Jeff Garlin and Larry David in ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ season 11 (Photo Credit: HBO)
Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm will be hanging around for at least a 12th season. HBO officially renewed the award-winning comedy series for season 12.
Commenting on the renewal, series creator and star Larry David said, “Playing the role of Larry David has been the greatest honor of my life. In researching this multi-faceted, multi-talented man, I discovered that there’s more to him than I ever could have imagined: He speaks six languages, brines his own pickles, and spearheads a national movement to install a bidet in every home. I’ve also been told from numerous sources that he is the most generous of lovers. I am so excited to once again transform into this force of nature. I only pray that I can do him justice.”
In addition to Larry David, the cast includes Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove, Cheryl Hines, Richard Lewis, Vince Vaughn, and Ted Danson. Larry David, Jeff Garlin, and Jeff Schaffer executive produce, with Laura Streicher and Jennifer Corey co-executive producing.
“Larry outdoes himself season after season and always manages to come back when the audience needs him most. We’re thrilled for him, Jeff Schaffer, and our phenomenal cast to continue making us laugh and cringe in equal measure,” stated Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming.
The critically acclaimed comedy has won Emmy, AFI, Directors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America, and Writers Guild of America awards.
Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s synopsis: “Originally debuting on HBO in 2001 and with 110 completed episodes to date, Curb Your Enthusiasm stars Seinfeld co-creator David as an over-the-top version of himself in an unsparing but tongue-in-cheek depiction of his fictionalized life.
The comedy series continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one’s day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events. To keep the narrative spontaneous, the series is shot without a script and cast members are given scene outlines and improvise lines as they go.”
Prime Video’s final trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power treats viewers to new action scenes as well as brief glimpses of characters who haven’t previously appeared in teasers. The nearly three-minute trailer begins with Galadriel (Cate Blanchett in the films, Morfydd Clark in the series) declaring, “My brother gave his life hunting the enemy. His task is now mine.”
Amid the action, there are a lot of shots of characters slowly turning toward the camera.
Among the characters showcased in the final trailer are Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), and Largo Brandyfoot (Dylan Smith).
The trailer also features The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), Isildur (Maxim Baldry), Eärien (Ema Horvath), Elendil (Lloyd Owen), Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle), Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), King Durin III (Peter Mullan), Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur), Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete), Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), and Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova).
J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay created the series and serve as showrunners and executive producers. Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J.A. Bayona, Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado also executive produce. J.A. Bayona, Charlotte Brändström, and Wayne Che Yip direct.
Prime Video’s set a September 2, 2022 premiere of the first two episodes. New season one episodes will follow on subsequent Fridays.
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) and Charlie Vickers (Halbrand) in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ (Photo Courtesy of Prime Video)
The official synopsis:
Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
Clyde meets with Jones as The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico season four episode 11 opens with a flashback to their time on Oasis. Jones offers Clyde a position in his inner circle, convincing Clyde that he’ll share his enormous powers if he accepts.
Clyde agrees and is branded with the alien symbol. Jones welcomes him to the family.
Flash-forward to the present-day and Rosa (Amber Midthunder) confronts Liz (Jeanine Mason) about her erratic behavior and warns her sister that her addiction to the alien mist is going to end badly. Rosa notes Liz has moved out of Max’s place and is basically destroying her life, but Liz doesn’t care.
Rosa’s warnings were just the beginning of Liz’s no-good, very bad day as Max (Nathan Dean), Isobel (Lily Cowles), and Kyle (Michael Trevino) arrive at the café for an intervention. They’re all worried about her but Liz claims she just needs a little more time. Kyle suggests she can detox at Blue Sky, and Liz insults his skills at helping aliens. (That was uncalled for, Liz!)
Liz attempts to explain what’s she currently working on – replicating the blue flame in a lab – and Max knows she’s doing this because he got rid of his powers. He takes her shaking hand and says he can’t lose her. He’ll get his abilities back if that will save her.
Unfortunately, Liz has used all the mist. Fortunately, her friends – and sister – won’t give up and will find a solution.
Liz reluctantly agrees to stick with Rosa, and they head upstairs. Liz seems preoccupied and Rosa figures out Liz is hiding something…and she is. It’s a bottle of the alien mist that she’s unwilling to give up. Liz orders her sister to hand it over but Rosa refuses.
While they’re fighting, Isobel and Kyle share a private moment in the café. They’re super flirty and the sparks are flying, but then Kyle suggests they go back to being just drinking buddies. He doesn’t like the weirdness between them and hopes to get past it.
The “drinking buddies” suggestion takes Isobel by surprise, but she covers her shock well and agrees. Damn it!
Max returns a short while later and finds Rosa coming to after Liz knocked her out with a lamp. Or at least that’s what she thinks happened.
Kyle examines Rosa at Blue Sky, and she seems okay but complains her brain still feels scrambled. A scan shows no signs of a concussion, and they realize they need to look for a possible alien cause.
It turns out Liz didn’t hit her sister. Liz was also knocked out and comes to tied to a chair, courtesy of Clyde. They’re in a mineshaft that Jones originally used all those years ago. Clyde swears that “by Liz Ortecho’s hands, the alighting will begin.”
Clyde goes off about Jones’s plans and the portal Theo built and then broke. And in a new twist, he reveals anyone who has the alien brand can’t use the portal to return home. The brand was created with a special formula that Liz needs to figure out how to counteract. Only Liz and her brilliant mind can come up with a solution.
Clyde reveals the only portal he needs is in Roswell and all that’s required to go home is to plug in the star map, once his brand’s deactivated. Clyde turns over Theo’s Bible and warns Liz to figure it out or her student, Vanessa, will die. (He mind-controlled Vanessa to kidnap Liz.)
Clyde forces Liz to inhale more mist.
Isobel and Kyle are the absolute worst at pretending not to be attracted to each other. They discuss possible causes of Rosa’s memory loss while complimenting each other’s skills. Rosa looks on and finally breaks up the mutual admiration society meeting to ask if Isobel can pop into her mind and figure out what happened.
Kyle takes Isobel’s hand, asking if he can come too. (These two had better be together by the season/series finale or else.)
The mindscape shows Vanessa entering the room, knocking out Liz, and then Clyde placing his hand on Rosa’s head and wiping the memory.
Max goes through Liz’s lab looking for more mist. He discovers his pods are in the lab hooked up to something and yanks out the tube. Shivani appears and is indignant, explaining they relocated his pods for further research. She assures him her security’s the best money can buy…and then it dawns on her he shouldn’t have been able to enter the lab.
Shivani claims she has no idea where Liz is, and Max warns the mist is destroying her and Liz. They trade insults and threats of calling the FBI, and Max tries to end the argument by saying all he wants is one canister of mist.
Things get personal when Shivani says there’s no future for Max Evans and Liz Ortecho. Members of her security team arrive, putting an end to whatever Max had planned next.
Meanwhile, in the upside-down world Michael (Michael Vlamis) works on getting the Jeep working so that he, Bonnie (Zoe Cipres), and Dallas (Quentin Plair) can continue their search for Alex. The trio decides the best option is to split up.
Bonnie and Dallas are searching on foot for Alex when thunder roars in the distance. Bonnie thinks that maybe Alex sought shelter, leading them to search a cargo container. Alex isn’t inside but Dallas spots another piece of alien glass and hopes his dad left another message.
They’re distracted and the door slams shut behind them! Bonnie can’t use her powers to open the door because the container’s coated in lead. She pounds on the door and screams out for Michael while Dallas attempts to remain calm, cool, and collected. He does admit to being worried that his dad’s plan for him is getting his friends hurt.
Bonnie insists Alex isn’t dead; she still blames herself for putting him in danger in the first place. Dallas assures her the PodSquad is her family now and thinks she dodged a bullet by not being indoctrinated into Jones’s family. (She doesn’t have the brand.)
They’re pounding on the door when outside a figure in a hooded coat, gas mask, and rifle approaches the door. Michael arrives before the figure reaches the container and slams him to the ground. He yanks off the mask and it’s Alex! Finally! Welcome back, Tyler Blackburn – we’ve missed you.
Alex’s first words are, “At least kiss me before you bust my lip.” Michael breaks out in a huge smile.
Minutes later, Dallas and Bonnie are freed from the container, and Michael and Alex kiss. Alex can’t believe Michael found him and Dallas explains his dad created this space – calling it an inner-dimensional mouse trap.
Alex set up the container as a trap, complete with alien glass to use as alien bait. Michael’s impressed and Alex confesses he almost gave up but he remembered Michael told him no matter how far apart, they’d always find their way back to each other.
Michael credits Maria with figuring things out and wonders how he managed to reach out to her. Alex calls Maria the conduit and describes her as shining a spotlight on the world he wanted to get back to. (Speaking of Maria, Heather Hemmens is directing this episode.)
The thunder roars again and Alex says it’s a new development.
Alex saw weird trees about 10 miles away, and Dallas is sure that’s where they’ll find alien fruit to use for fuel. Bonnie volunteers to go with Dallas, suggesting Alex and Michael need some alone time to catch up.
Michael and Alex don’t waste any time catching up seated next to each other and sharing a blanket. Alex confesses he spent the time staring at the blank drive-in screen imagining this was just a movie about star-crossed lovers. He dreamed about getting home to Michael and pictured Michael doing the same.
Michael confesses he was dreaming of home – but not Earth. Clyde told him about a way to get back to Oasis and Michael admits he was tempted to go there. He’s angry at himself for letting that distract him from this life with Alex, but Alex completely understands. Michael’s always wanted to go back to his planet.
Alex doesn’t care where they are, even on opposite sides of the universe. As long as they’re looking at the same stars, he will never look away. They kiss, again, and Michael asks how the imaginary movie ends. Alex describes different scenarios but then says it could end with a twist.
“Michael Guerin, will you marry me?” he asks. Alex believes they’ve spent too much time apart and can’t wait any longer. Michael pauses before he answers and Alex says, “So?”
Michael finally replies smiling, “I can’t wait to see Sanders in a tux. Yes! Yes! I am so in love with you it’s embarrassing.”
Although they have time for a real reunion, Alex pulls away. He’s been feeling nauseous since he got there and thinks this dimension has radiation. That’s why he was wearing a gas mask. Dallas, Bonnie, and Michael aren’t feeling it so it must only affect humans.
The gas mask has allowed him to breathe but the radiation is already showing on his body. Alex thinks he’s dying! (Letting them be happy for 5 minutes is just too much to ask, isn’t it?)
Meanwhile, a newly charged-up Liz works on the formula while checking out the nearby area. She spots an ax and Clyde stops her, but Liz gets out of the situation by saying she needs rust for the formula. Clyde reminds her Vanessa’s life hangs in the balance and Liz announces it’ll take her 33 minutes to finish – if he stops bothering her.
She combines the remaining mist with the rust and continues to work while insulting his continued loyalty to Jones who, as she points out, is dead.
Isobel and Max arrive outside the mineshaft, certain that’s where Clyde took Liz. Max has to admit he didn’t retrieve the mist because of Shivani’s security team so it’ll be up to Isobel to fight Clyde.
Liz finishes the serum and Clyde prepares to inject himself. But first, he tries it out on alien flowers preserved under a glass dome. The flowers are destroyed and he realizes Liz tricked him.
While he was working on the flowers, Liz was busy whipping up a different solution. A pan explodes but Clyde’s not injured. Fortunately, Liz knew that’s what would happen and used it as a distraction to grab the ax.
Clyde advances toward her and she hits the wall with the ax, causing a cave-in that traps Clyde. She grabs the syringe and injects Clyde while revealing she was able to mimic Bonnie’s powers and the injection will render him powerless.
She stumbles out of the mine and into Max’s arms. He holds her and says, “I’m never going to leave your side,” right before she passes out.
She wakes up in a hospital bed at Blue Sky and apologizes for not only using the mist but also pushing everyone away. She doesn’t want that to happen again and doesn’t want to lose Max. Max promises to be the man he needs her to be.
Kyle prepares a drip to ease Liz’s withdrawal, and Rosa has decided to stay in town until her sister’s healed. She can put off her return to life in New York for a while to help Liz.
Rosa advises Kyle to figure out what’s going on with a certain green-eyed alien warrior goddess. Kyle says they’re just friends, but Rosa believes that’s not how Isobel feels about their relationship. Kyle asks what he should do, and Rosa delivers the best advice possible: “Why don’t you try talking less and listening more?”
Isobel’s also getting a little relationship advice from her brother. Isobel asks why Kyle closing the door makes her want to kick it open. Max wonders what’s stopping her, and she confesses she’s played enough with Kyle’s emotions. He made it clear where he stands now, and she missed her moment.
Max disagrees. “Epic love stories aren’t made up of a single moment,” he says. It’s not too late for any of them.
Back to Alex and Michael… Alex doesn’t want to spend his last days wallowing and really wants to marry Michael. Dallas and Bonnie return with the bad news the trees were burned down. They appear to be stuck there.
Alex begs Michael to agree to let Dallas marry them right now.
The episode ends with Clyde making it to Shivani’s lab and promising to bring her daughter back if she allows him to use the mist to regain his powers.
Milly Alcock and Paddy Considine in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 1 episode 1 (Photo by Ollie Upton / HBO)
HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, set a new record with its Sunday, August 21, 2022 series premiere. Episode one of the 10-episode first season had 9.986 million viewers tuning in, making it the largest audience for any new original HBO series.
Additionally, HBO reports House of the Dragon episode one was also the biggest series launch on HBO Max. Plus, the series trended at the top spot on Twitter for 14 consecutive hours.
The series is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood novel, with Martin co-creating and serving as an executive producer. Co-creator Ryan Condal writes, executive produces and is a co-showrunner with director and executive producer Miguel Sapochnik. Sara Hess, Jocelyn Diaz, Vince Gerardis, and Ron Schmidt also executive produce season one.
“It was wonderful to see millions of Game of Thrones fans return with us to Westeros last night. House of the Dragon features an incredibly talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into the production, and we’re ecstatic with viewers’ positive response,” stated Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer, HBO & HBO Max. “We look forward to sharing with audiences what else George, Ryan, and Miguel have in store for them this season.”
The prequel is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Episode one introduced viewers to King Viserys I and the rest of the Targaryens who’ll play key roles throughout season one.
New episodes air on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max.
Paddy Considine, Sian Brooke, Michael Carter, Steve Toussaint, and Eve Best in ‘House of the Dragon’ episode 1 (Photo by Ollie Upton / HBO)
House of the Dragon Cast and Characters – Courtesy of HBO
Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.
Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.
Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.
Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake.” Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. As “The Sea Snake,” the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.
Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, a dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Queen Who Never Was” was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male.
Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, of Dornish descent, the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. Cole has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword.
Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, who came to Westeros with nothing, sold more times than she can recall. She could have wilted… but instead she rose to become the most trusted — and most unlikely — ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne.
Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower. The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king’s brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.
ADDITIONAL CAST (in alphabetical order):
Milly Alcock as Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. She’s the king’s first-born child, of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.
Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen, eldest daughter of Laena Velaryon and rider of the young dragon Moondancer.
Sian Brooke as Aemma Targaryen, the queen consort and wife of King Viserys Targaryen.
Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen, second daughter of Lady Laena and sister to Baela.
Emily Carey as Young Alicent Hightower, the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. Alicent was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.
Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon, eldest son of Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Ryan Corr as Ser Harwin ‘Breakbones’ Strong. ‘Breakbones’, Harwin is said to be the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms. Ser Harwin is the eldest son to Master of Laws Lyonel Strong and heir to Harrenhal.
Anthony Flanagan as Ser Steffon Darklyn, member of the Kingsguard.
Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon Targaryen, first-born son of King Viserys.
Jefferson Hall as Tyland Lannister, a crafty and calculating politician, twin to Lord Jason Lannister.
Jefferson Hall as Lord Jason Lannister, the Lord of Casterly Rock and twin to Ser Tyland Lannister.
David Horovitch as Grand Maester Mellos, a voice of reason and trusted advisor to King Viserys.
Wil Johnson as Ser Vaemond Velaryon, younger brother to Coryls Velaryon and commander in the Velaryon navy.
John Macmillan as Ser Laenor Velaryon, son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling, who has served in the Kingsguard since the days of King Jaehaerys; he is a paragon of chivalry and honor.
Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen, second-born son of Viserys, nephew to Daemon, and half-brother to Rhaenyra.
Theo Nate as Ser Laenor Velaryon, son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
Matthew Needham as Larys Strong, younger son of Master of Laws Lyonel Strong, brought to court by his father.
Bill Paterson as Lord Lyman Beesbury, Lord of Honeyholt and Master of Coin on King Viserys’s small council.
Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen, second-born daughter of Viserys, sister to Aegon and Aemond, half-sister to Rhaenyra.
Gavin Spokes as Lord Lyonel Strong, Master of Laws to King Viserys and Lord of Harrenhal.
Savannah Steyn as Lady Laena Velayron, daughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
Allison Janney…action hero? As unlikely as that sounds, it appears to be true as confirmed with the release of Netflix’s official trailer for Lou. The action thriller finds Oscar winner Allison Janney (I, Tonya) trying to help a desperate mother, played by Emmy nominee Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country), find her kidnapped daughter.
The thriller’s cast also includes Logan Marshall-Green, Ridley Asha Bateman, and Matt Craven. Anna Foerster (Underworld: Blood Wars) directed from a screenplay by Maggie Cohn and Jack Stanley.
Bad Robot’s J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, and Jon Cohen produced, with Janney, Smollett, Cory Bennett Lewis, Lindsey Weber, Brendan Ferguson, and Braden Aftergood executive producing.
The official trailer arrived along with a new poster and three photos from the action film which is set for release on September 23, 2022.
Netflix released the following synopsis of Lou:
Thinking she’d put her dangerous past behind her, Lou (Janney) finds her quiet life interrupted when a desperate mother (Smollett) begs her to save her kidnapped daughter. As a massive storm rages, the two women risk their lives on a rescue mission that will test their limits and expose dark and shocking secrets from their pasts.
Jillian Bell as Gina and Parker Posey as Blair in ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’ season 1 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/AMC)
Episode two of AMC’s episodic anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead tells the story of Blair and Gina, two insurance company employees caught in a Groundhog Day cycle at the start of the zombie apocalypse.
Circle of Trust insurance company supervisor Blair (Parker Posey) is tapping away on receptionist Gina’s (Jillian Bell) desk, apologizing for sounding morbid but happy whatever’s happening is good for their business. She thinks when people are scared, they panic which in turn means accidents go up.
Her team kisses up to Blair and Gina pretends to shoot herself in the head. As Blair turns her attention to Gina and the call volume, Gina tries to hide a list of personality disorders she thinks Blair possesses.
In a worried tone, Joel (Kevin L. Johnson) brings up the fact that he heard people are attacking each other just as an enormous number of calls start pouring in. After the briefest of moments of concern, Blair is back to herself and saying everything is fine. The media is blowing it out of proportion. If things were bad, the CDC would say something. (She’s trying to convince her team as well as herself.)
Blair takes a dig at Gina before announcing she’s leaving for a weekend vacation and to forward her calls.
Blair and her fiancé Brian (Matt Medrano) are waiting in a long line at the gas station when the radio announces there’s a catastrophic gas shortage causing long lines at the pump. A gas truck finally pulls up as they’re waiting, and Blair brings up that she thinks her receptionist is stealing the coffee mugs. She says, “On top of that, she’s an incompetent mute who just stares at me all day long like a stalker.”
Brian’s face says it all when he looks at her like, “Get real, lady.”
Brian rips a cigarette Blair’s about to light from her lips just as she sees Gina pull up to the convenience store. Gina goes inside and finds the shelves are completely wiped clean; there’s basically nothing left. When she goes back outside, Blair confronts her. She’s supposed to be at the office and Gina explains she wasn’t leaving; she was getting a snack because their vending machine is broken.
Blair starts in on her about how everyone else is doing their job, and they might have to reevaluate her options. Gina asks if Blair’s firing her and then notes Blair has a lot of stuff packed in their car for just a two-day vacation. Blair claims that she and Brian are having a long weekend, but Gina doesn’t buy it.
Gina brings up Blair’s order for her to stay until six and make sure the back door’s locked, and Blair’s had it. She fires the shocked receptionist.
Gina’s returning to her car when she sees a vehicle slowly driving by with the passenger bleeding from a neck wound.
Gina suddenly pulls a shotgun out of the back of her Prius and starts walking toward the truck driver refueling the station while apologizing. Blair can’t believe Gina has a shotgun, and neither can Homeland Security Agent Leo Rogers (Ameer Baraka). Gina orders the man refueling the pumps to undo the fuel hose.
Leo Rogers introduces himself while walking up with his gun out. Gina returns her attention to the trucker and demands he turns over his keys. Blair offers Gina her job back if she’ll just put the gun down.
The man with the gaping neck wound is now on top of the woman who was driving, and he’s got her out on the ground biting her. Her screams distract everyone and Leo’s able to grab Gina’s shotgun from her. Now it’s his turn to point it at the trucker and demand his keys.
Leo tells his son, Wendell (William J. Simmons), to get in the rig. The trucker fights back and tries to grab the gun and it goes off, shooting the truck’s tank and causing an explosion. Blair screams and for an instant, it looks like everyone has been blown up.
And now we’re back to the Circle of Trust office and Blair’s tapping on Gina’s desk. Blair’s ready to say she doesn’t want to sound morbid when smoke comes out of her mouth, and she grabs her throat. Her co-workers ask if she’s okay, and she thinks maybe it was a coffee ground. She stares at Gina and says, “Maybe someone else should make the coffee in the morning.”
Joel confesses he made the coffee.
It’s confirmed we’re in a Groundhog Day situation because it’s that same morning all over again. When they start to get an influx of calls, just like before, Blair tells Gina to hold all the calls so she can finish her speech. Joel wonders if she’s worried, and Blair tries to claim that she isn’t. The only thing she’s worried about is Gina and questions what they really know about her. Maybe she’s a serial killer or a bank robber.
Blair suggests that maybe Gina has a shotgun under her desk and then drops down and tries to look for one. Gina seems genuinely confused. After a brief stare-off, Gina asks what she should do about the calls. Blair announces she’s off for a long weekend and tells Gina to stay at her desk this time. When Gina questions what she means by “this time,” Blair claims it’s because she’s never at her desk when they need her.
Blair’s back in the car waiting in line for gas and Brian wonders what’s wrong with her because she is quiet – and she’s never quiet. She admits she’s freaking out and asks if he’s ever had bad Deja vu. Brian assures her they’ll be on an island and things will be back to normal when they return.
Just then, the gas truck pulls in and so does Gina. Just like before, Gina pulls her shotgun out and demands the trucker’s keys. Blair tries to tell her she’s going to get everyone killed like last time but then walks away as the agent steps out of his car. This time the trucker hands over the keys.
Blair and the agent talk, and Blair notices he’s been bitten on his wrist. And then the guy in the car bites the woman…again.
This time Gina is about to get away when Blair blocks the road, causing Gina to swerve. She crashes and the truck explodes.
We’re back in the office again for round three but this time Gina’s screaming. When she finishes, she apologizes and then gets up and leaves.
When a co-worker asks what’s up with Gina, Blair replies, “What? Nothing. Everything,” and then runs after her. Blair asks if it’s happening to her too, and Gina admits it is. They bring up the man eating the woman and the DHS agent.
Blair remembers the agent said they’re running out of time and wonders what he meant. She thinks they’re either dead or dreaming. Gina begins to walk away, and Blair demands they talk about it. Gina says all she wanted was a snack and brings up the vending machine being broken. Blair seems pissed that all Gina wants to talk about is wanting a snack, claiming no reasonable person would respond to this situation by discussing a broken vending machine.
Gina starts getting mad too, insists she’s not going to the gas station, and tells Blair to leave her alone.
Blair and Brian are waiting for gas and this time Gina (with her shotgun) storms up to the truck driver and orders him to uncouple the house. Brian thinks this is a movie and Blair gets out of the car and says, “I thought you said you weren’t coming back.”
Gina explains she blew a tire.
Blair jumps out of the car, finds the agent, and tells him his bite looks bad. She asks why he’s so desperate to get out of Atlanta, and he admits things are bad. People are going crazy, and the military has taken over the city. There are only two backroads open and he names them.
Gina pleads with the trucker for his keys as the agent approaches her. The passenger’s biting the driver again when the trucker gets into his truck. Leo attempts to take Gina’s shotgun and it goes off, accidentally killing the truck driver.
Leo’s son is already in the truck and it’s rolling down the road without a driver. Gina chases it down, jumps onto the driver’s door, and grabs the steering wheel from the outside. Blair jumps on the front of the truck and yells at Gina that she’s already blown them up twice.
The truck driver bites Gina, which leads to a crash and yet another explosion.
Once more to the office we go, and Gina’s shaking while checking her neck. Blair knows the trucker was dead and then came back. She repeats that a few times and then adds the rumors were true.
Gina’s done with this nonsense and tells Blair to shut up. She claims this happened because Blair keeps talking. Gina doesn’t want to hear her selfish voice again and tells her boss no one likes her. Gina encourages their co-worker Jasmine (VK) to tell Blair how much she hates her hair.
Gina asks Blair how it’s possible she wears that many neck accessories and then asks if she knows why the back door is always open on Mondays. It’s so that Joel can come in early and then leave early to watch his daughter play soccer. “You would know any of this if you took two seconds to talk to – and not at – a single person here,” says a clearly fed-up Gina.
Before Gina can walk away, Blair yells at her that she’s the selfish one. If she would have just stayed at her desk and done her job, this would have never happened in the first place. With that, Gina leaves.
Back at the gas station, Gina is arrested and Blair smiles, explaining she did this for Wendell (the agent’s son) and for them. Blair suggests Gina can thank her now or send her a letter from jail.
