Local News

Commissioners settle lawsuit with county clerk

June 25, 2024 By Joe Potter

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) recently approved a settlement to a lawsuit filed against Pasco County by Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles over funding of technology that tracks criminal justice records.

Commissioners agreed on June 18 by a vote of 4-0 to pay $1,024,069 to reimburse the clerk’s office for monies spent on the Multiagency Criminal Justice Information System, according to Ryan P. Hughes, a Pasco County public information officer.

Their decision came after County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder told them an agreement had been reached between attorneys representing Alvarez-Sowles and Pasco County regarding the lawsuit that had been filed almost three years ago.

Commissioners Kathryn Starkey, Seth Weightman and Lisa Yeager joined Commission Chairman Ron Oakley in approving the settlement. Commissioner Jack Mariano wasn’t present at the meeting.

In other business, commissioners:

Approved funding agreements for $4.1 million with the Pasco County Housing Authority for the construction of 77 units of new multifamily rental housing for homeless veterans and their families, and non-elderly disabled persons and their families.

The units will be in an addition known as Magnolia Oaks, at 7338 Massachusetts Ave., in New Port Richey.

It was anticipated in October 2021 that Pasco County’s cost for the project would be $2.1 million. However, delays in getting development of the project started due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with inflation, increased the cost to $4.1 million.

Plans call for 34 one-bedroom units, 33 two-bedroom units and 10 three-bedroom units to be constructed. Forty of the units will be for veterans, while the remaining 37 will be allocated for the non-elderly disabled.

The project will be developed in phases with Phase One consisting of 30 units beginning in the summer of 2024. Funding for the construction of these units will be provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Approved a revision to an agreement reached in 1980 that required low-income housing rental units to be constructed on 15.63 acres in Lacoochee. The property, which had been owned by the Pasco County Housing Authority, is bounded by Chapman Street to the north, Story Drive to the south, and Patti Lane and Dosha Drive in its interior.

Uradco Inc. acquired the property in July of 2019 and sold it to One Lacoochee Center Inc. in November of 2019. The site is now the subject of an economic incentive agreement and is under contract to be sold for an industrial project. The county needed to record an instrument terminating the clause listed in the deed in 1980 so One Lacoochee Center would have a clear title to the property. Development of the property for industrial use is anticipated to generate increased employment in the rural, unincorporated area of Lacoochee.

Adopted an ordinance establishing a Road Rehabilitation Services Municipal Service Taxing Unit to raise funds to make necessary improvements to county roads. Funds the county had been receiving from taxes on the sale of gasoline have not been sufficient to cover those costs according to Justin Grant, director of Pasco’s Public Infrastructure Financial Operations. Under conditions of the ordinance, the county will not continue to collect the remaining three years of a 10-year assessment residents have been required to pay because of road improvements in the areas where they live. County staff will need to prepare the first year’s Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) assessment for inclusion in the 2024 property tax bill. This will have to be done in time for a BOCC meeting in July during which the assessments must be adopted.
Agreed to the recording of a plat with performance guarantees for Pulte Home Company, LLC – Vida’s Way Legacy Phase 1A for the development of 167 residential lots on 94.985 acres on the east side of Watergrass Parkway, approximately 0.69 miles south of Overpass Road. The county received two Surety Bonds, totaling $8.255 million, to cover the cost of required infrastructure and landscaping improvements. The property is located in Commission District 1 in south central Pasco County.
Agreed to the recording of a plat with a performance guarantee for Taylor Morrison of Florida, Inc. – Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch Phases 4A & 4B for the development of 29 residential lots on 65.8 acres on the east side of Provinciale Parkway approximately 0.75 miles east of Wiregrass Ranch Boulevard. The county received a Surety Bond in the amount of $4,621,253.13 to cover the cost of required infrastructure improvements. The property is located in Commission District 2 in south central Pasco County.
Approved an ordinance that changed the zoning of 8.84 acres of property on the southern side of State Road 52, approximately 3,300 feet west of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, from RES-3 (Residential-3 DU/GA) to COM (Commercial), OF (Office), and CON (Conservation). Attorney Barbara Wilhite, who represented the applicant, informed commissioners it is planned to have the commercial portion of the property located at a frontage along SR 52. The parcel will contain 2.32 acres of OF to complement the 4-acre COM portion along SR 52. The remainder of the site can be considered as additional land for employment-generating uses.

