The Brief

Every week, television critics join the LAist 89.3 daily news program AirTalk to discuss all things TV and help you weed through your choices. Melanie McFarland, TV critic for Salon, and Liz Shannon Miller, senior entertainment editor for Consequence, join guest host Austin Cross this week to share their hot takes on the latest releases.

Listen to the full conversation

Reservation Dogs (Season 3)

The basics: This is the third and final season for the group of loveable Native American teens growing up on a reservation in Oklahoma. They've long dreamed of making it to California, and they've stolen, saved and gone through a lot of heartbreak to finally get there at the end of season two. Season three picks up right where they left off, but the Rez Dogs are headed back home.

What it might remind you of: This is a coming-of-age story that most people will be able to relate to, according to Salon TV Critic Melanie McFarland. McFarland says you might particularly enjoy seeing Zahn McClarnon, who plays a reservation cop, in an uncharacteristic comedic performance.

Who's behind it: The show was created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi.

When and where: The first two episodes of the FX show are streaming now on Hulu. Episodes release weekly on Wednesdays.

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (Season 2)

The basics: The look into the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers continues. Season two picks up after the Lakers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the finals. Season two encompasses four years and takes a closer look at the Lakers-Celtics rivalry. It's three episodes shorter than its prior season, so it can feel a bit rushed, says Consequence Senior Entertainment Editor Liz Shannon Miller.

"The pacing in terms of how much time is passing slows down a bit, and they focus in on that last championship series for the last run of episodes, so that at least lets you feel the moment," Miller says.

What it might remind you of: It's one of those engaging and exciting shows, says Miller. However, the creators use retro technology, like 35mm film and broadcast cameras, making it look like nothing else on television right now.

Who's behind it: Max Borenstein & Jim Hecht created the show. John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Sean Patrick Small, Michael Chiklis, Hadley Robinson, Adrien Brody and Jason Segel are some of the stars.

When and where: The series premieres this Sunday, Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Episodes release weekly.

Only Murders in the Building (Season 3)

The basics: The true crime loving trio, played by Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin, is back with a new homicide to investigate and a podcast that won't create itself. Season three picks up right after the lead actor in Oliver's (Martin Short) Broadway comeback dies onstage moments into an opening night performance.

What it might remind you of: The gimmick of the show is in the title. A murder happens in the building in which the three main characters reside, so naturally they named their podcast "Only Murders in the Building." Season three shakes things up. The murder victim, played by Paul Rudd, drops dead outside the building this time.

"They resolve that really well this season," says Salon TV Critic Melanie McFarland. "They also bring in one of the biggest guns in Hollywood: Meryl Streep. And they use [Streep and Rudd] really well."

Who's behind it: John Hoffman & Steve Martin created the series together.

When and where: The first two episodes premiere Tuesday, Aug. 8 on Hulu. The 10 total episodes release weekly.

Heartstopper (Season 2)

The basics: Two young boys fall in love. They have nice friends who also are sometimes in love. Ultimately, the high schoolers are all still just trying to figure it out, and the awkward teenage hormones are in full flex. Oh, and Olivia Colman plays one of the boy's moms, no biggie.

What it might remind you of: This is a young adult coming of age romance drama that Liz Shannon Miller calls "incredibly charming and honestly life-affirming."

Who's behind it: The series was created by Alice Oseman. It's based on a graphic novel series.

When and where: All eight episodes are streaming now on Netflix.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 2)

The basics: "Strange New Wolds" is prequel to "Star Trek: The Original Series." The show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike.

What it might remind you of: This series takes some interesting swings this season, says Salon TV Critic Melanie McFarland, including a musical episode modeled on a very famous 2001 "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episode.

"If you have any affection for Star Trek whatsoever, I would highly recommend you watch this episode because it's done quite well," McFarland says.

Who's behind it: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet are behind the prequel series.

When and where: The new season premiered on June 15, so most episodes are available now on Paramount+. Episodes release every Thursday.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

The basics: The Australian-set mystery drama involves a young girl who loses her parents in a fire and goes to move in with her grandmother. Not all is what it seems.

Consequence Senior Entertainment Editor Liz Shannon Miller says Sigourney Weaver plays the grandmother and delivers an incredible performance.

"Sigourney Weaver's strongest virtues may not include an Australian accent, it maybe appears and disappears at points as well, but if you can look past that and an adaptation like this is interesting to you, I'd say it's definitely worth a watch," Miller says.

What it might remind you of: Miller says it's vibe is similar to the 2022 film "Where the Crawdads Sing," a southern gothic mystery.

Who's behind it: Sarah Lambert created the series, which is based on the best-selling novel by Holly Ringland.

When and where: The first three episodes premiere Friday, Aug 4. Episodes release weekly after that. There are seven episodes total.

State and local lawmakers are joining immigrant rights groups in urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would bar California law enforcement from moonlighting for ICE.

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, who represents Angelenos from South L.A. to Mar Vista, introduced AB 1537 in January. If implemented, the bill would ban California police, sheriffs and other law enforcement from taking on second jobs that involve “arresting, detaining, transporting, or deporting” people.

The bill has made its way through the state legislature and is now on the governor’s desk. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it.

At a press conference outside L.A. City Hall on Wednesday, José Madera, who directs the Pasadena Job Center, pointed to multiple deaths involving federal immigration agents in recent months — from Minneapolis to Houston — and to a recent shooting in Austin. “We don't need our local police to be part of that violence,” he said.

