CBS giveth and taketh, but mostly giveth

CBS announces renewals for next fall.

Lose: Ghost Whisperer. (Unless Go Fug Yourself keeps writing about its bouffanted star -- in which case, Win!)

Win! Criminal Minds.

Sometimes, I put things on my sidebar that languish and linger and weeks after I've put them there, I think, Whoa, that's a little out of date; I am totally not watching that any more. But, even though I've had this particular statement up there for a while, I am here to tell you: Thomas Gibson's hottness does not diminish. Maybe you're like me -- maybe Dharma and Greg had been on just a little too long in reruns. Or maybe it was on just a little too long in the first place. And maybe too much time had passed since you last watched Tales of the City and found yourself thinking, How is it possible that I am finding that lying, treacherous, blackhearted bisexual manipulator, Beauchamps, hotter than hot is hot? (I'll tell you how: Thomas Gibson.)

And I'm not just saying that Thomas Gibson is hot (though I have managed to say it eleven or twelve times since this post started) -- I'm also saying that Thomas Gibson has got the chops. What, you ask, is the nature of these chops? Thomas Gibson stars in Criminal Minds with Mandy Patinkin, and Mandy is serving up his unique masala of legerdemain and passion, and even if it were only Mandy in this particular series I would still probably be recommending viewing -- and yet I say to you: Thomas Gibson is out-smoldering, out-squinting, out-intesitying Inigo Montoya. That's what I'm saying.

And so I thank CBS for another season of Thomas Gibson at his smokiest. And you should be thanking them, if you haven't watched yet, for a second chance.

(And holla to Matthew Gray Gubler, too, whose geeky genius is also to be admired.)