Season two of the critically acclaimed animated series Central Park isn’t due to premiere until Friday, June 25, 2021, but Apple TV+ is so pleased with season one’s reception that they’ve given the musical comedy an early season three renewal order. The renewal announcement was accompanied by a special sneak peek at season two featuring Daveed Diggs (Hamilton, Snowpiercer) performing “Weehawken Rap.”
Season two will kick off with the release of three new episodes on June 25th followed by additional new episodes arriving on subsequent Fridays.
Central Park was created by Loren Bouchard, Josh Gad, and Nora Smith, and features the voices of Gad, Diggs, Leslie Odom Jr., Emmy Raver-Lampman, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, and Stanley Tucci. Bouchard, Gad, Smith, Halsted Sullivan, Sanjay Shah, and Janelle Momary-Neely executive produce.
Season one debuted in May 2020 and earned an Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Emmy Award nomination for Leslie Odom Jr. The series is also nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Animated Series category.
Cole (voiced by Tituss Burgess), Paige (voiced by Kathryn Hahn), Owen (voiced by Leslie Odom Jr.) and Molly (voiced by Kristen Bell) in ‘Central Park,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ released the following synopsis for the series upcoming second season:
“In season two of Central Park, the Tillerman family continues to navigate living in and caring for the world’s most famous park. Molly experiences the trials and tribulations of adolescence, Cole is challenged by a truly embarrassing moment at school, Paige continues to chase down the Mayor’s corruption story, and Owen juggles managing the park, his staff, and his family all with a smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Bitsy inches ever closer to her sinister goal of claiming Central Park as her own; with Helen by her side, eternally wondering whether she’s made it into Bitsy’s will. Every step of the way, we are guided along by our friendly, fumbling, fiddler narrator, Birdie.”
Natalie Portman stars in ‘Lady in the Lake’ (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Oscar winners Natalie Portman (Black Swan) and Lupita Nyong’o* (12 Years a Slave) are confirmed to lead the cast of the drama Lady in the Lake. Apple TV+ has given the go-ahead to the limited series from co-creator/co-writer/director Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), with Portman, Nyong’o, Har’el, and co-writer/co-creator Dre Ryan executive producing. (Har’el is writing the pilot episode, solo.)
The limited series is based on Laura Lippman’s bestselling novel and will mark the first television project for both Portman and Har’el.
Crazyrose and Bad Wolf America are producing Lady in the Lake, with Alma Har’el’s producing partner Christopher Leggett joining her as an executive producer. Natalie Portman’s producing partner Sophie Mas is also on board as an executive producer along with Crazyrose’s Jean-Marc Vallée and Nathan Ross and Bad Wolf America’s Julie Gardner.
In addition, Apple confirms author Laura Lippman will be involved in the limited series as an executive producer.
Apple TV+ did not release any additional cast details or an anticipated premiere date.
The Plot:
Lady in the Lake is an adaptation of Laura Lippman’s New York Times best-selling novel of the same name. The limited series takes place in ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Johnson, a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.
* Lupita Nyong’o is no longer attached as Cleo. Moses Ingram will play Cleo Johnson.
Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) needs Ruby Rose’s (Batwoman) particular set of skills in the trailer for the R-rated thriller, Vanquish. George Gallo (Double Take, Middle Men) directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Sam Bartlett.
The Grindstone Entertainment Group release will be available in select theaters on April 16, 2021, on demand and digital on April 20th, and on Blu-ray and DVD on April 27th.
The Plot:
Vanquish is an action-thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose that shows what desperation can drive a person to do. A mother, Victoria (Rose), is trying to put her dark past as a Russian drug courier behind her, but retired cop Damon (Freeman) forces Victoria to do his bidding by holding her daughter hostage. Now, Victoria must use guns, guts, and a motorcycle to take out a series of violent gangsters — or she may never see her child again.
Chloë Grace Moretz in a scene from ‘Greta,’ a Focus Features release (Photo Credit: Shane Mahood / Focus Features)
Hulu has picked up the U.S. rights to Mother/Android starring Chloë Grace Moretz. The streaming service is targeting a 2021 premiere date for sci-fi thriller from writer Mattson Tomlin (The Batman, Project Power). Tomlin also directed the sci-fi film, marking his first time at the helm of a feature film.
In addition to Chloë Grace Moretz (Greta, The Miseducation of Cameron Post) as Georgia, the Mother/Android cast include Algee Smith (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Sam, and Raul Castillo (We The Animals).
