If you’re feeling the summer blues and hoping to find something to look forward to, Futon Critic has started reviewing the pilots. I don’t always agree with their assessments — and I plan on completely ignoring their Viva Laughlin post when it appears, as no amount of criticism, or the show itself, will ever make me stop watching — but it’s fun to get a sense of what things might work and what isn’t worth the time of day. And just for fun they include a rejected pilot, too.

So last night I watched The Closer. It was a nice little House/Law & Order/Monk-ish mash-up. The mystery plot was barely a challenge to anyone who’s ever seen a television show or watched a movie (though I may be spoiled by our girl Veronica), and Brenda’s snacking fetish was suffocatingly cutesy, but the dialogue wasn’t half bad, and I liked her fish-out-of-water, sweet-talking tough broad persona. It’s hardly what I would call necessary viewing, but for a lazy Wednesday night, it kept my interest. And J.K. Simmons is great in thankless part; I hadn’t realized he was on the show, otherwise I might’ve caught it earlier.

I didn’t manage to cobble together This Week on the TiFaux (don’t worry, nothing’s on), but I’d like to point out that Mythbusters is new tonight. I know this may come as a shock to regular viewers, but the myths they’re tackling tonight have to do with explosions.

Anyone watching anything worthwhile?

My wasabi experiment to clean out my sinuses wasn’t that successful.

• The Brilliant But Cancelled Blog does autopsies on Veronica Mars and the Gilmore Girls.
• Mr. Wizard died.
• Slate thinks Tony got whacked and offers a good insight. If he’s right though, I would still rather have had less ambiguity and David Chase shouldn’t have a problem talking about it and explaining it. PS – if you get an e-mail about Nikki Leotardo, E-Kristin says it’s a hoax.
• Is Whoopi the new Rosie on The View?
• Journey’s Steve Perry talks Sopranos.
• Donald Trump wants civilization to take a step back 50 years with his new reality show.
• Last Comic Standing starts tonight.
• The CW might not want Veronica Mars, but DC Comics wants to do season four.
• A Dwight Schrute spin-off?