By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, M.S.J., Chicago Crusader
Pitch
For the first time in history, a woman takes the mound on the series premiere of “Pitch” Thursday, September 22 on Fox.
A beautiful, tough and gifted athlete, Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury) is vaulted into instant fame when she’s called up by the San Diego Padres to make her Major League debut. All eyes are on her as she is the top news story of the day, making history as the first woman to pitch…and play in the Major Leagues in the “Pilot” Series premiere episode of Pitch airing Thursday, September 22 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
I liked this episode, because I love Michael Beach who plays Ginny’s father. He is fastidious in his handling and training of his daughter to play baseball from a young age. His son didn’t show much of an interest in the game, so he pulled Ginny out into the yard—and that was all she wrote.
Ginny is cool as she starts with her new team, as the whole world watches, and her uniform dons the number of a baseball great who has gone on before her. She tries to set ground rules at the onset, as the team is briefed on getting along with her and welcoming her to the fold. I am not a great baseball fan, but I liked seeing this subject as a series and a Black woman playing the lead is icing on the cake or pigskin on the old baseball. Dub!!
Empire
Ok, I’m not the true, true, committed fan of Empire, but I do enjoy an episode or two. I suppose many readers are, and the block buster show about a Hip Hop record empire, starring Taraji P. Henson and Terrance Howard is back for Season 3 on Wednesday, September 21, and Episode Two the following Wednesday, September 28.
Fox is incredibly proud of Empire’s Season Three, and they cannot wait for you to see it! When we left the Lyons in our Season Two finale, Cookie had vowed she was finished with Lucious, Hakeem had been dumped at the altar, Lucious and Anika were joined in unholy matrimony, Jamal was recovering from a bullet that he took to save his father’s life, and Andre had just burst upon Rhonda and Anika up on the roof –- as someone took a fatal plunge over the edge. Season Three picks up right where Season Two left off, with some heart stopping, jaw-dropping, can’t-miss moments.
There’s still many questions to be answered with the cliffhanger from last season that had viewers wondering just who hit the pavement. I can’t spill the beans, but the action is full throttle in the season opener. And, once again, there are celebrities to boot that grace the stage with Lucious and the gang. But probably by the time Crusader readers get to this column, if they watched Empire, they will know all the answers.
Lethal Weapon starring Damon Wayans Sr.
We know what you’re thinking…another TV reboot of a movie franchise? We get it, “you’re too old for this stuff.” In making the show, Fox knew the pitfalls, the inevitable comparisons to the originals. That’s why they tried to make a show that managed the delicate balancing act of being true to what we love about the “Lethal Weapon” movies, while making something that would feel different and new.
In that spirit, Fox’s Lethal Weapon resurrects the raw energy of the first film, dusts it off and brings it into the 21st century. It was a daunting task in reintroducing the world to characters as iconic as Riggs and Murtaugh. Yet, Clayne Crawford (“Rectify”) as Riggs and Damon Wayans (“My Wife and Kids,” “In Living Color”) as Murtaugh bring such fresh perspectives to their roles, that this dynamic duo feels totally unique to the show, while still maintaining the humanity and humor that we love about the franchise. And like those films, the show uses the buddy-cop genre to explore a deeply human relationship between two broken men, thrown together by fate who need each other to become whole again. As trust and friendship is gained, then eroded, then earned back again, we’ll see Riggs try to come to grips with the loss of his wife and unborn child, while Murtaugh navigates his second lease on life with the help of his brilliant, power-lawyer wife, Trish (Keesha Sharp, “The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”).
It will be an exhilarating road – chock full of banter, thrills, and near-death experiences – as Riggs and Murtaugh solve crimes and collar criminals across all corners of the city of Los Angeles. The two men just might be able to save each other, if they can only manage to stay alive.
I was able to watch this premiere, and I simply loved it. Wayans is in good form as he plays a role made famous by Danny Glover. And Wayans was too funny during his presentation on the recent Emmy’s telecast. The entire “buddy-cop” formula may not be new, but these two are great together.
Lethal Weapon premieres Wednesday, September 21, and comes to your television screen every Wednesday night.
Elaine Hegwood Bowen is the author of “Old School Adventures from Englewood—South Side of Chicago.” For information about her book, visit http://tinyurl.com/om4hvgo or email [email protected].
