What does Harley Quinn love about Valentine’s Day? It’s the only day when there’s a built-in excuse for doing cheesy sh*t for your partner. (Her words – not mine!) HBO’s critically acclaimed adult animated comedy Harley Quinn will air a special love-themed episode in honor of the most romantic day of the year, according to candy companies and greeting card sales. Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special will stream a few days prior to the holiday it’s celebrating, premiering on HBO Max on Thursday, February 9, 2023.
The streaming service offered this description of the special:
“As Harley goes to obsessive lengths to ensure that her first Valentine’s Day with Ivy is the best ever, Bane’s efforts to impress an unexpected date go horribly awry. Meanwhile, after an unfortunate online dating encounter, Clayface engages in some self-love.”
Kaley Cuoco leads the voice cast as the titular character. Lake Bell provides the voice of Poison Ivy and Alan Tudyk is Clayface. The special also features the voices of Matt Oberg, James Wolk, Natalie Morales, Chris Diamantopoulos, James Adomian, Jim Rash, Vanessa Marshall, and Janet Varney. Plus, Rachel Dratch, Leila Birch, Tyler James Williams, Josh Helman, Casey Wilson, and Michael Ironside lend their voices to the Harley Quinn special.
Kaley Cuoco, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Dean Lorey, Jennifer Coyle, and Sam Register serve as executive producers. The Valentine’s Day special is produced by Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions and Yes, Norman Productions in association with Warner Bros. Animation.
Based on DC characters, Harley Quinn premiered in November 2019. The animated series was renewed for a fourth season in August 2022 and is expected to air in 2023.
A Look Back at the Season 3 Plot:
In season three of the biting and uproarious adult animated comedy series, Harley Quinn (Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Bell) wrap up their “Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour” and return to Gotham as the new power couple of DC villainy. Along with their ragtag crew – King Shark (Funches), Clayface (Tudyk), Frank the Plant (Smoove) – “Harlivy” strives to become the best version of themselves while also working towards Ivy’s long-desired plan of transforming Gotham into an Eden paradise.
Cassandro, writer/director Roger Ross Williams’ joyous celebration of the indomitable spirit of Saúl Armendáriz, is the perfect vehicle to introduce the Lucha Libre world and its groundbreaking, barrier-busting gay star to a wider audience.
The film catches up with Saúl (played by Gael García Bernal) in the 1980s when he’s wrestling as designated loser El Topo (which translates to The Mole). Saúl’s in a rut, and the only way out is to transform into an exótico. But that transformation would require him to incorporate his homosexuality into a character in front of a large audience that includes his homophobic estranged father. It would also mean he’d be forced to continue to lose since the wrestling world – both in the ring and in the stands – doesn’t embrace homosexuals. Gay wrestlers are mocked and ridiculed and subjected to disgusting sexual slurs. (It’s the ’80s and this is a very masculine sport.)
A chance encounter with trainer Sabrina aka Lucha Libre star Lady Anarquía (Roberta Colindrez) changes everything for Saúl and, ultimately, for the world of Lucha Libre. Sabrina recognizes Saúl’s talent and stokes the fire already burning inside the talented, charismatic wrestler. Under her tutelage, Saúl reimagines himself as Cassandro the exótico.
Saúl’s new Lucha Libre persona isn’t willing to just be a flamboyant foil in the ring. Through hard work, persistence, and unwavering self-confidence, Cassandro topples the established luchador hierarchy – and does it in style.
Writer/director Williams and co-writer David Teague do an incredible job of following Cassandro’s rise to fame and how in the process of taking the Lucha Libre world by storm, he became an important, influential role model for gay youth.
Cassandro’s spirited performances won over audiences, which in turn changed the attitude of match organizers/promoters. It was the radical shift by fans who went from hurling epithets to chanting his name that allowed Cassandro to win in the ring, something unheard of at the time for an exótico. And by conquering what was regarded as a homophobic sport, Cassandro helped open doors that had been nailed shut to the LGBTQ+ community.
