Entertainment
Starfleet Academy’s Season Finale Sticks The Landing, But Is It Too Late For Star Trek?
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

Starfleet Academy has proven to be the most controversial new Star Trek show, and the fandom is split over why, exactly, that is. Some think the show has veered too far from the franchise’s original roots, resulting in a series that is borderline unrecognizable to fans of shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation. Others claim those people are out of touch and that the franchise has simply evolved into something better reflecting the modern world.
As someone who generally hated the first half of Season 1 and generally liked the second half, I eventually realized that Starfleet Academy has two very different kinds of episodes. The first kind is aimed at younger fans, and it’s filled to the brim with vulgar slang, broad jokes, and physical comedy just begging to be turned into reaction GIFs. The second kind is aimed at everyone else, and it focuses on high drama, deep characterization, and deep callbacks to old lore. While the latter episodes aren’t perfect, they are much more in line with what fans expect from the franchise.

Fortunately, the Season 1 finale (“Rubincon”) was the latter kind of episode, and it satisfyingly concluded the arcs for several characters while more or less giving the show a clean slate for Season 2. If the rest of the series can deliver this kind of quality, it may win back the fans it drove away. But if a post-merger Paramount decides to finally let showrunner and executive producer Alex Kurtzman go, Starfleet Academy may be belatedly remembered as his ultimate failure.
One Crazy Premise After Another
Whether or not you enjoy the season finale of Starfleet Academy will hinge largely on how much you are able to buy into two very different, equally outlandish premises. The first is that supervillain Nus Braka has stolen Omega-47, a synthetic version of the Omega particle, and used it to create a giant minefield around the entire Federation. If he hits the button, billions (or maybe trillions; the show can’t make up its mind about this) will die, all while making it impossible to warp through or even communicate through huge swathes of subspace.

Nus Braka is mostly presented as a loner pirate, so you have to take it with a few giant grains of salt (or the synthetic variant, Salt-47) that he was able to create and deploy enough mines to threaten the entire Federation like this. Equally crazy is his big plan: after he successfully captures Chancellor Aka and Caleb Mir’s mother, he brings them back in order to put the Federation on trial through a live broadcast. Ms. Mir is going to be the judge, which means things look bleak. Ake imprisoned her and separated her from her son years ago, and she seems quite eager to make her former captor suffer.
The Giamatti Of It All
Does it make sense that a small-time villain could threaten the entirety of the Federation (one of the oldest organizations in the galaxy) after stealing a superweapon from a starbase guarded by only one starship? Nope. After deploying what must be millions of mines in record time, does it make sense that he would stop for a show trial instead of, say, extorting any of the hundreds of planets he could destroy at any time? Also nope.

If you buy into all this wackiness (which, full confession, I did), it’s because of one thing: Paul Giamatti’s weirdly magnetic performance as Nus Braka, whose effectiveness as a villain does nothing to quell his megalomania. The actor is really giving his all here, and he’s been giving Braka a weirdly theatrical flair all season long.
Because of this, I thought it was strangely plausible that he would waste time idiotically putting the Federation on trial. Earlier episodes made it perfectly plausible that this is a guy who wants attention more than anything else, so broadcasting to an entire quadrant tracks with his outsized personality.

As something of a Giamatti fanboy, I’ve been saying this with his every subsequent appearance, but this is definitely the actor’s finest performance as Nus Braka. He’s chewing the scenery in constantly entertaining ways, dropping one-liners, and even exhibiting some crackling chemistry with Holly Hunter. Even if you hate the character and the performance, one thing’s for sure: you’ll never be bored while watching it.
Surviving Graduation
While the older characters on Starfleet Academy reliably do great work, the show has sometimes struggled with how it portrays its younger characters. Fortunately, the cadets shine in the Season 1 finale. Well, some of them do.
The episode focuses primarily on Caleb, giving us two different emotional payoffs: his reunion with his mother and his reconciliation with Tarima. To pull this off, though, the show sidelines several other characters, including Darem, who mostly gives supportive glances. As for Genesis, she mostly gives serious glances punctuated by a sudden announcement that she needs to pee (no, really).

Even older characters like Vance and Lura Thok are sidelined, but that just paves the way for some emotional payoffs. For example, the Doctor is glitching out after helping the ship fake its destruction, and SAM helps him get sorted. This leads to our first (and seemingly only) real nod to their newly-minted father/daughter relationship, and it was sweet seeing SAM as a daughter worried about her holo-dad’s health.
Plus, this scene helped Kraag discover that the Doctor was trying to communicate something important, even though it seemed initially indecipherable. Sure, it’s no “Darmok,” but the pivot from emotional characterization to communication breakthrough certainly felt like vintage Star Trek.

It’s good that the cadet stuff is so effective because the Nus Braka show trial does very little to move the plot along. Again, he’s great in this role, and he makes a mighty feast out of his dialogue. Functionally, though, the trial is performative and stale.
From the moment it starts, we know Braka is going to whine about perceived Federation slights and that Chancellor Ake will be rescued. All their characters can do is continue the same old dance from before, and while their chemistry remains excellent, the only really exciting parts of this trial are the brief interactions between Ake and Ms. Mir, which are absolutely crackling with tension.
Fun Visual Flourishes
Before we finish up, I wanted to commend this Starfleet Academy season finale for embracing some particularly fun visual flourishes. The show hasn’t always succeeded with these. For example, the episode “Series Acclimation Mil” had the titular character scrawling messages onto freezeframed scenes in a method reminiscent of a Disney Channel show aimed at preteens. To this day, that remains the weirdest part of an otherwise serious episode dedicated to Captain Sisko.

“Rubincon” showed much more restraint, and the primary visual flourish was that we occasionally saw Nus Braka’s trial the way others in the quadrant were seeing it: as a CNN-style broadcast. To me, this helped sell the villain’s self-importance. Instead of making his trial look like a terrorist broadcast, he wanted it to look like a legit news transmission, right down to chyrons about other news (like how much people hate Admiral Vance, which gave me an actual chuckle).
Also, after the episode wraps up, we get Starfleet Academy yearbook entries for various characters featuring images of the actors as children. It’s genuinely fun seeing the young photos, and it was especially fun seeing Vance as a much younger man. Additionally, each entry has some fun jokes: for example, Vance wanted his Nova Squadron nickname to be “Hellraiser,” but he instead got the unfortunate nickname “Vancypants.”
To Boldly Go Or Not To Boldly Go

“Rubincon” was ultimately a success. While it sidelined a few characters and one of its plots treaded water, the show was filled with very satisfying moments, including Caleb and Tarima confessing their love in a moment that (and this genuinely shocked me) actually affected the main plot. Ersatz main character Caleb also got to reunite with his mother, and our other characters got to prove their mettle as Starfleet officers while saving the entire Federation. Plus, the episode channeled some classic Star Trek tropes, including a captain holding her own during a crazy trial.
While I never thought I would say this at the beginning of Season 1, I’m now cautiously excited about where Starfleet Academy will go next; Season 2 promises to sport new villains (no more Nus Braka) and new adventures for characters who are more mature than ever before.

However, it seems likely that the show’s earlier ratings struggle may lead to it getting canceled after Season 2. Should that happen, Paramount may go down as a villain even worse than Nus Braka, killing Starfleet Academy without warning, without trial, and without mercy, right when it was getting good.
For fans, though, there’s no need to worry: eventually, Star Trek will boldly go again, and likely in a new direction. It may just take time, which (or so I’m told) folds in on itself. Like an origami chicken!

Starfleet Academy is streaming on Paramount+
Entertainment
Keke Palmer Has Priceless Reaction To Surprise Proposal
Y’all! It’s safe to say Keke Palmer did not see this moment coming. The actress found herself in an unexpected situation while on stage at a major event this week — and the crowd (plus her fellow stars) were just as shocked as she was.
RELATED: Keke Palmer And Demi Lovato Reflect On Dating Older Men As Teenagers (VIDEO)
Keke Gets Surprise Proposal Mid-Panel
During a panel at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, a man in the audience appeared to get down on one knee and propose to Keke while she was speaking. In clips now circulating online, the actress can be seen looking down toward the stage edge as the man holds up a ring box. Clearly caught off guard, Palmer responded politely but firmly, saying, “I can’t marry you, I don’t know you. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, sir.” She even turned to the audience, asking, “Is this a prank?” as gasps and laughter echoed from both the crowd and the stage.
Keke Keeps Cool Amid Surprise Chaos
The surprising moment happened during a live promotional panel for Palmer’s new film ‘I Love Boosters,’ where she appeared alongside co-stars Demi Moore, Naomi Ackie, and Eiza González — all of whom looked visibly stunned by the interruption. According to attendees, the man had reportedly been acting “weird” throughout the event, and the unexpected proposal only added to the awkward energy in the room. Despite the moment catching everyone off guard, Palmer handled it with grace before the panel continued on.
The Internet Isn’t Playin’ Behind Keeks
Fans immediately stormed TSR’s Instagram comment section and had a full-on field day over the moment. Some were side-eyeing security, wondering how a man could get that close, while others couldn’t stop talking about Keke Palmer’s priceless reaction. And of course, you already know—plenty of jokes slid in, while others were just asking when a delulu man like that might come for them.
One Instagram user @jourdddan said, “Ummm where was the security?!? 🗣️🗣️🗣️ They should’ve been up there ASAP“
This Instagram user @abovebrasialove added, “😂😂you can’t make this up“
And, Instagram user @uniqueleya commented, “Embarrassing af 😂 like why would u do that sir 😂😂😂”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @babyygirl_jaylee shared, “Aye you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.“
While Instagram user @kweensteph86 wrote, “They took WAYYYYY to freaking long to get to him. Where was security, that’s crazy.“
Finally, Instagram user @versatile44youu added, “Awww I wish someone would do that to me 😚”
RELATED: What A Link-Up! 5 Moments From Keke Palmer & Blueface’s Livestream The Internet Is Cuttin’ Up Over (VIDEOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Entertainment
R-Rated Sci-Fi Sequel So Awful, It Nearly Killed Legendary Franchise
By TeeJay Small
| Published

Like many film fans, I grew up watching the first two Alien movies. I fondly recall catching them on cable, HBO, and DVD over the years in various bits and pieces. Last year, my friend and I sat down with a mission to catch up on all the Alien movies, since we legitimately couldn’t recall whether we’d seen Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection, or either of the prequel films. And while it was a lot of fun running through Alien and Aliens as an adult with a fully formed prefrontal cortex, I think the third movie genuinely caused me psychic damage.
Immediately Undermines Its Own Legacy

Alien 3 picks up right where Aliens left off, with Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley resting safely in a cryopod alongside Corporal Hicks (Michael Biehn) of the Colonial Marines, and Newt (Danielle Edmond), a little girl that the duo rescued from planet LV-426. Through a series of extremely jarring and unpleasant editing choices, we see that an enormous alien egg was actually resting in the middle of the ship the entire time, as a facehugger emerges to cause chaos.
Let’s ignore the fact that the Xenomorph queen absolutely did not lay an egg inside the ship during the final moments of Aliens, and instead focus on the absolute smack in the face that is this opening scene. Cpl. Hicks and Newt are brutally killed in stasis, and the ship is knocked off course by a pair of the most competent facehuggers of all time. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a sequel so blatantly disrespect the end of the film that came before it, but saving Newt was kind of a big deal, so we’re kicking things off with one hell of a sour impression.

As the lone survivor of the massacre, Ripley wakes up on a planet known as Fiorina “Fury” 161. This place is a maximum security correctional facility loaded with inmates who have committed heinous violent crimes including the assault of minors. Over the course of Alien 3, many of these characters are meant to be redeemed by helping Ripley to fight off the Xenomorph.
Here’s a note for any and all screenwriters in the future: there is absolutely no way you could ever make me root for any character within hours of revealing that they are violent and repeat offenders. I genuinely think everyone involved in making this movie needs to be placed on a watchlist of some sort.
Ripley Was Done Dirty
While exploring the prison, Ripley meets with the planet’s chief medical officer, played by an unusually awkward Charles Dance. The doctor, Clemens, repeatedly refuses to explain what horrible crimes he’s committed to end up on this planet, which gives the impression that it’s something worse than child abuse. Spoiler alert: He got hooked on prescription drugs while working as a surgeon and once accidentally killed a patient on the table. I’m not sure why that character flaw is seen as too horrific to admit, as Clemens so cavalierly explains that every single other man in the movie is a Jeffrey Epstein-level monster.

Then, as if to drive home the point that these characters are genuine animals and not just misunderstood victims of an unjust legal system, a group of men corner Ripley and attempt to tear her clothes off. This scene is accompanied by a heavy metal score that sounds like it belongs in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, which makes the assault equal parts horrifying and unintentionally laugh-out-loud hilarious.
Luckily, one of the criminals steps in to reveal that he has a heart of gold, and rescues Ripley from the other attackers. Because after two movies of mowing down Xenomorphs with machine guns, escape pods, flamethrowers and mech suits, Alien 3 decides that Ripley is little more than a damsel in distress, desperately in need of a male handler to keep her alive.
The Dog Version And The Ox Version Do The Franchise No Favors
After narrowly avoiding a violent assault, Ripley decides for the very first time in the entire franchise that she’s super horny, and hooks up with Charles Dance, while he struggles to find anything of value to add to the movie. Failing to find something, he’s immediately killed by the Xenomorph, right after he finishes delivering a monologue about his pointless backstory.

Speaking of the Xenomorph, this thing is a mess. Unlike the previous unstoppable killing machines highlighted in the first two films, this Xenomorph is a hybrid that sprang forth from the chest of a dog (or an ox, depending on which cut of the movie you’re watching.) As a result of its quadrupedal nature, the alien navigates on all fours, and only sometimes knows how to open doors.
While I admire the puppeteering and VFX that went into bringing this creature to life, it fails to come together in the final cut. The result is an alien that looks like she’s shaking her booty with each step, complete with a green hue surrounding her perimeter, because the reflection from the green screen wasn’t properly keyed out.
A Pitiful Redemption Arc Attempt
45 minutes into this boring, unlikable adventure, Alien 3 decides to do one interesting thing, and reveals that Ripley is pregnant with a Xenomorph queen. This makes her effectively immune to attacks from the Doggo-morph, and puts her on course to enact a suicide mission so that the queen she’s carrying can’t wreak havoc on the entire known galaxy. She rallies the remaining freak-off frequenters, who suddenly agree to let a woman be their leader, and maps out a plan to blow the entire prison facility to smithereens.

At this point in the narrative, Alien 3 could almost serve as a so-bad-it’s-good movie, on par with classics like The Room or anything from Neil Breen‘s catalogue. Unfortunately, the final act is one of the sloppiest, most poorly-paced, obnoxiously shot, and outright boring things I’ve ever voluntarily watched. Ripley’s big plan involves sending prisoners to run up to the Xenomorph and tap it on the shoulder, then run away and slam doors in its face like they’re the Road Runner antagonizing Wile E. Coyote.
What follows is a seemingly endless sequence of identical bald British men running down identical hallways, apparently corralling the alien into an area of the facility that has not been choreographed to the audience in any meaningful way. I could recreate this entire scene by shaving my head and filming myself jogging through a single hallway in my apartment 65 times, but that would run the risk of being funny on purpose.

I lost count of how many times I checked the timestamp during this chase sequence, only to lament that I must be experiencing some form of Interstellar-style time dilution. It was as though I crash-landed on Miller’s planet, and every agonizing second of screen time was taking years to view. Towards the end of this chase, Ripley prepares to sacrifice herself, only for Dillon, the man who rescued her earlier in the film, to sacrifice himself on her behalf.
Maybe this is supposed to be the final redeeming moment for Dillon, where he gives his life to save a woman, in contrast to the multiple women he abused. But that doesn’t make any sense because Ripley has already made it extremely clear that she needs to die anyway. She then kills herself like five minutes later, so all Dillon really managed to do was take a triumphant moment from a strong woman and make it about himself one last time.


Alien 3 is handily the worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life. I would sooner remove my wisdom teeth, have them reinstalled, and remove them again without anesthetic than watch this movie a second time. If I go to your house and this movie is playing in the background, I might burn the building to the ground on my way out the door. Some sci-fi fans view Alien 3 as an overhated and misunderstood masterpiece, and I’m happy they have something to enjoy here. Still, I just don’t see anything appealing about this exhausting film, and I’m glad that it’s not currently streaming on any major service.
If you’re still interested in watching Alien 3, it is is currently available for on-demand rentals and purchases through YouTube, Fandango at Home, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime Video.
Entertainment
Prime Video’s 2026 ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Successor Isn’t Walking the Plank on Streaming
The fans love Anthony and Joe Russo’s work in the MCU, be it Chris Evans-led Captain America franchise that got grittier with each installment or the superhero mashup Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame that broke box office records. However, their work outside the MCU is yet to see a familiar fate. The duo has made films such as Tom Holland-led Cherry, The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling and Evans, The Electric State, and series such as Citadel.
Seems like the brothers have finally found a win with their latest feature, The Bluff, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Karl Urban. The swashbuckling feature directed by Frank E. Flowers has taken the global audiences by storm. It follows Ercell “Bloody Mary” Bodden (Chopra Jonas), who thought she had left her violent pirate life behind, finding peace in the Cayman Islands with her loving husband, T.H. (Ismael Cruz Cordova), their son, Isaac (Vedanten Naidoo), and her sister-in-law, Elizabeth (Safia Oakley-Green). Things take a turn when her notorious former captain, Connor (Urban), arrives seeking revenge. Now she is forced to confront the demons she’s tried to bury, thrusting her back into a deadly game of secrets and survival. Armed with lethal swordsmanship, cunning traps, and a fierce will to protect those she loves, she wages a brutal war against Connor’s merciless crew to save her family.
Urban is well known for his eccentric characters, especially his portrayal of Billy Butcher in The Boys, while Chopra Jonas-led Citadel, a high-octane action series, stars Richard Madden. So, when the two powerhouses came together on-screen, the audience got glued to their seats. The Bluff has managed to maintain its top spot on Amazon’s global top 10 since it first dropped. The feature is standing tall among titles like The Wrecking Crew starring Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista, Afterburn, The Fall Guy, and more.
Strap on Your Hockey Masks; It’s Friday the 13th — The Collider Movie Quiz!
Because today is Friday the 13th, let’s march our way through the iconic slasher franchise. Ch-ch-ch-ch. Ha-ha-ha-ha.
Where Will We See Priyanka Chopra Jonas Next?
While fans will see Urban in films and series like Mortal Kombat II and The Boys season 5 soon, Chopra Jonas will be next seen in RRR director SS Rajamouli’s historical epic Varanasi. While no details are available yet, the director previously teased Collider, “It’s not sci-fi. It feels like it’s a sci-fi film. It’s not. It’s a more fantasy, mythological-based film. And the antagonist, Kumbha, I’m always known for presenting my antagonist better than my protagonist. I love working with antagonists.”
Meanwhile, check out The Bluff on Prime Video now and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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February 25, 2026
- Runtime
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101 Minutes
- Director
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Frank E. Flowers
Entertainment
‘Outlander’ Season 8’s Most Controversial Twist Ties Back to the Beginning
Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Outlander Season 8 Episode 1.We’ve theorized about this day, dreaded it, and yearned for it like long-lost lovers on the cusp of reuniting. The premiere of Starz’s Outlander Season 8 has finally arrived, which means this is the last time viewers can celebrate the “Droughtlander” period coming to an end. As Diana Gabaldon refines her concluding novel, time-traveling soulmates Claire (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser’s (Sam Heughan) onscreen counterparts embark upon their last journey. After swooning, cheering, and weeping our way through the last 12 years, it’s bittersweet to realize that the Scottish warrior and his sassenach will disappear into the sunset within two months.
Given the show’s intricate scale, Season 8 has quite a few plot threads to address before the final credits roll. One giant mystery isn’t resolved as of the premiere, but based on coincidences and unsubstantiated evidence, Claire and Jamie believe that Fanny (Florrie Wilkinson), the late Jane Pocock’s (Silvia Presente) younger sister, is their granddaughter by way of Faith, the stillborn child Claire lost in Season 2. Although bringing past stories full circle in surprising ways can be a warranted move, implying Faith’s survival drastically pivots away from Gabaldon’s work in what’s otherwise been a stringently faithful adaptation — and the choice has generated intense backlash from the series’ readers.
‘Outlander’ Season 8’s Faith Twist Trivializes Claire’s Trauma and One of the Series’ Main Themes
The Season 7 finale’s cliffhanger left everyone — viewers and main characters alike — hanging on flabbergasted tenterhooks. Make no mistake, Outlander‘s most extreme twists can stretch the limits of even its flexible fantasy credibility. By and large, however, the series’ prestige shine and star-crossed chemistry sell all the surprise rabbits they pulled from their magician’s hat. Healing magic is already woven into this universe, courtesy of Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon), whose intervention saves Claire’s life after Faith’s premature birth. Likewise, a Season 4 vision foreshadows Claire achieving her full witchy potential once her hair turns white.
If Claire and Jamie’s conviction theory proves true, then Faith’s secret resurrection — presumably by Raymond — emerges from nowhere. Even if later episodes explain the details, it makes for a dizzying and rather unnecessary leap. In Gabaldon’s books, Claire considers the possibility that Faith survived before dismissing it. It’s closer to wishful thinking than legitimate suspicion. Naturally, this isn’t the first time Outlander has deviated from its beloved source material. Yet the majority of the changes have either been minor or the kind of flourishes typically lost during the adaptation process. Faith marks showrunner Matthew B. Roberts‘ largest alteration to date (aside from the creative liberties taken by the spin-off prequel, Outlander: Blood of My Blood).
“The last day was emotional, but so were the weeks, even months, beforehand,” says Heughan, about wrapping the series after eight seasons.
While polite fan critiques aren’t unheard of, either, the controversial reactions to Outlander‘s Season 8 premiere hint at a future infamy that extends beyond seeking adaptation fidelity. Several frustrated fans have pointed out how Faith’s survival risks undercutting the series’ found family themes. Even with all the politics surrounding clan bloodlines, the Frasers’ idea of family surpasses DNA ties. Claire and Jamie would adore an adopted child, no questions asked. More than anything, however, a revived Faith trivializes Claire’s near-death miscarriage. Outlander‘s second season remains one of the few mainstream series to depict this unfathomably tragic and life-threatening reality with sensitivity, centering on the woman’s perspective rather than reducing a stillbirth to soulless plot-twist dramatics. With Faith, Outlander recognizes Claire’s immense physical trauma, her visceral grief, and how she navigates the loss.
