THE LONG ROAD HOME Begins from National Geographic

Jeri Jacquin

Beginning this week on the National Geographic channel is the global miniseries event with creator Mikko Alanne telling the story of THE LONG  ROAD HOME.

Aguero (E.J. Bonilla) is with the First Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood but also a family man leaving behind wife Amber (Katie Paxton) and two small children to serve overseas. His youngest son Elijah is not taking it well and Aguero explains that he must go with the other soldiers because he is their leader. His son takes it the wrong way but it weighs heavy on his heart.

The next morning the entire company boards their transport to leave for Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq. Getting ready for transfer of authority Gary Volesky (Michael Kelly) prepares for the change working with Troy Denomy (Jason Ritter). Aguero, Sgt. Eric Bourquin (Jon Beavers), SPC Acevedo (Franklin Silverio), SPC Garza (Jorge Diaz), Sgt. Jackson (Joshua Brennan), Spc Carl Wild (Thomas McDonell) and the company are going through town learning the streets.

Stopping to visit with children along with translator Jassim Al-Lani (Darius Homayoun) they are being watched. Sgt. Miltenberger (Jeremy Sisto) makes it clear to the other soldiers that things aren’t always what they appear and that they need to be prepared for that.

Back home Gina Denomy (Kate Bosworth) begins working with Leann Volesky (Sarah Wayne Callies) in putting care packages together for the soldiers. Leann tells the families that help is only a phone call away and they should be afraid to reach out.

In Iraq, the platoon encounters weapons that are inside a mosque and when confronted, tensions rise. Calmed down by allowing the weapons to stay inside the mosque, the soldiers go on their way. Returning to their mission, the convoy is fired upon and they are trapped in an ambush. Taking fire from machine guns, they are forced to run through road blocks and into smoke laden streets where seeing is difficult at best.

At Camp War Eagle the wounded are being brought in and Volesky’s story is told. Celebrating Christmas early with his wife Leann and their young son Alex, the couple deals with last minute life things like changing the oil on the car.

Sadr City has become even more dangerous as the troops begin to search for those shooting at the convoy. This is a fire fight that isn’t going to stop soon.

Bonilla as Aguero is the leader of the group and it is clear why. He knows what needs to be done and leads his men. Trying to find positions to protect them all, he waits while Volesky decides on the next course of action.

Kelly as Commander Volesky believes in the mission of returning every soldier under his command home again. As the ambush breaks out, he must bring about the best plan to take more soldiers into for a rescue. Seeing the wounded men pushes him harder to find answers. Beavers as Sgt. Bourquin doesn’t settle fools lightly and is clear on what he must do. The first casualty brings up Bourquin’s suspicions of their interpreter as he finds it difficult to deal with.

Boseworth as Gina is raising a newborn while waiting word from her husband Troy. When it becomes clear that something is going on in Sadr City, she turns to Leann. Callies as Leann feels she has the trust of the women under her husbands command and does her best to keep them calm. Karina Ortiz is Lupita Garza who is the first to hear about the attack in Sadr City and wants answers.

This is only the first episode with Into the Unknown airing Tuesday, November 14^th at 10 p.m. on National Geographic. It is a series that is to be experienced in it’s telling of the eight-hour battle that happened in Sadr City on April 4, 2004. Told in real time it is a confrontation of innocent Iraqis and trapped soldiers whose families are at home waiting for news.

The film is based on the New York Times bestselling book The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family by Martha Raddatz. She is the chief global affairs correspondent for ABC News and over a twenty year period she has covered the White House and conflict zones world wide. 

Please consider being a part of this experience from National Geographic. Also know that the scenes are intense and in that are the stories of these brave men. There is a frustration level in the first episode alone as these soldiers must come to terms with their situation and how to survive it.

Once again National Geographic has brought a compelling story to television. THE LONG ROAD HOME is just that – compelling and heartfelt in so many ways. This miniseries is worthy of discussion after just the first two episodes and I will be watching every single one of them.

In the end – it is a story of men, their families and a battle for survival.

The Boys are Back with PRISON BREAK Event Series on Bluray!

Jeri Jacquin

This week from 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the return of a mega-hit series on Fox as the boys are back with PRISON BREAK Event Series.

Seven years has passed and Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is back to his old tricks owing money to a local dealer. He is more than surprised when T-Bag (Robert Knepper) knocks on his door with news that is shocking. In an envelope is a paper photograph that looks like Linc’s brother Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller).

Refusing to believe it, Linc throws T-Bag out the door but keeps the paper. Letting it set in that it might be true, he begins to figure out the clue that takes him to sister-in-law Sara (Sarah Wayne Callies). He shows her the photograph and it sets off hope for them both that it might be true. The problem is that Sara is now married to Jacob Ness (Mark Feuerstein) who is helping to raise her son Mike (Christian Cooper).

In a prison in Yemen, inmate Kaniel Outis is forming a plan to escape with fellow cell mates Whip (Augustus Prew), Ja (Rick Yune) and Mustapha (Bobby Naderi). Every night they go to the roof waiting for a sign that it’s time to run. Linc has tried to make contact with Michael by going to Yemen with C-Note who has converted to Islam and can help.

At home, T-Bag receives a new hand thanks to a donor who specifically requested to help him. Sara waits for word when Van Gogh (Steve Mouzakis) and A&W (Marina Benedict), two armed intruders shoot Jacob and try to get her and Mike. Swift thinking brings the police and send Jacob to the hospital. Recovering, Sara and Jacob talk about the possibility that Michael might still be alive.

Getting closer to escape, things go differently when ISIL comes closer to the town and the prison. When Michael rescues a terrorist leader Abu Ramal, Linc wonders if his brother is in deeper than he could have imagined. Being helped by Sheba (Inbar Lavi), the war intrudes on the escape and a decision is made that she must escape with C-Note and others before they are captures.

That puts Michael, Linc, Whip, Ja and Mustapha on the run with Abu Ramal. In a situation where no one can trust no one, it is in a split second that plans years in the making crumble. Frustrated, Linc demands to know the truth about why Michael faked his death and more importantly where has he been?

Michael finally tells his brother everything and that a man named Poseidon came to him threatening Sara and Michael. He also threaten to put everyone back in prison and disappearing to work for Poseidon was the only way to keep them safe. But Michael was betrayed and now it is time to set things straight.

But first they have to get back to the United States and Michael knows exactly what he needs to do to make things right. With the help of friends and a brother who is dedicated to family, there isn’t anything or anyone that will stand in their way.

Prepare for shock and awe of a brotherly kind!

Miller as Michael Scofield still has the intense gaze of a man who is always thinking, planning and doing what ever it takes to make things happen. There is a stand-offishness about this character but then again there has to be, especially when trust is something hard to come by after seven years dead.

Purcell as Linc has the same intense gaze and has no problem flattening anyone that gets in his way. The funny thing is that in scenes with Miller, they could easily be mistaken for brothers because of that serious “I’ll kick your ass” gaze. Purcell has a chance to show a softer side of the character he has made iconic.

Callies as Sara is once again married to a man who is a little obsessive about his wife and family. A strong pull back to Michael means she will do anything to help him, even if it means going against what her new husband wants.

Knepper as T-Bag has such a way about him. Working his prose into his mood is something that can either make you laugh or wonder what evil lurks. Having been the bad dude for so long, it’s hard to see the character turn a new leaf. Dunbar as C-Note has changed his life up but not so much that he doesn’t remember how to throw down.

Feuerstein as Jacob loves his life with wife Sarah and boy Michael. He doesn’t want anything to interfere with that, including a supposed dead husband rising up to mess with his home life. Feuerstein has the ability to give off the caring guy characteristics yet when he isn’t happy, there is a glassy eyed look that might as well have a flashing sign above his head that says ‘psycho here!’

Prew as Whip is a man who is taken in by Michael and has a short fuse. He wants things done quickly and gawd forbid if there is an encounter with a weapon – he kinds of loses his mind a bit. Feeling like he has a brother in Michael, even when feeling a bit left out of things at times, he always come around to help.

Benedict as Blake is seriously disturbed – the ‘shoot first and don’t bother with questions later’ kind of assassin. Mouzakis as Van Gogh is the conscious of the two even if Blake doesn’t want to hear about it. These two are settling a score for Poseidon but have a personal beef of their own.

Other cast include Paul Adelstein as Paul Kellerman, Amaury Nolasco as Fernando Sucre, Amin El Gamal as Cyclops, Kunal Sharma as Sid, Curtis Lum as Agent Kishida, Crystal Balint as Heather, TJ Ramini as Cross and Akin Gazi as Omar.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The Bluray includes the 309 minutes total episodes Ogygia, Kaniel Outis, The Liar, The Prisoner’s Dilemma, Contingency, Phaecia, Wine Dark Sea, Progeny and Behind the Eyes. The 3 disc set also includes the Special Features of A Return Home: The Making of Prison Break Event Series.

PRISON BREAK Event Series on Bluray is a fantastic revisiting of characters that took over Fox once a week. Leaving fans feeling empty when the series came to a close on television, This storyline is a chance to bring closure in a very cool way and giving both Michael and Linc a chance at a normal existence…for a while at least.

This is a seriously fun, awesome, intense and twisted storyline for the boys who made PRISON BREAK memorable. The characters of Michael and Linc took brotherhood to a whole new level and I have to say that these two made breaking out of anything a little nerve wrackingly exciting so thanks for that!

In the end – first it was a prison and now it’s a nation!