Modern Family: American Skyper (6x24)

Cute finale! Poor Haley and Andy... let's jump right in.

Alex has graduated from high school, and the whole family gets together at Jay and Gloria's house for a party. The whole family, that is, except for Phil, who got stuck out of town. He still manages to be at the party, sort of, by staying on a video chat on a rolling camera so he can move around and communicate with the whole family. Throughout the party, lots of shenanigans take place, with Phil trying to mediate all the chaos.

Mitchell and Cam have plans to buy the unit above theirs and expand their home, but Cam notices that Mitchell doesn't seem too excited. We learn that Mitchell has actually lost his job, and has been going to the park during the day and hanging out with an old man named Spencer. He didn't tell Cam that he lost his job, and now he wants Phil to help him so that they don't have to buy the unit upstairs, because they can no longer afford it. Cam is suspicious of Mitchell's behavior, and when he sees texts from a guy named Spencer on his phone, he thinks Mitchell is having an affair. When the truth comes out, Cam is just relieved that Mitchell hasn't been unfaithful, and they decide they'll buy the unit upstairs anyway. They can rent it out for now - it's still a great opportunity. Also, during all of this, Cam has been having trouble with his speech, because he got adult braces.

This plot thread didn't really do much for me. The braces thing was funny for a second, but it actually just got really annoying to hear Cam talk with a lisp. They purposefully wrote his lines with a lot of "s" words to really emphasize the impediment, and it felt sort of childish. Also, it's pretty horrible of Mitchell to hide such a huge secret from his husband, and I feel like the episode didn't really address the more serious aspects of Mitchell's mistakes. However, there were a few cute moments, like when Cam read Mitchell's phone through the bottom of a glass table.

Supernatural: Brother's Keeper (10x23)

I'm really disappointed, actually. That wan't very good at all. That was just... ugh. I have a lot of complaints. But let's start first with the plot. God, I'm so annoyed. Grr.

Dean is working a case with Rudy, another hunter, but then Dean tells Rudy to get lost and that he'll handle it himself. Rudy calls Sam and tells him where Dean is, since he can tell something is terribly wrong with him. Dean finds a vampire's nest, and allows Rudy to get stabbed and killed before he take out the vampires, killing them ruthlessly. He goes back to his hotel room and has a meltdown, destroying the whole room. Then, he leaves a note that says "she's all yours" with the keys to the impala for Sam to find, and he takes off.

Sam leaves Cas with Rowena, telling him to please find a way to enact the spell that will remove the Mark of Cain. He tracks Dean to the hotel room, finds the destruction and the note, and then... he gets a call from Dean. Dean has summoned Death, and Death has offered to remove him from Earth to protect everybody from the Mark of Cain. He can't kill Dean, and he can't take the Mark off of Dean unless Dean passes it to somebody else. Since Dean is unwilling to do that, he'll have to continue, immortal, with the Mark for the rest of eternity. Turns out, if the Mark is not tethered to a person, it releases something called the Darkness, which existed before the world was created. God created a Mark to tether the Darkness, and he gave it to Lucifer. Lucifer then gave it to Cain, who gave it to Dean. Dean calls Sam and tells him where he is. It's time to say goodbye.

Outlander: Wentworth Prison (1x15)

So, if you're on the fence about this episode, and you're not sure if you can stomach it, find somebody who's already seen it and they'll tell you what's what. It's... yeah. There are certain parts where I had to look away, watch through my fingers, or even pause altogether and take a break to watch something light and fluffy on Netflix. It's an intense episode, and even as somebody who can handle a lot of dark content, I was feeling pretty queasy by the end of it. Let's start with a plot summary.

Jamie is standing in the courtyard of Wentworth Prison, waiting to hear his name called out to be hanged. McQuarrie is with him, and Jamie is forced to watch as he dies. However, just as Jamie has the rope put around his own neck, Jack Randall shows up and saves him from the noose. Jack brings Jamie down to a dungeon cellar. Jack wants Jamie to admit defeat and surrender to him. If he does that, Jack promises to let Jamie die in the manner of his own choosing. Jamie refuses to cooperate.

Meanwhile, Claire poses as a distant relation of Jamie's, hoping to be allowed to see him. This doesn't work, and Claire is given a box of Jamie's personal effects to pass along to the family. Murtagh and Claire despair, but some of the other MacKenzie men manage to find out information about the prison's schedule. They do so by drinking and gambling with some of the British guards. Claire goes back into the prison, lying and saying that she was given permission to retrieve a letter from Jamie. Murtagh knocks out a nosy guard, and Claire sneaks through the prison. She unlocks a backdoor that can serve as an escape later on, and then tries to find Jamie.

The Vampire Diaries: I'm Thinking of You All the While (6x22)

Okay so this actually made me cry real tears. But despite that significant accomplishment, I still feel like there were a couple of things that didn't quite work. Let's go over this emotionally devastating finale, as we say a tearful goodbye to Nina Dobrev!

In the aftermath of Kai's attack on the wedding, we see that Jo has died, and many people are injured. Elena has been knocked out, and Damon can't get her to wake up. He rushes her to the hospital. Kai stabs himself in the neck, killing himself and thus killing all of the other Gemini Coven members. Liv is dying because of this. Tyler has a huge piece of glass embedded in his torso, and it looks like he won't make it either. Liv convinces Tyler to smother her, killing her and triggering his werewolf curse. It's a full moon, so the transformation will cure Tyler. Tyler, tears in his eyes, does it. He manages to get a message to Matt that he's a werewolf now, so all the vampires need to stay away from him for his own safety.

