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Thank various divinities, the television season is over! The feeling of freedom that washed over me the minute I finished watching the season finale of Lost last night (taped, hence the time shift), was overwhelming. I’m sure the argument could be made that I could have stopped watching at any moment, but with the exception of American Idol, I thoroughly enjoyed it all, both dramas and reality shows, and didn’t want to miss anything. One of these days, I have to learn that it’s OK to miss things. One of these days. Not now.

Brothers & Sisters. This show does many things well – one of them was the way they dealt with Tommy and Julia’s preemie twins. I hated how close to home this was and I hated it even more when one of the twins died, yet at the same time, I admired the show for doing the hard thing instead of magically making everything alright at the end, as most shows would have done. I also admire them for a season finale that gave us interesting storylines to be continued next year (and that none of them were cliff hangers!), while at the same time providing closure on others. Not to mention a frequently hilarious end-of-season party. A couple of quibbles remain, though: first of all, get rid of the guy that plays Sarah’s husband. Rachel Griffith (Sarah) can manufacture chemistry with a potted plant and deserves much better then this wet blanket. And although I initially wished aforementioned Tommy and Julia would go up to the vineyard and never come back, after the birth-of-the-babies episode, I quite like the actress who plays Julia, who did an excellent job of portraying that ultimate of sorrows. Whoever plays Tommy, though (I can’t even be bothered looking up his real name)? His acting is so wooden it gives me splinters and I want him off my television, now!

Bones. It is probably getting a bit old the way I rave about Bones every time I do one of these television- obsessed posts, but it really is a fantastically wonderful show. There isn’t a single character I don’t like and the storylines have been fabulous, both in terms of weird forensic cases and the character development they allowed for the characters. Booth’s shooting of a clown and subsequent therapy was a highlight (how much do we love that shrink?), Zach got his Ph.D., grew up and got sent to Iraq (noooooooo!), Angela and Hodgins’ romance has been wonderfully romantic, yet true to the quirkiness of their personalities, Cam has become an integral part of the team and I even forgot about wanting Dr. Goodman back. And Bones? There is nothing I don’t like about Bones – her journey towards finding her father again, having a relationship and ending it (again in a way completely true to the character) and really, I just want to be her.

Criminal Minds. This is a funny show – not funny ha-ha, given the subject matter, but in the way I feel about it. I very much like many of the characters (I want to hang with Garcia and her and Morgan’s flirtation lightens up a very serious hour), but it’s uneven for me. Some weeks, I start thinking about dropping the show, but others have me glued. That level on the unpredictability keeps me tuning in, even though it’s hard to watch at times.

Lost. I’m still in shock. Speechless. That season finale seriously messed with my mind and we have to wait 7 months to see the next episode?? Are you kidding me???

CSI. The ongoing storyline about the Miniature Killer brought something new and interesting to the show, although I wasn’t fond of the season finale. Haven’t they already done the “CSI Tech abducted by insane serial killer and placed in dangerous situation where they’ll die if Grissom and the team doesn’t find them” and better? Remember when Nick was buried alive? Remember how insanely good those two hours were? Some of the best, most nailbiting TV I’ve ever seen and frankly, this Sarah and the Miniature Killer feels a little to much like a retread. That said, it was wonderful to see Lady Heather again (couldn’t she become a semiregular? I love watching Grissom and the dominatrix spark off each other). In general, a solid season, I’ll definitely continue to watch because I just can’t not, but I’m hoping they’ll shake things up a little bit more next year.

Grey’s Anatomy. What is it about the third season? After that disastrous three-episode ferry calamity, this season started to feel like it was a test for the viewers – will you still love Grey’s, even though we’ve gotten lost in a morass of too much of the hook-up, too little of the interning? Will you keep coming back even though Bailey’s hardly part of the show anymore? Will you accept the insanely wrong Izzie-George thing? Will you not roll your eyes when we heap tragedy after tragedy on top of Meredith? I’ll still be there next year, but please Shonda and other writers, please try to find your groove again. Y’know – the one you had in the first two seasons. Back when there was room for nuanced character development, acceptance of different shapes of people (literally) and plenty of medical things, instead of littering the show with an ever-increasing cast of thin, gorgeous people who’re all about the sex and the romance. Yawn. Major yawn.

Numb3rs. Being without Larry and Megan was hard, but I’m very glad they’re back. I’m also very glad that they are conflicted about being back and that the other characters on the show are also experience saying growth/growing pains. But I’m happiest about them revealing Colby – a member of the team since the beginning – as a Chinese spy (and not just because he’s always annoyed me). You could have knocked me over with a feather! One of the many reasons why I loved the Buffy the Vampire Slayer with an unholy(!) passion was how utterly fearless they were about seriously messing with beloved characters and show structure – you never knew if they would survive. I miss Buffy. Anyway, for Numb3rs to do this – for a little procedural show, placed late Friday evening – to seriously mess with the characters was a surprise and a joy and guarantees that I will be tuning in next year.

Much as I am loving the freedom of not having any appointments to keep with my television, I do have a few plans involving that piece of technology and my summer. One is naturally Big Brother – can’t wait for the train wreck and Julie Chen’s “but firsts” – and the other is Pirate Master, which starts next Thursday. First, it’s Mark Burnett and second, it’s pirates! Ahoy, mateys – I’m so there!