CBS’s Ghosts will return after the winter holidays with season two episode 11, “The Perfect Assistant.” Directed by Nick Wong from a script by Zoa Bikangaga, episode 11 is set to air on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 8:30pm ET/PT.
Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar lead the cast as Samantha and Jay, the living residents of the mansion. Playing the mansion’s resident ghosts are Brandon Scott Jones as Isaac, Richie Moriarty as Pete, Danielle Pinnock as Alberta, and Asher Grodman as Trevor. Román Zaragoza stars as Sasappis, Sheila Carrasco plays Flower, Rebecca Wisocky is Hetty, and Devan Chandler Long plays Thorfinn.
“The Perfect Assistant” Plot: Sam and Jay are thrilled when they find a highly qualified assistant for the B&B – however, their new employee comes with some surprising baggage. Also, Thorfinn tries to help his son, Bjorn, deal with a bully.
Episode 11 guest stars include Mike Lane, Nichole Sakura, Christian Jadah, Lindsey Broad, and Rachelle Glait.
Ghosts is a single-camera comedy about Samantha and Jay, a cheerful freelance journalist and up-and-coming chef from the city, respectively, who threw both caution and money to the wind when they decide to convert a huge rundown country estate they inherited into a bed & breakfast – only to find it was inhabited by the many spirits of deceased residents who now call it home.
The departed souls are a close-knit, eclectic group that includes a saucy Prohibition-era lounge singer (Pinnock); a pompous 18th-century militiaman (Jones); a ‘60s hippie fond of hallucinogens (Carrasco); an overly upbeat ‘80s scout troop leader (Moriarty); a cod-obsessed Viking explorer from 1009 (Devon Chandler Long); a slick ‘90s finance bro (Grodman); a sarcastic and witty native from the 16th-century (Zaragoza); and a society woman and wife of a 19th-century robber baron who is Samantha’s ancestor (isocky), to name a few.
The opening of the B&B is a source of intrigue, anxiety, and curiosity among the spirits, but they’ll gladly put up with the commotion as long as they can continue to interact with a living inhabitant – Samantha.
CBS’s CSI: Vegas season two episode 10, “Eyeballs,” delves into the world of social media influencers. Directed by Allison Liddi Brown from a script by Ryan Lee, episode 10 is scheduled to air on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT.
The second season stars Paula Newsome as Maxine Roby, Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows, Matt Lauria as Joshua Folsom, and Mandeep Dhillon as Allie Rajan. Ariana Guerra plays Detective Serena Chavez, Lex Medlin is Beau Finado, and Jay Lee is Chris Park.
“Eyeballs” Plot: A social media influencer party ends with the brutal murder of a popular guest. Chris Park’s side hustle makes him uniquely qualified to lead the CSI team in their investigation.
Episode 10 guest stars include Sara Amini, Madison Lewis, Riley Lewis, Ruben Vernier, Zach Tinker, and Connor Price.
CSI: Vegas, the sequel to the Network’s global hit CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, returns for a second season in Las Vegas – the city where it all began. Amidst the neon lights and long shadows, dark threats continue to lurk in Sin City. Maxine Roby leads her brilliant team of Crime Scene Investigators – Joshua Folsom, Allie Rajan, Detective Serena Chavez, Chris Park, and Beau Finado – as they use science to solve baffling cases. Catherine Willows returns to help the CSIs face off with a dealer of death who is planning to beat the odds in Las Vegas.
This combined force will deploy the latest forensic techniques to do what they do best – follow the evidence – in order to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.
Paramount+’s 1923 marks the third installment in the Yellowstone franchise and is basically a sequel to the prequel. Episode one introduces a new generation of Duttons, with Harrison Ford starring as Jacob Dutton. Jacob’s the older brother of James Dutton, played by Tim McGraw in 1883. Oscar winner Helen Mirren stars as Jacob’s wife, Cara, and James Badge Dale is John Dutton Sr, son of James and Margaret (Faith Hill). John’s brother, Spencer, is played by Brandon Sklenar, and when 1923 catches up with him, he’s far from the Yellowstone Ranch.
The first episode, airing on December 18, 2022, reveals life on the ranch wasn’t any easier back in the ‘20s, with the combination of locusts and sheepherders destroying grazing land and killing off cattle. Episode one also confirms the Duttons have always been fiercely loyal to their family and incredibly protective of their land.
And now to the recap and yes, there are SPOILERS AHEAD. (You’ve been warned!)
The episode opens with Cara following an injured and armed man through the woods. He pleads for his life, but after a brief exchange regarding the prospects of getting into heaven, Cara shoots him dead. She throws back her head and screams.
1883 viewers will instantly recognize a familiar voice narrating the tale of the Duttons. 1883’s Elsa Dutton (played by Isabel May) tells us violence has always haunted her family, following them no matter what country they call home. “Where it doesn’t follow, we hunt it down. We seek it,” says Elsa.
And speaking of violence, the next Dutton introduced is stalking a lion in Africa. An elephant wanders behind Spencer Dutton, and he doesn’t flinch and instead stays focused on the bushes. The lion leaps from the underbrush and Spencer fires his rifle.
For a brief moment, it appears the lion moved faster than Spencer. Fortunately, that’s not the case.
Spencer’s pinned under the lion’s massive dead body when his two friends arrive. Apparently, he was tracking this specific lion in his position as a gun-for-hire. After the encounter ends, Spencer gazes out over the plains where zebra peacefully graze.
