The comments under the first teaser for CBS’s The Equalizer season five reveal just how invested fans are in Dante and McCall’s relationship. And the season five episode one synopsis shows the new season will kick off with Mel working through her trauma with a little help from friends. In other words, prepare for another emotional roller coaster of an episode.
Episode one was directed by Geoff Shotz from a script by Joseph C. Wilson. “The Lost Ones” will air on October 20, 2024 at 9:30pm ET/PT. The new season moves to its regular Sundays at 9pm ET/PT time slot on November 3rd.
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 Lost Ones” Plot: McCall races to rescue two siblings who run into trouble after stealing a grocery truck carrying firearms. Meanwhile, Harry and Delilah help Mel through her trauma in the aftermath of her kidnapping.
“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.”
Emmy winner Jon Bernthal (The Bear) and Pablo Schreiber (Halo) have come on board His & Hers, a psychological thriller based Alice Feeney’s novel. The limited series stars Tessa Thompson and is expected to begin shooting this year.
“Set in the sweltering heat of Atlanta, Anna lives in haunting reclusivity, fading away from her friends and career as a news anchor. But when she overhears about a murder in Dahlonega – the sleepy town where she grew up – Anna is snapped back to life, pouncing on the case and searching for answers,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “Detective Jack Harper is strangely suspicious of her involvement, chasing her into the crosshairs of his own investigation. There are two sides to every story: HIS & HERS, which means someone is always lying.”
The streamer released the following descriptions of Bernthal and Schreiber’s characters:
Jon Bernthal as Jack: Jack is a Sheriff’s Office detective who lost his last job and is now working in his small hometown of Dahlonega, Georgia, where he lives with his sister and niece. He is married to newscaster Anna (Thompson), but the two are estranged, their relationship complicated by loss and betrayal. Jack is a good man who doesn’t always make good decisions and is deeply troubled by the murder case he’s just picked up.
Pablo Schreiber as Richard: Richard is one of the best cameramen at WSK TV News, and he’s also the husband of hot new anchor Lexy Jones, who slid into her position during the recent absence of regular anchor Anna Andrews. Richard is chosen by Anna to be her cameraman when, upon her return, she picks up the story of a murder in Dahlonega as a field reporter.
William Oldroyd, Dee Johnson (Fellow Travelers), Bill Dubuque are writing and executive producing. Oldroyd will direct the first episode, and Johnson will guide the series as showrunner. Additional executive producers include Campout Productions’ Kristen Campo, Viva Maude’s Kishori Rajan, and Freckle Films’ Jessica Chastain and Kelly Carmichael.
Wynonna Earp series creator Emily Andras revisits Wynonna, Doc, Waverly, and Nicole’s world in Wynonna Earp: Vengeance. The follow-up film to the crazily addictive series checks in on the lives of all the key players after giving them their happy endings in the season four finale.
#Earpers remain just as dedicated to the series now as they were three years ago when the finale aired. No one wanted to say goodbye then, and social media was flooded with fans thrilled to see where Andras is going to take the story when Vengeance was announced.
During roundtable interviews at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, Andras teased what’s in store when the film starring Melanie Scrofano, Tim Rozon, Dom Provost-Chalkley, and Katherine Barrell streams on Tubi on Friday, September 13, 2024.
Wynonna Earp: Vengeance Emily Andras Interview
When did you start thinking about doing a film?
Emily Andras: “I was lucky enough to get something on the series which is incredibly rare, which is the chance to write an ending…a happy ending, right? That’s so rare because you’re always chasing that renewal. So that was more intimidating than anything, to be honest. And what a conundrum to be like, ‘Well, I kind of already gave them the fairy tale ending, and now I gotta shake it up.’
But you know, once I kind of reckoned with the fact that it had been a couple of years, I was like, ‘Well, we should tell that story about getting older and maturing and what happens after happily ever after and how there’s different ways to be happy.’ And look, that’s not a story that we tell that often so that kind of clicked together. And I think that really helped for all of us with the cast to be like let’s just be who we are now and tell that story.”
What was it like for you going from writing for cable to writing for a streaming service where there’s a lot more freedom?