Meanwhile, Lily is looking for her friends - Kai promised that they would be brought back. She tells Enzo that she gave Kai her blood in exchange for the rescue of her friends. This means... Kai is a vampire and a witch! He shows up just as Alaric is putting Jo's body into his car for transport. Kai gets ready to attack Alaric, when Tyler shows up and bites Kai!

Elementary: A Controlled Descent (3x24)

It's been pretty obvious from day one of this show that we would eventually reach this point... but even so, it hurt very badly. Let's take a look.

Oscar Rankin is back, and he wants Sherlock's help. His sister, who is also an addict, has gone missing, and he wants Sherlock to find her. How does he get Sherlock to help? By kidnapping Alfredo. He has him tied up somewhere, and won't tell Sherlock where unless Sherlock helps him. While Joan, Gregson and Bell try to track down Alfredo by following clues from the crime scene, Sherlock follows Oscar on his quest to find his sister.

Eventually, Sherlock does find the missing Olivia Rankin. She's already dead, and based on footprints near her body in an abandoned tunnel, Sherlock realizes that Oscar already knew she was dead. His real motivation, Oscar finally admits, was to drag Sherlock down with him. He wanted Sherlock to succumb to his drug addiction and join the lowest of the low once again. He offers Sherlock a box, with heroin inside. He threatens that he'll never tell anybody where Alfredo is, unless Sherlock gives in.

Meanwhile, Joan and the others do manage to find Alfredo. Joan texts Sherlock to tell him that Alfredo is okay, and once Sherlock reads that text, he snaps. He attacks Oscar, brutally beating him. He then takes the drugs, and walks into the tunnel.

Grey's Anatomy: You're My Home (11x24)

Huh. That didn't really feel like a finale. It was so... gentle. And sweet. Still, I really enjoyed it! Let's go over what happened.

The patient who was trapped in the car will live to see another day - and his wife and child both made it too! It's a tricky task, saving him, as they need to transport him from the car to the OR in less than five minutes, or he'll bleed out. They manage it, as Stephanie gets the interns to help her clear a path from outside to the OR. Stephanie is having trouble with her interns, since she's angry at them for almost killing a patient the week before. Bailey reminds her that the interns are her ducklings, and she needs to be a good teacher for them. Stephanie steps up her game.

April and Jackson talk about their future - April wants to go back to war, because she feels like it's her calling. Jackson says she should go if that's what she wants, but that he can't be there waiting for her when she gets back. It's too hard for him to handle the separation. April is devastated by the ultimatum, as she contemplates losing her husband.

Alex tells Jo that Meredith asked if she and the kids could move into the house. He asks her what she thinks, but Jo knows that she doesn't really have a say - Alex can't say no to Meredith. Alex explains that Meredith is his best friend, but he wants to be putting down roots here with Jo. Jo isn't sure what to do at first, but ultimately she decides that she and Alex should get their own place - she takes Alex to a loft that they could buy and start their lives in. Then, Alex could sell the house back to Meredith, and everybody will be happy.

Modern Family: Crying Out Loud (6x23)

This was a really enjoyable, surprisingly emotional episode of Modern Family. The plot threads were all separate, but they all tied together to create a common theme - sometimes even in a close, loving family, it's hard to express how you're really feeling, and it's hard to understand how your relationships with your family members will change when people begin to move on to the next stage of their lives. Let's take each plot thread on its own.

Claire is offered a job to work for a hotel chain. She doesn't want to take it, but she tells Jay about it, hoping that he'll tell her to stay. Instead, he seems totally dismissive, and tells her to take the job. Claire does, but then she believes that Jay is secretly upset, so she says no. Then she finds out that Jay isn't upset, and tries to take the job again. Jay finally admits that he didn't tell Claire how he felt about the job offer because he didn't want to influence her decision - the truth is, he really doesn't want her to go. Jay is not satisfied with Claire's emotionless response to this declaration, so he stages a confrontation with the man who wanted to hire Claire, announcing that he wants to keep working with his daughter. Claire tears up. Turns out, the guy Jay was talking to was just a friend, not the man Claire had been speaking to on the phone all this time.

I really liked this plot thread. We're not exactly covering new territory here - Jay often has trouble accessing his emotions, and his children are starved for his attention. But there was a lot of humor and a lot of sincerity here, and that made it wonderful. I loved the fact that Jay held back from telling Claire what he thought because he knew it had to be her decision. I also liked that Jay wasn't satisfied with Claire's reaction, so he tricked her into showing more emotion. It's a dysfunctional relationship, but it seems to work for them!

Supernatural: The Prisoner (10x22)

Um. Ouch? I'm ready to cry like a baby during next week's finale, to be honest. I just want to find Sam Winchester and hug him for like ten hours. And then Cas. And then Dean, although I feel like that would be a good way to get myself killed. I still haven't forgiven the creative team for killing off Charlie, but I'm going to try and take a look at this episode without dissolving into another rant on that topic. Let's start with the plot.

Sam and Dean burn Charlie's body. Dean blames Sam for what happened, and says he's going to go after whoever did this and then kill everybody they ever loved. Sam is worried that this is the Mark talking, but Dean walks away, intent on revenge. Sam tells Cas what happened, and that he promised Dean he would shut down their attempts to read the Book of the Damned. Just as they're about ready to give up, Sam gets the email from Charlie, with her notes from the codex. Rowena confirms that with this new information, she should be able to read the Book of the Damned. Sam is torn, but ultimately he decides he has to do whatever it takes to cure Dean. He sends Cas after Dean, to make sure that he doesn't go too far off the rails.

Rowena tells Sam that she won't read the Book until Sam holds up his end of the bargain and kills Crowley. Sam lures Crowley to him by faking a phone call from Dean. He shoots Crowley with a devil's trap bullet, and then uses a hex bag that Rowena gave him to kill Crowley. Crowley takes a while to die, and Sam uses that time to tell him that no matter what everybody else may think, Sam still remembers that he's a villain. Crowley, who has lately tried to redeem himself by making Hell less... Hellish, finally remembers who he really is. He's able to set the hex bag on fire, proving himself stronger than his mother's magic. He spares Sam's life, telling him to go deliver a message to Rowena: he'll be coming for her, and there's no stopping him. Sam calls Rowena, who tells Sam to find another way to kill Crowley.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: S.O.S. Part 1/Part 2 (2x21/22)

Okay. So... that was a blood bath, and I am not even a little bit okay. Let's just... go over what happened, shall we?

It looks like a war is about to break out between the Inhumans and S.H.I.E.L.D. Jiaying has planned things well, sending some of her men to steal one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Quinjets and have it fire on Afterlife, to make it look like S.H.I.E.L.D. is attacking. Skye is very confused by this. When May shows up to demand to talk to Gonzales, Skye yells at her and fights her, ultimately using her powers to knock May out. S.H.I.E.L.D. extracts itself from Afterlife and runs off to plan its next move, while many of Afterlife's members also flee. Skye talks to Jiaying, who heals very quickly from her self-inflicted bullet wound. It turns out that Jiaying's eternal youth and healing comes from sucking the life force out of others. Creepy, huh? Skye doesn't know this, though, and it looks like Jiaying is convincing her that S.H.I.E.L.D. is bad news.

Skye talks to Raina, who says that it's her destiny to help Skye be the true leader of the Inhumans. Later, Raina and Jiaying have a meeting. Raina tells Jiaying that it's her destiny to tell the future and save the day. Jiaying can't risk Raina revealing her whole plan, so she slits Raina's throat. Turns out, though, Raina knew that was going to happen. It was all a setup - Skye saw the whole thing, and finally realizes that her mother is behind this whole mess. Jiaying tries to reason with her, but ultimately Jiaying is forced to lock Skye up.

Castle: Hollander's Woods (7x23)

This episode was a bit strange, because it had to serve as a potential series finale, as well as just a season finale. We know now that there will be a Season Eight, but it wasn't guaranteed for a long time, so I guess when this episode was first written and conceived of, they had to make it work as a wrap-up.

Castle and Beckett work on a case that hits close to home for Castle. Thirty years ago, when Castle was just a kid, he encountered a masked man in the woods. This man had just killed a woman, and Castle had seen the body. The masked man threatened him, and by the time Castle called the police, the body had been moved. It was never found. Years passed, and Castle started to wonder if he'd just imagined the whole thing. But now, it looks like the mysterious masked killer has struck again.

Castle's obsession with this figure runs deep - it was because of this first unsolved mystery that Castle wanted to become a mystery writer. They find a suspect pretty quickly, and it looks like the case is wrapped up. But then Castle hears a man's voice, and flashes back to the man in Hollander's Woods all those years ago. He knows he's found the real killer. Esposito, Ryan, and Beckett are all a little skeptical, since the suspect they have in custody seems just right for the crime. However, Beckett agrees to support Castle.

Once Upon a Time: Operation Mongoose Part 1/Part 2 (4x22/23)

Ahhh!! Okay this plot summary is going to take forever, so let's just dive right in. Eeeeek this was an awesome finale.

First, we learn the Author's origin story. He was a TV salesman who wanted to be a writer. One day, he got a letter to meet up with a publisher - the publisher ended up being the Apprentice. Isaac becomes the next Author by choosing the correct pen, and the Apprentice makes a magic doorway appear. Isaac begins his life as a man who tells stories.

Then, we've got Storybrooke - all our heroes (Emma, Hook, Henry, Regina, Robin, Mary Margaret, and David) are trying to figure out how to stop Isaac and Rumple from writing the villains their happy endings. August shows up. He knows who can help them - the Apprentice. He has a picture of the Apprentice, and Hook recognizes him as one of the people he trapped when he was forced to work for Rumple. With Blue's help, the rescue the Apprentice, who tells them they need to find the original Storybook, and trap Isaac back in its pages. Henry goes with Hook, Mary Margaret, and David to go look for the book, while Emma goes with Regina and the Apprentice to Gold's shop.

In the shop, Isaac is writing the story. He finishes up the last details in time to save Rumple, who is close to death because of his blackened heart. Isaac pens the words "The End," and everything changes.

Outlander: The Search (1x14)

Okay. I feel like this episode is the weird one-shot insertion fanfiction that a really good crack-fic writer decides to include in a longer series. It was... weird. Let's just start with what happened, shall we?

