Gerard Butler stars in ‘Kandahar’ (Photo Courtesy of Open Road Films)
For the second time this year, a film is hitting theaters focusing on the turmoil and chaos in the Middle East and an American and his interpreter fighting to escape Afghanistan. The first was Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The second is the action drama Kandahar with Gerard Butler.
Kandahar centers around Tom Harris, an undercover CIA operative portrayed by Butler, who manages to uncover a clandestine nuclear facility in Iran and dismantle it. Although his mission is nearly flawless, a whistleblower at the Pentagon leaks the operation to a British journalist (Elnaaz Norouzi). Consequently, the journalist is apprehended by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and subjected to interrogation.
Harris’s handler, Roman (Travis Fimmel), alerts his agent that his cover has been exposed. He instructs Harris to travel 400 miles to a former CIA facility in Kandahar, where he will be safely extracted from the country. Harris informs his confused translator, Muhammad (Navid Negahban), “Our cover is blown…we leave in 15 minutes.” He proceeds to destroy any incriminating evidence, including his laptop and operation-related documents.
As the unlikely pair trek across the perilous and seemingly endless desert, they are pursued by multiple groups, including Afghan forces, the Taliban, and Kahil (Ali Fazal), a Pakistani ISIS-K agent tasked with capturing Harris so they can sell him to the highest bidder.
Director Ric Roman Waugh reunites with his Angel Has Fallen and Greenland star Gerard Butler for Kandahar, a suspenseful, gritty thriller with exciting action scenes and solid performances by its two leading men. Butler is perfectly cast as Harris, a lifelong spy who can’t imagine himself doing anything else and is exceptional at his job. Butler also brings a relatable human element to Harris with the backstory of his loving daughter whose childhood he missed and a failed marriage that couldn’t survive his career.
Navid Negahban is terrific as Muhammed, Harris’s translator who becomes tied to Harris in a race to get out of what once was his country and get to the US to reunite with his family. Negahban has solid chemistry with Butler, and the few quiet scenes between the two men, as they either hide or catch their breath, give the film its heart. They must trust each other and work together if they are to have any chance of making it to the CIA airbase.
Ali Fazal delivers a standout performance as Kahil, the Pakistani agent on the hunt for Harris and Muhammed. Fazal portrays Kahil as a deliberate, crafty, and stylish foe who also happens to have impressive motorcycle riding skills in the desolate desert.
Mitchell LaFortune, a former military intelligence officer, has created a screenplay that exudes authenticity and realism. The backstory of the main characters is well-developed, allowing the audience to empathize and support them. The action scenes are thrilling and well-choreographed. One particularly impressive and exhilarating scene involves a nighttime helicopter and truck chase that utilized night vision goggles and featured breathtaking stunts and camera work.
Kandahar is a gripping chase film that boasts impressive performances, stirring action scenes, and smart screenplay. The R-rated action film keeps you on the edge of your seat and is worth checking out for fans of the genre.
Matilda De Angelis stars in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel: Diana’
Prime Video’s released details on the second chapter in the Citadel franchise, Citadel: Diana, just as the first chapter of the spy franchise wraps up its first season. Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Quantico) lead the cast of chapter one, and Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing) is at the center of the upcoming new Citadel story.
Citadel: Diana completed filming in Italy earlier this year. Developed by head writer Alessandro Fabbri, Citadel: Diana was directed by Arnaldo Catinari, with executive producer Gina Gardini as showrunner. In addition to Matilda De Angelis, the cast includes Lorenzo Cervasio, Maurizio Lombardi, Julia Piaton, Thekla Reuten, Daniele Paoloni, Bernhard Schütz, and Filippo Nigro.
The first chapter in the expansive Citadel world premiered on April 28, 2023, and Prime Video is targeting a 2024 launch for chapter two.
Prime Video also announced Citadel has been renewed for season two.
“Citadel is a truly global phenomenon,” stated Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “Our goal was always to create a new franchise rooted in original IP that would grow Prime Video’s international audience. This show has drawn an outsize number of new international customers to Prime Video. Its massive worldwide debut audience is a testament to Joe and Anthony Russo’s remarkable vision, the incredible talents of Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Lesley Manville, and Stanley Tucci, and the tireless work of the creative teams, cast, and crew.
Given the overwhelming number of our customers who have embraced this show, we are not only thrilled to share the premiere episode of Citadel globally without membership, but also confirm that the series will return for a second season.”
Joe Russo will direct every episode of season two, and David Weil will return as showrunner.
Citadel is produced by Amazon Studios and the Russo Brothers’ AGBO. Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Scott Nemes, and David Weil executive produce. Newton Thomas Sigel, Patrick Moran, and Midnight Radio’s Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg also serve as executive producers.
Eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency—tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people—was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows. With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane (Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Chopra Jonas) had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. They’ve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. Until one night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Tucci), who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order.
Mason seeks out his former partner, Nadia, and the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love.
HBO’s released the official trailer for Burden of Proof, a documentary series that examines the case of Jennifer Pandos, a 15-year-old who went missing in 1987. The search for answers unfolds over four episodes shot in cinema verité over the course of seven years, and the trailer reveals Jennifer’s brother’s quest for the truth after living with a lie for 22 years.
Episodes one and two will premiere on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT. Episodes three and four follow on June 7.
Two-time Emmy Award winner Cynthia Hill (A Chef’s Life) directed the true crime docuseries and served as producer along with Christine Delp and Andrea Weigl. Charlotte Cook and Concordia Fellowship’s Rahdi Taylor and Davis Guggenheim executive produced. HBO’s Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller also executive produced.
Per HBO: When 15-year-old Jennifer Pandos went missing in 1987, her parents told everyone she ran away. Decades later, her brother Stephen begins a relentless odyssey in search of the truth. His investigation into the case threatens to destroy his family as he becomes strongly convinced that his parents are both implicated in the crime. As time passes, more threads unravel, and new evidence comes to light, Stephen starts to question everything he has come to believe.
The series unfolds in real time as Stephen launches his own investigation into what he fears may have transpired in his parents’ house the night Jennifer vanished and a suspicious handwritten note left as the only clue. Sensitively illustrated with Jennifer’s intimate journal entries and letters and thoughtfully crafted dramatic visualizations of shifting and conflicting memories from family and friends of the months leading to Jennifer’s disappearance, the episodic flashbacks paint a portrait of a complex teenager dealing with a troublesome family dynamic.
As missing evidence is uncovered, lie detector tests are failed, and past abuses are revealed, a rich, complicated narrative emerges while Stephen is left to wonder about the price he has paid by pursuing this painful search for closure.
Poster for HBO’s ‘Burden of Proof’
Burden of Proof Episode Guide:
Episode 1 – Debut date: TUESDAY, JUNE 6 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
In 1987, Ron and Margie Pandos awake to find their daughter Jennifer missing from her bedroom. Decades later, Jennifer’s older brother Stephen believes their parents are responsible for her disappearance and has the investigation re-opened.
Episode 2 – Debut date: TUESDAY, JUNE 6 (10:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
With the police focus on Ron and Margie, investigators scrutinize Ron’s past as a Vietnam veteran and his criminal record. Margie is offered immunity in exchange for testimony against Ron. After decades of estrangement, Stephen confronts his father. But when new information emerges, the investigation goes in an unexpected direction.
Episode 3 – Debut date: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
A trove of Jennifer’s personal writings paints a picture of a struggling teenage girl. The reappearance of lost evidence refocuses the investigation on an original person of interest. Stephen continues to believe his mother holds the key to the truth.
Episode 4 – Debut date: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 (10:00 – 11:05 p.m. ET/PT)
As the police investigation heats back up, Stephen learns about secret legal proceedings and a police subpoena regarding someone from Jennifer’s past. New evidence takes an emotional toll on Stephen and his family.
Idris Elba’s determined to stop hijackers from downing a plane with 200 passengers in Apple TV+s first official trailer for Hijack. The trailer reveals Idris Elba’s character, Sam Nelson, has a particular set of skills that make him the perfect negotiator. It also helps that he’s one of the passengers on the hijacked plane and can work on a solution from the inside.
Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Christine Adams (Black Lightning), Max Beesley (Jamestown), Eve Myles (Torchwood), Neil Maskell (Peaky Blinders), Jasper Britton (Anonymous), and Harry Michell (Devils) also star. The cast also includes Aimee Kelly (This England), Mohamed Elsandel, and Ben Miles (Andor).
The thriller was created by writer George Kay (Lupin) and director Jim Field Smith (Criminal). Kay, Field Smith, Elba, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, and Kris Thykier executive produce.
Hijack premieres on Apple TV+ on June 28, 2023 with the release of the first two episodes. New episodes of the seven-episode season follow on subsequent Wednesdays.
Idris Elba in ‘Hijack,’ premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+
The Plot:
Told in real time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba stars as ‘Sam Nelson,’ an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
Panjabi plays ‘Zahra Gahfoor,’ a counter-terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation.
Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence just goes for it in the raunchy, R-rated trailer for No Hard Feelings. Lawrence describes Gene Stupnitsky (Good Boys) and John Phillips’ script as the funniest she’s ever read, and it’s obvious in her performance that she was all-in on the physical comedy and playing a woman who seduces a 19-year-old virgin.
“I guess I like cringe humor,” said Lawrence in an interview with EW. “I do like the idea of comedy that makes people uncomfortable. I love when people are watching through their hands, through their fingers. Nothing makes me happier. And I love a lot of the stuff that Harold Ramis did, his movies.”
In addition to Jennifer Lawrence, the comedy stars Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Hasan Minhaj, and Matthew Broderick. Lawrence, Alex Saks, Naomi Odenkirk, Marc Provissiero, and Justine Ciarrocchi produced, with Kerry Orent and John Phillips executive producing.
No Hard Feeling is rated R for sexual content, language, some graphic nudity, and brief drug use. Columbia Pictures has set a June 23, 2023 theatrical release.
Maddie (Lawrence) thinks she’s found the answer to her financial troubles when she discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college. But awkward Percy proves to be more of a challenge than she expected, and time is running out. She has one summer to make him a man or lose it all.
Freeform’s coming-of-age drama Cruel Summer will finally return for season two on June 5, 2023 with episode one, “Welcome to Chatham.” New season two episodes will air on Mondays at 9pm ET/PT.
Season two of the anthology series created by Bert V. Royal stars Sadie Stanley as Megan Landry, Lexi Underwood as Isabella LaRue, Griffin Gluck as Luke Chambers, KaDee Strickland as Debbie, Lisa Yamada as Parker, and Sean Blakemore as Sheriff Myer. Paul Adelstein and Braeden De La Garza appear in recurring roles.
“Welcome to Chatham” Plot: In Summer 1999, small-town computer genius Megan resents the arrival of outgoing and mysterious foreign exchange student Isabella. Little does she know how her life will change by Summer 2000.
Griffin Gluck, Sadie Stanley, and Lexi Underwood in ‘Cruel Summer’ season 2 episode 1 (Freeform/Justine Yeung)
The Season 2 Plot, Courtesy of Freeform:
Set in an idyllic waterfront town in the Pacific Northwest, the next chapter of “Cruel Summer” follows the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship. Approaching the story from three different timelines surrounding Y2K, the season twists and turns as it tracks the early friendship between Megan, Isabella, and Megan’s best friend Luke, the love triangle that blossomed, and the mystery that would impact all of their lives going forward.
Lexi Underwood and Sadie Stanley in season 2 episode 1 (Freeform/Justine Yeung)KaDee Strickland and Paul Adelstein in season 2 episode 1 (Freeform/Justine Yeung)Lexi Underwood in season 2 episode 1 (Freeform/Justine Yeung)Sadie Stanley and Griffin Gluck in season 2 episode 1 (Freeform/Justine Yeung)Sadie Stanley and Griffin Gluck in season 2 episode 1 (Freeform/Justine Yeung)Griffin Gluck and Sadie Stanley in season 2 episode 1 (Freeform/Justine Yeung)Braeden De La Garza and Lisa Yamada in season 2 episode 1 (Freeform/Justine Yeung)
James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington in ‘The Blacklist’ season 10 episode 14 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)
NBC’s The Blacklist season 10 episode 14, “The Nowhere Bride,” is the last episode that will air in the normal Sundays at 10pm ET/PT time slot. Beginning June 1, the popular drama – currently in its final season – will move to Thursdays at 8pm ET/PT with the release of back-to-back episodes. Episode 15 will air at 8pm followed by episode 16 at 9pm ET/PT.
NBC’s confirmed the 2-hour series finale is set for July 13 at 8pm ET/PT.
The final season’s cast is led by James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington. Diego Klattenhoff stars as Donald Ressler, Hisham Tawfiq plays Dembe Zuma, Anya Banerjee is Siya Malik, Sami Bray is Agnes, and Harry Lennix stars as Harold Cooper.
“The Nowhere Bride” Plot: The task force investigates the whereabouts of a missing newlywed; Red offers his help to a powerful cartel leader; Siya visits a connection from her mother’s past.
Anya Banerjee as Siya Malik in season 10 episode 14 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)
The Season 10 Plot:
The final season will find Raymond Reddington confronting unparalleled danger. With Reddington’s covert role as an FBI informant facing exposure, former Blacklisters will unite against him in their lethal desire for revenge – testing Red and the FBI Task Force as never before.
