Dan Stevens stars in ‘Legion’ (Photo Credit: Chris Large-FX)
FX Networks is moving forward on Legion, a dramatic series set in the X-Men world. Legion will be produced by FX Productions and Marvel Television and comes from Fargo‘s Noah Hawley who executive produces along with Lauren Shuler Donner (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Deadpool), Bryan Singer (X-Men: Apocalypse), Simon Kinberg (The Martian), Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Jim Chory (Marvel’s Daredevil) and John Cameron (Fargo, The Big Lebowski).
Filming’s expected to get underway on the eight episode first season this summer and FX is targeting an early 2017 premiere. The series will star Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey), Rachel Keller (Fargo), Jean Smart (Fargo), Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation), Jeremie Harris (A Walk Among the Tombstones), Amber Midthunder (Hell or High Water), Katie Aselton (The League) and Bill Irwin (Interstellar).
“We’ve come to expect excellence from Noah Hawley and with Legion he has delivered another major creative achievement,” said Grad. “Just as he did in reimagining Fargo, he is bringing an entirely new aesthetic and sensibility to the enormously popular and richly represented X-Men world. The pilot episode is stunning, driven by incredible performances from Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart, Rachel Keller and the rest of the cast. We join our producing partners at Marvel in congratulating the creative team for what they’ve accomplished and are as excited as the fans for the premiere of Legion’s first season.”
“Marvel Television is thrilled to not only have our first partnership with FX go to series, but working with the enormously talented Noah Hawley makes it even better,” said Executive Producer Jeph Loeb. “From the first time we heard Noah’s vision to his exceptional script and cast through the extraordinary filming of the pilot, we knew the series would be incredible.”
The Plot:Legion introduces the story of David Haller: Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.
Disney’s set a December 25, 2018 theatrical release date for Mary Poppins Returns and confirmed Emily Blunt (Into the Woods) and Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda will take on starring roles. Per Disney, Emily Blunt will be playing Mary Poppins while Miranda will play a new character who’s a street lamplighter named Jack. The sequel to the beloved classic movie Mary Poppins has Into the Woods director Rob Marshall attached to helm the project and Oscar nominee David Magee (Life of Pi, Finding Neverland) is on board to write the script based on The Mary Poppins Stories by P.L. Travers.
Marshall, John DeLuca, and Marc Platt are producing Mary Poppins Returns. Five-time Oscar nominee and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman is working on a new score and will write original songs along with Tony Award winner Scott Wittman (Hairspray).
“I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by Disney to bring P.L. Travers’ further adventures to the screen. The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation,” stated director/producer Marshall.
The Plot: Drawing from the wealth of material in P.L. Travers’ seven additional novels, the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
Oscar winner Julia Roberts has been named Spike TV’s Woman of the Decade and will pick up her award during the 2016 Spike TV Guys Choice show airing on June 9, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT. The 10th annual awards show will also be honoring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon with the Guys of the Decade award, and NBA superstar Kobe Bryant has been selected as the Athlete of the Decade. Other winners include Pitch Perfect‘s Anna Kendrick (‘Hot & Funny’ award), Gigi Hadid (‘Our New Girlfriend’ award), and Denver Broncos linebacker/Super Bowl MVP Von Miller (‘Most Unstoppable Jock’ award).
“We have been inviting Julia Roberts to be honored on Guys Choice for nine years and to have her gracing our big 10th anniversary show is a dream come true,” said Executive Producer, Casey Patterson. “Guys Choice is about Men of The Year and the women they love. Nobody is more beloved than Julia.”
According to Spike TV, this year’s Guys Choice show will have a Rat-Pack Las Vegas theme. The network also will include salutes to the military and will honor returning veterans during the broadcast. Beth McCarthy-Miller is directing and Casey Patterson, Carol Donovan, and Josh Greenberg are executive producing.
Oscar, SAG, and Golden Globe winner Roberts can currently be seen in theaters opposite George Clooney in Money Monster.
The upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows will have a one-week run in IMAX 3D theaters kicking off on June 2, 2016. The action film will be digitally remastered into the IMAX format, according to the announcement by Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and IMAX Corporation. Directed by Dave Green from a script by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, the new TMNT movie stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Laura Linney, Stephen Amell, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Alan Ritchson, Brian Tee and Tyler Perry.
