On June 1st, 2019 Disneyland Paris will be dropping the rope on a memorial celebration called Magical Pride. This celebration at Disneyland Paris will be the first official LGBTQ event Disney has hosted.
During the day, you can explore galaxies, become a pirate and use the force. And at night, the Magical Pride will include late-night access to the park, where you can ride selected attractions, Disney character meet and greets, a special parade, live music and themed photo locations.
With the official Disneyland Paris website inviting and encouraging people to “Dress like a dream, feel fabulous and experience Walt Disney Studios Park like never before – loud, proud and alive with all the colours of the rainbow,” it is sure to be a spectacular experience. The tickets for the event, including the park tickets, are set at $131.83, but Disneyland Paris are partnered with GreatDays Travel Group to offer packages for anyone wanting to come earlier to experience the magic.
While this is the first official event hosted by Disney, the company has made steps to welcome the LGBTQ community since 2007 when same-sex couples could get married in front of Cinderella’s Castle and again in 2018 when Disney released rainbow ears in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
You can find prices, packages and more information at MagicalPride.com or at Magical Pride on Twitter.
Taraji P. Henson, star of Fox’s Empire as well as movies such as Hidden Figures and Proud Mary, stars as Ali Davis in What Men Want, which releases on Friday, February 8. The film features Henson in her first comedic starring role, something that the actress excitedly shared on Instagram was what “I MOVED TO LA TO DO……..make ppl laugh”.
Here are a couple of reasons you should be as excited as Henson about the film.
It Is a Remake That Improves On The Original
Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt star in What Women Want. Image Courtesy of IMDb.
What Men Want is an updated gender-swap version of the 2000 film What Women Want, which starred Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. Gone is the electrocution in the bathtub and the male stealing ideas from his female counterpart. Already in a dominant position, Gibson’s Nick uses his newfound power to push himself that much further ahead of Hunt’s Darcy. Unlike the original film, Henson’s character, a sports agent, unexpectedly gains her access to men’s thoughts through tea. This gives her an unexpected edge in a profession that is already dominated by men. Unlike the original film, What Men Want gives the ability to hear thoughts to the actual underdog, which is a refreshing change and reflects how society has changed just in 19 years.
Henson, Henson, Henson
Taraji P. Henson in Empire. Image Courtesy of IMDb.
The biggest reason to be excited about this film is its star. Up until now, Henson has been mainly known for her dramatic roles. Fans have seen her amazing talent while playing Cookie Lyon in Empire, season after season. In her films, she puts her all into her characters and it shows. Her performance never ceases to shine, even when she is saddled with poor direction or a not so great script. Not only does What Men Want provide Henson with something different than her usual dramatic role, it gives her the chance to do something she is excited to do. Be funny! If Henson brings her same A-game to this film, there is no stopping her.
Taraji P. Henson in What Men Want (2019). Courtesy of IMDb.
What Men Want co-stars Tracy Morgan and you can watch the trailer below! Do not miss out on your chance to see the film when it arrives in theaters on Friday, February 8!
What other films would you like to see given the gender-swap treatment? Comment and let us know!
Marvel dropped another Avengers: Endgame teaser on the world tonight during professional fotball’s big season finale with one line: “Some people move on, but not us. Not us.”
Image courtesy of Marvel Entertainment.
Marvel gave us all a quick flash of some of the ones who were dusted by Thanos’ snap, and then we are brought to New York City where we get a montage of the ones who were left: Hawkeye, Captain America, Rocket, Nebula, Tony, Ant-Man, War Machine, Thor, Bruce, and Natasha are seen preparing themselves and their armor, like they are suiting up for battle.
With all of the speculation around where this final installment will go, all we can do is enjoy the crumbs like this teaser and wait, increasingly less patiently, for the movie to be released.
Avengers: Endgame is due in theaters on April 26, 2019. Check out the trailer here!
"Some people move on. But not us." Watch the brand new Marvel Studios' #AvengersEndgame spot that aired during the Big Game. See the film in theaters April 26. pic.twitter.com/5ZJE9cHHK9
These are just a few of the emotions I was feeling as I sat in my living room- clutching my chest, my jaw practically on the floor- and watched one of Netflix’s newest true crime documentaries, Abducted in Plain Sight.
By now you have certainly heard your friends and family- or, at the very least, your Facebook or Twitter feeds- talking about Abducted in Plain Sight. The documentary interviews the Broberg family: parents Robert and Mary Ann, and their three daughters, Karen, Susan, and Jan. The story recounts the unbelievable and horrifying true events, in which 12-year-old Jan Broberg was kidnapped and repeatedly molested by the family’s neighbor, Robert Berchtold.
Robert Berchtold and young Jan Broberg Courtesy of IMDb
Warning: This review contains spoilers. Content/trigger warnings for kidnapping, pedophilia, grooming, parental neglect, sexual abuse, and suicide. I am writing with the intent of informing those who are interested in the story but worried about watching the documentary due to the extremely disturbing content.
If I had read about Jan Broberg’s story before watching the harrowing documentary, I would have insisted it was a work of fiction. Just when you think the shocking story cannot get any worse, another terrifying detail is revealed, resulting in perpetual jaw-dropping horror.