Alex Brightman as Herbie Hambright in season 10 episode 14 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma and Sandra Okuboyejo as Duni in season 10 episode 14 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)Diego Klattenhoff as Donald Ressler in season 10 episode 14 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)Valarie Pettiford as Charlene Cooper and Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper in season 10 episode 14 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington in season 10 episode 14 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)
The official trailer for Warner Bros. Pictures’ most buzzed-about summer movie, Barbie, promises this movie’s for those who love Barbie – and for those who hate the doll. And if you were on the fence about paying for a ticket to see writer/director Greta Gerwig’s twisted take on the popular doll line, the trailer should be the deciding factor. The trailer provides a glimpse of what’s in store once the dolls leave their perfect world and discover what it’s like to live in the real world. Cue an full-on existential crisis.
The cast is led by Oscar nominees Margot Robbie (Bombshell, I, Tonya) and Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Half Nelson) as Barbie and Ken. America Ferrera (Superstore), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live), Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Ariana Greenblatt (Avengers: Infinity War), Issa Rae (Insecure), Rhea Perlman (I’ll See You in My Dreams), and Will Ferrell (the Anchorman films) also star.
The ensemble also includes Ariana Greenblatt (Avengers: Infinity War), Ana Cruz Kayne (Little Women), Emma Mackey (Sex Education), Hari Nef (Assassination Nation), Alexandra Shipp (the X-Men films), and Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami). Plus, Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Jamie Demetriou (Cruella), Connor Swindells (Sex Education), Sharon Rooney (Dumbo), Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy), Dua Lipa, and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren (The Queen) bring Greta Gerwig’s vision to life.
RYAN GOSLING as Ken and MARGOT ROBBIE as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘BARBIE, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig (Little Women, Lady Bird) co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale). Gerwig directed and serves as an executive producer along with Baumbach, Ynon Kreiz, Richard Dickson, Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich, and Cate Adams. Producers include Robbie, David Heyman, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner.
The behind-the-scenes team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Rodrigo Prieto (The Irishman), six-time Oscar-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood (Beauty and the Beast), editor Nick Houy (Little Women), Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (Little Women), visual effects supervisor Glen Pratt (Paddington 2), and music supervisor George Drakoulias (White Noise, Marriage Story). Oscar winners Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (A Star Is Born) wrote the music.
Warner Bros. Pictures is sending Barbie out into the world on July 21, 2023.
Ryan Gosling as Ken (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)Margot Robbie as Barbie (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)Margot Robbie as Barbie and Kate McKinnon as Barbie (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)ANA CRUZ KAYNE as Barbie, SHARON ROONEY as Barbie, ALEXANDRA SHIPP as Barbie, MARGOT ROBBIE as Barbie, HARI NEF as Barbie and EMMA MACKEY as Barbie (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR as Ken, RYAN GOSLING as Ken, MARGOT ROBBIE as Barbie, SIMU LIU as Ken, NCUTI GATWA as Ken and SCOTT EVANS as Ken (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
Marisa Davila, Maximo Salas Nicholas McDonough, Ari Notartomaso, and Tricia Fukuhara in ‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Eduardo Araquel / Paramount+)
The storm raging outside the Frosty Palace matches Nancy’s mood in episode nine of Paramount+’s Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. “You’re Dropping Out of Rydell?” begins with Nancy (Tricia Fukuhara) pouting about none of the Pink Ladies returning her calls. In pops her old BFFs looking to reconnect, and after briefly considering their request, Nancy tells them off. She wants her real gang back and has a plan to mend the Pink Ladies’ fences.
Assistant Principal McGee (Jackie Hoffman) congratulates Jane (Marisa Davila) on being Rydell’s first girl president. McGee says Principal Nicholson asked her to apologize on his behalf. McGee also advises Jane to use her power wisely.
Jane spots Richie and Buddy in the principal’s office and Olivia (Cheyenne Isabel Wells) reveals Richie spent two nights in jail. They’re being expelled and Olivia’s parents are sending Richie to military school. Olivia rejects Jane’s sympathy and points out Jane got what she wanted.
Jane apologizes to Buddy (Jason Schmidt), but he doesn’t respond. He’s in a horrible mood because his dad’s sending him off to his alma mater in Connecticut. Buddy’s dad hated it there but thinks everyone will forget what Buddy did after a while and he’ll eventually be able to return.
Richie leaves Cynthia (Ari Notartomaso) a note – and his jacket! – in her locker.
