05.30 30 Rock
06.00 The Jury
07.00 Law And Order
08.00 Flashpoint
09.00 24
02.30 Wings
30 Rock. Season 3, Episode 7. "Senor Macho Solo" Liz finds a whole new reason to ruin a relationship (the man's height!) while Jack faces a serious health scare.
The Liz stuff - as always - is very funny while the Jack stuff - for once - is not that good. Hasn't Jack been in this exact plot before? Realising the value of family and all that guff.
Anyway, Peter Dinklage is amazing (if underused).
And Salma Hayek's body is also amazing. Wow. I wish this show was in 3D. Seriously.
The Jury. Episode 5. "Bangers" Two teens stand trial for the shooting of a woman in the hallway of a building.
Definitely the most engrossing show I am currently watching. When I glance towards the clock and see that the episode is nearly over I am always gutted. Week after week the show introduces compelling characters in a great setting and I feel sad knowing I'll never see them again.
This week's episode breaks from formula in several ways: the jurors are threatened, the verdict is never declared in court and the case affects one of the regulars in a personal way.
The revelation at the end, however, is the same as always: It packs a punch and reveals something you didn't expect, making the whole story much, much sadder.
Law And Order. Season 19, Episode 2. "Challenged" L&O has a wide canvas of stories. Sometimes the tales weave their way into the upper positions of power in the worlds of politics and corporations. And, sometimes, they tell more intimate stories of families/people in trouble.
This is one of the latter. A family deals very badly with the return of the mentally-challenged baby they gave up forth-four years earlier. Brother murders brother over it and the - simple but enjoyable - tale unfolds in linear fashion.
Flashpoint. Episode 11. "Haunting The Barn" The endings are where the magic lies on this show. It always ends the same. The music builds up and fills the soundtrack, and the narrative moves from regular to regular seeing how each one is coping in the aftermath of the crisis. When it works, such as here, it can bring a tear or two to the eye.
This is the episode where the ex-team member pulls out a gun and goes crazy in the team's HQ. The reason why he does this packs more of a punch than I expected it to, and the ending ties everything up to the show's main character in a wonderful way. They even - at one point - reuse the "I'm fine" phrase from the opening episode. Subtle. Clever.
24. Season 7, Episode 2. "9AM - 10AM" It's still early days, but I'm quietly confident that season seven won't suck.
The first half of the episode is about the sniper trapped in a building by the FBI. It's good tense stuff, where Jack is forced to sit things out. The second half of the episode follows Jack and Renee as they follow the sniper. There's a fight at the end (Jack and Renee are an awesome team) and the episode ends with Jack and Tony face to face.
I'm more convinced than ever that Tony is deep undercover (possibly with Chloe and Bill) and - before too long - he'll be side-by-side with Jack again.
Over in the b-plot Colm Feore steps out from the pack to establish himself as a major reason to watch this season as his character gets tough in his efforts to find his son's killer.
It's a strong episode. Jack gets to give a good speech, and do some seriously cool detective work (when he spots the sniper's non-FBI shoes). He's also very cool in the action sequence at the end (shooting out the camera, etc.) and I'm starting to remember why - among other things - 24 is the best action show on TV.
Wings. Season 2, Episode 7. "Hell Hath No Fury Like a Policewoman Scorned" Brian makes a pass at a scary policewoman, to get his brother off a parking ticket and ends up having to date her.
Sharon Barr makes a great guest star. She has the amazing way of arriving behind Brian really fast and then staring at him, which is very funny. The first half is funny, but the second half - where Helen is involved - is where the episode really hits the high note. Brian tells a story using the spunky waitress as an unknowing alibi, but when Helen finds out she soon weave a much bigger - and better - lie. And she does so with unabashed glee. This is why Helen is my favourite character.
Highlight? 24 (Jack in action)
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Mon, Jan 12, 09 - 30 Rock, The Jury, Law And Order, Flashpoint, 24, Wings
