Prepare for a wild ride on ABC’s Doctor Odyssey season one episode seven guest starring John Stamos, Cheyenne Jackson, and Caldwell “Bob” Tidicue. Episode seven, “Oh, Daddy!” airs on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT.
Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) plays Dr. Max Bankman, Phillipa Soo (Shining Girls) is Nurse Avery Morgan, Sean Teale (Little Voice) is Nurse Tristan Silva, and Don Johnson (Rebel Ridge) stars as Captain Robert Massey. Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken write and executive produce the first season.
“Oh, Daddy!” Plot: Bears, otters and cubs on board can only mean one thing: It’s Gay Week on The Odyssey. As Max, Avery and Tristan navigate their relationships, Capt. Massey’s brother arrives with an unexpected guest.
John Stamos, Don Johnson and Phillipa Soo in ‘Doctor Odyssey’ episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)
Doctor Odyssey Plot Description, Courtesy of ABC:
From the brilliant mind of Ryan Murphy comes the high-octane procedural Doctor Odyssey. Max (Jackson) is the new on-board doctor for a luxury cruise ship where the staff works hard and plays harder. It’s all hands on deck as Max and his small but mighty medical team navigate unique medical crises and each other miles from shore.
Cheyenne Jackson and Johnny Sibilly in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)Caldwell “Bob” Tidicue and John Stamos in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)Rick Cosnett, Phillipa Soo, and Jacqueline Toboni in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)Cheyenne Jackson and John Stamos in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)Joshua Jackson and Sean Teale in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)
American Idol, Will Trent, Shifting Gears, and The Rookie premiere dates (Photos Credit: Disney)
ABC’s 2025 midseason lineup includes the return of Will Trent and The Rookie as well as the debuts of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Shifting Gears. The network’s midseason schedule also features new episodes of High Potential‘s first season and the much-anticipated Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode.
Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building season two makes its broadcast debut, and Grant Ellis looks for love on season 29 of The Bachelor. ABC’s also set midseason dates for Celebrity Jeopardy!, What Would You Do?, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Scamanda, and Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini.
9-1-1, Doctor Odyssey, and Grey’s Anatomy return after the winter break in March 2025.
ABC MIDSEASON PRIMETIME SCHEDULE PREMIERE DATES
THURSDAY, JAN 2
8:00 p.m. – Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Series Premiere)
9:00 p.m. – Only Murders in the Building (Broadcast Season Two Premiere – two hours)
SUNDAY, JAN 5
7:00 p.m. – AFV (Midseason Return)
8:00 p.m. – The Wonderful World of Disney
TUESDAY, JAN 7
8:00 p.m. – Will Trent (Season Three Premiere)
9:00 p.m. – High Potential (Midseason Return)
10:00 p.m. – The Rookie (Season Seven Premiere)
WEDNESDAY, JAN 8
8:00 p.m. – Shifting Gears (Series Premiere)
8:30 p.m. – Abbott Elementary (Midseason Return)
9:02 p.m. – Celebrity Jeopardy! (Season Three Premiere)
10:02 p.m. – What Would You Do? (Midseason Return)
FRIDAY, JAN 17
8:00 p.m. – Shark Tank (Midseason Return)
SATURDAY, JAN 25
8:00 p.m. – NBA Countdown Presented by Papa Johns
8:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors
MONDAY, JAN 27
8:00 p.m. – The Bachelor (Season 29 Premiere – two hours)
10:01 p.m. – The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Broadcast Series Premiere)
THURSDAY, JAN 30
9:00 p.m. – Scamanda (Series Premiere)
10:00 p.m. – Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini (Broadcast Series Premiere)
SUNDAY, MAR 9
8:00 p.m. – American Idol (Season Eight Premiere – two hours)
10:00 p.m. – The $100,000 Pyramid (Season Eight Premiere)
‘EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION’ hosts Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer (Disney/SAMANTHA DRASIN)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: A new iteration of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition returns to ABC with Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, co-founders of the global lifestyle brand The Home Edit, set to host. Alongside designers Wendell Holland and Arianne Bellizaire, Shearer and Teplin will harness their world-renowned organizational expertise to thoughtfully design and specifically tailor each home from the inside out. Like the original series, this reimagining will showcase heartwarming stories, inspired volunteers and mind-blowing builds for deserving families who give back to their communities. Assisting them is a team of builders and contractors from homebuilder Taylor Morrison who will expertly reconfigure the home based on the family’s lifestyle and needs.
Shifting Gears – Shifting Gears stars Tim Allen as Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter (Kat Dennings) and her kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.
Only Murders in the Building – From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman comes a comedic murder-mystery series for the ages. Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. Season two follows the shocking death of Arconia Board President Bunny Folger; and Charles, Oliver and Mabel race to unmask her killer. However, three (unfortunate) complications ensue—the trio is publicly implicated in Bunny’s homicide; they are now the subjects of a competing podcast; and they have to deal with a bunch of New York neighbors who all think they committed murder.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives – The scandalous world of a group of Mormon mom influencers implodes when they get caught in the midst of a swinging scandal that makes international headlines. Now, their sisterhood is shook to its core. Faith, friendship and reputations are all on the line. Will #MomTok be able to survive and continue to give the rulebook a run for its money, or will this group fall from grace?
Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini – Keith and Sherri Papini’s seemingly idyllic family life is shattered when Sherri vanishes from their northern California neighborhood, triggering a frenzied search that becomes news around the world. With unprecedented access to Sherri’s family and friends—as well as the investigators who struggled for six years to solve the mystery of her disappearance—this limited documentary series intimately explores the jaw-dropping revelations of a relationship that wasn’t what it seemed.
Blake Shelton, Taylor Sheridan, Lee Metzger, and David Glasser have set up The Road singing competition series at CBS. The network’s given the unscripted series a fall 2025 series order, with details on who’s headlining the series still under wraps.
“I’m a big fan of Taylor’s incredible work, and I’m excited to team with him and my long-time collaborator, Lee, on The Road,” said Blake Shelton. “I know a thing or two about singing competitions and what it’s like to chase a music dream and live life on tour. I’m looking forward to discovering new talent and giving them this platform.”
Shelton, Sheridan, Metzger, and Glasser will be involved as executive producers. MTV Entertainment Studios, Glasser’s 101 Studios, and Shelton and Metzger’s Lucky Horseshoe Productions are producing.
“There is a revolution taking place in country music. Building a platform with Blake for the next leaders of that revolution is an incredibly exciting venture,” stated Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown). “No more shiny floors and studio audiences. This is where the rubber meets the road – literally. Get in the van, go to the next town and win the crowd. Do it enough, and you become the next leader. Simple as that.”
CBS offered this description of the new series: “The Road offers viewers a backstage pass into the gritty and unforgiving life of a touring artist. With exclusive access to the behind-the-scenes workings of the music industry, viewers will see what happens when some of the best up-and-coming performers pile into a tour bus and tackle a grueling schedule in pursuit of their dreams.”
Aspiring singers will join a touring artist and compete to win over local fanbases. If they do, they can remain on the tour.
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) needs everyone’s trust one final time in Paramount’s first teaser for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (previously known as Dead Reckoning Part Two). The two-minute teaser for the eighth film of the franchise shows Cruise doing a lot of running, hanging off an airplane, and exploring a submarine.
The Final Reckoning, which picks up after the events of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, stars Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, and Pom Klementieff. Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, and Nick Offerman also star. Rounding out the cast are Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, and Frederick Schmidt.
Christopher McQuarrie, director of the M:I films Dead Reckoning, Fallout, and Rogue Nation, returns to helm what’s being promoted as the final film of the franchise. McQuarrie and Cruise serve as producers, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, and Chris Brock executive producing.
Dead Reckoning opened in theaters on July 12, 2023. The Final Reckoning arrives in theaters on May 23, 2025.
“In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins,” reads Paramount’s synopsis for the seventh film of the franchise. “Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.”
The studio released this short description of The Final Reckoning: “Our lives are the sum of our choices.”
Netflix wants more of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, officially renewing the unscripted series for a second season. The series premiered in June 2024 and earned a spot on the streamer’s Top 10 U.S. TV Shows list for five consecutive weeks.
“From Emmy Award-winning director Greg Whiteley and the team behind Cheer and Last Chance U, the fan-favorite series will return to continue giving viewers unfiltered access into this iconic team and franchise,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “Season two will follow the 2024-25 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad from start to finish — kicking off at auditions and training camp and continuing all the way through the NFL season.”
