Summer Trend - Long-Lost Moms Return

TV often has its trends, and one that is readily budding this summer is the return of long-lost mothers ...

Okay, this return happened a bit before summer ... the season 2 finale to be exact.  Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) believed his mother killed in a car explosion when he was 16.  Later he found out she had in fact been murdered on orders from his nemesis Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos).  Lately he has been on a personal mission to find "Shelburne," code name for someone who knows a lot more about the murder. In the last moments of the finale, Steve travels to Japan to confront the elusive witness, only to receive the shock of his life:  Shelburne is actually Mama McGarrett! (yet to be cast)

Brilliant, adopted Boston medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) learned in the show's first season that she is the daughter of Irish mob boss Patrick "Paddy" Doyle (John Doman, The Wire), but the identity of her biological mother remained elusive ... until now.  On the July 3 episode, Maura will meet mama Hope (Sharon Lawrence, NYPD Blue), but will not reveal her own identity to her just yet.  But similarities between mother and daughter will be readily apparent, especially their penchant for constantly rattling off esoteric facts and info.  Best friend Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) - who often can't believe and just barely tolerates the things Maura spews out randomly -  is gonna love that ...

Jane Quimby (Erica Dasher) was raised by big brother Ben (David Clayton Rogers) when their free-spirited, flighty, bohemian mother Kate left them years before to travel the world (I believe Daddy Quimby is deceased).  But mama has come down to earth in the form of Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives) for a four-episode visit (her third airs next Tuesday, July 3) to try and make it up to her kids.  Wary to accept her back into their lives, they reservedly do, Jane more than Ben, but will how will Kate leave things when she leaves once again?

Rookie cop Andy (Missy Peregrym) has done pretty good, making a name for herself in her precinct  despite being the daughter of an alcoholic ex-cop and an absentee mother - she left them both 15 years ago.  But on next week's episode (Thursday, July 5), Mama McNally returns, now a social worker and coincidentally - and awkwardly? - assigned to work a domestic violence case with her daughter.  Hope she knows the kid is now armed ...


Catch Hawaii Five-0 Mondays at 10 p.m. on CBS.
Rizzoli & Isles airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT.
Jane By Design is on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC Family.
And Rookie Blue airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

Picks for This Week

Here are some picks for the week.  I say "some" because I have a feeling I'm really not going to like Anger Management, Charlie Sheen's return to sitcom television - I've NEVER understood why Two and a Half Men has ever been considered funny, then or now - but the new show, well ... it's like a car wreck:  you can't help but look ...

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

The Newsroom Series Premiere, 10 p.m. on HBO

Army Wives Season Six Continues, 10 p.m. on Lifetime

 TUESDAY, JUNE 26

Teri Hatcher Guest Stars on Jane by Design, 9 p.m. on ABC Family

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

Anger Management Series Premiere, 9 p.m. on FX

Wilfred Season Two Premiere, 10 p.m. on FX

Hot Picks This Week

Here's what's hot for this week's viewing:

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

Falling Skies Season 2 Premiere - 9 p.m. on TNT

The Client List Season 1 Finale - 10 p.m. on Lifetime

 

The Great Escape Series Premiere - 10 p.m. on TNT

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

 

Futurama Season 7 Premiere - 10  p.m. on Comedy Central

Review - Dallas

Yeeeee-haw!

I am (sheesh) old enough to remember the original Dallas from the '80s - back when Fridays were must-see viewing with the one-two punch of it and Falcon Crest (with Dukes of Hazzard as the 8 o'clock lead in, if you can believe it) - and this ... comeback? return? ... isn't messing around when recapturing all the delicious scandal, backstabbing, double-crossing and family dysfunction the Ewings can serve up. 

It's no secret the genre of the nighttime soap - some may deem a "guilty pleasure" - is hot right now with ABC's breakout hits Revenge and Scandal and even the CW's short-lived Ringer, and this new Dallas seems right on par with the trend, featuring fast moving plot lines, big secrest and bigger reveals and story arcs that encompass all in one way or another.

There are familiar - albeit older - faces in the cast, the main trio being Bobby (Patrick Duffy), Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) and, of course, J.R. (Larry Hagman), who still holds the title of being the center of one of the biggest cliffhangers in TV history ("Who Shot J.R.?" anyone?).  Hagman hasn't aged terribly well physically with all of his health ailments (and could someone please trim those eyebrows?!), but the man hasn't lost his bite when it comes to playing the iconic devil in a stetson. 

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Let me first compliment the producers for a terrific title sequence, which honors the original (on the air from 1978-91) by replicating the moving composite of shots of Texas and Dallas in particular, all to that classic Dallas theme song (you know you know it).  Hawaii Five-0 did the same, and it's awesome!

The new show introduces us to the machinations of the next generation of Ewings, namely J.R and Sue Ellen's son John Ross (Dallas-born hottie Josh Henderson, Desperate Housewives) and Bobby's adopted (or black market baby, if memory serves...) son Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe, Desperate Housewives).  It's actually a Housewives veteran trifecta, being that Brenda Strong (Mary Alice Young on DH) plays Bobby's now-wife Ann (sorry, Pam). 

John Ross and Christopher both endeavor to return the Ewing name to its former glory but in very different ways:  The former is following in the family tradition of oil drilling (on the legendary South Fork Ranch, expressly forbidden according to matriarch Miss Ellie's will) while the latter is pursuing a more modern path - undersea methane extraction.

When John Ross and girlfriend Elena Ramos (Jordana Brewster, Chuck, Fast and the Furious film franchise) - the daughter of a former South Fork cook and former fiancee of Christopher's - strike oil, it's a shower of liquid gold - until Uncle Bobby - who is dying of stomach cancer (does this mean a short-lived run for Duffy?) puts a kibash on the celebration by intending to sell the ranch to land conservationists (they tend to not be in favor of drilling). 

Over the course of the pilot episode - which centered a great deal around the wedding of Christopher and Rebecca (Julie Gonzalo, Eli Stone, Veronica Mars) with Dallas vets Steve Kanaly (Ray) and Charlene Tilton (Lucy) in attendance - this dispute erupts into a full-blown war full of cold threats,  hard shoves, blackmail, secret allies, power struggles, shocking reveals ... like I said, classic Dallas.

As for J.R. - first seen in a retirement home and said to be suffering from clinical depression - by hour's end shows he is back in the game (maybe he never truly left?), complete with his trademark Cheshire sneer, velvety Texan drawl and omnipotent swagger that made him the man you always loved to hate.

South Fork - the same ranch used in the original - is as stunning as ever.  There is word that other alums, including Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), will be making appearances, which, if the pilot is any indication, will work nicely to bridge generations old and new.

The action in the pilot moved along at an engaging pace and I hope that keeps up over the course of the run.  Unlike other failed attempts to revisit/re-imagine/re-invent shows of the past (Charlie's Angels, The Bionic Woman, Knight Rider), 2012's Dallas works for me.  It has enough history to stand on and just enough of the past to satisfy original fans while roping (see what I did there?) in new ones with the younger cast and fast-paced energy and plot lines.

Bottom Line:  Saddle up for this return of a true guilty pleasure classic.

Dallas airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on TNT.

Hot Picks for This Week

Hello Tourists!

Here are my personal Hot Picks for this week's TV viewing:

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

True Blood Season 5 Premiere - 9 p.m. on HBO

Mad Men Season 5 Finale - 10 p.m. on AMC

 MONDAY, JUNE 11

Bunheads Series Premiere - 9 p.m. on ABC Family

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13

Dallas Series Premiere - 9 p.m. on TNT

THURSDAY, JUNE 14

Burn Notice Season 6 Premiere - 9 p.m. on USA

Suits Season 2 Premiere - 10 p.m. on USA

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

Fairly Legal Season 2 Finale - 9 p.m. on USA

Recap - Glee

Graduation!

I have been a "Gleek" from the very beginning, cheering on this melting pot of misfit underdogs as they triumphed over slushies, bullying and their own insecurities, rejoiced in song and dance and at long last emerged as National Show Choir champions just in time for many of the glee club members' graduation, the focus of tonight's season three finale.

The seniors:  Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith), Quinn (Dianna Agron), Puck (Mark Salling), Mike (Harry Shum, Jr.), Kurt (Chris Colfer), Santana (Naya Rivera) and Mercedes (Amber Riley).  Brittany (Heather Morris) was to graduate but with a 0.0 GPA ... um, no.  Of course how ANYONE in the glee club managed to graduate from McKinley High is a wonder seeing as how NONE of them ever went to ANY OTHER CLASS!!!  But hey, suspension of disbelief and all that.  Not like we saw the 90210-ers (old and new) in class either ...

Indeed, many a show based in high school has had the inevitable graduation episode, but few have actually led to students actually leaving, but Glee seems to be indeed saying goodbye to at least have the regular cast members we've come to love (and sometimes hate a little ... right, Santana?).

Mercedes is off to L.A. to be a back-up singer for an indie music label.
Puck - who pulled off an 11th-hour C- to graduate with his class - is off to L.A. to start a pool-cleaning business.
Mike will be attending the Joffrey School of Ballet in Chicago.
Quinn has a bright future as a member of the Class of 2016 at Yale.
Kurt - we don't really know ... he didn't get into the NY Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYADA) ... a surprise given his amazing audition.

