Joe Mantegna will join the cast in the fifth episode, which would almost be enough to convince me to watch the show. (But probably not. I still don't get the entertainment value in serial killers every week.)

As for Patinkin, who quit the show without warning, without notice and without explanation, he'll be back for a single episode this fall, scheduled to air Oct. 3. No word on how his storyline will be wrapped up, but there is word that none of the show's cast and crew refused to work with him when he reappeared on the set.

HBO CANCELED "John From Cincinnati," which may or may not mean that creator/writer/executive producer David Milch will have time to do those two "Deadwood" movies he promised.

HBO is already talking to Milch about his next series, whatever that turns out to be.

As for "John," I watched every episode, and I'm not entirely sure what happened. For a while, I thought John was supposed to be the Son of God, but now I'm not so sure.

Deseret Morning News film critic Jeff Vice thinks John is a space alien and that aliens will arrive on Earth on 9/11 in the year 2014. Which is as logical as anything else I've heard.

When I reviewed "John" back in June, I told you I'd seen three episodes and wasn't sure if I liked it. Now, having seen all the episodes, I'm still not sure if I liked it.

Weird.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com