Madchen Amick will drop by Drop Dead Diva this summer.

The actress (Gossip Girl, Mad Men, Ringer) has nabbed the role of Gina Blunt on the Lifetime drama, a pal of Parker's from law school. Look for her to both cath Grayson's eye, according to TV Guide, and to come equipped with a big secret.

Faith Prince will also appear again on the series, reprising the role of Jane's mother, Elaine Bingum.

Drop Dead Diva premieres its fourth season on June 3 and mark it down now: TV Fanatic will be reviewing every episode in depth.

It's a good week to be Ian Gomez.

First, TBS gave life to the actor's main series, Cougar Town, picking up the sitcom for a fourth season. And now we can confirm that Gomez has booked a role this summer on Drop Dead Diva.

Gomez will stop by the eighth episode of the new season as Warren Patton, a wheelchair-bound con man/attorney who sues a client of Harrison & Parker for $1 million after being hit in a crosswalk.

Drop Dead Diva returns on June 3 and Madchen Amick will also play a role on an upcoming installment.

Adam Harrington and Currie Graham have joined a lineup of Drop Dead Diva Season 4 guest stars that already includes Megyn Price, John Ratzenberger, Faith Prince Madchen Amick and, yes, Kim Kardashian.

The former Secret Circle actor will stop by episode nine this summer as Paul Hewitt, an attorney for a grieving stepmother who sues for custody of her late stepchild's cremated ashes. TV Guide first reported the casting.

Graham (Suits, Harry's Law), meanwhile, will appear the following week as Simon Grundy, a lawyer who works with Jane when Sharon Lawrence returns as Deb's mother and faces a suit after a young girl is injured in her dance studio.

Season four kicks of Drop Dead Diva kicks off Sunday night - visit TV Fanatic immediately following the premiere for a detailed review - and you can catch up via a marathon of episodes on Saturday, June 2.

When we last left Jane Bingum on Drop Dead Diva she had been betrayed by her best friend and was hopping a flight to Italy. In "Welcome Back," Jane and Owen are still on their Roman Holiday when Terri pops in to drag Jane back to her life in Los Angeles.

It seems that things at Harrison Parker have fallen by the wayside, with Kim Caswell acting as the managing partner in Parker's absence. Besides there's a lot waiting for Jane back in LA, including a heartbroken Fred, confused Grayson and apologetic Stacey. Oh yeah, and Kim Kardashian!

As far as season premieres go, they are usually all about bringing us up to date with the characters. Since only three weeks is meant to have passed since we last saw everyone, you'd think there wouldn't be any major developments, but life really can change with the snap of a finger. Deb/Jane knows that all too well! And even Kardashian pointed that out when she poked fun at her real self while referencing a client who just got out of a "72 day marriage."

Sound familiar to anyone?

Ever since Stacey uttered to Grayson, "I'm not Deb, Jane is," on the season finale, Grayson's mind has clearly been spinning. Stacey tried to backpedal but it was too late; something had already clicked for Grayson. He knows he has feelings for Jane and even showed up to the airport with flowers to surprise her. Much to his dismay he didn't realize that Jane had been in Italy with her Judge beau, Owen French.

Didn't that moment remind you of Friends when Rachel tried to surprise Ross at the airport and then he got off the plane with his new girlfriend Julie? I was so sad for Grayson, but then again he's had three seasons to realize his feelings and Owen makes Jane really happy! That said, I don't see Grayson dropping his quest for answers anytime soon.

Onto the other lovelorn pair on Drop Dead Diva, when we left Fred he was about to propose to Stacey until Jane dropped the bomb about Stacey and Grayson kissing. Last seen at the airport, it turns out he didn't go very far, in fact I believe he made it out to Iowa? I don't know because his gushing about his new love story with his girlfriend had me a bit bored. Brokenhearted Stacey ended up at a juice bar seeking advice from relationship expert Nikki Lapree, played by Kardashian. From here on out, I'm only going to refer to her as Kim K. Sorry but I'm finding it impossible to type her name as anything else!

With Kim K's advice, Stacey opens up to Fred, he rejects her, then he opens up and she rejects him. It's all the usual dating and mating ritual until Fred really think he's lost her for good and thus lost his reason for being on earth and tells her his true identity as Jane's guardian angel. Apparently this is a loophole in the system and after Fred told the truth, he had to be sent back to heaven, or in reality- given a hiatus to work on Mad Men. 

With the loveable Fred on loan to the folks over at AMC, new "afterlife coach" Luke Daniel pops in. I have to say he's definitely easy on the eyes. He's also apparently very wealthy since he was able to help Harrison Parker out of their financial bind. 

The case on this week's episode is hardly worth mentioning. Basically Jane got played. I'm wondering if it's because she was still on cloud nine from her vacation and not as sharp as usual or if it was her alleged past relationship with the client. What do you all think? How did you feel about the premiere of Drop Dead Diva and the debut of Kim Kardashian? Hit the comments! 

This week's Drop Dead Diva was all about family. On "Home," to make up for the lack of interesting legal matters on last week's episode, we were treated a double doozy with two family-related cases. 

Kim took on her father as a client and Jane and Grayson got involved in a family court case. Yes, it was a case heavy episode that still left a lot of room for all of the personal drama!

