Agent Carter: Season 2’s Noir Style and Doctor Strange Connection
Agent Carter returns for Season 2 Tuesday night for 10 new episodes that take Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to Los Angeles for a new adventure that begins with a very strange murder case.
On a visit to the set of the show, Agent Carter executive producers Tara Butters, Michelle Fazekas and Chris Dingess discussed some of the new elements in Season 2, including an expanded noir-feel and Marvel comic elements like the Darkforce and Whitney “Madame Masque” Frost.
With the show’s move to 1947 Los Angeles comes a natural shift into more of a noir-influence.
Fazekas: We talked about L.A. a lot in the first season. I think because when you're talking about telling stories in the 40s, and a lot of the film noir of the 40s takes place in L.A. And obviously, we shoot in L.A., so it had been something that we talked about a lot. And we started to build a story around that because what's great about that is you have the glamour and the glitz of Hollywood, and you have crime and corruption right next to each other. And so we just started to say, well, how would we get Peggy to L.A, obviously, is the first question. And how much time has passed between the first season and the second season? And because there's been a lot of time between the first and the second season airdates, we wanted to sort of show, okay. Time has passed. People are in a little bit of different positions. And things have happened between the seasons that we maybe don't know about.
Top Comics to Buy This Week
We all want the best of the best, so let us point out the hottest comics released each week. We spotlight our favorite comics that we know are money-well-spent and new books that look cool and are backed by some top-tier talent.
Check out our picks, then take to the comments to let us know what looks good to you!
Written by Scott Snyder & Drawn by Greg Capullo | DC
The previous issue of Batman ended on one of the biggest cliffhangers we've seen from this series, and that's saying something. We've been impatiently waiting to find out what happens when Bruce Wayne confronts a ghost from his past, and finally the next chapter is here. Look for a tense ideological showdown as Bruce searches for meaning and struggles to accept the man he once was. And expect a very physical showdown as the new Batman fights a losing battle against Mr. Bloom.
HTC Rumored to Spin Off Vive VR
HTC may be spinning off its virtual reality platform, as reports suggest the company is looking to make Vive VR its own independent company.
According to 9to5Google, Focus Taiwan claims HTC is "seriously considering, even planning" to separate Vive VR from the company. If this report indeed proves true and HTC moves forward in this endeavor, Vive's forthcoming headset could very well launch without the HTC branding.
The outlet suspects this move is likely being done to separate Vive VR from HTC's struggling smartphone line, as its virtual reality efforts could be compromised if its phone business fails to perform. However, the actual reason behind HTC's reported plans was not disclosed.
That ’70s Show Stars Reunite for Netflix’s The Ranch
Get ready for a That '70s Show reunion on Friday, April 1st when Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson reunite for the new Netflix multi-cam comedy, The Ranch, from Two and a Half Men's Don Reo and Jim Patterson.
Sam Elliott, Debra Winger, and Elisha Cuthbert also star in this new comedy, about a former semi-pro football player (Kutcher) who returns to Colorado to run the family business with his brother and father. Setting this sitcom apart from others of its ilk, however, is the fact that it looks a bit different. In a world where the rule is for sitcoms to be brightly lit, The Ranch goes a bit dark. "You know, when I go home at night I don’t turn on every single light in my house when I come home," EP Patterson told critics at the TCA Winter Press Tour. "I don’t think anyone does. And so that was one of the mandates we said was 'make it like how people live'."
DC Unleashes ‘Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys’
DC has announced a new spinoff from their wildly popular Harley Quinn comic. As revealed by Comic Vine, Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys builds out of the ongoing Harley Quinn series by writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti and revolves around Harley's new team of costumed sidekicks.
This six-issue mini-series will be co-written by Palmiotti and Frank Tieri, with interior art by Mauricet and covers by Conner. The series will pick up after the Gang of Harleys have been active for a few months and find themselves tasked with tracking down their missing boss.
Upcoming Rocket League Patch Ends Season One, Brings New Rewards
An upcoming patch for Rocket League will end the game’s first competitive season, while also bringing exclusive rewards and item rarity tiers.
Bronze, silver, gold, and platinum variant crowns are coming in the form of car toppers. The new items will be delivered as a reward to those who reached at least the “Bronze” level or higher in ranked play. The crown you get is based on your highest division rank, so if you’re a “Silver II” rank in 1v1, but a “Gold I” in 2v2, you’ll receive a gold crown, according to a developer post on the game’s Steam page.
Here's a look at what one of the crowns will look like:
This Transistor Figure Is Too Cute
Supergiant Games has unveiled its latest Transistor collectible and it’s an adorable Red figure.
The figure stands six inches tall and features Red with big blue eyes, holding the mysterious sword known as Transistor. It comes in a translucent box adorned with the game’s unique designs for the collectors who prefer to keep their toys sealed.
According to Supergiant’s blog, the figure, designed by the studio’s art director Jen Zee, has been in the works for over a year in partnership with notable pop culture merchandise retailer We Love Fine.
J.K. Rowling Reveals Severus Snape Secret
Following the tragic passing of Alan Rickman, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has revealed a secret she shared with the actor about his character, Severus Snape.
Back in 2011, Rickman told RTÉ that Rowling offered him "crucial" insight into the wizard's character, which informed his portrayal of Snape in the seven-part film saga. Until now, however, what she told him has remained a mystery.
In response to a fan on Twitter (via News.Mic), Rowling shared the secret:
Filming Wraps On Assassin’s Creed Movie
Filming has wrapped for Ubisoft Motion Picture's upcoming Assassin's Creed flick. Head of content Azaïzia Aymar posted a photo on Twitter confirming that the last shot was taken on January 15.
It is my honor to announce that #assassinscreedmovie last shot was taken minutes ago! Congratulations guys!!! pic.twitter.com/UxsiUDIQQm
— Azaïzia Aymar (@AymarMtl) January 15, 2016
Right in the middle of the photo stands star Michael Fassbender, who plays Callum Lynch in the film. Fassbender said he hadn't played any Assassin's Creed game before landing the role. Back in December the star admitted that he'd finally played one, "mainly to get an idea of the physically of the character."
The X-Files’ Return is This Week’s TV Highlight
Okay. There's a rather large amount of TV to sort through this week. A lot of returning shows. Some popping back in after their December break, others premiering new seasons. On The CW, Arrow and Flash are back while The 100 returns for Season 3 and DC's Legends of tomorrow makes its big debut.
Plus, Heroes Reborn ends while new seasons of Marvel's Agent Carter, Black Sails, Portlandia, and Childrens Hospital start up - and Shawn Ryan's Mad Dogs officially premieres on Amazon.
But the biggest news this week - the highlight, if you will - is The X-Files on FOX. Back, after 13 years away, for a new six-episode miniseries designed to push the show ahead creatively. Into more seasons, in fact, if it does well.