Hitman 1.7 - Breakout

Hitman: Breakout

Genre: Action

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writer: Dwight Gallo

Based on the video game series

Cast: Iain Armitage, Christian Berkel, Gabriel Bateman, Karl Roden and Alexandra Maria Lara

Plot: FLASHBACK: In the middle of the night, 6 (Gabriel Bateman) breaks manages to wrestle a block in the wall between his cell and the cell next to his. He encourages 47 (Gabriel Bateman) to squeeze through the gap in the wall and come into his cell. 47 does as 6 says, and 6 then shows 47 that he has managed to break through the ceiling into the ventilation system. 6 tells 47 that the ventilation shaft is their road to freedom. 47 boosts 6 up into the shaft, and 6 then pulls 47 up. They crawl through the vents, careful to not make much noise, all the way to the end.

They quickly start running away from the asylum. 6 reminds 47 that they have to make it 10 miles before anyone notices they're gone, so they better move quickly - their lives depend on it. They run as fast as they can into the nearby mountains. By the time the sun is starting to rise, the two are completely exhausted. 47 asks 6 if they have made it 10 miles yet. 6 admits that he isn't sure yet, but that they can't afford to stop.

Back at the asylum, Dr. Otto Wolfgang Ort-Meyer (Christian Berkel) starts making his rounds through the cells. He finally comes upon the cells of 47 and 6 and finds them empty. He triggers an alarm. Guards begin scouring the facility for the two missing children. Dr. Ort-Meyer alerts Dr. Kovacs (Karl Roden) and orders him to trigger the explosives that have been implanted in the patients.

47 and 6 continue making their way through the Romanian wilderness until they come upon a small farm. They hide in a barn to rest, keeping their fingers crossed that they have made it more than the 10 miles from the asylum. They end up passing out from exhaustion in the barn.

47 and 6 are discovered by Alina (Alexandra Maria Lara), a young woman who lives on the farm. She wakes them up. They are frightened and weak. She offers to let them come inside, but the two boys do not speak Romanian. She eventually is able to sign to them that she has food inside. 6 gives 47 a nod, and the two follow her into the house. They two boys huddle in front of the fire place. Alina brings them both a bowl of stew. They devour the stew. Alina tries to figure out where the two boys came from, but she struggles to communicate with them. She brings them blankets and allows them to sleep in front of the fire.

In the morning, 47 and 6 wake up to the sound of gunshots. They see Dr. Ort-Meyer and several of the asylum's security guards firing upon people outside. Alina tries to hide the boys in a closet upstairs. Dr. Ort-Meyer enters the house and confronts Alina. She tells him that she doesn't know why he is killing people. He asks her if she has encountered two boys traveling through here. She denies having seen them, but Dr. Ort-Meyer shoots her anyways. He then opens the closet door and finds 6 and 47. The boys take off running. Dr. Ort-Meyer orders the security team to go after the boys. They manage to capture 47, but 6 is able to escape into the wilderness. Dr. Ort-Meyer calls the team off, saying that getting one of them back is better than nothing.

Gauntlet 1.8 - Week 9

Gauntlet - Week 9

Genre: Sports / Drama

Executive Producer: Antoine Fuqua

Writer: Matt Parker

Cast : William Fichtner, Josh Duhamel, Trevor Jackson, Eric Roberts, Saffron Burrows, B.D. Wong, Jimmy Tatro and Clancy Brown

During the ninth game of the season, Memphis Pharaohs' quarterback Tim Collins (Josh Duhamel) is hit hard in the head and taken to the bench to be tested for a concussion. The Pharaohs have a 3 point lead over the Detroit Diesels in the second quarter at the time of the injury. Coach Ken Heath (William Fichtner) sends backup quarterback Chase Kearney (Jimmy Tatro) into the game with the instruction to avoid mistakes and keep handing the ball off to star rookie running back Jefferson Thomas (Trevor Jackson). They don't want a repeat of his pick-six from the last game.

On the sidelines team physician Dr. Clifford Chen (B.D. Wong) puts Collins through a concussion protocol test. Collins is clearly out of it and is having trouble successfully answering Dr. Chen's questions. Collins knows he is concussed, but asks Chen to tell them he is good to go so that he can get back out onto the field. Chen tells him that would be unethical, but Collins tells him not to give him that pitch. After all, Chen cleared Lincoln Tatum to play when his knee was clearly in no condition to be playing. Dr. Chen informs Coach Heath that Collins does not have a concussion and is cleared to return to the game.

