TVSquad

(S01E03) Nope, this isn't Eureka, and that isn't the friendly Sheriff Carter up there. But it is Eureka's Colin Ferguson, and with Clifton Collins Jr. he has created a truly chilling installment in NBC's increasingly "must see" horror anthology Fear Itself. Well, much of the credit to the success of this episode belongs at the feet of Dan Knauf, who proved himself an absolute master of the macabre with his darkly brilliant HBO series Carnivále. He's also been a writer for Supernatural, so this stuff is clearly old hat for him.

And I'm pleased to say that the "old pro" really came through with "Family Man." Easily the best episode of the young season so far and one of the best stand-alone hours of any anthology series I think I've ever seen. Ferguson, who we've come to know and love for playing the nice guy really shines here. And due to the complexity of the story, both he and Collins get a real chance to flex their acting muscles to brilliant effect. From the chilling scenes at home to the overwhelming drama in the prison, each moment propelled the story forward. The only thing that blows me away is that director Ronny Yu, who does wonderfully here, has Freddy vs. Jason and Bride of Chucky as his horror directing pedigree.

(S01E06) Two words: very satisfying. This episode gave you everything you would want from a season finale. There was enough left to keep you hanging, but plenty was tied up in case Thief doesn't return for a full-order second season. I haven't seen any ratings, but I don't think we'll be seeing a return as I got the impression that this show grabbed a small audience. Regardless, this was a fantastic filler to tide F/X fans over as they transitioned from The Shield to Rescue Me (which returns on Tuesday, May 30).

All hell has broken loose. No one in Nick's crew can agree on anything and that fact that the Feds (led by an over-zealous agent named Patterson) are hot on their trail isn't helping either. But as I assumed last week, Nick had to make a choice between the score and Tammi. The reason he had to make such a choice was the real surprise.