Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson and Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay in ‘SWAT’ season 8 episode 7 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
CBS’s S.W.A.T. returns after a two-week break with season eight episode seven, “Home.” Directed by Jann Turner from a script by Tianna Majumdar-Langham and Chris Bessounian, episode seven will air on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season eight stars Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, David Lim as Victor Tan, Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks, and Anna Enger Ritch as Zoe Powell. Annie Ilonzeh is Devin Gamble and Niko Pepaj plays Miguel “Miko” Alfaro.
“Home” Plot: When two students are brutally attacked, 20-Squad contends with a possible honor killing. Meanwhile, Hondo and Nichelle have their first parenting dispute while searching for a suitable daycare.
Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson and Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay in season 8 episode 7 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
SWAT Description, Courtesy of CBS:
S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore as a former Marine and locally born and raised SWAT sergeant tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson strives to bridge the divide between his two worlds.
Committed to the job, Hondo is equally devoted to his marriage and fatherhood. The other members of Hondo’s elite S.W.A.T. unit include David “Deacon” Kay, an experienced S.W.A.T. officer and dedicated family man who always puts the team first; Victor Tan, who started in the LAPD Hollywood Division and uses his confidential informants in the community to help the team; Zoe Powell, a tough and loyal team member trying to reconnect with the son she gave up for adoption as a teen; and Miguel “Miko” Alfaro, a headstrong officer who overcame a troubled childhood, and is now a trusted 20-Squad addition following a rocky transfer to Los Angeles S.W.A.T.
Responsible for the management of all Metro Division S.W.A.T. units is Commander Robert Hicks, a senior LAPD official with the Special Operations Bureau. With Hondo leading the charge, these dedicated men and women bravely put themselves at risk to protect their community and save lives.
Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in season 8 episode 7 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc.)Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks in season 8 episode 7 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
CBS’s Tracker season two episode eight, the fall finale, opens on the streets of San Francisco. A car’s T-boned by a propane truck as a bystander films on her cell. Propane begins leaking and the car and truck are soon engulfed in flames.
Nine months later, Gina Picket’s sister, Camille (Floriana Lima), and Colter (Justin Hartley) have a drink at a bar. She asked him out, and her sister disappeared the last time they were at this bar. Camille wonders if he wishes they could return to before that happened. Colter confirms he hasn’t stopped looking for Gina, but shockingly, Camille wants him to stop. She realizes that what they had is over. Every time she sees him, she thinks of her sister.
Camille is sure Colter did what he could. Colter reveals he just asked an ex-cop friend for help.
Velma (Abby McEnany) calls and interrupts the date. A $15,000 reward is being offered for a case in San Francisco. The catch? The woman offering it says her brother isn’t missing; he’s dead.
Colter meets the sister, Alicia, and learns her brother, Lucas, died in a car crash nine months ago. Their mother is in the final stages of pancreatic cancer, and Alicia is a constant visitor at the hospital. Two days ago, she left her mom’s side for two hours, and when she returned, her mom insisted Lucas had come to visit. Alicia realizes it sounds sketchy, but her mom says Lucas told her he loved her, said goodbye, and left her with a peanut butter cup. Peanut butter cups have a special meaning to their family that no one else would know.
A nurse also saw a man with a cap pulled over his face. “Lou Reed” signed the hospital guest registry and Lou Reed is her mom’s favorite musician. Alicia shows Colter a sample of Lucas’ handwriting that matches the guest book. Colter asks if anyone would want them to think Lucas was alive, and Alicia can’t think of anyone. Lucas was working at a computer shop and saving for grad school when he died. Who would care about that?
There wasn’t much left of his body after the car fire.
Colter promises to investigate and calls Bobby (Eric Graise) to see if he can find out who visited the hospital. There isn’t any footage and Bobby wonders if that’s because Lucas is just dead. Bobby checks and sees that the computer repair shop where Lucas was working was broken into the same day Lucas supposedly went to the hospital.
Colter heads to the shop, and it’s quickly apparent that the clerk doesn’t think Lucas is dead, either. A World of Warcraft player popped up a couple of months ago, and the more they chatted, the more she believed it was Lucas. “I should know. The game was kind of our thing,” says the clerk. She also confirms they dated up until his death. However, she never asked the player if he was Lucas.
The security cameras went down before the break-in, and nothing was stolen. Colter’s allowed to look around Lucas’ old workstation and spots a handprint on the ceiling tile above his desk. He opens it up and a piece of blue tape is hanging down. Something was hidden up there, and now it’s gone.
Colter notices a dinosaur figurine is a camera. Apparently, Gary took over Lucas’ desk and was suspicious someone was stealing his snacks. They check out the camera’s footage and the clerk confirms the man who broke in is Lucas. He’s alive!
Bobby learned that Lucas called Stephanie Hollis, a well-known YouTuber, a bunch of times the week before his death. Lucas and Stephanie went to school together, and Stephanie was killed five days before Lucas. After her death, Lucas wiped all traces of her from his phone.
Next, Colter meets with SFPD Detective Goodwin (Jolie Jenkins) and tells her Lucas is alive. He’ll hand over the computer shop footage if she shows him the footage the bystander shot. Goodwin, the detective on Lucas’ case, agrees, and Colter watches the accident unfold. He spots a suspiciously calm man walking away from the scene, considering all the commotion. Colter thinks this man knew it would happen and that he helped Lucas stage the accident.
Bobby was able to track the unknown man’s movements on the night of the murder and grabbed his license plate. He’s the owner of a bodega in Chinatown. Colter checks out the man’s shop and there are signs of a struggle. No one answers when he calls out, and there’s a dead man on the floor.