Elsa informs us that of her dad’s three children, only one lived to see his children grow up. (We know Elsa’s dead, so that means either John Sr or Spencer won’t grow old surrounded by family.)
Fast-forward to Harrison Ford as Jacob, upset over the deaths of many of his cattle due to the plague of locusts. As Jacob looks at his fallen cattle, Elsa tells us her mother, Margaret, wrote to James’ brother Jacob and asked him to bring his family to Montana and save her family.
It took a year for Jacob to arrive at the Yellowstone Ranch and when he did, he found Margaret frozen to death and her two boys starving. Jacob stepped in and raised the boys (Spencer and John Sr.) and also took over running the Yellowstone Rranch.
“[He] made it into an empire, and then the empire crumbled,” says Elsa.
Jacob and his men ride through town, past a heavyweight boxing match and women holding signs in support of prohibition outside of a business that’s calling itself a soda shop. Jacob heads in, pointing out to the leader of the protest that it’s not a bar. The woman reminds him the sign above the brothel claims it’s a dance hall.
Jacob and John Dutton Sr. grab a seat at the bar, and Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick) and Jacob engage in a conversation about sheepherders who’ve gotten themselves into trouble for trespassing. Sheriff McDowell doesn’t have enough deputies to tamp down the sheepherders’ anger, and he’s worried about bloodshed.
Jacob (the Livestock Commissioner) and Sheriff McDowell lead the crowd of lawmen over to the town hall where Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) delivers an impassioned speech in support of his fellow sheepherders. A cattle rancher has killed their sheep, and Banner wants someone to pay.
Scottish-born Banner blames the Irish, and a fight breaks out between the rival groups. Sheriff McDowell manages to quiet the crowd by shooting into the air. Banner doesn’t back down and is certain Jacob and the men in charge know exactly who killed the sheep. After all, their bodies were found on their killer’s land.
Jacob has no sympathy for the man’s deceased sheep, pointing out the sheep ruined the field and now the rancher’s cattle will likely die of starvation.
Jacob lays down the law. No one will graze in the valley. The only grass available now will be in the mountains until it rains. If that doesn’t work, then Banner will need to sell his sheep.
Banner’s enraged because there’s no one around to buy the sheep. Meanwhile, Jacob has a whole mountain range – the land, the lease, and everything.
“I have what my family fought for!” says Jacob, advising Banner that if he wanted more land, he should have leased more.
It’s a contentious meeting that ends without the sheepherders getting any satisfaction. Banner and his men wait outside for Jacob, and Banner wants Jacob to keep in mind that not just cattlemen belong to the Montana Livestock Association. Banner’s also a member and wants the rules to be applied equally.
Jacob suggests Banner brought this on himself and needs to take his sheep into the mountains. Banner doesn’t see that as a solution since bears will feast on his sheep.
When Jacob turns his back, Banner tries to grab him. John holds him back and Jacob doesn’t care that Banner’s got more men. Jacob’s only concern is Banner, and he holds his pistol under the sheepherder’s neck.
Sheriff McDowell warns Banner that if he goes after Jacob again, he’ll spend a month in jail. Jacob isn’t ready to end this fight and reminds Banner that grazing on another rancher’s land is equal to stealing the man’s cattle.
With one battle under his belt, Jacob joins a meeting of the Montana Livestock Association. Prices of beef have fallen, and one of the reasons is that the war’s over. Men have returned to their farms and ranches, and families no longer need to buy someone else’s beef.
The ranchers discuss the best place to graze, and Jacob thinks they should push the herds together and take them to higher ground. Bears and wolves will bother them, and they’ll need lots of cowboys to babysit the herds.
Jacob won’t charge the ranchers for using his land, but they’ll need to contract hay. Some of the cattle are weak and Jacob promises they’ll push them slowly. This is an extraordinarily difficult year because of the locusts, but no year is ever easy.
Back at the ranch, foreman Zane Davis (Brian Geraghty) watches as John Dutton Sr’s son Jack (Darren Mann) attempts to break a horse in the ring. Cara’s worried Jack’s going to get himself killed a week before his wedding. She’s also worried that Jacob and the men aren’t home yet. Zane volunteers to take some men and ride out to meet Jacob.
There’s a bit of good-natured teasing as Cara reminds Jack that a cast won’t go over well with his bride. Jack’s not worried at all. (He’s a real charmer with a 1000-watt smile! I’m guessing he’s a handful.)
Over at the government school for Native Americans, Sister Mary (Jennifer Ehle) is abusing her power as she teaches the girls about making soap. She continues to slap poor Teonna Rainwater’s hand until, finally, the girl’s had enough. (Teonna is apparently a relative of Yellowstone’s Thomas Rainwater.) Teonna (Aminah Nieves) fights back and is taken before the school’s headmaster, Father Renaud (Sebastian Roche).
Sister Mary’s got a bloody nose but refuses to admit she provoked the attack. When Teonna explains what she said wrong that caused Sister Mary to slap her hands repeatedly, Father Renaud takes Teonna’s side. He forces Sister Mary to recite a verse and brutally slaps her hands as she does so, yelling as Sister Mary blubbers.
Teonna begs Father Renaud to stop, and he suggests perhaps Teonna should be the teacher. He sympathizes with Teonna but reminds her she can’t lash out or else everyone will lash out.
She’s viciously whipped for striking Sister Mary as Father Renaud says he has compassion but not mercy.
