Keir Gilchrist, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brigette Lundy Paine, and Michael Rapaport in Netflix’s ‘Atypical’
Netflix has released a two-minute behind-the-scenes video from the new series, Atypical. The featurette includes interview snippets of the cast and producers discussing their approach to telling a story centering around a teenager with autism. The series was created by Robia Rashid (How I Met Your Mother), with Rashid writing and executive producing.
Atypical stars Keir Gilchrist, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Rapaport, Brigette Lundy-Paine, and Amy Okuda. Netflix has set a Friday, August 11, 2017 premiere date for season one’s eight episodes.
The Plot:Atypical is a coming of age story that follows Sam (played by Keir Gilchrist), an 18-year-old on the autistic spectrum as he searches for love and independence. While Sam is on his funny yet emotional journey of self-discovery, the rest of his family must grapple with change in their own lives as they all struggle with the central theme: what does it really mean to be normal? Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight, Twin Peaks) stars as his mother, Elsa, who is on her own journey of self-discovery. Michael Rapaport (Justified, Prison Break) plays his father, Doug. Brigette Lundy-Paine (Margot vs Lily, The Glass Castle) plays Sam’s sister Casey and Amy Okuda (How to Get Away with Murder) plays his therapist Julia.
The CW’s The Flash star Grant Gustin promises a much lighter tone for season four of the comic book-inspired series. The fourth season of the popular series is set to premiere on October 10, 2017 and during the San Diego Comic Con, Gustin provided a little insight into what fans can expect from the upcoming season. Gustin also talked about Barry’s return from the Speed Force and how his absence affected #TeamFlash.
What can you say about where we’re going next season?
Grant Gustin: “When we pick it up, Barry’s still in the Speed Force. He sacrificed himself in the finale and it’s been six months. I think in all honesty it’s been harder for #TeamFlash because they’ve kind of had to pick up the pieces and move forward. Barry’s been stuck in purgatory. I think this time in the Speed Force it’s not like when we’ve seen him in the Speed Force and people in his life will embody the Speed Force and kind of talk him through the experience. This time I think he’s more or less been left on his own to just kind of reflect. I think he’s been experiencing his entire life from start to finish again and again and again, so when he comes out everything’s a little jumbled for him. He’s a little messed up, but at the root of it I think he’s kind of had an awakening.
The first episode’s called ‘Reborn’ and we’re going to see Barry get back to his old optimistic self. He’s going to appreciate his powers again. He’s let go of some of the hardship and whatnot that he’s had to deal with, the loss. He’ll be able to move forward, kind of get back to the Barry that I think everybody wants to see.”
What’s new for you playing Barry? You’ve gotten to play a lot of different variations of him, so what’s new in the upcoming season?
Grant Gustin: “Well, I got to do something in the first episode that I can’t talk about too much because it’s the first time that we see Barry when he comes out. It’s unlike anything else I’ve gotten to do but it’s kind of a one-off. It’s not like what Barry will be like for the rest of the season, but I had a lot of fun with that. And then moving forward from there I think it’ll be back to the roots and the more fun Barry Allen, but it’s more mature than we’ve ever seen him. I think he’s owned up to the mistakes he made last year that sent the team down the dark road that it went down. He’s been able to let go of that loss of Nora and Henry that he was never really able to let go of. We’re going to see a lighter Barry Allen, which will be a lot more fun for me.”
The Flash got pretty dark in season three.
Grant Gustin: “It was dark last year. We’re going to go back to more season one where we’re going to have more fun, there’s going to be more comedy. But, I think the cast has come a long way. I think we’re all better actors, honestly, than we were season one. The first two scripts are really funny. We’re in the process of shooting two right now and it’s really funny. We’re laughing a lot on set. I think the fans are going to love it. It’s going to be kind of a relief to see our characters in the position we find them in.”
Where do we pick up with Barry’s relationship with Iris?
Grant Gustin: “Iris, she’s been having to deal with the heartbreak of Barry leaving her behind and having to understand that the sacrifice he made had nothing to do with their relationship, and not take it personally. It was about the whole city, Central City, and the responsibility Barry feels to take care of his city and his people. I think the only thing that would have kept him from leaving is if Iris would have said, ‘Don’t leave.’ I think he would have probably not really been able to if he had sat down and really talked to her about it. But Barry is, you know, he’s happy to be home with his fiancée. They’re looking forward to the wedding. It’ll mostly be on Iris to find a way to forgive him and to understand why he left, and for them to move forward together.”
How does Barry feel about Iris taking over as the leader of Team Flash? Will he step back up and take over?
Grant Gustin: “I think he just naturally just kind of steps up. I think he’s a little oblivious to the dynamic at first, to be honest. He’ll put his foot in his mouth a couple of times, but I don’t think he’s being hardheaded about, ‘You’re not the leader. I’m the leader.’ It’s more like, ‘Oh, this is the dynamic now.’ So, we definitely in the first and second episodes see him adjusting to the new dynamic. But, he’s cool with it. I think we really are going to see a more mature, open Barry than we’ve seen. He’s not going to be quite as hardheaded and stubborn with his friends.”
What’s his dynamic with the new big bad?
Grant Gustin: “I don’t know yet. We haven’t interacted yet. I don’t know much about DeVoe, The Thinker from the comics. But it’s not a speedster so he will be the fastest man alive for real. It’ll definitely be a different kind of dynamic.”
What kind of crossover would you like to see this year?
