Warner Bros Animation and Warner Bros Television Group debuted the first full trailer for Constantine at the 2017 New York Comic Con. The animated series, which will air on CW Seed, is based on the DC Comics characters and has live-action Constantine star Matt Ryan voicing the titular character.
The animated digital series is executive produced by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight trilogy, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice), Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl), and Sarah Schechter (Blindspot, Riverdale, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow). Constantine is written by J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League Dark, Batman vs. Robin), directed by Doug Murphy (Justice League Action, Young Justice), and produced by Butch Lukic (Justice League Action, Batman Unlimited).
Matt Ryan as John Constantine in the live-action ‘Constantine’ series (Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.)
The Plot:Constantine follows DC’s popular comic book character John Constantine (Ryan), a seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult. Armed with an arcane knowledge of the dark arts and a wicked wit, he fights the good fight. With his soul already damned to hell, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect the innocent. With the balance of good and evil on the line, Constantine uses his skills to face the supernatural terrors that threaten our world and send them back where they belong. After that, who knows…maybe there’s hope for him and his soul after all.
The CW’s The Flash season four premieres on October 10, 2017 with an episode titled “The Flash Reborn.” The new season begins with the team having to deal with Barry’s disappearance into the Speed Force and during our interview at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con, Carlos Valdes teased Cisco will be trying to free Barry (Grant Gustin). Valdes also discussed Cisco’s relationship with Gypsy and his evolution into a superhero.
How is Cisco handling it without his partner, Caitlin?
Carlos Valdes: “More gracefully than I anticipated. I mean, a lot can happen in six months and that’s exactly where this season picks up is six months after the disappearance of Barry. Yes, he’s very optimistic. He’s out in the field with Kid Flash trying to keep the city together. Unfortunately, they haven’t been doing as good a job as Barry did by his lonesome. In light of that, the team concludes it’s not the same without Barry. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cisco had some things up his sleeve in regards to getting Barry back.”
Is Cisco a full superhero at this point?
Carlos Valdes: “Yes. He even goes as far as to call the team, in a somewhat cheeky way, Team Vibe at a certain point. So, you can look forward to that.”
Does being a superhero suit him or does he struggle with that? Is he better as the backup?
Carlos Valdes: “I think Cisco’s fate throughout this whole show is constant growth, you know, because he’s a kid. He’s a grown ass 20-year-old man, but in here he’s a kid. He’s optimistic. He believes in the best in people and he’s irreverent. In the least appropriate situations, he finds a way to poke fun at things. So, yeah, it’s constant growth for Cisco. I think he’s still learning how to hold his own, but definitely at the top of season four I think he’s more in control of his powers than he was previously.”
Now that he has a connection with Gypsy, does that mean there’s more romance for him in season four?
Carlos Valdes: “Thank you! This is my biggest talking point today. The relationship with Gypsy is definitely going to continue and get a lot more involved. And as their relationship gets more involved, as Cisco wants to take it to the next level, he’s going to encounter some new characters that are going to make that very difficult for him.”
The show started out as one of the brighter spots in the DC universe but it feels like it’s gotten really dark. Is that feeling shared?
Carlos Valdes: “Absolutely. I think it’s shared unanimously among the cast and among our creative team as well. So much so, actually, that the show in and of itself has collectively decided to go in a much lighter direction. I think the writers understand what made the show special as it was, especially in the first season, was that levity, was taking these extraordinary circumstances and poking holes in them and making them light but also believable and grounded. So, I think we’re definitely going back to those roots and actually taking the levity note even further.”
Will Cisco still be coming up with the nicknames for the villains this season?
Carlos Valdes: “I mean, Cisco will always be the name dude. That’s like a law in our universe and if anybody tries to subvert that, he gets angry. But, yeah, Cisco’s going to keep doing his one-liners. I think what’s fun about playing this character, honestly, is when you get to be out in the field and fighting and take that levity out to these ridiculous situations. But, yeah, I also enjoy that everybody else gets the chance to be a little funnier this year too.”
How does Cisco feel about Iris being in charge of the group?
Carlos Valdes: “I think somebody has to be in charge and within the six months of Barry being gone, Iris really steps up to the plate and takes the mantle. You’re even going to notice changes at S.T.A.R. Labs a little bit, actually commandeers the ship so to speak. So, it’s really exciting.”
Pairing Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Drive) with Blade Runner star Harrison Ford wasn’t as big a draw as Warner Bros Pictures anticipated. Blade Runner 2049, the 2017 sequel to the 1982 sci-fi classic, finished its opening weekend with a box office take well below what was expected. Prior to the film’s release, most prognosticators had the film opening in the $50 million range. Instead, over its first three days the sequel pulled in just $30 million domestically.
The weekend’s other big release, The Mountain Between Us, shared a similar fate. The action thriller starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba also didn’t live up to box office expectations, although those who did pay for tickets seemed to enjoy the film from director Hany Abu-Assad (The Idol). Both The Mountain Between Us and Blade Runner 2049 earned A- CinemaScore.
Sophie Skelton as Brianna Randall, Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall Fraser, and Richard Rankin as Roger Wakefield in ‘Outlander’ Season 3 Episode 5 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Je Suis Prest for A. Malcolm!!! But first, Christmas in Boston 1968. Starz’s Outlander season three episode five’s title is the first that’s not a summary of the episode’s events. Instead, it is a clue. Clue to what? I’ll tell you, but we need to begin at the beginnin’. Both our Bostonian lasses are working to get back to normal life.
