Ashley Bissette Sumerel

The Chicago Fire Season 8 premiere was explosive, literally. And as many fans guessed, not everyone was going to make it out of that mattress factory fire alive.
Some casualties hurt worse than others, though, and this one will take a while to get over.
If you haven’t seen the premiere yet, by the way, please stop reading this and go watch it. Then come back with your tear-filled eyes once you’ve finished, because there are spoilers ahead.
I’m not kidding. Please watch the episode first.
Afte...

Jonathan Larson died tragically only hours before the first performance of the now legendary rock musical, Rent. Larson never had the chance to see the show he worked so hard on for years prior.
That night, the preview show still went on, though it was agreed that it would be an intimate performance with the cast simply sitting on the stage and singing through the musical for Larson’s family and friends.
Considering that those were the circumstances of the beginnings of Rent, the events that ...

Things are getting more complicated on the upcoming season of Younger, and not just for Liza.
I sat down with Nico Tortorella and Peter Hermann following the Younger panel at the ATX Television Festival to talk about what we can expect from their characters this season as well as the ways the series is tackling the definition of truth.
Without giving any spoilers, I’ll just say that the final scene of the Younger Season 4 premiere is shocking. Nico Tortorella shared his reaction to reading th...

Note: This review contains spoilers from the full second season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
While the beginning of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2 moves a bit slowly at times, the show remains just as charming, funny, and smart as it was in the first season, if not more so.
Season 2, which has the clear style of Amy Sherman-Palladino all over it, has a bit more depth as it focuses on the complications of Midge trying to make a name for herself as a comic while also considering the impact...

If only Harvey’s dream had been real!
Suits Season 6 Episode 11, “She’s Gone,” begins with what we quickly realize is a dream, but that it’s one that’s significant in many ways.
First, it serves as a reminder about Harvey and Donna. No matter how much we might want to see these two together, crossing that line would mean a drastic change for their working relationship.
On a deeper level, though, the dream is about Harvey’s realization that everyone is leaving him. Even though that’s not liter...

Best known for his roles as Desmond Hume on Lost and Marcus Kane on The 100, actor Henry Ian Cusick has a history of playing complex characters on sci-fi/fantasy television series.
His latest is on the vampire drama The Passage, where he plays the role of Dr. Jonas Lear.
The FOX series, which is based on Justin Cronin’s best-selling trilogy of the same name, airs its season finale on Monday. I recently had the chance to speak with Cusick about The Passage and what we can expect from the final...

Sadly, The Newsroom is over, but the series finale couldn’t be more perfect.
It begins at Charlie Skinner’s funeral, with Mackenzie outside on the phone, finding out that she is pregnant. She whispers the news to Will inside, and the audience is transported to a flashback that shows just how much Will McAvoy’s character has changed over the course of the series.
Fittingly, the flashbacks feature Charlie, showing his influence over Will. Will has lost his biological father, but it’s clearly Ch...

Any time Joe Cruz gets emotional, we’re bringing out the tissues ourselves. And on Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 9, “Always a Catch,” Cruz definitely makes us bring out those tissues when his new girlfriend, Chloe, is involved in an accident that leaves her life hanging in the balance.
I recently had the chance to chat with Joe Minoso, who plays Cruz on Chicago Fire, about the fall finale, what we can expect from season moving forward, and what he loves best about working on the show. (Note: ...

Hold on to your hats, kids!
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2 will premiere Wednesday, December 5th on Amazon Prime Video. The Season 2 trailer was released today, and it does more than enough to get fans excited for the new season.
The comedy series follows Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) a New York City woman whose life is turned upside down, allowing her to discover that she has a special talent for comedy.
Season 2 will show Midge continuing to work on her comedy and trying to be as succ...

Teddy and Owen have a long, complicated history, and their relationship is about to become even more complicated.
On Grey’s Anatomy Season 15 Episode 5, “Everyday Angel,” Meredith takes a pretty bold step to confront Teddy, tell her she knows her secret, and basically spend the day convincing her she has to tell Owen about the baby.
She’s supportive of Teddy, but she also makes it clear that it’s not about her at all. She’s concerned for Owen, she’s concerned for Amelia, and she’s concerned f...

Nick Wechsler is returning to our television screens once again.
Best known for his roles on Roswell and Revenge, Wechsler recently appeared on Chicago P.D. and The CW’s Dynasty. Next, Wechsler can be seen on the final season of NBC’s Shades of Blue, which premieres this Sunday.
I had the chance to sit down with Wechsler during the ATX Television Festival last weekend to discuss everything from his role on Shades of Blue to one of his most memorable auditions and why he fell in love with acti...

There are a lot of things Chicago Fire does consistently well. The show is always good at balancing suspense and drama with lighter moments and uplifting stories, for example.
Where it falters, and falters often, is with follow through on changes that should deeply affect its characters.
As excited as I am to see more focus on Matt Casey on Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 5, “A Volatile Mixture,” it’s disconcerting that that focus reveals nothing about how he’s dealing with Gabby’s departure.
I...

All it takes is for the other person to say “the one thing.”
On Grey’s Anatomy Season 15 Episode 4, “Momma Knows Best,” Meredith goes on her first date set up by her matchmaker, but it’s possibly going to be the first of many.
Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) guest stars as John, Meredith’s date, and their conversation goes better than anticipated. It’s a little awkward at first, but only in the way that such a situation would likely be. I actually really enjoy seeing these two bounce off ...

The focus on character building is a highlight on Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 4, “This Isn’t Charity.”
Herrmann is adjusting to his promotion as engine lieutenant, and that comes with more challenges than he anticipated. This is actually a really interesting move because it lets us see a function of the firehouse we haven’t paid much attention to in the past.
More than that, testing his character this way is a chance for growth — and Herrmann proves he’s ready for this position. He knows wh...

The ugliness of war is just the beginning on The Last Ship Season 5 Episode 7, “Somos la Sangre.”
We’ve seen our fair share of casualties on The Last Ship, but there’s something much more heartbreaking about seeing Miller severely injured, in gutwrenching pain, and knowing that his life has just been completely changed.
This season has actually spent a good bit of time on Miller, showing not only his job with the Navy but his humor and his vulnerable side as well. Not to mention his loyalty a...