Manic Monday: "That's Disappointing"

When Tom Lennox admitted to his scheming underling Reed Pollock that he had been against Reed all along on last night’s “24,” Reed responded with a curt “That’s disappointing.”

I have to say that pretty much sums up my reaction to the entire night last night.

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s “24” and “Heroes.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking. How could I be disappointed by a night that included both an attempt on the President’s life and answers about the most mysterious character on TV? I don’t know. I just was.

There were some good moments on “24” last night. I loved it when Chloe burst into the men’s room to find out if Morris was drinking (and people say no one ever goes to the bathroom on “24”). And of course, the meeting of Jack and Logan was awesome. I laughed out loud when Logan said he had renewed his faith. I mean, we’re not actually supposed to believe that are we? And maybe Gregory Itzin just brings out the best in everyone because his scene with D.B. Woodside was the best D.B.’s given us all season (Unfortunately, the remainder of D.B.’s scenes were so mumbled, they would have been better left on the cutting room floor.).

The problem was one that has been recurring too much this season—not enough Jack, or in this case, not enough Jack and Logan. If you’re going to bring these two heavyweights together, you need to give them plenty to do.

As for the aforementioned assassination attempt, it was just too anticlimactic for me. The President didn’t seem all that close to the explosion and the conspirators took the coward’s way out and did it during the practice instead of during the actual address—so it lost a little drama. And having a member of the President’s staff tied up in another room because he (or she) opposes a plot against the President has been done before (in season two), but I’m still willing to give it the benefit of the doubt since Chad Lowe is fantastic.

Next week’s previews show Jack getting himself into trouble again with a foreign consulate as he threatens to start breaking fingers. I know that some of you are too squeamish for that kind of thing, but I would rather see Jack eat someone’s entire hand than to see him touch Marilyn the way he did last night. Ewww!!!!...

So since “24” was a little ho-hum, I was pretty jazzed about “Heroes.” But you know what I’m always saying about expectations…

Maybe I was still bummed about “24,” but for me, the whole episode was one big rollercoaster that started going down before it ever got to the top.

Two things are for certain, though. HRG rocks and Jack Coleman gave one of the best performances of the year as he seamlessly (and believably) slipped back and forth between loving father and calculating villain.

There were some nice surprises last night, though. The first of which was that Claude, the invisible man, used to be HRG’s partner. But the biggest one was that Hiro’s father is involved in the organization and appeared to be very high up in it.

The episode also deserves some major kudos for those gorgeous black and white flashbacks. The makeup and hair people did an excellent job at making everyone look younger.

But now we have the questions…Who told the Haitian not to mind wipe Claire? Was it her mother?...Did the Haitian completely erase all of HRG’s memories about his family or just those about Claire?...Why did Eric Roberts shoot Ted? Was he wanting to test Claire’s ability or was he just hoping to do away with everyone?...How did HRG get Matt? Will HRG go back to being a bad guy and partner with him?

And with promises of more answered questions, the revelation of Linderman, AND a “Spider-Man 3” preview, how can “24” possibly compete next week?

Well, Kiefer does look good in a suit…

Stay tuned…

Pick of the Week: HRG Takes Center Stage

As much as it pains me to pick anything that competes against “24,” when a show spotlights one of my favorite characters on TV right now, I really have no choice.

This week’s Pick is none other than “Heroes” as the spotlight falls on HRG in an episode called “Everything Changes.”

Tonight, we’ll find out how HRG (or Mr. Bennett, if you prefer) got Claire as Matt, Ted and Hana take drastic action to get answers. And if you’ve seen the spoilery pictures in this week’s “TV Guide,” you know that things do not end well.

Plus, we get our first appearance by Eric Roberts as one of HRG’s associates. I still shiver every time I see him thanks to that guest appearance he did on “CSI: Miami” as that hatchet-wielding serial killer. I can only imagine what havoc he will wreak here…

“Heroes” airs Monday, February 26th at 9 p.m. on NBC.

But please make sure you tape “24” since the phenomenal Gregory Itzin will make his much anticipated return…

Sweeps Schedule: The Final Three Days

There are only three more days left in February sweeps, but the networks still have some pretty special stuff up their sleeves…

Monday, February 26th, Gregory Itzin returns to “24” as Jack needs Logan’s help (9 p.m., FOX). Ed Begley Jr. guests on “CSI: Miami” (10 p.m., CBS) and ABC follows Oprah as she fulfills her dream in “Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy” (10 p.m.). NBC premieres its newest drama, “The Black Donnellys” at 10 (Scroll down for my review.)…

Tuesday, February 27th, Academy Award Winner Jennifer Hudson stops by BET’s “One Night Only” to inspire some New Orleans high school students doing a production of “Dreamgirls” (7:30 p.m.). FOX premieres its newest game show, “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” hosted by Jeff Foxworthy (9:30 p.m.). Kim Delaney guest stars on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC). ABC News reporter Bob Woodruff returns to Baghdad for the first time since his near fatal accident in “To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports” (10 p.m., ABC)…

Wednesday, February 28th, it’s the season premiere of “America’s Next Top Model” (8 p.m., CW). Criss Angel guest stars on “CSI: NY” (10 p.m., CBS) and Cheech Marin guests as Hurley’s dad on “Lost” (10 p.m., ABC). “The Knights of Prosperity” move on to a new target—which just happens to be one of my least favorite TV personalities, by the way (8:30 p.m., ABC) and we finally get to see Jane Seymour’s guest appearance on “In Case of Emergency” (9:30 p.m., ABC)…

Don’t worry. We’ll do this sweeps thing again in May…

Way to Go Derek Fans!

All of you Derek supporters out there should give yourselves a big pat on the back…

Even Derek was surprised that he avoided the bottom four this week on “Grease: You’re the One That I Want” after a bad performance during last week’s duet rounds.

Interestingly, his duet partner, Kate, did not get the same pass, as she ended up in the bottom four and was eliminated by the judges. As I said last week, she really didn’t give Derek much help in the chemistry department and clearly, the judges noticed. Serious Sandy was just way too serious.

Kevin, who barely survived elimination last week, was sent home by the judges.

