Testosterone and Tantrums: Showtime's "The Tudors" Fails to Impress

I was really looking forward to Showtime's The Tudors. After all, it's got all of the things that I do love in a fantastic costume drama: a stellar cast, sword fights and sex, and a tumultuous period of history to draw from. So why does the series leave me so cold?

I've given The Tudors several shots now to entertain and captivate me (I've seen various versions of the pilot over the last few months), but even after sitting through the series' second episode, I still can't wrap my head around what's missing from what's arguably one of the most expensive series ever created (10 episodes at roughly $38 million dollars, or so I've heard).

I think it all comes back down to HBO's Rome, which wrapped its series on Sunday. Now that series managed to find the right balance between salaciousness and serious drama. Both series occur at critical moments in history, with corrupt politicians, immature leaders, and lawlessness the bon mots of the day. Yet while Rome managed to strike a cord in me that made me eager to catch up with the exploits of Vorenus and Pullo, Atia and Anthony, The Tudors continues to leave me wanting to change the channel.

I will say that The Tudors is gorgeous to look at and it has a first rate cast in Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Sam Neill, Jeremy Northam, Henry Cavill, Callum Blue, Natalie Dormer, and Henry Czerny, but (in the first few episodes anyway), the series seems to stick to the same basic formula: Henry (Rhys Meyers) has sex with lots of people, declares war on someone, plays some sports (jousting, wrestling, tennis!), and someone dies. It's clear where the series is going for anyone familiar with the basics of English history (off with 'er head!) or Henry's numerous dalliances.

It all feels rather static, especially compared with the highly stylized messiness of Rome with its intricate layers and complex, three-dimensional characters. I find it extremely hard to feel sympathetic towards Henry, a preening rock star of a king prone to trashing his bedroom and sleeping with anything that moves. In fact, there isn't that character who guides you through this story (or whom you can associate with like plebs Vorenus and Pullo): Henry is too tyrannically spoiled, Wolsey (Neill) too manipulative, More (Northam) too icily detached.

Instead, I found myself looking at the prettiness of the spectacle, which ends up feeling like a case of style over substance, with nothing much holding it together, unfortunately. There's remotely enthralling about The Tudors, and with as electric a star as Rhys Meyers as your lead (and a king as gruesomely infamous as Henry Tudor), isn't that a terrible, terrible shame?

Sadly, The Tudors is being sent to my television Tower of London, never to return to my screen.

"The Tudors" premieres Sunday night at 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime. A sneak preview of the first two episodes can be found here.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: The Ghost Whisperer (CBS); Identity (NBC); WWE Friday Night SmackDown (CW; 8-10 pm); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); House (FOX)

9 pm: Close to Home (CBS); Raines (NBC); Six Degrees (ABC); The Wedding Bells (FOX)

10 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); Law & Order (NBC); 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Spoons on BBC America (11 pm ET).

It's another episode of British sketch comedy series Spoons, in which the cast transform themselves into a series of character based on "fabulous young urbanites" in their most painful situations.

9 pm: Six Degrees.

On tonight's episode ("Get a Room"), Laura meets a guy through the internet, Whitney tries to keep her new relationship casual, and she and Carlos try to find new apartments.

10 pm: Clatterford on BBC America (9 pm ET)

It's the fourth episode of Jennifer Saunders' new series Clatterford. On tonight's episode, Sal invents excuses to keep dropping by the office.

10:40 pm: Little Britain on BBC America (9:40 pm ET)

Another chance to catch the antics of David Walliams and Matt Lucas as they skewer stereotypes in this hilarious sketch comedy show. In tonight's episode, Ting Tong's mother arrives to stay with Dudley while Sid Pegg calls a meeting.

FOX Slows "Drive" to Six-Episode Initial Run

FOX continued to tweak its late spring/early summer schedule today, with a number of scheduling-related announcements that would seem to confuse even the most seasoned TV viewer.

But the most, er, intriguing development has to be that the network has opted to split the 13-episode run of upcoming drama Drive, starring a slew of familiar faces including Nathan Fillion and Amy Acker, into two sections.

Drive kicks off on April 15th but, due to the series' "tight production schedule," FOX will only air the first six episodes of Drive for now, wrapping its five week run on May 7th. Subsequent episodes will then air at a to-be-determined date later in the season. (Read: summer burnoff.)

Due to the fact that On the Lot, Steven Spielberg's reality series ode to student filmmakers, is set to inherit the series' Mondays at 8 pm timeslot on May 28th (following a repeat of House on May 14 and the second half of 24's 2-hr finale on May 21st), some sort of arrangement was bound to occur. But is splitting Drive's freshman season in half really the best option? (It certainly doesn't belie any confidence from FOX in the series.)

Meanwhile, FOX has also announced that The War at Home will end its second season on April 22nd. That night, the lineup will shift around considerably, with King of the Hill moving to 7:30 pm in order to accommodate double episodes of The Simpsons and, starting April 29th, a repeat airing of King of the Hill at 7 pm.

But hold your horses! On June 10th, the network will again rejigger its Sunday night lineup, this time moving The War at Home to 7 pm, followed by King of the Hill. 8 pm brings The Simpsons and Amercan Dad, while at 9 pm, we've got Family Guy and Season Two of The Loop. Riiiight.

"We All Know What Happens to the Guest Star:" Nikki and Paolo Exposed on "Lost"

Oh. My. God.

I've been begging for Nikki and Paolo to meet their maker but even I didn't see THAT coming.

Last night's episode of Lost ("Exposé") presented yet another contrary view of their first 84 or so days on the island, this time from the perspective of cannon fodder Nikki and Paolo, who have--as promised by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse--become iconic figures on the island, even in, er, repose.

I was thrilled to see yet another fantastic episode in a row (three and counting), especially once that hearkened back to the tone of Season One while also presenting us with something unique and challenging: the island's first murder mystery, presented in a style that reminded me of The Twilight Zone or (dare I say it?) Edgar Allen Poe.

