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Blood & Treasure

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Blood & Treasure
Genre
Created by
  • Matthew Federman
  • Stephen Scaia
Starring
ComposerKyle Newmaster
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationsRome, Turin & Venice, Italy
Marrakesh & Tangier, Morocco
CinematographyAnthony Wolberg
Editors
  • Annie Ilkow
  • D. Gillian Truster
  • Simon Webb
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseMay 21, 2019 (2019-05-21) –
present (present)

Blood & Treasure is an American action–adventure drama television series created by Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia that premiered on May 21, 2019 on CBS.[1] Federman and Scaia are also set to serve as writers and executive producers alongside Taylor Elmore, Ben Silverman, Marc Webb, and Mark Vlasic.

In June 2019, CBS renewed the series for a second season.[2]

Premise

Blood & Treasure centers on "a brilliant antiquities expert and a cunning art thief who team up to catch a ruthless terrorist who funds his attacks through stolen treasure. As they crisscross the globe hunting their target, they unexpectedly find themselves in the center of a 2,000-year-old battle for the cradle of civilization."[3]

Cast and characters

Main

  • Matt Barr as Danny McNamara, a former FBI agent who now works as a lawyer specializing in repatriating stolen art
  • Sofia Pernas as Lexi Vaziri, a thief and con woman partnered with Danny despite their tortured past
  • James Callis as Simon Hardwick, an international smuggler who was rescued by Danny after being kidnapped by Farouk and now seeks to uncover the secrets behind the Brotherhood of Serapis
  • Katia Winter as Gwen Karlsson, an Interpol agent assigned to the Farouk case
  • Michael James Shaw as Aiden Shaw (né Dwayne Coleman), an arms dealer with ties to Farouk who reluctantly assists Danny and Lexi
  • Oded Fehr as Karim Farouk, an Egyptian terrorist leader who was seemingly killed in a drone attack, but somehow survived and now seeks to steal ancient artifacts so he can weaponize them
  • Alicia Coppola as Dr. Ana Castillo, Danny's mentor who is regarded as the world's foremost expert on Cleopatra
  • Mark Gagliardi as Father Chuck Donnelly, an old friend of Danny's who works in the Vatican foreign ministry

Recurring

  • John Larroquette as Jacob "Jay" Reece, a billionaire and father figure to Danny who oversees his effort to find Castillo and stop Farouk's plan
  • Antonio Cupo as Captain Bruno Fabi, an officer in the Carabinieri TPC, and secretly a member of the Brotherhood of Serapis, a secret cult that protects the tomb of Antony and Cleopatra
  • Tony Nash as Omar, Farouk's second-in-command until he is murdered for cooperating with the authorities
  • Anna Silk as Roarke, an ex-black ops agent hunting Danny and Lexi, whose allegiance is unknown[4]

Production

Development

On November 30, 2017, it was announced that CBS had given a series order to Blood & Treasure, a new television series created and written by Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia. The series order was reportedly for a first season of thirteen episodes in which Federman and Scaia will also executive produce alongside Taylor Elmore, Ben Silverman, Marc Webb, and Mark Vlasic. Webb is also set to direct the series as well. Production companies involved in the series include CBS Television Studios.[5][6][7] On March 26, 2019, it was announced that the series is set to premiere on May 21, 2019.[1]

On June 26, 2019, CBS renewed the series for a second season.[2]

Casting

On March 12, 2018, it was announced that Katia Winter, Michael James Shaw, and James Callis had been cast in series regular roles.[8] On May 18, 2018, it was reported that Sofia Pernas had joined the main cast in the lead female role.[9] On June 15, 2018, it was announced that Matt Barr had been cast in the series' lead male role.[10] On July 25, 2018, it was reported that Alicia Coppola had joined the main cast.[11] On August 28, 2018, it was announced that Anna Silk had been cast in a recurring role.[4]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [12]US viewers
(millions)
1"The Curse of Cleopatra: Part I"Michael DinnerMatthew Federman & Stephen ScaiaMay 21, 2019 (2019-05-21)5.62[13]
When his mentor, Dr. Ana Castillo, is abducted by terrorists after discovering the tomb of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, art expert Danny McNamara recruits an old flame, professional thief Lexi Vaziri, to rescue her, despite Lexi blaming him for her father Reza's death two years prior at the hands of the same terrorists. With assistance provided by Danny's billionaire contact, Jay Reece, they track the stolen antiques to a Mafia auction in Rome, unaware that the Carabinieri are planning a raid. At the auction, Danny uses the resulting chaos as an opportunity to kidnap the terrorists' middleman, Aiden Shaw, who turns out to be an American named Dwayne Coleman. Shaw demands $2 million to contact his employers, but when Danny steps away to make a call, Lexi lets him escape so the pair can discreetly follow him. Danny admits that what happened to Reza still haunts him, and has carried his prayer beads with him every day since he died, giving Lexi some closure. She forgives him, and they prepare to pursue Shaw across the border.
2"The Curse of Cleopatra: Part II"Alrick RileyMatthew Federman & Stephen ScaiaMay 21, 2019 (2019-05-21)5.62[13]
In 1942, a unit of German soldiers enter the tomb of Cleopatra and steal her sarcophagus; a handful of men escape while the others are sealed within the tomb by a mysterious cult. In the present day, Shaw tries to sell back his remaining antiques to Karim Farouk, a terrorist who was supposedly killed two years earlier, but when Danny and Lexi show up, Farouk shoots him and escapes despite Lexi's attempts to pursue him while Danny rescues Castillo and the still-alive Shaw. Danny and Lexi are arrested by Interpol agent Gwen Karlsson, but manage to parachute off the transport plane into the Vatican, where Danny's friend Chuck Donnelly, a church official, informs them that Shaw has fled to Istanbul. There, an assassin sent by Farouk tries to poison him, but Danny and Lexi are able to steal the antidote and save his life again. With Castillo's help, Danny determines two things: Farouk wants to weaponize the curse of Cleopatra and Antony and the cult that killed the Nazis is the key to finding the bodies.
3"Code of the Hawaladar"Alrick RileyTaylor ElmoreMay 28, 2019 (2019-05-28)4.23[14]
Gwen brings Danny and Lexi into an operation to capture Farouk alongside Asim Masood, an intelligence officer who previously worked with Danny. Danny tries to pose as Shaw to obtain a new lead on Farouk in Paris, but his cover is blown and only Gwen's intervention saves his life. Lexi warns Danny of her suspicions that Asim is a mole for Farouk. Later, she breaks into Chuck's apartment for help analyzing a ledger, and he helps her deduce the language it's written in as Sumerian. Combined with information provided by a detainee who Danny is able to convince to trust him, the team finds one of Farouk's hideouts in Rome. Asim confesses to Danny that he is not authorized to hunt Farouk, but is doing so anyway because someone in the Egyptian government has blocked every one of his attempts to investigate him. He then dies while shielding Lexi from a grenade blast while raiding the hideout, leaving her feeling guilty for suspecting him. Danny realizes that Farouk's intentions may involve trying to ignite war between the West and the Muslim world, unaware that Fabi, Gwen's colleague and a spy for the cult, is listening.
4"The Secret of Macho Grande"Tawnia McKiernanLara OlsenJune 4, 2019 (2019-06-04)4.30[15]
Fabi finds Max Najjar, a cult operative posing as Castillo's research assistant, in Tripoli and executes him for informing on the group to Farouk in return for his life. Pretending to be married, Danny and Lexi travel to an Austrian castle used by the Nazis to store Cleopatra's body, and learn that her body was moved by a member of the Kreisau Circle. Gwen and Fabi track down Najjar's contact Simon Hardwick, a British smuggler Danny once rescued from Farouk, and he advises them to investigate the cult, which he names as the Brotherhood of Serapis. Danny confronts Lexi over her desire to kill Farouk, which clashes with his plan to bring him to justice. Chuck uses his ties to the Jesuits to decipher a code left by the Circle, revealing the location of an abandoned German tank depot; a false wall reveals a secret elevator to an underground vault where Danny finds part of Cleopatra's sarcophagus. Farouk and his second-in-command Omar ambush them and seal off their exit route, so Lexi tries to escape through the roof only to be tasered and captured by two men while Danny winds up trapped in the vault when the ladder breaks.
5"The Brotherhood of Serapis"Tawnia McKiernanJavier Grillo-MarxuachJune 11, 2019 (2019-06-11)3.75[16]
Reece saves Danny; Lexi is taken to Fabi, who offers her a chance to work with him to kill Farouk. She's to accompany Danny and Reece at a reception in Geneva, and find Sharif Ghazal, an Egyptian official and Farouk mole positioned to acquire relics from Cleopatra's tomb that Danny previously recovered. While in transit, the convoy is ambushed by Farouk's men, but when Danny examines the scene, he realizes that the relics are fake and that Farouk already has the originals. Reece pressures him and Lexi to stay silent. Lexi makes a copy of Ghazal's fingerprint and lies to Danny, telling him that her "sources" tipped her to his treachery. Danny agrees to distract him while she searches his office, which turns up a letter implying that Farouk knew her father and that he provided financial support long before Danny approached him; Serapis operatives then intercept them and steal Lexi's phone with all her intel, while also stealing train logs from the depot. Ignoring Reece's pleas, a tired Castillo quits the team. Fabi provides Lexi with a burner phone and tells her to stay in touch if she wants to find Farouk.
6"The Ghost Train of Sierra Perdida"Craig SiebelsGaia VioloJune 18, 2019 (2019-06-18)3.76[17]
The team learns that Farouk is selling the relics to socialite Jessica Wong; Fabi sends Danny and Lexi to infiltrate her upcoming soirée. Lexi runs into Simon at the party, and learns that he is also hunting for Cleopatra. The pair gets their covers blown, but manage to trick Wong into handing over a map of land she purchased for Farouk in Spain. There, they come across a local legend, the "Ghost Train", which disappeared in 1944; Danny suspects that this is the missing Nazi train that carried Cleopatra's sarcophagus out of Germany. Realizing that Farouk is looking in the wrong place, they find the train, but the sarcophagus is gone and Mafia don Carlo Valardi (who had been trying to extort Farouk for protection money) captures them. Omar shows up and forces them to excavate the train; Lexi uses a Molotov cocktail as a distraction and they escape while Omar kills Carlo's son Luca in a firefight. A forger Lexi asked to restore the letter informs her it's a fake, and Fabi tells her to work with him if she wants to know the full truth. That same evening, Simon provides her with a document proving that her father was a member of the Brotherhood.
7"Escape from Casablanca"Craig SiebelsSiavash Farahani & Dana FarahaniJune 25, 2019 (2019-06-25)3.20[18]
Danny and Lexi trace the Nazis to Casablanca, but Gwen files a red notice for the incident in Spain, forcing them to hide in a UN refugee camp. A doctor there directs them to Salim Le Mer, a local mobster and bar owner, and Danny gets Shaw, who's working as Le Mer's entertainer, to arrange a meeting. Le Mer reveals that Carlo is offering him a reward for their heads, so Danny convinces him to help by claiming to know where Cleopatra is. The police catch up to them just as they find the sarcophagus, which turns out to only be the outer layer; Danny gets Gwen to leak this information to Farouk for a trap. That night, he and Lexi confess their feelings for each other over wine and kiss. Danny later finds the burner phone, and when Lexi refuses to tell him who gave it to her, he tells her to stay behind. Nevertheless, she follows him as he and Gwen capture Omar. Gwen arrests Danny as well, and puts him on a plane with Omar and Carlo, while Lexi turns herself in after arranging for Shaw to fly the doctor to her family in Oslo. A bug planted by Simon reveals that the Brotherhood played a role in Reza Vaziri's death.
8"The Lunchbox of Destiny"Holly DaleKevin Chesley & Bryan ShukoffJuly 2, 2019 (2019-07-02)3.42[19]
In Rome, FBI agent Harper offers Danny a deal: freedom if he persuades his dying father Patrick in 48 hours to locate ten missing paintings from his last job, a 1997 museum heist in Boston. He refuses to talk, but tells Danny (in code) to visit his condemned childhood home, which brings up painful memories. There, he and Lexi find a photo of Danny's late mother with a name written on the back, before narrowly escaping an ambush by mercenaries seemingly sent by Farouk. Patrick's brother Chappie reveals that a dirty cop, Tim Keeler, organized the heist, but as Keeler is living in Cuba outside FBI jurisdiction, Harper insists they catch him personally. Danny reveals a secret to Lexi: he was the one who turned his father in twenty-two years earlier. The mercenaries catch up with them and kill Keeler, but Danny and Lexi recover nine of the paintings and return them; Patrick is moved to a proper hospital and makes amends with his son. Harper gives Danny a file; Gwen realizes Fabi is a spy when Danny passes her his number from Lexi's phone. Farouk has his assassin poison Omar and finishes development of a new, lethal bioweapon.
9"The Shadow of Project Athena"[20]Holly DaleNazrin ChoudhuryJuly 9, 2019 (2019-07-09)N/A
10"The Wages of Vengeance"[21]Guy Norman BeeKevin Chesley & Bryan Shukoff & Javier Grillo-MarxuachJuly 16, 2019 (2019-07-16)N/A
11"Return of the Queen"[22]Guy Norman BeeDana Farahani & Siavash FarahaniJuly 23, 2019 (2019-07-23)N/A