This week, it was all about the Sandys, as they performed songs with the dancing help of the remaining Dannys (The Dannys did not sing.). Next week, the spotlight will be on the Dannys and it will be time to vote once again.

You’re doing a great job so far…

"The Black Donnellys": Does It Live Up to the Hype?

I said last week in a post about “The O.C.” that pilots are a tricky thing. Sometimes it’s hard to get all of the characters introduced in a way that makes us care about them.

And that’s definitely the problem with the first half of “The Black Donnellys” premiere. I actually had to take notes to keep everybody straight for this review.

The Donnellys are four brothers living in a rough Irish neighborhood. The “Black” comes from their less than legal activities.

Jimmy, the oldest, is the leader of those activities and he’s a junkie. He has a limp from when his leg was run over by a car as a kid. And, he blames himself for his father’s death at the hands of some thugs from the Italian neighborhood.

Kevin has a gambling problem, while Shawn has a lady problem—too many of them. They both stick with Jimmy wherever he goes.

Tommy is an art student who tries to stay out of his brothers’ problems, but always seems to be bailing them out of trouble.

Jenny is the neighborhood girl who has always hung out with the Donnellys, and who has always had a thing for Tommy. Frankie is a friend of the family, who also happens to be a cop.

Their story is told by their friend, Charlie (aka Joey Ice Cream), who is in prison, being interrogated by two cops who want to know “where the bodies are.”

As the show opens, Kevin has gotten himself into some serious gambling debt. When Jimmy’s plan to get the money goes bust, the brothers take more drastic action that causes them to run afoul of Sal, who runs the Italian neighborhood.

Before the hour ends, Tommy is forced to take a more active role to protect his family, much to the chagrin of Jenny, who despite being married, can’t deny her feelings for Tommy.

“Donnellys” has an impressive pedigree, having been created by Academy Award winners Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, the duo behind “Crash.” But the first half is all flash and no substance as we try to keep the characters straight.

However, the last 15 minutes will totally grab you when a family secret is revealed that explains everything and sets up the rest of the series. And yes, there are bodies aplenty…

If you enjoy gritty, tough drama, you will enjoy “The Black Donnellys.” You just might need a scorecard…

"The Black Donnellys" premieres Monday, February 26th at 10 p.m. on NBC, with an encore Thursday, March 1st at 10 p.m.

"Grey's Anatomy": Whatever...

So, I taped last night’s “Grey’s Anatomy” so I could see how the big crisis got resolved. And after I was done eulogizing “The O.C.,” I spent the next hour watching it.

And maybe it was because I had just seen one of the best series finales ever, or maybe it was because I’m not a regular viewer, but for me the word that kept popping into my head throughout the entire episode was…whatever.

Now before all of you “Grey’s” fans go Jack Bauer on me, let me say that I know “Grey’s” can be an excellent show—I’ve seen good episodes. But for me, this wasn’t one of them…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Usually, when a character has an out-of-body experience, someone on the other side convinces them to go back because there’s something left for them to accomplish. But Denny’s main argument for Meredith (although he touched briefly on losing loved ones) was that it would be too hard for the others. What?! A woman contemplates suicide and your argument is that it would be too hard on her friends?

And speaking of suicide, since I’m not a regular viewer of the show I’m hoping there are other details about Meredith’s life that would make this more plausible, because wanting to end your life because your mother called you ordinary just doesn’t work for me.

And was it actually necessary to kill Meredith’s mother in order to make things right? They couldn’t have done that among the living?

I applaud the show for trying to do something different with a tried-and-true plot device, but I think they wasted too much time with Meredith being oblivious and the weird interludes with Bonnie bleeding out (?!).

And after all that “suspense” to see if Meredith made it, the ending seemed somewhat anticlimactic. Maybe that was just me.

If “Grey’s” is not careful, it could fall into the pit of “ER” with its “very special” crisis-of the-week episodes. The show is at its best when the characters are interacting with each other—Callie and Izzy fighting it out, George trying to deal with Izzy, Christina showing off her 99 cent wares to the bartender—not when they’re roaming around empty hallways dead…

"The O.C." Finale: Going Out On Top

So, if you read my previous post, you know that I was very worried about “The O.C.” finale. There were just too many things in the previews that I didn’t like and I was concerned we were headed for another gutwrenching moment like the end of season one.

But in the words of the late, great Jerry Orbach (from “Dirty Dancing”), when I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong. And I couldn’t have been more wrong about this one…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details of tonight’s series finale of “The O.C.”…

From the incredibly confusing opening scene, it was obvious that this episode was going to be classic “O.C.”—smart, funny, and not taking itself too seriously. When I first heard that the final episode would pick up six months after last week’s, I didn’t like it since the show had been playing stupid time tricks all season. But this time, it actually made a lot of sense as it helped move the story along more quickly and produced the best five minutes of the whole season—even if it did confuse the crap out of me.

The Cohens were living with Julie and Kaitlyn. Taylor and Ryan had broken up and Taylor had gone back to Paris. Seth and Summer were living a slothful existence in Summer’s room, a la Joey and Chandler in their La-Z-Boys in season two of “Friends.” But most shocking was that Julie was pregnant and engaged to the Bullet—not Frank.

But by the end of the hour, everything was back to normal. Taylor and Ryan patched things up, Frank finally admitted that he wanted to be a part of his child’s life, Julie decided to try and make it on her own and the Cohens returned to their Berkeley home with their new baby, Sophie.

As I said, classic “O.C.”…

“The O.C.” was always at its best when it was funny and this episode was full of funny moments. I especially liked how the show mocked soap operas by having the guys who owned the Berkeley house conveniently be a midwife and a wedding planner (“I know this sounds a little random…”). It was also great when Bullet decided to move the whole wedding ceremony to the house because Julie wouldn’t do it without “KiKi.”

In fact, it was all so great that I didn’t even mind the episode’s most heartbreaking moment—when Seth and Summer said goodbye. As much as I hated it, it actually made sense. But that didn’t stop me from crying anyway…

Thankfully, though, it didn’t end there as there were a few things the previews didn’t give away…

With Patrick Park’s “Life’s A Song” playing over it, we got a montage showing us the future of all of the characters. Julie graduated college with Kaitlyn, Bullet, Frank and Frank and Julie’s son cheering her on (in a scene extremely reminiscent of “The Object of My Affection”). Ryan went to Berkeley and became a part of the class of 2012.

