Common Law is USA’s latest endeavor in original programming and its pilot was definitely hit-or-miss. To sum up Common Law with one line, I’d have to say it’s a comedy about two homicide detectives who are partnered up and who don’t get along. Yeah, it doesn’t sound particularly original, does it?

That basic premise is helped by the fact that the characters aren’t so cookie cutter. Travis Marks (Michael Ealy) was a foster child who had anything but the typical upbringing, while his partner, Wes, seems very typical, but whose career change killed his marriage.

Wes Mitchell (Warren Kole) was a happy lawyer who decided to become a cop and his ex, Alex, hated the idea of being married to someone whose life was on the line every day.

You can’t blame Alex (Elizabeth Chomko) for her opinion. It’s not easy never knowing if your husband is going to come home at night. I did like that Wes and Alex were at least on speaking terms in the pilot. Their marriage may be over, but their relationship hasn’t disintegrated into total chaos.

Warren Kole, Sonya Walger, Michael Ealy

With Travis and Wes unable to work together, their boss, Captain Sutton (Jack McGee) forced them to take couples counseling to help them work out their issues. The idea is obviously considered silly so it makes it all the better for television.

For Captain Sutton, couples counseling has worked. His personal stories and confession were hilarious. It goes against every cop stereotype from every movie and TV series to see Captain Sutton look inward and share all of that deeply personal history. It really took me by surprise.

With so much emphasis on Wes and Travis, and for good reason, mind you, I do wonder how much Sonya Walger is going to be featured in the show. Her character, Dr. Emma Ryan, looks to have a bigger role in the second episode, but I wonder if she’s going to end up being relegated to an almost non-existent role like some of the other stars do on other USA Network shows. For Walger’s sake, I hope not. She’s a terrific actress who is frankly playing a character that just about anyone can. Emma Ryan, at least in the pilot, comes across as a pretty cookie cutter psychiatrist. I’m not sold on the character yet.

Common Law is fun and entertaining, but there’s plenty of room to improve. Trying to blend comedy and drama is an enormous challenge. Perhaps it was the actors chosen for the job. I would have preferred something a little more wacky and different. Common Law’s brand of comedy is a little… well… common. I intend to watch a few more episodes to see where it goes. I’m just not very confident on the series’ future.

Rating: 6.5

I was pleasantly surprised that the writers actually did touch on Shawn’s (James Roday) planned proposal, although I wasn’t a big fan of his poor explanation to a disbelieving Gus (Dule Hill). I didn’t buy Shawn’s web of lies any more than Gus did.

I really have to give it to Cary Elwes for his willingness to come back to PSYCH to reprise his role as the art thief Pierre Despereaux. Having seen him in multiple episodes, I continue to think he was perfectly cast for this role. I can’t imagine anyone else doing it.

Dule Hill, James Roday, Cary Elwes

While Shawn, Gus, and Despereaux were off getting neck-deep in trouble, it didn’t seem to leave much for the rest of our characters to do. Juliet (Maggie Lawson), Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), and Henry (Corbin Bernsen) were left with little-to-nothing to do. Also, what happened to Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson)? She’s rarely on the show anymore.

When it looked like the writers had killed off Despereaux, the show got surprisingly sad. The mood really did feel like someone had died even though I had a suspicion that Shawn was right about Despereaux faking his own death.

PSYCH payed homage to one of the best film franchises in modern film history with this episode. Shawn and Gus were taken on quite an adventure with several impressive little plot twists along the way. Sprinkle in the usual wisecracks and hijinks and I’d say we had the recipe for an impressive show. PSYCH continues to be one of the few shows that can both surprise me and make me laugh. That’s really saying something considering the fact that the show is half-way through its sixth season.

Rating: 8.5

I have no idea what it is, but for some reason, I’ve always liked characters in war movies that were snipers. I’ve always felt connected to them for some reason. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m a little bit of a loner and snipers are generally either on their own or have a spotter. Whatever the case, I was interested to see where “Ernest Cobb” was going to go, just to see where his sniping motivation came from.

With the flashes in between the past and present, it reminded me of another great police procedural that I am beginning to miss: Cold Case from CBS. Some of the photography they did was superb and it reminds me of what’s going on with Alcatraz, though noticeably different because of the lack of age progression, but I think Cold Case fans may understand what I mean.

