Fox’s Monarch season one episode six featured the Roman sisters going head-to-head at an award show, with Nicky ultimately emerging victorious. Up next, episode seven – “About Last Night” – airing on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT.
Monarch stars Susan Sarandon as Dottie Cantrell Roman, Anna Friel as Nicolette “Nicky” Roman, Trace Adkins as Albie Roman, and Beth Ditto as Gigi Tucker-Roman. Joshua Sasse plays Luke Roman, Meagan Holder is Kayla Taylor-Roman, Inigo Pascual is Ace Grayson, Martha Higareda is Catt Phoenix, and Emma Milani plays Ana Phoenix.
“About Last Night” Plot: The events leading up to the deadly night are revealed, as is the victim, leaving Albie to clean up a giant mess. Meanwhile, several weeks later, Nicky still tries to prove that she’s good enough to headline a solo tour.
In Monarch, the Roman family is headed by the insanely talented, but tough-as-nails Queen of Country Music DOTTIE CANTRELL ROMAN (Sarandon) and her beloved husband, ‘Texas Truthteller’ ALBIE ROMAN (Adkins). Dottie and Albie have created a country music dynasty. But even though the Roman name is synonymous with authenticity, the very foundation of their success is a lie. And when their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, heir to the crown NICOLETTE “NICKY” ROMAN (Friel) will stop at nothing to protect her family’s legacy, while ensuring her own quest for stardom.
Middle child LUKE ROMAN (Sasse) is the CEO of the family’s business, Monarch Entertainment. Luke is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he has a troubled relationship with his father, whose approval he can never get, no matter how hard he tries. Youngest daughter GIGI TUCKER-ROMAN (Ditto) is very close to her older brother and sister, but in a family of superstars, Gigi has always felt like a bit of an outcast, in spite of her incredible singing voice.
Gigi is married to KAYLA ROMAN-TUCKER (Holder), a successful music manager who keeps turning down Luke’s offers to join forces with the family company. Outside business, Kayla’s relationships with the Romans reflect a complicated history, and a secret she is keeping could destroy her marriage to Gigi. ACE GRAYSON (Inigo Pascual) also is part of the family. He is a talented and sensitive 18-year-old who was adopted from an orphanage by Nicky and her husband, struggling British actor CLIVE GRAYSON (guest star Adam Croasdell).
Ace is a phenomenal singer with real swagger on stage and dreams of being a country star like his Grandpa Albie. And just when the Romans’ world couldn’t get more chaotic, enter CATT PHOENIX (Higareda), the stunning and unpredictable mother of 17-year-old ANA PHOENIX (Emma Milani), a talented, wide-eyed young singer who is trying to get signed to the Roman family’s record label.
CBS’s new rookie dramas Fire Country, So Help Me Todd, and East New York have received full-season orders. The network reports Fire Country with SEAL Team‘s Max Thieriot is the #1 new series for the 2022-2023 season. The action drama set in Northern California has been averaging 8.26 million viewers since its launch on October 7, 2022.
East New York starring Amanda Warren and Jimmy Smits is the highest-ranked new program on Sundays with 7.37 million viewers. According to CBS, it’s the top new series among African-American viewers and it’s been among the most-watched new shows on Paramount+.
So Help Me Todd is number one among Thursday’s new shows with 6.48 million viewers.
“CBS is off to a tremendous start this season,” stated Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment. “We are thrilled to have the three most-watched new series, each with their own unique settings, characters and storylines. These dramas are elevating our already successful lineup, resonating with diverse audiences both on-air and on streaming, and continuing to grow each week.”
Kahl added, “We thank the talented casts, executive producers, and their incredible writing and production teams for bringing these shows to life. Additional kudos to our CBS programming teams for shepherding these series to success. We are delighted to give them well-deserved full-season orders.”
The Fire Country Plot:
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.
East New York Synopsis:
Amanda Warren stars as Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood, the newly promoted boss of the 74th Precinct in East New York – a working-class neighborhood on the edge of Brooklyn in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification. With family ties to the area, Haywood is determined to deploy creative methods to protect her beloved community with the help of her officers and detectives.
But first, she has the daunting task of getting them on board, as some are skeptical of her promotion, and others resist the changes she is desperate to make. Her team includes her mentor, shrewd veteran two-star Chief John Suarez; Marvin Sandeford, a highly respected training officer and expert on the neighborhood; Tommy Killian, a detective with some old-school approaches to policing; Capt. Stan Yenko, Haywood’s gregarious and efficient right hand; Crystal Morales, an intuitive detective who can’t be intimidated; Andre Bentley, a trainee from an upper-middle-class background; and ambitious patrol officer Brandy Quinlan, the sole volunteer to live in a local housing project as part of Haywood’s plan to bridge the gap between police and community.
Regina Haywood has a vision: she and the squad of the 74th Precinct will not only serve their community – they’ll also become part of it.
So Help Me Todd Plot:
Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin star as razor-sharp, meticulous attorney Margaret Wright (Harden) and Todd (Astin), her talented but scruffy, aimless son whom she hires as her law firm’s in-house investigator. As the black sheep of the well-heeled Wright family, Todd is a laidback, quick-thinking, excellent former private detective who fell on hard times after his flexible interpretation of the law got his license revoked. Margaret’s penchant for excellence and strict adherence to the law is at complete odds with Todd’s scrappy methods of finding his way through sticky situations: by the seat of his wrinkled pants.
When Todd inadvertently teams with his mother on a case, she’s surprised to find herself duly impressed by – and proud of – his crafty ability to sleuth out information with his charm and his wide-ranging tech savvy. At last, Margaret sees a way to put her son on a “suitable” path to living an adult, financially solvent life she approves of, and she asks him to join her firm. Todd agrees since it means getting his license back and once again doing the job he excels at and loves.
Mother and son working together is a big first step toward mending their fragile, dysfunctional relationship, and they may even come away with a better understanding of each other at this pivotal point in their lives. But whether Todd and Margaret will be able to accept each other for who they are is another case entirely.
Fox’s The Resident celebrates its 100th episode with season six episode six, “For Better Or Worse.” Episode six was directed by series star Manish Dayal and will air on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT.
The season six cast includes Matt Czuchry as Dr. Conrad Hawkins, Jessica Lucas as Dr. Billie Sutton, Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell, and Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss. Manish Dayal stars as Dr. Devon Pravesh, Malcolm-Jamal Warner is Dr. AJ Austin, Anuja Joshi is Dr. Leela Devi, Andrew McCarthy plays Dr. Ian Sullivan, and Kaley Ronayne is Dr. Cade Sullivan.
“For Better or Worse” Plot: On the day of Kit and Bell’s wedding, Bell and Conrad get pulled away to tend to the ill daughter of a major hospital donor. Meanwhile, Billie takes Gigi and Sammie dress shopping.
The compelling medical drama The Resident follows the doctors and nurses at Chastain Memorial Park Hospital. They work tirelessly to solve intricate medical cases, stopping at nothing to save their patients while facing challenges in their own lives.
Season five was a tumultuous journey, as our heroes at Chastain weathered several storms, including the devastating loss of the beloved Nurse Practitioner Nicolette Nevin. Now, entering a cutting-edge and electrifying sixth season, the stakes are at an all-time high. This season, pertinent topics are touched upon that push our characters to the limit while fighting for their patients’ lives. The season kicks off six months after we’ve last seen our heroes at Chastain. Chastain’s quality of care is put at risk and it’s up to our doctors to shine a light on the effects political corruption has on the healthcare system.
In the season premiere, DR. CONRAD HAWKINS (Czuchry) cozies up with his new love interest. Who will it be, DR. BILLIE SUTTON (Lucas) or DR. KINCAID (CADE) SULLIVAN (Kaley Ronayne)? Conrad’s journey continues as he balances his new love life, single fatherhood and saving patients at Chastain. Elsewhere, we’re catapulted into a gripping medical emergency for PADMA DEVI (guest star Aneesha Joshi) and her unborn twins, that will showcase the skills of Chastain’s new top pediatric surgeon, DR. IAN SULLIVAN (McCarthy), as he hides a dark secret surrounding addiction. If Ian’s secret leaks, it can cost him his job and his relationship with his daughter, Cade.
Stepping into fatherhood, we’ll see another side of the “Raptor” or DR. AJ AUSTIN (Warner) as he supports Padma all the way. The power couple DR. DEVON PRAVESH (Dayal) and DR. LEELA DEVI (Joshi) shine as Devon leads his own clinical trials and Leela is appointed Chief Resident. Chastain’s CEO, DR. KIT VOSS (Leeves), feels the stress of running a hospital when resources are low, and a new potential governor threatens to cut Chastain’s funding, all while supporting her love DR. RANDOLPH BELL (Greenwood) through his battle with MS.
This is a season of renewal and transformation for the doctors at Chastain as they step into new phases of their personal and professional lives.
The teaser for NBC’s New Amsterdam season five episode six shows Floyd is going to try everything possible to protect his dad from himself. Episode six – “Give Me a Sign” – will air on October 25, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season five cast members include Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin, Janet Montgomery as Dr. Lauren Bloom, Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds, and Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome. Sandra Mae Frank returns as Dr. Elizabeth Wilder and has been upped to series regular for the final season. Conner Marx guest stars as Ben Meyer.
“Give Me a Sign” Plot: Max goes on a mission to make New York safer. Iggy helps a family come to terms with their deaf child’s inability to communicate.
