As soon as September hits, the fall TV season can be a bit overwhelming. But Mama’s here to help you catch up on last season’s returning favorites:
“Homeland” (Sunday, Sept. 30, 10 p.m., Showtime) What could’ve been just a boobs-and-blood version of “24” turned out to be the best psychological drama to hit TV since “Breaking Bad.” Carrie (Claire Danes) may have lost her short-term memory after opting for shock treatments to treat her bipolar disorder, but the biggest loss was narrowly avoided when Brody (Damian Lewis) decided against a short-lived career as a suicide bomber, which means the fantastic Lewis will be back to cause greater havoc this season.
“Sons of Anarchy” (Tuesday, Sept. 11, 10 p.m., FX) Clay (Ron Perlman) may be out and Jax (Charlie Hunnam) in as the biker club’s president, but the real power struggle is still on for queen bee: hard-living matriarch Gemma (Katey Sagal) versus Jax’s (mostly) upstanding wife, Tara (Maggie Siff). Mama doesn’t expect any transfer of power — even if it involves welcome newcomer Jimmy Smits — to make this show less brutally dark and funny.
“Once Upon a Time” (Sunday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., ABC) In any other series, a cloud of purple smoke sweeping through the streets, causing the townspeople to realize they’re storybook characters under the spell of the evil queen and leading to Snow White’s (Ginnifer Goodwin) reunion with Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) would pretty much be the “and they all lived happily ever after” to a series. But these are the same people who brought us “Lost,” who specialize in all things smoke and love turning their series upside down every year, so this breakout show is just getting started. The good news is that the Disney vault is chockablock with fairy-tale characters, so there are still plenty of stories left to tell. The bad news is that Regina (Lana Parrilla) saved the kid last year, so he’ll be back to share the obvious with us each week.
“Boardwalk Empire” (Sunday, Sept. 16, 9 p.m., HBO) Last year’s finale provided the OMG moment of the year when Nucky (Steve Buscemi) offed Jimmy (Michael Pitt) for his betrayal. The expulsion of one of the two leads pretty much means no one is safe: Mama’s looking at you, Margaret (Kelly Macdonald), who may get into Heaven a bit earlier than expected after giving away new hubby Nucky’s land to the church last season. And in the 1920s Prohibition world where nothing is dependable, you can still rely on Michael Shannon’s Van Alden to win the prize for creepiest character on TV. Bobby Cannavale joins the cast as Nucky’s new nemesis, Gyp Rosetti.
“Revenge” (Sept. 30, 9 p.m., ABC) In true soapy fashion, last season’s finale killed off villainous Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) in an explosion aboard a plane (hint: if you ever want to survive an untimely demise on TV, “die” on a plane) and Charlotte with a bottle of sleeping pills — which isn’t necessarily a death sentence, either. But Emily (Emily VanCamp) has enough undead to deal with already after she found out her mother may be alive. That mom will be played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.
“Treme” (Sunday, Sept. 23, 10 p.m., HBO) This is the kind of show you feel like you need to check in on like a good friend — sometimes just to check for a pulse. It’s not the must-see, action-packed shocking stories of other shows, but the slow burn mixed with the best music on TV make it a welcome respite from the hyperactive other series that raises Mama’s blood pressure. Janette (Kim Dickens) continues to spice up New York (which means Mama has to eat prior to every show), and Antoine (Wendell Pierce) is undoubtedly still scamming the cabbies on his way to the next gig.
Phil Mushnick’s column will return on Sept. 30.