Emily Andras: “I mean, yeah, I know so many f**ks. (Laughing) The f**ks have been released – the box of f**ks, finally. Yes, I’ve been waiting for it. All my f**ks. But I mean Tubi was so great. They were really honestly like, ‘There’s nothing you can’t do.’ The list is very minimal, and I pushed it, just so you all know.
I will be honest. I’ve always felt fairly supported on Earp to tell the stories I wanted. We’ve told queer storylines. We’ve told feminist storylines. We’ve really told storylines that I feel like maybe other networks would balk at, but by the time everyone figured out we were doing it, it was too late. We did it, baby!
But Tubi has been so supportive, they were so excited. I think they really didn’t know what the fandom would be like, and I know, buckle up, right? But they’ve been so delighted. Like, we all know in this time of fragmented television how hard it is to get loyal audiences, for people to show up, to kind of fall in love with something. So, it was great. It’s been such a positive experience. So, let’s do it again!
How about Wynonna Tahiti? Can we? I’m just saying, I don’t mind the sexy, sexy winter, guys, but let’s manifest that, yeah?”
So you have more stories to tell?
Emily Andras: “Yes, tons. And I will say the more I dug down, the more I was like, ‘Oh, my god, there’s so much more to unpack here. There’s so much more new road to ride,’ so to speak. But especially I would say it’s definitely a satisfying story, what we’ve done with Vengeance. And the most important thing is that if you are a hardcore fan, there’s so many Easter eggs for you, so many fun cameos, so many jokes, inside jokes. But also, Tubi really wanted us to make sure that we were going to reach a new audience. You do not need to have a map of the mythology to just show up.
You’re like, ‘That girl’s sexy, she’s a demon hunter, and off we go. It’s gonna be a fun ride.’ So, I feel like we really walked that tightrope really well. But it is a satisfying story with a good ending, but in typically Emily Andras style, yes, you’re gonna want more. I’m going to hear about it on social media and we’re going to exploit that to get you more.”
Poster for Tubi’s ‘Wynonna Earp: Vengeance’
Can you talk about the sisterhood and how you were inspired to write this?
Emily Andras: “I have always said I think for all the love stories, and we’ve done some really good ones on the show, the sisters is the true love story. And I think these people who maybe grew up with a dysfunctional family, maybe some borderline abuse or what have you, rediscovering each other as adults and you know following those themes which is one of my favorite themes to write about which is you do not have to be who society or your family or a small town tells you you are, you can always become who you were meant to be. I get choked up, but like that, to me, is the sisters. You’ve seen it through Waverly’s journey, through Wynonna’s journey, that they have grown into the people they want to be and choose to be, and they accept one another.
So, yes, it doesn’t mean there’s not going to be conflict, though. I don’t know if any of you all have sisters, but it happens sometimes. But again, like, not to toot our own horn, but one thing about Wynonna, I think we did, which I love too, which we told stories that weren’t always told – like pregnancy, feminism, stuff like that. So now we have people getting a little bit older, these superheroes, basically, getting a little bit older and a little more mature and making different decisions. Still looking very hot. If you’ve seen them, they’re doing just fine. But I would love to tell that story. You know what I mean? If you give me Wynonna Earp Golden Girls edition, I’ll sign up.”
And that’s the importance of telling stories set after the happily ever after.
Emily Andras: “I know. What happens when the cat bursts in the middle of the night and you haven’t paid the mortgage, and you’ve got to deal with taxes or a sick parents? And I mean, I still think, too, there can be romance in those moments, right? Like, my father always told me this: It’s not kind of the good moments, it’s the tough moments where you come together and you figure out how you’re going to be a couple and what that’s going to look like. So, look, there’s still lots of sexiness in the show, I promise. These people are all very hot for each other, but I’m very interested in that, in the romance, and maybe giving permission for people you love to change. I think that that’s a really interesting theme as well.”
What were the challenges in making sure you didn’t slip back into old storytelling while making Wynonna Earp: Vengeance?
