Emilie De Ravin

The actors play it with poker-faces, but the further we go into the noir territory of hard-boiled, fast-paced dialogue and dames wrapped in crimson and black, the more ticklish Brick gets.

As skillfully made and genuinely horrific as it is a pointless rehash....there's more than a whiff of smug cynicism in the dry air of this conflicted satire.

Particularly in the strike-shortened fourth season, the writers propelled their plot aggressively...

Lost's redemption songs continue to compel, all the way up to another thrilling cliffhanger finale that doles out mortal terrors and, for some, escape.

Part of what makes Lost unique is its sprawling and diverse ensemble; part of it is the show's fearless embrace of 'genre' (read science-fiction) trappings without sacrificing full-blooded character arcs and a novelistic frame.

Only slightly edgier and no more sensible than a Nicholas Sparks story.

The reach for epic status sets Once Upon a Time apart; one hopes that reach will result in more grasp during the upcoming sophomore season.

It's comforting to know Once Upon a Time is there as an entertainment families can rally around, and one that will challenge them thematically as much as it panders by playing in the Disney sandbox.