But the moment that made me actually clap my hands was the sight of Summer in a wedding dress as she walked down the aisle to her beloved Seth. It was a wonderful moment we had waited four years to see. Granted, we didn’t get to see the whole thing, but just knowing they ended up together was enough for me.

We can’t really say the same about Taylor and Ryan since their future was left a little ambiguous. The two shared a meaningful look at the wedding, but that was all we got. And even that was okay with me.

The final scene showed Ryan, the architect, walking away from a building site and noticing a young kid sitting by himself, looking very much like Ryan after he was kicked out by his mom in the pilot (which we saw in flashback).

“Hey, kid. Do you need some help?”

The kid didn’t answer as the show faded on Ryan’s concerned face.

And yes, I cried again, because my beloved “The O.C.”—that had frustrated me for two long years—had gone out on top...

An "O.C." Finale Preview

My plan for this week was to do a little hypothesizing as to how “The O.C.” will end based on things I’ve read or seen. I even studied every detail of this picture.

But with each promo FOX shows, hypothesizing becomes less and less necessary.

And I get more and more nervous…

In last week’s uneven episode, the stage was set as Seth and Ryan walked down memory lane as Seth was able to save his brother. Sandy and Kirsten learned they were having a girl, Taylor made up with her mom, and Kaitlyn made up with Frank.

But it was the episode’s final scene that truly signaled the end—the Cohen home in ruins.

Which leads me to this question: Was that really necessary?

Josh Schwartz has promised us a satisfying ending. But if the commercials are correct there may not be anything satisfying about it.

If you haven’t seen any of the commercials—which reveal just about everything—I’m not going to spoil it for you. I’m just going to warn you to have lots of tissues, because there’s going to be something that you’re not going to like. Something that keeps making me hear that song…

“Hallelujah, hallelujah…”

You better get the tissues now…

“The O.C.” series finale airs Thursday, February 22nd at 9 p.m. on FOX.

And to relive all of my “O.C.” moments, just click on the “O.C.” label at the bottom of this post…

"The O.C." Moment: In the beginning...

I can remember the night “The O.C.” premiered. August 5, 2003.

I remember it because I actually had no intention of watching it—no matter how much FOX promoted it. But it came on, and I was so sucked in by those first five minutes, I had to keep watching.

The show began with a bang as Trey and his younger brother, Ryan, stole a car and then crashed it running from the police. Ryan’s lawyer, Sandy Cohen, showed up and the series moved from there. From the first moment I heard those opening strains of Phantom Planet’s “California” as Ryan tried to find a place to stay, I knew that “The O.C.” was something special…

TV pilots are a tricky thing. You have to make enough of a splash to get people to notice. But you also have to introduce enough of the characters and story to get people to come back. “The O.C.” did both beautifully. The clothes were hot, the music was cool, the scenery was gorgeous, the writing was snappy and smart and the characters were well-defined as we found out everything we needed to know in that first episode.

All of the typical teen soap elements were there as well including a love triangle (Ryan-Marissa-Luke), unrequited love (Seth and Summer) and disapproving parents (Kirsten and Julie). But on this show they didn’t seem quite so clichéd.

I have to admit I get a little sad watching the pilot now, because no matter how good the show was, nothing it ever did compared to that first amazing hour.

If you have SOAPNet, you’ll be able to watch reruns of “The O.C.” beginning next month. I encourage you to check out that first episode to see what good television is all about. It’s just a shame that it couldn’t stay that way…

Some "Achy" Breaking News...

If you've been on the "Herald-Dispatch" home page, you've already heard the big news...

Billy Ray Cyrus is competing on "Dancing With the Stars." Cyrus told "People" that he can barely do the "Achy Breaky dance" let alone a whole routine, but I think it will be fun to watch.

Obviously there's some Disney synergy going on here since Billy Ray is on the smash Disney Channel show "Hannah Montana." But whatever the case, it's great exposure for him and I wish him the best.

And in case you're wondering, Billy Ray's partner will be Karina Smirnoff, who partnered with runner-up Mario Lopez last season. As you may recall, she didn't take much crap, so he'd better watch out...

Unfortunately, because "Stars" is moving to Monday to avoid "American Idol," I won't be able to watch much. After all, my Mondays are manic enough...

To see who Billy Ray will be competing against, go to http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070221/NEWS01/70221014/-1/NEWS13.

My money's on Ian Ziering since he's partnered with two-time champ Cheryl Burke...

"Dancing With the Stars" returns March 19th at 8 p.m. on ABC...

The Best and Worst Series Finales

With the series finale of “The O.C.” on Thursday, I thought it would be a good time to look at some of TV’s best and worst series finales…

Let’s start with the worst:

“Seinfeld”

Sorry, I know that many consider this show to be one of the all-time best, but this finale has to rate as one of the all-time worst. They went to jail? What? Suddenly, the show about nothing became about something, and it wasn’t good. It was nice to see all of our favorite characters back, like Teri Hatcher’s “They’re real and they’re spectacular” girl, but couldn’t the fictional NBC execs have saved them at the last minute? For that matter, why didn’t the real NBC execs step in?…

“Quantum Leap”

As is the case with many series finales, this show didn’t really get enough time to give us the finale we wanted, but we still deserved something better than this. Sam leaps into a bar where the bartender seems to know everything about him (You get the impression that he’s God.). The two reminisce about some of Sam’s leaps so when he leaps out of the bar, Sam feels he really is making a difference. We then get a graphic telling us that Sam never leaped home and that he was still out there. Based on the leaps that were discussed in the episode, I believe this was a “lost” episode (“QL” was constantly preempted by baseball in its early days.) the producers dug out and just slapped the ending graphic on for a conclusion. And the graphic couldn’t have told us he finally made it home, why?

“Another World”

I watched this show for half of my life, so when NBC announced its cancellation, I was devastated—especially since the show had just started getting good again. And I knew it wouldn’t be easy to tie up years and years of story in a way that would make everyone happy, but there had to be a better way than this. The episode centered on Cass and Lila’s wedding, but Cass wasn’t there because he had been kidnapped by a gorilla! Cass and the gorilla had some history, but even longtime fans had to shake their heads at this one—especially when the cast was reduced to singing and dancing to get the gorilla to release Cass. The show had its good moments—the return of Grant, the coupling of David and Cindy—but the gorilla thing was hard to forgive…

“Dallas”

Since “Dallas” helped create the season-ending cliffhanger craze, I guess it was appropriate that the series ended with one as well. It’s just a shame it wasn’t a better one. J.R. got the “It’s a Wonderful Life” treatment as a devil, played by Joel Grey, showed J.R. what things would be like without him. Cliff Barnes was successful, Bobby was a loser—but it was nothing that would make J.R. want to kill himself. Still, there he was, pointing the gun to his head as an evil-eyed Grey screamed at him to do it. Meanwhile, Bobby was just returning home. He heard a gunshot and ran into J.R.’s room, saying only, “Oh my god.” We learned later in a TV movie that J.R. was still alive, but this classic deserved a better farewell than to tease us with something so implausible…

“Roseanne”
Seven years after the “Newhart” dream twist (see below), “Roseanne” tried something similar. After the Conner family welcomed home Darlene’s baby, the show completely turned as we discovered that Dan died from his heart attack after all, Roseanne never won the lottery, Jackie was gay, and Mark was dating Darlene, while Becky was with David. It seems that seasons four through nine had been in Roseanne’s imagination for a story she was writing. I’m sorry, but killing a character off-screen that you were so happy to see live is just wrong…

Now, for the best…

“Friends”

Yes, I know that Monica and Chandler brought the babies home immediately. And yes, I know Monica left them alone across the hall. But did Ross and Rachel end up together? Okay then! Let it go…

“Frasier”

Though it didn’t get nearly the hoopla of the “Friends” finale in the same season, this was the better written of the two. The show went back to what it did best—Frasier and Niles trying to be perfect, but never coming close (this time while planning their dad’s wedding). We also got some poignant moments with the birth of Daphne and Niles’ child and Frasier saying goodbye to his radio audience. Plus, Frasier finally got the girl…

“Search for Tomorrow”

As I said before, it’s not easy to end years and years of story and make everyone happy; but “Search” came pretty close. After tying up all of the current stories, the show chose to end focusing on Jo and Stuart, the two veterans. As everyone celebrated the McCleary wedding, Jo turned to look out the window. Stuart asked, “Jo, what are you searching for?” Her reply? “Tomorrow. I can’t wait.”

“Sex and the City”

Carrie’s on-again/off-again love, Big (who we later learned was actually named John), finally realized he couldn’t live without her and he and Carrie decided to have a real relationship. In the alternate ending, Carrie turned Big down—which would’ve served him right—but this ending was definitely better. And how could any woman turn down Chris Noth? Plus, we got a great wrap-up for all of the other characters as Charlotte found out she was getting a baby, Miranda showed true love toward her mother-in-law and Samantha got her groove back…

“Newhart”

It’s the ending that’s been spoofed a thousand times, but it is a classic. After Japanese investors build a golf course around his inn, Bob is hit in the head when a golf ball comes through a window. But when he comes to, he is in bed, telling his wife about the horrible dream he just had—which you presume was about the Japanese investors. However, when his wife rolls over, it’s Suzanne Pleshette, who played his wife in “The Bob Newhart Show.” The entire show about Bob, the innkeeper, was the dream of Bob, the psychiatrist from “The Bob Newhart Show.” It was a great twist…

“St. Elsewhere”

Viewers expected a lot of sappy scenes with this one and we got them, but we also got one of the most original endings ever. While looking at a wide shot of the hospital, the building started to shake strangely. The camera pulled back to show St. Eligius Hospital in a snowglobe in the hands of Dr. Westphall’s autistic son, Tommy. His relatives sat around wondering what he was dreaming up while looking at that globe. What he was dreaming up was the entire show, which turned out to be a total figment of his imagination. Many fans were disappointed, but I found the ending totally original—which described “St. Elsewhere” as well.

“Third Watch”

This is the way series finales should be. We got touching reunions, sad goodbyes, and even a romantic wedding proposal. But we also got a dramatic story to force those things—the complete destruction of the stationhouse by gangbangers. And because the show is never at a loss for melodrama, Sgt. Cruz sacrificed herself to stop the gang from hurting anyone else. Plus, we got the return of old friends Jimmy, Kim and Doc—in a plausible and realistic way. However, the real bonus was Sully’s narration of what had happened to everyone since we last saw them, but instead of just giving us some dull graphics, we actually saw the future in action. NBC didn’t give the show much time, but it made the most of it…

“Everybody Loves Raymond”
Too many times shows try to make their series finale extra special, but “Raymond” chose to make it just another episode—although for a brief moment, when Raymond didn’t wake up, we started to wonder. It was funny and sweet all at the same time—just like the best “Raymond” episodes…

I know that I’ve forgotten some, so be sure to post your comments and let me know your favorites—and least favorites.

And soon we’ll see which category “The O.C.” falls into. I’ve got a bad feeling it’s that first one…

Stay tuned…

Manic Monday: Someone flies, someone dies and someone returns!

The biggest problem with a Manic Monday is that it can lead to an oversleeping Tuesday. And after last night, let’s face it. I needed the rest…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episodes of “Heroes” and “24.”

Since everything I’ve read says that a major character will die on “Heroes” March 5th, I was sure that the “Someone will fly, someone will die” promos were a bit of a con.

Boy, was I wrong…

First off, let me say that I think it is becoming more and more obvious that the character who will die March 5th is HRG and I’m not happy about that. Yes, his storyline seems to be coming to an end as more and more truth comes out; but I really like him and Jack Coleman is doing a fantastic job playing all of his facets. We should see much more of those facets next week as we get a flashback episode that should provide a few more answers.

But as much as I like HRG, I really hope it’s not Peter who dies, because he is getting really cool with all of those powers. It’s interesting that he was able to absorb all of the powers Sylar has, allowing him to have just about any power he wants.

And speaking of Peter, I was thinking from the moment his beloved Simone appeared on the screen how great it would be if she was the one who died since I find her character completely pointless.

