Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | July 16 - 22, 2022 By Dana Simpson TV Media I f there's anything the Indi- ana Jones, Tomb Raider, Mummy and National Trea- sure movie franchises have shown, it's that historical fiction and action make a great pair. So, why not make the most of it in the world of prime-time televi- sion? That's exactly what CBS aimed to do when it launched the first season of "Blood & Treasure" on the network in 2019. Now, after three years of halted production schedules due to restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, "Blood & Treasure" is back for Season 2, this time on Viacom - CBS's streaming service, Para- mount+. Don't miss the first two episodes when they premiere Sunday, July 17. Created by Matthew Feder- man and Stephen Scaia, the writer/producers behind the se- ries "Limitless" and "Jericho," "Blood & Treasure" is an action- adventure series for the histori- cally enthusiastic traveler. When Season 1 first began, viewers were introduced to Danny Mc- Namara (Matt Barr, "Walker") pretty well right out of the gate. Calm, cool and well put togeth- er, Danny is an antiquities expert who is forced to team up with an old flame in order to stop a terrorist who is funding his em- pire through stolen artwork and ancient artifacts. The old flame is Lexi Vaziri (Sofia Pernas, "Jane the Vir- gin"), who is hardly old but is certainly full of fire. Explicitly chosen by Danny as his right- hand woman because of her criminal intelligence, Lexi is a quick-on-her-feet art thief who struggles to cope with her fa- ther's death — something she clearly blames on Danny and which haunts their already test- ed relationship with one anoth- er. Over the course of the first season's 13 episodes, Danny and Lexi try their best to put their claws away and focus on the big picture: save Danny's co- hort, Dr. Ana Castillo (Alicia Coppola, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," 2007), from an art-obsessed terrorist faction, wipe that threat off the face of the planet and make the world a better place in the process. That doesn't mean, however, that the pair of ex-lovers don't still have a sordid history to work out through layers of teamwork and sarcasm. From the very beginning, au- diences learn that Castillo had made a great find prior to being attacked and presumably being taken hostage, along with her team, by Karim Farouk (Oded Fehr, "The Mummy," 1999) and his gang of goons. Told that Cas- tillo found the tombs of Mark Antony and Cleopatra while on location in Egypt, viewers more than likely (correctly) pieced to- gether that the bulk of Season 1 would take place in Egypt. From undercover missions posing as arms dealers to high-octane scenes chasing bad guys through crowded markets, "Blood & Treasure" later takes audiences on a trip beyond the pyramids of Giza to Spain, Mo- rocco, Quebec and the curious Bermuda Triangle, known for several disappearances in its en- virons. Season 2, which begins July 17 with two episodes, titled "The Soul of Genghis Khan" and "Tales of the Golden Tiger," ap- pears to begin in the Far East, more than likely in modern-day China. While this season is also expected to run for 13 episodes, fans of the series should prepare for some of the same good old- fashioned globe-trotting that took them on a whirlwind ad- venture before the pandemic in 2019. Given all the on-location film- ing "Blood & Treasure" has to accomplish in order to provide the best experience for viewers, it's no wonder that Season 2 has been delayed for so long. Taking into consideration COVID-era travel restrictions and physical distancing rules alone, the fact that such an intricate show is up and running as soon as two years behind schedule is under- standable to say the least. Now that it's back up and running, though, fans of the first season are desperate to know more about what is to come. While not much news has been released as of writing, Sea- son 2 is likely to begin immedi- ately following the freshman season's massive cliffhanger. For those who need a refresher (spoilers!), Mark Antony and Cleopatra's sarcophagi were found once again, safe and sound, but their return now pos- es a brand-new set of threats; threats that may well make Danny's job quite a bit more dif- ficult going forward. It seems viewers are also in store to learn more about Dan- ny's personal life, including his so far fairly undiscussed time spent working as a special agent for the FBI. Cast members expected to re- turn alongside Barr and Pernas include Coppola as Dr. Castillo, James Callis ("Battlestar Galac- tica") as Simon Hardwick, Mi- chael James Shaw ("Limitless") as Aiden Shaw, Mark Gagliardi ("Drunk History") as Father Chuck, Katia Winter ("Sleepy Hollow") as Gwen Karlsson and Fehr, rumored to be reprising his role as the villainous Farouk. Get caught up on last season before diving into the first two episodes of "Blood & Treasure" Season 2, premiering Sunday, July 17. Season 1 is available to stream now on Paramount+, while new episodes will stream weekly on Sundays on the plat- form going forward. Matt Barr and Sofia Pernas in "Blood & Treasure" Barr, Pernas return for more 'Blood & Treasure' 2 | Cover story Grindstone Charlie's 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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