Sandra Mae Frank as Dr. Elizabeth Wilder and Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin in ‘New Amsterdam’ season 5 episode 6 (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)
Season 5 Description, Courtesy of NBC:
After a tumultuous year in which the leadership of New Amsterdam underwent dramatic change, the idealistic and beloved Max Goodwin is back at the helm.
As Max takes back the reins at New York City’s busiest public hospital, he must first address his own personal life, which was thrown into uncertainty at the conclusion of season four. Max and the team will forge ahead with optimism and a renewed commitment to their own lives – reaching for more joy and forging deeper connections with the people they love.
Dr. Bloom will continue to navigate her own personal journey, including a complicated relationship with her estranged sister, Vanessa. Dr. Frome will tackle the mess he has made of his marriage to Martin. And, after a year full of significant family developments, Dr. Reynolds will continue to sort out the relationship with his long-lost father, Horace.
Finally, Dr. Elizabeth Wilder, who joined the staff last year, will continue to build on her firm foundation as a critical member of the New Amsterdam team and a vital friend and confidante.
Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome in the “Give Me a Sign” episode (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds and John Earl Jelks as Horace Reynolds in season 5 episode 6 (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)Alejandro Hernandez as Casey Acosta and Janet Montgomery as Dr. Lauren Bloom in season 5 episode 6 (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds and KJ Aikens as Rafael De La Cruz in season 5 episode 6 (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome and Vince Eisenson as Timor in season 5 episode 6 (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin, Aida Turturro as Callie Cruz, Delores Hunter as Grandma Ana De La Cruz, and Sandra Mae Frank as Dr. Elizabeth Wilder in the “Give Me a Sign” episode (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin and Aida Turturro as Callie Cruz in season 5 episode 6 (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)
Zyra Goreski as Izzy and Natalie Zea as Eve in ‘La Brea’ season 2 episode 4 (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Season two episode three of NBC’s La Brea ended with Eve and Izzy’s emotional reunion. Episode four, “The Fog,” opens with Eve (Natalie Zea) still not over the fact her daughter stepped through a sinkhole. She watches Izzy (Zyra Gorecki) as she sleeps, which in most cases would sound creepy but, in this case, is just sweet.
Gavin (Eoin Macken) joins the happy reunion and Izzy notes it’s the first time she’s seen her parents smile at each other in a while. It’s much more dangerous in 10,000 BC than Gavin expected so his current plan is to get Josh back from the ‘80s and find a way home. But that means they need to find Aldridge first. She’s key to returning home.
Lucas (Josh McKenzie) and Veronica (Lily Santiago) continue to bond and they’re laughing over eggs when Scott (Rohan Mirchandaney) walks out of the woods. He claims he found a field of marijuana. Lucas points out he’s not limping, and Scott credits weed with being a miracle drug.
Lucas and Veronica know he’s lying but don’t know what he’s really up to.
Sam (Jon Seda) and Ty (Chike Okonkwo) are setting up look-out points when Gavin joins them and learns about Lucas and the gang sneaking in and grabbing food from Paara’s camp. Sam and Ty disagree about what Paara will do when she finds out, but that’s the least of their problems right now. Fog’s rolling in and soon it will be impossible to see anyone or anything…dun, dun duuuun!
Scott corners Gavin alone and delivers the message that Aldridge wants to see him. Only Gavin can come and only he can go into the building to get Josh and Riley back. Why? Scott doesn’t know. Oh, and he definitely can’t tell Eve anything about this secret mission.
Unfortunately, that last bit of info was delivered in earshot of Eve and she demands to go with Gavin. Not going to happen. She needs to watch over Izzy. (Scott really sucks at keeping secrets.)
Gavin makes a dramatic exit into the fog, promising to bring their son back.
No one’s happy to learn Gavin took off again, especially Sam. His daughter’s also gone, and he doesn’t like being out of the loop. Levi (Nicholas Gonzalez) is only able to convince him to stay by pointing out it’s hard to see through the fog. Anything could be out there.
Scott gets lost leading Gavin to Aldridge, and they’re forced to hunker down until animals pass by. That gives Gavin an opportunity to ask what’s in the building, and Scott explains there’s a room with a portal they call Lazarus that connects to the future. Aldridge was one of the scientists who built the building, and the portal allows them to control time travel.
Aldridge (Ming-Zhu Hii) finds them and let’s just say it’s not a happy reunion. She reveals they need to go back to the Exiles’ camp, hijack the new shipment of rocks (Lazarus’ fuel), and get into the building with it. The portal room’s on the top floor and Scott’s already managed to secure the key card.
Because it’s so dangerous she doesn’t want anyone to know what’s going on. Only Gavin can know because he has a role to play in this, and she confirms his parents are still alive. His parents were among the scientists who created Lazarus.
