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Interview: Michael Hirst On ‘Vikings’ Season 4

ADTV talks to Vikings creator Michael Hirst about his on-going vision for the History Channel series

Michael Hirst is in the UK talking about the recent election results — not just in the UK, but the surprise results here in the USA.We talked about assimilation and the wave of anti-immigration sentiments being publicly expressed. “Well, you know they came over. Ragnar’s vision was to find ways of settling in good agricultural land. They were absorbed into European culture and they have affected our lives ever since,” Hirst said before we start talking about Vikings.

Politics proved something Michael and I could discuss for a long time, but we shifted the conversation to talk about his work on History Channel’s Vikings. The show consistently ranks as one of the top ten shows on cable TV and pulls in an average of 4 million viewers. Created by Hirst, Vikings is based off his interest of and extensive research into Alfred The Great and tells the remarkable tales of the lives and adventures of the explorers of the Dark Ages.

I caught up with Michael Hirst to find out more about his vision for the series and his plans for the continuation of Vikings Season 4.

**Michael Hirst, you created Viking fever. There’s a lot of excitement for the new season**.

One of the reason is we have two figures on the poster that was used in the promo. One is Ragnar, the other is his son, Ivar The Boneless. Ivar is coming and going to be one hell of a new character. He turned into one of the most famous vikings of all time. Can you believe that he was a cripple?

How do you manage to create these characters who are so relatable given that they are hundreds of years old?

That’s my belief that I want to connect the past to the present. I grew up watching these dreadful BBC dramas and I had no sense of it. The past is a continuum. We are all part of the past and these people are surely like us in so many ways. My whole effort is to make these characters and their issues relevant to today, and reverberate it to audiences today.

Even if it’s someone like Elizabeth the I who inherited her father’s business. With Vikings, think about a quiet, introverted guy who’s curious about the world. Ragnar thought he was descended from Odin. Here’s Ragnar who’s motivation is curiosity, and who knew that he’s a family man who loves his wife and kid. I want people to engage at that human level because history is quick. The distance between us, Romans and Vikings is very short actually. I want people to realize these were humans behaving in a human way, even if their beliefs were different.

I feel very passionate about it. I hate watching those BBC shows where they spoke a different, dead language.

How do you adapt this material for TV?

We actually know a lot. I have a historical consultant. Out of my research comes the storylines and characters. I tried to understand what their ambitions were. For me, that’s an important process because I’m dealing with real people. I’m not dealing with fantasy. These people affected how we live. I tried to also be authentic as I could be. As I’m writing drama and not documentary, I also had to be entertaining.

I grew up in York, and it was a viking town. A lot of the villages near where I grew up had viking names. We shoot the show north of Dublin, which is a Viking town. Our laws and their DNA is flushing all over the place. When I sold it to History. I told them to go down to the street, to walk two blocks, and that they would have met twenty vikings. Their influence was huge, so the past is always with us.

To give you another example, when we shoot, I have an apartment just outside Dublin where Enya has a castle. I’m looking out at the sea and I know in the viking age, the vikings used to come and collect women and they’d wait for ships to take them to Iceland to breed with Scandinavian men. The DNA in Iceland is significantly Irish, and I’m living on the point of history.

A lot of Irish women were kind of attracted to Vikings because they were clean. They suffer from this image of being hairy and violent, and that’s a propaganda image, but actually they always traveled with a change of clothes, they always washed their hair and beard, and Irish women didn’t mind that.

**How was working on Vikings different with The Tudors?**

There was too much information with The Tudors. The way I had to shape the stories on top of a huge amount of information. Tudors, for me, was more about the wives of Henry the Eighth. It was more about the women. The History Channel is a male skewed channel, but I was determined to introduce women characters. Lagertha is this amazing maiden, wife and warrior. The show actually has a huge female following that I’m really proud of.

The other aspect is I’m very involved in the spiritual aspect of what I write. With The Tudors, there was the conflict of Catholicism and Puritanism. In Vikings, it’s the conflict between the pagan Gods and the Christian Gods. I don’t think I could have written without getting involved with those conflicts.

What else can we expect over the remainder of Season 4?

Just about everything is a spoiler. It’s the most momentous and emotional season that we’ve done so far, and it’s huge in every way. All the major characters have changes in their lives. It has two of my favorite episodes ever that involve Ragnar.

Michael Hirst’s Vikings airs Wednesdays at 9pm ET on The History Channel.

WGA TV Nominations: ‘Stranger Things’ Afoot

The Writers Guild of America East and West unveiled their WGA TV nominations for the 2016 television year. New series Stranger Things, Westworld, and Atlanta made an impact in the series races. All series are nominated in the New Series category. The WGA Awards will be announced on February 17.

The full list of nominees follows.

DRAMA SERIES

The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Tanya Barfield, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Stephen Schiff, Joe Weisberg, Tracey Scott Wilson; FX

Better Call Saul, Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Jonathan Glatzer, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith; AMC

Game of Thrones, Written by David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D.B. Weiss; HBO

Stranger Things, Written by Paul Dichter, Justin Doble, The Duffer Brothers, Jessica Mecklenburg, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Alison Tatlock; Netflix

Westworld, Written by Ed Brubaker, Bridget Carpenter; Dan Dietz, Halley Gross; Lisa Joy; Katherine Lingenfelter, Dominic Mitchell, Jonathan Nolan, Roberto Patino, Daniel T. Thomsen, Charles Yu; HBO

COMEDY SERIES

Atlanta, Written by Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms; FX

Silicon Valley, Written by Megan Amram, Alec Berg, Donick Cary, Adam Countee, Jonathan Dotan, Mike Judge, Carrie Kemper, John Levenstein, Dan Lyons, Carson Mell, Dan O’Keefe, Clay Tarver, Ron Weiner; HBO

Transparent, Written by Arabella Anderson, Bridget Bedard, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster, Jessi Klein, Stephanie Kornick, Ethan Kuperberg, Ali Liebegott, Our Lady J, Faith Soloway, Jill Soloway; Amazon Studios

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Written by Emily Altman, Robert Carlock, Azie Mira Dungey, Tina Fey, Lauren Gurganous, Sam Means, Dylan Morgan, Marlena Rodriguez, Dan Rubin, Meredith Scardino, Josh Siegal, Allison Silverman, Leila Strachan; Netflix

Veep, Written by Rachel Axler, Sean Gray, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Eric Kenward, Billy Kimball, Steve Koren, David Mandel, Jim Margolis, Lew Morton, Georgia Pritchett, Will Smith, Alexis Wilkinson; HBO

NEW SERIES

Atlanta, Written by Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms; FX

Better Things, Written by Pamela Adlon, Louis C.K., Cindy Chupack, Gina Fattore; FX

Stranger Things, Written by Paul Dichter, Justin Doble, The Duffer Brothers, Jessica Mecklenburg, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Alison Tatlock; Netflix

This Is Us, Written by Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger, Bekah Brunstetter, Dan Fogelman, Vera Herbert, Joe Lawson, Kay Oyegun, Aurin Squire, K.J. Steinberg, Donald Todd; NBC

Westworld, Written by Ed Brubaker, Bridget Carpenter, Dan Dietz, Halley Gross, Lisa Joy, Katherine Lingenfelter, Dominic Mitchell, Jonathan Nolan, Roberto Patino, Daniel T. Thomsen, Charles Yu; HBO

LONG FORM ORIGINAL

American Crime, Written by Julie Hébert, Sonay Hoffman, Keith Huff, Stacy A. Littlejohn, Kirk A. Moore, Davy Perez, Diana Son; ABC

Confirmation, Written by Susannah Grant; HBO

Harley and the Davidsons, Written by Seth Fisher, Nick Schenk, Evan Wright; Discovery Channel

Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le, Written by Dianne Houston; Lifetime

LONG FORM ADAPTED

11.22.63, Written by Bridget Carpenter, Brigitte Hales, Joe Henderson, Brian Nelson, Quinton Peeples, Based on the novel by Stephen King; Hulu

American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, Written by Scott Alexander, Joe Robert Cole, D.V. DeVincentis, Maya Forbes, Larry Karaszewski, Wally Wolodarsky, Based on the book The Run of His Life by Jeffrey Toobin; FX

Madoff, Written by Ben Robbins, Inspired by the Book The Madoff Chronicles: Inside the Secret World of Bernie and Ruth by Brian Ross; ABC

The Night Of, Written by Richard Price, Steve Zaillian, Based on the BBC Series Criminal Justice Created by Peter Moffat; HBO

Roots, Written by Lawrence Konner, Alison McDonald, Charles Murray, Mark Rosenthal, Based upon the Book by Alex Haley; History Channel

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ORIGINAL

“Episode 101” (Now We’re Talking), Written by Tug Coker, Tommy Dewey; go90.com

“Escape the Room” (Life Ends at 30), Written by Michael Field; vimeo.com

“Itsy Bitsy Spider” Episode 1 (Thug Passion), Written by Motrya Tomycz; vimeo.com

“The Party” (The Commute), Written by Linsey Stewart & Dane Clark; youtube.com

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ADAPTED

“Passage” Part 4 (Fear the Walking Dead), Written by Lauren Signorino & Mike Zunic; amc.com

“Under Siege” (The Strain), Written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle, Based on the novels by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan; fxnetworks.com

ANIMATION

“Barthood” (The Simpsons), Written by Dan Greaney; Fox

“First Day of Rule” (Elena of Avalor), Written by Craig Gerber; Disney Channel

“Fish Out of Water” (BoJack Horseman), Written by Elijah Aron & Jordan Young; Netflix

“A Princess on Lothal” (Star Wars Rebels), Written by Steven Melching; Disney XD

“Stop the Presses” (BoJack Horseman), Written by Joe Lawson; Netflix

EPISODIC DRAMA

“Gloves Off” (Better Call Saul), Written by Gordon Smith; AMC

“I Am a Storm” (Shameless), Written by Sheila Callaghan; Showtime

“Klick” (Better Call Saul), Written by Heather Marion & Vince Gilligan; AMC

“Switch” (Better Call Saul), Written by Thomas Schnauz; AMC

“The Trip” (This Is Us), Written by Vera Herbert; NBC

“The Winds of Winter” (Game of Thrones), Written for Television by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; HBO

EPISODIC COMEDY

“Kimmy Finds Her Mom!” (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Written by Tina Fey & Sam Means; Netflix

“Kimmy Goes on a Playdate!” (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Written by Robert Carlock; Netflix

“Pilot” (One Mississippi), Written by Diablo Cody & Tig Notaro; Amazon Studios

“R-A-Y-C-Ray-Cation” (Speechless), Written by Carrie Rosen & Seth Kurland; ABC

“Streets on Lock” (Atlanta), Written by Stephen Glover; FX

“A Taste of Zephyria” (Son of Zorn), Written by Dan Mintz; Fox

COMEDY / VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Writers: Dan Amira, David Angelo, Steve Bodow, Devin Delliquanti, Zach DiLanzo, Travon Free, Hallie Haglund, David Kibuuka, Matt Koff, Adam Lowitt, Dan McCoy, Lauren Sarver Means, Trevor Noah, Joe Opio, Zhubin Parang, Owen Parson, Daniel Radosh, Michelle Wolf; Comedy Central

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Writers: Kevin Avery, Tim Carvell, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Geoff Haggerty, Jeff Maurer, John Oliver, Scott Sherman, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Juli Weiner; HBO

Late Night with Seth Meyers, Writers: Jermaine Affonso, Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Sal Gentile, Matt Goldich, Jenny Hagel, Allison Hord, Mike Karnell, Andrew Law, John Lutz, Aparna Nancherla, Chioke Nassor, Seth Meyers, Ian Morgan, Conner O’Malley, Seth Reiss, Amber Ruffin, Mike Scollins, Mike Shoemaker, Ben Warheit, Michelle Wolf; NBC

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Writers: Mike Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert, Cullen Crawford, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Ariel Dumas, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Daniel Kibblesmith, Matt Lappin, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, Jen Spyra, Brian Stack; NBC