Gael García Bernal delivers one of his career-best performances, and it’s obvious how much respect he feels for the real-life Lucha Libre superstar he’s playing. García’s particularly effective in the quieter scenes he shares with Perla de la Rosa who plays Saúl’s supportive mother, Yocasta. Saúl and Yocasta’s relationship was extraordinarily close, and de la Rosa and García have terrific chemistry as a mother and son who are each other’s best friends and close confidants. They share everything, including a home, and Yocasta’s fierce yet loving personality influenced her son’s approach to life.
Gael García Bernal and Raúl Castillo also have incredible chemistry as lovers forced to keep their relationship a secret. Castillo plays fellow luchador Gerardo (aka El Comandante), a married man who becomes involved with the free-spirited Saúl but refuses to come out of the closet. The pain Saúl feels as Cassandro’s popularity forces the two to part ways is heartbreaking and cuts deep, thanks to Garcia and Castillo’s compelling performances.
Gael García Bernal looks like a natural in the ring, and the action scenes are well-choreographed and entertaining. I’m more than a little embarrassed to admit my only knowledge of Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling prior to watching Cassandro came from 2006’s Nacho Libre. Basically, I went into Cassandro as a Lucha Libre virgin, so my take on whether the wrestling scenes looked authentic should be taken with a grain of salt. They looked realistic enough to me that I flinched in response to a few blows delivered on screen.
Writer/director Robert Ross Williams was very familiar with Saúl Armendáriz after directing the documentary The Man Without a Mask which chronicled the luchador’s remarkable career. That familiarity and the friendship the filmmaker and subject now share makes Williams the perfect director to honor Saúl Armendáriz’s struggle to overcome bigotry and shatter stereotypes. Williams accomplishes all that while also showcasing Saúl’s unbreakable spirit in an exceptionally entertaining film.
GRADE A
Cassandro had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Amazon Studios is targeting a 2023 release on Prime Video.
Directed By: Roger Ross Williams
Written By: Roger Ross Williams and David Teague
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and Raúl Castillo. Special Appearances by El Hijo del Santo and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny
Running Time: 109 minutes
Paramount+ dives into the world of werewolves with the new supernatural series Wolf Pack. Based on Edo Van Belkom’s book series, Wolf Pack follows four teenagers who share a strange bond that includes transforming into werewolves. Episode one, “From a Spark to a Flame,” premieres on Thursday, January 26, 2023.
The four teenagers whose lives are far more complicated than normal high school students are played by Tyler Gray as Harlan Briggs, Chloe Robertson as Luna Briggs, Bella Shepard as Blake Navarro, and Armani Jackson as Everett Lang. Rodrigo Santoro stars as Garrett Briggs and Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Kristin Ramsey. Additional season one cast members include Bailey Stender, Chase Liefeld, Hollie Bahar, Lanny Joon, Rio Mangini, Stella Smith, Zack Nelson, James Martinez, Amy Pietz, Bria Brimmer, John L. Adams, and Sean Philip Glasgow.
Teen Wolf‘s Jeff Davis writes and executive produces. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Christian Taylor, Jason Ensler, and Capital Arts’ Mike Elliott and Karen Gorodetzky also executive produce.
“From a Spark to a Flame” Plot: A raging California wildfire jumps onto a roadway, trapping a bus full of high school students. Everett and Blake have an encounter with something lurking in the flames and smoke. Luna and Harlan cross the fire line in a desperate search for their missing Park Ranger father, and Kristen Ramsey, a very determined arson investigator, arrives on the scene.
Based on the book series by Edo Van Belkom, Wolf Pack follows a teenage boy and girl whose lives are changed forever when a California wildfire awakens a terrifying supernatural creature and drives it to attack a highway traffic jam beneath the burning hills. Wounded in the chaos, the boy and girl are inexplicably drawn to each other and to two other teenagers who were adopted sixteen years earlier by a park ranger after another mysterious wildfire. As the full moon rises, all four teens come together to unravel the secret that connects them – the bite and blood of a werewolf.
Lily LaTorre in ‘Run Rabbit Run’ (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | Photo by Sarah Enticknap)
When we meet fertility doctor Sarah Gregory she’s well put together, professional, and leading a neat and tidy life. By the time we say goodbye to Sarah, everything’s gotten messy and her grip on reality has been pried loose. What transpires that forces this decay in her mental state is alternatingly terrifying and disappointingly predictable in Run Rabbit Run.
