Quantcast
Channel: TV
Viewing all 7868 articles
Browse latest View live

The 'Riverdale' actor revealed as the Black Hood didn't even play the murderer all season

0
0

black hood riverdale

Warning: Spoilers ahead for season two, episode 21 of The CW's "Riverdale," titled "Judgment Night."

The identity of the Black Hood was revealed to be Hal Cooper on Wednesday's episode of "Riverdale," but the actor who plays him didn't wear the mask all season. 

"I found out [that I was the Black Hood] a day before filming episode 21 at the read-through," Lochlyn Munro, who plays Hal, told INSIDER. "Basically my first scene as the Black Hood was when I show the Cooper family movie to Betty and Alice." 

Munro said he was shocked that his character was the serial killer because the actor used to portray the Black Hood on-screen didn't match him physically. 

"It was a total surprise to me just knowing the physical makeup of the guy playing the Hood, and so I was like, 'He's not a double for me,'" Munro said. "I've stood beside him, I've seen him, and I thought obviously he can't be me. But that's the great thing about the show, they fool even the cast."

black hood hal

Hal makes his confession to Betty and Alice after showing them a home movie from his childhood. His mother tells him about his father killing the Conway family and explains that he must get rid of sinners. He has Alice record his confession and plans to kill the family, but Betty hits him over the head with a shovel before he can choke Alice. 

Filming the unveiling was hard, Munro said, because he had never played Hal to be intimidating before. He had to change Hal's personality and come up with a subtle way to show it.

"It was difficult actually because I had never played Hal to be that guy for a year and a bit...so now I had to figure out how to show the backstory of why I did it," he said. "It's hard to be still as an actor and that's the only way I could play it — to be still and menacing. That was the first time Hal was ever really crazy and weird with his family and being intimidating to Betty."

The news of Hal being the serial killer was disappointing for Munro at first. 

"At first I was a little bummed, I can honestly tell you. There were all sorts of things running through my head," he said. 

He said he was worried about how his kids would react and also didn't want that to be the end of his tenure on the show. But Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, "Riverdale's" creator, told him Hal would still be a part of the drama.

"Once I found out that I was the guy, Roberto came up to me and talked to me and was like, 'No, no, it's not over for Hal. This is what we're thinking,'" he said.  "So now I'm really excited about playing him."

Read more of our "Riverdale" coverage here.

Watch "Riverdale" on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos on breaking up and regulating Amazon


10 secrets food TV shows reportedly don't want you to know

0
0

rachael ray onion cooking

Whether you love to cook — or love to watch other people cook — there has never been a greater variety of food TV than there is right now.

From the educational series that PBS does so well to the huge number of drama-filled competition shows, there's truly something for everyone.

If you're the kind of person who likes finding out how the sausage gets made, here are 10 things you may not have known about your favorite cooking shows.

Each hour-long episode of your favorite competition show can take 12 to 14 hours to shoot.

As anyone who has ever worked in TV or film production can tell you, a lot of what you see on screen happens through editing. Production teams shoot tons and tons of footage — then select the best bits to form the most compelling narrative to slide in front of your hungry eyes as the finished product.

On competition shows, your day gets longer the better you are. "Chopped" winner Kathy Fang regularly started her day on set around 5:45 a.m. — and was shooting until 8 or 9 p.m. at night.

When you're that busy, you might end up not even being hungry. "Even though I was surrounded by food all day, I was running around so much I didn't even think of eating," Fang told Delish.



What happens to all that food after a show is done shooting depends on who is involved.

We all know that food waste is a problem that only seems to be getting worse every day. It's natural to wonder who eats all the food made on cooking shows — especially ones with tons of it, like competition shows.

It turns out that the answer varies widely. Some shows, like the "Rachael Ray Show" do what you'd hope and donate the food to local charities, according to The Daily Meal.

But since some food gets kept out under hot studio lights for hours — well past the time when it would be safe for anyone to eat — a lot of that food apparently also ends up in the garbage.

Food sanitation and the prospect of legal liability if anyone gets sick from eating improperly handled — or cooked — foods can be even more powerful motivators than the disappointment of food show judges.



Some "hero shots" of finished food may not even be edible.

Entire books could be written about the tips and tricks in a food photographer or food stylist's arsenal. A simple drizzle of motor oil can look like the most enticing syrup. Mashed potatoes resemble the most delectable scoop of ice cream — and they don't melt under hot studio lights. A turkey might be raw on the inside, according to Creators and Creatives, but look like a crispy-skinned god among poultry thanks to some more judicious use of that handy kitchen standby, motor oil, according to Reddit.

When you're watching food TV, you're eating entirely with your eyes — not your mouth. Your brain is conjuring up the rest of the experience based on what you see — so the fact that some of it may not be perfectly real doesn't matter.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Writers from the original 'Roseanne' say they're bewildered by the reboot's pro-Trump character

0
0

darlene roseanne

  • Writers for the original "Roseanne" series told BuzzFeed they are confounded by the new, conservative character seen in the 2018 reboot.
  • Character continuity has been ignored in favor of star Roseanne Barr's personal politics.
  • Barr's political about-face comes as a shock to some writers, who say the Barr they knew was "not a bigot."

After more than 20 years off the air, the titular character of ABC's "Roseanne" is unrecognizable to those who worked on the original series.

BuzzFeed News spoke to four writers who helped bring the character of Roseanne Conner to life each week across the show's nine seasons from 1988 to 1997. They say the new, pro-Trump, conservative version of the character doesn't make sense to them.

"A lot of people involved in the show were surprised when she turned right-wing and supported Trump because that was just not the person or her character that we had known," said writer Stan Zimmerman, who worked on the series for two seasons in the early '90s.

