• THE 100: The Cast Teases What’s Next for the Grounders in Season 4
• SWITCHED AT BIRTH Season 5 Teasers:
To China and Back Again
• Music to Our Ears: Rachel Bloom Wrote A Song For “The Flash” / “Supergirl” Musical Ep
• True Colours: ‘Moonlight’, ‘Orphan Black’, & ‘Shameless’ Among 2017 GLAAD Media Award Nominees
• Pilot Watch: NBC Orders High School Drama Pilot From ‘FNL’ Showrunner & ‘Hamilton’ Producer
• Boldly Go: See Video of Star Trek: Discovery In Production
• A Year After Becoming Freeform, the Network Prepares for Life After Pretty Little Liars
• Question of the Day: Will Millennials Care About The CW’s ‘Archie’ Reboot?
• Bates Motel: Get your exclusive first look at Rihanna
• Mark Your Calendars: Making a Murderer season 2 likely coming in late 2017
• Critic’s Notebook: MTV Should Renew Rape Vigilante Series ‘Sweet/Vicious,’ the Best Show You’ve Never Heard of
• The Business of Show: Bill Lawrence, Ryan Seacrest Dramedies Land CW Pilot Pickups
Archives for January 2017
SUITS Teasers: “The Painting” Is Easily the Series’ Best Hour
Following Donna Paulsen’s advice from the closing moments of the SUITS 6.5 premiere, “The Painting” follows Harvey Specter as he attempts to form some kind of relationship with his estranged mother, Lily. In what is easily the series’ best hour to date, viewers will finally get another chance to see Harvey get a chance to battle some of his demons — something that was essentially abandoned after the therapy sessions from season five were dropped in favor of Mike Ross’ court case. Harvey and Lily’s story is not easy to watch unfold, especially given that some of the most painful moments from the past are brought back to life through the always-powerful SUITS flashbacks; but it certainly promises to move the series’ most complex character forward and provide some great entertainment value along the way. Beyond that, without giving away too much detail, here’s what we can tell you about SUITS 6.12:
Mike Ross puts on his big boy pants. Mike may be back to something that looks more akin to his original SUITS wardrobe and method of transportation — and he may even be looking at something even lower than his original, drug-slinging salary — but Harvey’s surrogate kid brother finally learns something about how to be an adult in “The Painting.” Let’s go ahead and go on the record to beg for him to retain this lesson in that super brain of his.
Harvey Specter like you’ve never seen him before. I’ve gushed over Harvey’s character development time and again, but “The Painting” is in a world of its own. If you thought that watching this character grow over five seasons (plus eleven episodes) of SUITS was a thing of beauty, wait until you watch his emotional journey in SUITS 6.12. Every bit of previous growth will seem trivial by the end of this hour. But remember: Harvey needed every misstep and every moment of being a “self-absorbed, childish man” leading up to this trip in order to have any chance, whatsoever, at actually making amends. And as far as pacing goes, despite packing so much work into so (relatively) little time, the story just works. Again, the foundation was laid over the past six years of our leading man’s life.
Bonus: Just like I said as an extra thought in my recap for “She’s Gone,” someone needs to protect Harvey Specter. Please. While they’re at it, I’d like for them to protect me from the emotional fallout.
Gabriel Macht kills it. There are no words for how good Macht is in this episode. None. So, I’ll say this: Pick an emotion, any emotion. He’ll make you feel it right along with Harvey — and then some.
Relationship watch. Aside from the main focal point of SUITS 6.12, which is very obviously Harvey’s attempt to rebuild a relationship with his biological family, there are some interesting developments within his work family, too. As far as business goes, Louis Litt will have to get past the verbal lashing he received from Harvey in “She’s Gone,” and it will be done in a way that is both satisfying and maturing for both characters.
Outside of the firm, Mike and Rachel share a handful of domestic moments; and for once, Rachel comes across as his equal, not the supportive girlfriend™.
That, of course, leaves Harvey and Donna for last. Symbolism is everything. We’ll leave it at that.
Make sure to tune in to SUITS on Wednesday, February 1 at 10/9c on USA Network.
THE 100: The Cast Teases What’s Next for the Grounders in Season 4
We learned a lot about the Grounders in season 3 of THE 100, including the fact that Becca (the scientist who created ALIE) was actually the first Grounder Commander. The Grounders are now without a Commander due to Lexa and Ontari’s deaths and the world is coming to an end…..again. How will the Earth’s original inhabitant’s deal with the new threats in season 4?
During a visit to the set of THE 100 in Vancouver, the cast teased what’s to come for the Grounders in season 4.
Where Does the Season Pick Up? Not with a time jump from the events of season 3. According to Zach McGowan (Roan) “It really just kind of picks up where it left off with the whole fall of the City of Light and all that. And the power struggle as to what’s going to happen in Polis and what not. So we meet right there. When the season, you know, picks up, Roan’s just been shot. So I think I’m like unconscious on the ground.”
The First Big Challenge. Obviously, the impending nuclear meltdown is going to be a big challenge for season 4, but before anyone can deal with that, they need to deal with the immediate aftermath of the season 3 premiere. Bob Morley (Bellamy) teased that “There’s a whole bunch of people who turned up to Polis under the guidance of ALIE so already, once everyone’s out of it, there’s a whole bunch of clans and people brought together by this one idea being ALIE that then come out of that and have to deal with what they’ve gone through and the fall-out from that. Also, not all clans get along so there’s that immediate place of waking up and being like, ‘There’s a whole bunch of people I don’t know or get along with.’ How do you confront that situation? That’s something that comes about. But obviously the impending doom is one of those things that you have to get into pretty quickly otherwise it will just get out of hand. That’s the pressing factor.”
What’s Next for Indra? “What happens to Indra, and all of us, [is] we’ve got a new enemy coming,” Adina Porter (Indra) said. “This one, we did not expect. It’s faceless, it’s unbeatable, and we’re all going to try to figure out how to win this one. You’ve always seen Indra being the brave warrior, but sometimes you can fight your way to survival, and sometimes you’ve got to figure out new skills to survive. You’ll see in season four some new skills.”
Roan, King of the Ice Nation. McGowan was right about Roan — when we first see him in season 4 he is in critical condition after being shot. McGowan has been named a regular for the new season, so clearly Roan doesn’t die. But his survival is a big part of the season premiere, as is who next takes control over the Grounders: “After the fall of ALIE and Lexa’s gone and there’s no Commander and Ontari’s gone and all of that, there’s a power vacuum,” McGowan explained. “So it’s a big question as to what’s the right thing for everyone and who is going to take power over [the others in season 4]. And I think that’s a big question for Roan — whether he even wants to do that kind of [power grab]. I’ve always kind of envisioned him, like, reluctantly involved in all of this. In Polis and whatnot. He’s not necessarily wholeheartedly into that. It’ll be a big question as to both who takes power and whether or not he’ll want it and whether or not he can control the Ice Nation, which is an unruly group (and he hasn’t obviously spent much time with them anyway since he’s been banished for so long). That’s something that’s explored quite a bit, without giving anything away.”
Related: Watch an extended preview for season 4 of THE 100
New Ice Nation Voices. “I realized that last year….there were only two people from the Ice Nation who we’ve actually heard speak and [heard] their positions,” McGowan recounted. “And obviously one of them got a spear through her chest so she was not around anymore. So there are some new characters from [Ice Nation] that are brought around [in season 4].” In fact, without giving too much away, there is a very powerful voice from the Ice Nation we haven’t really heard from that will dominate the action and the political situation in Polis in the season 4 premiere.