Succession’s Sarah Snook stars as Sarah, mom to Mia and ex-wife of Pete. Sarah’s raising Mia and doing a terrific job of it until the day of Mia’s seventh birthday. The first hint of something unusual comes when Mia announces that she misses people she’s never met all the time. Sarah finds that quirky but brushes it off, unaware that statement’s about to play an integral role in what happens next.
Mom and daughter arrive home to an open garage door and a white rabbit gracing their doorstep. Still, Sarah’s barely concerned about either event.
Mia’s immediately taken with the rabbit, which happens to have been one of her favorite animals even before the creature mysteriously appeared at her front door. Where did it come from and why did it arrive on Mia’s birthday? To answer those questions, you must follow Sarah and Mia down the rabbit hole and watch as Sarah’s past trauma rears its ugly head and takes over their lives.
Sarah’s recently lost her beloved father and is estranged from her mother, Joan, a woman Mia has never met and knows nothing about. However, as Mia enters her seventh year, she suddenly begins to show a bizarre interest in Joan. And it’s not just that she wants to meet Joan; that would be strange and worrying. But Mia takes it a step further and insists she knows Joan.
As Mia’s detachment from Sarah increases, so does her level of resentment. Mia asks questions Sarah has no intention of answering until, finally, their relationship reaches a point where the only way to mend it is to allow Mia to visit Joan in a care center. (She’s been diagnosed with dementia.)
Rather than soothe the young girl, the visit with Joan drives a deeper wedge between Mia and Sarah. As Mia continues to insist that she’s not Sarah’s daughter, Sarah begins to unravel. Unwelcome memories resurface, and a traumatic event she’s attempted to block out invades her thoughts. The barrier she’s erected to retain her sanity and be able to function crumbles as Mia pushes all the right buttons and forces her mother to confront her past.
Sarah Snook and Lily LaTorre star in ‘Run Rabbit Run’ (Courtesy of Sundance Institute / Photo by Sarah Enticknap)
Director Daina Reed (Shining Girls, The Handmaid’s Tale) describes Run Rabbit Run as a modern-day ghost story, and Sarah Snook does a remarkable job of taking the audience through Dr. Sarah Gregory’s transformation from loving mom to a troubled woman haunted by her past. Snook’s particularly effective in portraying Sarah after her carefully curated life begins to unravel. There’s a startled, haunted look Snook affects that makes her character’s ultimate – but not unexpected – revelation genuinely feel like a deeply buried secret that’s only now bubbling to the surface, decades after a devastating tragedy.
First-time screenwriter Hannah Kent (author of Burial Rites and The Good People) lays the cards on the table too soon and Run Rabbit Run’s final act lands with more of a thud than the desired bang. The underlying themes of guilt and suppressed grief are fascinating to delve into but giving so much away early on mutes their exploration.
Despite powerful performances from Sarah Snook and newcomer Lily LaTorre, Run Rabbit Run is a psychological thriller that lacks teeth. Still, Snook and LaTorre make it watchable, even if the ending leaves much to be desired.
Run Rabbit Run screened as part of the Midnight section at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
GRADE: C+
Directed By: Daina Reid
Written By: Hannah Kent
Starring: Sarah Snook, Lily LaTorre, Damon Herriman, Greta Scacchi, and Trevor Jamieson
Running Time: 100 minutes
The war inside the prison continues on Paramount+’s Mayor of Kingstown season two episode two, with one inmate beaten to death in the opening scene. That means chaos will continue to reign outside as gangs fight over territory without any leadership.
A voiceover by Mike (Jeremy Renner) points out that there aren’t any innocent victims inside the walls. However, “Outside, innocent victims is how you fight the war.” That point’s punctuated by the murder of an innocent woman who just happens to be in a house that comes under attack.