The live-action Turtles film is based on the characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, with Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, Galen Walker, and Scott Mednick producing.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a fun fit for The IMAX Experience® with its larger-than-life effects and high-octane action, and we are pleased to partner again with our long-time friend Michael Bay and the whole team at Paramount in offering this film to domestic audiences in IMAX 3D,” said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment.
The Plot: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo return to theaters this summer in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows to battle bigger, badder villains alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After super villain Shredder (Brian Tee) escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar “Sheamus”), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world.
As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.
Bridget Regan in ‘The Last Ship’ season 3 (Photo by Doug Hyun / TNT)
During the 2016 WonderCon in Los Angeles, The Last Ship executive producer Steven Kane and actress Bridget Regan who plays Sasha Cooper teamed up to discuss season three. The new season’s set to premiere on TNT on Sunday, June 12th at 9pm ET/PT and as Kane explained during our interview, we can expect the crew of the Nathan James to be addressing an emerging issue with the cure in Japan. “Something’s going on in Japan, the cure doesn’t seem to be working, there’s a risk of a mutation,” explained Kane, adding, “But that doesn’t seem possible because Dr. Scott said it doesn’t mutate. That was one of the reasons we were able to stop it, but something’s going on.”
The trailer for season three shows some of the crew members being captured and held as prisoners of war. Commenting on what fans of the series can expect from the upcoming season, Kane said, “Let’s just say that there’s a lot going on. A lot of intrigue in Asia and intrigue at home, and our guys get caught smack-dab in the middle of it.”
“The region is filled with pirates – not the Pirates of the Caribbean pirates, but people just sort of stealing what they can. Natural resources may be in abundance but getting them out of the earth, getting them out of the farmland is still [difficult]. You need people for that. There are going to be winners and losers in this post-apocalyptic world and so our job is to make sure that the winners don’t subjugate the losers,” explained Kane. “We kind of put our nose into different places and say, ‘Look, we brought the cure home for everybody. If there’s a mutation, we want to get to the bottom of it and see if our doctors can figure it out. We worked too hard for this to fall apart now.'”
Asked how season three will top the previous two seasons, Kane replied, “We ask that question of ourselves because we throw everything in every time. We didn’t just take three years to find the cure – we found the cure the first season. So, what do you do next? And then it was, ‘Well, what does America look like?’ And then we started the season saying, ‘What can we do next?’ I was already talking about if we get a season four, what I could do. I started saying things like, ‘Well, season three was easy because…’ And I caught myself and said, ‘Wait a minute, two months ago I was saying how season two was so easy and season three is killing me. So our attitude is like what the Navy SEALS say, ‘The only easy day was yesterday.'”
“The trick is you can’t BS the audience. You can’t create something people won’t believe entirely because everything is kind of grounded in reality,” added Kane. “The virus is grounded in real science. The desires of people who wanted the cure was grounded in real human behavior, whether it was greed, whether it was panic or fear. You know, Mrs. Granderson had points. She made good points. She was still a villain but she had logic. She wasn’t twirling a mustache. And, the Russians had a point. And the Brits – the guys who became immune – they had a philosophy. They were even writing a manifesto. So, how do you create villains that are not just the Bad Guy of the Week, that actually are worth exploring as characters in and of themselves, and then give these guys great people to fight against. And then to force them to dig deep into what they can bring, fighting each other…not fighting but arguing with each other and fighting the common enemy. Then, keeping it exciting, keeping it at sea. They’re all the challenges we have.”
As for what Bridget Regan can tease about her character, Sasha, Regan offered, “Sasha, when we meet her, she’s in what we refer to as New China. One of the things I love about the show is that it explores this idea of what people are capable of in the best way and in the worst way. That’s what’s so scary about this premise and that’s what’s really scary about our setting for this season is that the people that can rise to power might not necessarily have the best of intentions. Sasha is doing her best trying to manage this new power in China and keep up relations as peaceful as possible, but there’s only so much she can do. So when Tom Chandler comes back into her life, she boards the Nathan James and she’s in a really new world for her. Being on board a Naval Destroyer is something fully new, but her skills are put to use because she is this translator. She’s aware of the region, of the potential adversariess and what their strengths are and their weaknesses. She’s vital to this mission and she has a knowledge that no one else on the ship has, but she also knows Tom in a way that no one else does.”
Watch the full interview 16 minute interview with Bridget Regan and Steven Kane:
Gaby Hoffmann and Jeffrey Tambor in ‘Transparent.’