I guess sometimes wishes do come true…

I really should have seen it coming, but I was so wrapped up in the big fight between Peter and Isaac and all of the cool powers that Peter was showing that I totally missed the signs. Seeing her face as she looked down at the blood, grasping Isaac’s key was a true Gasp! moment…

Unfortunately my death wishes didn’t work on “24” as both Milo and Marilyn survived—although I have to admit that Milo redeemed himself with his role in the Morris story. Making Morris a coward, while Milo gets to be the hero, was a great way to go and I’m loving every minute of it. Marilyn, however, is seriously getting on my nerves. We have to get her off this show before the writers decide to do the ridiculous and make Josh Jack’s son. And I think Rena Sofer may be needed on “Heroes” soon…

There’s no doubt that Peter MacNicol (Tom) is needed back on “Numbers,” and it looked for a moment like he might get back there sooner than we thought as Reed worked to keep Tom from stopping the Presidential assassination plot (That’s right, I said it.). Since they did something very similar in season two, I really should have seen that moment coming, but I was still surprised. Again, I love D.B. Woodside, but I am totally loving this story, as Jack will be powerless to stop the death of another President Palmer.

And speaking of Jack, how cool was it when he dragged Marilyn by her throat and then threw her up against the wall?! We had seen Marilyn reveal the truth about Jack’s father in the previews, but the scene still resonated as we saw Jack come to the realization. “How could I have been so stupid?” he asked himself. We were wondering the same thing Jack; but we’re glad you’re with the program now.

Kiefer Sutherland is going to have a difficult time picking an Emmy episode this year. And I have a feeling his best is yet to come…

As to why Phillip let Jack go, I think it was because he knew CTU would have a better time finding Gredenko than he could. Then, when they do, he’ll show back up to take care of business.

And even though “TV Guide” had already spoiled the big surprise at the end of this episode (Enough already, guys!), I still couldn’t contain my glee when I heard the voice of Gregory Itzin on the phone. I can’t wait to see the next confrontation between Jack and Logan. I’m still shaking from the last one…

And as the overly revealing previews tell us, Logan has one thing on his mind—getting his wife back. And that’s when Aaron Pierce will return to kick some you-know-what!

Say what you will about the beginning of this season, but “24” is in full swing now. If I were you, I’d jump on the roller coaster because things are about to turn upside down…

Bad News for "Studio 60" Fans...

If you're a fan of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," be sure to catch tonight's episode since it may be the last one you'll see for a while.

In fact, it may be the last one you'll see ever...

NBC announced last week that it was pulling "Studio 60" to make room for "The Black Donnellys" a week earlier than planned after "Studio" had its worst ratings week ever. NBC had never announced a return date, and now it's looking more and more likely that they won't.

I think it's safe to say that no one saw this coming at the beginning of the season...

A Pillow-Flattening Daytona 500

There’s a throw pillow on my couch that I call my “24” pillow. It’s got most of the stuffing flattened in it from where I’ve squeezed it so hard during “24.”

But after yesterday’s closing laps of the Daytona 500, it may not have anything left for tonight’s “24.”

Now, Daytona makes me nervous anyway, but that green-white-checkered finish was enough to make me go crazy because contrary to popular opinion, NASCAR fans do not want to see wrecks (especially at Daytona).

And I certainly didn’t want to see one yesterday, as it appeared that Mark Martin was headed to his first Daytona 500 win. I’m not a Mark Martin fan (Jeff Gordon is and always will be my guy.), but I really wanted to see him win, if for nothing else than for the “in-your-face” moment it would create for Jack Roush, who stupidly let Martin get away after 20 years.

But it was not meant to be, as we got one of the most exciting finishes in the race’s history as Kevin Harvick crossed the line just ahead of Martin.

However, for the record, I think NASCAR should have called a caution when the wreck occurred. Yes, the finish was exciting, but was it consistent with what NASCAR has done in the past? And as my dad said, it may have not hurt the top two, but what about all the guys who had to drive through the wreck just to finish?

Since I’m not the NASCAR blogger, that’s all I’m going to say about the race itself. You can read more on “At the Track.” My job is to talk about the TV aspect of it. And there’s plenty to say…

FOX’s direction was a gigantic improvement above last year’s as we rarely missed anything. Kudos to FOX for cutting into the commercial to show the Stewart-Busch aftermath, although someone should have told Chris Meyers his mike was open.

I still think that FOX’s crew is the best, but I wish that Darrell Waltrip would stop ignoring the elephant in the room and actually address the scandal that has engulfed his brother, Michael, instead of just saying “rules infraction.”

And speaking of Michael, maybe it’s just me, but it seems like everything he touches is a little tainted. Even his NAPA commercial just didn’t have that same zip. I like Dale Jarrett, but he’s no Dale Jr. as far as commercial sidekicks go. And the addition of Michael to the outstanding UPS series should have been a welcome one, but it just wasn’t.

Unfortunately, very few of the new commercials were as funny as last year’s, which is maybe why most companies just decided to go with their old funny commercials instead of making new ones. I liked the newest installments of the Denny Hamlin FedEx commercials and the Kasey Kahne Allstate commercials, though. It was funny to see Kasey actually cause the accident this time. And the NASCAR “see things differently” campaign was a good one. I especially liked the commercial where the guy only changed his left shoe (a la a left side tires only pit stop).

And that Goodwrench Dale Earnhardt commercial made you want to run out and get a #3 tattoo, didn’t it? I miss seeing Goodwrench on the track.

But without a doubt, the grand champion of the commercials was Dale Jr.’s Budweiser spot with the “crazy mutant desert guys” chasing him in the desert and the punchline of “Just because it says Bud on the car, doesn’t mean I have Bud in the car.” I also like Dale Jr.’s DirecTV spot, but we’d already seen that one in the Bud Shootout. Whether Teresa Earnhardt likes it or not, Dale Jr. is NASCAR’s version of Peyton Manning and that’s not going away any time soon.

It didn’t seem to hurt Peyton Manning any, now did it?

You can see all of the best Daytona spots at http://www.nascar.com/promos/daytona_tvads/...

Next week, it’s off to California! Welcome back, NASCAR. We’ve missed you…

Pick of the Week: "California, here we come" one final time...

