The Institute, adapted from Stephen King’s 2019 novel, airs every Sunday on MGM+. The series follows a group of children imprisoned in a secret facility where they are subjected to disturbing experiments because of their supernatural abilities. Among them is Nicky, a rebellious teen whose rough edges conceal a vulnerability and longing for family. Actor Fionn Laird, who plays the character, recently spoke with SciFi Vision about his journey with the role and how he connected to the series.

Laird explained that his audition came at a hectic time in his life. “It actually happened kind of at a little bit of a chaotic moment in my life. I was traveling. I was taking the train to visit my mom in Ottawa. I live in Toronto, and on the train, I got this tape, and...I did bring my ring light to do those auditions, but I wasn’t really expecting anything to come through, because I was only there for two days.” Although he hadn’t expected much, he sent in the audition and was thrilled to receive a callback. “I love Stephen King. Jack Bender was obviously the showrunner, and I've watched Lost, and I've even heard about From, and he's worked on Game of Thrones, The Sopranos. I’m like, ‘This is a really cool project.’”

What drew him most to Nicky was how different the character was from roles he had played before. “I’ve always been, I played a lot of like kind of goody-two-shoes roles in my past, and Nicky’s just so far on the opposite side of the spectrum from that,” he said, adding that it was exciting to embody someone with such confidence and self-assuredness. “It was just the prospect of doing something so unfamiliar and unexpected, I think, was a lot of fun for me.”

***the following interview contains major season finale spoilers as well as a big spoiler for the comic series***

Revival, which is based on the comic series of the same name by Mike Norton and Tim Seeley, aired it’s season one finale last night on Syfy. One day in a small town in Wisconsin, the dead rise from their graves, appearing unchanged. However, as the season progresses, fear and hatred grows for the revivers who are different than everyone else, and they are placed in camps and experimented on. Finally, however, they escape, all except for Em Cypress (Romy Weltman), who is lured away by Tyler (Luca Villacis), one of Blaine (Steven Ogg)’s disciples. Blaine believes the return of revivers is not a miracle, but rather demons rising from their graves who need to be sent back to hell. Can Em’s sister Dana (Melanie Scrofano) not only save Em before she’s killed for good, but figure out who originally murdered her sister?

Earlier in the week, showrunners Luke Boyce and Aaron B. Koontz spoke with SciFi Vision about the season finale and how they changed the original ending, if there is any news on season two, and where the story is headed, as well as answered a bunch of lingering questions, such as, why Em’s passenger is purple, why she didn’t tell Dana she was alive, if pregnancy is part of Em’s story, if we will ever see Brendt’s twin, Brandt (Mark Little), and more.

Based on the Dark Horse comics, last night Syfy premiered the final episode of its comedy series Resident Alien. In the final episode, most of the series' plot lines were wrapped up with Harry (Alan Tudyk), deciding to leave Earth for good in order to be with his girlfriend, Heather (Edi Patterson), and their children. His good friend Asta (Sara Tomko) has decided to leave and join a program where she helps people with her nursing skills. D'arcy (Alice Wetterlund) is on the road to sobriety and determined to help a younger skier with similar problems. Kate (Meredith Garretson) has decided to go back to law school. She and Ben (Levi Fiehler) are closer now than ever before.  Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) and Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) are joining the secret government group that tracks down aliens.  First, though, the gang has to deal with the new alien in town, who's taken over the body of Dr. Ethan Stone (Michael Cassidy) in order to complete Harry's original mission to kill everyone on earth. Can they convince him that the Earth is worth saving?

Thursday, Chris Sheridan, the showrunner and executive producer of the series spoke with SciFi Vision and answered a few questions about the end of the series.

The science fiction horror comedy flick from director Joseph Kahn, Ick, comes to theaters everywhere starting Sunday. For almost twenty years, a tentacle-like organism known simply as “The Ick” has been gradually creeping into the lives of those in the small down of Eastbrook who have become apathetic and complacent to its presence. The exception is Hank Wallace (Brandon Routh), whose promising football career ended after being injured by The Ick, which led to his dream girl Staci (Mena Suvari) leaving him. Now, two decades later, Hank is an unfulfilled science teacher struggling with disappointment and alcoholism. As the alien Ick starts slowly spreading and infecting the townspeople, Hank must join forces with Staci’s daughter Grace (Malinda Pauli Weissman), who he strongly suspects to be his own daughter. Together, they confront the escalating crisis as the creature possesses and mutates the residents of the town.

Stars Routh and Suvari spoke with SciFi Vision earlier in the week about working on the unique film, which is now in select cities, with a nationwide release via Fathom on 7/27.

Back to the Frontier, the new reality series by Chip and Joanna Gaines from the Magnolia Network, follows three families – the Lopers, Hanna-Riggs, and Halls – as they live as 1880s homesteaders for eight weeks, abandoning modern conveniences. The families must repair shelters, grow and gather crops, prepare food, and raise livestock, all without running water, electricity or other contemporary tools, relying instead on period-accurate equipment and instruction from historical advisors. Their daily routines will force them to deal with the obstacles of an authentic frontier lifestyle like that of the 1880s.

Lina and Jereme Hall and their daughter Mia spoke with SciFi Vision recently about going back to the frontier and the challenges they faced.

Executive produced by Chip and Joanna Gaines, the reality series Back to the Frontier, from the Magnolia Network, which recently premiered on HBO Max, follows three American families as they leave behind every modern convenience to spend eight weeks living as 1880s homesteaders. The families are stripped of modern technology, electricity, running water, and contemporary tools and left to face the daily hardships of frontier life, which includes repairing shelters, raising livestock, growing and gathering food, and rationing their resources. While guided by historical experts, the series tests their resilience and adaptability while trying to survive in the authentic frontier lifestyle of the 1880s.

Stacey and Joaquin Loper, who took part in the series along with their two children, Maddox and Landen, and Joaquin’s mother, Shirley, recently spoke with SciFi Vision about learning to live without modern conveniences on Back to the Frontier.

The new Magnolia Network reality series Back to the Frontier, which is executive produced by Chip and Joanna Gaines, follows three American families as they live as homesteaders as if it was the 1800s, trading their present-day comforts for a more analog life on the frontier. While guided by historical experts, the three families must live without the modern conveniences of technology, running water, or electricity for eight weeks and deal with fixing their shelters, raising livestock, growing and collecting food, and rationing their supplies, as they learn to experience the daily challenges of living on the American frontier in the lifestyle of the 1880s.

Joe Riggs and Jason Hanna, fathers from Dallas of twin boys Lucas and Ethan, recently spoke with SciFi Vision about what the experience was like going back to the frontier.

This week’s episode of Revival propels the town of Wausau into chaos as the revived increasingly become the target of violence and suspicion. While Dana (Melanie Scrofano) recovers in the hospital following the shooting in the woods, Anthony Check (CM Punk) and his brothers decide to expand their business venture of selling revival body parts after Deputy McCray (Nathan Dales) is arrested for the trafficking. Needing a female reviver, Dana’s deal with Anthony comes back to haunt her when he decides to kidnap her sister, Em (Romy Weltman), and her son, Cooper (Hudson Wurster).

Recently, SciFi Vision spoke with professional wrestler turned actor Phil Brooks, better known by the ring name CM Punk, about getting into character for Anthony, filming his fight scene with Weltman, and more.

The eight-episode supernatural thriller series The Institute, which premieres tomorrow on MGM+, comes from executive producers Stephen King and Jack Bender (From) and is based on King’s novel. The series follows teen prodigy Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) who has been abducted and brought to the mysterious facility known as the Institute, as have other children, all who possess supernatural abilities. Meanwhile, former police officer turned “night knocker” Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes) is looking to start over in the quiet Maine town, but when he starts to investigate the nearby secret facility, their stories are destined to collide.

Recently, SciFi Vision spoke with stars Barnes and Freeman about working on the series, including how they prepared for the roles, whether they would choose telepathy or telekinesis for themselves, and more.

Ballard, the most recent series expanding the Bosch based on Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels, comes to Prime Video today. The police procedural follows Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q), the leader of the new cold case division of the LAPD, as she, along with her team of under-resourced investigators, takes on the city’s unsolved cases, determined to bring justice to the victims. Among them is Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch), Ballard’s retired former partner, and former LAPD officer Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor).

Q, Lynch, and Taylor recently spoke with SciFi Vision about what drew them to the project, their preparation, and more.

Ballard is now available to stream on Prime Video.