Agent Carter‘s Chad Michael Murray has been cast to play Sam Phillips in CMT’s Million Dollar Quartet inspired by the musical of the same name and based on the book by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott. The dramatic series delves into the life of the founder of Sun Records, the record company that first recognized the talent of music icons Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and other greats.
The Million Dollar Quartet (working title) cast also includes Jennifer Holland (American Horror Story) as Sam’s wife, Becky Phillips. Margaret Anne Florence (Inside Amy Schumer) is on board to play Marion Keisker, Sam’s assistant-turned-girlfriend. Drake Milligan is Elvis Presley, Kevin Fonteyne will play Johnny Cash, Christian Lees takes on the role of Jerry Lee Lewis, and Jonah Lees is Jimmy Swaggart.
Filming’s expected to begin soon in Memphis, with CMT eyeing a November premiere. Roland Joffé will direct and Leslie Greif, showrunner Gil Grant, Jayson Dinsmore, and Julia Silverton executive produce.
The Plot:Million Dollar Quartet is a coming-of-age story set in Memphis during the tumultuous early days of the civil rights movement, and tells the untold true story of nothing less than the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. Guided by Sam Phillips, young musicians like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis combined the styles of hillbilly country with the 1950s R&B sound created by artists like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Fats Domino and Ike Turner, and changed the course of music forever. The series chronicles these young artists’ often jarring and sudden meteoric rise to fame in the face of sweeping political change and social unrest.
Ivy Levan joins ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (Photo by D Dipasupil/FilmMagic)
Fox has just announced Ivy Levan has joined The Rocky Horror Picture Show cast as ‘Usherette.’ Singer/songwriter Levan’s first album No Good was released in August 2015 and her credits include songs in Cinemax’s Banshee, 90210, and the Melissa McCarthy comedy, Spy.
Levan joins a cast that is led by Orange is the New Black‘s Laverne Cox as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Victoria Justice (Victorious) will play Janet and Liv & Maddie‘s Ryan McCartan is Brad. American Idol alum Adam Lambert will take on the role of Eddie, Penny Dreadful‘s Reeve Carney is Riff Raff, and Staz Nair from Game of Thrones is Rocky. Annaleigh Ashford from Masters of Sex is confirmed to play Columbia, Christina Milian is Magenta, and Ben Vereen is tackling the role of Dr. Everett Scott. The original Frank-N-Furter, Tim Curry, is on board as the Criminologist Narrator.
The High School Musical franchise’s Kenny Ortega is directing, choreographing, and executive producing. Fox will air the two-hour musical later this year.
The Plot:The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows sweethearts Janet (Justice) and Brad (McCartan), who stumble upon Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s (Cox) bizarre abode. Frank-N-Furter, a sexually ambiguous, flirtatious alien mad-scientist, is holding an annual, Transylvanian science convention to showcase the birth of “Rocky Horror” – a fit, attractive man created solely to fulfill Frank’s desires.
Patrick Fugit and Philip Glenister in ‘Outcast’ (Photo: Niko Tavernise (c)2015. FOX International Studios)
Cinemax’s new dramatic series Outcast will premiere on June 3, 2016, kicking off its 10 episode first season. But even before the first episode airs, Cinemax is showing faith in the series with a season two renewal. The early renewal was announced during the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
Outcast was created by The Walking Dead‘s Robert Kirkman with Chris Black serving as the showrunner. Kirkman, Black, David Alpert, Sharon Tal Yguado, and Sue Naegle executive produce. The series stars Patrick Fugit (Gone Girl, Almost Famous), Philip Glenister (Life on Mars), and Gabriel Bateman (Stalker).
“Outcast has been a passion project of mine for many years,” said Kirkman. “Seeing it come together has been a huge thrill for me. What we’ve been able to achieve on CINEMAX, with its unprecedented creative freedom, frankly, almost scares ME at times.”
“Going into the first season of Outcast, we knew that Robert Kirkman had once again created a world that would scare us to our core,” said Kary Antholis, president, CINEMAX Original Programming. “But what he, Chris Black and the rest of their team have delivered has exceeded even those high expectations. We believe our viewers will immediately be sucked into Outcast’s intense and creepy landscape, which is why we have chosen to pick up a second season.”
The Outcast Plot: Based on the Skybound/Image comic title by creator Robert Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta, Outcast follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. Now, with the help of the Reverend Anderson, a preacher who has personal demons of his own, Kyle embarks on a journey to find answers and regain the normal life he lost. But what Kyle discovers could change his fate — and the fate of the world — forever.
Fugit plays Barnes, a man searching for answers, and for redemption, who sequesters himself from those he loves for fear of causing greater hurt. Glenister is Reverend Anderson, a West Virginia evangelist who believes he is a soldier in God’s holy war against the forces of evil on Earth. An inveterate drinker and gambler, he doesn’t believe God intends people to sweat the small stuff. And Bateman plays Joshua Austin, an eight-year-old who lives across town from Kyle. To his family’s dismay, he appears to be in the clutches of demonic possession, but there’s something very different about this possession and its connection to Kyle Barnes.
Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer in ‘Preacher’ (Photo Credit: AMC)
AMC’s finally announced an official premiere date for the much anticipated new series Preacher. Season one of the dramatic series will premiere on May 22, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT immediately after the season two finale of Fear the Walking Dead. The first episode will air again on May 29th with episode two debuting on June 5th at 9pm ET/PT, the show’s regular timeslot.
Based on Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s ’90s comic books, Preacher has Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg (This Is The End, Neighbors), Neal H. Moritz, Ori Marmur, Vivian Cannon, Jason Netter and Ken F. Levin on board as executive producers, along with showrunner Sam Catlin (Breaking Bad). The series stars Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer, Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy, Ruth Negga as Tulip, Lucy Griffiths as Emily, W. Earl Brown as Sherriff Root, Anatol Yusef as DeBlanc, Tom Brooke as Fiore, Derek Wilson as Donnie Schenck, and Ian Colletti as Eugene/Arseface.
“We’re thrilled to finally be sharing this epic story with characters unlike any other on television,” stated Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV. “Sam Catlin, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have brought Garth’s writing and Steve’s artistry to life in the most gratifying way possible. Fans of the comic book and fans of just great television have a lot to look forward to as they’ll travel on an unforgettable journey and watch in unison as the craziness unfolds.”
“Seth, Evan and I couldn’t be more excited to be the beneficiaries of AMC’s historic bit of programming miscalculation,” said showrunner, executive producer and writer, Sam Catlin. “Lord have mercy on all our souls!”
The Preacher Plot:Preacher is a supernatural, twisted and darkly comedic drama that follows a West Texas preacher named Jesse Custer, who is inhabited by a mysterious entity that causes him to develop a highly unusual power. Jesse, his badass ex-girlfriend Tulip and an Irish vagabond named Cassidy come together and when they do, they are thrust into a crazy world populated by a cast of characters from Heaven, Hell and everywhere in between.
Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene and Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier in ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 6, Episode 13 – (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)
“Are you going to kill me?” asks Paula (Alicia Witt). “I hope not,” replies Carol (Melissa McBride), hands duct taped and held captive by more of Negan’s Saviors who are attempting to get intel out of her and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) in episode 13 of season six of AMC’s horror/drama series, The Walking Dead.
As the episode titled “The Same Boat” begins, the action picks up after Maggie and Carol’s argument about going back and helping Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the gang kill Negan’s people at their compound. Carol sees a Savior and shoots him in the arm then hears a gun cock and a female voice behind her tells Maggie to drop her weapon or she’ll kill her friend. Maggie complies and they’re taken hostage by a handful of Saviors led by Paula. The episode then shows the last scene from episode 12 where Rick, Daryl (Norman Reedus), Glenn (Steven Yeun) and the rest of the gang have the Savior named Primo at gunpoint and Paula is speaking on the walkie-talkie. She tells the group to lower their weapons, revealing that she has Carol and Maggie. Rick asks to hear them so he knows she’s telling the truth and that they’re okay. Paula has Carol and Maggie confirm to Rick they’re alive, but stops them from saying anything else. Rick suggests a trade which Paula isn’t keen on, saying two for one hardly seems fair. Rick insists that it’s the best she’s going to get. Paula tells Rick she’ll be in touch when she’s decided. With that, Paula and her small group of Saviors put sacks on Maggie and Carol’s heads and drive them to a Savior safe house…which is actually more like a haunted abandoned slaughterhouse with walkers roaming around.
Paula and her group of four bind Maggie and Carol’s hands with duct tape, gag them, and place them sitting across from each other in a locked room. Paula’s group leaves the room to survey the area and to put down any roaming walkers close by. Maggie uses this brief period of time to scurry around trying to find anything to cut through the duct tape, but to no avail. Carol grabs a rosary lying on the floor and puts it in her pocket. When she hears Paula and the others coming back, she begins to breathe heavily and fakes hyperventilating. Maggie grunts and moves to get Paula’s attention so they’ll remove Carol’s gag. Carol puts on her meek and scared act to fool the Saviors into believing she’s a weak and religious woman. It works and one of the Saviors dubs calls her a little bird. Carol tells the Saviors it’s not important what happens to her but please not to hurt Maggie and the baby. She even asks one of the Saviors named Molls not to smoke, which actually gets her to put it out although she says everyone is acting like bible-thumping second graders.
The pain is getting worse for Donnie, the man Carol shot in the arm outside the compound when they were first capture, and Maggie starts to fuel his fear and anger by telling him without medical attention he will lose his arm and maybe his life. He becomes more and more upset and wants to shoot Carol but Paula won’t let him. Enraged, he slaps Paula and Maggie kicks him, saying to leave her alone. Carol tries to join in but gets kicked again and again by Donnie until Paula hits him over the head with the butt of her gun, knocking him out.
After that, Paula splits Carol and Maggie up, deciding it’s time to try to get some information out of them. Maggie’s guard/interrogator brings up her own past of losing a baby and her boyfriend to try to weaken Maggie’s resolve not to tell her anything about her group or Alexandria. It doesn’t work.
Paula and Carol are playing a game of mental chess as both are trying to get answers out each other. Carol tells Paula her people killed a group of Saviors on the road because they threatened them and tried to take all they had. They heard about Negan and he sounded like a maniac so they decided to kill him too. Molls just shakes her head and chuckles, telling Carol, “Oh honey…we’re all Negan.” This confuses Carol who keeps getting put down by Paula who feels compelled to prove to Carol just how much of a cold-blooded killer she is by telling her that she could kill Donnie, who’s unconscious on the floor, at any time and feel nothing. He’s just a warm body for her bed. Paula continues to reveal things about her past, revealing she she wasn’t with her husband and children when the zombie apocalypse happened because she was stuck babysitting her stupid boss who was the first person she killed to stay alive. “I stopped keeping track when I reached double digits and that’s when I stopped caring too,” says Paula about her ruthless past. Carol responds by telling Paula she’s the one who’s afraid of dying and that she will if she doesn’t make the trade with Rick.