Claire sets off from Lallybroch to find Jamie, and Jenny comes with her. The two of them track the soldiers. They find them just as a courier rides off to deliver a letter. Jenny and Claire stop the man, and Jenny tortures him for information. Claire reads the letter he was meant to deliver, which announces that Jamie has escaped. Claire rips up the letter, so that the people at Wentworth never know about it, and can't go looking for him. Jenny says they need to kill the messenger, but Claire is hesitant. Murtagh shows up and kills him. Jenny goes back home to be with her infant daughter, while Claire and Murtagh continue on their quest to find Jamie.

Murtagh has the idea that they should make themselves noticed in the area, and that Jamie will find them. They attract attention by Claire reading fortunes and healing people, while Murtagh embarrasses himself with over-the-top dances. Later, Claire dresses as a man and puts on a performance. She is soon known as "The Sassenach," making big waves in the touring entertainment industry. They run into a problem when a gypsy troupe starts performing the same song. Claire asks the troupe not to steal their act, but they don't listen. Eventually, after a long time on the road with Claire performing her song, the leader of the troupe tells Claire that a message was passed to the singing lass who has been performing Claire's song. Clearly, it was meant for Claire. The message tells Claire and Murtagh where to meet.
 

The Vampire Diaries: I'll Wed You in the Golden Summertime (6x21)

Okay WHAT THE HELL. Not acceptable. This episode kind of annoyed me in some ways, but then there was that ending, and I just... I cannot deal with this right now. Let's go over what happened.

It's Jo and Alaric's wedding day, and everybody is scrambling to get ready. It looks like Jo's wedding coordinator is sick with the flu, but never fear - Caroline steps in and saves the day. She is on a mission to make sure Jo's wedding goes off without a hitch, and also to go on her apology tour, saying sorry for all the people she hurt while her humanity was off. She enlists Tyler and Matt for help with the wedding, saying sorry to both of them for what she did. Liv comes to the wedding, and she and Tyler talk about their past.

Meanwhile, Bonnie is having bad dreams about Lily and Kai. She tells Matt about them, and so the two of them go into the Salvatore dungeon. They decide they want to take care of Lily once and for all, but they discover that she has escaped. Lily meets up with Enzo, and the two of them go to an address where her witch-vampire friends are apparently going to be coming back to this world. Bonnie and Matt, down in the basement of the Salvatore house, are strangled by an invisible force.

Stefan takes Damon on a road trip to show him what his future as a human would be like - he's harsh, getting inside Damon's head and showing him a future where he and Elena are miserable together. He also shows him what his life will be like if something happens and Elena dies. Stefan tells Damon that he needs to decide to be a human for himself, not for anybody else. Damon thinks about it, but after seeing an elderly married couple, and how happy they are together, he makes his choice. He tells Elena that he's going to take the cure. He wants to give up vampirism for their chance at a future - to be her husband, her partner, the father of her children. The two of them are so busy - ahem - celebrating, that they almost miss the wedding.

Grey's Anatomy: Time Stops (11x23)

Okay. This week we get a disaster-centric episode, and it looks like it's sort of the first part of a two-parter. It's weird to be back in sort of a normal-ish episode after last week's strange two-parter. But I liked being back on more solid footing. Let's jump right in.

A tunnel collapse means mass causalities are coming in to the hospital, and everybody has to work hard to save the lives of multiple trauma victims. April, Maggie, Meredith and Amelia go out to the scene to try and save the life of a man trapped inside of his car. They do everything they can for him, but he is so entirely trapped in the car that there's not much they can do. April eventually declares that this patient doesn't have much of a chance - she sends the other three women back to the hospital to help people that have a chance. She stays with the man in the car. Jackson, meanwhile, confides in Owen that April has been different ever since she got back from her tour of duty. It's like they aren't on the same page anymore. April certainly seems to have grown tougher given her time away - at the end of the episode, she shows up with the car with the patient still inside, having decided that moving him closer to the hospital might give him a better chance.

This whole situation causes conflict between Meredith and Amelia. Meredith insists that it was the right call to walk away from the patient in the car and go back to helping people that can more realistically be saved. Amelia asks Meredith how she knows when to give up - she thinks maybe she could have saved Derek's life if she had been given a chance. Even as Meredith insists that there was nothing Amelia could have done, Amelia yells at Meredith for not giving her a chance to say goodbye, for not even calling her while Derek was still alive.

The pregnant fiancee of the man in the car has been brought to the hospital. She is under Stephanie's care. Stephanie is having to put up with new interns, who just started their first day. A man who came in with the pregnant woman claims to be a surgeon, and he jumps in and tries to help. However, when Stephanie asks him to help save the woman from paralysis, his cool demeanor cracks, and he reveals that he's just an intern. It's his first day, and he was running late, but he stopped to help when the bridge collapsed. Stephanie and the others are still able to save the pregnant woman. It's left to be seen what will happen to her fiance in the car, though...

Elementary: Absconded (3x23)

Okay. So this episode had so many cool ideas, and I wanted to like it, but something about it just didn't quite deliver. Let's go over what happened.

The plot this week involves the death of a human, but also the death of millions of bees. Sherlock and Joan pretty quickly find the murderer of the human victim, but they soon discover that the victim may have been involved in a conspiracy to kill millions of bees in order to keep interest focused on Colony Collapse Disorder. This leads to lots of twists and turns involving scientists, and, oddly enough, a member of the royal family from the United Arab Emirates. The prince is kidnapped, and eventually they discover that a married couple of scientists was behind the whole thing.

In subplot news, Gregson is offered a promotion. He tells Joan, and asks if she could do some research into his possible replacement as captain. Gregson insists that he won't leave his people unless he knows they're in good hands. Joan researches the woman who would become the new captain, and learns that she's a good person and would make a great captain. However, Gregson realizes that this is where he wants to be - he turns down the promotion. His boss, the one who offered it to him, lets him know that people in high places really wanted him to take it. Maybe there's something bigger going on with this.

The Big Bang Theory: The Commitment Determination (8x24)

The fact that this was the finale totally sneaked up on me. Lots of pretty big stuff happened in this episode. The title, "The Commitment Determination," is a reference to the fact that all of our different couples reach a significant point in their relationship. (Howard and Bernadette being the possible exception, although their relationship with Stuart is showcased). I want to take each of these relationships separately, and talk about what happened.

Sheldon wonders why Penny and Leonard haven't set a date for their wedding yet. They both get defensive, saying that everything is fine as it is. However, they decide that maybe it is time to start making some decisions. Penny suggests that they drive to Vegas and elope! In the car on the way there, Penny talks about how they will be going in to their marriage with no secrets or regrets. Leonard has a confession to make - when he was on the boat doing scientific research, he kissed a girl. Penny decides to forgive him, because it happened when they weren't engaged, and it was just a kiss. The two continue onward to get married.

I was wondering more and more if we were ever going to move forward with the whole Penny and Leonard wedding thing, and I'm glad that we finally are. The fact that Leonard kissed someone else came entirely out of left field and I'm not too sure what to think about it, but I appreciate the show going down a more serious route. When we open up the next season, will we get a happily married Leonard and Penny, or a resentful and awkward recently broken up couple? I like that it could go either way at this point. Also, some of the humor in their plot thread was actually laugh-out-loud funny. They get all defensive about Sheldon asking him about the date for their wedding, and get increasingly agitated, even though Sheldon just keeps saying "okay."

Modern Family: Patriot Games (6x22)

Three plot threads this week, all very separate from each other. Let's take it one at a time!

Phil, Claire, and Alex are called into the principal's office. They assume it's to find out that Alex has made valedictorian, and they're right, but with a twist - Alex's long-time school rival, Sanjay, is also valedictorian. Both of the kids are horrified by the thought of a tie, and they insist they need to find a way to break it. Apparently, neither one of them completed the one mile run, so they agree that will be the tie breaker. Sanjay thanks Alex for pushing him to succeed all of these years, and he tells her that he likes her. Alex's family all thinks that Sanjay is just saying that to get in her head. As they are about to start the race, Sanjay reaffirms that he really does like Alex. Alex realizes she likes him too. They share a kiss, and decide it's okay to tie for valedictorian.

This was the cutest plot thread of the episode, for sure. I liked how it played up Alex's competitive side, but it also showed the softer side of her as well. As they kiss, Sanjay and Alex argue over which of them is the better kisser, thus reinforcing their competitive relationship. I also liked the way that Sanjay's parents were just as competitive as he is, while Phil and Claire were both just so proud of Alex for tying for valedictorian. (For the record, that's not how it works at most high schools I know about... but then in my area, we don't have weighted GPAs, and you can't get higher than a 4.0). If I were to complain, it would be about the forced message at the end that tried to tie all three plots together - I think it was supposed to be a "God Bless America" thing, wherein we're supposed to admire the melting pot culture of America, as represented by Sanjay and Alex. It felt shoehorned in.

Supernatural: Dark Dynasty (10x21)

Not. Okay. I've never dropped an f-bomb in one of these reviews before, because I want them to be relatively PG-rated, but uh... suffice it to say... f**k. I can't. All higher brain functions are gone. Let's start with a plot summary. And then. I'll... try to be coherent. Or something. Like it matters.

The Styne family has returned, and they are looking for the Book of the Damned. The Styne patriarch sends one of his sons, Eldon, to track down the Winchesters. Dean manages to easily capture Eldon, and he and Sam tie him up in the bunker. He reveals that the Styne family has been around for centuries, and that they had to change their name in the 19th century due to Mary Shelley writing a book about their family. That's right - the Stynes are actually the Frankensteins. When Sam and Dean are out of the room, Eldon rips his own arm off and escapes.

Meanwhile, Sam learns from Rowena that the codex that's supposed to help read the Book of the Damned is actually also in code. Sam calls in Charlie to help Rowena crack the code, and he also asks Cas to come and babysit Rowena and Charlie and stop things from getting out of hand.

Dean is getting more and more suspicious of Sam's behavior, as he continually disappears to go meet up with Cas, or takes weird phone calls and won't explain himself. Before Eldon escapes, he tells Dean that the Styne family is after the Book - Dean informs him that the Book has been burned, but Eldon says it's protected by magic, and cannot be destroyed. Thus, Dean finally realizes that Sam lied to him.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Scars (2x20)

Oh dear! Next week is the finale, and things are not looking good as we go into it. I'm very nervous. Let's get started!

So, Gonzales and the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. folks are impressed to learn that Theta Protocal was the creation of the giant Helicarrier (as seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Nick Fury uses it to evacuate the city while the Avengers are busy kicking Ultron's ass). Now that they know what Coulson was up to, it looks like it's time to move past their differences. Coulson suggests that he remain the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but this time he'll be under the council and advisement of Gonzales and the others. Mack doesn't seem to be okay with this, though. He says that while he respects Coulson, he can't be a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. if Coulson is the one in charge. He leaves.

