Exile: The Redemption of Benjamin Linus on "Lost"

"Imagine how our lives would have been if we'd stayed... Who knows what you would have become?"- Roger Linus

The notion of redemption and of exile hovered over last night's episode of Lost ("Dr. Linus"), written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horotwitz and directed by Mario Van Peebles, as in the Lost-X timeline, Dr. Benjamin Linus, now a doctorate of European history, teaches his class about Napoleon, the doomed self-made Emperor who was stripped of his power and exiled on a tiny island. An island called Elba.

Since he was first introduced in Season Two, Michael Emerson's Benjamin Linus has proven one of Lost's most complex and dynamic characters, a schemer willing to deploy all manner of slight-of-hand, manipulation, and intrigue in order to achieve ends that someone else has dictated. A man all too willing to kill his own father and massacre the people who took him in in order to wield the power that had been denied him his whole life.

At the end of last season, Ben raised a knife and murdered the entity known as Jacob, the puppetmaster who had seemingly been pulling his--and all of our characters'--strings. At that point, it seemed as though Ben had made his alliance with the darkness, content to punish and destroy, rather than turn the other cheek. Or did he? Could it be that there's hope yet for Benjamin Linus?

What did I think of this week's episode? Fire up your email account, prep your microwave dinner, and light a stick of dynamite as we discuss "Dr. Linus."

This week's episode marked a major turning point in both the plot of Season Six of Lost and that of Benjamin Linus himself. Ben has been a fairly enigmatic character throughout the series' run, participating in plots that he had engineered, reverting to manipulation and subterfuge, and attempting to use others as pawns in his larger war with Charles Widmore, a war which might just echo that fought over the centuries between Jacob and his unnamed nemesis.

I'm glad that the writers brought back the motivations behind Ben's decision to murder Jacob. Much was made of the fact that Ben acted out of rage and frustration at the end of last season, stabbing Jacob in an act of defiance and anger that spoke volumes about how he felt manipulated and used by this entity but had been ignored by him. Yet, as we found out last night, there was more to Ben's impulse to punish Jacob. After all, Jacob had placed him time and time again in a series of no-win situations, where he was forced to choose the island over his own personal desires. It was this Catch-22 where Ben was forced to watch his daughter Alex be murdered... and Jacob did nothing to intervene or protect the girl. Ben's murder of Jacob wasn't just about anger, it was also about a keening sense of loss over the one true, beautiful, and perfect thing in his life.

But as much as Jacob forced onto Ben, one can't shake the feeling that it was all a test in the end. Jacob knew just what he was doing to Ben, what he was requiring of him, but he needed Ben to be forged by the fire, to emerge as steel and not break under the pressure. As Miles tells Ilana and Ben, Jacob's last thoughts, even as Ben's knife pierced his heart, were that he hoped he had been wrong about Ben, that Ben wouldn't commit to the darkness within him, that he had a soul.

While Miles says that Jacob must have been right about him, I don't think that's entirely true. This week's episode proves that Benjamin Linus has the ability to change and the capacity for true redemption. His efforts to claw his way to power have resulted in his abandonment by everyone around him. He is in exile on Elba, just as Napoleon was. Despite the fact that Ben managed to find a loophole, a way back to the island (against all of the rules that existed about him coming back), he did return, only to find that his power had been vanquished and his people had moved on.

Ben could find Jacob's Nemesis and join his cause, though his rationale isn't that he craves power or wants to be on that side but because he believes no one else will have him. He's shocked when Ilana, trembling, tells him that she will have him. It's an important turning point for both of them; for Ilana to let go of the hurt and loss she had been feeling and for Ben to receive the grace of forgiveness.

It came down, for both of them, to a choice. Ilana, whether to avenge or forgive; to enact a Biblical vengeance or to turn the other cheek. Ben, whether to kill Ilana and escape or explain why he did what he did, to unburden himself and ask for forgiveness. A pair of mismatched metaphorical rather than biological fathers and daughters. (Just as Ben had lost adopted daughter Alex, so too had Ilana lost Jacob, the closest thing she had to a father.)

Free will is a funny thing. Ben acted to murder Jacob but without doing so, it's entirely likely that he would have remained on the path of destruction he was on. Having killed Jacob, he is instead set on a path of redemption, blessed by the spirit of forgiveness. Could it be that things are unfolding just as Jacob had foreseen? That Jacob knew he had to sacrifice himself in order to push Ben onto a different path? Hmmm...

Lost-X Ben. In the Lost-X timeline, Ben is a doctorate of European history at a budget-affected Los Angeles public school. But rather than craving power for himself, Ben cares more for his flock, the souls in his care. Faced with choosing between power (the position of principal), a potential role he engineered through blackmail (a trick forever in the arsenal of our Benjamin Linus), and protecting the future of his protege Alex Rousseau, Ben chooses the path of righteousness. Despite having power within his grasp, he chooses to acquiesce and instead safeguard Alex's future, a reversal of the decision he made on the island, where he was faced with choosing between saving Alex or saving the island.

While Ben speaks of Elba, he could really be talking about our island, that site of mystery and miracle, over which so much blood has been shed in the name of... Well, we're still not quite sure just what the eternal battle has been over just yet. But Ben's history lesson might as well be about Benjamin Linus himself: his constant need to hold onto power at any cost, his Machiavellian instincts, and his fall from grace as he's banished from the thing that he fought so hard to control. Napoleon may have been exiled to Elba but the main timeframe's Benjamin Linus was cast out of the island.

(But there are other entities that have been exiled as well: both Charles Widmore from the island and, seemingly, the Man in Black to the island. For Jacob's Nemesis, the island is his Elba: a prison from which he cannot escape, jailed against his will, and stripped of his power but not his vestments.)

Interestingly, the relationship between Ben and his father Roger is inimical to that on the island. Here, Ben cares for the sick man, replacing his oxygen tank where on the island he had killed his father by gassing him. (Ironic, that.) But it's the conversation between the father and son that's even more significant. Roger wonders just what would have happened had they remained with the Dharma Initiative and stayed on the island, how their lives would have been different.

It's an important exchange for several reasons: (1) It's the first Lost-X mention of the island and the first time it's been addressed at all since Oceanic Flight 815 flew right over it, and the first Lost-X mention of the Dharma Initiative. (2) The island must then have been sunk beneath the ocean after Ben and Roger left, as they couldn't have left someplace that's under the water. (3) Roger and Ben seemingly chose to leave, rather than were forced to. It wasn't the Swan Incident that precipitated their departure as Roger wonders what would have happened to them had they stayed... and had the circumstances been at all dangerous, I don't think Roger would wonder in that fashion. (4) It would seem that, due to Roger's wondering about what might have been, that Ben wasn't ever shot, so therefore wasn't ever brought to the Temple, and therefore never under risk of losing his soul in the Temple pool. And he wouldn't have been shot as Sayid had never been in 1977 to shoot him because the plane never crashed on the island.

In detonating the hydrogen bomb, Jack and Co. created an entirely divergent timestream, one in which events played out entirely differently because the plane never did and never would arrive on the island; their actions create ripple effects but for the future and the past. Alex's presence here in Los Angeles supports this theory as well. Danielle Rousseau's team additionally doesn't crash on the island, so that Rousseau raises Danielle in Los Angeles and Rousseau never changes the looped message on the radio tower. (As for why Rousseau's team never found the island, it's because it was already underwater at that point, so it definitely sank before 1988... and likely after 1977, given that Ben was on the island as a child at that point.)

Siege Perilous. I believe that the Lost-X universe is just as real as the main timeline but represents a sort of cosmic what-if exploration of the characters, placing them in similar situations but granting them their hearts' desires, erasing old wounds, and mending broken relationships. To slip into nerd speak, it's the equivalent of the Siege Perilous, itself named after the empty seat at King Arthur's Round Table. (In Arthurian legend, the vacant seat is fatal to anyone who sits in it, save for the knight who would return the Holy Grail. In other words: the worthy candidate.)

In the X-books, the Siege Perilous was a multi-dimensional gateway that appeared like a jewel. In looking through it, one could see various alternate incarnations of one's self (huh, just like the Lost-X alterna-verse). Activating the gateway and stepping through it, one was judged by cosmic entities who then transformed the user in some way, returning them usually without memory of their previous life. Which is a way of looking at the Lost-X timeline as a whole. Each of the characters still must deal with their issues but in the context of having gotten what they always wanted. Do they still make the same choices? Or do they fix them this time around? Which makes me wonder: if the characters are faced with choosing between this seemingly perfect world, one in which they've attained what they always wanted or needed, will they be willing to sacrifice it, should the need arise?

Richard Alpert. We finally got confirmation this week that Richard Alpert was aboard the Black Rock and arrived on the island when the slave ship crashed onto the island. And we also learned for certain that his longevity is the result of Jacob bestowing this gift onto him... though we're still not entirely sure why or how Jacob managed to do so. (Other than the fact that he willed it.) But, given Jacob's death, Richard comes full-circle to return to the Black Rock, to see the shackles that had once held him and to attempt to end his life with the help of Jack and Hurley, seeing his long life as a curse rather than a gift.

But, ironically, it's the skeptical Jack who is able to re-instill a belief in a higher purpose in Richard Alpert. The attempt to blow them up using dynamite backfires as the fuse goes out just before the big boom. Which means that Jacob's influence is still being felt here and is still active. Both Jack and Richard were recipients of Jacob's gifts, both touched by Jacob, and received his blessing. They can't be killed until their purpose is fulfilled, until they are released by Jacob. Richard isn't a leader; he's a counselor who is best used when he provides guidance to the chosen leader. Here, he turns to Jack to tell him what to do next, placing Jack in the role of leader once more. Funny how Jack's own belief in a purpose only came after he reached his own breaking point, smashing the mirrors of the lighthouse, and had to come to terms with the larger picture on his own.

Ilana. I was surprised that there wasn't a reunion of sorts between Ilana and Richard Alpert at the end of the episode, where the Ajira survivors encountered Richard, Jack, and Hurley. Could it be that these two don't know each other, after all? Ilana's role as bodyguard--not to Jacob necessarily, but to his candidates--is an interesting one and speaks of a close bond between Ilana and Jacob. But if Ilana isn't from the island (since Richard didn't recognize her, it seems likely), just where is she from and how long has she known Jacob? Hmmm...

Ilana reveals several things:

-Her job is to protect the candidates who have been selected to potentially replace Jacob, which again confirms that the candidates are Jacob's, not the Man in Black's.
-There are only six candidates left, which could correspond to those who are identified with 4-8-15-16-23-42. But wouldn't Locke and Sayid have fallen off of that list, given Locke's death, Sawyer's recruitment, and Sayid's darkness?
-She doesn't know who Kwon refers to: whether it's Sun or Jin or both of them that she's mean to be protecting.
-The one who is "elected" to replace Jacob will then find out what the position entails.

Given the group's presence on the original beach, I think we're about to see just who was shooting at Sawyer and the time-tossed castaways back in Season Five when they stole a canoe off the beach. Answer: Ilana and crew.

Charles Widmore. And then there was the final scene of the episode, which depicted a sleek periscope emerging from the waters just off the shore of where Ilana and the others have gathered, right by the original fuselage wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815. Said periscope would belong to a submarine carrying none other than Charles Widmore, a reveal that would have been more surprising had Alan Dale's name not been listed in the opening credits.

Widmore's appearance on the island makes me wonder if he wasn't the person arriving on the island whom Jacob mentioned to Hurley a few weeks back. If so, is it possible that Widmore is in fact the mysterious Wallace indicated at the 108 degree mark on the lighthouse compass?

Additionally, I can't help but wonder just what side Widmore is on in this power struggle. After all, he is the one who sent Locke on the path to return to the island, a decision that resulted in the Man in Black taking his form and using a loophole to kill Jacob. Widmore said that a war was coming to the island and that if Locke didn't return, the wrong side would win. Given all that, doesn't it seem as though Widmore is on the side of Jacob's Nemesis, come home to finally free the imprisoned entity by giving him a way off the island, with the submarine?

And just how did Widmore manage to find the island, given that it was so tricky for the Oceanic Six to return and that they had to specifically use the brief window allotted by Ajira Airlines Flight 316 to make their return possible? What's on that laptop that Widmore is toting around?

Best line of the evening: "Uh-oh." - Miles to Ben. (Miles, as a whole, was on fire last night. Loved that he dug up Paulo and Nikki's diamonds from their grave.)

What did you think of this week's episode? What is Widmore's endgame? Is he Wallace? How much of all of this has Jacob foreseen and/or planned? Has the redemption of Benjamin Linus begun? Discuss.

Next week on Lost ("Recon"), Locke entrusts Sawyer with a mission.

Channel Surfing: Time is Up for "24," Keri Russell Circles "Wilde Kingdom," Adam Scott Talks "Parks and Recreation," "Lie to Me," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

While FOX and 20th Century Fox Television won't comment, Variety's Michael Schneider is reporting that it appears that Day Eight of 24 will be the series' last. A final decision on the fate of the Kiefer Sutherland-led serialized drama will be made in the next day or so but it's not looking as though 24 will continue for a ninth season, at least at FOX. "The studio is said to be considering shopping 24 to other nets -- but given the thriller's age and pricetag, it's believed interest from other outlets will be limited," writes Schneider. "Yet even as the bell tolls for 24 in primetime, the franchise is far from dead. Sutherland and the 24 team have been keen on adapting the show as a feature film, and have made major strides in recent months toward making that long-term goal a reality." (Variety)

In quite possibly one of the best pieces of casting news around, Keri Russell (Felicity) is said to be in talks to star opposite Will Arnett in FOX's Mitch Hurwitz-executive produced single-camera comedy pilot Wilde Kingdom. Russell would play a "charitable tree-hugging woman" whom Arnett's character, a "Beverly Hills jackass," falls in love with. Project, from Lionsgate Television and Tantamount, is written and directed by Hurwitz, who wrote the pilot with Arnett and Jim Vallely. [Editor: I'm praying to the casting gods that the studio is able to close a deal with Russell ASAP.] (Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck talks to Party Down's Adam Scott about his upcoming role on NBC's Parks and Recreation. "What I know is I'm coming in for the last couple episodes of this season, and then for Season Three I will be a regular," Scott told Keck. "I think I'm going to be getting a lot of screen time with Amy, which is great. When I start, I'm not a part of the government agency. I'm an outsider. But I think there's potential for that to change." (TV Guide Magazine)

FOX's Lie to Me will return on June 7th and will air original episodes throughout the summer as part of the network's efforts to implement a post-season strategy. FOX will pair the back half of Lie to Me's second season with Matt Nix's cop drama The Good Guys (formerly known as Code 58), which will get a sneak peek on May 19th. Glee, meanwhile, will wrap up its first season on June 8th and the leftover episodes from Past Life will also air this summer. (Hollywood Reporter, Variety)

Production on Season Two of Starz's Spartacus: Blood and Sand has been delayed, due to star Andy Whifield's treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in New Zealand. Whitfield's prognosis is said to be good, with Starz stating that the condition is treatable and was detected early. "I'm receiving excellent care, and am feeling strong, positive and determined with an army of support behind me," said Whitfield in a statement. Season One of Spartacus will wrap its run on Starz on April 16th. (via press release)

Charlie Sheen will return to the set of CBS' Two and a Half Men next week after checking himself into a rehab clinic on February 23rd after a series of events that included a domestic violence charge against the star. Sheen is expected to return to work on Tuesday. (Variety)

Jimmy Smits (Cane) will star in NBC's untitled John Eisendrath drama pilot (a.k.a. Rough Justice) and will also co-executive produce. Smits will play Cyrus Garza, described as a "by-the-book Supreme Court Justice who excuses himself from the bench to go into private practice and fight constitutional injustices." (Hollywood Reporter)

CBS has renewed reality series Undercover Boss for a second season, though didn't immediately issue an episodic count for the sophomore run of the series, which follows corporate CEOs as they go undercover in their organizations. (Variety)