Agent Leo discovers the gun isn’t registered to Gina, and she admits it’s her brother’s. Gina faces Blair and snarls, “You must be neck deep in your own ass if you believe your sh*t,” which leads to a fight. On cue, the guy eats the lady, another fight breaks out, and the truck driver crashes into someone.
Parker Posey as Blair in ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’ season 1 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/AMC)
Next, a montage plays of different occasions when they die because of the truck exploding. One of the versions shows them fighting inside the truck and Gina turning into a zombie and biting Blair.
Back at the office again and Gina has snacks she got from the vending machine after smashing the glass. She hands some to Blair as one of their co-workers asks Gina if she’s going to answer the phone. She says, “No, I’m good,” and sits down with Blair.
Gina can’t stop thinking about his eyes being grey…dead or alive, they’re always grey. Blair keeps thinking about Wendell. Blair can’t do this anymore and gets up, and Gina finds her vomiting in the bathroom.
They sit together on the floor, and Blair mentions they never make it to 5pm. Blair knows that Gina keeps trying to leave, but there’s no getting out. The only way she can escape is if she knows which roads are open, which Blair does, thanks to Agent Leo.
Gina just wants to get to her brother and her nieces and to get the hell out of here. She needs to get the tanker to be able to go where she needs to. Blair tells Gina where she’s trying to go is basically suicide; they are shutting down the city. Gina simply says, “They’re my family.”
Gina admits they’ve been through this so many times and knows they aren’t going to be friends. Gina confirms they don’t like each other but that’s okay. Blair has Brian and Gina needs her family. To do that, Blair has to break the cycle by staying in her car. With that, Gina leaves.
This time, Gina manages to get away in the truck with a smile on her face.
Back in the office, Blair’s now sitting at Gina’s desk and Jasmine asks if she’s all right. Blair snaps out of it and tells them to close early. She admits Joel is right; things are much worse than they seem.
After everyone leaves, Blair lights up a cigarette and Brian comes in wondering where she’s been. Blair compliments him on being great, in particular after her father died. He’s justifiably confused when she questions why at the gas station, he never takes more than two steps out of his car to help her. He’s watched her die again and again and she asks why. She tells him they shouldn’t do this; they aren’t right for each other.
Brian can’t believe she’s breaking off their engagement, and Blair suggests he head to the island to stay safe. Blair steps outside and gives up, offering her neck to the zombies.
Back in the office, again, Blair screams and tells everyone to close the office and leave. Blair and Gina talk, and Gina confesses Blair was right. She never made it out of the city. Blair reveals she stayed and got eaten, which it turns out was the worst way to go.
Blair apologizes for being horrible the past two years. Gina thanks her for the apology and tries to claim she didn’t hate her but then admits she did. Blair has always been annoying and bossy.
Blair suggests they try something new.
They make one final trip to the gas station and this time they start off as a team. They tell the agent that the man in the car is a zombie. The agent and his son approach the man eating the woman, and Wendell gets too close. That was definitely not part of Blair and Gina’s plan.
Gina points the shotgun at the trucker, asking for his keys or she’ll blow his head off. Blair confirms Gina’s a cold-blooded killer. She’s witnessed her killing at least five times.
Gina and Blair escape in the truck and plot their path to Gina’s nieces. They have a heartfelt talk and seem to become friends, for whatever that’s worth.
The freeway’s blocked off by police, and they drive around their barricade. (No one wants to blow up a tanker.) They continue on until they come to a bridge and look over to see traffic stopped on the freeway and a lot of people running from an approaching hoard of zombies.
Gina claims they’re not cowards and tosses the gas hose over the bridge. Gas covers the ground as Blair tosses her cigarette over. It goes out without lighting a fire. Gina says, “Are you kidding me?! The one time we needed it to blow…the one time!”
Gina takes Blair’s neck accessory, lights it up, and throws it off the bridge. Finally, the fire erupts. Unfortunately, the truck blows up too and sends them flying backward.
They’ve made it to 5pm! Now disheveled and slightly bloody, Blair asks if Gina thinks they’re dead. Gina doesn’t think so but does think Blair has a personality disorder that she passed on to her. Blair doesn’t understand what Gina’s saying, and Gina admits she doesn’t think any of this is real. They’re sharing a delusion.
After a brief argument, Blair tells her, “Let’s go get your nieces.”
As the two women walk down the freeway, Gina says, “Is it wrong that I sort of felt good when I heard that I ate you.” They continue to walk down the freeway, chatting and laughing, as episode two ends.
The cast of Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’
The Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, will premiere on Netflix on December 23, 2022. The film will also have a run in select theaters, with that release date to be announced soon.
The December date announcement was accompanied by two new photos from the sequel written, directed, and produced by Rian Johnson.
Knives Out premiered on November 27, 2019 and starred Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, and Don Johnson. The cast also included Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Noah Segan, Edi Patterson, Riki Lindhome, and Christopher Plummer.
Glass Onion will star Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.
Netflix’s description of the sequel: “If Knives Out was about the murderous ties of flesh and blood, Glass Onion makes a good case for being just as wary of one’s closest friends. When a tech billionaire Miles Bron (Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, well, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?”
Behind the scenes of Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’
In an interview with Netflix’s TUDUM, Rian Johnson discussed the expanded role of Daniel Craig’s character, detective Benoit Blanc.
“You definitely get to know him a little bit better,” explained Johnson. “In the first one, because of the way it was structured, Marta, Ana de Armas’ character, was very much the protagonist. In a big way, Blanc was the threat. He was almost the antagonist in terms of just the story structure, because you were worried, even as they got closer, that he was going to catch her and he was going to have to turn her over at the end. So Blanc was always outside of the sphere of our protagonist and was a little bit more of an enigma in the first movie. Whereas, in this one, Blanc gets an invitation to come to this murder mystery on this island. We’re very much meeting these people and getting into this world through his eyes.”
Markella Kavenagh, Sara Zwangobani, Dylan Smith, and Megan Richards in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’
Prime Video’s much-anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power made its San Diego Comic-Con debut on July 22, 2022, bringing 21 cast members – plus series creators/showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay – to the Hall H stage. The panel was moderated by Tolkien superfan Stephen Colbert and included the debut of clips and the official trailer, as well as details on what viewers can expect when they tune in on September 2nd.
The series takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events that transpired in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The epic fantasy features some familiar characters from Tolkien’s writings, along with new characters created just for the show. Among the new characters is Isildur’s sister Eärien, played by Ema Horvath. And while Hobbits weren’t around during the Second Age, their ancestors the Harfoots are represented by new characters including Marigold Brandyfoot, played by Sara Zwangobani.
In addition to the packed Hall H panel, the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power participated in red carpet interviews. Here’s what Ema Horvath and Sara Zwangobani had to say about their journeys to Middle-earth.
Ema Horvath Interview – “Eärien”
What did they tell you about your character to prepare you for the role?
Ema Horvath: “Just the scripts, really, and the relationship is pretty clear between her, Isildur, and her father. I spend most of my time hanging out with both of them and building the character that way.”
Was there something about her you really latched onto?
Ema Horvath: “She’s quite risk averse which I myself am in contrast to Maxim (Baldry) who loves taking risks. She’s kind of a thinker; she spends a lot of time thinking and drawing. I’m definitely more of a thinker than a doer so, yeah, that was my in.”
I heard this isn’t actually your first time digging into Middle-earth.
Ema Horvath: “No, it’s not. When I was 10, I played a dwarf in a musical production of The Hobbit.”
But you’re not a dwarf in this.
Ema Horvath: “I’m super-human. I’m Númenórean.”
What can you tell us about your character?
Ema Horvath: “She’s Isildur’s sister, the baby of the family. She’s an aspiring architect. She draws a lot. She is kind of overlooked by her father which leaves her kind of vulnerable to attention from other sources. And she’s quite smart, but she doesn’t really know it.”
She doesn’t really know it?
Ema Horvath: “Yeah, she’s quite insecure. And she’s on the cusp of womanhood so she’s still in that naïve sort of ‘do people really like me? Am I worthy’ stage of life, you know?”
Why is she going to be a fan favorite?
Ema Horvath: “Oh, I hope she is. I think she’s quite human in the sense of like when you feel like you haven’t been quite recognized or noticed for your efforts. I think that’s quite a human emotion. How she deals with it…we’ll see if fans like or love that or don’t like it.”
What’s it like walking into Comic-Con and seeing this finished version on a massive screen?
Ema Horvath: “I mean, it’s insane. It’s insane. I mean, we were told stories of Hall H and stuff, but it’s not until you are there you are like, ‘Whoa, okay.’ And to watch it – we were sitting backstage when they were showing clips and stuff and the reverb from backstage is so loud.”
