TV Time

Fringe - it's the villains that make the heroes in any genre show and Fringe has some great villains in Jared Harris as David Allen Jones (all your best crazies use all three of their names when referring to themselves). I am so happy that the show gets another half season to finish out it's terrific five year story arc. For all of you who were reluctant to give this show a chance, it's one of the programs you need to commit some of your summer viewing time to. John Noble (as Walter Bishop) heads one of the greatest casts ever put together and I never thought I would say to anyone how much I enjoy Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop. Despite most J.J. Abrams projects, this one has focus. The season finale was full of exciting surprises and top notch special effects. It also broke my heart which all my most favorite series often seem to do.

In Plain Sight - I didn't get into this show until well into it's third season and just watched the series finale this weekend. I love this little watched gem which only got better over time. It plays like a Witness Protection procedural but it's also jammed full of quirky, damaged characters who surprised me with their humanity each episode. To call Mary McCormack's Mary Shannon, 'difficult' is an incorrect use of the word. It's not strong enough. Marshall Shannon is as 'alpha male' as a female can get. Pairing such a sarcastic character with a meterosexual partner ( Frederic Weller as Marshall Mann) was often the source of great comic storytelling. I like that in all the interviews I have seen with McCormack that she varies little from the character she plays on TV.

The Closer - The final 6 episodes begin in July and finishes up the series for Kyra Sedgewick but may live on with many of the actors taking their characters into a new series. This is another fun show that I most enjoyed while watching several episodes over the course of an afternoon. Many of the best character actors of all time populate the cast and the writing is always sharp and interesting. I will hate to let this one go.

My favorite shows always seem to be the ones with strong female characters who basically push around all the men in their lives. Some, like Mary Shannon do it by being unrelenting when it comes to getting their way. Some, like Brenda Lee Johnson, manipulate others with a sugar coating. However, at no time, is there any doubt who is the lioness that leads the pride.