This Is Us‘ Jon Huertas directs ABC’s The Rookie: Feds season one episode 14. “The Offer” will air on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT.
Niecy Nash-Betts stars as Simone Clark, Frankie R. Faison (White Chicks) is Christopher “Cutty” Clark, James Lesure (Las Vegas) is Carter Hope, Britt Robertson (Big Sky) is Laura Stensen, Felix Solis (The International) is Matthew Garza, and Kevin Zegers (Transamerica) is Brendon Acres.
“The Offer” Plot: When a billionaire’s daughter goes missing, he publicly announces a hefty reward for her safe return, sparking concern for the FBI. Meanwhile, Garza’s ex-wife makes a surprise appearance and shakes things up with the team.
(The video might say “The Remora” but it’s actually promoting “The Offer.”)
Niecy Nash-Betts in ‘The Rookie: Feds’ season 1 episode 14 (ABC/Raymond Liu)
The Rookie: Feds Description:
From the executive producers of flagship series The Rookie comes The Rookie: Feds starring Niecy Nash-Betts as Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy. The spinoff was introduced as a two-part event during the fourth season of The Rookie, where Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and the L.A. division of the FBI enlisted the help of Simone Clark when one of her former students was a suspect in a terror attack.
Felix Solis and Britt Robertson in episode 14 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Director Jon Huertas, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Kevin Zegers on the set of episode 14 (ABC/Raymond Liu)James Lesure and Niecy Nash-Betts in season 1 episode 14 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Kevin Zegers and Britt Robertson in episode 14 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Kevin Zegers and Niecy Nash-Betts in episode 14 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Niecy Nash-Betts in season 1 episode 14 (ABC/Raymond Liu)
Lisette Olivera, Zuri Reed, and Jordan Rodrigues in Disney+’s ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ episode 8
With just two episodes left in season one of Disney+’s National Treasure: Edge of History, things are really heating up. Episode seven ended with Jess concluding she needs to break her father out of a prison in Mexico. Episode eight picks up with Jess’s dad, Rafael (Jacob Vargas), in for a shock when he sees Billie (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has come to visit him.
Billie accuses him of killing her brother and Rafael denies it, insisting it was Salazar who killed her brother. Billie demands the last relic or else she’s going after Jess. “You’re about to find out how it feels to lose the person you love more than anything else in the world,” warns Billie.
Oren (Antonio Cipriano) desperately tries to talk Jess (Lisette Olivera) out of breaking her father out of prison. When Oren asks for Ethan (Jordan Rodrigues) and Tasha (Zuri Reed) to back him up, they refuse. They are all in with Jess.
Oren’s shocked that he’s the one being the voice of reason, but Jess knows she must do this or Billie will kill her dad. Odd man out, Oren decides to return home.
Tasha and Jess go over the prison layout to prepare for the jailbreak. Before Oren leaves, he tosses them a helpful tidbit. Prisons have large drainage areas in case of flooding.
Meanwhile, Myles (Dustin Ingram) spills Billie’s secrets to Liam (Jake Austin Walker). He thinks they need to get one of Billie’s security team’s phones in order to have access to all the trackers Billie uses. That should help them locate Jess.
Rafael says a prayer to Jess’s late mother and vows to keep Jess safe. He’s interrupted when new shoes suddenly arrive that he ordered a while back.
Ethan and Jess have a heart-to-heart, and Ethan confesses he wishes that Jess would let him do the breaking-in. There will be fewer consequences if he gets caught. Their talk is interrupted when Tasha reveals she can hack the system to make it think there’s flooding going on. The system will react by lowering the water levels, giving Jess about 10 minutes to get in and get her dad out.
As the audience hears Tasha explain to Jess what she needs to do in order to get in and out of the prison, we see Jess doing all those things. Jess is in for a shock when she makes it to her dad’s cell only to find the door already open and her dad gone.
A guard comes in, and Jess hides in her dad’s bed. When the guard discovers her, Rafael jumps on his back and chokes him until he’s unconscious. Jess admits she’s there to break him out because Billie’s going to kill him. In turn, Rafael admits the cell door was open because he was going to break out and rescue her because Billie’s going to kill her.
Lisette Olivera and Jacob Vargas in Disney+’s ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ episode 8
Time for a new plan because Jess’s original escape route is filling up with water. Rafael knows of a way out.
The police find Tasha and Ethan and want to see their IDs.
After making it outside, Rafael informs Jess that he’s tried to escape many times but never made it past this part because it takes two people. He’s going to try to hinder the guard’s vision in the towers with a mirror while she runs to cut the fence. Hopefully, she won’t get shot at.
