TELEVISION: This week's top entertainment moments

This is the lull before the storm.

At least for television viewers, that is.

This is that quiet little period before the network shows embark on their final push to wow you for the year.

To be honest, it was a pretty boring week in television.

That being said, there were a few moments that stood out. In what is becoming an obvious trend, though, most of the best moments were on cable shows vs. network shows.

The networks should probably take heed of that.

Without further ado, this week’s top entertainment moments are:

5. Modern Family – Claire is competitive – that’s one of her personality weaknesses. It does make for great comedy, though. Her push to win the local election culminated in a loss this week – but it was still funny to watch. I especially loved Jay’s recollection that Claire had to win the Girl Scout cookie drive when she was a kid – even though she wasn’t a Girl Scout. We also find out during this episode that Hayley has been rejected from every college she applied to. When the last letter comes in – right after Claire loses the election – the family is grouped together to read it. A normal sitcom would have had Hayley get in despite all odds. ‘Modern Family’ is anything but normal, though. Instead, Hayley is wait-listed – and her family reacts as if she was elected president.

4. Hawaii Five-0 – This was the first episode that show star Alex O’Loughlin missed due to his short stay in rehab for prescription pain killers. And, while I did miss the beefcake, it was nice to see other members of the team get to shine – especially Masi Oka’s Max. Oka shot to fame as Hiro on ‘Heroes’ – and then when the show tanked he dropped into obscurity relatively quickly. Since joining the show as a regular at the beginning of this season, Oka finally got a chance to shine in a serial killer story that revolved around Max’s roots. Not only did we find out a little more about Max, but we also got to see some warm (and fun) moments between Danny, Kono and Chin. That being said, the letter Steve allegedly wrote to Danny was a little hasty and trite – but I guess I can forgive that as long as O’Loughlin is present (and shirtless) on my screen again soon. I know we have one more episode without him – although it’s the crossover with ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ – so we’ll have Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J as beefcake for that event. Not to fear.

3. Game of Thrones -- Poor Arya. She’s a small child who watched her father get beheaded and is now traveling with a group of miscreants to one of the most desolate places in her world. Her only friend is the last remaining bastard of King Robert – with the rest being dispatched by the blood thirsty Joffrey. It’s going to be a long trip home for Arya. Things could be worse, though. She could be trapped in a desert with no water and getting deliveries of dismembered heads like Daenerys. Or, she could be like poor Tyrion, who found out this episode that his niece and nephews were the product of his two siblings and that everyone is out to try and get him (literally). All that was hard to deal with this week, as was Jon Snow finding out what happens to boys born into the homestead where he and the other members of the Night’s Watch are staying. That all pales in comparison, though, to yet another case of incest between a brother and sister. Enough is enough. It’s not shocking anymore. It’s just gross.

2. Justified -- Quarles had it coming, he really did. Throughout the season he’s been a squirrelly killer and rapist who has been one step away from dropping over the edge of sanity completely. So it was no surprise that he got his comeuppance. It was a surprise that he lost his arm, though, when Limehouse used the tools of his trade to stop Quarles from shooting Raylan (Kudos to Tim Olyphant, whose reaction to Quarles reaching for his dismembered arm was hilarious). You wouldn’t think a dismemberment could be upstaged – but you’d be wrong. In the waning moments of Tuesday’s season finale, we find out that it was Arlo that shot down Officer Tom and killed him – not Quarles. It’s then that Raylan realizes that Arlo killed Tom thinking that it was Raylan. While Raylan hasn’t had an easy season – and it looks like he won’t be reuniting with Winona next year since she’ll only be on three episodes – even I felt sorry for him when he realized his own father had more loyalty to Boyd than he did to him.

1. Psych -- In the sixth season finale, 98 percent of the episode was dedicated to Shawn and Gus’ usual hijinks – and they were entertaining as always. It was the final few minutes, though, which turned the show on its head. I should have known something was up when Henry and Shawn shared such a tender moment – when Shawn told Henry he respected him as a cop (sans jokes) and Henry responded by giving Shawn a kiss on the cheek and reciprocating with voiced respect for his son. It was far too sweet of a moment for ‘Psych’ to end the season on. Instead, Shawn realizes (too late) that there is one more bad guy left from the case they were working on and his father has went to see him. In what can only be described as shocking, Henry is gunned down on the beach by his former co-worker and friend – before Shawn can get to his father. As viewers, we’ll have to wait six long months for ‘Psych’ to return. I haven’t heard that Corbin Bernsen is leaving ‘Psych,’ so I have real doubts he’ll be killed off, but the wait is going to kill me (and possibly Henry).

Honorable mentions go to:

2 Broke Girls – Caroline wears on me – a lot. But warm-hearted Max giving her roommate money to hire a lawyer for “prep” for a deposition was beyond cute. Watching the two girls sit through a drug trial was fairly funny, but watching Max’s ‘Law and Order’ knowledge put to the test was what was truly priceless. This show isn’t perfect, but it’s getting better and it almost always delivers solid laughs.

Grey’s Anatomy – After a “sick” day at home together, Owen and Christina essentially call it quits when Christina can’t move past his infidelity – which essentially stemmed from the fact that he couldn’t move on from her abortion. The scenes were well acted and emotionally charged. Quite frankly, I will never rule a reunion out for these two. I think it’s a matter of when instead of if, actually.

Ringer – Catherine tries to kill Bridget, admits to her part in trying to kill Siobhan, is outed as the lesbian lover of Olivia and is finally taken into custody Tuesday night in what can only be described as a busy outing. I still don’t get why she wants Andrew back if she’s in love with Olivia – but Catherine has never exactly been rational. ‘Ringer’ is a bubble show – and I honestly hope that bubble doesn’t burst due to low ratings. That being said, I hope there is some wrap up in the final two episodes – because I have got to see Bridget’s reaction when she realizes Siobhan is still alive (even though she should have realized this months ago, quite frankly). Plus, I’d bet money those twins Siobhan just gave birth to are actually Andrew’s – but we’ll have to wait and see.

Criminal Minds – This season has been really hit or miss, but the resolution to Morgan’s missing cousin was a surprisingly entertaining outing. The made up “Company” was creepy – as was that head box thing – but it was the episode’s final minutes with a reunited family that really carried the emotional heft of the movie. For his part, Shemar Moore was spot on in his portrayal of a man who told a lie to protect his family and had it come back to bite him. He’s never going to win an Oscar, but he still has a lot of charisma.

The Killing -- This show may be in some trouble if the ratings continue to slide. The talent and intrigue of the mystery continue to grow, though. This week, Holder and Linden finally come to a meeting of minds. Yes, it was in heavy traffic, but it was still finally a meeting. Holder isn't a bad guy. He's a troubled guy in a bad situation. Linden isn't perfect either, though, and I don't blame her fiance for drawing a line in the sand. All that being said, I'm ready for a little Linden and Holder love. Come on, you were all thinking it, too.

What do you think? What were the top entertainment moments of the week?