A Briefing With Michael

05.30 NCIS
06.30 House
07.30 Supernatural
08.30 It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
11.30 Night Court

NCIS. Season 5, Episode 7. "Requiem" An amazing episode. I had tears in my eyes, from start to finish, as Gibbs meets (and bonds with) the best friend of the daughter he lost when she was a child. Gibbs has never recovered from her murder. He never speaks of it. But regular viewers know that if affects him because we are often treated to quick flashes of what Gibbs is thinking about at different times.

Full praise to Shane Brennan for creating this amazing new character (I hope we see her again). Maddie is someone for Gibbs to talk to, about his daughter. What a stroke of genius. And what great casting! Cameron Goodman is adorable. Her chemistry with Mark Harmon is amazing. They seem like a father/daughter team from the moment they appear on-screen together.

Harmon does some great work in this episode. Gibbs never opens up, even in these situations, so Harmon has to find other ways to show us what Gibbs is feeling.

Gibbs goes off-book at the end of the episode. And he nearly pays for it with his life. Interesting that this would happen at time when he runs away from his existing family (the NCIS Team) in an effort to save/create a new family (with Maddie).

The episode is filled with truly cool/wonderful moments. I love Gibbs at the best of times, but he is especially awesome when playing the protective father to Maddie.

The episode's use of photographs is exceptionally clever. An old photo of Kelly and Maddie is used a few times in the episode, as is a brand new snap of Gibbs and Maddie standing side-by-side. In the closing seconds of the episode, one photo is thrown on top of the other, so that it creates the optical illusion of Gibbs standing between the two girls: the daughter he lost and the new 'daughter' he has just found.

A beautiful idea/image/moment.

Had I not already had tears in my eyes, at that stage, I would surely have started wailing when I saw that.

House. Season 5, Episode 10. "Let Them Eat Cake" For the second week in a row, Olivia Wilde totally steals the episode out from her cast mates as Thirteen confronts some bitter memories from her childhood. Last week, Wilde was the best thing in the episode because pretty everything else was rubbish. That is not the case this time out. She's still the best thing about "Let Them Eat Cake" but - across the board - this is a great episode.

When, in Episode 9, House went up a crazed gunman and behaved completely in character, I was a tad bored. In this story, House is face to face with a beautiful woman offering him the chance of a proper adult relationship. He behaves totally in character (ie. he's a jerk) and it's completely riveting. Watching him screw up something this great before it gets started is completely absorbing.

Kutner and Taub have a hilarious subplot with a great twist at the end, while Taub gets some great scenes with the case-of-the-week patient. The show is great at this: bringing in patients, whose lives/decisions reflect/mirror the lives of one of the doctors. And it's one of the reasons I love this show.

But this episode belongs to Thirteen, as she remembers her mother's final days.

Supernatural. Season 3, Episode 7. "Fresh Blood" Stronger than recent episodes. Gordon Walker is out of prison and out to get Sam... dead. A vampire called Dixon enters the picture and - before long - Gordon has become a creature of the night. He's not lost his sense of self, however, and he determines to end his own life... after he kills Sam. So the stage is set for a show-down between the Winchesters and a super-powered Gordon Walker.

It's a bloody episode. Lots of graphic deaths in this one. Heads being ripped off, and such. There's some nice character work on the brothers (the Dean-decides-not-to-leave-the-motel scene and the fixing-the-car scene at the very end) but the climax is a cheat. Walker has them totally beaten. In particular there is nothing to stop him from killing Sam. Then he goes and blows it all by sending the two of the flying through a wall and out into the open where Sam can get the upper hand.

Sloppy writing, with regard to the climax, but this is a better episode than many recent ones.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Season 3, Episode 11. Another genius idea as we discover that "Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender"! Where do they come up with this stuff? Once again, it's a very funny episode with great storylines for all the regulars. Picking a favourite character is very hard, but I really loved Mac in this one. Boundless, blind, enthusiasm as he tries to bond with his ex-con father. All to no avail.

Night Court. Episode 6. "Death Threat" Another omnipotent being visits the courtroom in this one. First it was Santa, this time it is God himself who pops in and dishes out sage advise to Harry during a crisis. He is receiving death threats. The ending is a bit twee, but this is a good episode. It's quite serious as Harry examines his conscience and very funny as a clumsy bomb disposal expert keeps bumping into things.

