NBC's Awake concluded its thirteen episode run last night with a thriller of a finale, ending with a last scene that packed so much emotion and heart that it was one of my favorite moments of television this year. As Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) walked into his kitchen to find not only his son, Rex, but also his wife Hannah, it was emotionally satisfying and heartwarming for me as a viewer. Throughout the first season of Awake, I have grown to care so deeply about Michael and his relationships with both Rex and Hannah that having the final shot of the series being Michael smiling at the two of them and simply saying "I'm good...I'm perfect" could not have felt more fulfilling.

However, the fact that both Rex and Hannah were there waiting for Michael does beg the question: what exactly happened to allow Michael to see them again? What does the ending of Awake actually mean? There are many conclusions that one could draw from the series finale: Michael died from the gunshot wound that he suffered and was thus reunited with both his wife and son in the afterlife; Hannah and Rex were actually alive the whole time and the entire series up until the last scene was just a dream; or that Michael somehow created a new reality, a new dream for himself, that put his family back together again.

Personally, I am a fan of the last option, especially because of the scene between Michael and his therapist in the Rex-Universe, Dr. Evans (Cherry Jones), that preceded the closing moments. In this scene,  Michael, who had earlier in the episode said goodbye to his wife and the Hannah-Universe in order to thwart Captain Harper and her conspiracy in the Rex Universe, tells Dr. Evans that the arrest of Harper does not provide him with any closure. He still is searching for the right solution to his family being broken apart, and even though he believed solving the mystery behind the crash and putting those responsible behind bars would achieve this, it fails to make him feel any better. Dr. Evans empathizes with Michael but commends him on his ability to let go of his wife, to realize that his life with her was not real. Michael tells her that he is not so sure that he was dreaming the life with Hannah and then asks Dr. Evans what does the term "reality" actually mean; who is to say what is real to one person is real for another?

As Dr. Evans begins to argue with him, she is suddenly frozen time, and Michael leaves through the door of her office, only to walk into his own home, where he finds Hannah and Rex. I took this scene to signify that the Rex-Universe is real life, but Michael can still not let go of Hannah, still not let go of the dream. Therefore, he creates a new reality, or new dream, where all three of them are alive and together. It does not matter if the world he is living is not technically "real," because to Michael, all that matters is being together with his family and feeling the realness of their love.

In a way, it's a perfect ending for Awake, which was always at its best when it focused on the emotional connections between Michael and his family instead of the case-of-the-week procedural aspects of the show. A lot of Awake's finale forces the audience to feel for Michael while also simultaneously making them ponder and question what is going on. The fact that in the end it does not matter for Michael about what is "real" and what is not should speak for Awake as a whole. For me, it never mattered which reality was a dream; the most important and interesting part of this show was seeing a broken man try to hold his family together in the only way he knew how. Michael's moments of pain, joy, despair, and, ultimately, his final moment of happiness is what will resonate with me as I continue to think about Awake.

Now, I want to ask you, the readers, what did you think of the finale? What do you think happened at the end? Were you satisfied or left wanting more? Also, for more thoughts on the finale and the entire series as a whole check out this article from TVRage with thoughts from Awake creator Kyle Killen, where he talks about the show's ending and what he talks away from the series.

Awake Finale: What Do You Think Happened?

Earlier this week (on May 22nd, 2012), MTV finally unleashed their beast known as Teen Wolf: The Complete Season One on DVD in anticipation for the Season Two premiere of the hit drama. Personally, this has to be the best time for a Teen Wolf fan, because not only is the second season less than a month away, we can also immerse ourselves in the awesomeness of season one. Yes, Teen Wolf has been available on Netflix for almost a year, but Netflix doesn't have a ton of extra content to gloss over, analyze, and obsess over. So there.

The DVD release of Teen Wolf chocked full of special features, as well as an extended version of the jaw dropping season finale, "Code Breakers," that still has fans reeling for answers. Other features included are deleted, alternate, and extended scenes; three behind-the-scenes featurettes, a "shirtless montage," and a gag reel that has to be hilarious. Especially with a show and cast like Teen Wolf.

Here is a trailer for the set, which I know most of you have already devoured by now.

So now that you have the Teen Wolf: The Complete Season One DVD set, seen the super trailer for season two, and seen the first 10 minutes of the second season, there is only one thing left to do: Discuss obsessively.

Teen Wolf Season Two premieres on June 3rd @11/10c, right after this year's MTV Movie Awards and will resume its regular schedule the next day on June 4th @10/9c. Are you Team Scott, Team Derek, Team Jackson, or Team Werewolf Hunters?

Teen Wolf Season One DVD Prowling Your Shelves Now!

There's always been talk in the Supernatural fandom that would indicate that the characters of Sam and Castiel should be rivals.  For what?  Dean's affections, storyline prominence...take your pick.  I don't want to engage in that particular debate, except to point out that these two characters are not all that different from each other as you may think.  Because of that, I think it can only serve to strengthen their relationship.

I'm going to cap off my week of Supernatural speculation (which has consisted of a roundtable review for season 7, wishlists for Sam and Dean in season 8, a discussion of why Purgatory is different from Dean's Hell storyline and the creatures that might be down there) with some thoughts that I've been pondering for a long time, but haven't really had the right opportunity to discuss.

I don't think there are many fans who would dispute that Castiel's devotion to his father (God) is very similar to Dean's earlier devotion to his own father.  Of course, it is in an angel's nature to be devoted to God, so you can hardly fault him for that.  But Castiel and Sam's similarities really lie in both of their falls from grace, as well as their subsequent attempts at redemption.

Castiel's arc in season 6 about opening the door to Purgatory has always struck me as incredibly similar to Sam's arc in season 4 involving his quest for vengeance against Lilith.  Castiel was faced with a previously unexpected situation (chaos in Heaven), while Sam was faced with the same (Dean in Hell).  What's important to remember is that in both situations, our protagonist believed the old adage "the end justifies the means".  For Sam, drinking demon blood and even killing a few people along the way was acceptable, because the end goal of destroying Lilith for her part in killing Dean was worth it.  For Castiel, opening a door to Purgatory and lying to his friends was also worth the risk if only Raphael could be destroyed and Heaven stabilized.

In each case, both protagonists were manipulated by outside forces: Sam by Ruby (and the overall plans of the Devil, to a lesser extent) and Castiel by Crowley.  I'll admit, Castiel's body count in his quest was far larger than Sam's, and he did commit a terrible act against Sam himself by breaking his wall (although he had intended to fix him, the outcome was reckless and unexpected).  And while each of their stories are not technically about Dean, per se, both of them clearly betrayed Dean's trust with the actions that they took.

In the end, both Sam and Castiel realized that their actions were wrong.  Sam worked hard to redeem himself, although Castiel hasn't had much of an opportunity yet to do so, but that's as a result of his current storyline.

One recurring theme in Supernatural is that everyone deserves a second chance, and anyone can be redeemed if they genuinely seek it.  Dean has sought redemption for what he believes are his sins in Hell.  Sam has sought redemption for his actions in season 4.  Castiel will - I believe - continue to strive for redemption for his own actions in season 6 and the beginning of season 7.

Some fans have asked "why did it seem like Sam was so quick to forgive Castiel?"  They call him weak for it.  I don't believe it's weakness.  I believe it's these similarities between Sam and Castiel that are the explanation.  Sam is quicker to forgive...or, perhaps, "understand" is a better phrase...Castiel because Sam knows what it's like to really make a mistake and feel remorse for it.  It's these similarities between them that can form the basis of a strong friendship between the two men that's completely independent of Castiel's "profound bond" (I really hate that term) between Castiel and Dean.

As a result of this discussion, I've decided to throw out a short wishlist for Castiel in the eighth season of Supernatural.

Redemptive Arc.  Like I mentioned above, everyone deserves a second chance if they feel genuine remorse for their sins (blame it on my inner-Catholic).  Castiel taking on Sam's Hellucinations haven't really afforded him much time to seek redemption, but there's every indication that he wants to find it.  If they writers have time, I would really like to see this happen.

A Place for Castiel. Some fans have insisted that there's no place for angels in the show anymore.  I don't believe that's true, but I can understand their point.  More specifically, with regards to Castiel, Misha Collins did acknowledge at the recent JIB convention that "I think they’re trying to find ways to make Castiel less powerful.  It’s sort of a problem in the show if Sam and Dean have a friend who can snap his fingers and solve any problems.  It’s partly to make it so the boys don’t have such an easy time."  This is precisely why Castiel took on Sam's Hellucinations instead of simply healing him.  There's a place for Castiel in Supernatural.  I've said that I would prefer to see Dean fighting his way through Purgatory alone for his own personal storyarc, but I don't want Cas to abandon him there (perhaps he's pulled out for some reason).  Despite not wanting Dean's journey to be the "Dean and Cas" journey, I still want the angel to remain on the show.  If there's an arc to be found that teams up Cas with both of the Winchesters again so that they're working together instead of at cross-purposes, then that's what I would like to see.  What that arc is, I'll admit that I don't know.  Then again, I'm not a writer on the show.  But given the fact that the writers and actors seem to recognize the difficulty - as well as the presence of a new showrunner who was present at the heyday of the angel storyline - I think they'll come up with a good arc.

Healing from the Crazy.  I've enjoyed Misha's "crazy Castiel" performance.  He's a good actor who plays different incarnations of his character very well (a talent also shared by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki).  That being said, I would like to see him reach some sort of balance.  To be quite honest, I'm completely unsurprised that he's not feeling the same effects as Sam.  Castiel is an angel and we all know that they have nearly unprecedented healing abilities, so feeling lesser effects from Sam's trauma isn't unexpected.  That being said, I also believe that he's using the crazy as an opportunity to avoid dealing with his guilt.  In the season 7 finale, he said broke down in front of the Winchesters and said "I can't help. You understand? I can't. I destroyed everything...and I will destroy everything again. Can we please just leave it at that?".  I think that his current symptoms are real, but I also think they may be exaggerated in an attempt to avoid future mistakes.  If he doesn't have to fight because he's crazy, then he won't risk making another terrible mistake like lying to his friends and trying to open the door to Purgatory.  It wasn't until the end of the finale that a talking-to by a Dean, and a trip to Purgatory, really seemed to bring the old, "normal", version of Cas to the forefront.  I think there's a balance that can be achieved here.

Renewed - and Deeper - Relationships.  I understand Dean's reluctance to forgive Castiel for his actions.  First, it took him a while to forgive - and trust - his own brother after the events of season 4 and Sam is really the single most important person in his life (sorry, Cas fans - AN: I've been told I don't have to apologize for that, so thanks for pointing that out).  Further, Castiel committed what Dean believes is the biggest sin: hurting his brother.  Should Dean forgive Castiel eventually?  Yes.  Because he forgives the people he cares about so long as they feel remorse (which ties in to Cas' redemption arc).  But I would also like to see Sam and Castiel develop a stronger relationship.  Like I mentioned above, there are a great many similarities between these two characters and, while their relationship might be different than the one between Cas and Dean, I don't believe it's any less important.  Castiel is not just Dean's friend.  He's developed friendships with both Winchesters and Bobby.  But that doesn't mean that a friendship with Sam couldn't use some additional cultivating on the part of the writers.

So there you have it, Supernatural fans: all the speculation I have to give until some information starts pouring in about season 8.  I've mentioned it before, but I am thoroughly exited about next season.  Everything I've read lately indicates that the people who can help shape the storyline acknowledge some shortcomings they've had for the show for the past few seasons and are looking to correct that.  With a new showrunner in charge, I think we'll see a reinvigorated show.

Feel free to share your comments below but, please, don't turn this into a Castiel vs. Sam war.  My intention with this article was to show you that they're not all that dissimilar to each other and I hope we can engage in a legitimate debate about the merits of storylines.

We'll be covering Supernatural throughout the summer as new information about season 8 comes in, so make sure to browse and bookmark our Supernatural page.

Supernatural: The Similarities Between Sam & Castiel. Plus, My Season 8 Wishlist for the Angel

The impending nuptials of Jules and Grayson have been driving the third season of Cougar Town from the time he proposed. Like it or not, if you were in the couple's world in any extent, you had to deal with the typical wedding worries, only Jules-ified. There have been storylines dedicated to Trav "auditioning" to be the wedding photographer, a maid-of-honor competition between Ellie and Laurie, and Grayson asking for Chick's blessing, but the time for preparation is over.

There's about to be a Cul-de-Sac Crew wedding and yes, it may be time to panic.

You'd think, at least. A finale wedding is typically hectic, full of mishaps and a whole lot of misunderstandings, but it looks like the only confusion here is Jules and her six viewings of Groundhog Day. (No spoilers!) But really, Jules and Grayson are surprisingly calm for a couple about to walk down the aisle, possibly thanks to their decision to elope. Jules has a very hard time letting go of control, particularly of her dream wedding following a, ahem, modest ceremony with Bobby, but her love for Grayson may actually override the need to be in command.

Elsewhere with the Crew, Ellie turns the charm on to get a hotel employee (guest star David Arquette) to get Jules and Grayson a reception venue and Laurie talks about her time at the Stud Farm in preparation for Jules' bachelorette party. Additionally, the founder of Krazy Kakes is in charge of the wedding cake, leading to another serious flirtation with Trav. The two have some pretty intense chemistry (and have gotten better at acknowledging it), but thanks to their age difference and Laurie's Army boyfriend Wade, they've never really acted on it. Perhaps all the romance in the air has become contagious?

The one-hour season finale of Cougar Town airs Tuesday, May 29th at 8:00 on ABC. The show has been picked up by TBS for a fourth season, set to premiere in early 2013.

Cougar Town Season Finale Sneak Peeks: Jules and Grayson are Getting Married

Yesterday I posted a wishlist for Supernatural season 8 involving Sam and what I hope he accomplishes while Dean is in Purgatory.

I wasn't actually going to write this particular article now, because I've spent time this week talking about why Dean being in Purgatory is different than being in Hell and the lessons I hope he can take from Purgatory.  But then some fans thought I was failing to explain potential storylines for Dean.  That's rather inaccurate, but that's fine.  I gave more thought to what I've said before and decided to set out an expanded wishlist for Dean.  Trust me, folks, writing about Dean is never a hardship for me.

See Purgatory.  The first thing I want to see about Purgatory is to actually SEE Purgatory.  I completely understand the budgetary concerns that Supernatural has had in the past about showing Hell.  A lot of viewers will have their own ideas of what Hell looks like and you probably need to "go big or go home" in order to show that.  But Purgatory can look like anything, really.  I don't have a preconceived notion of what that dimension will look like.  As someone jokingly mentioned, it looks just like a Canadian forest.  Even in LOST, Purgatory actually looked exactly like the world we all know.  And if Supernatural can show us Heaven looking rather ordinary with roads, gardens, homes and fields, then Purgatory can be done as well.  I think it would be a bit of a fake-out not to show us Purgatory, given the rather stellar cliffhanger the show set up in the season 7 finale.  We've done the "oh, they're in another dimension, then they come back without us seeing it" thing before.  Spending some time in Purgatory can only be a good thing, because the learning experience for both brothers in this situation make for good storylines.

Death-match in Purgatory. In the Purgatory vs. Hell article, I mentioned that Dean often fails to understand the value of fighting to save himself and generally sticks with hunting out of an obligation to fight for others.  Purgatory can be a very good way for Dean to recognize his self-worth.  Learning to survive this dimension is a must, especially since Dean is likely alive down there, instead of being dead like he was in Hell.  I've also mentioned that I would actually like to see Dean surviving it alone.  I don't really want to see Castiel abandon him down there, but if Cas disappeared because he was pulled out of the dimension by unknown forces, I wouldn't be displeased.  There's a place for the angel in season 8, but learning to survive on his own will be, in my opinion, a very good learning experience for Dean.  I want to see the reemergence of the badass hunter that we know Dean is.  Dean's recent apathy (which we discussed in detail in our multi-page review of season 7) doesn't mean he's not a strong hunter - because he so clearly still is - but he's lost a bit of the fire that used to define him.  If slaughtering his way through Purgatory is the way to reignite that, then I'm all for it.  Besides, Sam can't help Dean out of Purgatory if Dean isn't down there fighting to survive.  Someone mentioned to me that Dean shouldn't act like a damsel in distress down in Purgatory.  Dean's never been a damsel in distress a day in his life, so the likelihood of that happening is nil.

Defined Time Period.  I definitely want to see Dean explore Purgatory, but I think this can only be done for a certain period of time.  I'll admit that it's a novel concept to separate the brothers, since they really haven't been separated for more than 1.95 episodes ("Free to be You and Me" until the end of "The End").  But there's only so long that can happen before the central relationship of the show gives way to separate storylines.  I think two to three episodes is time to establish Dean in Purgatory and give Sam an opportunity to find a solution and open a door to help get him out, since, as far as we know, you can only really open the door from the Earth-side.  After that, I'm eager to see the main story arc for the season and see how the boys will deal with that.  I don't think Purgatory can be the main storyline unless Sam travels there as well and I really see no reason why that should happen.

The One Person in Purgatory I Definitely Want To See. I wrote out my thoughts on which people - or beings - Dean could find in Purgatory and I really have one person on my wishlist: Gordon Walker.  More than anyone else, this is one deceased character I'd love to see again in this context.  Dean and Gordon always had an interesting "relationship".  Gordon went from Dean's BFF to his enemy in the space of one episode and Gordon became a very formidable enemy to the Winchesters as season 2 progressed.  Since he died a vampire, I think he would end up in Purgatory.  It would be fascinating for Dean to see a blast from his past that hasn't resurfaced on the show yet.

The Importance of Relationships.  I've always felt that Dean has been defined by his relationships, which is why family has always been so consistently important to him.  He's one of those people who doesn't really do well on his own, which is fine. Humans are generally social creatures, so there's no shame in that.  Lately, however, Dean's apathy has seemed to affect his relationships.  It's not that he doesn't still love his brother or Bobby, because he clearly does.  I just don't know if he derives the same satisfaction from his relationships.  In some respects, Dean has become a bit of an island...floating by on the conviction of duty and nothing else.  It breaks my heart to reconcile the man with the boy we first met in season 1.  It's understandable, because he - and Sam - have suffered so much over the years.  But I would like to see Dean really firm up his relationships and derive joy from them again.  With a renewed sense of purpose from his time in Purgatory and stronger relationships, I think Dean will be unstoppable.