The Absence of a Commander. Roan isn’t the only person who has to deal with the fact that the Grounders no longer have a Commander. Porter explained that “When you’re allowed to stick with your traditions, you can kind of relax in it, in a way. It’s like, this is the hierarchy, this is who we follow, and as a career warrior, this is what I do. Then, everything gets thrown in our faces because of our Commander not being there anymore, and how we traditionally find and believe a new Commander will come is being thrown into question. There are folks who want to stick with what we know, and then there are folks who want to trust having to deal with the new circumstances that are coming. We’re breaking up into new camps now. It used to be, I could trust you or not trust you by the costume that you wore. You were on that clan. Now, because everything’s kind of being thrown up into the air, I’ve got to trust you because of the deeds you are doing, not just who you happen to be. It’s kind of like new clans are being created within the clans. It’s kind of freaking scary, because I like tradition.”
Where is the Flame? Eliza Taylor (Clarke) explained that “It’s interesting because the flame….I mean, now that the City of Light has been shut down and the flame has kind of become a little bit obsolete, in the way that it’s not going to work the way that it would [have] given that there is no virtual world anymore. So I think for Clarke the flame is still so important to her because she still believes that it’s Lexa. She’s holding on to it as a keepsake and it’s still a very important….it plays a very important role in Grounder spirituality. So her having it certainly….it still holds power, but it don’t do the same stuff as it used to.” However, it *does* serve as a crucial symbol for the Grounders and its existence will come into play in the premiere.
Can the Differences Be Bridged? A big thing for the Grounders this season has to do with the different tribes and how they’ll all deal with the impending disaster. McGowan said that “[this season] you’ll see more and more of the differences between the different groups and how the different belief systems will kind of either work with…that’ll make people work together or force people further apart. And as is the case with the impending second apocalypse on its way, I think you find a lot of the struggle of ‘do we work together to face this challenge’ or is it ‘everyone for themselves’ and scatter and whatnot? That really becomes such a huge thing in the show this season — do we work together or do we not work together?”
New Clans. In addition to a bigger focus on Ice Nation (a.k.a. Azgeda), season 4 will introduce us to two new clans: Trishanakru and Shallow Valley. A photo of the clan’s costumes can be found below.
THE 100 returns for its fourth season on Wednesday, February 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
Grounder costumes (from left to right): Trishanakru, Ice Nation (Azgeda) and Shallow Valley
SWITCHED AT BIRTH Season 5 Teasers: To China and Back Again
Previously on SWITCHED AT BIRTH: Bay was caught between Travis and Emmett, Toby and Lily debated moving to England with their newborn son, and Daphne invited Bay to accompany her on a trip to China.
We open season 5 with an emergency as Daphne drags an ill Bay through the woods, frantically searching for a doctor. Her deafness and the language barrier make it hard for her to understand how the doctor is treating Bay, but an English-speaking woman stops by a few hours later with a bit of bad news: Bay is suffering from Japanese encephalitis and one in four patents don’t recover.
Here’s what else you can expect from the season 5 premiere of SWITCHED AT BIRTH:
Extending the Vacation. Obviously Bay wasn’t going to die during the season premiere and Daphne is thrilled when she recovers, even though it takes several weeks. This whole experience and the trip to China has really brought the two girls closer together and Bay suggests that they extend their vacation.
Romantic Entanglements. Bay makes a choice between the two men in her lives in the first few minutes of the premiere. We don’t spoil her pick, but he shows up for a visit in China and then stays for the long-term.
Ten Months Later, Stateside. As the girls enjoy China, we return to Kansas City 10 months after the girls first departed, where Kathryn is a department head at UMKC and John is the school’s coach. Meanwhile, Regina is taking business classes at UMKC and dating her much younger co-student, Luca, but they’re keeping the relationship under the radar.
The Call. We see the scene again from the season 4 finale, where Bay is frantically telling Daphne they need to return home. When we next see them they have reunited with Regina back in Kansas City and we learn that someone has gone through a health scare, although they’re not taking the situation too seriously.
Adjusting to Normal Life. Now that the girls are back, they’re re-adjusting to their old lives. Bay wants to get another job at a tattoo parlour and move out, while Daphne wants to head back to school. She’s excited to be at school with her mother, but awkwardness ensues when she seems to have more in common with Luca than her mother does, even when she doesn’t know the truth about their relationship. And she’s feeling a bit discouraged when she can’t land a spot in the dorms and learns that the pre-med program is full.
Racial Tensions. SWITCHED AT BIRTH has never shied away from controversial or social issues and season 5 seems to be no exception. When Mingo dresses up as an African American singer for a costume party, it ignites a big racial debate that is sure to spill over into the next episodes.
Don’t miss the season premiere of SWITCHED AT BIRTH on January 31 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform.
On TV Tonight: Tuesday January 31, 2017
NET | 8PM | 8:30PM | 9PM | 9:30PM | 10PM | 10:30PM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | The Middle (R) | American Housewife (R) | Fresh Off the Boat (R) | The Real O’Neals (R) | Agents of SHIELD | |
CBS | Super Bowl’s Greatest Commericals | NCIS (R) | Bull (R) | |||
FOX | New Girl (R) | The Mick | Bones | Taboo (FX) | ||
NBC | The Wall | This Is Us (R) | Chicago Fire (R) | |||
CW | The Flash | Legends of Tomorrow | ||||
MISC | The Haves and the Have Nots (OWN) | Teachers/Throwing Shade (TVLand) Hack My Life (truTV) |
SUPERGIRL Preview: It Seems So Shocking!
She’s baaaaccckkkkk!!!! And she’s more electrifying than ever!!!
Yes, tonight, my 4th favorite DC character, Livewire, returns to SUPERGIRL, electrifying National City with her shockingly sharp wit, her powerful personality and voltaic vibe.
The blue blaster who currently is plotting revenge on Supergirl for ruining her life has escaped from a facility for the ethically-challenged. Promising to bring death and destruction to Supergirl and those she loves, the former shock jock Leslie Willis, aka Livewire (guest star TRUE BLOOD’s Brit Morgan), blames the Girl of Steel for her present electrifying/electrified condition.
Created by the uber-fabulous, uber-talented, Bruce Timm, for SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, Livewire brings the snark in the vein of my three other favorites, Catwoman, Black Canary and Harley Quinn (which speaks volumes about my personality, I suppose). I could sign up for counseling with Leslie’s doctor, but it seems like said doctor is about to be fried in an electrified tub of water.
Why all the angst for the magnetic maiden? Well, she blames Supergirl for her condition. Leslie took a jolt of lightning when Supergirl was trying to save her in a helicopter accident.
And, of course, there was the time that Livewire teamed up with Silver Banshee, only to have the dastardly duo apprehended by the Maid of Might. As far as Livewire is concerned, if she has only one life, let her live it as a (bluish) blonde…supervillain. And Supergirl cannot seem to let the supercharged supervillain wreak havoc on their hometown.
With Livewire loose (seemingly?) and National City on alert, the NCPD is about to go from “to protect and serve” to “be zapped and die.” Fresh on his new track to be a superhero, Mon-El (Chris Wood) joins Kara on the case, but Supergirl calls foul when the newbie puts saving her above saving National City’s citizens.
James (Mehcad Brooks) decides to “come clean” with Kara, but is he going to confess to being Guardian, to enlisting Winn (Jeremy Jordan) in his crimefighting efforts, or is there another secret he wants to share?
Winn, Alex (Chyler Leigh) and J’onn (David Harewood) shed some light on the case at the DEO, while M’Gann (guest star Sharon Leal), has a psychic attack and collapses into a coma.
SUPERGIRL also stars Floriana Lima as Detective Maggie Sawyer. Guest stars on tonight’s episode, “We Can Be Heroes” (which is also the name of a DC Entertainment charity to feed the hungry) include Prince Justin Atkinson. Nilo Ghajar, Marci T. House, Nikola Krulj and Sharon Leal. “We Can Be Heroes” was written by Caitlin Parrish & Katie Rose Rogers and directed by Rebecca Johnson.
SUPERGIRL airs tonight at 8pm on The CW. Apologies for being so punny, but the word of the day was “equivoque” — a pun — on thesaurus.com, and I could not help myself. An electrifying clip of tonight’s episode is below.
Afternoon Static: THE GOOD PLACE, MOZART IN THE JUNGLE, DYNASTY & More!
• Watch Previews for TNT’s Summer Series: WILL, CLAWS and ANIMAL KINGDOM
• FORK YEAH! THE GOOD PLACE Renewed for a Second Season
• The Price is Right: Bryan Cranston Only Resurrects Breaking Bad’s Walter White if the Script Is Just Right
• Genius! Samantha Bee Announces Safe Haven For Hollywood Celebrities At Alt-White House Correspondents’ Dinner
• The Vampire Diaries: David Anders Hints at John Gilbert’s Series Finale Return
• Mozart in the Jungle Renewed for Season 4, Red Oaks Gets Final Season
• Scoop: The CW’s ‘Dynasty’ Reboot Casts Its Star
• Pilot Watch: ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ Reboot Scores Fox Pilot Order
• Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger: Freeform superhero series finds its leads
• The Business of Show: 28 TV Chiefs Reveal Their Most-Wanted Stars and How Trump Will Influence Shows
• Funny Business: ‘Will and Grace’ Co-Creator Teams With ‘Friends’ Grad for NBC Sibling Comedy Pilot
THE GOOD PLACE Renewed for a Second Season
What the fork?! THE GOOD PLACE has officially been given a season 2 renewal from NBC! The show will return for a 13 episode second season.
The series, starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, dropped a bomb on fans when the season 1 finale revealed that our favorite main characters weren’t in “The Good Place” (a.k.a. Heaven) at all, but had actually been tricked to thinking that they were, all the while residing in “The Bad Place” and slowly being driven crazy. Yeah, it took us a while to wrap our heads around it too!
“Mike Schur has always had one of the most fertile and imaginative minds in comedy, but what he brought us with the first season of THE GOOD PLACE was just extraordinary,” Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment said. “We absolutely can’t wait to see where these characters go, literally, in season two. A big thank you to Mike, the writers and cast for delivering a series in which we all take such enormous pride.”
Watch Previews for TNT’s Summer Series: WILL, CLAWS and ANIMAL KINGDOM
TNT is already thinking about the summer and the specialty channel has released first look previews for three of its summer shows — new series WILL and CLAWS, as well as for season 2 of ANIMAL KINGDOM.
CLAWS. CLAWS is “a midnight-dark, wickedly funny meditation on female badness set in a South Florida nail salon. Niecy Nash, Carrie Preston, Jenn Lyon, Judy Reyes, Jack Kesy, Karrueche Tran, Kevin Rankin, Jason Antoon, Harold Perrineau and Dean Norris star in the hour-long dramedy that follows the rise of five diverse and treacherous manicurists working at the Nail Artisan of Manatee County salon, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures.”
WILL. This new series is a twist on the story of William Shakespeare. Newcomer Laurie Davidson plays the title role in this “period drama told in a bold, contemporary style and played to a modern soundtrack that exposes all of Shakespeare’s recklessness, lustful temptations and tortured brilliance.” Also starring are Olivia DeJonge, Ewen Bremner, Colm Meaney, Mattias Inwood, Jamie Campbell Bower, William Houston, Lukas Rolfe, Max Bennett and Jasmin Savoy Brown.
ANIMAL KINGDOM (Season 2). “The Codys are back, and the ties that bind them are about to be stretched to the limit when TNT’s scorching hit Animal Kingdom returns for its second season. One of cable’s Top 5 new dramas this past summer, the series about a Southern California crime family stars Emmy and Tony winner Ellen Barkin as the matriarch of the Cody clan, Scott Speedman as her second in command and Shawn Hatosy as her volatile, mentally unstable eldest son.” Also starring are Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra.