that the world is beginning to recover from the virus, various return-to-office models are rolling out at the corporate level. For those who prefer to work from home, these returning measures can be hard to adjust to. For those who relish co-worker interaction, however, the return to the office mandate is another reason to rejoice. But what if you could separate your at-work self from your at-home self? Would that help to balance out stress levels and diminish distraction, or would it simply cause more complication and confusion than it is worth?
These are some of the questions at the center of “Severance,” the series, directed by Ben Stiller (“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” 2013), that first premiered on Apple TV+ in February 2022. Back for a second season more than two and a half years after the renewal announcement, it is time for Mark Scout (Adam Scott, “Parks and Recreation”) to don the suit once again and clock in at his desk.
Season 2 of “Severance” premieres Friday, Jan. 17, on Ap-
For those who have yet to tune in to the two-time Primetime Emmy-winning series from creator Dan Erickson (“Chambers”) — or for those who have since experienced a severance procedure of their own — the psychological sci-fi drama follows Mark, who “leads a team at Lumon Industries.”
According to the 2022 renewal announcement, Lumon “employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work … and of himself.”
The plot continues to thicken in Season 2, as “Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe” (per Apple TV+).
ously big questions,” director Stiller told Collider editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub during an exclusive interview. “We now have sort of opened up the world for the Innies who have been on the outside world, so we felt like there was a responsibility to open up the story in that way and ratchet up the stakes and really dig into these relationships in terms of what Mark is dealing with in this very unique situation of the Innie and the Outie.”
The sophomore season of “Severance” welcomes new series regular Sarah Bock (“Bruiser,” 2022) and features Alia Shawkat (“Arrested Development”), Gwendoline Christie (“Game of Thrones”), Olafur Darri Olaffson (“Somebody Somewhere”), Merritt Wever (“Signs,” 2022), John Noble (“Fringe”), Robby Benson (“Beauty and the Beast,” 1991), Bob Balaban (“Capote,” 2005) and rising star Stefano Carannante (“Hey Joe,” 2024) in recurring roles.
Horoscopes
The luckiest signs this week:
GEMINI, CANCER AND LEO
ARIES
If you’re on holiday, take the opportunity to explore outdoor activities with family or friends. You may feel an intense urge to get active. Even alone, you’ll want to go on outings to feed your adventurous spirit.
TAURUS
You may feel confused and easily distracted this week. Fatigue will catch up with you. Make sure you take advantage of your days off, if you have any left, to recuperate. You may also take on a heavy workload this week.
GEMINI
The party goes on! You still have plenty of opportunities to celebrate, and you’ll be invited to many events. At work, you’ll have to deal with demanding clients, and you’ll find time is a precious commodity.
CANCER
Make every moment count, and don’t neglect your responsibilities. Your boss may ask you to come back to work during your vacation. Your family may also put a lot of pressure on you this week.
LEO You may plan a spontaneous trip or getaway. You’ll be thrilled about the prospect of starting a new apprenticeship. If you’re going back to school, you’ll take it very seriously.
VIRGO
You’ll start the year off with a powerful surge of emotions. You’ll dive into a whirlwind of thrilling challenges, both in your professional and personal life. Brace yourself for a fresh beginning. You may be congratulated for an achievement.
LIBRA
Stay on your toes this week. A misunderstanding with someone close to you could disrupt your daily routine. You may have to tread carefully around certain individuals, feeling as if you’re walking on eggshells.
SCORPIO
It’s time to put aside distractions and focus on housework. The holidays are over, and you need to get down to business. At work, an amazing opportunity will open up after a colleague’s unexpected departure.
SAGITTARIUS
Now is the perfect time to prioritize self-care and self-respect. You’ll discover what you’re passionate about and start taking the first steps toward an incredibly rewarding challenge.
CAPRICORN
Whether you’re on vacation or not, you’ll spend a lot of time with your family or in the home. Take advantage of the next few days to refresh your decor and reorganize your furniture to declutter your home and mind.
AQUARIUS
You feel under pressure and are concerned about your finances. It can be tough to find balance in times like this. You might find yourself surrounded by people when you crave solitude, yet feeling lonely when you’re on your own.
PISCES
Take advantage of this quieter time to handle your returns and exchanges either online or in store. You’ll stumble upon some exciting deals and promotions and won’t hesitate to treat yourself to some well-deserved rewards.
New Streaming Movies & Shows
“Unstoppable” (Jan. 16)
This film tells the inspiring true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), who was born with one leg but whose indomitable spirit and unbreakable resolve empowered him to defy the odds and pursue his dreams. With the unwavering love and support of his devoted mother Judy (Jennifer Lopez) and the encouragement of his coaches, Anthony fights through adversity to earn a spot on the Arizona State Wrestling team. But, it will demand everything he has, physically and mentally, to achieve his ultimate quest to become an NCAA Champion.
Word Search
“The Silent Hour” (Jan. 12)
Frank Shaw (Joel Kinnaman) is a Boston Police detective who suffers an on-the-job accident which leaves him newly deaf. Sixteen months later, he and his friend and partner (Mark Strong) must battle a team of corrupt cops attempting to eliminate a deaf murder witness in the apartment building where she lives.
Where all the top choices can be found in one place!
“XO, Kitty” - Season 2 (Jan. 16)
Teen matchmaker Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) is back in Seoul for a new semester at KISS. She’s single for the first time in a long time and ready for a fresh start: no more meddling, no more drama. Maybe just some casual dating. Emphasis on casual. But she has more to worry about than her love life, as a letter from her mother’s past sets her on a wild journey, and new faces at KISS bring change. Minyeong Choi, Gia Kim, Sang Heon Lee, Anthony Keyvan, Regan Aliyah, Audrey Huynh and Peter Thurnwald also star.
BY JAY BOBBIN
“A Real Bug’s Life” - Season 2
(Jan. 15)
Inspired by the World of Disney and Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life” (1998), this Disney+ Original series from National Geographic takes viewers on another extraordinary adventure into the micro-bug world — where the forces of nature play out on a completely different scale and miniature creatures rely on amazing superpowers to make it through each day. Narrated by Awkwafina, new bug journeys await, full of more mind-blowing behaviors and larger-than-life characters.
Q: Ken Jeong did some singing on “The Masked Singer” and did a great job. Has he done any more?
A: It might be easier to ask what Ken Jeong (“Community”) hasn’t done at a professional standard. In case you hadn’t heard, before becoming a full-time comedian and then actor, Jeong was a practicing internal physician. In fact, he still technically is — he maintains his medical license in California, presumably in case this multi-hyphenate-screen-star thing doesn’t work out.
And through it all, he’s also found time to show off some singing chops of his own.
He started doing comedy while still in school, before taking comedy to the screen in film and television roles. His latest transformation is into a TV host, of the Fox musical game show “I Can See Your Voice” — a gig he got after being a full-time panelist in “The Masked Singer.”
8. “__ n’est pas un pipe”: Magritte 9. Looked over 11. Shining 12. “The Jetsons” boy 15. Resound 17. Singer Sumac 20. “Yes, ___!” 21. Water tester 23. “___ Explains it All” (Nickelodeon sitcom) 24. Flapdoodle 25. Off-road goer, for short 29. “Golden Boy” playwright 30. Lover of Aeneas 31. Old sports channel that was once called Versus 32. “Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living” channel 34. Burton of “Roots” 35. Popular mints 36. E-mail summary letters
37. Bit attachment 38. Saturn vehicles?
39. French noodle?
40. Set aside 41. Trails off
nose (dominated)
7. Supper, e.g.
‘The Lion King’ roars again in
Disney remake
BY JAY BOBBIN
By the time Disney is done remaking its own animated classics, the only one left might be the Mickey Mouse short subject “Steamboat Willie” — though even that is getting a revision with the new horror film “Screamboat.”
There’s nothing wrong with revisiting past projects, of course, particularly with your own properties ... but the hope is that the result will be an entirely different experience, as familiar as the given tale may be. Technically stunning though it is, the revised 2019 version of “The Lion King” (which FX shows Saturday, Jan. 18) doesn’t supplant the more traditionally animated 1994 original as the defining telling of the story. There’s a certain comfort in that, since for so many fans, the first always will be “the one.”
Still, give update director Jon Favreau big credit for using computer-generated imagery to the max in putting a more realistic sheen on the saga of lion Simba (voiced here in older years by Donald Glover), who tries to claim his birthright from his devious uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
It’s notable that as Simba’s father Mufasa, the late James Earl Jones was the only member of the original voice cast to return. Let’s face it, no one else could equal nor surpass that actor’s singular intonations, and this film’s makers were smart to realize and ac-
cept that.
Beyonce surely is a major addition to the cast as Nala, but arguably the most successful recasting is that of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. They are absolutely hilarious together, as you would hope and expect from two experienced comedic talents. And everyone on board gets to give a new workout to the great Elton John-Tim Rice music score that includes “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” “Hakuna Matata” and “Circle of Life.”
Favreau used a very similar approach in revising “The Jungle Book” for Disney, though he did mix some live action into that, and it’s always a bit mind-boggling to recognize that the director who takes on such staggering creative challenges also is the good-humored actor known for his on-screen presence in such pictures as “Iron Man” and “Something’s Gotta Give.” Whatever the overall effect, there only can be respect for the painstaking, time-consuming (three years, in this case) work involved for him.
In the course of being visually flawless in what it tries to (and does) achieve technically, “The Lion King” also makes a trade-off of sorts in losing some of its organically stirred emotion. Watch this in awe, then, but never forget the enduring impact of the forerunner that made it possible.
Best ROBERT DE NIRO MOVIES
BY JAY BOBBIN
“Mean Streets” (1973): De Niro cemented his union with director Martin Scorsese with this gritty drama of a cutrate mobster in New York’s Little Italy.
“The Godfather Part II” (1974): De Niro moved into the movie mainstream, and earned his first Academy Award, as the younger Vito Corleone in flashbacks.
“Taxi Driver” (1976): Reteaming with Scorsese for a truly iconic performance, De Niro stars as Travis Bickle, malcontent cabbie and self-appointed protector of a young prostitute.
“The Deer Hunter” (1978): His part was the film’s least showy, but De Niro did much for this drama of several steel-town friends who go to war in Vietnam.
“Raging Bull” (1980): With his physical transformation and a brilliant performance for director Scorsese, De Niro was not to be denied another Oscar as boxer Jake La Motta. Turner Classic Movies shows the film as part of a tribute to filmmaker Paul Schrader (who co-wrote the screenplay) on Saturday, Jan. 18.
“Once Upon a Time in America” (1984): Working for another renowned director, Sergio Leone, De Niro played a gangster reflecting on earlier experiences.
“Goodfellas” (1990): De Niro’s quiet confidence cloaks an inner rage as fatherly mob leader Jimmy Conway in Scorsese’s superb crime drama.
“Cape Fear” (1991): The role of vengeful ex-con Max Cady lets De Niro put his own shocking twists on a part originated almost 30 years earlier by Robert Mitchum.
“Heat” (1995): Both on his own and in his moments with Al Pacino, De Niro is superb as a master bank robber who ultimately pulls one job too many.
“Wag the Dog” (1997): De Niro does witty work as a spin doctor hired to steer public attention away from a presidential scandal.
“Analyze This” (1999): De Niro smartly sent up many of his previous roles as a mobster seeking therapy from a nervous psychiatrist (Billy Crystal).
“Meet the Parents” (2000): In the start of a franchise that’s still going strong with “Little Fockers,” De Niro played an ex-CIA man who didn’t make things easy for his prospective son-in-law (Ben Stiller) during an eventful visit.
“Silver Linings Playbook” (2012): Not only did De Niro earn another Oscar nomination for playing Bradley Cooper’s father, there’s subtext to the performance since the actors are close in real life.
“The Intern” (2015): De Niro and Anne Hathaway make an engaging couple in writer-director Nancy Meyers’ comedy about a hard-charging online fashion marketer and her surprising, much older new hire.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” (2023): De Niro’s most recent collaboration with director Scorsese features the actor as William King Hale, a tycoon with a controversial place in the history of the Osage Indian tribe.
Ditching the ‘Duke’: ‘Miss Scarlet’ returns solo for Season 5
BY DANA SIMPSON
Since April 2020, fans of British period pieces and crime fiction have been delighting in the wit and whims of Victorian-era private investigator Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips, “Peaky Blinders”) and her policing partner DI William Wellington (Stuart Martin, “Army of Thieves,” 2021). With four complete six-episode seasons under its belt, PBS’s “Miss Scarlet & the Duke” has continued to captivate audiences over the past four and a half years — particularly as a series of pandemic-related lockdowns kept audiences at home, and often glued to their televisions, in the early days of the show. Now back for a fifth season, Eliza — the strong, independent woman she is — continues to handle matters on her own, with the Duke nowhere to be seen.
Season 5 of “Miss Scarlet,” formerly “Miss Scarlet & the Duke,” premieres Sunday, Jan. 12, on PBS. Check your local listings for details. Created by “Trollied” and “The Mallorca Files” writer Rachael New, “Miss Scarlet & the Duke” began by following Eliza in the wake of her father’s death. A well-respected detective who ran his own agency, Eliza’s father’s sudden death left her essentially penniless and on the cusp of mak-
ing a self-defining choice in the first episode of the series: either find herself a husband to depend on financially (it is Victorian-era England, after all) or take up her father’s mantel and assume the responsibilities of the detective agency against all odds and gossip (again: Victorian England).
Opting for the latter, as she was already in the business and in no rush to secure herself a husband, Eliza soon calls upon a longtime friend and Scotland Yard detective for help: William Wellington, also known simply as “The Duke.”
Throughout the remaining 23 episodes to date (the most recent of which, the Season 4 finale, aired Feb. 11, 2024, on PBS), Eliza and Duke solved cases of all sizes and subject matter, from theft and blackmail to gang violence and murder. Having a police detective on her side meant that Eliza had many resources at her beck and call — not to mention someone she trusted to back her up in times of danger. But now, in Season 5, things have changed once again for Eliza, and she has to start back at ground zero with Scotland Yard.
View from the Couch
While audiences don’t know what is coming down the pike for the diligent detective, existing fans of the show will remember (spoilers!) that in Episode 4 of Season 4, titled “The Diamond Feather,” Duke professed his love to Eliza and then promptly left for New York City, where a job with the local police force awaited him. Claiming that his London-based job around Eliza made it too difficult for him to separate his romantic feelings from his work, that heartbreaking moment was the last audiences saw of Duke.
Despite some followers of the show craving the romantic coupling of the two characters, Duke’s departure — much like Eliza’s father’s death — gave the character some agency, albeit this time, agency of a more political kind.
Duke’s decision to leave for America was his own, just as Stuart Martin, the actor portraying Duke, chose to leave “Miss Scarlet & the Duke.” Interestingly enough, they reportedly both left their respective positions because of Eliza Scarlet.
“It has been such an incredible joy to bring Duke to life through Rachael [New]’s beautiful, brilliant writing and to get to play him for the past four years,” Martin said via a PBS news release ahead of Season 5. “But it felt like the time was right for Scarlet to explore new stories and challenges for now, as the show continues to grow and evolve.”
Living out loud: New TLC series sees young woman managing life with Tourette’s
BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT
Finding independence as a young adult can be hard. When you have Tourette syndrome, it can be even more complicated. Meet Baylen Dupree, a young woman managing fame, friendships, the future and more, during the series premiere of “Baylen Out Loud,” airing Monday, Jan. 13, on TLC.
At 18 years old, Baylen was officially diagnosed with Tourette syndrome after she began experiencing an influx of involuntary motor and vocal tics that grew increasingly difficult to control. Despite the challenges her diagnosis brings, including public mishaps with those unaware of Baylen’s tics — which can cause her to randomly state phrases such as “wind it up,” “your mom’s built like a falafel” and “my mom has crabs” (per People), which can potentially lead Baylen into dangerous situations, such as claiming to have a gun in the middle of TSA screening, as seen in a trailer for the series — the young woman remains steadfast in her plans to move out, find independence and learn to manage the ups and downs of living with Tourette’s.
As described by Warner Bros. Discovery, the series “will inspire au-
diences as they watch Baylen push herself outside her comfort zone in pursuit of the independent life she’s always dreamed of, particularly as she strives to build a future with her boyfriend, Colin Dooley. After years of feeling self-conscious about her condition, Baylen is finally ready to live freely, embracing her authentic self and showing the world that Tourette’s doesn’t define her. With the support of her family and friends, Baylen is ready to stretch her wings.”
With the support of her family, including her five siblings, her protec tive father Allen and her strong-willed mother Julie, Baylen is now attending West Virginia University and has found ways to not only manage her diagnosis but to laugh at herself through it all — even gaining an impressive 9.5 million followers on her TikTok account, @baylen.dupree, as she “leverages the power of positivity and her strong relationships to navigate life’s challenges” (per Warner Bros.).
Offering fearless honesty, raw humor and a path to a deeper understanding of Tourette syndrome, “Baylen Out Loud” debuts Monday, Jan. 13, on TLC.
BY JAY BOBBIN
“INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS”
Writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 war drama – getting its 4K Ultra HD debut – puts its own slant on history as high-ranking Nazi officers become targets of two factions, a team of soldiers (with Brad Pitt playing their leader) and the operator (Melanie Laurent) of the Paris movie theater where the attack is to take place. The would-be killers have an opponent in common, an SS security chief (Christoph Waltz, who won many awards including an Oscar for his performance) whose actions prompt changes in the assassination plot. This picture took its basic title from the 1978 adventure “The Inglorious Bastards,” the type of film that has
inspired much of Tarantino’s work. Michael Fassbender, actor-filmmaker Eli Roth (“Hostel”), Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Mike Myers (yes, the usually comedic Mike Myers), Rod Taylor (in his last feature-film role) and Lea Seydoux also are featured. **** (R: AS, P, GV) (Also on DVD and Blu-ray)
SNOWPIERCER”
Director and co-writer Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”) received major international attention for this hugely effective, graphic-novel-inspired 2013 action-thriller, coming to 4K Ultra HD for the first time. It’s set aboard a train that carries the last members of the human race, following an effort to stop global warming that went awry. Those aboard the locomotive – which is on a track that literally encircles the world — are separated by social class, with Chris Evans as a rear-ofthe-train passenger who helps lead a revolt against the elite travelers who have much better accommodations up front. Ed Harris, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell and Octavia Spencer also are members of the cast; the concept also inspired a same-named TV series that ran on TNT for three seasons, then on AMC for its fourth and final one. **** (R: AS, P, GV) (Also on DVD and Blu-ray)
“CHINATOWN”
One of the greatest film-noir style movies to be made in the more modern era of the industry, director Roman Polanski’s 1974 mystery gets a home-video reissue in a Ultra
HD and Blu-ray two-pack. The Oscar-winning script by Robert Towne casts Jack Nicholson as a 1930s private detective who often takes low-level cases, but he goes up several grades when he investigates the disappearance of a Los Angeles water-system executive,, becoming personally involved with the missing man’s wife (Faye Dunaway) and learning a lot about the family’s secrets in the process. John Huston heads a sterling supporting cast that also includes such familiar faces as John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Diane Ladd, Joe Mantell, Bruce Glover and James Hong, with filmmaker Polanski in a memorable cameo as a knife-wielding thug; Jerry Goldsmith’s evocative music score is firstrate. **** (R: AS, N, P, V)
“ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST”
Deemed by many critics to be director Sergio Leone’s (“A Fistful of Dollars”) masterpiece, this 1968 Western – also getting a reissue in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combination pack – features an atypically nasty Henry Fonda as one of several gunfighters enlisted to wrest land from a family for a railroad magnate (Gabriele Ferzetti) who wants to develop it for his own purposes. They try to frame another outlaw (Jason Robards) for the misdeeds they commit, but an ex-prostitute (Claudia Cardinale) could thwart everyone’s plans when she reveals her inheritance of the much-desired ranch. Charles Bronson also stars as an enigmatic man who ultimately
figures into all of the other major characters’ interests. Keenan Wynn, Frank Wolff, Woody Strode, Lionell Stander and Jack Elam also appear in the saga, which boasts a music score by the acclaimed Ennio Morricone. The extended cut of the film, taken from a restoration that was overseen by Martin Scorsese, is offered in this release. **** (PG-13: AS, P, V)
“MURDER BY DECREE”
Agatha Christie’s master sleuth Sherlock Holmes has been represented by numerous actors in various movies, and this 1979 mystery directed by Bob Clark (“A Christmas Story”) — and now making its 4K Ultra HD debut — earned respectful reviews for its casting of Christopher Plummer as Holmes and James Mason as his associate Dr. Watson. They investigate the killings of a number of prostitutes allegedly committed by the elusive Jack the Ripper, and they eventually come to suspect that members of the London police department are concealing what they know about the crimes. The impressive cast also includes David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Frank Finlay, Anthony Quayle, Donald Sutherland, Genevieve Bujold and John Gielgud. *** (PG: AS, P, V) (Also on DVD and Blu-ray)
“FADE-IN”
Burt Reynolds had one of his earliest starring movie roles in this drama, which was filmed in 1967 but didn’t emerge until a TV showing in 1973 ... when his fame had
grown considerably, thanks largely to an infamous magazine centerfold he posed for. Now getting a Bluray release, the tale casts him as a real-life cowboy who enters into an affair with a movie editor (Barbara Loden) who’s working on a picture being made in his vicinity. The cast also includes Reynolds’s pal and frequent co-star James Hampton and Telly Savalas’ brother George, with Ricardo Montalban and Terence Stamp (who were making the movie 1968 “Blue” nearby) among actors in cameo appearances as themselves. This was the first released film that had the pseudonym “Alan Smithee,” used by directors who wanted to take their names off projects. *** (M, which was the equivalent of PG at the time: AS, P)