I wish I could go deeper into my wishlist for Dean in season 8, but until we have a better idea of the overall storyline (which could really go anywhere at this point), then it's difficult to predict what will happen.  Overall, however, I think the writers set up a terrific cliffhanger in the season 7 finale and I think Dean has an opportunity to go through a real transformation down in Purgatory.

Go take a look at our wishlist for Castiel and a discussion on why he and Sam are more similar than you might think.

We'll be covering Supernatural throughout the summer as new information about season 8 comes in, so make sure to browse and bookmark our Supernatural page.

Supernatural Season 8: My Wishlist for Dean

By the time that Evelyn and Jennifer had the same argument for at least the third time in 15 episodes, I had washed my hands of this season of Basketball Wives. It's been a rather cold, repetitive, mean season, a season that not even the gorgeous Tahitian scenery could reinvigorate. And the sneak peek of the finale (!) is a pretty good snapshot of everything wrong with this season of Basketball Wives.

Evelyn's hypocrisy, for one, is just the most; you're extra pressed over Jennifer not backflipping over your relationship and yet you're doing a reality show...about your relationship? Shaunie's faux fence sitting, claiming to be impartial but one iota away from rocking her Team Ev hoodie, has grated since day one and having her talk down to Jennifer doesn't help matters. More troubling is Kenya's insecurity. I'm all for forgiveness and moving on, but how can you be palling around with the same people that have been brutal to you since the first day they met you? And have thrown objects at you, threatened you, etc.?

And let's not forget Tami, who can't go an hour without having something toxic to say or someone to put on blast. (Watch the entire video to hear a comment about she made about Royce.)

But, you guys...this is just the first 10 minutes of the episode. That means we have at least 32 more minutes (not counting commercials) remaining with this house of hot messes, likely filled with the same type of circular arguments and inappropriately violent behavior that has made season four of Basketball Wives pretty darn harrowing to navigate.

The solace I find in that? The reunion is next week and after that...we're done. Done - the sweetest four letter word that could be applied to the Basketball Wives.

The season finale of Basketball Wives airs Monday at 8:00 on VH1. If you missed my thoughts on the last episode, you can check them out here.

As a bonus, because I greatly appreciate anybody that's read and commented this season, here's a reunion sneak peek where Evelyn (hilariously) does damage control about how horrible she came off in season four.

Basketball Wives Season Finale Sneak Peek: Vote Me Off This Island

The second half of Jane by Design's first season is looking to up the ante that much more from its first set of episodes. Now, Ben knows about Jane's time at Donovan Decker, Billy has to deal with time in jail (and his feelings for Jane), and Jane must continue her forward movement in the company without anybody finding out her true identity, all the while choosing between Billy, Nick, and Jeremy. It's a completely different type of life than Jane envisioned once she took the job at Donovan Decker, extraordinarily chaotic and filled to the brim with activity, but something tells me that we'll see her really settle in during the upcoming run of episodes.

She's always loved fashion, but it took a few episodes for her to grow into her role at Donovan Decker. With a little experience under her (fabulous) belt and India out of the way, for now, Jane's comfort level could rise pretty rapidly, but will she still remember who she is upon achieving even more success?

Listed below are the dates, initial airings, episode names, and episode descriptions for Jane by Design's first two episodes back, where it looks like Jane may be close to forgetting her roots.

TUESDAY, JUNE 5 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST)
"The Replacement"
Jane is scrambling to get a handle on both her personal and professional life. With Billy returning from juvie, Jane is nervous about how things were left and what that means now for the two best friends. But, she doesn't have too much time to think about it because with India now gone from Donovan Decker, Gray is leaning on Jane more than ever. Jane starts to wonder if she may have a shot at the job, with a little encouragement from Jeremy, but some stiff competition might be standing in her way. Interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard (from Bravo's "Million Dollar Decorators") stops by the Donavan Decker offices to spruce up Gray's office. Meanwhile, Ben tries his best to keep Jane's secret safe even though it is affecting his new relationship with Rita.

TUESDAY, JUNE 12 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST)
"The Celebrity"
It's bad enough that the Donovan Decker team has to win the approval of India to clinch the coveted new Harrod's fashion line, but now they have to also dazzle movie star Aiden Redmond - the new celebrity face of the retail chain. With his Hollywood looks and charm, it is only a matter of time before the whole team is smitten. Now with access to one of Hollywood's top leading men, will all the fame and celebrity get the best of Jane? Meanwhile, Billy is still struggling to fit back into daily life of high school and his new reputation.

Jane by Design returns Tuesday, June 5th at 9:00 following Pretty Little Liars. A marathon of the first 10 episodes will be airing two days prior on SOAPnet.

Jane by Design: Spoilers for the Mid-season Premiere

For months, the pilot of Bunheads has been hinted at, talked about, and cryptically previewed, both on ABC Family and the internet at large. That's to be expected, considering the caliber of talent in front of (Tony winner Sutton Foster) and behind (Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino) the camera, but what I've been most interested in are the episodes following the pilot. Once the premise has been clearly defined and Michelle makes the trek from Vegas to Paradise, California, what happens then? How will she adjust to being out of the limelight, marrying a stranger, and teaching dance instead of being on stage?

Listed below are the dates, initial airings, episode names, and episode descriptions for the first three episodes of Bunheads, all of which hint that her transition to small town life may not go as smoothly as she thought.

MONDAY, JUNE 11 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST)
"Pilot"
Michelle Simms (Tony Award(R)-winning actor Sutton Foster) had a promising career as a classically-trained professional dancer but was drawn to the lights of Las Vegas. Now, with a dead-end job as a 30-something showgirl, she's found the excitement of Sin City has lost its appeal, and her persistent suitor, Hubbell Flowers (Alan Ruck, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"), is gaining it. With promises of a cushy life in his coastal town of Paradise, CA., Hubbell convinces Michelle to marry him and move away. Once in there, Michelle discovers that Hubbell forgot to mention that he lives with his mother, the strong-headed, imperious Fanny Flowers (Kelly Bishop, "Gilmore Girls"), who is not pleased that Hubbell has run off and married a stranger.

A former dancer herself, Fanny runs the local dance studio, which Michelle comes upon and ends up bonding with some of Fanny's dance students: sweet "Boo" (Kaitlyn Jenkins), who would give anything to be a "bunhead" but struggles against her body type; rebellious Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles), who possesses the classic ballet dancer's body and talent but -- distracted by family issues at home -- doesn't seem to have her heart in dancing; shapely Ginny (Bailey Buntain), who is not yet comfortable in her own skin; and fun-loving Melanie (Emma Dumont), who is ready for whatever life throws at her. Michelle's budding relationship with these girls helps her adapt to small town living and her uneasy role as a new daughter-in-law.

MONDAY, JUNE 18 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST)
"For Fanny"
Michelle's rocky start with her new mother-in-law finally seems to smooth out, until an unexpected occurrence turns everything on end. Michelle quickly finds herself back at odds with Fanny, but at the same time wanting to empathize with her. Inspired by Fanny's students, Michelle has an idea to help Fanny face the reality of the situation.

MONDAY, JUNE 25 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST)
"Inherit the Wind"
When Fanny's attorney gives her shocking news, she takes it hard and makes the situation more awkward for Michelle. Making matters worse, Michelle has a run-in with the law when she takes off in Hubbell's car to blow off steam, only to break down in the driveway of a handsome, local recluse. Meanwhile, the girls compete against other dance studios in an "ugliest feet" contest.

Bunheads premieres Monday, June 11th at 9:00 on ABC Family following The Secret Life of the American Teenager. You can check out photos and sneak peeks from the premiere here, as well as an extended on-air promo here.

Bunheads: Spoilers for the First Three Episodes

I've just begin to explore the "Dean in Purgatory" angle in the eighth season of Supernatural (here and here), but now I want to turn my attention to the other important player in this whole wacky scenario: Sam Winchester.

Dean being down in Purgatory is clearly a bad situation for the elder Winchester, but that doesn't mean Sam doesn't have a big role to play in this potential storyline.  So here's my wishlist for what might happen with Sam while Dean is down in Purgatory fighting monsters.  Of course, I keep assuming that they will be showing Dean in Purgatory and Sam back on Earth instead of using a time jump.  It's such an interesting potential storyline I really hope it happens!

No Repeat of Season 4. Let me be clear, I thought Sam's demon blood storyline was very interesting, dark and well acted by Jared Padalecki, but that's not how I want to see him handle the situation this time.  Technically, there's no real person to blame for what happened to Dean (ok...maybe God, for failing to put this important information on the tablet), so there's no reason for Sam to strive for revenge.  Instead, I want to see him focused on finding his brother without resorting to drinking demon blood in order to "bolster his powers".  Although, to be fair, that's not a solution he's turned to for some time, so I think it's unlikely to happen.  Like I said in the first article I linked to above, this is a very different situation than when Dean was in Hell and I think Sam has come so far from the man he was in season 4 that he won't be making the same mistake again.