Hightlight? NCIS (the pictures at the end)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

08.00 The Sarah Connor Chronicles
09.00 The Hitchhiker
09.30 Swamp Thing

The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Season 2, Episode 13. "Earthlings Welcome Here" The weakest episode of the season so far. Sarah is off on her own, obsessed with her vision of the three dots and unsupported by the rest of her team. She winds up in the middle of a group of UFO abductees, befriends one of them and ends up getting shot at some secret facility. It lacks the tension and coherence of most episodes of this great show. In general, I'm not enjoying this Sarah-is-obsessed-and-nobody-believes-her storyline.

The sub-plot, meanwhile, tells us Riley's backstory. It is much as we suspected. It's not great, but it is much better than all the Sarah stuff.

The Hitchhiker. Season 3, Episode 6. "Ghostwriter" One of the very best episodes. Willem Dafoe fakes his death to make his books sell better. His wife and his agent are happy to find him dead, since they are lovers, but his return complicates things. So a real murder is planned. However, all is not as it seems and the fast-paced script keeps you guessing as to who is really working with whom.

Swamp Thing. Episode 2. "Falco" It's an odd world, the world of the Swamp Thing. The bad guy of this one is a former bird who has been turned into a man by the evil Dr. Arcane. He makes an attempt on the evil scientist's life and then... does nothing much for a while. He just kinda wanders aimlessly. A bit like the script, really.

Jim, possibly the most annoying child ever featured in a TV series, falls out of a boat later on. And the bird/man saves him and learns a valuable lesson: it's not so bad being human.

Swamp Thing appears, too, and talks to the bird/man a couple of times without really accomplishing anything.

A very strange series.

Highlight? The Hitchhiker (twists galore)
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06.00 Prison Break
07.00 Mission: Impossible
08.00 The Closer
01.15 NewsRadio

Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 15. "Going Under" The weakest episode of Season Four. While it is always nice to see guest stars like Muse Watson, Titus Welliver and Denise Crosby all of the stuff that takes place inside Michaels' head is boring old guff and the stuff that takes place outside his head is too far-fetched to be believed. Even for Prison Break.

The twist that Linc is now working for The General, and potentially working with T-Bag, Gretchen and Self from here on in, is just too hard to take. It's a huge leap and I'm not sure I'm able to make it.

Alex gets the best scenes. And his escape is thrilling. But haven't we seen all of this before?

In it's first three seasons, PB reminded me of 24. This year it's been more like Mission: Impossible than anything else. And with this episode, it made another switch. Now it resembles Alias. Heroes and Villains working side-by-side and nobody trusting anyone. Not sure if I like this new direction.

And what the heck is all that 'Bargain' stuff about?

Mission: Impossible. Episode 79. "The Controllers" Leonard Nimoy joins the show as the fourth season gets started with this exciting two-parter. An evil scientist has created a mind-control drug and it's up to the IMF to discredit him and his creation. The pace is fast and there are two moments in supreme tension in this first hour. Barney is driving a fake prison van at one stage and split-second timing is needed (of course) to substitute Willy for a real prisoner. In the middle of it all, the real prison van had engine trouble throwing off the timing.

Later, Willy has gone undercover and has convinced a room full of observers that he is under the spell of a fake mind control drug. They want to test it. And the suggestion is made that that Willy should shoot himself. The tension ramps up as the viewer wonders how could the IMF be ready for this, and how will Willy get out of it.

Other trademarks of Mission: Impossible are to be found in this first hour. Two real prisoners are taunted and tested while Willy stands by and does nothing. He can't do anything, really. But if this was another show, then he would. Not on Mission: Impossible. The tone here is always darker and more brutal. Brooke Bundy and Stanley Kamel have several great scenes as the unfortunate couple. He eventually gets shot during a break-out attempt and she gets dragged away screaming.

In short, the bad guys are truly evil and you cannot wait for the IMF to win the day.

The cliff-hanger, when it comes, packs quite a jolt.

The Closer. Season 4, Episode 10. "Time Bomb" Teenagers plan to go on a killing spree in this untypical episode. One of them is dead before the episode starts (it is his death that starts the investigation) and a second one is dead in police custody by the mid-part of the episode. After that, the police assume that the threat is over. But the script leaves enough questions unanswered to keep the viewer (and Brenda) unconvinced. The tension builds until most of the regular characters are caught in the middle of a long, graphic gun battle. Slow-motion violence is not normally what you expect to see on The Closer, but when they go this route they really pull out all the stops. It's stunning television. And makes for a great cliffhanger when Sanchez takes three bullets in the back...

NewsRadio. Season 3, Episode 1. Jimmy runs for "President" as the third season kicks off. Lisa sets out to bring him down (by uncovering his skeletons) while Bill gets the episodes biggest laughs by being smarmy every chance he gets. The Matthew-grows-a-moustache storyline gets many more laughs than you would expect. All told: a winner.

Highlight? Mission: Impossible (cool)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

05.30 30 Rock
06.00 The Jury
07.00 Law And Order
08.00 House
12.00 Wings

30 Rock. Season 3, Episode 5. "Reunion" Another winner. The Liz high school reunion story is very funny and very clever. It confounds expectations, very nicely, when it reveals that Liz was the mean one at school. She didn't plan it that way, and she doesn't even remember it that way, but... she was mean to everyone and they hate her. Hilarious. Alec Baldwin pretty much steals the episode and it proves, once again, that the show works best when Liz and Jack are teamed up in the same plot.

The Jury. Episode 4. "Mail Order Mystery" When you tune in to watch The Jury, you are getting two stories in parallel. The story of the case-of-the-week, a typical murder mystery yarn with all the usual suspects, cops and lawyers. You also get the story of what happens in the jury room. This is a much more low-key storyline. But it always proves to be just as interesting as the flashbacks to the murder trial.

Marlyne Afflack and Jim Gaffigan are the two stand-outs among the jurors. They battle for most of the episode. In the twist-ending we learn that he was right all along, but she makes a much more convincing argument and is able to sway the jury. It makes for fascinating viewing.

Tom Atkins plays a man who may, or may not, have killed his mail-order bride. A lot of the jury deliberations are focused on whether or not he loved his wife, or whether she was just a companion that he bought. It's a thought-provoking story, and the ending - with the haunting music they always use in the final seconds when they reveal what really happened - is wonderful.

Law And Order. Season 18, Episode 18. "Excalibur" The show brings the eighteenth season to an ending with one of the strongest episodes ever. The case-of-the-week is good. A man murders his brother-in-law as a means towards getting back into the family business. He's also hiding a dirty little secret: he runs a prostitution ring on the side. And, in the second half of the story, this takes centre stage as Jack and the team discover that one of the clients is the governor (who has appeared on the show before as a political friend of Jack's). This is where the story heads into A+ territory, as we see Jack caught up in all sorts of political games as he tries to see justice done.

This is one of the episodes where the good guys lose. The killer pleads guilty, so that a trial is avoided, and it is implied that the governor will grant him early release after a few years. In the closing moments Jack and his team take stock of how all the witnesses are disappearing, or being taken care of, in sundry underhanded ways. It's a nice, dark, conspiracy-laden conclusion. I hope the show returns to the story of the Governor and gives Jack a chance to take him down.

House. Season 5, Episode 9. "Last Resort" The hostage-siege episode. With Hugh Laurie and Zeljko Ivanek in the same room (and a gun between them, too) you expect it to be a truly superb episode with great performances. Not so. It's actually a pretty weak, kinda dumb storyline. And all the acting honors go to Olivia Wilde who blows the two guys off the screen for the majority of the episode.

The patient is a jerk. And so is House. Watching them endanger everyone else in the room is pretty boring, once you realise that both of them are one-note characters in this little tale. I knew that House would eventually get the gun off the guy, and I knew that he would then give it back. It also made sense, early on, that the patient would continue to be a threat long after House did this, so that rendered most of the episode pointless.

Olivia Wilde, however, made the episode worth watching. Thirteen starts off not caring about her life and - by the end - she is pleading not to be killed. Wilde brings the character (and the audience) on a wonderful journey and is the only thing worth caring about in this mess of an episode.

Wings. Season 2, Episode 5. "" Kelly Connell guests as a guy who went to school with Joe and the gang and maintains that Joe was his best friend. Thing is: Joe doesn't remember him. Neither does anybody else. And the guy has shown up on Nantucket to get married and Joe is his Best Man. It's a slim idea, more sad than funny, and the laughs are thin on the ground. Lowell is the funniest character in the show and there is one nice twist when the stripper hired for the bachelor party remembers the guy that nobody else recalls. Nice. But not worth a half-hour of my time.

Highlight? Law And Order (the good guys lose)
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05.30 Pushing Daisies
06.30 Kyle XY
07.30 Supernatural
11.30 Good Morning Miami

Pushing Daisies. Season 2, Episode 9. "The Legend of Merle McQuoddy" This time out the case-of-the-week is as strong and interesting as the ongoing storyline.

Emerson Cod and Olive Snook team up to investigate a murder in a lighthouse. They make a great team and provide one of the episode's highlights (at the end, when Emerson told Olive she could come work with him anytime). Olive is even more cute, and adorable, than usual as a tough-talking pi.

Meanwhile, Chuck's dad proves to be a real jerk. There's a great fight scene between him and Ned and lots of conflict for the young lovers: Ned and Chuck. They weather the storm very nicely and provide another one the episode's highlights (up on the roof, when Chuck grabs the plastic sheeting and kisses Ned passionately).

This current run of episodes has been the highlight of the series so far.

Kyle XY. Season 2, Episode 17. "Grounded" For the third week in a row, the show delivers a flawless and wonderful episode. At the end of episode 16 Amanda arrived at Kyle's window and asked to hide out and spend the night (while she figured out how to confront her mother). This episode picks up seconds later as Kyle and Amanda prepare the sleeping arrangements. It's a great opening: funny and sweet and romantic. With a strong undercurrent of teenage sexual tension. Next day, with Amanda still hiding in the house, a social worker descends on the Tragers to ascertain if Kyle is living in a suitable environment. And while Kyle is trying to hide Amanda from everyone, Lori is trying to hide a room full of beer! There's a lot of running around, all very funny, and some nice character work on all of the regulars. Josh, in particular, gets a great scene telling his older sister that it's about time she cut Declan a break. Hear, hear! Well said, Josh!

Kyle gives a great speech about what family means to him and there's a nice twist at the end.

Jessi has, in these last few episodes, taken huge leaps towards becoming one of my favourite characters on the show. She's like a lost puppy. Eager and needy... and likely to cause damage if left watched... She has evolved into the perfect baddie for this show. She can cause, trouble, yes but there is the potential for eventual redemption.

Supernatural. Season 3, Episode 6. "Red Sky at Morning" A very weak episode that finds the boys going up against the ghost of a vengeful sailor. It's another one of those goofy story ideas, in which future victims see a huge ghostly sailing ship hours before they die, but that is not why it fails to entertain. It's a dud because Bela sucks and none of the comedy works.

Bela is an unsympathetic and boring character. I liked her first episode, but this time out she adds nothing to the story. She has no chemistry with Dean (although the story is written as if she does) and she manages to outwit the boys, even though it is blatently obvious to the viewer that she will steal the cursed object (a hand) as soon as she can. The fact that she succeeds in doing this makes the heroes of the show look like idiots. How could they trust her? Seriously?

The episode tries to be funny on several occasions. The lack of chemistry between Dean and Bela ruins a few of these scenes (particularly the chewing-gum-in-a-tuxedo scene, which would have been very funny with Sam as Dean's partner instead) while pointless repetition ruins the rest of them. A older lady has a crush on Sam and keeps making advances on him, to his considerable discomfort. It is mildly amusing the first time, but after the show returns to play out the exact same scene several times the idea wears very thin. Oh look, it's that old lady again. And she's still putting the moves on Sammy! And he's still uncomfortable. Yawnsville.

On the plus side, the climac (ghost against ghost) is clever and looks good on screen. But I must confess that I don't really know what happened. Which ghost destroyed which ghost?

Good Morning Miami. Episode 11. "I'm With Stupid" One of the best episodes. Jake squabbles with Dylan because she's into crystals and all sorts of 'mumbo jumbo' that he thinks is stupid. He overreacts because, being in love with her, he wants her to match his idea of perfection. Nobody understands why he's taking it so hard, except Penny, because she knows his secret. Penny, however, has a secret of her own... she's in love with Jake.

This little love triangle yields many good scenes. Some are very funny and some are very poignant.

The final Dylan scene (where she tells Jake why she is into all this stuff) is a real standout. It fits nicely into her already-established background and helps make the character more real and interesting than ever before.

Seconds after this wonderful scene, the show delivers another superb moment. Penny has been waiting for Jake to take her out to dinner, but now that he's patched things up with Dylan he cancels on poor Penny, leaving her to fake disinterest, while we know how she really feels about all of this.

Great storytelling.

The main cast get some great material, but the supporting characters are royally screwed! Lucia doesn't appear. She's been written out, and will never return from vacation, while Sister Brenda decides to stop being a nun. We will never see her again after this. Frank, of course, remains with the show (and is probably the funniest one in the ensemble) but he's gets almost no screen-time in this outing.

Constance Zimmer (my favourite cast member) has a tough part in this episode. And she pulls it off with style. Penny has been established as a tough cookie. Cynical and snarky. Yet, we also know that she's fallen for Jake. This episode shows us both sides of her character. It's a tough sell. On one hand she's an iron lady, quick with the witty put-down, and on the other hand she's very girly girly: spraying herself with perfume and hoping, hoping, hoping, that Jake will notice her. I'm not sure many actresses could make it work, but Zimmer pulls it off in spades. Penny is the Olive Snook of GMM and I love her.

Highlight? Kyle XY (very funny)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

04.30 Friday Night Lights
05.30 Rising Damp

Friday Night Lights. Season 2, Episode 11. "Jumping the Gun" Smash and Coach Taylor are the two featured characters in this episode. Smash has been overlooked this season, sadly, but this is a great story for him. Eric Taylor is usually well featured in most episodes, of course, but this is one of his best stories and Kyle Chandler is simply fantastic in the role. He should be getting an Emmy (or a Golden Globe) for work like this. Instead, he doesn't even get nominated...

Smash is trying to decide what to do after High School. His mother and he are in conflict over this. He doesn't want to listen to her, and she is in pain as she prepares to let go of her son. It's a well-told wonderful, very human, storyline. Smash and his mother are two of the very best characters this show has. A Texas version of John Connor and his mother Sarah!

Life for Eric Taylor is a series of confrontations and apologies in this episode. Conflicts with Tim Riggins, Coach Dickes, Shelley and - even - his wife drive the story. A story of dignity within humility. Tales like this are why FNL is more akin to Homicide or St. Elsewhere than soap operas like 90210. Everything about it is real.

Best scene? Eric tells Smash to go home and listen to his mother. Watching that gave me tingles at the base of my spine. All television drama should be so good...

Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 6. "Last of the Big Spenders" Poverty drives the storyline in this very funny episode. Rigsby is trying to impress Brenda (the new tenant) but he has no money. It's a slim and very depressing premise, but with this writer and this cast it makes for another hilarious half-hour of television. That's the real skill and wonder of shows like Rising Damp and Steptoe & Son. They can take the most bleak of real-world scenarios and make us laugh out loud. Even when we've lived through them ourselves and know that there's nothing funny about them at all.

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (nobody apologies, and learns from it, like Eric Taylor)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

06.00 It Takes A Thief
07.00 Due South
08.00 Kolchak: The Night Stalker

It Takes A Thief. Episode 7. "When Thieves Fall In" Susan Saint James returns to the series for the third time. It's her second episode playing Charlie Brown. She also plays a woman who looks just like Charlie! So... three appearances in seven episodes, playing three characters... One of whom is a semi-regular. That kind of thing don't happen too often!

As for the episode... it's a delight. The first half is pure padding, and the second one is a bundle of tension cleverly confined to one hotel room. Nice.

Noah needs Al to steal a coat with something important hidden inside the lining. Al decides he needs the help of former nemesis Charlie Brown, so the boys concoct a story and get the delectable Miss Brown out of prison and onto their team. The next 20 minures are just the three of them on a shopping spree. Malachi Throne gets more to do than in any other episode so far, as Noah gets an up close and personal view of life from Al's side of the law. It's very funny. All three characters are wonderful to watch.

For it's second half, the episode swithes tone. Charlie replaces the girl, but things immediately go wrong when she is spotted as a fake. Everything happens inside one hotel room. There's a heck of a lot of traffic through that one room over the course of a few short hours and you are constantly expecting Al and Charlie to be uncovered. Even when they are, and are trapped at the airport in the closing minutes, the script delivers are nice twist that makes perfect sense, but is impossible to predict.

Another great episode.

Due South. Season 3, Episode 4. "Strange Bedfellows" In every respect this episode is superb. Unlike the first three episodes (which were great in spots, weak in others) this one is without flaw. Every scene, every plot, every character... equals perfection.

Kowalski must protect his ex-wife's new boyfriend (a powerful politican) when shots are fired at the man in public. Ray is heart-broken about this and it shows (thanks to the amazing Callum Keith Rennie).

There are many great scenes where he speaks of his ex-wife. My favourite occurs early on, in a parked car, where he is telling Fraser what it's like for him. I love it not just because I identify with Ray, and his situation, but because Fraser shows what a truly great friend he is by listening and understanding. It's a short scene, but it tells us all we would ever need to know about these two men. We can see that Ray is consumed by his love for this woman, and we can see that Benton Fraser is the best friend anyone could ever have when they are feeling sad.

The casting of Anne Marie DeLuise as Stella blows me away. Right from the first moment she appears she is exactly right for Kowalski. The two actors have amazing chemistry and you believe that they were married, and are still in love. The script never tells us why they split, but we can understand how it came to be this way in the way they respond to one another. Their scenes together, particularly the last major one, are simply wonderful. Two people very much in love, who can't seem to make it work between then, who are still able to be honest with one another.

The case-of-the-week is good, too. A political scandal and a mad bomber and both of these impact nicely on what Ray is going through.

Fraser, meanwhile, is hearing things and - in the final scenes - discovers an office that the ghost of his father has made for himself. In Fraser's closet! He has no sooner come to terms with this revelation than Meg Thatcher opens the door and finds him talking to himself in the closet. A classic moment.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Episode 7. "The Devil's Platform" A classic episode. Carl tracks a corrupt politican. One who has done a deal with the Prince Of Darkness and can turn into a demon dog to dispose of his rivals and enemies.

So how does it measure up to the expected Kolchak formula?

The Bad Guy. Tom Skerritt is arguably the best foe that Kolchak ever faced. Not only is the performance fantastic, but the idea of a crooked politican doing a deal to enable him to do these things is not as far-fetched as some of the ideas on the show.

The Authority Figure/Conspiracy. Strangely, considering that this is one of the very best episodes, this story lacks these two vital parts of the Kolchak mythos. There are no press conferences and no stonewalling by anybody. There's also no indication that anybody else has a clue what is going on. Just Carl this time.

The Experts. This time out the only real experts that Carl goes to are a cop and a doctor. The cop, for once on this show, is more than happy to tall Carl the truth. Off the record, of course. William Mims is only in two scenes, but he is great in both (particularly the scene with Carl).

The Regular Cast. All three supporting characters are in this episode and all three get some great scenes. Tony is in fine form, and delivers many of the funniest lines every uttered in the series. Miss Emily has a great scene bringing heavy books to Carl. It's a funny scene, and it tells us a lot about Carl. This is also the episode where Emily brings Carl a new hat.

The FX. There are only a few FX shots in this one. Mostly to do with the way the dog attacks are filmed. The attacks on Carl are important to the story and the shooting/editing does a good job of telling the story of what is happing during each attack.

The Scare Factor. The climax of this one is a doozy. Carl and his foe face to face... in conversation. The Politican delivers a short paragraph that tells us that he knows exactly who Carl Kolchak is. It also tells us a few very important details about our hero... what he wants, why he'll never get it, and how self-aware he is/isn't about his own flaws. It may well be the finest scene in the series so far.

The Logic. Carl's deductions make perfect sense in this story, because he is on-site for a very odd event at the very start and merely investigates that to it's logical conclusion. It's old-fashioned research, too. Carl, all alone in the INS offices, reading book after book as he searches, searches...

It's a noble, heroic, romantic image.

Highlight? Due South (i love the love story of ray and stella)
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05.30 NCIS
06.30 House
07.30 Supernatural
08.30 It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
09.00 Night Court

NCIS. Season 5, Episode 6. "Chimera" The 100th episode of NCIS and one of the very best. The team are all alone on a ghost ship out at sea. As they try to figure out what happened to the crew they realise that someone (or something) on on the ship with them. Then Ducky announces that they may have only have a few hours to live...

It just does not get any better than this. It's scary and exciting and funny and intense. The chemistry between all the regulars (especially Tony and Ziva) is scorching and - as ever - there isn't a bunch of crime-solvers I'd rather hang out with. Best bit? Gibbs suggests that Tony die like Chaplin in The Great Dictator. How was that, exactly? "Silently". In an episode filled with laugh out loud moments, that was the icing on the cake.

House. Season 5, Episode 8. "Emancipation" House is a superb detective series. It has a lot going on, and operates on a few levels, but it is also a great detective series. This episode has two patients (two stories) and some great detective work by the doctors in charge (House and Foreman). The House-realises-what-is-going-on bit at the end is simply mesmerising. It pulls you in and delivers the goods, week after week. And this is one of the best.

Supernatural. Season 3, Episode 5. "Bedtime Stories" This is goofy story. You really have to take a leap of faith to accept this one. But I love stories like this. She-Wolf Of London did an episode somewhat like this, and Kolchak's later episodes were "out there" too. On stories like this, I really admire the creativity of the writers.

The spirit of a woman in a coma since she was a child is killing people by making them act out horrible bedtime stories. It's a total 'what the frak?' episode, but I really enjoyed it. I don't think it will ever make anyone's top ten list, including mine, but it's fun while it lasts.

The closing minutes are like something from a different episode. But they fit because the opening minutes tell us that is exactly what is going to happen. Clever.

Sam goes up against the demon that did the deal with Dean. And, in a very cold blooded way, he kills her.

Hmm...

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Season 3, Episode 10. "Mac is a Serial Killer" The gang decided to prove that Mac is a serial killer based on... somewhat flimsy evidence. Charlie hilariously turns himself into a character from Law And Order (to defend his buddy) while Sweet Dee and Dennis decide the get inside the mind of a serial killer... by stalking someone. Dee does this in complete clown costume. Including squeaky shoes.

And every insane second of it works. Because we accept these characters and their world. Pulling that off, week after week, is work of genius.

Night Court. Episode 5. "The Eye of the Beholder" Weakest episode so far. Bull is annoyed that people make assumptions about him based on his appearance. His reaction seems too extreme for the realistic tone this show has set in it's early episodes. The story is nicely concluded, but the episode is light on laughs. And it's hard to feel sympathy for Bull, given his childish behaviour.

Highlight? NCIS (100 episodes and better than ever)
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06.30 Logan's Run
07.30 The Sarah Connor Chronicles
08.30 The Twilight Zone
09.00 Swamp Thing
09.30 Captain Power

Logan's Run. Episode 9. "The Judas Goat" It's all a bit slow-moving and serious, and there is a logic flaw at the start, but this is a very good story in several respects.

It starts off in the City Of Domes that Logan and Jessica ran from at the start of the series. The police force (the Sandmen) have created a double-agent (Nicholas Hammond) whose mission is to head out after Logan and fool him into coming back. He does this with ridiculous ease, making you wonder why the Sandmen don't just head out and ambush Logan since he is that easy to find.

Nevertheless, the stuff with the double-agent is very good. Before he leaves the City Of Domes he is brought to the council of rulers (last seen in the pilot) and learns to his surprise that all is not as it seems in the City. This short scene adds a nice political subtext to the series: corrupt city officials trying to keep the population in the dark, etc.

Once our double-agent finds/joins Logan the rest of the episode plays out like a typical adventure-of-the-week: the trio (now a quartet) find a hidden society and run foul of it's leader (the excellent Lance LeGault). That fact that one of the heroes is a double-agent (and we know it) makes the story much more interesting than it would normally be. Logan and the new guy have a strong dynamic. And this conflict between the 'heroes' is a nice change of pace for the show.

All in all it's a solid hour. Logan's Run is such a serious drama series, it's difficult to think of it as being only a couple of years older than Buck Rogers. The two shows are decades apart in style and sensibility. One is fluff and nonsense and the other (while flawed) is a very strong drama series with occasional flair in the storytelling.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Season 2, Episode 12. "Alpine Fields" Another flawless outing. And another example of this show's fantastic storytelling.

Derek is the main character this time out (with Sarah having a very strong b-plot). The story unfolds on three fronts: one in the far future, and two of them in the present day, but six months apart. It's the story of a family that (first) Sarah and (then) Derek are trying to protect from a determined Terminator.

Samantha Krutzfeldt almost steals the episode out from under Brian Austin Green, but not quite. Nevertheless, she makes quite an impression as two versions of the same young woman separated in time by six months of experience. The story leaves no opening for the character to return, which is a great pity, but given that Krutzfeldt is exceptionally beautiful she will undoubtedly appear on Supernatural before too long!

