The end is near ‘Homeland’ gears up for its final mission

By Francis Babin TV Media

Audiences and critics alike often complain about the state of the film industry and its heavy reliance on remakes, but no one seems to bat an eye at the same situation happening in the world of television. Perhaps it is because there is just so much original content on the small screen and streaming services (more than 500 original series in 2019 alone) that they just get lost in the shuffle. Nevertheless, some of the most popular and well-received hits of the last couple of decades turns after a two-year hiatus on Sunday, Feb. 9.

Based on the Israeli series “Pris oners of War,” “Homeland” took the world by storm when it premiered in 2011. The Showtime dra ma was immediately an immense success with its gripping and com pelling storyline of Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis, “Billions”), a U.S. Marine sergeant who was missing in action but returns to his home af ter years in captivity. His sudden re turn sets off alarm bells for Central Intelligence Agency operations offi cer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes, “A Kid Like Jake,” 2018), who tries

Carrie, Saul and the show itself have come a long way since that certain how much assistance she will be able to provide.

Late Laughs

Conan

“Joker” was nominated for Best Picture. Yeah, it’s about a creepy misfit in white makeup, or as the critics are calling it, “The Conan O’Brien Story.”

The consumer advocacy group One Million Moms has condemned a new Burger King ad for using the word “damn.” They also came after Arby’s for using the word

All these holidays are just pre-scheduled excuses to not do work. Let’s be real: you take the day off on a day called Labor Day. Really? Labor Day? Who doesn’t do labor on a

A turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. It straight up sounds like a farm got hit by a tornado, and afterward the farmer was just like, “I’ll just

An elderly Japanese man was recently arrested for calling a customer service number over 24,000 times. You know it’s bad when telemarketers are blocking you.

They used to throw virgins into volcanoes. Now they just

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The world’s first Harry Potter flagship store is coming to New York. Which makes Harry Potter the second Harry to

By Jessica Gosse TV Media

WHAT’S NEW ON HULU “High Fidelity”

Many people will be familiar with the romantic comedy “High Fidelity” (2000), which starred John Cusack as a reclusive, 30-something record store owner evaluating his past relationships and was based on the novel by Nick Hornby. On Friday, Feb. 14, this story gets a gender-flipped revival as it comes to Hulu in this new series. Zoe Kravitz (“Big Little Lies”) stars this time as the cynical record store owner, Rob, and is joined by co-stars Jake Lacy (“Girls”), David H. Homes (“Mindhunter”) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“People of Earth”). After running into her ex-boyfriend, Rob decides to re-examine her “Top 5 Most Memorable Heartbreaks” in an attempt to figure her life out and get over her ex. Whether you’re single or in a relationship, this is the perfect choice to watch on Valentine’s Day when it premieres.

“The Other Guy” Season 2

Matt Okine (“The Future Machine”) returns as radio host AJ Amon in Season 2 of this Australian comedy series premiering Friday, Feb. 14. Season 1 introduced us to AJ, his best friend, Stevie Nicholls (Harriet Dyer, “The InBetween”), and his longtime girlfriend, Olivia “Liv” Collins (Valene Kane, “The Fall”). When AJ discovers Liv has been cheating on him, his life implodes — his career falls apart, he is cut off from his best friend and he suddenly finds himself dating again. Season 2 sees AJ and Stevie begin to rebuild their friendship, but complications arise when AJ starts a new relationship and finds out Liv is pregnant with a baby that might be his.

“Utopia Falls”

On Friday, Feb. 14, the worlds of science fiction and modern musical theater collide in this new series. The show follows a group of teens living in the colony of New Babyl. They have been chosen to compete in a special performing arts competition. In this reimagined future, music, dance and art don’t have the same meaning anymore, and when the teens stumble upon an archive of cultural relics, they begin to question everything they’ve been taught.

“Utopia Falls” features the music of Grammy winners Alessia Cara, Kendrick Lamar and the Roots, as well as iconic rappers the Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg.

WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You”

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the adorably awkward Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor, “Deadly Class”) is back in this sequel to the popular 2018 film “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” The first film saw Lara Jean’s younger sister send out private love letters Lara Jean had written to get over her crushes. As a result, Lara Jean entered into a fake relationship with Peter (Noah Centineo, “The Fosters”), one of the recipients of her letters, in order to make his ex jealous and stop her best friend from thinking she’s in love with him. Now, Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship has gone from fake to real, and life seems great ... until John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher, “Liv and Maddie”) shows up on Lara Jean’s doorstep after receiving one of her love letters.

“Love Is Blind”

Whoever said that “love is blind” clearly did not live in a world with social media and dating apps. On Thursday, Feb. 13, celebrity couple Nick and Vanessa Lachey put this to the test in the premiere of their new reality dating series. The duo know a thing or two about love, having been together for 14 years and married for nearly 10. In “Love Is Blind,” singles sign up to take part in dates that allow them to talk with, but never meet, their anonymous suitors, and at the end they must choose the person they have the strongest connection with and propose. Only after getting engaged will they get to see their soon-to-be life partner. Find out if age and looks really do make a difference when this reality series premieres just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Narcos: Mexico” Season 2

On Thursday, Feb. 13, head back to Mexico as the DEA faces off against the Guadalajara Cartel in Season 2 of this spinoff series inspired by real events. Season 1 introduced Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo (Diego Luna, “Flatliners,” 2017), the man who established the Guadalajara

Cartel and modernized drug trading in Mexico, and follows the story of how he and Rafael Caro Quintero (Tenoch Huerta, “Blue Demon”) unified various cartels in the 1980s. While Gallardo created an empire of drug trafficking, DEA agents Enrique “Kiki” Camarena (Michael Pena, “Gracepoint”) and James Kuykendall (Matt Letscher, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”) worked to try to bring them down. Staying true to the case files of real events, Season 2 sees the dynamic between the cartels and the DEA change when Agent Walt Breslin (Scoot McNairy, “True Detective”) arrives on the scene in the wake of the brutal murder of an agent and launches a massive homicide investigation. Theresa Ruiz (“The House of Flowers”) and Myra Hermosillo (“Ultimo 5”) also star.

WHAT’S NEW ON APPLE TV+

“Visible: Out on Television”

Jordan Fisher and Lana Condor in

P.S.

Celebrate all forms of love this Valentine’s Day with the premiere of this incredible new docuseries from Wanda Sykes (“Black-ish”) and Wilson Cruz (“13 Reasons Why”). The five-part series takes an in-depth look at the importance of media in the LGBTQ movement and how the movement affected television. Numerous celebrity supporters of the LGBTQ community are interviewed throughout the series, including Rachel Maddow, the first openly gay woman to host a prime-time news program; Anderson Cooper, described by the New York Times as “the most prominent openly gay journalist on American television”; and Ellen DeGeneres, who iconically came out herself one week before her character on “Ellen” did, becoming the first openly gay main character on prime-time TV. Important concepts such as homophobia, feeling invisible and the evolution of LGBTQ issues are discussed in this docuseries, with narration from “Pose” producer Janet Mock and also including stars Margaret Cho (“Drop Dead Diva”), Lena Waithe (“Master of None”), Asia Kate Dillon (“Billions”) and Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”).

Ford v Ferrari

After a failed proposal to purchase the Ferrari car company to improve their sales, Ford Motor Company vice-president Lee Iacocca (Bernthal) and Henry Ford II (Letts) hire Carroll Shelby (Damon) and Ken Miles (Bale) to help them create a car capable of defeating Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Shelby, owner of Shelby American and winner of the 1959 Le Mans, and Miles, a notorious professional race car driver, are tasked with formulating and developing a new Ford prototype capable of competing against Enzo Ferrari’s (Girone) cars in France.

Director:JamesMangold.Stars: MattDamon,ChristianBale,Jon Bernthal,CaitrionaBalfe,JoshLucas,NoahJupe,TracyLetts,Remo Girone.2019.152mins.Action.

Greener Grass

In an idyllic and aggressively competitive suburban town, soccer moms Jill (DeBoer) and Lisa (Luebbe) find themselves in a well-manicured community bound by constant one-upmanship and extreme politeness revolving around their children’s soccer games. In a town where everyone wears braces on their teeth — because there is always room for improvement — passive-aggressive tones turn ominous when Lisa begins to seize every aspect of Jill’s life, beginning with her baby daughter, and the whole community takes a step towards the bizarre.

Directors:JocelynDeBoer,Dawn Luebbe.Stars:JocelynDeBoer, DawnLuebbe,BeckBennett,Neil Casey,MaryHolland,D’Arcy Carden,JulianHilliard.2019.95 mins.Comedy.

Roma

As one of two domestic workers in the home of the wealthy family of Antonio (Grediaga) and Sofía (de