Helen Wan’s bestselling novel gets the series treatment with Netflix’s Partner Track starring Arden Cho (Chicago Med). The 10-episode series premieres on August 26, 2022 and follows Cho as Ingrid Yun, a lawyer attempting to shatter the glass ceiling at a prestigious law firm.
The first season cast includes Bradley Gibson (Power Book II: Ghost), Alexandra Turshen (Ray Donovan), Dominic Sherwood (Shadowhunters), and Rob Heaps (Good Girls). Nolan Gerard Funk (The Flight Attendant), Matthew Rauch (Blue Bloods), and Roby Attal (The Haunting of Bly Manor) also star in the one-hour drama.
“My novel, The Partner Track, is an American Dream story. It’s about a woman of color learning to navigate the alien culture at a powerful global law firm. It’s about chasing ambition while attempting to live authentically at work and remaining true to ourselves and our values,” writes author Han on her official website. “I’ve always been fascinated by our complicated relationship with ‘success’ and ambition. I love a good workplace story and tales about leveling the playing field. I root for underdogs, fairness, and kindness.”
Georgia Lee developed the series and serves as co-showrunner and executive producer with Sarah Goldfinger. Julie Anne Robinson and JAX Media’s Kim Shumway, Kristen Campo, and Tony Hernandez also executive produce. Season one directors include Robinson, Kevin Berlandi, Tanya Wexler, Lily Mariye, and Adam Brooks.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix: Ingrid Yun, a 1st generation Korean American and the first lawyer in her family, experiences the trials and tribulations of excelling at the prestigious (but old-school) law firm, Parsons Valentine. With the support of her friends, she battles through workplace challenges to break through the glass ceiling on her path to become partner. But will her drive and ambition leave room for love?
‘Alone’ Season 9 competitor Teimojin (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)
Three people remain as The History Channel’s Alone season nine episode 10 kicks off. Episode 10 takes us from Day 53 through Day 61, and all three survivalists are still standing by the end of “Winter’s Grasp.”
Teimojin, Age 31, Montreal, CAN
Day 53: Frost covers the ground as Teimojin uses his rungu (a wooden club) to finish off a squirrel caught in one of his traps. It’s a good-size squirrel and should provide about 500 calories. He first used rungus when he visited the Masali in Kenya in 2012.
Teimojin feels being a bridge between the medical world and the traditional world helps him give back to indigenous communities.
Day 54: Although the shelter looks big on the outside, inside it’s compact but functional. The temperature’s dropped again and Teimojin needs to pack on some more moss to help insulate.
As the first physician in the competition, he’s more aware of what constipation can do to a body. He reveals it’s been hard to poop and worries about hemorrhoids but knows how to combat the pain if that happens.
While gathering boughs he takes a tumble off a log and goes down hard. He’s feeling weaker and knows his mind’s not as sharp, but fortunately, he’s able to get up and continue with the competition.
A grouse momentarily catches his attention but it’s too far away to shoot.
Back at his shelter he rests in front of the fire, realizing that little bit of gathering used up all his energy for the day. He’s got a winter’s worth of reindeer moss, a piece of grouse, and a handful of berries on hand – and that’s it. He’s been saving it up for Thanksgiving, certain it will give him a mental boost.
Teimojin’s aware one activity a day will be all he’s capable of now.
Day 56: Teimojin trained in this weather in the military and learned how to thrive in it. He grabs a walking stick and heads out, believing he can hear grouse flapping. He takes three steps uphill and already needs a break.
Day 57: Teimojin’s in bed at 12:30pm listening to the wind. Everything’s more complex now because of the weather and he’s happy his roof’s holding up. He doesn’t envy anyone who’s nearer to the beach and is happy he’s tucked into the forest.
Day 58: It’s still snowing and he’s feeling the cold. He’s hungry and boils reindeer moss which is high in carbs but low in nutritional value. He’ll use the water from the moss to freeze up the outside of his shelter, making a moss ice castle. Teimojin did this in the military to help with the insulation.
Just walking 15 feet to the creek is difficult but he’ll keep going. “This is an incredibly personal journey for me,” says Teimojin. He spent seven years working on becoming a doctor and sacrificing his mental and physical health. After those seven years, he felt like he didn’t even know his family anymore and didn’t know where he fit in. “Being out here I realized I can’t be that selfish. It has to be about the people I care about,” explains Teimojin.
He hopes to be a better person when his time on Alone comes to an end.
