Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Here's How Much Sex to Expect in 'Fifty Shades of Grey'
- Week in Hollywood: February 2 - 6
- 'Heroes Reborn' Super Bowl Teaser Trailer Is Short and Sweet (VIDEO)
- Nationwide Doesn't Care If You Hated Its Dead Kid Super Bowl Commercial
- Elsa and Anna are Back in First Images from 'Frozen Fever' (PHOTOS)
- Oprah and Ava DuVernay Teaming for OWN Drama Series 'Queen Sugar'
- What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: February 2 - February 8
- Ex-Power Ranger Arrested for Allegedly Fatally Stabbing Roommate
- What Disney's 'Tomorrowland' Movie Is Really About
- Katy Perry's Super Bowl Halftime Show: Missy Elliott, Dancing Sharks, and an Animatronic Tiger Thingy
- Oscars 2015: The Rest of the Races
- SpongeBob Springs to Life in This Exclusive Scene From 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water' (VIDEO)
- Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, and Jimmy Fallon Had an Epic Lip Sync Battle
- Super Bowl Movie Trailers 2015, Ranked From Best to Worst
- The Blacklist Season 2 Episode 9 Recap: Luther Braxton
| Here's How Much Sex to Expect in 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Posted: It may have only gotten an R rating instead of the dreaded NC-17, but don't be fooled: There's plenty of sex in "Fifty Shades of Grey." According to website Mr. Skin, which collects information about nudity and sex scenes in movies, "Fifty Shades" offers up a whopping 20 full minutes of sex throughout its 100-minute running time -- roughly 1/5 of the length of the film. And things get steamier from there. The Sunday Times reports that according to Mr. Skin, "Fifty Shades'" tally represents more sex than is featured in all 100 R-rated films released in the U.S. in 2014 combined. To put that even further into perspective, The Guardian writes that famously salacious films such as "Last Tango in Paris" and "Eyes Wide Shut" only featured nine minutes and two minutes of sex, respectively. So "Fifty Shades" fans worried that the flick will just be a watered-down version of the steamy novels, take heart: You may not be seeing Christian Grey's goods, but there will be lots of other naughtiness to distract you. "Fifty Shades of Grey" hits theaters on February 13. [via: The Sunday Times, The Guardian]  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Week in Hollywood: February 2 - 6 Posted: Wondering what your favorite Hollywood stars are up to? We've got lowdown -- in photo form -- of the premieres, parties, and other celebrity-filled events taking place all week long.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Heroes Reborn' Super Bowl Teaser Trailer Is Short and Sweet (VIDEO) Posted:  NBC debuted its first look at new series "Heroes Reborn" during the Super Bowl, and the 15-second clip certainly lived up to the "teaser" moniker. But what the trailer lacked in quantity it more than made up for in quality, introducing three characters and setting up a central conflict. The clip features a young girl with special powers, creating a beautiful aurora in the sky; she's being pursued by H.R.G. (Jack Coleman), who in turn is being watched by a character played by Zachary Levi. We don't know much about how these three are connected, but we expect viewers who loved the original "Heroes" will be intrigued enough by this clip to check out the reboot. Watch the clip below, and tune in to "Heroes Reborn" when it premieres on NBC later this year. Photo credit: YouTube This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Nationwide Doesn't Care If You Hated Its Dead Kid Super Bowl Commercial Posted:  Among the funny and action-packed commercials and movie trailers that peppered the Super Bowl XLIX broadcast Sunday night, you probably noticed the grim spot by Nationwide, which featured an adorable young boy who was killed off to highlight awareness of accidental childhood deaths. Understandably, the public reaction to the ad has been loud, ranging from comedians poking fun at the jarring message, to people outraged by an insurance company using a (fictional) child's death to drum up sales for its product. Late Sunday night, Nationwide issued a statement responding to the controversy, and defended its message as one of awareness, not a sales pitch. The statement, in full:
