Bill Smitrovich and Blair Underwood of 'The Event'

Credit: NBC

Phew, for a moment there I was worried. After last week’s closing shot saw “The Event” ascend to the heights of random absurdity, it seemed like this week’s episode, “For the Good of Our Country,” had retreated back to dull-as-you-can-imagine political intrigue. But then, with five seconds left and seemingly all hope lost, evil, old-man Dempsey looks into his mirror-mirror-on-the-wall and briefly morphs into a young man, before transforming back to his whithered self just as quickly.

Now we at least have something fun to talk about, and distract us from the rest of this awful episode. At least, as best I can tell, that’s the plan of the “Event” team, who have given us a second incredibly dull episode in a row that’s capped off with laughably goofy imagery. 

[More thoughts on Monday's (Nov. 15) "The Event" after the break...]

Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough of 'Dancing with the Stars'

Credit: ABC

It’s the semi-finals of “DWTS” and everyone is competing as they’ve NEVER COMPETED BEFORE. Unless you count last week, and maybe the week before, and maybe that one time when they were on the track team in high school, and, well, never mind. Anyway, it’s the semi-finals and for some reason Bristol is still in the game, go figure. Since tonight’s show is just an hour and a half, we’d better hop to it, as we don’t want to miss a single minute of trumped-up backstage drama, lame scripted humor or, you know, dancing.

[Full recap of Monday's (Nov. 15) "Dancing with the Stars" after the break...]

Scarlett Johansson

Credit: Matt Sayles/AP

After a brief hiatus, “Saturday Night Live” is back, hopefully with its batteries recharged. Because let’s face it: if having “SNL” stalwart Jon Hamm on the show doesn’t produce a solid episode, then the writing staff needs more rest. Tonight: returning host Scarlett Johansson and returning musical act Arcade Fire. Johansson has proved a game host in the past, so let’s see what the show has in store for her this time around.

Onto the recap!

Katerina Graham and Bryton James of 'The Vampire Diaries'

Credit: The CW

We sure hope Nina Dobrev got paid overtime for this week’s episode, which sees her play three different roles (kinda): Modern Day Elena, Modern Day Katherine, and Ye Olde 15^th Century Katherine, AKA Katerina. But while Katherine’s backstory proved interesting enough (we’re waiting for the baby she birthed and relinquished in the 15^th century to pop up again one of these days), this new subplot involving The Originals and the doppelganger sacrifice just keeps getting bigger by the week. But when will we finally meet Klaus?

Before “TVD” goes into a brief Thanksgiving hiatus (returning Dec. 2), it serves up a few new faces in the form of a vampire hipster nerd and a mysterious father and son duo with an unknown agenda. We learn that Klaus’s curse-breaking scheme might involve killing everyone and not just Elena, and that certain vampires have Twilight-esque special powers.

And for those of us so inclined, the show serves up a new potential love triangle AND a smattering of sexytime to tide us over during the break. It’s been so long since a Salvatore has taken his shirt off, we’ve almost forgotten what it feels like! Bear with the flashbacks as we sit through Storytime with Katherine and remember that there’s a light at the end of the episode, and its name is Ian Somerhalder’s Abs.

[Full recap of Thursday's (Nov. 11) "The Vampire Diaries," titled "Katerina," after the break…]

John Noble of 'Fringe'

Credit: Liane Hentscher/FOX

Back in my former life, I wrote about “Lost” a lot. A whole lot. A lot more than I care to think about at this point, not because I regret it but because it seems insanely ludicrous when judged from a relatively safe distance. In that time, I came up with a theory about all pieces of pop culture from J.J. Abrams. Maybe it’s less of a theory than an observation, if I’m being accurate. That theory? Each separate show or film with Abrams’ involvement belongs to a coherent, singular, fictional world. I chose to call that world “Earth JJ.” And tonight’s episode of “Fringe” was, in a lot of ways, a love letter to that world.

[Recap of Thursday's (Nov. 11) "Fringe" after the break...]

Jane of 'America's Next Top Model'

Credit: The CW

We’re down to five contestants for this high-fashion cycle of "ANTM," and the competition is getting heated!

Poor Chris; she has the best personality of the remaining contestants, and she’s clearly the weakest of the bunch right now, next to maybe what’s-her-name. That girl. What’s that girl’s name? Jane.

The other remaining contestants are just real excited to be in Milan, except for Ann, who just has to be too tall for all the medieval-era buildings.

[Full recap of Wednesday's (Nov. 10) "Top Model" after the break...]

Kyle Massey performing on Monday's 'Dancing with the Stars'

Credit: ABC

It’s elimination night, which is never fun, but I am very curious to see who’s going to the semifinals, or more importantly, who’s not. I’ve got to think Bristol or Kurt has gone as far as he or she can, but you never know. They don’t call Bristol bulletproof for nothing. Although I don’t know what anyone calls Kurt. Maybe Big Football Player, but that isn’t really relevant to how many votes he gets.

Chord Overstreet and Dianna Agron of 'Glee'

Credit: FOX

Just when I think “Glee” can’t confuse me anymore than it already has, along comes “Never Been Kissed” to introduce a whole new level of…well, whatever that was. It sure looked like an hour of television, but it played more like a combination of wish fulfillment coupled with audience punishment. Look: there are a lot of different subsets in the overall “Glee” audience. The show doesn’t move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for me may not be right for some. But no matter which of the different strokes you subscribe, I can’t imagine any of you actually liked tonight’s episode.

And quite frankly, that’s a painful thing to say. I have no problem bashing the show when it’s bad, and a lot of Season 2 falls under that category. But previous misfires didn’t contain a topic that is actually important, one vital especially in light of recent events. Although it probably was filmed long before Tyler Clementi’s suicide and the rise of the “It Gets Better” campaign, the issue of bullying is one that demands not only more attention, but also a level of sensitivity that “Glee” rarely, but occasionally, demonstrates.

Having that topic in a Kurt-centric episode had the potential for actually pushing past the mere mindless entertainment into something actually vital. Auto-tuned performances? Fine and dandy. An episode that promoted understanding, compassion, and tolerance in between the singing/dancing? Even better. Not every episode of “Glee” has to address something socially relevant, but if it chooses to actually address it, then it has a responsibility to treat that topic humanely and with great sensitivity.

What we got instead was fantasy on one hand and complete hypocrisy on the other.

[Full recap of Tuesday's (Nov. 9) "Glee" after the break...]