The Daily Beast: "Big Love Series Finale: Its 12 Most Memorable Moments" (UPDATED)

HBO's landmark drama series Big Love ended its run tonight with a fantastic series finale.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Big Love Series Finale: Its 12 Most Memorable Moments," in which I select the twelve best moments from Big Love's entire run, including tonight's series finale, and allow you to relive these searing moments, thanks to our wonderful video team.

Did your favorite moment make the list? Head to the comments section to discuss.

The Daily Beast: "Big Love Series Finale: Its Ten Most Memorable Moments"

HBO's landmark drama series Big Love wraps up its run tonight with a fantastic series finale.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Big Love Series Finale: Its Ten Most Memorable Moments," in which I select the ten best moments from Big Love's run ahead of tonight's series finale and allow you to relive these searing moments, thanks to our wonderful video team.

Be sure to check back after the episode when I unveil my two additional moments from the series finale, which is gripping and emotional, to say the least, as well as my thoughts about the show's end.

Did your favorite moment make the list? How do you think tonight's series finale will wrap up the last five years of storylines? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Doctor Who: "Space" and "Time" (Red Nose Day 2011)

"This is how it ends... Pond flirting with herself."

While Doctor Who doesn't officially return until next month, BBC One has given us a little glimpse of the Doctor (Matt Smith), Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), and Rory (Arthur Darville) in Steven Moffat's Red Nose Day mini-episodes, "Space" and "Time," which can be viewed below.

Hoping to sneak a peek at Amy Pond flirting with herself, the TARDIS materializing inside itself, and a gag about a skirt, a driver's test, and a glass floor? You've come to the right place. Allon-y!

"Space"



"Time



Season Six of Doctor Who begins with "The Impossible Astronaut" on April 23rd on BBC One and BBC America.

PaleyFest 2011: Details From NBC's Community Panel

Everybody now: Pop Pop!

Last night marked Community's second time at the annual Paley Festival and the evening, moderated by The A.V. Club's Todd VanDerWerff, was a celebration of the off-kilter NBC comedy and its cast and crew, which came out in full force (save Donald Glover and Alison Brie, who were shooting) for this hysterical and fun session.

The evening began with a screening of this week's upcoming episode of Community ("Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy"), written by Andy Bobrow, which featured guest star Enver Gjojak (Dollhouse) as Luka, a friend of Troy and Abed's with whom Britta becomes romantically involved. I don't want to give too much away about the episode--it was hysterical, after all--but I will say that it involves war crimes, kidnapping charges, Chang smoking a pipe, and Kickpuncher III, as well as Gillian Jacobs' Britta creating chaos in her wake and the pregnancy/paternity subplot swirling around Yvette Nicole Brown's Shirley.

In true meta fashion, creator Dan Harmon introduced an introduction to his introduction, before seguing into the screening of "Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy." If you've never watched an episode of Community alongside hundreds of other fans, you truly are missing out as the audience roared with laughter and seemed to love this remarkable series as much as I do.

So what did the cast and crew have to say about what's coming up on Community? Let's take a look.

Harmon was loath to spill too many details about what's ahead this season on Community, which--for shame!--still hasn't been renewed for a third season. Still, producers said that they are hopeful for a renewal. As for what's coming up...

"We are going to tell some stories," he said, in true Dan Harmon style. "Shirley's got to drop the papoose."

Meanwhile, we'll see the one-hour season finale "sequel" to "Modern Warfare" that features Lost's Josh Holloway. Executive producer/director Joe Russo said that the installment was a "Sergio Leone homage" and "almost killed" them making it. Harmon and Co. are keeping details about the episode firmly under wraps, however. "When we found out that Sawyer was coming to Greendale, it was like Christmas morning," said Brown, admitting that the entire cast are huge Lost fans.

But Harmon did tease another upcoming episode, a "memory episode," which will be Community's version of a clip show, with 75 scenes, all new, from "episodes that don't exist," according to Harmon. It's their take on the traditional sitcom clip show, but with a twist that only Community could pull off. (This sounded AMAZING.) Brown said that the episode is "rich with things in the background of each scene" and said to pay attention to the details in the scenes.

For his part, Joel McHale joked, "We're doing a parody of Small Wonder and Bridge on the River Kwai," when posed with the same question. But Danny Pudi did spill one detail, as he said that Abed will be doing a critical analysis of Who's the Boss? in an effort to determine once and for all just who the boss really was.

Additionally, he writers will address the issue of whether Pierce is in fact redeemable after his behavior in such episodes as "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" and "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking." (If you missed my take on Pierce and Chevy Chase from a few weeks ago, you can read "The Problem with Pierce" here.)

Chase said Pierce just wants to be accepted by the group and that he has the "mind of a 13 year old." "It's so close to who I am," said Chase, who said that he's just playing himself as Pierce. Semi-seriously, I think. "I get one fan letter a week now," he said. "Before I was on the show, I got 2000-3000." (But lest you think that Chase sat back demurely during this panel, that wasn't quite the truth: a gag involving his mic cord occurred within the first few seconds of the panel and a way-too-loud nose blow occurred when Danny Pudi answered a question. When the panel all praised Chase's performance in the Dungeons & Dragons episode, Chase answered, "What's D&D?")

Gillian Jacobs said that a lot of the physical humor comes from her awkwardness as she doesn't have a lot of grace. "It's been really great to go from the girl on the pedestal to 'you're the worst, please leave'!"

About the now famous Christmas claymation episode, Danny Pudi said that he wasn't concerned about all of the depressing stuff in that episode because "it was in clay." But as Pudi began to talk about how surreal it is to be sitting up on stage at a Community panel or have a special airing on Christmas Eve (the claymation episode was repeated that evening), Chase interrupted his answer with the aforementioned nose-blow. (Le sigh.)

Later, Pudi was asked about the "Brown Jamie Lee Curis" line and said, "It's so true! I never realized it!"

Joel McHale said that we will eventually meet Jeff's father, and joked that he's a centaur. But McHale also said that he hopes that Jeff's issues will be explored in Season Three of Community, which led the audience to applaud and cheer. "Much like erosion, it takes a long time for people to change," said McHale of Jeff Winger.

Jim Rash told a hilarious story about the costume fitting for Dean Pelton's recent Uncle Sam costume (or, sorry, his sister's Uncle Sam costume) and said thathe wants to see Dean Pelton's "dirty, dirty" apartment and joked his whole place would be "black-light." Harmon spun the audience a hypothetical plotline in which we'd see the study group at the start of the episode--with Shirley considering eating something else, Troy thinking of growing a mustache--and have the scene interrupted by the Dean and then follow him out and have the whole episode focus on Dean Pelton, only to wrap up at the end with Troy's mustache, etc. (Let's just say that the crowd loved the idea.)

And we will see Dean Pelton's midriff, apparently, as well as more "shirtless Jeff Winger."

There was a huge round of applause for the Community staff writers sitting in the audience as the house lights came up and the writers stood up. Harmon joked that he did a weird "Howard Hughes thing" during the first season, writing alone in his house, but this season he really used his writing staff and understood what can come from team writing and those writer all-nighters. "This season, if you like it more it's because of the writing staff," said Harmon.

Asked for their favorite current television comedies, Ken Jeong said that he loves Parks and Recreation (go, Pawnee!); Jacobs, Brown, and Pudi all love 30 Rock, and Harmon said that the show that makes him laugh the most right now is HBO's The Ricky Gervais Show.

Harmon said Jeff's recent slam of Barenaked Ladies was not a slam against The Big Bang Theory. He honestly had no idea they sang the theme song to the CBS sitcom that airs in their timeslot.

(To the audience member whose question was really just an opportunity to issue Magnitude's "Pop Pop!" I'd like to tip my hat at you.)

In the "That's nice" category, Yvette Nicole Brown's answer about the role Twitter and social networking among the cast and crew of Community. As the others cracked jokes about Brown retweeting Reverend Run quotes Brown said, "This is gonna sound corny but they're called followers and I feel like we should lead them somewhere positive."