“This film is a labor of love and I couldn’t be happier that in these extremely strange times, Mother/Android will be handled by a partner who truly cares,” said writer/director Tomlin. “I feel extremely lucky to have Hulu bringing the film to audiences later this year.”
The thriller’s produced by Matt Reeves (The Batman, War of the Planet of the Apes) through his 6th & Idaho production company, Adam Kassan, Rafi Crohn, Charles Miller, and Miramax’s Bill Block (The Gentlemen).
“Mattson’s directorial debut is an intimate sci-fi film that is both beautiful and extremely personal, with a powerful, soulful performance from Chloë Moretz,” said Reeves. “I am incredibly excited that Hulu will be sharing Mother/Android with audiences.”
Hulu released the following synopsis of the film:
“Set in the near future, Mother/Android follows Georgia (Moretz) and her boyfriend Sam (Smith) through their treacherous journey of escape as their country is caught in an unexpected war with artificial intelligence. Days away from the arrival of their first child, they must face No Man’s Land – a stronghold of the android uprising, in hopes of reaching safety before giving birth.”
Grief and the emergence of a new power are at the center of season seven episode two of The CW’s The Flash. Episode two starts with a montage of all the different Wells and a voice-over by Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) as he and most of Team Flash host a memorial service in S.T.A.R. Labs for all the Wells they have known, worked with, and loved.
Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Barry are taking it the hardest, with Cisco blaming himself for not being in town when all the Wells sacrificed themselves to power the Artificial Speed Force. Barry also blames himself for letting his emotions be viewed as a weakness by his enemies. Thankfully, Joe (Jesse L. Martin) is the voice of reason and reminds them they’ll find a way to get Iris (Candice Patton), Kamilla (Victoria Park), and Singh (Patrick Sabongui) out of the mirror dimension.
When Allegra (Kayla Compton) gets home and checks her laptop, she sees a message from Iris to Kamilla and Singh about meeting up. She quickly returns to S.T.A.R. Labs to tell the gang.
Over at McCulloch Tech, Eva (Efrat Dor) is dealing with the hard truth that she’s not truly Eva McCulloch but a mirror image of her. She gets information about more of her dead husband’s tech at one of their warehouses and decides to go handle it herself.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry and Cisco work together to try to figure out a way to open a portal to the mirrorverse. While brainstorming, Barry begins to say out loud what Cisco is theorizing before he can even draw it on the board. This freaks out Cisco until he realizes that the ASF has given Barry a new power – super-speed thinking. This is a great new ability because figuring out complex and almost impossible scientific theories, which would take hours or even days, can now be done by Barry in seconds.
Barry realizes they need to siphon off some of the dark matter that’s on Eva to use to open the portal and uses his new power to deduce which warehouse she’s likely to visit.
Over in the mirrorverse, Iris meets up with Kamilla and they go looking for Singh, hoping to team up and find a way out of the dimension.
Eva arrives at the warehouse and drives off the armed men before attempting to retrieve her tech, unaware that The Flash and Cisco are hiding behind some crates. Cisco points out they may be understaffed and Barry says, “We’re good. I called in a little bit of extra muscle.” Eva gets hit with a blast of icy cold air. She’s able to stand and turns to find Frost (Danielle Panabaker).
Frost keeps her distracted long enough for The Flash to super speed around Eva wearing a tachyon device to siphon off some of the dark matter. He returns behind the crates unnoticed as Eva attempts to blast Frost with her sonic mirror weapon. Cisco warns Barry expecting him to save Frost but instead Barry lets Eva blast the ice queen. Cisco opens fire at Eva with his own sonic blaster and she uses her mirror powers to escape.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco’s understandably upset with Barry. He believes Barry could have gotten Frost out of the line of fire. Frost’s lying in the medical lab in serious condition when Barry, seeming oddly cool and distant, gives her what he claims is the antidote that he came up with. It works and Frost wakes up alive and cured.
Barry tells Cisco he didn’t want to take a chance that the tachyon device could get damaged if he took the blast meant for Frost. Frost breaks off the argument saying she’s fine and is okay taking a hit to help get the rest of Team Flash out of the mirror dimension.
A short while later, Barry shows Cisco and Frost the footage he was able to hack with his speed thinking of Eva dying. While the mirror copy Eva is talking live on TV about her plans for her company and helping the world, he hacks in and broadcasts the footage, which Cisco and Frost don’t think is a good idea. The host of the show freaks out and asks if mirror copy Eva is a meta or shapeshifter?!
Eva, shocked and scared, uses her powers to escape using reflections and mirrors. Frost and Cisco tell Barry that wasn’t the best idea but he coldly replies that whenever he has upset his enemies in the past it usually led to them making mistakes. Now that Eva is distracted it’s time for them to open the portal to the mirror verse and extract their targets. “You mean our friends, right?” asks Cisco. “One in the same,” Barry coldly responds.
Frost turns to Cisco with wide eyes and he responds, “I know, something’s seriously wrong with Barry.”
A little later Barry realizes – with his speed calculations and Gideon’s help – that with the power he collected via the tachyon device he can either extract Iris or Kamilla and Singh but not all three from the mirrorverse. He runs through a discussion with the team in his head and sees them outvoting him three to one to save Kamilla and Singh over Iris. He decides not to tell them and prepares to open the portal and retrieve Iris.
Cisco interrupts Barry as he’s getting suited up and warns him the ASF is giving him super-speed thinking but the faster his mind becomes, the less emotional and human he becomes. The ASF is turning Barry into an unfeeling, analytical being. Barry insists this is the best version of himself but Cisco, Allegra, and Frost team up to tell him they’re going to help him find his heart again.
Barry argues that Iris would agree with him, but Cisco insists she wouldn’t and goes to blast the ASF. Barry speeds over and takes the blast. Turns out Cisco has hit Barry with Velocity 0 charge which will decelerate his speed some. Frost injects herself with Velocity X and becomes the first-ever cold speedster. Barry speeds after her and the chase across Central City is on.
In one of the best visual effects chase scenes of the series’ run, The Flash and Frost speed all over the city and up and down buildings while using their powers against each other. (It’s reminiscent of the frosty speed chase in season three). Unfortunately, Frost speeds through Velocity X quickly and is no match for the cold, calculating Flash. In a rather anti-climactic end to the chase, they both end up crashing back at S.T.A.R. Labs. The Flash knocks all three of them out, insisting they had lost the fight before it even began.
Barry now uses the tachyon device and opens the portal to the mirrorverse. He finds Iris kneeling over the bodies of Kamilla and Singh who have both passed out due to the effects of being in the mirrorverse so long. He coldly tells her to come through the portal but she says she has to help the others first. Barry explains there’s only enough power for her to come through and since she has been in the mirrorverse the longest it makes sense for her to leave, believing she has the most knowledge of the mirrorverse. Iris refuses and steps back. Barry increases the force of the portal and Iris tries to resist but is forced out of the mirror dimension and back to the real world.
As soon as the portal closes, Iris screams in pain, collapses, and starts seizing. The sight of Iris in pain shocks Barry out of his unfeeling state and he looks around to find Frost, Cisco, and Allegra knocked out cold on the floor. He screams in shock and anger at himself and throws lightning and energy at the ASF, knocking it out. He loses his speed again and falls to the ground.
Meanwhile, Eva finally decides to make the real world hers after getting over the shock and horror of her secret being televised. She uses her mirror powers to pull a female deputy into the mirrorverse.
The final scene of episode two cuts to when Eobard Thawne (Tom Cavanagh) killed and took over the identity of Harrison Wells in season one. Red lightning speeds over where the remains of Harrison Wells lie and a green light begins to glow. Someone who looks like Harrison Wells emerges from the green glow.
The Flash Season Seven Episode Two Review:
Fantastic special effects and the reunion of original Team Flash – Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin aka Frost – make episode two of season seven one of the best of the series. It’s the chemistry and performances of Grant Gustin, Carlos Valdes, and Danielle Panabaker being together and playing off each other that has always been the strongest part of the show.
Gustin again deserves accolades as he shows the humanity of Barry slowly exiting with the increase of his speed thinking. It’s a subtle and yet chilling performance that shows the hero becoming more and more like the villain he fought and defeated in season four – DeVoe.
Now that Barry doesn’t have an artificial speed force and with Eva ready to drag the real world into her mirrorverse, the question remains: how will Team Flash defeat her?
Max has a difficult choice to make – lie or lose potential income for the hospital – on NBC’s New Amsterdam season three episode three. “Safe Enough” is set to air on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT.
Ryan Eggold returns to lead the cast as Dr. Max Goodwin. Janet Montgomery plays Dr. Lauren Bloom, Freema Agyeman is Dr. Helen Sharpe, Tyler Labine is Dr. Iggy Frome, Anupam Kher is Dr. Vijay Kapoor, and Daniel Dae Kim plays Dr. Cassian Shin.
“Safe Enough” Plot: Max resists an idea that could bring New Amsterdam more revenue. Iggy pushes back on the new telemedicine system. Sharpe uncovers a startling trend while treating a beloved former patient.
When Dr. Max Goodwin took over New Amsterdam, he asked a simple, revolutionary question: “How can I help?” In season three, Max and his team face the daunting task of sustaining that optimism while dealing with a pandemic that exposed the gaping inequities in our health care. Max is no longer content to fix a broken system. He’s determined to tear it down and build something better.
Kaitlin Mesh as Riley Dantine and Shiva Kalaiselvan as Leyla Shinwari in ‘New Amsterdam’ season 3 episode 3 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe in season 3 episode 3 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Kaitlin Mesh as Riley Dantine and Shiva Kalaiselvan as Leyla Shinwari in season 3 episode 3 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Janet Montgomery as Dr. Lauren Bloom in season 3 episode 3 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)
Hana returns from medical leave and is back in action on CBS’s FBI: Most Wanted season two episode nine. Directed by Tess Malone and written by Richard Sweren and Dwain Worrell, “One-Zero” will air on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT.
Julian McMahon stars as Supervisory Special Agent Jess LaCroix, Kellan Lutz plays Special Agent Kenny Crosby, Roxy Sternberg is Special Agent Sheryll Barnes, Keisha Castle-Hughes is Special Agent Hana Gibson, and Nathaniel Arcand plays Special Agent Clinton Skye.
Episode nine guest stars include Justin Mark, Kristine Nielsen, James Carpinello, Charlotte Rosenberg, Erika Olson, and Jason Schmidt. Eric Michael Gillett, Christina Liang, Ben Biggers, Christian Hopper, Marcia Myers, Raymond Neil Hernandez, Tam Young, and Steven Strickland also guest star.
“One-Zero” Plot: The team chases an unlikely serial killer whose end game takes a shocking turn. Also, Hana returns from medical leave, and Jess and Sarah’s relationship continues to evolve.
The Season 2 Plot, Courtesy of CBS:
From Emmy Award winner Dick Wolf and the team behind FBI and the Law & Order brand, FBI: Most Wanted is a high-stakes drama that focuses on the Fugitive Task Force, an elite unit that relentlessly pursues and captures the notorious criminals on the Bureau’s Most Wanted list. Led by Supervisory Special Agent Jess LaCroix, an expert tracker and profiler with a complicated past, the team includes: Special Agent Sheryll Barnes, a former NYPD detective and forensics expert who is raising a child with her new wife; Special Agent Clinton Skye, the spiritual glue of the team and surveillance guru who was recruited by his brother-in-law, Jess; Special Agent Hana Gibson, a gifted millennial computer whiz with a sharp wit and mad hacking skills; and Special Agent Kenny Crosby, a young Army vet and brash Oklahoma farm boy who specializes in weapons and tactics.
Always in the field and always on the run, FBI: Most Wanted is a weekly adrenaline shot about the thrill of the chase.
A kidnapped journalist and a case with links to Isobel’s boyfriend (played by Michael Trucco) keep the team busy on CBS’s FBI season three episode nine, “Leverage.” Directed by John Polson from a script by Erica Meredith, episode nine will air on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT.
Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki lead the cast as Special Agent Maggie Bell and Special Agent Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan. Jeremy Sisto stars as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, Alana De La Garza is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, and John Boyd plays Special Agent Stuart Scola.
Episode nine guest stars include Michael Park, Yasen Peyankov, Jordan Lage, Paula Christensen, and Cory Chapman. Craig Walker, Matthew Jeffers, Natasha Murray, Tye Alexander, Gina Daniels, and Karen Izaguirre also guest star in “Leverage.”
“Leverage” Plot: When a political reporter is kidnapped and held without a ransom demand, the team must dig into her past relationships in order to pin down her assailant’s motive. Also, Isobel’s relationship comes under fire when the case makes a connection to her boyfriend, Ethan (Michael Trucco).
FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe.
Born into a multigenerational law enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects. Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan, a West Point graduate via Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI. Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge, Isobel Castille, who operates under intense pressure and has undeniable command authority.