Grant Gustin: “I want to just see us have more fun with our crossovers. Maybe not an alien invasion. I always reference the scene in the karaoke bar with Caitlin and Barry, just because it was fun and it was different than anything else we’ve done. We had the bowling alley scene that was fun in season one. I’d like to see that, like all of our characters get together in all of the shows and have it not be because the world is about to come to an end.”
Paramount Pictures has released the first teaser trailer for mother!, a new thriller from Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream). The creepy 30 second teaser trailer finds Jennifer Lawrence wandering around a house while we hear screaming followed by brief flashes of flies, more screaming, and then Javier Bardem appears. The cast also includes Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer.
mother! will release a full trailer on August 8, 2017 and is set to open in theaters on September 15, 2017.
The Plot: A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky , mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in a psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.
Dunkirk fought off newcomers The Emoji Movie and Atomic Blonde to retain the #1 spot on the box office top 10 chart. Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk edged past the $100 million mark over its second weekend in release, snagging a $28 million second weekend while Sony’s animated The Emoji Movie somehow managed a $25 million opening. Critics have called The Emoji Movie a soul-sucking film, and it currently sits at just 8% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers have been kinder, awarding it a ‘B’ according to Cinemascore.
Atomic Blonde, the R-rated action thriller starring Charlize Theron, opened on the lower end of expectations at $18.5 million domestically which was only good enough for a third place finish. Atomic Blonde won’t be holding onto that spot for long as next weekend finds The Dark Tower, starring Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba, and Detroit from director Kathryn Bigelow opening/expanding in theaters.
Liam Cunningham and Kit Harington in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Episode 3 (Photo: Helen Sloan / Courtesy of HBO)
The much-anticipated meeting between Ice and Fire finally occurred in HBO’s Game of Thrones season seven episode three. Titled ‘The Queen’s Justice’ and airing July 30, 2017, episode three begins with the arrival of Jon Snow (Kit Harington) at Dragonstone. He and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) greet each other and have a friendly exchange, acknowledging they’re both still standing. Tyrion introduces Missandre (Nathalie Emmanuel) who asks for Jon Snow’s weapons. He and his men hand them over without a fight and then watch as Dothraki lift their boat and take it away. Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham) makes small talk with Missandre as they walk toward the castle, quickly discovering small talk is not her forte.
Tyrion asks after Sansa and informs Jon Snow he never consummated their marriage. Tyrion wants to hear the tale of how he went from the Night’s Watch to King in the North, and Jon wants to hear how a Lannister became the Hand to a Targaryen. Just then a dragon flies low overhead and Jon Snow and Ser Davos hit the ground in shock. Jon watches them circle the castle before he continues his journey up the stairs to meet the Mother of Dragons.
Melisandre (Carice van Houten) and Varys (Conleth Hill) watch Jon Snow’s approach, and Melisandre proclaims she’s brought ice and fire together. Varys wonders why she isn’t greeting Jon Snow on his arrival and she admits she made terrible mistakes and didn’t part on good terms with the King in the North. She reveals she’s ready to leave and Varys believes that’s a good idea, suggesting she shouldn’t return to Westeros. She tells him she’ll be back to die there, adding, “Just like you.”
Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is seated on the throne as Missandre lists off her lengthy titles. Ser Davos simply says, “This is Jon Snow. He’s King in the North.” Daenerys calls Jon Snow a lord, and Ser Davos corrects her. She recalls Torrhen Stark bent the knee to her family and swore fealty to House Targaryen in perpetuity. That should mean Jon Snow needs to bend the knee, but he refuses. She wonders if he’s breaking faith with her family. She apologizes that her father was an evil man and asks Jon Snow’s forgiveness, suggesting he not judge her by her father’s sins. The best centuries of the Seven Kingdoms were when the Targaryens sat on the throne and the Starks ran the North. She’ll name him Warden of the North if he bends the knee.
Jon Snow seems to consider his words carefully, replying that he believes if she’s not guilty of her father’s crimes, that also means he’s not beholden to his ancestor’s vows. She asks if he noticed her dragons and the Dothraki, and wonders why she needs his help. Jon Snow questions why she hasn’t stormed King’s Landing, suggesting that means she doesn’t want to kill innocent people. That puts her above Cersei in his eyes.
Daenerys takes offense when Jon Snow calls all the so-called kings and queens children because they need to pay attention to the enemy in the North: the Dead. The Army of the Dead is on the march. He asks Tyrion if he believes him when he says he’s seen the Night King and the White Walkers. They can’t be allowed past the Wall or everyone will die.
Daenerys wonders if Ned knew Robert Baratheon sent assassins to kill her in her crib. She reveals her history of rape and betrayal but adds that faith has kept her standing. She believes in herself – not myths or legends. She approaches Jon Snow and tells him she was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms. “You’ll be ruling over a graveyard if we don’t defeat the Night King,” says Jon.
Ser Davos claims destiny has made Jon Snow the King in the North. He’s a bastard who united the North and worked with the wildlings, adding that everything she doesn’t believe in he’s fought against. He even says Jon Snow has taken a knife in the heart for his people, and Jon Snow throws him a look and cuts him off before he can continue down that path. Tyrion knows they need to throw in together to defeat Cersei, but Jon Snow refuses to bend to her because her claim rests only on her father’s name and his father fought to overthrow the Mad King.
Daenerys again declares she’s the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and that means he’s in open rebellion. Varys arrives and whispers in her ear. She excuses Jon Snow and Ser Davos, and Jon asks if he’s her prisoner. “Not yet,” answers Daenerys.
