Starz fittingly chose Halloween to unveil the first teaser trailer for season three of the horror comedy series, Ash vs Evil Dead. The first trailer is a little over a minute long and introduces Ash to his teenage daughter, Brandy (played by Arielle Carver-O’Neill). The upcoming third season of the popular series is set to premiere on Sunday, February 25, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT.
Per Starz, season three will consist of 10 episodes. The series is inspired by the Evil Dead films from Sam Raimi (Spider-Man 1, 2 & 3, Oz the Great and Powerful), Rob Tapert (Spartacus, Xena: Warrior Princess), and Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice). Campbell, Tapert, and Raimi serve as executive producers along with Ivan Raimi and Rick Jacobson. The season three showrunner is Mark Verheiden (Daredevil, Constantine).
Season one premiered on October 31, 2015. Season two followed on September 27, 2016.
The Ash vs Evil Dead Plot: The upcoming season also finds Ash discovering his long lost daughter, Brandy Barr, played by newcomer Arielle Carver-O’Neill (House Husbands, Suburbs, Conspiracy 365). The third season finds Ash’s status in Elk Grove, Michigan has changed from murderous urban legend to humanity-saving hometown hero. When Kelly witnesses a televised massacre with Ruby’s fingerprints all over it, she returns with a new friend to warn Ash and Pablo that evil isn’t done with them yet. Blood is thicker than water in the battle of good vs Evil Dead!
The wickedly gore-filled series stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, the chainsaw-wielding anti-hero tasked with saving the world from evil; Lucy Lawless (Salem) as Ruby, the unpredictable foe and occasional ally who has strong ties to the origin of the “Necronomicon;” Ray Santiago (Touch) plays Pablo Simon Bolivar, Ash’s loyal sidekick and eternal optimist; and Dana DeLorenzo (Impress Me) returns as Kelly Maxwell, orphaned in season one and ready to kick some evil ass.
HBO has confirmed the air dates for the upcoming miniseries, Gunpowder, starring Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington. The three-part series will premiere on Monday, December 18, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT, with parts two and three airing over the following two nights. In addition to starring in the thriller, Kit Harington serves as a co-executive producer.
Harington actually plays a character he’s related to in the series. Peter Mullan (Quarry), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock), and Liv Tyler (The Leftovers) also star in the series based on the real story of the events leading up to Guy Fawkes Day. Ronan Bennett (Top Boy) wrote the series and J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed) directed.
“We are delighted to offer a platform for a project that is so close to Kit Harington’s heart,” said Kary Antholis, president, HBO Miniseries and CINEMAX Programming. “Kit’s passion for and belief in Gunpowder are evident in every frame of the miniseries.”
“Three years ago, Daniel West and I conceived and began developing Gunpowder with Kudos and Ronan Bennett,” added Harington. “We are now thrilled to share this unique story with the U.S. audience. I can’t think of a better place to do that than my home at HBO.”
“We are thrilled that HBO has come on board as our U.S. partner for this outstanding miniseries,” stated Cathy Payne, chief executive, Endemol Shine International. “It is a testament to the producers Kudos and Thriker Films and the amazing cast.”
The Plot: Originally commissioned by BBC One in the U.K., Gunpowder stars Kit Harington as Robert Catesby, who was the driving force behind the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 London. A committed Catholic at a time when Protestant England persecutes Catholics relentlessly, Catesby’s refusal to abandon his religion brings him to the edge of financial, social and psychological ruin. Mark Gatiss plays Robert Cecil, King James’ spymaster, who directs efforts to hunt down, torture and kill priests, while rank-and-file Catholics are subject to oppression and the loss of their property.
Peter Mullan portrays head Jesuit Father Garnet, whose peaceful protestations have little effect on Catesby. Liv Tyler plays Catesby’s astute and capable cousin, Anne Vaux, who becomes suspicious about his activities and fears the consequences will be the exact opposite of what Catesby intends. Gunpowder chronicles the evolution of the plot, the selection of collaborators to carry it out, the gathering of resources and the obstacles to its execution, even as Catesby’s team plays a deadly cat and mouse game with Cecil’s ruthless spy network.
Also starring in Gunpowder are Edward Holcroft (Kingsman: The Golden Circle), Shaun Dooley (Broadchurch), Tom Cullen (Downton Abbey), Robert Emms (War Horse), Derek Riddell (The Missing), Sian Webber (EastEnders), David Bamber (HBO’s Rome) and Kevin Eldon (Game of Thrones).
