Television took a break during the holidays, giving viewers just enough time to sip some eggnog and unwrap a few gifts before settling down in front of the tube once again. If the monthlong hiatus has you struggling to remember what’s happened so far, here’s a handy refresher course in what’s been going on with some of TV’s most popular shows:
The best is yet to come
“NCIS”
Tuesdays 8 p.m., CBS
Returns: Tonight
What you need to know: This ratings behemoth skyrocketed to record ratings this season, impressive for a show in its sixth year, a time when other shows may be losing viewership. This time around, our favorite NCIS agents are reeling from the death of Director Jenny Shepherd and are reassigned to different units as new director Leon Vance hands Special Agent Gibbs a new team with an ulterior motive: There is a mole within the agency, and he or she is one of Gibbs’ new agents. Agent Michelle Lee — whom audiences may remember as a former flame of coroner’s assistant Jimmy Palmer — kills a fellow agent to disguise her role as the mole. This nags at Gibbs as he is unconvinced the late Agent Langer was really the traitor inside NCIS. Lee is finally discovered, used as bait to discover who’s working with her and eventually killed by Gibbs as he attempts to apprehend her handler.
Why you should watch: It’s a crime procedural with a military twist, and it brings a healthy dose of comedy while keeping its focus on the characters, who are still evolving after six years. The show is also not afraid to tackle season-long arcs, which is somewhat rare in a television culture in which shows are sometimes reluctant to entrust audiences to understand complex plot lines and stick with them.
Who to watch for: Every successful show has the one character who just seems to make everyone around him/her better. For NCIS, Gibbs is that man. Mark Harmon’s performance is consistently solid, allowing fellow cast mates the room they need to mold their characters and take the considerable weight of a hit TV show off his shoulders. Likewise, Cote de Pablo as Israeli Mossad Officer Ziva David is quickly becoming one of TV’s biggest stars, and her will-they/won’t-they relationship with Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo keeps the show young and sexy.
Mind games
“The Mentalist”
Tuesdays 9 p.m., CBS
Returns: Tonight
What you need to know: Simon Baker’s quirky sleuth Patrick Jane has made “The Mentalist” the breakout new show of the 2008 season, thanks in part to snappy story lines, sardonic comedy and likable characters. The season began with all of the sordid details on why Jane left his previous line of work as a semifamous television psychic (think “Crossing Over with John Edward”) to work as a consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation. We see through flashbacks that after Jane appears on a television talk show in which he profiles and mocks Red John, the serial killer murders Jane’s wife and daughter. His life shattered, he leaves behind his charlatan ways and solves case after case with the CBI, all the while moving toward his inevitable showdown with Red John, who is likely the catalyst for the show’s much-anticipated second half.
Why you should watch: Baker’s charming good looks, quick wit and eccentricities balance the inner turmoil he feels for failing to protect his family, and a well-rounded supporting cast elevates this otherwise routine cop drama to a strong, character-driven show. “The Mentalist” features an overall arc (Red John) with depth and grace while maintaining memorable stand-alone episodes.
Who to watch for: Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman and Amanda Righetti portray Jane’s colleagues at the CBI and act as foils to Jane’s unusual methods of investigation and disregard for the rules. Each character holds his own despite Baker’s remarkable scene-stealing ability, keeping it from being just a one-man show.
The guiltiest pleasure in town
“Grey’s Anatomy”
Thursdays, 9 p.m., ABC
Returns: Thursday
What you need to know: Season five is about new beginnings — Alex and Izzie reboot their relationship, Derek moves into Meredith’s home, Christina renews her connection with Owen (Seattle Grace’s new head of trauma), and George passes his intern exams and becomes a “real” doctor. It is also about struggle, as Izzie continues to deal with Denny’s death. She even begins to see him and is unable to reconcile whether he is actually there or she is hallucinating. Lexie, Meredith’s half-sister and a Seattle Grace intern, continues to harbor feelings for George, and is hurt when he does not request her to be part of his intern team. Though they reconcile, she is closed off toward him.
Why you should watch: Despite the hype over the big kiss and romance between Erica and Callie this year, the show’s real strength is still in the day-to-day lives of Seattle Grace’s doctors and their patients. The show places considerable weight on its guest stars, who generally rise to the challenge and become important aspects of the show even if they only appear in a few episodes. Grey’s is a show that spreads the wealth and can bring moving performances out of the smallest roles.
Who to watch for: If you’re not hooked on Meredith and Derek’s witty banter, check out the connection between Callie and Sloan for the laughs and Christina and Owen for the sizzling sexual tension the show has always been good at delivering. Sandra Oh particularly shines as Christina in her portrayal of the ambitious and emotionally closed-off doctor learning to find love after a devastating breakup.
Geek chic
“Numb3rs”
Fridays, 10 p.m., CBS
Returns: Friday
What you need to know: Unable to assist his brother, Agent Don Eppes, and the FBI after losing his clearance, Charlie finds he misses the work, and is encouraged by family and friends to appeal the decision to revoke his clearance. He and Don are subjected to a formal inquiry by security investigator Carl McGowan, who is contemptuous of Don’s breach of bureau rules and regulations. Despite McGowan’s prejudice toward the Eppes brothers, Charlie’s clearance is reinstated. This season also introduces the character of Nikki Betancourt, a former LAPD officer new to the FBI and Don’s team. Despite her experience in law enforcement, she is impulsive and somewhat reckless, but proves capable of learning from fellow agents David and Colby. Notwithstanding his fear of commitment, Don takes steps to prevent his girlfriend, Assistant District Attorney Robin Brooks, from considering a job across the country — an important step in his personal evolution. As a result of McGowan’s investigation, Don also begins to question his purpose — his reasons for being in the FBI, what the job has come to mean to him — and turns to religion for answers.
Why you should watch: “Numb3rs” is the answer to the question “How am I ever going to use math in the future?” This show is not only a well-written drama, but turns the standard crime procedural on its head by employing real mathematical theories and methods to solve crimes. Instead of feeling like an after-school special, “Numb3rs” manages to be both educational and entertaining. The show has also been lauded by the education community for encouraging math and science in the classroom and for its dedication to using accurate mathematical concepts.
Who to watch for: The Eppes family dynamic is at the heart of this show. David Krumholtz’s Charlie and Rob Morrow’s Don are estranged brothers who slowly learn to become friends and rebuild their family relationship. Judd Hirsch is fantastic as their father, Alan, bringing wisdom and depth to his role. Alan not only guides the brothers, but also reminds them how far they have progressed to work together, when neither brother thought it possible to meld their two very different worlds.
Just another day for Jack Bauer
“24”
Mondays, 9 p.m., FOX
Returns: Sunday, Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 (two-day, four-hour premiere)
What you need to know: After season six, which many fans and critics called disappointing, November’s television movie, “24: Redemption,” gave fans a hint of what was to come in the explosive action series’ seventh year. Jack Bauer, on the run, has temporarily settled in the fictional country of Sangala, Africa, and helps his friend, Carl, manage a school while dodging a subpoena served by the U.S. government calling him to a Senate hearing on torture charges. The region is rife with escalating violence as a man named General Juma — who is secretly being funneled money and supplies by U.S. government official Jonas Hodges — plans a military coup and tries to take the children from the school for his army. Forced to escape to the U.S. Embassy, which is evacuating citizens, Jack and Carl rush to make it to the last flight. When they reach the embassy, a U.S. State Department official refuses to let the children on the last helicopter out of Sangala unless Jack agrees to return to the U.S. to face his charges. With no other choice, Jack agrees.
Why you should watch: There are high hopes for the next season of “24.” CTU is defunct, the action takes place in D.C., and old friends may take on the form of new enemies. The hope is the show gets back to what made it great — believable plot lines, constant action and a foreboding intensity the previous season lacked. And admit it — you want to see Jack save the day again.
Who to watch for: At this point, all eyes are on the potential villains for this season. Carlos Bernard reprises his role as Tony Almeida, leaving fans to wonder whether he is on the right side of the law. It will be interesting to see how the show uses new mom and fan favorite Chloe, whose life has become more about baby bottles and rattle toys than bombs and terrorists.
Paging Dr. Dorian
“Scrubs”
Tuesdays, 9 p.m., ABC
Returns: Tonight
The doctors at Sacred Heart have moved to ABC after seven seasons, but that’s not all that’s changed. With former Chief of Medicine Bob Kelso retired, it’s up to the new boss (guest star Courteney Cox) to step in and steer the ship. The cast remains the same — no shake-ups there — and hopefully the show has preserved its brand of offbeat, wacky humor.
Curtain call
“ER”
Thursday, 10 p.m., NBC
Returns: Thursday
“ER” — television’s longest-running medical drama — is in its 15th and final season. Many characters from the past have returned for cameos, more recent cast members have departed, and though “ER” may not be the ratings giant it used to be, it is still one of television’s most compelling dramas. Even if you haven’t been tuning in these past few years, it’s hard not to watch this landmark show’s final bow on the small screen.
Barney’s back
“How I Met Your Mother”
Mondays, 8:30 p.m., CBS
Returns: Jan. 12
A comedy about one man’s quest to find his one true love, played out through flashbacks, and featuring Neil Patrick Harris? What’s not to love? Harris, who sheds Doogie Howser once and for all, steals scenes as Barney, who, this season, struggles with his romantic feelings for Ted’s ex-girlfriend, Robin. Marshall, played by Jason Segal, and Lily, played by Alyson Hannigan, get their dream apartment, but find it is crooked and near a sewage treatment plant. Segal — fresh off the hit movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” — may entice new viewers to this CBS comedy in its fourth season.