Varys informs her Ellaria, the Sand Snakes, and the Greyjoys are all dead or captured and only two or three ships were not sunk.
At the site of the brief but brutal battle, Theon (Alfie Allen) is pulled onboard a ship and he tells the captain his sister was taken by Euron. The men know Theon didn’t try to save his sister and leave him on the deck, alone.
Meanwhile, Euron (Pilou Asbaek) rides through the streets of King’s Landing while the people throw fruit at Yara Greyjoy, Ellaria, and Ellaria’s only surviving daughter, Tyene. Euron teases Yara about Theon jumping overboard as he pulls her by the neck through the crowd.
Euron rides into the castle and stops before Cersei (Lena Headey) on the throne. He presents her with Ellaria and Tyene who are chained together. He tells Queen Cersei he’s brought her justice for her murdered daughter. Cersei proclaims Euron is the greatest captain on the 14 seas, and he says the only reward he wants is her. She promises him his reward but not until the war is won. Cersei speaks to her people, telling them Euron will lead their navy.
Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Euro whisper insults to each other, with Euron asking Jaime if Cersei likes it gentle or rough. Jaime’s furious but Euron walks away before he can respond.
Cersei meets with Ellaria and her daughter in the dungeon, recalling how Ellaria screamed as Oberyn Martell died. Cersei talks about her only daughter and how much she loved Marcella, pointing out what a great beauty Ellaria’s daughter is while Ellaria tries to speak through her gag. Cersei admits she lies awake thinking of ways to punish Ellaria for killing Marcella. Crushing her skull was one option, but that’s too fast. Instead, Cersei uses the same poison Ellaria used on Marcella and kisses Tyene. Cersei describes how Ellaria will be forced to watch as her daughter dies in this cell. Ellaria will never leave the cell and instead will stay there and watch her daughter rot and turn to dust.
Cersei visits Jaime and he’s been drinking. He tries to get her to stop kissing him but then gives in.
Next up for Cersei is a meeting with a representative from the Iron Bank. They want their gold back and she swears she’ll repay the Lannister’s debt.
Tyrion and Jon Snow brood together outside, with Jon upset he’s a prisoner on this island. He’s angry they took his ship because he’s certain the dead are coming for them all. They argue about bending the knee, and Jon Snow admits he was told by all his advisors not to answer a summons from the Mad King’s daughter. Tyrion says both she and Jon protect people from monsters and that after just one single meeting, Daenerys won’t head north to fight an enemy she hasn’t seen and doesn’t know. Tyrion doesn’t believe that’s a reasonable request and then asks Jon if there’s something he can do to help him.
Emilia Clarke in ‘Game of Thrones’ season 7 episode 3 (Photo: Helen Sloan / Courtesy of HBO)
After his brief meeting with Jon, Tyrion tells Daenerys that Jon Snow needs dragonglass because it can be used as weapons against White Walkers. Tyrion wants to believe Jon Snow is wrong but isn’t convinced. Tyrion admits he believes him because Jon was told by his advisors not to come but he came anyway. “Give him something by giving him nothing,” says Tyrion, telling her to let him mine the dragonglass. Daenerys wonders about Ser Davos’ statement about Jon taking a knife in the heart, but Tyrion dismisses it as fantasy.
Daenerys and Jon have a one-on-one meeting outside as her dragons fly overhead. Daenerys is determined Cersei won’t stay on the Iron Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms, and she hasn’t changed her mind about which lands belong in that kingdom. However, she will let him mine the dragonglass and will even provide the manpower to do so. Jon Snow asks if she believes him about the Night King and the Army of the Dead and Daenerys doesn’t answer.
Checking in on Winterfell, Sansa (Sophie Turner) discusses building up grain stores because they may need to feed much of the North. She looks over other aspects of the fortification of Winterfell as Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) tells her she’s meant to be a leader. Their talk is interrupted when Bran arrives!
Outside Winterfell near the old tree, Sansa informs Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) he’s the Lord of Winterfell now but he says he’s the Three-Eyed Raven and can’t be the Lord. He can see everything that’s ever happened to everyone, but he must learn to see better and has to be ready for that. He can’t fully explain it to Sansa and apologizes for everything that’s happened to her. He remembers the snow falling and that she was beautiful in her wedding dress, something he wasn’t there in person to witness. She excuses herself to head back inside while Bran remains by the tree.
At the Citadel, the Archmaester (Jim Broadbent) and Sam (John Bradley) examine Jorah (Iain Glen) who’s now free from greyscale. He says it hurts less, and the Archmaester thinks the infection is no longer active. Neither Jorah nor Sam confess to having undergone the procedure, with Jorah saying it was just the rest and the climate. He’s no longer infectious, so Jorah’s free to leave.
Sam, of course, is in trouble. The Archmaester reminds him he was forbidden to treat Jorah because he could have been infected. He then tells Sam he should be proud because Jorah is alive because of him.
Back at Dragonstone, Daenerys wants to destroy Euron’s ships using her three dragons. No one can stop them, but Tyrion insists she can’t go with her dragons. Tyrion admits Cersei knows full well the Unsullied are on their way to attack Casterly Rock, and he believes she’ll have 10,000 men there and will be ready for battle.
The scene switches to show the Unsullied launching their attack against Casterly Rock. Tyrion describes what he believes will happen as on the screen we see it all unfold. The gates are impenetrable and many men will die, but Tyrion adds that while his father built the castle, it was up to him to build the sewers. He knows all the secret ways to get in including a passage from the sea that leads to under a guard tower. While the Unsullied keep the men busy defending the front of the castle, 10 men sneak in and open the gates. The battle is brutal as the Unsullied are outnumbered with less weapons and armor. But, Cersei’s armies fight out of fear while the Unsullied fight for their freedom and for the person who gave it to them. The Unsullied triumph and take Casterly Rock.
As they fight in the castle, Euron’s ships attack the Unsullied’s ships. It’s revealed most of the Lannister army is not actually in Casterly Rock. Instead, Jaime leads the army to Highgarden. They easily take that castle, piling up the dead Tyrell army and stealing the Tyrell gold to pay back the Irion Bank. Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg) asks Jaime if her men fought well, and he says as well as to be expected. Jaime admits Casterly Rock isn’t worth much so it’s fine Daenerys took it because it’s been emptied of anything valuable.
Lady Olenna wants to know how Jaime will kill her, wondering if he’ll use Joffrey’s sword to end her life. She admits to doing unspeakable things to protect her family and House Tyrell but adds that Cersei did things she wasn’t capable of imagining. She calls her a monster but Jaime doesn’t think that way and believes that ultimately she’ll build a peaceful world. Lady Olenna knows Jaime loves Cersei and that Cersei’s actions are out of his control. “She’s a disease. I regret my role in spreading it,” says Lady Olenna.
She asks again how she’ll be killed, and Jaime describes several suggestions Cersei made on how to do the job. Instead, Jaime will allow her to drink poison and die in her room without any pain. She drinks the poisoned wine and as she dies she describes Joffrey’s death in detail and admits she’s the one who poisoned him. She also confesses she didn’t realize it would be that awful and then tells Jaime to make sure he tells Cersei she’s the one who killed Joffrey.
‘Teen Wolf’ stars Dylan O’Brien and Tyler Posey at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con (Photo Courtesy of MTV)
Both during the final San Diego Comic Con panel for MTV’s Teen Wolf and during roundtable interviews for the series’ season 6B, Tyler Posey got a little emotional about saying goodbye to the show. However, Posey’s not sad about leaving his co-stars behind because he’s sure they’ll remain close even though their time together on Teen Wolf is nearly over. Teen Wolf season 6B is set to premiere on Sunday, July 30, 2017 at 8pm ET/PT, and during our roundtable interview Posey discussed what’s in store for Scott and Malia as well as the return of a few of his former co-stars.
So everyone returns to help Scott in the final battle?
Tyler Posey: “I feel like they’re always kind of helping me out. They’re always coming to me for guidance and Scott’s like, ‘I don’t know what the hell I’m doing but this feels right. Let’s go this way.’ They’ve got my back. But this season it does tend to focus more on Scott and revolves around him. Yeah, they’re definitely helping me out. They’re my little badass pack. Love ‘em.”
It feels like there are a lot of Alphas in Beacon Hills. Will there be just one by the end of the series?
Tyler Posey: “Do we have a lot of Alphas right now? Tyler (Hoechlin’s) not an Alpha, right? Technically not, he was. Hoechlin’s not an Alpha anymore. I am, is there anybody else?”
Liam’s in training?
Tyler Posey: (Laughs) “Okay, the kid’s got potential…don’t get me wrong. Yeah, absolutely. We’ve been kind of teasing Liam stepping up and kind of taking Scott’s position and the Alpha role and the leader of Beacon Hills. But I think he’s going to have to do it his own way, figure out how to be an Alpha. I don’t know if true Alphas are handed out that easily. So, he’s going to have to work for it, I guess. Or, kill me. If you kill an Alpha, you become an Alpha.”
It just seems like there are a lot of Alphas.
Tyler Posey: “Peter Hale was once upon a time an Alpha. I believe it’s just one. They’re all former Alphas – Alpha alumni, if you will. An Alpha reunion. It’s really cool having the whole pack that once were Alphas because they know how to fight as Alphas. It’s easier to work with somebody who was an Alpha. Like, it’s easier to date somebody who’s in the same business as you are because they get it, they get your life. It’s kind of like that. (Laughing) I just want to date my Alpha friends – that’s all I’m trying to say.”
What can you say about Scott and Malia?
Tyler Posey: “Season 6A we kind of did a couple of sneak teases to potentially opening up a relationship between Scott and Malia. But, I love it. I always say the best things about Shelley (Hennig). I think that she’s the greatest, most talented person…most loving, caring, affectionate. She’s the greatest and so I was really, really happy that we got to end the season like that. It felt right, in terms of stuff that we haven’t really done before. Scott had been single for the full season which had never happened before, so it was really nice for Scott to take a step back, focus on himself a little bit, realize what he wants, realize who he is. At 18 that’s still kind of hard, so he’s still got some figuring out to do. But, yeah, he and Malia are really sweet and really great friends and I think that’s how every good relationship forms is by being really good friends at first and then just naturally transcend into that.
But, I’m not saying anything. (Laughing) It could have been a dream sequence. I’m telling you, Teen Wolf throws curve balls! You know this.”
Does Scott even have time for a romance given the fact they’re going to be hunted?
Tyler Posey: “Come on, baby, there’s always time for romance. I mean, there’s always turmoil in Beacon Hills. They’re always fighting for their lives and trying to figure out a new method of saving lives or killing the bad guy or defeating the bad guy, whatever. But they’re still kids and we really try to do a good job of making it relatable. Even when you’re thrust into danger and destruction and chaos, you can’t hide feelings. You can’t stop feelings and if those feelings are there, you’re going to act on them. So, we just do a good job. I think that’s what would really happen if kids were faced with danger and there were feelings involved. I don’t think they would push the feelings away. There’s always time.”