And what was it like walking onto the set?
Ema Horvath: “Oh, it’s awesome. Well, Númenor has never been seen before. It’s like Tolkien’s Atlantis. It’s this incredible civilization and they built the whole city… Well, not the whole city but several blocks of it with little alleyways and stuff. It’s awesome. And if you know the lore there’s this little alleyway and I don’t even know if it’s on screen, but they have graffitied Númenórean writing over Elvish. So if you know the story, it’s a very beautiful detail.
And there’s like a bird poop guy making bird poop, yeah. There’s so many craftsmen on the set. It’s awesome.”
There’s actually a dedicated bird poop guy?
Ema Horvath: “I remember walking (on set) and was like, ‘What’s that guy’s job?’ They’re like, ‘Bird poop.’”
Do you think people need to know anything about Lord of the Rings to understand this?
Ema Horvath: “I don’t think so. I mean, obviously, there’s things that might be interesting, that might have a level of context that some people don’t get. But the stories and the relationships themselves I think are compelling enough on their own.”
With a show like this are you a binge-watcher or a week-to-weeker?
Ema Horvath: “I’m a binge-watcher, but I think this week-to-week which is good. Drip feed it to the world.”
Sara Zwangobani Interview – “Marigold Brandyfoot”
What was it like stepping onto these sets and did they tell you everything about your character before you started?
Sara Zwangobani: “No, because I got the call three days before I was due to arrive in New Zealand, and then I was on set two weeks later. So they tried to give me a massive crash course in my character. I mean, yes, it’s not like they were holding that back, but it was all very, very sudden. So, I did discover a lot on the job.
I will say though when I first landed in New Zealand the very first thing I got to do was go with Kate Hawley who built the world, the costumes, the design, and she took me into this room that was like this amazing…it was like a museum to all things Tolkien and to all the worlds that you will see when you see the show. And that was…I mean, I didn’t want to leave. It was incredible.
So even though it was a whirlwind for me, straightway I went, ‘Oh, this is phenomenal. I can see what this is going to be.’ And I’m a fantasy fan so it spoke to me quite directly. So even with that much notice, I just was like, ‘I’m there.’”
As a fantasy fan, why do you think the works of Tolkien have endured so well for such a long time?
Sara Zwangobani: “Well, I think there’s a lot of answers to that question and a lot of layers. Part of it is his world-building. Part of it is his passion for history and his passion of language. And the battle of good and evil. But I ultimately think it’s because it’s about friendship and loyalty and love. It’s about finding within ourselves to overcome that which is dark within us in order to be better and do better. We see that in his work over and over. And the poetry of it, I think, speaks to us all.”
What spoke to you about the character?
Sara Zwangobani: “She’s a mom. She’s a matriarch which I am not but I aspire to be one day. She’s passionate about her family. She is filled with love for her family, but also she’s surrounded by love from her family. And Harfoots – I mean, I can’t wait for you to see them, their love and laughter and light. They have been through some stuff though, so we see that in them as well. But yeah, I’m not even sure where Marigold and Sara begin and end. I’ve been with them for so long.”
But a Harfoot should not be confused with a Hobbit.
Sara Zwangobani: “No. A Harfoot should not be confused with a Hobbit. We are their ancestors. You will see sparks of the Hobbits within us, but we have lived a different experience.”
Is living a different experience what sets them apart? Are they very similar?
Sara Zwangobani: “I think it is what sets them apart, actually. I mean, of course, you will see some remnants and energies and all that kind of thing. But I think the experiences is what sets them apart. The Harfoots have been through quite a lot when we first meet them, and I think that’s really the essence in the difference. But you will definitely feel familiarity.”
What’s going to make everybody love your character? Why is she going to become a fan favorite?
Sara Zwangobani: “That’s a really good question. I think because despite the fact that she’s a bit of a hardass, she has a twinkle in her eye the whole time and I think that people will see that. I think that they will see underneath it all that she’s a bit of a softy. And I think they will see how much she loves her family and her world.”
Poster of Ema Horvath as Earien in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’
Prime Video’s released the following description of season one:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
Paddy Considine and Sian Brooke in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 1 episode 1 (Photo by Ollie Upton / HBO)
HBO’s much-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, begins with a voiceover explaining that the first century of the Targaryen reign is closing and King Jaehaerys Targaryen’s health is fading. Still, their House maintains complete control of the kingdom thanks to 10 powerful, adult dragons.
His sons have died and Jaehaerys believes the only thing that can tear down House Targaryen is House Targaryen. And so, in the year 101 he calls a great council to Harrenhal to choose an heir.
14 claims have been submitted but only two are considered: Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and Prince Viserys Targaryen, the king’s oldest male heir. The lords name Viserys (Paddy Considine) as king, and the woman who deserved it is passed over.
The story picks up during the ninth year of King Viserys I’s reign. It’s also noted this is 172 years before the birth of Mad King Aerys’ daughter, Princess Daenerys.
(This is a recap so there are spoilers ahead! Consider yourself warned.)
A dragon soars, swooping through the clouds and flying over the city. Not a soul looks up; dragons are a common sight during this period. Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) jumps off her dragon, Syrax, and is welcomed by Ser Harrold Westerling (Graham McTavish) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey). It’s obvious Ser Harrold and Alicent don’t share Rhaenyra’s fondness for dragons as suitable transportation.
(Princess Rhaenyra is King Viserys’ daughter, Alicent Hightower is the Hand of the King’s daughter, and Ser Harrold has served in the Kingsguard for decades.)
Rhaenyra’s mother, Aemma Targaryen (Sian Brooke), is far along in her pregnancy and chides her daughter for being reckless. Aemma’s worried Rhaenyra will get hurt, but Rhaenyra would rather be a knight than a wife and loves the thrill of dragon riding.
“The child bed is our battlefield,” says Aemma. “We must learn to face it with a stiff lip.”
Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Milly Alcock, and Paddy Considine in ‘House of the Dragon’ episode 1 (Photo by Ollie Upton / HBO)
King Viserys’ council meets and Lord Corlys “The Sea Snake” Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) warns that the Free Cities are conspiring and have gathered at Bloodstone. Calling themselves the Triarchy, they’re killing off pirates in the Stepstones. The group is led by Craghas Drahar, nicknamed the Crabfeeder.
Lord Coryls’ report is interrupted by Princess Rhaenyra’s arrival as the king’s cupbearer. The talk turns to Prince Daemon and his continuing absence from the council. Lord Lyman Beesbury (Bill Paterson), Master of Coin, wants him to attend the meetings, but King Viserys points out Daemon’s kept busy as Commander of the City Watch. There’s also talk about the large amount of funds Daemon requests for the Watch.
Sir Otto Hightower, Hand of the King (Rhys Ifans), changes the subject to the Heir’s Tournament. Plans are moving forward and Grand Maester Mellos (David Horovitch) believes his forecast for the date of the heir’s birth Is still accurate. Lord Beesbury points out the tournament’s a costly event and suggests it be delayed until after the child’s actually born. King Viserys doesn’t agree and predicts the child will be born on the last days of the planned week-long tournament.
King Viserys is certain he’ll be blessed with a son this time.
What we’ve learned thus far about King Viserys is that he has a good sense of humor and genuinely loves his wife and daughter. He’s convinced his male heir will sit on the throne when he’s gone.
Matt Smith and Milly Alcock in ‘House of the Dragon’ episode 1 (Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO)
Rhaenyra meets in private with her uncle, Prince Daemon (Matt Smith), who’s seated on the Iron Throne. He insists it will be his one day and Rhaenyra reminds him he could be killed for treason with such thoughts. He dislikes court and doesn’t regret missing council meetings.
It’s apparent they share a special bond, and Daemon presents her with a necklace made of Valyrian steel. He places it around her neck and says, “Now you and I both own a small piece of ancestry.”
Alicent helps Rhaenyra study history, and Rhaenyra confesses she hopes her father gets what he’s always wanted—a son. All she wants to do is explore and ride dragons. Oh, and eat only cake.
The King has an abscess that’s worrying his attendants, and he blames the wound on the Iron Throne. Grand Maester Mellos suggests it be cauterized and Otto Hightower reminds him that it needs to be kept secret.
King Viserys visits his beloved wife in her tepid bath, the only place she finds comfort. He’s convinced their baby is a boy, revealing he had a dream of their son being born wearing Aegon’s iron crown. In the dream, he placed their son on the Iron Throne to the accompaniment of bells ringing and dragons roaring.
Aemma confesses she cannot do this again. She’s suffered multiple miscarriages and stillbirths, and this pregnancy has taken its toll on her body more so than any of the others. Aemma apologizes for not providing him an heir but reveals she’s mourned all their dead children and will not go through this again.
