We do often get caught up in the big numbers from the big networks. It is, after all, hard to overlook the fact that NCIS is still growing its audience in the 7th season. There are still some very interesting stories happening on the little network, CW. When it was announced that Vampire Diaries would be paired with Supernatural, while Smallville was shuffled off to Friday, many people expected that was the end.

The show wouldn’t be able to come back from a year grinding away on Friday nights. After a few weeks looking at the numbers though, that’s not the case at all. Clark and the gang can celebrate good times, despite taking a hit from the move. In fact, this week Smallville topped new episodes of One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210, and Melrose Place. It’s far from done. Elsewhere, we had our first sizable crop of repeats this week, which brought some interesting results.

CW – With Smallville getting the lead, we’ll start with CW this week. The week got off to a slow start with One Tree Hill (2.21m/1) and Gossip Girl (1.98m/1.1) both down. Things picked up, if you can call it that, on Tuesday with 90210 (2.25m/1.1) remaining steady and Melrose Place (1.5m/.7) gaining in viewers. Next Top Model (2.99m/1.4) was steady as well. Vampire Diaries (2.27m/.9) and Supernatural (1.83m/.8) were repeats, but it is worth noting given that the Vampire Diaries repeat had more viewers than all of the Monday and Tuesday originals. Smallville (2.52m/1.1) closed out the week with the best performance for a scripted show on the network, and also managed to finish tied for third in the demo on the night.

ABC – It was something of an uneventful week for the network. Sunday’s performance was steady with Extreme Makeover (10.33m/3), Desperate Housewives (13.68m/4.6), and Brothers & Sisters (9.72m/3.2). Likewise, Monday finished very much like the previous week with Dancing With The Stars (16.82m/3.6) and Castle (9.69m/2.4). It is worth noting that the Castle numbers have been good enough that the network has picked up the back 9.

Things started to change on Tuesday, as Shark Tank (5.92m/1.8) and DWTS Results (14.92m/3.4) both saw gains. Unfortunately, that didn’t do anything for The Forgotten (7.3m/1.9), which slipped to the lowest numbers of the season. Those 10PM struggles were repeated on Wednesday, with Eastwick (4.78m/1.6) also finding new lows. That came on the heels of a night of comedy that was down across the board with Hank (5.78m/1.5), The Middle (6.53m/2), Modern Family (8.66m/3.4), and Cougar Town (7.31m/3.1). Things really don’t look good for Hank.

There were more changes on Thursday, although they really weren’t that surprising. FlashForward (9.87m/3.1) gained in viewers while holding steady in the demo. Grey’s Anatomy (15.06m/5.3), on the other hand, posted big week-to-week gains. Of course, that was against a repeat CSI. Surprisingly though, it didn’t translate into gains for Private Practice (9.93m/3.7). The show was down without the crossover element, despite facing a repeat Mentalist. Friday, Supernanny (4.7m/1.1) returned above the year ago premiere, and Ugly Betty (4.55m/1.2) limped to a third place finish in the hour.

CBS - The week started off with shenanigans as the football overrun bumped Cold Case for the night. Amazing Race (10.92m/3.3) and Three Rivers (7.38m/1.9) didn’t see any benefit from that. Monday was mostly par for the course, with one notable exception. Accidentally On Purpose (8.25m/3.3) actually beat How I Met Your Mother (8.07m/3.4) in viewers. Did anyone see that coming? Later, the duo of 2 ½ Men (14.07m/4.8) and Big Bang Theory (13.47m/5.3) continued to dominate the 9PM hour. CSI: Miami (13.16m/3.9) finished the night on a winning note.

Tuesday was up across the board, on the back of NCIS (21.25m/4.7) continuing to impress. That led to good things for NCIS:LA (16.48m/3.9) and The Good Wife (13.26m/2.8). Wednesday remained steady. Old Christine (6.58m/2) and Gary Unmarried (6.76m/2.2) seem to have fought off the ABC comedies, while Criminal Minds (14.27m/3.8) and CSI:NY (13m/3) easily win their hours. Survivor (12.9m/4) was the lone new entry on Thursday, but it is worth noting that The Mentalist (11.79m/2.8) beat CSI (10.14m/2.2) in repeats. Friday was again an easy victory for Ghost Whisperer (8.46m/2.1), Medium (8.43m/2.2), and Numb3rs (8.05m/1.8).

NBC - Overall, it was actually a good week for NBC, relatively speaking. Sunday Night Football (18.17m/7.2) continues to be huge. And Heroes (5.72m/2.5) was actually up. With Mercy (7.18m/1.9)  getting a full season, things don’t look good for Trauma (5.46m/1.8). Tuesday, The Biggest Loser (9.82m/3.9) was also up. There were more gains to be had on Wednesday, as L&O: SVU (9.15m/2.8) continued to grow. There is still the very real possibility that it could compete with Criminal Minds in the demo by the end of the season.

Thursday continues to be a mixed bag. Technically, Community (5.04m/1.9) and Parks & Recreation (4.93m/2.1) had the 8PM hour up over last week. But really, if Kath & Kim are looking down at your numbers, that’s really bad. The Office (8.73m/4.4) and 30 Rock (6.84m/3.3) took advantage of the CSI vacation. Friday, Law & Order (7.17m/1.5) continued to struggle, while Dateline (7.91m/1.8) continued to make the case for canceling Southland.

Leno… didn’t have a good week.The numbers continue to shrink, slowly. Two nights below five million, and two below 1.5 in the demo. Most troubling might be the fact that despite nice gains from The Office and 30 Rock on Thursday, and facing a repeat Mentalist, Leno was actually down.

Mon – 4.74m/1.4
Tue – 5.46m/1.8
Wed – 5.14m/1.5
Thu – 4.97m/1.6
Fri – 6.15m/1.4

FOX - The week started off with one of the most interesting repeats of the week. An old Family Guy (8.13m/4.2) was stuffed in with new episodes from The Simpsons (8.69m/4.1), Cleveland (7.62m/3.8), American Dad (6.25m/3.1) but still managed to be the highest rated. Monday, being pushed back by baseball didn’t do any favors for House (11.65m/4.4) and Lie To Me (7.79m/2.9). The news was better from baseball (10.3m/3.4) on Tuesday. Wednesday, So You Think You Can Dance (6.91m/2.6) and Glee (7.15m/3.3) were steady. I’m curious to see what happens as SYTYCD gets into the competition.

Baseball (11.85m/3.7) returned Thursday, offering a boost to the usual numbers. Friday was more of the same. The only semi-surprise was that  Til Death (1.97m/.7) managed to fall below 2 million viewers. Yikes. It’s pretty bad when you lose viewers from Brothers (2.35m/.8). Dollhouse (2.15m/.8) slipped again, marking its second worse performance ever.

Cable – Ryan asked for numbers from Stargate: Universe and Sanctuary last week. I don’t usually include them because unless Syfy sees fit to issue a press release over the weekend, the post is up before they come out. So, the next best thing is week old numbers. For the 10/16 broadcasts the numbers were Stargate: Universe (2.1m/.9) and Sanctuary (1.77m/.6). That same night, USA had Monk (3.98m/1) and Psych (3.68m/1.2). The interesting premiere this week was The Jeff Dunham Show (5.34m/2.2). That’s impressive, given the overwhelming hatred of the show from critics. It’s also worth noting that Sons Of Anarchy (3.7m/2) beat both Leno and The Forgotten in the demo. Other interesting cable numbers for the past week:

• Monday Night Football (13.47m/5.5)
• Hannah Montana (5.72m/1)
• Mad Men (1.61m/.5)
• Dexter (1.51m/.7)
• Californication (.77m/.3)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.08m/.5)
• Bored To Death (.66m/.3)
• Project Runway (3.02m/1.3)
• Real Housewives Of Atlanta (2.97m/1.6)
• It’s Always Sunny (1.52m/.9)
• Lincoln Heights (.92m/.2)
• Greek (.68m/.3)
• The Hills (1.83m/1.1)
• Dirty Jobs (1.86m/.9)
• Mythbusters (2.28m/1)
• Top Chef (2.86m/1.5)
• South Park (2.58m/1.4)
• Secret Girlfriend (1.29m/.6)
• Nip/Tuck (2.23m/1.2)
• Ghost Hunters (3.07m/1.4)

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After a summer of wondering what the result of NBC just giving up on the 10 PM hour would be, we now have our first look at the numbers. Jay Leno started with a bang (over 18 million viewers), and then quickly started the slow grind to reality. The week also saw the premieres of One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Biggest Loser, The Beautiful Life, SNL: News, Parks & Rec, The Office, Community, Bones, and Fringe. Some of those were more successful than others.

NBC - Jay Leno really was the big story of the week. Something that won’t happen again until NBC pulls the plug on the show. It is too early to call just when that might be though. The premiere certainly got some attention. Here are all the numbers for the week:

Monday (18.42m/5.3)
Tuesday (11.09m/3.4)
Wednesday (13.36m/3.5)
Thursday (8.82m/2.7)
Friday (7.69m/2.1)

That’s a huge drop, but not one that was unexpected. It’s hard to say where bottom is at this point, but we should know more this week. Monday will have Jay facing off with CSI: Miami and Castle. Elsewhere for NBC, there was more good news. Sunday Night Football (21.1m/8.6) is still a winner, as is America’s Got Talent (13.9m/3.3 – 15.79m/3.5). The Biggest Loser (9.9m/3.8) also returned with strong numbers.

Things were a bit more mixed on Thursday. The combination of the SNL: News special (5.47m/2) and Parks & Recreation (4.89m/2.1) left much to be desired. To put that in perspective, last season Earl (7.01m/2.8), and even Kath & Kim (7.46m/2.3), premiered better. Unfortunately for SNL, there’s no election this year. And unfortunately for Parks & Rec, it’s just not very good.

Things did pick up at 9. The Office (8.21m/4.1) was off from last season’s premiere, but those are still great numbers. Community (7.88m/3.8) was also down over the spot last year (SNL election news), but was above where 30 Rock finished the season. It will be curious to see what happens when the show moves to 8.

FOX - Things weren’t quite as exciting for FOX, but they do still have some heavy hitters yet to debut. Unfortunately, what was thought to possibly be one of the heavy hitters kind of fouled one off. Fringe (7.81m/3) came out from behind Paula’s skirt, and House’s lab coat, to stand naked under the guise of the squints. That’s not a great result. It dropped 2.5 million viewers from the Bones (10.36m/3.1) audience. Worse, at the end of last season, Hell’s Kitchen was beating that demo number while facing off with new episodes from Grey’s and CSI. That’s something the Fringe folks will try their hand at this week.

In other FOX news, So You Think You Can Dance (5.67m/2.4) and Glee (6.69m/3.2) were down week to week, but I don’t think it’s time for real concern. They were against the AGT finale, and I still expect the SYTYCD audience to grow once it gets into the competition. For Glee, the demo is solid, but it remains to be seen how loyal the Gleeks are. If they stick around, the show will be just fine.  Three finales wrap up the FOX week, as we say goodbye to King Of The Hill (6.26m/3 – 6.04m/2.9), More To Love (4.2m/1.7), and Fifth Grader (5.02m/1). Great numbers for KOTH, and I’m now setting the over/under for Dollhouse at the Fifth Grader numbers. Take the under in viewers, and the over in the demo.

CW - Well, we’ve now seen 80% of the new CW schedule, and it’s really not looking like a good year. One Tree Hill (2.31m/1.2) and Gossip Girl (2.55m/1.4) premiered. The network was quick to point out how these are the best numbers since December. Hopping in the wayback machine, that was with no DWTS on ABC, and the Terminator/Prison Break trainwreck on FOX. This week, DWTS, House, and Lie To Me come online. Good luck!

Things actually got worse after that. 90210 (2.31m/1.2) is also off from last year, but did remain close to the week ago numbers. Melrose Place (1.81m/1), on the other hand took a sharp dip. That’s approaching the kind of numbers that got Privileged canceled. And, it gets worse. Next Top Model (2.79m/1.4) was above all of those shows, but that’s as low as a new Next Top Model has ever been. That didn’t offer any help to the premiere of The Beautiful Life (1.38m/.6). Yikes.

The good news, came on Thursday. It would appear that this will once again be the strongest night of the week for the network. Vampire Diaries (3.77m/1.6) and Supernatural (2.78m/1.2) took the expected drop from premiere week, but have the best average night for the network.

CBS - With the whole thing set to get rolling this week, the week belonged to the finish of Big Brother (6.59m/2.1 – 7.78m/2.8). The only premiere the network rolled out early was Survivor (11.66m/3.6). That’s down year to year, but the show still looks to be the #1 show in the 8 o’clock hour.

ABC - Nothing exciting to report this week. No premieres, just the end of the summer programming slate, including Shaq Vs (4.43m/1.7), Wipeout (6m/2.1), Crash Course (3.51m/1.4), and Primetime: Family (4.11m/1.4). Shark Tank (4.2m/1.4) had another iffy outing that makes it’s fall prospects look all the more shaky. And Defying Gravity managed to go up in the ratings (2.45m/.8 – really, it went up to get to that), but still disappeared from the schedule.

Finally, here are a few of the big numbers from cable for the week:

• Mad Men (1.8m/.6) – It’s the 30 Rock of cable. Lots of awards, but nobody watches.
• True Blood (5.11m/2.9) – Solidified as HBO’s new crown jewel.
• Hung (2.9m/1.5) – Season 2???
• Drop Dead Diva (3m/.9) – Cute, and a surprising success.
• Army Wives (3.91m/1.3) – ??? I’ve never watched, but good viewer numbers.
• VMAs (8.97m/4.6) – I hope they sent Kanye a thank you card.
• Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins (6.11m/1.3) – Live action works on the cartoon network.
• Monday Night Football (11.95m/5.7) – Great for ESPN, not in the ballpark of the OG MNF.
• Sons Of Anarchy (3.71m/1.9) – Big drop, but still solid.
• Warehouse 13 (2.93m/1) – Winding down a great first season.
• Top Chef (2.67m/1.4) – Still the king of cooking shows.
• The Ultimate Fighter (4.11m/2.5) – Featuring the bloodiest fight ever on the show. Just grisly.
• Ghost Hunters (2.45m/1.1) – Uh… boo?
• Dark Blue (1.61m/.6) – Without Leverage, this one sinks.
• It’s Always Sunny (2.25m/1.4) – How does this show not get crazy Emmy consideration? It’s funny, and has low viewer numbers….
• Project Runway (3.62m/1.6) – Different network, still a cable hit.

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When I was young, my mother taught me the old adage: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Unfortunately for her, I am responsible for talking about True Blood tonight. Its not that I hated it, because I didn’t. At the very least, I was excited that they dispatched with MaryAnn with time to spare. However, this season finale just wasn’t in the same neighborhood as season one … And that’s the problem.
I have beat on this season, ad nauseum, about how the quality of the show rode with where the story was being told, be it Texas (great) or Bon Temps (er … not so much). Unfortunately, I feel that once the story shifted completely back to Louisiana, it never really rebounded. Sure, Jason was funny as hell, and his teaming up with Andy has been good, but not nearly as when he was training with the Newlins (And, please find a way to work those folks back into the story).

I blame the MaryAnn storyline, but not completely. Its time to find a story for Tara that’s not about her whining or getting in with some cult. Move Lafayette to the forefront, stat. In fact, his dynamic with Eric is infinitely more interesting than Eric’s with Sookie. Hoyt and Jessica exploring each other and growing together was a great story, that looks like its going to have a major, unnecessary bump in the road.

That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot to love. I am a big fan of Sophie the Vampire Queen, and what dynamic she adds to the the show from a political standpoint (and, as a guy, I’ve got no problem with Evan Rachel Wood as a redhead). What happens between Eric and Bill, and how she factors into that, is something I’m really looking forward to.

I’ve got faith though. The first season was great. Parts of this season were outstanding. There’s a great deal of source material to play with, Deborah Ann Woll, an incredible cast, Evan Rachel Wood, a brilliant writing staff, and, well, Anna Paquin.

• Sophie is supplying Eric with the vampire blood he’s selling? WTH?
• And I’ll bet Sookie’s cousin being privy to what’s going on at the Queen’s place will be very important come next season.
• Licking the egg? Seriously?
• That was Charlaine Harris at Merlotte’s talking to Sam.
• Why does the death of Eggs matter to anyone (Other than Tara, and I guess Jason)? He’s just one of many things about this season I’d like to start forgetting.
• I seriously doubt Sookie would have hesitated answering Bill’s proposal for a second, and only did so to give the kidnapper an in.

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If it does, will this spell the slow decline of expensive quality scripted fare on television? And what about expensive less-than-quality programming like ‘Til Death and Brothers? These shows need homes on the schedule as well … for some reason.

• The big news, of course, is the crowing of Ellen DeGeneres as the new permanent Paula Abdul on American Idol. She’ll certainly be able to bring the funny, I just worry that she might offer less valuable criticism to the singers than even Abdul did.
• Teens have all the power on ABC Family, earning 10 Things I Hate About You a second season renewal. So if The CW collapses, maybe ABC Family can pick up their entire lineup.
• Due to her ongoing cancer treatment, Maura Tierney has been forced to pull out of Parenthood completely. I’m sure the ensemble can move on without her, but it’s sad news regardless. Here’s hoping for a speedy and full recovery for her!
• Wil Wheaton is making a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory this season. For once, I hope a guest star simply plays himself, as I think the boys meeting the real Wesley Crusher would likely be funnier than any character they could come up with for him. Luckily, Wil looks exactly the same as he did when he was … what? … like 7-years old on TNG.
• President Obama addressed the nation again about his health care plan, and again FOX was the only big network that opted out of covering it. They had Glee and SYTYCD to premiere!
• September 14 will see the next Oprah Winfrey Show spin-off as Dr. Oz follows Dr. Phil into his own syndicated talk show. I’m changing my name to Dr. J (not that one) and start appearing on Oprah so I can get my own show!
• After adding two lovely young ladies to SNL last week, Lorne Michaels canned Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson this week. I guess they’d hit their estrogen quota. Then came the accusation that Wilson was fired for being too fat, but since she’s not Hollywood skinny that accusation was inevitable. Even with Wilson saying it’s not true, many still believe it. I love America!
• Scooby-Doo turned 40, just in time to learn his origin in the new Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins. These things make me sad and old.
• It makes me happy that Britain’s Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle will be performing on America’s Got Talent’s finale this week. I think I like her charming personality better than her voice.
• Jon told GMA that he hates Kate, which kind of proves he stayed with her for the show … for the fame and money. He also said she’s a monster who can unhinge her jaw and swallow children whole (they used to have 18 kids and counting).
• And this weekend is the season finales of Hung and True Blood. So all those vamp lovers will have to switch over to The CW and watch The Vampire Diaries for much less sex and much more pining teenagers.
• They can join the throngs that found the show’s premiere this week. The Vampire Diaries kicked off their season in strong fashion by proving that teenage girls will watch anything humanoid with fangs. The series premiere set ratings records for the netlet. With Guiding Light going away, it just might be time to bring back Dark Shadows. And if they can keep the girls of VD out of the slammer, they might just have a network-saving hit on their hands.
• Speaking of ratings, Sons of Anarchy launched its second season and saw a 95% boost in ratings to 4.3 million from the first season premiere.  That is … ridiculous!
• Big Brother even improved this summer, enough to warrant CBS renewing it for another run this summer. Gotta start practicing my general douchebaggery.
• On a more personal note, this week saw me reach 300 posts here at CliqueClack, which is exciting for the sixteen of you who pay attention to who writes what around here, and the one out of those who actually like what I write. I know you’re out there Mom! Now if I could just convince the powers that be to send me 300 chocolate frosted cupcakes, we’d be golden!

