Netflix’s Russian Doll returns for a seven-episode second season on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, more than three years after season one aired. Fortunately, there’s still time to binge-watch the first season in order to refresh your memory if, like me, the trailer only sort of reminds you of what happened to Nadia and Alan.
Natasha Lyonne returns to lead the cast as Nadia Vulvokov and Charlie Barnett as Alan Zaveri. Greta Lee reprises her role as Maxine and Rebecca Henderson returns as Lizzy. Chloe Sevigny plays Nora, Malachi Nimmons is Danny, and Sharlto Copley is Chez.
Series star Natasha Lyonne serves as showrunner and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning sci-fi series. Alex Buono, Amy Poehler (Paper Kite Productions), Leslye Headland, Lilly Burns (Jax Media), Tony Hernandez (Jax Media), Dave Becky (3 Arts), Kate Arend (Paper Kite Productions), Regina Corrado, and Allison Silverman also executive produce.
Poster for ‘Russian Doll’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Russian Doll Season 2 Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Set four years after Nadia (Lyonne) and Alan (Barnett) escaped mortality’s time loop together, season two of RUSSIAN DOLL will continue to explore existential thematics through an often humorous and sci-fi lens. Discovering a fate even worse than endless death, this season finds Nadia and Alan delving deeper into their pasts through an unexpected time portal located in one of Manhattan’s most notorious locations, the New York City subway.
At first they experience this as an ever-expanding, era-spanning, intergenerational adventure, but they soon discover this extraordinary event might be more than they bargained for and, together, must search for a way out.
Hulu’s critically acclaimed comedy Woke returns for a second season on Friday, April 8, 2022. The new season picks up immediately after the events of the season one finale and finds cartoonist Keef Knight (Lamorne Morris) struggling to figure out how to handle his sudden status as a rising political activist.
Lamorne Morris and his co-stars/on-screen roommates Blake Anderson (“Gunther”) and T. Murph (“Clovis”) teamed up for roundtable interviews at the 2022 WonderCon in Anaheim to discuss Woke season two. The new season deals with timely social issues including racism, white guilt, overnight activism, sexism, and homelessness. And during our interview, Morris said he believes both seasons attempt to address the fact there are two sides to every coin.
“What do you do when you want the microphone and then someone gives it to you? Okay, now you have it. What do you do when someone gives you the microphone and then they give you a bunch of money? Do you still care about those same values? That’s the question we ask this season,” said Morris.
Morris believes he’d answer those questions the same way his character does.
“You know what’s interesting? Lamorne, personally, thinks that there’s a compromise somewhere. I understand – and we all understand – the issues that need to be addressed. But a lot of times that comes with a caveat,” said Morris. “It’s like, ‘Hey, how are we going to get this done?’ You might have to get some money from somewhere to make this thing happen. It’s a constant circle of compromise, of give and take, because the world isn’t one-sided.”
In Woke season two, Keef has to figure out a way to balance being true to himself while not upsetting anyone. Morris, Anderson, and Murph also feel that same pressure.
“There’s certain bits that you want to do, interviews that you want to go crazy on this one, and then you think about the ramifications of it. People might not get it. I might accidentally say the wrong thing. Like, ‘Aww, sh*t.’ It’s all the time. You think about it all the time because you do have to also…it does come with the job though, having to have that ability to be considerate of the space you share with other people,” said Morris. “You know, just because you’re the actor doesn’t mean you get to do the thing all the time when you want to – even if it’s a joke.”
On a lighter note, playing a cartoonist for two seasons hasn’t had any impact on Morris’ artistic skills, although he has attempted to learn how to draw.
“I tried – I really tried. You know how they say you put 10,000 hours into something and you become brilliant? That’s bullsh*t,” said Morris. “I couldn’t draw a perfect circle to save my life. Never have been able to. When I got this role I worked my ass off. I got markers…I got paper…I started tracing things to see if I could do it on my own…”
“You couldn’t even trace?” asked an incredulous Anderson.
“I don’t know if I have a shaky elbow or what,” said Morris, laughing. “I can’t seem to get it right. […] I never perform well under pressure. Wait a minute…no, that’s not what I meant!”
Woke co-creators and executive producers Keith Knight (the inspiration for Lamorne Morris’ character) and Marshall Todd also made the trek to WonderCon along with executive producer Anthony King.