While Conner's politics are reflective of the show's star, Roseanne Barr — who is an avowed supporter of Donald Trump— the original writers simply aren't convinced the Roseanne Conner they spent years developing would have voted for Trump. Nor do they think she would have spent her time worrying  about her new Muslim neighbors, as she did on the reboot's latest episode, which people are calling Islamophobic.

"I believe the original character would've said, 'Who cares [about having Muslim neighbors]?' And now she's saying she does care," said one writer who asked to remain anonymous.

Miriam Trogdon, who worked on the show from 1993 to 1995, told BuzzFeed that although the promise of job creation could have been a motivating factor that would have been in-line with the original character to vote for Trump, she believes the reboot glosses over the character's rich history which would have informed her politics.

"[T]he original Roseanne, I think, would have been more upset at his attitude toward women and his misogyny," she said. "I think that the original Roseanne would've questioned how a super-rich guy like this would have any sense of what a lower-middle-class family like the Conners were going through. She would at least question it, but they don't dwell on that. They picked an aspect of what Trump was saying that would fit into the original Roseanne character."

Zimmerman also agreed the reboot ignores the character's history that likely would shape her politics and cited a New York Times article  recalling Conner as pro-union, which Trump is decidedly not. He also points to the reboot's other cracks in character continuity, citing Conner's history of childhood abuse and how a season six episode that addressed her guilt over spanking her son is in direct opposition to the new character who suddenly condones spanking.

Since the "Roseanne" reboot premiered in March, it has been a lightning rod for controversy. This week's episode, which saw the character having to ask a favor of her new Muslim neighbors, who she suspects could be terrorists — is being called Islamophobic. It follows the backlash over a joke about ABC's minority-led sitcoms "Black-ish" and "Fresh Off The Boat."

Barr took to Twitter on Tuesday to refute the criticism surrounding the latest episode, claiming the show is about "real issues and real people."

Lois Bromfield, who worked on the show for four seasons, said she was shocked by the political about-face she witnessed both in Barr and the character she portrays.  She told BuzzFeed, the Barr she knew was a "really big supporter of women and human rights and animal rights," adding, "Roseanne is not a bigot, she's not a backward person at all, so her liking Trump is just so odd. It comes out of left field."

Bromfield does however seem to agree at least partially with Barr's assessment that the show is reflective of real people and real issues.

"I think in probably every household in America, this is probably what's going on," she said of political disagreements between Conner and her sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), who supported Hillary Clinton. "There's such conflict between Trump supporters and people who are not supporting him. I think it fits beautifully into the show."

A representative for ABC declined to comment to INSIDER, while Barr's publicist didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why the Saudi crown prince met with Trump, Oprah, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos

How the 'Game of Thrones' creators convinced HBO to make a show that had 'dragons in it'

0
0

Game of Thrones

  • HBO's "Game of Thrones" has become a game-changing series for the network and the TV industry, but before it aired, the show's creators had to get HBO to take a shot on a fantasy series that wasn't "typical HBO" material.
  • In an interview on Variety's "Strictly Business" podcast, HBO CEO and chairman Richard Plepler discussed how "Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were able to convince him to back a series that had "dragons in it."

Before HBO's "Game of Thrones" could go on to become the most Emmy-winning drama series in TV history, the show's creators first had to convince HBO to take a chance on a fantasy series that was unlike anything the network had previously attempted. 

In a recent interview on Variety's podcast "Strictly Business," HBO CEO and chairman Richard Plepler discussed the origin stories behind several of the network's recent hit series, including "Westworld" and "Game of Thrones."

Plepler recounted how David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of "Game of Thrones," were able to frame their pitch for the series to him, in order to make a show that had "dragons in it" sound like it was worthy of HBO's backing. 

"When Benioff and Wise came in to pitch 'Thrones,' that was a fantasy show," Plepler said, with a pseudo-dismissive emphasis on "fantasy.""David's comment to me was, 'You're nervous about this. There's dragons in it. It's fantasy. This isn't typical HBO.'"

"And the way he pitched it was he said, 'Look, this is about power, and it's about archetypes of power. And it's Shakespearean, it's Biblical. If you just forget where you are, you could be in 10th century France, it doesn't really matter.' And we believed their vision," Plepler continued.

"Game of Thrones" became an immediate hit after its debut in 2011, and its continued success through seven seasons has precipitated a wave of rival networks and streaming services seeking out the next big fantasy or sci-fi series in its wake.

While Netflix found a hit with its sci-fi series "Stranger Things," Amazon, in an expressed pursuit of its own "Game of Thrones," will be spending a reported $1 billion on series adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings," as part of a strategy overhaul. 

SEE ALSO: AT&T paying Trump's lawyer gobs of cash is a PR nightmare that raises big questions

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What Trump University was really like — according to a former professor

The best TV show that came out the year you were born

0
0

Breaking Bad

Every year, there are multiple shows that stick out among the rest.

Whether it's revolutionary television series like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" or shows that leave long-lasting legacies like "Friends" or "Seinfeld," there have been decades of unforgettable TV.

Using Nielsen ratings, award nominations, and cultural impact, we picked the best show that debuted every year since 1967. Some of these legendary shows got bad ratings at first, but the shows managed to stick around anyway. 

See the best TV show that came out the year you were born below.

SEE ALSO: 28 nearly identical pairs of movies that came out around the same time

FOLLOW US: INSIDER is on Facebook

1967: "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"

Plot summary: "The Smothers Brothers host a comedy variety show that became notorious for its topical satirical humor."

The show was canceled in 1969 after CBS accused them of breach of contract. They sued and won a settlement of more than $900,000.

What critics have said: "But for the new generation coming of age in the late 1960s, 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour' represented their view of the world, the only place on American prime-time TV where George Harrison would pop in unannounced to provide moral support for the brothers' righteous struggle."— The New York Times

Source: Nielsen



1968: "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In"

Plot summary: "The original rapid fire sketch comedy show."

What critics have said: "Whatever else it is — and at one time or another 'Laugh-In' is hilarious, brash, flat, peppery, irreverent, satirical, repetitious, risqué, topical and in borderline taste — it is primarily and always fast, fast, fast! And in this it is contemporary. It's attuned to the times. It's hectic, electric; McLuhanism applied."— The New York Times Magazine

Source: Nielsen



1969: "The Brady Bunch"

Plot summary: "The misadventures of a large family united when one widowed and one divorced [this was never actually confirmed onscreen] people married."

What critics have said: It was actually panned by critics, but according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, "The program stands as one of the most important sitcoms of American 1970s television programming, spawning numerous other series on all three major networks, as well as records, lunch boxes, a cookbook, and even a stage show and feature film."

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

TV shows you're watching that will probably get canceled, and the ones that will likely be renewed

0
0

elementary CBS

It's May! That means it's time for networks to decide what shows are staying and what shows are off the air for good.

Networks haven't announced tons of cancellations in 2018. So far, cancellations have mostly been made by streaming services including Netflix and Amazon. 

There are a lot of network shows — ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and The CW — on the bubble right now, so we collected a list and let you know what their status could be.

A few shows, such as "Marvel's Inhumans," have been waiting for an inevitable cancellation for months. Others will obviously be renewed. Expect to find out the status of a lot of these shows shortly.

We'll update the list as more news arrives. 

Here are all the shows that haven't been renewed or canceled yet, and what their chances are:

SEE ALSO: The 16 best TV shows of 2018 so far

ABC:



"Alex, Inc"

This comedy starring Zach Braff as a podcaster is still a little early in its run to tell if it will get renewed or canceled. 



"American Housewife"

The ABC comedy, now is in its second season, will probably get renewed for season three. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Fans are furious about 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' being canceled, but it could get picked up by Hulu

0
0

Brooklyn Nine Nine

  • Fans and celebrities alike took to social media to mourn the cancellation of Fox cop comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" on Thursday, but the show could still see new life on another platform or network.
  • According to Deadline, Hulu is a likely home for the series, but it could otherwise end up at TBS, NBC, or Netflix.

After Fox cancelled the cop comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" on Thursday, a massive outpouring of fans, including notable names from the cast and entertainment world at large, took to social media to protest and lament the show's end. 

But "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," which stars Andy Samberg, Andre Baugher, Terry Crews, and Chelsea Peretti as cops in Brooklyn, New York, could see still new life on another network or streaming service for its sixth season. 

According to Deadline, Hulu is the most likely home for the critically acclaimed comedy, as the streaming service already owns the show's syndicated streaming rights. But there's a chance the series may end up at TBS, NBC, or Netflix, the latter of which Deadline considers the longest shot, due to Hulu's leg up on the show's streaming rights.

Hulu similarly revived Fox's sitcom "The Mindy Project" for three more seasons after Fox cancelled the show in 2015, following its third season.

A solid sign for the potential next home for "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is that the show became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter Thursday afternoon after its cancellation. Several of the show's cast members, alongside entertainment names like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Guillermo del Toro, and Mark Hamill, took to social media to express their love for the show and call for its renewal.

Here are a few of the reactions:

SEE ALSO: All the TV shows that have been canceled in 2018

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The surprising reason we boil lobsters alive

The worst TV show of 2018 on each network — from Fox to Netflix to HBO

0
0

our cartoon president worst shows

The first half of 2018 has seen the release of some great television, but it's also brought on a number of shows that are not so stellar. 

From Netflix's Kathy Bates-led, weed-dispensary sitcom, "Disjointed;" to Stephen Colbert's lackluster, animated Trump parody, "Our Cartoon President;" duds abound in the crop of new and returning shows that have aired so far this year.

To figure out which shows are worth avoiding, we turned to the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes to select the most critically loathed scripted show that each network and service has released in 2018 so far. 

We excluded children's shows, talk shows, and docuseries, and we only selected from networks with multiple scripted shows that aired episodes in a 2018 season that had enough reviews to receive a "Fresh" or "Rotten" designation.

We also excluded a number of networks whose lowest-rated show was not under 70% on the critic scale, and used audience scores to break any ties within networks.

Here is the worst TV show of 2018 on each network so far, according to critics:

SEE ALSO: The best TV show of 2018 on each network so far — from FX to Netflix to HBO

ABC: "Splitting Up Together" (Season 1)

Critic score: 38%

Audience score: 86%

Summary: "Lena and Martin were once madly in love. But, like many marriages, time and circumstance eventually took their toll, and they decide that everyone's lives would be better if they got a divorce."

What critics said: "Oh, the romantic comedy series. Such a vexing format. When did this work? Does it ever?"— Newsday

Status: Pending



AMC: "McMafia" (Season 1)

Critic score: 69%

Audience score: 85%

Summary: "A multi-generational epic telling of the story of America's birth as a superpower through the bloody rise and fall of one Texas oil empire."

What critics said:"Simmering moral conflict within Alex is meant to create the hub of tension around which McMafia revolves, but that pot doesn't quite boil down as the writers may have intended."— Salon

Status: Renewed



CBS: "Instinct" (Season 1)

Critic score: 57%

Audience score: 59%

Summary: "Stars Alan Cumming as a former CIA operative who is lured back to his old life when the NYPD needs his help to stop a serial killer."