What do you think about the way the show wraps up? Did it give you a satisfying ending?
Tyler Posey: “Yeah, totally. I really liked it a lot. I think it gave Scott a really sweet ending, one that I feel like he’s needed for a while. Scott’s kind of a not a troubled kid but that kid’s really stressed out and pressured. I feel bad for him. I feel like he needs a break, and he kind of gets that or you get that sense of it at the very end sort of in a way. It’s a really cool way.”
How did you feel about Scott working with Gerard after defeating him in season 2?
Tyler Posey: “Total full circle. I think it was a really cool way to wrap it up. Each season we kind of try to dive into a new folklore and mythology, and from my point of view sometimes it could get a little confusing. It’s always really fun and really cool, but it can get confusing. Sometimes I’m watching the show and I’m like, ‘What the hell is happening?’ We kind of bring it back to the simplest form that it was: hunters. Hunters hunting these beasts. It doesn’t get that much more simple than that. It’s a war between humans and wolves.
I thought it was really cool, plus I like Michael. Michael Hogan’s a great dude, a really talented guy. I learned a lot from him over the years. He is the most committed dude I’ve ever met. He will just stay there all f*cking night, all day, never complain and just always be on. He’s the greatest.”
Scott’s grown so much since season one. What do you feel like Scott’s learned the most about over the seasons? What does he take away from these past few years as he’s heading to college?
Tyler Posey: “So much. I don’t know. I’ve never thought about that before, really. What’s the most valuable information that he’s learned over the years?”
Maybe how to be a leader?
Tyler Posey: “Yeah, definitely, I was going to say that but there’s a lot of things that come with being a leader, you know? You’ve got to learn to let yourself fail and be okay with that. A lot of learning comes from failure. So, I think that’s one of the things. He’s always had the leader mentality. He’s always wanted to save people and save his friends and be a leader, but he didn’t really know how so I think that’s what he took away. Learning how to be there and be the hero and a leader, but figuring out the balance of leadership and accepting your wrongs – and being a human, also.”
The CW’s Arrow starring Stephen Amell is heading into its sixth season and during our roundtable interview at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, Amell talked about the upcoming season without revealing any spoilers. What he did have to say is that he’s working hard to make sure it’s just as good as season five, and that season six will find Oliver finally able to spend time with his son, William.
Season six will premiere on Thursday, October 12th at 9pm ET/PT after the season 13 premiere of Supernatural.
Oliver’s past has come full circle. What would you like to see him focus on for his future now that he’s not focusing on the past?
Stephen Amell: “I mean, it sounds like an easy answer but it’s character growth. You know what I mean? This first episode of season six was our 116th episode and I want to do new stuff with the character. Really, one of the only things that I can talk about for season six is that he has interactions with William. Him as a dad is something that I’ve never really been able to play, save for sparing moments in 523 and 408, maybe The Flash’s 208. So, I’m really, really excited I’m getting to play some new stuff with him.”
What’s driving him at this point? Is it revenge, protecting the city?
Stephen Amell: “It’s Star City. Always Star City. There’s a good speech in the pilot about how Star City is doing better. He says something pretty cool about how people are not only moving here, they’re staying here because they feel safe. So, from that standpoint, it’s been a couple of years since we put the city in dire straits. But, yes, Star City – making it better.”
What direction do you want to see Oliver go?
Stephen Amell: “It’s in the nooks and crannies. Like, we have a scene…god, I can’t spoil it. We do a scene where I’m talking to someone on the team and instead of barking a direction, I changed it so that I just look at them and they acknowledge what they have to do. It’s little things like that. It used to be I’d come back to the Arrow cave, I’d yell at people, I’d walk away. I try not to do that anymore because if we’re still doing that, then what is the point of season five? What was the point of season one, two, three, four and five? You’ve got to grow up along the way.”
There was a lot of growth for Oliver in season five. Do you think that was the most as far as learning how to work with others?
Stephen Amell: “Yeah, I think so. The whole idea of a team, there are people that he fully relies on now. And that’s really cool. I’m getting to have scenes with people on a peer level that I haven’t had before and that’s exciting because we have so many good actors on the show. This is the deepest bench that we’ve ever had on the show. It makes me really, really bullish about our ability to carry on.”
Do you expect to be doing more crossover episodes?
Stephen Amell: “I don’t know. I was in Nashville a couple of weeks ago and people were like, ‘Are you guys going to do a bigger crossover?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, yeah, probably.’ And people were like, ‘Stephen Amell declares bigger crossover.’ I don’t know.”
Is there a character you’d like to interact with?
Stephen Amell: “I’d love to go on Supergirl. My good buddy Shamus (Whiting-Hewlett) is the DP there now. Danielle (Fowler) who did my makeup for the first four years does Melissa (Benoist’s) makeup over on Supergirl now. I love going over and working with other people, but I don’t know what they’ve planned.”
Is season six a soft reboot?
Stephen Amell: “No. Every show has its ebbs and flows and I felt like by the time season four rolled around, we tried to be a bunch of different things as opposed to just being our show. And, I felt like season five was our show. So for season six, we can’t recapture the emotional gravity of season five. It’s impossible, right? There’s season one and there’s season five, and there’s whatever the last season is. That’s not to say season six can’t be better than season five. I’m working my ass off to make it just as good, if not better. But it won’t have the same emotional weight as season five.”