Pilot casting update: Judy Greer (Archer) will star opposite David Krumholtz in FOX I.R.S. comedy pilot Tax Man; Jerry O'Connell (Carpoolers) will join Jim Belushi in CBS pilot Defenders; Madchen Amick (Damages) has joined the cast of FOX drama pilot Pleading Guilty; Jason Biggs will star in CBS comedy pilot True Love (also cast: Dan Fogler); Brooke Bloom (CSI: Miami) and Vanessa Minnillo (True Beauty) have joined the cast of NBC comedy pilot This Little Piggy; Anna Chlumsky (30 Rock) has scored one of the leads in CBS drama pilot Quinn-Tuplets; Melinda Clarke (The O.C.) and Aaron Stanford (Traveler) have been added to the cast of the CW action pilot Nikita; Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Hayes MacArthur (Worst Week) have come aboard NBC's comedy pilot Perfect Couples; Debra Jo Rupp (That 70's Show) has been cast in ABC's untitled Shana Goldberg-Meehan comedy pilot; and Jay Hernandez (Six Degrees) and Michael Beach (Stargate Atlantis) have been cast in CBS' untitled Hannah Shakespeare medical drama pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Bravo is expected to announce today that Isaac Mizrahi will return as host for Season Two of its reality competition series The Fashion Show at today's cable upfronts. The cabler will also announce launch dates for Bethenny's Getting Married, which follows Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel as she prepares for her nuptials, and Top Chef: Just Desserts. (Variety)

TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant is reporting that Navi Rawat (NUMB3RS) is set to guest star on an upcoming episode of ABC's Castle, slated to air April 5th, where she she will play mummification expert Rachel Walters who finds herself involved in Castle and Beckett's investigation when a museum curator is found murdered. (TVGuide.com)

Following ABC's decision to keep Castle on Mondays (rather than give it a test-run on Sundays after Desperate Housewives), the network has announced that it will use the Sunday, March 21st 10 pm timeslot to instead offer a sneak peek at reality series Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Due to the sneak, the series launch for the series--which stars British chef Jamie Oliver--has been pushed to April 2nd. And Castle will get a chance to test the Sunday audience; ABC has now slated a repeat of Castle for Sunday, March 30th. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

UK viewers will be able to see Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva, following a deal between Sony Pictures Television and Virgin Media's Living, which will launch the series this spring. (Broadcast)

Nickelodeon has signed a three-year deal with iCarly creator Dan Schneider said to be in the eight-figure range. (Variety)

In other Nick-related news, the cabler has ordered two pilots: single-camera comedy Supah Ninja, about ninja high schoolers, and multi-camera comedy Everyday Kid, about a teenager who wakes up each morning with a new ability. The two pilots join Summer Camp, all of which are in contention for series orders. (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Oprah Winfrey Show executive producer Ellen Rakieten has signed an overall deal with RelativityReal, under which she will develop and produce unscripted series. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

The Truth Will Out: Revolutions and Revelations on "Chuck"

Every good hero needs a sidekick.

Someone who has your back, can offer well-timed quips, and who innately understands the complexity of your mission.

Chuck has been stymied of late from a lack of emotional release. Unable to talk to Awesome (because he can't lie to Ellie), reluctant to talk to Sarah (because their relationship has been fractured due to her involvement with Shaw), and unwilling to risk a limb by opening up to Casey, Chuck has found himself bottled up, which has produced a bit of a complication with his new Intersect-derived abilities: he can't flash.

This week's game-changing episode of Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Beard"), written by Scott Rosenbaum and directed by Zachary Levi, found Chuck the weak link on the team for the first time this season. Not flashing means not being able to provide intelligence to the team as well as not being able to handle himself in the field... all of which makes Chuck one big liability. No surprise then that the team would leave him behind at Castle to go off on a real mission.

While this could have developed into an episode about Chuck being forced to rely on his own ingenuity, the writers wisely took this week's installment into unexplored country, shaking up the foundations of the series and giving Chuck the one thing he's been missing: a Duck Hunt-playing, truth-espousing sidekick with whom he can share this part of his life.

Risky? You bet. But I applaud the writers for having the courage to take the series where it needed to go and I thought that Rosenbaum and Co. delivered what might have been my very favorite episode of the series to date, one that was jam-packed with humor and heart... and Jeffster.

(If you need a reminder of what I originally thought of the episode, here's my advance review of the most recent batch of episodes of Chuck, which includes this week's episode.)

Chuck and Morgan's relationship has been at the heart of the series since the beginning but the writers have downplayed Chuck's friendship with the Bearded One of late, emphasizing the widening chasm between them. The more Chuck became entrenched in the spy world, the more he pulled away from his best friend. Recent episodes have played up their fracturing: Morgan's sense of betrayal when he sees Chuck making out with Hannah, his tete-a-tete with Ellie that he believes Chuck is going over to the dark side, and--in this week's episode--his firing of Chuck from the position of best friend.

You can't blame Morgan for being prickly around Chuck. He's known that something has been up for a while and, despite the fact that they moved in together at the start of the season, the formerly inseparable duo have more or less gone their separate ways as the onus of keeping his secret identity, well, secret has driven a wedge between them.

It's clear that Chuck needs a confidante. Captain Awesome was rather unwittingly cast in this role in Season Two but the pressure of maintaining both Chuck's secret and his and Ellie's safety has proven too much for Devon to bear. Awesome knew about Chuck's life and grounded him in a way due to his relationship to Ellie and his place in the "real world." But Awesome, for all his innate awesomeness, is not a natural liar... and I can't blame him for not wanting to be placed in a dangerous and awkward situation with both The Ring and his wife.

It's also clear that things have hit a low point between Chuck and Sarah. Chuck knows that he loves Sarah (a fact he was once more reminded of at the end of last week's episode) but he also doesn't feel he can open up to her anymore. Certainly, not since she's gotten involved with Daniel Shaw... and told him her real name, a boon that she hasn't bestowed on Chuck.

(Chuck tried to tell Ellie his secret last week but her "half a spy" nature prevented him from doing that as she forced him to come to terms with his feelings for Sarah. Besides, I don't know that Ellie would handle the truth about Chuck's job very well.)

Lack of emotional outlet means lack of flashing. It's a nice little psychological dilemma for Chuck and one that pays off the constant use of Chuck's emotions either holding him back or making him a better spy. Here, it's not that the emotions are bad, per se, but the fact that he can't express them, can't achieve catharsis in any meaningful way, means that he can't use his abilities.

Which brings us to Buy More assistant manager Morgan Grimes. Morgan's been suspicious about Chuck for some time, feels betrayed by his best friend, and is so hurt that he takes disciplinary action against Chuck. A series of coincidences--driven by The Ring's efforts to seize information from Castle in the guise of Buy More execs looking to sell the store--leads to Morgan uncovering the truth about Castle.

And then, faced with death and/or torture, Chuck is forced to come clean and unburden himself. I'm glad that it's Morgan who is the recipient of this information and that the writers didn't stray into camp territory by having Morgan's memory erased at the end of the episode or him somehow forgetting Chuck's secret. It's a far more tantalizing story thread to have Morgan aware of Chuck's spy status as it gives Chuck someone to talk to and an ally at the Buy More who is aware of what's really going on.

It also brings Morgan into the circle of trust, again altering the dynamic of the team. Whether or not Morgan goes on missions is irrelevant (and I'd be surprised if he did); what's important is that his knowing changes the relationships within the series. Morgan is now aware that Chuck is in love with Sarah but that their relationship was fake ("Does that make her your beard?") and that Chuck's feelings for Sarah have never been consummated. If anything, it strengthens the positions of the non-spies within the series, providing another anchor between it and Chuck's spy world.

And it might be arriving at just the right time, given Awesome's sudden interest to travel with Ellie to Africa as part of Doctors Without Borders. A worthy cause? Certainly, but that's not why Awesome is looking to put some distance between them and Los Angeles. It's good to see the married couple getting a storyline of their own as Awesome proves that he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep his wife safe from harm, even if it means taking her far away from her brother and the life they've build in LA. If someone is going to crack, it's more likely to be Awesome than Morgan, the holder of Chuck's secrets.

My sole complaint about the episode was the cover story concocted by The Ring. Surely someone from Buy More Corporate would have given them advance warning if they were going to be stopping by with inspectors to look at inventory and interview the staff with an aim to selling the store. Additionally, would a national chain like the Buy More really be selling off a single store? Wouldn't it have been more plausible if The Ring had engineered a scenario in which the Burbank Buy More was going to be closed? And that the inspectors were there, yes, to look at inventory with a view of liquidizing or shifting it, and determining if any of the staff would be transferred to other locations. A simple fix and one that only struck me on a second viewing of the episode.

But it's a minor quibble in an otherwise absolutely stellar episode that ranks up there with the very best of Chuck. What else did I love about the episode? The impromptu Jeffster reunion, culminating in Lester atop the Nerd Herd station singing Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son." Morgan's meow as he attempted to furtively make his way down Castle's numerous corridors. Jeff's stash of ether in his Buy More locker... and the fact that he took out a Ring operative without realizing it. Morgan's dual electric carving knives. The fight scene between Chuck and the Ring team, with Morgan lending a hand at the end to take out the leader (guest star Diedrich Bader, currently voicing Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold). The Buy More revolution, with its use of the Buy Moria flag and its hilarious recreations of both the flag-raising at Iwo Jima and the iconic victory kiss in Times Square at the end of World War II. Chuck telling Morgan the whole story about how he became a spy ("It all started with an email from Bryce Larkin") and Morgan's reaction minutes earlier that Chuck was a spy. Not to mention the Subway-branded Duck Hunt battle between Chuck and Morgan, a call-back to a simpler, happier time and the promise of future happiness between the two best friends.

However, it looks like some dark times lie ahead for one member of Team Bartowski, as Casey very reluctantly answers the Ring communication device and appears to recognize the voice on the other end. Hmmm... Did we just see one of our spies actually cross over to the dark side before our eyes? And just what does The Ring want with Colonel Casey?

Ultimately, I thought that "Chuck Versus the Beard" was one of the very best episodes of Chuck and definitely ranks up there with some of my favorites of all time. (Hell, it might just have sailed into first place.) And I thought that Zachary Levi did a fantastic job as a first-time director, nailing the humor and action with a deft hand.

But I want to hear from you: what did you think of this week's installment? Have the writers opened up new story possibilities... or a can of worms? And what will Morgan knowing Chuck's secret mean for his relationship with Chuck? What's up with Casey and The Ring? Will Awesome and Ellie really leave Chuck behind? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Next week on Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Tic Tac"), Casey carries out a side mission for his old commanding officer James Keller that leads to him committing treason. When Chuck learns the dark truth about Col. Keller, he and Sarah set out to break Casey out of jail and clear his name. Meanwhile, Awesome's plan to keep Ellie out of danger gets more difficult when she gets her dream fellowship.

Don't Talk to Strangers: Games People Play on "Damages"

"You hired someone. You haven't replaced me." - Ellen

This week's episode of Damages ("You Haven't Replaced Me"), written by Todd Kessler and directed by Glenn Kessler, offered a tantalizing number of confirmations as well as a new power struggle emerging between Ellen Parsons and Patty Hewes, just as the contentious duo agree to work together on the Tobin case.

Patty and Ellen's relationship has been the spine of the series, with the dynamic shifting from that of mentor and protege, to adversaries, to something approaching a twisted friendship based on both mutual respect and distrust. Compared to the meek and naive law associate Ellen was at the start of Season One and the dark angel of vengeance she became in Season Two, we're seeing a very different Ellen here, one who has learned at the feet of the master manipulator and who isn't afraid to remind her that she knows her methods and her secrets.

What we see in this week's episode, from Ellen's growing smile in the first scene (when Patty awakens her at nearly 4 am with an invitation to a dinner party) to Patty's knowing smirk (when she realizes Ellen has gotten to her), is another round of mind games between them, each one launching a calculated attack to remind the other that they are in power, each determined to knock the other off-balance.

At the heart of their relentless game of one-upmanship is newly minted associate Alex Benjamin, a pawn caught between two queens, who both Ellen and Patty are willing to use to achieve their ends. Ellen should have some sympathy for poor Alex. After all, she warned her not to take the job with Patty Hewes in the first place (the same thing that Hollis Nye had warned Ellen about, ironically) and if anyone knows what it's like to be forced into the role of Patty's protege, it's Ellen, who was nearly destroyed, body and soul, by her former employer.

Yet, just as Patty is willing to cast Alex in the role of prop in this game, using the unaware Alex in a tableau designed to injure Ellen (who is meant to feel that she's been replaced), so too is Ellen willing to do the same to Patty, going so far as to ask her lover, reporter Josh Reston, to write a piece on Alex, only to have Alex embarrass herself by taking the puff piece to Patty in an act of mea culpa. It's an effort to prove that Patty isn't invulnerable, that there are chinks in her armor that can be exploited, and that Alex isn't a threat to her.

What is the point of this never-ending game? Why, to prove which one of them has the sharpest claws, of course: which one of them wields the power and which one can take things the furthest. Patty doesn't want to bake cupcakes with Ellen, she wants a worthy opponent to do battle, a mind as cunning as hers, an enemy she respects.

For all of Patty's flaws, she cares about the case and about meting out justice for the victims, just as much as she does winning. Her pursuit of the Tobin fortune is about finding the money at any cost. Ellen's ADA boss Curtis Gates, however, doesn't care one jot about the hidden cash; he's under significant amount of pressure to pin a crime on the Tobin family and he needs results: he needs a Tobin behind bars and their picture splashed across the front page.

His myopia is staggering to Ellen, especially since Ellen knows that Tom is a victim of Louis Tobin's greed. She could have helped Gates out. After all, she knows that Carol Tobin visited Danielle Marchetti the day of her death (thanks to the ID she got from Danielle's doorman) and should be considered a suspect in Danielle's murder.

But, after Gates' outburst, Ellen keeps this little gem to herself, lying to Gates, and instead gives it, wrapped in a ribbon, to Patty. In the seventh episode of the season, the halfway point, it's only fitting that Patty and Ellen's partnership should once more be reforged, though Patty has come to see that Ellen has changed significantly since they first met. It's all about leverage and Patty has the best shot at getting the money back for the victims.

Tom Shayes. This week, Tom was a man on a mission, heading to Antigua to shadow Tessa Marchetti and uncover just how Louis Tobin was able to move money and keep these transactions under the radar. Given that we learned last week that Tessa is a flight attendant, we have the means of how a courier was able to go to and from Antigua without anyone being the wiser. Tom meets a bank clerk who seems willing to help him gain access to Tessa's account--in exchange for visas for his family, including his seriously ill daughter--but he's silenced by a shadowy finance minister (played by The Wire's Michael Potts, a.k.a. Brother Mouzone) who happens to be in Zedeck's pocket.

This is a significant problem because the judge overseeing the Tobin case--Judge Reilly--believes that Minister Horatio Emmanuel is a friend of the US government and their best shot at gaining some valuable information about Tessa's account and the hidden money. Hell, Patty even goes down to Antigua to see him face to face. But if Emmanuel is going to obstruct their investigation, the team might be back to square one again... Which could explain why Ellen and Tom launch their own investigation into the hidden funds in the future.

Tessa Marchetti. We got an iron-clad confirmation (from both Zedeck and Winstone) that Tessa Marchetti is definitely the daughter of Louis Tobin and not Joe, as many viewers have surmised. Working as a flight attendant, Tessa is the ideal courier to be carrying funds for the Tobins and Zedeck. She's family, which means that she can be trusted and she's a citizen of Antigua, having been born there (she has a dual citizenship with the US). But the plot thickens: Tessa appears to be unaware that she's involved in any illicit or illegal. She believes that the forms she's signing at the Royal Bank of Antigua are necessary to exchange her paycheck into US dollars--which involves her signing three forms each time--which means that she's been duped. But who set up this arrangement? Louis Tobin? And why hasn't Tessa been curious about what she's been signing? And is she actually signing a bank transfer order? Just how is Zedeck carrying out this fraud?