What critics said:"For a hardened CIA operative, Cumming's Dylan is more Pee Wee Herman than Homeland."— Boston Herald

Status: Pending



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'The Expanse,' which critics called the best sci-fi TV show since 'Battlestar Galactica,' has been canceled after 3 seasons

0
0

the expanse

  • Syfy cancelled its space-drama "The Expanse" on Thursday, but the show's production company is looking to shop the series around to other networks, according to Deadline.
  • The third season of "The Expanse" premiered in April to universal critical acclaim, but its ratings were steadily slipping. 

The cable network Syfy cancelled its critically acclaimed space-drama series "The Expanse" on Thursday, but the production company behind the show is planning to shop the series around to other networks for renewal, according to Deadline

The third season of "The Expanse" premiered in April to universal critical acclaim and a 100% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but its ratings steadily decreased in each of its seasons. The third season's last episode will air on Syfy on May 30. 

In a statement to Deadline on the show's cancellation, Chris McCumber, the president of entertainment networks for NBCUniversal Cable, said, "'The Expanse' transported us across the solar system for three brilliant seasons of television. Everyone at Syfy is a massive fan of the series, and this was an incredibly difficult decision."

The show, based on the series of novels by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (pen name James S.A. Corey), is set 200 years in the future when humanity has colonized the Solar System. The Solar System is divided and on the brink of war, and the series' conflicts deal with the rocky relationship between Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA).

Moving forward, Alcon Television Group, the show's producer, will look to find a new home for the series, the company told Deadline. 

"We are very disappointed the show will not be returning to Syfy," Alcon Entertainment cofounders and CEOs Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson told the outlet. "We respect Syfy’s decision to end this partnership but given the commercial and critical success of the show, we fully plan to pursue other opportunities for this terrific and original IP."

Alcon did not specify any potential suitors for the series.

SEE ALSO: 'The Expanse' is a sci-fi TV show that critics say is the best since 'Battlestar Galactica'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reveals what it's like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world — and why he's willing to spend $1 billion a year to fund the most important mission of his life

Netflix has an addictive new crime drama in 'Safe,' which stars 'Dexter' actor Michael C. Hall

0
0

safe netflix

  • Netflix has another addictive drama series in "Safe," a new coproduction with France's Canal+.
  • The series stars "Dexter" actor Michael C. Hall as a widowed father and surgeon whose daughter goes missing from their affluent neighborhood in England.
  • "Safe" currently stands at an 83% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
  • The show's eight-episode first season is available now on Netflix.

Netflix has found yet another stellar coproduction in the drama series "Safe" from France's Canal+.

Created by crime writer Harlan Coben, the limited series stars "Dexter" and "Six Feet Under" actor Michael C. Hall as a widowed father and pediatric surgeon whose daughter goes missing from their affluent neighborhood in England. The show's eight-episode first season debuted Thursday on Netflix. 

"Safe" earned positive reviews ahead of its release, and it currently stands at an 83% "Fresh" rating on the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. 

"Almost everything about 'Safe,' from the acting to the dialogue, is pulpy with a vengeance," The Daily Telegraph's Ed Power wrote in a review.

Variety's Maureen Ryan wrote that show "delivers the kinds of well-paced twists that mystery fans are likely to enjoy."

The series is the latest critically acclaimed coproduction that Netflix has released with a foreign network. Early this year, the streaming service found a popular and universally praised series in the dark comedy "The End of the F---ing World," which was first released in 2017 by Britain's Channel 4. 

After eight episodes, "Safe" wraps on a conclusive note that suggests it won't air a second season. Michael C. Hall said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter this week that the show appealed to him because it was a "close-ended, eight-episode commitment."

"I'm certainly open to collaborating with some or all of those people again, but there's no plan to do more. It answers all the fundamental questions it poses," Hall told THR.  

Watch the trailer for "Safe" below, and find the series on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: All 65 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The surprising reason we boil lobsters alive

Meghan McCain lit into a White House staffer who said her father John McCain's vote didn't matter because he's 'dying anyway'

0
0

meghan mccain the view

  • On Thursday, White House staffer Kelly Sadler reportedly said Senator John McCain's vote "doesn't matter" because he's "dying anyway."
  • McCain's daughter Meghan addressed the comments on "The View" Friday morning.
  • "We're all dying. I'm dying. You're dying. We're all dying," McCain said. "It is not how you die. It's how you live."
  • The McCain family received an outpouring of support when the remarks were reported.

 

"The View" anchor Meghan McCain ripped into White House staffer Kelly Sadler for reportedly saying her father's vote "doesn't matter" because he's "dying anyway."

Republican senator John McCain has been fighting brain cancer at his home in Arizona. Earlier this week, he said he'd oppose President Donald Trump's CIA director nominee, Gina Haspel, who declined to denounce torture as immoral during her confirmation hearing. McCain himself was tortured while he was a soldier in the Vietnam War.

On Thursday, The Hill reported that Kelly Sadler, a special assistant at the White House and a former editor of The Washington Times, said McCain's stance didn't matter because he was going to die. The White House didn't contradict The Hill's account of events.

"It doesn’t matter, he's dying anyway," Sadler reportedly said.

Meghan McCain responded Friday morning on ABC's "The View."

McCain, who is one of "The View's" co-hosts, said. "We're all dying. I'm dying. You're dying. We're all dying," McCain said. "It is not how you die. It's how you live."

McCain also questioned why Sadler was still employed after making the remarks.

"I don't understand what kind of environment you're working in where that would be acceptable and the next day you can come to work and still have a job."

After the comments were first reported, John McCain's wife, Cindy McCain, also spoke out about Sadler.

The McCain family received an outpouring of support on Twitter.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I ate nothing but 'healthy' fast food for a week — here’s what happened

Here are your favorite TV shows that are coming back for another season

0
0

game of thrones

As some TV shows get the axe, others get picked up for more seasons.

Series including "Veep" and "Game of Thrones" are coming back for their final seasons, while "Grey's Anatomy" was picked up for its 15th. 

Here are your favorite shows that are returning to TV from summer 2018 to 2019. 

"NCIS" season 16 (CBS) returns fall 2018.

Mark Harmon has been the star since season one. 

 



"NCIS: Los Angeles" season 10 (CBS) returns fall 2018.

This was the first "NCIS" spin-off. 



"NCIS: New Orleans" season five (CBS) returns fall 2018.

It's the third series in the "NCIS" franchise. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Everything you need to know about William's tragic family history on 'Westworld'

0
0

William and Juliet Westworld season two episode two

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Westworld" season two, episode four, "Riddle of the Sphinx."

Sunday's "Westworld" episode ended with a surprising reunion between William and his estranged daughter, Emily. The two came together after a heart-wrenching series of flashbacks showing William as he aged and tried to successfully keep his father-in-law, James Delos, alive via a human-host hybrid. 

Much of William's story on this episode centered on him coming to terms with his wife Juliet's death. As we knew from season one, Juliet killed herself and Emily placed the blame for this action solely on William.

Let's take a closer look at what we know about Juliet and Emily so far, and how they're lives are integral to William's journey this season. 

Juliet's death and its impact on William

The Man in Black Westworld

When he was younger William (Jimmi Simpson) worked with Logan and his father James Delos. William started dating Juliet Delos (Logan's sister and James' daughter) before Logan had invested in the Westworld parks. 

By the time William came to Westworld for the first time, he was engaged to Juliet. They eventually married and had a daughter, Emily. In the meantime, Logan took a backseat in the company and James Delos retired after getting sick (which is why we saw a host-version of him on the latest episode).

On the eighth episode of the first season, William and Teddy had a revealing conversation about William's family and why he was such an important person in Westworld.

William: You want to know who I am? Who I really am? I'm a god. Titan of industry. Philanthropist. Family man. Married to a beautiful woman. Father to a beautiful daughter. I'm the good guy, Teddy.

Then last year my wife took the wrong pills ... fell asleep in the bath. Tragic accident. Thirty years of marriage, vanished. How do you say it? Like a deep and distant dream.

Then at the funeral, I tried to console my daughter. She pushed me away. Told me that my wife's death was no accident, that she killed herself because of me. And she said that every day with me had been sheer terror. Any point I could blow up or collapse, like some dark star.

Teddy: Did you hurt them, too?

William: Never. They never saw anything like the man I am in here. But she knew anyway. She said if I stacked up all my good deeds it was just an elegant wall I built to hide what was inside from everyone. And from myself. I had to prove her wrong, so I came back here, because that's what this place does, right? It reveals your true self.

So based on this telling of events, William and Emily have been estranged for at least a year after she blamed him for Juliet's death. 

Emily Westworld Season two HBO

William also told Teddy that this falling out is the reason he returned to the park and discovered the maze.

William:"That time, I didn't join one of Ford's stories, I created my own, a test. A very simple one: I found a woman, an ordinary homesteader and her daughter. I wanted to see if I had it in me to do something truly evil. To see what I was truly made of. I killed her and her daughter, just to see what I felt. Then, just when I thought it was done, the woman refused to die."

Teddy: "You're a f---ing animal."

William: "Well, an animal would've felt something. I felt nothing. And then something miraculous happened. In all my years coming here, I'd never seen anything like it. She was alive, truly alive, if only for a moment. And that was when the maze revealed itself to me."

Teddy: "The maze. What's that damn pattern have to do with this?"

William: "Everything. In Ford's game, even if I go to the outer edges you can't kill me. You can't even leave a lasting mark. But there's a deeper game here, Teddy. Arnold's game, and that game cuts deep."

So William returned to the park in order to confront his own personal demons, which triggered the events of season one we saw unfold as he followed Arnold's maze through the park. 

Now his daughter Emily is in the park, too, and she's clearly a seasoned visitor. 

Emily knows the ins and outs of the park just like her father

Emily The Raj Westworld HBO

When she was very young, William described Emily as "whip smart" and "capable." Now she's in her late-20s, and clearly holding her own. 

As we saw when she was introduced on the third episode of this season, Emily is very familiar with the both The Raj and Westworld parks. She carries a notebook with annotations about the geography of the parks. Emily also speaks the language of the Ghost Nation hosts (Lakota) — a fact which surprised Stubbs when they were temporarily captives together. 

Emily Stubbs Westworld season 2 HBO

Emily also told Stubbs she's not trying to get out of the park. She has a purpose there, but what? Is it linked to her father's quest for purpose within Westworld? 

It's also clear that Ford knew about Emily, and he might be orchestrating their reunion via his beyond-the-grave coding in the hosts. We'll have to wait and see what the father/daughter pair do next in the park in order to see if this is connected to Ford's game about "The Door." 

For more on how William, Emily, and Ford's game might be linked, read our recap of "Riddle of the Sphinx" here. 

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How a tiny camera startup is taking on Amazon and Google

'Westworld' star Jeffrey Wright explains how he's resolving the show's complicated timelines

0
0

Bernard and Drone host Westworld season two episode 4 John P Johnson HBO

Warning: Spoilers ahead for HBO's "Westworld" season two, episode four, "Riddle of the Sphinx."

Sunday's episode of "Westworld" brought back Elsie from her unknown fate after the first season, and revealed more confusing details about the timeline. We also watched as Bernard and Elsie discovered a secret facility where drone hosts were manufacturing host-replicants of real people (including James Delos). 

Bernard told Elsie that Ford sent him to the facility to print a control unit for a new host-human — but who? And when? 

"Bernard is trying to figure that out at as well," actor Jeffrey Wright told INSIDER. 

Though the "Westworld" star is keeping the show's secrets close to his chest, INSIDER spoke with Wright about his portrayal of both Bernard and Arnold, and why his scenes this season might be taking place at any point in the timeline.

Kim Renfro: When we talked last year after Bernard's big reveal as a host, you told me you had a secret conversation with Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy where you are clued in to what was going on with Bernard much earlier than the rest of the cast. Did you have to do anything similar this season, or is everyone in on all the secrets this time around?

Jeffrey Wright: I wasn't in on much this year, because Bernard is in a place in which he's struggling with understanding it, so they wanted to keep me in the dark a little bit. But at the same time, because of logistical concerns, I ended up shooting scenes from probably seven or eight different episodes during the course of the first four or five weeks of filming, so I was able to connect the dots a little bit.

Bernard on beach Westworld season two John P Johnson HBO

I was aware of where things were heading, but aside from that I think I might have been one of the less-informed on set this year. Which would serve the purpose, because it just allowed the process that I was going through to fuse with Bernard's state.

Renfro: Right, because Bernard is experiencing "time slippage" and he doesn't know when memories are happening, even when he's possibly standing with someone. In Sunday's episode, he has this weird moment where he tells Elsie basically "I'm not actually with you right now." He's somehow just experiencing that memory again? 

Wright: Yeah, Bernard is freaking out in a moonage daydream there. He's kind of existing on a few planes at once. Again, going back to those kind of characteristic differences between him and Arnold — Bernard is a machine, so we explore a little bit with what a machine knows and how a machine processes time, and how a machine stores experience and memories.

Bernard and Clementine Westworld season two John P Johnson HBO

And perhaps in some way it's not so very different from the way we, this organic machine, processes these things, so it's a fun exploration around the arbitrariness of time and how time is perhaps a manmade construct to help us. Really it's just a mirage.

We're playing with all of these things that start to dig down into more elemental, existential questions that are more oriented in physics and metaphysics and the larger questions that we might have been exploring in the first season, but now we've added these more granular elements too.

Renfro: Can you tease anything for us regarding the control unit Ford had Bernard print, because that's obviously the biggest question after this episode.

Wright: Yeah. Bernard is trying to figure that out at as well.

Renfro: Can you tell us anything about when Ford would have asked him to do that?

Wright: I think Bernard's trying to remember that too.

Renfro: I went back through the first season, and was comparing your suits asking myself, "Has Bernard ever worn this outfit before?"

Elsie Hughes and  Bernard Lowe   credit John P. Johnson Westworld

Wright: Yeah, Bernard and you are on the same page. That's good.

Renfro: This is an episode where we see how scary Bernard can be, since he gets physical with humans and flexes those superhuman muscles. 

Wright: Well we've seen it before with the unfortunate episode with Theresa. We see it emerge a bit more now, and yeah Bernard is mild-mannered, reserved, and self-deprecating until he's not — and then you probably want to give him a wide berth. You might want to give him space.

I think what we like to play with in those instances is how calculating he is and how he responds in those situations with a type of exact science specificity and efficiency. It's just about what's required for the task at hand, what will cause the biggest end result through the most cost-effective use of energy. It's fun to play with.

Dolores and Bernard Arnold Westworld finale

Renfro: I've noticed a very subtle physical difference between the way you portray Bernard versus Arnold. How do you approach that aspect of playing both characters?

Wright: It's really defined by what's on the page and by the relationship that each of the characters has with others in the space, so the relationship that Arnold has with Dolores is a very specific one. There's a paternal quality to it. There is very much a nurturing quality to it, and it's more blood-filled, it's human.

All of that existed on the page, and so I just tried to communicate that as necessary through the language and through the emotional connections and through the physicality.

[Arnold] is a bit more cold-blooded, whereas Bernard is much more understated. His relationships are a bit more distant, a bit more isolated, and so that played itself out in his portrayal. It's really just trying to be attuned to what's written that informs the differences.

For more on Sunday's "Westworld," including our deep dive into the importance of Ghost Nation hosts on the show, read all of INSIDER's coverage here.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reveals what it's like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world — and why he's willing to spend $1 billion a year to fund the most important mission of his life

9 details you might have missed on the latest episode of 'Westworld'

0
0

James Delos Westworld season two

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Westworld" season two, episode four, "Riddle of the Sphinx."

HBO's second season of "Westworld" powered on with a supercharged episode directed by co-creator Lisa Joy. From the return of Elsie to the reveal of Emily (William's daughter), there was a lot of new info to track. Though certain parts of the timeline are more confusing than ever with Bernard's time slippage, we're here to bring clarity on the major storylines in the series.

Keep reading for a look at nine major details you might have missed on the latest episode.

The episode opens with a long take shot of James Delos in the research facility, echoing an iconic episode of "Lost."

From the record player to the exercise bike and more, the mysterious introduction of a host-version of James Delos felt similar to the way "Lost" surprised fans with Desmond and the hatch on the second season of ABC's hit series.

Not only did J.J. Abrams both co-create "Lost" and executive produce "Westworld," but the two shows often get compared due to each series' rabid fan bases' attempts at unlocking the many mysteries presented. 

According to Vanity Fair's Joanna Robinson, this parallel was not intentional on Lisa Joy's behalf (though it won't stop "Lost" fans from enjoying the opening).



The three sequences with William testing Host-James gives us a better understanding of the timeline of events.

Thanks to context clues about how long James Delos has been dead, and the mention of Juliet's suicide in the third meeting, we now have a more fleshed out timeline of events.

The above snippet is just part of INSIDER's complete timeline of important scenes on "Westworld."You can see the full version of the timeline here



The room Host-James lives in was teased on a semi-hidden "Westworld" website.

The "Delos Incorporated" website created by HBO has a login prompt in the top right corner. If you type in "XomegaCH" (the password Charlotte Hale used on a computer back on the first episode of the second season), you're taken to a new page. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

John Oliver mocks AT&T for paying Michael Cohen to 'understand' Trump's thinking

0
0

john oliver michael cohen

  • John Oliver on Sunday's "Last Week Tonight" mocked AT&T for paying Michael Cohen, President Trump's personal attorney, for "insights into understanding" Trump's thinking. 
  • "They put their trust in a political novice who turned out to be a total moron and was actually just bilking them for personal gain," Oliver said of AT&T and the several companies that admitted to paying Cohen.
  • "You want to know how the Trump administration works? Congratulations, you just got a f---ing master class," he continued. 

John Oliver turned his attention, on the latest episode of "Last Week Tonight," to the series of controversies surrounding President Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen. 

"Donald Trump's personal lawyer and a lawyer so sh---y, he made Trump say, 'I need someone good — get me Rudy Giuliani on the phone,'" Oliver joked. 

In January, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Cohen had facilitated a $130,000 hush payment to the porn actress Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election campaign to prevent her from coming forward about an alleged affair with Trump.  

Last week, Cohen drew further scrutiny after a report from Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, alleged that Cohen's shell company, Essential Consultants LLC, accepted payments from corporations that included AT&T, Novartis, and Korea Aerospace Industries. 

Oliver proceeded to mock AT&T, which is currently in a legal battle with the Justice Department over its proposed merger with HBO's parent company, Time Warner, for the company's statement addressing the controversy, saying that they paid Cohen to "provide insights into understanding the new administration."

"If you want to understand this president’s thinking," Oliver said, "simply have a donkey kick you in the head five times and then watch Fox News for 72 hours straight. That would give you a pretty good idea of what’s going on his mind."

"These companies got exactly what they paid for, because they wanted to understand how the Trump administration worked, and think about it: They put their trust in a political novice who turned out to be a total moron and was actually just bilking them for personal gain," Oliver said of Cohen.

"So, you want to know how the Trump administration works? Congratulations, you just got a f---ing master class."

Watch a clip from the episode below: 

SEE ALSO: The best TV show of 2018 on each network so far — from FX to Netflix to HBO

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reveals what it's like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world — and why he's willing to spend $1 billion a year to fund the most important mission of his life

All the new TV shows coming in the next year that just got announced

0
0

i feel bad nbc

Network TV is setting up their schedules for the new year — getting rid of some of the old, bringing back some favorites, and adding what they hope will stick.

New shows for the 2018-2019 season are being unveiled this weeks at an annual event known as upfronts.

This year's new shows have several name actors attached, including Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Brian d'Arcy James, and Natalie Morales.

Here are the new shows that have just been picked up by the networks:

Note: updated as networks announce decisions and release photos and trailers.

"Abby's" (NBC)

Stars: Natalie Morales, Nelson Franklin, Kimia Behpoornia, Jessica Chaffin, Leonard Ouzts, and Neil Flynn.

Network synopsis:"From the producers of 'The Good Place' comes a hilariously aspirational new comedy about the best bar in San Diego, home to good prices, great company, and, of course, Abby. This unlicensed, makeshift bar nestled in her backyard is the opposite of everything annoying about today's party scene. There are rules at Abby's: no cell phones (not even to 'look something up'), earning a seat at the bar takes time, and losing a challenge means drinking a limey, sugary 'not-beer' drink. As the oddball cast of regulars will tell you, hanging out at Abby's is a coveted honor. But once you're in, you're family."

Expected premiere: Midseason



"America's Got Talent: The Champions" (NBC)

Stars: N/A

Network synopsis: A brand new in-season spin-off "America's Got Talent,""The Champions," comes from executive producer and key judge Simon Cowell.

Expected premiere: Mondays in January and February 2019



"The Cool Kids" (Fox)

Stars: David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, Leslie Jordan, and Vicki Lawrence.

Network synopsis:"'The Cool Kids is a multi-camera comedy about a rag-tag group of friends living in a retirement community who are willing to break every rule in order to have fun — because, at their age, what do they really have to lose. Hank is the leader of this motley crew, a gruff, opinionated, 21st-century Archie Bunker who will go to any lengths to have a good time. His loyal, but less than helpful, friends include Charlie, a bumbling storyteller who constantly goes off on tangents about some bizarre, barely believable episode from his life; and Sid, a naysaying, pill-popping hypochondriac who shoots down every scheme, but still gets roped in. Complicating matters is Margaret, a brash, confident woman who forces her way into their group and refuses to leave because she's not going to take crap from anyone — especially not these three. But what unites them all is their shared belief that they're not done yet — not by a long shot. Growing old with dignity is for chumps. Our self-proclaimed 'cool kids'are determined to make the third act of the lives the craziest one yet."

Expected premiere: Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET, fall 2018



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman says he was fired from a TV show after questioning his stereotypical role: 'I found myself conflicted'

0
0

chadwick boseman howard university commencement

  • Chadwick Boseman said he was fired from a TV show early in his career after questioning his role's stereotypical details.
  • He said the role was that of a young black man with a violent streak and absentee parents.
  • After discussing it with the show's executives, he was fired.
  • The show may have been ABC's "All My Children," where Michael B. Jordan, his "Black Panther" co-star, replaced him.
  • Boseman gave the remarks during his commencement speech at Howard University, which you can watch below.

 

"Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman gave a commencement speech at Howard University Saturday where he said he was fired from a TV show early in his career after questioning the negative stereotypes of his role.

"I was promised to make six figures, more money than I had ever seen. I was feeling myself," Boseman said. "Once I saw the role I was playing, I found myself conflicted... this role seemed to be wrapped up in assumptions about us as black folk."