Later that day, the students are ordered to take baths while Sister Mary walks them through each step. Teonna’s in so much pain she can barely move, and whimpers in her bathtub.
The students are given specific instructions on how to wrap the towels around their bodies and exit the tubs. Sister Mary even walks them through how to dry off.
Once they’re clean, the nuns inspect each girl. Sister Mary takes it upon herself to inspect Teonna, and Teonna won’t meet her eyes. Sister Mary doesn’t react when Teonna turns her back and removes her towel. Blood flows from the multiple lash wounds.
Sister Mary and Teonna come to an understanding that they need to steer clear of Father Renaud’s office from now on.
Teonna’s forced to mop up the blood and then later in bed she whispers to her friend. Baapuxti (Leenah Robinson) thinks they can hold on for one more year and then they’ll be allowed to leave school. But Teonna doesn’t believe their friends and cousins who have already left have survived. They all swore they would write and none have.
Teonna is certain they never made it home.
Back at the ranch, Cara waits anxiously on the porch for any sign of Jacob. Finally, she sees the men approach and counts every head as they ride up. They’ve all returned safe, and she breathes a sigh of relief.
Jacob orders Zane to prepare the herd for a move in two days. John points out that timeline means Jack will miss his own wedding. Jack refuses to be left out of the cattle drive since it’s his job, and Jacob thinks the only workable option is to postpone the wedding a week. They can’t postpone the drive.
Jack says he’ll tell his bride that’s how it has to be, and that earns a chuckle from John. “You tell her just like that, son. I want to see how that goes over,” says John. Jacob agrees and thinks if Jack takes that approach, there will never be a wedding.
Jacob’s going to talk it over with “the boss” first and get her opinion.
Jacob crawls into bed with Cara and warns her that the Temperance Society will be writing her a letter. He then fills her in on the need to move the herd, and her first thought is of the wedding. Jacob explains no one can make the wedding since the whole valley will be pushing the cattle. Cara says she’ll talk to the girl’s mom about postponing the ceremony.
Jacob thinks Jack can handle delivering that news, and Cara’s incredulous. The wedding is for the woman. If it were left to men, the ceremony would be spitting in their hands followed by a handshake and sex.
The following day, Jack breaks the news to his fiancée, Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph), and she doesn’t take it well even though she’s the daughter of a rancher. Elizabeth suggests he marry a cow and spend his honeymoon with it since cows are more important than her.
Cara shows up right after that conversation and Jack explains what he said. Cara promises to sort things out and sends Jack home before he says something else stupid and gets into more trouble.
Elizabeth settles down enough to listen to what Cara has to say. Although Elizabeth’s a rancher’s daughter, she went away to school and isn’t used to this way of life. Cara warns her if she marries a cattleman, then she can expect him to miss every important event if it conflicts with the herd’s needs. And she can forget about him being around if it’s calving season. Plus, she will be expected to pitch in to help the cattle.
It’s a hard life, but Cara promises she’ll be free in a way most people can’t see. However, she needs to want the life and the boy – not just the boy. The cattle will always come first for a rancher.
Elizabeth promises she’ll learn the life because she is deeply in love with Jack.
Jack’s already gone, and Cara agrees to take Elizabeth to see him. Elizabeth spots him in the field and jumps out of the wagon, racing to Jack who’s riding like the wind toward her. They kiss as Elizabeth’s dad, Bob (Tim DeKay), expresses his displeasure over the display to Jacob. Jacob suggests Bob shouldn’t worry about that and shouldn’t worry if their first baby comes less than nine months after the wedding.
Night’s falling as the cowboys prepare to move the cattle.
The sheepherders are also on the move, driving a massive flock until they reach Jacob’s fence line. Banner’s shocked to see a fence so far out and has his men cut it open. He’s unwilling to let his sheep die if there’s grass available to graze that’s not being used by cattle.
With 20 minutes left in the episode, the action switches back to Africa and, specifically, a train station in Nairobi. Spencer’s asleep on board, reliving a battle he fought in the Great War.
The flashback shows a particularly brutal battle in which an injury made it impossible for Spencer to keep up with the rest of his unit. He had to stand his ground and even engage in hand-to-hand combat. He was stabbed but managed to get off a shot before his enemy could finish him off.
A porter wakes him, and Spencer reacts by pulling his gun on the poor man. Spencer apologizes, confessing he doesn’t “wake well.”
Spencer makes his way to a camp that’s being plagued by a leopard that’s repeatedly attempted to kill the guests. The man in charge wants to move his guests to a river camp, but Spencer prefers they remain where they are. If they move, they’re taking away the leopard’s bait. Once a leopard has a taste for human flesh, that’s what it craves.
The man in charge obviously disagrees.
Spencer’s requested that his tent be set up far from the rest of the group. He’s going to use himself and his two friends as bait. The man in charge walks away in disgust when Spencer urinates on his tent.
A short while later, Spencer makes small talk with a pretty female guest. He drinks nearly a pot of coffee with his dinner, determined to stay awake in case the leopard returns.
After dinner, Spencer returns to his tent where his friends – and goats – are hunkered down for the night. He warns the men to stay in the tent because the English might start shooting at anything that moves.
Back on the Yellowstone, Jacob and the cowboys move the herd as the sun’s beginning to set. (It’s an absolutely gorgeous scene.)
At the ranch, Cara, Elizabeth, and John Sr’s wife, Emma (Marley Shelton), eat dinner in silence. When Cara and Emma clear the plates, Elizabeth begins sobbing.
Day breaks and the herds from nearby ranches are beginning to merge as they’re driven further up into the mountains. John confirms they’ve never taken the cattle this high, and Jack’s anxious to rope a bear – not shoot one.
Jack rides up a little further and finds the field full of sheep feasting on the grass. He spots a man on horseback in the middle of the flock and before he can react, the man shoots at him.
Cara and Emma spend the morning feeding and looking after the horses. They admit they’re worried about the men being out for at least a week…probably two. But they’re cowboys – that’s what they do.
When Cara’s alone, she takes a break and writes a letter to Spencer. She tells him about the locust and the drought, and explains his uncle and brother are pushing the herd into the mountains in search of greener pastures. She also notes they postponed Jack’s wedding.
Cara confesses that when it’s busy, her mind is occupied, and she can forget he’s not there. But now that it’s quiet, she thinks of him and wonders why he won’t come home to them.
Spencer’s out in the bush keeping watch on the tents. He spots the pretty woman from dinner out to relieve herself but doesn’t see the moment the leopard sneaks up and attacks her. He’s got her pinned to the ground when Spencer hears something in camp.
Spencer moves toward the leopard as inside his tent, his friends discover there are not one but two leopards!
Spencer spots the leopard in the tree, eating the woman. He kills it but is too late to save its victim.
One of his friends screams, “Spencer, there are two!” Spencer turns just as the second leopard launches its attack.
And that’s a wrap on the first episode of 1923. The second Yellowstone prequel’s off to a solid start, and the cast is absolutely terrific. It seems there’s enough meat on the bones of this prequel to make sticking around for its short season worthwhile.
Lisette Olivera and Zuri Reed in ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ episode 2 ((Disney/Brian Roedel)
Episode two of Disney+’s National Treasure: Edge of History starts off right where episode one left off. Billie (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has kidnapped Oren (Antonio Cipriano), and when he hears Jess’s voice he tries to leave. Tasha (Zuri Reed) joins the conversation and warns Billie she’s going to hack her devices, but Billie is one step ahead of her and has put a firewall on Tasha’s laptop. They’re running out of options and Jess (Lisette Olivera) is forced into agreeing to give Billie the relic in exchange for Oren.
Jess convinces Billie to agree to meet at the USS Kidd Museum and tells Tasha she chose the location because military police are assigned there. Billie won’t be able to try anything.
Jess wants to go to the FBI but Tasha thinks that’s a terrible idea.
Ethan (Jordan Rodrigues) texts and Jess and Tasha agree not to tell him what’s going on. He was already upset when Jess told him about the relic in the first place.
Jess and Tasha head to the FBI, against Tasha’s better judgment.
FBI Agent Ross (Lyndon Smith) shares her theory on a case involving bank robbers with her boss, and he doesn’t want to hear it. Ross is discovering that being the newbie in the Baton Rouge bureau isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
Agent Ross meets with Jess and Tasha to get their statement. Jess is starting to tell her everything when Tasha clears her throat, trying to signal not to spill everything. Jess shares details about former FBI Agent Peter Sadusky and also begins to tell her about Billie. Agent Ross wants the kidnapping victim’s name and theirs, and Tasha steps in and provides fake names.
Agent Ross decides someone must have paid these two to haze her. They insist they’re telling the truth and Agent Ross suggests they file a report. The girls change their minds.
Back on the bus, Jess decides to try and open the relic. Jess is so good at solving puzzles that she actually manages to open it. The relic breaks apart into what appear to be sections of a map. However, the sections don’t all match up.
Tasha takes pictures of each piece. Smart idea!
Jess calls Ethan and pretends her actual question is strictly hypothetical. She wants to know if someone kidnaps a person but law enforcement can’t prove they were involved, can you get them arrested on a smaller crime and prove the kidnapping later? Yes, it’s possible, according to Ethan.
Jess gets the idea to turn Billie into a shoplifter.
Billie arrives at the museum and Jess is surprised by her looks. “I wasn’t expecting someone who walked out of the town in Big Little Lies,” says Jess.
Billie doesn’t waste any time and asks for the relic. Jess, in turn, asks about Oren’s whereabouts. In walks Oren and Jess is out of options and hands over the relic. Jess and Tasha put their shoplifting plan into action and when Billie attempts to leave, the alarm goes off. The military police officer stops her, but Billie’s able to convince the MP she didn’t take anything.
Jess blurts out that she kidnapped her friend, but when they ask Oren to confirm that’s true, he remembers their threats and says he wasn’t kidnapped. Right before parting ways, Billie says to Jess, “Remind me. In Big Little Lies did they get away with murder?”
Elsewhere, Liam (Jake Austin Walker) and his mother, Gina (Kathleen York), are waiting for his grandfather’s estate lawyer to find out what he’s inherited. Liam doesn’t think Peter’s death is a “big deal,” but his mom begs to differ. It’s then revealed that Liam blames his grandpa for his dad’s death but his mom doesn’t. Gina believes Liam’s father was a grown man who made his own decisions.
Liam plans on moving to Nashville and pursuing his music career if Peter left him any money. As it turns out, Peter only left him his house. Liam wants to sell it, but the estate lawyer points out it will take a few years due to probate and the need for renovations.
Zuri Reed and Antonio Cipriano in ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ episode 2 (Disney/Brian Roedel)
Jess and Tasha show up with Oren’s favorite pizza and tell him Jess figured out how to open the relic. They believe it could all tie into Jess’s not-so-shady dad after all. Oren realizes it’s a treasure map and enthusiastically begins to give them a pep talk about why they should go after the treasure.
Jess wonders if Tasha and Oren are really still in this with her, and they confirm they are. Jess doesn’t have a plan but thinks she should go back to where this all started – Peter Sadusky’s house. Maybe there are more clues there.
Tasha decides to look into Billie to see what they are up against, while Jess warns Oren not to tell Ethan what they are up to.
Back at Sadusky’s place, Jess remembers Peter opened a secret box by pulling and pushing his books on a shelf. While looking, she accidentally knocks down books. One happens to land open on a page that has the same symbol as her necklace.
Jess hears a noise and grabs an umbrella for protection. Liam bursts in with his own weapon but then realizes she’s the girl from the club that was bugging him about his grandfather. He accuses Jess of stanning him (slang for being an obsessive fan), and Jess emphatically denies it.
Jess starts to tell him about the relic and the map, but Liam isn’t amused. It’s the same old song and dance he has heard about his whole life. She tries a different approach by showing him her necklace which shares the same symbol as the relic. Liam still doesn’t want to listen.
Meanwhile, Billie places the relic in a machine that can look inside of it. She discovers the keychain inside from the gift shop that caused the alarm to go off, and that means Jess was able to open the relic. Billie’s impressed and wants to make sure they haven’t missed anything about Jess.
Oren accidentally spills the beans when Ethan asks about the sneaker hunt he was on yesterday. (Jess used a sneaker hunt to explain Oren’s absence.) Unfortunately, she didn’t tell Oren that was her excuse and so he says he wasn’t on a sneaker hunt. Oren realizes too late what’s happened, and Ethan questions whether he was actually involved in a treasure hunt instead.
Agent Ross is still thinking about what Jess and Tasha told her. She requests files on Peter Sadusky but they get her nowhere.
Ethan confronts Jess about the treasure hunt, upset because they never used to keep secrets from each other. She agrees but then calls him out about a girl she saw him with. He admits they’ve been together for about six weeks. They make a deal; no more secrets from each other.
Jess jumps on a video call with Tasha to discuss the map and relic. Jess admits being confused because there are symbols that were used by Aztecs and Mayans, which doesn’t make sense. Aztecs and Mayans weren’t exactly best friends. Jess’s boss shows up and she ends the call. He’s upset because she missed work and the person she switched shifts with didn’t show up.
Unfortunately for Jess, she no longer has a job.
Liam and his mom pack up Peter’s house, but Liam needs to leave for the club. Gina stops him and confesses she’s concerned he’s been drifting since his dad died. She thinks that maybe being a musician isn’t what he should be spending his time doing.
Tasha’s research on Billie indicates she’s a crypto queen and antiques dealer. Tasha notices something’s off about Jess, and Jess admits she was fired. Tasha knows Squeaky Pete’s is hiring, but Jess is reluctant to apply since Liam works there. She doesn’t want to see him.
Agent Ross’s boss, Agent Hendricks, asks why she ordered a toxicology report on Peter Sadusky’s death. She explains the walk-ins they had the other day had a crazy story that she initially thought was a prank. They were sure Peter died under mysterious circumstances. Agent Hendricks worked with Peter, a man who was regarded as an American hero. But when his son died, Peter wasn’t the same and was dismissed from the FBI. Sadusky has had dementia for the past 10 years, so Hendricks doesn’t believe there’s any reason to run a toxicology report.
Despite claiming she doesn’t want to see Liam, Jess talks Sneaky Pete’s owner into giving her a job by pointing out all the things she has noticed wrong with the place within a few minutes. Liam walks in and she assures him she won’t talk to him about treasure; she just needed a job.
After Liam finishes his set, the owner tells him he’s reconsidering the whole idea of doing live music and wants to do karaoke instead. Liam is obviously unhappy about the decision.
Lisette Olivera and Jake Austin Walker in ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ episode 2 (Disney/Brian Roedel)
Liam spots Jess and asks to see her after her shift. She turns him down, thinking he wants a date. Liam insists he wants to show her something that has to do with the treasure. He finally tells her his dad died hunting this treasure and that maybe he needs to finish what his dad started.
Back at Peter’s house, Liam shows Jess a secret room behind his grandpa’s bookcase. She admits her mom never told her much about her dad because she probably didn’t want Jess to end up like him. Liam thinks they’re going to have a lot in common. Jess asks where most of the artifacts in the room came from, and Liam reveals his dad got most of his information from an unpublished academic paper written a few decades ago in Mexico.
Liam hands her the documents, and a very shocked and confused Jess confesses the author is her mom. Cue the intense music! Jess and Liam stare intently at the documents as episode two ends with a cliffhanger.
On My Block fans will be able to revisit the town of Freeridge with the 2023 spinoff named after the city. Netflix just announced a February 2, 2023 premiere date and revealed Freeridge will be a bit more mystical than On My Block. It will also center around a new core four, played by Keyla Monterroso Mejia (Gloria), Bryana Salaz (Ines), Tenzing Norgay Trainor (Cam), and Ciara Riley Wilson (Demi).
Series co-creator and showrunner Lauren Iungerich confirmed both shows rely on mystery to drive the story. Iungerich spoke with Netflix’s Tudum and described how the leads in the spinoff differ from the original series.