Emily Andras: “That’s such a great question, and I think that’s one of the challenges because you need conflict in the story, right? You do. People think they want Wayhaught sitting on the couch 24-7. Actually, you don’t. All the tough times are going to make the good times sweeter, right? So, I did have to kind of push myself to make sure that these were conflicts or arguments or fights or what have you, obstacles that we hadn’t seen before. But just by virtue of the fact that these characters did share such a rich history, knew each other well, but also have maybe been apart for a while now, right? Like maybe Purgatory that Wynonna and Doc are coming back to is not the Purgatory she left. Wayhaught have been kind of being domestic, and what does that look like? And is everybody happy at home at where their lives are?
I think there’s lots of very real grown-up problems we could talk about and challenges. But at the same time, we got demons sexy demons, baby, coming in, so that’s always fun too.”
Is there anyone you can tease that’s going to show up and shock the audience?
Emily Andras: “I don’t know about shock, but we have a very fun villain for the special. They are phenomenal. They are, first of all, they have incredible hair, which Wynonna is very threatened by. But also, I think maybe someone that Wynonna doesn’t see coming, something that a little bit maybe touches on who she used to be versus who she is now, and really challenges, I would say, her idea of how she sees herself now as a hero, which is very fresh. Plus, she’s a badass, so look out.”
When the series ended, it appeared Doc and Wynonna were off to see Alice. What happens with that storyline?
Emily Andras: “Oh, the Alice question, yes. Well, TBD, but we’re very aware that this is a huge part of Doc and Wynonna’s journey, right? All of this being said, I’m always careful to say I’m very proud of the decision they made to give up the baby. Just because I don’t think that’s a story you see that often. That Wynonna was not ready to be a mother. She loved this child so much that she knew that it had to be raised by someone else. I still think when you’re a demon hunter, it’s hard to, you know, raise a kid. But I would say there may be some Alice shadings in the special. We shall see. We certainly haven’t forgotten about that little one. How about that?”
How old would she be?
Emily Andras: “She could be 500, she could be two. You’ll have to see.”
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Kaitlin Olson stars in ABC’s new crime procedural High Potential. Debuting on September 17, 2024, the new drama based on the French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel snagged the prime premiere spot behind Dancing with the Stars.
The season one cast also includes Daniel Sunjata (Power Book II: Ghost) as Detective Adam Karadec, Javicia Leslie (Batwoman) as Detective Daphne Forrester, and Deniz Akdeniz (The Flight Attendant) as Detective Lev “Oz” Ozdil. Amirah J (Shameless) plays Ava, Matthew Lamb (Smile) is Elliot, and Judy Reyes (Succession) is Lt. Selena Soto.
“Written by Drew Goddard (The Good Place) and starring Kaitlin Olson, High Potential follows a single mom with an exceptional mind, whose unconventional knack for solving crimes leads to an unusual and unstoppable partnership with a by-the-book seasoned detective (Sunjata),” reads ABC’s synopsis.
“It’s so different than anything I’ve done before,” said Olson in an interview with TV Guide Magazine. “I still love a scrappy character. Morgan’s incredibly intelligent, but it tortures her. She also is a wonderful mom who cares so much about her kids. It’s a fun departure from the degenerate characters I’ve played.”
Olson went on to say that Morgan’s brain just works differently, enabling her to put together pieces of puzzles that other people may miss.
New season one episodes will air on Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT.
Daniel Sunjata, Tom Butler and Kaitlin Olson in ‘High Potential’ season 1 episode 1 (Disney/David Bukach)Daniel Sunjata, Javicia Leslie, Deniz Akdeniz, and Kaitlin Olson in episode 1 (Disney/David Bukach)Judy Reyes, Daniel Sunjata, and Javicia Leslie in episode 1 (Disney/David Bukach)Daniel Sunjata in the series premiere (Disney/David Bukach)Kaitlin Olson in the ‘High Potential’ series premiere (Disney/David Bukach)Judy Reyes and Kaitlin Olson in episode 1 (Disney/David Bukach)
Blumhouse’s trailer for House of Spoils shows a chef opening the restaurant of her dreams when she’s stricken with extreme anxiety…or is it something much more sinister? Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) stars as the chef who bites off more than she can chew.
Barbie Ferreira, Arian Moayed, Amara Karan, Mikkel Bratt Silset, and Marton Csokas also star in the horror thriller from writers-directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy (Blow the Man Down).
