End of the line: 'Hell on Wheels' returns for a final season
Anson Mount stars in “Hell On Wheels”
End of the line: AMC's twist on the classic western is nearing the end of the line.
"Hell on Wheels" pulls out of the station one last time starting Saturday, July 18, with the premiere of its fifth and final season, the first half of which is airing this summer; the second half will be broadcast in the summer of 2016.
New Releases for the week of July 12 - 18
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The cast from 2012's hit "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" return for a second film of hijinks and romance in India. With the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a residence for retired people in India, nearly at capacity, the hotel's owner, Sonny (Patel), pursues his dream of opening a second location. When a potential American investor sends an inspector to evaluate his operations, and the plans for his marriage run into a road bump, his life and the lives of his tenants are turned upside down.
Director: John Madden. Stars: Dev Patel, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, David Strathairn, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie, Richard Gere, Ronald Pickup. 2015. 122 min. Comedy.
Ex Machina
Caleb (Gleeson), a computer programmer for one of the world's biggest companies, is invited to visit the company's reclusive CEO, Nathan (Isaac), at his secluded research lab. There, Nathan shows him Ava (Vikander), the artificially intelligent robot that he's built following years of research into human intelligence. As Caleb gets to know Ava, he finds himself becoming emotionally connected to the robot, and it warns him to not trust Nathan. Soon, he becomes convinced that Ava is as much a thinking and feeling person as he is, and the artificial human convinces him to help it escape from the laboratory.
Director: Alex Garland. Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno. 2015. 108 min. Sci-Fi.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
It's six years since the events of the first film, and Paul Blart (James) is still a mall security guard who takes his responsibilities very seriously. When he receives an invitation to a security officers' convention in Las Vegas, he jumps at the opportunity to network and enjoy a much-needed vacation with his daughter, Maya (Rodriguez). Unfortunately for Paul, safety doesn't take holidays, and a gang of criminals is plotting to steal the artwork from the hotel where the convention is taking place. When his daughter is taken hostage by the art thieves, it's up to Paul to save the day.
Director: Andy Fickman. Stars: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez. 2015. 94 min. Comedy.
Recaps for the week of July 6 - 10
Greg Vaughn stars in “Days of Our Lives”
The Bold and the Beautiful
Emotions escalate as Maya and Vivienne reconnect for the first time in several years. Maya has a heartfelt conversation with Nick about her mother being back in town, and their strained relationship. When Maya and Nicole's father, Julian, arrives in town he makes it clear he wants Nicole to return home immediately. Vivienne insists they go visit Maya at Forrester when Julian refuses to recognize Maya as female. Meanwhile, Liam is taken aback when Steffy gives him an intimate massage in the rose garden. Ivy witnesses their tender moment and realizes that everything has now changed between her and Liam. Aly suffers a major meltdown at a staff meeting as she strongly opposes Maya and Steffy being the faces of the company. Later, Steffy is gobsmacked when Aly shows up with a positive attitude and offers to be of service. Wyatt confronts Liam about stringing Ivy along and he demands that he treat her better. Maya fills Rick in on some of her past experiences with her parents.
Days of Our Lives
After a troubling encounter with Xander, a guilt-ridden Nicole turns down Daniel's offer that she move in with him. Abigail is consumed with jealousy when she learns that Chad has invited Zoe to the summer picnic. She continues to struggle with conflicting feelings when she spends the day at the lake with Ben, Chad and Zoe. Later, Abigail is shocked when she learns she may be pregnant. Eric makes an unexpected request of Serena because, despite his anger, he wants to team up with her to get the goods on Xander. Nicole acts quickly when she learns that Eric and Serena are meeting. After stirring up some trouble for JJ, Paige sets her plan for revenge against Eve in motion. Will has a heated confrontation with Paul after he schemes to get Sonny to see him in a different light. Theresa advances her plot to win favor with Brady. Adrienne and Lucas find a way to reconnect.
General Hospital
Luke and Laura race against the clock to save Lucky before it's too late. Brad reveals to Felix that he is keeping a secret from Lucas. Jake and Sam continue with their secret investigation into Nikolas, and they dig deeper into his connection with Hayden. Later, an encounter with Sam leaves Nikolas unsettled. Tracy has a surprise for Dillon. Valerie confesses something to Jordan. Luke makes another shocking discovery, while Dillon sets things straight with Dante. Elizabeth is stunned by someone who shows up at her door. Carly mistakenly lets something slip to Lulu.
The Young and the Restless
Marisa shocks "Gabriel" when she reveals that she knows that he is actually Adam, but she agrees to do things his way for now. He then quickly makes an excuse to visit Chelsea and Connor at the park. Everyone is shocked by Adam's decisions when, under the "Gabriel" guise, he announces some big changes he'll be making to Newman-Abbott. Later, Nick is struck when "Gabriel" tells him he's turning out just like his father. Ashley reveals to Stitch the toll that the stress between the Newmans and Abbotts has taken on her, and they end up watching the fireworks together. At the GCPD, Nikki tells Victor that he's lied to her for the very last time, and she walks out on him. Lily attempts to put her guilt aside to spend the holiday with loved ones at Chancellor Park, and she makes peace with Hilary and Devon. Later, Lily questions Joe as to whether he will reveal their night together to Cane or not. At the park, Joe informs Sharon that Avery is attempting to take Dylan away from her.
All in With Laila Ali, on CBS
One of the U.S.'s top competitive drifters, Rhys Millen, heads up Pike's Peak in order to break a world record in this new episode. Elsewhere, Motocross has waited 10 years to see history be made during the evolution of the back flip.
Defiance, on Syfy
The science-fiction saga continues for the citizens of Defiance, which has fallen on hard times since the collapse of the mines. Set in a small Earth town populated by humans, aliens and entirely new species, the series centers on local sheriff Joshua Nolan (Grant Bowler).
Q: I got into the program "Secrets and Lies," and now it is not coming on anymore. Can you tell me if it is going to be back on? It just left us hanging.
"Secrets and Lies" is definitely going to be back on, but I'm sorry to say its intention all along was to leave you hanging, and it won't give you any closure before 2016, if ever.
The series is part of ABC's midseason schedule. It debuted in March of this year, and though the network hasn't announced a date for its return, it will likely be in the winter again.
Adventure awaits: Eight celebrities join Bear Grylls for the adventure of a lifetime
Bear Grylls hosts “Running Wild with Bear Grylls”
Complications, on USA Network
John (Jason O’Mara) continues his quest, sometimes doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. After saving a young boy’s life in a drive-by shooting, the doctor unexpectedly became a vigilante hero. Jessica Szohr, Beth Riesgraf and Lauren Stamile also star.
Q: There was a movie about a young girl trying to save a herd of wild horses. She rounds them up and tries to move them to a refuge, but they have to cross a busy highway. Can you tell me the name of it?
It's a tough one to find, but the film you're thinking of is "Wild Horse Hank," the 1979 Canadian film starring one-time child star Linda Blair.
She was 19 when "Wild Horse Hank" was made, no longer a child at all. She was more or less age-appropriate for the role, though -- her character, Hank Bradford, is 18 in the movie's source material, the 1976 novel "The Wild Horse Killers" by Mel Ellis.
Key & Peele, on Comedy Central
Acclaimed comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele return for another round of sketch comedy in this season premiere. The Peabody Award-winning series utilizes filmed sketches to poke fun at everything from politics to pop culture.