We start in the operating room with Dr. Randall (Caitriona Balfe) and Dr. Abernathy (Wil Johnson) performing surgery. Claire taps into her true nature and forcefully pushes through when Joe objects to something she’s doing. She does have the added advantage that Joe knows her and supports her forceful nature, like her husbands always did. And in matters of medical situations, she is pretty much right every time. To Joe’s credit, he doesn’t push back like other male doctors of the era would certainly have done.
Brianna (Sophie Skelton) is sitting in history class listening to a lecture on the ride of Paul Revere. Historians have learned the early accounts the history books continued to relay of that night that started the American Revolution were not entirely accurate. This makes Brianna stop doodling and pay closer attention. She feels a parallel with her own history and what they discovered about Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) history. After the lecture, Brianna’s professor warns her that not only is her history grade failing, but all her grades are in danger.
Brianna leaves and heads to the home she has always known – the house she grew up in with her mom and who she thought was her dad, Frank (Tobias Menzies). Her time in Scotland has turned her entire world upside down. She’s walking around the house looking at things she has taken for granted for years. I guess we might all do something similar when we lose those who we love. She puts her hands on Frank’s chair. She picks up his pipe. She looks at old pictures. (Tears filled my eyes. I have done some of the very same things when I lost my father years ago.) It’s also a time of decision. Another reason to take such a walk around your house.
Claire is in the office she shares with Joe at the hospital. They have known each other since med school, 15 years now. He catches the look on her face and asks her about it. He starts trying to pull out what Claire can share about her love for Jamie. Those who don’t read the Outlander books might wonder why he calls her Lady Jane. She got a few nicknames from her classmates while they were in school, as the insiders tend to do to what they consider outsiders. They use Lady Jane because she has the accent. Joe picked it up as an endearment, not a bully tactic like the rest intended it. Sort of how Jamie picked up Sassenach and says it when other Scots say it in her direction rather nastily.
As they talk, Claire reveals she was thinking of a man from Scotland. Joe’s nurse comes in with requested patient information and cuts the discussion short, so Claire takes the opportunity to head home.
So much about this episode did not happen in the way the books unfolded the events, so I won’t beat that particular drum too hard. I like the way the show must summarize some elements while still retaining the spirit of the information. Visual medium versus paper medium; no show can be an exact replica of a book, but this is the closest I have ever seen it tried.
Roger Wakefield (Richard Rankin) pulls up in front of Claire’s home in a taxi. Roger didn’t deliver his news in Boston in the book. Claire went back to Scotland after he telegraphed, and because Bree stayed to help Roger in the search in the book. Since Bree flew home with Claire in the last episode, it makes sense to have Roger come to them. As he approaches the door, he hears shouting inside. Mother and daughter are at each other’s throats. Anyone else having personal déjà vu? {giggle-snort} Roger feels bad for walking into their fight like he did. They only pause the argument long enough to say hello to him. Bree is quitting school, and naturally Claire is not in favor of that. Most parents and children would war a bit over that same topic. Bree leaves the house. Claire insists Roger stay with her, so they settle down to dinner.
Claire and Roger talk about the fact it’s Roger’s first Christmas without his adopted father, his uncle by birth. Any holiday makes us miss the ones we have loved and lost, but the first one after the loss is particularly painful. It takes time to get to a new normal. They start talking about traditions with family. Roger shares one he had with the Reverend, and Claire shares that they used to read A Christmas Carol to Bree when she was younger.
They sit down to have a whisky and Roger shares that he did come for another reason. He is a historian by profession and life’s passion. He found a printing that quoted the Freedom & Whisky line (a.k.a. the clue) that Claire told Roger she quoted frequently to Jamie. The article was written by Alexander Malcolm. Roger is sure this was Jamie under two of his middle names. He thought Claire would be happy, but she’s upset instead. She thought that other part of her life was done. She also cannot think about leaving Bree. Claire asks Roger not to tell Bree about the article.
Joe has a skeleton separated on a table in their shared office when Claire arrives the next morning. Joe’s looking at it for a friend. Claire picks up the skull and gets a feeling for the person. As she and Joe talk through the pieces, he continually asks her how she knows certain things. There is no real answer; Claire just knows it after touching the skull. Apparently, our heroine has a level of clairvoyance! The skeleton is from a 40ish white woman from the Caribbean and is around 200 years old. Joe pops back to the Scottish man Claire was keeping from him. Claire tells him the Scot is Bree’s real Father. Joe says that explains a lot of the things he had seen and known about her over their relationship. He encourages her to take any second chance she might have.
Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall Fraser in ‘Outlander’ season 3 episode 5 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
Bree and Roger take a bit of a tour of Harvard before a celebration that Bree and Claire attend in Frank’s honor. A Fellowship is being given in Frank’s name. Bree and Roger each share some insights into the structures of the college that have struck them as interesting. Roger is fascinated by the historic figures who’ve passed under the arches; Brianna’s fascinated by how the structure was built. Each gives the other a point of view they had not considered before. Bree also shares that she’s rather annoyed at history because it could be a half-truth or lie. She points to several examples where history didn’t explain truthfully what occurred.
Claire is confronted by Frank’s mistress at the reception for the Fellowship in Frank’s honor. The book doesn’t go into any of this, so this is new material for book readers, too. Bree sees the confrontation. Bree asks Claire about it and reminds Claire about their promise to not lie to each other again. Claire must explain that Frank had plans to marry the woman. Bree asks about Frank’s feelings and Claire’s feelings because she looks so much like her birth father. Claire explains that through absolutely everything over the past 20 years, Frank and Claire both loved her entirely and completely for her. Claire also must explain that Roger found Jamie. Bree’s happy and sad at the same time. Claire basically says she’s not going to leave her.
Bree and Claire are talking some nights later and Claire is enumerating all the reasons she cannot go back to Jamie and leave Bree. It would be as if she were dead. She would not be there for her daughter as she married or had children. Brianna knows it would be hard, but she also knows her mother has sacrificed a lot for her. Claire mentions that she knows her better than anyone and Bree would be losing that knowledge. Information such as her first steps or other things that we’re all typically too young to remember and tend to get from our parents when we have our children and think to ask the questions. Bree points out that Jamie doesn’t know her, doesn’t know he even has a daughter at all or that they made it safely through the stones. Claire is also concerned that Jamie won’t want her back after all this time. Bree reminds Claire how deeply she loves Jamie even after 20 years. She must trust that it would be the same for Jamie.
It’s Christmas and that means presents. The preparation to go through the stones begins. One present for Claire has coins that Roger and Bree found in an antique store. Roger also gives her a book on the history of Scotland. That little item would have been helpful the first time around! Claire mentions she took some scalpels and penicillin from the hospital. The pair also bought Claire a topaz gem so she can travel through safer. The first pass Claire lost a jewel in her watch, the second time was the jewel in Jamie’s ring. Claire mentions that she will sew herself a new coat that will have many hidden pockets in it so she can hide her treasures and take them with her. This is also a new element from the book. She buys a gown in a Scottish shop in the book because a designer was making 18th-century fashions and has a cloak made as part of her book preparations for the trip.
Later, Claire is looking herself over closely in the mirror. She’s worried she has aged a lot over the 20 years since she last saw Jamie.
Claire’s packing things up and is going to head to Scotland alone, also different to how things worked in the book. Brianna all but pushed Claire through the stones in the book because Claire hated to leave her so badly. This time, Claire wants to do the farewells in Boston. Claire passes down to Bree the pearls Jamie gave her on their wedding day. The trio has one last whisky before Claire takes all her provisions to the taxi. As Claire leaves, Bree turns to the refuge of Roger’s arms. She gathers herself together eventually and the pair begin a new Christmas tradition with Lobster Roll, Boston Cream Pie, and reading A Christmas Carol together.
As Claire is stepping out of the taxi, you hear her narration about how she has always felt about puddles as a child. The lines are from the books, so the show used them to transition Claire from the 1900s back to the 1700s and her first step out of the carriage in Edinburgh. She heads down the path to the A. Malcolm print shop. She is back!
Claire is taking in all the scenery from the street and people around her as she walks toward the print shop. The butterflies in my stomach are trying to catch the pounding of my heart as this part approaches. She climbs the stairs to the door. A bell announces her entrance, but no one is at the desk in the front of the store. She hears a voice call out at the bell, and it is Jamie’s. She gasps and heads toward the window looking down over the printing machine. Jamie thinks it’s a person he was expecting, but Claire speaks to his back and tells him it is her instead.
Jamie freezes and turns very slowly. Initially, they stare at each other for a long moment. Jamie has seen Claire in everything since he lost her, but never once did his vision speak. This is so much of a shock he leans back on the printer, faints, and promptly falls to the floor. Can’t say I blame him one bit. And now we have a bye week before the most awaited episode of the season: The Reunion! A marathon of the first five episodes will be shown next week. Grab your whisky and enjoy the marathon weekend! Slainte Mhath!
Bill Skarsgard from It and Sissy Spacek from the original Carrie return to the world of Stephen King with the upcoming series, Castle Rock. Hulu debuted a one-minute trailer for the series at the New York Comic Con, and it’s now available to check out online for those who didn’t make it to the convention.
Castle Rock is set in one of Stephen King’s favorite fictional towns and is executive produced by J.J. Abrams, King, Sam Shaw, and Dustin Thomason. The cast also includes André Holland (Moonlight), Melanie Lynskey (Togetherness), and Jane Levy (Suburgatory). Castle Rock will premiere in 2018.
The Plot: A psychological-horror series set in the Stephen King multiverse, Castle Rock combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King’s best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland. The fictional Maine town of Castle Rock has figured prominently in King’s literary career: Cujo, The Dark Half, IT and Needful Things, as well as novella The Body and numerous short stories such as Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption are either set there or contain references to Castle Rock.
Castle Rock is an original suspense/thriller — a first-of-its-kind reimagining that explores the themes and worlds uniting the entire King canon, while brushing up against some of his most iconic and beloved stories.
Warner Bros Pictures has debuted a new trailer for Justice League, showing off brand new clips of the team in action. We get more of Jason Momoa as Aquaman both underwater and, surprisingly, in the sky. The new three-minute trailer also shows Henry Cavill as Clark Kent in a dream sequence, and The Flash geeking out when he sees the Bat Signal lighting up the sky.
Directed by Zack Snyder with support from Josh Whedon, Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg. Justice League is set to open November 17, 2017.
The Plot: Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
In support of Marvel Runaways‘ panel at the New York Comic Con, Hulu’s unveiled the first teaser trailer for the comic book-inspired series. Hulu will premiere Runaways on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 with the release of the first three episodes. Overall, season one will consist of 10 original episodes.
Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage serve as writers and showrunners. They also executive produce along with Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory. The cast includes Rhenzy Feliz (“Alex Wilder”), Lyrica Okano (“Nico Minoru”), Virginia Gardner (“Karolina Dean”), Ariela Barer (“Gert Yorkes”), Gregg Sulkin (“Chase Stein”), Allegra Acosta (“Molly Hernandez”), Annie Wersching (“Leslie Dean”), Ryan Sands (“Geoffrey Wilder”), Angel Parker (“Catherine Wilder”), and Ever Carradine (“Janet Stein”).
James Marsters (“Victor Stein”), Kevin Weisman (“Dale Yorkes”), Brigid Brannagh (“Stacey Yorkes”), James Yaegashi (“Robert Minoru”), Brittany Ishibashi (“Tina Minoru”), and Kip Pardue (“Frank Dean”) also star.
The Plot: Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were? Marvel’s Runaways is the story of six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other but who must unite against a common foe – their parents.
Runaways Characters:
– Rhenzy Feliz as Alex Wilder is a loud-and-proud nerd. Admittedly a bit of a loner, Alex spends much of his free time playing video games, but deep down, what he wants most is to reunite his childhood group of friends.
– Lyrica Okano as Nico Minoru – tough, intelligent, and independent–embodies teenage angst. A budding “Wiccan,” Nico’s carefully crafted goth appearance isolates her from her peers and family, but maybe what she really needs is someone to talk to.
– Virginia Gardner as Karolina Dean, model-perfect exterior with a lot going on behind her professionally whitened smile, is burdened by the lofty expectations and responsibilities put upon her by her parents. Underneath her veneer of privilege and perfection, Karolina is experiencing a newfound eagerness to explore her identity and pursue her own desires.
– Ariela Barer as Gert Yorkes is a purple-haired, bespectacled, contemporary riot grrrl. Never passing up a moment to stand on a soapbox, Gert sometimes wields her persona as a brash social justice warrior to mask her true feelings.
– Gregg Sulkin as Chase Stein is a lacrosse-playing, high school heartthrob. While many write him off as a dumb jock, Chase exhibits flashes of untapped brilliance in engineering, not unlike his wildly successful father’s.
– Allegra Acosta as Molly Hernandez, the youngest and most innocent member of her friend group, is known for her peppy positivity and a deep yearning to belong.
Fox’s horror series The Exorcist begins season two episode two at the Vatican’s Office of Exorcism. Father Bennett (Kurt Egyiawan) is continuing his investigation into the corruption inside the Church, but unfortunately he’s running out of time, and forced to appear at the Court of Appeal before he’s finished looking into the conspiracy. He addresses the panel, telling them about the integration phase of possession which is the fusion of a demon and the human soul. He wonders if they’re aware these integrated beings have made their way into the Church, including into the Vatican.
The panel calls for Cardinal Guilott (Torrey Hanson) and Father Bennett is shocked to see him. The panel accuses him of demonic possession and Cardinal Guilott jokes he only has arthritis. Father Bennett questions him, reminding him he put a bag over his head and slit his wrist when he tried to warn him about a plot against the Pope. The panel admonishes Father Bennett, but he knows what Cardinal Guilott really is.
Cardinal Guilott volunteers to prove he’s not possessed, drinking what he claims is Holy Water. There’s no reaction and he’s excused. As he leaves, he winks at Father Bennett.
The panel blames Marcus Keane for being the person behind the conspiracy perpetrated against the Church. They demand to know his whereabouts, but Father Bennett doesn’t reveal his friend’s location.
Speaking of Marcus (Ben Daniels), he comes to in the barn and he’s tied to a post with Father Tomas (Alfonso Herrera). Marcus demands to know Cindy’s location and he’s told Cindy’s been taken to a hospital. He warns the men that everyone at the hospital will die if they don’t let them go see Cindy.
On Nachburn Island, Washington, Andy Kim (John Cho) fixes the boards covering the well, and Rose (Li Jun Li) joins him. He claims what happened the night before was an anomaly; however, Rose isn’t so sure this is the best place for the kids. She doesn’t understand how a blind kid wound up at night standing on the cover of a well.
Back at the house, Truck (Cyrus Arnold) is worried his parakeet, Morty, hasn’t been fed and is locked up in Caleb’s room. Shelby (Alex Barima) assures him the bird can go for a while without food and escorts him down to the kitchen. Their neighbors, Russ and Colleen, show up with a basket of fruit from their farm. They let Shelby know their ewe is about to give birth and invite him over to witness it.
Cindy’s husband, Jordy (Warren Christie), returns to the barn to question Marcus and Father Tomas. He wants to know what supplies Father Tomas bought at the store and doesn’t believe it was saline and water. Marcus tells him the poison inside Cindy isn’t from their treatment. Marcus says the poison is Lucifer, the Morningstar, and he’s taken Cindy. He says Jordy is killing his wife by not taking them to her.
Father Tomas confirms Marcus’ story and then shocks Jordy by describing the church he attends (the one Tomas saw in his vision). He even talks about Cindy’s radio that’s pink with stickers, and how Cindy sings along when she’s happy. Jordy confirms they haven’t been to that church in 10 years. Father Tomas says that’s where Cindy retreats to to feel safe. She needs to be saved from there. Then Father Tomas sings “Walkin’ After Midnight.” Jordy warns, “She dies, you die,” and then leaves again.
Rose and Andy have a talk with Caleb (Hunter Dillon) and he takes it as an interrogation. Rose wants to know why he left the house in the dark, and Caleb says he doesn’t need the sun to come up since he can’t see. She’s concerned he wanted to hurt himself, and Andy defends Caleb saying he was probably upset after getting the news about his father. Caleb doesn’t want to talk about it and shuts down the conversation.