We also got some swift answers on what the hell has been going on with Nikki and Paolo (finally!) which finally made sense of their role on the island. Here's the precis: Yes, they were on Oceanic Flight 815. No, they weren't working for the Others (though Paolo did snag one of their walkies). Yes, Paolo had been to The Pearl before, which is why he knew where the bathroom was. Yes, that's why Paolo didn't want them to join the A-Team on their expedition to The Pearl, where he had concealed a set of matryoshka... which happened to contain $8 million in diamonds stolen from an Australian producer's safe right after Nikki and Paolo poisoned him. (And if there was ever a perfect metaphor for Lost, it's the matryoshka.)

Bad girl Nikki wasn't a stripper (as the opening seconds of the episode would have you believe), but a guest starring actress on a cheesy third-rate syndicated show called Exposé (the same show that Locke happened to be watching in a flashback last week); she cozied up to the producer while Paolo, his Brazilian chef, poisoned him. Naughty, naughty.

This week also featured appearances from some of the island's dearly departed: Leslie Arzt, Ethan Rom, and poor Shannon and Boone. Of the latter, Nikki and Paolo run into them at the airport and Nikki says how much she hopes they don't end up like them. I'm still not sure whether she meant a constantly bickering feuding couple or dead. Either way, they ended up exactly like Boone and Shannon: at each other's throats and then buried up at Boone Hill. And in the episode's best Poe-worthy twist: they weren't even dead when Sawyer and Hurley buried them. Mwahahaha.

Was it just me or were the effects and the integration of Nikki and Paolo into the pilot's plane crash on the beach and subsequent moments just effing stunning? It blew my mind to see the two of them in one of the most memorable scenes in TV history and as they crossed paths with some of the series' most iconic locations: the Pearl Station, the yellow plane, the lake where the gun case was discovered.

In Nikki and Paolo, the show's producers created two people that we all hated and then revealed that it was perfectly all right to hate them after all: they were truly despicable human beings who were totally self-absorbed and loathsome. Paolo discovered an underground hatch, found the script bag containing the diamonds under the waterfall and didn't tell his partner-in-crime, instead concealing the diamonds first on himself and then in the toilet's septic tank in the Pearl. He overheard Ben and Juliet spying on Jack and the Losties as they detailed their plans to kidnap Jack and forcing him to perform surgery on Ben (through coercion and the taking of Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley to boot). At no time did Paolo (or Nikki) tell anyone about what they saw. No, Paolo grabbed a walkie left behind by Juliet and Ben and hid it, grabbed the matrioshka when they returned to the Pearl, and remained a liar to the bitter end.

When Nikki discovers Paolo's treachery, she poisons him with a Medusa spider, causing an 8-hour-long paralysis. But she didn't exactly listen to Artz: releasing the Medusa causes a flood of powerful pheromones which calls out to the male spiders. Leading Nikki to become bitten herself as she buries the diamonds (stored in Paolo's undies) and rushes to the beach, where she collapses in front of Hurley and Sawyer, uttering, "paralyzed." (They mistake it as "Paolo lies.") The others investigate the two "murders" and end up burying them with the diamonds... just as Nikki creepy, gruesomely opens her eyes. Brilliant.

Glad that they finally wrapped up that dangling plotline from Season Two that had Hoodie Charlie attempt to "kidnap" Sun at Sawyer's command; Charlie confesses to Sun as to what happened and our girl decks Sawyer at the first opportunity. You go, girl. She even tells our fave con man that she won't tell Jin or they will be digging another grave...

All in all, another awesome episode and one that finally gave us some answers while eliminating two of the most abhorred characters in Lost history. Ah, Nikki and Paolo: you died as you lived, suffocating one another in a series of lies and betrayals. Say hi to Ethan on the other side for us.

Next week on Lost ("Left Behind"): it's an estrogen fueled episode as Kate and Juliet are forced to fend for their lives when tossed into the jungle and left to die but naturally they end up fighting rather than working together when Juliet tells Kate why Jack told her not to come back for him; meanwhile, Hurley convinces Sawyer to apologize for his actions or be banished from the group.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Survivor: Fiji (CBS); The Office/The Office (NBC); Smallville (CW); Ugly Betty (ABC); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); The Office/Andy Barker, P.I. (NBC); Supernatural (CW); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); Family Guy/American Dad (FOX)

10 pm: Shark (CBS); The Office/The Office (NBC); October Road (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Ugly Betty.

On tonight's repeat episode ("Lose the Boss?"), Betty's family tries to help Daniel sober up and get over Sofia, while Betty is forced to throw together a photo shoot for a famous celeb couple and their baby for the Mode cover, leading Marc and Wilhelmina to get stranded in a less fashionable area of the city.

8-9 pm: The Office.

Had some Office withdrawal last week? No worries, tonight NBC brings you not one, but five episodes of everyone's favorite television comedy. Up first, it's Season One's "Diversity Day," in which Michael's Chris Rock routine forces Dunder-Mifflin to bring in a consultant to teach the staff about diversity. Next up, another Season One gem in the form of "Health Care," in which Dwight is put in charge of choosing an appropriate health care plan while Michael hides in his office.

9 pm: The Office.

More Office goodness! It's Season Two's "Sexual Harassment," in which Michael's appauling behavior with Todd Packer leads Toby to give a lecture on sexual harassment policies.

9:30 pm: Andy Barker, P.I.

On the series' third episode ("Three Days of the Chicken"), Andy and Simon strike when Wally serves tainted chicken at his restaurant.

10-11 pm: The Office.

Still more Office! Up first is "The Injury," in which Michael injures his foot on a George Foreman grill and disrupts the entire office, while Dwight has a personality change from a car accident. Easily still my favorite episode of the series. And closing out the Dunder-Mifflin inspired evening is Season Three's "Gay Witch Hunt," in which Michael outs grouchy and gay Dunder-Mifflin employee Oscar, while Jim and Pam try to move on after that kiss.

10:30 pm: This American Life on Showtime.

Based on the popular NPR radio series, this brilliant new Showtime drama seeks to capture first person accounts of single themes. On tonight's episode ("My Way"), host Ira Glass explores the notion of the cost of stubbornness with two thematically-linked personal stories.

