Logan Marshall-Green as Creeley Turner in ‘Damnation’ (Photo by Chris Large / USA Network)
USA Network’s revealed the premiere dates for its fall primetime series including the return of Mr. Robot and Chrisley Knows Best. The network’s schedule also includes the debut of Damnation, starring Logan Marshall-Green (Quarry) and Killian Scott (Ripper Street), and the reality series, The Cromarties. The Cromarties centers on former NFL player Antonio Cromartie, father of 14, as he transitions into full-time parent. Damnation comes from Longmire‘s Tony Tost, with Hell or High Water‘s David MacKenzie directing the drama set in the 1930s.
Chrisley Knows Best‘s return will be accompanied by the series premiere of According to Chrisley featuring Todd Chrisley, family members, and special celebrity guests.
USA Network 2017 Primetime Premieres:
MR. ROBOT – Season 3 Premieres Wednesday, October 11 at 10/9c
The critically acclaimed and Golden Globe-winning Mr. Robot follows Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek), a cyber-security engineer who, along with Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) and fsociety, starts a revolution to change the world. Picking up immediately following the Season 2 cliffhanger, Season 3 will explore each character’s motivations and the disintegration between Elliot and Mr. Robot. The series also stars Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, Stephanie Corneliussen, Martin Wallstrom, Grace Gummer, Michael Cristofer, Bobby Cannavale, and BD Wong.
DAMNATION – Series Premiere Tuesday, November 7 at 10/9c
An epic saga about the secret history of the 1930s American heartland, Damnation centers on the mythic conflict and bloody struggle between big money and the downtrodden, God and greed, charlatans and prophets. The pilot introduces Seth Davenport (Killian Scott), a man masquerading as a small town Iowa preacher in the hopes of starting a full-blown insurrection against the status quo. Focused on his mission, he is unaware that an industrialist tycoon has hired a professional strikebreaker named Creeley Turner (Logan Marshall-Green) to stop the uprising by any means necessary. But unbeknownst to those around them, these two men already share a secret bloody past.
The series also stars Sarah Jones, Chasten Harmon, Melinda Page Hamilton, Christopher Heyerdahl and Joe Adler. From executive producers Tony Tost (Longmire), Adam Kane (American Gods), James Mangold (Logan) Guymon Casady (Game of Thrones) and Daniel Rappaport (Office Space) on behalf of Entertainment 360, the pilot was written and created by Tost and directed by and executive produced by David MacKenzie (Hell or High Water). Universal Cable Productions co-produces the series with Netflix, who will have first-run rights to the series outside of the U.S.
USA Network’s hit reality series Chrisley Knows Best follows the entertaining lives of outspoken patriarch Todd Chrisley and his over-the-top Southern family, which includes his loving wife Julie, their charming, strong-willed children Chase, Savannah and Grayson, and Todd’s beloved mother Nanny Faye. When the show returns for the back-half of Season 5 this fall, Chase celebrates his 21st birthday, Nanny Faye pulls an epic prank on Todd, Savannah hosts a fashion show and the family comes together as Julie awaits word on an all-too-familiar health diagnosis.
ACCORDING TO CHRISLEY – Series Premiere Tuesday, September 12 at 10:30/9:30c
Serving as the perfect nightcap for Chrisley fans, the new half-hour after-show According to Chrisley will feature Todd tackling the truth about marriage, parenting, sex and relationships. With his tough love, sharp tongue and always humorous approach, Todd will interact with an audience, serving up quick-witted advice on a multitude of topics. Additionally, every episode will feature a member of the Chrisley family, as well as a celebrity guest. Confirmed guests include Ali Landry, Chris Jericho, Nicole Sullivan, Erika Girardi, Metta World Peace, Jason George, Christina Milian, Heather and Terry Dubrow and Carmen Electra. According to Chrisley is produced by Maverick TV and All3Media America, with Adam Greener, Simon Knight, Greg Lipstone, Corin Nelson and Todd Chrisley serving as executive producers.
THE CROMARTIES – Series Premiere Thursday, November 9 at 10:30/9:30c
For the first time in 11 years since being drafted into the NFL, Antonio Cromartie is a full-time dad. Terricka, his wife, loves having Antonio home to help raise their five, soon to be six, kids, but Antonio’s OCD, intense competitiveness and his raising their kids the same way he would coach a football team may prove to be too much for the whole house! There’s not exactly a playbook for parenting, but as a team, Antonio and Terricka are making their own rules. A Wilshire Studios production, The Cromarties is executive produced by Justin Tucker and Art Lyons.