Published June 26, 2024

These Girl Scouts are ready for a bright future

June 25, 2024 By Mary Rathman

The Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF) bestowed Gold Awards on 28 inspiring, teen world-changers from across Tampa Bay — the young women earning the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting.

Twenty-eight young women earned the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. (Courtesy of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida)

The Gold Award is available to girls in high school whose chosen project creates a significant and sustainable positive change in a community. From supporting pediatric cancer patients and their families to creating sustainable water conservation initiatives, the award-winners address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change, and lead a team of people to success, according to a news release.

The 2024 GSWCF invested more than 2,500 combined hours planning and implementing projects that tackled many pervasive issues throughout the council’s eight-county footprint and beyond, the release says.

Earning Gold Awards were: Phoebe Ancer, Macey Clay, Emma Clough, Prisha Deshmukh,

Alyssa Dufort, Maegan Heink, Jessica Hill, Molly Joiner, Kameryn Knowles, Millay Kral, Nevaeh Motes, Anneliese Murch, Olivia Ondash, Elle Orchard, Emersen Pilon, Lucia Popovich, Bianca Raises, Brynlee Rhodes, Isabel Santiago Reyes, Juliette Selman, Isabella Shafer, Grace

Siguenza, Gabriela Sosa, Josie Stromgren, Haley Thompson, Chloe Wilson, Laila Wood and Emilie Youmans.

The projects are evaluated by the High Awards Committee for scholarship opportunities, too.

Maegan Heink’s period poverty project and Emily Connor’s artistic expression project earned each of them an Ann Hensler Scholarship.

In addition, a $5,000 GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship will be presented later this summer to a GSWCF Gold Award Girl Scout whose project exemplifies the core components of the Gold Award and demonstrates extraordinary leadership to drive lasting change in her community and beyond.

“Our Gold Award Girl Scouts have demonstrated they are ready for a future of their choosing,” said CEO Mary Pat King, in the release.

“Girl Scouts has prepared them to lead others courageously and confidently as they continue a lifetime of pursuing positive change,” said King.

To learn more about the achievements, visit GSWCF.org/gold.

Published June 26, 2024

DeSantis signs $116.5B state budget into law

June 25, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state budget during a news conference in Tampa on June 12.

The state budget, House Bill 5001, comes with a price tag of $116.5 billion but is less than what was allocated in the fiscal 2023-2024 budget. DeSantis said the bottom line is providing historic support for education, conservation efforts, transportation and infrastructure along with significant tax relief.

“We are proud to maintain a AAA credit rating,” DeSantis said. “Florida is rated higher than the federal government and we’re going to continue to keep it that way…Since taking office, largely because we’ve been prudent and we’ve been fiscally responsible.”

DeSantis noted that Florida has the lowest debt-per-capita than any other state and added that it was important to keep spending in check, and one way he did that was by using his line-item veto authority.

The two-term Republican governor used his line-item veto pen to slash $949.6 million in spending from this year’s budget.

“We did close to a billion dollars worth of line-item vetos and part of that is just a reflection of we wanted to keep the budget within a certain parameter, some of the stuff I don’t think was appropriate for state tax dollars,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis pointed out that he has no issue vetoing unnecessary appropriations because he wants to prioritize paying down state debt, having large surpluses and growing the “rainy day fund.”

“So, less spending than last year, record investments, this is the most we’ve ever spent for transportation and infrastructure, for building roads, for doing all the things that we need to do,” DeSantis said.

Since 2019, the state has provided over $6 billion in tax relief for Florida businesses and residents despite not having a state income tax. DeSantis noted this is because Florida has the best policies and added that job growth in the private sector has increased by almost 250,000 jobs from April 2023 to the present.

DeSantis noted that his administration is responsible for the largest amount of money ever provided for education, which includes scholarship programs and public universities. Environmental restoration and stewardship have also been top priorities for the Legislature.

“This budget will include $1.25 billion that can only be used to increase teacher salaries,” DeSantis said. “No money to unions, no money to bureaucracy, only for teacher salary and that is more than the state of Florida has ever done.”