The Emmy winning series Transparent starring Jeffrey Tambor has earned a fourth season. Amazon just announced the renewal of the show which airs on Prime Video, with season three set to premiere this fall followed by season four in 2017. In addition to Tambor as Maura Pfefferman, the returning cast members include Judith Light as Shelly Pfefferman, Gaby Hoffmann as Ali Pfefferman, Amy Landecker as Sarah Pfefferman and Jay Duplass as Josh Pfefferman. Transparent was created by Jill Soloway, and Amazon confirmed Soloway will remain on board as writer, director and showrunner.
“As the quality of television rises to new heights, Transparent continues to stand out for its depth of character, compassionate storytelling and its infinite creative risk-taking,” said Joe Lewis, Head of Half Hour TV at Amazon Studios. “We’re grateful that customers have responded so enthusiastically to the Pfefferman family and we’re excited to bring them another chapter of their story.”
“Amazon’s explosive freedom and revolutionary thinking has given birth to this show,” stated Soloway. “It’s so much more than TV to us, it’s our version of the most ambitious streaming art we can conjure. We’re having the time of our lives sharing season two for the awards season hoopla, and editing and finishing up season three for a fall release. This news of an order for season four is so so sweet. The Pfeffermans have many more stories to tell and we can’t wait to keep making them.”
The Plot:Transparent is a half hour novelistic series that explores family, identity, sex, and love. The series stars Tambor as Maura. When she reintroduces herself to her family, everyone else’s secrets finally start to come out. This includes her ex-wife Shelly (played by Light), and their children—meandering Ali (played by Hoffmann), music producer Josh (played by Duplass), and sexually conflicted Sarah (played by Landecker). Each family member spins in a different direction as they figure out who they won’t become.
The 2016 Memorial Day holiday weekend finished up with the latest X-Men movie, X-Men: Apocalypse, earning the top spot on the box office chart despite less than rave reviews. 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse is one of the worst reviewed films of the entire X-Men franchise, with RottenTomatoes summing up critical reaction to the film with this description: “Overloaded action and a cliched villain take the focus away from otherwise strong performers and resonant themes, making X-Men: Apocalypse a middling chapter of the venerable superhero franchise.” Despite negative reviews, X-Men: Apocalypse managed an $80 million four-day take for the PG-13 film directed by Bryan Singer and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, James McAvoy, and Sophie Turner.
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, effectively put an end to the franchise – at least with this cast. Alice in Wonderland opened in 2010 to an incredible $114 million domestic box office take, but the sequel failed to generate any heat over its first four days in release. Scathing reviews combined with the domestic abuse charges brought by Amber Heard against Johnny Depp likely combined to keep potential moviegoers away from Alice Through the Looking Glass.
Dwayne Johnson at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images for Disney)Dwayne Johnson broke the news via his Facebook and Instagram pages that he’s officially signed on to star in Doc Savage. Shane Black is attached to direct and is penning the script along with Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry. Black’s The Nice Guys with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe is currently in theaters, and Johnson’s upcoming film Central Intelligence with Kevin Hart will open in theaters on June 17, 2016.
Here’s what Johnson posted announcing his involvement in the project:
It’s OFFICIAL: For all comic book fans you already know the world’s first superhero (pre-dating Superman) is the “Man of Bronze” himself Clark “Doc” Savage.
Want to thank my bud director/writer Shane Black and his writing team Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry for flying in from LA and sitting with me and our Seven Bucks Productions’s producer Hiram Garcia on this Memorial Day weekend to chop up creative and break story on this very cool project.
Comic book fans around the world know that the cool thing about “Doc” Savage is that he’s the inspiration for Superman. First name Clark, called “Man of Bronze”, retreats to his “Fortress of Solitude” in the Arctic etc etc.
Doc was physically and mentally trained from birth by his father and a team of scientists to become the perfect human specimen with a genius level intellect. His heightened senses are beyond comprehension. He can even identify a women’s perfume from half a mile away. He is literally the master of everything.
But here’s the #1 reason I’m excited to become Doc Savage.. HE’S A F*CKING HILARIOUS WEIRDO!
Confidently, yet innocently he has zero social graces whatsoever due to his upbringing so every interaction he has with someone is direct, odd, often uncomfortable and amazingly hilarious.
After speaking for hours w/ Shane Black I can see why the creator of Superman took only the best parts of Doc Savage and leaving the “weirdo” part behind. But to us, it’s that “weirdo” part that makes Clark “Doc” Savage dope! Can’t wait to sink my teeth into this one of a kind character.
Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez and Paul Rudd in ‘The Fundamentals of Caring’ (Photo by Annette Brown / Netflix)
Netflix has released the official trailer for the original movie, The Fundamentals of Caring. The film’s based on the book by Jonathan Evison, with Rob Burnett adapting the novel, directing and producing. The cast includes Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Ehle, Megan Ferguson, and Frederick Weller. The Fundamentals of Caring will be available on Netflix beginning on June 24, 2016.
The Plot: The film follows the story of Ben, a retired writer who becomes a caregiver after suffering a personal tragedy. After 6 weeks of training, Ben meets his first client, Trevor, a foul-mouthed 18-year-old with muscular dystrophy. One paralyzed emotionally, one paralyzed physically, Ben and Trevor take an impromptu road trip to all the places Trevor has become obsessed with while watching the local news, including their holy grail: the World’s Deepest Pit. Along the way, they pick up a smart-mouthed runaway and a mother-to-be who help test the pair’s survival skills outside of their calculated existence as they come to understand the importance of hope and true friendship.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in ‘Game of Thrones’ (Photo: Macall B. Polay / Courtesy of HBO)
HBO’s Game of Thrones season six episode six airing on May 29, 2016 kicked off by reminding us of the death of Hodor who gave his life to keep Bran and Meera safe. Season six episode six titled ‘Blood of My Blood’ also spent quality time with Sam and Gilly, introducing the Tarlys and confirming Sam’s father is a complete and total jerk. ‘Blood of My Blood’ moved the plot forward in King’s Landing, with Margaery and King Tommen revealing a storyline twist that should be entertaining to watch play out. Episode six also found poor Arya making a difficult – and likely life-changing – choice, and the episode reintroduced two supporting players, one who will be key to the advancement of the Frey/Tully storyline and one who will assist young Bran as he transitions into being the new Three-Eyed Raven. And once again the audience had to wait until the end of the episode to see what’s happening with Daenerys and the Dothrakis (which, by the way, would be a great name for a band).
There wasn’t enough time to squeeze in scenes with Tyrion Lannister and the gang in Meereen or find out what’s happening with Jon Snow and Sansa Stark as they venture out to gather support for an attack on the Boltons at Winterfell. And for those keeping track, Ramsay Bolton didn’t kill anyone this episode (because he wasn’t involved in ‘Blood of My Blood’), Jorah’s apparently still searching for a cure to greyscale, and the Greyjoys were nowhere to be seen.
The Recap:
Without Hodor (may he rest in peace), Meera (Ellie Kendrick) struggles to move through the snow and wind while pulling Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) on the sled. Bran’s still experiencing visions and is unaware of his surroundings, with scenes of the past flying through his head as the cold and the weight of the sled finally get to be too much for Meera and she’s forced to stop. The White Walkers are hot on their trail when Bran comes to and warns Meera they’ve been found. She hugs him, crying and apologizing for failing to protect him. Just then a man on horse arrives to fight off the White Walkers. He’s easily dispatching them as Meera continues to hold Bran to keep him safe. “Come with me, now!” the stranger demands, adding, “The dead don’t rest.” He lifts them up on his horse and they’re safe…for now.
Gilly (Hannah Murray), Sam (John Bradley), and the baby arrive by carriage at his family’s castle. He describes the terrain and what she can expect as the seasons change, rambling on as Gilly notes that he’s a nervous talker. Sam admits he never thought he’d return home and he’s well aware he’s not welcome after being made to renounce his title. Sam reminds her she must say little Sam is his baby and reminds her he hasn’t told his family she’s a wildling. His father hates wildlings and so it’s best she keeps that part of her history a secret. Servants are lined up as Gilly and Sam finally walk through the gate, and his mother (Samantha Spiro) races to embrace him. She says he looks wonderful and then his little sister also hugs him while immediately spilling the beans that she’s being forced to wed a man with yellow teeth. Lady Tarly is even nice to Gilly and takes an immediate liking to baby Sam who is absolutely adorable and would be difficult to dislike. Sam’s dad, Lord Tarly (James Faulkner), is away on a hunt and Lady Tarly invites them inside, telling them Lord Tarly will join them later. Sam’s sister, Talla (Rebecca Benson), offers Gilly a bath and a dress for dinner.