The Broberg family lived in Pocatello, Idaho, and described their town as stereotypically safe; the type of place where you could comfortably “never lock your doors” and “trust everyone in the neighborhood”. They first met Robert and Gail Berchtold and their five children when they moved into the neighborhood in 1972. Both Robert (Bob) and Mary Ann described Robert Berchtold, who they would come to lovingly refer to as ‘B’, as “friendly” and “sharp”, with an “effervescent, wonderful personality”.
The two families quickly became close, and B began spending almost every evening with the Broberg family. Even toward the beginning, Jan’s parents and sisters were aware of the special attention B gave 12-year-old Jan, of which Mary Ann referred to as “disturbing”. Jan thought of B as a second father to her and consequently felt safe and comfortable around him- a true testament to the “stranger you know” adage.
B used his charm on both Mary Ann and Bob, seducing both of them within the same year in order to gain more access to Jan.
In January of 1974, B was approached by the High Counsel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints due to their concerns regarding his involvement with another young girl, and they ordered him into therapy to help cure his obsession with Jan. According to B, part of his therapy involved spending time alone with the Broberg’s young girls- specifically Jan- and with Mary Ann and Bob’s permission, he would often lie in her bed with her at night. Mary Ann was quoted in that documentary as saying that neither her or Bob were comfortable with it, but “it was part of his therapy”.
The Broberg Family (Robert, Mary Ann, Jan, Susan, and Karen) Courtesy of IMDb
On Oct. 17, 1974, B kidnapped Jan and the Brobergs waited five whole days to finally call the FBI. Lead investigator Pete Welsh- and the only adult in this entire documentary who actually appeared to care about Jan’s well-being- had to convince the Brobergs, who did not suspect any foul play, that B had kidnapped their daughter.
Jan spoke in depth about what she remembered of the kidnapping through the haze of the sleeping pills B consistently slipped her. B set up a tape recording that helped convince Jan that she was half alien and needed to produce a child with him before she turned 16 in order to save her alien home planet. The recording also told her that if she was not able to complete the “mission”, they would move on to her sister, Susan. Between this and further grooming from B, Jan became naively complacent with B’s inappropriate and repeated advances.
35 days into Jan’s disappearance, B contacted his brother, Joe, and asked him to convince Mary Ann to let him and Jan get married. Apparently they’d been married in Mexico during their absence and wanted to come home, but since it wasn’t legal in the U.S., they needed permission. Mary Ann refused, so Joe did what he could to get his brother home- he called the FBI and had them tap his phone, allowing them to discover B’s location and track him down. The Brobergs went down to Mexico and picked Jan up, then later sent the marriage certificate back to Mexico to have the marriage annulled.
B was charged with kidnapping, and the Brobergs were instructed by Welsh to avoid the Berchtold family. Unfortunately Welsh’s impression of the Brobergs as being naive was a vast understatement, because when Gail visited a month later to beg them to drop the charges against B, they complied. Gail threatened Bob with the exposition of his homosexual tendencies, specifically toward B, if they refused to sign affidavits. The affidavits claimed that Jan was not taken or held against her will, and that B thought that he had the Broberg’s permission to take her. Mary Ann and Bob both signed, effectively stalling the case against B.
Unsurprisingly, B continued to see Jan and write her love letters. Meanwhile, he continued to call Mary Ann and profess his love for her as well. This marked the beginning of an 8-month-long affair between Mary Ann and B, in which he was also seeing Jan on a semi-regular basis. When Bob found out he reluctantly filed for divorce, but the pair ultimately ended up deciding to work through their issues when Mary Ann promised to rid her life of B.
Almost two years after the kidnapping, B agreed to a plea deal and he was sentenced to five years in jail. The judge then reduced the sentence to 45 days, and B ended up serving only 10 after he was released on “good behavior”. He then moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he opened a family fun center and invited Jan to come work for him over the summer. While the Brobergs originally told both B and Jan ‘no’, Mary Ann eventually caved and sent her to Jackson Hole, where she lived with B in his motor home for the duration of her stay.
Eventually Mary Ann forcefully brought Jan back home, prompting numerous threatening phone calls from B. Mary Ann’s stubbornness led to Jan’s second disappearance, though B maintained that he had nothing to do with it and was just as worried for her whereabouts as the Brobergs.
The Brobergs incomprehensibly told people that Jan was staying with a grandparent instead of alerting people to her disappearance. They finally called the FBI to inform Welsh two weeks into her disappearance.
Welsh’s team found B in a trailer park in Salt Lake City, Utah and ordered 24-hour surveillance on his motor home. A few weeks in, B allowed one of the agents inside. He insisted that he had no idea where Jan was, but the inside of the motor home revealed several large-scale photos of the child in almost shrine-like fashion. The FBI determined that she was not with him, although Welsh maintained that he knew B was aware of her whereabouts.
A few months into her disappearance, Jan made a call to the Broberg residence. An emotional conversation with her family ensued, in which Jan ensured them that she was okay and missed them, but what was really bizarre was her exchange with her father:
Bob: “Have you talked to B?”
Jan: “Not for a couple weeks.”
Bob: “Oh, does he still…want you to marry him and all that?”
Jan: “Well, I want to marry him, Dad.”
Bob: “Does he want to marry you?”
Jan: “Yes.”
Welsh’s team eventually observed B using a payphone near where he lived, and they traced a number that he had written on the phone book in the booth to Pasadena, California. They discovered that B had enrolled Jan in a Catholic school there, under the name “Janis Tobler”, and he had been posing as her father. B was promptly arrested and brought back to Pocatello. Police went to California and brought Jan home to her family, who described her as “hollow” and “emotionally gone” since her return.
When Jan had been back home for about a month, Bob got a call in the middle of the night to inform him that the flower shop he owned was on fire. This came shortly after threats from B about wanting to have Bob killed for keeping Jan from him. An investigation ended up revealing that B had offered to pay two men he was in jail with to burn the building down, but they were unable to make anything stick in order to charge him with the crime.
Meanwhile, B was charged with kidnapping and then acquitted due to “mental defect”. In June of 1977, he was ordered into a mental health facility, where he spent less than six months before he was released.
It was around Jan’s 16th birthday that she finally decided to come forward and tell her parents about the alien story B had conveyed to her when she was 12, which finally gave her the opportunity to start to move past her trauma and heal.
28 years later, Jan Broberg began speaking about her sexual abuse at different events, after the release of the book Mary Ann wrote about her experience.
Yeah, you heard that right. Jan’s own mother monetized the horrific events she was complacent in putting her daughter through. Please join me while I scream.
B proceeded to threaten both Mary Ann and Jan about the book, attempting to show up at the numerous events they spoke at and telling anyone who would listen that the story they told in the book was false. Jan ultimately filed a stalking injunction, and she was forced to go to court when B contested it. She was awarded the injunction for the remainder of B’s life.
Even after the injunction B continued to stalk Jan at speaking events. Jan’s events were under the protection of Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), and in one particular event, B drove by in his car yelling threats at the bikers. The police were called when one of the bikers was hurt- it is unclear if B hit the man with his car or not- and a gun was discovered in B’s car, so he was arrested and charged with 3 felonies and 2 misdemeanors. He was found guilty and instructed to return in a week for sentencing.
But B had no plans to go to prison, so before his sentencing, Robert Berchtold ended his life by overdosing on his heart medicine.
Since then, 6 more women have come forward to Jan about how Berchtold sexually abused them as children. In all this time, with all these girls, he was only found guilty once for rape and spent a total of one year in jail.
Interviewer: “Have you forgiven him?”
Jan: “Forgiveness is a tricky word. In my mind, not forgiving somebody only puts up the jail cell kind of around you. I figured out that I can live with my tragedy in a way that the tragedy doesn’t run me anymore.
Jan also said that she was able to forgive her parents “by helping them to forgive themselves”. On the topic of her parents:
Jan: “Yes, they made mistakes. But it’s one thing to make a mistake kind of as two innocent people. It’s another thing to make a mistake when somebody’s orchestrating you and playing your emotions and feelings.”
It is incredibly admirable and inspirational of Jan to stand up in front of audiences and share her story. We can only hope that her willingness to come forward and speak about her story will resonate with others who have or are experiencing trauma and sexual abuse, and give more of them the courage to come forward with theirs.
This documentary is fascinating in its own right, but make no mistake- it is in no way enjoyable to watch, and the overwhelmingly dissatisfying ending will leave you both angry and uneasy. Viewer beware!
Abducted in Plain Sight is available on Netflix, or on Amazon Prime, for those without a Netflix subscription.
Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt) eats Dan’s pudding. Image courtesy of ‘Lucifer’/Netflix.
Season 3, Episode 3: “Mr. and Mrs. Mazikeen Smith”– Episode three of the season brought us something we had been waiting for: a Maze-centric episode. Maze, with some encouragement from Lucifer, decides to bounty hunt the most difficult person she can. She easily tracks the man to Canada, and upon getting him handcuffs, she asks him to fight. But he does not fight back in the knock-down-and-drag-out way she was hoping for; instead, he slips the handcuffs off himself and onto her.
The hunt was back on for Maze and, thanks to information from Lucifer, she is able to find him once again, preparing to flee. She gets the fight she was originally hoping for, and the two end up handcuffed together, when an assassin disguised as room service begins shooting up the room. This scene proves that Maze truly is the ultimate badass: she throws one of her knives over her head (while ducked behind a table for cover!), hitting her target in the middle of the abdomen. We also saw Maze questioning her importance and, while talking to her bounty, she realizes her friendships in L.A., however unconventional they may be, mean a lot to her. By her own admission, she is “…exactly where I want to be.”
Season 3, Episode 9: “The Sinnerman”– We finally get to see the man Lucifer believes kidnapped him, returned his wings, and stole his Devil face. After several people Lucifer had given favors to turn up dead, the team focuses on the Sinnerman. And luckily for Lucifer, that is exactly who he gets a call from.
Lucifer ends up in an abandoned building, getting locked inside what appears to be a freezer of some sort, and the Sinnerman appears on a small TV screen in front of him. After some back-and-forth between the two, the screen goes black. It seems Lucifer is trapped in the room, confined by the thick, reinforced steel walls, until Maze appears on the other side of the door with a bone to pick, forcing him to listen to her before opening the door.
Once Lucifer calls Chloe, who is with Pierce, and describes the man he saw on the screen, they realize he has described the man that just walked into the restaurant they are watching. Chloe follows the Sinnerman into the restaurant, and Pierce waits behind the building, grabbing him when he comes out. Back at the station, Lucifer walks into the interrogation room to find the Sinnerman has gouged out his own eyes with a pen, so that he does not have to look Lucifer in the eyes.
Lucifer and Pierce have dinner while working a case undercover. Image courtesy of ‘Lucifer’/Netflix.
Season 3, Episode 13: “‘Til Death Do Us Part”– This episode is bound to make you laugh from the second Lucifer appears in his penthouse sporting a mask with a chainsaw in hand. To solve a murder, Lucifer and Pierce go undercover as a couple in your stereotypical American suburban neighborhood. While talking with their new neighbors, “Luke” (Lucifer) and “Mark” (Pierce) learn that someone has been leaving threatening notes for people in the neighborhood for various reasons, such as having the ever so sinful untrimmed hedge.
And who better to lure out this possible murderer than neighbors from Hell? “Luke” proceeds to try to instigate an encounter by throwing a party in his front yard (complete with a DJ) while wearing an American flag banana hammock, having water wars with bikini clad women, and doing some welding work in the early morning hours. When a new lead surfaces, “Luke” and “Mark” throw a party and end up giving their new pals exactly what they live for: drama. The “couple” does what couples do and have a spat over how things are arranged on the table; “Luke” storms off but eventually comes back and all is well in suburbia, especially after the killer is outed.
A behind-the-scenes shot of Tom Welling and Lauren German taken by Tom Ellis. Image courtesy of ‘Lucifer’/Netflix.
Season 3, Episode 22: “All Hands on Decker”– Chloe’s impending wedding gave this episode a serious undertone, but in a fashion that we have all come to expect from this show, it is dealt with in a fun-filled manner.
Ella is in charge of the bachelorette party… or was, until Maze takes over and turns what was sure to be a booze- and stripper-filled night into what some might call Hell, as a way to ensure no doubts arise in Chloe’s mind about marrying Pierce. Thanks mostly to Charlotte, who wants the complete opposite of Maze, the ladies (Charlotte, Chloe, Maze, Ella, and Dr. Linda) end up on a party bus cruising the streets of L.A. with the Malibu State water polo team (that Charlotte was supposed to be prosecuting) as the night’s stand-in strippers.
The episode also gives us Lucifer channeling his inner Chloe at an attempt to understand why she was marrying the “overstuffed man ham,” Pierce.
In the midst of a fight, Lucifer unfurls his bloody wings. Image courtesy of ‘Lucifer’/Netflix.
Season 3, Episode 24: “A Devil of My Word”– Two episodes before the season 3 finale, Chloe and Lucifer walk into Pierce’s trap, and bullets fly. I love this episode (and this season as a whole), because we get to see Lucifer unfurl his wings and protect Chloe from the hail of gunfire raining down. By doing that, however, Lucifer becomes vulnerable, and his white wings slowly turn red. After flying himself and Chloe to safety, Lucifer bursts back into the room through a window and, in a spectacular shot, we get to see his wings again. This entire episode really allowed us to see Lucifer as a protector rather than, well, the Devil.
Image courtesy of Chicago ‘Star Wars’ Celebration.
With less than a month to go until the Chicago Star Wars Celebration, an additional six guests have been added to the star-studded line up.
Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano, Star Wars Rebels), Daniel Logan (Bobo Fett, Attack of the Clones), Jett Lucas (Zett Jukassa, Revenge of the Sith), Ken Leung (Admiral Statura, The Force Awakens), John Ratzenberger (Major Derlin, The Empire Strikes Back), and Katy Kartwheel (Rio Durant, Solo: A Star Wars Story) have all been announced as guests.
There is still time to get tickets for the Celebration happening April 11-15 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
Season 2, Episode 4: “Lady Parts”– This episode is all the about the ladies, and I would be more than happy to watch several more episodes just like this one. After Lucifer suggests Chloe does not have enough fun, she ends up going out with Maze, Ella, and Dr. Linda for drinks, though initially she is still trying to work the case. As the night wears on, Chloe seems to settle into the swing of things and relax; the women are slowly but surely becoming more and more drunk, opening up to each other, and agreeing to form a blood pact the next time they hang out (naturally).
Chloe spots a man across the room, recognizing a stamp on his hand that links back to the case, and she makes a move to approach him. However, the other women think she is trying to flirt with the cute guy next to him, and when the realization sets in that they are wrong, they begin shouting “ABORT!” It seems Ella, Maze, and Dr. Linda are not the only ones believing Chloe is attempting to flirt with the man, because when his girlfriend appears, the entire room devolves into a fight. This leaves Dr. Linda crouched under the bar, confused but supporting her friends in their brawl. All in all, the episode is entertaining and highly relatable, from the seamless start to unusual friendships, to the girls having too much to drink and making attempts at imitating Lucifer’s accent.
Season 2, Episode 5: “Weaponizer”– In the opening scene, we see how Chloe’s car accident happened — or rather, why it happened. This is our first glimpse at Uriel, and we learn that he plays with patterns: one slight movement of a seemingly innocent object, and the dominoes begin to fall. Lucifer spots his brother while at a crime scene and follows him to a rooftop where he is given an ultimatum: either the Goddess of Creation (a.k.a. Mom) goes back to Hell, or Chloe dies within 24 hours.
Amenadiel, who is the brother that God always sent to do his bidding, decides to make an attempt at intimidating his younger brother into leaving Earth. But when Amenadiel does nothing more than talk, Uriel sees through the bluff and is easily able to beat his usually action-oriented brother. In the end, Lucifer makes the decision to not return his mother to Hell, but he is also not going to let Chloe be killed without putting up a fight.
Uriel reveals he has stolen the Angel of Death’s blade (that is capable of killing an angel) and has brought it with him. But he refuses to use it on Lucifer, instead opting to fight. Uriel turns his back to Lucifer after throwing him across the room and walks to an old piano, raising his finger to press a key and set in motion the events that will ultimately lead to Chloe’s death. But before he can press the key, Lucifer stabs his brother with the blade. Though Uriel studies patterns, he admits he did not see this particularoutcome and, with his last breath, he whispers something in his brother’s ear that would not be revealed this season for quite some time.
Maze and Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) fast asleep on the couch after a day out. Image courtesy of ‘Lucifer’/Netflix.
Season 2, Episode 6: “Monster”– It is Halloween, and Maze has scared off Trixie’s babysitter, so who better to take the young girl trick-or-treating than a demon? If I had Maze to take me out on Halloween when I was a kid, I would have gone out a lot more; she glared at one homeowner for so long, that he not only gave the “President of Mars” extra candy, but he also opened up his wallet to the kid!
This episode showed us the bond we didn’t really know we needed to see more of between Maze and Trixie. The cute was capped off when Chloe arrived home that night to find the two asleep on the couch. Regarding Lucifer’s whereabouts this episode, he is still reeling from the guilt of killing Uriel, and he appears to be in a bit of a downward spiral, especially when he repeatedly tells this episode’s bad guy to shoot him. We also finally see Lucifer reveal his Devil face to Dr. Linda, leaving her appropriately shocked.
God (Timothy Omundson) makes an appearance. Image courtesy of IMDb.com.
Season 2, Episode 16: “God Johnson”– Before I got into watching this show, I had heard about an episode with Timothy Omundson, a favorite actor of mine, so this was definitely one I was looking forward to!
A murder case lead Lucifer into the path of a man calling himself “God Johnson,” and we see the script flip: he believes “God” to be faking and treats him as though he is, the same way we have seen everyone else treat Lucifer when first meeting him. As Lucifer is walking out the room, God says, “It was real good seeing you, Samael,” despite Lucifer never introducing himself.
Lucifer gets himself committed to the facility where the case originated, with a plan to bust God out of it. This eventually leads to a slow motion shot of the men walking through a room with chaos ensuing next to them (and great music playing in the background). This episode also contained one of my absolute favorite scenes: when the facility’s doctor joins Chloe, Maze, and Amenadiel for a pizza dinner, Amenadiel epitomizes the one friend that is in every social group, the “Are you gonna eat that?” friend, and he repeatedly asks the doctor this question in regards to his remaining pizza slice. He also puts the extra awkward cherry on top of the experience when he informs the doctor, “I like the shape of your head.”
Lucifer wields the flaming sword. Image courtesy of ‘Lucifer’/Netflix.
Season 2, Episode 18: “The Good, The Bad, and The Crispy”– The season two finale brought Charlotte Richards as the Goddess of Creation to its peak and ultimate end. We had seen her human body begin to fail, and her urgency to get the remaining piece of the flaming sword had begun to take its toll on her relationships, rocky as they may have already been. When Chloe was assigned the case of the murdered Chet Ruiz (introduced in a previous episode and killed by Charlotte), Lucifer tries and fails to throw her off track. In a desperate attempt to get to the bottom of a statement Dr. Linda had given about Lucifer, Charlotte severely injures Linda, leaving her to die.
We later find Charlotte at the Santa Monica pier, confronted initially by Chloe and Dan, then by Lucifer with the remaining piece of the sword, and finally by Chet’s older brother Hector wielding a handgun. Despite Chloe’s attempts to talk him down, a shot rings out and the fate of everyone on the pier seems bleak, when time suddenly slows the way it did in season one when Amenadiel still possessed his angelic powers. Amenadiel had regained his powers and was using them to slow time to give Maze a chance to get Linda the help she needed, which ultimately helped Lucifer as well.
Back on the pier, Lucifer tackles his mother and they land in the sand below, with Lucifer holding and activating the flaming sword. Lucifer swings the sword downward, appearing to be aiming for his mother, but instead slashing a rift to another, empty world where she would live alone and could create a new life.
Norman Reedus in ‘Ride With Norman Reedus.’ Image courtesy of AMC. Photo credit: Mark Schafer.
Norman Reedus and friends fire up their motorcycles and hit the road for some wind time when season 3 of Ride with Norman Reeduspremieres on February 10 at Midnight EST/11 p.m. CST on AMC. The significance of this date is important to The Walking Dead fans, because that series also returns on February 10 for the second half of its ninth season.
The third season of Ride continues the adventures of Reedus and friends, a show that has become a post-Walking Dead viewing tradition for the past two seasons. This season’s co-riders include past and present cast mates from The Walking Dead and Boondock Saints, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Andrew Lincoln, Steven Yeun, Melissa McBride, Austin Amelio, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Marilyn Manson.
In addition to riding through beautiful scenery from all over the globe, Reedus gets to hang out with some of his favorite artists and musicians, such as Karen Elson, Oliver Peck, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Jello Biafra of Dead Presidents, and Les Claypool of Primus.
With the season 3 premiere date fast approaching, AMC announced that it has renewed Ride for a fourth season and that production will begin later this month. Season 3 will be available for AMC Premiere subscribers on Friday February 8 in its entirety. The rest of us will have to tune in to AMC each Sunday to see where the road takes Reedus and his companions next.
Episode five of season six begins with Dembe and an associate of Raymond’s discussing Raymond’s predicament of being in jail. The associate said that he has millions of dollars invested in Reddington and that him being on the front page of the newspaper, possibly receiving the death penalty, complicates matters in their business. Dembe reassures him that his investment has proved favorable before. The associate worries about Reddington cutting a deal with the FBI and that him and his partners are considering to withdraw their investment, cutting their losses. Dembe, seemingly angry and taking it as a threat, wants to make sure that Raymond has the associate’s vote, “Yes, but you prepare for war. Carlo and the others are out for blood.”
We see the associate return to his home, ready for dinner with his wife and their guests. He walks into the kitchen, with food ready to be made on the counter. When he walks into the dining room, he sees his wife, and two others, with their heads back and mouths open. They are dead. Suddenly, he turns around and sees 3 people in monkey masks and black attire. They pour a hot substance into a thermos, and he is signaled to drink it. The associate picks up the cup about to drink when he throws it on one of the monkey wearing suspects. He makes a run for it but he is cornered and thrown to the ground. They hold him down and pour it down his throat. He dies and the suspects place him around the dining table, positioned just as the others are. They turn the stove on, make a run for it, and the house explodes into flames.
Next, we see Reddington back in the courtroom, at a hearing about the unnecessary search which led to the cop finding his gun with the serial numbers scratched off. The judge recommends that Reddington hires an attorney but he proves his knowledge of the laws. He asks the judge to please allow a brief recess as he has a case for the FBI. She objects but when he tells her that it’s an emergency, she obliges.
Courtesy of NBC
Liz meets with Red in the holding cell and tells him that he can’t hold off the hearing because he wants to give her a case. Red tells her that since he has been arrested, certain associates of his are trying to cut him loose, saying, “I know you’ve got a lot of enemies out there, but right now your biggest enemy is in that courtroom.” Liz continues on about the severity of the situation when Red mentions a name, Harris Van Hess. Liz says that he was a billionaire that was killed in a fire the week prior. Red tells her that it was no accident and it was tied to Reddington, saying, “There are no accidents around me.”
At the Task Force, Liz gives the team a run down on the case and Raymond’s suspicions. They question Raymond’s motives about this case because it has to do with his “business” and finding out which enemy took out Van Hess. Liz suggests that they start with Van Hess’ family because of his fortune, and many people are going to attend the reading of the will.
Liz and Ressler arrive at the building where the reading will happen and they try to assure the man at the estate hearing that they will do their best to respect that. We see an older man reading out the will and where all the money would be going to. He ends with a statement about leaving the rest of the money to his son, Timothy Peterson. There are whispers in the audience as they have never heard of Van Hess’s son. They had never been in contact and Van Hess also wrote a letter that explained that he didn’t have the courage to stay with Timothy’s mother, but also knows that it’s a very awkward situation to meet his extended family in these circumstances. The man walks the note to Timothy as everyone looks on.
Dembe meets Raymond in the holding cell. Dembe was there to supposedly give spiritual advice. They discuss the death of Van Hess and that without him, Raymond doesn’t have enough votes to prevent someone named, Androssani, from cutting him off. Raymond orders Dembe to reason with Androssani and if that doesn’t work, kill him. Dembe decides to give some unsolicited advice and asks Raymond to tell Elizabeth the truth. Red is too worried about the votes because he says that, “everything rests on this.” Red seemingly desperate, begs Dembe to get this done. Dembe, just looking out for Reddington, wants him to get his freedom and to “save his soul.”
Samar is seen listening to a video of a man discussing symptoms of aphasia, as she plays a word puzzle game. Aram walks up and tries to help her with the game but minimizes it. She quickly changes the subject and asks about Timothy Peterson. Aram says that Timothy lives in a trailer park, works at a bowling alley, and has a criminal record under his belt. The team tries to figure out the connection between Reddington and Peterson and if they should even continue the case. Cooper says that he wants to know why things just aren’t adding up. He assigns Ressler and Keen to talk to Peterson while Samar figures out the people connected to Peterson through posts.
Keen and Ressler arrive, surprised to see that Peterson has wasted no time spending his father’s money. They arrive at what seems like a frat party and start questioning Timothy. He says that they had never met and the only reason he knew about his father was that his lawyer called saying he needed to be at the reading of the will. Liz asks Tim what questions he has regarding his father and he says that he wants to know why he didn’t reach out while he was alive and not wanting to know him. Ressler noticing the lack of emotion, asks him about his reaction to his father’s death. Seemingly unbothered, Tim says that his father is just a part of his DNA and he didn’t have any emotional connection to him. Tim’s girlfriend Deidre walks up and introduces herself asking if Ressler and Keen want a drink. Liz, who seems annoyed, wants answers to their questions.
Deidre and Tim explain their love story of how they met at Tim’s bowling alley and he helped get her shoe unstuck. Deidre said that because she came from a big family, she convinced Tim to find out about his family. They found his birth certificate and saw that his mother had died. He saw that his mother had another child and that he had a sister. Following Tim’s questioning, they question his sister who said that she is so glad to find out she had a brother. They talk at least once a day and she even flew with her husband to meet him.
Returning to the courtroom, the judge is unhappy about their “brief” intermission. Red says that there are no more disruptions and they can proceed with the case. Mr. Sima, the counselor, starts questioning the cop, Officer Michael Baldwin, who arrested Reddington that day and searched him for weapons. Mr. Sima has Officer Baldwin recall the day that he arrested Reddington. Baldwin said that he noticed a, “bulge in his jacket, at his waistline.” Reddington objects but is shut down. Mr. Sima brings the evidence bag to the Officer and asks if he recognizes the weapon. Baldwin said it was the weapon that he recovered from Red and that the serial numbers are scratched off. Mr. Sima asks that they enter Exhibit 1 into evidence. Mr. Sima motions to Red so that he can begin asking the witness questions, saying, “Your witness.”
Amar informs the team that Peterson’s story checks out, and he also has an alibi for the night that Van Hess died. Samar ran background checks on the sister, brother-in-law, and the girlfriend. Still waiting on results of the first two, they did find some interesting information on Deidre. There is no record of her in the school system of where she claimed to work in Virginia. To top it off, her driver’s license and social security number are less than a year old, even though she claimed she met Tim a year ago. Cooper orders Keen and Ressler to further question Deidre Mori.
Once again in court, Red questions the cop witness. The suspicion of Red came from an anonymous tip. Red says that the tip isn’t a trusted source the cop had spoken to before but the officer said he conducted his own investigation when he asked for ID. Red said that the ID was provided and Baldwin said that it was a fake. Reddington had it made from one of the best forgers in the world, there was no way that Officer Baldwin could’ve known it was fake. Baldwin continues that Red seemed nervous. Raymond exclaims that he is the most wanted man in the world and has been evading police for over 30 years. Raymond says that he was disrespectful to Officer Baldwin and that’s why he conducted the illegal pat down which now has Raymond closing in on the death penalty.
Ressler and Keen arrive at Deidre’s location as Aram confirms her location. The duo happen upon a wedding ceremony. Liz doesn’t see Mori among the guests, but Ressler sees her, she’s the bride. Liz finds the wedding programs and sees that Deidre is now going by Hiraki, as Deidre or Hiraki, rides off with her new husband. They find the husband, without Deidre and question him. She apparently left her own wedding reception and the husband knows that his new “wife” isn’t who she says she is. He says that he paid her to marry him and she left after the reception because that’s all he could afford. He explains that his parents are very traditional and that they don’t accept him being gay. He says that this was a way to save them from the shame. They ask how he got into contact with her services and he says that it’s called Alter Ego.
Samar visits Alter Ego and questions the man who runs it. He tells her how they change people’s lives and how their services provide comfort to “fill vacancies.” Samar shows him Deidre picture and he doesn’t recognize her. Samar said that she is conning her “boyfriend” out of money but the man says that he isn’t responsible if his associates don’t follow protocol. She said that he needs to provide Deidre Mori’s real name.
Reddington is seen deep in thought as the hearing continues. The judge requests that since the government has rested, he can either testify or call another witness. Red asks if he can hear the tape of the anonymous call. Mr. Sima says that they haven’t offered the tape into evidence. Helping Red’s argument, he asks how he is supposed to know that the tape is real without hearing it or knowing its existence. Red maintains that he wants to know if they are being fair, since the government had no problem hiding the validity of the immunity agreement. Mr. Sima argues that the only reason Red wants to hear the tape is so that he can recognize the voice and kill them. The judge seems to side with Raymond because under the circumstances, it’s reasonable to prove that the police are also playing fair. She orders Mr. Sima to provide the tape but the only condition, is that she is the only one able to hear the tape.
Samar meets back at the Task Force and catches up with Aram. She hands him a USB drive of all the associates working for Alter Ego. Aram also mentions that he downloaded the word game she was playing earlier so that they could play together. Samar immediately is defensive and says that she would prefer to play alone. The team is seen filing through all of the associates Aram printed out. Ressler is in disbelief that people are hired to be caught up in a huge scheme. Liz even finds a candidate that could be perfect for Ressler as his date for his cousin’s wedding. He says that he just wants to tell the truth and he doesn’t need to hide it. Samar finds the picture of Deidre but finds out her real name is Jan Chuckerman. They also discover that the brother-in-law and the sister of Peterson are fake as well. Liz finds out who they all have in common, the man from the estate hearing who never gave his name. Ressler suggests they bring him in.
We find a very drunken Tim, going back up to a hotel room as Jan, the fake brother-in-law and the sister are shown. Jan is pushed into the wall and the sister says that she has had enough. Jan says that the brother needs to do it one more time and he knocks her to the ground. As Tim hears the commotion, he walks into the other connecting room and finds all three of them, with Jan on the floor. “Hey Tim, you’re early.”
Ressler and Navabi are seen interrogating the younger man from the estate hearing, Roger. Samar shows him pictures of the victims from the Van Hess house and says that he should recognize them, since he killed them. He immediately asks for a lawyer. Samar says that he filed the amendment that Van Hess included his son into his will, because Roger was his personal assistant. Ressler asks if he also had access to Tim Peterson’s will, and whether he made changes to include his new found “family.” Roger said that no one was supposed to die. Since Van Hess had a heart attack and wasn’t doing well, it was only a matter of time. He said that Marcus, the fake brother-in-law, wanted his cut and was impatient. Roger says that Marcus is working much faster to get the money from Tim.
So with that, we are back at the hotel with Marcus, Tim, Jan, and Helen, the fake sister. Tim tries to get answers from “Deidre” and Marcus commands Helen get the pills. Tim attempts to stop Helen but Marcus pulls out his gun. Tim wants to know what is going on and “Deidre” tells Tim that she is pregnant. Jan had Marcus beat her up so that they can stage his murder as self defense against Jan. Tim and “Deidre” would get into a fight about the “baby,” Tim being drunk fits right into the story, along with the pills Helen is retrieving. Then Tim would be shot, since according to the story, Tim became violent and “Deidre” would’ve had to defend herself. Helen arrives back with the pills and Tim exclaims that he doesn’t have a will or estate set up. Jan tells him that since she is pregnant with his next of kin, she will get the money. Ressler arrives as shots are fired from Tim attacking Marcus. Ressler is able to keep Marcus, Tim and Helen but Jan makes a run for it. Ressler calls Keen that she is on the run and as soon as the elevator opens up, Jan is standing right there. She attacks Liz and they struggle. They fight for Liz’s gun. The elevator door opens and Jan is thrown out onto the ground as an older couple looks on. Liz gets Jan into custody and gets her back inside the elevator.
Judge Wilkins is back and has listened to the tape. She doesn’t find it concerning and says that it doesn’t need to be entered as evidence in the proceeding. Red still can’t get over the fact that this anonymous tip, gave specific details which couldn’t have been known. Red couldn’t have been the only 50 year old white male in a suit and hat. Officer Baldwin knew that going in and instead decided to ask for identification. The ID was so wonderfully fake that, “I started to believe my name was George Murphy.” Red wasn’t nervous, he made fun of Baldwin because he got impatient and made a comment. He insists that there was no credible evidence provided from the tip, something they all should be aware of, and that he should be released.
After the hearing, we see Helen, Marcus, and Jan being escorted out of the building by the FBI. Tim wishes he wouldn’t have let himself be played but Liz understands and sympathizes that all he wanted was a family, saying, “I know what it’s like to be fooled by people who you think are family.” Dembe arrives saying that he needs to speak with Tim. Tim asks who Dembe is and he says that he works for the man who saved his life. He now asks for a favor in return, his vote.
Dembe returns to Red’s cell and tells him that Harris Van Hess was killed for his money, not for being connected to Reddington. Dembe says that Van Hess’s vote isn’t gone, but it was transferred from Harris to Tim. Tim is then seen providing his vote for Reddington among the others from which Reddington is associated with. Dembe says that instead of finding an enemy, he found a new friend. “Sometimes you make your own fate. Sometimes, fate makes you.
The moment has come. Judge Wilkins is giving her decision. Before she makes her decision, she agrees that the tip wasn’t enough for the pat down. Also, Officer Baldwin conducting his own investigation wasn’t enough. Whether the decision to pat him down was unreasonable or not. She believes it wasn’t unreasonable. Her decision… she denies the motion to suppress the gun taken from Reddington is denied. Mr. Sima mentions that since her ruling, he thereby violated his immunity agreement. She states that when he is convicted, it will be nullified. Mr. Sima also mentions also pursuing his other indictments as well. The judge says that Reddington made a very good case, and it wasn’t an easy decision.
Samar is seen reciting her transition words as she looks to see Aram working. She opens her word puzzle game and invites him to play. Ressler shows up at Alter Ego to hire a date for his cousin’s wedding, not sticking to his earlier statements. Red is seen sitting in a cell as Liz rushes in after hearing the verdict of the gun. Raymond tells Liz that he was wrong about Van Hess and that his enemy all along was there with him. He knows that he was set up and mentions the recording. Liz questions him if he had heard the tape and he says he didn’t but he plans on hearing it, so he will know who betrayed him. He says that no matter what happens to him, the person who betrayed him’s fate will be sealed. “And despite losing today, it’s only just begun.”
Thanks for reading guys! Check out next week’s trailer below!
If you are looking for a fun event for a good cause, and you are a fan of poetry, then mark your calendars for February 13! Give A Little Love, A Night of Poetry with Rachel Miner and Friends will take place at Geeky Teas in Burbank, CA, Wednesday, February 13 from 5:30 – 8:00 pm. The event will benefit Random Acts.
Just because I'll be in LA…Some will be anticipating (with love or dread) Valentine's Day… And I'll use any excuse to see a few friends, spread some kindness, and perhaps exchange some verses…Nothing required, but an honest heart x pic.twitter.com/zLcOv17c2Z
There are no purchases or fees required, but donations are appreciated. You can donate directly to Random Acts. A Target gift card donation can also be brought to the event in support of School on Wheels, a nonprofit organization that focuses on tutoring homeless children.
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