Who could ever forget Disney’s classic animated film Pinocchio and the song that opened the fairy tale, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” sung by Cliff Edwards, the voice of Jiminy Cricket? The 1940 animated film is true Disney cinematic magic. That is not the case, however, with Disney’s latest animated film Wish which pays tribute to classic Disney films, including Peter Pan, Bambi, and of course the aforementioned Pinocchio, but pales in comparison.
Wish is a fairy tale lacking engaging characters, memorable songs, and any sense of true magic.
The soulless film opens with a voice-over by Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), a 17-year-old native who belts out the song “Welcome to Rosas” which serves to explain the legend of the island (called Rosas). After the loud, energetic number, Asha is off to interview for the position of assistant to the leader of the island, King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine), a self-taught sorcerer who has the ability to grant wishes.
At first, the interview goes well as Asha and Magnifico discover they have something in common, having each lost loved ones in the past. But when Asha questions why the King keeps all the wishes locked up as floating blue orbs in his castle tower, and why he waits until his citizens turn 18 to possibly grant their wish, he explodes with anger. King Magnifico hates being challenged and needless to say, Asha doesn’t get the job.
Later that night at the wish granting gala, Magnifico proves he’s a jerk by skipping granting Asha’s grandfather’s wish. The grandfather just turned 100 and Asha wanted his wish to be granted as his birthday present. But Magnifico lets her know in no uncertain terms none of her family’s wishes will ever be granted. Ever.
Upset, Asha runs off, looks up at the star-filled sky, and sings “This Wish,” a song about her wanting more for herself and her family. The fates, or maybe the Blue Fairy doing a flyby, send a small celestial creature down to Asha that answers to the name Star – and looks like one. It seems Star has his own magic, demonstrating this to Asha by giving her goat, Valentino (Alan Tudyk), a voice. Other animals in the nearby forest are also granted voices.
Knowing that she’s right about King Magnifico abusing his authority, Asha sets out with Star and Valentino to free everyone’s wishes from Magnifico’s control and give them back to the people of Rosas.
Uninspired and bland, Wish is a pale entry in Disney’s collection of animated fare, with one-dimensional characters, forgettable songs, and no sense of emotion. It’s a charmless animated film that doesn’t even feel or resemble the studio’s other theatrical releases.
The only character that actually displays some emotion and personality is the villain of the film, King Magnifico, wonderfully voiced by Chris Pine. Pine switches back and forth between the charismatic leader and angry overbearing tyrant smoothly and with bravado. Sadly, this isn’t enough to make Wish worth enduring.
Oxygen True Crime is exploring family disagreements that turn deadly in the new series Fatal Family Feuds. Premiering on December 2, 2023, the true crime series features interviews with survivors as well as the investigators who were involved in the featured murder cases.
New episodes air on Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT.
The series kicks off with two episodes featuring strong family matriarchs. Per Oxygen: “When faced with someone who won’t toe the line, these women will do anything to hold their family together, whatever the cost.”
Episode 1 – The Tragic Tale of Buzz Clinton — Premiering December 2nd at 9pm ET/PT
28-year-old Anson “Buzz” Clinton lived on the wild side in his youth, enjoying the night life and even dabbling as an exotic dancer. After marrying the love of his life and dedicating himself to raising her daughter as his own, Buzz welcomed the challenge to enter adulthood. But he would never get the chance as one night he is gunned down on a dark desolate road. Buzz’s family tell investigators to look into his in-laws, who never liked him and didn’t believe he was fit to raise their granddaughter. But the in-laws had an alibi.
Episode 2 – Murder in the Courthouse — Premiering December 9th at 9pm ET/PT
When Christine Belford and her friend Beth Mulford are shot and killed in broad daylight in the Wilmington Delaware courthouse, a shocking back story unravels, revealing a feud that includes Christine’s ex-husband David kidnapping their children and moving them to Nicaragua. Even more shocking is when investigators learned David wasn’t working alone.
Poster for Oxygen True Crime’s ‘Fatal Family Feuds’
Oxygen True Crime offers this description of the new series:
Fatal Family Feuds dives deep into the investigations of gut-wrenching homicides committed when smoldering feuds between and within families burst into flames. Hearing directly from surviving family members and friends, along with the investigators who worked the cases, the series focuses specifically on motive, tracing the cause, escalation, and ultimate explosive ending of each fatal family feud.
Four-time Grammy Award winning Country music star Mickey Guyton is hosting the 2023 National Christmas Tree Lighting special set to air on CBS on December 15th at 8pm ET/PT. Guyton will also perform on the holiday special which takes place at the Ellipse at The White House and President’s Park in Washington, D.C.
Joining Guyton to perform holiday classics are Darren Criss, Samara Joy, Ledisi, Reneé Rapp, St. Vincent, Joe Walsh, and Dionne Warwick. The United States Coast Guard’s Guardians Big Band will also help viewers celebrate the holiday season.
“First celebrated in 1923 by President Calvin Coolidge, the National Christmas Tree Lighting continues to inspire people everywhere to pause to enjoy cherished traditions and memories made with family and friends in national parks during the holiday season,” reads CBS’s synopsis. “The CBS special offers a unique opportunity for friends and families across the country to tune in and celebrate this holiday tradition from the comfort of their homes.”
Leon Knoles is directing the special and serves as an executive producer. Renato Basile is the producer, and Kristi Foley is involved as an executive producer.
Jon Hamm as Roy Tillman in ‘Fargo’ season 5 episode 2 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
FX’s Fargo season five episode two opens with the introduction of a new key player. Sheriff Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm) admires himself on a billboard as his voice-over drops a few pertinent facts. The Tillmans have a history in law enforcement. Roy believes Jesus was a bearded man and that women should be seen, not heard, kept pregnant and in the kitchen.
Plus, they should come to their wedding bed virgins.
It turns out he’s dropping these pearls of wisdom on a young couple. The husband is an abuser, but the wife tries to play it off that she’s just clumsy. Hubby learns a lesson the hard way when Roy has his deputy place him in a chokehold. Oh wait, the lesson didn’t sink in, and Roy tosses a cup of scalding coffee in his face to make him reconsider his actions.
Roy’s next meeting doesn’t go any better. Roy’s son, Gator (Joe Keery), who’s also a sheriff, informs him that Dot escaped, and Ole Munch (Sam Spruell) confirms it’s true. However, Ole blames Dot’s escape on Roy’s failure to warn him that she’s a tiger – not just a housewife.
Gator lists everything Ole did wrong, including shooting up a gas station and killing a cop. Again, Ole explains it went south because Dot’s a tiger, and he didn’t bring the right guy as backup to handle the situation.
Ole talks about himself in the third person, claiming he sewed up his own ear and is scarred for life, all because Roy didn’t provide key details. Also, the payment didn’t match the job, and if he continues to hunt down Dot, he’ll need a bigger payoff.
Roy drops the bombshell that Dot is his wife; she ran off 10 years ago. He was unaware of her location until her fingerprints were entered into the system. (And that’s why Dot was panicking about being arrested.)
Ole demands his original payment plus extra for pain and suffering. Roy agrees and sends him with Gator to fetch the money. However, it’s a trap as Roy has no intention of paying when Ole didn’t complete the job.
Gator’s supposed to kill him and is ready to shoot him in the back when Ole makes a move. He disarms Gator, who cries like a little boy, and then shoots the two men who were Gator’s backup. Ole takes off, and Gator’s left with a broken arm and no dead body to show to his dad.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Police Deputy Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani) pays a visit to Wayne (David Rysdahl) and Dot, wondering how and why Dot has suddenly returned. Dot (Juno Temple) sticks with her story that she left of her own volition because she had a rough day. Indira didn’t just fall off the turnip truck and knows there are two strangers’ DNA in the house and unidentified hair upstairs.
Wayne tries to break the tension by blaming himself for panicking over the blood and his missing wife. But she’s back now, so that’s that. Right? He’ll sign whatever Indira wants him to to make this all go away.
Dot attempts to end the meeting, but Indira’s announcement that she’ll be reviewing traffic cameras sets her off. Wayne sides with his wife and tells Indira to contact their attorney, Danish Graves, if she needs anything else.
Dave Foley as Danish Graves and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lorraine Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5 episode 2 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
Indira’s not the only one who doesn’t buy Dot’s story. Danish Graves (David Foley) updates Wayne’s mom, Lorraine, on the situation and she calls bullsh*t. Lorraine (Jennifer Jason Leigh) always jumps to the worst possible conclusion and thinks Dot was going to extort her but got cold feet.
Lorraine’s adamant that they need to stop all police investigations. Also, they don’t know much except the very basics about Dot. It’s possible she’s controlling Wayne and has made him her puppet in an attempt to get to the Lyon money.
Lorraine suggests a divide-and-conquer plan. Danish will question Wayne and she’ll handle Dot herself. (Oh, excellent, the much-anticipated Juno Temple / Jennifer Jason Leigh one-on-one!)
Meanwhile, Roy’s relaxing in his spa when Gator arrives with details on Dot’s new life. Her full name is now Dorothy Lyon, she’s been married 10 years, and has a nine-year-old daughter. And Koreans make cars now. That last part is tossed in because Wayne owns a dealership.
The twosome becomes a foursome when FBI agents show up. They’re new to Fargo and want to know why Roy doesn’t actually enforce any laws. He bills himself as a hard man for hard times, but he’s pretty darn soft on crime.
Roy defends his record, pointing out he’s duly elected and his constituents love him. He’ll interpret the Constitution, which was handed down by God, any way he wants. He’s the law. Period. End of sentence.
He emerges from the spa naked and continues the discussion, informing the FBI agents that the law has very little to do with his job…as an officer of the law.
The FBI agents are rendered speechless as he strolls off.
Juno Temple as Dorothy “Dot” Lyon and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lorraine Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5 episode 2 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
The much-anticipated meeting of the tiger and the lion takes place and it’s just as scrumptious as imagined. Lorraine doesn’t pull any punches and informs Dot she knows exactly what happened. And, in fact, she pretty much nails what really went down. Dot, on the other hand, plays the harried housewife who just needed a break fairly well. Lorraine isn’t buying what Dot’s selling and is determined to get rid of this low-class interloper. She even offers cash if Dot will just vanish.
Dot finally breaks from her “can’t we all just get along” attitude. Her voice hardens and she snarls, “Listen, b*tch. I’ve climbed through six kinds of hell to get where I am.” She won’t be run off, and if Lorraine doubts her, she should start sleeping with both eyes open.
“Nobody takes what’s mine and lives,” warns Dot.
Dot slips back into the “Minnesota Nice” vibe as Lorraine announces she’s leaving. However, Lorraine hasn’t broken eye contact with Dot since she delivered her warning. She gets in a parting shot, pointing out Dot’s skinny as a corpse.
After Lorraine leaves, Dot examines the bruises on her back in the mirror. She hurries to put on a robe as Scotty (Sienna King) pokes her head into the room to announce she’s hungry. Dot promises her snacks first, and then they’ll work on a special craft project. You know, the kind of craft project that involves yards of electrical cord, exposed wires, and crushed glass.
Scotty and Dot set up booby traps all around the house. They even place a sledgehammer above the door, ready to strike anyone who touches the ball chain. Scotty’s so into it that she asks to set up traps in her room, too.
