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10 Bingeworthy Thriller Shows That Are Perfect Follow-Ups to Prime Video’s ‘Scarpetta’

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Olivia Colman & David Tennant lean in with evidence in the office in Broadchurch

After much anticipation, Patricia Cornwell‘s iconic character, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, has finally been brought to life on the screen in Scarpetta. In the Prime Video series, Nicole Kidman plays the brilliant forensic pathologist. Across two timelines, with Rosy McEwen taking on her younger self, Kay uses advanced forensic technology to unravel mysteries and solve crimes in the present, ensuring her answers about the past are correct.

If you’ve breezed through the eight-episode first season, there are a handful of medical and crime thrillers that are destined to keep you equally addicted to mystery. From beloved detective procedurals to modern medical dramas, the titles on this list are perfect follow-ups to the twisty Prime Video series.

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‘Broadchurch’ (2013–2017)

Olivia Colman & David Tennant lean in with evidence in the office in Broadchurch
DS Ellie Miller played by Olivia Coleman and DI Alec Hardy played by David Tennant in Broadchurch.
Image via ITV

Broadchurch is, perhaps, one of the greatest crime thrillers of all-time. Starring powerhouse British icons Olivia Colman and David Tennant, the three-season series follows the investigation into the murder of 11-year-old Danny Latimer, found dead on the beach of a small coastal town. Detectives Alec Hardy (Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Colman) uncover a community’s deep secrets through a mystery with unbelievable twists and turns as the close-knit town begins to turn on one another under the circumstances. Created by Chris Chibnall, Broadchurch is an emotional slow-burn whodunit with a profound, emotional examination of grief and the human impact of crime.

A properly plotted thriller, Broadchurch keeps the action engaging while keeping you shocked until the final reveal, a testament to the writing and the performances. A solid ensemble, which also includes Jodie Whittaker, Jonathan Bailey, Arthur Darvill, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Julie Hesmondhalgh in subsequent seasons, lifts the material beyond plot into something profoundly human. A series that remains sensational every time you watch, there has yet to be another show that has ever come close to the brilliance of Broadchurch. And that includes the American remake, Gracepoint, which also starred Tennant as a different version of his British counterpart.

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‘Criminal Minds’ (2005–Present)

Rossi (Joe Mantegna) looking serious in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3
Rossi (Joe Mantegna) looking serious in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3
Image via Paramount+

One of the most successful and longest-running police procedural crime dramas is Criminal Minds. Beginning its original run in 2005, the CBS thriller follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The team travels the country analyzing the nation’s most dangerous serial killers, known as unsubs, to anticipate their next moves. Focusing on psychological motivations rather than just physical evidence, Criminal Minds pushes the boundaries with intense, sadistic storylines that tend to be gritty in subject matter. All on network television!

Perhaps the defining reason for the show’s longevity is not the crimes themselves but the found family dynamic among the BAU team. Allowing for a character-driven series that lets circumstances shape the characters, Criminal Minds‘ ability to focus on the psyches of the individuals in the field simultaneously with the plot garnered a cult following. Across its run, Criminal Minds featured an iconic cast that included Thomas Gibson, Matthew Gray Gubler, Kristen Vangsness, Paget Brewster, Joe Mantegna, Zach Gilford, and many more. Even with cast turnover and shocking deaths, Criminal Minds never lost steam. Though it may fall into the “is that still on?” category of television, its ability to stay fresh while reinventing itself has made it an addictive watch.

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‘Critical’ (2015)

Lennie James as Glen Boyle in 'Critical.'
Lennie James as Glen Boyle in ‘Critical.’
Image via Sky 1

If there is one medical drama that will keep you stressed out from start to finish, look no further than Critical. The one series run followed the trauma specialists at the Major Trauma Centre at City General Hospital as they treated critically ill patients. With each episode focused on one patient and the efforts to save their life within one hour, Critical is a high-stakes thriller that putsmedical professionals in the driver’s seat as they make life-changing decisions. Praised for its real-time feel and technical accuracy, Critical was an hour shift of The Pitt before The Pitt arrived.

Led by Lennie James as Glen Boyle, the trauma consultant and team leader, his prowess as a character actor in high-stress situations was on full display here. With such a strong actor to center the series on, it resulted in a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled show that focused on the critical “Golden Hour.” Critical is not for the faint of heart. You feel for the patients and providers. The emotional toll of work in trauma is on full display, so when bad news has to be delivered to loved ones, it’s a gut punch. Even with all the goods there, the series didn’t draw high enough viewership, causing Critical to be axed after a single 13-episode run.

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‘Dept. Q’ (2025–Present)

Matthew Goode as DCI Carl Mock and Jamie Sives as DCI James Hardy in the pilot of 'Dept. Q.'
Matthew Goode as DCI Carl Mock and Jamie Sives as DCI James Hardy in the pilot of ‘Dept. Q.’
Image via Netflix

In Scarpetta, an old crime resurfaces. In Dept Q., it’s all about unearthing cold cases and unsolved mysteries. The sensational Netflix thriller follows Detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), who, after a traumatic shooting, returns to work only to be relegated to the dredges of the unsolved cases department. As Carl and his motley crew delve into the disappearance of missing prosecutor Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), secrets come to the surface in this twisted story. An enthralling and gritty drama, the dark backdrop of Edinburgh provides an extraordinary atmosphere for the unthinkable crimes that abound. With a central cold case driving the action as Carl faces the trauma of his own attack, the compelling stories intertwine, allowing one to inform the other. As the pieces fall into place, the bigger picture is soon illuminated, revealing just how twisted the first season’s story truly is.

With multiple plotlines that ultimately intertwine across congruent timelines and flashbacks, Dept. Q‘s sharp storytelling becomes its greatest asset. Dept. Q thrives thanks to its exceptional cast. Goode, in a career-best performance, shines thanks to his dynamic with his cohorts: his paraplegic partner, DI James Hardy (Jamie Sives); civilian employee Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov); and the chipper but broken DC Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne). Other exceptional players include Chief Superintendent Moira Jacobson (Kate Dickie) and Carl’s appointed therapist, Dr. Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald). Underrated in its first season’s story, with so much to explore in Season 2, Dept. Q is destined to become even better.













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Collider Exclusive · TV Medicine Quiz
Which Fictional Hospital
Would You Work Best In?

The Pitt · ER · Grey’s Anatomy · House · Scrubs
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Five hospitals. Five completely different ways medicine goes sideways on television — brutal, chaotic, romantic, brilliant, and ridiculous. Only one of them is the ward your instincts were built for. Ten questions will figure out exactly where you belong.

🚨The Pitt

🏥ER

💉Grey’s Anatomy

🔬House

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🩺Scrubs

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01

A critical patient comes through the door. What’s your first instinct?
Medicine under pressure reveals who you actually are.





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02

Why did you go into medicine in the first place?
The honest answer says more about you than the one you’d give in an interview.





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03

What do you actually want from the people you work with?
Who you want beside you under pressure is who you are.





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04

How do you actually perform under extreme pressure?
The worst shifts reveal things about you that the good ones never will.





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05

You lose a patient you fought hard to save. How do you carry it?
Every doctor who’s worked a long shift has had to answer this question.





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06

How would your colleagues describe the way you work?
Your reputation on the floor is usually more accurate than your self-image.





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07

How do you feel about hospital protocol and procedure?
Every institution has rules. What you do with them is a choice.





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08

What kind of medical work do you find most compelling?
What draws your attention when you walk through those doors matters.





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09

What does this job cost you personally?
Nobody works in medicine without paying a price. What’s yours?





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10

At the end of a long shift, what keeps you coming back?
The answer to this question is the most honest thing about you.





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Your Assignment Has Been Made
You Belong In…

Your answers have pointed to one fictional hospital above all others. This is the ward your instincts, your temperament, and your particular brand of dysfunction were built for.

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The Pitt

You are built for the most unsparing version of emergency medicine television has ever shown. The Pitt doesn’t romanticise the work — it puts you inside a single fifteen-hour shift and doesn’t let you look away. You are someone who needs their work to be real, who finds meaning not in the drama surrounding medicine but in medicine itself, and who has made peace with the fact that this job will take from you constantly and give back in ways that are harder to name. You don’t need the chaos to be aestheticised. You need it to be honest. Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center is exactly that — and you would not want to be anywhere else.

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ER

You are the person who keeps the whole floor running — not the most brilliant in the room, but possibly the most essential. County General is built on the shoulders of people who show up, do the work, absorb the losses, and come back the next day without requiring the job to be anything other than what it is. You care deeply about patients as individual human beings, you believe in the system even when it fails you, and you understand that emergency medicine at its core is about holding the line between order and chaos for just long enough. ER is television about endurance, and you have it.

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Grey’s Anatomy

You came to medicine with your whole self — your ambition, your emotions, your relationships, your history — and you have never quite managed to leave any of it at the door. Grey Sloan is a hospital where the personal and the professional are permanently, chaotically entangled, and where that entanglement produces both the greatest disasters and the most remarkable saves. You are someone who feels things fully, who forms deep attachments to the people you work with, and who understands that the most extraordinary medicine often happens at the intersection of clinical skill and profound human connection. It’s messy here. You would not have it any other way.

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House

You are drawn to the problem above everything else. Not the patient as a person — though you are capable of caring, even if you’d deny it — but the case as a puzzle, the symptom that doesn’t fit, the diagnosis hiding underneath the obvious one. Princeton-Plainsboro is a hospital that exists to house one extraordinary, impossible mind, and everyone around that mind is there because they are smart enough and stubborn enough to keep up. You work best when the stakes are highest, when the standard answer is wrong, and when the only way forward is to think harder than everyone else in the room. That is exactly what you would do here.

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Scrubs

You understand that medicine is tragic and absurd in almost equal measure, and that the only sane response is to hold both of those things at the same time. Sacred Heart is a hospital where the laughter and the grief are genuinely inseparable — where a terrible joke can get you through a terrible moment, and where the most ridiculous people are also, on their best days, remarkably good doctors. You are warm, self-aware, and funnier than most people in your field. You lean on the people around you and you let them lean back. Scrubs is a show about learning to become someone worthy of the job — and you are still very much in the middle of that process, which is exactly right.

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‘Dexter’ (2006–2013)

Deter lifting up his mask and looking at a victim in Dexter.
Michael C Hall as Dexter
Image via Showtime
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Though that mountain man, lumberjack-chic finale is still a sticking point for die-hard fans, everything that occurred prior was quite sensational. For eight seasons, Dexter was a smash for Showtime. Starring Michael C. Hall, the series centered on Dexter Morgan, a Miami Metro Police blood-spatter analyst who secretly works as a vigilante serial killer. Guided by a strict moral “code” from his adoptive father, he targets and kills murderers who have escaped the legal system. Showcasing Dexter’s struggle to balance his hidden, destructive urges with maintaining a normal, human life, Dexter is a juicy, off-kilter thriller that explores morality, family, loyalty, and the psychological concept of psychopathy.

Expertly blending dark humor with intense psychological suspense, Hall’s brilliant anti-hero forces viewers to sympathize with a serial killer. Hall crafts one of the strongest characters of the 21st century, bringing depth and nuance to the duplicitous Dexter. He had sensational writing that helped keep the series compelling, especially through the voice-over narrative, giving viewers a glimpse into the dark passenger inside his mind. Dexter is a bloody good time, offering a unique perspective to a typically formulaic genre. With a prequel and a sequel to add to the lore, there’s enough to keep you watching for many weekends.