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Finally. The weather turned to complete crap in my little burg this weekend, which can only mean one thing: Fall TV premieres are on the horizon! Next week we’ll have numbers for the new seasons of 90210, Melrose Place, Next Top Model, So You Think You Can Dance, Glee, Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural(!). Until then, we have one last reality-heavy week to look at. There is a small bonus though … we did get our first look at Glee, Fringe, and Medium in their new time slots. They were repeat airings, but interesting just the same. Over on cable, more records as Bravo and Food had great months, and the NFL scored for ESPN.

FOX - It was another typical week where original programming was concerned. Hell’s Kitchen (7.2m/3.2) remains strong, and More To Love (4.13m/1.8) is hanging in there. 5th Grader (4.6m/1) also checked in on Friday, with a decent number for itself. The more interesting bit was a look at the new Wednesday and Thursday lineups. So You Think You Can Dance led off Wednesday with a special, “The 15 Best” (4.64m/1.9), and was followed by the director’s cut of the Glee pilot (4.2m/1.8). Thursday found Bones (5.83m/1.8) and Fringe (4.84m/1.6) paired for the first time. Those are all repeat numbers, so nothing to get too excited about on their own. It is encouraging though, looking at how close the numbers are between the shows. Both pairs look to work together rather well.

CBS - Big Brother again carried most of the load this week, doing well on Sunday (7.41m/2.5), Tuesday (8.06m/2.6), and Thursday (8.61m/2.7). There Goes The Neighborhood (3.91m/1.2) is likely finishing out its first, and only, season. The only other new programming was the CBS Fall Preview (3.84m/.9), which nobody bothered to watch. The good news for CBS, much as with FOX, was how the numbers looked for the initial run of Ghost Whisperer (5.05m/1.3), and Medium (5.11m/1.3). Almost identical. And if Medium can hold onto Ghost Whisperer viewers like that, Fridays will be a happy night for CBS.

ABC - The CMA Music Festival (7.84m/2.1) was the best news for ABC this week, allowing them to finally knock off the CBS repeat Monday and win the night outright. Elsewhere, Wipeout (7.62m/2.6) remains a success, and Shark Tank (4.79m/1.7) is steady. I’m curious to see what its numbers will do when the full fall schedule is up and running. Other originals included Crash Course (4.53m/1.7), Shaq Vs. (3.26m/1.3), and Defying Gravity (2.53m/.9).

NBC - I guess you can think of this as the calm before the storm. The only notable entries for NBC this week came from America’s Got Talent on Tuesday (12.45m/3.2), and Wednesday (12.1m/2.6). If you are only going to run one program for the week, that’s not a bad choice.

CABLE - After weeks of setting records, the new True Blood (5.19m) didn’t set a series high, but that’s still an impressive number. That doesn’t mean there weren’t records to be had this week though. Bravo announced that they had the best August ever in viewers, and the A18-49 demo. August was also the most watched, highest rated month ever for The Food Network. Getting to shows, Biography set their record for most watched premiere telecast in network history with the season three finale of I Survived… (.593m). And ESPN had their most viewed pre-season game ever with last week’s Monday Night Football (7.92m). Elsewhere, Lifetime continues to have great success with Drop Dead Diva (3.4m) and Army Wives (4.1m). Both of them were above their season averages. And finally, Mad Men (1.61m) continues to slow for AMC, but remains ahead of last season.

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Cable - We’ve already covered True Blood, but that success is translating to solid numbers for Hung (3.3m) and Entourage (3.2m) as well. Seeing record breaking numbers of their own, we have Wizards of Waverly Place over on Disney. The big special, Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie, brought in an unbelievable 11.4 million viewers. That makes it the number one cable program of the year so far.

If we step back a couple weeks, recent DVR data brings with it a couple of interesting nuggets. The fifth episode of Warehouse 13 ended up with 4.3 million viewers. That means it was the most watched original series telecast in the network’s history. I doubt it’s ever going to approach the legacy of the Stargate universe, but still, impressive.  Burn Notice also looked pretty good with DVR added in. The finale grand total was 9.1 million viewers. Good enough to be the most watched scripted episode on cable this year. More good news came in the form of the Royal Pains (5.9m) finale, which is now the most watched first season of an original series for USA. It knocked The 4400 off the top spot.

In other finale news, ABC Family finished off Make It Or Break It (2.4m/1.1) with the second most viewers of the show’s first season, while hitting highs in various demos. BET was also successful, with Tiny & Toya (1.9m). The show averaged 1.8 million viewers for the season, which makes it the number one original in BET history.

Lifetime had another strong week. Drop Dead Diva (2.9m) is doing great in the women’s demos, and has been renewed for a second season. Meanwhile, Project Runway (3.5m) did drop in its second episode, but that’s still a solid number. AMC suffered a similar drop with episode 2 of Mad Men (1.9m). The silver lining is that the show is still ahead of where it was in season two. Going the other way, Bravo’s Top Chef (2.8m) actually gained viewers from the premiere. And finally, Leverage (3.73m) remains steady for TNT, and also received a renewal this week.

ABC - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (7.63m/1.5) ground to a steady, if unimpressive, halt with the finale episode of the summer event. And really, that kind of describes most of the week. The highlight was Wednesday, with Wipeout (7.56m/2.5) and the debut of Crash Course (5.06m/1.9). Shark Tank (5.61m/1.8), is still teetering on that could go either way edge. Dating in the Dark (4.18m/1.7) never really recovered from losing The Bachelorette. Shaq Vs (4.21m/1.7) appears to be, like Millionaire, steady, if not impressive. And then there is Defying Gravity (2.66m/.8), which was shuffled to Fridays in Canada. Those numbers make one wonder if a similar move isn’t in the offing for the show here.

NBC – As expected, America’s Got Talent carried the week with Tuesday (11.19m/3.1) and Wednesday (10.87m/2.9) outings. Unfortunately, the network has nothing else to pair it with. The rest of the original lineup consisted of the finale of Merlin (3.22m/1 – 3.92m/1.1), Miss Universe (5.84m/2), and Great American Road Trip (4.79m/1.4). Not a bad demo number for Miss Universe, but a pretty weak showing for everything else.

CBS - Once again, the most successful night of the week was Monday, as the repeats won in viewers and demo. For original programming, Big Brother on Sunday (7.36m/1.8), Tuesday (7.41m/2.5), and Thursday (8.08m/2.7) was joined by a news special, Ted Kennedy: The Last Brother (4.6m/.9). Big Brother has been solid all summer, and I would expect we’ll see it again next year.

FOX - It would appear that everyone was either out on the Glee campaign trail, or busily prepping for the fall launches. FOX only managed two new hours of programming, with Hell’s Kitchen (7.47m/3.4) and More To Love (4.24m/1.8). If you really want something to chew on, put this one in your back pocket. Repeats of Fifth Grader on Friday averaged 4.43m/1.1. I think we’ll be setting the over/under for Dollhouse right about there.

Related posts

• Ratings Clack – The last summer ratings post
• Ratings Clack – An alternative to Nielsen?
• Ratings Clack – The Bachelorette goes out on top

There’s not a whole lot I have to say about the penultimate episode of True Blood. Sure, going into finales, often times you can get a filler episode or two, but I don’t necessarily think that’s the problem here. All season long, there has been a divide between the story in Bon Temps and the story in Dallas. Last week, when everyone was back in town, the show suffered for it. This week, to be honest, was more of the same.

I’m beginning to think it had less to do with the plots and more to do with the characters. As much as I may not be a big fan of Bill, I think that those that were left in Bon Temps might be more deserving of criticism. Admittedly, Sam and Tara were the only main characters in that storyline, but much as been done to completely ruin Tara, and ironically since he’s the target of the big bad, marginalize Sam.

The saving grace of this episode was the all of the subtle (and not so subtle) setup for next season:

• The Vampire Queen Sophie knows Bill too well, and knows too much about Sookie and Bon Temps for that not to be relevant
• Sookie’s cousin Hadley — half mentioned somewhere along the way — is in Sophie’s court, and Bill knows (which is going to be a point of contention with his lovely girlfriend)
• The reminder of Eric selling vampire blood through Lafayette (and probably others), and wanting to keep it from Sophie
• The continued repercussions of Eric’s relationship with both Lafayette and Sookie

There was other good stuff, too, especially with Jason and Lafayette. One’s trying to save the town, while the other is more concerned with his cousin. Jason has the right intentions, but just lives at a different speed as everyone else. I’m sure his life, as he told Terry, wasn’t easy, but I doubt his porn research was that taxing. Lafayette has been through the hell of Eric’s basement, and still hasn’t recovered.

You’ve got to wonder whats going to happen with Hoyt and Jessica. Where does their storyline go from here? Yeah, they’ll reconcile after Hoyt’s mother has diarrhea of the mouth, but how do they integrate into storylines in the future? I have doubts (hopes?) that Bon Temps won’t be the primarily setting going forward, and I wonder what will happen to the characters left in town (especially in light of this season).

Other Stuff:

• I love Sophie! I think she, like Godric, was not what people expected, but I liked that in both of them
• Jason walking into the tree was Hill. Larry. Us.
• Lafayette’s PTSD recurrence … That story here isn’t over
• Eric in a dress!
• Speaking of Jason, he can actually read?? Or did he just get the (outstanding) audiobook of World War Z?
• Lafayette’s look when Sookie says that she, too, is working for Eric
• Loved the sheriff dancing in his boxers
• Wow he was creepy with Arlene’s kids, but also:
• Holy frak, Eric can fly?
• And what was up with the egg?

Next week is NOT the season finale, but I’m sure a repeat (or marathon of repeats) will air Labor Day weekend, so don’t tune in and end up all disappointed (like I’ve been the last two weeks). As a friend of mine said, the finale that will hopefully be the final for MaryAnn airs in two weeks.

Related posts

• True Blood – Strange things are afoot at the Church of the Fellowship

Was it just me, or did this week seem a little off? Despite being funny, Psych put me to sleep (literally, not figuratively) with its not-so-interesting plot. Leverage was hilarious, but didn’t offer nearly as many good one-liners as it normally does. And depressingly, Bob’s Veronica Mars Virgin Diary is quickly coming to a close (which, I’ve got to warn you, means more Buffy quotes for everyone — I love shows that bring the wit). Alas, however, the Fall Season quickly approaches.

Psych

“Question: Where are all of the girls in the Catholic school-girl uniforms, Gus?!” — Shawn
“There’s one right over there.” — Gus
“No, that is a male bagpiper.” — Shawn

“Was she a fan of the game Grand Theft Auto? I know when I play it I become raving mad, foaming at the mouth.” — Shawn
“I had to taser him once.” — Gus
“Which I still feel was excessive.” — Shawn

“Carson D has Simon Baker on tonight. That’s can’t miss, OK, so I’m going to go. You guys keep exercising during the exorcism.” — Shawn

“Do you think she has PTSD?” — Lucy’s Mother
“I’m afraid this is more serious than a menstrual disorder.” — Shawn

“Oh, let me guess … relationship trouble.” — Henry
“Yeah, I hate it when we fight.” — Shawn
“I’m sure she feels the same way.” — Henry
“I’m not talking about Abigail, I’m talking about Gus.” — Shawn
“So was I.” — Henry

Mad Men

“Let’s assume we can get a girl to match Ann-Margret’s ability to be 25 and act 14.” — Peggy, on an ad to match the opening of Bye Bye Birdie

Leverage

“Katherine and I have known each other forever. Almost two years.” — Parker, at Sophie’s fake funeral

“Stop it….” — Sophie
“It’s like you’re haunting us.” — Parker
“Parker, I’m not really dead.  I’m not dead!” — Sophie

True Blood

“Jesus and I agreed to see other people, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still talk from time to time.” — Lafayette

“If only Miss Jeanette was still alive.” — Lettie Mae
“She don’t need no backwoods witch. She needs Thorazine and a padded cell.” — Lafayette

“Lord, smite me … Lord, smite me …  LORD, SMITE ME!!” — Sam

“You’ve been real good to this town, even if you are a sometime nudist.” — Andy

Selections from the Virgin Diaries

Battlestar Galactica

“There’s this one song that he taught me, it made me feel happy and sad all at the same time.” — Starbuck
“The best ones do.” — Slick

Veronica Mars

“Who wants out of jail?” — Cliff
“I do! I do!” — Veronica  (A bit that works better with Kristen Bell’s funny voice)

“Honey … why is there a pistol in the freezer?” — Keith
“Because there’s this guy, see?… And I want to put him on ice. Because revenge is a dish best served cold. Because I want to commit murder in the 28th degree?” — Veronica
“Stop.” — Keith

“What?” — Wallace, after worrying about Veronica seeing Parker and Logan together
“I’m just trying to figure out which Gilmore Girl you are.” — Veronica

House, M.D.

“Why’d you put me in charge of the department if you think I can’t handle it?” — Foreman
“Because it’s temporary, and because I was ordered to.” — Cuddy

“Do you know your phone is dead? Do you ever recharge the batteries?” — Wilson
“They recharge? I just keep buying new phones.” — House

“What does House say?” — Cameron
“The person you are trying to reach is out of the area or has turned off their phone.” — Foreman

“Cat fight and cataplexy on the cat walk.  Cool!” — House

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

“My. She’s cheeky, isn’t she? — Wesley, about Cordelia
“Uh, first word: jail; second word: bait.” — Faith

“And you say this demon wanted cash? That’s very unusual.” — Wesley
“Demons after money. Whatever happened to the still beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards anymore.” — Giles

“I know this. It’s down by the bus station. Not the nicest part of town.” — Buffy
“Again. See, no standards. I mean, any self-respecting demon should be living in a pit of filth or a nice crypt.” — Giles

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I just finished watching Harper’s Island on Hulu. If you’re not aware, it ran on CBS this past spring and summer for 13 bone-chilling, spine-tingling installments. Actually, it wasn’t very scary, but the premise was admirable, if not altogether original. It had a very Screamish feel to it, minus the wild popularity. Poor ratings aside, I still think more series like Harper’s Island should be considered by the “big” networks. Why? Variety is the spice of life, or so I’ve heard.

The big four networks concentrate on three types of hour-long programming: medical dramas, police/law procedurals, and reality TV. Personally, I’m sick and tired of the same old retreads. An impromptu plastic pen tracheotomy on ER is no different than one on Trauma, or Private Practice, or Grey’s Anatomy, or HawthoRNe. An interrogation scene on a Law and Order incarnation is the same as one on a CSI incarnation. And whether it’s singing, dancing, or surviving, all reality-based contest shows utilize a cookie-cutter format.

A couple horror/mystery series sprinkled here and there might help extract a failing net like NBC from its prolonged slump, if it was marketed correctly. Supernatural and True Blood have cultivated rabid fan bases and solid ratings for the CW and HBO, respectively. Granted, both the CW and HBO don’t face the same censorship restrictions as the majors, but Harper’s Island featured a high degree of blood and gore, so the “we can’t get away with that” excuse is weak.

Horror movies have remained a fixture at the local multiplex for decades. In fact, two cash cow horror franchises are set to release their latest chapters in theaters this week: Halloween II, and The Final Destination. The 2007 Halloween grossed over $80 million, while the first three Destination flicks hauled in over $320 million worldwide. Someone’s seeing these movies besides teenyboppers.

What’s the problem then? If a movie corporation studio can pump out countless Jason and Freddy Krueger sequels, why can’t ABC or FOX manufacture a credible horror series? Sorry, soapy shit like Ghost Whisperer doesn’t count. Unfortunately, since Harper’s Island was a ratings albatross, I seriously doubt the big boys will roll the dice again any time soon.

Maybe I’m alone in my desire for terror television. It could be that horror is better suited for a seventy-foot widescreen inside a dark theater. Or perhaps it just plays better on channels like the CW, HBO, and Syfy. Tell me what you think. Are the networks dropping the ball, or have I gone completely insane?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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So finally the storyline that I’ve hated comes together with the characters that have been having a good time out in Dallas. Can the travelers save Bon Temps (and by “save Bon Temps” I mean save the story, and not necessarily the town)? Sookie finally meeting MaryAnn was a good start, finally putting together the protagonist with this season’s real antagonist.

There has been been some speculation on the internets recently about what other powers Sookie might have. Whatever she did to MaryAnn proves that she’s obviously got more going on that just an ability to read minds. Granted, her “talk to the hand” move didn’t really have any lasting affect on MaryAnn, but, alas, you’ve got to start somewhere.

Jason Stackhouse, the God that comes? That easily has to be one of the best scenes of the season. Andy supplying the horns (After Terry’s too-funny disbelief) finished off the picture perfectly. The subterfuge was apparently based on the visions of those infected, which, we saw for the first time tonight, and we saw several times. Jason really has, at least in his own way, come into his own this season. He took some of the skills he learned at the Church of the Fellowship of the Sun, and used them in the Battle of Merlotte’s (Even though he doesn’t know the word “distraction”).

Speaking of Terry, Todd Lowe did a great job tonight. His leading of the mob at Merlotte’s was hilarious, especially the lines about retreat when Arlene was in danger. Unfortunately for him, I think he’s the candidate most likely to incur MaryAnn’s wrath for Sam’s escape.

As far as marrying the two stories, I think this was a good first step. Eric obviously needs to be brought into the fold sooner rather than later, but I don’t suspect it will be long before he gets into town. With only two episodes left in this run, I truly hope that they wrap up the MaryAnn storyline before starting something new for the next batch of episodes.

