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‘Brilliant Minds’ Episode 2 Recap: “The Disembodied Woman”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 2 Recap
Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf, Aury Krebs as Dr. Dana Dang, and Alex MacNicoll as Dr. Van Markus in ‘Brilliant Minds’ episode 2 (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)

Episode two of NBC’s new medical drama Brilliant Minds opens with Dr. Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto) pointing out that genetically all humans are 99.9% identical. It’s our society that creates barriers and society that makes us fear those who are different.

Dr. Wolf believes that we just need to take the time to connect with those we don’t understand. Case in point, everyone except Dr. Wolf avoids a young man in distress on the sidewalk. Oliver asks if he’s okay and learns the man, Pete, believes there’s a dragon nearby that everyone is ignoring.

Wolf brings Pete to the hospital and informs the interns that he’s currently experiencing a sustained hallucination of a dragon. Ericka Kinney (Ashleigh LaThrop) is correct when she assumes Pete’s a college kid. Wolf instructs the interns to get lab tests done and figure out what Pete’s dragon (no relation to Disney’s Pete’s Dragon) looks like.

Oliver reluctantly meets with the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Muriel Landon (his mother) and Dr. Carol Pierce (Tamberla Perry) and learns Muriel has a patient who woke up the day of gallbladder surgery thinking she couldn’t move. She’s hysterical and doesn’t think Muriel’s listening to her. Muriel wants neuro and psych analysis to make sure it’s safe to operate.

Carol is shocked to learn the patient is retired WNBA All-Star Jessica Williams, who currently coaches a varsity team. Jessica’s considered a hometown hero.

Before Oliver gets to work on the case, his mom tells him she’s happy he’s joined the staff. She also hands over a massive book of hospital rules and procedures. Oliver isn’t impressed, and his mom reminds him that this hospital might be his last chance.

Wolf passes Dr. Josh Nichols (Teddy Sears) in the hallway without acknowledging his presence.

Jessica describes having a dream she can’t stop thinking about. The dream left her feeling like something’s wrong with her body. In the dream, she was floating above her body on the bed, staring at herself. She felt disembodied and couldn’t move.

Wolf believes there must be a reason her mind produced that nightmare. She admits she’s feeling shaky, and Wolf confirms that’s normal. The pre-frontal cortex affects the body, and it would be expected to feel off. They’ll run tests, and Dr. Pierce–a big fan–will examine her, too.

Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 2 Recap
Ashleigh LaThrop as Dr. Ericka Kinney, Aury Krebs as Dr. Dana Dang, and Spence Moore II as Dr. Jacob Nash in ‘Brilliant Minds’ episode 2 (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)

Meanwhile, Pete describes the dragon as having green glowing scales and red talons. Dr. Jacob Nash (Spence Moore II) sketches what Pete described, and it’s spot on. (His fellow interns are surprised by his artistic skills.) Wolf arrives, just as Pete tosses his cookies, looking for two interns to help with Jessica. All four volunteer, but Jacob and Dr. Van Markus (Alex MacNicoll) are the lucky ones.

Later, Wolf’s still concerned they haven’t figured out what’s wrong with Jessie when Carol tells him she’s in surgery. Apparently, she’s feeling better and agreed to the operation. Wolf wonders why Jessie used the word “disembodied” to describe how she felt, and Carol admits she doesn’t have an answer. But Jessie signed the paperwork for surgery, so she must be okay.

Wolf immediately notices her signature doesn’t match the autograph she gave Carol. Something’s still very off with Jessie, and both Carol and Wolf rush to surgery. They find Jessie in a combative state, insisting something has changed. She feels like she’s not in her body again.

Carol and Oliver consult with Muriel, showing her the decline in Jessie’s signatures over just a two-hour period. Muriel asks for more tests to be run and warns Oliver not to get too attached to the case. (Oliver always gets too involved, but that’s just how he works.)

Oliver meets with Jessie at a gym and when she bounces a basketball, she feels outside her body. “Like I’m watching a video of myself, but I can’t control it,” says Jessie. Her body feels dead or not like her own. She takes a shot and doesn’t even hit the backboard.

Ericka really wants to work on Jessie’s case, and tries to pass off Pete to Dr. Carol Pierce, claiming the tests show it’s probably a psychotic break. Carol knows what’s up and won’t let Ericka off the hook, insisting she remain with Pete for now.

Ericka watches as Carol questions Pete, who admits to still seeing the dragon, but with less intensity than during his LSD trip yesterday. Now, he’s aware it’s not actually there. Which means this is a neuro case, not a psych case, so Ericka needs to keep figuring out what’s going on in Pete’s mind.

Jessie’s family visits her at the hospital and passes along the message her players are worried she won’t be back in time for the playoffs next week. Wolf assures them he’s doing everything possible to determine what’s happening to Jessie. First up, a spinal tap to see if she has an infection/inflammation. Dr. Markus begins the procedure, but his hands shake and he rushes off. Oliver confronts him, and Markus admits everything overwhelmed him. (There were too many people watching and he could feel the pain from the needle.) Wolf advises him to figure out how to handle this because he scared Jessie and made this much more difficult.

Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 2 Recap
Nedra Marie Taylor as Jessie Williams, Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf, and Spence Moore II as Dr. Jacob Nash in ‘Brilliant Minds’ episode 2 (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)

That night, Wolf’s called back into the hospital by Jacob and Markus. Jessie’s condition has worsened, and they find her in bed with her arms stretched up to the sky. She can’t put them down. Wolf can move them for her, but when he asks her to sit up and step toward them, she’s unable to walk. She visualizes herself falling through the floor as if the ground doesn’t exist.

