House” both toast their first seasons with finale episodes that reveal hidden secrets.
“NCIS: Origins” promises a seriously drama-filled finale.
Pedro Hernandez (George Paez, “Lopez vs. Lopez”) was someone that not even the specialized team of agents could find before Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell, “A Friend of the Family”) exacted his revenge, but in the season finale, his murder is on their radar and Gibbs starts to feel the pressure. Per CBS, “When [Gibbs] needs his team the most, the loyalty of one is brought into question.”
After a 19-season-long run leading a team for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in the originating series, “NCIS,” Gibbs left that life behind for solace in Alaska. The franchise was not done, however, with telling Gibbs’ story, so “NCIS: Origins” was created.
Narrated by Mark Harmon (“Chasing Liberty,” 2004), who portrayed Gibbs in the original series, as well as in the two
young Gibbs as he starts working as a probationary agent in the Naval Investigative Service in 1991.
Also starring in the series are Mariel Molino (“The Watchful Eye”) as special agent Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez; Kyle Schmid (“Big Sky”) as special agent Mike Franks; Tyla Abercrumbie (“The Chi”) as officer Mary Jo Hayes; Diany Rodriguez (“The Blacklist”) as special agent Vera Strickland; and Caleb Foote (“Made for Love”) as special agent Bernard “Randy” Randolf.
Meanwhile, the season finale of the family-centric sitcom “Poppa’s House” also promises a drama all its own among the laughs. After spending the season slowly warming up to his new radio show co-host, Poppa (Damon Wayans, “Lethal Weapon”) prepares to reveal a big secret to Ivy (Essence Atkins, “Marlon”), according to CBS, while Junior’s (Damon Wayans Jr., “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” 2021) wife, Nina (Tetona Jackson, “Good Trouble”), takes over behind the wheel of his latest short film.
House.”
The elder Wayans stars in the series as Poppa, a successful New York City radio personality whose peaceful, solitary, post-divorce life gets shaken up when the station hires him a new co-host, psychologist Dr. Ivy Reed, while he still helps his adult son, Junior, navigate life.
Junior is a dreamer with big ideas, but sometimes he fails to hit the mark. After being laid off for missing a sales pitch in the series premiere, Junior is left with plenty of time to spend with his father, whether Poppa likes it or not.
While February saw “NCIS: Origins” get its Season 2 renewal order, joining its returning originating series and fellow spinoff “NCIS: Sydney,” “Poppa’s House” is still waiting on renewal news from CBS along with the action procedural “The Equalizer.”
Horoscopes
The luckiest signs this week:
CAPRICORN, AQUARIUS AND PISCES
ARIES
You’ll purchase some new pieces for your summer wardrobe, whether by shopping online or in-store. Let your friends guide your choices, even if they encourage you to exceed your budget. Beware of making inappropriate comments.
TAURUS
You’ll give life to innovative ideas and promising initiatives this week. You’ll unite a group around an ambitious project and overcome your financial concerns.
GEMINI
You’ll feel particularly drawn to wellness resorts and spas this week, relishing the relaxing services they offer. It’s essential for you to take time to rest and recharge.
CANCER
You’ll work on a large-scale project with a high-performance team. Every phase will be completed efficiently, and you’ll be delighted by the results. The calmness of your home will be a welcome retreat.
LEO
You must carefully manage both your personal and professional life. A lot of responsibility rests on your shoulders. A surprising revelation about your career could catch you off guard.
VIRGO
You’ll spontaneously embark on a journey or take a short getaway. If your trip is for spiritual reasons, consider tak ing a pilgrimage for an extraordinary experience.
LIBRA
It’s time to embrace big changes in your life. You’re bored by the monotony and repetitiveness of everyday routine. You desperately want to transform your life with passionate and exciting experiences.
SCORPIO
Keeping everyone happy is a hard task, but you’ll miraculously make it happen. At work, you’ll successfully complete a project or finalize an agreement that was previously thought unachievable.
SAGITTARIUS
You’ll have to handle numerous emergencies at work and elsewhere. You’ll harness your inner strength to bring clarity to the chaos. Your empathetic, caring and nuanced approach will make a significant difference in how you handle the situation.
CAPRICORN
After tough negotiations, you’ll be surprised to find yourself in a position of recognition. Unexpected family circumstances could leave you feeling confused. You’ll have no choice but to take matters into your own hands.
AQUARIUS
If your young children invite their friends over, it’s highly likely that you’ll need to do a big clean-up after they leave. You may also have to replace or repair some appliances.
PISCES
Indulge yourself a little this week! You might reconnect with long-lost friends and have an amazing time reminiscing and talking for hours on end.
New Streaming Movies & Shows
“Nickel Boys” (April 29)
Elwood Curtis’ (Ethan Herisse) college dreams are shattered when he’s sentenced to Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory in the Jim Crow South. Clinging to his optimistic worldview, Elwood strikes up a friendship with Turner (Brandon Wilson), a fellow Black teen who dispenses fundamental tips for survival.
Word Search
“Ernest Cole: Lost and Found” (April 29)
This documentary chronicles the life and work of Ernest Cole, one of the first Black freelance photographers in South Africa. His early pictures revealed to the world Black life under apartheid. Cole fled South Africa in 1966 and lived in exile in the US, photographing extensively in New York City and the American South. House of Bondage, his landmark book of photographs denouncing apartheid, cemented his place at age 27 as one of the great photographers of his time.
Where all the top choices can be found in one place!
“Chef’s Table: Legends” (April 28)
Celebrating the series’ 10 year anniversary, this special season pays tribute to the culinary icons who have helped shape the modern world of food. It features a lineup of legendary celebrity chefs — including Jamie Oliver, José Andrés, Thomas Keller and Alice Waters — whose influence has transcended borders and mediums to inspire generations of cooks and food lovers alike.
BY JAY BOBBIN
“Andor” - Season 2, New Episodes (April 29)
Taking place as the horizon of war draws near and Cassian (Diego Luna) becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance. Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound. Alan Tudyk, Kyle Soller, Stellan Skarsgard, Denise Gough and Genevieve O’Reilly also star.
Q: Though Kathy Bates is on “Matlock” now, didn’t she do another series on which she played a lawyer?
A:She did, and while she’s getting plenty of praise for her current CBS and Paramount+ job, the Oscar winner got some rewards for her work on that earlier show — including Primetime Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. “Harry’s Law” had a two-season run on NBC in 2011-12, and it came from someone who knows the legal drama arena quite well, writer-producer David E. Kelley (“Ally McBeal,” “The Practice,” “Boston Legal”). Bates played Harriet “Harry” Korn, a patent attorney who was fired and decided to start her own Cincinnati firm, specializing in criminal defense. Though she used a shoe store as her base of operations initially, she relocated to a bigger office (presumably thanks to a bigger budget) in the show’s second season.
Travolta and Cage ‘Face/Off’ in clever thriller
BY JAY BOBBIN
“Face/Off” has a premise that borders on the fantastic, but two famously skilled stars and a masterful filmmaker make the premise work.
Currently streaming on Peacock, director John Woo’s 1997 thriller gives both John Travolta and Nicolas Cage a tremendous challenge, since each actor has to play his own character as well as each other’s. Travolta is cast as a sullen FBI veteran with personal and professional reasons for wanting to capture the lively terrorist portrayed by Cage, with the stakes upped as the villain claims to have hidden a bomb that is programmed to explode in Los Angeles.
A consequent showdown leaves the bad guy in a coma, and the only way for the lawman to figure out the bomb’s location is for him to pose as his enemy and contact the latter’s fellow-felon brother (Alessandro Nivola) in prison. To do so, the federal agent reluctantly undergoes an operation in which the criminal’s face is surgically removed and transplanted onto him.
As incredible as that plot twist seems, Woo’s commendably subdued approach to the operation scene goes a long way in making it believable — as does the acting. The premise works both ways, since Cage’s character eventually regains consciousness and forces the doctors to even the score by giving
him the face Travolta gave up, supposedly temporarily.
It’s also up to the supporting cast to help sell the concept, and Joan Allen and Dominique Swain do a particularly good job of that as Travolta’s wife and daughter, who sense something is off with the man of the house — unaware he’s actually Cage in Travolta’s face. Of course, from a performance standpoint, it’s really Travolta all the way; his task is to channel Cage’s personality and adapt it to the new circumstances. The same goes in reverse for Cage, and it’s huge fun to watch both actors put their spin on the other’s persona.
“Face/Off” came at a great time for both actors. Travolta was enjoying a career renaissance sparked by “Pulp Fiction” (1994), and Cage was still basking in the glow of his Oscar win for “Leaving Las Vegas” (1995). A lot is asked of them here, and they deliver quite brilliantly — a fact that may be overlooked because of the suspension-of-disbelief quality of the story.
Almost 30 years later, “Face/Off” might be no closer to reality — at least not that we know of — but it remains a hugely entertaining ride and a rare acting exercise for two Hollywood icons.
Best RICHARD BURTON MOVIES
BY JAY BOBBIN
“My Cousin Rachel” (1952): Burton was Oscar-nominated for this drama based on Daphne du Maurier’s novel about a man who schemes against the titular Rachel (Olivia de Havilland) to avenge his cousin’s (John Sutton) death.
“The Robe” (1953): The first movie made in the CinemaScope process, this biblical saga casts Burton as a prominent Roman who has a complicated relationship with a Greek slave (Victor Mature, who reprised his role in the 1954 sequel “Demetrius and the Gladiators,” made before “The Robe” was even released).
“Look Back in Anger” (1959): Burton earned much acclaim for his portrayal of a man who is angry, indeed, at the circumstances of his life and the world around him. Tony Richardson directed the adaptation of John Osborne’s play.
“The Longest Day” (1962): Burton is part of the enormous, star-packed cast of this pet project of studio mogul turned producer Darryl F. Zanuck, a massive re-creation of the D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War II.
“Cleopatra” (1963): As legendary for the romance between Burton and title star Elizabeth Taylor as for any drama shown in the movie, this epic — which has its production suspended for almost a year — entailed a swelling budget that almost sank 20th Century Fox.
“The V.I.P.s” (1963): Burton and Taylor also had one of their many screen teamings by playing a maritally strained couple among those stranded by weather at an airport. Turner Classic Movies shows “The V.I.P.s” as part of a day of London-set pictures on Tuesday, April 29.
“The Night of the Iguana” (1964): In this John Huston-directed drama, a shamed minister (Burton) plays chaperone for a group of women (including those played by Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr and Sue Lyon) touring Mexico.
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966): Another famous match of Burton and Taylor (the latter earning her second Oscar here), director Mike Nichols’s take on the Edward Albee play casts the stars as hugely argumentative dinner-party hosts.
“Where Eagles Dare” (1968): Burton pairs with Clint Eastwood in novelist Alistair MacLean’s terrific World War II adventure about a raid by Allied operatives on a Nazi-occupied castle.
“The Wild Geese” (1978): Another great adventure features Burton — wellcast alongside Richard Harris and Roger Moore — as an ex-military man who leads a mission to retrieve a deposed South African diplomat.
‘Seasons’ of love: Fey, Carell among vacationing friends in ‘The Four Seasons’
BY DANA SIMPSON
The intricacies of adult friendships have long fascinated the world of social studies due, in large part, to the levels of engagement and energy required to maintain a happy, successful relationship.
According to Jeffrey A. Hall, a University of Kansas communications studies professor and author of the 2019 article “How many hours does it take to make a friend?” in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, “although [a] good friendship can develop after spending 120–160 [hours] together over three weeks, 200+ [hours] is likely needed over six weeks for friends to become good/best friends.” Despite this, Americans, on average, typically “only spend about 41 [minutes] a day socializing.”
Needless to say, maintaining an existing adult friendship can be just as difficult when the pressures and responsibilities of daily life get in the way — a fact that presents itself, amid other realistic complications, in Netflix’s new buddy comedy series “The Four Seasons,” premiering Thursday, May 1, on the popular streaming service.
“The Four Seasons” follows a group of three couples who, amid all of life’s complications and
curveballs, resolve to take a trip together each season of the year. But when one couple files for divorce, tensions rise within the friend group, and all their plans seem to fall by the wayside.
The series, comprised of eight episodes, takes heavy inspiration from the 1981 Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”) written and directed film of the same name starring Carol Burnett (“The Carol Burnett Show”), Rita Moreno (“West Side Story,” 1961), Len Cariou (“Blue Bloods”), Jack Weston (“Wait Until Dark,” 1967), Sandy Dennis (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” 1966) and Alda himself.
The 1980s comedy-drama was relatively well received upon its release, with New York Times reviewer Janet Maslin praising the comfort of the film by writing that “even the occasional confrontations ... have a soothing air.”
“No one in ‘The Four Seasons’ ever goes to bed angry,” Maslin continued in her 1981 article, adding, “and there’s no particular reason to want them to.”
View from the Couch
“ANORA”
The big story at the latest Oscars, writer-director-editor Sean Baker’s extremely independent, very adult drama makes its home-video debut as part of The Criterion Collection. Named best picture, it made relative-newcomer-to-movies Mikey Madison — perhaps best-known before this for the FX series “Better Things” — the winner of the best actress honor for her title portrayal of a stripper who marries a Russian oligarch’s son (Mark Eydelshteyn) so he can stay in America. The groom’s mother wants the union annulled, sending the couple fleeing when henchmen are dispatched to find them. Brooklyn, N.Y., loca-
Polyamorous growing pains: New series,
‘PolyFamily,’ follows four
parents and four kids in one big happy family
BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes your wife’s new boyfriend. Breaking ground as one of the first television series to document the ups and downs of living in a real-life polyamorous dynamic, “PolyFamily” premieres Tuesday, April 29, on TLC, shining a light on one of the many non-traditional families living in the United States.
and as Taya prepares for the birth of her second. These latest additions to the brood might raise questions of parentage for some, but all four parents have agreed to go forward without knowing who their kids’ biological fathers are, hoping to avoid any potential jealousy, and to keep all parties committed to being equally responsible for their joint children.
And while the 2025 “Four Seasons” series manages to update the couples’ issues, interests and relationships with one another in a believable way across significantly more airtime, series star and co-creator Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) says she and fellow creators Lang Fisher (“Never Have I Ever”) and Tracey Wigfield (“The Mindy Project”) have tried to maintain the same level of comfort in the reimagining as was provided by its source material.
“I hope audiences feel like they are inside a big sweater with us, and also having a dinner party with us,” Fey told Tudum ahead of the series release. “I hope that any of the joy and warmth that we all feel for each other all transfers to them, and that we are a comfort and provide some laughs for them in their home.”
“The Four Seasons” stars Colman Domingo (“Fear the Walking Dead”) as Danny, Will Forte (“The Last Man on Earth”) as Jack, Kerri Kenney-Silver (“Reno 911!”) as Anne, Marco Calvani (“Borgia”) as Claude and Fey as Kate, with her former “Date Night” (2010) co-star Steve Carell as Nick — a “perfect” cast, according to Calvani, who attributes their connection either to industry-based talent or “a mix of magic and luck” (per
BY JAY BOBBIN
tions including Brighton Beach and Coney Island were used as major settings for the film, with many locals appearing as extras and lending authenticity to the tale — which also fared well for Baker and Madison at the Independent Spirit Awards and earned the event-topping Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. **** (R: AS, N, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD)
“LAST BREATH”
Based on a documentary that was made by director and co-writer Alex Parkinson, this intense melodrama revolves around an undersea crisis that develops when a gas-line worker (Simu Liu) is separated from his colleagues (Woody Harrelson, Finn Cole) and left with only a limited amount of time to survive, due to a steadily dwindling oxygen supply. Rescue attempts are complicated by mechanical problems and natural hurdles posed by conditions in the North Sea. How things eventually turn out is somewhat incredible, and even more so because the story is true; as genuinely effective as this is, those with claustrophobia or a fear of depths may want to think carefully about watching it. *** (PG-13: P) (Also on Blu-ray and Digital)
“PADDINGTON IN PERU”
The beloved bear is back for adventures in exotic surroundings in this all-family attraction, as the computer-animated Paddington (who
has the voice of Ben Whishaw) goes in search of his Aunt Lucy (voice of Imelda Staunton) after she vanishes from a retirement home. He and the Brown family follow a map that may show where she might be, and the trail takes them through the Amazon and its rainforests — where they might come across something very valuable in economic terms. Returnees Hugh Bonneville, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent are in the human cast, with Emily Mortimer, Olivia Colman, Hayley Atwell and Antonio Banderas among new additions to the franchise. DVD extras: “making-of” documentary; two set–tour featurettes; sing-along feature. *** (PG: AS) (Also on Blu-ray and Digital)
“STAR TREK: SECTION 31”
One of the latest variations of the long-popular sci-fi franchise, this movie — originally streamed on Paramount+ — returns Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh to her “Star Trek: Discovery” character Emperor Philippa Georgiou, who joins a covert union of Starfleet. In the course of fulfilling her duties as a protector of the universe, she also has to come to terms with elements of her own past. Omari Hardwick, Sam Richardson and Kacey Rohl also appear in the film, of which Yeoh also is an executive producer. Jamie Lee Curtis (who won an Oscar for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” as Yeoh did) makes a
Together for 11 years — and with two children in tow — couple Alysia and Tyler had their entire world changed after meeting fellow married couple Sean and Taya. While still in their original partnerships, their group dynamic expanded as Tyler began a relationship with Sean’s wife, Taya, and as Sean developed feelings for Tyler’s wife, Alysia. Since then, the couples have chosen to live together as a closed quad and are now sharing their story, letting viewers at home follow along as they settle into a new kind of normalcy, entirely unique to them.
“A closed quad is four people, us, we’re only dating within ourselves and married within ourselves,” explains Sean, in the series trailer.
Tyler quips: “Like everybody else, right?”
We join the quad on the precipice of even more changes, as Alysia has recently given birth to her third child
cameo appearance in the feature, which was intended to be a “Star Trek: Discovery” spinoff series before being revised into this single story. DVD extras: five “making-of” documentaries; outtakes. *** (Not rated: P, V) (Also on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Digital)
“DIRTY HARRY”
One of Clint Eastwood’s most iconic movies comes to the 4K Ultra HD format, casting him as a San Francisco police inspector who’s rather famous for throwing out the rule book and ensuring law and order his own way. In the Don Siegel-directed 1971 drama, Harry chafes at having to do the bidding of a killer (Andy Robinson) who demands a hefty ransom from city leaders to stop the wave of murders. While it was controversial, the picture was a massive hit — setting the stage for four sequels. Reni Santoni plays Harry’s relatively untested partner; Harry Guardino, John Vernon and John Larch also appear. Also new on 4K Ultra HD are two Eastwood westerns, “The Outlaw Josey Wales” and “Pale Rider,” which he directed as well as starred in. **** (R: AS, P, V) (Also on DVD and Blu-ray)
“GANDHI”
Ben Kingsley’s Oscar-winning portrayal of the internationally renowned symbol of peaceful protest is the major fuel of director Richard Attenborough’s 1982 epic, which properly was labeled “A World Event” in its advertising and also
Currently pregnant, Taya joked with viewers during a first look at the series, sharing: “Since the guys switch rooms every night, we don’t know who the fathers of the younger boys are. I can assure you, it is one of two people!”
Despite their agreements and understandings, however, learning curves can always be expected when dealing with complex relationship dynamics. People magazine stated that “non-romantic partners Taya and Alysia must navigate their insecurities and the inevitable jealousy that comes along with this unique relationship. At the same time, non-romantic partners Tyler and Sean often clash over their differing parenting approaches.”
“A fascinating, vulnerable and unpredictable look at love, loyalty and the complexities of modern family life” (per the network), “PolyFamily” premieres Tuesday, April 29, on TLC.
earned its year’s Academy Award for best picture. Now on home video in a 4K Ultra HD Steelbook version, the film traces the final 50plus years of the life of Mohandas Gandhi, an attorney who gained fame through his insistence on the independent governing of India, which made him an enemy of the British Empire. Offering a major history lesson, the script by John Briley provided roles for familiar faces such as Candice Bergen (as photographer Margaret BourkeWhite), Martin Sheen, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills and Edward Fox; Daniel Day-Lewis can also be seen in one of his earliest screen appearances. The distinctive music score is by Ravi Shankar and George Fenton. **** (PG: AS, P, V) (Also on DVD and Blu-ray)
Coming Home Soon
“IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT” (CRITERION COLLECTION) (4K ULTRA HD) (MAY 6)
