Gauntlet 2.6 - Season Opener

Gauntlet : Season Opener
Genre : Sports / Drama
Showrunner: Antoine Fuqua
Writer : Matt Parker

Cast: William Fichtner, Josh Duhamel, Trevor Jackson, Eric Roberts, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jared Keeso, Corey Hawkins, Saffron Burrows and Kat Graham

Plot:Coach Ken Heath (William Fichtner) leads his team, the Memphis Pharaohs, out on the field for the first game of the season. He names Jefferson Thomas (Trevor Jackson) the team's offensive captain for the game. Heath tells him to defer to the second half if they win the coin toss. He heads out to the coin toss, which the Pharaohs win. Thomas tells the referee they want the ball. The referee announces the kick-off and Coach Heath asks Thomas what happened. Thomas says his nerves got the best of him and he forgot what Heath wanted. DeAndre Colson (Corey Hawkins) goes out to return the opening kick-off. He takes the kick out of his own end zone, seeing an opening, and takes the ball all the way to mid-field on the strength of his all-world speed. Thomas looks over to Tim Collins (Josh Duhamel) and finally admits that Colson is definitely faster than him. Collins laughs that he was the only one who didn't already know that. Offensive coordinator Stan Swift (Jared Keeso) is up in the coaches booth and relays the opening play to rookie quarterback Alex Wright (Patrick Schwarzenegger).

The first play from scrimmage is a counter run play from Thomas that nets the team 10 yards. On the next play the offensive line breaks down, collapsing the pocket around Wright, who is able to shake free from one defender and bolts down field. He keeps scrambling, all the way to the end zone, but takes several hits along the way and held onto the football gingerly. The announcers comment that this is a much faster Memphis Pharaohs team than we saw the season before. Swift tells Wright he did a good job escaping pressure on that play. Heath tells Wright to make sure he has a secure hold on the football and to not fight contact for extra yards, especially after he already had the first down. Leonard Palmer (Eric Roberts) calls the team's marketing director from the owners booth and tells him to start coming up with campaigns around Alex Wright.

After the game, the Memphis Pharaohs celebrate a Week 1 victory in the locker room. Reporters are interviewing Alex Wright, who finished the game with three touchdowns. Colson invites Thomas to come out to club to celebrate the win. At first Thomas turns down the offer, but decides to come along. Tim Collins leaves the game without showering since he never broke a sweat on the bench.

At the club, people keep trying to hand Thomas drinks, and he turns them down. Colson tells Thomas to let loose and celebrate, they lead an undefeated professional football team. Thomas obliges and takes a drink. Then he has another and another. Thomas ends up getting into a fight with security and is asked to leave. Colson tells Thomas to calm down. He's supposed to celebrate and have a drink, not go on a bender and start a fight. Thomas leaves the club. Thomas is embarrassed by his behavior and doesn't want to drive home drunk. He also doesn't want his girlfriend Gwendolyn to see him in this condition. He sits on the hood of his car and calls Nikki (Kat Graham). He tells her he's pretty sure that baby growing inside of her is his. She can tell he's drunk and asks where he is. He tells her what club he's outside of. Nikki tells him to wait where he is.

Collins and Sharon Matthews (Saffron Burrows) lay in bed. He vents to her about how difficult it was to watch a game from the sideline after all these years on the field. He doesn't know if he'll ever get used to it since he's never been a backup before - not in the pros or in college. She asks him if he's thought about retiring at all. He tells her he just isn't sure right now.

Nikki arrives outside the club where she finds Thomas laying on the hood of his car. She tells him to get inside her car. He drunkenly stumbles over to her car and gets in. She says that she thought he got his shit together last time she saw him. He says he thought he did. She asks him why he didn't call his girlfriend, and he says he doesn't know. She confirms his suspicion that the baby is his. Thomas is stunned silent.

Coach Heath wakes up in his office in the middle of the night when he hears a noise. He follows the noise to the film room where he finds Swift and Wright already going over the game film from that night's game. He tells them to lock up when they are done and heads home. 