Jim Carrey stars in ‘Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond’
Netflix has picked up the worldwide rights to Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, directed by Chris Smith. The documentary features footage from behind the scenes of director Milos Forman’s Man on the Moon, the 1990 dramatic movie which starred Jim Carrey as actor/comedian Andy Kaufman. Smith had access to 100 hours of footage from the set, most of which was shot by Kaufman’s girlfriend, Lynne Margulies, and Kaufman’s former writing partner, Bob Zmuda. The footage shows how Carrey transformed into Andy Kaufman and what that transformation was like to witness behind the scenes.
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, is a VICE Documentary Films production. Spike Jonze, Danny Gabai, and Brendan Fitzgerald produced the documentary, with Eddy Moretti, Shane Smith, Tony Clifton, Michael Kronish, Jim Czarnecki, and Nicole Montez executive producing.
“For almost two decades this brilliant performance from Jim Carrey has resonated with audiences and fans of Kaufman’s, but the story behind the film – a true piece of entertainment history has remained largely unknown,” stated Lisa Nishimura, VP of Original Documentaries for Netflix. “Chris Smith and Spike Jonze have masterfully unearthed and explored Jim’s complex and artful creative process, hurling audiences right into the mind of a genius.”
“VICE is always focused on telling stories you can’t see anywhere else, and Chris’ film is an incredibly humanistic deep-dive into the mind of a brilliant artist. Chris, Spike and Jim have made a film that makes us question what we really want in the world, and we couldn’t be more excited that Netflix is bringing it to the world,” said Danny Gabai, Executive Creative Director, VICE.
The Plot: In 1999 Milos Forman cast Jim Carrey to play cult comedian Andy Kaufman in his biopic Man on the Moon. What followed was an intensely bizarre and emotional film production. Surrounded by Kaufman’s friends and family on set, Carrey thoroughly ‘became’ Andy and, alternately, Tony Clifton, Kaufman’s obnoxious lounge singer alter ego. Much like Kaufman’s comedy, Carrey’s acting took on a performance art quality during the film. He never broke character on set, the cast and the crew referred to him as either ‘Andy’ or ‘Tony’ depending on who he was embodying (he had created complete and separate identities for each).
In Jim & Andy, Carrey looks back at the resulting footage 18 years later, reflecting on how he and Andy came up in oddly parallel universes, his experience channeling Andy and Tony and more broadly the spiritual journey of his career. The film brings viewers into the oddly unique experience and emotional journey of the making of Man on the Moon leaving them to determine where Andy Kaufman ends and Jim Carrey begins.
Alexander Siddig poses in Fox’s ‘Gotham’ press room at Comic Con 2017 (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
During our San Diego Comic Con 2017 roundtable interview for season four of Fox’s Gotham, Alexander Siddig admitted he had been reading up on Ra’s al Ghul on the internet but then gave up. “After about 45 minutes I went, ‘This is so contradictory. Everybody has something else to say about something. I’m stopping right there.’” Siddig decided it was best to stick with the Gotham writers’ interpretations and figure out from there the best way to play Ra’s al Ghul. Alexander Siddig knows how important Ra’s al Ghul is to fans, describing the character as a “holy cow sacred thing” that he cannot afford to mess up.
Gotham will premiere on September 21, 2017.
What can you tease about the upcoming season?
Alexander Siddig: “What I can tell you is from my point of view I am on a mission that has taken me over a 1,000 years to make Batman my own, to carve him in my own image, to make him my heir. I know that Alfred is a fine, upstanding citizen, but Bruce needs more than the ability to make an exquisite napkin or a centerpiece for a table, which is pretty much all Alfred can teach him. Now, he needs to learn how to fight and look after himself. It’s not just a playground, this is Gotham so everything is existential which is what I like about it. Every moment is life or death, which is hectic but real – not – but real enough. So, I’m going to teach him how to fight and look after himself.
That relationship’s going to be really interesting because it’s not going to be just the bad guy. I don’t think Ra’s al Ghul will be just…well, he will be just a bad guy, but I’m hoping to layer him up with a few interesting levels.”
Will there be a serious conflict between Ra’s al Ghul and Alfred, given that Ra’s is stepping on Alfred’s toes?
