CSI "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp"

Now that I've seen the whole episode more than once, I feel like I can form a real opinion on it.
The first time around I didn't see the Erin Brochavich comparisons, but after everyone saying it, it was all I could see the second time through. It's really strange and difficult to watch what Brian Towne underwent. People thought him strange, a transexual, a weirdo, all because a hormone imbalance he couldn't control due to lack of knowledge of the contents of his tap made his body form differently. Truly, we don't think about what damage our words and reactions can cause, sometimes.

I mean, I know it's completely fictional, and they implied that the 18-year-old was undergoing other stresses in his daily life, but he knew he was different, but seemed to keep going. He knew that he was working with Paul Cyden to make a difference, and perhaps, get some help. Maybe, if the whistle were blown, he could get hormone-replacement therapy to try to correct what he saw as a horrible malformation of his tissue.

When exposed, he lashed out against his own flesh, and then hanged himself. It's hearbreaking, because, it could have turned out so differently. Yes, it's a television show, and I suspected from the beginning that all was not as it seemed, but words and reactions really cut deep. "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

My mother taught me that when I was a little girl and I was teased for my nose or my late-blooming status. I would repeat them, but some of the most horrible memories I still have are of cruel words. Words spoken without thought sometimes have more affect than any physical, tangible weapon.

The mother, desperate and confused, lashed out at the man she thought took her son. Though there was premeditation, it feels like a complete gut-reaction, and while I wanted to hug her, I also wanted to hold her back.

I agree with many others who say the scene with her identifying the body was one of the most honest CSI has ever done. Somehow, the imagery of a mother losing her hair to chemo treatment gently stroking her dead son's hair struck a cord within me. There was a sweetness to it, as though, for a moment, she forgot her son was gone. It's that fussy nature some mothers have, that can overtake the grief for a moment. The actress played it beautifully. I felt as though I could see elements of my own mother there.

The direction was really fun this week, constantly highlighting water from the opening shot of the giant fountain, to the water where Brian died, to the water his mother drank as she spoke to Brass and Warrick. There was also a lot of attention paid to wedding rings. We saw closeups on Larry and his boss' rings as they sat in the interrogation room. I'm still debating the symbolism there, and whether or not it was a tease tied into the Gil/Sara romance.

See, I liked Larry playing with his, as though toying with the committment, tempted to pull it off and put it on at will. But, the boss' remained in place. I don't know. I'm still searching for the meaning on that one.

Bringing back Old Vegas and Old Vegas Greg was an absolute blast. I thought Kiss Kiss, Bye Bye was a brilliant episode back in the day, allowing us to enter another time and place without losing sight of the show. Again, we were there, in old Vegas. I liked the attention to detail with the tower of the Rampart remaining incomplete at the time of the party, allowing the logic of the reporter's demise to follow without me blinking an eye.

I have to say, I wasn't a big fan of the Catherine/Mom scene at the beginning. I've enjoyed both actresses in their interactions before, but I think the script was weak on this one. It just felt a little like exposition without real dialogue, at parts.

But, boy, was I proud of Catherine handing off the case. When we started the season and we were all debating the ramafications of GSR and whether the team would split, I stepped forward to announce that unlike my season 5 feelings towards the character, I felt Cath had come a long way, and would make a fine supervisor, now. I stand by that assertion after this episode. She really proved that she's grown and developed and she's doing what's right for the case, and setting aside that personal drive for answers. It can be killer, and sometimes it's hard to let go, but she successfully assessed the situation and passed the case off to her friend, who she trusts to do this right.

And I loved Sara wanting it to be an Indian Gravesite. Somehow, it reminded me of the gorilla way back when. The character just has this deepset respect for the dead. It was hilighted last week when she pushed forward, proving that she cared just as much about the death of a "bum" as a millionare. She really wanted for this to be something more than a murder, something more than the same-old, same-old.

And Greg saw an opportunity to feed his obsession, and be helpful. He entered his friend's crime scene, offering verbal help, validating and crossing out theories as they sprung up with excitement bubbling within him at the prospect of standing atop a piece of Vegas history. His exuberance pushed the story forward in many ways, because you knew he was invested it in, you cared more. At least, I did.

