Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

TELEVISION

NBC has decided what their next live musical TV event: The Wiz. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actress Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Doctor Who, but there aren’t any details on what character she will play. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who) will star in the proposed Arrow/The Flash spin-off. He will play Rip Hunter, a roguish time traveler who hides the strains of being responsible for history itself behind a facade of charm and wit. Meanwhile, newcomer Ciara Renee has also landed a role in the spin-off where she will play Kendra Saunders aka Hawkgirl. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Emmanuelle Vaugier (Lost girl) has landed a six-episode recurring role on the BC summer series Mistresses where she will play Niko, who’s becomes the new mixologist at Wunderbar and a thorn in Joss’ (series regular Jes Macallan) side. (Erik Pedersen at Deadline)

The Americans has been given a season 4 order by FX. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Netflix has given their new thriller Bloodline a second season order. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actor Hisham Tawfiq has been promoted to series regular on The Blacklist for the show’s third season that will air during the 2015-2016 TV season. He plays Red’s bodyguard Dembe. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Tom Amandes (Everwood) will appear in an upcoming episode of Revenge, but details about what character he will play is being kept under wraps. TV viewers will recall that Amandes and Revenge lead Emily VanCamp appeared in Everwood together. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC Family has given a series order to Shadowhunters, which is based on the Cassandra Clare book series The Mortal Instruments. The story follows 18-year-old Clary Fray, who discovers her family history of Shadowhunters and quickly gets throw into their world of demon hunting alongside fairies, warlocks, vampires, and werewolves. (Dana Rose Falcone at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films from this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Home – 54 million
2. Get Hard – 34.6 million
3. Insurgent – 22 million
4. Cinderella – 17.5 million
5. It Follows – 4 million
6. Kingsmen: The Secret Service – 3 million
7. Run All Night – 2.2 million
8. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – 2.18 million
9. Do You Believe? – 2.15 million
10. The Gunman – 2 million

Actor Stephen Amell (Arrow) will play Casey Jones in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 film alongside Megan Fox. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

Q&A SECTION (with Kristin Dos Santos at E!, Michael Ausiello and Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: I am still freaking out over PLL’s finale! I can’t believe the girls are still going to be trapped in the Dollhouse in season six! I need more scoop from your interview with Marlene! – Lauren D.

Kristin: Fret not, they will eventually get out, but it might take them awhile to recover, Marlene King warns. “The fallout of what they go through definitely leaves them scarred and in need of healing and rebonding with the families and their bed buddies and their loved ones,” she says. Kind adds that season six is “really about answers and closure for all of them. It is an ending to the story that we started so long ago, but it’s a very fast-paced ending to the story.”

Question: I need something on Game of Thrones. The premiere is so close, I can’t wait! – Brandon

Kristin: Sorry bromance lovers, but Bronn isn’t going to be too upset over his breakup with Tyrion. “He’s really moving on,” Jerome Flynn says of Bronn when we catch up with him in season five. “He’s got this plan that involves the lovely Lollys Stokeworth, who’s very sweet. The plan is to get married and then Lollys has got a sister with a big castle and he’s got his eyes on that castle. He’s going to use his ways to get that castle.”

Question: Give us some Outlander scoop, please! – GinnyMae

Kristin: Looking ahead: The fifth episode back ends with everything in such a dark place (someone has been taken), that I’m probably going to have to go on medication to deal with the stress of how long I have to wait to see the sixth episode back. It is at that point that the series will get VERY dark, and we will all need to group hug on the daily.

Question: Loving The Royals! So my kind of show! What’s next for Jasper and Eleanor? I watch them with one eye open, heart pounding. – Rebecca

Kristin: Alexandra Park (Eleanor herself) tells us that there’s a third wheel coming into the mix! “Eleanor connects with an old…connection,” she teases. “An old friend. I’m not going to go any further than that!” She also thinks the jury’s still out on whether “Jeleanor” are good together. “Their relationship is dark and it’s broken. It’s sexual, but at the end of the day…it’s too early to tell, but I do think they have an underlying care for one another. So, maybe not right away, but I think there is a piece that’s right…I think everyone COULD be tamed, eventually. Whether or not it will happen, I don’t know.”

Question: Are we going to learn more about H.I.V.E. on Arrow? – Mark

Kristin: Not this season, but expect to learn everything about it in season four! “From my understanding, H.I.V.E. is going to be a big part of next season’s big baddie,” David Ramsey says. “We are going to delve right into why H.I.V.E. hired Deadshot to kill Andy and what H.I.V.E. is all about to begin with. There will be a lot of Diggle’s connection to H.I.V.E. next season so stay tuned.”

Question: Anything about Iris West working as a reporter on The Flash? –monik@westallen_

Kristin: Since Iris’ mentor Mason Bridge is now missing (although we know that the Reverse Flash killed him!), expect her interest in both Bridge and what Bridge was working on (i.e. figuring out Harrison Wells’ secret) to motivate Barry to make a huge decision, one that will have major ramifications on his relationships with Joe, Eddie and Iris.

Question: I’ll take anything you have on The Flash! – Sam

Kristin: There are two scenes in tonight’s episode that are, by far, the coolest scenes we have ever seen on TV ever, and it’s all thanks to the incredible visual effects team on the CW’s hit series. One scene in particular comes right at the beginning of the episode, and shows what happened the night Barry’s mother was murdered by the Reverse Flash…in slow motion. Yeah, this is one episode you’re going to want to watch over and over and over again. The other scene involves something called “genetic camouflage.” What does that mean? Speculate away!

Question: Can we really trust this Gonzales guy on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? This whole “real S.H.I.E.L.D.” business sounds pretty suspicious. – Jake

Kristin: We took your question straight to Edward James Olmos himself to find out if Gonzales really means what he says, or if he’s got ulterior motives when it comes to leading what he calls the “real” S.H.I.E.L.D. “Take his word at face value? Oh god yes,” Olmos says. “Are you kidding? Especially in the time that they’re living in. Can you imagine if this guy wasn’t really speaking from the heart? Oh my god. Then they should have gotten another actor to play it!”

Question: Got anything on my favorite show, Nashville? – Lizzie

Kristin: As excited as you already are for Christina Aguilera’s guest starring role as Jade St. John, a pop star who wants to hit it big in the country music biz, we just heard she’s going to have a very interesting connection to one of Nashville’s main characters that has us even more psyched to see this drama play out: she’s Jeff Fordham’s ex-fiancée! Since Jeff is currently linked to Layla on the down-low, and we previously revealed Jade is going to hit it off romantically with Luke, expect the sparks to fly, y’all.

Question: OMG, I am still obsessing over Chasing Life’s finale! What can we expect to see from Leo and April’s engagement next season? – Cassidy

Kristin: Well, you can expect to meet some new family members. No, not from April’s side, but from Leo’s family. In the season two premiere, Leo’s grandmother and uncle will both make their debut when the Hendries through a big party. Hm…we wonder what for?

Question: Any scoop about Castle? —Fred

Ausiello: The finale — which is supposed to delve into both Castle and Beckett mythology — will feature a “distinguished, highly intelligent” psychiatrist. What say you, Mitovich? “Perhaps the shrink is a means to pull out of Rick any repressed memories about his ‘missing’ months?’” Yep, that sounds about right.

Question: Got any scoop for us on The Fosters? — Ashley

Ausiello: Well, Ashley, how about details on a new, accidental troublemaker coming in Season 3? His name is Tony and he’s a talented musician described as “good-looking in an ‘adorkable’ way,” and he tends to put way too much pressure on himself. We don’t know much else about him right now, but I’m thinking he could end up as a pal for Brandon or a love interest for Callie… or both.

Question: Do you have any quality info about The Flash that you can share? —Brandy

Ausiello: Barry and Joe’s decision to clue Eddie in on The Flash’s identity while keeping Iris in the dark is going to cause plenty of disagreement within the trio. “Eddie, as the much more emotionally in-touch character, is like, ‘This is ridiculous. By not telling her, you’re actually putting her in more danger,’” exec producer Andrew Kreisberg previews. “That starts to become the conflict between the three men, because Eddie is not happy with how Barry and Joe have been handling this. It starts to really impact his relationship with Iris.” It’ll also force Barry to take a good, long look at himself — and he won’t like what he sees. Teases Kreisberg: “Barry will go, ‘Wait, when did I become such a great liar? I thought of myself as so innocent and pure.’”

Question: Flash spoilers? —Andy

Ausiello: Did you see these date night photos from the April 14 episode, featuring the arrival of two Arrow residents in Central City? Allow Kreisberg to explain: “Eddie, Iris, Barry, Felicity and Ray all go out for dinner. Everybody is talking about their feelings, and Eddie and Iris get into a fight. Barry’s the fifth wheel.” Adds Rick Cosnett (Eddie): “Brandon Routh and I had a lot of fun with that scene. We all don’t know what to say, because there’s so much going on with Wells and with everyone’s storylines, that the dinner is 10 times more awkward than our little double date that we had at Jitters [with Barry/Felicity].”

Question: I’d love a Jane the Virgin scooplet. —Tim

Ausiello: You have not seen the last of Bridget Regan’s Rose (AKA Sin Rostro), who executive producer Jennie Urman says is part of “a big twist” at the end of the season.

Question: Any more news on if there’s going to be a death on Grimm? —Lianne

Ausiello: Yes, the Grim Reaper will make an appearance in the finale.

Question: Can you offer up anything Game of Thrones related?— Harry

Natalie: Hmm, should I tell you that we’re going to see the dragons at their scariest in the season premiere? Or that the show is flashing back to see Cersei as a snotty little kid? What if I instead tease that the season-opener includes a horrible death for one familiar character? You good? Great.

Question: What’s the latest on The Blacklist’s Fulcrum? — Jerry

Natalie: It’s coming back into play next week when Red pushes Liz to fork it over amidst what he claims is a life or death matter. “He wants her to turn it over because he says it’s important and she’s not there yet,” executive producer Jon Bokenkamp says. “The mythology surrounding the Fulcrum, Reddington and really the people who he is most afraid of comes in fairly sharp focus by the end of the season. It’s something we’re going to be answering and paying off in what I think is going to be a really compelling way.”

Question: Do you know exactly how Harrison Wells plans to use Barry on The Flash? — Mark

Natalie: If I actually knew the physics of how that worked, I probably wouldn’t be a writer. But Tom Cavanagh provided somewhat of an explanation: “If you know the Speed Force, it’s fair to say that Barry’s abilities come from a positive culling of the Speed Force,” he says. “Reverse Flash’s abilities come from what Barry would call a negative culling of the Speed Force. Truthfully, the Speed Force is important to both of them accomplishing their goals and the Speed Force doesn’t separate. As they fight towards what they really want—or think they want—they are going to have to take advantage of that Speed Force. I say, ‘think they want,’ because if you’re familiar with the mythology, what Barry needs and what Barry thinks he wants aren’t always the same thing.”

Question: What about some Forever? — Railene

Natalie: Michael Gill, aka President Garrett Walker from House of Cards, is going to guest-star in the upcoming April 7 episode as Dmitry Milikoff, a former Russian dancer and current artistic director of a prestigious ballet company who, of course, becomes a murder suspect.

Question: Can Regina be trusted not to reveal Snow and Charming’s secret on Once Upon a Time? — Diane

Natalie: Surprising as it may sound, the Evil Queen can be trusted… for now. “It would really test their relationship if Regina spills that secret,” Lana Parrilla tells me. “Maybe she’ll do that in a dark state. There’s also the flip side that Regina may think two wrongs don’t make a right. What happened between them happened so long ago. She may be adult in this situation.”

Question: In the Pretty Little Liars finale, “A” gave Mona a gas mask, but she never used it. Will that be important in season 6? — Jess

Natalie: “A”/Charles never gives a present without a reason behind it. In fact, Janel Parrish assures us that the gas mask will play an important role when season 6 returns with the girls still trapped in the dollhouse. Though Parrish says Mona “will be treated differently because she is [Charles’] favorite,” that doesn’t mean that Mona will be off the hook. “[Mona] will ultimately still be punished,” she adds.

Question: Anything on the Scorpion finale? –Stacy

Mitovich: Ohhh, it promises to be a doozy, coming off of some rather massive, cliff-hanging developments in the penultimate episode. Let’s just say that Walter is dealt one too many emotional blows that drive him possibly over the edge – and that isn’t necessarily just a figure of speech. That, coupled with two other twists, makes the big question entering the season finale no less than: Is Team Scorpion dunzo?! (Though I’m gonna guess the answer is no.)

Question: On Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I was a little puzzled how May in the episode “One of Us” told Andrew they would not send Skye away, then in “Love in a Time of Hydra” she told Coulson she agreed with her ex. My question is: Do we see more development in her relationship with Skye that she considers Skye family? –Stephanie

Mitovich: Any concerns you might have about May’s faith in Skye should be alleviated this Tuesday, when amidst utter chaos, May makes it a priority to do whatever she can to (hopefully) save Skye from certain doom. All in all, the next episode is quite excellent, offering a fascinating series of flashbacks to when S.H.I.E.L.D. fell circa Captain America 2, thus allowing us to really see Lucy Lawless’ Isabelle Hartley (and her knife) in action. Meanwhile, in the present timeline, you’ll get the knock-down, drag-out agent-on-agent fight you perhaps never knew you wanted.
I’m worried that last night’s Once Upon a Time was the beginning of the end for “good” Emma.

Question: Will the Author being in Storybrooke distract her from hating on her parents, or is she guaranteed to go dark? –Jamie

Mitovich: That, I reckon, is the million-dollar question as the final episodes play out. As Colin O’Donoghue reminds, “The second half of this season is about the struggles that heroes and villains each have. And what great about the show is it’s never cut and dry. It’s never as easy as a villain is a straight villain or the heroes are pure heroes. They’ve all done something that they regret, but learn from it in a positive way.” As for the Savior specifically, Hook’s portrayer says, “We’ve seen moments where you could see where Emma could maybe become darker. Whether or not she does is a whole other thing.”

Question: Can you give me something on Arrow‘s Diggle? –Sofia

Mitovich: Though Suicide Squad business prevented him from having a chance to chime in, rest assured that, like Oliver, Dig has something to say about Ray’s super-suited alter ego. “He has some not-so-weak opinions,” David Ramsey says with a laugh. “He doesn’t have a problem with Ray, who is compelled by something, a higher purpose, that Diggle as a person tunes into. But Ray’s not trained, and a part of the criticism he has for Ray is the same one he has for Laurel Lance as Black Canary. Because while it’s honorable what compels Laurel, Diggle feels that, like Atom, she needs to be better trained before she can be super-effective in Starling City.”

Question: This entire season of Arrow feels completely off, in my opinion. Never in my TV-watching life have I yelled (and not in good way) “What the f—?” as many times as I have throughout this season. My question is, do you feel the same? –Amanda

Mitovich: I would say that Season 3 doesn’t so much feel “off” as “too soon” – meaning, bringing on the mighty Ra’s al Ghul is more of a Season 4 or 5 move, especially since it necessitated the permanent (?) removal of Sara from the playing field. (Then again, Sara’s death was also needed as a catalyst to push Laurel into Canary mode, which some would argue was becoming conspicuously overdue.) My other quibble with the Ra’s “offer” – and I’ve stated this elsewhere — is that it asks us to believe that no one already in the League is a more worthy successor than the guy their boss dispatched within a matter of minutes. Also, I feel like Oliver and Felicity’s talks about feelings are getting a bit repetitive. All that said, I’ve greatly enjoyed Thea’s much-needed development this season.

That’s it. Enjoy!