Focus vs. Crazy Single-Mindedness Determination.  "Mystery Spot" is one of my favorite episodes of Supernatural, and just so happened to be written by new showrunner Jeremy Carver.  Remember when Dean "died" for the final time in that episode and Sam set out to bring him back?  He was like a robot, focused only on his goal.  This is also sort of like Sam in season 4, although it's also slightly different.  I don't necessarily want to see "Mystery Spot" Sam again, if only because I feel so bad for him when he shuts off his emotions like that.  It's not a good place for Sam to go, especially when Dean isn't around to help ground him.

Sam Saves Dean.  This is non-negotiable.  I don't need the brothers to be at each other's side 24/7, but Sam being the person to help Dean (and Castiel, if he's still down there) out of Purgatory is crucial.  Not only will it help alleviate any remaining guilt Sam may still carry for not being the one to save Dean from Hell, but it really will help bolster the brothers' relationship.  Given the problems they've encountered over the years, this will be a very good thing.

No Dealing with the Leviathans...At Least Until Dean Returns.  I think I need a bit of a break from the Leviathans.  As we discussed in our round-table review of Supernatural season 7, we loved Dick, but the Leviathans didn't always work for us as villains, if only because they failed to have a very strong connection to the Winchesters (we explain why Bobby's death wasn't enough).  I know that Crowley warned that the Leviathans were still a threat, but I'd like to see them sit on the side-lines while Sam tries to figure out where Dean is, and how to save him.  If the show introduces a new big bad for next season (and I hope it does), it's my hope that the Leviathans will be a smaller sub-plot until they're defeated.

Get Help From Humans, Not Demons.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore Crowley, Meg and some other recurring demons on the show who have helped the Winchesters from time to time.  But I think this is a time for Sam to rely on good old-fashioned human ingenuity.  We all know there's a way to open a door to Purgatory.  As someone helpfully reminded me in the comments, H.P. Lovecraft did it.  Yes, it's very dangerous and could let out some nasty monsters (see: Castiel in season 6), but it's possible.  Some fans have bemoaned the Winchesters' lack of ingenuity over the years.  I don't necessarily think that's true.  I thought Dean's defeat of the Shojo in "Party on, Garth" and his defeat of Eve in "Mommie Dearest" were very clever.  But I'll admit that the brothers could use some prodding to get back to the way they used to solve cases: heavy research, trial-and-error, and a little help from some allies who weren't always Bobby.  Sam not involving demons in saving his brother is not only smart (since working with them always comes with a price), but gives him the opportunity to put his big brain to good use.  It also gives us the opportunity to see him interact with some fun recurring guest stars, like Sheriff Jody Mills.  I loved watching the two of them work together to locate Dean in "Time After Time".

On the flip-side, read my wishlist for Dean for season 8 and our wishlist for Castiel and a discussion on why he and Sam are more similar than you might think.

And, you know, if he just happens to do some shirtless chin-ups from time-to-time in order to keep himself in shape, that probably wouldn't hurt either.  He might need to fight off some monsters while he saves Dean, after all.  Better to be prepared!

We'll be covering Supernatural throughout the summer as new information about season 8 comes in, so make sure to browse and bookmark our Supernatural page.

Supernatural: My Wishlist for Sam While Dean is in Purgatory

It's all come down to this.

A cycle of low riders, high fashion, and Kardashian kameos is down to its final episode, pitting a spitfire American against a sophisticated Brit to see which country is the fiercest one of all. Really, it's the only true way that the British Invasion cycle of Top Model could end, the team concept having driven much of the earlier episodes of the cycle. But does the preview give any inclination of who will take home the title?

Not particularly. I mean, it has Laura all over the place, tough in the face of the competition but physically breaking down at some point in the finale. Could it be nerves? Exhaustion? A temporary bug with the worst possible timing? But really, what self-respecting Top Model cycle would be complete without some type of health scare? Exactly. By including the illness in the preview, either they're setting Laura up for a victory, her having overcome illness and a broken home to become America's Next Top Model, or giving her a pretty decent back door out into second place.

The final Top Model runway tends to be extremely over-the-top, having included ghosts, flying, and fairy tales in the mix over the years, but you don't get that sense here. It looks downright demure compared to past runways, a lack of any garish clothing or unusual set pieces really making me curious as to the direction the fashion show will go in. Is Top Model not letting us have the full extent of the runway show? Could they have toned it down and actually let the walking do the talking?

The cycle 18 finale of Top Model airs Wednesday, May 30th at 9:00 on The CW. To catch up on my reviews from this cycle, be sure to check out the America's Next Top Model tag here.

America's Next Top Model: Cycle 18 Finale Preview

Starz has announced that it will be running marathons of recent debut Magic City and its most popular series Spartacus, just in time for the malaise of summer TV.

Magic City has been slowly building in ratings and word-of-mouth, culminating in what is sure to be a strong finale. But before we get to the finale and the impending danger that faces both Ike and Stevie Evans, it's time to relive all the glamour, all the fashion, and all the mob ties. Beginning Friday, May 25th at 9:00, Magic City will be airing from the very beginning, all seven episodes popping up in chunks throughout the weekend. The season finale will be airing Friday, June 1st at 10:00, a week before the Spartacus marathon kicks off. Magic City has already been renewed for a second season.

For the first time, Spartacus will be airing in chronological order, beginning with prequel series Gods of the Arena and running through recent series Vengeance. (The prequel was actually the second series to air, following Blood and Sand and star Andy Whitfield's bout with cancer.) Three episodes will air per Friday night, beginning June 8th, running through the most recent season finale on August 10th at 10:00. Boss takes over Friday nights the following week beginning at 10:00 for a 10-episode second season.

Listed below are the dates, times, and episode titles for every Magic City and Spartacus episode that will be shown during each marathon.

Friday, May 25th
Magic City
9:00 The Year of the Fin (pilot)
10:00 Feeding Frenzy
11:00 Castles Made of Sand

Saturday, May 26th
Magic City
9:00 Atonement
10:00 Suicide Blonde

Sunday, May 27th
Magic City
9:00 The Harder They Fall
10:00 Who's the Horse and Who's the Rider?

Friday, June 8th
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
9:00 Past Transgressions
10:00 Missio
11:00 Paterfamilias

Friday, June 15th
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
9:00 Beneath the Mask
10:00 Reckoning
11:00 The Bitter End (season finale)

Friday, June 22nd
Spartacus: Blood and Sand
9:00 The Red Serpent
10:00 Sacramentum Gladiatorium
11:00 Legends

Friday, June 29th
Spartacus: Blood and Sand
9:00 The Thing in the Pit
10:00 Shadow Games
11:00 Delicate Things

Friday, July 6th
Spartacus: Blood and Sand
9:00 Great and Unfortunate Things
10:00 Mark of the Brotherhood
11:00 Whore

Friday, July 13th
Spartacus: Blood and Sand
9:00 Party Favors
10:00 Old Wounds
11:00 Revelations

Friday, July 20th
Spartacus: Blood and Sand
9:00 Kill Them All (season finale)
10:00 Fugitivus (Spartacus: Vengeance premiere)
11:00 A Place in This World

Friday, July 27th
Spartacus: Vengeance
9:00 The Greater Good
10:00 Empty Hands
11:00 Libertus

Friday, August 3rd
Spartacus: Vengeance
9:00 Chosen Path
10:00 Sacramentum
11:00 Balance

Friday, August 10th
Spartacus: Vengeance
9:00 Monsters
10:00 Wrath of the Gods (season finale)

Update: Starz to Air Magic City, Spartacus Marathons

New information about the upcoming third season of Pretty Little Liars keeps filtering in, especially since there's less than two weeks until the premiere!  Mona's been exposed as "A" and is now in an asylum, and the girls spent the summer in relative peace.  But when they all come together again in Rosewood, they'll quickly realize that their problems are far from over.  Photos and sneak peeks from the season 3 premiere episode reveal a few suspicious characters still in town, including Jenna (still pretending to be blind), as well as Lucas and a mysterious new girl.

In the June 12 episode, the girls come to realize that there's a new "A" player in town...and, like the last one, this one means business.  "After getting a gruesome reminder that "A" is still calling the shots, Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer try to quickly devise a plan on how to deal with this old/new threat and the usual game that has been taken up a notch. Spencer and Hanna continue to play with fire as they look for answers, while one of Aria’s past indiscretions becomes fodder for "A’s" game."

Mysterious, yes?  And very creepy, especially since we'll be seeing more of Mona in the asylum.  Mona is very good at freaking us out with her creepiness.

Use the arrows above to browse through photos for the June 12 episode of Pretty Little Liars, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC Family.  Make sure to check back, because we recently visited the set and we'll be bringing you more news and spoilers about the upcoming season in the days leading up to the premiere.

Pretty Little Liars Photos: Who Is Targeting the Girls Now? Can Mona Provide Answers?

"A" may have been unmasked in the season 2 finale of Pretty Little Liars, but that doesn't mean the girls no longer have targets on their back.  In fact, everything we've seen about season 3 (including a trailer and sneak peeks from the premiere) indicates that a new "A" is stepping up now that Mona has been locked up.

