This time around:

JoCo beat Glee.

Is it okay to start watching a show in the middle without going back to the beginning?

LOST! We learn about Mr. Eko in "The 23rd Psalm," one of the second season's strongest hours.

Then a lackluster Jack flashback can't diminish "The Hunting Party," which indulges J.'s love of standoffs.

But "Fire + Water" brings us back down to Earth with a ponderous, unfulfilling episode heavy on the weirdness.

Next week (meaning in the next couple of days, as J. is trying to catch up on the backlog again), we talk Elementary's post-Super Bowl entry, the return of Community, and Deep Space Nine, with "Blood Oath" (Klingons!) and "The Maquis, Parts I and II" (ethical shades of gray!).

This week, J. just saw The Dark Knight Rises, so you'll forgive him if he can't help but do a Bane voice. Also, we talk about Deep Space Nine, but our three episodes -- "Shadowplay," "Playing God," and "Profit and Loss" -- are, shall we say, not quite up to par. Try and follow our tangents as we wander away from the show at hand and drift to other, more worthy topics, like America's Funniest Home Videos, and why we ever thought it was funny.

Next week, we're watching LOST!, with "The 23rd Psalm," "The Hunting Party," and "Fire + Water." SHIT GETS REAL

(And look for the missing episodes over the next couple of days.)

This week, J. just saw The Dark Knight Rises, so you'll forgive him if he can't help but do a Bane voice. Also, we talk about Deep Space Nine, but our three episodes -- "Shadowplay," "Playing God," and "Profit and Loss" -- are, shall we say, not quite up to par. Try and follow our tangents as we wander away from the show at hand and drift to other, more worthy topics, like America's Funniest Home Videos, and why we ever thought it was funny.

Next week, we're watching LOST!, with "The 23rd Psalm," "The Hunting Party," and "Fire + Water." SHIT GETS REAL

(And look for the missing episodes over the next couple of days.)

Glee took Jonathan Coulton's arrangement of "Baby Got Back" without credit or permission -- dick move, sure, but illegal? Also, ABC stole The Voice's format for their new cooking show, and it makes the least possible amount of sense. NBC completely retooled Smash, much to Robby's delight, while LOST! shows us both the right and the wrong way to make your audience sympathize with a murderer (and they do it in back-to-back episodes). And J. reads us some LOST! criticism he wrote in 2005, and it's pretty embarrassing.

[Episodes 33 and 34 are in the can, but I've decided to jump this one to the front because it's rather topical. --J.]

Glee took Jonathan Coulton's arrangement of "Baby Got Back" without credit or permission -- dick move, sure, but illegal? Also, ABC stole The Voice's format for their new cooking show, and it makes the least possible amount of sense. NBC completely retooled Smash, much to Robby's delight, while LOST! shows us both the right and the wrong way to make your audience sympathize with a murderer (and they do it in back-to-back episodes). And J. reads us some LOST! criticism he wrote in 2005, and it's pretty embarrassing.

J. is finally getting a chance to clean out the backlog, as we drop in for our first episode of the New Year. (Though it was actually recorded in 2012. See, backlog.) We're talking Deep Space Nine, with "Sanctuary," "Rivals," and "The Alternate." We also talk bathroom graffiti, how to properly run a sports book, and other fascinating topics.

Next: LOST!, which should go up this weekend/early next week. J. is catching up. No, really.

J. is finally getting a chance to clean out the backlog, as we drop in for our first episode of the New Year. (Though it was actually recorded in 2012. See, backlog.) We're talking Deep Space Nine, with "Sanctuary," "Rivals," and "The Alternate." We also talk bathroom graffiti, how to properly run a sports book, and other fascinating topics.

Next: LOST!, which should go up this weekend/early next week. J. is catching up. No, really.

The dichotomy that runs through our show: one of despairs at Lost, hoping for answers and reason where there are none (this would be Robby); the other has looked into the eye of the island, and is certain that all will turn out as it should (and that would be J.). That dichotomy is what occupies most of our discussion this week, as we kick off the second season and Lost dials up the crazy factor. We talk about island politics in "Man of Science, Man of Faith," figure exactly why "Adrift" is so aptly-named, and get to the bottom of why "Orientation" is so bleeding insane.

But before all of that, we talk Sherlock Elementary, as the most recent episode, "The Leviathan," was actually (gasp) really good. We also compare it to House, because...well, come on, because Sherlock is basically House. Who was basically Sherlock. The mind reels.

Next week: DS9, with "Sanctuary," "Rivals," and "The Alternate."

The dichotomy that runs through our show: one of despairs at Lost, hoping for answers and reason where there are none (this would be Robby); the other has looked into the eye of the island, and is certain that all will turn out as it should (and that would be J.). That dichotomy is what occupies most of our discussion this week, as we kick off the second season and Lost dials up the crazy factor. We talk about island politics in "Man of Science, Man of Faith," figure exactly why "Adrift" is so aptly-named, and get to the bottom of why "Orientation" is so bleeding insane.

But before all of that, we talk Sherlock Elementary, as the most recent episode, "The Leviathan," was actually (gasp) really good. We also compare it to House, because...well, come on, because Sherlock is basically House. Who was basically Sherlock. The mind reels.

Next week: DS9, with "Sanctuary," "Rivals," and "The Alternate."

0:00:00 - Teaser. A Star Trek Into Darkness theory based entirely on a haircut. Hey, it's better than the one based on an accent.

0:04:59 - Show open.

0:09:44 - Elementary. We have to admit it's getting better, a little better all the time.

0:26:53 - Sherlock sure seemed to enjoy using his Surface tablet! We talk about product placement.

0:43:24 - Deep Space Nine. "Rules of Acquisition" is supposed to be a comedy episode, but it's about the Ferengi, so here come the comfortable sexual politics!

1:06:25 - "Necessary Evil," one of the great early episodes of DS9, flashes back to Terek Nor, and exposes ugly secrets at the heart of Odo and Kira's relationship.

1:18:36 - "Second Sight" brings the Most Interesting Man in the World to the station, to do...something, with something. It's, uh...yeah.

1:34:12 - Next week: LOST! We're watching "Man of Science, Man of Faith," "Adrift," and "Orientation."

1:37:21 - Close. Please tell your friends about this show.