Wolf gathers his four interns and explains that Jessie is feeling blind to her own body. It’s a very specific nerve damage that results in her not feeling in control of anything from her toes to her head. Her body feels dead to her, and they toss out probable causes and ways to check what’s going on.

As for Pete, Wolf wants the team to keep digging for clues.

Wolf calls in Dr. Josh Nichols for a consultation on Jessie, whose condition is rapidly deteriorating. Josh wonders why Oliver passed him three times in the hallway without saying hi. He believes Oliver is rude, and Oliver finally reveals he has face blindness. They toss a few insults at each other and then agree there’s nothing abnormal about Jessie’s MRI.

Jessie and Markus chat about their athletic careers and transitioning to different careers once it was over. Jessie believes coaching is what she’s meant to do and hates the idea of not being there for her girls.

As they’re talking, Markus realizes Jessie has a smoothie every day that’s loaded with supplements. Her blood work shows her B6 levels are high. Wolf notes that a toxicity from B6 could have caused damage. There’s hope for a recovery now that they know where to start with treatment.

Ericka and fellow intern Dr. Dana Dang (Aury Krebs) check out Pete’s dorm room and learn he’s been missing a lot of classes. He’s also been sleeping a lot. Dana notes it’s been a long time since she shotgunned a beer, and Ericka confesses she never partied during college. Not once has she ever shotgunned a beer.

Pete’s room stinks, so they open a window. Right outside is a restaurant with a dragon!

Oliver and Markus are working on flushing Jessie’s system when she becomes unresponsive. She crashes and isn’t breathing, and they’re forced to intubate her.

Her family gathers at the hospital and her prognosis doesn’t look good. Wolf admits it’s not a B6 toxicity, and they’re still looking for the cause. Jessie’s little brother is torn up about her, and Wolf describes her condition as “exceedingly rare.” She’s deteriorating fast, and they may never know the cause. Wolf insists she needs a reason to get better, and that means she needs her family with her.

Dana and Ericka do another MRI on Pete after figuring out the dragon is a memory of something he sees daily outside his window. That means there’s got to be a lesion. Dr. Nichols and Dr. Wolf look over the images, and Nichols spots the lesion. This special MRI is the only way to see it, and Nichols races off to prep the operating room.

Carol informs Wolf that if Jessie doesn’t improve soon, they may have to ship her out to a long-term care facility. Wolf refuses to even consider that option. He will decide her care. Period. End of discussion.

A John Doe left comatose on a gurney in the hallway reinforces Wolf’s commitment to not ship patients out. Every patient needs someone to advocate for them, and he’s that person for Jessie.

Wolf has an idea about how to help Jessie after having a flashback of his dad telling him to start small and focus on just his hand. He tells his interns to disconnect Jessie’s tube and stop her meds. She can’t move her whole body because it’s overwhelming, but she can use her other senses to control a single body part. From there, they can expand it to other parts of her body. She must learn to connect with her body in a new way, so she needs to start small.

Jessie is still unresponsive as Wolf tells her they’re taking out the breathing tube. He tells her she needs to embrace her feelings of disembodiment and focus on her chest to breathe. Her stats plummet, but then suddenly recover as she makes her body take a breath. Everyone in the room breathes a sigh of relief.

Season 1 Episode 2 Recap
Alex MacNicoll as Dr. Van Markus, Aury Krebs as Dr. Dana Dang, Tamberla Perry as Dr. Carol Pierce, Spence Moore II as Dr. Jacob Nash, Ashleigh LaThrop as Dr. Ericka Kinney, and Richard Walters as Jessie’s Brother in ‘Brilliant Minds’ episode 2 (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)

Days later, Wolf gathers her family and the interns for a demonstration of Jessie’s recovery. She gradually stands from a wheelchair and advances toward her family. She almost stumbles but refuses help, forcing herself back into a standing position and continuing to walk across the room. Her family wraps her in a huge hug, as Jacob wipes away a tear.

Jessie thanks Wolf for not giving up on her, and he thanks her in return.

Jessie’s progress continues as she learns to master other parts of her body. They don’t know what caused her nerve damage, but now she’s reconnecting with her body in a brand-new way.

Episode two ends with Wolf telling his mom he’ll attempt to make his stint at the hospital work, but she needs to stop micromanaging his patients. Also, he’s taking charge of the John Doe he saw earlier.

Pete’s doing much better and credits Ericka with saving him. After finishing her rounds, she meets up with her fellow interns in a bar and shotguns her first beer.

Wolf passes Nichols in the hallway and ignores him, but then turns around and says he’s just kidding. He’s figured out the key to recognizing Nichols; it’s his freakishly large hands.

Muriel thanks Carol for convincing Oliver to join the staff and asks her to keep an eye on him. “There are things about my son’s past that even you don’t know,” says Muriel.




‘9-1-1’ Season 8 Episode 2 Preview: Photos and “When the Boeing Gets Tough” Promo

By
Rebecca Murray
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Part two of the three-part 9-1-1 season eight premiere event continues with an episode that finds Athena attempting to save passengers on a plane. Episode two, “When the Boeing Gets Tough…,” will air on Thursday, October 3, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT.

The cast is led by Peter Krause as Bobby Nash and Angela Bassett as Athena Grant-Nash. Jennifer Love Hewitt plays Maddie Han, Oliver Stark is Evan “Buck” Buckley, Kenneth Choi is Howie “Chimney” Han, Aisha Hinds stars as Henrietta “Hen” Wilson, Ryan Guzman is Eddie Diaz, and Gavin McHugh is Christopher Diaz.

