Super Bowl 2022’s Halftime Show Performers Include Mary J Blige and Snoop Dogg

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September 30, 2021

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar will hit the stage to perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show on Sunday, February 13, 2022. The 2022 Super Bowl will take place at the almost brand new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, the home of the Chargers and the Rams.

The just-announced halftime show will mark the first time Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar have performed together on stage. The Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show will be directed by Hamish Hamilton and produced by DPS. Jay Z’s Roc Nation and Jesse Collins are executive producing, with Roc Nation also serving as “strategic entertainment advisors of the live performance.”

“The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career,” stated Dr. Dre. “I’m grateful to JAY-Z, Roc Nation, the NFL, and Pepsi as well as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar for joining me in what will be an unforgettable cultural moment.”

“On February 13, 2022, at the Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, CA, in the new SoFi Stadium, Dr. Dre, a musical visionary from Compton, Snoop Dogg, an icon from Long Beach and Kendrick Lamar, a young musical pioneer in his own right, also from Compton, will take center field for a performance of a lifetime,” said Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter. “They will be joined by the lyrical genius, Eminem and the timeless Queen, Mary J. Blige. This is the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. This is history in the making.”

The halftime show is always one of the biggest musical events of the year, with almost 100 million people tuning in to catch the 2021 performance. Among those who’ve taken center stage during past Super Bowls are Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Prince, Madonna, The Weeknd, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Beyoncé, and Justin Timberlake.

“Artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were at the forefront of the West Coast hip hop revolution, so to be able to bring them back to LA, where it all began alongside Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will prove to be an epic, unforgettable celebration of the impact hip hop has today,” said Todd Kaplan, Pepsi Marketing VP. “The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show has become a landmark cultural moment, bringing about some of the most iconic performances over the years – from JLo and Shakira to Lady Gaga to The Weeknd – and we are thrilled to bring together such an incredible array of talented, record-breaking musicians to put on a performance for the ages.”

The NFL also announced they’ve joined with Pepsi to launch Regional School #1, “a magnet high school in South Los Angeles that is set to open for students next fall as part of the LA Unified School District. The high school is based on the nationally recognized USC Iovine and Young Academy, a program founded by Jimmy Iovine and Andre ‘Dr. Dre’ Young, that will offer a unique educational model focused on the theme of Integrated Design, Technology, and Entrepreneurship.”

‘Swagger’ Teaser Trailer: Kevin Durant’s Life Inspires an Apple TV+ Series

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 30, 2021

Apple TV+’s upcoming dramatic series Swagger just released its first teaser trailer ahead of the series’ October 29, 2021 premiere. The dramatic series is inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Durant‘s childhood and has Durant helping to guide the series as an executive producer.

The series stars O’Shea Jackson, Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, and Caleel Harris. The ensemble also includes James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe, Tessa Ferrer, Tristan Mack Wilds, and Jason Rivera.

Swagger‘s first season is made up of 10 episodes and was written, directed, and executive produced by series creator/showrunner Reggie Rock Bythewood. The first three will premiere on Oct. 29th followed by new episodes on subsequent Fridays. Season one’s finale will air on December 17th.

In addition to Durant and Bythewood, season one’s executive producers include Brian Grazer, Rich Kleiman, Francie Calfo, Samie Kim Falvey and Samantha Corbin-Miller. Swagger’s produced by Thirty Five Ventures, Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios, and Undisputed Cinema.

Swagger Isaiah HIll — Isaiah Hill in ‘Swagger,’ premiering globally October 29, 2021 on Apple TV+

The Plot and Characters, Courtesy of Apple TV+:

Inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s experiences, Swagger explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption. Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America.

Jackson stars as Ike, a former star player who’s now a youth basketball coach; Hill stars as Jace Carson, a basketball phenomenon who is one of the top ranked youth basketball players in the country; Azoroh plays Jenna, Jace’s mother who is determined to chart NBA success for her son; Wallis plays Crystal, a top young basketball player; Harris plays Musa, the team’s glue and point guard; Bingham plays Drew Murphy, a player from an affluent part of town; Irama plays Phil Marksby, the enforcer for a rival team; Nzeribe plays Royale, a sub-par player with a wealthy dad; Ferrer plays Meg Bailey, a former basketball player and coach for a rival team; Wilds plays Alonzo Powers, the grassroots division leader at a major shoe company; and Rivera plays Nick, a player from Puerto Rico with the drive to become the best player in the country.

FX’s ‘Shogun’ Limited Series Adds Anna Sawai in Starring Role

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 30, 2021

Shogun Series Anna Sawai — Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne and Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in ‘Shogun’ (Photo CR: Katie Yu / FX)

Anna Sawai (F9: The Final Saga) has boarded the cast of FX’s Shogun and will be taking on the role of Lady Mariko. Sawai’s character is one of the limited series’ three leads, with Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat) starring as Yoshii Toranaga and Cosmo Jarvis (Raised by Wolves) confirmed to play John Blackthorne.

The network reports filming is now underway in Vancouver on the 10-episode limited series based on the bestselling novel written by James Clavell and published in 1975. Clavell’s novel was previously adapted into an Emmy Award-winning miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain, Yôko Shimada, and Shōgun Toshirô Mifune back in the ’80s.

The cast of FX’s adaptation will include Tadanobu Asano, Fumi Nikaido, Tokuma Nishioka, Takehiro Hira, Ako, Shinnosuke Abe, Yasunari Takeshima, and Hiroto Kanai. Toshi Toda, Hiro Kanagawa, Nestor Carbonell, Yuki Kura, Tommy Bastow, Moeka Hoshi, Yoriko Doguchi, and Yuka Kouri also star.

Jonathan van Tulleken (Reprisal) is on board to direct the series’ first two episodes. Justin Marks, Michaela Clavell, Michael de Luca and Ed McDonnell are executive producing, with Marks writing episodes one and two along with co-executive producer Rachel Kondo. The series is produced by FX Productions.

Shogun Plot and Key Characters, Courtesy of FX:

Shōgun, set in feudal Japan, charts the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious female samurai. John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English pilot major ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him. Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyo, is at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals. And Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, must prove her value and allegiance.

Anna Sawai is set to star as “Lady Mariko,” revered daughter of an infamous samurai traitor, whom Toranaga enlists to avenge her father’s death.

Hiroyuki Sanada will star as “Yoshii Toranaga,” a living legend. A powerful daimyo from a feared lineage, isolated and outnumbered by his enemies in Osaka Castle when the story begins. But little does anyone realize that Toranaga is a brilliant strategist, a master of the long game, and the holder of Japan’s ultimate fate.

Cosmo Jarvis will star as “John Blackthorne,” a restless English pilot major in search of a destiny far from the world he was born into. His mission is to forge a path into the Pacific islands and disrupt Portuguese and Spanish interests in Japan. But Blackthorne finds more than he bargained for when his ship washes ashore within the territory of Toranaga, a deadly warlord who becomes his captor and spiritual mentor.

‘Wolf’ Trailer: George MacKay and Lily-Rose Depp Channel Their Inner Animals

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 30, 2021

1917‘s George MacKay and Yoga Hoser‘s Lily-Rose Depp (Johnny’s daughter) star in the Focus Features drama Wolf. The official trailer introduces MacKay and Depp as people who believe they’re animals trapped in human bodies. In MacKay’s case he believes he’s a wolf while Depp thinks she’s a wildcat. They’re unlikely love story begins when they meet at a clinic for people who don’t fit into the real world.

The cast of the 2021 drama also includes Paddy Considine (The Outsider) and Eileen Walsh (Catastrophe). Nathalie Biancheri (Nocturnal) wrote and directed Wolf, with Jessie Fisk and Jane Doolan producing.

Filmmaker Biancheri turned to movement choreographer Terry Notary to help MacKay, Depp, and the other actors portraying humans with species dysphoria learn how to bring out an animal essence. In an interview with Focus Insider, Notary described his process.

“When I work with actors, it is about them discovering their inner blueprint. This blueprint solidifies their personality: how they think about who they are; how they see themselves in comparison to everything else. To see this in yourself, you have to get really real and grounded, like an animal,” explained Notary. “My experience in working with animals like apes and dogs as well as working with actors has shown me that to get into a character, one has to undo the idea of who they think they are. One needs to dissect the habits and tendencies shaped by social conditioning to see what is underneath them. With that awareness, you start to witness things inside you from an outside perspective.”

Focus Features has set a December 3, 2021 theatrical premiere date.

The Plot:

“Believing he is a wolf trapped in a human body, Jacob (MacKay) eats, sleeps, and lives like a wolf – much to the shock of his family. When he’s sent to a clinic, Jacob and his animal-bound peers are forced to undergo increasingly extreme forms of ‘curative’ therapies. However once he meets the mysterious Wildcat (Depp), and as their friendship blossoms into an undeniable infatuation, Jacob is faced with a challenge: will he renounce his true self for love.”

Review: ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ is Big, Dumb, and Easily Forgettable

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 30, 2021

Venom Let There Be Carnage is, to put it bluntly, incredibly silly. The sequel to Venom is a jumbled mess made up of random ideas plopped together in a 90-minute package. It would be unwatchable if it weren’t for the totally committed performance of Tom Hardy.

The actual plot is simple: Eddie Brock (Hardy) interviews serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) in jail, something goes wrong, and Cletus transforms into Carnage. Carnage slaughters dozens of humans leading to a showdown with Venom.

The filler inserted between the interview and the final CGI symbiote showdown is far less entertaining than you’d expect. The internal dialogue between Venom and his host body, Eddie Brock, worked well in the original film so the sequel ups the ante, making their running battle over the consumption of human heads substitute for character development.

Venom’s a petulant child and Eddie Brock seems incapable of handling life without him. That dynamic doesn’t serve the story well and definitely doesn’t help the film live up to the studio’s one-line pre-release synopsis: “Tom Hardy returns to the big screen as the lethal protector Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters.” There’s nothing complex about this version of Venom whose wannabe stand-up comedian vibe, complete with an actual shark-jumping mic-drop moment, feels bizarre and out of place in this big-budget comic book adaptation that has the continuation of the character on screen (at least in this form) riding on its shoulders.

Michelle Williams and Reid Scott are given more to do in the sequel, and Naomie Harris is fine as Frances Barrison/Shriek. However, as much as I admire Woody Harrelson as an actor, he’s completely wrong for the role of Cletus as written in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. And, yes, I realize he was introduced as the character at the end of Venom. That doesn’t make the casting choice any less off. There’s a noticeable, distracting age difference between Harrelson and Harris that makes no sense given Cletus and Frances’ backstory and relationship.

The tone’s too goofy, the action’s decent but not ground-breaking, and the plot’s pretty ho-hum. Working in its favor, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is relatively short and Tom Hardy’s still perfect as Eddie Brock/Venom.

GRADE: D+

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for disturbing material, action, intense sequences of violence, some strong language, and suggestive references

Running Time: 1 hour 37 minutes

Directed By: Andy Serkis

Release Date: October 1, 2021

Review: Venom: The Last Dance

‘House of Gucci’ Debuts a New “Family” Poster with Lady Gaga Front and Center

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 29, 2021

MGM’s House of Gucci “Family” poster features five of the film’s big name stars. The studio previously released character posters with Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci, Jeremy Irons as Rodolfo Gucci, Al Pacino as Aldo Gucci, and an unrecognizable Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci. The new “Family” poster features the same five actors in one gorgeous promotional poster.

Not shown are cast members Jack Huston as Domenico De Sole and Salma Hayek as Pina Auriemma.

The 2021 film is based on Sara Gay Forden’s The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed and was directed by four-time Oscar nominee Ridley Scott. Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna adapted Forden’s book for the screen.

Ridley Scott, Giannina Scott, Kevin J. Walsh, and Mark Huffam serve as producers, with Aidan Elliott, Kevin Ulrich, Marco Valerio Pugini, Megan Ellison, Aaron L. Gilbert, and Jason Cloth executive producing.

House of Gucci is targeting a November 24, 2021 theatrical release.

The Plot:

House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family empire behind the Italian fashion house of Gucci. Spanning three decades of love, betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately murder, we see what a name means, what it’s worth, and how far a family will go for control.

‘True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten Joins FX’s ‘Kindred’ Cast

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 29, 2021

Kindred Official Poster — ‘Kindred’ Poster (Photo Credit: FX)

The cast of FX’s upcoming Kindred pilot has expanded to include True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten, Tony Award nominee Micah Stock, Perry Mason‘s Gayle Rankin, and Austin Smith – an original Broadway cast member of Hamilton. The cast of Kindred also includes Godfather of Harlem‘s Antoinette Crowe-Legacy and David Alexander Kaplan, an 11-year-old actor known for his roles in The Resident and MacGyver.

The newcomers join previously announced series star Mallori Johnson as regulars on Kindred, which is based on the critically acclaimed novel by Octavia E. Butler. Janicza Bravo (Zola) is on board to direct the pilot from a script by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Watchmen). Jacobs-Jenkins, Bravo, Courtney Lee-Mitchell, Darren Aronofsky, and Ari Handel of Protozoa Pictures are executive producing. Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields, Ernestine Walker, and Merrilee Heifetz also executive produce, with FX Productions producing the pilot.

“Since my first encounter with the novel nearly two decades ago, there have been few, if any, books and even fewer authors who have meant as much to me as Kindred and Octavia Butler,” said Branden Jacobs-Jenkins in March 2021 when the adaptation was announced. “It has been the highlight and honor of my career thus far to try and finally bring this timeless story to life—and especially at FX, whose catalogue of bold, thought-provoking, and cutting-edge television has been an endless source of inspiration and delight.”

“The Octavia E. Butler Estate was thrilled and grateful to have placed Kindred with Courtney Lee Mitchell at the outset, who brought it to Branden Jacobs Jenkins (a young writer who shares with Octavia the rare honor of being a MacArthur ‘Genius’ Award recipient) and then to the terrific people at Protozoa,” stated the Octavia E. Butler Estate. “FX could not be a better or more enthusiastic partner, as evidenced by the brilliant creative team they are building and the legendary slate of shows they have produced. We can’t wait to see this beloved work take its place among the stars in the FX universe.”

FX released the following description of the plot:

“FX’s adaptation of Kindred is centered on Dana, a young Black woman and aspiring writer who has uprooted her life of familial obligation and relocated to Los Angeles, ready to claim a future that, for once, feels all her own. But, before she can get settled into her new home, she finds herself being violently pulled back and forth in time to a nineteenth-century plantation with which she and her family are most surprisingly and intimately linked.

An interracial romance threads through her past and present, and the clock is ticking as she struggles to confront the secrets she never knew ran through her blood in this genre-breaking exploration of the ties that bind.”

‘The Resident’ Season 5 Episode 3 Promo, Plot, Photos, and Air Date

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 29, 2021

Fox’s The Resident season five episode three promises to be one of the most emotional episodes to date. Episode two ended with Conrad learning devastating news about Nic, and episode three is going to find the staff attempting to save her life. Episode three, “The Long and Winding Road,” will air on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT.

Returning cast members include 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.

“The Long And Winding Road” Plot: When an accident brings a familiar patient into the Chastain ER, the doctors must face the reality of figuring out how to proceed with the best care, which leads the whole staff questioning every decision.

Meanwhile, The Raptor and Leela deal with a patient returning with the long-term effects of COVID.

The Season 5 Plot, Courtesy of Fox:

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 Resident Season 5 Episode 3 — Matt Czuchry and Guest stars Glenn Morshower and Corbin Bernsen in ‘The Resident’ season 5 episode 3 (Photo by Guy D’Alema © 2021 Fox Media LLC)

‘FBI’ Season 4 Episode 3 Photos, Plot, Cast and Air Date

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 29, 2021

CBS’s FBI season four episode three finds OA torn up over being asked to touch base with an old buddy in order to solve a series of bombings. Directed by Alex Chapple from a script by Joe Webb, episode three – “Trauma” – will air on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT.

Missy Peregrym stars as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki is Special Agent Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan, and Jeremy Sisto plays Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine. The season four cast also includes Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, John Boyd as Special Agent Stuart Scola, and Katherine Renee Turner as Special Agent Tiffany Wallace.

Recurring season four cast members include Vedette Lim as Elise Taylor, Taylor Anthony Miller as Kelly Moran, Kathleen Munroe as Rina Trenholm, Roshawn Franklin as Special Agent Trevor Hobbs, Carmen Lamar Gonzalez as Carla Flores, and Sagar Kiran as Roman Isco.

Cleveland Berto, Greg Perrow, Neil Hoover, Robbie Tann, Melinda Tanner, and Lauren Sowa guest star in episode three.

“Trauma” Plot: After the team finds a connection between bombings at government agencies and a private veterans’ club in New York City, Isobel tells OA to recruit his former Army buddy, Chris (Berto), for intel since he spends time at the club. However, knowing the difficulty soldiers like Chris often face returning to civilian life, OA is reluctant to follow orders.

FBI Season 4 Episode 3 — Missy Peregrym as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki as Special Agent Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan, Taylor Anthony Miller as Kelly Moran, Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille and Kathleen Munroe as Rina Trenholm in ‘FBI’ season 4 episode 3 (Photo: David M. Russell © 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)

‘The Good Doctor’ Season 5 Episode 2 Promo, Photos, Plot and Cast

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 29, 2021

ABC’s The Good Doctor continues season five with an episode that finds the hospital undergoing some startling changes after a game-changing season premiere. Season five episode two, “Piece of Cake,” was directed by Tim Southam from a script by Tracy Taylor and David Hoselton. Episode two will air on Monday, October 4, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT.

The cast of season five features Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews, and Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman. Christina Chang plays Dr. Audrey Lim, Fiona Gubelmann is Dr. Morgan Reznick, Will Yun Lee is Dr. Alex Park, and Paige Spara stars as Lea Dilallo.

Episode two guest stars include Rachel Bay Jones as Salen Morrison, Lyndon Smith as Abby Clemmis, Blessing Adedijo as Madeline Cross, Constance Ejuma as Esther, and Elfina Luk as Nurse Villanueva.

“Piece of Cake” Plot: Dr. Shaun Murphy and the team race to save a pregnant woman’s baby and find her current situation as a convicted felon complicates it even more than they realize. Meanwhile, the hospital takes on some unexpected changes that the staff are not prepared for.

The Good Doctor Description, Courtesy of ABC:

Dr. Shaun Murphy (Highmore), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, continues to use his extraordinary medical gifts at St. Bonaventure Hospital’s surgical unit. As his friendships deepen, Shaun tackles the world of dating for the first time and continues to work harder than he ever has before, navigating his environment to prove to his colleagues that his talents as a surgeon will save lives.