Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning star in ‘The Great’ (Photo Credit: Hulu)
Hulu’s binge-worthy The Great will be returning for a second season. Hulu just announced the period comedy/drama has been renewed for season two after being one of 2020’s highest-ranked original comedies on the streaming service.
According to the official announcement, season two will match season one’s 10 episode count.
The cast of season one was led by Elle Fanning as a young Catherine the Great and Nicholas Hoult as Emperor Peter. Other season one cast members included Phoebe Fox as Marial, Adam Godley as Archbishop, Gwilym Lee as Grigor Dymov, Charity Wakefield as Georgina, Douglas Hodge as Velementov, Sacha Dhawan as Orlo, Sebastian de Souza as Leo, Bayo Gbadamosi as Arkady, and Belinda Bromilow as Aunt Elizabeth.
The Great was created by writer and executive producer Tony McNamara (Oscar nominee for The Favourite screenplay). Marian Macgowan, Josh Kesselman, Ron West, Brittany Kahan Ward, Doug Mankoff, Andrew Spaulding, Mark Winemaker, Matt Shakman, and series star Elle Fanning also executive produce.
Described as a satirical comedic drama, The Great is a twist on the “rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia’s history” told with only the occasional historical fact tossed in.
The Plot, Courtesy of Hulu:
“Season one is a fictionalized, fun and anachronistic story of an idealistic, romantic young girl, who arrives in Russia for an arranged marriage to the mercurial Emperor Peter. Hoping for love and sunshine, she finds instead a dangerous, depraved, backward world that she resolves to change. All she has to do is kill her husband, beat the church, baffle the military, and get the court onside. A very modern story about the past which encompasses the many roles she played over her lifetime as lover, teacher, ruler, friend, and fighter.”
The CW’s unveiled new photos and plot details for season two episode five of Bulletproof. Episode five was directed by Dominic LeClerc from a script by Nick Love and will air on July 8, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT.
The season two cast is led by Noel Clarke as Bishop and Ashley Walters as Pike. The cast also includes Lee Ross as Richard Cockridge, Jason Maza as Officer Chris Munroe, Lindsey Coulson as Sarah Tanner, David Elliot as Tim’ Jonsey’ Jones, Olivia Chenery as Scarlett ‘Scooch’ Hailton, and Luci Shorthouse as Paige Pennington.
“Episode 5” Plot: WHO CAN YOU TRUST – Bishop (Clarke) and Pike (Walters) search for a lead in Cyprus and find an ally in the unlikeliest of places, but things go from bad to worse in a hurry, putting the duo right back to square one. Meanwhile, suspicions grow as Eleanor (Gina Bellman) looks into Bishop’s identity, forcing Tanner to try and step one step ahead.
Series Description, Courtesy of The CW:
Bulletproof is an action-packed, cop drama that unites big, emotional stories with blood-pumping stunt sequences, as it follows two undercover cops who are best friends and bonded by the same moral code, despite their very different backgrounds.
Adrenalin-fueled and packed with compelling characters, Bulletproof follows partners Bishop (Clarke) and Pike (Walters) as they chase down hardened criminals in London’s East End. The series is both high-octane action and thrilling cases. On the surface, Bishop and Pike have a lot in common, they are cool, smart, unapologetically street-wise and tough; they share a deep, fraternal relationship and are always there for each other. Their personal motivations and emotional lives outside the police force differ, Pike is an aspirational family man, the son of a decorated police officer, determined to follow in his father’s footsteps, but not in his shadow. Bishop on the other hand, who never knew his father, grew up in foster care and on the streets.
Full of grit and sometimes gloss, Bulletproof is stylish and funny with riveting criminal cases in each episode, which feed into a bigger, season-long mystery. At its heart though, it is a series about the meaning of family, as well as the fascinating relationship between best friends.
Scott Eastwood stars in ‘The Outpost’ (Photo Credit: Simon Vasano)
The Outpost, based on the bestselling book by Jake Tapper, recounts the heroism of U.S. soldiers who, although vastly outnumbered, engaged in the bloody Battle of Kamdesh against hundreds of Taliban fighters in 2009. The horrors of war and the ineptitude of those in charge who unnecessarily put soldiers in danger are laid out in great detail in this gritty, gripping action thriller from director Rod Lurie (The Contender).
