Tag: jacqueline Byers

Timeless: The Last Ride of Bonnie and Clyde – The Key (Review) [Update]

Timeless - Season 1

[Update] Previously this article mentions the team being stranded in France. A reader quite correctly pointed out that the trio are trapped in the 1754 French Indian war and not the country of France. This has now been corrected. Mike’s Film Talk apologizes for any confusion.

This week in Timeless the trio return to 1930’s rural Arkansas.  “The Last Ride of Bonnie and Clyde” is another example of the team’s rather lenient attempt at keeping history unchanged. In this episode, Flynn is not out to save the deadly duo of redneck bank robbers from being shot down by the famous lawman Frank Hamer and his helpers, he is there to retrieve the Rittenhouse key.

Timeless has, thus far, moved through a fairly wide and impressive time spectrum. After Stranded, left the group in 1754, during the French Indian wars, they moved up to 1969 in Space Race and now have taken a short detour to 1934 on the day that Bonnie and Clyde were to be blasted into oblivion by Hamer and crew.

Apart from taking a moment to focus on America’s more unsavory history, Timeless also manages to make the two homicidal lunatic’s appear to be star-crossed lovers. This week’s adventure includes a brilliant turn from Jacqueline Byers. This talented, and beautiful, actress recently turned heads in Showtime’s w as flaky, yet good natured, groupie Natalie Shin.

Byers is spot on as the poetry writing Parker and she sounded eerily like a young Dolly Parton.  It seems that Byers may well be doomed to portray “off the wall” charmers but if that is the case, she manages to do so effortlessly and makes the most of these quirky roles.

“The Last Ride of Bonnie and Clyde” finally sees Sakina Jaffrey’s character, Agent Christopher stepping up to take a more visible role in this time traveling series.  The Homeland Security agent has always been the “grownup” of the team and she is now actively working to find out what is behind Connor Mason’s organization.

Rufus attempts to warn the female agent, but like Frank Hamer “back in the day” this agent’s not for turning. (See what we did there? If you missed it, here is a hint, the “Iron Lady.”) Rufus even makes the Hamer connection as he tries to explain to Christopher that her loved ones are now at risk.

The Rittenhouse key is lost to Garcia Flynn.  Later, after the infamous couple are killed by Hamer’s team, Flynn takes the key and opens a secret compartment. He retrieves a document, fastened  with a wax seal and opens it.

Timeless has finally entered the “will they/won’t they” formula into the series. With Rufus and Jiya as a couple, the urge to throw Wyatt and Lucy together romantically was too much to resist apparently.  It does make a certain amount of sense.

Since Preston has been avoiding her “fiancé” like he has the plague and Wyatt still pines over his dead wife, something had to give. The chemistry between the three time travelers has been spot on from day one. Wyatt has only now relaxed enough to really notice his female co-hort in crime.

Flynn looks to be in a position favorable to an allegiance of sorts. After all Rittenhouse is the “big bad” that both teams  are against. This penultimate episode, before the midwinter break, could well see a variation of “enemy of my enemy” scenario in the next episode.

Kudos to Jacqueline Byers for killing it as Bonnie Parker and mad props to the writers for finally allowing Sakina Jaffrey to work those impressive dramatic chops on the show.

Timeless airs Monday’s on NBC. Tune in and get caught up in all the nefarious actions of Rittenhouse and co.

Cast:

Guest starring  Jacqueline Byers  as Bonnie Parker, Sam Strike as Clyde Barrow, Billy Wickman as Henry Methvin and Chris Mulkey as Frank Hamer. 

Roadies: The Bryce Newman Letter – Acid Attack (Review) [Poll]

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Last week on Roadies Reg Whitehead proved he was a lot more savvy than Kelly Ann thought (with his WWPD tee’s) but in The Bryce Newman Letter” the annoying Brit gets it very wrong.  After music blogger Newman writes an acidic attack on Staton-House Band, based on  YouTube video of a recent concert, the crew become apoplectic with rage and Reg tries to sugar coat the situation.

Instructing the crew to “lead with sugar” Reg invites Bryce to the Atlanta show and plans to do some serious “arse” kissing.  Wes, however, completely misreads Whitehead’s instructions and sends the music critic on an acid trip to end all trips.  Reg is furious.

(Note: It  may have been mentioned elsewhere, but let us talk about the sometimes obsequious and pushy busybody Reg and his last name. In England a whitehead is a spot, aka a zit, aka a pimple. In other words, Reg’s surname means a clogged up bit of pore or, in other words a bit of irritated skin. Mistake? Oh no. A bit of clever writing from someone. A clear indication that Reg is a clogged up irritant.)

Back to the episode. Roadies this brings on Lindsey Buckingham (former member of Fleetwood Mac and the artist that some would say was instrumental in the success of the band) who sings “Big Love” and then leaves.

“The Bryce Newman Letter” sees the return of the fabulous Natalie Shin, stalker and band junkie (she is not a groupie as such since she has a restraining order). Shin arrives in time to help Newman get in and then helps the crew set the blowhard up for some punishment.

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Natalie Shin and “Bruce” Newman…

Bill has stopped trying to fill Phil’s shoes (sorry) and is adapting his own style and choosing “Phil-isms” where needed.  He still has a taste for the younger woman but loses his “once a year” love interest when she grows up.  Shelli tells Donna how to have a long distance relationship though phone sex.

She tells Mancini that Bill does not know otherwise he would feel the need to act jealous. Kelly Ann is taking an online self improvement course to make her seem less serious. She spends most of the episode trying to crack jokes and failing to get a laugh.

Shin sets Newman up for  a big fall by making him believe they will have sex and then stealing all his clothes.  Left with just a robe, that he has on backwards, Bryce begins roaming the arena looking for his “dark elf.”

The vast majority of the show sees Newman making an arse of himself while under the influence. He speaks to a sign for Mexican food and a giant cactus. The blogging critic stands in front of the audience and admits that he is a fraud.  Bryce also throws off the backwards robe and cavorts across the stage in his 52 year old birthday suit.

Newman finally walks off the stage front and injures himself.

Rather interestingly, Reg and Bill figuratively butt heads in this episode. Bill actually threatens the Englishman twice.  Whitehead, reacts the second time and takes his jacket off before they all realize that the captured Newman has gotten on stage.

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Rafe Spall as Reg and Luke Wilson as Bill

This episode of Roadies was good fun and it revealed a nastier side to Reg, aka Double D.  He was all too ready to fire Wes, who only misunderstood his directions. He also went on to say that Kelly Ann should go as well. He obviously still believes she tried to have him fired and this was meant to be a bit of pay back. Tsk tsk, Reg.

Kelly Ann helps Bill generate a great memory of Cassie (Taylor Frey) and he says, “Thanks Cyrano.” The ever hopeful Kelly Ann murmurs that she would love that for a nickname.

Roadies airs Sundays on Showtime.  Before the next episode, take a moment to take our Poll. The squaring off between Reg and Bill prompted us to ask: “Who would win if the two actually came to blows?” Tell us what you think.

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MAIN CAST:

Guest Stars: Rainn Wilson as Bryce Newman, Jacqueline Byers as Natalie Shin, Brian Benben as Preston. 

Musical Guest: Lindsey Buckingham