Joe Egender as Ernest Cobb

I really wanted this episode to be better than it was when it came to the reasons behind the shootings involving Joe Egender’s Ernest Cobb, but it just boiled down to childhood anger and jealousy. It wasn’t nearly as compelling as the stuff that transpired between Cobb and the warden. I enjoyed seeing Cobb get the upper hand on the warden at time, but it never lasted for long. The real kicker came when it was revealed that Parminder Nagra’s Lucy character was actually the doctor who “treated” Cobb, meaning she’s really old like the prisoners. She’s not at all what we thought she was.

After getting two episodes into this series, I’m really concerned about how Jorge Garcia is going to be used. He’s got arguably the easiest acting job in Hollywood right now. He’s basically Hurley on a different island. Due to Garcia’s obesity, he’s not going to be running up flights of stairs in San Francisco. It seems to be up to Sarah Jones and Sam Neill to do all of the action in the show. I’m just not sure Garcia fans such as myself are really going to get their moneys worth in Alcatraz. This show may not be the right fit for him. I hope I’m proven wrong.

Rating: 7

Alcatraz is an interesting blend of police procedural drama and a tinge of science fiction mystery. I say “science fiction” just because there’s got to be some sort of sci-fi twist to explain what’s going on here. When the famous Alcatraz prison closed down in 1963, the prisoners and guards certainly went somewhere. It’s just clear where, how, or by whom.

Sarah Jones as Rebecca Madsen is a fresh face for me. I don’t recall seeing her before. I know amongst her credits is Sons of Anarchy, but I’ve not watched the series in quite some time. She seems perfectly cast as the aggressive go-getter cop who is trying to learn what’s going on with the Alcatraz mystery.

Jeffrey Pierce as Jack Sylvane

Madsen’s issues with partners just felt a little tired… a little cliched. How many cop shows and movies feature this with their main character?!

Jorge Garcia as Doctor Diego Soto was definitely interesting casting decision. His ties to Lost and Bad Robot are already established. Him as a comic book store owner wasn’t that big of a stretch for me.

Sam Neill as Emerson Hauser was another terrific piece of casting. For me, Neill will always be Dr. Alan Grant from Jurassic Park. Neill is a fascinating character actor as it’s not always clear whether he’s playing a good guy or a bad guy. As we would learn by the end of the episode, Neill’s Emerson Hauser is a pretty interesting villain.

Like Sarah Jones, Parminder Nagra as Doctor Lucy Banerjee is another fresh face for me. I’ve learned she was on ER, but that’s not a show I’ve ever seen. We didn’t learn a whole lot about Dr. Banerjee in the pilot so I don’t know what to make of her just yet.

Jack Sylvane (Jeffrey Pierce) led us on a pretty thrilling journey through San Francisco. I was really looking forward to that reunion with his brother towards the end of the episode. It proved totally worth it. I can’t imagine I would have acted any differently. If my brother, who I believed were to have died decades ago, appeared before me just as he looked the last time I saw him, I’d probably drop whatever I had in my hand as well.

One of the biggest issues I had with the pilot is the overwhelmingly convenient connections the Madsens had to the Alcatraz prison. It’s frankly a little ridiculous.

Overall, I felt that Alcatraz’s “Pilot” episode was very good. Like any good mystery series, Alcatraz left a ton of questions unanswered. I’m really excited to see where things go from here.

Rating: 7.5

Right off the bat, I feel compelled to give Jason Priestly and Jennifer Finnigan kudos for a terrific job in their respective roles of Clive and Barbie. My only issue with them was the Barbie name. It just felt phony. I thought Priestly and Finnigan worked well with one another. There was definitely chemistry between the two.

I wouldn’t say the murder investigation necessarily had me riveted, but was undeniably caught off guard by the direction the investigation went. It wasn’t quite as cut and dry as I anticipated.

While Shawn and Juliet were aided by Gus (Dule Hill), Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), and Henry (Corbin Bernsen), Shawn had a lot of his mind. Marriage. When Shawn and Gus had that little mind reading scene early on, I knew exactly what Shawn was trying to communicate. Shawn clearly though Juliet wanted this weekend away to be big, but Shawn was totally off on his interpretation of what Jules wanted.

