Michael Beach returns to guest star as Leroy and Kenny Johnson’s daughter Angelica Scarlet Johnson’s back as Kelly on CBS’s S.W.A.T. season five episode 10. Directed by Guy Ferland from a script by Melissa Park, episode 10 – “Three Guns” – will air on Sunday, January 9, 2022 at 10:30pm ET, 10pm PT.
The season five cast is led by Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson. Alex Russell stars as Jim Street, Jay Harrington plays David “Deacon” Kay, Lina Esco is Christina “Chris” Alonso, Kenny Johnson is Dominique Luca, David Lim is Victor Tan, and Patrick St. Esprit stars as Commander Robert Hicks.
“Three Guns” Plot: The SWAT team partners with the DEA to locate stolen rocket launchers smuggled into Los Angeles, high-power weapons with new technology capable of cutting through armored tanks. Also, a personal issue for Tan arises when a colleague is hurt in the field; Hondo’s inquiry into the arrest of a homeless veteran for Leroy (Beach), Darryl’s father, sparks an idea for a new policing initiative; and Luca suspects the mother of his mentee, Kelly (Angelica Scarlet Johnson), wants to date him.
Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:
Inspired by the television series and the feature film, S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore as a former Marine and locally born and raised S.W.A.T. sergeant, tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson strives to bridge the divide between his two worlds. However, Hondo is forced to question his professional identity when he is demoted from Squad Leader after going public to expose racial corruption within the LAPD.
The other members of Hondo’s elite S.W.A.T. unit include David “Deacon” Kay, an experienced S.W.A.T. officer and dedicated family man who always puts the team first; Christina “Chris” Alonso, a skilled officer and the team’s canine trainer; Dominique Luca, an expert driver who gets them in and out of high risk situations; newlywed Victor Tan, who started in the LAPD Hollywood Division and uses his confidential informants in the community to help the team; and Jim Street, the team’s cocky newest member. Responsible for the management of all Metro Division S.W.A.T. units is Commander Robert Hicks, a senior LAPD official with the Special Operations Bureau.
With Hondo no longer leading the charge, these dedicated men and women face an uncertain future as they bravely put themselves at risk to protect their community and save lives.
The drama heats up on ABC’s The Rookie season four episode 11 as John and Bailey work on taking down Bailey’s ex-con/current husband. Episode 11 was directed by Tori Garrett from a script by Terence Paul Winter and will air on Sunday, January 9, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season four stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, and Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey. Melissa O’Neil is Lucy Chen and Eric Winter stars as Tim Bradford.
Guest stars include Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, Matthew Glave as Oscar Hutchinson, Dylan Conrique as Tamara Colins, True Valentino as Aaron Thorson, Arjay Smith as James Murray, Steve Kazee as Jason Wyler, Kanoa Goo as Assistant District Attorney Chris Sanford, and Jamil Walker Smith as Curtis Jones.
“End Game” Plot: The team must rely on a criminal for his expertise to help take down an even bigger threat. Meanwhile, Officers Chen and Bradford investigate the murder of an unhoused teenager who used to be friends with Tamara.
Nathan Fillion and Jenna Dewan in ‘The Rookie’ season 4 episode 11 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Eric Winter and Alyssa Diaz in season 4 episode 11 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Arjay Smith and Mekia Cox in season 4 episode 11 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Jenna Dewan and Nathan Fillion in season 4 episode 11 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Shawn Ashmore, Jenna Dewan and Nathan Fillion in season 4 episode 11 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Rome Flynn and Tamala Jones in season 4 episode 11 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Melissa O’Neil, Eric Winter, and Dylan Conrique in season 4 episode 11 (ABC/Raymond Liu)
Producing partners Grant Heslov and George Clooney attempted to purchase the film rights to The Tender Bar 15 years ago, immediately after Heslov read the memoir. They were unsuccessful back then, but eventually the script landed at Amazon and former co-head of movies at Amazon Studios Ted Hope reached out to inquire if Heslov and Clooney were interested in being involved.
“It came back to us somehow,” said Heslov during a virtual press conference hosted by Amazon Studios.
Based on J.R. Moehringer’s bestselling memoir and directed by two-time Oscar winner George Clooney, The Tender Bar explores the Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s childhood and reveals the colorful characters who influenced his life. The cast includes Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Christopher Lloyd, Lily Rabe, Briana Middleton, and Daniel Ranieri. Oscar-winner William Monahan adapted the memoir for the screen and Clooney, Heslov, and Hope produced.
“It was a tremendous experience just as an actor to be…it’s a collaborative medium and no matter what anybody tells you, you can only be as good as the material, as the director, as the other actors in it. In that sense this was so profoundly lucky for me,” said two-time Oscar winner Ben Affleck, describing working on the drama. “It was one of those cases where it was hard for me to understand. I read the script and thought, ‘Well, nobody’s passed on this. I must be the first person. I can’t quite believe it.’ I was really grateful.”
Affleck added, “And then the cast got populated around me and I met [Daniel Ranieri] and we worked together, and he was so fabulous. I knew George and Grant well and I really liked them and loved working with them. You know, every once in a while something really great happens in your life and you just sort of hope that you’re ready and able to capitalize on that.”
Affleck had high praise for all of his The Tender Bar co-stars including Lily Rabe who plays his sister. Affleck credits Rabe with being a life raft when he was lost or confused in a scene.
Affleck also spoke about his long-time admiration for Christopher Lloyd. He recalled that when Back to the Future starring Lloyd and Matthew J. Fox was first released, he believed it was the best picture ever made. “[Christopher Lloyd] was the first celebrity I ever saw walking in real life, walking around the streets of Boston I assume doing a play there – although I’ve been too shy to really follow up with Chris and ask him that because I’m still too starstruck and intimidated,” confessed Affleck, laughing.
As for working with director George Clooney, Affleck said Clooney created a safe, welcoming atmosphere where the cast was given every opportunity to succeed. “One of his many, many gifts is his deep understanding of actors and what it is that will help us be successful, and his tremendous affinity for and fondness and compassion for actors. It shows.”
Lily Rabe (American Horror Story) believes everyone involved arrived on set with wide-opened hearts and eager to collaborate. “There was no second-guessing; there was just an openness that was really palpable and remarkable to experience across the board,” said Rabe. “We all felt very privileged to be telling such a quiet story and such a delicate story.”
Christopher Lloyd stars as the Moehringer family patriarch, father to Affleck and Rabe’s characters and grandfather to Ranieri and Sheridan’s. Lloyd didn’t find it necessary to do anything special prior to filming to foster the family dynamic. “I feel the ideal situation that this was, there was kind of an innate trust in each other because we’re all trying to achieve the same thing,” said Lloyd. “It’s kind of a collaboration just by its nature, which is great. When you have that going on, you can do your thing and not have to apologize.”