Greg Whiteley serves as director and executive produces along with Adam Leibowitz, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Ross M. Dinerstein, and Rebecca Evans. The series is produced by One Potato Productions and Boardwalk Pictures in association with Campfire Studios.
Season one currently sits at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. “Freighted with family legacies, big ambitions, and uncertainty about their futures, the young women it spotlights come off as more than photogenic bodies,” writes Time Magazine’s Judy Berman. RT’s new Popcornmeter has season one at 60%, based on audience reviews.
CBS’s S.W.A.T. season eight continues with episode five featuring events that strike close to home for Tan. Directed by Ben Hernandez Bray from a script by Amelia Sims, episode five – “Human Interest” – will air on Friday, November 15, 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.
“Human Interest” Plot: Tan is left reeling when his girlfriend is kidnapped, and 20-Squad must race to track down a violent cartel leader who may be behind the abduction.
David Lim as Victor Tan, Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, and Patrick St. Esprit Commander Robert Hicks in ‘SWAT’ season 8 episode 5 (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 5 (Photo: Bill Inoshita//Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting Inc)Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson and Patrick St. Esprit Commander Robert Hicks in season 8 episode 5 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting Inc)Anna Enger Ritch as Zoe Powell in season 8 episode 5 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting Inc)Niko Pepaj as Miguel Alfaro in season 8 episode 5 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting Inc)
The Christopher Reeve biopic Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story was the big winner at the 2024 Critics Choice Documentary Awards held on November 10th in New York City. Super/Man earned six awards, including tying with Will & Harper in the Best Documentary Feature category. The Last of the Sea Women, Simone Biles Rising, and Sugarcane took home two wins each.
Additional winners included Daughters, Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces, The Greatest Night in Pop, Music by John Williams, The Only Girl in the Orchestra, and 30 for 30.
“Tonight brought about some wonderful surprises as we celebrated a fantastic array of documentaries and the remarkable people whose stories they told. Our ninth show was certainly our most inspiring yet. Congratulations to all the winners!” stated Christopher Campbell, Vice President of Documentaries for the CCA.
NINTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE (TIE) Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films) Will & Harper (Netflix)
BEST DIRECTOR
Ian Bonhôte & Peter Ettedgui – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER(S)
Natalie Rae & Angela Patton – Daughters (Netflix)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Iris Ng, Eunsoo Cho, Justin Turkowski – The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+)
BEST EDITING
Otto Burnham – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
BEST SCORE
Ilan Eshkeri – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
BEST NARRATION Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV+), Written and performed by Steve Martin
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY Music by John Williams (Walt Disney Studios)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY Sugarcane (National Geographic)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY The Last of the Sea Women
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)
BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY Sugarcane
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY The Only Girl in the Orchestra (Netflix)
BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES Simone Biles Rising
CBS’s Tracker season two episode five finds Colter (Justin Hartley) in Prior, Kentucky, taking on the case of a missing 16-year-old girl. The episode opens with Emmaline walking through the woods, communing with nature, and talking to a snake when she gets spooked. Suddenly, a man appears on the cliff above her.
When Colter gets the case, Emmaline’s been missing for a full day. Her brother, Jasper, put up a $5,000 reward, all he can afford since their parents died and he’s caring for Emmaline on his own. Velma (Abby McEnany) realizes it’s way less than their usual fee, but she feels a special connection to this case. Colter’s close to the area and completely understands Velma’s feelings.
Reenie (Fiona Rene) also understands as she’s picked up clues about Velma’s background. Velma reveals she never knew her dad, and her mom was locked up in a mental institution. Her sister stepped up and raised her, so this case really hits home.
Colter arrives at Jasper’s house and learns the community dislikes them. They’ve had numerous dead animals left on their doorstep, including a dead coyote just a day before Emmaline disappeared. They moved here just six months ago after Jasper got a job doing mine safety and inspection. That’s not a popular occupation with locals, and maybe one of them took it out on his sister.
The local cops think she ran off and aren’t looking into her disappearance. Colter discovers plastic from a turn signal in the coyote’s fur and thinks a car hit it before someone dropped it at Emmaline’s door. Colter promises to do whatever he can to help find Emmaline.