Joe Tobin. Joe is shocked to discover that Louis and Danielle had a daughter, a fact that he learns from Zedeck... who makes him aware that someone in the family is whispering secrets into Patty's ear. Joe's reaction to what Zedeck tells him is clearly felt; hell, it's written all over his face. But he proves far better at maintaining a poker face when Ellen confronts him at a cafe and tries to catch him off guard by telling him that both Louis and Danielle died from potassium overdoses and that their deaths were suspicious.

Given that Joe saw and took the the mixture that Dr. Brandt had prepared for Louis, he knows that someone in his family killed Danielle. And, given Carol's instability, she seems the most likely suspect, no?

Meanwhile, Joe is able to give Marilyn some hope for the future by giving her the sable that Zedeck had given him, telling her that Louis had a plan to ensure their financial stability. Sigh. If only Marilyn hadn't already tipped Patty Hewes off about how Louis managed to hide these funds. Hindsight, however, is 20/20, as they say.

Leonard Winstone. Meanwhile, we learned a great deal more this week about the Tobin's loyal retainer, Leonard Winstone. It turns out that Leonard isn't quite what he appears to be. Despite the fact that he has served the Tobins for 27 years, he hasn't come clean to them about his real identity. Leonard always thought of himself as a member of the family; he went so far as to tell that prostitute that he felt like Louis was his father and Carol remembered Louis telling the family when he hired Leonard that he was now "one of the family."

Patty plants a suggestion in Leonard's head, however, that he's not a Tobin, he's just the servant who cleans up their messes and takes out the garbage. If he wants to act like a Tobin, she'll punish him like one... but she gives him one last change to salvage what's left of his career. His encounter with Patty shakes Leonard considerably and he makes up an excuse about a sick friend from law school to get away from Joe for a day in order to see someone.

But Leonard, as we learn, has reinvented himself. His real name is Lester Wiggins and he would appear to have been raised in an environment very different than the Tobin's palatial Manhattan mansion. In fact, his relations with his actual family is so strained that he's unaware that his mother Barbara died five months earlier, only learning of her demise after he attempts to visit her in the nursing home where he's been paying for her care.

So why didn't he know? That would be because his father Albert Wiggins (the always magnificent Bill Raymond, also of The Wire) made her funeral arrangements but just kept cashing the checks that Leonard sent. And he doesn't want the checks to cease now that Leonard knows his mother is dead, opting to blackmail his son into silence. He knows just who and what Leonard really is and he knows that the Tobins don't know...

Three Months Later. The truth about Leonard Winstone is a crucial reveal this week, given his past, and an identity that he discarded more than 20 years ago. In the future-set timeframe, we see Detective Huntley show Ellen the Chanel bag that Patty had given her, a bag that was found, splattered with blood, in the homeless man's shopping cart. As for how it got there, Ellen claims that the bag was stolen. While I was at first loath to believe Ellen's story (too convenient) there is a ring of truth about it, considering that forensics uncovered partial prints on the bag. Prints that happen match those of a petty thief and drifter named Lester Wiggins who was booked in 1984.

We now know Lester Wiggins to be the true identity of Tobin family attorney Leonard Winstone, so just how did he manage to reinvent himself and become a valued employee of the Tobin family and a hotshot attorney? Did he ever go to law school? Or was he able to steal someone else's identity and charm his way into the Tobin's good graces. But there's something amiss there. After all, Leonard supposedly has been working for the Tobins for 27 years, which would put his start date in 1983, a year before his arrest as Lester Wiggins. Odd, no? Was Patty mistaken about how long he's worked for the family? Or is there something else going on here? Hmmm...

Meanwhile, also in the three months later storyline, we catch a glimpse of a hand (Tom's? Leonard's?) flutter back to life in the apartment where he was seemingly murdered. There's blood on the wall and, voila, there's that handbag that Ellen claims to have been stolen and which we know that Leonard Winstone touched.

Which makes me wonder if Leonard wasn't present at Tom's murder, after all. Tom knew his killer and let him into the apartment, though if the bag was stolen from Ellen, it may have contained a key to Tom's apartment. But why steal the bag? Was Leonard after something that he suspected--or knew--that Tom and Ellen had? Information that would be worth killing for?

And whose blood is it on the handbag? Is it from the same source as the blood splatter on the wall? We know Tom was stabbed but did he fight back? Was he able to injure his attacker, or one of his attackers? Is it Leonard's blood, given that the police's DNA database doesn't go back that far? Hmmm...

What did you think of this week's episode? Agree with the theories above? Or do you have some theories of your own? Discuss.

Next week on Damages ("I Look Like Frankenstein"), Carol Tobin vanishes, forcing Patty and Ellen to track her down; Arthur Frobisher (guest star Ted Danson) returns to launch his new foundation.

Channel Surfing: "Lost" Producers Talk Candidates, Nolte Circles HBO's "Luck," Cavanagh Lands "Edgar Floats," Delany Deal Done for "Body," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks to Lost executive producers/showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about candidates, numbers, and the flash-sideways. "The concept of the candidates is really central to the final season of the show," Cuse told Abrams. "Jacob is dead so that leaves a significant problem for the people on the island. Who is destined to be the person who is protecting this place?" Lindelof went further, stating that we'll get answers in the next few weeks about why these particular people have been brought to the island. "One of the big questions of this show is: Why were these people brought to this island?" said Lindelof. "At least now we have some sense — if Jacob is responsible for bringing them there — that it has something to do with the fact that he's been observing them for quite some time. We now have information that he had this lighthouse, that he was able to see these people, look into their lives. For some reason, he chose them. We'll find out what that reason is in the coming weeks." (TVGuide.com)

Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder) is said to be in talks to come aboard HBO's horseracing drama pilot Luck from executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann. Project, which will begin shooting in a few weeks, stars Dustin Hoffman, John Ortiz, and Dennis Farina. Nolte would play one of the country's top racehorse trainers. Meanwhile, Kevin Dunn (Transformers), Kerry Condon (Rome), and Tom Payne (Waterloo Road) have also been cast in the pilot, which will be directed by Mann. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Tom Cavanagh (Ed, Trust Me) has been cast as the titular character in Rand Ravich's NBC procedural drama pilot Edgar Floats, opposite Alicia Witt, Derek Webster, and Robert Patrick. Cavanagh will play Edgar Floats, a police psychologist who also works as a bounty hunter. "Edgar understands everyone but himself," Ravich told Ausiello. "Because of a personal financial crisis, Edgar is forced to leave the safety of his office and enter the dangerous world of fugitive recovery." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

[Editor: Cavanagh landed the role over former Friends star David Schwimmer, who was also reportedly up for the part of Edgar.]

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that a deal has closed that will enable Dana Delany to depart Desperate Housewives and star in ABC drama pilot Body of Evidence, with Marc Cherry writing Delany's Katherine Mayfair temporarily out of the series so Delany can have time to shoot the pilot, which also stars John Carroll Lynch, Geoffrey Arend, and Jeri Ryan. "The networks have become like the old studio system where they have their stable of actors," Delany told Keck. "They want to hold on to them and see what else they can do with them, so (ABC president) Steve McPherson said, 'Would you consider doing another show,' and I said, 'I love Housewives, but this is the lead role and something different.' It’s one of those bountiful things. I love the show I have, but they’re offering me the lead." But don't say goodbye to Katherine just yet: Cherry told Keck that he's leaving the door open for her return, should Body not get ordered to series. (TV Guide Magazine)

Rob Morrow (NUMB3RS) has landed the lead in Jerry Bruckheimer's ABC pilot The Whole Truth, opposite Joely Richardson. Morrow will play Jimmy, described as "an exuberant, larger-than-life, extremely successful defense attorney who is frequently pitted against Peale (Richardson), with whom he shares a fierce competitiveness, a passion for the law, and a mutual respect that has them carpooling together to sit on various panels even as they're duking it out in court." The casting on the pilot is said to be in second position for Morrow with CBS' NUMB3RS, which the network hasn't yet made a renewal decision on. [Editor: though it's thought extremely unlikely that NUMB3RS will return next season.] (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC's Castle won't be getting a trial run on Sundays after the network reversed its decision about giving the Nathan Fillion-led crime procedural the 10 pm timeslot on Sunday, March 21st after Desperate Housewives. "An ABC insider says that with the new Dancing with Stars cast getting good buzz, the network wanted to maximize the number of original episodes of Castle on Mondays," wrote The Wrap's Josef Adalian. "Airing a first-run hour on Sunday would've mean an extra Castle repeat in the show's normal timeslot." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

In other Castle-related news, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that former Nip/Tuck star Kelly Carlson will guest star in an upcoming episode that's loosely based on NBC's latenight wars. Carlson will play actress Ellie Rose, a love interest for Nathan Fillion's Castle who is desperate to land a role in the film adaptation of his book. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Academy Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe has signed on to Showtime's upcoming dark comedy The Big C as a recurring guest star. Sidibe, who appeared in the pilot, will play "a smart-alecky student" in a class taught by Laura Linney's Cathy, "a repressed suburban wife and mother who reclaims her life after a terminal cancer diagnosis." Oliver Platt also stars. (via press release)

Brittany Snow (Gossip Girl) has landed a lead in David E. Kelley's NBC legal dramedy pilot Kindreds, opposite Kathy Bates. Snow will play the assistant to Bates' former patent lawyer now working a storefront law firm. Elsewhere, Sarah Wynter (Damages) has joined the cast of ABC dramedy pilot Cutthroat, opposite Roselyn Sanchez. She'll play a "Hollywood mom whose life is in shambles." (Hollywood Reporter)

Fancast's Matt Mitovich is reporting that Heroes' Sendhil Ramamurthy has been cast in USA's upcoming drama series Covert Affairs, where he will play Jai Wilcox, described as "the aide-de-camp to the CIA’s Director of Clandestine Services, Arthur Campbell (played by The O.C.'s Peter Gallagher)." Ramamurthy joins a cast that also includes Perabo Piper, Christopher Gorman, Kari Matchett, and Anne Dudek. "Considering Ramamurthy’s new gig and the conspicuous lack of screen time for Mohinder," writes Mitovich, "even if Heroes were to be renewed for one more season, he is not expected to return." (Fancast)

Jean Smart (24) has been cast in CBS' remake of Hawaii Five-O, where she will play Hawaiian governor Pat Jameson, described as "'a local Hawaiian with a Washingtonian's backbone' and a completely honest politician." (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Third Watch star Coby Bell has signed on as series regular for Season Four of USA's Burn Notice, where he will play Jesse Garcia, described as a "cocky, smooth, and sexy counter intelligence expert who has a chameleon-like ability to assume different aliases. He’s also able to read people instantaneously and come up with a character perfectly suited for preying on their vulnerabilities." Season Four is set to launch on USA this summer. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Dania Ramirez (Heroes) has been cast in a recurring role on HBO comedy series Entourage, where she will play a new love interest for Jerry Ferrara's Turtle. Lennie James (Jericho) will recur on HBO's Hung as love interest for Jane Adams' Tanya. Kenny Johnson (The Shield) will reprise his role as Kozik on Season Three of FX's Sons of Anarchy, where he will recur. (Hollywood Reporter)

UK fans of Doctor Who may get a chance to attend a regional premiere of Season Five's premiere installment, hosted by new series leads Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, in Belfast, Inverness, Sunderland, Salford, and Northampton, part of a BBC Outreach tour that will visit under-served communities by the BBC. "This is a great opportunity for the new Doctor and his Companion to interface directly with the people who matter most to Doctor Who: the fans," said executive producer Piers Wenger. "The chance to visit them in their hometowns will ensure that the 11th Doctor's maiden voyage is an utterly magical one." (BBC)

Spencer Locke (Cougar Town) has been cast in a guest starring role on the CW supernatural drama series Vampire Diaries, where she will play Amber Bradley, a contestant in a beauty pageant that also happens to feature Elena and Caroline. (Hollywood Reporter)

Starz's gladiator drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand is heading to the UK this summer, following a deal with Virgin Media's Bravo. (Broadcast)

NBC and Donald Trump have renewed their Miss Universe/Miss USA franchise rights for three more years, keeping the beauty pageants on NBC through 2013. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

The Daily Beast: "Big Love's Big Finale" (Exclusive Day-After Interview with Creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer)

Looking for more Big Love?

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my exclusive day-after interview with Big Love creators/executive producers Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer.

For those who haven't yet seen last night's fourth season finale of Big Love, major spoiler warnings apply as Olsen, Scheffer, and I discuss everything from the big reveal at the end of last night's episode, numerous subplots involving everyone from Bill, the wives, Ana, and JJ, the departure of Amanda Seyfried, their thoughts on how well Season Four worked, and what lies ahead for the Henrickson clan.

And, oh, there's a hell of a lot of fantastic material from Olsen and Scheffer that didn't make it into the interview, so if this does well, look for a Part Two...

Season Five of Big Love will air in 2011 on HBO.

Out of the Darkness: Daybreak on the Season Finale of "Big Love"

"I've needed you for twenty years. I don't think I need you anymore." - Barb

Doubt and uncertainty have always clouded the Henrickson clan throughout the four seasons of HBO's Big Love, which has depicted their struggles to embrace the Principle and remain true to themselves, their family, and their religious beliefs, which often put them in conflict with each other and opened up internal debates about the path they're on.

Throughout the series' run, the Henricksons have gone to great pains to conceal their plural marriage from those around them, almost sequestering themselves in the three homes they share, which open out onto a communal backyard, a sanctuary representing their true selves, a place where they truly can be themselves away from prying eyes.

In last night's spectacular fourth season finale of Big Love ("End of Days"), written by Eileen Myers and directed by David Petrarca, the Henricksons took a major first step to reclaim their own destiny, to live their private lives in the public eye, and to unmask themselves for who they really are.

While one can't help but admire their courage and determination, their decision to expose themselves, to control the outcome of this reveal, couldn't have occurred at a worst time for the family or for polygamists in general.

Bill's entire political campaign has been based from the start on the idea that it would be a platform with which he could push the family from the darkness of fear and concealment and into the light. It's a noble mission but one that's clouded his judgment throughout this season as he was so hell-bent on achieving this end that he was willing to sacrifice numerous relationships to do so. The Henrickson clan has been splintered by the end of the season in more ways than one: daughter Sarah has fled for Portland with her husband; Barb has serious doubts about the way Bill is leading this family; Margene is looking for an escape route but may have discovered something else with Ana and Goran; Bill's devoted business partner, poor Don Embry, took the fall for being a polygamist and nearly destroyed his own family.

If there was ever a time not to rock the boat, it would be this one.

Adding to the pressure being placed on Bill: the calculated assault being perpetrated by the venal lobbyist Marilyn Densham; strife with his partners at the Indian tribal casino; and a series of indictments coming down out of Kansas which point to shocking allegations of inbreeding and incest from Juniper Creek's sister compound. A compound that was overseen by Nicki's psychotic ex-husband JJ, who arrived at the end of last season under some mysterious circumstances.

The writers masterfully built up this last storyline throughout the entire season, waiting for the last possible moment to pull the trigger on the incest storyline. While I've suspected as much from the clues that have been subtly deployed throughout the season--from JJ's lack of fingernails, the creepiness of his parents, and Wanda's mental breakdown--the truth was even more shocking and horrific than I could have even imagined. While the series stopped short of having actual forcible incest portrayed, JJ's eugenics scheme was gruesome and perverse: a misguided effort to keep their bloodline pure through a series of in-vitro fertilization that scientifically wed siblings, cousins, parents, and children.

Bill. I was stunned that Bill managed to carry off being elected into the state senate after a very close race with an opponent who was willing to use every trick at her disposal. While the season was building to this inevitable conclusion, I was extremely surprised that Bill had carried off his election without being exposed as either an adulterer or a polygamist by the numerous people who were seeking his destruction.