Colter continues searching the store and discovers a setup for making fake IDs, complete with wigs and outfits. A noise draws Colter’s attention, and he turns to find a woman with a gun. Colter puts down his weapon and introduces himself, assuring the woman he isn’t a threat. She checks his ID and verifies it’s her husband lying dead in the shop. Colter guesses that Lucas asked for a fake identity and that visiting his mom wasn’t an ideal situation for her business.
Colter and Barbie Lee (Freda Foh Shen) agree her husband’s murder and the shop break-in right when Lucas reappeared isn’t a coincidence. Barbie whispers to her dead husband that she’ll kill the people who did this. She sets the shop on fire before the cops show up.
Barbie and Colter grab a coffee, and she admits she grew up in the fake ID business. Barbie explains that some people want their deaths faked, others just want to disappear. She doesn’t say who, but she’s got a supplier with dead bodies to put in place of the person who wants to be “dead.”
She’s never had someone she’s helped pop back up, and she didn’t expect Lucas to return. Barbie didn’t help Stephanie, so Stephanie’s death is real. Lucas came to her, scared, saying it was a life-or-death situation. Colter suggests that Lucas found something and shared it with Stephanie. After Stephanie died, he knew he needed to run.
Lucas understood the risks of resurfacing, and Barbie believes her husband’s blood is on Lucas’ hands. Colter promises to help find whoever killed her husband. Barbie’s okay with that, as long as she can take care of them once they’re found.
Bobby calls Colter with news that Stephanie was teasing a big political scandal on her YouTube channel when she was killed. She had a secret source, and Colter thinks that it was Lucas. Maybe Lucas was fixing a laptop with incriminating information. Bobby has already checked Lucas’ appointment books; no politicians were listed. Colter suggests it might have been brought in by the family or assistant of a politician, and Bobby does a quick check. The assistant to Tim Crosby, a bigwig real estate developer running for mayor, brought in his laptop for repair.
Lucas found something that he passed on to Stephanie. After Stephanie was killed, Lucas knew he was next, so he went into hiding. Colter believes Crosby didn’t do the killing himself and he thinks it’s possible Lucas made a copy of the hard drive and is trying to barter himself out of the situation.
Bobby checks on “Isaac Newton” and learns he recently checked into a hotel.
Colter meets with Detective Goodman at the hotel, and the front desk says Isaac Newton is still upstairs. They head to his room just as two shots are fired. Colter busts the door down, but the shooter’s gotten away. Lucas was shot and is dead, again.
Lucas didn’t have anything on him, not even a wallet. Detective Goodman assures Colter she’ll take it from there and that they’ll get justice for the family. She steps away and makes a call, telling Crosby that Lucas is dead. She asks if it’s his guys and he’s not sure.
Bobby and Colter have been listening to the call because Colter has already realized that the detective is dirty. Crosby would be the sort of guy with a cop in his pocket.
Bobby and Colter have already seen what was on Lucas’ flash drive, which was disturbing. How did they get the drive? Well, Colter beat the detective to Lucas and staged his murder with Barbie’s help (and drugs that made him appear dead).
Detective Goodman and Crosby meet at a bar and don’t realize Colter’s seated nearby. Colter overhears them talking about who killed Lucas, and Crosby says it doesn’t matter because the problem’s been solved. Colter butts in and reveals he’s seen compromising footage of Crosby. Colter says he understands why they’ve killed to keep the footage hidden.
He stands up to show them the footage, and Goodman rises, yelling at Colter and acting as if her life is threatened. Colter reminds her of all the witnesses and takes out the hard drive, saying it’s the reason they killed Stephanie, Philip Lee, and Lucas Jones. Crosby claims they had nothing to do with Lucas but doesn’t deny the other two.
Suddenly, FBI agents reveal themselves from among the customers and arrest the detective and Crosby. Barbie’s also there and admits it feels good to see her husband’s killers brought to justice. She tells Colter that if he ever wants a job disappearing people, she’s got one for him. It turns out the episode’s title is the name of her company – The Night Movers.
Colter arrives at the hospital, and Alicia hands over the reward. Lucas is happy to be home and happy to be able to be with her mom before she passes. Lucas shakes Colter’s hand and tells him he wouldn’t be there without him.
Ex-detective Keaton calls and tells Colter he has something on Gina Picket’s case. Keaton says he’s sending an address and needs Colter there ASAP.
Episode eight ends with Colter meeting Keaton, and Keaton asking if he’s prepared to take this all the way to hell. Colter is, and Keaton leads him downstairs of a warehouse to a man who’s been badly beaten. The man’s name is Alex, and although he is barely conscious, he’s able to give Colter the name Wales. He knew Wales back in the day and knows Wales is bad news.
Keaton punches Alex in the face to get him to keep talking. Alex admits they got into something and didn’t have a choice. They were forced to do something. Colter demands the name of whoever forced them to do something. Alex says the man wanted them to call him Teacher. No one knew his real name. The Teacher knew things about them and held that over their heads.
Alex and Wales weren’t the only ones under Teacher’s control. There were a bunch of “pretty boys” who did his bidding. The Teacher wanted Gina and made Wales lure her to The Farm. The Teacher said he planted things there, but Alex has never been there.
Colter holds up a photo of Gina Picket, and Alex confirms that he saw her. Colter asks if she’s alive, and the fall finale ends before Alex responds. We’ll have to wait until episode nine airs on February 16, 2025 for Alex’s answer!
Jen Landon as Teeter on ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 (Photo: Paramount Network)
Paramount Network’s Yellowstone season five episode 12 featured an unexpected death (hope you had tissues close by) and Kayce realizing he knows exactly what path to walk. It’s a short episode but packed with intense scenes that all take place following John Dutton’s murder.
Episode 12 begins with Teeter (Jen Landon) and Colby (Denim Richards) on the phone, and Colby inadvertently admits he’s in love. Teeter wonders what’s going on with the ranch, and Colby suggests that if she has any big plans, she should start working on them. Before hanging up, Teeter says, “I love you, too.”
There’s also a conversation about the ranch’s future taking place between Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) and Carter (Finn Little). Lloyd will stay on if Rip or Kayce are in charge, but not if a rich dude buys the place.
Rip (Cole Hauser) informs Lloyd and Ethan that he wants to sell off the heifers and bulls still on the river bottom. Rip’s also going to sell the entire herd in Texas. Plus, they’ll sell any geldings over six years old.
“We’re going to have a dispersal sale here in the next week if we can get our s**t together in time,” says Rip. Lloyd asks if they’re going out of business, and Rip assures him they’re trying to save the business but need money to pay the government. Giving the government land is a last resort.
The action shifts to Texas, and Jimmy (Jefferson White) nearly gets bucked off a horse because he’s using the wrong bit. A gator snaffle is for monsters; using one on this horse is total overkill. Boss Travis Wheatley (Taylor Sheridan) wonders if Jimmy wakes up and just thinks of ways to get bucked off. He thinks Jimmy’s mind is on the brunette he left behind. Being distracted will get him injured or killed.
Jimmy’s let off the hook when Travis takes Rip’s call. It’s obvious from how Travis answers he hasn’t heard about John. Rip asks Travis to sell all of Yellowstone’s horses to free up cash, and Travis warns him not to rush into it. If Travis can’t do it, then Rip wants the horses in Montana to sell. Travis reminds him that will bring about .30 cents on the dollar in Montana. Travis talks Rip into being a little patient.
Jimmy doesn’t know about John, and Rip doesn’t have the heart to tell him. Travis assures Rip he’ll take care of it.
Jimmy thinks he’s being fired, but the news is much worse. Travis gently breaks the news by first telling Jimmy he’s giving him a week off. When he says John passed away (Rip didn’t give him any details), Jimmy struggles to speak. He tells Travis he’ll take the weekend off, but not the week.
“He was a cowboy. He wouldn’t have wanted work missed because of him,” says Jimmy.
Back in Montana, Detective Dillard (Rory Cochrane) questions Jamie (Wes Bentley) about his relationship with Sarah, and Jamie tells him it was strictly personal. Sarah was staying with him and wasn’t in Montana conducting business. Jamie becomes nervous when Dillard asks to collect Sarah’s suitcase and personal items. If it was a carjacking, why do the police need her belongings?
Detective Dillard informs him there’s no evidence this was a carjacking. “It appears more like she was targeted,” says Dillard.
Jamie acts guilty, insisting they need a warrant to search his home and reminding Dillard he’s the attorney general. When Jamie confesses he feels like Dillard’s treating him like a suspect, Dillard replies, “No, I wasn’t, but I will now.”
Jamie backs down, realizing he’s painted a target on his back. He offers to go upstairs and get Sarah’s belongings, but Dillard says it’s too late. He’ll get a warrant. Of course, a warrant comes with plenty of press attention.
Once Dillard leaves, Jamie rushes upstairs and grabs Sarah’s paperwork. He shreds anything that can be used against him.
Back at the ranch, Beth (Kelly Reilly) thanks Monica (Kelsey Asbille) for making breakfast. Beth says she’ll never eat in the family dining room again and settles at the kitchen table while Tate fetches his dad. Kayce (Luke Grimes) takes a call from Dillard first and learns Jamie’s refusing to cooperate in the investigation into Sarah’s murder. Dillard’s sure she was targeted, and Kayce admits he’s not surprised.
“Is the file in my left hand connected to the file in my right hand, Kayce?” asks Dillard. Kayce’s not sure his brother had anything to do with John or Sarah’s death, but he’s sure Sarah was involved in John’s murder. Kayce informs Dillard that Sarah was the Market Equities airport project lawyer. Dillard connects the dots. The attorney general was sleeping with the council for the development project that John shutdown.
Dillard offers to slow down his investigation since the Duttons have been through so much recently. Kayce replies, “You mash on the gas, my friend.” After all, Jamie put himself in this position.
Kayce uses the secure line to call his friend Cade (Jake McLaughlin). Cade’s been looking for someone who could have handled the hit on John and learned Grant Horton from “special activities” is in Kayce’s area. He’s sending Kayce the address, and Kayce confirms he’ll pay him a visit. He also confirms he’ll destroy this phone and change his number.
Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton and Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 episode 12 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
Kayce asks Beth to step away from breakfast and shows her the article on Sarah’s murder. He knows Sarah was the point of contact, and Dillard’s circling Jamie. Beth is certain that if Jamie’s arrested, he’ll tell all the Dutton family secrets and destroy John’s legacy. Kayce doesn’t think they can’t do anything about that since everyone’s watching them now.
“The best lies are 90% true, and I’m the best f**king liar. You leave Jamie to me,” says Beth.
The Yellowstone cowboys in Texas get busy loading up the cattle. Teeter can’t believe they’re doing this now, right after they moved them to Texas.
Rip’s out with Lloyd and Colby when he gets a call about the 3-year-old “maneater” Lloyd has repeatedly insisted is untrainable. He instructs Colby to get the horse loaded up and taken to Billings. It’s headed to Mexico.
Carter’s working in the barn and notices the maneater’s knocked over his water. He makes the mistake of entering his stall with a fresh bucket. The horse reacts by charging him. Carter’s injured and backed into a corner with the horse stamping his feet when Colby arrives. Colby decides to push the horse back so Carter can crawl out. Tragically, they’ve both underestimated the horse. Carter escapes, but the horse kicks Colby in the chest. He stomps on Colby again as Carter runs to get a rifle.
The shot rings out, and Rip and Lloyd race to the barn. Carter takes the blame as Rip kneels by Colby’s dead body. Rip assures Carter it’s not his fault. Rip shoulders the blame instead. (Lloyd told him multiple times the horse was a maneater and should have been put down.)
Rip immediately calls Ryan (Ian Bohen) in Texas and tells him what happened. Jake (Jake Ream) rides up and asks if Ryan’s okay. Ryan responds, “I just lost my best friend.”
Denim Richards as Colby Mayfield in ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
The camera catches the next scene from a distance as Ryan rides over to Teeter and breaks the horrible news that Colby is gone. We don’t need to hear their conversation. Teeter begins sobbing. Minutes later, Walker offers to help her unsaddle her horse. Teeter refuses.
Once the horses are loaded, Walker, Ryan, Teeter, and Jake hit the road back to Montana. Ryan explains what happened to Colby and that it was quick. Ryan says he didn’t suffer, and Teeter reminds them that, as cowboys, suffering is the job. “I just wish he would have suffered a little longer so I could say goodbye,” says a heartbroken Teeter.
Back at the ranch, Ethan asks if everything’s okay. Rip believes nothing’s okay. He asks for Ethan’s help moving Colby from the barn and into the truck. Carter remains behind and watches them drive away.
Kayce and Tate walk through the family cemetery, and Kayce confirms they’ll bury John next to his wife. Tate asks Kayce if that’s where he wants to be buried, and Kayce says that will be up to Tate to decide. Tate knows the future’s up in the air and doesn’t know where home is. He wonders if the Yellowstone will be their home then, and Kayce says it won’t be. “Here’s not our home, not anymore,” says Kayce.
Kayce receives a call from Mo Brings Plenty and tells him he sees what to do now. He needs Mo’s help, but it comes at a risk. Mo assures Kayce he’ll help.
Lloyd shows Beth Colby’s bunk so she can pack it up. She spoke with Colby’s mom and she wants her son’s things. Beth sees Colby’s hat is on his pillow. That’s normally bad luck, but Lloyd says it’s the right spot after a cowboy dies. Lloyd asks Beth to leave the hat for Teeter since she’ll need something of Colby’s to cling to. He offers to mail the footlocker in the morning, and Beth agrees.
Beth finds Carter in the tack room and confesses that’s where she fell in love and got pregnant. “And then I told the love of my life that I never wanted to see him again,” says Beth. She did it because she was ashamed and scared.
Beth doesn’t believe anyone is to blame for Colby’s death. Colby chose to help Carter, and she’s glad he did. Carter can’t squander Colby’s sacrifice; that would be his fault.
Beth believes Carter should be with his family right now, and Carter says he doesn’t have one. She replies, “Sure you do.”
Beth finds Rip sitting on the couch alone and pours him a drink. It’s too hot for a fire, but she lights one anyway, so there will be a big fireball when he throws his glass. He throws it, and she pours him another one. She takes a seat next to him and admits that the family’s pretty f**ked when she’s the one in the position of therapist. She asks what he needs, and Rip says all he ever needs is time and her.
Kayce packs up but won’t give Monica any specifics about what he has planned. All he says is that it’s not for the ranch – it’s for her and Tate. He swears he’ll be back tomorrow night. “I can see it now. I know what to do. Believe in me,” he says after they kiss. Monica says she’s always believed in him.
Monica’s cooking breakfast again when Beth joins her. Given recent events, Beth isn’t sure “good morning” is appropriate. She wants to chat with Kayce, and Monica explains he left last night.
Grant Horton (Matt Gerald) and his young daughter get into their car after his daughter’s soccer game. Kayce slides into the car and sits next to the daughter in the back seat, gun drawn. He orders Grant to drive straight at the speed limit. When the daughter sobs in fear, he tells her she should be scared. Kayce asks if she knows what her dad does for a living, and then asks Grant if he knows who he is. Grant doesn’t. Kayce can’t believe Grant would forget to build out the family on a target and reminds him that’s not how they were trained.
Kayce says, “I am what you are. Do you understand?” Grant does. Kayce’s okay that Grant took out Sarah; it saved him the trouble. Kayce believes Grant should die for what he did to John, but instead he wants to trade Grant’s family for his own. Kayce reminds Grant how easily he got to him and that he has many friends from 12 years on the teams.
“You don’t want this fight. You can’t win it,” warns Kayce. He adds that he has Grant’s DOD file and knows where everyone in his family lives and where his wife works. Grant claims they’re good, but Kayce assures him they’re far from good and tosses out Grant’s home address. Kayce suggests that Grant leave town since it’s possible he might change his mind and take him out.
He slams Grant in the head with the butt of his gun and calls it “Counting Coup” – the episode’s title. It means he took a piece of Grant’s soul that he’ll keep. Kayce tells the kid to keep crying and tells Grant to have fun explaining it to his wife.
Kayce exits the vehicle, and Grant speeds away. Mo follows behind, picks Kayce up, and confirms that he counted coup.
Disney’s Moana sequel, Moana 2, plowed through multiple box office records over its Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The family-friendly adventure set a new 5-day opening record by grossing $221 million domestically, taking over the top spot held by 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie.