At King’s Landing, King Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) asks the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) if there’s any option other than forcing Margaery to undergo the Walk of Atonement. The High Sparrow says the people will be nicer to her than they were to his mother, and even lets Tommen pay his wife a visit in her cell. The High Sparrow leaves them alone and Margaery (Natalie Dormer) and Tommen embrace, with Tommen telling her how much he missed her. He feels horrible about the Walk of Atonement, but surprisingly Margaery doesn’t seem to mind making the walk. And, strangely, she actually seems to like and understand the High Sparrow. Tommen agrees the High Sparrow’s not as bad as they thought he was. Margaery says he helped her admit who she is, but Tommen rushes to her defense telling her she’s the best person he knows. However, Margaery says she was just good at seeming good and that it was all lies. She fed the poor but made sure people saw her doing it, she explains. Tommen then asks after Sir Loras, and Margaery says his soul is pure and perfect. He just needs to atone for his sins and then it will all be fine. “The gods have a plan for us all,” says Margaery, who has apparently been the victim of brainwashing.
Gilly looks completely different all gussied up with clean hair, makeup, and a beautiful dress, and Sam tells her she’s beautiful. Off they go to dinner where Sam’s dad does actually show up, glaring at Sam and Gilly. Gilly isn’t sure how to use the utensils but no one comments on it while Sam and his brother, Dickon (Freddie Stroma), discuss hunting. Sam says that north of the Wall if you don’t hunt, you don’t eat. But then Sam takes it a step further, clarifying to say it’s mostly rabbits and squirrels and crediting Jon, Edd, and even Gilly as the talented hunters. Sam’s mom is doing an excellent job of keeping the conversation light, but grouchy Lord Tarly isn’t happy about Sam’s presence in the least. He doesn’t even care that Sam’s with a woman and has a child, or that he’s studying to be Maester of the Night’s Watch.
As Lord Tarly continues to cut down his oldest son, Gilly sticks up for her man, telling the family Sam killed a White Walker and is a greater warrior than Lord Tarly or Dickon. Unfortunately, while discussing Sam’s warrior qualities Gilly accidentally reveals she’s a wildling. Lord Tarly’s furious he’s hosting a wildling in his hall. He points out the Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane, that’s been with the House of Tarly for 500 years. Heartsbane is supposed to go to Sam, but Lord Tarly says it will never go to Sam and Sam will never be named Lord of House Tarly. Lord Tarly truly hates Sam and now with Gilly admitting she’s a wildling, he’s able to unleash his rage. Lady and Talla take Gilly’s hands and lead her out of the dining hall, telling Lord Tarly he’s dishonoring the family. Lord Tarly continues his attack, telling Sam it’s the last night he’ll ever spend in their home but he’ll allow Gilly and the baby to remain.
Sam apologizes to Gilly for allowing his dad to speak to her that way, but Gilly shrugs off the apology telling him he’s not what his father thinks he is. She kisses Sam, attempting to make him see himself through her eyes. He leaves, tears in his eyes, as Gilly looks about the gorgeous room she and her son will share. Just then, Sam charges back in and tells her they’re leaving. “We belong together – all of us,” says Sam. He takes Heartsbane from above the mantel, an act that worries Gilly. She thinks Lord Tarly will come after them to retrieve it, and Sam says he can “bloody well try.”
Meanwhile in Braavos, the play is on once again with Arya (Maisie Williams) in the audience. The scene playing out is from the Purple Wedding, with Joffrey drinking the poisoned wine and naming his evil uncle as the one who poisoned him. The actress Arya is supposed to kill, Lady Crane (Essie Davis), is playing Cersei and she’s delivering a Tony award-winning performance while her understudy stands off-stage mouthing the lines, just waiting for her opportunity. The play continues but Arya leaves the audience and heads backstage. She finds the bottle Lady Crane was drinking out of and adds the poison given to her by Jaqen.
As the actors head backstage, Lady Crane spots Arya and wants to know why she’s there. She also wants to know how many times Arya’s seen the performance and if she’s ever paid. She thinks Arya might be interested in becoming an actress, and Lady Crane admits she believes the play is horrible. Arya tells her to change the dialogue, making Cersei not only sad but angry. Lady Crane asks Arya if she likes to pretend to be other people but Arya doesn’t answer, saying she has to leave because her father is waiting. The actors discuss the play and it’s obvious they’re all jealous of Lady Crane’s talent. As Lady Crane is about to have a drink, Arya rushes in and knocks the bottle out of her hands, warning her that her understudy wants her dead.
Arya returns to the spot where she landed in Braavos and removes her sword from its hiding place. Meanwhile, the Waif reports to Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) that Arya failed in her mission. He gives the Waif permission to kill Arya, and the Waif leaves the room with a smug smile.
