?! Our show! We have the best fans in the world.

Incidentally, that entire interview with Bell is awesome!! She discusses what was going through her head during that rooftop scene in the finale, she drops some hints about next season and she just blankets her fellow cast and crew with wonderful compliments. She's a true class act, and the interview showcases that well. Anyway, this show has to be awesome when the fans are this passionate about it, right? So maybe (hopefully) you're thinking to yourself, I'd love to join in on the Veronica love, but I've missed the first two seasons. No problem! The fans have thought of this as well. You can always rent the season 1 DVDs from Netflix, or if you don't want to shell out the bucks, check your local library. Fans raised over $5,000, and a good portion of it went to purchasing copies of the first season DVDs and then donating them to local libraries. A free copy might be waiting for you to pick up now at your library! You can also start watching the second season episodes TONIGHT on UPN with the 2nd season premiere. Click HERE to watch the opening scene. Don't forget that the 2nd season DVD set hits shelves on August 22nd! And once you're hooked, tune in this fall when the show returns for its third season.

About Last Night...Programming was delayed last night due to the President's address to the nation, so the following results are for after the conclusion of the speech. The first hour of the night went to NBC's Deal or No Deal, followed by ABC's Grey's Anatomy repeat and Fox's Prison Break finale. At 9, ABC took over with the first hour of the Grey's Anatomy finale, followed by more Deal or No Deal on NBC and Fox's Prison Break/24 combination. The WB's Everwood landed in last place behind UPN's comedy finales. The final hour of the night went to the final hour of ABC's Grey's Anatomy finale, followed by CBS' Old Christine/CSI: Miami combination and NBC's The Apprentice. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - The final 3 contestants perform 3 songs tonight on Fox's American Idol: one they choose, one the judges choose and one record executive Clive Davis chooses.

@9 p.m. - A 16-year-old female Hurricane Katrina victim suffering from hallucinations about the tragedy is brought in on Fox's House.

FEATURED FINALES TONIGHT!!!
Scrubs (9 p.m. NBC) - Two back to back episodes serve as our last new Scrubs until "some point next season." In the first, J.D. challenges a urologist's (guest star Elizabeth Banks) assessment on a consult for a patient who might need a risky surgical procedure. And in the second, smitten J.D. tries to plan a perfect date with Dr. Briggs (guest star Elizabeth Banks) on their night off, but Elliot gets in the way on the 5th season finale.

Boston Legal (9 p.m. ABC) - The 2-hour 2nd season finale finds Denny Crane and Alan Shore traveling to the Los Angeles offices of Crane, Poole & Schmidt.

Law & Order: SVU (10 p.m. NBC) - An unstable young woman (guest star Brittany Snow) loses her virginity, goes off her prescribed medication, gets behind the wheel of a car, and mows down 10 people in the 7th season finale.

OTHER FINALES TONIGHT!!!
NCIS (8 p.m. CBS) - 3rd season finale
The Unit (9 p.m. CBS) - 2-hour 1st season finale

To see what else you can catch on television tonight with customized listings for your area (via Zap2it), visit the TV Listings area of PassTheRemote.net.


QUICK CUTS

*UPFRONTS UPDATE: CBS is wasting no time announcing what will stay and what won't next season. The Eye network announced back in March that it was renewing 14 of its shows, but now it went ahead and picked up Close to Home, The New Adventures of Old Christine and The King of Queens (for a 13-episode midseason entry). Renewal is said to be pending on The Unit as well. To see today's schedule announcement from ABC, click HERE.

*And finally, ABC is promising less interruptions next season for its hit show Lost. The network plans to run two blocks of new episodes, one in the fall and one in the spring, which will help keep the flow of the story lines. In between the two blocks, ABC will premiere the new show Day Break. Lost airs its second season finale next week and it will return this fall in its current Wednesday night slot.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.


That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a special early edition of Pass the Remote with a Scrubs finale blowout complete with a super-sized edition of the Scrubies! And then come back for the regular edition with thoughts on tonight's Law & Order: SVU finale and the final three on American Idol. Plus, all the latest television news and breaking scheduling news from CBS and MyNetwork!

To get more television coverage, including a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote and a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: 'Veronica' Renewed, 'Everwood' Most likely Not

From TVGuide.com's Mike Ausiello:

It's Official: Veronica Mars Renewed, Everwood Dead
Straight from the horse's mouth, Rob Thomas just e-mailed me to confirm that Veronica Mars has been renewed for a third season. The show got a 22-episode order that, depending on ratings, can be reduced to 13. Very reliable sources, meanwhile, are also telling me that One Tree Hill will be back and Everwood is, in fact, dead. Talk about injustice.

Talk about your bittersweet news! I'm so excited about the full season pick up for VM, and so crushed about Everwood's cancellation. And a big Boo! to One Tree Hill's possible renewal!