Call My Agent 2.4 - Questioning

Call My Agent : Questioning

Genre : Comedy / Drama / Satire

Showrunner: Jason Reitman

Writer : Dominic Wilkins

Cast: Lesley Manville, Caroline Dhavernas, Rainn Wilson, Brian d'Arcy James, Michelle Yeoh, Gilles Marini, Chris Colfer and Michael Stuhlbarg

Plot: Miranda (Lesley Manville), sitting in front of the cameras, ready to do the first live interview of her career. The pressure is on, not only does she have to save face, but she’s also trying to save the sinking ship that is the Jones agency. Six months. All she needs is six months to get her inheritance that will allow her either sell the agency, or to keep running it. She doesn’t want to think about that decision just yet, she has more urgent matters to attend to. Melissa Hao (Michelle Yeoh) gets her attention, they are about to start the interview. Miranda adjusts her dress and takes a deep breath before the interview starts. Her reputation is on the line.

Andrea (Caroline Dhavernas) and Bob (Rainn Wilson) welcome their second client of the day, Bob’s this time, hoping that their meeting will go much more smoothly than the one they had earlier. They send Wilson (Brian d’Arcy James) on a mission to find where Miranda is and he accepts it diligently. Bob tells Andrea that this meeting will go well, he’s certain. It’s a great movie, a great project, some good stars attached and his client is the only missing pieces, he’s thrilled and convinced to make a slam dunk. As Wilson heads out, he holds the door to Bob’s client, Michael Stuhlbarg (Michael Stuhlbarg). Bob gets up and greets Michael, but Michael isn’t all smiles as Bob would’ve hoped. Andrea mouths to Bob, asking him if everything is alright and Bob says he’s just a serious guy, everything will be alright. As they sit down, Michael tells Bob they need to talk. They really need to talk. Andrea sighs, what is it this time ?

Melissa starts the interview simply. She asks Miranda how did she manage to end up in the director’s chair at the Jones agency. She says her father died and he put her in charge. Melissa asks Miranda what she was doing before inheriting this position. Miranda says she could call herself a socialite, but that would just be a fancy word to say what she really was. She was a daddy’s girl who lived off his fortune and did nothing all day and just lived her life to the fullest. Melissa thinks Miranda just admitted she doesn’t have the required skills and knowledge to run a talent agent. Miranda cuts her off and she says she knows what Melissa’s plan is. She’s here to drag her through the mud and to destroy her reputation and she won’t let that happen. She may not be the most educated woman on the planet, but she can stand up for herself and if she wants a fight, she’ll have a fight, but she better be ready cause she can last as long as it needs to save face. Melissa is embarrassed and she cuts to the commercials, as Miranda wisely smiles. Melissa heads for the backstage area and she screams to her producer to bring in the secret weapon, they’re going to break that bitch.

Michael Stuhlbarg tells Bob that he’s tired. Bob doesn’t understand what he means by that. He says he can’t handle the pressure. Bob asks him to put it more bluntly because he still doesn’t understand what he’s talking about. He’s a great actor and everyone thinks he’s good, what more can you ask, right? Stuhlbarg says that’s exactly what he’s talking about. People expect excellence from him, everything he touches turns to gold and he fears what’s going to happen once he’s in a flop. Will people think that he’s done and not offer him jobs anymore. The indie films don’t pay much and even when you don’t work, you still have to pay the rent. He doesn’t want good films anymore, he just wants to do a non-challenging film that comes with a hefty paycheck. That’s all he’s asking for. He can’t stand the pressure anymore, so no, he won’t accept the Jonestown role. Andrea walks away screaming “Are you kidding me”. Bob isn’t so sure this is a slam dunk anymore.

