Category: TV

RIP: Suzanne Somers

Posted on by

Suzanne Somers, born Suzanne Mahoney, died today the result of cancer.  Ms. Somers was 76. Suzanne Somers was a model, actress, singer, author and business woman.

When Suzanne Mahoney was 19, she married Bruce Somers.  They had one child and the couple divorced three years later. Suzanne Somers’ career began with her getting modeling gigs and small, often uncredited parts in television shows and movies.  Her big break came when she landed the role of Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company.  The show was an instant hit and made Suzanne Somers a household name.  Ms. Somers stayed with the series through four seasons.

For the rest of her career Suzanne Somers would act in movies and television.  She became a commercial spokesperson for the exercise product Thighmaster.  Suzanne Somers also authored two autobiographies, a book of poetry as well as four diet books.  In 2001, Ms. Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She elected to have a lumpectomy and radiation.  She declined chemotherapy and instead used alternative cancer treatments.  Although criticized by the American Cancer Society and many doctors, Suzanne Somers became a proponent of alternative treatments to chemotherapy.

Some of Suzanne Somer’s television appearances include: The Rockford Files; Sky Heist; One Day at a Time; The Love Boat; Starsky & Hutch (3 episodes); The Six Million Dollar Man; Zuma Beach; Three’s Company (100 episodes); The Ropers; Hollywood Wives (3 episodes); She’s the Sheriff (44 episodes); Sisters; The Larry Sanders Show; The Simpsons and Step-By-Step (160 episodes).

Some of Suzanne Somer’s feature film appearances include: Bullit; Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting; American Graffiti; Magnum Force; Billy Jack Goes to Washington; Nothing Personal and The Nutty Professor.

I first remember seeing Suzanne Somers in a magazine ad.  She was a hot babe on a beach.  Of course I remember her best from Three’s Company.  Although I didn’t regularly watch the show, her fame brought her magazine covers, feature stories and appearances on other shows.  For a while Suzanne Somers was everywhere!  It’s funny because I probably saw her on The Rockford Files, Starsky & Hutch or The Six Million Dollar Man before Three’s Company ever hit the air waves.  But it’s Chrissy Snow that first comes to mind when I think of Suzanne Somers.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Suzanne Somers family, friends and fans.

RIP: Piper Laurie

Posted on by

Piper Laurie, born Rosetta Jacobs, died today.  Ms. Laurie was 91.

In 1949, Piper Laurie was awarded a contract with Universal Studios.  She changed her name to Piper Laurie and used it from then on.  Throughout her career Piper Laurie acted on television, feature films and on stage.

Ms. Laurie was nominated for three Academy Awards: 1962 – Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Hustler; 1976 – Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Carrie; 1987 – Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Children of a Lesser God.

Piper Laurie was nominated for nine Primetime Emmy Awards, winning in 1987 for her role in Promise.

Some of Piper Laurie’s television appearances include: The Best of Broadway; Studio One; Playhouse 90 (2 episodes); Play of the Week; General Electric Theater (3 episodes); Naked City; The United States Steel Hour (2 episodes); Ben Casey; Skag (6 episodes); The Thorn Birds (3 episodes); St. Elsewhere (3 episodes); Hotel; Murder She Wrote; The Twilight Zone (2 episodes); Matlock; Beauty and the Beast; Twin Peaks (27 episodes); ER (2 episodes); Diagnosis Murder; Touched by an Angel; Frasier (2 episodes); Will & Grace; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and MacGuyver.

Some of Piper Laurie’s feature film appearances include: Louisa; Francis Goes to the Races; Has Anybody Seen My Gal; Ain’t Misbehavin’; The Hustler; Carrie; Ruby; Children of a Lesser God; The Crossing Guard; The Faculty and White Boy Rick.

I first became aware of Piper Laurie in Carrie. For that role she earned a well deserved Academy Award nomination. A few years later I saw her in another Academy Award nominated performance in The Hustler.  That’s probably my favorite Piper Laurie performance, but I always enjoyed seeing her name in the credits for any production.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Piper Laurie’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Mark Goddard

Posted on by

It has been announced that Mark Goddard (born Charles Harvey Goddard) died from pulmonary fibrosis on October 10, 2023.  Mr. Goddard was 87.

Mark Goddard played on state championship baseball and basketball teams in high school.  Mr. Goddard thought he might have a career as a professional basketball player.  While in college he turned to acting.  After moving to Los Angeles he quickly got the co-starring role on the television series Johnny Ringo.  It was at this time he changed his name to Mark Goddard.  Mr. Goddard would continue to work on television and feature films for the rest of his acting career.  After 30 years, Mark Goddard returned to college to get his degree.  He then worked as a special education teacher while occasionally taking on acting roles.

Some of Mark Goddard’s television appearances include: Johnny Ringo (38 episodes); The Rebel; The Detectives (64 episodes); The Rifleman (2 episodes); Burke’s Law; The Beverly Hillbillies; The Virginian; Gunsmoke; Perry Mason (2 episodes); The Fugitive; Many Happy Returns (26 episodes); Lost in Space (84 episodes); Mod Squad (2 episodes); Adam 12; Switch; Petrocelli (2 episodes); The Streets of San Francisco; Quincy; Benson; B.J. and the Bear; Barnaby Jones (4 episodes); One Life to Live (10 episodes); The Doctors (6 episodes); The Fall Guy; General Hospital (11 episodes) and Jake and the Fatman.

Some of Mark Goddard’s feature film appearances include: The Monkey’s Uncle; A Rage to Live; Play It Again, Sam; Roller Boogie; Strange Invaders and Lost in Space.

The first role that comes to mind when I think of Mark Goddard is that of Major Don West on Lost in Space.  I watched that show from the premiere episode.  I was six years old and loved it.  I also think it’s cool that Mr. Goddard became a special education teacher.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mark Goddard’s family, friends and fans.

“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” starring Kurt Rusell & Wyatt Russell – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Posted on by

Deal me in!

Some secrets cannot be contained. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres November 17 on Apple TV+

Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco, and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch.

Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army Officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows.

Based on the Monsterverse from Legendary, and starring Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski, this dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.

“Interview with the Vampire”- Season 2: First Look Teaser

Posted on by

I am looking forward to season 2!

ABOUT INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
A luxury apartment covering an entire single floor of a high rise. Where the Vampire has granted the interview with the man he once judged to be unworthy. And where the journalist Daniel Molloy has hustled, for a second shot at the interview that got away from him 40 years earlier…

Based on Anne Rice’s iconic novel, INTERVIEW with the VAMPIRE follows Louis’ epic story of love, blood and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy. Chafing at the limitations of life as a black man in 1900’s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist Lestat’s offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion.

But Louis’s intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestat’s newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement. A sensuous, contemporary reinvention of Anne Rice’s revolutionary gothic novel.

First Look at Interview with the Vampire Season 2 | Premieres 2024 | AMC+

“Encounters” (2023) / Z-View

Posted on by

Encounters (2023)

Director: Yon Motskin

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

There are many documentaries that explore the idea that humans have had encounters with extraterrestrial beings.  What sets Encounters apart from most of those is that Encounters focuses on situations where several, sometimes dozens, of people experienced the same event.

Encounters is a four episode mini-series.

In the first episode the encounter took place over Central Texas. Dozens of people saw an UFO followed by US aircraft.  Although there were official denials at first, radar data confirmed what people said they saw. The incident was covered in national and international news.  One man became so obsessed it cost him his business and his marriage.

The second episode covers another famous encounter.  In 1994, over sixty children at a  Zimbabwe school claimed to have seen a spaceship and alien.  A prominent psychologist tested the students and said results indicated they were telling the truth.  This episode features interviews with some of the same children who are now adults, dealing with the impact of their encounter.

The third episode details an encounter at a small Welsh village that led to multiple UFO sightings.

The four episode explores the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. There were multiple UFO sightings observed and filmed by many witnesses.  The encounters took on a religious/spiritual aspect for many of those involved.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

I am always impressed by people who seem to have nothing to gain (and often a lot to lose) who come forward with their stories.  Some witnesses are more believable than others.  Encounters presents a mixed bag.

My favorite episodes were the first and fourth.  The first because of the sheer number of folks who came forward.  I would like to know more about the man who lost everything because of his obsession with the encounter.  The fourth episode provided video of the UFOs flying over a nuclear plant that began to have a meltdown due to an earthquake.  After the UFOs appeared, the readings began to change to a safer output.  I’d like to hear more experts weigh in on that.  I also enjoyed the religious/spiritual aspect witnesses in this episode displayed towards the encounters.

Encounters (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Lawmen: Bass Reeves” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Posted on by

It’s cool that Bass Reeves is getting a series.  I first posted about him back in 2013: The Life and Times of Deputy U.S. Marshall Bass Reeves.  I ended the post with…

I’m somewhat surprised Bass Reeves’ life story hasn’t been turned into a movie or tv series.

Now eight years later we’re getting a Bass Reeves series.  I always said, we’re ahead of the curve here.  ; )

From Executive Producers Taylor Sheridan and David Oyelowo comes the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West: Bass Reeves. Lawmen: Bass Reeves, follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family.

Stream the series premiere of Lawmen: Bass Reeves on November 5, exclusively on Paramount+.

The Twilight Zone’s Best Twist Endings!

Posted on by

Devin Meenan came up with a list of The 6 Best Twist Endings In Twilight Zone History, Ranked. The list is a good one. Before you click over to read Devin’s rankings and rationale, below is how I’d rank them.  I also included three that didn’t make Devin’s list and my rationale for each.

Beware of spoilers!

06. Eye of the Beholder
05. A Nice Place To Visit
04. Time Enough At Last
03. The Midnight Sun
02. The Invaders
01. To Serve Man

  • Nightmare at 20,000 Feet:  We know there really is a creature on the wing of the plane. THAT isn’t the twist.  The twist is when we realize that if Shatner’s character hadn’t taken drastic action, the gremlin would have crashed the plane killing everyone! We learn this as Shatner’s character is strapped to a gurney to go back to a mental institution.
  • The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street: This episode has one of the great twists of the series.  Neighbors have turned on each other resulting in at least one murder.  Each thinks the other could be the “alien”.  The things leading to this are mundane.  Lights going on and off.  A car starting.  In the midst of the mayhem the camera pulls back and we see the two aliens causing the events.  The aliens realize it doesn’t take much to get humans to turn on each other.  A world takeover will be easy.
  • Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?:  This episode contains a double twist.  We’ve spent the episode wondering who is the alien (if there really is one).  The reveal is that one of the passengers is indeed an alien.  He/It brags to the counterman that an invasion to take over the earth is coming.  Then we get the 2nd twist.  The counterman reveals that he/it is an alien as well.  His race is aware of the other aliens’ plan to take over the earth.  His “people” have intercepted and wiped them out.  The earth will be theirs!

RIP: Dick Butkus

Posted on by

Dick Butkus died yesterday in his sleep.  Mr. Butkus was 80.

Dick Butkus was born in Chicago.  He played his entire football career in Illinois.

Dick Butkus attended Chicago Vocational High School.  On the football team he played fullback, linebacker, punter, and placekicker.  He averaged 5 yards per carry as a fullback, but preferred to play defense.  He became the first junior to earn the Chicago Sun-Time’s high school player of the year award.

Mr. Butkus attended the University of Illinois, where he played center and linebacker.  He had a stellar college career.  In his freshman year, he made the 1962 All-Big Ten Conference football team.  The following year, he was named the team’s most valuable player. Dick Butkus also earned the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten’s most valuable player.  He was also a unanimous choice as center for the 1963 College Football All-America Team,  In 1964, Dick Butkus was named Co-Captain of the team.  UPI named him college football’s Lineman of the Year.  Mr. Butkus was named the Player of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and The Sporting News. He was also named his college’s most valuable player for the second year in a row. Dick Butkus also earned a spot on the 1964 All-America team.  Although he didn’t win, he was in the running for the Heisman Trophy (as the best college football player) which is extremely rare for a defensive player.

Dick Butkus was the third overall pick in the 1965 NFL draft.  He played his entire 9 year career with the Chicago Bears.  Mr. Butkus was named the AP’s NFL Defensive Player of the Week four times in his career.  He came in 3rd place for the NFL’s Rookie of the Year Award (again, rare for a defensive player).  His rookie year he made the AP’s first-team All-Pro as well as a spot in the Pro Bowl (the first of eight straight).  Dick Butkus was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1969 and 1970.

Dick Butkus’ pro career was cut short due to knee injuries.  He is credited for redefining the middle linebacker position. Some of his honors include:

  • His college jersey number, 50, was retired by the Illinois Fighting Illini.
  • ESPN named Dick Butkus the 70th greatest athlete of the 20th century
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame voters named Dick Butkus to the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame voters named Dick Butkus to the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team
  • In his first year of eligibility he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979
  • He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
  • The Bears retired Dick Butkus’s No. 51 jersey in 1994
  • NFL Officials & media personnel named Dick Butkus to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994
  • Named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s All-Century Team in 1999
  • The Sporting News named Dick Butkus the 9th Best Player Ever in the NFL in 1999
  • A sculpture of Dick Butkus premiered at Soldier Field among other Chicago Bear greats in 2004
  • Mr. Butkus was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2008
  • Dick Butkus was named the 10th best player ever by the NFL Network in 2010
  • The NY Daily News named Dick Butkus the 8th best NFL player ever in 2014
  • Mr. Butkus was inducted to the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016
  • Mr. Butkus was named a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois in 2018
  • Mr. Butkus was awarded the Order of Lincoln, the state’s highest honor, by the Governor of Illinois in 2018
  • NFL Officials & media personnel named Dick Butkus to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019

Dick Butkus created the Butkus Foundation to support charitable causes.

After retiring from professional football, Dick Butkus became a broadcaster, actor and was in demand by advertisers to endorse many products.

Some of Dick Butkus’ television appearances include: Brian’s Song; Emergency!; McMillan & Wife; Police Story (2 episodes); The Six Million Dollar Man; The Rockford Files; Rich Man, Poor Man; Wonder Woman; Taxi; Fantasy Island (2 episodes); Vegas; Magnum PI; Matt Houston; The Greatest American Hero; Simon & Simon; Blue Thunder (11 episodes); The Love Boat; Murder She Wrote; Half Nelson (7 episodes); Night Court (2 episodes); Matlock; Growing Pains; My Two Dads (27 episodes); MacGuyver (3 episodes); Coach (2 episodes); Hang Time (52 episodes) and The Bernie Mac Show.

Some of Dick Butkus’ feature film appearances include: Mother, Jugs & Speed; Gus; Johnny Dangerously; Gremlins 2; Necessary Roughness; The Last Boy Scout and Any Given Sunday.

Dick Butkus was my favorite football player when I was a kid.  I was a Chicago Bears fan and Mr. Butkus is a big reason for that.  I loved his style of play.  When he retired, I enjoyed seeing him in the broadcast booth or popping up in a movie, television show or commercial.  You can imagine the smile I had when I watched ROCKY for the first time and saw that his dog was named Butkus.  I also appreciate that Mr. Butkus backed several charitable causes.  What a life he lived.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dick Butkus’ family, friends and fans.

“The Devil on Trial” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Posted on by

The Devil on Trial provided the inspiration for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.  The Conjuring film was a dramatization while The Devil on Trial is a documentary of the one and only time demonic possession was used as a defense in a US murder trial.

Deal me in.

The Devil on Trial explores the first – and only – time “demonic possession” has officially been used as a defense in a U.S. murder trial. Including firsthand accounts of alleged devil possession and a shocking murder, this extraordinary story forces reflection on our fear of the unknown.

DIRECTOR: Christopher Holt

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” – Season 2(2023) / Z-View

Posted on by

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 2 (2023)

Director:  Chris Fisher (Ep.11); Valerie Weiss (Ep. 12); Amanda Row (Ep. 13); Eduardo Sánchez (Ep. 14); Jordan Canning (Ep. 15); Dan Liu (Ep. 16); Jonathan Frakes (Ep. 17); Jeff W. Byrd (Ep. 18); Dermott Downs (Ep. 19); Maja Vrvilo  (Ep. 20)

Teleplay by:  Henry Alonso Myers & Akiva Goldsman (Ep. 11); Dana Horgan (Ep. 12); David Reed (Ep. 13); Kirsten Beyer & Davy Perez (Ep. 14); Kathryn Lyn & Henry Alonso Myers (Ep. 15); Onitra Johnson & David Reed (Ep. 16); Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff (Ep. 17); Davy Perez (Ep. 18); Dana Horgan & Bill Wolkoff (Ep. 19); Henry Alonso Myers (Ep. 20)

Starring:  Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Melissa Navia, Christina Chong, Rebecca Romijn, Celia Rose Gooding, Babs Olusanmokun, Gia Sandhu, Carol Kane, Melanie Scrofano, Dan Jeannotte, Clint Howard, Martin Quinn and Paul Wesley.

Tagline:  None

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the prequel to the original Star Trek series.  Set ten years prior to Star Trek, Strange New Worlds follows the adventures of the crew of the Enterprise under the command of Christopher Pike (Mount).  Characters from the original series (Spock, Nurse Christine Chapel, Uhura, T’Pring, James T. Kirk and watch for Montgomery Scott) are joined by new crew members (Erica Ortegas, La’an Noonien-Singh, Una Chin-Riley).

I was a fan of the original Star Trek series, cartoon and movies with the original cast.  I never watched any other Star Trek productions.  So I’m not a die hard fan of everything Star Trek.  Believe me, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is exceptional.  Everything from the production values, the cast, the direction and the music is spot on.  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a love letter to everything the original series strived to be.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is perfectly cast.  Anson Mount is amazing in his role, but so are Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding and Melissa Navia.  The series is well written with each major cast member displaying personality and getting a showcase in season 2.  If you’re a fan of the original series there are things that begin in Strange New Worlds that will reverberate in the original series (the relationship between Spock and Nurse Chapel; seeing Nyota Uhura’s growth into a Star Fleet officer, the romance that will fail between Spock and T’Pring, and more).

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 2 different characters were given the spotlight.  This allowed us to better understand them and at the same time see how they perceived others.  I wasn’t thrilled when I read about the crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks.  I don’t watch the series and didn’t think it would be my cup of tea.  I had the same feelings when I read that episode 19 would be a “musical”.  I’m happy to say the writers made both episodes work.  While I’m still not planning to check out Lower Decks, the crossover was good. Truth be told, the musical episode is one of my favorites of the season, and probably the most memorable.

I loved every episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and cannot wait for season 3.  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds earns 5 of 5 stars.

RIP: David McCallum

Posted on by

David McCallum died yesterday at the age of 90.

David McCallum’s parents were professional musicians. For a while it appeared that David might follow in their footsteps.  He studied music for a short time.  After serving in the British Army’s 3rd Battalion (he was born in Glasgow, Scotland), Mr. McCallum attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

David McCallum had been getting roles in both television and feature films when his breakout role came. He was cast as Russian agent Illya Kuryakin in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Although the show was conceived as a showcase for Robert Vaughn to play a James Bond-like spy, the audience loved the chemistry between Vaughn and McCallum.  David McCallum was elevated from occasional guest to the show’s co-star.  Critics also loved Mr. McCallum in this role.  He was nominated for two Emmy awards during the series four year run.  The Man from U.N.C.L.E remained so popular that in 1983, David McCallum returned to the role for a television movie titled, The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E..

David McCallum’s popularity was such that he released four record albums during the run of The Man from U.N.C.L.E..  Unlike many stars of the era, Mr. McCallum did not sing on his records.  Instead he wrote some of the compositions, conducted their arrangements and played various instruments as well.

After The Man from U.N.C.L.E ended Mr. McCallum continued to act on television and in feature films.  In 2003, he earned the role of Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on the popular series NCIS.  He was a cast member until his death.

Some of David McCallum’s television appearances include: The Rose and the Ring (3 episodes); Our Mutual Friend (10 episodes); The Eustace Diamonds (6 episodes); Emma (5 episodes); Armchair Theater (2 episodes); The Travels of Jamie McPheeters; Perry Mason; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (105 episodes); The Outer Limits (2 episodes); Please Don’t Eat the Daises; Night Gallery; Marcus Welby; The Six Million Dollar Man; Frankenstein: The True Story; Colditz (26 episodes); The Invisible Man (13 episodes); Kidnapped (13 episodes); Sapphire & Steel (34 episodes); Hart to Hart; The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.; As the World Turns; The A-Team; Matlock; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; The Return of Sam McCloud; Murder, She Wrote (2 episodes); Masterpiece Mysteries (3 episodes); Cluedo (6 episodes); Trainer (23 episodes); Law & Order; The Outer Limits; Sex and the City; The Education of Max Bickford (9 episodes); JAG (2 episodes); The Replacements (67 episodes); NCIS: New Orleans (2 episodes) and NCIS (457 episodes).

Some of David McCallum’s feature film appearances include: Hell Drivers; A Night to Remember; Billy Budd; The Great Escape; The Greatest Story Ever Told; The Spy with My Face; The Spy in the Green Hat and The Watcher in the Woods.

My favorite David McCallum role is on The Man from U.N.C.L.E..  Like all the kids my age, we thought he was the coolest.  The fact that Mr. McCallum was so popular playing a Russian spy at the height of the cold war is amazing.  I am also in awe of the fact that David McCallum was able to stay a working actor for decades. That is a testament to his acting ability.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to David McCallum’s family, friends and fans.

“Joe Pickett”: Season 2 (2023) / Z-View

Posted on by

Joe Pickett: Season 2 (2023)

Written by: John Erick Dowdle (ep. 11, 20 ); Stacy Chbosky (eps. 12, 18); Isaac Gomez (ep. 13); Nelson Greaves (eps. 14, 19); Sarah Marie Masson (ep. 15); Diego D. Moreno (ep. 16); Alice Dennard (ep. 17);

Directed by: Stephen Woolfenden (eps. 11 – 12); Blackhorse Lowe (eps. 13 – 14); Drew Dowdle (eps. 15 – 16); Janice Cooke (eps. 17 – 18); Shana Stein (eps. 19 – 20)

Stars: Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Sharon Lawrence, Mustafa Speaks, Skywalker Hughes, Kamryn Pilva, David Alan Grier, Chad Rook, Aadila Dosani, Patrick Gallagher, Emily Alabi, Sean Wei Mah, Alex Breaux and Chris Gauthier

Tagline: None

The Plot…

When a hunter doesn’t return home, Joe (Dorman) rides out in a remote section of wilderness to look for him.  Joe happens on Caleb and Camish Grimmengruber aka the Grim brothers.  The two live off the grid and are distrustful of the government.  One thing leads to another and the Grim brothers attempt to kill Joe.  Although they succeed in killing Joe’s horse, and badly wounding Joe, he barely makes it out alive.

In the mean time the hunter has been found… murdered.  He was decapitated and left hanging upside down from a tree.  Because the man was wealthy and of some importance, the Governor flies in.  He meets with the Sheriff and head of the area’s Fish and Game commission.  The Governor demands that the two groups work together to quickly find the murderer.

Not totally healed from the Grim Brothers’ attack, Joe finds himself thrust into an investigation that is going to lead to corruption and more murders by people in high places.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Joe Pickett: Season One was surprisingly good.  Season 2 is even better.

The series features some of the best acting you will find anywhere.  Standouts include: Michael Dorman (Joe Pickett), Julianna Guill (Marybeth Pickett), Sharon Lawrence (Missy, Marybeth’s mother), Mustafa Speaks (Nate Romanowski), Skywalker Hughes (Sheridan, one of the Pickett’s daughters) and Chad Rook (Deputy McLanahan).

Kudos to this season’s writers:

  • I love that events from season one had major ramifications in season two.
  • Joe and Marybeth’s relationship is so well written (and acted).
  • Each episode ended with a cliffhanger making us want to move on to the next episode.
  • All of the characters are given backstory without hindering the main focus of the season.
  • It was cool to see David Alan Grier get a cameo that has a major impact going forward.
  • The Grim Brothers are two of the creepiest bad guys you can imagine.  They get an interesting character arc.

Joe Pickett: Season 2 (2023) ends with some great twists.  I hope we get a third season.

Joe Pickett: Season 2 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

Fargo | Installment 5 Teaser is Here! – Dot Lyon (Juno Temple) is a Homemaker

Posted on by

It’s about to get saucy. Installment 5 of FX’s Fargo premieres 11.21 on FX. Stream on Hulu. 

| Visit Official Site https://fx.tv/Fargo

The latest installment of Fargo is set in Minnesota and North Dakota, 2019. After an unexpected series of events lands “Dorothy ‘Dot’ Lyon” (Juno Temple) in hot water with the authorities, this seemingly typical Midwestern housewife is suddenly plunged back into a life she thought she had left behind.