Paula radios Rick to agree to the trade and sets it up to meet in a nearby field in 10 minutes. He agrees, but Paula is extremely uneasy about it saying to Molls there should have been more static and that he’s probably close by and well-armed. Carol tries to tell Paula she needs to trust Rick and that he wouldn’t gamble with either her or Maggie’s lives but Paula isn’t listening. Paula and Molls leave Carol alone to clear the halls of walkers and to set up a zombie blockade at the main door. Carol uses the rosary she’s made into a sharp little blade and frees herself. She finds Maggie who has been left alone and frees her as well. Carol wants to escape but Maggie says they have to finish what they started. They have to kill Paula and her group of Saviors.
Carol and Maggie go back to the room where Donnie is remains unmoving on the floor. Maggie realizes he has already bled to death and is beginning to turn, so she and Carol set a trap for whoever comes through the door first. It’s Molls who enters to find walker Donnie tied to a nearby pipe but close enough to bite her. She stabs him in the head, putting him down and Maggie comes up behind her and stabs her. When Molls is lying on the floor dying, Maggie stabs her again and again letting out her rage toward her captors.
Carol and Maggie make their way to the main door but see it’s blocked by walkers tied up enough to keep most of them in place and to keep anyone from getting in or out. This is when Paula comes up behind them and starts shooting. She discovered the bodies of her partners and is seeking revenge. Carol and Paula exchange gunfire, with Carol trying to convince Paula to just run so she doesn’t have to kill her. A walker breaks free and goes for Carol causing her to shoot Paula in the shoulder Maggie saves Carol from the walker and the last Savior of the group – the one who tried to interrogate Maggie – shows up and slashes Maggie’s stomach but not deep. It’s a shallow wound. Carol doesn’t hesitate and shoots the woman Savior dead.
Alicia Witt as Paula in ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)
Paula has collapsed on the floor not far from the walker guards and tells Carol she sees her for who she is. It’s obvious Paula has caught up and realizes most of what she saw from Carol was an act. As Carol walks toward Paula, she kicks at her gun and tries one last time to kill Carol but Paula is no match for her as she ends up impaled on a pole and a nearby walker begins to feast on her face while she screams in agony and terror.
Paula’s men radio in that they’re approaching the slaughterhouse. Carol takes a breath and trying to imitate Paula’s voice tells the men on the radio to meet them on the kill floor. As the men walk past a hiding Maggie and Carol looking for Paula they realize the floor is wet but they don’t realize that it’s gas. Carol and Maggie close the big door behind them but just before it’s closed and locked, Carol throws her lit cigarette into the room causing it to go up in flames with the men screaming inside with no way out.
Carol and Maggie make their way through what’s left of the walkers by the main door and Maggie even puts down walker Paula. When they open the door, they find Glenn, Rick, Daryl and the rest of their group right outside the door about to breach it. Glenn embraces Maggie and asks if she is okay and she says she can’t do it anymore. Daryl hugs Carol asking her if she is okay and since it’s Daryl – who she has always had a special connection with ever since he kept looking for her missing little girl in season two – she’s honest and says, “No, I’m not.” Rick turns to Primo and tells him no one is coming for him and he might as well talk. Rick asks if Negan was at the compound or here at the slaughterhouse and Primo says that he is Negan. Rick shoots him dead instantly and it shocks Carol who grips the sharpened rosary so tightly she begins to bleed from her hand.
The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 13 Review:
Taut and dramatic with some exceptional performances, episode 13 titled “The Same Boat” becomes a tense and dangerous chess match of the minds between Carol and Paula who are really two sides of the same coin only from opposing groups. It’s the scenes between these two actresses that elevate the episode to a much higher level.
There are three stand-out performances in this episode led once again by, of course, Melissa McBride as Carol. It seems all the people Carol has had to kill are starting to haunt her and it becomes clear in this episode when she’s faced with Paula that her greatest fear is becoming like her, being able to kill and feel nothing. Carol is not only fighting for her survival and for Maggie’s but she’s also fighting to save what’s left of her humanity. Melissa McBride’s performance in this episode is flawless and powerful, and she deserves to be nominated for an Emmy.
Lauren Cohan delivers another top-notch performance as Maggie who’s not as talented at finding a way out of their captive state but is a natural no-nonsense leader when it comes to deciding about fight or flight. Cohan captures perfectly Maggie’s leadership qualities and how she is ready to take charge. The scene where Carol wants them to just escape when they have the chance and Maggie refuses saying they need to finish what they started is a perfect example of how Maggie really is the future leader of the group and is strong enough to make the hard and life or death decisions.
Alicia Witt is wickedly wonderful as Paula, the cutthroat leader of her small pack who doesn’t realize until too late that she’s outmatched by Carol who she wrongly underestimates. The scenes between Witt and McBride are hands-down the best in the episode with it slowly becoming clear to both Carol and the audience that Paula went through something not too different than Carol that made her the cold, calculating, unfeeling killer she is now. Witt shines as Paula, especially in the scene where she shares with Carol how she lost her family while being stuck with her idiot boss and how while struggling to stay alive he became her first kill. It’s a chilling scene which almost creates sympathy for her character.
With Carol and Maggie now safe and reunited with Rick, Glenn, Daryl and the rest of the gang, it should be interesting to see how the people at the Hilltop hold up their end of the bargain and just when the real leader of the Saviors – Negan – will catch up to them.
