What To Watch: Fridays

Previously, on TNRLM's What To Watch: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

Remember when Friday used to be a television graveyard? Well, times are a changin' (at least for those of us old, nerdy and socially averse to spend a Friday night on a couch. Or who, er, have a TiVo). Long the place used to dump unwanted programs or fill with cheap reality drivel, more nets are actually programming Friday with honest to goodness scripted programming. And most of it is actually watchable!

Show	Net	Day	Time	Priority
Law & Order	NBC	FRI	800	Sleepytime
Dollhouse	FOX	FRI	900	Watch
Monk	USA	FRI	900	DVR
Stargate Universe	SYFY	FRI	900	Watch
Numbers	CBS	FRI	1000	Sleepytime
Psych	USA	FRI	1000	DVR
Sanctuary	SYFY	FRI	1000	DVR
White Collar	USA	FRI	1000	Watch

Law & Order: The original returns for yet another season. This programming staple got re-energized with one of its signature cast revamps, and this collection of actors is the strongest the show has had since the Lenny Briscoe glory days. If you gave up some time around "is this because I'm a lesbian?" do yourself a favor and check out the new "kids." (Of course, there's nothing wrong with lesbians. Or Elisabeth Rohm. Or Elisabeth Rohm as a lesbian. I'll be in my bunk).

Dollhouse: Gather round the campfire, and settle in for a long one, because there's a lot to say here. First, and most surprising, is the fact that Dollhouse is coming back at all. Ratings started off low (when it was paired with the equally ambitious and well done Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), got lower, and then steadied at a level that said "see ya!" Yet FOX, perhaps seeing the show's concepts and presentation get sharper (which would be ironic, since their meddling is what made the first few shows so shaggy) or maybe fearing the wrath of Whedon fanboys (and girls) again after aborting the masterpiece that was Firefly, surprised everyone, including Joss himself, by renewing DH for a second season. They talked about online and DVR viewing, but I would guess one of the biggest factors in the renewal is that the show is produced by sister company 20th Century Fox, so all the ancillary revenue stays in the family, and Whedon fans are nothing, if not obsessive purchasers (he says, looking at his Dollhouse DVD set). Regardless of the reasons, we have season two coming, though it will be inexplicably paired with a couple of FOX's awful sitcoms as a lead in. Hey, you take what you can get. As for the show itself? I've written extensively about it (check the tags), but here's a good way to summarize my thoughts. The wonderful Galactica Quorum Podcast (which previously, was about just what you think it was) asked for feedback on Dollhouse, and I was only to happy to contribute. Most of this made it onto their Dollhouse ep, which you can listen to here. Below, you can find what I wrote to them:

Hey guys. In response to your twitter, here are a few thoughts on Dollhouse. But first, some background on my experiences with the previous Whedonverse series:

• I’m an unabashed Joss fan. That said, I’m not a mindless automaton who will accept everything he touches as handed down from on high.
• Buffy rightly deserves its place in the pantheon of great TV. The first season is a “finding our way” slog though, with a couple of breakout moments.
• Angel similarly took some time to find its voice in the first season, but resulted in a mature, apocalyptic noir that I may have enjoyed even more than the parent show (save the baby arc. For fuck’s sake, please don’t add babies to a show). I loved S5 and thought it got cancelled too soon.
• Firefly was pretty much fully formed and perfect out of the box, and got hosed by FOX.

I was giddy with excitement for Dollhouse. Great cast on paper, solid stable of writers and intriguing concept. Did it deliver on the premise and potential? Kind of:

The first five eps were hit and miss. Only “The Target” and “Gray Hour” worked as solid episodes, and “Stage Fright” is right up there with the worst television ever produced by Whedon (Angel’s “She” and “Provider” and Buffy’s “Teacher’s Pet,” “The Pack” and “Where the Wild Things Are” are similarly terrible). Too much cheesecake (and I say that as a straight male eminently appreciative of Dushku’s sexiness) and way too many “glitches” for a supposedly competent and high priced organization.

“Man on the Street” was the ep where things turned around, and it seemed they really grasped the potential of the series. The home stretch of season one was vastly improved, and very entertaining.

At first, they didn’t really make a case WHY someone would spend all that money to hire a doll. It was a plot hole that stuck out like a sore thumb. And one that could have been easily explained: what you pay for is not ONLY the “special skills” (whether it’s safecracking, midwifeing, spycraft, asskicking or whoring), but the ability to have all the knowledge and experienced wiped without a trace provides an anonymity you can’t get elsewhere.

The whole Alpha story was well done, and Tudyk gave an exceptional performance.

There were great plots twists, that kept you guessing. Alpha. November. Whiskey. Dominic. Adelle’s weekend rendezvous.

From an acting standpoint, there were some distinct highlights, include Olivia Williams (great hopped up on drugs in “Echoes” and revealing more about the character in “Spy in the House of Love”), Enver Gjokaj (good in everything he did), Harry Lennix (appropriately weary and stoic), Fran Kranz (yes, Topher is annoying, like a smarter, caffeinated Andrew from Buffy, but he was written that way and he delivered), Reed Diamond, Mark Sheppard (not given much to do) and of course, Amy Acker, who brings immeasurable depth to everything she does.

Lord knows I love me some Dushku. She was great as Faith, is hot as the surface of the sun, and is, by all account, a great person to boot (her recent trips to Africa, for example). She's smart, funny, ambitious and self-effacing in interviews and on commentaries. But I’m not sure she has the chops to pull off such a multifaceted and constantly changing role and inhabit it fully and believably (losing all traces of the “tough Southie broad.”) I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt, and hope she improves in S2.

Also, though I enjoyed Helo on BSG, Tahmoh was terrible here. I’m sure some of that was the fact that Paul Ballard was written as one of the stupidest characters on TV (Jason Stackhouse notwithstanding. At least Jason is funny).

There’s a lot of potential here, and the questions the show asks – what exactly are we? What is a “soul?” What makes a personality? What’s the morality of programming and renting people? -- are interesting and worth exploring in a weekly high concept drama. Whedon and company didn’t get a handle on it until late in the game of the first season, same as with Buffy and Angel, so here’s hoping that S2 results in a similar leap in storytelling and executional quality. I’d give the whole season a solid “B -.” (First half, C- and second half, A-)

That about sums it up, no? And you bet your ass I'll be watching.

Monk: I'm as weary of the Tony Shaloub Emmy parade as anyone (though he did initially deserve the recognition), but like Adrian Monk, I can be a little OCD, and unless a show totally craps the bed which Monk was verging on, if I have the time, I'm likely to see it through. This being the final season for Monk, I'll be tuning in. I'll give them this, the writing and guesting during this last go round has markedly improved. Ted Levine is underrated and Traylor Howard is adorable.

Stargate Universe: The whole Stargate franchise is an interesting one. While they tried to tackle some big ideas on occasion (a la Trek) with SG1 and Atlantis, it was primarily a light Friday night action adventure diversion, where the heroes dispatched the bad guys with a smile and quip, usually on a planet that looked amazingly similar to a forest in Vancouver. The good thing is that they usually cast very well, and gave viewers the sci-fi equivalent of an Outback Steakhouse. You know what you're going to get, and it went down well. With Universe, they're attempting to break the mold, go a little darker and a little more realistic, and provide an entry point for new viewers unfamiliar with 15+ seasons of Daniel Jackson, Rodney McKay, Samantha Cater and mythology based aliens masquerading as "gods." Will it work? I don't know, but from everything I've seen, they are putting their best foot forward, and having Robert Carlyle as the lead certainly helps establish their quality bona fides.

Numbers: Something I've added to the bedroom TiVo as another enjoyable, funky concept (use math to solve crimes!) procedural. If you're not watching yet, there's probably no need to.

Psych: About to wrap up for the season, to make way for another USA new series, but always fun. How can you not love a show about a fake crime solving psychic that displays such an unabashed love for everything 80s pop culture? Leads James Roday and Dule Hill have unbelievable chemistry, and the rest of the ensemble is solid (and Maggie Lawson is cute as a button). The mysteries, like with Monk, are no great shakes, but the laughs are found in the execution, which offers far more hits than misses.

Sanctuary: This show started as a web only, totally greenscreen/CGI limited series about a mysterious scientist who seeks to assist and study paranormal creatures. The first season, to be honest, was a bit of a snore, picking up toward the end of its run with a deepening mythology and sharper character work. I'll give it another chance, if for nothing else than the boundless charms of lead Amanda Tapping (late of the Stargate franchise). If you've ever seen her in interviews or listened to one of her DVD commentaries, you'll fall hopelessly in love with her. She's hot, smart, funny, sweet as a fresh from the oven cookie and overwhelmingly appreciative of fans.

White Collar: This is USA's latest character based show, about a master thief recruited by the government to help them solve crimes. Track record plays an important role here, as USA has done a fantastic job developing new shows, from the mildly entertaining (Monk, In Plain Sight) to the terrifically executed and must watch (Burn Notice, Psych and even the sadly little watched American adaptation of Touching Evil, which also featured Jeffrey Donovan). Only Royal Pains, which was a ratings success, has felt flat to me. So I'll check out White Collar, which has a good premise and an intriguing cast (Matt Bomer, Tim Dekay, Tiffani Thiessen, Willie Garson and recently added cast regular Natalie Morales, late of last year's Best. Damned. New. Show. The Middleman).

What To Watch: Wednesdays

For what to watch on Mondays (and the intro to what to watch), check here. For Tuesday, check here. Which brings us to Humpday!

Show	Net	Day	Time	Priority
Glee	FOX	WED	900	Watch
Law & Order: SVU	NBC	WED	900	Sleepytime
Criminal Minds	CBS	WED	1000	Sleepytime
Nip/Tuck	FX	WED	1000	DVR
South Park	COM	WED	1000	DVR

Glee: Obviously, the big news on Wednesday is Ryan Murphy's new hard to define Glee. Is it a musical? A drama? A comedy? Is it a parody of high school shows? Does it take itself and its characters seriously? I don't know the answers to the questions, but I'm sure as hell going to watch to find out. (for my review of the pilot, check here). Murphy knows his way around part of the genre, based on his track record with the spotty, but often hilarious, Popular. The premiere episode, aired much earlier this year following American Idol, showed a lot of promise (and yeah, who other than me downloaded "Don't Stop Believin" by the Glee cast and wore out their iPod?). School diva Rachel Berry (played by broadway vet Lea Michele) has a soaring and powerful voice, and the teacher in charge of Glee Club is winningly played by Matthew Morrison. And of course, Jane Lynch steals every scene she's in. But will Jessalyn Gilsig's (an actress I really like) one note harpy of a wife wear thin? (For her take on the character, check out this HitFix interview). How much will the musical numbers take you out of the drama, comedy and reality of the show? Will the song selections always be so pop culturally relevant and inspired? We shall see, won't we?

Law & Order SVU: This is another show I tune into out of habit. SVU is actually my least favorite of the franchise, and the season pass is designated "keep until space is needed." Perhaps the return Stephanie March and the usual parade of quality guest stars in lurid plotlines can spice it up.

Criminal Minds: Critics loathe this show, and I can see why. An ex got me to watch a few eps with her; I started watching more regularly, and found it to be an interesting, if occasionally sensationalistic and ghoulish, way to spend an hour with a cast I really like (including major crush Paget Brewster, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantega, Kirsten Vangsness and AJ Cook -- with occasional guest spots from geek icons like Wil Wheaton and Nick Brendon).

Nip / Tuck: See, THIS is what worries me about Glee. Nip / Tuck started off effectively walking the line between overcooked melodrama and outright camp, and in latter seasons completely went off the rails, barely resembling its originally witty take on superficiality and bromance (effectively sauteed with high concept storytelling and characterization). Still, we're in the home stretch now, and Nip / Tuck will return for a final victory lap, so I'll give it a chance to rebound.

South Park: Last season, with a few exceptions ("Pinewood Derby," anyone?) was just as funny as always.

Summer TV Report Card

Thanks to cable, summer is no longer the desolate television wasteland, comprised of repeats, intelligence and dignity sapping reality shows and dumped pilots. (Network television, however, still continues this time honored taking out of the trash).

So how did summer viewing stack up, quality-wise? Let's take a look. Here are my grades for various summer season shows (some of which are still in progress):

Burn Notice: A-
Very solid season, filled with everything we like (how-to voiceovers, CGI-free action, colorful cover identities, lots of Sam Axe) and only a little of what we don't (meandering master plot and too many scenarios where the bad guys tidily take each other out). The only serious misstep was with the character (and casting) of Detective Paxson.