‘Outlander’ Changing the Faith Storyline During Its 10-Episode Final Season Feels Misguided
One can’t help but wonder why this arc commands focus during a crucial time, given all Roberts and his team have on their plate. The showrunner cut certain long-term characters from Season 8 in order to streamline everything into just 10 episodes: the rest of the penultimate book, secret elements from Gabaldon’s unpublished finale, Claire’s witchcraft evolution, estranged friendships, and the fate of the immediate Fraser family tree. And, of course, the most top-of-mind question — whether this unique family can circumvent history’s confines once again, or if Jamie — the king of the romantic heroes — is doomed to die during the Revolutionary War. The actors themselves don’t know how Outlander concludes, having filmed different outcomes. Although it’s too early to judge how much the Faith subplot affects Season 8’s arc, it still rings like a misstep.
Outlander
- Release Date
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2014 – 2026-00-00
- Showrunner
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Matthew B. Roberts
- Directors
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John Dahl, Metin Hüseyin, Jamie Payne, Stephen Woolfenden, Anna Foerster, Brendan Maher, Brian Kelly, David Moore, Jennifer Getzinger, Mike Barker, Philip John, Joss Agnew, Lisa Clarke, Jan Matthys, Ben Bolt, Charlotte Brändström, Christiana Ebohon-Green, Denise Di Novi, Douglas Mackinnon, Julian Holmes, Norma Bailey, Richard Clark, Justin Molotnikov, Stewart Svaasand
-
Jack Tarlton
Kenny Lindsay
-
John Sessions
Arthur Duncan
Entertainment
Bobby Cannavale calls “Scarpetta ”sex scenes with Jamie Lee Curtis 'really fun'
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The ‘Boardwalk Empire’ alum also said that Curtis was the person who pitched the crime series to him.
Entertainment
Days of our Lives: Kristen’s Plan Backfires – Does She Lose Custody of Rachel?
Days of Our Lives divulges that Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) is ready to recant her statement about shooting EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) so that her daughter Rachel Black (Lorelie Olivia Mote) can confess to the crime. So, the plan was for Kristen to have all charges against her dropped and Rachel to get a slap on the wrist or no consequences, preferably.
Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) and Belle Brady (Martha Madison) just warned Kristen to mind her manners when they’re in session with the judge. But let’s be real, when is Kristen ever chill? We’re going to talk about what might happen if she acts out.
Kristen Plans to Recant Her Confession on Days of Our Lives
All right, let’s dig into it. So, with Kristen recanting her confession that she made in court that saved. She wanted to save Rachel, this could be the moment where everything’s all cleaned up. All the loose ends are tied. You know, Kristen gets her freedom. It would all be good. Except Belle doesn’t think that Kristen is going to be able to do this. She doesn’t think she’s going to do it right.
So Kristen came over to Brady’s place where she’s living temporarily. After she visited her mom Rachel Blake at Alamania. And Kristen said she and her mom were redoing her will. Because her brother Peter Blake (Dan Gauthier) is now dead and gone. Kristen was already emotional when she barged in on Brady and Belle talking this week. And then the siblings were making small talk about the new place being close to Rachel’s school and Marlena Evans’ (Deidre Hall) townhouse. And then the conversation turned to Kristen and Rachel’s upcoming hearing.
Days of our Lives: Kristen Takes the Fall for Rachel
So, I’m sure you remember she burst into the courtroom during Johnny DiMera‘s (Carson Boatman) trial when he was facing attempted murder charges for allegedly shooting his dad. And right before that, EJ had remembered everything and he had a flashback of little Rachel shooting him
So, EJ insisted that Kristen had to confess to the shooting herself to save Johnny. Otherwise EJ was going to have to reveal that Rachel did it, which he didn’t want to do. But also EJ wasn’t going to risk his son’s freedom to save her daughter. So, it was a messy situation.
Kristen confessed and at that point only she, EJ, and Marlena knew that Rachel was the shooter. And Marlena said they should let Rachel remember in her own time to minimize the mental health impact of all of this drama.
Which meant Kristen was sent to Statesville and then Peter kidnapped Kristen, stole her right from prison. And then of course Rachel eventually remembered shooting EJ. And then Brady made the very tough decision to put Rachel in Bayview for full-time psychiatric care.
Sophia Manipulated Rachel at Bayview on DOOL
And she was making progress until Sophia Choi (RachelBoyd) began targeting Rachel and manipulating her and encouraging the tween to do naughty things and basically using her as her minion. And if not for Sophia, you know, the doctors at Bayview might have made a lot more progress with Rachel. I think they made some. But not as much as they could have.
But Kristen ignored medical advice from the therapist, ignored advice from Marlena, ignored Brady’s wishes. And she yanked Rachel out of Bayview and brought her back home. And Belle warned at the time that this could mess up the hearing. Because Rachel being in Bayview was what was keeping her out of juvie.
And then Kristen wormed her way into moving in with Brady and told Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) that even though Brady said she could stay for a month, Kristen said she wasn’t planning on ever moving out. So, she’s been scheming from the jump.
Kristen Takes Huge Risk
And at this point, Brady and Belle are very worried about what’s going to happen at that hearing. Because Kristen checking Rachel out may not go over well with the judge. Her being in Bayview meant she was getting help and facing some consequences. But not the worst possible consequences she could face since she shot her uncle, you know.
But Kristen stopped all the help she was getting at the most crucial time. And in a way, I think it’s because she wanted to use Rachel as a bargaining chip to get closer to Brady. And he made it perfectly clear to Kristen, don’t mislead the judge on our living arrangements. Brady said it needs to be made clear he and Kristen are not a couple.
They are co-parenting and agreed to be together to help Rachel transition back into life in Salem after six months at Bayview. So, Rachel has gone back to seeing her original therapist, which didn’t stop her from doing what she did. But she is doing pretty well in school. But all of that may not be enough.
The Same Judge Who Saw Kristen’s Dramatic Confession
Belle warned Kristen they are facing the same exact judge that presided over Johnny’s case. So, this is the same judge who saw Kristen burst into her courtroom to dramatically confess to shooting EJ. So, Belle said this judge is going to go over every little detail with a fine tooth comb. And, you know, this is probably the worst judge they could have drawn.
And given Kristen’s emotional state after losing Peter and then finding out the bones in the crypt were her dad Stefano DiMera’s (Joe Mascolo), there’s no telling what she may say if she gets pressed by the judge. Belle already warned Kristen that she needs to calmly recount her confession and then basically keep her mouth shut after that.
And she was glaring at Belle who told her if she doesn’t keep it zipped, she could get Rachel’s freedom taken away. They could possibly lose custody of their daughter. But then talking to Brady, Belle brought up Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) and that set Kristen off.
So, she stormed off and Brady had to apologize to Belle for how she was acting. However, let’s be real, Kristen may not be able to help herself if she gets snarky with the judge. You know, Rachel could be remanded to juvie or back to Bayview or another mental ward, you know, out of state or farther from Salem. They could actually take custody of her away from Kristen and Brady, especially with her history of CPS incidents.