Jason Priestly, Jennifer Finnigan

That scene with Gus discovering the ring in Shawn’s Nintendo DS was really meaningful to me. It showed how close Shawn was to proposing. Shawn’s frenzied search for the DS was also explained. He wanted that ring back! If he had, I don’t think Jules would have agreed to be honest. I think she really likes Shawn (if not loves), but marriage is a big step and neither of them have ever felt ready to take that step.

I really wish I had the chance to get something answered by Steve Franks, creator and executive producer of PSYCH. I’d love to know what’s going on with the recent episodes of the guys getting together. I loved seeing Gus, Lassiter, and Henry out on the town, attempting to pick up ladies. The episode “Last Night Gus” was an episode which had all of the guys together in a way we had never really seen them. I’m really liking this new grouping. I’m just curious what the inspiration was.

When you throw in the crazy advances by Arden Myrin’s character, Chelsea, I couldn’t help but really enjoy this episode. Her laughter was hysterical. Henry Spencer’s determination to avoid her at all costs put things over the top.

If a lover’s retreat is ever attempted again, I’d like to see Shawn and Jules away from all crime and let the fellas deal with whatever new murder comes across the wires. I’d like to see Shawn and Jules out of the action and relaxing.

Rating: 8.5

Now as for the bulk of the episode, I actually enjoyed the cult scene even though I felt like we had already done this sort of setup a few years ago with USA Network’s Monk series having an episode that was quite similar.

I was willing to overlook some of my criticism regarding the similarities to Monk because I was having so much fun watching Shawn (James Roday) scramble to piece together the murder case and try to get Gus out of there.

Dule Hill, Diora Baird

As the murder case eventually got pieced together by Shawn, Juliet (Maggie Lawson), and Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), I gradually hated the episode because of the predictable fact that the cult leader, Eli (Deidrich Bader), was the one who was responsible for the death of Dan Cooper and the attempt on Nicole’s life.

Suzanne Krull deserves credit for putting herself out there in the role of Dot. She was not only helpful to the investigation, but she was hysterical. She really made Shawn uncomfortable with the flirting and talking about her dreams. Add to the fact that Juliet was present, well, it really made Shawn feel like he was on the hot seat.

The fall season finale slated for next week looks like a possible highlight for this season. I have high hopes after this somewhat disappointing episode.

Rating: 6.5

Shatner didn’t play just another character. He signed on to play a major character, Juliet’s father. That fact does leave open the opportunity to make other appearances. I wouldn’t object to Shatner returning to the role. Nor would I object to seeing the parents of Gus or even Shawn’s mom appear once in a while.

As for “In For a Penny,” we got to learn all about Juliet O’Hara’s (Maggie Lawson) estranged father, Frank (Shatner). Despite the fact that Juliet is a law-abiding police officer, Frank turned out to be an exceptionally-talented con man. It’s almost like she became a cop because of her father’s checkered past.

I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t knock the show for a reasonably predictable story. You pretty much knew where things were headed long before they actually made the trip. That being said, I still enjoyed the episode immensely. Some of the writing was excellent.

“Foghorn NEEDS Leghorn.” “They’re the SAME ROOSTER, Shawn.”

“We’re nervous about three things, Gary Busey, Gary Busey, and your 30th birthday party!”

Come on! You know you loved those lines! Not to mention that hilarious chest bump. How many of you saw that coming?!

The flashback of Juliet’s childhood took me by surprise. I don’t get why we don’t explore this kind of stuff more often. Some of the stuff with Shawn’s childhood has become a little boring. Those skits aren’t nearly as funny as they used to be.

“In For A Penny” certainly won’t go down as one of this season’s stand-out episodes but it was largely enjoyable. The script’s comedic writing made up for some lackluster attempts of surprising viewers and some poor acting by Shatner and Lawson in a few instances. PSYCH still manages to be must-see TV for me.

