Timothy Hutton in ‘American Crime’ season two (Photo by Ryan Green / ABC) TIMOTHY HUTTON
Season two of ABC’s critically acclaimed dramatic series American Crime will premiere on January 6, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT and the show’s setting will switch from central California to the Midwest. According to ABC, season two will tackle “sexual identity and the disparity of the school systems.”
Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) created the series and serves as executive producer along with Michael J. McDonald. Season one premiered on March 5, 2015 and earned 10 Primetime Emmy nominations, with Regina King winning in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie category.
Details on American Crime Season Two:
Issues of sexual orientation and socioeconomic disparity come to a boil when lurid photos of a high school boy, Taylor Blaine, are posted on social media following a school party. Circumstances become more complicated when Taylor accuses two players on an elite private high school’s championship basketball team, Kevin LaCroix and Eric Tanner, of drugging, assaulting and then posting the pictures of him online. The team’s head coach, Dan Sullivan, tries to unite the players, while overlooking the dysfunction of his own family. Headmistress Leslie Graham struggles to maintain the school’s reputation in the face of accusations of privilege and cover up.
Taylor’s mother, Anne, remains a steadfast supporter of her son, despite being publicly assailed by the school’s wealthy families, principle among them the LaCroixs. Taylor’s girlfriend, Evy, deals with racial tension at her own school, led by Principal Chris Dixon. While the two schools at the center of the story are worlds apart in status, the lives of the students and teachers at both become inextricably linked.
Ultimately, support for Taylor comes from an unlikely place – a person who Taylor and his mother have never previously met, and who inhabits the fringes of the online community.
American Crime stars Felicity Huffman as Leslie Graham, Timothy Hutton as Dan Sullivan, Lili Taylor as Anne Blaine, Elvis Nolasco as Chris Dixon, Trevor Jackson as Kevin LaCroix, Connor Jessup as Taylor Blaine, Joey Pollari as Eric Tanner, Angelique Rivera as Evy Dominguez and Regina King as Terri LaCroix.
Recurring guest stars this season include Andre Benjamin as Michael LaCroix, Hope Davis as Steph Sullivan, and Richard Cabral as Sebastian De La Torre.
Jaimie Alexander as Jane Doe, Audrey Esparza as Tasha Zapata, Rob Brown as Edgar Reed, and Sullivan Stapleton as Kurt Weller in ‘Blindspot’ (Photo by Giovanni Rufino / NBC)
NBC’s new dramatic series Blindspot has earned a second season renewal. Season one is currently airing on Monday nights at 10pm ET/PT and since its premiere on September 21, 2015, Blindspot has been averaging 12.7 million viewers. The series stars Jaimie Alexander as a woman suffering from amnesia who is found in Times Square naked and covered in tattoos. Sullivan Stapleton co-stars as the FBI agent who works closely with her as they attempt to solve the puzzle behind her elaborate tattoos.
“We are over the moon with the success of Blindspot, and want to thank our producers and amazing cast for creating one of the most riveting shows on television. Jaimie and Sullivan have done an amazing job of ratcheting up the tension each week in trying to unravel the mystery of Jane’s tattoos,” stated Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment, announcing the show’s second season renewal. “We literally can’t wait to see what the second season will bring.”
According to NBC, Blindspot is the number one new series among adults 18-49. The cast also includes Audrey Esparza, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Rob Brown, Ukweli Roach, and Ashley Johnson. The series is written by Martin Gero who also executive produces along with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Mark Pellington, and Marcos Siega.
Lily James and Jai Courtney in a scene from ‘Kaiser’s Last Kiss’
The first photo has been released of The Kaiser’s Last Kiss stars Lily James (Cinderella and the upcoming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) as Mieke de Jong and Jai Courtney (Terminator Genisys) as Captain Stefan Brandt. Production has wrapped on the dramatic movie based on Alan Judd’s bestselling book. The WWII drama was adapted for the screen by Simon Burke, directed by David Leveaux, and features Christopher Plummer, Eddie Marsan, and Janet McTeer.