Knight can see a clear divide between himself and Morris’ Keef Knight, with Keef portrayed as a much more naïve version of himself at that point in his life and career.
“I was already doing cartoons about police profiling and brutality when the incident with the police happened to me,” explained Knight. “It’s for the audience – the journey of that.”
Knight continued: “Lamorne and I have had similar sort of…our existence are on a parallel thing. It’s just him in acting and me in cartooning, so I think we have a lot of things in common. But the elevator pitch for the character is he’s the Charlie Brown of activism. He’s trying to do the right thing and things don’t go as well as he had hoped, to the audience’s joy and amusement.”
Knight describes season two’s theme as being the commodification of woke.
“What happens when Charlie Brown becomes the most popular person in school? Suddenly Keef has this platform and people are listening to him. Corporations are sidling up to him so, you know, what happens when it doesn’t go as planned? I think that was a huge thing. But also one of the big subjects – especially in San Francisco – is homelessness so we address that in the show.”
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Check out both interview videos for more thoughts on season two, the characters’ relationships, and upcoming storylines. All eight episodes of season two will be available to binge-watch on Hulu beginning April 8, 2022.
Felix (Jordan Gavaris), Sarah (Tatiana Maslany), and Mrs. S (Maria Doyle Kennedy) in ‘Orphan Black’ (Photo Credit: Ken Woroner/BBC AMERICA)
AMC Networks is returning to the world of Orphan Black with Orphan Black: Echoes. The 10-episode first season is expected to air on AMC+ in 2023.
Anna Fishko (Pieces of Her) created Orphan Black: Echoes and will guide the series as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Orphan Black‘s co-creator John Fawcett will be involved as an executive producer and director. Boat Rocker is producing and distributing the sci-fi drama.
“Orphan Black had a remarkable run on BBC AMERICA, attracting millions of dedicated and highly engaged fans, captivated by a smart and engrossing story and a star-making and Emmy-winning performance by Tatiana Maslany,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “We can’t wait to dive back in with Anna, John and our partners at Boat Rocker and deliver an all-new version of this rich world that is worthy of the #CloneClub.”
Additional executive producers include Boat Rocker’s David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Katie O’Connell Marsh, Nick Nantell, and Kerry Appleyard.
“We started our journey down the Orphan Black rabbit hole when Sarah Manning watched Beth Childs inexplicably jump in front of an oncoming train. Since then, a passionate fandom has joined us for a wildly entertaining ride,” said David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, Co-Executive Chairmen, Boat Rocker Media and Co-Chairmen, Boat Rocker Studios, and executive producers of both the original and new series. “We’re delighted to be partnering with AMC and Anna Fishko and joining forces again with John Fawcett, to boldly reenter the Orphan Black universe. Once again, we welcome Clone Club along for the ride and look forward to adventuresome new fans taking the leap. Strap yourselves in and hold on!”
“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.
AMC Networks released the following description of Orphan Black: Echoes:
Set in the near future, the new Orphan Black 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.
CBS’s S.W.A.T. celebrates its 100th episode with season five episode 16, “The Fugitive.” Directed by Billy Gierhart from a script by Matthew T. Brown, episode 16 will air on Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 10pm ET/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.
Episode 16 guest stars include Timothy V. Murphy, Dee Rogers, Gary B. Curtis, and Massi Furlan.
“The Fugitive” Plot: When body cam footage left at a local news station seems to show Hondo shooting two police officers, he is forced to go on the run while the team works to clear his name.
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.
Bill Martin Williams as Judge Ted House and Renée Zellweger as Pam Hupp in ‘The Thing About Pam’ episode 5 (Photo by: Skip Bolen/NBC)
NBC’s The Thing About Pam episode five opens with Pam (Renee Zellweger) dragging a garbage bag while carrying a shovel. The year is 2003 and she’s in the Florida Everglades. While dragging the bag to the back of her car we hear Keith Morrison say, “The past is a powerful thing.”
The action moves to Naples, Florida and Pam blow-drying a $100 bill. Money’s spread out all over the bed and Mark (Sean Bridgers) arrives to question what’s going on. Instead of responding Pam asks for a suitcase. He asks her not to do this because he was under the impression they were going to make things work in Florida. She changes the subject and talks about the heat. Pam he wants to go back to Missouri but Mark’s unhappy because he thought they had a plan in Florida.
“I moved my life to Florida for your baseball. We all know how that went,” replies Pam.
Mark wonders if wanting to go back to Missouri has to do with the money on the bed. She insists she just needs a change.
The lady seen exercising in the pool in episode four has passed away and Pam makes it all about herself, complaining the woman’s family is on her case and won’t even let her help plan the funeral. Mark’s stuck on the Missouri conversation and reminds his wife they don’t even have a place there. She insists they can stay at her mom’s.
We learn Pam’s daughter, Sarah, isn’t allowed at Pam’s mom’s house. However, Pam thinks it’ll be fine.
Fast-forward to Troy, Missouri in 2016. Pam attempts to return an item to the store without a receipt or a tag. The clerk tells her they can only give her store credit and Pam does what she does best – lies. She claims she bought it for her dog but he hurt his legs and can’t use them. Plus, the collar’s now too small because her dog gained some weight.
When she doesn’t get her way, she asks to speak to the manager. The clerk and other employees speak in hushed tones, and suddenly the clerk realizes who her customer is. “That’s Pam Hupp? Like, from the Dateline show?”
Keith pipes in with a voiceover. “Here she was, the once anonymous housewife and mother and now the TV star, the talk of the town, the famous Pam Hupp.”
The clerk wonders whether Pam killed Betsy. Pam realizes what’s going on, picks up the collar, and leaves.
Attorney Joel Schwartz (Josh Duhamel) meets with Mike Wood, a man who works at the District Attorney’s office. Mike asks if Joel still thinks Pam killed Betsy and Joel confirms he does. However, his opinion doesn’t change anything unless DA Leah Askey wants to reopen the case. Mike jokes that Askey would rather swallow glass.
Mike explains he wants to run against Askey and that if he wins, they can go after Betsy’s real killer – Pam Hupp. Mike wonders if Joel knows other undisclosed facts about the case and Joel says yes, but Mike can’t campaign just on bringing Pam Hupp to trial. Mike believes he can. He’s going to build it around the one person who hid the truth and he’s convinced he’s the guy who can find it, prosecute it, and get real justice. Joel agrees to help.
Pam’s back home complaining to Mark that she can’t even make a return because everyone thinks she killed Betsy since that’s what the TV says. She believes the whole town is against her now. Pam notices Mark and their son, Travis (Drew Scheid), glancing at each other and asks what’s up. Mark suggests they think about moving. It’s not just her – the whole family is experiencing blowback.
She thinks they’re being a bunch of babies and claims she’s the only one taking the hits. She adds, “And you don’t see me running away, do ya?” in a mocking tone. She brings up the house they recently bought and is sure she can turn it around and sell it to her daughter. Travis doesn’t see that happening.
Mark reminds Pam if she loses the trial over the insurance money, she’s going to have to pay Betsy’s girls that money. Pam laughs and asks, “Lose? You think I’m going to lose?”
Dateline producer Cathy Singer (Alice Barrett Mitchell) is on the phone discussing Pam’s mother’s death. The coroner ruled it an accident but her system had 14-times the recommended dose of Ambien in it. Cathy had her own experts investigate what it would take for someone to fall to their death, even though she can’t prove someone pushed her off the balcony. Cathy points out it’s the second time someone close to Pam Hupp has recently died and Pam collected the money.
“One theory is that Pam killed her friend and then killed her own mother simply for the money,” says Cathy.
Cathy questions the woman at the nursing home’s front desk, asking if she found it curious that on the night of her mother’s accident Pam said Shirley wouldn’t be down for dinner or breakfast the following morning either. The woman admits she didn’t at the time because she thought Pam was such a nice lady. However, she’s now changed her mind and doesn’t think she’s nice anymore.
Pam sits at home reading as Keith Morrison chimes in saying Pam had a fascination with crime novels. We see Pam using sticky notes to mark pages in her current book when her phone rings. It’s Cathy Singer and Pam asks how Chicago is. Cathy informs her she’s actually finishing things up in Troy. Cathy gets to the point and lets Pam know she’s heard about her mom, Shirley. Pam immediately blurts out that she didn’t kill her mom.
Cathy informs Pam they’re doing another Dateline and suggests they should talk so they can hear Pam’s side of things. Pam’s a little shocked to hear about another Dateline episode and declines to participate.
It’s been five years since Betsy’s death as we see Betsy’s daughter Mariah (Gideon Adlon) throwing away little bottles of alcohol and Betsy’s mom, Janet, doing dishes. Keith Morrison talks about how Betsy’s girls are still coping with her death, and they still haven’t seen a dime of their mother’s money.
Mariah has a journal with her as she cracks open a beer. Her grandma notices the journal’s almost full and asks what she writes about. Mariah explains she writes her mom letters and sometimes poems – things she wishes she would have said to her. Mariah confesses sometimes she writes to Russ too.
After Mariah leaves Janet calls Pam and leaves a message asking if they can work this out tonight. She suggests Pam do the right thing and give the girls their money.
Pam’s surrounded by media when she walks up to the courthouse with Mark. She holds his hand and clutches her signature big pop in the other hand.
Mariah and Lily’s (Olivia Luccardi) lawyer tells the girls he doesn’t think it’s a good idea for either of them to testify in the trial. As they’re discussing it Russ (Glenn Fleshler) walks into the courtroom and takes a seat. Mariah wonders if he’s there for them while Lily’s still dead set on Russ being the one who killed their mother.
“He kills mom and now he wants to see us get the money,” says Lily.
Pam’s sworn in to testify and notices documents on the stand. Attached to them is a photo of Betsy and after making an unpleasant face she flips the paper and picture over so she doesn’t have to see it. The girls’ lawyer asks his first question and Pam claims she can’t hear him. He asks the judge if he can treat the witness as hostile and the judge grants him that.
The lawyer then asks Pam if she was asked to take another oath during Russ’s trial in which she was asked to tell the truth. She says yes. But then Pam starts to tell him about her traumatic brain injury and how she can’t remember things.
We’re treated to multiple clips of Pam’s disastrous testimony. She’s asked to read a letter and claims she can’t because she needs her glasses from her husband. She’s also asked if she gave law enforcement a false statement and she admits she did but adds there are also other statements in there that do not say that. (What does that even mean?!) Each time she answers a question a new Brady Bunch-style square pops up on the screen until the whole screen is covered.
Moving on, the lawyer states she closed the trust in December 2013 and that $134,000 was deposited into her own personal checking account that same day. As he’s asking her where that $134,000 came from, she cuts him off. The lawyer asks the judge to advise Pam to answer the question. She attempts to wiggle out of it and the judge reminds her that her lawyers will object to anything they see fit to do so. (They decline to object.) The girls’ lawyer asks the question about the source of the money again and Pam claims it could have come from anywhere.
He then asks if she’s lied to anyone else about what she was going to do with the life insurance policies. Her response stuns the courtroom. She admits she lies when people bug her. The lawyer slides his eyes to the judge as if to question if she really just said that.
Olivia Luccardi as Lily Day and Gideon Adlon as Mariah Day in ‘The Thing About Pam’ episode 5 (Photo by: Skip Bolen/NBC)
Everyone in the courtroom thinks the lawyer got to Pam, but Pam exits the witness stand with the same smug look on her face she walked up there with. We see Mariah run out of the room as soon as the judge calls for a short recess. She tries to hold the door open for Russ and his family but they pass by without acknowledging her.
A delusional Pam tells her husband she thinks it went well but then notices her neighbor, Minnie (Patricia French), seems awfully quiet. Pam asks what’s going on with her and Minnie confesses she couldn’t believe all those awful things they said about her. Pam replies, “Well, then don’t.”
Minnie correctly points out Pam herself said she was a liar. Pam waves that off saying everyone lies.
The sisters are talking in the courtroom hallway when Mariah admits she feels she should say something to Russ who’s standing nearby with his family. Lily still doesn’t agree. Russ tells his family the girls said all they needed to say on the stand in his trial. His mom suggests maybe they should leave but he spots Pam and replies, “Nah, I came to watch Pam lose.”
The lawyer informs the girls it’s time for closing statements and the girls still think they should testify. The lawyer remains adamant that it isn’t necessary. They reluctantly tell him, “Okay if you think so.”
Even though Pam did herself no favors on the stand her lawyer closes by stating they heard from more reliable witnesses that Betsy did not trust her daughters with that kind of money. Everything else was just he said/she said.
The judge asks where the evidence is that the girls were supposed to receive the money. Their lawyer states the evidence is that Betsy intended the girls would receive the money when they were older and it has now been four years.
Unfortunately, the evidence doesn’t support the attorney’s declaration and Pam somehow manages to win the case. The girls rush out with their grandma, angry and rightfully so. They watch as Pam and her husband exit the courtroom, literally skipping.
Days later, Mariah and Lily are at work when a co-worker hands Mariah a letter. It’s from Russ and her smile fades away as she begins to read the letter. He calls her a greedy little b*tch and insults her looks. Her sister admits even for Russ that letter seems harsh.
Meanwhile, Pam’s at a real estate office questioning why a buyer would back out of escrow. The agent tries to be nice by saying it could be one of a million reasons. Pam won’t let it go and the agent is forced to admit it’s because of Pam. They canceled as soon as they heard who the seller was.
Renée Zellweger as Pam Hupp and Rachael Thompson as Tina in ‘The Thing About Pam’ episode 5 (Photo by: Skip Bolen/NBC)
Over at the District Attorney’s office, Askey’s assistant Tina is shocked to receive a request for the destruction of evidence in Russ’s case. Pam shows up just then wanting to see the DA and Tina explains she just left for the day. Pam quickly leaves and Tina puts the request through a paper shredder.
Pam tracks down Leah (Judy Greer) in the parking lot and complains Keith Morrison and Dateline are screwing stuff up for her. Everyone acts like she killed someone and stole money from orphans. Leah corrects her saying Lily and Mariah. Pam makes a noise like she’s disgusted hearing their names and how “those girls” are messing with her business.
Leah claims it will go away soon and Pam reveals she wants her to make it go away. Leah informs her she can’t do that. Leah then tells her this isn’t good for her – meaning their continuing relationship. She’s up for reelection and this will mess with her chances of winning.
Pam’s out to dinner with Mark and Travis and rants about how Leah won’t help her. She thinks they lost the trial because Leah wouldn’t put her on the stand. When Pam finally gets done with her “me, me, me” story her son suggests they should just move already.
Mariah heads to their table to take their order and suddenly realizes who her customers are. Pam greets her a little too cheerfully, claiming she didn’t know she worked there. Mariah tries to ask Mark what he wants to eat and Pam cuts him off saying he’s not hungry. Pam asks for their burgers to go and tells Mark that maybe Leah is right; maybe she should cut off the people who don’t support her.
When Mariah brings the receipt, Pam makes a big show of pulling out a stack of cash and counting the bills one by one. She also leaves a little note on the check. After they walk out Mariah realizes the writing on the receipt matches the letter Russ supposedly wrote. Mariah runs out of the restaurant and tells Pam she’s tired of letting her have control. She’s also done with being mad and for once she wins.
Keith Morrison asks, “If so many people bug her and bug her and bug her, how can Pam keep up?” As he asks that question Pam’s looking at a printout of information on Cathy Singer and a newspaper article on her winning the lawsuit against her for the insurance money. She also glances at a flyer for a shoe drive sponsored by Leah Askey.
Pam shows up at the shoe drive and donates her daughter’s first pair of baby shoes. Leah thanks her and tries to get her to leave. Pam refuses and as people show up she yells, “Pam Hupp – vote for Askey” which causes people to back away and leave. Right before she leaves Pam makes it known she knows where Leah lives.
Next, Pam attempts to go to Zumba but the instructor tells her the class is full. Minnie’s there with other women and Pam seems to expect Minnie to leave with her. Minnie informs Pam she knows she’s the one who left the dead squirrel in a box on her driveway. Pam laughs and ignores that comment, continuing to demand Minnie leave with her. Minnie tells her no. Pam stares at the women and then yells, “Boo,” causing them to jump. (She is truly demented.)
Mike Wood’s campaign commercial debuts and in it he states Pam Hupp got away with murder and Leah Askey helped her.
Pam calls Leah while watching the commercial and Leah warns her if Mike Wood wins he’ll reopen Betsy’s case. They’ll both lose. Pam disagrees and says Leah will lose but she won’t because she didn’t do anything. With that, she hangs up on the District Attorney. During this conversation, Pam’s shown sewing stacks of money into a blanket.
Mariah’s packed and leaving for California to look for a fresh start. Janet asks why can’t she do that in Troy and Mariah replies, “Here is where my mom got murdered, Russ won’t even speak to me, and Pam wins every time.”
Episode five ends with Minnie sick and resting in bed. Pam suddenly appears in her room and claims she’s just there to take care of her. She wonders if Minnie would miss her if she moved. Minnie says she would and Pam points out Minnie lies, too. Minnie wouldn’t miss her if she thinks she killed the squirrel.
Minnie changes the subject and asks if Pam’s moving. Pam reveals she was thinking about it but running away isn’t how you deal with obstacles.
“Leah, Cathy, Mariah, Joel…they’re all just things in my way. When there’s stuff in your way, what you gotta do is get rid of it,” says Pam as she’s shown firing a gun in the middle of the night.
Conrad stirs up a hornet’s nest when he investigates a pharmacist on Fox’s The Resident season five episode 18. “Ride or Die” will air on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season five stars Matt Czuchry as Dr. Conrad Hawkins, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin, Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell, Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss, and Manish Dayal is Dr. Devon Pravesh. Jessica Lucas plays Dr. Billie Sutton, Anuja Joshi is Dr. Leela Devi, and Miles Fowler is Trevor.
“Ride Or Die” Plot: When Conrad confronts a pharmacy owner about fraudulent prescriptions being filled under his name, the situation takes a dangerous turn. Then, the ER is sent into chaos when a street racing accident results in multiple severe injuries. Meanwhile, Raptor faces a devastating reality when his mother’s condition worsens.
Entering its fifth season, The Resident continues to shine a light on the daily heroism of our health care workers. The provocative medical drama follows the doctors and nurses at Chastain Memorial Hospital as they face personal and professional challenges and fight for their patients’ health.
Season four saw a multitude of highs and lows as the heroes at Chastain struggled to overcome the impossible, including the unprecedented and devastating Covid-19 pandemic. Now, in a propulsive and emotional season five, the ante is upped, as the doctors continue to save patients and fight corruption in the healthcare system, this time with a partner. The alliance with Big Pharma that found a cure for sickle cell disease last season proves in season five to be a very sharp double-edged sword.
The season kicks off when a mysterious ransomware attack threatens the hospital, and DR. DEVON PRAVESH (Dayal) and Chastain’s recently appointed CEO, DR. KIT VOSS (Leeves), must make high-stakes, split-second decisions with lives in the balance. Meanwhile, DR. CONRAD HAWKINS (Czuchry) and NURSE PRACTITIONER NICOLETTE NEVIN’s (Emily VanCamp) attempts to navigate parenthood, marriage and work-life balance take a shocking turn when Conrad is forced to make a life-changing choice that will alter the course of their family forever.
After the unwanted arrival of DR. BILLIE SUTTON’s (Lucas) biological son, she is forced to confront her past head-on in hopes of healing. Luckily, she’ll have help with the emergence of a new friendship – and rivalry – with DR. AJ AUSTIN (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), who unknowingly takes an interest in Billie’s son, TREVOR (Fowler). Elsewhere, a wrench is thrown in the plans of DR. LEELA DEVI (Joshi), when an unannounced visitor threatens her new relationship, and DR. RANDOLPH BELL (Greenwood) moves forward with a surprising love interest.
A new wrinkle five episodes into the season will challenge audience expectations and reveal new truths about our characters. Old relationships will be tested, new ones formed, and the emergence of a widespread Medicare fraud scheme ensures Chastain will never be the same.
The new one-minute TV spot for Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens with Dr. Stephen Strange confessing he’s been having the same dream every night. Wanda Maximoff reveals she’s also been experiencing nights of repetitive dreams followed by mornings of the same nightmare.
The teaser continues with Wong telling Dr. Strange the fate of the multiverse depends on them, while Mordo warns Stephen, “This path exacts a heavy toll.”
The new TV spot arrived along with the final poster just one month out from the comic book-inspired film’s theatrical release.
Benedict Cumberbatch leads the cast as Dr. Stephen Strange. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mordo, Elizabeth Olsen is Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong is Wong, Xochitl Gomez is America Chavez, Michael Stühlbarg is Dr. Nicodemus West, and Rachel McAdams plays Dr. Christine Palmer.
Sam Raimi is back in the superhero world as director with Michael Waldron writing the screenplay. Kevin Feige produces and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Eric Hauserman Carroll, Scott Derrickson, and Jamie Christopher are the executive producers.
Advance tickets are on sale now ahead of the film’s May 6, 2022 release.
The Plot, Courtesy of Marvel Studios:
“The MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.”
Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, John Turturro, Britt Lower and Adam Scott in ‘Severance’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s decision to renew the sci-fi thriller Severance for season two is…keeping this as spoiler-free as possible…let’s just say a really big deal given the final moments of season one. The streaming service made the renewal announcement just days before the release of the season one finale which is set to air on Friday, April 8, 2022.
Severance was created by writer Dan Erickson and stars Adam Scott, Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Patricia Arquette, Emmy Award winner John Turturro, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock, Tramell Tillman, Michael Chernus, and Academy Award winner Christopher Walken.
Additional executive producers include Mark Friedman, Chris Black, John Cameron, and Andrew Colville, as well as Red Hour Productions’ Stiller, Nicky Weinstock, and Jackie Cohn. Series stars Adam Scott and Patricia Arquette produce.
“It’s really exciting to see the response from people who are loving the show — and the level of fan engagement,” said executive producer and director Ben Stiller. “It has been a long road bringing Severance to television. I first read Dan’s pilot over five years ago. It has always been a multi season story, and I’m really happy we get to continue it. I’m grateful to our partners at Apple TV+ who have been behind it the whole way. Praise Keir!”
“Thanks to creator Dan Erickson, the brilliant Ben Stiller, and an incomparable cast and crew, Severance has imagined an existence that‘s equal parts riveting and enthralling as viewers around the globe can’t get enough of these rich characters,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+. “We’re excited to go deeper into this wholly unique world and unpack more layers of Lumon in season two.”
The Season 1 Plot:
In Severance, Mark Scout (Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.
TNT’s critically acclaimed Animal Kingdom will kick off its sixth and final season on Sunday, June 19, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT with the release of the first two episodes. The premiere date announcement was accompanied by a new one-minute trailer teasing the brothers will be going out with one final big job.
Season six stars Shawn Hatosy as Andrew ‘Pope’ Cody, Ben Robson as Craig Cody, Jake Weary as Deran Cody, Finn Cole as Joshua ‘J’ Cody, and Leila George as Janine.
The series is inspired by the award-winning independent film from Australian filmmaker David Michôd. Michôd and the feature film’s producer Liz Watts are involved in the series as executive producers. Jonathan Lisco developed the series and Emmy winner John Wells, Daniele Nathanson, Erin Jontow, Nick Copus, and Bradley Paul executive produce.
TNT released the following description of the upcoming sixth season:
In the final season of TNT’s adrenaline-fueled family crime drama, the Cody boys discover that they can’t outrun their past. With their empire expanding, a cold case investigation sets off a series of events that puts the entire family in jeopardy. Revenge, betrayal, and a reckoning with long-forgotten violence leads to an explosive conclusion six seasons in the making.
Ben Robson, Shawn Hatosy, Finn Cole, and Jake Weary in ‘Animal Kingdom’ (Photograph by TNT)
A Look Back at Season 5:
In Animal Kingdom season five, Pope (Hatosy), Craig (Robson), Deran (Weary), and J (Cole) are still dealing with the fallout from the events surrounding Smurf’s death, including family members out for revenge. With their kingdom without a leader, the Cody family struggles to maintain their fragile alliance, and to see which of them will come out on top. Meanwhile, they search for more information on Pamela Johnson whom Smurf made the beneficiary of her estate.
And back in 1984, an increasingly volatile 29-year-old Smurf is forging her own path raising Pope and Julia and leading the charge on dangerous jobs with new and old friends.
Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer was previously brought to life on the big screen in 2011 with Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, and Ryan Phillippe starring. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (Magnificent Seven, Sicario: Day of the Soldado) takes over the role played by McConaughey for the television adaptation.
The cast also includes Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Christopher Gorham, Krista Warner, Michael Graziadei, and Jamie McShane.
Connelly announced the Netflix adaptation back in January 2021 and is involved as an executive producer.
“The Lincoln Lawyer series will be adapted to serve up the complex and mysterious arcs fans know and love with a mix of light-hearted humor and a dose of family dynamics. Season one will consist of 10 one-hour episodes and will be based on the second book in the series, The Brass Verdict,” wrote Connelly. “It is brought to life by a renowned team of producers that includes: David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Goliath) as Executive Producer / Writer, Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife, Wisdom of the Crowd) as Showrunner / Executive Producer / Writer, Ross Fineman (Goliath, Big Sky) as Executive Producer, and A+E Studios.”
Netflix has set a May 13, 2022 premiere date and released the following plot description:
Mickey Haller, an iconoclastic idealist, runs his law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car, as he takes on cases big and small across the expansive city of Los Angeles.
