In the first teaser trailer from The Christmas Chronicles, we’re told Christmas is in trouble. We also learn that billboards put on 80 pounds as Kurt Russell’s Santa Claus is not a “right jolly old elf.” However, this Santa tale does have elves, flying reindeer, and apparently there’s a naughty list.
Commenting on the holiday story, director Clay Kaytis said, “No one is better suited than Kurt Russell to bring our version of a rugged, charismatic, and hilarious Santa Claus to life. From our first meeting, he completely threw himself into this iconic role – and grew an impressive beard in the process. It has been a dream come true to work with Kurt in creating what I believe will be the new definition of Santa Claus for generations to come.”
In addition to Kurt Russell, the cast includes Judah Lewis as Teddy Pierce and Darby Camp as Kate. Matt Lieberman wrote the script and Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, and Michael Barnathan produced.
“Kurt is the definitive Santa Claus,” said producer Chris Columbus. “Charismatic, tough when needed with a wicked sense of humor. We’re really excited for audiences to see his performance onscreen and hope The Christmas Chronicles becomes a timeless classic.”
The Christmas Chronicles will premiere on November 22, 2018.
The Plot:
“The Christmas Chronicles, a holiday adventure from producer Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) and director Clay Kaytis (The Angry Birds Movie), tells the story of sister and brother, Kate (Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Lewis), whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about. After staking out Santa’s arrival, they sneak into his sleigh, cause it to crash and nearly derail Christmas. As their wild night unfolds, Kate and Teddy work together with Santa – as you’ve never seen him before – and his loyal Elves to save Christmas before it’s too late.”
Kurt Russell in ‘The Christmas Chronicles.’A scene from Netflix’s ‘The Christmas Chronicles.’
Paramount Pictures is treating horror fans to the first official poster from Pet Sematary along with the first photos. The first look at the upcoming film arrived just a day prior to the planned release of the 2019 horror movie’s official trailer.
Set to open in theaters on April 5, 2019, Pet Sematary is based on the bestselling book by Stephen King. King’s terrifying novel about a burial ground that brings pets (and people) back to life was originally made into a feature film in 1989. That version was directed by Mary Lambert, with King penning the script. The 1989 adaptation starred Denise Crosby, Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Brad Greenquist, and Blaze Berdahl.
The 2019 version stars Jason Clarke as Louis Creed, Amy Seimetz as Rachel Creed, and John Lithgow as Jud Crandall. The cast also includes Hugo and Lucas Lavoie as Gage Creed, Jete Laurence as Ellie Creed, and Obssa Ahmed as Victor Pascow.
Scream: The TV Series‘ Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer directed from a script by Jeff Buhler (Nightflyers). Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Steven Schneider, and Mark Vahradian produced, with Mark Moran executive producing.
The Pet Sematary Plot:
Based on the seminal horror novel by Stephen King, Pet Sematary follows Dr. Louis Creed (Clarke), who, after relocating with his wife Rachel (Seimetz) and their two young children from Boston to rural Maine, discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near the family’s new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbor, Jud Crandall (Lithgow), setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.
The CW’s firming up its 2019 summer primetime lineup, announcing their slate of 2018 summer shows will return next year. The fantasy adventure series The Outpost is confirmed to return for a second season along with Kristin Kreuk’s dramatic series Burden of Truth.
The network has also renewed Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and Masters of Illusion for the summer of 2019. In addition, The CW has picked up the British dramatic series Bulletproof and will add it to their schedule next summer.
Details on The CW’s Summer 2019 Lineup:
Bulletproof follows two undercover cops, Bishop (Noel Clarke) and Pike (Ashley Walters) as they chase down hardened criminals in London’s East End. But the series is more than high-octane action and thrilling cases. On the surface Bishop and Pike have a lot in common, they are cool, smart and unapologetically street-wise and tough. But even more, they share a deep, fraternal relationship and are always there for each other. However, they come from very different backgrounds and their personal motivations and emotional lives outside the police force differ as a result.
Pike is an aspirational family man, the son of a decorated police officer who is determined to follow in his father’s footsteps, but not be in his shadow. Meanwhile, Bishop grew up in care homes and on the streets, and never knew his father. Despite these differences Bishop and Pike are bonded by the same moral code and work brilliantly well together even when the chemistry between them looks set to explode. Full of grit and sometimes gloss, Bulletproof is stylish and funny with entertaining, riveting criminal cases in each episode. At its heart though it is a series about the fascinating relationships between fathers and sons, as well as between best friends.
Burden of Truth is a serialized investigative drama about life-altering legal cases, the helpless plaintiffs searching for answers, and the boots-on-the-ground lawyers fighting incredible odds to deliver justice.
The Outpost follows Talon (Jessica Green), the lone survivor of a race called the “Blackbloods.” In a lawless fortress on the edge of the civilized world, Talon must learn to master her supernatural powers, and ally with a Queen who has been in hiding to defend the world against a fanatical religious dictator.
Penn & Teller: Fool Us is a one-hour competition series celebrating magic and featuring the legendary duo Penn & Teller. On each episode of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, aspiring magicians are invited to perform their best trick to try and fool the world-famous team of Penn & Teller. Anyone who succeeds wins the right to perform with Penn & Teller in their celebrated show at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The live studio audience and the TV audience watch along with Penn & Teller as they try to figure out the secrets. Penn & Teller see the trick only once and have to immediately try to work it out. The live studio audience knows there are no camera tricks, secret edits or helpful camera cuts. This is all real magic.
Masters of Illusion features amazing magic performed by cutting-edge illusionists and escape artists, and performers in each episode displaying skills ranging from perplexing interactive mind magic to hilarious comedy routines. Live audience members and viewers at home will be baffled by the astounding skills of these modern illusionists.
Whose Line Is It Anyway? features cast members Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie, who helped make the original U.S. version of this comedy improv series such a hit. Along with a special guest comedian in each episode, the cast members must put their comedic skills to the test through a series of spontaneous improv games. Prompted only by random ideas supplied by the studio audience and host Aisha Tyler, our four performers must use the little information they have and their wild imaginations to depict different characters and an array of scenes, as well as perform songs.
The cast of ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ season 5 (Photo by Thomas Prior Copyright 2018)
Six of History’s current shows have earned renewal orders, plus the network’s just greenlit five new nonfiction series. Among the renewal orders is an expanded one for The Curse of Oak Island, the network’s top rated non-fiction series.
According to the network, The Curse of Oak Island will return for a 30 hour sixth season. Also picking up up renewals are The Curse of Civil War Gold, Truck Night in America, Alone, Mountain Men, and Swamp People. The five new shows which have just been greenlit include a competition series featuring master butchers and a show featuring Army veterans who are experts at historical military weaponry.
“History is committed to delivering entertaining, compelling and informative programming and the solid performances of our new nonfiction launches this year prove this content is resonating with our loyal audience,” stated Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President of Programming, HISTORY. “Yamashita’s Gold, Knight Fight, Brothers in Arms and American Butcher are the perfect companions to our existing slate of signature hit series, as we continue to invest in quality series rooted in history that our audiences trust.”
History’s Just-Announced Renewals:
The Curse of Oak Island Season Six – Premieres Tuesday, November 13 at 9PM ET/PT
The network’s #1 series across all key demographics documents brothers Rick and Marty Lagina as they pursue their lifelong dream of solving the 223-year Oak Island mystery. For over two centuries, teams of searchers, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, have attempted to crack the code that will unearth the treasure believed to be buried on the small island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Armed with the knowledge of those that came before them, the muscle of heavy machinery and decades of engineering know-how, the Lagina’s and their partners may be closer than anyone in history to finding the treasure that has so far claimed the lives of six men.
The Curse of Civil War Gold Season Two
The series follows Kevin Dykstra, who has been on an eight-year quest to solve the mystery of what happened to the lost confederate gold of the Civil War. With compelling evidence and now the support of Marty Lagina, Dykstra and his team embark on an action-packed hunt in an effort to finally decipher what could be one of the greatest conspiracies in American history.
Truck Night in America Season Two
It’s truck versus terrain, as truck owners from across the United States compete in grueling challenges that test their ingenuity and driving ability. With the assistance of four experts, owners compete for the chance to drive the toughest, most arduous truck obstacle course ever built, and drive away with a $10,000 prize.
Alone Season Six
Separated by miles and completely isolated, ten survivalists attempt the boldest survival experiment on Alone. Season six will introduce a new set of men and women to face brutally freezing conditions in the most punishing environment yet – deep in the Canadian Arctic. In this new location, at the edge of the Arctic Circle, they must build their own shelters, hunt their own food, and overcome numerous deadly obstacles – such as a thriving grizzly and black bear population, territorial moose, packs of wolves and the increased risk of freezing – if they want to be the last person standing.
With only a small rucksack of tools, enough camera gear to self-document their experiences and a cash prize of $500,000 on the line, season six will bring higher stakes, impressive levels of ingenuity and a greater desire to succeed than ever before. No camera crew. No gimmicks.
Swamp People Season 10
In the bayous and swamplands of America’s southern heartland dwell a group of people that exist on the fringes of society. Their distinct culture has roots in the early days of America’s expansion westward. The descendants of moonshiners, immigrant railroad workers and early settlers, the swamp people have inherited a legacy of self-reliance and anti-establishment values that make them true American originals, hidden from the view of the mainstream. As a new alligator-hunting season begins, these individuals once again set out to make a living and preserve their way of life.
Mountain Men Season Eight
This season the stakes skyrocket for the men and women of the mountains as they all face major turning points in pursuit of their proud and independent way of life. Plus, one of the series most beloved characters says a final goodbye as he heads off to conquer new uncharted lands.
New Nonfiction Series:
Brothers in Arms – Premieres Tuesday, November 20 at 10PM ET/PT
With almost twenty years of military and law enforcement experience between them, Rocco Vargas and Eli Cuevas are about to combine their talents and embark on a new adventure. Vargas and Cuevas are the new owners of Banditos Armory in the historic town of Ogden, UT. Their goal is simple, to take their expertise and passion and become the best one-stop shop for all things military. From fixing and testing a Cold War Russian tank, one of only a few in America, to solving the mystery of an unidentified Japanese WW2 contraption that Allied troops had never seen before – and didn’t know how to fire.
There’s little that the team at Banditos won’t do to investigate, restore, build, and test the most innovative, iconic machines in military history. No challenge or question is too big for Vargas and Cuevas, whether they’re working with military historians and veterans, opening their door to inquiries from avid customers, or even seeking answers to burning questions of their own.
Knight Fight – Premieres Wednesday, November 28 at 10PM ET/PT
Live by the sword, die by the sword: knights were some of history’s most brutal warriors. With armor of steel and a will of iron, they took part in some of the bloodiest battles ever fought. These warriors were so dedicated that between bloody battles, they would challenge one another to extreme trials of combat. Today, the blood sport lives on in the form of the full-contact Armored Combat League — often referred to as “Medieval MMA” or “Knight Fight Club”. Rooted in historical traditions, these modern-day warriors battle in over eighty pounds of plated armor with real steel weapons.
Now, for the first time, these modern knights are set to wage war in this eight-episode series. Each episode will feature six fighters who will customize era-specific armor and weaponry and engage in a series of full-contact battles to see who has the skill and the strength to win the ultimate Knight Fight.
Yamashita’s Gold (working title)
In the closing months of WWII, legend has it that Japanese soldiers – led by General Yamashita, along with Allied POWs – constructed secret tunnels underground in dozens of locations and buried treasure worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Yamashita had the entrances blown up, trapping the soldiers inside to keep his secret. It’s a grand mystery that involves a secret cadre of princes called the Golden Lily, booby-trapped tunnels marked by ancient Japanese symbols, and real-life characters like Douglas MacArthur, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill and FDR.
One Filipino farmer witnessed the operation and for the first time, he has entrusted his secrets to a group of dedicated investigators and engineers who are using the latest technology to search for the treasure – and the truth.
American Butcher
Throughout history, the skilled craft of the butcher has been a lynchpin to survival. In early civilizations when foodborne diseases were claiming lives, it was the butcher with their sharp tools and sharper skills who kept death at bay – eventually becoming a fixture in every town across America. Today, there are thousands of people who cut meat but only a select few with the skills and expertise to be considered a “Master Butcher.”
Now, for the first time comes an extreme competition series where the best-in-class butchers battle each other in a showdown designed to put their skills, strategy and technique to the ultimate test. With knives drawn and machines at the ready, these Master Butchers will carve their way through painstaking challenges, use their expert knowledge to adapt to every historical twist, and reveal the fascinating secrets of the butcher’s world.
Ax Men Reborn (working title)
The logging families of the Pacific Northwest have been torn apart since the long-running series Ax Men. Untimely deaths and a changing economic landscape have threatened family businesses. For these new generation of loggers, now is the time to start wielding the ax as the timber industry is on the upswing again and the old guard is looking for redemption.
Parveen Kaur, Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas in ‘Manifest’ season 1 episode 3 (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/Warner Brothers)
“This is about every person who was on that plane. We could be next,” says Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) to her brother, Ben (Josh Dallas), as they learn a survivor from their flight has been murdered in season one episode three of the NBC dramatic series, Manifest.
The episode begins with a flashback focusing on the female passenger who was murdered. Her death was unveiled at the end of the second episode and it’s revealed she complained on a phone call that the flight was delayed taking off.
During the flight, Michaela and Ben chatted and she praised his marriage to Grace (Athena Karkanis). She believed that despite everything they’ve been through fighting their son’s cancer, they have a great relationship.
Flash-forward to present day and after Ben and Michaela learn about the murdered passenger, Grace gets scared and wonders if they’re going to be a target too. Ben suggests everyone play it safe and not leave the house alone. His daughter, Olive (Luna Blaise), sneaks out her bedroom window but her brother, Cal (Jack Messina), sees her go.
Dr. Saanvi (Parveen Kaur) calls Ben with some news. It seems she’s detected something in Cal’s blood that wasn’t there in earlier tests. She’ll keep him up to date but wants to try something.
Michaela asks Ben to drive her to Long Island so she can go to the crime scene and see what she can find out. She admits she doesn’t want to drive after the car accident. A flashback shows the horrible accident in which Michaela was driving when her friend was killed. Ben agrees to take her.
On the way there, Ben and Michaela argue about how to go about it. Michaela wants Ben to just stay in the car and let her do all the work, but he refuses to be a silent bystander and tells her he’ll be quiet and let her do the talking but he’s coming along. He explains he needs to be involved because it’s not just them but also his family that could be in danger. Michaela tries to argue but Ben says he’ll turn the car around, so she agrees.
Once at the crime scene Michaela learns from the lead detective that he deduced it was a robbery gone bad. The victim, Kelly Taylor (Julienne Hanzelka Kim), had a necklace torn from her neck after she was shot dead. They have a suspect in custody who has blood on his shirt.
The NSA agent overseeing everything to do with Flight 828 inserts himself in the case and tells the detective he’s taking over. He instructs Ben and Michaela to wait outside. While outside, the siblings talk to Kelly’s husband, Patrick Taylor. He confesses that she had been acting different since returning and had been claiming she had a calling. Taylor then goes into his house.
The next day, Grace takes Cal with her to work while Ben’s ready to start job hunting. Michaela watches the interview Kelly gave to the press and hears a key phrase. She asks Jared (J. R. Ramirez) to make some calls and see what he can find out about the Taylors. Jared is reluctant but agrees.
Michaela catches up with Ben and tells him Kelly kept saying “own your truth.” That’s a phrase that has been stuck in her head, too.
Concerned, they speak with Kelly’s husband again and he repeats that she changed and kept talking about black SUVs always driving and parking near the house. The Taylors’ maid backs up Patrick’s story about Kelly’s behavior.
As they’re about to leave, Michaela flashes on going to see her friend’s parents at the reception after the funeral. She remembers how they turned her away at the door. Ben notices Michaela has frozen and helps her out.
At work, Grace tells a co-worker she’s ended her affair with her lover, Danny. However, she admits she feels like she’s cheating on Danny by being back with Ben.
Michaela decides to attempt to visit the mother of her deceased friend, and she’s shocked to find her warm and accepting of her visit. She discovers from the woman’s husband that she has dementia and doesn’t remember her daughter dying. Michaela leaves, upset.
Michaela returns to work and asks Jared what he found out. He notices she’s upset and she explains what happened during the visit. He tells her to stop punishing herself and then says he found out Kelly and Patrick owned a mall.
Ben’s at home checking for surveillance devices when he gets a call from Dr. Saanvi. She tested her own blood and she has the same anomaly in her blood as Cal. She explains she’s going to try something and will call him later.
Kevin, an old friend of Cal’s, shows up and briefly talks to Ben. Ben believes Kevin’s there to see Cal and he’s surprised to learn he’s actually there to visit Olive.
Josh Dallas as Ben Stone and Athena Karkanis as Grace Stone in ‘Manifest’ episode 3 (Photo by: Barbara Nitke/NBC/Warner Brothers)
Grace gets home from work and sends Kevin off, telling him to call Olive later after they’ve had dinner.
Cal tells on Olive about sneaking out, something that upsets Ben. Olive’s upset with her brother but walks away not wanting to deal with it. Grace warns Ben he shouldn’t make a big deal over Oliver sneaking out to see Kevin, explaining he’s been a good guy to Olive.
A little later, Michaela tells Ben about Kelly owning the mall. She suggests that maybe Kelly got the message wrong about owning it the same way they got it wrong when they thought the voice was telling them to free the dogs and it was actually about freeing imprisoned kidnapped girls. Ben and Michaela decide the best course of action is to head to the mall to check it out.
At the mall a worker runs away from them. When they finally catch up to her she admits she did fight with Kelly but didn’t kill her. She was afraid Kelly was going to demand the money her husband was extorting from his workers, but Kelly actually apologized and said all of that was going to stop.
Back at Ben’s home, Olive asks Cal why he “broke their code” and ratted on her. He admits he’s upset she’s dating his former best friend and it bothers him that she’s five and half years older now. Olive hugs Ben and tells him it will always be them against the world.
Meanwhile, the NSA agent speaks to Michaela’s boss and he defends her. The agent also chats with Jared, asking him to spy on Michaela. He warns Jared not to make him an enemy.
Following Michaela’s investigation, Patrick’s arrested for being a slum lord and for extortion. But, his alibi during the time period his wife was shot checks out. He didn’t kill her.
Ben returns home to find his door ajar. He picks up a baseball bat and confronts the man in his house who, it turns out, is a friend of Grace’s. Ben and Grace talk and she admits that she made new friends and they helped her while he was missing and presumed dead.
Michaela visits the man the police have in custody. He knows her name and says she’s chosen. He claims he would never hurt Kelly or anyone from Flight 828. He admits he heard the gunshot and found Kelly lying on the floor, so he picked her up and held her. He tells Michaela she needs to be pure.
Michaela returns to visit the parents of her dead friend again and finds the husband upset. He tells her his wife has wandered off and the 911 operator told him to stay at the house in case she returns. He begs Michaela to go looking for her and gives her his keys.
Michaela gets in the car and flashes back to before the accident when her friend was too drunk to drive but would not let Michaela call an Uber. She wanted to drive herself home and Michaela, also intoxicated but not as much as her friend, said she’ll drive them home. Flash forward and Michaela is able to force herself to drive around and search for her friend’s mom.
Michaela finds her in the middle of the street and swerves to miss her, but an oncoming car crashes. She checks on the driver and discovers it’s Patrick and Kelly’s maid. The woman has Kelly’s necklace on the passenger seat. Michaela immediately arrests her.
During an interrogation, the maid finally admits she killed Kelly because she took better care of Patrick than her and she didn’t want to be treated like the help again. Afterward the interrogation, Jared asks Michaela what’s going on. Michaela tells him it’s better if he doesn’t know.
That night, Ben asks Grace about the guy she got together with while he was gone. He wonders if she loves him. Grace assures Ben she loves him and never stopped loving him. “We are picking up where we left off,” says Grace.
Michaela plays cards with the mom of her dead best friend with the approval of her husband.
Later, Michaela and Ben visit Dr. Saanvi who’s been calling them to talk. She tells them about the anomaly and says it’s something that happens when someone suffers a stroke. She thinks maybe they all had a close brush with death and that could be the cause. She wanted to do a test on Kelly’s brain to confirm her suspicions but when she went looking for her body, she learned the Feds had taken it and are keeping its location secret.
Poster for ‘Midnight, Texas’ season 2 (Photo by: NBC)
NBC’s Midnight, Texas just announced a batch of new characters who’ll be showing up on the series’ second season. In addition to the characters’ names and descriptions, the network also announced the actors who’ll be taking on the guest starring roles.
The supernatural drama is based on a book series by Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels that provided the basis for HBO’s True Blood. Season two is set to premiere on Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT.
The stars of the upcoming season includes returning cast members François Arnaud, Dylan Bruce, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Arielle Kebbel, Jason Lewis, and Peter Mensah. Nestor Carbonell, Jaime Ray Newman, and Josh Kelly were announced as new additions to the new season’s cast in July.
The just-announced season two guest stars include:
Michael Harney (Orange Is the New Black) as Philip Charity – Olivia’s estranged father, who seems like the perfect all-American dad, but is actually bitterly estranged from Olivia, whom he abandoned when she was just 9 years old.
Mindy Sterling (The Goldbergs) as Kiva Goldwater – With a smoker’s voice and a bedazzled eye patch covering her missing eye, she is a gypsy shaman, an expert when it comes to curses. She’s willing to work with Manfred, but on her terms.
Adam Langdon (Moe & Jerryweather) as Basil – An affable, geeky pizza delivery boy with a deep appreciation for the Rubik’s cube… and a dark secret.
Jasmine Cephas Jones (Hamilton, Girls) as Addie – A devotee and member of the Delilahs who stands out among her peers. When her snooty “country club” brother and sister witches turn their backs on our heroes, Addie comes to the rescue. She delves into black magic to help save Midnight, Texas from its enemies.
Jaime Murray (Once Upon a Time) as Delilah – The original “White Witch.”
Nick Lee (Reign) as Theophilus – One of the Original Witches and founders of Black Magic.
The Midnight, Texas Plot:
“Midnight, Texas takes a journey into a remote Texas town where nothing is what it seems. In Midnight, Texas, being normal is strange and only outsiders fit in. It’s a mysterious safe haven for those who are different — a perfect place for anyone looking to hide from the outside world. As the town members’ bond is stronger than ever, the mysterious arrival of new hotel owners threatens the balance of Midnight.”
By now you’ve met Claire and Jake and their houseguest Cooper James. Jake (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Claire (Amber Stevens West) were just having a normal life when Jake’s client, rock star Cooper James (Felix Mallard) needed a place to stay. Now he’s turned their world upside down.
They’re all still Happy Together though, in the CBS sitcom of the same name. We spoke with Stevens West over the summer, in mid-pregnancy, about her latest sitcom, and the legacy of her previous role on The Carmichael Show. Happy Together airs Monday nights on CBS.
Do you have new respect for all of the sitcom actors who’ve hidden pregnancies on their shoes?
Amber Stevens West: “Absolutely. It’s a strange thing to have to think about. You’re trying to remember your lines and your blocking and all that stuff, but you also have to remember you’re working your angles and make sure you hold the folder hiding things appropriately. It’s been an interesting ride, but I like it. It’s fun and I’m glad it’s not forever.”
Is it a relief to not have to be dealing with heavy themes and issues in every episode like The Carmichael Show?
Amber Stevens West: “I don’t know that I feel like it’s a relief because I genuinely did love doing that. I loved talking about those subjects and I thought that that show was really smart, but it was hard to keep up with. Those writers worked really hard into late nights to really try to figure out what the voice was of every character. It was a difficult show in that sense but worth every struggle.
This is a much lighter environment which is kind of nice too because in real life I turn on the news every single day and I watch what’s happening in the world and I get stressed out. So, it’s nice that we have a departure from that and we can just watch this couple have a lovely relationship with each other and get into funny situations together and play with each other. It’s nice timing for me, being pregnant and being in that environment has been really positive.”
If you had to have a rock star living in your attic, who would it be?
Amber Stevens West: “Do I have to have a rock star in my attic? Oh, goodness. My first choice is no one lives in my attic because I don’t want anyone at my house. I’m such a hostess that I feel like anyone aside from immediate family, I have to entertain at all times. So, I would never be at ease having anybody in my house, even if it’s like my very best friend.
In a hypothetical way, I would love to have Emma Stone. She can live there. She seems fun. Oh, you said rock star. I was just thinking famous person. Let’s say Rihanna. I think she’s probably got a really glamorous, fun lifestyle and I would love to see what she’s up to all the time, and I could borrow her clothes.”
What was it like to go from being the young couple on Carmichael to playing the older couple who stay in and go to bed early?
Amber Stevens West: “It’s refreshing. The pressure is off to be so cool. I’m done with that. Actually, that was one of my favorite things about the script when I read it when it was sent over. It was so nice to just be normal and just be myself and not have to try to live up to whatever other people think, like a box that I’m supposed to fit in, because I’ve played that a lot. And that can be fun, too, but it’s nice to play my age, and honestly, I relate a lot to this character. I’m also only three and a half years into my marriage, and I still am obsessed and have so much fun with my husband, who is my best friend, and we’re really stupid and goofy together, and I get to do all that stuff on this show. So, I was relieved to get to just loosen it up a little and not have to be perfect.”
Do you ever have that in real life when you’re around young Hollywood types who want to party?
Amber Stevens West: “I do feel old. Yes. I was saying this earlier. I thought I was still young and cool until I met Felix, and then I realized, no. I’m old now, and I don’t know what’s going on and what’s cool anymore, what music is interesting and what videos you’re supposed to be watching on the Internet. But it’s fun. In real life I feel like I get to stay a little bit current and young because I get to hang out with Felix all day. I also relate to that. The voicemail thing I grew up with. My family’s land line, we had jingles. My dad wrote jingles, and my sister and I sang them. So, I relate on so many levels.”
Do Claire and Jake have a healthy relationship?
Amber Stevens West: “Well, I think what’s most refreshing about it is they are a couple that truly loves each other and get along, and they are like best friends. So they are very silly and weird together and enjoy all the same things and have a lot of fun memories to share because they’ve been together since college, and I think that there’s a lot of people out there who can relate to that, that met their partner when they were young and still enjoy each other’s company and then have a lot of fun together.”
What does Claire do besides love her husband and play with the human Labrador?
Amber Stevens West: “She is a designer. She designs restaurants and bars. So, she does have a career, which is nice too. It’s a working household, two people who work, and both contribute to the household. So, yeah, I guess I relate to her on that level too. My husband and I both work, and it’s fun.”
How does Cooper fit into this family?
Amber Stevens West: “The joke is that he’s like a human Labrador retriever, so it’s like having just a sweet, sweet puppy in your house and just makes you happy and smile every day, so he’s a great roommate.”
If your child wants to go into acting will you let them?
Amber Stevens West: “Oh, honestly, I’ve always had a really, really wonderful experience being an actor. I’ve never been caught up in any of the dark side of things that people talk about, and the drama. I’ve worked in a lot of television with a lot of really happy, fun people and grateful people so it would be hard for me to say, ‘Don’t go into this business.’ I think in the same way, my father did the same thing because his experience was really positive. So, they encouraged me to just go after it and see what happens. I would like for her to do something else, but hey, both her parents are actors, so we’ll see.”
If The Carmichael Show were still on, could you imagine what you’d be talking about?
Amber Stevens West: “Oh my God, every single day there’s something new to talk about. Honestly, what was great about that show though is that we wanted it to be an evergreen show. It never totally did the topic of the week because we filmed a month ahead of time before it was airing. So, we couldn’t be so on the hot topic of what’s going on. I’m sure we would have talked a little bit about North Korea or something. I’m sure that would come up.”
And #MeToo happened since Carmichael?
Amber Stevens West: “Oh yes, absolutely. That kind of stuff was already addressed a little bit. That show could have totally still been on, but they’re off making Rel so I’m excited for them.”
Lil Rel Howery stole Get Out as the comic relief TSA agent. At the same time, TV critics were trying to get people to watch The Carmichael Show, in which he played Jerrod Carmichael’s brother. Carmichael Show was canceled after three seasons, but Carmichael produced the new show for Howery, Rel.
Rel is based on the standup comedy of Howery. Rel is trying to pick up the pieces of his life after a divorce, date again, and get along with his father (Sinbad). Howery spoke with reporters after a Television Critics Association panel for Rel. Rel airs Sunday nights on Fox.
A lot of the classic sitcoms always say “based on the standup comedy of” whoever the star was. Do you think every standup has a sitcom idea in them?
Lil Rey Howery: “I think so. It’s kinda tragic for a while, they went away from giving standups sitcoms. We started just seeing comedic actors star in everything and not the guys who go on stage every night and tell you where they’re from and who they are. Hopefully, I’m able to, I think Jerrod [Carmichael] kicked it off, but I think we’re on a cool run now. It’s happening where standups are getting shows and making really good shows. If you look at someone even like Donald Glover, give it to the comedians again. Let the comedians make comedy.”
Was the success of Get Out instrumental in convincing Fox to give you a show?
Lil Rey Howery: “I think so. I think between Carmichael Show and Get Out was a great balance for me, because we would pitch this maybe a few months after Get Out. I told Jerrod I had this idea for a show. You know what’s messed up too? These are my friends so I pitch stuff and they’re like, ‘Rel, you gotta do this.’ Dude, I was talking to my friends. I don’t want to make up a show.”
Is it easier to do films and not do a series?
Lil Rey Howery: “Yeah, but it’s a dream. At the end of the day, as an actor, as a dreamer, I want to do what the dream is. To be honest with you, I have a bunch of movie offers but I put all that to the side. I remember telling my agents, ‘I know I could make a lot of money doing movies, but the little kid in me that started this business always wanted a sitcom.’ And I got it.”
When you were watching Jerrod do it, were you figuring it out?
Lil Rey Howery: “I think we would always have conversations while we were doing Carmichael Show, to be honest with you. I think the greatest thing was me being able to work with him. He’s very experienced. He’s so smart. He knows how to talk to a studio and network. He knows how to get what you want done. Jordan Peele had a great idea for a show and J.J. Abrams approached me with another great idea about a show, but I wanted to do my version of a show first, and I wanted to do it with my friend who I think is one of the smartest, most talented execs in Hollywood to be honest with you.”
Are J.J. and Jordan still going to do those shows?
Lil Rey Howery: “I think so. I think he should. Jordan is brilliant. This idea is so funny though. I’m not going to say it, but it was one of the most original. If I wasn’t doing a show, this would be the show I’d be doing and it’d be a hit show.”
What is your favorite TV sitcom?
Lil Rey Howery: “Family Ties. That episode ‘My Name is Alex’ made me want to be an actor. I was like, ‘This dude’s going to be a star,’ because it was so beautifully done. It was like a one-man show. But it was beautiful. It was funny but had so much heart in it.
Gerry Cohen is my director. He did Married with Children. Fox molded my sense of humor to be honest with you. The Simpsons, that’s why I got Mike Scully. I’m a Simpsons man. To have Gerry Cohen, Martin, In Living Color, Fox literally, the first thing I really laughed hard at was Bart singing Jingle Bells, ‘Jingle Bells, Batman smells.’ That’s the first hard laugh where I was like, ‘If this is what comedy is, I’m in.'”
How old were you?
Lil Rey Howery: “Oh my God, I had to be like seven, eight.”
Is it surprising that a whitebread sitcom like Family Ties would really resonate with you?
Lil Rey Howery: “I’m glad you said it, but the heart was there. The heart was beautiful in Family Ties.”
Is that how you want Rel to resonate with people?
Lil Rey Howery: “It’s heart. That’s a human thing. It’s not a color thing. I think that’s where the episode I’m literally writing that’s just like ‘My Name is Alex’ where we’re kind of modeling the format of it. It’s going to be so beautiful. I would love if Whoopi Goldberg was in it. It’s going to be hilarious, it’s going to be beautiful. It’s even weird writing it. It’s a little emotional writing it, but I think people are going to really enjoy it.”
How’s the workload as creator, producer and star?
Lil Rey Howery: “It’s fun. First of all, I like going into an office. I love going to the office. I love pulling up at the studio, going to my office, seeing Rel on the door. It just makes me really happy. I’m in a writers room with my friends. It’s really fun. Look, man, when you come do open mics on the chitlin circuit, you can’t wait ‘til you just get a pass and go in somewhere and have a desk and an office and a phone. I like all the regular stuff. I got pens, everybody. I got my own pens!”
Did people in school say, “Oh yeah, you’ll be an actor someday?
Lil Rey Howery: “I don’t think so. I wasn’t an actor yet. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school. I used to do characters in class. One of my homies was a class clown. He was the funniest dude at school but with me it was always like Saturday Night Live/In Living Color funny. I would impersonate teachers and have everybody dying laughing. I think it wasn’t until I did the play my senior year that a teacher let me write my own jokes and everything. That’s when I knew I wanted to do it. I’m 17, did this play and I was like well, this is it.”
Who got you the best at the Bruce Willis roast?
Lil Rey Howery: “Everybody did, man. I had so much fun. Martha Stewart. It was so funny, Cybill kept talking about me and I forgot to roast her back. I roasted up there and at some point I’m sitting there like why am I here? I don’t know any of you people. This is insane. You guys couldn’t find nobody else? It was Martha Stewart. I told her that because she was all nervous. I’m like, ‘Martha, you’re probably about to kill all of us so don’t do that. I know you, don’t be humble.’
That California Raisin thing was so funny to me. It was based off a character I played on a show Friends of the People. I played a California Raisin so she researched that. So, it was also an honest fact but it was really funny at the same time.”
Is there anything too embarrassing from your life to use in the show?
Lil Rey Howery: “Nope. Nah, I’m not afraid to talk about anything. I think that’s the great thing about standup. That’s where you experiment. You have some comics that want to look cool. I don’t care about looking cool. I think it’s funnier me going through stuff, people messing with me. Think about this, I let people roast me on my show. I don’t care. I just think it’s funny.”
When you did Get Out did you have a sense that it was going to break through?
Lil Rey Howery: “No, because you don’t know. You do a bunch of stuff. I had a series, Friends of the People. I was in the In Living Color reboot. I did The Carmichael Show. We don’t know what’s going to be that thing where everybody’s like, ‘Ah.’
The same thing with Tiffany [Haddish]. You don’t know and then one day it’s like boom. We didn’t even know if people were going to go see Get Out. You were either going to love it or hate us for doing it.”
When you do such personal projects, how do you avoid being wounded if it doesn’t succeed?
Lil Rey Howery: “Just move on though. I think that’s what so interesting. We did The Carmichael Show and that was a good show. All of us loved that show, but me and Jerrod were going to have a fancy dinner somewhere like, ‘Yeah, we’ll be all right.’ You just move on. The thing about being a standup comic, if none of this works, I’ve always got that stage.”
Max Greenfield has moved onto CBS and into a lot of hot water. In The Neighborhood, Greenfield plays a father who moves his family to an all black neighborhood. His next door neighbor (Cedric the Entertainer) is not happy about it at all.
Greenfield spoke with reporters after a Television Critics Association panel on The Neighborhood this summer. Greenfield joined the show after the pilot, replacing another actor. He also has a role in the gender-flipped comedy What Men Want starring Taraji P. Henson, and The Neighborhood airs Monday nights on CBS.
What was it about this character that you liked?
Max Greenfield: “It wasn’t so much the character. I honestly thought we’ll figure out the character stuff later. To me, it was more this show feels really special. It feels like an incredible group and one that I felt like had a lasting potential. I thought if someone had asked me when I was in the process of making the decision, ‘If you were to see this show on in 10 years and you passed on it, would you be okay with that?’ And I said no.”
Now what do you like about him since you’ve been playing him?
Max Greenfield: “What I love about the character and his situation in the show is that they’re coming from Michigan. They probably got to L.A. and looked at an apartment near the La Brea tar pits. I’m sure they saw a bunch of apartments, realized they couldn’t afford any of them, and then he found this beautiful house with a backyard. It was just like he had in Michigan and he fantasized about this vision for his family and what he wanted to create for them. It was similar to what they had. The only difference was this neighborhood.
It’s not anything he ever thought about. Then he gets there and he realizes it’s something he should have thought about and it is going to create an issue for him and his family, but his intentions were simply I want what’s best for my family and I want to provide for them in the best way that I can which I think is the same thing that Cedric is doing with his family. I think you get to see these two good-hearted husbands and fathers trying to make it work.”
After playing Schmidt for so long, is it nice to play a really solid family man?
Max Greenfield: “It’s definitely something I have to think about, too. The show is as ensemble as I’ve ever seen, but there is an element specifically in the pilot and I think early on where he is a solid family man and is one of the leads of the show, which sort of makes you make more grounded decisions in your choices. So, to me, giving other people the opportunity to get the punchline and do the big humor stuff, which is what I was fed all the time on New Girl, I’m very excited about that prospect. I’ve had seven seasons of insanity. I’m happy to let everybody else go nuts.”
Were you apprehensive about doing another TV series?
Max Greenfield: “Well, it was just signing onto the right one and one that I believed in. I didn’t want to go do a show that was just like Schmidt as a dad and he’s got a kid and then build the show around that. I was in the incredible scenario of having gotten to see what was done already and eliminate all of the unknowns. Watching what was available with this show and seeing the tremendous cast and the writing, I knew I didn’t have to carry this show. I knew that I would have incredible teammates. Again, it’s about joining a great team as opposed to just being like, ‘I want to have my own show.'”
Does The Neighborhood remind you of other shows?
Max Greenfield: “The shows that it reminds me of are shows that I’m reluctant to talk about because they’re legendary TV shows. But I think it has the possibility to be a really special show and go for a really long time. I don’t think it’s inhibited in any way by a contrived premise. This is really about two families in a unique scenario from culturally different places and it gives us all the room in the world to explore.”
What kind of guy do you play in What Men Want?
Max Greenfield: “I haven’t seen it yet but that’s way closer to Schmidt. He’s an agent, but it was one of those things where it’s like you don’t necessarily want to go play Schmidt in a lot of different shows. I’m not so concerned about typecasting, but it’s just like you’ve done it for seven years. But I felt like they were doing something important over there. To have a diverse female lead of a romantic comedy, specifically in a time like this, was like whatever you want me to come do as a part of this movie, if I can lend myself to it, I’m happy to do so. The stuff I’ve seen of Taraji so far is incredible. She’s unbelievable.”
What was it like adapting to multi-camera sitcom with an audience?
Max Greenfield: “Well, that was really what I wanted to do so much. I was really lucky. I got to do an episode of Will & Grace last year. I had done some Hot in Cleveland episodes while New Girl was running. And having shot New Girl for seven seasons, the way we shoot New Girl is not different from how you would shoot a movie. I was inundated with that style for seven plus years. There isn’t that much excitement left in that type of production.
This is everything. It’s exciting, it’s pressurized. Tape night is so much fun. I’m very excited by it.”
How has this job affected your sensitivity to talking about race and cultural things?
Max Greenfield: “I mean, so much. Truly. You’ll get into a situation on this set where you’ll pitch a joke and you’ll make a choice and you’ll realize, ‘Before I do this I’m just going to announce that this might not work. And if it offends anybody, boy oh boy am I sorry.’ Everyone laughs, you do it and you either get, ‘No, that was great” or you get, ‘Well, you know’ and you know what, I’m not going to it. On the next one, I won’t do that. It has provided a level of thoughtfulness that I’d like to think that I had before but I certainly am aware of it now.”
Are you pitching ideas from your own experiences?
Max Greenfield: “I’ve learned, and I’ve learned this on New Girl too, I don’t like that role on a TV show. I really like acting. I’d like to keep that separate. If I had something incredible I thought I could really offer the show, I would. But at the same time, these writers are unbelievable. Again, it is the most diverse room I have ever seen, and I am so excited to see what they, sitting in a room, bouncing their stories, their personal experience off one another together, what they come up with from them.”
Will you find more drama in your breaks from The Neighborhood?
