Bones - The X in the File, S05E11

Every once in a while, a crime show where the victim and murder might be alien is a great thing. And trust Bones to carry it off with just the right amount of goofiness. But that's not what made this episode very interesting for me.

When Booth (David Boreanaz) and Brennan (Emily Deschanel) are called to investigate what may be an alien body in the desert, I knew we were in for a treat, and within a few minutes of being on the crime scene, a cell phone began to ring. The ring tone? The theme music from the X files. What a perfect start.

I also laughed myself silly when the body sat up while entering the MRI machine, and Brennan screamed while Booth pulled his gun. Luckily he didn't get a shot off because the magnetism of the machine pulled his gun away. "I won't tell anyone about the scream if you won't tell anyone about the gun," said Booth. "Those terms seems satisfactory," returned Brennan.

Of course, it was also magnetism that made the body rise, but it was still a beautiful effect.

In the end, despite the alien possibilities, the murder was about money - a video tape showing toxic liquids being dumped in the desert and the bribe money to make the tape go away. Perhaps it would have been a happier story if aliens had been involved, but we have enough murderers on Earth as it is - we don't need help from outsiders.

However, as I mentioned above, while the murder investigation did have my full attention, I could not help but care more about the love triangle of Wendell (Michael Terry), Angela (Michaela Conlin), and Hodgins (TJ Thyne). Yes, Wendell and Angela are cute together, but it's a mixture of puppy dog love and lust. When Angela and Hodgins went on their first date, a long time ago now, and they had such a perfect time of it, and Hodgins knew that what he felt for her was true and pure...When he and Brennan thought they were going to die, buried in that car, and he just had to admit how much he was in love with her. No, that sort of affection does not die. And while Jack in a honourable man, allowing his dear friends to be happy and doing his best to hide how awful it all is for him... Well I still want them back together...and have more feelings about it that about Booth and Brennan whom custom dictates will in fact end up together eventually.

So the question is, are Hodgins and Angela actually officially over, and were the writers trying to tell us that this is the new course of action, so get used to it, OR was this the massive hint that as Hodgins still has feelings for Angela, perhaps Angela too still has feelings for him, and we can still get what we want, though poor Wendell will be crushed in the end?

What do you think?

The Good Wife - Painkillers, S01E12

I feel like a change is coming for The Good Wife, like in Mary Poppins, when the wind turned, and suddenly everything was different, and yet still the same.

And I'm not worried that this change is going to be detrimental to my enjoyment of the show, but rather that is means we are now going to have events occurring that cannot be undone.

Since the series began, there has been an excellent balance between Alicia (Julianna Margulies)'s home life and her work life. And these lines have not yet begun to blur, despite the possibility that Will (Josh Charles) has feelings for Alicia. Quite impressively, the two worlds have not intersected any more than they would in reality.

The focus of her home life, however, is coming into view. While it started with the hazy idea that her home life was upset by her husband's affair and arrest, now that aspect of her personal life is taking over. Even the issues with Zach (Graham Phillips) and his girlfriend, Becca (Dreama Walker), revolves around Peter (Chris Noth). And a choice has to be made - will Peter be freed? If he is, how will that change things? If he is not, how will that change things?

Most importantly, who's side is Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) on? Will she help Peter, or is her intention to roll on him?

Chuck - Chuck vs the Angel de la Muerte, S03E03

Season 3 of Chuck just started, but we are already 3 episodes in, and things are getting very exciting, though there is already some evidence of the cuts in cost that had to be made for the show to get renewed.

Last season, there were only a few episodes in which certain characters/actors did not appear. Maybe one without Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) and Devon (Ryan McPartlin), and one or two without some of the Buy More staff. In 3 episodes, Big Mike missed the first (Mark Christopher Lawrence), Ellie and Devon the second, and none of the Buy More staff, not even Morgan (Joshua Gomez) appeared in the third.

Strangely though, it was not a problem. They still exist in the world, and we are not afraid that we will not see them again, but when an episode's focus is purely on spy stuff for our leads, then we don't have a secondary plot for the Buy More as was customary before.

Still, this episode, where Devon got a real taste of the spy world, was awesome. Yes, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Chuck (Zachary Levi) are still far from where they were before, both still in love with each other and both claiming that all that exists in friendship, but that is also part of Chuck embracing his spy nature.

There has been a great shift in Chuck's attitude from last season. While he is still the Everyman, making small mistakes and being somewhat awkward, at least he's got the attitude down right. He knows what his job is, and, in this episode at least, he was not so busy being a real boy that he forgot how to be a spy.

And yet the laughs are still there, both at the delight of how happy and shocked Chuck is whenever the intersect works and allows him to accomplish something, and in the timely comments of the heroes.

And we have a delightful cliffhanger. Is Devon dead? What happened to him? Was he kidnapped? Will they get him back? What do you think?

Fringe will have to wait

Though the mid season return of Fringe is slated to air on Thursday, I will not be watching it.

It's not that I have entirely lost all interest in the show, it's just that I stopped watching this season after episode 6, and despite having heard that the show has gotten back on the wagon and is good again, the effort of catching up on the last 4 episodes before Thursday is simply not interesting to me.

I used to look forward to Fringe every week, and lament when I did not catch it on the air and had to watch it later. But this season...maybe it was the pointless death of Charlie Francis (Kirk Acevedo), which served no purpose, either artistically or plot-development wise that I could discern. Perhaps it was the lack of Walter(John Noble)'s delightful insanity, which did not receive the proper time and attention in favour of plot lines that were not nearly as interesting as in Season 1 and did not seem to be getting us anywhere.

It may even be that Olivia (Anna Torv) is no longer feeling the pain of John (Mark Valley)'s death, and that there are no other interesting romantic relationships in sight.

Something is missing, and when I don't have so many other shows to watch - Chuck, Castle, Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, The Good Wife, The Mentalist, etc. etc. - Fringe will be watched and commented on. But compared to the other shows currently on air...my time is precious, and I already spend so much of it watching television. It can wait, and will have to wait, until more of my time is freed up.

Am I making a big mistake?

Castle - A Rose for Everafter, S02E12

There was a lot of hype about this episode, and the impact that Alyssa Milano would have on the show - both as a very famous guest star and as Kyra, Castle (Nathan Fillion)'s ex. And while hype will often overshadow the end result, I was far from disappointed by this episode, even if in the end, the killer wasn't very interesting.

The episode began with Castle being taped into a chair by Alexis (Molly C. Quinn). Why, you ask? Because Nikki Heat was going to be taped into a chair in his next book, and he wanted the scene to be authentic. Watching Nathan Fillion bounce around a room in a chair, and the delightful little quirk of his eyebrow when he figured out how to escape...can anything be better? Actually, the rest of the episode matched that level of awesomeness.

We had great moments to laugh - like when Beckett (Stana Katic) accused Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Esposito (Jon Huertas) if they braided each other's hair and debated who the cutest Jonas brother is when no one else was around. And the cherry? That they already agreed that it was Mike. At least, I seem to recall them saying Mike...is Mike even a Jonas brother? Not the point! Ryan and Esposito may not get huge plot focus but Dever and Huertas make each of their lines and actions count without taking away from Castle and Beckett.

And there is really the focus of the episode. Yes, Milano and Fillion had great chemistry, easily evoking passion of long ago that still remains, but the development was really a vehicle for Beckett and Castle's relationship. For once, Beckett sees Castle feeling true feelings for someone, to the point that he is vulnerable. She told one heck of a beautiful story when she pointed out that Kyra might in fact be the murderer and the fact that Castle could not even see it proved that he was far too close to the case.

And in the end, when Kyra left Castle to go marry her fiance, asking why of all the crime scenes at all the weddings in the world, he walked into hers, you knew that she was going to be with the right person, and you couldn't help but hope that Beckett, finally, was able to see that there was some possibility of Castle having the right kind of affection for her.

But what did you think?

Chuck - Chuck vs the Three Words, S03E02

Chuck premiered with back to back episodes on Sunday night, plus had another new episode air in its regular time slot on Mondays. After such a long break, it is so great to be able to enjoy multiple episodes of one of my favourite shows.

In this episode, Chuck (Zachary Levi) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) continued to clash because of the romantic feelings they have for each other. For a spy to love is a liability, and Sarah, much more professional about it than Chuck, really does try to bury that emotion. Still, we are only in Season 3 and the will they/won't they tension can play out for some time yet without being a problem for me.

