Ian McShane Joins "Game of Thrones"-Series to End at 8 Seasons

 

It's been a wild ride to be a fan of HBO's fantasy series Game of Thrones as audiences had to watch a fan-favorite die at the hands of his own brethern in the Season 5 finale earlier this summer; but now HBO has come to say that the series- based on the novels by George R.R. Martin- will end after Season 8, not Season 7 as was previously assumed.
It was also revealed that acclaimed character actor Ian McShane, seen now on Showtime's Ray Donovan, will be joining in an unspecified role.

HBO president Michael Lombardo said via EW:

 “Seven-seasons-and-out has never been the [internal] conversation,” Lombardo said to critics at the Television Critics Association’s press tour Thursday when a reporter asked if the show would end after seven. “The question is: How much beyond seven are we going to do? Obviously we’re shooting six now, hopefully discussing seven. [Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are] feel like there’s two more years after six. I would always love for them to change their minds, but that’s what we’re looking at right now.”

Lombardo was also open to often requested idea of a prequel season.
Game of Thrones premiered in 2011 and has since become both a ratings smash hit and a cultural phenomenon for HBO, spawning countless merchandise and ruling social media during the on-season run.

EW then went on to report on McShane's role:

We can tell you, however, that sources say McShane has a relatively small amount of screen-time during the season, yet his character is of key importance.

It is rumored McShane could play Randyl Tarly, father of Samwell; but the words "key importance" suggest something much larger than an estranged father. Perhaps he is the Night's King, or maybe one of the Greyjoy pirates- a role McShane commanded in the 2011 Pirates of the Carribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Starz "Black Sails" Will Coast Ahead to Season 4

 

The critically acclaimed pirate-set drama series won't return for Season 3 until early 2016; but Starz has announced at the Television Critics Assn. in California that they've already ordered the series for a fourth season, which will film near South Africa this fall. 

The series, which acts as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island", follows the lives of Captain James Flint, John Silver, Charles Vane, "Calico" Jack Rackham, and as of Season 3, Edward "Black Beard" Teach played by Ray Stevenson, as the hunt for the Urca De Lima gold and it's impact on the port-island Nassau.
Where it stands, Season 4 is very likely to be a straight up adaptation of the Stevenson novel itself.

Co-creator Jonathan Steinberg once told Zap2It:

“We reread the book before we really committed to this angle of the story,” Steinberg says. “I don’t remember as a kid appreciated how clearly unreliable [Long John Silver] is intended to be. That everything is self-serving that comes out of his mouth.”

He continues, “If the show lives a long and healthy life .. that that end will plug into the book in some meaningful way,” adding that he hopes “Black Sails” will “recontextualize the negative space in the world.” As for future seasons, Steinberg hedges that he will keep the show going “as long as there’s a story to tell.”

The series is produced by Michael Bay, and will return to Starz in January. 

Comic-Con Trailer: "Vikings" - Season 4

Comic-Con has been the centerpiece for television today in San Diego with the release of the trailers for AMC's The Walking Dead Season 6 and it's companion piece Fear The Walking Dead. The History Channel has joined in on the action with the trailer for Season 4 of Vikings. "War Never Ends", view all the ways to die below.

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Comic-Con Trailer: "Fear The Walking Dead"

Set in Los Angeles, “Fear the Walking Dead” focuses on new characters and storylines, stars Kim Dickens (Gone Girl, “Sons of Anarchy”) as Madison, Cliff Curtis (“Missing,” “Gang Related”) as Travis, Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) as Nick and Alycia Debnam-Carey (Into the Storm) as Alicia. Also joining the cast as series regulars are Elizabeth Rodriguez (“Orange is the New Black”) as Liza and Mercedes Mason (Quarantine 2: Terminal) as Ofelia.

The series is set to premiere on AMC  Sunday, August 23rd at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT with an extended 90-minute episode.

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Comic-Con Trailer: "Scream" The TV Series

Get a glimpse at what’s to come on Scream from this brand new trailer from San Diego Comic Con 2015. Airing every Tuesday at 10/9c on MTV.

“Scream the TV Series” stars Bex Taylor-Klaus, Willa Fitzgerald, John Karna, Connor Weil and Amadeus Serafini. For a Good Time Call… helmer Jamie Travis directs the pilot. In it, after a cyber-bullying incident results in a brutal murder, the shocking violence stirs up memories of a killing spree from the past that has haunted some, intrigued others and maybe just inspired a new killer. A group of teens – with two old friends struggling to reconnect at its heart – become lovers, enemies, suspects, targets and victims of a killer who’s out for blood.

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Comic-Con Trailer: "The Walking Dead - Season 6"

“The Walking Dead” stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick, Chandler Riggs as Carl, Danai Gurira as Michonne, Melissa McBride as Carol, Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha, Lauren Cohan as Maggie, Steven Yeun as Glenn, Norman Reedus as Daryl, Lennie James as Morgan, Seth Gilliam as FatherGabriel, Michael Cudlitz as Abraham, Josh McDermitt as Eugene, Alanna Masterson as Tara, Christian Serratos as Rosita, Tovah Feldshuh as Deanna, Ross Marquand as Aaron, Alexandra Breckenridge as Jesse, and Austin Nichols as Spencer.

Based on the comic created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, “The Walking Dead” will return to AMC this October for another 16-episode season. Season 6 will premiere on Sunday, October 11 with a 90-minute episode.

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The Following - Season 3 Recap "The Reckoning"

In the season 3 (also series) finale of The Following, we pick up where we left off with Ryan being captured by Theo along with that fellow agent who is now suffering from a gunshot wound.  Theo takes them to an abandoned prison where his plan is to torture and kill Ryan to make him pay for killing Penny.

Meanwhile, Max and the rest of the FBI are in search mode to find Ryan and Theo (oh and that fellow agent too).  They’re reviewing highway cameras to try and figure out where Theo went and how far away he’s gotten.

Theo receives a call from Eliza during this and she informs him that her people want Ryan Hardy alive, not dead, throwing a major wrench into Theo’s plan.  He basically tells her to screw off, he’s doing what he wants and good luck finding him.

Back at the hospital, Mike is still not out of the words as Max comes by to check on him.  It’s there that she reveals to Gwen that Ryan has gone missing but that they’re doing everything they can and will find him.  It’s here that the doctors give good news on Mike and tell them he’s progressing well.

Over in the prison, Theo has begun torturing Ryan by dunking his head in water (similar to how he tortured Penny), and after slitting that fellow agent’s throat, is about to make him suffer more when Eliza and her people show up to sort of save the day.  They take Theo away and begin questioning Ryan about his knowledge of them.  Ryan really does have no damn clue who they are and soon enough, is able to break free and start to escape.  Theo – who had actually begun to get tortured himself – is also able to get away but not before learning (through a pretty thin plot point of seeing Gwen’s ultrasound) that Ryan is about to be a father.  Just as he slips past Ryan, he tells him he’s going after Gwen and the baby and that he’s going to make him suffer now for the rest of his life.

Max – still at the hospital with Mike – discovers Theo’s whereabouts (again, through a pretty thin plot point of hidden highway cam footage) and calls Agent Campbell (Diane Neal of Law & Order: SVU) to inform her.  This is all well and good; however, we’ve just learned that Agent Campbell herself is working for Eliza and her people (major plot twist).  Campbell tells Max she’ll go with her to follow the lead and keeps the information discreet from everyone else in the office.

Able to track down the prison – to Campbell’s frustration – Max takes off the find Ryan who has just gotten free.  She guns down one of Eliza’s henchman who is about to shoot Ryan and the two are reunited to go after Theo who he himself is going after Gwen.  Theo, by the way, captures Agent Campbell and uses her to get to Gwen.

Told by Agent Campbell, Gwen and her security detail are led out of Ryan’s apartment but are ambushed in the basement by Theo.  He shoots and seemingly kills everyone but Gwen to capture and take her away.  Ryan and Max – in a common pattern for this show –arrive just a little too late to find Gwen’s been taken by Theo (though Agent Campbell is still alive).

Getting away on road with Gwen held captive, Theo reveals to her that he’s going to kill her after she gives birth to Ryan’s baby and raise it as his own.  Ryan and the FBI though are able to track him down though by helicopter, leading to a face-off between the two on a bridge above a river.

Theo holds Gwen at gunpoint and it looks as if Ryan’s going to give up to save Gwen’s life, but quickly (seemingly) shoots Theo in the head to save her.  Ryan and Gwen embrace, thinking everything’s way too resolved for this show when Theo gets up (the bullet merely grazing his head) and tackles Ryan overboard the bridge.  To Gwen’s horror, Ryan is still hanging on the side with Theo having gone over.  He tells Gwen he loves her, before letting go and falling in too.

The next day, a search crew is unsuccessful in finding Ryan and Theo who are both believed to be dead.  We find Max and Gwen back at the hospital, sharing the bad news with Mike, who has awaken.  Suddenly, we see an anonymous figure entering the hospital, who looks as if it’s Theo, but turns out its Ryan, having survived the fall.

He heads to Agent Campbell’s recovery room and tells her he knows she was in on it and gets what information he can out of her before killing her.  Ryan’s coming after Eliza and her people.

As he’s slipping out of the hospital, Ryan sees Gwen, Max and Mike together, content they all have each other before walking out of the building.  End show.

Overall, I’d say this was a pretty good season, though the choppy writing and convenient plot points at times certainly effected the quality of the show.  I think it would have been interesting to see where season 4 went with Ryan – now believed to be dead – going after Eliza and her company, unaware he’s alive but…as is the case with shows that just don’t do big enough ratings, they end.

Grade: B+

Overall Grade for the season: B

Notes/Questions:

• So I guess we never find out what happened to Mendez and her family?
• I believe Ryan meant to only graze Theo with his gunshot as he wanted Theo to knock him over the bridge.  As he tells Max earlier in the episode, he can never be happy with the danger in his life, and I think knew Gwen could only be safe if it was believed he was dead.
• For a guy who got stabbed multiple times in the back, Mike looked pretty damn healthy in bed.
• I guess Agent Campbell got what was coming to her?

The Following - Season 3 Recap "Dead or Alive"

We pick up from last week's shocking ending in the emergency room where Mike is being treated after his brutal stabbing by Mark.  Max is - of course - an absolute mess and Ryan arrives on scene to comfort.  The injuries to Mike are bad, really bad, and it doesn't look good for Agent Weston.

Meanwhile, Theo - after witnessing the death of his sister, Penny - we find in the woods contemplating suicide.  It would make sense given she was the only person he ever truly loved, but Theo has a moment and realizes what he has to do.  From this point forward, we're along for the ride.

The first thing he does is go to Ms. Annoyance - Eliza - to set the record straight on their deal.  If he kills Ryan Hardy, her and whomever the people she works for, have to make him disappear.

Back at the hosptial though, we find Ryan and Gwen starting to reconcile, discussing the baby and his plan to leave the bureau once Theo is caught.  First though, that needs to actually happen.

Believing Theo will come after someone Ryan cares about, he puts protective detail on everyone he can think of including his sister.  Who he forgets about though is Agent Mendez, his ex boss.  Turns out she's heading to a safe house herself with a couple bodyguards, but it's not enough as Theo soon gets to her and her wife.  Fortunately, their kids are able to get to the panic room, but Mendez and her partner are left to be tied up and held at gunpoint.

Theo's plan is to have Mendez call Ryan and request he come out to see her, which she does, though Ryan is to clever and smart to realize something is up.  He sets up an offlline team to assist him in rescuing Mendez and taking down Theo.  Ryan knows this is his last chance to get him, and he needs it to finally end.

Once at the safe house, Ryan decides to go in alone and tells everyone to give him 10 minutes to get Theo and the guards away from the house.  Once there, Ryan is able to do this, but ends up getting tricked by Theo and ends up trapped himself.  Daisy meanwhile (who I'm sorry I haven't mentioned) is put in charge of taking out Mendez and her partner, though they're able to escape (despite a gunshot wound) into the panic room with the kids.  Daisy is left to run away herself.

As Ryan is being brought out of the house, he's able to break free from Theo as the calvery shows up.  Theo takes off running and Ryan heads straight after him with Max not far behind.

Long story short, to set up the finale, Max takes out Daisy who was about to shoot her, and Ryan - thinking Theo has gotten away after shooting a fellow agent - is knocked out and taken by Theo as Gwen leaves a heartfelt voicemail on his cellphone.

Grade: B+

Notes/Questions:

• Mike is still in critical but stable condition and we still don't know if he'll make it.
• I actually felt a bit sorry for Theo having lost the only person he loved.
• I'm curious to know what organization this annoying Eliza works for.
• Did anyone else really want to see what that panic room looked like inside? 

The Following - Season 3 Recap "A Simple Trade"

Part of Fox's 2-hour night of The Following, we pick up where the last episode left off with Ryan having to meet up with Theo to exchange Penny for Mike.

When the FBI arrives at Ryan's apartment - questioning where he's been and what he's been up to - Ryan sells a pretty smooth excuse, but not for Max.  She catches onto what he's doing, and after slugging him in the face for not telling her Theo has Mike (she feared he was dead), they make a plan to get Mike back.

Meanwhile, as Mike is being dragged along by Theo, Mark and Daisy, Theo must devise a plan of where and when he will do the exchange for his sister.  He ends up settling on a performing arts theater (where Mark brutally kills the one guy working there), and the place is now turned into a meeting ground for the trade-off.

As Ryan and Max orchestrate their scheme to get Mike back - by not informing the FBI of what's going on - they end up stealing a few supplies from the headquarters.  They fear if the bureau is brought in, Mike will die and Ryan's job will be toast.

Back at the mansion where Mike is being held captive (I know, where do these places come from?), he's able to escape from Daisy but not before Theo and Mark return to find out he's gone.  While Mike is almost able to get out of there, he's caught by Mark and is once again looking likely to be killed but not before Daisy pulls a gun on Mark and shoots him.  She realizes without Mike, Theo will kill her and needs him to survive.  Mark gets away and now we're left with the big showdown of Ryan and Theo.

The theater set up is pretty well orchestrated, but after Ryan gets a hold of Mike and Theo gets a hold of Penny, a shoot out and runaway begins with Ryan gunning down Penny.  Theo you can tell is heartbroken by losing the one person he loved, but ends up escaping with Daisy.

With Mike and Max now reunited, the have a perfect moment later on in the parking garage outside FBI headquarters as Mike confesses his love for her.  All is seemingly well and good until Mark surprises and brutally stabs Mike multiple times as Max is left helpless.  It look like she's about to be taken out too but Mike is able to finally gun down Mark himself.  Mike is left in a pool of blood with Max calling for help.

Grade: B

Notes/Questions:

• Gwen does in fact tell Ryan she's pregnant and looks to be giving him another chance if he changes his ways.
• Ryan heads to an AA meeting and claims he wants to change and be better, seemingly ridding the ghost of Joe.
• Did anyone else see that stabbing of Mike coming a million miles away?  It was just too perfect and ideal a moment for nothing to happen.

The Following - Season 3 Recap "The Edge"

*Just as a quick note, it was revealed early last week that The Following had been canceled by Fox.  While there are rumors that the show may get picked up by another network or digital streaming service, it looks likely that these last four episodes will be the last, period.  Stay tuned if there are any changes, but don't hold your breath.  Just enjoy these last remaining episodes of The Following!*

This episode proved to be a set up of sorts for the remainder of the season.  We see Ryan struggling with his alcohol addiction, we see Mark and Daisy teaming up with Theo and Penny, and finally, we see Tom finally being brought down.

Starting off with the first point mentioned, Ryan is certainly struggling with his addiction.  He is going behind both Mike and Max's back along with lying to everyone else to steal a quick drink.  He does, however, surprise Gwen at the hospital wanting to talk.  While it seems like she wants to give him another chance, it doesn't seem that much.  She does indeed ask him later in the episode if he is drinking again, to which Ryan responds he is, but tells her he's going to stop.  The conversation doesn't continue much longer because Ryan has just spotted Penny.  Which leads me to...

The second point of the two evil teams of Mark/Daisy joining forces with Theo/Penny.  While Mark and Theo very much don't like each other, they agree to help one another to get what they want.  First though, Mark and Daisy must help Theo with his Eliza issue.  A meeting is set up, in which Eliza double crosses Theo to have him killed, but Mark, Daisy and Penny help Theo in taking out these assassins.  Theo does in fact end up getting to Eliza, in which she agrees to help him and Penny disappear as long as he brings in Ryan Hardy as well as never speak of the organization she works for.  This is all well and good, until it comes time to get to Ryan.  This all leads to...

The third and final point of Tom.  Tom is used as a mole by both Mark and Daisy to help them hack back into the FBI databse to assist Theo.  The reason why?  They blackmail him with evidence in his accidental murder of Sloan (which he still has the body left in his bathtub) and tell him to cooperate or else.  Tom does do what they tell him and he gets Theo access back into the FBI database, but not before Mark asks him for one more favor, to bring him Mike Weston.

Back to the first point of Ryan spotting Penny.  Him and Max are on a stakeout for Penny after finding out who she is and where her local 'drug' hangouts are.  After hanging up on Gwen, Ryan and Max go after her and it looks like she's seemingly gotten away after Max leaves the scene, but turns out Ryan has snagged Penny himself.  He brings her back to his apartment to get her to talk, but after she resists, the ghost of Joe gets him to snap in which he waterboards her based on her fear of water he had read in her file.  She reveals Theo is working with Mark and Daisy.  Speaking of them...

After getting Tom to bring Mike to them, they end up killing Mr. Tom (so long) with Mark about to finally kill Mike, but not before Theo pops out of nowhere to tell them Mike is his now.  Confused?  Well it's because Theo needs Mike to get to Ryan.  A phone call is made, and now and exchange must be made too.

Grade: B

Notes/Questions:

• I forgot to add, Max realized Tom was the mole by looking at security tapes from the FBI offices.  She tries to call Mike to warn him, but that's when Tom gets Mike.
• I'm still surprised Gwen hasn't told Ryan she's pregnant.  Unless she's not planning to keep the baby...
• How many times is Mike going to get close to biting the dust with Mark?