The Tender Bar marks Briana Middleton’s first feature film and she was thrilled to be part of the talented ensemble. “Getting to bring this particular life in the body that I’m in as a Black woman I think was really exciting,” said Middleton. “The most important thing that George taught me that I’ve taken on other projects already is just that I can trust myself. He’s such a kind, generous person and that comes out in the way that he directs his actors. I felt…especially being very new…I felt very trusted. I thought, ‘Okay, if he’s not worried about me I don’t need to worry about myself.’”
Newcomer Daniel Ranieri plays J.R. Moehringer as a boy while Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One, The Card Counter) takes on the role of J.R. as a young man. The Tender Bar has an unusual twist in that the younger and the more mature versions of the character share a scene. That said, the two J.R.s didn’t have much of an opportunity to work together but did spend some of their downtime getting to know each other.
“The [shared scene] wasn’t in the screenplay that I read when the project first came my way. It was more of an idea, I think, that George had been playing around with, this idea of the clash of these two characters…really a confrontation of his younger self to confront his direction in life,” explained Sheridan.
“He told me three or four weeks into production, ‘Hey, I’m working on this really cool scene. It’s between you and Daniel.’ I’m like, ‘Really?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s this dream scene. I think it’s going to be really cool.’ He sent it to me and I read it; it was great. So, I’m glad we got one scene,” said Sheridan.
“We were shooting simultaneously so it was almost like we were building the character together at the same time,” offered Sheridan. “George was just at the helm directing that and making sure we were both growing in the right way through the performance and the life of the shoot.”
Daniel Ranieri agreed and added, “Me and Tye actually have a relationship in real life now. I love him so much like my big brother. The scene that we got together was just great and the way that George made it up was just impeccable.”
J.R. Moehringer’s memoir is dedicated to his mother, Dorothy, and Lily Rabe said the book and William Monahan’s script were a mine of riches when it came to being able to understand Dorothy and figure out how to play her.
“There were so many beautiful things to sort of fill my suitcase with before showing up to start shooting,” said Lily Rabe. “I had a very wonderful mother and something which she had…she’s very different from Dorothy but my mother was someone who really, from the beginning of my life, there are these periods of time that we have where we sort of feel like we are in waiting for the good things to start happening, to figure out who we are, to figure out what we love, to figure out what we’re going to do next – between break-ups or between jobs. Or at the age that J.R. is in the film, trying to figure out what that is.
My mother was so brilliant at sort of pointing me in the direction of realizing that there’s so much life to be had in those moments in between. There’s so much opportunity for joy in the sort of down moments, in those moments of stillness, and that feeling of waiting, which you feel so much as a young person and then throughout your life. That was such a remarkable quality in my mother that I hope I was able to carry through in the playing of this part.”
Asked what he learned from working on The Tender Bar and what he’ll take with him going forward, Tye Sheridan replied, “That’s super important about every project you take on, right? You feel like you want to make sure it’s challenging you and you’re growing through it. I think this movie I felt a personal connection to it in so many ways – one, in the relationship that J.R. has with his mother. I spent a lot of time just me and my mom when I was younger and I think it really made me reflect back on those times. And then also a lot of times you find yourself stuck in life, you find yourself in a rut, you find yourself in desperate need of advice or desperate need for someone to call you out on your crap. I think Uncle Charlie does that in multiple ways in this film.”
Sheridan added, “Also, I think J.R. spent so much time longing for someone or something that he feels is absent in his life. And he comes to the realization that maybe he’s been looking in the wrong places, that what he actually needs – what’s purely necessary – has been there all along. I think we all have that moment in our lives and it’s amazing to get to explore that through character and specifically in this story.”
* * * * * * * *
The Tender Bar opened in theaters on December 22, 2021 and will be available on Prime Video on January 7, 2022.
Kevin Costner stars in ‘Yellowstone’ season 4 episode 10, the season finale (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
Paramount Network’s Yellowstone season four episode 10 – the season finale – begins with Beth (Kelly Reilly) packing her clothes in the middle of the night and Rip (Cole Hauser) waking from a sound sleep to ask what she’s up to. John’s disappointment and disgust over her actions and his subsequent suggestion she move on have cut deep, and Beth admits she’s not exactly sure where she’s heading or how long she’ll be gone.
Beth believes her dad no longer wants her on the Yellowstone and she’s not about to stay where she’s not welcome. Rip assures her he wants her and asks her to stop packing. “I thought we made a promise to each other,” says Rip. If she leaves, things will never be the same. The ranch and her dad could be gone, and if they’re gone so is he. Rip warns that if she breaks her promise now, then it stays broken.
Beth does the right thing and wakes her dad, apologizing for the way she treated Summer. John (Kevin Costner) explains there aren’t rules when it comes to their enemies, but Summer’s not an enemy. Beth agrees it’s his ranch and his rules. “I fight how you say fight,” says Beth, and then quietly asks if she can stay.
John says she doesn’t need his permission but Beth believes she does. John gives his permission and says he’ll always love her.
Before leaving for work, Beth stops by the barn. As she passes Carter (Finn Little) he casually says, “Morning, momma.” She responds, “Hey, baby,” and then comes to a complete stop. She tells Carter not to call her that and he confesses he said it since he doesn’t have a mom. Beth explains she’s his friend, not his mother. “I’m nobody’s mother, ever. You got it?” asks Beth.
Carter cries and she warns him that won’t help the situation.
Rip and the men are preparing to ride out when Beth approaches Walker (Ryan Bingham) to ask about prison. She wants to know if visitors are allowed and if there can be conjugal visits. Walker says that’s possible. Beth reveals what’s really on her mind when she asks how she can get a weapon (that doesn’t look like a weapon) into jail. Walker suggests using hairpins and to distract the guards so they don’t notice her hair.
Rip rides up after Beth walks away and Walker explains they were talking about prison. Walker nails it when he says, “I think she wants to kill somebody.”
Rip swears Walker to silence and then chases down Beth. She claims she’s doing one last thing before the newly reformed version of herself takes over. Rip reminds her he’ll take care of whatever she needs, but Beth’s set on seeing this through herself. She drives off after telling Rip she loves him.
Meanwhile, Kayce’s (Luke Grimes) vision quest continues and he’s a shivering mass wrapped up in a fur blanket. The hours pass as he shakes and becomes one with nature.