Jordy’s at the hospital next to Cindy’s bed and she’s in horrible shape. He tries to get her to squeeze his hand and she screams like a banshee and then looks at him, possessed.
Marcus is mad Father Tomas risked Cindy’s immortal soul by addressing the demon and letting it in his head. Father Tomas claims he can take care of himself, and they rehash Father Tomas’ first exorcism of Casey Rance. Father Tomas reminds Marcus he was a beginner at that time but now he’s experienced. Marcus says six months ago is just a blink in time. However, Father Tomas is sure God gave him this ability and it’s a gift.
Marcus is angry because he’s worked with other exorcists who’ve paid for taking unnecessary risks. He watched a friend walk into a room with a demon and not leave for six months. He was ruined, and that’s what happens when the darkness gets inside. Father Tomas remains stubborn, sure Marcus simply hates the fact God chose him.
Rose and Andy have another talk and she informs him she must file a report. Andy says she only needs to file if she thinks Caleb is at risk in his home, worried that simply filing the report jeopardizes his foster home. Still, Rose is concerned Caleb is trying to hurt himself and that he needs to be institutionalized. She doesn’t think Andy is looking at this clearly and that maybe he’s missing the warning signs. She reminds him he’s done it before, bringing up Nicole and saying he hasn’t moved on with his life.
Andy leaves the room and sees Grace in the hall. She’s been listening to his argument with Rose.
Jordy calls the men at the barn and has his cousin bring Marcus and Father Tomas to the hospital. It looks like a tornado went through it, and there’s blood in the hallway. Jordy and the officers tried to clear the hospital but Cindy is holding one of the unfortunate men who didn’t escape by the throat.
Back at the Vatican, Father Bennett and Cardinal Caro (Philip Craig) meet, and the Cardinal knows Cardinal Guilott was putting on an act. The Cardinal informs Father Bennett that the Office of Exorcism has been disseminated, with the most talented exorcists pulled off cases and brought back to the Vatican. It’s completely undermined the Church’s ability to help those in need of exorcisms and in fact the Church hasn’t approved an exorcism in the last six months. The conspirators have declared war and those loyal to the cause are needed to help. The Cardinal hands Father Bennett photos of a young woman and instructs him to find her and keep her safe. He also warns Father Bennett not to give her a gun.
Father Tomas and Marcus enter the room with Cindy and her hostage, and she immediately bites the man’s face and spits out the chunk of flesh she’s removed. Father Tomas tells Cindy he knows she’s in there and to let the man go. She doesn’t and instead slices his throat and then climbs the wall and escapes into the ceiling. They track her movements.
Caleb is in the kitchen and grabs an apple from the basket the neighbors brought over. He immediately grimaces and spits out the bite, revealing it’s full of maggots. He’s rinsing his mouth in the sink when Verity (Brianna Hildebrand) joins him and says he freaked everyone out. The apple basket falls to the floor as Caleb leaves the room, telling Verity to leave him alone.
Shelby’s over at the neighbors’ farm watching the ewe who’s about to give birth. They determine it’s coming out breach and although they suggest Shelby wait outside, he stays in the stall while they work on helping the ewe. A horse is anxious and agitated as the pregnant sheep is in obvious trouble. Russ is finally able to remove the baby, but it’s not a normal lamb. It has teeth and looks grotesque. They warn Shelby to look away as Russ gets a pitchfork and kills it.
Caleb visits Andy in his room and wants to talk. Caleb wants to apologize but says he was on top of the well because of Verity. He says Verity was with him and told him to count to 10. She left him there by himself, but he didn’t say anything earlier because he didn’t want her to get in trouble.
Father Tomas and Marcus lead the hunt for Cindy, following her path in the ceiling. They find her in the nursery cradling a newborn. There’s a dead nurse on the floor as all the babies cry. Marcus tells her not to harm the baby and suddenly all the babies go quiet. Marcus doesn’t think Cindy’s body has the strength to fight them. The demon says all Cindy wanted was a baby, and it forces Marcus to stop trying to exorcise it by threatening the baby in its arms.
Father Tomas starts singing and when Marcus turns to tell Father Tomas to stop, Cindy lunges and grabs Marcus. She holds him against the wall by his neck, feet a foot off the floor. Father Tomas tries to get her attention by singing again. Cindy releases Marcus and the baby, and Father Tomas makes a run for it with the baby as Marcus holds Cindy on the ground and continues the exorcism.
Shelby is out in the woods reading the Bible with a flashlight while around him he hears sheep and other screams. He’s freaking out and begins running through the forest.
Andy confronts Verity, wanting to know about Caleb. She admits it was stupid, but it’s a rite of passage. She did it when she got to Andy’s place. She thinks she might have pushed him too much, and Andy agrees. He can’t believe she left him out there by himself and Verity has no idea what he’s talking about. She’s angry Andy believes Caleb’s story, asking why she would lie about this. Andy reminds her of her history of destructive behavior, telling her she put the whole house at risk. If Rose reports this, the house will be shut down.
Verity is astonished Andy thinks she would hurt Caleb. She kicks him out of her room and as he opens the door, Grace is once again standing in the hallway. She doesn’t want to leave the house and Andy gives her a big hug. She begs Andy not to let Rose take her away.
Back at the hospital, Father Tomas and Marcus have Cindy pinned on the ground. Jordy watches through the window as the demon tries to bargain with Father Tomas. If he lets it in, it will let Cindy go. Father Tomas responds by continuing to pray. Unfortunately, the demon is able to make Father Tomas look at it instead of Marcus. His eyes roll up and Father Tomas is once again inside himself.
In the vision, Cindy is seated in a pew and pointing to the confessional. She begins singing as Father Tomas enters the confessional. He sits down opposite the demon who tells the priest Marcus is afraid of him. Father Tomas screams at the demon, “Deliver us, Oh Lord!” The demon throws open its mouth and its face falls apart.
Marcus continues the exorcism by himself. Cindy’s mouth opens wide, just as in Father Tomas’ vision. Father Tomas and Marcus both scream as they pray, while Cindy’s head is bent backward. Father Tomas’ eyes return to normal and everything calms down. They speak to Cindy and her eyes are clear.
Jordy rushes into the room and hugs his wife.
A while later, Jordy sits beside Cindy who’s back in a hospital bed. In the doorway, Father Tomas tells Marcus to quit sulking. Marcus reminds Father Tomas this is not a game and that they won in spite of his recklessness. Father Tomas is sure he’s responsible for exorcising the demon and that singing to Cindy worked. He says the song came from inside Cindy and it was the key to saving her.
Jordy interrupts their argument and tosses them car keys.
Father Bennett watches as Cardinal Caro is taken away. He calls Marcus and warns him to get as far away from where he is as possible. The Vatican has been compromised. Father Bennett says he’ll find him and for Marcus not to contact him.
Andy lets Rose know that Caleb was embarrassed and that standing on top of the well is apparently just a rite of passage ritual. Andy apologizes for not knowing it was a collective bonding experience for the kids, saying maybe it’s even a show of strength. The kids have promised him no more rituals. Andy adds that Caleb is not suicidal, asking her to trust him. She apologizes for bringing up Nicole earlier and he tells her she doesn’t need to apologize. He says he’s glad she’s there.
Rose finishes typing up her incident report, saying no further action is needed at the house.
Marcus drives and sings Cindy’s song. He admits he can’t get it out of his head and so Father Tomas turns on the radio. Marcus doesn’t tell Father Tomas where they’re headed, but a sign indicates Spokane is in 197 miles and Seattle is in 475.
Back at Andy’s house, he watches from a doorway as Truck and Caleb relax in their shared room. Andy pauses in front of Verity’s room and just as he’s about to knock, he hears a noise downstairs. He heads outside and looks around. He sees bloody handprints on his front door and turns around suddenly as Shelby says, quietly, “Andy.” Shelby is cradling the bloody, dead lamb in a towel. He put its blood on the front door because lamb’s blood can protect a home, according to the Bible. “I didn’t know what else to do. There’s something in the woods,” says Shelby.
Andrew J West and Dania Ramirez in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (Photo by Eike Schroter / ABC)
ABC performs a massive reboot of Once Upon a Time with season seven’s first episode. Season seven episode one begins with a farewell to the teenage Henry Mills (Jared Gilmore). Henry and Regina (Lana Parrilla) reluctantly say goodbye, with Regina wishing he’d go to college but Henry reminds her he’s still the author. Now, he needs to figure out his own story and he knows that’s not in Storybrooke. When he finished the book, he found hundreds of other books in the Sorcerer’s mansion. There are endless possibilities for the fairy tale characters, different worlds and nationalities, but he’s the only author. He needs to figure out where he belongs.
Henry, looking much more mature, heads off on his motorcycle after tossing a bean and opening a portal. He tells Regina he loves her and speeds off on an adventure.
A New Realm Years Later – A grown-up Henry (Andrew J West) is still racing around on his motorcycle. Cinderella (Dania Ramirez) is in a carriage and nearly crashes into him. She’s thrown from her carriage and knocked unconscious.
Seattle, Present Day – Henry’s driving at a much safer speed, earning money as a Lyft-type driver. At home, he’s trying to concentrate on writing when a small child knocks at his door. She introduces herself as Lucy (Alison Fernandez) and says she’s his daughter. He doesn’t believe her, but she tells him the curse changed his memories. She calls his place a dump and isn’t at all impressed with her favorite writer. She then explains his life is like his book – he can’t remember because he’s cursed and not living his own story.
Lucy wants him to go to Hyperion Heights where the other fairy tale characters live, including her mom, Cinderella. He tries to convince her he never met any of the fairy tale characters, never flew with Peter Pan, and never did any of the fantastic things he wrote about. She’s desperate for his help because Victoria Belfrey (Gabrielle Anwar) is trying to force all the fairy tale characters out by making other people move in.
Henry keeps trying to get Lucy to leave, telling the young girl her mother has to save herself.
In Hyperion Heights, Jacinda/Cinderella is running down the street, racing to show up at work before her boss, Louie, notices. She’s late and gets in trouble and when she defends a fellow worker he threatens her job unless she apologizes. She won’t and he taunts her saying she has to apologize because this job’s the best she can do. Jacinda stands her ground and quits.
Back in the other realm, Henry helps Cinderella up and she insults him, his driving, and his motorcycle. He says he has to get through the portal and Cinderella informs him she also has somewhere to go and a Prince to find. He offers her a ride on his motorcycle and she breaks into a smile before taking him up on his offer.
Back in the present day, Henry discovers Lucy has stolen his laptop and left a note telling him where to meet her to retrieve it.
Henry’s forced to visit Hyperion Heights and watches incredulously as a young woman jumps from the top of a building and lands in front of him on the sidewalk. She doesn’t say anything. He then heads into Roni’s bar, owned by none other than Regina (Parrilla) who goes by Roni in this world. They don’t recognize each other and she reveals she’s sold the place to Victoria Belfrey, and this is her last day as owner. Victoria’s buying up everything and Roni admits they can’t fight it. Comparing bad days, Henry asks what she’d say if he walked through the door and told her he’s her son.
Cinderella hops on the motorcycle and before they take off, she asks how her story ends. He tells her she usually leaves a sign – the glass slipper – and that’s how the Prince finds her. She punches Henry in the face and takes off on his motorcycle. Henry smiles and most likely regrets telling her about the gas and brakes.
Jacinda returns home and tells her roomie she quit. They’re worried about what Jacinda’s stepmom, Victoria Belfrey, will say since she was reluctant to let her have custody of Lucy in the first place. Jacinda heads to Lucy’s room to wake her up, but of course, she’s not there.
Victoria arrives at Belfrey Towers and everyone in the office hurries into place. No one is allowed to look Victoria in the eye, and Victoria warns her assistant, Ivy (Adelaide Kane), she has to find her granddaughter or else she’s out of a job.
In the other realm, Lady Tremaine (also Gabrielle Anwar) cut off Cinderella’s fairy godmother’s wings. Drizella (also Adelaide Kane) is ready for the ball and looks gorgeous. Lady Tremaine uses the fairy godmother’s wand and sends her away, telling Drizella to chain up Cinderella if she ever returns.
In the present day, Lucy makes a wish in what’s now a sad and abandoned lot. Jacinda catches her and lets her make her wish even though she personally doesn’t believe in miracles. Jacinda reminds her it’s time for ballet class and Lucy confesses she found her dad.
Jacinda arrives at Roni’s place and hands Henry back his laptop, apologizing for her daughter. He’s thankful and admits he started to wonder if he actually had a kid, but he would have remembered meeting her. They toast with drinks courtesy of Roni.
Back in the other realm, Cinderella has made it to the ball and watches as Tiana turns down frog legs. She spots the Prince just as Henry asks her for a dance. He brought her her lucky flower, a hyacinth, and they dance. He’s less concerned about his motorcycle than he is his dagger she stole. He figured out she’s not there to fall in love with the Prince; she’s there to kill him. She reveals the Prince took everything from her and she’s out for revenge. Henry warns her she won’t get her happy ending that way. He thinks maybe she can start over and suggests she accompany him to a new land where she can find her own story.
Cinderella doesn’t give in and says, “It sounds lovely but if you knew what he’d done, you’d understand.”
As Cinderella leaves to find the Prince, Henry falls to the floor, poisoned. He drank Alice’s potion and now he’s in Alice’s Wonderland tied up.
In real life, Alice (Rose Reynolds) visits the weaver (Robert Carlyle) and tells him there’s someone new in town.
Jacinda and Henry discuss relationships, and she said it was a fling that gave her Lucy. He wants to know what about her story she would change, and she confesses she always imagined having a little home on a nearby island with Lucy. Henry tells her he thinks it sounds perfect.
Victoria interrupts, demanding to know why Lucy snuck out of Jacinda’s place to see a strange man. Victoria tells Jacinda she’s taking Lucy back, permanently, causing Lucy to run out of the bar. Henry says, “I’m starting to understand the whole Cinderella thing.”
Victoria warns him Lucy isn’t there to fill a hole in his life and he needs to go back to his writing and his fairy tale lands. She warns him if Lucy gets hurt, he’ll be sorry he came to Hyperion Heights.
Henry leaves the bar and can’t find his car. He tells a cop, but the cop couldn’t care less. And now we get to see Colin O’Donoghue for the first time this season. He’s Officer Rogers who is much more helpful. He tells Henry his car is likely stripped and in a parking lot somewhere. Henry and Rogers head out to look for it.
Rose Reynolds in ‘Once Upon a Time’
In the other realm, Alice is angry Henry thinks she’s only from Wonderland. She’s from other places too, and she knows he’s Henry Mills. Rumple told her and she knows Rumple is his grandpa. She warns him this isn’t his story and that bad things will happen. Alice tells him to forget Cinderella and go home, but Henry is determined to help her.
Lucy scatters beans around the vacant lot when Henry finds her and asks if she helped steal his car. She has no idea where it is and tries to stop him when he says he has to go home. Henry says he’s not the one to save her and Lucy tells him it didn’t happen right away with Emma, either. He yells at Lucy, telling her it’s not a curse. He remembers he had a family and he lost them. He had a wife and a kid and he lost them in a fire. They died, but Lucy says that’s a curse memory. She’s his daughter and her mom is his wife – his true love. She tells him to just start his new story.
Henry leaves Lucy as Jacinda drives up. She tells Lucy they’re about to go live their story. Of course, her car breaks down so they can’t leave and Lucy says it’s not the car, it’s the curse. Jacinda says they’ll walk instead.
In the other realm, Cinderella dances with the Prince and he’s charming. She whips out Henry’s dagger and reminds him he destroyed her family. She can’t stab him but Lady Tremaine can and does. Cinderella’s stunned. Lady Tremaine says the Prince rejected her Drizella and so she took matters into her own hands. Henry races up and tells Cinderella to take his bike and meet him at the portal at midnight. As she tries to flee the ball, a fight with the guards breaks out. She and Henry are involved in a sword fight, and she flees as Henry remains and holds them off.
Back to current events, Victoria demands Officer Rogers find her granddaughter. She suspects Henry knows where her stepdaughter and granddaughter are, and she claims she’s just trying to help them. She says if he wants his car back, he’ll help find her girls.
Lucy refuses to leave the city but Jacinda is adamant they can’t stay. Jacinda reveals Victoria wants Lucy to live with her permanently. Jacinda wants to go live on that island, but she understands why her daughter needs to believe in fairy tales. Jacinda begs her to just this once believe in her, and Lucy says she does. As they hug, Rogers and Drizella arrive in Rogers’ squad car.
Drizella announces that Henry told them about the island fantasy and that’s how they found them. Lucy can’t believe Henry would do that, but Rogers said Henry thought he was helping. Drizella takes Lucy’s “Once Upon a Time” book and gives it to Rogers to destroy. He looks through the pages and is soon lost in thought.
Henry gets his car back and there’s not wrong with it. Jacinda arrives and tells him she hopes giving away her secret was worth it. She wishes him luck on his second book.
In the other realm, Henry arrives at the portal and calls out for Cinderella. She’s doesn’t reply and his cellphone alarm tells him it’s midnight. The portal opens and then he spots one of Cinderella’s glass slippers. He lets the portal close and says, “Operation Glass Slipper is a go.”
Back at the station, Rogers is informed he’s made detective after impressing Victoria Belfrey. He’s introduced to his new partner, Rumple. They shake hands as they’re introduced, and Rumple says he believes they’ll do great work together.
Roni is signing the paperwork to turn over the bar to Victoria when she stops, deciding she’s no longer going to sell it. She thinks it’s time Victoria felt what it’s like to have someone fight back. Roni says it’s her bar, her home, her life. She doesn’t care if it’s seen better days; it could have better days again.
Jacinda heads back to her old job at Mr. Cluck’s and her boss takes her back.
Henry has a bouquet of flowers but the address – 10th and Oak – no longer has a cemetery. A passerby says she doesn’t remember a cemetery ever being there.
Rogers looks through the “Once Upon a Time” book, staring at a picture of Emma.
Jacinda sweeps the floor and finds a quarter. She takes it to the well and makes a wish.
Henry sits down to work on his new book which currently only reads, “Poetic opening line goes here…” He erases that and begins writing.
Roni says the first step to a new beginning is imagining one is even possible. She rips up the contract, determined to not let Victoria take her dreams away.
The CW’s Riverdale returns to kick off season two on October 11, 2017 at 8pm ET/PT. Season two picks up with Fred fighting for his life and the gang discovering more secrets about their town. Season two episode one titled “Chapter Fourteen: A Kiss Before Dying” was directed by Rob Seidenglanz from a script by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.
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, and Mark Consuelos as Hiram Lodge.
The “Chapter Fourteen: A Kiss Before Dying” Plot: THE ANGEL OF DEATH — As Fred’s (Perry) life hangs in the balance following the shooting at Pop’s diner, Archie (Apa) struggles with the emotional aftermath of what he witnessed. Meanwhile, as Veronica (Mendes) steps out of her comfort zone to support Archie, she learns that her father Hiram (Consuelos) has arrived to Riverdale earlier than expected. Elsewhere, at Pop’s diner, Pop Tate (guest star Alvin Sanders) recounts the chilling details of the shooting, which leaves Jughead (Sprouse) and Betty (Reinhart) questioning the gunman’s true motives. Lastly, after running into Cheryl (Petsch) at the hospital, Betty and Kevin (Cott) are surprised to learn about the fire at Thornhill.
The Riverdale Plot: The first season of Riverdale found our characters reeling from the tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom. For many who had seen their home as perfect, safe, and innocent, the investigation into Jason’s murder peeled back the layers of their hometown to reveal a place bubbling over with secrets, mysteries, and scandals. Archie Andrews, for instance, grew from a sweet, all-American kid into a young man acutely aware of the darker side of life—he broke his best friend’s heart, had a forbidden relationship with his music teacher, and grappled with whether he wanted to follow in his dad Fred’s salt-of-the-earth footsteps. On the positive side, Archie repaired his friendship with Jughead Jones, found some success as a musician—thanks in part to Josie McCoy and her band, the Pussycats—and found a new romantic interest in femme fatale Veronica Lodge. New to town, Veronica spent the season trying to atone for her “bad girl” past, all the while wrestling with her beloved father Hiram’s criminal legacy—and contending with a mother, Hermione, who might not be as innocent as she claimed.
Veronica became fast-friends with Archie’s girl-next-door neighbor, Betty Cooper, who did some growing up of her own this season. After Archie’s rejection, Betty threw herself into running the school paper, “The Blue and Gold,” where she discovered a better romantic match in sardonic outsider Jughead. Together, they tracked down Betty’s sister Polly (guest star Tiera Skovbye), who had been sent away by their overbearing mother Alice. Under the guise of writing for the school paper, Betty and Jughead investigated Jason Blossom’s death—which led them to discover that Jughead’s father—FP Jones—was involved with covering up Jason’s murder.
Meanwhile, Jason’s twin sister Cheryl ruled the school as Riverdale High’s venomous, merciless Red Queen—until she learned the true identity of Jason’s killer. As the town breathed a collective sigh of relief that Jason’s killer had been found out, another terrible crime occurred, in a space that had been considered one of the town’s safest, most innocent places. If Jason Blossom’s murder revealed the slimy underbelly beneath Riverdale’s surface, as we enter Season Two, the shooting of Fred Andrews threatens to plunge the entire town into utter darkness.