Day 61: Teimojin shows off his chipped tooth that happened from chewing on a bone the wrong way. He warns that if you lose a tooth, don’t put it in water. That will destroy it.
He heads off to check snares, going slowly since his energy level’s down. “I’m pushing past my limit each and every day. Clinically, I know I’m declining,” admits Teimojin.
He makes a noise like a squirrel, but nothing responds. After taking a little fall in the snow, he decides to go back to his bear hang and get the last of his grouse. It’s not Thanksgiving but he needs the energy – and morale – boost. He holds up the last wishbone and sucks on it before making a wish. Every time he makes a wish he gets animal protein, but this time he’s going to wish that sharing this experience with his mom will bring them closer together. He promises she’ll never be alone and he’ll be a much better son coming out of this experience.
He’s pleased with how much food he has in his pot, showing off the stew of grouse and reindeer moss.
‘Alone’ season 9 competitor Karie (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)
Karie Lee, Age 57, Sandpoint, ID
Day 53: Snow falls as we catch up with Karie. She makes a snow angel and cheers wintertime. Karie believes more snow’s on the way and sets to work building a cob oven and making her shelter more weather-proof. The cob oven’s clay will help heat the shelter as the temperature plunges.
Karie’s still in a good mood and looking forward to more time spiritually connecting with the earth.
She builds a chimney for her new oven, which is taking longer to build than she anticipated, and has the chimney coming straight up out of the ground a little way from the shelter’s wall. After it’s finished, she tests the oven and can hear the clay sizzling. Unfortunately, there’s a breakthrough and the smoke fills her shelter. The oven’s falling apart and she’s now spending more time on this and not out getting food.
The oven’s a bust and she’s disappointed in wasting that much time on the project.
Day 55: It’s 22 degrees and more snow has fallen. Karie heard a noise outside her shelter and she thinks it could have been a bear, but there aren’t any footprints in the snow.
The berries are giving her a surprising amount of energy, and she carries around the fruit leather made from bunchberries to snack on while she’s out and about. However, she needs more than just berries to win Alone.
Karie checks out her traps and explains she hasn’t even seen a bear so smaller animals are all that’s on the menu right now. Her first traps come up empty and she has a difficult time locating others. The snow’s up to her knees and has buried her ribbons marking the traps.
Karie feels like she’s not good enough to come home with a meal and finds that embarrassing. Later that evening, she decides she’s done with squirrel trapping. She’ll have to exist on her fruit leather and berries.
Day 56: Karie doesn’t want to leave her shelter but has to urinate and get water. She’s immediately struck by the cold wind which isn’t her favorite element. It’s snowing sideways and much more difficult to get around. Her optimism slips a bit when she concedes it’s getting overwhelming.
Day 57: Karie’s only task for the day is to gather firewood. The snow’s really deep and she notes it’s snowed at least two inches in the past hour. She takes a tumble while attempting to get her wood into her shelter and decides to call it a day after making a fire.
Day 59: The bottom of her pants are frozen shut and she can’t push her feet through. She laughs as she struggles into her pants before heading out for more firewood and pitch. She has a history of adrenal exhaustion and is very aware of when she’s getting close to the edge.
Karie hears a squirrel as she gathers pitch and takes a shot. It’s a hit and she’s got fresh meat for dinner! This squirrel marks the first she’s actually shot.
“I’m in heaven,” says Karie as she eats. “This is part of my dream.” She’s justifiably proud of herself for what she’s accomplished and what she’s learned.
Karie thinks the competition will go two more weeks.
‘Alone’ season 9 competitor Juan (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)
Juan Pablo, Age 30, Pinawa, CAN
Day 54: It’s 28 degrees and snowing as Juan’s tucked inside his sleeping bag. He gets dressed inside the bag and gets his blood flowing. He’s attempting a 20-day fast and needs to conserve his energy. We’re told a person can go one or two months without food as long as they hydrate.
Juan heads out into the wet snow and calls it perfect hypothermia weather. “Just seeing this now makes you feel colder,” says Juan.
After fetching some water, Juan reinforces his roof so his tarp doesn’t sag. He’s planning on copying the animals and working with the weather – not against it. Juan explains that in survival mode you get a better grasp on what’s important. You have to be present and enjoy the moment or else mentally you won’t survive.
Day 56: The snow’s really coming down and Juan checks it out through his window made from his boots’ gaitors. Outside looks like a winter wonderland and Juan describes it as wet, cold, and windy. It’s definitely not a good day to go outside, but he needs to get water and heads to his pier.
Juan believes there probably aren’t many people left in this harsh place.
Day 57: The temperature’s fallen to 19 degrees and Juan’s wrapped up in his sleeping bag at 10:15am. The wind’s gusting at 51 mph and he has no plans to leave his shelter. He thinks that it would suck if his shelter collapsed.
Day 58: The storm’s over and Juan admits he’s never experienced so much continuous wind. He takes a seat by the river and drinks water, explaining he’s been drinking water straight without boiling it for 10 years. Juan didn’t collect enough water yesterday and realizes he needs to up his intake.
Juan is the only person in the history of the Alone competition not to actively maintain a fire.
He spends time patching up his shelter’s door and holes in his walls. Because he’s fasting, everything’s taking more of his energy.
Day 59: Juan’s pot has ice in it and he bangs it to clear it. He then cuts a hole in the ice and fetches some water. It’s still not safe to walk on the river but it will be in a few days. He hopes to walk across the river to find more supplies once it’s completely frozen.
Juan works on building an ice chisel so he can test the ice. He’s still planning on doing a little hunting and trapping, even though he’s currently fasting. Juan’s determined to give it everything he has to stay in the fight.
He found a nail on Day 2 and uses it to make sure his ax is securely attached to the wood he’s just shaved for his ice chisel.
Day 60: Juan uses his multitool to clip his toenails, aware it’s important to take care of your feet. He emerges from his shelter and packs more snow up against the sides of his shelter for added insulation. Juan thinks his shelter is 90% airtight now, thanks to the added snow and ice.
The inside of his shelter is warmer than it’s been in a while, and he still doesn’t have a fire. He’s using his body heat in the sleeping bag to keep things dry. Everything’s a struggle but he’s not afraid and is curious about how far he can push his body.
Joe Manganiello as Tomm and Emma McDonald as Bella Sway in ‘Moonhaven’ season 1 (Photo Credit: Szymon Lazewski/AMC+)
AMC+ has officially renewed Moonhaven for season two following its impressive season one debut. Since the sci-fi drama’s premiere on July 7, 2022, it’s become the second most-watched new series in AMC+’s history. (Dark Winds is the first.)
The six-episode first season stars Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Dominic Monaghan (Lost), Emma McDonald (Queens of Mystery), and Amara Karan (Doctor Who). Ayelet Zurer (Losing Alice), Kadeem Hardison (Black Monday), and Yazzmin Newell (The Last Tree) also star.
Lodge 49‘s Peter Ocko created the series and serves as showrunner and executive producer. Deb Spere also executive produces.
“This is such an engaging and entertaining series, brilliantly conceived and run by Peter. The story is suspenseful, provocative and prescient, and features a phenomenal cast that delivers mesmerizing performances,” stated Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “What Peter and the team are crafting for season two is next level, and the fans will be thrilled.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to return to the Moon and continue our story with this amazing cast and crew,” said Peter Ocko. “AMC+ has been a wonderful partner in bringing our world to life, and we can’t wait to continue the journey.”
Season one wraps up on August 4, 2022. Season two is expected to premiere in 2023.
The Plot: “Set 100 years in the future, the suspenseful thrill ride of a series follows Bella Sway (McDonald), a lunar cargo pilot and smuggler who finds herself accused of a crime and marooned on Moonhaven, a utopian community on a 500 square mile Garden of Eden built on the moon to find solutions to the problems that will soon end civilization on Mother Earth.
A skeptic in paradise, Bella is sucked into a conspiracy to gain control of the artificial intelligence responsible for Moonhaven’s miracles and teams with a local detective, Paul Serno (Monaghan), to stop the forces that want to destroy Earth’s last hope before they are destroyed themselves. Tomm Schultz (Manganiello), an ex-military with a philosophical bent, is the right hand of the lead Earth diplomat to the moon, who finds his ambitions changed when he’s injected with a mind-altering moon drug.”
Lionel Richie, Ryan Seacrest, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan return for ‘American Idol’ season 6 (ABC/Christopher Willard)
The upcoming sixth season of American Idol on ABC will welcome back judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie. Host Ryan Seacrest is also confirmed to return to the singing competition series when it kicks off a new season in spring 2023.
American Idol season six – or 21 overall, if you count the years it spent on Fox – will kick off live virtual auditions on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. ABC released the following schedule and details on the audition process:
“Auditions take place across all 50 states plus Washington, D.C, and start with the annual First 500 event, where hopefuls can sign up to grab a VIP spot before anyone else. ‘Idol Across America’ offers hopefuls the opportunity to showcase their talents face-to-face with an American Idol producer, from anywhere in America, across any official audition date for a chance to proceed to the judge audition round of the competition.
Contestants must be at least 15 years old to audition and may do so on any ‘Idol Across America’ date regardless of your location.
• ‘First 500’ VIP Event (Aug. 3)
• Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina (Aug. 5)
• Florida, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia (Aug. 8)
• Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas (Aug. 10)
• Connecticut, New Jersey, New York (Aug. 12)
• Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi ( Aug. 15)
• Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee (Aug. 17)
• Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington (Aug. 19)
• Open Call: Nationwide (Aug. 22)
• Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin (Aug. 24)
• Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming (Aug. 26)
• Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. (Aug. 29)
• Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont (Aug. 31)
Krysten Ritter as Lucy and Avan Jogia as Jack in ‘Orphan Black: Echoes’ Season 1, Episode 1 (Photo Credit: Sophie Giraud/AMC)
Clone Club, assemble! Orphan Black: Echoes, AMC Networks’ new journey into the complex world of clones, has cast Krysten Ritter in a starring role.
The Jessica Jones star will also serve as an executive producer on the 10-episode first season.
The new Orphan Black series was created by writer, showrunner, and executive producer Anna Fishko (Pieces of Her, Fear the Walking Dead). Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett is on board to direct and executive produce. Additional executive producers include Boat Rocker’s David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Katie O’Connell Marsh, Nick Nantell, and Kerry Appleyard.
“Embarking on a new saga of Orphan Black with Anna, our partners at Boat Rocker, and AMC could not be more exciting. For all our dedicated OB fans out there, I am thrilled that we can bring this new chapter to them. Without our fans, this new show certainly wouldn’t exist and for that, I am deeply grateful. I can’t wait to ‘follow the crazy science’ for them!” stated John Fawcett in April 2022 when the series was announced.
Krysten Ritter’s recent credits include Nightbooks, The Girl in the Woods, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. Ritter also played a key role in AMC’s Breaking Bad [pictured above] and will soon be seen in Love and Death with Elizabeth Olsen.
AMC Networks is targeting a 2023 premiere.
The Plot: Set in the near future, Orphan Black: Echoes takes a deep dive into the exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence. It follows a group of women as they weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal. Ritter will play Lucy, a woman with an unimaginable origin story, trying to find her place in the world.
Starz continues its dive into Royal rulers with The Serpent Queen starring two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (In America, Sweet and Lowdown). The official trailer declares it’s safer to be feared than loved and shows Catherine de Medici’s approach to ruling France, an approach that earned her the nicknames the Serpent Queen and the Black Queen.
Joining Samantha Morton in bringing Catherine de Medici’s reign to life are Liv Hill, Charles Dance, Ludivine Sagnier, Colm Meaney, Kiruna Stamell, Barry Atsma, Alex Heath, and Amrita Acharia. The ensemble also includes Enzo Cilenti, Antonia Clarke, Adam Garcia, Beth Goddard, Raza Jaffrey, and Ray Panthaki.
Nicholas Burns, Danny Kirrane, and Rupert Everett also star.
The series comes from writer/executive producer Justin Haythe (Red Sparrow) and is based on Leonie Frieda’s book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France. Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games films), Erwin Stoff (Edge of Tomorrow), and Stacie Passon (Transparent) executive produce. Passon also directs episodes of the drama including the series premiere.
The eight-episode series premieres on Starz on Sunday, September 11, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT.
Poster for ‘The Serpent Queen’ (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
The Plot:
A historical drama with an edge, The Serpent Queen puts a contemporary spin on conventional storytelling to tell the tale of Catherine de Medici’s (Morton) rise to power. In the series premiere, “Medici Bitch,” Catherine’s tale unfolds through flashbacks as she defends her actions and imparts the lessons she’s learned to her new servant confident, Rahima (Sennia Nanua).
At 14, the young, orphaned Catherine (Hill) marries into the 16th-century French court. Despite her commoner status, her uncle Pope Clement (Dance), has negotiated a large dowry and a geopolitical alliance in return for the union, and with it comes the expectation of many heirs. However, on her wedding night, Catherine learns that her new husband is in love with Diane de Poitiers (Sagnier), a beautiful lady-in-waiting twice his age.
