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"Necessary Roughness" review by Suzanne
new episodes Jan. 23 Wednesdays 10/9c on USA Network

The mid-season premiere "Frozen Fish Sticks" picks up after where the show left off last August. Dr. Dani is trying to fix her life. She is embarrassed by her kiss with Nico and still has feelings for Matt, and she can't manage to get her  professional life back together, either. She goes to see a shrink, her former professor, played wonderfully by veteran actor Peter MacNichol. She also has to help out TK, who gets out of rehab and has to figure out how to live a normal life as well as contend with changes in the Hawks. Also, the club's new owner is Pittman's daughter, Juliette, and she has her own problems, and she becomes friends with Dani's son.

As always, this show is a great and entertaining soap opera with lots of humor and fun thrown in. Oh, and football! Make sure  you tune in to the new episodes starting in late January.

“NECESSARY ROUGHNESS” KICKS OFF WINTER SEASON WITH NEW EPISODES ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23 10/9C on USA NETWORK

Upcoming Episodes Feature Prominent Sports Figures
Mark Cuban And Joe Theismann

Season two of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS returns to the field on January 23 at 10/9c with five powerful episodes leading to a dramatic season two finale.

Golden Globe nominee Callie Thorne reprises her acclaimed role as Dr. Dani Santino, a Long Island psychotherapist and single mother who’s plucked out of relative obscurity to become the sports-psychologist for the New York Hawks. After running the risk of losing her entire practice, Dani attempts to pick up the pieces of her complicated life. Meanwhile, the Hawks star player and ultimate bad boy TK (Mehcad Brooks) continues to struggle with his sobriety but will stop at nothing to maintain his number-one position as wide receiver. With the team’s ownership in the balance, the fate of the franchise rests solely on the coaches and players as they face some of their most significant setbacks yet. The team will be challenged when a secret surfaces and threatens to cause a scandal that could bring down the Hawks’ entire season.

Sports franchise owner Mark Cuban makes a special guest appearance as himself, stepping in as a potential buyer for the Hawks. Additional guest stars include former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, Will Chase (“Smash”), Peter MacNichol (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Numb3rs”), Jeff Nordling (“Body of Proof”) and Neil Hopkins (“Lost”.)

The series stars Thorne (“Rescue Me,” “Californication”), Marc Blucas (“Knight and Day,” “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer”), Brooks (“True Blood,” “Desperate Housewives”), Scott Cohen (“Law & Order: Trial By Jury,” “Gilmore Girls”), Hannah Marks (“The Amazing Spider-Man”) and Patrick Johnson (“Mean Girls 2”).

Created and executive produced by Liz Kruger & Craig Shapiro ("Miami Medical," "The Challenge"). Jeffrey Lieber (“Lost,” “Miami Medical”) and Kevin Dowling ("Sons of Tucson") also serve as executive producers. Inspired by a true story, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS is a Sony Pictures Television and Universal Cable Productions co-production. 　

The #1 network in all of basic cable for six consecutive years and an unprecedented seven straight summers, USA Network is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals, spectacular live television and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

Mid-Season Premiere

"Frozen Fish Sticks" Wednesday, January 23 at 10/9c

Dr. Dani (Callie Thorne) wants to get back to work with her patients, but getting there might require her to become a patient herself. TK (Mechad Brooks) returns to the Hawks ready to work, only to find that another wide-out has taken his place. Juliette Pittman (guest star Danielle Panabaker) , Nico (Scott Cohen) and the Hawks' front office clash in the wake of Pittman's death. Guest stars: Peter MacNichol, Robbie Jones, Danielle Panabaker, Michal O'Neill.

February 2013

The finale two episodes of "Necessary Roughness" this season are very entertaining. One of the football players has a big secret, that he's gay, and a lot of these two episodes are about how he and his partner deal with it, as well as the rest of the team (particularly T.K.) and the management team. Dani has to be a go-between with all of them, so she has her hands full. She also has to deal with her kid wanting to run off with Pittman's daughter to France, as well as her relationship with Matt. She still has feelings for Matt, but he is sort of in a relationship with this other woman. Meanwhile, Nico gets a job offer in another city and has to decide whether to take it.

It's really good stuff and I hope you can watch it! I sure enjoyed it. Adding Peter MacNicol to the cast as Dani's therapist has been fabulous, too.

 "Regret Me Not" - 10/9c WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Dr. Dani (Callie Thorne) tries to unearth the cause of quarterback Rex Evans' (Travis Smith) rage problem. TK (Mehcad Brooks) looks for help because he's getting worked on and off the field. Dani and her therapist discuss Dani's mother. Matt's (Marc Blucas) love life takes a turn for the better. There's a hiccup in the plan to sell the Hawks. Guest stars: Joe Theismann, Neil Hopkins, Peter MacNicol, Robbie Jones, Michaela McManus, Travis Smith, Tom Nowicki, James Black
"Regret Me Not" is part of USA's Characters Unite month to combat hate, intolerance and discrimination. This episode features part one of a courageous coming out storyline with a player on the New York Hawks football team. A PSA in partnership with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) will premiere following the episode directing viewers to more information and resources at charactersunite.com.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20 “There’s The Door” –10/9c–SEASON FINALE!
A secret surfaces and threatens to cause a scandal that could bring down the Hawks’ entire season. Dani (Callie Thorne) makes a decision regarding her feelings for Matt (Marc Blucas) and Nico (Scott Cohen).
Guest stars: Mark Cuban, Jeffrey Nordling, Neil Hopkins, Robbie Jones

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Page updated 2/15/13