Kit Harington stars in ‘Gunpowder’ (Photo by Robert Viglasky / HBO)
Billboard has selected award-winning artist Selena Gomez as the recipient of its 2017 Woman of the Year award. Selena Gomez is being recognized not only for her successful career but also for her continuing philanthropic work supporting multiple charities. Gomez will accept the award during the Women in Music awards ceremony to be held on November 30, 2017 at the Roy Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles, CA. The 12th Annual Women in Music gala will be broadcast live on Twitter beginning at 6pm PT, 9pm ET.
Announcing Gomez’s award, The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group President John Amato said, “Not only is Selena soaring on the charts, but she continuously inspires young women everywhere to be authentic, give back and to not be afraid to use their voice. She is never afraid to speak her mind and has used her platform to advocate for the needs of others. We are thrilled to be able to honor her as our Woman of the Year.”
Selena Gomez joins a list of Billboard’s Woman of the Year award winners that includes Madonna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Pink, Katy Perry, Fergie, and Beyoncé.
More on Selena Gomez, Courtesy of Billboard:
Over the past year, Gomez dominated the charts with Top 40 hits including “Bad Liar,” “Fetish” (featuring Gucci Mane), and “It Ain’t Me.” The latter, a collaboration with Kygo, became one of 2017’s biggest international smashes with over half a billion streams since its release. She’s also made headlines for far more than her pop radio prowess. Gomez executive-produced the acclaimed Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why, launched partnerships with Coach and Puma, all the while inspiring fans through her tireless philanthropic work.
Gomez teamed up with the Step Up Foundation, became a coach for World Kindness Day, hosted the WE Day charity telecast, and participated in benefits like Somos Live and the Hand in Hand Benefit for Hurricane Relief telethon. In addition, Gomez helped raise over $500,000 for the Lupus Research Alliance, a cause that has affected her personally. She has also advocated for increased mental health awareness after opening up about her own treatment and inspiring her young fans to find strength through outreach. Gomez has been an active ambassador for UNICEF since 2009, traveling around the world raising awareness and funds while promoting further involvement through her C.A.N. (Charity, Action, Now) initiative.
With six career Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, Gomez reigns as an arena headliner, a four-time Guinness World Record holder, and the most-followed person on Instagram with over 128 million followers. Gomez was honored with the ‘Chart-Topper’ Award at Billboard’s 2015 Women in Music event.
Billboard’s Women in Music 2017 (PRNewsfoto/Billboard Media Group)
Tom Ellis and Tricia Helfer in ‘Lucifer’ season 3 episode 5 (Photo by John P Fleenor / FOX)
Fox’s Lucifer season three episode five brings Tricia Helfer back as a memory-impaired Charlotte Richards. But before we get to Charlotte’s story, episode five introduces a security guard at Performance Pudding Plus enjoying the company’s product. A worker interrupts the security guard’s snack by returning to the building at night to work on a new batch of pudding. He’s busy cooking in a large vat when someone pushes him in.
Lucifer (Tom Elis) arrives at Chloe’s just after Chloe (Lauren German) learns from hospitalized Lt. Marcus Pierce that they have a new case. Trixie’s swear jar is on the counter and a clueless Lucifer’s impressed Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) earns money for swearing. When he learns how it really works, he’s really impressed Chloe extorts money from her child. This leads to a discussion of accountability and how everything is always his dad’s fault. He thinks Chloe almost getting shot at the ranch was just another lesson his dad was trying to teach him. He’s decided he’s not going to be affected by his dad any longer.
Over at the crime scene, Ella (Aimee Garcia) is in the vat examining the pudding cooker’s dead body. His name’s Simon Fisher and he was a senior food chemist. His death doesn’t appear to have been an accident. Lucifer, always quick with the one-liners, observes the man obviously drowned in a vat of semen. Chloe corrects him, saying it’s pudding. “Sure. I’ve heard it called that, too,” says Lucifer.
Ella has determined the victim doesn’t have any wounds other than the burns. She pronounces it death by scalding. Dan (Kevin Alejandro) is also part of the investigation and he’s upset about the death, given that he’s a huge pudding lover.
The security guard, Lalo Vasquez (Omar Leyva), claims he was in the bathroom and didn’t see anything. Lucifer points out there’s a lot of security cameras, which is weird since it’s a pudding company. The guard explains that’s because they didn’t want anyone to steal Simon’s secret recipe. If they want to look at the security footage, they have to talk to the company’s owner.
Adrian Yates (Matthew Yang King), the Performance Pudding Plus owner, arrives at the police station but without the tapes. Why doesn’t he bring the tapes? Because Charlotte Richards, his attorney, has told him not to. Lucifer’s stunned to see Charlotte back at the station and reacts by saying, “Mom?”
