Month: February 2024

From Reacher and Jack Ryan to The Night Agent, audiences have proven that there is no end to the appeal of current-or-ex government operatives falling in and out of spy-soaked adventuress whether they like it or not. That remains a huge draw for many Dad TV shows, and fortunately, FX (with its streaming partner, Hulu) includes a “one last job” variant starring an iconic actor who is equally gifted on the dramatic and comedy fronts. In this case, he’s embracing the former quality with a show that provides nuanced performances from older and younger actors alike.

Additionally, Bridges channels large swaths of characters portrayed by Keanu Reeves in the John Wick films and Liam Neeson in the Taken movies. There are shades of Bridges’ performance from the Taylor Sheridan-penned Hell or High Water, too. Do not mess with this old(ish) man, or there will indeed be hell to pay. It’s also high time for a second season, which will arrive this year, so let’s get down to discussing what is and what might be coming next.

Plot

Jeff Bridges has still got it, even if the decades have taken away some of his character’s agility and strength from his CIA days. Speaking of which, this show is based upon Thomas Perry’s same-named bestselling novel about Dan Chase (Bridges), who has been living off grid since bolting long ago from his government service. He gets pulled back into the game due to an attempted assassination, and John Lithgow steps in as Dan’s old colleague, FBI Counterintelligence Guy Harold Harper, who finds himself in over his head by season’s end.

As the show has revealed, Chase and Harper’s complicated past ties them together forever, and to further muddy matters, Harper’s protégé, Angela Adams (portrayed by Alia Shawkat), had been operating under an alias, but her identify also contained layers that have been unknown even to herself. The audience discovers Angela’s true identity late in the season, and expect plenty of followup by the revelation of her true father, the Afghanistan warlord Faraz Hamzad. Meanwhile, Zoe McDonald (Brenneman) surely regrets taking on Chase as a tenant because she never expected to have to fight for her life. Will we see Zoe again in the second season?

Executive producers Joe Steinberg and Dan Shotz opened up to Deadline, and Steinberg revealed, “Zoe will definitely be back. She’s a key piece of this story, a key connection for Dan. And Amy is such a brilliant actress and partner in this. We’re very excited about Zoe’s story going forward.” And what of the dogs? “Yes. I don’t know if The Old Man is a show without the dogs” was the answer from Shotz. As well, the pair noted that Angela would learn who her biological father is, so get ready to find out her feelings on that situation.

As well, the pair revealed that Bridges, despite pushing through cancer treatment and contracting Covid-19, threw himself into the old-hat role. As Shotz described the situation, “After Jeff went through his treatment and got back to us, on his very first day of shooting he was hanging out of a window going 60 miles per hour shooting a gun.” He added, “So we were pretty blown away by what he was able to do when he came back and he felt so good doing it.” Hopefully, Bridges felt even better this time around because Chase will likely need to pick up some slack for Harper, who cannot operate in the wild world of his former colleague.

Much of the show’s appeal, as well, is how it dabbles with moral ambiguity and also refuses to straight-up adhere to one meaning of the term “old man.” That slippery term could, in the second season, point more towards what Angela is about to learn and how she reacts upon learning the identity of her “true” father. Which dad will she choose to be loyal to? That’s a huge question going into this next chapter.

Cast

Jeff Bridges will do it again as Dan Chase, who is played in his younger years by Bill Heck. John Lithgow will increase the out-of-his-element side of Harold Harper for this next season. The supporting cast includes Alia Shawkat, Amy Brenneman, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Jessica Harper, Pej Vahdat, Joel Grey, Hiam Abbass, Navid Negahban, Kenneth Mitchel, and Rowena King.

Release Date

Since the first session debuted in June 2022, it feels like it’s been too long of a wait, but do not fear. The strikes slowed progress on the sophomore season, but the next chapter has been confirmed to arrive in 2024.

Trailer

No trailer exists as of yet, but please do relive this shootout scene with The Wire‘s Chris Partlow, who always brings his A-game.

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Amazon series)

Are you still resisting watching a remake that actually makes more sense (and is far funnier) than the original? Well, get on it. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine throw curveballs at each other after ending up in an employer-arranged marriage while simultaneously attempting to figure out the whole “hihi” mystery. The end result is sexy but also completely different than the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie blockbuster of yesteryear, which was simply two sexy people dashing around doing sexy murder things. We’re still hanging tight for second season news, and “Hot Neighbor” could use some spinoff rumors.

TIE: 10. Constellation (Apple TV+ series)

Noomi Rapace has long since ditched her Dragon Tattoo and now portrays an International Space Station astronaut in a classic space catastrophe story that also hurls preconceived notions down to planet Earth. This is a cross-genre affair with sci-fi, psychological drama, and horror thrown in for good measure. Prepare to blast off, y’all.

9. Shōgun (FX series streaming on Hulu)

James Clavell’s beloved 1975 novel (within his Asian Saga) will be lushly rendered to bring his 1600s civil war-story to life. You might need a flowchart to keep track of the various alliances and betrayals in this show, which begins when Lord Yoshii Toranaga finds himself being dragged into oblivion by “vultures,” i.e. the opposing Council of Regents. Enter an apparent ally, John Blackthorne, whose ship has conveniently been marooned nearby, although he could be the key to helping Toranago tip the balance against his enemies. That’s only the beginning, and clearly, any attempt at a small blurb would fail to adequately describe what’s in store for viewers here.

8. This Is Me… Now: A Love Story (Amazon Prime movie)

Suck it, Gigli reviews (and audience reception). Jennifer Lopez is here with a heightened version of her own persona to poke fun at the scrutiny of her storied love life. Naturally, the specter of Ben Affleck figures prominently, and it’s wild to think about where these two have landed, despite everything. How much of this story is true? That’s what JLo wants you to wonder.

7. The Iron Claw (A24 film on VOD & Amazon Prime)

The Von Erich wrestling family is here to make you burst into tears and thank it. Zac Efron is a jacked-up wrestling-ring force as Kevin, who endured tragedy of an unfathomable scale. How did The Oscars overlook this performance? He’s accompanied by Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson (who is so underrated despite being everywhere lately), and Stanley Simons as they took their father’s wrestling dynasty to the moon and then crashing back down again. Eventually, this title will stream on Max, but for now, it’s in VOD City.

6. Anyone But You (Sony film on VOD & Amazon Prime)

It’s a little bit like Will Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, only with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell looking far too attractive in swimsuits, and less, and more. This sleeper romcom proved that mid-budget comedies can pull in far more than some superhero movies, even when both films in question include Sydney Sweeney. Sometimes, you just need a silly slice of comedy in life, alright? This film is here to suit that purpose.

5. Halo (Paramount+ series)

Pablo Schreiber returns as Master Chief, who could use a little Pornstache, among other things, to liven up the heavy load that he carries. He’s still fretting about the changing tide of this war and how to prepare for what he believes is an imminent attack by the Covenant on the most valuable stronghold known to mankind. Can he finally find the Halo, which will either help humanity survive or kill it off forever? Gamers must be in TV/movie heaven these days.

4. Dune (WBD film on Max)

With Dune 2 due to hit theaters on March 1, the world is revisiting the first film that released only on streaming. Back then, Duncan Idaho was carrying us through the pandemic, and even though Jason Momoa isn’t in the second movie, our own Mike Ryan has described the sequel as “certainly up there with some of the best science fiction movies I’ve ever seen.” Yep, that’s the case despite (and partially because of) sandworms and everything. For many, it’s time for a refresher of the first movie before taking in the second installment.

3. The Tourist (BBC One/Stan series streaming on Netflix)

This series originally streamed on Max and found new life after moving over to Netflix for its second season of U.S.-based streaming. Jamie Dornan’s character took a hell of a road trip in the Australian Outback and has now crossed a few ponds to land in Ireland, where he’s attempting to make progress against those ultra-bad dudes who want to take his also-bad dude self off the map. First, he’ll be drawn into a family feud — the most delicate kind of feud. This show is wildly entertaining, and thank goodness that Jamie Dornan is finally able to punt his Fifty Shades era into the dust.

2. Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix series)

Here comes the latest attempt from Netflix to adapt beloved IP into live-action mode, and in doing so, it must strive for the high bar of the animated series and clear the low bar set by the M. Night Shyamalan movie. The show was conceived with at least three seasons in mind, but for now, the story begins with Aang, an Air Nomad who must attempt to (with the help of a few pals) take his rightful ruling position after bringing harmony to the realms. Fire Nation, however, has plenty of wrenches to throw into that effort. Let’s just say that the current social media response from bingewatchers is mixed, so we shall see whether more seasons surface after the dust settles.

1. True Detective (HBO series streaming on Max)

Series creator Nic Pizzolatto is so bloody angry about the Night Country season, and guess what? He’s gotta be even more upset by the nearly instantaneous fifth-season renewal after the finale. Issa López will be writing, showrunning, and directing again, so stay tuned for more details, and in the meantime, do catch up on Jodie Foster and Kali Reis’ adventure in arctic hell if you haven’t already. If nothing else, you’ll learn more about Rust Cohle’s father, and also be able to understand why our own Brian Grubb has this advice for everyone involved in the between-seasons beef: “Everyone involved here desperately needs to log off and go outside for a few hours.”

In his second performance of the night, 21 Savage stepped into his melodic bag on the Saturday Night Live stage. Still riding the high of his latest album, American Dream, 21 gave us a double dose of fan favorites.

He opened his second set with “Should’ve Wore A Bonnet.” Standing in front of a large window, the beautiful views of the New York City night sky added to the charm of the rhythmic rap and R&B crossover track. At the song’s chorus, 21’s collaborator Brent Faiyaz made a brief appearance, matching 21’s energy.

The music then transitions to another hit from the album — the Summer Walker collaboration, “Prove It.” The light in the room dims slightly, adding to the song’s intimate mood. Walker herself makes an appearance, nearly stealing the show in a two-piece red ensemble.

Walker has long been open about her anxiety and why she often does not look forward to live performances, however, the two appeared to have good musical chemistry onstage. After all, Walker and 21 have collaborated a total of four times — previously on Jhené Aiko’s “Triggered” remix, a song called “Secret,” and their Usher collaboration, “Good Good.”

You can see the performances of “Should’ve Wore A Bonnet” and “Prove It” above.

21 Savage made a much-anticipated appearance on screen tonight (February 24). No, not in the mythical movie that was said to accompany his American Dream album, but as the captivating musical guest on tonight’s Saturday Night Live. In his first performance, 21 delivered a fire set, featuring “Redrum” from American Dream.

The performance opened with a violinist playing an orchestral intro to the song. Ballet dancers move smoothly about the stage, as 21 emerges front and center. 21 maintains a natural stage presence, displaying his star power as he raps. But the visuals brought back an artistic element that has been missing within the mainstream landscape amid the content and streaming era. If this performance is proof of anything, it’s that 21 Savage is what hip-hop needs right now.

In a piece for Interview, 21 shared that he is having fun playing with fashions for his stage looks.

“Being able to perform is something I am always grateful for, I enjoyed showcasing more fashion looks while I’m on tour,” he said. “I kicked off my tour in Paris at Zenith and wore some looks by brands I like to work with Celine and Prada—I am looking forward to keep building my tour looks with some more amazing designers.”

You can see the performance of “Redrum” above.

They say the power of music knows no bounds, and the cast of Saturday Night Live proved that in a hilarious new sketch. Tonight (February 24), cast members Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim took us to church — literally.

In a sketch, Heidi Gardner and this episode’s guest host Shane Gillis play a mother and father, whose kids (played by Andrew Dismukes and Molly Kearney) complain about having to go to mass every Sunday, even while on vacation. According to the father, the family went to mass while in Ireland, and such is the case while they’re on vacation in Jamaica.

But thankfully, the priest (played by Thompson) delivers powerful readings, and the church singer (Nwodim), turns up the energy with some fiery dancehall raps.

As Nwodim supplements the readings with raps. The songs are so catchy, the father even starts speaking in Jamaican patois.

The mother doesn’t quite get it, but toward the end of the sketch, she shares the verse she and the father used as their wedding vows. And of course, Nwodim turns the verse into a dancehall banger. Perhaps these dancehall vibes will tide us over until Rihanna drops her new album.

You can watch the sketch above.

After over a decade of conquering the underground R&B scene, Victoria Monét has broken through to the mainstream. Thanks to Victoria’s breakout hit, “On My Mama” (co-produced by Deputy), critically acclaimed debut studio album Jaguar II, and her snagging multiple Grammy Awards (including Best New Artist), the public is eager to see what’s next.

Although Victoria’s time on the road via her international The Jaguar Tour has ended, supporters can catch her at the 2024 Roots Picnic. But what else is up her animal print sleeve? According to her latest interview, the answer is new music. So, when should we expect it?

When Does Victoria Monét’s Jaguar II Deluxe Album Come Out?

After expressing that she would be ending the Jaguar series, fans could get one last offering by way of a Jaguar II deluxe album. On February 23, during the “Hollywood” singer’s appearance on iHeart Radio’s The New Hit List, Victoria Monét teased the idea.

As she confirmed to host Angelina that Jaguar III is no longer happening, Victoria did spill details about a Jaguar II deluxe project. “I do want to put out a deluxe to ‘Jaguar II,’” she said. “So, we’re working on that…it will be [released] this year.”

The wait is sure to be worth it. Perhaps it will include the never-released tracks with her bestie Ariana Grande.

Victoria also spoke about her future songwriting plans. “I feel like there’s more of an open timeline on writing songs for other people,” she said. “So, I’m more focused on my artistry right now. My schedule doesn’t really allow for much else. But I do want to eventually get back into collaborating… writing with and for other people. Right now, it’s Victoria Monét world. I’ve done a lot of writing previously, so now I’m flipping into a new chapter.”

Watch the full interview above.

If anyone even a few weeks ago claimed Sydney Sweeney’s rom-com would gross more — way more — than Sydney Sweeney’s Marvel movie, they would have been laughed out of the room. And yet that‘s what happened. Anyone But You has been hanging in the North American Top 10 last late last year, proving a word-of-mouth money-gobbler, and at a time when the genre has been long considered box office poison. Madame Web, meanwhile, stumbled out of the gate and even killed off a potential franchise.

But when will Netflix subscribers get the chance to stream Anyone But You?

The answer is: probably some time in April. Anyone But You is a Sony picture, and Sony has a deal with Netflix that they get their films before anyone else. The same thing happened with No Hard Feelings and The Pope’s Exorcist, both of which appeared on the streamer four months after release. Ergo, expect to watch Sweeney and Glen Powell do a modernized riff on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in a month and change.

Sweeney and Powell had a fairly wild press tour, the most scandalous part being their having to address salacious rumors that they were dating. (They’re not.) What Powell did do was save his costar from a spider invasion, so that’s nice.

Again, expect Anyone But You to hit Netflix in April or so.

Duke star Kyle Filipowski was injured when getting caught up in a court storm by Wake Forest students after the Deacs knocked off the Blue Devils at home, his head coach Jon Scheyer said after the game.

As the suddenly-sprinting throng of students made its way onto the court, Filipowski — who appeared to be the furthest Duke player from the bench — was caught in the rush of bodies and came out of the scrum surrounded by Duke personnel helping him limp off of the court.

It’s unlikely the practice of court-storming will be banned, but it is possible to see some tweaks. Pundits can sound like overly-concerned parents when warning of the dangers (particularly to opposing players) of jubilant college students rushing the court after a big win.

But between the incident with Filipowski and Caitlin Clark getting caught up in a court storm earlier this season, there may momentum growing towards either banning court storms altogether or doing more to make them safer. Scheyer, unsurprisingly, would be in favor.

Even when all college students involved have the best of intentions, crowd control and security are concerns. There were no visible Wake Forest security guards even close to Filipowski. But add pregame alcohol consumption and general bad feelings to the mix, and the question of a player getting hurt has always felt like a ‘when’ more than an ‘if’.

The No. 8 Blue Devils had won five in a row before the loss at Wake Forest, which got a huge win to solidify its NCAA Tournament at-large case.

Craig Ferguson was the host of “The Late Late Show” on CBS from 2005 to 2014. He’s probably best remembered for his stream-of-conscious, mostly improvised monologues that often veered from funny observations to more serious territory.

In 2009, he opened his show explaining how marketers have spent six decades persuading the public into believing that youth should be deified. To Ferguson, it’s the big reason “Why everything sucks.”

“In the 1950s, late ’50s, early ’60s, a bunch of advertising guys got together on Madison Avenue and decided to try to sell products to younger people. ‘We should try to sell to younger people because then they will buy things their whole lives,'” Ferguson explained.

The problem is, according to Ferguson, that young people are “kind of stupid.”

“So the deification of youth evolved and turned into the deification of imbecility. It became fashionable to be young and to be stupid,” he continued.

‘Why everything sucks’

On a deeper level, Ferguson makes the point that exalting youth and inexperience over wisdom and experience runs contrary to the way of nature.

“Then what happened is that people were frightened to not be young,” he said. “They started dyeing their hair, they started mutilating their faces and their bodies in order to look young. But you can’t be young forever, that’s against the laws of the universe.”

Calling marketers’ war on the over-49 set the reason why “everything sucks” may be a bit of an exaggeration. But the takeaway from Ferguson’s monologue is spot-on. There’s no reason to feel bad about aging. You’ve got experience, wisdom, probably better credit, and have learned that Saturdays are a lot more fun after you’ve been to bed by 10:00 pm on Friday.

This article originally appeared on 2.17.22

Patrick Stewart often talks about his childhood and the torment his father put him and his mother through. However, how he answered this vulnerable and brave fan’s question is one of the most eloquent, passionate responses about domestic violence I’ve ever seen.

WARNING: At 2:40, he’s going to break your heart a little.

You can read more about Heather Skye’s hug with Captain Picard at her blog.

This article originally appeared on 06.26.13.