Collins returns to the field to the roar of the home town crowd. His girlfriend, Memphis Mayor Sharon Matthews (Saffron Burrows) watches from the owners box with Pharaohs' owner Leonard Palmer (Eric Roberts). Matthews tells Palmer that the team's recent success bodes well for the stadium bond measure that is set to be voted on by the city council after the season. She is confident that she can convince the council to vote in his favor if the team performs well the rest of the season and goes on a nice playoff run, and of course if Palmer provides a hefty contribution to her bid for Governor of Tennessee.

Collins is clearly slow off the snap. He drops back and takes another hard hit to the head and fumbles the ball. A Detroit defender recovers the ball and takes it into the end zone for a touchdown. Following the play, Collins' vision is blurry. He starts jogging toward the wrong sideline and has to be directed to the other sideline by one of the officials. Coach Heath feels he has no choice but to pull Collins out of the game.

After the game, the media is in an uproar over Collins' obvious concussion. In a post-game interview, Coach Heath chalks up the team's loss to Detroit due to losing momentum after they had to take Collins out of the game. When questioned about why Collins re-entered the game following the first hit to the head, Heath tells the reporters that the medical staff informed him that Collins had passed the concussion protocol with no red flags.

Coach Heath and Leonard Palmer are called in to the AFA league offices in New York City to meet with the league's Commissioner Ted Watros (Clancy Brown). He informs them both that the league will be conducting an investigation into team's handling of Tim Collins' head injury. After the meeting, Heath and Palmer discuss the situation in the lobby. Palmer wants to know what happened, and Heath tells him that Dr. Chen told him he was cleared to play. Palmer says that he hopes the league ends up with the same findings and suggests they consider preemptively firing Chen to garner favor with Commissioner Watros. If they fire the doctor responsible, maybe the league won't fine the team or take away any draft picks. Heath doesn't like the idea of firing the team's primary physician this late into the season, but says he'll consider it and let him know what he decides.

Collins sits in bed with Sharon Matthews. He tells her that he isn't sure how many more big hits he can take any more. She tells him that he could always retire. He's had a long successful career and should have no problem getting a job in broadcasting as so many other former players do. He says that he isn't necessarily sure he wants to spend the rest of his life surrounded by football. Matthews then mentions the idea that Collins could potentially run for Mayor of Memphis, taking her spot if she is elected as Governor next year. As she kisses him, she jokes that he'd surely have her endorsement.

Call My Agent 1.4 - Bizarre

Call My Agent - Needy

Genre : Drama / Comedy / Satire
Director: Jason Reitman
Writer : Dominic Wilkins
Cast: Lesley Manville, Caroline Dhavernas, Rainn Wilson, Brian d'Arcy James, Bill Night and Tilda Swinton

Plot:

Miranda Jones (Lesley Manville) is putting lipstick in the woman’s bathroom first thing in the morning. She has to get herself ready for her big meeting with the Jones Agency financial backer to try to keep the agency afloat. She hates to be the bearer of bad news and she wants her inheritance money, so she is willing to pull all the stops to impress him. When she gets out of the bathroom, Wilson (Brian d’Arcy James), her secretary and acting manager, asks her what she’s doing, specifically pointing at the lipstick and the scooped neckline of her dress. He says today is deeply serious and they don’t have the time to do it her way, no matter what they are, they have to use the professional way and that’s what he intends to do. He pushes her into the bathroom and closes the door. Miranda is too offended to react and something else catches her attention. She looks up to the ceiling, confused.

Wilson welcomes Mark (Bill Nighy) to the Jones Agency and he comments on the new furniture, before refusing Wilson’s handshake. He comments on the sweat on his forehead and his moist hands and he says he’s germaphobe, so he must decline. He asks for some disinfectant, but Wilson can’t find any. Mark is annoyed by it, which makes him even more nervous. He leads Mark to Miranda’s office and Mark asks where Miranda is and Wilson has to make up a lie he didn’t prepare to make and says she was violently sick last night. He sees her wandering around the office and looking at the ceiling confused. Hopefully, Mark is facing the other way, so he doesn’t see her. Wilson decides to look away to make sure Mark doesn’t catch him looking at her. Wilson says they should get down to business and Mark agrees.

