1 No one can accuse Kanye West of not giving his fans what they want. The hip-hop superstar is two months into his "G.O.O.D. Fridays" series, in which he releases a new song on www.KanyeWest.com for free every Friday. No surprise: Each song is album-worthy and some are downright epic. The beats are filled with adventurous bombast and the guest list shows off Kanye's deep Rolodex (Jay-Z, Pharrell, Raekwon, Nicki Minaj and -- gulp -- Justin Bieber).
2 Gabriel Byrne, Debra Winger and Amy Ryan may be the marquee names for the new season of "In Treatment," but it's Irrfan Khan who will keep you on the edge of the psychiatrist's couch. The "Slumdog Millionaire" actor plays a Calcutta immigrant struggling with the death of his wife and his repressed feelings for his daughter-in-law. It's a mysterious, hypnotic performance, the stuff Emmy nominations were created for. 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, HBO.
3 There's a school of thought that Woody Allen writes the same movie over and again. Given that, isn't it time for him to pen a sequel? "You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger" seems more apt for followup than other Allen films. To wit: Will writer Roy (Josh Brolin, pictured) get away with highway robbery, or is his goose cooked? How long before Alfie drops Charmaine off a ledge? Are Helena and Jonathan for real? And will Sally ever meet Harry and live happily ever after? For a film premised on a psychic's view of the future, there's a lot of future to think about. 4 The band of Tennessee siblings became megastars off their last album, but Kings of Leon's "Come Around Sundown" clearly marks their transformation from an indie-cool garage band to a radio-friendly arena-rock act. The choruses and guitars are big and polished, and the tunes are brawny yet sexy. It's nowhere near the KoL's best album, but it's way better than Nickelback and the last few Bon Jovi records.
5 If you're the type of theatergoer who prefers to walk away feeling really good, check out Ten Thousand Things' "Life's a Dream" at Open Book in Minneapolis. Michelle Hensley has assembled a great cast that zeroes in on the redemptive power of self-determination. Honest performances built on a belief in the power of Pedro Calderon de la Barca's story elevate the experience. www. tenthousandthings.org.
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