Alexander Siddig: “I so hope so and I would be very disappointed if there wasn’t some serious rivalry for Bruce’s affection, which may tip over into physical contact – which may end in Arthur’s ending his story if I have anything to do with it. Arthur will exist no more. I suspect I can’t do that, because this story has already been written. However, I’m going to do my damnedest to try and make it happen.”
Were you a fan of the series before landing the role?
Alexander Siddig: “I wasn’t. I wasn’t, not because I didn’t like Gotham but because I’d never seen Gotham. TV has become a candy store that is bigger than any candy store that has ever existed in my lifetime. There is so much candy now that I don’t know what to pick, and I need my friends to tell me what candy the good stuff is. And as I’d never been told that Gotham was a good thing, I didn’t know it existed. So, now I’m looking at it and I’m loving it.
I saw the second season – most of the second season. I saw the first three episodes of the first season; this is how I knit together my research. Very deep, very complex. Now, I really love it.”
Does Ra’s feel like a full season four villain?
Alexander Siddig: “I think he’s a full season four villain. He may be missing for a little while but that will be because they’ve got to do some other stuff with other people – even though the audience won’t be liking any of the other characters by the time we’re halfway through the season. That is what I’m told. I have no idea. (Laughing) Arrogant? Moi?”
Does he care about Bruce Wayne or only want to use him?
Alexander Siddig: “It’s a question of DNA. Did you ever read The Selfish Gene? It’s a book which basically explains that genes have to survive come what may. Now, they can be nasty in order to do it. They can be nice in order to do it. The whole point is to keep that gene alive. Whatever gene courses through Ra’s al Ghul, Bruce is the perfect host of that gene. I’m not sure that love in that sense comes into it. But I reckon that with three or four hours with Bruce, Bruce will get to Ra’s. I don’t think it will be a one-way street and I’m really looking forward to seeing how that relationship evolves. I already know it’s going to be pretty hectic. That’s a word we use a lot in England; I don’t know if we use it a lot here. Hectic is like hectic.”
When you started did they give you an idea of where the character’s headed?
Alexander Siddig: “Up until today I didn’t know anything about it except for what I’ve gotten in the scripts that I’ve got. Today John Stephens took me aside and said, ‘This is what’s going to happen.’ I had no idea! It’s hectic. I hope he is a super-villain and will earn that title. I hope that the sheer sophistication of his villainy will be… Nothing’s going to compete with Penguin, okay? They live in our hearts and we love them. I don’t think you’re going to love Ra’s al Ghul. It’s not going to be like that. It’s not going to be sentimental, if I have anything to do with it.”
How did you prepare?
Alexander Siddig: “Pretty much the same way I prepare for every role. I read what I can until I get bored because it’s just people talking. I know the gist. I understand from the scripts that I get from the writers. I know, ‘That’s my goal.’ And then I usually spend…this is a really weird anecdotal story, I’m sorry. (Laughing) I used to go to bed every night and I used to think to myself, ‘What could I have done better today with my friends, with my relationships? Where was I nasty to someone?’ And I really didn’t like being unpleasant. As I grew up, it got more complicated. So, I still go to bed thinking about how I could have had a better day. And when I get a role, I use that time because I’m in the habit of using that time for me. So, I will spend three-quarters of an hour instead of reading a book or listening to the radio, thinking about what I’m going to do with the character.”
Asher Angel, Sofia Wylie, Joshua Rush, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Lilan Bowden, Lauren Tom, and Stoney Westmoreland in ‘Andi Mack’ (Disney Channel/Craig Sjodin)
Disney Channel’s set a Friday, October 27, 2017 premiere date for Andi Mack season two. The family-friendly series was created by executive producer/writer Terri Minsky (Lizzie McGuire) and stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Shameless), Lilan Bowden, Lauren Tom, Joshua Rush, Sofia Wylie, and Asher Angel. Stoney Westmoreland, Emily Skinner, and Trent Garrett return for season two in recurring roles.
For those who need to catch up on the show prior to its season two premiere, a season one marathon will air on Disney Channel beginning October 27th at 2pm ET/PT. According to Disney Channel, season one reached 45 million viewers. Andi Mack was also the #1 show among girls as well as kids ages two to 14.
The Plot: The first season introduced Andi on the eve of her 13th birthday, just as she learns that her older sister Bex is actually her mother. This revelation puts Andi on an unfamiliar path of self-discovery, which she navigates with the help of her two best friends, Cyrus and Buffy, and her loving family. Season one culminated with Andi convinced that her parents Bex and Bowie are destined to be together. Meanwhile, Andi’s middle school crush, Jonah Beck, has just broken up with his girlfriend, Amber.