Royal Pains: C-
This freshman show seems to have caught on in the ratings and performed well even after losing the superior Burn Notice as a lead in. I stuck with it through to the finale, but I'm not sure that I'll keep it on the season pass list when it returns next summer. Other than Campbell Scott's mysterious Boris, all the characters are black holes of charisma or downright annoying (I'm looking at you, Evan). The nifty "solutions" to medical problems lack the brilliance of House and aren't as fun as similar improvisations on Burn Notice. And I don't give a damn about any of the relationships here.

In Plain Sight: B-
Credit where credit is due for successfully centering a show on a prickly, borderline unlikable character. Mary McCormack's Marshal Mary Shannon is competent and caustic, and her interplay with the show's best character, Fred Weller's bone-dry Marshal Marshall Mann, is the reason to keep coming back. The show also made some effort to adjust the supporting cast, making Stan more passionate and less buffoonish, and pushing Mary's aggravating family to the background. The creator and showrunner has left the series, so we'll see how things shake out next year.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent: B+
This warhorse keeps chugging along, offering "ripped from the headlines" crimes to be solved by two of TV's quirkiest and most watchable performers, Vincent D'Onfrio and Jeff Goldblum. The supporting cast is also sublime. I really like the work done by Eric Bogosian, Kathryn Erbe and Julianne Nicholson.

Saving Grace: D
On the surface, I should love this show. It features characters from "flyover country" that are taken seriously, blends procedural crime-solving with a dollop of the supernatural and has talented actors giving real and naturalistic performances across the board. There's no question that Holly Hunter's bravura scenery chewing is a thing to behold. Yet every single episode I watch feels like there are three or four scenes cut out that would help it hang together more coherently. And the overall arc shambles aimlessly along, confusing "divine mystery" with "exasperatingly nonsensical." A nice effort, but definitely far less than the sum of its parts.

The Closer: B
I've long stopped pulling my hair out over Kyra's dinner theatre Georgia accent (now that Saving Grace is shutting down, perhaps Holly Hunter can give her some dialect coaching?) and just enjoyed this show for what it is. It features a great supporting cast (any reason for more JK Simmons on my TV is a reason to cheer) and a bluesy score (the opening scenes / credits roll out sequences are among the best on TV). Though the "revelation in Brenda's personal life triggers an 'a-ha moment' about the case" device can be a little trite, the show just works.

Leverage: B
More fun than it ought to be, this lightweight summer diversion is eminently watchable, thanks mainly to the performances. Timothy Hutton grounds the team with his actorly chops, and the rest of the Leverage group orbits around him giving us everything from geektastic riffing (Aldis Hodge's Hardison) to inexplicably adorable face-scrunching (Beth Riesgraf's Parker). The con mechanics don't always hold up under close scrutiny, but this show is as refreshing as a lemonade on a summer day.

Weeds: D
I gave up on this show for a while, but came back this season to see what's going on and can't believe I made it through the entire thing (one more episode, the season finale, airs Monday). Mary Louise Parker is sexy as hell and gives her all to a role that just doesn't do anything for me. Nancy Botwin isn't particularly likable, competent, moral, funny or engaging. (In Plain Sight's central character is similar prickly, but is at least good at what she does). The side plots, whether they feature the kids, Doug and Dean or Celia, feel beamed in from another show and I can't believe anyone gives a shit about Esteban or his career. Really, the only redeeming features this season have been Justin Kirk's nimble gift for comedy and pathos, and Alanis Morrisette's surprisingly winning guest shot. A mess.

Nurse Jackie: B+
A meandering examination of an addicted ER Nurse and her personal and professional travails, this show won me over on the strength of the acting, particularly a ferocious and vanity-free performance from the incomparable Edie Falco and Merritt Wever's lovable, loopy Zoey. With the exception of Anna Deavere Smith's slapsticky administrator (I fault the character and writing more than the actress, who ably tries to work with the tone deaf material she's given) the whole ensemble turns in great work.

Entourage: D+
Another show, like Weeds, than appears on my TiVo more out of habit than any sort of passion. It was never blessed with sharp writing or performances (save early, pre-sushi Piven) in the first place, and it's only gotten shaggier in its later years. This year, the show's least compelling character, Eric, winds up with most of "dramatic" heavy lifting, and he's simply not up to the challenge (and what's with the annoying stick figure neighbor? Ye gods). It takes a special kind of ineptness to waste Gary Cole.

Hung: B
This one seems to be really hit or miss for a lot of folks. Not quite funny enough to be laugh out loud hysterical, yet not as sharply dramatic as something like Nurse Jackie can be, Hung is content to drift along on the charms of its cast and wacky premise. Your mileage may vary, depending on how much you enjoy Thomas Jane and Jane Adams. Personally, I think Jane is an underrated actor who filters some of his character's jockish obliviousness with a hangdog earnestness, and I've long had a crush on the delightful quirky and compelling Adams.

True Blood: A-
While this isn't a deep, thought-provoking meditation on the human condition (such as other HBO efforts like The Sopranos or Deadwood), there's hardly anything on TV now that offers this much outlandish, over the top fun. Though I could do without some of the characters (like Eggs), Michelle Forbes has been a gleefully demented big bad and the relationship between the shy, sweet Hoyt and the vampire virgin Jessica is funny, compelling and fascinating to watch. Almost all the eccentrics in Bon Tomps have something to do this season (welcome back, sassy Lafayette!), and the show has found a nice tone that effectively straddles gut-busting camp and operatic melodrama.

Virtuality: A-
Though this was a failed pilot aired as a burn-off TV movie, it's really a shame Virtuality didn't get more of a shot. It was well cast, well written and had an abundance of ideas to explore.

Being Human: B
What a delightful little surprise this BBCA import has been. It's the story of three flatmates (as they say across the pond) - a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost. Though I frequently watch with the closed-captioning on in order to catch some of the mumbled English slang, and some of the foundational "rules" about how these supernatural creatures operate aren't exactly clear, I admire the winning performances of the three lead actors and appreciate the fact that the plot isn't afraid to go to some very dark places.