He wasn't just trying to figure it out because it was his job, but because he was passionate about it. He wanted to know what was so important, this man wouldn't let go of it. He wanted to know where it all began and why it happened. He's invested obvious time in unearthing this buried Vegas legacy, and you can tell when he takes Cath's mom on his arm that he's found a great new friend and ally in his quest to grow in his understanding of a time he can never touch, but that fascinates him to no end.

As for Ronnie, I didn't find her nearly as annoying as last week, but I think I'm not a fan of the actress' style. Please allow me to explain: I often don't "click" with certain actors' styles of performing. There's just a barrier there between me and the character, and all I see is the actress. There's something about the actress' style that doesn't personally connect with me. She's not a BAD actress at all! I've seen some terrible actresses guest on TV lately, and she's not one of them. I just don't personally click with her style of performance.

Hodges was predictably obsessed with his own ends with Sara's project to isolate isotopes (too cool, by the way), but he was still so eager to please Gil with those carp. And, of course, Gil was eager to dig into those carp and figure out the experiment. This isn't meant in a sexual way, but Catherine does know what Gil likes. She knew it would peak his interest, and that he'd be more than happy to take those fish off her hands.

Nick and Warrick had good roles, but my favourite moment between them is the exchange of "Tuscon. Ah, yes, the capitol of Texas." For some reason, that little moment just had me rolling. I love the ease with which these two act together. Sure, I know they're friends in real life, but there's an honest chemistry. They compliment each other beautifully, and that scene, even as they displayed what they believed happened to poor Brian, was all the more compelling for their ability to work off of one another believably.

I have to say, I loved the episode all around. I really did. Of course, I had a blast with the Gil/Sara proposal, though the end made me cringe.

Please, allow me to explain: I think there are a million and one layers to this scene. Two pointed out by others that I will address because I like them are the fact that Sara's in white, and the comparison to "Butterflied" with Gil touching Sara's bare hands rather than there being a barrier between them of latex. But, I'll start from the top. I just wanted to make sure I gave credit for those two observations to the rightful people! I don't remember their names at the moment, but I want to make sure you know they werne't me! I'm just expanding on them, if you will. :)

I love that Sara came in to see Gil, coming inside his world. I know that sounds goofy, but there's always been a lot of symbolism between these two and doorways. At the end of "Play with Fire," Sara stood in the doorway of his office, trying to reach out to him, to get through to him, and he turned down her dinner invitation, stating he didn't know what to do about "this." In season 5, in "Nesting Dolls," he finally crossed her doorway into her world for the first time. We've seen them in each other's homes now, with Sara walking through the doorway at the end of "Way to Go," but this moment is special.

He's a bug guy. He's never excluded Sara from his obsession. He even gave her a book on the subject for Christmas one year, as we learned in "XX." He even sent her a bug, for goodness sake! But, here, she's entering his world, and there's no resistance. She steps in, dressed from head to toe, and he calls out to her. They play, they joke. Before getting down to talking, they exchange a hello that's specialized and personalized, and all their own for that moment.

She's honestly interested in what he's doing, and she wants to learn, and she wants to be a part of his life in this way, and he welcomes her in, inviting her to take off the glove. She comments that she trusts him. I noticed this immediately, and it can be seen as a throwback to the shaving scene, when Sara asked Gil if he trusted her. He answered, "Intimately." I think she trusts him the same way. At first, she seems leery of taking off the glove, but she exposes her good hand to the bees, and he can't help but be proud and filled with joy as he watches her watching the bee on her hand.

It's like watching someone discover something new, and you were hoping they'd like it, and they did. For me and my husband, it was "The Court Jester." There was a particular moment in the movie that I about died at. I just couldn't stop laughing when it happened, and my husband's face swelled with pride as he smiled at me, laughing with me. At the time, I thought nothing of it, but he later told me that he knew if I liked that moment, I was the girl for him. It was two years into our relationship, and it was wonderful.

I feel like this was Gil's "Court Jester" moment. He just looked at her experiencing something he'd hoped she would like, and he saw her enjoying it. There was just a click in his head as he looked, first at her hand, then at her radiant face regarding the creature crawling across her skin. He purses his lips and considers the thought that entered his brain.