Susan (Madison Thompson) is being treated like a pariah by her fellow cheerleaders after the revelation that she slept with Buddy. She sits alone in Home Economics while at a nearby table, Nancy attempts to get Olivia and Jane to interact. Olivia stalks off and Jane confesses she doesn’t think Olivia will ever forgive her.
Cynthia arrives late to class…wearing Richie’s jacket, of course. Nancy orders her to take it off; she’s in the Pink Ladies, not the T-Birds. Nancy needs Cynthia’s help to get the gang back together, but Cynthia thinks it’s impossible. Olivia’s incredibly angry at Jane over Richie leaving school.
The T-Birds are shocked Richie’s leaving them, believing things won’t be the same without him. Cynthia meets up with them in the hallway and Gil (Nicholas McDonough) and Potato (Alexis Sides) welcome her to the gang. However, Shy Guy orders her to take it off and threatens to leave the T-Birds if she’s allowed in.
Susan, Wally (Maxwell Whittington-Cooper), Hazel (Shanel Bailey), and the cheerleaders follow Buddy to his locker. They can’t believe he’s being sent away to Connecticut, and Susan assures him she’ll write to him every day.
Olivia turns to Mr. Leonard Daniels (Chris McNally) for comfort and for not taking advantage of her when she appeared on his doorstep after the dance. A casual joke about getting married instead of sneaking around suddenly changes the mood of the conversation. Mr. Daniels believes that’s not a bad idea. He might get fired, but he could get a teaching job elsewhere.
Olivia knows her parents won’t go for it; she’s just 16. Mr. Daniels volunteers to talk to them, and Olivia realizes she’d have to drop out. Mr. Daniels is totally serious about this and suggests Olivia take her time before she answers. (Show of hands of those who think Mr. Daniels is a pig.)
Nancy and Potato make out in a closet, but she’s too distracted to enjoy it. She needs to get the Pink Ladies back together today and Potato volunteers to help her.
The horrible storm is causing mudslides, forcing the students to remain at school because it’s unsafe to head home. The electricity goes out as McGee makes the announcement, but she finishes enough for the students to realize they must stay at school.
Nancy and Potato have more time to think of a plan but suddenly discover they’re locked in the closet. Their predicament inspires Nancy, and she believes she’s got a solution to set things right.
Cynthia and Gil sit out the rain in Gil’s car, drinking warm beer. Gil confesses he really thought he had a shot with Olivia, but now she’s back with Mr. Daniels. Cynthia thinks Gil’s still got a chance with Olivia and should talk to her about how he feels. Gil wonders what happened at the dance with Shy Guy. Whatever went down, Cynthia needs to make it right. She really hurt Shy Guy’s feelings.
Marisa Davila as Jane Facciano in ‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’ in episode 9 (Photo Credit: Eduardo Araquel / Paramount+)
Finally, 20 minutes in, Jane breaks out in song. She laments getting what she wanted because of the price that had to be paid. “Fantasy and reality don’t agree when they’re face-to-face,” sings Jane.
Nancy and Cynthia contribute verses, and then a split screen shows all four Pink Ladies singing the chorus. They realize the dream doesn’t feel the same when it comes true.
Once the song’s over, Buddy finds Jane alone in the gym. She apologizes about the dance and about, well, everything. Buddy confesses he was drunk and threw punches. Plus, it all happened because he lied to his friends. He wishes he could take it back, but Jane points out that would mean she wouldn’t have had the Pink Ladies or Richie.
Buddy thinks they both ultimately got what they deserved. He hopes she doesn’t give up on being president, and they hug. (Not a romantic hug, just one of friendship and understanding.)
Jane finds McGee and thinks she can use her power to keep Buddy and Richie in school. McGee lets slip that Nicholson won’t allow that. They made him look bad while he’s running for superintendent.
Jane runs off, armed with this new information.
The teachers lock themselves in a break room while the students do as they please, with only McGee still on the job and trying to maintain a semblance of order.
Hazel takes a seat next to Buddy in the bleachers and says she knows how he feels. His friends will get to stay at Rydell while he’ll start anew elsewhere without the comforts of home. That’s how she felt, too, when she arrived at Rydell. She reminds him it’s not his friends’ fault and he needs to leave with their relationships intact.
They share a look and it’s obvious they have feelings for each other. Buddy changes the subject and claims he’s happy she’s with Wally now.
Olivia has the honor of singing the episode’s second song. She claims to be in love but wonders if that’s enough to make this little house of cards into a home. Life was easier before she gave in to her feelings. However, as the song continues, Olivia admits she’s not sure she’s in love. It may just be that she doesn’t want to be alone.
“Wish I believed in fate, so choices aren’t hard to make,” sings Olivia, acknowledging happy endings aren’t easy.
Nicholas McDonough as Gil and Cheyenne Wells as Olivia Valdovinos in ‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Eduardo Araquel / Paramount+)
Gil finds Olivia in Home Ec and they’re about to talk when Potato barges in with a note from Nancy. Potato says it can’t wait because she’s crying in the bathroom. Olivia runs off to check on her while Gil slaps Potato’s face for interrupting their talk.
Cynthia stalks Shy Guy and gets him to explain why he’s so angry. Shy Guy’s upset about what happened at the dance and admits he’s willing to throw away their friendship over their disastrous date. He reminds her she said he wasn’t a real man, and he’s upset because that’s what everyone thinks of him, just because he’s incredibly shy.
And, once again, Potato interrupts a serious conversation with news from Nancy. Cynthia reads the note and immediately runs off.
Jane confronts Mr. Nicholson and suggests she can help him with his campaign for superintendent. He’d look like a more assertive leader if he forced Buddy and Richie to remain in school and clean up their acts. However, Nicholson thinks voters don’t like a softie – they want someone tough on crime.
Jane’s the last to receive news from Potato that Nancy needs her. Cynthia and Olivia are already in the restroom with Nancy when Jane arrives, and Nancy finally reveals her plan. She’s ordered Potato to lock them in the bathroom until they resolve their issues.
Nancy believes it’s time for brutal honesty and tells Cynthia that even with the jacket, she’ll never be a real T-Bird. She only fits in with the Pink Ladies. And without the Pink Ladies, Olivia will be the school’s floozy without any friends. The Pink Ladies taught Jane to color outside the lines and break the rules. Without the gang, Jane is just a goody two shoes.
The girls hate Nancy’s approach and insist she’s the only one who needs the Pink Ladies. They manage to push open the door and race off. Nancy’s next target of insults is Potato. She tells him off and says she doesn’t need anyone’s help.
She sheds her Pink Ladies jacket, grabs an umbrella, and exits the school.
Buddy gives away everything in his locker to his friends and pulls the gang in for a group hug. He’s going to miss them all. Susan’s missing and Buddy heads off to tell her goodbye.
Cynthia finds Shy Guy alone and apologizes for making him feel bad. He confesses that he wouldn’t feel so out of place and alone if she liked him back. They both concede that nothing about their date felt right.
Shy Guy says she could be a T-Bird if she wants, but that also doesn’t feel right.
Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy Nakagawa, Justin Tranter as Angel of Fashion, Abbygale Chung as Lucille and Andrew Kyrzyk in ‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Eduardo Araquel / Paramount+)
Nancy’s making plans to leave for New York when her guardian angel, the Angel of Fashion (played by one of the show’s composers, Justin Tranter), suddenly appears at the Frosty Palace. (Kudos to the writers for finally working in this homage to Grease‘s “Beauty School Dropout.”) Ethereal lighting and angelic music back Nancy and her guardian angel as they sing about what fashion truly means. The guardian angel claims NYC will eat Nancy up, and she should quit now before getting hurt. If she leaves, she’ll lose everything and miss her friends.
Back at school, Jane finds McGee crying, confessing she can’t do it alone anymore. Jane thinks she needs some adult help and McGee explains she’s tried everything through the official channels and no one will listen. Jane suggests she go through unofficial channels instead and start coloring outside the lines.
When McGee says that’s not how she operates, Jane shocks her with a hug. Jane just realized something, thanks to McGee’s predicament.
Buddy finally finds Susan who’s trying to avoid Rosemary and the cheerleaders. She’s had her fill of jokes about being loose. Buddy hands her his jacket and thanks her for running his campaign. He also thanks her for being his first. Susan believes he’s her only friend at Rydell, and Buddy confirms he’d stay if he could.
Jane grabs Cynthia just as Nancy runs up and takes back every mean thing she’s said. Jane and Cynthia admit Nancy was right about what she said, but she does need to apologize since she said horrible things. Nancy confesses she’s in love with the Pink Ladies and doesn’t care, even though that’s wrong. Jane and Cynthia also love their gang, and they hug it out!
The T-Birds join them as Jane declares they’ll find Olivia and Richie and figure out how to keep Richie at Rydell without adult help.
Nancy picks up her recently discarded Pink Ladies jacket before she joins them.
McGee finally has the talk with Principal Nicholson, acknowledges she’s realized he’ll never lend a hand to help her, and demands an assistant or she’ll quit.
She walks away, whistling, before Nicholson answers.
The Pink Ladies and the T-Birds barge into Olivia’s house and she shushes them and points out Mr. Daniels is speaking with her parents. They observe Mr. Daniels and Olivia’s dad shake hands, and Olivia says Mr. Daniels is asking for their blessing. She also reveals Richie’s already on a bus to military school.
Gil is stunned, and Potato and Shy Guy follow him as he runs out of the house. Olivia tells Jane and Cynthia to leave while her parents celebrate Olivia’s news.
They make it to Jane’s bedroom and Cynthia gives Jane Richie’s jacket. Jane cries as Nancy and Cynthia remind her that she never gives up.
Jane pulls herself together, thinks about things briefly, and smiles.
Just one episode remains in season one, and there are still a couple of storylines to wrap up. Will Buddy and Richie actually leave Rydell? Will Olivia come to her senses before it’s too late? Hopefully, the answers are no, no, and absolutely yes.
Clayton Cardenas as Angel Reyes in ‘Mayans MC’ season 5 episode 2 (Photo by Prashant Gupta/FX)
FX’s Mayans M.C. season five episode one ended with Creeper being repeatedly stabbed in prison. Episode two, “Lord Help My Poor Soul,” opens with Santo Padre meeting to discuss the attack. Angel (Clayton Cardenas) knows half the guards belong to Iron War, and Gilly (Vincent Vargas) believes the attack happened right after he finished visiting with Creeper.
They don’t know Creeper’s condition, but the attack was brutal.
Kate (Stella Maeve) visits Creeper (Joseph Raymond Lucero) at the hospital, where he’s handcuffed and hooked up to machines. He’s conscious and orders her to leave, and she wants to put him in protective custody. He refuses, and Kate confesses she wishes she’d never accepted this assignment. They toss insults at each other, and finally, Creeper cuts to the chase. If she wants to help him, she needs to find out the name of the rat inside Santo Padre!
Meanwhile, Adelita (Carla Baratta) continues to work for Soledad and the Lobos. (Angel has no idea about her involvement with the cartel.) Part of her job is to pick up and drop off payments, and the workers who toil in the poppy fields regard her as the devil.
Angel’s assessment of the prison guards is confirmed when the Iron War Imperial Valley charter president rolls up to the prison for his shift. The guards getting off their shift head to their bikes, and the guard directly responsible for allowing the hit on Creeper is revealed to be the charter’s VP.
The Mayans have perfect timing, and the Iron War guards are still in the prison parking lot when they arrive. EZ (JD Pardo) has brought a lot of backup and confronts the Iron War president, making fun of them for playing dress up and being racists. Iron War’s president insists they only see Blue and Black. Angel laughs and suggests they look a little too sweet to be blue – “more like a violet.”
EZ points out they let a Mayan get attacked, and the Iron War pres calls the club bottom feeders. Gilly points out the guard who was present in the visiting room, and he has horrible scars on his face. EZ realizes he’s the Iron War member who Anne cut up when the club visited Broken Saints in the Salton Sea.
Additional armed guards arrive and take up spots behind their off-duty co-workers. Iron War’s president points out that the Mayans used to be great under Alvarez, but now they’re just sad. Iron War taunts EZ, suggesting he’s whining because he can’t keep his own guys safe behind bars.
Elsewhere, Soledad (Selene Luna) and Miguel Galindo (Danny Pino) have a tense meeting with Mr. Villar-Fuentes to propose an alliance. Villar-Fuentes shocks them by acknowledging he knows Lincoln Potter’s pulling their strings, adding that Miguel’s father also was in bed with the Americans. Miguel confirms Potter sent them but knows that as long as the cartels fight, the Americans will remain in control. Working together, they can free themselves from the DEA’s grip.
There’s been blood spilled on both sides, but the Lobos are willing to embrace Villar-Fuentes’ men as brothers. Villar-Fuentes agrees to the deal and looks forward to f**king the Americans and securing their families’ legacies.
During the meeting, Miguel spots the man who gave the order to murder young Tomas (in season 4 episode 5). He follows the man into the restaurant and beats him to death while explaining that he’s doing it for Tomas.
Hank (Frankie Loyal) continues to be a good son and decent man, paying for his elderly mom to be placed in a nice facility. She’s been falling and her memory’s going, and she’s confused about the move and promises to be good. He assures her she didn’t do anything wrong. She begs him not to leave her, and Hank’s heart is breaking as he walks out of her room.