Paara and a few of her people bust in on their meeting in the middle of nowhere and it’s the first time Gavin’s seen Paara since he returned. She’s following some of her people who are heading to the clearing, hoping to stop them before they attack.
Gavin wants to go with her, but Aldridge reminds him only he can save Josh and Riley. Poor Gavin never catches a break!
Lucas heads out into the fog to prove there isn’t a giant marijuana field. Veronica tries to convince him to head back to camp when suddenly they hear voices. It’s Paara’s people and they’re preparing to launch an attack.
Lucas and Veronica rush back to the camp to warn Sam. Their only option is to fight back since there’s no place to hide. Unfortunately, they don’t really have any useful weapons.
Eve suggests a diversion is their best chance at getting out of this alive. They gather clothes and set up a massive fire, and Ty takes a break because he’s out of breath. He believes he still has a shot at convincing Paara not to attack but it’s not Paara he encounters in the woods. It’s Anthony – one of his patients. They’re happy to see each other and Anthony confirms he also fell through a sinkhole.
Anthony claims he was separated from a group of fellow La Brea sinkhole survivors and needs Ty’s help to locate them. Ty, being such a good guy, agrees.
Paara’s people launch their attack and it’s obvious they mean business. They stab the “people” seated by the fire. Fortunately, straw and stuffing don’t bleed. The attackers quickly find themselves encircled by pissed-off Sky People armed with an odd assortment of weapons.
Sam orders their attackers to drop their weapons and leave. They refuse. Paara and her much more friendly group, accompanied by Gavin, race up and confront the rebels. Paara reminds their leader, Joseph, that it’s her job to decide the punishment for stealing food. She’ll also decide the rebels’ punishment.
A pack of hungry wolves picks just that moment to enter the fray. Fighting them isn’t an option so everyone runs for cover. Gavin’s about to be attacked when Aldridge saves him. The wolf turns his attention to Aldridge. She’s injured but alive when Scott and Gavin get her into a car.
Eve and Izzy race toward the bus, but Eve stops to help out Joseph. Levi saves them both and they just barely make it to safety. Eve wants to go to the bus to check on Izzy, but Levi thinks she’s safe with Sam. Eve confesses Izzy told her she thinks the accident and the loss of her leg are what broke her and Gavin up. Izzy blames herself but never told anyone.
Levi thinks when things calm down Eve needs to tell Gavin and Izzy the truth. Eve agrees.
Meanwhile, Ty and Anthony hear the wolves and Ty convinces his former patient they have to return to camp.
After getting assurances Aldridge will live, Gavin leaves the safety of a car to help his family in the bus. Two wolves jump on top of the bus and start prying open a hole. Another wolf charges a window, trying to get to the tasty treats inside the bus.
Eve, Levi, and Scott also leave their safe hiding places and join Gavin who has come up with one of his better plans. Levi kept rocks from the Exiles and Gavin wants to use one as a fuel source. He runs to the bus and orders everyone to get down as Eve shoots an arrow with a rock tied to it into the fire.
The subsequent explosion scares the wolves into running away.
They regroup a little later and Paara asks if there’s anything she can do. She’s thankful Eve saved Joseph’s life and extends an invitation to Gavin to visit his old home.
Eve has a heart-to-heart with Izzy and admits she turned to Levi to get through the rough time with Gavin. She had an affair and that’s part of why her marriage collapsed. Eve loves her family but still loves Levi.
It sounds like she’s made her choice and Izzy’s sad they won’t be a family, even after they get Josh back. Eve assures her they’ll always be a family. She confesses she’s not sure when she’s going to tell Gavin the full truth.
Ty and Andrew get lost on the way back to the clearing and Ty’s in the middle of explaining he has a problem with always trying to help everyone when Paara finds him. He turns to introduce Anthony to Paara and discovers he’s gone. It turns out he was never really there. (But you already guessed that, right?) Paara says he was talking to himself when she walked up.
Ty realizes the hallucination means his condition’s getting worse. He chooses her over the clearing for the time he has left. Paara reveals she was married before and never thought she’d open her life up to another man until she met him. She promises to take care of him.
Aldridge’s condition takes a turn for the worse and she assures Scott and Gavin they can do this without her. Aldridge explains Gavin’s mom, Caroline, is in 1988 but she’s coming back “to set things right.”
Aldridge dies before she can provide any additional details.
Gavin tells Sam they’re still going to follow Aldridge’s plan: go the caves, hijack the fuel, and get their kids back.
Jack Martin as Josh, Byron Coll as Franklin Marsh and Veronica St. Clair as Riley in ‘La Brea’ season 2 episode 4 (Photo by: NBC)
And Now We Slip Back Into the ‘80s
Franklin Marsh (Byron Coll) can’t get over the fact he’s attempting to jerry-rig a charger for a phone that’s also a camera and computer. (Josh should definitely tell him to buy stock in Apple.) Josh (Jack Martin) and Riley (Veronica St. Clair) know the photos in the phone from 10,000 BC are the only way to prove the sinkholes aren’t what they appear.
