"Nashville"

Credit: ABC

Although I guess it could be said (or at least the promos could infer, which they most certainly did) that tonight's "Nashville" was a night of high drama and big surprises, it was more like a very long episode of "told-ya-so." A few characters revealed themselves to be exactly what we thought they were, while others did exactly what we were pretty sure they'd been wanting to do for a while anyway. In some cases, this was satisfying albeit predictable; in others, it was just predictable.

 Michael Raymond-James in "Once Upon A Time"

Credit: ABC

As Neal Cassady on "Once Upon A Time," Michael Raymond-James is a charming ne'er-do-well turned caring dad who seems to be right on the verge of rekindling the flame with Emma (Jennifer Morrison), the mother of his son -- that is, until the evil Tamara makes her presence known in Storybrooke. However, romance is the least of anyone's worries for the next few weeks.

With the season finale looming on May 12, Neal (or at least his youthful self, better known by his given name of Baelfire) can expect some excitement; next week the storyline takes Bae from fairytale land to Victorian London, where he meets the Darlings (whom you might remember from a little story about Peter Pan).  I spoke briefly to Raymond-James about what's coming up in the coming weeks, whether his character's name suggests a future Kerouac crossover and whether he's seen the Tumblr site that's all about him.  [Also, fans of the show who'd like to see an extended preview of the next episode can find it here] 

 Gary Carr

Back in March we first had word that "Downton Abbey" was looking for an actor to play the show's first black character, a "charming and charismatic" jazz singer named Jack Ross. Now comes word from Deadline.com about who got the role. 

 "Inside Amy Schumer"

Credit: Comedy Central

The latest trend in comedy has been focused on women behaving (or talking about behaving) badly. They pooped in the sink in "Bridesmaids" (don't tell me that's a spoiler at this point), they have awkward sex on "Girls," they curse and get drunk and high and screw around. Somethings the cursing and drinking and screwing around is supposed to pass as fascinating insight into the female psyche. Sometimes it's supposed to be funny. But piggishness in either men or women isn't inherently funny.

While pundits argue about whether lowbrow distaff humor delivers a bad message to young women (who are probably too busy plopping drunk photos of themselves on Instagram for future would-be employers to find) or shows that women are breaking into previously unattainable arenas by acting like dirty old men, the argument at the heart of it all is very simple: are they funny?

Thank God Amy Schumer is funny. Really funny.

 "The Real Housewives of Orange County"

Credit: Bravo

In theory, everyone attended Tamra's dinner party to celebrate the opening of her gym and watch a psychic clear the place of bad spirits. But man alive, the only really bad spirits in the place were the girls themselves, who could only stop screaming at one another long enough to misinterpret what everyone else was saying. 

 "America's Got Talent"

Credit: NBC

Last week, a friend of mine called me with an offer. She had "line jumper" passes to watch a daytime filming of "America's Got Talent" and wanted to know if I'd like to join her. How could I not? It was a chance to see new judges Mel B (Scary Spice) and Heidi Klum in action. The auditions were being held at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, where there's hardly a bad seat in the house. There would be comedians, dancers, singers and God only knows who else, ready to be booed or applauded as necessary.

More importantly, I've been to lots of television tapings, but in a professional capacity. I'd been herded by publicists, stuck in press rooms, and tasked with chasing after talent (and, in the case of covering "American Idol" years ago, the moms and dads of said talent). The experience of being an audience member was one I hadn't had, not in a true sense, for years. So why not?

 "Once Upon A Time"

Credit: ABC

Last night I was going to post a piece about all of the things that were frustrating me about "Once Upon A Time" this season. What the hell was up with Tamara and Greg? Why did they kill magical beings with a taser, of all things? Why did they want to kill them anyway? And why don't Neal and Emma just get together already? But I didn't, knowing I (along with some other journalists) was going to have an informal breakfast with show creators Adam Horowitz and Ed Kitsis today. The good news is that some of the things that were bugging me will be resolved by the end of the season finale on May 12, and even better? They can't defend that stupid taser, either. 

"Revenge"

Credit: ABC

The two-hour season wrap-up of "Revenge" isn't upon us until May 12, but we already know one thing. ABC has promised that "someone will die," and show creator Mike Kelley has told TVLine that it will be "one of our core cast members" who won't make it to season three. Apparently this demise will come as a shock to Emily, but I'm not so sure it will be as much of a shock to us. After all, there are only so many "core" characters who could be sent packing without ruining the balance of the entire show. 

After tonight's episode, we seemed closer to narrowing the field of possibilities as well. Here's a totally uninformed look at who could go, how likely that might be, and what we'll do (or not do) without them.

 "Survivor"

Credit: CBS

Welcome to Reality TV Roundup -- a quick look at some of the reality TV-centric stories that have recently popped up across the fine, old Interwebs. Click away, my couch potato friends. But before you do...

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! One more time: SPOILER ALERT. If you watch any competition shows, the latest elimination for each show is probably revealed in the text below. The hope is that, if you missed this week's program and would rather clear out your DVR than watch the episode, you can get a quick hit here. But don't come crying to me if you find out something you didn't want to know. You've been warned. Also note: lots of non-competition reality info lurks below, too. 

 "Project Runway"

Credit: Lifetime

Competition reality television can be a cruel mistress. The moments when you behave like a perfectly decent person end up on the cutting room floor while the one time you snarl at a competitor who richly deserves it, they put it on a loop. But this season of "Project Runway" had to be one of the nicest in recent memory. It was low on villains, high on little acts of kindness, and featured some pretty damn good clothing to boot. But maybe I feel that way because the competitor for whom I was rooting, Michelle Lesniak Franklin, took home top honors. Whoot!