Jonathan Pryce, Natalie Dormer, and Hannah Waddingham (Photo: Macall B. Polay / Courtesy of HBO)
Back at King’s Landing, Jaime waits as the Tyrell army arrives. Lord Tyrell (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) addresses his troops, telling them madness has overtaken the city and they need to drive it back to where it came. Meanwhile, the people are gathered to watch Margaery make her walk of shame. The High Sparrow ticks off her sins as Jaime and the Tyrell army arrive in the square. As Lady Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) emerges from a carriage, joining the army in the square, Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) asks for the release of both Loras and Margaery. If they’re given over, then the army will leave. The High Sparrow refuses and Jaime says, “Every last sparrow will die before Margaery walks down that street.”
It seems to be a stand-off when suddenly the High Sparrow announces there will be no Walk of Atonement. He’s backed off that demand and reveals Margaery has already atoned for her sins by bringing another into the true light of the Seven. King Tommen walks down the steps, approaching the High Sparrow and Jaime who has ridden his horse onto the steps. The High Sparrow and King Tommen announce a new holy alliance between the Crown and the faithful. The announcement is met by cheers from the crowd. Jaime is obviously upset with this turn of events, watching as his son, Tommen, says the Crown and the faith working together will restore the seven kingdoms to glory, taking Margaery’s hand to enthusiastic cheers. Lady Tyrell knows they’ve been beaten as the High Sparrow smirks and Jaime glares.
King Tommen, sitting on the Iron Throne, demands Jaime relinquish his title as Lord Commander of the King’s Guard. Jaime reminds him he’s been a member of the King’s Guard since before Tommen was born, and that Tommen doesn’t have to answer to the gods if he’s sitting on the throne. Resigned, Jaime wants to know his punishment and Tommen tells him he’ll continue to serve his house and family faithfully but he’ll do so in another city.
Walder Frey (David Bradley) is upset the Blackfish took back Riverrun and that his sons let the Blackfish escape in the first place. Frey will never kiss Tully boots again and will use his 10,000 men to get Riverrun back, but his sons believe Riverrun can withstand a siege for a year and that some of the Frey supporters have turned against them and are backing the Blackfish. The Frey boys say the Blackfish will never yield, but Walder Frey says they need to remind him they have his nephew, Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies).
Back at King’s Landing, Jaime is fuming over the fact King Tommen’s sending him to deal with the Blackfish because Frey can’t handle it, and Cersei – mistress of the obvious – says that’s better than being in the dungeon. Jaime doesn’t want to do it and instead is fixated on killing the High Sparrow and all his minions, but Cersei wants him standing at the head of their army where he belongs. “Take that stupid little castle back because it’s ours and because you can,” suggests Cersei. Jaime’s worried she’ll go on trial while he’s gone, but Cersei says it’ll be a trial by combat and she has the Mountain. They kiss and she reminds him they’ll always be together and that they’re “the only two people in the world.”
And now it’s time to catch up with Bran… The stranger kills a rabbit for dinner and reveals he’s there because the Three-Eyed Raven sent for him. Bran wakes and the stranger is revealed to be his Uncle Benjen (Joseph Mawle). He was lost beyond the Wall where the White Walkers found his ranging party, stabbed him in the gut, and left him to die. The Children found him and stopped the White Walker’s magic from taking hold with Dragon Glass. Benjen tells Bran he’s now the Three-Eyed Raven and must learn to control his powers. Benjen also says the Night King will find his way to the world of men and Bran needs to be there ready and waiting for him.
The episode ends with a brief but important update on Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and the Dothraki. Dany and Daario (Michael Huisman) are riding at the head of the Dothraki when she stops and asks Daario how long it will take to reach Meereen and how many ships she’ll need to get to Westeros. Daario tells her she’ll need at least 1,000 ships, but no one has that many. The plan: ride to Meeeren, then sail to Westeros. After that, she’ll take what is hers, but Daario tells her she wasn’t meant to sit on a throne and rule. “You’re a conqueror, Daenerys Stormborn.” As the words leave his lips, Dany rides off, telling them to wait. She returns astride her dragon which lands in front of the Dothraki. Rallying her troops, she says other khals have asked for three blood riders but she won’t have just three…she chooses them all. She wants to know if they’ll ride in ships and kill soldiers wearing armor. They cheer and swear they’ll fight to help her claim her rightful place as the leader of the Seven Kingdoms.