Rescue Me: B+
This has been a very successful comeback for a show that seemed to be running out of gas during its last go round. Most all of the central characters have gotten a plotline to wrap their arms around, and you can never go wrong when you give the crew of the 62 Truck more scenes to hang around and shoot the shit about women, pop culture, politics or life in general. Sometimes, the focus on Tommy's magical love life can be wearying, but it helps when you have an actress as good as Callie Thorne to play balls-out crazy, or one as talented and sexy as Maura Tierney to play a mysterious new interloper. Few shows can vacillate between pathos and comedy as well as Rescue Me, and one of the things I've admired this season has been a concerted effort to feature longer, unbroken set pieces that mine the depths of both.

Eureka: B-
Though I'm a little pissed that Friday's episode was a glorified clip show masquerading as a new episode, Eureka does what it always does: provide an amiable, well-acted and engaging summer diversion that coasts effectively on its high concept trappings and likable cast. Jamie Ray Newman has added some life, too, as a flame-haired, lispy romantic foil for the comically gifted Colin Ferguson.

Warehouse 13: A-
This freshman series, a delightful melange of The X-Files and TNT's Librarian series, with a dash of Bones thrown in, charmed from the start, though it isn't without a few growing pains. It is winningly cast, with leads Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly as "Secret Service" agents tasked with procuring magical and sci-fi "artifacts" for the mysterious Warehouse, which is overseen by reliable veteran actor Saul Rubinek. Recently, Allison Scagliotti joined the cast as a young hacker genius to add some depth (and winsome attitude) to the team. McClintock and Kelly have chemistry to burn, and the whole concept is fun and breezy, and a great way to spend an hour. The artifacts themselves have been inconsistent in nature, ranging from historically clever to poorly conceived, and some of the episode wrap ups have been a wee bit trite. It's all but impossible for new shows to find their tone and footing right out of the box, but with the addition of more backstory and a recurring nemesis (Roger Rees), Warehouse 13 is quickly getting into an addictive groove.

Psych and Monk: (Incomplete)
We're too early into their summer runs to offer a complete evaluation for these returing USA favorites, but I will say that Monk seems to have stepped up a bit in its swan song from a lackluster prior season. The ratings show that Psych suffers some viewer drop off from its lead in, and I can't understand why, as this show continues to make me giggle with its endless pop culture riffs and the easy chemistry between leads James Roday and Dule Hill.

All in all, if, like me, you find reality drivel one of the horsemen of the apocalypse and needed some scripted viewing this summer it really was a pretty good time to be plopped on the couch in front of the tube.

Bubble Watch

It's that time of the year when TV show renewals are in the air, and that brings the dreaded "bubble watch."

Because the great unwashed masses are generally too dumb or inattentive to appreciate quality work, or because of the limited broad appeal of genre fare, many of the shows I wind up loving often face the damned bubble. Fortunately, some of my most loved shows are already guaranteed (or almost a lock for) a place on the schedule next year, such as Lost, Supernatural, Fringe and Big Bang Theory (among 50+ others with a place of honor among my Season Passes). Others aren't so lucky:

How it would hurt if these shows were cancelled:

Gaping, sucking chest wound; punctured eyeballs; followed by being set on fire:

• Chuck (The most charming show on TV. A little bit of everything: espionage, laughs, romance, intrigue, action. Go buy a Subway sub on Monday!)
• Dollhouse (Like most of Joss's shows, this is really hitting its stride as it gets deeper into the mythology and characterizations. Been nuthin' but AWESOME since "Man on the Street.")
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Is there no room on TV for intelligent, well written sci-fi?)

Compound fracture of the tibia:

• Castle (A cut above the usual procedural with likable characters and charisma to burn).
• Reaper (wandering and amiable, but holding its own against the Idol juggernaut. The addition of Nina and Morgan has helped, Ben is a deadpan master, and Ray Wise's Devil is Emmy worthy).
• Party Down (Really funny, with distinct characters and an offbeat tone).

Vicious punch to the solar plexus:

• Better Off Ted (Why isn't this fantastical workplace sitcom, which never fails to make me laugh, getting more attention?)
• The Unusuals (Another cop show, sure, but at least it's trying something different).
• Law & Order (I've been with it from the beginning, and this current cast is fantastic and the best since the glory days).
• Lie to Me (Unique premise that's held up better than I thought it would thus far. Tim Roth and Kelli Williams are great, and Jennifer Beals showed up last night as Roth's ex-wife. Good stuff).
  

Hangover:

• Samantha Who (Yeah, it's kind of slight, but Christina Applegate is a fantastic comic actress).
• My Name is Earl (Even when it aims and misses, Earl has a great top to bottom cast who can handle anything from farce to heartwarming).

Quickies

The Mad Men Season 1 DVD set is out. Of course there is the top shelf quality of the show itself, with stellar acting, writing, directing, set design and production values. But check out the DVD packaging. Brilliant!

As I've said before, this little show that came out of nowhere is definitely one of television's best. In fact, it made the "short list" of 10 dramas up for an Emmy. I completely agree with the author there, Alan Sepinwall, about Dexter, Lost and Mad Men deserving inclusion on the list, and that House is not a bad choice either. I also agree that there's one startling omission -- Battlestar Galactica. I'll have much more on the Emmys when the final nominations come out.
A great, in-depth piece on Mad Men from the NY Times can be found here.

Chris Noth (Detective Mike Logan), will be leaving Law & Order: CI, and replaced by Jeff Goldblum. If the world was perfect, Goldblum would reprise the quirky character he played on last year's underwatched and underappreciated cop show Raines, but I'm not sure the tone of those two shows would mesh. However, I'm sure he'll still play quirky; it IS Jeff Goldblum.

Summer Lovin' Part One

"Summer lovin' had me a blast,
Summer lovin' happened so fast"

Seems like just yesterday the fall TV season ended. Oh wait. That's almost true. I'm still getting over the strange adventures of Jeremy Bentham, and some shows, like BSG and Doctor Who are continuing their first pod of episodes for the year. But it's time for the Summer Season to start, and here is TNRLM's handy guide to the shows you should make out under the dock and get friendly down in the sand with.

Returning Shows

There's USA's stable of quirky detectives: Monk, Psych, Burn Notice and Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
At this stage of the game, Monk is what it is. Most of the plots have a "been there, done that" feel to them, and the real reason to tune in is for the chemistry of the characters, which thankfully, still amuse and entertain me. I will be curious to see how the show handles the sad passing of noted character actor Stanley Kamel, who played Monk's long suffering shrink Dr. Kroger. Plus, Traylor Howard is cute as a button.

