First night of finals on America's Got Talent, and Dallas' Cas Haley impressed again. The hit NBC summer show has a bit different format for the finale this season in that they'll only eliminate two from the roster this week instead of picking a winner.

Presumably, they'll work their way down to a winner in three or four weeks. It was a smart move for Simon Cowell and the show's producers to make this a bit more suspensful, week by week. However, what's not in suspense is who should win.

Cas Haley. God bless. Check out the video of he and his band, Woodbelly, at Club Dada in Dallas. What they need is an organ, and damn if I wouldn't have been willing to play it for 'em. And, sorry, but if you're a white boy and can kill on Stevie's "Livin' For The City," you kill, period. Enjoy.

***

Finally got around to watching the second episode of TNT's Saving Grace, set in Oklahoma City, featuring Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko -- a hard drinking, sexing, cussing cop who is trailed by a chaw-spitting angel named Earl, who exists to give Grace her last chance at spiritual reconciliation.

The second episode was harder to watch than the first on many accounts, but it was an improvement. First, I kinda liked the kitsch of the first episode with all the awkward Oklahoma references. Second, if I wanted to watch a regular cop show, I'd revisit the classics from the 1970s, like Baretta.

Speaking of the Robert Blake vehicle, Grace now features a black man who works as an "informant" for the OKC policewoman. In exchange, she buys him booze and shoes -- how original. Couldn't they have at least dressed him like a pimp?

There were still some odd Oklahoma references, such as the ugly bumper sticker that read "God is a Sooners fan," with an OU foam finger pointing to the heavens. Also, Grace asks her partner, the guy she sleeps with, whether we (Sooners) have a chance at the national championship and then references its dependence on a quarterback from Sapulpa.

Sapulpa?

Now, I believe the Chieftans supplied us with Carl Pendleton a few years back, but the writers could have at least name-dropped Jenks, Union, Booker T, Midwest City, Muskogee, PC North (Sam Bradford), Norman, Edmond or Enid.

Finally, I propose a drinking game in honor of the TNT hit -- and by all accounts, this show is actually a cable hit. However, if I'm going to watch it, I'm going to need to drink, so here goes.

1 drink everytime:

Somebody says "shit"

Grace brings angelic evidence to her co-worker, played by Laura San Giacomo

An OU flag, sticker, cap, whatever appears

Somebody references a tornado, and make it two if it's an F5

Grace is overcome by the glory of Earl's wings


2 drinks everytime:

Grace is seen in bed after a night of frolicking with a co-worker

Grace shows off her naked body to her elderly neighbor

Going to church, mass, temple or mosque is mentioned

Earl recites all the locales he's visited that day


3 drinks anytime:

Oklahoma State is mentioned

An OKC news outlet is shown

The prisoner who shares Grace's angelic visions recites how many months, days and hours he has until he gets executed

Grace's boss, Percy Yukon, appears, which at this point will have to be a miracle because the writers killed him off after two episodes.


And finally, chug it down if:

Barry Switzer gets mentioned

Gary England gets a nod

Somebody says something halfway intelligent

Heck, the second episode started off on a weird note, with Hunter and her co-worker fornicator hunting deer. Nevermind that actual deer hunting requires days if not weeks of setup and preparation -- not that I like it at all, but I have lived around hunters my entire life. It's work. You don't just go out on a whim and start shooting guns at roaming animals.

Like I said, it improved in some ways this week. The dialogue regarding and treatment of spiritual, Christian people was particularly impressive given the stereotypical impersonations we typically see on TV. That a regular Joe can be at a bar one night and discussing God the next, to me, is real life.

However, unfortunately, if Grace represents real life, then we're all idiots. Fortunately for me as a viewer though, it's almost so quirky and rough and awkward that I can't wait to see what I'll make fun of next.