Boseman said the role — in a soap opera on a major network — was possibly stereotypical. He played a young black man "with a violent streak pulled into the allure of gang involvement" and with "barely a glimpse of positivity or talent in the character." Boseman didn't want to judge the character, but he brought it up in a meeting with the show's executives after filming the first couple of episodes.

It didn't go well.

"I was let go from that job the next day," Boseman said. "The questions I asked caught the producers off guard. It perhaps paved the way for a less stereotypical portrayal for the black actor that stepped into the role after me."

chadwick boseman howard university

He told the full story in detail:

"It was just my luck that after filming the first two episodes, the execs called me up to their office and told me how happy they were with my performance. They wanted me to be around for a long time. They said, if there was anything that I needed, just let them know.

That was my opening. I decided to ask them some simple questions about the background of my character. Questions I felt were pertinent to the plot.

Question number one, 'Where's my father?'

The exact answer: 'He left when you were younger.'

Of course. OK.

Question number two: 'In this script, it alluded to my mother not being equipped to be a good parent. So why exactly would my brother and I have to go to foster care?'

Matter of factly, he answered, 'Well, of course, she's on heroin.'

'That could be real, I guess. But I didn't want to assume that's what it was. If we're out here assuming that the black characters in the show are criminals on drugs and deadbeat parents, then that would probably be stereotypical, wouldn't it?'

That word stereotypical lingered. One of the execs pulled out my resume and began studying it. The other exec wore a smile, trying to live up to what they had promised me only a few moments before: 'If there's anything you need, just let us know.' She said, 'As you have seen, things more fast around here. But we are more than happy to connect you to the writers if you have suggestions.'

'Yeah, I said, that would be great. Because I'm just trying to do my homework on this. I didn't know if you guys had decided on the facts, but maybe there was something we could come up with. Some talent or gift that we could build. Maybe he's good at math or something. He has to be active. I'm doing my best not to play this character like a victim.'

I was let go from that job the next day. A phone call from my agent: 'They decided to go another way.'"

Boseman didn't specify which show he was on. But, as HuffPost noted, Boseman's first credited professional role was on the ABC soap opera "All My Children," where he briefly played the gang member Reggie Porter Montgomery. Boseman was later replaced by none other than Michael B. Jordan, the very same actor who played Erik Killmonger in "Black Panther."

Jordan played the role for three years. In a 2015 interview with GQ, he had the same criticisms that Boseman had with the role.

"No dad, no mom, a f---ing stereotypical black role in a soap opera," Jordan said. "And I saw the stereotype, so moving forward I was like, 'Nah, those are the roles I don’t want to play.'"

killmonger black panther michael b jordan

During his commencement speech, Boseman praised his undergraduate years at Howard University — a historically black college — with preparing him for his major film roles.

"I stand here today knowing that my Howard University education prepared me to play Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and T'Challa," Boseman said.

At the end of his speech, Boseman gave the Wakanda salute, adapting it for his alma mater.

"Howard forever," he said.

You can watch Chadwick Boseman's full commencement address below:

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What will probably happen with the North and South Korean peace treaty

All your favorite Netflix original shows that have been renewed for another season

0
0

lost in space netflix

Netflix has begun to cancel shows, but that doesn't mean it's getting rid of your favorites.

41 Netflix original series will be returning with new seasons in the near future.

Only a handful of the series have official release dates, including the upcoming premieres of "Arrested Development" and "GLOW."

This week, the streaming service announced the renewal of "Lost In Space," its modernized reboot of a 1960s CBS sci-fi series. 

Other hit Netflix shows that have been renewed by the streaming service, like "Stranger Things" and "Black Mirror," are either in production or awaiting release.

For this list, we have included only renewed Netflix series that are yet to air, and we've included official release dates if applicable. We've excluded children's shows and reality series.

Here are the 41 Netflix original series that are coming back for another season:

SEE ALSO: All 65 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

"Arrested Development" (Season 5) — Premieres May 29

Date renewed: May 17, 2017



"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Season 4) — Premieres May 30



"Marvel's Luke Cage" (Season 2) — Premieres June 22



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

‘Westworld’ fans say the latest episode is the best of the entire series — and even stars of the show are crediting the new director

0
0

Lisa Joy director Westworld season two HBO

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for Sunday's episode of  "Westworld."

On Sunday, HBO's second season of "Westworld" continued with co-creator Lisa Joy's directorial debut, "Riddle of the Sphinx." Fans of the show are already calling it one of the best in the series so far, and the stars of "Westworld" are just as thrilled with Joy's creative storytelling.

"What's remarkable and wonderful about Lisa is that you want to give her everything that she asks for, and more," Jeffrey Wright, who plays Bernard, told INSIDER. "You just want to deliver for her because she's so wonderfully supportive, and so, in turn, you want to be there for her."

Bernard and Drone host Westworld season two episode 4 John P Johnson HBO

"She's also just a super interesting thinker and clear in her vision and highly organized," Wright said. "You put all that together, and you just want to bring it for her. In the midst of a 19-hour day, like the 18th hour, she still defaults toward self-effacing humor and the absurdity of it all but with a focus on doing something special."

Joy is married to"Westworld" co-creator Jonathan Nolan. He's directed a handful of episodes, and co-writes many of the scripts. But as noted, this was Joy's first time taking a seat in the director's chair on the series.

"Lisa's the better half of that marriage, and the other half is pretty extraordinary too," Wright said. "She's Lisa Joy. She's aptly named."

Wright's fellow "Westworld" stars have piled on the praise through social media, calling Joy the "future of storytelling" and a "personal hero."

Read more from INSIDER's conversation with Jeffrey Wright, and follow along with all of our "Westworld" coverage here. You can watch a behind-the-scenes video with Lisa Joy and the "Westworld" cast below to see her directing in action.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why you should never release your pet goldfish into the wild

Viewing all 7868 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images