Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Sundance TV is adding another drama to its ranks in the form of Babylon, a workplace satire set inside a modern police force, Brit Marling (Another Earth) and James Nesbitt (The Hobbit) star in the drama that centers on an earnest executive who attempts to modernize the culture only to discover her certainties shattered and herself undermined in the murky realpolitik of contemporary policing. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Jaime Ray Newman (Red Widow and Eastwick) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Franklin & Bash, playing Anita Haskin’s (Toni Trucks) law-school nemesis Cheryl Koch. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Edgar Ramirez (The Counselor and The Bourne Ultimatum) is supposedly going to take Gerard Butler’s place in the planned remake of Point Break, playing the role of Bodhi, which was played by Patrick Swayze in the original. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

Actress Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy) has joined the cast of the Pitch Perfect sequel. She will play the mother of new cast member Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit). (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online, Natalie Abrams at TV Guide and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: I saw Marc Guggenheim tease on Twitter that someone will say “I love you” in the Arrow finale. Any scoop on who says it?! – Carly

TV Scoop Team: “I can’t say s–t about that!” Stephen Amell said when we asked if Oliver is the one dropping those three little words. “I can’t say anything about that line!” However, Amell teased, “Possibly the loudest reaction from viewers in the finale will take place in a moment of complete silence.”

Question: I cannot get over Revenge’s finale! David Clarke’s return was insane! But will Emily’s mother also return in season four? – Meghan S.

TV Scoop Team: Kara is still out there, so it’s a definite possibility, showrunner Sunil Nayar hinted to us. “She’s definitely come up in conversations. Season four is going to be much more about the nature of Emily’s family as opposed to the Grayson family than it’s ever been before,” he spilled. “She’s someone we’re talking about, but we haven’t figured out the stories yet, but we love her and we love the character. You never know, she could pop up.”

Question: I’m still processing that Castle cliff-hanger. Who ran Castle’s car off the road? — Linda

Natalie: Although there are a number of possibilities (3XK comes to mind, for example), it sounds like at least one person isn’t involved: the recently arrested Sen. William Bracken. “I think that aspect of the mythology is closed now,” creator Andrew W. Marlowe says. “Beckett knows who killed her mother. If there’s further storytelling there, I think we’re going to be breaking new ground.” And for those fans miffed that we didn’t get to see Castle and Beckett’s wedding, look on the bright side: The show will have a fresh budget to work with in Season 7! “That’s right,” Marlowe says with a laugh. “We were running on fumes, financially, at the end of this year.” When can we expect our diamond-encrusted invite?

Question: I’m confused about The Blacklist. Did the burn scars on Red’s back mean that he’s Liz’s father? — Evan

Natalie: Creator Jon Bokenkamp thought he made it pretty clear in our postmortem that Red is not Liz’s dad, but I went back to the source to double check. “All I would say is that Red was obviously there during that fire,” Bokenkamp says. “Or so it would seem. Don’t think it means he’s her father — he has said no to that question, after all.” Everybody clear now?

Question: Is this the final chapter for 24 or do you think there will be more? — Brandon

Natalie: No official decisions have been made at this point, but there’s at least one person who’s confident the show will go on. “When [the idea] was first delivered…it was delivered as this is wrapping up the franchise,” Mary Lynn Rajskub says. “But when the rewrites came back… it must have felt fresh enough [because] everyone was really happy. I would be really surprised if they didn’t do more after this installment.” Whether or not that turns out to be true, the writers certainly aren’t approaching this as the ultimate ending. “We’re not going to kill him, I can guarantee you that,” co-creator and executive producer Robert Cochran says.

Question: I need more Once Upon a Time scoop! — Karen

Natalie: Now that Rumple has pledged his life to Belle, he’s going to have a tough time lying to her about his role in Zelena’s death. Could this be the first crack in his seemingly unbreakable façade? “It’s probably not going to be easy for him,” executive producer Adam Horowitz tells me. “Those were genuine vows and he loves Belle, but he’s got his own weaknesses that he has to fight.” It’s like they always say: The best marriages are the ones built on lies! (What? No one says that?)

Question: Does Branch survive on Longmire? — Caleb

Natalie: Being shot is actually the least of Branch’s worries when the drama returns for Season 3. Suffice it to say, Branch is not in top condition when he sets out to find the White Warrior who shot him. His failing health impairs his judgment in a way that makes it nearly impossible for him to keep the trust of those around him — especially Cady, who has a particularly scary run-in with Branch in the premiere.

Question: How long will Layla and Will be able to keep up their reality show charade on Nashville? — Michael

Natalie: Not very long! “He is the kind of guy who cracks under pressure,” Chris Carmack says. “With this reality show, the camera’s on him 24/7. He can’t punch a wall and then apologize and be good old Will.” When that pressure reaches fever pitch in the finale, Will is forced to have an extremely uncomfortable conversation with Layla. But will that conversation stay private?