Amazon’s award-winning series Transparent has unveiled a new trailer for the show’s upcoming fourth season. The new 2-minute trailer finds the Pfeffermans on a trip to Israel to explore their roots.
Created by Jill Soloway, Transparent season four stars Jeffrey Tambor, Gaby Hoffman, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, and Judith Light. Season four is set to debut on September 22, 2017, with the first three seasons now available on Amazon Prime Video.
The Plot: The Pfeffermans take off on a spiritual and political journey as they dig deep into their family’s history. Maura (Jeffrey Tambor) heads to Israel to speak at a conference and makes a startling discovery. Before long the rest of the family joins her for an explosive adventure. Adrift in the desert, Maura, Ali (Gaby Hoffman), Sarah (Amy Landecker), Josh (Jay Duplass) and Shelly (Judith Light) ultimately set off on their own paths to find acceptance, love, and truth.
Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies in ‘Outlander’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Television)
During the Television Critics Association panel for Starz’ Outlander season three, Caitriona Balfe mentioned she watched films from early and then later on in specific actresses’ careers to get a better idea of how to portray an older version of Claire. My first question to Balfe following the press conference was a follow up to that. Caitriona Balfe also talked a little about changes in the relationships between characters in season three during our five-minute talk that included just a couple of other journalists.
Who were some of the actresses you watched in earlier and later films?
Caitriona Balfe: “Jane Fonda was one. Also, Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett. Actresses that I’d seen early films and you see sort of the youthfulness and then a couple of years later you see that they’re more in their own power, I thought anyway.”
How does having a grown daughter change the relationship dynamics?
Caitriona Balfe: “Well, the relationship between Claire and Frank looking at it in terms of Brianna (Sophie Skelton) in the center is quite an interesting one because what I loved about what the producers decided to do, and Diana (Gabaldon) did this as well, is really Frank becomes the primary caregiver. Their relationship is much closer and much more bonded than actually Claire and Brianna because I’ve always had secrets. Retaining secrets creates barriers. So, there’s a huge secret between Claire and Brianna and that’s why their relationship is quite strained. What I look forward to this season is when you see, as we know at the end of season two, Claire tells her the truth. So, you start to watch them rebuild that relationship and find a new honesty with each other.”
Returning her to the 20th century, how did that affect your performance due to getting to spend more time in that world?
Caitriona Balfe: “The thing that I wanted to try and work with, in terms of that going back, was that here’s somebody who’s left a huge part of themselves behind. And so that in a way there’s a certain repression or rigidity to Claire that we haven’t seen before. Losing the love of her life and shelving her sexuality to a certain way makes her…she focuses on work and her family, but it adds a slight brittleness to her.”
Can you talk about working with Tobias Menzies? You work with him as Frank, Claire’s husband, but also as the despicable Black Jack Randall. Does his performance surprise you?
Caitriona Balfe: “You know, I think it’s so interesting to watch him play Black Jack and to watch that darkness. You know, he and I after six didn’t have a huge amount – that was mainly Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Frank in season one. Their relationship was the stronger one. But Claire and Frank, I always love playing those scenes. I love working with Tobias. I think he brings such depth to his characters. You know Frank could be such a boring, stuffy old guy and he makes him charming and he makes him sweet. You feel for him. It’s heartbreaking that here’s a man who only wants to be loved by his wife and that’s something she’s not able to give him. It was really sad to see him head off this season.”
Was there quite a big separation of time that you and Sam Heughan were not working together?
Caitriona Balfe: “Not really because we had to pull up episode eight before we…we filmed one and three together and then two and eight. So, there was a couple of weeks where we didn’t see each other but we’d pass each other in the corridors. We’d do tag team of who gets to go on set and do the heavy lifting.”
Was there talk about maybe keeping you two apart for a long time so that it would maybe inhabit the performance?
Caitriona Balfe: “Well, I think initially of course the writers, the producers, and everyone would have preferred to film chronologically. But, it was due to another actor’s availability that we had to pull something off. So, you know, this is what happens in the land of TV.”
(And a timely question.) Have you ever been on a project where you knew a male co-star was making more than you and how would you feel about that?
Caitriona Balfe: “Not knowingly. I don’t know how I would handle that. I think now, obviously, I’m in a position where I feel very comfortable speaking up for myself, and I do so. Maybe in the beginning of my career I wouldn’t have felt as comfortable doing that. But I think it’s really great that that conversation is out there and that women now feel empowered that they can demand equal pay.”
Sam Heughan stars in ‘Outlander’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz’ Outlander cast members Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe, Tobias Menzies, Richard Rankin, and Sophie Skelton, as well as executive producers Maril Davis and Ronald D. Moore took part in the 2017 Television Critics Association summer press tour on July 28, 2017. The Outlander cast and crew have been busy promoting the upcoming third season of the series and were fresh off a trip to San Diego where they participated in the 2017 Comic Con in front of a packed crowd.
I was in the room for the TCA panel and jotted down their thoughts as they spoke about what fans of the series can expect from this much-anticipated new season of the romantic drama. Season three is set to premiere on September 10, 2017.
The emotional weight is so heavy in these episodes. Was it intentional or just where the story’s organically going?
Maril Davis: “It was just the journey of the characters. Obviously, Claire and Jamie have lost each other. It’s figuring out into his 20-year absence how they go on and move forward in light of this great loss.”
