Matt Damon as Gardner and Julianne Moore as Margaret in ‘Suburbicon’ from Paramount Pictures and Black Bear Pictures.
There was very little buzz surrounding the theatrical release of Suburbicon directed by George Clooney from a script by Clooney, Grant Heslov, Joel Coen, and Ethan Coen. And, apparently, moviegoers weren’t in the least bit interested in sitting through the R-rated crime drama starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore. Of those who did pay for a ticket and were surveyed by CinemaScore, the film earned a disastrous D- rating. Critics were in agreement, awarding the film a rotten score of 27%. Peter Travers from Rolling Stone said the film feels tonally at war with itself, while Rafer Guzman from Newsday called it “a misguided mix of nasty comedy and civil rights drama.”
Topping the October 27-29, 2017 box office weekend was the return of the Saw horror franchise. Jigsaw, the eight film in the series, pulled in $16 million which is about what it was expected to do. However, it will only have a one-week run at the top of the box office chart as the much-anticipated Thor: Ragnarok opens in theaters on Friday, November 3, 2017.
Thor: Ragnarok is the third solo Thor film and leading up to its wide release, Rotten Tomatoes has it sitting at 96% fresh with 102 positive reviews and only four negative reviews. The first Thor opened in theaters in 2011 and earned a 77% fresh rating. Thor: The Dark World followed in 2013 and was less enthusiastically received, scoring only a 66% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Suburbicon Plot: Suburbicon is a peaceful, idyllic suburban community with affordable homes and manicured lawns…the perfect place to raise a family, and in the summer of 1959, the Lodge family is doing just that. But the tranquil surface masks a disturbing reality, as husband and father Gardner Lodge (Matt Damon) must navigate the town’s dark underbelly of betrayal, deceit, and violence. This is a tale of very flawed people making very bad choices. This is Suburbicon.
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in ‘The Walking Dead’ season 8 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC)
A closeup of Rick’s face kicks off AMC’s The Walking Dead season eight episode two. Rick’s close-up is followed by one of Daryl’s face, blending into Ezekiel, Carol, Jesus, Tara, Morgan, and Aaron. On the other side of the battle, weapons are being readied as members of the Saviors prepare to take on what they assume is a small group of rebels. Mara, the group’s leader, calls over the walkie to those on patrol but only Todd responds. She orders them to lock the stairwell just as the combined Alexandria, Hilltop, and Kingdom group arrive in armored vehicles spraying bullets everywhere.
On another battlefront, walkers move slowly in between two fences, forming a zombie moat. Tara (Alanna Masterson), Jesus (Tom Payne), Morgan (Lennie James), and Dianne (Kerry Cahill) prepare to take down the guards, but they know the guards can’t see them first and fire their guns or they’ll never make it in. Morgan’s ready to do this, declaring he doesn’t need help because he doesn’t die.
Back with Ezekiel’s group, the grenade has knocked his people (including Carol) down as walkers approach. Ezekiel (Khary Payton) gets to his feet, drawing his sword as dozens of walkers appear. The remainder of the group work on taking out as many as possible, some using guns, others knives and axes. The Savior who launched the grenade vanished and they need to find him before he can tell the others they’re there. Ezekiel tells Carol (Melissa McBride) to trust him, believing they will find the guy. He instructs his men on what to do next which includes the release of Shiva to find the missing Savior. Ezekiel is more certain than ever they’ll be victorious.
Back at the gunfight, our heroes seem to be getting the upper hand.
Elsewhere, Daryl (Norman Reedus), Rick (Andrew Lincoln), and a few other men enter the complex, taking out two guards. Their mission: find the guns.
Once more to the gunfight and the Saviors are pinned down, but now it appears neither side has an advantage in the gun battle.
Back with Morgan, he’s distracting all the walkers as two guards approach. Dianne takes them out with arrows before they can get off a shot.
Tara, Jesus, Morgan, and Dianne enter the complex and kill a couple of Saviors. They signal for more men to follow once the coast is clear. Everyone moves as quickly and quietly as possible. (The guards and first few Saviors were shot with silencers.)
Rick uses a map provided by Dwight as he and Daryl figure out the weapons must be upstairs.
The shoot-out continues and a few Saviors are killed. Mara thinks the Alexandrians, Hilltoppers, and Kingdom team are too chicken to take them out so she orders her group to try and push them back. However, our heroes know they have to keep the Saviors pinned down and keep firing.
Morgan, Jesus, and Tara give the signal to start the attack inside the compound. They take out Saviors and advance throughout the building. Unfortunately, Morgan and two of the men are outnumbered and get shot.
Daryl and Rick make it to the top floor and still haven’t found the guns. They can’t let the guns make it to the Sanctuary or they’ll lose this battle. Daryl and Rick opt to split up to continue their search.
Tara and Jesus team up and find a Savior who’s pissed his pants. His name is Dean, but Tara doesn’t care that he has his hands up. Jesus stops her from shooting him since he’s surrendered. Tara then joins with Dianne’s nearby group that’s just steps away, and she learns Morgan’s group is missing. Dianne and her team take on a group of Saviors who are firing on them, sending Tara back to help Jesus.
At this point, Tara’s more than ready to kill Dean. He swears he’s not one of them and he’s just a worker. Jesus says they’re not going to shoot someone with their hands up, and then Tara finds Maggie’s prenatal vitamins. Jesus tries to remind Tara it’s not about revenge, and then Dean suddenly disarms Jesus and takes him hostage.