It's always interesting for one of the lawyers to take on a family member as a client. It throws that personal element into the mix that raises the stakes. Kim wasn't interested in seeing her father, but the second his ex employer mouthed off to him, she was on the defense and ready to throw down in court. Blood is thicker than water.

Not wanting to bother Parker with her suit, she took the case on and proceeded with business as usual. Parker ended up getting involved for two reasons:

1. He is still missing Elisa (guest star Brandy Norwood) and their son.
2. He does love Kim.

These two are so on and off and things got especially confusing when Parker found out that he had a seven-year-old son with his ex, but something always draws Kim and Parker back together.

With a clever realization about home decor, Kim was able to win her case. Elsewhere, Jane and Grayson were defending a teenage millionaire who wanted to file for emancipation but became part of a missing person case. Jane's case took on a lot of moral and ethical issues. Technically yes, Sam was kidnapped, but was it to save his life? Yes. Jane won her case, but in real life would this hold up?

Meanwhile, Grayson was still going strong in his quest to prove that Jane might be a reincarnated version of Deb. Now he's reading books on the subject, and even trying to provoke certain memories. That scene in the piano bar when Grayson had the song from Ghost playing absolutely broke my heart. Not only because that song is a tearjerker (sorry, Jane, I guess I'm sappy, too) but Jane just looked so completely heartbroken.

Sure, Owen is great, but Jane still has lingering feelings for Grayson. Luke is a much stricter guardian angel than Fred was, and I do miss Fred dearly. Deb may have hit the return button, but why is Jane being punished and not allowed to let Grayson know who she is? That scene was just painful. 

What do you all think? Were you upset by the scene in the piano bar? Did you find this week's cases more interesting? Do you think Nikki and Stacey's bakery business is a boring storyline? (I do.) Hit the comments! 

The latest installment of Drop Dead Diva was the conclusion to famed guest star Kim Kardashian's storyline. In "Freak Show," Stacy and Nikki met with Grayson to establish their business, much to the chagrin of Jane.

We all know that Jane is very shrewd and Nikki came off as very shady, so it was no surprise when Grayson found some unsettling background info on Nikki. And, no, it has nothing to do with a 72-day marriage!

Nikki was a fraud and screwed over Stacy, but in the end Stacy ended up with a better business partner: Jane! I am not a Kardashian hater at all, but I found her and Stacy's whole arc to be kind of boring. I feel like Drop Dead Diva is such a fun, unique, smart show and it didn't need to name drop a Kardashian when the storyline ended up being overhyped and obvious. Again, just my opinion.

I do, however, like that Stacy is getting on her feet and starting a business, especially since the love story of Stacy and Fred is no longer happening. I know we all miss Fred, but this week I actually started to like Luke. When he comforted Jane on the balcony at the end, we got to see a bit of heart. Truthfully, he is more of a guardian angel in a way because he is definitely more self assured than Fred was. He can give Jane actual guidance.

As much as last week's scene in the piano bar broke my heart, I adorable Jane and Owen... and they finally dropped the L word! Grayson may have been Deb's soulmate, but I think Deb as Jane has grown into a different person. Owen really complements her and he makes her happy. I enjoyed meeting Owen's sister Olivia this week and it was intriguing to learn she had a background with Jane!

That's partially what is so frustrating about Jane's predicament. Deb took over Jane's body and there was no manual attached, no history given. Shouldn't the guardian angels be able to fill her in a little bit?

There were a few other guest stars tonight: Valerie Harper as a judge and Patty Duke as a client who gave Jane some false hope. Duke played Rita, a client who sued for wrongful termination that withheld her pension. What led to the firing had a lot to do with how Rita handled herself in the year after her sister Lauren died in a car accident next to her. She felt like she needed to honor Lauren's spirit by being a more honest person.

She told Jane that Lauren's spirit was inside of her, obviously blowing Jane's mind. All this time Jane thought she was the only person who had hit the return button. In the end, it turns out that Rita had a serious head injury in her car accident and claimed she was Lauren's spirit because she felt it sounded better. I don't really buy it. I believe there was a head injury, but maybe Rita thought people would think she was extra crazy if she told everyone she was really her sister's spirit. Maybe Rita has her own guardian angel who keeps her from revealing herself, the way Jane does?

This episode had interesting cases, helped reunite Jane and Stacy and brought a whole lot of love front and center. Parker and Kim are headed for a reconciliation and Jane and Owen are definitely serious. What did everyone else think of the episode? Were you ready for the Kim Kardashian arc to end? Hit the comments!

A pair of utterly unlikeable celebrities have booked returns to Drop Dead Diva.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kim Kardashian - who played relationship expert Nikki LePree at the outset of Season 4 - and Nancy Grace will both appear on the upcoming 12th episode of this Lifetime drama's fourth season.

Kim will reprise her role as Nikki, while Grace will play herself for the third time in show history.

Meanwhile, All My Children actor Cameron Mathison and The Bold and the Beautiful star Ashley Jones will also come on board the same installment.

The latter Jones will portray Sheila Reese, a woman who became sterile after taking a new drug and is suing the pharmaceutical company that markets it; while Mathison takes on Jonah Pierce, someone who gets involved - personally and then legally - with April Bowlby's Stacy.

On this week's Drop Dead Diva, new guardian angel Luke hires a jury consultant to help out Jane and Kim. In "Winning Ugly" Jane and Kim take on a powerful case about a contestant of a makeover show who committed suicide after being told she was "too ugly to help."

Unwilling to accept a pitiful settlement, Kim and Jane take their chances and head to trial against the twice-voted top litigator in California.

It seems like the jury consultant was there to tell Jane to tone down her dramatic courtroom bravado, but isn't that part of what we love about Jane? She isn't some boring drone. She is smart, sassy and knows how to put on a good show. The truth is, Jane isn't even trying to put on a show; it's just naturally the combination of Deb and Jane. So why would Jane's guardian angel hire someone like this? 

Was it perhaps to show her how she has grown past just being Deb and is finally finding her footing as a Deb/Jane hybrid? She doesn't need to be told to tone down anything. The reason she has grown so much is because she has learned to coexist as these two souls in one body. As Luke said, it's the kind of case that Deb would have found silly, but Jane maintained that she was Deb and she didn't think the case was silly at all. Maybe it was to demonstrate a progression?

One thing is for sure: Luke is a very different kind of guardian angel than Fred. 

The other main case was pretty absurd: Two women fighting over a rat they believe to be reincarnated version of a man who was romancing them both? Lame! Even Parker knew this case was below him, which is why I was surprised it took him so long to put an end to the chaos. At least this case included a guest spot by my favorite character from my girl Nora from The Secret Life of the American Teenager!

Parker is always up on the lawyers about taking cases that will make them money. He was annoyed that Jane didn't want to settle with the "ugly duckling" lawsuit. Yet... he took on a ridiculous case about a reincarnated rat? Go figure. I think it just took Jay a moment or two to figure out what he believed in, both in and out of the office.

The return of Elisa (guest star Brandy Norwood) with her and Parker's son Eric, showed us the softer side of Parker. With Elisa and Parker playing nice, I have to wonder what this will mean for him and Kim? Last week's episode ended with Parker and Kim ready to explore the possibility of reuniting. Speaking of other tricky love situations Owen and Grayson competed on the basketball court, but in the end we knew that it was really about more than the sport. 

You won the game, but I think we both know who's winning here. | permalink

With next week's previews showing a potential engagement, things with this love triangle are going to get intense! What do you all think? I need a piece of pake!

This week's Drop Dead Diva was all about the "Happily Ever After." While Jane was debating her own future with Owen, she took on the case of a Bhustanese woman who was being forced into a royal marriage.

Jane went up against a lot of opposition, but her passion for the case said a lot about her character. 

It's always somewhat enlightening, and of course makes for a good episode, when a legal case inspires the characters in their real lives. For Jane, this wasn't just an individual case. It represented women's rights and human rights. The idea of someone being forced into a marriage was unacceptable to Jane and when she found out Owen believed marriage to be "archaic" it put her own relationship into question.

For the sake of this woman and women everywhere, we can’t afford to lose this fight. | permalink

The bottom line is that you can't force someone's hand when it comes to love. When Jane found out she and Grayson had won the case and Owen was waiting for her downstairs, she seemed to be startled by a revelation. She knew she couldn't force Owen to respect the institution. Then lo and behold Owen... whipped out a ring!

I'm kind of surprised Jane said yes so quickly. It seemed in that moment before she went downstairs, perhaps she realized her feelings for Grayson weren't dead. As much as I like Owen, I still wonder if Jane and Grayson belong together. What do you all think? 

Also, why is Luke so determined to keep them apart? I understand that Jane can't reveal she is Deb reincarnated, but if Grayson fell in love with Jane now, why would Luke hold him back? I just don't understand what is different with this guardian angel. Sure, he is more stern and gives better guidance, but he seems to have a very specific agenda.

Elsewhere, Parker and Kim teamed up to defend Eric's teacher, who was fired for making racy videos with his wife. I couldn't help but laugh when Eric asked Parker if he could Google "porn." There aren't enough parental controls in the world for that scenario to be okay!

That judge seemed to be out for Kim. Parker felt defensive of her, which made him even more impassioned to win the case. He went to great lengths, (aka stripping in court) to get his point across. Despite that stunt, it seems to me that Parker is in a good place. He finally has people he really cares about, and his life isn't just about taking on the biggest client. I'm happy he and Kim are working it out.

I thought this was a strong episode was compelling cases. As for Stacy's pakery, well would you go there if you saw a Tweet that Channing Tatum was spotted? Normally I'd say "nah," but I did see Magic Mike tonight so that is going to influence my answer! What did everyone else think of the episode? Are you excited about Jane and Owen's engagement? 

I'm so completely heartbroken by this week's Drop Dead Diva. "Rigged" didn't keep me fully engaged with its latest case because of all the engineering jargon, but boy was my attention caught by the end of the episode.

Between Parker's custody case and Owen's betrayal of Jane, I found myself needing to grab a few tissues.

Is this the end of Owen? Is he gone for good or do you think he will eventually come back with his tail between his legs?

Last week, I wrote that you can't force someone's hand when it comes to love. I think Owen panicked in the moment and knew Jane was going to leave him since their beliefs on marriage were different. Even if Jane didn't say it, Owen felt like he was handed an ultimatum. It was too fast of a turnaround and I hate to say it, but I wasn't convinced Owen had truly changed his mind.

