TV tonight: 'Major Crimes,' 'Castle'
Major Crimes
TNT, 9 ET/PT
The biggest draw tonight, of course, is likely to be the first-ever college football championship game. But for those who have no interest, TNT offers the two-part season finale of one of cable's more popular series. The show's closer is built around Phillip Stroh (Billy Burke), who wants a new plea deal in exchange for helping to prevent some murders. If you stick around for Part 2, you get to see Designing Women's Annie Potts as a police consultant.
Castle
ABC, 10 ET/PT
So if you're Castle and you've been banned from working with Kate because of your mob ties, what do you do? You get yourself a private investigator's license and work, if not with her, at least off to the side of her — which is what he does in this amusing outing from this still-solid mystery/comedy.
State of Affairs
NBC, 10 ET/PT
My goodness, a lot is happening on this show. Charlie is leading ops while someone else briefs the president, who is fighting a mud-slinging opponent — all while battling D.C. bomb threats and Colombian revolutionaries who have kidnapped someone from a Panamanian prison. If that leaves you feeling lost, well, you can either struggle to catch up — or give up and stay lost. Not every hard-to-follow show is worth the effort.