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21 Thunder, Featured

21 Thunder: Together We Part

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The penultimate episode of 21 Thunder arrived, and delivered! This episode was all about preparing the players—and viewers—for the upcoming friendly against London, creating lots of tension and setting us up for what I am sure will be a great season finale.

The cold open quickly set the tone for the episode: Nolan ( RJ Fetherstonhaugh) put his father on notice: Declan (Colm Feore) “can go to hell,” Stefan (Stephan Arnaud) and Damien (Lucas Chartier-Dessert) exchanged blows over Marie (Kimberly Laferriere) and Junior (Emmanuel Kabongo) was determined to enlist the expertise of Joseph Bamba (Clauter Alexandre) in order to learn the truth about his brother Gregoire, despite knowing Bamba was once involved with Fatima (Gabrielle Graham). All of this set the stage for further tensions during the remainder of the episode.

On the field and off, players and staff tried to focus on the game but external distractions were at war with that goal.  The team needed to move on from the loss of captain and keeper Alex (Andres Joseph) and Nolan was unanimously elected as his replacement. But Coach Rocas (Conrad Pla), hindered by his wife’s departure, officially resigned leaving Christy Cook (Stephanie Bennett) to fill his shoes as head coach. A fortuitous by-product of this promotion? Fix the league’s “woman problem” that was created by Davey’s (Ryan Pierce) misogynistic vlogging. Still, uncertainty had the players on edge, so Christy had the team relieve some of their pressures with a fun match of bubble soccer. Unfortunately, followers of the team were not impressed by this latest turn and lashed out online. Stefan, ever the team philosopher, pointed out, “These people are not fans. They are fanatics. They don’t love the game. They want to own it.”

Meanwhile, the mystery behind the disappearance/death of his brother Gregoire continued to plague Junior. Bamba contacted Junior to advise he thought he found Isaac Boka (Ryan Allen)—the last known contact with Gregoire—and the two set out to confront him. Unfortunately for Junior, and I suppose Boka too, Isaac was found dead of what looked to Junior as suicide. Later we learned things were not as they seemed and by the episode’s end the police tracked down Bamba and took him in for questioning for the murder of one Isaac Boka.

That brought us to Nolan and his attempt to free Emma from any connection to Declan, even association through himself. But Declan, in a calculated and desperate move, contacted Emma on his own and showed her the video of Nolan, effectively making her an accessory to the crime. In order to ensure Emma’s safety, Nolan deliberately pushed Emma further away, denying his love for her, telling her their relationship was all a lie and all but demanded that she attend medical school in Dublin. Without Nolan in her life, Emma is safe from harm. Without Emma in his life, Nolan has nothing to lose. Together they part.

And as I had expected last week, Lara (Eileen Li) did indeed exploit Davey’s financial woes and coerced him to be her coach on the ground during the friendly. She fronted him 50k as a down payment to secure a loss by the Thunder. That left Davey torn with wanting to support Christy as head coach and getting himself out of trouble with the tax man. At any rate, with Nolan wanting to save Emma from Declan, and team owner Ana (Christina Rosato) refusing to investigate Christy’s suspicions about ref Desjardins (Trevor Hayes), it looked like Thunder’s match against London may well be headed for failure.

Not a great deal of actiony action this week but all of the odds and sods dished out created suspense and lots of possibilities for the season’s close.

Hopefully, the finale will address some final questions:

  1. The obvious: will Thunder beat London?
  2. Will Nolan’s efforts succeed in protecting Emma from Declan?
  3. Will Lara’s and Kevin’s canny plan to fix the match work?
  4. Will Junior—and viewers—ever learn the truth about Gregoire?

How do you think the season will end? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

21 Thunder airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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21 Thunder, Featured

21 Thunder: Scoring a bit of a “tell all” with acting newcomer Ryan Pierce

Acting newcomer Ryan Pierce claims to “not really be an actorly actor” and with that in mind we stumbled along with many great laughs and detours during our conversation. I managed to pin him down with a few questions, and Ryan earned a gold star for his answers about both his time with Aberdeen and Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiere League and his transition to acting in CBC’s 21 Thunder.