Prince Daemon assembles the gold-cloaked members of the City Watch, which, under his command, has gone from a group of disorganized scoundrels to a well-oiled – and ruthless – enforcement machine. King’s Landing has become riddled with thieves and other lawbreakers, and he turns the Watch loose on the city.
“Beginning tonight, King’s Landing will learn to fear the color gold,” declares Daemon.
They take advantage of their commander’s penchant for violence and brutally attack anyone they believe to be a criminal. Hands of thieves are chopped off, rapists lose their penises, and those accused of murder lose their heads – courtesy of Prince Daemon’s sword, Dark Sister. By the time they’re finished, a cart full of body parts is removed from the city.
The following morning Otto Hightower fills King Viserys in on Daemon’s raid. They’re still discussing the raid when they enter the council chambers and find Prince Daemon has, for once, joined them. The tension’s palpable between Otto Hightower and Prince Daemon, and while Otto believes the Watch needs to be more restrained, Daemon suggests they were simply enforcing the Crown’s laws.
Prince Daemon explains the city is currently lawless and terrifying, and King Viserys agrees it needs to be made safe. “I just hope you don’t have to maim half of my city to achieve it,” says Viserys.
Daemon replies, “Time will tell.”
Lord Corlys appears to agree with Prince Daemon, and Otto Hightower – who’s on the losing side of this argument – brings up that Daemon’s been absent too long from the Vale and his wife. Daemon doesn’t love his wife and points out that in the Vale, the sheep are better looking than the women.
(Prince Daemon is married to Lady Rhea Royce, heir to Runestone and the head of House Royce.)
King Viserys attempts to play peacemaker, reminding Otto that Daemon has a history of provoking him for sport. Daemon leaves after a warning about his behavior, and once he’s gone, King Viserys concedes the City Watch might be a good thing.
Prince Daemon demonstrates his lust for sex is as strong as his lust for power and blood by spending time in a brothel. He’s preoccupied and has a difficult time finishing, and his lover Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) soothes him by stroking his vanity.
Matt Smith in ‘House of the Dragon’ episode 1 (Photo by Ollie Upton / HBO)
The day of the Heir’s Tournament arrives and the jousting begins. King Viserys welcomes the massive crowd and announces that his wife has begun her labor.
Rhaenyra and Alicent have front-row seats and cheer as knights are knocked from their horses. They also gossip about who’s having sex with who, but then a mysterious knight catches their attention. His name is Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and he’s of Dornish descent. His skills are impressive, and he manages to unseat better-known knights.
(Ser Criston is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven.)
A Baratheon knight asks for the favor of The Queen Who Never Was – Lord Corlys’ wife, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. He receives it but still loses to Ser Criston Cole.
Prince Daemon is next to enter the arena and chooses to compete against the eldest son of Otto Hightower. Hightower gets in the first hit, but Prince Daemon aims for the horse’s legs and unseats him in the second pass.
Prince Daemon rides over to the stands and asks for Lady Alicent’s favor. After glancing at her father, she obliges with a crown of flowers.
King Viserys is summoned to his wife’s side and receives the devastating news the baby is breach. Aemma’s doing her best to deliver the baby and has been given Milk of the Poppy for the pain. She’s barely able to talk between screams, and King Viserys is forced to choose between the life of his wife or his unborn child. King Viserys, still certain his son will be crowned king, chooses the baby.
Aemma’s arms and legs are held and she’s absolutely terrified when she realizes their plan is to cut the child from her womb. She remains conscious as the deep incision is made and her blood soaks the sheets. She passes away without holding the baby who took her life.
While Aemma’s taking her last breaths, war has broken out on the field. It’s no longer a friendly competition and some knights are gravely injured.
Eve Best and Steve Toussaint in ‘House of the Dragon’ episode 1 (Photo by Ollie Upton / HBO)
Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys reflect on the state of things, suggesting this bloody tournament might not be the appropriate way to welcome an heir to the world. None of these knights have known real war, and Princess Rhaenys says it’s a marvel that war didn’t break out on the field at first blood.
The tournament resumes and it’s now come down to Prince Daemon and Ser Criston. Prince Daemon gets in the first hit, but ultimately, it’s Ser Criston who unseats the Commander of the Watch. Daemon doesn’t give up and demands his sword, while Criston’s weapon of choice is a mace.
It’s a fierce battle and the upper hand switches multiple times. However, Ser Criston emerges victorious and asks for Princess Rhaenyra’s favor which he receives. (Daemon is not a gracious loser.)
Unfortunately for King Viserys, his son lasts only a matter of minutes before also passing away.
Aemma and her baby, Baelon, are wrapped and placed on a funeral pyre. King Viserys looks beaten as he stands in silence, surrounded by his people.
Prince Daemon whispers to Princess Rhaenyra that the people are waiting for her, and she wonders if her father found happiness in those few minutes his male heir was alive. Daemon reminds her that Viserys needs her now more than ever.
Princess Rhaenyra approaches the pyre, looks at her father who doesn’t meet her eyes, and then says, “Dracarys.” Her dragon, Syrax, responds to the command and lights the pyre on fire.
The council assembles and Otto Hightower believes it’s urgent they name the King’s successor. Others argue the precedent is set and the heir is Prince Daemon. However, both Grand Maester Mellos and Otto think that would be a horrible mistake, given Daemon’s history and personality.
King Viserys reminds Otto it was his suggestion that Daemon be named Commander of the Watch. Otto admits he believes Daemon should be kept far away from the seat of power. King Viserys vehemently disagrees, assuring everyone his brother will have a place at court.
As it’s suggested by Grand Maester Mellos that Daemon could murder the King to take the crown, we’re shown Daemon is hiding nearby, eavesdropping on this entire discussion.
Viserys doesn’t believe Daemon even wants the throne and Daemon smirks. Viserys is wrong.
Otto Hightower believes Princess Rhaenyra could be named heir and that it’s only history, not the law, that says a Queen can’t sit on the Iron Throne. Lord Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes), Master of Laws, warns that might throw the kingdom into disarray.
Otto Hightower is certain Daemon would be a second Maegor, and King Viserys needs to protect the realm from him.
“I will not be made to choose between my brother and my daughter!” says King Viserys.
The argument continues and King Viserys has had enough. He storms out of the council meeting without naming an heir.
Otto has a raven sent to Oldtown with a secret message. He then suggests to his daughter, Alicent, that she get close to King Viserys. He wants her to go to the King in his chambers and offer him comfort. Otto goes a step further and suggests she should wear one of her mother’s dresses for the visit.
Alicent does what she’s told and finds King Viserys polishing a ring and working on a large sculpture of Valyria. She brought a book and explains she just wanted to look in on him. Alicent reveals that when her mother died all she wanted was for someone to say they were sorry.
“I’m very sorry, Your Grace,” says Alicent.
Prince Daemon and the men of the Watch have rented out a brothel, and the drinking and whoring momentarily ceases when Daemon’s asked to give a speech.
The following day Otto Hightower reports to the King and the council about the prior evening’s activities. During his speech, Daemon toasted Viserys’ dead son and called him “the heir for a day.” Otto also adds the evening was a celebration, which is an insult to Viserys’ wife and deceased baby.
Prince Daemon is summoned before King Viserys who’s seated on the Iron Throne. Viserys demands to know if Daemon actually said “the heir for a day,” and Daemon says each person mourns in their own way. Viserys is enraged, accusing Daemon of laughing and celebrating with whores rather than being with family and mourning the deaths.
“You chose to celebrate your own rise, laughing with your whores and your lickspittles!” screams King Viserys.
The brothers argue, each accusing the other of mistreatment and neglect. They share dragon blood but aren’t close, and Viserys has sent Daemon away for the past 10 years – anything to keep him from King’s Landing.
Daemon calls Otto a c*nt while Viserys views him as unwavering and loyal. “He doesn’t protect you – I would,” counters Daemon. When Viserys asks from what, Daemon replies, “Yourself,” and calls his brother weak.
King Viserys announces he’s naming a new heir and banishes Daemon from King’s Landing. He’s ordered to return to his wife in the Vale.
Paddy Considine and Milly Alcock in ‘House of the Dragon’ episode 1 (Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO)
Later, Viserys and Rhaenyra have a private chat in front of the skeleton of the great dragon, Balerion. He asks what she sees when she looks upon a dragon and she answers, “I suppose I see us.”
Rhaenyra thinks without the dragons, Targaryens are just like everyone else. Viserys confesses he believes the Targaryens don’t control the dragons and thinks they are a power that shouldn’t have been trifled with. Any Targaryen king – or queen – must understand this. He apologizes for wasting years wanting a son.
King Viserys believes Rhaenyra could be a great ruler and was made to wear the crown. Viserys also shares a secret long held by their family. Dreams have often guided them and Aegon foresaw that the end of men would begin with a terrible winter out of the North. Whatever dwelled within the winds would destroy the world of the living.
When winter comes, all of Westeros must stand united against it. For that to happen, a Targaryen must be on the Iron Throne. Aegon called his dream The Song of Ice and Fire, and now she must carry this secret and protect it.
While Prince Daemon and Mysaria take to the air on Caraxes, lords of the various Houses, as well as King Viserys’ council, pledge their loyalty to Viserys and his named heir, Princess Rhaenyra.
Milly Alcock and Paddy Considine in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 1 episode 1 (Photo by Ollie Upton / HBO)
House of the Dragon focuses exclusively on House Targaryen and as we see in episode one, there’s enough backstabbing, jealousy, and even actual love, to warrant following this particular House of fair-haired dragon riders.
Prince Daemon appears to be a slightly more twisted version of Jaime Lannister. And speaking of Jaime, the Targaryens’ history of incest is clearly not just the standard for past generations. Aemma’s multiple failed pregnancies and Daemon’s attraction to his niece hint there’s a disturbing amount of inbreeding still going on. So, yes, there’s that factor to deal with once again.
King Viserys begins episode one as a decent, good-humored ruler with a sincere desire to follow in King Jaehaerys’ footsteps and maintain a peaceful kingdom. He’s even, initially, capable of tolerating his brother, even though his trusted advisors Otto Hightower and Grand Maester Mellos warn him Daemon has his sights set on the Iron Throne.
Although women are considered lesser during this era, Princess Rhaenyra, Princess Rhaenys, and Alicent Hightower are no shrinking violets. Episode one does a decent job of setting them up as potentially powerful players in the quest to rule the kingdom.
The acting is superb; there’s not a single scene in which the ensemble, led by Paddy Considine and Matt Smith, isn’t fully committed to this world and these characters. After Game of Thrones, it was expected the production design, costumes, and effects would be impressive, and the below-the-line team didn’t let GoT fans – or new viewers, for that matter – down.
The world doesn’t seem as expansive as Game of Thrones, but that’s understandable given the limited focus of House of the Dragon. The spinoff manages to capture the GoT vibe without feeling like a knock-off, although it’ll be a challenge for this 10-episode season not to wind up feeling a bit claustrophobic if the action continues to take place solely in King’s Landing.
The premiere accomplished what it needed to, establishing the key players, and dropping hints at what’s to come. Plus, it didn’t hurt that there were plenty of magnificent dragons!
Chandler Kinney, Malia Pyles, Maia Reficco, and Zaria in ‘Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin’ episode 7 (Photograph by Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max)
HBO Max’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin season one episode seven opens with Elodie (Lea Salonga) receiving her first communication from A. It’s a flyer for the Millwood Carnival in 1999 and on the back, it reads: “Meet me in the hall of mirrors.”
A flashback shows Elodie (Emily Bautista) and Angela (Gabriella Pizzolo) running through the hall of mirrors. They begin to kiss and Davie (Ava DeMary) catches them. Elodie backs away and asks Angela what she’s doing, adding, “Did you see that, Davie? How she attacked me?”
Davie warns Angela, “Well, don’t think you can come on to me next.”
Present-day Elodie burns the flyer.
Imogen (Bailee Madison) and Tabby (Chandler Kinney) learn from Faran that her mom’s been discharged from the hospital. Imogen wonders if they’re going to need to tell their friends the truth about their own assaults when they discuss the trip to Rosewood. She’s worried about the stigma not just on her but on her baby.
Tabby admits she thought about going to the police but didn’t. “Maybe I’d go now if it wasn’t for Sheriff Beasley being basically the Slender Man,” she says. Imogen remembers there being a female officer who showed up the night her mom died. She was nice and might listen to Tabby now.
Monday, November 9: Corey (Zakiya Young) returns home in a wheelchair with a broken leg and Faran asks if she needs anything before she goes to school. Corey doesn’t and says Zeke’s at the garage getting her brakes checked. She admits they won’t find anything because they’re not the reason she crashed.
Corey blames the crash on the “diva stunt” Faran pulled. Faran lays into her mom, telling her she’s scarred for life and has been in pain for years. Corey stands by what she did.
Over lunch at school, the girls admit their mothers must have visited Rose and all signed in under the name A. Waters. They think it’s a confirmation of their guilt. Faran (Zaria) and Noa (Maia Reficco) wonder why A’s targeting them and why A’s not going after the rapist. And Imogen’s confused about why he killed Karen.
They’re clearly missing something and Noa pounds the table and says a little too loud, “Yeah! Like who the f**k A is!” Noa brings up Sheriff Beasley since he went to school with their moms and knew Angela. Imogen doesn’t think he’d kill his own daughter; he loved Karen. Noa agrees but says he has demons and reveals she caught him engaged in oral sex with a boy during community service.
Imogen believes they should definitely keep him as a suspect. Also, what about Tabby’s boss, Wes? Tabby seems surprised by that, and Mouse (Malia Pyles) suggests Angela’s dad should be considered, too. They don’t know anything about him, and he could still be around.
Madame Giry (Kate Jennings Grant) informs Faran she’ll be dancing Giselle for her next semester. Faran’s ecstatic but the joy’s short-lived when Madame Giry also tells her Kelly withdrew from dance class.
Faran asks Kelly (Mallory Bechtel) why she quit and learns Kelly thinks she sent the masked man after her. Kelly assumes it was Henry. Faran asks what happened and if that’s why she quit Swan Lake, but Kelly isn’t buying the innocent act.
“You made your point pretty clear, I think. You know – with the knife,” says Kelly. Faran looks stunned and asks if someone tried to stab her. Kelly thinks maybe she should have her father arrest her. Kelly’s parting words are, “Talk to me again and maybe I still will.”
The girls have a meeting in the ladies room and Faran worries she accidentally set A’s sights on Kelly. Or, maybe it’s because Kelly is a bully just like her sister was.
Noa and Faran decide to go to the carnival; they aren’t letting A ruin their lives.
The students are forced to partner up in health class and take care of a simulated baby. Chip (Carson Rowland) offers to team up with Imogen and she accepts. She thinks they should trade off and offers to take the first night.
Mr. Smithee gives Tabby’s film class their next assignment. They will write, direct, and edit a short film based on some aspect of their lives, something meaningful and important to them. Tabby has a short flashback of the night she was raped.
Ash (Jordan Gonzalez) invites Mouse to the carnival and she admits her moms never let her go. She confesses that when she was a little girl, a man at the carnival offered her cotton candy and then tried to take her. Her moms saw what was happening and screamed her name. The man ran off and was never caught.
Ash asks who he was, and Mouse says he was a stranger. Since then, every year during the carnival they go out of town.
Noa’s track practice doesn’t go well. She comes in last and is frustrated. Her coach asks if she’s getting enough rest and how her diet is. She admits it’s not great because her mom just got a job at Pinball Pizza. Her coach has a trainer she wants her to meet.
Faran and Henry (Ben Cook) are practicing and as Faran’s lifted in the air her back begins to hurt, forcing them to stop. As Henry rubs her back, he asks when the pain started. She admits she’s had it on and off for eight years. Most of the time it’s manageable but every now and then it gets unbearable, and she gets cortisone shots at the clinic.
Derek Klena, Chandler Kinney, and Carson Rowland in ‘Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin’ episode 7 (Photograph by Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max)
At the theater, Wes (Derek Klena) seems to think he has a good idea for their next double feature – The Last House on the Left and Virgin Spring. Tabby isn’t happy because both movies depict graphic rape scenes. As Wes tries to convince her that these movies have morals, Tabby grows increasingly angry. She grips a pen tightly and then stabs Wes through the hand with it. Oh, wait…that wasn’t real. She doesn’t really stab him.
After Tabby snaps out of her daydream, Wes reminds her that if she’s going to attend film school, she must have critical distance. Tabby insists they have no idea what they are actually saying about sexual violence. She wonders if they have any idea what it’s like to watch those scenes as a woman. Tabby asks Chip if their Psycho project taught him nothing about trauma and the female body.
Mouse receives a text from Steve saying, “Hi Again, I got us tickets to the carnival so we can ride the carousel together. It’s your favorite.” Mouse decides to take matters into her own hands, googles him, and finds out where he works.
Imogen’s simulated baby won’t stop crying and Sidney (Sharon Leal) offers to take her. She just needed to be burped and Sidney takes the opportunity to ask Imogen if she plans to keep her baby. Imogen admits she doesn’t know, and Sidney points out that she’s 16 and has so much ahead of her. Imogen confirms the school nurse mentioned adoption as a possibility. Sidney has the name of an agency and asks if she can make her an appointment. Imogen agrees.