COMEDY / VARIETY – SKETCH SERIES

Documentary Now!, Writers: Bill Hader, John Mulaney, Seth Meyers; IFC

Inside Amy Schumer, Writers: Kim Carmele, Kyle Dunnigan, Jessi Klein, Michael Lawrence, Kurt Metzger, Christine Nangle, Claudia O’Doherty, Dan Powell, Tami Sagher, Amy Schumer; Comedy Central

Maya and Marty in Manhattan, Head Writers: Mikey Day, Matt Roberts, Bryan Tucker Writers: Eli Bauman, Jeremy Beiler, Chris Belair, Hallie Cantor, David Feldman, R J Fried, Melissa Hunter, Paul Masella, Tim McAuliffe, John Mulaney, Diallo Riddle, Maya Rudolph, Bashir Salahuddin, Marika Sawyer, Streeter Seidell, Martin Short; Emily Spivey, Steve Young; NBC

Nathan For You, Written by Leo Allen, Nathan Fielder, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; Comedy Central

Saturday Night Live, Head Writers: Rob Klein, Bryan Tucker Writers: James Anderson, Fred Armisen, Jeremy Beiler, Chris Belair, Megan Callahan, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Jim Downey, Tina Fey, Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Tim Herlihy, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Zach Kanin, Chris Kelly, Erik Kenward, Paul Masella, Dave McCary, Dennis McNicholas, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Josh Patten, Paula Pell, Katie Rich, Tim Robinson, Sarah Schneider, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Dave Sirus, Emily Spivey, Andrew Steele, Will Stephen, Kent Sublette; NBC

COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS

68th Primetime Emmy Awards, Written by Jack Allison, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Robert Cohen, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jimmy Kimmel, Bess Kalb, Jeff Loveness, Jon Macks, Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Jeff Stilson, Joe Strazzullo, Alexis Wilkinson; ABC

73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, Written by Barry Adelman; Special Material Written by Dave Boone, Ricky Gervais, Jon Macks, Matthew Robinson; NBC

88th Annual Academy Awards, Written by Dave Boone, Billy Kimball; Special Material Written by Scott Aukerman, Rodney Barnes, Neil Campbell, Matthew Claybrooks, Lance Crouther, Mike Ferrucci, Langston Kerman, Jon Macks, Steve O’Donnell, Nimesh Patel, Vanessa Ramos, Chris Rock, Frank Sebastiano, Chuck Sklar, Jeff Stilson, Michelle Wolf; CBS

Triumph’s Election Special, Written by Andy Breckman, Josh Comers, David Feldman, R J Fried, Jarrett Grode, Ben Joseph, Matthew Kirsch, Michael Koman, Mike Lawrence, Brian Reich, Craig Rowin, Robert Smigel, Zach Smilovitz, Andrew Weinberg; Hulu

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Hollywood Game Night, Head Writer: Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Alex Chauvin, Ann Slichter, Dwight D. Smith; NBC

Jeopardy!, Written by John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Deborah Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC

DAYTIME DRAMA

General Hospital, Writers: Shelly Altman, Anna Theresa Cascio, Andrea Archer Compton, Suzanne Flynn, Janet Iacobuzio, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Jean Passanante, Dave Rupel, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles, Chris Van Etten, Christopher Whitesell; ABC

CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – EPISODIC AND SPECIALS

“Girl Meets Commonism” (Girl Meets World), Written by Joshua Jacobs & Michael Jacobs; Disney Channel

“Just Add Mom” (Just Add Magic), Written by John-Paul Nickel; Amazon Studios

“Mel vs. The Night Mare of Normal Street” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by Laurie Parres; Amazon Studios

“Mucko Polo, Grouch Explorer” (Sesame Street), Written by Belinda Ward; HBO

CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL/h4>

Dance Camp, Teleplay by Nick Turner & Rex New and Cameron Fay, Story by Nick Turner & Rex New; youtube.com

Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas, Written by Geri Cole & Ken Scarborough; HBO

R.L. Stine’s Monsterville: Cabinet Of Souls, Written by Billy Brown & Dan Angel; Freeform

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS

“Chasing Heroin” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria; PBS

“The Choice 2016” (Frontline); Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS

“Inside Assad’s Syria” (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith; PBS

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS

“American Reds,” Written by Richard Wormser; WPTS Dayton

“Jackie Robinson, Part One,” Written by David McMahon & Sarah Burns; PBS

“Netanyahu at War” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS

NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Ambush In Dallas” (World News Tonight With David Muir), Written by David Bloch, Karen Mooney, David Muir, David Schoetz; ABC News

“Brussels Under Attack” (World News Tonight With David Muir), Written by David Bloch, Karen Mooney, David Muir, David Schoetz; ABC News

“Muhammad Ali: Remembering A Legend” (48 Hours), Written by Jerry Cipriano, Craig Wilson; CBS News

NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“CBS Sunday Morning Almanac” June 12, 2016 (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Thomas A. Harris; CBS

Unveiling our 2017 Golden Globe Predictions

Episode 106: The Cooler Gang puts on their predicting hats and capes and attempts to forecast the most finicky awards group of them all with our 2017 Golden Globe predictions.

This week at the Water Cooler, we’re girding our loins for next Monday’s 74th Annual Golden Globes nominations announcement. Clearly, we’re focusing on the most important categories of all – the Television categories. So, on this week’s podcast, we give our 2017 Golden Globe predictions on who will make it, who will surprise us, and who misses out of the Golden Globes television categories. Plus, we speculate on what to expect from those crazy, one-performance-fits-all supporting categories. It becomes a fool’s errand to try and predict the Hollywood Foreign Press, but who said we weren’t fools?

As always, we close with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks to all of our listeners and thank you, in advance, for remembering to rate us on iTunes!

04:47 – 2017 Golden Globes Predictions
44:17 – Flash Forward

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Emmy Spotlight: Will ‘Westworld’ Mosey Into Emmy’s Good Graces?

