Time for some serious soul-searching on the usually glib Castle, so it must be the end of another season. "With any luck, this could be your last case," crows the tone deaf-as-usual Capt. "Sir" Gates as the boss lady celebrates the prospect of Kate Beckett being "headed for bigger things" — or so promises the FBI Deputy Director (guest star Kyle Secor) who recruits the sultry homicide pro for a federal task force based in Washington, D.C. And what would that mean for Beckett's still budding but not quite defined romance with Castle? "I think our plot just thickened," quips the mystery writer-turned-crime solver — though he's talking about the week's murder case, not yet aware of his squeeze's big opportunity. With Castle fuming over trust issues that expose doubts in both parties, Beckett is left at an emotional crossroads: "What happens when the music stops? What if all we were in love with was the dance?" ABC dropped the last minutes of the episode (Monday, 10:01/9:01c) from the advance screener, so it's anyone's guess what their next step will be.
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It's hard to imagine Dallas without J.R. — a sentiment shared by many when Larry Hagman passed away last Thanksgiving, midway through production of the rebooted soap's second season. Even harder not to contemplate that sad future while watching TNT's two-hour premiere (Monday, 9/8c), where once again the veterans wipe the floor with the young whippersnappers. None more gleefully than Hagman, whose gaunt frailty can't mask the devilish glint beneath those statuesque eyebrows.
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"It wasn't a campaign. It was a bad reality show," concludes political operative Steve Schmidt (a forceful Woody Harrelson) toward the end of HBO's controversy-stirring Game Change (Saturday, 9/8c), a searing, sizzlingly well acted docudrama about the decision "to create a dynamic moment" in the 2008 presidential run of John McCain (a salty but sanguine Ed Harris) by selecting "a game-changing pick" in fellow maverick Sarah Palin, "the best actress in American politics."
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The Emmys are the big draw this weekend — my predictions (a combination wish list/analysis) can be found here — but here's a look at some of the other TV this weekend that stands out.
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The summer TV season is winding down, but there's still plenty going on this week. A few annotated highlights:
The Dancing With the Stars Cast Reveal No, even this isn't enough to get me to suggest anyone actually tune into pap like ABC's Bachelor Pad. Between Twitter and the Internet (may I humbly suggest tvguide.com), you'll be covered, should you care to know just who it is we'll be gaping at and mocking (should they stumble) throughout the fall. The names have been flying fast and furious — my favorite in the rumor mill:
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