CBS All Access will kick off the second chapter of Star Trek: Discovery‘s first season on Sunday, January 7, 2018. Chapter one of the sci-fi series will finish up on Sunday, November 12, 2017 with episode nine. CBS revealed chapter two’s first episode (episode 10) is titled “Despite Yourself.”
Chapter two will consist of six new episodes.
The season one finale is set for Sunday, February 11, 2018. All previous episodes of the latest addition to the Star Trek series are currently available for binge-watching on CBS All Access.
CBS All Access has given the show a second season order, however they haven’t released any cast or premiere date details. The season one cast includes Sonequa Martin-Green (First Officer Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Lieutenant Saru), Jason Isaacs (Captain Gabriel Lorca), Shazad Latif (Lieutenant Ash Tyler), Anthony Rapp (Lieutenant Paul Stamets), Michelle Yeoh (Captain Philippa Georgiou), Mary Wiseman (Cadet Sylvia Tilly), Chris Obi (T’Kuvma), Mary Chieffo (L’Rell), James Frain (Ambassador Sarek), Rainn Wilson (Harry Mudd), Terry Serpico (Admiral Anderson), Maulik Pancholy (Doctor Nambue), Damon Runyan (Ujilli), Rekha Sharma (Commander Landry), Kenneth Mitchell (Kol), Clare McConnell (Dennas), and Sam Vartholomeos (Ensign Connor).
Star Trek: Discovery is executive produced by Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Fuller, Heather Kadin, Gretchen J. Berg, Aaron Harberts, Akiva Goldsman, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth.
The Season One Plot:Star Trek: Discovery follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship and new characters, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.
The Season Two Plot: While in unfamiliar territory, the U.S.S. Discovery crew is forced to get creative in their next efforts to survive opposing and unprecedented forces and return home.
Amazon has published their annual list of the best books as selected by Amazon’s book editors, with 2017’s list topped by Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller was named the Best Book of the Year, marking the first time a nonfiction book has topped the list in seven years. 2010’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was the last nonfiction book to earn the coveted honor.
According to Amazon, the top 10 books on the list were written by authors from six different countries.
“In a year when there were many strong contenders for Best of the Year, David Grann’s book offered readers something exceptional,” stated Sarah Harrison Smith, Editorial Director of Books and Kindle at Amazon.com. “Killers of the Flower Moon tells the largely unknown true story of big oil and serial murder in Osage County, Oklahoma, in the 1920s. It’s meticulously researched and shines an important light on what is at once an unsurprising and yet unbelievable chapter in American history.”
Amazon Editorial Team’s Top 10 Books:
1. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann: Grann’s account of a 1920s investigation into the murders of oil-rich members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma has the grim excitement of film noir, the heady intellectual pleasure of well-told history and writing worthy of The New Yorker, where Grann is on staff. Though Killers of the Flower Moon is set in the past, the bigotry, greed and corruption Grann exposes feel relevant to our times. Grann’s previous books include The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon.
2. Little Fires Everywhere: A Novel by Celeste Ng: In this tightly woven, emotionally fraught novel set in a picture-perfect suburb of Cleveland, Ng addresses timely issues of motherhood, privilege and race. Ng’s debut novel, Everything I Never Told You, was Amazon’s Best of the Year choice for 2014; her new book continues her compelling exploration of the tension between established social order and cultural change.
3. Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman: Backman explores community, loyalty and its limits in this eminently readable, compassionate novel set in a small town that comes together over ice hockey and then comes apart over allegations of sexual violence. Backman’s previous books include A Man Called Ove.
4. Exit West: A Novel by Mohsin Hamid: In this fable-like tale, in which two lovers flee their war-ravaged homeland to seek refuge abroad, Hamid upends our cultural assumptions and stakes an optimistic claim for the enduring pleasures of imagination and narrative, even in the midst of war. Hamid’s previous books include The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
5. Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari: Harari’s look at humanity’s possible future (the dark, technocratic version) is fascinating, provocative and illuminating. Harari is also the author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.
6. Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel by George Saunders: Saunders’s stylistically inventive, ribald and poignant first novel, narrated almost entirely by ghosts, veers from hilarious to heartbreaking. Saunders’s previous books include Tenth of December: Stories.
7. The Heart’s Invisible Furies: A Novel by John Boyne: In this sweeping and magnetic novel set in post-war Ireland, Boyne dexterously expands the story of one man’s life into a portrait of a culture in transition. Boyne’s previous books include The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
8. You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir by Sherman Alexie: In Alexie’s extraordinary memoir of his whip-smart, sometimes cruel mother, he connects her turbulent life to the widespread American Indian experience of violence and oppression. Alexie’s previous books include The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
9. Sourdough: A Novel by Robin Sloan: Sloan’s delightful novel about a software engineer who finds her true calling when she is bequeathed a sourdough starter with magical properties has an inspiring message about the importance of finding work you love. Sloan’s previous books include Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel.
10. The Dry: A Novel by Jane Harper: In her gripping debut novel, the only mystery among this year’s top 10, Harper masterfully evokes the atmosphere of a drought-stricken farm town where lies told in the past may be linked to the violent deaths of a young local family.
To see the full list of Amazon’s Top 100 books of the year plus Top 20 lists in other categories, visit https://amazon.com/bestbooks2017.
The CW’s Riverdale season two episode five was definitely a game-changer. Betty was stalked by the Black Hood who apparently watches not only her every move, but also those of her family and friends. The mysterious Black Hood forced Betty to humiliate Veronica and push her out of her life. She also had to embarrass her mom, something she accomplished by publicizing her mom’s mugshot. And then the most devastating blow arrived when the Black Hood made her break off her relationship with Jughead.
Fortunately, Betty confided in Archie and he helped her out by telling Jughead she didn’t want to see him ever again. Unfortunately, the Black Hood knew she told Archie about their phone conversations. At the end of the episode she had to make the choice between the safety of her family or giving the Black Hood the name of someone who was guilty. She choose to name Nick St. Clair, Veronica’s rich friend who deserved punishment after attempting to date rape Cheryl. Oh, and Jughead officially became a Serpent and kissed Tony! It was truly a jam-packed episode.
Up next, Riverdale season two episode six titled “Death Proof.” Directed by Maggie Kiley from a script by Tessa Leigh Williams and Arabella Anderson, “Death Proof” will air on November 15, 2017.
The season two cast includes KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge, Mӓdchen Amick as Alice Cooper, Luke Perry as Fred Andrews, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller, Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy, Mark Consuelos as Hiram Lodge, and Skeet Ulrich as FP Jones.
The “Chapter Nineteen: Death Proof” Plot: THE SUGARMAN — After a charge led by Mayor McCoy (guest star Robin Givens) threatens to further escalate tensions between the North and Southside, Jughead (Sprouse), along with Archie (Apa), tries to put a stop to a dangerous alliance being considered between the Serpents and a long-time rival. Betty (Reinhart) turns to Veronica (Mendes) for help when she’s thrust into the center of a burgeoning mystery surrounding The Sugarman. Finally, Cheryl (Petsch) confronts her mother Penelope (guest star Nathalie Boltt) after a traumatic run-in forces her to make a stark realization.
Netflix has unveiled a new poster for the action film, Bright. The new poster features the film’s stars Will Smith (Collateral Beauty, Concussion) and Joel Edgerton (It Comes At Night, The Gift) who are paired up to patrol the streets as part of the Los Angeles Police Department. The twist is Will Smith’s character’s a human but his partner played by Joel Edgerton is an orc.
The cast of the action thriller also includes Noomi Rapace (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Lucy Fry (Wolf Creek), Edgar Ramirez (The Girl on the Train), Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project), Enrique Murciano (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Jay Hernandez (A Bad Mom’s Christmas), Andrea Navedo (Jane the Virgin), Veronica Ngo (The Lost Dragon), Alex Meraz (Animal Kingdom), Margaret Cho (Drop Dead Diva), Brad William Henke (Orange is the New Black), Dawn Oliveri (Secrets and Lies), and Kenneth Choi (The Last Man on Earth).
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency‘s Max Landis wrote the script and director David Ayer, Eric Newman (Hemlock Grove, Narcos), and Bryan Unkeless (The Hunger Games film franchise) produced the dramatic thriller. Netflix has set a December 22, 2017 release date.
The Bright Plot: Set in an alternate present-day, this action-thriller directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch, writer of Training Day) follows two cops from very different backgrounds (Ward, a human played by Will Smith, and Jakoby, an orc played by Joel Edgerton) who embark on a routine patrol night that will ultimately alter the future as their world knows it. Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which in the wrong hands could destroy everything.
Check out the second full trailer for Bright featuring more action and more on the human/orc partner relationship.
For those waiting to get hooked on Dynasty fearing an early cancellation, fear no more. The CW announced the night-time soap opera/family drama will be sticking around for a full first season. The CW President Mark Pedowitz made the announcement, confirming the series will remain a part of the network’s primetime schedule for the 2017-2018 season.
Based on the popular drama that ran from 1981 through 1989, the new Dynasty stars Elizabeth Gillies as Fallon Carrington, Nathalie Kelley as Cristal Flores, James Mackay as Steven Carrington, Alan Dale as Anders, Sam Adegoke as Jeff Colby, Robert Christopher Riley as Culhane, Rafael de la Fuente as Sammy Jo, and Grant Show as Blake Carrington. Creators of the original series, Esther and Richard Shapiro, executive produce this 2017 version along with Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl), Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl), Sallie Patrick (Revenge), and Brad Silberling (Jane The Virgin).
Season one airs on The CW on Wednesdays at 9pm ET/PT.
The Dynasty Plot: Wealth, power, deception, and double-dealing… what does it take to build a dynasty? A modern re-imagining of the iconic primetime soap, centering on the powerful Carrington family as they defend their throne against the Colbys, new rivals and threats, and even each other.
Fallon Carrington (Gillies) is charismatic, cunning and poised to become the new COO of her father’s global energy empire – or so she thinks. When her father, Blake Carrington (Show), summons Fallon and her brother, Steven (James Mackay), home to the family compound in Atlanta, Fallon is horrified to learn that the reunion isn’t to announce her promotion – but rather to make the acquaintance of stepmother-to-be, Cristal (Kelley). Cristal is stunning – and almost as young as Fallon, as Fallon is quick to point out – but she isn’t just some flimsy gold-digger to be scared off. Cristal is driven, principled, a savvy publicity maven at Carrington Atlantic, and she truly loves Blake. However, the wealth and privilege of the Carringtons’ world proves challenging to her, as she clashes with the staff, including Blake’s butler, Anders (Dale), as well as Fallon, who all make it very clear Cristal doesn’t belong.
Family dynasties flow through blood, and Fallon would sooner draw blood than call Cristal “Mom.” Fallon asks Culhane (Riley), the family’s chauffeur – and Fallon’s secret lover – to help expose Cristal for the fraud Fallon thinks she is. But when that backfires, and Blake chooses Cristal over his own daughter, Fallon sides up to Blake’s biggest rival, Jeff Colby (Adegoke), mixing business and pleasure to seek her revenge… leaving a jealous Culhane to watch from the sidelines. While the Carringtons’ rocky relationships prove the theory that family sticks together no matter what, Cristal is reminded of exactly that when her nephew, Sammy Jo (de la Fuente), arrives with a suitcase full of secrets from Cristal’s past. Now Cristal’s carefully concealed history could bring her future crashing down – and who knows who she might take down with her.
Claymation fans need to mark your calendars for February 16, 2018. That’s when Early Man from director Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Chicken Run) is set to open in theaters. The upcoming claymation comedy was directed by Park from a script by Mark Burton (Gnomeo and Juliet, Shaun the Sheep Movie), James Higginson, and John O’Farrell (Room 101). In addition to releasing a new teaser trailer, Summit Entertainment, StudioCanal, and The British Film Institute also unveiled a new poster and photos of the voice cast with their claymation characters.
