They say baseball is America’s favorite pastime, but there’s really nothing more American than football. Heck, the word “football” in other countries refers to a whole different sport. So, of course, football has found its way into countless different American movies. From North Dallas Forty to Any Given Sunday, from The Waterboy to Rudy, people love a good football movie. Until now. Him might just be a little too out there.
Him is about a star college quarterback named Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers from I Know What You Did Last Summer) who sees his USFF (the movie’s fictional NFL) draft stock plummet after he is viciously attacked and left with a head injury. His childhood hero, an 8-time champion named Isaiah White (Requiem for a Dream’s Marlon Wayans), reaches out and offers to train him to take over the reins of his hometown team, The San Antonio Saviors, and Cameron couldn’t be happier. That is, until he realizes that Isaiah’s training methods are unorthodox, to say the least.
Him may have been directed by Justin Tipping (Flatbush Misdemeanors, Run the World) from a screenplay he wrote along with Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie (the creators of the Limetown podcast and television series), but producer Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) has his name above the title. And frankly, Him does feel a bit like a Peele movie. Only less coherent and more exploitative. It makes less sense and has more blood.
Part of Him is a Faustian deal-with-the-devil story, with Cameron being tempted with success and being asked what he would sacrifice to achieve it. Another part is a Joseph Campbell mentor tale, with Isaiah offering his wisdom and guidance to help Cameron be the best quarterback he can be. Along the way, the two movies merge, and that’s where things get muddy. Isaiah comes off as half willing to help and half jealous of his heir apparent. And this dichotomy manifests itself in Isaiah putting Cameron through a torturous training regimen.
It feels like there are a bunch of deleted scenes somewhere that make Him make a little bit more sense. The movie seems to be grounded in reality, but there are surreal moments that don’t feel like they’re part of the same story – think Aronofsky’s Mother! as a comparison. The analogies are both vague and on-the-nose at the same time, which just winds up confusing. Is this movie about the pressures of performing as an athlete, or is it a religious metaphor? Or maybe both?
To its credit, Him does explain much of itself by the end, but by then, the audience is a bit too shell-shocked to care. Any question as to whether or not it’s a horror movie is answered by the climax (for the curious, that’s a resounding YES!). At that point, any subtlety that may have existed in the film is long gone. This is where the little surreal images from Cameron’s nightmarish journey gather. It’s also where a story that barely had wheels in the first place loses them completely.
For his part, Justin Tipping knows how to make a good movie. His vision onscreen is solid, even in the face of the odd story choices. Him definitely has a distinct and inimitable style to it, one that is hip and visceral. Its vibe is that of a music video or a video game, reminiscent of the high-adrenaline Any Given Sunday. There’s a kinetic energy to the visuals that almost saves the movie from itself. Almost.
Personally, I really wanted to like Him a lot more than I did. I felt the same way about Mother!, and eventually came around a bit on that one (although not completely). Him is a mess, and that is probably by design. It may take a while for me to get past the Jordan Peele on the poster and unravel that mess. Tipping is obviously not Peele, and Him is obviously not Get Out.
GRADE: C-
Rating: R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual material, nudity, and some drug use
Running Time: 1 hour 36 minutes
Release Date: September 19, 2025
Studio: Universal Pictures
Starz’s teaser trailer for Outlander season eight – the final season – is a walk down memory lane, showcasing Jamie and Claire’s powerful love story over the years. The teaser focuses on the lead characters and the only voice heard other than theirs is off-camera at the end of the video. A man says, “Mrs. Fraser,” and Claire looks stunned. She replies, “Is it possible?”
The answer to who the voice belongs to won’t be revealed until the final season premieres in early 2026.
Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan return to star as Claire and Jamie. Season eight also stars Sophie Skelton as Brianna MacKenzie, Richard Rankin as Roger MacKenzie, John Bell as Young Ian, David Berry as Lord John Grey, Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom, Izzy Meikle-Small as Rachel Hunter, and Joey Phillips as Denzell Hunter.
Executive producers include Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Maril Davis, Toni Graphia, Luke Schelhaas, Andy Harries, Jim Kohlberg, Caitríona Balfe, and Sam Heughan.