With her future suddenly uncertain and with little hope of conceiving, Catherine must quickly learn who she can trust – both within her personal entourage of courtiers and the members of the royal court – while outmaneuvering anyone who underestimates her determination to survive at any cost.
Ana de Armas sizzles as Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe in the official trailer for Netflix’s Blonde. Based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates, the film examines the torment small-town girl Norma Jeane underwent as she transformed on screen into one of the world’s most recognizable stars.
“She’s deeply traumatized, and that trauma necessitates a split between a public self and a private self, which is the story of everyone, but with a famous person, that often plays out publicly, in ways that may cause additional trauma,” stated writer/director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). “The film’s very much concerned with the relationship with herself and with this other persona, Marilyn, which is both her armor and the thing that is threatening to consume her.”
Ana de Armas (Knives Out, The Gray Man) describes Blonde as exploring Norma Jeane’s feelings while allowing the audience to see what it was like to be Norma and Marilyn at the same time.
“Andrew’s ambitions were very clear from the start — to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens,” said Ana de Armas. “He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. I found that to be the most daring, unapologetic, and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen.”
The cast includes Adrien Brody as The Playwright, Bobby Cannavale as The Ex-Athlete, and Julianne Nicholson as Norma Jeane’s mother. Xavier Samuel, Lily Fisher, Evan Williams, Toby Huss, David Warshofsky, Caspar Phillipson, Dan Butler, Sara Paxton, and Rebecca Wisocky also star.
Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Tracey Landon, and Scott Robertson produce, with Christina Oh executive producing.
Netflix’s official trailer release was accompanied by new photos and a poster. Blonde premieres on September 28, 2022.
The Plot:Blonde boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, Blonde blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.
You’d be hard-pressed right now to find a better original science fiction series than The Orville: New Horizons. Season three is truly firing on all cylinders. The writing’s outstanding, the cast is nailing it, and can we talk about that Dolly Parton cameo? How incredible was that?
The Orville: New Horizons cast and producers hit the stage at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con to discuss season three, now airing on Hulu. They also took part in roundtable interviews in support of what I consider to be the show’s best season yet.
During our roundtable, executive producer Brannon Braga and editor/co-producer Tom Costantino credited series creator/star Seth MacFarlane with securing the Dolly Parton cameo. “The Dolly Parton references began fairly early. We really took a gamble by writing her into the actual story without fully knowing whether she would do it,” explained Braga. “It’s definitely a little bit of a YOLO,” added Costantino.
“Seth worked his magic and she did it, which could not have been [better]. The hard part was keeping it a secret. We wanted it to be a surprise. And COVID helped us there because we shipped the set to Tennessee to film it with a skeleton crew. So, it actually helped that it was filmed in isolation. Word didn’t get out,” said Braga.
Costantino added: “Most of the crew on Dolly’s side was Dolly’s studio crew. And they were the nicest people ever. But, yeah, I think it was one of those things with a lot of wishful thinking and the sheer will of Seth.”
“It turns out she likes science fiction! Makes you love her even more,” said Braga.
One of the benefits of moving from Fox, where seasons one and two aired, to Hulu is that the episodes aren’t limited to 43 minutes.
“I think what you’re seeing in the move to Hulu and the New Horizons of it all is really about the ability to do the stories, to take the time they need to take. And the reward of that is that you can find yourself crying when you watch an episode. I think that’s the cumulative effect of all the changes that have been done,” explained Braga. “It’s an investment in the characters and it’s a testament to the writing and the editing and the acting – all of it. But I do believe that Seth’s genius move to get the stories more breadth and depth has resulted in very powerful emotional moments we might not have gotten in a 43-minute running time.”
I feel like The Orville has really hit its stride this season. Did it feel that way to you?
Penny Johnson Jerald: “Oh wow, that’s a good observation. However, I just beg to differ a little bit because I think that season one, we delivered what it is we were going to deliver in season one, which was real stories sprinkled with comedy. And with season two, we started to see the dramedy, truly the dramedy. And season three, I call it the tripod of The Orville, which is now you’re seeing the adventure, you’re seeing the dramedy, and there are some funny moments.
And so, I think that there are three separate things, but in the third season it’s able to encompass everything on a level that is palatable. Palatable, meaning that you really want to take it in because it matters and the subject matters matter.”