Psych seems for some to be a love or hate proposition. Personally, I think it's good frothy fun and the relationship between the two two main characters, Shawn and Gus, keeps me watching. I like the supporting characters, too, and now that they've dialed down the "fake psychic" histrionics, I no longer roll my eyes once an episode. And with the passing of Gilmore Girls last year, few shows have the obscure pop-culture reference/minute ratio that Psych does.

Burn Notice was a pleasant surprise last year. I had enjoyed Jeffrey Donovan's take on a fucked up detective in the US remake of Touching Evil (also on USA, but canceled after a year), and think he brings the right amount of wry bemusement, secret agent cool and general bad-assery to the role. Fi's accent was all over the place for the first few eps (until the former IRAer decide to "go natural" with an American accent), but any show with Bruce Campbell as a shifty "sidekick" is okay in my book. Plus, Six (Tricia Helfer, from BSG) will be joining the show for an extended arc this year as a connection to Michael's Burn Notice.

And finally, L&O: CI gears up for another season. This has always been the stepchild of the L&O machine, as more people would rather watch the ham-fisted, Emmy reel scenery chewing over on SVU, but I like the brilliant-but-damaged scenery chewing of D'Onofrio on this version of the show better. Plus, Mr. Big's red headed partners are hot.

Eureka. Occasionally, the wrap ups can be a bit too tidy, but the show doesn't take itself too seriously that often, and Colin Ferguson as the "normal" sheriff is a terrific comic actor. It's a fun premise and the rest of the show is filled out with a likable ensemble.

Mad Men. Off the top of my head, if I had to name the best shows on television, I would say Dexter, Lost, Battlestar Galactica and Mad Men (with a few others, including House and Big Love, right behind). This show came out of nowhere last year to quickly establish a presence as one of the best written, best acted, best directed hours on TV, on any channel. An unflinching and dramatic look at the life of an advertising agency in the late 60s, Man Men is essentially the story of lead character Don Draper, a mysterious and smooth operator with a portfolio of personal problems and a knack for reinvention. The show was created by Matthew Weiner, a former writer and producer for The Sopranos, and the pedigree is readily apparent. There are twists and turns in the plot to be sure, but the real joy in this show is peeling back the layers of the characters, all of whom are superbly portrayed. Besides, where else can you find chain-smoking on TV?

Due to the big move and the problems getting Showtime, I missed out on Dexter, Weeds and Californication last summer. However, thanks the power fo the almighty TiVo, I'm currently getting up to speed. I think Dex won't be back until the fall, but I believe everyone's favorite pot-peddling MILF will be back this summer. Not much to tease here from me, as I'm only a couple of eps into the previous season. Same with Mulder's new show about an oversexed and narcissistic writer.

One of the better procedurals on TV is Kyra Sedgwick's The Closer (unless you've watched any of the NBA playoffs on TNT, and refuse to watch the show because of the incessant and annoying commercials and screen hogging snipes). Yes, as a native Georgian, her accent is over the top and not entirely accurate nor consistent, but the power of the performance the subtle depths she brings to the character give you more than enough reason to appreciate this strong, female lead character. The rest of the cast is great, too, including the perpetually entertaining J.K. Simmons as her boss (and one time lover).

I can't say too much about the other chick detective show on TNT, Saving Grace. I adore Holly Hunter (who I should note, in comparison to Sedgwick, has a perfect Georgia accent. Since she is from Georgia. However, I don't think she's actually playing one here). If the spirituality was played differently, I might be intrigued. But it's all a bit heavy handed, despite the presence of Deadwood's Leon Rippy as an actual angel. I'll tune in occasionally, if nothing else is on, but it's not one I'll actively make time for. If anyone else is passionate about this show, let me know. I tuned out after 4 or 5 eps last year, so it might have found a suitable tone and become more entertaining.

Stargate Atlantis also resumes this summer, with a couple of interesting cast changes for geeks. Star Trek: Voyager's best actor, Robert Picardo, comes aboard as the new head of the Atlantis expedition, replacing the sexy, humble and awesomely appealing Amanda Tapping (who will be heading up another supernatural show on Skiffy later in the year). Everyone's favorite dirty mechanic from Firefly, Jewel Staite, will become a series regular as Dr. Keller. I look at the Stargate franchise like comfort food. It's entertaining and winningly acted sci-fi, much like many episodes of the Trek franchise, without the achingly good ambition and emotional wallop of BSG or Farscape. There are worse ways to spend an hour.

And if you're eagerly anticipating the next season of MTV's The Hills, I hope you're wearing bangs to cover the lobotomy scars.

A few summer staples, like Big Love and Entourage, were put off schedule by the writers' strike, and will return in the fall.

There you have it. Command your TiVos accordinly. I'll be back later this weekend, with Part Deux, looking at summer's new television offerings.

Randomness from the week or so that was

Happy holiday weekend, peeps. It's early on the Memorial Day Weekend, and I've already cleaned the homestead, walked a couple of miles and finally caught up on on all the electronic and snail mail from my few days Out Of Town. Expect some frequent bloggy goodness over the holiday. As I quaff the first of many light beers, here are some random nuggets to chew on:

Controversial comic book costume changes. I liked the "Venom" black Spidey uniform (except for how it was presented, story-wise, in the disappointing 3rd movie) and Iron Man's is understandable, with so many "Mark" versions. (For a great graphic look at the various Iron Man unis, click here). And I just saw Iron Man, and it rocked my world. GREAT comic book movie. The final throw down was a bit pedestrian, but fantastic performances from all involved (RD Jr., The Dude, Gwyneth, Terrance Howard) made this a solid A. But Sue Storm's alternate costume is kinda trampy, no?

Good news for fans of Logan, Goran and their partners: USA has ordered more Law & Order: CI.

No wonder the country is going to hell on a sled. 12.5% of those teaching our (your) youth are morons.

Speaking of which, more evidence (like you needed more?) that Einstein was a smart dude.

It's baseball season. Time to enjoy some classic Ricky Henderson quotes!

A bizarre list of "How To" books. I think I would start with #9, and #10 would be helpful with #5 (though #2 would have probably preceded that one), but you would then be acquainted with #7, and eventually wish for #4.

Ever heard of "Batting Stance Guy?" If not, check out this interview. And you fellow Braves fans will get a big kick out his take on the hometeam.

You gotta have priorities, ya know.

Bobby Cox is an icon and steady hand on the wheel of the Braves, but good god, I love Jim Leyland.

