57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 9, 2023

 

The Blacklist:  I knew it, that guy was with Red the whole time.  I just did not expect it to be revealed the very next episode and then the guy dies minutes later.

 

Quantum Leap:  So Ben jumped into his own body from five years ago?  Jumping into yourself just kind of defeats the purpose of the Quantum Leap program.  I cannot believe the renewed this crap.

 

The Mandalorian:  So it took Mando multiple episodes to realize what I knew the moment that it happened: Bo-Katan could lay claim to the Dark Saber because she defeated the eye monster that defeated Mando.  Sigh.

 

Wu-Tang: An American Saga:  I am glad we got to the Rage tour by the finale, that that could have been a whole season.  I was actually working at my local amphitheater during this show and Wu-Tang started a full hour late because the group was playing back stage.  Then it was Rage that had the plug pulled on them because we had a very strict curfew in order.  Fun times.  Shame we did not get a season dedicated to the album bought by the Pharma Bro.

 

The Challenge: World Championship:  Nothing more anticlimactic than when an episode ends with no elimination because someone when home due to a medical DQ instead.  How exactly did Grant miss a giant balloon in the middle of the lake?  But poor Kellyanne, does not even get the satisfaction of throwing Jonna in out of spite.

 

Survivor:  Carson seemed like he was in one of the better positions in the game, but what a boneheaded move to tell someone they were the target.  He just became extremely untrustworthy and just gained the support of one dude for it.

 

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies:  I have the same issue with this show that I had with Up Here in that the songs just are not that good.  They just take the steam out of the episode for three straight minutes.  Other than the Theme to Grease, the songs just did not add anything to this show.  I wonder if they will try to repurpose any of the original song because these new songs are not working.  But unlike Up Here where Jason Street is the only good character, I actually kind of like most of the characters on this show.

 

Yellowjackets:   I was a little off with Tai’s wife dying, though, give it another episode and it may still happen.  But the biggest takeaway this week with Tai is that she might not actually be sleepwalking.  It certainly made it seem like she has a split personality.  So who exactly is the other personality and what does she have to do with the Man with No Eyes?

 

Speaking of seeing things, Lottie is having visions again.  What exactly is that blood and dead bees (or yellowjackets) portend?  When the lady came up to talk to her, from behind, I thought that was young Nat for a second.  Speaking of Nat, when she was startled at the plane, I thought that was going to be Javi.  Thankfully it was not, because has he just been living there for the past two months and no one bothered to look there, that would have been silly.  But any ending where Javi shows up alive after all this time would be a little silly since Jackie froze to death… unless they are not alone.

 

Then Misty is gonna be Misty, in both timeline.  Of course she is going to give a very inappropriate gift at the baby shower (and what are we to make of Shanna getting a nosebleed at the very same time a bunch of birds died?)  Then getting the other Citizen Detective ordering to rough up Randy was hilarious.  But is he really going to buy that story about Adam?  And I was a little disappointed that Misty would need credit card records to identify the purple people (eaters).  Does she not already have a file on Lottie and knows her cult wears purple and was able to put two and two together?

 

I got serious Lost vibes with Coach Ben’s flashback, you know, the kind of flashbacks where you just knew that character was going to die at the end of the episode.  Except he did make it out of the episode alive.  But it hard to see he will survive the season.  The better quest may be just how will he die?  Does he get killed for meat?  Is it an accident like Jackie?  I kind of got suicide vibes from him.

 

Around the Tubes: April 8, 2023

   

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Saint X, Catching Lightning,  Greta Van Fleet, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, and Vice.

- Check out the trailer for Hulu Original drama series "Saint X" based on Alexis Schaitkin's novel starring Alycia Debnam-Carey, Josh Bonzie, Jayden Elijah, West Duchovny, Betsy Brandt, and Michael Park. "Saint X" will premiere on Hulu on April 26 with 3 episodes and new episodes weekly.  The series, which is told via multiple timelines, explores and upends the girl-gone-missing genre as it explores how a young woman’s mysterious death during an idyllic Caribbean vacation creates a traumatic ripple effect that eventually pulls her surviving sister into a dangerous pursuit of the truth. 