Max Greenfield: “Oh, I don’t know. We’re always looking for it. Sure, yeah, if it comes along, it’s with the right people, absolutely.”
Is comedy where your heart is?
Max Greenfield: “Good material and good people is where my heart is and I’m happy to go with where that is, no matter whether it’s comedy or drama.”
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Danai Gurira as Michonne, and Chloe Garcia as Judith in ‘The Walking Dead’ season 9 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC)
AMC’s The Walking Dead returns to kick off its ninth season on October 7, 2018. Because it’s been confirmed Andrew Lincoln is leaving the series, season nine will be setting up the exit of Rick Grimes. It will also be examining the aftermath of the war with Negan and the Saviors and how the communities pick up and carry on with life after so many of their own were killed fighting Negan’s reign of terror.
Season nine episode one titled “A New Beginning” opens by showing Alexandria has come together as a community. Crops are thriving, solar panels provide power, and the wind is being harnessed as an additional power source. Life seems peaceful as Rick watches Judith paint until Michonne’s guidance.
A while later the happy little trio watch birds circling and are all smiles.
Over at the Sanctuary, community members work on the apparently dwindling food supply while others work in a garage fixing up motorcycles. Daryl (Norman Reedus) receives word that members of the community are using a walker as a scarecrow to fend off the birds, and he immediately shuts down that solution by putting an arrow through the walker’s head.
Elsewhere, Jesus (Tom Payne), Tara (Alanna Masterson), Aaron (Ross Marquand) and others are out doing other tasks, including putting down walkers. Life is apparently also going well over at Hilltop and Jesus has been teaching kids self-defense classes.
Horses are a common means of transportation in this new world, and Rick, Michonne (Danai Gurira), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Carol (Melissa McBride), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), Enid (Katelyn Nacon), Anne (aka Jadis, played by Pollyanna McIntosh) and more ride through the streets of Washington D.C. taking out walkers. Daryl, however, still prefers his motorcycle.
The group’s mission is to retrieve specific relics from the nation’s capital. There are random walkers inside the buildings but nothing the survivors can’t handle.
Spiders and a grotesque walker momentarily sidetrack Siddiq (Avi Nash) from his relic search, but he quickly recovers. Cyndie (Sydney Park) gets nostalgic over the sight of a canoe, explaining to Daryl she and her brother used to fight over one at the county fair. It’s a random memory and Daryl acknowledges most of his memories of his brother are ones in which they were fighting. He admits he has moments where memories of the friends he lost along the way overcome him.
Rick and a small group bust into the horticulture management area. They’re on the hunt for packets of seeds which they find, thanks to Anne. She reveals she brought her students there, so she knew right where to look.
Maggie, Michonne, and Carol catch up on the news as they hunt for items on their list. Apparently, Gregory (Xander Berkeley) called for an election at Hilltop and lost. Maggie says it’s weird, but Gregory is being friendly. Michonne congratulates her on her win as they locate what they came for.
The group helps work the frame of a covered wagon down a large flight of stairs. It’s difficult, but they get the front end down to the base of the stairs. Unfortunately, the floor in that area is made of thick glass. They see walkers ambling along in the area under the glass which is actually just another level of the building. The floor’s made up of large glass squares within metal frames, and it’s on the frames that Rick walks out to lead the wagon down the final stairs.
The glass begins to crack in certain places as they push the wagon over the floor. They’re forced to walk slowly and carefully over the glass, sticking to the frames as they bring the other items (including the canoe) across the glass. They’re almost done when the floor opens up and Ezekiel falls through. fortunately, he has a rope around his waist. Unfortunately, he’s stuck dangling above the walkers.
The rope begins to fray as the group frantically attempts to pull him to safety. Daryl takes out a walker on the verge of biting Ezekiel, and finally he’s pulled to safety. He and Carol fall into each other’s arms, and then Carol gives him a lengthy kiss on his lips. (The rumors of the Carol/Ezekiel relationship are confirmed.)
Khary Payton, Lauren Cohan, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, Seth Gilliam, Pollyanna McIntosh, Avi Nash, and Andrew Lincoln in ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9, Episode 1 (Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC)
Outside, the supplies are loaded up and the wagon becomes part of their caravan home. Daryl rides ahead to clear the road of any walkers. The group’s traveling along Route B which has been painted on the old speed limit signs.
In one of the most stunning moments of normality in a series that has very few, three young guys ride next to each other just talking about training and shoeing horses.
Carol and Ezekiel ride together, and Carol tells him she’s glad he’s okay. Ezekiel proposes marriage and tries to give her a ring. Carol, in typical Carol fashion, replies, “Put that thing away. It’ll snag on everything. I told you not to ask me that, especially after something like this. And this is not happening on a horse.” Ezekiel laughs and says, “I love you and I always will. I’ll keep this until you’re ready.” (It’s fantastic to see Carol happy.)
Daryl returns with Rosita to warn the group a bridge has been taken out by a herd, and Route A isn’t an option because it’s too close to the herd. Michonne suggests they head to Alexandria for the night while the herd passes, but Maggie wants to get home to Hershel! Carol then suggests Route D, saying it’s early enough to make it safe.
Rick takes charge, ordering Rosita to keep an eye on the trade road. Gabriel and some others are sent back to Alexandria while Rick and part of the group will head to Hilltop or the Sanctuary. Rick reminds them all to take care and get home safe.
Shortly thereafter, the horses need a break and are having problems pulling the supplies through the mud. Maggie wonders if they can leave the supplies behind for a day or two, but Michonne believes a herd could come through in the meantime and destroy them. Rick agrees to give the horses a break and they pull the wagon out of the mud while the horses rest. As they’re almost finished, a large group of walkers arrives. One scares a horse and they’re being overrun when Rick yells for everyone to flee. Ken from Hilltop cares for the horses and refuses to run until he can free one who’s still harnessed to the wagon. Ken’s bit as he’s attempting to set the horse free.
Siddiq, Enid, and Maggie stay with him as the rest fight off the walkers. He dies from his wound and Maggie’s overcome with grief. She cries as she makes sure he doesn’t turn.
Back at Hilltop, Ken’s parents are dealing with the news in vastly different ways. Ken’s mother is angry her son died for a broken plow and to help the Sanctuary. Ken’s father absorbs his grief inside and doesn’t visibly react to the news other than shaking his head.
Ken’s mother confesses she voted for Maggie but doesn’t consider her a friend. She realizes Gregory’s a scoundrel, but at least he puts Hilltop first. “Those damn Saviors eat our food and take everything that Hilltop bled for,” she says, adding, “It ain’t right.”
Ken’s body is prepared for burial and Alden (Callan McAuliffe) sings at his funeral. Maggie wasn’t invited and remains up at the main house, cradling Hershel and listening to the song.
Over at the Sanctuary, Daryl and Rick enter the warehouse/factory to check in with Eugene (Josh McDermitt). Murmurs are heard through the crowd because Rick is in the building. One man shouts that he hopes Negan is suffering. Eugene has a list of items he needs, but Daryl’s not willing to hold that discussion right now. He’s too upset from Ken’s death to deal with anything else.
Michonne gets Daryl’s attention and points out “Saviors save us. We are still Negan” painted on the wall inside the factory. It’s been happening since the crows have been dying. Eugene and Jerry don’t know who did it, and Daryl orders Justin to paint over it. Justin (Black Sails’ Zach McGowan), reluctantly, follows orders.
Gregory speaks at Ken’s funeral, calling him a good-hearted young man who wasn’t a fighter. He will be remembered as a son, a friend, and a shining example of Hilltop strength and fundamental decency, calling his death a terrible tragedy.
After the speech, Gregory has tears in his eyes when Jesus praises his speech and tells him it was beautiful. Gregory claims to be grateful for where he is and what he has.
Back at the Sanctuary, Rick informs the people he’s got farming tools and seeds. The Sanctuary’s crops are dying and food is in short supply, other than what’s brought in from the other communities. Rick says they’ll pitch in and make sure Sanctuary has what it needs, and the Saviors applaud his speech.
Daryl has a talk in private with Rick, revealing he no longer wants to lead the Saviors. He doesn’t feel right being behind these walls, but Rick reminds him he kept this place together. Daryl says nothing grows there; it’s just a factory. Negan needed to rely on people to provide food when he was in charge, and that still holds true.
The situation is pretty dire at the Sanctuary. Daryl reminds Rick the bridges leading in are out and there’s no gas to be found anywhere nearby. Daryl doesn’t think the other communities can continue to feed the Sanctuary. He also doesn’t like the fact they’re all split apart. He liked it much better when they were a small group working together. He wants to go to Hilltop, but if he’s determined to leave Sanctuary, then Rick needs him at Alexandria. Their group is helping Oceanside, Hilltop, the Sanctuary, and the Kingdom, and Rick could use Daryl back home.
Daryl is obviously not happy with Rick’s current leadership.
Next, Daryl and Carol have a talk. They joke about Ezekiel’s ability to sleep while they’re suffering from many restless nights. Daryl approves of the relationship although he thinks Ezekiel’s a little corny. He admits he misses seeing her and Carol volunteers to take over the Sanctuary for a little while. (She overheard Rick and Daryl talking.) She hasn’t told Ezekiel her plans, and then she admits Ezekiel asked her to marry him. She doesn’t know why she didn’t say yes, although it’s probably because she wants to help out. She assures Daryl she doesn’t need him to stay at the Sanctuary.
Back with the ever-scheming Gregory, he’s drinking with Ken’s father. They talk about Maggie being responsible for Ken’s death. Gregory thinks the election was a farce and Maggie only won because Jesus counted the ballots. He also doesn’t think Maggie’s acting in the best interest of Hilltop and he proposes a coup.
Later in bed, Michonne teases Rick about being famous. The talk turns serious as they agree they don’t envy Maggie right now. Michonne confesses that after seeing Negan’s name on the factory wall, she’s not sure they did the right thing by keeping him alive. Rick admits he thinks about that too, but it wouldn’t change anything if Negan were dead.
Michonne also believes they need an agreement between the communities about how they’ll treat each other and what the repercussions will be when someone breaks the agreement. Rick thinks that might bring the communities together. Daryl has Rick worried and Michonne’s sure if Daryl’s worried, there’s a reason.
Michonne will get the communities to agree to a charter. Rick thinks the next step he should take is repairing the bridge.
Over at Hilltop, Maggie takes the baby out for a late-night stroll. Gregory meets up with her and he claims to have done some soul-searching. He also assures her he thinks she won the election fair and square. He then drops a bomb that someone’s defaced Glenn’s grave. He wonders if it was someone who was angry about her leadership.
Maggie hurries off in the pitch black to check on the grave and is jumped by someone wearing a hooded sweatshirt. The baby’s stroller is overturned and he falls out, crying. Maggie struggles to get the upper hand after being surprised, and it becomes a life or death fight. Enid rushes to help and the assailant knocks her away. She hits her head and passes out.
Alden comes to help save Maggie and it’s revealed the man in the sweatshirt is Ken’s father.
Maggie checks on her baby and then barges into Gregory’s room. She accuses him of trying to have her killed. “You want to lead this place? You can’t even murder someone right,” growls Maggie.
Gregory claims Hilltop wouldn’t exist without him, and calls Maggie Rick’s lackey. She reminds him Rick ended the war and that he’s had multiple chances even after everything he’s done. Gregory attacks her with a large knife, claiming he’ll say she attacked him and he was forced to defend himself. Maggie wrests the knife away and holds it to his throat.
In a much more peaceful setting, Carol says goodbye to Ezekiel, assuring him she’s not running away. She wants to help her friends, but she also wants to make sure she has a home with him to come back to. They kiss (multiple times) and Carol asks Jerry to take care of Ezekiel for her – just for a little bit. Ezekiel and Jerry ride away as Carol watches.
Daryl, Michonne, and Rick arrive at Hilltop and are shocked to see Maggie’s injured face.
Rick holds the baby, calling him perfect and Maggie jokes that she thinks she’ll keep him. Rick invites her to visit Alexandria sometime if she’s up to it. Judith talks about Maggie all the time, but Maggie refuses Rick’s offer. She wants him to talk about what he really came for, and he admits it’s because he needs her help fixing the bridge. Hilltop is the community in the best shape, and that’s due to her leadership. He knows Hilltop has given more than their fair share, and he wants to know if she’ll help out by supplying people to work on the bridge and with a little more food to the Sanctuary.
Maggie says she won’t stop anyone who wants to work on the bridge, but she won’t give away more food or supplies without something in return. She wants the Sanctuary to provide most of the bridge labor and give her all the fuel they’ve made out of their dead corn.
Rick reminds her the Sanctuary’s barely holding on, but Maggie has absolutely no sympathy for the Saviors. She has her own problems at Hilltop to deal with and can’t save the Sanctuary, too. She reminds Rick that not long ago he said he’d wind up following her lead eventually. She wasn’t someone to follow then, but she is now.
After night falls, Maggie addresses the community. She admits she doesn’t want to do what she has to, but she’s been forced to because the punishment must fit the crime. Gregory has a noose around his neck, and he begs everyone to stop this. He thinks she’s doing this at night because she’s ashamed. Maggie disagrees and nods to Daryl to swat the horse out from under Gregory.
Michonne screams for Maggie to stop when she notices two children are now watching. Rick holds Michonne back as Maggie goes through with the hanging.
Maggie delivers a speech as Gregory dangles. She declares this isn’t the beginning of something and she’s not going through this again. The episode ends with Daryl cutting the now-deceased Gregory down.