You bridged two worlds, the world of professional soccer and acting with your character Davey Gunn. What have you been doing since filming to continue that process?
Ryan Pierce: My main project is myself right now. I took some time out to do some travelling, and some soul searching. I have only just recently gotten back into things. I took a couple of commercials this last month, but apart from that theatrically, I have just been interested to see how this show [21 Thunder] went. I guess I have been working on furthering my career internally, to see if this is the path that I should be on.

When coming from playing soccer to becoming an actor and playing a soccer player, that is a very different transition but is something that I definitely connect to and I can see a future in. But I am just taking my time. I have adopted the mantra from The Tortoise and the Hare and just taking my time.

You have travelled a unique path to get to where you are today. Can you share a bit about this journey?
This is definitely an area that I have been into for some time now; preconditioning, and why you are the way you are. But I got to the point where I had to choose between being a soccer player and continuing my education. My dad was a former professional soccer player as was my uncle. My mum wanted me to stay on in school but my dad had this dream for me and was also my coach from when I was very young. I guess I was his project and I wasn’t very big on school. I was happy to make the jump and move to Aberdeen, which was three hours from my home in Glasgow, and live there. But my parents were very supportive. For me, it wasn’t so much about playing soccer as it was about leaving school. I guess the rest is history. Soccer was very up and down for me personally, but the experience made me who I am now and I can reflect upon that and use that as a way to grow. These hardships that I put myself through because we all put ourselves through all of these things, I have managed to learn a lot about myself, so I can only be thankful for all of these experiences that I have had in the past.

Your character, Davey Gunn, has had a life of privilege having played professional soccer, and he is now having to carve out a new niche for himself in both a new country and in a new role as a coach, something very you yourself are also doing with your own transition. Can you tell me a bit about that process for Davey?
I guess with Davey, being such a high profile and successful soccer player with a lot of baggage, he is a protagonist with soccer in his blood. I guess the transition is easier for him going from soccer player to soccer coach, than for me to an actor. I mean Davey and I, we are the same people basically. We are so  so different and yet we are so similar at the same time. I have had my troubles off the fields as has Davey, as you will see throughout the show. But Davey has a god complex and being this public figure for such a long period of time because being a soccer player, you leave school, especially in Britain where you leave at a young age, and you are thrown all of this money. It must be very easy to feel this superiority. And then coming over to MLS, and not to do a disservice, but a lot of professionals from the past and present have came, as they wind down their careers, for the lifestyle and the weather. Davey kind of hopes that this is a way for a fresh start for himself. But obviously having to coach the under-21’s is a bit of a pain for him. And for being such an animated character on the field and off the field I think that ultimately it is an easy transition for Davey Gunn because it [soccer] is his life and has only ever been his life. It is life outside of soccer that catches up with him, and this is where you will see his life kind of unfold.

I have to ask. How much of what goes on in 21 Thunder representative of what life is like in a professional soccer league?
Well in terms of Andres Joseph’s character Alex, being transferred when his life is so intertwined with this club, these things happen all the time. People signing a three-year contract, and then all of a sudden the manager doesn’t like them as a football player, or in perhaps as in many cases, as a person, because it can be so personal, your life can just be uprooted out of nowhere and you have to start again. So all of these issues that they are going through are real because they are human beings who deal with real problems.

In the case of match fixing, that is, unfortunately, a thing in the world of soccer. All of these things that are happening in the show in some way shape or form are all there or are at least relatable to real life outside of the show. I am sure a lot of players out there have a lot of demons.

There is a player in the UK by the name of Joey Barton and I think he was banned or suspended for betting on games. He was not fixing games but he was betting on games. There were claims he had some sort of information about certain players being unavailable for matches or what not.

But back to your question which was about how much of the TV show is basically legit and along the same story lines off the field, I would say that they are all very similar.

