Losing a Sense of Self: Fake Names and Identity Games on "Chuck"

"I hope your lies keep you warm at night."

What is in a name? At its core, it's our truest sense of self, a reflection of our identity, a label that we apply to ourselves to sum us up at our most basic and individual level.

But for spies like Sarah Walker, a name is just a cover story, a new identity in a series of never-ending lies that she puts on as easily as most of us do our clothes in the morning. Spies are in the business of lying and Sarah's done a bang-up job at lying to herself for most of her adult life, allowing her true self to slip away amid a cascade of lies both small and large.

She's kept her true name to herself for the last three years, not even trusting Chuck with her true identity, her true sense of self, the name that conjures up both the kick-ass superspy she is today but also the tomboy teenager and the child whose innocence was so brutally ripped from her.

This week's episode of Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Fake Name"), written by Ali Adler and directed by Jeremiah Chechik, dealt head on with the notion of identity in a world where the concept is fluid at best. While Sarah and Chuck continued their dance with other partners this week, Sarah noticed that Chuck's own identity was slipping away from him too as he became further and further entrenched within the espionage world.

So what did I think of this week's episode? Let's discuss. (And, if you need a reminder, here's my advance review of the next four episodes of Chuck, including this week's episode, but I'm keeping my comments restricted just to "Chuck Versus the Fake Name.")

I thought that Ali Adler did a fantastic job at dealing with the latest complications in the ongoing romance between Chuck and Sarah, allowing Sarah to express her own concern about getting involved with yet another partner and falling into the same traps and patterns in which she keeps ending up. By allowing Sarah and goodfellas Matty and Scotty--via a hilarious exchange about will-they-or-won't-they couples--and the Buy More staffers to outwardly explore the thoughts, fears, and concerns of many viewers, Adler subverts our own expectations about television couplehood.

Yes, it is "complicated" and it's only going to get further complicated as the series goes on. It's clear that Chuck and Sarah have deep feelings about each other, emotions that are becoming further conflicted by recent developments. As Sarah attempts to hold onto her sense of self, Chuck is becoming less and less like the man she fell in love with: an ordinary Everyman who was more prone to bumbling through missions than forcibly extracting teeth during a mission.

As Shaw put it so eloquently, Chuck is living the lie and that scares the hell out of Sarah, who has made a profession out of doing just that. The ease with which Chuck now lies to Hannah, to his sister Ellie, to his best friend Morgan is shocking when you look at how our hero could barely keep it together in the first season. He's changing before our eyes and Sarah isn't sure that she wants to be with someone who can lie so callously. (On the opposite end, Devon seems to be coming apart at the seams from lying to Ellie about what's really going on with Chuck... and even Ellie has had a hard time lying to Chuck about how awful his chicken pepperoni dish really is.)

Chuck's transformation into an adept liar is especially felt during his dinner with Ellie, Awesome, and Hannah, a dinner that he didn't prepare at all. There's a sense that the entire scenario is manufactured, a tableau set up to woo Hannah and conceal what he was really doing all day, which was pretending to be a dangerous assassin in order to discover The Ring's next target.

That Target happens to be Daniel Shaw himself. But that's not the shocking turn of events that leave Chuck reeling. It's the fact that he overhears Sarah tell Shaw her real name--Sam (a perfect name for the real Sarah if there ever was one)--and it's a sense of deep betrayal that he can't shake. Why would Sarah tell Shaw and not Chuck? Why would she trust the enigmatic Shaw with this information and not him, after all they've been through?

Answer: Sarah wants a real moment, an honest experience with someone who is willing to be honest with her and Chuck is changing in ways that even he hasn't realized yet. Names have power and Sarah's withholding of her true identity to Chuck is a means of keeping her true self from him for now, to hold on to something secret in the face of someone slipping into a series of lies. Kudos to Yvonne Strahovski for portraying a real sense of anguish and hurt when Chuck throws her true name back at her; you could see that she knew how much she had injured him with this knowledge.

The most honest thing that Chuck does this episode is to tell Hannah the truth about his feelings regarding Sarah and that there are things in his life that are keeping them apart. Hannah says that Chuck is the best liar she's met and Chuck realizes just how good he's become at spinning lies, a tragic epiphany that really seems to strike a chord with him. Despite Chuck's honesty here, I do wish that he had chosen a more opportune time to share his feelings with Hannah, one that wasn't (A) the day after they had slept together and (B) minutes before he was supposed to meet her parents. Yes, Chuck knows that he loves Sarah and that he can't continue to lie to himself about his feelings and lie to Hannah about himself, but badly played, Chuck.

I will say that I thought that Zachary Levi did a fantastic job in the guise of international assassin Rafe Gruber. It was nice to see Chuck rely on skills that had nothing to do with computers or Intersect-derived abilities and instead had to come from deep inside himself. (He did claim, after all, that his acting background extended to playing Perchik in a high school production of "Fiddler on the Roof.") And, given the uniqueness of Rafe's name, I can't help but wonder if it isn't a shout-out to Chuck writer (and former Survivor contestant) Rafe Judkins. My favorite line from Chuck-as-Rafe: "I want to kill him, not some secondary infection." Right before he yanked out Casey's tooth. Ouch.

As for Casey, he proved that he's one hell of a badass, one of five people in the world capable of hitting a target more than a half-mile away, just like Rafe Gruber. Which makes me wonder if we didn't learn Casey's true identity in this episode as well? After all, Matty (Tony Sirico, here reunited with former Sopranos co-star Louis Lombardi) thought he recognized Casey and believed that he was a military sniper named Alex Coburn whom he had served with. Given that Chuck flashed on the name but was unable to see anything in the file should be making people curious whether Casey's true identity is that of Alex Coburn... and just why his files would be redacted in that way. Hmmm...

As for Sarah and Shaw, it does seem like they are now romantically involved, despite Sarah's reservations at the beginning of the episode. Bringing Shaw a crockpot from the Buy More and some Chinese takeaway, Sarah allows herself to be vulnerable with Shaw, in a way that she hasn't been with Chuck in some time. Residual feelings of betrayal from what happened in Prague? Or something far less tangible, like a sense that Chuck is losing the very innocence that made him attractive to her in the first place? Only time will tell.

All in all, I thought that this week's episode offered a fantastic return to the world of Chuck, ended the Chuck and Hannah relationship in a realistic and painful way, and further set up the playing field for future developments, offering one final chance to catch our collective breaths before next week's dramatic and status quo-altering installment.

What did you think of this week's episode? Is Sam a perfect name for Sarah? Think Casey could be Alex Coburn? Was Chuck right or wrong to break up with Hannah? And just what do you predict will happen in the next few weeks? Discuss.

In the meantime, here's a link to the most recent Chuck Vs. the Podcast, where I talk to host Gray Jones about "Chuck Versus the Mask," this season, and upcoming episodes.

Next week on Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Beard"), Chuck discovers that he cannot flash and is left behind when Shaw, Casey, and Sarah go on a mission, but Chuck gets into a sticky situation back at Castle.

Ridealong: An Advance Review of Season Two of TNT's "Southland"

While NBC tonight presents its latest drama Parenthood (you can read my advance review here), TNT is set to go head-to-head with the Peacock by launching Season Two of Southland tonight in the same timeslot.

Given that NBC axed Southland last year after committing to a second season of the series, it will be very interesting to see how the Ann Biderman-created cop drama does on cable and up against the Peacock's latest series offering... and I am sure that NBC's executives will also be looking at the numbers to see whether they made the right or wrong decision to cut Southland from its schedule.

Personally, I think NBC made its decision based on fear and reacting to the fact that Southland struggled after launching with boffo numbers... and the fact that the series, executive produced by John Wells, was a sprawling cop drama where the good guys don't always win and some of them would appear to be just as messed up inside as the criminals they're chasing. I give TNT credit for seeing just the strengths of Southland and taking the series to cable, where it doesn't seem quite as alone as it did among a sea of of spinoff procedurals.

Season Two of Southland begins tonight and finds the series' mix of detectives and uniformed officers grappling with a slew of changes. There's a time jump between last season's finale and this season's opener and the series doesn't draw too much of a breath before revealing just what happened to Russell (Tom Everett Scott) at the end of last season, a reveal that leads Lydia (Regina King, once again transcendent) in the lurch and with a new hotshot partner, Rene Cordero (Amaury Nolasco), who claims to be well-connected upstairs.

Likewise, the tenuous partnership between Ben (Benjamin McKenzie, himself the silent moral center of the series) and drug-addicted John (Michael Cudlitz) is once more put to the test by Ben's worries that his partner is overusing prescription medication to compensate for his back problems. And Ben is further tested when he visits a gruesome crime scene in the March 9th episode ("Butch and Sundance") and can't shut off the images he's seen... nor explain just what he's feeling to his sister or her civilian friends.

McKenzie and King's storylines are the two strongest thus far in the season and offer some emotional meatiness to the visceral atmosphere that the series excels at. However, I'm less than engaged with an overarching drug storyline that enmeshes Kevin Alejandro's Nate Moretta and Shawn Hatosy's Sammy Bryant. It cuts a little too close to The Wire territory, but isn't handled with the same intelligence, poise, and awareness. (It's a comparison that's made all the more palpable by the inclusion of Avon Barksdale himself, Wood Harris, playing a drug kingpin masquerading as a legitimate businessman here.)

Still, having seen the first two installments of Southland's six-episode second season, I can say that I'm along for the ride, if only to see just what happens to such memorable characters as Ben Sherman, John Cooper, and Lydia Adams... and Arija Bareikis' Chickie Brown, who finds herself in a hell of a tight spot after the events of last season.

Her new partner? A lazy cop nicknamed The Slug. In a city as dangerous as Los Angeles, you're only as good as your backup and Chickie--just like her fellow officers--might just find herself in some boiling water in these first two episodes.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Season Two of Southland begins tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on TNT.

Family Drama: An Advance Review of NBC's "Parenthood"

NBC seems to be positioning Parenthood, the second attempt to remake Ron Howard's 1989 feature film as a weekly television series, as a comedy-drama but after watching the first episode, I was hard pressed to find much mirth among the melodrama.

Parenthood, from writer/executive producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), has had a number of hurdles to overcome. Originally slated to launch last fall, production was suspended due to then-series co-star Maura Tierney's treatment for breast cancer. She was later replaced by Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham and the series was given a 9 pm timeslot spot in the spring. But the Jay Leno Show fiasco at the Peacock meant that the series would now become part of NBC's attempts to salvage the post-watershed hour.

After being promoted heavily during the Olympics, Parenthood will now get its shot at NBC's contentious 10 pm hour but whether anyone will be laughing remains to be seen. The series revolves around a sprawling Berkeley, California family who, amid frequent squabbles, come together seemingly several times a week for a series of rowdy and bustling family lunches and dinners.

Presided over by Craig T. Nelson's Zeek and Bonnie Bedelia's Camille, these family gatherings are meant to display the range of emotions and behaviors that every family manifests: the little slights, the seething injuries, the results of growing up and growing old together. There's a nice sense of camaraderie among the actors playing the adult children of this aging couple but I couldn't shake the sense that Bedelia seemed oddly disconnected from the action, as though emotionally she were somewhere else. (It seemed, in fact, as though Camille were Zeek's second wife rather than the biological mother of these kids as there seemed to be little display of any real emotional bond between her and them.)

Parenthood is meant to tap into the universal sense of belonging and not belonging that all families seem to deal in: the sense that they are both inclusive and exclusive at the same time. This is felt most keenly by the arrival of Lauren Graham's Sarah, a single mom trying to best she can to raise her two teenage kids, Amber (Mae Whitman) and Drew (Miles Heizer). She has temporarily moved her kids in to her childhood home while she can figure things out and get back on her feet again but one can't help but feel that Sarah, for all of her good intentions, is a bit of a screw-up to begin with, the black sheep of a family that seems to be doing quite well for itself.

Graham's participation wakes this sleepy, weepy melodrama up considerably. The sequence where Sarah discovers proof of her father's possible affair was played quite nicely and sharply... and her blind date with her high school boyfriend Jim (Mike O'Malley), now a barista/poet, was one of the few bright, comedic moments among the action. The unlikeliness of their rekindled romance remains a high point in an overstuffed pilot episode that's noticeably short on laughs and rather high in terms of predictability.

Erika Christensen's Julia is a workaholic working mom, the sort of stereotypical television working woman who is more connected to her Blackberry than the needs of her child, which are served by her sensitive husband Joel (Sam Jaeger). I feel like we've seen this play out a zillion times before in a zillion other television dramas and while their dynamic is meant perhaps to be progressive, it just feels repetitive and flat. Julia's brother Crosby (Dax Shepard), meanwhile, is the sort of commitment-phobic guy who is surprised to learn that his girlfriend (Marguerite Moreau) wants to get married and have a kid. His discovery of a canister of frozen sperm in her freezer leads to the sort of obvious resolution at the end of the episode that viewers can spot from several miles away.

The one storyline that truly functioned as the sort of heartbreaking plot that Parenthood seems to aspire to was the discovery by Adam (Peter Krause) and Kristina (Monica Potter) that their son Max (Max Burkholder) has Asperger's Syndrome. The dual moments of Kristina pleading with her husband not to leave her alone to deal with this and Adam telling his overbearing father that something is wrong with his son carried true emotional weight. (I spoke to Katims about the handling of this storyline for a piece about portrayals of autism on television and in film for The Daily Beast.)

I can only hope that Parenthood finds a better balance between light and dark, comedy and tragedy, humor and heartbreak as the season progresses. But at the moment, this isn't the sort of family that I want to spend time with each week, especially right after the majesty and scope of ABC's Lost, which airs an hour before. Which is a shame as we could all do with more Lauren Graham on our televisions.

Parenthood launches tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on NBC.

Channel Surfing: Dustin Hoffman Gambles on "Luck" for HBO, Julie Benz Suits Up for Superhero Pilot, "Modern Family" Vacation, "FlashForward," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey) will star in HBO's David Milch and Michael Mann-executive produced drama pilot Luck, which is set in the world of horseracing. Hoffman, will play the lead, Chester "Ace" Bernstein, described as "a man in his late 60s just released from four years in prison who's autodidactic, intelligent, and deeply involved in gambling." Hoffman is the latest cast addition to the high-profile drama pilot, following the attachments of Dennis Farina and John Ortiz last week. Project, being eyed for a potential January launch on the pay cabler, is written by David Milch and will be directed by Michael Mann, both of whom executive produce alongside Carolyn Strauss. (Variety)

Dexter's Julie Benz has signed on to star opposite Michael Chiklis in ABC superhero drama pilot No Ordinary Family, about a family that find themselves developing new abilities. In the project, written by Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman and directed by David Semel, Benz will play Stephanie, the wife of Chiklis' police artist, described as "a gifted scientist who develops a power for superspeed." Also cast: Christina Chang (24), who will play a police officer who works at the same precinct as Jim (Chiklis). The casting follows that for Autumn Reeser and Romany Malco. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has details on Modern Family's upcoming Hawaiian vacation storyline, which finds the Pritchett clan heading to Maui to celebrate Jay's birthday. [Editor: I don't want to be spoiled about the episode, but if you're not that spoiler-averse, click through to read Keck's interviews with the cast about the episode.] (TV Guide Magazine)

Will ABC order another season of the ratings-starved sci-fi drama FlashForward, which dropped 43 percent of its viewers during its ten-episode run in the fall? According to Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice, the network's decision may come down to the fact that the series does do well overseas, particularly in the UK, Spain, and Italy. "ABC may not make a decision on FlashForward and V, which returns March 30, until right before its upfront presentation in New York this May," writes Rice. "Several ABC dramas, in fact, have yet to receive pickups for another season, though Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Brothers and Sisters are slam dunks. Comedies like Cougar Town, The Middle and Modern Family have already been picked up, while shows like Ugly Betty have already been cancelled. Long shots include Better Off Ted, The Deep End, Scrubs and The Forgotten." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Former American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee (who'll be seen next on Community) has been cast as one of the leads in NBC comedy pilot The Pink House, where she will play Emily, described as "a down-to-earth Midwest girl new to Manhattan Beach who lives in an apartment behind the guy's house and works as a pharmaceutical rep." Project revolves around two twenty-something Midwestern best friends who move to California and rent a house on the beach. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other pilot casting news, Jaime King (Gary Unmarried) and Mehcad Brooks (True Blood) have joined the cast of Noah Hawley's ABC drama pilot Generation Y, Fran Kranz (Dollhouse) has ben cast in NBC comedy pilot Friends With Benefits, Alexandra Breckenridge (The Ex List) will co-star in FOX comedy pilot Traffic Light, Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) and Bryce Johnson (Popular) have been added to the cast of FOX drama pilot Midland, and Peggy Lipton (Twin Peaks) and Escher Holloway (Choose Connor) have been cast in Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas' ABC dramedy pilot Cutthroat. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has a first look at Robert Englund's guest starring turn in the April 15th episode of FOX's Bones, where he will play Ray Buxley, the creepy janitor at Brennan's former high school. "He befriended Bones back when she was a wallflower in high school, and is still carrying a torch for her," Englund told Keck. "He doesn’t like Booth at all!" (TV Guide Magazine)

Elsewhere, The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a first-look video clip from this Friday's episode of Syfy's Caprica featuring James Marsters (Buffy, Torchwood) as Barnabas Greeley. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

David Morrissey (Doctor Who, State of Play), Natascha McElhone (Californication), Eddie Marsan (The 39 Steps), and Aidan Gillen (The Wire) have been cast in Sky1's six-part drama series thorne, based on the novels of Mark Billingham. Production is slated to begin today on thorne: sleepyhead, the first of six planned films that will air this autumn. Telepic will be directed by Stephen Hopkins (24) and is written by Silent Witness' Jim Keeble and Dudi Appleton. (The satellite network has already commissioned the second, thorne: scaredy cat.) Morrissey will play DI Tom Thorne on the hunt for an elusive serial killer who has murdered three women and left a fourth with a condition called "locked in syndrome," where she is aware of everything around her but unable to move or speak. Morrissey, Marsan, and Gillen are set to reprise their roles in the second thorne film. (via press release)

ABC has unveiled the newest competitors for Dancing with the Stars, which launches Monday, March 22nd. Competing this season: Buzz Aldrin, Pamela Anderson, Erin Andrews, Shannen Doherty, Kate Gosselin, Evan Lysacek, Niecy Nash, Chad Ochocinco, Jake Pavelka, Nicole Scherzinger, and Aiden Turner. (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Julianne Moore is will reprise her role as twin Frannie and Sabrina Hughes on CBS' As the World Turns, which is ending its 54-year run in September. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Starz has acquired event mini-series The Pillars of the Earth, based on Ken Follett's novel about the construction of a 12th century cathedral in England that's beset by war, religious strife, and power grabs. Project, produced by German company Tandem Communications, will air on the pay cabler in July and will launch with a two-hour premiere, followed by six hourly installments. (Variety)

ABC has announced the new Bachelorette and, like many viewers surmised, has selected Ali Fedotowsky, who left this season's Bachelor in order to return to the work. "I am so excited!" Fedotowsky told host Chris Harrison. "I am so thrilled and honored and grateful, I just can't believe it! I'm just really grateful. I'm shaking so bad." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Could Cablevision subscribers in New York be cut off from the Academy Awards? Looks like it, thanks to a retransmission feud that turned ugly between Disney and Cablevision. "With the help of our viewers, we’ve built ABC7 into the most watched station in the country, and have been trying for two years to get Cablevision to acknowledge the station’s value to their business," said Rebecca S. Campbell, President & General Manager, WABC-TV, in a statement. "Despite our best efforts, it has now become clear that Cablevision has no intention of coming to a fair agreement. We can no longer sit back and allow Cablevision to use our shows for free while they continue to charge their customers for them. We’ve worked too hard and invested too many millions of dollars in programming and community outreach, to be taken advantage of any longer – especially since our viewers can watch their favorite ABC7 shows free, over-the-air, or by switching to one of Cablevision’s competitors." (via press release)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams is reporting that Matt Frewer (Eureka) has been cast on the CW's Supernatural, where he will play Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. "Our first brush with him in Episode 520 seems relatively innocuous and then unfolds into something more substantial," Supernatural executive producer Sera Gamble told Abrams. "Put it to you this way: Horsemen on our show tend to think several moves ahead." (TVGuide.com)

TV Land has ordered ten episodes of comedy Hot in Cleveland, starring Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, and Jane Leeves as three women traveling to Paris who end up living together in Cleveland. (Betty White, meanwhile, will appear in the pilot episode.) Project, created by Suzanne Martin, will launch in June. (Variety)

E! has ordered a second season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians spin-off Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, with ten episodes on tap for this summer. (Hollywood Reporter)

TLC has opted not to renew its deal for the Miss America Pageant, leaving the event without a broadcast home. "We are happy that TLC was part of the modernization and revitalization of the Miss America pageant," said TLC management in a statement. "This year we delivered record ratings, besting any of its prior performances on cable. However, our three-year deal has concluded, and we have chosen not to renew. We wish the Miss America Organization well." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

The Quilt: Leaving and Those Left Behind on "Big Love"

The honeymoon is over.

Much this season has been made about Bill's shifting vision for his family, whether that be his decision to begin his own church, or launch a political campaign, or out the family as public polygamists. But the wives have, for the most part, held their tongues when it's come to outwardly disagreeing with the direction Bill is taking their collective family, even though most of them have dealt with their own inner turmoil in various ways.

Barb has struggled to keep it together, even though she's been thrust once more into the role of the public spouse, the politician's wife, and a casino owner all at the same time. Nicki has finally realized that she loves her husband and will support him, though it's clear that she is suffering from a massive identity crisis, and Margene has sought security through her own business and through a fraudulent marriage with Goran that will give her some leverage when it comes to their inevitable exposure as polygamists.

Eldest daughter Sarah has never believed in Bill's vision quest nor in the Principle that he holds so dear; she has seen first-hand the consequences of her parents' polygamist relationship both for her mother and for herself. If anyone was going to escape the never-ending cycle of plural marriage that the Henricksons are enmeshed in, it was going to be Sarah herself: headstrong, independent, and more than willing to slay her father's sacred cows.

This week's episode of Big Love ("Next Ticket Out"), written by Patricia Breen and directed by David Knoller, featured just that moment as Sarah Henrickson opted to leave her family behind for different pastures, announcing her intentions to move to Portland, Oregon with her husband Scott.

While I'm quite sad to see the stunning Amanda Seyfried leave the series, it's also a fitting end for her character and a triumphant one at that: she got out. It's what Sarah has always struggled for and failed to achieve as she was dragged back in time and time again. This time, she and Bill are able to make peace with one another and move past their issues to show their mutual support and love for one another, even if they don't see eye to eye on the choices that each of them are making in their respective lives.

But that's the point, ultimately. Sarah is now an adult, capable of making her own decisions and her own mistakes, just like Bill. She wasn't given a vote when her parents decided to marry Nicki or Margene and she was dragged along into a polygamist family without a say as to whether she was for or against this development. And it's been clear since the very beginning of the series that Sarah was very much against a polygamist lifestyle and couldn't ever quite wrap her head around why Barb even considered opening up her marriage in the first place.

To put it bluntly: Sarah wanted out. With the election looming and a possible public outing as polygamists on the table, Sarah wanted desperately to cling to some refuge of normalcy, to not get caught up in the age-old battle between the polygamists and the general public, to remove herself from the playing field. Her so-called honeymoon to Portland wasn't that at all but an escape route, an effort to start over somewhere else, somewhere where she wasn't the daughter of polygamists or the sole dissenting voice in a household.

Sarah's departure represents, coming on the heels of her turning up to support her family during the television interview, the hope of understanding and solidarity but also the need to become truly independent and to stop fighting someone else's war. She's chosen herself but it doesn't seem at all like a selfish decision but a wise one, a brave one, and an honest one.

I'll admit that the family's gift to Sarah of a handmade quilt, with each of them getting a square (including Bill's, which had his oft-seen apron), was extremely touching and brought tears to my eyes. As did Sarah's final scene here, as she prepares Teenie's birthday cake and takes one last look at her sprawling family, tears springing to her eyes. It was the scene of the ultimate outsider, a woman looking through a window at a world she didn't belong to, perhaps not truly ever.

Barb. Barb won't be taking over Sarah's role in the family as the speaker of hard truths any time soon. Her speech to the Eagle Rock Forum was based on facts about the over-dependence of many Utah women on prescription medications (and, apparently, Benedryl) but it was was the result of her own emotional breakdown in the face of the pressures from the casino, the campaign, and the sense of impending doom looming over their heads.

Barb has tried so hard to be so perfect for so long that it's only fitting that huge cracks would be forming in her facade at this point. The Eagle Rock speech was connected narratively to her breakdown in the bathroom a few weeks back, an act of catharsis that's desperately needed for the Boss Lady. The pressure of keeping everything together--her family, her marriage, her business--is too much of an onus to bear. She's also not helped by the growing lack of communication between her and the partners in her marriage; Barb ends up telling Nicki that Joey killed her father, believing that Bill had already told her. Not so.

Barb has attempted to flee this marriage before and, unless things change quickly, I could see her attempting to bail on her husband's vision. Her frustration, sorrow, and anger were never more keenly felt that when she acquiesces to Bill's demands that she recant her statements, saying, "I certainly have no voice of my own."

But much of Barb's anger this episode is also directed at herself for failing to see Marilyn for who she really was and allowing her access to the safety net that is their business by hiring her. She's quick to point out to Tommy that she acted out of spite and not business acumen but what kills her is that she may have made the casino and the Blackfoot tribe vulnerable because of her mistake. There's a brief moment once more of connection between her and Tommy at the casino that speaks volumes about their shared grief, their muffled voices.

Nicki. I'm not quite sure what to make of Nicki's sudden transformation from uptight and prudish prairie woman to full-blown sexpot but I can't help but wonder if the trigger isn't so much the realization that she wants to be free from her past as the child of Roman Grant and Juniper Creek and more to do with whatever JJ and Roquet are doing to her. (After all, Adaleen also spoke of a euphoric and positive feeling once she went on the mysterious treatment regimen as well.) Nicki claims that she has realized that she loves Bill, but I wish we had just one more beat to see where this epiphany has come from and why she has come to this conclusion now...

Though her feelings may have changed, given the fact that Bill concealed that Roman's murderer was in fact his brother Joey. It was the slap heard round the world (or at least the Sandy neighborhood where the Henricksons live) as Nicki walloped Bill for keeping this from her, after she had given him her heart. It's another betrayal in an already tenuous marriage, but it's oddly reversed by the end of the episode, as Nicki tells Bill that she loves him and wants him for herself. Given that Nicki was raised in a polygamist environment and never questioned the Principal, this is an intriguing development, to say the least. She promises Bill that they would never leave Barb but her voice is less certain when it comes to Margene.

Do we believe that this sudden change in her belief system is brought on by her wanting a husband, anything, to herself? Is it the result of Roquet's suspicious treatments? Or is something else going on here? Something far more worrisome that speaks of a personality shift underway within Nicki herself, the result of that awful confrontation with her brother Alby, destroyed, infected, and cursed by his association with Juniper Creek? Hmmmm....

Margene. I definitely believe that Margene is playing with fire when it comes to Goran and Ana. She might have claimed last week to be doing this for altruistic purposes (to keep Bill's unborn child in the country) but this is her version of a potential escape hatch, a way to distance herself from the rest of the Henrickson clan if they are exposed, as she could claim to be married to someone else. But it's also placed her in a bit of a legal and ethical situation as well. Fraudulent marriages, if detected, can result in hefty fines and even jail time... and Marilyn knows that something is going on between Bill and Margene already, after she spied them kissing at the casino.

The fact that Marilyn is already sniffing around Margene isn't a good thing; she knows too much about Bill's investment and the way that they pretended not to know one another at the fundraiser. Not good. Add to that a fake marriage, an intense rivalry between Bill and Goran, and Margene may as well light the first match. Worse still, Margene herself is now having second thoughts, ones that might point to her own attraction to Goran and ability to, er, stray into other people's marriages. Not good. Not good at all.

Marilyn. As for Marilyn, I'm extremely concerned that she will end up undoing everything the Henricksons have built with one stroke. She's made it her mission to destroy Bill but I'm not really sure why. Because he was suspicious of her? Because he saw through her fake charms? Because he's not playing her game?

The drunken phone call she made to Barb creeped me out more than anything else this week, just because it revealed just how calculated and morally repugnant Marilyn is. She's been nosing around the Henricksons' tax returns, their bank account information, and she's likely close to figuring out that they're polygamists after she realized that Barb wasn't shocked or surprised that Bill was having an affair with Margene.

But what her final game plan is remains a mystery for now. Will she out the family and destroy Bill's campaign? Is she going to offer her support and information to Bill's opponent, Leslie Usher (the always superb Amy Aquino), and truly squash his campaign from every angle? We'll find out next week, though I have to give Bill and Tommy credit for managing to lift information from Marilyn's computer like that. Nicely played.

Adaleen. We'll also have to wait to discover just what Adaleen found at Roquet's office, something shocking and terrifying enough that JJ chloroformed her and is likely now keeping her imprisoned, lest she speak out about just what he's been doing to her, Nicki, and likely countless others. It turns out that Roman had recalled JJ from Kansas to censure him... and that was why he was at Juniper Creek before Roman was killed. Whatever JJ was doing in Kansas, it's got to involve fake pregnancies, embryos, the treatments, and something truly, truly horrific. (The true tip-off was JJ's insanely freaky mother expressing her reluctance to toast Adaleen's miraculous pregnancy.) And the new state-appointed trustee on the UEB board is already sniffing around Kansas. Which means that whatever it is that JJ's been up to is about to come tumbling down. I just hope Adaleen isn't collateral damage...

Alby. As for Alby, he's coming apart at the seams. He had no problem lying at the investigatory hearing about his relationship with Dale and scarily was able to just pin the blame on his former lover, incriminating him for embezzling money and using it to rent an apartment. Which made absolutely no sense to the investigators, either. But privately, Alby is a wreck. (You would be too if you were haunted by visions of your vengeful dead father.) The scene where he listens to "These Boots Were Made for Walking" and dances with and kisses the illicit photograph of him and Dale in bed together was outright Lynchian. I'm concerned that Alby is going to do something self-destructive before the season is out... or step all too easily into the role of the ruthless prophet of Juniper Creek.

Wanda. And then there was Wanda, who has been stricken mute by the appearance of her twisted and creepy family coming out of the woodwork. While JJ is blackmailing her about Roman's murder, she clearly has information about JJ's scheme in Kansas but she can't bring herself to say anything about it and is reduced to little more than knitting frantically. I can only hope that Wanda doesn't get left behind--or worse--in the coming storm.

What did you think of this week's episode? Sad to see Sarah go? Wondering what Marilyn has up her sleeve? Curious to see how the writers can wrap up all of these diverse storylines in just one episode? Discuss.

Next week on the season finale of Big Love ("End of Days"), Bill tries to protect his candidacy; Jerry and Tom's tribe leadership is jeopardized; Margene wants to keep Ana and Goran in her life; Nicki is desperate to get pregnant; a polygamist scandal in Kansas makes national news.

Ep. 43: End of Days - Preview

Televisionary Versus the "Chuck" Podcast

Last week, I had the pleasure of dropping by to lend my voice and thoughts about the current season of Chuck (and the next four upcoming episodes) to Chuck Vs. the Podcast.

As part of the ongoing podcast's 42nd episode, I chatted with host Gray Jones about my thoughts on "Chuck Versus the Mask," the love quadrangle, what's coming up for our intrepid spies, and much, much more. (The episode itself was the second half of a great installment that also featured The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan.)

You can watch/listen to the podcast below or over at Blip.tv. Or you can download the podcast from iTunes as well. Depending on what your bag is, I suppose.



Chuck returns tonight with a brand-new episode, the series' first in three weeks, at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC. You can read my advance review of the next four episodes here.

Los Angeles Times: "The Amazing Race: Horsing Around in Argentina"

Looking to discuss the latest episode of CBS' fantastic reality series The Amazing Race?

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker to read my latest piece, entitled "The Amazing Race: Horsing Around in Argentina," where you can read my take on the latest episode, why contestants should always read the clue, why the cowboys are doing so well this season, my favorite line of the evening, and much more.

Sound off in the comments section and be sure to come back next week as I'll be discussing each episode of The Amazing Race all season long.

Next week on The Amazing Race ("We Are No Longer in the Bible Belt"), the eight remaining teams depart the Pit Stop at Estancia Fortin Chacabuco in Bariloche, Argentina and head to Germany, where Jet and Cord indulge in a local pastime.

Don't Stop Believin': "Glee" Tour Dates Announced

Get your matching ensembles ready.

FOX has officially announced dates for the live stage tour of musical-comedy Glee, set to begin Wednesday, May 18th in Phoenix.

The 2010 Glee Live! In Concert! tour will take the cast from Phoenix to Los Angeles and Chicago, before wrapping up the tour with two performances at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on May 28th and 29th. It will feature the ensemble cast performing some of the series' musical numbers including “Don’t Stop Believin,” “Somebody To Love," “Jump,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and “Sweet Caroline.”

"The response of the fans to our little show has been so immediate and so gratifying, we wanted to get out and thank them live and in person," said series co-creator Ryan Murphy in a statement. "And what show lends itself more to a concert than Glee? We can’t wait to take this show on the road and the actors couldn’t be more excited to perform live for audiences in these four cities."

The full schedule of the four-city tour, with dates and venues:

May 18 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
May 20 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
May 21 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
May 25 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
May 26 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
May 28 New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall
May 29 New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall

Select tickets will be available to American Express cardholders during a pre-sale period beginning March 5. Tickets for the general public will be offered beginning Friday, March 12 at 10 am for the Phoenix show and Saturday, March 13th at 9 am for the New York shows and 10 am for the Chicago and Los Angeles dates.

The full press release from FOX can be found below.

GLEE
LIVE! IN CONCERT!

THE CAST OF FOX’S SMASH SHOW “GLEE” HITS THE STAGE
IN NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, PHOENIX AND CHICAGO THIS MAY
Special Presale To American Express Cardmembers Starts March 5; Tickets Go On Sale To General Public Friday, March 12 for the Phoenix Date and Saturday, March 13 for Los Angeles, New York & Chicago

In an unprecedented live event, Twentieth Century Fox Television and “Glee” co-creator Ryan Murphy are bringing the hit television show to concert stages this spring.

Beginning Wednesday, May 18 at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, “Glee” stars Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Mark Salling (Puck), Dianna Agron (Quinn), Naya Rivera (Santana), Heather Morris (Brittany), Harry Shum, Jr. (Mike) and Dijon Talton (Matt) will perform in a singing and dancing celebration of the Golden Globe Award winning show.

The four-city exclusive engagement, “Glee Live! In Concert!,” is a unique concert experience conceived by Murphy that will include live performances of some of the show’s most memorable musical numbers including its anthem “Don’t Stop Believin,” fan favorites “Somebody To Love” and “Jump” and hits “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “Sweet Caroline.”

“The response of the fans to our little show has been so immediate and so gratifying, we wanted to get out and thank them live and in person,” commented Murphy. “And what show lends itself more to a concert than ‘Glee?’ We can’t wait to take this show on the road and the actors couldn’t be more excited to perform live for audiences in these four cities.”

“This has been such an extraordinary year for ‘Glee’ and I can’t think of a better way to finish up the first season than performing live on stage with the cast,” commented Michele, a Broadway veteran. Added Monteith, “This show has changed my life in so many ways. If you had told me a year ago that I’d be performing classic rock songs in concert theaters around the country, I would never have believed you. We are psyched!”

2010 Glee Live! In Concert! dates:
May 18 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
May 20 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
May 21 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
May 25 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
May 26 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
May 28 New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall
May 29 New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall

Select tickets will be available to American Express cardholders in an exclusive pre-sale beginning March 5; tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, March 12 at 10 a.m. for the concert in Phoenix, and Saturday, March 13 at 9:00 AM for the concerts in N.Y.C. and 10:00 AM for L.A. and Chicago. Tickets will be available via www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000 or at any Ticketmaster Outlet. Tickets will be available at the Dodge Theatre, Gibson Amphitheater and Rosemont Horizon Theatre box offices as well. Ticket prices range from $89.50-$39.50. “Glee Live! In Concert!” has also teamed with I Love All Access to provide a variety of fan ticket packages for the show, including premium seats, parties and more. For more information, please visit “Glee” at www.gleetour2010.com

“Glee” returns with a host of new episodes on Tuesday, April 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and the cast will begin production on Season Two of “Glee” following the tour. The show boasts winning ratings, critical acclaim, a rabid fan base of “GLEEks,” two certified Gold albums and more than 4 million song downloads. GLEE has won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy; a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy. The series has received two Directors Guild of America Award nominations; a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Series and Best New Series and the American Film Institute named “Glee” one of the Top 10 TV Programs of the Year.

“Glee” is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are co-creators of the series. Murphy, Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan serves as co-executive producer.

Channel Surfing: Grace Park Heads to "Hawaii Five-O," James Callis Has "FlashForward," Dermot Mulroney Lands "Rockford Files," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Former Battlestar Galactica star Grace Park--most recently seen opposite Benjamin Bratt in A&E drama The Cleaner--is the latest to come aboard CBS' remake of cop drama series Hawaii Five-O, starring Alex O'Loughlin and Daniel Dae Kim. Park will play Kona Kalakaua, who is the niece of Hawaii State Police detective Chin Ho Kelly (Kim) and is described as " beautiful and smart champion surfer who is about to graduate from the police academy when McGarrett (O'Loughlin) recruits her to join his team." Meanwhile, Park's former Cylon co-star Tricia Helfer has joined the cast of TNT's Dark Blue, which returns later this year for its second season, as a series regular. (Hollywood Reporter)

SCIFI Wire is reporting that James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) has signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's FlashForward, where he will play a mysterious character whom producers are keeping under wraps. "I don't actually want to tell you anything about the character, because he's a really exciting, unusual character," executive producer/showrunner Jessica Borsiczky. "So I think it's going to be fun for the audience. He's going to be involved with Olivia's trajectory ... some of Olivia's journey." (SCIFI Wire)

NBC has landed its lead for its remake of The Rockford Files. Dermot Mulroney (Flash of Genius) has joined the cast of the David Shore-executive produced drama pilot, where he will play private investigator Jim Rockford, a role played in the original series by James Garner. Project, from Universal Media Studios and Carousel Television, is written by Shore, who will executive produce alongside Steve Carell. (Variety)

[Editor: Additionally, if you're looking for information about the current Paley Festival, you can check out my recap on Friday's Modern Family panel here and Saturday's Lost panel here.]

Jordana Spiro (My Boys) will star opposite Becki Newton in NBC dramedy pilot Love Bites, from writer/executive producer Cindy Chupack, Universal Media Studios and Working Title Television. Spiro will play Frannie, described as "a sarcastic career bridesmaid who is sick of being single." Her best friend is the virginal Annie, played by Newton. They are the only two series regulars as the series will be a loosely connected anthology of modern romance. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Janeane Garofalo has been cast in Hannah Shakespeare and John Wells' untitled CBS medical drama opposite Amy Smart and Rachelle Lefevre. Project, written by Shakespeare, follows a mobile medical team that travels the country and helps the less fortunate. Garofalo will play chief nurse/operations manager Angel, described as "the backbone of the organization, she can tell you who’s where, what’s where, and everything in between. Angel never loses her cool and is always compassionate toward those who need help." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In other pilot-casting news, Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck) has been cast in Michael Dinner's CBS drama pilot ATF, where he will play an ATF agent who chases down dangerous criminals and raises his estranged teenage daughter. His former co-star, Joely Richardson, meanwhile has landed the lead in Jerry Bruckheimer's ABC legal drama pilot The Whole Truth, where she will play Kathryn Pearle, a successful Manhattan prosecutor.

Elsewhere, David Walton (100 Questions) has been cast in NBC comedy pilot Perfect Couples, Eric Close (Without a Trace) has joined the cast of CBS drama pilot Chaos, Nicole Sullivan (Rita Rocks) has been cast in CBS comedy pilot Shit My Dad Says, Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad) has landed a role in CBS comedy pilot Team Spitz, Jacob Vargas (Moonlight) has been cast in CBS drama pilot The Odds, Joel David Moore (Avatar) has joined the cast of NBC comedy pilot Nathan vs. Nurture; and Amber Tamblyn (The Unusuals), Kenneth Mitchell (Ghost Whisperer), Sam Witwer (Smallville), and David Giuntoli (The Deep End) have landed the leads in CBS drama pilot Quinn-Tuplets. (Hollywood Reporter)

Anne Son (ER) has been cast in ABC drama pilot Generation Y, according to series creator Noah Hawley. (Twitter)

Warner Bros. Television has signed a two-year overall deal with director/executive producer Danny Cannon (Dark Blue, The Forgotten), under which Cannon will continue to work with Jerry Bruckheimer Prods. as well as develop new material for the network. He'll next direct the pilot for the CW action drama Nikita. (Variety)

ABC has ordered a one-hour recap special for drama FlashForward, which it will air on Tuesday, March 16th at 10 pm ET/PT (it will pre-empt The Forgotten), two days prior to the return of the sci-fi series. The special, entitled FlashForward: What Did You See?, will recap the first ten episodes of the ABC Studios-produced drama. (Futon Critic)

NBC has renewed its musical competition series The Sing Off for a second season. No premiere date has been given. (Hollywood Reporter)

TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant has an interview with Rules of Engagement star Patrick Warburton, in which he says that he feels like the Sony Pictures Television-produced comedy has been discounted over the years and should get the chance to launch in the fall with most other network series. "This show grew," said Warburton about the upcoming season. "All of a sudden, it just got really fun. The scripts were great and ... the cast has a lot of chemistry. It's what half-hour TV is supposed to be: It's got some laughs and it's entertaining, and I think it's relatable." (TVGuide.com)

Craig Robinson (The Office) will host the upcoming return of NBC's Last Comic Standing, which returns to the schedule this summer for a seventh season. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC One has commissioned one-off drama Atlantis, starring Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones) and Stephanie Leonida (MirrorMask), which will recount the legend of Atlantis and the civilization's destruction, which many believe was based around the real-life eruption of a volcano in the Aegean Sea which flooded Crete, created massive tsunamis, and destroyed the island of Thera. (BBC)

Vivica A. Fox will join Carrie Ann Inaba and Chris Harrison as part of TV Guide Network's red carpet coverage of the Academy Awards on Sunday, March 7th. (TVGuide.com)

Stay tuned.