Throughout the four seasons that have aired so far, we've often seen Bill shouldering more than he can humanly carry, whether that's his relationship with his wives, his business empire, or this new political calling. It's a calling to office that he claims he received from a new testimony, one that was dramatically at odds with that at the end of last season. Turning his back on the church he had established, he believed he could do more good from a political office than the pulpit.

On the one hand, I agree with Bill's determination: he wants to reclaim the Principle from those that would twist its purpose and its message. He wants to give a new face to polygamy, one that isn't rooted in the squalid or the depraved transgressions of Juniper Creek, Roman Grant, or Frank Harlow. One that is essentially about love, family, and acceptance.

I believe that Bill has a higher regard for human nature than is really warranted, especially when it comes to people accepting the Other. He believes that because he's now told the truth, revealed himself and his family as polygamists, that he'll be accepted for who he is and he'll be able to become polygamy's Great Reformer, a role that Alby Grant seems to castigate. But Bill doesn't take into account that he lied to everyone--to his campaign supporters, his backers, the volunteers who worked the phone lines, the Mormon church he returned to, his neighbors, and everyone who checked the box next to his name in the voting booth--and that revealing a lie doesn't take away the sting of betrayal.

He might want to live in the light, to be honest and open about his beliefs and his identity, but public scrutiny casts a harsh glare. Will Bill really be able to do anything in office now that he's revealed the truth about his family? Will anyone trust him again? And while he might refuse to step down, hasn't he misled the public and the party throughout this whole election campaign? How can one reform when one no longer has any power? The keys to the kingdom have been seized from Bill before he's even begun to enact his vision.

Barb. While Bill might believe steadfastly in his campaign--both a mundane and heavenly one--those around him lack certainty in his testimony. Barb this season has transformed from being Bill's Boss Lady, the first wife wielding power and influence over the wives, into a successful and independent businesswoman, a position that she never wanted in the first place. But her handling of the casino in Bill's absence propelled her into a very different role within the family and within the world.

Her tentative first steps at the casino (remember the crab leg fiasco?) seem miles away from her grit and drive now. Yes, she still makes some serious mistakes, typically when she reacts from anger or hurt (such as when she hired Marilyn), but she's also seeing the world with a clarity that wasn't there before. She did uncover the link between Marilyn, Paley, and the religious right boycotting the casino... and she discovers the truth about Leila and the Flutes.

Barb isn't one to cut her losses or turn her back on those in need and she's shocked and disgusted when Bill has Jerry and Tommy Flute removed by the tribal council rather than working with them to stem the tide of meth at the casino. She's come to have a close understanding of Tommy and formed something resembling a supportive friendship. The ease with which Bill cuts those ties frightens and disgusts her. They were partners, after all, so how could Bill so callously sacrifice them? The casino was meant to be a safety net for all of them, yet Bill was willing to cut out the Flutes like they were a cancer.

It's no surprise that Barb wants to put the brakes on Bill's decision to expose them. I was shocked that she leaked the paternity test results to the press but her betrayal was a last-ditch effort to stop Bill from destroying their family, from pushing them into the public eye, and destroying their reputations. If anyone understands the risk, it's Barb after her excommunication last season. She sees just what damage can be done here, to them, their marriage, their children. She's willing to do whatever she has to in order to keep things behind the veil of secrecy.

But even after she admits what she's done, Barb still can't go along with Bill's plan, no matter how much Nicki might be on board. Private polygamy is one thing but a public reveal of their lifestyle could destroy them all and it's clear that Barb is having serious doubts about her marriage and the path that Bill is pursuing. It's telling that Barb doesn't tell Bill that she doesn't love him but that she doesn't need him. And she doesn't in a way. She's been forced to rely on herself, to stand on her own two feet, to follow her husband through hell and highwater and something has snapped inside her. (It's not the first time she's had doubts; she left the family for a bit in Season Two.)

But in the end, she hesitates but she does eventually get up on stage to grasp hands with Bill and her sister-wives. Does she do it for Bill? Or for Margene and Nicki? Or for herself? After all, Barb has been exposed as a polygamist whether or not she gets up on stage. She can't hide and she certainly can't backpedal now. But she has a choice: to support the people she's married to or turn her back on them. And, based on her horror at the way Bill handled the situation with Tommy and Jerry, her choice is a difficult one but also the right one. It isn't her dream but she's made her alliances.

Nicki. I've loved seeing the way that Nicki is attempting to find herself this season, casting off the prairie clothes that symbolized her connection to Juniper Creek and her father's lifestyle as she attempts to try on the identities of those around her: first Margene and then Barb. Nicki's blossoming is the payoff to four seasons of self-doubt and self-punishment; she's finally coming to terms with the fact that she does deserve love and happiness, despite the damage she's suffered through her life. The cutting of her braid, a reversal of Samson's story, enables her to find herself, to cast off the past and start anew, to find her wellspring of strength.

But as much as she might tell herself that she is worthy of Bill's love, she feels that she has to uphold her end to the bargain, to continue to bring souls into their family, to be fruitful, to expand their family here and in eternity. And she's willing to make a deal with the devil himself to do, venturing back to Juniper Creek to receive the miraculous treatments from Dr. Roquet, despite the disappearance of her own pregnant mother.

It's ironic that Nicki should be so disgusted by Margene's plan to donate an egg to her ("Your egg, Bill's sperm in me? It's disgusting!") yet what nearly happens to Nicki in Roquet's care is far more revolting as JJ unveils his master plan: to reunite with Nicki by implanting his sperm and their daughter Cara Lynn's egg inside her. It's a jaw-dropping revelation that points to just how sick and twisted JJ really is. His idea of family is an offspring that unites mother, father, and daughter, a perversion of the Principle and the laws of nature, a sick idea of family planning (as April Blessing tells Larry King) that is horrifying.

Just what lies ahead for Nicki remains to be seen but her sudden reversal about polygamy is an intriguing direction. Her unerring belief in the Principle has been one of the guiding hallmarks of her character, yet to find her suddenly wanting to keep Bill to herself, to not share him, to change the status quo, points to a new direction for this always fascinating character.

Margene. Margene meanwhile struggled to uphold her promise to Ana and Goran even as she found herself increasingly attracted to Goran... and caught up in Bill's decision to expose the family, which would likely result in the loss of the business she had built up in the last few months. Playing Bill against the couple, Margene was caught between maintaining an escape route and falling into old patterns.

But it was the final scene between Ana, Goran, and Margene that points towards some major developments last season. Ana and Goran are acutely aware of Margene's attraction towards Goran and they seem quite fine with it, almost encouraging it in a way. The warm embrace that the trio shares seems more than just friendship and I couldn't help but feel a sense of frisson between them; I wouldn't have been surprised if all three ended up in bed together afterwards.

Just what does marriage mean to Margene? She slept with Bill despite the fact that he was already married to Barb and Nicki. She married Goran ostensibly to help the family but she signed a legal document binding her to another man. And now, despite the fact that Ana and Goran are engaged, she finds herself drawn to another man who is already attached. What future do these three have together? Will they too be drawn into the already growing Henrickson clan?

Alby. As for Alby, he destroys Roman's office, ripping down the blue sky wallpaper that his father put up, cuts up Lura's face in payment for her betrayal, and announces that he is going to name himself as Roman's successor. While the "ghost" of Roman is nowhere to be seen, it's clear that he hovers over the action here. While Bill's purpose is to place the family in the light, to stop the darkness growing inside of them, it's clear from these scenes that Alby has given himself over completely to the darkness, reveling in destruction, punishment, and vengeance. Yes, we're seeing the series' ultimate Big Bad finally emerging from the ashes of loss, grief, and self-loathing.

Adaleen. Loved that Adaleen managed to escape, thanks to a well-timed slam to Malinda's head. (Nicely played, Adaleen.) After everything that she had stood by and watched happen to Nicki, is able to rescue her daughter from suffering a similar fate. (Adaleen is, after all, pregnant with the offspring of brother and sister JJ and Wanda.) Does it reverse the decades of abuse that Nicki went through? No but it does prove beyond a doubt that Adaleen does love Nicki, does care for her, and is willing to sacrifice herself to save her child. She's also willing to serve as an instrument of vengeance, raining death upon JJ and Malinda, whom she ties up inside the clinic and then sets on fire. (An an aside, I thought the image of JJ and Malinda tied together was both beautiful and horrific, setting the two as mirror images of each other, both bald, as the flames consume them.)

Marilyn. I'm still not sure what to make of Sissy Spacek's Marilyn. She was so filled with anger towards Bill, so willing to destroy everything he held dear, but why? Was it that she couldn't charm him? That he saw her for what she was, a venal criminal in lobbyist's clothing? I had a feeling that she wasn't behind the adultery story (too easy) and her flatness in the scene where Bill confronted her in the hotel room confirmed that. I'm hoping that Spacek will be back as I think there's more to Marilyn than meets the eye... and I love that she waltzes into Bill's house and tells him a "sad, stupid man." A fitting proclamation from a woman who abuses the system yet who is utterly, completely alone in the world.

Wanda. Wanda finally regained her voice, just in time to save Nicki and warn Bill about what JJ was going to do with her. I'm hoping that we're finally seeing a Wanda who is more stable and honest than she has been, finally able to speak out about what has been done to her, able to shine a light on the abuses that the Walkers have perpetrated. We finally learned just what it was that JJ had of Wanda's--at least one of her eggs--but I can't help but wonder just what she'll do if Adaleen gives birth to that child. Shudder.

All in all, "End of Days" was an explosive season ender that tied up many of Season Four's dynamic storylines and presented some tantalizing story threads for next season to tackle. While this season has been less warmly embraced by many viewers, I found it to be gripping, controversial, and--to borrow a term from creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer--"operatic." (You can read my exclusive morning-after interview with Olsen and Scheffer here.) It positioned the Henricksons into a new and exciting place and shook the very foundations of the series in a way that opens up entirely new story possibilities in the future, exposing the Henricksons and forcing them to live a life that's no longer closeted. But as the Henricksons will likely find out next season, there's every reason to be careful what you wish for...

I'm curious to hear just what you thought about last night's season finale and the fourth season of Big Love as a whole. Head to the comments section to discuss.

Season Five of Big Love will air next year on HBO.

Channel Surfing: FOX Renews "Fringe," "Doctor Who," Rob Thomas Talks Adam Scott and "Party Down," Kathy Bates Circles "Kindreds," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Good news for Fringe fans: the Pattern will be continuing next season. FOX has officially renewed the drama series for a third season this fall. "Fringe tapped into a deep creative mine this year that built momentum throughout the season and helped give us our first real foothold on TV’s most competitive night,” said Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company, in a statement. "The entire Fringe team – from the producers and writers to the cast and crew – has taken smart storytelling and top production quality to a whole new level. The rest of this season is mind-blowing, and we can’t wait to get started on the third installment of this amazing journey." Meanwhile, Fringe resumes with eight all-new episodes on Thursday, April 1st. (via press release)

The Guardian's Simon Hattenstone has a huge profile of new Doctor Who star Matt Smith, who takes over the mantle of the Doctor from former star David Tennant next month when Season Five of Doctor Who launches on BBC One and BBC America. "He's a little reckless," said Smith of his take on the Doctor. "He'll walk into a room and have a million things to do. And, as opposed to knowing exactly how to get out, he'll take it up to the precipice: don't know, don't know, don't know, and boom, there's the idea. And it's a bit mad and reckless. It's very doof, doof, doof. And he's got a companion who I think is the hardest to handle. And she's quite mad. But the Doctor's quite mad as well. So together..." (Guardian)

Wondering what will happen to Season Three of Party Down now that Adam Scott has been cast in NBC's Parks and Recreation? You're not alone. Alan Sepinwall tracked down executive producer Rob Thomas to find out what's going on. "Adam will be allowed to do three guest star spots for us," Thomas told Sepinwall. "We can definitely still do the show without Adam, though we're all collectively entering about the third stage of grief over here. We'd much, much prefer to be doing the show with him. Adam hated leaving the show, but they made him an offer he couldn't refuse, and in a world where our Party Down future isn't guaranteed, he understandably felt like he needed to take the offer. We've been told that in order to return for a third season, our second season numbers need to come up from where they were. We're praying that, even with Adam gone, Starz continues with a big marketing campaign for Season Two." The second season of Party Down will premiere next month on Starz. (What's Alan Watching)

Academy Award winner Kathy Bates is reportedly in final talks to topline David E. Kelley's NBC legal drama pilot Kindreds in a role that was originally written for a man. Bates, currently in the middle of a multiple-episode story arc on NBC's The Office, would play a "curmudgeonly former patent lawyer." (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jesse Plemons will not be returning full-time for Season Five of Friday Night Lights after his contract option was not picked up. "With Jesse — as with previous cast members who have moved on — Pete Berg, myself and the producers of the show let the storytelling guide us, and we feel we didn’t have substantial enough storylines to justify keeping such an immensely talented actor from pursuing what we know will continue to be a very successful career," executive producer Jason Katims told Ausiello. "Jesse has created one of Friday Night Lights' finest and most beloved characters, and I can tell you this was not an easy decision." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Breckin Meyer (Robot Chicken) and Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Raising the Bar) have been cast as the leads in TBS' one-hour comedy pilot Franklin & Bash, about two best friends who are street lawyers and who are recruited to work at a white-shoe firm. Project, from Sony Pictures Television, is written by Kevin Falls and Bill Chais, who will executive produce alongside Jamie Tarses. Elsewhere at TBS, Tim Meadows and Kelly Blatz have joined the cast of comedy pilot Glory Daze, where they will star alongside Julianna Guill, Callard Harris, Matt Bush, Hartley Sawyer, and Drew Seeley. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Big Bang Theory executive producer Bill Prady wants to approach Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy about a cameo appearance on the CBS multi-camera comedy next season. "We’ll probably make a general inquiry," Prady told Ausiello. "And if there’s enough interest, we’ll develop a story. The fans have said that’s the dream get, and we agree." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Kyle Bornheimer (Romantically Challenged) has landed the lead in CBS' untitled comedy pilot from Carter Bays and Craig Thomas about an unmarried couple and their friends living in Pittsburgh. Bornheimer, whose participation here is in second position to ABC's Romantically Challenged, will play Tommy, described as "the lovable, slightly unkempt and highly entertaining half of the couple who means well but doesn't always finish what he starts." (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting roundup: Scott Foley (Cougar Town) has come aboard ABC cop drama pilot True Blue; Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous) will star opposite Debra Messing in ABC comedy pilot Wright vs. Wrong (also cast: The Big Bang Theory's Melissa Rauch); Tim Peper (Carpoolers) will star in FOX comedy pilot Most Likely to Succeed; Nicholas Bishop (Past Life) will play one of the leads in ABC crime drama pilot Body of Evidence; Aly Michalka (Phil of the Future) and Gail O'Grady (Hidden Palms) have been cast in CW drama pilot Hellcats; James Patrick Stuart (90210) and Cheyenne Jackson (30 Rock) have joined the cast of ABC comedy pilot It Takes a Village; Michael Cassidy (Privileged) will play one of the leads in NBC comedy pilot The Pink House; Jessy Schram (Life) scored one of the leads in CW supernatural drama pilot Betwixt, Dorian Missick (Six Degrees) has joined the cast of NBC vigilante drama pilot The Cape; and Ryan Hawley (Survivors) has been cast in the untitled Amy Sherman-Palladino's untitled Wyoming project at the CW. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has named Brooke Burke as the co-host of Dancing with the Stars. The Season Seven winner will appear alongside Tom Bergeron for the Spring 2010 season of Dancing, which launches Monday, March 22nd. (via press release)

WABC and Cablevision were able to reach an eleventh hour retransmssion deal last night, just in time for the first award to be presented at last night's Academy Awards telecast. "We've made significant progress, and have reached an agreement in principle that recognizes the fair value of ABC7, with deal points that we expect to finalize with Cablevision," said WABC prexy/GM Rebecca Campbell in a statement. "Given this movement, we're pleased to announce that ABC7 will return to Cablevision households while we work to complete our negotiations." (Variety)

Another project is rolling over into next year: CBS confirmed that it had pushed its untitled Tad Quill comedy to the next development season after it was unable to cast its central character, the widowed father of a 12-year-old boy. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Family has acquired the first broadcast window for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, securing the rights from Walt Disney Co. to begin airing the feature film in 2012 in a deal that is believed to be more than $20 million. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Stay tuned.