Wait, a heartfelt moment among the laughter? It wouldn't be Community without it. Thanks to the cast and crew of Community for a fantastic evening.

Community airs Thursday evenings at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC.

The Daily Beast: "15 Reasons to Watch TV This Spring"

Yes, spring is finally here (or thereabouts, anyway), and that brings warmer weather and, very fortunately, a slew of new and returning television series.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can check out my latest feature, "15 Reasons to Watch TV This Spring," which includes a look at such series as Mildred Pierce, Game of Thrones, The Borgias, The Kennedys, Camelot, The Killing, Body of Proof, Upstairs Downstairs, and returning series such as Nurse Jackie, The United States of Tara, Treme, Doctor Who, Top Chef: Masters, Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the NBC premiere of the final season of Friday Night Lights.

What are you most excited about that arrives on the airwaves between now and May? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Falling or Floating: The Bell Tolls for Thee on Fringe

Hmmm, it appears that a father's love will drive men to do some horrific things in order to save their sons.

On this week's episode of Fringe ("Os"), written by Josh Singer and Graham Roland and directed by Brad Anderson, I couldn't help but notice the parallels between Walter Bishop and Alan Ruck's Dr. Crick (itself a likely shout-out to DNA visionaries Watson and Crick), who was experimenting on wheelchair-bound subjects in order to find a way to help his son walk again.

We've seen the consequences of Walter Bishop's actions and, as we're often told on Fringe, that long road to hell is paved with the best of intentions. Walter passed through the veil separating two universes in order to save Peter's life, but in that case, his love for his son, may have inadvertently destroyed two worlds as a result.

And, like Walter, Crick crossed a number of moral (and legal) boundaries in order to save his son, to transform his life for the better. But in this case, his son didn't need fixing because he never saw himself as broken. The sacrifices Crick made--and the deaths of his subjects/victims--along the way only made the inevitable discovery of what he was doing all the more worse in his son's eyes. All he ever wanted was his father's love and support.

While there were some nice thematic parallels going on in this week's episode, the case itself wasn't all that interesting (I predicted from the first second that muscle atrophy was mentioned that the thieves were wheelchair-bound) and felt lifted from Season One in a way. A little predictable and pat, but the science behind it--bonding the heaviest element on earth to lutetium created something lighter than air, an impossibility brought on by Walter's tampering with the laws of physics--was intriguing and Ruck gave a great performance as a father doing whatever possible to take care of his son.

But it was the other plots in "Os" that made the episode shine for me: the cameo appearance of Lost's Jorge Garcia as a Massive Dynamics security watchman who enjoyed a bong with Walter at the beginning of the episode; Olivia and Peter's uneasy courtship (and the game of truths); and the revelation at the very end of the episode that Walter was right about William Bell's "soul magnets."

I will say that while I've praised Anna Torv in the past (particularly during her breakdown scene after returning to the prime reality), I thought she was outstanding this week, particularly in her impression of Leonard Nimoy, which was spot-on. Walter was correct that Bell had engineered a way to contact him from beyond the grave and that the bell he bequeathed to Nina upon his death was the instrument that would activate his soul magnets and send Bell to them.

What no one predicted, I think, was that Olivia would be the vessel for such contact, though the connections between Olivia, Bell, and that bell have been established throughout the series. I didn't see that twist coming and it managed to be both eerie and surprising at the same time, a spooky reveal that occurred just as Peter was finally opening up to Olivia about the secret work he was doing in the lab. (Can't these two ever catch a break, I ask?)

While Olivia and Peter seem to be doing okay in their nascent relationship, I'm concerned that those secrets--the ones Peter was finally confessing to Olivia--will get between them in the end. And with William Bell currently inhabiting the body of Olivia Dunham, it's safe to say that their courtship is currently on hold for the time being.

(I also loved the mention of licorice in this week's episode. If you read my feature on Fringe over at The Daily Beast, you know what I mean.)

What did you think of this week's episode? Head to the comments section to discuss.

On the next episode of Fringe ("Stowaway"), the investigation of an apparent suicide reveals another set of fingerprints that lead to a woman with unique abilities.

The Nature of Sacrifice: Shots Ring Out on Big Love

"The age of false prophets is over."

As we near the end of Big Love's run next week, the notion of sacrifice hovers over the action, with each of the characters being forced to come to terms with their own personal divinity as they weigh the outcome of their actions. For every mother who strives to give their child a better life at the expense of their own happiness, there's another who puts their own insecurities and shame onto their offspring. It seems as though we truly can't even outrun out pasts, much less escape them. There's always a way that the past--whether it be a crazed gunman out for bloody vengeance, a corrugated iron washtub, or our formative experiences in childhood--manages to catch up with us.

On this week's tension-laden episode of Big Love ("Exorcism"), written by Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa and directed by Adam Davidson, the past didn't so much as sidle up to the Henricksons as it did throw a bucket of acid in their faces, forcing them to contend with the mistakes they've made, the things that have divided them, and the strength it takes to hold together in times of crisis.

Things have never looked quite so dire for the Henrickson clan. With a possible indictment coming down on Bill, along with what could end up being a twenty-year jail sentence, the Henricksons are in lockdown after Nicki's kidnapping at the hands of her deranged brother, who is gunning for them. Every relationship within the series is pushed to its breaking point here: the central marriage between Bill and his three wives seems to be hanging on by a thread, Nicki and Cara-Lynn are locked in the sort of war that only mothers and daughters best understand, and Ben and Heather, poised on the cusp of happiness, have their future threatened by the manipulations of Rhonda Volmer.

Just how can they hold together under such pressure? And just how will creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer manage to wrap up five years' worth of storylines next week?

I'm still of the mindset that there's only one way for this story to end, and that's with the restoration of balance at Juniper Creek. The prophethood was stolen by Roman Grant from the Henricksons decades earlier and we've seen throughout the series' run how both his and Alby's abuses have led to the twisting of the Principle and the ignorance and fear that have gripped the compound and the followers of the faith. There's a literal bulldozing of the past here as Bill holds a press conference and oversees the demolition of the UEB building, tearing down the building that represented Roman's reign and the physical fences and obstacles he erected around the compound, separating Juniper Creek from the outside world.

But it's the nostalgic scene enacted at the once-glorious "big house" by Lois Henrickson that brings the point home: this was the house that Lois grew up in as a girl, one that was taken from the Henricksons, just as the Grants took their legacy as prophets. It's only fitting then that Bill should be the one to restore the balance disrupted by that fateful drive between Roman and Bill's grandfather, by becoming the true prophet of their faith, a reformer and idealist who wants to bring the Principle into the 21st century rather than keep it in the darkness.

(Interestingly, I can't help but wonder whether Bill's beliefs will finally dovetail with Barb's newfound belief that women should hold the priesthood. While Barb has found a new church that allows women to serve as priests--though it denigrates plural marriage--it could be possible that the new Eden that Bill creates at Juniper Creek might be one that finally allows for equality between the sexes. Hmmm...)

However, Bill's own ideals are in jeopardy by the decisions he's made and by those statutory rape charges hanging over his head. Will he choose to sacrifice his own happiness, his time with his wives and children, in order to see man's justice served? Bill was quick to point out that he would never have entered into a relationship with Margene had he known her true age, and to separate himself and his motivations from the actions perpetrated by Cara-Lynn's teacher Greg, whom Bill views as a "predator."

For her part, Cara-Lynn would seek to find some equality between the two instances, despite the fact that Greg was fully aware of Cara-Lynn's age. What's truly depressing here is that Cara-Lynn can't see the difference nor appreciate the opportunities she's been given in life, opportunities that her mother loves to tell her were shut off to her as a teenager. Nicki's been living vicariously through Cara-Lynn for some time now, savoring the experiences of freedom and possibility that Cara-Lynn has available to her. But Nicki also seems to want to instill the same sense of shame and humiliation that she had drummed into her, something that no one else--not Roman or Alby or JJ or anyone--managed to do to Cara-Lynn.

However, the vicious conversation between the two in Cara-Lynn's bedroom doesn't need to necessarily be read as an indictment of Cara-Lynn, but rather as a soliloquy that Nicki is engaged in. The words she speaks might seem to be directed at Cara-Lynn, but they're also internalized, the words she can't dare admit to herself, the fears and insecurities she's carried with her for her whole life: fears that she's unloved, unworthy. That she's a liar and a manipulator, that she's an evil creature that no one could possibly love.

Are these two the same? In some respects, they are; they're trapped in an eternal loop of action, their individual behaviors overlapping with one another, their fates sealed unless one of them can break the cycle. Nicki tries to have Cara-Lynn sent away to be reprogrammed and broken down because she can't get through to her, but she fails to see that this is how her own parents dealt with her, that she's perpetuating the cycle of abuse rather than freeing her daughter from it. That for all of her vicarious experiences, Cara-Lynn would throw her mother's love back in her face rather than renounce her lover. In looking to free Cara-Lynn from the compound, Nicki set up yet another set of prison walls for Cara-Lynn to scale...

And Nicki's breakdown after the truth about Cara-Lynn comes out would seem to support this line of thinking, her words revealing that she has failed her daughter in so many ways and, perhaps, failed to stop her from becoming just like her. But, in an act of forgiveness and acceptance, Bill tells Nicki that her entire family loves her and that their love is itself a part of Heavenly Father's love, connecting their relationships to something divine and eternal.

All three wives, meanwhile, must contend with the very real possibility that they'll be separated from Bill, if he's sentenced to twenty years in prison and that, as the legal wife, only Nicki will be allowed to have conjugal visitation rights. (In an act of denial, Margene says they should all leave on a mission together to Africa, someplace that the law can't get them but they can all be together.) But it's not just their sexual needs that the wives are concerned about, Barb in particular: it's the emotional and spiritual needs that will go wanting as well. But what is an earthly prison sentence when it comes the eternity that they will all share together, a celestial kingdom that awaits on the other side of the veil? Those other things, they're necessary sacrifices that they'll have to make. And one would imagine the Henricksons would be used to sacrifices now.

(Hell, Cara-Lynn offers a physical one, setting her math textbooks on fire in the backyard, a pyre of rage and resentment, of crushed dreams and injured feelings. And even Alby this week speaks of sacrifice, saying "No one has sacrificed more than me. I've struggled to stay true.")

Ben, meanwhile, struggled to find a way to tell Heather about his infidelity with Rhonda Volmer after Rhonda threatened to tell Heather herself unless Ben married (!!!) her and looked after her. While Ben admitted that he did have feelings for Rhonda and doesn't want her to dance in "those places," he also feels that he's meant to be with Heather. Rhonda, however, doesn't make things any easier, telling Heather what passed between her and Ben and rubbing her nose in the fact that Ben will now forever compare sex with her to sex with Heather. When Ben says that he can have both of them, Heather throws a milkshake at him and runs off. Could it be that Ben might forsake the Principle in order to be with Heather? Or is he showing his true colors here? Is it not possible for him to be in a monogamous relationship?

In this week's episode, Bill faces down Alby not once, but twice. And, if I'm being honest, I thought that each time someone close to Bill would end up getting killed as a result. When Bill and Barb walk in on Alby and Adaleen at the Juniper Creek Dairy, I was fairly convinced that Barb wouldn't be walking away, especially after Adaleen pulled that gun on her. (Though, despite the fact that Alby charged his mother with the killing of Bill Henrickson, I don't know that Adaleen would willfully kill Bill or Barb, though I could see her trying to protect her son.) Despite the conversation earlier in which Bill said he didn't trust Barb anymore, he doubles back to his wife when he hears screams from inside the store, letting Alby escape in order to safeguard Barb. If that's not love, I don't know what is.

But it's the showdown in the halls of the State Capitol building that had me truly on edge. After the "empty" elevator and Salty's expression, I had a feeling that someone was not going to be walking away from this, particularly as Margene had only minutes earlier excused herself to go to the bathroom. With Margene on her own, an armed Alby stalking the halls, and his irrational quest of "holy" vengeance on the table, it would naturally come down to gunfire in the heart of state politics. But as Bill goes after Margene, it's actually Margene who saves Bill, distracting Alby enough that he misses the shot at Bill and allowing Bill to shoot him in the arm.

It might be over for now, but it's not over for a longshot. And it was interesting to me to see how each of the family members dealt with seeing Bill standing over Alby with a gun pointed at him. While the wives may have escaped with their lives intact, it's Nicki who wants Bill to pull the trigger, verbally willing him to do so under her breath, to enact revenge, to payback Alby for the injuries he's dealt this family. So the question that lingers over that ending is whether Bill enacts his own justice or hands over Alby to man's justice, to the same legal system that's coming after him. The sacrifice of vengeance is a sacrifice nonetheless, but it also makes me wonder if Bill sees that he too should place himself in the hands of the legal machine, to hope that his faith will preserve him and save him and that his own innocence will prevail. We'll have to wait until next week to see...

What did you think of this week's episode? Were you as convinced as I was that one of the wives would not be walking away? And just how will Olsen and Scheffer end the series next week? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Next week on the series finale of Big Love ("When Men and Mountains Meet"), Bill charts out contingency plans for the family, while orchestrating a last-minute preemptive referendum on the senate floor; Barb goes forward with her plan to join a reform-minded church; Margene contemplates taking a hiatus to serve as a volunteer abroad; Nicki despairs being left alone as her family splinters; Cara Lynn considers a return to her roots; Ben enlists Rhonda to help him win over Heather; Don shares some bad news with Bill about Home Plus; as Easter arrives, the Henricksons receive heartening support from their polygamist constituents, briefly lifting the dark cloud thatʼs been hovering over the family since Billʼs election; an unexpected vision leads Bill to a final confrontation with his most deeply-held beliefs.

VIDEO: Doctor Who Opening Credits, Buffy Style

Buffy the Vampire Slayer might be long gone (sadly) and Doctor Who doesn't return for a few more weeks (darn!), but that doesn't mean that you can't smush the two together into something as fun as a jaunty bow-tie.

In this case, this means mashing the familiar opening credit sequence of Buffy with the visuals of the Matt Smith-era Doctor and his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), with a special appearance by Alex Kingston as River Song, of course.

You can watch this lovingly crafted homage to both Buffy and Doctor Who below.



Season Six of Doctor Who kicks off on April 23rd on BBC America.

The Daily Beast: "Fringe Under Fire" (And 8 Burning Questions Answered!)

It's Friday, which means a brand-new episode of FOX's Fringe is heading to your screens tonight.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Fringe Under Fire," in which I talk to executive producers Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman about Fringe, its renewal prospects, why science fiction dramas have proven tricky at the broadcast networks of late, lessons learned from Lost and Alias, and the show's innate philosophical leanings (something I've written a great deal about at this site).

Also, Pinkner and Wyman answer eight burning questions about Fringe--from Olivia's powers and stepfather to the Observers, Sam Weiss, and Peter's doomsday device, and more--in the gallery-based sidebar.

Fringe airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

Game of Thrones Poster Revealed: You Win or You Die

HBO has today unveiled the official poster for its upcoming launch of Game of Thrones, kicking off Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT.

Depicting Ned Stark (Sean Bean) on the Iron Throne, it's a stark (heh) use of imagery that highlights the violent nature of the show's plot and the war that threatens to overtake the land of Westeros. When men play at the game of thrones, who will win and who will pay the heaviest price?

The poster's tagline? "You Win Or You Die." Fitting, no?

You can check out a larger version of the poster below...



Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 17th on HBO.

PaleyFest 2011: Details From NBC's Parks and Recreation Panel

Welcome to the home of the world famous Julia Roberts... lawsuit. To the Paris of Indiana. Welcome to Pawnee.

It was clear, as the cast and crew of NBC's painfully funny and wickedly sweet Parks and Recreation gathered on stage last night as part of the 2011 edition of the Paley Festival, that there's as much love for the series coming from the actors than there is coming from the audience.

"I think this is the beginning of us being around for a long time," said Amy Poehler about Parks and Recreation reaching its stride. The numbers have climbed during the long-delayed third season, which made the move to the plum post-Office timeslot in January.

Though Poehler was quick to poke fun at moderator Michael Ausiello of TVLine for issuing a backhanded compliment about the underrated first season of this winning comedy series. "It's a bit like saying that your baby used to be ugly and is now cute," said Poehler on reactions to Season One, which she termed an "amuse bouche, for all you Top Chef fans out there."

Nearly everyone praised Poehler for the professional and warm tone she sets for the entire cast and crew. (It really does all trickle down from the top, if I'm being honest.)

"Writing for this cast is like a writer's dream come true," said co-creator Mike Schur. "Each of them is a Swiss Army Knife."

One of my favorite quotes had to be from Poehler about Leslie Knope at the start of the panel, as she described Leslie as "part Girl Scout, part pioneer, and zero game."

There was one bit of newsworthy business that had to be dealt with before the evening got under way and that was the rumors swirling about Rob Lowe, who joined the cast of Parks and Rec last season as eternally optimistic Chris Traeger. Mike Schur said there is "no truth" to rumors about Rob Lowe joining the cast of Two and a Half Men and replacing Charlie Sheen. Lowe, said Schur, is under a multi-year contract. As for why Lowe wasn't there last night, Schur said he was looking at colleges with his kids back East.

(Aubrey Plaza, meanwhile, had her own choice words to Sheen, issuing a deadpan proposition to the former Two and a Half Men star that insinuated that she'd do anything for him, no matter how dirty, and that he should "find [her] on Twitter.")

So what else did the cast and crew of Parks and Rec have to say? Let's take a look and what lies ahead for the gang in Pawnee and some other interesting tidbits...

Leslie. "The second half of the season will be about how [Leslie's] profile is heightened" as a result of Harvest Festival," said Schur about the professional arc facing Ms. Knope after next week's "Harvest Festival" episode, with Leslie becoming something of a local celebrity in Pawnee.

Ben. As for Ben (Adam Scott), the nascent romance between him and Leslie will provide a bit of a throughline for the remainder of the season, as they "tap-dance" around each other. "Leslie had had many suitors but this is the first one that's interested in the same thing she is," said Poehler about Ben. As for whether Ben has a shot with Leslie, Poehler said, "Leslie is like a single mom and Pawnee is like her kid. And if you treat her kid well, you might get to have sex with her."

Ann Perkins! "Ann turns into a real slut," said Poehler about Ann's upcoming romantic arc. "She goes on a Rumspringa."

April and Andy. Andy and April are "on a rollercoaster". They like each other a lot and are just hanging onto the outside of it, said Schur.

Asked why Andy is so much more lovable now than when we first met him in Season One (when he was taking advantage of the good graces of then-girlfriend Ann after falling in the pit), Nick Offerman said, "Andy met a man named Ron Swanson, and now he has much better manners."

Tom. Tom will invent a beverage called Snake Juice this season, though I hope it tastes better than Tommy Fresh's "teriyaki hairpiece," um, odeur. ("Eventually one of Tom's inventions will hit... in Season 9," said Schur.) As for Tom's personal life, Aziz Ansari said, "I secretly want Usher to play Tom's brother."

Mayor Gunderson. We were promised that Mayor Gunderson WILL eventually be seen on the series. Poehler wants Bill Murray to play him, a casting note that had everyone in the audience cheering. ("He'd only have to work three hours," promised Poehler.)

Among the other details revealed last night:

• Aubrey Plaza says Amy Poehler was one of her comedy heroes when she was in high school. Aw. The two worked on Saturday Night Live at the same time, when Plaza interned in the art department, though she said that Poehler never said one word to her. Amy rejoined, "I was busy!"
• "You can make so much fun of him and he doesn't care, because he's so good looking," said Rashida Jones about her co-star Rob Lowe.
• Aubrey mentions that because she's "so young" she didn't know who Rob Lowe was when he arrived for his first day of work last season. Poehler's reaction? "Oh, shut up, Aubrey."
• Poehler wants to see Louis C.K. back on Parks and Recreation, especially to see him work with Adam Scott. In fact, she was the one who suggested Louis C.K. for the role, which was originally written as a handsome, buff local cop. (Amy won out in the end.)
• Asked by an audience member for their favorite fictional characters, several actors named Omar Little from The Wire, though Schur admitted that no fictional character makes him laugh as much as Cookie Monster.
• Retta told a story about how she didn't really have any lines in the first season until Amy started ad-libbing with her. "Where'd you get that leaf?" Leslie asked, referring to a leaf Donna had pinned up on a bulletin board behind her desk. "Outside," deadpanned Donna. (HA!)
• In other Retta news, she said she almost passed out at the table read for "Ron & Tammy II" because she was laughing so hard. "Chris [Pratt] makes me pee all the time."
• "I don't remember any of that," said Plaza after Schur told the story of meeting her and creating April based on that first meeting; the way that she made him feel mirrored the way that she makes Leslie feel.
• The writers' first inkling about the possibilities of pairing April and Andy came during Season Two's "Hunting Trip" episode, in which they got left behind at the office and the two played Marco Polo and practiced spit-takes. (Funnily enough, it was the first time I twigged to the possibility that these two could be meant for each other.)

And that's a wrap! Thanks to the cast and crew of Parks and Recreation for such a lovely and funny evening and be sure to catch next week's "Harvest Festival," which I've now (as of late night's screening before the panel) seen no less than six times.

Parks and Recreation airs Thursday at 9:30 pm ET/PT on NBC.

White Collar Season Finale: There's Nothing Sadder Than a Con Man Conning Himself

Just when it seemed as though the Vincent Adler/Kate/Nazi treasure storyline had all but wrapped up, last night's season finale of White Collar ("Under the Radar") threw us for another loop with that cliffhanger ending.

Throughout the series' run over the last two seasons, the relationship between Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke has grown into something resembling an actual partnership based on mutual trust, respect, and, well, friendship. Which is why the innate tension and suspicion of the "prove it" scene at the very end of this week's installment threatens to alter the delicate balance that has existed between the two for some time now.

Neal has proven himself a staunch ally to the White Collar Crime Division of the FBI, willing to lend his expertise to catching some crooks, but he's always had his feet in two worlds: the criminality that he's sworn to give up and the path of redemption that Peter has put him on. Is it possible to remain within both? And does the ending of the season seem to indicate that Neal has made a choice about which path he's choosing? Hmmm...

The White Collar writers went to some great lengths to plant that painting of the Chrysler Building at the beginning of the episode, showing the audience Neal's latest work in his flat, establishing that he had painted said painting, but also inserting the fact that he has a storeroom filled with such works. Not only did the audience notice the painting, but so did Peter.

Which made the ending cast more than a little suspicion on Neal: When the warehouse containing the U-Boat's billion-dollar treasure trove went up in smoke (thanks to a convenient explosion that killed no one), Peter spied a tell-tale piece of Neal's painting among the rubble. So did Neal engineer the explosion as part of a master plan of vengeance against Vincent Adler, as Vincent believed?

Nope, though the writers initially wanted us to consider that as a possibility, that Neal would take what Adler loved most since he had taken Kate from him. And that scrap of canvas is awfully incriminating. But while we know that Neal's not the mastermind (he wasn't aware of Adler's location nor that of the treasure), what the scene does is explode the relationship between Neal and Peter, casting Neal in a suddenly untrustworthy light. And Peter's suspicions have the same effect on Neal, making him distrust his partner. Hence, all the posturing and "prove it" machismo at the episode's conclusion. It seems as though the music box's tune has gone sour...

But if Neal's not the culprit than who is? Who left that little anonymous calling card for Neal signaling him to that storage facility? Just who is this mysterious "friend" that leads Neal to the location of the Nazi treasure?

Let's take a look at the possible suspects...

(1) Alex Hunter. We know Alex is a master thief and she has a personal connection to both the treasure (via her grandfather, who was the signalman who heard the last SOS transmission that the sub made) and to Neal. She's made it her life's work to find the music box and solve the riddle that her grandfather had told her about Midas.

She's also extremely helpful (almost obviously so) during the kidnapping and safe-cracking expedition and the kiss she shares with Neal shows that she (A) still has feelings for him, and (B) is willing to drive a wedge between Neal and Sara. Plus, she's no fan of the feds, so anything that puts Neal off-balance there and pulls him back into the world of criminality is a good thing in her book. She's also no fan of Adler, so the heist means getting one over on him as well.

So why would she give it over to Neal? A peace offering? A gift? The promise of more unimaginable wealth to come? And just how would Alex have been able to pull off such a grand design on her own? Hmmm....

(2) Mozzie. The fact that the anonymous note was typed rather than handwritten would seem to indicate that Neal would have recognized the handwriting in question. Which means that the perpetrator is likely someone Neal knows only too well. And Mozzie was there when Neal's painting was glimpsed by Peter.

But surely Mozzie would only be too willing to take credit for pulling off such a feat right underneath the FBI's noses? And why would he seek to incriminate Neal? I think Mozzie's actually in the clear on this one.

(3) Sara Ellis. Our insurance investigator friend did get awfully close to Neal in those library stacks last week, though her feelings were noticeably bruised by seeing Neal and Alex kiss at the dry dock after their near-death experience. Could it be that there's more to Sara than meets the eye and that she likes to walk on the dark side a little bit? We've seen nothing to that effect so far, so I don't think she's suddenly started stealing huge amounts of treasure on a whim.

Other theory: She's been in Neal's apartment and has access to some shady individuals (as well as a nice amount of capital) from her line of work. So, it is possible that she also had a vested interest in the recovery of that Nazi treasure? Could her insurance company be behind the theft in an effort to recover the stolen merchandise and profit from its "disappearance" in that warehouse fire? And that the anonymous note to Neal was her way of scoring one on him? Hmmm...

(4) Unknown Admirer. Neal has a secret admirer, another criminal who is hoping to impress him with this stunning feat that s/he pulled off without him even realizing it. Neal's just as surprised as we are that the collection didn't go up in flames, which could be mission accomplished for this perpetrator. Whoever s/he is, they've certainly got Neal's attention now, which could have been the point in the first place. Can it be that Neal has some competition in the thieving world, someone who is looking to engage in a cat-and-mouse game of oneupsmanship with Neal Caffrey? Otherwise, why lead him to the treasure in the first place? Unless..

(5) Kate. Unless the perpetrator is Kate herself. We never actually saw Kate die, just saw the the plane explode and we assumed Kate was one there. Given that Kate has some powerful friends and access to some shady individuals with specialized skill sets, it's possible that she was able to fake her own death and then take revenge on Vincent Adler. (Though, if I'm being honest, I hope it ISN'T Kate.) What if she's been keeping an eye on Neal and sees this as her opportunity to win her man back and get her revenge at the same time. The warehouse incident leaves Adler dead (thanks to Peter), the relationship between Neal and Peter fractured, and is the perfect opportunity to end the music box-led quest for this treasure that's now gone forever.

Kate and Neal's history does include an incident in a storage facility--when Peter catches him the first time--so isn't it keeping with tradition that the anonymous note would lead Neal to another storage facility? Hmmm... And it would be a twist that throws further tension into the Alex-Neal-Sara love triangle, the working relationship between Neal and Peter, and might be the thing to push Neal back into a life of crime.

So what will Neal do next? While we see him smiling amid the haul of a lifetime, will he tell Peter and the FBI about the stash? Will he keep it for himself? And will he attempt to unravel the mystery of who this anonymous "friend" is?

What do you think? Who is behind the heist? And what do you predict that Season Three of White Collar has in store for Neal Caffrey? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Season Three of White Collar is set to launch in June on USA.

Are You Still Watching The Event?

Last night marked the return (and revamp) of NBC's troubled sci-fi drama The Event, which viewers seemed to be fleeing in droves last fall.

While we await the overnight ratings for the return of The Event, I'm curious to know (A) whether you stuck around throughout the fall episodes, (B) if you tuned in last night for the series' return to the airwaves, (C) what you thought, and (D) whether you'll keep watching.

For the record, in case you were wondering, I gave up after the two-episode screener NBC sent out before the show launched, so I have no vested interest in The Event whatsoever.

I would, however, love to know just what viewers thought of last night's relaunch and whether it was enough--along with Virginia Madsen--to pique your interest enough to keep tuning in for the rest of the season. Honesty is always the best policy, so let me know just what you thought about The Event.

Talk back here.

The Other Shoe Drops: Charlie Sheen Fired from Two and a Half Men

Looks like even tiger blood couldn't keep Sheen on his sitcom after his latest batch of outspoken and erratic behavior.

Warner Bros. Television has today announced that it has fired Charlie Sheen from his CBS sitcom, Two and a Half Men.

The studio issued the news via a tersely worded statement that read, "After careful consideration, Warner Bros. Television has terminated Charlie Sheen’s services on Two and a Half Men effective immediately."

No mention was given to the ultimate fate of the WBTV-produced comedy, which could continue on next season without Charlie Sheen's participation or could be canceled altogether.

What is your take on the news? Was WBTV right to get rid of Sheen? Would you watch Two and a Half Men without him? And are you hoping that the media's obsession with Sheen soon abates as a result of his firing?

UPDATE: Sheen has fired back at WBTV, offering yet another bizarre comment to TMZ:

"This is very good news. They continue to be in breach, like so many whales. It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at whatshiscock again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension."

The Fugitives: Into the Darkness on Big Love

"Hold tight."

While the walls have been closing in on the Henricksons for some time now (really, almost since the start of the series), the stakes have never been higher for the polygamist family, beset from all sides. It's impossible not to feel that the endgame is finally here as the countdown to the series finale begins. (Are there really just two episodes left?)

On this week's episode of Big Love ("The Noose Tightens"), written by Seth Greenland and directed by David Knoller, the noose certainly did tighten around the family's collective neck, as law enforcement officials closed in on Bill and Barb, Margene took a stand against just about everyone, and Nicki came face to face with the madness that has overtaken her brother Alby.

In a series that's been overflowing with twists and turns, this week's installment might rank up there with some of the craziest, most jaw-dropping episodes to date, a rollercoaster ride of betrayal, deceit, murder, and soul-searching. Will there be a family when all is said and done? Or are we seeing the dissolution of the Henrickson family before our eyes?

I don't think that the series will end with Bill in jail for his crimes, namely the charges that the Utah prosecutors are holding over Bill: statutory rape, aiding in the delinquency of a minor, etc. While, yes, ignorance of a crime isn't an excuse for perpetrating said crimes, Bill didn't knowingly cross any legal or moral boundaries in bringing Margene into their marriage, as he was unaware of her true age at the time that their affair began. So too is Barb innocent of the charges being levied against her: she didn't act as a procurer, either in this situation or with Ana.

Yet, one can't escape the fact that all of them are fugitives in a way, and the episode--which uses footage from the original The Fugitive series (it's on television in Lois' nursing home bedroom)--posits that each of the characters are running from something: whether that be the truth of their situations, themselves, or the darkness within. Despite the fate awaiting them, old grudges rear their ugly heads here (enough with the finances, Nicki!) and uncomfortable truths (the re-sealing) come tumbling out. Bill and the sister-wives might claim that they are a united front, but they seem to be anything but that, lapsing into the sort of accusations and suspicions that their numerous enemies would hope they would.

So just how will the Henricksons wriggle out of this legal quandary? Likely, by turning state's evidence against Albert Grant and Juniper Creek, throwing themselves on the sword in an effort to protect their family and the Principle from Albert's heretical ways. I've long predicted that the series would end with the rightful balance restored at Juniper Creek, with the Henrickson family restored to their position of power as they reclaim the prophethood stolen from them by the Grants.

But Alby isn't going down without a fight, as we saw only too clearly here. He's willing to kidnap Nicki and contemplate murdering his "apostate" sister and dumping her body in an unmarked grave, which means he's not above slaughtering anyone who gets in his way. (Look how easily and callously he kills Verlan in cold blood, shooting him right in front of Nicki.) Albert believes that they can't escape who they are and what they are in the soil and blood of Juniper Creek, those prim prairie clothes and their unerring belief in both the Principle and their position of righteousness in the eyes of Heavenly Father.

Alby has been backed into a corner now and he's likely more dangerous than he's ever been as a result. That Bill has dug up old business with Madison and the payoff engineered by Roman and Adaleen to cover up Alby's homosexual appetites is only the first strike. There's the matter of Madison, of poor Dale, of the attack on Don, Nicki's kidnapping... The list goes on and on. No wonder he flees the scene and leaves Nicki shaking in her purple dress. He's become mentally unhinged, a shepherd who has lost all control of his sheep, and I'm terrified to see just what atrocities he's capable of in his vengeful quest to punish those who would strip him of his authority.

The Henricksons, after all, are fighting battles on numerous fronts: against the LDS Church, against Alby (who wants to buy out Don's shares of Home Plus), against the Senate, against Michael Sainte and Goji Blast, and against themselves. Put under so much pressure, something has to break and what concerns me is that I'm not sure all three sister-wives will make it to the very end of the road. The re-sealing that went on without Barb was a brutal wake-up call, a realization that perhaps these four might not spend eternity together, that just as on Earth, their celestial souls are being pulled apart.

Just as I was happy to see last week that Margene was the one who noticed the inappropriate nature of the relationship between fifteen-year-old Cara-Lynn and Greg Ivey, so too was I pleased to see her doggedly pursue her suspicions here, relentlessly chasing Cara-Lynn until she caught her and Greg together at his apartment. Given her own history with Bill and the charges that they all face, Margene is the one person best-equipped to see Cara-Lynn's position... and she quickly urges her to stop the relationship once and for all.

But Cara-Lynn isn't giving up on Greg. She doesn't see what he's done wrong, as he claimed to have saved himself and that their first time together was his first time too. She's fallen for her teacher and he's taken advantage of his student, even if he claims to love her. Which is part of the danger really: Cara-Lynn is so desperate to be loved for herself (Nicki claims to love her daughter but her idea of love is saving her from the life she led) that she's willingly to make this leap with someone twice her age, to fall into the traps of polygamy that Nicki desperately tried to avoid for her. She's avoided one marriage for another, becoming yet another child bride in a long line of them.

Cara-Lynn demands that Nicki give her consent to marry Greg when she turns sixteen, a fact that sends Nicki right over to Greg's house where she brings down her words and her fists upon Cara-Lynn's teacher. But while Nicki fights Greg, it's also herself that she's battling: the past she escaped, the future she envisioned for her daughter, the situation that she unwittingly engineered. History is repeating itself all over again, a kaleidoscope of possibilities collapsing inwards upon itself.

While Cara-Lynn never asked for Bill to adopt her, the damage that her presence has caused is incalculable, a fact that Ben raises when he screams at her for doing something so "effed up." While the adoption was a good thing, in terms of bringing Cara-Lynn into their family, it's had a ripple effect on the marriage, as Bill divorced Barb and legally married Nicki in order to push the adoption through. How many sacrifices have they made for this girl? Which begs the question: Just where was Cara-Lynn attempting to sneak off to with her bag? To Greg's? Was she looking to flee the Henricksons' homes and move in with her lover? Has her judgment become so clouded by love and lust that she can't see how wrong this situation is?

I'm glad that Ben went to Nicki, not to come clean about what had happened with Cara-Lynn, but to tell her to get Cara-Lynn psychiatric help. Without spelling out the true cause, he urged Nicki to get Cara-Lynn some professional counseling, which she refused to even consider. But rather than drop it, Ben called her blind and undeserving, a real emotional sucker punch that needed to be made.

Earlier this season, Cara-Lynn told Gary that if you act polite and smile, you can get away with just about anything. That ploy has worked for Cara-Lynn for fifteen years and it's worked wonders with the Henricksons as she pulled the wool over their eyes countless times. But Cara-Lynn shows her mother her true colors as Nicki threatens to call the police and report Greg, calling Nicki's bluff. It's the moment the scales fall from Nicki's eyes and she sees Cara-Lynn clearly for the first time. "Who are you?" she says. "Maybe you're just a bad seed after all."

Poor Heather, meanwhile, attempts to come clean to Barb about her part in the unfolding legal drama around them, telling an incredulous Barb that she confessed things in confidence to her bishop, who in turn called the stake president, who called her parents, who called the police. The noose tightening around their necks is due to the innocence and naivete or poor Heather, who believed that certain confidences would be maintained, that she was doing the right thing sharing her concerns and her worries. But the road to hell, as we know, is paved with good intentions and the church used this woman's confession as the smoking gun to nab Bill.

His offer to resign from the state senate comes too late, as even Barn realizes when Bill makes it. Everything the family has fought for and sacrificed for would go up in smoke, but it would also possibly keep the wolves from the door. However, the time for such public maneuvers is long past. The church is determined to tar and feather Bill and to remove any authority or standing he might have. They're not going to be content with anything less than his head, readying a 25-year potential prison sentence against him.

I loved the juxtaposition of Michael telling Margene that her family was a cult, and her family telling her that Sainte's Goji empire was itself a cult. Trapped in the middle, Margene sadly realizes that she wants to be a part of the world that Michael showed her, a world of faith a bridge-building, but as she tears down the Goji World poster in her house, she resigns from that company to be with her family, Bill's words ("We're not a cult. We're a family.") echoing in her head.

Poor Verlan thought he could double-cross Alby to get money for Rhonda and his baby, and warn Nicki of the plot to kill Bill to boot, but Alby has other plans. The final scenes in which Alby and Verlan take Nicki to the pit (and Verlan's horrified realization that it's Nicki they're going to kill) were taut and brimming with extreme tension. I loved Nicki's story about swimming with Alby as children and how he rescued her, saving her life. He does save her again here, shooting Verlan twice, but the message is clear: the same blood runs through their veins and neither can escape Juniper Creek or their pasts. Alby will, despite this moment between them, still be coming for Bill...

And, as Bill tells Barb and Margene about the district attorney, Nicki walks into the dining room of Barb's house, dirty, disheveled, and dressed in clothes that brand her as one of Juniper Creek's indentured women. It's a horrific entrance, a startling vision, and an implicit threat. Alby has struck at Bill through his wives. The endgame, it seems, is at hand. And so too, quite possibly, Judgment Day for all of them.

Next week on the penultimate episode of Big Love ("Exorcism"), with Alby on the run and posing an imminent threat, the Henrickson family finds itself in lockdown mode; Nicki decides to break Cara Lynnʼs “dependencies” by enrolling her in boarding school; Barb spars with Bill about her new churchʼs stance on polygamy, and her commitment to the family; Lois begs Frank to rescue her from confinement; Margene vows to repay Pam for her Goji investment; Ben and Bill debate what to do about Rhonda.

PaleyFest 2011: Details From HBO's True Blood Panel

The fans are hungry for blood.

Or, in this case, more True Blood, which doesn't return for another few months yet, sadly. However, the cast and crew of HBO's seductive vampire drama was on hand last night for the Paley Festival's True Blood panel, which brought together an astonishing 17 actors from the series on stage with creator Alan Ball.

The evening, moderated by TV Guide Magazine's Debra Birnbaum, kicked off with a selection from the Paley Center's archives--in this case, a fitting scene from the pilot episode of the similarly fanged Buffy the Vampire Slayer--before presenting a sizzle reel from the first three seasons of True Blood... and a scene from the upcoming fourth season.

So just what did we lucky attendees get to see from Season Four? The scene that Ball presented was set outside Fangtasia as a mob gathered outside the club to protest, chanting "Steve Newman's right; you're devils of the night." (Hmmm, any chance we might get to see the Fellowship of the Sun again and those dastardly Newmans?)

