james earl jones

I always look forward to watching House on Mondays. Since about season two, when I think the show really started to develop its secondary characters, I have been hooked on the writing and amazed at the kind of outlandish plots I would tolerate that I would never be able to pass by on, say, other medical dramas. But I'm looking forward to tonight's episode with a bit of trepidation. And that's because they may have finally found an outlandish plot I can't quite get past.

For those who still have last week's episode on DVR and are likely to write us letters because we spoiled it for you - SPOILER ALERT. Then again, why are you reading something about tonight's episode if you haven't watched last week's episode yet?

There. Consider that fair space between the alert and the actual spoiler info. From here on out, you have no one to blame but yourself.

In this week's episode of House, James Earl Jones played an African dictator. Much of the plot centered on whether he should live or die, and whether the doctors should make that decision in order to save innocent Africans that he would kill if he survived.

Ok, here's the thing about this. Jones is undoubtedly a great actor, but he didn't seem like an evil dictator ready to wipe out half the population of his country. He seemed more like his character Terence Mann in Field of Dreams, a kindly old guy who needed to be shown the way.

|
(S06E04) "I thought I had detected the sickly sweet smell of maple syrup and socialized medicine." - House

Early on in this episode, House exclaimed "It's three years ago!" when he realized that he was working with the old team - Foreman, Chase, and Cameron. It became apparent rather quickly, though, that things at Princeton-Plainsboro are still very far from normal. He may be back, but House isn't back. Right now, he's more like the little kid that your co-worker brought to the office and he just won't leave your cube. That and the little kid is way smarter than you are.

HBO is developing a new comedy series from writer Mike White. Laura Dern will star in the series, about a woman who tries to lead an enlightened life.

Also in the news today: Paris Hilton books 'Supernatural,' while James Earl Jones is in the 'House.'

See more of today's top TV headlines after the jump.

OK, this isn't exactly "Who Shot JR," but it does have people guessing.

NBC Nightly News will have a new announcer starting tonight (longtime announcer Howard Reig retired in 2005), and they're trying to make it a surprise. The only clues from the network is that it's a name we all know, and this person had "an extensive, award-winning theatrical career for nearly forty years." Some of the guesses from fans include James Earl Jones, Patrick Stewart, James Lipton, Morgan Freeman, and ... Tom Brokaw? Yes, he was great in A Streetcar Named Desire.