The PG-rated sequel entered the record books as the biggest Thanksgiving holiday release (for both three and five days) and the highest-grossing Thanksgiving day ever ($28 million). It also sailed away with the Black Friday box office record, ringing up $54.5 million.
Moana 2 also set a record as Walt Disney Animation Studios’ biggest opening in their history. Worldwide, the sequel featuring the voices of Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson grossed $386 million, making it the second biggest debut of 2024 behind Deadpool & Wolverine.
“Moana 2 has far surpassed our high expectations this weekend and is a testament to the phenomenon that ‘Moana’ has become,” stated Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman. “We’re fortunate to have an incredibly talented and hard-working creative team at Disney Animation who brought this new adventure to life, alongside our wonderful stars Auli’i and Dwayne and great new music. This is a moment to celebrate, and we’re thankful to all the moviegoers and fans who’ve helped make this a record-breaking debut.”
Internationally, Moana 2 broke the animated opening weekend record in France and took over second place in Italy and Brazil’s record books.
“After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced,” reads Walt Disney Animation Studios’ synopsis. Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller, and David G. Derrick Jr. direct from a script by Miller and Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush.
Fox wraps up the second season of Accused with episode eight starring Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery) and Mike Colter (Evil). Episode eight, “Megan’s Story,” airs immediately after episode seven on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT.
Season two of the anthology series features episodes starring Michael Chiklis, Patrick J. Adams, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Nick Cannon, Cobie Smulders, Taylor Schilling, Justin Chambers, Sherri Saum, Trevor White, Debra Winger, Mercedes Ruehl, Christine Ebersole, Danny Pino, Ken Jeong, and Jamie Chung.
“Megan’s Story” Plot: An ambitious music executive (Martin-Green) faces hardship when a futuristic sex robot comes between her and her husband (Colter).
Accused is a collection of intense, topical and human stories of crime and punishment. Each episode is a fast-paced provocative thriller, exploring a different crime, in a different city, with an entirely original cast. Based on the BBC’s BAFTA-winning crime anthology, each episode opens in a courtroom on the defendant, with viewers knowing nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial.
Told from the defendant’s point of view through flashbacks, the show holds a mirror up to current times with evocative and emotional stories. In the end, audiences will discover how an ordinary person gets caught up in extraordinary circumstances, and how one impulsive decision can impact the course of that life – and the lives of others — forever.
McCall goes to extraordinary lengths to find a missing woman on CBS’s The Equalizer season five episode six, “The Fight for Life.” Directed by Benny Boom from a script by Faythallegra Claude, episode six will air on Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT.
Queen Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, Tory Kittles is Detective Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg is Harry Keshegian, and Liza Lapira is Melody “Mel” Bayani. Laya DeLeon Hayes plays Delilah and Lorraine Toussaint is Viola “Vi” Marsette.
“The Fight for Life” Plot: McCall and Mel go undercover in a prison to find a woman who went missing on the day she was scheduled to be released.
“The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.
Robyn’s clandestine work and her personal life often collide when her smart and observant daughter, Delilah, and her aunt Vi, who lives with Robyn to help her balance life as a working mother, struggle to conceal her vigilante career. While Robyn worries about the mental and emotional toll her work exacts on her family, she is joined in her pursuit of justice by Melody “Mel” Bayani, an edgy bar owner and sniper from Robyn’s past who recently quit the Equalizer team to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder; and Harry Keshegian, a paranoid and brilliant white-hat hacker married to Mel.
As Robyn aids the oppressed and exploited, she sometimes works with Marcus Dante, an NYPD detective and trusted friend who respects the need for Robyn’s type of justice even as he often questions her methods.”
Oscar-winning director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) believes Conclave comes as close to the truth about what transpires during the selection of a pope as any outsider has ever come. Based on Robert Harris’ bestselling novel, Conclave presents the secretive papal election as a high-stakes thriller, with the Catholic Cardinals manipulated like chess pieces by those who crave ultimate power.
A progressive pope’s death sets the game in motion, with Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), the dean of the College of Cardinals, overseeing the conclave to select the next pope. The gurney carrying the pope’s body is barely out of sight when the jockeying for position begins. Alliances are forged, and plans are put in place to secure the required 72 votes to become pope.
The pope’s death comes as Cardinal Lawrence is experiencing a crisis of faith, which adds to his burden of guiding the conclave. He’s fully committed to Cardinal Bellini’s (Stanley Tucci) cause, viewing his fellow liberal as the right person to continue moving the Church forward. Cardinal Bellini is the most progressive among them. He supports LGBTQ+ rights and refuses to be deterred when his supporters suggest he should keep his opinion about women playing a more significant role in the curia to himself.
Those who don’t support Cardinal Bellini are in the Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), or Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) camps. Tremblay is a power-hungry conservative, and Adeyemi has a decent shot at being the first African pope in history. Tedesco is the most dangerous. A right-wing radical who views Islam as the enemy, Tedesco’s ascension would set the Church back hundreds of years.
However, the deceased pope threw a wildcard into the mix, elevating Father Benitez (Carlos Diehz) to Cardinal Benitez of Kabul. Benitez’s unexpected presence and stellar record of serving in war-torn countries add an extra layer of tension to the conclave.
As the papal conclave begins, Cardinal Lawrence is aware of the high stakes of this election. Shocking discoveries about the leading contenders make his already arduous task even more complex. As voting gets underway, Lawrence faces the difficult decision of whether to inform the sequestered cardinals about these allegations of illicit activities. And if he doesn’t, what will happen to the Church if the truth comes out?
Conclave’s synopsis doesn’t pop on paper, but the story springs to life on film as one of the best political dramas in recent years. The papal conclave serves as the subject matter, but the film’s themes are equally relevant to recent global political elections, especially in the United States. The lust for power is overwhelming in both cases, with factions ripping apart institutions and opposing sides refusing to consider positions other than their own as valid.