In the past, he would have put the stops on that thought, would have held it inside, would have kept it from entering the audible world for fear of the reaction, and I do think that he's afraid. But, he's grown. He's changed. For better or worse, he's adapted. He almost lost her at the begininng of the season. He almost lost every chance to talk to her and tell her how he felt, so I think he's not holding back nearly as much as he once would have. He puts it out there, and she just looks at him, her face filled with shock and amazement.

Her pulse quickens as adrenaline rushes through her, and the bee freaks. Gil apologizes, recognizing that her body change was due to his proposal. He busies himself taking care of her...
Taking care of her. That struck me so hard the first time I watched this scene. He's standing there taking care of her.

Yes, he's holding her hand, an obvious juxtaposition to the latex gloves comment of "Butterflied." But, more than that, to me, he's taking care of her. He's cradling her hand. See, on her own, she'd try to pick it out, like she's tried, in the past, to pick out what she didn't like. She'd try it on her own, to pull whatever horrible thing in her past was crawling in her skin away. But, she'd inadvertently release the venom into her bloodstream, causing her even more pain. In this moment, Gil's holding her hand. She's not alone. Not only that, he's the one taking care of the pain, taking care of the thing she wants to cast out.

It's her job only to be still and to trust, and he doesn't betray that trust. He coaxes the offending thorn/stinger out of her skin. He gets caught up in the moment, worried about her, but his thoughts return to the proposal.

Sara's mind never left it. She giggles when she's stung, as if proclaiming, "Silly me! You propose and I freak out and get stung!" Then, it's that moment, which I remember clearly from my husband's proposal of, "He's serious." She watches him, blinking rapidly, her brain going through a thousand moments and days, the good and the bad, and she's staring at this man, here, and he's holding her hand, and he's caring for her, and he's showing love the best way he knows how.

Any other woman might laugh at the proposal, pass it off as idle words, but Sara's been through it all with Gil. She knows how guarded he can be, and how he tries not to say things without thinking them through, without understanding the implications of what's coming out of his mouth. We've rarely seen him lose his cool, but when he does, he really loses it.

In this moment, he's saying what he feels, and after the sting, he's afraid of what she'll say. He's petrified that he's put himself on the line and she's going to reject him. Though he's come a long way since "Butterflied," the lingering fear remains that it's all temporary. In the traditional world, marriage symbolizes a sort of permanence, so long as human life allows. He's telling her, essentially, that he wants her for as long as they're both alive. He's proclaiming to her that she's the one for him, and he's hoping desperately that she feels the same way.

When he starts to bumble about his words, he can't look at her. He doesn't want to look at her face to face if she rejects him, and she feels it. She seeks out his face, eager for him to meet her eyes when she says, "Yes." She knows the hold fear has on him, and wants to allay that fear with loving eye contact. Even when he finally meets her eyes, it's as though he's in a trance.
And then, Sara utters the words that really hit it on the nail for me. "Let's do it."

These words struck me so hard the first time around, and it wasn't until someone brought up "Butterflied" that I realized why.

"I couldn't do it."Gil said that. He recognized that Sara was someone he could care about. She offered him a new life, and he couldn't do it. Essentially, he's offering her a new life with this proposal. It's a new status and a new label and a new committment. Yes, they're in a committed relationship already, but he wants her to know he's in it for life.

He couldn't do it. But, he's doing it. No. They're doing it.

No longer is Gil Grissom floundering alone, wondering what might have been. He's standing there, cradling the hand of his beloved, and he's stepping out on that ledge that for so long seemed too treacherous to travel. He's facing this beautiful woman, and she's looking back at him, affirming his hopes and dreams. She's in it for life, too.

Let Us Do It. I can break this down for ages, but it just stands alone.

Us. There's two of them. He's not standing behind the glass bemoaning his fears and inadequacies to a criminal, and she's no longer standing behind the glass, unseen, unheard. There's a unit here now.

Do It. He didn't know what to "do" about "this." He couldn't "do" it. It's a small, tiny word that's come up so much in the Grissom/Sara mythology. And, here, it's the defining word. There's no "let's think about it." "Let's meditate on it." No. "Let's do it." There's a definity to it. There's this lack of wavering to it. It's solid and steadfast, and their vision is set. It's beautiful.

The writing is just so layered and textured in this scene, and part of it has to do with the performances, but so much of it comes from a great script. And, I think it wouldn't have been the same had a man with a theater background not been behind it.

Both Gil and Sara are exposed, now. They're open and connected, and the smile on her face and the fascination and amazement on his just show, to me, how much they connect.

Now, I did cringe at the almost-bee-net-kiss. I thought it wasn't necessary. If I could cut the scene off at Sara's glowing face, I would. But, the point it, it was a gorgeous scene from my perspective. I love layered, textured scenes!

I thought it was a well-rounded episode, in all, with lots of great character moments, and a good balance of story and science. I hope there are more episodes like this to come this season!

Pushing Daisies "The Fun in Funeral"

This episode, for me, was an absolute joy because it was all abut growth and development.

The first two episodes were used to acclimate and introduce us to the bizarrely beautiful world in which our hero, the Piemaker, and the rest of his strange family exist. The colors are bold, the dialogue quick, the sets masterful. Detail is carefully considered in every scene as sweethearts Ned and Chuck keep their distance from one another whilst wistfully glancing each other’s direction in hopes that the curse will lift and their skin may finally, gently, touch.

This episode signaled the beginning of a push forward, and the shaking of a once stable universe. Ned has spent a considerable amount of effort hiding the hideous truth of his gift’s double-edged sword from his beloved. Yes, she is alive and well, enjoying the fruits of life. However, she goes on, blissfully unaware that for her to survive, another life had to be taken.

That security blanket Ned clung to was ripped away, much like the figurative Band-Aid he wanted so desperately to pry off slowly. In one moment, he went from full of confidence, to filled with fright.

As he stood before his yellow sunshine, he was confronted with the dilemma of revealing the truth and risking her hating him, or hiding it and risking her hating him more. He chooses to tell the truth, and the self-loathing that fills his face breaks the heart.

He wants desperately to believe that the man’s death was the result of some cosmic happening, and not the result of a conscious choice, because he’s worried such a choice makes him a monster. He wants to be her prince charming, and that’s how she wishes to see him, as the man she gazed up to from her grave, the smile reaching out to her from the sky above.

But, all is not lost for the Piemaker and his Princess. For, as the adventure continues, and as, at once, he is confronted with a sword of death, he realizes that the choices we make as human beings in life are not always the right one, nor are they always the smart one. However, sometimes choices are about making sacrifices, and while one never likes the sacrifice, it’s still a choice.

Spock once spoke on the wisdom of sacrificing the few, or one, for the many. It was a concept that sometimes someone has to die for another.

Personally, I still wrestle with Ned’s decision on the basis of fact, but since it’s a television show, I try to just see what it has to say about the matter, and in this case, Ned comes to the conclusion that he made a choice.

“Kiss her, keep her.” It was a choice. He could kiss her and lose her. He could not kiss her, but sacrifice someone else. It was a conscious choice, one that he says you could put him on loop (and if this were Star Trek, trust me, they would) and he would always make the same choice.

He even declares that he’s sorry if that makes him a terrible person, and while I’m not sure it does, it’s interesting that he admits that part of the decision may not have been the best decision, but as far as he’s concerned, he made the right one.

He came to terms with the fact that a man, albeit a very bad man, had to die for his princess to survive.

In the midst of all this growth and decision-making, Chuck and Ned seem to have grown in their confidence of one another. In many ways, they’re both still children, playing make-believe.

As they cook together, they glance at one another with silly grins, recalling their last moments together as children, when a beaver T-shirt was the most romantic gesture young Ned could muster. “Be kind to animals, kiss a beaver.”

It’s amusing how the aunts grew to call Ned “beaver-boy” since, indeed, Chuck kissed the beaver, once on the lips in their youth, and again, twice now, through plastic.

The camera movement as she goes in for the kiss is perfectly played. We’re watching Ned, commenting on how he likes the weather, his little hurricane, and suddenly she’s upon him, her lips (and cellophane) covering his.

The actors sell the kiss. Ned “umphs” as Chuck pushes her lips against his (through the plastic wrap). Then, his head moves slightly as he returns the kiss. When he insists she shouldn’t have done that, he can’t help but try to kiss her again, inadvertently kissing her nose (through the plastic wrap). She leans in as he puts his hands behind his back, attempting not to touch her, trying to resist the unbelievable urge to wrap his arms around her, pulling her closer, feeling the warmth of her body… something he can never do.

As Olive watches, the lump growing in her throat, I feel for her, but I also feel for the man who instantaneously adores her, and how his own romantic gestures may go unnoticed by the pretty blond.

I really enjoyed this episode. I just think it was about growth and development and learning to be comfortable in your own skin, as well as with others.

In those final moments, I just love how at ease the little family is of Ned, Chuck and Digby. Yes, one cannot touch the other two, and they cannot touch him, but there was a definite feeling of warmth as they sat together. Chuck and Ned seemed to have morphed from the teenagers kissing in the beginning to a married couple, comfortable in their separateness, knowing that the space between them was only space, not some symbolism of their internal closeness to one another.

Her hair disheveled, and he in his robe, they sit across from one another setting things right, sharing their lives even though they can’t share the scent of each other’s skin. He looks at her, and admits to her that he made a choice that he would make again, and she smiles at him, so excited that he chose her.

And so, as he offers to get the plastic wrap so that they might share a kiss, it feels, not as though we’ve come full-circle, per say, but that we’ve come to a new level. They both have a clearer understanding of what it cost and what it took for them to be in that moment together. The importance and beauty of it seems more electric, but also more down-to-earth. There’s a pie-in-the-sky element to it, but all the ingredients are home-grown.


Next Week: Ned deals with, not his power, but his lack of it when it comes to his love… stay tuned…

Pushing Daisies "Pie-lette" and "Dummy"

I have to say, this show absolutely thrills me. It’s a visual treat, and the writing is superb. It’s something completely different in a sea of endless monotony, and I love being able to spot the apple amongst the oranges, the rose amongst the dandelions.

The pie-lette was an absolute blast, introducing us to the suspiciously introverted “Ned” whose gift is bringing people back to life, but only for a moment, lest he accidentally murder someone else.

He had a childhood sweetheart in the form of Charlotte Charles, otherwise known as “Chuck.”This shouldn’t matter much, nor should the fact that they shared their first (and only) timid kiss as ten years olds at their parents’ funerals.

However, it all comes together when our Piemaker gets involved with a PI named “Emerson” who has a talent for knitting.

Emerson and Ned find Chuck dead. They bring her back, but for longer than the allotted one minute, and that kills the funeral director, instead.

So, now they’re all blissfully happy, right?
Well, Olive, the girl absolutely, madly in love with Ned is terribly troubled by the new girl’s spot in Ned’s life and heart.. and Digby, the invincible dog, serves as her surrogate Ned.

In the first episode, Chuck and Ned solve the mystery of her murder, along with Emerson, and the man who killed her dies after attempting to murder one of Chuck’s shut-in aunts. Having collected the $50,000 reward in connection with their niece’s death, the two women ventured out, and we’ve yet to hear from them, again.

In the meantime, Ned has adapted his life to include Chuck in it, but he doesn’t seem at all bothered by the woman who refers to a refrigerator as a “cheese box.” He likes sleeping with her close, even if their beds are divided. He likes the fact that he can make dinner for her and that she helps him make pies.

In the second episode, they’re after the truth behind a man’s apparent “hit and run” murder. It’s actually a blast, but right now, I’m focused on the human element.

Chuck and Ned love one another dearly, but cannot experience physical intimacy of any type due to their limitations. Ned continues to hide the fact that he accidentally killed her father, but she wants to know as much about him as possible.

It’s a beautiful moment when they’re sitting in body bags, unable to hear each other, unable to distinguish anything besides the fact that they’re about to die, and yet they know their lips want to meet.

They kiss through the plastic, and I think Chuck needed that. She now knows that even if she doesn’t know everything about Ned, he loves her.

It’s absolutely beautiful. I love it.

Back to You 1x02

I was terribly worried about “Back to You” being against “Pushing Daisies” because I figured, after two weeks, “Back to You” would have an incredible fan-base, and there’d be nothing left to give to my favourite new show of the season.

I have actually looked forward to “Back to You” and having Kelsey Grammar in a sitcom, again. Also, being in the news profession myself, I was really looking forward to seeing people poke fun at my profession.

I was sadly disappointed while watching last night’s episode.

I missed the first episode due to life and an oversight on my part, but I watched last night, and was discouraged for the life of the show. I know it’s only the first season, but so many good shows never get the chance they fully deserve because of a weak opening.

This felt like a weak opening. The only time I laughed the entire night when after Chuck (Kelsey Grammar) had tried three times to replace his dead fish, and he finally had it down, he fried it.

Allow me to explain: He overfed the first one. He thermo-freezed the second. By the time of the third, he knew how the temperature should be, and how much to feed the fish. However, a simple, accidental knock of a light sent it into the fishbowl, electrocuting the fish. I laughed aloud for the first time the whole night.

I do believe this show has potential, but I’m worried it won’t make it there, because Fox has a tendency to kill great shows (“Firefly” “Arrested Development” “Futurama”).

I rest my case.

Bionic Woman 1x01

I decided to give “Bionic Woman” a chance Wednesday, since I had no other show to watch. I was heavily disappointed.

The episode opened with Sarah, the first bionic woman, who just snapped and killed all these people. It was a reflex that she couldn’t control. She didn’t want to kill them, but she did it. We’re supposed to think she’s dead. She’s not. We know from the promos she’s not. There was no point to try to convince us she was dead.

Anyway, we flash forward three years to find Jaime Sommers bartending. She’s lethargic as a bartender, but a far cry from today’s “perfect females.” Yes, I think she’s absolutely breathtaking, but she’s not cookie cutter, and I appreciate that.

That was the highlight of my viewing experience.

The romance feels forced, and though I think Michelle Ryan (Sommers) is quite lovely, her acting ability isn’t what it needs to be for how seriously this show is taking itself.

It was choppy. It jumped around too much. It tried too hard to be an action movie.

The little sister was totally stereotypical, and that bothered me to no end.

In the original pilot, they had a different young lady cast as the little sister. The little sister was played by the young lady from “Arrested Development” who played Anne (Egg… Bland…). Anyway, the little sister, in that incarnation, was DEAF.

What a beautiful juxtaposition to have! Here we have the older sister who has all these amazing abilities and her little sister continues on feeling very different because of the way she was “built.” Like the man who said he let his wife die because it wasn’t his mission to save her with the military technology, here would be a tragic but beautiful image with a little sister who suffered… and the older sister couldn’t tell her about the miracles that had happened, no matter how much she might want to.

So, in short, I won’t be watching, again, but I tried to give it a fair chance.

Bones 3x01

So, one of my favourite shows was back, and while it wasn't an all-out, must-rewatch season opener, it was a lot of fun.

One of the biggest differences between this episode and so many others was Bones' reluctance to be with Booth.

Normally, she's constantly fighting and cajoling Booth to be able to be in the field. Instead, she now seems content to work in the lab, away from civilization, away from Booth.

Throughout the episode, the others try to diagnose the issue. Booth is convinced Bones is angry at him over jailing her father. Cam agrees with this. Angela thinks Bones is freaked out because she was left at the altar with Booth at the end of season 2.

Sidenote: May I just say how pleased I am that this did not open with them married. Yeah. I love them, but I love the quality of this show more. Let the romance build a little more, please.

Anyway, back to seriousness: Everyone thinks they know what's wrong with Bones, and it doesn't click until Zack mysteriously appears in the lab, fresh from the war. Bones embraces him, and as she clings to him, momentarily, the wave of disappointment and resentment that has clouded her suddenly lifts.

Bones was mad at Booth for taking Zack away. It's illogical, but it's beautiful.
As for the case, we have a skull falling out of nowhere onto a car full of pre-pubescent idiots.

While it should be noted that the kid are virtually unharmed (darnit), the skull is part of a person who went missing quite some time ago. The discovery was made by a really neat lab tech who I rather enjoyed, but more on that in a moment.

Bones and Booth eventually locate a vault filled with all manner of strange thing, and this includes a gold skeleton filled with body parts from various people. And the ungual pattern suggests people have been chewing on the people. Ew.

As the one suspect with the mysterious diamond tooth described the taste of flesh, I had to click away. Yes, I eat raw fish, but that's flash cooked! I may nibble my hubby's arm in jest, but I don't think I'd like to take a big bite out of his muscle right now.

However, there's another.... Yes Skywalker... There's another. So, we have a continuous storyline since TPTB are trying to make up for screwing the amazing serial killer from seasons 1 and 2. I still can't watch "The Man on Death Row" without tearing up. Howard Epps was sick, but he was brilliant.

Anyway, we got to meet this really brilliant lab tech for about twenty seconds before Zack came back, and I hated to see the kid go, but I do acknowledge that cast bloat at this time probably isn't a great idea.

Angela and Hodgins are still goo-goo over one another, but he's changed up his hair, and it's taking me a little while to get used to. Zack's back. Cam is a LOT cooler this season. I really appreciate her as a buddy to Booth rather than a love interest. They're the type who can go out together after work and grab a beer. I really do like that.

I also liked our center. Booth and Bones were back to what they used to be. There's a little tension. There's a little trepidation. There's a lot of love. He worries about her burning her tongue on her coffee, and they realize that they're the heart of the team. The two of them have to be solid, and that's what I think was missing last year. We didn't get to feel the characters as much of a team.

Season 3. I welcome you.

Heroes 2x01

So, I told myself I had absolutely no interest in "Heroes" this season, but it didn't keep me from flipping the channel last night at work, and listening in a little with my headphones.

This season started off four months after the finale. Somehow, Nathan lost track of his brother up there in the big explosion, and fell apart. Nathan's wife left him, and he's taken to boozing and growing a long beard. But, as someone else so smartly mentioned, he's sure to get his monthly haircut.

Claire "Butler" and her family are starting over in California, and are all instructed to stay as out of sight as possible. Claire's even told not to raise her hand in class. Daddy wants to make sure she's invisible.

But, Claire of the beginning of season 1 is not Claire of the beginning of season 2. Back in season 1, she was a bit on the popular side, and a bit into being, as West put it, "The Robot." This year, she's stronger and she's been through the world with all this mess. She stands up for a young lady who's pickd on, and then offers to do a back tuck off the tower to protect her. She mounts the tower and the music builds, and she suddenly stops and says she can't do it. She realizes she's not supposed to stand out, but you can see it hit her, and you can see how much it hurts.

She really wanted to prove the snooty cheerleaders wrong and protect her new friend. West notes the difference in her. He already knows she's smart and doesn't want people to know. Or, at least, she knows who Charles Darwin is (an appropriate nod on the show's part to the show itself).

Meanwhile, her poor father has really ended up in the paper business with the worst kind of boss. So, using only one of the manager's fingers, Noah bends him into mercy. It's a brilliant reminder of the kind of deadly force this man has inside of him. He's not your average paper man, and he doesn't want to be.

However, he has a side game. He's trying to take down "The Company" which mysteriously goes unnamed, not because he doesn't know their name but because we're not supposed to know its name. Whatever.

Claire, on the other hand, is struggling. She somehow gets her hand on bio-Daddy's new phone number and calls the drunken fool, but he doesn't feel much like rousing speeches of inspiration and togetherness. The former politician effectively hangs up on her, leaving her to ponder while Superm... er, West, flies outside her window.

So, it's obvious that Claire will find her fellow freak in this new kid, who's even a little freaky for a freak.

Let's see... what else is interesting?

Molly now lives with Suresh and Matt, though Suresh is busy in Egypt, right now, getting recruted to "The Company." And Molly's taken to being really freaky and bitter, while Matt is finally a police officer again, now in NY.

David Anders puts in an absolutely brilliant performance as Kensei. Just about lost it watching him. I absolutely adore him, and have since I first saw him on "Alias" back when "Alias" was a decent show. However, the whole storyline is just a bit slapstick.

And, we killed off Sulu in the very first episode of the season.

NOTE: I mean no disrespect to George Takei and his other accomplishments in life, but I don't want to continually write out "Hiro's Dad" when "Sulu" is so much shorter and easier to type.

I do worry about this whole "marked" thing with the symbol. The person wandering around in a hood killing people feels very "Sylar" to me. It just feels a bit like a rehash.

The brother and sister from Mexico are interesting, but I feel they're a little too vague at the moment for me to have a real handle on them.

Suffice it to say, my loyalties lie in the same place they did last year: With Claire and HRG. Towards the end of the season last year, they're who I watched for. I still adore them, and I can only hope it's enough to hold my attention the rest of the year, because I do hate giving up on a show prematurely.

Oh, and I didn't even notice Nikki and Micah weren't there until the episode ended, and I didn't mind one bit. Not a good sign for episodes they're in.

We'll see how it all goes.