In January, Sam Elliott seemed to indicate that the fourth season of the Netflix series The Ranch would be its last, but then he walked it back a bit.
Now, T.J. Jefferson, longtime personal assistant to actor Ashton Kutcher, has posted evidence confirming that season four’s final episode will be the show’s last.
At his Instagram account, Jefferson posted an image of a script for episode 80, which is dated May 2. The script, titled “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” is covered with signatures from the cast, including Elliott, and Jefferson indicates that it’s the last episode that will be filmed.
The Ranch began streaming at Netflix in 2016, and its costars were Kutcher and Danny Masterson, reunited after their long run together on That ’70s Show (1998-2006). But then on March 3, 2017, three months before the second season was released, we broke the news that Masterson was the subject of an LAPD investigation, with four women coming forward with allegations that the Scientologist actor had violently raped them between 2001 and 2004 (three of the four women had been Scientologists when the incidents occurred).
The LAPD submitted the case for prosecution to the Los Angeles District Attorney in April 2017. The first half of The Ranch‘s season two (series part 3, episodes 21-30) were released by Netflix on June 16, 2017, and then on July 4 the network announced that it had renewed the show, with Masterson, for a third season.
But then in October 2017 Kevin Spacey was fired from his Netflix show, House of Cards, only a day after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced, and pressure began to build on Netflix to treat Masterson similarly. That pressure reached a peak in early December when a Netflix executive unwittingly told one of Masterson’s accusers that the network simply didn’t believe the allegations. The executive was fired, and Netflix announced that it was writing Masterson’s character out of the show.
The final appearance for Masterson’s character “Rooster” was in an episode titled “Change.” It was episode #50, the final one of ten which made up the show’s part five, the first half of season three, and was released on June 15, 2018. (Several critics pointed out that the way Rooster disappeared from the show, it left open the possibility of the character coming back eventually.)
In October, before releasing ten episodes shot without Masterson which made up the second half of season three, Netflix announced that it had renewed the show for a fourth season, also without Masterson.
The first ten of those episodes, the first half of season four, are scheduled to be released in June. The second half (series part 8, episodes 71 to 80) will probably show up in December. And it’s the final one of those episodes which Jefferson is saying is the final episode for the show entirely.
Last month, a survey indicated that The Ranch was one of the ten most popular shows at Netflix.
We have a message in with the Netflix media people and hope to get some word from them one way or the other.
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HowdyCon 2019 in Los Angeles
THURSDAY NIGHT OPPORTUNITY: This year’s HowdyCon is in Los Angeles. People tend to come in starting on Thursday, and that evening we will have a casual get-together at a watering hole. But we also want to point out that Cathy Schenkelberg’s “Squeeze My Cans” will be running at the Hollywood Fringe, and we encourage HowdyCon attendees to see her show on Thursday night, June 20. Tickets and more dates available here.
Friday night June 21 we will be having an event in a theater (like we did on Saturday night last year in Chicago). There will not be a charge to attend this event, but if you want to attend, you need to RSVP with your proprietor at tonyo94 AT gmail.
On Saturday, we are joining forces with Janis Gillham Grady, who is having a reunion in honor of the late Bill Franks. Originally, we thought this event might take place in Riverside, but instead it’s in the Los Angeles area. If you wish to attend the reunion, you will need to RSVP with Janis (janisgrady AT gmail), and there will be a small contribution she’s asking for in order to help cover her costs.
HOTEL: Janis tells us she’s worked out a deal with Hampton Inn and Suites, at 7501 North Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, (818) 768-1106. We have a $159 nightly rate for June 19 to 22. Note: You need to ask for the “family reunion” special rate.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] In the US and Australia, new Ideal Orgs are increasingly isolated and uninviting. What gives?
[TWO years ago] Families of rescued patients are sharply divided on Scientologist-run Tennessee hellhole
[THREE years ago] How Ron Miscavige’s Scientology memoir reads to a former Scientologist
[FOUR years ago] Neil Gaiman’s sister shows up in Scientology response video to Gibney film ‘Going Clear’
[FIVE years ago] Scientology archiving magazines online? Are they nuts?
[SIX years ago] Cinco De Funnies: Getting Drunk on the Wisdom of Ron!
[EIGHT years ago] Howard Stern Questions A Former Scientology Private Eye
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,437 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,566 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,070 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,550 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 610 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 501 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,808 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,676 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,450 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,224 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,570 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,136 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,056 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,223 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,804 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,065 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,104 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,816 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,342 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,431 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,571 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,891 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,747 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,866 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,222 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,524 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,630 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,032 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,904 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,487 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,982 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,236 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,345 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 5, 2019 at 15:00
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Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