Poster for ‘Outlander’ season 8 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz offers this lengthy description of seasons seven and eight:
“Season seven of Outlander delivered an epic blend of history, heartache, and high-stakes drama as the Frasers found themselves swept into the turmoil of the American Revolution. The season ended with Jamie’s fateful decision to resign his Continental Army commission and return to Fraser’s Ridge with Claire. Meanwhile, after an emotional family reunion, the MacKenzies needed to decide where and when to settle next, and a haunting cliffhanger left fans questioning the true fate of Claire and Jamie’s first daughter, Faith.
As season eight begins, Jamie and Claire soon find the war has followed them home to Fraser’s Ridge, now a thriving settlement that has grown and flourished in their absence. With new arrivals and changes made during their years away, the Frasers are confronted with the question of what they are willing to sacrifice for the place they call home and, more importantly, what they would sacrifice to stay together. While the Frasers keep a united front against outside intruders, family secrets finally coming to light threaten to tear them apart from the inside. Although they’ve left the war for America’s freedom behind, their fight for Fraser’s Ridge has only just begun.”
Netflix’s True Haunting trailer was released without many details on what it’s promoting. Apparently, True Haunting‘s a new series that explores just what the title suggests.
Netflix’s brief description reads, “Acclaimed master of horror James Wan brings his chilling cinematic vision to real supernatural stories.”
The series consists of two segments: “Eerie Hall” and “This House Murdered Me.” Neil Rawles (The Takedown: American Aryans) directed the three “Eerie Hall” episodes, and Luke Watson (The Swarm) directed the two-episode “This House Murdered Me.”
In addition to James Wan, executive producers include Simon Allen, Mark Lewis, Lindsay Shapero, Scott Stewart, Michael Clear, and Rob Hackett.
True Haunting premieres on October 7, 2025.
Poster for ‘True Haunting’ (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Prime Video isn’t quite finished with The Summer I Turned Pretty. Just hours after the third and final season’s finale dropped, the streamer announced an original film is in the works that will fill out Belly’s story.
Because not everyone’s had the chance to watch The Summer I Turned Pretty season three finale, we’re keeping this totally spoiler-free. Prime Video’s also not giving away any details, withholding a plot description for now.
Author Jenny Han will co-write the screenplay with Sarah Kucserka and is on board to direct. “There is another big milestone left in Belly’s journey, and I thought only a movie could give it its proper due. I’m so grateful to Prime Video for continuing to support my vision for this story and for making it possible to share this final chapter with the fans,” said Han.
The series stars Lola Tung as Belly, Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah, and Christopher Briney as Conrad. Sean Kaufman plays Steven, Rain Spencer is Taylor, and Jackie Chung plays Laurel. There’s no word yet on who will return for the film.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty has struck a chord with audiences everywhere, creating moments of joy, nostalgia, and connection that have made it a global sensation,” said Courtenay Valenti, head of film, streaming and theatrical at Amazon MGM Studios, and Vernon Sanders, Global Head of Television, at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “We’re proud of the series’ extraordinary success and couldn’t be more excited to partner again with Jenny Han to bring fans an unforgettable next chapter.”
Season three was executive produced by showrunners Jenny Han and Sarah Kucserka, Karen Rosenfelt, Paul Lee, Hope Hartman, and Mads Hansen.
Prime Video offers this description of the series’ plot: “Based on the best-selling book trilogy from Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a multigenerational drama centered around a love triangle involving one girl and two brothers. It explores the complex bonds between mothers and their children, the strength of lasting female friendships, and the transformative journey of growing up. At its heart, it’s a coming-of-age tale about first love, first heartbreak, and the unforgettable magic of one perfect summer.”
Jack Black and Paul Rudd play BFFs hunted by a gigantic snake in the trailer for Columbia Pictures’ Anaconda. Of course, they wouldn’t be in this predicament if they hadn’t made the bizarre decision to remake the campy 1997 action film starring Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube.
Steve Zahn (Silo), Thandiwe Newton (Wednesday), Daniela Melchior (Road House), and Selton Mello also star. The original film was directed by Luis Llosa, with Tom Gormican (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) directing the 2025 action comedy.
“Doug (Black) and Griff (Rudd) have been best friends since they were kids and have always dreamed of remaking their all-time favorite movie: the cinematic ‘classic’ Anaconda,” reads Columbia Pictures. “When a midlife crisis pushes them to finally go for it, they head deep into the Amazon to start filming. But things get real when an actual giant anaconda appears, turning their comically chaotic movie set into a deadly situation. The movie they’re dying to make? It might just get them killed……”
Gormican and Kevin Etten wrote the screenplay and serve as producers. Brad Fuller and Andrew Form also produce, with Samson Mücke executive producing.
Anaconda opens in theaters on Christmas 2025.
Poster for ‘Anaconda’ (Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures)
Jennifer Aniston stars in ‘The Morning Show’ (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+ has renewed one of its most popular dramas, The Morning Show, ahead of its new season premiere. Season four will debut on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, and season five is now confirmed to be in the works.
Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston lead a cast that includes two-time Emmy Award winner Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Greta Lee, Nicole Beharie, and Emmy winner Jon Hamm. Newcomers include Aaron Pierre, William Jackson Harper, Boyd Holbrook, Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, and Oscar winner Jeremy Irons.
“The Morning Show has been a standout from the very start, debuting as one of the flagship series on Apple TV+,” stated Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to see it not only entertain but also resonate with audiences worldwide. Thanks to the outstanding cast and creative team—led by Jennifer, Reese, Charlotte and Mimi — The Morning Show continues to deliver addictively entertaining and provocative stories that we’ve all come to love. We’re excited for viewers to experience the next chapter of this Emmy-winning drama.”
Charlotte Stoudt serves as showrunner and executive producer. Hello Sunshine’s Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter also executive produce, along with Echo Films’ Jennifer Aniston and Kristin Hahn. Additional executive producers include Zander Lehmann, Micah Schraft, and Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer. Mimi Leder directs and executive produces.
“Season four of The Morning Show opens in spring 2024, almost two years after the events of season three. With the UBA-NBN merger complete, the newsroom must grapple with newfound responsibility, hidden motives, and the elusive nature of truth in a polarized America,” reads Apple TV+’s synopsis. “In a world rife with deepfakes, conspiracy theories, and corporate cover-ups — who can you trust? And how can you know what’s actually real?”
Commenting on the renewal, executive producer Michael Ellenberg said, “It’s an honor to witness the collective talent, passion, and commitment of Jen, Reese, Mimi, Charlotte, our partners at Hello Sunshine and Echo Films, and everyone involved in The Morning Show, and we’re excited to embark on a new season that will give this cast and creative team even more room to shine. We are so grateful to Apple TV+ and the fans around the world who tune in every week, and are so excited for viewers to see this upcoming season and beyond.”
Joe Lando joins Jane Seymour in ‘Harry Wild’ (Photo Credit: Acorn TV)
Season five of Acorn TV’s Harry Wild is going to be a Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman reunion. Joe Lando has joined the cast of the upcoming season and will play Pierce Kennedy, “the new State Pathologist, a charming and handsome natural ally for Harry, the titular amateur detective.”
Production is now underway in Dublin, Ireland. The six-episode fifth season is expected to premiere in 2026.
In addition to series star Jane Seymour, Rohan Nedd is back as Fergus, Kevin Ryan returns as Charlie Wild, and Rose O’Neill reprises her role as Lola Wild. Samantha Mumba plays Paula Kenny, Paul Tylak is Glenn Talbot, and Aoife Mulholland is Orla Wild.
“In season five, Harry and Fergus are back with their most sensational and thrilling ride yet, including murder mysteries in the world of whiskey-making, theatre, and musical-tattoos, not to mention a gang of middle-aged lady burglars and a murder close to home,” reads Acorn TV’s synopsis.
David Logan created the series and serves as writer and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Seymour, Daniel March, Klaus Zimmermann, James Gibb, David McLoughlin, Catherine Mackin, Bea Tammer, and ZDF’s Frank Seyberth and Claus Wunn. Writer Jo Spain also executive produces.
Prime Video has officially renewed We Were Liars for season two. The streamer released the eight-episode first season on June 18, 2025, but the renewal announcement didn’t indicate when season two is expected to arrive. It also didn’t confirm the season two cast.
Season one starred Emily Alyn Lind as Cadence Sinclair Eastman, Shubham Maheshwari as Gat Patil, Esther McGregor as Mirren Sinclair Sheffield, and Joseph Zada as Johnny Sinclair Dennis. The cast also included Caitlin FitzGerald as Penny Sinclair, Mamie Gummer as Carrie Sinclair, Candice King as Bess Sinclair, Rahul Kohli as Ed Patil, and David Morse as Harris Sinclair.
“We loved making this show with so many spectacular humans,” stated writers, executive producers, and co-showrunners Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries, Legacies) and Carina Adly MacKenzie (Roswell, New Mexico, The Originals). “The fan response was truly special. There are still plenty of secrets buried on Beechwood Island and we can’t wait to keep digging them up.”
Additional executive producers include Emily Cummins (The Endgame, Vampire Academy) for My So-Called Company, Brett Matthews (Legacies), Pascal Verschooris (The Vampire Diaries), and author E. Lockhart.
“In season one, We Were Liars follows Cadence Sinclair Eastman and her tight-knit inner circle, nicknamed the Liars, during their summer escapades on her grandfather’s New England private island,” reads Prime Video’s synopsis. “The Sinclairs are American royalty—known for their good looks, old money, and enviable bond—but after a mysterious accident changes Cadence’s life forever, everyone, including her beloved Liars, seems to have something to hide.”
Commenting on the renewal, E. Lockhart said, “MacKenzie and Plec have big, big plans for Season Two, including everything readers of my books are dying to see onscreen — and a lot of surprises as well.”
“Delving deeper into the thrilling world of E. Lockhart’s novels with a second season of We Were Liars was a no-brainer,” said Laura Lancaster, Head of Co-Production and Ongoing Series, Amazon Studios MGM Studios. “Along with our talented cast, showrunners Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie did a marvelous job bringing the novels to life for our global Prime Video customers, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for season two.”
Oscar nominee Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) and three-time Oscar nominee Margot Robbie (Barbie) deliver outstanding performances in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, a hopeful, fantastical exploration of human relationships. Directed by Kogonada (After Yang, Columbus), the romantic drama is a meticulously crafted, breathtakingly beautiful tale that feels both ambitious and personal in scope.
Farrell and Robbie star as David and Sarah, strangers on their way to a mutual friend’s wedding. Both happen to rent 1994 Saturn SLs from a quirky agency where the clerks treat the rental process like an audition. This weird opening act is just the setup for the film’s title, a big bold beautiful journey that follows these strangers as they dip into their pasts.
A magical, startlingly intrusive GPS guides them to a series of doors that open into pivotal memories. But they don’t just stand back and watch these memories like one of Scrooge’s ghosts. David and Sarah experience them (still in their adult bodies), seen through the eyes of those involved in the memories as the age they were when they took place.
As the magical mystery tour unfolds, these two strangers, thrust together via an incredibly weird meet-cute, share secrets, expose their doubts, confess their heartbreaks, and reveal their hopes for what the future might hold.
The on-screen chemistry between Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie is electric. Farrell and Robbie bring a captivating charm to their characters, drawing you into this surreal tale where fate – and a retro-looking yet futuristic GPS – connects two strangers. Farrell’s David is more of an open book, heart-on-his-sleeve type of guy, while Robbie plays Sarah as someone whose humor masks a desire for someone to truly see her for herself.
The film beautifully weaves together themes of confronting fears, atoning for past mistakes, and finding forgiveness, while sending the characters on a journey whose final stop doesn’t matter. It’s the paths taken to get there that are the point.
Director Kogonada’s distinctive style shines through and although the story has occasional missteps, the visual presentation of this magical world never falters. The visuals are absolutely stunning, with the dreamlike environments matching the surreal narrative. Sarah describes their journey as both strangely beautiful and beautifully strange, a description that also describes Kogonada’s film. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is, ultimately, a modern-day fairy tale, unflinchingly romantic and hopeful.