Ian (Hugh Dillon) calls Mike to come to the shooting, but first Mike has to drop Iris (Emma Laird) someplace safe. In this particular instance, that safe place in the middle of the night is with Kyle (Taylor Handley). Mike’s pissed – as he should be – that Iris broke out of witness protection which is where she needs to be. He reminds her that nothing stays hidden in a town. It’s inevitable that Milo will find her.
Kyle doesn’t want to babysit Iris who, as it turns out, he didn’t even realize his brother had located. The situation escalates when Iris tries to leave and wakes up Tracy (Nishi Munshi) and Miriam (Dianne Wiest). Miriam’s the only person to remain calm, and she invites Iris to stay in their spare room.
Mike doesn’t fill his mom in on everything but does admit Iris is in the worst kind of trouble.
Squad cars and a coroner’s van fill the street and Ian’s in one hell of a mood when Mike finally arrives on the scene. Ian’s blaming Bunny for the attack, but Mike’s certain the hit was ordered from inside the prison. Someone’s trying to fill the leadership void by taking out their enemies on the outside.
“Tail’s wagging the f**king dog, right, and this is the result,” says Mike.
A cop tosses his cookies inside the house, reacting to the brutality of the crime scene. It’s a slaughterhouse, with blood and bodies everywhere. Mike, Ian, and Stevie (Derek Webster) walk through what’s basically the scene of a mass execution, and even Mike’s visibly disturbed.
A uniformed officer explains they engaged with the shooters, and in return, the gang “unleashed hell” on them. Fortunately, while the shooters were escaping one of them dropped a weapon. A quick glance at the rifle and Ian realizes it’s not a typical gangster gun. It’s more advanced than their normal weapons and even has a muzzle brake.
Mike and Ian follow a blood trail leading away from the weapon and down the alley. They spot the shooter hidden behind a dumpster and Mike tells him his name. The gang member recognizes it and allows Mike to come over to talk. (He admits he dropped his gun and claims to be unarmed.)
The man’s been shot in the gut and probably won’t last much longer. He says everything’s going south and nowhere is safe. It’s going to escalate to the point that churches will be shot up since family members are now being targeted.
Mike figures out that based on the weapons, the Crips have partnered with the Mexicans and the Bloods are working with the Aryans. The man knows he’s dying and confirms Mike’s correct. He also reveals no one ordered the hit; the gangs are just going to war on their own.
As Mike heads off to talk to Bunny, he disagrees with Ian that the town is going to be locked down. Mike thinks if that hasn’t happened yet, it never will. He also delivers a brief pep talk to Asst. D.A. Evelyn Foley (Necar Zadegan) who’s completely over her job at this point.
Morning’s arrived by the time Mike makes it to Bunny’s new headquarters. No one answers the door or responds when Mike calls out, so he resorts to tossing beer bottles onto the roof. That finally gets Bunny’s attention.
Mike joins Bunny (Tobi Bamtefa) on the roof and immediately gets in his face about the massacre. Bunny insists it didn’t happen under his flag and he isn’t responsible. Bunny claims it came from the inside, but Mike reveals the shooter told him it didn’t. Bunny is sure it’s all coming from the prison guards. They’re behind the war and are orchestrating moves.
Mike wants Bunny to meet with the Bloods, Aryans, and Mexicans and calm the situation down. Bunny knows that won’t happen without someone doing something about the guards, and Mike promises he’ll take care of that. Bunny explains that every time a leader steps up, he’s taken down in prison. That’s got to be because the guards are pulling the strings.
If the streets don’t calm down, the National Guard will roll in and take care of it.
Bunny wants Mike to referee the meeting. Without a mediator, nothing will get done. Mike, very reluctantly, agrees. He has an idea that he thinks will work, but Bunny’s going to have to trust him. It’ll sting, but then after it’s over, Bunny won’t have to hide out on a roof.
Bunny agrees to trust Mike and to meet in three hours without an army backing him up.
Mike calls Evelyn about his idea, which is to turn over the current leaders of all four gangs to her. But they have to go to the penitentiary – not County – and they have to be arrested for felony possession of firearms. The catch: she’ll need to drop all the charges. So, what’s the point? To get them inside where they can pick new leaders and then get them back out without serving time.
Evelyn speaks the truth when she says the plan sounds insane. But Mike points out that the inside rules the outside, so it’s necessary to get the inside under control first.
Evelyn also agrees to trust him. I mean, at this point, is there really any other option?
Mike’s next stop is to meet with Captain Kareem Moore (Michael Beach) who’s temporarily in charge of the prison. Mike explains they need to pick new leaders inside so that the outside’s safe, but Kareem’s of the opinion they should let the gangs kill each other off. Mike points out that innocent citizens will die in the crossfire, and they could start shooting up schools and churches.
Kareem gets on board, grabs his gun, and goes with Mike.
Robert (Hamish Allan-Headley) is already at the meeting spot when they pull up, and he’s got his SWAT team in place. Moore’s second-in-command, Carney (Lane Garrison), shows up with a vest, a shotgun, and a bad attitude, and Mike has to remind him they’re not heading into a fight. This is supposed to be a peaceful meeting.
Bunny’s the first to arrive and Robert pats down his men and sends them off, allowing only Bunny to stay for the meeting. The remaining three representatives also show up, and you can cut the tension with a knife.
Mike announces that whatever they decide here and now has to be enforced inside. Mike declares that Captain Moore and his guards will patrol the prison again and will intervene in all conflicts. Food is an issue and Moore claims bag meals are the price of riots.
The reps are shocked when Evelyn Foley shows up and Mike explains, “She’s going to be giving you the pill you’re going to swallow.”
Sirens fill the air as Robert warns everyone to remain calm. SWAT surrounds the group as Mike explains they’re being arrested for felony possession of firearms. He adds, “And when there’s peace in the mother**king valley, charges will be dropped.”
He specifically tells the guards they need to keep it peaceful. This will only take as long as it takes the leaders to get their houses in order inside.
Bunny’s furious that he’s being placed under arrest and demands that Mike stay and watch when he attempts to walk away.
Once the meeting’s over Mike returns home to retrieve Iris and discovers she escaped through a window.
Meanwhile, Kyle and his partner, Morass (Michael Gaston), pull over a driver towing a boat going 25 in a 45 mph zone. Kyle’s irritated Morass tailgated the guy, forced him to speed up, and then pulled him over. His anger escalates when Morass refuses to allow him time to check out the guy’s plates.
Kyle’s not able to get into a position to backup his partner before Morass approaches the driver’s door. Morass is immediately met with gunfire. He goes down as Kyle unloads through the back window, killing the driver and his passenger.
Kyle calls in that Morass is down with multiple gunshot wounds. The assailant is also down, and Kyle needs EMS now. Kyle’s so shocked and upset by what just happened that he can’t even tell dispatch his location, other than that he’s on Highway 31.
He takes a knee for a minute and then jumps up when he hears a noise inside the car. Kyle discovers a baby in a car seat in the backseat and realizes he could have shot him when he unloaded into the vehicle. (Kyle needs time off and serious counseling!)
It’s nighttime when Iris makes her way to an empty church. She walks down the aisle and enters the basement. She says, “I have nowhere to go,” to a man seated at a laptop with his back toward her. He turns slowly and it’s Milo! Iris knew where he’d go to hide out and tells him that she doesn’t have a home. She kneels and places her head in his lap while holding tightly to his leg.
Milo says, “You’re home now.”
Episode two ends with the four leaders arriving at the temporary outdoor prison. The prisoners go from yelling at the bus to near silence as the four exit the bus and walk through the prisoners into the yard.
Daisy Ridley in ‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ (Courtesy of Sundance Institute / photo by Dustin Lane)
Fran is the sort of person neighbors would describe to reporters as quiet and kept to themselves after the discovery of a basement full of dead bodies. Robert is the guy people are just drawn to, a decent man who you feel has been a part of your friend group for years even though you just met him. In typical films, these two would have a meet cute and Fran would ultimately transform from a colorless caterpillar into a stunning butterfly. A happily ever after would follow. The End. But, thankfully, Sometimes I Think About Dying is anything but typical.
Fran (Daisy Ridley) works in a nondescript office that could be anywhere in the world at any time in modern history. There’s nothing that distinguishes it from a million other offices around the globe.
