(S05E07) She's back. Clearly, the producers of The Closer decided that Brenda needed an antagonist. Mary McDonnell has fit the bill. So far I think they've made her character a bit one-note, but I'm willing to see how she evolves over time. Or maybe it's just that I like Mary McDonnell.

Anyway, like internal affairs officers in most cop dramas, McDonnell's character, Captain Sharon Raydor of Force Investigation Division, seems to be anti-cop/pro-victim. Harry Callahan would hate her. She was better in this than her previous episode, but not by much.

Let me start this story by saying that I'm really hoping and praying that Patrick Swayze staves off the cancer that's trying to kill him and lives for many more years. The powers that be at A&E Network are hoping and praying, too. A&E has given the greenlight to The Beast, a cop drama that will star Patrick Swayze. Co-starring with Patrick in the 13 one-hour episodes is actor (and former Calvin Klein underwear model) Travis Fimmel. According the the doctors caring for Patrick, he is well enough to do the shows and, presumably, continue with the series if it's a success.

The premise for The Beast isn't a typical law and order type. It's like Training Day meets Internal Affairs, only without Denzel Washington and Richard Gere, respectively. Patrick plays an FBI agent who does things his own unique way. He's very good at his job, but rubs people the wrong way. He's asked to train a younger agent, Fimmel, at the same time that Swayze's being dogged by a secret internal affairs team.

Patrick has said this role was a long time coming for him. "I have searched for quite a long time to find a character that is this muti-layered, unpredictable and downright entertaining as well as a project this current and cutting-edged."

(S05E12) Good-bye Rob Estes. I am so glad his guest stint on CSI: Miami didn't last long because he played a total ass. This was probably the best episode of the season and I'm not saying that just because I hated the character of Nick Townsend. If you actually think about how this episode played out, the way it was written, and how the few characters involved were all connected at the end, it was very well done.

There were a lot of things that I liked about this episode actually. Giving more time to some lesser characters (Jake and Valera) was very cool to see. It was also funny to see the night shift team and how inept they are. But nothing beats Horatio and those canned one-liners. I missed those.