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregation Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 45% with an average rating of 5.14/10, based on 11 reviews. The critics' consensus states, "Blood & Treasure never finds the X that marks the sweet spot, but viewers who heed an undemanding call to adventure may find some charm in the series' concept."[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 52 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[24]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Blood & Treasure
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "The Curse of Cleopatra: Part I" May 21, 2019 0.6/3 5.62[13] 0.4 2.42 1.0 8.04[25]
2 "The Curse of Cleopatra: Part II" May 21, 2019 0.6/3 5.62[13] 0.4 2.42 1.0 8.04[25]
3 "Code of the Hawaladar" May 28, 2019 0.5/3 4.23[14] 0.3 2.09 0.8 6.32[26]
4 "The Secret of Macho Grande" June 4, 2019 0.5/3 4.30[15] 0.3 1.98 0.8 6.28[27]
5 "The Brotherhood of Serapis" June 11, 2019 0.4/2 3.75[16] 0.3 1.92 0.7 5.66[28]
6 "The Ghost Train of Sierra Perdida" June 18, 2019 0.4/2 3.76[17] 0.2 1.81 0.7 5.56[29]
7 "Escape from Casablanca" June 25, 2019 0.4/2 3.20[18] TBD TBD TBD TBD
8 "The Lunchbox of Destiny" July 2, 2019 0.4/2 3.42[19] TBD TBD TBD TBD

References

  1. ^ a b Pedersen, Erik (March 26, 2019). "'Elementary', 'Instinct', New 'Blood & Treasure' Get CBS Premiere Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Porter, Rick (June 26, 2019). "'Blood & Treasure' Renewed for Season 2 at CBS". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  3. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 30, 2017). "CBS Orders Summer Action-Adventure Scripted Series 'Blood & Treasure'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Petski, Denise (August 28, 2018). "'Blood & Treasure': Anna Silk To Recur In CBS Action Summer Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  5. ^ Otterson, Joe (November 30, 2017). "CBS Gives Straight-to-Series Order to Summer Adventure Series 'Blood and Treasure'". Variety. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (November 30, 2017). "'Blood and Treasure' Drama From 'Limitless' Team Goes Straight to Series at CBS". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "Action-Adventure Series Blood & Treasure Coming To CBS Summer 2019" (Press release). CBS. November 30, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  8. ^ Petski, Denise (March 12, 2018). "'Blood & Treasure': Katia Winter, Michael James Shaw & James Callis Join CBS' Action-Adventure Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 18, 2018). "'Blood & Treasure': Sofia Pernas Cast As Female Lead In CBS Action Summer Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  10. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (June 15, 2018). "'Blood & Treasure': Matt Barr To Star In CBS Action Summer Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  11. ^ Petski, Denise (July 25, 2018). "'Blood & Treasure': Alicia Coppola Joins As Series Regular In CBS Action Summer Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  12. ^ "Blood & Treasure – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  13. ^ a b c d Welch, Alex (May 22, 2019). "'Mental Samurai,' '1969' adjust down: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  14. ^ a b Welch, Alex (May 30, 2019). "'Songland,' '1969,' and others adjust down: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  15. ^ a b Welch, Alex (June 5, 2019). "'America's Got Talent,' 'Songland,' everything else unchanged: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Welch, Alex (June 12, 2019). "'Press Your Luck' adjusts down: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Welch, Alex (June 19, 2019). "'America's Got Talent' adjusts up, 'Songland' adjusts down: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Welch, Alex (June 26, 2019). "'Big Brother' adjusts up: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Welch, Alex (July 3, 2019). "'Big Brother' adjusts up: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  20. ^ "(#BAT109) "The Shadow of Project Athena"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  21. ^ "(#BAT110) "The Wages of Vengeance"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  22. ^ "(#BAT111) "Return of the Queen"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  23. ^ "Blood & Treasure: Season 1 (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  24. ^ "Blood & Treasure". Metacritic. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  25. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (June 5, 2019). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'Live In Front Of A Studio Audience' Ranks Among Top Ten in Raw Gains". Programming Insider. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  26. ^ Pucci, Douglas (June 11, 2019). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'America's Got Talent' Season Premiere Leads in Overall Gains". Programming Insider. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  27. ^ Pucci, Douglas (June 19, 2019). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'MasterChef Junior' Season Finale Ranks Seventh Among Raw Gains in Adults 18-49". Programming Insider. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  28. ^ Pucci, Douglas (June 26, 2019). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: Four Reality Competition Series Among Top Five of Raw Adults 18-49 Gainers". Programming Insider. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  29. ^ Pucci, Douglas (July 3, 2019). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'Grand Hotel' Debut Finishes Fourth Among Broadcast Network Telecasts for the Week in Raw Viewer Boosts". Programming Insider. Retrieved July 3, 2019.

External links

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