Mark Jackson: “And what I love about it is the comedy…we are always asked about the comedy and the content of the show. It started off a lot more humorous, I’d say, which is a fair enough observation but the great thing about this season is that you’ll have beautiful drama which is undercut now and again with a bit of classic Seth MacFarlane comedy. And it’s observational and it’s that slightly biting East Coast undermining kind of sense of humor, which I really like, and I think the fans really enjoy.
It’s refreshing. You know, it’s the sprinkle of lemon juice on your pancake. You need it. [Pointing at Anne Winters] Well, you don’t. You don’t like anything on your pancakes. But you need it. It’s balance.”
Anne Winters: “I’m just happy to be here this third season so…”
You’re shaking things up a little.
Anne Winters: “Yes. Yes, luckily. I come in hot, but I hope the audience sees her journey, which I think people are starting to see. There are a couple more episodes of the season so I’m hoping that there’s still a bit more room for everyone to change their opinions.
People are like, ‘Oh, she’s just a hater,’ you know? I love what you said – love and hate are kind of the same emotions. She definitely has something that she’s holding onto, but I think that they have a great relationship. And at the end of the day, she kind of, you know, changes a little.”
Mark Jackson: “I was doing a roaring trade in Charly Burke dartboards. I don’t know if you’ve seen them. I’ve got one ordered as well.”
Anne Winters: “I’d order one.”
Charly came in with a lot of rage. Was it a questionable decision to be on board the same ship as Isaac? Why did she make that choice?
Anne Winters: “I think it was her only option, it seems like. I mean, all the other ships pretty much burst into flames. I don’t think she really had the choice.
It probably is her first time working on the Orville, and the Orville – and just the show in general – is just a very encompassing ship of multiple different worlds and everything, and that may not be every single U.S. ship. Just like maybe not every single state has the same laws…random things like that. So, I think it was her first kind of experience on such an open-minded ship and that’s why she ends up changing her mind and seeing different perspectives throughout her stay on the Orville.”
Charly’s role is to remind the audience that what Isaac did was heinous. There are consequences, and that seems to be a theme this whole season.
Mark Jackson: “I think you’re absolutely right, yes. Yes. You know, it was so important to address right at the beginning of the season what had happened and the role that Isaac had played in that and how that can’t be brushed under the carpet. And what I find is really interesting is when Gordon later on in the season comes to [Charly] and says, ‘Well, listen, I kind of feel the same.’”
Penny Johnson Jerald: “I think it’s art imitating life imitating art.”
Anne Winters: “It was also having a new character coming in because I feel like everyone on the Orville and those bonds that you guys already had, it wouldn’t really make sense for someone to genuinely hate Isaac with the bond that everyone has.”
Penny Johnson Jerald: “I don’t think she hates him. I never thought that she hated Isaac.”
Anne Winters: “That I did?”
Penny Johnson Jerald: “No. I got that your word was more correct – rage. Because rage, there’s a reason for rage and you show that in the character.”
Anne Winters: “I understand what you’re saying.”
Penny Johnson Jerald: “Rage is something that is real. Hate – you could just put that on somebody.”
Anne Winters: “I understand. A lot of people say the hate word, but as an actor obviously I’m not like, ‘I just hate Isaac.’ There’s other things but in a simpler form. I mean, hate is kind of…”
Penny Johnson Jerald: “Hate is strong.”
Anne Winters: “But I like rage. If I could correct something, I would correct people to say rage.”
Penny Johnson Jerald: “Because they get enraged and you were raged. But when I see it – because I do read it – and when they say that Charly’s hateful and all that… No, I never saw her that. She had a reason.”
Anne Winters: “Passionately rageful.”
On the topic of emotions, obviously, in this season of The Orville: New Horizons, there are a lot more emotions from Isaac in a couple of different scenes. How did that affect you on the Orville: New Horizons set filming those scenes? Was it jarring?
Mark Jackson: “Well, that only happened in that one scene where he did have the emotion chip. We knew it was coming and we talked about it beforehand.”
Penny Johnson Jerald: “What we talked about was the fact that it was new. It wasn’t just new for Isaac; it was new for Claire, too. So, we talked about being kids like that.”
Mark Jackson: “Teenagers, I think it was that kind of thing.”
Penny Johnson Jerald: “We wanted to explore something for the first time. That’s what emotions are. When your kid discovers they’ve got toes and it tickles when they touch them, it’s something like that.”
Mark Jackson: “Yeah, but we did have to talk about it first. So, we kind of went to the set understanding each other.”
