The Why Watch That Talk: “Westworld, Luke Cage, Queen of the South & More!”
Premieres:
Love Is ____ (OWN)
The love story of a modern-day power couple in the world of black Hollywood as they navigate a complex set of social codes.
Yellowstone (Paramount)
John Dutton tries to protect his ranch, the largest in the United States, from land developers, an Indian reservation and America’s first National Park.
Queen of the South (USA)
While living in the barrio of Jalisco, Mexico, poor Teresa Mendoza falls in love with a member of a successful drug cartel, hoping the love will help her rise above the hopelessness she feels in her life. When it doesn’t happen, she is forced to flee the country after her boyfriend is murdered. She seeks refuge in America, where she teams up with an unlikely person from her past to take down the leader of the drug ring that is after her. Teresa ends up starting her own drug empire, becoming one of the world’s wealthiest women in the process. With her success, she discovers that money doesn’t fix all of her problems, and she can only depend on herself if she wants to stay one step ahead of others and stay alive.
Shooter (USA)
Based on the best-selling novel “Point of Impact” by Stephen Hunter, and the 2007 feature film starring Mark Wahlberg, the series stars Ryan Phillippe (“Secrets and Lies”) and follows the courageous journey of Bob Lee Swagger, a highly-decorated ex-Marine sniper who is coaxed back into action after he learns about a plot to kill the president. When Swagger’s former commanding officer Isaac Johnson, played by Omar Epps (“House”), solicits his expertise in a clandestine operation, Swagger re-emerges from exile only to discover that he is inextricably involved in a disastrous operation with ties to his past.
Take Two (ABC)
After Sam Swift, the former star of a hit cop series, has an epic breakdown that is broadcast to the public and sends her to rehab, she finds herself stalled professionally. Desperate to restart her career, she talks her way into shadowing lone-wolf private investigator Eddie Valetik as research for a potential comeback role. Though Eddie resents what he views as a baby-sitting gig, high-spirited Sam uses the skills she learned as an actor playing a cop and proves herself to be surprisingly valuable.
Luke Cage (Netflix)
This gritty, action-packed drama follows the evolution of Luke Cage (Mike Colter), a man with super strength and unbreakable skin caused by a sabotaged experiment. After a failed relationship with fellow superhero Jessica Jones, Cage tries to rebuild a quiet life in Harlem, New York –until he is pulled out of the shadows and forced into a battle for his city. Along the way, Cage cannot avoid confronting his past, which he has worked hard to bury. “Marvel’s Luke Cage” is the third show in the Netflix-original Defenders series.
Season Finale:
Westworld (HBO)
Westworld isn’t your typical amusement park. Intended for rich vacationers, the futuristic park — which is looked after by robotic “hosts” — allows its visitors to live out their fantasies through artificial consciousness. No matter how illicit the fantasy may be, there are no consequences for the park’s guests, allowing for any wish to be indulged. “Westworld” — which is based on the 1973 Michael Crichton movie of the same name — features an all-star cast that includes Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and Golden Globe winner Ed Harris.
Genius ( National Geographic)
“Genius” tells the story behind Pablo Picasso, one of the 20th century’s most influential, controversial, and celebrated artists. Also explored are the muses who inspired him. Starring Antonio Banderas in the titular role, hourlong episodes explore how the Spanish-born Picasso’s passion and creativity were inseparably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances.