Need to add some more insults to your repertoire? Tune into Season 2 of Vicious Sunday nights on PBS at 10:30/9:30c.
Check out my post on Rewire on the top 5 reasons to watch this comedy with Sir Ian McKellan and Derek Jacobi.
Playing House, Season 2 is almost here! Let’s celebrate this show home to USA Network.
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS … but just deal with it and read on.
You still have time to binge-watch USA Network’s comedy Playing House, which airs Tuesday, August 4. Well, you don’t have a lot of time, so maybe you’re in a need of a “mental health” day and this show is sure to do the trick. To fans of this show, yes, USA Network FINALLY made the decision to renew it – seriously what took so long? You renew Chrisley Knows Best in a hot second and leave the fans of this show hanging for months. Playing House is everything audiences need in a show right now. Don’t get me wrong, I love the psychological thrillers, the supernatural gore, and the postapocalyptic zombies, but to watch a half hour comedy that’s filled with hilarious banter, loving relationships, and Kenny Loggins’ music, is really refreshing.
The show centers on two childhood BFFs, Maggie (played by Lennon Parham) and Emma (played by Jessica St. Clair), who have stayed best friends throughout the years, but took very different directions throughout their lives. They soon end up on the same path when a sexual encounter at a baby shower changes everything.
Emma has come back to her hometown from her big job in China to visit Maggie for her baby shower. Emma hasn’t been home in years and she runs into a lot of folks that she probably didn’t want to see. During the baby shower Maggie’s brother, Zach (played by Zach Woods), and Emma start to show a beautiful video of Maggie’s life and all of sudden, Bruce, Maggie’s husband, is caught on a live-feed, video-sexing with MunichMuncher69. While helping Maggie deal with her life turning upside down, Emma screws up big time during an important video conference. Her boss tells her to take the next flight to China or be fired. Well, Bruce isn’t going to cut it and Maggie kicks him to the curb. After a proposal from Maggie, Emma chooses her best friend over her job and they decide to go through this pregnancy together.
Did I mention Key and Peele star, Keegan-Michael Key, is in this show?! He plays Emma’s old high school boyfriend, Mark. There might be some old feelings between them, but he’s married to “Bird Bones” (you’ll have to watch to see why that’s Lindsay Sloane‘s character’s nickname). He’s also a police officer in the town – I mean he solved a gnome mystery, very serious stuff.
Emma and Maggie have a special bond with each other in which most people can relate to with their best friend. They’re strong, independent and hilarious. The actors have amazing chemistry, probably because Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair are biffles in real life and also co-created and co-wrote the show. You’ll laugh, cry and want to be their best friends – both on set and off, because I bet they have a blast together.
We left off with Maggie having her baby and Emma driving them down Main Street, celebrating them home to the sound of Kenny Loggins. Season 2 sounds like it will be “totes kewl” because Kenny Loggins will be guest starring in the Season 2 finale and Maggie gets a visit from HGTV‘s Property Brothers in the premiere, PLUS more Bosephus! (I’m thinking my Halloween costume is set for this year).
Tune in for the season premiere of Playing House on USA at 10/9c on August 4.
Watch all episodes from Season 1 online.
http://https://youtu.be/EI8YhTam8zk
Mr. Robot: Episode 1
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS
I know very little about coding and hacking so I was worried that a lot of this show might go over my head. Of course, a few things did, but man, this is a new hit show for USA Network. From the first line, I was drawn to Elliot’s voice (Rami Malek – Need for Speed, Night at the Museum) and his screen presence. You can’t take your eyes off of him! Watch the first five minutes to see for yourself in this extended preview.
His character is lonely and socially awkward and takes morphine on the reg to manage the feeling of isolation. His only friends are his pet fish and his childhood friend, who works with him at his day job in cyber security. What caught my eye was the cinematography that portrays the differences between his day job and his nighttime vigilantism of hacking people who do bad things, such as child pornography peddlers. His office life is filmed with bright, fluorescent lighting. Everything is pretty dull from the cubes, the coloring on the walls and even the clothes he wears. When he punches out and zips up his hoodie (his Bruce Wayne to Batman change) the shots become darker and are filmed in a sepia-like filter, showing that he’s got this other side – his more mysterious hacker side.
We meet Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) yet don’t find out much about him, and he has a very interesting proposal for Elliot – to take down E(vil) Corporation – which is a firm his day job protects from security breaches like the one Mr. Robot wants to initiate. Due to the Chief Technology Officer of E. Corp being an “arrogant moron” and disrespecting someone Elliot cares about, he takes Mr. Robot up on this offer. At the end of the episode Elliot is brought in to room full of men in black suits – including the VP of Technology for the company they plan to take down…are they after him? Or are they in on it?
I can’t wait to see how they develop Elliot’s character and the storyline in this fast-paced thriller. I believe this is a breakout role for Rami Malek and we’ll be seeing a lot more of him. And it’s always fun to watch Christian Slater – he plays such interesting characters (Heathers, Pump Up the Volume)
One final note: I love the opening! I’m usually a fan of a theme song and cast introduction, but this is crisp, clean, and fits the show. Domo Arigato – Mr. Robot – for getting me hooked with the pilot episode.
Catch the premiere episode of Mr. Robot on USA at 10/9c on Wednesday, June 24 or watch it early online here.
WARNING: May Contain Spoilers
Graceland (2013)
USA Network’s show, Graceland, returns for its third season next week! If you’re not caught up or haven’t started this show I suggest you start binge-watching now – I believe in you – 25 episodes in 7 days is nothing!
Right now both Season 1 and 2 are on Netflix and Season 2 is streaming on USA. If you’re still on Season 1 – keep going! I agree, it was a little slow and didn’t get into its rhythm until about halfway through, BUT Season 2 was quite a doozy. Stop reading if you’re not caught up and see what’s in store for our agents in this Season 3 promo.
It’s time to atone. Find out who has to pay penance during the Season 3 Premiere on June 25 at 10/9c. https://t.co/jHZZ1h8USI
— Graceland (@GracelandTV) June 8, 2015
I need to know! Is Mike (Aaron Tveit) really dead? He hasn’t appeared in any of the Season 3 promos and we see Briggs and Mike’s possible murderer in a cemetery, but nothing is as it ever seems in the TV world. Maybe he “dies” and then goes into witness protection? Ghost Mike…eh, that’s not really this show’s style. Maybe Mike wasn’t really Mike and wore one of those Mission Impossible masks – which is always confusing. There has to be twist!
Yes, Mike did some super shady things last season, but the rest of the house is FAR from perfect. Paige (Serinda Swan) set Mike up, so if he is dead, she basically killed him – thanks a lot. She better not be able to stay in the awesome beachfront home … and tbh, wouldn’t you feel a little awkward? Maybe take it upon yourself to leave? Start with this conversation: “Hey, sorry it’s totes my fault that dude just suffocated Mike (or did he) and I just feel like I should leave. Peace out girl scouts.”
And Briggs (Daniel Sunjata)? Well that tape of him killing Juan Badillo – who was pretending to be Jangles – comes back into Briggs’ life. I think Badillo should’ve thought his plan through – don’t go up to a drunk, trained agent, who you know has a personal vendetta against Jangles (because he tortured Briggs, killed his friends, and the love of his life) and think he won’t fight back – especially when you have a gun. Come on Badillo – now your poor plan and Briggs’ poor cover-up won’t go away. Oh, and Briggs and Charlie have a baby on the way. I think Graceland is a great environment for a baby, don’t you? I’m curious to see how they work this one in – or maybe they just delay the arrival of the baby for another season.
This show really hit its stride in Season 2 and I hope it continues to do so in this upcoming season. My request for Season 3 is more Johnny (Manny Montana). They started to develop his character in Season 2 and he became my favorite – he’s more than just the funny man – Johnny is becoming a really deep character and I want to know more about him, please and thank you, writers of Graceland.
Catch the premiere of Season 3 Thursday, June 25 on USA Network at 10/9c. Binge-watch season 2 on USA Network or Netflix right now or just re-watch, which I plan to do!
Mantha Says What 