Published June 26, 2024

Review: ‘Camp Snoopy’ brings pathos and joy to a boy and his dog tale

June 25, 2024 By Chuck Wilson

Everything I know about summer camp I learned at the movies … and now from “Camp Snoopy,” the delightful new Apple TV series created, in part, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peanuts’ universe’s Beagle Scouts. Snoopy’s round-headed pal, Charlie Brown, is, of course, an old hand at summer camp fun (and its emotional complexities). He’s been going there since June 5, 1965, the day the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz first placed a forlorn Charlie Brown at a bus window as it drove him away from home. In a follow-up strip, Charlie Brown wrote a letter home, saying, “My first day of camp is over. I lived through it.”

In the first of the 13 20-minute “Camp Snoopy” episodes, all directed by Rob Boutilier, Snoopy, wearing his green Beagle Scout troop leader hat (with a yellow paw print as its center emblem), comes into the kitchen where Charlie Brown is preparing his little sister, Sally, for her first camp summer. Suddenly, the telephone rings. It’s Beagle Scout Headquarters with distressing news. Snoopy’s troop is on the verge of being kicked out for not having earned enough performance badges. Snoopy sputters in outrage but then does some quick arithmetic to calculate how many badges his troop has earned: 5 + (-5) = 0. To attain the necessary badges, Snoopy’s five-bird troop, which includes Woodstock, hurriedly prepares their own trip to Spring Lake. Charlie Brown and Sally take a bus. Snoopy calls a taxi.

This might be the moment to say that Spring Lake and the mountains that surround it have never been so artfully rendered. The Peanuts gang went to camp in some of the 1970s-era feature films and TV specials, but the color palettes of yesteryear pale considerably against the sweet vibrance of “Camp Snoopy.” The daytime skies over the camp are pastel blue and the verdant landscape below is darkened with a marker, as Schulz himself might do. At night, the moon shining down on the tents has rings radiating from it, like a child’s painting pinned to the refrigerator.

There are three segments in each episode, all of them jauntily scored by composer Jeff Morrow, who clearly keeps a reverent ear tuned to the original Vince Guaraldi Peanuts music. Morrow appears happiest when bringing to life the adventures of Snoopy and his Scouts, who demonstrate in each episode a key lesson from their Handbook, such as How to Pitch a Tent and the importance of being Trustworthy. They also steal all sorts of extra screen time. My favorite: Snoopy is sleeping atop his tent and his noisy snores are generating giant Zs that float up and over the tents of the bird troopers, one of whom gets so annoyed that he flies over with a butterfly net, captures Snoopy’s Zs and buries them.

Kids are sure to love the antic “Beagle vs. Bug” and relate to “Sally’s Tooth,” which finds her worried that the Tooth Fairy won’t be able to locate her at camp. Lucy is not sympathetic; she knows to always leave a forwarding address. Among the summer’s key events are a cardboard boat regatta, the presentation of the Piney Awards (Pigpen wins Tidiest Bunk), and a bonafide crisis when Linus’s blanket goes missing: “I guess I have to learn to live as one-eighth of myself.”

In the surprising “Leave It Like You Found It,” halfway through the season, the kids crash into an idyllic meadow the Beagle Scout troop has discovered and end up ruining it with loud music, trash and general disregard for the natural world. Snoopy is disgusted. The gang quickly sets things right, but the story remains jarring, one of the rare times Charlie Brown and his friends have acted rashly, and, worse, affected the world in a negative way.

The brilliant 2022 special “It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown” finds Sally becoming the protector of a lone dandelion growing in the middle of Charlie Brown’s pitcher’s mound. Desperate to clear the field for a big game, Charlie Brown grabs at the flower and the dandelion is destroyed, devastating his little sister. Such moments, so unexpectedly fraught, confirm that the Apple TV Peanuts renaissance spearheaded by Charles Schulz’s son Craig is not only pleasing to the eye but thematically ambitious. And the filmmakers are quietly bringing joy into Charlie Brown’s life. It was there at the end of “The Peanuts Movie,” and it’s all through “Camp Snoopy.” He’s still a pessimist and still trips over his own feet (literally), but he also becomes something of a touchstone for his fellow campers. They continually turn to their friend Charlie Brown for insight when they feel down on themselves. Who better?

Snoopy loves Charlie Brown, too. He always has, of course, but in the emotionally evolved Peanuts animation of today, he’s more willing to show it. As summer ends, boy and dog get locked in a storage shed and end up playing astronaut, and they’re having a blast when rescued. Not long after, it’s time to head home. Charlie Brown climbs onto the bus. We don’t see him at the window, but we know he’s not sitting alone despairing at his summer failures. He’s sitting with his friends, sure as anything, and he’s smiling.

Published June 26, 2024

Duke Energy Florida customers oppose proposed rate hike in public meeting

June 25, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Florida regulators hosted a public meeting the week of June 10 about a proposed rate increase by one of the Sunshine State’s largest electricity providers.

Duke Energy Florida filed a petition in April, requesting that the Florida Public Service Commission approve a rate increase for its residential and industrial customers. Duke Energy Florida delivers service over 13,000 square miles and serves approximately 2 million customers.

Charlotte, North Carolina, Duke Energy Plaza, corporate headquarters office building. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

According to the petition, the company wants to make the base rate increases permanent. However, the commission hearing on Tuesday saw a huge amount of pushback from customers and another hearing on the proposed rate increases is scheduled for August.

Austin Watrous, an attorney with the Office of the Public Counsel, said that Duke Energy’s base rate increases will occur every year until at least 2027.

“If their original proposal is accepted, on Jan. 1, 2025, Duke’s base rates would be increased by $593 million, $98 million more on Jan. 1 of 2026, and then another $129 million on Jan. 1 of 2027,” Watrous said.

Watrous noted that Duke Energy is entitled to a reasonable return on equity but said that Duke has requested an excessive return of around 11%.

“Our research indicates that Duke only requires a return on equity of just under 9.5%, which is consistent with the current market for electric utility operations and has been more than adequate for Duke to maintain its financial integrity and creditworthiness,” Watrous said.

A representative for Florida Rising and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) agreed that Duke’s proposed return on equity of 11% is excessive and noted that the real cost of new grid infrastructure is the same regardless of Duke’s return.

LULAC and Florida Rising said that returns on investment for other utilities in other states are trending downwards because commissions recognize that there is not much risk in investing in a monopoly utility with guaranteed profits.

Duke Energy customer Lillian Alvarez spoke to the commission about why she opposes the rate hike and said it often comes down to choosing between gas, food or electricity.

“As a Duke Energy customer, I’ve seen my light bill go up tremendously. This has also impacted me because I have to make life decisions on whether I keep my A/C on,” Alvarez said, noting that Florida’s summer heat makes this choice impossible.

Published June 26, 2024

Photo contest to showcase Pasco County

June 25, 2024 By Mary Rathman

Gulfside Healthcare Services once again is hosting its annual photo contest to showcase the beauty of Pasco County. All winners will be featured in Gulfside’s 2025 calendar.

At least 13 pictures will be chosen for the calendar, a picture for each month of 2025 and one for the remainder of 2024. In addition to the winning photos, judges will select a few entries for 2025 honorable mentions.

To be considered, photos must be taken in Pasco County and be able to be printed horizontally at 12 inches wide by 9 inches high. Entries will be reviewed by a volunteer committee made up of Gulfside staff and volunteers.

All entries are due by 5 p.m., on Aug. 15.

Contest winners will be notified by Sept. 10 (subject to change) and will receive five copies of the calendar once it is printed.

For complete contest rules and to enter, visit https://tinyurl.com/3maxe7dw, or contact the Public Relations department at for more information.

January 2024 winner “Laser Focus” by Noriko Buckles (Courtersy of Gulfside Healthcare Services)

“Fire Sunset” by Steve Hyatt, October 2024 winner

Tampa Electric wants rate hike despite opposition from customers

June 25, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Customers of one of Florida’s largest utilities had the opportunity to voice their opinions during a public hearing held by Florida regulators during the week of June 10.

The Tampa Electric Company (TECO) filed a petition with the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) in April to increase base rates for 810,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Hillsborough County and portions of Polk, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Tampa Electric Big Bend power station in Apollo Beach (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Duke Energy Florida has also filed its own petition for a rate hike. Because this could mean higher electric bills for millions of Floridians, the commission is holding public hearings in the utilities’ coverage areas to get public input.

Tampa Electric said it needs to increase its rates due to increasing customer demand, inflation and changes in the capital market. If the rate hike is approved, residential customers could pay an extra $20 per month starting in 2025.

The rates would increase again in 2026 by $6.66 and again in 2027 by another $4.48. In total, Tampa Electric would get an extra $467 million over a three-year period if approved.

Octavio Ponce, attorney for the Florida Office of Public Counsel (OPC) said the company needs just under $160 million to get a reasonable return on equity and that TECO is basing its request on shareholder profits of over 11.5%. OPC added the company could function on 9.5%.

Ponce recommended that the commission limit the increase to no more than $75 million for 2025 if rate hikes are approved and further said that the OPC recommends an increase of no more than $60 million for 2026 and no more $24 million for 2027.

Bradley Marshall, representing the League of United Latin American Citizens of Florida and Florida Rising, said that TECO had the third highest electricity bills in the nation in 2023 out of 149 utilities with more than 100,000 residential customers. He also added that the company is now trying to receive more profits at the expense of its customers.

TECO customers testified that the proposed rate increases are not in line with inflation and that approving the increases would make it harder for customers to make ends meet, putting additional strain on an already difficult economy.

The FPSC will hold hearings in August to decide on the two rate hikes.

Published June 26, 2024

Cellphone tower request put on hold

June 18, 2024 By Joe Potter

The Pasco County Planning Commission continued to Aug. 8 a request for a conditional use that would allow a 185-foot-tall cell telephone tower to be placed on a property at 34041 St. Joe Road in rural Dade City.

The applicants are Southern One LLC/Coral Towers LLC/Verizon Wireless. They would be leasing space on the property where the cell tower would be located if the conditional use request is eventually approved.

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has the final say on whether the conditional use may be approved because the planning commission only acts in an advisory capacity.

A couple of area residents who attended the June 6 meeting in Dade City expressed concerns about the possible negative impact the tower might have on the value of their properties. The continuance was granted to provide time for research.

The applicant also agreed to the continuance according to attorney Mattaniah S. Jahn who represented them at the planning commission’s June 6 meeting in Dade City.

The applicants are seeking to have the tower on St. Joe Road, as it’s anticipated to increase coverage and capacity in the area for cellphone users.

In other business, the planning commission:

Recommended that the density of a proposed subdivision on Old Lakeland Highway should be reduced.

Crossways MPUD – Crossways 301 LLC had applied for a zoning amendment that would have enabled them to choose between two different options on how the proposed subdivision would be developed.

Option A was to build a total of 130 single-family residences on the 29.5-acres property that is 0.2 miles east and 0.1 miles north of U.S. Highway 98. Sixty-five of the homes would be on 50-foot-wide lots and the other 65 homes would be on 40-foot-wide lots.

Option B was to build 40 single-family residences on half-acre lots in the proposed subdivision.

Crossways wanted to be able to choose either of the two options according to market conditions at the time the proposed subdivision was being developed.

Water and sewer services would have had to be provided by either Pasco County or Dade City if 130 homes were constructed on the property. It was unknown to the developer and county officials whether the required utility services would have been available from either potential provider in the six years that the requested zoning amendment would be effective.

Wells and septic tanks could be used if 40 homes were built on half-acre lots.

Planning commission members voted to remove Option A and to have conditions regarding utility conditions to be modified. Shelly May Johnson, the attorney representing Crossways, will work with Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein to make the recommended changes before the BOCC considers the requested zoning amendment during its July 9 meeting in Dade City. If water and sewer services were available in six years, Crossways could apply to be able to build more homes on the site.

Recommended approval of a zoning amendment requested by Thomas Lee and Kimberly Anne Samonek. The Samoneks would like the zoning of approximately 3.22 acres in southeast Pasco County to be changed from an A-R Agricultural-Residential District to a C-2 General Commercial District.

The property is located on the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Ryals Road near the Zephyrhills First Assembly of God Church. The Samoneks have agreed to a voluntary deed restriction to ensure the property provides the benefits of commercial development, including, but not limited to, adequate employment generation.

If the rezoning request is approved, it will not take effect until the deed restriction for the property has been recorded and delivered to the county. The owners/applicants must also submit a preliminary site plan or preliminary development plan, as applicable, for review and approval prior to the development or redevelopment of the property.

Recommended approval of a zoning amendment requested by the Rubrecht Ronald C and Patsy M Living Trust for approximately 40 acres in southwest Pasco County. The property is located on the west side of Joy Drive, approximately 650 feet north of Dogpatch Lane. The property is currently zoned Master Planned Unit Development and the request is for it to be rezoned to an A-C Agricultural District.

The property is within approximately 45.3 acres that were rezoned as MPUD on Aug. 9, 2022. This would have allowed the construction of a maximum of 107 single-family dwelling units and associated infrastructure. However, the developer/contract purchaser did move forward with the purchase. Most of the properties were subsequently sold to others, including the site for which this zoning amendment has been requested.

The present owners have no intention or desire to proceed with the conditions of approval associated with the MPUD. Instead, they propose to develop the site with three single-family dwellings and agricultural pursuits in conformance with the A-C Agricultural District standards for development.

Finally, it was recommended to the BOCC that a small-scale comprehensive plan amendment to Future Land Use Maps be approved for Ed’s Food Truck Park. The applicant is seeking to have the zoning of 0.71 acres of property changed from RES-6 (Residential-6/DU/GA) to COM (Commercial). The property is located on the south side of State Road 54 approximately 200 feet west of Shelly Lane in west Pasco County.

It was emphasized at the planning commission meeting that if the land use change is approved, it doesn’t mean that someone could just go ahead and develop a food truck park. There are still several procedures the applicant would have to go through for that to be done.

“An office could be built there. It doesn’t have to be a food truck park,” Planning Commission member Jon Moody said.

Hillsborough County seeks input from residents, public

June 18, 2024 By Mary Rathman

Hillsborough County is seeking input from its residents through two surveys — Hillsborough County Aging Services and a Community Vulnerability Study.

The county has more than 410,000 residents aged 55 and older and wants their feedback in a survey about senior centers, to learn how familiar residents are with the centers and their programs and services, and to identify service gaps.

Aging Services’ programs include lifelong learning classes, photography workshops, sewing classes, painting groups, jewelry-making, gardening clubs, billiards, chess clubs, fitness classes, ping-pong, yoga, tai-chi, table games, and more.

Residents can take the survey online until June 30.

The public’s input also is needed to update the county’s Local Mitigation Strategy and Community Vulnerability Assessment, which helps to measure and prepare for potential impacts from flooding, sea level rise, storm surge and other natural hazards.

Participation from people who live, work and spend time in Hillsborough County will provide insight into areas most at risk of flooding and other hazards. The effort will help direct mitigation efforts to keep the community safe and assure a speedy recovery in times of crisis.

A plan developed at the county level also will help reduce the risks associated with natural and human-caused disasters.

To view Hillsborough County’s virtual participation opportunities and surveys, visit HCFL.gov/HCEngage.

Published June 19, 2024

June in bloom: Reviews of ‘House of the Dragon,’ ‘The Boys’ and ‘Presumed Innocent’

June 18, 2024 By Erin Maxwell

This month, every streaming service is bringing out the big guns with massive series starring A-listers, apathetic antiheroes and aerial lizards. Here are but a few new and returning series that are bringing the heat for the summer season. Parents, take note that the shows reviewed here contain adult themes and images, and are all rated TV-MA (mature audience only).

“House of the Dragon” (Season 2, HBO MAX)
War is hell. But add a few fire-breathing, flying basilisks into the mix, and war is transformed from hell into entertainment or, in the case of “House of the Dragon,” prestige TV. The first season of the “Game of Thrones” prequel meticulously set up internal strife within Westeros’s royal family, the Targaryens, as it introduced all the main players in the war of succession known as “The Dance of the Dragon.” But will Season 2 fulfill its promise of hot and scorching dragon-on-dragon action?

Last season, House Targaryen was divided after Queen Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) throne was usurped by the Greens, a faction of Targaryens led by her stepmother, Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), in support of her son Prince Aegon II’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) claim on the throne. And before either side had a moment to think of the repercussions of their actions, Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) lost control of his dragon Vhagar, which made a meal out of Rhaenyra’s son.

This season, the seeds of drama planted in the first season have begun to take root. Ser Cole continues to blossom in his villain arc while Aegon flourishes into an inept leader and Aemond steadily becomes an apathetic sociopath. Each actor, particularly D’Arcy, Cooke, and Matt Smith as the haunted Daemon Targaryen, has more to chew on in the new season, as their characters develop due to personal tragedies and a growing sense of doom.

Observant fans might know the outcome of “A Dance of the Dragons,” either from books, online wikis, or when a distorted version of it was once shouted in glee by Joffrey Baratheon during a blink-and-miss-it scene in “Game of Thrones.” But this time around, the showrunners are cashing in on the journey, and not just the ending. Fueled by vengeance and fury, this particular fight for the Iron Throne is less about the victor and more about the brawl. The show slowly takes its time and builds to full-scale dragon carnage, which this season will delay as much as possible. Or at least for a few episodes.