Paley Festival: Team Darlton Speak About Final Season of "Lost," Water, Returning Characters, and More

With only 13 episodes of Lost remaining before the series wraps up its iconic run, the series' cast and crew united on stage to talk about the final segments of the ABC drama series, offer a few hints about what's coming up for the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 (and their alternate reality counterparts), and celebrate Lost potentially one last time before the final credits roll.

Appearing at the Saban Theatre as part of the 2010 Paley Festival, executive producers/showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, cast members Nestor Carbonell, Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, and Zuleikha Robinson, writer/producers Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Elizabeth Sarnoff, and director/executive producer Jack Bender gathered on stage with moderator Paul Scheer to answer some questions, deflect some others, and offer a taste of what lies ahead in these next batch of episodes.

I had the opportunity last night to attend the Paley Festival's Lost panel, thanks to a very generous reader who donated her ticket after I was unable to get off of the press waitlist for the event. I tip my hat to her for allowing me to attend what was a fantastic evening of talk, conjecture, and intentionally vague teasing. (Those of you in the know followed along as I live-tweeted the evening's events here.)

So what did the cast and crew have to say? Let's discuss but be aware that there are some (light) spoilers for upcoming episodes below. You've been warned, candidates. [Note: as always, please do not reproduce the following on any other websites or forums. Linking and excerpting are fine but wholesale copy-and-pasting is not.]

The evening began (after a "Treehouse of Horror" clip from The Simpsons, in which Homer travels through time and alters the future by killing a mosquito) with a sneak peek at a scene from this week's episode of Lost ("Sundown"), set at The Temple.

Sneak Peak: I don't want to say too much but it featured Sayid preparing to leave and Miles telling him that he was dead for two hours and that his resurrection took the Others as much by surprise as it did them. But before Sayid can leave, they're interrupted by the arrival of Claire, who demands that Dogen go see "him." Dogen refuses, saying that if he steps foot outside the Temple, he will kill him. Claire's solution? "Send someone he can't kill." (Which would be... Sayid.)

A far too brief glimpse at the episode but a tantalizing one nonetheless. Can't wait to see just what The Man in Black has to say to Sayid and what his message is for Dogen....

Team Darlton revealed that they will begin writing the series finale of Lost next week. They're about to shoot episode 615 and are prepping episode 616. (It makes me both excited and sad to know that Lindelof and Cuse are about to put pen to paper--or fingers to keyboard--to write the final chapter of this amazing series.)

But, despite the fact that Lindelof and Cuse have had the series' ending in mind since nearly the very beginning, doesn't mean that it will end up exactly as they had planned all of those years ago.

"We have an architecture to the end of the show but... there's room for discovery as we put our characters together and find those scenes as we write them," said Cuse. "There's a destination we're getting to but.. there will be moments that [will change]."

SPOILERS! Here's what Lindelof and Cuse had to say about some upcoming plot points for Season Six:

• Just what happened to Desmond aboard the plane--and whether or not he was actually on the flight--will be revealed very soon.
• Libby's connection to Hurley will be explored and revealed this season.
• Lindelof refused to answer whether we will or won't learn this season why women can't get pregnant on the island.
• Lindelof said that Jacob was telling the truth this week: someone is coming to the island.
• There's more Charlie in the works as Dominic Monaghan will once again be returning as everyone's favorite former Driveshaft rock star.
• Darlton tiptoed around the identity of Jack's ex-wife and David's mother though they did say that it is someone we know. Lindelof said that it was Sarah (who was previously played by Modern Family's Julie Bowen) but Cuse shook his head, indicating that Lindelof was in fact lying. (Which means that my theory that it's Juliet Burke is still possibly valid.)
• Vincent the dog will be back this season and we'll find out what happened to him. However, Lindelof and Cuse declined to reveal whether we'll learn what happened to Rose and Bernard on the island. (They did say that we'll see Bernard in what I like to call the Lost-X universe but they're not saying anything more, leaving me to wonder once more if Rose and Bernard aren't the Adam and Eve corpses in the cave.)
• Wondering just who or what Ilana is? Lindelof said that "Ilana and Richard will have some things to say to each other and about each other."
• Another iconic Jack Bender painting (he did the one in the Swan station) will be showing up later this season and may hold additional clues.
• WALT! Despite his massive growth spurt, Walt may return at some point this season, if the producers can figure out a way to bring him back that makes sense as Cuse said that they were looking for a way to bring him back before the end.

So, what else did Team Darlton and Co. have to say? Here's the breakdown of some other topics of note from last night.

Lists of lists: Lindelof and Cuse did address a fan's question as to why there were so many lists over the years and why Ben said that Jack Shephard "wasn't on Jacob's list." Their answer: whether Jacob actually ever furnished a list of candidates to Ben or the Others is open to speculation... and might have been Ben lying.

Hurley bird: Remember how Hurley claimed that the bird in the jungle said his name? Remember how we all thought it did too? Looks like we may have been right. Lindelof said that the so-called Hurley bird is "on our list of things to explain."

Hitmen drama: Terry O'Quinn didn't answer a question posed to him about the potential hitman series he's allegedly shopping to networks that would pair him with fellow Lost co-star Michael Emerson as suburban hitmen. Emerson was also less than forthright: "It's a thing we might do on a street corner, or in a church basement with the idea that we'll eventually move it closer to Broadway," he joked. Hmmm...

O'Quinn, meanwhile, had the audience in stitches as recounted a hilarious story about a Lost fan in Hawaii who sort of kidnapped him in his truck and took him to meet his estranged wife. Scary and funny at the same time. Michael Emerson, meanwhile, was asked by Scheer which Lost cast member threw the best punch. His answer? "The younger the actor, the more inflamed their performance... and the more likely you are to get hurt."

Not everything will be answered: Cuse and Lindelof were blunt about the fact that not every mystery will be solved, especially those that aren't important to the castaways. For example: "We won't learn who the Economist was that Sayid shot on the golf course," said Cuse. (Me: In all fairness, that was Peter Avellino, not the Economist, whom Sayid killed on the golf course and who provided Ilana with her cover story. The Economist was Elsa's employer and was on a list of people Ben wanted Sayid to assassinate.)

Will we get to see Ben's childhood sweetheart Annie again before the end? "Probably not," said Cuse. And don't hold your breath for another appearance from Matthew Abaddon (Lance Reddick) because he won't be back.

Richard Alpert: Nestor Carbonell on his favorite bit from the series: "Finally finding out who the hell I am." Which means that, yes, Richard Alpert's backstory and origin are coming up very soon on the series. I still maintain that he was aboard the Black Rock but still can't figure out why he was cast in the role of Jacob's mouthpiece and seemingly given the gift (or curse) of immortality.

Backstories or lack thereof: Zuleikha Robinson passed on answering a question about whether Ilana is really old like Richard Alpert or not. Robinson said that it was incredibly freeing as an actor to not to know Ilana's backstory ahead of time, though she did admit to begging Jack Bender for some information about her character's past last season.

Likewise, O'Quinn wasn't told about the truth behind Locke's resurrection last season, nor that he was playing a different character. The scene on the beach between him and Ben after the crash of Ajira Flight 316 was played with O'Quinn playing Locke as though he were "indestructible" as opposed to the vulnerability we're seeing from the Lost-X Locke this season. (O'Quinn said that, as a fan, he would be "heartbroken" if old Locke were truly dead but as an actor, he doesn't care so long as he has a character to play.)

Lindelof said that the directions for O'Quinn while filming "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" were pretty vague and that was the point, rather than give O'Quinn a ton of convoluted information. "Remember when you had that orange in your mouth?" joked Lindelof. "Do that again."

Similarly, Bender told Carbonell to play the scene in the season premiere where the Fake Locke comes out of Jacob's sanctuary as "your 9/11," though he didn't have much more to go on than that.

And Alan Dale never seems to know just what is going on. "Alan Dale says, 'What the f--- am I doing on this show? What am I talking about?'" recounted Bender. "And you give them just enough to have them play it beautifully."

Disney ride: Asked about a potential ride at Disneyland (where Tom Sawyer's island currently resides), Lindelof said, "You don't have to build a ride. Put them in a darkened room, spin them around a few times, punch them in the face and say they've had the Lost Experience."

Damaged people: Elizabeth Sarnoff described Lost as being about "a collection of people who are deeply flawed and are trying to find their way out of it." It's a description that hews closely to my own and sums up the entire thrust of the series outside the mythology.

Full circle storytelling: "We talked a lot about how we wanted to bring the show full circle," said Cuse, while Lindelof said that they intended that the first and last seasons would effectively function as bookends for the series.

Daddy issues: Lindelof said that Star Wars was a huge influence on the series, as well as the writers' own father issues. For himself, Lindelof's father died a year before the Lost pilot was produced and the project was a way for him to process some of his own feelings about the death of his father.

Mr. Eko: Mr. Eko was intended to play a much larger role in the overarching plot of Lost than he ended up having because the actor portraying him, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, wanted off the series and producers wrote Eko out of the series by having him be killed by the smoke monster. Cuse said that the death of Eko allowed them to give more time to other characters and shift the focus in other directions. (Still, I can't help but wonder just what they had in store for Mr. Eko had Akinnuoye-Agbaje remained on the series.)

Chronological DVDs: Nope. Lindelof and Cuse debunked a popular rumor that indicated that the studio would release a version of the full series of Lost with all of the flashbacks and flashforwards placed in chronological order. Not so, said Team Darlton: "There will be no chronological DVD release of the show."

Open to interpretation: Cuse said that once the final credits roll at the end of the season, they're going to be keeping mum and won't be commenting on Lost after it ends in May. (As Fancast's Matt Mitovich pointed out to me via Twitter, that's what David Chase said about the end of The Sopranos as well, but that didn't end up being the case.)

Final words: Lindelof's final word about the rest of the final season of Lost? "Water." The jury's still out on just what that means but Lindelof promised that it will become very clear once you watch the remaining episodes of Season Six.

And with that, it was a wrap for the Lost panel at the 2010 Paley Festival. Many thanks to the cast and crew for an insightful, fun, and memorable evening and to the gregarious Paul Scheer for moderating the discussion with the requisite flair of a true Lost fanatic. (If you were there and got to see Scheer read a list of fan-submitted questions he wouldn't be asking, you know how much he nailed it.)

The final season of Lost airs Tuesdays at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Paley Festival: "Modern Family" Cast and Crew Faces Fears, Offers Laughs

I've been raving about Modern Family since I first saw the pilot episode last May, but there's something to be said about watching a truly great comedy with a crowd. Especially when that crowd is 1,600 in number.

Friday night's Modern Family panel, part of the 2010 Paley Festival and the annual television festival's opening event, offered one hell of an evening, due to the genial charms of the ABC comedy series' cast, co-creator Steve Levitan, and director Jason Winer.

Throw in the advance screening of an upcoming episode, this Wednesday's "Fears," (perhaps one of the most hysterical and amazing installments of the series to date) and even Clive Bixby would be proud of this evening.

Joining moderator Billy Bush on stage were cast members Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, and Julie Bowen, as well as director Jason Winer and co-creator Steve Levitan. (Sadly, no Christopher Lloyd--who pled a fear of crowds--nor the amazing Rico Rodriguez, who plays Manny.)

I had very low expectations about Bush hosting the event so perhaps that led to the feeling that he wasn't quite as bad as I thought he would be as a moderator. I'm still scratching my head as to why the folks at the Paley Center thought that Access Hollywood's Billy Bush would be a suitable moderator for their opening event and, though he purports to be a huge fan of Modern Family, Bush spent most of the evening quoting other journalists and parroting their observations rather than making any of his own.

Having said that, his moderation wasn't as much of a trainwreck as I had feared (there have, after all, been far worse moderators over the years) and Bush kept things affably warm and kept the pace moving along briskly. I'd sincerely hope that the Paley Festival organizers think more outside the television personality box next time around but, all things considered, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had envisioned. (Nor the rest of the audience apparently, though an audible groan went out through the crowd when Bush was introduced.)

As for "Fears," it's a brilliant gem of an episode and one that will win the favor of Modern Family's devoted army of fans, possibly becoming one of the series' funniest and winsome episodes to date. (You can look for a full review of the episode later this week.)

It's clear that this is a tight-knit group. Not in the way that some casts are--playing practical jokes on each other, etc.--but rather as a lovey-dovey family, one that only comes together every now and then for table reads, given that most of the series' storylines keep the cast separated for the most part.

Nearly everyone loves to imitate Sofia Vergara's Colombian accent. Ed O'Neill, I have to say, does the best rendition, as he teased Sofia for her confession that she always knew she was beautiful. (Julie Bowen also adorably offered a Sofia rendition as well.)

Another fantastically funny bit from the evening: Eric Stonestreet demonstrating his transformation from his privates-scratching self into the serenely gliding Cameron. Cameron, as we've heard in the past, is partially based on Stonestreet's mother as the heterosexual Stonestreet didn't want to play Cam as stereotypically over-the-top or flamboyant. ("I'm appreciative of all my fans, no matter how much hair they have on their back or their chests," said Stonestreet.)

"Basically, we were just looking not to get kicked off the lot," said Levitan about the impetus for creating Modern Family with co-creator Chris Lloyd. "[We] would come in the morning and just look at each other for a while and then started telling stories about what was happening in our lives. I think it started from the pure place of there were a lot of good things happening in our lives right now, a lot of interesting stories every day [and we thought], 'why don't we just write about that?' I think when you start from a place like that, real and honest, good things tend to happen."

