It's been a long time coming on 'House' (Mon., 8PM ET on Fox).

[Spoiler alert.]

(S03E15) Every now and then, it's fun to watch what happens when Michael or Sam or Fiona don't have the upper hand in a situation. This penultimate episode of the season was one of those with lots of flying by the seat of their pants and taking a walk on the wild side ... whether they wanted to or not.

Oh, snap. On 'Burn Notice' (Thu., 10PM ET on USA), Michael learns that the person he helped to free is actually coming for him. Some gratitude!

And you can pretty much count on a bomb to turn up whenever he's around. It's just a matter of whether it's strapped to a guy he's sitting in a car with, or somewhere equally explosive.

Watch the video after the jump.

(S03E14) There was a lot of action involving running and shooting and a bomb exploding in this installment of 'Burn Notice,' but overall it felt a bit like a been-there-done-that episode. Was it pedestrian or were the principals not interesting enough to keep up with the usual Michael-Fiona-Sam shenanigans? More on that and the excellent work by a lowly CSI tech named Finley, after the jump.

(S06E14) "You can do it." - Cuddy

I get the reason for making an episode like '5 to 9.' Long running show that's popular. Established characters and story structure. The desire for David Shore, Katie Jacobs, and the rest of the 'House' crew to try something different is to be expected. However, that doesn't mean they should have done it. '5 to 9' wasn't a bad episode (in many ways, it felt like a back-door pilot for Cuddy), but it was, in a word, pointless. At the end of the day, '5 to 9' doesn't really add anything to the world of 'House,' and its outside-the-box attempt at being different just ended up being forgettable.

(S06E13) "Hey, I don't care where an idea comes from as long as it makes sense and embarrasses someone." - House

I've long wondered if Foreman's brother Marcus was someone we'd eventually meet on 'House.' That being said, it's been six and a half seasons and even though we'd heard bits and pieces about him, I had reconciled that he just wasn't going to show up. If anything, the timing felt a little odd.

But if you think about it, the entire plot featuring Marcus (Orlando Jones) was just about as generically evergreen as plots on 'House' get -- this could've fit into any previous season had the writers felt like telling this story sooner. I wish they had, especially if you consider the fact that after all the cast shake-ups this show has been through, Foreman has been one of the few constants. It's about time we found out more about the guy.

(S06E12) "Yes, it's hilarious! Great to see what a success your therapy was!" - Wilson

Ever since the season six premiere way back in September, one of the biggest complaints that I've heard or read House fans make is how the show's creative team seemed to abandon any of House's lessons from therapy. He no longer seemed to be getting better and for the most part, House was back to his old crotchety self, thus negating his stay at Mayfield.

That quote up above from Wilson felt like a little bit of an inside joke -- the writers get it, too. So with "Remorse," not only did we get the best patient-of-the-week case we've seen this season, but we also got to see House trying ... a little. But, to make a pun, if it ain't "broken," don't fix it, and crotchety House still works.

(S06E10) "They're all dying. They're all your friends." - House

Episodes like this are why I've faithfully stuck with House after six and a half seasons. Sure, more often than not, House can get stale -- it's the same thing, week in and out, and even something shocking (like Kutner offing himself last year or Cameron saying good-bye two weeks ago) isn't enough to take away from the fact that it's just another episode with another wacky case. But episodes like "Broken", and now "Wilson," are proof that there are so many more layers that need exploring in the world of Princeton Plainsboro.

(S06E09) "There's no point in putting a band together if we're not going to play any gigs." - House

I'm torn over the best way to tackle this review of "Ignorance is Bliss." I have far more bad things to say about the episode than I do good things, yet I loved it. The outcome I (and presumably most other fans) want to see (House and Cuddy together) is hopefully going to be achieved. This just isn't my ideal path to get there.