Edward Berger’s assembled an impressive cast, with two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes as the film’s moral center. Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence is a decent man thrust into an unenviable position. Prior to the pope’s death, Lawrence was already uneasy about the Church’s future. As revelations rock the College of Cardinals, Lawrence is forced to confront corruption at the highest levels of the Church.
Filmed at the Cinecittà studios in Rome, production designer Suzie Davies and her team brilliantly recreated the Vatican. The attention to detail on the most minute level is clear in each frame. Director of photography Stéphane Fontaine’s work complements Davies’, with Fontaine shifting the vibe from claustrophobic to less intense as the scene demands.
Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) adapted Robert Harris’ novel, which explores the depths of human greed and ambition. Cardinal Lawrence is our entry point to this ultra-secretive ritual. Through his eyes, we see the corruption inherent in the process of selecting the leader of the Catholic Church. Power-hungry individuals are rarely those who should wield it, a harsh truth that applies to many areas of our lives. And Conclave holds up a mirror to the ugliness of men who have lost their moral compass.
It isn’t necessary to understand or even care about the Catholic Church and all its archaic ceremonies to enjoy Conclave. Led by an Oscar-worthy Ralph Fiennes performance, Conclave is a riveting political drama with a timely message as well as a satisfyingly smart mystery thriller.
GRADE: A
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material and smoking
Running Time: 2 hours
Release Date: October 25, 2024 in theaters, streaming on November 26th
Studio: Focus Features
Sam Heughan and Kristin Atherton in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 10 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz’s Outlander season seven episode 10, which rips your heart out in its final 10 minutes, begins with a touching flashback of Jamie and Ian’s childhood in 1729. As they practice fighting, they’re reminded they’ll never lose if they fight as brothers. Ian’s dad, John (Adam McNamara), tells Ian that he must stand on Jamie’s left to protect his chief’s weaker side and never leave it.
The scene switches to Ian (Steven Cree) laughing about Claire being 207 years older than Jamie (Sam Heughan). Ian’s getting a real kick out of this turn of events, and it’s wonderful to see the friends enjoying what time they have left together. Ian describes his illness as feeling like a knife in his chest, and the slowness of it is driving him crazy. He has a hearty laugh that dissolves into coughing when he thinks about what might be waiting for him in paradise, given the miracle of Claire’s time-traveling.
They reminisce about their lengthy relationship and how they love each other as brothers by choice, not by birth.
Later, Jamie gently places Ian in bed. Jenny (Kristin Atherton) helps and then holds her husband’s hand, aware that it won’t be long before he passes. Jamie holds his other hand, and as Ian is slipping away, he reminds Jamie he’s got his left side. Jamie switches position so that Ian is on his left as his lifelong friend passes away.
Ian’s last word is “Jenny.”
Jamie digs a grave in the family cemetery and assures his sister he’ll stay as long as she needs him. Michael will go with Joan to the convent in Paris, and Jamie will head there first before traveling to Philadelphia. He suggests that Jenny should come with him, but Jenny declines. She may go to America someday, but not today.
Jamie’s certain that Ian is still with them, right beside them where he’s always been.
Caitriona Balfe and Joey Phillips in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 10 (Photo Credit: Starz)
After “The Skye Boat Song,” the setting switches to Philadelphia. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Young Ian (John Bell) travel by coach, and Ian asks if she thinks his father’s gone. Claire doesn’t know, and Ian wonders about her parents’ death. She explains they died when she was five. Ian regrets not staying with his father, and Claire reminds him Ian wanted him to find Rachel. He’ll tell her all about his dad when he catches up with her at Valley Forge.
Claire warns him to be careful. After all, there’s still a war going on. That’s evident when she notices carriages stopped and searched now that Philadelphia is under British occupation. Claire and Ian are let through because she possesses a letter signed by General Burgoyne guaranteeing them safe passage.
Mercy Woodcock (Gloria Obianyo) greets Claire and ushers her in to see Henry Grey (Harry Jarvis). Claire’s pleased to see Lord John Grey (David Berry), and he’s ecstatic that she made it so quickly. John’s still wearing his uniform even though he resigned his commission. “I do so for intimidation,” he explains. Claire wonders who he could be intimidating, and Mrs. Woodcock says he’s protecting her. Henry was brought to her home before the British took over the city. John believes it’s best that Henry remains there, even after the change in circumstances.
Claire needs to visit the apothecary for vitriol to make ether, but John’s one step ahead of her. He remembered she needed it and already stocked up. John was certain she’d come, even though she never wrote that she was on her way.
Claire examines Henry, and he’s nothing but skin and bones and racked with pain. He was shot twice and has already undergone three surgeries, with one musket ball remaining in his body. Claire surprised Dr. Denzell Hunter performed the most recent surgery; she was unaware he’s in Philadelphia. Lord John says William is staying with Denzell and suggested the doctor try to help Henry.
Claire and Denzell (Joey Phillips) meet, and he describes the operation he performed. He couldn’t find the second musket ball, and Claire confirms he did what he could without opening Henry up. Denzell’s shocked she would even suggest that, and Claire assures him it’s possible with ether. She asks for his help building a still, and Denzell breaks out in a huge smile, happy to be back together. He also thinks Rachel will be happy to see her and Ian.
Speaking of Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small), William impatiently waits as she shops in the market with Rollo at her side. William confesses he doesn’t want to return to Boston and would rather stay here and be of use to General Howell. He’d also rather stay here with her, even though she’s not a loyalist.
Rollo runs off as they’re talking, and Rachel quickly realizes he must have seen Ian! She races after him but loses sight of the dog. Rollo has, in fact, found his Ian, and Ian’s shocked Rachel isn’t around. Unbeknownst to either, Arch Bug (Hugh Ross) is watching their happy reunion.
Mercy administers the ether and watches over Henry’s breathing as Claire makes an incision. Denzell’s overcome with emotion seeing the abdomen open, the patient not reacting, and the organs thriving. Claire feels the musket ball inside Henry’s intestine and believes it was so hot when it entered that it cauterized the entry hole.
Claire cuts out the damaged tissue and stitches up Henry’s intestine and chest. William and Rachel anxiously await news, with Rachel holding onto her faith in Claire’s skills. William assures her they’ll look for Rollo once the operation’s over. She was right that Ian returned, but if Ian had already left for Valley Forge, that means Rollo was chasing something else.
Lord John Grey joins them and reports that Henry survived.
Gloria Obianyo and Caitriona Balfe in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 10 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Claire and Mercy step outside, and Claire compliments her work. Mercy admits she had almost lost hope and that she and Henry have grown close. Mercy wonders if Claire knows what happened to her husband, Walter, after Dr. Hunter amputated his leg at Ticonderoga and the fort was evacuated. Claire breaks the news that Walter had a blood clot and that she was with him when he died. “He died thinking of you,” says Claire. Walter also told her he regretted fighting with Mercy before he left home and that he truly loved her.
Rachel’s alone in the stables when Arch Bug grabs her. He’s going to kill her, but not until Ian’s around to see it. He says he’s doing this because Ian killed his wife. At that exact moment, Ian’s trying to find her. Denzell says she’s attending to their horses.
Rachel tries to reason with Arch, but he’s dead set on killing her in front of Ian. He doesn’t care if they hang him afterward. Ian steps into the barn and tells Arch to let Rachel go. Arch refuses and confesses he’s been stalking Ian for a while. Ian rushes Arch and Rachel gets away. Arch slices Ian’s arm with an ax and they fight. Arch gets the upper hand and is about to kill Ian when William fires a fatal shot. He instructs Rachel to take Ian to Claire while he disposes of the body.
Later that evening, Rachel tells Ian she’s figured him out. Arch warned he’d get revenge, and Rachel now knows Ian was afraid she’d die because they love each other. Ian finally tells Rachel he loves her (in English)! With Rollo at his feet, he admits he can never become a Quaker. She understands, and he wonders what will happen next. Rachel says that, like Rollo, Ian is a wolf and a creature of “rare courage and affection, and altogether a worthy being.”
Claire goes shopping for fruits, vegetables, and herbs and when she returns, she’s received a letter from Jamie. She’s with Ian when she reads that his father has passed away. Young Ian knew it was going to happen and says he’s at peace. Jamie’s letter also states that he visited Joan in France and met with friends of Benjamin Franklin. He included a postscript revealing he’s sailing in two weeks. That means he left six weeks ago and could arrive any day now.
Mercy confesses she’s a spy and has been passing letters and information. She tells Claire that the man she gets the letters from has been caught and that she’s in danger now. She has a letter that must be delivered to General Washington, but she was followed today and can’t deliver it. Claire offers to deliver it since they don’t search her when she goes out of town to purchase herbs.
Unfortunately, she’s questioned when she tries to leave but claims she needs arrowroot from the garden to help her patients with diarrhea and explosive bowels. She offers to let the captain of the guards accompany her and he turns her down.
Caitriona Balfe and David Berry in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 10 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Claire places the letter where Mercy indicated. When she returns home, Lord John Grey is forced to deliver the devastating news that Jamie’s ship, the HMS Euterpe, was lost at sea! The captain of the HMS Roberts claims everyone on board died. Claire insists it wasn’t lost, refusing to believe Jamie is gone. The captain shows her the Euterpe manifest with Jamie’s name in it. Lord John confirms the search for survivors was unsuccessful.
Claire continues to insist they are wrong. “I would feel it in my heart if his had stopped! Do you understand? Mine would stop, too,” says Claire. John believes it’s possible her heart has stopped. (This is one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the entire seven-season run.)
Claire lies in bed, sobbing and remembering their time together. (We’re treated to flashbacks of memorable scenes from throughout the seven seasons.) She refuses to get out of bed, and John knocks on her door, asking her to at least confirm she’s alive. She does and then sends him away.
Captain Richardson arrives at Lord John Grey’s home to inform him he is going to arrest Claire as a spy. He is certain she’s been delivering messages to the rebels, and out of respect for Lord John, he wanted to make sure they weren’t in a relationship. John says Claire’s currently at church in mourning, and Richardson will allow John one day before he takes her in.
Once Richardson’s gone, John rushes upstairs into Claire’s bedroom and tells her she must marry him. It must happen immediately, or else she’ll be arrested and hanged as a spy. Lord John Grey explains he’ll do this as the last service he can render Jamie. The British won’t touch her if she’s his wife. Claire considers just letting them hang her, and he reminds her that she’s putting Ian, Rachel, Denzell, and Mercy’s lives in danger. They will all be suspected of being spies.
Lord John begs her to let him protect her. Episode 10 ends before Claire replies.
Diarmaid Murtagh and Richard Rankin in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 10 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Roger and Buck’s Adventures Continue in Scotland, 1739
Roger (Richard Rankin) can’t stop staring at Geillis (Lotte Verbeek) and claims it’s only because she’s younger than he expected for someone so wise in the old ways. Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh) is having difficulties breathing, and as she listens to his chest, she wonders if she knows him. (A voiceover reveals Roger’s thinking she should since Buck is her son.) When she steps out to collect herbs, Roger tells Buck that her real name is Gillian Edgars, and he and Bree met her in Inverness in 1968. She’s a time traveler.