Melissa comes back and sits in her chair as they come back from the break. She stares at Miranda and says it’s now time for Miranda to explain herself to the man she abandoned after he tried to defend her, François. Miranda is genuinely shocked to see François again and she feels tears are about to fall. She regains her composure as Melissa allows François to give his side to the story. François says he came forward to the media to defend her, but she completely threw him under the bus and rejected him, showing to him that she is just a self-centered jerk who only cares about herself. He says it’s now time to let the cat out of the bag. She only accepted the job because it was the only way for her to get her inheritance. She’s just in for the money and she knows it. She even told him in private that she doesn’t even like her employees, in fact, she despises them. Miranda can’t believe what she’s hearing. She looks around desperately, hoping that all of this is just an elaborate prank, when she sees Wilson, looking really disappointed. He just heard everything and just like everyone else, he will believe it’s true. François goes on and on, saying she mistreated him for years and used him as a human sex toy for years and she knew he wouldn’t say a work, because he was a vulnerable immigrant. Melissa concludes François’ mean and untrue rant about Miranda with a question for Miranda. How will she respond to these accusations? Miranda sees Wilson walking out in anger and discouragement and she speaks to herself, promising that she’s going to do the right thing for once. Miranda says she may be avoiding the question, but all François just said is untrue. The whole controversy started as a gender inequality scandal after they won an award celebrating their work for gender equality in Hollywood and miss Hao has turned it into a witch hunt to bring her down, god knows why. She isn’t going to endure this anymore. She’ll see her in court for this. Melissa asks her with which money, because she doesn’t have any. Miranda walks away, whipping the tears dripping down her face.

Michael Stuhlbarg is committed to drop out of filming his upcoming film. He says he had a hard time coming back to his normal life after his last film. He can’t do it anymore, he doesn’t remember who the real Michael Stuhlbarg is. Bob agrees because he truly is a good character actor. He can’t even recognize him sometimes, because he is so good. Bob is adamant that Michael should do this film and afterwards they can find him cash-grabbing roles, but he needs to end its true career with a bang, right? Michael says he’s right, but he better listen this time, or else he’ll come after him. All these years in character, he learned a lot of things. Bob escorts him out and they’ll see each other on the Jonestown set.

Miranda knocks on Desmond’s apartment door and when he opens, she falls in his arms and they almost fall on the floor. As she’s sobbing, Desmond can’t believe Miranda has a heart after all, he always thought she was heartless, and that’s just the way she acted, but tonight he sees a real, vulnerable woman in his arms.

Hitman 2.5 - Hack and Slash

Hitman: Hack and Slash

Genre: Action

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writer: Dwight Gallo

Based on the video game series

Cast: Ed Skrein, Charlotte Riley and Nico Santos

Plot: Agent 47 (Ed Skrein) meets with Diana Burnwood (Charlotte Riley) on a container ship in the South Pacific. She tells him that they still haven't been able to locate his friend Father Zittorio. 47 is frustrated and begins to suspect Zittorio has been killed by now. 47 collects himself and asks Diana who the Agency wants him to kill. She tells him there is a contract for Charlie Sidjan, a hacker running a phoney software company in Malaysia. Sidjan has stolen a valuable piece of US military software that works as a key signature. In the hands of an adversary, any incoming missile will be detected as American. Agent 47 comments that it is a nifty tool for anyone who wants to drum up anti-American sentiment or start a world war. Diana says that the client wants 47 to retrieve the code and exterminate Charlie Sidjan and all records of the code.

A helicopter arrives on the container ship to take Agent 47 to nearby Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 47 then makes his way on foot to the Petronas Towers. He calls in the fire department, saying he smelled smoke in the building. When the fire fighters arrive, 47 knocks one out and steals his uniform. 47 then heads through the security checkpoint. Security ushers him in even though the metal detectors are going off around him. 47 then heads down into the basement where Charlie Sidjan (Nico Santos) is sitting at a row of computers. 47 splits his head open with the fire axe. He then notices a picture on one of the computers of two identical twin brothers, one of whom is Charlie Sidjan. 47 immediately calls Diana and tells her that he's pretty sure Sidjan has a twin brother. She tells him to continue on to find the software while she looks into that.

47 looks at a security monitor and notices the other Sidjan twin in a penthouse. Diana reminds him to go to the server room to place a dongle on the master server, that way the client will be able to access the system and retrieve the encoded information. 47 arrives to the door to the server room, but it's locked. He asks Diana if she has the code, but she says she does not, but she does mention that the room is air conditioned. 47 heads to the maintenance room and enters the air ducts. Diana tracks his position until he is just above the server room. 47 then breaks through the vents and crashes down into the server room below. Agent 47 attaches the dongle to the building's main server and walks out of the room.

Diana informs Agent 47 that she believes he killed Charlie's brother Brat, and that Charlie is on the penthouse level of the building. Agent 47 enters an elevator and hits the 'P'. When the elevator opens, 47 finds himself standing in front of an entire security team. They attack him with stun batons, but 47 rips one away and begins incapacitating the team with it.

Agent 47 then heads down a hallway where he finds Charlie Sidjan (Nico Santos) in a Jacuzzi. Charlie invites 47 to join him, but 47 respectfully declines. Charlie asks if 47 has already killed his brother and 47 nods his head. Charlie laughs that it's been a good ride just before Agent 47 shoots him in the head. Agent 47 then heads down the elevator to the streets of Kuala Lumpur below. 

Rubber City Rockers 1.5 - Part 5

Rubber City Rockers - Part 5

Genre: Comedy

Director: David Wain

Writer: D.R. Cobb

Based on the graphic novel Punk Rock and Trailer Parks by John "Derk" Backderf

Cast: Ross Lynch, Charlie Tahan, Logan Miller, Justin Long, Betty Gilpin and Saxon Sharbino

Plot: Otto (Ross Lynch) and Wes (Logan Miller) are at the record store. Wes excitedly announces that they have the new Rootboy Slim and the Sex Change Band album. He says that every week there's something new... and cool. Wes says punk and new wave music is gonna change the world. Otto says Wes is dreaming. He loves the music too, but they are at the only store in town that carries ANY punk or new wave music, and even here it is separated from the "real" rock music, as if mixing in The Clash will somehow infect the rock genre. Otto asks if this really sounds like a cultural force that will change the world. Otto continues without waiting for a reply from Wes to say that there are simply way too many conglomerates lined up to stomp down the music they didn't make. Too much money has been invested in the next Foreigner LP to allow some DIY assholes to succeed. Otto continues his rant by bringing up that there isn't a single radio station in town that plays ANY new music, not one lousy single. Otto begins blaming the hippies. He says they are the first generation in human history that refuses to give away to the next generation, so it's their music that fills the airwaves because they own the airwaves. Wes says he can't believe that The Saints and The Clash will be drowned out by the likes of Aerosmith. Otto bets that 30 years from now Aerosmith will still be selling out arenas full of morons. Otto comes across the album of the band playing at The Bank that weekend, The Plasmatics.

At The Bank, Otto is working backstage. He brings Plasmatics lead singer Wendy O. Williams (Betty Gilpin) a can of shaving cream as she asked for. Wendy is a little angry that the shaving cream isn't Barbasol like she always uses. Otto apologizes and explains that all the stores around there close at 5 and he had to go all the way to the ghetto to find an open store and that was the only shaving cream they had. Otto says he has used the brand before and vouches for it. Wendy says it's fine, it's her roadie's fault, not Otto's. She then asks Otto how many cops are there tonight. Otto says there are a shitload, mostly vice. Wendy says she only gets hassled in towns like Akron.

During the concert, Wendy announces that the next song is for the pigs out there tonight. Otto is watching the show next to the Plasmatics Manager (Justin Long). She turns away from the crowd, takes her top off and covers her breasts with the shaving cream. She turns back toward the crowd and begins the song. The band's manager comments that the shaving cream is melting off way sooner. It quickly melts away, exposing her breasts to the crowd. The stage is immediately swarmed by the plainclothes cops there and Wendy is arrested for indecent exposure. The Manager comments that the Barbasol has never failed before.

At school on Monday Wes is laughing in the halls that Otto is the reason Wendy O. Williams got arrested. They then see the Bible-thumper Betty from Biology class walking down the hall, now visibly pregnant. Otto says she hasn't told anyone who the father is, but he's putting his money on her pastor. Wes changes the subject back to the Plasmatics and asks if the band was pissed. Otto says far from it. Her manager couldn't thank him enough since you can't buy that kind of publicity. He says that Wendy even stopped by the next day once she was out of jail and autographed the can of shaving cream for him.

As Otto and Wes walk down the hall they cross paths with Pete (Charlie Tahan) and Lisa Zolka (Saxon Sharbino) walking hand in hand. Otto asks how long that's been going on. Wes says the two have been an item ever since Otto convinced Pete to expose himself to her.