Dean puts a gun to Jesus’ head, joking how hard it is to piss yourself on purpose. He’s a total assh*le and squishes Maggie’s vitamins, just because he can. Dean’s decided his only way out is to take Tara and Jesus with him as hostages. Tara’s having none of this and is ready to shoot, refusing to put down her gun. Dean says they can work this out, turning into a wimp once again. Jesus is able to disarm him and drops Dean to the floor. Jesus doesn’t pull the trigger and instead knocks Dean out and ties him up. Tara’s furious Dean gets to live when Abraham, Glenn, and Denise died.
Diane calls for Jesus and Tara, letting them know the Saviors are falling back. Jesus indicates he knows another way out of the building.
Morgan’s on the floor with the two other men, but he’s not dead. The others are, but Morgan stands, unhurt, ready to get back into the fight.
The gunfight continues and lots of bullets are exchanged. The plan crystallizes as enough Saviors have died to make it unnecessary for the Alexandrians to move in. They just need to be patient and wait for the dead Saviors to turn.
Khary Payton as Ezekiel in ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo by Gene Page / AMC)
Ezekiel and his group search the forest for the grenade-throwing Savior. They’re heading toward the Saviors’ compound and Carol’s worried the man made it back which would mean the Saviors will be ready for them. Carol’s amazed Ezekiel can still smile, and he says it’s both his lot in life and his way to feel this way. “Fake it till you make it, baby,” says Ezekiel softly. He tells Carols he smiles because he will not fantasize about failures on this day.
They spot some blood and learn the Savior has been hit. That means he’s probably moving slowly.
Daryl bangs open a door and then quietly closes it. He moves slowly through a bunch of cubicles until he reaches a closet with food and empty handcuffs. Rick’s also moving slowly throughout the top floor, assault weapon with a silencer ready to shoot if necessary.
Unfortunately, Rick doesn’t have a chance to fire when he’s attacked by a Savior. It’s a vicious hand-to-hand fight and Rick finally gets the man in a chokehold. The Savior chokes out that there aren’t any guns, but Rick doesn’t let go. He finally throws him through a piece of metal on the wall, impaling him.
Morgan stalks through the building shooting anyone in his path. He remembers a talk with Rick in which they discussed how to handle their enemies.
Outside the complex, Jesus, Tara, Dianne, and a large group prepare to take on more Saviors. They aren’t going to fire unless fired on, and at first, just one Savior opens the door and drops his weapon when they command him to. Others come out from hiding behind him. They don’t drop their weapons immediately and Tara is ready to shoot, once again against Jesus’ wishes. They finally do drop their weapons and step forward, surrendering.
Morgan continues his way through the building, shooting everyone. He’s like the Terminator on steroids. He finally makes his way outside and sees his people holding guns on the newly disarmed Saviors. He remembers Rick saying they can’t leave the Saviors alive and is about to take out one when Jesus tells him to lower his weapon. Morgan wants to kill them, but Jesus says they surrendered. Morgan wonders what it is they do if they don’t kill the Saviors.
Rick grabs the keys from the impaled Savior and finds a room decorated like a nursery with a baby in a cradle. Her name is Gracie and she slept through the fight. Rick is devastated by this discovery and is overcome with emotions. He looks at himself, now covered with blood, in a mirror and shakes his head.
Carol and Ezekiel’s group continue their hunt in the woods, spotting more blood on leaves. They move carefully through the forest until Ezekiel spots the wounded Savior up ahead. Carol’s about to shoot but Shiva does the job of killing the Savior. The rest of Ezekiel’s group also arrive to form a large party.
The gun battle is turning against the Alexandrians and Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) is shot, even though Aaron (Ross Marquand) did everything possible to get to him.
Ezekiel pets Shiva as he addresses the group. He’s sure about their victory, even though the walkie-talkie indicates the Saviors know they’re coming. He will not retreat, raising his sword and laughing. Carol smiles.
Rick makes his way through the rooms again and while he’s looking at a photo, a man approaches and tells him to put his gun down. It’s Morales (from season one) and Rick remembers him from Atlanta. Morales continues to hold Rick at gunpoint and says he’s called the Saviors back and they’re on their way.
The episode ends with more close-ups of Daryl, Aaron, Morgan, Jesus, Tara, Ezekiel, and Carol, followed by a last scene of a bloodied Rick. The sound of a gun cocking ends the episode.
Caitriona Balfe in ‘Outlander’ season 3 episode 7 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
What a rather scorching episode we had with Starz’s Outlander season three episode seven, figuratively and literally. So much about this episode is not directly in line with the book’s events that I will not belabor the point. The end results are the same – don’t worry, book fans. You just get there in a bit of a different way. This episode moves quickly so try to keep up if you can. Your head might spin a bit, but hold on tight.
We pick back up with Claire (Caitriona Balfe) in danger. The man who was turning over Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) room was attacking her when we left the show last week. Our Sassenach is no woman to go down without a fight, so naturally she gets in a few slashes with a knife. Through the course of events, the man trips and smashes his head on the hearth in Jamie’s room.
Jamie comes in just after the man knocks himself cold. Claire starts doing what she does – she is a doctor, remember – and Jamie tries to talk her out of trying to help the man. Claire wasn’t one to let a person suffer without trying to help them before she became a doctor, she certainly is even more resolved in that belief now that she’s taken the Hippocratic Oath. Jamie remarks on her stubbornness, that she has not changed in that respect either…{giggle-snort}. Everyone jumps to and starts handling things once Jamie discovers the man is working for the Crown. Madame Jeanne (Cyrielle Debreuil) and Fergus (Cesar Domboy) start attending to orders as Jamie and Claire shout them out.
Claire asks for that horrible drill that gives me the full-body shivers in the opening title cards during the “Skye Boat” intro. Jamie sends Fergus out to gather his men so they can move the smuggled liquor from the brothel basement.
Claire gets dressed and visits the apothecary for supplies to treat the intruder. Jamie sends up Yi Tien Chow, a.k.a. Mr. Willoughby (Gary Young), to help Claire with the man. The men down in the basement are commenting on Claire’s desire to save the man’s life while they’re moving the large barrels of liquor.
Claire finds another patient while she’s purchasing herbs at the apothecary, no surprise there. She is a magnet for people needing help.
Young Ian (John Bell) and Fergus are hard at work trying to sell the barrels of liquor before Lord Percival (Paul Brightwell) and the rest of his men find them. Ian is rather like his uncle when it comes to talking people into what he wants. Ian asks Fergus about Claire, and Fergus tells him about her fearless behavior to treat people during the rising.
Claire returns to the room and sees Jamie and Willoughby trying to hold the intruder down on the bed. He woke and started making racket that would draw attention. Claire pulls out the Laudanum and doses the man back to sleep. Just as the man gets still again, Madame Jeanne knocks at the door to inform Jamie that Lord Percival is downstairs.
Claire continues to treat the man upstairs, with Willoughby watching. Very delicate ‘dancing’ is going on both in the attic and in the basement. OMG the grinding of that horrible drill into the man’s skull… nails on a chalkboard. {blah} Lord Percival is walking through the basement but finds nothing. As always, Jamie is a few steps ahead.
Jamie goes back upstairs to find the man died anyway, despite Claire releasing the brain clot. Jamie doesn’t understand how Claire feels when she loses a patient. The man was a bad man, but doctors don’t judge their patients; they just treat them. She’s not used to losing patients so she’s visibly upset.
Claire then remarks how she has caused him a great deal of trouble since she dropped in out of nowhere. Jamie says he’s grateful she has returned, no matter the cost. They share a look that conveys love without saying the words. Claire breaks the gaze and informs Jamie she has a patient to go see. Jamie is rather shocked by this and warns her that it could be dangerous. Claire informs Jamie that no one in town knows her, so there is no danger. Jamie stops her for a quick second to say with begging eyes, “You will return, won’t ye?” I think he was more concerned with her maybe not coming back than anything else.
John Bell (Young Ian Murray) and Cesar Domboy (Fergus) in ‘Outlander’ (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
Young Ian and Fergus are celebrating in a tavern and Fergus works to get Ian into a woman’s bed. Fergus waves to a barmaid who Ian has cut eyes at, apparently many times. Ian talks her into taking a drink with him. In the back of the room, watching all this activity is a man who works for Lord Percival.
Claire checks in on Mr. Campbell (Mark Hadfield) and his sister. Claire diagnoses her with a mental disorder and instructs Mr. Campbell on how to treat her. He informs Claire they’re leaving for the West Indies the next day. Claire bids them safe travels and instructs him on some herbal teas instead of using Laudanum to treat his sister.
Ian takes the barmaid to the back room of the print shop, where he stays. He’s serenading her very poorly (couldn’t carry a note in a washtub), yet the barmaid is still enticed by the effort and instructs Young Ian in his first time at lovemaking.
Claire returns to Jamie’s room in the attic of the brothel. Claire asks what Jamie did with the body of the man who died and he reveals they put him in a barrel of Crème De Menthe since most Scotsmen don’t drink the stuff. Claire suggests they find another home other than in the brothel. Jamie said he sends almost everything he makes to Lallybroch and his room in the brothel is free. Claire suggests she can open an establishment to earn money for them to live somewhere else.
Just then there’s a knock at the door letting Jamie know that Ian (Steven Cree) has shown up looking for his son. Ian has gone grey and lost a bit of weight since Claire last saw him. He’s shocked to see Claire because everyone was under the impression she was dead. They explain she went to Boston, leaving out that pesky trip through the stones part, and that she only just realized Jamie hadn’t died at Culloden. Ian is visibly shaken by the experience but happy to see her.
Jamie lies to Ian when he asks about young Ian’s whereabouts. As Ian walks out with Jamie, Ian assumes Claire took Jamie’s ‘news’ well. Jamie informs Ian that he hasn’t told Claire yet. It’s the same topic that Fergus asked about in the previous episode. You’ll find out in the next episode what all the secrecy is about, and it is NOT good.
Ian and the barmaid are right in the middle of ‘business’ when they hear a crash. The man who works for Lord Percival is looking for the liquor. As he and Ian struggle, they knock up against a cabinet and the man finds the sedition pamphlets that could put Jamie’s neck in a noose. Through the course of events, the print shop starts burning. Ian backs into the back room where there’s no door out of the building and he’s trapped. Lord Percival’s man manages to escape out the back door.