Bobby (Eric Graise) investigates who picks up roadkill for the government in the area on dates Colter provides and comes up with Jim Wheeler. Jim was working all three days and, it turns out, is working today. Colter confronts him at work and asks if he knows Emmaline’s location. He admits to dropping off roadkill and says they don’t need “her kind” around here. Jim claims not to have anything to do with her disappearance.
Colter shows up at Emmaline’s job and learns she was fired last month. Her old boss, Tess, believes Emmaline is into witchcraft and wants no part of that. However, one of Emmaline’s co-workers thought she was nice, although she did like to walk around talking to plants. She also reveals that Emmaline got the job after her former co-worker Shirley was fired, and Shirley’s husband, Travis, recently came in and cussed out Emmaline. It was enough to make Emmaline cry and right after that, Tess fired her.
Colter’s next stop is at Travis’ place, and Travis makes the mistake of attacking Colter with a hammer. After Colter disarms him, Travis reveals he owes everything to Emmaline. His wife, Shirley, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and Emmaline said she could heal her. That angered Travis because he didn’t want Shirley to get her hopes up, and he confronted Emmaline at work. He warned Emmaline to stay away but then realized he was wrong. His wife is now pregnant, and the doctor can’t find any sign of cancer. “That girl, she’s a miracle worker,” says Travis.
Emmaline hasn’t even told her brother she’s a healer, but it’s possible her secret got out. Travis confirms that Emmaline foraged all the ingredients for her cure in the local mountains. One ingredient, chicken of the woods mushrooms, grows on dead-fall oak, and Travis says he used to mushroom hunt along the creek behind Emmaline’s place. But no one goes there anymore because it’s the Drells’ land; everyone knows to stay off of it. However, Emmaline wouldn’t have known that.
Colter heads to the woods and spots a broken glass jar near chicken of the woods mushrooms. He also spots broken branches and follows a path to a remote cabin. Although much of the cabin is in disrepair, someone has clearly been using one room recently. It contains jars, paperwork, and drawings of plants. Colter calls Jasper to come have a look, as this stuff clearly belongs to Emmaline.
Jasper looks around and suggests Emmaline kept this a secret because their mother was a healer. Some people were so scared of her they wanted her dead. Jasper believes someone who thought his mom had the devil in her set the fire that killed his parents.
Colter notices there’s a spot where jars should be and finds a letter on the ground. It’s from Emmaline’s mother’s journal.
Colter looks around outside and finds blood and tire tracks leading away from the cabin. He believes someone took her away on an ATV. Jasper says the Drells live off-grid but aren’t survivalists. They used to be into growing weed, but now they’re into “darker stuff.”
Colter barely stops Jasper from stepping on a bang stick. It appears the entire trail is booby-trapped.
Colter drives up into Drell land and is told to turn around by one of the sons who’s standing in front of a quad. Colter acts like he’s leaving, but parks nearby and covers his truck before walking into the woods. He continues to follow the blood and broken branches to the Drells’ complex. Colter sees Emmaline being held at gunpoint outside the big house and then continues to look around. People are cooking drugs in one outbuilding, while nearby, the man who kidnapped Emmaline says he’s okay if they need to kill her since she’s seen too much.
Colter sneaks into the main house and discovers a critically ill man in one room. He can’t talk but points to a door, and Colter follows his directions and finds Emmaline. She refuses to leave because she’s helping take care of her kidnapper’s father. Emmaline confirms they took her because she’s a healer.
Emmaline gets Colter to hide seconds before the Drells enter her room. The men take her to treat their father, and Emmaline places her hands on the sick man’s head. She pours a fluid down his throat and insists they need to wait to see what happens.
He convulses as she tells spirit to pass through her. The curtains blow, candles flicker, and the Drells drag Emmaline away from their dad, thinking she’s hurting him. The old man vomits, and as the Drells are ready to kill Emmaline, Colter shoots one man and grabs Emmaline. They race from the house with men in pursuit, and Colter’s forced to shoot two more.
Emmaline’s running when she steps on a bang stick and injures her leg. The quads need to go around fallen trees but will be on top of them soon, so Colter has to find some place to hide and bandage Emmaline’s leg. She recalls seeing an abandoned store and with Colter’s help, they make it inside the boarded-up building before the Drells catch up.