Promicin Time: "The 4400" Returns This June

Is it just me or does it seem like forever since we checked in with the returnees over on The 4400? (Was it only just last summer? Seems like a lifetime ago.)

Fortunately, USA Network today announced a return date for the time travel series, set to enter its fourth season. Mark your calendars for June 17th at 9 pm, when Season Four of The 4400 kicks off on Sunday nights (making the separation from Battlestar Galactica a wee bit easier).

As previously announced, Billy Campbell will return to the series on a full-time basis as the enigmatic Jordan Collier, joining fellow stars Joel Gretsch, Jacqueline McKenzie, Patrick Flueger, Conchita Campbell, Megalyn Echikunwoke, and Chad Faust.

When last we saw the returnees, Jordan had stolen the stockpile of promicin and planned to distribute it to anyone who wanted to become a 4400. One such person was Tom Baldwin's son son Kyle (Faust) and Diana's sister (Natasha Gregson Wagner), both of whom seem poised to inject themselves with that unpredictable chemical.

I don't need Maia to tell me that I cannot wait for June 17th!

Counter Torpor Unit: Can "24" Be Saved?

Is it just me or is this season of 24 a monumental disappointment? I'm sorry but I find myself wishing Day 6 were over already. Sure, Jack just managed to get out of a Chinese prison but that's no reason we should find ourselves trapped as well.

Yes, we're in that vale of death known as pre-sweeps but still I was hoping for a lot more excitement than what we've been getting lately. So how can the show's producers get 24 back on track? Here are some pointers.

1. No more moles.

You heard me correctly. Enough with the moles. Did anyone really think that Nadia was the leak at CTU? Um, nope. Instead, we had to slog through two episodes that had poor Nadia being alternately interrogated and ignored until some faceless guy we've never seen before (but who worked with Mike Doyle in Denver) finds the magic bullet and proves Nadia innocent. Bravo guys. You cleared the least likely suspect in the leak and managed to learn something about racial profiling in the process. Well, bully on you. Maybe you could have given the woman the rest of the day off after having an agent strangle her in a detention room. Just a thought.

2. No more Mr. Nice Jack.

What was up with this week's episode in which Jack calmly spoke to the autistic Brady in a calm soothing voice, engaging him in a mission to nab "Mr. Gredenko"? (Yes, he actually referred to one of our major villains as "Mr.") I'm sorry but the scenes between Jack and Brady may have well also contained them jumping over a shark in the room and did anyone bother to consult Dustin Hoffman to make sure he was okay with the actor playing Brady stealing his entire Rain Man shtick? Hell, at least there was no mention of People's Court.

3. No more random new characters.

What happened to Philip? Or Marilyn? Or, hell, Walid? There are always a revolving cast of characters on 24, but it's felt all rather pointless this season when they keep losing the precious traction they've gained by jettisoning characters like it's going out of style and bringing in some new faces for an episode or two. I'm not digging Rick Schroder's Mike Doyle but he at least adds some much needed spark and conflict to the sagging show. But did we really need Devon Gummersall's security consultant around this week? (Not to mention his brother Brady to boot?) Or whatshisname who tries to sell Mike out? Nevermind that there's been no mention of former President Charles Logan's condition since the ex-First Lady stabbed him a few episodes ago. Work with what you've got and stop trying to cram so many characters down our collective throat. Sheesh.

4. Tell Chloe to lighten up.

Chloe kissing Morris not as an act of passion but to test the recovering alcoholic's breath? Good. Chloe glowering in the shadows as Milo and Nadia make out? Not good. I understand that Chloe is a fan favorite (or so the series' producers remind us at every turn), but the girl definitely needs to lighten up a bit. She makes teenage angst seem positively cheerful by comparison.

What do you all think? What can save 24 from sliding further over the brink? Or is it too late to save this once great series?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Jericho (CBS); Friday Night Lights (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); The Great American Dream Vote (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Crossing Jordan (ABC); Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll (CW); According to Jim/In Case of Emergency (ABC); American Idol/'Til Death (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Medium (NBC); Lost (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

On tonight's episode ("The Girl Who Takes Credit"), the girls are given some harsh lessons in what not to wear (sadly, no Trinny or Susannah in sight) and must create department store displays using themselves as the mannequins (no Kim Cattrall in sight, either) and pose in a fashion shoot as men.

10 pm: Lost.

I can't tell you how happy I am that Lost is back on the air again. On tonight's episode ("Exposé"), we finally see the conclusion to a long-dangling plot point as Sun learns the truth about the Others' attempted kidnapping (and decks Sawyer), fresh graves are dug, and an accomplice of the Others right in the castaways' midst is exposed. (Please be Nikki and Paolo!)

FOX Holds "Standoff" Until Summer

Apologies to the two or three remaining fans of FOX's beleaguered freshman drama Standoff. Looks like you won't be seeing the professional and romantic antics of your beloved hostage negotiators next Friday night after all.

In a random scheduling change, Standoff will not be returning to the airwaves next Friday as reported and written about in numerous publications. Instead, FOX will be pushing the return engagement of Standoff until well after May sweeps, landing the show a June 8th return date and will use its intended Friday night timeslot to air repeats of House. (Though at press time, FOX had still not changed the date listed on its Standoff mini-site.)

Before you start worrying about Ron Livinston and Rosemary DeWitt finding work with pilot season already in full swing, FOX has been very careful to avoid speculation that the series has been cancelled. Instead, a network spokesperson was careful to indicate that a decision has not been made on the future of Standoff until after the network picks up its fall pilots.

Eleven episodes of Standoff (out of a total 19 episodes shot) have aired to date. The series originally debuted in a Tuesday night at 9 pm timeslot in September before shifting to 8 pm in October and then going on a rather lengthy (and now protracted) hiatus in December.

The eventual fate of the series calls to mind the fact that of the three new drama series FOX introduced this year, Standoff is the only one still somewhat alive, following the cancellation of fellow froshers Justice and Vanished (and that's not even mentioning Happy Hour or The Rich List).

Iron and Ashes: "Rome" Ends its Run on a High Note

With all the hubbub the other night with the season finale of Battlestar Galactica and a particularly fractious episode of The Amazing Race, I didn't want you to think that I'd forgotten about the series finale (sniffle) of Rome.