A flashback to earlier that day finds Charlotte waking up, exercising, and preparing for work. She seems a bit off and tells herself she’s not crazy. She can’t remember the last few months or how she ended up with a scar on her stomach.
Back to current events and Chloe explains they’re shocked to see her, believing her brush with death changed her. Lucifer agrees and tries to confirm she’s the real Charlotte Richards. Charlotte won’t allow the police to have the tapes, and Chloe thinks that indicates Adrian’s hiding something. Lucifer, of course, believes Charlotte’s only there because of him. Everything is always all about Lucifer.
Lucifer looks confused when Charlotte doesn’t take the bait and instead gets down to the business of the tapes. Adrian won’t release them because they have the secret formula on them and he doesn’t want that entered into the public record. Adrian, against Charlotte’s instructions, reveals the killer can’t be seen in the tapes from any of the angles anyway. Chloe points out that means the killer knew where the cameras are and how to avoid them.
Ella tells Dan cleaning Simon’s corpse was extremely difficult. She then tries to distract Dan so he doesn’t notice Charlotte’s just mere feet away. It doesn’t work and Charlotte walks past, oblivious to the fact she (meaning Lucifer’s mom in Charlotte’s body) had a sexual relationship with Dan.
Dan can’t believe Charlotte didn’t react, saying it was like she was a completely different person. Lucifer agrees, but wonders why she’s at the station and what her angle is.
Chloe has discovered seven Pudding Plus employees had key cards. Lucifer’s preoccupied and not really listening when Chloe reveals Adrian’s ex-business partner, Grace Foley, also had a key card. She started her own rival pudding company two years ago. Chloe explains the reason why they’re visiting a movie studio is because Grace’s company is shooting a new commercial on the lot on Stage 69. Lucifer’s not listening and completely misses the opportunity to make a 69 joke.
Lucifer admits he’s been distracted trying to reach Charlotte, and Chloe wonders why he’s so obsessed with reaching his stepmom. He says he needs to get to the bottom of what’s going on and why she’s returned at this particular time. He thinks his mother’s return has something to do with this dad. Chloe reminds him he wasn’t going to think about his dad anymore, and Lucifer tries hard but fails to put his dad and mom out of his mind.
Chloe suggests he needs a distraction just as a gorgeous woman in a white bikini walks by. Lucifer follows her onto a set as Chloe says she meant he needed to focus on the case. The woman’s just one of many models involved in the pudding commercial shoot, all clad in skimpy white attire with angel wings. Poor Lucifer’s extremely conflicted by this scene, turned on but also wondering if his dad also has something to do with this. He’s unable to look away.
The models seductively eat pudding as Grace screams that she needs more pudding in the commercial. Chloe and Lucifer interrupt the shoot to ask her a few questions, and she admits she’s been trying to poach Simon for two years. Lucifer, still distracted by the angels, has to have Chloe take over the questioning. Grace claims she didn’t kill Simon and then asks for her lawyer. Chloe has to prompt Lucifer to use his Jedi mind trick, and Grace says her greatest desire is to stop shooting this “exploitative garbage.”
Lucifer can’t believe she’s calling the commercial garbage. He admits he’s never wanted pudding more in his life and calls the commercial “art.” Grace says sex has nothing to do with pudding, and she admits her pudding tastes like crap. She also reveals Simon offered to sell her the Pudding Plus recipe but then he was murdered.
Lauren German and Tom Ellis in ‘Lucifer’ (Photo by John P Fleenor/FOX)
Chloe’s in the middle of explaining this is probably about corporate espionage when she notices Lucifer’s wandered off following an angel. Chloe notices a man she saw outside the stage is lurking in the shadows, and she interrupts Lucifer’s chat with a model to tell him to escort the woman to her trailer while she talks to Grace again.
Lucifer can’t believe what Chloe’s suggesting and happily agrees. As he walks her to her trailer, he’s going off about his dad and mom and how they’re in his head ruining this beautiful moment. The lurking man is following them not far behind.
Chloe stops the lurker who she assumes is a spy working for Adrian Yates. He won’t talk without his lawyer.
Meanwhile, Dan waits in the lobby of Charlotte’s law firm looking like a lost puppy. When Charlotte finally meets with him, he asks why she’s giving him the cold shoulder. He wants to know what they were and reminds her she seduced him. He hasn’t heard from her since she almost died, and she says it doesn’t make any sense to her either. He’s angry and frustrated but decides to just let it go. As he’s leaving, he says he’ll let Lucifer deal with her since they were strangely close.