I love Bortus and Klyden’s relationship so much. How much fun has it been to play this evolution in your characters’ relationship?
Chad L. Coleman: “The chemistry was always there. Both of us are trained classical actors who are just batshit crazy.”
Peter Macon: “And it’s like, ‘You’re my kind of crazy so let’s go. Are we going to have a food fight today? Let’s do it! Are we going to smoke some cigarettes? Let’s do it! Let’s go.’ Whatever it is.
There’s a level of trust and understanding, and it really is a dance. It’s like we take care of each other. Somebody asked me a long time ago, we both grew up in the theatre and someone asked me a long time ago – or someone told me a long time ago, ‘If you ever want to know if you have a good show, ask your scene partner how the show went.’ And I check in with him, like, ‘Was that good?’ We just ask questions about each other. We just get in there, we do it, and I miss it when we don’t get to do it. It’s so easy. It’s easy.”
Chad L. Coleman: “Yeah, we got some…what do you call it? We don’t need words. We could look at each other. We can go places because we just get it.”
Peter Macon: “And the stuff that we are asked to do is, okay, not your typical day at work. But the fact that whatever we get thrown at us we handle it together in conflict, right? So, that’s the execution of great writing with great practitioners. You have great writing, and you have the personnel to handle the score, as it were.”
Chad L. Coleman: “It creates a different level of anticipation. Like, I love not knowing. We get in there and we just gotta go.”
Peter Macon: “We are going to get in there and surprise each other and take care of each other and go for it 100% until they yell, ‘Cut!’ And we’re like, ‘Let’s go again. Let’s see what we can get this time.’ That’s the kind of juice, that’s the kind of workplace I love to be in.”
Chad L. Coleman: That’s why I’m able to watch it and lose myself in it because we are so committed.”
Peter Macon: “I forget what we did and I’m like, ‘Oh, that was that take we did, and they cut this together.’ I almost watch it as a fan because we do six, seven, eight, nine takes or whatever and you don’t know, you don’t remember it was months ago, but you know that whatever they chose you can trust the editor. And I get to watch it like, ‘Which one is it?’ They put this together. I’m watching it not as, ‘Oh, I can’t – I can’t look.’ It’s exciting and it’s brand new.”
Chad L. Coleman: “That scene we did – the dinner scene – and then we had the conflict after. I forgot that was so charged.”
You guys have had an incredible storyline this season.
Chad L. Coleman: “They served us up some really juicy stuff.”
Peter Macon: “Great writing and also, I feel like not necessarily a book end but like how we were presented and set up. Our relationship throughout all of season one, season two, season three, and now it’s culminating in this way. And it’s relatable in the sense that anybody who’s in a long-term relationship, like parents, that you go through the trials and tribulations and all these tests of conflict, and tests that challenge your relationship, and it’s so great to play that and be in there.”
Chad L. Coleman: “People care because we care. They care because we care. It matters to us. We know what’s on the table. We know what we didn’t sidestep. We are taking on stuff that many people…it’s polarizing for people, it’s frustrating, and people don’t know how to have the conversations about things. And Seth’s writing – and all the other things as well – just go at it in such a 360 way.”
Peter Macon: “I know that I haven’t seen this last episode because we’ve been on the road; I haven’t seen it because we’ve been traveling for days.”
Chad L. Coleman: “He’s in a traveling band.”
Peter Macon: “Yeah, there’s a harmonica. There’s like a jug. [Laughing] But, yeah, I remember shooting this last episode when I’m like screaming and calling out trying to find Topa. And I have two small boys and I’m getting a little choked up right now, but I remember when we were shooting that I broke. I just dropped to my knees because I’m imagining screaming out, trying to find my child.
This is the writing that got served up to me and I feel so grateful to sort of compartmentalize and organize that ethos of understanding what it means to be a parent and bring that to [this] – not that it was like a therapy thing. But it surprised me because we were shooting and shooting and I’m screaming for Topa and then I just ran off in the woods. I just dropped to my knees and I was sobbing and crying because I was thinking about what that would be. And so, when you have this relationship with someone, you make that real.”
Chad L. Coleman: “Our kids play together.”
Peter Macon: “Yeah, we are parents. Our kids come over and they hang out. And that’s such a gift because that’s not every day. It’s just wonderful, man. [To Chad] I love working with you.”
Chad L. Coleman: “Me too.”
This season seems to be a lot about consequences. What other consequences are left for Bortus and Klyden?
Chad L. Coleman: “I’m curious. I haven’t completely mulled that over. Now is when I’m starting to go, ‘Okay season four, where are we going to go with this thing now?’”
Do you think there are still lingering issues from season three to be addressed in season four?
Chad L. Coleman: “Well, I feel like it’s a complicated fence-mending deal. We’re trying, so I don’t know for sure. Something that was teased with you and Adrianne…”
Peter Macon: “Why are you looking at me like that? I see the way you are looking at me. You’re looking at me like a cheating husband!”
Chad L. Coleman: “You cheated in the simulator. I don’t know.”
Peter Macon: “You’re looking at me like a cheater. I didn’t write it!”
Chad L. Coleman: “But wouldn’t that be the ultimate betrayal? The one that I couldn’t stand the least and then we bridged the gap and invite her in, back into my home.”
Peter Macon: “Okay, okay, I’m guilty before I haven’t done anything. I’m just saying! But on a macrocosmic level I feel like where we level off, again, I haven’t seen this episode, but I know what happens but macrocosmically if like the Union – the Planetary Union – I feel like the notion or the identity of the Planetary Union is in question. You can go for two, 10 seasons. Five seasons.”
Chad L. Coleman: “He’s absolutely right. We denounced our citizenship to our home. What are the consequences of that?”
Peter Macon: “Just like Isaac has done. So, it’s like, ‘Well, is the Planetary Union a good thing where everybody has to turn their back on their own planet?’ I don’t know. I’m just saying can we all get along?”
A wooden boy with a borrowed soul comes to life to fill an elderly man’s world with love in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Netflix’s official teaser trailer, narrated by Ewan McGregor as Cricket, introduces the key players while showcasing the gorgeous animation.
In addition to Ewan McGregor, the voice cast includes David Bradley as Geppetto, Gregory Mann as Pinocchio, Finn Wolfhard, Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman, Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, and Oscar winner Tilda Swinton.
Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson directed from a screenplay by del Toro and Patrick McHale. Producers include del Toro, Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson, Alex Bulkley, Shadow Machine’s Corey Campodonico, and Gary Ungar. Jason Lust serves as an executive producer.
The behind-the-scenes team includes composer Alexandre Desplat, production designer Guy Davis, co-production designer Curt Enderle, art director Rob Desue, and director of photography Frank Passingham. Brian Hansen is the animation supervisor, Georgina Hayns is the puppet supervisor, and Ken Schretzmann is the editor.
The Plot: Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of the wooden marionette who is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto. This whimsical, stop-motion film directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson follows the mischievous and disobedient adventures of Pinocchio in his pursuit of a place in the world.
Poster for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Photo Credit: Netflix)
#Daxton just became an actual thing but now there’s a new guy who’s grabbing Devi’s attention in the season three trailer for Never Have I Ever. Step aside Ben and Paxton, Des has arrived to complicate Devi’s world.
“Ben and Paxton should feel worried. Des is the total package,” stated Never Have I Ever co-creator (with Mindy Kaling) and showrunner Lang Fisher in an interview with Tudum. “When he shows up, it’s a little hard for Devi to focus her attention on anyone else. I think you can imagine how that might shake up the season.”
The cast is led by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishwakumar. Darren Barnet is Paxton Hall-Yoshida, Jaren Lewison is Ben Gross, Poorna Jagannathan stars as Nalini, Richa Moorjani plays Kamala, Lee Rodriguez is Fabiola, and Ramona Young is Eleanor. John McEnroe returns as the narrator.
Season three will introduce Terry Hu and Deacon Phillippe as guest stars. Hu plays Addison, “a crazy hot non-binary person from the local private school, Addison brings more than just their impressive trivia skills to Devi’s friend group.” Phillippe is Parker, “Devi’s debate team rival from a well-funded private school, he’s able to coast through debate tournaments thanks to his school’s advantages and is always down to party.”
According to showrunner Lang Fisher, the new season’s theme is self-confidence. “We wanted to show that it doesn’t matter if you have everything you’ve ever wanted on the outside if you don’t believe in yourself on the inside. Devi’s greatest hurdle this season — like many teen girls’ — is to learn to love herself,” explained Fisher.
The 10 episode third season premieres on Netflix on Friday, August 12, 2022.
The Plot: In season 3 of the coming-of-age comedy Never Have I Ever, Indian American teenager Devi (Ramakrishnan) continues to deal with the everyday pressures of high school and drama at home, while also navigating new romantic relationships.