The second episode description for the new season (airing on June 12) teases a few spoilers:  A new "A" player is in town and is determined to show the Liars that he/she means business. After getting a gruesome reminder that "A" is still calling the shots, Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer try to quickly devise a plan on how to deal with this old/new threat and the usual game that has been taken up a notch. Spencer and Hanna continue to play with fire as they look for answers, while one of Aria’s past indiscretions becomes fodder for "A’s" game.  Meanwhile, a still very shaky Emily tries to focus on school but could easily be derailed when she remembers a crucial piece from "that night."

Well, well, well.  I'm guessing a new member of the so-called "A" team that Mona warned Spencer about has decided to step up and re-start the torment.  Will Mona be able to provide clues about her allies or will she refuse to help?

Pretty Little Liars returns with an all new season on Tuesday, June 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC Family.

Pretty Little Liars Spoilers: Is There a New 'A' in Town?

Now that’s how you do a cliff-hanger and Revenge has left us with one humdinger of a finale with several twists to the story (for a full round up head here). The ultimate shocking moment is what Nolan (Gabriel Mann) has discovered in the evidence that would convict Conrad Grayson (Henry Czerny) of hiring someone to murder David Clarke (James Tupper). Warning spoilers ahead for Revenge and Alias.

The huge reveal is that Emily’s mother is still alive and is somehow involved in the overall conspiracy of the show. There is a certain Alias vibe to this and there are also shared characteristics between Emily and Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) that we will be exploring.

For most of the first season of Alias we were led to believe that Sydney Bristow's mother had died in a car crash; this wasn't the case and it turned out that Sydney's mother is also a spy and an integral part of the organization that Sydney is attempting to bring down. This introduction and the casting of Lena Olin in this pivotal role of Irina Derevko in Alias' second season opened up a world of stories and conflict for both Alias and Sydney. Derevko had abandoned her daughter by faking her death and it looks like we will be seeing a similar story in Revenge for Emily. Emily not only had to grow up thinking that her father was a terrorist but she also believed that her mother was dead; if and when they do get reunited this is not going to be a pleasant reunion and could make Emily’s dealings with Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) seem rather cordial.

Emily is like Sydney Bristow in more ways than her mother’s shady past; she is resilient, a fighter but she also has a level of compassion. What Emily could learn from Sydney is a thing or two about disguises; glasses, bangs and a different hair color doesn’t necessarily conceal who you are. Both characters had traumatic experiences that cut their childhood happiness short and both have been trained for the roles they have taken by experts. Now that the Revenge conspiracy web is getting bigger there is even a hint of SD-6 to the proceedings so even though Emily isn't a professional spy she is certainly trained for the part. Emily even has her own gadget maestro in the form of Nolan, though he is a much snazzier dresser than Marshall (Kevin Weisman) ever was on Alias. Of course the shows are also different in many ways, but Alias does serve as a cautionary tale of getting bogged down in too much mythology and conspiracy so Revenge should make sure that it stays focused on the emotional and personal aspects of the tale.

Emily is not only the driving force of this story but she is also the emotional heart and even though we have seen her use emotions to manipulate we know that despite Emily's tough exterior she is vulnerable in certain scenarios. This is especially true with Jack (Nick Wechsler) and Emily becomes exposed when he is involved. Emily was going to tell Jack the truth about who she really is but alas Amanda (Margarita Levieva) has returned with some unfortunately timed big baby news.

Lucky for Emily she has Nolan, not just for his tech skills but also as the one person who knows who she really is and Nolan can provide friendship and champagne at nine in the morning even if Emily think this is somewhat inappropriate at this early hour. Major props need to be given to Emily VanCamp who gave me chills in this episode as she flips from a state of distress to a renewed desire for her original goal particularly with her delivery of "Let it play."

Revenge has certainly come a long way since the pilot and what started as a woman equipped with a photograph and a red sharpie pen has developed into a more expansive narrative. This is of course needed for the longevity of the show and while it looked like we could get bogged down in mythology and conspiracy, bringing it back to a personal level for Emily with her mother is a really good move. Emily now has added motivation along with her desire to see the Grayson family pay for their part in the whole plot and it is hard to believe that Victoria was on that plane when it blew up. This then sets up another conflict if we get a meeting between Victoria and Emily's mother; expect the ultimate side eye.

The all important question then is who would you cast as Emily's mother? It has to be someone who will match the fierce determination of Emily and who can also go head to head with Victoria. Any thoughts as to how this reveal will impact season 2? Let us know your suggestions in the comments below.

For all of our coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, reviews, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Revenge page.

Revenge Finale Thoughts and an Alias Comparison

Oh my God, Revenge!  The show that has consistently delivered twist after turn all season long just finished off its season finale with a bang...literally. Let's recap the milestones in the shocking season finale.

Emily managed to "steal" the evidence against Conrad and his co-conspirators by telling Daniel that a white-haired man had broken into her house and swiped it.  Naturally, Daniel headed straight for Conrad, telling his father everything.

Meanwhile, Emily attempted to get into the information herself, but found it locked tight.  What's a girl to do?  Call Nolan for help, of course!  But, as Emily soon discovered, Nolan had been kidnapped by the white-haired man (who I'm going to call WHM until I figure out his name, because I can't remember it right now).  Telling WHM over the phone that she was Amanda Clarke and that they had unfinished business, she agreed to a meeting.

That quickly led to Emily being tied up next to Nolan in WHM's basement.  Emily sent him off on an errand to find the evidence, which she claimed was in a storage locker, and then set about freeing herself and Nolan.  Of course, Emily wasn't stupid enough to actually put the evidence in a locker.  Instead, she sent it off with Nolan to deliver to the SEC agent.  He did, which put the evidence in the hands of the very people who could expose Conrad.  When WHM returned empty-handed, he and Emily fought.  About to kill him, Emily realized that she couldn't turn in to a killer.  After all, the evidence was with the SEC and those responsible for framing her father were about to be taken down.  It seemed like her plan was at an end.  So when Daniel confronted her, asking her whether she had kissed Jack, she saw no reason to lie.  With her quest finished, she no longer needed to be engaged/married to Daniel, so the pair split.

Back at the Grayson homestead, Victoria was finalizing her plans to take Conrad down.  And Charlotte decided to use her mother's PI to get information on Declan's newest friend, deciding to expose her in a way that made Declan compare her to Victoria and hat her forever.  But the big shock came when Victoria was told by the SEC that Conrad was responsible for David Clarke's murder.

As it turns out, Victoria didn't know this one, crucial, fact.  And that's when her own plan against Conrad for revenge became a crusade.  She quickly got Lydia back on her side and promised to rain holy Hell down on Conrad for killing the man she (supposedly) loved.  It led to explosive confrontations between the two Graysons, but Victoria would not be deterred.  And this led to Conrad's own plan, and the five shocking moments of the season finale.

Shocking finale moment #1: Prepared to reveal everything about her revenge plan to Jack, Emily headed to the Stowaway, but it turns out Jack has a visitor: Amanda.  Fauxmanda, to be exact.  And she's pregnant!  Well, ain't that a kick to the head?!  Knowing that she can no longer be with Jack - and has broken up with Daniel - Emily wisheed the parents-to-be well and headed outside, alone.

Shocking finale moment #2: Victoria and Lydia boarded the plane with the SEC guy, but the WHM was also on the tarmac, leaving a little present for them: a bomb.  The plane exploded shortly after take-off and, according to news reports, there were no survivors.  Is Victoria actually dead?!

Shocking finale moment #3: After hearing the news about her mother on the television, Charlotte immediately called Declan, but his anger at her for her earlier actions shone through and he demanded she never call him again.  In despair, Charlotte overdosed on pills.  Shortly thereafter, Conrad entered her room to find her...unconscious?  Dead?

Shocking finale moment #4: Perhaps the biggest shock of the night came for Emily, who realized that not only had she lost Jack, but her plan for revenge was far from over.  When the plane blew up, it took all the evidence needed to clear her father with it.

Shocking finale moment #5: But wait!  Nolan saves the day!  He stopped by Emily's house shortly after she got the news about the explosion, only to tell her that he actually backed up a copy of the evidence.  And it contains a very interesting video of Victoria, Conrad and WHM.  Nolan tells Emily that Americon Initiative handled the cover-up.  But there's more!  "This goes so far past the Graysons and so far past what they did to your father," Nolan warned.  "It'll work because he trusts me," Victoria said on the tape from so long ago.  "I know David's deepest secret.  The wife he had before we met...if you look a little deeper, you'll find there's much more to the story."  Emily suspects that the Initiative killed her mother too.  But that's not what Victoria's saying, Nolan replied.  "What she's saying is that your mother's alive."

I mean, come on!  That was completely insane, wasn't it?  No revenge for Emily?  Victoria and Lydia possibly dead?  A pregnant Amanda back in Jack's life?  Oh, Revenge, you certainly know how to make a (temporary) exit.

On a side note, I'd like to bring up what I thought was one of the best moments in a season finale filled with great moments.  After learning of their break-up, Victoria headed to Emily's house to express her condolences about the end of her and Daniel's relationship.  Emily tried to hand back the engagement gift Victoria had given them, but Victoria suggested she open it instead.  Inside?  Nothing.  "You see, even long before the day of your engagement party, I knew that your future with Daniel was as empty as that box.  Now, best of luck with your next endeavor," Victoria sneered at Emily.  And that, my friends, was possibly the best gift in the whole history of gift-giving.

Revenge will return for its second season in the fall, but will be moving to Sunday nights.  How can we possibly wait to see the resolution of these crazy cliffhangers?

Revenge Season Finale: Did Emily Reach Her Goal? Who's Playing the Revenge Game Now?

I rewatched last night's episode of American Idol, and I have to say, Phillip did better than I gave him credit for. I can say all I want that I think Jessica deserves to win, but I won't be mad if Phillip does. I'll comment more on the whole 'white guy with guitar' phenomenon later in this post, and how the show can fix itself. On to the show!

The night starts out with a group song to Bruno Mars' "Runaway Baby" (I believe that is the title, I am typing this as I watch), and it's the typical all-in-white mess we've come to expect from finale night. There's a weird, unnecessary dance break, and then it's time for the show to really start. Ryan and the judges come out, Ryan building up the show with 132 million votes cast. When Phillip and Jessica come out, I begin to wonder if he's dressed for comfort as opposed to not wanting to dress up.

Phillip Phillips sings with and John Fogerty next, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and "Bad Moon Rising". It's pretty underwhelming. They look like they are having fun, but their voices just don't blend well together.

There is a short video of fun audition stuff that most of us have forgotten and I myself don't care to see again.

Joshua Ledet is up next, singing "Take Me to the Pilot". He is joined by Fantasia, and they just riff all over the stage to the point the production cuts them off. I wasn't too sure about it, but it was just on this side of a good hot mess.

There's a video of Jimmy Iovine consistently calling Jennifer Lopez 'Jessica', which is apparently his daughter's name. It's pretty funny, but with all this filler, will the winner get announced on time?

Then the girls are singing a medley of Chaka Khan songs. Erika and Elise sound amazing and I feel robbed. I didn't realize how much I missed Skylar and Hollie until I saw them. Chaka Khan comes out and the vocal is a little dubious, but it's finale night, the judging is over, right?

There is a Ford video, and Jessica and Phillip highlight their musical mentors, who get tickets to the finale and a new car. Phillip and Jessica get one too, even though Phillip has missed a bunch of the videos. (He has been ill, but again, more on that later.)

Rihanna is up next with "Where Have you Been." I'm not a big fan of her songs, and this seems like it's all chorus and no verse. But then again, she has sold millions of records, so what do I know? At least she's singing live and sounding good.

Skylar Laine gets to duet with Reba McEntire on "Turn on the Radio" and it's pretty amazing. I really think Skylar's stage presence is so awesome, and she should have gotten further than fifth. I look forward to her career, and she should do well.

There's a bit about Steven's dressing room that's a little....gross and frankly I'm shocked American Idol producer's let it go.

Jessica Sanchez gets to reprise "I Will Always Love You" and I wonder who gets cheated of a duet because of this. (Turns out it's Colton and Elise, but I'm not mad mad. After all, Jessica can sing the heck out of this song.)

The guys sing a Neil Diamond medley. Colton and Deandre sound especially good, and Joshua just continues to wail away. Neil sounds good for his age, but he can't quite sing with the same verve.

Randy gets a bit about singing the phone book. Then Ryan tells him they put something together for Randy. There's a video of the top 13 (minus Jessica and Phillip) singing a song containing what I presume are phone book entries. It's super amusing and probably the best bit of the entire night. They even make fun of Joshua's tendency to oversing.

Up next is JLo singing "Going In" and then Wisin & Yandel Ft. Jennifer Lopez doing "Follow the Leader." The dancing is good? I've already commented on the disconnect between what JLo does and what American Idol tries to do, I'm just bored by this whole performance.

Ryan makes a comment about former contestants, and then asks Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo to the stage. They've been dating apparently. Ace uses the opportunity to make a super sweet proposal, and Diana says yes. It's really adorable and I'm honestly surprised there aren't more couples out of contestants.

Hollie Cavanagh is up next, singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" with Jordin Sparks. It's pretty amazing, and I still can't believe Hollie has only been singing for three years.

The guys do a BeeGees melody that's nice, but the harmonies aren't that great. Also, why no Stayin' Alive? Also, what happened to the Donna Summer tribute?

Jessica gets to sing "And I'm Telling You" with Jennifer Holliday. Two words: diva off. This was incredible and over-the-top and just amazing. Performance of the night. After the phone book, of course.

Aerosmith is up next with their latest single, and I don't really understand any of the words. At this point I'm just desperate for results. I think this played off better live than on TV.

Finally Jessica and Phillip duet on "Love Lift Us Up Where We Belong" and they harmonize pretty well. Phillip is forced to sing the way we know he can, and Jessica has to restrain her natural tendencies. It's sort of nice.

The results are in, and the winner of season 11 of American Idol is Phillip Phillips. He totally loses it singing, and if I was honest. I actually don't mind that he won. I hope that Interscope has a plan for him, because with kidney stone surgery, I don't see him getting out an album that is authentically him in the same time table as Scotty did last year.

So what do you think? Did the right person win? I don't know. This was a weird season in the end. I think the contestants all had stand out moments, but were terrible at consistently picking good songs. I don't know what the producers are going to do now, but I have a few points to make, while I still have an audience.

1. We know Phillip and Jessica (and Joshua) are pretty much guaranteed a record deal. I think Skylar and Colton are also set. I'd like to see something for Elise and Hollie, but I won't hold my breath.

2. In defense of the WGWG: I can't say as I'm completely happy five guys have won in a row. At the same time, we really can't lump them together forever. I can make a really good argument for any of them, and it's not their fault that a guy won the previous year. That said, I hope the audience that voted for Phillip shows up around album time.

3. How does the show improve? For me, the most important thing is fairness. Show the audition/Hollywood footage of every top 24/36 contestant. Make the judges give constructive criticisms. Open up the list of cleared songs. (I could go on, but it's getting late.)

Congratulations to Phillip Phillips. Hopefully I'll see you next year, or maybe in another post here. Thanks for reading.

American Idol Finale Part 2: A Winner is Crowned

After a recording breaking tally of over 130 Million votes, Phillip Phillips has won American Idol.  No official word on how much of a divide there was between Phillips and Jessica Sanchez, but the results are far from surprising.  Phillips received a strong endorsement from the judges in the American Idol premiere and sailed through the entire season without once being up for elimination. Sanchez, on the other hand, was actually eliminated from the contest at one point, but was kept in the competition via the judge's save.

Phillips' soulful style was low on technical skill but high on emotion and drama.  The American Idol hopeful was frequently brought to tears throughout the season and tonight was no exception.  During his victory lap with "Home",  the song that will be his first single, Phillips left the stage before the music came to an end and tearfully embraced his family in the front row.

American Idol Winner Announced

The River premiered on ABC at midseason and was produced by Oren Peli (the director of the terrifying film Paranormal Activity) and Steven Spielberg.  It had a very interesting premise and plot: months ago, Dr. Emmett Cole (Bruce Greenwood) disappeared deep in the Amazon.  An adventurer and television star by trade, Emmett spent his life exploring the world's uncharted territories with his film crew, his wife Tess (Leslie Hope), and his son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson).

As time went on, Lincoln pulled away from his nomadi father, preferring to settle down in a steady job, and Emmett and Tess encountered problems in their marriage.  Fast-forward to six months ago, when Emmett and his crew disappeared, and to present day, when Tess approaches Lincoln, saying that Emmett's beacon is once again transmitting a signal from deep within the Amazon.  Lincoln and Tess head down there with one of Emmett's producers, his trusty mechanic and his daughter, the daughter of one of Emmett's friends (who disappeared with the crew), a cameraman and a security expert.

The Amazon is a dangerous and sometimes horrifying place, filled with dark magic and creepy occurrences.  At least, it is on The River.  Filmed in a documentary-style format with "found" video footage, the show takes us through the Amazonian jungle and waterways while the crew attempts to retrace Emmett's steps and track him down.  Each episode brings one paranormal/supernatural situation after the other which, in a sense, makes it a bit procedural, but always fun and scary to watch.

Bonus features for the DVD include:

Magic Out There: Fans get an inside look into the origins of The River, including a firsthand look at how the Amazon was recreated for the show, the fascinating and bizarre shooting locations used in the series and how the visual effects team created the mystery and suspense seen in each episode.

Deleted Scenes: Includes 13 never-before-seen deleted scenes.

Audio Commentary: Producers Michael Green, Zack Estrin and director Jaume Collet-Serra offer unique insight into this season's "Magus" episode.  For the "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" episode, producers Michael Green, Zack Estrin and star Bruce Greenwood provide commentary.

Take a look at some clips below from various episodes in the series.  You can also buy your own copy (and you should!) of The River: The Complete First Season on Amazon.

The River: The Complete First Season DVD Preview

Whenever there's a spin-off of a popular reality series, there's bound to be a lot of skepticism going in. It could very easily turn into a carbon copy of the original, casting specific archetypes rather than interesting people, so any spin-off worth its weight in spilled liquor has to keep the core of what made the original successful and make everything else their own. The just-released Mob Wives Chicago supertrailer hints that it may have done just that, against all odds.

Even though it's difficult to make a broad judgment about a series based on a four-minute clip, you do see both similarities and differences between Mob Wives Chicago and Mob Wives Original Flavor. The big hair, flashy fashion, and intimidating bravado of the original are all present in spades here, as well as the much talked about physical altercations to come. There won't be any bullying controversy on Mob Wives Chicago, if only because each of the five women look very capable of handling their own, much like the cast of regular Mob Wives.

But there are differences, of course. Mob Wives Chicago has one of the children doing a confessional, possibly giving a more intimate look at how the life impacted them, as well as a heavier focus on fathers. All five main cast members are associated with the life through their father, covering every aspect from crooked cops to hitmen to criminal informants, whereas the original Mob Wives had uncles, husbands, and grandfathers included in addition to fathers. But from the looks of the trailer, the new wives are dealing with the same type of loneliness, uncertainty, and abandonment that we've seen in two seasons with the New York wives.

Mob Wives may have changed locations, but the pain that women in the life continue to deal with knows no borders.

Mob Wives Chicago officially premieres June 10th at 8:00 on VH1, though a special preview will be airing May 27th at 9:00 following the Mob Wives reunion. You can check out details about the cast and some brief individual promos here and here.

Mob Wives Chicago Supertrailer Released

It's the season finale of Modern Family tonight and three people have big news to share!

First, Cam and Mitchell have spent a lot of time this season trying to expand their small family by adopting another child.  Since the finale is titled "Baby on Board", we're going to assume that it finally happens for them.  They'll be bringing Gloria along as a translator, which leads us to believe that they'll be adopting from a Spanish-speaking mother.  Whatever the circumstances, we hope to see the newest Pritchett family member before the season is through.

Meanwhile, Haley has some big news of her own: she plans on moving in with Dylan after graduation.  How thrilled do you think Claire and Phil will be about this new development (hint: not thrilled).  But they are very happy when they send Alex off to her very first prom.

Watch sneak peeks below for tonight's season finale of Modern Family, airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.  Modern Family will be returning in the fall for a new season.  For more on ABC's 2012-2013 schedule, click here.

Modern Family Season Finale Sneak Peeks: Cam, Mitchell and Haley All Have Big News to Share

Who's excited for the Revenge season finale tonight?  Time after time, this show has proven itself as a delicious guilty pleasure.  It's fun and dramatic and refuses to take itself seriously, but delivers an enjoyable episode each week.  The only question is how it will all end tonight.  Will Emily kill the man who killed her father?  She certainly has a serious run-in with him now that he's kidnapped Nolan (watch clips).

Will Victoria succeed in taking down Conrad?  In previous episodes, she managed to find the evidence linking him to David Clarke's framing and handed it over to the SEC.  But Conrad is not about to go down easily.  In tonight's episode, he heads to the Hamptons, determined to take back the evidence and confront his ex-wife in the process.  But what he finds are Emily's bugs in Grayson Manor.  The good news for Emily is that the Graysons have no idea she's the one who has been listening in.  The bad news is that she's going to need to get some new ears into that house in order to keep an eye on them again.  Victoria also gets some very interesting news that she didn't know about before now.

Meanwhile, the live triangle might very well come to a head in tonight's finale.  After all, Ashley has seen Emily and Jack grow closer (and they even kissed in the penultimate episode).  When Ashley hints to Daniel that there might be something between his bride-to-be and the townie, will Daniel confront Emily?

Watch three sneak peeks below for tonight's season finale of Revenge, airing at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.  Revenge will be returning for a second season in the fall, but will be moving to Sunday nights.

Revenge Season Finale Clips: Conrad Confronts Victoria & Ashley Stirs Up Trouble for Emily

Purgatory is my new Supernatural obsession.  After posting an article yesterday about why Dean's situation in Purgatory will be vastly different from his trip to Hell, discussion inevitably came up as to who Dean could meet in Purgatory.

Since the season 7 finale, I've seen various suggestions on which characters could be re-introduced by putting them in Purgatory.  Here's a few of the suggestions: deceased angels, past monsters or species of creatures that have been killed, and souls who refused to go with their Reapers, such as Bobby, John and Mary.

For me, only one of these options is viable, given what we know about Purgatory in the Supernatural context.  Let me tell you why, and explain why Supernatural's version of Purgatory is different from ours.

Angels: Those of us who participated in the round-table review of Supernatural's seventh season took a vote, and we all agreed that deceased angels don't likely show up in Purgatory.  In fact, we all believed that when angels are killed, they cease to exist.  A few people mentioned that Castiel's past descriptions of his "death" seem to indicate oblivion or nothingness.  Further, we know from a discussion between Castiel and Crowley in "The Man Who Would be King" that angels have no soul to sell to crossroads demons.  So, if you destroy an angel, where would it go?  Nowhere. It would basically blink out of existence, I would assume.  The other reason I would think that angels disappear entirely is because Castiel went to great lengths to kill Raphael.  Let's assume that Raphael ended up in Purgatory after he was "killed".  Wouldn't his followers have been able to open a door to Purgatory themselves and retrieve him?  So that would indicate to me that the deceased angels that we've known - like Anna, Zachariah, Gabriel and Balthazar - likely didn't end up in Purgatory.  The only real situation where I could see angels in Purgatory is the situation of fallen angels.  Perhaps, like with Lucifer, there have been angels in existence that God has cast out of Heaven but, instead of sending them to Hell, they were sent to Purgatory.  This might result in us meeting new angels that we haven't seem before.  That could be very interesting.

Monsters: I think it goes without saying that Dean could encounter past monsters that they have defeated.  The Supernatural Wiki page devoted to Purgatory gives several examples of quotes that confirm that Purgatory is filled to the brim with monsters.  In episode 6.12, Bobby said "It's like the backside of your worst nightmares. It's all blood and bone and darkness. Filled with the bodies and souls of all things hungry, sharp, and nasty" and in the recent season 7 finale Castiel said "Every soul here is a monster. This is where they come to prey upon each other for all eternity."  That opens the door to bringing back quite a few monsters that we've seen the Winchesters kill over the years, including deceased alphas, shapeshifters, werewolves, etc.  What actually interests me is the degree of evil that a monster would have to be in order to go to Purgatory.  Look at the situation of Madison from season 2.  Yes, she was a werewolf and ended up killing a few victims.  But she also chose to have Sam end her life rather than let her kill again.  Would someone like that - a monster, but one with a kinder soul - end up in Heaven or Purgatory?  That's a question I would love to see the writers address.

Demons: We know from Supernatural canon that demons are former human souls that have become twisted.  Exorcising demons sends them back to Hell, but killing them (with Ruby's knife, or Sam's earlier mental powers), actually killed them (as in, cease to exist).  Since demons basically stem from both Lucifer and Lilith, that would indicate to me that they're more associated with Hell than Purgatory.  I think it would be strange to see demons in Purgatory but, like with fallen angels, I conceive of perhaps a few instances where some demons would go to Purgatory.  Although, given the fact that Crowley - the head demon - worked so hard to find a place that had been hidden to him, that tells me that demons have probably had little to do with Purgatory.

Human Souls: This is probably the trickiest part of the discussion and the one that many of you may disagree with me on.  But hear me out.  I don't believe that souls like Mary, John and Bobby will be in Purgatory.  Seeing Mary again is obviously a possibility, but the chances of seeing Jeffrey Dean Morgan on the show again without a big event like the series finale is very unlikely.  More than that, John's soul never technically refused his reaper, if that is, as some have mentioned, a requirement for not getting into Heaven.  John went to Hell, just like Dean, and after he was released through the Devil's Gate, he disappeared.  I would assume that he went to Heaven, much like I assume happened to Mary.

As for Bobby...yes, he refused his reaper and did turn to vengeance.  Does that make him a monster?  Not really, because he also realized what he was turning into and voluntarily decided to be salt and burned in the finale.  In that case, I would assume that Bobby would then venture up to Heaven.  At his core, he was still a good soul.  Putting a soul like Bobby's in Purgatory, surrounded by monsters who spend their days killing each other for all eternity, seems like a terrible punishment for God to inflict on poor souls who may have lost their way but are, ultimately, still good.  Further, the other reason why I think Bobby won't necessarily end up in Purgatory is the fact that bringing him back for a second time would be a terrible mistake.  I said in the round-table review that I wish he had never died - and I stand by that - but I also don't want to see him brought back again.  Once is enough.  If they're going to kill him twice, then the writers need to stick with it this time (unless we're talking about a flashback or an alternate world like Ellen's recent reappearance).  But, like with angels, I am willing to admit that I could see certain human souls going to purgatory.  Perhaps angry spirits that became monstrous that the Winchesters and other hunters have destroyed over the years.  Those souls could have become blackened with evil and not destined for a Heaven, like John, Mary and Bobby were.

Supernatural Purgatory vs. Our Purgatory: The version of Purgatory that most of us know is a place for lost souls...a sort of "limbo" where souls go before they move on.  In that respect, it might make sense for some deceased ghosts to travel there.  But that's not the version of Purgatory that the show has given us.  Like I said previously, everything in the show indicates that God created Purgatory in order to house Leviathans and other monsters, which is vastly different from the Purgatory that we all know.  Here's the only way that souls like Bobby's would end up in a place like Purgatory: if Carver and the writers decided to change up the version of this plane that the show has been establishing over the last two seasons.  Maybe there's different sections of Purgatory that we didn't know about until now that house very lost souls who don't belong in either Heaven or Hell.  But that would require a rather large change-up to the mythology, in my opinion.  Not that it isn't doable, but it's a bit of a ret-con after two seasons.

Updated: Read more about my wishlist for Sam while Dean is in Purgatory.

Of course, seeing any of these creatures is entirely dependent on the show spending at least a bit of time in Purgatory, which I hope will be the case.  Rather than just poofing Dean out of there, I do hope they spend some time showing us the lay of the land.  Purgatory can, technically, look like anything, including a location with a limited budget.  It's very different from Hell, and our idea of it, which would likely cost more money to produce.  But, like Heaven, Purgatory can look...well, a bit "normal".  Maybe Purgatory is just a forest out in the Canadian wildness that can be populated with any manner of creatures that don't have to be digitally created.

So, what do you think, Supernatural fans?  Do you disagree with me entirely?  Did I manage to convince you?  Or do you think I'm totally crazy?  This is one discussion I would love to have with you, so, please, share your theories with me in the comments below.

Supernatural: Who (or What) Could Dean Meet in Purgatory?

The recent season finale for Glee was a trip back through McKinley High for the graduating seniors.  Kurt, Quinn, Finn, Rachel and Puck, in particular, got to take a journey through their high school careers as they prepared to step in to their futures.

Kurt got a blast from the past when his father stopped by the school to give him an "I love you, son" speech and launch into a performance of "Single Ladies" with Tina and Brittany, which he first saw Kurt himself performing back in season 1.

Even Mr. Schue got in on the reminiscing action, recalling the impact he has had on the kids - and vice versa - since he first took over the glee club back in the pilot episode.  To that end, he sang them a slow-paced version of "Forever Young".

The graduating seniors also took the time to say goodbye to their underclassmen glee club members, belting out a performance of "You Get What You Give".  At the end of the episode, Finn (who didn't get into school in New York) decided to send Rachel off to NYADA on her own.  Instead of letting her remain home for another year to help him and Kurt get into school, Finn refused to let her delay her dream, putting her on a train bound for New York.  Since he also told her that they had to delay the wedding so that she could head to the big apple, she belted out a sad performance of "Roots Before Branches".

Watch the full performances of these four songs from the Glee finale below and use the arrows above to browse through photos from the finale.  For more details on the season finale, click here for our recap.  Glee will return in the fall on Fox, but will be moving to Thursday nights.

Glee: Watch Performances from the Finale ('Single Ladies', 'Forever Young', 'Roots Before Branches' & More)

Having to give up the limelight can be trying for any entertainer. After years of training to better themselves and reach the top of their respective field, they associate themselves so much with that part of their identity at the expense of every other aspect of who they are. It can make retirement, voluntary or otherwise, a pretty bitter pill to swallow, so that first step away from the glare of the spotlight that much more important. This summer on Bunheads, we'll be witnessing the first post-fame step from Vegas showgirl Michelle and it looks like it'll be a doozy.

The sneak peeks at the Bunheads series premiere hint at the direction that Michelle will go once her entertainment career is finished. It took a particularly humiliating audition for people that didn't even let her dance to shake up Michelle's life, providing her with enough motivation to elope and run away to a small town. Of course, she had to be feeling uneasy about her position in the field before that, either through past rejection or general insecurity about her age in a profession focused on appearance. Thus, the audition ended up making her decide that this isn't a road she wanted to go down; she doesn't want to continually compete with ambitious, eternally young 18 year olds for jobs anymore, let alone once she hits 30 and beyond.

And you have to respect the courage it takes to leave something so familiar. Michelle had likely been involved in dance from the time that she could walk, so to walk away from a pretty lucrative career like that had to hurt, at least a little. But once her feathered headdresses and sequined costumes were put away for good, where does she go next? What does Michelle Simms do if she's not going to be performing on stage?

She ends up getting hired on at her mother-in-law's dance school, using the experience she'd had on (and off) the floor to mold several young bunheads, that's what. And it looks like they'll need the wisdom of someone that has been there recently, apathy, body image issues, and random teenage growing pains to spare among the group of fledgling dancers. Can Michelle find a new purpose in life in giving dancers the proper launching pad for a career of their own?

Bunheads premieres Monday, June 11th at 9:00 on ABC Family. Watch sneak peeks for the premiere below and use the arrows above to browse through photos for the pilot episode.  You can check out an extended on-air promo for the show here.

Bunheads Preview: Michelle Simms, Dance Teacher

I think American Idol finales fall in to two camps: ones where the finalists are matched so evenly, where the result isn't as obvious as it seems. And then there are ones like tonight. I know how I think the results should turn out, but the signs were all over the place tonight: Phillip Phillips is winning American Idol.

Round 1: Simon Fuller's choice

Jessica Sanchez "I Have Nothing" I don't even know what to say about this. Sure this is a song in Jessica's wheelhouse, and she did what she could with it. But given that a)Shannon Magrane had already sung it THIS SEASON, and that b) it's the THIRD Whitney song Jessica has performed, I began to get angry. What an uninspired and predictable song choice. B

Phillip Phillips "Stand By Me" This is a great song, with a straightforward melody and a great message. That Phillip manages to turn into his usual schtick. I can barely recognize the melody, and I realize this whole round is a wash. What an uninspired way to start the night. C+ (downgraded for unnecessarily rearranging such a great song)

Round 2: Reprise

Jessica "The Prayer" Even before she sang a note, this song choice will go down as a "World I know" or "Ain't No Sunshine" level choice. By going back to Hollywood Week, Jessica gains song freshness. And for the first time, I'm a little in love with her, and in awe of what she has accomplished. No, all the notes weren't perfect. But the way she built up that last note and took it down to a whisper should be recognized for what it was: nothing short of amazing. A

Phillip "Movin' Out" I get why Phillip chose this: it was an earlier performance, and had a lot of energy. I think he slightly improved on it, and was a lot looser than before. That said, it wasn't anything special. B

Round 3: Original Songs

This is the hardest round: in previous seasons of American Idol, contestants sang the same winning song, and it derailed some (poor Blake Lewis). In seasons 7, 9, 10 and 11, they have had different ones. This is dangerous, because song comparison can come into the game. As it did tonight, in an extremely unfair way. I understand that with the disparity in musical styles, it would be just as unfair for Jessica and Phillip to sing the same song, I just feel that whoever found their songs did them both a disservice in a way.

Jessica "Change Nothing" No, this isn't the right song for her. But damn if she didn't sell it with every fiber of her being. I hated that the judges got on her case for probably picking the best of what was a lackluster selection of songs. Not only that, it made it look as if she didn't deserve to win at all. B

Phillip "Home" This song fits him like a glove. It's very folk/bluegrass. It just felt miles different and better thought out than Jessica's. It felt a little small/short/trifling in the song department. While it was a good song, I think it would have a hard time finding traction on the radio, and all in all, it just didn't feel like a winning single. Maybe a first/second single off a debut album, but not something you want to present to try and reel in as many fans as possible. B +

Overall I think Jessica out sang and outperformed Phillip by a mile in the first two rounds. But given the reactions of the judges and the studio audience, I just don't see a scenario in which he doesn't win. I know I haven't been on team Jessica for most of the season, but I wonder what would have happened had she had a better first or last song. In a season full of such talent, it's just so unfortunate that we ended up with only one great song, and five pretty okay ones. Tomorrow I'll comment more on where this season went wrong, and how American Idol can improve itself and stop losing viewers. There will be a lot of star power tomorrow, so my recap will probably end up being pretty long.

Yes, I ignored the Coke song, because just like last year, it was the worst kind of filler. See you tomorrow.

American Idol Finale Part 1: What a Girl Wants

It's that time of year in the TV season for creative changes and even though True Blood's fifth season has yet to hit screens there is already news for season 6. This is all contingent on whether HBO's vampire hit gets commissioned for another season but if it does Mark Hudis has been named as the new showrunner.

Alan Ball announced back in February that season 5 would be his last as showrunner on True Blood and released a statement at the time saying

"True Blood has been, and will continue to be, a highlight of not only my career but my life. Because of the fantastic cast, writers, producers and crew, with whom I have been lucky enough to work these past five years, I know I could step back and the show will continue to thrive as I look forward to new and exciting ventures."

Those other projects are with Cinemax and HBO and Ball will still serve as an executive producer on True Blood. Ball's replacement is Mark Hudis as Deadline first reported and Hudis joined True Blood in season 4 as a co-producer and a writer. These writing credits include two episodes from season 4 and two for the forthcoming season. If the show is renewed for season 6 then Hudis will be promoted to executive producer and showrunner. This is part of a two-year deal with HBO and it also includes a development component.

This has been quite a big week for showrunner changes and while Community's showrunner switch up is a bitter disappointment to fans; this change has been in the works for months now and looks to be one that both Ball and HBO are happy with. What are your thoughts on this creative change?

For a preview of the new season of True Blood and some super detailed/spoilery episode descriptions head here and here.

The True Blood season 5 premiere airs on HBO Sunday, June 10 at 9 PM.

New Showrunner for True Blood is Announced