What kind of bet do you have to lose to have this happen? And Flipper looks stoked, man.

Lord knows I lived through the title of this post. But DListed's adorable nickname for the featured Mensa member always makes me giggle, for a few reasons. Speaking of which, I'm surprised I didn't pay to have these moved. But some other poor (or soon to be) dumb bastard did.

How 'bout we cleanse the pallet with a nice story about everyone's favorite lesbian witch and shopping-addicted wife?

And since it's the last day of the workweek, here's a Trek look at the 7 types of bad bosses and how to survive them.

Enjoy your holiday, and have a beer or 15 with a loved one!

In praise of procedurals

In my television musings, I don't often write about "procedurals," typically overlooking those in deference to the ongoing plot complications of the more arc-defined shows like Lost or Battlestar Galactica. After all, by their nature, procedurals almost always wrap up the plot in a nice tidy package at the end of the hour, and don't send you scurrying to the interwebs to research the process by which new Dalai Lamas are chosen. But this past week, four of my favorite procedurals had amazing episodes that warrant some comment.

As many of you TV savants know, the producers of two CBS shows, Two and a Half Men and CSI: Original Recipe, decided to "swap shows" for an episode, and each write the other's program. I watched 2.5 (which I usually don't), and it was okay. The CSI gang did a fine job at sending up their directorial and storytelling tricks (especially the cop in the low cut tank top) on the sitcom, but it was the CSI story (written with cathartic relish by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn) that really brought the laughs. It was a clear send up of Lorre's time working under monstrous divas on Roseanne, Grace Under Fire and Cybill, and was consistently amusing for the entire hour without sacrificing the CSI characters. Even if you're a casual fan of CSI, it was definitely worth checking out.

I'm truly digging the new cast of Law and Order, which ranks with the all time line ups of the show. Last week's episode, where Connie (the ADA) had to act as defense attorney due to a legal aid strike, was fantastic. It featured a wonderfully nuanced performance by Alana de la Garza and is one of those that will be worth multiple rewatches when it goes to TNT.

Last night also provided two outstanding procedural episodes of FOX's best non-Idol programming: Bones and House. Bones was a lighthearted (for the most part) episode about an American Idol wannabee who was found dead and decapitated in the weeds. It had the usual crackling chemistry between the leads and the rest of the cast (and I love that Sweets is now integrated into the plots), and had the bonus of Brennan letting loose on a karaoke stage to sing Cyndi Lauper (quite admirably!). Of course, that was immediately followed up by a nutty stalker ruining the fun, only to be quickly dispatched. Two quick points: I go along with the flow with most of the suspension of disbelief on this show, and actually enjoy Bones' pop-culture obliviousness. But how the hell does she actually write novels with well rounded characters without any awareness of things outside her scholarly pursuits? And how can her murder mysteries be best-sellers if she is so disconnected with the world of pop-culture? That still bugs. And finally, my prediction for the Gormogon serial killer (to be revealed next week, I think) is the lab tech who has subbed for Zack occasionally (like when he was in Iraq) and popped up in the courtroom ep last week.

That brings us to House, which offered a tantalizing glimpse inside House's subconscious last night. We don't know how the story is going to wind up yet (it's the first part of a two parter), but I would put that first hour up there with some of House's best eps (such as the brilliant "Three Stories" and this year's ep with Mira Sorvino in a remote research station). I didn't catch on until the very end, but wandering through House's memories and perceptions was great fun. Plus? Cuddy in a schoolgirl outfit. Bonus geek points for featuring Ivana Milicevic (Riley's "perfect" wife Sam on Buffy) as "the clue." A good "preview" of the show, along with clips, can be found here at Mo Ryan's blog.

Saturday morning entertainment potpourri

Would a Serenity direct to DVD sequel be a good idea? Personally, I think that I would take more Firefly adventures in any format I can get them. Eventually, someone will attempt to capture the "pay as you go" model for delivering ad-free content outside the studio/network model, and there's probably no better person to try than Joss. Think about it. Would you pay $0.50 or $1.00 per episode for new adventures of with the crew of Serenity? Or in the Buffy/Angelverse? I would. The weekly budget for production for a new show is typically in the $1,000,000 range. That would mean 1 million fans would have to pony up a buck each week to watch a show. Fans in larger numbers pay that each week to download episodes they've already seen for free from I-Tunes. And great, great shows that aren't exactly CSI or Grey's in terms of total viewers average 2 - 4 million viewers each week, and that's enough to get you cancelled. If half of those folks ponied up the change left over from coffee each week, that would be enough to support an ad-free, direct sell show. Just something to think about, and fans of Joss are among the most rabid and supportive.

Speaking of Joss, two more items. He's going to direct another episode of The Office. And those Buffy "sing alongs" in theatres? Canceled, because of greed. Hey, I'm an Ayn Rand/Gordon Gekko fan from way back. But were these things really "hurting" anyone? Was someone attempting to generate enough funds to build a secret army or buy up real estate like Lex Luthor? No, they were mainly a labor of love, and a way for fans to celebrate a common passion. I was fortunate enough to participate in one a few years back at Dragon-Con, but also wanted to attend one of the updated versions touring the country right now. My dear Atlanta friends the Es went to one during one of my recent trips down for a UGA game (I didn't go -- I was busy watching a different type of horror show: a Willie Martinez coached defense), and said it was a blast. Unfortunately, they may have attended one of the very last ones. That just sucks.

Earlier this week, I posted my "daemon" from The Golden Compass. As I noted then, I haven't read the books, but now I'm even more inclined to pick them up. Any thing delusional zealot and blowhard Bill Donohue thinks is bad, I would tend to like. I didn't check out the Narnia movie, because of the religious backstory and ham-fisted allegories. ("It's just like Lord of the Rings! Except more poorly written and full of God!") It's well known that CS Lewis wrote those stories with a rather thinly veiled agenda, and I find it amusing that Pullman's "Dark Materials" trilogy tries to provide a balance to that and is getting blasted by believers in one fairy tale who condemn another (that is just as equally and logically plausible).

A meeting of the geek-verses. Kevin Smith loves Lost.

The Top 20 Starship Captains. Yes, there are some facts wrong in there. But it's a fun list. And any "top 6" that includes Jean-Luc Picard, James T. Kirk, Han Solo, Mal Reynolds and Bill Adama is fine in my book (But Kathryn "I never met a temporal rule or Prime Directive I couldn't break" Janeway? Please).