“Fans should know that the new core four of Freeridge don’t step into the shoes of our original crew. They step into their own shoes, right alongside the legacy of the kids who came before them. Through the lens of this new group of friends, we’ll see Freeridge as we know it and also explore a Freeridge we haven’t seen before. Where On My Block was driven by the boys, Freeridge is being driven by the girls,” explained Iungerich.
Freeridge‘s eight-episode season also features On My Block‘s Peggy Blow, Paula Garcés, Eric Gutierrez, Eme Ikwuakor, and Raushanah Simmons. Executive producers include Jamie Dooner and co-creators Jamie Uyeshiro, Eddie Gonzalez, and Jeremy Haft.
Although the show is set in the same world as On My Block, Iungerich believes viewers don’t have to watch that series in order to understand Freeridge.
“New viewers can enjoy the show as is. But we have laid in lots of On My Block insider nuggets for the die-hard fans. We truly hope our On My Block audience connects with this new crew, and we also hope that new fans of the franchise will want to check out where the world started with On My Block. We’re hoping that in success, Freeridge might give some new life to our beloved firstborn Freeridge-set show,” said Iungerich.
Freeridge is a coming-of-age comedy following sibling rivals Gloria and Ines and their friends Demi and Cameron who have unleashed a curse bringing dark misfortune into their lives. There’s a new core four in town in this On My Block spinoff series and an unforgettable adventure to be had.
Creed III is spreading a little holiday cheer with a new Creed family poster. The poster shows Adonis Creed wrapped in Bianca’s embrace, with their daughter Amara seated at Adonis’ feet, looking confident.
Michael B. Jordan< reprises his role as Adonis Creed and Tessa Thompson returns as Bianca. Mila Davis-Kent makes her feature film acting debut as Amara. The cast also includes Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad.
In an October 2022 interview timed to the release of the first trailer, Michael B. Jordan touched on the film’s themes.
“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.”
Jordan directs this third entry in the Creed franchise. Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin wrote the screenplay, based on a story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, and Baylin.
Creed III opens in theaters and in IMAX on March 3, 2023.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ teaser trailer for Barbie turned to 2001: A Space Odyssey for inspiration. The minute-long teaser begins with 2001‘s thundering score as Barbie is revealed to be the object of worship in place of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 monolith. In Barbie‘s homage to the classic sci-fi film it’s little girls who are captivated by the appearance of this towering figure. They toss their baby dolls into the air, signifying the beginning of a new era in toys.
The teaser, narrated by Helen Mirren, sheds its 2001 vibe for the final 15 seconds and serves up snippets of brightly colored dance scenes featuring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. Wow…just wow.
The cast also includes Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, and America Ferrera. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (currently busy promoting White Noise) wrote the screenplay and Gerwig directs. Robbie, David Heyman, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner serve as producers.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ trailer release came with the debut of six new photos and a poster. However, it didn’t come with an official synopsis.
MARGOT ROBBIE as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘BARBIE,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures) KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR, RYAN GOSLING as Ken and NCUTI GATWA in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘BARBIE,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)MARGOT ROBBIE strikes a classic pose as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘BARBIE’ (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)ISSA RAE in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘BARBIE,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures) SIMU LIU in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘BARBIE’ (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures) Margot Robbie and the world of ‘Barbie’ (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures)
The team leaps into action to stop an art heist on CBS’s FBI: International season two episode nine, “Wheelman.” Directed by John Behring from a script by Derek Haas, episode nine airs on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT.
Season two stars Luke Kleintank as Special Agent Scott Forrester, Heida Reed as Special Agent Jamie Kellett, Carter Redwood as Special Agent Andre Raines, Vinessa Vidotto as Special Agent Cameron Vo, and Eva-Jane Willis as Europol Agent Megan “Smitty” Garretson.
“Wheelman” Plot: The Fly Team races through the streets of Budapest to put a halt to a major art heist about to be perpetrated by an American. Also, Forrester grows angry as Dandridge watches every move the team makes.
Episode nine guest stars include Michael Torpey, Rico E. Anderson, Daniel Passaro, Petar Cvirn, Jónas Alfreð Birkisson, Stephanie Hoston, Stewart Clegg, and Tice Oakfield.
FBI: International Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:
FBI: International is the third iteration of the successful FBI brand that follows the elite operatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s International Fly Team. Headquartered in Budapest, they travel throughout Europe with the mission of tracking and neutralizing threats against American citizens wherever they may be, putting their lives on the line to protect the U.S. and its people. The Fly Team’s Special Agent Scott Forrester, their accomplished and dedicated leader, puts his missions ahead of his personal life and is often accompanied by his trusty Schutzhund dog, Tank.
Second in command is Special Agent Jamie Kellett, a heroic and fearless investigator – and her extensive network of informants is a powerful resource. Special Agent Andre Raines shines in the field and makes good use of his accounting background in tracking criminal enterprises’ moving money; and Special Agent Cameron Vo, a competitive West Point grad who excels at interrogation and strategy. Newly embedded with the Fly Team is Megan “Smitty” Garretson, a streetwise Europol agent with an extensive undercover background who liaises with each host country they inhabit.
Lisette Olivera and Harvey Keitel in ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ episode 1 (Disney/Brian Roedel)
Disney+’s National Treasure: Edge of History season one episode one, “I’m a Ghost,” introduces the key players in this series spinoff of the popular National Treasure films. But before we meet the new batch of treasure hunters, we pop back in time to 2001.