Tasha and Ethan are told to move along because it’s a restricted area. At the same moment, the guard that Rafael choked is waking up. When the alarm starts going off, Jess makes a run for it. The rest of the scene plays out in slow motion as Jess gets shot at, but the bullets miss. The guard then turns his gun on Rafael which causes him to drop his mirror.
It appears Rafael has accepted his fate and waits for the final bullet to take his life. But suddenly someone shoots the guard instead, and Jess and her father make it out of the prison and into the van.
Oren has made it home and is talking to himself, wondering if his friends are safe, when Agent Ross (Lyndon Smith) arrives unannounced. She welcomes herself in and wants to know safe from what. He lies and says he doesn’t know where his friends are, and Agent Ross goes over everything that has transpired since Jess and Tasha showed up and claimed he was kidnapped. Oren refuses to give her any information.
Myles informs Dario (Darri Ingolfsson) that Liam isn’t dead and he didn’t call a clean-up crew because he figured he would want to question him. Liam pretends to be tied up and Myles quickly injects Dario with something that knocks him out. The clock is ticking because Dario brought a friend.
Myles unlocks Dario’s phone and Liam sees a phrase on it that sounds familiar. As Myles looks for the tracking information, Liam grabs a book his grandpa left for him with the same phrase written on it. When he opens the book it reads: “The Book of Famous Lost Treasure.”
Agent Ross speaks with her boss, Agent Hendricks (Armando Riesco), about the information she has on Jess, even though she’s having doubts about Jess being Peter Sadusky’s killer. Hendricks starts the paperwork to extradite Jess and suggests Ross should stop second-guessing herself.
Jess says goodbye to Tasha and Ethan because they need to get home right away. Rafael swears he’ll be able to get Jess across the border.
Liam can’t find tracking on Jess but does spot a familiar name – his dad, Jack. Billie has apparently been tracking him for years, and the last day he was alive that tracker places him nowhere near the river where he supposedly drowned.
Kacey (Breeda Wool) is on the tracking system and notices Dario is on it too, and that he’s in the Sadusky file. Billie calls Dario’s phone, and out of anger, Liam answers it. Liam confronts her about killing his grandpa and accuses her of killing his dad too. Liam warns her he’s going to come after her.
Billie knows Myles is helping Liam now, and Myles smashes the phone in a panic.
Dario’s friend enters the house and Liam and Myles lock him and Dario up in the secret room. Unfortunately, the friend gets off a shot that hits Myles. The cleaning crew shows up, and Liam is forced to flee, leaving a dead Myles behind… but not before grabbing that book.
Rafael began keeping a journal after he met Jess’s mom, and he’s hidden it in an old tree. He explains he went to her mother to get information on Malinche. He also reveals his mother was a Daughter of the Plumed Serpent and gave him the necklace that Jess wears.
Tasha and Ethan make it across the border and are met by the FBI.
Oren returns home to a waiting Liam who demands to know where Jess is.
Jess shows her dad the map from the relics. She thinks X marks the spot in the map, but he says X is a Mayan symbol for the sky. Jess realizes it’s a map of the sky and the Daughters of the Plumed Serpent are showing the location of the treasure with the constellations. The river is the Milky Way, and the dots are the stars.
One star in particular called “God of the Morning Star” was essential for the Daughters of the Plumed Serpent to navigate. After using an app, Jess figures out it’s pointing to a spot near the Mississippi River called Devil’s Swamp.
The long-haired, bearded man shows up and claims he doesn’t work for Salazar. He throws Jess and Rafael for a loop when he says Salazar isn’t one man; it is a mantle. He clears up that head-scratching announcement by explaining a “Salazar” is always the leader of a group of treasure hunters dating back to ancient Egypt.
Just then Kacey comes zooming up in a vehicle and shoots the bearded man. Jess manages to escape, but Billie grabs her dad. Billie attempts to lure Jess out by telling her she helped them escape. She paid off the guards, put a tracker in her dad’s shoe, and Kacey shot the sniper guard. She claims she heard everything and is always one step ahead of them.
Jess not only gives herself up to Billie, but she also hands over the backpack. And with that episode eight draws to a close.
Rachel Bilson, Jack Davenport, and Reid Miller star in season one episode three of Fox’s new anthology series, Accused. Episode three, “Danny’s Story,” will air on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT.
Episode three also stars August Maturo, Andi Hubick, Michelle Giroux, Camille James, and Neil Whitely. Jon Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) directed from a script by Howard Gordon and Daniel Pearle.
“Danny’s Story” Plot: After the death of his ailing mother, a teenager suspects foul play when he discovers his mother’s former hospice caretaker is now dating his father.
