Your weekly guide to TV’s best and worst one-hour shows
February is upon us, which means it’s time for sweeps stunts:
“CSI” (Wednesday, 10 p.m., CBS)
Nothing says “sweeps” like a good cross-over episode. And so “CSI: NY’s” Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) takes a trip to Las Vegas, and wouldn’t you know it, he discovers that his girlfriend is missing. Naturally, he calls on pal D.B. Russell (Ted Danson) to help him solve the case that will inevitably take them back to New York for next Friday’s episode.
“Castle”
(Monday, 10 p.m., ABC)
Could Beckett (Stana Katic) finally get her man? Jack Coleman returns as the evil Senator Bracken, who was responsible for Beckett’s mother’s murder, which has driven the detective to extreme measures on more than one occasion. This week, she and Castle (Nathan Fillion) are able to connect him to a new murder, which could bring Beckett closure but would also put a stop to visits from the series’ best villain.
“Hawaii Five-0” (Monday, 10 p.m., CBS)
The crime-solver dug into the archives of the original series and remakes the episode “Hookman,” which aired in 1973. The first time around, the Five-0 gang was hunting for a double amputee (played by real-life double amputee Jay J. Armes) who was out for revenge against McGarrett (Jack Lord). In the reboot, the double amputee is played by RoboCop Peter Weller, who also directs the episode in which the bad guy blames McGarrett’s (Alex O’Loughlin) father for his maiming. Weller still has all limbs, but Jason Koger, a double upper amputee, will stand in for close-ups of the prosthetic hands. Max Weinberg also guest stars.
“How I Met Your Mother” (Monday, 8 p.m., CBS)
The comedy once again trots out Robin Sparkles, the pop star alter ego of Cobie Smulders’ character (think: Tiffany or Debbie Gibson). In a riff on the old “Behind the Music,” embarrassing footage features interviews with a long list of fellow Canadian stars to reminisce about “Robin,” including guest stars Alan Thicke, Jason Priestley, Alex Trebek and k.d. lang.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (Wednesday, 9 p.m., NBC)
Marcia Gay Harden, who snagged an Emmy nomination for this guest role, is back as the undercover FBI agent who was recovering from being sexually assaulted the last time we saw her in 2010. She partners with Benson (Mariska Hargitay) to solve a 25-year-old rape case that may hit a little too close to home as the slightly unhinged agent refuses to believe that the suspect (played by Harold Perrineau) may be innocent.