National Treasure‘s Harvey Keitel reprises his role as Peter Sadusky and is shown recording a message, instructing whoever he’s making it for to only listen to the tape when no one’s around.
Speaking into the recorder, Peter asks if they remember the stories he used to tell them about gold and libraries from Emperor Montezuma’s palaces. We’re treated to a reenactment of a battle that took place in 1519 as Peter describes what went down. Although many people assumed the treasure was a myth, Peter reveals the Freemasons had information that Indigenous women hid Montezuma’s treasure.
After spiriting away the treasure, they divided the clues to its location into three relics – one each for the Incans, the Mayans, and the Aztecs. Up until now, the relics have been lost. Sadusky explains he’s received confirmation a band of treasure hunters is close to finding the Aztec relic.
Another flashback shows a man dressed as a nun descending into a church and feeling around a statue of the Virgin Mary. He discovers what he needs to open a secret hiding spot, but before he can get away, men grab him. They claim he double-crossed Salazar. Who’s Salazar? We don’t know at this point.
After fighting the men off, he grabs the relic and runs.
Returning home, the man frantically packs while explaining things to his wife. He hands her a paper with the name of a man who will make sure she and their baby get to safety. After giving her his necklace, he promises to come find her just as Salazar’s men show up. He puts up one hell of a fight and even manages to set fire to one of the men. His wife drives away as flames engulf their home. She tells her baby in Spanish, “Don’t you dare grow up to be like your papi!”
21 years later, that necklace is now hanging from Jess’s (Lisette Olivera) neck. As the camera pans out, Jess and her friends are locked up in jail. Fortunately, it’s actually an escape room and the gang’s busy trying to break out. Oren (Antonio Cipriano), a pessimist, thinks they can’t get out. However, Jess is whipsmart and really into solving puzzles, and she fairly easily figures out the code.
The action zooms to Madrid, Spain, where Billie Pearce (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is in a lavish mansion whose previous owner had secrets not even his children knew about. She tells her right-hand man that she recently learned the previous owner had a collection of conquistador plunders that he denied owning. Luckily for her, he had an “unfortunate accident.”
They break down a wall and discover a hidden stash of paintings and statues. But they don’t find the Aztec relic they’re specifically hunting for. Billie receives a phone call from someone who sounds extremely disappointed that she hasn’t located it.
Back in New Orleans, Jess, Tasha (Zuri Reed), and Oren are looking for something important to Jess. In walks Ethan (Jordan Rodrigues) with the ingredients to make Empanadas and the item Jess was searching for: the Empanada recipe that belonged to her mother. Her mom passed away a year ago and they’re making Empanadas in her memory.
Later, Jess attempts to work up the nerve to ask her boss at the storage facility for a raise. Instead of giving her one, they head to a unit that’s six months behind on rent and cut open the lock. The unit’s full of items that catch Jess’s interest, and her boss reveals he can’t track down the person who rented the unit. Jess laughs when she reads the person’s name and explains it means “I am a Ghost” in Latin.
Her boss isn’t amused but gives in when she requests to be made assistant manager if she can figure out who this “ghost” is.
Jess quickly determines the ghost is a Freemason.
Tasha confides in Jess that she and Oren broke up. (That explains the tension in the escape room.) Tasha’s worried that now that they’ve broken up, he won’t help pitch in with rent. And, of course, their rent was just raised. Jess tries to ease Tasha’s mind by revealing she’ll get a raise after she tracks down the Freemason who abandoned his storage unit. She believes the American flag she found in the unit was meant to be draped over a coffin, and that should help her narrow down the list of 20,000 Freemasons in Louisiana.
The list includes a Jack Sadusky who passed away and is survived by his son, Liam, and his father, Peter Sadusky – a Grand Master Mason.
Jess thinks she’s on the right track and shows up at Peter’s house uninvited. His home health care nurse warns her that Peter has dementia and thinks everyone is a spy.
Jess meets with Peter and gets right to the point, handing over the American flag. She explains that her boss is going to throw out all his stuff from the storage unit if he doesn’t pay his back rent. She also explains how she figured out his name. Sadusky is impressed. Jess reveals she wants to work for the FBI’s Cryptanalysis Division but can’t because she isn’t a US citizen.
Jess makes Peter laugh and then suddenly he turns serious when he notices her necklace. He asks where she got it, and she replies that it was her dad’s. She doesn’t know much about him since he died when she was a baby, but her mother used to call him a thief and a good-for-nothing.
Peter believes everything she knows about her dad is a lie. Jess disagrees, reminding Peter he never knew her dad. Peter remains convinced that what her dad did wasn’t wrong, and once again, Jess disagrees and calls her dad a criminal. Peter points out this country was founded by criminals. Touché.
Peter asks what she knows about “the treasure.” Jess has no clue what he’s talking about, and Peter informs her that her father’s medallion was worn by a secret network of treasure protectors that goes back centuries.
“I’m pretty sure my mom would have mentioned that,” says Jess in disbelief.
Peter ignores her comment and reveals her necklace represents an ancient oath to unbury the lost history of entire civilizations. Jess remains skeptical and chuckles. Undeterred, Peter claims that if her father had that necklace, it was because he was protecting a treasure. He adds, “And so must you.”
Peter tries to give Jess a letter addressed to his grandson, Liam, that holds a clue to something important. She doesn’t want the letter, and he warns her he doesn’t have much time left. If he dies, the secret will die with him.
And here’s a new twist… Billie has surveillance on Peter’s house and is curious as to who Jess is and why she was visiting Peter, a recluse, for 10 minutes.
Zuri Reed and Antonio Cipriano in ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ episode 1 (Disney/Brian Roedel)
Back at home, Oren thinks Jess is crazy for not wanting to take the secret letter about lost treasure. Jess remains unconvinced that anything Peter said was true. She thinks he has dementia. However, when she opens her bag, she discovers Peter slipped the letter to Liam in there without her realizing it. Oren and Tasha want her to open it, and Tasha even suggests they do it live on her YouTube channel. Jess shuts them down, reminding them she’s not a treasure hunter.
Jess returns to work and informs her boss she figured out who owns the storage unit. He confirms he already knows the owner’s identity because the FBI’s currently looking through his stuff. And the agents want to have a chat with Jess.
The agents claim they were informed by Peter’s nurse that Peter tried to give her a letter. She admits that’s true but says she didn’t take it. (Technically, that’s true.) The agents don’t buy it and resort to threatening Jess over her undocumented status. Jess eyeballs their badges and suddenly geeks out, going off about wanting to join the FBI. They claim that if she helps them, they’ll put in a good word for her. Jess doesn’t let on that she knows they’re lying since she can’t work at the FBI because she isn’t a US citizen. She continues to insist she doesn’t have the letter.
Billie’s on a private plane with a sword that Peter possessed that once belonged to Cortés when the FBI agents call her. They couldn’t locate the letter and don’t think Jess has it. Billie correctly deduces that Jess figured out they weren’t real FBI agents and lied about the letter.
Meanwhile, Jess tells Tasha the fake FBI agents are probably treasure hunters. Tasha is sure they need to open the letter and see what they’re dealing with.
When Jess and Tasha return home, they discover their apartment has been broken into and ransacked. The box with Peter’s belonging (and the letter) is missing but, fortunately, that’s Oren’s doing. He accidentally took it with him when he moved out. Oren’s shocked by the state of the apartment and Jess rushes him out without answering his questions.
Jess gives in to Tasha and opens the letter. Inside is a photo of Peter with his family along with a letter to Liam. Peter wrote to Liam asking him to find it in his heart to one day forgive him.
Jess decides to find Liam and deliver the letter.
It turns out Liam’s on Instagram, which makes the search easy. Jess learns Liam’s a musician and takes Tasha with her to the bar where Liam has a gig.
Liam (Jake Austin Walker) refuses to take the letter and suggests that Jess should just burn it.
The next morning Jess decides to throw the box away but then takes one last look at the photo. She notices the gavel Peter’s holding in the picture and that prompts her into taking the gavel out of the box.
Jess interrupts Tasha’s live-streaming on YouTube to tell her she thinks she found a clue. She needs to visit a Masonic Lodge and Tasha volunteers to join her.
They catch the bus and Jess realizes they’re being followed by the fake FBI agents.
The heat’s really turned up in the final minutes of the first episode. The girls exit the bus and are immediately chased by the fake Feds. Jess and Tasha manage to shake them and make it to the Masonic Lodge. Jess performs the secret handshake she saw in a photo and a man lets them in.
Lisette Olivera and Zuri Reed in ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ episode 1 (Disney/Brian Roedel)
Jess and Tasha enter the meeting room where Peter’s photo was taken. Jess holds the gavel just as Peter did and realizes the reflection is pointing to the altar. The handle fits one of the stars carved into the altar and after turning it, she realizes the reflection now points to a box. She opens it and although she doesn’t realize it, she’s found one of the hidden relics.
Tasha points out the symbol on Jess’s necklace matches the symbol on the box.
They decide to tell Ethan about what’s happened. Ethan doesn’t want any part of this and reminds Jess she shouldn’t do anything that could get her deported.
Jess receives a call from Billie who cuts to the chase and reveals she thinks Peter pointed her right to the relic she’s been looking for. Jess says it’s not for sale, but Billie has a trick up her sleeve. She’s kidnapped Oren and is holding him hostage in exchange for the relic.
The series premiere of National Treasure: Edge of History ends in Mexico City with Salazar in prison and drawing Jess’s necklace.
Justin Hartley’s following up his six-season run as one of the Big Three on This Is Us with a starring role in the drama series The Never Game. Hartley’s attached to star in the CBS series and will serve as an executive producer. [Note: The title changed to Tracker.]
The Never Game also has Emmy nominee Robin Weigert (Deadwood), Abby McEnany (Work in Progress), Eric Graise (Locke & Key), Fiona Rene, and two-time Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell (Passion Fish, Dances with Wolves) on board to star.
The series is based on Jeffery Deaver’s bestselling novel, with Ben H. Winters penning the pilot and This Is Us‘s Ken Olin directing. Olin and Winters are also executive producing.
CBS is expecting to add The Never Game to its 2023-2024 primetime lineup.
“I am overjoyed to give the first new show order for next season to this thrilling new series led by the incredibly talented Justin Hartley,” stated Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “The Never Game is an excellent addition to our already successful drama lineup, and since our viewers love shows with action, intrigue, mystery and complex characters, they will love The Never Game – it delivers on all fronts.”
CBS released the following synopsis of the drama:
“The Never Game features Hartley as lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw, who roams the country as a ‘reward seeker,’ using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family.”