If you haven't ever watched Rome, I'm sure the episode in question wouldn't have even caught your notice but for those of us who have obsessively followed the slow burn of Rome, with its intrigues, vendettas, and fractured brotherhoods, the series finale, which aired Sunday (to be repeated a zillion times this week and available on HBO On Demand), was the perfect ending to a near-perfect series, which rarely had a misstep in its two-season history.

While I'm sad that this beloved series was drawn to a close sooner rather than later, I do have to admire HBO and BBC for acknowledging that it's far better to go out on a high note than draw out the inevitable with lackluster writing, subpar stories, and off-the-mark characterization. Like nearly every series tends to do. (Or what Lost is desperately trying to avoid.) Instead, Rome ended much like it began: with backstabbing and bloodbaths and brothers-in-arms Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus.

I was sad to see period rock star Mark Anthony throw himself on his sword (especially given that he made Vorenus hold said Roman sword) after fighting so valiantly (and in recent weeks in a drug and prostitute-fueled stupor). It was Anthony who gave the series that dog-eat-dog-and-die-smiling passion that will be missed but it was an incredible sight to see Vorenus transform the now Egyptian Anthony back into a true Roman. Of course, his death was for naught as the manipulative Cleopatra faked her death in order to engineer a truce with the clinically brutal Octavian... only to take an asp to her own breast when she realized that, as Anthony had told her, Octavian was a monster after all.

Did anyone else feel more than a little bad for poor Atia? Given that she's been responsible for most of the misery, heartbreak, and death in Rome, that's a pretty amazing feat. But I did feel truly awful for Atia, who realized that victory always comes at a price. She might be the mother of the emperor and guaranteed more power than any other woman in Rome, but it does seem that Servilia's curse did come true after all: despite new new position, she has lost everything and everyone she once cared for. ("Send her bitterness and despair for all her life. Let her taste nothing but ashes and iron.") And yet, even faced with all of this, she still manages to keep her head high... and cut Octavian's wife Livia out of her rightful place.

Titus Pullo finally finds his family after, let's say some pretty major setbacks with Eirene and Gaia, coming face to face with his own son Caesarion. He's also reunited, albeit it briefly, with his brother-in-arms Lucius Vorenus, who get to battle side-by-side one last time. Pullo takes Caesarion (now being called Aeneas) back to Rome, along with Vorenus. He too gets the chance to put things right with his blood, finally receiving forgiveness from his wrathful daughter Vorena the Elder.

Does Vorenus die at the tavern? While we never see the death scene itself, I think it's pretty safe to say that if Vorenus didn't die soon after the benediction he receives from Vorena, that the end is coming pretty soon. And in the end, I don't think Vorenus could have asked for a more fitting death than to have died as a result of a "glorious" wound from a sword during a fierce battle that had him and Pullo vastly outnumbered.

As for Pullo, he's happy to collect the reward for Caesarion's death and invents a story to conceal the truth of Caesarion's existence (it involves a rotting head and the desert; you fill in the blanks), which apparently suits Octavian, who wanted the boy put to death for political reasons. It never occurs to Octavian that his old friend Pullo might be lying to his face, but the never-blinking Octavian was never very good with people.

In the end, Rome boils down to those crucial relationships between people: parents, children, brothers, and the eternal possibility of reconciliation or treachery. That we're left with Pullo and Caesarion walking the streets of Rome somewhat richer as he finally tells the boy the story of his father is a fitting end to this vibrant, stirring, and thoughtful series. While life look a lot different since the days of Octavian's rule in Rome, it's a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Gilmore Girls (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC); American Idol (FOX)

9 pm: The Unit (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search of the Next Doll (CW); Primetime (ABC); House (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); The Great American Dream Vote (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: American Idol.

Gwen Stefani Alert! The fashion icon, former No Doubt singer, and Mrs. Gavin Rossdale coaches the remaining ten finalists in some pop-themed performances. Where are the Harajuku Girls though?

8 pm: Gilmore Girls.

I've given up on this once-great drama, but for the few of you out there still watching, here's what's going on. On tonight's repeat episode ("To Whom It May Concern"), Lorelai forced Jackson to reveal the rationale behind Sookie's odd behavior, Luke and Anna attend a custody hearing, and Paris helps Rory mend things between her and Lucy. All in favor of ending this once great show, say aye.

Casting Couch: Behr is a "Company Man," See Locklear "Run"

Ah, the best laid plans.

During pilot season, you sometimes have to jettison your original plans and do something different, sometimes extremely different, at the drop of a hat.

Case in point: FOX's drama pilot Company Man (previously known as NSA Innocent), which had locked up its lead in Stephen Moyer (NY-LON) as a family man who is unwittingly drawn into the world of espionage when he is forced to spy for the National Security Agency on his own company, a defense contractor.

The pilot was slated to start production two weeks ago but after a table read proved, well, most likely disastrous, studio 20th Century Fox Television pushed the start date in order to rewrite the script and recast the lead.

So Moyer out and... Roswell's Jason Behr in?

Apparently, the lead role and that of his wife have both been rethought (Behr will play Moyer's character and General Hospital's Annie Wersching will play his wife), meaning that in this case both characters have been made significantly younger.

Curious. I haven't yet read the new version of Bob Cochran and David Ehrman's Company Man/NSA Innocent script, so I am extremely curious to see what else has been overhauled along the way.

In other pilot casting news, ABC's drama pilot See Jayne Run has found its lead in Heather Locklear, who will play the titular character, a driven "alpha female" investment banker who attempts to juggle both her career and motherhood.

Casting reunites Locklear with ABC and studio ABCTV, where last season she starred in comedy pilot Women of a Certain Age.

While we all fondly remember Locklear as the manipulative Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place (and as Caitlin on Spin City), her last starring role on was NBC's failed drama LAX.

All Along the Watchtower: "Battlestar Galactica" Reaches Yet Another Crossroads

Okay, so I had already seen the season finale of Battlestar Galactica ("Crossroads, Part Two") so it wasn't like there were any NEW surprises watching it again last night, but boy was I unable to get to sleep last night after watching that (not to mention the fact that it was coupled with an episode of The Amazing Race and the series finale of Rome on HBO).