Claire glares at Jamie when he returns upstairs to the room. Jamie makes a joke and says he knows the meaning of that look, even after 20 years have passed. Jamie explains how he’s tried to send young Ian home but he keeps returning. Claire’s angry that he lied to Ian about it. They get into the inevitable back and forth about the various lies that have been told, even going back to their time in France. Claire points out that Jamie shouldn’t be making the decisions for young Ian since he’s not his father. Jamie shoots back that he knows he is not young Ian’s father, he is Brianna’s (Sophie Skelton) father but did not get a say in her upbringing. Frank was given that right. And so, the conversation turns. Jamie asks if Claire loved Frank when she returned to him. Claire tries to assure Jamie that Frank was a good father to Bree and that Claire was not in love with Frank after she returned.
A knock at the door informs Jamie there’s a fire on the street where his printshop is located. Little do they know at this point that it IS the printshop that’s on fire. Jamie and Claire get there to see the shop in flames. Jamie goes in because he knows that young Ian sleeps in the back of the shop. Jamie finds young Ian laying in the back room almost passed out from the smoke. Jamie jumps over the side of the upstairs railing to get down to where Ian is. The stairs are engulfed so Jamie has to move his printing press over to use as a ladder to get them both out.
Jamie grabs his picture of his son and young Ian. He manages to get out with young Ian on his shoulders. The printshop is starting to collapse behind Jamie as he’s coming out.
Once Ian can stop coughing, he tells Jamie about the man who took the pamphlet. They decide to take young Ian home to Lallybroch. Fergus asks Jamie in a side conversation if Claire knows about Jamie’s other wife yet. DO WHAT?!! Like I said, book readers know of this, there you go show viewers. Just take a wild guess at who it might be. Prepare yourself for a shock next week. Be sure to have your whisky ready for this one, folks!
Elijah Wood, Jade Eshete, Samuel Barnett, Tyler Labine and Izzie Steele in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ season 2 episode 3 (Photo by Ed Araquel)
Once again, the action in Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency season two begins in the land of Wendimoor. Season two episode three kicks off with Jeppum Trost (David Allen Pearson) furious because the Dengdamors have burned his fields and kidnapped/likely killed his son, Panto. Panto’s sister, Litzibitz (Anja Savcic), attempts to convince her father that Panto’s on a mission to fulfill the prophecy. She claims the Dengdamors are only behaving this way because of the missing boy. Jeppum Trost is enraged that his daughter would bring up the subject of the missing boy when her brother is probably dead.
A weapon is delivered to Jeppum, courtesy of The Mage. It’s a rifle and he fires it into the air while shouting, “Death to the Dengdamors!”
We zoom out of the fantasy world and into the jail cells where Dirk (Samuel Barnett), Todd (Elijah Wood), and Farah (Jade Eshete) are sleeping. Deputy Tina Tevetino (Izzie Steele) wakes them up, mostly because she’s bored. Dirk requests some clothes and he’s stunned when she offers up old police uniforms or old hippie rock star clothes that are in storage.
Dirk looks snazzy in the ‘60s attire while Todd and Farah opt for old police uniforms. Todd gets all flirty, acting like he’s ready to arrest Farah but the mood is spoiled when he overdoes his explanations.
Todd and Farah join Sheriff Sherlock Hobbs (Tyler Labine) in chiseling the tree with the dead body which they’ve brought into the station. Dirk doesn’t want to join them, something Todd finds unusual. No way should Dirk not want to poke a dead old tree man. Farah examines the parts of the body that are exposed and declares it a murder. He was dead when he was inserted into the tree.
Elsewhere, Vogel (Osric Chau) drives a stolen car and Amanda (Hannah Marks) thinks maybe they need to keep a lower profile, suggesting he refrains from smashing up things. She spots a scarecrow in a field and flashes back to her most recent vision.
Unbeknownst to Amanda and Vogel, Mr. Priest (Alan Tudyk) and his Blackwing men are hot on their tail.
Back to the tree man, the gang’s certain this body is Hector Cardenas’. Todd wonders if whatever put him in the tree, put the car up in the tree too. Dirk finally joins the conversation, asking if maybe this was all an accident. They had a fight, Hector went into the tree, and Marina flew her car up into the sky. Everyone looks at Dirk as if he’s grown two heads.
The flying car discussion is interrupted by someone banging on a bell in the police station’s lobby. Turns out it’s Bart (Fiona Dourif) and when Dirk sees her, he squeals, turns away suddenly, hits himself in the head with a pole, and knocks himself out. Bart wants to report a crime.
Over at Blackwing, Hugo Friedkin (Dustin Milligan) is still pissed that none of the cool subjects are exhibiting any powers. All the info is on old discs that don’t work with new computers, and Friedkin thinks maybe Ken (Mpho Koaho) can decrypt the discs. Friedkin doesn’t want to ask his supervisors because then they’d learn he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Ken says he might be able to do it with the right equipment, and Friedkin reveals the discs have all the info on the subjects who used to be housed at Blackwing. Ken will do it if he can get out of the taxi.
Sheriff Hobbs locks up Bart because she’s raving about a person attacking her with shapes. She assures everyone it’s useless to lock her up because the door will open when it needs to. She then asks if they know Ken and is astounded to learn there’s more than one Ken.
Farah asks her a question, but Bart refuses to answer. She will, however, tell Todd and Sherlock what’s going on. Bart says she killed some people and then there was a woman screaming and crying. After Bart told her she wouldn’t kill her, the woman shot shapes into the air, and Bart was sent down into a big hole. Bart has no idea why a woman she wasn’t trying to kill would attack her, and Dirk reminds her she tried to kill him twice. Bart says it’s actually three times because she’s not killing him now. She thinks they’re almost BFFs.
