It took us until the fifth episode, but we finally have a solid Game of Thrones episode in “Kill the Boy.” I attribute that almost entirely to lack of jumping from place to place every two minutes. Each plot was given enough time to grow so that we could savor (or loathe) every characters’ presence.
The Wall
At Castle Black, Stannis continues to grow on me. Last week he made Shireen (most adorable character on the show) happy and this week he corrected a Crow’s grammar. Oh, Stannis. You can be my King of Westeros; though, now you’re dead because I like you.
Stannis has been making his way around Castle Black, taking inventory of the men around him. Unlike many leaders who only expect soldiers in a time of war, Stannis knows to look for the strengths in each person, especially when it comes Samwell Tarly. Sam may have slain a White Walker, but he’s never going to beat back an army and Stannis knows this, so he instructs Sam to stay in school and keep reading about dragonglass so they can arm themselves against winter. Stannis, thus far, has been the only leader to even recognize the growing troubles North of the Wall and that earns him respect from me. However, he also knows that because of the encroaching winter, now is the time to strike at Winterfell; and with that, the Baratheons leave Castle Black. I’m not really sure I’d want to take Selyse on a road trip, though. “Fetus in a jar, anyone? No? Fine, you’ll all burn.”
Meanwhile, Jon Snow is off being an awesome Lord Commander, holding his own against crazy eyes Tormund, and making hard decisions about the Night’s Watch’s future. He knows saving the wildlings in Hardhome will divide the watch, but it’s something he feels honor bound to do and we all know how those Starks are with their honor. I can’t believe all of those words came from my fingertips but leadership suits Jon and it helps that Kit’s acting has improved over the years.
Winterfell
The last time Sansa Stark was in Winterfell she was a naive young girl who dreamed of marrying a prince and being a kind Lady who would bear her husband lots of children. After surviving the Lannisters, Lysa Arryn, Littlefinger, and now being cast off on to the Boltons, any notion of heroes in Sansa’s mind has gone out the window like Bran. (Sorry, not sorry.) If it’s possible, Ramsay Bolton is a worse fiancé than Joffrey. Joffrey was at least easily manipulated and it was kind of easy to predict when he’d go off the rails. Ramsay is epitome of “batshit insane.” So much so that when he makes Theon kneel before him, his possible moves could have to: force sex on Theon, break his fingers, or gouge out his eyes. None of which would surprise a single viewer. Instead, he forgave Theon and that is the more terrifying outcome. Myranda, also unpredictable and insane, introduced herself to Sansa and she’s the worst.
Dinner at Winterfell is more uncomfortable than dinner with the Lannisters. Ramsay’s underhanded sadism is worse than anything Cersei could drunkenly utter and Sansa, polite as she is, has a hard time disguising her fear. A fear mirrored in Theon’s eyes when he’s told to apologize to Lady Stark. Tired of Ramsay’s shenanigans, Roose slams a What to Expect book down the table and informs everyone that Walda is pregnant and it’s likely a son. Ramsay and Sansa’s faces trade places as the former cannot hide his anger, and the latter is so gleeful she rubs it in his face.
Later, Roose gives Ramsay the birds and the bees talk, divulging to him how he met/raped Ramsay’s mother. It’s the barbaric version of Stannis’ story to Shireen last week, which I guess is kind of sweet that Roose knew baby Psycho was his blood? Papa Bolton certainly knows how to put Ramsay in his place, reminding us that both Bolton men are to be feared. And that’s enough Bolton for this week.
Meereen
It looks like last week’s ending wasn’t just a cliffhanger; Ser Barristan is really gone and I’m not sure how to feel. I should have seen it coming, what with all the sentimental moments between him and Dany of late, but I’ll admit, I thought he was safe. Stupid me. Never get think anyone is safe in Game of Thrones.
Dany, enraged by the attacks on her people by the Sons of the Harpy, wants vengeance, even if it means killing those who are innocent. She takes her house words–Fire and Blood–seriously, as evidenced when she brings all the old family masters to meet her children. In a beautifully disturbing CGI scene, we watch Rhaegal and Viserion burn and then rip a man in two, and Dany lets a smile slip. But Dany cannot go full rampage, as Barristan would not have wanted such, so she puts the masters in cells instead.
Fortunately, Grey Worm survives the massacre in the alley, and he expresses to a grief-stricken Missandei that he’s feeling guilt not over having lived, but for being afraid. Unsullied aren’t supposed to know fear, but Grey Worm does, and after nearly three seasons, Missandei kisses him and the pair solidifies themselves as the most adorable couple in Game of Thrones. (Are they the only couple at the moment? Crap.)
Dany then turns to Missandei for advice and this is one of those things we’ve seen in good leaders throughout the show, especially in this episode: Dany is not afraid to hear others’ opinions, the same with Jon Snow and Stannis Baratheon. Ultimately, they all know the power resides in their hands, but it doesn’t mean they can’t gather as much information as possible. Much like Aemon earlier in the episode when talking to Lord Commander Snow, Missandei tells Daenerys to trust her feelings, as she usually winds up at the best possible solution. Dany does so and concedes that now is not the time for revenge, but for compromise. She approaches a still horrified Hizdahr and says she will open the fighting pits to free men and she will marry him to bring peace to her people. Things are looking less fiery for ol’ Hizdahr zo Loraq, though I can’t imagine boy-toy Daario is going to quietly accept Dany’s new compromise and pending nuptials.
Somewhere near the ruins of Valyria
Jorah the Explorer and Tyrion continue their exhilarating sail to Meereen, taking the scenic route through old Valyria. They share some poetry and Tyrion reminds us he’s an alcoholic; then the pair goes dragon watching. It’s a romantic date and I, for one, cannot wait for these two crazy kids to announce their feelings for one another. Varys is going to be so jealous. Anyway, the mood is soon ruined by a couple of party crashers cosplaying Fantastic Four’s, Thing.
Thankfully, Tyrion survives the near-death experience and doesn’t get any of that yucky greyscale on him. (I don’t know why he’s worried; it looks cute on Shireen!) Jorah, however, is playing the Zombie Apocalypse card because nothing bad has ever happened from keeping his super infectious disease a secret.
Random Thoughts
I’m still uncomfortable with these new, positive feelings toward Jon Snow.
Hating Ramsay is WAY more satisfying that hating Joffrey. I want Sansa to gut him on their wedding night, but after all the rumors about a horrifying Sansa scene, I doubt that wish will come true. Hooray. Westeros wedding are the best.
I find it odd that Sansa isn’t a little better at disguising her feelings when dealing with the Boltons. Manipulation was the name of Littlefinger’s game and Sansa seems to have forgotten every lesson. Except when she congratulates Walda on her pregnancy. That was class.
Walda’s dead, right? I mean, Ramsay is going to kill her the way Talisa was murdered, right?
Brienne was also in this episode for like two seconds, being completely subtle about her intentions. A spy, Brienne of Tarth is not.
FOX has released their 2015 fall lineup, but really the most important news is that The X-Files is set to return as a mini-series on January 24, 2016 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/7:00-8:00 PM PT) in a special two-night event after the NFC Championships. It’s regular spot will be Monday nights (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and will run for six episodes (which is not nearly enough Mulder and Scully).
SATURDAY
7:00-10:30 PM FOX SPORTS SATURDAY: FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM NFL ON FOX
7:30-8:00 PM THE OT
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
BORDERTOWN (new), THE FRANKENSTEIN CODE (new), THE GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE (new), LUCIFER (new) and THE X-FILES (new) join the schedule in 2016, as do returning series AMERICAN IDOL XV, BOB’S BURGERS, HELL’S KITCHEN and NEW GIRL, among others.
“Building on the phenomenal momentum created by GOTHAM, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and, of course, EMPIRE, we’re infusing next season’s schedule with new ambitious dramas, smart comedies, aspirational unscripted series and big live events and specials – all from the best creators in the business,” said Walden and Newman. “And our strategy with these bold creative swings is simple: schedule them strategically, market them relentlessly and create events that break through and captivate viewers across every platform.”
Tuesdays are all-new this fall on FOX, with new comedies GRANDFATHERED and THE GRINDER, followed by killer comedy-horror series SCREAM QUEENS. The new comedies kicking off an all-new Tuesday are GRANDFATHERED and THE GRINDER. A comedy about coming of age – at any age – GRANDFATHERED stars John Stamos (“Full House,” “ER”) as the ultimate bachelor whose life is turned upside down when he discovers he’s not only a father, but a grandfather.
THE GRINDER, starring Emmy Award nominee Rob Lowe (“Parks and Recreation,” “The West Wing”) and Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominee Fred Savage (“The Wonder Years”), follows a famous TV lawyer (Lowe) who, after his hit series, “The Grinder,” is canceled, moves back home and joins his brother (Savage) at their family’s real-life law firm – despite having no formal education, no bar certification, no license to practice and no experience in an actual courtroom.
Award-winning executive producers Ryan Murphy (GLEE, “American Horror Story”), Brad Falchuk (GLEE, “American Horror Story”) and Ian Brennan (GLEE) meld comedy, mystery and horror in SCREAM QUEENS. All hell is about to break loose for the Kappa House sisters of Wallace University when a murder takes place, exactly 20 years after a mysterious death originally rocked their college campus. The super-charged anthology series is a modern take on the classic whodunit with a killer cast, including Emma Roberts (“American Horror Story: Freak Show,” “Scream 4”), Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” “True Lies”), Lea Michele (GLEE), Oliver Hudson (“Nashville,” “Rules of Engagement”), Keke Palmer (“Akeela and the Bee,” “Masters of Sex”) and guest stars Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas (“Kingdom”), among others. With at least one casualty each week until the mystery is solved, anyone could be the next victim – or the murderer.
Two new dramas – the futuristic MINORITY REPORT and the Miami-set ROSEWOOD – debut this fall. Based on Steven Spielberg’s international blockbuster film and the first of his films to be adapted for television, MINORITY REPORT follows the partnership between a man (Stark Sands, “Inside Llewyn Davis”) haunted by the future and a cop (Meagan Good, “Think Like A Man” franchise, “Californication”) haunted by her past, as they race to stop the worst crimes before they happen.
Also joining the schedule this fall is ROSEWOOD. From executive producer Todd Harthan (“Psych,” “Dominion”), ROSEWOOD stars Morris Chestnut (“Nurse Jackie,” “The Best Man” franchise) as DR. BEAUMONT ROSEWOOD, JR., a brilliant private pathologist who uses wildly sophisticated technology and his drive to live life to the fullest to help a tough-as-nails detective (Jaina Lee Ortiz, “The After”) and the Miami PD uncover clues no one else can see. – See more at: http://www.fox.com/article/fox-announces-new-primetime-series-for-2015-2016-season#sthash.hgzItQqZ.dpuf
In 2016, additional new series joining the schedule include devilish drama LUCIFER and modern gothic action series THE FRANKENSTEIN CODE; and two comedies, THE GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE and animated BORDERTOWN.
Based on characters from DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint, LUCIFER stars Tom Ellis (“Merlin”) as the charming, charismatic and handsome-as-hell original fallen angel, who, bored and unhappy in Hell, takes refuge in Los Angeles, where he uses his gift of persuasion to punish bad guys. But the longer he’s away from the underworld, the greater the threat that the worst of humanity could escape.
In THE FRANKENSTEIN CODE, from executive producer/writer Rand Ravich (“Life,” “Crisis”) and executive producer Howard Gordon (“Homeland,” “24”), a disgraced, 75-year-old ex-sheriff, whose life ends at the hands of corrupt cops, is brought back to life and given a second chance by a pair of young tech scientists, as a 35-year-old (Rob Kazinsky, “True Blood”) with unpredictable near-superhuman abilities.
THE GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE is a new young ensemble comedy about a group of friends living together for the first time. Each episode is told from the perspective of COOPER BARRETT (Jack Cutmore-Scott, “Kingsman: The Secret Service”), a wickedly charming and deeply flawed recent college grad whose life is filled with terrible choices, excellent mistakes and fantastic misadventures.
A new animated comedy from FAMILY GUY’s Mark Hentemann and Seth MacFarlane, BORDERTOWN is a satirical look at the cultural shifts taking place in America. Exploring family, politics and everything in between with a cross-cultural wink, the series centers on two very different families living in a fictional Southwest desert town on the U.S. – Mexico border.
AMERICAN IDOL will begin its 15th – and final – season this January on FOX. A season-long celebratory event, AMERICAN IDOL XV will feature host Ryan Seacrest and judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr., as they search for the final IDOL superstar and pay tribute to the past 14 seasons of amazingly talented contestants and the millions of fans who tweeted, texted and championed their IDOLs.
NEW GIRL returns to the Tuesday comedy block in January with a season of uninterrupted episodes.
As previously announced, GREASE: LIVE, a three-hour production of the massively popular crossover musical “Grease,” starring superstar singers, dancers and actresses Julianne Hough (“Safe Haven,” “Rock of Ages”) and Vanessa Hudgens (Broadway’s “Gigi,” “Spring Breakers”), will air LIVE Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 on FOX. With Hough as the angelic “Sandy” – Rydell High’s most talked-about newcomer – and Hudgens as iconic bad girl “Rizzo,” this first-ever live television production of “Grease” will re-imagine the hit musical for an entirely new generation. –
Once upon a time, we ran a feature called “Small Game Saturdays”, where we would do a quick take on a small downloadable title. Well that feature has been reborn as a shiny new video series called “Small Game Sample.” I mean… Why should Saturday’s have all the fun? (see* I need a less rigid schedule in order to pump these out)
In this episode, Rob is joined by fellow Brotherhood member Jesse in taking a look at Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China.
NBC has released the first three images from Heroes Reborn, the reboot of the network’s once great drama. The images come from the first episode, titled Awakening, and feature Zachary Levi as Luke Collins, Kiki Sukezane as Miko Otomo, and Jack Coleman in his old role as HRG/Noah Bennett.
“HEROES REBORN”
From original creator Tim Kring, the Supernatural phenomenon begins again with a fresh crop of inspiring heroes who take on the ultimate struggle between those with extraordinary abilities and those with nefarious motives to hunt and harness their powers. Epic adventures await these newly empowered allies as they cross paths with some of the original characters (such as the beloved “HRG” and fan-favorite time-traveler Hiro Nakamura), unlocking the mysterious fate of the universe and their place within it.
The cast of “Heroes Reborn” includes Jack Coleman, Zachary Levi, Masi Oka, Judith Shekoni, Robbie Kay, Henry Zebrowski, Kiki Sukezane, Ryan Guzman, Danika Yarosh, Toru Uchikado, Eve Harlow and Gatlin Green.
Tim Kring serves as writer and executive producer. Peter Elkoff and James Middleton also executive produce. “Heroes Reborn” is produced by Universal Television, Imperative Entertainment and Tailwind Productions.
Heroes Reborn premieres Thursdays this Fall on NBC.
NBC has released their Fall TV Schedule for 2015 and the comedies are lacking. Thursday nights, once home to some of the best comedies on television is now full of dramas, notably Heroes Reborn – the reboot of the network’s big hit.
It doesn’t take a detective to realize that NBC has been struggling with their comedy lineup for a few years now. With the ends of their big hits like 30 Rock, The Office, and Parks and Recreation the network has failed to gain traction on any of their new comedies.
Instead the network has thrown their hat in with dramas as you can see in the schedule below.
NBC’s 2015 Fall TV Schedule
MONDAY
8 pm The Voice
10 pm BLINDSPOT
TUESDAY
8 pm The Voice
9 pm HEARTBREAKER
10 pm BEST TIME EVER WITH NEIL PATRICK HARRIS
10 pm Chicago Fire (November)
WEDNESDAY
8 pm The Mysteries of Laura
9 pm Law & Order: SVU
10 pm Chicago P.D.
THURSDAY
8 pm HEROES REBORN
9 pm The Blacklist
10 pm THE PLAYER
FRIDAY
8 pm Undateable
8:30 pm PEOPLE ARE TALKING
9 pm Grimm
10 pm Dateline
SATURDAY Dateline Saturday Night Mystery
SUNDAY
7 pm Football Night in America
8:20 pm NBC Sunday Night Football
When we left off last week, our favorite red-headed Scot had been ambushed by the redcoats, possibly captured or killed. A devastating prospect for Outlander fans, I know. This week in “The Search”, the episode follows, well, Claire’s search for her husband. It sounds like it would be a somewhat dreary episode, and in the beginning, it is. However, as the episode continues, it becomes something a bit more light-hearted, which was sorely needed given the dramatic events of late.
Claire and Jenny, despite protests from Ian, go on the search for Jamie using Jenny’s skills as a tracker. I like the idea of two women setting out as the heroes. Armed with only two pistols, a crude map of the area, and a still recuperating Jenny, the two made an unlikely rescue party. (As an aside: Jenny gave birth and then days later hopped on a horse to ride through the woods? She is a brave, brave woman.) Even in such a bleak situation, Claire retains her usual tenacity and dry banter. When Jenny informs her that the redcoats are using a wagon that should be easy to track, the sassenach responds, “Hopefully because there’s a rather large, red-headed Scot weighing it down.”
One of the things I enjoy about Outlander is the way it depicts war. As Claire so aptly puts, “The victors carry their dead from the field and bury them; the losers are left to slowly decay back into the soil.” It’s certainly something she’s witnessed as a medic, and in the world of Outlander, there is no glory in battle, only survival for another day. Claire knows there aren’t heroes in war and the victims are always the innocent parties. A fact Claire is fully aware of as the pair holds a redcoat courier at gunpoint. They learn that Jamie has escaped the redcoat capture is hiding somewhere in the Scottish highlands. Claire doesn’t want to kill the redcoat after, as there has been enough death already, but she also knows that should he live, it puts everyone else’s lives at risk.
The decision to kill is taken from Claire’s hands when Murtaugh Fraser shows up and does the job for her. Murtaugh’s appearance allows Jenny, sore and bursting with breast milk, to return home to her newborn baby. Before she leaves, Claire implores Jenny to prepare for the future, to plant potatoes instead of wheat, as times ahead will be disastrous for the Scots. Jenny doesn’t bat an eyelash at Claire’s prophet abilities and instead agrees to do as she says because she trusts Jamie.
Claire and Murtaugh decide that scouring the countryside for Jamie as he hides from the redcoats is an asinine plan, so instead Murtaugh suggests bringing Jamie to them. At first he uses Claire’s abilities as a healer to attract attention. A sassenach healer and fortune teller traveling the highlands would be a hot commodity, sure to catch Jamie’s ears as he jumps from place to place. Still, Murtaugh doesn’t think it is large enough news to travel fast enough, so he comes up with another plan: a singing and dancing sassenach.
Claire is hesitant at first, but she warms to the idea of becoming the “Sassenach Sensation” rather quickly as she sees the crowds drawn in to watch the act. Naturally, such attention would catch the eye of anyone looking to make some gold, and that’s the case with a gypsy who copies the concept, even using the same name. It presents a problem because now Jamie won’t know which sassenach to follow, so Claire approaches the gypsy with all the gold in her possession to silence his sassenach copy. Murtaugh thinks her a fool to trust a gypsy, but Claire knows she has no other choice. She isn’t just traveling the countryside with Murtaugh to go sight-seeing; she has to find Jamie.
I appreciate the relationship between Claire and Murtaugh. It was he who saved her in the first place and I always adore any situation where a male and female become friends without the need for romance. Nevertheless, the subject of romance does come up when in the middle of an argument Murtaugh reveals to her that he was the one who gifted Jamie’s mother with the boar tusk bracelets. Because of his feelings, he’s felt the need to protect Jamie as a son and the heartbreak brings the pair closer, now with renewed spirit. It was a much needed scene in an episode that was clearly dragged out to fill the hour, as it spent far too much time on horseback and traveling from town to town.
It doesn’t take long for them to happen upon the gypsy once more, only this time, he validates Claire’s trust in him by giving her a note about the whereabouts of Jamie. Unfortunately, instead of Jamie, the pair finds Dougal, and I can’t say anyone is glad to see him. He tells them that Jamie was caught trying to follow Claire’s dancing act and sent to Wentworth prison where he was sentenced to hang. Immediately, Claire plans to rescue her husband, but Dougal, in an increasingly creepy fashion proposes to her as he thinks Jamie is a dead man, and he only thinks of Claire’s protection. As if anyone in the highlands would buy that line. But Dougal doesn’t stop Claire from going on an insane rescue mission, nor does he stop her when she enlists the help of a few MacKenzies. God, I love Claire’s determination. Next week, “Wentworth Prison.”
Outlander airs on Saturdays at 9PM ET/PT on Starz. Photos courtesy of Starz.
Lost Girl Season 5, Episode 4: “When God Opens A Window″ Air date: May 8, 2015 Grade: B+
This week’s episode of Lost Girl was full of unexpected moments that left me feeling disconcerted. Why, you might ask? Well, because of one major Bo event that’s basically shattered my hopes for Team Dyson, that’s why.
A new character, Mark, is introduced as a young runaway who’s being chased by a hunter everywhere he goes. He seems a little reminiscent of Bo and Kenzi, a street-smart grifter who’s had to survive on his own with no family. He shows up at Bo and Tamsin’s doorstep and explains that he doesn’t know what kind of fae he is and that he’s being hunted by the same person that killed his mom when he was six years old. Poor lamb. Bo is falls for his sob story but they soon find out that Mark’s robbed them.
Bo and Tamsin try to work out their roommate issues.
When the duo manages to confront him, Bo gets shot with an arrow and Mark takes off again. This is no ordinary arrow though as Tamsin kisses Bo to help heal her but it doesn’t work and the wound keeps re-opening. An awkward moment ensues when Lauren walks in and catches them mid-kiss. But good timing on the doctor’s part because she’s finds the equivalent of fae kryptonite in Bo’s wound, a parasite that also acts as a tracker.
They find Mark at The Dal where he’s trying to swindle some people out of their money. This time though, they work together and lay out a trap to snare the hunter themselves, which actually works. Lauren’s new self-defense skills are put to use when she pumps the hunter with tranquilizer shots and then does the same to Mark after the younger fae tried to kill the other man. When the hunter comes wakes up, Bo asks him to explain himself and he tells her that Mark and his kind massacred his family and that’s why he’s been chasing the kid. The succubus then goes back her place and tells Mark what the hunter had said and he admits to biting the guy’s ear off but he it happened right after the man murdered his mom. He was so scared that was all he could do and then flee for his life. Bo this entire time has been feeling drawn to him and she finally acts on it.
When she wakes up though he’s gone again and she realizes that he must have gone to Lauren’s lab to kill the hunter for good. He’s stopped though by Dyson who bursts in and says that Mark is a shifter who hasn’t shifted yet. He tells the hunter to go while he stops the younger man from going after him because the cycle of violence needs to end. The hunter may have killed Mark’s mom but their kind slaughtered his family.
What’s Dyson been up to this whole time? Working a case with a returned Vex, of course! They’re investigating the murders of three people with strange markings on them. Dyson thinks that it must be related to the three bodies that disappeared from Lauren’s lab in the last episode and of course he’s right! The killings turn out to be some kind of ritual sacrifice for purification that sprung from ancient Greek paganism. Which is another big clue that we’re dealing with some fae that must have been worshiped as Greek gods in the past.
Dyson and Vex are on the case!
With Vex back in town, there is a powerful scene between him and Dyson where the shifter is naturally livid over Vex’s relationship with Massimo, the man who killed Hale last season. Vex actually seems sorry for the whole thing but he loved Massimo like a son and regardless of what happened it didn’t change his parental love for the guy. Who would have guessed that Vex was more capable of selfless love than Evony, Massimo’s real mom. This exchange will bite Dyson in the ass since soon after he realizes that Mark is in fact his son.
And that my friends is the big what-the-hell-is-going-on moment because that means Bo slept with both father and son. I’m cringing so hard for the succubus because while she’s already made out with her stepmom, this is the kind of thing that will forever change the nature of Bo and Dyson’s relationship. While it was accidental, it hits her that the reason she was so drawn to Mark was because he reminded her of Dyson. I don’t know if they could ever come back from that. Sigh. Bo makes Tamsin promise never to tell Dyson what happened and she admits that she thought she and the shifter would (possibly end up together)? She doesn’t finish her sentence and the valkyrie adds that she thought so too but they were good as friends though. Noooooooooooooooo!!!! Dammit Bo and her urges!
Dyson tries to get Mark to stay but understandably he’s pissed off that his dad was never there for him or his mom. The werewolf says that Piper (Mark’s mom) never told him that she was pregnant and so he didn’t know. His pleas fall on deaf ears though and Mark takes off. Dyson drowns his feelings by drinking and the hunter returns, appearing outside The Dal. Amazingly, Vex shows up and we get the sense the two have found some common ground and are actually working together. The Mesmer holds the hunter still while Dyson gives into his dark urges and rips the guy apart.
Lastly, poor Evony is still waiting for her serum to change her back to her glorious Morrigan self and puts some added pressure on Lauren by leaving a dangerous old fae in the lab like her own personal storage unit.
This was an interesting turn of events as Tamsin and Bo seem to be finally learning to live and work with each other, Dyson and Vex finding something in common, and Lauren continuing to be a badass in her science-y ways. I definitely wasn’t expecting to find out that Dyson was a dad, but it was nice to see his character change from the experience. However, him thanking Bo for watching out for Mark and that he could use a big sister just added another nail in the coffin of Team Dyson. Sigh. I’m sure we’ll see Mark again at some point this season…or not, hopefully.
I know, I know. How many more TV shows can be cancelled before peace returns to our time? Just a few more.
CBS has announced they will be canceling Vince Gilligan’s Battle Creek, Kevin Williamson’s Stalker, and comedy series The McCarthys due to low ratings.
The only shows left to make a decision on for CBS at this point are CSI, CSI: Cyber, and Hawaii Five-0.
It’s a bloody Friday at NBC as the network announced their cancellations for series not returning next Fall.
On the drama front, DC’s television adaptation of Constantine, starring Matt Ryan, met the axe. The series’ outlook didn’t look well late last year when NBC decided not to order the back nine of episodes after the initial 13-episode run. Katherine Heigl’s political drama State of Affairs also failed to make the cut.
NBC’s comedies didn’t fair well either with the network announcing cancellations for Marry Me, About a Boy, and One Big Happy.
***UPDATE: Alan Van Sprang has been cast as Valentine Morgenstern
Is everyone as excited as I am to see ABC Family’s Shadowhunters?
Based on Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments Series, the show follows Clarissa “Clary” Fray as she finds herself entangled in the supernatural world of the Shadowhunters, beings with angelic blood as they battle demons and other creatures who seek to harm mundane humans.
Shadowhunters is produced by Constantin Films with McG and Ed Decter serving as executive producers.
While we are still waiting to find out who will play Magnus Bane and Jocelyn Fray, most of the main roles have been cast. Scroll down to find out!
Katherine McNamara as Clarissa “Clary” Fray
Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland
Alan Van Sprang as Valentine Morgenstern
Alberto Rosende as Simon Lewis
BONUS: here’s Alberto wearing Simon glasses!!
Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood
Matthew Daddario as Alec Lightwood
Isaiah Mustafa as Luke Garroway
How do you feel about the casting? Who do you want to play Magnus and Jocelyn? Comment below and let us know!
Rosario Dawson will be reprising her role as Claire Temple in the second season of Marvel’s Daredevil when it returns to Netflix in 2016. Part of the deal that will also allow her to appear in any of Marvel’s other Netflix original series. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to comic book fans who know of Claire’s relationship with fellow Netflix hero Luke Cage.
“After working with Rosario in the first season, we knew instantly that we had to have her back for our second,” said Executive Producer/Head of Marvel TV Jeph Loeb. “Claire Temple proved a fan favorite in Season 1, and we can’t wait for fans to see all the plans we have for her next.”
ABC has ordered its first new comedy series for the 2015 fall season and you’re probably already familiar with its cast: the Muppets. Produced by The Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady, and Bob Kushel (Anger Management), The Muppets has been described as more of an adult version of The Muppets we all grew up watching. According to USA Today:
The network describes the new series as a “documentary-style” look that “explore(s) the Muppets’ personal lives and relationships, bot at home and at work, as well as romances, breakups, achievements, disappointments, wants and desires.
Are you a fan of ABC shows? Chances are it was renewed!
The network announced Thursday evening that freshman series Secrets and Lies, Black-ish, Fresh Off the Boat, How to Get Away With Murder, American Crime, Galavant and Marvel’s Agent Carter will all be returning for a second season.
Like its Marvel counterpart, Agents of SHIELD has also received a renewal and will return for a third season. Other renewals include Once Upon a Time, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, The Goldbergs, Modern Family and The Middle.
Reality series Dancing With the Stars, The Bachelor, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Shark Tank, and Beyond the Tank.
The network announced Wednesday that Resurrection (starring Omar Epps and from Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas), Cristela (starring Cristela Alonzo), and Forever (starring IoanGruffudd and Alana De La Garza) would not be returning to the network next year.
The CW has ordered DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, the Arrow/Flash spinoff, to series.
The official synopsis of the series follows – “When heroes alone are not enough … the world needs legends. Having seen the future, one he will desperately try to prevent from happening, time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter is tasked with assembling a disparate group of both heroes and villains to confront an unstoppable threat — one in which not only is the planet at stake, but all of time itself. Can this ragtag team defeat an immortal threat unlike anything they have ever known?”
The series will star Wentworth Miller (Leonard Snart/Captain Cold), Dominic Purcell (Mick Rory/Heatwave), Victor Garber (Dr. Martin Stein), Brandon Routh (Ray Palmer/the Atom), CaityLotz (Sara Lance/Canary), Ciara Renee (Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl), Franz Drameh (Jay Jackson) and Arthur Darvill (Rip Hunter).
The Messengers didn’t stand a chance. With only four episodes aired, The CW has officially announced the series cancellation.
The news doesn’t come as a surprise as the shows ratings and late start made it feel as if the network didn’t have much fate in the series.
Official synopsis below:
A mysterious object crashes on earth and a group of unconnected strangers die from an energy pulse it emits, but then re-awaken to find out that they have been deemed responsible for preventing the impending Apocalypse.
The CW has made it official – Hart of Dixie is no more.
After four seasons, the series starring Rachel Bilson, Jaime King, Cress Williams, Wilson Bethel, Scott Porter, Tim Matheson and Kaitlyn Black will not return next year.
The news shouldn’t come as a shock as series creator Leila Gerstein tweeted out about the final three episodes of the series in early March.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>The final three episodes of <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/HartofDixie?src=hash”>#HartofDixie</a> begin tonight. Buckle up, I think you will enjoy the ride. Xo</p>— leila gerstein (@leilargerstein) <a href=”https://twitter.com/leilargerstein/status/573887221717069824″>March 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Have a look at Netflix’s upcoming original sci-fi mystery series Sense8 from The Wachowskis’ (The Matrix Trilogy).
Official plot details:
The series follows eight characters around the world who, in the aftermath of a tragic death, find themselves linked to each other mentally and emotionally. They can not only see and talk to each other as though they were in the same place, they have access to each other’s deepest secrets. Not only must they figure out what happened and why and what it means for the future of humanity, they must do so while being hunted by an organization out to capture, kill or vivisect them.
The series has an ensemble cast including Naveen Andrews, Daryl Hannah, Brian J. Smith, Tuppence Middleton, Jamie Clayton, Miguel Angel Silvestre, Tina Desai, Doona Bae, Aml Ameen, Max Riemelt, Terrence Mann, Freema Agyeman, and Alfonso Herrera.
Netflix will release all 12 episodes on June 5. Looks like it’s going to be an exciting summer binge show to look forward too!
If you thought there were a lot of superheroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron than you’ve seen nothing yet.
With the production for Captain America: Civil War underway, Marvel has released the first story details as well as the first look at the enormous cast.
“Captain America: Civil War” picks up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
Here’s a list of the actors:
Chris Evans – Steve Rogers/Captain America
Robert Downey Jr. – Tony Stark/Iron Man
Scarlett Johansson – Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
Sebastian Stan – Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
Anthony Mackie – Sam Wilson/Falcon
Paul Bettany – The Vision
Jeremy Renner – Clint Barton/Hawkeye
Don Cheadle – Jim Rhodes/War Machine
Elizabeth Olsen – Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Paul Rudd – Scott Lang/Ant-Man
Chadwick Boseman – T’Challa/Black Panther
Emily VanCamp – Sharon Carter/Agent 13
Daniel Brühl – Baron Zemo
Frank Grillo – Brock Rumlow/Crossbones
William Hurt – General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross
Fox has announced they will not be renewing the series starring Mindy Kaling for a fourth season. While the series won’t see the light of day again on FOX, The Mindy Project has a chance to return to as a series on Hulu.
Multiple outlets are reporting that a deal with Universal TV could see a multi-season deal over on Hulu in order for the series to pass the 100-episode mark.
If you haven’t heard, there’s a bit of a commotion on the internet about Avengers: Age of Ultron, and in particular, Black Widow’s story in the movie. I’ll try to keep spoilers out of this article and be as succinct as possible. Essentially, some fans weren’t happy with Black Widow’s plot in the movie, so unhappy in fact they took to Twitter to harass Joss Whedon about what he had done to the character. The bombardment of tweets became so much that Joss left Twitter, reminding us all yet again that the internet can be a dark and callous place.
Mark Ruffalo, Bruce Banner actor and all-around good guy, did an AMA today over at Reddit, and the reaction to Black Widow’s story came up. Mark Ruffalo responded (I’ve bolded what I find to be the most important part):
I think it’s sad. Because I know how Joss feels about women, and I know that he’s made it a point to create strong female characters. I think part of the problem is that people are frustrated that they want to see more women, doing more things, in superhero movies, and because we don’t have as many women as we should yet, they’re very, very sensitive to every single storyline that comes up right now. But I think what’s beautiful about what Joss did with Black Widow – I don’t think he makes her any weaker, he just brings this idea of love to a superhero, and I think that’s beautiful.
If anything, Black Widow is much stronger than Banner. She protects him. She does her job, and basically they begin to have a relationship as friends, and I think it’s a misplaced anger. I think that what people might really be upset about is the fact that we need more superhuman women. The guys can do anything, they can have love affairs, they can be weak or strong and nobody raises an eyebrow. But when we do that with a woman, because there are so few storylines for women, we become hyper-critical of every single move that we make because there’s not much else to compare it to.
So I know Joss really well. I know what his values are. And I think it’s sad, because in a lot of ways, there haven’t been as many champions in this universe as Joss is and will continue to be. And I know it hurts him. I know it’s heavy on him. And the guy’s one of the sweetest, best guys, and I know him – as far as any man can be a champion for women, he is that.
So it’s been a little disheartening.
But I also see how much people love that aspect of it. There’s an equal amount of people who find the love interest between Banner and Black Widow to be a big standout. And it’s very satisfying to people. So it’s a movie. People are going to have their opinions. And that’s actually a great thing. The fact that this is a debate that’s coming out of this movie is probably a positive thing.
I just don’t think that people should get personal with Joss, because he really is – of anyone – an advocate for women. He’s a deeply committed feminist.
I know that I’m biased in my Whedon-fandom, but I find it frustrating that the man who wrote Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all of the amazing females on Firefly is being called anti-feminist. I think Mark Ruffalo hit the mark with his response and really, the only solution is to simply have more female superheroes in our media. With Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel dropping in the next few years, I can only hope that things will continue to head in the right direction.
The CW has announced a second season renewal for freshman series iZombie from creator Rob Thomas.
The series stars Rose McIver as a med-student turned zombie after the events of a boat party.
iZombie will be joining already renewed shows The 100, Arrow, Beauty and the Beast, The Flash, Jane the Virgin, Masters of Illusion, The Originals, Reign, Supernatural, and The Vampire Diaries on CW’s schedule next year.
The DC TV-verse is expanding past The CW as CBS has greenlit a series order for Supergirl.
Starring Melissa Benoist in the main role as Kara Zor-El, Supergirl comes from Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions, and is executive produced and co-created by Greg Berlanti with a pilot episode written by Berlanti, Ali Adler and Andrew Kreisberg, and based on characters by DC Comics.
The pilot stars Mehcad Brooks (James Olsen), Calista Flockhart (Cat Grant), Chyler Leigh (Alexandra “Alex” Danvers), David Harewood (Hank Henshaw), Faran Tahir (The Commander), Dean Cain and Helen Slater (both in unspecified roles). Berlanti, Adler and Sarah Schechter are the Executive Producers.
This week’s episode of Silicon Valley, The Lady, admittedly flies under the radar in terms of plot compared to Season 2’s previous episodes. While the first three episodes dealt with Pied Piper acquiring its funding, this episode focuses on the challenges that come with scaling up a company. Board meetings, new hires, and HR grievances, are new headaches that Richard has to deal with.
The episode opens with Richard and Jared interviewing a slew of potential hires and finding out that compared to everyone else they’re in the shallow end of Palo Alto’s weird pool. That being said, I personally admired the candidate who held a strict standard for what constitutes “crushing it” and had the honesty to look at himself and realize that he wasn’t doing it. (He later got back to said “crushing” standard too for what it’s worth.) But none of these hold a candle to Jared Patakian, who after having a pacemaker installed, has adopted a cyborg lifestyle.
From there we’re treated to Erlich informing Jin Yang of the house’s proper trash sorting procedures. Up until this point, referring to Jin Yang as an obscure character would be overstating his role. As far as I can remember, in the entire series he’s: been introduced to the house, walked in on Richard in the bathroom, and informed the gang of Peter Gregory’s death. I hope the dynamic between Erlich and Jin Yang will continue as an off-speed B story to the traditional Gilfoyle and Dinesh antics. Even without speaking, their opposing physiques and mannerisms are hilarious. And with the pretense of Jin Yang being a foreigner, he can get under Erlich’s skin in a way no one else in the group can. Now Silicon Valley isn’t really a show that rests on it own laurels by referring back to previous jokes, but it’s my hope that I hear TJ Miller yelling “God Dammit Jin Yang” in future episodes.
As Erlich teaches him these nuances to the garbage, he sees Jared (the ‘Borg) getting into his car. The two have a history from his Aviato endeavor, and says he’ll have to pass. (Actually, he says he’ll have to “Pasadena Trina” but dammit, I’m neither cool enough nor clueless enough to pull that off.) In the first season Richard might have succumbed to Erlich’s wish, but we’re seeing more spine from Jared this year and he stands up to him – albeit politely.
Across town at the Hooli compound, Gavin Belson’s plan to legitimize Pied Piper is slowly being implemented as BigHead is promoted to the newly established flagship program – Hooli XYZ. It goes without saying that everybody wants the spot BigHead is in, and his interaction with Hooli’s HR rep following the conference plays like a deleted scene from Office Space. BigHead and Richard are foils to one another yet they serve a similar purpose. Richard is the straight man, acting as our proxy to the quirky and all around “weird” world of the start-up culture. Conversely, BigHead – though a moron compared to Richard – acts as the straight man within the absurd, free flowing, culture prevalent among certain Tech juggernauts.
Then there’s the addition of Carla (played by Alice Wetterlund), an all-star Engineer who has the ability to treat Dinesh and Gilfoyle the way they treat, well, practically everyone else. It’s great that the showrunners have brought in another female character with substance. With Carla and Laurie’s additions this season they’ve effectively tripled the number of recurring female leads. Better still, is how these female characters have varied personalities. And since Silicon Valley is very much an ensemble piece, it’ll be great to see how these characters with very unique personalities engage with one another. I immediately enjoyed the interaction between her and Jared, and am looking forward to how she and Monica interact with one another.
Now I realize I’m just rattling off how much I enjoy all these new characters, but Russ Hanneman (played by Chris Diamantopoulos) is yet another example of how the writers create fresh personalities for the core cast members to interact with. I don’t expect Russ to be a permanent fixture in the show, but he provides a new source of problems for Richard and the gang to field that is different than the looming Gavin Bellson. It also steers the plot away from consistent in-fighting, as there is the right amount of that currently.
The conflict between Erlich and Richard comes to a head after Richard feels bad about Elrich’s failed night out at a major networking event. He altruistically offers to forgo hiring the Cyborg, leading to an argument that Daffy and Bugs would be proud of. It ends with Richard calling up Jared to deliver the bad news only to find out that he went with another offer made by….Russ Hanneman. Similar to last week’s ending, Russ – who always talks a big game – does another shifty move keeping them under his thumb. This is pure speculation, but these actions make me wonder if Russ is as dumb as everyone believes he is.
As the secrets go even deeper, the stakes get only higher.
USA’s event series “Dig” is set to launch its explosive finale Thursday night, finally reaching a long-awaited conclusion to the global conspiracy the show has uncovered layer by shocking layer. With Tad Billingham (David Costabile) and his devoted acolytes now in Jerusalem, a kidnapped Lynn (Anne Heche) trying to expose Ambassador Ridell’s (Regina Taylor) treasonous agenda, and the revelation of Emma Wilson’s (Alison Sudol) own corrupt intentions, Peter (Jason Isaacs) now faces a deadlier “Armageddon Protocol” than ever before.
Catch a sneak peek of Peter racing to the bottom of the mystery in this exclusive clip below, and share your predictions on all things “Dig” in our comment section!
Don’t miss the “Dig” series finale Thursday, May 7 at 10/9c on USA.
Last year, Agents of SHIELD picked up massive speed following the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The storyline played heavily into the last half of the season, unfurling storylines and characters that helped bring the show from “good” to “positively great.”
The events of Age of Ultron weren’t entirely as prominent this time around, though it certainly tied into the universe enough that there was a strong connection. And a return surprise from Koenig (Patton Oswalt) during a flashback in which he showed Coulson “Theta Protocol,” aka the helicarrier that we saw Fury resurrect to rescue the Avengers in the film – was a nice subtle tie-in to show events of the show are working concurrently with the MCU, even if we don’t see it. (The line about Gonzales was nice, too.) And it was an interesting note to show how much Coulson had been lying about where he was taking trips to.
Back in the present, Coulson and the team are watching the destruction of Sokovia. Gonzales is not entirely happy that Coulson knew about the helicarrier and refused to say anything. Coulson defends himself, but then tells Gonzales that he’s since realized he can’t do anything alone, so he wants one S.H.I.E.L.D. – where he operates as Director under Gonzales’ advisement. Surprisingly, Gonzales is on board with this.
Skye is still overly obsessed with recovering Lincoln, who wakes up freaking out because, well, he’s in S.H.I.E.L.D. and traditionally, that doesn’t mean a good thing. Lincoln’s convinced that now that S.H.I.E.L.D. knows they exist, the group won’t stop until they find Afterlife. (He’s also not happy that he’s been indexed, but, well, who is?) Meanwhile, Simmons is not entirely okay that Skye has become someone who not only keeps secrets, but has an entirely new group of people she feels comfortable with. She tries to connect with her old friend, offers her things that she thinks Skye might want and busies herself by working on Kara, who seems to be mostly brainwash-free. Kara notes that having Bakshi gone has helped a lot in that respect and you can almost see the guilt on Simmons’ face. Fitz tries to tell her she shouldn’t feel bad about Ward – he wanted to kill him too, but at least she made an effort. And Simmons says she’s still upset she didn’t kill him. Simmons, what has happened to you.
After proving to have predicted the events of Ultron at the end of the last episode, Raina has now started to embrace her gift and use it to help other people in the community. She tells Gordon she sees a giant stone and an ocean, and Gordon realizes that she’s talking about seeing a dangerous Kree weapon intended to destroy their people. Jiaying wants Gordon to go confirm it exists (within S.H.I.E.L.D., where it’s being held) and Raina offers to go with him.
They’re caught pretty easily by Hunter, which gives Coulson the confirmation that the artifiact is hiding in their Bus. Skye promises Coulson and May that she doesn’t know anything about the artifact, but what’s more interesting about this conversation is that she specifically references “Inhumans” for the first time when speaking about who she is. It’s apparently that May and Coulson are wary of her because she’s not telling them much about her “new” world, and are unsure of where she really stands — but then again, as Skye implies, why should she have to tell them about her life? She trusts it, and that’s enough.
Gonzales tells Bobbi that because of Deathlok’s eye and tracking, they know where the Inhumans are. Gonzales clearly sees them as a threat, while Coulson doesn’t want to start a war, and considering the fact we just came out of Ultron, the whole thing has a very “Civil War” feel to it. Coulson proposes a sit-down with Jiaying where she can explain herself. But Gonzales doesn’t trust Coulson to go by himself because the last time someone decided to do whatever they wanted (aka Tony Stark), the world went to hell in a hand basket as the Avengers destroyed it.
Gordon and Raina return to Afterlife and tell Jiaying what they’ve found, and Raina tells Gordon she’s had a vision about S.H.I.E.L.D. coming to destroy them. She implores Jiaying not to talk to them, because that’s how she sees it starting, and instead proposes that it should be her who talks to Coulson. Cal has remained wary of Raina ever since he brought her in, and sees her proposal as a way for her to be manipulative. It’s interesting, because we’re not really sure what Raina’s true agenda is – I’m inclined to believe her, but I can also see how people wouldn’t be trusting. Cal freaks out over the fact that he’s going to lose his daughter again to S.H.I.E.L.D., and then suggests that they give him up in order to find an agreement. It’s almost self-sacrifice, and I wonder how much of this is rooted in Cal’s true desire to unite his family and how much is rooted in that “Dr. Hyde” personality.
In the quinjet on the way to Afterlife, Bobbi and May have a discussion about S.H.I.E.L.D. – if they’ve ever considered life without it, where they’d be without it. Bobbi has a nice line about Hunter being the only time she’d have considered leaving, before May turns on her…except it’s not May, it’s actually Kara, wearing May’s face again. Bobbi puts up a decently good fight but Ward shows up and stuns her, and, well, that’s the end of that.
As the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. touches down, Raina is finally starting to believe she has a purpose. But Jiaying is starting to believe otherwise – she doesn’t trust Raina, and neither does anyone else in the community, and no one is comfortable with her taking the reigns on this mission. Which means Jiaying is going to talk to S.H.I.E.L.D. herself, the very thing Raina (supposedly) sees as their downfall.
The crux of the meeting with Gonzales is pretty simple: S.H.I.E.L.D.’s goal is to protect the Inhumans, and they want to only help them. But Jiaying doesn’t want her people to be helped. They don’t need help just because they’re powered. He brings her an offering, a Chinese gift, and Jiaying gives him one in return – the terrigan crystals with the mist. She breaks the vial and Gonzales dies in a similar way that Trip did when he was caught in the Temple with Skye and the Diviner. Jiaying is positively livid that Gonzales would go so far as to try to even empathize with what her and her people had gone through, and after taking care of Gonzales, she shoots herself in the shoulder (TWICE) to make it look like Gonzales attacked her. Which, given the way she exits the building, Skye seems to wholeheartedly believe. And I have a feeling Skye is not going to take kindly to the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. “attacked” her mother…
“This is war.”
Odds & Ends:
The return of the lanyards! Also, I love that Koenig is an avid Star Wars fan.
I understand why Mack left, but I’m assuming he can’t be really gone for good given we only have two episodes to go. Come back, Mack!
I know now that it wasn’t really Bobbi and May in the quinjet, but still, Bobbi and May working together in any capacity is my new favorite thing.
“S.H.I.E.L.D. loves it when they get to lock someone up!” Well, Cal, you’re not wrong…
Fresh off The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the British actor has signed onto Captain America: Civil War. Who Freeman is playing is still a mystery.
“From his roles as Bilbo Baggins and Doctor Watson to Tim in ‘The Office,’ Martin’s range from the dramatic to the comedic has consistently impressed us,” said “Captain America: Civil War” Producer Kevin Feige. “We couldn’t be more honored or excited to have such a talented actor join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
“Captain America: Civil War” hits theaters May 6, 2016.
Fresh off Bad News Barrett becoming King of the Ring which means…something, it’s time for another edition of RAW.
Last week saw a pretty decent show and a good tag match. Smackdown is also starting to be consistently good as well. Hopefully, this means WWE is starting to find their rhythm again. Rollins is good chicken shit heel which is gonna equal a good payoff when the belt is finally taken off of him.
Thankfully, Creative finally came to the logical conclusion that Roman Reigns was still doughy and needed some more baking — and that’s paid off. He’s no longer getting booed out of the building and the fans seem to finally be getting behind him…though, whether that good will carries into an inevitable championship push remains to be seen.
We’re a couple weeks from Payback with a pretty good main event set up for that card.
I think split-screening this is gonna be the idea for me tonight. Madison Bumgarner has a no-no going into the 4th inning…
Let’s see where this goes…
We are LIVE(!!!) from Montreal, Quebec, Canada for Monday Night RAW!!!
JBL, Cole and Booker are the guys talking.
Randy Orton starts us off and gets a nice ovation and dim SUSPENSE LIGHTING. Cole gives us our first Kane reference at about 34 seconds in because, as everyone knows, HE is the REASON we have such a spectacular main event at Payback! Orton says that the name of the next PPV is fitting because he’ll have “payback against Seth Rollins”. At Payback, he’ll be champion. There isn’t anything Reigns or Rollins can do about it.
That brings out Reigns. He says that if anyone gets “payback”, it will be HIM. Orton begs to differ by basically saying “nuh-uh”, then reminds Reigns of how many championships he’s won and how many Triple Threat Matches he’s been in. He says that Reigns has “catching up” to do. Reigns says the last time HE checked, he beat Orton. He won’t mind breaking Orton in half one more time. The crowd doesn’t care and chants for an RKO.
The New Day appears. Orton dances to the theme. Xavier Woods says that they’re the only “champions” out there right now. Woods says that Reigns and Orton are negative and nobody cares. Woods says this is a NEW DAY! Crowd: SUCKS!!! They joke around and preach positivity and tell Orton and Reigns to clap with them. But, there’s one more thing: Kane has authorized a match between the New Day and Orton/Reigns. NOW!!!
Good opening here. New Day stole the show from the usual drab, “No, you” back-and-forth between the three top guys.
MATCH #1: WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day (Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston & Big E) vs. Roman Reigns & Randy Orton in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match (non-title) Woods ends up in the ring with Reigns. Woods puts Reigns in a headlock but Reigns breaks and runs him over with a shoulderblock. Woods goes for a Leapfrog and ends up in a Samoan Drop. Orton tags in and stomps Woods in the stomach, then hits a suplex for two. Woods crawls for his corner but Orton yanks him back, stomping at him. Reigns tags in and stomps Woods in the head. Both wrestlers stomp at Woods’ stomach, splitting his legs while they do it, almost in homage to the Sharpshooter. Orton tags back in and the stomping continues. Woods finally fights back and tags E who hits a nice belly to belly suplex on a distraction by Kofi. Kofi tags in and starts working over Orton. Two count. Woods gets back in the ring and applies a headlock. Orton breaks but Woods hits a dropkick for two. After the break, we learn that Big E took over by shoulderblocking Reigns to death. Kofi has Reigns in the ring and he dropkicks Reigns, getting two. Tag to E. Punch to the chest. E hits a suplex and a belly to belly and it’s a two count. Tag to Woods who comes in with a flying legdrop. Two count. Reigns fights back but Woods hits a Swinging Neckbreaker. Two count. Tag to Kofi and he punches Reigns in the chest. It’s more Reigns peril with Kofi putting on an armbar. Reigns breaks so Kofi tosses Reigns to the mat and we start all over again with Woods coming in with a headlock. Crowd loves this so much, they chant, “WE WANT RANDY”. Reigns picks Woods up and just tosses him clear across the ring. Hot tags on both sides and Orton is all over Kofi, who comes back with a kick and flies at Orton. Orton hits a Powerslam in Stride and it’s a spot-fest with everyone hitting their stuff. The ring clears and Orton hits the Elevated DDT. He calls for the RKO but Woods gets in to interfere. Orton hits the RKO on him — then goes for Kofi. Reigns gets in and tries for a Spear on Kofi — but hits Orton. E pulls Reigns out of the ring and Kofi gets the pin on Orton (something I don’t think I have typed ever) at 13:14. WINNERS: The New Day.
RATING: ***. Not a bad start to things and a good idea to arbitrarily book The New Day against WWE’s top guys. New Day worked well here and it was nice to see them get a win without the usual “cheating heel” spot for a change. Still, while New Day is hitting on all cylinders, Reigns and Orton seemed to be mailing it in here.
And, fuck, it’s HEEL KANE. He knows that Orton and Reigns hate one another so, hold on a second, playa: it’s Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns in the main event tonight. Cole reminds us that OMG: THEY’RE IN THE TRIPLE THREAT SO THAT’S HUGE!Orton and Reigns leave the ring and stare at each other.
Backstage, New Day celebrates and they tell Kane (who’s walking by) that they’re so happy and tell him that they told him they would “win”. Kane rolls his eyes and walks past them, running into Seth Rollins. Rollins shoots his mouth off at Kane, telling him that he’s a spoiled kid. Triple H and Steph will return and punish Kane. But, now, it’s FACEKANE. Kane says he wasn’t much for being a kid. He didn’t leave milk and cookies for Santa. He waited in the chimney with a blowtorch to “burn his chestnuts”. He’s making a match: Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins. Also, J&J are banned from ringside. Seth is beside himself and, pretty much stating the obvious, says that there’s “no point” to having that match since he already beat Ambrose. Kane tells him to complain some more and he’ll make life real hard for Seth. Seth storms off.
Renee Young brings Ryback to the ring. He goes off, telling everyone he doesn’t know why Bray’s going after him while, somehow, killing a “GOLDBERG” chant. Then he lists about 110 injuries and obstacles he’s been through. He just keeps coming out and yelling “FEED ME MORE”. He says that talking time is done. It’s now “feeding time”.
That brings out Bray in his Backstage Boiler Room Set of Doom. Bray says that Ryback puts on a good front but that he’s a scared little boy. He says that Ryback will lose everything he loves. In time, Ryback will fade away, too.
This feud isn’t doing it for me. I kinda like Bray. I really don’t care for Ryback. I mean, they had potential with a Bray/Bo link…but we’re not seeing that.
MATCH #2: Cesaro & Tyson Kidd (w/ Natalya) vs. The Ascension (Konnor & Viktor) Konnor and Viktor ambush Kidd in the corner. Quick clothesline. Two count. Viktor stomps at Kidd and tags in Konnor. Stomps. Two count. Tag to Viktor. Stomps. Two count. Headlock by Viktor as Natalya frowns, breaking every ounce of Botox forcing her to do otherwise. Konnor tags in and hits a suplex. Two count. Tag to Viktor and he hits a dropkick for two. Konnor tags in and misses an elbow drop, but tags in Vitkor. Kidd tags Cesaro and he levels both of the Ascension with HUGE boots and a seires of uppercuts to Viktor. Cesaro whips Viktor from post to post with Uppercut after Uppercut, totaling around 8 to 10, then hits a Gut Wrench. Konnor tries to save the day but Cesaro dumps him. Kidd takes out Konnor outside. Cesaro hits a Swing on Viktor. Kidd hits the dropkick to the head and we’re done at 4:07. WINNERS: Cesaro & Kidd
RATING: *1/2. Worth it for Cesaro having more worth than everyone else here. Speaking of: does The Ascension have anything left?
Seth Rollins is backstage. Renee Young comes out of nowhere like a Wallmaster in The Legend of Zelda to get his “thoughts” on the match coming up. Rollins calls Kane a moron.
ON SMACKDOWN: Rollins won his match against Ambrose because of Kane, which Kane is gonna fix by barring everyone but himself from ringside.
Ambrose and Rollins hit the ring…but Kane’s music interrupts things. Kane says that he’s taking Rollins’ sentiments to heart…so, if Ambrose wins the match tonight, Ambrose will be added to the main event at Payback. Crowd LOVES this.
Rollins goes on a temper tantrum. Ambrose interrupts and says he likes this idea. He asks if anyone here has an issue. Rollins grabs his mic and yells some more, telling Canada that they don’t matter. Kane says that Rollins’s thoughts don’t matter. RING THE BELL, PAL.
MATCH #3: Dean Ambrose vs. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins (non-title) Ambrose tries to roll Rollins up but Rollins kicks out. After some chops, Rollins bails from the ring. Ambrose follows and it’s a fight outside with Ambrose hitting the Rebound Clothesline and tossing Rollins back into the ring. Ambrose locks Rollins’s up and kicks him in the back of the head. Ambrose hits a quick lariat and quick elbow drop for a one count. Suplex by Ambrose. One count. All this while the commentary team argue over this whole fucking stipulation. Rollins takes over, putting Ambrose in the corner, punching at him. Ambrose comes back, tossing Rollins into the corner and chopping him down like a tree when Rollins comes back. Rollins regains control with a knee to the gut and slam. He drops a knee to Ambrose’s head and gets a one count.Ambrose manages to regain control and tosses Rollins out of the ring as we go to break.
As we come back, Rollins is in control with a chinlock on Ambrose. Ambrose hits a headbutt and tries to clothesline Rollins but Rollins trips him and he goes flying into the second turnbuckle. Rollins goes for a Springboard move but Ambrose moves and hits a Tornado DDT. Ambrose his some shots and slaps Rollins in the face, then hits lariats and a Bulldog. Ambrose goes to the top rope but Rollins moves and rolls out of the ring. Ambrose flings himself at Rollins and hits him. He tosses Rollins back in and it’s a series of counters with Ambrose hitting an Inverted Sidewalk Slam. Rollins counters and comes back with an attempt at the Buckle Bomb. He can’t hit it and Ambrose hits an elbow off the top rope for two.
Crowd is loving this and starts an OLE OLE OLE chant which JBL somehow links to Star Wars. Rollins drops Ambrose’s neck on the top rope and hits a Springboard Kick to Ambrose’s head. Two count. Rollins taunts Ambrose who slaps Rollins. Rollins superkicks Ambrose in the head. TWO COUNT. Rollins argues with the ref and then picks Ambrose up for the Buckle Bomb. Ambrose kicks out and it’s a fist-fight with Ambrose clotheslining Rollins out of the ring. Ambrose misses a Rebound Clothesline and Rollins hits a Buckle Bomb, dropping Ambrose on the crowd barrier. Rollins gets back into the ring and the ref counts. He gets to nine — and Ambrose breaks the count.
Rollins flies at Ambrose with everything he’s got, stomping Ambrose in the corner and hitting a splash. Ambrose comes back with one of his own. Rollins hits an Enzuguri — but Ambrose hits the Rebound Clothesline. J&J make their way down to the ring because fuck stipulations, they no longer matter. But Ambrose dumps both of them! Rollins grabs Ambrose but Ambrose elbows out and rolls Rollins up for the pin! WINNER: Dean Ambrose at 16:31
RATING: ****. THIS is the push Ambrose needs. This is LONG overdue. What a match by both guys. Why weren’t we doing THIS instead of having Ambrose jobbing to holograms and TV sets?
EARLIER TONIGHT: The New Day beat Roman Reigns and Randy Orton.
MOMENTS AGO: Ambrose beat Rollins.
AT PAYBACK: It’s a Fatal 4-Way.
Rollins shows up at Kane’s “office” and starts threatening to kick his ass. Face Kane says that Rollins just keeps lashing out…so, he could just add more people to Seth’s match at Payback. Kane says that this is all about overcoming adversity. But worry not, Suddenly Heel Again Kane says, he has a plan…
Byron Saxton is backstage with Lana. Lana says that she doesn’t know anything about the crowd loving her lately. Fandango shows up and tells her to “feel it”. Rusev shows up and yells in Russian. Lana leaves with him. Rusev and Fandango are next.
MATCH #4: Fandango vs. Rusev (w/ Lana) Rusev kicks Fandango and knees him in the stomach, sending him outside. While out there, Fandango flirts with Lana…who, surprisingly, does the “Fandango”. Rusev knocks Fandango down and screams at her, sending her back to the locker room. Fandango attacks Rusev and sends him into the ringpost. In the ring, Fandango hits quick dropkicks and punches Fandango in the corner before Rusev pushes him off. Superkick, Stomp, Accolade. Done at 2:12. WINNER: Rusev via Accolade
RATING: n/a – squash match. Even still, I liked this match. Imagine WWE Creative actually advancing plotlines by humanizing Lana…so strange. I’m not used to this.
We get an ad for ESPN’s E:60 WWE Special.
Cole takes us through audition videos for Tough Enough.
MATCH #5: R-Truth vs. Stardust Stardust has a bag with him. Cole calls him Cody, so we’re off to a great start here. Truth his a hard shoulderblock and tries for a suplex but Cody breaks and hits a reverse suplex instead. Star keeps lunging for the bag but Truth won’t let him get to it. Truth tries to access it but Star attacks him and hits a legsweep. Crowd chants “CODY” as Star starts slugging away at Truth. Both men fly at each other and collide, hitting the mat. Truth comes back with dropkicks but the crowd couldn’t care less. Truth hits a falling front suplex for two, then goes into Star’s bag, only to find a bunch of plastic spiders, which prompts Cody to roll him up like we’re in an Ambrose match for the win at 2:55. WINNER: Stardust
RATING: DUD. First one of the night. Nobody was into this and this angle is lame as they come.
THIS THURSDAY AT SMACKDOWN: All the participants in the Fatal Four-Way will sign the contract for the main event. PLEASE LET THERE BE A SHIELD REUNION AT PAYBACK…
The Canadian fans welcome John Cena with the usual “John Cena sucks” chant. Cena: “I quit.” The fans cheer. Cena talks about overcoming adversity and how he always does. He actually asks the crowd to stop their OLE chant — but says that’s not gonna happen. He asks the crowd if they’d quit. They say “NO”. Cena asks some guy in a pink tank what he thinks and that dude holds up a sign that says “PUSH ZIGGLER” and glares at Cena like the Angry Miz Kid. TL;DR: Cena offers his usual challenge…and it is…
Bret Hart. Hart makes his way down. Hart says he’s not fighting…he’s here to introduce a great wrestler…and that brings out Heath Slater. Slater tries for the Foley Cheap Pop and can’t even get that across. Slater enters the ring and Hart clocks him in the head. Hart introduces…
Sami Zayn!!!
MATCH #6: John Cena (champion) vs. Sami Zayn (challenger) for the WWE United States Championship Zayn gets a MONSTROUS pop. Initial run around ends with Cena taking a dropkick and rolling out of the ring. Cena gets Move #3 twice and gets a two count. And, now, something’s not right with Zayn’s left shoulder and a trainer comes in to examine him. After about a minute, Zayn continues. The two raise their fists and, finally, Cena kicks Zayn in the corner, then hits Moves 1 through 3. He goes for the 5KS but Zayn rolls him up and gets two. Zayn gets up and hits a cross body, getting two. Cena rolls out of the ring, so Zayn hits a Flying 360 Splash into Cena’s face. Back in the ring, Cena hits the STF. Zayn gets to the ropes and it’s a break. Cena attacks him but Zayn hits the Koji Clutch! Cena counters with an AA but Zayn counters that with a German Suplex for two. Zayn charges Cena but Cena clothesline Zayn, then tries an AA. Zayn lands on his ass, not his back, then gets up and the two men run at each other. Both of them clothesline one another and roll out of the ring. Zayn runs at Cena, flies THROUGH the corner of the ring, grabs Cena, and hits a Tornado DDT! Back in the ring, Cena grabs Zayn and immediately hits an AA! 1…2…NO. Zayn kicks out. Zayn hits the Blue Thunderbomb AND NEARLY GETS THE PIN. The two men start trading shots and Cena hits the Springboard Stunner and AA to wrap this up at 10:43. WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: John Cena via AA
RATING: ***1/2. A good debut for Zayn but the match just was really slightly above Cena/Ambrose, post-WM. I understand why Cena won and I understand why Zayn lost…but I see no reason why it couldn’t have been reversed. The stipulation at Payback really overrides any title. It’s about pride and guts, not so much gold. Either way, this was a really good match. We’re being spoiled tonight.
The Bellas are backstage and run into The New Day who’s lost their shit and celebrating at the top of their lungs, lifting E up in the air.
Renee Young is waiting for Sami Zayn — but The New Day interrupts and goes nuts. The do the NEW DAY ROCKS chant. Cesaro, Kidd and Natalya shows up. Cesaro points out that the crowd thinks they suck. Natalya says TND only won because Roman and Orton hate one another. They fight over the New Day chant and New Day takes off.
Nikki and Brie come out to ringside…until Naomi shows up with WWE HALL OF FAMER JIMMY SNUKA’S DAUGHTER, Tamina Snuka and, together, they ambush the Bellas. Naomi and Tamina pick Brie up and bully her, slapping her around. Naomi grabs the mic and says that “family” is what they just witnessed. Nice to see that Tamina’s gone from being AJ’s valet to being Naomi’s valet.
LAST TUESDAY AT KING OF THE RING: Barrett won the King of the Ring.
King Barrett makes his way down to the ring with his “king” costume from Party City. He says that he will “rule his kingdom with an iron fist” and people who don’t obey will be the victim of a bullhammer. He says there are only four words everyone needs to know: “ALL HAIL KING BARRETT”.
MATCH #7: King Barrett & Sheamus vs. Neville & Dolph Ziggler Ziggler and Barrett start things off. Sheamus distracts Ziggler and Barrett hits a cheap shot from behind. Barrett sets Ziggler on the top buckle and kicks him in the chest. He gets two. Ziggler comes back with a snap DDT and two count. Sheamus tries to get involved. Sheamus tries to get in the ring but Neville comes in. Stalemate and a break. After break, Sheamus has Ziggler in a side headlock. Ziggler fights out but ends up in the Irish Curse Backbreaker. Sheamus taunts Ziggler so Ziggler hauls off and Superkicks him. Hot tags on both ends. Neville ducks out of three moves, then hits a nice Hurricarana, tossing Barrett out of the ring. Neville splashes him outside, then tosses him back in and hits the Standing Shooting Star Press for two. Neville misses an attack. Barrett goes for the Bullhammer but misses. Neville hits an Enzuguri and German Suplex for two. Sheamus gets in the ring. Ziggler boots him out and the two fight near the barrier. Neville knocks Barrett down and goes for the Red Arrow but Sheamus distracts Neville. Neville kicks him and goes up top but comes down and hits the Bullhammer. Done at 8:38. WINNER: Barrett & Sheamus
RATING: **. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. Nice to see Neville and Zayn getting some work tonight. Neville is supremely impressive and I can’t wait to see him progress through the ranks.
We go straight from this to the main event — which is a good thing, considering it’s 4 minutes from the scheduled end of the show. Before we begin that, however, it’s Kane, dressed for battle. Rollins follows behind him with J&J Security. Jamie Noble says he’s the “special guest ring announcer” and says that Joey Mercury is the timekeeper. Kane is an “enforcer”. Seth is a “guest commentator”.
In the words of Dwight in Sin City: “And everything was going SO well…”
MATCH #8: Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton Seth: “I trust Kane.” Cole: “You TRUST him now?!” Reigns and Orton bickers over current circumstances but finally start to brawl. Orton knocks Reigns to his knee but Reigns comes back, tossing Reigns into the corner. Orton comes back with a clothesline. Orton goes to pick Reigns up but Reigns hits a Samoan Drop. Reigns dumps Orton outside as Cole declares that he wants to see Buddy Rogers wrestle. This commentary is DEATH. Noble gets involved. Reigns clocks him. Orton clocks Reigns and tosses Reigns back in the ring. Reigns comes back with a quick clothesline but can’t capitalize. Orton gets up and hits clotheslines. He tries a powerslam but Reigns stops himself on the charge. Orton hits a nice backbreaker and Reigns falls outside the ring ropes. Crowd is dead for all of this. Orton goes for the Elevated DDT but Reigns drops Orton’s neck on the ropes and hits the Missile Dropkick. Reigns goes for the Superman Punch but misses. Reigns runs at Orton again and Orton hits the In-Stride Powerslam, followed by the Elevated DDT. He calls for the RKO but Reigns shoves him away and hits a Superman Punch. Orton rolls out of the ring. Reigns goes for a dive but Kane trips him and all four guys go to attack Orton. Ref calls for a bell but nobody’s gonna ring it because Mercury doesn’t care about his post anymore. WINNER: Reigns by DQ, presumably.
RATING: **. Eh. Barely passable. A shame, considering what we’ve seen tonight.
Post-match, the mudhole stomp continues until Ambrose comes out to save the day. The three Fatal 4-Way guys surround Rollins until Reigns hits a Spear, knocking him out. Reigns celebrates — until Orton RKO’s Reigns. Orton celebrates and Ambrose hits Dirty Deeds.
Ambrose celebrates and we go off the air.
OVERALL: WHAT. A. SHOW. Why can’t Creative do this more often? Even the mediocre matches weren’t as painful. This is the kind of show WWE needs to churn out on a regular basis. I will go ***1/4 here.
And here is the best of the Internet water cooler:
Fans of Lev Grossman’s The Magicians will have something to cheer about as Syfy has announced the greenlight for a television adaptation of the book series.
The Magicians stars Jason Ralph (A Most Violent Year, Aquarius) as Quentin Coldwater, a brilliant grad student who enrolls in Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate New York university specializing in magic. He and his 20-something friends soon discover that the magical fantasy world they read about as children is all too real – and poses grave danger to humanity. Stella Maeve (Chicago P.D.), Hale Appleman (Teeth), Arjun Gupta (Nurse Jackie) and Summer Bishil (Towelhead, Lucky 7) also star in this one hour drama.
“The Magicians pilot beautifully delivers a world filled with wonder, fantasy and intrigue,” said Dave Howe, President, Syfy. “We can’t wait to delve deeper into the lives of Quentin and his college friends, as they struggle with the enormity of their burgeoning powers – and unleash them upon the world.”
“Ever since ‘The Magicians’ was published I’ve wanted to see this story on screen,” said Lev Grossman. “The people, the school, the other worlds, the magic. I’m so thrilled that it’s finally happening, and I’m beyond thrilled that we found the right people to do it. Get ready; you’ve never seen anything like this.”
John McNamara (Aquarius) and Sera Gamble (Supernatural), writers of the pilot, will serve as executive producers.
The twelve episode season will begin shooting in Vancouver in July.