“When the Boeing Gets Tough…” Plot: Athena is tasked with safely delivering a prisoner to testify on a high-profile case. Meanwhile, a light plane is hit by a swarm of bees and sent careening into a passenger plane.

9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 2
Devin McGee and Angela Bassett in ‘9-1-1’ season 8 episode 2 (Disney/Eric McCandless)

9-1-1 Synopsis, Courtesy of ABC:

The series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters and dispatchers — who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping conditions. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives.

The show draws from the real lives of first responders who regularly face situations that are often unpredictable, intense and uplifting at the same time.

Season 8 episode 2
Sarah Chaney, Tiffany C. Adams, and Jake Green in season 8 episode 2 (Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
Season 8 episode 2
James Coker and Bayley Corman in season 8 episode 2 (Disney/Christopher Willard)
Tiffany C Adams and Jake Green
Tiffany C Adams and Jake Green in season 8 episode 2 (Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 2
Sarah Chaney in season 8 episode 2 (Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
Angela Bassett and Glenn Plummer
Angela Bassett and Glenn Plummer in season 8 episode 2 (Disney/Eric McCandless)




SEAL Team Season 7 Episode 10 Preview: Series Finale Promises to Tie Up Loose Ends

By
Rebecca Murray
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SEAL Team Season 7 Episode 10
Beau Knapp as Drew Franklin and David Boreanaz as Jason Hayes in ‘SEAL Team’ episode 10, season 7 (Photo CREDIT: Pablo Arellano Spataro/Paramount+)

We’ve reached the end. Paramount+’s SEAL Team season seven episode nine ended with Nazario in custody and Jason and Drew off on a separate mission to kill Curtis. Episode 10, “The Last Word,” will bring the team back together and finish up storylines for characters fans have come to love.

The seventh and final season stars David Boreanaz as Jason Hayes, Neil Brown Jr. as Ray Perry, A.J. Buckley as Sonny Quinn, Toni Trucks as Lieutenant Lisa Davis, Raffi Barsoumian as Omar Hamza, and Beau Knapp as Drew Franklin.

“The Last Word” Plot: Does war always have the last word? Jason wrestles with guilt, Ray faces his demons, and Davis and Sonny’s fate is decided by the Decker investigation.

Season 7 Episode 10
Beau Knapp as Drew Franklin, Judd Lormand as Lt. Commander Eric Blackburn, David Boreanaz as Jason Hayes, Tyler Grey as Trent Sawyer, A.J. Buckley as Sonny Quinn, Neil Brown Jr. as Ray Perry, Justin Melnick as Brock Reynolds and Raffi Barsoumian as Omar Hamza in episode 10, season 7 (CREDIT: Trae Patton/Paramount+)

SEAL Team Plot, Courtesy of Paramount+

The series follows the lives of the Navy SEALs’ most elite unit as they execute dangerous high-stakes operations to defend their country at a deeply personal cost. In the final season, Jason Hayes (Boreanaz) struggles to balance his warrior’s existence with the responsibilities of single fatherhood. Ray Perry (Brown Jr.), his trusted second in command, questions whether he will be able to leave the battlefield behind as his retirement nears. Dedicated door-kicker Sonny Quinn (Buckley) battles against changing tides as Jason and Ray’s shifting focus means that other teammates must shoulder more responsibility. Both Omar Hamza (Barsoumian) and Drew Franklin (Knapp) find diving into work an effective way to distance themselves from their past traumas.

Vital to mission success is Lieutenant Lisa Davis (Trucks), a no-nonsense officer who ushers the team into a new era of warfare against powerful rivals for supremacy on the world stage. Ripped away from their loved ones at a moment’s notice to be deployed across the globe, Bravo team remains dedicated to their duties. Even in the face of overwhelming odds, they know this is the price to keep the families they left behind safe.

Toni Trucks and AJ Buckley
Toni Trucks as Lisa Davis and A.J. Buckley as Sonny Quinn in the series finale (CREDIT: Trae Patton/Paramount+)
David Boreanaz and Beau Knapp
David Boreanaz as Jason Hayes and Beau Knapp as Drew Franklin in the series finale (CREDIT: Pablo Arellano Spataro/Paramount+)
SEAL Team Season 7 Episode 10
Alona Tal as Stella and A.J. Buckley as Sonny Quinn in episode 10, season 7 (CREDIT: Michael Moriatis/Paramount+)
David Boreanaz and Jessica Pare
David Boreanaz as Jason Hayes and Jessica Paré as Mandy Ellis in episode 10, season 7 (CREDIT: Michael Moriatis/Paramount+)




CMA Awards Tap Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson as Hosts

By
Rebecca Murray
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The Luke Bryan–Peyton Manning bromance continues with the 58th Annual CMA Awards. Bryan and Manning will return as hosts of the 2024 awards show, with Lainey Wilson joining them to make her hosting debut.

“Hosting the CMA Awards is such an honor and it’s crazy when I realize this is my 4th year back,” said Bryan. “Peyton and I have really worked to build off each other, and now adding Lainey to the mix will just bring another fun element to the night. Celebrating Country Music never gets old to me.”

The 2024 show airs live on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT (tape-delayed on the West Coast).

“I am honored to be back hosting the CMA Awards again this year,” stated Manning. “The past two years have been a lot of fun, and I know Lainey is going to bring a special flare. Hopefully, she can help me keep Luke in line! Either way, I’m excited for an incredible night of celebration and Country Music.”

Morgan Wallen tops the list of this year’s nominees with seven. Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson follow with five nominations each.

“I could not be more excited to host the CMA Awards this year with Luke and Peyton,” said Wilson. “It’s such an incredible honor and something I’ve always dreamed of doing. We’re planning a really great show for y’all, so make sure to watch on November 20!”

The 58th Annual CMA Awards will be directed by Alan Carter. Robert Deaton is executive producing and Jon Macks is the head writer.




‘Nosferatu’ Trailer: Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård Star in Robert Eggers’ Gothic Reimagining

By
Rebecca Murray
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Focus Features’ official Nosferatu trailer finds Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter describing her encounter with the creature: “It is like a dream. It was our wedding. When we turned around, everyone was dead. The stench of their bodies was horrible. Standing before me was death…but I’d never been so happy.”

Written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Northman, The VVitch: A New-England Folktale), Nosferatu also stars Nicholas Hoult as Ellen’s husband, Thomas. Bill Skarsgård plays Count Orlok. The cast also includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding, Emma Corrin as Anna Harding, Ralph Ineson as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers, Simon McBurney as Knock, and Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz.

Focus Features’ description reads: “Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.”

During an interview with Esquire, Skarsgård was asked whether audiences will see a “sexy vampire” in Nosferatu. “He’s gross,” Skarsgård replied, adding, “But it is very sexualized. It’s playing with a sexual fetish about the power of the monster and what that appeal has to you. Hopefully you’ll get a little bit attracted by it and disgusted by your attraction at the same time.”

Eggers, Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, and Eleanor Columbus serve as producers. Nosferatu is opening in theaters on Christmas.

Nosferatu Official Poster
Poster for ‘Nosferatu’ (Photo Credit: Focus Features)




Skye P. Marshall on ‘Matlock’: Power, Vulnerability, and Going Toe-to-Toe with Kathy Bates

By
Fred Topel
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Matlock Skye P Marshall
Skye P. Marshall as Olympia and Matt Baram as Ezra Radcliffe in ‘Matlock’ (Photo: Brooke Palmer © 2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)

Matlock is a whole new take on the classic courtroom drama. First of all, the new Matlock is Kathy Bates as Maddie Matlock. The second is that it takes place in a world where the Andy Griffith Show exists. The third is a spoiler.

One of the new characters Maddie meets at her new law firm is Olympia (Skye P. Marshall). Olympia is a bit of a foil to Maddie, or vice versa, since the firm forces Olympia to let Maddie consult on her cases.

The Television Critics Association visited the set of Matlock this summer. In Olympia’s office, Marshall spoke to press about her character. Matlock airs Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.

Were there hints in the pilot that Olympia is not always going to be the ballbuster?

Skye P. Marshall: “Oh absolutely. Olympia reminds me of myself. Like you said, definitely ballbuster, rainmaker, power player, but there’s always a crack in the castle wall. She holds her cards to her chest. She doesn’t trust easily because the journey of getting to this kind of office wasn’t simple. So, you keep your circle small and you’re very intentional on who you connect with and why.

And then Madeline Matlock just comes right in without having to do any of the internal groundwork to come up the chain of command and now she’s assigned to me? I’m already busy. I already have enough to deal with. But, because of that nurturing side of Matlock, because of her experience, she has this way of bringing this feminine energy into such a masculine environment of bust, bust, bust. Like you said, you have to bring ball-busting energy here. She finds a way to soften Olympia where we can still find our power in being a woman and win with subtleties and secrecies and you’re innocent until proven guilty, as a friend and an employee and not just like what do you want? Are you trying to take my position?”

Was there a big learning curve with the performance in a courtroom?

Skye P. Marshall: “Oh my goodness, yes. So, every episode we have like one full day of courtroom scenes. It is the scariest day of every episode for me, honestly, because most scenes, the extras are told to just have some business, mime, do what you will. But when I walk in a courtroom, everyone’s told to stare directly at me. I call it my black box theater.

There’s a bit of showmanship that you have to do when you’re in the courtroom vs how Olympia is here. So, every time I walk down those courtroom hallways, I have to just get myself in the game like it’s theater again. The jury box, the gallery, the judge, whoever I’m crossing, they’re just staring at me. I have to tell myself they’re not watching me act. They actually want to hear what is this case about. So, I actually have to earn it from our background actors and make sure I project. So, I have projection, pace, and enunciation. That’s what I always have to make sure I focus on.”

Do you feel like lawyers are wannabe actors?

Skye P. Marshall: “For sure. It is. It’s theatrical, that space. Then you have your audience, and you have to convince a box of civilians to believe your story. So yes, it does take you to come outside of yourself and fight. But it’s like how can we fight and be believable for someone else’s life without being so aggressive all the time? I think Matlock helps in that case of being more strategic. Don’t get it twisted. Olympia never loses her bite. She is a shark.”

Matlock Beau Bridges, Skye P Marshall, Jason Ritter
Beau Bridges as Senior, Skye P. Marshall as Olympia, and Jason Ritter as Julian in ‘Matlock’ (Photo: Sonja Flemming © 2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)

How comfortable do you feel in this room? Did you add any of your own photos?

Skye P. Marshall: “I’m still trying to figure out who this African family is. The cat gotta go. The cat is cute. I’m still working on that. I have a rescue dog. If I put her picture in there, it might stimulate emotions. You want to place things that can stimulate emotions that if I have a scene that requires some tears, I can just clock it for a second and feel a thing. That is something that can be personalized.

The biggest personal connection that I have to this set is that this is my second series regular. My first series regular right before this was a medical drama called Good Sam with Sophia Bush and Jason Isaacs. When we filmed that season, I was heavy in like my manifestation work. I was three on the call sheet, but I was watching Sophia and Jason, and I was like, ‘I can do this.’ But my deserving feelings hadn’t linked up with that yet because it was my first series regular.

I would walk up and down the stairs, and I would rub the poles on the stairs before we start filming, and I would have to chase Jason and Sophia all over the hallways. This being my second series regular, those are the same stairs. These are the same hallways. They shipped it from Toronto when Good Sam got canceled. I had no idea that the set would follow me here. This was my patient room. That was a patient’s room. Those were patient rooms over there. This same bend, I used to chase Sophia Bush all the time and now Kathy Bates is chasing me. How did I pull that off? It is the most personal experience that I’ve ever had for the set to follow me here. It just consistently reminds me of my belief system and how I saw it and I felt it before I arrived. Good Sam is where I met Jenny Snyder Urman and Joanna Karn.”

Have you gotten used to going toe-to-toe with Academy Award winner Kathy Bates every week?

Skye P. Marshall: “Luckily, yes, I’ve gotten used to it now. The first, I’d say, two episodes, I had to just kind of like shake it off. But Kathy does not believe that she’s more important than the PA, and I mean that genuinely. She doesn’t feel or see herself the way that we do. And so, she’s like, ‘Can we run lines? Is it okay if we rehearse?’ Or she’s like, ‘Oh, you’re so good.’ And I’m like, ‘Kettle to the pot, babe.’

It’s never been easier for me to cry on cue with Kathy because when she delivers those lines in emotional scenes, all I have to do is just listen and just make eye contact, and you feel it because she does not just throw any lines away. The way she delivers it, it’s watching someone make these words on the page really puncture your heart. I feel it every time and I can cry take after take after take.”

Do you see the wardrobe as Olympia’s uniform?

Skye P. Marshall: “Armor. Which is why you won’t see Olympia in a skirt or a dress. She chooses pants. She chooses darker colors. Blunt cut. You gotta play that game and even as I work through the scripts and I see clientele that she chooses, she’s very specific. It’s majority diversity. She chooses clients that can’t afford her level of agency but then she can get paid from class action. So, I think that’s what makes Matlock also extremely unique is that she’s very intentional on her clients but can still bring in the money. That, I haven’t seen before with a prestigious firm like Jacobson Moore.”




‘No Good Deed’ Teaser Confirms December 2024 Premiere

By
Rebecca Murray
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Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano star in Netflix’s new dark comedy series, No Good Deed. Kudrow and Romano play a couple who put their house on the market, which opens up a can of worms. The first teaser revealed the eight-episode series premieres on December 12, 2024.

Created by Dead to Me‘s Liz Feldman, No Good Deed also stars O-T Fagbenle, Abbi Jacobson, Denis Leary, Poppy Liu, Teyonah Parris, and Luke Wilson. Dead to Me’s Linda Cardellini reunites with Feldman, playing a character described as a “badass b*tch.”

Guest stars include Matt Rogers, Kate Moennig, Chloe East, Rory Scovel, Wyatt Aubrey, Kevin Alves, Linda Lavin, and Anna Maria Horsford.

No Good Deed
Lisa Kudrow as Lydia and Ray Romano as Paul in ‘No Good Deed’ (Photo Cr. SAEED ADYANI/Netflix © 2024)

“When Lydia (Kudrow) and Paul (Romano) decide to move on from their empty nest to forge a new life, they list their gorgeous 1920s Spanish-style villa located in one the most desirable neighborhoods in Los Angeles — and the real estate frenzy begins. Multiple families all race to buy what they believe to be their dream house, convinced it will fix all of their very different problems,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “But as Lydia and Paul know all too well, sometimes the home of your dreams can be a true nightmare. As they struggle to hide the dark and dangerous secrets that linger inside their longtime home, Paul and Lydia begin to realize that the only way they’ll escape the past is to finally face it.”

“We meet them at a little bit of a crossroads — it’s a really interesting time in their lives,” said Feldman, discussing Romano and Kudrow’s characters. “We know they’re about to go through some major changes. They know they’re about to go through some major changes in their life. But, they have no idea how major.”

Feldman is the showrunner, executive producer, and directs episodes four and five. Silver Tree directs the remaining six episodes. Additional executive producers include Christie Smith, Jessica Elbaum, and Will Ferrell. Feldman, Madie Dhaliwal, Cara DiPaolo, Crystal Jenkins, Kelly Hutchinson, Bruce Eric Kaplan, and Zora Bikangaga are the writers.




Matlock: Jason Ritter Interview on CBS’s Rebooted Legal Drama

By
Fred Topel
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Matlock Jason Ritter, Kathy Bates, Skye P Johnson
Jason Ritter as Julian, Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, and Skye P. Marshall as Olympia in ‘Matlock’ (Photo: Sonja Flemming © 2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)

Matlock is the latest classic show to get a reboot, but if you watched the premiere of the new CBS iteration, you’ll know it’s not just a remake. Spoiler alert for the first episode follows.

Maddie Matlock (Kathy Bates) impressed a law firm enough to hire her on the spot. She’s helping them with cases, but she’s got an agenda of her own. This law firm defended an opioid company that got off the pharmaceutical company that made the drugs her daughter overdosed on.

The Television Critics Association visited the set of Matlock this summer. One of the sets we saw was Julian (Jason Ritter)’s office. Julian is working for his father (Beau Bridges), but he’s one of Maddie’s suspects. Ritter showed off his desk toy which he reconfigures every episode. Matlock airs Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.

Are most of your scenes set in your office?

Jason Ritter: “It didn’t even come into play until maybe episode five or six so it was, first of all, it was fun to finally see what I’m into. Especially initially, more and more has been in my office, but initially, there’s a lot in the halls. The show is following Olympia and Maddie Matlock, so only when our paths intersect would be when you would see me. So, in the common area with the coffee, we had a lotta scenes in there or in the hallways or conference rooms. But it was very exciting to finally get into my very own office.”

Is there a reason your character is more welcoming to Maddie than others?

Jason Ritter: “I think he’s a bit more secure, but I also think he doesn’t see her as a threat at all. And he doesn’t have to deal with her. The fact that he’s a bit annoying to his ex-wife, I think, is kind of fun for him. He’s like wow, you’ve got to deal with her. She’s fun for me. She’s making jokes. I’m not having to deal with her on a regular basis, but Maddie’s and Julian’s relationship unfolds in a very surprising way over the course of the season so far.

But yeah, I think initially it’s not his problem. He thinks she’s funny. He thinks it’s kind of incredible that she came in here. I think Olympia has worked so hard to get to this firm that the idea that this lady can just walk in and be a part of it is a little annoying to her. She’s like, ‘I worked hard to get here.'”

You’ve got a photo of a boat. Does sailing come into play later?

Jason Ritter: “I did think about that when I walked in. I also saw that there are some elements that remind me of things that are in my father’s office, and I thought that was interesting because he has a complicated relationship with how much he wants to emulate his father or not. I think he thinks his father is an incredible lawyer but maybe not a very good person. So, it’s interesting that maybe he’s trying to show potential clients that would be in his office, ‘Oh yeah, we’re into the same stuff.’ These are status things to try to convince clients, ‘Oh, I live this fancy life with boats and cars, so you should feel secure with me here.’ It felt like when I walked in here, there’s a lot of showmanship and a lot of tactical moves. And then there’s stuff just for me.”

Did you customize anything?

Jason Ritter: “I did not. My main thing is that I change this [desk toy] around a lot. I did this this morning. It’s supposed to be a fish, but it didn’t stand up by itself. So, when you guys see this in an episode, you’ll know that was the day you were here.”

You do it once a day?

Jason Ritter: “Once an episode, otherwise I’m in big trouble.”

Did you call Erika Christensen when you found out you were playing a lawyer?

Jason Ritter: “I did not. I should have. I absolutely should and get some tips. She’s so awesome.”

Matlock Jason Ritter
Jason Ritter as Julian Monroe in ‘Matlock’ (Photo: Brooke Palmer © 2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)

Were courtroom scenes a certain kind of performance you had to adjust to?

Jason Ritter: “Oh yeah, absolutely. I think there is a performative element of lawyering and it’s just that the stakes can be higher. It’s also the fascinating thing about it for me is that generally, in your life, your truth is your truth, and you kind of lie or you don’t, I guess. As a lawyer, your client’s truth is the truth, and you are trying to put that truth into the jury’s minds. It’s just funny to have a truth with ulterior motives where you don’t just go, ‘Oh, some evidence came up. Seems like maybe I’m lying. I give up. There’s only one truth.’ You go, ‘No, no, no, that somehow is not true or not relevant or not allowed to be in court.’ So, it’s a whole different moral set where you’re just fighting for your side no matter what, which is interesting.”

Maddie puts you on her murder board at the end of the pilot. What did you ask the series creator Jennie Snyder Urman when you realized you were a suspect?

Jason Ritter: “I think Skye (P. Marshall), Beau, and I were all a bit nervous. What does this mean? I’ve sort of been along for the ride of it and I also, talking about having it be part of your profession to have a tenuous relationship with the truth, it’s sort of fun to go if any of these characters have anything to do with it, you will not be able to tell because they have their truth all the time and the stakes are always high for them. They’re constantly trying to give you the reality that they want you to believe, so it’s within their wheelhouse to be incredibly good liars, I would say. It’s fun, too, as the episodes come out and as the mystery unfolds, and it’s unfolding faster than I would have thought. It’s very exciting. There’s lots of forward momentum with the whole mystery of it. It’s more and more exciting because I actually still don’t know.”

What keeps your character invested in this firm?

Jason Ritter: “I think that one of the things that Julian had implanted in his brain growing up was if you’re not making a lot of money, who are you? What are you? So, there’s a drive, an unconscious drive. I think that’s one of the things that helps him represent these pharmaceutical companies against vulnerable clients on the other side is, ‘I’m making this money for my family. It’s for my daughters. It doesn’t matter. Anything else is morally not my business. This is just my job.’

But I also think it’s complicated because I think he does have a lot of moral judgments against his father. I don’t think he thinks his father was a good dad or a good husband. He thinks he’s a good lawyer so, yeah, so there’s a lot of money stuff going on. And then, even though he has a very difficult relationship with his dad and he doesn’t particularly like his dad or want to hang around with his dad for an afternoon, I think there’s a part of him, like there is with a lot of people with complicated parents, that there’s still a part of you that wants that person to go, ‘I’m proud of you. You did a great job.’

Whether or not Julian will ever get that is up to interpretation. It’s fun to have that never-ending carrot thing in front of him that he may never get but just this drive to fill this hole in his heart.”