Pam, Hoyt, and Jessica--who step outside to see what the commotion is--are reminded only too well that this is a "post-Russell Edgington world" now. Everything seems peaceful until Hoyt gets involved, attempting to get into a debate with one protester about how he can't possibly be Christian because he's standing in the way of love. But when said protester calls Jessica a "vampire whore," things take a turn for the very, very nasty...

What else did we learn over the course of the season about the characters and what lies ahead for the denizens of Bon Temps? Let's take a look, though WARNING! There are spoilers ahead!

Sookie. "There's some stuff that's different," said Anna Paquin about Sookie's state when she returns from Claudine's world in Season Four. "We will see what she learned tempering the way she goes about looking for independence."

But don't expect Sookie to return with full control over her faerie abilities, like those microwave fingers she's brought forth upon occasion. "She's new at this faerie stuff."

Sookie and Alcide? Asked whether there's any hope for Sookie and Alcide to get together this season, Paquin said, "Well, he doesn't turn into a ball of charred fire in the daytime... Alcide has that nice, warm thing going, which is a plus. But he comes with some baggage, which is less of a plus."

Sookie and Bill? "It's hard not to think of them as soulmates when they're soulmates in real life," said Ball about Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer's Sookie and Bill. Still, Ball wants 17 more seasons of True Blood in order to explore all the possible romantic permutations for Sookie. (So, Bill-haters, don't take this too much to heart.)

THAT Scene. "I got to have my own f--- puppet," said Moyer about that whiplash-inducing scene with Lorena this past season.

Vampire Showdowns. Bill and Queen Sophie-Anne had a bit of a "bite-off" at the end of last season, said Moyer. Look for a major battle between Bill, Sophie-Anne, and someone else to come to the light as it were.

Eric. Eric's amnesia storyline is definitely a go for this season, revealed Skarsgaard, who said that Eric looses his memory thanks to some malevolent influences this season. ("He messed with the wrong people," revealed Ball.)

"Things are defintely unstable for Eric," he said. "He doesn't know who he is. Thousands of years of human resentment, gone."

As for whether there's a shot at Sookie and Eric getting together, the cast and Ball were equally tight-lipped. "You're just going to have to watch," said Paquin.

Godric. Look for Godric to return this season, either in flashback or dream sequence. "Or he was cloned," joked Alan Ball.

Pam. Fan-favorite Pam (Kristin Bauer van Stratten) attracted quite a bit of attention during the evening. Asked whether we'd ever see some flashbacks between Pam and Eric, KBVS said, "Well, I'd love to see what Audrey Fischer would do with the clothing." And when asked who she'd like to work with that she hasn't gotten to, Rutina Wesley said that she wanted to see some Tara/Pam action, prompting Ball to say, "You will." (For her part, Bauer van Stratten wanted to do a scene with Ryan Kwanten's Jason, while Anna Paquin said that her favorite lines were "everything Pam ever says, ever.")

Witches. Responding to a question about portrayals of Wicca and its practitioners, Ball said that the way into Season Four's witches storyline will be through a circle of Wiccans, but said "there is a more evil force" at work here. "We've tried to preserve the traditions of Wicca as much as we can," said Ball, who revealed that the writing staff had done a lot of research on the subject.

Niall. Those hoping to see the character of Niall from Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novel series may have to wait a little while longer: Ball said Niall will eventually make an appearance on the show, but it may not be this season.

Jessica and Hoyt. "The fairytale can't go on forever," said Deborah Ann Woll about Jessica and Hoyt's romance, "but maybe reality is better than a fairytale." (Aw.)

Russell Edgington. "There are definite plans to bring back Russell," said Ball. "He is gonna be pissed." Ball said that he and the writers specifically decided not to kill off Denis O'Hare's Russell in an effort to leave the door open for his return down the line.

Sam Merlotte's Love Life. Sam Trammel says Sam has a "slim" shot at love this season. (Hmmm... Any takers on with whom?)

Jason Stackhouse. "Jason wants a super power so badly and can't," said Ryan Kwanten. "He's like a rarity in this town." (Yet, there were no questions about Jason and the werepanther all evening. Huh.)

"If anyone should not be in charge of a bunch of meth addicts, it's Jason Stackhouse."

Andy Bellefleur. "A lot of V came into the station... and that's where he works," said Chris Bauer on Andy's, uh, temptation this season. Looks like Andy is concealing a secret of his own.

Tara. Where Tara goes at the end of the season will be revealed early on, according to Wesley, and there is a chance of happiness for Tara. Or maybe not. "Maybe," said Wesley when asked.

And Baby Makes Three. So what's up this season with Arlene and Terry's baby? "The last we left it, her baby was on board," said Carrie Preston. And that problem grows, er, exponentially."

Season Four's Themes. Asked about the overarching theme of Season Four, Ball said, rather tongue-in-cheek, "It's about the duality of existence... Or man versus nature... the terrors of intimacy... Eh, it's just True Blood. It's for the fans: an escapist, emotional, terrifying journey is all that matters."

Guest Stars and New Characters. The guest stars this season will include Gary Cole and Fiona Shaw, the latter of which will play a, well, witch, "among other things," teased Ball. New characters will include witches, vampires, shifters, a child, some humans, and a new werewolf.



Season Four of True Blood is set to air this summer on HBO.

Winter is Coming (Or At Least 15 Minutes of It): HBO Announces 15-Minute Teaser for Game of Thrones Airing April 3rd

Winter is coming a little earlier than expected...

HBO will give Game of Thrones fans a chance to catch 15-minutes of the April 17th series premiere a few weeks early, with a one-time airing on April 3rd at 9 pm ET/PT.

The 15-minute teaser, or "exclusive preview" in HBO parlance, will air on HBO's linear channel just once, before it's made available the following day on HBO.com, HBO on Demand, and via the premium cable channel's subscriber-only online service, HBO Go.

The series itself, meanwhile, is slated to kick off its ten-episode season on Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT.

The full press release from HBO can be found below.

HBO PRESENTS 15-MINUTE GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW APRIL 3

HBO will present – for the first time – a sneak peek of the first 15 minutes of the first episode of a new series when GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 3 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Following this one-time-only play, GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW will be available immediately on hbo.com and HBO Go, and will be available on HBO On Demand beginning Monday, April 4.

The HBO presentation of GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW will be followed by the debut of Part Three of the HBO Miniseries presentation MILDRED PIERCE at 9:15 p.m. (ET/PT).

Based on the popular book series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” by George R.R. Martin, the fantasy series GAME OF THRONES chronicles an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom. The ensemble cast includes Mark Addy, Sean Bean, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Kit Harington and Aidan Gillen. The show was shot at the Paint Hall Studio in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as well as at various locations in Northern Ireland and Malta.

GAME OF THRONES launches its ten-episode season SUNDAY, APRIL 17, exclusively on HBO.
GAME OF THRONES was created by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; executive produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; co-executive producers, Carolyn Strauss, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza and George R.R. Martin; producers, Mark Huffam and Frank Doelger.

Directors include Brian Kirk, Daniel Minahan, Alan Taylor and Tim Van Patten; writers include David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson and George R.R. Martin.

Balance and Imbalance: New Fringe Promo Features Lost's Hurley, Mysterious Text, Quote from Me

Fringe might not be airing an episode this week (it returns next week with "Os"), but that doesn't mean we can't take a sneak peek at what's to come as the universes continue to collide on FOX's addictive sci-fi series.

FOX has today released a new promo, which I'll call "Balance and Imbalance," which contains not only clues for what lies ahead for Olivia, Peter, and Walter, but also a shot of Lost's Jorge Garcia, and a quote from yours truly and some other critics about this extraordinary series, which wraps up its season on May 6th. (Mark your calendars now.)

You can view the promo in full below and you'll like want to watch more than once because the stuff at the end? Cryptic and quick, it has flurry of images from throughout the series, along with shots of Sam Weiss, William Bell, a mention of a "demon" and a bunch of on-screen text, Jorge Garcia, a young Observer, and the doomsday device that could signal the end of one or both worlds...



What do you think? Any theories for the battle ahead? I personally love the split-screen opening emphasizing the chasm between Over There and Over Here's versions of Olivia, Peter, Astrid, Walter, and Broyles. Nicely played, Fringe promo-makers!

Fringe airs Fridays at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

Family Dinner: The Final Five Face Off on Top Chef

Is it just me or was that the only possible outcome for this week's episode?

With the final five delving deep into their ancestral pasts for the latest challenge, this week's episode ("Give Me Your Huddled Masses") actually made me so nervous that one of my favorites would be going home that I was physically nauseous watching the judges' table deliberations.

But I also had a suspicion that there would be some sort of chicanery involved as the judges seemed to have no real criticisms of any of the dishes on offer, which told me that this would either be (A) the most tense and prolonged judges' panel to date or (b) an opportunity for the judges to send through all five contestants to the final rounds.

Given the strength of all five remarkable dishes--each of which was not only in keeping with the individual chefs' culinary aesthetics and ethos but also paid due to their family trees--it really was the only possible outcome after such strong performances. When no one really trips up in the kitchen, how do you choose who to send home? When there are such insignificant slip-ups, how can you single out someone to pack their knives?

It's worth noting that there are still five more episodes of Top Chef remaining this season. Read that again: FIVE episodes. While that number will likely include a reunion episode of some kind, that still leaves four episodes of actual competition, which means that we could actually have just two chefs in the last round vying for the title. (Five gets cut down to four, then to three, then to two, and then the winner is chosen, hence four episodes.)

Personally, I was glad that the judges didn't have to choose someone to eliminate. I've been calling for Tiffany to be eliminated for the last few weeks but she pulled out a gorgeous dish last night that deserved to be celebrated: it was elegant and connected to her family history. (I was nervous that Richard Blais would somehow get eliminated after the judges didn't seem to be raving about his dish. Instead, they horribly nearly gave the guy a heart attack, sending him through to the Bahamas in third place.)

But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. For their last New York City-based Quickfire Challenge, the chefs took a ferry ride to Ellis Island, during which they had to make a meal out of the provisions on hand from the ferry, uh, snack counter before the horn blew and they arrived at the dock on the other side of the river. (Unknown to them: their family members would be waiting on the other side.)

So what did they make? Let's take a look:

• Antonia: Grilled cheese with apples and raisin bread
• Carla: Orange and papaya salad with carrot and rosemary juice
• Mike: Bread soup with cheddar cheese, sour cream, green chili, and pork rinds
• Richard: Hot dog and beef jerky banh mi with jalapeno, pork rinds, lettuce, and apple
• Tiffany: Nachos with cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno, banana peppers, and sour cream; popcorn with candied mangoes and pineapples

I thought some of them did really well here. Despite the fact that Richard turned up his nose at Carla's dish, I thought she really thought outside of the box and produced something that was unexpected and delicious. It was also really simple but full of flavor, which is the key here. Too many of them went for what I'd consider to be over the top concepts or straightforward ones, but Carla's oranges were thoughtful, flavorful, and packed with flavor. (She ended up winning this one and a Highlander Hybrid as well.) I also thought Richard did a remarkable job here, creating a gorgeous looking banh mi sandwich out of the most humble of ingredients and I was glad to see him whip out those RME meal pouches from his knife kit. (Well done.) Antonia's sandwich was cobbled from some already prepared elements in place at the snack counter but still was delicious (and picked up some pork flavor from being grilled on that hot dog machine), while Tiffany's was way too straightforward. The less said about Mike's disgusting "bread soup" the better, really.

(Aside: How insane is it that Mike and Antonia, sworn enemies this season on Top Chef, are in fact distantly related? I was blown away by this revelation, given how much these two seem to dislike one another. That both of them ended up competing on Top Chef is eerie!)

Arriving on Ellis Island, the chefs had the opportunity to look back on their family trees and share the moment with their family members, flown in for just this opportunity. But unlike in other challenges where the moms and spouses are whisked away after getting a few minutes with the cheftestants, they stuck around here to actually participate in the family dinner ahead, sitting alongside Tom, Gail, Padma and guest judge Dan Barber. It made sense, given the intimate nature of the Elimination Challenge and its emphasis on family roots and history... and it also appeared to make several of the chefs (most especially Richard) even more anxious and nervous, given that his pregnant wife was going to be eating his food and listening to the judges' critiques.

So how did the chefs do at their final challenge before the last rounds? Let's discuss.

• Antonia: Braised veal, rapini leaf, and fava bean risotto
• Carla: Braised pork shoulder, fried grits, corn and sweet potato hash, and cheddar biscuits
• Mike: Potato gnocchi with braised pork shank ragu and burrata
• Richard: Short ribs, potatoes, fried bone marrow, corn puree, and picked glass warts
• Tiffany: Braised short rib with mustard greens, stewed okra, and oxtail marmalade

Kudos to Antonia for being brave enough for attempting risotto in this competition, given that the chefs who have normally prepared that dish have typically gone home. But Antonia's risotto was light and ethereal, elegant and rich at the same time and the veal was fork-tender and magnificent. It was a heartfelt dish that connected to her Italian roots.

Carla's sauce was praised by Tom as being the best sauce in the entire competition: a rich, almost veloute that encircled the plate gorgeously. She was insanely smart to use the liquid nitrogen to freeze those grits cakes before frying them. (Another ingenious and practical application of molecular gastronomy at work!) And those cheddar biscuits looked fluffy and intoxicating. A beautiful dish that spoke volumes about her family history and the connections within various Southern states.

Mike Isabella isn't a chef whose food is normally soulful, but that's just what he delivered here in his dish that paid homage to his late Italian grandmother, whose strength in the kitchen stirred up so many painful memories for Mike. But he did his nonna proud here with an accomplished dish of fluffy and pillow-light gnocchi, pork ragu ("gravy") and that gorgeous burrata. No surprise that he would be safe from elimination.

Richard had to find a way to fuse his English-Irish heritage with his own modern and inimitable culinary style, no easy task considering the disparity of the elements. But his dish told a story about just that: attempting to find a line to connect these various elements. The silkiness of the short ribs, that revelatory fried bone marrow, the smoothness of the corn puree, and the unexpected juxtaposition of those sea beans (or "glass warts") brought the plate into sharp focus, an elegant and restrained composition that told Richard's story and stayed true to his style as a chef.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Tiffany really step it up this week and deliver a knockout of a dish, doing the impossible and converting okra-hater Tom Colicchio with her beautiful stewed okra. And that oxtail marmalade won over many, many at that table while the short rib looked succulent and delicious. It was a more modern plating from Tiffany than we've seen in a while.

I was on pins and needles waiting to see just how the judges would vote and which of these chefs would be packing their knives. The fact that the editors left in two mentions of Antonia's mother asking about whether there had ever been a "Final Five" before led me to believe that that's just how the judges would decide in the end. Impossible to choose between each of these dazzling dishes, the judges did ultimately opt to send through all five to the final rounds in the Bahamas.

While it was a twist I saw coming (despite my anxiety-led nausea), it was a nice surprise after such stiff competition. That these five will each have the opportunity to keep fighting for the title makes the struggle all the more rich and tough. That they'll have to compete against the winning chefs from their individual seasons next week? That makes it all the more imperative that they keep their heads in the game and stay focused. Me, I just can't wait to see what happens next as the competition gets even more heated...

On the next episode of Top Chef ("Fit for a King"), the five remaining chefs set sail for the Bahamas, where they'll compete head-to-head with the chef from their previous season who got them sent home.

The Daily Beast: "Charlie Sheen: Stop Putting Him on TV!"

The Charlie Sheen media frenzy continues onwards, it seems, with no end in sight.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, a strongly-worded essay entitled "Charlie Sheen: Stop Putting Him on TV!"

As the dek reads, "It’s not strange that people want to see Sheen’s crazed rants wherever they can... but it sure is disgusting that mainstream media outlets are giving him a platform."

What's your take on the media's role in this feeding frenzy? When it is time to say enough?