Sorry he was unable to write a review for the previous episode, the Blog Maker made a silent vow never to miss one again.

Yeah, really. Sorry ’bout that. For the tens of you who come by, here’s my drive-by of last week: at first it seems incredibly bold to dispense with all the Lily-is-your-mother NUNsense in the third episode of season two, until you realize it was probably slated to go down late in the strike-shortened season one. But it’s out there and it’s now time for Olive and Chuck to figure out their friendship.

Which, I might add, is a lot easier when you’re not stuck in a locker with someone who uses freesia hair detangler.

The MOTW was a bit weak this time around, with Buddy Amicus ((He should have had *briefs* thrown at him instead of panties.)) as the too-obvious killer. But with a major focus on Emerson and his mother, I don’t care at all. Debra Mooney is a hoot. I was never a fan of Everwood – a bit too syrupy for me – but her presence meant when TheWife was watching and I happened to be around, it didn’t bother me too much. There’s just something about her and the mixture of piss, vinegar, sass, and love she brings to her performances that makes her extremely compelling.

Casting her as Emerson’s mother was a stroke of genius.

This is two weeks running where we haven’t seen young Ned or young Chuck in the teaser, but led with one of the other two characters. I think it’s a nice change of pace, but Field Cate’s manager must be flipping out. He gets promoted to regular cast and then doesn’t show up for two weeks. It’s Amber Benson all over again!

I’m intrigued by David Arquette’s Randy Mann and wonder if Bryan Fuller had long intended to bring on this character, or if he’s replacing Oscar Vibenius. It seemed that we weren’t done with Paul Reubens’ delightfully creepy olfactory whiz, but that might have been dropped due to the strike. If so, I think a taxidermist who can recognize a golden retriever by a single stray hair could be a viable substitute. Factor in his fascination with the dead and we might not have seen the last of Mr. Courtney Cox.

A few things that made me smile:

• The Kalashni-Cod.
• Olive and Chuck’s awesome secret handshake.
• Buddy Amicus: possibly the jokiest name they’ve ever employed.
• “I want to duvet you right this second.”

What did everyone else think?