The Aardman Animations production features the voices of Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Tom Hiddleston (Thor: Ragnarok, I Saw the Light), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones, The Book of Love), Timothy Spall (The Enfield Haunting, Alice Through the Looking Glass), Richard Ayoade (Paddington), and Mark Williams (Father Brown). The voice cast also includes Johnny Vegas (Still Open All Hours), Gina Yashere (Married Single Other), and Selina Griffiths (Benidorm).
Aardman Animations is also working on Shaun the Sheep 2, the sequel to 2015’s Shaun the Sheep Movie. Shaun the Sheep Movie was released in August 2015 and earned an Oscar nomination in the Best Animated Feature Film category. It also picked up five Annie nominations as well as BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Critics’ Choice nominations.
The Plot: Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of courageous caveman hero Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and his best friend Hognob as they unite his tribe against a mighty enemy Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) and his Bronze Age City to save their home.
Eddie Redmayne poses with his character Dug from ‘Early Man.’Maisie Williams on the set of ‘Early Man.’Tom Hiddleston and director Nick Park on the set of ‘Early Man.’
The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow season three episode five had the team searching for a vampire and kicked off the beginning of the end for Victor Garber’s character, Professor Stein. Garber will be leaving the series to return to Broadway where he’ll team up with Bernadette Peters to headline Hello, Dolly! in January 2018. Episode five found Ray working with Jax to try and disconnect the mental bond between the two halves of Firestorm.
Up next, Legends of Tomorrow season three episode six titled “Helen Hunt.” Directed by David Geddes from a script by Keto Shimizu and Ubah Mohamed, episode six will air on November 14, 2017.
The season three cast includes Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer/Atom, Dominic Purcell as Mick Rory/Heat Wave, Franz Drameh as Jefferson “Jax” Jackson/Half of Firestorm, Victor Garber as Professor Stein/Half of Firestorm, Caity Lotz as Sara Lance/White Canary, Nick Zano as Dr. Nate Heywood/Steel, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Amaya Jiwe/Vixen, and Tala Ashe as Zari Tomaz.
The “Helen Hunt” Plot: A DIFFERENT KIND OF WAR — When the Legends track down an anachronism in 1930s Hollywood, they discover it’s none other than a time-displaced Helen of Troy and she’s just started a war between two film studios. As the Legends try to fix history and return Helen (guest star Bar Paly) to the Bronze Age, things get complicated when they are blindsided by the appearance of a former enemy. Sara (Lotz) contemplates an offer she is made, which would make the Legends leave the anachronisms be. Meanwhile, Stein (Garber) and Jax (Drameh) find themselves in an unusual predicament.
The Season 3 Plot: After the defeat of Eobard Thawne and his equally nefarious Legion of Doom, the Legends face a new existential threat created by their actions at the end of last season. In revisiting a moment in time that they had already participated in, they have essentially fractured the timeline and created anachronisms – a scattering of people, animals, and objects all across time! Our team must find a way to return all the anachronisms to their original timelines before the time stream falls apart. But before our Legends can jump back into action, Rip Hunter and his newly established Time Bureau call their methods into question.
With the Time Bureau effectively the new sheriffs in town, the Legends disband – until Mick Rory discovers one of them in the middle of his well-deserved vacation in Aruba. Seeing this as an opportunity to continue their time-traveling heroics, Sara wastes no time in getting the Legends back together. She reunites with billionaire inventor Ray Palmer, the unconventional historian-turned-superhero Nate Heywood (Zano), former member of the JSA Amaya Jiwe (Richardson-Sellers), and Professor Martin Stein (Garber) and Jefferson “Jax” Jackson (Drameh), who together form the meta-human Firestorm.
Once reunited, the Legends will challenge the Time Bureau’s authority, and, in true Legends style, eventually run afoul of the Bureau when they recruit a hacker from the future, Zari Tomaz (Ashe). Against the wishes of the bureau, they welcome Zari to the team and continue their time-traveling shenanigans, while insisting that however messy their methods may be, some problems are beyond the Bureau’s capabilities. Some problems can only be fixed by Legends.
Cameron Monaghan, Emma Kenney, Emmy Rossum, Christian Isaiah, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Steve Howey, Shanola Hampton, and William H. Macy in ‘Shameless’ Season 8 (Photo: Brian Bowen Smith / Showtime)
Shameless‘ season eight premiere on Sunday, November 5, 2017 drew in the highest ratings since the show’s third season premiere. The ratings increase and the show’s continuing popularity prompted Showtime to announce an early season nine renewal. Per the network, filming on the ninth season will begin in 2018.
Season eight’s first episode marked a 50% increase over season seven’s premiere. Season seven averaged an impressive 6.5 million viewers, and the adult series ranks as Showtime’s top comedy. It also maintains the youngest-skewing audience of any of Showtime’s series.
“As challenging as it can be for any show simply to maintain viewers in the current TV landscape, Shameless is adding them in droves,” said David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. “But it’s no mystery why. The series’ reputation for rich and resonant characters and for deep – and deeply twisted – comedy has drawn not only faithful longtime viewers but a steadily growing audience. And creatively, the season that kicked off this past Sunday is stronger than ever.”
“We are so grateful to Showtime for giving us the opportunity to continue making Shameless,” added series executive producer and showrunner John Wells. “It’s a labor of love (and a blast) for all of us.”
Shameless was created by Paul Abbott and is executive produced by John Wells (who developed it for American television), Nancy M. Pimental, and Sheila Callaghan. The series stars William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Cameron Monaghan, Jeremy Allen White, Elliot Fletcher, Emma Kenney, Ethan Cutkosky, Christian Isaiah, Steve Howey, Shanola Hampton, and Isidora Goreshter.
The Plot: Season eight finds the Gallaghers on an upswing – Frank (Macy) comes out of a drug-induced haze and decides it’s finally time to be a contributing member of society. Fiona (Rossum) faces hard decisions when she discovers her success as a landlord might mean someone else’s misfortune. Lip (White) struggles with unexpected sacrifices he must make to stay sober, while Ian (Monaghan) takes up a cause in hopes of getting back with Trevor (Fletcher). Debbie (Kenney) builds her future at welding school while juggling life as a single working mom, as Carl (Cutkosky) gets creative finding tuition money after he loses his scholarship.
Meanwhile, Liam (Isaiah) discovers just how different the Gallaghers are from the families of his rich classmates as Frank schools him on “sticking it to the man.” Kev (Steve Howey) and V (Hampton) have to find a way to deal with Svetlana (Goreshter) after she steals their bar, The Alibi.
“You and I could’ve been gods,” says Amunet (Katee Sackhoff). “I used to work with a god. I’m over it,” replies Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) as she faces off against her former boss in season four episode five of The CW’s The Flash.
As the episode kicks off, Ralph Dibny (Hartley Sawyer) is practicing his unique stretching abilities and trying to impress Team Flash. However, the team’s more focused on trying to locate the name DeVoe who Barry (Grant Gustin) remembered both Hocus Pocus and Savitar saying would be a major villain he has to fight in the future.
Everyone’s surprised when Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) walks into the training area of S.T.A.R. Labs saying hi and looking forward to the bachelorette party. After giving Barry a quick hug and Cisco (Carlos Valdez) grief for the lack of security at the lab, she heads off to find Iris (Candice Patton).
Caitlin’s booking a plane flight out of town when both Iris and Felicity come looking for her. She quickly turns the screen off and smiles at the two ladies who are really looking forward to the “low-key” party. Caitlin tries telling Iris she’s going to skip it because she needs to deal with something from her past, but Iris and Felicity plead for her to spend some girl time with them. Caitlin, reluctantly, gives in.
Over at Joe’s house, Cisco puts on a video he put together of old home movies of Barry as a kid. The guys night out is old-school entertaining, with Harry (Tom Cavanagh), Barry, and Joe (Jesse L. Martin) watching the video and about to enjoy some brandy. Ralph shows up, mistakenly believing he was invited to Barry’s quiet bachelor party. Not liking anything about the mood and atmosphere at Barry’s party, Ralph decides to hijack the guys and move the party to a place he’s very familiar with – a place with cheap food and drinks.
