Bones - The Boy with the Answer, S05E21

With only 1 more episode of season 5 of Bones, and with my unimpressed response to this penultimate episode of the season, despite it being a good episode, I am fairly certain Bones will not be a priority show for me in the Fall. It's sad, but it's true, and this episode is a good example why.

When we watched the first Gravedigger episode, I was on the edge of my seat. It didn't matter that the likelihood of two main characters being killed off was very low, the process of saving them, the tasks they had to accomplish to prolong the time they had left to live, and the desperate admission of Hodgins (T. J. Thyne) that he loved Angela (Michaela Conlin) combined to create a beautiful, stressful, and terrific episode.

The follow up, so long awaited, was disappointing in comparison, and this final round was even more so. Why, if Bones (Emily Deschannel) has been having nightmares about it have we heard nothing about the case since last season? Why hadn't we known the case was coming before the episode happened? There was no build up, no tension, no concern about the outcome of the case until the episode started. And there just wanted enough time to really care.

Then, we have Brennan's out of the blue concern that her new ability to identify with other people's emotions may have compromised her logic and judgement. Seriously? She has tried so hard to learn to be empathetic and now, because of one case, suddenly she doesn't want to help save lives anymore? This one case, because it is personal for her, will tip the balance for the dozens of murders she has helped solve, making her not want to be in the business because she's not good enough? Where's the next closest person with her skills - Montreal! It's not like her ability to figure out the truth, even clouded slightly, isn't still 100x better than anyone else's.

And did we seriously ever doubt that the grave digger would go to jail? Nope, because Bones isn't fun like that anymore. No serial killer, no repeat offenders, no seasonal big bads. So why should I care about the next case? I know they are going to solve it. And now that Hodgins and Angela are married, I really have nothing to hold out for.

I doubt the season finale will change my mind. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

The Mentalist - Red Letter, S02E22

Compared to many of the episodes of this season, I was actually quite satisfied with this one. Not only was there a character who was smart enough, capable enough to give Jane (Simon Baker) a run for his money, but the CBI team actually accomplished something without his help. Amazing. Now if only they would give that CBI a little more screen time, the show might get back into my good books.

Murder, politics, human trafficking, prostitution - this episode certainly brought out the dregs of society. And to make Jane's job all the more difficult, psychic Kristina Frye (Leslie Hope) has appeared again. While she and Jane both make similar observations, him from observing, her from the interpretation of the messages of the dead, it was not possible to discern who was playing whom. Which I loved. I loved that they were in the elevator, and neither could actually figure out who had convinced the other to do what the first had wanted because both wanted the same thing.

Also, I loved that without Jane's help, Cho (Tim Kang), Rigsby (Owain Yeoman), and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) were able to break a ring of human traffickers. Not only is that a fantastic accomplishment, but for once I felt as if the team could actually solve something without Jane and his convoluted plans.

I hope Kristina is back. Not only is she enjoyable, but she makes a good foil for Jane. She is a believer, while he is cynical, and yet both are very intelligent. She is not an easy target for Jane, unlike every single other character we've met...except Red John, whom we have not actually met...so...um.

Anyway, next episode is the season finale. I hope it involves Red John, I hope it involves all the characters of the show, not just Jane, and I hope it is awesome enough that The Mentalist keeps a spot on my list of shows.

Stargate Universe - Pain, S01E17

Although I would have named this episode Fear rather than Pain, this episode is just further proof that the writers of the series have figured out how to bring the show back to the quality expected from the Stargate franchise.

This episode played with the emotions, the relationships, and the kinds of things that had me dubbing this Stargate Melrose Place earlier in the season, but instead of addressing them in that kind of manner, they used science fiction themes instead.

Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith) didn't go back to Earth to talk to his ex and discover he had a son, something mostly irrelevant to the plot. Instead, knowing about that son, he saw him running around the ship. Scott realized he was hallucinating, was able to then volunteer to have the tick causing it to be removed, and risk death. We understood his pain regarding his son without simply being told about it (until the end, when everyone summed up their fears).

It was also a brilliant way to show that James (Julia Benson) is still holding a torch for Scott, and that it is far more serious a thing than we knew before. So much so that her anger caused her to kill him. Luckily, she only struck her hallucination.

This is what I wanted for SGU. Again, a little bit more humour would be nice, but in the main they are now giving us the slightly darker, more emotional stargate that we were promised.

Miami Medical - Man on the Road, S01E07

Despite Miami Medical being cancelled, it will get a second season. Confused? Well, 13 episodes were filmed. 8 of those will consist of the first season, concluding on May 21. The final 5 will be aired as a second season, between June 4 and July 2. So we get 13 episodes in total, but 2 seasons, and no more than that because it was cancelled.

I'm actually quite disappointed that it was cancelled. It was definitely the best new medical drama to be aired this season. Then again, Mercy, Trauma, and Three Rivers were also cancelled, so calling it the best can be accurate without earning it a renewal.

This episode was yet another example of good television, focusing mainly on the medical ethics to be considered in the case of a DNR wish.

When a motorcycle accident victim is brought into the OR, Dr. Proctor (Jeremy Northam) opens his shirt to discover the words DO NOT RESUSCITATE tattooed to his chest. The man in only semi-lucid, and confused as to his age and his whereabouts.

It turns out that the DNR was a true reflection of the man's wishes - he had early onset Alzheimer's and so no point in extending his deteriorating life by the means of artificial ventilation and the like.

So don't forget to watch the Season 1 finale, as well as all of Season 2.

Supernatural - Swan Song, S05E22 - Season Finale

This episode was originally supposed to be the series finale, rather than simply a season finale. While I am glad that Supernatural will be around for another season, even if my fantasies about marrying either of the lead actors are no longer possible as Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are both now married, I would have been satisfied if the series had ended here...with a few minor changes.

I loved that, for once, the episode had narration. Chuck (Rob Benedict), the prophet, was the perfect voice to tell the story of the two boys. And that his narrative revolved around the impala, which was essentially the third main character, present with Sam (Padalecki) and Dean (Ackles) in every episode, was moving. We saw the flashbacks to previous episodes, previous season, we remembered all the $#!^ those boys went through to end up here, and we were glad to have been a part of it all.

When Sam gave his body to Lucifer, and all hope seemed lost, Dean did not give up hope. He did what he had to do to find his brother, to try and save the world. He was resigned to his own death, if it meant that Sam's sacrifice might not be in vain. And so, after watching Castiel (Misha Collins) get exploded by Lucifer for having used a Holy Oil Molotov Cocktail on Michael (Jake Abel) and Bobby (Jim Beaver) getting his neck broken, Dean took Lucifer's anger, only caring about getting through to Sammy.

Because of Dean, because of the Impala, because of everything that had happened over the last 5 seasons, Sam beat the Devil. He took back his body, opened the portal to Hell, and dove in, dragging Michael with him. And Dean, cured by a resurrected Cas, married the girl of his dreams and lived happily ever after...or something like that.

And had that been the ending of the series, I would have liked it. Yes, it would have been depressing as Hell, but a far more fitting end to the series than having everyone live happily ever after.

Instead, Bobby was resurrected too (which I would not have wanted if the series was ending. Body count, people. It was the end of the world; a body count is necessary). And, although Dean did go through with his promise, Sam somehow is back in the world of men.

I can't really predict how next season is going to go. All I can say is that I really hope that it does not make me wish that it had, in fact, ended this season with Dean getting the girl and Sam being in Hell.

Vampire Diaries - Founder's Day, S01E22 - Season Finale

This is the way seasons should end. There was drama, there was bloodshed, there was an epic massacre, and there remain a great number of unknowns going into next season which make me SO angry that September is so far away. Of course, I then think about the warm summer temperatures and realize I will survive, but, still, I hate the wait.

We knew a massacre was coming. The vampires had been planning to decimate Mystic Falls, the humans had been planning to stop them and kill them in return. It turned out that Bonnie (Katerina Graham)'s decision not to deactivate the anti-vampire device actually saved the town. Lucky for her - Elena (Nina Dobrev) couldn't be too upset about it.

Still, despite knowing it was coming, I had no idea how it was going to go down and who would end up dead by the end. Despite my love of body counts, there weren't any characters I actually wanted to see gone. Villainous or kindly, they are all awesome and interesting.

When the device worked, and the vampires were dragged to the basement of an old shop, I was concerned to see Damon (Ian Somerhalder) being captured by John (David Anders), but far more upset to see Anna (Malese Jow) pulled from Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen). He knew they were going to kill her, but he was too run down to fight them for her. I loved that Alaric (Matt Davis) prevented Stefan (Paul Wesley) from being taken, and I suspect if he had been in the position to do so, he would have done the same thing for Damon.

Mayor Lockwood also ended up in that basement, though he was definitely not a vampire. I guess there was a flaw in the plan, since one of the people implementing it ended up dead (and I loved that a vamp simply broke his neck rather than having him wait for the flames). Worse, though, was that poor Tyler (Michael Trevino) was equally affected, causing an accident that has Caroline (Candice Forbes) in critical condition.

Other major highlights for me were:

- when John killed Anna before the fire. Perhaps he should have done the same to Damon, but there was a certain amount of increased protectiveness for Jeremy. Elena loves Stefan, not Damon, after all.

- Bonnie helped Damon escape the flames. Perhaps simply for Elena, but probably also because Damon thanked her for saving his life when she had not in fact done so. Some part of her realizes that he is not so evil after all.

- Damon and Jeremy's conversation which led to Jeremy possibly turning himself into a vampire. A little weird that he would try to die by drug overdose - usually that's more a female thing...but it was probably the easiest way to leave us uncertain of whether he will still be human next season.

- Damon confessing to Elena that he was confused by his new desire to protect Mystic Falls. It was friendly, while emotional, and when he kissed her cheek, it was the innocent act of a friend. But her body language, her attitude, transformed that innocence into the desire to act on something he did not mean to act on, and Damon leaned in for the kiss. I was annoyed when Elena kissed back, glad when Jenna (Sara Canning) interrupted them and ordered Elena inside, and finally freaked out when I realized that Jenna had just given permission to Katherine to enter their house.

- When John confessed to Katherine, thinking she was Elena, the feelings he had had for Isobel, and what he was doing and why, my heart broke to think that Elena would never hear her birth father say those words to her. John should have been far more careful in the presence of a woman wielding a knife, but his ring made him sloppy. And he paid for it.

With a fantastic body count, the introduction of a villain far more awful than anyone we've met until know, the presence of werewolves as well as witches and vampires, and 2 lives which hang in the balance, next season promises to be as excellent as this one was.

Happy Town - Polly Wants a Crack at Her, S01E03

Although Happy Town has been bumped for the rest of May Sweeps, and will likely not be renewed after the last 5 episodes are aired starting June 2, I'm enjoying it. Apparently we will learn who the magic man is by the end of the run, so hopefully that will be enough closure, but with all the crazy, I sadly doubt it.

This week was more subdued than the last; the new complications were far less overt and in your face, which was a nice change in tone.

We still had new developments in the shape of a love interest for Henley (Lauren German). Aiden (Warren Christie) is a very attractive and charming young man who just happens to also be the 5th Stiviletto brother and who lifted the weird hammer off of Henley. She got played. Aiden (or Greggy as he is called by his brothers) also has it out for Tommy Conroy (Geoff Stults).

Things are not going well for Tommy. Though he is not yet aware of the return of Aiden, who is supposed to spend 2 more years in jail, he did have to arrest Andrew Haplin (Ben Schnetzer), which has him in trouble with the Haplin family. He's also trying to delay the inevitable arrest of his best friend Dave (Abraham Benrubi) for the murder that started off the series. And if that wasn't bad enough, his darling wife, Rachel (the talented Amy Acker) was apparently just carried off by the Magic Man. Things are not going well at all.

My current theory is that Aiden is somehow the Magic Man. That whatever the Sheriff was talking about before he cut his hand off - now that blood has been spilled, the Magic Man will return after 5 years - has brought Aiden back 2 years earlier than expected. Then again, Merritt Grieves (Sam Neill) did give Rachel and her daughter the notebook that she had when she disappeared.

But we won't know anymore until June 2, and we may never know enough.