Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

When Major Crimes returns for its second season this summer, Captain Raydor’s (Mary McDonnell) estranged, not-quite-ex-husband Jackson Raydor will be showing up. There has been no casting announcement made yet, but his character is being described as a charming and devilish rascal on hiatus from his career as a lawyer to pursue his main passion: gambling. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actors Sam Page (Switched at Birth and Mad Men) and Sinqua Walls (Friday Night Lights and Teen Wolf) as well as actress Kate Miner (Hellcats and Persons Unknown) have joined the cast of Necessary Roughness. Miner will appear in at least four episodes in the recurring role of Sheera Kane, an up-and-coming model with a wild streak who catches TK’s (Mehcad Brooks) eye. Walls will in at least one episode as basketball player Devon Langer, the son of Lana (who will be played by guest star Garcelle Beauvais). Page will appear in at least two episode, playing Sam Conte, a V3 agent who represents one of Dani’s (Callie Thorne) clients. A talented agent, Sam would love to mix business and pleasure with Dani. He will appear in two episodes, the first of which will be episode four. Necessary Roughness will be back on the USA Network on June 12. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has given the following dramas renewals for this fall: Parenthood, Revolution, Chicago Fire, Grimm and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. (Variety)

The short-lived NBC drama Do No Harm that was pulled after only two episodes earlier this year will actually get a chance to burn-off the rest of its episodes this summer. It will start airing those remaining episodes on NBC starting on Saturday, June 29 at 10 PM. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: First Trailer for Judy Blume’s ‘Tiger Eyes’ Feature Adaptation

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Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online)

Question: Welcome to your new email address! I’m still reeling from the NCIS cliffhanger. What else can you tell us about the upcoming episodes? –Cheryl

Mitovich: And congrats to you, Cheryl, for being the one of 100-plus NCIS emails I chose. This much I can share: Next Tuesday’s episode picks up right where we left off, with Tony and Ziva in the crashed car; no time-jump into a hustling-bustling hospital ER room here. Also, viewers won’t have to wait long to find out who it was that Michael Vaughn’d their vehicle.

Question: Tell us Castle and Beckett are not breaking up in the finale! OK, I know you can’t answer that, but give us something to make us feel better? –Rida

Mitovich: Hmm. Would it make you feel better to have insight into how Andrew W. Marlowe decided wherever it is that Kate and Rick end up at 10:55 pm on May 13? When first planning a finale, the series creator explains, “You have a great map, but it’s like driving through fog a little bit – the closer you get, the clearer it gets. So about seven or eight episodes out, I knew ballpark where I wanted to land.” And versus yet another capper tied to Beckett’s mother’s murder, “I wanted a quieter, more emotional finale, without the fireworks,” he says. “In this one, something comes out of left field that both characters have to wrestle with, something that would be a challenge to any relationship.”

Question: Got any scoop on Once Upon a Time? –Mundo Magico

Mitovich: In an upcoming TVLine Q&A, Lana Parrilla has plenty of wonderful things to say (and tease) about the final three episodes, including how the May 12 finale features “a very sobering moment, where the audience will be very surprised to see some characters have to come together, to work together, to save one another.”

Question: How will Royal Pains handle Hank’s medical situation when the show returns in June? Last we saw, he had suffered a stroke-like emergency from the explosion at Shadow Pond. Will the show pick up with his recovery? –Laura

Mitovich: I have four words that may point you in the right direction: Five. Month. Time. Jump.

Question: The Nikita writers wouldn’t do anything as obvious as killing off Michael in a finale titled “Til Death Do Us Part…” would they? –Lora

Mitovich: “We have some pretty big deaths coming up,” EP Craig Silverstein spilled in out May Sweeps/Finales Scoopapalooza. And the finale itself, he added, uncorks “one of the most WTF shocks” of the season.

Question: Can you please get info on Vikings? –Lyn

Mitovich: Oh, I’ve got tons, and it’s all coming your way soon. But until then, I shall taunt you with this context-free quote from series creator Michael Hirst, that despite what happens in Sunday’s finale, “I’m very happy to reassure audiences that Lagertha will continue to be a very, very important and major character in the show, for a very long time.”

Question: I love the dynamic between Defiance’s Amanda and Nolan, they make such a good pairing. Any scoop you could share about them? – Lily

Team Watch with Kristin: Absolutely! When we talked with Grant Bowler and Julie Benz about their characters’ arcs for the season, they remained pretty coy. But we managed to drag one thing out of them: Fans of Amanda and Nolan’s chemistry will not be disappointed by the final episodes of the season.

Question: Awkward is better than ever this season! Any scoop to share? – Conor

Team Watch with Kristin: Awkward is getting its election on! Things will get pretty crazy at Palos Hills High School when it’s time for student council elections and the competition will be fierce. Expect to see one freshman girl encounter the wrath of a certain upper classman when she tries to run for treasurer. Poor girl, she’s going to be eaten alive!

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!