Streaming on Max in October 2024: Salem’s Lot, The Franchise and Caddo Lake

By
Rebecca Murray
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Salem's Lot Film Photo
Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Makenzie Leigh, Lewis Pullman, and Jordan Preston Carter in ‘Salem’s Lot’ (Photo by Courtesy of New Line Cinema/Max)

Max’s October 2024 lineup includes a new adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling vampire novel Salem’s Lot and the premiere of the eight-episode comedy series The Franchise starring Himesh Patel. Jordin Sparks hosts and Johnny Weir and Terrell Ferguson judge the new competition series Roller Jam debuting on October 10th. And Dylan O’Brien stars in Caddo Lake, a mystery thriller premiering on October 10th.

The streamer’s October calendar of new series and films also includes the documentaries I Am Not A Monster: The Lois Riess Murders, Louder: The Soundtrack of Change, and Breath of Fire. Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap starring Josh Hartnett makes its streaming premiere on October 25th, and MAXXXINE with Mia Goth debuts on October 18th.

The third and final season of the critically acclaimed series Somebody Somewhere kicks off on October 27th.

Max October 2024 Lineup

October 1

21 Jump Street (2012)
22 Jump Street (2014)
A Day in the Country (1950)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
A Return to Salem’s Lot (1987)
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016)
Altitude (2017)
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Barry Munday (2010)
Contraband: Seized at Sea, Season 1 (Discovery)
Contraband: Seized at the Border, Season 5 (Discovery)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Dinner for Schmucks (2010)
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Dune (1984)
Edge of Darkness (2010)
Four Christmases (2008)
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Frost / Nixon (2008)
George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey (1984)
Godzilla vs. Biollante (1992)
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1998)
Green Porno
Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
I Was a Teenage Zombie (1987)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Invictus (2009)
It (2017)
It: Chapter Two (2019)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
Knife in the Water (1962)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Major Barbara (1941)
Mecum Main Attractions: Monterey CA
Misery (1990)
Mississippi Masala (1992)
Monte Carlo (2011)
My Life as a Dog (1987)
Ondine (2010)
Open Your Eyes (1999)
Poltergeist (1982)
Practical Magic (1998)
Red Dawn (2012)
Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1937)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Scooby-Doo (2002)
Stephen King’s It (1990)
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The Cranes are Flying (1960)
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
The Death of Superman (2018)
The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016)
The Life and Times of Farmer Al (2024)
The Naked Kiss (1964)
The Return of Godzilla (1985)
The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934)
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005)
Traffik (2018)
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Tough Love (2015)
Walkabout (1971)
Water for Elephants (2011)

October 2

Destinations of the Damned with Zak Bagans, Season 1 (Discovery)

October 3

Expedition Bigfoot, Season 5 (Discovery)
Expedition X, Season 8 (Discovery)
Gremlins: The Wild Batch, Season 2 (Max Original)
Las Bravas F.C., Season 2 (Max Original)
Velma: This Halloween Needs To Be More Special! (Max Original)

Salem’s Lot (2024) (Max Original) – (Max Original Film) – Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.

October 4

Angel of Death (Szadź), Season 2-3 (Max Original)
Angel of Death (Szadź), Season 4 (Max Original)
HGTV Urban Oasis 2024 (HGTV)
Mini Beat Power Rockers: A Hairy Halloween (Discovery International)
Mini Beat Power Rockers: What a Monster (Discovery International)
Scariest House in America, Season 1 (HGTV)

October 6

Have I Got News for You (CNN Original Series) – This series serves up a smart take on the news of the week from host Roy Wood Jr. and team captains Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black, who will guide guests through comic games and panels that test their knowledge of current events.

The Franchise, Season 1 (HBO Original) – The series follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. The comedy series shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, to ask the question — how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Because every f*ck-up has an origin story.

October 7

House Hunters: Amazing Water Homes, Season 1 (HGTV)
Kids Baking Championship: Scary Good (Food Network)
La Mente del Poder, Season 1

October 9

1000-lb Sisters, Season 6 (TLC)
Bargain Block New Orleans, Season 1 (HGTV)

October 10

Expedition Unknown, Season 14 (Discovery)
Good Hair (2009)

Caddo Lake (2024) (Max Original) – When an eight-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history.

Roller Jam (Max Original) – This first-of-its-kind competition series will feature ten of America’s best roller-skating teams dancing through the decades, as expert judges and pop culture icons decide which team is worthy to win Roller Jam and $150,000.

October 11

The Disappearance (Chyłka – Zaginięcie), Season 2-5 (Discovery International)
Tuesday (A24)

The Confidante (Une Amie Dévouée) (Max Original) – Inspired by true events, this psychological thriller follows Christelle “Chris” Blandin, a rock music-obsessed Parisian, who, after witnessing the harrowing November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks, quickly latches onto a community of survivors. Claiming that her best friend Vincent was one of dozens critically injured at the Bataclan Theatre, Chris becomes an indispensable resource for the group, working her way into a prominent role in a survivors’ association. Though her commitment seems relentless, discrepancies begin to pepper her story – raising serious doubts among the true victims of the tragedy. A thought-provoking four-part miniseries, The Confidante questions the very nature of truth… and the web of lies left in one woman’s wake.

October 13

Love & Marriage: Detroit, Season 2 (OWN)

October 14

Barney’s World, Season 1

October 15

I Am Not A Monster: The Lois Riess Murders (HBO Original) – In 2018, a small-town murder in Minnesota shocks a community when 56-year-old wife, mother, and grandmother Lois Riess kills her husband David and goes on the run from the authorities. Years later, Lois sits down with the filmmakers telling her story for the first time. Lois herself attempts to explain her reprehensible actions which reveals a disturbing family history and an addiction to gambling.

October 17

LOUDER: The Soundtrack of Change (Max Original) – LOUDER: The Soundtrack of Change is both a celebration of music and rallying cry. Produced by Selena Gomez and Stacey Abrams, the documentary takes audiences on a journey across generations, eras, and genres, anchored by a female chorus of musical icons, whose songs, voices, and activism provided inspiration for the past and current fight for equality for all. The film also serves as an empowering invitation for us to continue to lift our voices.

October 18

Mecum Full Throttle: Indianapolis Fall Special 2024
My Lottery Dream Home, Season 16 (HGTV)
The Sancho Case (Caso Sancho) (Max Original)

MAXXXINE – In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.

October 19

Bering Sea Gold, Season 18 (Discovery)
Vacation House Rules, Season 5 (HGTV)

October 21

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three (2024)

October 22

Residential Rage (ID)

October 23

1000-lb Best Friends, Season 3 (TLC)
Sin City Tow, Season 1 (Discovery)

Breath of Fire (HBO Original) – In 2013, Katie Griggs, a millennial YouTube astrologer, rose to fame as the face of Kundalini yoga, opening the RA MA Institute in Los Angeles, donning a white turban, and reinventing herself as Guru Jagat. Breath of Fire explores Guru Jagat’s evolution while chronicling the shocking secret history of Kundalini through its origins in the 1960s to its expansion in the United States and its presence in wellness circles today. Based on the Vanity Fair story by Hayley Phelan, “The Second Coming of Guru Jagat,” BREATH OF FIRE illuminates the culture of modern spirituality revealing complicated themes of cultural appropriation and the dangers of self-proclaimed gurus.

October 25

Trap (2024) – A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.

October 26

First-Time Buyer’s Club, Season 2 (OWN)
Impractical Jokers, Season 11 (truTV)

October 27

Chris Brown: A History of Violence (ID)

Somebody Somewhere, Season 3 (HBO Original) – The series follows Sam (Bridget Everett), a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. In season three, we see growth against all odds.

October 28

Paranormal Caught on Camera, Season 8 (Travel Channel)
People Magazine Investigates, Season 8 (ID)

October 30

Skin Hunters (Max Original)
Supermarket Stakeout, Season 6 (Food Network)

October 31

Dark Souls Among Us (aka Senales del Mas Alla), Season 1




Stephen Moyer to Star in ‘Art Detectives’ Crime Drama

By
Rebecca Murray
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Art Detectives Star Stephen Moyer
Stephen Moyer and Nina Singh in Acorn TV’s ‘Art Detectives’

Stephen Moyer (True Blood, The Bastard Executioner) is set to star in and executive produce Art Detectives, described as an “aesthetically pleasing crime drama.” Acorn TV greenlit the series, and production is currently underway in Belfast and Northern Ireland.

Nina Singh (The Lazarus Project), Sarah Alexander (Coupling), and Larry Lamb (EastEnders) will co-star.

“I’m very excited to bring the slightly quirky Mick Palmer to life in this wonderfully creative detective series,” said Moyer. “The writing team on Art Detectives have done a great job of cleverly weaving together intriguing storylines, notable pieces of art, and a bit of history thrown in for good measure. I’m excited to lead the cast along with the lovely Nina Singh, brilliantly funny Sarah Alexander, and my dear old pal Larry Lamb.”

Acorn TV is targeting a 2025 premiere.

“Art Detectives, a Black Dog Television production co-produced and distributed by Dynamic Television, is a compelling new original crime series centered around the Heritage Crime Unit, a police department consisting of art-loving DI Mick Palmer (Moyer) and straight-talking DC Shazia Malik (Singh). Together, they solve murders connected to the world of art and antiques, from Old Master paintings to Banksy street art, medieval manuscripts, and collectible vinyl,” reads Acorn TV’s synopsis. “Throughout the season, the artfully astute detectives encounter a fake Vermeer, Viking gold, a rare Chinese vase and items rescued from the Titanic. It’s a rich and colorful world driven by greed, obsession, lust and revenge. Mick navigates these demanding cases while managing a budding romance with museum curator Rosa (Alexander) and the sudden reappearance of his charismatic father, Ron (Lamb), who just happens to be one of Britain’s most notorious forgers.”

The series is written by Dan Gaster, Will Ing, Paul Powell, Emma Goodwin, and Kitty Percy. Declan O’Dwyer and Jennie Paddon are directing, and Gaster, Ing, Powell, Catherine Mackin, Bea Tammer, Daniel March, and Klaus Zimmermann executive produce. Candida Julian-Jones serves as a producer. Art Detectives is an Acorn TV Original Series produced by Black Dog Television, Acorn Media Enterprises, Dynamic Television and Northern Ireland Screen

“Art Detectives is a rare and witty crime drama that audiences will get absorbed by. From the sharp dialogue to the mesmerizing artwork and the edge-of-your-seat twists, this series will wow viewers from start to finish. We’re thankful to the incomparable Stephen, Nina, Sarah, and Larry as well as our partners at Black Dog, Dynamic and Northern Ireland Screen for coming together on this wonderful series,” stated Catherine Mackin, Managing Director, Acorn Media Enterprises/Acorn TV.




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