While we can see the company's perspective, it appears that something was lost in translation. The fantastical computer-generated imagery came across as very out of place, and we just felt bad for the mop-topped kid who had to deliver the line, "I couldn't grow up because I died from an accident." Then again, we're still talking about the ad today. Regardless of the negative feedback, it seems Nationwide's gamble paid off. Check out the clip below and judge for yourself. [via: Nationwide, h/t Uproxx] Photo credit: YouTube This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Elsa and Anna are Back in First Images from 'Frozen Fever' (PHOTOS) Posted:  "Frozen Fever" could just as easily describe what the world came down with when Disney debuted its smash animated musical "Frozen" back in November 2013. Luckily for fans of that flick, "Fever" is a follow-up, and now we have some first look images from the new short. The photos, which debuted on USA Today, feature all your favorite "Frozen" characters, including Elsa (Idina Menzel), Anna (Kristen Bell), Olaf (Josh Gad), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and Sven. "Frozen Fever" centers around the renewed relationship between sisters Elsa and Anna, with Elsa throwing a birthday bash for her younger sibling. "They never celebrated a birthday together," director Chris Buck told USA Today of the short's plot. "Elsa feels it's (a chance to do) something nice for her sister." Check out the photos below. "Frozen Fever," which also includes a new song from Oscar-winning "Let It Go" composers Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, makes its debut on March 13, ahead of Disney's new live-action "Cinderella."      [via: USA Today, h/t Coming Soon] Photo credit: Disney/USA Today This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Oprah and Ava DuVernay Teaming for OWN Drama Series 'Queen Sugar' Posted:  Oprah Winfrey is once again teaming up with her "Selma" director, Ava DuVernay: The pair will collaborate on a new drama series for OWN, on which Winfrey is scheduled to have a recurring role. DuVernay will make her first foray into telelvision with "Queen Sugar," a series based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. The "Selma" filmmaker is writing, directing, and executive producing the show, which marks Winfrey's acting debut on her eponymous network. "I loved this book and immediately saw it as a series for OWN," Winfrey said in a statement. "The story's themes of reinventing your life, parenting alone, family connections and conflicts, and building new relationships are what I believe will connect our viewers to this show." "From the moment I was introduced to the book, I was captivated by the idea of a modern woman wrestling with identity, family, culture and the echoes of history," DuVernay said in a statement. "To bring this kind of storytelling to life alongside Oprah for her network is wildly wonderful. I'm excited about what's in store." The director added on Twitter that she wanted to emulate other filmmakers who've worked in television, including Jill Soloway, David Fincher, Steven Soderbergh, Cary Fukunaga, and Steve McQueen. DuVernay also highlighted the medium's allowance for more time -- and thus more freedom -- to tell a story. Production on "Queen Sugar" is expected to start later this year. No word yet on a potential premiere date. [via: Variety, Ava DuVernay] Photo credit: Paras Griffin via Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: February 2 - February 8 Posted:  At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.New on DVD and Blu-ray "The Best of Me" This might not be the best of Nicholas Sparks's oeuvre of weepy romantic dramas, but at least it's not the most insane! (That honor probably goes to "Safe Haven," for the record.) In any case, this story about true love lost and found stars Cyclops from "X-Men" and Michelle Monaghan. If you love Nicholas Sparks, you love him, and nothing anyone else says will change that. Which is sort of admirable, really. Extend your love Sparks with this exclusive featurette.  "Dear White People" This indie from writer/director Justin Simien is a comedy about race politics on an Ivy League campus. It is funny and smart, and you should see it. Tessa Thompson leads a great ensemble cast as an undergrad with a radical radio show called, you guessed it, "Dear White People." "Love and Basketball" Gina Prince-Bythewood ("Beyond the Lights," "The Secret Life of Bees") wrote and directed this awesome romance starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps as next-door neighbors whose love for basketball brings them together over and over again. It doesn't seem like there are many extras on this Blu-ray, but hey, it's finally on Blu-ray! TV Worth Watching "Being Mary Jane" (BET, Tuesday at 10 p.m. EST) Gabrielle Union is back for a second season of this delicious romantic drama. "Fresh Off the Boat" (ABC, Wednesday 8:30 p.m. EST) This new sitcom is based on chef Eddie Huang's memoir about moving to Florida in the '90s with his family. Randall Park, who you might remember from a little movie called "The Interview," leads the ensemble cast as the patriarch of the family, alongside Constance Wu, Forrest Wheeler, Ian Chen, and Hudson Yang as young Eddie. The premiere kicks off with two episodes in a row. "Better Call Saul" (AMC, Sunday at 10 p.m. EST) Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that this is a prequel about the sleazy lawyer we met way back in the second episode of "Breaking Bad." We'd come to know and even love Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, by the time the show ended in 2013, so it will be nice to have him back. New on Netflix "M*A*S*H" This dramedy about a United States Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea is one of the most popular shows of all time. All time! Check out dreamy young Alan Alda, alongside Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr, Wayne Rogers, and many other fine actors as they try and keep themselves occupied and/or entertained in the middle of a war. "The Brothers Bloom" Rian Johnson's second feature-length film stars Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo as con men who are planning one last heist. Really, it's the last one ever. Seriously. They're going to scam this very rich, very weird, very beautiful young woman (played by Rachel Weisz), but things get much more complicated than they bargained for. Rinko Kikuchi steals scenes as the brothers' silent but deadly sidekick Bang Bang. "Joe" David Gordon Green's indie drama stars Nicolas Cage as an ex-con who finds himself a most unwitting role model for young Gary (Tye Sheridan), a teen with a truly terrible home life. Can Joe (Cage) help Gary? Can he even help himself? New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only "Amira and Sam" (iTunes) This sweet romance stars Martin Starr as a vet of the Iraqi War who, upon his return to the United States, becomes romantically entangled with Amira (Dina Shihabi), an Iraqi immigrant living in New York City. It's playing in theaters now, but hey, who wants to leave their couch in February? "Big Hero 6" (iTunes) Our young hero Hiro (Ryan Potter) is a genius who becomes BFF's with a robot named Baymax (Scott Adsit), who was created by Hiro's brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney). After a terrible accident, Hiro, Baymax, and a whole host of other smarty-pantses band together to fight a masked man who has some nefarious plans in store for Tadashi's robots. Find out what all the Oscar-nominated fuss is about! "Tootsie" (Amazon Prime) Dustin Hoffman stars as TV actor Michael Dorsey who decides it might help his career to come up with a female alter ego named Dorothy Michaels. (No one told him about the whole gender pay gap thing, obviously.) Sydney Pollack's comedy/drama about gender politics, love, and sex boasts an all-star cast that includes Jessica Lange, Terri Garr, Bill Murray, Dabney Coleman, and Geena Davis. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Ex-Power Ranger Arrested for Allegedly Fatally Stabbing Roommate Posted:  An actor known for his roles in two "Power Rangers" TV series has been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of his roommate. The Los Angeles Times reports that Ricardo Medina Jr. was booked by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Saturday following an altercation at his home. Per the Times:
Medina reportedly called 911 himself, and told responding officers what happened. He was arrested, and his bail was set at $1 million. Medina had previously starred as the Red Lion Wild Force Power Ranger in "Power Rangers Wild Force" in 2002, and also voiced the character Deker on "Power Rangers Samurai" from 2012-2013. His agent, Gar Lester, told the Times that Medina is "a great guy" and found the accusations against him difficult to believe. [via: Los Angeles Times] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What Disney's 'Tomorrowland' Movie Is Really About Posted: Of all the trailers aired during last night's Super Bowl, there was one that stood apart, emphasizing the alluring power of mystery over more overtly showy moments. It was a spot that cast a spell over you, inviting you into its strange new world instead of trying to blow you back in your La-Z-Boy with its sheer force of will. It was a spot for "Tomorrowland," a movie that has been shrouded in secrecy up until this point but is now, finally, being teased legitimately. Just know that if you'd rather stay in the dark for what the movie is about, then you should probably skip this piece -- just know that the final product is going to be absolutely spellbinding. We're sure of it. The Super Bowl spot (and the even-more-mystifying first theatrical teaser), both showcase a young girl named Casey Newton (Britt Robertson from "Under the Dome"), who has a checkered past and who, upon being released from detainment, is gifted with a small, circular pin with a T emblazoned on it. When she touches the pin, she sees glimpses of a futuristic society, featuring glittery towers and men on jet packs. (Again, everything else in this piece hasn't been revealed yet and it's questionable when or how it will be unveiled. In other words; spoiler alert.) Eventually she tracks down a reclusive inventor named Frank Walker (George Clooney), demanding that she escort him to this world that she's seen. He refuses, patently. In a sequence we saw at New York Comic Con a few months ago, one that showcases the wonderful stylization and dazzling visuals that co-writer/director Brad Bird ("The Incredibles," "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol") and his amazing team of collaborators have come up with, Casey visits Frank's home to try and get him to agree to take her. But some otherworldly villains also make it to the house, and try to stop both of them. These guys look human but in fact are evil robots. Frank has rigged his home with all sorts of booby traps, and the sequence, as breathlessly paced and wryly inventive as anything Bird has concocted, unfolds with these traps being sprung. For instance, at one point Frank throws a lever, sending electricity to a highly powerful magnet. One of these goons has ahold of Casey, so when the magnet gets thrown, she gets trapped too. It's this wonderful escalation of events, with the suspense getting more and more high wire as the sequence moves along. Eventually, Clooney's character Frank agrees to take her to this alternate universe, called Tomorrowland (hence that great tag line, "You wanna go?") If the name sounds familiar, that's because Tomorrowland is the futuristic section of Disneyland in California and the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. (In Hong Kong, Tokyo, and eventually Shanghai, it's also called Tomorrowland but in Paris it's called Discoveryland.) Tomorrowland was always Walt's idealized version of what the future could hold and was the basis for a much grander project, something that would wind up being EPCOT. In "Tomorrowland" there are references to both Walt and the parks (footage for the movie was filmed in both domestic theme parks) and one of the ways you get to Tomorrowland was the it's a small world attraction at the 1964 World's Fair in Queens. The Tomorrowland of the film is designed with Walt's sunny optimism in mind. It's a place where imagination and technology have run wild for the better, in search of exploration and human enlightenment. This is the future that we all saw in comic books and thought would be coming, one with flying cars and jet packs and unlimited possibility. It is the exact opposite of the countless post-apocalyptic science fiction films that have flooded movie screens over the past few years. This is the great big beautiful tomorrow that is shining at the end of every day. But not everything is hunky dory in this utopian world. Hugh Laurie plays David Nix who was once a confederate of Clooney's Frank (you can see him briefly in the Super Bowl spot) and who now lords over Tomorrowland. Nix thinks that our world is the worst of what humanity has to offer and isn't deserving of the kind of technological advancements and progress. Frank, Casey, and a young character named Athena (Raffey Cassidy) who is actually a [no, I'm not going to spoil it], have to appeal to David Nix and possibly overthrow him, in order to save both of our universes. That's all that I can talk about for now. A new trailer should be coming soon (my money is on Disney's new live action "Cinderella," a movie that is also excellent by the way), one that should explain the basic premise of "Tomorrowland" in a more accessible way. What's important to remember about the film, and the reason why it has a chance of being one of the very best studio movies of the year, is that it isn't about Tomorrowland the fantasy realm or Tomorrowland the section of your favorite theme park where you get to ride Space Mountain, it's about the Tomorrowland inside all of us, that place of untapped potential, unfettered dreams, and childlike imagination. It's where wishes go to take flight, where the things you only think about are brought to life. This is what makes "Tomorrowland" such a potentially revolutionary exercise in science fiction; in a contemporary world overrun with corporate greed, violent conflict, and everyday despair, it's a film that actively dares you to hope. It's a great big beautiful tomorrow, after all. "Tomorrowland" hits theaters May 22, 2015.   This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: Did you miss Katy Perry's outrageous Super Bowl halftime extravaganza? A lot of crazy stuff went down. To recap: Perry made a grand entrance on a huge mechanical creature while singing "Roar," sang alongside giant cartoony beach balls straight out of our emoji wish list, and closed the whole thing with a really impressive firework (just like her song!) display while standing high above the stadium on a shooting star. It was great. Missy Elliott joined the practically stole the show because she's Missy "Supa Dupa Fly" Elliott and she's amazing. Lenny Kravitz was also on hand for a duet of Katy's hit, "I Kissed a Girl."  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Oscars 2015: The Rest of the Races Posted:  Is everyone finally ready to move on from the "Selma" vs. "American Sniper" throwdown? It seems so, not just because the ideological battle between them is artificial and increasingly irrelevant, but also because so much else was going on this week -- Blizzard Juno, the Sundance Film Festival, the Super Bowl. No doubt movie partisans were relieved to have something else to talk about. And besides, there was plenty going on in the Oscar race. Oscar office pool bettors: take note.Among this week's Oscar race developments: o. The big winners Friday night at the 65th Annual ACE Eddie Awards, given to film and TV editors, were "Boyhood" (Best Drama), "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (Best Comedy), "The LEGO Movie" (Best Animated Feature), and "Citizenfour" (Best Documentary). Why should you care? Not just so you can fill out the Editing category in your office Oscar pool (where "Boyhood" and "Budapest" are competing against "American Sniper, "The Imitation Game," and "Whiplash"), but also because the Eddies are a good predictor of the Academy Award for Best Picture. In seven of the past 12 years, the Eddie-winning comedy or drama has gone on to win the top Oscar. Of course, given Oscar's preference for drama over comedy, "Budapest's" Eddie win may not mean much. "Boyhood's" does, especially since rival "Birdman" (which competed for the comedy Eddie against "Budapest") isn't even nominated for an editing Oscar. The "LEGO" win is also a consolation prize for a movie not nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar. But the "Citizenfour" win helps confirm that film's frontrunner status in the Academy's documentary category. o. The following night saw the handing out of the Art Directors Guild Awards, given for production design. The ADG recognizes narrative features in three categories: period films (which went to "Grand Budapest Hotel"), fantasy films (the winner was "Guardians of the Galaxy"), and contemporary films (the prize went to "Birdman"). So, more good news for "Budapest," especially since the other two winners aren't even nominated for Production Design Oscars. (The other Academy nominees in the category are "The Imitation Game," "Interstellar," "Into the Woods," and "Mr. Turner.") "Budapest" art director Adam Stockhausen would probably have the edge anyway for his ornate work on filmmaker Wes Anderson's typically intricate, dollhouse-like set, but Saturday's ADG prize also shows he's a favorite among his peers this year. "The Theory of Everything" didn't win any prizes, but stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones were both there; perhaps the Academy voters will take notice of their ubiquity and give them trouper points for being willing to show up anywhere to campaign for their film. o. Saturday night also saw the 42nd annual Annie Awards, recognizing the best in animation. "How to Train Your Dragon 2" won best feature, which is good to know for those of us confused by the Academy's failure to nominate "The LEGO Movie." The winner of the Golden Globe as well, "Dragon 2" finally gives the LEGO-less category a frontrunner. (The other nominees are "Big Hero 6," "The Boxtrolls," "Song of the Sea," and "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.") The Annie for Best Animated Short went to Disney's "Feast," now the presumptive frontrunner in an Oscar category that also includes "The Bigger Picture," The Dam Keeper," "Me and My Moulton," and "A Single Life." o. "Still Alice" expanded this week to 84 theaters, giving more critics nationwide the chance to review the Alzheimer's drama, and the consensus of raves for Julianne Moore seems to confirm the judgment of the Academy and every other group that nominated her for Best Actress. The five-time nominee's hold on the category is now more solid than ever. o. Monday marks the annual Oscar nominees' luncheon, which is a surprisingly crucial stop on the campaign trail. It's where the voters learn whether the nominees can play nice. That shouldn't matter of course -- it's the work, right? -- but it does, as no voter or nominee wants to be responsible for a boorish acceptance speech that casts the Academy in an unflattering light for having given a trophy to an ingrate. So the luncheon is an event where actors dine with an pose for photographs with sound effects editors, where the Academy brass try in vain to remind nominees to keep their speeches under 45 seconds if they win, and where everyone gushes to the journalists present how excited they are to meet Meryl Streep. In other words, it's a casual-dress rehearsal for the real thing, and despite the enforced camaraderie, everyone had better know their place. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: We all know that SpongeBob SquarePants lives in a pineapple under the sea. And we're all used to him being represented in traditional, two-dimensional hand drawn animation. Well, that is all about to change with Friday's "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water," the sequel to the 2004 feature "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie."  Not only is SpongeBob (once again voiced by Tom Kenny) displaced from his beloved Bikini Bottom, but he's also moved, in the film's gonzo third act, into the real world, courtesy of full, three-dimensional animation. And we've got an exclusive scene from that wild section of the movie.When the characters (including Patrick the starfish, Squidward the squid, Mr. Krabs the crab, and Sandy the squirrel) arrive in the real world, they're, of course, on a beach, and they mistake a large gentleman sunbathing as a beached whale. You can just imagine how that goes. This clip is incredibly evocative of the sweetness of the film, its playful sense of humor, and, more importantly, how well these characters work when realized in three-dimensional animation and set against the backdrop of live action (something that the series and previous film have played with, to varying degrees). And it just gets crazier from here (the characters become superheroes, among other things)! "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" opens nationwide Friday, February 6.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, and Jimmy Fallon Had an Epic Lip Sync Battle Posted: Ever want to see Will Ferrell writhe around on stage while mouthing the words to "Drunk in Love" by Beyonce? Well, today's your lucky day. Last night on a special live post Super Bowl "The Tonight Show," Jimmy Fallon challenged guests Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell to a legendary lip sync battle that featured songs like "Let It Go" from Frozen, Katy Perry's "Roar," and Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone." The results are 13 minutes of musical perfection. We must say, all three contestants totally bring their karaoke A-game and it's tough to call who deserves the win. Spoiler alert: Jimmy calls in Drew Barrymore as a secret weapon during a "Dirty Dancing" number. Points for Fallon on that move.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Super Bowl Movie Trailers 2015, Ranked From Best to Worst Posted: So there was a pretty big game going on tonight, sandwiched around a jaw-dropping Katy Perry / Lenny Kravitz / Missy Elliott performance. And during said sporting event, they happened to show some trailers during the commercial breaks. Everybody's happy! We decided to run down the Super Bowl movie trailers in order, from best to worst. Feel free to tell us if you agree, and if these crucial opinions swayed your opinion about any upcoming films.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Blacklist Season 2 Episode 9 Recap: Luther Braxton Posted:  Now that we're done pretending to understand football, we can get to the most important part of Superbowl Sunday: "The Blacklist's" premiere. Last time we checked on everyone's favorite criminal, Raymond "Red" Reddington, he was busy wearing a fedora, dealing with the aftermath of Alan Fitch's death, comforting Lizzy (who's basically having an emotional breakdown), and secretly meeting with Tom. That's Tom Keen, as in Lizzy's estranged husband who happens to be a contract killer. Let's just say there a lot of things happening in Washington D.C., including Ron Perlman changing out of his Hell Boy costume and wrecking havoc on the city. Which brings us to our recap. Raymond Is Captured, Forms Cunning Plan While Fedora-less Here's the bad news: hot off the heels of losing Fitch's protection, Red is arrested by the CIA and set to a detention facility / "slaughter house for spies" called The Factory, which happens to be in the middle of the ocean. The good news is that Red actually planned his arrest (sigh, this guy) in the hopes of stopping major league thief Luther Braxton. Turns out Braxton is planning an elaborate escape from The Factory and plans to steal a bunch of important national security secrets (note to the USA: you're terrible at keeping secrets), and Red is the only person who can stop him. It goes without saying that Lizzy and her fellow FBI task forcers are frantically trying to locate Reddington, which takes them surprisingly little time. Once they do pinpoint Red's location, they quickly learn that he's hunting Braxton, and then get authorization for an evacuation. Easy, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, Braxton is busy taking over The Factory with his minions, by which we mean murdering everyone with machine guns. Ressler and Samar Are Imprisoned, Lizzy Teams Up with Red Because they have the worst timing ever, Ressler and Samar arrive at The Factory and immediately end up getting shot and captured by Braxton's cronies (typical), leaving Elizabeth with no choice but to troll around the boat in the hopes of finding Reddington. So, what's Red up to? Turns out he's trying to stop Braxton from accessing "The Fulcrum," a blackmail file that proves the existence of a clandestine organization (note: Fitch asked Red if he had the Fulcrum before his head exploded during the mid-season finale). Naturally, Lizzy isn't about to let Red go at it alone, so they join forces with a group of Factory inmates and make their way to the boiler room in the hopes of causing an explosion that will take out The Factory's server. Of course the only way for Lizzy and Red to access the boiler room is via an air duct (again, typical), so they hop to it -- but not before Reddington and Braxton have a tense phone conversation in which Braxton mocks Reddington for liking Nietzsche and Beethoven. Naturally, Red quotes Bruce Lee at him and hangs up. Braxton Steals All The Secrets Ever, Lizzy and Red Save The Day (and Each Other) Over in Washington, some well-intentioned CIA liaison named Agent Rosenberg and his boss, Kat Goodson, attempt to negotiate with Braxton, who's like "Hard pass" and promptly kills The Factory's warden. Braxton then hops on the phone with Cooper, demands a all-access CIA master code, and threatens to kill Samar if he doesn't get his way. The problem? Braxton will use the code to break into a the CIA's most sensitive data, because apparently some genius thought it was a good idea to put an access point to the country's biggest secrets in a prison. Shockingly, Cooper decides to risk the entire nation's secrets in exchange for Agent Samar's life, as ya do, so the CIA / FBI should probably think twice about letting him keep his job. Meanwhile on The Factory, Liz and Red meet up in the boiler room and realize they have to explode said boiler manually and risk their lives in the process. Fortunately, they manage to blast the server and make it out alive, causing Braxton to lose his connection (oh, and Red drops the bomb that Lizzy's somehow the key to finding the Fulcrum). Unfortunately, Lizzy gets kidnapped by Braxton, but Reddington only takes about five seconds to wander around the ship murdering everyone in an attempt to save her, so don't even worry about it. Bombs Explode and Bombshells Drop Not to end this recap on a dramatic note, but everyone is about to be blown to smithereens. You see, shadowy members of Fitch's secretive group (led by US National Clandestine Service leader "The Director") have decided that Reddington is no longer a threat because he doesn't actually have the Fulcrum, and their new plan is to kill him. In fact, The Director gives his NCS liaison, Kat Goodson, orders to bomb the entire Factory -- eliminating Red, Braxton and proof of their secrets all at the same time. In other words: three birds, one stone. Cooper doesn't manage to call off the bombing (he's kind of failing at his job this week, to be honest), and the first strikes hit at the end of the episode. But even more alarming is the fact that Braxton spends his last moments with Red and Lizzy musing on her mysterious past: "She was there that night wasn't she?" Braxton asks Red. "She's the one." Actually, that would be Neo ("Matrix" jokes never get old), but Lizzy's past definitely seems tied up in the fulcrum. Suddenly, Red's obsession with keeping her safe is starting to make sense.... Burning Questions: What secret is The Fulcrum holding, and how is Lizzy involved? We're pretty sure The Factory was bombed at the end of this episode...does everyone make it out alive? Is Raymond Lizzy's father? (We'll never stop asking that question) Where is Tom? He didn't show up during this week's episode, which was a bit disappointing given the mid-season finale's bombshell. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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