Though the Olympics are over, it still feels like quite a few shows are still on hiatus. That is because many are. Over the next few weeks, FlashForward, Supernatural, V, Bones, Stargate: Universe, and Glee will be coming back so that your television schedule will always be nice and full. In the meantime, I hope you have been enjoying the quality of the few shows which did air this week.

[blippr]The Mentalist[/blippr]: Code Red – On Thursday night, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) and Theresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) received a call from a murdered woman, asking for their help in discovering her killer. Yes, I realize that sounds like she was calling from the afterlife or something; in fact, she had been infected with a disease sure to kill her in 4-8 hours. And if it was not emotional enough to see a woman we had got to know die, while her daughter looked on via webcam, Jane’s plot to catch the killer was almost as heartbreaking. He made it seem as though everyone in the facility had been exposed to the toxin, and though Lisbon suspected a trick, he convinced her too. I cheered when she found out the truth and punched Jane in the nose for his trouble.

[blippr]Caprica:[/blippr] The Imperfections of Memory – What’s the combination of grumble and meh? Greh? Well, whatever it is, it’s how I’m feeling about Caprica. Despite the very last moment of the episode, when Daniel (Eric Stoltz) finally realizes that Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) might still be in the Cylon, I still don’t see where this plot is going. Sure, I think Paula Malcomson and Polly Walker play off each other excellently as Amanda and Clarice, but is there a reason for Amanda’s going crazy through grief? What is the point of tuning in every week when there are no discernible goals!

[blippr]Spartacus: Blood and Sand[/blippr]: Mark of the Brotherhood – Now this show is really coming into its own. Although, at first, it seemed to be about superfluous sex and absurd violence, every week Spartacus: Blood and Sand gives us quality plot lines and interesting concepts to discuss. In Mark of the Brotherhood, the rivalry between Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) and Crixus (Manu Bennett) evolved from one purely based in hatred to one based in respect. After Crixus saved Spartacus from the slave Segovax (whose punishment for the attack was not only being nailed upon a board hoisted in the sky, but also having his extremely large manhood removed for his troubles), Spartacus, I hope, finally understood the meaning of Brother. It was likely the first step towards a friendship that earned them a place in history.

[blippr]The Pacific[/blippr]: Part 1 – The HBO miniseries focusing on the war in the Pacific during World War II premiered this week. It was terrifying. Within one hour, the uncertainty of the soldiers was more fearsome and disturbing than any amount of violence could have been. Shooting at enemies in the dark, or perhaps at friends, while wondering through a jungle, not knowing where danger might come from, but knowing that someone who wants to kill you is out there, was a sensation unfamiliar even to the soldiers of the First World War, who spent so much of their time in trenches across from their enemy. But there was violence as well, and the common theme of how a man must think and behave to make such violence acceptable to him. A great start for what is sure to prove an amazing series.

[blippr]Chuck[/blippr]: Chuck vs the Tic Tac – So we finally got an episode that focused on Casey (Adam Baldwin). YAY! And with Shaw (Brandon Routh) off doing something else, we got to see the old team working the way it did before he arrived. Funny to think that it is a man, rather than the new intersect, who is causing such a difference.  And when Casey got himself into trouble, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Chuck (Zachary Levi) were there to help, regardless of the risk. Unfortunately, the risk did not pay off, as in the end, Casey was discharged to civilian. How John Casey is supposed to function as a civilian, employed at the Buy More, I cannot say, but this better not decrease the amount of screen time he gets.

What were your favorite moments of the shows you saw this week? Let me know, and remember, if you are looking for a more detailed commentary on any of these shows (or some others), you can find them at Insights of a TV Addict.

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