Combat Outpost Keating was literally hell on earth for soldiers stationed at the remote outpost in Afghanistan, a mere 14 miles from the border with Pakistan. COP Keating was, justifiably, given the nickname Camp Custer by those who served there as it was felt everyone there was going to die. Set up in a valley surrounded by mountains, the outpost ceded control of the high ground to the Taliban and other enemy fighters. Only scattered buildings and heavy equipment kept the soldiers from being sitting ducks as insurgents moved freely in the nearby mountains.
The film adaptation of the non-fiction New York Times bestseller begins with the arrival of Bravo Troop 3-61. They’re given a quick rundown of the outpost and warned of the constant threats faced at this desolate location. The claustrophobic, on-edge feeling of being stationed at COP Keating permeates their conversations.
Key members of the unit are fleshed out through discussions amongst the soldiers and not through flashbacks or cut-aways to their lives stateside. (The soldiers can’t escape this isolated outpost and neither can the audience.) Even the lighter moments between the men have an edge to them as at any second bullets could rain down from the surrounding hills.
COP Keating was set up to help the Afghan Army stop the flow of weapons to the Taliban. Its construction in a location that left soldiers exposed on multiple fronts was, to put it bluntly, just plain stupid and a strategic failure. The powers-that-be eventually decided to close the outpost but, unfortunately, the closure didn’t happen quickly enough. The Taliban launched an all-out attack which, when the dust and blood settled, became one of the bloodiest battles of the Afghan War.
Lurie’s assembled an outstanding ensemble to play the heroic soldiers who fought valiantly and, in too many cases, gave their lives against incredible odds. (Lurie, a graduate of West Point and Army veteran, even included actual Kamdesh veterans as part of the cast.) Scott Eastwood, Jack Kesy, Caleb Landry Jones, Jacob Scipio, and Orlando Bloom deliver standout performances as pivotal players in this action-packed war film.
The Outpost’s action scenes are spectacular and harrowing, immersing us in the middle of combat. Once the battle begins, the action’s non-stop. Bullets scream by as split-second decisions have devastating consequences. We watch as heroes risk everything for their fellow soldiers during this reenactment of the brutal Battle of Kamdesh.
It’s deeply disturbing to learn the degree of danger our soldiers were placed in without any actual noticeable outcome. COP Keating being burned to the ground following the devastating battle was the only suitable outcome.
The film foregoes the usual military film trope of parceling out bits and pieces of the featured soldiers at home to humanize them and make them relatable. Instead, Rod Lurie’s unflinching focus is on the men at COP Keating. The Outpost is one of the better contemporary war films and a moving tribute to those who’ve pledged their lives in service of the United States of America.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: R for war violence and grisly images, pervasive language, and sexual references
A&E’s set an August 4, 2020 premiere date for two new series – What’s It Worth? and Extreme Unboxing. Jeff Foxworthy hosts the half-hour series What’s It Worth? and executive produces alongside Adam Reed, Adam Freeman, Tim Cohen-Laurie, Simon Thomas, Rich Sirop, Larry Burns, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Shelly Tatro, and Sean Gottlieb.
What’s It Worth? will air back-to-back episodes beginning at 9pm ET/PT on August 4th, with Extreme Unboxing set for 10pm ET/PT. A&E previously announced the two-hour live series What’s It Worth? Live will debut this fall.
“A&E has been always been a leader in the transactional programming space and we are excited to bring viewers along on a hunt for hidden treasures in these two new series,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E Network. “The on-going partnership with Jeff Foxworthy, a one of a kind collector, in both What’s It Worth? and What’s It Worth? Live allows us to expand on the traditional genre with a modern and digital twist.
Additionally, giving viewers a look into the fascinating world of pallet flipping, Extreme Unboxing showcases the savviness of these entrepreneurs in a never before seen way.”
Jeff Foxworthy hosts ‘What’s It Worth?” (Photo by Justin Stephens / Copyright 2020 A&E)
Details on A&E’s New Unscripted Series:
What’s It Worth?
Premieres with two back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, August 4 at 9pm ET/PT
Over the course of ten 30-minute episodes, comedian and collector Jeff Foxworthy will scour the country in search of hidden treasures held by everyday people who are hoping to strike it big. From the comfort of their homes, Foxworthy and a team of experts may visit your state, town or even someone you know to examine a variety of heirlooms, trinkets and treasures to help people determine if they are sitting on a gold mine, or if they are just holding on to items for sentimental value.
With objects ranging from pop-culture keepsakes to historical relics and odd mementos, viewers will be surprised by what is uncovered as they hear the personal stories behind these hidden treasures, some of which are equally as impressive as the dollar value that’s revealed.
Extreme Unboxing
Premieres with two back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, August 4 at 10pm ET/PT
A&E’s Extreme Unboxing follows a group of larger-than-life personalities from across the country as they buy liquidated merchandise for pennies on the dollar and unbox it with hopes for big profits. Risking their own money to bid on and win the best boxes at the best prices, pallets are delivered to their homes for the big reveal. Each group digs through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of items on the hunt for retail gold.
Whether it is one box or an entire truckload, these savvy super-flippers scour the Internet searching for their next big money score. With items ranging from everyday store stock to the weird and wacky, this modern-day treasure hunt is filled with surprises as no one, including the buyers themselves, have any idea what will be inside.
Tawny Newsome as Ensign Mariner, Jack Quaid as Ensign Boimler, Noel Wells as Ensign Tendi and Eugene Cordero as Ensign Rutherford star in ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ (Photo Credit: CBS 2020 CBS Interactive, Inc)
CBS All Access’ newest addition to the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Lower Decks, will premiere on Thursday, August 6, 2020. The half-hour animated comedy’s first season will consist of 10 episodes, with new episodes dropping on Thursdays to subscribers of the digital video on-demand/live streaming service.
In addition to announcing the premiere date, CBS All Access released the teaser poster for season one.
The voice cast of Star Trek: Lower Decks includes Tawny Newsome (Space Force), Jack Quaid (The Boys), Noël Wells (Master of None), and Eugene Cordero (Central Park). Dawnn Lewis (The Simpsons), Jerry O’Connell (Billions), Fred Tatasciore (Family Guy), and Gillian Vigman (Life Sentence) also lend their voices to the new animated comedy series.
The series, which marks the first animated show to join the Star Trek franchise, was created by Emmy Award-winner Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty) who serves as showrunner and executive producer. Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, and Katie Krentz also serve as executive producers.
The Plot, Courtesy of CBS All Acess:
Star Trek: Lower Decks focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.
The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos, includes “Ensign Beckett Mariner,” “Ensign Brad Boimler,” “Ensign Tendi,” and “Ensign Rutherford.” The Starfleet characters that comprise the ship’s bridge crew include “Captain Carol Freeman,” “Commander Jack Ransom,” “Lieutenant Shaxs,” and “Doctor T’Ana.”
Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson, Harvey Guillén as Guillermo, Kayvan Novak as Nandor, and Natasia Demetriou as Nadja in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (Photo by Russ Martin/FX)
FX Networks will be hosting panels with Archer and What We Do in the Shadows cast members during Comic-Con@Home, the virtual version of the 2020 San Diego Comic-Con. This year’s Con was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped networks and studios from moving forward with plans to promote their shows and films during a safer, fan-friendly virtual event.
Comic-Con@Home will take place over the same weekend SDCC was planned to run: July 23rd through July 26th. Fans will be able to take part in the Comic-Con@Home virtual experience via Comic-Con’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicCon.
FX released the following details of their Comic-Con@Home panels:
Archer (FXX) – Friday, July 24 at 5 p.m. PT
Who says staying home is boring? Archer, FXX’s award-winning animated comedy, returns for its 11th season later this year and follows Sterling Archer and his return to the spy world after a three-year coma. But first, join the voice cast of Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash and Lucky Yates, plus executive producer Casey Willis for a lively discussion and the reveal of not-to-be-missed details about the new season!
What We Do in the Shadows (FX) – Saturday, July 25 at 5 p.m. PT
Named “TV’s best comedy” by The Hollywood Reporter, What We Do in the Shadows is a documentary-style look into the lives of four vampires and their loyal familiar who, in a surprising twist, is a descendant of famed vampire slayer Van Helsing. Join us in raising a glass of regular human alcohol beer to the sharp-toothed cast – Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Kayvan Novak, Mark Proksch, Harvey Guillén – and the creative team for a spirited discussion hosted by special guest, Haley Joel Osment.
The Justice Society launches a secret investigation on The CW’s Stargirl season one episode eight, “Shiv Part Two.” Directed by Geary McLeod from a script by Paula Sevenbergen, episode eight will air on July 7, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT.
Brec Bassinger (Bella and the Bulldogs, School of Rock) leads the cast as Courtney Whitmore / Stargirl. The season one cast also includes Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan, Amy Smart as Barbara Whitmore, Trae Romano as Mike Dugan, Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez, Neil Jackson as Jordan Mahkent, and Anjelika Washington as Beth Chapel. Christopher James Baker plays Henry King Sr, Jake Austin Walker is Henry King Jr, Meg DeLacy is Cindy Burman, Cameron Gellman is Rick Tyler, and Hunter Sansone plays Cameron.
“Shiv Part Two” Plot: THE JSA GOES UNDERCOVER — After Courtney (Bassinger) gets herself into some trouble following an unexpected confrontation, Pat (Wilson) decides they need to come clean to Barbara (Smart). Meanwhile, Cindy (DeLacy) takes heat from her father after a plan to take matters into her own hands goes awry.
Finally, Yolanda (Monreal), Beth (Washington) and Rick (Gellman) lead an investigation into one of their own classmates.
Season 1 Description, Courtesy of The CW
When Courtney’s (Bassinger) seemingly perfect life in Los Angeles gets upended with a move to Blue Valley, Nebraska with her mother Barbara (Smart), stepfather Pat (Wilson) and stepbrother Mike (Romano), she finds herself struggling to adapt to her new town and high school. But when Courtney discovers that Pat is harboring a major secret about his past, she ultimately becomes the unlikely inspiration for a new generation of superheroes.
Marty (Jason Bateman) shows up at Sue the therapist’s house and notices her bright yellow sports car is gone from the driveway in the opening scene of Netflix’s Ozark season three episode eight. After no one answers when he knocks on her door, Marty lets himself in and begins to look around. He opens her laptop and finds he can’t get it to turn on. He then goes through her files and realizes there aren’t any there on him and Wendy.
Marty finds Sue’s datebook and sees her last appointment was with Frank Jackson. He also spots Helen Pierce’s name among her appointments. After realizing what has happened, he begins to wipe his prints off everything he touched and leaves.
While Wendy (Laura Linney) is driving Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) and Jonah (Skylar Gaertner), Charlotte complains about why they’ve been forced to do community service. Wendy reminds her, “Well, you were arrested and then sentenced.”
Charlotte wonders why Wendy couldn’t just get them out of this, and Wendy says she’s not about to bribe a judge.
Wendy sees Helen (Janet McTeer) in the parking lot, dropping off her daughter Erin as well. Wendy wants to talk about their partnership and reveals Marty informed her about their therapist. Helen plays innocent and asks, “She wasn’t home?” Wendy scoffs and replies, “No, she wasn’t.”
Wendy and Helen seem to be still on the outs, and Wendy claims they were handling the Sue situation. She believes when Helen makes decisions without them it puts everything in jeopardy. Helen cuts her off, revealing she thinks the Brydes have been making mistakes and she’s sick and tired of cleaning up after their mess. Wendy warns her this partnership isn’t going to work if she keeps her in the dark.
Meanwhile, Marty meets with Special Agent Maya Miller (Jessica Frances Dukes) and attempts to give her more people to go after. He thinks someone should do something about these people, but Maya informs him it won’t be her. He continues to work on her, explaining these people prey on the elderly. Plus, they’ve got secret offshore accounts.
Marty’s persistent and mentions their tax evasion. Agent Miller continues to tell him she wants to do what’s right and what’s right is not accepting his file.
Ben (Tom Pelphrey) drops Ruth (Julia Garner) off at the casino, and it’s obvious she’s shaken up just looking at the casino. That seems to make Ben mad and he drives off in a hurry.
Marty and Wendy are helping set up an event they’ve planned when Ruth walks up. Wendy’s surprised to see her and lets Ruth know she’s not expected to return to work so soon. She can take more time off. Ruth assures them she’s fine and wants to work, but Marty wants to make sure she’s okay. After she states that she is, Marty begins to go over a list of things for her to do.
After he walks away, Ruth looks sad as she says, “Got it.”
Ben shows up at Frank Cosgrove’s business and tells the guy manning the gate he’s there to see Frank Cosgrove Jr. The man at the gate claims Frank Jr. isn’t available and warns Ben to stop coming back. Ben drives through the gate anyway but when a bunch of men run toward his truck, he wisely turns his truck around and leaves.
Wendy has a chat with Senator Andrew Wade (Brian Lafontaine) about their event, advising him they invited all the donors that Charlie Wilkes rubbed the wrong way. As she’s going over everything with him, she slips in the file on the people screwing over senior citizens. She lets him know she tried to give it to an FBI agent but she wouldn’t take it. He takes the bait and asks for the agent’s name.
The kids join Marty for dinner at the casino and ask questions about his and Wendy’s relationship. He assures them they don’t need to worry about it.
Ben’s at a bar drinking when a man walks in and Ben tries to pick a fight for no particular reason. When the man asks what his problem is, Ben beats him up.
Wendy receives a call in the middle of the night from an extremely unhappy Helen who delivers the news she’s sitting outside a Kansas City police station because Ben has been arrested for assault. Apparently, Ben told the police Helen is their family lawyer. Helen begins to list his charges and also lets Wendy know Ben has a warrant back in North Carolina for assault and property damage. Wendy tells her she’ll take it from there.
Ruth picks up Ben from jail and she’s not pleased about what he did. He tells her Frank needs his a** kicked and can’t believe she doesn’t want him dead. She admits she does want Frank Jr. dead, but she doesn’t want him dead, her dead, Marty and Wendy dead, etc. Ben throws Marty and Wendy under the bus for not doing enough for Ruth, explaining Wendy never used to be this soft. When they were kids, she used to beat people up. The old Wendy would have found a way to do something to Frank Jr. that night. He blames Marty for the change in Wendy, saying marrying him made her a “chickensh*t.”
Ruth assures him his sister isn’t chickensh*t. He presses her, wanting to know what she’s talking about. She reveals Wendy’s not as soft as he thinks she is. She just does things when it suits her. She also says Marty doesn’t stop Wendy from doing anything.
Ben once again asks what Wendy did to her. Ruth doesn’t explain and tells him to shut up.
Marty tells Wendy he just spoke with Helen and she’s not happy. Wendy replies that she’s handling it and he wants to know how. However, Wendy doesn’t feel the need to tell him how. Her non-response fires Marty up and he demands to know – now. She explains she’s going to talk to Ruth and see if Ruth can get Ben back on his meds. Marty doesn’t think that will work; he believes Ben needs to be committed. Wendy becomes angry, declaring she will not have her brother committed and there is no “we” in this decision.
Agent Maya Miller’s boss informs her a Missouri state senator gave them a file on some people running scams. She admits she’s heard about it and that it was given to her first but she declined to pursue it. Maya explains she didn’t want to jeopardize her integrity because Marty Byrde is the one who gave it to her.
Her boss is upset she passed up such evidence and warns her that after she’s done with the casino, she’ll be transferred back to DC. Maya doesn’t want that to happen, stating she fought for years to get assigned field duty. Her boss doesn’t seem to care.
Wendy goes to see Ben at Ruth’s and warns him that because of the way he’s been acting it isn’t safe for him there. He claims he went after Frank Jr. because she and Marty didn’t. She believes they did everything they could do. “Ruth says you could have done something, but chose not to. What the f*ck does that mean?” asks Ben.
Wendy tries to bribe him with money to get him to leave. He says his life is here now and walks away.
Wyatt tries to put a tie on as he gets ready to attend the Byrdes’ event. Wyatt questions Darlene about why they’re even going, and she claims it’s because she can. Plus, she owns a third of that monstrosity. She adds it would be worth it for her to pay $100,000 just to see the look on Wendy Byrde’s face when she walks in.
Charlotte and Jonah chat with Erin at the event and Jonah admits he’s nervous about going up on stage when his parents make a speech. For some reason, not only does Erin assure him he’ll be fine, she kisses him as well.
Helen spots Darlene and Wyatt arriving and asks, “What the f*ck is she doing here?” Darlene and Wyatt stop to talk to Ruth and Darlene is overly nice to Ruth while Wendy watches what’s going on. Wendy then spots an incredibly angry Maya Miller walking away from Marty. She asks what’s going on and he tells her it’s bad – they went too far. They’re pulling Miller off their case and sending her back to DC.
Ben shows up at the casino and you know nothing good can come of this…
Marty delivers his speech and then passes the mic to Wendy. She talks about always wanting to start a charitable foundation with no policy, no politics, and with just a simple mandate to make the world a better place. Wendy then hands the mic to Senator Wade.
During his speech, Wendy spots a noticeably angry and unstable Ben. She tries to talk to him and let him know this isn’t the place for this behavior. That only makes him angrier. He starts yelling, “This is fake!”
Everyone is staring as he’s hauled away and taken to jail.
Wendy and Marty show up at the jail and find Helen talking to Sheriff Nix when they walk in. Helen informs them the sheriff will have Ben moved to a state hospital. Wendy doesn’t want him in a state hospital and asks if he can be moved to a private one. Nix replies, “Sorry, that’s the law.” (I am sure it has more to do with Darlene telling Nix he’s no longer doing business with the Byrdes than it is the actual law.) Wendy has no choice but to agree to this as she’s his next of kin.
Helen goes to see Ben in his jail cell while Wendy and Marty are still in Sheriff Nix’s office. They can see and hear what Helen’s saying to Ben. Helen tells Ben he’s lucky Marty isn’t pressing charges. She lays it all on him and reveals he’ll be going to the state hospital. He begins to cry and screams, “No!” repeatedly. Wendy breaks down and cries.
Charlotte sees Jonah lying on the trampoline outside and decides to join him. He asks her if Ben’s okay and she says their dad texted and told them not to worry. Charlotte tells him not to let all the bad stuff that happened tonight ruin his memory of the kiss he shared with Erin. He needs to remember that.
Ruth and Wendy go to visit Ben at the state hospital, but a nurse informs them he only wants to see Ruth. Ben confesses to Ruth he blames Wendy for what’s happened and feels she’s the reason he was committed. She wants to know why he came to the party last night and he claims he’s figured it all out. Wendy killed her dad and Agent Petty. Ruth confirms Wendy did kill her dad but didn’t kill Petty.
Ben weeps uncontrollably while revealing Wendy promised she would never do this to him again. He says this place is death and will kill him. He asks what he did that was so wrong and instead of telling him the truth, Ruth says he did nothing wrong. She wonders what she can do to help and Ben asks her to get him out of there. Ruth agrees to try.
Ruth returns to the waiting room, walks right past Wendy, and leaves.
Helen rings up Navarro and admits she’s having misgivings about their partners. He asks her to explain. She says, “They are struggling to move even a minimum of cash. Their efforts with the special agent are at a standstill, and to top it off the events at last night’s charity event did not go well.”
Navarro tells her to do whatever she needs to do.
When Ruth gets home, Wyatt is there. He asks how Ben’s doing and she says it’s horrible. Ruth doesn’t think Ben belongs in a place like that. She wants to get him out and Wyatt suggests Darlene can probably help with that.
Cut to Darlene telling the sheriff not to play games with her. She knows he put Ben in the hospital so he can get him out. Nix wants to make a deal. If he does this for her, she must do something for him. Nix wants her to find someone else to run her product instead of the police. She agrees and they have a deal.
Ben is let out of the hospital and grabs a cab. Wendy learns what’s going on and calls Marty to let him know Darlene got Ben out and he’s now in a cab somewhere. Marty asks why Darlene would do that and Wendy replies, “Well, because she hates us. Because she’s f*ckin’ Wyatt. Because Wyatt is Ruth’s cousin.”
Ben shows up at Helen’s and causes a scene. He starts yelling to Erin that her mom isn’t a lawyer – she’s a monster. Not stopping there, he says his sister is a monster and her husband is a monster. He reveals they launder drug money and tells Erin her mom works for the Navarro drug cartel.
Ben continues spilling the beans, yelling, “Your mom has people tortured and killed!”
Helen is done with his outburst and screams, “ENOUGH!” at him. Erin wants to know why he’s saying all that and Helen tells her daughter Ben’s sick and is supposed to be in a mental institution.
Amanda Peet as Betty Broderick in ‘Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story’ season 6 (Photo by: Isabella Vosmikova/USA Network)
Betty Broderick (Amanda Peet) is being released from jail as USA Network’s Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story episode six begins. She notices a brochure for Help Abolish Legal Tyranny (HALT) and grabs one as she’s gathering her possessions.
Sid Montgomery introduces himself as a feature reporter for the San Diego Register as she’s leaving jail. He’s interested in her case, calling her divorce the worst one he’s seen in this county. He wonders if she’d like to speak on the record and offers her his business card in case she wants to shed some daylight on Dan’s treatment and influence in the legal community.
Betty meets her lunch buddies and shows them Dan and Linda’s engagement announcement in the paper. Someone cut it out and mailed it to her home with the words “Eat Your Heart Out Bitch!” written over it in red ink. The ladies find it difficult to believe Linda would stoop so low. Linda’s anger is usually passive, but Betty wonders who would have done it if it wasn’t Linda.
They change the subject and ask about Betty’s time in jail. She claims to have made a lot of new friends. Deciding that’s an unwise subject to broach, they talk about the upcoming graduation ceremonies. Asking if Betty’s going to attend brings Linda into the conversation once again. Betty warns if Linda shows up, she’ll know for sure Dan’s lost his mind.
Back at home, Betty’s served with another set of papers informing her of the date of her property settlement hearing. She rings up Sid and declares she’s decided to tell her side of the story before the hearing.
Rachel Keller as Linda Kolkena and Christian Slater as Dan Broderick in ‘Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story’ episode 6 (Photo by: Isabella Vosmikova/USA Network)
Betty continues to write in her diary. She pours her heart out and reveals she hopes Dan will actually say something nice to her at their oldest daughter’s graduation ceremony. “He’ll be nice to me today,” she writes, attempting to convince herself.
Betty shows up and unfortunately so does Linda (Rachel Keller). After the ceremony, Linda sidetracks Tracy (Lily Donoghue) with a hug which prevents Betty from having that honor. Betty does get a chance to speak with Tracy a short while later, but she’s so obsessed with Linda’s presence that she ruins their one-on-one moment. She also ruins her daughter’s enjoyment of her big day.
Betty’s losing her grip on reality and stalks Linda and Dan (Christian Slater) around the reception snapping photos.
Later, Dan and Linda ask Tracy what Betty said about them. Tracy doesn’t go into great detail but does say her mom thought Linda was tacky-looking and asked for her wedding china back. Tracy describes Betty talking about the wedding china a lot but never mentioning the engagement.
Dan and Linda don’t remember Betty ever asking for the china before, and Dan’s not sure where it is. Linda wonders why Betty wants it now and Dan thinks if they give it to her, it might buy them some peace.
Linda wants to install an alarm system but Dan’s against it. He doesn’t want Betty to think she’s influenced their lives.
Betty attends her first HALT meeting and she’s instantly recognized by the group’s leader. The woman asks if Betty would be willing to speak to the group and Betty indicates she would.
Betty gives a brief rundown of her story, finding the sympathetic audience the perfect venue to release some pent-up tension.
The leader becomes a close friend and confidante of Betty’s, and Betty confesses she’s now decided to represent herself in court. After all, no one knows their history better than she does. Betty’s new friend explains why the date of separation is so important to the financial settlement and, when asked, Betty agrees to allow her to help with preparing for the hearing.
The date of the hearing arrives and after seeing the press in the audience, Dan’s attorney requests the hearing be closed. He cites Dan’s children’s welfare as the reason to exclude the media. Betty states she’d like it open since it’s a public proceeding and she has nothing to hide.
The judge warns Betty that by arguing for an open proceeding, it could adversely affect her custody position. She chooses her children over the public. Score another win for Dan.
The hearing doesn’t go well for Betty as Dan’s able to dodge any probing questions. He claims to need any money he receives from his property to help pay for his children’s education.
Betty questions Dan under oath but due to her lack of knowledge of the law, she fails to get Dan to admit what she needs him to in order to show he manipulated her throughout these proceedings. She also fails to get him to put into the record how integral a part she played in supporting them throughout their early lean years.
Betty shows records of Dan withdrawing money from their joint accounts just days prior to what he declared was their official date of separation. He’s forced to admit he failed to report certain assets.
Smarmy Dan uses his legal abilities to weave a story about when they became officially separated and what he should owe Betty. Betty’s unable to elicit the points she needs to make because Dan’s holier-than-thou attitude riles her up too much.
On the stand Dan declares Betty just wants to destroy him. He claims she won’t be happy until she does. He also lies under oath and says Linda didn’t have anything to do with the end of their marriage.
Betty also loses on the publicity front when the article comes out and nothing she discussed in her interview with Sid is included in the piece. Instead, it’s just basically about the hearing being closed. Sid admits Dan threatened to sue him.
Even with everything tilting toward Dan and against her, Betty seems optimistic about her future when she meets Marie (Emily Bergl) for lunch. She’s proud to reveal she’s been hired as a teaching assistant at a pre-school. Marie is forced to inform Betty her lawyer told her Betty’s courtroom was sealed because she’s a child molester!
Betty can’t catch a break.
Betty calls her mom and begs her to fly out and be in attendance when the judge renders his verdict. Her mom refuses, even though Betty’s obviously emotionally beat down and needs help. Her parents don’t want to be a part of this – even if she winds up winning.
The judge sides with Dan on everything. He decides Betty owes Dan $787,063 and after that deduction, she’s awarded a $28,000 lump sum payment. Dan retains sole custody of the children and Betty can visit them on alternating holidays and weekends. He awards Betty $16,000 in monthly support.
Betty’s barely holding it together as the judge delivers his decision. Meanwhile, Dan’s smiling broadly at his win. And with the hearing now over, Betty’s left in the courtroom all alone.
Days later, Betty glances through the photos she took at the graduation ceremony. Photos of Linda seem to infuriate her.
Dan, Linda, and their friends go out to dinner and when Dan steps away from the table, Betty’s friend asks Linda if she ever came across Betty’s china. Linda admits she’s seen it and the friend asks if Linda could give it back as a sort of olive branch.
Linda won’t give it back and instead seems to settle on the idea of breaking it. After all, that’s what Betty would do if she was in possession of Linda’s china.
Betty heads to a store and buys a gun. She tells the salesman she was a marksman back in school. A voiceover by Betty reveals she believes men can do whatever is necessary to defend themselves while women are supposed to just retire to a corner and take it.
The episode ends with Betty filling out paperwork for a gun permit.
Larry David stars in ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (Photo Credit: HBO)
Thank you, HBO. It seems like right about now we could truly use some good news and the confirmation of an 11th season renewal for Curb Your Enthusiasm fills the demand for something positive quite nicely. Today, HBO and Larry David officially announced the critically acclaimed, award-winning comedy will definitely return with a new season.
HBO has not yet set a premiere date for season 11. Season 10 kicked off on January 19, 2020.
“This past season tapped into the zeitgeist in such an uncomfortably delightful way,” said Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming. “Larry is already busy writing, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store.”
Series creator and star Larry David said, “Believe me, I’m as upset about this as you are. One day I can only hope that HBO will come to their senses and grant me the cancellation I so richly deserve.”
In addition to Larry David, the season 10 cast included Susie Essman (Broad City), Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs), Emmy nominee Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory), Richard Lewis (Anything But Love), J.B. Smoove (The Millers), and Emmy winner Ted Danson (The Good Place).
Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Jeff Schaffer, and Gavin Polone will executive produce the just-announced season. Laura Streicher is a co-executive producer and Jon Hayman is a consulting producer.
Curb Your Enthusiasm Synopsis:
The comedy series continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one’s day-to-day life – a cold cup of coffee, a stained shirt, a missing toothbrush – can precipitate a chain of misfortune to hilarious effect. To keep the narrative spontaneous, the series is shot without a script and cast members are given scene outlines and improvise lines as they go.