An eye for an eye and a son for a son seems to be the mantra of this “Dance.” And though a house divided against itself will fall, the fall is what we are here to see. The slow and inevitable destruction of House Targaryen is what makes “House of the Dragon” so captivating. And in that, Season 2 is successful, as it continues on the fiery path toward dragon-filled warfare that will become a special effects spectacle to behold. Even with the knowledge of how it will end, watching the gruesome vengeance should be satisfying, thanks to polished performances from the players and the eye-popping, high-end production values we’ve come to expect from HBO.

“The Boys” (Season 4, Amazon Prime)
In an alternate timeline where corporations can manufacture superheroes and many of those heroes are psychotic, “The Boys” are the best defense against Übermensch megalomaniacs, corrupt corporations, and blood-bending government officials.

“The Boys” is back in town, kids. And it has something to say about the state of society on the brink of madness.

When we last left off, Homelander found himself in a powerful position as a supe who can do no wrong in the eyes of his followers, even when it comes to murder. And as America gears up for an election year, evil enterprise Vought International has its eye on the prize: The Oval Office. Never a show to shy away from any hot-button issue (or anything else), the fourth season of “The Boys” parodies political issues dividing Americans during a volatile political year.

Once again, Antony Starr is absolutely phenomenal as the ghastly Homelander, the hellish hero who looks like a caped crusader but has the demeanor of a psychopath. Starr continues to shade his performance with moments of vulnerability as the audience learns more about his twisted backstory that led to the creation of the all-powerful enfant terrible.

In addition to Starr’s contributions, Jessie T. Usher as A-Train continues to have the best character growth of the group, evolving into a truly remorseful metahuman whose mistakes led to the crippling of his own brother. Chace Crawford as The Deep and Laz Alonso as Mother’s Milk also get storylines worthy of their caliber, while new additions Susan Heyward as Sister Sage and Valorie Curry as Firecracker add significantly to the story, particularly Heyward whose character grows beyond her comic book counterpart.

The fourth outing of “The Boys” is the darkest season yet, as it makes as strong a statement on American government, politics and voters as it does on comic book culture. The series maintains the levels of crazy that fans have come to expect thanks to heaps of visceral violence and the odd rubber duck hallucination. Those looking for an escape from horrors of reality might not enjoy this brand of crazy, but those in need of biting satire and stellar performances, “The Boys” delivers. And to make it worth your while, there is a left field “Mrs. Maisel” crossover that absolutely nobody was expecting.

“Presumed Innocent” (Apple TV+)
Chief deputy prosecutor Rusty Sabich is in a bit of a bind. His colleague and former flame Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve) has been found brutally murdered in her own home, and now Rusty (Jake Gyllenhaal), a happily married man who is trying to put his affair with Carolyn behind him, is now in charge of the investigation, at least until he becomes part of the investigation. As newly elected State’s Attorney Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle) and his toady deputy prosecutor Tommy Molto (Gyllenhaal’s real-life brother-in-law Peter Sarsgaard) set their sights on Rusty as a possible suspect, the audience is left to ponder the question: Who killed Carolyn? And why?

Created by David E. Kelley and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, “Presumed Innocent” is based on the bestselling novel by Scott Turow and is Apple TV+’s big-ticket play for accolades and audiences, as Gyllenhaal steps into the role that Harrison Ford once occupied in the 1990 big screen version. As a miniseries, the story can have pacing issues, taking its sweet time as it examines the marriage between Rusty and his long-suffering wife Barbara, as well as establishes his contemptuous relationship with the new DA who wants to strike down the attorney with the power of Mjölnir.

But in this production, the performances are key. Gyllenhaal portrays a man on the edge, a husband and father whose world slowly collapses around him. Gyllenhaal gives a performance that can be interpreted as both remorseful and resentful, allowing the miniseries to grow beyond the “falsely-accused fugitive” trope to one in which the white knight seems like an actual psychopath at times. In addition to Gyllenhaal’s chops, Sarsgaard and Fagbenle offer creditable performances as Rusty’s foils, prosecutors powered by their convictions but unable to see past their own aspirations and prejudices.

Though the story of a family man with a dark secret is a clichéd construct, this most recent version of “Presumed Innocent” is hoisted to new heights thanks to its cast. The elevated ensemble helps put a new shine and a fresh take on a well-worn tale.

Published June 19, 2024