The charger works and Franklin’s stunned by the photos. He’s sure that if they can get his department head at Caltech on board, everyone else will follow. But there’s a catch, of course. Dr. Clark thinks he’s a nutcase and so Josh will have to talk to her first.
It’s not Josh but Riley who attempts to convince Dr. Clark a sinkhole is going to open in the ocean and cause a catastrophic tidal wave. Riley drops Franklin’s name and Dr. Clark isn’t interested in hearing anything more.
Riley persists and whips out Josh’s iPhone, showing Dr. Clark photos from 10,000 BC. Dr. Clark thinks the phone is a Hollywood prop and the photos were faked. She leaves but her assistant, Maddie, stays behind. She believes Riley.
Maddie takes Riley and Josh to a house where Dr. Clark’s waiting for them. Dr. Clark thinks they’ve been sent by someone named James to stop her work, but neither Riley nor Josh has any idea who she’s talking about. They give a very brief recap of how they landed in 1988 and when they mention Silas, Dr. Clark’s interest is piqued. She asks about the boy they were helping and it’s obvious she also knows Isaiah.
It turns out Isaiah is her son! Josh is meeting his grandmother for the very first time.
The CW’s The Winchesters season one episode two opens in Topeka, Kansas 1972. Hippies dance in a small clearing in the forest, living their best lives. A young man named Barry tells his girlfriend, Maya, he’s done living under his dad’s thumb. The couple head into the woods alone, and Barry suddenly sees his dad. Barry confronts his father who, as it turns out, isn’t actually there.
Instead, he’s under the spell of some sort of tree monster.
But before we carry on, wayward sons, let’s take a super brief look back at what we learned in episode one. We met John Winchester (Drake Rodger) as he returned home from Vietnam after serving two years in the Marines. John’s first encounter with Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) occurred when he literally bumped into her on the street. From there, things really took off, with Mary confirming monsters exist and John learning his dad was a member of the Men of Letters.
Episode one also introduced the season’s big bad: the Akrida. The Akrida aren’t from this world and are set on wiping out all humanity (and other assorted creatures, including demons). Mary’s dad, Samuel, was searching for a box that could kill them when he went missing.
And now we move on to episode two. Spoilers ahead – you’ve been warned!
Jensen Ackles’ voiceover as Dean reminds us that there comes a time for all children (even those raised by monster hunters) to break from their parents and make their own way. He says this as the Scooby gang – John, Mary, Carlos (JoJo Fleites), Ada (Demetria McKinney), and Latika (Nida Khurshid) enter a Men of Letters warehouse full of dead zombies.
It appears the trail for Mary’s dad has gone dead again, but she wants them to check the Men of Letters’ files for anything useful on the Akrida. Unfortunately, all the file cabinets are empty. However, a spent shotgun shell proves to Mary her dad was there and escaped alive. (He always signed his shotgun shells.)
A zombie attack briefly interrupts the group’s discussion, but they quickly dispatch the undead. John’s a little grossed out because some got in his mouth. (This seems to be a recurring season one joke.)
Mary thinks her dad deliberately left the shells behind to send her a message. Another message was left in the form of a newspaper article about Barry’s disappearance. Carlos isn’t sure Mary’s dad meant for them to chase after a missing hippie; they’re supposed to be hunting for info on the Akrida.
Mary’s got a stubborn/bossy streak and is set on heading to Topeka, certain the article was left by her dad so she’d know where to go next. She instructs Ada to get busy working on the mysterious Akrida-killing box while the rest will question Barry’s dad.
The Scooby gang isn’t thrilled with Mary’s dictatorial attitude, but Mary doesn’t care.
On the road to Barry’s dad’s place, John confesses he’s worried his tracking skills aren’t what they should be. They’ve been striking out for weeks which is super disappointing, given that he was a scout in the military.
Mary reminds him it takes time to learn to be a hunter. He didn’t learn to be a scout overnight.
They make a pitstop so John can check in with his very angry mom. Millie’s upset he’s just like his father and worries his life will be reduced to a box of possessions – just like his dad. John leaves, mad.
They arrive at Barry’s dad’s house and John confesses he likes the “less talkie, more punchy” part of being a hunter. Carlos made them fake IDs – John’s Mick Fleetwood and Mary’s Christine McVie – so they better hope the dad isn’t into Fleetwood Mac!
They introduce themselves as friends of Barry’s from school.
Meanwhile back at their motel room, Carlos confesses he doesn’t like giving over the lead vocals spot to Mary all the time, especially since she’s stuck singing the same song about her missing dad. But that discussion will have to wait as Mary and John return with a Barry update. Maya took Barry to a commune and then watched a monster take him. Barry’s dad logically assumes the monster was actually a drug-induced hallucination.