The new TV season has been all over the place for me thus far. I will say that of the many new and returning shows I was excited about, there are still two lurking in my faux "Now Playing" list that I haven't yet watched: Reaper and Pushing Daisies. I'm looking forward to watching both of those.

Many of the returning shows just haven't done it for me. Law & Order: SVU has been downright terrible. Heroes has been lackluster (the "Lucky Charms" gang? The spanish Wonder Twins?) and only the Kensei story and the return of Sylar are keeping me interested. HIMYM has been okay, but seems to be missing something. The Office has had some great moments, but the hour-longs tend to wander too much and have characters behaving too stupidly for their own good occasionally. On the other hand, Desperate Housewives has been better, particularly with the addition of the devilish and MILF-tastic Catherine Mayfair (Dana Delany) and her husband, Captain Tightpants. House has delivered one rock solid and laugh out loud funny ep after another. Bones has been very good. Law and Order: CI's move to USA hasn't hurt it, either. It's always been my favorite of the Law and Order troika, and I dig Logan's new partner, the quirky and scorching hot Alicia Witt (who is replacing another quirky hot "firecrotch" -- as Witt's character was called on Thursday's ep -- Julianne Nicholson -- while she is on maternity leave).

Of the news shows I've seen, I'm really digging Chuck. And Bionic Woman is all over the map. The pilot was okay. The second ep was terrible and leaden. The third ep was outstanding. Michelle Ryan hasn't exactly won me over with her flat line readings, but she has nice lips. The star of the show, however, is Katee Sackhoff as the "Faith-esque" first bionic woman Sarah Corvus, and lights up the screen whenever she's on. Although they weren't part of the fall network premieres, I have really enjoyed Mad Men and Torchwood. In fact, I since we don't have BSG or Lost right now, I would proclaim Mad Men the Best Show on TV. It just keeps getting better and better, and I'll be sad when the season finale airs next week (though it will be back for a second season. Yeah!). Tragically, I don't have Showtime here in temp living land, so I can't say anything about Season 2 of my favorite new show from last year, Dexter. Guess I'll have to catch up on that via DVD next year.

I was all prepared to hate Moonlight. It has an unbelievably troubled development history, got panned by several prominent critics and its premise seems like a complete rip-off of one of the all time classics, Angel. However, I've seen three eps now and I'm quite entertained. No, it's no Angel, but the leads are charismatic enough and if it can inject just a bit of wit, it should be a keeper.

Casting News

David Anders from Alias (who I suggested would make a nice addition to my "24 Reboot") is reported to be joining Heroes. That's great news.

Jack McCoy is being promoted to District Attorney. I suggested something similar last month. No word yet on who will become the new Senior ADA. I'm assuming Rubirosa will continue as the ADA. Which is okay with TNRLM, since I like her. (#1 of "available" ADAs, since Angie Harmon has a pilot on another network -- based on the James Patterson books and featuring two former Angel writers on staff! -- and Claire Kincaid is, well, dead). Also, Jeremy Sisto (the entrancingly deranged Billy Chenowith on Six Feet Under) is replacing Milena Govich as one of the detectives.

Isaiah Washington gets the boot from Grey's. It's one thing to say something "offensive" or "politically incorrect." (like Charles Rocket on SNL, for example). But to do it in anger, direct it at someone specific (who is actually of the orientation of the slur, and not do it amusingly like in The 40 Year Old Virgin), get in a fistfight with one of your costars over the whole incident, then use it AGAIN at an awards show, then cop a sad "rehab" excuse, and finally tape a lame PSA -- well, you can't say he didn't have it coming. Then you use a Network quote about getting fired? What a total asshat. I stopped watching the show a while ago, but I can say that of all the unlikeable characters, I hated Burke the most. Well, except for Meredith. Everyone hates that whore.

Speaking of Alias, another friendly face from that show turns up on another good show. Bradley Cooper is joining Nip/Tuck.

As long as they don't bring back Nora Lewin

Apparently, big changes are afoot for Law and Order: Mothership. While "on the bubble" for NBC, TNT stepped up to the plate and made an offer to pony up serious cash to air first run Law and Order originals. In the end, NBC/Universal struck a deal which allows the mothership to continue on NBC (moving to Sundays, I think), and first runs of Law and Order: Criminal Intent to air on corporate cousin USA, with re-airs on NBC. Law and Orders (all three of 'em) are like "comfort food" to me, so I'm happy to see them all continue in some various form.

The mothership will see some serious change, though:

• Rene Balcer, who worked on the original before heading off to create CI, will return to the mothership as showrunner.
• Fred Dalton Thompson may step down as DA Arthur Branch, in order to contemplate a real-life presidential bid. Or, simply to cuts costs. Either way, it appears that Jack McCoy will no longer be the world's oldest Assistant DA, and will step up as DA. Since Jack doesn't have a taste for politics, I imagine the plot will see him "appointed" to the job in the wake of Branch's departure.
• Rumors abound about other cast changes, with no one save Lt. Van Buren safe.

If it was up to me, here's what I'd do:

• McCoy moves to DA.
• Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) returns to fill Jack's role as Senior ADA.
• Rubirosa (my favorite ADA since Angie Harmon's Abby "Hang 'em High" Carmichael) stays as Cabot's #1.
• Ed Green stays as lead detective.
• As much as I like Milena Govich, I've never quite forgiven her for playing the manipulative skank on Rescue Me who bilked Kenny out of his money and broke his heart (hits too close to home, apparently). And I don't think she ever really caught on with viewers as Nina Cassidy. So why not bring over John Munch from SVU? They're adding Adam Beach to the SVU cast, and Munch had less and less to do even before that move. That would keep a nice XX and XY balance to the cast, though the police side would be all boys and the legal side all girls.

Also, it's supremely annoying that Blogger won't take "ampersand" characters, especially when you're writing about Law and Order.

Whodat?

On Thursday's CSI: Original Recipe, the delicious Melinda Clarke returned as Lady Heather. Also present, JR Bourne (Martouf from Stargate SG-1) as onetime Heather paramour, and Joe Penny (Jake and the Fatman) as the old west park owner with a strange fascination with roughing up and killing chicks.

Laura Harris showed up on Friday's Stargate Atlantis as the leader of one of the "game's" real life leaders. I remember her as bad-sister Marie Warner on 24. And I always confuse her with Laura Allen, who was on Criminal Minds a couple of weeks ago as one of the humans hunted in the woods by a couple of redneck brothers. She was the annoying Lily on The 4400, and the super-annoying Julia on Dirt. Anyone else always mix these two up?

On Tuesday's "ripped from the headlines" Law and Order: CI, David Cross (analrapist Tobias Funke) was the "almost lawyer" and "maybe husband" of the faux Anna Nicole Smith "starlet" played by movie Buffy, Kristy Swanson.

Speaking of Buffy, there's a good podcast interview with Joss Whedon about the Season 8 comics here.

Whodat?

A couple of Sydney Andrews sightings recently. Sydney was one of the denizens of Melrose Place, played by Laura Leighton. A couple of weeks ago, she popped up on Shark as a reporter who may have some kind of backstory with Sebastian. Last week, she was the "party mom" on Law and Order SVU who bought the kids booze and banged her daughter's wannabe boyfriend ("but we were in love!"). I was never a fan of Melrose back in the day, but I have to say that Ms. Leighton (who in real life is married to Doug Savant, gay Matt on Melrose, an Alliance officer on Firefly and currently Tom Scavo on Desperate Housewives) has gotten better looking with age. She was gorgeous in these two guest spots, as she was on the sadly underwatched Eyes.

Noted Hey, It's That Guy Stephen Tobolowsky who showed up in the infamous "Tim Batale" episode of Studio 60, was on Friday's sweetly charming (without being saccharine) Raines as the comic book store owner. Also popping up in a funny cameo as the "stoner old lady" with nice bongs and a penchant for taxidermy? Pat Crawford Brown, perhaps best known as the old lady with the man eating demon penis sprouting out of her head on Buffy's "Doublemeat Palace."

Whodat?

On a well done Law and Order: CI last night, Logan's friend who was poisoned Alexander Litvinenko style was played by Lee Tergesen. Who you might recall from Rescue Me as Sully, the "perfect" replacement for Tommy (who turned out to have quite the fondness for women's underwear). Or maybe you remember him as Peter, the sex-addict who had a brief fling with Bree in a ludicrous plot from Desperate Housewives.

On Law and Order: SVU, Michael Weston (the subject of a previous Whodat) was Olivia's long lost brother. He's also been "Private Dancer" on Scrubs recently.

Whodat?

Tuesday's Law and Order: SVU had a nice cast of guest stars, including:

Ashley Williams was the trashy mom who wound up hanging herself (strangely, Stabler didn't seem that broken up about it. Just more pissed at the reporter). Ashley's been on a lot of different things, and is a very versatile guest start, but you probably remember her best as Ted's girlfriend (before Robin) on How I Met Your Mother, or as the perky hairdresser on Good Morning Miami.

Kali Rocha was the bitchy reporter. She's also been a frequent guest star across the TV spectrum, but will be (at least to me) forever known as Halfrek, the vengeance demon, from Buffy (and also as Cecily, who may or may not have been Halfrek before taking up work for D'Hoffryn).

The "new sheriff in town" on last night's Lost was Diana Scarwid, probably best known as "no more wire hangers!" Cristina Crawford in the camp-o-licious Mommy Dearest.

Whodat?

The hot lawyer investigating the sexual harrassment suit on Monday's Studio 60 was Kari Matchett, who was the Heidi Fleiss like madame on a recent Shark. She was also Beth, Sharon's kinda girlfriend on the late, lamented Wonderfalls.

On Tuesday's Law and Order Criminal Intent, Goren's mom was Rita Moreno, a Hollywood legend and one of only 12 people to win an Emmy, Tony, Grammy and Oscar. Goren's brother was Tony Goldwyn, best known as the creepy friend/killer from Ghost, the creepy twins/killers from Without A Trace, and the creepy shrink from Dexter. (He's also a frequent director on Dexter). He does subtle creepy very well.

On last Tuesday's Law and Order SVU, Cary Elwes (Princess Bride's Westley) was the mob lawyer dad with the bad accent (and apparently, a recent interest in donuts).

The Canon: Law and Order ADAs

An ongoing series of lists that provides the definitive order of things in the universe.

For Law and Order junkies, sorting through the revolving door of characters can sometimes be a challenging thing.

Some debates are easy. Lenny is almost universally the favorite cop, if not the favorite character. And I can't think of anyone who prefers Ben Stone to Jack McCoy.

It gets a wee bit complicated when you get to the DAs. Most fans love the exasperated and deadpan Adam Schiff, though I'm in a probably small minority who likes Fred Dalton Thompson's slightly obnoxious, and conservative, Arthur Branch (granted, he's pretty much played the same character in just about everything, including Hunt for Red October and his actual duties in congress -- but hey, I like him). Lewin stunk, no arguments there.

The ADAs, however, inspire the most discussion. You had the more strident and humorless Robinette, who basically got lost in the shuffle because LandO was such a sausage-fest to start out with. (But Richard Brooks had an awesome turn as psychotic and strangely funny bounty hunter Jubal Early on Firefly). You had the feminist and agnostic (yay!) Kincaid who wound up having a fling with McCoy, only to die in a car wreck and deprive us of her perfect bob and beauty mark. Next came Ross (short hair!) with her manipulative and shitty ex-husband and liberal idealism, who eventually became a judge. She was followed by Abby "Hang 'em High" Carmichael, with her Texas drawl and voice like whiskey filtered through a 4 pack a day habit. Next up was Serena Southerlyn, known for perpetrating on viewers one of the biggest "what the fucks?" in TV history: "Is this because I'm a lesbian?" What would pop culture be without that line? I can't figure this one out, because she was decent enough on Angel, but on LandO I've seen driftwood give more eloquent and passionate line readings. Gorgeous eyes and the rare LandO blonde should count for something, but not even the lesbian undertones (oh wait. There weren't any until the last 3 seconds of her final appearance) could save the awful emoting. She gave way to the earthy and more conservative Borgia, who wound up dying in a trunk. Finally, we have Rubirosa, who seems to be more balanced politically and portrayed by a seemingly talented actress, though we haven't yet learned that much about her.

So how do they stack up in my book?

Best Law and Order ADAs:

1. Abbie Carmichael
2. Claire Kincaid
3. Connie Rubirosa
4. Jaimie Ross
5. Alexandra Borgia
6. Paul Robinette
7. Serena Southerlyn