Last season on Weeds the Botwin Newman family took a great American road trip after Shane killed a very important person taking them through Seattle, Montana, points unknown before ending up on Nancy’s birthplace as a last spot before hopping in a plane to Copenhagen. The season ended with Nancy sacrificing herself to the feds, confessing to the murder of Pilar, after being taken by her husband who was not very happy that she split town his kid, while the rest of her family took off for Denmark.
The seventh season opens three months later when Nancy is up for parole. Yes pervs, there is some Caged Heat action before she is released to a halfway house in Washington Heights where we meet what may be the breakout character of the season in the form of the runner of the halfway house who went to the Don King school of speaking. And by the end of the episode it looks like Nancy happens upon something new to sell.
As for the male members of the cast, the all seem to assimilated well into Danish lifestyle (how is too good to spoil) and even Doug (which has a little something extra to him now) made the trip across the Atlantic even though the last time we saw him he had decided to reconnect with his family. We even get to see the three year old Stevie who was given custody to Nancy’s sister (guest star Jennifer Jason Lee) with both of his parents in jail and other family in another country. But the end of the episode shows that we will be in for an explosive season of Weeds.
Weeds airs Mondays at 10:00 on Showtime followed by a new season of The Big C. You can download previous seasons of Weeds on iTunes.
The last image we got of Leverage was Nate sharing a bed with Sophie which adds to plenty of tension when the show returns tonight on TNT. Both Nate and Sophie are quick to jump into a new case to temper the awkwardness as the crew steals a mountain (again) when a mountain climber go missing with foul play being suggested. (Apparently the climber in question is not Eric Stoltz even though I was convinced it was for most of the episode). With many experienced climber dying on this part of the mountain, this is easily the most dangerous mission the Leverage team has taken to date
With Damien Moreau behind bars, tonight’s episode does introduce what looks to be another season long arc when someone turns the table on the Leverage team. Also expected this season the team will target a public relations expert (guest star Michael Gladis) who protects his clients by destroying the lives of anyone who gets in their way; a millionaire who pays to have himself moved up on a heart-transplant waiting list; a woman who profits from people’s grief through a funeral scam; a big corporation out to bury potato farmers; and a group trying to kill a World War II veteran (guest star Danny Glover) who allegedly has a very rare Van Gogh painting. In addition, the team will once again face their nemesis, insurance-investigator-turned-InterPOL-agent Jim Sterling (guest star Mark Sheppard). They will also discover that someone has been spying on their activities, although the nature of the culprit’s agenda is a mystery.
Leverage airs Sundays at 9:00 on TNT and will be followed by Falling Skies in its new timeslot. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.
Quote of the Week: You got all of that from a crate of oranges? (President Levi, Friday Night Lights)
Song of the Week: Our Hearts Are Wrong – Jessica Lea Mayfield (Pretty Little Liars)
Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Clarence Clemons: The music community lost a great one this week when Clarence Clemons passed away earlier this week due to complications from a stroke earlier this month. Clemons was most famous as the saxophonist for the E Street Band that backed Bruce Springsteen for three decades. But he truly shined at live shows where he was always a crowd favorite whenever he stepped to the mic. He also added his talents to artists as wide ranging from The Temptations to Gloria Estefan to Twisted Sister and most recently appeared on the latest Lady Gaga album and even popped up in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. He will be missed.
The Killing: The show got killed this week (bad pun intended) for its cliffhanger ending and rightfully so. The producers say that no one with the show ever said that the first season would be self contained, but my big problem was that everyone assumed it was because it was based on a Danish show that did wrap up the murder mystery in a single season then moved onto a new case in the second. Obviously they knew at the beginning at the season it would end the way it would so all they had to do when people talked about how they assumed that we would learn Rosie’s killer by the end of the season all you had to do is tease that that may not necessarily be the case and that would have temped the firestorm they ended up having with the ending. Then the show had its second presidential moment of the season with Belko about to go Jack Ruby on the councilman after his earlier Monica Lewinski moment with Rosie Larsen. But I am not sure if I will be around next season when Holder stands in front of a Mission Accomplished sign. You can download The Killing on iTunes.
Pretty Little Liars: That slow motion musical montage of Aria searching for Mr. Fitz may be the creepiest thing I have ever seen on television. Am I the only one bothered that the show is turning statutory rape into some grand love story? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.
Friday Night Lights: Another classic Buddy Garrity episode, so great as he hounded the principle and Coach about the potential of him leaving for Florida adding great comic relief, then turning on a dime and giving a heartfelt plea at Tim’s parole hearing. But it was painful to watch Tim this week; dude has a lot of pain in his heart from his time in prison. Hopefully everything works out in the end.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
Free Download of the Week: DMB Caravan Sampler (iTunes): The first of Dave Matthews Band’s four festivals they are having this summer got under way this weekend in Atlantic City and for those that could not make it, head over to DMBCaravan.com where you can get an iTunes code for a seven song sampler including a track from Dave and the boys.
Video of the Week: Remember that story everyone joked about years ago when a woman sued McDonalds for millions of dollars because she spilled their hot coffee on her laugh? Well that is actually the jump off point for the latest HBO documentary in their Summer Series. Hot Coffee premieres Monday at 9:00 and takes a look at “frivolous” lawsuits and looks at the effectiveness of a civil justice system heavily influenced by bottom-line corporate interests. Here is a trailer:
Next Week Pick of the Week: The Voice, Tuesday at 9:00 and Wednesday at 8:00 on NBC: Had you told me three months ago I would be anticipating the outcome of the first season of The Voice I would have laughed in your face and that I would be “Team Blake” I would have been insulted. Sure the idea of the Blind Audition was an interesting concept, but I figure it would in end be the same as American Karaoke: mediocre singers singing crappy song. But there is one reason for my change in heart: Dia Frampton. After the novelty of the Blind Auditions and Battle Rounds came to a close, Frampton put up not just the greatest performance on any singing competition, her rendition of Kanye West’s Heartless was a Grammy worthy performance (for more on Heartless see: You a New Friend I Got Homies). Unfortunately my two other early favorites, one named wonders Xenia and Nakia, exited this week. But after seeing what do was able to do with Heartless and R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion (see: That's Me in the Corner, That's Me in the Spotlight), I cannot wait to see what she has in store for the finale where she will perform an original song (hopefully she gets to write the song herself and is not forced to sing song sappy crap that usually comes from the American Karaoke winners) and a duet with coach Blake Shelton (when I heard this I was sending mental notes to the two suggesting they do a song by The Civil Wars which would fit both of their styles and they can knock it out of the park). It has also been announced that she will also duet with Shelton’s wife Miranda Lambert for the result show on Wednesday. No word who (or if) the other finalist Beverly McClellan, Javier Colon or Vicci Martinez will perform with. I guess Blake was able to get a answer quicker than whatever name Cee Lo pulled out of his extensive rolodex of artists he likes to name drop.
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on True Blood, Football Cops, Creatures of Habits, Cocaine Sub Hunt, Life After Film School, Don King, nbc.com, Mob Wives, Oprah, and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
- True Blood returns to HBO this Sunday at 10:00 and to get ready for the fourth season premiere, head over to the show’s Facebook page and once you Like the show you can Immortalize Yourself where you can make an exclusive Season 4 video staring themselves, their friends and their favorite True Blood characters. You can also sign up fo Blood Line to receive weekly calls from a different True Blood cast member.
- We still do not have a collective bargaining agreement for football, but the Manning brothers are keeping busy with their new show Football Cops which looks like Sabotage with footballs.
- You cannot do better than free and you can currently do so with the new self titled Creatures of Habit album for free. But if you are feeling generous, it is a name you own price digital download on BandCamp, so you can pay for it if you want.
- We have all heard of drug mules getting their products into the country, but the cartels have many other ways to get cocaine onto our shores which the National Geographic Channel will be looking into with Cocaine Sub Hunt premiering this Sunday ay 9:00. Check out a preview below:
- Monte Carlo hits theaters next week and this Sunday director and co-writer Tom Bezucha will stop by Life After Film School this Sunday at 7:30 on Fox Movie Channel to discuss how he directed Selena Gomez through the acting challenges of playing two characters.
- Don King may be turning 80 soon, and yes there is an app for that. Yes you can download the Don King app that features a biography, never before seen video of his career and much more.
- In other app news, NBC just recently released its nbc.com app for the iPad which you can download for free. The app is free and features preview clips from NBC shows, photos, recaps, games and much more.
- The first season of VH1’s Mob Wives comes to a close this Sunday with an “explosive” finale following an all day marathon and will be followed by a reunion show hosted by Wendy Williams.
- Don’t ask me what a “bookazine” is but O The Oprah Magazine is releasing one to commemorate Oprah’s Farewell Celebration: Inside 25 Extraordinary Years of The Oprah Winfrey Show. It will go on sale nationwide June 28 and will be on sale wherever bookazines are sold.
- And just because, Weird Al Yankovic and the Roots performing the internet exclusic Beer Barrel Polka:
action before she is released to a halfway house in Washington Heights where we meet what may be the breakout character of the season in the form of the runner of the halfway house who went to the Don King school of speaking. And by the end of the episode it looks like Nancy happens upon something new to sell.
- Selena Gomez and the Scene