Other Stuff:

• I actually like Michelle Forbes, don’t get me wrong, but MaryAnn not so much
• Lafayette quoting scripture was an interesting character piece
• I was just thinking that I hadn’t seen a good mystical, drunken orgy, and thankfully, I was obliged
• I know I should feel stupid for saying so, but every time I see the actress that play’s Tara’s name in the credits, I start looking for a redheaded witch of some kind
• Too bad we didn’t actually get to meet the Queen in this episode, as I’m looking forward to Evan Rachel Wood
• If you thought I could get through an entire post without talking about Jessica, you’re mistaken, as I doubt her attack of Hoyt and his mother will go over well next week

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• My favorite Lost moments – The greatest phone call in TV history
• Shark myths and funny phrases – Daily Rerun Roundup

It’s another week where the ratings news from cable is much more interesting than anything happening on the networks. The big story was the premiere of Project Runway (finally) on Lifetime, but there was plenty more fun to be had. Also getting in on the premiere game was Mad Men, Kourtney and Khloe, Hoarders, Ghost Hunters, and Flipping Out. There were also finales for Hawthorne, and Saving Grace. All that, plus records for True Blood, and the Degrassi kids. The networks countered with Octomom, and Shaq Vs. But not Shaq vs. Octomom, although I wouldn’t rule that out at this point.

CABLE - It took an awfully long time to get here, but the Project Runway (4.2m) premiere paid off for Lifetime. That made it the highest premiere in Lifetime’s history, and was also better than the last season on Bravo. Even though it was not quite up to Tim & Heidi’s numbers, AMC’s Mad Men (2.76m) also had a very good debut. That’s a series high. Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami (2.7m) had similar success. Good enough to be the best E! original premiere since Anna Nicole in 2002.

Staying with premieres, Syfy kicked off season 5.5 of Ghost Hunters (2.5m), falling just short of the season 5 premiere.  Bravo might have lost Project Runway, but they still have Top Chef (2.6). The Las Vegas edition premiered following the finale of Top Chef Masters (2.42m). The network also premiered Flipping Out (1.03m), which set series highs in all demographics. Finishing the premieres, A&E found success with the debut of Hoarders (2.5m), which built on the Intervention (2.1m) lead in.

In other non-premiere news, True Blood (4.46m) continues to stack up best weeks. And ABC Family continues to get solid results from both Secret Life (3.3m) and Make It Or Break It (2.3m). Some of those ABC Family viewers were likely part of the audience for Degrassi Goes To Hollywood (.977) on The-N. That was the most watched telecast in the history of The-N.

Over at Syfy, the good news keeps coming for Warehouse 13 (3.27m). The show is on pace to be the most watched show in Syfy history, and it has already been renewed for a second season. Finally,  TNT wrapped up Saving Grace (3.16m) and Hawthorne (3.52m). On the networks….

ABC - It was another week dominated by Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. The second week of the event averaged 6.79m viewers, and a 1.4 demo. Not horrible, but probably not what the network was hoping for. Elsewhere, Shark Tank (5.72m/1.8) is still finding its level, while Defying Gravity (2.59m/.8) continues to be ignored. Dating In The Dark (4.6m/1.8) still misses The Bachelorette. And the big premiere for the week was Shaq Vs. (4.34m/1.7), which can say that it did better than Superstars….

NBC - America’s Got Talent (11.7m/2.9 – 10.29m/2.4) remains the hit of the summer for the peacock. The only hit. The rest of the week consisted of Merlin (3.06m/.8 – 3.95m/1) and The Great American Road Trip (4.51m/1.4).

CBS - There wasn’t a lot of new to report for CBS. Big Brother continues to carry summer schedule with shows on Sunday (6.85m/2.3), Tuesday (8.09m/2.9), and Thursday (7.33m/2.4). The Chima nuttiness did provide a nice spike on Tuesday. The only other new programming was There Goes The Neighborhood (4.59m/1.2), which probably won’t have a second run. It is worth noting that CBS again won Monday in viewers and the demo with all repeats.

FOX - All the network had on offer was Hell’s Kitchen (7.34m/3.4) and Octomom: The Unseen Footage (4.19m/1.6). I’m sure those ratings for Octomom were lower than the network was looking for. Unfortunately, they were probably just high enough that something equally as ridiculous will still get a shot next summer.

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• Ratings Clack – True Blood can’t be stopped
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The big news in ratings this week wasn’t another series high for True Blood, the further decline of Defying Gravity, or even the return of Millionaire. Instead, it was the announcement that several big media and advertising companies are joining forces to create an alternative to Nielsen. My kneejerk reaction? The announcement is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Well, then again, I suppose it signifies that the networks are pissed about shrinking audiences. Unfortunately, finding a new way to measure shrinking audiences won’t do anything to fix the problem.

That’s not to say that Nielsen is perfect. There are certainly issues. Overall though, I think the ratings we see from Nielsen are pretty accurate. That’s based partly on how they gather the data, but also on my own observations of a host of different people and what it is they watch. Taking that out of it, even if you do believe that there are huge problems with the Nielsen numbers, do you have any reason at all to believe that a consortium including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Time Warner, and Viacom can do any better? Do you not think, even for a second, that they may have ulterior motives? It would make for interesting debate, should anything come of the consortium. Not unlike the two different polls in college football. Until we see the announcement result in some actual numbers though, there’s not much story there.

Now, getting to the week that was….

ABC - I really thought we were going to see some action here this week. The return of Millionaire! Remember how huge it was? Yeah, not so much anymore. The show was back with five episodes, and the numbers were what I would call middling. Sun (6.99m/1.6) Mon (7.24m/1.5) Tue (5.9m/1.3) Wed (6.4m/1.3) Thu (8.44m/1.9). Granted, that’s better than the network saw from Superstars or Japanese Gameshow, but I doubt the Millionaire bar was set at Superstars. The numbers are disappointing. Elsewhere, nothing really popped for ABC last week. Shark Tank (4.23m/1.3) bombed in its debut. Defying Gravity (2.81m/1) is still searching for an audience. Dating In The Dark (4.49m/1.7) continues to struggle without The Bachelorette. Better Off Ted (2.75m/.9 – 2.41m /.9) would have been better off being held for the fall. And Wipeout (6.1m/2.1) was pushed to 9 by Millionaire, resulting in the show’s worst numbers for the summer.

NBC - It was actually a pretty good week for NBC. The network managed to take three nights in viewers and the demo, thanks to NFL Preseason (7.09m/2.4) and America’s Got Talent on Tuesday (12.5m/3.4) and Wednesday (11.4m/2.9). The only other new programming was Great American Roadtrip (4.38m/1.2) and The Philanthropist (4.68m/1.4)

FOX - With the SYTYCD crew taking a few weeks off before the fall season begins, there wasn’t a lot to be had on FOX this week. The Teen Choice Awards (3.9m/1.4) kicked things off. Hell’s Kitchen (6.65m/3.1) was the only notable success. More To Love (3.86m/1.7) doesn’t seem to have caught on. And Mental (2.99m/.9 – 3.34m/.9) wrapped things up with two episodes on Friday, probably for good. Although, it did have more viewers than the Dollhouse finale. I’m just sayin….

CBS - Finally coming out of its shell, the network had something other than Big Brother to offer this week, although it didn’t really matter. The story continued to be Big Brother on Sunday (7.2m/2.5), Tuesday (6.88m/2.4), and Thursday (7.6m/2.6), and the Monday night repeats. The combination of the comedy block and CSI: Miami were once again enough to take the night in demo and viewers. Also worth noting is that Big Bang Theory (8.36m/2.7) topped Two and a Half Men (8.61m/2.4) in the demo. Could we finally see a new #1 comedy this fall? The rest of the lineup included the less than impressive debut of There Goes The Neighborhood (5.08m/1.6) and Neil Diamond: Hot Summer Nights (6.07m/1.2).

CABLE - TNT had some big news this week, with a renewal and a cancellation, of sorts. After averaging 3.8 million viewers for the season, Hawthorne was renewed. Meanwhile, it was also announced that Saving Grace will end after a nine episode run next summer.

Over at HBO, the news continues to be outstanding for True Blood (4.43m/2.3). That’s another series high. Going the opposite direction, we have Royal Pains (5.65m/1.5). Those numbers are still solid for cable, but the loss of the Burn Notice lead in led to the lowest rated episode to date.

Other random cable numbers this week include Comedy Central’s Roast of Joan Rivers (2.8m), VH1’s The T.O. Show (1.84m) and Real Chance of Love (2.52m), Syfy’s Warehouse 13 (3.35m), and TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8 (3.5m)

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Times have been pretty good for True Blood over the last couple months. It seems that almost every episode brings with it a new ratings record. Not that ratings are always the best measure of a show’s quality. In this case, though, I think they’ve been spot-on. The show really does just keep getting better. Or, rather, it did up until this week. “I Will Rise Up” felt like a bit of a step back. It wasn’t bad, mind you, but after the explosive showdown that it followed, some momentum was lost. Still, it did serve to move the various stories along, and send us off to the final three episodes.

I’m sure many people see it differently, but for me, the vampire story is much more interesting than anything to do with Maryann. And it really makes me wonder … part of my problem with the whole Maryann story is that it’s been so slow in developing, often feeling like we are spinning our wheels. Meanwhile, the entire Dallas vampire story came and went all too fast. I could have gone for those rolls being reversed. A couple more episodes of back-story for Stan and Isabel would have been a welcome thing. Godric, as old and powerful as he was, probably deserved a little more time, as well.

From the vampire half of the story this week, the best bit was from Eric and Sookie. I started getting my vampire lore confused in the aftermath of the bombing. I believed Eric when he said the silver was slowing his ability to heal. I know I’ve read that somewhere. Possibly the Anita Blake novels? At any rate, it’s an interesting addition to the impending Eric-Bill-Sookie triangle. It does turn Sookie against Eric initially, but moving forward, it hints at the possibility that they could be together.

Something we learned from Bill: he explained to Sookie that sexual attraction was another consequence of the blood. Unfortunately, she didn’t think to ask if that’s why she was into someone as mind-numbingly dull as Bill. Yes, I’m looking forward to Sookie going to Eric, and Bill becoming interesting. After Sookie’s dream, we know what the first part of that is going to look like. Hopefully, the loss of Sookie is what Bill needs to turn the corner.

The rest of the vampire story was ok. The bomb, of course, was one of those fancy TV bombs that doesn’t kill anyone actually important to the story. You could make a case that Stan was an important figure, but I think it’s pretty clear they were done with him. And Godric’s sacrifice was a little iffy on two fronts. First, I’m still not sure I understand why there needed to be a response. Wouldn’t it be clear to most normal people that the Newlins are off their nut? Fringe religions that stockpile weapons don’t have the best track record. Also, Godric came and went so fast that his loss didn’t really carry a lot of impact.

Meanwhile, back in Bon Temps, Maryann is still crazy, and wants to hang Sam’s entrails off the horns of her mask, or some such. I get it. She can bend people to her will and she’s a big bad woman. We don’t need another orgy, another set of black eyes, or another example of the shakey-shake. It’s past time for this story to start paying off. I’m ready to see someone stick Maryann’s “head in a bucket and kick it around the yard.”

That’s maybe a little harsher than it should be. I do still really like the show; I just think this story has been paced way too slowly, and I’m not convinced that Maryann will make for a better conclusion to the season than the Dallas story would have. With only three episodes left, I guess we’ll all find out soon enough.

Ivey will return to True Blood duty next week. He’s busy making his yearly pilgrimage to DEI in Mooresville, N.C. Say it with me! Earnhardt!!!!

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How can you not be stoked that USA’s Psych is back? I was so excited, I completely forgot one of the most quotable shows on television last week! Just because I love you guys, I mixed in last week’s quotes in with this.

What were your favorite quotes this week? Mine was from our very own Bob Degon, announcing some suspect news to the CliqueClack team:

“They’re remaking BSG… again… Oy.”

Psych

“Note to self: be rich one day.” — Shawn

“He’s allergic to rich, white people.” — Shawn, addressing Gus’ coughing to family of wealthy murder victim

“I hope you have a plan of how we’re gonna find this crashed plane. And I hope that plan doesn’t end up having us being eaten by a bear.” — Gus
“Don’t worry Gus. I have a secret weapon” — Shawn
“A larger bear-eating bear?” — Gus

“Here’s the thing, Robert: I am a psychic.” — Shawn
“We work for the Santa Barbara Police Department. We’ve solved over forty-seven cases. I’m also a pharmaceutical rep, if that means anything to you.” — Gus
“You’ve seen The Mentalist, right?” — Shawn
“Yes.” — Robert
“It’s like that.” — Shawn
“Except that guy’s a fake.” — Gus
“Right. If I were a fake psychic, it would be eerily similar.” — Shawn
“Exactly the same.” — Gus
“A virtual carbon copy.” — Shawn

“You guys believe in Karma, don’t you?” — Victim’s Daughter
“Yes we do, but only because we are Karma Chameleons.” — Shawn
“We come and go.” — Gus

“He then confessed to me that his billion-dollar hedge fund was a giant ponzi scheme.” — Burned investor
“Stop right there. I simply refuse to believe that Henry Winkler had anything to do with this.” — Shawn

Weeds

“Drop the pants; dunk the dean nuts.” — Doug to Dean, getting back at him for slamming his dick in a desk drawer last week

“I was gonna be a drug kingpin! I was gonna be Tony Montana! I got nothin’.” — Dean to Doug

“Stealing drugs from a drug lord. Bold. Hot.” — Andy to Audra, upon finding her stealing medical supplies from Esteban

“Doctor Teeth.” — Andy, claiming that he does indeed know some jazz musicians
“He’s a Muppet.” — Audra
“He’s a JAZZ Muppet.” — Andy

True Blood

“Spill no blood on your way out.” — Godric basically confirming we’ve (or at the least, most certainly I) got no clue what’s going on

“I gave you everything for a lie.  You’re worse than Judas.” — Sarah
“Why, what did he do to you?” — Jason

“He’s your maker, isn’t he?” — Sookie
“Don’t use words you don’t understand.” — Eric
“You have a lot of love for him.” — Sookie
“Don’t use words I don’t understand.” — Eric

“I don’t know what you heard, but those were screams of pleasure!” — Hoyt

“I reckon I’ve already been to heaven … inside your wife!” — Jason

“I’m actually older than your Jesus. I wish I could have known him, but I missed it.” — Godric

“They say I sodomized a pine tree. Must be true … My pecker’s got all kinds of scratches on it.” — Mike Spencer

“I’m a cadet with the Light of Day Institute. I’m strapped.” — Jason

Better off Ted

“It’s like looking into some bizarre alternate universe where I can drive a bull and wear tall shoes with throwing stars attached to them.” — Phil

Leverage

“Pack your bags everyone, we’re going to D.C. to make news.” — Sophie
[Pause]
“That’s when you wanna….” — Nate
“Oh, that right there, yeah.  Pack your bags everyone, we’re going to D.C. to make news! [walks away]” — Sophie
“…she’s walking into the closet.” — Nate

“Do I sound that creepy when I….?” — Nate
“Hell. Yes.” — Eliot

“These conspiracies aren’t real, right?” — Parker
“What do you mean?” — Eliot
“Like that one over there that says that all the major wars of the past fifty years are decided by members of The Council.” — Parker
“I’m not cleared to discuss that with you.” — Eliot
“Well you’re not a member of The Council, are you? Eliot? Eliot? Is he?” — Parker

“Loch Ness monster.” — Parker
“Loch Ness submarine.” — Haridson
“No!” — Parker
“Waters are cold and deep, it’s a perfect place for testing.” — Eliot
“Area 51.” — Parker
“True.” — Nate
“No, she said Area 51. 51.” — Hardison
“I’m sorry, false. It’s Area 52.” — Eliot
“Been there.” — Hardison
“Yup.” — Nate

The Closer

“I’m having a hard time getting this guy out of your box … That didn’t sound right.” — Dr. Terence to Brenda

Make It or Break It

“I feel like we’re trapped in a Coldplay song … which is its own level in Dante’s Hell.” — Not-Razor (Damon) to Emily

And Selections from the Virgin Diaries

Firefly

[Kaylee has expressed her belief that Simon doesn't swear]
“I swear… when it’s appropriate.” — Simon
“Simon, the whole point of swearing is that it ain’t appropriate.” — Kaylee

“[singing] The hero of Canton, the man they call ‘me’. [speaking] Eggs! The living legend needs eggs!” — Jayne

[upon seeing Serenity for the first time]
“Ship like this, be with you till the day you die.” — Malcom
“Because it’s a death trap.” — Zoe

Battlestar Galactica

“Athena tells me the upgrades should… triple the Fleet’s jump capacity.” — Helo
“Absolutely. And that’s conservative. Their technology-our technology, is way ahead of ours. Yours.” — the Chief
“Maybe you’d like a chart to keep it all straight?” — Tigh

“I don’t know anything about being a father.” — Hot Dog
“It sucks… except the parts that don’t.” — the Chief

Veronica Mars

“If college is a boy buffet, she’s got two full plates and a purse full of boys wrapped in napkin. Look at her … she’s like boynip.” — Mac about Parker

“The ’70s had the Hustle. The ’80s, the moonwalk. We have the faux-lesbian dance.” — Veronica, in a quote that’s sure to make Brett a happy man

House, MD

“[to Foreman] Not because you think I’m right. Its because you’re taking the safe route. You’re a wuss….  Don’t worry, you’re secret is safe with me [walks out the door]. Hey Wilson, guess what Foreman just did?!?” — House

“At the Boy who Cried Wolf, the wolf really does come.  And he eats the sheep, and the boy, and the parents….” — House
“He doesn’t eat the parents.” — Chase
“He does when I tell it.” — House

Related posts

• Quotations Marks – Eliot knocks Hardison, Weeds knocks hipocrisy, and FX showrunners knock NBC
• Quotation Marks – Brett really DOES watch Project Runway
• Team Leverage: Shining moments in the finale

(Season Two, Episode Eight)

Over the course of the first half of the season, True Blood has slowly diverged into two separate stories: one based in Dallas, and one in Bon Temps. While everyone (including myself) has been talking about how well the show has been doing, tonight’s episode put a very fine point on how one of these stories is significantly more interesting than the other.

Put simply, I’ve completely lost any interest in the Bon Temps storyline. The only thing that Maryann has brought to our favorite little Louisiana hamlet is a confusing, sleep inducing storyline. Sam in jail, Andy gone crazy, and Tara … well, Tara is a castrated version of the character we got to know last season.

In contrast, the goings on in Dallas, both at the Church and Godric’s hive, are a completely different story (literally and figuratively). Between the politics of the vampire world — which look to be completely rocked by Godric’s stance on human relations, and, frankly, rocked by Luke the suicide bomber — it’s a much more interesting storyline. Jason has completely changed his outlook, and his apology to Bill was a big step. And the hug was, well, cute. Lorena has served her purpose and will hopefully be moving on, at least for now, but she provided some nice conflict tonight.

