As anticipated, Netflix has renewed Virgin River for a fourth season after ending season three with multiple cliffhangers. Virgin River is one of the streamer’s most popular dramas so it was expected to stick around for another season. A little less expected was the news the series has also earned an early season five order.
Virgin River season one premiered in December 2019 with season two arriving in November 2020. Season three was a bit of an early treat, premiering in July 2021 rather than during the final months of the year.
The series’ cast includes Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan, Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton, and Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts. Annette O’Toole plays Hope McCrea, Tim Matheson is Doc Mullins, Benjamin Hollingsworth is Dan Brady, and Grayson Gurnsey is Ricky. In addition, Sarah Dugdale stars as Lizzie, Zibby Allen is Brie Sheridan, and Marco Grazzini plays Mike Valenzuela.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Virgin River tells the love story of Mel Monroe (Breckenridge) who answers an ad to work as a midwife and nurse practitioner in the remote Northern California town of Virgin River, thinking it will be the perfect place to start fresh and leave her painful memories. Season 3 (launched on Netflix July 2021) left fans with more questions about the residents of this small town after a funeral, a fire, a divorce, a hurricane and a new romance.
Cedric the Entertainer made his Primetime Emmy Awards hosting debut with the 2021 awards show which took place on September 19, 2021 in front of a live (but limited) audience. Netflix’s The Crown reigned supreme, collecting seven Primetime Emmys including Best Drama, Lead Actor (Josh O’Connor), Lead Actress (Olivia Colman), Supporting Actor (Tobias Menzies), and Supporting Actress (Gillian Anderson). Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso scored four wins including Best Comedy, and Mare of Easttown and Hacks each earned three Emmys.
Emmys were awarded in 92 additional categories during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit each won 11 Emmys in total, followed by Saturday Night Live with eight. Ted Lasso and The Mandalorian each earned seven total from the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards.
The 73rd Primetime Emmys kicked off with LL Cool J joining Cedric the Entertainer for an Emmys-centric version of “Just a Friend,” with Rita Wilson, Billy Porter, and most of the star-studded audience (including the cast of Hamilton) joining in. That was followed by Seth Rogen as the first presenter joking about the fact there were too many people packed into the room without any masks, which it turns out echoed the comments of Emmy viewers on Twitter. “I would not have come to this. Why is there a roof? It’s more important that we have three chandeliers than that we make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided,” said Rogen.
Cedric the Entertainer tried to clear things up by confirming everyone had to be vaccinated in order to attend, and hopefully the celebrities in the audience didn’t experience side effects similar to what happened to Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend. And that joke, unfortunately, was one of the funnier moments of a show that lacked energy despite being filmed in front of a live audience. If it weren’t for outstanding speeches by Debbie Allen, Jean Smart, John Oliver, Michaela Coel, and Kate Winslet, the 73rd Emmy Awards would have been completely forgettable. In other words, if you didn’t catch the live broadcast you really didn’t miss anything.
Prince Philip (TOBIAS MENZIES) and Queen Elizabeth II (OLIVIA COLMAN) in ‘The Crown’ season 4 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
2021 EMMY AWARDS NOMINEES & WINNERS:
Drama Series
The Boys (Amazon)
Bridgerton (Netflix) WINNER: The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Lovecraft Country (HBO)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Pose (FX)
This Is Us (NBC)
Comedy Series
Black-ish (ABC)
Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Emily in Paris (Netflix)
Hacks (HBO Max)
The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Pen15 (Hulu) WINNER: Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
Lead Actress in a Drama
Uzo Aduba (In Treatment) WINNER: Olivia Colman (The Crown)
Emma Corrin (The Crown)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Mj Rodriguez (Pose)
Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country)
Lead Actor in a Drama
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country) WINNER: Josh O’Connor (The Crown)
Rege-Jean Page (Bridgerton)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Matthew Rhys (Perry Mason)
Supporting Actress in a Drama WINNER: Gillian Anderson (The Crown)
Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown)
Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country)
Emerald Fennell (The Crown)
Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Supporting Actors in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian)
O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale)
John Lithgow (Perry Mason) WINNER: Tobias Menzies (The Crown)
Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Chris Sullivan (This Is Us)
Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Michael K. Williams (Lovecraft Country)
Lead Actress in a Comedy
Aidy Bryant (Shrill)
Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant)
Allison Janney (Mom)
Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish) WINNER: Jean Smart (Hacks)
Lead Actor in a Comedy
Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
William H. Macy (Shameless) WINNER: Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)
Kenan Thompson (Kenan)
Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live)
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Rosie Perez (The Flight Attendant)
Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live)
Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) WINNER: Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)
Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Hacks) WINNER: Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)
Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso)
Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso)
Paul Reiser (The Kominsky Method)
Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso)
Kenan Thompson (SNL)
Bowen Yang (SNL)
Limited or Anthology Series
I May Destroy You (HBO)
Mare of Easttown (HBO) WINNER: The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
The Underground Railroad (Amazon)
WandaVision (Disney+)
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Paul Bettany (WandaVision)
Hugh Grant (The Undoing) WINNER: Ewan McGregor (Halston)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton)
Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton)
Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You)
Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha)
Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)
Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) WINNER: Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown)
Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Renee Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton)
Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision)
Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit) WINNER: Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown)
Jean Smart (Mare of Easttown)
Phillipa Soo (Hamilton)
Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Queen’s Gambit)
Daveed Diggs (Hamilton)
Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) WINNER: Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown)
Anthony Ramos (Hamilton)
Variety Talk Series
Conan (TBS)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Competition Program
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Nailed It! (Netflix) WINNER: RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)
Variety Special (Live)
Celebrating America — An Inauguration Night Special (Multiple Platforms)
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
The Oscars (ABC)
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd (CBS) WINNER: Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 (Showtime)
Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix)
David Byrne’s American Utopia (HBO)
8:46 Dave Chappelle (Netflix)
Friends: The Reunion (HBO Max) WINNER: Hamilton (Disney+)
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (HBO Max)
Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO) WINNER: Saturday Night Live (NBC)
At 91, four-time Academy Award-winning actor and director Clint Eastwood doesn’t show any signs of slowing down or exiting his director’s chair. The iconic filmmaker’s latest movie, Cry Macho, is a Western set in 1979 and focusing on Mike Milo (Eastwood), a washed-up rodeo star and horse breeder who’s pulled out of retirement to go on a special – and difficult – errand for his former boss, Howard Polk (Dwight Yoakam). Mike’s mission is to cross the border and travel to Mexico City to retrieve Polk’s 13-year-old son, Rafo (Eduardo Minett), who’s run away from his mother and is living on the streets.
After crossing the border, Mike tracks down Rafo’s wealthy mother (Fernanda Urrejola) who describes her son as “wild” and reveals he’s gotten into cockfighting. Using this new intel, Mike’s able to track down Rafo at a cockfight.
Initially, Rafo’s insulting and defiant towards Mike. However, when he learns his father wants to bring him back home to Texas and make him a cowboy, Rafo becomes excited and agrees to go with this stranger as long as he can take his cockfighting rooster named Macho with him on the road trip.
The unlikely duo are forced to stick to back roads because they’re being hunted by Rafo’s mother’s thugs, thieves, and the Federales. It seems Rafo’s mother views her son as property that she doesn’t want anyone else to possess or take care of.
Unable to make a straight run for the border and facing car problems, Mike and Rafo take refuge in a dusty border town. They’re befriended by Marta (Natalia Traven), a restaurant owner who almost immediately finds Mike interesting and attractive. While staying under the radar, Mike uses the extra time with Rafo to teach him how to ride horses and even helps a local horse owner break in some wild mustangs. It’s during this time that Mike starts to re-evaluate his life and the choices he’s going to make from this point forward.
Charming although at times slow-moving, Cry Macho is a simple, straightforward neo-Western with stunning cinematography and an extremely effective reserved performance by Clint Eastwood. It’s Eastwood’s vision, control, and handling of the uncomplicated plot and the film’s characters that make the journey enjoyable.
Eastwood’s direction and the film’s cinematography are flawless, capturing the breathtaking beauty and ruralness of the Mexican landscape and the feel of the quiet desert border towns. Here’s hoping at Oscar time the film is nominated in both categories.
The only weak spot of the film is the performance delivered by Eduardo Minett as Rafo which often feels forced and staged. Minett has a few scenes where he delivers short speeches to Mike about his philosophy of life due to living on the street as well as how important it is to be “macho” or tough. It’s in these scenes where Minett fails to deliver any real emotion. It even appears as though he’s struggling to remember his lines.
Aside from that casting misstep, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Cry Macho is a poignant and delightful Western brought to life on the screen by a man who knows his way around the genre.
A Bit of Trivia: It’s interesting this story’s been around for about 50 years and was once considered a project for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Roy Scheider. Eastwood passed on the film originally back in the 1980s, believing he was too young to portray Mike Milo.
GRADE: B-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements and language
Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
Release Date: September 17, 2021
The battle between Kendall Roy and his father, Logan, heats up, sides are taken, and new stakes in the family business are claimed in Succession‘s official season three trailer. The new trailer also provides our first look at new cast members Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood), Adrien Brody (Chapelwaite), and Hope Davis (Your Honor).
Returning series stars include Brian Cox as Logan, Jeremy Strong as Kendall, Kieran Culkin as Roman, Sarah Snook as Shiv, and Matthew Macfadyen as Tom. Nicholas Braun returns as Greg, Harriet Walter is Caroline, and Alan Ruck is back as Connor.
The third season’s cast also includes Peter Friedman, J. Smith-Cameron, Dagmara Dominczyk, Justine Lupe, David Rasche, Fisher Stevens, and Hiam Abbass. Arian Moayed, James Cromwell, Natalie Gold, Juliana Canfield, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Zoë Winters, and Jeannie Berlin are confirmed to return.
Season three will premiere on October 17, 2021 with new episodes arriving on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
Showrunner Jesse Armstrong created the series and serves as an executive producer along with Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Jane Tranter, Mark Mylod, Tony Roche, Scott Ferguson, Jon Brown, Lucy Prebble, Will Tracy, and Will Ferrell.
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO:
Ambushed by his rebellious son Kendall at the end of Season two, Logan Roy begins Season three in a perilous position, scrambling to secure familial, political, and financial alliances. Tensions rise as a bitter corporate battle threatens to turn into a family civil war.
Season one of Fox’s Fantasy Island comes to a close with episode eight, “Día de los Vivos.” Season one episode eight features a guest appearance by Call Me Kat‘s Leslie Jordan and will air on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT.
The cast of the reboot is led by Roselyn Sánchez as Elena Roarke, a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Kiara Barnes (The Bold and the Beautiful) plays Ruby Akuda and John Gabriel Rodriguez (Rosewood) is Javier.
“Día de los Vivos” Plot: A young artist Ramon wants to see his mentor, Jasper, again and Jasper realizes he may not have been the best influence on Ramon.
Series Description, Courtesy of Fox:
Fantasy Island takes place at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. Delving into the ‘what if’ questions – both big and small – that keep us awake at night, each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island.
Serving as steward of this mysterious island is Elena Roarke (Sanchez), a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Elena set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family’s legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, her calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed.
Assisting Elena is Ruby Akuda (Barnes), a young woman with an old soul who arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness and is given a new lease on life there; and pilot Javier (Rodriquez), who also is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades.
NFL Films and HBO are breaking new ground with the upcoming installment of the award-winning Hard Knocks franchise. While the series normally follows a specific NFL team as it prepares during pre-season, the Indianapolis Colts will open their doors to the Hard Knocks crew during the regular season.
Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts will premiere on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 10pm ET, marking the first in-season coverage as well as the first time the Colts have ever appeared on the series.
“We could not be more thrilled to bring Hard Knocks and the remarkable behind-the-scenes access it provides for the entirety of an NFL season,” stated Ross Ketover, NFL Films Senior Executive. “Thanks to HBO, along with the incredible cooperation from the Colts, we are able to deliver a groundbreaking new edition of the series.”
Per the official HBO announcement, “the Emmy-winning weekly series will deliver its signature all access coverage in the first show of any kind to document an NFL franchise in-season and in real time, following the Colts as they navigate the challenges of an NFL season and battle for a playoff berth. Additional episodes will premiere each Wednesday through the end of the Colts’ season.”
HBO did not confirm the season length or if Emmy nominee Liev Schreiber will return to narrate as he’s done for 15 of the series’ previous 16 seasons.
The 18-time Emmy Award-winning series premiered in 2001, with the first season featuring the Baltimore Ravens. The most recent season premiered on August 10, 2001 and featured the Dallas Cowboys.
This is no fantasy. For the first time ever, Hard Knocks is going in season.#HardKnocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts premieres November 17 on @hbomax. pic.twitter.com/lv2WKQ0yrW
The CW’s confirmed The Outpost will end with the season four finale set to air on October 7, 2021. That means only three new episodes of the fantasy series remain, including episode 11 arriving on September 23, 2021. Episode 11, “Guardian of the Asterkinj,” was directed by series star Jake Stormoen from a script by Rebecca Rosenberg.
The cast is led by Jessica Green as Talon and includes Jake Stormoen as Captain Garret Spears, Anand Desai-Barochia as Janzo, and Reece Ritchie as Zed. Izuka Hoyle is Wren, Jaye Griffiths is Yavalla, Aaron Fontaine is Tobin, Georgia May Foote is Falista, Maeve Courtier-Lilly is Luna, Nikki Leigh Scott is Vorta, and Adam Johnson is Munt.
“Guardian of the Asterkinj” Plot: Talon (Green) and Luna (Courtier-Lilley) must make a very difficult choice. Meanwhile, Zed (Ritchie) returns to the Outpost with a heavy burden.
The Season 4 Plot:
After Gwynn (Imogen Waterhouse) sacrificed herself to destroy Yavalla, the Outpost needs a new ruler. But while Talon and Garret try to establish new leadership, a sinister threat awakens, revealing the true origin of the mysterious kinjes. Talon and her kinj-bearing friends all share dark visions from god-like beings who are hell-bent on reclaiming the kinjes for themselves. A would-be assassin named Luna hunts Talon down to get vengeance for crimes of the past, but soon discovers that her own heritage is wrapped up in Talon’s fate.
Mourning the recent loss of her beloved Tobin (Aaron Fontaine), Falista is mentored by Two to dedicate herself to the new “gods” in exchange for a costly favor. But when the Lu Qiri go missing, Talon and Zed track them down to discover the greatest threat the Realm has ever faced… a new race of beings that will ultimately explain Talon’s own dark origins.
When Janzo and Wren are forced to unlock an ancient city beneath the Outpost, they struggle to uncover who their real allies and enemies will be, while a secret they share gives them new motivation to save the world.
As she and her friends are hunted down one by one, while diabolic forces are tearing her world apart, Talon endures the darkest challenge she has ever faced, as she struggles to embrace the heroes of her past and somehow survive the villains that only she has the power to destroy.
CBS’s Magnum P.I. returns to kick off season four on October 1, 2021 with an episode that finds Magnum hiding his new relationship. Season four episode one, “Island Vibes,” was directed by Bryan Spicer from a script by Eric Guggenheim and Gene Hong.
Jay Hernandez returns to lead the cast as Thomas Magnum. Season four also stars Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Zachary Knighton as Orville “Rick” Wright, Stephen Hill as Theodore “TC” Calvin, Tim Kang as Det. Gordon Katsumoto, and Amy Hill as Kumu.
“Island Vibes” Plot: As Magnum tries to keep his new relationship a secret and handles cases solo while Higgins is away, he is tasked with finding a single mom being hunted by two very dangerous gangs. Also, while Higgins is abroad with Ethan, a misstep forces her to assist an old employer, and Rick gets some bad, but also very, very good news, on the fourth season premiere.
Magnum P.I. Description, Courtesy of CBS:
Magnum P.I. is a modern take on the classic series centering on Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. A charming rogue, an American hero and a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan, Magnum lives in a guest cottage on Robin’s Nest, the luxurious estate where he works as a security consultant to supplement his P.I. business.
The “majordomo” of the property is Juliet Higgins, a beautiful and commanding disavowed MI:6 agent whose second job is to keep Magnum in line, with the help of her two Dobermans. When Magnum needs back-up on a job, he turns to his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors, Theodore “TC” Calvin, a former Marine chopper pilot who runs Island Hoppers, a helicopter tour business, and Orville “Rick” Wright, a former Marine door-gunner-turned-impresario of Oahu’s coolest nightclub and the most connected man on the island.
Suspicious of Magnum’s casual attitude and presence at his crime scenes, Detective Gordon Katsumoto finds that he and Magnum are more alike than either of them care to admit. One of Magnum’s biggest supporters is Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta, the unofficial “House Mom” and cultural curator of Robin’s Nest. With keys to a vintage Ferrari in one hand, aviator sunglasses in the other, and an Old Düsseldorf longneck chilling in the fridge, Thomas Magnum is back on the case!
The new You season three trailer opens with Joe declaring, “In my history of scared, this is the most scared I’ve ever been.” What’s he referring to? Being a father to a newborn son.
Season three takes Joe into uncharted territory – the suburbs – where he’s forced to hide among the privileged as he deals with being a husband and first-time dad.
Penn Badgley reprises his role as Joe Goldberg and Victoria Pedretti’s back as Love Quinn-Goldberg. The season three cast also includes Saffron Burrows as Dottie Quinn, Tati Gabrielle as Marianne, Dylan Arnold as Theo, Shalita Grant as Sherry, and Travis Van Winkle as Cary. Scott Speedman plays Matthew, Michaela McManus is Natalie, Shannon Chan-Kent plays Kiki, Ben Menhl is Dante, Chris O’Shea is Andrew, and Christopher Sean is Brandon.
Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble, Gina Girolamo, Leslie Morgenstein, Sarah Schechter, and Michael Foley executive produce.
Netflix will launch season three on October 15, 2021.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
In Season 3, Joe and Love, now married and raising their baby, have moved to the balmy Northern California enclave of Madre Linda, where they’re surrounded by privileged tech entrepreneurs, judgmental mommy bloggers and Insta-famous biohackers. Joe is committed to his new role as a husband and dad, but fears Love’s lethal impulsiveness. And then there’s his heart. Could the woman he’s been searching for all this time live right next door?
Breaking out of a cage in a basement is one thing. But the prison of a picture-perfect marriage to a woman who’s wise to your tricks? Well, that’ll prove a much more complicated escape.
Searchlight’s just released the first gorgeous teaser trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s new film, Nightmare Alley. With his latest project, del Toro is warning fans they shouldn’t go into this thriller based on the William Lindsay Gresham novel expecting supernatural creatures. This film is about a beast of a different sort, a noir thriller set in the world of carnivals and grifters.
“[…] This has no supernatural element. It’s based completely in a reality world. There is nothing fantastic. It’s a very different movie from my usual, but yes, the title and my name would create that [impression],” explained the Oscar-winning filmmaker in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Searchlight offered this very basic description of the plot: “In Nightmare Alley, an ambitious carny (Bradley Cooper) with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who is even more dangerous than he is.”
CrimeReads offered a meatier summary of the source material in a 2018 review. “Gresham’s book is a masterful story about the art of the grift and the best fictional depiction of the carny (slang for the traveling carnival employee). But most of all, it is a stone cold classic piece of low life noir fiction, dark, visceral, surprisingly sex-drenched for its time, and utterly devoid of redemption,” wrote Andrew Nette (author of Ghost Money and Gunshine State).
In addition to Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley‘s all-star cast Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, Richard Jenkins, and David Strathairn. Searchlight is targeting a December 17, 2021 theatrical release.