Over in the bunkhouse, the guys play poker and Mia’s still around and has joined the game. Mia gets the best of them and Laramie – who’s also still hanging around – cheers for her friend. Ryan (Ian Bohen) says what the audience is thinking and reminds the women they’ve been fired and aren’t supposed to be on the ranch.
The discussion over whether Laramie and Mia aren’t allowed in the bunkhouse is ongoing when Jimmy (Jefferson White) arrives fresh from the 6666 Ranch. They invite him into the game and he introduces Emily to his buddies. Mia offers up a look that could kill as Jimmy explains Emily is his fiancee. Mia jumps up and punches Jimmy in the face, and Emily responds in kind, punching Mia in the face. The fight escalates and the cowboys not only sit back and watch but also begin placing bets on who will emerge as the winner.
They’re pretty evenly matched and the fight ends without a clear winner. Jimmy hauls Mia off Emily, and Emily makes light of the fight and asks for some whiskey. Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) compliments her style and Emily pulls up a chair and joins the poker game.
Once outside Jimmy reminds Mia, again, she’s not supposed to be there and that she told him they were finished if he left. He met Emily, fell in love, and – unlike Mia – she chose to come with him when he had to return to the Yellowstone. Jimmy believes he’s grown up while he was in Texas and when Mia demands he choose her or Emily, Jimmy’s silence speaks volumes.
John walks up after Mia leaves and says he didn’t want to interrupt their discussion. Jimmy laughs and says he wished John had interrupted.
Jimmy shows John the horse they just purchased and John’s impressed though he admits he doesn’t know how to determine if a horse has talent or heart. John asks about the 6666 trailer and Jimmy says his fiancee will drive it back to Texas. John wonders if Jimmy will be heading back to Texas with her, and Jimmy says he plans to work off what he owes and then figure it out.
John jokes it’ll take 75 years to pay off his debt and Jimmy assures him he’ll pay him what he owes. “The only person you owe is yourself, Jim,” says John. He extends his hand, they shake, and John indicates his debt has been paid. Jimmy can decide for himself what he wants to do, and John informs him there will always be a place for him at the Yellowstone.
Kayce’s dead brother Lee (a very brief welcome back to Dave Annable) appears to him in a vision and asks Kayce to let him help. Kayce refuses his offer and won’t break the circle, and the vision alters into an angry Lee screaming in Kayce’s face. Lee transforms into Avery and she kisses his face, assuring him it’s just a dream. Kayce jolts completely awake and hears a wolf howl from somewhere nearby.
Cole Hauser in ‘Yellowstone’ season 4 episode 10 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
The following morning the guys work the herd and Jimmy impresses everyone with his new roping skills. Lloyd and Rip are pleasantly surprised Jimmy went off and became a cowboy.
Beth’s at work when Market Equities CEO Caroline Warner (Jacki Weaver) reveals that although she’s an effective nuisance to outsiders, Beth’s violation of all of the terms of her contract has resulted in her termination. She’s sure Beth’s committed corporate espionage by calling the New York Times, and Caroline reminds Beth they own the NY Times’ building. Caroline threatens to subpoena Summer and the reporter’s call records but Beth appears unfazed.
Caroline’s done pussyfooting around; the battle has become personal. She reveals she’s willing to spend whatever it takes to put a public restroom where the Dutton house now stands. “I am going to chop down every tree and dam every creek. I am going to rape your f**king ranch to death. And you, you little b**ch, are going to prison,” snarls Caroline.
John pays a visit to his friend Judge Mitchell Davis to discuss Summer Higgins. The talk doesn’t start off well as the judge appears determined to make Summer spend time in jail. He confirms he’s asked both sides to bring him a plea agreement “with some weight,” but gives a little when he says John speaking on her behalf also has weight.
Mitch informs John that Summer will be going to prison. The only question is how much time she’ll serve.
Beth shows up at the prison and has somehow managed to set up a conjugal visit with Terrell Riggins (Bruno Amato). Terrell’s confused but accepts the visit rather than return to his cell.
Beth looks stunning in a low-cut gold lame dress and thigh-high boots. She’s got her hair pinned in an updo and after some small talk, she reveals she’s one of the Duttons. Terrell claims it was just a job; an order for a hit came in and he set up who would handle it. He also reveals he’s already spoken to a lawyer about this, and then confirms the lawyer was Jamie when Beth shows him her brother’s photo.
Beth moves in inches from his face and asks Terrell if he realizes he’ll die in jail. She thinks he’ll eventually figure out his life has been an utter waste and that the world would have been better off without him.
Back at the Yellowstone, Emily and Laramie enjoy Ryan and Colby’s good-natured exchange of putdowns while watching Teeter and the guys rope cattle. Laramie cheers on Walker while Colby (Denim Richards) and Ryan remind her they’re not watching an actual rodeo.
Everyone’s having a good time and even Rip’s in a decent mood as he warns Colby and Ryan not to drink everything in the cooler. The comedy duo of Colby and Ryan watch Jimmy rope and can’t get over his skills. “I don’t understand the world anymore,” says Ryan. “Dogs are purring, cats are barking…I don’t understand anything,” adds Colby.
They drink beer and can’t figure out how to respond when the “barrel racing-girl” calls them crazy.
It’s been a good day for the cowboys and Jimmy confesses to Lloyd he’d like to string days like this together from here on out. Jimmy thinks that would be easier to do in Texas since no one there’s fighting to shut down the ranch. Outsiders are making it too tough to just concentrate on work in Montana.
Jimmy knows he can be a cowboy but he’s not a fighter. Lloyd gives him a hug, realizing they’re about to part ways for good. He wishes Jimmy good luck and, alone, Jimmy looks around the ranch that’s been his home for years.
Rip and John haven’t heard from Beth and are obviously worried when she walks into the big house. She’s still wearing the gold dress but has taken her hair, which was secured with a lethal-looking pin, down. She apologizes for her absence and asks everyone to step outside.
Beth’s grabbed a priest and wants to get married immediately. She tells her dad she needs to do something the following day and wants to be married when she does it. John asks her to slow down, reminding her they’re not Catholic. Beth doesn’t care.
Rip calls her crazy but says he’ll do it right now if that’s what will make her happy. He asks for a minute to grab two things. One of them is Lloyd who he grabs from the bunkhouse as the cowboys are debating whether chili should be made with beans.
Lloyd’s shocked but happy for his friend and honored to be Rip’s best man. John’s upset about Beth’s attire but she assures him she won’t be in the dress for long.
John stops their walk down the makeshift aisle to ask his daughter to let him do this again the proper way sometime in the future. Beth agrees.