Colter takes time to bandage her leg while explaining that his sister used to make potions, but she did it to curse them when they were younger. They make their way to the backdoor, only to find it locked with a heavy-duty chain as they hear engines outside.
Colter and Emmaline hide as three men enter the building. Unfortunately, Colter only has one bullet left. The situation looks dire, and Colter tells Emmaline not to let panic take over. He deposits Emmaline in a hiding place (with a knife) and assures her he’ll be right back.
Colter distracts one man with a mannequin and then chokes him out. He races back to Emmaline and tells her to stay low and quiet as they attempt to leave the building. They haven’t made it far when Colter’s shot with an arrow in the stomach. Instead of finishing him off with a bullet to the head, the man who shot him wants Colter to die a painful death from bleeding out.
The two remaining men haul Emmaline away while Colter slowly breaks off the part of the arrow sticking out front. He then slides off the arrow lodged into the wall behind him. Colter binds the wound, now oozing blood, and slides a fire extinguisher in front of the men and Emmaline. He shoots it and spray fills the air, allowing Emmaline to slash one man with her knife and grab his crossbow. She slides the crossbow to Colter and Colter shoots the remaining man before he can squeeze off a bullet. Unfortunately, the man Emmaline sliced across the neck is only injured and Colter appears to be on the verge of death.
Their attacker’s brother arrives with news that their pop is going to live, thanks to Emmaline. She healed him, but they still won’t release her. Emmaline rises to her feet and holds her knife against her palm. She warns them not to do anything or else she’ll take away their father’s health and curse the entire family. They back off, believing she’ll do it and that Colter will die anyway.
After they leave, Emmaline calls 911 for help. She places her hand on Colter’s chest and assures him that he’ll be fine. He passes out as she’s saying, “Spirit, enter this place. Save this man.”
Miraculously, Colter is conscious and stable on the gurney shortly thereafter. He’s still weak but assures Emmaline he’ll survive. He asks about the curse, and Emmaline admits she made that up. She recalled him saying his sister tried to curse them and thought she could convince the Drells she’d do that to them.
Days later, Velma and Reenie are shocked when Colter checks himself out of the hospital, incredulous that he was shot with an arrow. Colter claims he’s fine and is on his way to pick up the reward. Velma apologizes for bringing him into this case, but Colter understands that it’s personal. It’s personal for him, too.
He pulls up to Jasper’s place and finds a note with the reward money wrapped around a jar. The instructions say to apply it twice daily. Colter enters the house, and it’s totally empty. Jasper and Emmaline have moved on. He nods, acknowledging it was the right move.
Episode five ends with Colter calling his sister and leaving a message to call him back.
Wes Bentley as Jamie in ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 episode 9 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
Yellowstone finally returned for the second half of season five with episode nine, “Desire Is All You Need,” airing on November 10, 2024. Episode nine delivers a body blow in its first few minutes, answering the most pressing lingering question regarding a key character.
But first, a very brief refresher of the Dutton family drama. Season five’s first half ended with Beth (Kelly Reilly) learning about the “train station” and the family’s practice of burying their enemies from Jamie (Wes Bentley). That revelation threw a monkey wrench into Beth’s blackmail plans and led to a conversation with her dad about eliminating their Jamie problem once and for all. Coincidentally, Jamie has also landed on the idea of doing away with his adopted dad, asking his girlfriend if she knows someone who can do the job.
All this goes down as Rip (Cole Hauser) and a small crew leave town to move the cattle to Texas. The finale also disclosed why Rip is so loyal to the ranch and John Dutton. As a teenager, Rip killed a cowboy who insulted Beth. John revealed the existence of the train station and helped Rip dispose of the body, which led to Rip earning the Yellowstone brand and committing to the ranch for life.
In other news, Monica (Kelsey Asbille) agreed to allow Kayce (Luke Grimes) to have a bigger role in running the ranch and to move into a house on the property.
(Episode nine spoilers ahead!)
Beth rushes to the governor’s house and is met with dozens of cops, crime scene tape, and helicopters circling overhead. Kayce joins her and she’s frantic because she just knows their dad is gone. Kayce barges through the police tape with Beth in tow. He’s met by an officer who warns him he doesn’t want to see this.
Blood is spattered on the wall and there’s a gun on the bathroom floor. Kayce can only shake his head in disbelief, and Beth has a look for herself. The way the gun is placed makes it appear to be a suicide, and a tech is checking his hand for gunshot residue.
Kayce struggles to hold it together while Beth sinks to her knees, racked with anguish. The siblings hug as Beth whispers, “It was Jamie.” Kayce warns her not to say anything until they get to the ranch.
Reporters inform us that John Dutton failed to show up for the first day of his impeachment trial. It now appears he’s dead.
Jamie receives a call informing him John Dutton died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Lynette Perry (Wendy Moniz) asks if he believes it, and Jamie pulls off his best acting job as he approaches the media to make a statement. As Attorney General, it’s his job to inform Montana that Governor John Dutton – he looks down and gets emotional as he adds, “My father” – has died.
Kayce and Beth listen as they drive back to the ranch. Beth demands to get out of the truck, enraged that Jamie not only killed their father but also killed his reputation, his legacy, and his memory by claiming it was a suicide. Kayce doesn’t want to believe it and Beth admits she needs her husband.
Beth calls Rip and says, “They killed him, baby. They f**king killed him.” Rip asks who, and Beth says her daddy. Rip confirms he’s on his way home and turns over the job of taking care of the cattle to Ryan.
After the credits roll, the action shifts back six weeks to Rip and the crew transporting their horses to Texas. Meanwhile, Beth is doing time on a road crew after getting into a brawl in a bar. She’s warned not to smoke, so of course, she lights up another one and then takes a drink from a flask. The guy in charge decides his best option is to let her off the hook and wrap up her community service at the end of the day.
Beth calls Rip with the good news that she can visit him earlier than expected. In typical Beth style, she describes what she will do to him when she arrives. Rip side-eyes Ryan (Ian Bohen), who admits he heard every word.
Kelsey Asbille as Monica, Breckin Merrill as Tate and Luke Grimes as Kayce in ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 part 2 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
Tate, Kayce, and Monica move into their new (old) house on the ranch. It’s in a remote part of the property, which is Monica’s favorite thing about it. It needs fixing up, but she’s happy they have a place of their own. While she’s inside looking around, Kayce spots a wolf right outside.
Tate and Monica love it, and Kayce says it’s where they’re supposed to be.
Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) goes through a rigorous security process before meeting with Grant (that’s not his real name). He shows her surveillance video from Jamie’s house of her and Jamie having sex. Before they take on an assignment, they always cover all their bases. This shows Jamie’s in a compromising position, given that she’s working for the company suing Montana. Sarah confirms she understands this will be used if anything ever connects his company to John Dutton’s murder. They’ll make it appear that she and Jamie committed the murder.
The less she knows about the actual logistics, the better. However, the company believes suicide is the cleanest option. Sarah knows that doesn’t fit John’s background or personality, but Grant promises they’ll take care of everything. It will look feasible and legitimate.
Sarah’s payment’s gone through, and she gives him permission to execute their contract.
Rip, Ryan, Teeter, Walker (Ryan Bingham), and Jake (Jake Ream) pull into Dalhalt, Texas. Rip rings up Travis Wheatley (Taylor Sheridan) at the 6666 Ranch and is instructed where to head. Jimmy’s there watching the herd along with a bunch of cowboys, led by Kory.
Rip and the gang saddle up, and Kory gives them a warm Texas greeting, trading jokes about the difference between Montana and Texas weather. Rip apologizes for sending the cows ahead and Kory confirms the pastures are ready and teepees have been set up. Kory wonders if Rip would rather head 20 miles to sleep in a hotel, but Rip confesses they need to cut corners and save money in any way possible.
The 6666 cowboys help move the cattle, and Rip has a friendly reunion with Jimmy. Ryan and Jake offer their insults away from Jimmy’s ears, implying Jimmy isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
After herding the cattle into their new pastures, Rip’s offered the use of 6666’s bunkhouse but turns it down. He thinks his guys can handle teepees. As soon as Kory and Jimmy ride off, Teeter, Ryan and Walker return to tossing around insults. Rip’s heard enough and suggests they play a game. The rules: no one talks for a week.