David Rysdahl as Wayne Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5 episode 2 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
In a homage to the original Coen Brothers’ 1996 Fargo, Wayne sits in his office and prepares to read off VIN numbers over the phone. Danish arrives unannounced for his part of the divide-and-conquer plan, so Wayne will have to wait on the VIN reading.
Danish puts Lorraine on speakerphone and after calling her son a moron, she cuts to the chase. There’s something fishy about the kidnapping/not kidnapping, and Danish reveals the police think one of the kidnappers is in a morgue in North Dakota. The officer at the gas station described a woman who looks like Dot as the woman who was kidnapped and then saved him.
Lorraine insists this all boils down to Dot wanting her money, but Wayne begs to differ. Lorraine authorizes Danish, as her attorney, to slap her son. He needs some sense knocked into him. Danish does as ordered, and Lorraine tells Wayne to listen up. She’s got a list of instructions he must follow – no ifs, ands, or buts will be tolerated.
Minnesota Police Deputy Indira Olmstead visits North Dakota Deputy Witt Farr in his hospital room, suggesting she knows the identity of the missing female. Witt describes her as a MacGyver / Rambo type and Indira’s just about to pull up a picture on her phone when Sheriff Deputy Gator Tillman joins the party. Witt and Indira share what they know, unaware of who they’re letting into their circle of trust.
Gator grabs Indira’s phone and scrolls through the photos, acting like he’s just looking at the woman in case he knows her. He deletes the photo and then plays it off like it was an accident. Indira reveals Dot’s made it back home now and is insisting she was never kidnapped – all evidence to the contrary.
Gator confirms he’s a massive jerk, vaping in the hospital room and saying he doesn’t protect and serve. “I’m down with protect, but I’m not in the service industry. I’m in the kicking ass and taking names business,” says Gator.
Night falls, and Dot and Scotty are still working on their “craft project” when Wayne arrives home from work. He’s shocked by the new setup over the door and can’t believe his daughter’s pounding nails into a baseball bat to make a weapon.
Dot insists this is all just fine and dandy. It’s their homemade alarm system since Wayne didn’t think they could afford a professional one. Wayne spots the wires on the windowsill, and Dot quickly warns him to keep his hands off of it. They’re electrified and he’ll get shocked.
Wayne’s finally at the end of his rope and, politely, sends Scotty upstairs so he can talk to Dot. They discuss his mom, and Dot insists she and Lorraine have come to an understanding. Wayne’s not sure Dot’s assessment of the situation echoes reality.
Lorraine is suing Dot, certain she’s plotting to steal the Lyon money. Dot sticks to her taking a long walk to clear her head story, but apparently she’s on the verge of losing Wayne’s trust. He loves her to death, but nothing about that story makes sense.
“Why is there a sledgehammer in the vestibule and how come Scotty’s making a zombie killer?” asks Wayne, attempting to wrap his head around what’s become of his marriage.
Dot claims she’s worried about ruffians at the door and Scotty’s tased math teacher taking revenge. The world’s gone crazy, neighbors are turning on neighbors, and they need to be prepared. Wayne is such a sweet guy that he actually accepts this as truth and suggests maybe they need to buy a gun.
Dot jumps on board that idea and ups it to two guns and a new taser. Maybe a net? Confused, Wayne has allowed himself to be drawn into Dot’s plan. But all the poor guy wants is to watch Real Housewives and play hockey in his socks with his daughter.
Dot promises him it will all return to normal, and Wayne calls her his dream come true. Awww.
About that return to normal… Gator and another Tillman minion make a pit stop at the same gas station where all the action took place. Gator goes inside to relieve himself while the other sheriff fills up. Unfortunately, getting gas is the man’s final act as Ole Munch appears out of nowhere and kills him.
Gator returns to the vehicle, oblivious to what’s going on around him. Finally, he glances in the sideview mirror and sees his partner lying dead on the ground. There’s a knife plunged into his chest, pinning in place a sign that reads, “You owe me.”
Juno Temple as Dorothy “Dot” Lyon and Sienna King as Scotty Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Michelle Faye/FX)
It’s not truly a new season of FX’s Fargo until the fake disclaimer advising this is a true story appears on the screen. That happens three minutes into season five episode one, “The Tragedy of the Commons.”
Before that, Fargo fans are advised that “Minnesota Nice” is an aggressively pleasant demeanor put on no matter how rotten life becomes. And “rotten” is a gentle word to describe the mood at the middle school’s Fall Festival Planning Committee meeting. Punches are thrown, hair is pulled, and the woman we’ll be cheering for this season – Dorothy ‘Dot’ Lyon (Juno Temple) – sits, jaw-dropped, scanning the room. She advises her daughter, Scotty (Sienna King), that it’s time to make an exit and to fight back (or rather, bite back) if anyone chases them.
Dot escalates the situation by tasing a man who tries to stop her, and then she’s so caught up in the moment that she also accidentally tases a cop. Officers immediately take her into custody, and Minnesota Police Deputy Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani) drives her to the station, all the while wondering what this world is coming to.
All Dot knows is that you don’t come at a momma lion (or Lyon, in this case) when she’s got her cub.
(These events take place in Minnesota in 2019.)
Dot’s booked into jail, nervously asking if her fingerprints are going into a national database…our first clue that Dot might have a few skeletons hiding in her closet. She’s not there long before her loving hubby, Wayne (David Rysdahl), fetches her. Dot’s day gets much worse when he reminds her they need to head over to his mother’s estate for Christmas card photos. (It’s not even Halloween yet.)
Dot worries she might have lice from being locked up, and Wayne proves he’s a caring husband by revealing her grabbed her makeup, hair products, and frock. Wayne assures Dot that Scotty’s going to be okay, that she’s not permanently scarred by her mom getting locked up in the Hoosegow. (For those born this century, that’s slang for jail.)
Dot’s a little concerned Wayne told his mom what happened. Wayne stammers out the excuse that his mom has all the important connections, so she needs to be in the loop. Dot understands but doesn’t like it.
They arrive at the estate (Scotty’s already there) and the info dump from this first visit is both staggering and hysterical. Fact: Lorraine Lyon (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a fearsome beast with a sharp tongue and so much money that she never needs to hold it. Even though it’s just family and a sprinkling of her employees, Lorraine insists on making a grand entrance down the staircase, berating her majordomo, Danish Graves (David Foley), for walking in front of her. (We see you, Lorraine, we see you.)
She calls Scotty “the crossdresser” and Dot “Wayne’s outlaw wife” before forcing her alcoholic husband to choose between his drink and a rifle in the family Christmas photo. Lorraine is the epitome of a cold fish.
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lorraine Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5 (CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
Dot, Wayne, and Lorraine also hold guns to, as Lorraine claims, demonstrate strength. Wayne’s so intimated by his mom that he doesn’t even want to ask if they’re allowed to stay for dinner afterward, even though poor Dot is starving. Luck’s on Dot’s side as they are, in fact, allowed to stay for dinner with the Attorney General, who says he’ll look into Dot’s legal troubles.
Wayne tells those gathered he was worried when he heard she was in jail, and when Dot tries to say it was an accident, Danish shuts her down. Under no circumstances is she to admit to anything. (Side note: If you ever notice Garnish written in place of Danish, know that my brain insists Garnish is a better name.)
Lorraine is stunned that Dot was at the meeting to help raise money for the library. “Can’t you just give money like a normal person?” asks Lorraine. (Jennifer Jason Leigh is fabulous as the overbearing, pretentious matriarch.) Lorraine reminds her son he has a trust, and if it’s nothing frivolous, he should request funds from Danish.
Dot survives dinner, but she’s in no mood for a tumble with Wayne later in bed. In fact, she jokingly warns that she’ll tase him if he touches her. Wayne understands because that’s just the sort of guy he is.
The scene switches to the Tillman family gathered around an outdoor table, saying a blessing before a meal. Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm) leads the prayer at the head of the table, and as he opens his eyes, Dot’s eyes flash open in bed.
Morning arrives, and Wayne suggests to Dot that she should stay away from school for a bit. (You think?) He’ll drop off Scotty for her. Dot sees her family off and busies herself knitting, unaware she’s about to have a doozy of a day that makes spending time in the Hoosegow seem like a walk in the park.
A man wearing a hood and trench coat pauses inches from her sliding glass door. She runs upstairs seconds before he peers in and enters through the unlocked door. He spots her ball of yarn on the floor and notices it’s moving. Another man enters, and hooded figure #1, Ole Munch (Sam Spruell), sends him upstairs with a hammer. Ole follows and they enter Dot’s bedroom. The yarn is on the floor at the base of the bed, but there’s no sign of Dot.
The second guy (Devon Bostick) creeps toward the bathroom, opens the door, and has his ski mask immediately set on fire by Dot, courtesy of hairspray and a lighter. As intruder #2 attempts to save his face from melting, Dot makes her move and holds Ole at bay long enough to make a run for it.
Unfortunately, she trips over a laundry basket and her yarn and takes a tumble down the stairs. Both men remove their masks and stand by her prone body, unsure if she died in the fall. She didn’t, of course, and was smart enough to grab an ice skate, which she uses to slash Ole’s face – nearly detaching his ear as he grabs her leg.
Dot can’t get away and they corner her, with ski mask dude suggesting they knock out her teeth since they’re not allowed to kill her.
Richa Moorjani as Indira Olmstead in ‘Fargo’ season 5 (CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
A few hours later, Wayne picks up Scotty at school after Dot doesn’t show up to get her. The front door’s wide open and Wayne knows something’s wrong. He calls out from the doorway and sees blood on the floor, along with the weapon that caused it, at the base of the stairs.
Deputy Indira Olmstead arrives to investigate, and Wayne immediately lets it be known he tossed his cookies in the bathroom. That’ll be his DNA, dontcha know.
Dot’s cell is in the kitchen but she’s nowhere to be seen. Wayne also points out there’s a burnt hat upstairs. Indira looks around and can’t figure out what went down.
Wayne heads over to his mom’s office, and Danish has landed on the assumption that this is a kidnapping. They should receive a ransom demand soon, and Lorraine wonders why anyone would think she’d pay to get a “low-rent skirt” her son impregnated back. Wayne whines about the description, and Lorraine quickly shuts him down. Poor Wayne doesn’t stand a chance with two such fierce women in his life.
They have kidnap insurance, but the real question is, do they bring in the cops? Lorraine thinks they should handle this with their own people.
Deputy Indira Olmstead wraps up her day and returns home to a huge stack of past-due bills. Meanwhile, her good-for-nothing husband, Lars (Lukas Gage), is in the garage practicing his golf swing. He doesn’t care about how her day went and is more concerned that he’s slicing right. Lars confirms he just paid $2500 to play in the regionals…and that’s $2500 they don’t have. But, again, he doesn’t care. It’s all about his needs and his golf “career.” (Even though he sucks.)
The lazy bum also just bought a huge – and pricey – golf simulator for their garage. When Indira suggests that he go back to work, he says no. Lars needs to follow his ridiculous dream of being a professional golfer.
Sam Spruell as Ole Munch in ‘Fargo’ season 5 episode 1 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
The kidnappers are driving through the night, and the guy with the destroyed face asks if they can stop at a veterinarian. (He’s seen too many gangster films.) Dot pipes up from the backseat, warning he’s going to get infected and it could affect his brain.
Minutes later, a cop car lights up behind them, and the burned dude admits he stole the truck they’re in. They pull over and Dot immediately opens the door and runs past the squad car, heading toward a gas station. (It’s the only building around for miles.) Ole sprays the cop car with bullets and shoots the driver, while the second officer, North Dakota Deputy Witt Farr (Lamorne Morris), runs to the gas station. He’s just seconds behind Dot and pauses outside, peering into the darkness to see if he’s being pursued.
A gunshot rings out and Witt takes a bullet to the leg but manages to hobble into the store. He orders the clerk to get down and then helps Dot cut off her bindings. She’s already discovered there’s a bathroom in the back, and as the lights go out inside the store, she spreads lighter fluid around the front of the store. Dot then grabs glow sticks and two large bags of ice, proving she’s a woman who knows how to take care of herself.
A noise from the bathroom draws her attention, and she discovers the window’s broken. Burned guy is currently occupying the toilet stall. She tosses a glow stick in front of the stall and quietly backs out the bathroom door far enough to grab the bags of ice.
All this is going on as Witt bandages his wound. He discovers the clerk doesn’t have a weapon, only an air horn.
All hell breaks loose when Ole tosses something through the station’s front glass door and Witt fires, giving away his position.
In the bathroom, the shattering door causes Dot to make a noise and burned face dude also opens fire. He has no idea what he’s shooting at – the fire destroyed much of his vision – and Dot uses the noise as cover while she kicks over one bag of ice, causing it to spread out on the floor in front of the stall. When he emerges from the stall, she hits him in the face with the other bag. He slips on the ice on the floor and busts open his head on the toilet seat.
One down, one to go.
Ole carefully watches his step as he enters the store and scans the area. The clerk pops up behind the cash register and blows the air horn. He won’t live long enough to regret that decision. Ole shoots him dead without even bothering to turn his head.
Witt stands up in an aisle and fires, emptying his gun as Ole hits the floor. Ole wasn’t hit and uses a mirror to try and locate Witt. While he’s distracted, Dot hits Ole in the head with a shovel, knocking him out. She grabs Ole’s rifle and aims it at him but doesn’t shoot. Instead, she responds to Witt’s call for help.
He’s losing a lot of blood and Dot makes a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Witt asks where she learned to do this, and Dot replies, “It’s not my first getaway.”
She won’t tell Witt her name.
By the time Dot checks on Ole, he’s left the store. Advertisements for pancakes are scattered where his body was and Dot stares at them, thinking about how her daughter loves her Bisquick pancakes.
Sirens draw closer as Witt gets to his feet, claiming he’s going to put his unknown savior in for a medal. Dot misses out on this compliment as she’s already fled the scene.
Wayne and Scotty return home, and as he tucks his daughter into bed, he assures her they’ll get Mom back. Wayne doesn’t go to bed and instead sits in a chair in the den, waiting for word on Dot.
Wayne drifts off and doesn’t hear Dot coming through the door. He’s jarred awake by a noise, arms himself with something heavy, and follows bloody footprints into the kitchen. Dot’s whipping up pancakes, and Wayne, literally, breathes a huge sigh of relief.
Dot lies and says she was just out clearing her head and must have cut herself before she left. She also lies and says the burned ski mask is the result of her putting winter stuff out too close to the curlers. Dot doesn’t have a cover story for the blood coming from two different people – neither of which is her.
Dot can’t believe he told his mom she was abducted and thinks the whole idea is silly. She insists she had a bad day, reached her breaking point, and took off to clear her head. It’s just that simple.
It’s obvious Wayne wants to believe her, and so for now, he does.
Season one of CBS’s first international edition of the NCIS franchise, NCIS: Sydney, continues with episode three, “Brothers in Arms.” Directed by David Caesar from a script by Andrew Anastasios, episode three will air on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.
The series’ premiere on November 14, 2023 on the CBS Television Network in the US and on Global in Canada was a ratings winner, with 10 million viewers watching via CBS and Paramount+. In Australia, the series currently stands as the most-watched local show since Paramount+ launched.
“We are absolutely delighted that audiences locally and internationally have embraced NCIS: Sydney with its stellar cast and compelling storytelling,” stated Beverley McGarvey, executive vice president and chief content officer and head of Paramount+ Australia. “We are so appreciative of the opportunity to utilize the world-class NCIS brand to tell quintessentially Australian stories and it has been so productive to work closely with our colleagues at CBS and Paramount+.”
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.
“Brothers in Arms” Plot: When a shark spits out an arm wearing U.S. Navy equipment, the team’s investigation tests the loyalty of a band of former Navy divers.
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.
Emma Corrin as Darby Hart and Harris Dickinson as Bill in ‘A Murder at the End of the World’ episode 3 (Photo CR: Chris Saunders/FX)
FX’s A Murder at the End of the World episode three picks up after the first in-person meeting of Darby (Emma Corrin) and Bill (Harris Dickinson) shown in episode two. Darby and Bill are on their way to see the surviving victim, and the duo make a pit stop to where one of the victim’s body was found.
Back to present time, and Darby stares at the footage from Bill’s doorbell camera she hacked into that shows a masked figure. After vowing to catch who did this, Darby heads to where the other guests have congregated. Darby speaks with Rohan (Javed Khan) who seemed deeply affected when it was announced Bill had died. Before she can get any further information from him, Lu Mei (Joan Chen) interrupts and Rohan uses the opportunity to walk away.
Lee (Brit Marling) asks Darby if she found out anything from the footage and Darby lies, telling her no. Lee realizes she’s lying and points out she could have just hacked the footage herself. Darby challenges her, wondering why she had Darby do it in the first place. Before Lee can answer, Andy (Clive Owen) walks over and asks Darby a strange question: does her mouth taste of medal?
Apparently, there’s a connection between grief and tasting medal. A server inquires if she wants another drink and she tries to question him about who ordered the tea that was sent to Bill’s room. He doesn’t reply and just walks away. (That happens to Darby a lot!)
Sian (Alice Braga) wonders why Darby hasn’t questioned her yet, clearly aware of what Darby is up to. Sian also points out that Andy sees something in her and that’s why she was invited to this gathering.
Sian’s parting words are, “Don’t bite the hand that might feed you.”
Joan Chen as Lu Mei, Javed Khan as Rohan, and Emma Corrin as Darby Hart in ‘A Murder at the End of the World’ episode 3 (Photo CR: Eric Liebowitz/FX)
While Ziba (Pegah Ferydoni) performs a song she dedicates to Bill, Darby begins to imagine everyone in the room with masks on. (The same masks she saw in the footage.) Darby heads off to find the server and asks him again about the tea. He tells her that there were actually three tea cups he was delivering to Bill’s room.
Darby asks Alan’s virtual assistant Ray who, if any, of the guests has a connection to Bill. So far three do – Oliver, Lu Mei, and Lee. Ray also discloses that Andy has no known connection with Bill besides through Lee. When asked about Rohan, Ray informs her there is no known information about him since 2006.
Darby spots someone walking outside and sets off to follow whoever it is. The person is carrying a pick axe and climbing up a rocky mountain. After almost getting caught by the person, Darby suddenly realizes they are wearing the mask.
The mysterious person stops and uses a red flashlight to do morse code. The message reads, “One down… still a go.” Darby sees a blue light from across the way flash back and loses sight of the masked person she followed.
Darby’s thoughts are interrupted by Lee at her door with her son in her arms. Lee wants Darby to trust her and insists she really does want to help. Darby shows Lee the footage from the doorbell camera. Lee says she’s never seen the mask before, but yet knows what it is. It’s a mask that stops AI facial recognition. Whoever’s wearing it knows the cameras use facial recognition.
Darby gets to the point and asks if she and Bill were having an affair. Lee claims they weren’t and tells her how they meet. Bill found her six years ago and they did sleep together once when they first met. Darby seems satisfied that it was simply a friendship and nothing more.
Lee confirms Rohan and Ziba knew Bill and she urges Darby to let her hire her to find out who’s behind the mask.
Darby wakes up the next morning to a gift from Andy. It’s a jacket with a note telling her to go to the summit at 11:00am. It appears the guests are going on a hike to the top of the summit.
She catches up to Rohan on the outing and he admits he’s been avoiding her. After offering her a drink, he confides in her that it’s ironic he’s drinking because Bill got him sober. Darby asks if he saw Bill the night he died. Rohan doesn’t answer.
They reach the summit and Andy announces, “Welcome to the future.” Down in the valley are thousands of robots walking about, using their robot bodies to build a bridge for others to cross over. They are called swarm robotics, and they were made by Oliver.
A while later in an igloo, Darby spots the boots with red shoelaces that she saw on the masked person she followed. The boots are sitting on a rack. She momentarily loses sight of the boots and then discovers Rohan’s putting them on.
Darby recites the morse code she saw and after a short pause, Rohan says, “Careful girl.” Darby confronts him about being the person who went to Bill’s room the night he died. He urges her to leave it alone.
Andy strikes up a conversation with Darby, then to her dismay he suggests that it might be for the best if she went home. He’s aware that she’s questioning his guests and staff, and he isn’t comfortable with that. Darby admits she hacked his cameras, and he knew that. But he claims Bill injected himself before the masked figure came to see him.
Darby wants to stay, and Andy tells her no. With that, he takes her ring.
As Darby packs her belongings, the news is on talking about Bill’s death. The report claims that Bill was alone and on vacation.
A flashback shows Darby and Bill talking with the surviving victim. She didn’t see his face, but described what his hands felt like and what he smelled like. She hands over a pin that was found in her car after the attack. After posting it online and getting feedback of where the pin is from, the victim urges them not to give up their search.
Before episode three comes to an end, Darby tries one last time to find out information. She leaves a message for Andy that she’s keeping her room.
After visiting Rohan’s room to no avail, Andy’s head of security tries to collect her to leave. Darby returns to her room and then is about to leave out the backdoor when she’s stopped by the phone in her room ringing. It’s Rohan admitting it was him going to see Bill and that Bill uncovered a secret. His confession to the rest of what happened is cut short and he’s in obvious distress.
Darby’s concerned and takes off to find him. Rohan is found dead! Andy reacts by telling Todd, “Get everyone underground.”
New episodes of FX’s A Murder at the End of the World air on Tuesdays on Hulu.
Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij (The OA) created the series and serve as writers, directors, and executive producers. Andrea Sperling, Melanie Marnich, and Nicki Paluga also executive produce.
Fox’s winter and spring 2024 primetime lineup will include news seasons of returning dramas Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady, along with season two of Animal Control starring Joel McHale. The network’s midseason lineup relies heavily on unscripted and animated fare, including The Masked Singer season 11, TMZ Investigates, America’s Most Wanted, Bob’s Burgers, and The Great North.
Fox will be introducing quiz show The Floor and the game show We Are Family when the midseason kicks off. Plus, their animated lineup expands with Grimsburg featuring the voice of executive producer Jon Hamm.
FOX WINTER 2023-2024 PREMIERE DATES RECAP
Tuesday, Jan. 2:
8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT – CELEBRITY NAME THAT TUNE (Winter Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT – THE FLOOR (Series Premiere)
Wednesday, Jan. 3:
8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT – I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT – WE ARE FAMILY (Series Premiere)
Sunday, Jan. 7:
8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT – GRIMSBURG (Special Preview)
8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT – KRAPOPOLIS (New Episode)
9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT – BOB’S BURGERS (New Episode)
9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT – THE GREAT NORTH (Season Premiere)
Sunday, Jan. 28:
10:00-11:10 PM ET/7:00-8:10 PM PT – NEXT LEVEL CHEF (Special Preview)
Thursdays, beginning Feb. 1:
8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT – NEXT LEVEL CHEF (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT – FARMER WANTS A WIFE (Season Premiere)
Sundays, beginning Feb. 18:
8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT – THE SIMPSONS (New Episode)
8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT – KRAPOPOLIS (New Episode)
9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT – THE GREAT NORTH (Time Period Premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT – GRIMSBURG (Time Period Premiere)
Tuesdays, beginning Mar. 5
8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT – THE CLEANING LADY (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT – ALERT: MISSING PERSONS UNIT (Season Premiere)
Wednesdays, beginning Mar. 6
8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT – THE MASKED SINGER (Season Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT – ANIMAL CONTROL (Season Premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT – FAMILY GUY (Spring Premiere)
THE FLOOR: This winter, FOX heats up with the all-new ultimate quiz show The Floor, hosted by Rob Lowe, premiering Tuesday, Jan. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The Floor is a spectacular battle of the brains in which 81 contestants stand on 81 squares on a massive game show floor, competing for a $250,000 grand prize.
WE ARE FAMILY: From executive producer and Academy and Golden Globe-winner Jamie Foxx, We Are Family is hosted by Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor, comedian and producer Anthony Anderson (black-ish), alongside his mother, Doris Bowman, commonly known as “Mama Doris.” The all-new music-centric guessing game show showcasing non-famous relatives of celebrities performing amazing solo performances and duets with their hidden famous family member, premieres Wednesday, Jan. 3 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).
GRIMSBURG: Starring and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, Grimsburg centers on Marvin Flute (Hamm), who may be the greatest detective ever to catch a cannibal clown and correctly identify a mid-century modern armoire. But there’s one mystery he still can’t crack — himself. To do that he must return to Grimsburg, a town where everyone has a secret or three, and redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow detectives, his ferocious ex-wife and his lovably unstable son.
Vanessa Kirby and Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Napoleon’ (Photo Credit: Apple Original Films / Columbia Pictures)
Epic battles and a volatile romance are at the core of filmmaker Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, a historical action drama about the rise to power and fall of France’s great general and emperor. The films opens in 1789 with Marie Antoinette being taken to the guillotine to be executed. Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix) watches from amongst the cheering crowd.
As another French revolution begins, Napoleon – who at this point in history is just a gunnery officer – is given the task of leading an attack against the British in 1793 at the Siege of Toulon, which becomes an enormous loss for the British. Napoleon’s career advances to head of the French army and at the same time, his attention turns to Josephine (Vanessa Kirby).
Josephine’s an aristocrat and widowed mother who survived prison during the recently ended Reign of Terror, and Napoleon catches sight of her at a party and is instantly mesmerized. Soon, he begins to court her and it’s not long before they’re married.
However, their wedded bliss is short-lived when Napoleon is sent off to Egypt with his army to protect French interests there. And, more importantly, his assignment serves to get him out of the country so those in charge can abuse their power to increase their own pockets.
It’s while Napoleon is in Egypt that Josephine takes a lover and has a torrid affair. When word of this reaches Napoleon, he returns to France to confront her and to decide whether or not to save the marriage. A fearful and regretful Josephine, desperate not to lose her home and place in society, sits through her husband’s jealous and infuriated outburst of anger and rage until finally they agree to continue as husband and wife.
The action fast-forwards to 1802 with the newly crowned Emperor Napoleon taking his army to Austria to fight both Russia and Austria in what becomes known as The Battle of Austerlitz. In one of his greatest military victories, Napoleon traps the Russian and Austrian armies on frozen ice and sends them to their watery graves with gunfire and cannonballs.
As the years continue, the marriage between Napoleon and Josephine becomes deeply strained when she is unable to provide him with a son and heir to the crown. Eventually, with both their hearts breaking, they mutually agree to dissolve the marriage for ”the good of France” so Napoleon can marry a younger woman who will be able to give him an heir.
Ridley’s film continues with the war of 1812 and Napoleon’s march and withdrawal from Moscow, and to 1815 with his final battle and epic loss at Waterloo against the British.
Captivating and energetic, Napoleon is a bold, ambitious historical drama that has spectacular battle sequences but an inconsistent performance by Joaquin Phoenix. The sprawling epic also suffers from an uneven tone.
Joaquin Phoenix delivers a powerful albeit erratic performance as the great French leader with his best scenes showing the determination, calculation, and cunning of the military leader on the battlefield. In the Siege of Toulon, he conveys beautifully both the fear and exhilaration Napoleon feels during the battle as well as the cool and ruthless calculation of the man at the battle of Austerlitz.
Unfortunately, Phoenix’s early scenes with Vanessa Kirby as Josephine as they get to know each other feel odd and almost out of place. Both Phoenix and Kirby fail to generate any heat or chemistry, which is essential to show a love affair that’s considered to be a romance for the ages.
Vanessa Kirby portrays Josephine as a strong, intelligent woman of her times who knows how to use her sexuality on men to make them adore her. Josephine’s also well aware of what she must do to survive in such turbulent times. Sadly, Kirby never conveys any real sense of attraction, caring, or love towards Phoenix’s Napoleon, but rather a sense of contempt and disdain. Instead of a grand love story, Josephine’s relationship with Napoleon seems more a manipulation to keep her status and exquisite lifestyle.
The battle sequences are truly superb and the highlights of the film. Ridley Scott brings to the screen visually breathtaking and shocking war scenes, including the Russian and Austrian troops being blown apart in the Battle of Austerlitz and how they fall into the icy, freezing water as the cannonballs come crashing down, breaking the ice and sending them down to their deaths.
Clocking in at two hours and 38 minutes, Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is a gripping, cinematic spectacle that should be experienced on the big screen to appreciate its art and craftsmanship.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, brief language, some grisly images, and strong violence
Release Date: The Apple Original Film will first be released exclusively in theaters worldwide, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 before streaming globally on Apple TV+.
Dominic Rains as Crockett Marcel and Steven Weber as Dean Archer in ‘Chicago Med’ season 8 episode 12 (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)
NBC’s midseason 2024 lineup includes the return of the Chicago franchise – Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. – and the trio of Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, and Law & Order: Organized Crime. With the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes settled, filming is also getting underway on La Brea season three which is set for a January 9, 2024 premiere.
NBC’s primetime schedule also includes the new comedy series Extended Family starring Jon Cryer, Donald Faison, Abigail Spencer, Sofia Capanna and Finn Sweeney.
Unscripted shows set to air in early 2024 include Deal or No Deal Island, America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League, and The Voice with coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend, Chance the Rapper, and Dan + Shay.
“Building off the momentum of a strong fall, we’re entering midseason with a powerhouse schedule that leans into the strength of both beloved titles and new shows while also growing our audience across NBC and Peacock,” said Frances Berwick, Chairman, NBCUniversal Entertainment. “This season brings fresh takes on favorites from the first double-chair on The Voice, a new spin on America’s Got Talent, and a tropical setting for Deal or No Deal Island, as well as the return of last season’s top comedy Night Court, Jon Cryer’s return to network television with Extended Family, and the much-anticipated return of #OneChicago and the Law & Order franchise – all of which continue to establish NBC as a destination for our loyal fans.”
NBC MIDSEASON 2023-24 SCHEDULE:
SATURDAY, DEC. 23
8 – Extended Family (Series premiere)
8:30 – Night Court (Special holiday episode)
MONDAY, JAN. 1
8 – America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League (Series premiere)
TUESDAY, JAN. 2
8 – Night Court (Time period premiere)
8:30 – Extended Family (Time period premiere)
TUESDAY, JAN. 9
9 – La Brea (Season premiere)
10 – Found (Final two episodes of season)
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 17
8 – Chicago Med (Season premiere)
9 – Chicago Fire (Season premiere)
10 – Chicago P.D. (Season premiere)
THURSDAY, JAN. 18
8 – Law & Order (Season premiere)
9 – Law & Order: SVU (Season premiere)
10 – Law & Order: Organized Crime (Season premiere)
FRIDAY, JAN. 19
8 – Transplant (Time period premiere)
MONDAY, JAN. 29
10 – The Irrational (Final four episodes of season)
MONDAY, FEB. 26
8 – The Voice (Season premiere, part 1)
9:30 – Deal or No Deal Island (Season premiere)
TUESDAY, FEB. 27
8 – The Voice (Season premiere, part 2)
MONDAY, MARCH 4
10 – Deal or No Deal Island (Time period premiere)
NBC’s New 2024 Series
EXTENDED FAMILY – Jim and Julia, after an amicable divorce, decide to continue to raise their kids at the family home while taking turns on who gets to stay with them. Navigating the waters of divorce and child-sharing gets more complicated for Jim when Trey, the owner of his favorite sports team, enters the picture and wins Julia’s heart.
AMERICA’S GOT TALENT: FANTASY LEAGUE – Based on the popularity of AGT: All-Stars and AGT: The Champions, NBC puts a fresh spin on the hit America’s Got Talent franchise with new iteration AGT: Fantasy League, premiering in January 2024. Singer and songwriter Mel B returns to the AGT judges’ desk alongside executive producer Simon Cowell, global fashion icon Heidi Klum and renowned comedian Howie Mandel. The dynamic Terry Crews returns as host.
In AGT: Fantasy League, similar to a fantasy sports draft, the judges will each choose a roster of their favorite acts picking from winners, finalists, viral sensations and fan favorites from America’s Got Talent and Got Talent franchises around the world, all nominated by America to participate. For the first time in show history, the judges will be competing alongside the contestants and will guide the acts throughout the competition with the hopes of earning bragging rights and seeing an act from their team crowned the champion of AGT: Fantasy League.
The judges will fill their fantasy teams with 10 showstopping acts compiled from singers, dancers, ventriloquists, comedians, aerialists, magicians and more. The Golden Buzzer will be back sending acts straight to the finals, but with a twist, as each judge can use their coveted Golden Buzzer for their own act or to take an act from another judges’ team. The audience will vote each week to determine which acts will advance to the finals and which judge will earn bragging rights as their act is crowned the AGT: Fantasy League champion.
Joe Manganiello (Photo by: Patrick Ecclesine/NBC)
DEAL OR NO DEAL ISLAND – The iconic game of Deal or No Deal is back and unlike anything you have ever seen before! This new format transports 13 players to the elusive Banker’s private island where he makes the rules and there are twists behind every palm tree. Hidden on the island are over 100 briefcases with millions of dollars split between them, which players must compete to retrieve in thrilling challenges and mind-bending dilemmas.
In each episode, the player up for elimination must play a high-stakes game of “Deal or No Deal.” At the end of the season, the last player standing will face the Banker to potentially win the biggest prize in Deal or No Deal history.