In the season two premiere, Andi encourages Bowie to plan a future with Bex, Cyrus introduces his girlfriend, Iris, to Andi and Buffy; and Jonah invites Andi to the Space Otters’ party.
Mike Vogel as Michael Dalton, Noah Mills as Joseph J. McGuire, Hadi Tabbal as Amir Al-Rasani, Demetrius Grosse as Anthony ‘Preach’ Carter, and Natacha Karam as Jasmine ‘Jaz’ Ervin in ‘The Brave’ (Photo by Jeff Riedel / NBC)
NBC’s introducing the new action drama The Brave to its primetime lineup beginning on Monday, September 25, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT. In support of the series’ upcoming premiere, the network’s released a batch of photos from the show’s first episode along with a teaser trailer and plot description for the one-hour series created by executive producer Dean Georgaris. Showrunners Matt Corman and Chris Ord are also executive producing along with Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan.
The Brave stars Mike Vogel (Bates Motel), Noah Mills (2 Broke Girls), Natacha Karam (Homeland), Demetrius Grosse (Westworld), Hadi Tabbal (The Blacklist), Anne Heche (Men in Trees), Tate Ellington (Shameless), and Sofia Pernas (Jane the Virgin).
The Plot, Courtesy of NBC: “This fresh, heart-pounding journey into the complex world of America’s elite undercover military heroes follows Captain Adam Dalton (Vogel) and his heroic Special Ops squad of highly trained undercover specialists carry out each mission on the ground. His team is armed with incredible sniper Sgt Jasmine ‘Jaz’ Khan (Karam), CPO Ezekiel “Preach” Carter (Grosse), combat medic Sgt Joseph “McG” McGuire (Mills) and intelligence officer Agent Amir Al-Raisani (Tabbal).
This team works hand-in-hand with D.I.A. Deputy Director Patricia Campbell (Heche) and her team of analysts including veterans Cultural Specialist Noah Morgenthau (Ellington) and Mission Coordinator Hannah Archer (Pernas), as they wield the world’s most advanced surveillance technology from headquarters in D.C.
All members of this elite squad, both in D.C. and across the world, have one thing in common: their resilience and commitment to freedom is unmatched by any other. Often facing insurmountable challenges, the team works tirelessly to get the job done and to prevail in even the most complex situations. Week after week, the team uses that along with their unbreakable bond to save lives of innocent people and execute missions in some of the most dangerous places in the world.”
Mike Vogel as Captain Adam Dalton (Photo by Simon Mein/NBC)Natacha Karam as Sgt. Jasmine “Jaz” Khan, Hadi Tabbal as Agent Amir Al-Rasani, and Mike Vogel as Captain Adam Dalton (Photo by Simon Mein/NBC)
Mike Vogel in ‘The Brave’ (Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Hadi Tabbal as Agent Amir Al-Raisani (Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Tate Ellington as Noah Morgenthau, Anne Heche as Patricia Campbell, and Sofia Pernas as Hannah Rivera (Photo by Simon Mein/NBC)
The final film of the Fifty Shades franchise, Fifty Shades Freed, just released a one-minute teaser trailer along with the first poster. If you’re still into the Fifty Shades series after films one and two, you’ll want to check out what Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are up to in this third film which finds Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele tying the note. Fifty Shades Darker director James Foley returned to complete the trilogy based on the bestselling books by E L James. Niall Leonard adapted James’ book for the screen and James, Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and Marcus Viscidi produced the adult romance.
In addition to Dornan and Johnson, the Fifty Shades Freed cast includes Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Max Martini, Callum Keith Rennie, Bruce Altman, Arielle Kebbel, Robinne Lee, Brant Daughterty, Kim Basinger, and Marcia Gay Harden. Universal Pictures is planning a February 8, 2018 theatrical release.
The studio hasn’t released an official synopsis.
The first film of the series, Fifty Shades of Grey, was released on February 13, 2015. The R-rated film was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and grossed $85 million domestically over its opening weekend. Fifty Shades of Grey went on to collect $166 million domestically, ringing up $571 million worldwide before exiting theaters. Fifty Shades Darker followed on February 10, 2017, posting box office numbers that were only half of the original film’s domestic opening weekend ticket sales. Fifty Shades Darker ultimately grossed $378 million before ending its theatrical run.