Carlos and Latika get all giddy over the idea of a commune and a monster and break out singing “Age of Aquarius.” (It’s worth noting Carlos is handling the lead vocals.) The Scooby gang’s mood has improved 100%.
The gang slips into hippie clothes to go undercover at the commune. Carlos wants to take a deep dive into commune life, complete with hallucinogens, but that has to wait. Business first, party later.
Maya explains Barry thought he was talking to his dad but instead it was some “creepy old thing.” Maya’s sure it was just the drugs, and Clyde – the commune leader – is telling everyone he thinks Barry ran off to California.
Clyde welcomes the foursome into the community, a commune for people to break free of anyone who controls them – especially the people who hurt them. For him, that person is Sister Bernadette.
After he walks away, Mary reveals she’s seen the symbol on Clyde’s necklace before.
Back at the Winchester Garage, Ada introduces herself to Millie Winchester (Bianca Kajlich) and assures her John will come back when he’s ready. Ada reveals she used to work with Henry, but she sees a lot of Millie in John. She provides Millie with the info on where John’s staying now – just for peace of mind.
Ada asks for a piece of the vine growing around Millie’s shop. Millie says Henry planted it and it just seems to thrive, and Ada explains it’s jasmine for protection.
Once more to Topeka we go and Latika finds the symbol from Clyde’s necklace in a book. It’s a Celtic symbol for transformation. They may have a shapeshifter on their hands, which only sort of narrows down the creature who took Barry.
Clyde escorts a member of the commune into the woods and sees Sister Bernadette. Of course, it’s not actually the nun. And, obviously, Clyde isn’t the shapeshifter.
John continues to worry that he’s not cut out to be a hunter.
A short while later, Mary spots green blood by where Clyde was taken and declares they’re up against a mimic. She’s fought one before and they can be killed by copper, which is the only metal Carlos doesn’t have in his van. John thinks they can use the hotel’s plumbing, but Latika points out the blood looks more like sap.
Carlos wonders if they’re dealing with a tree monster, confirming what I wrote in paragraph one. Yeah, me!
Mary refuses to accept anyone else’s opinion and insists it’s a mimic. Latika pulls up a strange flower anyway and calls Ada to find out what it is. Ada says it sounds like a rare flower from Colombia and Latika’s sure she can take it from there. She packed a ton of books – it must be in one of them.
Ada brews a tea made with a leaf from the jasmine Henry planted. She takes a sip and goes into a trance, writing on a pad she placed in front of her.
John returns to the hotel and rips out the plumbing under the sink. They are definitely going to have quite the bill when they check out!
Carlos has had it with Mary’s attitude and finally gives her a piece of his mind. (#TeamCarlos) She’s treating everyone just like her dad did and she needs to start listening. He suggests she embrace her inner David Crosby from CSNY (that’s Crosby, Still, Nash, and Young for you youngsters) and allow the group to sing in four-part harmony.
Latika rushes up with the news she’s discovered what they’re really hunting (with an assist from Ada). It’s a La Tunda, a creature who chopped up her children to feed her flower garden. The flowers had an insatiable thirst for blood and used dark magic. She now listens for disobedient children, drags them into the woods, and feeds on them over months.
Mary figures out John is its next victim since La Tunda most likely heard him complaining about his mom.
John’s by himself ripping up copper pipes when his mom stops by his motel room. They argue over whether Henry ever believed in John, with Millie insisting he didn’t or else he would have taught him how to be a hunter.
“I know it’s painful knowing that you were the reason he left, thinking about what could have been,” says Millie.
John catches on to the fact Millie isn’t Millie when she brings up Sam training Mary. He knows he never told her about Mary. John surmises she’s the mimic but is shocked when she’s easily able to stop him from hitting her with copper.
La Tunda confirms to her latest victim she’s not a mimic.
The gang arrives too late and only a bed of purple flowers remains to mark La Tunda’s visit. Mary shocks Carlos and Latika…but especially Carlos…by apologizing for not listening. She admits she’s been too focused on finding her dad and unwilling to listen. Mary even allows Latika to come up with a plan.
John, Clyde, and Barry are all in La Tunda’s lair being fed on while Latika explains the only thing that can kill her is piercing her heart with magic as strong as she is. She thinks they can use La Tunda’s own leg to stab her in the heart.
“It’s sick and twisted enough it might just work,” says Carlos, adding, “I love that deeply weird side of you.”
La Tunda turns her attention to feeding on Barry and John frees himself while it’s occupied. He also frees Clyde and then returns to help Barry. La Tunda, in Millie form, and John fight but she’s too strong.
Meanwhile, Latika, Carlos, and Mary have been following the trail of flowers. They arrive at the creature’s lair and Carlos and Latika work on freeing Barry while Mary concentrates on La Tunda.
“Hey, Poison Oak, feeding time is over,” quips Mary.
La Tunda tosses Mary aside like a ragdoll, but Mary’s able to instruct John to go for the leg. He breaks it off and La Tunda screams in pain. Mary grabs the leg and stabs the creature in the heart. Green sap spurts out and hits John in the face before La Tunda’s body disintegrates into the earth.
Mary and John deliver Barry back to his house and watch from the van as Barry and his dad have an emotional reunion.
John’s the next to return home and this time he introduces Mary to his mom. Millie tells Mary that her car’s fixed and it’s on the house since she brought John home safely.
John admits to his mom he was angry at his dad, so he took it out on her. Millie swears she believes in him and reveals that whenever she and Henry fought about the Men of Letters, they made a deal to always find a way afterward to say “I love you.”
The last fight they had they didn’t say it and that’s the last time she saw Henry. She promises she’s never going to let John go without telling him she loves him.
John meets up with the Scooby gang at the Men of Letters clubhouse and explains that he and his mom made up. Ada emerges from a secret door with a little update of her own.
She explains that she brewed a potion, tapped into her subconscious, and accessed the echo of any remaining portion of the demon that possessed her. Her demon’s dead but he knew the demon that attacked the gang – and both demons knew about the mysterious box – so if they find that demon, they might get at least some of the answers to their questions.
The episode is almost over as the gang munches on pizza while Millie looks through Henry’s box of possessions with a smile.
Oh, but we can’t have a happy ending without a majorly creepy twist, can we? Nope.
A hooded figure enters La Tunda’s cave and uses magic to pull any lingering magic from the flowers into a vial. Hundreds of bizarre-looking bug-ish creatures follow the hooded figure as it moves through the forest.
Apple TV+ just dropped the official trailer for Echo 3, a new action series from two-time Oscar winner Mark Boal (Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, The Hurt Locker). The trailer sets up the search for a missing scientist being conducted by her brother and her husband – two men who are especially well-equipped to do what it takes to retrieve her.
Jessica Ann Collins stars as the scientist, Luke Evans plays her brother, and Michiel Huisman is the husband. The series’ cast also includes Martina Gusmán, James Udom, Maria Del Rosario, Alejandro Furth, and Juan Pablo Raba. Bradley Whitford appears as a special guest star.
Mark Boal guides the action series, based on Omri Givon’s When Heroes Fly, as showrunner and executive producer. Givon’s series, inspired by Amir Gutfreund’s novel, aired in 2018 and was nominated for six Israeli Television Academy awards, winning one.
Keshet Studios’ Peter Traugott, Jason Horwitch, Omri Givon, Eitan Mansuri, Jonathan Doweck, Mark Sourian, Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, and Karni Ziv are also involved as executive producers. Boal and executive producer Pablo Trapero are the season one directors.
The 10-episode season premieres on November 23, 2022 with the release of the first three episodes. New episodes follow on subsequent Fridays.
Michiel Huisman and Luke Evans in ‘Echo 3’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
The Plot:
Set in South America with English and Spanish dialogue, Echo 3 follows Amber Chesborough (Collins), a brilliant young scientist who is the emotional heart of a small American family. When Amber goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border, her brother, Bambi (Evans), and her husband, Prince (Huisman) – two men with deep military experience and complicated pasts – struggle to find her in a layered personal drama, set against the explosive backdrop of a secret war. Echo 3 also stars Gusmán as “Violeta,” a prominent political columnist.
The two-minute trailer for Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales teases the limited series’ deep dive into the drama behind the stripping empire. Kumail Nanjiani leads the cast as the man responsible for understanding women enjoy watching good-looking men showing off their well-toned bodies on stage.
The cast also includes Murray Bartlett, Juliette Lewis, and Annaleigh Ashford. Quentin Plair, Robin de Jesús, Andrew Rannells, and Spencer Boldman are recurring guest stars. Nicola Peltz Beckham and Dan Stevens also guest star.
Robert Siegel and Jenni Konner serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Kumail Nanjiani, Dylan Sellers, Matt Shakman, Emily V. Gordon, Nora Silver, and Rajiv Joseph also executive produce, with Joseph and Mehar Sethi writing.
The limited series debuts on Hulu on November 22, 2022 with the release of the first two episodes.
Poster for the limited series ‘Welcome to Chippendales’ (Courtesy of Hulu)
The Plot:
Welcome to Chippendales is a true-crime series that tells the real-life story of Chippendales founder, Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who turned a failing Los Angeles bar into a global phenomenon. But, there’s more to Chippendales than meets the eye.
Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed in Creed III, the much-anticipated new chapter in the $300+ million Rocky spinoff franchise. The first trailer shows Adonis reuniting with a childhood friend who’s just been released from prison. Their troubled history is hinted at in the trailer and during a press conference in support of the trailer’s launch, Jordan described Damian (played by Jonathan Majors) as the film’s antagonist. (He preferred that term to “villain.”)