Fran seems to be the human equivalent of this generic office.
Her clothing appears to have been selected to further allow her to disappear into the walls. In fact, her browns and beiges even complement the faded water stain on the ceiling above her desk. She’s all but invisible. Is that by choice? That’s an interesting question that deserves to be dissected at length after watching the film. Your answer will depend on how much you can relate to her circumstances.
But back to what we know. Fran’s an introvert, an outsider…someone who doesn’t make an impact on anyone she meets. It’s not surprising when she reveals her favorite food is cottage cheese; the boring food fits her.
Fran observes but isn’t observant. After years of working with the same people in a small office, she knows nothing more than surface-level details about her coworkers. However, this can’t be blamed on her fellow employees. They’re a friendly bunch, and you get the feeling they’ve attempted to draw Fran into conversations but have concluded she simply isn’t interested in engaging with them.
A retirement leaves a position open, and Robert (Dave Merheje) joins the company. Robert can energize a room just by walking into it. Fran’s interest is sparked by this gregarious man who puts off a positive vibe and has an engaging personality. She normally tunes out the office buzz and never interacts, but there’s something about Robert that piques Fran’s interest.
Fran’s input into conversations is usually limited to one or two words. That’s okay when she’s with Robert because he’s a master of small talk. Robert’s also a decent man, and, for the most part, he takes a gentle approach to getting Fran to talk. She’s not just reluctant to open up but fiercely determined to withhold any personal details. Even when seated on Robert’s couch, she curves her shoulders in in such a way you can almost see the protective shell she’s constructed around herself.
Fran’s like a visitor from another planet who’s selected Robert as the human specimen she’s chosen to study. Fran and Robert feel worlds apart, yet there’s this undeniable, unexplainable connection that’s fascinating to witness develop.
Director Rachel Lambert (In the Radiant City, Mom Jovi) said she wanted to tell this particular story because she identified with the feeling of isolation and the struggle to connect. Yet it isn’t necessary to be able to place yourself in Fran’s shoes to be drawn in by Sometimes I Think About Dying. Fran’s a sympathetic figure, even in her most standoffish state, and Daisy Ridley’s outstanding performance makes it impossible not to empathize with this emotionally challenged young woman.
Sometimes I Think About Dying is beautifully shot, scored, and acted. The story never feels rushed or false, and the ending is justified. Justified? Yes. Not tidy, not happily ever after, just justified and real.
GRADE: B
Sometimes I Think About Dying had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
Directed By: Rachel Lambert
Written By: Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz & Katy Wright-Mead
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena, Marcia Debonis, Meg Stalter, and Brittany O’Grady
Running Time: 91 minutes
CBS’s Fire Country season one episode 12 will arrive on Sunday, January 29, 2023 rather than its normal Friday timeslot. Episode 12, directed by Dermott Downs, finds the firefighters tackling a huge fire caused by a plane crash.
“Two Pink Lines” will air immediately following the AFC Championship Game at approximately 10pm ET and 7pm PT.
Max Thieriot leads the cast as Bode Donovan. Season one’s regulars include Billy Burke as Vince, Kevin Alejandro as Manny, Diane Farr as Sharon, Stephanie Arcila as Gabriela, Jordan Calloway as Jake, and Jules Latimer as Eve.
“Two Pink Lines” Plot: Bode and his fellow prison inmate firefighters band together with the civilian station 42 crew to battle a monstrous fire that erupts after a plane crash. Meanwhile, the crews welcome a new member to the family.
Episode 12 guest stars include W Tre Davis as Freddy, Zach Tinker as Collin, Seth Ranaweera as Luis, and Katrina Reynolds as Cookie. Additional guest stars include Michael O’Neill as Harlan Denbo and Lynn Whyte as Frannie Denbo.
Fire Country stars Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son until his troubles began.
Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
Poor Butters! Comedy Central’s super short teaser trailer for South Park season 26 shows the kid’s in big trouble. But, really, isn’t that pretty much par for the course with Butters?