Critics haven’t been kind to either film, with Fifty Shades of Grey sitting at 25% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes while Fifty Shades Darker only found 17 critics out of 169 that gave the film a positive review.
Warner Bros Pictures has shared the first official clip from the Blade Runner sequel, Blade Runner 2049. The clip runs about a minute and a half and features Ryan Gosling (La La Land) and Lennie James (The Walking Dead). Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario) from a script by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, Blade Runner 2049 also stars Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto.
Blade Runner 2049 is set to open in theaters on October 6, 2017. Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Bud Yorkin, and Cynthia Yorkin produced the sci-fi thriller, with Ridley Scott, Tim Gamble, Frank Giustra, Yale Badick, Val Hill, and Bill Carraro executive producing.
The Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
Sam Heughan in a scene from ‘Outlander’ season 3 episode 1 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
WE ARE BACK!!! Okay… May I just say a 15-month Droughtlander is just simply unnecessary torture! Now let’s get into the necessary torture [emotional torture that is]…
Starz’s Outlander season three episode one title really does sum things up on several levels. First, as we knew, the Battle of Culloden was imminent. Jamie (Sam Heughan) sent Claire (Caitriona Balfe) back through the stones to save her life, as well as their unborn child, which is the only reason Claire would have left in the first place. Claire returns to 1948 and picks back up with her modern-day marriage to Frank (Tobias Menzies). The internal battles all parties must face are much more enduring and scarring than the physical ones. And believe me, as far as physical scars go, Jamie gets another doozy! Pour yourself a stiff dram, grab your best hanky or box of Kleenex, and settle in for the first installment of season three… Je Suis Prest for “The Battle Joined!”
As the episode opens, we are shocked to see the carnage of the completed battle of Culloden. Piles of bloody bodies, mostly Scots, all over the Moor of Culloden. The British are walking through moving bodies, or kicking bodies, to see if they are alive. If a sound is uttered, the Scot gets a bayonet for their answer.
We eventually find Jamie on the field, with a redcoat on top of his seriously injured body. Can you imagine having the dead weight of a full-grown man lying on top of you as you fade in and out of consciousness? The good news is that the redcoat is the, FINALLY, deceased body of one Black Jack Randall (also Tobias Menzies). Jamie flashes back from the present situation of pain to the circumstances of the pre-battle conversations and actual killing blows as they engage the British on the field. We get one more drinking game shot of whiskey as Bonnie Prince Charlie (Andrew Gower) says “Mark Me” one more time. Slainte Mhath!!
Jamie does flash back to when he sent Claire through the stones and he stands there alone after she is gone. We saw Claire’s reaction in the first episode of season two, “Through A Glass, Darkly.” Now we see Jamie left in his own time clutching Claire’s blanket before he returns to the Jacobite Army. The battle is much as Claire had described it to Jamie. With the British having heavy artillery and being of greater number, the Jacobites were slaughtered; though they did take some of the British with them. As the battle continued, Jamie saw Black Jack across the field almost at the same second as Black Jack saw Jamie. They charged toward one another and the ultimate personal battle ensued.
During the fight with Black Jack, Jamie received a horrible slash that created a very large gash across his upper left thigh. For that little gift, Black Jack paid with his life. Jamie struck Jack a fatal blow with his dirk. Both men stumbled and slashed in the air at each other as they continued to ramble closer together on their wobbly legs. Jack reached out and touched Jamie’s chest as both collapsed, Jack on top of Jamie.
In his fevered and painful state, Jamie continues to go in and out of consciousness. He even envisions Claire coming to find him. The vision of Claire turns into Rupert (Grant O’Rourke). What a shock to the system that must have been! Jamie tells Rupert to let him be so he can die where he is, but Rupert is a rather stubborn Scot, too. Book divergence here… Rupert died well before this point in the books, so you had to know he wouldn’t get too far along in the show with his own storyline.
The scene changes to reveal Claire and Frank looking at a house that would become their new home in Boston 1948. As they go through the rooms, politely talking as couples do about what the rooms would be used for, things feel a bit forced on Claire’s side of the conversation.