Sherlock asks about the people she killed, and Bart confesses she only kills some people. She describes the woman who attacked her, saying she had yellow hair and a limp. Sherlock pulls Todd and Dirk aside and tells them that sounds like Suzie Boreton. He explains Suzie’s married to Bob and Bob manages the motel. Todd recalls the name Cardenas was on the hotel, and Sherlock confirms they owned it in the ‘60s. Sherlock’s excited about this turn of events because it means everything is connected!
The new and improved Suzie (Amanda Walsh) shocks her fellow book club members with her new looks and new attitude.
Sheriff Hobbs, Dirk, and Todd pay a visit to the Boreton house, but when Sherlock and Todd knock on the front door no one answers. Sherlock’s immediately concerned because the dog should be barking.
Meanwhile, Dirk heads around to the side of the Boreton house where he finds the zombie-like Bob. Dirk doesn’t stop talking but nothing registers anyway with Bob. Bob pulls a shotgun on Dirk and Todd, thankfully, is in time to save him. He then points the weapon at Sherlock and Todd once again saves the day by knocking out Bob.
Mr. Priest calls in and asks Friedkin if he can kill Incubus #4. He thinks there should only be three members of the Incubus project anyway, plus he wants to kill Amanda too. Friedkin says Amanda can control the Incubus members so she’s too valuable to kill. Mr. Priest isn’t convinced and will see how it goes.
Farah and Tina are left with the tree man and try to figure out how he and his wife died. Tina’s more interested in Farah’s relationships with Todd and Dirk. Tina thinks Farah is sad, and maybe that’s because of how things are going with either Todd or Dirk. The relationship talk is put on hold, along with the talk of whether Dirk is straight or gay, when Scott Boreton calls in from an emergency roadside phone reporting he hit someone. He doesn’t say his name, but Tina recognizes his voice.
Sheriff Hobbs, Todd, and Dirk tend to Bob, giving him some Percocet. Sherlock wants Bob to just sleep it off, but Todd’s flabbergasted Bob’s not getting arrested after pulling a gun on them. Dirk is uncharacteristically upset that Sherlock isn’t acknowledging all the bizarre things going wrong in his town over a period of three days. He storms out of the room and Todd apologizes for him.
Tina and Farah head out to check out the hit and run, which means Bart’s alone at the station. After Tina radios Sherlock about the situation, he quickly heads back to check on Bart.
Tina and Farah arrive at mile marker 127 and find tire tracks and a little blood, but no body. Farah recognizes the nearby shoeprints as the same that led out of the Cardenas house.
Suzie’s book club is enjoying wine and talking about TV. Suzie’s bored with the whole thing and can’t believe her group hasn’t said anything about her new looks. They think it’s bizarre she’s there and remind her she’s not allowed to come to book club anymore. They’re also worried she’s having a psychiatric breakdown.
Suzie says they’ve never cared about her and have always made fun of her family. Suzie also assures them she’s trying and claims she’s the nice one. The truth comes out about Suzie’s bitchy ways and that she screwed one of the women’s boyfriends and spread gossip about another woman’s husband. Plus, that accident that keeps being brought up…it turns out Suzie was high on Xanax and driving the carpool with kids when she crashed. Suzie never apologized after getting in the crash with their kids four years ago. When one of the women says Suzie’s not a hero, she’s one of the bad guys, Suzie whips out her wand and casts a spell.
Panto Trost (Christopher Russell) in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ (Photo by Katie Yu)
Farah and Tina follow the footprints down the road and eventually find Panto (Christopher Russell). He’s injured but well enough to threaten them with a large pair of scissors (think ceremonial scissors for ribbon cuttings) and demands to know why they’re following him. Tina and Farah instruct him to put down the scissors and he does, but it’s merely a distraction. He attacks and Farah takes him out, with Tina cheering her on.
Sherlock, Todd, and Dirk arrive back at the station and now Bart has the bell from the lobby in her cell and she’s banging on it.
While Sherlock talks to Bart, Todd asks Dirk why he’s being so weird. Todd wonders why Dirk isn’t excited about being on a new case, and Dirk responds by asking why Todd has Pararibulitis.
Bart pounds on the bell and says she’ll give it up if they find the lady.
Suzie arrives back home where her son is pissed there’s nothing to eat. Plus, he can’t find the dog and his dad looks like he’s hurt his head. Scott asks for his phone back, and Suzie has a flashback to The Mage attacking her boss after her boss took away her phone. She realizes Scott’s phone is with her boss’s dead body.
Vogel and Amanda finally make it to Bergsberg. Amanda knows this place is important and that they have to go to room 18 in the motel. In the room, she finds a black bag and in the bag is a bottle of pills with her name on it. The bag also has Todd’s clothes and as she’s looking at them, the Rowdy 3 van can be seen (and heard) coming down the road.
Unfortunately, it’s not the real Rowdy 3 van and instead of their friends, Mr. Priest exits the van along with the Blackwing men. Vogel immediately recognizes Mr. Priest and panics before he and Amanda return to room 18.
Back at the station, Todd tells a depressed Dirk they can talk if he wants. Todd wants to know why Dirk asked about Pararibulitis, and Dirk reveals that he thought he’d get out of Blackwing, get back together with Todd and Farah, and they’d all solve mysteries. It would all be better, calmer. But now he knows nothing is better or calmer. Todd says it’s not predestined, and fate and chance don’t cancel each other out. He reminds Dirk he can’t let the universe push him around. Todd does a lousy imitation of Dirk and says, “Take control of your life, Dirk.”
Suzie rushes back to her office and finds the phone is still with her dead boss’ body in the trunk of the car. However, The Mage is also at the office and so Suzie’s forced to hide. He’s looking for his wand and wants it back, using his power to try and pull it out of Suzie’s hands. She grasps the wand firmly and then races to her car, zooming away.
Sheriff Hobbs, Tina, Farah, Dirk, and Todd listen to Panto who’s locked up in a cell. He introduces himself as Lord Prince Panto Trost from Wendimoor. He explains he entered our world through the pool of the empty throne. Even Bart pays attention in her nearby cell as Panto says, “Once the great dark wizard found his apprentice, no one in Wendimoor could defeat him, and his army would come like a tide.” Panto explains he’s trying to save Wendimoor by uniting foes, retrieving the great weapon, and adds, “She Who Sees All opens a door into a dream allowing through a man who with him would bring the boy who would save our world.”
Dirk has a checklist of questions he needs answered: who is the dark wizard, who is his apprentice, who are the foes, who is “she,” what is the dream, who is the man, what is the great weapon, and most importantly, who is the boy?
Panto can’t answer any of the questions, except one. He reveals the man who could save his world is named Dirk Gently. Dirk smiles as the rest of his group looks astonished at this turn of events.
Bart pipes up, “Do you know Ken?”
Mr. Priest and the Blackwing men assemble in front of the hotel. Inside room 18, Amanda and Vogel listen as Mr. Priest asks them about their big plan. Mr. Priest says this could have a happy ending since he has the rest of Project Incubus, and Vogel asks Amanda what they should do. She doesn’t know, but she does know this isn’t how this ends. She’s supposed to do something and she knows Mr. Priest isn’t telling them the truth. Vogel cries, thinking maybe Mr. Priest is telling the truth. Amanda begs him not to go outside, saying he’s her only friend.
Mr. Priest heaves a smoke bomb into the room and Vogel screams and exits swinging a club. He takes down some of the Blackwing men, but Mr. Priest is able to detain him. He breaks Vogel’s fingers, but Amanda’s able to hit Mr. Priest in the head and get Vogel away.
Mr. Priest tells Friedkin he’s switching to lethal, but Friedkin says not to. Mr. Priest is ready to shoot them, and Friedkin gives him an order not to. Mr. Priest disobeys and sprays the room with gunfire. Amanda and Vogel make it into the bathtub.
Amanda panics, believing something else is supposed to happen. As she says, “Someone’s got to do something. Someone’s going to do something,” the faucets turn on and water sprays out of the toilet. She has another vision.
Mr. Priest and the Blackwing men enter the room and hear Vogel and Amanda screaming in the bathroom. The lights in the bathroom go off as Mr. Priest fires through the closed bathroom door. When he opens it, the bathtub is empty. Amanda and Vogel have vanished, a development that puts a smile on Friedkin’s face.
The CW’s Supergirl season three episode four brings in guest star Chad Lowe as a mysterious stranger. But first, a look back at the heartbreaking episode three. It was bridal shower time and we learned Maggie’s parents cast her out when they discovered she’s gay. That betrayal still hurts, but Maggie reached out to her father anyway and invited him to her bridal shower. If you guessed that his appearance at the shower wouldn’t end well, you were right. By the time Maggie and her dad said their goodbyes, it was obvious the chasm was too deep to bridge.
Meanwhile, Kara volunteered to accompany J’onn to Mars after he received a distress call from M’gann. J’onn’s father, M’yrnn (Carl Lumbly), had been found alive after being presumed dead for 20 years. After a bit, J’onn was finally able to convince his father who he is, and he was able to – with a lot of help from Kyra – get the staff of the Martian god, H’ronmeer, back from the White Martians and bring it to Earth where it will be kept safe. M’yrnn also made the trek to Earth so that the happy family reunion can continue.
Season three episode four is directed by Jesse Warn from a script by Paula Yoo and Katie Rose Rogers. Titled “The Faithful,” episode four airs October 30, 2017. The season three cast includes Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers/Supergirl, Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers, David Harewood as J’onn J’onzz, Jeremy Jordan as Winn Schott, Mehcad Brooks as James Olsen, Katie McGrath as Lena Luthor, Chris Wood as Mon-El of Daxam, and Odette Annable as Reign. The series is executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Sarah Schechter, Robert Rovner, and Jessica Queller.
“The Faithful” Plot: CHAD LOWE GUEST STARS — Kara (Benoist) investigates a secretive new group whose leader, Thomas Coville (guest star Chad Lowe), has a mysterious connection to Supergirl. Meanwhile, Samantha (Annable) feels like she’s letting Ruby (guest star Emma Tremblay) down, and J’onn (Harewood) confesses an old secret.
Fandango’s lists of the most popular movie-inspired Halloween costumes are topped by Pennywise the Clown from It, Wonder Woman, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 characters. Fandango surveyed more than one thousand movie fans and asked which 2017 film inspired their Halloween costume. Their lists, divided into male, female, and group costumes, show this year’s favorites spring from sci-fi, comic book-inspired films, and Star Wars.
Costumes from horror films It, Get Out, and The Mummy also made the cut, as did Emma Watson’s costume from the romantic musical, Beauty and the Beast.