Downer (Angel Oquendo) and Guerro (Ibarra’s son, played by Andrew Jacobs) follow the guard with the scar. Guerro takes a baseball bat to the Iron War member’s head as he’s stopped at a traffic light. They take him back to the clubhouse, and EZ beats the crap out of him while demanding to know who’s running the pipeline.
Michael Irby as Obispo “Bishop” Losa in ‘Mayans MC’ season 5 episode 2 (Photo by Prashant Gupta/FX)
EZ’s out of control and too brutal, nearly killing the guy without obtaining any useful information. EZ turns on his own guys and has to be held back from hitting Bishop (Michael Irby). He pulls himself together and stalks off, leaving the club to get rid of the critically injured Iron War member.
Adelita returns home and relieves Felipe (Edward James Olmos) of babysitting duty. She’s late and Felipe’s worried about her, but Adelita claims she’s fine.
Elsewhere, the Galindo family sits down for an incredibly tense dinner. Emily (Sarah Bolger) was forced to return home after Miguel had her sister killed and took Cristobal, and he warns her that she can leave whenever she wants but will never, ever be alone with their son again.
Miguel suggests that being together as a family isn’t so bad. Emily hasn’t spoken or even glanced at her husband during this conversation. Instead, she stares straight ahead at their son.
Sons of Anarchy San Bernardino President Isaac Packer (JR Bourne) and a few Sons hold Mayans M.C. Inland Empire’s president and VP at gunpoint, with the president’s wife and young daughter also in the room. Isaac seems to be using this attack as a therapy session, describing his dysfunctional relationship with his brother, Les, who doesn’t like him.
Isaac forces the pres to choose between his Mayans brother and his wife. Which family will he choose? San Bernardino’s president demands Isaac kill him instead, but Isaac claims that’s cheating.
The pres finally points to his VP and he’s shot in the head.
Angel returns home, totally in the dark about how Adelita spends her days. He asks about her and Maverick’s day, and Adelita lies and says it was quiet and boring. Angel lies and says that his was quiet and boring, too.
EZ learns that the Inland Empire is out.
EZ shows up at Marcus’ house at night, uninvited and unwelcome. He admits he doesn’t know everything, and their brothers are dying. But EZ falls short of taking the blame. Instead, he asks Marcus how the club ended the first war.
Marcus (Emilio Rivera) ignores the question, says no one from the club has come to visit, and reveals he’s having a baby. EZ apologizes for how it all went down but Marcus doesn’t care. If EZ ever returns, he’ll shoot him.
The following morning Sofia (Andrea Cortés) helps EZ shave off his hair while over at Angel’s place, the proud papa picks up his young son from his crib. The peace of the morning’s shattered when Angel realizes Adelita isn’t answering when he calls out. Cole (Branton Box) and one of his men appear out of nowhere and warn Angel that the club needs to stop looking into the pipeline. If they don’t let it go, innocent people in Angel’s life will pay the price. (Cole is an ex-Special Forces soldier and mercenary who appeared in two season one episodes.)
In other news, DOJ accountant Watkins discovers a discrepancy in someone’s files. He reports it to his boss, and it’s important enough to hand deliver it to their supervisor (played by Dana Delany).
Kate attempts to get into the Records room to find information on the Mayans rat, but her badge doesn’t unlock the door.
Downer, Gilly, Bishop, and Hank sit around a table at the clubhouse, talking about what went down in the Inland Empire. They realize Santo Padre’s all alone now, and without the pipeline, they can’t win the war. Downer says it’s over and they lost, but Hank insists it’s not done until they say it is.
“The only thing you can trust E to do is get the rest of you f**kers killed, too,” says Bishop, unaware EZ’s standing right behind him. EZ doesn’t react to what Bishop said and instead asks if anyone knows why Angel called an emergency meeting.
The meeting commences, and Angel tells his brother it’s over. Cole came to his house and demanded they stop, which means it’s Cole who supplied Soledad and the cartel with military-grade weapons. They also figure out that’s why Iron War and the prison guards aren’t scared of them; they’re dealing with Cole’s group. Hank realizes the cartel must have switched to supplying fentanyl after the warehouse fire. It’s a quick way to make up for the lost cash.
The pipeline is now the cartel, Cole, Iron War, and Storm 88.
Angel’s shocked when EZ laughs. EZ explains that they’ll just knock off all the players now that they know their identities. Angel reminds him about Cole’s threat and that they aimed a gun at Maverick. Angel declares, again, that it’s over. Bishop also reminds EZ that they’re already fighting a war and losing; they can’t go after Cole.
EZ explains that he’s not going after Cole. The Mayans will take out the cartel!