Meanwhile, at Afterlife, Raina has a vision of a Kree weapon that's designed to hurt Inhumans. Gordon and Raina go looking for it, and they discover that it's hidden in the cargo hold of Gonzales' ship. When Gonzales realizes Gordon is there, he is able to track his powers, and thus when Gordon and Raina go back to Afterlife, S.H.I.E.L.D. discovers its location.

Skye tries to convince Coulson that going to Afterlife is a bad idea, but Coulson and the others all know that they can't just ignore the existence of a whole community of Inhumans. Raina sees a vision of S.H.I.E.L.D. showing up at Afterlife, and she tells Gordon, but advises him not to tell Jiaying. She has seen in a vision that terrible things will happen. Gordon ignores Raina's advise and tells Jiaying. Gonzales and Coulson agree to send Skye and Lincoln back to Afterlife first, to tell Jiaying that S.H.I.E.L.D. is coming, and that they only want to help.

Castle: Dead from New York (7x22)

What the heck was this episode? This was so random! I think I liked it... let's jump right in to what happened.

A parody of SNL called "Saturday Night Tonight" is the frame for this week's crime. The show's creator turns up dead, and it's up to Beckett and Castle to crack the case. There are a lot of different potential suspects in this episode, including some of the actors on the show, and one of the intern helper people. At one point, it looks like organized crime is playing a role in events. It turns out though, that the guilty party is an executive producer who was embezzling money from the show. As the creator of the show was in danger of finding out, he had to kill him to keep him quiet. He tried to frame it on one of the show's other employees, but the truth comes out in the end!

The B-plot was about Martha. Her Broadway show is about to open for previews. She's really nervous, because it's been a long time since she's done anything this big. She's never had to contend with the instant mass reaction that comes from the internet. Castle gives her a pep talk, which seems to calm her down quite a bit. After the first night of previews, Martha looks online and is delighted to see that she has gotten rave reviews. Martha, Castle, Beckett, Ryan and Espo all drink champagne at the precinct to celebrate.

Once Upon a Time: Mother (4x21)

I can't believe next week is the finale... I'm really scared for whatever they've got planned for us. We've seen this show do the same sort of thing before - this episode wrapped up a lot of the major issues of the season, leaving us with a relatively clean slate for next week's two-parter. Let's take a look at what happened.

In the past, we get a Regina-centric story. This takes place during the time when she's the queen, and Snow is an outlaw. Regina visits Daniel's grave on the anniversary of his death, and is furious when Cora shows up. Cora has come back from Wonderland, and she wants to make amends with her daughter. She realizes that she was wrong to think Regina could be happy in a loveless marriage, and she sets out to find Regina's soul mate. (She had a run-in with Tink, apparently, and learned all about the man with the lion tattoo). Cora finds the Sheriff of Nottingham, who tells Cora that Robin Hood is married, and therefore not a proper match for anybody. Cora uses magic to fake a lion tattoo on the Sheriff, and then introduces Regina to him. Regina suspects something isn't right, however, as she and the Sheriff do not get along. Regina forces him to admit that Cora arranged the whole thing. Why? So that Regina can have a child.

Regina confronts her mother. Cora explains that Regina needs a child to solidify her rule. If she doesn't, then Snow will be able to take the kingdom back. Regina thinks that Cora wants power for herself. To stop Cora from getting what she wants, Regina takes a potion that will make her infertile. She seems to immediately regret this, however, and she yells at Cora to get out of her life.

Outlander: The Watch (1x13)

I'm really glad we got to spend another week at Lallybroch. I love this location. I love Jenny, and now I'm happy to report that I love Ian as well. That doesn't mean the episode gets to coast on my feelings of love, however. There were definitely some rough patches. Let's dive in to what happened.

Last week, we saw Jamie being held at gunpoint. As this episode begins, we learn that these men are members of "the Watch," a group of men who demand payment from the local households in exchange for protecting them from the British. (They're basically like Scottish mob bosses). Jenny rushes in and saves Jamie, lying and saying that Jamie is her cousin. Jamie is furious that Jenny and Ian have allowed the Watch to interfere, but Jenny insists they have no choice. Jamie will have to stay calm and not rouse any suspicion for as long as the Watch is there.

This does not prove easy - the members of the Watch are rude and disruptive, and Jamie does not like them. Things get even more difficult when Horrocks shows up. He's the British deserter who Jamie met with earlier - he knows exactly who Jamie is, and about the price on his head. Instead of telling the Watch Jamie's secret, he offers to keep his mouth shut in exchange for money. Jamie says he'll pay up, but he's forced to use the money he had set aside for him and Claire to start raising their family. This prompts Claire to reveal to Jamie that she's not sure if she can have kids - she tried before, with Frank, but never conceived.

The Vampire Diaries: I'd Leave My Happy Home for You (6x20)

Wow! Yay! That was intense. Let's take a look at one of the better episodes of this show that we've seen for a long time.

Jo and Alaric are just about ready to get married. Their friends surprise them with bachelor and bachelorette parties. At Alaric's party, Damon talks to Alaric about his plan to become human with Elena. Damon hasn't broken the news to Stefan yet, though. Elena isn't sure what to do. She talks to Jo and Bonnie about the possibility of being human again, wondering if she'd miss the perks of vampirism. She and Damon end up hanging out together, talking about it. Damon says that he's had enough fantasy in his life. He's willing to give up all the perks of being a vampire if it means he gets to spend his life with Elena. Elena takes the cure, and it works.

Meanwhile, Enzo tells Stefan that Lily has the potential to become a ripper again, because she's so distraught about losing the Ascendant. Stefan goes to track Lily down and keep her calm. He tries to make her remember the love she once felt for her family, but Lily associates her memories of her sons with her memories of the weak person she once was. Stefan can see that his words aren't working. He prepares to inject her with vervaine and lock her up, but Lily anticipates his attack and gets to him first, running off. Lily finds Bonnie and Jo. She is furious at Bonnie for destroying the Ascendant. She stabs her in the neck, hurting her, but luckily not fatally. She goes to feed on Jo, but stops when she realizes that Jo is pregnant. Lily tells Jo that it's twins.

The Big Bang Theory: The Maternal Combustion (8x23)

Two plot threads. One was good with a few bad elements. One was bad with one good moment. Let's take them separately.

Sheldon and Leonard's mothers are both coming to visit to see them get an award for the paper they wrote together. Predictably, Leonard's mother is judgmental and cold, and Sheldon's mother continually talks about God. They both dote on Sheldon and ignore Leonard. However, they don't get along, their differing belief systems making things difficult for them. Leonard's mom eventually realizes that maybe she could have tried a different method of parenting with Leonard. She attempts to give him a hug, which is awkward for both of them.

That was a brief summary, but I'll talk more about the details in a minute. This was the mostly good plot thread. Both Sheldon and Leonard's mothers are really fun characters with strong personalities and presences on the show. I loved the fact that both of them showered praise on Sheldon and didn't give Leonard the time of day. I loved the lunch between Sheldon and Mrs. Hofstadter. I loved the way Penny was greeted differently by each of the two mothers. My favorite thing about this thread is the way that it dealt with the actually serious issue of Leonard's upbringing. The poor guy had an emotionally abusive mother, and in a strange way, the show is not shying away from that. I appreciate that a lot. But at the same time, I felt like there were quite a few missed opportunities here. Wouldn't it have been funny, for example, if the two mothers had actually gotten along really well, and bonded over their love for Sheldon? Wouldn't it have been cool to actually see Sheldon and Leonard accept the award, instead of just vaguely referencing it?
 

Elementary: The Best Way Out Is Always Through (3x22)

Well then. Elementary is throwing some serious shade about the prison system in this country. Not that I don't agree. Let's take a brief look at the plot.

Basically, the murder this week is motivated by the messed up privately owned prison system. Because companies can get cheap labor out of prisoners, it basically gives the entire system incentive to get more people in jail and keep them there longer. The case revolves around a girl who has apparently escaped from a correctional facility. However, Sherlock eventually finds her dead, revealing that somebody else is behind the whole thing. In the end, it turns out a company was getting tied up in a messy debate over whether to buy another prison, and the murders were to create a scandal so the prison would seem less desirable to competition.

The B-plot is about Marcus Bell. He has been dating someone, a woman named Shauna. They are having a good time together. Joan says something about her to Sherlock, and Sherlock reveals that she works for Internal Affairs. Joan tells Bell, and Bell angrily confronts Shauna about it, saying that she's a liar and a spy who turns her back on the people who would die for her. Later, Sherlock talks to Bell about it, saying that Bell is lonely, and maybe he should reconsider. Bell goes back to talk to Shauna, but Shauna is leaving the precinct where she worked undercover. She has decided to be open about working for IA from now on. Since this is a big change for her, she can't think about being in a relationship at the moment. Maybe they can make it work in the future. Bell comes over to the Brownstone to hang out with Sherlock. Sherlock offers to set him up with someone, but Bell says he's okay with what he's got for now.

Grey's Anatomy: She's Leaving Home Part 1/Part 2 (11x22)

Well. This is not the episode I thought I was going to get, but that doesn't mean I absolutely hated it. I'm kind of... confused about how I feel. Let's go over what happened.

Meredith tells everybody that Derek is dead. Everybody is understandably shocked by the news. Throughout this double episode, we flash forward through nine months worth of time, making stops at every holiday and checking in with our ensemble cast of characters as they process their grief and move on with their lives. Let's take each little thread separately.

Meredith disappears with her kids, to everybody's concern. Alex continually calls her throughout the year, begging for a hint that she's okay. Meredith eventually answers and tells Alex to stop calling. We see that she has run off with Zola and baby Bailey. She is pregnant with Derek's child. Throughout her section of the episode, she has flashbacks to her time with Derek, and also to her mother's own experience with childbirth and with running away. Meredith collapses as she goes into labor, and Zola calls 911. This is paralleled to the time in Meredith's life when she called 911 after her mother tried to kill herself. In the end, Meredith delivers a healthy baby girl, and names her Ellis. Alex shows up to the hospital because he was Meredith's emergency contact person. He helps Meredith move back home with her three kids, as she gets ready to move on with her life.

Owen and April both decide to go on a tour of duty and work for the army. At first, it was supposed to only last for three months, but April keeps extending her stay, making Jackson increasingly anxious. April says she needs to be there because she's trying to move on from the death of their child. Jackson is terrified when a phone call with April gets cut off after he hears the sounds of gunfire. April finally returns, to Jackson's joy and relief.

Supernatural: Angel Heart (10x20)

Aww. This episode tugged at the heartstrings. I'm getting mighty nervous for the finale...

Claire Novak is searching for her mother. She finds somebody who supposedly had some connection to her, and meets with him. An altercation in an alleyway leads to Claire being knocked out. Cas is called to come to the hospital. He calls Sam and Dean for backup in dealing with Claire. The boys decide to help Claire track down her mother.

Sam teaches Claire how to hack into accounts and set up fake credit cards and such. Meanwhile, Dean and Cas go to talk to Ronnie, the guy who inadvertantly put Claire in the hospital. Dean is pretty rough with him, but he eventually talks, revealing that he did know Amelia Novak - he had referred her to a supposed "faith healer," who sometimes helped people, and sometimes seemed to feed off of them. This guy's name is Peter Holloway. Sam is able, with help from Ronnie's info, to track Holloway down. (Holloway kills Ronnie for divulging his whereabouts).

Sam and Cas go to find Amelia and track down Holloway, leaving Dean and Claire behind - Claire is too inexperienced, and Dean has to go easy because of the Mark. Dean and Claire play mini-golf together, and while they're hanging out, Dean has an epiphany about Holloway. Further research confirms that Holloway is a Grigori, a type of angel that feeds on humans! The two of them go to find Sam, Cas, and Holloway.

Modern Family: Integrity (6x21)

Yeah... not a real winner of an episode. Let's take a look.

Jay is perturbed to discover that Joe has had his toenails painted, and that Gloria wants him to go pick up Lily's old princess castle. He thinks Joe isn't masculine enough, and is upset with Gloria for pushing these feminine things on him. Phil is mad at Claire, because he wants a Ms. Pac-Man machine and Claire doesn't seem to approve. Jay and Phil both go to get the princess castle, and they lament that their wives have such control over their lives. Jay convinces Phil to buy the Ms. Pac-Man anyway, and Phil reciprocates by releasing the princess castle from the back of the truck, in order to free Jay from Gloria's control. However, it turns out they were both mistaken about their wives. Claire didn't want Phil to buy the machine because she was buying one for him as a surprise, and Gloria had plans to paint the princess castle to make it into a pirate castle.

Meanwhile, Cam and Mitchell have been watching Joe. Each of them thinks they are ready to have another child, and they talk about it with each other. Initially they are very excited, but as Joe starts to wreak havoc, messing up their expensive couch and breaking their beautiful bowl, they realize that kids are a handful, and maybe they shouldn't rush in to anything. However, later as they help make Joe his pirate castle, they seem a little wistful about having another baby.

It's award day at school, and Alex is getting ready to get all of the awards, as usual. Claire feels bad, because Luke never wins anything. Claire tries to bribe the principal into giving Luke the integrity award. When that doesn't work, she purposely sabotages the kid who usually gets the award by pushing his car into a "no parking" zone. Luke wins the award, but he's not happy about it - apparently it's the loser award. Claire tells Luke that she's the one who made sure he got it, because she thought he was upset. Turns out, Luke was in a bad mood, but it wasn't about awards. Manny is mad at him for flirting with a girl he likes, but actually the girl was the one who hit on Luke, and Luke didn't do anything about it. He's been lying to Manny to spare his feelings.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Dirty Half Dozen (2x19)

Oh my GOD. I don't care how exploitative it is. I don't care that I'm basically being brainwashed to go buy a ticket to see Avengers: Age of Ultron this weekend. This was great. The plot is sort of convoluted, though, so this might take some time.

Coulson is back on the Bus, and he has brought Ward and Agent 33 (from hereon out to be referred to as Kara) with him. Coulson has a plan to infiltrated Hydra and rescue Mike Peterson and the other Inhumans that are trapped there. Then, Gonzales can come in and blow up the base. Coulson wants to bring May, Ward, and Fitz with him. Simmons is determined to take Ward out if given the chance. She manages to convince Coulson to let her go on the mission as well.

Meanwhile, in Afterlife, Cal is not happy that Jiaying tried to abandon him. He yells out loudly about the situation, referring to Skye as "our daughter," thus spilling the beans to the rest of Afterlife's residents. Skye is disturbed to learn that Lincoln didn't make it back to Afterlife, and when Gordon goes to look for him, he is almost captured by Hydra. Jiaying says that unfortunately they can't risk trying to rescue Lincoln from Hydra. Raina has a vision of Skye saving Lincoln, and tells Skye about it. Gordon gives Skye a lift... but not to Hydra, to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Skye is reunited with the other five original cast members. Coulson, May, Ward, Fitzsimmons, and Skye. Reunited. But things are so different now. Ward fills them in on what Bakshi is doing with Hydra, and the team go to Hydra's location to break out the Inhuman prisoners and also steal information from the base. Simmons, Ward, Skye, and Bakshi are sent to rescue Lincoln and Mike Peterson. Skye uses her new earthquake powers to shock Lincoln's heart back to life, as he lay flat lining on the table. Simmons tries to kill Ward by disintegrating him, but Bakshi gets in the way, and Simmons inadvertently kills him instead. Ward doesn't retaliate against Simmons, instead choosing to sneak out to avoid Coulson imprisoning him once the mission is over.