Sunday night used to be a Dead Zone for new drama, but now five of the strongest shows of the year, on network and cable, dominate.
It’s good news that some of the most talented Latinos in Hollywood are getting regular work in some of the dramas on the air; this Sunday five of the strongest debut their new season on CBS, ABC and Showtime.
Dexter, 9P on Showtime. The most anticipated is probably Dexter, where David Zayas and Lauren Vélez have been turning in some of the most powerful (and least-appreciated) performances on television since the show began in 2006; this year the ever-busy Aimee Garcia returns for a second season as Zayas’ sister with a creepy sub-plot of her own, and Venezuelan-born, world-traveling Santiago Cabrera, of Che, Heroes, Merlin (a Latino Lancelot? Hell, yes!) and For Greater Glory is joining this year, playing “a charming investigative writer of true crime books about famous murder cases.”
Dexter has always been a “Latino-friendly” show, often offering up season-long arcs that have been showcases for some incredible Latino talent, including Jimmy Smits as an (eventually) murderous politician and Edward James Olmos as a (completely ghostly) homicidal co-maniac, not to mention multi-episode appearances by Jesse Borrego, April L. Hernandez, Valerie Cruz, Pablo Soriano and many others.
Homeland, 10P on Showtime. Morena Baccarin of Firefly and V returns to the Emmy-sweeping Homeland as the long-suffering wife of war-hero-maybe-terrorist Nichola Brody. Morena has been consistently busy for a decade now, since she first came to national attention on Joss Whedon’s Firefly, then moved on to half a dozen other series–everything from Heartland to The O.C. To Stargate SG-1–before landing her current gig. She was even the voice of Black Canary on Justice League. And tonight’s episode is directed by Emmy nominee, Michael Cuesta.
Once Upon a Time, 8P on ABC. Lana Parrilla has been the stand-out star since Once magically appeared a year ago; now the Emmy nominee and ALMA award winner, returns for another year of plotting and mayhem in the modern-day retelling of every fairly tale you ever knew. And former Lost and Alcatraz veteran Jorge Garcia is scheduled to appear in an early episode of the new season as–not surprisingly–a giant.
Revenge, 9P on ABC. This elaborate nighttime soap turned out to be the surprise hit of the 2011-2012 season–along with Once Upon a Time, one of the few real successes of the season for ABC. Madeline Stowe is one of the reasons, and she returns as the imperious queen of the clan, ready to ruin things for vengeful Emily Van Camp. (Come on, you don’t think that bomb really killed her, do you?)
The Good Wife, 9p on CBS. Makenzie Vega’s role in The Good Wife, as Julianne Margulies’ daughter, has grown from incidental to essential, and she’s back for the new season beginning now. Makenzie, who celebrated her eighteenth birthday this year, was barely seven years old when she starred in her first series, as Peter Horton’s daughter in the short-lived Geena Davis Show back in 2001; now she’s well past the point of being known exclusively, or even primarily, as Alex Vega’s sister.
It’s worth pointing out that the talented Latinas in four of these five programs are playing vivid of but decidedly non-Latino characters. It’s great to see them getting work–that’s always a good thing–but the only show with Latinos playing Latinos is Dexter, now entering, sadly, its penultimate season.
Still, five great shows with some great Latino talent, all beginning on one night, and most of them opposite each other. Time to zap up some popcorn and set the DVR.
