Usually, I try to stay clear of too many spoilers. Today, I don’t try so hard.

Guy of Gisborne, as played by Richard Armitage, is dead sexy. There. I finally said it out loud. It’s been two seasons coming. He’s a bad guy, I know, but his character arc this season has been splendiferous. And while the Sheriff of Nottingham, as rendered to us by Keith Allen, is not very sexy at all, his sheriff is deliciously evil.

In a way, it is disappointing to see Guy as a “good” guy. Don’t get me wrong. Getting to cheer for him and his curly dark locks has been fun, but when he’s good, he’s not brooding and for our little hearts to pitter patter, Guy of Gisborne needs to brood.

I thought it was a mistake to kill Marion at the end of last season. I still watched each episode expecting her to reappear, but it didn’t happen. Kate is a poor man’s Marion and we all know it. Killing Allan a Dale almost made me tear up. Killing Guy of Gisborne made me cry. It is also definite that part of his brooding eyes came from eyeliner. Watching Robin die with his Gladiator-esque soliloquy and walk through a field of wheat that magically appeared outside of Nottingham Castle made me weep like a baby. Then he went off into the woods to find himself a foxhole in which to die.

And there she was. As reported before the season. Marion coming to carry Robin off to Glory.

It was weird seeing Much without his scarf, seeing his hair, which prompted me to think, “wash that shit!” But dang if he wasn’t pretty without it. Who woulda thunk some greasy woodsmen/women could be so attractive.

I have a friend that won’t watch the BBC’s Robin Hood. He thinks he’s seen the story, that it’s been told so many times that there will be scant enjoyment and no expectation of entertainment. It’s a show you have to commit to, that’s for certain. Jonas Armstrong wasn’t able to pull off recrimination as well Richard Armitage. Despite the writing not letting the characters grow, Jonas Armstrong was the weakest link. However, am I glad he’s gone? No. Just like losing Marion, losing Robin Hood was hard. Jonas Armstrong is very charismatic and simply the right person thus far to pull off what the writers were giving him.

I predict that Archer becomes the new Robin Hood. It would have been interesting if Guy had lived to be the new Hood, but I can see how that wouldn’t work. If they do a 4th season [there's been rumours of a revamp] then the writers need to concentrate on growth arcs for characters where they grow strong in their convictions or move in new, more interesting directions. The problem with characters who are as utterly noble as the merry men of Robin Hood is that being saviours makes you lazy. You’re always in the right. Tuck is always able to figure something out (saving Robin, making Byzantine fire, etc.), John is always a hothead and that gives him strength, Much is always a little slow on the uptake but very handy in a fight, and so on and so forth. Maybe it’s time to start getting into their heads a little and messing around a bit, Dr. Frankenstein style.

Anyway, if there’s more, I’ll be there. If not, you did at least make me cry, which means I care. And you like it when I care.

If it’s between Cupid and the Unusuals, I think the Unusuals should win.

Cupid surprised me. Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson have a great deal of chemistry. The love stories are usually very interesting, not only in what they are, but how they end. Because I’m a sap, I found myself in tears at the ending of this week’s episode. Rob Thomas is a hell of a writer and I know that given time, we’ll see Cupid snared by Psyche’s (that’s right, we all know he should end up marrying his psychiatrist, Claire) own form of love arrows. Yes, the show is entertaining and sappy and well written, but it is not as good as the Unusuals.

When I heard the networks were coming out with two cop shows, I could feel my cop show heavy heart begin to buckle under the weight of anticipation. Based on the commercials, I expected the Unusuals to be somewhat a farce of cop shows, but what it turned into was a blend of the comedic and humourous that make life worth living. The craziness of being a cop in a city that is known for the ridiculous, the sublime and the just plain scary deserves a show that gives you all of that. Also, I was glad that this show moves away from the gritty type of show where the cops are no heroes. Amber Tamblyn as Detective Shraeger is excellent, Harold Perrineau and Adam Goldberg work so well together, I just want a show with the two of them and Kai Lennox who plays Eddie Alvarez basically steals every scene he is in.

I think I’m getting a knot in my throat just thinking about this show.

We all love Cupid and I know you’re tired of cop shows, but watch the Unusuals and see how it is different. The Unusuals is doing for cop shows what Bones does for forensic anthropological shows – add character, humour and heart.

I love television and as such, I have had to chose many times to watch one show over another. No, I don’t have a little box in my home recording everything, but I will watch House instead of Chuck, not because I don’t like Chuck, but because I like House more. I will watch Heroes instead of 24, because I kept hoping I would finally see an episode of Heroes that blew me away. 24 is doing a much better job of that, and I should have been watching it. I wish the network would keep both shows. They come on at different times and both are entertaining. But in the end, if ABC has to make a decision, I hope that it saves the Unusuals, even if it is at the expense of Cupid.

If you are not watching Life, you are missing out on some good television.

Good television can be defined by many parameters: Good storyline, good character development, good surprises… And you especially need good surprises for those of us who are tv weary. Well, we’re not really tv weary as we’ve watched so much television that we could easily write the next year’s worth of television cliches. Maybe you don’t like procedurals or cop shows (there are way too many cop shows on television right now). I say if you have to watch one cop show, it should be Life.

Or Bones. Okay, watch two cop shows. Let go of CSI. That ish is played out.

Life started out very similar to many cop show. The anti-hero, the damaged partner working together to solve crimes while underneath, something sinister is afoot. But those somewhat generic roles were given a very steady and consistently great boost from Damian Lewis as Detective Harry Crews and Sarah Shahi as Detective Dani Reese. There were murders, of course, and solving murders, bad guys, no good double crossers, people being shot at point blank range, trickery and stealing intel – everything you should find in a good cop show with an anti-hero. But Damian Lewis made Crews more than a guy bent on revenge. He made him a complete man with foibles, fears, strengths, and most of all, questions. Charlie Crews asked the questions no one thought to ask. I guess 12 years in a maximum security prison serving time for a murder you didn’t commit has its advantages.

One of those advantages was clearly on display for the finale part of this very well done finale. Hell, the whole season was well done. After getting the two partners comfortable with each other, Reese gets the chance to go to the FBI where she sees a picture of Crews with her dad, who is missing. At the same time, Crews gets a picture of Dani with Mickey Rayborn (the guy who Crews believe may be behind his getting sent to jail) on Rayborn’s boat. They both must take what they know of the other person to make a decision. Each decides to trust their partner and this is where it gets hairy.

Apparently the whole goddamn FBI works for Russian mobster Roman Nevikov and this is what drives us, quickly, to the finale. In the finale, we get a Reese who has grown so used to Crews that her words are barely indistinguishable from his. And she is right. Because the thing that connects her to Crews connects Nevikov to Crews. When we see the exchange of Crews for Reese, and Crews getting into Nevikov’s SUV, we are not prepared for what happens and even in that, we get the unexpected Crews joke we’ve come to expect.

That’s another thing about this show. In so many ways, weird ways, there is humour found. Whether it be moments after a stunning action or in the middle of an interrogation with a detective who has an odd tilt to his brain, Life found ways to add humour – necessary humour – to the show. The addition of Captain Kevin Tidwell, played with depth and brevity by Donal Logue, was a welcomed addition. I wasn’t sure how his character was going to go, but the New York attitude, the often pained expression he constantly wears, the soft spot for Dani Reese, and the humourous way he looks at things (or tells a story) made him fit right in with the rest of the group.

This show has done more than what I would ask of any show, but what I should expect from more shows. It’s given me a great storyline that doesn’t appear to be falling by the wayside any time soon. Charlie Crews was set up and it’s much more complicated than anyone knows. He’s gotten 3 pieces of the 7 layer puzzle. I look at the future for this show and see how it can continue what it’s trying to do. I also see myself enjoying it all the way to the end. The show has also given me great characters that I have grown to care about. When Dani screws up and sleeps around on Tidwell, I was angry with her for sabotaging herself. Also, as the show ends, I think that Crews realizes he loves someone and I think that someone is his partner. Yet as the next season commences, he has to deal with the intricacies of Reese’s relationship with their boss. Even Tidwell, as he storms the place where Nevikov is holding Reese, I feared for his life because Nevikov has proven that he could give a eff about life, anybody’s life but his own. Yes, you care about the characters as you watch each episode. Even the new girl, Detective Jane Seever played by Gabrielle Union, now beholdened to Mickey Rayborn, draws our sympathy because her dreams may now have strings attached. Good surprises include the end of the finale episode. Good surprises include how we got to this point. Good surprise pop up like Easter Eggs in a hunt for 2 year olds. They’re everywhere, they’re easy to spot, and they make this show all the better for them.

I’m not saying that Life is the best show on television. I’m just saying if you didn’t at least give this a shot past the writer’s strike, you’re a moron.

I’ve come to realize that the only reason I still watch the American version of Life on Mars is because it is ending. If there were a possibility for a 2nd season, not only would I not be watching, but I would be more vocal about not watching.

I caught this week’s episode and the way they did the whole “mind trick” thing, at the start was good, but the follow up, on the roof, made me want to hit someone. I have to give it up for Gretchen Mol because she really does a good job with the Annie character.

The one thing they do that I like is make me wonder just what the frak is going on. I mean, if the last episode airs and he wakes from a coma, I think I will be a little disappointed. I mean, all this and you do the exact same thing that the original did? Of course, I don’t want it to veer into sci-fi either, not because I don’t like sci-fi (and god knows I like sci-fi), but because the story just wouldn’t be right.

So, the last episode showing Thursday, April 1, 2009 will “explain” it all. What do you think the ending explanation will be? What was the perfect ending for the British show may not be so perfect for this one. Do you care? With it being cancelled, do you think, why give it the time? What do you guys think when it comes to Life on Mars (US)?

Anyone who doubts how good this season of 24 is, is out of their muthafrakkin’ minds!

Okay, let me be a little more writerly and subdued. Everyone can agree that last season’s 24 took a big dump on the high energy, high concept that is Jack Bauer running around, killing people, saving the world and living with the regret of his actions. Do I even really remember what last season brought? Not really. Do I care? Not really. But from the made for tv 24 movie with Jack in Africa until last night, this season has been a roller coaster – a roller coaster that we, for the most part, welcome. Last night was no exception.

After helping the government stop Jouma’s forces, all it takes is a guy taking out the internet for Jack to be back on the run from his own government again. Except this time, he is trying to find Quinn who killed Ryan Burnett and framed Jack for Burnett’s murder. He convinces Renee that he’s not a killer (well, not this time anyway) and she helps him find the guy who’s been trying to put him in jail, Senator Mayer. Mayer has information about the group Quinn works for and is convinced that they are somehow behind the Jouma attacks. Bauer then convinces Mayer that something is going on and maybe he’s been framed when Quinn shows up, shoots Mayer in the chest and goes after Bauer. Even hurt, Bauer remains the total ass-kicker. He takes off and sets a trap for Quinn and as I predicted, Bauer gets rid of this guy in one episode (Bauer is still top dog when it comes to this espionage shite). Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Renee is in holding, Morris helps the FBI figure out where Jack is heading and Chloe acts like a whiny little bitch because Morris saves her ass with a few keystrokes. When is she going to understand that as long as Jack has a one second head start, he’ll be okay.

We know who is pulling the Quinn trigger, but is there anyone else pulling the “that guy” trigger? How do you feel about this season of 24? What do you think of the absurdity factor, as New York Magazine likes to call it?

Nanny McDead. With a bleach bottle. In the Laundry. Who can say no to that case? Not Detective Beckett and certainly not Richard Castle, who is signing paperwork which delays his entrance into the case, but not for long. This episode, unlike the previous episode helps us see Beckett and Castle as more of a dynamic duo. The mystery seemed ridiculously easy. To my surprise, the mystery is well and happily complicated. If you’re a mystery buff, maybe you did as I did and suspected the husband. He was pretty sketchy in that first scene after finding the body. Meeting the boyfriend and finding out the wife lied – you start going through the suspects one by one, just like in a mystery novel, letting their true stories cancel them out one by one. By the time you realize who the killer is (and at what point did you figure the best friend, Chloe, was the killer?), you’re right with the detectives, which is not where you want to be when it comes to mysteries. You don’t want it to be at the end, in the laundry room where the murder happened, watching the crazy girl cutting her leg, unknowingly, with a knife when you know who the murderer is. You want it to be in the the park watching the cops talking to the girl, knowing that something is off and she is probably the killer. If the remainder of the mysteries in the series goes as well as this one does, all of you murder/mystery readers will want to be watching this show.

I have to say that I like Castle a lot more this episode. He does a great job, don’t get me wrong, in the first episode. It is in this episode where we see how his mind as a writer works. He comes up with good ideas. He knows what words to weave that will cast a spell on those who read his works or listen to him. He knows that he can do this and that gives him the cocky self assurance that he needs to do this sort of writing over and over again. With that kind of self assurance, it’s easy to forget that he doesn’t know a damn thing about police work or police procedure. He doesn’t know the first thing about being in that situation where you’re trying to make sure everybody gets out alive, even the bad guy. Because the bad guy in real life is not the same as the bad guy in the books.

When Castle comes home and his daughter tells him he’s starting to act like a cop, his sheer delight at feeling comparable to the group is hilarious. Fillion has convinced us that his character sees himself as sort of a cop. He knows many cop like things from his research, but this episode, putting them into practice proves more than he realized. From questioning suspects to making the right call in the case, he finds himself a little out of his depth. It is especially telling in the final scene with Chloe in the laundry room, with his exhale, that he has gone deeper than he expected. If you watch Fillion in the scene where Chloe says, “But she didn’t get it!” and raises the knife, Fillion’s Castle makes a move as if he wants to do something. He holds his breath waiting for the knife to drop. When it does, his visible relief is real. It’s scenes like this as well as the comedic scenes, that makes me feel like this show will work. In the next scene, a more subdued Castle jokes about his inability to follow orders, but his ability to come out virtually unscathed. Here is a character that is growing.

Each episode adds a layer of depth for the characters. When we find out that Castle took care of his own child, we learn that his mother did no such thing for him and that whatever makes the daughter so darned good, Castle has a hand in that. We also learn that, outside of losing someone she loved that brought her to police work (from last week’s episode), we find that she’s gotten her heart broken before, and it was bad enough to colour how she sees men, in particular men like the guy sleeping with two nannies, taking all they had to give and promising lies in return.

This is just episode number two, but I like Castle and I hope it stays around.