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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, August 9, 2019 4 By Kenneth Andeel TV Media T he first season of AMC's chilling series "The Terror" garnered rave reviews, so of course the network has brought it back for Round 2. On Monday, Aug. 12, the sec- ond season of the channel's hit historical horror series (now christened as a yearly antholo- gy program) returns, dubbed "The Terror: Infamy." The altered title helps audi- ences differentiate the new season's storyline from last year's, because this is not a continuation of the first sea- son's story, but a whole new tale of, well, terror. The new season stars Derek Mio ("Seal Team") in the lead role of Chester Nakayama, a photographer who discovers creepy signs of the existence of an otherworldly presence in his pictures. Mio is supported by Shingo Usami ("The Pacific") and Naoko Mori ("Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," 2018), who play his character's parents; Cristina Rodlo ("Too Old to Die Young") as his clan- destine girlfriend, Luz; and C. Thomas Howell ("Animal King- dom") as a retired soldier who oversees functions within the War Relocation Authority, the agency established to conduct the relocation and internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Rounding out the cast is be- loved veteran actor and activ- ist George Takei ("Star Trek"), who plays Yamato-san, an ex- perienced elder able to offer Nakayama wisdom and help him navigate the perilous threat posed by spirits out of Japanese folklore. In addition to his onscreen role, Takei also served as a consultant for the production. Having lived in an internment camp himself when he was young, he was an invaluable source of knowl- edge. The first season of "The Ter- ror" went into development in 2016, and was adapted — quite faithfully — from the novel of the same name by sci- ence fiction and horror author Dan Simmons. Simmons' book is based on a legitimate inci- dent from real-life history: the disastrous lost expedition led by Englishman Sir John Frank- lin in 1845. Franklin and his crew intended to probe the Arctic region for the coveted Northwest Passage, but the two ships assigned to the task (HMS Erebus and HMS Terror) became icebound, and all 129 men who set out on the expe- dition perished. The wrecks of their ships remained undiscov- ered until 2014 and 2016. To the already terrifying prospect of becoming stranded in Arctic ice, Simmons added his own piece of supernatural flair to rocket the story into tru- ly brain-breaking territory. He added an unrelenting Arctic demon known as the Tuunbaq, which pursued and savaged the doomed survivors as they struggled to boat, sled and hike their way out of the grip of the northern ice. "The Terror: Infamy" repli- cates that formula of real hu- man history paired with a su- pernatural threat, but it relo- cates to an entirely different era. This season features a community of Japanese-Amer- icans during World War II who are imprisoned in camps set up by a paranoid U.S. government after the attack on Pearl Har- bor. These Japanese-American internment camps are seen as a shameful moment in Ameri- can history, and the story of the camps remains largely unex- plored by American television. No series has ever focused on life inside those camps, let alone one that features a ma- jority Asian and Asian-Ameri- can cast like "The Terror: Infa- my." The new season juxtaposes the cruel fate of interned fami- lies with this season's new iter- ation of occult monstrosity. Un- like the Tuunbaq of Season 1, which was an invention of Dan Simmons, the preternatural baddie of "The Terror: Infamy" is a creature inspired by Japa- nese folklore, known as a bakemono. In Japanese my- thology, a bakemono is under- stood to be a shape-shifting entity that disguises its original form. The show is likely to take healthy liberties with its inter- pretation of the folkloric bake- mono. This season's evil crea- ture needs to deliver a horrify- ing visual punch equal to that of the Tuunbaq's mutated zom- bie polar bear from Season 1, while simultaneously expand- ing upon the traditional Japa- nese mythology to explain why a spirit from so far away might pursue individuals across oceans to their new homes in America. The first season of the show was able to count on a sturdy plot derived from Simmons' novel, but now that the series has turned into an anthology, showrunners have a whole new set of challenges. Unlike "American Horror Story," which typically retains a num- ber of core cast members from season to season, "The Terror" anthology looks as if it will re- quire audiences to embrace an entirely new set of performers every year. coverstory George Takei as seen in "The Terror: Infamy" Infamous and terrifying: AMC's first anthology horror series heads into Season 2 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: When is the new season of "Long Lost Family" go- ing to start on TLC? It's my favorite show. A: "Soon." I know that's not much, but it's all they're giving us. Both of "Long Lost Family's" hosts have shared pictures of themselves filming episodes of the upcoming Season 6. This is definitive proof that it's coming, which is the most important news. But they're both being cagey about when. Lisa Joyner, for example, shared a picture of herself from an older episode on her Instagram account a few weeks ago. When a commenter asked if the show was renewed for a sixth season, she responded pretty quickly with a "Yes!" When the fan followed up with "When?," Joyner went silent. By comparison, host Chris Jacobs was positively chatty about it. He posted a photo of himself shooting an episode of the upcoming season, and when he was asked when it would air, he replied, "Coming soon!" This reticence could be a ploy to drum up some anticipation, or it could just be because they don't know either. Q: Can you tell me who played the Russian spy Valeria in "Designated Survivor"? She looks familiar to me, and I thought she did an excellent job. A: There are a number of reasons you might know Nora Ze- hetner, as she's covered quite a range of shows as a TV and film supporting star. She's probably still best known as Dr. Reed Adamson on the 2009-10 season of "Grey's Anatomy." If you remember, her character got a quick write-out at the hands of a grieving man who went on a shooting rampage at the hospital. This is the sort of thing she's known for — medium-length, significant arcs in popular shows. Her role as Valeria only last- ed five episodes in "Designated Survivor's" second season, but it was central to the season's storyline. She provided similar services to the series "The Astronaut Wives Club" in 2015 and the first season of NBC's "Heroes" in 2006. Her longest run was a recurring role in the first two seasons of the WB (later CW) teen drama "Everwood." She's had a similar run as a supporting player on the big screen, such as in the talky 2017 Sundance fave "It Happened in Hollywood." But in 2015 she got a shot at a lead role in the Amazon-released sci-fi oddity "Creative Control." Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A Towne Floring 3 x 2 The Powell Company 2 x 2

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