Felicity, Iris, Caitlin, and Cecile (Danielle Nicolet) are celebrating at Iris’ bachelorette party, sitting in a nice restaurant and toasting the bride-to-be with champagne. Their party is interrupted when Amunet’s one-eyed thug shows up looking for Caitlin. Felicity mistakes him for a weird stripper but soon realizes he’s not part of the party fun when he drops his glass eye into her champagne glass and out of his eye socket crawls a serpent-like thing.
The girls quickly get up as Caitlin flings the table at the thug. Both Felicity and Iris take the one-eyed creep on with a chair but end up losing the battle. They fall and he’s heading toward them when Caitlin asks the thug not to do this. When he shows he has no intention of stopping, her cold powers kick in and Killer Frost takes control. Iris, Cecile, and Felicity watch wide-eyed as Frost blasts the thug out of the building. That situation taken care of, she glances down at the cute pink outfit Caitlin is fond of and says, “Ugh, I hate pink,” as she takes a slug of champagne from the bottle.
Ralph takes Barry and his buddies to a strip club and they all have to hand over their cell phones to security. Of course, they do it just as Iris is trying to call Barry. Ralph’s going on and on about being a regular at this club, and Joe is feeling very uncomfortable while Barry is wishing he could get drunk. Cisco tells Barry he’s made a special alcoholic drink for him, which should do the job.
The girls return to S.T.A.R. Labs and Frost tells Iris, Felicity, and Cecile how Caitlin was planning on leaving because Amunet had found her. As she changes out of the pink outfit into something colder in fashion, Frost tells Iris that Caitlin turned to Amunet in desperation when Frost got stronger and Caitlin was afraid she would lose control. Amunet had a device that could keep Catlin in control, but the price she demanded was that Frost would be her bodyguard.
As she changes, the girls huddle up and talk. Iris is adamant they need to help Frost because Caitlin is somewhere inside her and they’re not losing their teammate. Felicity is on board but Cecile is hesitant because of Frost kidnapping her last year at the behest of Savitar. Cecile finally agrees and the three are talking about how to proceed when Frost asks, “What are you whispering about?” startling them. Frost then heads out to deal with Amunet, not knowing Iris, Felicity, and Cecile are following her.
Back at the strip club, Barry’s very drunk from Cisco’s special drink and in tears that Rose didn’t make room for Jack on the door as the Titanic was sinking. He also yells out to everyone in the bar that he’s The Flash. Fortunately, he’s so drunk and goofy the patrons respond by laughing. Joe takes him back to their table to quiet him down and when the next exotic dancer comes out, the men of Team Flash recognize her as Joanie, Cecile’s daughter. “Oh hell no!” says Joe, not wanting to believe what he’s just seen.
Killer Frost goes to a nightclub where she finds Amunet. Amunet’s pleased to see her until Frost reminds her she’s out. Amunet tells her that “out” could mean so many things and that she wants to show her something. Frost follows Amunet into a private back area of the club where Amunet reveals her latest acquisition: a meta-human named Weeper whose tears contain a highly addictive drug Amunet wants to sell. She’ll cut in Frost for 15% because she wants her around once more as her bodyguard. Frost turns her down, declaring she’s not working for her anymore.
Meanwhile, Iris, Felicity, and Cecile have tracked Frost to the nightclub. Iris sneaks into the back area and spies on Frost and Amunet. The disagreement between the two meta-humans gets heated and they begin fighting. Iris rushes in, complimenting Amunet on her club and telling Frost it’s time to go. Frost takes the exit made possible by Iris and Amunet lets them leave, telling her thug she’s allowing Frost to believe she can walk away.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Frost tells Iris that Amunet could have killed her. Iris wants to save Weeper, feeling responsible for him since they created his meta-human powers. Felicity and Cecile are on board, but Frost thinks they’re in over their heads and opts to skip town.
Frost’s waiting for a meta-human she knows who can breach her to another Earth, but it’s Amunet who shows up instead. Amunet drops a bucket full of metal shrapnel and uses it to create a metal glove which she can control to throw the metal shrapnel around. A scared Frost fights Amunet, however, Amunet’s able to dodge and protect herself from Frost’s cold blasts while continuing to hit Frost with shrapnel.
Lying on the ground, wounded, Frost looks up to see Amunet standing over her. Amunet punches her hard with her metal glove and Frost weakens which brings out poor Caitlin who receives the last punch. Just as Amunet is about to give Caitlin a fatal hit, a patrol car pulls up and two cops yell for Amunet to turn around with her hands up. She turns, almost insulted that they called her ma’am, and kills them with her metal shrapnel. When she turns to kill Caitlin, she discovers she’s gone. “Kill you later, Caity,” says Amunet.
Back at the bar, Ralph gets into a fight with another patron and he, Joe, Cisco, and Barry get thrown in jail. While there, Barry, now starting to sober up after being ill many times over, asks Joe what’s bothering him. Joe admits he’s not sure if he’s up to being a dad this late in his life. Barry reassures him that he is and reminds him that when he raised him and Iris, he was a single parent but now he has Cecile. Harry shows up and bails out his friends.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin is patching herself up when Iris arrives and asks if she can help. Caitlin reveals to Iris that when she felt Frost getting stronger, she turned to Amunet desperate to stay in control. Unfortunately, the tech Amunet gave her isn’t working much anymore. She hoped when Cisco told her about getting Barry back from the Speed Force, she could help and try to make up for what she did as Frost.
Caitlin asks if Frost hurt anyone and Iris tells her just the thug. She asks Caitlin about her memories and Caitlin admits that when Frost is in control, she doesn’t remember much of what Frost does. (Felicity compares it to Bruce Banner and The Hulk). Caitlin says she never should have come back and Iris argues she should have come back and she should have told them. Caitlin admits she didn’t know who to tell. (Really?! How about Cisco and Barry who fought so hard in season three to save Caitlin from Frost!) Iris says she could have told her and Caitlin finally admits the truth to Iris, that they aren’t really friends. “It’s not like you and I have become besties over the past two years,” says Caitlin to which a humbled Iris admits that’s the truth.
A little later, Felicity uses her incredible computer skills and tracks Amunet to the warehouse district. Iris, Felicity, and Cecile head out to try to stop Amunet, leaving Caitlin behind. Caitlin admits that if she loses control to Frost, she could become dangerous to them.
At the warehouse, Felicity and Iris get captured by Amunet’s thugs while she’s trying to sell Weeper to a possible buyer. Just as Amunet is about to have Iris and Felicity killed, Caitlin shows up and offers her a deal: she’ll work for her if she lets them go. Amunet says it’s gone too far for that now and the fight is on, but this time Frost is stronger. She blasts Amunet’s thugs with a cold blast and tells Iris and Felicity to get behind her. Frost then makes an ice shield, preventing bullets and Amunet’s metal shrapnel from getting to them.
Cecile uses a giant magnet in the warehouse to separate Amunet from her bucket of metal and it gives Frost the advantage she needs to knock her to the ground. Frost walks up to a disarmed Amunet with a deadly icicle in her hand, ready to kill her. Iris warns her not to and that she can choose to be Caitlin or Frost but doesn’t have to kill to be either. Frost tells Amunet to get lost and Amunet promises that soon she will ruin something important to Caitlin. (Does anyone else think that maybe Amunet is involved in ruining the upcoming wedding?!)
At S.T.A.R. Labs, a recovering Barry asks Iris if everything is okay, saying he noticed she called him several times. They both quickly admit their night out didn’t go as originally planned. As Cisco, Barry, Iris, and Ralph walk into the cortex, they see Killer Frost standing there. “I’m so tired…so tired. Can we do this tomorrow?” asks Cisco. “Why is Killer Frost here?” asks a perplexed Barry.
Caitlin takes over and the cold melts away, revealing her brown hair and eyes. Iris tells the guys Caitlin has something she needs to tell them and they need to listen to her. They approach Caitlin as she tells them she’ll explain everything.
At Joe’s house, Joanie is hoping Joe won’t tell her mom he saw her at the strip club dancing. He tells her it isn’t his secret to tell, but the fact she’s hiding it from her mom should tell her enough about what she’s doing. Cecile comes home and Joanie asks if they can get breakfast tomorrow and talk. Cecile smiles and says yes.
Iris and Caitlin are walking out of S.T.A.R. Labs together when Iris asks Caitlin to be her Maid of Honor at the wedding. Surprised, Caitlin asks if she’s sure and Iris says yes. Iris believes they aren’t just work friends and weddings are a time for new beginnings. Excited, Caitlin says yes and asks about her dress.
The last scene is Weeper running through an alley and getting trapped by a fence. He looks up to see The Thinker hovering over him in his chair, reminding him he created him for a reason.
The Flash Season 4 Episode 5 Review:
Uneven, goofy, and funny, episode five titled “Girls Night Out” brings back Caitlin’s icy persona Killer Frost and finally reveals what Caitlin had been doing for the last six months away from Team Flash. By far the strongest part of the episode is with Panabaker playing both Frost and Caitlin, and the introduction of the new villain Amunet played to the hilt by Katee Sackhoff. It’s the scenes between a tough but at times fearful Frost going up against Amunet that crackle with energy and suspense.
The “girls to the rescue theme” in the episode is written too heavy-handed, with Iris saying every few scenes something along the lines of “We got this, hashtag feminism.” Emily Bett Rickards shines in her guest appearance as Felicity and adds much-needed humor to the bachelorette party gone so horribly wrong.
The bachelor party storyline of Barry finally getting a serious hangover and Joe constantly worrying about being a dad again at 50 aims to be funny and does have plenty of laughs. Unfortunately, it shifts into being a distraction from the main plotline.
With Caitlin’s secret out in the open and having the full support of Team Flash, it should be very interesting to see her icy Killer Frost side begin to fight alongside The Flash and Vibe. Yes, that’s going to happen in the near future. Count on it.
Josh Groban and Tony Danza star in Netflix’s ‘The Good Cop.’
Singer/songwriter Josh Groban has signed on to the cast of The Good Cop, a new comedy/drama series coming to Netflix. Groban joins Tony Danza in the 10 episode one-hour series created by Andy Breckman (Monk).
Breckman will serve as the showrunner and will executive produce along with Randy Zisk (Bones, Monk) and Howard Klein (The Office, The Mindy Project). Danza will also serve as a producer on the series in addition to his starring role.
Per Netflix, The Good Cop finds Groban playing the role of “Tony Jr., an earnest, obsessively honest NYPD detective who makes a point of always following the rules. Tony Jr. is son to Tony Sr., a disgraced, former NYPD officer who never followed the rules, played by Tony Danza.” In The Good Cop, “this odd couple become unofficial partners as Tony Sr. offers his overly cautious son blunt, street-wise advice on everything from handling suspects to handling women.”
Josh Groban Biography, Courtesy of Netflix:
Possessing one of the most outstanding and instantly recognizable voices in music, singer, songwriter, and actor Josh Groban has entertained fans across the globe with his multi-platinum albums and DVDs (over 30 million sold worldwide), electrifying live performances, and comedic film and television appearances. The 35-year-old Los Angeles native is the only artist who has had two albums appear on the Top 20 Best-Selling Albums list of the past decade, according to Billboard. He has appeared in the feature films Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Hollars, Coffee Town, and Muppets Most Wanted, as well as on NBC’s The Office, FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and CBS’ The Crazy Ones.
Groban has released seven studio albums, his 2001 self-titled 5x-platinum debut, 2003’s 6x-platinum Closer, 2006’s double-platinum Awake, 2007’s 6x platinum Grammy-nominated Noel, 2010’s gold-certified Illuminations, and 2013’s gold-certified All That Echoes, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, giving Groban his first No. 1 debut and third chart-topper. Groban earned Grammy Award nominations for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his 2015 album Stages, a collection of some of the greatest songs from musical theater, and 2016’s Stages Live, which featured performances recorded at the historic Los Angeles Theater for his all-new PBS special Josh Groban: Stages Live.
Over the summer, he embarked on an extensive North American tour to support Stages entitled “Josh Groban: On Stage.” Also in 2016, Groban made his Broadway debut starring in the new musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, which opened to glowing reviews and for which he as nominated for a 2016 Tony Award.