Kristen Could Blow Rachel’s Hearing on Days of Our Lives
So, if Kristen starts blathering about how Bayview wasn’t helping Rachel and they did a bad job with her therapy, it could all go real bad real fast. Kristen could rant about Dr. Gregory the therapist and about how Sophia Choi was a bad influence and do it with zero tact. That would be a typical Kristen thing to do.
And if you recall at the time that she confessed and falsely said that she shot EJ, it was, you know, a sweet sacrifice, a mother’s love in an attempt to keep Rachel out of juvie. That surprised everybody that she would sacrifice herself like that, especially Brady. But Kristen also snapped at EJ once they found out the jury was going to come back with a not guilty verdict for Johnny.
I think it was maybe Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) who told them that. So Kristen somehow thought EJ should have known it was going to be a not guilty and you know could have stopped her from confessing and everybody would have been fine.
Days of our Lives: Rachel Home with Her Family
So right now Rachel’s happy to be home again and she wants to tell the truth and save her mom Kristen. But given that Alice Halsey wrapped her run at Days of our Lives and she already had her last air date last week, they have to do something with Rachel.
And as big a deal as they’re making out of this hearing, I feel like that’s going to determine her fate. So my money is on Kristen doing something or saying something that ticks off the judge and that gets Rachel sent away. Because maybe they think Kristen is a bad influence, you know, whether it’s to juvie or another psychiatric hospital that’s further away.
Kristen, you know, may pitch a fit about Bayview and they say, “Okay, well, we’ll put her here” that’s in a whole other state. I suspect we are going to see Rachel sent away in some capacity as a result of this hearing. But we’ll see.
Entertainment
The 9 best thriller on Paramount+ for a seriously tense movie night
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The streamer carries several classic thriller films.
Entertainment
Netflix Serves Up a 91% RT Historical Drama for ‘Bridgerton’ Fans
Regency romance isn’t the only corset-tightened comfort Netflix viewers are binging right now. With Bridgerton surging again after Season 4 Part 2 dropped on February 26, Netflix’s tea-and-scandal lane is clearly hot. It marks the kind of moment where audiences start hunting for another polished period fix that delivers class politics, forbidden desire, and social disasters that hit like plot grenades — at least until Bridgerton Season 5 makes it home.
That’s where this incoming title lands perfectly: it’s a full, self-contained two-hour continuation (not a season-long commitment) built around the same addictive ingredients. There’s a reputation on the line, a powerful household navigating changing times, and a central heroine (Michelle Dockery) forced to take control when the world starts judging louder than the family can whisper. It also comes with final chapter energy: the sequel was designed to feel like closure while still letting the characters flex their best traits one last time.
The movie is Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025), and it’s scheduled to arrive on Netflix US on March 7, 2026. It runs about two hours and jumps the story into the 1930s, with Lady Mary facing a public scandal as the Crawleys confront financial strain and a rapidly modernizing world. If Bridgerton is your guilty pleasure, this is your classy chaser. Before Netflix, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale was exclusively available to stream on Peacock.
How Do ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Bridgerton’ Differ From Each Other
Bridgerton and Downton Abbey both deliver lavish costumes and romantic stakes, but they scratch different itches. Bridgerton is a glossy, modernized fantasy of Regency society with fast pacing, heightened drama, bold music cues, and romance as the engine. It’s built to feel like a bingeable soap with prestige dressing. Downton Abbey is slower, warmer, and more grounded: it’s about the whole household (aristocrats and staff), with class change, duty, and family continuity taking priority over steamy scandal.
If you love Bridgerton mainly for the heat and melodrama, Downton may feel restrained. But if you love the social rules, shifting power dynamics, witty etiquette warfare, and long-term character investment, Downton is an easy yes. It’d be less spicy, more satisfying. Regardless, jumping straight into Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale would feel a little off in both taste and pacing. It does work as a stand-alone watch, but the franchise is best experienced in order: the series first, then the films.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is now available to stream on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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September 12, 2025
- Runtime
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123 Minutes
- Writers
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Julian Fellowes
Entertainment
Why Christina Haack Wasn’t Critical of Bachelor Mansion Redo
Christina Haack lent her renovation expertise to the cast of HGTV’s Bachelor Mansion Takeover — without being too harsh in her critiques.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Haack, 42, exclusively told Us Weekly at HGTV’s Bachelor Mansion Makeover event on Thursday, March 12, reflecting on her time as a guest judge on the show. “Pulling up, I noticed the house needed a little bit of TLC on the outside, and then going to the inside, I found I was getting to do the Rose Room, which is definitely the most iconic room, so I was super excited.”
On Bachelor Mansion Takeover, a group of Bachelor Nation alums with renovation and design experience fix up the iconic franchise house room by room while attempting to stay safe from elimination. Haack joined co-judges Tayshia Adams and Tyler Cameron during the Monday, March 9, episode to share her thoughts on the competition.
“The contestants had very limited time, limited budget, so I definitely feel for them, having been on the other side,” Haack said on Thursday. “It’s a lot of pressure, but I think overall, they all did a great job.”
The HGTV mainstay continued, “I think I [tried] to be a very fair judge, having been on the other side and having an understanding of, like, what they’re working with and how low the budgets are, I was trying not to be too critical.”
Haack, Adams, 35, and Cameron, 32, ultimately picked Dean Unglert, Jill Chin and Allyshia Gupta’s new version of the main living area as the episode’s winners. Haack, however, found another design that stood out even more.

