stars on screen
Before Superman
Syfy takes us back to the planet Krypton
By Andrew Warren
TV Media
Before Superman: He may
be Superman’s grandfather, but
Seg-El isn’t faster than a speeding
bullet or more powerful than a
locomotive. No, despite being an
alien native to the planet Krypton,
he’s just as fallible as any ordinary
human, and he and his fellow
Kryptonians are heading back
into our lives.
“Krypton” returns to Syfy for
a second season on Wednesday,
June 12, with new stories, new
faces and a lot more revelations
about this previously unexplored
chapter of the Superman mythos.
The series is set years before
the legendary Man of Steel is
even born and revolves around
his family’s fall from grace, its
redemption and the beginning of
the events that would eventually
lead to their planet’s destruction.
Cameron Cuffe (“The
Halycon”) leads the cast as Seg-
El, the handsome young scion of
his house who is destined to be
Superman’s grandfather. Early
on in the first season, he was
visited by a time-traveling human
named Adam Strange (Shaun
Sipos, “The Vampire Diaries”),
who told him about his legendary
descendent, but who also warned
him about the coming trials for
himself, his house and his people.
Of course, a new season means
some new faces, and the highest-
profile addition for “Krypton’s”
sophomore outing is Emmett J.
Scanlan (“Constantine”), who
will be playing the motorcycle-
riding anti-hero, Lobo. All of the
main cast is also expected to re-
turn, including Blake Ritson (“Da
Vinci’s Demons”), who plays Brai-
niac, the time-travelling alien in-
tent on destroying Krypton. Wallis
Day (“The Royals”), Georgina
Campbell (“Black Mirror”), Aaron
Pierre (“Brittania”) and Ann Og-
bomo (“Wonder Woman,” 2017)
are also returning.
There are lots of shows on TV
right now that are based on the
DC Comics universe, but “Kryp-
ton” doesn’t fit into the same
continuity as the rest of them. It’s
busy telling its own distinct story
24 | Screentime
Blake Ritson as seen in “Krypton”
that isn’t beholden to any other
edy’s central character. Multiple
media, and it’s been a wild and
Emmy-winning comedian Louie
exciting ride so far. The second
Anderson (“Life With Louie”) also
season premieres Wednesday,
stars in a gender-bending role as
June 12, on Syfy.
their mother, Christine.
Chip Baskets is what many
Basket case: It must be a
would consider to be a failure.
heartbreaking feeling to have
All his life he’s wanted to be
your dreams shattered, to have
a professional clown, and he
wanted something all your life
even got accepted to one of
only to be told that you just aren’t the world’s most prestigious
good enough. Luckily some
clowning schools in Paris, but
people always see the basket as
he couldn’t cut it and flunked
half full.
out. Unwilling to give up on
FX’s “Baskets” returns for a
his dream, he found work as a
fourth season on Thursday, June
rodeo clown, and over the past
13. Actor Zach Galifianakis does
three seasons his career has
double duty as twin brothers
had its ups and downs (mostly
Chip and Dale Baskets, with Chip
downs) while his relationships
hogging the spotlight as the com- with his family and friends have
June 5, 2019 | East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald
likewise been a laugh-inducing
roller-coaster ride.
In the fourth season, it looks
like Chip may be finally turning
his life around. At 49 years old,
he’s finally moved out of his
mother’s house and hired a life
coach to help him with some
much-needed self-improve-
ment. Of course, if precedent
tells us anything, it’s that he’ll be
taking at least two steps back-
ward for every step he takes
forward, and that there will be
an enormous number of laughs
along the way.
There’s a lot more clowning
around to come in the fourth
season of “Baskets,” premiering
Thursday, June 13, on FX.
Lone Star Lowe: Two seasons
in, Fox’s “9-1-1” is a hit. The
network’s top drama has been
renewed for a third season, which
is exciting news for its fans, but
in even bigger news, Fox has an-
nounced that a spinoff is in the
works. “9-1-1: Lone Star” will
premiere next TV season and will
take the action to beautiful Aus-
tin, Texas. Just like its parent se-
ries, the show will follow the lives
and careers of a number of first
responders who must work to-
gether to save lives in desperate
and life-threatening situations.
Headlining the cast — most of
which has yet to be announced
— is an iconic actor whose career
spans more than four decades.
Rob Lowe (St. Elmo’s Fire,” 1985)
will not only star in the new series
but will also serve as an executive
producer. He’ll play a New York
police officer who has recently
moved to Austin with his son and
struggles to find the right bal-
ance between saving the lives of
others and keeping his own life
in order.
That right there is exactly the
magic that’s made “9-1-1” reso-
nate so strongly with audiences.
The series shows off just how
human these everyday heroes
really are, and that they have all
the same problems, struggles and
desires as the rest of us. Watch for
both “9-1-1” and the new “9-1-1:
Lone Star” next season on Fox.