Many of the series' storylines come from events that have actually happened to the cast and the writing staff or their family and friends. One of Modern Family's most memorable and hysterical moments--the so-called "moon landing" experienced by Stonestreet's Cam and O'Neill's Jay--was inspired by an actual occurrence of the phenomenon by writer Bill Wrubel. Barkley, Jay's dog butler statue, was also based on a real story as was Claire's inability to work the entertainment center remote control, a point of major contention in the Levitan household, apparently.

Levitan also revealed that such similarities to life extend all the way back to the pilot. He introduced his son--whom he shot with a BB gun--and his daughter, whose room he walked into wearing his underwear while she was on a video chat. Lloyd's son Owen, meanwhile, owns a burgundy dinner jacket, just like Manny's.

While the cast and crew were tight-lipped about what's coming up on the series, Julie Bowen did tease that an upcoming episode will find Claire in an all-out brawl with a mall security guard, a sequence that was shot at Los Angeles outdoor shopping center, The Grove. And we did learn, definitively, that Fred Willard will be back later this season to reprise his role as Phil's father.

And, allegedly, we will see Mitchell and Cameron be more physically intimate with each other as the series progresses. "Chris and Steve have an arc to this show," said Stonestreet. "You're going to see everything you can ever imagine for Cam and Mitchell. We're going to have sex." (That last bit, obviously, is not entirely true.)

While the series has become known for its guest star, Levitan, Lloyd, and director Winer want to keep the focus on the cast rather than the celebrities who happen to be dropping in. Winer said that otherwise you would have to take away screen time from one of the series' talented ensemble and you wouldn't have the chance to discover new acting talent, such as the guy who played the Skinny Santa in the series' Christmas episode.

And Modern Family fans seem to be coming out of the woodwork. Levitan recounted a story in which a friend of his went to an event in Washington D.C. and saw a man wearing a Clive Bixby name tag. (HA!) Burrell said that a homeless man in Central Park stopped playing a two-stringed fiddle to say that "Not since Frasier has a show come on the air so completely confident about its tone as Modern Family."

Prompted by a question from an audience member about the series' mockumentary structure, Levitan clarified the series' documentary/mockumentary format again.

"Modern Family is a family show told documentary-style, rather than a show that is pretending to be a real documentary," said Levitan. "The simple reason is that I love these characters. I'm very protective of these characters and, if these characters allowed cameras into their homes and into their children's rooms and into their bathroom, I wouldn't like them."

"It's just a way of telling a story that has a little grit and edge," he continued. "The documentary form... allows you to cut to the chase in such a nice way. They have a pacing that gets through the exposition. So that's the main reason we do it."

However, Burrell offered another take on the series' documentary structure, via a theory that his wife came up with. She believes that the camera is in fact the audience. The result is that the viewer takes the part of an unseen member of the family, privy to their thoughts and confessions. After all, it's only the series' central family members who turn to, notice, or interact with the unseen camera.

It's a theory that I would like to agree with. After all, who wouldn't want to be a part of the extended Pritchett clan?

Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Slow March to War: An Advance Review of PBS' "The 39 Steps" on "Masterpiece Classic"

Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 thriller The 39 Steps took the action of John Buchan's World War I espionage novel and transported it forward in time to the 1930s, where the world was on the brink of yet another global war.

As with Buchan's novel, Hitchcock's 39 Steps traced the steps taken by reluctant hero and former spy Richard Hannay as he receives a coded message from a spy who dies in his London apartment and who then finds himself enmeshed in a dangerous conspiracy that puts his life and that of everyone he comes in contact with in jeopardy.

The film, while a gripping masterpiece of intrigue and suspense, took several liberties with the underlying material and a new version of The 39 Steps--starring Spooks' Rupert Penry-Jones--goes back to the source material to craft a new adaptation that is much more in line with Buchan's original novel than Hitchcock's film.

Penry-Jones plays Hannay with the pitch-perfect combination of world-weariness and glinting adrenaline, a man who has seen the horrors of war and who is propelled from being a bored playboy onto the front lines of an invisible war occurring everywhere from the streets of London to a seemingly idyllic country loch in Scotland. Hannay is thrust into the role of being perhaps the one person able to prevent the looming catastrophe (he's given advance warning of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the catalyst for WWI, but is unable to stop it) and is beset by captors from all directions.

As Hannay races to avert a conflict that will forever alter the world, he is wanted for murder by British authorities after he's visited by a freelance spy (Eddie Marsan), who passes along a notebook containing a secret code before he's shot to death in Hannay's kitchen by German operatives... who are hell-bent on retrieving the code that Hannay now possesses. On his own and with nowhere to turn, Hannay sets out to evade everyone on his trail and crack the code that's been entrusted to him by leading to a small town in Scotland that's allegedly a hotbed for German secret agents.

A chance encounter with suffragette Victoria Sinclair (Rome's Lydia Leonard) leads to a partnership as the duo attempt to solve the riddle left in the dead spy's notebook and save Europe from a deadly plot that could put victory in the German's hands.

Written by Lizzie Mickery (Paradox, The State Within) and directed by James Hawes (Doctor Who), The 39 Steps does a fantastic job at capturing the heat and suspense of Buchan's novel, down to the climactic aerial assault by a bi-plane as it attempts to shoot down Hannay and remove him from the equation. (It's a sequence that Hitchcock also memorably used later in North by Northwest but it was Buchan who originated the sequence in "The 39 Steps.")

Penry-Jones offers a performance that renders Hannay both as sympathetic and deadly; he's a man who is extremely clever and defiantly self-reliant who meets his match in the headstrong Victoria Sinclair. There's a nice sense of sexual tension as well as glaring equality in their banter and battle strategies. Leonard portrays Victoria as a daughter of privilege who sees that her gilded cage of gentrified womanhood is just that: a glittering cage. And the plot gives Victoria the chance to prove that she is just as potent, cunning, and crafty as Hannay himself.

All in all, The 39 Steps is a delicious throwback to a bygone era and the sort of film that's absolutely perfect to curl up in front of and lose yourself in on a Sunday evening (or any evening, really). Offering both some well-crafted bon mots and vintage firefights, The 39 Steps is a reminder of the tenuousness of our modern world and that heroes--and villains--may emerge from the most unlikely of places.



The 39 Steps airs Sunday evening as part of PBS' Masterpiece Classic. Check your local listings for details.

Channel Surfing: "Lost" Star O'Quinn Shops Hitman Series, "Caprica" Cylon and Enforcer Speak, "Doctor Who," Farina and Oritz Find "Luck," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

This is a series I want to watch: Locke and Ben as cutthroat buddies. Well, sort of, anyway. TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Lost's Terry O'Quinn is shopping a bible for a series that would star him and fellow Lost cast member Michael Emerson, in which the duo would play suburban hit men who must balance their work and home lives. "I really hope this works out because Michael would be in his prime in this," O'Quinn told Keck. "We’d play kind of awkward partners." Michael Emerson, meanwhile, is more than open to working alongside Quinn again. "It’s very sweet of him," Emerson told Keck. "I’m all in favor of it. Any reason to work with Terry again." (TV Guide Magazine)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has an interview with Caprica stars Sasha Roiz and Alessandra Torresani about what's coming up on the series and how their characters fit into the larger themes and storylines that the series is weaving together. "You can see the attraction [STO] has for the younger generation, because you can see how the [adult] generation has gone off the rails, morally," said Sasha Roiz, who plays Tauron mob enforcer Sam Adama. "There's a whole movement by the younger generation to create a new world and a new moral code." Look, meanwhile, for Torresani's virtual Zoe to mature over the next batch of episodes. "She's her own person," Torresani told Ryan about the avatar Zoe. "That's what you learn. She really grows up a lot on the show, compared to how she was in the pilot." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

BBC America has announced an April 17th launch date for Season Five of British sci-fi series Doctor Who, starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. Among the locales the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond will be travelling to this season: "sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space." (Televisionary)

Dennis Farina (Law & Order) and John Ortiz (Public Enemies) have been cast in David Milch and Michael Mann's HBO drama pilot Luck, set in the world of horse racing. Farina will play Gus Economou, the longtime chauffeur to Chester "Ace" Bernstain, a criminal who has his sights set on pulling off a complex plan involving the racetrack. Ortiz will play Turo Escalante, described as "a successful trainer with sordid reputation." Milch wrote the pilot script, which will be directed by Mann; they'll executive produce alongside Carolyn Strauss and Henry Bronchtein. (Hollywood Reporter)

Three former ER stars have landed projects this pilot season: David Lyons has been cast as the lead in NBC vigilante drama pilot The Cape, where he will play a disgraced cop who becomes a hero; Shane West will star opposite Maggie Q in the CW action drama pilot Nikita, where he will play the agent whose task is to apprehend the rogue Nikita; and Laura Innes has joined the cast of NBC drama pilot The Event. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jurnee Smollett (Friday Night Lights) has been cast in CBS legal drama pilot Defenders, where she will play new associate Lisa opposite Jim Belushi. "Smollett is expected to shoot the Defenders pilot before returning to Austin in April to begin work on FNL’s fifth and (sigh) final season," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot casting roundup: Malcolm Barrett (Better Off Ted) has been cast as one of the leads in FOX comedy pilot Most Likely to Succeed; Ravi Patel (Past Life) has been cast as the lead in FOX comedy pilot Nirvana (formerly known as Nevermind Nirvana); Tommy Dewey (Roommates) and Suzy Nakamura (Men of a Certain Age) will star opposite Sarah Chalke in ABC comedy pilot Freshmen; Patti LuPone (Oz) has joined the cast of CBS comedy pilot Open Books; and Eloise Mumford (Crash) has been cast in FOX drama pilot Midland. (Hollywood Reporter)

Spike has renewed sports comedy Blue Mountain State for a second season of thirteen episodes. (Variety)

It's official: Starz has cancelled struggling drama series Crash. The announcement was made yesterday on a conference call with investors as Starz confirmed that they will not go ahead with the series due to disappointing ratings. (Hollywood Reporter)

There are other suitors in the mix to host Comic-Con, whose contract with the San Diego Convention Center ends in 2012. Among the cities vying for the hosting rights: Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, along with San Diego itself, which has submitted a proposal to keep the convention there through 2015. "They know what the concerns are, and each proposal really tries to address those," said David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for Comic-Con Intl. "It's not about how big we want to see it grow," Glanzer said. "We just want to accommodate those who want to attend." (Variety)

Broadcasting & Cable's Alex Weprin is reporting that Animal Planet has renewed docuseries Pit Boss for a second season of fourteen episodes, set to launch this summer. As with Season One, series will follow former felon "Shorty" Rossi as he dedicates his life to rescuing pit bulls. (Broadcasting & Cable)

Gillian Zinser has been promoted to series regular on the CW's 90210, where she plays tomboy Ivy Sullivan. (Hollywood Reporter)

Variety's Stuart Levine is reporting that the Television Critics Association has locked in its date for the 2010 TCA Summer Press Tour, which will be held at the Beverly Hilton. Tour begins July 27th with the broadcasters (NBC is up first) before cable takes over between August 6-8th. (Variety)

BBC is likely to cut its US acquisitions by a third, according to a report in today's Times following a strategic review of the broadcasting corporation. "Director-general Mark Thompson wants to cut the corp.'s annual acquisitions budget of around £100 million ($152 million) by 25%, according to the Times, which has clearly seen a leaked document relating to the review," writes Variety's Steve Clarke. "Currently the BBC gains a lot of credibility from upscale auds by showing such U.S. fare as The Wire, Heroes and Mad Men. But in an effort to appease commercial media companies that have been hit hard by the economic downturn and the emergence of digital media, the BBC topper wants to trim coin spent on U.S. imports and re-invest it in 'distinctive' British shows." (Variety)

TV Land has renewed Joan Rivers' How'd You Get So Rich for a second season of six episodes. Series, executive produced by Mark Burnett, Barry Poznick, and John Stevens, will launch on the cabler on May 5th. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

BBC America Announces US Launch Date for Season Five of "Doctor Who," Two Weeks Behind UK Broadcast

BBC America today announced the launch date for Season Five of British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Those hoping that BBC America would air Doctor Who within a few days of the BBC One broadcast may be slightly disappointed. The cabler has announced a launch date of Saturday, April 17th for Season Five of Doctor Who, a full two weeks behind the UK broadcast, which launches on Easter Saturday, April 3rd.

The new season of Doctor Who features a new head writer--Steven Moffat--who takes over showrunning duties from former executive producer Russell T. Davies, as well as a new cast as Matt Smith takes over the mantle of the Doctor from former star David Tennant. He'll be joined in the TARDIS by Karen Gillan, who plays new companion Amy Pond. (Guest stars this season include FlashForward's Alex Kingston, Hotel Rwanda's Sophie Okonedo, and 24's Tony Curran.)

"Britain has a tradition of reinventing its iconic characters, like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes - and Doctor Who," said Richard De Croce, Senior Vice President Programming, BBC America, in a statement. "In introducing the Eleventh Doctor, writer Steven Moffat is opening the show to a whole new audience, while serving fans with an exciting mix of inter galactic, time travelling adventures. We can't wait to meet his new Doctor!"

BBC America describes Season Five of Doctor Who as thus: "Travelling both through time and space, the new series has the mysterious Doctor and Amy Pond together exploring sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space. The first three episodes of the 13-episode series have been confirmed as 'The Eleventh Hour,' written by Steven Moffat, 'The Beast Below,' also by Moffat and 'Victory of the Daleks' by Mark Gatiss."

The full press release from BBC America can be found below.

THE NEW DOCTOR WHO ARRIVES ON BBC AMERICA IN APRIL
Starring Matt Smith with lead writer Steven Moffat

New York - February 25, 2010 - BBC AMERICA announced today that the new era of the BBC’s iconic BAFTA-winning drama, Doctor Who, will make its U.S. premiere on Saturday, April 17, 2010, soon after the UK broadcast.

Doctor Who, BBC AMERICA’s highest rated series ever, continues its tradition of rebooting with new lead actors and creative team. Matt Smith debuts as the new, Eleventh incarnation of the famous Time Lord alongside a new travelling companion, the enigmatic Amy Pond (Karen Gillan).

“Britain has a tradition of reinventing its iconic characters, like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes - and Doctor Who. In introducing the Eleventh Doctor, writer Steven Moffat is opening the show to a whole new audience, while serving fans with an exciting mix of inter galactic, time travelling adventures. We can't wait to meet his new Doctor!" comments Richard De Croce, Senior Vice President Programming, BBC AMERICA.

BAFTA-winning writer Steven Moffat, creator of some of the most frightening and award-winning Doctor Who episodes to date, takes over as lead writer and executive producer. Writers for the new series include Richard Curtis (The Boat that Rocked, Love Actually), Chris Chibnall (Law & Order UK, Torchwood), Toby Whithouse (Being Human, Torchwood), Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock) and Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly, Hardware).

Guest stars include SAG Award winner Alex Kingston (ER, Flash Forward), Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo (The Secret Life of Bees, Hotel Rwanda) and Tony Curran (24).

Travelling both through time and space, the new series has the mysterious Doctor and Amy Pond together exploring sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space. The first three episodes of the 13-episode series have been confirmed as The Eleventh Hour, written by Steven Moffat, The Beast Below, also by Moffat and Victory of the Daleks by Mark Gatiss.

Moffat’s work includes the hit comedy Coupling, the critically-acclaimed thriller Jekyll, the new BBC series Sherlock and along with Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, the screenplay for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn - which is being directed by Steven Spielberg.

Piers Wenger (Ashes to Ashes) and Beth Willis (Ashes to Ashes) are the executive producers. It is a BBC Wales production for BBC ONE and distributed by BBC Worldwide.

The Daily Beast: "Hollywood Takes on Autism"

Over at The Daily Beast, you can find my latest piece, entitled "Hollywood Takes on Autism."

The article explores the portrayals of people with autism spectrum disorders in pop culture, from films like Dear John and Adam to television series like Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, Community, and The Big Bang Theory.

I also talk to some of theses projects' creators--including Community creator Dan Harmon and Parenthood showrunner Jason Katims--about why they are--or aren't--labeling their characters as autistic.

Head to the comments section to be sure and let me know what your take is on this trend and whether it matters or not that these characters are labeled or whether it's the discussion of neurodiversity that their presence creates that's far more important.

Channel Surfing: NBC Shelves "Prime Suspect," Adam Rodriguez Returns to "CSI: Miami," "Life Unexpected," Tim Blake Nelson Dives Into "Chaos," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

NBC has shelved its planned US remake of British crime drama Prime Suspect, postponing production on the Mick Jackson-directed pilot to June, due to casting issues. Project, from writer/executive producer Hank Steinberg and Universal Media Studios, had encountered serious difficulties in casting the lead, a female detective who solves crime amid a "politically loaded big city," a role played by Helen Mirren in the original UK series. But don't count the US Prime Suspect out just yet. "Peacock reps stressed that it remains high on the project," according to Variety's Jon Weisman. "The hope is that after the pilot season frenzy dies down they'll have more time to sift through a range of contenders for the part." (Hollywood Reporter, Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to CSI: Miami's Adam Rodriguez to find out just what happened between his failing to reach a new contract with CBS and his sudden announcement that he (and character Eric Delko) would be back as a series regular for Season Nine of the CBS procedural drama. "We got to a crossroads last year where [CBS and I] wanted different things," Rodriguez told Ausiello. "And one thing that was important was going back to finish the character properly. I think when the fans got the news that Delko wasn’t going to be back full-time and when they actually saw he wasn’t back full-time, they felt there was something missing from the show. They were very vocal about that and I have to give credit to CBS that they paid attention to it." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Breanne L. Heldman and Jennifer Godwin are reporting that the CW's Life Unexpected has a real shot at being renewed for a second season. "Creatively, Life Unexpected is in a great place, and it's doing well," said CW president Dawn Ostroff. "It had a really good night last night, and we've been airing it twice a week, and we get as many viewers sometimes on the second run as we do on the first run—it's not duplicated viewers, it's new viewers. LUX is actually doing quite well for us. We're very proud of the show... I would say it's got a real shot at this point." Less certain: the future of Melrose Place, which depends on how well the remaining episodes perform. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Tim Blake Nelson (The Incredible Hulk) has been cast in CBS drama pilot Chaos, about a group of rogue CIA operatives who battle "bureaucratic gridlock, rampant incompetence and political infighting." Nelson will play Michael Dorset, "a trained psychologist-turned-Core Collector at the CIA who leads the ODS (Office of Disruptive Services) team" who is "a tactical genius and can't understand why Rick (Freddie Rodriguez) was chosen for the team." Project, from 20th Century Fox Television, is written by Tom Spezialy and directed by Brett Ratner. (Hollywood Reporter)

A&E has given a series order to drama Sugarloaf, ordering 13 episodes of the Fox Television Studios-produced drama that will air this summer. Series--which stars Matt Passmore, Kiele Sanchez, and Carlos Gomez--revolves around a homicide detective who is forced to leave Chicago after a sex scandal and settles in a sleepy down on Florida's Gulf Coast, where he becomes enmeshed in a murder investigation. Project was created by Clifton Campbell, who will executive produce alongside Gary Randall. (Variety)

Pilot casting alert: Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls) and Sarah Roemer (Fired Up!) have joined the cast of NBC drama pilot The Event; Megan Boone (My Bloody Valentine) has been cast as the lead in the CW's untitled Amy Holden James medical drama pilot (a.k.a. HMS) and Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy) and Tasso Feldman (CSI: NY) have also come on board; Ben Lawson (The Deep End) will star opposite Sarah Chalke in Greg Malins' ABC comedy pilot Freshmen; David Denman (The Office) will star opposite Nelson Franklin in FOX comedy pilot Traffic Light; Kelly Hu (CSI: NY) has joined the cast of CBS drama pilot The Odds; and John Carroll Lynch (K-Ville), Windell Middlebrooks (Scrubs), and Geoffrey Arend (Trust Me) have come aboard Chris Murphey's ABC drama pilot Body of Evidence. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other pilot casting news, Jason Jones (The Daily Show) has been cast as the lead in ABC comedy pilot How to Be a Better American, in which he'll play a husband and father who decides to become a better person and drags his family along for the ride. (Hollywood Reporter)

Showtime has ordered a pilot presentation for an untitled half-hour comedy to star comedians Neal Brennan and Dov Davidoff, who will play "comedians who begin each day at a coffee shop discussing dating, relationships and other personal matters. As they tell each other stories, the show will veer into sketches, man-on-the-street interviews and other elements to enhance the themes the two discuss." Project, from Chernin Entertainment and Fox21, will be written and executive produced by Brennan and Davidoff. (Variety)

Could Comic-Con be moving from San Diego to Anaheim? It's at least within the realm of possibility as the city of Anaheim this week confirmed that they have submitted a bid to the Comic-Con board to host the annual event in 2013 at the Anaheim Convention Center. But San Diego isn't losing the convention without a fight either as the San Diego convention center has submitted its own proposal, one that would keep Comic-Con in San Diego through 2015. (Hollywood Reporter)

Disney Channel has ordered telepic Sixteen Wishes, about a girl (Debby Ryan) who celebrates her 16th birthday and discovers that what she wished for isn't all it's cracked up to be. Project, which will air this summer, is written by Annie DeYoung and directed by Peter DeLuise. (Variety)

Leslie Moonves is staying put at CBS. Moonves has signed a new five-year contract that will keep him as president/CEO of CBS through February 2015. New deal replaces his old contract, which was to expired in September 2011, but his base salary--$3.5 million per year--will remain the same. "Leslie is a superb executive who has led CBS to a position of unparalleled leadership in the industry," said CBS Corp. chairman Sumner Redstone in a statement. "This agreement not only secures the future of the company for many years to come, it also further aligns and strengthens the interests of the chief executive with those of our shareholders." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

To the Lighthouse: Through the Looking Glass on "Lost"

I wonder what Kitty and Snowdrop would say about all of this...

Last night's evocative and compelling episode of Lost ("Lighthouse"), written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed by Jack Bender, offered an intriguing--if somewhat polarizing--exploration about the nature of perception, blending together the fantasy of Lewis Carroll with the modern psychology of Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse."

While several critics have expressed their frustration with this installment, I have to say that I was just as captivated as I have been throughout this season and I thought that this episode provided some further answers while also bringing up some new questions. It was also a throwback to a simpler time on Lost, when the characters could wander the jungle on a specific mission without the stakes seeming quite so dire. Yes, even then they were caught up in the war between two cosmic individuals, but they didn't perceive it as such. For them, it was about survival and about getting home; little did they know that their actions were part of a larger battle between good and evil, or efforts to balance the moral scale.

As Jack and Hurley retraced their steps from the first season and came upon a mysterious new location on the island, the Lost-X Jack grappled with the responsibilities of fatherhood and the burden his own past as his father's son placed upon him and Jin discovered that living in the jungle by yourself for three years does not make you a rational or sane person.

So what did I think of this week's episode? Get a pen, whip out your Chopin sheet music, sharpen that axe, and let's head to the "Lighthouse."

While not my favorite episode of the series, I felt that the thought-provoking and engaging "Lighthouse," the series' 108th installment, offered a unique opportunity to take a look back and forward at the same time, to again remind us that we are the sum of our experiences and that our pasts, presents, and futures are inexorably connected. We're given three means of exploring the themes of experience and perception: the journey that Jack and Hurley embark on to the lighthouse, Jin's encounter with a much-changed Claire, and the struggle between Lost-X Jack and his son David.

Lost-X. In the sideways storyline, Jack is a divorced father of an estranged teenage son David. He only sees his son once a month and their relationship is about as close as any father and teenage son, built on misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and perceptions of thwarted potential. While Jack blames himself for not being around for his son, for not knowing him, David carries the burden of not living up to his father's potential. But Jack isn't Christian and David isn't Jack: He won't tell his son that he doesn't have what it takes.

The two are able to break the cycle that Jack and Christian were in as Jack goes on a journey to find his son (both literally and figuratively) and discovers that he hasn't quit piano but is auditioning for a place at a prestigious musical conservatory (the audition sign fittingly reads "welcome all candidates") and Jack is able to see his son play Chopin's "Fantaisie-Impromptu," before confronting his errant son and telling him that he loves him unconditionally and that his son could never fail him, a reversal of his relationship with his father Christian.

It's interesting that this Jack would prove to be an unworthy father attempting--and achieving--a positive relationship with his son. In the mainstream Lost universe, Jack's efforts to be a father to his nephew Aaron completely imploded and resulted in him splitting from Kate and leaving Aaron. Could it be that the Lost-X universe is a place where people are able to achieve their heart's desire? A place where the psychological damage witnessed via the flashbacks is undone, where they have a second chance to get things right?

The presence of David also raises some interesting issues, a smoking gun indicating that this universe is vastly different than the one we've been watching all along. The changes made by The Incident didn't just result in Oceanic Flight 815 touching down. Rather, the foundations of the castaways' lives have been rewritten dramatically: Locke and his father are on good terms and he and Helen are about to be happily married, Hurley has good luck rather than bad, and Jack is the father of a teenage son. (Which itself raises the question: who is David's mother? My guess: Juliet Burke.)

But there are other differences here as well. Lost-X Jack also had his appendix removed, but as a child rather than as an adult on the island. (Christian himself wanted to perform the surgery, when Jack was "seven or eight.") The scar is there, he vaguely remembers the surgery, but something is off, something at the back of his brain screaming at him that this isn't "right." Like Juliet back on the island, this Jack would seem to have some inkling about the other world...

And then there was Lost-X Dogen, appearing at the audition, himself the father of a teenage son who offers Jack some sage wisdom: both that it is difficult to watch and be unable to help their offspring (succeed or fail) and that David has a "gift." (In other words: he's special, potentially just like Walt was.) Interesting them meeting like this and I couldn't help but wonder just who the well-tailored Dogen is in this world... and how it's connected to his role as temple master on the island.

Jack and Hurley. Back on the island, Hurley receives another visit from the ghostly Jacob, who gives him explicit instruction for a mission that he and Jack are to attend to, a mission that gets them far away from The Temple and the visitor who is due there. (Which, we can assume, is Smokey.) Together, they retrace their steps, visiting the caves from Season One, the corpses of Adam and Eve (yes!), and the site of Christian's coffin. (Also making an appearance: Shannon's inhaler.) It's only fitting that Jack should have to confront the specter of his dead father (and the lack of a corpse) as his Lost-X counterpart does the same in his world. Echoing many fan theories, Hurley questions whether the bodies of Adam and Eve could in fact belong to the castaways and that, if they hurtle through time again, they could end up being buried in the cave.

The Lighthouse. Jacob's mission has lead them to a stone structure on the edge of the island, a lighthouse that Jacob intends them to use to bring someone to the island by turning the lighthouse's mirrors (more on them in a bit) to 108 degrees, the sum of the repeated numbers, the episode number, and the time lapse between pushing the button in the Swan station. Given the fact that the visitor is a "he," my first instinct is that the man destined to arrive will be Desmond Hume, despite the fact that the 108 degree mark reads "Wallace" (which happens, however, to be a Scottish name).

The fire bowl is surrounded by names at each of the 360 degrees, which reveals that the numbers themselves correspond to a perfect circle, with each degree relating to a specific individual, likely all candidates sprinkled through time. Austen is represented here (at 51), as are the other names we saw in the cave, as well as many, many others that hadn't yet been seen. The presence of the names makes me wonder if the lighthouse belongs to Jacob while the cave--with its darkness and chaotic lists--belong to the Man in Black, representing once again the duality of light and darkness. Here, there is a methodical orderliness to the list, a crisp logic that's at odds with the haphazard nature of the list in the cave. Hmmm...

I don't believe that Jack was brought there to turn the lighthouse on but rather to see and understand that he does have a purpose. He might have been broken after leaving the island but he is meant to be there, meant to be a part of something larger, something profound and ancient that is bigger than just him. Jacob knew that Jack would see the reflection of his childhood home at the 23rd degree... and would smash the lighthouse looking-glass. He's finally understanding that he has a part to play and he must come to his own conclusion about what that is, a sentiment echoed by the ghostly Jacob to Hurley. Jack will come to his own course of action after he "look[s] out at the ocean for a while," according to Jacob (and echoing Virginia Woolf). You can't just jump in everyone's cab and tell them what to do, after all...

Claire. Living on her own in the jungle--or nearly on her own, anyway--has resulted in a feral Claire who looks and acts rather like Danielle Rousseau. Just like Rousseau, she is trapped in a battle with the Others, whom she believes has taken her baby, although they're obviously not to blame. She's descended into madness and likely infection and she was treated by Dogen at the Temple, injected with needles and branded (like Sayid) before she escaped.

Which makes me wonder several things: Why did Claire wander off into the jungle, leaving Aaron behind, in the first place? Where was she in her time before her jungle living? Why would her "father" and her "friend" tell her that the Others had Aaron when it was Kate who had taken him and raised him off-island?

We learn at the episode's very end that Claire's "friend" is none other than the Man in Black, whom she knows isn't John Locke. I can't help but wonder if she's able to perceive him in his true guise or if she just recognizes him even wearing Locke's body. I can understand why Smokey would look to create chaos by tricking Claire into thinking that the Others had her child but why would Christian do that. Unless...

Christian. We believed that "Christian" was good based on the fact that he appeared to be helping Locke and the others and told Locke that he was appearing on behalf of Jacob. But that's very convenient and Christian's advice lead directly to Locke turning the wheel... and being killed by Ben before his body was brought to the island and the Man in Black was able to use his loophole to kill Jacob.

That Christian would be telling Claire that the Others have Aaron and whispering lies to her makes me believe that the Christian we've seen has been either the Man in Black directly or working in his employ. The fact that Christian's corpse is still missing, even after six seasons, seems vitally important, as does the fact that Claire differentiates between Christian and Smokey. If Smokey wasn't using Christian's appearance, then is it possible that Christian is a recruit for Smokey? And just where is he now? Hmmm...

Jin. In an effort to save Justin's life (pity Claire killed him anyway), Jin attempted to tell Claire the truth about Aaron and reveal that Kate had raised him, thus subverting the prophecy that Claire had been told about not allowing Aaron to be raised by anyone else. But demonstrating her new streak of cruelty, Claire killed Justin anyway and then forced Jin to recant his statement, saying that he lied in order to protect harm from befalling Justin. Which is probably a smart move as Claire is now completely mad and told Jin that she would have killed Kate if that had been the truth. Which presents a real problem as Kate is headed right for them and will likely come clean to Claire as soon as she sees her. Not very good for Kate Austen, that.

The Looking-Glass. It's only fitting that Lewis Carroll's fantasy masterpiece "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There" should hover over the action here. Both adventures tell the story of an individual who finds themselves in a fantastical world where they cannot manage to comprehend the rules that exist around them, rather like the castaways on the island. Like "Through the Looking-Glass," we're given a portrait of a world that on the surface is like ours (the Lost-X universe) but with some distinct differences, a topsy-turvy universe where not everything is "right."

Lost has dealt with "Alice" before: two episodes were given titles straight out of Carroll's work ("White Rabbit" and "Through the Looking-Glass") but the Victorian novels are decidedly important to this specific episode, which--like the others in question were--was a Jack-centric installment. In the Lost-X universe, Jack's son David is rereading "Alice in Wonderland," a book that Jack had read to his son when he was a child. Mention is made of Alice's two kittens, Kitty and Snowdrop, a pair reflecting the white-black duality so prevalent on the series.

Jack locates a key to his ex-wife's house under a statue of a rabbit and David plays Chopin's "Fantaisie-Impromptu." (The latter is fitting given the fantastical nature of both "Alice" and Lost.) But the references to "Alice" don't just play out in the Lost-X world. As Jack and Hurley retrace their steps, Jack remembers how he found the cave: led by the ghost of his father Christian, the figurative white rabbit, down the rabbit hole and to the location of his coffin.

And, even more significant, is the actual looking-glass that exists within the mysterious lighthouse to which Hurley leads Jack at Jacob's behest. While the building appears to be a working lighthouse, albeit one without electricity, the angle to which the mirror is turned reflects not the light but rather someplace else, someplace other. We're given glimpses of the temple where Sun and Jin were married, the church where Sawyer's parents funeral was held, and Jack's childhood home.

Jacob has long maintained that each of the individuals assembled has a purpose and was brought to the island for a reason. He visited several of them at key moments in their lives, appearing as if by providence to offer his guidance and offer his blessing. The reveal that the lighthouse is able to display places off-island is perhaps a very important and significant one. Jack is frustrated by the fact that he has been observed all along, been watched, and perhaps been pushed into place. Jacob's knowledge of the castaways is built on years of surveillance.

But why display Jack's childhood home? A sign of a formative time or something deeper? While he may not have lived in that house since he was a child, the foundation of his character was built there and his defining traits forged in the fire of conflict with Christian. Additionally, the house is an important stop on the journey this week of Lost-X Jack, as he returns to help his mother Margot track down his father's will... and learns about the existence of his sister, Claire Littleton.

My current (and possibly off-the-wall theory) is that the flashbacks we've seen over the years were in fact the moments that were seen by Jacob at the looking-glass. I've long wondered if Jacob either exists outside the boundaries of time and space (thus able to manifest as both his past incarnation--the bloodied teenage boy--and his ghostly adult self and appear off- and on-island) or is able to perceive the world through the veil of time, perhaps aided by the looking-glass. Just as Smokey was able to scan the castaways upon coming upon them (as seen when he "reads" Mr. Eko way back when), Jacob is perhaps able to watch these key moments unfold. Which would therefore make the flashbacks not only key plot points but also integral to the larger narrative, giving us an plot-based explanation for why they exist within the series and making Jacob not just a player in the larger game but also one of us as well: a viewer, privy to these characters' pasts in a way that only an omniscient narrator can be. Curious...

As I mentioned before, Virgina Woolf's novel "To the Lighthouse" also plays a significant role here beside for the obvious overlaps of titles. Woolf's novel concerned the ways in which we perceive both the universe around us and our selves. Like Lost, Woolf's novel unfolds in a non-linear fashion, with characters offering shifting perspectives and stream of consciousness: the past blends into the present, which blends into the past. Likewise, the flashbacks aren't just relegated to the past of the castaways but connected concretely to their present experiences, as if they were unfolding concurrently.

Woolf's novel has three sections, the first of which is "The Window," which corresponds to the lighthouse's looking-glass (and to Carroll's as well) and Jack and Hurley's travel. It's a means to view something separate, a portal to somewhere else, but it's the means of perception that's just as important for each of us sees and perceives the world around us--and ourselves--in very different ways. The second section, "Time Passes," deals with the matter of temporality, a subject very key to Lost itself, as characters die, change, and are altered. (In other words: the Claire section.) The third and final section, "The Lighthouse," deals with the actual journey to the lighthouse, a journey that is based around a shared experience between a father and son (much like Christian and Jack and Jack and David), in which the son is praised rather than scolded. Much like Jack encourages and supports David, telling him that he loves him unconditionally, instead of castigating him. (The Lost-X Jack section.)

Lost's Lighthouse functions in a similar fashion to Woolf's, offering a means to perceive the world outside the island and--quite potentially--the other possible worlds as well. It's fitting perhaps that Lost-X Jack is aware of something being "off" about his world just as our Jack stumbles onto a means of otherworldly perception. Coincidence?

As for why the castaways never saw the lighthouse before, Hurley offered a succinct explanation: stating that they couldn't see it because they weren't looking for it. If that's not a thundering example of the power of perception, I don't know what is. In other words: seek and you will find your answers, just as Jacob knows that Jack will have to find his own path to understanding.

The Temple. Something bad is about to befall the current inhabitants of The Temple and I can't help but feel that it involves Smokey in a bad way. He's been recruiting followers and now has Sawyer, Claire, and (reluctantly) Jin with him and I dare say that the ash that Dogen has placed around the Temple gateway will matter little, especially if Sayid is in fact infected. I can't help but feel that the infection will spread the closer that Smokey gets to the Temple and that, quite possibly, everyone in those walls, including Sayid and Miles, are utterly doomed.

All in all, another intriguing and emotionally complex installment of Lost that offered some answers, raised some further questions, and made me anxious for next week already. Now where did that white rabbit get to?

What did you think of this week's episode? Agree with my theories? Curious about Jack's ex-wife? Who is the visitor arriving on the island? Discuss.

Next week on Lost ("Sundown"), Sayid is faced with a difficult decision, and Claire sends a warning to the temple inhabitants.

Fallen Souffle: The Winners Revealed on the Season Finale of "Last Restaurant Standing"

I'm not even sure what to say about Last Restaurant Standing at this point.

Last night's season finale of Last Restaurant Standing ("The Banquet") proved to me that the producers have irreparably damaged this once promising and engaging format.

It's rare for me to go from obsessively loving a series to loathing it from one season to the next but the third season of this culinary competition series (which airs in the UK as The Restaurant) has been so shockingly dismal and so poorly produced that it took all of my energy to keep watching it to the (very) bitter end.

Yes, a winner was named last night for the third season and I can't help but be shocked and depressed by the results, which proves the producers--and quite possibly Raymond Blanc himself--were more interested in concept and uniqueness than in finding partners who could actually, you know, cook.

Just to get to the point: Raymond offered a restaurant to the woefully inadequate JJ and James. While it's not to say that Chris and Nathan were without their faults (Nathan in particular), I have to say that I'm really, really frustrated by this turn of events, which seem to undermine everything that the series is purportedly based upon. What is the point of culinary challenges if the winner of the season didn't need to have cooked at all? What's the point of watching dinner services when the alleged chef is merely expediting orders instead of getting his hands dirty?

Throughout this season, JJ managed to get by without cooking very much... and when he did cook, it was often absolutely disastrous. Last night's banquet dinner was no exception. He produced a glue-like risotto, got lucky with the beef, and failed to produce the requisite souffle, which had been specifically requested by the clients. Yes, JJ was able to create a souffle-like cocktail using egg whites, blackberries, and champagne, which the guests adored, but that wasn't what had been asked for and it certainly wasn't even a dessert course. His lack of experience and knowledge about food was glaringly obvious to everyone he came across.

I don't deny that he can make a mean cocktail because he can; it's clearly his forte, his passion, and his knowledge base. But that doesn't mean that he should open a restaurant with James. They are clearly more suited to opening a bar than beginning a partnership with famed chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc.

But James and JJ have somehow managed to blag their way into the winners' circle. Sarah said repeatedly that they were consummate blaggers and it's true: these two have pulled off quite an impressive con, considering that they can't cook to save their lives and entered a culinary competition. They're flash showmen, charming confidence men, and exceptionally lucky that their competitors weren't flashier, more charming, or more lucky. (They're also lucky that the talent pool this season was, for the most part, rather shallow.)

Raymond, Sarah, and David seemed more taken with JJ and James' overall restaurant concept than they were with Chris and Nathan's Rags and Riches concept. The former could function--with some serious hard work, marketing, and publicity--as an offbeat restaurant chain concept, particularly if they snag a liquor license. Chris and Nathan's concept--which I take to be fine dining on a budget--doesn't work quite so well in the high street but could work quite well as a one-off with some proper attention and guidance.

But it was the awarding of the top prize to blaggers JJ and James that really made me angry and all but erased any goodwill I have towards this once-fantastic series. What is the point of a culinary competition series when actual cooking ability would appear to have no weight whatsoever? When a competitor can fail to make a risotto or a souffle and still walk away a winner? When someone can squeak out of any cooking duties on a regular basis and still wind up being a partner with Raymond Blanc?

Should the series return for a fourth go-around, I hope that the producers have a serious rethink about the format changes they made this season and the casting directors put out their feelers in more suitable directions and lure in some contestants that not only have a passion for food, and a desire to open a restaurant of their own, but also some genuine culinary skill and ability.

What did you make of this season and of the winners? Would you come back for another season of Last Restaurant Standing or are you ready for the check?

Next week on Last Restaurant Standing ("Winners Story"), the winners of Season Two are followed as they work with Raymond Blanc to transform an old pub into the restaurant of their dreams.

Channel Surfing: Production on "Two and a Half Men" Shut Down as Sheen Enters Rehab, "Torchwood," David Anders Finds "Vampire Diaries," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Production on CBS comedy Two and a Half Men has been temporarily shut down after series lead Charlie Sheen checked himself into a rehab clinic. His decision comes on the heels of some serious legal troubles for the star of the Warner Bros. Television-produced series after his arrest in December and a domestic violence charge against his wife Brooke Mueller. (Variety, New York Times)

CBS' Nina Tassler, Warner Bros. Television's Peter Roth, and executive producer Chuck Lorre issued the following joint statement: "CBS, Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre support Charlie Sheen in his decision today to begin voluntary in-patient care at a treatment center. We wish him nothing but the best as he deals with this personal matter. Production on Two and a Half Men will be temporarily suspended." [Editor: it's a bit of an about-face for Lorre, who had cracked a joke at the TCA Winter Press Tour when asked about Sheen's problems.] (via press release)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian takes a look at what's next for Two and a Half Men with Sheen in rehab. He states that CBS is in good shape, with three eps in the can, and plenty of time to produce installments for May sweeps, should Sheen become available. If he's not, Adalian asserts that CBS could move on without Sheen. "There's a rich history of TV sitcoms moving on -- both short-term and long-term -- without their key stars." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Looks like John Barrowman knows just as much about the future of Torchwood as we do. "I don't know if we're gonna be filming Torchwood," said Barrowman when asked whether his upcoming stint on ABC's Desperate Housewives would clash with duties on BBC drama Torchwood. "I haven't heard anything. I haven't heard anything about what you're talking about! I only know that I would - at the drop of a hat - love to do Torchwood again. I would love to do more than five episodes. But if we're only going to do five episodes, I'm happy with that... I have no information on the future of Torchwood - I'm like everybody else at the moment! But I would love to do another Torchwood." (Digital Spy)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that David Anders (24, Heroes) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on the CW's Vampire Diaries, where he will play Jonathan Gilbert, Elena and Jeremy's uncle who travels to Mystic Falls "to cause some trouble," according to Vampire Diaries insider. Anders' first appearance is set to air in April. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot casting alert: Kelli Giddish (Past Life) has been cast as the lead in Jerry Bruckheimer's NBC drama pilot Chase; Ben Chaplin (Dorian Grey) will star in David E. Kelley's NBC drama pilot Kindreds; former Saturday Night Live star Casey Wilson has been cast in ABC comedy pilot Happy Endings; Domenick Lombardozzi (The Wire) will star opposite Laz Alonso in FOX drama pilot Breakout Kings; Eric Lange (Lost) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Sherri) have joined the cast of ABC drama pilot True Blue; Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show) has come on board Josh Schwartz's CBS comedy pilot Hitched; Swoosie Kurtz (Pushing Daisies) has joined the cast of Chuck Lorre's CBS comedy pilot Mike and Molly; Leven Rambin (Grey's Anatomy), Vanessa Marano (Dexter), and Carlos Bernard (24) have joined the cast of ABC's summer dramedy series Scoundrels; and Valerie Cruz (The Dresden Files, True Blood) has been cast in Shonda Rhimes' ABC medical drama pilot Off the Map. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Elon Gold (Stacked) has joined the cast of FOX's Bones in a potentially recurring role. Gold, who will first appear in April, will play a love interest for Tamara Taylor's Cam. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has given a pilot order to multi-camera comedy Southern Discomfort, about a father whose live is disrupted when his adult children move back in with him. Project, from Sony Pictures Television and Tantamount, is written by Chad Kultgen, who will executive produce with Rob Long, Eric Tannenbaum, and Kim Tannenbaum. Order comes after ABC shelved comedy pilot Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid. (Hollywood Reporter)

In Plain Sight writer David Graziano has signed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television, under the terms of which he will join the writing staff of FOX's Lie to Me, working under showrunner Shawn Ryan. (Ryan had requested that Graziano come aboard the series.) He'll also develop new series for the studio. (Variety)

Mark Burnett's aborted FOX game show Our Little Genius is now the subject of an FCC investigation, following a complaint by the parent of a contestant, who alleged that his son was coached by Mark Burnett Productions staffers. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has acquired US broadcast rights to paparazzi documentary Smash His Camera, from director Leon Gast, which will have a theatrical release and DVD after a four to six broadcast premiere window at the pay cabler. (Variety)

Canadian reality series Conviction Kitchen, which airs Stateside on Planet Green, has been renewed for a second season by Rogers Media, and will begin shooting a second season in September. (Hollywood Reporter)

Sony Pictures Television has commissioned a half-hour entertainment magazine entitled In the Qube for its Animax channel, which airs around the world in 60 countries. Series, produced by Embassy Row, will feature segments on films, video games, music, sports, and celebrities. (Variety)

Kimberly Williams Paisley (According to Jim), Matt Letscher (Brothers & Sisters), and Tammy Blanchard (Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows) will star in Lifetime Movie Network original telepic Amish Grace, set to air March 28th on the cabler. (via press release)

Stay tuned.

Pleading the Fifth: Blind Trust on "Damages"

"It's not my birthday." - Patty

On this week's episode of Damages ("It's Not My Birthday"), written by Adam Stein and directed by Daniel Zelman, the investigation into the Tobin case and the nefarious actions of several interested parties were bookended by two very interesting nightmares on the part of Patty Hewes.

Throughout the three seasons of Damages that have aired, we've typically seen Patty as an imposing, almost invulnerable adversary who steamrolls everyone in her path. But every now and then--the beach breakdown, her recurring nightmares of death, her frequent summoning of Ray Fiske's ghost--we're privy to seeing her true vulnerability, the thoughts that keep her awake at night, the actions that she regrets, the skull beneath the skin.

Last night's episode offered just that opportunity, setting the action just a few days before Patty's latest birthday, a point of pride that she will only admit to those within her inner circle--Tom and Ellen, really--and deny to those on the outside. The nightmare that Patty finds herself unable to escape, in fact, contains appearances or references to those she allegedly trusts above everyone else: the long-dead Uncle Pete, Ellen Parsons, and Tom Shayes.

So what did I think about this week's fantastic and gasp-inducing installment? Let's discuss in detail.

The Dream. I thought it interesting and telling that the days before Patty's birthday would be so marked by nightmares. As the pressure begins to mount with regard to the Tobin case, Patty's subconscious is telling her something about her current circumstances. Her latest birthday, likely to be spent alone or working, looms large on her mind and we're given access to her dream state, where she sees her beloved Uncle Pete, her former protege Ellen, and her childhood heart's desire: a beautiful and magnificent horse that seems to fill the living room of her lonely Manhattan apartment. As Ellen says that it will require a lot of responsibility, Patty sees her feet covered in blood.

It's an image that's repeated at in the closing scene of the episode, another nightmare in which she decides to take a bite of one of the homemade cupcakes that Ellen has baked for her as a birthday present. There is blood on Patty's hands here, both literal and figurative. Another year of ruthless behavior, treachery, and malicious action is likely weighing on her mind as she awaits perhaps her ultimate and inevitable judgment, a self-fulfilling prophecy, a look into the dark mirror of her soul.

Ellen. I have to say that Ellen Parsons this season is a breath of fresh air after the twisted pit of vengeance that she fell into last season. She has made choices very different than those of Patty Hewes. She didn't want to be owned by Patty and wanted to experience life on her own terms rather than those of her keeper. While the apartment she owns might be empty, she's filling the void by cooking, by creating rather than destroying. She's flipped sides to work in the public sector rather than in the high stakes litigation world of Patty Hewes.

While she is clearly still haunted by David's death, she's made her peace with him even while she waits for her former lover Wes to return from wherever he is. It was telling that she immediately thought of Wes when she was told that she had a visitor at the D.A.'s office... but it was actually Josh Reston (Matthew Davis)--last seen during the UNR investigation in Season Two--newly transplanted to Manhattan, working the crime beat, and looking for an anonymous source in the district attorney's office. Despite the fact that he's angling for information loosely connected to the Tobin case, he and Ellen end up in bed together and she bakes cupcakes. It's a scene of domestic tranquility dramatically at odds with the hotel-living, revenge-seeking Ellen of last year. Can it be that she's finally found her place in the world? Possibly, but this is Damages, so any happiness she can carve out for herself will likely be all too short-lived.

Alex. Loved that Tom's preparatory interview with cutthroat legal associate Alex Benjamin (Boston Legal's Tara Summers) identically mirrored his conversation with a naive Ellen Parsons in the Damages pilot episode, down to the precise lines of dialogue as he prompts Alex to see if she's ready to meet with Patty, even offering her a hypothetical situation in which she needs to meet Patty during her sister's wedding (answer: she'd skip the wedding).

I'm not quite sure what to make of Alex. She seems ambitious and eager to please but her arrival at Hewes & Shayes, while they're in the midst of the Tobin case, seems a little too perfect. Alex tells Ellen that she wants to be owned by Patty. (Patty, meanwhile, groans when Tom tells her that the new associate candidate is a woman.) She even offers Patty a lie when Patty asks her for something that she hasn't ever told anyone about herself. The question itself is a trap: Patty doesn't want someone who gives up her secrets too easily. Alex's decision to lie--even though she knew Patty would see through it, as she was warned by Tom--wins Patty over.

Which worries me even more. Unless Patty sees Alex as a potential threat rather than a protege, she'll be opening herself--and the case--up to a stranger. And I'm extremely concerned that there's more to Alex than meets the eye.

Leonard Winstone. I think Martin Short is doing a phenomenal job as Leonard this season; he's made him shifty and ruthless but with a real emotional core. I loved the scene in which Leonard visits a prostitute (not for the first time, either) and, instead of engaging in sex, unburdens his soul. His true feelings about Louis emerge here as Leonard says that he was his father and his friend, a revelation that might explain just why Leonard was so willing to have Joe killed. He always wanted to be at Louis' right hand and clearly was the more trusted ally, despite the fact that he wasn't blood. (Though it's a distinction that Louis didn't make to his family; Carol recounts that when Louis hired Leonard, he told them that Leonard "is now family.")

Danielle Marchetti. Poor Danielle has no idea what she's gotten herself into. Joe is threatening to cut her off completely and take away everything that Louis had given her (though he's still unaware of the existence of Louis and Danielle's child), Gates is offering her immunity, and Patty is offering her... Well, Patty is offering her a chance to keep things as close to normal as they can remain and promises to look after her when she's able to track down the money and disperse the fortune. (Whether or not Patty would actually do that is unclear.)

Joe wants her to lie under oath when she's deposed by Gates, to read a prepared litany of lies that will shield them from the deposition's outcome. But Patty has another plan, one that's predicated on the fact that Gates is able to get to Danielle before her: she suggests that Danielle plead the fifth on the grounds that she could incriminate herself under oath. It's an uncomfortable position for Gates but it also means that Patty could gain the upper hand and still be deposed by Hewes & Shayes... or give them some information in exchange for the promise of future comfort.

Carol. However, that plan backfires, not because Danielle cracks under pressure during the deposition (rather, she's actually relatively calm as she pleads the fifth) but because the delirious and off-kilter Carol Tobin enacts her own revenge. I'm glad that Carol is becoming a bigger player in this plot; she's completely oblivious of her father's flaws and misdeeds and instead places the blame on his investors, saying that Louis only wanted to make people happy and give them what they wanted and that the investors knew what he was doing.

Her inability to accept the truth, even after learning that Louis had killed himself the night before his sentencing, leads to further madness: she uses the same poison that Louis used to commit suicide to murder Danielle Marchetti. I loved how director Daniel Zelman framed the shots with Danielle by having her wine glass clearly visible and prominent, a future murder weapon in plain sight. When Danielle gets Carol's coat--after Carol asks one too many questions about her relationship with Louis (and whether they were in love)--that's when Carol strikes, adding the poison compound to her drink. And later, we see Carol dispose of the evidence, casually throwing the vial into the river... as Tom discovers Danielle's body.

Zedeck. So who is the enigmatic Mr. Zedeck then? I'm thinking a shadowy financier with ties to organized crime. Zedeck claims, through his shifty "associate," that he can't conduct business or begin to pay out the Tobin fortune because the terms of the deal between him and Louis Tobin were broken when the authorities found out about Danielle Marchetti. While Leonard and Joe claim that Danielle won't be a problem, there's too much heat going on. End of conversation. Does Zedeck intend to uphold his end of the agreement or is he looking to keep the fortune for himself now that Louis is dead? Hmmm... Regardless, the fact that the associate is outside Danielle's apartment and that they are keeping tabs on her points to a larger interest here. These guys are dangerous and they will likely stop at nothing from keeping these funds for themselves now. Which brings me to...

Five Months Later. While last night's episode focused mostly on the present-day, we were given three scenes set in the future timeframe: one in which Huntley talks to Patty about Tom's death, one in which Tom attempts to escape the apartment by sliding out into the hallway (before he's dragged back in), and the last in which Tom makes a call--presumably to his wife Deb--and tells the recipient that he "loves [her]."

These scenes are important for a number of reasons. The phone call is another bait-and-switch to make us think that Tom and Ellen were having a sexual affair but it's also an indication that Tom was stabbed before he died and that those wounds, while serious looking, were superficial. The coroner's report indicated that Tom died from drowning but that his body wasn't in the water long enough to become bloated... and that it was thrown into a dumpster.

Last week, I offered a possible solution to Tom's death: that he was waterboarded in an effort to illicit information from him. I still believe this to be true. Besides for the existence of those empty water bottles in the apartment, there's the fact that Tom attempts to escape by crawling on his stomach. He hasn't been stabbed yet but he clearly seems to be in pain and desperate to escape. His appearance at the pay phone, as he clutches his side, adds further credence to this theory. His blue-tinged lips, pallid complexion, and shallow breathing could indicate that his lungs are filled with water and that he is unable to bring oxygen into his body. Hmmm...

But just who killed him and why was he being waterboarded? As I surmised last week, I believe Tom and Ellen had launched their own inquiry into the missing Tobin fortune, an investigation that will put them in the crosshairs of the mysterious Mr. Zedeck, who would appear to stop at nothing to keep prying hands off of the millions that Louis Tobin had secreted away. After all, Zedeck's associate--the one who meets with Leonard and Joe and is later seen outside Danielle's apartment--wears black leather gloves very similar to those worn by whoever throws Tom's corpse into the dumpster. Could it be that the true villain this season is finally coming into focus and might be even more deadly than we realized?

Marilyn. Then there's Marilyn Tobin, the grieving widow of Louis who clearly knows more than she's letting on. She finally gives Patty a concrete lead in her investigation and tells her that Danielle and Louis had had a child together and that Louis had been supporting them. That child is the likely recipient of the blind trust that appeared in Tobin's revised will and the likely source of the massive amounts of money that he had hidden. So why was it so vital that the daughter's identity be kept unknown? Was he able to use some creative financial loophole to put the money into the trust for a child that no one--other than Danielle--knew existed? And if so, that would explain why Danielle had to be sent away before anyone could connect the dots and find out about the daughter's existence.

Yet, there's something very ominous about the way that Marilyn is standing outside Danielle's apartment as Danielle's unknown teenage daughter pulls up, given the fact that Danielle is dead upstairs. Just what does Marilyn want from this girl and what will she say to her? We'll have to wait until next week to find out...

All in all, a killer episode of Damages that offered some plot twists galore and raised the stakes for everyone involved in the Tobin case. As we reach the halfway point of the season, we're seeing a very deadly situation begin to ensnare each of the interested parties and I cannot wait to see what whiplash-inducing plot twists the Kessler Brothers and Daniel Zelman pull out next.

What did you think of this week's episode? Agree with my theory about Tom's death? What do you make of Alex and of Josh? Are they on the level or do they have ulterior motives? And just who is Mr. Zedeck? Discuss.

Next week on Damages ("Don't Forget To Thank Mr. Zedeck"), Patty is under pressure to make progress in the Tobin case, while Ellen uncovers new evidence about Louis Tobin's death and Tom starts to crack from his financial woes.