Dominic Sherwood, Katherine McNamara, and Alberto Rosende in ‘Shadowhunters’ (Photo: ABC Family / John Medland)
The cast of Freeform’s Shadowhunters took to Facebook to announce the show’s been renewed for a second season. The dramatic series is based on Cassandra Clare’s bestselling The Mortal Instruments book series and stars Katherine McNamara as Clary Fray, Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland, Alberto Rosende as Simon, Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood, Matthew Daddario as Alec Lightwood, Isaiah Mustafa as Luke Garroway, and Glee‘s Harry Shum Jr. as Magnus Bane. The first season will wrap up with the final episode on April 5, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT.
Shadowhunters is executive produced by McG (Chuck, Supernatural) and Ed Decter (Unforgettable, Helix). Season one of the fantasy adventure series debuted as the #2 premiere on record for the network among adult viewers and is the fourth most engaging scripted series on social media “overall across all TV with over 17.7 million engagements,” according to Freeform.
The Plot:Shadowhunters follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is, but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend, Simon, in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother.
Nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke, who turned out to be a werewolf, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane, who has surprisingly become an ally in the search for Clary’s past.
Ellie Kemper and Doug Plaut in ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (Photo by Eric Liebowitz / Netflix)
The full trailer for season two of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has finally arrived and reveals Kimmy’s got a new job in a year-round Christmas store which fits perfectly with her [sometimes annoyingly] optimistic attitude. Created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the series stars Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski, and Carol Kane. Netflix will release all 13 episodes of season two beginning on April 15, 2016 for your binge-watching pleasure.
The Plot: Ellie Kemper stars as Kimmy Schmidt, a woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York. After living in a cult for fifteen years, Kimmy decides to reclaim her life and start over in New York City. Armed with just a backpack, light-up sneakers, and a couple of way-past-due library books, she’s ready to take on a world she didn’t even think existed anymore. Wide-eyed but resilient, nothing is going to stand in her way.
Season two of the Emmy-nominated series picks up shortly after season 1 and finds Kimmy (Kemper) looking for a new job, Titus (Burgess) forced to face his past with the appearance of his ex-wife and Jacqueline (Krakowski) rediscovering her roots, while landlady Lillian (Kane) finds a surprising romance.
Colin O’Donoghue in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (Photo by Jack Rowand / ABC)The search continues for the missing Captain Hook in ABC’s Once Upon a Time season five episode 13 titled ‘Labor of Love’ and airing on March 13, 2016. The episode found our favorite pirate beaten but not ready to give up hope that his Emma will find him no matter what. ‘Labor of Love’ also introduced us to Hercules and Meg, with both characters playing pivotal roles in our heroes’ ongoing quest to free Hook from Hades’ prison and leave the Underworld. And episode 13 ended with a twist that put Emma, Regina, David, Snow, Henry, and Robin in grave danger.
Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 13 Recap:
Through the smoke, we head underground to where Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) lies beaten. He wakes up, thinks he can escape, but a female fellow prisoner (the only other person in this dungeon) warns him it’s a trick and no one can escape. Hook knows Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is on her way, and he swears the message he received from her is not a trick being played by Hades (Greg Germann). The girl (Kacey Rohl) warns there’s something horrible keeping guard over them but Hook wants to try to make a break for it no matter what. They run but the hellhound isn’t far behind. Hook tells the girl to keep going and to find Emma Swan and let her know he’s alive and to find him while he stays behind to take on the creature. And then the three-headed hellhound closes in on Hook…
Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) is walking through the graveyard and tells David all the graves belong to people from her father’s kingdom that she couldn’t protect. David (Josh Dallas) assures her they’ll figure out a way to protect their daughter and find Hook, reminding her no one is better at tracking then bandit Snow. As they leave, she stops and kneels at a grave and is visibly shaken.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, the bandits are terrorizing her kingdom and her people demand help. Queen Regina (Lana Parrilla) says her stepdaughter will take care of them, but Snow doesn’t know what to do. She races from the room in tears while Regina smiles behind her back at the fleeing Snow. Outside, Snow falls into a hole in the ground and is trapped until a stranger pulls her up. It’s Hercules!
Back at the graveyard, David is amazed and a little jealous to know his wife is friends with a god. Mary Margaret corrects him, saying he was a demigod and he also happens to be dead. Mary Margaret say they have to help him move on and if they do, he can save them because after all he is Hercules (Jonathan Whitesell).
Emma, Henry (Jared Gilmore), Regina, and Robin (Sean Maguire) can’t find Hook in the woods, and Regina thinks maybe her maps still exist in this bizarro Storybrooke. Off Robin and Henry go to look for the maps while Emma and Regina keep hunting for Hook. Emma finds a trail of fresh blood and races off, only to discover the girl who’d been held captive with Hook. They hear the hellhound and poof out of the woods to safety. They appear in Mary Margaret and David’s apartment which is vacant. “It’s officially a cold day in hell when I move in with the Charmings,” says Regina. The girl tells Emma she doesn’t know if Hook is okay and that she escaped through tunnels into the woods, warning her about the three-headed hellbeast with teeth that can crush bones with a single bite. According to the girl. nothing can defeat it. Just then in walks David and Mary Margaret, and Mary Margaret knows what the beast is and who can defeat it.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, Hercules explains his mom was mortal so he’s only a demigod. He tells Snow he has to complete his 12 labors in order to join his father on Mt. Olympus. Snow has to figure out what to do about the bandits and he tells her she has to fight them. Snow claims she’s not a hero but Herc is willing to train her. He shows off his medals, including his first for conquering his fears and defeating a lion. Herc will teach her to stand up to the bandits because he believes she’ll make a great queen one day. He teaches her to use the bow and arrow not just to help her people but because he wants to spend time with her before completing his last labor: defeating the three-headed hellhound, Cerberus.
Back in the Underworld, Mary Margaret, Regina, and Emma head to the diner to ask the witch (you know, the one burned to death by Hansel and Gretel) if she’s seen Hercules. She has, telling them he comes in every day on his lunch break. He works at the docks and so Mary Margaret heads down to talk to him. She’s older now, of course, but he recognizes her and they hug. He’s still young and she wants to know what happened. He doesn’t tell her how he died, and she tells him she’s not dead but came down to the Underworld to help her daughter. “What if I told you there might be a way to leave the Underworld once and for all?” asks Mary Margaret. Herc says he can’t because he didn’t finish his labors which Mary Margaret knows because Cerberus is still here. She tells him he’s the only one strong enough to defeat the beast and save her daughter’s boyfriend. Herc says that hero is dead, but Mary Margaret reminds him not to let fear of failure keep him from trying.
Down below, Hook’s tossed on the floor at Hades’ feet. Even though he’s in bad shape physically, he claims he’s going to kill Hades. Hades says that’s impossible, but Hook continues to talk big because, well, he’s Captain Hook.
Robin and Henry attempt to find the maps but there’s a protection spell put in place by Cora. Robin finds a way into the room through the vent, and Henry heads in because he knows where the maps are kept. Once in the room, he immediately runs into Cruella who asks after his mother. “Oh, yes, with you I have to be more specific. How’s the one that killed me?”
Hercules, Mary Margaret, Regina, and Emma head down into the tunnel, and Regina questions whether he can take down the beast. Herc leaves them behind as he goes to fight Cerberus.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, the bandit is stealing from her people when Snow shoots an arrow in warning, telling him to leave her lands and leave her people behind. He doesn’t take her seriously, and she fumbles for another arrow. Just then Hercules slams the ground, shaking the earth and telling the bandits they’ll have to answer to him if they don’t leave her alone.
The bandit shows up at the castle where he gets his payday from Queen Regina who has set this up to turn Snow’s people against her.
Jennifer Morrison, Jonathan Whitesell, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Lana Parrilla in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (Photo by Elke Schroter / ABC)
In the Underworld, Hercules walks through the tunnel until he encounters Cerberus. He drops his sword, scared to death, and runs back to Mary Margaret, Regina, and Emma. They prepare for battle when they hear a whistle, the beast retreats, and Hades appears. Regina knows Hades, Hercules’ uncle, and demands to know why this “hellhole” looks like Storybrooke. Hades won’t answer and Hercules warns him to leave them alone. Hades asks if Herc thought he could really face Cerberus again – and Mary Margaret realizes that’s how Herc died. Mary Margaret says she’s not afraid of him, but Hades says she should be or else he’ll come after her family. Emma doesn’t take the threat lightly but Hades has a message for her, showing her Hook’s bloody hook which is now detached from his body. He warns her she should be worried about what he’s about to do.
Cruella wants Henry’s help. She says they have two choices in this Underworld: leaving for a better place or a worse one. She needs a third choice: to go back to the real world. She misses the gin, the glamour…the gin. Cruella says Henry’s still the author, despite what he was told. Henry tells her destroyed the quill but Cruella says the quill is actually a living, breathing energy and that when he broke it, he sent it to the Underworld. Its purpose isn’t fulfilled and she’ll help him find it so that she can go back to the real world. By helping her, Regina will be restored to a pure soul because she won’t be a murderer any longer.
Mary Margaret’s sitting on her bed in the Charming house when Regina tells her they need her to get back out and help them. Mary Margaret says she can’t because it’s all her fault. She thought Hercules could help them. Regina reminds her that Mary Margaret doesn’t give up, and that she actually defeated her and made her her friend. Regina says they need Snow White not Mary Margaret right now.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, Snow tells Herc she can’t be a leader and that Regina will be a better leader. Herc says no one wins every battle, telling her his first labor nearly killed him. He explains the lion’s fur was impenetrable and he couldn’t stab him, but he accidentally dropped his torch, burned the lion’s fur, and was then able to stab him.
Back in the Underworld, Snow demands Herc pick up the sword and try to defeat Cerberus. She wants to know how he was killed. Herc says when he would face one head, the other two heads would attack. Herc says he never should have fought him alone, and Snow says this time he won’t. She became the hero that Herc thought she could be and they will fight Cerberus and win.
Regina, the girl, David, and Emma are at the Charming house when Cerberus breaks through the roof. They run with Cerberus hot on their heels.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, the bandits continue to steal from Snow’s people. Snow shows up again and this time she’s much more forceful. She doesn’t fumble for her arrow and her aim is true. She forces the bandits to lower their weapons and tells them this is over. Her people will no longer be robbed and terrorized. Snow’s a hero because of Hercules’ training! But, that means Herc has to head out on his final labor. They kiss after he tells her she’s going to make an amazing queen.
Back in the Underworld, Mary Margaret and Hercules meet up with Emma, Regina, and David who held off Cerberus long enough for the girl to escape. They split up to find the girl before Cerberus does, with Mary Margaret and Herc finding her right before Cerberus shows up. They run into the library and Mary Margaret says they have to hit all three heads at once, but that means the girl will have to help. Herc gives her his dagger as Cerberus begins to break down the door. Herc has a pipe, the girl a dagger, and Mary Margaret her arrows. Mary Margaret yells “Now!” and they each take on one head. That’s enough to kill the beast. After it’s vanished, Herc thanks the girl and she introduces herself as Meg (we knew that, but now she’s actually said it).