The priest makes the ceremony short and sweet, and Beth and Rip exchange their vows. Rip changes the wording a bit, but Beth doesn’t even make it through the vows before she says I do and pulls Rip in for a kiss. The priest asks about rings and Rip reveals the second thing he grabbed – his mother’s wedding ring.
John pays the priest as Beth and Rip hug. It’s only when he’s thanking the priest that John learns Beth kidnapped the man using a pistol. The priest promises not to press charges but does need a ride back into town. “Jesus Christ,” says John and then remembers who’s standing in front of him and adds, “Excuse me, Father.”
Once more to Kayce we go and he wakes with frost on his mustache and a wolf watching from close by. It runs off when he asks what it wants. He has a flashback to his time in the military and walking through the snow with Bravo 1. They came under fire and were pinned down by the enemy, and suddenly the flashback’s cut off when Kayce’s jarred awake to the sound of multiple wolves howling.
Back in town, Summer (Piper Perabo) goes on trial and John’s in the audience as the attorneys approach the bench with their plea agreement. John and Summer have a hurried conversation and John explains that even though it’s not what her lawyer agreed to, the judge could make her serve time.
John thinks she’d be better off going before a jury, but Summer does what her lawyer suggested and changes her plea to guilty. The judge gives her a lengthy sentence, contrary to what the lawyers agreed to. If she’s a model inmate she can be eligible for parole in 14 years.
Her lawyer promises to appeal the sentence and Summer grabs John in a tight hug. He warns her to get her head in the right place and be ready for a long fight.
John barges into Judge Davis’ chambers, angry he sent an unnecessarily cruel message with Summer’s sentence. Davis claims to have followed the letter of the law and John says, “There’s a difference between what’s legal and what’s just.”
Judge Davis is convinced he’s in the right but John points out he basically just told his own voting base – the future of the country – to go f**k themselves.
They calm down and have a drink, and John tells Mitch what he expects him to do next. When Summer appeals, Mitch will suspend the felonies and reduce the trespassing sentence. That will lower her sentence to just eight months which John thinks will be hell for Summer.
Mitch reluctantly agrees. They discuss what the world will look like in 100 years and John confesses he doesn’t think humans will last that long.
And, finally, the showdown arrives between the Dutton siblings. Beth pays a visit to Jamie (Wes Bentley) at his office and he congratulates her on marrying Rip. She explains she knows he was behind the attack and tells him to log onto the Bureau of Prisons website. However, she decides to do it herself and when he attempts to push her away from his computer, she slugs him in the face and whips out a gun.
Things have escalated to the point where Beth assures her brother she’s ready to ruin her life right now and kill him if she has to. Beth types in Terrell Riggins’ name and Jamie realizes how much his sister has discovered about the attack. Jamie confesses he visited Terrell to find out if Garrett was involved and that Garrett only admitted he was after he asked him at gunpoint.
Beth demands to know why Jamie didn’t kill his biological dad but then answers the question herself. She believes Jamie’s always wanted his family dead. Beth thinks Garrett wants what everyone who attacks them wants – their land.
Beth gives Jamie two options. 1) She’ll tell John, he’ll call the governor, Jamie and Garrett will be arrested, and Garrett will place the blame on Jamie. Jamie will spend his life in jail, although Beth thinks that will be short since he’ll likely commit suicide.
Option 2) Rip will kill Garrett. She’ll then inform Rip that Jamie “had his child cut from” her belly and then had her sterilized. Rip will understand this is why he can’t have a family of his own and will hunt Jamie to the ends of the earth.
“Wouldn’t you like to know which option I picked?” asks Beth as she turns her back and prepares to leave.
Jamie gets down on his knees and begs his sister to wait. She informs him there’s a third option…
Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton in ‘Yellowstone’ season 4 episode 10 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
Of course, just as tension amps up the story flips to Kayce’s vision quest before Beth spells out option three. (I’m sorry but Kayce’s storyline is the weakest link in the finale and doesn’t seem to have much of a point.) Kayce sees a young Native American who asks him to go through the doors and stand on the cliff. He does as told and finds two paths; he must choose which way to go.
He wakes to find Mo sitting next to him, telling him it’s time to go home.
Kayce returns home and tells Monica he saw “the end of us.”
Back at the Yellowstone, the guys line up to say goodbye to Jimmy and Emily. Teeter says something unintelligible, Jimmy gets a hug from Colby and Ryan, and Walker asks him to say hi to the guys in Texas for him.
Lloyd walks off after tipping his hat; it’s too difficult for him to say goodbye.
Rip walks a few steps away with Jimmy and reminds him he always has a place there. Rip also tells Jimmy he’s proud of him.
Jamie arrives back at his new place and finds Garrett seated by the creek that runs through the property. Garrett’s packed up and ready to head out, but he’s worried the Duttons will always use Jamie’s fear against him.
Garrett talks about all that Jamie has and says being with his son for the last few months has made his entire life worth it. “Don’t you let those f**king Duttons deceive you into thinking you’re a bad man,” says Garrett, adding that he loves him.
Garrett’s looking at the creek when Jamie says, “I love you too, dad,” and shoots him once in the head.
Jamie breaks down crying with his dead father slumped less than a foot away.
Hours later Jamie drives through the dark to dump Garrett’s body at the “train station” in Wyoming. Beth beats him there and surprises her brother by snapping a photo of Jamie lugging Garrett’s dead body out of his car. “You should have picked options one or two. Three’s going to be worse,” warns Beth.
“You’re f**king mine now,” she hisses.
Beth returns to the Yellowstone in the morning and John’s waiting outside. She hints at what she’s been up to and John asks her to speak to him straight. He thinks she killed Jamie or did something to make him permanently part ways with the family. Even though he’s tried not to, John confesses he loves the man he raised.
Beth explains that they now own Jamie.
Beth heads off to sleep as Carter arrives with two horses. John’s not in the mood and doesn’t see the point and Carter says it’s just supposed to be fun. He says Rip told him that one day no one will ride, and John finally rises and joins Carter for a ride. Carter races off but John pauses for a bit before following him toward the forest.
And that’s it for season four. The season finale didn’t bring closure to the Market Equities storyline but now that Jamie’s firmly in his dad’s pocket, things could get dicey for the airport deal. Kayce’s season four storyline ended with a whimper rather than a bang, and Beth finally got the revenge on Jamie that she’s been after for decades. Will it be enough to heal her wounds? Probably not. Beth’s not one to forgive and forget.