Finally, I am curious about this on screen relationship between Davy Gunn and Grace Cook.
That is a fun one! I [Davey] just understand her. For me as a person, I am familiar with that character and the hard mum. The parent being hard on her daughter. I can see through it and I can see the psychology of the situation. I can relate. She likes a bit of alcohol, I like a bit of alcohol.

My thanks to Ryan for taking some time away from his stroll on Venice Beach to have a chat with me. Slàinte!

21 Thunder airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Sarah Richardson builds her forever home in Off the Grid

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I’ve been covering Canadian renovation programming for a long time. How do I know this? Because the folks I’ve interviewed in the past are creating forever homes for themselves and their families.

HGTV Canada’s Sarah Richardson is the latest to follow the trend. Like the network did with Bryan Baeumler and Scott McGillivray, Sarah and her husband, Alex, do the same with Sarah Off the Grid—debuting Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada—as cameras capture the couple’s attempt to construct an abode off the grid for themselves and their children. I’m not much of a handyman and have a horrible eye for design, but you don’t have to be either to watch someone like Sarah. Yes, she oozes skill but she’s also funny as hell as well as relatable. Sarah Off the Grid really showcases her personality and what her family life is like, something fans of longtime hosts like Sarah are hungry for.

Husband Alex and daughters Robin and Fiona jump in with both feet alongside Sarah and collaborator Tommy Smythe in Sunday’s debut, laying the groundwork for a 5,000 square-foot home in Creemore, Ont., to be built from scratch and employing off the grid necessities like solar power, wood burning fireplaces and energy efficient materials. The catch? Sarah and Alex will be their own general contractors; a tall task, especially within the eight-month window Sarah has set. Things begin at a fast clip—the location is chosen, permits are procured and clearing the last commences—and before you know it the concrete foundation is being poured into styrofoam forms that help cut down costs and make hanging drywall easier.

Fellow HGTV Canada superstar Mike Holmes makes the trek out to the site in Episode 1, and he’s got opinions. Mike questions Alex and Sarah’s decision to do be the bosses, building a large home off the power grid, stresses the need for a backup sump pump and perhaps most important of all: advises more solar panels. This, of course, throws the couple for a loop and has them rethinking their plans.

Like her series before, Sarah Off the Grid is educational and entertaining. She’s charming and Tommy is hilarious. The secret weapon in Off the Grid is Alex, who is a natural in front of the camera. Sarah’s husband is charming, knows what he’s talking about and—above all—is positive the job will get done despite the challenges they come across. His upbeat personality is infectious; you just know they’ll be successful in their quest.

Sarah Off the Grid airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus.

 

 

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Dark Matter, Featured

Comments and queries for the week of September 8

I’m so disappointed in Syfy’s decision to cancel Dark Matter!! How can they not see how great this show is?!? Unbelievable. I’m hopeful the outrage from the otherwise quiet and polite fan base can cause them to rethink their decision or perhaps garner some interest from Netflix. —Brian

I’m angry, disappointed and sad. There are few sci-fi series being produced as it is. Fantastic shows with great ratings get cancelled but crappy shows are renewed. It doesn’t make sense at all. I hate that they take Dark Matter away from us, just like I did when Continuum was cancelled. I hope they change their mind … it has happened before. Or else I hope Netflix takes over. —Katrina

Simply, it sucks!! I don’t understand how decisions are made at Syfy. A great show like Dark Matter they cancel and mediocre programming they keep. Netflix, please pickup Dark Matter and allow the Raza Crew a platform to find their true fate. Thanks. —Tony

Some are hoping for streaming networks like Netflix to pick it up or hoping Syfy changes its mind entirely. I am ticked. I remember them cancelling Farscape, Stargate Universe after it got really good too as Dark Matter was doing: climbing in the adventure department. Then. Abrupt cut-off! Boo. What made them renew Killjoys for two seasons? I am curious. I was certain DM was doing even better than KJ. —Maria

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or Twitter via @tv_eh.

 

 

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Nations at War: Pacific Raiders

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The premiere episode of Nations at War—on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on APTN—took us back to 1787 in the Pacific Northwest, a region of North America that was dominated by the Haida, the greatest naval power North America had ever seen.

Host David Lyle reminded viewers that at this time European and American ships were cross-crossing the world in search for goods to amass wealth. The Haida flourished and conquered the harsh Pacific seas with their war canoe designs. Their intimidating naval strength meant the Haida were able to grasp great wealth.

The episode included interviews with student and artist Erika Stocker, who shared knowledge concerning the connections the Haida have with both with the oceans and the spiritual beings of the region; and Jim Hart, artist and Hereditary Chief, who discussed the attributes of the Haida dugout war canoe, some of which carried 50-60 paddlers.

Topics the episode covered included: Pot-latch Ceremony, the natural cultural barrier that the Hecate Strait provided, the war canoe design, various war implements such as canoe breakers, the armour that was unique to the Haida people and the war club. Also discussed was the use of slaves by the Haida.

Nations at War is a unique approach to Canadian history and to understand this macro approach, I am including the following statement about the Haida, made by series creator and writer Tim Johnson. (Read more of my interview with Tim and producer and co-writer Jason Friesen here.) The depth in which he spoke illustrates the breadth of knowledge this series has encapsulated in an extremely engaging format:

Coming face to face with Pacific Northwest art, it is this stunning centuries old practice and cultural tradition that has endured,” he said. “I remember going and seeing the statues in the Grand Hall at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa, and how stunning those totems were. I knew very little about the Haida other than the fact where they lived and that they were an Indigenous people who had been on those islands for probably thousands of years if not longer and they were a very artistic and a very culturally gifted people.

It is interesting that in European history, the Vikings loomed large. They are this tidal wave of change and evolution in Europe. They revolutionized trade and trade routes, they completely changed maritime travel, they were a whisk that essentially mixed up all of these different political factions and re-forced them, especially in Britain, into the kingdoms which would go on to shape history for generations to come.

But when you compare the Haida to the Vikings, there are a lot of similarities. These were people who used warfare as a means to solve economical and logistical problems. Many societies, like the Mi`kmaq or the Metis, are utilitarian societies. They go and they hunt and fight and do work and defend their territory. So there is always a shortage of labour. If you are devoting all of your time to sustenance or survival, your outlook on life is pragmatic. Then your cultural traditions and your artistic traditions will be shaped by that outlook. There is a means to an end, it is mobile, it does not take up too much time or energy. That is why songs and dances actually, for a lot of people who lived a sustainable life, were more important than carving or building, because that was something that was personal that could be done around your life.

The Haida were an incredible adaptation where they took captives. They used slavery. Not only did they trade slaves as a resource to get more of what they lacked on their island, but they also had, I think at one point from the research that we found, was an estimated 24-26 per cent of the Haida population was probably non-Haida slaves. All of that manual labour, all of the domestic chores were taken care of which means that your young men and young women could devote themselves to art. Could devote themselves to culture. Could devote themselves to warfare. And what happens is kind of like what happened with the Egyptians; the emergence of monumental architecture.

So when I remember seeing those Haida totem poles as a child, I am not understanding the context. I was impressed by their size and power and beauty. When I understood how their society and their economy functioned, that raiding was not just warfare for warfare`s sake but it was warfare—like the Vikings—with a purpose, because of the need for resources, for the need for labour, for the need to gather the goods you can trade from one group of people to different group of people; it propelled their society into a cultural golden age. These carvings and these canoes with their decorated carvings on their hulls were not only incredibly useful pieces of technology, but they were emulated and envied. The nations on the coast would buy Haida canoes because they were awesome. They were incredible. They were well made, they were fast, they were durable and they were the perfect vessel for those waters.

When you see that art, those poles, which in many ways has become a brand for the west coast across the world, that is the product of a Haida cultural golden age that emerged from one of the most powerful and sophisticated civilizations in the history of the Americas. Now when I think back to when I saw those totem poles as a child, I realize now that I was seeing a statement of power from one of the most intellectual people in human history.

Once again, I extend my thanks to Tim Johnson for taking the time to share his passion for Canadian history.

If you missed the premiere episode, you can check it out here.

Nations at War airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on APTN.

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