GRADE: B
Rating: R for language
Running Time: 109 minutes
Release Date: September 19, 2025
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Kaitlin Olson in ‘High Potential’ season 2 episode 1 (Disney/Jessica Perez)
Season one of ABC’s High Potential ended with the Game Maker still on the loose and targeting Morgan’s family. It was also revealed that Roman is possibly still alive. Season two picks up just a week later, with Morgan and her family going a bit stir-crazy from being stuck at home.
(The following is a detailed recap of season two episode one, “Pawns,” and has spoilers.)
Music pounds as a woman leaves a club, answering a call from her babysitter confirming her kids are fine. She’s heading home after a fun night out partying. One second, she’s dancing her way to her car; the next, she’s vanished while walking next to a white van in a gated parking lot.
Meanwhile, Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) looks through the Game Maker’s files and momentarily freaks out when she hears screaming. Thankfully, it’s just Ludo (Taran Killam) and their son having a pillow fight. She joins in and Ava (Amirah J) takes over the adult role, warning them to be quiet because she’s trying to put the baby to sleep.
Lt. Selena Soto (Judy Reyes) interrupts the fight by paying a late-night visit. Morgan admits it’s been tough keeping the secret that a deranged psycho is after her from the kids. Selena tries to assure her they’ll catch him soon. She also confirms they’re still working on finding Roman. They think he’s staying in Henderson, Nevada, and the police there are helping with the search.
Detectives Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), Oz Osman (Deniz Akdeniz), and Daphne Forrester (Javicia Leslie) have been burning the midnight oil, pulling late shifts to try and locate the killer. Adam sends them both home; he doesn’t want them to get burned out.
Morgan calls him at 2am and Adam’s still up at home, working. Morgan can’t believe they haven’t found the Game Maker since she worked with multiple artists to come up with a detailed sketch to release to the public. She hates feeling so on edge, and Adam admits he feels the same.
Morning arrives and Morgan delivers shortbread cookies to Officer Chester (Rolando Boyce), who’s outside protecting her family. She’s about to run errands when she notices the flag’s up on her mailbox. Inside is a postcard advertising a security company. It’s addressed to her neighbor and she’s instantly on edge. Chester offers to call for a police escort, but Morgan doesn’t think that’s necessary as she heads to the address on the postcard.
She’s freaked out when she finds a neighbor’s door open and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” blaring. No one at the station picks up so she heads there and immediately launches into a rant about the rarity of the postal service delivering mail to the wrong address. She believes the Game Maker wanted her to walk past a specific house on the way to the address on the postcard.
Daniel Sunjata, Deniz Akdeniz, Judy Reyes and Javicia Leslie in ‘High Potential’ season 2 episode 1 (Disney/Jessica Perez)
She finally stops talking and Adam’s able to welcome her back. Morgan apologizes for coming in hot and asks the team to check the postcard for fingerprints. She’s certain the Game Maker touched it. The team disagrees, and Selena reminds her of a few recent incidents that she also thought involved the Game Maker. Morgan confesses she may have jumped the gun before, but the jungle animal game that he left her kids and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” are a match. It’s got to be him.
Daphne confirms she’s tried to reach out to Maya Price, the woman who owns the house with the open front door. Suddenly, a woman speaks up and claims Maya is her sister and that she’s currently missing. Maya’s young son, Max, is also there and wonders where his mom is.
The sister, Sarah, explains she was babysitting Max and Maya never came to pick him up. When Sarah stopped by the house this morning, she found the door open. Sarah says Maya got free tickets to a show at a club and went with someone from work. She shows off photos her sister sent from the club, and it looks like she had fun. Maya doesn’t drink so it’s not an issue of her getting drunk and going somewhere to sleep it off.
Sarah describes Maya’s ex as a good guy with bad habits. Unfortunately, there were custody issues. Sarah doesn’t recognize the Game Maker when Morgan shows her the sketch.
Adam and Morgan learn Maya left the club alone at about 9:30pm. They walk to the pay lot nearby and her silver Honda isn’t there. However, Morgan spots busted streetlights that would have made the parking lot dark. She picks up a heel cap from Maya’s shoe and believes she was attacked right where they’re standing. As we see the abduction go down, Morgan says Maya fought back using her purse as a weapon. Multiple items flew out and are still on the pavement.
Morgan thinks Maya was able to run toward the guard in the parking lot booth. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it to him. There are scratch marks on the ground left by her heels as he dragged her to his—or her—vehicle.
At some point Maya must have lost a shoe and only left one drag mark. Morgan scans the lot and finds a shoe that matches Maya’s photos. The Game Maker must have knocked Maya out and put her in the trunk of her car.
Back at the station, the team gets to work on Maya’s case. They’ll hold a press conference later, but Selena doesn’t want to definitively tie the Game Maker to her abduction in the press. For now, they’ll say it’s a search for a missing woman.
Oz sides with Morgan but Adam confirms the only prints on the postcard are Morgan’s and the postman’s. Oz learns Maya recently bought a gun. Selena wants Maya’s ex, Derek, brought in for questioning.
Morgan, Adam, Oz, and Daphne search Maya’s place, and Adam notices “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” album doesn’t fit in with her other records. Oz notes the locks are new, and Daphne says she can’t find a gun.
Daniel Sunjata and Kaitlin Olson in ‘High Potential’ season 2’s premiere (Disney/Jessica Perez)
Morgan looks through her closet and finds Gucci, Versace, and Prada bags that Maya can’t afford. (Sarah said Maya works two jobs to make ends meet.) There’s nothing in the packages and Adam thinks they might have been stolen. They continue to look for clues and Morgan finds a keyboard. She yells for Adam, certain the missing items were sold.
At Morgan’s urging, she and Adam head to Boneyard Pawn where Morgan happens to be a familiar face. She knows the guy working at the counter, Fritzy, and shows him Maya’s photo. He doesn’t admit to recognizing her, but then Morgan points out that a keyboard in Maya’s house had an imprint left behind by Boneyard’s dog biscuit-shaped stickers. She must have bought it there while pawning the expensive items. He confesses he bought items from Maya, but he can’t just hand over thousands of dollars of items to the cops.
Morgan talks him into letting the cops borrow the items. He mentions that Maya was arguing with a man in the parking lot and it should have been captured on his security camera.
Adam questions Derek, informing him Maya was abducted last night in Hollywood. Adam shows Derek footage of him and Maya arguing outside the Boneyard. Derek admits he followed her and that she’d been getting expensive gifts from someone. He was jealous but claims he wouldn’t hurt her. He’s shocked to learn Maya bought a weapon. She hated guns.
Derek calls Maya the love of his life and asks Adam to please find her.
Morgan joins Adam to question Maya’s friend who was with her at the club. She confirms Maya was stressed out over custody issues and needed a night out. She also confirms their boss, CEO Jason Howard, is a nepo baby who’s always hard to get ahold of. Maya never told her who sent the expensive gifts, but she believes Jason sent them. Jason was interested in Maya and gave her the tickets to the club the night she disappeared. But Maya would never have been involved with Jason romantically.
The friend mentions that Morgan looks like Maya.
Kaitlin Olson and Judy Reyes in ‘High Potential’ season 2 episode 1 (Disney/Jessica Perez)
Daphne discovers Jason settled half a dozen sexual harassment cases to keep women quiet. Morgan listens and then steps out, quickly creating her own board with Jason as a Game Maker suspect. She wheels it into the office and recites all the clues linking him to the Game Maker:
-Jason is a diabetic like his victim Spencer, so he would know how long Spencer could have survived without a shot.
-Jason’s also a painter whose work looks like the ones found hanging in the gallery where victim Sierra was locked in a safe.
-He’s a certified scuba instructor, which means he could have placed Oz in the pool.
-When you draw long hair and a beard on Jason, he looks just like one of the sketches of the suspect.
Selena thinks Jason is the Game Maker, but Morgan corrects her. Jason is just a distraction that the real Game Maker set up to look guilty. The pieces were too easy to put together. The Game Maker is actually framing Jason, and they shouldn’t fall for it. Selena remains unconvinced, suggesting the easiest answer might be the right answer this time.
The team sides with Selena. Why would the Game Maker frame Jason Howard? Morgan doesn’t know.
A short time later, Selena confesses to Adam that she believes Morgan’s under too much stress. Selena takes the blame since she pushed her into the job. But Adam’s convinced Selena did the right thing. They need Morgan as part of the team.
Ava’s growing restless and wants to go to a friend’s, but Morgan makes her stay home. She promises her daughter they’ll talk about it later.
Adam drops by with news they’re going to a party hosted by Jason. Jason promised he’d give them a few minutes to talk there.
They arrive and everyone’s wearing masks, just like the Game Maker’s. Jason claims Maya is really important to his company. He admits he gave her the comp tickets to the nightclub and then reluctantly admits he knows about the expensive items. However, he reveals Maya bought them for herself with his credit card. He found out last week but didn’t fire her because he has a soft spot for single moms. Also, it’s just money.
Morgan points out his collection of expensive samurai weapons is missing a dagger. Adam asks for his alibi for last night and he says he was home. He then asks them to see themselves out. Adam realizes Morgan’s lagging behind to look around without a warrant. He doesn’t make her leave.
As she’s going through Jason’s drawers, she thinks she sees the Game Maker. She goes after him as Adam looks around. Adam spots Maya’s bracelet in the pool just as Morgan yells for him, certain she’s just seen the Game Maker.
The Game Maker puts on a mask and calmly walks through the party guests as Morgan follows behind. Adam gets in front of the masked man and holds him at gunpoint, demanding he remove his mask. He does, and it’s Jason.
Adam reads Jason his rights, informing him he’s under arrest for the kidnapping of Maya. Morgan’s certain the Gamemaster is somewhere on the property, and Adam gets her to take a deep breath and think about where Maya might be held.
Back at the station, Derek is barely held back when he goes after Jason as he’s led in by cops. Morgan calls Ludo to see if everything’s okay and if he’s got the place on lockdown. He told the kids what’s happening, and they’re scared for their mom.
Jason’s questioned and doesn’t provide any info on Maya. Morgan believes that’s because Jason’s not involved in the kidnapping. She still thinks he’s being set up. The team wonders how close she was to the Gamemaster at the party; they wish someone else had seen him too.
Morgan’s shocked that they’re suggesting she can’t remember his face. She becomes emotional, admitting his face will always be cemented in her brain because he’s a danger to her kids.
Daphne discovers a salvage yard found Maya’s car, and the team checks it out. It showed up last night but the man at the yard doesn’t know who brought it in. The trunk contains Maya’s bloody jacket and Jason’s missing dagger.
Selena arrives at the yard with news that the police in Nevada have an address for Roman. Adam volunteers to drive Morgan there now, but she doesn’t want to leave her kids. Daphne and Oz volunteer to go instead; Selena told them what’s going on last week, so now they’re in the loop too.
Suddenly, Morgan realizes someone must have called Derek to tell him about Jason’s arrest. Adam confirms it wouldn’t have been Major Crimes, so Morgan deduces it must have been the Game Maker. What she can’t figure out is why.
Adam and Morgan return to the station to look through the evidence again. Morgan thinks it’s possible Maya also received the security company post card in the mail and had the company install her new locks. And it was the Game Maker who changed them! While he was there, he stole Jason’s credit card. He charged all the gifts to it, causing Maya to believe Jason bought them, while Jason thought Maya used his card to buy them for herself. The Game Maker then abducted her, stole her bracelet, and put it in Jason’s pool. He grabbed the dagger at the same time. Morgan thinks the Game Maker bought a gun on Jason’s card and wanted Derek to think that Maya had purchased one.
It’s possible Maya’s still alive since the Game Maker’s other victims weren’t murdered. Morgan thinks the Game Maker is setting up Derek to use Maya’s gun, which he planted in her house, to kill Jason.
The scene shifts to Derek retrieving the gun from a drawer at Maya’s house. (Morgan’s theory is the Game Maker planted it there after the detectives search her place.) “The Game Maker created a murderer,” says Morgan.
“And we put the weapon right in his hands,” replies Selena.
Adam goes to Maya’s place and finds an empty gun case. He sees Derek speeding away and drives off after him.
Oz and Daphne arrive at the address in Nevada and knock on a motel room door. A man (Mekhi Phifer) inside the room pulls an envelope from under the mattress and reads an address.
The episode ends with the Game Maker (Grimm‘s David Giuntoli) showing up at the station, smiling as he tells Selena and Morgan that he knows they’re looking for him.
