You could watch the excellent 'Case Histories' (Sunday, PBS Masterpiece, check local listings) just to see Jason Isaacs play an Edinburgh detective very well, but this mystery import offers a host of other pleasures.

The thing is, Masterpiece's 'Case Histories,' which adapts a trio of Kate Atkinson's popular Jackson Brodie novels over the course of three weeks, can't be neatly filed away in the "mystery" category. As is the case with Atkinson's bestselling novels, this thoughtful and well-paced program ranges from the subversive to the sad without losing focus on the emotions of the complex people at the center of the story. Its frequently light tone can turn on a dime to tragedy, and the fact that this version of 'Case Histories' pulls off those transitions so deftly is a minor miracle.

"There is a bit of magical misdirection going on," actor Jason Isaacs, star of Showtime's 'Brotherhood' and NBC's upcoming drama 'Awake,' says of 'Case Histories,' in which he plays the ex-cop Jackson Brodie. "It looks like a crime thriller and it's not that at all. It's a great, big, current anthropological satire. It's full of these rich, boldly etched characters that leap off the page and screen, and they are not from the rag-bag of clichés that a crime thriller is normally made of."

My alert colleague Chris Harnick sent this 'Downton Abbey' link to me this morning, and it went down like a cup of the Dowager Countess' finest tea.

This Vulture story quotes a UK interview with creator Julian Fellowes in which he indicates that a third season of the period drama might be in the offing.

We've yet to even get the show's second season here in the U.S. (it arrives on PBS Masterpiece Jan. 8, which is 87 days away, and yes, I am counting the days, so sue me). But the show continues to do well in the U.K. where the season 2 is in full swing, and given its hit status, a third season is quite likely.

Thanks for all the great questions you sent in for this round of Ask Mo. I picked a bumper crop to take on this time. Let's get right to it, shall we?

Jamilbhatti0782: Do you think 'Terra Nova' will be picked up for a full season?

Mo says: Production wrapped last week on the first season of the dino drama, which was always envisioned as a 13-hour saga (according to a Fox representative, the show's 2-hour season finale airs Dec. 19). Any episodes beyond that would be part of a hypothetical second season, but the network hasn't yet decided whether to order a season 2. Given the show's high cost and relatively modest ratings, the jury is still out on whether we'll get a second season of dinosaur drama.

['Sons of Anarchy' - 'With an X']

Wow, there was a lot going on in this episode. Early in 'With an X,' we had a porn star pulling a gun on some bikers' old ladies, and it only got crazier from there.

Ima didn't die in the episode, even though, toward the end of the episode, I half thought she might. Sadly, we did have to say goodbye to a member of the SAMCRO crew -- and not the one I was expecting.

You'd think, given how many mystery novels I read, I would have been wise to the misdirect ran through this episode, but I wasn't, and I'm fine with that.

I'm confused. The DVD mailing came from a different premium cable network, but 'Enlightened' (9:30PM ET Monday, HBO), which debuts alongside the return of 'Bored to Death,' sure looks like it came from Showtime's "comedy" factory.

Consider the evidence:

1. It's a star vehicle for an actress of a certain age (in this case, Laura Dern, who came up the show with Mike White, who co-stars).

2. The lead character is a middle-class woman in crisis (Dern's character, corporate executive Amy, wigged out after an affair with a co-worker and had to go to a counseling/addiction retreat, where she became committed to "growth" and "change").

Fans of 'The Simpsons' heaved a sigh of relief when news emerged late Friday that the show had been renewed for two more seasons.

And there are no bigger fans of the show than comedy writers. Recently I got in touch with some TV comedy professionals, none of whom could imagine a TV landscape without Homer -- or a world without the comedy college that is the 'Simpsons' writing room.

I asked veterans of shows as varied as 'Cheers,' 'Conan,' 'Cougar Town' and 'Futurama' what the show's 23-year run has meant for television, and why they are happy 'The Simpsons' is still around. Here's what they had to say.

As a storyteller, Vince Gilligan can't be accused of playing it safe.

The season 4 finale of 'Breaking Bad' contained several shocking developments bound to keep fans talking all week.

The creator of the AMC show addresses those events in depth below, and he also talks about the upcoming final season of the drama and whether it will air over one year or two. (By the way, my interview with 'Breaking Bad' actor Giancarlo Esposito -- a.k.a. Gus Fring -- is here, and my review of the finale is here.)

Spoilers ahead for 'Face Off,' the season 4 finale of 'Breaking Bad.'

Since he arrived on 'Breaking Bad,' Gustavo Fring has been a memorable foil for Walter White.

Walter White is often reactive and scrambling to keep up with events, but Gus Fring is cool, collected and composed. The yin and yang between the two men -- one chafing at authority, one effortlessly exuding an air of command -- has provided the AMC drama with some of its finest moments.

In the interview below, actor Giancarlo Esposito talks about playing one of television's most charismatic characters, and about the events of 'Breaking Bad's' season finale.

Don't read on unless you've seen 'Face Off,' the final episode of 'Breaking Bad's' stellar fourth season. And be sure to check out my review of the finale and my post-finale interview with 'Breaking Bad' creator Vince Gilligan.

['Breaking Bad' - 'Face Off']

Before I get into my review of the fourth-season finale of 'Breaking Bad,' I'd like to point you to some additional coverage of the AMC drama.

Click here for an interview with the show's creator, Vince Gilligan, and go here for an interview with Giancarlo Esposito, a.k.a. Gus Fring.

Ryan McGee and I have also recorded a special 'Breaking Bad' podcast with Time TV critic James Poniewozik; you can find that right now here or on iTunes.

As for the finale itself, well, it gave us a few things to talk about, didn't it?

Spoilers ahead for 'Face Off.' Don't read on unless you've seen the final episode of 'Breaking Bad's' fourth season.

['Supernatural' - 'The Girl Next Door']

'The Girl Next Door' left me gobsmacked, but for all the wrong reasons.

I'm going to spend most of this review writing about one scene that came late in the episode. It neatly encapsulated a lot of what was wrong with not just this episode, but many other things as well.

If you're looking for a lot of commentary on Jensen Ackles' competent directing or details like the Biggerson's sign and things like that, you're not going to get it this time around.

It's been too long! We are long overdue for an Ask Mo column. But the fall TV season has finally slowed down -- a little -- and I'll have some breathing space soon, and I plan to use that time to take on questions you have about new shows, returning series and upcoming programs.

Please leave your TV-related questions in the comment area below, or email your queries to me.

I'll pick as many questions as I can reasonably get to and post an Ask Mo column next week.

This week's podcast focuses on a new show, a program that just had its season finale, and a drama that's heading toward the end of its season.

In the first part of the podcast, Ryan McGee and I talked about FX's 'American Horror Story,' which debuts Wednesday (I reviewed it here). In the second part of the podcast, we talked about the season finale of 'Doctor Who,' which I wrote about here.

Finally, we wrapped up with a chat about the penultimate episode of 'Breaking Bad's' gripping fourth season. Just a heads up: After it airs, we'll have extensive coverage of the 'Breaking Bad' season finale, including an interview with creator Vince Gilligan and a 'Bad' Talking TV podcast featuring a special guest.

['Sons of Anarchy' - 'Brick']

The secrets and lies just keep piling up in the Sons of Anarchy clubhouse. When will the show's web site give us a scorecard that'll help us keep track of who knows what and who has told which lies to which people?

Because we may just need a scorecard before this season is out.

Also: The Hoff!

You've probably heard some buzz about 'American Horror Story' (10PM ET Wednesday, FX), the new drama from 'Glee's' Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. That's not surprising; if there's one thing Murphy is good at, it's creating shocking moments that the media likes to gab about.

The thing is, that may be the only things he's good at anymore. It's not that 'American Horror Story' is 100 percent awful, though at times it veers dangerously close to that. But longtime Murphy watchers know that it's only a matter of time before the few promising elements are clobbered to death by the dumb moves his shows inevitably pull.

If you do get pulled in by the show's wildly uneven premiere, trust me, in time, you are bound to be disappointed. Let me count the ways:

'Breaking Bad' has done a spectacular job of making Walter White's journey from high school chemistry teacher to underworld player believable. Walt has done so very many bad things (though of course, in his mind, he's always had his reasons).

Redeeming or making up for the bad choices he's made isn't an option at this point, and hasn't been for a long time. But once in a while, Walt draws a line that makes you think he may not be truly evil. In doing his utmost to protect his family from the wrath of Gus Fring, Walt did the right thing.

Of course, it was really his only play, but when Walt said, "I alone should suffer the consequences of those choices," what could our reaction be but "Damn right you should!"