Reality Roundup: Devin Strader tries to tell his side, Julie Chen Moonves has COVID and more

(SPOILER ALERT) The second season of Netflix’s The Diplomat returns on Thursday, and while Rufus Sewell’s character, Hal Wyler, was the victim of a car bombing at the end of season 1, he is indeed back for another go-round. 

“He has survived. Not everyone has made it,” he tells ABC Audio, noting that the bombing will have a “tremendous effect”on his wife, United States ambassador to the United Kingdom Kate Wyler, played by Keri Russell.

While the couple seemed to be on the outs at the end of season 1, Sewell says the bombing does bring them back to each other. 

“So for a while afterwards, there’s a closeness between them, exacerbated by the fact that it seems like no one else can be trusted,” he says. “So they only really have each other.”

He adds, “She’s reminded how much she loves and cares for him, but it doesn’t mean all the old problems have gone away.”

Former The West Wing star Allison Janney joins the cast in season 2 as Vice President Grace Penn, and Sewell calls her the perfect addition to the show.

He says he was “a massive fan” of the White House drama, noting he “loved her character so much and I’ve loved her in everything she’s done.”

“So her coming on board was a big thing for us,” he says. “It was just a lovely vote of confidence and she is so much fun to work with.”

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Prime Video has announced that the pilot of a spin-off from its hit Reacher is going to become its own series.

The Untitled Neagley Project will star Reacher‘s Maria Sten as Frances Neagley, a former member of Jack Reacher’s 110 Special Investigators unit turned private investigator in Chicago. 

“When she learns that a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident, she becomes hell-bent on justice,” Prime Video teases. “Using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the [110th], Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.”

The series will be executive produced by Reacher vet Nick Santora and his fellow Law & Order alum Nicholas Wootton.

“Lee Child created an immensely rich character with Neagley, and Maria Sten brought her to life in such a vivid, authentic way in Reacher,” said Santora and Wootton. “Amazon, Skydance Television, and CBS Studios have been tremendous partners from the start, and we are excited to explore Neagley’s story further and dive into what makes her so unique.”

For her part, Sten said, “I’m beyond thrilled to further explore the world of Neagley and her somewhat mysterious background. She’s such a wonderful character to play and I’m very excited for everyone to get to know her a little better.”

Meanwhile, production of the third season of Alan Ritchson-led Reacher wrapped in July, and will debut on Prime Video in 2025.

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Patrice: The Movie, currently streaming on Hulu, tells the story of Patrice Jetter and Garry Wickham, a disabled couple whose desire to get married is impeded by government bureaucracy.

Disabled people risk losing not only their benefits but their Medicaid if they tie the knot, or even live together, and both Patrice and Garry are fighting to see that change.

Patrice is an outspoken activist for the rights of the disabled, and she tells ABC Audio there’s a simple reason why she speaks out.

“Because what’s happening is an injustice to not just me and my friends, but an injustice to everyone with a disability all over the country,” she says. “Somebody has to be willing to not be afraid to speak up.”

While Patrice and Garry haven’t gotten married, they did celebrate their love with commitment ceremony, which Patrice says was “the happiest day of my life.”

“It was like the next best thing to getting legally married,” she shares. Garry adds, “The day was something I had completely dreamed of that I never thought would happen for me.” 

The film’s director, Tom Passon, says he hopes the film brings awareness to the marriage penalty, sharing, “We’re really hoping that this film can help be that national conversation so that something can finally change after all these years.”

For Patrice, she’s hoping viewers who watch the movie will be inspired to speak out and lend their support, while Garry hopes viewers will simply realize disabled people are just like everyone else. 

“We’re no different. We want the same wants, we want the same things,” he says. “And you know, we want to be able to do the same things you do, only we do them differently.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.