The gang meets at the diner where Herc and Meg continue to flirt. He tells her he thinks they’ve met before, and she reveals they met years ago when he tried to save her but Cerberus got her right after he got Herc. He apologizes for not saving her then, and she says he made up for it now. She thanks him and their hands touch as Mary Margaret realizes maybe defeating Cerberus wasn’t Herc’s only unfinished business. And then Mary Margaret has an epiphany. She tells Emma that back in the Enchanted Forest she was strong, took risks, and inspired people, and she doesn’t want to ever forget that. She doesn’t want to be Mary Margaret anymore; she wants to be Snow White again! “Well it’s about time!” replies Regina.
Meanwhile, Henry crawls out of the room and tells David he didn’t find anything. He doesn’t tell David about Cruella.
Hercules and Meg stand above the flaming pit, and the gang is there to say goodbye. Meg wants Emma to tell Hook she did the right thing and that it was right for him to trust her. Hercules volunteers to stay and help them find Hook, but Snow says he and Meg have to go before Hades finds them. Herc tells her she became an amazing hero and after one final long hug, Meg and Herc step out onto the bridge over the pit and into the white light. He’s incredibly happy as he sees Mt. Olympus.
Back underground, Hades tells Hook the girl he helped has moved on from this world. Hook tells him to get on with killing him but Hades says he actually wants to punish his friends for all of the trouble they’ve caused. “From now on for every soul that your friends free, one of them is going to have to stay,” says Hades, creating three tombstones in front of Hook. “And Captain, you get to decide who.”
‘Labor of Love’ Review:
Hercules popped into the Once Upon a Time world, reminded Snow White she’s a warrior hero, killed a three-headed hellhound, found love, and headed off to Mt. Olympus. We may see him again in flashbacks as Once likes to revisit characters, but this will likely be Jonathan Whitesell’s longest appearance on the show even if he does return to further Snow’s hero journey. Whitesell did a terrific job with Hercules, as did Kacey Rohl as Meg, Hook’s fellow captive in hell.
The episode also gave us our first lengthy look at a bruised and bloodied Hook, which was better than the flickering glimpse we got of the sexy pirate in the 100th episode. It also advanced Hades’ character arc, showing he’s completely evil but with a dark sense of humor. But, surprisingly, ‘Labor of Love’ turned out to really be a pivotal episode for Ginnifer Goodwin as she said goodbye to Mary Margaret and got back in touch with her inner Snow. With Regina’s help, Snow embraced her past and shed the ‘Mary Margaret’ name for good. It’ll be interesting to see how that affects Goodwin’s character moving forward and if alters any of the relationships among Storybrooke characters once they exit the Underworld.
Owen Danoff performs on ‘The Voice’ (Photo by Tyler Golden / NBC)
The Voice coach Blake Shelton seems determined to drive Christina Aguilera crazy on season 10 of NBC’s award-winning series, and in episode four he found the best way to get under her skin was to buzz in at the very last second multiple times. However, despite Blake’s best efforts Christina’s been able to snag a collection of very talented singers for her team including back-up singer Támar Davis; Chelsea Gann who proved she has a huge voice singing Martina McBride’s “Wild Angels”; operatic pop singer Daniel Passino auditioning with “Marvin Gaye”; and Joe Maye who had the experience of a lifetime when Christina joined him onstage for a duet after his audition.
But don’t feel sorry for the Mayor of Blakeville as Shelton’s been dubbed this season. Among those committing to Team Blake on episode four of season 10 were Justin Whisnant, Teresa Guidry, and Brittney Lawrence who sang Demi Lovato’s “Warrior” after finally getting the opportunity to perform in front of The Voice coaches after trying out seven times without making it to the big stage.
Team Adam’s season 10 team now includes Owen Danoff, the son of Grammy winner Bill Danoff from Starland Vocal Band (“Afternoon Delight”), and Matt Tedder whose bluesy voice and slide guitar made Adam turn his chair quickly. Brit Jessica Crosbie took on a Coldplay song and earned a spot on Pharrell Williams’ team, and Maya Smith’s rendition of “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” won over both Pharrell and Christina, with Smith ultimately choosing Pharrell.
Following the episode, new Blake, Christina, Adam, and Pharrell team members took part in a conference call to talk about their experiences on The Voice.
The Voice Season 10 Episode 4 Contestants Interview:
Chelsea, we didn’t get to see your audition. What did we miss and how do you feel your audition went?
Chelsea Gann: “I was really, really, really excited to audition. I got nervous whenever I hit the stage, so that was hard for me to get over because it just all kind of kicked in. But there’s just an overwhelming sense of excitement and gratitude and such a blessing. And, you know, I love that I was able to sing Martina McBride. She’s literally my favorite artist and the number one artist that I look up to vocally so I was very honored to get to sing her song. And the parts that weren’t shown [were], incredible for me. At the end, I got to chat with Christina a little bit and it was just an overall great experience. Like I said, I’m just very grateful.”
Joe Maye (Photo: Tyler Golden/NBC)
Joe, could talk about performing with Christina?
Joe Maye: “It was pretty exciting. It’s funny because a lot of people were asking me about it and it’s like I literally got so lost in the moment I felt like I blacked out. When I was watching it myself on TV, it almost felt like I didn’t know who that was, like I was watching somebody else. It was like a complete out-of-body experience and something just took over and I just got lost in the moment with her. And, it was everything. It was life-changing. So, I’m just so grateful that she shared that moment and made me a part of that with her.”