“From Blumhouse, House of Spoils follows an ambitious chef (DeBose) as she opens a restaurant on a remote estate where she battles kitchen chaos, crushing self-doubts… and a haunting presence who threatens to sabotage her at every turn,” reads Blumhouse’s synopsis.
Food stylist Zoe Hegedus helped ensure House of Spoil‘s food looked Michelin star-worthy. Hegedus also served as stylist on Midsommar, Poor Things, Dune: Part 1, and Dune: Part 2.
The film’s producers include Greg Gilreath, Adam Hendricks, Drew Houpt, Alex Scharfman, Lucas Joaquin, and Jason Blum. Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy, Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold, and Chris Dickie serve as executive producers.
House of Spoils will stream on Prime Video on Thursday, October 3, 2024, following the film’s world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 21st.
Briarcliff Entertainment’s official The Apprentice trailer shows attorney Roy Cohn delivering advice that a young Trump took to heart and lives by to this day. Cohn tells his protege there are three rules he needs to abide by. Number one: attack, attack, attack. Number two: admit nothing and deny everything. And rule number three: no matter what happens, you claim victory and never admit defeat.
No wonder Trump and his team are so upset about the film’s pre-election day release date.
Sebastian Stan stars as Donald Trump and Succession‘s Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn. The cast also includes Maria Bakalova and Martin Donovan.
“A young Donald Trump (Stan), eager to make his name as a hungry second son of a wealthy family in 1970s New York, comes under the spell of Roy Cohn (Strong), the cutthroat attorney who would help create the Donald Trump we know today,” reads Briarcliff Entertainment’s synopsis. “Cohn sees in Trump the perfect protégé—someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.”
Ali Abbasi directed and Gabriel Sherman wrote the screenplay.
Although the film will be released on October 11, 2024, Abbasi launched a Kickstarter campaign on September 3rd to get it into more theaters. The campaign set a $100,000 goal and just one week after its launch, it had received $301,826 in pledges. The campaign has since raised its goal to $350,000.
“We passed our first goal in under 12 hours, but we’ve only just begun! We’re in the game now and we need your help. The more support we receive, the longer The Apprentice stays in theatres, and the more people get to see the movie Trump tried to block. We’re hearing from our early supporters that they signed up because they are excited to be part of our movement,” reads the campaign’s description.
CBS’s Tracker returns for its second season on October 13, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT. Season two episode one, “Out of the Past,” was directed by Ken Olin from a script by Elwood Reid and finds Colter heading to Arkansas to search for a missing family.
Justin Hartley leads the cast as Colter Shaw, Fiona Rene is back as Reenie, Abby McEnany reprises her role as Velma, and Eric Graise stars as Bobby. Robin Weigert, who portrayed Teddi Bruin, is not returning for the new season.
“Out of the Past” Plot: While investigating the strange disappearance of a missing family whose car was found abandoned on the side of the road in the backwoods of Arkansas, Colter makes a shocking discovery about the mother’s past that leads him into the world of organized crime. Also, Reenie opens up her new law firm and enlists Velma’s help in setting up shop.
Justin Hartley returns as Colter Shaw, a trusted lone-wolf survivalist who, driven by the troubles of his past, uses his instincts to find the missing and collect rewards. Supported by lawyer Reenie Green, his business handler Velma Bruin, and tech expert Bobby Exley, Colter will stop at nothing to get the job done.
Season six of CBS’s FBI ended with Tiffany taking out Hakim, the terrorist who murdered Agent Hobbs. Season seven episode one, “Abandoned,” will find Tiffany having a tough time dealing with the shooting. Directed by Alex Chapple from a script by Mike Weiss, episode one will air on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT.
Missy Peregrym stars as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki plays Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, Jeremy Sisto is Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, and Alana De La Garza is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille. John Boyd plays Special Agent Stuart Scola and Katherine Renee Kane stars as Special Agent Tiffany Wallace.
“Abandoned” Plot: The assassination of a seemingly ordinary Brooklyn plumber launches the team into a globe-spanning investigation that ruffles feathers with the CIA. Meanwhile, Tiffany struggles with fieldwork in the aftermath of the Hakim case.
FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect, and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe. Born into a multigenerational law enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects. Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, a West Point graduate via Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI.
Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, who operates under intense pressure and has undeniable command authority. The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator. The smart and outspoken Special Agent Tiffany Wallace, who spent six years with the NYPD, is partner to Special Agent Stuart Scola, an Ivy League-educated Wall Streeter-turned-FBI agent. These first-class agents tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime and counterintelligence.
CBS has released the first official photos from NCIS: Origins starring Austin Stowell. Episode one, “Enter Sandman,” introduces Stowell as a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs at the beginning of his lengthy career. The new drama premieres on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT with a special two-hour premiere.
New season one episodes will air on Mondays at 10pm ET/PT.
In addition to Stowell, the latest addition to the NCIS franchise stars Kyle Schmid as Mike Franks, Mariel Molino as Special Agent Lala Dominguez, and Tyla Abercrumbie as Field Operation Support Officer Mary Jo Sullivan. Diany Rodriguez plays Special Agent Vera Strickland and Caleb Foote is Bernard “Randy” Randolf. Mark Harmon is the narrator.
Episode one was written by Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North, with Niels Arden Oplev directing. Executive producers include Mark Harmon, Sean Harmon, David J. North, and Gina Lucita Monreal.
“NCIS: Origins follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Stowell) in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS, and is narrated by Mark Harmon,” reads CBS’s synopsis. “In the series, Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks (Schmid).”
For an entire generation of people born in the seventies, Superman is not George Reeves or Henry Cavill. It’s Christopher Reeve.
On May 27, 1995, “Superman” was thrown from a horse and, as a result, was paralyzed from the neck down.
The story of Christopher Reeve’s life, career, accident, and amazing comeback is told in the aptly titled Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. Through archival footage and new interviews, directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui provide a detailed account of Reeve’s rise to fame, the tragedy that almost took his life, and the activism that followed.
The interviews in Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story include the usual suspects of fellow celebrities and political figures, but the most impactful segments are the interviews with Reeve’s three children. Bonhôte and Ettedgui are granted unprecedented and honest access to Will, Matthew, and Alexandra Reeve, and the stories they tell about their father and his struggles are raw and emotional.
The stories also, predictably, include many mentions of Dana Reeve, Christopher’s wife, who supported and cared for Reeve all through his recovery and rehabilitation. Sadly, Dana passed away from lung cancer in 2006, so all of her interviews in the film are archival, but the tales told by the children of her dedication and devotion to Christopher in his time of need are inspiring and admirable.
The way that Bonhôte and Ettedgui tell the story is unique. Rather than just march through the events of Reeve’s life chronologically, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story jumps back and forth between his pre-accident career and his post-accident activism. And it does so seamlessly, always leading from one scene to another with the perfect quote, soundbite, or piece of footage.
So the movie will go from Reeve auditioning for Superman to him not being able to breathe on his own (the documentary actually begins with Reeve’s accident). And while the juxtaposition of the Man of Steel being unable to move is jarring, it also shows both Reeve’s vulnerability and his determination. His big acting comeback came in 1998 when he did a television remake of Hitchcock’s Rear Window (and drew upon real-life experiences for the performance), but he also found a new showbiz niche in directing. He never really made much of a splash behind the camera, but just seeing him back in the industry is a sight for sore eyes.
While Dana Reeve was Christopher’s rock during all of this, the unsung hero of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is, surprisingly, Robin Williams. Reeve and Williams were classmates and best friends at Julliard, and the two actors shared a special bond. In one archival interview segment, Williams talks about visiting Reeve shortly after the accident, dressing as a doctor and wearing a surgical mask. Williams recounts exactly when Reeve realized it was him, and how he could tell just from Reeve’s eyes that his friend was laughing.
Robin Williams and his wife, Marsha, were important both to Reeve’s recuperation and to his paralysis foundation. But Reeve was also important to Williams. One of the more somber moments in the documentary comes when Glenn Close says that if Christopher Reeve hadn’t died, Robin Williams would probably still be with us.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story isn’t as tear-jerking as one might expect, mainly because it’s not a sad story. Of course it’s tragic, but the main theme is one of positivity and light in the middle of a bad situation. It’s more uplifting than depressing, which is the way Reeve would probably rather be remembered – for the way he lived, not for the way he died. And that’s what Super/Man: The Christoper Reeve Story shows: how he lived.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some strong language and thematic elements