Accused is a collection of 15 intense, topical, and exquisitely human stories of crime and punishment. Each episode is a fast-paced provocative thriller exploring a different crime, in a different city, with an entirely original cast. Based on the BBC’s BAFTA-winning crime anthology, each episode opens in a courtroom on the defendant, with viewers knowing nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial.
Told from the defendant’s point of view through flashbacks, the show holds a mirror up to current times with evocative and emotional stories. In the end, audiences will discover how an ordinary person gets caught up in extraordinary circumstances and how one impulsive decision can impact the course of that life – and the lives of others — forever.
Molly Gordon and Ben Platt in ‘Theater Camp’ (Photo Courtesy of Sundance)
Theater Camp comes with the audience advisory that it contains strobe effects and may potentially trigger seizures. And in a unique twist, this humorous mockumentary from first-time feature film directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman incorporates that warning into the plot.
AdirondACTS theater camp founder Joan (Amy Sedaris) suffers a seizure from the strobe light in the camp’s production of Bye Bye Birdie. Joan lapses into a coma at the worst possible time for the struggling upstate New York theater camp. It’s also horrible timing for the documentary crew since Joan was supposed to be the focus of the film and her coma occurs on the first day of shooting.
Money is a major issue, and after Joan is forced to make an unexpected exit from camp, her son, Troy (Jimmy Tatro), is put in charge. Troy believes he’s a big-time social media influencer/crypto bro. Point of fact: he’s neither. He’s also not into acting and doesn’t know his Les Mis from Cats.
Troy’s met with derision by the camp’s staff, who haven’t the time or patience for a theater neophyte. It doesn’t help that he’s constantly filming himself for his online fans (all tens of them).
The staff consists of an eclectic assortment of theater wannabes with minor claims to fame. (Or at least brushes with those who are famous.) Standouts among the flashy ensemble of staffers are Amos (Ben Platt), the head of drama, and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon), the head of music. Julliard failures, these longtime best friends/codependent collaborators are responsible for the camp’s annual original play. This year, the obvious choice is to write about their fearless—albeit currently unconscious-leader, Joan. Its title: “Still, Joan.” (Gotta love that tip of the hat to Still Alice.)
Hopefully, Joan will survive to witness its performance. And, hopefully, the camp won’t fall into foreclosure before the play’s opening night. If they can just pull off this one big production, then maybe they can save AdirondACTS. (Why am I saying that out loud as I type? If there isn’t a real AdirondACTS, someone should jump on that name ASAP.)
Theater Camp is an expanded version of Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Noah Galvin, and Ben Platt’s 18-minute short film that went viral thanks to the love showered upon it by theater geeks during the pandemic. The foursome proved quite adept at mocking a world they know well. That successful short spawned this mockumentary feature, your enjoyment of which will depend on your tolerance level for precocious kids and scenery-chewing, cliché-spewing adults.
There are moments of absolute hilarity mixed with bits that feel a bit long in the tooth. Troy has the kids work as waiters by convincing them they’re participating in an immersive theater exercise, and the campers’ interactions with a group of businessmen nails the whole musical theater-kid vibe. Rebecca-Diane believes she’s a spiritualist who can channel Joan and can discern who her students were in past lives. Again, absolutely nails it.
But sometimes the jokes feel a little recycled or the delivery is just a tad off. And even at a relatively short 94 minutes, it’s tough not to want to tune out before the time the big finale arrives. But stick it out until the third act; the payoff is well worth it.
Theater Camp lands the final act. Not only does it lands it, but exceeds all expectations. The first two acts elicited a handful of laughs. The third act sweeps in and blows the roof off the joint with the play within the film. Joan’s life story is told via witty lyrics and catchy tunes, culminating in the final showstopping number in which everyone celebrates camp life.
Any bumps in the road or missed opportunities leading up to the third act are forgiven once “Still, Joan” takes center stage.
GRADE: B
Starring: Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Ayo Edibiri, Amy Sedaris, Caroline Aaron, Nathan Lee Graham, Owen Thiele, and Alan Kim
Theater Camp screened as part of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
CBS’s popular half-hour comedy Bob Hearts Abishola will be sticking around for a fifth season. The network’s officially renewed the comedy starring Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku for season five, guaranteeing it a spot on their 2023-2024 primetime lineup.
Season four of the comedy from creators Chuck Lorre, Al Higgins, Eddie Gorodetsky, and Gina Yashere is currently airing on Mondays at 8:30pm ET/PT. The season four cast includes Gardell, Olowofoyeku, Christine Ebersole, Matt Jones, Maribeth Monroe, Vernee Watson, and Shola Adewusi. Barry Shabaka Henley, Travis Wolfe, Jr., Gina Yashere, Bayo Akinfemi, Anthony Okungbowa, and Saidah Arrika Ekulona also star.
