Paramount has seemingly won the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Netflix had seemed to be in prime position but have backed out.
The news sent shockwaves through the industry.
Though it looked in December as though streaming giant Netflix had been successful in its attempt to buy Warner Bros., in a surprise move, Paramount Skydance has swept in to snatch the deal from the company’s hands.
Paramount’s David Ellison and his team had been making overtures to the Warner board, and recently upped its bid to the point where the board decided to go with the new offer.
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Now the big question is whether one media giant –– especially one as similar to Warner Bros. as Paramount, can clear the regulatory hurdles such a deal would generate. But Ellison and his company’s faithfulness to the current administration would seem to be a help to them.
Netflix bosses talk the end of its bid for Warners
Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer at Netflix Ted Sarandos attends the World Premiere of Netflix’s ‘Red Notice/ at Regal LA Live. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Netflix.
Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters released the following statement about the company’s decision to drop out of the bidding process:
“We’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match. This transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.”
What next for Paramount and Warners?
Matt Smith in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Theo Whitman/HBO.
Pending regulatory approval, Paramount will own not only Warner Bros. and HBO, but also many popular cable networks including CNN, TNT, TBS and Food Network. The deal would represent a major ground shift for the entertainment industry, which is trying to adapt to seismic shifts in audience habits and technology.
Will the giant merged legacy media company be able to overcome competition from Netflix, which has its own sphere of influence? Only time will tell…
(L to R): Noah Wyle, Irene Choi, Fiona Dourif in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
Arriving on HBO Max on January 8 with its first episode (followed by one episode weekly) is the second season of ‘The Pitt’ the breakout medical drama which saw such success last year.
(L to R): Sepideh Moafi, Taylor Dearden, Katherine LaNasa, Gerran Howell and Supriya Ganesh in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
‘The Pitt’ was one of 2024’s big TV sensations, stitching together the sheen of prestige TV with the more urgent pace (and closer to the episode count of) network TV.
A spiritual successor to the fast-moving likes of ‘ER’, it breathed some fresh life into the genre, which had largely become more soap than procedural. The question is, can that initial trick be repeated?
Script and Direction
(L to R): Noah Wyle and Fiona Dourif in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
Season 2 really doesn’t stray far from the doctor’s orders of the first –– there is the same mix of patients, personal drama and unfolding crises that made the first such a compelling watch.
Yet there is still the lingering feeling that it’s just more of the same –– while the quality level remains high, in the episodes sent to press, there’s not much surprise to be found here beyond one techno-crisis that sends the team back to the days of paper charts and whiteboards.
Cast and Performances
Katherine LaNasa in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
Noah Wyle continues to be the soul of the show as Dr. Robby, though this year he’s less about freaking out and more contemplating his upcoming sabbatical. Still, there’s plenty for him to do, and Wyle proves why he’s won awards for this show.
Taylor Dearden remains the heart as Mel King, with her nervy medic worried about an upcoming deposition and once more needing to look after her sister.
And, of course, Katherine LaNasa’s Charge Nurse Evans continues to rule the desk with a spine of steel and a heart of gold.
The rest of the cast are all solid, with new recruit Sepideh Moafi fitting in well as the future-minded new attending, Dr. Al-Hashimi.
Final Thoughts
Sepideh Moafi in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
The second season maintains the pace, and if the feel is sometimes over-familiar, it’s not too detrimental. Yet the show might quickly go off the bubble if it keeps going over the same territory too often.
‘The Pitt’ Season 2 receives 80 out of 100.
(L to R): Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa and Sepideh Moafi in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
What’s the plot of ‘The Pitt’?
The medical drama is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh.
(Left) Netflix logo. Photo: Netflix. (Right) Warner Bros. logo. Photo: Warner Bros.
Preview:
Warner Bros. has won the bidding war for Warner Bros.
The streaming service will acquire the legacy media giant for $82.7 billion.
Paramount and others were also interested.
If you see someone painting a giant “N” on the iconic Warner Bros. studio lot water tower, don’t worry that it’s David Zaslav having the Animaniacs’ door painted shut because they’re not driving profits enough.
Instead, it represents that, after a heated bidding war, Netflix has sealed a hefty, $82.7 billion deal to buy the media giant.
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It’s a momentous, and some might, troubling development, representing further conglomeration between companies and giving Netflix a massive boost in terms of movie and TV output.
Might it also lead to more of the streaming service’s films landing theatrically? We’ll have to see.
Matt Smith in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Theo Whitman/HBO.
Effectively, Netflix is buying the Warner Bros. movie studio and its TV output, which included the WBTV studio (which includes the likes of ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off ‘House of the Dragon’ and output to other networks including ‘Abbott Elementary,’ which is carried by ABC).
What is not included is the Discovery arm of the company, which is WB had already planned to spin back off into its own service.
We don’t yet know the full impact of the deal in terms of how the movie side of things will work –– Netflix famously doesn’t tend to want to release its movies theatrically, but now it has a whole set up to help with that, and there’s no word yet on whether HBO Max will remain a standalone streaming service or if it’ll be folded into Netflix.
And the biggest loser in all this? Probably Paramount Skydance, which had been making its own intense bid to buy Warners just a few weeks after completing its own merger.
Netflix and WB deal: the companies speak
Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer at Netflix Ted Sarandos attends the World Premiere of Netflix’s ‘Red Notice/ at Regal LA Live. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Netflix.
“Our mission has always been to entertain the world. By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies—from timeless classics like ‘Casablanca’ and ‘Citizen Kane’ to modern favorites like Harry Potter and Friends—with our culture-defining titles like ‘Stranger Things’, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and ‘Squid Game,’ we’ll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.”
And here’s Warner Bros. President and CEO (for now) David Zaslav:
“Today’s announcement combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love to watch the most. For more than a century, Warner Bros. has thrilled audiences, captured the world’s attention, and shaped our culture. By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come.”
Currently available to watch on HBO Max and a serious contender in this upcoming awards season is the box office smash hit ‘Sinners’ which was written and directed by Ryan Coogler (‘Black Panther’) and stars Michael B. Jordan (‘Creed’) playing the dual roles of twin brothers Smoke and Stack.
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Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan to talk about their work on ‘Sinners’, why Coogler was passionate about making this movie and the themes he wanted to explore, while Jordan discussed his approach to playing the Moore brothers and how he made the two roles distinctively different.
(L to R) Director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan talk ‘Sinners’.
You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
Moviefone: To begin with, Ryan, can you talk about why you were so passionate about making this movie and the themes you wanted to explore as a filmmaker?
Ryan Coogler: It started with my relationship with my uncle James, who was born in Mississippi, lived there until he was 20, and then moved to Oakland and married my great-aunt, Sammy Lee, who the character Sammy is named after. It was important for me to explore blues music, Mississippi, the Delta Blues and juke joint culture because it was so important to my uncle. It’s kind of passed down to me, and I wanted to do a deep dive on why that music was so important really to a global popular culture. But I also wanted to infuse it with everything in cinema that I loved that I hadn’t had a chance to do yet in my previous films. That’s where the supernatural and the genre elements come to play. As far as the themes, the biggest theme was freedom. You know what I mean? This idea of it, how elusive it can be, how sometimes it can’t be bought. That was the central concept of freedom in these people that are under such great oppression and having to be able to affirm that humanity in a place and a time when it was very difficult.
MF: Finally, Michael, can you talk about the challenges of playing twin brothers and how you were able to make those two characters so distinctively different?
Michael B. Jordan: There were so many challenges. There’s been versions of twins that have been done, and some better than others, and trying to figure out how to make this one a memorable one or just make it work and feel honest. I remember as a kid watching movies like ‘The Parent Trap’, you know what I’m saying? Just as a kid, your imagination, whether you’re pretending you got superpowers or pretending this or whatever, the idea of like, man, if I had a twin, what would I do? Or how would that be? I think being able to imagine that because Smoke and Stack are the same, but they’re completely different. They make up one person. Having Smoke and how he handles his childhood trauma was important and Stack and how he handles his childhood trauma. They had the same experiences, but they have two different perspectives on it. For Smoke, he internalizes a lot of his. He doesn’t talk a lot. He doesn’t want to talk about his pain. He wants to bury it deep and kind of hold onto to that. I know people like that. So, to be able to tap into that in a real way. But Stack is different. He smiles and uses his charm, and he talks his way through his pain because he can’t dwell on it for too long. So, to tap into your childhood trauma and building those characters from the ground up was crucial to build that foundation for me to do the rest of the work and the other things, the layers on top of that like wearing a shoe that is too small for Stack because he’s always moving around. He just never really standing still. As a performer, as an actor, it’s something that I didn’t have to think about, but it helped me be agitated in times and physically be not still. But also, I wore a size too big when it came to Smoke because I wanted him to feel like he couldn’t move a lot and he wanted to be rooted and implanted into the ground. So those were layers to it. The different grill caps that I wore, when I had a certain gold front in, it changed the way I would hold my mouth and speak and my cadence. Smoke spoke few words and slow. Stack was a fast talker, so he was always smiling, always wheeling and always dealing. He’s always selling something. Those are some of the things that I tapped into to kind of help make them a bit different. Just the storytelling, the other characters around Smoke and Stack that allowed me to play off of with Annie and Mary and those dynamics and just a rich world that was created for these characters to blend into.
Two brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1932, now wealthy and intent on opening a juke joint in their hometown. But as they open the doors of their new establishment, sinister forces begin to converge upon them and their community.
In fact, if Warner Bros. and New Line have their way, there will certainly be more. According to The InSneider, a prequel movie is now in development.
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Details are somewhat scarce on the movie so far, but we do know that Rodrigue Huart, who has seen success in the short film arena, is in talks to direct.
Right now, the story is a mystery, beyond the notion that it’ll turn the clock back to the early days of Ed and Lorraine Warren, as played in the main ‘Conjuring’ franchise by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
Whether either actor will be back for bookend scenes, it seems more likely that new people will be stepping into the roles.
What we do know is that Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, who co-wrote 2023’s ‘The Nun II’ and this year’s ‘Last Rites’ are aboard to script this new movie.
What else is happening in the ‘Conjuring’ universe?
A TV spin-off of the movies has been in the works for some time, and recently hired Nancy Won, a veteran of shows such as Apple TV‘s ‘Sunny’, Netflix‘s ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ on Hulu to be showrunner, executive producer and head writer for the series.
Plot information is unavailable right now, but the show will apparently continue the story in some fashion, likely without using the Warrens (but we won’t count them out).
The movie series’ Peter Safran remains onboard as an executive producer, with James Wan’s Atomic Monster company also producing. Wan, of course, launched the movie series with 2013’s ‘The Conjuring’.
Also hired for the show were writers Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires, who have Marvel shows and other genre work on their resumes.
When will this ‘The Conjuring’ prequel movie be in theaters?
With none of the deals officially in place yet, we wouldn’t expect this next chunk of scare tactics to be out much before 2027 at the earliest.
Bill Skarsgård in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
Arriving on HBO Max on October 22 with its first episode is ‘IT: Welcome to Derry,’ which turns the clock back to 1962 so as to explore more of the dark history of the titular town and the equally titular presence, who feeds on fear and terrorizes the locals.
(L to R): Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack and Jack Molloy Legault in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
While prequels have been around for years, it feels like we’ve been besieged by them in recent years, especially as studios and TV networks seek to find new ways to explore established franchises.
It’s a tough tightrope to walk –– audiences can tire of learning too much about certain characters (‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ is an example), while lazy storytelling can creep in. But refreshingly, ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ is a worthwhile addition to the canon of a story that began with Stephen King’s 1986 novel and has been most famously adapted into two big screen outings.
Script and Direction
Chris Chalk in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
‘Welcome to Derry’, thanks to the presence of some of the filmmaking team, faithfully connects to the movies without too many overt references. The show’s plotline and characters are smartly drawn, offering layered approaches to a variety of stories, not the least of which is Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo as Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon, the latter of whom links the townsfolk with the nearby army base and the military’s attempts to learn more about its dark secret.
Andy Muschietti, who directed both the more recent movies, gives the show its own signature blend of everyday life and gory, bone-chilling scares.
Cast and Performances
Taylour Paige in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
It’s kudos to both the creators and the rest of the cast that the series doesn’t lean on Skarsgård’s creep-tastic Pennywise to generate its scares, at least not in his actual clown form. Paige and Adepo are both great, but the real winners are among the younger cast (including Amanda Christine and Clara Stack, who offer naturalistic work in the face of some truly terrifying set pieces.
Final Thoughts
Blake Cameron James in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
‘Welcome to Derry’ proves to be that rare prequel that works to enhance what has gone before, and finds interesting angles to peek into beyond even Stephen King’s source work.
Kicking off just before Halloween, it’s ideal creepy viewing for a fall evening.
‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ receives 82 out of 100.
Kimberly Guerrero in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
What’s the plot of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’?
The show is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of ‘IT: Chapter One’ (which updated the book’s 1957 setting to 1988). The show dives into the lore of Pennywise and the town’s horrific history, drawing heavily from the “interludes” in King’s original novel — the eerie flashbacks and historical tragedies Mike Hanlon researched as an adult.
(L to R) Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Preview:
A ‘The Conjuring’ TV series is in development.
Nancy Won will be showrunner.
The series will be on HBO Max.
With the most recent entry of ‘The Conjuring’ cinematic horror franchise, ‘Last Rites’, delivering giant box office results, you knew there was going to be more.
And the news feels like the right time for an update on the gestating TV series that has been in development at HBO Max since 2023.
There are few details available about the show right now, though Variety’s report mentions that the show will continue some aspect of the ‘Conjuring’ storyline.
Whether that means any appearances of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the main characters (based on real-life supernatural investigators) remains to be seen, but we can imagine the show exploring its own corner of the universe.
There is, let’s not forget other avenues the show could exploit, including ‘The Nun’ and ‘Annabelle’ movie spin-off timelines, but chances are it’ll plough its own row.
The movie series’ Peter Safran remains onboard as an executive producer, with James Wan’s Atomic Monster company also producing. Wan, of course, launched the movie series with 2013’s ‘The Conjuring’.
Also hired for the show were writers Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires, who have Marvel shows and other genre work on their resumes.
What other movie spin-offs are headed to HBO Max?
(L to R) Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in ‘Lanterns’. Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO.
Alongside the ‘Conjuring’ show, fellow horror franchise ‘It’ has its own spin-off hitting HBO Max starting October 26th called ‘IT: ‘Welcome to Derry’. It’s a prequel set in the 1960s.
And while it’s not strictly a spin-off from an existing movie, superhero series ‘Lanterns’ is part of the DC Studios universe and will include appearances from Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, whose character was introduced in ‘Superman’.
When will the ‘Conjuring’ series be on HBO Max?
Since it’s at such an early stage, there is no information yet on when the show might hit the streaming service.
‘Superman’ had its home release only one month after its theatrical release, which seems very early for a big comic book movie.
After the events of ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2, this makes sense.
Fans who missed ‘Superman’ in theaters will want to watch it since it has ties to the second season of ‘Peacemaker’.
When the home release date of ‘Superman‘ was first released, many people felt it was way too soon. Not only is the movie still playing in theaters, it is still bringing in money. A home release date of August 15th is just 35 days after its theatrical release. This is quick for any movie, but for a comic book movie? It is almost unheard of.
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Then, after watching the first episode of ‘Peacemaker‘, it became instantly clear why DC Studios did this. The events of ‘Superman’ tie into key plot points of this season and while it is not required viewing, it certainly helps with the storytelling.
At the end of ‘Peacemaker’ Season 1, fans lost their minds when the Justice League showed up. Now that the DCEU has gone the way of the buffalo, and the DCU is the new canon, James Gunn needed to correct a few things. To no one’s surprise, he did so brilliantly, proving what a mastermind he is.
‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 starts off with a “Previously On” however, it highlights that it is the DCU, not the DCEU. Because of this some events are slightly altered, with the major one being that instead of the Justice League showing up, it is the Justice Gang, who are prominently featured in ‘Superman’. This includes Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardener), Isabela Mercad (Hawkgirl), and Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific).
‘Superman’ Events Are Referenced Multiple Times In ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2
(L to R) John Cena and Danielle Brooks in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Curtis Bonds Baker/Max.
Also in the premiere episode of ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 is an interview between Christopher Smith (John Cena), also known as Peacemaker, and the Justice Gang, which he hopes to join. While Mr. Terrific is absent, Hawk Girl, Guy Gardener, and Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn) are present. They mostly poke fun at Peacemaker, delivering a hilarious scene.
There are also several times in this episode (and later in the season) that the “Luther event” is mentioned. This is, of course, in reference to the pocket universe that Lex Luther (Nicholas Hoult) opened up, nearly destroying Metropolis in the process. Frank Grillo also reprises his role as Rick Flag Sr., who is acting director or A.R.G.U.S. while Amanda Waller is being investigated.
Early Home Release For ‘Superman’ Just Makes Sense Now
Frank Grillo in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Jessica Miglio/Max.
With all of these ties to James Gunn’s ‘Superman’, it makes sense why DC Studios opted to give it a home release. As mentioned, it is not necessary to watch it in order to understand what it happening in ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2, but it will give you more insight into why A.R.G.U.S. is so afraid of dimensional rifts.
Also, because the Justice Gang is in the series, although not often, seeing ‘Superman’ allows viewers to get to know them and their dynamic a little bit more, rather than being thrust into the chaotic conversation that is going on during Peacemaker’s interview without any backstory.
The best part? If you so wish, you can still see ‘Superman’ in theaters, as it is still playing.
(L to R) John Cena and Danielle Brooks in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Curtis Bonds Baker/Max.
‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 receives 8 out of 10 stars.
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It has been over three years since ‘Peacemaker‘ Season 1, but the time has finally arrived for Season 2 to grace our screens. The new, highly anticipated season premieres Thursday, August 21st on HBO Max at 9 pm ET/PT.
John Cena returns as Christopher Smith, also known as Peacemaker, in the lead role. He is joined by the rest of the 11th Street Kids – Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), John Economos (Steve Agee), Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), and Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks). Season 2 is written by James Gunn, however he only directs three episodes with Peter Sollett, Greg Mottola, and Alethea Jones stepping in to direct the others.
John Cena in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Jessica Miglio/Max.
‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 has the daunting task of transitioning from the DC Extended Universe to the new DC Universe. When he became co-CEO of DC James Gunn stated that the majority of previous projects would not be canon in this new universe, with the exception of a few things, including ‘Peacemaker’ Season 1.
That said, it did need to be slightly altered. Because of this, many fans are going to be cautiously optimistic going in. Have no fear, the adjustments are adressed from the very start of the season – be sure you don’t skip the “Previously in the DCU” section.
Script and Direction
Jennifer Holland in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Jessica Miglio/Max.
Thankfully, James Gunn is a brilliant storyteller, so he was able to do this seamlessly, not leaving room for any questions or confusion. As always, he takes the time to put a love and appreciation into the scripts that he is writing and knows how to tell a good story.
Stepping back into this wacky world, with these characters who are often down on their luck, might have taken longer than viewers would have liked, but all can be forgiven because the first five episodes of the season (which is what press were given for review purposes) are great.
As seen in the trailers, Peacemaker discovers another dimension in which the grass seems a whole lot greener. This forces him to look deep inside himself and decide what he truly wants out of life.
At the same time, the rest of the 11th Street Kids are dealing with their own issues. No one has it easy, but isn’t that true to the nature of the world? We are all going through something at any given time. It is this relatability that will have viewers hanging onto every word.
Multiverses are hard to explain, and very difficult to keep the attention of the audience. It needs to be done exactly right to make sense and thanks to great writing and direction, ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 perfectly transitions from the DCEU to DCU.
It is not required to see ‘Superman‘ before diving into this new season. There are mentions of the events of the film, and even though they do play a key role in the series, it does a great job of letting viewers know the details they need to. That said, it will certainly enhance the viewing exprience if you have seen it.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) John Cena, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, and Steve Agee in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Erin Sintoes/Max.
Due to the nature of this season of ‘Peacemaker’, much of the cast has to flex their strengths as actors. Some of them are playing two versions of themselves while others are playing different versions of the characters we got to know in season one. It is always impressive when someone can pull this off and to have so many of them doing it in multiple episodes is no easy feat.
The chemistry between the cast is what has always been at the center of this series. That is what made these misfits so lovable. Something that James Gunn has always been good at is making viewers care about people that are not always perfect – sometimes far from it. But it is the stellar performances and the way the actors dove into these characters that made them unforgettable.
John Cena does a wonderul job as Peacemaker, especially taking into consideration the diliema he is put in almost immediately. It is easy to see the internal struggle he is putting himself through, which makes it impossible not to root for him even more.
Jennifer Holland once again shines as Emilia Harcourt. She knows how to give her a hard exterior that fans want to see be chipped away. Every so often we get a peek at a softer side, but don’t be fooled, she knows how to kick serious butt, and we love to watch it.
Frank Grillo in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Jessica Miglio/Max.
Season 2 delivers more of the same, but not in a redundant way. There are a lot of heartfelt and emotional conversations being had. Some rifts are formed, which become difficult to watch, but surely keeps things interesting. The same off-the-wall humor is there with moments that might send you into laughing fits.
Of course the entire returning cast is wonderful. It is clear they know these characters inside and out. That said, Frank Grillo coming in as Rick Flag Sr. is one of the biggest standouts of ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2. He voiced this character in ‘Creature Commandos‘ and briefly appeared as him in live-action in ‘Superman’, but his journey in this series is completely captivating. He is extremely vulnerable, but also volatile, and easily one of the best written characters of the season from what we have seen so far.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) John Cena and Danielle Brooks in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Jessica Miglio/Max.
‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 is able to capture the same craziness of the first season. Writer James Gunn knows how to tell a story that will have fans cracking up one minute and wiping away tears the next. Having to retcon some events can be a scary situation, but he handled this wonderfully.
It is lovely to see these characters together on screen again. With just three episodes to follow, it is hard to say where things will go, but the stakes are high, as are the emotions. There has to be a reason they were held back from press, and considering the end of episode five, the possibilities seem endless.
What’s the story of ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2?
In season 2, Peacemaker (Cena) discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.
Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Preview:
The strong hatred towards The Last Of Us Season 2 is unnecessary
Changes made from The Last Of Us Part II are minor and always enhance the storytelling
The Last Of Us Season 3 will focus on Abby’s journey and introduce key characters that fans are worried will not be included
Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for ‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2 below.
‘The Last Of Us‘ season one was a massive hit with both critics and audiences, but Season two, unfortunately, cannot say the same. While the Rotten Tomatoes score for both seasons remains similar (in the nineties) for critics, the audience score has dropped from eighty-six percent to thirty-eight percent. Viewers have not been afraid to go to the internet and express their hatred for this latest season, which is completely unwarranted.
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As with any adaptation, there are changes from ‘The Last Of Us Part II’ video game. This is often done to expand on the storytelling and allow for things to play out better for a viewing audience versus a gaming audience.
The devastating death of Joel (Pedro Pascal) caused an uproar among video game players as well. Some went so far as to stop playing the game before finishing it, so it was not a complete surprise that viewers felt this way as well. That said, season two is not nearly as bad as people act like it is. While there are some minor changes, they only enhance the viewing experience and set up what is sure to be a fantastic season three.
MovieFone breaks down the most significant changes that are incorporated into ‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2, and why they make the story even better.
Kaitlyn Dever in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
While Abby’s backstory is revealed at the very beginning of ‘The Last Of Us’ Season two, players do not discover who her father is until much later in the game. As the creators of the series have explained in detail, doing it this way makes much more sense for an audience.
If everyone watching was kept in the dark about why Abby is doing these horrible things, it would be almost impossible to connect with her on a human level. In the game, you are forced to play her, which is when that bond is formed. In the show, you need to understand her motives in order to fully understand where things are going.
An Infected Horde Attacks Jackson
Gabriel Luna in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
The infected attacking Jackson is easily one of the best parts of the season. It comes in episode two, which is already a highly emotional episode, and adds much higher stakes. The different patrol pairings, Dina going with Joel and Ellie going with Jesse, mean that viewers get to see Dina and Joel’s bond rather than just hear about it, as they do in the game.
At first, there was some concern that key moments between Ellie and Dina would be missing because of this, but the series makes up for it later in the game. Having the attack on Jackson forces Tommy to stay behind and help manage repairs, rather than go off after Abby immediately, as he does in ‘The Last Of Us Part II’. He remains a part of the story, however, as Jesse and Tommy decide to go after Ellie and Dina and end up saving them from likely death.
The Addition Of Gail, Played By Catherine O’Hara
Catherine O’Hara in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Catherine O’Hara is a great actress, so bringing her into any project is a good decision. She plays a therapist named Gail, who is there to help viewers learn more about what certain characters are thinking. Again, when you are playing them in a game, you grow closer to them and feel that you understand them inside and out. That is more difficult to accomplish in a series if you are not laying it all out on the table.
Not only does the addition of Gail let viewers know what is going on inside Joel, Tommy, and Ellie’s heads, but it also gives more meaning to Eugene. He is only mentioned in passing in the game, but has a key role in the series, as his death is what makes Ellie realize that her suspicions about what Joel did to the Fireflies at the hospital were right.
While the actual confrontation does not happen until later, Joel lying and saying he would not kill Eugene until he could say goodbye to Gail, but then doing it anyway, proved to her that he will lie when push comes to shove.
Joel & Tommy’s Backstory Adds More Emotion To Why Joel Did What He Did
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
The video game does not offer up any details about Joel and Tommy’s upbringing, so including the scene of a young Joel with Tommy and his father at the beginning of ‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2 Episode 6 is a welcome change. It is here that we learn their father abused them, but that he was slightly better than his own father, who once broke his jaw.
The added generational trauma, and the fact that Joel is trying hard to break the cycle himself with Ellie, makes the story that much more emotional, especially when it comes to the heart-to-heart they have on the porch, which is another sequence that was changed for the better.
Not only is this revelation at the end of the game, but Joel never says “I love you” to Ellie. This is still the last time they talk to one another before his death, but in the game version, this was a conversation about forgiveness, as Ellie has known what Joel really did for months at this point in the game.
Joel getting to express his feelings adds a bit of closure that the game did not have. We all know that he thinks of Ellie as a daughter, but for her to be able to hear that from him is satisfying and one of the best changes that was made.
The Scars Almost Kill Abby, Not Ellie, In The Game
Kaitlyn Dever in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Anyone who is worried that Abby’s encounter with the Scars is not going to happen because Ellie was almost killed on Scar Island can put their minds at ease. If you look closely at Abby in the theater scene at the end of ‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2, you can see a bruise on her neck.
Without getting into spoilers, there are key characters that come into play during this part of Abby’s story, which we are sure to see play out in Season 3 as we follow what she has been up to those three days in Seattle.
‘The Last Of Us’ Season 1 and Season 2 are currently streaming on HBO Max. The third season has been greenlit, but does not currently have a release date.
(L to R) Isabela Merced and Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
What is the plot of ‘The Last of Us’ season 2?
Five years after the events of the first season, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