Los Angeles Times: "The Amazing Race: Zeroes to Heroes"

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: Zeroes to Heroes," where you can read my take on the latest episode, what the cowboys did wrong, how the running order got so entirely messed up, 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 ("I Think We're Fighting the Germans, Right?"), the eight remaining teams depart the Pit Stop at the Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany's red-light district and end up reenacting the first World War on a recreated battlefield.

NBC Renews "Community," "30 Rock," and "The Office"

Oh, happy day.

NBC has announced that it will keep its Thursday night lineup intact next season, renewing Community, The Office, and 30 Rock for the 2010-11 season. The news comes on the heels of an early third season pickup for fellow Thursday laffer Parks and Recreation.

"We are happy to give these early pickups to these critically acclaimed, incredibly funny comedies," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, in a statement. "As a result, we look forward to continuing our rewarding partnership with the respective creative teams and talented show-runners for 30 Rock, The Office and Community as they all consistently deliver quality shows.”

The news is especially good for Community, the sole freshman comedy among the pack, which will be returning for Season Two this fall. Renewal comes after Bromstad yesterday said she was "hopeful" about the Sony Pictures Television-produced series returning next season.

The full press release from NBC, which details the renewals, can be found below.

NBC GIVES PICKUPS TO THURSDAY-NIGHT COMEDIES ’30 ROCK,’ ‘THE OFFICE’ AND ‘COMMUNITY’ FOR 2010-11

Renewals Follow Previously Announced Green-light for “Parks and Recreation” on Thursdays
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - March 5, 2010 - NBC has renewed three more of its Thursday-night comedies - “30 Rock” (9:30-10 p.m. ET), “The Office” (9-9:30 p.m. ET) and the freshman series “Community” (8-8:30 p.m. ET) for the 2010-11 season. The returning programs join the previously announced “Parks and Recreation” (Thursdays, 8:30-9 p.m. ET) that also will return for next season.

The announcement was made by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

“We are happy to give these early pickups to these critically acclaimed, incredibly funny comedies,” said Bromstad. “As a result, we look forward to continuing our rewarding partnership with the respective creative teams and talented show-runners for ’30 Rock,’ ‘The Office’ and ‘Community’ as they all consistently deliver quality shows.”

First-year comedy "Community" is averaging a 2.7 rating, 7 share in adults 18-49 and 5.9 million viewers overall so far this season, with "Community" originals winning the time period among adults 18-34 and men 18-34. Since moving to the Thursday 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) half-hour on October 8, "Community" has improved the time period by 24 percent versus NBC's adult 18-49 average earlier in the season.

Currently in its sixth season, "The Office" is network television's #1 primetime scripted series among adults 18-34 and is NBC's #1 scripted series in the key demographic of adults 18-49. "The Office" regularly finishes #2 in its highly competitive time period in adults 18-49 ahead of CBS's "CSI." The most recent "Office" telecast on March 4 outscored ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," marking the first time "The Office" has topped "Grey's" head-to-head in adults 18-49. For the season through 23 weeks, "The Office" is averaging a 4.9 rating, 12 share in adults 18-49 and 9.4 million viewers overall, representing gains versus last season of 4 percent in 18-49 and 3 percent in total viewers.

Currently in its fourth season, "30 Rock" is averaging a 3.4 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 6.9 million viewers overall, with "30 Rock" originals winning the time period among men 18-34 and men 18-49 despite airing opposite the concluding half-hours of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and CBS's "CSI." "30 Rock" is the most upscale comedy on broadcast primetime television when ranked by its concentration of homes with $100,000-plus incomes in its adult 18-49 audience.

The Emmy Award-winning comedy series "30 Rock" is told through the comedic voice of Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner Tina Fey ("Saturday Night Live”) as variety show producer Liz Lemon and features Emmy and three-time Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin ("The Departed") as top network executive Jack Donaghy. Also starring are Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Scott Adsit, Jack McBrayer, Judah Friedlander and Keith Powell.

"30 Rock" is from Broadway Video & Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios. The executive producers are Lorne Michaels ("Saturday Night Live"), Fey, Marci Klein ("Saturday Night Live"), David Miner ("Human Giant") and Robert Carlock ("Friends").

“The Office” is the Emmy Award-winning comedy series from Deedle-Dee Productions, Reveille and Universal Media Studios. The show offers a hilarious documentary-style look into the humorous and sometimes poignant foolishness that plagues the world of 9-to-5 and is based on the award-winning BBC hit. Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Steve Carell ("Get Smart," "Little Miss Sunshine") stars as pompous regional manager Michael Scott..

Also starring are Jenna Fischer ("Walk Hard"), John Krasinski ("Leatherheads"), Rainn Wilson ("The Rocker") and B.J. Novak ("Punk'd"). Other series stars are Ed Helms ("The Hangover"), Leslie David Baker ("Malcolm in the Middle"), Brian Baumgartner ("Arrested Development"), Kate Flannery ("The Heir Apparent"), Mindy Kaling ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin"), Angela Kinsey ("Tripping Forward"), Paul Lieberstein (writer, "King of the Hill"), Oscar Nuñez ("Halfway Home"), Phyllis Smith ("Arrested Development"), Creed Bratton (former member of The Grass Roots) and Craig Robinson ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"). "The Office" is executive-produced by Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels, who developed the series for American audiences, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein and Paul Lieberstein.

From Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program") and Emmy Award-winners Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") comes "Community," a smart comedy series about a band of misfits who attend Greendale Community College. At the center of the group is Jeff Winger (Joel McHale, "The Soup"), a fast-talking lawyer whose degree has been revoked and forms a study group. Also starring are comedy legend Chevy Chase ("Chuck"), Gillian Jacobs ("The Book of Daniel"), Yvette Nicole Brown ("Rules of Engagement"), Danny Pudi ("Greek"), Alison Brie ("Mad Men"), Donald Glover ("30 Rock") and Ken Jeong ("The Hangover").

"Community" is a production of Krasnoff Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap, Russo Brothers production and Universal Media Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television. Russ Krasnoff ("The Soloist"), Dan Harmon, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Garrett Donovan ("Scrubs"), Neil Goldman ("Scrubs") and Gary Foster ("The Soloist") serve as executive producers.

"Parks and Recreation," starring Amy Poehler (NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”), is a production of Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios. Along with Greg Daniels (NBC’s “The Office”) and Michael Schur (“The Office”), Howard Klein and David Miner also serve as executive producers for the series.

BBC America Announces Season Two of "Survivors," New Night

BBC America's post-apocalyptic thriller Survivors will live on... on Tuesday nights.

The Adrian Hodges-executive produced Survivors, which wrapped up its second season in the UK earlier this year on BBC One, will conclude its first season Stateside on Saturday, March 20th... before the digital cabler launches Season Two just three days later on Tuesday, March 23rd at 9 pm ET/PT.

Given that Survivors had previously aired on Saturdays, the move could mark a return for the network to scripted drama series during the week. (Fingers crossed.) In recent years, the network has programmed mostly reality series during the week with a few notable exceptions such as Skins, The Inbetweeners, and Gavin & Stacey... though it's worth noting that the series will now go up against ABC's Lost.

Here's how BBC America described Season Two of Survivors:

"Season Two shows the group now struggling not just against the difficulties of day to day life amid the ruins of the post-virus apocalypse, but also against the threat of other emerging communities and the machinations of the sinister Lab. Returning for this high octane second season alongside Abby is: Greg, a loner, hiding the pain of his past; Anya, a doctor who has seen too much; Al, a playboy who became a surrogate father to young and headstrong Najid; Sarah, a hedonist used to getting her own way and Tom Price – handsome, dangerous and a high security prisoner before the virus hit.

As the season unfolds and the tension mounts, the threat of danger, concealed secrets, lies and violence is eternally present, and the group is forced time and again to ask themselves: are they in it together, or is it each man for himself?"

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

SURVIVORS CONTINUES WITH THE U.S PREMIERE OF SEASON TWO
NOW ON TUESDAYS
The U.S. premiere season of BBC AMERICA’s thrilling new series, Survivors has viewers glued to their screens and on the heels of season one’s upcoming explosive finale comes the U.S. premiere of season two. TV Guide called Survivors, “down-to-earth sci-fi at its gritty best” while Variety said “Post-apocalyptic visions have been all the rage of late, but BBC AMERICA's Survivors finds a sweet spot in the midst of such mayhem...” Survivors season one finale airs Saturday, March 20, 9:00p.m. ET/PT and season two premieres on a new night, Tuesday, March 23, 9:00p.m. ET/PT.

From the co-creator and writer of Primeval, Adrian Hodges, season one introduced viewers to a bewildered but resilient group of survivors led by Abby Grant (Julie Graham). They all experienced the similar devastating loss of family and friends when a mystery virus killed almost the entire human race. Abby left London to discover whether her son Peter, who was on a school adventure holiday, had survived. On her way, she came across the other survivors, some of whom bonded into a group. But without the rule of law she never knew if the next person she encounters would prove friendly or hostile.

Season two shows the group now struggling not just against the difficulties of day to day life amid the ruins of the post-virus apocalypse, but also against the threat of other emerging communities and the machinations of the sinister Lab. Returning for this high octane second season alongside Abby is, Greg, a loner, hiding the pain of his past; Anya, a doctor who has seen too much; Al, a playboy who became a surrogate father to young and headstrong Najid; Sarah, a hedonist used to getting her own way and Tom Price – handsome, dangerous and a high security prisoner before the virus hit.

As the season unfolds and the tension mounts, the threat of danger, concealed secrets, lies and violence is eternally present, and the group is forced time and again to ask themselves: are they in it together, or is it each man for himself?

BBC AMERICA brings audiences a new generation of award-winning television featuring news with a uniquely global perspective, provocative dramas, razor-sharp comedies, life-changing makeovers and a whole new world of nonfiction. BBC AMERICA pushes the boundaries to deliver high quality, highly addictive and eminently watchable programming to viewers who demand more. It is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 67 million homes.

Neil Patrick Harris: "Glee" Club Survivor?

More information is trickling out about Neil Patrick Harris' upcoming guest turn on FOX's musical-comedy Glee this May.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Harris will play Bryan Adam, a former glee glee club nemesis of Matthew Morrison's Will, who is now as a William McKinley High board member in the episode, to be directed by Buffy creator Joss Whedon.

Citing an unnamed Glee insider, Ausiello goes on to report that the high school feud between Harris' Bryan Adam and Morrison's Will will be depicted via flashbacks which will show the two as rivals for solos and girls as teenagers... and that animosity has carried over into adulthood, where Bryan is now looking to cut the arts program.

"Show choir ruined his life, made him feel he could be a star, but all he could do is book Carnival cruises,” the unnamed Glee insider told Ausiello. "Now he wants vengeance."

I'm happy to add some further details to Ausiello's report as it now seems as though Harris' Bryan Adams is in a glee club survivors support group that will also be populated by Molly Shannon's character.

The word comes from the most recent casting breakdown for Glee, which is looking to cast a new character, "Russell" as one-day guest star with the potential to recur on the 20th Century Fox Television-produced series:

"[RUSSELL] Late 30s-40s. He is a member of a "Glee Club Survivors" support group which includes other members Neil Patrick Harris and Molly Shannon. PLEASE SUBMIT "NAME" as well as "NON-NAME" actors...ONE-DAY GUEST STAR (POSSIBLY RECURRING)"

Which makes me wonder: just who else is part of this support group cabal? And are they all plotting the demise of McKinney's Glee Club?

Glee is set to return April 13th at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

Channel Surfing: Adam Scott Heads to "Parks and Rec," "Rome" Heads to Big Screen, "Smallville Renewed," "Lost" Returnee, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin is reporting that Party Down star Adam Scott is heading to NBC's Parks and Recreation, where he is slated to turn up in the final episodes of the season... alongside Rob Lowe, in fact. [Editor: could their sudden appearances in Pawnee be linked?] Scott, who will serve as as a series regular for Parks' third season, has also signed a first-look deal with NBC and Universal Media Studios, under which he will develop new series projects. Parks and Recreation co-creator Mike Schur described Scott as "brilliant and funny -- and he's funny in a lot of different ways. There just aren't that many people with a comedic range that spans Step Brothers to Party Down." As for Party Down fans worried that this would mean the end of Henry Pollard, Martin reports that "Scott said he'd be open to coming back to reprise his role should "Party Down" be renewed." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

[Editor: Variety, meanwhile, reports that Scott would appear in up to three episodes of Party Down if it is renewed for a third season, per his deal with Starz.]

Good news for fans of HBO's much-missed period drama Rome. Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that a feature film sequel to Rome is finally in development and creator Bruno Heller--who went on to create CBS' The Mentalist--has finished a script for Morning Light Productions, which will finance the film, set in Germany four years after the events of the HBO series. Rice reports that Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson will reprise their roles as Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo in the feature film... which could be difficult as the end of Rome seemed to depict the death of McKidd's Vorenus. "The next step for Morning Light is to find a director and a studio, since HBO Films won’t be involved," writes Rice. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

The CW has renewed superhero drama Smallville, picking up the Warner Bros. Television-produced drama series for a tenth season. Move comes after the netlet previously picked up The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, 90210, Supernatural, and Top Model for the 2010-11 season. (via press release)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Michelle Rodriguez will reprise her role as Ana-Lucia on ABC's Lost later this season, appearing in at least one episode. Rodriguez--most recently seen in Avatar--was last seen in Season Five, when she appeared as a ghostly visitor to Hurley. "There’s no word where or exactly when Ana-Lucia will resurface this time around," writes Ausiello, "but, come on, this has 'flash-sideways cameo!' written all over it!" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Chuck fans had better keep tuning in to the NBC action-comedy, following comments made by the Peacock's Angela Bromstad, when asked by The Hollywood Reporter about Chuck's shot at a fourth season renewal. Despite saying that the series' performance on Mondays was a "pleasant surprise," Bromstad went on to say that Chuck's likelihood of being renewed depended on ratings. "It's got to maintain," said Bromstad, "and it depends on development." In other words: keep buying those Subway sandwiches and keep tuning in... (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

[Editor: meanwhile, Bromstad said she was "hopeful" that Community would return for a second season, though wouldn't confirm or deny that it would or wouldn't.]