Honestly, I don't think Jane was fully convinced either. Jane and Owen both have busy schedules and it's usually not a big deal when she can't get in touch with him, or one of them has to cancel a date. Jane was panicked from the get-go. Also when Terri told Jane that Owen had lied, Jane seemed very sure that he had left her. There was no possibility that he lied for another reason, something law or family related; she jumped right to the conclusion that he left her.

Whether or not you believe that Grayson is right for Jane, or is just looking for Deb in other people, I truly believe that he cares for Jane as his friend. He is there for her first and foremost as someone who has real feelings for her. Also, where was Luke during all this? Isn't he supposed to have some sort of foresight? He's been super controlling in Jane's love affairs so far. The only thing I am sure of is that I'm heartbroken for Jane right now.

I'm also sad for Parker. He didn't know that Eric was his son until recently and he's been a great father to him since they met. It sucks that Elisa is taking him across state lines and while Parker has only been in their life for a brief period of time, I still think the judge should've gone a different way. In a crappy domino effect, Parker took his anger out on Kim which was completely unnecessary. Now, nobody's happy.

After winning a great settlement for the case of a widow, everything went downhill. You win some, you lose some. Here's hoping that next week we get more of Joan Rivers and some happier moments. I wasn't too pleased with Serena Williams' character, but maybe it was because she was yelling at Parker! What did you all think? Hit the comments and don't forget to check out this week's Drop Dead Diva quotes!

Jane's past comes back to haunt her when she was forced to take on the case of an old babysitting client who was accused of murder on this week's Drop Dead Diva.

On "Crushed" Jane had to use her intuition - and not just when it came to her job. Despite her optimism about Owen, something was obviously off. There was only so long Jane could deny the truth.

I give Jane a lot of credit for how she handles people from Old Jane's past. She always manages to pull it off rather flawlessly considering her memories are only Deb's memories. Even though Jane didn't recall her fight with Peg, once her mother filled her in, she was able to put the pieces together really quickly.

It's one thing to do anything to protect your kids and make them happy, but as an adult you should know better than to lash out violently at someone else! 

My intuition initially told me it was the sister. The second she piped up in Jane's office I thought maybe she had done it. I thought, ah another person who would have defended or stood up for her sister. Little did I know I had the wrong family member pegged. No pun intended.

I'm glad Kim was on the case with Jane. If she wasn't there, they might never have pushed forward with a different line of questioning. You never know where things might lead. When Peg was up on the stand confessing and crying, I wondered Oh my gosh, what happened to this woman? Where did her life take a wrong turn? I should've realized that they kept referencing the dad leaving because it would have some relevance later on.

Basically Jane got into a fight with Peg because Peg is effing crazy and was trying to cover up the fact that she murdered her husband and buried him in the backyard. What is this, Rear Window? The Burbs? So creepy! I'm glad Michelle and Chloe are off to live with their aunt.

Onto Owen: apparently Jane had already seen Facebook and was aware of Owen's ex girlfriend. I love when Stacy and Terri team up, even if it's to find information that is going to break Jane's heart. They both love her and want to protect her.

What is Gina's agenda? She seemed to have a personal reason for wanting to be at Harrison Parker. What do you guys think? Also are she and Grayson going to hook up? Next week's preview suggests otherwise and points us toward a potential Jane/Grayson hook up.

What do you all think? Don't forget to check out our Drop Dead Diva quotes and hit the comments! Don't forget to tune in later this week for my interview with Miss April Bowlby!

Can Jane and Grayson ever catch a break? "Road Trip" ended up being just another road block on the path for these star-crossed lovers. You'd think being away together at Stanford, under that full moon, would've set hormones raging, but nope.

Another Drop Dead Diva episode and another fake-out.

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the episode; I still did. I'm just getting a little fed up being strung along with this Grayson and Jane love story. Especially when Lifetime teased us and alluded to a possible Grayson/Jane hook up.

Does Luke really need to butt in everytime? For lack of a better phrase, that dude is such a c*ck block! Jane and Grayson are constantly being interrupted by third parties, but only Luke is actively trying to keep them apart. I know it's supposedly for the best, but I'm still not really buying it. I need to hear a reason from Luke. I think Grayson cares for Jane as Jane and not just the Deb/Jane hybrid.

Stacy may have told Grayson that Jane was Deb, but who is to say Grayson would automatically believe it and fall in love with her just because of what Stacy said? I know a lot of people may disagree, but sometimes you need a kick in the ass to see something that was sitting right in front of you.

Grayson cares about her and he stopped with his whole reincarnation theory after Jane failed to cry (openly) when he had the piano player play the song from Ghost. And guess what? He still has feelings for her.

When the show returns in two weeks, it looks like we'll finally get some answers pertaining to Owen's disappearance. We're also in for a major Harrison Parker battle with the FBI. I knew Gina (guest star Machen Amick) seemed shady! Everyone should really listen to Terri more often. So not only is Gina a bitch, but she's probably aiding and abetting a criminal. I'm glad Kim teamed up with Terri and then let Parker in on what was happening. The better informed everyone at the office is, the better shot they have at fighting these charges and clearing their names.

What did everyone else think of this week's episode? Did Luke win some major points by helping out Stacy? What'd you think about seeing Jane go up against her former professor? You just know that with Stacy's recent success, Kim Kardashian's character is going to somehow end up back on the show. My guess is that she'll want to claim some part of the business and will sue that it was her idea. Thoughts?

Don't forget to check out this week's Drop Dead Diva quotes and hit the comments! 

Drop Dead Diva fans, prepare to meet... Lady Bodacious!

Margaret Cho's Teri will introduce this alter ego on Sunday's "Ashes to Ashes," and she discusses the eccentric singer in this exclusive interview with TV Fanatic's Jim Halterman.

Where did the inspiration come from? What else can we expect from the episode? Read on. Find out.

First, I was wondering, you’ve done so many things in your career but is Drop Dead Diva the longest gig you’ve had?
Yes, definitely! Outside of stand-up comedy, of course, but as a solid acting job, yes, totally. I have never even thought about that. Going back to work on a show for four years and you go back for your fourth year to play your character…fifth year since we made the pilot the year before.

We get to meet Lady Bodacious in this week’s episode.
Yes! I get to do some music on the show and that was really fun.

Do you have an on-stage persona like Lady Bodacious when you perform in real life as a singer and musician?
Yeah, I think so a little bit. A lot of what I do as a comedian is pretty much myself and not in a persona.

The opening scene in this week’s episode is one of those rare scenes where the entire Diva cast is together. How was it filming that?
It rarely happens but it’s always fun to get the whole cast together. We all have a great time hanging out and we’re usually together anyway since we all commute to work from LA to Atlanta (where Diva shoots) every year so it’s nice to get together and hang out.

And I’ve missed them, but you haven’t done a big musical number this year, right?
I have a couple musical numbers but it’s not a big dance number this year.

Do you think that’s because the show is getting a little older and we’re moving away from that?
I don’t know! I really enjoy doing them and I don’t know what it was but it was fun to make them.

I’ve been a fan of the show a long time and I know the Jane/Grayson relationship has been there from day one. Would you be patient for love this long? I don’t know if I could wait that long.
I think true love is everything and Jane has had boyfriends in between so it’s not just the one. She’s had a lot of choices.

Does Teri have any new romance coming anytime soon?
Well, no, but I’d love that. I think that’s something that’s got to happen at some point. I think it would be a great thing for her. She’s never had a serious boyfriend so that would be amazing.

The episode this week also has a story about the afterlife. Do you believe in the afterlife and listening to your dreams?
I do! But it takes more effort, I think. I do believe in it but if I was recording my dreams I’m sure I’d pay more attention to them. I think all of that stuff is really cool. I believe in it.

You’re not on the just-announced cast of Dancing With The Stars: All Stars but it would’ve been fun to see you and Louis [Van Amstel, her partner in Season 11] dance together again. You were so cute together.
Thank you! It was so fun and I have a lot of respect for anyone that is involved in that show. It is a tough, tough, tough thing. It’s a dance contest, it’s a game show, all these high-pressured things that put together are so terrifying!

What’s making you happy these days and what’s bugging you?
My Toms, which I wear all the time in the summer but my Toms Tan is freaking me out because I have a half white foot, half brown foot. It’s like I dipped my foot in white chocolate. It’s so white! So that really bugs me!

Drop Dead Diva airs Sundays at 9/8c on Lifetime. To keep up with Margaret’s music and stand-up tour dates, visit her website, www.MargaretCho.com.

Drop Dead Diva is enjoying one of its strongest seasons and while it ranks as the number-one drama across ad-supported cable in its time slot (according to a Lifetime press release) and regularly draws more viewers than Project Runway, creator Josh Berman and the long-running series still await that fifth season pick-up.

While fans do the same, Berman talked to Jim Halterman earlier this week and teased the upcoming season finale while also touting tonight’s all-new episode, which features series regular Margaret Cho (Teri) revealing a musical persona named "Lady Bodacious."

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“Margaret is such a fun person to write for," Berman said. "She got nominated for an Emmy this year for 30 Rock and we thought ‘I’d love to see her play a persona more like Lady Gaga,’ which is a lot more like Margaret Cho, someone who is just bold and bodacious so out of that grew the persona Lady Bodacious.”

Viewers will see Cho - as Lady Bodacious, remember -  sing a song called ‘Restraining Order’ that is a track she also performed on the Drop Dead Diva soundtrack. Berman added that Lady Bodacious is best described as “Lady Gaga meets early Madonna.”

 

Drop Dead Diva Promo: "Ashes to Ashes"

As for the rest of the season, Berman - who is pulling double duty these days as his new Fox drama, The Mob Doctor, readies for its September 17 premiere - promises big things leading up to the finale.

“We really bring the Grayson/Jane/Owen love triangle to a head. Owen returns this week and that starts off the trajectory for the end of the [season] and that will build to our best cliffhanger ever.... I can promise that the cliffhanger for season four is something that nobody will expect, nobody will see coming and it will change the direction of the show.”

We've waited weeks to find out why Owen disappeared and he finally made his return on "Ashes to Ashes, as love and loss were at the forefront of everyone's minds.

When it was all said and done and we got our answers, I realized that I think this is the first time we've ever seen Jane truly be in love with someone other than Grayson. For four seasons of Drop Dead Diva Grayson was number one in Jane's mind, but it seems she has finally really allowed herself to move on. 

Life threatening situations can do that to a gal!

