In the wake of reports that The 4400 had been axed, Ausiello over at TVGuide.com is reporting that The Dead Zone was struck a killing blow in that same swing. Two good shows gone just like that. And just before the holidays. Man, that's gotta suck. So it looks like just as Johnny Smith sees that he's still going to have to address that impending Armageddon, the series ends. I always thought the ratings were pretty good on these shows; were they starting to show their age? Losing viewers?

I hate it when a show is canceled between seasons like this, especially when they don't resolve everything in the Season/Series Finale. It leaves a bad taste in the mouths of viewers, and makes them more and more jaded to new shows. Why do you think the serialized drama glut of last season failed so miserably. Because everyone knew we'd never see the end of The Nine.

(S06E13) You have got to be kidding me. They spent an entire season piddling around and then introduced about fifty different things into the season finale? They could have built an entire season around what was contained in this episode, but they didn't. I have no idea what the writers of this show are thinking half the time, and part of me is really hoping that tonight's episode was the last. No, I know it was the last in this season. I mean I hope it was The Last. But if you are fan of the show, I won't put any spoilers before the jump, and you should really watch the final episode.

(S06E12) We are finally coming around full circle to address Walt's death from the season premiere. Why we couldn't have been seeing bits of this as we went along, I don't know, but having a cohesive season of episodes in which one week continues logically into the next has never been a goal of The Dead Zone-- and that is fine. I just wish it would decide whether it wants to be a serial show or not, because it certainly is when it wants to be.

(S06E11) This episode didn't tick me off the way last week's did (and several more have this season). It actually had a context, some neatly turned connections, and not too much obnoxious product placement. The only thing I really noticed was the closeup of Johnny's Tylenol bottle and I groaned and thought, "Here we go again," but there must not be many places to use your Visa card in Indiana, because it wasn't bad from there. I did go take two Excedrin, though, just to counteract the Tylenol ad.

(S06E10) All season, I have been trying to put a positive spin on bad writing, poor casting choices (Sheriff Turner, remember her? Barely? We never see her, so maybe they think she was a poor choice too), episodes that seem recycled from other seasons, and others that are completely forgettable and irrelevant. But tonight was just the last straw. I have had it. I cannot think of one more good thing to say about this infomercial for Visa that is running around disguising itself as television.

(S06E09) At first, I thought this season was going to be heading somewhere, but it seems that it's getting stuck in the muck. The episodes continue to cover territory that they have already covered. Tonight, it was about Johnny's struggles with the fact that he doesn't have much religious faith, despite his relationship with the now-absent Reverend Purdy, and his mother's own generous donations to the Heritage Foundation. We have been over this before in previous seasons-- like last season, as a matter of fact.

(S06E08) I enjoyed this episode tonight, with the loopy Elaine and the Clive Owen-look-alike Homeland Security officer. I also enjoyed this episode way back in Season 2 when it was called "Precipitate." In that episode, Johnny had a blood transfusion with the blood of six different people. He had a vision that one of them was going to die, unless he intervened. So, he and Bruce ran around, tracked down all of the blood donors, and made their lives better so the tragedy didn't happen. It was a great episode.

(S06E07) I think this was probably one of the best episodes of The Dead Zone ever. I loved it. But before I talk about that, I want to talk about the fact that I am really enjoying the fact that the show seems to be doing "covers" or remakes of classic movies. In this case, it would be the movie Coma, which was about a plot to deliberately put patients into comas in order to harvest their organs. That is exactly where I thought this episode was headed. But of course, it steered off the tracks and deviated into its own little denouement instead.

(S06E06) I always like the titles for The Dead Zone: They usually have a double entendre happening, and last night's episode is no exception: Switch for train switches on train tracks, and also for the switch Maggie pulls with the diamond necklace. Johnny helps a beautiful woman get her ticket out of the machine, and therefore ensures his interest in her when he touches her and sees her being thrown from the train.

Maggie is a smart chick and she immediately dismisses Johnny's "I'm psychic," schtick with some pretty apt predictions about other passengers on her own. I thought she read Johnny pretty accurately, too. Of course, she is good at reading people because she is a grifter. She is a female version of Sawyer from Lost, only much nicer.

(S06E05) This episode was fine. It was interesting, had some urgency and thrills. It had some humor and some pathos. But it feels an awful lot like starting over. And I am just not sure why at this point. Especially if they are killing the Stillson storyline. I have liked the show, and I think the show showed some promise earlier in the season. But it feels a little old and a little tired.

I wish they would move forward with the information about why Sheriff Turner is investigating Walt. They haven't really touched upon that, though, to look at the show's website, you would think this investigation was going to be plastered all over every episode.

ABC Family doesn't get the kind of press that some of their edgier neighbors on the cable box enjoy, but I do appreciate that they make their own original programming, especially their penchant for casting Charisma Carpenter. They could have gone the easy route and given us endless reruns of Reba and Home Improvement.

Tonight they kick off their latest entry, Greek. The dramedy (their description) is set at the fictitious Cyprus-Rhodes University and is said to follow the social minefield of the greek system.

(S06E04) Last season, I was ready to throw this show out the window. It was a sad, tired, droopy show, and I thought it had run past its time. I don't know whether they have a new pack of writers this season or whether they all just found a personal muse, but this season is already so much better than last season. The show seems to have regained some of the air of the first year, when I was so smitten with it.

So, perhaps it was appropriate this episode revisited the very carnival of the first episode, the carnival after which J.J. was conceived. It was also very fitting that some of the revelations of this episode took place in such a setting.

(S06E02) Well, it would seem that the folks who predicted last week that the apocalyptic storyline featuring Greg Stillson was over are right. At least for now. The tagline for this season is "The Season That Changes Everything." I think they are telling us loud and clear that we are headed in a new direction. I think this might be a good thing. After all, Johnny stopping Stillson ends the movie and the book. The TV show has made many departures from the book and movie, so why not take that further? I was very frustrated last season because I thought the show had really lost that focus and was now disparate, unconnected episodes in which Johnny did nothing more than solve cases. But if the show changes its focus to having that happen, then fine.

(S06E01) I love the name of this episode: Heritage. With the shocking death of Walt Bannerman (the always great Chris Bruno) (I didn't see it coming, but my 13 year old son says he did), we have not only Reverend Purdy's Heritage foundation (where Bannerman died), but also the heritage he leaves to Johnny, and his son J.J. One of the primary questions that has endured for five seasons can now be explored: If Walt were not there, would Johnny and Sarah get together? Are they fated to be together? (If the previews for next week are any indication, the answer would be, "Not just yet.")

I worry because Greg Stillson has persistently pursued Sarah too. I am not convinced that she sees him for the villain that we (the audience) and Johnny know him to be. Though, Stillson did tell Johnny this episode that he isn't as bad as Johnny thinks he is...

If you were worried about the fate of Shawn and Gus, you can relax. USA has announced that both Psych and The Dead Zone will be getting another season. This comes on the heels of news that Monk and The 4400 have also been renewed. I guess that programming gig over at USA is a pretty cushy one.

While the ratings did drop somewhat after the premiere, Psych still managed over 5 million viewers a week, which is very good for a cable series. The Dead Zone didn't do as well, with an average of 2.8 million viewers. Still, that was enough to get it another season paired with The 4400.

Psych and Monk are currently away on one of those midseason breaks that the networks don't seem to realize are incredibly annoying to fans... They'll both return to finish their seasons in January.