Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for December 13, 2012. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Glee (Fox, 9 p.m.): Brandon Nowalk stands outside your door with a boom box and an armful of cue cards. He hits “Play” on the jukebox, and a distractingly Auto-Tuned rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” begins playing. The cue cards read as follows: “Say it’s carol singers (’cuz, you know, Glee) / With any luck, by next year / Glee will attempt something as outwardly bonkers as that Judy Garland tribute it did last year / but for now, let me say / without hope or agenda, / just because it’s Christmas / (and at Christmas you tell the truth) / to me, Love Actually, It’s A Wonderful Life, and the “Mayan apocalypse” are perfect framing devices for this year’s holiday episode.”
REGULAR COVERAGE
Last Resort (ABC, 8 p.m.): Three episodes of Last Resort remain on the other end of television’s little winter break. Scott Von Doviak suggests you start hoarding DVR’ed episodes like a squirrel preparing for a long, Shawn Ryan-less winter.
The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8 p.m.): Dungeon Master Chuck Lorre introduces a Dungeons & Dragons-themed Christmas into Oliver Sava’s personal BBT quest. He’ll need to roll an “8” or higher to defend from all the 12-sided-die jokes to come—and only a “12” will beat nagging thoughts of “Community did it!”
The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 8 p.m.): Considering the seasonal theme of nearly everything on tonight’s schedule (Vampire Diaries included), it’s an absolute joy to see Klaus’ name in the summary of this episode. Now throw on this red fur-trimmed suit and cap for Carrie Raisler and fulfill your destiny, Vampire Santa!
Person Of Interest (CBS, 9 p.m.): Looks like the show brought a cliffhanger to the White Elephant gift exchange. It’s been passed off a couple of times now, and Phil Dyess-Nugent has to either accept it or hope one of the still-wrapped gifts is 40 minutes of Jim Caviezel fight scenes.
Elementary (CBS, 10 p.m.): The case of the week involves a supposedly impenetrable bank vault—which is perfect for Myles McNutt, who already has all sorts of theories about how Elementary will explain that Holmes’ mind is just like that bank vault.