BSG has never shied away from the controversial, whether it be a daring twist in storytelling or a cutting reveal that you may never have seen coming. And last night's season finale was no exception, giving us not what we necessarily wanted, but what we needed.

I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the BIG reveal (well two big reveals) at the very end of the episode (remember: I did warn you not to miss the last five minutes), set to the haunting strains of "All Along the Watchtower," a fitting musical accompaniment for what was unfolding aboard Galactica. Yes, I'm talking about the fact that it would be appear to be that four of the Final Five Cylon models were right in front of us the entire time, all perfectly positioned to keep on eye on various factions or people within the Colonial Fleet: Colonel Tigh, presidential aide de camp Tory Foster, Sam Anders, and Chief Tyrol.

I can tell you that I was blown away. (Sure, my girlfriend turned to me earlier in the episode and said how weird it would be if they ended up being Cylons but she's prescient that way.) I loved the way the music--first appearing like traditional, discordant Cylon "music"--became a symbol of the very switch that suddenly "activated" them. But unlike the other units (I'm thinking of Boomer here), these four seem acutely aware of their responsibilities and lives rather than becoming overwhelmed by their Cylon programming. It's obvious that they are something else entirely than the other models and they've managed to avoid detection thus far within the fleet, even fighting against the Cylons on New Caprica. So what are they? And given that Adama has known Tigh for decades even, how has no one picked up on the fact that they're not human. How long has the Cylon program been going on?

My out of left field theory: the humans and Cylons are forced to unite against a far greater common threat. Taking a page out of the good book of The 4400, the final five Cylon models are seeded back into the timestream earlier than the other models (Six, Boomer, D'Anna, etc.) and are placed in key positions within the administration and military, perfectly positioned to exert some authority.

Or it could be something different altogether. But what weirds me out is that the song used to switch them over is a familiar Earth song, one slightly dated even today. How in the world is a 1960s war protest song from our planet even out there in the ether? Is it connected to the appearance of Starbuck? The proximity to Earth? Or something else, given that each of the four admitted that it reminded them of something from their childhoods. Curious.

Starbuck is, of course, alive. But we all knew that in our heart of hearts that she didn't die in "Maelstrom" after all, despite what Apollo thinks he may have seen. But she claims that she's been to Earth and it's her mission (prophesied by Leoben) that she will lead them there. But is she even human? Or is she the final fifth member of the hidden Cylons? Was she what awakened these sleepers from their slumber? And what exactly caused the massive power outage throughout the entire fleet?

Speaking of electricity, I'm still shaking from the shared visions of Laura Roslin (whose terminal breast cancer has sadly returned), Athena, and Caprica Six, which picked up that thread of the opera house vision storyline. Each of the women seek to protect young Hera (the only Cylon/Human hybrid), but Six scoops her up and she and Gaius Baltar (who miraculously managed to be found innocent during his trial) enter the auditorium where, in the balcony, the final five Cylons stand, emitting a high frequency hum and well as a palpable feeling of presence. Again, curious. But let's not forget that Roslin has Cylon blood inside of her (a result of a transfusion from Hera a few seasons back to cure her cancer); are they experiencing a shared memory or hallucination? Or is it truly a sign of things yet to come?

Me, I can't believe we have to wait until January 2008 for Season Four of Battlestar Galactica, especially when they've given us such tantalizing clues to feast on. But hopefully that reported 2-hour movie (which may or may not be based right after the events of "Crossroads") will fill in a few gaps. Otherwise, it's going to be a long wait for winter.

"We Bought Fruit": Cha Cha Cha Thisclose to Beating Charla and Mirna on "Amazing Race"

It's official: Charla and Mirna have completely worn out their welcome in reality TV.

Last night's episode of The Amazing Race reinforced those feelings for me as, through a fluke of luck most likely unforeseen by the producers and travel specialists of TAR, Charla and Mirna not only managed to keep their first place lead over the other teams but seemed for a little while to be nearly a full day ahead of their competition.

As it were, thanks to some weather problems, Charla and Mirna (sorry, but I refuse to call them "Too Hot to Handle") were unable to board their traditional African dhow to Zanzibar until the following morning (wahoo!), leaving time for Danny and Oswald to catch up to them.

I'm still not entirely sure what the hell happened last night regarding the ongoing travel snafus as teams attempted to leave Maputo. Sure, there have been times in the past when securing airline tickets has been problematic at best, but last night took that to a whole new level of ridiculousness. Had there not been (rather suspicious) weather problems in Dar Es Salaam, potentially Charla and Mirna could have reached the pit stop a full day and a half ahead of the last place team. That's not too good planning nor is it good television. I'd love to know what actually happened to cause the teams to get so far behind (and nearly get stranded in Johannesburg). Any theories?

Danny and Oswald meanwhile decided to have fun with Charla and Mirna, who suddenly developed a severe lack of sense of humor, missing the point of every single one of Team Cha Cha Cha's jokes, especially when Owsald joked that they were going to trade the cousins for food (not to mention the hilarious faux turf war he tried to start with Mirna). Then again, Mirna had no idea what a catamaran was, so maybe a sense of humor isn't all that she's missing upstairs.

The gruesome twosome continued their swath through Africa, armed with more bad foreign accents to use on people. This week, Charla got in on the action, attempting an Italian accent while pleading with an airline representative. Mirna continued the same strategy of attempting to confuse locals with with strange and confusing (and often offensive) accents, offering a grotesquely mangled and drawn-out "nobody?" when told who no one could book them airline tickets at this time.

Which brings me to the fact that Team Cha Cha Cha would now be in first place if they hadn't stopped to buy some fruit along the way. Yes, they were dehydrated after the long boat trip to Zanzibar, and, yes, they were in the lead and hadn't even seen the other teams, but come on now, guys. It's a race and there will be plenty of time to stop at the local market AFTER you reach the Pit Stop. But Danny and Oswald do decide to stop off along the way to the Road Block (though they do catch up with Charla and Mirna), leading the cousins to nab the first spot at the Pit Stop.

(Aside: just how great was it to see Eric and a hysterical Danielle get yanked right off of that plane and then be forced to race with Teri and Ian and the Guidos? Har har. Personally, I loved seeing the looks on their faces when they realized they really weren't getting on that flight. Priceless.)

Uchenna and Joyce manage to survive Phil-imination this week and, even with the 30 minute time penalty, arrive third, followed by the Beauty Queens (which means my fave three teams are all in the top four slots right now). But for Teri and Ian, a day behind the other teams, their final showdown with the Guidos put them in last place and, for Teri, it's finally a chance to get back to Miami as she mentioned a zillion times last night. (Or as close as the Elimination Station, anyway).

Next week on The Amazing Race: Danielle and Eric have a nasty spat, leading Danielle to finally tell Eric he needs to grow up (about time), while Joe attempts to outrun a plane (seriously) and Charla gets suited up in armor for a challenge, only to land flat on her face. (Ouch.) Remind me again: why isn't Mirna doing this challenge?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC; 8-10 pm); Everybody Hates Chris/All of Us (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC; 8-10 pm); House (FOX)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/Rules of Engagement (CBS); Girlfriends/The Game (CW); 24 (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); The Black Donnellys (NBC); What About Brian (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Everybody Hates Chris.

On tonight's episode ("Everybody Hates Baseball"), Chris is forced to choose between going to a baseball game with his dad or taking Tasha to the movies.

8:30 pm: Old Christine.

On tonight's repeat episode ("The Champ"), it's the return of Sad Dad (Andy Richter), whom Christine slept with in Season One... but now she is forced to admit that she is attracted to him.

9 pm: 24.

It's Day Six of 24. While FOX doesn't give us much in the way of previews, here's what we do know: the nuclear threat unveiled by Noah Daniels brings about some unexpected consequences, Karen Hayes refuses to step down, and Jack and Mike Doyle are forced to work together during a field operation.

10 pm: The Riches on FX.

Is anyone else watching new drama The Riches on FX? On tonight's episode ("Operation Education"), Wayne is forced start working for Hugh Panetta, who tells him that we must fire his predecessor on his first day, while Dahlia and the kids embark on a complicated scam to get them enrolled at a private school.

Watching the Watchtower: Yes, I've Seen the "Battlestar Galactica" Season Finale

Since I've already gotten dozens of emails today asking if I've seen the third season finale of Battlestar Galactica, I'll answer an emphatic yes here for all to see.

That said, no, I can't tell you what happens and, no, I am contractually obligated not to reveal any spoilers, but all I will say is this: do not, under any circumstances (save maybe an invasion into your home by the Cylon fleet), miss the final five minutes of Sunday night's BSG episode ("Crossroads, Part Two").

The episode's final moments will blow your mind and forever alter the series, even more so than last season's wrap-up in which the show jumped a year into the future and showed our favorite Colonial Fleeters living on New Caprica. Uh-uh. That doesn't compare with the complete and utter mindmelt that's in store for Battlestar Galactica fans on Sunday.

You've been warned. Miss it at your own peril.

BBC Announces Fourth Season of "Doctor Who," Trailers Online for Season Three

While those of us in the States still don't know when we'll get to see the third season of Doctor Who (paging Sci Fi!), the good news is that whenever the cabler gets their act together, we're eventually guaranteed a fourth season of the time traveling series, which currently stars David Tennant as the Doctor (more on that in a bit).

BBC has announced that Doctor Who will return for a fourth season of alien mischief sometime in 2008. Writer/executive producer Russell T. Davies acknowledged the additional season order by saying, "Series four is officially existing. I'm very excited, but we have known for ages."

What is under debate, however, is who will be playing the Doctor. Tennant has already filmed Season Three as the Doctor, his second time around in the role (he replaced Christopher Eccleston, who left after the first season and who has turned up as Claude the invisible man on Heroes). Tennant himself has not answered reporters' questions about whether he would return for Doctor Who's fourth season while other, sometimes implausible, names have been bandied about in the media.

(Personally, I'm hoping that Tennant, my favorite Doctor to date, does turn up again in the TARDIS for at least another season.)

What is certain, however, is that Billie Piper who played the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler, is definitely gone. She was written out of the series and replaced in Season Three by Freema Agyeman, who plays medical student Martha Jones.

Season Three is set to launch on BBC One on March 31st, but our neighbors across the pond have just put up two new Season Three teaser trailers to sate your appetite while we await news of just when we'll get to see what looks like a pretty fantastic season.

Or, if you're looking for a little more info (and a bit more oomph), here's the season-long preview that ran with the Doctor Who Christmas Special, "The Runaway Bride," (starring the fabulous Catherine Tate), see below:



Fingers crossed that we get an official launch date from Sci Fi sooner rather than later.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: College Basketball (CBS); Identity (NBC); WWE Friday Night SmackDown (CW; 8-10 pm); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); House (FOX)

9 pm: Miss USA 2007 (NBC; 9-11 pm); Six Degrees (ABC); The Wedding Bells (FOX)

10 pm: 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Spoons on BBC America (11 pm ET).

It's another episode of British sketch comedy series Spoons, in which the cast transform themselves into a series of character based on "fabulous young urbanites" in their most painful situations.

9 pm: Six Degrees.

I can't even remember what happened the last time I saw this series, but it returns to the schedule tonight. On tonight's episode ("Slings and Arrows"), Laura goes on her first date since her husband's death and finds the photo Caseman took of her sobbing, while Carlos learns Damian's secret.

10 pm: Clatterford on BBC America (9 pm ET)

It's the third episode of Jennifer Saunders' new series Clatterford. On tonight's episode, while the vicar seems to be taking the "Beating of the Bounds'' very seriously, it's an excuse to drink for everyone else in the village.

10:40 pm: Little Britain on BBC America (9:40 pm ET)

Another chance to catch the antics of David Walliams and Matt Lucas as they skewer stereotypes in this hilarious sketch comedy show. In tonight's episode, Roman gets more than he bargained for at the health spa. Ah, Bubbles de Vere, will you never learn?

Locke Box: John Comes Face to Face with the Man from Tallahassee on "Lost"

I don't know about you but my jaw is still on the floor after last night's episode of Lost ("The Man from Tallahassee"), which finally answered some questions that have been plaguing me from the start of the series and raised more than a few new ones.

I'd be remiss if we didn't talk about the reveal of just how John Locke got into that wheelchair years ago. While the obvious answer seemed like a car accident or similar, I am glad that Damon and Carlton twisted our anticipation of this and instead brought us an answer that was wholly unexpected. (Okay, I expected it as soon as I saw Locke walk into the room with large, floor-to-ceiling windows.) I am sure that no one out there imagined that Locke's putative father Anthony Cooper pushed him out of an 8th floor window when threatened by exposure. I never had Cooper, a notorious con man, pegged for a murderer, but he casually threw his son out the window and may have had a hand in the death of Peter Talbot, the son of his latest mark.

Back on the island, the castaways try to rescue Jack, only to learn that Jack made a deal with Ben and he and Juliet are scheduled to leave the island the following day in the submarine, which Locke casually blows up. (Damn you, John Locke!) Apparently, he's still terrified by the hold his father has on him; on the island he's whole again: able to walk, able to escape from his past and his paralysis. Scared that Jack and Juliet will leave and bring rescue and he'll have to return to the cruel reality of the world. (Though I still think, with the navigational beacons out, there's no way anyone could return.)

I love the fact that Ben and Locke have now become inverted mirrors of one another: one confined to a wheelchair, the other walking. In reality, neither of them should be in the state they're in. Ben isn't healing as quickly as he should be and, well, we all know there's no possible scientific explanation as to how Locke is walking after the dive he took. Plus, Ben is as Machiavellian as they come and I was impressed with the way he manipulated Locke into doing just what he wanted (the explosion of the sub), just like he previously got Locke to stop pushing the button and cut off the island from the outside world. He's a demon of the highest order and his agenda is so dark and selfish it's impossible not to be impressed by his methods.

LOVED that Sayid told Alex that her mother was still alive (how painful was it to see Rousseau watch Alex through the trees?) and that, for once on Lost, a character actually asked a question as Alex revealed that the Others told her that Rousseau was dead. (Naturally.)

I'm curious to see where the new battle lines are drawn in the sand as shifting loyalties and the new fact of their life on the island (there's no escape now for any of them) turns friends against one another (Jack must be pissed!) and makes strange bedfellows.

Lastly, I want to talk about that mind-blowing ending in which we learn what stepped out of that metaphorical magic box Ben told Locke about. I'd still like to think that the box is a metaphor rather than a physical construct, but somehow, someway, something led to this moment in this place as Locke comes face to face with the mysterious "man from Tallahassee" who Ben claims to have stepped out of the box: none other than Anthony Cooper, Locke's father. Is it really Cooper? Is it a construct of the island's monster (a la Yemi)? Or is it another test to see if Locke has the cunning and faith to be part of Ben's masterplan? Find out next week.

Next week on Lost ("Exposé"), we finally see the conclusion to a long-dangling plot point as Sun learns the truth about the Others' attempted kidnapping (and decks Sawyer), fresh graves are dug, and an accomplice of the Others right in the castaways' midst is exposed. (Please be Nikki and Paolo!)

What's On Tonight

8 pm: College Basketball (CBS); My Name is Earl (NBC); Smallville (CW); Ugly Betty (ABC); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: Scrubs/Andy Barker, P.I. (NBC); Supernatural (CW); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); Family Guy/Family Guy (FOX)

10 pm: Raines (NBC); October Road (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Ugly Betty.

Another new episode! On tonight's episode ("Don't Ask, Don't Tell"), devised by America Fererra and Michael Urie, Marc convinces Betty to pretend to be his girlfriend when his mother (guest star Patti LuPone) arrives in New York, while Daniel and Alexis clash at work.

8-9 pm: My Name is Earl.

What, no Office tonight? Instead's it's back-to-back repeat episodes of Earl tonight ("South of the Border, Part Uno & Dos"), in which Earl and Randy track down Catalina after getting her deported and Randy manages to get himself adopted by a lonely married couple.

9 pm: Scrubs.

Finally! Scrubs is back on NBC's schedule, where it belongs. On tonight's episode ("My No Good Reason"), J.D. and Turk are forced to pretend that Turk and Carla's new nanny isn't hot, while one of the Sacred Heart staffers goes into a coma.

9:30 pm: Andy Barker, P.I.

On the series' second episode ("Fairway, My Lovely"), Andy is hired by a woman to find her husband's killer after he dies while playing golf; meanwhile, Simon falls for Andy's assistant.

10:30 pm: This American Life on Showtime.

Based on the popular NPR radio series, this new Showtime drama seeks to capture first person accounts of single themes. On tonight's premiere ("Reality Check"), host Ira Glass explores the notion of people pursuing their dreams but failing.

Sci Fi Announces Autumn "Battlestar Galactica" Movie; ABC Locks Up its Lineup

Want more Battlestar Galactica? Your wish is my command.

Following its upfront presentation yesterday in New York, Sci Fi announced that it would significantly augment the episodic count for the previous announced fourth season of the show, increasing the installments from 13 to 22 episodes. Season Four of Battlestar Galactica is currently slated to launch on the cabler in January.

If that wasn't enough good news, Sci Fi also announced (I'm sure in an attempt to sate fans' appetites for BSG until 2008) that it would be airing a two-hour Battlestar Galactica movie sometime this fall, bridging the gap between the series' third season (wrapping up on Sunday with an incredible twist) and the fourth season.

However, Mark Stern, EVP of original programming at Sci Fi, said that, while the two-hour BSG flick (which will be released on DVD, separate from the box sets) features the entire Battlestar cast (read: Starbuck) it will won't necessarily relate to the current storyline. Meaning that it could be a flashback story, fleshing out some of the character's backstories or could be a specific storyline set in the past. Curiouser and curiouser.

