Miami Vice 2.6 - Shining Star

Miami Vice : Shining Star
Genre : Crime / Drama
Showrunner: Peter Berg
Writer : Roy Horne

Based on the television series

Cast: Josh Holloway, Taye Diggs, Andy Garcia, Julianne Hough, Jeremy Piven, Jessica De Gouw and Patrick Fischler

Plot:Fading country pop star Cassidy Davies (Julianne Hough) is meeting with manager Tommy Lowe (Jeremy Piven) at a beachfront bar. Lowe assures her that he has all the promoters in his back pocket and will pay stations to get her music on the air so that she can get back on the Billboard charts. Suddenly a Racketeering strike force moves in and arrests Lowe. As they lead him away, Cassidy gloats that she set him up to get back at him for all the musicians he's screwed over.

At OCB, Lt. Martin Castillo (Andy Garcia) informs Sonny Crockett (Josh Holloway) that he is taking him off of an illegal arms investigation so he can guard Cassidy until she testifies against Lowe since he should have the easiest time fitting in in the music crowd. Crockett is annoyed, but agrees to the assignment even though he feels it's all part of a publicity stunt on Cassidy's part.

Crockett heads over to Cassidy's penthouse where he first meets Cassidy's assistant Angie and then by Cassidy herself. After taking a look at him, Cassidy immediately begins vocally doubting Crockett's ability to keep her safe. Crockett says he's fought in a war and been a cop for a long time, so protecting a spoiled pop princess will be a cake walk. Meanwhile, Lowe tries to get the record executives on the phone, but they refuse his calls.

Crockett takes Cassidy to a recording studio, where they continue butting heads. Meanwhile, Lowe meets with his lawyer Ralph Fisher (Patrick Fischler), who advises him to convince Cassidy not to testify in court. Lowe asks how that would work, and Fisher offers to have some people make Cassidy disappear, but it won't be cheap. Lowe hands over an envelope of cash and tells Fisher to have them make it look like an accident.

Cassidy gives Crockett a hard time about his fancy clothes, car and boat, but Crockett informs her that it is all part of his undercover role. He's just a regular working man, not some whiny celebrity. Cassidy takes offense to the comment and says she isn't like the image the magazine and TV project of her. Crockett is paying the bill when the men Lowe hired arrive and start shooting up the place. Crockett hoots one of them and pulls Caitlin into his Ferrari, with the other two men in pursuit. Crockett has Cassidy hold the wheel, and he leans out the window and shoots at the men in pursuit, killing the one in driver seat as the passenger bails from the car. Crockett then drives the car to the marina.

On Crockett's boat, Cassidy is shaken up, but she is unharmed. She tells him that she has to testify against Lowe. Crockett asks her if she's willing to risk her life to do so. Cassidy says she is. She and her band put their faith in Lowe to manage them, but he got greedy and began stealing money from them and slowly broke her band apart. Her drummer killed himself, her guitarist left to join a cult, and the bass player and former boyfriend sued Lowe, but wound up end of an apparent suicide shortly thereafter. She believe Lowe had him killed, but can't prove it, so testifying against Lowe is her only recourse. The two realize they were wrong about each other and begin kissing. Tubbs (Taye Diggs) and Castillo arrive at the marina and see Crockett and Cassidy kissing. Tubbs pulls Crockett aside and calls him out on his inappropriate actions. Crockett reminds Tubbs that Castillo told him not to let Cassidy out of him sight.

Crockett describes his lifestyle situation to Cassidy: the job, divorce, kid, all-night cases, etc. She is surprisingly not detered. Cassidy tells Crockett that she works all night sometimes too, and she likes kids. Lowe gets a text informing him that the hit failed. He then gets into his car and starts the engine. Lowe's car suddenly explodes. Tubbs calls Crockett and tells him that Lowe is dead, so the case is over. Cassidy tells Crockett that she doesn't want them to end just because the assignment does.

Showtime 1.6 - A Night Out

Showtime : A Night Out
Genre : Drama / Comedy / Sports
Showrunner: Steven Soderbergh
Writer : Chad Taylor & Mo Buck

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Joe Manganiello, Dacre Montgomery, Nick Offerman, Cooper Andrews, Paul Walter Hauser, Zoey Dutch, Anna Gunn, Clayne Crawford, Tom Hopper, Alan Ritchson, Paul Rust, Sofia Black D'Elia and Lake Bell

Plot: Plot: Ricky Santana (Joe Mangianello) is arguing with his wife, Nadine (Lake Bell) about the offer he officially received to wrestle for APW from Buck Gordon himself. She brings up her children who need a father figure around and he can’t just abandon them like that. He says it won’t be much different from what he’s doing now. She says he wrestles not really far away and they barely see him, so she can’t imagine what it’ll be like if he works farther. She adds that it’s time for him to prioritize his family life over his work life. She says he’s not getting any younger and what if his previous injuries come back to haunt him. What would happen to him ? He says she doesn’t understand and it would help them because the job comes with a better salary and honestly it could help them a little. Nadine says she doesn’t care about money if she means not seeing him anymore. The whole argument angers Ricky who bursts out of the house and leaves in his car.

Diane Brown (Anna Gunn) is looking helpless in her office. She received all her responses and they are all negative. After many attempts and multiple reach-outs, she still hasn’t been able to get a new television deal. The pay per views carriers are unimpressed by their product as well. She’s angered to find out that only APW has been able to snag up new contracts with the major players. It is clear to her that they don’t view TCW as a major promotion and she’s busy trying to change their minds about it. She receives a little help from “The Superior” Brad Wolfe (Clayne Crawford). He comes in her office wearing only a small towel and he sits in front of her, not even crossing his legs. He says he has a grand idea that he kept pitching to Roy but he always refused. Diane wants to know why Roy refused and Brad said it is too risky. He always imagined TCW headlining a show at the Astrodome in Houston. Diane says he’s crazy. Brad gets closer to her and he asks her if she likes crazy. She gets closer to him and when he thinks she’s about to kiss him, she asks him if he’s going to join the others at the bar. He says he will now, but he’ll come back to finish this another time and Diane is sure he will.

The rest of the wrestlers are hanging out at a local bar after the show. Ben Carr (Barry Keoghan) and Bill Gundy (Nick Offerman) arrive at the bar. Ben begs Bill to go and he says bars just bring bad news, so he’s going home, but Ben can stay if he wants. He decides to stay as it will give him an opportunity to bond with the others. Thunderjack (Dacre Montgomery) and Sweet Tea (Zoey Deutch) are sitting by themselves in a booth, smiling at each others. The Bruiser Brothers (Tom Hopper and Alan Richtson) are at the bar with Clem (Paul Walter Hauser). Ben is looking for Loto (Cooper Andrews). He seems like a cool guy to hang out with. Loto grabs ahold of Dicky (Paul Rust) and he honestly asks him to watch him tonight and Sanders says he understands and he will. Ben starts a conversation by buying Loto a beer that he gladly accepts. Sweet Tea gets on Thunderjack’s side and she says this place is lame and they should go somewhere else. He agrees and they leave holding each other’s hands. Dicky asks the Bruisers and Clem if they've seen Ricky around and they say he is probably at home. Dicky doesn't buy this and leaves the bar.

Ricky is seen driving with the windows down and rock music blasting. He arrives at his destination, the diner where Shirley works. When he walks in, they make eye contact and smile at each other.

Smash cut to them once again hooking up in his car. Afterwards, Ricky opens up to her about his decision to join APW. He says that his wife just doesn't understand as she can't look at the big picture. While Shirley is obviously bummed to hear that he would be moving to another part of the country, she is excited that he is going to raise his profile and maybe the Ricky Santana Fan Club will gain a few more members. On the road outside the diner, Dicky's car drives by and he spots Santana's car - telling him everything he needs to know.

On their private date, Tea tells Thunderjack that this should help for their on-screen chemistry. He asks what about their real-life chemistry? She points out that they're basically the same thing, dummy. She goes to kiss him but he holds back, momentarily, pointing out that her brother will kill him if he catches a scent of this. Tea points out that he has the Bruiser Brothers in his corner now and that's all he needs. They commence their first kiss, cementing their real-life chemistry. 

At the bar, the night is waning down and everyone is several beers in. Loto, Ben, and the Bruisers tell their own respective stories about coming from wrestling families - kayfabe be damned. Loto, in particular, talks about the Samoan legacy in wrestling and, very drunk, opens up about his own worries about the shorter life expectancy for Samoans - especially Samoan wrestlers. Ben, a self-proclaimed lightweight (both in wrestling and in beer-drinking), says he has to tap out for the night as he has reached his limits. Loto, already doubling Ben's beer count, can do no such thing. The Bruiser Brothers ask him if he wants to hitch a ride with them but he says he's going to stick around a bit longer.

Diane, up late in the middle of the night, is restless in bed. She gets up and goes to the phonebook and calls an acquaintance of Roy's. She asks about the logistics of booking the Astrodome.

On his way back from spying on Santana, Dicky arrives back at the bar to find that everyone has left. However, as he is leaving, he notices something in the alley. When he goes to investigate, he finds Loto face-down and passed out, his head resting in a puddle of his own vomit. Dicky's shoulders slump in defeat. He tries to lift Loto up before calling for a stranger's help to carry his weight over to Dicky's car. Dicky drives with the radio off, clearly sobered by the guilt of leaving Loto unattended to.

Hype 1.4 - Little League World Series

Hype - Slippery Slope

Genre: Crime / Dark Comedy

Director: Stephen Merchant

Writer: Dominic Wilkins

Cast: Seth Green, Charles Baker, Nick Swardson, Alicia Silverstone, Daveed Diggs and Daniel Stern

Plot: Sarah (Alicia Silverstone) asks her employees to give a warm welcome back to their ringleader and fearless mentor David (Seth Green), who comes back from his injury today. The fans have been waiting for their favorite rabbit to come back, because Chuck’s (Charles Baker) efforts were… underwhelming (we see stock footage of Chuck botching the rabbit’s trademark moves). Chuck says he’s sorry he didn’t hold up to his standards, but David assures him that it’s fine. Sarah asks for their attention, because she says she has a way to make even more money, because they can’t keep their scam for the Little League World Series, there are too many sponsors and it’s just not feasible. She thought of something else. Back when David injured himself, the players on the field were so distracted by what happened and for losing their mascot that it threw them off the game and they lost, despite enjoying a comfortable lead before the incident. She feels like they have to power to somehow influence the outcome of games and they can use that in their favor. We all know parents can get a little too excited for their children (cut to stock footage of parents who are way too excited and engaged in a Little League baseball game) and this is the World Series we’re talking about, so if they can think they could make money of their child’s team, they will be so confident in their abilities that they will accept. Dennis (Daniel Stern) will take the wagers and she’ll give them instructions through a air piece. This can work, but she needs their support. She asks them if they’re on board. Steve (Nick Swardson) expresses concerns over their abilities as mascots, given they haven’t done this for a long time and tells him to just shut up and do his job, he’s just putting on a stupid costume and entertaining children, it can’t be that hard. He warns her that everyone who claimed that found out soon enough it is more difficult than it looks. Frustrated, she asks them once again if they’re on board and they say, in unison, that they are ready to make her plan work.

David enters his favorite bar and orders the same beer he usually does. Just like every other time, Julian (Daveed Diggs) is already there. He asks him what happened to him, he hasn’t seen him for a while and David says he gave himself a concussion at the job, it was this whole big thing. Julian asks him if that’s the reason why he’s drinking tonight and David says he doesn’t need a reason to drink, but Julian argues that every recovering alcoholic always find an excuse to drink again, so what’s his excuse tonight. David points out that he asks a lot of questions and he’s really judgemental for someone who seems to live on that stool, but he’s right, he’s drinking for a reason. He just wants to forget how he’S going to abuse a parent’s love of his child for his own advantage and he explains the whole plan to Julian, while they share drinks.

Steve, David, Dennis, Chuck and Sarah drive together to the stadium, where Sarah recaps everything they’re supposed to do today. She got them the majority of mascot contracts for the tournament, so they need to take advantage of every opportunity. Their focus will remain on Australia, the least-favored participant, because this is where they will make the most money. She understands why they would like to encourage their home state, but even if Australia comes face to face with Louisiana, they would need to push an Australia win.

Moments later, David gives a pep talk to Chuck and Steve. The first game pits the state of Kentucky against the state of Alaska. Kentucky starts as the heavy favorite and they must do everything in their favor to make Alaska win. Dennis counts the jackpot, they can make a lot of money out of this match alone, enough to boost David’s confidence that they can really make a lot of money with this, but Steve and Chuck are nervous. David asks them to simply follow his lead and everything will turn out to alright. Chuck scans through the crowd and he notices that superfan Wilson Devereaux isn’t here. It’s highly unusual for him to miss games and they haven’t seen him for about two weeks. Steve wonders where he is , but David tells them there’s no time for that, it’s their time to shine.

Fast forward to the seventh inning, Kentucky is enjoying a three-point lead and Chuck, thanks to killer dance moves, does enough to distract the Kentucky pitcher, so he throws three consecutive bases on balls before he’s replaced. The batter hits a fly ball to center field and Steve initiates a loud crowd reaction that spooks the center fielder and he drops the ball. The error brings in four runners in and Alaska takes the lead. David works the crowd to get them behind the underdogs and Alaska is able to edge out a one-point win. Sarah makes bank and Dennis redistribute part of the money to the few people who placed a bet on Alaska. Sarah tells them in their ear-piece that they have to keep this going. 

We see a fast footage of them trying various ways to get the team they want to win and they are successful. Australia is advancing in the tournament and they are making a lot of money with it. In between two games, David, Chuck and Steve try to go and talk to Sarah, but they welcomed by Dennis, instead. He orders them to throw away their headpieces and to not answer any questions about this. David doesn’t understand what he’s talking about and Steve points at something outside the stadium. Sarah is arrested and she’s pushed inside a police car. It looks like they’re in trouble. 

Human 2.6 - Love

Human : Love
Genre : Sci-Fi / Drama
Showrunner: Michelle MacLaren
Writer : Ann Morrow

Cast: Justin Theroux, Letitia Wright, Bryan Batt, Michelle Fairley, Adrian Rawlins and Bertie Carvel

Plot : Following a romantic evening, James (Justin Theroux) and Eva (Letitia Wright) come back to their respective house and by hand and by hand. The simulation animates itself around them, creating a corridor of wonder for our two lovebirds. Charles (Adrian Rawlins) looks on from a distance and is satisfied with his work, they learned a new emotion after all. He thinks it’s now time for them to be separated and he forces them to separate thanks to a strong wind. James enters his house and he hears something upstairs. He walks carefully to avoid making any noise. Charles wants to see what’s all the fuss, but his view is obstructed. He shifts in first person view from James’ perspective. James opens Adam’s door and he sees Adam (Bryan Batt) having sex with Julia (Michelle Fairley). Charles turns the camera off. He can’t get the image out of his mind. He thinks it’s time for him to get some sleep and hopefully forget about it, so he settles on his couch as his parrot tells him that he’s a perv. 

James is happy to know that it’s what this is for, pointing to his crotch. Adam asks him to get out and so does Julia. Before he leaves, he tells Adam he’s happy that he was finally able to get closer to Julia. He’s more in love than ever with Eva. He says it’s nice for him, but he really needs to get out. James approaches to give him an awkward hug. Julia asks him if that’s what their life is about now and he says that’s probably the case. Julia suddenly wonders if Charles saw them and Adam tells her to calm down. He saw the camera as soon as he moved in and he painted it black, so he can’t see anything. They lay next to each other and fall asleep. 

The following morning, Adam looks all around the house to find Adam. Julia joins him in his search and conclude that he’s not in the house. Julia tells Adam she’ll go to her house to change and when she enters her house, Eva comes up to her completely naked. She takes her by the hand and drags her to her room. She also sees James completely naked and Eva asks for advice to replicate what she was doing last night with Adam, because, according to James it looked fun. She says they aren’t supposed to show themselves like that and Adam feels like she wouldn’t have been able to adequately help them if they weren’t completely undressed. 

Charles wakes up way later than he would have liked. He’s angry at his parrot for letting him oversleep and the parrot reminds him that this is what alarm clocks do. He’s shocked to see what’s on the screen. They have gone too far in their show of love and it can’t be tolerated, not while they are doing their job. A huge claw appears out of nowhere in Eva’s bedroom and drags her away. Charles drops her in Adam’s house. He gives her clothes and he also forces Adam to dress up. Charles also builds walls and makes a car appear in front of Adam’s house. He forces them to get inside the car and he drives it away. He does the same thing to James and Julia. While they are driving there, he builds two separates buildings on the other side of town, designed to keep them separated for the duration of his board meeting. He designs them they will be fun environments that will showcase everything that is good about his androids. His cellphone reminds him that he should leave now, she he designs the building in a hurry, before leaving his laboratory with a cup of coffee. 

 James and Julia try to understand what happened and she’s certain that it’s Charles who did something do them, because he saw what happened. James says he liked it better when Eva was around. The same things are said in Adam and Eva’s car. They reach their respective destination at about the same time. They both realise that it’s all too good to be true. Everything is pristine and chic, it seems all wrong. Charles designed the building in such a rush that he made a mistake. The two buildings are connected on a screen and they can see each other. James and Eva immediately try to touch each other and say how they love each other. Julia and Adam both agree that it looks like Charles messing with them again. He has clearly lost his mind. 

 A woman tells Charles that he’s ready to see him. He follows here and he meets with the only man present; Mason Crowley (Bertie Carvel). Charles lets him know that he expected to meet the board and Mason said they sent him to represent their interests. He asks for a progression update and Charles says they’ve achieved a lot in the past couple of days. He shows him clips of the androids interacting with each other in various situations and Crowley is impressed. He says he’d like to meet the two scientists he keeps seeing in the clips. They’ve had direct contact with the subject, so they would be able to share their experience with James and Eva. Charles says they are unavailable right now, they’re hard at work. Mason knows he can have a live feed of the simulation, so he wants to talk to Adam and Julia. Charles refuses, but Mason insists. Charles has no choice but to comply. He gets the live feed and he prays that they don’t shit the bed for him. The live feed appears, and we see James and Eva kissing on the screen. Mason doesn’t think they’re very smart because they are kissing a screen and not really each other. Mason tries to talk to Julia and Adam, but Charles remembers that the audio is broken and he can’t talk to them. He puts the blame on technical difficulties and he asks Mason what he thinks. He says he clearly saw potential, but he’s not really convinced. He wants something tangible, he’d like to meet the androids, or at the very least the scientists, but they won’t cut his funding if that’s what he’s worried about. If he doesn’t have anything in a week, it may be different though.