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‘Gypsy’ Makes You Question Everything, Comic-Con 2017 Lineup, ‘Sense8’ Returns

Candis R. McLean|

Each week we will bring you the latest in television news, episode trailers, and promotional news. From what’s streaming this week to the best scenes from hit series, we’ve got you covered.

It was in high school that I was first introduced to the concept of untrustworthy narrators. It’s a protagonist that at some point the reader discovers is a full-fledged liar. Separating honesty from fantasy sends you reeling. When you don’t know where the smearing of mistruths begins, everything is questionable . Dating can be that way. There’s an entire series on MTV that exposes people pretending to be someone else. At the end of the day, how much can we really surmise about someone beyond what they reveal? Naomi Watts’ new series Gypsy asks this question and so much more. Watts plays Jean Holloway, an overstepping therapist who inserts herself in the most intrusive and twisted way into the lives of her clients. The Netflix series opens with Jean doing something most people do on a daily basis; get a cup of coffee to ring in the morning. At the coffee shop Jean has an exchange with a barista. The exchange is so ordinary that it would be completely forgettable had it not been for the extreme look of intrigue on Jean’s face. Halfway through the episode the audience learns that the mysterious coffee clerk is Sidney Pierce, the ex-girlfriend of Jean’s client Sam Duffy.

It’s important to note that the viewers first hear about Sidney before seeing her via Sam’s sessions with Jean. It’s his description, whether warped or not, that creates a vacuum of curiosity for Jean. Painted as a master manipulator by her ex, Sidney fits the bill on the surface. In her interactions with Jean she’s alluring, disarming, and projects a carefree disposition. There’s also something very definitively calculated in almost everything she does. The same could be said for the biggest paradox on the show, Jean who masquerades as a woman named Diane Hart. She’s allegedly a happily married woman with a child. In reality she’s a pill popping sociopath with no real concept of boundaries or honesty. Its later revealed that she’s already had a questionable past with one of her former clients named Melissa. Throughout the series her persona Diane hookups up with Sidney, interacts Melissa’s brother, and becomes friends with her client’s daughter Rebecca. Whether she’s forging clients notes, stealing pills from a PTA mom’s house, inviting addicts to live in her secret apartment, or passing off her husband’s assistant’s work as her own, Jean seems to love being on the edge sanity.

The show circles around the game being played by both Jean and Sidney. Both women are fully aware that they’re mutually lying to the other. The ultimate currency of the connection is deception. They put on various masks; made up occupations, fake names, and fabricated backstories. Their entanglement and power struggle leads to the secret pair’s near discovery, Sam ‘s engagement to a woman he can’t stand, and ends dangerously for one of Jean’s clients. In the last episode of the season its Sidney who edges ahead in the mental joust between the two. She walks into the auditorium of Jean’s daughter’s school. Jean was giving a speech about power. She states, “To really have power one must have it over something or someone. But it’s never really about that person or situation. Those people who truly desire power are actually only trying to control one thing, themselves.” The two woman exchange a look that can be deciphered only sheer excitement. Who knows what the next season will hold in the multilayered web of lies show. The fallout has yet to be revealed.  What I do know is that if you continue to chaotically crash into the pools of people’s lives, splashing about randomly, casualties will get wet. They always do.

News

-Spike Lee’s reimagining of his famed work She Gotta Have It will make its Netflix debut this Thanksgiving. The 10 episode series, in which Lee directs each one, will be a creative and modern twist on his 1986 debut film. Take a look at the teaser trailer here:

-The 2017 complete Comic-Con TV schedule was released last week. This pop culture, film, television, and comic mega expo is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Highlights from this year will be the Westworld, Game of Thrones, The Defenders, Arrow, and The Walking Dead panel.  

– The television show Pretty Little Liars wrapped up its seven-year run on television last week. The wildly successful show that’s known for its social media prowess and rabid fanbase revealed the series’ ultimate villain in a shocking way. Last week while live tweeting the show I was threatened. Stay away from these fans.

– This Sunday the National Geographic Channel will be hosting Earth Live. For two hours the broadcast will shift around the globe and view the wildlife and wonder of nature through the lenses of great cinematographers.

-Sometimes a show lingers too long and when it finally airs its finale there’s a great sigh of relief. Downtown Abbey was truly one of those shows. Staying true to haggard and exhausting form, the show will follow the template of many drawn-out productions and be turned into a movie.  We all know the best way to commemorate a show that was failing in the ratings department is to ask an audience to pay for a ticket to see a two-hour long sendoff.

-The new season of MTV sketch show Wild N Out kicked off last week. The series came back swinging with the likes of Grammy winner Chance The Rapper at the helm. If you can handle the extreme doses of annoyance every time Nick Cannon speaks then the episode is worth watching.

-ABC released the trailer of its IMAX filmed new series Inhumans. The teaser spells out a race of aliens attempting to usurp Earth from humans and a small faction of that group choosing to rebel. Ramsey Bolton is in it. I still hate his face.

-Music star and actress Lady Gaga will not be returning to American Horror Story for its seventh season. Gaga’s turn on the series landed her a Golden Globe and critical acclaim for her performance. The Ryan Murphy production and Sarah Paulson led series has already began filming the new season.

– The series that had everyone Team Lawrence or Team Issa last summer will be making its return on July 23rd. The second season of Insecure dropped its trailer last week. Judging from the trailer, the highly-anticipated HBO dramedy will look to outdo its highly successful first season and bring all the “oh snap” comments back to our Sunday nights.

-Give the people what they want! Netflix has heard the many cries and twitter pleas from the Sense8 faithful. The beloved series will be returning for a special two-hour long finale episode. This is a cause for celebration especially after the finale left more and more questions and plot points unresolved.

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Shock & Jaw Dropping Moment of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwLbM5-0R5U&feature=youtu.be

The fact that nobody told me this show existed is terrible. TLC’s show 90 Day Fiancé is concisely described by its title. Whether for immigration reasons or sheer loneliness, people are signing up to walk down the aisle abruptly. Last week viewers met Jorge Nava and Andisa Arkhipchenko. Jorge found the love of his life online. The Russian born woman fell for Jorge because he was rich. I’m not making that up she literally said in the episode “I responded to Jorge because he said he was rich.” Her demands are extreme. She wants an over-the-top wedding and a gorgeous house. She states she doesn’t feel bad because Jorge understood what he was getting when he met her online. The episode ends in the most dramatic fashion after Jorge reveals he’s in sever debt.

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Promo of the Week

(Queen Sugar airs on OWN Network each Wednesday at 10PM EST)

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What You Should Be Watching

World of Dance is not your typical competition show. The production puts dancers from various levels against each other. If you turn on an episode your likely to see an established performers or dancers with extensive resumes. The judges panel includes Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, Derek Hoguh, and Jenna Dewan. It’s fantastic to watch a show that’s not full of people whose family clearly never had to heart to tell them the truth. There’s no bad auditions here or painful to watch vocal riffs. There’s exquisite dancing and an actual show without Simon Cowell as a judge.

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Tweets of the Week

You can follow Candis McLean on Twitter (@CandisRMcLean) and e-mail her at [email protected]. Follow Philly Influencer on Twitter (@PHL_Influencer), Facebook and Instagram.

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