Gator’s setting up his cook station and admits he’s worried about fire in this wind and the steaks going bad in the cooler. Rip heads off to get supplies while Teeter and the guys set up the teepees.
Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater and Mo Brings Plenty as Mo in ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 episode 9 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
Back in Montana, Mo Brings Plenty and Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) head to the lake. They’ve been informed a pipeline will be drilled under it, and both are worried the pipeline will burst. If the pipeline explodes, it will poison their water and no one in the world will know or care. “This is the hill we die on. Right here,” says Thomas.
Lloyd works on a colt that needs taming as Carter asks what they’re supposed to do while the cows are gone. Colby (Denim Richards) orders Carter to join them in repairing the fences. Rip calls Lloyd to check in, and Lloyd reveals they’re all getting bored. He offers to send Rip more cowboys, but Rip wants them to stay at the ranch to keep the two-legged wolves away. Lloyd promises to keep an eye on Beth and ensure she’s safe.
Rip and the Yellowstone cowboys spend their first night in middle of nowhere Texas without a fire. Ryan’s bit by a scorpion that hurts like hell, and Walker picks up his guitar and asks for requests. Love songs are off the table, so it’s Walker’s choice. Rip brings the mood down even further by declaring that no one will be doing this in 30 years. All the beef will be imported from Brazil. Rip decides the best tune right now would be a sad song.
The action picks up again in Montana following John Dutton’s death. Jamie makes it home and busts open his door when his key doesn’t immediately work. He’s sobbing when Sarah greets him with drinks, wearing only lingerie. Jamie seems confused that she moved forward with hiring a hitman without reconfirming that’s what he wanted. Sarah asks who his tears are for, and Jamie says, “For me.” He claims his career and legacy are over; he believed John shot himself because of the impeachment hearing. Sarah orders him not to mourn a man who abandoned and mistreated him, reminding him that he won.
“Lions don’t die of old age. Lions die in the jaws of younger lions,” says Sarah. “This is your kingdom now.”
Over at the ranch, Beth and Kayce go through their dad’s papers. Tate’s the beneficiary of the trust, and Kayce is the executor. They discuss taxes, but Beth knows the bigger problem is Jamie will try to remove the conservation easement. Kayce doesn’t believe John committed suicide, and Beth is certain it’s Jamie. Kayce doesn’t believe that either, but Beth believes Jamie hired someone to do it – being too cowardly to do it himself.
Kayce knows there are cameras in the house, and Beth suggests he call the state police and ask about them since he’s also part of the state police as a member of the livestock commission. Kayce calls them on speaker phone and speaks with Dillard, the lead on the investigation. Dillard confirms there were powder burns on John’s hand and his fingerprints were on the gun. However, the transponder went down around 3:50am and knocked out all the cameras. The medical examiner believes John died at 3:53am, which is convenient, right?
Beth thinks the $80 million company that wanted to build on their land conspired with Jamie to kill their dad. “Go look him in the eye if you have to, Kayce. Look him in the eye and then come home and help me decide how to kill him,” says Beth.
Rip pulls up and Beth rushes into his arms and wails. Her grief is unbearable.
Disney debuted a new trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King during D23 Brazil, with the new two-minute video filling in a little more of Mufasa and Scar’s history. The prequel focuses on the younger Mufasa, who was actually an orphan, and Taka (Scar’s real name) who was in line to be king before Mufasa entered the picture.
“Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline,” reads Disney’s synopsis. “The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny — their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.”
Disney’s set a holiday season release, with Mufasa entering theaters on December 20, 2024.
Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk) directs and Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak serve as producers. Peter Tobyansen is the executive producer.
Poster for Disney’s ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’
Mufasa: The Lion King Cast and Characters
• Aaron Pierre as Mufasa
• Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, a lion prince with a bright future who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother
• Tiffany Boone as Sarabi
• Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki
• Preston Nyman as Zazu
• Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, a formidable lion with big plans for his pride
• Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother, Eshe
• Lennie James as Taka’s father, Obasi
• Anika Noni Rose as Mufasa’s mother, Afia
• Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego
• John Kani as Rafiki
• Seth Rogen as Pumbaa
• Billy Eichner as Timon
• Donald Glover as Simba
• Introducing Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala
• And Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala
