01:00 The Closer
02:00 House
08:00 Columbo
10:00 90210
11:00 Beverly Hills 90210
The Closer. Season 4, Episode 6. "Problem Child" Dark stuff. He might only be 13 but the child at the centre of this story is a disturbed individual. He's the victim. And, as the team investigates, they discover that a lot of people had a lot of very good reasons for wanting him dead. In many ways it's more like a Without A Trace episode than an episode of The Closer, because the story really paints a full picture of the victim and who he was. Superb storytelling.
The final scene, where Brenda and her boyfriend talk about a new house (but are really talking about whether they will have kids or not) is heartbreaking and masterful.
House. Season 5, Episode 1. "Dying Changes Everything" Great opening episode. Thirteen takes the lead with the case-of-the-week and it plays wonderfully into her own life and illness. House and Wilson are on speaking terms and nobody is laying any blame for Ambers death at House's feet. Least of all House. At least that's how it starts: Wilson decides to quit and leave, so House blackmails him into stay by abandoning his own patient and leaving her to die.
Only on House!
I love the way the show was able to deliver the conflict we expected, but not in the way we expected.
Columbo. Episode 11. "The Greenhouse Jungle" Clever and very satisfying. No real game of cat-and-mouse this time out but lots of funny scenes of the great detective doing his thing. It's one of the break-with-forumla episodes as: it's a kidnapping not a murder, the victim is alive for most of the story and - without knowing he will ultimately be killed - he helps the killer plan and execute the whole thing. Also, the twist at the end has nothing much to do with any mistakes made by the killer. It's just a case of Columbo being a very good detective, being willing to do a lot of paperwork on his suspects and - in this case - getting very lucky.
90210. Episode 4. "The Bubble" Really enjoyable. Probably the best episode so far. I adore Naomi. She's so sweet and quaint. A spoiled rich teen in a spoiled rich world who is horrified by the thought of her father's cheating on her mother. I should roll my eyes at this storyline, but the actress sells it and... I care. Meanwhile the flirtation between Dixon and Silver steps up a notch and - for the first time in the series - I really liked Silver. Her confidence (in Dixon's attraction to her) is cute, funny and likable.
And now we know who fathered Kelly's child! Wow. I gasped with shock. In hindsight, it makes sense.
Beverly Hills 90210. Season 7, Episode 3. "A Mate for Life" Kelly gets the best storyline (by far) but all the tales in this outing are worth tuning in for. It's Nat's wedding and his wife's hot daughter (who happens to be an exotic dancer) is in town, and in Brandon's arms/bed. It's a cute and fun storyline. Valerie (my favourite character) is still dealing with that latest bad boy love-interest of hers (he's married, the lying so-and-so) while David and Donna (my favourite couple) are having a tiff, because - suprise, suprise - he's being a jerk to her. Jerk!
It's lightweight fun. And the Kelly storyline really shines: she's working at an AIDS hospice. Nothing dramatic or silly happens, but she befriends one patient and he gives her some good advice about liking yourself and avoiding melancholy. And it's very good indeed. The advice, and the episode.
Highlight? The Closer (dark story)
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Sat, Sep 20, 08 - Closer, House, Columbo, 90210, Beverly Hills 90210