Rating: 6.5

For Whitney and Dawn to advance in the game, Albert, Sophie, and Cochran had to agree to bring them into their little group and turn the game on its head by voting out Edna, Coach’s little robot. Albert’s opinions of Edna were spot-on. I was holding out hope that he would pull the trigger, so to speak, and make the big change to the game that he and everyone else threw out there for viewers to salivate over.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Albert, Cochran, and Sophie elected not to go down that path. I don’t have a clue as to how their tribe is going to act in the future. They’re out of enemies now so they’ll have to turn on one another.

Cochran may very well be the first since he’s not really considered to be part of Coach’s old tribe. Perhaps Cochran will pull a rabbit out of his proverbial hat and find a way to keep himself in the game and see that someone else goes to Redemption Island.

Cochran’s future certainly lies within Coach’s responsibility. We know that Coach has become close to both Edna and Cochran but it’s not clear just how far he’d be willing to go to save either one of them.

Despite Ozzie’s high level of self-confidence, I wish I could remind him to be careful of where he walks and swims. A single cut to his feet on the beach or on the coral could really spell disaster. He’s a phenomenal competitor. I’d hate to see him go down because of an injury.

Rating: 7

As a matter of fact, “Shawn Interrupted” was one of those few episodes which didn’t really garner a the typical criticism from me. Having Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) go undercover to do anything is always a good way pique my interest. Going undercover in a mental institute is certainly not their first time in such a wild situation.

Detective Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) has never really felt like the type of guy who would celebrate prematurely. So his party seemed a little out of character. That being said, you do have to appreciate the man’s effort. The professional-looking banner was a nice touch.

Dule Hill as Gus Guster, Julianna Guill as Vivienne

As for the investigation aspect of the show, I loved it. While I did find it obvious what was going on and who the villains were, I still managed to enjoy just about every minute of the mental ward scenes.

A large part of that was because of Dule Hill and his playful, flirtatious Gus character. How could you not like those scenes with Gus and Vivienne (Julianna Guill)? They were very sexy. Julianna Guill did a terrific job reciprocating Gus’ every move. I know Vivienne was a crazy patient, but it’s hard not to want to see Julianna Guill come back, even if it’s just to watch her flirt again. She knows what she’s doing.

Despite being one of the biggest stars of the 1980s, Molly Ringwald, was truly misused. She had almost zero presence. Her character wasn’t the least bit interesting. I really expected the writers to utilize her talent a little better and have her be more a center of attention. I don’t even know that I would have made her one of the villains. None of that really worked for me.

“Shawn Interrupted” happens to be one of my favorite episodes of the new season. Despite my critiques, it’s hard to deny this episode did have a lot going for it. There was a real sense of danger present when Shawn got strapped down by the orderlies. At times it wasn’t clear who was on whose side. The hilarious writing left me in stitches right from the start. A few changes here and there could have turned this into one of the series’ best episodes ever.

Rating: 7.5

Ozzy’s crew hasn’t given up all hope, but it isn’t looking good at this point. Jim’s initial offer to give Ozzy his Individual Immunity Idol was definitely an intriguing offer, but it reminded me of a problem I have with Tribal. I would like to see Jeff change the way he handles immunity idols. Instead of only asking for Hidden Immunity Idols just before the votes are revealed, I’d also like him to ask for the Individual Immunity Idol at the same time rather than asking for the III before votes are cast. If Coach’s group would have cast their votes for Ozzy, Jim could have then given his III to Ozzy, saving him. It could have had a big impact on the way the season went.

John Cochran, Sophie Clarke, Brandon Hantz, and Edna Ma

While Ozzy does have a tendency to get depressed for short periods of time, he’s quick to bounce back. He seemed very determined to get back into the game after his stay on Redemption Island. He was pretty adamant about defeating them. I loved his attitude!

Ozzy looked right at home on Redemption Island. He’s able to swim, fish, eat, and enjoy himself. I suspect Ozzy’s going to be a force to be reckoned with if he’s able to survive everyone who joins him on Redemption Island. It’s going to be quite a task, even for Ozzy.

As for the rest of the tribe, I am really hoping to see another game-changing move soon. I absolutely hate seasons when one group takes out the other one by one. It makes for a really boring season. Albert seems like a smart fella. I hope whatever plan he has can be implemented and change things up.

Rating: 7.5