Buck recalls that Roger wrote about her believing in blood sacrifice and that she killed her husband before coming to this time period. Roger tells Buck that Gillian killed (or will kill) five husbands, and she’ll try to kill Bree. Buck wonders if Gillian knows Rob Cameron since he’s from her time and town, which stumps Roger. Why would Rob bring Jemmy to this year if the gold won’t even be hidden for another 40 years? Roger believes it’s just a coincidence that Gillian is here, too, but Buck doesn’t.
Geillis returns and tells Roger he looks familiar. She strokes his chest, and Roger reminds her he’s married. When Geillis asks what troubles him, Roger’s inner dialogue notes that she’s his many times great grandmother and a murderess. Out loud, he says Jemmy’s been kidnapped by a man some call a fairy man. Geillis wonders if he believes in fairies, and Roger says he’s looking at one now. He drops Robert Cameron’s name and she doesn’t react. She knows a lot of Camerons but not a Robert.
Roger believes her and tells Buck she’s not part of it. Maybe her only role in their story is to get Buck well. They’re getting ready to leave when Dougal MacKenzie (welcome back, Graham McTavish!) walks in, announcing he has something to show Roger. Dougal is Roger’s sixth great-grandfather and Buck’s father, and Roger thinks, “Oh, Christ!” when Dougal introduces himself.
One of Dougal’s men won something unusual with J.W. MacKenzie engraved on it. No one’s seen anything like it, so it must have come from the fairy man. Roger asks to keep it, although Geillis perks up when it’s called a charm. Roger thanks Geillis for her help, and when Roger says her name, Dougal takes her hand and kisses it. Sparks fly between them as they step out of the room.
Roger and Buck have witnessed the first meeting of Buck’s parents. After they leave the room, Roger confirms the item isn’t a charm; it’s military identification tags given out 200 years from now. They belonged to Roger’s dad who flew for the Royal Air Force and went missing in action in the middle of the war. His dad matches the description of the fairy man wearing a short coat and long trousers. “My god, the fairy man isn’t Rob Cameron. It’s my father!” exclaims Roger.
NFL announces Super Bowl 2025 Pregame Entertainers (Photo Credit: NFL)
The pregame lineup’s locked in for Super Bowl LIX, with Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty, Lauren Daigle, and Ledisi confirmed to entertain football fans. The 2025 Big Game is set for Sunday, February 9th at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
“We’re honored to work with this year’s pregame lineup to celebrate the rich musical legacy of New Orleans and the entire state,” stated Seth Dudowsky, head of music at the NFL. “The Super Bowl is a rare moment to unite fans around the world, and this year’s performers will bring the energy, soul, and vibrant sounds of the region to a global stage, as we kickoff Super Bowl LIX with a celebration to remember.”
22-time Grammy nominee and five-time Grammy winner Jon Batiste will perform the national anthem, and Grammy-winner Ledisi will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Grammy-winning musician and producer Trombone Shorty is confirmed to perform “America the Beautiful” along with Grammy-winning artist Lauren Daigle. “Together, the two artists will deliver a powerful rendition of the iconic song, capturing the vibrant energy and spirit of Louisiana,” reads the NFL’s official announcement.
Both the pregame entertainment and the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, headlined by Kendrick Lamar, will include American Sign Language (ASL) performances. Stephanie Nogueras will sign “Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful,” and Otis Jones IV will sign “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Matt Maxey is handling the ASL rendition of the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Helen Mirren as Maeve Harrigan and Pierce Brosnan as Conrad Harrigan in ‘MOBLAND’ (Photo Credit: Jason Bell/Paramount+)
Guy Ritchie’s new crime series doesn’t have an official title, but it does have a stellar cast. Paramount+ with Showtime announced the series will star Pierce Brosnan (Die Another Day), Helen Mirren (1923), and Tom Hardy (Venom: The Last Dance) as series regulars. (Update: the series is officially titled MobLand.)
Paramount+ describes the project as “an electrifying, new global crime series centered around two warring families based in London whose enterprises stretch all corners of the globe and the fiercely loyal ‘fixer’ charged with protecting one of them at all costs.”
Per the streamer, Hardy will play Harry Da Souza, a professional conciliator on behalf of the Harrigan family. Brosnan stars as Conrad Harrigan, the head of a very successful Irish crime family based out of London for whom Harry works. Mirren plays Maeve Harrigan, Conrad’s wife and the Harrigan family matriarch.
Production is underway in London, with Ritchie, Hardy, Keith Cox, Nina L. Diaz, David C. Glasser, Jez Butterworth, and Ronan Bennett executive producing. Additional executive producers include Kris Thykier, Ivan Atkinson, Dean Baker, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, and Bob Yari.
“Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren are masters at their craft and we are honored to have them lead the cast for Guy Ritchie’s new global, original series,” stated Chris McCarthy, Paramount Global Co-CEO and President/CEO of SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios. “Guy, Jez Butterworth, and Ronan Bennett’s creative prowess, coupled with these gifted actors, is the perfect recipe for what we believe will be the next brand-defining series for Showtime on Paramount+.”
The Paramount+ series is produced by Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios.
“The firepower on and off the screen in this new Guy Ritchie crime series will deliver exactly what audiences expect from Paramount + with Showtime: high-caliber acting, high-impact storylines, and high-level production from some of the best in the business,” said Jeff Grossman, Executive Vice President of programming for Paramount+.