Tuesday, November 10: Imogen needs to use the restroom and asks the lady at the school’s front desk to watch her fake baby. When she returns, the baby’s gone.
The bell rings and students are pouring out of their classes with their fake babies as Imogen starts to panic. She finds Chip and tells him someone stole their baby who she’s named Clarice.
She’s still panicking and Chip talks her through it, calmly. After everyone leaves the hall, they hear their baby’s muffled cry and find her in a closet. Chip thinks it was just a prank but there’s a note attached to the baby that reads: “You’re a bad mother,” with the A in red in the word bad. Imogen changes her mind and thinks they should tag team the assignment. She then asks for a ride to an adoption agency after school.
Madame Giry tells Faran not to be angry at Henry after he told her Faran’s back hurts. Giry reveals when she was in her 20s, she broke her ankle during a performance. She has a doctor she wants Faran to see.
Henry’s sorry he pissed Faran off but he’s not sorry for blurting anything out. He’s happy she’s getting checked out, and Faran orders him to go to the doctor with her. It’s the least he can do.
Tabby revisits the woods where she was raped and has flashbacks to that night. As she turns around, the man in the mask is standing there with a knife. She screams and falls, but it wasn’t real. It was just in her head.
Tabby’s waiting for the female deputy at the station when Sheriff Beasley (Eric Johnson) spots her. He’s been meaning to call her in and orders her to come with him. He asks when the last time she saw Tyler was, revealing a witness told him the last time Tyler was seen was at the party she and Imogen hosted. Beasley also knows Tabby and Tyler fought.
Tabby explains Tyler was harassing one of her friends. Beasley claims she assaulted Tyler but Tabby insists she was protecting her friend. She hasn’t seen Tyler since that night but she’s sure he’s fine.
“Guys like Tyler are always fine in towns like Millwood and with guys like you looking out for them,” says Tabby.
Before she can leave, Beasley asks what she’s doing in “his” station. She lies and says she was there to pay for one of her mom’s parting tickets but realized she forgot it.
Imogen and Chip visit the adoption agency, and Imogen explains she had plans to keep her baby but circumstances have changed. The agent offers to talk her through a few scenarios and, assuming Chip’s the dad, asks if he supports the adoption. Before Imogen can correct her, Chip agrees to whatever Imogen decides is best for the baby.
After the visit’s over, Chip says he played along because he felt like she needed some support. They head to the pizza place for lunch with their fake baby, and Imogen’s having a fun time. Chip asks, “Hey, question. Do you think babies like carnivals?”
Faran informs her mom that Madame Giry sent her to see a doctor because she has chronic pain. Giry’s doctor said the surgery her mom forced her to have was a huge mistake. The doctor wants her to do physical therapy three times a week, wear a brace, and stop dancing for at least six months. Faran’s going to follow the doctor’s suggestions so she’ll get better the right way.
The trainer Noa’s coach sent her to suggests her problem is shortness of breath. He wants to give her an inhaler, but Noa’s reluctant to use it.
Mouse pays Steve a visit at his work while he’s in the middle of talking to customers. He hypocritically says she crossed a line because this is his place of work. Mouse correctly points out he showed up at her school, won’t stop calling, and won’t stop texting. She tried to be nice and understanding but now she’s pissed and tells him to stop f**king with her.
Steve confesses he knows all about her, including that she was almost snatched as a child. He shocks Mouse by revealing he’s in a support group with her mom. Mouse asks when they meet and he tells her every other Tuesday. She thinks that’s impossible because her mom has book club those days. Mouse suddenly realizes her mom isn’t in a book club.
Mouse returns home and begins cutting up the photos she took of people who’ve lost a child. Just then she receives a text from A: “The man who tried to take you WASN’T a stranger.”
Shawn (Alex Aiono) asks Noa how it went with the trainer and explains the trainer has helped other guys, including Greg and Tyler. (That’s not at all suspicious, right?) The trainer suggested an inhaler, but Noa admits she isn’t sure how she feels about it because it might be doping. She asks if he’s using an inhaler and Shawn insists he’s not. He’s 100% natural talent.
Elodie’s reading a book at home when Mouse asks if it’s for her book club. Mouse then asks if it’s an all-ages book club or for adults. She says adults. Mouse tells her Ash asked her to the carnival and she’s decided to say yes. Elodie’s upset, but Mouse has made up her mind. Her mom asks what if “he” is there. Mouse asks if the guy who tried to take her was a stranger, and her mom says yes – a total stranger.
Imogen fills Tabby in on her day with Chip and asks her if it’s okay that she says yes to going to the carnival with him. Tabby wonders if she’s crushing on Chip and Imogen claims she isn’t but admits he’s cute. Still, she’ll say no if it’s weird for Tabby. Tabby says Chip is just a friend and if she wants to go with him, she should.
Wednesday, November 11: Mouse has a one-on-one with her mom Shirley (Kim Berrios Lin) while Elodie’s out. Shirley explains Elodie canceled their annual trip to the mountains and admits she doesn’t know how long she can keep doing this with Elodie. She has tried to get her to move on.
Tabby decides to tell the school nurse about the rape but before she does, she sees a poster for a blood drive. The nurse says they need as many students as possible to donate.
It’s carnival time and Ash thinks it’s funny Mouse’s favorite ride is the carousel. When Mouse says she wants to have fun at the carnival with her boyfriend, Ash asks, “Boyfriend?” She gets embarrassed for assuming they’re dating, but there’s no need for that because Ash says he’d love to be her boyfriend.
Sidney and Tabby are at the carnival and discuss the topic of Tabby’s short film. Tabby confesses there’s a story she kind of wants to tell – a personal one. She’s thinking about telling her mom, but then has a flashback of that night after spotting members of the football. She tells her mom it’s too soon to share.
The Beasleys are also at the carnival and Martha (Jennifer Ferrin) seems to be in a good mood, suggesting they play cornhole like they used to. Tom brings up that they played that when there were four of them; it doesn’t make sense to play it now. Kelly interjects, “Right, because I’m not enough.”
Chip brings Imogen cotton candy and she apologies she can’t get on any rides. When he notices Imogen watching a couple kiss, he asks her, “Imogen, would you ever want to…” She says no. He says he gets it because he’s spent the past three years watching movies in his basement while crushing on his best friend even though he already knew it wasn’t going to happen. Chip believes he’s not boyfriend material and Imogen insists that’s not it.
Imogen tries to tell him her reality, but he cuts her off. Chip calls her a badass that any guy would be lucky… He doesn’t finish that sentence because Imogen kisses him. After the kiss, she tells him she likes him too.
Faran and Henry are on the Ferris wheel and he thinks she’s still upset with him for going to Giry. Faran admits she’s upset with the situation but not with him. She assures him she will dance again.
Alex Aiono and Maia Reficco in ‘Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin’ episode 7 (Photograph by Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max)
Football players from Rosewood show up at the carnival and start stuff with the Millwood High football players. Shawn tries to fight them and Noa breaks it up and gets mad at him for being involved in a fight.
Elodie receives a text: “If you’re not honest with Mouse your worst fears will come true.”
She abruptly gets up and says they shouldn’t have let her go. The man is still out there and it’s too dangerous. Shirley insists this paranoia must stop. She warns, “Do not walk out that door. If you do, I don’t know what’s going to be waiting for you when you get back.”
Ash and Mouse enter the hall of mirrors and she spots the masked man. Mouse tries to run away but she can’t figure out how. No matter where she turns, she keeps seeing him. Somehow, Ash doesn’t see him and asks what’s wrong. She finally locates an exit and runs into her mom. Elodie wants to come clean and tell her the truth.
Elodie confesses the man who tried to take her was her biological father. Mouse is confused because she always thought she came from a donor. Elodie admits after college she needed money and saw a posting at a women’s clinic of a couple looking for a surrogate.
Mouse wants to know how she was able to keep her if she was his surrogate. Elodie reveals they didn’t use an agency. Mouse guesses it was her dad at the carnival and pieces together he might not have been trying to abduct her. Maybe he just wanted to spend time with her. Elodie admits she doesn’t know. Mouse confesses she was the one who sent her the text, so it wasn’t from A. Elodie claims she doesn’t have any other secrets to tell.
Imogen tells Tabby that she and Chip kissed, and it was nice. Tabby thinks it might be time to tell the girls about what happened to her. Tabby’s going to ask for their help with something. She thinks that if the guy who attacked them goes to Millwood High, she knows how to catch him.
Thursday, November 11: Mouse tells the girls she saw A in the hall of mirrors. Her mom told her the truth about a dark family secret and her other mom kicked Elodie out. As Tabby’s about to tell them what happened to her and Imogen, they all receive a text. They’re shocked when they see a photo of Tyler, dead. The episode ends with Imogen saying, “A killed him?”