The Twilight Zone. Season 3, Episode 5. "Dream Me a Life" Absolutely superb. J. Michael Straczynski (once again) delivers a really great story, and Eddie Albert delivers a showcase performance.

Roger is living a quiet live in a friendly retirement home when he starts to have a series of vivid nightmares, when he meets a woman who is terrified of something trying to break down a door and get to her. She pleads for help. Over and over. It all means nothing to Roger until the same woman suddenly moves into the same retirement home. He tries to speak to her, but she speaks to nobody. She just sits there. In silence, shut off from the world. Next time Roger enters the dream to try and save the woman, he burns his hand and wakes to find the same burn on his hand here in the real world...

The dream sequences looks fantastic and Albert is fantastic to watch. On one occasion the camera just stays on him for a long passionate speech/rant and he covers about 96 different emotions and moods going from line to line. It's pretty cool, and Roger is one of the Zone's coolest heroes.

Swamp Thing. Episode 1. "The Emerald Heart" A strange concoction. Which probably owes something to Twin Peaks for it's odd flavour.

There's no story, as such, just a lot of random events involving a mad scientist, a kid and a mysterious 'monster' who dwells within the swamp.

Some of the cast are very, very weak and the lines they are given are often quite dreadful. There's no logical behind most of what happens. Characters regularly say and do things that make no sense, and don't serve the story.

It's really odd, and deadly serious.

Captain Power And The Soldiers Of The Future. Episode 1. "Shattered" Solid opening episode. It opens with a long, exciting action sequence and follows up with a good story of betrayal and loyalty.

Captain Power (who leads the resistance forces against evil Lord Dredd) gets a message from an old flame. He goes to meet her in the remains of San Francisco. Turns out that it's a trap. But there's more to it than that, and a fairly compelling reason behind her actions. Guest star Ann-Marie MacDonald gives 100% to the role and sells all the horror and pain that is needed to justify what the character does. She's amazing.

The regular cast comes across very well, too, with Jessica Steen in particular making a great impression as Pilot.

Highlight? The Sarah Connor Chronicles (blows me away, yet again)
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07.00 The Closer
08.00 CSI
09.00 Prison Break
11.15 NewsRadio

The Closer. Season 4, Episode 9. "Tijuana Brass" Surely this is one of the show's cleverest endings ever? Brenda sends the bad guy to prison under the wrong name. She uses the name of the man that he has marked for death. And when he is killed (which we learn in the closing seconds) it means that his intended victim is free to start a new life with new name. Clever Brenda.

This is also a good episode for showing us how much she cares about her team. And (in a rare moment of gushing praise) she shows them how much she cares, too. Nice.

CSI. Season 6, Episode 4. "Shooting Stars" It doesn't look or feel like a CSI episode. Gil and Catherine follow tracks (from a crime scene) out into the desert and find themselves exploring a vast underground complex. With 11 dead bodies. From a cult.

It's a mesmerising story. And - again - it's always good to see all the cast members working together on one case.

Clea DuVall only appears in the closing scenes, but she is wonderful in them. She was a highlight of Carnivalé and she was one of the two things I liked about Heroes when I tried to watch it.

(I gave Heroes a shot when it started. I didn't like it but, being a comic-book reader, I felt I should give it every chance. But rubbish is rubbish no matter how hard you try to like it, so I gave up after four dreadful episodes. But while I was watching I did like DuVall and - of course - the awesome Greg Grunberg.)

Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 14. "Just Business" Many episodes of Prison Break are full of twists and turns, particularly in the last few weeks. But few are as upsetting as these ones. Every thing that could go wrong... goes wrong. Our heroes are battered and bruised. Surrounded and captured, in various ways by various foes. I have no idea for how they are going to get out of this...

NewsRadio. Season 2, Episode 22. "Injury" Matthew takes centre-stage for this moderately amusing episode. He injures himself goofing off at work. Dave tries to get him to lie that it was an on-the-job injury. While Mr. James (who thinks that it was an on-the-job injury) tries to get him to lie and say that he was goofing off at work.

The tug-of-war is... moderately amusing and there's a nice warm bit at the end which reminds us that Mr. James might be an eccentric billionaire but he's a decent guy and he does like the gang at WNYX.

Highlight? Prison Break (how are they going to get out of this?)
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