Bob Hearts Abishola is averaging nearly 6 million viewers during its Monday time period. The series is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Lorre, Al Higgins, Gina Yashere, and Matt Ross serve as executive producers.
The Plot, Courtesy of CBS: “Bob Hearts Abishola is a love story about a middle-aged compression sock businessman from Detroit who unexpectedly fell for his cardiac nurse, a Nigerian immigrant, while recovering from a heart attack and set his sights on winning her over. Undaunted by Abishola’s lack of initial interest or the vast differences in their backgrounds, Bob was determined to win Abishola’s heart, and eventually married her, in this comedic examination of immigrant life in America.”
Apple TV+ has set a Friday, February 17, 2023 premiere date for season two of Make or Break. The surfing documentary series also dropped a new trailer ahead of its second season release.
Season two will consist of eight episodes, with the first four episodes arriving on Feb. 17th. The final four episodes will launch on the streaming service on Friday, February 24th.
Make or Break season two will include interviews with surfers Kelly Slater, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Stephanie Gilmore, Owen Wright, Tyler Wright, Jack Robinson, and Morgan Cibilic. Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, Kanoa Igarashi, Griffin Colapinto, Italo Ferreira, Matthew McGillivray, Johanne Defay, John John Florence, and Brisa Hennessy are also featured in the upcoming season.
Academy Award and BAFTA Award winner James Gay-Rees (Exit Through the Gift Shop), BAFTA Award nominee Paul Martin, Warren Smith, and World Surf League CEO Erik Logan serve as executive producers. The series comes from Box to Box Films (F1: Drive to Survive, Break Point) in partnership with the World Surf League.
Apple TV+ released the following description of the new season:
The docuseries features behind-the-scenes access to the world’s best surfers as they battle for the top title at the World Surf League Championship Tour.
With unprecedented access, Make or Break returns to the world of professional surfing, offering an intimate deep dive into the aspirations, challenges, accomplishments, and personal lives of the surfers who compete to remain on the elite Men’s and Women’s WSL Championship Tour. This season will take viewers on location for the 2022 competition season to stunning surf locations across the globe, capturing the highs and lows of the “Dream Tour,” including the first-ever mid-season cut, international rivalries, and record-breaking upsets.
Poster for season 2 of Apple TV+’s surfing documentary series ‘Make or Break’
Friends and current/former NBA players describe Bill Russell as a stand-up man and the smartest player who ever played the game in Netflix’s official trailer for Bill Russell: Legend. The two-part documentary, which explores the NBA legend’s extraordinary life on and off the court, will premiere on the streaming service on February 8, 2023.
Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power) directs and Corey Stoll (Billions) and Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) narrate. Larry Gordon, Ross Greenburg, Mike Richardson, and Charles Rosenzweig serve as executive producers.
Netflix released the following description of the documentary:
“The remarkable life and legacy of an NBA superstar and civil rights icon is captured in the documentary Bill Russell: Legend. This two-part film from award-winning director Sam Pollard features the last interview with Bill prior to his passing in 2022 as well as access to his sprawling personal archives. On the court, Russell went on to lead each and every one of his basketball teams to championships — two back-to-back NCAA titles, a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, and 11 championship titles in his thirteen-year career as a Boston Celtic (his last two as the first Black head coach in NBA history).
Off the court, Russell was a force in the fight for human rights — marching with Martin Luther King Jr., leading boycotts in the NBA over racist practices and speaking out against segregation — efforts which earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Narrated by actors Jeffrey Wright and Corey Stoll and featuring exclusive interviews with the icon’s family and friends as well as Steph Curry, Chris Paul, ‘Magic’ Johnson, Larry Bird, Jim Brown, and more, Bill Russell: Legend illuminates the ways in which Russell stood tall in every sense of the word.”
The second half of a two-hour La Brea midseason premiere airs on January 31, 2023. Season two episode nine, “Murder in the Clearing,” will premiere immediately following “Stampede” at 10pm ET/PT.
Natalie Zea stars as Eve Harris, Eoin Macken plays Gavin Harris, Jon Seda is Dr. Samuel Velez, Nicholas Gonzalez plays Levi Delgado, Josh McKenzie is Lucas, and Zyra Gorecki stars as Izzy Harris. Jack Martin plays Josh Harris, Veronica St. Clair is Riley Velez, Chiké Okonkwo is Ty Coleman, Rohan Mirchandaney is Scott Israni, Tonantzin Carmelo is Paara, Lily Santiago plays Veronica Castillo, and Michelle Vergara Moore stars as Ella Jones.