Christina Haack in the the Rose Room on Thursday, March 12. Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for HGTV
“I think, overall, I really like what they did in the candle room,” Haack told Us of Joan Vassos, Courtney Robertson and Sam McKinney’s remodel. “I love the tiles they chose [on the accent wall] and the light colors.”
Outside of her Bachelor Mansion Takeover cameo, Haack is gearing up for a second season of The Flip Off with her ex-husband Tarek El Moussa and his wife, Heather Rae El Moussa.
“It’s been so fun,” Haack teased to Us. “Honestly, filming The Flip Off doesn’t feel like a job, like, we’re literally just laughing the entire time. I feel very lucky to get to do what I love. I think this season is going to be even better than the first one.”

According to Haack, her head-to-head renovation against the El Moussas has been “going good” so far.
“I haven’t seen their house yet,” she added. “We haven’t done any reveals, but so far, so good. Just hoping to win it.”
Bachelor Mansion Takeover airs on HGTV Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and is available to stream the next day on HBO Max.
Entertainment
Young and the Restless Next Week: Diane Discovers Jack’s Affair in Devastating Betrayal!
Young and the Restless spoilers for next week expose Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) walking in on Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) being unfaithful to her and also a trap being set for Matt Clark (Roger Howarth). Plus, other big news for next week.
It’s Belynda from Soap Dirt and we’ve got the latest Y&R spoilers for the week of March 16th. So, we are gonna get into the Diane and Jack action, plus Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) and Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) setting a trap and Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) infuriating Victor Newman (Eric Braeden).
Victor and Nikki Face Off Over Jack’s Kidnapping on Young and the Restless
All right, let’s kick things off with Victor and Nikki facing off. And of course, Victor is being a jerk to his wife. So Nikki was ranting at Victor at the end of this week and saying she may never forgive him for what he has done with Jack. Then Victor snarked at Nikki that her precious Jack is just fine. Victor was telling her that Jack is in good hands.
And Nikki wants to know whose hands that Jack is in. And Nikki tells Victor she won’t let him hurt the people she cares about while he’s trying to get Chancellor or anything else back. Then Victor vows he’ll get everything back and said taking Jack was a small price to pay.
So Nikki demands that Victor tell her where Jack is. And of course he is not going to come clean. Instead Victor says that Jack is right where he wants to be which is a big fat lie naturally. And that left Nikki seething and Victor snarking about Nikki being jealous that Jack is somewhere and he’s not alone.
And Nikki rants about the nerve of Victor and he insists again that Nikki’s jealous. I don’t think she is. Not at all. She’s concerned and she doesn’t trust Victor with Jack’s safety. Rightly so.
Young and the Restless Spoilers: Nikki Gives Traci an Update
So, it looks like Nikki is going to get some more info out of Victor next week. And then Nikki makes a beeline, runs over to the Abbott mansion to try and help them. But the thing is, Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) and Diane and Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) aren’t there. They’re doing something else.
But Nikki’s going to run into Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland) and then Nikki’s going to tell her that Victor told her that Jack is on a yacht in the middle of Lake Michigan with some woman. And Traci is shocked and she’s horrified. Nikki of course is too, but neither of them are going to be nearly as horrified as Diane Jenkins is once she sees what Victor has done to her husband.
And I don’t know how this stunt has anything to do actually with getting the businesses back. I think at this point that it is a personal attack on Jack. And in the end, I think it’s going to do nothing but cause chaos in Nikki and Victor’s marriage. But we’ll see.
Billy, Diane and Kyle Find Out Patty Has Jack on Young and the Restless
So, at the end of this week, Billy is with Diane and Kyle at a marina in Genoa City with Diane freaking out and promising violent payback if Jack is hurt. So, Diane blames both Victor and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford). And then Billy gets some information from the marina manager and it’s not good news.
So, he tells Diane and Kyle that a luxury yacht was rented for two days for two people. And one of them is a gorgeous woman, somebody named, we all know it, Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk. So, Billy and Kyle are wondering how that’s even possible.
Because the last anybody in Genoa City heard, Patty had been put away for her own safety and the safety of everybody else because she’s not exactly stable. So, Diane now thinks that Patty kidnapped Jack and I’m sure she thinks that Victor is behind it all, but obviously Patty was involved in his taking.
So, it turns out that Kyle doesn’t know about Patty’s past connection to Victor. That was, you know, before his time. And then Billy says that Victor hates Patty while Diane is saying that Victor is doing all this to punish them. And at this point, I tend to agree. So, the three of them are going to go out and they’re going to find that yacht that’s out on Lake Michigan.
Young and the Restless: Jack and Patty Are Drugged on the Yacht
Meanwhile, over on the boat, Patty gave Jack the tour that he wanted. And Patty’s talking about how romantic it is that the stars are in the sky. It’s dark. They’re there all alone. Jack wants his cell phone, but Patty says it’s locked away.
And she’s telling Jack that it’s not healthy how much time people spend on devices. That’s true, but she’s not exactly—Patty’s not exactly the person to be giving health advice. So, Jack wants to know if Patty’s planning to kill him and he’s trying to bargain with her.
Patty insists he’s perfectly safe and she says she’s actually there to keep him safe. And then Jack is flattering Patty and says she’s even more beautiful than she was. But he really needs to leave. And she tells Jack that all of this is part of her redemption.
Patty Gets Frisky with Jack on Y&R
So, they have a drink, both of them. Then they both start getting really hot and pulling off their clothes. And Patty starts talking about how incredible she feels. And Jack realizes something is off, and he wants to know if Patty drugged him because all of a sudden he’s really attracted to her.
I wonder if she knew the liquor was drugged or if Victor just drugged everything on the boat and didn’t tell her because it’s not like he shares info. And it sounds like Jack and Patty were roofied, you know, given Rohypnol or maybe something like ecstasy because it makes you very sensitive, very frisky.
And then Jack has a moment of clarity and insists he’s married and says that they can’t do this. But Patty says Diane is not there and she’ll never know. So Patty wants another kiss. And then Jack actually starts making out with her and they are all over each other on top of each other pulling off clothes and you know whatever drug they were given is definitely doing its thing.

Diane Walks In on Jack and Patty on Y&R
So, next week is when things get really messy because it looks like all inhibitions are gone and Jack is full-on making out with Patty, climbing on top of her, ready to do the deed. At the same time, the Abbotts catch up to them. They find the yacht on the lake and Diane wastes no time.
As soon as they get onto the yacht, she goes running down the hallway frantically searching for Jack, trying to find out where he is. And it looks like Diane’s going to barge in and catch Jack in bed with Patty getting frisky. We’ll see exactly how frisky.
You know, the soapiest thing would be all the way frisky. But Jack’s clearly drugged. And I’m sure Diane will realize that because he and Patty are both loopy. You know, there’s a chance that Jack is drugged and Patty’s faking it, but I don’t think so. I think they’re both drugged, both thanks to Victor. Hopefully Diane will get Jack tested for drugs, get him cleaned up so they can try and get it out of his system.
What I’m wondering is if Victor knew the Abbotts would make it to the yacht. You know, maybe he’s going to strand all of them, all four of the Abbotts there with Patty to buy him some more time. So, we’ll see if this is a rescue of Jack or an increasingly large kidnapping. I tend to think it’s a rescue.
Young and the Restless Spoilers: Adam and Nick Set a Trap for Matt Clark
Also, we know from this week that Adam dug into his past in Vegas and was looking for Rizza because they found out Matt was dealing drugs and she knows this woman that Adam knew from back in the day. So, next week, Young and the Restless spoilers have Adam telling Nick they’ll get Matt.
And once Adam sets up a meeting, then Nick can have him. He can deal with Matt however he sees fit. We all know how Nick wants to deal with Matt. He wants to kill him. But since Nick is hopped up on drugs, leaving him alone with Matt, I think, is a very bad idea.
Be sure to check our full weekly spoilers video tomorrow for the week of March 16th through the 20th. Our weekly predictions and lots more coming soon.
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