For anyone who didn't watch the episode, don't be fooled by the photo above. The funeral was merely in Jane's dream, as was Joan Rivers. Stacy took the wheel in educating us on what a Jane's nightmare could possibly mean:

A funeral represents closure and since you never got closure from Owen in real life, your subconscious is working it out for you. | permalink

Of course in the TV world, right after Jane tries to get closure, the guy who broke her heart reappeared. There has been a lot of speculation as to where Owen might've been and whether or not he really left Jane as she so assumed. Much to the relief of viewers who have grown to love Owen, it turns out he in fact did not cheat on our heroine.

But what happened to him was pretty scary. Owen had a medical condition that he chose not to share, went to get it checked out, had a heart attack and went into a medically-induced coma. Nobody knew where he was. Owen mentioned to Jane that nobody knew where he was, not even his family. That seemed odd to me but I suppose not everyone would choose to share something like that. Then again, I don't think Jane even reached out to Owen's sister or anything. It kind of makes me feel like it's too soon for them to be getting married. If the person you're about to marry has a serious medical condition, you should obviously be in the know! People need support! 

I'm glad Jane saw through Owen's facade of dumping her because he really just needed the support and to know someone was there for him. Life is short and scary things do happen, that's why you should spend as much time as you can with your loved ones. In that moment in Owen's office when Jane re-proposed to him, I felt like she had finally and completely given herself over to somebody else. Do you guys agree or do you think Jane and Grayson will end up with feelings for each other again?

One thing that we definitely learned about Jane and Grayson tonight was the difference in their experiences with death of a loved one. This gets tricky since Jane is Deb reincarnated, but she never had to experience it from Grayson's side and go to bereavement groups. I think that sensitivity is what helped Grayson fight harder for his case. If you're fighting for a woman who is physically eating her dead fiancee's ashes, you've gotten understand them on a deeper level. Jane - who is normally very compassionate - was about to write her off and send her to a shrink.

What a crazy case that was, I'm glad they were able to solve it in the nick of time. What did everyone think of this week's Drop Dead Diva? Do you want to see more of Lady Bodacious? Are you softening to Luke after seeing how he helped Terri? Were you surprised by Owen? Hit the comments! 

This week's Drop Dead Diva featured the return of Deb's mother, Bobbi. In "Lady Parts" she got sued by a former dance student, which led to a very special guest star: Dance Moms' Abby Lee Miller!

Miller played herself and was called in to testify against Bobbi's methods. Maddie Ziegler, from the same reality show, also made an appearance.

Before we go any further, I should admit that I've never watched an episode of Dance Moms in my life. The only thing I really know about it is that James Marsden's character referenced watching it to Tina Fey on 30 Rock. So thank you twitter-verse for keeping me well informed as to who's who.

While Miller and Ziegler fit into the episode's theme, it came across like another ratings stunt, akin to that whole Kim Kardashian business. Granted, Dance Moms is on Lifetime, so I understand the network plug, but bringing all these guest stars on to a show that is smart and funny on its own seems unnecessary. As does bringing back Bobbi Dobkins.

This is nothing against Bobbi, so much as its about Jane, or really Deb, having to be reminded of painful memories. I'm sure some of you disagree but I feel like every time Jane/Deb is with Bobbi, she ends up feeling bereft and upset. We want to see Jane move forward. She already has to see Grayson everyday. Being with her mother, but not being able to tell her that she was reincarnated as someone else, is like being so close to something that you can't touch. It's painful.

Besides, Jane has enough drama on her plate right now with her fiancee back in town. After reading your comments and some of the online boards, I started to buy into the idea that Drop Dead Diva was pulling a Sixth Sense on us. After all, on last week's episode, no one else besides Jane interacted with Owen and it seemed a bit eerie. However this week pretty much put the kibosh on that theory since Grayson, Kim, Staci and Bobbi Dobkins all spoke to Owen. 

That last scene when Jane introduced Owen to Bobbi was a bit emotional. It was really Deb introducing the man she loves to her mother and she couldn't say that out loud. I guess Jane has officially given up on any side feelings she may have had for Grayson. It also seems like Grayson gave up on his love for Jane really quickly. Either that or he's trying to respect her decision to be with Owen, which is completely understandable. Whatever it is, Grayson and Jane's storyline just disappeared into thin air.

It also appears as if Grayson could have a new love interest with an old classmate. A classmate who is a talented sculptor, but also deceptive. I can give her props for knowing how to drum up business, but she did lie to her lawyer and pretend that her sculpture didn't blatantly resemble a vagina!

What did you all think of this week's episode? Did you enjoy the foray into the world of Dance Moms? Do you think Jane will really tell Owen the truth next week? Hit the comments!  

One could say that the women of Drop Dead Diva totally kicked butt tonight in "Family Matters." After all, Jane and Kim both made some awesome legal arguments. However, I would be remiss not to mention Luke's verbal slap to the wedding caterer. Go Luke! 

Nobody wants to have their time wasted, but I'll be damned if anyone's going to try to say a wedding caterer is more important that defending a teenager on life support. Have some compassion, people. I don't care how many celebrities you've catered to!

I also enjoyed Terri and Luke joining forces. For further proof of the duo's antics, see the photo below.

Any episode that opens with a press conference is going to be a big deal. The case against the club promoter was almost too realistic for my taste, but it was a great move for the show to feature a story on raves. Whether or not people realize it, the electric dance music scene has made a huge comeback not seen this strong since the late 90s and early aughts.

Drop Dead Diva was able to do something that not a lot of shows can easily pull off: send a message about something that really is a problem without sounding too preachy. (I'm looking at you The Secret Life of the American Teenager.) The fact is, people like to do drugs at concerts and EDM or house music is often enhanced with the drug ecstasy or it's purer form, Molly. Not blaming the music on drug use, just putting it out there that I know a ton of people who have gotten very into this house craze and Molly craze. So props to Drop Dead Diva for keeping things relevant. 

This case was sad, and it's extremely messed up that a bottled water company would cut off the fountains at a stadium to make a profit. Dehydration is one of the side effects of ecstasy so it's obvious where this was going. It's also sad and not surprising that the guy behind the whole scandal was the politician. Politics is dirty, just watch Political Animals! Well, now Mr. Phillips has blood on his hands. 

I liked the aspect of this case having a personal involvement for Owen. Owen was missing for weeks and now he's back and we're supposed to feel normal again about him? This helped bring the audience closer to him again. It also pushed for Jane to feel even more strongly about winning the case after Owen was threatened.

Elsewhere, Kim was kicking ass while Grayson looked on in admiration. So maybe it's a little unorthodox for one guy to just donate his sperm to a bunch of different chicks, but, hey, it's admirable that he does it so the women can spend money on childcare and not conceiving. Kim's speech about how it's none of the government's business how specifically babies are conceived was spot on.

If the federal government wants to get in my bed, they sure as hell better buy me dinner first. | permalink

So what did everyone else think? Did you think this was as great an episode as I did? Are you anticipating Kim Kardashian's return? Hit the comments!

Okay, I'm sensing a trend here. On previous episodes of Drop Dead Diva on which Kim Kardashian guest starred, she deliberately poked fun at herself. Remember when she referenced a 72-day marriage?

"Picks and Pakes," meanwhile, opened with a debate on Nancy Grace about celebrities' privacy. A point was argued that "once you're in the public eye, you can't ask the public to turn a blind eye." Interesting way to open an episode that is featuring someone people often bitch about as being famous for being famous.

Honestly, I don't give a flying fart if Kim Kardashian is on the episode or not. Truly, I'm apathetic. The guest star that had me fan-girling all over myself? Dylan Walsh! For those of you unfamiliar with his work as Sean McNamara, one half the sexiest doctor duo of all time, please add Nip/Tuck to your Netflix queue. I promise, the other half of that duo is even more enticing. 

It's no wonder old Jane used to be obsessed with him! I love when Jane had her little zaps of intelligence on television. I find it an endearing quality and it appears that Owen does as well. I'm fully on team Owen at this point and super happy these two are reunited.

Another WTH moment? Kim Kaswell is preggers? I didn't see that one coming! Assuming that it is Parker's baby, he went from having zero kids to two in a single season. I can only hope he'll be as psyched about this news as he was about Jane accidentally knocking Grace in the face on live television. Black eye or not, that TV appearance led to Jane joining Larry's team on a huge case.

Last week I felt like the case was very relevant to societal trends right now. This case seemed very on the money as well. Gone are the decades when women smoked a cigarette while nine months pregnant, before the doctor knocked her out and delivered her baby. (True story by the way.) Pharmaceuticals are a hot topic, so this was a huge case. When Jane realized that something was up with Larry and he wasn't completely there, Owen encouraged her to use to ol' fake it to you make it strategy.

That was a super risky move to pretend you have a document in order to get a confession, but luckily it worked like a charm. So did Grayson's idea of having a pake-off. By the way, hey Star Jones. Jeez, could they have jam packed one more guest star this week? If you're going to be a patent troll at least do your homework! What a moron.

Two weeks until the big wedding day. Are you guys ready? What did you think of this week's episode? And yes Jane's client was totally Daphne from True Blood season two. Hit the comments! 

Pardon me while I try to wrap my head around the ending of "Jane's Getting Married..."

When we heard the cliffhanger for this year's Drop Dead Diva season finale would be unlike any other, never could I have imagined those last few minutes. Before we go any further, I feel the need to give anyone who hasn't watched a MAJOR spoiler alert.

April Bowlby told me in an interview that the original Jane would later make and appearance and that she is pissed. I'd say that was a very accurate description. My question is: if original Jane was given the option to move on to a peaceful place or stay and watch what happened to her body, why would she torture herself? Why would anyone ever want to watch someone live their life for them?

I guess to the viewer, it seems like Deb improved Jane's life. She injected some fun, liveliness, confidence and love into a void. The only real problem is that Deb was hanging onto her past too. More specifically, Deb was hanging onto Grayson.

Do I believe she really loved Owen? Yes, absolutely. Do I believe you can love two people at once for different reasons? Yes I do. People in your life give you different things. I found it really interesting that Luke asked Deb the night before her wedding, if she would choose her new life or old life?

This whole episode was about make decision. No matter which road you travel, you will gain certain things and lose others. Would Hannah rather be smart and possibly die in six months than bus for tips at a bar and be with her husband? Would Kim rather tell Parker the baby wasn't his even though it was? Obviously we watched both of these people ultimately choose love, so is that what it's all about?

It's been four seasons and Grayson has finally confessed his love to Jane, Deb's Jane. Was having her dress stuck on that nail some sort of divine intervention? Clearly the guardian angels aren't controlling all that much if it's so easy to push a return button. Now where does she go?

Well... the choice isn't quite up to her since Owen caught the kiss, had a heart attack and was resuscitated as the original Jane. I'm still totally baffled at this, but I do know it means major consequences for next season.

As far as the storyline with Chelsea Kane, it was great but I think it would've gotten more attention in another episode. It deserved more attention than it got. 

Those are my thoughts on the finale and I'm interested to hear all of yours. Hit the comments and we'll see you next season! 

Welcome to Jim's Notebook.

In this new feature, I will be concluding my week of chatting up actors, actresses and showrunners by sharing various scoops and tidbits from these interviews with my fellow TV Fanatics.

On tap in this opening edition? Intel on Covert Affairs, Dexter, Drop Dead Diva, Bones and Hell on Wheels...

COVERT AFFAIRS: If you’re like me, Tuesday's Covert Affairs had you on the edge of your seat. How can it possibly be topped? I went to Auggie himself, Chris Gorham, with that question. His response:

This Tuesday's BIG Covert Affairs episode is all about justice. Annie's back on the job and hot on Lena's trail. Let's just say, we're heading into our three week break with a bang!

Does Gorham like to give good tease or what? Sadly, he’s correct in that Covert Affairs is going away for a bit: it will return October 16 with the first of six all-new episodes. Can we live a few weeks without Auggie and Annie (Piper Perabo)? It’ll be tough, for sure!

DEXTER: Anyone else dying to see what happens in the season premiere of Dexter? As you diehards know, last season ended with sister cop Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) finally witnessing her brother (Michael C. Hall) performing his ritural.

After the direct pickup in the September 30th opener, just how much of these season will be focusing on how the siblings work together... or apart? According to Executive Producer Scott Buck, a lot!

“It’s a huge story for the season that will carry us all the way throughout this season," Buck told me. "It’s not just the same story, it continues to change and take turns and twists because it’s not exactly going to go the way everyone would think it’s going to go. It’s a very complex issue."

DROP DEAD DIVA creator Josh Berman, meanwhile, was justifiably thrilled about the showing of last Sunday’s Season 4 finale. But was it enough to get a fifth season order from Lifetime? Berman, also the creator of The Mob Doctor - which bows Monday on Fox - showed off his understanding of the complex ratings game with this quote:

I'm thrilled that the Drop Dead Diva fans turned out in record numbers for our season finale. We hit season highs in total viewers,  HH, W25-54, A25-54, A18-49 and men demos, despite being on against the big football game! The finale was also up 29% from last season's finale. As a fourth year show, I'm thrilled to see that we continue to attract new viewers, and I'm so pleased with all the buzz on Twitter and other social media websites.

The cliffhanger was really well received by both viewers and critics.  At this point in time, I have big plans for season 5, but I'm waiting for Lifetime to pull the trigger on us pick us up officially.  I believe the cliffhanger reinvigorated the show and the best story lines are yet to come. 

What do YOU think? Should Diva get another season? You can tell me here or go to Diva’s Facebook page and tell Lifetime what you think. (And check back on Monday for my Q&A with Josh about The Mob Doctor.)

I’m a big fan of BONES and with the eighth season finale starting Monday, I asked my Twitter peeps what they’d like me to ask Executive Producers Hart Hanson and Stephen Nathan about the new season. For some reason, there is quite the contingent that do not like seeing Sweets (John Francis Daley) carrying a gun. Sure, he’s an FBI psychologist - but when you have a psycho killer like Christopher Pelant (played with creepy finesse by Andrew Leeds), knowing how to shoot a gun (after training we saw last season) could come in handy.

Hanson settled it all once and for all by telling me: “I think it’s safe to say, and this is not a spoiler, that Sweets is not going to be upstaging David Boreanaz as the FBI.”

But you gotta adore a guy who loves the level of fandom his show has: “I can't tell you how torn we are,” Hanson said, “between saying ‘what the hell?’ and then being delighted that people care that much that they really want the show back. So bless their hearts. Bless them.” 

The Bones season premiere is Monday at 8 p.m. on Fox.

Sometimes there's nothing better than seeing two guys in a movie or TV show duke it out. No guns, no fancy flips and over-the-top surprises. Just mano-to-mano aggression.

Look no further than AMC’s addictive HELL ON WHEELS. Set in 1865 and making the building of the transcontinental railroad exciting, the show also loves a good fight, as Executive Producer John Shiban (who also worked on kick ass shows like The X Files, Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and Breaking Bad) told me during our recent chat. Safe to assume there are some pretty smart fight coordinators in the mix, right?

We have a great stunt team and we spend a lot of time choreographing and storyboarding…Catherine Hardwicke (yep, the same one who directed the first Twilight film) was the one who directed the ‘Scabs’ episode and I think she did a fabulous job of just marshalling those people and getting the pieces make sense. That’s one of the things we take pride in. And we want to be that cinematic show and we want to give people that action that rivals movie action. I think we’ve been doing some good stuff.

Shiban also told me a little spoiler about the fate of one of our favorite character... and while I’m sworn to secrecy, I will tell you one of our regular characters just may meet a dismal end soon. Hell On Wheels airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC.

That's a wrap! Time to close my Notebook for now. Anything else you’re dying to know about your favorite show? Leave a comment here or you email me directly at jim@jimhalterman.com. And remember: get all your TV scoop by following @TVFanatic.

Until next time!