Ronald D. Moore: “It was the nature of the book, so we translated that to the story on screen. You’re traveling through 20 years of their lives apart. It’s a considerable amount of time to cover so you focus on the heaviest and most impactful moments as you move through that chronology.”
Tobias, you’ve had what seem like difficult scenes, in particular that monologue. How do you approach those scenes?
Tobias Menzies: “You’re talking about the Black Jack stuff where he talks about his sadism, yeah. It’s a weird headspace to try to get into but that’s what’s interesting about acting. You get to explore and think and maybe say and do things you’re not supposed to do in real life, which is good. It’s certainly why I like acting, why I get into it. I relish the opportunities to explore the darker side of things. Obviously, the opportunities for that in this show have been quite extensive. It’s the exploration of a sadist. He’s interested in other people’s pain barriers. That’s interesting territory to explore.”
Ron, will we meet any other Randalls who look like Tobias?
Ronald D. Moore: “The Randall family tree is very broad. (Joking) There’s no plans for that. Tobias has been such a key part of the show from the very beginning. It’s very difficult to imagine he’s not a part of the family moving forward. Never say never, various flashbacks and we do have a time travel show. Various possibilities, but nothing planned.”
Maril Davis: “He might come back as a female member of the Randall family.”
Caitriona Balfe: “Daisy Randall.”
How do you approach his death?
Tobias Menzies: “It’s a difficult storyline to tie up. Where do you go after especially the stuff towards the end of season one. They meet on the battlefield at Culloden. Almost in flashback it’s Jamie’s hallucination as he remembers fragments of this encounter. Jack is buried in there. It’s a nonverbal tying up of the story. As always with their stuff, we try to look for an unusual angle so it’s not such a straightforward fight. There’s something odd going on with them. It’s a strange part fight/part dance/part embrace, and I feel a fitting end to this quasi-love affair.”
Richard and Sophie, how does it feel to get cast where just appearing makes you a sex symbol?
Sophie Skelton: “I think we both read the books beforehand so we knew what was to come with those characters. Bri and Roger have a different type of relationship. They’re geeky and have an awkward stumble of a relationship. I wouldn’t say they’re the sexiest. I think their relationship’s very different. Claire and Jamie are strong characters. That strength and stubbornness brings them together and you see that love grow through time.”
Richard Rankin: “It’s not something I think about. It’s just adding a new dynamic, a new relationship. I don’t think it was particularly sexually objectified. I’ve not felt that.”
Sophie Skelton: “It’s still a deep relationship but it is that beautiful awkwardness of a relationship. It is a very female fan base too, so if there needs to be a sex symbol, it’s this one.”
Richard Rankin: “I’ll take one for the team.”
Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies in ‘Outlander’ season 3 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
Were you attracted to the show that appeals to men and women?
Caitriona Balfe: “One thing we’ve always said about our show is the female character of Claire is at the center, but it’s not just her. It’s the fully formed characters of Jamie and Frank and Black Jack as well. Where some shows maybe you have the central male character and surrounding him are two-dimensional female characters. What you get is a balanced look at relationships. I think that’s why so many people relate to it. It’s giving you a realized version of people.”
Did you all read the books prior?
Maril Davis: “I obviously have read all the books, but I’m not cast. I’d be curious.”
Caitriona Balfe: “I’ve read every book that we’ve filmed. I read book 1 before we filmed season 1, same season 2 and 3. I’m currently halfway through four. I like to have read it. It gives you an overview where your characters’ going to go. Obviously once in production, the script is your guide.”
Tobias Menzies: “I’ve read 1.5 books.”
Sophie Skelton: “I read the books when the first casting came through, up to 4. Just because I wanted to get a good sense of Bri, I wanted to slowly seep into the story so you don’t have so much material to work with. You don’t want to read too far because characters change. You don’t want to subconsciously interpret who they become. You want their personality that seep in throughout the books, but you don’t want to play who they are down the line too soon.”
Richard Rankin: “I’ve read through book five much for the same reason. We came later on in season 2, at the end of season 2. We really only had that episode to base our character on. It’s not an awful lot to go on. So I read just to get an idea of Roger, what the fans’ perception of Roger would be. Although I think it’s important to have an awareness for that, it’s also important I bring myself to the part. I find what’s true for me so I can portray that on screen. I tend not to take too much from it.”
Ronald D. Moore: “I’m waiting for the graphic novel. It’s easier with pictures.”
Can you talk about handling the leads being apart 20 years and working in two different worlds?
Ronald D. Moore: “As always, we take our cues from the books first. The book laid out this episodic story of Jamie to begin with. You had five chapters of his life, the battle of Culloden to Lallybroch, to prison to ending up in a print shop. It was clear that’s five episodes right there. We needed to construct a parallel story for Claire. The most interesting thing was her relationship with Frank, dissolution of that marriage… We never varied from that. It felt like the right amount of time. It was enough to build a desire in the audience to want to get Jamie and Claire back together, but it wasn’t dragging it out too long. It’s two decades. To do that justice, you had to give it some time and some space.”
Maril Davis: “From a production perspective, it was difficult. We saw Claire in the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s and we don’t shoot linear. There was constant going back and forth in hair style, costume styles. Same with Jamie, he progressed. It was difficult for that season. It’s nice to be in a place where we’re all in the same time zone.”
Voyager is the longest book. How far down the road of splitting the season did you go?