The teaser trailer was just the cherry on top of Comedy Central’s South Park news. The network confirmed fans of the adult animated series can mark February 8, 2023 on their calendars for the premiere of season 26. The announcement did not indicate the number of season 26 episodes, but we can hope it’s many more than the shortened season 25.
Cartman, Stan, and Kyle in ‘South Park’ (Photo Credit: Comedy Central)
Series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone recently celebrated the show’s 25th anniversary with the “South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert.” The concert featured Parker, Stone, Primus, Ween, and members of the band Rush and included fan-favorite songs. The special aired on August 13, 2022, marking the anniversary of the day the animated series debuted on Comedy Central.
The concert was filmed at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater and is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
Over the course of its 25-year run, the animated show has earned five Primetime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Animated Program category. It’s also picked up an Annie Award, a Peabody, a CableACE Award, and an AFI Award for TV Program of the Year.
It will be nearly three months between new episodes when CBS’s The Equalizer finally returns to the network’s primetime schedule with season three episode eight. The first new episode since November 27th, episode eight will find the action striking close to home for Mel.
Directed by John Terlesky from a script by Melissa R. Byer and Treena Hancock, “He Ain’t Heavy” will air on Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.
Queen Latifah leads the cast as Robyn McCall. Season three also stars Tory Kittles as Detective Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg as Harry Keshegian, Liza Lapira as Melody “Mel” Bayani, and Laya DeLeon Hayes as Delilah. Lorraine Toussaint returns as Viola “Vi” Marsette. Brett Dalton, Gabriel Sloyer, Chris Vance, and Stephen Bishop recur.
“He Ain’t Heavy” Plot: Mel engages in a tense family reunion when she and her disapproving sister (Camilla Mana) race against the clock to save their brother Edison (Travis Salter) after he’s abducted. Also, as the team unravels the motivation behind Edison’s kidnapping, Mel grapples with the fallout of her argument with McCall about training Delilah.
Episode eight guest stars include Gloria Reuben, J Alexis James, Elle Rigg, Nick Delany, Laurence Blum, and Chamblee Ferguson.
The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award® nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.
Robyn’s clandestine work and her personal life collide when her smart and observant daughter, Delilah, and her aunt Vi, who lives with Robyn to help her balance life as a working mother, discover her secret career as a vigilante. While Robyn contends with uncertainty at home, she is joined in her pursuit of justice by Melody “Mel” Bayani, an edgy bar owner and sniper from Robyn’s past; and Harry Keshegian, a paranoid and brilliant white-hat hacker.
As Robyn aids the oppressed and exploited, she sometimes works with Marcus Dante, an NYPD detective who once sought to uncover her identity, but now respects the need for Robyn’s type of justice even as he often questions her methods.
All good things must come to an end, right, and so it goes with Netflix’s Cobra Kai. The streaming service announced they’ve renewed the popular Karate Kid sequel for a sixth and final season. There’s no word yet on when it will arrive, but series creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg promised it will be soon.
The trio also promised it will be the biggest and baddest season of them all.
The one-minute video announcement features Daniel LaRussa (Ralph Macchio) musing on his complicated past with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). “The training, the tournaments, the rivalries, the lessons…it hasn’t always been smooth. But after all this time we’ve built something together to be proud of,” says Daniel. Johnny replies, “So let me ask you, do you have one more fight left in you?”
Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg composed a letter sharing their thoughts on the series, the fans, and the final season. They’ve always wanted to end the series on their own terms, and with the announcement of a sixth season, they’ll be able to bring the series to a fitting end. The letter also teased that there’s reason to hope for more Karate Kid stories in the future.
In addition to Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, the series stars Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso, Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz, Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso, and Jacob Bertrand as Hawk. Gianni Decenzo plays Demetri, Vanessa Rubio is Carmen, Peyton List is Tory, Martin Kove is John Kreese, Dallas Dupree Young is Kenny, Oona O’Brien is Devon, Griffin Santopietro is Anthony, and Thomas Ian Griffith plays Terry Silver.
Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg serve as writers and executive producers. Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, and Westbrook Entertainment’s Will Smith, James Lassiter, and Caleeb Pinkett also executive produce.
The renewal announcement did not include any details on Cobra Kai‘s sixth season’s plot.