Chelsea, you’re from a small town in Oklahoma. How have you been sort of pursuing your music? Was there a watch party in Liberty Mounds, America?
Chelsea Gann: “Yes, Liberty Mounds, America. Yes, everybody came out to what I consider the focal point of the town, is a store called the Tigers Den. We call it that because our mascot for the school is tigers. Everybody just came out and it was amazing how many people took time out of their busy day to do that. And how cool was that, you know?
Coming from a small town, like there’s nothing to do out here. The only singing I do out here if it’s not in church, it’s at sporting events at the school. So to pursue it I literally just go all over Tulsa, do what I can in Tulsa as far as singing, collaborating with other people and other bands. I sing the National Anthem at tons of events most of them being at the BOK Center out here. And then I do sing out of town sometimes as well. It’s kind of hard here, but it almost makes me want to work harder because I can’t let being from a small town hold me back from pursuing my dreams.”
Jessica, how did you pick that arrangement of a Coldplay song?
Jessica Crosbie: “I started playing that song as a cover like four years ago, and I always tend to take songs and slow them down and play them on my guitar. So that was just a song that I covered and I just felt like I’d gotten a good response from it from my family and friends, so I thought it would be a great one to do for my audition.
I always tend to make things more the singer/songwriter vibe, so I just [thought] that that would be good for the show. It was a risk because I guess I was worried it wasn’t the same as the original and maybe people would be turned off by that. But I’m really happy that they responded so well to it.”
You said you lost some confidence in your music and you were looking for The Voice to help restore that. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
Jessica Crosbie: “Yes. I think well, when I moved to America from England, I had come from a really small music scene. And then I came to Atlanta and I was suddenly part of a huge music scene. I think everybody struggles with comparing themselves and probably not feeling good enough when you’re around so many amazing people and it’s a daily struggle to just remind yourself that you are you and no one else can be you and you can’t be anybody else. So, it was just a journey of regaining that confidence and just letting myself be in that better head space about believing in myself.”
What is the first thing you do to get yourself ready to take a big stage like this in front of a national audience? How do you get over your nerves?
Brittney Lawrence: “You know, I don’t waste my time on being nervous. I think because being nervous is only going to make my voice even weaker. And the thing is like I’ve worked so hard and I’ve auditioned so many times, that it would’ve really stunk to go on out there and if I was super nervous, that would’ve really stunk, you know, and let my nerves get the best of me. So right before I went on, I just took a deep breath and I was like, ‘You know what? This is my time. I finally made it here and it’s my time to shine.’”
Daniel Passino: “I was just going to say I think it’s important to realize that – and I think everyone understands – is that we’re not performing our own songs. We’re performing other people’s songs. So, I think the best way to go about this — and I talked to Christina about this a little bit — it’s the idea that you’re a character when you’re performing that song and you’re basically that person. You’re telling their story. So I feel like I always try to get into that mindset when you’re gong onstage. And so by the time you’re on stage, you’re really not yourself. It’s almost like you’re acting, you know what I mean? You’re a character. You’re that character and you’re trying to portray that story to people.”
Chelsea, what’s it like being on Team Christina?
Chelsea Gann: “Christina – and no one can deny this – she has a legendary voice. She is probably one of the — no, she is one of the best vocalists that has ever existed and will ever exist. And so being on her team is extremely flattering for me because even though we don’t sing the same genre of music, she understands music itself. And to be taught by her and to feed off of pointers and to be able to just learn what she wants you to learn, wants me to learn, has just been a really cool experience because not everybody can say that they’ve learned from Christina Aguilera. I’m so excited with what she has left to teach.”
Daniel Passino (Photo: Tyler Golden / NBC)
Daniel, you’ve been a member of the a cappella group at the University of Michigan. What other performing have you done?
Daniel Passino: “Ever since I’ve been in college, I’ve been studying music at the University of Michigan and that entails being in choir. I’ve been in university choir here. I’ve sung in Orpheus Singers, which is another choir, upper-level choir. I’ve sung in a world choir festival in Portugal, just as an ensemble number, we did Carmina Burana. I sing in the University of Michigan’s Men’s Glee Club. That’s the second-oldest collegiate choir in the entire world. I’m a member of The Friars, which is a subset a cappella group at Michigan and in Glee Club. You know, Michigan is just a great environment and we have so many opportunities for singing. We were nominated for a Grammy, actually, two years ago for Best Opera Recording.
I’ve always aspired to be a pop singer, but because of where I come from – I’m from the Midwest – and we don’t really have like that big market vibe. I didn’t want to go too far away from where I was going to school and talking to my dad and talking to my professors, they thought it would be best for me to start and study classical music because that’s kind of the foundation of music. If you want to be a pop singer, all music basically originated from Baroque style music, classical music, so I thought it would be important to learn how to properly sing, how to properly breathe, and how to properly act and do all of these things. That’s why I decided to study classical music.
The solo performances that I have had, they’re all in the Glee Club at Michigan and we performed at Lincoln Center. We performed at Carnegie Hall. We performed at Mormon Tabernacle. I’ve had solos at all of these venues, so it’s always been a classical vibe. So, The Voice yesterday, that was really something very new to me and it was so exciting to kind of get up there and do what all of your idols have done, like Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake. You kind of get to be who you’ve always wanted to be.”
Maya, what type of music do you typically perform?