Question: I can’t wait for Graceland to return! — Laura

Natalie: Fortunately for you, I’ve already screened the premiere. Needless to say Mike won’t be away from Graceland for long. And while his return from D.C. won’t please everyone, there’s at least one party eagerly awaiting his arrival: the Caza Cartel, which has put a price on Mike’s head!

Question: What can you tease about the Arrow finale? — Tiger

Natalie: Diggle and Deadshot will cross paths again when Arrow’s right-hand man is tasked with preventing A.R.G.U.S. from destroying Starling City. “There’s a fairly big development with Diggle in the finale that will set up his story for next year,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim teases. “We get to see Amanda Waller again, and the episode helps explain how Amanda knows so much about Oliver Queen.”

Question: I am dying for any scoop on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Please tell me you have something. –Dee

Mitovich: As a matter of fact, just as the season finale faded to black on Tuesday night, we asked Clark Gregg about Coulson’s plum new job title. “It’s a very important gig,” he acknowledged. “I saw it [Monday] night for the first time myself, and I got choked up watching it. As someone who grew up reading the S.H.I.E.L.D. comics, I kind of couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It is a big deal” — especially given the second post-credits scene, which suggested that all is not right in Coulson’s mind. “I think it’s interesting that Director Fury gave Agent Coulson this job, given that he still has GH-325 pumping through him,” Gregg observed. “We don’t know 100 percent what he is, but we’ll see what happens. It’ll be an exciting Season 2.”

Question: Is there now going to be tension again between Once Upon a Time’s Emma and Regina? They developed so well this season! –Tass

Mitovich: While Jennifer Morrison concurs that it was “cool and interesting” to explore “this idea of these adversaries finding common ground to save Henry,” she also says, “It makes sense that we’re going back to a place where these two women are going to be adversaries.” Surveying Emma’s bit of time travel tampering, she adds, “Emma definitely wants Regina to be with Robin, and she never would have intentionally done anything to hurt that. But she’d also never let someone die in the circumstance that [Marian] was in. So it’s one of those situations where doing the right thing is going to have terrible repercussions. But I think it’s good for the show. We should have conflict between Regina and Emma, because that’s where the show got its feet in the first place,”

Question: Besides Elsa, can we expect other Frozen characters to show up on Once Upon a Time? Maybe a CGI Olaf? –Heather

Mitovich: I like warm hugs and my sons and I love Olaf, so I was sure to ask Adam and Eddy precisely that: Do you wanna build a CGI snowman? They responded with a laugh, followed by a firm, “No comment.”

Question: In the new season of Major Crimes (premiering June 9), is there a chance for a deeper development of a friendship between Sharon and Andy? If yes, is there a chance for anything romantic? –Ilona

Mitovich: “They’re getting closer…,” Tony Dennison, who plays Det. Flynn, told me this morning. “I don’t really know the specific details about how it will progress, but it seems like it is progressing. I mean, they’re been going out for dinners and stuff, so

Question: Do you have any spoilers on The Vampire Diaries and on The Originals and on Pretty Little Liars? –Nancy

Mitovich: Pretty Little Liars it is! I’m hearing that the Liars are heading back to Radley Sanitarium — and they’ve got company. A Season 5 episode will introduce viewers to “Big Rhonda,” a 19-year-old patient described as “unkempt, disruptive and unsettling.” Somehow I don’t see her fitting into the girls’ inner circle.

Question: It wasn’t right how Castle Season 6 ended, but I do believe it has something to do with Castle’s dad. Is he going to make an appearance in Season 7? –Nola

Mitovich: When I asked show boss Andrew W. Marlowe if he had in mind a third beat for the Jackson Hunt/Spy Daddy storyline, he said, “There’s always stuff floating in the back of our minds, but it all depends on [James] Brolin’s availability and finding a story that makes sense and honors the characters.” So I myself am speculating no, Castle’s dad was not involved in that finale twist.

Question: The Nashville finale promo is driving me mad. Please tell me Rayna doesn’t get engaged to Luke. –S.D.

Mitovich: Will Chase, who will become a series regular in Season 3, played it right down the middle when we felt him out about just that. “Oh, you know TV — it could be yes and it could be no. Or I could be in a car crash and all of a sudden be, like, evil,” he shared with a laugh. “My gut says that Luke and Rayna will end up [together], but you never know.” And yet, we’d think he knows, right?

Question: What did Orphan Black‘s Mrs. S. mean when she said she knew “what” Sarah is? –Claire

Mitovich: That is the million-dollar question the latest episode left us with, but Maria Doyle Kennedy won’t disclose any details. “I do feel that she has a lot more information than anybody realizes,” she says. After parting ways with Carlton all those years ago, “I think she went to investigate as much as she could everything surrounding Carlton and Sarah and their lives together in order to protect herself, so that she would have as much information as she could,” the actress ventures. “That was she was always one move ahead of anybody who might be coming after her.”

That’s it. Enjoy!