Michael B. Jordan took on an additional job with the new entry in the franchise, making his feature film directorial debut with Creed III. Jordan believed it was the perfect time to jump behind the camera after building up an impressive resume acting for the past 20 years.
“I finally got to this place in my career where I wanted to tell a story and not just be in front of the camera, not just execute somebody else’s vision,” explained Jordan. “And having a character that I’ve played twice before, it’s been seven, eight years living with this guy. So, to be able to tell a story of where I believe Adonis is at…and also at 35 years old, I had a lot to say as a young man, as a young Black man, just my life experiences and how I could actually share that, share a piece of myself with the world – through these characters and through this story. I just felt like it was the right time.”
Directing Creed III was the most challenging thing Jordan’s ever done. Fortunately, he was surrounded by an incredible cast that included Tessa Thompson (reprising her role as Bianca) and Jonathan Majors.
“I think, first of all, Jonathan Majors is incredible. Very, very blessed and lucky to have him be a part of this story,” said Jordan. “And for me as a director, just to have that running mate and have that scene partner, it made all the difference in the world.
I think he’s extremely talented. The world is finding out daily how incredible this man is in the work that he does. [He’s] finally getting the props that’s due. And Jonathan was incredible, man. He showed up every day ready, ready to go to war, ready to work.
You know, me and him bonded in a way that I never had an opportunity to. And I guess it’s my first time directing that relationship between director and actor. I really understand that now, and it’s a bond that’ll last forever. So just really lucky to have that gentleman by my side while I’m going through this process. It was extremely helpful.”
Jordan continued: “The character Damian you’ll find out more about, but (he’s) definitely a pivotal person and a pillar in Adonis’s life that kind of comes back around and needs to kind of get addressed. So, there’s that.
And then there’s the incredible Tessa Thompson that I’ve been so lucky to work with over the years. She’s a rock, you know? Trust is a huge thing and having earned each other’s trust being in scenes together, and now having her trust me with a story was the biggest compliment that she’s given me thus far.”
Jordan was careful not to reveal any spoilers while describing the key themes of Creed III.
“I think thematically for us family is always the core, you know? Family and heart,” offered Jordan. “You have to face your past and find out who you really are. I think it is something that we address in this movie.
You know, it’s sort of a homecoming as well. You know what I mean? Remembering where you come from I think is really important in this one as well. And sometimes settling debts… I think settling debts and being accountable for your actions is something that we wanted to look at as well.
This movie has a lot of me in it and hopefully a lot of other people as well. I wanted to create a story where everybody felt like they could relate to something in this movie.”
MGM’s Creed III will be released in theaters on March 3, 2023.
The Plot:
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.
Fox’s The Cleaning Lady season two episode five found Thony thinking on her feet and coming up with a way to get Arman out from under Robert Kamdar’s thumb. Up next, episode six – “Oasis” – airing on Monday, October 24, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT.
Élodie Yung returns to lead the cast as Thony. Oliver Hudson stars as FBI Agent Garrett Miller, Adan Canto is Arman Morales, and Martha Millan is Fiona. Sean Lew plays Chris, Eva De Dominici is Nadia, Faith Bryant is Jaz, Naveen Andrews is Robert Kamdar, and Sebastien and Valentino LaSalle share time playing Luca.
“Oasis” Plot: An unexpected trio emerges in the mission to take down Cortés, as Arman and Nadia’s relationship hits a breaking point. Meanwhile, Fiona attempts to keep her family safe as Chris continues to grieve.
Season two of The Cleaning Lady picks up with THONY (Yung) desperately trying to find her son, LUCA, after he was kidnapped by his father, MARCO (Ivan Shaw). With nowhere else to turn, she enlists the help of FBI Agent GARRETT MILLER (Hudson) to track him down before they leave the country. Meanwhile, an incident involving CHRIS (Lew) forces FIONA (Millan) to shield her son by any means necessary, furthering the theme of how far a mother will go to protect her child.
This season introduces ROBERT KAMDAR (Andrews), NADIA’s (De Dominici) gregarious and charming ex-lover, who is intent on driving a wedge between ARMAN (Canto) and Nadia. Standing to lose everything, Arman must fight to keep his world — and his dignity — intact, while rebuilding his life under the worst of circumstances.
The Cleaning Lady continues to examine the plight of undocumented immigrants and their difficulties accessing necessary healthcare and resources. Galvanized by the many roadblocks she faced while searching for a treatment to save her son, Thony will utilize her expertise as a doctor to find ways to help her underserved community. However, as Thony continues to entwine her business undertakings with Arman, she is dragged further across the moral line and into the dark underbelly of Las Vegas.
