Interview: 'Last Resort' star Robert Patrick discusses The COB's loyalties
'The Unit' star also talks about reuniting with Shawn Ryan
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Robert Patrick of "Last Resort"
Credit: ABC
Robert Patrick's resume is littered with military titles.
He's been sergeants and majors and commanders. He's also played an astounding variety of colonels, from "NCIS" to "Chuck" to "The Unit."
It was on "The Unit" that Patrick worked with Shawn Ryan, the man behind his latest military role, Master Chief Joseph Prosser on "Last Resort."
In one respect, Prosser is probably a villain on "Last Resort," in the sense that the Chief of Boat has developed an adversarial relationship with our ostensible hero, Andre Braugher's Captain Marcus Chaplin.
But "heroes" and "villains" aren't so clearly delineated on the Thursday night drama and in an interview last week, Patrick made it clear that Prosser is merely following his loyalties to the United States of America in the face of what he views as Marcus Chaplin's treason. Of course, don't expect things on "Last Resort" to be that simple, whether Prosser is about to foment revolt against Chaplin, or whether his loyalties are about to change.
In my conversation with Patrick, we discussed his reunion with Ryan, his new friend Andre Braugher and the very personal stake he has in his collection of military roles.
Click through...
Baseball delay pushes 'X Factor,' 'New Girl' in FOX scheduling pile-up
Wednesday's truncated talent show episode shifts to next Tuesday
The stars of FOX's "New Girl"
Credit: FOX
Mother Nature is a devious programming executive.
A simple rain delay in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series caused a pile-up that confused many viewers and will be rippling through FOX's schedule for weeks.
With the game between the Giants and Cardinals on hold, but the chance of resumption hanging in the balance, FOX scrambled to fill programming on Wednesday, airing a smorgasbord of offerings including the pilot for "Ben and Kate," roughly an hour of the previously scheduled episode of "The X Factor" and a chunk of last week's "The Mindy Project."
When it became clear that the baseball game would return, FOX abruptly pulled the episode of "X Factor" half-way through the key episode meant to reveal the season's Top 16. This portion of "X Factor" aired on the East Coast and also, due to a technical issue, aired on the West Coast as a simulcast (in Pacific Time, FOX just aired last Wednesday's episode).
FOX will now air the entirety of Wednesday's scheduled "X Factor" next Tuesday (the Thursday episode had already been preempted for baseball). In order to make way for two hours of "X Factor," FOX has now pulled the new episodes of "Raising Hope," "Ben and Kate," "New Girl" and "The Mindy Project" for a later date. "New Girl" and "The Mindy Project" were already preempted this week due to the second Presidential Debate.
If you're keeping score at home, the Cardinals beat the Giants 3-1.
Recap: 'Survivor: Philippines' - 'Got My Swag Back'
Would Jeff Kent be outed? Would a player be removed? Drama!
Malcolm and Denise of "Survivor"
Credit: FOX
Pre-credit sequence. So. Tired. Of. Team Formerly Russell. This has been four straight eliminations, including the man who gave the tribe his name. It's only Malcolm and Denise now. "I thought this might happen on Day 39," says a lonely Malcolm. He doesn't know what's coming next, though Denise suggests they may be split up and sent to opposite tribes. "Everyone loves an underdog," Malcolm predicts, suggesting we'd be wise not to count them out. Sorry, man. I'm kinda counting you out and hoping for a Merge or Shuffle or some other Game Event I can pointlessly capitalize.
Recap: 'The X Factor' - Judges' Homes #3 - Judgement Night
A bizarrely truncated episode is pulled after an hour when baseball resumes
Demi Lovato and Jennel Garcia of "The X Factor"
Credit: FOX
Due to a rain delay at the National League Championship Series, tonight's "X Factor" was delayed indefinitely and I used the extra time to watch "Survivor: Philippines" (but not to write my recap) just yet.
The episode, which inexplicably is being simulcast on the West Coast, started at 8:40 ET and 5:40 Pacific as I was still finishing watching "Survivor."
Now, I'm gonna do a semi-live-blog and see how fast I can catch up to actual (canned) live. This should be fun!
Click through to see who made it to the Top 16 and will get to compete in the live shows...
Interview: Caitlin & Brittany talk 'The Amazing Race'
Latest eliminated team discusses cab problems and lack of TV time
Caitlin and Brittany of "The Amazing Race"
Credit: CBS
Another week, another "Amazing Race" team done in by a problematic cab ride in a foreign country.
Last week, it was Amy & Dan doomed by their driver's failure to find the proper Detour location, dropping them from second place to last on a lengthy misadventures.
On Sunday's (October 14) episode, it was Caitlin & Brittany whose pedicab wrong-turns led them into last and then briefly into next-to-last and then finally to elimination after going the wrong way at a fork in the road.
In this week's "Amazing Race" exit interview, the two blonde friends discuss their cab problems, as well as their lack of screentime in early episodes. In addition, Brittany offers her opinion on the way her frustration was portrayed in the episode.
Click through for the full interview...
Listen: Firewall & Iceberg Podcast No. 154
Dan and Alan talk 'Emily Owens MD,' 'Hunted,' 'American Horror Story' and more
Happy Late Tuesday, Boys & Girls! Time for a later-than-we-were-hoping-for installment of The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast.
We were delayed yesterday by my travel and the sheer quantity of stuff to watch and then time slipped through the cracks today as well.
But hopefully this podcast'll make it up before the premiere of "Emily Owens, MD" tonight. Or, at the least, it'll certainly make it up before tonight's premiere of MTV's "Underemployed."
That's not saying much. Sorry about the lateness.
But we discussed a lot of stuff this week, including HBO's "The Girl," FX's "American Horror Story: Asylum," Cinemax's "Hunted" and this week's episode of "Homeland."
Today's breakdown:
"Emily Owens MD" (00:01:00 - 00:08:15)
"Underemployed" (00:08:20 - 00:16:15)
"Suburgatory" (00:16:15 - 00:23:45)
"American Horror Story" (00:23:50 - 00:32:20)
"Hunted" (00:32:25 - 00:44:15)
"The Girl" (00:44:20 - 00:54:40)
Early cancellations (00:54:40 - 01:05:20)
"X Factor" Hosts (01:05:25 - 01:10:35)
"Homeland" (01:10:40 - 01:23:30)
As always, you can subscribe to The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast over at the iTunes Store, where you can also rate us and comment on us. [Or you can always follow our RSS Feed.]
And as always, feel free to e-mail us questions for the podcast.
Recap: 'The Amazing Race' - 'There's No Crying in Baseball'
Pedicabs and trains cause more trouble than challenges
Gary and Will of "The Amazing Race"
Credit: CBS
I want to get into this week's recap, but first I have a proposal for the producers of "The Amazing Race": From here on out, whether in this season or in any subsequent season, any contestant who yells at a service employee in a Third World country and tells them either that they just lost them the Race or that they just lost them a million dollars, should be automatically eliminated on the spot.
If you are yelling at a pedicab driver in Indonesia, where the median income is $3800 a year, and verbally abusing him for costing you a million dollars, you're pretty much a horrible person and you pretty much represent the worst America has to offer in the global community.
This rule needn't only apply in Third World countries. Anywhere you yell at a service employee for costing you a million dollars, unless you're in a cab driven by Donald Trump or you were denied a plane ticket by Mark Cuban, it's best to save your whining for somebody else.
Who's with me on this one?
And now, on to the recap, after the break...
Interview: 'Walking Dead' star Danai Gurira discusses becoming Michonne
New co-star chats about secrecy and swordwork
Danai Gurira of "The Walking Dead"
Credit: AMC
To "Walking Dead" fans versed solely in the hit AMC drama, she's merely the katana-wielding stranger introduced saving Laurie Holden's Andrea in the second season finale.
To fans of the comic series, though, she's Michonne, one of the franchise's most beloved characters.
Played by Danai Gurira, Michonne will be a key part of the third "Walking Dead" season, which premieres on Sunday (October 14) night. But don't worry. This interview spoils very little about Michonne. Instead, Gurira and I discussed her extensive physical training for the role, as well as the challenges of coming to regular television after cutting her teeth in theater and independent films like "The Visitor."
We also talked about our shared background in Grinnell, Iowa where both of our fathers were on the faculty at the same time more than 30 years ago. I left that part out of the transcript. Apologies. There's still plenty here.
Click through for the full interview... And for more pre-premiere "Walking Dead" coverage, check out my interview with producers Robert Kirkman & Glen Mazzara.
Interview: 'Walking Dead' producers Glen Mazzara and Robert Kirkman tease Season 3
Scribes talk Michone, The Governor, The Prison, Annoying Carl and more
Ack! Zombie!
Credit: AMC
The second season of AMC's "The Walking Dead" began with the high drama of missing children and a zombie herd descending on a gridlocked highway graveyard. The season ended with two regular characters dead, dissension in the human ranks, waves of zombies pouring down and a tantalizing glimpse of an institutional facility.
The introduction of The Prison, coupled with a katana-weilding first appearance by Danai Gurira's Michonne and the announced casting of David Morrissey as The Governor has sufficiently whet appetites for Season 3, especially among fans of Robert Kirkman's "Walking Dead" comic book.
Last week, I went to a pre-season "Walking Dead" junket in Beverly Hills attended by basically every cast member, major and minor. Trying to keep the interview tally under control, I targeted new faces Morrissey and Gurira, as well as four of the show's producers.
Up first, is my 20-plus minute chat with Kirkman and showrunner Glen Mazzara. Keeping spoilers to a minimum, we discussed the tone and structure of Season 3, while the producers also addresses some fan criticisms from the second season, including what some felt was a slow middle and the trouble-prone adventures of Young Carl.
This interview covers a lot of ground, so let's just jump into it. Like I said, spoilers are minimal, but probably not entirely absent. You've been warned...
Interview: Russell Swan talks 'Survivor: Philippines'
Disheartened after his second time, Russell explains the compulsion to return
Russell Swan of "Survivor: Philippines"
Credit: CBS
I got on the phone with "Survivor: Philippines" bootee Russell Swan expecting to talking about all of the usual exit interview things.
While I knew the frustration that he'd obviously felt having his torch snuffed in Wednesday's episode, I still figured I'd talk with Russell about the mistake of taking a leadership role after vowing he wouldn't, about the decisions to vote out Zane and Angie and Roxy and whether any move could have reversed his tribe's ill fortune and about the last day at camp being lied to be both Denise and Malcolm.
As you can tell from Russell's first response to my first question, that wasn't the kind of interview he was really prepared to do, so we went off in a very different direction.
I've done a lot of these interviews, but this one is, to me, one of the best insights into the mind of a "Survivor" player, particularly the mind of a repeat "Survivor" player. The last answer, especially in light of Russell's post-"Survivor" condition, is definitely the most enlightening.
Check out the full interview...