Back at the station, Chloe gets a call from Trixie’s school. Apparently, she’s using naughty language but changing the words a little (motherf*cker is motherflunker). This is all because of Lucifer who’s taught her loophole swear words. Lucifer’s proud of himself until Chloe informs him he’s made her job as a mom much more difficult. Lucifer takes offense, calling lessons administered by parents “mind games.”
Unfortunately, Charlotte’s not the lurker’s (who is actually referred to as “the fixer”) attorney much to Lucifer’s disappointment. Charlotte’s too busy so there’s a replacement from the firm, something that frustrates Lucifer.
When Lucifer returns home, Charlotte’s already let herself in and has poured a drink. She doesn’t speak and instead moves in for a kiss. Lucifer can’t believe it, but Charlotte says she knows they were close. Lucifer keeps backing away as Charlotte keeps kissing him. She finally takes the hint but is more confused than ever. She doesn’t know what their relationship was but thinks she must have been sleeping with Lucifer who she calls Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.
Lucifer finally confirms to himself his mom is no longer in Charlotte’s body. He explains they were like family and Charlotte admits she doesn’t remember anything that happened for months. She says it feels like someone else was living her life and they ruined it – her work, her relationships, her family. She doesn’t understand why her ex-husband got custody of the kids. She’s just pretending she remembers it all so people don’t think she’s crazy.
Lucifer calls her an innocent and Charlotte admits she feels like she was trapped in a horrible nightmare during that missing time. She says it feels like she was in Hell, but she doesn’t expect him to believe her. He reminds her he’s Lucifer and then adds, “Perhaps you knew exactly where you were.”
Charlotte doesn’t think she deserved to go to Hell, but Lucifer says maybe she feels more guilt than she realized. She wants to know how to make sure she’ll never go back. Lucifer suggests she avoid doing devious things from now on and she asks if knowingly impeding a homicide investigation is considered a devious thing.
Back at the station, Dan munches on pudding and calls himself a dummy. He tells Ella he was rejected at Charlotte’s office. Ella warns him not to drown his sorrows in pudding, and then reveals Simon had golf ball-sized kidney stones. He had intense renal failure and, in a weird coincidence, would have died within days if he hadn’t been murdered.
Chloe questions the fixer and asks about Simon’s death. He reveals Grace’s company was going to merge with Pudding Plus, which means there wasn’t any motive to kill Simon. The fixer also admits he only followed Chloe to make sure her investigation didn’t threaten the merger.
Chloe’s interrogation is interrupted when she’s called into a meeting with Dan, Ella, Lucifer, and Charlotte. Charlotte turns over the security footage, saying she’s trying to do what’s right. She thinks it will prove her client is innocent and help them find the killer.
They watch Simon’s death on the footage, but the killer can’t be seen. Ella, however, figures something out. She slaps the pudding cup out of Dan’s hand and sends it flying. She claims she’s saved his life, pointing out that two of the ingredients – cyanuric acid and melamine – are harmless separately but together over time can cause renal failure.
Ella goes on to point out those chemicals can fake the appearance of a higher protein content, which is probably why Simon used them. People would die, but Charlotte says that if you have hundreds of millions in profit, losing a few millions is no big deal. Chloe thinks Simon was trying to stop the sale, and now it appears Adrian, Grace, and the fixer all had motives to keep Simon quiet.
Lucifer reminds Charlotte she represents all the potential killers, and Charlotte stalks out of the room. She’s ready to join the Peace Corps at this point because trying to do good as a lawyer didn’t work.
Ella stops Charlotte in the elevator and tells her she only sees darkness in her now. Ella also lets Charlotte know she has Dan’s back.
Chloe figures out none of the three had the most to lose if the merger failed. It was actually Lalo the security guard who stood to profit from the merger, due to stock options. If Simon revealed he was sick, that would ruin Lalo’s plans.
Lalo confirms he knew Simon was sick because they went out drinking a month before Simon died. He recalls Simon said Adrian wasn’t listening to him and that he should just end his life. Lalo didn’t tell the cops this sooner because he thought it was just drunken nonsense. He doesn’t think Lalo jumped into a boiling vat since that’s a horrible death, but Chloe believes maybe that’s what actually happened.
Dan discovers Simon gave away his money to charity and even found a new home for his pet turtle in the days before his death. Simon wanted the cops to investigate the companies.
Lucifer calls Charlotte to let her know, but she’s not at work. She’s gone to meet with her three clients, one of whom she suspects is the murderer. She whips out a gun and says they can’t leave until she figures it out. They swear none of them did it and when the fixer decides to just leave, Charlotte fires in his direction. They explain all they did was keep Simon quiet and then sped up the merger so they could make bigger profits.