“Wonder Woman has had an immense cultural impact on the world since Patty Jenkins’ film debuted over the summer, and it’s a real affirmation to see that character prevail as the top choice for female Halloween costumes inspired by 2017 movies,” stated Fandango Managing Editor Erik Davis. “For the majority of fans, she is the most anticipated part of Justice League and is no doubt helping fuel our advance ticket sales. It’s also exciting to see Pennywise topping the male costumes list, and somewhat surprisingly, Ansel Elgort’s Baby Driver rounding out the top five.”
Top Movie-Inspired Halloween Costumes:
Top 10 Male Halloween Movie Costumes
1. Pennywise the Clown (It)
2. Stormtrooper (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
3. Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
4. Batman (Justice League)
5. Baby (Baby Driver)
6. Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
7. Wolverine (Logan)
8. Iron Man (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
9. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales)
10. Kylo Ren (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
Top 10 Female Halloween Movie Costumes
1. Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman, Justice League)
2. Belle (Beauty & The Beast)
3. Leia (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
4. Annabelle (Annabelle: Creation)
5. Rey (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
6. Lorraine (Atomic Blonde)
7. Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)
8. Ahmanet (The Mummy)
9. Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
10. Valkyrie (Thor: Ragnarok)
Top 10 Group Halloween Movie Costumes
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
3. Justice League
4. It
5. Thor: Ragnarok
6. Beauty and the Beast
7. Wonder Woman
8. Baby Driver
9. Get Out
10. Power Rangers
Destination America announced filming has begun on season three of Paranormal Lockdown. The series stars paranormal investigator Nick Groff and paranormal researcher Katrina Weidman. Season three, executive-produced by Groff, Justin Narragon, and Cathy Garland, is set to premiere in 2018.
Fans can look forward to seeing the team visit the historic Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont, Kentucky during the upcoming season. The Paranormal Lockdown visit marks the first-ever televised exploration of the building by paranormal investigators. The team will also be returning to the Monroe House in Hartford, Indiana, a site they visited in season two. During the show’s second season, Groff and Weidman discovered a skeleton in the house’s crawl space. In season three, Groff and Weidman will consult a biological anthropologist for more information on the remains.
For those unfamiliar with the series, Paranormal Lockdown follows Groff and Weidman while they’re locked down for 72 hours inside haunted locations.
Nick Groff and Katrina Weidman star in ‘Paranormal Lockdown.’
About Nick Groff, Courtesy of Destination America:
“Nick Groff has been fascinated with the paranormal ever since surviving a near-death experience as a child. For the past 15 years, he has dedicated his life to the field in an effort to discover the next major breakthrough in paranormal research. Groff made his big break when he co-wrote, co-produced, co-directed, co-edited, and co-starred in Ghost Adventures: The Original Documentary, a New York International Film & Video Festival award winner and Eerie Horror Film Festival award nominee that aired on the SyFy Channel in 2007. Groff served as the executive producer, co-host, and co-investigator for seasons 1-10 of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures series starting in 2008. After founding Groff Entertainment, Groff executive produces and co-hosts the hit series Paranormal Lockdown, as seen on TLC and soon returning for a third season on Destination America. Also for Destination America, he currently co-hosts the network’s #1 series Ghosts of Shepherdstown and previously executive produced Ghost Stalkers (2014).
Groff is the co-owner of the Creepy People Management event company and the annual Cryptid Con event in Kentucky. He is the author of Chasing Spirits: The Building of the Ghost Adventures Crew and executive produced the Travel Channel show Vegas Stripped.”
About Katrina Weidman, Courtesy of Destination America:
“Katrina Weidman is a paranormal researcher and investigator, host, producer, and lecturer. She currently co-hosts the hit show Paranormal Lockdown alongside Nick Groff, as seen on TLC and soon returning for a third season on Destination America. Weidman has been working professionally as a paranormal researcher and investigator since 2006, but her passion for the supernatural began when she was a child living in historic Bucks County, Pa., where many locations are said to be haunted. She rose to national recognition in her role on A&E’s hit series Paranormal State, in which she worked on hundreds of cases of unexplained supernatural phenomena and interviewed thousands of witnesses with the world-renowned Paranormal Research Society (PRS) from 2006-2011. Weidman also hosted Chiller’s Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies (2012) and The Truth Behind More Movies (2013), following Weidman and her team as they traveled the country chronicling the real-life stories that inspired some of the world’s most iconic horror films.”
HBO has released a new trailer for the documentary film War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend directed by Deborah Scranton (The War Tapes, Earth Made of Glass). The heart-wrenching story of U.S. Special Operations soldiers and their incredible canine partners was produced by Scranton and Brett Rodriguez, with Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Peter Kiernan, and Sheila Nevins executive producing.
The documentary will premiere on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11, 2017 on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, and HBO GO. It will debut on HBO on Monday, November 13th at 8pm ET/PT.
War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend Details: Fewer than 1% of all military K9s are selected for Special Operations. Dedicated, fearless and highly trained, these canines and Special Operations forces are cut from the same cloth, forging unbreakable bonds and developing lethal fighting capabilities under the most grueling selection courses. In this world, where two-legged and four-legged warriors are considered equal members of a team built on loyalty, sacrifice and love, communication travels up and down the leash in a nameless language.
Paying tribute to their service, War Dog recognizes the invaluable impact of these K9s on their human counterparts. With unprecedented access, the film brings these extraordinary stories to life, featuring exclusive military footage, personal photos, on-the-ground combat and drone video surveillance footage, footage of war dogs training and in action, and revealing interviews with the handlers, who open up about the physical and emotional struggles they’ve faced.