(S06E07) "I'm living my life. For the first time, I'm not going to change that because of how it might affect him -- or you." -- Cuddy to Wilson, who asked her what she sees in Lucas

I just want to shove House and Cuddy into a room together and let them figure out their relationship. It's clear that even though she's trying to be happy in her current relationship, she just can't get House out of her head, no matter how much she declares that she has or is going to.

I feel for her, because once they end up getting together -- if they don't by the time the series ends, I'll be ticked -- she'll have a long road ahead of her. Or not. People change. There's a good heart beating inside House's damaged psyche. It could work.

(S06E07) "Well, I feel bad. I haven't named your testicles." - Cuddy

We're all thinking it, and unlike euthanasia, I see no reason to keep mum -- House is firing on all cylinders right now. Actually, let me clarify that -- House the character, not House the show, is firing on all cylinders right now. Anything going on in Greg's periphery at the moment is sensational, absolutely electrifying drama.

Everything else? Not so much. If anything, "Known Unknowns" did nothing more than highlight something we've seen countless times already. Namely, the paralyzing effect House's absence has on his team. They're inept without him. What did I glean from the case du jour? Some annoying teenager got sick from eating oysters. However, I gleaned plenty from the rest of the hour.

(S03E05) Michael Weston met Michael Westen. How cool was it that Burn Notice cast actor Michael Weston -- remember him as the private eye who helped House last year? As a psycho/math genius/code breaker/pattern spotter named Spencer Witawski, he was sort of a detective here, too, good enough to have tracked down Michael and become the latest client.

As integral episodes go, this was a major one. Major for Michael and his desire to return to government work and major for the status of Fiona and Michael's relationship. And did I mention that it was a major league great show, too? More after the jump.

(S02E11) "The one who burned you is closer than you think." -- Fiona

A year ago, the idea of anybody doing anything for a pair of 50-yard line tickets to watch the Miami Dolphins play football would have been a joke. Fortunately for Burn Notice, the Fins won the AFC East and are relevant again. Therefore, Sam's Good Samaritan act -- which got a major boost when Fiona got involved -- had a decent payoff, beyond the idea of them doing something nice for a friend.

Were you thinking Men in Black when you saw Fiona, Sam and Michael in their uniform black suits complete with sunglasses and heavy weaponry? They really do find a way to make the three of them seem like a much more formidable force. Even more than the old Mission: Impossible team, Michael, Fiona and Sam are like the IMF trio deluxe, with each of them more than able to handle adversity. More on that adversity after the jump.

(S02E10) "Brushes with death are like snowflakes. Each one is unique and icy cold." -- Michael

Well, if you think Michael was ticked off about being burned, you should take his temperature after there's an attempt on his life. This episode, which picked up right after a bomb went off in Michael's loft doorway, had a little bit of everything that makes Burn Notice one of the best shows on TV. In short, it was great to have it back on the schedule. And yes, there was little doubt that Michael would survive the blast. It's good to see the Charger and the loft did, too.

Michael has a lot of reasons to be bent out of shape. Carla's still yanking him around and now she's involved his family by having Nate arrested. In one of the few times I can remember on the show, he really lost his cool when he screamed at her, "I want my brother out of jail. I want my life back!" Carla got the message.

(S05E02) Everyone, meet Lucas. Lucas, meet everyone.

Let's get to know this young man, shall we? He's in his mid-30's and a private detective. He doesn't think he's a good private dick, but in reality he really is and there's a possibility he just puts on a show of being inept. He can be an ass at times, as seen during his introductory moment to the Princeton-Plainsboro staff, and he can also be a bit too honest. In truth, he is very similar to one Dr. Gregory House, who has hired Lucas to check-up on Wilson after his best friend decided to shun him.

There is one difference between House and Lucas...Lucas is likable. That, and he seems to look at the world in a more positive manner than House does. And yet, that cranky old bastard likes Lucas for some reason. Is House going soft? Is he starting to realize the error of his ways? Is the world coming to an end? Am I asking too many questions? For answers to this and a recap of this week's episode jump ahead.