The divide between the two was exemplified, in my eyes, by a series of scenes later in the episode. One, when Maryann forced the physical altercation between Eggs and Tara, and then moments later the line, “There’s no excuse for domestic violence” was spoken in Dallas, completely unrelated to the previous scene. I’m not sure that it wasn’t a piece of dramatic irony, but I’m also not sure that it was. It was just funny that they follow-up the only scene on the show I’ve ever been uncomfortable watching by reminding me why I didn’t like it.

Don’t get me wrong … there’s still a lot more that I love about this show than not, but that which I don’t like is quickly becoming fodder for the fast forward button.

Other stuff:

• When Hoyt and Jessica made it back home, you could just feel the tension slowing building, and my first thought was that someone was lying in wait to ambush them. What happened, though, was unexpected. I didn’t think anything could make my heart break for a teenage, sex-pot, vampire, but this certainly did.
• Godric has not been at all what I expected him to be. I figured him to be more like Eric, based on their relationship. His pardon of both Hugo and Lorena was pretty surprising.
• I wonder if there’s a cookbook on Maryann’s shelf that provided that recipe.
• Steve Newlin with the paintball shot to the head? Classic.
• If you had any doubts about Sookie’s … courage? (read: impulsiveness) … her pulling Lorena’s hand back should have put that issue to bed.
• Well, good ‘ole Luke has finally found his way of besting Jason. While I’m sure one of the vampires will be able to stop him before the bomb goes off, it still makes for an interesting cliffhanger.

Related posts

• Quotations Marks – Psych is back. Back again. Psych is back. Tell your friends.
• Quotations Marks – Eliot knocks Hardison, Weeds knocks hipocrisy, and FX showrunners knock NBC
• True Blood – Strange things are afoot at the Church of the Fellowship

You know spies — bunch of bitchy little girls. And this week in the ratings post, our favorite spies were beaten by some little girls. It was very close though, if that makes the shot to the ego a little easier to take for Sam and Michael. Those two were the headlines for what was a big week on cable. Also clocking in with records were True Blood, Warehouse 13, Kendra, Nurse Jackie, and Tori & Dean. Back on the networks, there weren’t really a lot of records to be had. Reality continued to rule with good outings from America’s Got Talent, Hell’s Kitchen, and So You Think You Can Dance.

Cable - Lots of good numbers on cable this week. Let’s start it off with the two big shows from the lead paragraph. Burn Notice (7.6m) had it’s ridiculous summer finale. Not that the show was ridiculous, it was actually very good, but the whole idea of a summer finale is. Aside from the fact that split seasons just break up the flow for viewers, the show is on such a great run, why stop now? Next week, there could be another new Burn Notice up against Grey’s, CSI, and House repeats, and a 68 year old movie. Instead, they’ve elected to wait ’til winter, when new Grey’s, CSI, The Office, and Fringe episodes are all in play. Ridiculous.

As mentioned earlier, while that was a great result for Burn Notice, it couldn’t match Nickelodeon’s results for iCarly’s “iFight Shelby Marx” (7.9m). I have no idea what iCarly iFighting Shelby Marx means for the world at large, because I’ve never actually watched iCarly, but 7.9m viewers is pretty dang impressive. Along similar lines, we have some numbers for recent episodes of Disney’s Phineas and Ferb (3.7m) and Wizards of Waverly Place (4.8m). Those are the second best numbers ever for Phineas and Ferb.

Also setting records, True Blood (4.3m) just keeps gaining momentum for HBO.  That is another series high. Hung (3.4m) and Entourage (3.3m) are both holding strong as well. Not to be outdone (OK, being outdone a little)… Showtime had a record as well. Nurse Jackie (1.36m) set a series high of its own. That came following Weeds (1.61m), which is notable because it’s up from the premiere of the season.

DVR numbers have rolled in for the second episode of Warehouse 13. The additional viewers bump the total to 4.15 million, making the July 14th episode the most-watched non-premiere telecast in the history of the network. Meanwhile, over at E!, Kendra (2.1m) called it a season. Not only is that better than the numbers for Girls Next Door, you have to go back to the Anna Nicole Show in 2002 to find a higher rated first season finale.

Oxygen had good news as well, with the finale for Tori & Dean: Home Again (1.47m). The show set a record for the network in the adult demos. Over at TLC, Jon & Kate Plus 8 (4m – 4.2m) returned to ratings that don’t match what they did before the breakup hiatus. And finally, not only did The Food Network get it right by choosing Melissa d’Arabian as the winner of Next Food Network Star (5.94m), they were also rewarded with a huge audience for the finale. Back at the networks, things aren’t nearly as exciting…

ABC - The week got off to a hopeful start, with the introduction of the new drama Defying Gravity (3.69m/1.1). With those numbers, those hopes were quickly dashed against the rocks, and the week continued on that path. Dating In The Dark (3.64m/1.6) took a hit not airing behind The Bachelorette. It should rebound next week when Millionaire is back. The Superstars (2.85m/.9) finale offered no help. And the lone bright spot for the week wasWipeout (7.76m/2.6). The rest of the new programming consisted of I Survived A Japanese Game Show (3.92m/1.4 – 3.61m/1.4), Surviving Suburbia (2.73m/.7), and The Goode Family (1.63m/.5).

NBC - Things were somewhat better for NBC, thanks to America’s Got Talent on Tuesday (12.66m/3.5) and Wednesday (10.13m/2.7). The rest of the week, however, is nothing to write home about. Sunday brought Merlin (4.46m/1.1) and The Storm (4.13m/1). Monday was Great American Road Trip (4.62m/1.3). And Wednesday also included The Philanthropist (4.35m/1.2). Perhaps they should have started Leno at 10 in the summer, where his numbers would look good.

CBS - It was another week with just Big Brother being offered as new programming. The show continues to be steady, if not outstanding, on Sunday (6.91m/2.2), Tuesday (6.61m/2.4), and Thursday (6.7m/2.3). It’s also worth noting that CBS won Monday night in viewers and the demo with repeats of the comedy block and CSI: Miami.

FOX - The big winner this week, based on the fact that they have more than one show doing solid numbers. Hell’s Kitchen (6.46m/3.1) is strong enough that it’s already been renewed for two more seasons. And So You Think You Can Dance called it a season with shows on Wednesday (7.59m/2.7) and Thursday (9.33m/3.4). Those finale numbers are notable, as the demo was up over the previous finale, and the 9.3m viewers was a season high. How that all translates to the fall installment is the tricky question. Elsewhere, More To Love (4.06m/1.9)  hasn’t caught on with viewers yet. Finally, Fifth Grader (4.4m/1.1) and Mental (3.26m/.9) wrapped things up with another FOX Friday.

Related posts

• Ratings Clack – True Blood can’t be stopped
• Ratings Clack – The Bachelorette goes out on top
• Ratings Clack – Summer TV is halfway over!

Another great quotation week in the world of Television. The great lines weren’t all just on scripted television, as it seemed to be the week of taking shots at NBC, and their … uh … suspect decision making as of late. Can’t say that I blame them. Welcome to the #nbcfail party, boys and girls of FX.

Leverage

“[after explaining how a cell phone is a metal detector] …are you even listening?” – Hardison
“Yeah.” – Eliot
“Well, what did I say?” – Hardison
“You were explaining how you’re still a virgin?” – Eliot

“Skylar?  Is that a boy’s name?” – Eliot

The Television Critics Association Press Tour

“They’ve clearly just said, ‘Look, we can’t develop. We can’t develop anything that’s going to stick. We have – clearly can’t find anything with any traction, so we quit.’” – Rescue Me showrunner Peter Tolan on NBC’s new Jay Leno show

“They should take down the American Flag from the building and put up a white one … They’ve given up.” – Tolan again

Burn Notice

“It looks like the sons of the Lucky Charm revolution are gearing up for battle.” – Sam

Warehouse 13

“[after discovering a feather he found allows the holder to walk through walls] Now THIS is one of those artifacts I’d really like to keep.” – Pete

“Use your feminine wiles. Smile. You’re pretty when you smile.” – Pete
“I am?” – Myka
“Yeah.” – Pete
“So what does that mean when I’m not smiling?” – Myka
“Kind of frightening.” – Pete

The Closer

“If Charlie’s going to be staying here, murder is part of the deal.” – Brenda

“Charlie, which would you rather? Museums with Grandma, or schizophrenic murder suspects with your Aunt Brenda?” – Brenda

Weeds

“[after he finished suckling her in the bathroom of a restaurant] You swallowed?” – Nancy
“Yeah, well; I don’t wanna be a hypocrite.” – Andy

Entourage

“I want you to keep an eye on Andrew Klein.” – Ari
“Keep an eye on him how?” – Lloyd
“Pretend he’s Zac Efron’s ball sack.” – Ari

True Blood

“I ain’t never done it before. With a girl I mean.” – Hoyt
“Well what have you done it with?” – Jessica

“Hugo, do me a favor. Just shut the fuck up.” – Sookie

“Say a prayer. You are going to hell, and you are going there today.” – Steve Newlin to Jason

And selections from the Virgin Diaries

House, M.D.

“TB is my disease” – Dr. Sebastian Charles
“You own a disease?  I’m sorry I missed the IPO on dengue.” – House

“You know the difference between our jobs is not numbers or styles. It’s that I know I’m going to fail.  Even if I save a million people there’s going to be another million. You couldn’t handle that. I think you resent anyone who can.” – Charles

“It’s not the size of the muscle, it’s where you get to put it.” – Mark

Six Feet Under

“We’ve been clutching so desperately to the past, and for what?” – David
“Because that’s when there was hope.” – Ruth

“Ruth, it isn’t the ’50s anymore. No matter how you dress.” – Margaret

“Oh, I wanna take a picture of everyone.” – Claire
“You can’t take a picture of this. It’s already gone.” – Nate

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

“Okay, let’s not say something we’ll all regret later, okay?” – Xander
“Crazy freak!” – Cordelia
“Vapid whore!” – Buffy
“Like that.” – Xander

“I don’t even get why you care about Homecoming when you’re doing stuff like this.” – Cordelia
“Because this is all I do. This is what my life is. You couldn’t understand. I just thought … Homecoming Queen. I could pick up a yearbook someday and say, I was there. I went to high school, I had friends, and, for one moment, I got to live in the world. And there’d be proof, proof that I was chosen for something other than this. Besides, [pumps the rifle] I look cute in a tiara.” – Buffy

“I don’t get this. The candy’s supposed to make you feel all immature and stuff, but I’ve had a ton and I don’t feel any diff- never mind.” – Xander

“[to Angel and Buffy] You’re not friends. You’ll never be friends. You’ll be in love ’til it kills you both. You’ll fight, and you’ll shag, and you’ll hate each other ’til it makes you quiver, but you’ll never be friends. Love isn’t brains, children, it’s blood — blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love’s bitch, but at least I’m man enough to admit it.” – Spike

Related posts

• Quotations Marks – Psych is back. Back again. Psych is back. Tell your friends.
• Quotation Marks – Butt cheeks, Buffy’s Graduation, and a yunkie
• Quotation Marks – Baiting, Treking, and Abstinence

This week’s See Jane Clack has me pondering vampires. Oh, the vampires I’ve loved and lost. OK, I’ve never really had them, but let’s just put it this way: while I’m watching the TV shows and movies, they’re all mine. When the show leaves the air, then I’ve lost them. Until I watch the DVDs, that is; then they’re mine again. Spike, Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), Mick St. John (Moonlight) … heck, even Barnabas Collins (Dark Shadows) was mine back in the day, but he was a little creepier than the aforementioned vamps.

But this week, I’m brooding over True Blood’s Bill Compton and Twilight’s Edward Cullen. These are two vampires I hold close in my heart, only in different ways….

A tale of two hairdos. I’m not so much into Edward’s messy hairdo. Really, I just want to take a brush to his head, and maybe a little shampoo, too. Good lord, I sound like a mom! I’m much more into Bill’s neat and tidy look. I mean, if a vampire has messy hair, it should be because *I messed it up. I’m just sayin’…

Ladies with moxie. The women these vamps hang with are feisty and fearless, and that’s putting it mildly. While Bella was pretty gutsy wandering off with Edward into the woods and being the guest of honor at his family home (full of vampires, mind you), Sookie is definitely way braver than I’ll ever be. She not only went to Fangtasia to talk with head vamp Eric, but she’s now embedded in the creepy Fellowship of the Sun Church to flush out the vamp-nappers.

Experience Counts. Edward is just a young pup in vampire years. He’s only 108 years old, and has been a vampire for 91 years. And you can tell, too. He’s awkward with Bella, unsure of himself, inexperienced. Bill, on the other hand, is 169 years old, which OK, isn’t that much older, but he was 38 when he was turned (28 in the books), and had a wife and five children. Let’s face it, he had learned a lot about women and relationships during his time as a human, and that shows in his relationship with Sookie. Yes, he was a little shy with her at the beginning, but he has no problem standing his ground. Unfortunately, this season that meant Sookie stomping off into the woods in the dead of night and getting attacked by a manead. Hmmm … maybe Edward wins in this category after all, even though his relationship with Bella caused her to be attacked by James. What can you say? Vampire love is dangerous business.

Hotness Factor. How do these two stack up in the hotness category? Well, let’s just say I wouldn’t kick ‘em out of my bed. Although after the gore-tastic scene with Bill and Lorena rolling around in bloody sheets in “Hard-Hearted Hannah,” I’d have to lay down some rules about the combination of blood and sex.

What say you? Who’s YOUR vampire daddy? Edward or Bill, or perhaps one of the other hot vamps who’s populated TV and movie screens?

Related posts

• See Jane Clack – Buffy/Spike vampire love, 24 doldrums, and freaky mannequins
• See Jane Clack: The Vampire Diaries vs. Twilight
• See Jane Clack – Sex, Vampires, Edward & Buffy

With the big TCA presentations going on, it’s been a pretty big week for TV news. However, all of the talk about what we can look forward to in the fall was trumped by one short little burst on Twitter, from Paula Abdul. She chose that unconventional venue to announce that she’s leaving American Idol. What does that mean for the show? With any luck, the beginning of a steady decline that ends in cancellation. Until we are visited by those glorious days, it looks like it will be business as usual.

Kara DioGuardi will be back. According to Mike Darnell, president of alternative at FOX, “Kara’s spitfire personality and sharp musical sensibility infused American Idol with a new energy last year.” Well, one man’s “spitfire personality” is another’s “bitchy haranguing.” Paula will be replaced during the auditions by a collection of pop stars. So far, that includes Katy Perry and Victoria Beckham.  I like that idea, but I hope they’re ready. Those are some awfully crazy shoes to fill. It’s unclear what will happen once the competition begins.

Lots of non-Idol news, after the jump.

• So You Think You Can Dance has a winner. I won’t spoil who it is, because it was just last night. You’ll have to click through the link to see, but you should click this link anyway. Liane Bonin at Hitfix does the best SYTYCD recaps.
• Paris Hilton is going to guest star on Supernatural. Crap. I know, I know, you have to trust Kripke. And he’ll probably find a way to make it not suck out loud. But still….
• Joss Whedon has a story for the next Dr. Horrible adventure. There’s not much more info available, but confirmation that the sequel is being worked on is good.
• Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer went and got engaged. If that’s not enough, their show, True Blood, also hit another ratings high this week.
• Laurence Fishburne’s character on CSI is getting a “makeover”. Yeah, that’ll do it. Unless that makeover includes some kind of Freaky Friday body swap with William Petersen, don’t look for a return to the Grissom numbers.
• Bryan Singer is making a miniseries for Syfy. It’s a six hour tale revolving around doomsday prophesies involving the Mayan calendar and the year 2012. I love crazy Mayan conspiracy, so this one has potential.
• NBC had a rough week at the TCAs. They spent most of their time talking in circles and avoiding actually answering questions. It prompted one critic to begin his inquiry with, “We’re sorry we keep asking questions that apparently we’re asking to the wrong people.”
• Battlestar Galactica was named Program of the Year at the TCA awards. Big Bang Theory, Mad Men, Bryan Cranston, and Jim Parsons also took home awards.
• “Good news everyone.” The OG Futurama cast has come to an agreement with the studio and will be part of the new episodes set to air next year.

Finally, the picture? That’s Katie Cassidy from the Melrose Place reboot coming this fall on CW. It has nothing to do with the news really, but isn’t it better than a picture of Paula Abdul?

Related posts

• CSI doesn’t need Gil Grissom
• Kara DioGuardi: Not the voice of reason I’d hoped for
• CSI with Fishburne scores big ratings, and is kind of dull

There were two epicenters to the craziness that was this week’s episode of True Blood: MaryAnn’s latest orgy going bad quick, and the shenanigans at the Church of the Fellowship of the Sun. To me, however, the stories at the Texas church continue to be considerably more engaging than whatever jacked up agenda the newly identified MaryAnn has.

Steve Newlin is much more of a mastermind than I gave him credit for (Side Note #1: more of doesn’t not mean an actual mastermind). Between having a mole inside the vampires, and whatever he did to both get, and keep, Godric in the basement, the man is a player, even if he does come across as an idiot.

I don’t think for a second that Sarah shot Jason with anything more than a tranquilizer gun. The bigger question is whether or not Sarah will turn him over to her husband, and run the risk of being found out, or just drop him off in the woods far from the Church grounds. I guess there is a third option of forgiveness, but I’m just not feeling that one.

Daphne has served her purpose, and seeing her go isn’t a big surprise. By “purpose” I mean to finally explain, in boring expositional form, what MaryAnn is, and an attempt at what motivates her (Side Note #2: Exposition can be boring, but delivering it through a beautiful, scantily clad woman can’t hurt).

As much as I usually don’t care much for Bill, I care less about his back story. At least last week the creepiness of the scene was worthy of some shock value; this week we just got to see a rather boring break up take place. And its bugging me: Can Hoyt and Jessica not hear what’s going on in the next room over?

Tidbits:

• Looks like I would have lost some money tonight if I’d taken those bets, as Barry, the other telepath, showed back up.
• Did Sookie develop a new power? I don’t remember her being able to read memories as much as just current thoughts.
• Derek pointed it out last week, but Sam showed tonight that he can turn into other animals.
• I can’t talk about Jessica and Hoyt enough. Blood scented candles? Cute.
• You’ve got to love how Jason, despite not having seen her all season, and with all the crap he’s been through, was instantaneously loyal to Sookie.
• Hey, remember that character Tara that we loved last season? Anyone seen her?
• The Lafayette we know and love is back. Is it just that he’s back in business, because the quick personality change was a bit odd.
• Eric is pissed, but I wonder how that will change when he finds Godric not chained up.

Related posts

• True Blood – What the hell is going on with Maryann?
• True Blood – Sex, lies, and sponge baths
• True Blood – Sookie provides a service, Jessica gets room service, and Jason gets a room