‘His & Hers’ (2026)

Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson sit apart in chairs and look at each other intently in His & Hers.
Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson sit apart in chairs and look at each other intently in His & Hers.
Image via Netflix
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One of the first entries into the world of crime thrillers in 2026 was Netflix’s twisty His & Hers. Based on Alice Feeney‘s book, His & Hers follows news reporter Anna Andrews (Tessa Thompson) and her estranged husband, Detective Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal), drawn together by a murder in their Georgia town that reopens old wounds and reveals secrets. As shocking twists unravel as their inner circle is drawn into the fray, His & Hers reminds us that there are always two sides to every story. Focusing on broken relationshipsand how grief can bring out dark traits in a person, His & Hers is a family affair, just like Scarpetta.

A truly unpredictable story, His & Hers thrives through its atmospheric tension. As the body count rises and the suspect list shifts, the series becomes one you won’t be able to stop watching. From a unique storytelling perspective, shifting from unreliable narrator to unreliable narrator leaves viewers uncertain about what is true and what is contrived for someone’s particular gain. Thompson and Bernthal are at the top of their game, showing how a single event, namely the loss of a child, can actually split two once-connected individuals. Joining them with strong performances are Marin Ireland as Zoe Harper, Jack’s younger sister, and Pablo Schreiber as Richard Jones, Anna’s cameraman and her rival Lexy Jones’ (Rebecca Rittenhouse) husband. If you enjoy the familiar drama surrounding the crimes at hand, His & Hers fits the bill.

‘Luther’ (2010–2019)

DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) wanders down an alley in Luther.
DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) wanders down an alley in Luther.
Image via BBC
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One of the finest actors of the generation is Idris Elba. A truly transformative performer, Elba dazzles in the psychological crime thriller Luther. Created by Neil Cross, the series follows DCI John Luther (Elba), a brilliant but self-destructive detective who often breaks rules to catch sadistic killers. Focusing on an intense predator-and-prey duel with criminals and on his complex relationship with the genius psychopath Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), Luther goes beyond the detective series through morally ambiguous characters and high-stakes storytelling.

Unafraid to be a darker crime thriller than most, Luther presents a moody, gritty portrayal of London that serves as an important character in the hunts. With shorter seasons, the series is contained to smart, fast-paced storytelling without filler content. Elba earned his BAFTA through this iconic character. Brilliant, damaged, and out-of-the-box operative, Elba’s portrayal of an individual grappling with his inner demons becomes an instant draw. Though Luther could easily be too over-the-top, the series’ villains and antagonists are unsettlingly and deeply human, making them even more sinister. Ambitious and hefty, Luther is the show you may have missed that you’ll surely regret that you did. ​​​​​​​

‘The Outsider’ (2020)

Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney looking at something off-screen in the woods in The Outsider.
Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney looking at something off-screen in the woods in The Outsider.
Image via HBO
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Now, for something that leans into the science fiction realm: The Outsider. Based on Stephen King‘s novel of the same name, the series follows Detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) as he investigates the brutal murder of 11-year-old Frankie Peterson in Georgia. While DNA and witness evidence point to little league coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman), an airtight alibi forces investigators to confront a sinister, shapeshifting supernatural entity. Joined by unorthodox private investigator Holly Gibney (Cynthia Erivo), the duo uncover the truth, discovering similarities to other unsolved, horrific child murders. From crime thriller to supernatural horror, The Outsider uses the surreal as a tool to explore grief.

The Outsider masterfully merges the mundane terrors of a police drama with King’s brand of supernatural horror. The series does a fabulous job of easing into the genre shift in a plausible way. Thanks to the unique dynamic between Mendelsohn and Erivo, they carry the series to victory across its ten episodes. Like a good King adaptation, the atmosphere is created through tense cinematography. There’s nothing more creepy than a still shot to send a chill down your spine. Though a second season was written, it never came to fruition. