Actress Lara Jean Chorostecki dishes on playing Freddie Lounds in the TV drama Hannibal and what it’s like to rehash the story of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and working with a trio of great actors.

With four novels and five films featuring the iconic psychopath Dr. Hannibal Lecter—made famous by Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs— one might think his story is said and done. But with characters so complex and mysterious as Dr. Lecter, can we ever really get enough?

Not according to television producer and writer, Bryan Fuller, who has brought back the twisted mind of the famous doctor (based on the Thomas Harris novels) we love to hate onto the TV screen in the NBC series Hannibal.

In this version, Hannibal explores the early relationship between the renowned psychiatrist (played by Mads Mikelson) and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler (Hugh Dancy), who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers. It also explores a cast of characters who are immersed in Hannibal Lecter’s world including relentless tabloid reporter, Freddie Lounds (Lara Jean Chorostecki), who will stop at nothing to get a story. But does she also show signs of sociopathic tendencies?

According to Canadian actress, Lara Jean Chorostecki—who has made a name for herself on the Stratford stage and several movie and television series, including Camelot, Brandon Cronenberg’s feature film Antiviral, BBC America’s 1860s Irish cop drama Copper, Beauty and the Beast, Republic of Doyle and The Listener—when you’re in the world of Hannibal, anything can happen.

In a recent interview, Chorostecki dished about what it’s like being on the hit show, turning the character (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman in Red Dragon) female, and how those super tight red curls help her dig into the mindset of her character’s sociopathic nature.

Hannibal is a character we can’t seem to get enough of. What was it about the project that appealed to you?

Chorostecki: Because it’s been redone so much you can run into the problem of people saying, “Why re-do this again? What’s different?” Of course, that’s your first instinct going back to this story that’s been done quite well so many other times. What intrigued me was that Bryan Fuller was behind it and he’s incredible. His track record of really quality TV speaks for itself. His imagination is amazing. Also, David Slade (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) was signed on for the pilot and his work is also great. Then it was basically Mads, Hugh and Laurence being on board that sealed the deal. So, when you look at a story that’s been rehashed, you just need to look at this trio of actors and you know it’s going to be stellar. Everything about this project was so appealing.

Were you surprised when you got the part?

Chorostecki: Of course! David Slade helped me along in the audition process and really helped me to figure out who my character was.

You play Freddie Lounds who is, in the novels and in previous films, a male character. What was it like turning Freddie female and did you look back to other people’s performances?

Chorostecki: Of course I wanted to forge ahead and make my own character but I did actually re-watch Red Dragon because I remembered really enjoying it. I’ve seen all of them before this project including Manhunter. In a way, re-watching it and reading the scripts and book, I realized that the character had so much room that it didn’t really really matter that the character was initially male. But what I really love about this version of my character is that Bryan has taken some of the stuff from the novel and kept it in tact. There’s a great line in one of the episodes where Will Graham says to Freddie that her style of reporting “is obnoxious” and that’s directly lifted from the Thomas Harris novel. It’s great that although we’re putting our own spin on her, the level of sociopathy and her no-holds-barred attitude in order to get what she wants, is still in tact. I like that this could be translated and that gender doesn’t really matter. Even though she’s female, we’re not making her any less shrewd.

Tell me a bit about your Freddie?

Chorostecki: My Freddie is ambitious and she doesn’t have much of a moral center. But I think she’s learning along the way that she has to temper herself to be able to get what she really wants. She’s still not really willing to compromise but she’s willing to play ball a little more with the powers that be in order to get ahead. That said, her number one concern is herself.

Is it fun to play a character who is so entirely different from you personally?

Chorostecki: Yes it is! She’s really fun to play because she’s so opposite from me. Freddie would never say “sorry!” It’s great to sort of reach way down deep inside yourself and find those little bits of amoral tendencies or in Freddie’s case, sociopathic tendencies, and bring them out and be able to expand them. That’s the joy of being an actor and playing characters that are so diverse and opposite to myself.

Because of the gender bender of this role, did Bryan Fuller give you some creative freedom with Freddie?

Chorostecki: Yes, absolutely, and Bryan has such a long trajectory for these characters that we’re constantly building them out. There’s a certain blueprint ahead for her because of the novels but whether or not he decides to stick clearly to them, remains to be seen. But there’s definitely growth. Even within the mythology there are things that she does in the books that we can explore. It’s such a creative atmosphere on set in all areas so everyone has a creative say.

I heard that British reporter Rebekah Brooks was a strong blueprint for the character. Did you read about her for inspiration?

Chorostecki: Oh absolutely I did! I read a great article about her in Vanity Fair called “Untangling Rebekah Brooks.” It’s a great expose on her own career trajectory and it was great to read and gave me insight into this woman and what got her to where she is now and her troubles. I thought, “What about that can I use?” A lot of it is useful to understand what a woman in this day and age needs to do to get to the top of her career.

Let’s talk about Freddie’s hair! How long does it really take to get those curls so tight and precise?

Chorostecki: The hair is amazing! To get those curls so tight, when we first started it took about two and a half to three hours. But eventually we got it down to an hour and a half! Over the span of eight months we got it down right. The hair was also inspired by Rebekah Brooks so that was the kind of starting point of her whole look. It certainly helps me when I’m sitting in that chair going through that bit of transformation. When the hair is all done, I think, “Oh yeah, that’s Freddie.”

Hannibal has such a great cast including Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen and Laurence Fishburne? What’s it like on set and working with these great actors?

Chorostecki: They’re all so amazing! I mean, Laurence is Laurence. His experience just speaks for itself. He’s incredible. Hugh is such an amazing actor. With his character, you feel for him. He’s able to show many layers and even with all of his character’s psychological issues and quirks you still want to hug him. I’m lucky because my character gets to interact with everyone. With Mads, he’s really shown me that being subtle can be powerful. He can show almost nothing on his face and you know exactly what he’s thinking. He’s extremely charismatic and he’s really brilliant and inspiring to watch. I sound like a little schoolgirl, but going head to head with Laurence Fishburne is awesome! Working with this cast makes me elevate my own level of acting by simply stepping up onto the plate and being on par with these guys.

Hannibal airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. est on NBC. Don’t miss it!

Press photo of Chorostecki © Shaun Benson

—By Toni-Marie Ippolito

 

 Don’t let them make you sweat! Frustrated with sweat stains and not feeling  fresh all day long? These new Power Deodorants from Lady Speed Stick keep you dry and fresh for up to 24 hours. Plus, enter to WIN a Lady Speed Stick gift basket!

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Is there anything worse than breaking out in a sweat when you have an important event, meeting or romantic date?

Sweaty armpits are not only uncomfortable, but they can also ruin your clothes and, let’s be honest, leave embarrassing sweat stains.

With so many deodorants on the market, it’s hard to know which ones really deliver on their promises to keep you fresh, clean and smelling great. Recently, I was asked to test out two products from the Lady Speed Stick Power collection (in Cool Breeze (solid) and Fresh Fusion (Gel) fragrances). Both deodorants promised to keep me fresh from day to night and help reduce sweat.

What better way to test out these products than with a jammed week full of meetings, events, workouts and an interview with a hot celebrity?

The Workout – Goal: Smelling Great
OK, it’s a given that you’re allowed to sweat it out when you’re working out or at the gym but it’s not acceptable to smell bad. Before one of my hard workouts, I decided to use the Lady Speed Stick Power Fresh Fusion formula. It glided on super easy and dried under the armpits by the time I changed into my workout clothes. Even though I was sweating, throughout my entire workout, and even before I hit the shower, I continued to smell fresh. Bonus! Also, it did help reduce the amount of sweat I normally have.

The Power Meetings – Goal: Feeling Fresh and Dry
I often attend meetings during the week with high-powered professionals and industry types. Not only is it important to have a sharp mind, but to also dress stylish. Now that the weather has warmed out, I’ve been wearing thin blouses and cotton shirts. At the start of my day, I used the Lady Speek Stick Power Cool Breeze solid formula to see if it kept its promise to keep me fresh from morning to night. I don’t normally sweat like crazy, but I have to admit that compared to another deodorant I used, this one really delivered on its promise. I stayed fresh smelling and pretty dry throughout the day and well into the evening.

The Celebrity Interview – Goal: Staying Dry and Free of Wet Stains
I interview a lot of celebrities for my job and this week was no exception. Sometimes you forget how much your armpit sweat glands work overtime when you’re revved up for something. So my goal before my interview with The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder, was to not only be dry but also avoid wet stains under my armpits. You see, I’m an animated talker (as is Ian, I learned) and love to use my hands and raise my arms. Wet stains are therefore NOT an option.
Putting Lady Speed Stick through my final test, I wore (gasp) a silk blouse. Throughout my interview with Mr. Somerhalder, aka Damon Salvatore, I could feel a bit of sweat coming on. However, I ultimately won the battle against the wet stain! The Lady Speed Stick Power Antiperspirant in Cool Breeze helped to keep me smelling great but also kept the sweat at bay long enough to keep my  blouse dry and avoid embarrassment.

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While in Toronto, Ian Somerhalder dished about what we can expect for The Vampire Diaries upcoming season finale. Who will Elena choose?

Now that Elena has settled into life as a vampire, will she take the cure? Will she finally reveal who her true love is? Will she pick Damon or Stefan? Will graduation go without a hitch?

Season four of The Vampire Diaries was a series of ups and downs for our favourite characters of Mystic Falls and no one felt it more than Ian Somerhalder, whose character Damon was put through the ringer both physically and emotionally.

“I got my ass kicked by Elena all season long,” said Somerhalder laughing during an interview in Toronto promoting his new environmental venture with Cree Light bulbs. “This season, there was a very interesting the dynamic of creating drama about the idea of having this push/pull thing in life. We really want things to happen and they don’t happen the way we want them to. We are in love with someone but we can’t have them, or we want them but it’s not right. These are things we all go through and it’s been happening to Damon all season but in the finale, we’ll see what decision Elena makes and it’s a dramatic.”

Although Somerhalder couldn’t reveal any real spoilers he does say that Vampire Diaries fanatics will be entertained. “Elena does make a very important decision,” Somerhalder said. “Question you have will be answered about Bonnie and you’ll find out a lot.”

With the finale set to air Thursday, May 16^th Somerhalder also shared his feelings about ending a nine and a half month long season full of 17-hour days and losing some of their cast to the spin-off, The Originals.

“To us it’s just another episode,” Somerhalder said of the finale. “It will be episode number 89! These episodes really run together for us and we work really hard. This finale took about 13 days to shoot and a lot blood sweat and tears went into it.”

And with The Originals—starring Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies and Clair Holt who play Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah respectively—being picked up for a full season, Somerhalder admits losing his co-stars will be bittersweet.

“These actors are going to leave us. These actors are very, very valuable to us,” Somerhalder said with regret. ”They’re really, really good. I’m a little unclear how things are going to work (for next season). To be honest, it makes me a little uneasy because I don’t know who’s coming in. Joseph Morgan, Claire Holt and Daniel Gillies are phenomenal actors and for my own selfish reasons and for the integrity of our show, I don’t want to see them leave. But I imagine they’re gonna float back and forth a little.”

As for Damon, according to Somerhalder, he’ll stay put in Mystic Falls and will not be wreaking havoc in New Orleans, which will be Klaus’ new town.

For now, it’s only a short goodbye until the cast meets up for Season 5 this fall.

“You develop these relationships with people you work with that run deep, sometimes deeper than with your family. We’ve done this show for four years. It’s really an amazing thing we go through.”

The Vampire Diaries Season 4 finale airs on Thursday, May 16 at 8 p.m EST.

—By Toni-Marie Ippolito

With all the mergers and mind games going on in Mad Men, one can’t help but think that margarine is the only real deal.

Margarine: a product that is pretending to be butter. How exactly do you sell something that’s not the original? Can margarine be passed off as butter? Who better to think of something creative than the guys at SCDP —or whatever they plan to call themselves now that they’ve merged with CGC. But even they can’t really come up with something good. Maybe it’s because they’re all pretending to be something their not. Does Bob Benson even belong there?

When the creative folks get together with Peggy, smug at the head of the creative table, to think of a campaign for Fleischmann’s Margarine, things don’t go as planned when Don doesn’t show. When Don walks in late, Ted lets him have it saying that being late is not acceptable. Really, it was just a way to flex his muscles in front of Don, with whom he’s always been competitive. It may have been one sided at one time, but now, Ted is bating Don in the game of “anything you can do, I can do better.” How long is it going to take these two to realize they’re now on the same side?

After Ted scolds him, Don reaches for the bottle and decides to put Ted in his place by challenging him to an unspoken drinking match disguised as a creative meeting about margarine. Of course, Don wins that pissing match. No one messes with Don and his booze. (Remember that episode when he got Roger back for hitting on Betty by getting him smashed and making him walk several flights of stairs forcing him to puke in front of clients?) As I said, don’t mess with Don and scotch.

But just when Don thinks he’s got the last say, on this day anyway, Ted gets a point when he pilots his own plane to a Mohawk airline meeting during a storm. Don breaks out in a sweat and Ted loves every minute of it.

More rivalry at the office comes between Roger and Cutler, who are both at odds as to whom to fire. No matter what, Roger gets a leg up on his end of things by firing Burt Peterson, again, with biting sarcasm that only Roger can pull off with hilarity.

One guy that does make the cut is Bob Benson. The guy who Costanza’d his way into SCDP. After taken care of Joan by taking her to the hospital and sucking up by bringing her son a football, Joan basically saves his butt in the boardroom just when he was about to get chopped. Having Joanie on your side is key so this guy has some cunning ambition.

So what’s going on with poor Pete? He’s been punched out, kicked out, and has literally fallen on his ass. Is it worse this time around that there was no chair for him? With his mom sick at his tiny apartment, he also misses out on the Mohawk airline meeting. But hey, Pete Campbell on the verge of collapse makes for some good T.V. That, and Harry losing his office, again!

With Peggy taking over Harry’s old office, once again her ego takes the front seat. She prances into Don’s office to rip him a new one, telling him to lay off Ted. At one point she even alludes to the merger being a way to get her back at SCDP. Right, Peggy. Something is brewing with Peggy and one can’t help but wonder what will happen to her place at this new agency, especially if she “goes there” with Ted.

All in all, it was a decent episode with things steering back to the agency antics. It will be interesting to see how this merger plays out. Of course, we’ll have to continue to endure “Sad Don” who, this episode,  showed some weird controlling sexual behaviors with Sylvia. When she’s smart enough to finally break it off with Don at the end of the episode, it really seemed to push Don off his game. Even Megan’s account of her day couldn’t snap him out of it.

To make matters worse, news of Bobby Kennedy’s assassination sends everyone over the edge. Gosh, those ‘60s were trying times.

Mad Men airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC.

—Toni-Marie Ippolito

While Dany continues her own war out in the east, back in Westeros, relationships take hold and Jaime “the Kingslayer” Lannister becomes a true hero.

Game of Thrones, Season 3, Episode 7, “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”—As GOT reaches the half mark, The Bear and the Maiden Fair episode slowed things down a bit, but for good reason. Focusing on relationships between characters like Jon Snow and Ygritte, Robb Stark and his pregnant queen, Tyrion and Shea as well as Tywin and Joffrey, was all meant for us to take more stock into these characters and make us care. But for what, exactly?

In the Wilding camp, as they continue their journey south, Jon learns the code of the people beyond the wall from Orell—who nearly killed him and Ygritte during their climb— telling him that the wildings “love each other when it suits them and they kill each other when it suits them.” Later, during a conversation with Ygritte, Jon tries to set her straight telling her they can’t win the war against the army at Castle Black, reminding her it’s happened six times, all with devastating loss on her people. What was interesting, though, is when Jon says to Ygritte, “you will all die.” Ygritte catches on to the “you people” part and reminds Jon that he is hers and if they die, they die together, which throws Jon off. So, is Jon really loyal to Ygritte and the Wildings? Perhaps not, and we can only expect devastation here at some point.

On their way to Walder Frey’s home for the wedding of Edmure Tully to one of his bazillion daughters, Robb has an intimate moment with his wife, Talisa, who tells the king of the north that she’s pregnant. You couldn’t help getting a feeling of doom and gloom when Talisa makes Robb promise that they travel to her homeland of Volantis when the war is over and he says “Yes, I promise.” (What else would you expect from George R.R. Martin?)

King Joffrey, ensconced on his throne, calls a meeting with his Hand, Lord Tywin Lannister. Joffrey takes issue with the location of his Small Council meetings and inquires about rumors of dragons. Tywin’s pointed responses make it clear to Joffrey that his grandfather is the one in charge.

At King’s Landing, the scene pans to King Joffrey looking exceptionally small as he sits on the Iron Throne waiting his grandfather, Tywin, to meet with him. He asks Tywin about the rumor of a Targaryen with dragons in the east and commands his grandfather that they must do something. Tywin begins to give a history lesson about how the Targaryens all died and makes a point of making Joffrey seem even more insignificant than he already is by letting him know that he is actually the one in charge.

Lady Margaery also let’s us know that she’s in charge of her destiny. She continues to counsel Sansa on the duties of being a good wife and tells her she will get use to her marriage to Tyrion. She tells Sansa, to make the best of her duty and that if they have a child it will be the heir of Casterly Rock. This doesn’t really seem to soothe the Stark beauty who has been mentally tortured since she was taken hostage in season one.

Tyrion, on the other hand, has seemed to accept his duty and is mostly uneasy about bedding a woman at her young age. But Shea doesn’t take the news lightly. In private, he presents Shae with expensive golden chains, telling her that she can buy a ship with them if she wants to. She doesn’t accept the gift and believes that once he marries Sansa, their relationship will be over. Where will that leave Shea? Another woman scorned in King’s Landing doesn’t look good for Tyrion.

In the Brotherhood Without Banners camp, Arya yearns for Gendry, who learns from Melisandre that his is a Baratheon. When the men get up to lead a raid on some Lannisters nearby, Arya realizes she will not be taken to Riverrun and her family so she flees. She runs into the forest only to be caught by the Hound. What else did you expect? You know a Stark hardly ever gets a break.

Out east, Dany, who is looking rather haggard these days, continues her slave raid to the Yunkai who don’t welcome her with open arms. At this point, do we care? I suppose there’s a reason for this, her lingering on in the east, but like in the books, it’s a little too dragged out.

When Dany meets with leader Razdal mo Eraz, he offers her gold and ships if she and her Unsullied agree to leave in peace and go back to Westeros. Now, with an Unsullied army of thousands and three dragons, why wouldn’t she just accept and go fight back in Westeros for her throne? Instead, Dany continues her quest on freeing slaves. When she demands that Razdal free all slaves, he declines warning her that they have powerful friends protecting the city and that she better watch her back.

Back in who knows where, Theon continues to be tortured. When two women approach him for some fun, Theon realizes that it’s another trap. Just when Theon begins to enjoy the company of these two women, in comes his capture with a few men. His captor tells Theon that he is about to lose his greatest asset and at that moment, he realizes he’s about to be castrated.

At Harrenal Jaime is released by Lord Bolton—who is on his way to the Tully/Frey wedding. Jaime says goodbye to Brienne who is left there to die. Brienne reminds Jaime to hold his promise to return the Stark girls home, to which is swears to once again.  On his way home, Jaime realizes that Locke, who’s holding Brienne hostage, has refused Lord Tarth’s reward for her return. Jaime then bribes the men to go back and save her.

At the castle, Jaime finds a crowd watching Brienne fighting a huge bear with a wooden sword. Jaime then jumps into the pit to get between the bear and Brienne and saves her.

Game of Thrones airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Canada.

—Toni-Marie Ippolito

Can nail polish really effect your eyes and facial skin? You bet. Say goodbye to runny eyes or skin rashes with the help of these new nail polishes.

So how exactly can nail enamel cause an allergic reaction? Did you know that on average a person touches their eyes up to 200 times a day? You may not even realize you’re doing it and if you have a polish that’s full of chemicals, your eyes can become irritated and watery.

According to a study done by Clinique—a brand known for their products being allergy free—nail enamel can also cause irritation and dermatitis around the thin skin around the eye. Amongst the dermatological community, nail enamel is also considered a significant allergen source for periorbital dermatitis—a facial rash that develops around the lower and upper eyelids.

If you suffer from any of these symptoms or find that your eyes often water when you rub them, consider your polish as the culprit. With this in mind, Clinique was up to the challenge to create nail enamel free from allergens and irritants. In fact, “A Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins” was six years in the making and is formulated to minimize skin sensitivity. It is Dermatologist tested, Ophthalmologist tested and appropriate for sensitive skins and sensitive eyes.

The polish comes in 12 beautiful shades (with nine limited edition candy-coloured shades for summer) and when applied give high shine and remain chip resistant for up to seven days. The polishes are also super easy to apply because of the thin, flat brush, which allows for a controlled spread of colour across the nail bed—something that also prevents those nasty streaks.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan, The Great Gatsby movie is no doubt the most opulent and decadent movie of the year. Transporting us back to the roaring ’20s, the sets and the costumes are a feast for the senses, says the movie’s costume designer Catherine Martin.

In the new, big screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel director, writer and producer Baz Luhrmann takes things up a level and revamping the story to epic proportions. According to producer, costume and set designer Catherine Martin (she’s also director Baz Luhrmann’s wife), the film is so grand, you’ll feel as though you’ve been dropped right into every scene.

In Gatsby, would-be writer Nick Carraway  leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922—an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks—he lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (DiCarprio), and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.

In this video interview, Gastby costume and production set designer Catherine Martin dishes on the ’2os fashions and what it means today.

The Great Gatsby opens May 10 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher and Elizabeth Debicki.

—Toni-Marie Ippolito

Have you forgotten about our most favourite vamps from Bon Temps? The wait is almost over. Take a sneak peek into what you can expect for the much-anticipated Season 6 of True Blood. 

When we last left Sookie, her fary powers were waning, Eric was a good guy and Bill was turned into a super vicious vamp. Can Bill ever make it back to the caring vamp he was? Will Eric be Sookie’s main squeeze?

Check out the new trailer released by HBO.

Season six of True Blood premieres June 16 at 9 p.m.

Episode 6 of Mad Men finally brings back the greatness that’s been missed as things finally pick up with Roger saving the day and a turn of events that will knock everyone’s socks off.

Mad Men, Season 6, Episode 6, “For Immediate Release”—Finally, an episode that brought excitement back to the agency world and away from the “woe is me” attitudes we’ve been subjected to for most of this season. A lot of change went down in this episode. From a whorehouse to the super friendly skies to secret meetings behind closed doors and bars—it was business as usual for the gang at SCDP, but with an added twist.

Thank goodness for Roger. He was a true hero in this episode. For someone who has slacked in terms of business, he really slammed it home in this episode in classic Roger form using wit, charm and a lot of sex.

In bed with a cute flight attendant named Daisy, Roger reminds us what a cunning business man he is. Using Daisy to get leads on clients at the airport lounge (how clever!), his plan pays off when she calls Roger about a lead on a businessman at the airport. Roger grabs a flight bag and runs out of the office. When he arrives at the lounge, he meets with Mikey and gets Daisy to book him on his flight. We later learn that Mikey is from Chevrolet.

While Roger flies the high skies, Don is left to dine with that Jaguar sleaze ball Herb Rennet and his annoying wife, Peaches, along with Megan and her mother. While the girls are powdering their noses, Herb tells Don he has a guy who works for him who writes flyers and that Don should let him in on his work. This insult gets Don riled up, leading Don to fire Herb and fires him as a client. Good riddance to Herb.

Back at SCDP, Pete goes to Kenny’s office to tell him that he saw his father-in-law at a whorehouse the night before. Worried this will affect the Vicks account, Kenny tells Pete not to worry, and that he won’t pull it because he doesn’t want to get found out. At that moment, the phone rings and Kenny and Pete find out that Jaguar has been dropped causing Pete to erupt in frenzy.

We haven’t seen Pete get punched out in a while so it was great to see him fall down the office stairs while yelling at Don for firing Jaguar. Joan, the only one who seems to bring office decorum back in line, shuffles the men into the boardroom where Pete tells Don that he’s ruined SCDP’s chances for going public (something he, Bert and Joan have been cooking up in secret). In perfect timing, Roger walks in and tells them they all have a meeting about a secret car Chevy is launching that he’s secured a pitch meeting. This raises morale but not for Pete or Joan who reminds Don that losing Jaguar meant what she did was for nothing. In all fairness, though, Don was the only one who told Joan not to sleep with the sleaze bucket. Plus, she did get a partnership out of it. No sympathy for Joan here.

But when one door closes, another opens. When Don sees Tom from CGC enter the Detroit bar where he’s having a late nightcap, the two trade stories on how the industry is rigged and when Don suggests they merge for the account, things take a interesting turn.

Back in New York, Peggy, who’s still reeling from Tom kissing her earlier in the episode, is called into Tom’s office. She gives herself the once over before she goes in, obviously hoping for another kiss. But what she gets instead is a big fat kisser to the face, so to speak, when after she asks Tom how the Chevy meeting went she sees Don there. Don replies to her question saying that SCDP and CGC have won Chevy together. “They wanted our ideas and a big agency, so we gave them both,” Ted says. Shocked to learn about the merger, Peggy is asked to write a press release announcing the merger of the two firms.

Noting that Peggy didn’t seem too pleased with the news, it will be interesting to see how this new dynamic will play out for the rest of the team.

Finally, some mad ad agency drama!

—Toni-Marie Ippolito

Director J.J. Abrams talks about the much-anticipated sequel to Star Trek: Into Darkness, and how it will blow your mind. We say, beam us up!

The stars of Star Trek return in what director/producer J.J. Abrams says will be an epic adventure. “In this version what we did is light years beyond what we did in the first movie,” Abrams says.

Into the Darkness sees the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), forcing Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) to lead a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

In this video featurette, director J.J. Abrams talks about how Into The Darkness promises to be even more exciting this time around and what you can expect.

Star Trek Into Darkness opens May 10 and stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller.

—Toni-Marie Ippolio