Bakula's back

Oh, boy.

Am I the only “Quantum Leap” fan who practically squealed when Scott Bakula guest starred on NBC’s Chuck April 6?

Not only was it great to see one of my favorite childhood actors in action again — and I must say, the man has aged quite well — but it was also inspired casting. He and Zachary Levi, who plays his son Chuck, do resemble each other. It’s all in the eyebrows.

At first glance, Bakula’s Mr. Bartowski was an endearing old kook, still obsessing over his stolen inventions.

Then it was revealed that — spoiler alert — Mr. B is actually Orion, the genius who built the intersect in the first place. We probably guessed this was coming, but it was still very cool.

The episode ended with Orion falling into the clutches of bad guy Ted Roark (played by Chevy Chase), who wants him to build another intersect.

This week picked up with Chuck’s search for his father, to no avail. He came close but, in the meantime, revealed himself to some Fulcrum agents, which caused the general to order Chuck into protective custody.

I’m so glad that Sarah went against orders and ran off with him. Maybe it'll bring these two even closer and, in the end, reunite Chuck with his father.

You all know that “Chuck” isn’t the only thing I’ve been watching.

I do have a name to live up to, and here’s a quick round up of what’s kept me on the couch lately:

Fringe came back last week, and it was about time.

The episode, which aired on April 7, really worked because it mixed two very different cases together: the serial killer Olivia was tracking, the kind of story you’d see on any cop or procedural drama, and the much weirder one that centered on that bat boy-looking kid. He was fascinating, and I loved the bond he formed with Olivia.

This week’s episode went for the scares, as a genetically-altered monster was unleashed in Boston, and it was up to Olivia, Peter and Walter to bring it down. It was another solid outing and further proof that “Fringe” deserves a second season.

Brothers & Sisters

This show sure is a drag lately, isn’t it?

Tommy’s on the run after his scheme to kick Holly out of the family company failed. Kitty and Robert’s marriage is falling apart because of his political ambitions. Rebecca and Justin are broken up, and newest Walker sibling Ryan is glad to be right in the middle of it.

Speaking of Ryan, I can’t stand that kid, and I certainly don’t care how or why his mother died, even if William Walker had something to do with it. Did we really need all those scenes of Ryan and Rebecca digging through William’s old expense reports, or talking about his mother’s death? I’ll answer: No.

Justin also needs to stop being so whiney. It’s time for him to go to medical school and find a new girlfriend, preferably someone he didn’t once think was his sister (sorry, I just can’t forget that the Walkers once thought Rebecca was one of William’s illegitimate children).

This is all even more annoying because the show is at its best when the writers focus on the relationships among the Walker siblings — through one of their hilarious “emergency” conference calls, or a family dinner scene. I even really enjoyed Tommy, Kevin and Justin’s recent trip to Mexico. Even though it had to do with their respective personal crises, it provided some great comedic moments from the trio.

The show returns with a new episode tonight at 10 p.m.

The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel 2

I guess it’s not really surprising that the feisty C.T. was kicked off for fighting in the premiere’s first 15 minutes. It’s happened before, and it’s not uncommon for him to resort to fisticuffs during these shows.

Also not surprising was his opponent, Adam. The bad blood between these two stretches all the way back to their time as cast mates on “The Real World: Paris,” when C.T. got in Adam’s face for one reason or another (it aired six years and eight seasons ago, so forgive me if I can’t remember the exact details).

This time, the fight centered on C.T.’s supposed rooftop hook-up with Shauvon, and what C.T. perceived to be Adam gossiping about the alleged event with his ex-girlfriend, Diem.

What went down next was definitely the biggest brawl this show has ever seen. C.T. punched Adam in the face. Adam, who was at a significant size disadvantage, tried to fight back. At least six guys attempted to hold C.T. back, without much success. He tore up a wall in the house. He ran outside and chased Adam around the courtyard.

It was complete insanity.

Say what you want about C.T. — who I have decided to remove from my list of TV boyfriends; there’s just no room for that kind of crazy here — but the show will definitely be a little boring without him around.