I can still enjoy Morgan (Joshua Gomez) as he tries to get the attention of Carina (Mini Anden), Sarah's hot spy friend whom he was previously interested in. Yes, it's not exactly original to have her end up in bed with him after he said no to her, but it was worth it. His entire speech rejecting her, which concluded with him taking a drink of the punch she spiked and passing out, was pure Morgan and very hard to resist.

Again, my favourite moments of the show were those of John Casey (Adam Baldwin). From refusing to pretend to be Carina's father, claiming he is not old enough for it, to being her dorky uncle Johnny, and finally to being the angry neighbour who pulled out the garden hose to get rid of unwanted party guests, the writers are really using the character to full effect this season, and Baldwin is portraying Casey with the same enjoyment as he has always had.

As I mentioned in my post on the first episode of this season, posted one hour ago, the plot lines are not really what drive the show. You show up every week to see what trouble the characters get into and how they overcome it, and to laugh and smile at the absurdity of it. Or am I wrong? Why do you watch Chuck?

Chuck - Chuck vs the Pink Slip, S03E01

Chuck is back, baby!! Despite the real threat of cancellation last year, Chuck got renewed for a third season. I just hope viewership increases to guarantee a fourth, etc.

When last season ended, Chuck (Zachary Levi) had just downloaded a new intersect into his brain, one that allowed him to learn kung fu. In Chuck vs the Pink Slip, we learned that regardless of how many awesome new abilities he can now access - kung fu, guitar playing, boxing, etc - he still has no control over his ability to flash and access the skills.

This episode, the first of three starting off the season, was really designed to restore the status quo. Because of the fear of cancellation last year, changes occurred that needed to be undone so that our heroes could continue to function in about the same way they did in years past.

Chuck, Casey (Adam Baldwin), and Morgan (Joshua Gomez) are all now working at the Buy More again, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Chuck are back to hiding their feelings from each other, and the team is back to working together in the Castle under neath the Orange Orange yogurt shop.

In many ways, Chuck still has the stand alone formula, where no major changes will occur except in season finales or the like. The premise of every episode is about the same - Chuck, Sarah, and Casey must save the world with their spy skills while keeping their spying a secret, and our friends at the Buy More get themselves into some kind of trouble, which may or may not overlap with the spy plot.

In this episode, the highlight was truly Casey flying in to rescue Sarah and Chuck, firing his large gun and delighting in every moment of it. Oh, have I missed this show. Did you miss it two? Check back in an hour for the review of So3E02!

Bones - The Goop on the Girl, S05E10

Bones gave us a Christmas episode again this year, and though Santa Claus was involved, it was not as exciting as the year when Booth (David Boreanaz) and Brennan (Emily Deschanel) kissed under the mistletoe.

We had a special guest star - Zooey Deschanel, Emily Deschanel's sister. In the episode, she played Brennan's cousin, and everyone got to joke about how they looked so similar they could be sisters. Unfortunately, though cousin Margaret could be amusing with her dry quoting of Benjamin Franklin, and though it did reveal that Temperance is not so very different from her family, the only purpose for having her on the show was to get a guest spot from Zooey Deschanel. Which is too bad -they could have done much more with it.

And, despite getting to delight in watching Brennan strip Booth down to his boxers because his clothes were covered in evidence, as a Christmas episode it ended up being quite sad. A young man was blown up and his mother had to bury him on Christmas, alone. There is something very strange about being sent off to the holidays by a cast of crime solving characters, who have made me laugh so hard that I've cried, with a funeral.

And as we return this Thursday, we wonder if Booth and Brennan will finally get together, and more importantly if Hodgins (T J Thyne) and Angela (Michaela Conlin) will get back together.

Castle - The Fifth Bullet, S02E11

Another finale before the Christmas break that was like any other episode. Still, an excellent episode, both comical and playing with the heart strings.

When a gallery owner is murdered, only 4 of 5 bullets fired are on scene. The fifth turns up in a copy of Crime and Punishment, in the pocket of an amnesiac.

Jay, or Jeremy when he finally found out his name (played by Marc Blucas*), was a witness to the murder, but cannot remember the events. Soon, his ex-wife shows up to help him, and though he can't remember her, and she can remember their divorce, there is still a deep connection between the two of him. Jeremy is sweet, self-deprecating, and smart - he is so likable that a crazy lady came in off the street to try to claim him as her husband since he could not remember otherwise.

Liking Jeremy just made it so painful when a gun turned up in his apartment, and all evidence indicated that he had murdered the gallery owner and been shot at in the struggle. And Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic) were pained by the discovery because not only was it harsh that such a likable fellow was a murderer, but he could not remember why he did it in the first place.

I have always feared amnesia, though as long as one is able to form new memories, even if you start your life over at 50, is better than the kind where you only truly understand what's going on for about an hour. Still, to start that new life with a jail sentence based on something you did before you forgot would simply be horrible.

In the end, of course, he turned out to be innocent. And so, while emotional, we did end on a high note. The humour throughout the episode was also a terrific balance. At the start, Castle threatens to get himself a dog named Sherlock to help them investigate, and points out to the disapproving Beckett that she is clearly his work wife. Martha (Susan Sullivan) had it right at the end of the episode when she told Castle to kiss Beckett before they were old.

And tonight, you can catch the first episode of the second half of season 2, guest starring Alyssa Milano. Are you excited?

The Mentalist - Throwing Fire, S02E10

As a nice send off before the hiatus, The Mentalist gave us an episode that not only had the delight of Jane (Simon Baker) being slightly out of sorts, but also flashbacks to his childhood and his relationship with his father.

When a baseball trainer is killed, by several blows to the head with a baseball bat, our CBI team is called to investigate. Jane gets whacked in the head by a fly ball, passes out, and starts remembering his father and the moment he chose former path in life.

The episode focused on father-son relationships, with a focus on the pressure fathers put on their children to succeed and what disastrous consequences that come later.

Naturally, of all the baseball players' fathers who were trying to get their sons scouted, the one with the best relationship with his son turned out to be the killer.

The lesson? Make your own choices because in the long run you will be responsible for them. And Jane really felt that was an important lesson.

In his flashbacks, we learn about how his father trained him to be a psychic for the circus. We see him delighting in bringing happiness to a woman when he knew something about her life, but regretting the con when he was supposed to be able to save a little girl's life, something he knew he could never do.

The moment when he decided to go through with that con was the moment when he sealed his own fate, putting him on the path that led to the death of his wife and child. I have to wonder if Patrick Jane has ever actually thought of that. He probably blames many things on his father, and on himself, but in some ways I think he might be too selfish to share that blame with anyone else.

As for the rest of the team, Lisbon (Robin Tunney) didn't get enough attention, though she did get a few zingers in at Jane's expense, Cho (Tim Kang) got the chase down an escaping witness, and Grace (Amanda Righetti) and Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) had several sweet moments at work, but proved that they could remain focused in a crisis.

Now, I just wonder if we will pick up the season with a Red John episode, or whether episode 8 is all we are getting for a while.

The Mentalist - A Price Above Rubies, S02E09

This episode of the Mentalist took on a more serious tone than usual, with only a few moments of amusing delight. Strange how serious an episode where the murder victim had no opportunity for sympathy can be.

In A Price Above Rubies, a wealthy young man robs his own jewelry store and commits murder to cover his trail. It did not take long for our CBI agents and Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) into making the foolish man confess his crime, and the path that led to his arrest lacked the typical zeal of the show.

When Jane and Lisbon (Robin Tunney) went to the rehab clinic to determine a connection between two of the suspects, we got our splash of the affection between the two as Jane pretended to be a concerned husband, and Lisbon, the supposed alcoholic wife, verged on wanting to kill him, as well as being amused.

We also go a little Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) moment at the end of the episode, when a diamond turned up in her pocket and Jane told her that Rigsby put it there. But it was not enough to make for the tension the two had shown earlier when, while pursuing a lead, Grace asked Wayne if it would always be so secretive between them. The pair has barely been together for two episodes and there is already tension because it would be problematic to go public? Plus the fact that it's being brought up while they are on duty just proved the CBI right for their concern about relationships between their agents. And wouldn't you think it was Rigsby who would want more from the relationship? After all, until they got in bed together, Grace was the one being sensible about it.

And we have not been getting enough of Cho (Tim Kang).

Then again, every show needs to have weaker episodes so that we have a chance to better appreciate the solid ones.