If you've been reading this blog for the past month and a half, there should be no surprise that my Pick of the Week is "The O.C." series finale.

It's just such a shame that this once red-hot show has to go out opposite the biggest "Grey's Anatomy" of the season.

"The O.C." series finale airs Thursday, February 22nd at 9 p.m. on FOX...

In preparation for the big event, Wednesday, I'll list my picks for the best and worst series finales of all time. Then Thursday, I'll have a finale preview, plus we'll relive the series premiere in my final "O.C." moment...

Sweeps Schedule: February 19th-February 25th

We’re winding down to the end of February sweeps, but there’s still plenty of drama and excitement…

Monday, February 19th, Diana Ross guests on “Inside the Actors Studio” (8 p.m., Bravo). Comic book icon Stan Lee guests on “Heroes” (9 p.m., NBC) and Lifetime gives us another Nora Roberts movie, “Carolina Moon,” starring Claire Forlani and Oliver Hudson (9 p.m.)…

Tuesday, February 20th, Tom Arnold guests on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (9 p.m., NBC)…

Wednesday, February 21st, it’s the return of “Jericho,” as we find out what was happening 36 hours before the nuclear explosion (8 p.m., CBS). “The Knights of Prosperity” finally get into Mick Jagger’s apartment (8:30 p.m., ABC) and we get answers about Jack’s tattoos on “Lost” (10 p.m., ABC)…

Thursday, February 22nd, “American Idol” gives us our first results show (8 p.m., FOX). Beau Bridges guests on “My Name Is Earl” (8 p.m., NBC) and “Grey’s Anatomy” wraps up its three-parter (9 p.m., ABC). Stacy Keach guests as Gates’ father on “ER” (10 p.m., NBC) and Oprah Winfrey brings us her first Oscar special as three sets of stars (Julia Roberts and George Clooney, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, and Jamie Foxx and Sidney Poitier) interview each other (10:01 p.m., ABC)…

Friday, February 23rd, “Law and Order” does an O.J.-inspired story with Bobby Cannavale playing the O.J. character (10 p.m., NBC)…

Saturday, February 24th, Kentucky’s own Ricky Skaggs teams up with Bruce Hornsby on “Crossroads” (9 p.m., CMT)…

Sunday, February 25th, Barbara Walters hosts her annual Oscar special with Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren and Eddie Murphy (7 p.m., ABC), while Ellen DeGeneres hosts the Academy Awards (8 p.m., ABC)…

"Desperate Housewives": Mystery Solved?

So, “Desperate Housewives” solved its big mystery. But was it all too neat?

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about tonight’s episode of “Desperate Housewives.”

As I suspected, it was Gloria, Orson’s mother, who killed Monique. And as I also suspected, Gloria had something on Orson to get him to help—the guilt over his father’s suicide.

But as we learned in this dark and twisted episode, Gloria had also killed Orson’s father because he was having an affair and had brought shame to their extremely religious family.

Because Gloria believed that a man should only be with one woman, she decided she should do whatever it took to get Orson and Alma back together—which meant killing Bree. But in her zeal, she also played a part in the death of Alma as well. Orson was, of course, able to save Bree and his fight with his mother caused her to have a debilitating stroke, leaving her unable to speak or move.

Orson left Alma’s suicide note (from where she faked her suicide) and Monique’s teeth next to Alma’s body, framing her for the murder and clearing Mike’s name. He also made it look like Gloria had her stroke when she discovered Alma’s body.

As I said, a neat wrap-up to the whole thing, but it still leaves some unanswered questions. Did Gloria loosen the step on Bree’s ladder? Did the police just decide not to ask any more questions about Orson falling off the roof? And what about Orson hitting Mike? Will that come up again?

Of course, we have to remember that Marcia Cross’ (Bree) real-life pregnancy may have caused the writers to alter some of their plans—although I have to compliment them on their excellent editing tonight. You barely even realized that wasn’t Marcia Cross in the bathtub.

So what did you think? Did it all wrap up too neatly? Was this episode just too dark?

And on another note, how relieved were you to discover that Gaby and Zach didn’t sleep together?!...

Derek Needs Your Help!

If Derek is the one you want, then after you read this, you need to go vote, because this week, he absolutely needs your help…

To vote for Derek, go to http://www.nbc.com/ or call 1-888-IVOTE-07. The phone lines are open until 11 p.m. You can vote on the Internet until 3 a.m.

So why the urgency? Because for the first time since the competition started, Derek had a bad night.

It didn’t help that he and his duet partner, Kate, were saddled with a bad song, “From This Moment On,” that was way too high for Derek. His first few notes were, as David Ian put it, “horrible.” And it didn’t help Derek that Kate, “Serious Sandy,” was just too hard to connect with.

And based on the outstanding performances of just about everyone else, I’d say they’re a lock for the bottom four next week.

The good news is that Kevin gave a worse performance than Derek. His voice is outstanding, but he was completely stiff with a decent song (“Something to Talk About”) and had zero chemistry with his partner. And if it comes down to a sing-off between Derek and Kevin, there’s no way the panel will not go with Derek.

But you can keep that from happening, by simply voting.

We’ll get the results next week…

Allow Me to Digress...

Okay, I know that this has nothing to do with TV, except for the fact that they'll be talking about it on TV for a long time.

But I just have to ask, What the...?!

Does this mean that Kevin Federline was actually good for her?!

You can read more about this in the Celebrity News blog, by clicking on the link on the right...

TV's Most Heartbreaking Breakups

So since Valentine’s Day is over, I figured we’d take a look at TV’s Most Heartbreaking Breakups. After all, a lot of breakups happen after Valentine’s Day…

Ross and Rachel, "Friends": In my opinion, any list of TV breakups must begin and end with this one. Even now when this episode comes on in reruns, I turn the channel. Though the writers did a good job of trying to keep it light, the moment when Ross gets down on his knees to hug Rachel and she pushes him away is the true definition of heartbreaking. And just for the record, yes, they were on a break, but Ross was WRONG!

