Our top moments of the week:
14. Best Power Move, Part 1: It's no secret that Chief Boden and State Fire Marshal consultant Gail McLeod have never seen eye-to-eye when it comes to managing 51 on Chicago Fire. However, after McLeod offers Boden early retirement, Boden suddenly decides not to fight it and hands in his resignation letter, clearing the way for Benny, aka Severide's dad, to take over as...
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Aw, heck. Is it really worth making a fuss over The Middle's 100-episode milestone? It hardly seems in character for a family like the Hecks of Orson, Indiana. When she's reminded that they volunteered to drive a giant cow float in Orson's centennial parade, Frankie (Patricia Heaton) whines, "This is what happens when we drink: We sign up for stupid committees. Or get Brick."
But as Orson itself expresses in a self-deprecating new town motto: "Why not?" This episode (Wednesday, 8/7c, ABC) truly is cause for celebration, as TV's most heartfelt and hilariously relatable family sitcom reflects on what brought Frankie and Mike (Neil Flynn) to Orson in the first place, while giving their lovably imperfect offspring a chance to shine in clever-to-wacky subplots. (Sue's attempt to make Darrin jealous by cozying up to her flamboyant BFF Brad is especially genius.)
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Every week, editors Adam Bryant and Natalie Abrams satisfy your need for TV scoop. Please send all questions to mega_scoop@tvguide.com or tweet them to @adam_bryant or @NatalieAbrams.
So is this flu really the villain of the season on The Walking Dead? — Damon
NATALIE: I take it that that was sarcasm, but you will be surprised to see how far this illness will spread. "There's a point where the number of able-bodied people is one or two," Lauren Cohan tells me. "It gets to a point where Maggie is the only person who can actually fight." Ruh-roh.
I can't believe how Sunday's The Good Wife ended! What can you say about this week's episode? — Helen
ADAM: Will and Alicia's romantic breakup may have been calm, but...
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American Horror Story doesn't shy away from the horror genre, as evidenced by its name. Whether it's a haunted house, an asylum or a school for witches, FX's anthology series has helped to bring horror to the forefront on television.
American Horror Story: Coven brings Frankenstein alive with very weird love story
But the series has mostly done so by raising the stakes so high that death has become the norm. Murder House killed off the entire Harmon family. Technically, only Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) survived Asylum. And Coven axed two main characters — Lily Rabe's Misty Day, who has the regenerative power to bring things, including herself, back to life, and Evan Peters' frat boy-turned-Frankenstein — in the premiere alone.
However, at what point does the audience become desensitized to death? "With a horror show, the rules are...
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Forget eye of newt. With a record-breaking premiere audience of 5.5 million viewers, Coven, the witch-centric third season of FX's American Horror Story franchise, is casting a spell on viewers. And no wonder: It's campy, creepy and "the cast is completely off the hook," says executive producer Tim Minear, who sums up the show's ability to attract major...
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