- SHOWTIME has released a sneak peek of its upcoming four-part documentary series CATCHING LIGHTNING in which the infamous mixed martial arts fighter “Lightning” Lee Murray’s voice is heard for the first time since the 2006 Securitas Depot cash heist, in which nearly £53 million in cash (more than $92 million USD at the time) was stolen. The series premieres on Friday, April 7 on all streaming and on-demand platforms for SHOWTIME subscribers before making its on-air debut on Sunday, April 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.  To watch and share the first look clip from CATCHING LIGHTNING, go to: https://youtu.be/dOjysveked0.

- SHOWTIME announced it will air GHOSTS OF BEIRUT, a four-part spy drama based on one of the greatest espionage stories of modern times: the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the elusive Lebanese terrorist who outwitted his adversaries in the CIA and Mossad for over two decades. The limited series, which features an innovative narrative approach augmented by deep journalistic research and documentary elements, will debut on streaming and on demand on Friday, May 19 for all SHOWTIME subscribers, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, May 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. GHOSTS OF BEIRUT stars an international cast including Dina Shihabi (Jack Ryan, Archive 81), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave), Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer), Hisham Suleiman (Munich, Fauda), Amir Khoury (Image of Victory) and Rafi Gavron (A Star is Born). The series comes from Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, and is also executive produced by Emmy^® winner Greg Barker (Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden), who directs all four episodes, and Daniel Dreifuss (All Quiet on the Western Front).  GHOSTS OF BEIRUT reveals the origins of 21-year old Mughniyeh (also known as “The Ghost”) who emerged from obscurity and was responsible for more American deaths than any other individual prior to 9/11. Told from the American, Israeli and Lebanese perspectives, the series traces Mughniyeh’s origins from the Shiite slums of South Beirut to his masterminding of the concept of suicide bombers, a deadly tactic that led to his swift rise as the world’s most dangerous terrorist. Based on extensive research of still-classified events, the drama spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with prominent officials from the CIA and Mossad, connecting the turmoil of 1980s Beirut with the spy games of the modern Middle East.  

- Grammy-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet’s much anticipated third studio album Starcatcher is set for release July 21 on Lava/Republic Records; pre-save/pre-order HERE.  The album’s first single “Meeting The Master” debuts today; listen/share HERE.  The bands notes, “‘Meeting The Master’ peers into an esoteric world heeded by the word of a wise teacher. Sung in the voice of a devout believer, and eventual group exclamation, the song details the love these fervent followers have for their teacher and their firm belief in his vision. It’s an exotic spiritual journey. A dark comedy that inevitably ends in chaos.”

-  Platinum-selling Phoenix-raised and Los Angeles-based artist Kiana Ledé returns with her catchy and confessional new single “Jealous” feat. Ella Mai today via The Heavy Group/Republic Records.  Listen to “Jealous”: HERE  The track’s delicate acoustic guitar melody matches the intimacy of Kiana’s delivery. She openly reflects on her insecurities on the song, which notably arrives on Kiana’s birthday today, before admitting, “I’ve never been jealous, but fuck it, I’m jealous.” Meanwhile, GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum fellow 21^st century R&B force of nature Ella Mai pulls up with a quotable cameo of her own as their voices melt into a hypnotic harmony.

- Check out the trailer and key art for the new upcoming season of Hulu’s  "Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi."  Season two premieres Friday, May 5 on Hulu with 10 all-new episodes.  TRAILER: HERE.  In season two of “Taste the Nation,” award-winning cookbook author, host and executive producer Padma Lakshmi, takes viewers on a culinary adventure across American soil, exploring the rich and diverse communities who have so heavily shaped what American food is today. Over borscht, cornbread, pasteles and more, Padma uncovers the roots and relationship between our food, our humanity and our history — ultimately uncovering stories that challenge notions of identity, belonging, and what it means to be American.

- SHOWTIME announced that season four of VICE, the award-winning documentary series known for delivering immersive reporting from the frontlines of global conflict, civil uprisings and more, will premiere Sunday, May 7 on streaming and on demand for all SHOWTIME subscribers and on-air that evening at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The new season will consist of 16 episodes, the first eight of which will debut weekly on Sundays leading to a midseason finale on Sunday, June 25. The remaining eight episodes will debut at a later date. The Emmy^® nominated series returns with a new slate of groundbreaking stories from its team of global correspondents, including: Paola Ramos investigates the newest form of methamphetamine called P2P, or “super meth,” and its devastating effect on the country’s homelessness and mental health crises; Hind Hassan reports on-the-ground from embattled Idlib, where this year's devastating earthquake left this Syrian city reeling; and Krishna Andavolu explores the recent groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence, including highly convincing chatbots, to breakdown the revolutionary advantages and potential pitfalls of the technology.    

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 2, 2023

 

The Blacklist:  I am willing to bet that Red sent his buddy in to the evil dude’s crew to keep tabs on him and he is not really turning on Red.

 

Quantum Leap:  So that was what Ben was up to, he was trying to go to the future to stop some sort of nuclear fallout.  Did he go too far because it looks like it already happened.  This has gotten too confusing.  And just how exactly did Ben know something lie that was going down in the future?

 

The Mandalorian:  Holy Zeb sighting?  But the problem with all these Star Wars shows is I keep forgetting where they fall in the timeline.  I actually had to spend a minute thinking if this happened before or after Rebels.  We also got a tie in to the Pershing storyline with the evil chick trying to keep Tim Meadows from helping Greef.  I only also have to assume she also helped Moth Gideon escape too.

 

Wu-Tang: An American Saga:  Wait, did Ghostface really do a drive-by with the Del

 

The Challenge: World Championship:  Yet another cliffhanger this season?  But you gotta love the hubris of Wes who likes to pretend he is the smartest person on the room but really messed up by not drinking.  But I just do not under why Wes only lost five points when neither he nor his partner even tried but amber lost seven points even though her partner did finish.  But rules on this show rarely makes sense.

 

Survivor:  If this guy was hurt, why did they wait this long to pull him?  I feel bad for everyone who got voted out and they just waited until now to pull him.  But I was looking forward to losing two annoying people because that whole tribe was annoying except stupid Jeff had to cancel Tribal.  Meh.

 

Yellowjackets:   Um… so what happened to Jackie’s clothes?   Did they just burn off and leave a surprisingly great flavoring?  Then with Coach hightailing it out of there, you have got put him number one on who they kill first for food power rankings.  But there have been a lot of debate as to if there is something supernatural going on here, and that snow falling during sex scene really leaned into the supernatural.  And was Lottie just there watching or was Travis having vision her.

Around the Tubes: April 1, 2023

  

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on The Circus, Am I Being Unreasonable?, The Venture Bros., Game Show Network, and Joy Oladokun.

- The Emmy^® nominated docuseries THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE GREATEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH wraps up the first half of its eighth season covering the historic indictment of Donald Trump, the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.  Hosts John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon, and Jennifer Palmieri – along with guest host Andrew Weissmann, who served as a lead prosecutor on Robert Mueller’s special counsel team, and is an MSNBC legal contributor and host of the MSNBC podcast Prosecuting Donald Trump – examine the legal and political fallout from the bombshell development. In addition, the program tracks the multiple investigations of the former president, including the special counsel probe into Trump's handling of classified documents and his role in the January 6 insurrection. For a preview, go to: https://youtu.be/n81HqRoVQQw.

- A new clip from the genre-bending Hulu Original comedy thriller "Am I Being Unreasonable?" is now available, featuring BAFTA TV Award Performance in a Comedy nominees Daisy May Cooper ("Nic")  and Lenny Rush ("Ollie").  NEW VIDEO: HERE  Co-produced by Boffola Pictures and Lookout Point, critically-acclaimed "Am I Being Unreasonable?" sees Nic (Daisy May Cooper, "This Country") grieving a loss that she can’t share with anyone whilst stuck in a depressing marriage. Only her son, Ollie (Lenny Rush, "Apple Tree House") who she adores, keeps her going. But when Jen (Selin Hizli, "Mum") arrives in town, her life is lit up with laughter and, through this kindred soul, her dark secret starts to bubble up.

- For the first time ever, all episodes from Adult Swim's award-winning original adult animated series are brought together in one set with The Venture Bros.: The Complete Series. Get ready to experience thrilling action-packed adventure along with acute family disfunction and binge all 82 episodes from the seven season run along with all the previously released special features. The Venture Bros.: The Complete Series will be available to purchase Digitally and on DVD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment on June 20, 2023.  The series features the voice talents of James Urbaniak as Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture, Christopher McCulloch as Hank, Michael Sinterniklaas as Dean Venture, Patrick Warburton as Brock Samson, and Paul Boocock as Dr. Venture’s deceased father, Dr. Jonas. The series was created by Chris McCulloch and Doc Hammer for Adult Swim’s late night programming block. The Venture Bros. originally premiered on August 7, 2004, and ran for 7 seasons winning numerous awards including Best Animated TV Series Award at Cineme 2003, the Chicago International Animated Film Festival.

- Game Show Network and Sony Pictures Television (SPT) announced offerings for the 2023 Upfronts will continue to include options in live viewing, integrations, and syndicated programming.  Delivering one of the top levels of live viewing and commercial retention in the industry, opportunities exist with Game Show Network’s successful original programming slate and branded entertainment opportunities in America’s most successful and long running game shows: JEOPARDY! and WHEEL OF FORTUNE as well as positions in some of the most iconic shows in syndication.    A top 20 cable network Game Show Network remains a prolific producer of content, with over 275 hours of shows in 2023 (26% over the previous year), as a result of its commitment to delivering high quality original programming and the consistency of a stripped schedule. Game Show Network has greenlit four new strip series, SPLIT SECOND, based on the format from game show legend Monty Hall, to be hosted by Emmy^®-Nominated Game Show Host John Michael Higgins (“America Says”, “Pitch Perfect”), in his second series for the network, the comedic game show format BLANK SLATE, to be hosted by Mario Lopez (“Access Hollywood”), RIDDICULOUS (working title) based on the popular UK game of riddles, along with recently announced HEY YAHOO!, hosted by actor Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”, “The Flash”), which is based on the most popular searches from the powerful search engine, Yahoo.  

- Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Joy Oladokun will perform a special album release show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl on Friday, May 12 with special guests FANCY and Mon Rovia. Pre-sale tickets will be available starting this Wednesday, March 29 with general on-sale following this Friday, March 31 at 10:00am CT. Pre-sale sign up and ticket details can be found at www.joyoladokun.com.   The performance celebrates Oladokun’s highly anticipated new album, Proof of Life, which will be released April 28 via Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records (pre-order here). With production by Oladokun, Mike Elizondo, Ian Fitchuk, Dan Wilson and Alysa Vanderhym, Proof of Life captures the human experience with a profound simplicity. Across these thirteen tracks, Oladokun celebrates the little details and simple pleasures of being alive, while also giving voice to some of life’s most complex experiences in a way only she can.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: March 26, 2023

  

Your Honor:   Episode 10:  I was right that the judge spilled everything at trial, but I was wrong with the fallout.  I thought everyone would go to prison.  Instead the gangster’s wife managed to take out her husband and her father in one fell swoop.  Well, she tried except apparently her father cannot kill someone at point blank range and her husband woke up.  This kind of felt like a set up for another season.  Brian Cranston did say this was the last season in an interview for it came up, though I do not believe Showtime has made any kind of announcement.  Could they possibly try a season without Cranston whose character should be in prison for a while?  Hopefully not.

 

The Mandalorian:  Some serious laps in logic this week.  Like how did the Mandalorians beat the bird dinosaur back to her nest?  And if Grogu was able to shoot off three darts in a row, why did the other kid just shoot one at a time when Grogu was looking confused at the game?  He picked the game; he should know he could shoot multiple shots in a row.

 

Wu-Tang: An American Saga:  This was probably the best of all the movie episodes but wild we got three in the final season.  But I guess that is it and next week will be the Clan spread out but reteams for the finale to record Wu-Tang Forever.  Disappointing that we will not get a Pharma Bro episode.

 

The Challenge: World Championship:   The show needs to bring back the advantage for whoever comes back from elimination because when the same people get nominated every week, it just gets boring.  Why even watch next week when it will most likely be the last remaining Argentina team goes in and probably goes home?

 

Survivor:  Another week, another young women goes home.  Frannie better watch her back next week.  Lucky for her, it looks like the one dude with the limp arm might be pulled.  I am surprised he made it this far.

Scooter's Note:  Since Showtime has been putting new episodes on streaming on Fridays for a while, I am going to start writing about those show in the following day's 57 Channels instead of waiting a week to write about them because they air linearly on Sundays starting with the season premiere of Yellowjackets.

Yellowjackets:   Everyone has been wondering when the first taste of cannibalism was going to happen, but, wow, I was not expecting it would be Shanna just popping Jackie’s ear like it’s a Skittle.  But now I fear for the safety of Tai’s wife.  I would not be threatening someone who cut off your dog’s head and to make an altar of it.  Though it seems like Tai was just as shock to see it as her wife.  A shout out to Callie for watching the greatest scene in The Challenge history and was much more interested in that than her mother coming home.

Around the Tubes: March 25, 2023

 

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on How I Met Your Father, Couples Therapy, Hey Yahoo!, Jack Johnson, Elton John, Hailee Steinfeld, Shania Twain, Claire Rosinkranz, Coi Leray, John Wick: Chapter 4, and Doc Martin.

- The 2-episode mid-season finale of How I Met Your Father will stream on Hulu Tuesday, March 28^th.  Season two will continue with additional episodes on Tuesday, May 23^rd with 1 new episode each Tuesday through the 2-episode season finale on Tuesday, July 11^th.  On Tuesday's mid-season finale, Neil Patrick Harris will reprise his role as ‘Barney’.

- COUPLES THERAPY, the TCA Award-winning documentary series following world-renowned psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Orna Guralnik as she guides couples through real-life therapy sessions, is returning to SHOWTIME for the second installment of season three, with nine new episodes featuring four new captivating couples. All episodes will drop on Friday, April 28 across streaming and on demand for all SHOWTIME subscribers.  Episodes will also premiere on-air in back-to-back increments weekly on Friday nights at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET/PT starting April 28 on SHOWTIME.  To watch and share the latest trailer, visit: https://youtu.be/iAKBP-uIPmI

- Game Show Network, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, and Yahoo have announced a new series, “Hey Yahoo!” hosted by actor and director Tom Cavanagh. The half-hour original series is scheduled to premiere early this summer.  In “Hey Yahoo!” two teams of three players each compete to guess what millions of people are searching for on Yahoo Search. Contestants are given the first half of a search, and then have to fill-in-the-blank based on what they think America is searching for. For each correct answer, the dollar value of that answer is added to the team’s bank. At the end of three rounds of play, the team with the most money wins and will go on to the bonus round for a chance to add an extra $10,000 to their winnings.

- Multi-platinum musician Jack Johnson announces a new music video to accompany “Traffic In The Sky (Lee “Scratch” Perry Dub),” lead track and one of two Lee “Scratch” Perry dub remixes included in Johnson’s upcoming summer album, In Between Dub. The new video features never before seen Lee “Scratch” Perry footage from the making of studio sessions in Jamaica, along with animation from Greatwork.  “It’s exciting to hear Lee “Scratch” Perry’s interpretation of my song, and then to see Greatwork’s visual interpretation of our collaboration” said Johnson. Johnson has also released a second album track, a remix of his classic hit “Better Together,” from Nightmares on Wax. Nightmares On Wax, Warp Records’ longest serving signing, has been at the forefront of contemporary music for over 30 years, creating a unique blend of dub, electronica, jazz, hip-hop, funk, soul and techno. Listen to “Better Together (Nightmares On Wax Mix)”  here.

- UMe releases the 50th anniversary edition of Elton John’s seminal album Honky Château, out now on 2CD, 2LP, and limited-edition gold vinyl LP. Purchase HERE.  Originally released in May 1972, Honky Château was Elton’s step into global superstardom, spawning classics such as “Rocket Man,” “Honky Cat” and “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” His 5th studio album ushered in a to-this-day unparalleled hot streak of classic albums, and was the first time he recorded at the now legendary Château d’Hérouville, a residential recording studio situated 25 miles north-west of Paris. It was here where he and Bernie Taupin were to write – and the band subsequently record – some of the biggest global hits of his career. Elton, Bernie and the band - performing together on record for the first time - decamped to the Château for week’s pre-production on Honky Château in January 1972. Bernie brought his typewriter; the band set up in the dining room. Bernie would write lyrics at night and leave them on Elton’s piano for him to work on in the morning.

- Multiplatinum pop singer, songwriter and Academy® Award-nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld returns with a soaring and sunny new single entitled “SunKissing” today. Listen to “SunKissing”— HERE.  Once again, Hailee releases an instant bop with “SunKissing.”  From the irresistible and chantable chorus to the infectious refrain, this upbeat anthem has all the ingredients of a summer smash.

- Five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning legend and the best-selling female artist in country music history Shania Twain announced the release of a collaboration with trailblazing female producer Malibu Babie [Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj]. Babie, who is the first and only woman to debut at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as a producer this century, has put her twist on Twain’s current single “Giddy Up!” with a new remix.  Listen to “Giddy Up! (Malibu Babie Remix)”—HERE.  The remix arrives on the heels of Shania’s three exclusive Spotify Singles—“Queen of Me (Acoustic)” and her covers of “Falling” by Harry Styles and “Spoonful” by Howlin’ Wolf.

- 19-year-old Southern California singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Claire Rosinkranz reveals her highly anticipated debut album Just Because will be released on May 5^th via slowplay/Republic Records. In celebration of the announcement, Claire also announces she will be the main support for Dermot Kennedy on his North American tour this summer.

- multi-platinum superstar Coi Leray reups her chart-dominating smash “Players” with a verse courtesy of legendary rapper Busta Rhymes out now via Uptown Records/Republic Records. Listen to “Players (Busta Rhymes Remix)”—HERE.  Busta blesses the track with a head-spinning display of his signature lyrical virtuosity. His turbulent rhymes only bolster the track’s bounce as Coi’s instantly irresistible hook remains undeniably unshakable. From the moment you hear Busta Rhymes say "Coi Leray" on the intro, you know that this remix is an epic merging HipHop royalty of the past and present generations. Together, they lock into a dynamic volley on their very first collaboration together.

- Lakeshore Records is set to release John Wick: Chapter 4—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally March 24 with an original score by Tyler Bates (John Wick, Guardians of the Galaxy), and Joel J. Richard (John Wick, The Andromeda Strain). Bates and Richard, their scores an integral part of the success of the first three installments of John Wick, return with another masterclass in high intensity compositions that feature an array of instruments – including treated piano, mandolin, acoustic & electric guitar, bass, harmonica orchestra, synths, and found object percussion. Bates also produced songs performed by Lola Colette with Nick and Sam Wilkerson of the punk band White Reaper on drums and bass respectively, as well as tracks with In This Moment and Manon Hollander. In addition, the track co-written and produced by Bates with vocals by Avant pop phenomenon and cast member Rina Sawayama, “Eye For An Eye,” is available digitally today, March 22. The Lionsgate film directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins and Ian McShane is in theaters and IMAX March 24.  John Wick (Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.  Purchase/Stream: https://lnk.to/JW4 

- American Public Television (APT), the leading syndicator of content to U.S. public TV stations nationwide, today announced that new seasons of the popular British series Doc Martin will be made available to licensing public television stations later this year.  Season 8 and the latest new season 9 of Doc Martin will be available beginning July 1 for broadcast and streaming with Passport via pbs.org and the PBS App. The final season of the series will be offered for an expected release for local station broadcast and Passport availability this fall. The offering of seasons 9 and 10 in 2023 marks the first time these episodes will be available to public television audiences.

Previewing Yellowjackets: Season Two

 

You would have to go back to “We have to go back” for a final line of dialogue that got me so hyped for the next season as, “Who the fork is Lottie Matthews!?!?”  While we only had to wait seven months to figure out why Jack wanted to go back on Lost, it has been over fourteen months since the last episode of Yellowjackets where Nat’s banking buddy, who was looking into who exactly emptied Travis’s bank account, asked that question.   It only takes a short eight minutes into season two until we get our first look at adult Lottie in all her cult leader glory, though it is weird that her cultist refer to her as “Charlotte” (almost as weird as Lottie going from towering over Nat in high school to basically the same height in present day).  Do to their addiction to the color purple, her followers are occasionally referred to as “Purple People” and I cannot hear someone call them that and not think of the song Purple People Eater.  This cannot be a coincidence.

 

While it was not that much of a surprise when Simone Kessell (The Crossing) was cast as adult Lottie since her name was mentioned in the finale, it was really disappointing that a press release spoiled that Van, who almost died multiple times during the first season and will be played as an adult by Lauren Ambrose (Can’t Hardly Wait), made it out of the Canadian wilderness.  But unlike Lottie who we meet fairly quickly, it is a while before we see adult Van on screen, which manages to make the spoiler worse.  With the addition to the cast of the older version (and both younger version getting promoted to cast members) we do get and updated title sequence with more Lottie and Van, but thankfully the dearly departed Jackie and her throat slash / wink segment remains.

 

It does not take long to meet the other big casting news for the second season, Elijah Wood, in a The Ice Storm reunion with Christina Ricci, playing a fellow Citizen Detective alongside Ricci’s Misty.  Though, I do fear the longevity of anyone who crosses path with Misty, who is still a raving psychopath.  Early in the season, adult Misty makes a very inappropriate cookie while teen Misty gives another type of inappropriate present.  Of course, this is why Misty remains the most entertaining character on the show.

 

Those are not the only new faces this season.  Three of the background Yellowjackets are brought more to the forefront with a little more screen time and a couple lines of dialogue.  Of course all three are stuck together at the start of the episode before one starts spending a lot a time with Misty (again, I fear for anyone who spends too much time with Missy).  One of them seems like they are more of a theater kid than athlete, another I actually mistook for Laura Lee when I first saw her, and the third has to shoot to the top of the Who Is Pit Girl Power Rankings.  Oh, and it should be noted that Akilah has been recast, so that is not a fourth new Yellowjacket.

 

In 1996, it has been two month since Jackie was turned into a Popsicle and now resides in a meat locker because the ground is too cold to bury her.  I cannot confirm nor deny that my Encino Man theory is correct and she is thawed out in present day.  But I will say not much time has passed in current day. Now eight months into their Canadian adventure, everyone is starting to look rough (except for some reason Mari who is still looking really good) while cabin fever is setting in.  They even had to start burning porn for warmth.  But more disturbingly, there are also some creepy rituals that people are doing just to go outside.

 

In present day, we ended the season with Nat being kidnapped right after putting a shotgun in her mouth, Tai won her state senate race which may or may not have been aided by her (or someone else) cutting off the head of her dog and putting it on an alter in the basement, and Shauna murdered someone who seems like may have just been some random dude with a mysterious back tattoo and no digital footprint. 

 

While Shauna’s bored housewife routine was the least interesting part of the first season, it may end up being one of the more entertaining storylines this season.  Her daughter Callie, who gets more screen time in the first two episodes this season than maybe all of last season, is the big surprise of this season.  Obviously she is not as messed up as her mother who experienced extreme trauma at that age, but that girl is a little messed up too.  Then throw in Jeff, who we now know is actually kind of a good husband and a a big doofus.

 

Sure, the show sometimes stumbles under the weight of expectations after becoming a surprise hit in its first season and it is even more annoying this season that the show continues to lean into the supernatural without actually confirming nor deny the existence of some sort of supernatural element (what happens at the end of episode two will be extremely eye rolling if they want us to think what happens is just a coincidence), but you still have to be highly entertained whenever Misty does her Misty things.  While slow and plodding at times (each episode of the six I saw are very close to being an hour long), there is still always at least multiple highly entertaining things that happen each episode that will keep the Yellowjackets subreddit buzzing for a full week until the next episode.

Yellowjackets airs Sundays at 9:00 on Showtime, though episodes premiere on streaming the Friday before.