Then there's love birds Finn and Rachel.  Finn believed he had nailed his audition - for James Lipton himself! - for the Actor's Studio, but failed to gain admission.  Rachel, who overcame her first NYADA audition - she choked, bad - by soaring at Nationals and impressing the stolid auditioner Carmen Tibideaux (played by Whoopi Goldberg), got in.  But feeling for her friend Kurt and fiancee Finn, she decided to defer for a year and stay to help them prepare for the next year's auditions.

But Finn would have none of that and instead put her on a train to the Big Apple, telling her that she's going to be a star without him.  He loves her that much.  So what lies in the future for Finn?  The army, to redeem his father's good name (dad was wrongfully dishonorably discharged).

Glee has always been an ensemble show, but you can't deny the focus has often been on Rachel Barry, a self-absorbed, take-no-prisoners, destined-for-Broadway diva who still managed to find a place in the glee club and make friends she never thought possible (Quinn, Santana).  So it was no surprise that the season finale ended with us bidding goodbye to Rachel at the train station with the whole club and Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) waving her off, following her as she exits the train station in Manhattan and watching her sing her way through the streets of NYC to start her new life.

There were rumors that the show was going to find a way to keep around some of these key players next year, so I wonder if they'll follow through on that.  Or perhaps we'll have our favorite glee underclassmen welcoming new members who will undoubtedly win our hearts with their own journeys.  We'll of course see at least two of them from this summer's Glee Project 2 (winners receive a seven-episode arc on the show), which of course was promoted during the hour.

Some favorite moments:

Kurt's dad Burt's (Mike O'Malley) graduation present to his son - a recreation of the dance to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" (from season 1) - considered a turning point in the troubled relationship between father and son.

Gloria Estefan as Santana's mom, who accepted her daughter's choice to go to NY instead of college, hence supporting her following her dream.

Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) showing the heart we know she has - glimpses break through - as she heralded protege Quinn on her bright future and hugging her with genuine affection ... and tears.

The graduation ceremony itself.  Sure, there were OTHER seniors in the graduating class, but we don't care about them.  We only watched our glee-sters be introduced like football players at the Super Bowl to a terrific rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days."  Every graduation should rock out like that!

Great lines:

"I am proud of what you and I did ... together."  - Burt to son Kurt

"You never saw me for the things that made us different.  You only saw me for the ways that we're the same."  - Kurt to the other guys in the glee club

"If we hadn't changed, we would never have been friends."  - Quinn to Rachel

"I am that sure you're something special.  You're gonna be a star without me.  I love you that much." - Finn to Rachel

Songs:

"Forever Young" (Rod Stewart)
"I'll Remember" (Madonna)
"Glory Days" (Bruce Springsteen)
"In My Life" (The Beatles)

(there were others but couldn't identify the titles ... have to find on iTunes later ...)

Get your gleek back on this fall when Glee returns Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FOX.

Hoping to hit 100 Twitter followers by September (1 year anniversary) so join the tour here:  www.twitter.com/TV_Tour_Guide

The CW's Fall Schedule

 Last but not least, tourists, we have the fall schedule for the CW.

Supernatural is making an interesting move to Wednesdays at 9 from its Friday slot, pairing it with the new series Arrow, based on DC Comic's hero Green Arrow.  Still think it sucks they decided not to go with Justin Hartley, who played the character on Smallville.  Not sure of the story behind that, but seems like a good match for the Winchesters, who will be going head-to-head with ABC's powerhouse Modern Family.

The net will also be presenting the reboot of the fantasy series Beauty and The Beast with Kristin Kruek - another Smallville alum - taking on the role originated by Linda Hamilton.  And we welcome back Carrie Bradshaw ... the younger version, anyway, from what we saw in Sex and the City.  I can't help but wonder ... how will it do?

So here's what's in store for the CW's fall ...

Mondays
8 p.m. - 90210
9 p.m. - Gossip Girl (In January, switches to The Carrie Diaries)

Tuesdays
8 p.m. - Hart of Dixie
9 p.m. - Emily Owens, M.D.

Wednesdays
8 p.m. - Arrow
9 p.m. - Supernatural

Thursdays
8 p.m. - Vampire Diaries
9 p.m. - Beauty and the Beast

Fridays
8 p.m. - America's Next Top Model
9 p.m. - Nikita

So, now that the fall show grid is complete, I'm personally happy as I have only one major conflict -- won't be able to watch NBC's new J.J. Abrams/Erik Kripke show Revolution on Mondays at 10 p.m., but all my other shows are in the clear with a little room for a couple of new ones.  But don't worry, I'll be here to breakdown the new shows in some form or another for you come fall.

Be sure to come back here throughout the summer, cause there's still plenty of television on in the coming months!

I'm on a mission to reach 100 Twitter followers by my one year anniversary in September, so follow me here!:  www.twitter.com/TV_Tour_Guide