ADTV considers the Emmy potential for HBO’s newest smash hit Westworld

Awards observers and critics held their collective breaths with HBO’s Westworld. The buzz coming from the set focused only on a handful of seemingly disastrous events. First, the production informed some actors they would be participating in explicit orgies. Well, to be specific, extras’ contracts called for “genital-to-gential touching,” according to Deadline, and there’s also that amusing need to exist “on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back.” Alrighty then.

Next, the whole controversy around the production stopping to allow for (horrors!) the writers to carefully plot out the remainder of Season 1. To me, this always feels like a good thing, but the internet pounces on delays like vultures. Was it a good idea? More on that later.

Finally, at last summer’s Television Critics Association, writer/producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy were inundated with questions about the pilot’s suggestion and near-display of Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores’s brutal rape. That initially felt like the train rolling off the track. Thanks to Game of Thrones, the icky subject of rape as plot device hangs over HBO’s head, and adding one more piece of evidence to the conversation felt like a step in the wrong direction. Turns out, that conversation eventually died down as the series justly depicted the scene as a horrific event and spent much of the season in revenge mode.

So now that Season 1 is finally complete with tonight’s 90-minute season finale, what do we make of Westworld on its own merits?

One thing Westworld excels in is repetition. The refrain “These violent delights have violent ends” was not accidental. In fact, the Season 1 finale harkened back to the finales of the great 1980s soap operas with operatic revelations and strokes painted with a very broad brush. Minor spoiler here, but the season closer reminded me a great deal of Dynasty‘s infamous “Moldavia Massacre.” Now, I bet I’m the only person to draw that conclusion, but there it is. Westworld‘s series finale nearly reached the heights of the season premiere. After repeat viewings, it may indeed surpass it. No doubt viewers were frustrated with the lack of concrete resolution on all questions, but did you really expect it given the often meandering storylines of the previous episodes?

The Season 1 finale ultimately provided exactly what I personally needed from the series. It delivered an action-packed and deeply felt 90 minutes with major twists and pleasant surprises, and it offered a towering performance from Evan Rachel Wood, which should all but solidify her Emmy placement (see below). Additionally, each major cast member had some nice moments, including the often under-served James Marsden, and there were some unexpected deaths that will unlikely result in robotic replacements. It was an exciting finale that undoubtedly started planting seeds for Season 2. The production delay was worth the wait as this is a complex series in which, undoubtedly, even the writers themselves became lost. I cannot wait to revisit the season again.

What will Emmy think of Westworld?

Full disclosure: I watched the pilot episode of Westworld three times before it finally aired. I will still, to this day, proclaim it one of the finest hours in 2016 television. It unfolded and gradually revealed itself to me in intriguing ways. It explored complicated themes of humanity and the nature of violence. The series’ hosts at once became metaphorical representations of history’s millions of repressed. It was a great first hour, and it’s promise became supported by subsequent episodes that ranged from good to insanely great.

Given Westworld‘s place in pop culture buzz, it’s hard to imagine right now at this moment Emmy ignoring it. This series feels like the heir apparent to Game of Thrones‘ vacant slot in the 2017 Emmy window. That’s apparently how HBO wants to play it too. Westworld may not return until 2018, and I would wager a small sum of money that it drops after the Emmy eligibility that year. Perhaps Game of Thrones and Westworld will leapfrog each other to avoid direct competition. We’ll see about that.

But this year, the Emmy headwinds feel strong. Game of Thrones raked in 13 nominations for its freshman season, and Westworld should push beyond that number into Boardwalk Empire territory of 15 nominations. Technically, it will most assuredly match Game of Thrones‘ 9 Creative Arts nominations. The advancement comes in the acting awards. Game of Thrones only earned one nomination (and a win) for Peter Dinklage in 2011. Westworld is guaranteed at least two nominations for its actors: Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton. The only impediment to these two very fine actresses would be if HBO decides to campaign Newton in the Lead Actress category as they appear to be at the 2017 Golden Globes. It’s hard to imagine them both getting into the top slots, and my money was on Newton prior to tonight’s season finale should that scenario occur. Now, I don’t know, but I’m hoping they will avoid the conflict.

That leaves the men of Westworld. Their numbers include the great Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright, and Ed Harris on the surface, so surely one of those actors will merit a nomination. Then, if Emmy really goes hog wild for the series, you could consider James Marsden, Ben Barnes, or Jimmi Simpson. Writing, direction, and series nominations are assured.

Final Verdict

Boardwalk Empire emerges as the most apt comparison for Westworld‘s Emmy chances. Both series premiered in the fall, both series feature period splendor, and both series heavily rely on sprawling casts. The critics responded more to Boardwalk Empire with a Metacritic score of 88 compared to Westworld‘s lower 74. Still, it’s difficult to imagine the Television Academy undervaluing the biggest story of 2016. The upcoming Golden Globe, SAG, and DGA nominations should help tell the story of this iconic and original series, but, right now, I’m betting big on Westworld‘s Emmy fortunes.

Guaranteed Nominations*

Drama Series
Direction
Writing
Evan Rachel Wood
Thandie Newton
Casting
Editing
Cinematography
Main Title Design
Main Title Theme Music
Costumes
Art Direction
Make-up
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Visual Effects

Possible Nominations*

Anthony Hopkins
Ed Harris
Jeffrey Wright
Sidse Babett Knudsen
Jimmi Simpson
Ben Barnes
Louis Herthum
Music Composition
Stunt Coordination

*I’m omitting category placement for now.

December Netflix: Haul Out the Bed Sores!

December Netflix offerings include a return to Fuller House and an opportunity to catch up on the best of 2016

So you haven’t caught up on hot Netflix properties like Luke Cage or The Crown? And we’re assuming you’ve already binged Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life because what else was Thanksgiving weekend for? Well, December Netflix offerings are a little on the light side, so now’s the perfect time to catch up. AwardsDaily TV highly recommends both Marvel’s Luke Cage and The Crown – each deserving of robust awards attention.

But there are a few notable new Netflix December entries in case you’re already all caught up. Your level of interest really depends on your tolerance for pain (I’m looking at you Megan McLachlan and your love of Fuller House).

Also, don’t forget many major TV and film titles are now available for download and offline viewing on iOS or Android devices!

Pacific Heat

Pacific Heat is an animated comedy series based on the exploits of a dynamic unit of undercover police investigators working on the glitzy “Gold Coast” of Australia. This glamorous, sophisticated, and sun-drenched paradise masks a hot-bed of crime; everyone from drug smugglers and biker gangs to eco-terrorists and the person who invented frozen yogurt. In order to tackle this seedy underbelly police authorities established “PacificHeat.”

This covert squad of highly trained operatives technically does not exist (although they do have their own Facebook page), but when criminals strike, Pacific Heat will be there; unconventional, uncompromising and unafraid to operate outside the law – provided at least one of them is wearing a fluorescent safety vest. PacificHeat was created by the award-winning Working Dog team of Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch.

Reggie Watts: Spatial

Comedian/musician Reggie Watts brings viewers along on a one-of-a-kind surrealist experimental comedy adventure. The completely improvised show weaves together sketches, short stories, and dream sequences creating a truly unique experience. Filmed live on a soundstage in Los Angeles, Watts waxes poetic about flight, grits, and guns – and takes the audience on a trip fantastic they will not soon forget.

Captive

From the highest profile cases to those kept hidden from the public, comes a new docu-series from acclaimed executive producer Doug Liman and producers Simon and Jonathan Chinn. The producers of Captive have gained privileged access to the most challenging negotiations of our time — revealing how hostage-taking, and the efforts to resolve it, have evolved to address an escalating international trend. The episodes look at a wide range of situations from the viewpoint of everyone involved: the victims and their families back home, the experienced negotiators, business leaders, government officials and the kidnappers themselves.

Fuller House, Season 2

Returning for its second season, the Tanner family experiences a new year of life’s moments big and small from the start of a new school year, to budding romances to coming together for the holidays. There’s nothing like spending Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s with the people you love, because life is fuller with family.

White Rabbit Project

In White Rabbit Project, Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara head down the rabbit hole to investigate weird and wonderful events from pop culture, science and history. Under their microscope are topics as diverse as jailbreaks, superpower technology, heists and crazy world war two weapons. In each episode the hosts immerse themselves in experiments, builds and tests as they sleuth the truth behind these and other well googled themes.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

Netflix is co-producing the series Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency with BBC America, along with AMC Studios, Ideate Media and IDW Entertainment. The series is an adaptation of Douglas Adams’ (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor Who) wildly successful comic novels, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, and is set in the unexpected world of the hyper, absurd, eponymous detective Dirk Gently.

The series is written and executive produced by Max Landis (Chronicle, Bright), executive produced by Robert Cooper (Stargate) and stars Samuel Barnett (Penny Dreadful, Endeavour), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Hannah Marks (The Amazing Spiderman, Weeds). The series is also produced by David Alpert (The Walking Dead) and Rick Jacobs (Wynona Earp) for Circle of Confusion, David Ozer and Ted Adams for IDW Entertainment and Arvind Ethan David and Zainir Aminullah for Ideate Media.

Barry

A young Barack Obama, known to his friends as “Barry,” arrives in New York City in the fall of 1981 to begin his junior year at Columbia University. In a crime-ridden and racially charged environment, Barry finds himself pulled between various social spheres and struggles to maintain a series of increasingly strained relationships with his Kansas-born mother, his estranged Kenyan father, and his classmates. Barry is the story of a young man grappling with those same issues that his country, and arguably the world, are still coming to terms with 35 years later.

Call me Francis

Call Me Francis, is a 4 part biographical miniseries that chronicles Pope Francis’ life, his controversial political leanings, his remarkable humanitarian work and his ascent to Papacy starring Rodrigo de la Serna, Mercedes Morán and Muriel Santa Ana.

The miniseries opens with Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s early years in Buenos Aires in the 1960’s and depicts his journey through the height of Argentina’s “Dirty Wars” during the 70’s and 80’s, culminating in his appointment as Pope Francis, the first Latin American Pope in history, in 2013.

Call Me Francis is a Taodue production, written and directed by Daniele Luchetti and produced by Pietro Valsecchi.

Gabriel lglesias: I’m Sorry For What I Said When I Was Hungry

One of the most popular comedians in the world with sell out concerts in over 24 countries, this special marks Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’ Netflix original stand-up comedy debut and sixth comedy special. Watch as Fluffy reflects on his life and more before a sold out house in Chicago, IL.

Chasing Cameron

Chasing Cameron centers on social media star and entrepreneur Cameron Dallas as he looks to take his career to the next level. Together with close friends Taylor Caniff, Aaron Carpenter, Blake Gray, Willie Jones and Trey Schafer, they all set out on MAGCON’s first international tour. From Paris to Italy and even down under in Australia, this group’s fan-damonium reaches a fever pitch. It’s not all selfies and snap stories as the series explores the stark contrast between their public online profiles and their personal lives, and gives an unfiltered view into the unique world of digital celebrity.

Awards Tracker: Who’s Ahead in Those Pesky Supporting Races?

Jalal looks at the supporting contenders for the upcoming Golden Globe announcement

Arguably, the supporting races at the Golden Globes are the hardest categories to predict of any television award. In 2013, these awards were widely predicted to be dominated by the supporting cast of American Horror Story: Coven, Game of Thrones, and Anna Gunn. The Hollywood Foreign Press confounded expectations and snubbed these players in favor of Janet McTeer and Jacqueline Bissett (the eventual winner), two women from little seen Starz miniseries. These two supporting races are nearly impossible to predict if only because the Foreign Press doesn’t separate the performances by genre. This meant Eric Stonestreet went head to head with Peter Dinklage, and Sofia Vergara battled it out with Jessica Lange.

As bizarre as that all comes across, it makes the job of predicting the nominees seem near impossible. With so many performances to sift through, it helps to know what (usually superficial) qualities Globe voters look for. In the past the Foreign Press has gravitated towards past Oscar winners, movie stars, Emmy favorites, pop stars, HBO programming, young ingénues, and British imports. However, with every nominee that fits into a neat little box, there is the unexplainable series of nominations for Alan Cumming years after everyone moved on from The Good Wife.

Below are the ten most likely contenders in each category. The asterisk represents my current predictions.

Supporting Actor

Louie Anderson – Baskets may be too small of a show to be recognized by the HFPA, but Anderson is coming off of his first Emmy win which may help him stand out in such a crowded (and dramatic) field.

Sterling K. Brown – Just off of a career-defining performance and Emmy win in The People v. O.J. Simpson as well as a new hit on NBC (This Is Us), Brown may very well be the frontrunner at the Globes. Particularly since he isn’t competing against himself after NBC submitted him in lead for This Is Us. There is a chance however that the Foreign Press ignores him for bigger names, especially among his own costars.

Chris Cooper – 11.22.63 might not seem like an obvious awards vehicle but the foreign press loves to spread the wealth and there aren’t too many other races in which to recognize Hulu.

Kit Harington – In 2016 no one could stop talking about Jon Snow. After the obsession of Snow’s fate and the Battle of the Bastards, Harington earned his first Emmy nom. The Globes could easily recognize the rising star, but they remain to be the only awards group that hasn’t fallen head over heels in love with Game of Thrones.

*Ed Harris – Nominated for six awards (and winning twice), Ed Harris is no stranger to the Golden Globes. Now that he stars in the biggest hit of the fall season as well as HBO’s future, he may seem like an obvious Globes contender.

*Hugh Laurie – As the biggest international television hit of 2016, The Night Manager is bound to be a major Golden Globes contender, and Laurie is likely to go along for the ride.

*John Lithgow – The Crown might just be the most Globes-friendly television show in the history of the award. John Lithgow might be the frontrunner to win if voters devour the show like most think they will.

Christian Slater – Last year’s winner might have had a less influential arc throughout Mr. Robot’s sophomore season, but if the HFPA continues their obsession with the show he might continue to pick to be nominated.

*John Travolta – Never underestimate how much the Foreign Press loves movie stars, in fact they are so enamored by John Travolta that they nominated him for Hairspray. Even if his performance as Robert Shapiro isn’t the strongest he is arguably the biggest name of the show and the Foreign Press has nominated similar prosthetics-heavy performances in the past (Rob Lowe in Behind The Candelabra).

*Jon Voight – Jon Voight’s win two years ago was the beginning of an odd awards obsession with Ray Donovan and three years later the 11-time Golden Globe nominee could easily sneak back into the race.

Jeffrey Wright – He may not be as big of a name as his costar Ed Harris, but he is a Golden Globe winner for quite possibly the biggest and best miniseries to be produced by HBO. He could be nominated alongside Harris although the Foreign Press has stepped away from crowding a category with costars.

Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates – With her best material since Coven, Bates seems like an obvious contender, but Globes voters have largely ignored her for her work on the hit anthology series except for Freak Show – her weakest year.

Millie Bobby Brown – As Stranger Things becomes more and more popular, the Golden Globes might feel obligated to reward the show somewhere. What better way than to nominate the up-and-coming British actress?

*Olivia Colman – Colman has been on the verge of her first big award for quite some time now, and she seems like an obvious contender after The Night Manager became such a massive hit.

*Miley Cyrus – Popstar+Amazon+Woody Allen might seem like an obvious Golden Globes equation

Lady Gaga – Voters couldn’t resist giving Gaga her first Golden Globe last year for her television debut on American Horror Story even if it meant snubbing critically acclaimed performances from Kirsten Dunst and Queen Latifah. They might just bring her back although her screen time is significantly less in the sixth installment.

*Judith Light – Of all the obvious contenders in the supporting actress race, Light might be able to stand out because her performance in the third season is actually her strongest yet.

Maggie Smith/Joanne Froggatt – Downton Abbey has been an awards favorite since the British import first aired on PBS, and at least one of the two supporting actresses have filled a slot for four of the first five seasons. If Globes voters want to send the show off with one last hurrah, Smith or Froggatt could easily sneak in for a third time.

*Maura Tierney – As last year’s winner, Tierney finally won the first major award of her career which was a little surprising seeing as voters mostly avoided The Affair in its second season. With the Emmys following suit and the third season just premiering, Globes voters might bring Tierney back simply because she is the most buzzed about name on Showtime currently.

*Emily Watson – Although I admittedly haven’t taken the time to actually watch The Dresser, I know Watson shouldn’t be counted out if only because she is a well-regarded British actress on a BBC television film and HFPA voters have had a soft spot for Starz as of recently.

Constance Zimmer – Globes voters might try to play catch up with Zimmer after she earned her first Emmy nomination earlier this year, but after the show’s sophomore slump she might be skipped over entirely.

Readers, what are your predictions for the supporting races? Do any of last year’s other nominees stand a chance including Uzo Aduba, Regina King, Tobias Menzie, Ben Mendelsohn, and Alan Cumming?

HBO Drops a New ‘Big Little Lies’ Trailer

The complexities of being a parent are front and center in the new trailer for the star-studded HBO limited series, Big Little Lies. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Adam Scott and Laura Dern, the 8-part series should be a big hit for the premium network. Based on the Liane Moriarty best seller, it focuses on three friends (Witherspoon, Kidman and Woodley) whose perfect existence in their seaside hamlet is disrupted by parental politics and a sudsy murder plot.

The first teaser was a bit mysterious (showing us idyllic waves and flashing police sirens), but this new Big Little Lies trailer indicates more of the tone of the adaptation. The book has a light, “beach book” vibe all the while interrupting the lives of the main characters with interviews with townspeople and law enforcement. It appears that the series will follow the structure of the novel.

We get a better look at the husbands, played by Alexander Skarsgaard and Adam Scott, and we can’t ignore Laura Dern in a big, floppy hat. Sure, she get sassy with Witherspoon, but that hat!

Jean-Marc Valleé (Dallas Buyers Club and Wild) directs the entire series.

Big Little Lies debuts on HBO on February 19, 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzeZ0HoApl8

John Turturro Talks HBO’s ‘The Night Of’

I’m not going to lie. I was bit starstruck as I was introduced to John Turturro. In my view, Turturro is one of the finest actors of the last few decades. A formidable talent, he is renowned for disappearing into an eclectic career of roles. His most recent performance is HBO’s The Night Of which unsurprisingly lends his excellence to what has turned out to be a very successful TV venture indeed.

Nice to meet you, I have been a fan for a long time.

Thank you very much.

We’re going to talk about your latest TV venture, The Night Of, which was really good.

Thank you.

But not before we delve into your film work ever so slightly first. A great, varied career, so much variety. Do the Right Thing, Quiz Show, and very recently you did the Italian film Mia Madre – which did well in Cannes. A very varied career. Has it all gone to plan?

I don’t know if anyone can have a plan. Initially I wanted to do a variety of material, challenging material – be it theater, then in film. And some stuff on televison. That was sort of the goal. There are a lot of different kind of roles, contemporary, classical. You are dealing with terrific writers, and they gave me a window into a world. A way of thinking, exposing you to what you have not felt. Whenever I have worked with a good director or writer, I have been very fortunate.

Barton Fink might be my favorite film of yours, but it is my favorite performance of yours. It’s an astonishing film.

Well, that film, they wrote that for me in the middle of trying to write Miller’s Crossing when they had writer’s block. So they told me. We did that movie, and it was an experience for me. My wife was pregnant, and our first son, Amedeo, was born. Such an odd film. A lot like doing a play some days. I had no idea how people would like it at all, so I was susprised. When you work with good filmmakers, every little thing counts. It was a pleasure working with Joel and Ethan.

That collaboration with Joel and Ethan Coen, a famous one. Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? What was that relationship like? Was it a case of begging them to take you back, or was it them not letting you go?

I knew them from Fran McDormand. I went to Yale with Fran, and they saw me do a lot of plays. They wrote Miller’s Crossing, and they ended up writing Barton Fink. And it changed the trajectory of my career. I was not just playing the tough Italian guy. And Spike’s [Lee] movie kind of opened it up. I wanted to play all different kinds of characters on film. They [Coen brothers] were my executive producers of Romance and Cigarettes, we worked very closley. They are really good friends. You need people who get you, appreciate you: John Patrick Shanley, Spike Lee, or later on I got to work with [Robert] Redford, Francesco Rosi.

Great. The Night Of, then.

Yeah, I mean, that goes back to that time. Steve Zaillian talked to me about doing Searching for Bobby Fischer years ago. I really loved the movie. We knew each other back then, and know Richard [Price] from The Color of Money.

Was TV something you wanted to do at this stage? Were you looking to go back into it?

I have done a couple of TV movies over the years, one with Sophia Loren. I did a TNT movie, and played Howard Cosell. And did a mini-series for ESPN, where I played the manager of the Yankees, Billy Martin. They just did not have the money to do it like HBO do it, but had a good time doing it. I always like the BBC long form series. I’m a fan of Dennis Potter, Brideshead Revisited. I have worked on so many adaptations of books. The two hours of a good book just doesn’t make it. [With The Night Of] I read the material, and was like “Wow.” I did not know the original series. I was basing it on what I read.

So you had not you seen the British show [Criminal Justice]?

I watched a few minutes, but thought, “You know what, I will have to find my own way anyway.” Now I can see it. That sometimes works. I like reading the books, I am a big book lover. Always find that very helpful.

[Your character] John Stone feels like a real survivor. What do you think keeps him going? How did you prepare for the role?

I had a lot of months to think about it, meet a few laywers, did all the things you normally do. I thought there was a lot on the page – thinking about the costumes, the eczema. And it started to remind me of people I know, people with great intelligence, and maybe didn’t end up doing what they wanted to do. I thought this guy probably has everything that would make a terirfic lawyer. Some good lawyers explained how exhausting it can be, I just started thinking about it like that. I thought there was a lot of Richard Price in it, and thought we had a very good relationship. It was a fascinating character, had so much wrong with him, but had these attributes that offset that.

The Night Of is a very New York story. Did you draw on personal experiences for the role?

Well, I mean there are a lot of different people you meet – journalists, lawyers, actors. Sometimes the more specific something is, the more universal it is. It did remind me of Dennis Potter, the black humor. So many interesting characters, I was so happy to be working with them.

Yeah, huge cast.

Really terrific cast.

How close to James Gandolfini were you before he passed? Did you have concerns with taking a role originally intended for him?

He was my lead in Romance and Cigarettes. He was a friend, someone I really cared for, since the early 90’s. I really loved the guy. I was heartbroken when he died. Someone I really wanted to work with again. When they first approached me I was not sure I wanted to do it, but then I saw him. He had worked one day on it, and I thought about it and read everything and thought I have to do this.

Really good show. A lot of people talking about it, for audiences it seemed to come from nowhere – and people loved it straight away.

The response was really strong.

What is next for you work-wise and personally? Any big plans with Christmas looming?

Looking forward to the holidays. Editing my new film, which I have just finished. An adaptation of a book and movie, and we are getting to the first full cut of the film now. Very challenging, it has been very different form The Night Of.

One last question: Are you working with the Coen brothers again?

Oh my God, of course. I’m under a lifetime contract. Anytime.

Real pleasure talking to you. Good luck with the show. And Happy Holidays.

You too. Happy Holidays to you. Thank you.

‘Beaches,’ ‘Big Little Lies’ Kick Off Emmy Season With Female-Driven TV

Winter 2017 brings two high profile female-driven properties: Beaches and Big Little Lies

On our Thanksgiving podcast, both Joey and I offered our thanks for the broad diversity currently demonstrated on television, particularly with female-driven content. This isn’t a new trend. Television boasts the upper hand over film with fresh and intriguing female perspectives. Black Mirror. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Veep. Game of Thrones. The Good Wife. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Not all of these series necessarily provide positive female impressions, but all provide engrossing and unique experiences. The trend looks to continue into 2017 with two high-profile projects: Lifetime’s Beaches and HBO’s Big Little Lies.

Beaches

Based on the 1988 film and the novel by Iris Rainer Dart, Lifetime’s Beaches definitely provides the sudsier material of the two projects. The original film felt like a TV movie thanks to Garry Marshall’s benign direction. Still, that film feels like a product of a bygone era. The 1980’s produced a strong array of successful films aimed at and starring women. Beaches opened modestly but went on to gross 10 times its opening weekend. It also powered an enormously successful soundtrack.

January brings the Lifetime remake directed by Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging). The plot is largely the same: two girls meet and become life-long friends through success and tragedy. Idina Menzel takes the Bette Midler role of CC, an aspiring singer. Nia Long co-stars in the Barbara Hershey role of Hillary, an attorney jealous of CC’s success.

Lifetime released the first full-length trailer that, of course, features Menzel’s take on the infamous Grammy-winning anthem “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Things appear to have been modernized appropriately, and it’s nice to see a less “waspy” take on the material. The original film didn’t feature heavily in any awards conversation save the Grammys. Critics likely won’t help the remake, but audiences greatly embraced Lifetime’s similar remake Steel Magnolias, which received an Emmy nomination for Alfre Woodard. Idina Menzel would likely be the awards focus here should any heat exist. However, co-star Long has the more dramatic role. Still, if the below-mentioned Big Little Lies is as good as people want it to be, both actresses face an extremely uphill battle to an Emmy nomination.

We will know all when Lifetime unveils the project on January 21.

Big Little Lies

We’ve been anxiously awaiting this one since its initial announcement, and HBO just unveiled its premiere date. Based on the novel by Liane Moriarty, HBO’s Big Little Lies brings the more obvious pedigree over Beaches. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club, Wild), the film boasts a powerful, Emmy-bait cast with a script by David E. Kelley. Reese Witherspoon. Nicole Kidman. Shailene Woodley. Alexander Skarsgard. Laura Dern. Adam Scott. Zoe Kravitz. The dark comedy centers around three SoCal mothers whose deep involvement in their children’s school lives leads to murder.

This 7-episode limited series feels like the real deal on paper and in early material. Acting, writing, directing Emmy nominations all but seem assured. Assuming the quality is there, the only thing that stands in its way is HBO’s ridiculously full stable of quality limited series product (The Young Pope and The Night Of will also compete). There are only so many nominee slots to go around. Nowhere is this felt more than in the Limited Series Actress race where Kidman, Woodley, and Witherspoon could all compete. That all depends on category placement naturally.

When HBO announced the adaptation, many who’d read the original novel lamented the project’s relegation to television. In the right hands, this could have been a great film. Still, television provides the luxury to dive deeply into the characters so vividly brought to life in Moriarity’s novel.

HBO’s Big Little Lies premieres on HBO Sunday, February 19, at 9pm ET. Here’s the teaser released in October. Look for a full trailer within the next month.

Gilmore Girls Revival Weakest Scene Reveals Key Character Detail

The Weakest Scene in the Gilmore Girls Revival Touches on Key Difference Between Lorelai & Rory

Like the original series as a whole, the Netflix Gilmore Girls revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, mostly succeeds in everything it does, like some sort of prep-school upstart.

The idea that Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Luke (Scott Patterson) never get married, but stay in a committed relationship following the series finale, feels like the next logical steps that relationship would take, especially considering all the drama the duo endured. Kirk (Sean Gunn) trying to capitalize on the success of Uber with his own ride-service business around Stars Hollow also feels like a natural, modern-day progression. Hell, even Michel (Yanic Truesdale) being in a same-sex marriage and dreading parenthood was a welcome and logical plot development (like many Stars Hollow residents, my bet was always on Taylor Doose as the first to come out!).

But the weakest scene in an otherwise entertaining and satisfying reboot comes in “Fall,” the final 90-minute installment. Rory (Alexis Bledel) discovers little messages leading her to believe something is coming (Petals the Pig runs by with a sign that says “Kick Up a Rumpus”). Who wants to kick it up with her? Why it’s The Life & Death Brigade, Logan Huntzberger’s group of buddies from Yale, who somehow travel all the way to Stars Hollow to cheer up an estranged classmate.

This scene rang surreal, almost like one of Lorelai’s weird Paul Anka-not-the-dog dreams. Gilmore Girls has never had a musical montage (this one is set to “With a Little Help From My Friends” from Across the Universe). How does the Life & Death gang know where everything is in Stars Hollow? How are they able to leave clues somewhere they’ve never been? Maybe GG creator Amy Sherman-Palladino wanted to up the grandness a notch since it’s a 90-minute Netflix finale, but the logistics of this musical number didn’t quite work, even if the montage was beautiful. I’m just not quite up for the suspension of disbelief that these dudes wouldn’t have something better to do that day.

But even though this scene was unnecessarily grand, it also highlights a huge difference between Rory and Lorelai. For most of the series, these two have been compared to each other, and even in the final scene, we can all agree that history repeats itself in a way. But one thing Rory has been attracted to that Lorelai hasn’t is money, and this scene perfectly encapsulates that notion.

Again, how are Colin, Finn, and Robert able to leave their lives for a day to escape to small-town America? Because they are all affluent, throwing around money and even purchasing a bar on a whim by the end of the night. Rory, unlike her mother, has always been a sucker for wealth, like her grandmother and grandfather. It impresses her.

And in a way, the scene is filmed with the intent to impress audiences with its beauty and carefree whimsy, which is why it’s almost disturbing to watch. The Life & Death Brigade represents everything that Stars Hollow isn’t: Wealthy, cosmopolitan, and ill-intentioned. During Rory’s graduating speech in Season 3, she mentions living in two worlds: one of books and one of reality. For the second half of the series, the true clash became the world of wealth versus the one Lorelai helped raise Rory in. This reboot scene, a blemish in the Netflix revival, is actually a perfect demonstration of that.

I whole-heartedly enjoyed the Gilmore Girls revival and am interested to see if the series will continue in some capacity. Even though the final four words opened a door to the past, Rory is certainly not Lorelai, which could make for fresh storylines and struggle. And we’ll see if she’ll get a little help from her friends then.