Lucifer arrives to stop Charlotte from doing anything horrible. He informs her Simon committed suicide so he could expose the company. Lucifer assures Charlotte her clients are innocent but now she’s pissed because these three knew they were selling a poisonous product. She says this isn’t a loophole and they’re all guilty, but Lucifer stops her once again.
Charlotte doesn’t want to go back to her old life, and Lucifer tells her to trust him. He takes the gun and then reveals he’s been recording the conversation with Chloe listening in. The three pudding people are arrested, thanks to Charlotte and Lucifer.
Chloe thinks what she overheard sounded like Charlotte wrestling with her demons, and Dan tells Charlotte he recognizes she’s going through a lot. She apologizes for how she treated him and asks if they can meet for coffee. He says maybe.
That night at home, Chloe has a heart-to-heart with Trixie about loophole cuss words. Chloe admits the swear jar is a dumb idea and tells her that bad words make people feel bad. Chloe hopes Trixie will do the right thing from now on.
Lucifer visits Charlotte at home and she confesses she doesn’t remember buying this place. She also doesn’t remember buying 30 cases of Merlot. Lucifer admits he feels somewhat accountable for her lost time and she asks what she was like during that time she can’t remember. He says she was a handful, intense, jealous, emotional, and made epic mistakes. But, it all came from a place of love. Lucifer also admits he’ll miss that Charlotte, more than she’ll ever know. They toast to the real Charlotte, and he finally utters the episode’s title. “Welcome back, Charlotte Richards.”
ABC’s Once Upon a Time season seven episode four gave Belle (Emilie de Ravin) a fitting – and very emotional – send-off. It was good to see she was able to enjoy her happy ending with Rumple and that they ultimately had a very loving relationship. Thus far Once Upon a Time‘s seventh season has brought back series stars Jennifer Morrison and Emilie de Ravin to finish up their happy ending storylines, and hopefully we’ll get to see what’s up with other fan favorites, including Rebecca Mader’s Zelena, later this season.
Up next, season seven episode five airing on November 3, 2017 at 8pm ET/PT and titled “Greenbacks.” Episode five was directed by Geofrey Hildrew from a script by Christopher Hollier and Adam Karp. Season seven stars Lana Parrilla as Regina/Roni, Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin/Weaver, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook/Rogers, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills, Gabrielle Anwar as Lady Tremaine/Victoria Belfrey, Dania Ramirez as Cinderella/Jacinda, Alison Fernandez as Lucy, Mekia Cox as Sabine/Tiana, and Adelaide Kane as Drizella/Ivy. The guest cast includes Emma Booth as The Witch, Daniel Francis as Dr. Facilier, Kevin Ryan as Robert, and Robin Givens as Eudora.
The “Greenbacks” Plot: Tiana seeks help from a traveling soothsayer, the iconic Dr. Facilier, in an attempt to save her kingdom. But when it’s revealed that he has an ulterior motive she’s forced to take matters into her own hands. In Hyperion Heights, Sabine and Jacinda take on a risky business venture, but the strength of their friendship is tested when Victoria interferes with their plans. Meanwhile, Ivy recruits Henry to investigate Victoria, and Roni makes a discovery that could change her relationship with Henry forever. Rogers uncovers a crucial clue in his search for Eloise Gardener.
Dania Ramirez and Mekia Cox in ‘Once Upon a Time’ season 7 episode 5 (ABC/Jack Rowand)Mekia Cox in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (ABC/Jack Rowand)Dania Ramirez and Mekia Cox (Photo by Jack Rowand / ABC)Kevin J Ryan in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (ABC/Jack Rowand)
MTV’s popular “Shore” franchise is being revived with MTV Floribama Shore from Jersey Shore‘s 495 Productions Founder & CEO SallyAnn Salsano and Drew Tappon. Salsano and Tappon are executive producing along with Nina L. Diaz and Jackie French. MTV announced the eight 20-somethings who’ll be starring in the revived “Shore” series along with confirming MTV Floribama Shore will premiere on November 27, 2017. The eight episode season will air on Mondays at 10pm ET/PT.
Jersey Shore debuted in December 2009 and ran for six seasons before wrapping up on December 20, 2012. The series starred Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Giancola, Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Jenni ‘Jwoww’ Farley, Paul ‘Pauly D’ DelVecchio, and Ronnie Ortriz-Magro.
In addition to Jersey Shore, the “Shore” franchise includes UK’s Geordie Shore, Spain’s Gandia Shore, Poland’s Warsaw Shore, and Mexico’s Acapulco Shore.
The Floribama Shore Plot: Set in the Florida Panhandle along the beach that stretches all the way to Alabama, MTV Floribama Shore is the story of eight young adults who come to spend the summer in the hottest beach town on the Gulf Coast, Panama City Beach, to party it up and put the real world on hold for just a little bit longer. But each is armed with incredible life experiences and standing at a crossroads, whether it’s ending a relationship, tasting independence for the first time, or trying to escape the past. This coming of age story captures the very real thrill and angst of being young and trying to figure out the future with a group of people you’ll come to call family.
The series will star Jeremiah Buoni (22, Amelia Island, FL), Codi Butts (25, Westminster, SC), Kortni Gilson (21, Panama City Beach, FL), Aimee Hall (24, Perdido, AL), Kirk Medas (25, Atlanta, GA), Nilsa Prowant (23, Panama City Beach, FL), Candace Rice (24, Memphis, TN), and Gus Smyrnios (22, Tallahassee, FL).
Christina Aguilera is confirmed to perform a tribute to Whitney Houston and The Bodyguard at the 2017 American Music Awards. The tribute is in honor of the music-driven dramatic film’s 25th anniversary.
The Bodyguard‘s soundtrack was released on November 17, 1992 and sold more than one million copies in its first week in release. Executive produced by Whitney Houston and Clive Davis, The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack album is one of the top selling soundtracks in history. More than 45 million copies have been sold and the soundtrack is certified 17x Platinum.
Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) will introduce Christina Aguilera who’ll be performing tracks from The Bodyguard.
“I am honored and humbled to be asked to participate in such a special tribute of a timeless soundtrack that has been a huge inspiration not only in my own personal life and career but to countless aspiring singers – touching music lovers worldwide and influencing the history of music itself,” said Christina Aguilera. “To be honoring THE one and only Whitney Houston is a blessing, and I am grateful to celebrate the spirit of her songs and legend that lives on. I feel eternally fortunate to have personally met her on and off the stage. My deep appreciation for her kindness to me while coming up in the business – her graciousness, generosity, humanity, and beauty – lived up to everything I could have hoped for in meeting my idol and will forever be cherished in my memory of her.”
“Whitney herself stated in 2001 that Christina Aguilera sang the best version of her song ‘Run To You,’” said the Estate of Whitney E. Houston. “It is with great appreciation and honor that she is returning to participate on the American Music Awards for a special tribute honoring the 25th anniversary of The Bodyguard. Whitney said that Christina is without a doubt one of the best voices she enjoyed in this generation of music. From the Estate of Whitney E. Houston, we thank you with great joy!”
This year’s American Music Awards will also honor Diana Ross with the American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement. Ross is set to perform during the awards show airing live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 8pm ET on ABC.
The CW’s Supernatural season 13 episode three brought back Loretta Devine as psychic Loretta Devine for an episode that devoted time away from the season’s main story thus far, Dean’s distrust of Jack. Season 13 episode four delves back into the Jack story, with Sam, Dean, and Jack addressing the recent losses in their lives. Directed by John Badham from a script by Meredith Glynn, episode four titled “The Big Empty” airs on November 2, 2017.
The season 13 cast includes Jensen Ackles as Dean, Jared Padalecki as Sam, Misha Collins as Castiel, Mark Pellegrino as Lucifer, Alexander Calvert as Jack, and Samantha Smith as Mary Winchester.
“The Big Empty” Plot: THE LONG WAY HOME – When multiple patients of grief counselor Mia Vallens (guest star Rukiya Bernard) turn up dead, Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Jack (Alexander Calvert) investigate the mystery surrounding the murders and, each inadvertently, are forced to deal with unresolved grief of their own.
The Season 13 Plot: The exciting journey of the Winchester brothers continues as Supernatural enters its thirteenth season. Sam and Dean have encountered every kind of supernatural threat, facing down monsters, demons, and gods. Saving people, hunting things, and keeping the world safe. In the show’s twelfth season, the Winchesters were reunited with their long-dead mother, and joined forces with the British arm of the Men of Letters. But things turned from bad to worse, with the return of Lucifer and the surprising revelation that the Devil is expecting a child. Now, Sam and Dean find themselves facing a creature of almost unimaginable power… one that could save the world… or destroy it.
Matt Damon as Gardner and Julianne Moore as Margaret in ‘Suburbicon’ from Paramount Pictures and Black Bear Pictures.
There was very little buzz surrounding the theatrical release of Suburbicon directed by George Clooney from a script by Clooney, Grant Heslov, Joel Coen, and Ethan Coen. And, apparently, moviegoers weren’t in the least bit interested in sitting through the R-rated crime drama starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore. Of those who did pay for a ticket and were surveyed by CinemaScore, the film earned a disastrous D- rating. Critics were in agreement, awarding the film a rotten score of 27%. Peter Travers from Rolling Stone said the film feels tonally at war with itself, while Rafer Guzman from Newsday called it “a misguided mix of nasty comedy and civil rights drama.”
Topping the October 27-29, 2017 box office weekend was the return of the Saw horror franchise. Jigsaw, the eight film in the series, pulled in $16 million which is about what it was expected to do. However, it will only have a one-week run at the top of the box office chart as the much-anticipated Thor: Ragnarok opens in theaters on Friday, November 3, 2017.
Thor: Ragnarok is the third solo Thor film and leading up to its wide release, Rotten Tomatoes has it sitting at 96% fresh with 102 positive reviews and only four negative reviews. The first Thor opened in theaters in 2011 and earned a 77% fresh rating. Thor: The Dark World followed in 2013 and was less enthusiastically received, scoring only a 66% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Suburbicon Plot: Suburbicon is a peaceful, idyllic suburban community with affordable homes and manicured lawns…the perfect place to raise a family, and in the summer of 1959, the Lodge family is doing just that. But the tranquil surface masks a disturbing reality, as husband and father Gardner Lodge (Matt Damon) must navigate the town’s dark underbelly of betrayal, deceit, and violence. This is a tale of very flawed people making very bad choices. This is Suburbicon.
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in ‘The Walking Dead’ season 8 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC)
A closeup of Rick’s face kicks off AMC’s The Walking Dead season eight episode two. Rick’s close-up is followed by one of Daryl’s face, blending into Ezekiel, Carol, Jesus, Tara, Morgan, and Aaron. On the other side of the battle, weapons are being readied as members of the Saviors prepare to take on what they assume is a small group of rebels. Mara, the group’s leader, calls over the walkie to those on patrol but only Todd responds. She orders them to lock the stairwell just as the combined Alexandria, Hilltop, and Kingdom group arrive in armored vehicles spraying bullets everywhere.
On another battlefront, walkers move slowly in between two fences, forming a zombie moat. Tara (Alanna Masterson), Jesus (Tom Payne), Morgan (Lennie James), and Dianne (Kerry Cahill) prepare to take down the guards, but they know the guards can’t see them first and fire their guns or they’ll never make it in. Morgan’s ready to do this, declaring he doesn’t need help because he doesn’t die.
Back with Ezekiel’s group, the grenade has knocked his people (including Carol) down as walkers approach. Ezekiel (Khary Payton) gets to his feet, drawing his sword as dozens of walkers appear. The remainder of the group work on taking out as many as possible, some using guns, others knives and axes. The Savior who launched the grenade vanished and they need to find him before he can tell the others they’re there. Ezekiel tells Carol (Melissa McBride) to trust him, believing they will find the guy. He instructs his men on what to do next which includes the release of Shiva to find the missing Savior. Ezekiel is more certain than ever they’ll be victorious.
Back at the gunfight, our heroes seem to be getting the upper hand.
Elsewhere, Daryl (Norman Reedus), Rick (Andrew Lincoln), and a few other men enter the complex, taking out two guards. Their mission: find the guns.
Once more to the gunfight and the Saviors are pinned down, but now it appears neither side has an advantage in the gun battle.
Back with Morgan, he’s distracting all the walkers as two guards approach. Dianne takes them out with arrows before they can get off a shot.
Tara, Jesus, Morgan, and Dianne enter the complex and kill a couple of Saviors. They signal for more men to follow once the coast is clear. Everyone moves as quickly and quietly as possible. (The guards and first few Saviors were shot with silencers.)
Rick uses a map provided by Dwight as he and Daryl figure out the weapons must be upstairs.
The shoot-out continues and a few Saviors are killed. Mara thinks the Alexandrians, Hilltoppers, and Kingdom team are too chicken to take them out so she orders her group to try and push them back. However, our heroes know they have to keep the Saviors pinned down and keep firing.
Morgan, Jesus, and Tara give the signal to start the attack inside the compound. They take out Saviors and advance throughout the building. Unfortunately, Morgan and two of the men are outnumbered and get shot.
Daryl and Rick make it to the top floor and still haven’t found the guns. They can’t let the guns make it to the Sanctuary or they’ll lose this battle. Daryl and Rick opt to split up to continue their search.
Tara and Jesus team up and find a Savior who’s pissed his pants. His name is Dean, but Tara doesn’t care that he has his hands up. Jesus stops her from shooting him since he’s surrendered. Tara then joins with Dianne’s nearby group that’s just steps away, and she learns Morgan’s group is missing. Dianne and her team take on a group of Saviors who are firing on them, sending Tara back to help Jesus.
At this point, Tara’s more than ready to kill Dean. He swears he’s not one of them and he’s just a worker. Jesus says they’re not going to shoot someone with their hands up, and then Tara finds Maggie’s prenatal vitamins. Jesus tries to remind Tara it’s not about revenge, and then Dean suddenly disarms Jesus and takes him hostage.
Dean puts a gun to Jesus’ head, joking how hard it is to piss yourself on purpose. He’s a total assh*le and squishes Maggie’s vitamins, just because he can. Dean’s decided his only way out is to take Tara and Jesus with him as hostages. Tara’s having none of this and is ready to shoot, refusing to put down her gun. Dean says they can work this out, turning into a wimp once again. Jesus is able to disarm him and drops Dean to the floor. Jesus doesn’t pull the trigger and instead knocks Dean out and ties him up. Tara’s furious Dean gets to live when Abraham, Glenn, and Denise died.
Diane calls for Jesus and Tara, letting them know the Saviors are falling back. Jesus indicates he knows another way out of the building.
Morgan’s on the floor with the two other men, but he’s not dead. The others are, but Morgan stands, unhurt, ready to get back into the fight.
The gunfight continues and lots of bullets are exchanged. The plan crystallizes as enough Saviors have died to make it unnecessary for the Alexandrians to move in. They just need to be patient and wait for the dead Saviors to turn.
Khary Payton as Ezekiel in ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo by Gene Page / AMC)
Ezekiel and his group search the forest for the grenade-throwing Savior. They’re heading toward the Saviors’ compound and Carol’s worried the man made it back which would mean the Saviors will be ready for them. Carol’s amazed Ezekiel can still smile, and he says it’s both his lot in life and his way to feel this way. “Fake it till you make it, baby,” says Ezekiel softly. He tells Carols he smiles because he will not fantasize about failures on this day.
They spot some blood and learn the Savior has been hit. That means he’s probably moving slowly.
Daryl bangs open a door and then quietly closes it. He moves slowly through a bunch of cubicles until he reaches a closet with food and empty handcuffs. Rick’s also moving slowly throughout the top floor, assault weapon with a silencer ready to shoot if necessary.
Unfortunately, Rick doesn’t have a chance to fire when he’s attacked by a Savior. It’s a vicious hand-to-hand fight and Rick finally gets the man in a chokehold. The Savior chokes out that there aren’t any guns, but Rick doesn’t let go. He finally throws him through a piece of metal on the wall, impaling him.
Morgan stalks through the building shooting anyone in his path. He remembers a talk with Rick in which they discussed how to handle their enemies.
Outside the complex, Jesus, Tara, Dianne, and a large group prepare to take on more Saviors. They aren’t going to fire unless fired on, and at first, just one Savior opens the door and drops his weapon when they command him to. Others come out from hiding behind him. They don’t drop their weapons immediately and Tara is ready to shoot, once again against Jesus’ wishes. They finally do drop their weapons and step forward, surrendering.
Morgan continues his way through the building, shooting everyone. He’s like the Terminator on steroids. He finally makes his way outside and sees his people holding guns on the newly disarmed Saviors. He remembers Rick saying they can’t leave the Saviors alive and is about to take out one when Jesus tells him to lower his weapon. Morgan wants to kill them, but Jesus says they surrendered. Morgan wonders what it is they do if they don’t kill the Saviors.
Rick grabs the keys from the impaled Savior and finds a room decorated like a nursery with a baby in a cradle. Her name is Gracie and she slept through the fight. Rick is devastated by this discovery and is overcome with emotions. He looks at himself, now covered with blood, in a mirror and shakes his head.
Carol and Ezekiel’s group continue their hunt in the woods, spotting more blood on leaves. They move carefully through the forest until Ezekiel spots the wounded Savior up ahead. Carol’s about to shoot but Shiva does the job of killing the Savior. The rest of Ezekiel’s group also arrive to form a large party.
The gun battle is turning against the Alexandrians and Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) is shot, even though Aaron (Ross Marquand) did everything possible to get to him.
Ezekiel pets Shiva as he addresses the group. He’s sure about their victory, even though the walkie-talkie indicates the Saviors know they’re coming. He will not retreat, raising his sword and laughing. Carol smiles.
Rick makes his way through the rooms again and while he’s looking at a photo, a man approaches and tells him to put his gun down. It’s Morales (from season one) and Rick remembers him from Atlanta. Morales continues to hold Rick at gunpoint and says he’s called the Saviors back and they’re on their way.
The episode ends with more close-ups of Daryl, Aaron, Morgan, Jesus, Tara, Ezekiel, and Carol, followed by a last scene of a bloodied Rick. The sound of a gun cocking ends the episode.