Paramount+’s SEAL Team season five returns after a month-long winter break with episode 11, “Violence of Action.” New photos and the official plot description have arrived in support of episode 11’s Sunday, January 2, 2022 release, directed by Ruben Garcia from a script by Tom Mularz and Teresa Huang.
David Boreanaz returns to lead the cast as Jason Hayes. Max Thieriot plays Clay Spenser, Neil Brown Jr. is Ray Perry, AJ Buckley is Sonny Quinn, Toni Trucks is Lisa Davis, and Justin Melnick stars as Brock.
“Violence Of Action” Plot: Bravo Team is still on the ground in South America working against the Iranian nuclear project. Multiple high stakes missions only make the team’s interpersonal problems more obvious to all.
SEAL Team Description, Courtesy of CBS:
SEAL Team is a military drama that follows the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high stakes missions our country can ask of them. Jason Hayes is the respected, intense leader of the Tier One team whose home life has suffered as a result of his extensive warrior’s existence.
His team includes his trusted confidant, Ray Perry, the longest-tenured operator with whom Jason shares an ingrained shorthand; Sonny Quinn, an exceptional, loyal soldier with a checkered past who still combats self-destructive tendencies; and Clay Spenser, a young, multilingual, second-generation SEAL with insatiable drive and dedication.
Vital to the team’s success is Ensign Lisa Davis, a no-nonsense, take-charge officer. Deployed on clandestine missions worldwide at a moment’s notice and knowing the toll it takes on them and their families, this tight-knit SEAL team displays unwavering patriotism and fearless dedication even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Caitriona Balfe stars as “Ma” and Jamie Dornan stars as “Pa” in director Sir Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’ (Photo Credit: Rob Youngson / Focus Features)
Thanks to Covid-19, 2021 – or 2020 Part 2 as I call it – was another bizarre year at the movies. Theaters eventually opened but the general public remained, justifiably, leery of sitting in a room with strangers. Studios shifted release dates, sent films straight to streaming, and altered their plans to accommodate public safety concerns. Yet even with the delays and changes in release plans, 2021 turned out to be an interesting year for feature films.
My list of 2021’s best movies expanded from the planned 10 to 15, and even with the five extra spots it was difficult to narrow down the field. Two gorgeous black and white dramas – Belfast and C’mon C’mon – made the cut along with Mass, an intimate drama about the impact of school shootings. Dune surpassed all expectations by making the iconic sci-fi novel accessible to all audiences, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home proved comic book-inspired films should not be looked down upon as lesser entertainment.
Nicolas Cage demonstrated why he’s an Oscar winner with his stunning performance in Pig. And speaking of farm animals, Lamb focused on one of the most bizarre families to grace the screen in 2021.
Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass delivered an uplifting two-hander with Language Lessons, while the large ensemble cast of Nightmare Alley brought Guillermo del Toro’s brilliant neo-noir psychological thriller alive on the screen.
Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up skewered climate change deniers and politicians who put their careers over the lives of their constituents. Limbo gave us an unusual take on immigrants that was hysterical, emotionally engaging, and heart-wrenching. Also making the cut is CODA, a boundary-breaking drama that delivered an original take on the standard coming-of-age story.
Penelope Cruz reunited with writer/director Pedro Almodóvar for Parallel Mothers, a powerful and moving exploration of motherhood. Andrew Garfield’s fascinating portrayal of Jonathan Larson in tick, tick…Boom! made Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut a compelling, must-see biopic. And Jane Campion returned to filmmaking after a 12-year absence with the powerful and unsettling The Power of the Dog, a Western that demands repeat viewing.
My annual disclaimer: This ‘Best Of’ list, with main cast lists and official plot descriptions, represents my personal favorite films of the year. Since it’s a matter of personal taste, your list will most likely be very different from mine. Each of the movies on my Top 15 list sparked conversations or debates, and many introduced a new talent either in front of or behind the camera.
Penelope Cruz stars in ‘Parallel Mothers’ (Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Classics)
15. PARALLEL MOTHERS starring Penélope Cruz, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Julieta Serrano, and Rossy de Palma
The Plot: Two women, Janis and Ana, coincide in a hospital room where they are going to give birth. Both are single and became pregnant by accident. Janis, middle-aged, doesn’t regret it and she is exultant. The other, Ana, an adolescent, is scared, repentant and traumatized. Janis tries to encourage her while they move like sleepwalkers along the hospital corridors. The few words they exchange in these hours will create a very close link between the two, which by chance develops and complicates, and changes their lives in a decisive way.
14. tick, tick…Boom! starring Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús, Joshua Henry, Mj Rodriguez, Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter, Judith Light, and Vanessa Hudgens
The Plot: Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature directorial debut with tick, tick…BOOM!, an adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, who revolutionized theater as the creator of Rent. The film follows Jon, a young theater composer who’s waiting tables at a New York City diner in 1990 while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical.
Days before he’s due to showcase his work in a make-or-break performance, Jon is feeling the pressure from everywhere: from his girlfriend Susan, who dreams of an artistic life beyond New York City; from his friend Michael, who has moved on from his dream to a life of financial security; amidst an artistic community being ravaged by the AIDS epidemic. With the clock ticking, Jon is at a crossroads and faces the question everyone must reckon with: What are we meant to do with the time we have?
The Plot: A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales in ‘Language Lessons’ (Photo Credit: Shout! Studios)
12. LANGUAGE LESSONS starring Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales
The Plot: When Adam’s husband surprises him with weekly Spanish lessons, he’s unsure about where or how this new element will fit into his already structured life. But when tragedy strikes, his Spanish teacher, Cariño, becomes a lifeline he didn’t know he needed. Adam develops an unexpected and complicated emotional bond with Cariño — but do you really know someone just because you’ve experienced a traumatic moment with them?
Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason star in A24’s ‘Lamb’
11. LAMB starring Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, and Ingvar E. Sigurðsson
The Plot: A childless couple in rural Iceland make an alarming discovery one day in their sheep barn. They soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature, in this dark and atmospheric folktale.
Emilia Jones and Marlee Matlin in ‘CODA’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple)
10. CODA starring Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez, Troy Kotsur, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Daniel Durant, Amy Forsyth, and Kevin Chapman
The Plot: Seventeen-year-old Ruby is the sole hearing member of a deaf family – a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents and working on the family’s struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother. But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles.
Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.
Amir El-Masry, Ola Orebiyi, Kwabena Owuso-Ansah, and Vikash Bhai in ‘Limbo’ (Photo Courtesy of Focus Features)
9. LIMBO starring Amir El-Masry, Ola Orebiyi, Kwabena Ansah, and Vikash Bhai
The Plot: An offbeat observation of the refugee experience. On a fictional remote Scottish island, a group of new arrivals await the results of their asylum claims. Among them is Omar, a young Syrian musician burdened by the weight of his grandfather’s oud, which he has carried all the way from his homeland.
8. DON’T LOOK UP starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Chiklis, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Rob Morgan, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, and Tomer Sisley
The Plot: Kate Dibiasky, an astronomy grad student, and her professor Dr. Randall Mindy make an astounding discovery of a comet orbiting within the solar system. The problem — it’s on a direct collision course with Earth. The other problem? No one really seems to care. Turns out warning mankind about a planet-killer the size of Mount Everest is an inconvenient fact to navigate.
With the help of Dr. Oglethorpe, Kate and Randall embark on a media tour that takes them from the office of an indifferent President Orlean and her sycophantic son and Chief of Staff, Jason, to the airwaves of The Daily Rip, an upbeat morning show hosted by Brie and Jack. With only six months until the comet makes impact, managing the 24-hour news cycle and gaining the attention of the social media-obsessed public before it’s too late proves shockingly comical — what will it take to get the world to just look up?!
Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman in ‘C’mon C’mon’ (Photo Courtesy of A24)
The Plot: Johnny and his young nephew forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they are unexpectedly thrown together in this delicate and deeply moving story about the connections between adults and children, the past and the future, from writer-director Mike Mills.
6. NIGHTMARE ALLEY starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, Richard Jenkins, and David Strathairn
The Plot: In Nightmare Alley, an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.
5. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, and Marisa Tomei
The Plot: For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero’s identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe. Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse.
4. THE POWER OF THE DOG starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Thomasin McKenzie, Frances Conroy, Keith Carradine, Peter Carroll, and Adam Beach
The Plot: Severe, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank is brutally beguiling. All of Phil’s romance, power and fragility is trapped in the past and in the land: He can castrate a bull calf with two swift slashes of his knife; he swims naked in the river, smearing his body with mud. He is a cowboy as raw as his hides.
The year is 1925. The Burbank brothers are wealthy ranchers in Montana. At the Red Mill restaurant on their way to market, the brothers meet Rose, the widowed proprietress, and her impressionable son Peter. Phil behaves so cruelly he drives them both to tears, reveling in their hurt and rousing his fellow cowhands to laughter – all except his brother George, who comforts Rose then returns to marry her.
As Phil swings between fury and cunning, his taunting of Rose takes an eerie form – he hovers at the edges of her vision, whistling a tune she can no longer play. His mockery of her son is more overt, amplified by the cheering of Phil’s cowhand disciples. Then Phil appears to take the boy under his wing. Is this latest gesture a softening that leaves Phil exposed, or a plot twisting further into menace?
3. DUNE starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem
The Plot: A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence — a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential — only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Reed Birney, and Ann Dowd in ‘Mass’ (Photo Credit: Bleecker Street)
2. MASS starring Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Reed Birney, and Ann Dowd
The Plot: Years after an unspeakable tragedy tore their lives apart, two sets of parents agree to talk privately in an attempt to move forward. In Fran Kranz’s writing and directing debut, he thoughtfully examines their journey of grief, anger and acceptance by coming face-to-face with the ones who have been left behind.
Caitriona Balfe stars as “Ma” and Jamie Dornan stars as “Pa” in director Sir Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’ (Photo Credit: Rob Youngson / Focus Features)
1. BELFAST starring Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, Ciaran Hinds, and Judi Dench
The Plot:Belfast is a poignant story of love, laughter and loss in one boy’s childhood, amid the music and social tumult of the late 1960s.
Honorable Mentions:Saint Maud, I’m Your Man, Drive My Car, Flee, and King Richard.
CBS has set a January 5, 2022 premiere date for their new one-hour medical drama Good Sam. The series follows father and daughter doctors played by Harry Potter‘s Jason Isaacs and Love, Victor‘s Sophia Bush, and during a recent CBS press day Bush revealed her childhood dream was to become a doctor.
“For me, the irony of all of this is that my plan as a kid…I don’t know if it’s growing up the daughter of an immigrant or what…but your options are really like you’re a doctor or a lawyer, or a lawyer or a doctor. So as a young person, I said I wanted to be a doctor,” explained Bush. “And I was particularly fascinated with heart surgery, considered it as a specialty. And then my high school drama teacher got in the way and helped put me up in my first play. You can imagine the shock when I told my parents I wasn’t going to med school, I was going to go study theater and learn how to do costume makeup. So, it really feels full circle.”
In addition to Sophia Bush as Dr. Sam Griffith and Jason Isaacs as Dr. Rob “Griff” Griffith, the season one cast includes Skye P. Marshall as Dr. Lex Trulie, Michael Stahl-David as Dr. Caleb Tucker, and Omar Maskati as Dr. Isan M. Shah. Davi Santos stars as Dr. Joey Costa, Wendy Crewson is Vivian Katz, and Edwin Hodge plays Malcolm A. Kingsley.
The series is executive produced by Katie Wech, Jennie Snyder Urman, Joanna Klein, Frank Siracusa, and John Weber.
CBS released the following description of season one:
“Good Sam stars Sophia Bush and Jason Isaacs in a drama about Dr. Sam Griffith, a gifted heart surgeon who excels in her new leadership role as chief of surgery after her renowned boss falls into a coma. When her former boss wakes up months later demanding to resume his duties, Sam is tasked with supervising this egotistical expert with a scalpel who never acknowledged her stellar talent. Complicating matters, the caustic and arrogant Dr. Rob “Griff” Griffith also happens to be her father. As Griff defies Sam’s authority and challenges her medical expertise, the big question becomes whether this father and daughter will ever be able to mend their own relationship as expertly as they heal the hearts of their patients.”
Fox’s new comedy Pivoting is set to premiere on January 9, 2022 with Maggie Q (Designated Survivor, Nikita) Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time, Why Women Kill), and Eliza Coupe (Future Man, Happy Endings) in starring role. The series will move to its regular Thursdays at 9:30pm ET/PT time slot on January 13th and will air following new episodes of Call Me Kat season two.
In addition to Maggie Q as Sarah, Ginnifer Goodwin as Jodie, and Eliza Coupe as Amy, season one’s cast includes Tommy Dewey as Henry, JT Neal as Matt, and Marcello Reyes as Luke.
The single-camera comedy comes from writer, executive producer, and showrunner Liz Astrof (The Conners, 2 Broke Girls). Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor, and Tristram Shapeero are also involved as executive producers on the Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment production.
The series was inspired by the death of one of Astrof’s longtime friends at the age of 40. The friend passed from lung cancer and while at her funeral Astrof suddenly realized she didn’t have her entire life in front of her. That epiphany led to the creation of Pivoting.
“Fox has been the perfect partner in making this provocative, edgy, messy, raw, buddy comedy we haven’t seen on network TV and the cast has been incredible; their chemistry and ease with each other, off the charts,” stated Astrof.
Fox released the following detailed description of the first season:
Set in a small, middle-class town in Long Island, NY, Pivoting follows three women – and close-knit childhood friends – as they cope with the death of the fourth member of their group. When faced with the reality that life is short, these women pivot and alter their current paths by way of a series of impulsive, ill-advised, and self-indulgent decisions. These pivots will strengthen their bond and prove it’s never too late to screw up your life in the pursuit of happiness.
For Amy (Coupe), the fearless producer of a local cooking show, managing many employees comes easily. Yet, when it comes to caring for her own children – a seven-year-old boy, Luke (Reyes), and an 18-month-old girl – she’s absolutely terrified. Despite her lack of maternal instincts, her husband, Henry (Dewey), a contractor who never loses his cool, perfectly counter-balances Amy in all of her flaws. Her pivot is to be a more active, present mother.
Jodie (Goodwin) is a stay-at-home mom of three in a loveless marriage. Her husband is a controlling, finance-obsessed jerk, but Jodie has never even considered that the grass might be greener anywhere else. When she does, her pivot means getting in shape…and maybe more with her hot 27-year-old trainer, Matt (Neal), who gives her the attention and excitement she didn’t realize she had been craving for years.
Sarah (Q) is a successful doctor — an M.D. and Ph.D., as she will readily let anyone know. For Sarah, the loss of their friend is compounded by the recent divorce from her wife. After a life filled with stress, Sarah is sent into a tailspin that launches her pivot to a simpler, and thus happier life — working as a grocery store employee.
For all three of these women, the untimely and heartbreaking death of their friend serves as the wake-up call they didn’t know they needed. It forces them to look at their lives and ask themselves, is this as good as it gets? Is this where I thought I’d be at 40? Am I happy? Is anyone happy? What is happy? And is it too late to do it all differently? To press the “reset” button?
Disney+’s new The Book of Boba Fett featurette begins with a voice-over by Temuera Morrison as the legendary bounty hunter. “Left for dead on the sands of Tatooine – I am Boba Fett,” declares the series’ lead character.
The one-minute video features Morrison, Dave Filoni, and Robert Rodriguez discussing the new series. “Temuera Morrison is an incredible actor. He’s an incredible presence. What he brings to the performance of Boba is just awesome,” says Filoni. “I think the audience is gonna be surprised just how likable this character is because of Tem,” adds Rodriguez.
“It was an exciting comeback. It’s wearing that armor that gives you a sense of power,” says Morrison, commenting on slipping into the character once again for the live-action series. “Hey, I’m just one part. Another little, small cog in the machine. And it’s all adding up to magic.”
The Book of Boba Fett premieres today on Disney+, with new episodes dropping on Wednesdays.
In addition to Temuera Morrison, the series stars Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand. Filoni, Rodriguez, Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, and Colin Wilson serve as executive producers.
Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen in ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ (Photo Courtesy of Disney+)
The Plot, Courtesy of Disney+
The Book of Boba Fett, a thrilling Star Wars adventure teased in a surprise end-credit sequence following the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.
Atticus Woodward, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Jaylen Barron in ‘Blindspotting’ (Photo Credit: Starz)
2021 was a fairly impressive year for new shows, although the major broadcast networks were once again woefully behind streamers and subscription services when it came to launching quality series. In fact, there were so many entertaining new series that kept us occupied throughout a very weird year that in order to put together a Top 10 list, it was necessary to considerably restrict those in contention. Multi-part documentaries and limited series had to be booted from the list…sorry Midnight Mass, Colin in Black & White, WandaVision, The Underground Railroad, and Maid.
The shows that made the cut represent my personal favorites, and, obviously, you have every right to disagree. Opinions are like…well, you know how that saying goes…and this Top 10 list reflects shows that kept me engaged throughout their first seasons.
12-time Emmy nominee Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey’s Anatomy) stars as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the newly installed Chair of Pembroke University’s English department in the short first season of Netflix’s The Chair. Ji-Yoon is the first woman to chair the department. However, it’s not exactly a coveted position as enrollments have tanked, and the majority of the English department’s faculty are viewed as lumbering dinosaurs by the powers that be (and the students). Still, Ji-Yoon’s determined to resurrect the failing department despite the fact her fellow professors aren’t sold on the prospect of moving the department into the 21st century.
The six-episode season finds Ji-Yoon not only struggling with her new position at the university but also with her feelings toward Professor Bill Dobson (Jay Duplass). Add in a misinterpreted gesture that sends the student body into protest mode, and Ji-Yoon’s professional life – not to mention her personal life – becomes incredibly complicated.
Sandra Oh’s perfectly cast as the well-meaning but overwhelmed English department chair whose high hopes and good intentions are constantly challenged by her friends, fellow professors, and the school’s dean. With support from a stellar cast that includes Holland Taylor, Nana Mensah, and Bob Balaban, Oh’s comedic timing is put to good use in this amusing glimpse at the behind-the-scenes maneuverings of a university’s English department attempting to prove its relevancy.
iZombie‘s Rose McIver and Never Have I Ever‘s Utkarsh Ambudkar lead the cast of CBS’s Ghosts, based on the popular BBC series of the same name. McIver and Ambudkar star as Samantha and Jay, a young couple who inherit a rundown mansion and pour all their time, energy, and money into fixing it up with the goal of transforming it into a bed and breakfast. The estate’s weird collection of ghosts initially plot to scare the new homeowners away, but that changes once a minor accident leaves Sam with the ability to interact with the spirit world.
Season one of the original Ghosts provided this American version with a plethora of comedy bits to use as storyline fodder. Although it took a couple of episodes to do so, the new Ghosts has found its footing and is equally as entertaining as the original series.
Christina Ricci as Misty, Steven Krueger as Ben Scott, Samantha Hanratty as Teen Misty, Tawny Cypress as Taissa, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Teen Taissa, Juliette Lewis as Natalie, Sophie Thatcher as Teen Natalie, Melanie Lynskey as Shauna, Sophie Nélisse as Shauna, Ella Purnell as Teen Jackie and Warren Kole as Jeff Sadecki in ‘Yellowjackets’ (Photo credit: Brendan Meadows/SHOWTIME)
8. Yellowjackets
A high school soccer team’s plane crashes on the way to a tournament, and the players are forced to do whatever it takes to survive in Showtime’s riveting drama, Yellowjackets. The series, which has been favorably compared to Lord of the Flies, gives audiences so much to unpack in the first season, including trying to figure out what went down during the team’s nearly 20-month ordeal in the Ontario wilderness.
Season one alternates between filling in the events that transpired in the woods and catching up with the survivors as the 25th anniversary of the plane crash nears. The survivors swore to never tell what happened during those horrific days in the middle of nowhere, but as the anniversary approaches, their ability to keep their survival stories a secret is challenged.
Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, and Juliette Lewis star as the adult survivors, while Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sammi Hanratty, and Sophie Thatcher play the younger versions of the same key characters. The casting is spot-on and the writers take their time doling out clues, allowing each of the characters to be slowly fleshed out as the pieces of the puzzle come together.
The God of Mischief got his own series on Disney+ in 2021 and Tom Hiddleston spent season one charming the pants off audiences. The relationship between Loki‘s dynamic duo of Hiddleston and Owen Wilson was so much fun to watch evolve that it hardly mattered the series’ overall goal was to reinvent the MCU.
Season one catches up with Loki after the events in Avengers: Endgame and finds the charismatic character learning all about the Time Variance Authority and variants (different versions of a person who populate different timelines). Loki encounters various versions of himself, including an alligator Loki, and even falls in love with one of the variants. Played by Sophia Di Martino, Sylvie (aka Lady Loki) is every bit as capable as Loki of causing chaos and is a perfect match for Hiddleston’s Loki. Their relationship, although short-lived, changes Loki and helps him evolve in unexpected ways.
The character’s always been a fan-favorite villain and in Loki he’s finally allowed to fully transition to reluctant antihero status.
Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart star in ‘Hacks’ (Photograph by Anne Marie Fox/HBO Max)
6. Hacks
HBO Max’s Hacks had me at “Jean Smart playing a legendary Las Vegas comedian.” Seriously, the four-time Emmy Award winner can do no wrong in my book and, fortunately, Hacks is a vehicle worthy of her talent.
Season one focused on the dysfunctional relationship between Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance, a comedian on the downside of her career, and Hannah Einbinder’s Ava, an up-and-coming writer who found out the hard way what it’s like to be canceled on social media. Smart and Einbinder are terrific scene partners, and Hacks is at its best when these two extraordinary actors square off.
Paulina Alexis, Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Lane Factor star in ‘Reservation Dogs’ (Photo Credit: Shane Brown/FX)
5. Reservation Dogs
FX on Hulu’s Reservation Dogs is the first series to star Indigenous actors and feature a behind-the-scenes team of Indigenous directors and writing staff. Season one is set in Oklahoma and focuses on four Native American teenagers – played Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, and Paulina Alexis – who are attempting to figure out a way to honor their dead friend, raise enough money (by any means possible) to leave the reservation, and move to California.
Reservation Dogs, created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, isn’t just a groundbreaking representation of a marginalized group in front of and behind the camera, it’s also incredibly entertaining. Clever writing, terrific chemistry between the four young leads, and a fresh take on coming-of-age comedies make this one of the best new comedies of 2021.
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 1 (Photo Credit: Noh Juhan / Netflix)
4. Squid Game
Netflix’s Squid Game is a truly twisted binge-worthy series that pits 456 competitors, each desperately in need of money, against each other in a brutal competition in which only one can emerge alive (and wealthy). Simple childhood games like Red Light, Green Light are transformed into battlegrounds where only the most adept players leave the field still breathing.
The blood flows and the body count rises as this disturbing thriller weaves biting social commentary into horrific scenes displaying the absolute worst of human nature. Lee Jung-jae leads the massive ensemble cast as G-hun, a simple man who’s recruited/forced into the competition and who, despite being tested in unimaginable ways, transcends his circumstances and becomes a better human being as the season goes on.
Squid Game‘s a difficult watch for the squeamish but the season finale makes it well worth the effort.
Faith Omole as Bisma, Sarah Kameela Impey as Saira, Juliette Motamed as Ayesha, Anjana Vasan as Amina, and Lucie Shorthouse as Momtaz in ‘We Are Lady Parts’ (Photo by: Saima Khalid/Peacock)
3. We Are Lady Parts
Peacock’s We Are Lady Parts is one of the smartest, funniest, and most relevant comedies to emerge in the past few years. The series follows the ups and downs of an all-female, all-Muslim punk rock group, with the band’s newest member – talented guitarist Amina Hussain (Anjana Vasan) – serving as the audience’s entry into the group. Amina’s more likely to toss her cookies than complete an actual song in front of an audience, yet the part-time guitarist/full-time microbiology PhD student refuses to give up on her dream of becoming a musician. Her journey to tackle her nerves and channel her inner rock star provides plenty of relatable moments and laugh-out-loud scenes.
Vasan and her incredibly talented co-stars Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole, Lucie Shorthouse, Zaqi Ismail, and Aiysha Hart make this wild and witty series a must-see.
Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin) in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ (Photo by Craig Blankenhorn / Hulu)
2. Only Murders in the Building
If you weren’t already into true crime podcasts before watching Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, it’s likely by the end of season one this hilarious comedy will have convinced you to check out a few.
Real-life friends Steve Martin and Martin Short star alongside Selena Gomez as residents of an Upper West Side apartment whose obsession with a true crime podcast prompts them to create their own following the death of a fellow resident. The unlikely trio of amateur investigators attempt to figure out the identity of the murderer and, in the process, reveal closely kept secrets about the building’s inhabitants as well as themselves.
Smart writing, strong chemistry between the three leads, and a story that kept viewers guessing add up to a killer first season.
Janelle (Candace Nicholas-Lippman), Sean (Atticus Woodward), and Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones) in ‘Blindspotting’ (Photo Credit: Starz)
1. Blindspotting
Season one of Starz’s riveting genre-bending series Blindspotting sits at a perfect 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The series, based on the 2018 film of the same name, was created by the movie’s writers/stars Daveed Diggs (“Collin”) and Rafael Casal (“Miles”) and although it features some of the same key characters, it also works on its own.
The show approaches the story from a female perspective, with season one told from Ashley’s (once again played by the absolutely terrific Jasmine Cephas Jones) point of view. Ashley’s dealing with life as a single mom while Miles is incarcerated, and much of the first season consists of simple, relatable stories told in innovative ways.
Blindspotting‘s filled with flawed characters just trying to make it through each day, and we can understand and appreciate their struggles.
Honorable Mentions:Lupin, The White Lotus, Starstruck,, and Made for Love.