Underscoring the unwavering loyalty and bravery that make these four-legged brother- and sisters-in-arms heroes in their own right, War Dog profiles three relationships between soldiers and dogs:
• U.S. Army Ranger Trent McDonald and Layka – On his 27th birthday, Trent lost Benno, his first canine partner, during a mission in Afghanistan. While mourning his loss, Trent instantly connected with young Layka. On her first deployment, Layka was shot by an enemy and the bullet tore through the ball of her joint, causing her to lose her leg from the shoulder, but Trent remained by her side as she was nursed back to health. The three-legged dog has since been honored for her service, and was featured on the cover of National Geographic. After serving in the war, Trent and Layka developed an even greater bond. “At the end of the day, when everything fell apart, the only person who had me was her,” he explains.
• U.S. Army Ranger John Dixon and Mika – In 2006, John was one of four soldiers picked to start a Ranger dog program. There, he quickly developed a bond with Mika. But on John’s eighth deployment, and second deployment with Mika to Afghanistan, they walked into an ambush. John was hit and while being evacuated, the two were separated. Though reunited in the hospital room, John was sent home, and Mika’s PTSD prompted the decision to retire her from military service to a police department in Mississippi. “I just want that relationship back with her and I want to be able to help care for her…that would mean a lot for me, because I feel that I owe her that,” John explained. He hoped for a reunion like the one he witnessed between fellow former Ranger and dog handler Donovan Hunter, who was able to adopt Nuke, his own retired dog, and credits the canine with helping him make the transition back to civilian life. Despite multiple attempts, however, John was unsuccessful in reuniting with Mika, who died this month.
• U.S. Special Operations Command Dave Nielsen and Pepper – “You’re a warrior I hold in the highest regard,” Dave reads from a letter he wrote to Pepper, his deceased canine partner. A decade ago, in the wake of Pepper’s death, Dave put mementos of her in a box. Now, as he goes through the items – a map of where she died, her picture, a napkin he used to bring pieces of steak from the chow hall to feed her – Dave remembers Pepper as “a lap dog who became a beast of fury on target.” The two developed a “bond that couldn’t be broken,” and she provided support for all the soldiers around her during hard times. During a deployment in Iraq, Pepper gave her life to push an enemy soldier out of hiding; the man was killed, but Pepper was never found. While he still mourns her death, Dave is grateful that his “daughter has a daddy because of Pepper…I know that one day we’re going to meet up.”
The CW’s Riverdale season two episode three focused on Archie’s obsessive hunt for the hooded killer. Although there was time for Archie to sort of relax at a sit down dinner with Veronica’s mom and dad, he basically spent all of his free time organizing a vigilante group to patrol the streets of Riverdale and investigate any suspicious activity. The season – and the hunt for the killer – continues with episode four titled “Chapter Seventeen: The Town That Dreaded Sundown.” Directed by Allison Anders from a script by Amanda Lasher, episode four will air on November 1, 2017 at 8pm ET/PT.
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 Seventeen: The Town That Dreaded Sundown” Plot: TERROR IN RIVERDALE – When Archie’s (Apa) attempt to take matters into his own hands spirals out of control, Mayor McCoy (guest star Robin Givens) calls an emergency town hall meeting to deal with the growing chaos in Riverdale. Meanwhile, when Betty (Reinhart) finds herself at the center of a deepening mystery, her decision to keep some parts of it from Jughead (Sprouse) causes further friction between the two. Elsewhere, Veronica (Mendes) grows concerned for Archie when she realizes the lengths he would go to seek revenge against the person terrorizing Riverdale. Finally, tensions between the North and Southside finally come to a head and leads to an unexpected showdown.
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) is teaming up with Showtime on an adaptation of Patrick Rothfuss’ bestselling fantasy trilogy, The Kingkiller Chronicle. Tony, Grammy, Emmy, and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda will executive produce the series, with executive producer John Rogers (Leverage, The Librarians, The Player) confirmed as the showrunner. Miranda has also committed to composing the music for The Kingkiller Chronicle.
“Showtime has always championed bold storytelling,” stated Lin-Manuel Miranda. “Pat Rothruss’ Kingkiller series is some of the most exciting storytelling I have ever read. I could not be more thrilled to help bring the sights and sounds of his wondrous world of Temerant to the screen.”
“The Kingkiller Chronicle moves Showtime into a new genre in a powerful and unique way, led by the talented Lin-Manuel Miranda and John Rogers,” said Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “We can’t wait for this talented team to harness the magic of Kingkiller to transport us all into an awesome new world.”
“The Kingkiller Chronicle is one of the most coveted properties in the world, and we’re thrilled to partner with a brilliant creator in Pat Rothfuss, a creative genius in Lin-Manuel Miranda and a renowned showrunner in John Rogers,” said Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs. “With Showtime as our network partner, we continue to assemble a world-class team for our Kingkiller franchise.”
The Plot: Set in the world of the wildly popular fantasy series by Rothfuss, The Kingkiller Chronicle will follow a pair of wandering performers on their adventures through the unique and startling world of Temerant, immersing audiences in a universe of unexpected heroes, mystical places, and terrifying dark forces. It is a world that has delighted readers and critics alike, selling more than 10 million copies in 35 languages across the globe. The television adaption is a subversive origin story of legendary proportions set a generation before the events of the trilogy’s first novel, The Name of the Wind.