The Kaiser’s Last Kiss Plot:
The Kaiser’s Last Kiss takes place around the 1940 invasion of Holland which brings the Nazis face to face with their former monarch, Kaiser Wilhelm (Plummer) – exiled to the Netherlands since 1917. In an effort to thwart the Nazis, the Dutch resistance work covertly with Winston Churchill in inserting an agent into the Kaiser’s household. A lethally dangerous love affair ignites between a German officer (Courtney) and a young Jewish Dutch woman (James) with consequences that neither they nor the Kaiser himself could have foreseen. As the Nazis race to identify and eliminate the agent, the threads of history conspire with the recklessness of the heart to dumbfound them.
The science fiction thriller 400 Days will be the first film under the new Syfy Films banner to open in theaters, and the production company has set a January 12, 2016 theatrical release along with a simultaneous release on VOD. In addition to the release date announcement, a new trailer’s arrived for the sci-fi film from writer/director Matt Osterman (Ghost from the Machine) and starring Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, Ben Feldman, Dane Cook, Tom Cavanagh, and Grant Bowler. New Artists Alliance and XLrator Media co-produced the film.
The 400 Days Plot:
400 Days centers on four astronauts sent on a simulated mission to a distant planet to test the psychological effects of deep space travel. Locked away for 400 days, the crew’s mental state begins to deteriorate when they lose all communication with the outside world.
Netflix just announced the premiere date for the documentary series Making a Murderer from directors Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi. The 10-part documentary series will be released on December 18, 2015 only on Netflix. Attendees of the DOC NYC Film Festival will have the opportunity to view the first two episodes on November 13th before they officially premiere on Netflix.
“There are an unbelievable number of twists and turns in the story arc of Making a Murderer, it feels like it has to be fictional,” stated Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentary Programming. “Ricciardi and Demos have navigated very complex terrain and skillfully woven together an incredible series that leaves you feeling like you’re right in the middle of the action.”
“If we had not been there to witness these events we would have trouble believing they actually occurred. Our goal has always been to share that experience with viewers. Our partnership with Netflix has allowed us to tell this story in a way that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else,” said directors Ricciardi and Demos.
The Making a Murderer Plot:
Inspired by a newspaper article from 2005, directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos have spent the last decade documenting an unprecedented real-life thriller that spans more than thirty years. Set in America’s Heartland, Making a Murderer follows the harrowing story of Steven Avery, an outsider from the wrong side of the tracks, convicted and later exonerated of a brutal assault. His release triggered major criminal justice reform legislation, and he filed a lawsuit that threatened to expose corruption in local law enforcement and award him millions of dollars. But in the midst of his very public civil case, he suddenly finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime.
The series takes viewers inside a riveting, high-stakes criminal case where reputation is everything and things are never as they appear. The filmmakers have documented every angle of the story, following the second investigation and ensuing trial of the accused, petitioning the court to avoid having to turn over their footage, gathering archival materials, and interviewing those closest to the case.
Making a Murderer examines allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct, evidence tampering and witness coercion. The filmmakers look at what went wrong in the first case and question whether scientific advances and legislative reforms over the past three decades have gotten us any closer to delivering truth and justice in the system.
Blake Shelton’s agreeable to getting slimed as he’s said yes to hosting Nickelodeon’s 2016 Kids’ Choice Awards. The Voice coach/award-winning Country artist will host the show set to air live on Nickelodeon channels worldwide on Saturday, March 12, 2016.
The annual kid-friendly slimefest celebrates the best of television, music, and movies, with the winners chosen by online votes in at least 21 categories (new categories could be added for the 2016 awards show).
“I’ve been on countless stages throughout my life, but none have promised the madness, excitement and endless slime as Nick’s Kids’ Choice Awards, which is undoubtedly the ultimate party for kids. There is only one team here, and it’s Team Kids’ Choice so bring it on Nickelodeon!,” stated newly-named host Shelton.
Additional celebrity performers and presenters will be announced closer to the show date. The 2016 Kids’ Choice Awards will be executive produced by Elizabeth Kelly, Michael Dempsey, Shelly Sumpter Gillyard and Jay Schmalholz.
Shelton’s no stranger to hosting awards shows having handled the Academy of Country Music Awards co-hosting gig five years in a row. With his 2016 appearance on the Kids’ Choice Awards, he’ll be joining a list of celebrities who’ve tackled the hosting job that includes Nick Jonas, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Josh Duhamel, Will Smith, Jack Black, Justin Timberlake, and Rosie O’Donnell.
Ross Marquand as Aaron in ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo Credit: Gene Page / AMC)“I’m pregnant,” yells Maggie (Lauren Cohan) to Aaron (Ross Marquand) as she stops them from exiting the sewer outside of Alexandria to go to look for Glenn in episode five of the sixth season of AMC’s horror/drama series The Walking Dead.
The fate of Rick (Andrew Lincoln) is revealed early in this episode as Michonne (Danai Gurira), Maggie, Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh), and other residents of Alexandria hear him screaming, “Open the gate!” as tries to outrun hungry walkers following right behind him. Apparently he was able to get out of the RV just ahead of the zombies, staying ahead of them as he attempts to make it back to Alexandria alive. Unfortunately, almost of the original herd of walkers are hot on his heels and approaching the town’s walls. The gate opens, Rick is let in, and then the gates are able to close behind him before any walkers can get in. Now the undead are right outside the gate, clawing, pushing, and biting at it, trying to find a way in. Rick tells the townspeople that for now the walls will hold but some are wondering if they will even survive the night. They now have death right outside their town and begin to blame Rick for it until Aaron steps forward and defends Rick’s plan to lead the herd of zombies away. He even admits it’s his fault that the killers known as the Wolves showed up here because he dropped photos of their town which the Wolves obviously found and tracked back to Alexandria.
Still believing that this is the beginning of the end, some townspeople decide to raid the storage shed for all the supplies. It’s Deanna’s son, Spencer (Austin Nichols), who rises to the occasion and stops them with a very strong speech about how if they do this, then it really will be the beginning of the end of everything they have built and who they are. The other residents, feeling ashamed of their behavior, decide to stop and only take what they need for the night. However, Spencer returns later and raids the food and alcohol himself. He feels he deserves it and no one will know it was him, but when his mother finds out she’s both surprised and disappointed by his actions. The two argue and Spencer finally tells his mother that it’s really her fault the townspeople aren’t ready to face the walkers and deal with the nightmare that is this world because she sheltered them from it. He leaves the room, telling her in a drunken stupor that the townspeople’s deaths, including her husband’s, is on her.
Having heard from Michonne that Glenn said he would send off a signal flare if he got into trouble or stuck and that he never did, Maggie decides she’s going to go out and look for her husband. Aaron notices her getting supplies but instead of trying to stop her – like he could – he tells her he’s going with her and that he knows another way out so they don’t have to exit from the gate and fight off all the walkers. Aaron takes Maggie to a sewer opening, telling her it will take them out underneath the walls and it should be far enough away from the walkers outside. While traveling through the sewer system and arguing about whether Aaron should go back or not, the two are attacked by two disgusting, decaying walkers who are so horrid it makes the scene almost unbearable to watch. Aaron proves his worth and not only stops the sewer zombie trying to chow down on him but saves Maggie who’s losing the struggle with the other walker. They travel on and come to a final gate but there are walkers on the other side. Maggie realizes she’s on a fool’s errand and decides not to continue. Aaron says he’ll go but Maggie becomes adamant and yells, “No!” which draws the walkers right to the gate making it impossible to continue on. This is when she reveals to Aaron that she’s pregnant with Glenn’s baby and that she doesn’t get to know what happened to Glenn. She continues to tell Aaron that she burned the last and only photo she had of Glenn telling him she would never let him be out of her sight and she just wants to see his face again.
Back at Alexandria, Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge) is checking on one of her neighbors when the walker version of her neighbor comes to the window trying to attack her. Some other townspeople show up to watch as Jessie takes her knife and opens the door to put down the zombie neighbor. Jessie then turns to them and says this is the way life is now and that they need to accept it or die.
Deanna, who’s not been much more than a walking space cadet for most of the episode, finally shakes off the shock when a zombie who used to be a Wolf (he’d crawled off to die under a house after losing a battle with Carol) attacks. Deanna fights back and stabs the zombie with some broken glass multiple times but still has to be saved by Rick who comes racing up and stabs the undead in the head. Deanna admits to Rick that the town needs him to lead them.
Rick hears about Jessie’s encounter with the walker and pays her a visit to see how she’s holding up. Jessie’s still hoping there is more in this world than just surviving and killing walkers, and she asks Rick to tell her there’s some sort of future for them. Instead of answering, Rick kisses her and this time she passionately responds to his kiss.
The episode ends with Maggie and Aaron washing off Glenn’s and Nicholas’ names from the memorial wall some of the others created to show respect. The erasing of the two names is because they truly don’t know if they are dead or not – like US, the viewers – and Aaron takes the time to mention to Maggie that “when” Glenn comes back she might mention that his name, Aaron, works equally well for either a baby boy or a girl.
The Walking Dead Episode 5 “Now” Review:
Slow, at times disgusting, and surprisingly boring, season six episode five titled “Now” is easily the least eventful episode of the season. The episode served to further stretch out the unknown fate of fan favorite Glenn and revealed just one new plot point with Maggie being pregnant, something which most viewers probably saw coming a mile away.
This is easily the most forgettable episode as almost nothing important happens except for Maggie’s revelation. In fact, the only reason to watch this episode is for Lauren Cohan and Ross Marquand’s performances. Both actors shine and play wonderfully off each other. Cohan as Maggie captures perfectly the determination, heartbreak and eventual breakdown of Maggie who realizes she must put herself and her baby first over trying to find out what happened to her true love. It’s a powerful scene played beautifully by Cohan as she talks about destroying the only photograph she had of Glenn and having to live with the fact her baby may never know his/her father. When you think of how many loved ones Maggie has lost in this world, her mother, brother, father, sister and now most likely her husband, it’s a wonder she’s not half mentally and emotionally gone. Marquand is solid as Aaron, still carrying and feeling the weight of his mistakes that led to the town being attacked by the Wolves and seeing looking out for Maggie as part of his penance. He proves his strength and worth by saving her and staying with her on the journey through the sewer and back again.
One of the few other memorable scenes was the tender moment between Rick and Jessie when they finally give into the attraction they feel towards each other.
Unfortunately, the rest of the episode is tedious with the local Alexandrians STILL coming to terms with having to learn how to fight and survive in a zombie apocalypse (SNORE). C’mon, people! Rick has been telling you this since arriving in Alexandria back in season five. When are they going to wake up and get a clue?!
With the fate of Glenn still unknown and Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham still out on the road leading the other half of the herd of walkers away from Alexandria, here’s hoping that The Walking Dead season six episode six answers a few questions about their fates and about the future of the town’s safety.
Caroline Ford as Nimue and Elliot Knight as Merlin in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (Photo by Jack Rowand / ABC)ABC’s Once Upon a Time‘s seventh episode of season five delved further into Merlin’s backstory and introduced a key player in both Merlin’s life and this season’s major storyline. Episode seven also revealed information on the history of the Dark Ones and on the very first Dark One in particular. The episode titled “Nimue” traveled through multiple new time periods in history to chart the creation of Excalibur and ended with Emma surrounded by all of the Dark Ones as she prepared to reunite the two halves of the sword.
Recap of Once Upon a Time Season Five Episode Seven:
The Dark One (Jennifer Morrison) lays the dagger on Excalibur’s stone, and Rumple (Robert Carlyle) tells her the sword represents not just power but history. He also says it’s time for the sword’s promise to be fulfilled.
Flash way, way, way back to 1,000 years before the time of Arthur. Merlin (Elliot Knight) and another man are near death, stumbling through the barren wasteland. They see the Holy Grail and Merlin’s friend touches it and immediately turns to ash. Merlin asks the heavens for permission and then grasps the cup. He drinks his fill and touches the ground. All around him the dirt and rocks turn to a lush green forest.
Back in Camelot, Merlin tells the gang he believes he can reunite the sword and save Emma. But, of course, there’s a catch. He needs the magical means to reunite the blades as well as the two halves. Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) is not happy about Merlin’s inability to give specific answers, and he doesn’t think he can really help Emma who is at that very moment busy making things to pull the memories out of people’s heads. Merlin understands Hook’s pain, but he asks them to bring him the sword and to have patience with Emma. Darkness is a weight on Emma’s soul, but love will help her.
200 years earlier, Merlin’s healing people in a village when a woman shows up. He sends his young apprentice away and unable to see the woman’s future, asks her what she needs. The woman says her village was attacked by Vortigan, a masked man who burns towns to the grounds. Vortigan killed everyone and she wants Merlin to grant her revenge. She has special seeds for flowers that live only in her village, and her revenge is for them to live on. She plants them with Merlin and says she’ll check them out in spring. Merlin makes them bloom now so she doesn’t have to wait, and she introduces herself as Nimue (Caroline Ford).
In Camelot, Emma is busy making dreamcatchers and Merlin explains there’s a way to make the blade whole again. They need a spark from mankind’s first fire, the Flame of Prometheus. The spark is not far away. Emma senses Merlin is hiding something and Merlin says they’ll have to deal with the first Dark One to get the spark. This person is the one from whom all the evil was born. Merlin sees two possible outcomes: they succeed and Emma resists the darkness, or Merlin dies and the darkness stains her soul. If they lose she would become the most powerful Dark One in history.
Hook says his goodbyes to Emma and she tells him, “I’ll work my way back to you, babe.” Hook knows she’s quoting something from pop culture but not what. Hook gives her his ring, saying it’s the reason he’s alive. Emma says she’s immortal and can’t die, but Hook tells her she’s not immortal, the Dark One is. Either way, she needs to take the ring so she’ll remember she has a pirate who loves her. They kiss and Merlin tells her it’s time to go.
Years earlier, Merlin confides to Nimue that he doesn’t know whether to help a man who has always helped everyone, who’s now tired and wants to marry the woman he loves and grow old together. Of course he’s talking about himself and Nimue asks what the obstacle is. Merlin explains his magic is a gift because he found the Holy Grail, drank from it, and received magic and eternal life. That was 500 years ago. He doesn’t age or die, and would have to watch Nimue die if he marries her. He still has the Holy Grail and she says she’ll drink from it too. But, Merlin doesn’t want her to because of what it does to a person after a while. He suggests they take the Grail, make it into a sword, and use it to cut away his magic. He would give up immortality for her and he creates an engagement ring out of grass and it transforms into a gold band on her finger. They kiss and prepare to make the Holy Grail into the sword. Unfortunately, their plan is overheard by Vortigan.
In Camelot, the gang is planning how to get the sword from Arthur (Liam Garrigan). Regina (Lana Parrilla) says she can poof into Arthur’s bedroom, but Zelena (who gets her voice back just so she can offer her opinion) says that’s a horrible plan. David (Josh Dallas) scoffs at Zelena (Rebecca Mader) and she replies, “If Sir Castic would let me speak I’d tell you that I wasn’t idle during those days in there playing mute hand maiden.” She was plotting an escape and she found a way in and out of the castle.
Zelena takes them to a tunnel that’s gated. Zelena wants her magic restraint cuff off since she’s provided them with a route, but Regina won’t take it off until they get the sword. Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) is assigned to stay with Zelena, which to Zelena sounds worse than being alone in her cell.
Inside the castle, Arthur and Guinevere (Joana Metrass) are working on a potion to stop the Storybrooke gang from getting Excalibur. The potion will melt anyone down to just teeth and bones. “This is war now,” declares Arthur, telling his soldiers to throw the potion at any stranger they see.
In Camelot, Merlin and Emma walk through the woods and Emma tells him that Rumple told he’d only be with her until she embraced her powers. Now she’s worried that she accidentally embraced her powers and that deep down she believes the darkness is winning. Merlin assures her there is hope.
Years earlier, Merlin and Nimue go to her burned out village at night. Skeletons and the burnt-out remains of the buildings are all that’s left. Nimue says if she had magic like Merlin’s she’d hand out powers to strike down those who would destroy and kill. Then, they notice cups on the ground all in one small area and figure out whoever torched the village was looking for the Holy Grail. They brought it with them and Merlin performs a protection spell, but during the spell he sees a vision of the one who burned her village and knows he’s very close by. He can’t use magic to kill the man or else the darkness will take over him, so they have no choice but to flee.
Colin O’Donoghue, Josh Dallas, Ginnifer Goodwin, Rebecca Mader, Lana Parrilla, and Sean Maguire in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (Photo by Jack Rowand / ABC)
Hook, Robin (Sean Maguire), David, and Regina make it into the castle and see the soldiers carrying the cauldron with the deadly potion. Regina makes a comment about how she’s just surprised Zelena hasn’t screwed them yet.
Outside the castle Zelena breaks down, whining to Mary Margaret that Regina is always the winner and will ultimately take her baby. Mary Margaret gets too close after Zelena fakes pain from the baby, and Zelena knocks her out.
Merlin and Nimue make it to the first flame. They take out the Holy Grail and Merlin is completely committed to using it to give him the life he wishes for: the loss of his immortality. He places the Holy Grail in front of the flame and a spark fills the cup. It lifts in the air and Merlin transforms it into Excalibur. It’s gorgeous. He holds the blade and suddenly Vortigan is there. Merlin tells him the Grail is gone and Vortigan grabs Nimue. Nimue and Vortigan fight and she rips off his mask. He stabs her in the stomach and as she dies, she tells Merlin she’s sorry.
Back with Merlin and Emma, they make it to the first flame but it’s no longer there. The first Dark One took it and still possesses a single remaining ember from it. Emma has to get that ember that has the spark deep inside. Merlin hands her the dagger which he took without telling her family. She needs it to talk to the first Dark One. It’s extremely dangerous but she has to call on the spirit of the previous Dark One. The name on the dagger seems to change and Vortigan appears before her. Merlin can also see him…but actually it’s not a ‘him’. The first Dark One is Nimue wearing Vortigan’s mask!
Back in time, Merlin confronts Vortigan but Nimue – who was only pretending to be dead – rips out Vortigan’s heart. While Merlin was casting the protection spell, she secretly drank from the Holy Grail. She was just play-acting dead so that Merlin would remember what it looks like to die. Merlin warns her that if she squeezes Vortigan’s heart, she will turn completely to the dark. It will destroy their relationship, but she can not resist. The first flame dims and Nimue’s body changes. She picks up Excalibur and tells him not to even think about cutting away anyone’s magic. She breaks the blade into two pieces, apologizes, and he says he’s the one who’s sorry.
Back with Emma and Merlin, Nimue introduces herself to Emma. “How pretty. The first Dark One and the newest Dark One standing as sisters,” says Nimue. Merlin says “the creature” is the first Dark One, not the woman he loved. She tells him on his last day she’ll be his last thought, and she (and Emma) attack him with magic. Emma wants to know why Nimue would kill him if she loved him and Nimue answers, “Even when you love someone you have to say, ‘No, this is mine. You can’t take it away from me.’ And if they don’t listen, if they try to stop you from being you, then you have no choice. You have to kill them.”
Emma holds Merlin down and Nimue explains she and Emma are one and the same now. All Dark Ones must destroy the threat to them. Emma is trying not to listen to her, and Merlin is pleading with her to ignore the Dark One. Merlin tells her to let the light win and Nimue says to kill him so that Emma doesn’t go back to being nothing. “I’m not nothing! I was never nothing! The power you have I don’t need!” screams Emma, picking up the dagger and using it to command Nimue hand over the ember. “The sword you will make has more than one use,” says Nimue, telling Emma she’s not dead and will be right inside her head. Merlin’s proud of Emma and asks her how it feels to take the right path. Emma replies, “To be honest, Merlin, it feels damn good.”
As they walk back Merlin tells Emma that he and his apprentice put the sword in the stone to make sure it was safe, then he created the dagger to control Nimue. She took the mask from Vortigan and wears it now. Emma attempts to make Merlin feel better but letting him know she felt Nimue still loves him. She asks Merlin if it’s possible to have the darkness and use it for good. Merlin tells her not to let those thoughts tempt her, but it is possible that someday there could be someone worthy of wielding that much power. For now, they have to find the other half of Excalibur.
The gang makes it to the Round Table and Arthur’s there with the sword on the table, but Hook says not to touch it because it could have a spell in it. Regina freezes Arthur and tells Hook they don’t have to worry because Arthur can’t do magic. Just then Zelena enters with Mary Margaret bound and gagged. David immediately prepares to go into hero mode, but it’s Regina who wants to battle it out with her sister. Robin stops her because he’s worried about the baby.
Zelena uses one of Merlin’s spell books and makes a tethering potion and places it on the sword. Arthur picks it up and now it has Merlin’s name on its blade, which means the sword can control Merlin. David and the gang try to convince him not to do it, but Arthur summons Merlin. Merlin poofs out and Emma’s left alone in the woods. He appears at Arthur’s side and is forced to use his magic to disarm the Storybrooke gang. He tells Arthur that Emma passed the test and now they can reunite the sword. But, Arthur reveals he’s seeking glory, which is not what Merlin thought. Merlin says Arthur was like a son to him and says the future is in his hands. If he gives him the sword, they can repair everything. Arthur commands Merlin to make the Storybrooke gang leave, and that’s how they wound up back in Storybrooke in the present day.
Emma and Rumple are by the stone when Nimue shows up. Nimue wants her to use Excalibur to douse the light and tells her all of the Dark Ones are proud of her. They all look on as Emma picks up the ember from the first flame and uses it to put Excalibur back together. The sword hangs in the air and Emma remembers how when she was a child Merlin warned her to leave the sword alone. But Nimue says now she’s a woman and needs to take the power. Emma grasps the sword…
The official trailer’s arrived for the new NBC dramatic series Shades of Blue premiering in January 2016. The series stars Jennifer Lopez as an FBI agent and Ray Liotta as her boss, with Warren Kole, Dayo Okeniyi, Drea De Matteo, Hampton Fluker, Vincent Laresca and Sarah Jeffery in supporting roles. NBC’s kicking off the series with a special two-hour premiere on Thursday, January 14 at 9pm ET/PT.
Jack Orman and Adi Hasak are the series’ writers and executive producers. Lopez, Barry Levinson (pilot), Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Ryan Seacrest, and Nina Wass also executive produce.
The Shades of Blue Plot:
In a steamy new drama, Jennifer Lopez stars as sexy New York detective (and single mother) Harlee Santos, who fell in with a tight-knit group of dirty cops, taking bribes and protection money that she uses to provide the best life for her honest and talented daughter. When she’s trapped by the FBI, however, and forced to inform on her own “brothers,” she’ll have to walk the fine line between love, loyalty, honor, and betrayal, and try to keep it together for her daughter’s future.
The animated The Peanuts Movie performed slightly better than expected over its first weekend in theaters. The family-friendly film targeted a different audience than Spectre, with 70% of its audience made up of families.