“Murder In The Clearing” Plot: When a Survivor is murdered, Lucas and Sam lead a contentious investigation to find the killer. Gavin embarks on a mission to save Eve from the fateful vision he’s had of her death. Eve finds herself closer than ever to seeing it come true.
Chiké Okonkwo as Ty and Zyra Gorecki as Izzy Harris in ‘La Brea’ season 2 episode 9 (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
The Season 2 Plot:
La Brea follows an epic family adventure after a massive sinkhole opens in Los Angeles pulling people and buildings into a mysterious and dangerous primeval land where they have no choice but to band together to survive. In season two, the Harris family remains separated as Eve is reeling from her son, Josh, having mistakenly gone through a portal to 1988. What she doesn’t know yet is that her estranged husband, Gavin, and their daughter, Izzy, have landed in prehistoric Seattle and now must brave the elements and animals to make their way to L.A.
Josh McKenzie as Lucas in the “Murder in the Clearing” episode (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)Jon Seda as Dr. Sam and Josh McKenzie as Lucas in season 2 episode 9 (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)Chiké Okonkwo as Ty and Zyra Gorecki as Izzy Harris in season 2 episode 9 (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)Eoin Macken as Gavin Harris and Natalie Zea as Eve Harris in season 2 episode 9 (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)Josh Martin as Jack Harris, Melissa Neal as Dr. Caroline Clark, and Eoin Macken as Gavin Harris in season 2 episode 9 (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)Melissa Neal as Dr. Caroline Clark, Eoin Macken as Gavin Harris, Josh Martin as Jack Harris, and Veronica St. Clair as Riley in season 2 episode 9 (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
The 126 leaps into action when a woman’s ex puts her life in danger on Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star season four episode two. “New Hot Mess” will air on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.
The season four cast is led by Rob Lowe as Captain Owen Strand and Gina Torres as Captain Tommy Vegas. The season also stars Ronen Rubinstein as T.K. Strand, Sierra McClain as Grace Ryder, Jim Parrack as Judd Ryder, Natacha Karem as Marjan Marwani, and Brian Michael Smith as Paul Strickland. Rafael L. Silva is Carlos Reyes, Julian Works is Mateo Chavez, and Brianna Baker plays Nancy Gillian.
“New Hot Mess” Plot: Captain Strand and the 126 race to the rescue when a woman is trapped in her mobile house that has been hijacked by her ex; Owen has a run-in with former nemesis Sgt. O’Brien and is then questioned by the FBI; Tommy asks Grace dating advice; T.K. and Carlos meet with Iris Blake.
Nearly 20 years ago, Owen Strand was the lone survivor of his Manhattan firehouse on 9/11, and in the wake of the attack, was left with the unenviable task of rebuilding the station. After a similar tragedy strikes a firehouse in Austin, Texas, Owen – along with his troubled firefighter son, T.K. – takes his progressive philosophies of life and firefighting down to the Lone Star State to help them start anew.
On the surface, Owen is all about big-city style and swagger, but underneath he struggles with a secret he hides from the world — one that could very well end his life.
A real estate agent and a football hero are the subjects of investigations on ABC’s Will Trent season episode five. “The Look Out” is scheduled to air on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT.
The series stars Ramón Rodríguez (The Affair) in the title role, Erika Christensen (Ten Days in the Valley) as Angie Polaski, Iantha Richardson (This Is Us) as Faith Mitchell, Jake McLaughlin (Quantico) as Michael Ormewood, and Sonja Sohn (The Chi) as Amanda Wagner.
“The Look Out” Plot: When the wife of a local football hero is shot in a robbery gone wrong, Will is determined to quickly solve the seemingly simple case. Meanwhile, Angie and Ormewood investigate the murder of a local realtor in an investigation that quickly takes a dark turn.
Julia Chan and Ramon Rodriguez in ‘Will Trent’ season 1 episode 5 (ABC/Danny Delgado)
Will Trent Synopsis:
Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. But now, determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was, Will Trent has the highest clearance rate in the GBI.
Ramon Rodriguez and Julia Chan in episode 5 (ABC/Danny Delgado)Iantha Richardson in “The Look Out” episode (ABC/Danny Delgado)Ramon Rodriguez in season 1 episode 5 (ABC/Danny Delgado)Erika Christensen and Jake McLaughlin in episode 5 (ABC/Danny Delgado)Julia Chan and Ramon Rodriguez in ‘Will Trent’ season 1 episode 5 (ABC/Danny Delgado)