“ICE is a lawless, rogue agency that is terrorizing our communities, separating our families and kidnapping our neighbors,” said Bruno Huizar, supervising policy manager at the California Immigrant Policy Center. “Governor Newsom must sign AB 1537 into law to protect Californians.”

L.A. City councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose own parents were undocumented, said it pained him to see immigrant parents go to work and to church in fear of being separated from their children.

“If you’re a public servant, you should be serving the public — not helping ICE tear families apart,” he added in a follow-up email statement.

The bill, dubbed “No side jobs for ICE” by its proponents, would also require officers to report secondary employment offers relating to immigration to their employers.

“If a law enforcement agent gets a conditional offer from an immigration enforcement agency, that will be part of their employment records. And that will be subject to a public records act request,” said Shiu-Ming Cheer, a licensed attorney at the California Immigration Policy Center. “This is aimed at bringing transparency, so that we know how many officers are actually getting offers to work as an ICE agent or a Border Patrol agent.”

The Peace Officers Research Association of California, which represents officers across the state, has spoken out against the bill, arguing that “policies like this don’t improve public safety.” The Los Angeles Police Protective League did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

The bill is part of a growing effort to bar local law enforcement from engaging in the ongoing mass deportation effort. The L.A. City Council approved a motion in March, barring city employees from holding second jobs with federal immigration enforcement agencies.

In Santa Ana, the City Council recently adopted a policy that prohibits employees from obtaining outside work that involves federal immigration enforcement activities.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill aimed at protecting children who are abused.

The law, which went into effect this week, is named “Gabriel’s Law,” after Gabriel Fernandez — an 8-year-old boy in Palmdale who died in 2013 after being tortured and abused by his mother and her boyfriend.

“It devastated the community. Still has,” said State Assemblymember Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), who worked on legislation related to Gabriel’s case for years. “It hasn't gone away, right? It’s something we still acknowledge.”

Since Fernandez’s death, the Antelope Valley has seen a number of high-profile child deaths at the hands of their parents.

The new law requires social workers to make sure a child gets emergency medical care when needed, and it makes it easier to prosecute social workers who knowingly falsify records.

Officials said there had been warning signs about Fernandez’s abuse, but social workers with the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services failed to follow up on them. The high-profile case prompted internal reforms in the agency.

What happened to Gabriel

Gabriel died in May 2013, after months of abuse from his mother and her boyfriend. He was found with a number of injuries, including a fractured skull, broken ribs and BB pellets lodged in his body. His mother and her boyfriend were both sentenced.

A teacher had reported signs of abuse to the county, but social workers did not remove him from the home. Then they ended the investigation. Prosecutors charged the social workers with child abuse, but the charges were later dismissed.

“He was literally tortured. And there were many, many, many documented events, and there are many encounters that he had with people that lacked follow-up,” Lackey said.

What does the law change?

Before this week, the law said that social workers may authorize care if a child needs immediate emergency care, but did not require it. Gabriel’s law requires a social worker to secure medical care for a child.

“ They call for an ambulance or escort the child to an emergency room— make sure a physician has the opportunity to provide some level of remedy and documentation of the injury,” Lackey said.

It also clarifies the law so that social workers who are guilty of falsifying or destroying public records can be imprisoned or fined.

Why did the law take so long to change?

Lackey’s previous legislative efforts related to Fernandez’s case failed over the years. He introduced at least five different pieces of legislation that failed to advance.

“I'm not even saying that I blame the pushback and the concern, because if you're too aggressive, there's a tendency to accuse people of wrongdoing when they are not guilty of wrongdoing, so we wanted to make sure that the balance was reasonable,” he said.

Lackey terms out this year. “We're trying to do something as a community to not only pay tribute to [Gabriel], but to prevent it from reoccurring,” he said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has completed its investigation into the cause of the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights but was unable to determine what caused it. 

In a press release, LAFD said the June 17 fire was caused by an “electrical event” that occurred on the roof of the building, “adjacent to a section of solar panels.” Despite a “comprehensive investigation,” the department could not determine what caused the electrical event.

“The Department’s thoughts remain with all those impacted by this deeply tragic incident,” Arson and Fire Investigation Chief Thomas Raymond said in a release.

In response to the inconclusive investigation, District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said, “LAFD’s finding that the cause remains undetermined does nothing to alleviate what Boyle Heights residents have endured and are still carrying: months of health concerns and disruption, along with unanswered questions about whether this site can safely operate again.”

“The fact that we still cannot explain how this catastrophe began is yet another reason I will continue opposing any permits to rebuild this facility,” Jurado said.

Recently, the LA City Council voted to withhold rebuilding permits for the Lineage warehouse until after the Los Angeles Fire Department completed its investigation. Earlier this month, Lineage Chief Executive Officer Greg Lehmkuhl told Boyle Heights Beat and The LA Local that the company had not decided whether to rebuild, saying, “We’re still focused on holding the right people accountable here and making sure that we’re continuing to support the community.”

The CEO’s comments came after Lineage sued solar power provider Altus Power, Inc. and its contractor, blaming them for the fire. Altus Power and its contractor dispute those claims.

In a statement following the completed investigation, Lineage said, “Today’s report from the Los Angeles Fire Department validates what we have known all along: This was a solar fire.”

The fire and subsequent cleanup of millions of pounds of rotting food caused a flood of issues for residents living in Boyle Heights, East LA and surrounding communities, including an infestation of flies and pests, nausea and headaches, higher utility bills and other health concerns. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Boyle Heights Beat senior reporter Alejandra Molina and LA Local reporter Christopher Damien contributed to this report.

The post LAFD closes investigation into Lineage warehouse fire without determining a cause appeared first on LA Local.