Miranda keeps hearing noises coming from the ceiling and she gets up a Bob desk, knocking down his framed pictures of him and his kids (even though we learned last episode that he doesn’t have kids). The focus shifts back to Wilson who agrees with Mark that the new furniture doesn’t make any sense, but in their defense, the agency has a big contract coming, they actually booked… The focus shifts back to Miranda standing in the desk, but she isn’t there anymore and the ceiling tile is missing. Miranda is now under the desk, held by a something black. The camera zooms back and it is revealed that Tilda Swinton (Tilda Swinton), in her Blackbird costume, is holding Miranda down. Miranda tries to scream, but Tilda covers her mouth. Tilda drinks water from a bottle and she tries to feed Miranda water, just like she does in the film.  She tells Miranda to shut up. She always plays weird character and she needs to practice beforehand and that’s why she’s so good.

Wilson notices that Miranda is nowhere to be seen and that there’s a hole in the ceiling. He sees a black creature running behind the desk and he excuses himself for a moment. He leaves the office and comes face to face with Tilda Swinton. He lets out a quick, surprised, scream and he asks her what the hell she’s doing here. She says she’s been living the ceiling for the past two days and nobody noticed her, as if it was normal. He says she has always been weird and she freaks her out. He asks her where Miranda is and she says she’s hidden behind that desk over there. Wilson finds Miranda, traumatized. He asks her to get up, but Miranda refuses. Wilson asks her why and she doesn’t want to speak. Wilson gets his head up and he sees Mark out of the office, looking around for him. He didn’t realise that he spent so much time out the office. Mark walks around, checking out the offices installations, when he is quickly tackled down by Tilda Swinton. She opens his mouth and she force feeds him macaroni salad. Wilson and Miranda watch in horror.

Mark fights to get up and tackles the frail Tilda to the ground. He asks her what the hell is going on and she says she’s just Tilda Swinton practicing for a role and since she’s always playing bizarre roles, here she is. She’s been living in their ceiling as practice and that’s how she gets so good at them. Mark is impressed and he says that he’s a huge fan of hers. He says that everything here as been deeply disturbing, but not as much as seeing Miranda here, when she was supposedly violently sick and at home. She says that she can explain everything. It takes a lot of humility for her to admit that and she has always been a proud woman, too proud perhaps, but here it goes. She doesn’t have the skills to run this agency and poor old Wilson here as been forced to run things in the meantime. The new furniture was an impulse decision and she never thought about money in her life, her father was rich and she never had to check a bank account before. Mark says that it’s humble of her to admit that and he hates to burst her bubble, for Tom Jones wasn’t rich and he is a loan shark. Tom owed a lot of money and they aren’t out of their hole yet. He says he will leave now, he needs to shower for at least a day to get the germs of him. Before he leaves, Wilson asks him how he can describe his day and only says one word, bizarre. 

Wilson and Miranda head back to the Miranda’s office and are surprised to see Tilda in her Blackbird suit eating the rest of the macaroni saladl Wilson says it may be weird, but he’d like to be force-fed by Tilda Swinton and she says all practice is helpful. When Andrea (Caroline Dhavernas) and Bob (Rainn Wilson) get to work, they are grossed out to see Wilson getting forced-fed by Tilda Swinton, but Wilson gives them a thumbs up. Miranda innocently adds that it’s really traumatizing at first, but she can understand the appeal.

Call My Agent 1.3 - Incompetent

Call My Agent - Needy

Genre : Drama / Comedy / Satire
Director: Jason Reitman
Writer : Dominic Wilkins
Cast: Lesley Manville, Caroline Dhavernas, Rainn Wilson, Brian d'Arcy James, Chris Colfer and Jon Bon Jovi

Plot:

There’s a certain sense of urgency at the agency as everyone is still wondering how they are going to stay afloat, after their financial backer refused to give them a preferential treatment to keep them afloat after hesaw all the new furniture Miranda bought, as she didn’t know the agency wasn’t as rich as she thinks it was. A couple of days ago, Miranda (Lesley Manville) met with Andrea in her office and she asked her if she’s willing to not be paid for the time being, until they find a way to have more money. She thinks about it and she loves her job so much that she decides to accept, hoping it will be enough to keep the agency alive. She can’t do it to Bob, he has kids and he’s a widow. She can’t do that to him. Despite their differences over the years, she really considers him a friend and besides she has some money saved that could help her for the time being. She thanks Miranda for listening to her speech, but Miranda was daydreaming and didn’t hear any of it.

Right when she leaves, she tells the news to Bob (Rainn Wilson) and he thanks her so very much for this sacrifice and she shouldn’t have done it. She says she’s lonely and she has some savings and she’ll be alright. She couldn’t have done it to Bob’s kids, they deserve better. She asks him if things will get weird between them and he says it won’t. She asks him who was on the phone with him earlier and he says it was Desmond who ran into some trouble on the set of this superhero movie and he’s so excited to go. She asks him why and he says he can’t wait to see the face of his client. Andrea is definitely thrilled to go. They are interrupted by Wilson (Brian d’Arcy James) who begs them to not leave him alone with her again, he can’t take it anymore. They say she can’t be that bad and Bob pats him on the head, before leaving Wilson being, discouraged, looking at Miranda.

Desmond (Chris Colfer) runs in the parking lot to greet Bob and Andrea. He’s completely exhausted and he asks them if they could make his head explode rather than spending another minute with him. Andrea says it shouldn’t be this bad and she asks who they are meeting. Bob interferes and he says it’s a surprise. He covers her eyes with a bandana and he asks Desmond to guide her to the trailer. He will prepare his client for Andrea. She deserves a nice surprise for what she did for him earlier today and Desmond reluctantly agrees. Andrea nervously gets up the stairs and she enters to Jon Bon Jovi (Jon Bon Jovi) playing Bed of Roses on the guitar. Andrea is stocked and she asks for Livin’ on a Prayer and he’s happy to sing it, but Desmond, however, is sick of it and he leaves.

Miranda comes out of her office and she asks Wilson to show her how to send an electronic letter, or whatever it is called. He asks if she means email and she supposes she does. She says she more comfortable using Twitter, but that old prick that holds the fate or her inheritance agency doesn’t use it, so she must retreat back to the old, primitive ways of business. She sits down next to him, and he shows her how to send an email. He asks her to read the email she intended to send and it is filled with mistakes and abbreviations. He says it’s good that she wants to learn how to manage the agency, but he will take care of Mark, in fact, he scheduled a meeting here for tomorrow and he doesn’t want her anywhere near him. She reminds him of what she did with Cuba Gooding Jr., but he says that it was just dumb luck. 

Jon Bon Jovi is now singing Lost Highway and Andrea is still thrilled. Bob says it’s enough now and he asks what’s the problem. He says he’s not an actor and he didn’t sign up for that. He thought it would all be fun and games, but it turns out it is more serious than he thought it would be. Besides, he’s playing a villain and can’t do it, everyone loves Bon Jovi and he starts to play Bad Medecine. Andrea is still starstruck and doesn’t really move and appreciates greatness. Bob takes the guitar out of Jon’s hands and they head out to the set together. They watch Jon dress up in his costume and head over to the set. Desmond is looking at Bob and they give themselves thumbs up, as to say that everything is fine.  Jon’s line is coming up and he has to say I’ll be there. It triggers his singing career and he starts to sing I’ll Be There for You and the director is upset that Jon started to sing again. Desmond begs Bob to realign him, or else he will be fired and they lose their commission, and he heard the agency had money problems. It triggers Andrea and she completely snaps. She tells him people don’t like him anymore. They switched to country now and the band isn’t what it once was. So he now has the power to play a villain. He asks her if she really doesn’t like This House Is Not for Sale and she says she really doesn’t. He says he can’t believe she didn’t like their switch from rock to country. He says he will do it, he will play a villain, if that how his biggest, oldest fans see him. Andrea and Bob tell Desmond that they are done and he should call them back if they need anything.

Andrea and Bob go their separate ways. Andrea uses the Bluetooth in her car to call her husband, breaking the news of her withheld salary to him, revealing that she’s not single and she, in fact, has a family. They argue about the matter, but she mentions her kids college funds. She says the job means so much to her that she can’t let it go. Bob, on the other hand, gets to a bar and he drinks alone. The bar plays some Bon Jovi and he begs the barman to turn it down. He says Bob is his biggest client, so he will do whatever he wants. He drinks all night and heads home, where he lives alone, revealing that his morning headaches aren’t caused by his kids (he doesn’t have any), but by his drinking problem.