Ronald D. Moore: “We didn’t go too far down that road. We did talk about that before we approached the season. Just in terms of page count it’s the biggest. Once we put the cards up on the board and you saw there’s five episodes right here just in the Jamie story and the reunion of the two characters, now you’re almost halfway through the season. That felt like the right pace. The second half with the sea voyage, story in Jamaica and ending up in the new world, when you boiled it down you realized we could tell this in one season. I don’t think we were tempted to stretch it beyond that. Sometimes just sheer page count in the novel doesn’t translate to pages on screen. …You just never know. Each season we approach with fresh eyes. We’re not bound to do a season a book. We haven’t said we’d combine them or tear them apart.”
Sam, you barely move in episode one. How hard is that?
Sam Heughan: “I think that’s fair enough, yes. The first episode was something we were all looking forward to shooting. The battle of Culloden was something not only the crew and Highlanders were anticipating, it’s a real important part of our history. I think it was a great start to the season. Certainly, Jamie does suffer horrendously. Brendan our director was great and really worked through the journey of Jamie and his loss, coming to terms with having lost Claire and not expecting to survive the battle.”
Can you discuss filming on the ships in South Africa?
Maril Davis: “Scotland can pass as a lot of places but Jamaica is not one of those places. It was necessary to find the right place. With Black Sails having gone down for the moment, it was the perfect time for us to go in. They have such an amazing facility including these ships. John Gary Steele our production designer was able to redesign the ships for our purposes. For the actors to be on real ships so it has the experience of realism, until you’re on there for quite a bit and it gets quite small and the space is quite type. We have gimble sets which move. I got seasick myself. To come out of Scotland and change the entire look of our show adds a whole new dimension to the show.”
Are you planning 8 seasons and out or pass the books like Game of Thrones?
Ronald D. Moore: “I cannot imagine a scenario where we catch up with Diana Gabaldon. She will tell us what the end of the story is.”
Maril Davis: “As long as Starz will have us, we’ll keep doing the show.”
Sam and Caitriona, can you describe working on the ships?
Sam Heughan: “I think we really relished being on these boats. They’re on wheels. You’re in the middle of a plane, a desert but when you get on board those ships, they really transport you somewhere else. With all the sails going in the wind, we had a crew of trained sailors who did the rigging, it really transported you somewhere else. That’s what Voyager does. We also had a gimble on a lot of these boats. I got seasick and Caitriona maybe did as well.”
Caitriona Balfe: “We had one particular sequence of scenes where we were inside the set that’s on a gimble inside the studio. It was about 35, 36 degrees. We had some fake vomit that needed to be made but someone made a decision to make it with milk. It was made on a Friday. We filmed on Monday so it smelt a lot like real vomit. You’re inside indoors, the floor’s going like this and the smell was rather pungent. It was challenging. No acting required.”
Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies in ‘Outlander’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Television)
Reading one book at a time, did anything make you say, “Oh crap, I never saw that coming?”
Caitriona Balfe: “I think anyone who’s read Diana’s books will say, ‘Oh crap, I never saw that coming.’ It’s just a sequence of twists and turns. I think that’s the great thing about this series of books and the great thing about our show. I’m sure this is the reason Ron and Maril were so hungry to make it. You’re constantly being kept on your toes. Who would’ve thought we’d end up on ships and in Jamaica this season? The great thing about being a time traveling fantasy is the story can go anywhere and frequently does.”
We only see Frank with Claire. Did you imagine what Frank did on his own?
Tobias Menzies: “Yes, you always do that kind of background work, build up the world that you’re inhabiting. A lot of that is done by the sets and the scripts that you have. I would do some work about his work life which we don’t see, colleagues. But the heart of it is this relationship and that was very brilliantly realized in the sequence of scenes we got to play as they continue to tear each other apart.”
Sam, what is your favorite part of playing Jamie?
Sam Heughan: “I think we’re very lucky. As we said, Diana Gabaldon’s created this remarkable world. What makes our show different is it’s constantly moving, constantly changing. It’s not all set in one studio. Not only every season but every episode is surprising. We go somewhere else. This season feels very strong. Each episode has its own individual feeling to it. The characters grow up and change but Jamie’s a lot of fun to play. He is the other side of Claire and they’re a great team together. I’m enjoying growing up with him over the last four years. We’ll see how much longer and further he can go. Keep writing, Diana.”
Caitriona Balfe: “The great gift of doing a series like this is you’re given time to really get to know your character and explore different elements. Being able to create this woman over a certain period of time is really interesting. Especially because of her lost of love to Jamie has shelved a certain side of herself. How does that experience wear on somebody? How does that change how they interact with people in their lives, everything? I loved being able to play that and going forward, when she gets reunited with her love, how do you unravel all that? How do you break down the walls someone’s built around their heart? I don’t know that you get to do that over an extended period of time in many projects.”
How difficult was it playing 20 years older than you are?
Caitriona Balfe: “Yes, I’m going to say Claire is 20 years older than I actually am. I think we all approach this from a place of how does experience and how does time change you? On a certain way, last year, the end of season two, I had to start doing a lot of that work. I watched certain actresses, so I watched an early film and a later film. People don’t change that much but certain things change about them and how they carry themselves. The older they get, a lot of time there’s just a certain gravitas or a certain authority people gain through the fact they’re more comfortable with themselves or they know themselves better. For Claire, I thought someone who’s become a surgeon and all that responsibility, getting to that place professionally would add to this authority to her. That was one of the things I wanted to play with, rather than crow’s feet or a monobrow. We thought about it.”