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has a rundown of what was revealed at last night's Paley Festival panel for Showtime's Dexter, an event which she moderated and which dealt heavily with the reveals of the Season Four finale and what lies ahead for Dexter and Co. next season. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Scott Caan (Ocean's Eleven) has been cast as a guest star in CBS cop drama pilot Hawaii Five-O, the remake of the classic television series. Caan will play Danny "Danno" Williams in the CBS Studios-produced pilot, which hails from executive producers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Peter Lenkov. Caan's role is being considered a guest starring role for the pilot, due to his commitments to HBO's Entourage; should Hawaii Five-O be picked up to pilot, he'll be bumped to series regular. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has confirmed that the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air live coast-to-coast this year on August 29th. Move marks the first time in over 30 years that the Emmys will air live across the country (the last time was in 1976). (Broadcasting & Cable)

Pilot casting update: Jeri Ryan (Leverage) has joined the cast of ABC drama pilot Body of Evidence; Nate Corddry (The Pacific), Jonathan Sadowski (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Dan Bakkedahl, and P.J. Byrne have been cast in NBC comedy pilot presentation Our Show; Robert Patrick (The Unit) has come aboard Rand Ravich's ABC drama pilot Edgar Floats, where he will play a bond bailsman who is the ex-father-in-law of the titular character, a bountu hunter; Allison Miller (Kings) has scored one of the leads in CW drama pilot Betwixt; Alan Ruck (Drive) and Scarlett Johnson (EastEnders) have joined the cast of CW's untitled Amy Sherman Palladino Wyoming project; Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights) and Devin Kelley (Tease) have come joined the cast of FOX cop drama pilot Ridealong. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that producers of ABC's Modern Family are currently looking to cast the Tuckers, the parents of Eric Stonestreet's Cameron. Stonestreet told Keck that Kathy Bates was originally considered for the role but she's no longer in the running due to her recent turn on NBC's The Office. Stonestreet, however, has one hell of a suggestion for who should play his mother: former Designing Women star Delta Burke. “We like that idea," said Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan. "We think that could be good.” (TV Guide Magazine)

Tom Bergeron, Fred Willard, French Stewart, Yeardley Smith, and Bill Bellamy have signed on to guest star in the April 26th episode of ABC's Castle, which offers a satirical look at NBC's latenight situation with Conan and Leno, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "Sources confirm to me exclusively that Dancing with the Stars emcee Tom Bergeron has signed on to guest as Bobby Mann, a late-night talk show host who gets permanently shut up by... Well, the prime suspect is his would-be successor, a rival chatterbox (played by Bill Bellamy) who’s long coveted the victim’s timeslot," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Strictly Ice Dancing is heading to the US. ABC is developing an untitled US adaptation of the BBC Worldwide-produced reality series will feature celebrities training with ice skating professionals and then performing on ice and which will air as a six-week series likely between cycles of Dancing with the Stars. Project shouldn't be confused with FOX's short-lived 2006 effort, Skating With Celebrities. (Variety)

Over at NBC, the Peacock unveiled its summer programming--or at least parts of it--with America's Got Talent returning Tuesdays and Wednesdays, beginning June 1st and Last Comic Standing returning on June 7th. International acquisition Persons Unknown will air Mondays at 10 pm, beginning the same night, while long-delayed comedy 100 Questions will launch Thursday, May 27th. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Martha Stewart and Mark Burnett are shopping eight-episode reality series Help Me, Martha, which will feature Stewart and a team of experts "help the show's subjects with everything from wedding near-distasters to planning last-minute parties," to network buyers. (Variety)

HBO is said to be developing an untitled telepic based on Andrew Sorkin's nonfiction book "Too Big to Fail," about the 2008 economic meltdown. Project will be written by Peter Gould (Breaking Bad) and may also use material derived from an upcoming book by Joe Nocera and Bethany McClean as well. (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central has promoted David Bernath to EVP, where he will oversee program strategy and multiplatform programming. He reports to Michele Ganeless. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Paley Festival: "Community" Cast and Crew Give Us Vampires, Doppelgangers, and Naked Joel McHale

Vampires. Doppelgangers. A nearly naked Joel McHale.

Such were the topics at last night's Community screening and panel at the 2010 William S. Paley Television Festival, where the cast and crew of NBC's Community (sadly without Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, and Alison Brie, who were shooting last night) came together to celebrate the freshman comedy, attempt to ignore the jaw-dropping antics of Chevy Chase, and offer a brief insight into the hysterical madness that is this sweet/sour comedy gem.

While Brown, Pudi, and Brie were absent (Brown told me via Twitter that they were shooting a scene with Jim Rash, who plays Dean Pelton), the rest of the cast and crew filled the stage, including: Chevy Chase, Ken Jeong, Neil Goldman, Anthony Russo, Gillian Jacobs, Joe Russo, Russ Krasnoff, Joel McHale, Donald Glover, Garrett Donovan, and Dan Harmon.

Moderated by Entertainment Weekly's John Young (who seemed a little out of his element and way out of his depth), the raucous and insightful evening got underway with a screening of tonight's episode of Community ("Physical Education"), which features Jeff (McHale) taking a billiards class until he learns that he must wear physical education department regulation shorts--resulting in what might just be television's very first naked pool match as Jeff strips down to face off with the class' curmudgeonly instructor--and the gang attempting to makeover Abed (Pudi) so he can win over a girl who seemingly has a crush on him. The result? Comedy gold.

I can't say enough wonderful things about tonight's "Physical Education," which features Pudi's Abed in a range of various personas--from a vampire (which must be seen to be believed), Don Draper from Mad Men, and Jeff Winger--and McHale in a truly hyper-confident sequence where he strips off his clothes and his inhibitions (and constant need to be cool) in order to play a game of pool.

Each of the characters gets a chance to shine here, whether it's Brie's Annie cautiously checking out Jeff's naked behind, Glover's Troy explaining to a confused Shirley (Brown) that they want to "Love Don't Cost a Thing" Abed after Abed says that they intend to "Can't Buy Me Love" him, the hostility of Senor Chang (Ken Jeong)'s "you're the worst" line, Britta (Jacobs)'s pronunciation of "bagel" (and the ashamed face she makes later), and the general obliviousness/insensitivity of Pierce (Chase). There's also a nice undercurrent of anti-PC racial humor, touched on above, that goes onto include someone's unexpected doppelganger.

Plus, the episode features one of the very best tags ever on the series. I don't want to spoil the surprise but I will say that Pudi and Glover are absolutely hysterical and worth every penny they're earning.

Following the screening, the cast and crew took to the stage to talk about the series.

Genesis: Asked where the idea for Community came from, creator Dan Harmon said that he had enrolled in community college when he was 32 years old. Acing his biology class, he was roped into a study group with teenagers who wanted to somehow siphon his knowledge but eventually came to like these people, whom he normally wouldn't be friends with. At the time, he mentally bookmarked the scenario as a possible idea for a television series and later used it to develop Community.

Racial diversity: The character of Troy was originally written as a white, Woody Harrelson jock-type but the casting of Donald Glover is what really brought the character to life and took it in a whole new direction. Harmon joked that he had to rewrite the character's dialogue after Troy became an African-American character, so he just added "yo, yo, yo" to the beginning of every line... a topic that veered into an insightful look at race neutrality in the casting of these characters and Harmon's childhood in the 1970s being raised by a liberal mother in Milwaukee who strove so hard to make her son not racist that Harmon instead became obsessed with race.

Glover went on to describe what an urban version of Community would be like: Troy would be the star, Reverend Run would play his father, there would be tons of bling, and he would try to sell Britta.

Nudity: Given the larger-than-life near-nudity in the screened episode from McHale, a significant part of the conversation was devoted to McHale's nakedness shooting this episode. "I got so used to being in nude underwear," said McHale. "It was no problem. I didn't realize it might be weird to be at the craft services table." He also revealed that he had to shave down before shooting. "I shaved down," he said. "I had lots of unwanted hair I never knew I had. I went on the 'you're going to be naked in two weeks' diet."

Chevy Chase: I have to wonder how anything gets done on set with Chase being quite so, er, distracting as he is. Over the course of the hour and a half or so that the panel lasted, Chase interrupted numerous times, talking over people, imitating them as a ten-year-old might (as he did to poor Ken Jeong as he attempted to answer a serious question), shouting out "boob" in the middle of the conversation, gargling with water, fiddling with his microphone, and repeatedly checking his phone. That is, when he wasn't engaging in impromptu pratfalls, as he fell out of his chair backwards at one point, or pulling out wads of cash from his pocket to prove that he had money. Chase might be a comedy icon but he came across as an extremely frustrating and irritating personality, one that likely would cause friction among a cast. (McHale meanwhile, when asked what he has learned from Chase, said, "How not to match my clothes." And then went on to say, "Chevy is like Nolan Ryan, in that he's still alive.")

Gillian Jacobs: The role of Britta was extremely difficult to cast but Harmon was exceptionally pleased by the audition given by Julliard graduate Gillian Jacobs, who had mainly played drug-addicted teen prostitutes ("look on IMDB," she told the audience) and appeared in very low-budget indie films. Jacobs nailed the role of Britta, which director/executive producer Joe Russo said was "two parts full of herself [and] two parts totally sincere."

Coming up: Before the season is over, look for a highly conceptual episode directed by Justin Lin that is being likened to a twenty-minute action move in the mold of The Warriors, Casino Royale, I Am Legend, and Die Hard, according to McHale. While the cast and crew wouldn't give any specifics, we do know that (A) they're being absolutely serious, (B) the episode had the production number of 119, and (C) it features Glover's Troy saying "Get some bitches!" Wow.

There's also an upcoming episode in which Chase's Pierce comes to believe that he is a wizard. (Yes, seriously.)

Greendale Human Being: Harmon and the crew stated emphatically that Greendale's creepy, corpse-like mascot is not played by Danny Pudi and is not Abed. There was a scene in the Valentine's episode, in fact, that got cut which played up this Twitter rumor and had Abed hiding and then popping up after it was remarked that the Human Being was there and Abed wasn't. It landed on the cutting room floor... but maybe for other reasons, said Harmon.

Asperger's Syndrome: An audience member asked Harmon whether Abed has Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. Harmon said that they don't want to label Abed in one way or another (you can read my interview with Harmon on the subject of Abed and Asperger's over here at The Daily Beast), while McHale likened Abed to Spock or Data. Harmon went on to say that because of Abed's detached observation of the characters and human interaction, he's essentially a writer. Or, as this week's episode points out, "a god" or "God." (There's also a moment in this week's episode where Annie nearly diagnoses him.)

All in all, an extremely enlightening and hilarious evening that had the entire audience in stitches. Kudos to the cast and crew for being quite so game and recounting embarrassing, "intimate," infamous, and hilarious stories. Here's to hopefully a second season of Community and many more to come.

Community airs tonight at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC.

Channel Surfing: Rob Lowe Heads to Pawnee, Debra Messing is "Wright", Scott Porter is One of CW's "Nomads," Dana Delany Circling "Body," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. I had a fantastic time at the Community panel last night at the 2010 William S. Paley Television Festival (followed by some late-night carousing with some other TV types). But onto today's headlines, of which there are many.

Outbound Brothers & Sisters star Rob Lowe will be heading to Pawnee. Lowe has signed on to appear in multiple episodes of NBC comedy Parks and Recreation later this season and his contract, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, calls for him to appear on the Universal Media Studios-produced series next season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Meanwhile, Fancast's Matt Mitovich has details about just who Lowe will be playing this season, thanks to an interview with Parks and Recreation executive producer Mike Schur. While Schur--who likened Lowe's participation as "the perfect fit" for the series--was tight-lipped when it came to details about Lowe's character, he did say that Lowe will play a "powerful person entering our world form the outside." But don't rule out a possible romance with Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope. "Anytime Rob Lowe is anywhere, he’s a possible love interest for someone," Schur told Mitovich. Lowe's first appearance is set for this season's penultimate episode and he'll reprise his role next season. (Fancast)

Debra Messing (Will & Grace) is heading back to half-hour comedies, booking the lead in ABC comedy pilot Wright vs. Wrong, where she will also serve as an executive producer, alongside Mitch Hurwitz, Eric Tannenbaum, and Kim Tannenbaum. Messing will play Evelyn Wright, described as "a driven conservative pundit who tries to maintain her public persona despite facing her own vulnerabilities" in the Sony Pictures Television-produced project, written by Stephnie Weir. (Hollywood Reporter)

Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights) has been cast in the CW drama pilot presentation Nomads, where he will play John, described as " a magnetic and forceful college grad who is determined to find his missing brother." Project, from writer/executive producer Ken Sanzel (NUMB3RS)and executive producers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, revolves around a group of backpackers who work secret missions for the CIA. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files, Hollywood Reporter)

Desperate Housewives' Dana Delany has received an offer to star in ABC drama pilot Body of Evidence, which places her future on Wisteria Lane under question. Delany's participation in the ABC Studios-produced Body is said to be in second position to her role on Desperate Housewives. If a deal closes, Delany would play the lead, Dr. Megan Hunt, a former neurosurgeon turned medical examiner who solves crimes. Already cast: Geoffrey Arend, John Carroll Lynch, and Windell Middlebrooks. (Hollywood Reporter)

Blair Underwood (Dirty Sexy Money) has been cast in NBC drama pilot The Event, where he will play the US president in the Universal Media Studios-produced thriller. He joins Jason Ritter, Zeljko Ivanek, Ian Anthony Dale, Laura Innes, Scott Patterson, and Sarah Roemer in the project, which is written by Nick Wauters and will be executive produced by Steve Stark. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Drea de Matteo will leave ABC's Desperate Housewives in May... but it's not related to any rumors of on-set friction between the former Sopranos star and the ladies of Wisteria Lane. "When I heard that stuff, I was stunned," creator Mark Cherry told Ausiello. "We adore her. She is the sweetest gal in the world... Part of the deal when we hired Drea was she was only interested in doing one season. She has a baby and is eager to get back to her life in New York." Look for John Barrowman's arrival in April to get de Matteo's Angie storyline in full swing. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Ryan Devlin (Cougar Town) has been cast in CBS comedy pilot Shit My Dad Says, where he will star opposite William Shatner and Nicole Sullivan. Project, written by Justin Halpern and Peter Schumacher and directed by James Burrows, will be executive produced by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting alert: Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty) has been cast as one of the leads in ABC cop drama pilot True Blue; Alicia Witt (Friday Night Lights) has landed the female lead in ABC drama pilot Edgar Floats (also cast: Derek Webster); Will Yun Lee (Bionic Woman) has booked one of the leads opposite Katee Sackhoff in Richard Hatem's untitled ABC drama pilot (as well as a guest spot on CBS pilot Hawaii Five-O); Richard T. Jones (Judging Amy) has also joined the cast of the untitled Hatem drama; Nicole Steinwedell (The Unit) and Brooke Nevin (Worst Week) have come aboard FOX drama pilot Breakout Kings; Oswaldo Castillo has joined the cast of NBC's untitled Adam Carolla comedy pilot; and Carmen Ejogo (Kidnapped) has signed on to CBS drama pilot Chaos. (Hollywood Reporter)

Zap2It's Hanh Nguyen has a story about the recent press call with James Marsters, to discuss his upcoming role on Syfy's Caprica as revolutionary Barnabus Greely. Marsters went on to discuss Twilight, the current vampire craze, and whether he'd be willing to reprise his role as Buffy and Angel's Spike. (Zap2It)

Universal Media Studios has signed an overall deal with Jeffrey Reiner (Friday Night Lights, Caprica), under which he will direct the pilot for NBC's thriller The Event (and will retain an executive producer credit if it goes to series) and will develop new projects for the studio. He's said to be already generating some ideas with Trauma creator Dario Scardapane and wants to work with Jason Katims again. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Sarah Palin and Mark Burnett are shopping a TV docudrama about life in Alaska, allegedly a "Planet Earth-type look" at America's northernmost state. "The former candidate for the vice presidency was seen leaving ABC today with Burnett, and an insider confirmed that she met with reality topper Mike Darnell yesterday at Fox (where she and her family ended the day by visiting American Idol. Palin stayed in the green room)," wrote Rice. "She also stopped by CBS today and plans to meet with NBC Universal TV Chairman Jeff Gaspin tomorrow." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Meanwhile, The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that "at least one broadcaster is already likely to pass on the project" from Palin and Burnett. According to Adalian, "ABC has decided the project isn't a right fit and won't be pursuing it," citing an unnamed source who is familiar with ABC's reaction to the pitch. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that the March 25th episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy will feature flashbacks scenes depicting Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy (Kim Raver) in Iraq and will reveal, according to Raver, "this really fun, lighthearted bond, but also how loyalty is so important out there under very intense circumstances." (TV Guide Magazine)

BBC One has commissioned two additional seasons of Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, with twelve episodes on deck for both the fourth and fifth seasons, expected to air in Autumn 2010 and Autumn 2011. Russell T. Davies, who had departed Doctor Who late last year, will remain on board as executive producer of The Sarah Jane Adventures and will be joined by newly minuted executive producer Nikki Wilson and producer Brian Minchin. (Broadcast)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that many of the former cast members from ABC's Ugly Betty will reprise their roles before the series takes a final bow next month. Ashley Jensen, Freddy Rodriguez, and likely Chris Gorham will return to Ugly Betty before its April 14th series finale. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Disney Channel has ordered two-hour telepic Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension, spun off from its Phineas and Ferb animated series, which it will air in summer 2011. Also on deck at Disney Channel and Disney XD: animated comedy Fish Hooks, live action comedy Pair of Kings, and animated superhero series The Avengers: Earth's Mighiest Heroes. (Variety)

ABC has announced launch dates for Season Two of True Beauty and Season Three of Wipeout, with the series set to return to the schedule on Monday, May 31st and Tuesday, June 22nd respectively. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Sony Entertainment Television has signed a deal with BT Vision in the UK for a branded channel that will offer British audiences such US series as Damages, The Shield, and The Tudors. (Variety)

Discovery is looking to rollout its TLC network to international viewers, with Norway the first network to receive the lifestyle-oriented network. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meredith Viera's contract with The Today Show is likely to be extended until fall 2011; her current contract was due to expire in September. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Hard Bargains: Darkness Falls on "Lost"

"For every man, there is a scale." - Dogen

The concept of good and evil has been explored in every episode of Lost, both as the external conflicts of individuals and the interior battle raging within every one of us. Every single action we perform tips the scale one way or another: an altruistic act, a noble sacrifice, tip the scales towards good. Murder, steal, or make a selfish or self-serving decision and you tip the scales in the opposite direction.

This week's episode of Lost ("Sundown"), written by Paul Zbyszewski and Graham Roland and directed by Bobby Roth, focused on the darkness festering inside Sayid Jarrah, both in terms of his infection on the island and in the flaws in his soul itself, flaws which propel him not to make the right decision, to walk the difficult path of the light, but to choose darkness and death, to rain vengeance down on those who have injured him or his family, to prove that he is essentially a killer at heart.

So what did I think of this week's installment? Fry up some eggs, finish your game of Solitaire, pay off your debts, and let's discuss "Sundown."

I have extremely mixed feelings about this week's episode. While I thought the final minutes ramped up the tension and kickstarted the island plot once more, I thought that the majority of the episode lagged considerably and that the Lost-X storyline that had Sayid visiting his family in Los Angeles lacked the emotional punch that the other flash-sideways stories have offered. (I also seem to be less of a fan of Sayid these days than I used to be for some reason. While I loved Sayid in the early days and when he served as Ben's assassin, I realized that I haven't been as invested in his character since he returned to the island.)

I was quick to defend last week's episode of Lost, which I felt did offer us both some intriguing answers and new questions as well as allow us to explore the character of Jack Shephard in a very different way, using the Lost-X universe as a sort of variation on a theme, turning Jack's father issues into something different than we've seen before by forcing him into a very different role: that of a father himself. So far the Lost-X universe has been a means by approaching these characters in very different ways as their lives seem to be free of the complexities of the island and the characters themselves seem to have almost achieved their heart's desire: Jack comes to terms with his father issues, Claire has regained her lost child, Locke faces reality and stops looking for miracles that may never come, Hurley is able to help rather than harm people.

But Sayid doesn't quite manage to achieve his heart's desire. As he tells the Man in Black, he lost the one thing he loved above all else and held it in his arms as she died. But in the Lost-X universe, he hasn't quite regained the love of his life, Nadia, who here is married to Sayid's shifty businessman brother Omer. While they are once again separated, Sayid is at least a part of Nadia's life and clearly harbors a deep attraction to his sister-in-law.

Which made me wonder that if, as I surmised last week, the flashbacks are Jacob's tool to seeing into the souls of the castaways--weighing their past actions to see which way the scale tips--what if the flash-sideways storylines in fact serve a similar function to the Man in Black? What if Jacob is limited to see what the castaways have done--their real-life actions and decisions, forged in the fires of reality--but the Man in Black is somehow able to see how they WOULD behave in some other reality?

Could it be that the Lost-X universe is in fact a vast Skinner box that puts the castaways once more in morally complicated situations, but where they are free from Jacob's guiding influence? If you achieved your heart's desire, would you still make the same mistakes? Are you the same person you were before, doomed to repeat your actions? Or do you have the capacity for change and emotional/psychological progress?

Perhaps Sayid has been infected all along, not by what happened in the pool, but by the first time he tortured someone or extinguished their life... But I believe that the series instead places a heavier weight on redemption. These characters can throw off the shackles of their past to step into the light and that the choice between good and evil is a personal one that each of us must make. Sayid was infected in the pool because he never believed himself to be a "good person." The notion is echoed in the Lost-X universe, where he realizes that he does not deserve Nadia because he is not worthy of her love.

Her pleas to choose goodness over evil, to care for the children rather than punish the men who hurt Omer, fall on deaf ears, in the end. Kidnapped by the men who arranged Omer's mugging outside his dry cleaning business, Sayid faces a choice when he comes face to face with Martin Keamy (Kevin Durand), now an egg-chomping loan shark with a penchant for violence. He could offer financial restitution in order to protect his brother's family but he chooses the way of the gun, resorting to violence and slamming down the hammer of vengeance on Keamy and his men.

Sayid isn't good; he's a man who is forced to make hard bargains but who chooses the path of destruction. His brutal murder of Keamy and his enforcers might have been provoked by their actions but they also proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sayid has always had darkness in his soul... and that in slaying Keamy he may have awakened a larger enemy.

The fact that Jin is being held inside the restaurant's walk-in (which, by the way, is the same restaurant where Naomi Dorrit recruited Miles for the Kahana expedition) points to a grander adversary. The purpose of Jin's trip appears to be to pay off a debt of his employer, Mr. Paik... but the fact that the money that was in Jin's luggage was seized by airport customs officials has made this more difficult and Keamy likely beat up Jin and held him prisoner for failing to deliver the funds. But Paik, being a prominent business man in South Korea, wouldn't need to pay off a small-time loan shark in Los Angeles... which means something else is going on here. We know Keamy worked for Charles Widmore in the mainstream reality, so who is to say that he doesn't work for him here... and that Widmore is still a major player in this reality, even without the island. Hmmm...

(Lost-X Sayid of course also briefly crosses paths with Jack at the hospital where Omer is taken, leading me to believe that their divergent lives will continue to intersect increasingly over the next few episodes.)

Sayid. Back on the island, Sayid makes the same decision as his alternate reality counterpart. Faced with a decision between choosing the path of light over darkness, he chooses to unleash hell and work with the Man in Black. There are a number of intriguing plot points that lead us to this point. Claire's appearance at the Temple brings a message from Jacob's Nemesis to Dogen and the message is clear: the Man in Black wants Dogen dead, one way or another.

Dogen, meanwhile, wants Sayid killed but can't do so himself. He can't get his hands bloody; he's unable to kill Sayid himself--and most likely Claire as well--so he attempts to get Jack to do it for him by telling him that the poison is medicine that will help Sayid. When Jack is unable to do this, Dogen attempts to banish Sayid from the Temple, knowing that he will eventually betray them... but fate presents a different route, another test for Sayid to pass: Dogen knows that the Man in Black can't kill Sayid as he is a candidate and therefore off-limits. He can be his emissary and travel out to see the Nemesis... and slay him.

But Sayid's attempts to stab the Man in Black--the same way, incidentally that Ben slew Jacob--backfire. Perhaps it is because the MiB speaks to Sayid first (which Dogen advised him against) or before Sayid is already infected and therefore has no moral leverage over the Man in Black. In any event, Sayid quickly becomes one of his recruits, lured by the possibility of reunion with Nadia (a reunion possibly glimpsed in the Lost-X universe) and regaining the one thing that made him truly happy.

But to achieve this end, we see the Man in Black's methods: Sayid is tasked with first delivering a message to the Others, that those who stay in the Temple after sundown will be killed and those who leave can join his side. Sayid then brutally murders Dogen, an act that removes any protection holding the monster back from the Temple. The fact that he drowns Dogen is significant, a reversal of positions when Dogen had Sayid held under the water earlier this season. Dogen is killed in the very thing that he had fought to protect: the healing capabilities of the Temple pool. And Sayid then viciously slits the throat of Dogen's translator, Lennon, casting him into the pool. These actions bring the Temple down around their heads, inviting the monster into this sacred space, causing it to become the site of a brutal massacre, a site of death and destruction.

Dogen. Before his death, we get a quick glimpse into the backstory of Dogen himself and learn that he was a Japanese businessman who inadvertently killed his twelve-year-old son in a drunk driving accident after he had been out celebrating with his co-workers at the bank where he worked. But he, like Juliet before him, was given a choice: he could save his son by turning his back on the rest of the world and traveling to the island but he could never leave and never see his son again.

Like his Nemesis, Jacob offers hard bargains but those who take him up on his offers are willing to sacrifice something personal, something dear, to save those that they love. Dogen's baseball--which he sees and which stops him from killing Sayid earlier in the episode--represents the sacrifice he had made, an effort to tip the scale towards good, to willingly imprison himself to save another.

I wish that Dogen's death had been more unexpected. But as soon as Sayid returned to the Temple, I knew that he would murder Dogen, though I had incorrectly assumed it would be with the sacrificial knife he had given Sayid earlier. This was one element of the episode that really irked me: so much of the action seemed telegraphed in advance. It was entirely obvious that Sayid would kill Dogen so his transition to the darkness wasn't at all surprising.

However, I did think that the monster's assault on the Temple was absolutely stunning to watch as it made its way through the Temple hallways, killing everything in sight... and then reforming itself as John Locke outside the Temple walls, where the Man in Black was joined by a number of recruits, as well as Sayid and Claire.

Kate. I can't help but wonder whether Kate will fall into darkness as well, which I hope doesn't happen. If the other characters are all experiencing moments of clarity or psychological growth in the Lost-X universe, why do both Sayid and Kate seem stuck in the same rut? Kate glimpsed in the alternate reality is still running from her problems, a felon on the lam who is fleeing punishment and therefore the consequences of her actions. If Lost-X Kate can't change, does it mean that our Kate can't either? That she's doomed to fall into darkness somehow?

Kate made a major mistake telling Claire that she had taken Aaron and that he's off-island (though she did neglect to mention that Claire's own mother has him) as Claire is going to be looking to enact revenge against Kate. Though Kate's logic was sound: Claire wandered off in the middle of the night and they couldn't find her; Kate wasn't about to leave Aaron alone on the island and jet off to safety. But what concerns me more are the tentative steps Kate takes as she walks out of the Temple. Is she aware of what she has gotten herself into? Will she know instinctively that this man isn't John Locke? And will she be able to fight the infection?

Cavalry. I'm not sure where Ilana, Ben, Sun, and Lapidus came from or how (though the Temple rather strangely seems very easy to walk into/out of) but I did like that they showed up at the height of the battle and managed to rescue Miles from the carnage... though they were too late to save Kate, who attempted to save Claire. (Little did she know that she didn't need saving.)

But as Ilana activated the secret passageway in the hallway (the same one through which Hurley and Jack left last week), Ben ran off to find Sayid. Which is rather interesting as his quest took him right to the Temple pool, the site of a catalytic change for Benjamin Linus himself. Like Sayid, Ben was healed by the Temple pool but a hefty price was predicted: his soul. Was Ben infected then? Did it allow darkness to enter his soul?

How ironic that these two should end up face to face standing over the pool. After all, Sayid shot Ben as a boy, which in turn led to him being brought to the pool. Ben's father shot Sayid, which necessitated him being placed in the pool. Much of the darkness in Sayid's soul was put there by Ben who hired him as an assassin off-island. These two seem intertwined by bonds of fate and it's only fitting that they should come face to face over the pool. Does Ben remember something in that moment, an inkling about who Sayid is and what happened to him? Or does he see the darkness that has overtaken the former torturer? What was Ben hoping to accomplish by rescuing Sayid? An attempt to tip the scale the other way, to undo some wrongs, and possibly sacrifice his own skin to save another? Could it be that the redemption of Benjamin Linus is already under way?

Man in Black. Dogen describes the Man in Black as "evil incarnate." His actions in this episode seem to fulfill that description. He wantonly murders everyone at the Temple, recruits Sayid to murder Dogen, and seems hell-bent on killing everyone on the island, as Dogen predicted. Additionally, his offers seem to be the equivalent of Faustian pacts: there's always a price to pay. He promises Sayid a reunion with Nadia, promises Sawyer a way off the island, and promises Claire she will get her son back. In exchange, he receives their soul. It's an inversion of the bargains driven by Jacob, who offers salvation in exchange for sacrifice. And it makes me believe that there is no goodness within MiB nor moral balance. He is pure, unadulterated evil, contained within the prison of the island but looking to corrupt the entire world.

All in all, a lackluster episode of Lost that spent way too much time at the Temple and offering a look at Sayid that wasn't too markedly different from the ones we've seen before. Additionally, so much time was spent establishing Dogen and Lennon as additional characters this late in the game, that I feel a bit cheated that they were then killed off so quickly after they were forced into the narrative. Yes, we're moving beyond the Temple but the Temple storyline so closely mirrored that of Season Three's imprisonment by the Others sequence that it felt frustratingly obtuse at times.

I'm hoping the end of the episode at least points towards some narrative progress in the coming weeks as the battle lines are drawn and sides in the Final Battle are taken. I didn't hate this episode but I didn't love it either and I don't usually find myself somewhere in the middle with Lost, yet that's just the sort of ambivalence that "Sundown" provoked within me. While I'm not part of the camp demanding answers with every episode, I do want something resembling narrative progress and I think that the Temple storyline definitely overstayed its welcome and the castaways are so fragmented and all over the place that it's hard to get a bead on what's going on with the big picture.

What did you think of this week's episode? Do you agree that it was an unexpectedly lackluster installment or were you just as captivated as always? Any further thoughts on the significance of the Lost-X universe and whether it is directly connected to the Man in Black? Discuss.

Next week on Lost ("Dr. Linus"), Ben deals with the consequences of an uncovered lie.

Facing Fears: An Advance Review of Tonight's "Modern Family"

What are you terrified of? is it spiders? Heights? Rollercoasters? What is the one thing that gets your heart beating?

It's the question at the very center of tonight's sensational episode of Modern Family ("Fears"), written by Steven Levitan and directed by Reginald Hudlin, which revolves around the very diverse fears of the extended Pritchett clan as they each grapple with something holding them back.

I had the opportunity to watch "Fears" last weekend in at the packed Saban Theatre before Modern Family's panel at the 2010 William S. Paley Television Festival and have to say that it might just be the series' best installment to date, overflowing with humor, heart, and an exploration of the very universal fears we all have.

Narratively, "Fears" might just be the most ambitious episode of Modern Family we've seen so far, offering several plot strands that include Phil and Luke exploring the crawl space underneath the house, Manny not wanting to go to a party because of his fear of rollercoasters, Haley attempting to pass her drivers' test for the third time, Alex refusing to go to a school dance, and Cam and Mitchell inviting Lily's pediatrician over for brunch.

It's the latter story that's the most heartbreaking and hilarious as Cameron and Mitchell are shocked and depressed when Lily's first word ends up being "Mommy," causing them to doubt their parenting skills and creating the world's most awkward and uncomfortable brunch. There's a nice twist (two, actually) at the end of the storyline that put things into perspective and offer another novel approach to fear-based behavior.

Likewise, Phil is forced to face his own fears in this episode when he and Luke go treasure-hunting under the house. A seething ball of neuroses, Phil has admitted a deathly fear of clowns in the past but his phobias extend to spiders and other creepy-crawlies. Making his exploration of the crawl space extremely difficult, really. But this being Phil Dunphy, he comes up with his own innovative way of checking out just what's under the house, though he too must contend with an unexpected twist.

Look for Phil to make the ultimate sacrifice, Claire to offer possibly the most embarrassing example of dancing ever, Gloria to prove that she is a master manipulator (in more ways than one), and everyone to conquer their fears in one way or another.

I don't want to give too much away about this fantastic episode but I will say that in the deft hands of Levitan and the talented cast, this installment features some envelope-pushing humor that's definitely not of the PC-variety. And I wouldn't have it any other way. No other family comedy has excelled at fusing together the awkward and uncomfortable with the heartfelt and the bittersweet in quite the same way--or with the same level of success--as Modern Family has... and that's nothing to be afraid of.

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

Channel Surfing: Jason Isaacs is "Pleading Guilty," "Game of Thrones," Trio Joins Matt LeBlanc in "Episodes," Michael Imperioli to "Detroit," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Jason Isaacs is heading to network television. After several years of offers, Isaacs (Green Zone and the Harry Potter films) has signed on to star in a broadcast network pilot. Isaacs, who last starred in Showtime's Brotherhood before it ended in 2008, has come aboard FOX legal drama pilot Pleading Guilty, based on the Scott Turow book of the same name. Isaacs will play the lead, Mack, a former cop and current attorney who is described as "a big handsome Irish lunk" and who investigates the disappearance of his firm's star litigator. Isaacs' attachment removing the casting contigency on the project, which hails from 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment and which is being shepherded by Bones creator Hart Hanson. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has given a series order to fantasy drama Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's beststelling novel series. Project, written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and directed by Tom McCarthy, will head to HBO in spring of 2011. (Televisionary)

Looks like Matt LeBlanc has some company in his upcoming Showtime/BBC comedy series Episodes, which has been ordered for seven installments. Claire Forlani (CSI: NY), Kathleen Rose Perkins ('Til Death), and Stephen Mangan (Green Wing) have been cast opposite LeBlanc in the comedy series, which revolves around a British husband-and-wife writing team (Forlani and Mangan) who travel to America to produce a US version of their hit UK series. Series, from executive producers David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, is due to begin production in May. (Hollywood Reporter)

Michael Imperioli--last seen as a series regular on ABC's short-lived Life on Mars--has been cast as one of the leads in ABC cop drama pilot 187 Detroit, where he will play Fitch, described as "a smart, tough-minded veteran detective with a short fuse who has a near-perfect record for clearing cases and putting murderers in cages." (Hollywood Reporter)

Lost fans will have the opportunity to become part of Lost history by participating in a promotional contest that could have an original promo air on ABC. Participants can visit ABC.com to create and submit their own original 35-second promo, which will then vie for the opportunity to be broadcast on-air in the week leading up to the final episode of Lost and the Grand Prize winner will receive a trip to Los Angeles to attend the series’ special finale party. (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that ABC has passed on Mark Gordon's small-screen version of post-apocalyptic film 2012, which would have revolved around survivors of the global disaster. "Future production costs may have been a factor in ABC’s decision, though the status of the network’s other high-concept genre shows (FlashForward, V) could have played a role, too," writes Rice. "Both shows struggled in the ratings last fall and have yet to receive a second season pickup. A spokeswoman for ABC declined to comment." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Pilot casting news: Jon Seda (The Pacific) will star opposite Roselyn Sanchez in Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters' ABC dramedy pilot Cutthroat; Jesse Bradford (The West Wing) has come aboard NBC's untitled John Eisendrath drama pilot (a.k.a. Rough Justice); Jason Behr (Roswell) and Merle Dandridge (24) have joined the cast of ABC drama pilot The Matadors; Lindsay Price (Eastwick) has landed one of the leads in ABC comedy pilot Who Gets the Parents?, opposite Jane Kaczmarek and Adam Arkin; Eliza Coupe (Scrubs) has joined the cast of ABC comedy pilot Happy Endings; Missi Pyle (Grey's Anatomy) and Johnny Sneed (Unhitched) have been cast as the leads in ABC comedy pilot How to Be a Better American; and and Diedrich Bader (Bones) and Jessica Gower (Blade: The Series) have boarded NBC comedy pilot Outsourced. Meanwhile, CBS has rolled over its untitled Redlich/Bellucci drama (a.k.a. The Rememberer) to next season due to difficulties casting the lead. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other casting news, Jason George (Grey's Anatomy) has been cast in Shonda Rhimes' ABC medical drama pilot Off the Map, where he will play Dr. Otis Abbot, described as "a brilliant ER doctor at the clinic who likes women, cigarettes, and the occasional dirty joke and works closely with the clinic's founder, Ben Hanley (Martin Henderson)." (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central has given a series order to comedy Workaholics, ordering ten episodes. Series, from writer/executive producer Kevin Etten, revolves around a group of twenty-somethings who are poised between college and adulthood. Cast includes Blake Anderson, Anders Holm, and Adam Devine. (Variety)

In other Comedy Central-related news, the Viacom-owned network has pulled all of its programming off of Hulu, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Viewers will be now only able to watch episodes of both series on the Comedy Central website. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Caterina Scorsone (Crash) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Private Practice. Scorsone will play as Dr. Amelia Shepherd, the younger sister of Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepherd, who gets a job at Oceanside Wellness. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Production is slated to begin this month on Season Two of Syfy drama series Warehouse 13, which will launch its second season on Tuesday, July 13th. Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, and CCH Pounder will all reprise their roles next season. (via press release)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has an interview with new Melrose Place cast member Nick Zano and a first-look video at Zano's Dr. Drew Pragin, who will make his first appearance on March 16th. (TV Guide Magazine)

Looks like ABC's The Forgotten will be heading out the door a little earlier than expected. The network has opted to pull the March 23rd episode from the schedule, making next week's episode the season finale... and, barring some unforeseen development, the end of the series. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year deal with Jon Pollack (Community, 30 Rock), under which Pollack will oversee two comedy pilots for next season: romantic comedy Perfect Couples (which he co-wrote with Scott Silveri) and the untitled Adam Carolla comedy pilot. (Variety)

History will spin-off its reality series Pawn Stars into a franchise, launching version of the series in New York and Miami. (Hollywood Reporter)

Access Hollywood is coming to daytime via a new hour-long series Access Hollywood Live, which will be stripped beginning this fall in such markets as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. (Variety)

NBC Universal has acquired exclusive global pay TV rights outside of North America, France, and Germany to ABC/Global cop drama Copper from E1 Entertainment. Series, which stars Missy Peregrym, Gregory Smith, Enuka Okuma, and Travis Milne, is slated to air sometime this year on ABC. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Winter is Coming: HBO Orders "Game of Throne" to Series

It's official: HBO is in the George R.R. Martin business.

The pay cabler today announced that it had given a series pickup to Game of Thrones, a fantasy drama based on Martin's bestselling novel series "A Song of Ice and Fire." Project is executive produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who wrote the pilot episode, which was directed by Tom McCarthy.

The series--which will star Sean Bean, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, and Jamie Campbell-Bower, among many, many others too numerous to list here--is expected to launch next spring. Production gets back underway in June in Northern Ireland.

In the meantime, you can check out the first official photo from the production above.

Are you as bloody excited as I am about this news?

Game of Thrones' first season will debut in spring 2011 on HBO.

Financial Candyland: Following the Money Trail on "Damages"

"Follow the money."

Whistleblower Deep Throat suggested that tack to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to do just that in the 1976 film All the President's Men, based on the Watergate scandal that eventually took down Richard Nixon.

The same applies to the twisted Ponzi scheme enacted by financier Louis Tobin this season on Damages but Tobin has hidden his money trail rather cleverly. So well in fact that rottweiler attorney Patty Hewes and her crack team of investigators are no closer to uncovering his fortune's whereabouts than they were when the season began, a fact that leaves Patty's position as the court-appointed trustee in the case in serious jeopardy.

This week's episode of Damages ("Don't Forget to Thank Mr. Zedeck"), written by Aaron Zelman and Mark Fish and directed by Timothy Busfield, may have lacked the jaw-dropping plot twists of last week's stunning episode but that doesn't mean that we didn't receive any further clues about the overarching mysteries of the series' third season.

This week, the action was focused once more on the money trail as Tom and Patty attempted to uncover the hidden millions--or even billions--that Louis Tobin squirreled away somewhere, Joe sought proof of his father's arrangement with the mysterious Mr. Zedeck (Dominic Chianese), and Ellen discovered a possible link between Louis Tobin's death and Danielle Marchetti's.

So what did I think of this week's episode? Let's discuss.

While "Don't Forget to Thank Mr. Zedeck" focused on smaller discoveries and less shocking developments than the last two episodes, this week's installment did offer us some more clues and continued to build on the sense of doom and dread that have circled around this season.

Tom. Wisely, the writers have placed Tom Shayes front and center in this episode as we see the fallout from his involvement in Tobin's Ponzi scheme, an investment decision that has not only wiped him and Deb out but also his own parents and hers. A conversation between Tom and his father-in-law reveals just how desperate the situation is, as Deb's cancer-stricken mother is now likely to lose her medical coverage. Tom is trying to keep it together however he can but he's still not willing to jeopardize his role on the Tobin case by telling Patty that he's been compromised and has lost everything. Likewise, Deb isn't quite getting the severity of the situation, even when Roger Castle presents the reality of the financial hit they've taken.

But there's also a personal sense of vengeance enacted by Tom against their own financial adviser, Eric Nichols, who has a daughter at the school where Tom and Deb's daughter Megan attends. Nichols seems positively unperturbed by any of the Tobin case developments and he continues to flaunt his wealth despite the fact that many of his own clients have lost everything. Despite the dark path that Tom is on (one that, as we know, gets him killed in the future), I couldn't help but cheer when he started to beat Nichols in the school hallway. He's going to get their money back but we all know what dumpster that leads him to...

Patty. Tom's attack on Nichols does result in some new information as Tom believes that he's put together just how Louis Tobin was moving money after Patty receives some intelligence from a felon she put behind bars: Sterling Bittle (Wallace Shawn). Antigua is a hotbed for financial malfeasance and it's likely that Tobin was able to stash hundreds of millions down there. But there are a few complications: one someone would have to have traveled down to Antigua frequently to make the deposits at an offshore bank account and none of the Tobins nor their known associates have made the trips necessary. Plus, the account would have to have been opened by a resident of the Caribbean island where the bank is based. Hmmm...

I loved that Patty was more than willing to meet with Sterling and that he was willing to help her, despite their history. But there was also more than a glimmer of shared respect between the two of them, despite being on opposite sides of the law here. Sterling not only tells her about Antigua--for a price, of course--but also manages to set her up with his architect. An architect that just happens to be Patty's would-be paramour Julian Decker (Keith Carradine), who is willing to redo Patty's palatial apartment and expose what's going on under the "modern lines." (Metaphor much?) But he told her that it was "a lot of responsibility," a line that echoed her recurring nightmare in last week's episode.

Alex Benjamin. While Patty was desperate enough to go to Sterling Bittle for help, she knew that it would come with a price tag and she was all too willing to use her wannabe associate Alex to carry out Sterling's demand for a "conjugal visit." Alex, meanwhile, followed through on her testament to do whatever it took to win this job at Hewes & Shayes but she seemed outright nervous when it came to visit Sterling. Fortunately, she wasn't there to have sex with Sterling but rather to smuggle in some caviar, which he then wanted her to watch him eat in the conjugal visitation room. (I wouldn't have put it past Patty, however, to have prostituted Alex outright.)

While Alex proved that she was willing to do anything to win over Patty, Patty hadn't quite finished with her yet, sending her to Coventry and refusing to even let her wait in the lobby. Despite Ellen's admonishment to "run away," Alex is determined to get this job... and she eventually does, much to Ellen's chagrin. (You could see the blatant disappointment on Ellen's face as she realizes that Alex is doomed to be Patty's catspaw.)

Zedeck. Joe, meanwhile, finally made the acquaintance of his father's "partner," Mr. Zedeck, an owner of a chain of dry cleaners who makes him jump through a number of hoops in order to obtain proof that he has access to the Tobin fortune. But like Patty with Alex, Zedeck is testing Joe and Joe fails his game miserably. After participating in a series of rendezvouses, dead-drops, codes, and dry cleaner pick-ups, Joe doesn't receive a box of cash but rather a sable for Marilyn. Disgusted and frustrated, Joe believes that Zedeck is playing him and returns the coat.

It's a misstep. The coat was intended as a gift for Marilyn, a sign of support and friendship. By not giving her the coat (and failing to heed the woman at the dry cleaners' instructions to "be sure to thank Mr. Zedeck"), Joe throws the old man's gift back in his face, proving both that he is ungrateful ("how sharper than a serpent's tooth," as Shakespeare would say) and untrustworthy.

For his part, despite his abhorrence at Joe's behavior, Zedeck does produce some verifiable proof after scaring the daylights out of Joe by appearing in his hotel room. But Zedeck has left a present for Joe in the bottom drawer of the dresser: a suitcase filled with crisp bills. It's clear that Zedeck, who claims to be an old friend of Louis', did have an arrangement with his father. But why the mindgames, the tests, and the subterfuge? It's as Roger Castle says, however they moved the money, it was all done in person and not on the phone or via email. Just like Zedeck's first meeting with Joe at the end of the line in Queens, in fact. No paper trail means no money trail, after all.

Ellen. I'm really liking Ellen this season; she has a confidence and forthrightness that she didn't have in Season Two, a real sense of empowerment that's absolutely tangible in every scene. As the DA's office begins to investigate the possibility that Louis Tobin was murdered and they interview Richard Renfro (the man that Joe Tobin assaulted), Ellen uncovers a link between Louis' heart attack and Danielle Marchetti's death, one that implicates the involvement of the Tobins' family physician, Dr. Brandt.

They learn that both Louis and Danielle were killed by an overdose of potassium and while Brandt admits to giving the idea for the mixture to Louis as a way out, he can't explain how Danielle could have died the same way. But Ellen knows that she was murdered by someone... but has no idea that the killer is Carol Tobin.

Danielle Marchetti's daughter. I had assumed she was younger than she actually was and mistook her uniform for that of a private school student. But it turns out that the unnamed Ms. Marchetti is a flight attendant for a private airline.... and would be able to move money around to Antigua without anyone being the wiser, considering that Louis Tobin was very careful not to establish paternity (her birth certificate was left incomplete) and to keep the girl a secret from everyone, it would seem. It also makes the choice of Louis Tobin and Leonard Winstone to use the Farmingdale Airport to get Danielle out of the country all the more fitting, since it seems to be the locus through which her daughter is traveling. Interesting...

Four Months Later. Not much in the way of answers from the future timeframe this week but we did learn several important facts. One, that Tom had not only uncovered proof of the Tobin's secret fortune but had in fact managed to get his hands on some of his own lost money, placed in a duffel bag that Tom has at the apartment (which Ellen sees) and which is later found in his car by Detective Huntley after his murder.

Two, we now know that Tom was alive for two hours BEFORE Patty's car crash, it's possible that he was driving the car when it crashed into her. But why, really? I can't think of any motive at this time that would explain why he would want her dead but it's also possible that Tom's car--and the cash--was taken before his murder by someone else who also wants Patty dead.

Three, if Tom and Ellen have uncovered proof of Zedeck's means of procuring and securing hidden funds, it's enough of a reason why they would want to have Tom permanently silenced. And it also places Ellen in jeopardy as well. (I still maintain that Patty called Ellen after learning of Tom's death and that she had warned them from launching their own private investigation into the money.)

Four, it's unclear whether Patty knows about the money or not. Ellen makes a point of asking Tom whether Patty knows and Tom says that Patty won't be a problem. I think this is another red herring intended to make us think that Tom willingly attempted to kill Patty in the car crash but I don't think that's the case at all. There's still a big missing piece that we're not seeing that will tie together all of this disparate threads. Hmmm....

"I like where this case is heading," says Huntley. Me too.

What did you think of this week's episode? Is Zedeck far more dangerous than he seems? Will Ellen and the prosecutors realize that Carol murdered Danielle Marchetti? Just what is going on with Patty and Julian? And do you still agree with my theory from a few weeks back that Tom was waterboarded? Discuss.

Next week on Damages ("You Haven't Replaced Me"), Patty sends Tom out of the country to follow the money trail of the Tobin fraud; Ellen must choose between Patty and her new boss; Leonard Winston leaves the city under mysterious circumstances.