Season one of CBS’s NCIS: Sydney comes to an end with episode eight which finds JD’s son in big trouble. “Blonde Ambition” was directed by Catherine Millar from a script by Morgan O’Neill and will air on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season one stars Olivia Swann (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey, Sean Sagar (The Covenant) as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson, and Todd Lasance (Spartacus: War of the Damned) as her 2IC AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey. The cast also includes Tuuli Narkle (Mystery Road: Origin) as AFP liaison officer Constable Evie Cooper, Mavournee Hazel (Shantaram) as AFP forensic scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson, and William McInnes (The Newsreader) as AFP forensic pathologist Dr Roy Penrose.
“Blonde Ambition” Plot: When JD’s (Lasance) son is kidnapped by an international assassin in exchange for a wanted criminal in NCIS custody, the team frantically tries to get his son back safely without trading in a criminal.
Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey and Kate Jenkinson as Rebecca in ‘NCIS: Sydney’ episode 8 (PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+)
Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:
With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet.
Led by NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey and her 2IC AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey, our team of Americans and Aussies must quickly learn to trust each other, overcoming and harnessing their differences to solve each case. Though jurisdictional tussles and culture clashes make for a rocky start, Mackey will eventually come to respect JD’s nose for the truth, as he does her maverick style.
Meanwhile, sassy AFP Constable Evie Cooper and endlessly curious Special Agent DeShawn Jackson form a fast friendship, while curmudgeonly forensic pathologist Doctor Roy Penrose meets his match in the brilliant young forensic scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson. Together, our team becomes NCIS’ first-ever internationally blended family.
Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Captain Michelle Mackey and Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey in episode 8 (PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+)Tuuli Narkle as AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper and Sean Sagar as Special Agent DeShawn Jackson in the season 1 finale (PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+)William McInnes as Forensic Pathologist Dr. Roy Penrose, Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey, Tuuli Narkle as AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper and Sean Sagar as Special Agent DeShawn Jackson in the season 1 finale (PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+)Henry McWilliam as Jack and Benedict Hardie as Yaroslov in episode 8 (PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+)Mavournee Hazel as Forensic Pathologist “Bluebird ‘Blue’ Gleeson, Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Captain Michelle Mackey and Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey in the season 1 finale (PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+)Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey, Tuuli Narkle as AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper and Sean Sagar as Special Agent DeShawn Jackson in episode 8 (PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+)
ID’s true crime series The Playboy Murders returns for its second season with an episode that focuses on Sandy Bentley, one-half of “The Bentley Twins,” and her relationship with nightclub doorman Michael Tardio who was murdered in September 2002. The seven-episode second season, starring and executive produced by Holly Madison, premieres on Monday, January 22, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT.
“I’m honored to continue working with ID in bringing these compelling true crime stories to life,” stated Holly Madison. “We had the chance to delve into some fascinating worlds and cover so many gripping cases this year that explore obsession and murder that tragically affected so many. Being able to relate to their journey, I love ID’s victim-focused approach to storytelling and detailed portrayal of these harrowing events. While some cases remain unsolved today, these are real people, and I wanted to help shine a spotlight on these stories.”
Holly Madison returns for ‘The Playboy Murders’ season 2 (Photo Courtesy of ID)
Per ID, season two episodes include:
The iconic story of Dorothy Stratten, one of the first Playboy Playmates poised for superstardom but whose life was cut short by a jealous estranged husband.
Laurie Bambenek, a Bunny turned prison escapee.
Victoria Vetri, who after her friend Sharon Tate was murdered by the Manson family, went down a violent murderous path of her own.
Paula Sladewksi, an aspiring model whose life took a chaotic and deadly turn after an appearance in a Playboy video.
Melonie Haller, a young actress and Playboy model with a near-death experience that propelled her into a quest for justice to expose the sexually violent culture among the rich and powerful.
The finale of season 2, which will premiere Monday, March 11 at 10/9c on ID, features the story of professional poker player turned Playboy model, Jill Ann Spaulding, who risked it all to write a tell-all memoir about the dark secrets of Playboy before becoming entwined in a strange – and ultimately deadly – love triangle.
The two-minute trailer for This Is Me…Now describes the sci-fi autobiographical musical one-hour film as from the heart, soul, and dreams of Jennifer Lopez. The trailer runs through J-Lo’s various romances and marriages, and finds her friends hosting an intervention to discuss her sex addiction.
“I learned the hard way not all love stories have a happy ending,” says Lopez. “Whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, the answer was always in love.”
Grammy-winner Dave Meyers (“No Tears Left to Cry” by Ariana Grande) directs from a screenplay by Jennifer Lopez and Matt Walton (story by Lopez, Meyers, and Chris Shafer). Lopez’s hubby, Ben Affleck, is featured in the film alongside Fat Joe, Trevor Noah, Kim Petras, Post Malone, Keke Palmer, Sofia Vergara, Jenifer Lewis, and Jay Shetty.
The cast also includes Neil deGrasse Tyson, Sadhguru, Tony Bellissimo, Derek Hough, Trevor Jackson, Paul Raci, Bella Gagliano, Brandon Delsid, Ashley Versher, Malcolm Kelner, Alix Angelis, Danielle Larracuente, and Matthew Law.
Jennifer Lopez in ‘This Is Me…Now’ (Photo Credit: Prime Video)
Lopez’s latest project will stream on Prime Video on February 16, 2024.
“This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is like nothing you’ve ever seen from Jennifer Lopez. Alongside director Dave Meyers, Jennifer has created a narrative-driven cinematic odyssey, steeped in mythological storytelling and personal healing,” reads Prime Video’s synopsis. “Dropping in tandem with her first studio album in a decade, this genre-bending Amazon original showcases her journey to love through her own eyes. With fantastical costumes, breathtaking choreography, and star-studded cameos, this panorama is an introspective retrospective of Jennifer’s resilient heart.”
Jennifer Lopez (Photo Credit: Prime Video)A scene from ‘This Is Me…Now’ (Photo Credit: Prime Video)
Manu Bennett (Spartacus, Arrow) will host The Summit, an action-adventure reality competition series just given a series order by CBS. The series is based on an Australian show and is expected to premiere this year.
“The Summit encompasses everything our viewers love in a reality show – everyday people overcoming and conquering their fears, a fierce game of strategy, and an intense physical and emotional competition,” stated Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “Set against a breathtaking mountain backdrop, this is a high-stakes, adrenaline-filled game with thrilling twists and turns that make for riveting and inspiring television.”
Executive producers include Kevin Lee, Tina Nicotera, and Endemol Shine North America’s Sharon Levy and DJ Nurre.
“We are so excited to embark on this exhilarating adventure with our partners at CBS on a proven format that has captivated audiences internationally,” said Sharon Levy, CEO of Endemol Shine North America. “We can’t wait for viewers to come along on this epic quest with an incredible group of contestants as they learn how far they’re willing to go and what they’re willing to do to reach THE SUMMIT.”
CBS released this synopsis of the new competition series:
“Sixteen strangers will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey through the treacherous New Zealand Alps in an attempt to reach the peak of a distant, towering mountain. With their backpacks containing an equal share of $1 million, the group must traverse an exhausting distance in just 14 days in order to win the cash they are carrying. But not everyone will make it, as these strangers must work together to tackle the dangerous terrain, unforgiving Antarctic winds, heart-pounding challenges and gut-wrenching eliminations on their way to the peak.
Tracking them along this journey is the ‘Mountain’s Keeper’ who will surprise the trekkers with brutal twists and force decisions that complicate an already grueling ascent. Morals and relationships will be tested when they must decide what to do if someone falls behind because if the group fails to reach THE SUMMIT in time, all the prize money will be lost.”
Searchlight Pictures unveiled the first Suncoast trailer ahead of the film’s debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The coming-of-age indie drama stars Nico Parker (The Last of Us) as a teen who’s dealing with a dying brother.
Writer Laura Chinn (Florida Girls creator) makes her directorial debut with a film based on her experiences. Three-time Oscar nominee Laura Linney stars as Parker’s mom, and three-time Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson plays an “eccentric activist who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.”
The cast also includes Daniella Taylor, Ella Anderson, Amarr, and Ariel Martin. Jeremy Plager, Francesca Silvestri, Kevin Chinoy, and Oly Obst served as producers.
Suncoast will premiere on Hulu on February 9, 2024.
Poster for ‘Suncoast’ (Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures)
‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ (Photograph by Courtesy of HBO)
HBO announced the premiere date for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver season 11 just days after the series added another Emmy to its awards collection. Oliver will return with his eleventh season on February 18, 2024. New episodes will air on Sundays at 11pm ET/PT.
The series took home wins in the Outstanding Scripted Variety Series (a brand new category) and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. Altogether, Last Week Tonight has earned 28 Emmys since 2014. It’s also collected five Critics Choice Awards, six Writers Guild Awards, eight PGA Awards, two Peabodys, and two GLAAD Media Awards.
Last Week Tonight is nominated for a 2024 DGA Award in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming category. It also is up for a 2024 PGA Award in the Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk Television category.
“A satirical, insightful, and meticulously researched look at current events in the U.S. and around the globe, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver features Oliver’s hilarious, expertly honed perspective on today’s pressing political, social, and cultural issues, as well as lesser-reported topics that both inform and entertain,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “Shot in New York, season eleven will continue to feature the show’s weekly topical insights, signature deep dives, and distinctive comedy pieces.”
Paul Pennolino directs the series, and John Oliver, Tim Carvell, Liz Stanton, Jon Thoday, and James Taylor serve as executive producers. HBO has already renewed the show through 2026.
A 10-episode season is far too short a time to spend with Dot, Wayne, Scotty, Lorraine, Witt, Roy, Indira, and, yes, even Gator. Unfortunately, that’s all we get with FX’s Fargo season five as episode 10, “Bisquik,” brings the second-best season of the series to a close.
The season finale opens with the now-blind Gator (Joe Keery) deserted by his dad and left to make it back to the ranch on his own. He whines as he repeatedly falls and then eventually makes it into the secret tunnel almost by accident.
Gator emerges from the tunnel in a field and is immediately spotted by the FBI. He throws up his hands, no longer the arrogant vape-addict we’ve come to know and loathe.
Meanwhile, “patriots” line the ranch’s fence on Roy Tillman’s orders, fully prepared to take on the FBI. North Dakota Deputy Witt Farr (Lamorne Morris) is with Alpha Team as they stealthily make their way onto the ranch, while Roy (Jon Hamm) asks his militia leader father-in-law if he’s seen Ole Munch. The old man gives Roy a hard time, inferring that he’s soft and weak. Roy’s had enough and dispatches his third wife’s dad by slashing his throat.
Karen walks up just as her dad’s taking his dying breaths, takes one look at the scene, and runs off. Roy is about to chase her when he turns the corner on the porch and comes face to face with an enraged and well-armed Dot (Juno Temple).
She takes aim and shoots Roy in the stomach – yes! – before he can draw his gun. Witt hears the shotgun blast and knows it’s Dot. She’s just about to pull the trigger again and finish off Roy when Alpha Team arrives and orders her to put her weapon down.
Dot immediately does as instructed while yelling that she’s the hostage. Gunfire erupts as “patriots” fire on the team, and Witt uses his body to shield Dot from being hit by accident. Roy uses the gunfight to make a break for it.
Witt refuses to let Dot put herself in danger again and won’t let go when she wants to give chase.
While the men he called to protect him are fighting the FBI and likely dying, Roy turns tail and runs to the tunnel. Witt leaves Dot on the porch and follows Roy’s blood trail. He doesn’t wait for backup to arrive and enters the confined space, well aware he could be walking into an ambush but determined to find Roy.
Witt doesn’t notice Roy’s hiding in the shadows but turns around just in time – forcing Roy to pause his approach. Roy refuses to drop his knife and instead talks about being shot in the belly. Witt calls in his location and that he’s with Roy.
Witt’s a decent man and he fails to kill Roy when he has the chance. Instead, the despicable, corrupt sheriff makes as if he’s dropping the knife and then closes the distance quickly. He stabs Witt in the chest, and Witt is forced to die with Roy’s face as the last thing he sees.
Dot’s rescued off the porch and walks past Karen, now in handcuffs. She’s in a state of shock, but her immediate concern is learning if Roy’s been caught.
Jon Hamm as Roy Tillman in ‘Fargo’ season 5 (Photo CR: Frank W Ockenfels III/FX)
Roy emerges from the same hidden tunnel exit as Gator, and it’s not until he’s forced face down into the snow that he realizes he’s outnumbered and outgunned. FBI Agents Joaquin and Meyer stand over Roy and inform him that Gator gave him up.
Dot makes it to the FBI command post, and Gator’s already there, handcuffed and being helped by EMTs. He apologizes, and Dot instantly forgives him. Dot displays a level of compassion we should all strive for as she promises to bring Gator his favorite cookies in jail.
Dot’s happy to hear Agent Meyer spoke with Wayne and that her hubby knows she’s safe. But the moment of happiness is fleeting as she’s informed Trooper Witt Farr has died. (Absolutely gut-wrenching that she called him “her trooper” when she asked Meyer about his whereabouts.)
Dot’s quiet on the drive back to her house. (Juno Temple does an incredible job of displaying the range of emotions and thoughts flowing through Dot’s mind as she’s told she’s almost home.) The car pulls up in front of her home and Dot grabs Scotty (Sienna King) up in a huge hug and gives Wayne (David Rysdahl) a big kiss. She steps away from her hubby and daughter when Lorraine (Jennifer Jason Leigh) approaches.
“I just got the download. Shot him in the stomach, they said. That’s my girl,” says Lorraine, the very picture of icy control. Dot’s not buying the detached act and pulls her mother-in-law in for a hug, refusing to let go as a visibly uncomfortable Lorraine pats her on the back.
The action moves forward one year.
Indira (Richa Moorjani) is already there when Dot and Scotty arrive with flowers for Witt’s grave. His tombstone reads:
Whitley James Farr
1983 – 2009
Beloved Brother
(The tombstone next to Witt’s is for Jesse Kawzenuk. Kawzenuk is a visual effects supervisor on the series.)
Juno Temple as Dorothy “Dot” Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5 (Photo CR: Frank W Ockenfels III/FX)
Dot doesn’t know much about Witt’s personal life, and Indira reveals he wasn’t married but had a cat named Lucky. His furkid now lives with Indira. Witt was the only son and had six sisters, and Dot believes that’s why he was so nice.
Apparently, the car business has expanded over the last year, and Dot jokes that she and Wayne are “moguls” now. However, she sticks with handling the behind-the-scenes stuff as she’s not really a people person.
It seems like life has gotten back to normal as Indira says goodbye and heads off to check in with her boss, Lorraine. Dot remembers they need to stop at the store for sour cream since Wayne’s making chili for dinner.
Next, we head to the Federal Penitentiary in Thompson, Illinois. Roy Tillman’s serving his sentence there, and Lorraine Lyon pays him a visit. Roy, of course, believes his so-called trial was rigged, and Lorraine confirms she is the largest donor to the Federalist Society. Roy continues to play tough guy, claiming prisons are divided by race – which is the way the world should be.
Lorraine listens to him spout nonsense and then informs him his real punishment is about to begin. She has Indira wait outside, since she still has principles, and then lays out her plan. Lorraine has paid off all the debts for certain prisoners and put extra cash in their commissary accounts. They’ll be able to buy Vaseline and Vienna sausages on her dime.
She points out some rough-looking prisoners sitting nearby as now being in her debt, but she’s just begun with the list. All the prisoners in cell blocks A, B, and D are also being subsidized by Lorraine Lyon.
When Roy says that’s mighty Christian of her, Lorraine is quick to correct him. This has nothing to do with the Bible.
“It’s an older text, written on stone tablets in the age of the skullf**ckers,” says Lorraine. She insists Nadine had nothing to do with this.
Lorraine assures Roy that she wants him to feel the abuse and degradation his wives felt every day for the rest of his life. She also hopes he stays alive for a very long time.
Roy can’t hide the fear from his face as she slides over a pack of cigarettes and leaves.
Sam Spruell as Ole Munch in ‘Fargo’ season 5 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
And now it’s time for Dot to come face-to-face with the man who tried to kill her and then saved her life, keeping the tiger alive to fight another day.
Ole Munch (Sam Spruell) is seated in her living room, and poor Wayne is totally oblivious to the danger his family is in as Dot and Scotty arrive home. But Dot knows exactly what Ole is capable of, and Ole confirms he freed her so that the tiger could finish her fight. However, he’s not done with her yet.
Wayne picks up on “tiger” and happily provides a description of animal. He only stops the small talk when Dot gently says, “Wayne.” Wayne fetches Ole a pop – something Ole’s never enjoyed in his life – as Ole assures Dot they are going to finish their engagement.
“The debt must be paid. A man’s flesh was taken. Now a pound is required in return,” declares Ole.
Wayne leaps back into small talk, proving he always believes the best about people.
Ole continues with a stream of cryptic descriptions of his past, and Dot asks why everyone always says a debt must be paid. But what if you can’t? She believes the most humane thing is to say the debt should be forgiven.
Ole considers this while not breaking eye contact with Dot the Tiger. Wayne thinks it’s time to make biscuits, and he and Scotty head to the kitchen as Dot informs OIe that he has two choices. He can wash his hands and help make biscuits, or they can do this some other time.
Ole remains seated in the living room, watching the family. He finally joins them and scrubs his filthy hands.
Ole tries to talk about his code, but Scotty, Wayne, and Dot won’t let him finish. Instead, they finish working on dinner and give Ole the task of mixing the biscuit ingredients. Dot quietly reminds him that he knew the risk when he took the job and can’t be mad now at the risk.
Dot suggests his own mom would have done whatever it took to get back to him, just like she did to get back to Scotty and Wayne. Preparations complete, they sit down to a dinner of chili and biscuits. Dot’s loving hubby ignores the weirdness and picks up bits of Ole’s string of consciousness he can relate to.
Ole discusses being a sin-eater and how he was forced to eat the bitter, disgusting food. He says now he can not sleep, grow old, or die. “All that is left is sin,” says Ole.
The Lyon family listens to their very strange dinner companion, a new experience for an ageless man. Dot decides the cure for eating sins is to eat something made with love and joy. She offers Ole one of the biscuits he made with the family and tells him he will be forgiven.
Ole takes a moment to process this and then accepts the biscuit. Before tasting it, he looks at Wayne and Scotty and sees no judgment in their eyes. Ole takes a tiny bit and savors the taste of pure joy.
And that, my fellow Fargo enthusiasts, is the end of a near-perfect season. I can only hope that somehow Noah Hawley works Dot and the Lyon family back into a future season. I realize it’s an impossible ask, but a Fargo fan can hope, can’t she?
Eoin Macken as Gavin, Josh McKenzie as Lucas, and Rohan Mirchandaney as Scott in ‘La Brea’ season 3 episode 2 (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)
NBC’s La Brea season three episode one threw in more dinosaurs, confirmed Veronica is pregnant, introduced a new pivotal player, saw the abduction of Levi and Petra, and ended with the disappearance of Ty, Riley, and Josh through two different auroras. Wow, that was a lot to absorb! Episode two of the final season picks up with Ty (Chiké Okonkwo) in LA just weeks prior to the appearance of the sinkhole, waxing philosophical about a trip he never intended to take.
Ty grabs onto the idea of finding someone to share this burden with after a waitress suggests that as a possible next step.
Ty introduces himself to Dr. Sam Velez (Jon Seda) at the hospital where Sam works. He hands Sam a list of things set to occur in the next 24 hours to convince him the wild story he’s about to weave is the truth. Once these things come true, Sam can join him at The Sandbar to talk.
Everything comes true, and Sam is understandably freaked out. He meets with Ty and demands answers, and Ty reveals a sinkhole near the La Brea Tar Pits will swallow part of LA. But that’s not the fun part. No, that sinkhole will take people to 10,000 BC.
“That’s insane,” responds Sam, speaking the truth.
Ty spills more tea, revealing he knows Sam’s getting a divorce and hasn’t told anyone. Plus, he knows Sam is on medication for PTSD and that Riley quit the pre-med program but hasn’t said anything yet. Ty begs for help finding out more details on a secret Army project and Maya Schmidt – help that only Sam can give him.
Sam walks away, but not before telling Ty to back off.
Back in 10,000 BC, Sam’s top priority is figuring out how to get Riley (who was injured in a raptor attack) back after Josh deliberately – and against orders – stepped through the aurora. Sam’s unimpressed with Gavin’s begging for help in finding Maya and refuses to take part in Gavin’s mostly ill-conceived plans any longer.
Everyone’s been forced to take up temporary residence at the fort since the dinosaurs held a cage match at the clearing. Judah (Damien Fotiou) whines about being forced to work in the gardens, even after Lucas (Josh McKenzie) reminds him they’re lucky to have a place to bed down at this point. Veronica (Lily Santiago) promises to kick Judah’s butt if he doesn’t stop complaining.
The banter comes to a sudden stop when an alarm signals trouble. Sam’s discovered one of the fort’s warriors dead, and one of the fort people’s leaders, Ruth, is not so much upset about the guy’s death but that a Sky Person is examining the body. Sam points to a nearby tall tree and suggests that, based on his injuries, the dead man fell.
Ruth believes he was pushed and orders her people to try and find his weapons. If the Sky People want to prove they’re actually useful, they can assist in the search.
Of course, it’s Scott (Rohan Mirchandaney) and Veronica who locate the warrior’s bow and arrows while gossiping about Ruth murdering her own husband. Scott climbs a rock to get a better look at the area and spots a symbol made of sand nearby.
Back at the fort, Scott reports that the symbol stands for eternal return or maybe a winding journey. He guesses what it means, and neither Sam nor Gavin (Eoin Macken) takes him seriously. Sam’s patience is wearing thin, and he heads to the fort gate to start his search for Riley. However, Ruth’s given an order that no one can leave, so Sam gets into a fistfight with a guard. Gavin tries to intervene, and a brawl breaks out until Ruth orders everyone to knock it off.
Gavin and Sam are hauled away to the fort’s prison.
While Ruth’s giving Lucas a lesson in community-building, another warrior bites the dust, literally falling from the sky and dying just a few yards away from their feet. This time, however, the culprit is obvious. A pterodactyl dropped the woman and brought its buddies with it to snatch up more easy meals.
Ruth orders the archers to the wall, and Lucas tells everyone else to get inside.
Zyra Gorecki as Izzy, Chantelle Jamieson as Ruth, and Edyll Ismail as Leyla in ‘La Brea’ season 3 episode 2 (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)
The pterodactyls target Scott and Izzy (Zyra Gorecki), who are comforting a young girl inside a hut. They’re saved by Ruth’s daughter, Leyla (Edyll Ismail), a skilled archer who scared it off but didn’t kill it. (Izzy and Leyla butted heads/flirted earlier in the episode.)
Lucas picks the wrong time to fight the wrong battle and gets all the clearing people confined to the longhouse by Ruth. If they don’t like it, Ruth suggests they just pack up and leave.
Judah retrieves Scott and shows him another spiral that has appeared inside the fort. Scott decides it means the pterodactyls make them when they are getting ready to nest. He also comes up with an answer to get rid of what used to be his favorite dinosaurs.
Lucas convinces Ruth to let Gavin and Sam out of jail, and the group gets to work building a new nest and moving the egg without getting killed. Because this is La Brea, part of the solution is to send up rockets from a just-discovered Huey helicopter. And because this is La Brea, the pterodactyls are convinced to move into new digs away from the fort.
Later that night, everyone at the fort lets down their guard and parties. The fort people remain suspicious of the Sky People, but Ruth believes it will just take some time before they’re all kumbayaing around the campfire.
Ruth presents Lucas with a small rocket that was her grandfather’s. Apparently, he fell into 10,000 BC back in the ‘60s and was one of the first “outsiders” to join the fort people.
Gavin informs Sam, who still hasn’t made it out of the fort’s gate, that he wrote down the helicopter’s tail number. It’s from Ladera Air Force Base in LA, and somehow Gavin believes this is all a clue as to how to bring Riley back. Also, Sam still needs to go with him to find the base and Maya Schmidt since she may have all the answers.
Sam is all in.
Season three episode two ends in 2021 with Sam returning to meet with Ty after verifying with Riley that she dropped out of the pre-med program. And over the course of just a few hours, Sam has learned that Maya Schmidt is part of a top-secret program on quantum physics run out of Ladera Air Force Base.
Sam thinks they need to find someone who knows more about that program, and Ty knows just the person.
Gavin’s walked out of the LAPD by a cop and led straight to Sam and Ty waiting outside. They bailed him out and Ty promises to tell him why over coffee.
The team gets to work investigating Josh Folsom’s murder charge on CBS’s CSI: Vegas season three episode one. Directed by Brad Haiken from a script by Jason Tracy and Craig O’Neill, “The Reaper” will air on Sunday, February 18, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season three stars Paula Newsome as Maxine Roby, Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows, Matt Lauria as Joshua Folsom, and Mandeep Dhillon as Allie Rajan. Ariana Guerra is Detective Serena Chavez, Lex Medlin plays Beau Finado, and Jay Lee is Chris Park.
“The Reaper” Plot: With their respected colleague Josh Folsom under arrest for the death of Kahn Schefter – the man responsible for killing Folsom’s mother – the CSI team combs through every crumb of forensic evidence to determine his innocence or guilt.
CSI: Vegas returns for its third season and continues the legacy of the global hit franchise. Amidst the neon lights and long shadows, dark threats lurk in Sin City. Maxine Roby (Newsome) leads her brilliant team of crime scene investigators – Catherine Willows (Helgenberger), Allie Rajan (Dhillon), Detective Serena Chavez (Guerra), Chris Park (Lee) and Beau Finado (Medlin) – as they use science to solve baffling mysteries. Chief among them: who framed their colleague, Joshua Folsom (Lauria), for a gruesome murder?
The most daunting and dangerous cases in the history of this storied franchise are coming, and the team will have to deploy the latest forensic techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.
After six months of solitude on a spaceship, floating alone with no one to talk to, Astronaut Jakub Prochazka (Adam Sandler) has a bizarre encounter with an extraterrestrial (voiced by Paul Dano) in the trailer for Netflix’s Spaceman. Or is the spider-like creature merely a figment of his imagination?
“I really wanted to have a performance from him that had nothing to do with the Adam Sandler we all know,” said director Johan Renck (Chernobyl) to Netflix’s Tudum. “I don’t think people understand how [although] he may come across as funny and sweet and all that, he’s very intelligent, really smart, profound.”
The cast of the sci-fi drama, based on Jaroslav Kalfař’s Spaceman of Bohemia, includes Carey Mulligan (Maestro), Kunal Nayyar (Suspicion), Lena Olin (Hunters), and Isabella Rossellini (Julia). Colby Day adapted the book, and Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Peter Kiernan, Michael Parets, Tim Headington, Lia Buman, and Max Silva served as producers.
Director Renck, Ben Ormand, and Barry Bernardi executive produced.
Spaceman will open in limited release on February 23, 2024 followed by a streaming release on Netflix on March 1st.
“Six months into a solitary research mission to the edge of the solar system, an astronaut, Jakub (Sandler), realizes that the marriage he left behind might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth. Desperate to fix things with his wife, Lenka (Mulligan), he is helped by a mysterious creature from the beginning of time he finds hiding in the bowels of his ship.
Hanuš works with Jakub to make sense of what went wrong before it is too late.”