Months pass quickly in the modern period, and Claire is fighting the stove, trying to cook a meal over a pilot light determined to stay out on the stove. I must say, I love the vintage stuff in the sets but do admit to a level of gratitude for modern conveniences. Yes, I’m spoiled with my A/C, running hot and cold water, and glass top stove. Back to Claire, she blurts out our signature favorite phrase of hers, “Jesus H Roosevelt Christ,” and goes to take a much-needed seat on the couch. Being most of the way through the pregnancy, I’m sure her back and feet are demanding it. As she’s sitting there, she takes a hard look at the fireplace.
Ingenuity of a Mother strikes again. She goes and buys firewood and is going to cook over the open flame in the fireplace. A neighbor woman sees her taking the firewood out of the trunk and comes to help. They get to talking about how husbands like or don’t like surprises from their wives. The way women and men handled their respective roles in the 1940s were still sorta like how things were done for centuries before that. Men worked outside the home, women did the work inside the home. Of course, we know the roles got a little blurred starting in the 1940s after WWII because women had to get working in the factories and such while men were at war. I am not sure if Claire ever fully appreciated the fact that BOTH of her husbands allowed her to be who she was. They didn’t try to make her be just the same as every other woman of their era. (Fandom, don’t stone me for that…just my 2 cents).
The scene turns back to the 1740s. The Jacobites who remained alive found refuge in a small farmhouse nearby the battlefield. Jamie can hardly move, and many others in the farmhouse are injured in various ways. Rupert tries to get Jamie to drink some water as other Scots lay around them. Some are standing near the doors or windows trying to keep an eye out. The British are still close and traveling throughout the area looking for survivors.
In 1948, Claire gets the immeasurable joy [said in all sarcasm] of meeting Frank’s boss. VERY typical man of that era, the boss-man. Claire voices her opinion on an active political topic, as she usually does, and the man admonishes Frank for not keeping a closer watch on his wife. He even casts aspersions on her time as a combat nurse. Many of today’s 21st-century women, especially the younger generation, have no idea what true male chauvinism is. I’m glad the show is not shying away from how people truly acted in their respective time periods. History is not always pretty, and we can’t appreciate the NOW if we don’t clearly see the THEN. Okay, off my soapbox and back to the show…
In the farmhouse, the British find the hiding men. Lord Melton (Sam Hoare) storms in and Rupert informs the redcoats that they are all traitors. Lord Melton informs them they will be given the dignity of a bullet as a soldier instead of a hangman’s noose. Not a fair trade, but a nice gesture. Hanging is so much more gruesome.
Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies in ‘Outlander’ season 3 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
At breakfast in Boston, Claire is trying to lay the table. As she’s doing so she notices a bird just outside the window. It is always the small things in life that draw us back to memories of loved ones lost. You could clearly see the shadow of Jamie cross Claire’s face in that moment. Then Frank comes into the kitchen and they start talking about the differences between American Tea and English Tea. Tea in paper diapers… Frank, REALLY! [Snort!] Claire mentions that she would like to apply for American citizenship – Claire clearly has cast off her affinity for the English citizen she once was – and that she would like ‘their’ child to have a real home.
As Frank reaches to touch her stomach after Claire used the words ‘their child,’ she dodges his touch. The temperature in the room felt a drop of ten degrees. Naturally, a marital battle kicked off in fine fashion about Claire keeping Frank at a distance. Anyone who has been pregnant, or around someone pregnant, understands that the mother’s emotions are at a fever pitch almost the entire time, especially just before time to deliver. Fold the loss of the love of your life into that emotion and distance of emotion should be the least of it. Poor Claire, can she not have a simple happy pregnancy?
Though time in the 1940s has passed quickly through the months of Claire’s pregnancy, the time in the past after the battle has been but mere days. The British are taking the men out of the farmhouse one by one and shooting them, after logging their names, of course, for the Crown and posterity no less. Jamie is almost too weak to speak, but he is alive enough to hear each of his fellow men shot just outside the door. Rupert comes over to say farewell and to step up to take his turn with the firing squad. Jamie is left to hear his cousin die at the end of a bullet out of an English musket.
Frank is lying on the couch listening to all the things that make noise in a room in the middle of the night. The sink dripping, the clock’s second-hand ticking, the fire crackling all get to him eventually and he goes to his desk. He starts to pen a letter to the Reverend in Scotland when Claire comes into the room with her coat on. She announces that her water has broken, and the hospital is the next stop. Babies do love to come in the middle of the night.
Now that all the men in the farmhouse who could stand or move on their own have been dispatched, the British soldiers are down to the rest – Jamie being one of that lot. Lord Melton asks who of the men left wants to go next and Jamie naturally speaks up. He told Claire he intended to die, and he still does. As he’s giving his name to the soldier to write down on the list, Lord Melton stops short. He recognizes the name and realizes he has a serious problem on his hands. Lord Melton happens to be the elder brother of John William Grey. His younger brother owes Red Jamie a debt of honor for not him in last season’s “Je Suis Prest” episode. Always cheeky, Jamie continues to tell the man to kill him anyway, he “dunna mind if he does it” instead of John Grey. Lord Melton insists on satisfying his family’s debt, so he sends Jamie home, bouncing along in the back of a cart, to Lallybroch.
Claire is in labor at the hospital, but then the men take matters out of her hands. The doctor takes Claire down the hall to the delivery room and forcibly puts her to sleep instead of letting her have the baby naturally. She protests but it’s kind of hard to fight that anesthetic once you get it forcibly administered. Frank is told to go down to the waiting room. When Claire wakes up, she is clearly in the same fear as she was when Faith was miscarried. That is until she sees Frank enter with the beautiful baby in his arms. They decide to make a fresh start of things and be a family of three. All looks well again, at least until the nurse asks where the beautiful little angel got her red hair. You both better come up with a good story for that question! It won’t be the last time that is asked.
New Line Cinema’s It, based on the bestselling Stephen King book, broke multiple box office records over its opening weekend. Directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Bill Skarsgard as the killer clown Pennywise, It now holds the title for the largest opening weekend of September. It also claims the top spot for the biggest opening weekend of a horror film and, according to Box Office Mojo, the R-rated horror movie has already collected the fifth highest domestic gross of any film of its genre in just three days in theaters.
It revived the box office which had hit its lowest point in years leading up to the horror film’s theatrical release over the September 8, 2017 weekend. Without It snagging huge numbers, the box office would have looked dismal again as second place finisher Home Again only managed $9 million.
Melissa Leo, RJ Cyler, Stephen Guarino, Erik Griffin, Jon Daly, Al Madrigal, Jake Lacy, Michael Angarano, Ari Graynor, Andrew Santino and Clark Duke in ‘I’m Dying Up Here’ (Photo by Patrick Ecclesine / Showtime)
I’m Dying Up Here, based on the non-fiction book by William Knoedelseder, will be returning for a second season. Season two of the drama will consist of 10 episodes and is expected to head into production later this year. Showtime’s targeting a 2018 second season premiere.
Dave Flebotte created the series and will return as executive producer along with Jim Carrey, Michael Aguilar, and Christina Wayne. The cast of season one included Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Ari Graynor (Bad Teacher), Michael Angarano (The Knick), Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine), Andrew Santino (Mixology), Erik Griffin (Workaholics), RJ Cyler (Power Rangers), Al Madrigal (The Daily Show), and Jake Lacy (How to Be Single).
“It is gratifying that so many comedians tell us this series really nailed the comedy club experience,” stated Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “The talented ensemble of I’m Dying Up Here, led by the brilliant Melissa Leo, and an equally skilled creative team behind the scenes, tell stories that scale the heights of comedy and the depths of drama, often at the same time. Having heard their plans for season two, I’m excited about the journeys these characters will take and the new ground the show will break.”
The Plot:I’m Dying Up Here delves into the inspired, damaged and complicated psyches of those who stand alone in front of an audience “dying” for fame, fortune and, with any luck, a shot on Johnny Carson. This fictional group of competitive but close-knit comedians is mentored by “Goldie” (Leo), a brassy comedy club owner who rules over her business with an iron fist, but nurtures her comedians with tough love. The series takes viewers behind the curtain of the comedy scene that birthed the careers of legends such as Richard Pryor, Robin Williams and David Letterman, showing there’s truly no such thing as an easy laugh.
In season one, “Goldie” balanced the demands of her comics and the club, “Cassie” (Graynor) emerged from the Cellar with a renewed voice, “Bill” (Santino) finally got Carson’s couch, Boston besties “Eddie” (Angarano) and “Ron” (Duke) traveled an uncertain road toward success that jeopardized their friendship, “Ralph” (Griffin) confronted old ghosts, “Adam” (Cyler) saw his ego threaten his rising stardom, “Edgar” (Madrigal) finally got some respect and “Nick” (Lacy) kicked a nasty habit – but how a burning development in the season finale will affect everyone at Goldie’s remains to be seen.
