“The Following” takes Kevin Bacon to the Nth degree of terror

“The Following” takes Kevin Bacon to the Nth degree of terror

There’s a famous line Al Pacino delivers in the 1995 crime drama Heat that comes to mind when describing Kevin Bacon’s character in The Following. “All I am is what I’m going after.” Bacon plays Ryan Hardy, a former FBI agent whose pursuit and capture of serial killer Joe Carroll was both his greatest triumph and the beginning of his downward spiral. When we meet Hardy, he is “kind of a mess,” Bacon says, a man who drinks too much and is seemingly without purpose. It was an attitude the actor saw firsthand while researching the role. “I was sitting [...]

“Sons of Anarchy”: Foreign-language episode titles nothing new

“Sons of Anarchy”: Foreign-language episode titles nothing new

Tonight’s Season 5 finale of Sons of Anarchy goes by the strange title of “J’ai Obtenu Cette,” which translates from French to “I Have Obtained This.” (Or perhaps more appropriately, “I got this.”) It’s just the latest in a healthy line of episode titles that the writers and producers have seen fit to put in a foreign tongue. Whether it’s just for effect, or if there is some special relevance to the plot, it’s undoubtedly one more thing that makes the unrelenting biker drama so compelling. Here’s a list of all the titles, along with their translation and — hopefully [...]

Lizzie Brochere, Franka Potente dish on “American Horror Story: Asylum”

Lizzie Brochere, Franka Potente dish on “American Horror Story: Asylum”

It’s been a fun ride so far on American Horror Story: Asylum, which succeeded immediately in making us all forget the first season’s storyline and concentrate on the madness going on at the Briarcliff institute in 1964. Yes, some actors from the original run have returned — notably Jessica Lange as Sister Jude, Zachary Quinto as Dr. Thredson, and Evan Peters as Kit Walker — but the new blood among the cast has helped set it apart. Two of those additions, Lizzie Brochere and Franka Potente, spoke with reporters recently about their roles, where the story is going, and what [...]

“Sons of Anarchy” recap: “Crucifixed”

Charlie Hunnam talks tough in an episode of FX's "Sons of Anarchy"

It’s getting that time of the season when the “previously on Sons of Anarchy” segment is taking up a noticeably large amount of time. With all the shenanigans going down, there’s a lot of ‘splaining to do, especially when you have a super-sized 90-minute episode that picks up so many threads from stories that stretch back for seasons. That said, “Crucifixed” is one of the more brutal stretches the show has ever put us through. Oftentimes I won’t remember a given episode by title, but with “Crucifixed,” I’ll never forget it. You’ll know why by the end. We pick up [...]

Science airs “Browncoats Unite,” commemorating 10 years of “Firefly”

Not many shows that were canceled after half a season — during which some of the episodes weren’t even aired in the right order — are celebrated 10 years later. But Firefly has stood the test of time, attracting a devoted following that was strong enough to spawn a successful big-screen adaptation, 2005’s Serenity. The fans, who call themselves Browncoats in honor of lead character Malcolm Reynolds’ past as a rebel soldier, will want to be glued to their TVs tonight at 10 when Science presents Browncoats Unite, a 10th anniversary special commemorating the show. It will include footage from [...]

FX shares preview from upcoming drama, “The Americans”

Coming in January, FX is going to inject a little Cold War drama into our lives with The Americans, which stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star as a pair of KGB agents living undercover in the U.S. as husband and wife. They even have two children who are completely unaware that their parents are Russkie spies. This 30-second clip immediately sets the mood with some Ronald Reagan footage, then lets us know we’re in for some delicious intrigue that could attract fans of Homeland.   Embed:

“Sons of Anarchy” recap: Andare Pescare

“Sons of Anarchy” recap: Andare Pescare

I wasn’t cool enough to know the exact translation of tonight’s Sons of Anarchy episode (being a monolingual ‘Merican and all), but I did know enough to figure out that it had something to do with fish. “Sleep with the fishes” would’ve been appropriate, especially given the heavy mob connection that follows, but it turns out it’s closer to “gone fishing.” That said, there are no literal fish to speak of, just a lot of metaphorical fishing as Jax moves in on getting the proof he needs that Clay is the mastermind behind the renegade Nomads. The hunt for Frankie [...]

“Reality Show” brings Adam Rifkin’s dark, satirical vision to Showtime

“Reality Show” brings Adam Rifkin’s dark, satirical vision to Showtime

Reality Show may be completely fictional, but Adam Rifkin would wager that it contains more truth than an actual, um, reality show. The writer/producer/director/star (no word on whether he did the catering as well) of the eight-part Showtime series — which begins airing tonight at 11:30 — says his goal was to make a “dark comedy” satirizing a genre that most of us like to ridicule but still can’t seem to tear ourselves away from. Well, “dark” is one way of putting it. You could also use words like “charred,” “blackened” or even downright “opaque” to describe the story of [...]

“Sons of Anarchy” recap: “Ablation”

“Sons of Anarchy” recap: “Ablation”

I love it when TV teaches me something new. You know, like the title of tonight’s Sons of Anarchy. I wasn’t exactly sure what “ablation” meant, but it doesn’t sound real positive, does it? Turns out it essentially means the removal of something harmful to the body via surgery. Hmm, yeah, this could get ugly. So, just to get it out of the way, the kids are OK. Poor Abel has to undergo a bit of surgery but hey, after what that kid’s been through already, he shouldn’t be too worse for wear. But the real suspense is with Gemma. [...]

“7 Questions” With … Winter Ave Zoli of “Sons of Anarchy”

“7 Questions” With … Winter Ave Zoli of “Sons of Anarchy”

Winter Ave Zoli has managed to parlay what was originally a quickie guest spot into a full-fledged recurring role on the smash FX biker drama Sons of Anarchy. Her character Lyla’s tragic romance with Opie ended this season, but Lyla remains a part of the SAMCRO family, turning up for some quality screen time in tonight’s episode. Zoli, who can also currently be seen costarring with Kenneth Branagh in the short film “Prodigal,” part of the Stars in Shorts feature film, took some time to answer our “7 Questions.” You’re at a magazine rack and can only pick three titles. [...]