Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for after Christmas and before New Year’s Eve:

TELEVISION

The Flash has been renewed for another season of speedy adventures. (Nathalie Caron at Blastr)

Actor Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) will appear in at least two episodes of Hawaii Five-0 next year, playing a reformed criminal, originally from Staten Island, who has a passion for surfing. Now, he owns an Oahu-based barbershop and acts as a confidential informant. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past holiday weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 41.4 million
2. Unbroken – 31.7 million
3. Into the Woods – 31 million
4. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – 20.6 million
5. Annie – 16.6 million
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – 10 million
7. The Gambler – 9.3 million
8. The Imitation Game – 7.9 million
9. Exodus: Gods and Kings – 6.7 million
10. Wild – 5.4 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Q&A SECTION (with Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: I know it’s early yet, but any Once Upon a Time scoop to get us through this hiatus? —Jenny

Ausiello: As Season 4 unfolds starting March 1, new flashbacks will highlight the Charmings, Ursula’s origin story, more of Captain Hook’s past and the tale of how Regina first met Maleficent.

Question: I was wondering how, after Arrow‘s stunning midseason twist of “killing” Oliver Queen, Felicity would react. Felicity was clearly hurt when Oliver kept pushing her away, and now that he finally tells her he loves her — she was his last dying thought! — and now she’s lost him again! –Julie

Ausiello: I will just remind you that when Matt Mitovich last Q&A’d Emily Bett Rickards, she had just wrapped filming “a sad moment” for Episode 10 — aka the midseason opener, airing Jan. 21 — and it had left her “drained.” (Elsewhere on Team Arrow, Marc Guggenheim told us that in the same episode, David Ramsey “shot what I would describe as his most emotional scene…. David breaks your heart with his performance.” So, yeah. Kleenex.)

Question: Any scoop on Arrow? —Anita

Ausiello: We haven’t seen the last of Thea’s DJ-boytoy, played by Austin Butler. “Like a lot of our characters, there’s maybe a little bit more to him than meets the eye,” exec producer Greg Berlanti teases. And will her papa Malcolm Merlyn have a take on the new guy in his daughter’s life? Says Berlanti with a laugh: “It would be surprising if he didn’t.”

Question: In a recent episode of Forever, Jane Seymour played Abe’s twice-divorced wife — but Henry had never met her. How does the show explain that? —Angie

Ausiello: Easy, says star Ioan Gruffudd: It doesn’t. (At least, not yet.) “That’s a very good question!” he says, laughing. “It will be interesting to find out what that period of time was and why they were apart. Was it to protect Abe? Was it to protect the secret or something like that? It will be interesting.”

Question: I need info on Scorpion. Namely, is Camille Guaty/“Megan” going to be pretty much a regular for the immediate future? —Justin

Ausiello: A show rep confirms that the Prison Break alumna is now in fact recurring on the freshman CBS drama. As such, you should see Walter and Sylvester’s confidante again sometime soon.

Question: When is Will going to come out on Nashville? It’s been long enough! —Ryan

Ausiello: Hallelujah, Nashville fans: Showrunner Dee Johnson says the closeted character “probably will be out” by the end of Season 3. However — and interestingly — she adds, “I don’t know whether it will be voluntary.”

Question: Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod. Abbie. Intel. Go! —Molly

Ausiello: An upcoming twist. The Witnesses’ “relationship in a position we’ve never seen before.” An “epic climax” with “ramifications for Season 3.” (All courtesy of showrunner Mark Goffman.) Intrigued yet?

BONUS SCOOP: Ichabod’s aforementioned karaoke experience is coming up in Episode 14, and we’ll get not one but two scenes involving at least one Witness taking the stage.

Question: I know you guys reported it was unlikely that Red Band Society would be getting a second season, but is there at least a chance we will get some closure? —Estee

Ausiello: As EP Rina Mimoun told us last month, the final three episodes of the medical drama’s first season — which have yet to be scheduled by Fox — will provide “closure for a lot of the current teen storylines” while showing ways that the adult characters’ arcs could continue (on the off chance of a pickup announcement). Episode 11, meanwhile, will feature the return of Jes Macallan’s Ashley and the introduction of Leo’s family — including William Ragsdale (Herman’s Head) as the heartthrob’s dad. Plus, the sometimes-underutilized Dash will be getting a love interest, played by newcomer Jessica Lu. “We’re packing a lot into the last three episodes of the season,” says Mimoun. “I’ll tell you that.”

Question: Anything on The Blacklist? —Missi

Ausiello: Regarding that gigantic cliffhanger in November’s fall finale — How do Tom and Red know each other?! — series creator Jon Bokenkamp says that burning question will be answered. Eventually. “Tom clearly has some sort of past that Liz is not aware of, that involves Red,” the EP confirms. “We will continue to tell that story. We don’t dive right into it in the Super Bowl episode, but that does start to bubble up later in the back half of the season.”

That’s it. Enjoy!