Seth and Summer, "The O.C": If you've read any of my posts, you can't possibly be surprised by this one making the list—even though there wasn't even a break-up scene! When Ryan announced he was leaving town, Seth decided he couldn't handle it without him and he took off on his boat (named for Summer, by the way), leaving her only a note.

Buffy and Angel, "Angel": To say Buffy and Angel were star-crossed would be a huge understatement, considering he was a vampire and she was a vampire slayer. But after a battle with some demons, Angel became human and he and Buffy were finally able to "be together." Of course, happiness was not in the stars as Angel chose to give up his humanity to save his love's life. But most heartbreaking of all, Buffy was left with no memory of their night together.

Monica and Richard, "Friends": Until Chandler, Richard was clearly Monica's best boyfriend. And in spite of the age difference, everything seemed perfect. But then Monica confronted Richard about their future and she discovered he didn't want kids. Monica tried to put it aside, but she couldn't do it. As they danced at Barry and Mindy's wedding, they realized they needed to go their separate ways. "So what do we do now?" Monica asked. Richard's reply: "Just keep dancing."

Ryan and Marissa, "The O.C.": Because Marissa was too stupid to realize what Oliver was up to, she and Ryan had gone their separate ways. But it looked like they were working things out, until Theresa showed up in town pregnant--possibly with Ryan's baby. Even though he wasn't completely sure the baby was his, Ryan decided to do "the right thing" and go live with Theresa. So, Ryan and Marissa shared one last dance at Julie and Caleb's wedding. Marissa told Ryan she loved him, but Ryan didn't answer--even though you know he loved her too.

Eric and Donna, "That 70s Show": When Eric gave Donna a promise ring, he was excited about what it represented--their future together. But Donna didn't seem so excited since she wore it on a chain around her neck instead of on her finger. When Eric finally confronted her, she told him she wasn't sure he was in her future. When Eric told her he couldn't accept that, Donna asked him if he was breaking up with her, to which he replied that he was. Donna left the ring on the Vista Cruiser and walked away.

Lilith and Frasier, "Cheers": Okay, this one may seem a little strange, but it was so totally out of left field that it was definitely a heartbreak. Lilith and Frasier seemed like the perfect couple, so it was a total shock to Frasier when Lilith told him she was in love with another man and she wanted to go live in a biosphere with him. Frasier gave her one last choice and she chose the other man, leaving Frasier devastated. The entire story was written to allow Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith) to do Broadway, but I would think the writers could have come up with something less ridiculous.

Bo and Carly, “Days of Our Lives”: Bo believed that Carly was dead; but she actually had been buried alive by her nemesis, Vivian Alamain (That’s a long story.). Vivian’s nephew, Lawrence, who was still in love with Carly, was able to save her. Carly, believing she and Lawrence were a couple (since she couldn’t remember the last 10 years), agreed to leave the country with Lawrence and their son, Nicholas (That’s another long story.). But they were spotted at the airport by Billie, who had fallen in love with Bo. Billie, wanting to do the right thing, told Bo about Carly and the two were reunited. But when Carly’s memory returned, she realized that she had fallen in love with Lawrence again and that she really wanted them to be a family. Bo, realizing it was the right thing to do, let her go.

Susan and Mike, "Desperate Housewives": In season one, things were going well for Mike and Susan, until she realized he hadn’t been straight with her about a lot of things. As Mike tried to explain about his lies, Susan told him to get away because she didn't want him "anywhere near [her] heart." Remember, ladies. Always find out at least one thing about a guy before you fall in love with him.

Zack and Kelly, "Saved By the Bell": Come on. You know this one tore you up too. Zach Morris had chased Kelly Kapowski for years and he finally caught her. But when Kelly started working at The Maxx, she fell under the charms of the new manager, Jeff; and they shared a kiss. When Zack and Kelly were named king and queen of the dance, Kelly accidentally called him Jeff. The two went outside where Kelly broke up with a devastated Zach, while Slater and Jessie "sang" "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You." Years later when Patrick Muldoon (Jeff) originated the role of Austin on "Days of Our Lives," I still referred to him as the guy who split up Zack and Kelly.

I'm sure I've forgotten some, so please feel free to post your favorites--or least favorites, depending on how you look at it…

Promises, Promises

So I know I promised you a list of Heartbreaking Breakups today, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to break that promise.

But before you break up with me, let me share that I will have the list posted by 10 p.m. tonight...

"Grey's": Part Two of Three

So does anyone have any thoughts on last night's episode of "Grey's Anatomy" that they would like to share?

And for the record, I don't think they're going to kill Meredith, seeing as how she's Meredith Grey and the show is called "Grey's Anatomy," but stranger things have happened...

"Lost": ?

So, I read the synopsis of last night's "Lost" and I was totally confused.

Any thoughts?

The "O.C." Moment: Amy's List

When trying to come up with a list of the best “O.C.” moments, I had to consult my friend, Amy, who—like me—has been with the show from the beginning. In fact, Amy has almost every one of the show’s six soundtracks (They were Christmas presents from me, actually.).

So when I asked her what she thought, she gave me a list and instead of picking just one, I decided to share the entire list with my comments…

The death of Marissa
This would’ve been much more of a shocker if not for those annoying FOX promos and Mischa Barton spilling it the night before on “Access Hollywood.” A lot of people have said that this was the death of the show. But for me, it was a total rebirth. It’s been really great to see Ryan actually smile this year—especially since Ben McKenzie looks so good doing it.

The many men of Julie Cooper
When we first met Julie, she was just the typical television rich wife—all about the money and clothes, not so much about the family. But when she and her husband Jimmy split up after Jimmy lost all of his clients’ money, she became the best tramp on TV. Her first post-Jimmy relationship was Caleb Nichol, Kirsten’s father. And then came the doozy—Luke, her daughter Marissa’s ex-boyfriend. Caleb had dumped her and Luke just happened to come over when she was feeling lonely and it spiraled from there. Of course, everyone found out, Luke ended up leaving town, and Julie married Caleb. But Julie and Caleb didn’t work out (big surprise) and Julie ended up having an affair with Jimmy, her first husband. After Caleb died, Julie planned to marry Jimmy; but he got himself into trouble again and left town. That left Julie penniless and she was forced to live in a trailer park—until she fell for Summer’s father, Neil. But Julie’s grief over Marissa’s death killed that relationship and Neil moved to Seattle—although he allowed Julie to stay in the house. Julie then went through a younger man phase—including her daughter Kaitlyn’s tennis instructor. But she soon caught the eye of Bullitt, a wealthy businessman. However, Julie only had eyes for Ryan’s dad, Frank, who recently gave her a promise ring. Phew!

Six degrees of Theresa
We just couldn’t get rid of her. Every time you turned around she was there—Theresa, Ryan’s ex-girlfriend from Chino (Navi Rawat). First, she just happened to show up as a waitress at a Newport function Ryan attended. Then in season two, Ryan just happened to run into her on the street. Next, in season three, Kirsten just happened to see her at the airport. I really hope that she doesn’t just happen to turn up under some earthquake rumble. Then again, I’ve never forgiven her for her part in that horrible season one finale.

The music of “The O.C.”
During its red-hot days, “The O.C.” was known as much for introducing indie artists as it was for its stories, producing six soundtracks. But the music actually became a story as the show always had just the right song for every occasion. The show helped bring several acts into the mainstream including Death Cab for Cutie, Rooney, and Jem. For a complete list of the music used in every episode, visit http://www.musicfromtheoc.com/.

Don’t forget that the next-to-last episode of “The O.C.” airs tonight (Thursday) at 9 on FOX…

TV's Most Romantic Moments

It’s Valentine’s Day. So of course that requires a look at TV’s most romantic moments.

Please feel free to agree or disagree with my choices by posting a comment. Thanks to my friend, Amy, for sharing the moment from “Buffy.” You’ll hear more from Amy tomorrow…

And before you jump your significant other's case for not being this romantic, remember that several of these moments were followed by horrible breakups...

Here they are in no particular order...

Ross and Rachel's first kiss, "Friends": "TV Guide" named this the hottest kiss in TV history. I could not agree more. It's a classic moment made even more so by Rachel's clumsy fumbling of the door locks and the out-of-this-world chemistry between David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston.

Alex and Ellen, "Family Ties": Everybody sing it together now--"What would you think..." When Alex chased down Ellen to stop her from marrying another man, Alex found the perfect girlfriend and Michael J. Fox found his wife. I cannot believe this happened in 1985!

Jesse and Rebecca's wedding, "Full House": This was one of the sappiest moments ever on the sappiest show in history. But, I have to admit I still loved every minute of it. After a gospel choir helped Jesse get to his wedding, he put them in it singing the Beach Boys’ “Forever.” The icing on the cake? When Rebecca sat next to Jesse at the piano and joined him in a duet.

Ryan and Marissa's first kiss, "The O.C.": The tough guy from Chino had a great fear--a fear of heights. But that didn't stop him from getting on the ferris wheel with the girl he had fallen for. In fact, he enjoyed the kiss so much, he rode the ride twice.

Dwayne stops Whitley's wedding, "A Different World": I know what you're thinking now. How in the world does she remember something from that show? That tells you how much of an impression this moment made on me. Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) had gone their separate ways and Whitley had agreed to marry the Congressman her mother adored. But Dwayne still loved Whitley and he wouldn't be stopped from keeping her from marrying another man--even by the security at the wedding. While Whitley debated on saying "I will," Dwayne came in. From the back of the church, Dwayne screamed at Whitley to take him, to which she finally responded, "I will"--much to her mother's chagrin.

Ross, Rachel and the prom video, "Friends": The writers pulled a cruel game with us in that second season, putting Ross and Rachel together for half an episode before splitting them apart. But after seeing Ross preparing himself to be her prom date when it appeared she had been stood up, Rachel realized just how much Ross cared about her. Rachel's walk across the room to kiss Ross is an all-time classic.

Grifter and Zealot, "Jim Lee's WildC.A.T.s": If this show doesn't register with you, it may be because it's a cartoon. Zealot was a couple thousand year old alien Coda warrior. Grifter was the human she had been trying to ignore her feelings for. But when the duo is trapped in Fort Knox, they have no choice but to settle it. When Grifter asks why Zealot has been giving him such a hard time, she responds, "Why would you care?" To which Grifter answers, "Why? Why would I care? Because I love you. That's why." But before the big kiss can come, they have to go stop an alien attack. I just hate it when that happens...

Chandler tells Monica he loves her, "Friends": When you consider the circumstances leading up to this moment, you may not think it's all that romantic since Chandler was pretending he was interested in hooking up with Phoebe, who was trying to get Chandler to admit he was hooking up with Monica. When Chandler cried uncle and let Phoebe win, in a classic "Friends" romantic moment, he admitted it was because he loved Monica. And if you didn't recognize it as romantic, the entire studio audience saying, "Awwwwww" clued you in.

Carol and Doug reunite, "ER": When I think romance, I generally don't think of "ER," but I couldn't do this list without it. After a year of flirting with Kovac, Carol (Julianna Marguiles) realized that her heart was still with Doug (George Clooney) and she went to Seattle to be with him. What made this EXTRA romantic was that George Clooney actually returned for the scene (and for scale, no less) and NBC managed to keep it secret. Plus, the show made excellent use of the great Don Henley song, "Taking You Home."

Buffy and Angel’s last dance, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”: (In Amy’s words) Young slayer Buffy Summers is heartbroken because her undead heartthrob of a boyfriend has to leave town, finally realizing it's not fair to Buffy for them to be together. Buffy reluctantly goes to the prom alone. At the last minute, Angel shows up and says he wanted them to have a last night together. Then the Sundays cover of "Wild Horses" plays and they dance, their last dance.

Seth and Summer’s “Spider-Man” kiss, "The O.C.": If you’ve been reading my “O.C.” moment posts, then you know all about this moment when Seth and Summer recreated the upside-down kiss in the rain from “Spider-Man.”

Ross and Rachel, together at last: "Friends": Was there every any question how "Friends" would end? But as soon as I heard Rachel's voice in the doorway ("I got off the plane."), I completely lost it--and I still do every time I see it. It's nice when people who belong together actually get together...

I hope your Valentine's Day is just as special.

And when it’s over, be sure to join me Friday for TV’s Most Heartbreaking Breakups.

I just figured it was good timing…