The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator. Newest to the team – and the FBI – is smart and outspoken Special Agent Tiffany Wallace, who spent six years with the NYPD and is now partner to Special Agent Stuart Scola, an Ivy League-educated Wall Streeter-turned-FBI agent. These first-class agents tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime, and counterintelligence.
Test Photo of “Ollie” courtesy Industrial Light & Magic
Jonathan Groff and Mary J. Blige will star in Netflix’s limited series Lost Ollie, inspired by William Joyce’s Ollie’s Odyssey. Tim Blake Nelson, Gina Rodriguez, Jake Johnson, and Kesler Talbot have also signed up for the family-friendly series which follows the title character’s journey to return home.
Shannon Tindle (Kubo and The Two Strings) created the limited series and serves as writer and executive producer. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘s Peter Ramsey directs and executive produces with 21 Laps Entertainment’s Shawn Levy and Josh Barry. Lampton Enochs and CCO of Flight School Studio’s Brandon Oldenburg also executive produce.
Filming is currently underway in Vancouver on the live-action/animation hybrid which will feature CGI characters created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).
The Plot and Character Descriptions, Courtesy of Netflix:
Lost Ollie is the story of a lost toy on an epic adventure, searching across the country for the boy who lost him, and the story of the boy who lost more than a best friend. A heartwarming journey to reunite in the face of all the dangers that childhood can throw at them.
JONATHAN GROFF (Frozen, Hamilton) will voice Ollie, a handmade toy rabbit stitched together from odds and ends. Ollie has a pure spirit with a heart of gold and never ruins a chance to make friends. He’s been best friends with Billy since forever, until one day he ends up in a resale shop with no way home. Though he’s often afraid of the unknown, Ollie puts on a brave face and sets off to find Billy, meeting other toys to help him along the way.
MARY J. BLIGE (Mudbound, Power Book II: Ghost) will voice Rosy, a raggedy teddy bear stitched together from other toys. Rosy is a fearless warrior who is deeply passionate with inspiring confidence. While unsure of Ollie at first, she becomes an important ally as she joins them on their journey.
TIM BLAKE NELSON (Watchmen, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) will voice Zozo, a clown doll who is an old toy and an even older soul. Zozo is a true gentleman with a good sense of humor, and after meeting Ollie and hearing his story, he agrees to help Ollie on his journey.
GINA RODRIGUEZ (Jane the Virgin, Kajillionaire) will play Momma. Billy’s mother Sharon is a loving woman who inspires creativity and imagination in her son. She makes sure to cherish their time together, teaching Billy all the things he’ll need to know to find happiness in the future.
JAKE JOHNSON (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Jurassic World) will play Daddy. Billy’s father James is overworked and stressed, doing his best to take care of Billy and his wife, Sharon. Sometimes that stress leads to being short with Billy, but he’s doing all he can to make a good life for his son.
KESLER TALBOT (50 States of Fright) will play Billy, a young boy with a mind bursting with creativity. He shares a magical bond with his toy Ollie, a homemade rabbit made by his beloved mother, who joins him on all of his adventures. When Ollie gets lost, Billy embarks on a mission to find him.
CBS’s hit courtroom drama All Rise will return from a three-week break with season two episode 10, “Georgia.” Airing on Monday, March 15, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT, episode 10 finds Mark and Emily on opposite sides of a robbery case.
Simone Missick leads the cast as Judge Lola Carmichael, Wilson Bethel plays Mark Callan, Marg Helgenberger is Lisa Benner, and Jessica Camacho stars as Emily Lopez. J. Alex Brinson plays Luke Watkins, Lindsay Mendez is Sara Castillo, Ruthie Ann Miles is Sherri Kansky, Lindsey Gort plays Amy Quinn, and Audrey Corsa is Samantha Powell.
Guest stars include Amy Acker as Georgia Knight, Robert Wu as John Wu, Sarah Levy as Debbie Daines, Aarti Mann as Saundra Singh, and Ray Wise as Richard Walker.
“Georgia” Plot: Emily and Mark face off in court in a compelling jewelry store robbery case that puts the entire concept of eyewitnesses on trial. Also, still struggling with financial woes at Audubon & Associates, Amy brings in a potential client who happens to be an old friend of Mark’s father.
All Rise is a courthouse drama that follows the chaotic, hopeful and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal process. Among them is newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael, a highly regarded and impressive deputy district attorney who doesn’t intend to sit back on the bench in her new role, but instead leans in, immediately pushing the boundaries and challenging the expectations of what a judge can be.