Maya Smith: “I actually haven’t had much experience. I’ve always been a lover of music, but never necessarily had all of the resources. Like when I was a kid, I was learning how to play violin and then they like took music out of the schools. And because of like my severe shyness, I lack a whole lot of experience because I just wouldn’t get up in front of people you know, until just a few years ago. But the type of music that I love to sing the most is soul music, like all day every day. Aretha Franklin is one of my favorites. Also Lauren Hill, Erykah Badu, you know, those are the types of things that I love to sing. Right now I’m just working on the confidence building. You know, I have years and years and years to make up for.”
Matt, have you been performing as part of a band? Solo? Have you released any music?
Matt Tedder: “I’ve gone back and forth as a solo artist and band projects. There’s so much going on in Nashville and I just think it’s kind of fun to dip and dab and get involved into different types of projects. I think it taught me a lot about being in several bands and then doing my solo project thing and playing on the street, like all these different environments that I’ve been a part of have taught me a lot. But, I have not released any music yet. I’m very hopeful for it in the future. I’ve written a bunch of songs that I’d like to put out as a solo artist, but also with a band backing me up. I love playing with a band. But, you know, sometimes to pay the bills and things like that, it might be more economical to do solo act. But you can’t argue the fact that a band is just such a powerful sound.”
Jessica, you talked about Maroon 5 being a major influence but you wound up going with Pharrell. Why did you choose him?
Jessica Crosbie: “I am still and always was a huge Maroon 5 fan and Songs About Jane which is a huge inspiration to me. I went in there thinking, you know, anybody that turned around for me, I would be grateful to work with. But because I had been such a fan of his, I guess I was leaning towards that. But in the moment, when I had all of my options in front of me, I genuinely considered all of them. They were so gracious and wonderful in everything they said. But I just felt a very strong connection to Pharrell and what he said to me about never getting in the way, only to hold a mirror up to show me myself. That just completely swayed me, and I know I made the right choice.”
Owen, you had a lot of options. Why did you go with Adam?
Owen Danoff: “Going into it, honestly, I thought I was going to go with Pharrell or Blake. And then Adam was the first to turn around and complimented my guitar playing, which goes a long way with me. Everything kind of came flooding back to me. I had been a Maroon 5 fan for a very long time and I thought that we just had – I thought he really understood where I was coming from. I grew up listening to pop-rock and all that stuff. I think it just was the best fit in terms of genre, so I went with my gut in the moment and ended up picking him.”
Brittney, you had had a choice between Christina and Blake and you went with Blake. Why was that?
Brittney Lawrence: “That seems to be the question is why didn’t I pick her. And to be completely honest with you, she’s my girl. I went out there thinking, ‘Oh my gosh,’ you know? I mean, even before I walked on I’m like, ‘I can’t believe she’s back.’ Like, ‘My gosh that’s so surreal.’ And I was completely convinced that like first of all, if anybody would’ve turned around, I would’ve gone with anybody because it’s just a privilege to work with anybody. But she is like my idol. I always loved singing her stuff. My first ever competition I ever won was one of her songs and I love her so much.
And then when I got to choose between Blake or Christina, looking back now I’m going, ‘Oh my gosh,’ you know, because it was just so crazy. You know, a crazy moment. I was listening to both coaches and what they had to say to me, and I don’t know. There was just something that Blake said and that’s why I went with him. I don’t know. It just was a great feeling and I was completely shocked myself that I went with him over her. I never thought I’d choose anybody over Christina. But, yes, I’m really happy that I went with Blake, you know? He’s a great guy and he’s hilarious and he’s an awesome coach.”
Brittney, this was your seventh time trying out. What’s the farthest you had made it previously?
Brittney Lawrence: “Well, the first mass calls with everybody, the open calls bring in thousands of people. I’ve made those a couple times. And then I’ve made it to like the second round a couple times. And then there’s multiple steps, obviously, before you get to your blind audition. That’s why there’s so many incredible people. When you watch it on TV – that’s usually where I would not get the call to continue and everything, which is cool. When I first started I thought yes, I have a chance. And then I would go out there and hear all of this amazing talent and go, ‘Well, I’d better work on it.’ So I feel like this time, this is the actual time that, ‘Hey, I can hang here,’ kind of thing.”
Maya, can you explain what made you go with Pharrell?
Maya Smith: “I knew that I was going to pick Pharrell even when trying out for The Voice was just a daydream when I was work. You know, when I’m at work just thinking about trying out for The Voice, I just knew that it was always going to be Pharrell because I’ve been a fan of Pharrell’s literally since I was a kid, since I was in middle school, since he was producing records with Neptunes and N.E.R.D. I’ve been a fan of his.
I love Christina. I really do. I’ve always been a fan of hers too, but unfortunately I already knew who I was going with, no matter what. So Pharrell turned his chair around and that’s who I was going to go with.”
Storks isn’t opening in theaters until later this year, however Warner Bros Pictures took advantage of the Kids’ Choice Awards‘ young audience to show off a new trailer for the bird-friendly animated comedy. Directed by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Neighbors) and first time feature film helmer Doug Sweetland from a script by Stoller, the voice cast includes Andy Samberg, Kelsey Grammer, Katie Crown, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, and Danny Trejo. The Lego Movie filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller executive produce along with Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, and Jared Stern. Storks is set to fly into theaters on September 23, 2016.
The Plot: Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for a global internet retail giant. Junior, the company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to deliver this bundle of trouble before the boss gets wise, Junior and his friend Tulip, the only human on Stork Mountain, race to make their first-ever baby drop – in a wild and revealing journey that could make more than one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in the world.
