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After last week’s season two premiere, which was very much Sherlock-heavy, “Solve for X” brings Elementary back to its week-to-week procedural proceedings with an episode that gives Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) all of the character-based material. Over the course of its first season, Elementary did a lot of this type of stuff, where we saw the relationship between Sherlock and Watson advance in small steps with one or both being given emotionally interesting moments. So, in that sense, “Solve for X” isn’t all that interesting as an individual episode in the collection of Elementary episodes that currently exist. That said, it’s still a strong example of what exactly this series is and, if a first-time viewer happened to tune in, it still behooves fans to acknowledge that it’s an episode that would probably get someone to come back next week.

Last season, the Survivor producers made the inexplicable decision to cast Brandon Hantz for a second time. He was clearly unstable during his first appearance, and it was only a matter of time before he exploded. The choice to bring back Colton is different because he controlled the game on One World before exiting. Even so, there are definite similarities. Colton is a nasty player who thrives on making others miserable. That strategy may work with newbies, but he’s found no traction with the returnees.

Elementary, Season 2: Episode 1- “Step Nine” Written by Robert Doherty & Craig Sweeny Directed by John Polson Airs Thursdays at 10pm ET on CBS For those who have yet to see Elementary for whatever reason (such as not wanting to dive into another Sherlock Holmes adaptation when there’s a perfectly good Sherlock series featuring Benedict Cumberbatch …

Survivor Review, Season 27, Episode 2 “Rule in Chaos” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS During the early stages of Survivor, luck plays a huge role in determining players’ fates. The votes can knock out people who barely get a chance to compete. An alliance forms and starts taking out the others, and it’s a …

CBS has had a comfortable lead in the network ratings for several years now, but with many of their most popular comedies continuing to age (The Big Bang Theory is starting season 7, HIMYM is wrapping up its run this year with season 9, and Two and a Half Men is going into season 11), …

When the many twists was announced for the new Survivor season, it felt like the producers were over compensating for a flimsy premise. Besides having a silly name, the Blood vs. Water concept introduced elements that didn’t mesh with the formula. How could family members vote each other out and truly compete for a million dollars? The challenge is selling that concept without making it feel cheap. When it’s added to Redemption Island and its related twists, the danger grows larger.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water Preview Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Premieres September 18 Long-time Survivor fans yearn for the days when a fresh group of new castaways arrived each season to play the game. Those days are over. Only two of the last seven seasons (Nicaragua and One World) have not included returning …

Despite the unpredictable second half of Survivor: Caramoan, a sense of inevitability dominates the finale. Cochran has avoided the vote throughout the game, and his victory feels secure after he wins the final immunity challenge. The only question is whether Dawn or Sherri will receive any votes, and the bitter jury makes it clear neither has much chance to crack the scoreboard. While Jeff Probst makes a huge deal about Cochran being unconventional, it’s not a surprise to see him win the million

Survivor Review, Season 26, Episode 13 “Don’t Say Anything About My Mom” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS An interesting characteristic of this season’s returning players has been the goal to change the perceptions about their original games. Dawn wants to avoid following someone else and getting stuck in a minority alliance. Andrea tried …

In the very first episode of Survivor: Caramoan, Andrea faced serious danger by playing way too hard. She went after Francesca and received four votes from the minority group. The favorites’ dominance kept her off the radar for a while, but she’s survived a few close calls. Andrea’s chosen a risky game all season, and she faces the music this week. Once the other favorites learn that she’s targeting Brenda, they turn the tables and blindside her in the episode’s second Tribal Council.

This week’s Amazing Race splits the five remaining teams into two separate groups and forces one to scramble to avoid elimination. The interesting part is how they end up divided by several hours during the jaunt through Scotland. The leg begins with the warning that a U-Turn will be ahead, but that plays only a minor role in the ultimate outcome. Instead, it’s the lack of diligence from Joey and Meghan and the roller derby moms that pushes them to the back of the pack.

Survivor Review, Season 26, Episode 11 “Come Over to the Dark Side” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Survivor fans love players who make big moves and don’t coast to the end. They’d much rather see a strategist like Rob Cesternino jumping alliances and shaking up the game then watch a dominator like Kim Spradlin. It …

The Amazing Race Review, Season 22, Episode 9 “The Ultimate Fun House” Airs Sundays at 8pm (ET) on CBS This week’s action-packed episode of The Amazing Race reveals the best and worst aspects of the current incarnation of this long-running show. After 22 seasons, it’s impressive to see challenges that still feel creative and exciting for …

Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 10 “Zipping Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS This week’s Survivor episode is thrilling for so many reasons. It forces players to make decisions on the spot at Tribal Council, which rarely happens. The dominant alliance loses one of its members and can’t take the …

The Amazing Race Review, Season 22, Episode 8 “My Cheese Is Out of Control” Airs Sundays at 8pm (ET) on CBS The challenge when analyzing teams on The Amazing Race is realizing that survival is all that truly matters. Pairs have bumbled their way across the globe but ended up winning it all because they never …

There are many Survivor episodes where the outcome is predictable, and it’s fairly easy to describe what just happened. Those are the norm because players rarely stray from the safest move to go forward. Living in a different universe are the outliers that leave even the most able-minded fan yelling “what just happened?” This week is one of those wonderful episodes. Malcolm overplays his hand and seems destined to go home, but a desperate play to get Reynold’s idol keeps him safe. What he doesn’t know is that he isn’t getting any votes. Worried about her own security, Andrea leads the charge for a safer plan and gets the majority to take out Michael.

Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 8 “Blindside Time” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Brilliant. Thrilling. There isn’t enough hyperbole to describe the excitement of this week’s episode. It provides a clear reminder of why Survivor continues to shine. The editing has been promising a showdown between Phillip and Corinne for weeks, and she …

The Amazing Race Review, Season 22, Episode 7 “Be Safe and Don’t Hit a Cow” Airs Sundays at 8pm (ET) on CBS In some of its best seasons, Survivor thrives on making its strong competitors look silly. Players talk about being in control and running the show, then they’re immediately booted by the “weaker” contestants. This trend rarely …

Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 7 “Tubby Lunchbox” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS The “Fans vs. Favorites” concept on Survivor is tricky because there’s such a big difference in playing as a newbie. The returnees are savvier in both game play and hogging the camera, so it pushes the fans into the background. Such is …

The Amazing Race Review, Season 22, Episode 6 “Scorpion King Hunter” Airs Sundays at 8pm (ET) on CBS This week’s Amazing Race opens with an apology for insensitivity towards Vietnam veterans in last week’s episode. Phil’s statement is a response to an outcry led by Fox News that included calls to boycott the series. While those claims seem …

Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 6 “Operation Thunder Dome” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS After last week’s meltdown from Brandon, it’s so refreshing to watch everyone return to focusing on the strategic side of the game. Crazy behavior makes for good TV, but Survivor works best when players are scheming to try …

The Amazing Race Review, Season 22, Episode 5 “Your Tan is Totally Cool” Airs Sundays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Looking back at some of the best episodes in Amazing Race history, many of them take place in crowded cities that knock racers out of their comfort zones. Dropping teams into a foreign culture and …

Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 5 “Persona Non Grata” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS When Survivor announced their cast of returning players for this second “Fans vs. Favorites” season, the one that stood out was Brandon Hantz. Although he provided memorable television in his first appearance, he’s also an unstable guy who …