In other scheduling news, ABC locked up most of its real estate yesterday, when it gave early full-season pickups to a whopping 11 (yes, you read that correctly, 11!) series for the 2007-08 season.

Early pickups include full second seasons for freshers Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty, and Men in Trees. Those series will return next season to the schedule, along with returning series Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and Boston Legal.

On the reality side, returning in 2007-08 are The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and late night talkshow Jimmy Kimmel Live. ABC had previously granted additional season to unscripted series Supernanny, Wife Swap, and America's Funniest Home Videos (which apparently will never, ever die).

With 14 of its possible 21 primetime hours already locked up, I'm extremely intrigued to see which pilots ABC ends up ordering to series and how it structures its lineup, following the debacle it created in the poor scheduling this season with Lost.

Has ABC learned its lesson? Will it be January before we see Season Four of Lost? Stay tuned as the May upfront presentations loom ever closer...

Casting Couch: Starbuck To Tackle "Bionic Woman" for NBC

Looks like there could be life for Starbuck after all. Or actress Katee Sackhoff, at least.

Sackhoff, best known for her role as the (possibly?) dead Viper pilot Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on Sci Fi's Battlestar Galactica, has signed on to another remake of an old 1970s TV series, The Bionic Woman.

The Bionic Woman's pilot, co-written and executive produced by BSG's David Eick, stars Michelle Ryan (EastEnders) as Jaime Sommers, a young woman whose body is reconstructed following a horrific accident. Like her predecessor, Sommers is equipped by bionic body parts by a shadowy government organization and gains superhuman strength and senses.

While many pegged Sackhoff a natural for the potential series' lead (sorry, Starbuck fans, that's Ryan), she will instead be guest starring in The Bionic Woman as the top secret program's prototype bionic chick, one with more than a few mental health issues to deal with. According to reports, it's possible that she could recur if the pilot is ordered to series. (Of course, having read the pilot script, I can only shrug in response.)

Battlestar Galactica, meanwhile, wraps up its third season this Sunday with a humdinger of an episode entitled "Crossroads Part Two," which answers several questions that have been lurking at the back of many a BSG fan's mind.

Try Some True Reality TV: Showtime Gets it Right with "This American Life"

It's funny how far we've gotten away from actual reality in our TV shows.

In a day and age where we're inundated by so-called "reality television," in the form of shows where people fight for a million dollars on a deserted island or battle to become a top model (or top chef or designer...), watching Showtime's new series This American Life is a wake up call of sorts. After all, this is true reality television, in the very best sense of the word.

Based on the much beloved National Public Radio series hosted by the soft spoken and erudite Ira Glass, This American Life is a collection of everyday people's stories, group together each week into a singular theme. It's a true vox populi, a confessional of sorts and it brings together a disparate group of people you would never have the opportunity to meet.

On This American Life, Ira Glass and his team spend six months traveling the country in search of touching, heartbreaking, and/or humorous stories from the most unlikely of sources: an Iowa pig farm, a Vermont indie rock band, a senior citizen's home in Burbank. The one thing they have in common: they're all true and they all capture a different shade of American life.

In the first episode, "Reality Check" (airing tomorrow night on Showtime), Glass and his team speak to two very different sets of people. In the first segment, he speaks with a rancher who resurrects a beloved pet bull (through the magic of cloning), but discovers that it's not quite the same animal he once loved; in the second, Glass speaks with Ghosts of Pasha, a Vermont indie rock band who were set up for the "greatest night of their lives" by a prankster group called Improv Everywhere. The latter is a story I first heard on This American Life last year and which has haunted me ever since.

I was initially concerned, along with many others, on how well the popular radio series would travel to television. I'm happy to report that it translates extremely well without losing any of Glass' off-kilter humor, sensitivity, or inquisitiveness. In fact, shifting the program to television adds another layer to an already deep format. In dealing with such intimate stories, radio gave This American Life listeners the ability to feel instantly connected to the people it was profiling and functioned as a priest's confessional would: raw, honest, and (visually) anonymous.

Here, however, Showtime's series gives the viewer the ability to even further connect with the subjects Glass interviews, presenting them in their full, three-dimensional glory. The effect heightens the intimacy, giving the viewer the feeling that they are there alongside Glass, rather than distancing them.

And in an age of bug-eating survivors, contestants willing to test their fear factor, suitcase choosing would-be millionaires and the like, isn't it time that you added some actual reality to your reality TV?

"This American Life" premieres tomorrow on Showtime. Subsequent episodes air Thursday nights at 10:30 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Survivor: Fiji (CBS); Friday Night Lights (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); George Lopez/According to Jim (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Crossing Jordan (ABC); Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll (CW); According to Jim/In Case of Emergency (ABC); American Idol/'Til Death (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Medium (NBC); Lost (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

On tonight's episode, the girls learn the art of posing (please let it not be from Miss Jay), are put through their steps in a simulated vault heist, and pose for a crime-scene photo shoot. Ooh la la.

10 pm: Lost.

I can't tell you how happy I am that Lost is back on the air again. On tonight's episode ("The Man From Tallahassee"), it's finally here: the true as to how John Locke ended up in the wheelchair (it better be a doozy). Meanwhile, Ben offers to tell Locke the truth behind the island's mysteries if he stops his plan and Kate discovers that Jack has made a deal with the Others.

FOX Orders Third Season of "Prison Break," Promises Actual Prison This Time

Michael and Lincoln might still be on the run, but FOX has opted to keep the escaped prisoners around for a while longer, ordering a third season of drama Prison Break.

While the network is being coy with potential storylines for Season Three, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that it's likely that Michael (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) would return to life behind bars (i.e. prison) next season, along with several of their fellow fugitives.

The series will feature the return of several familiar faces from the first two seasons, along with a bunch of new characters, many of whom will not be American. Those comments lead many to indicate that the brothers will be imprisoned in Panama.

Prison Break's creator/executive producer Paul Scheuring said that Season Three "essentially will be a new chapter. It's going to return to the fundamental conceit, to the roots of what the show was about."

He also hinted that, while both Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell are set to return next season, neither one of them is 100% safe, implying that one of their characters might not stick around (in this mortal coil, I assume) after the first few episodes.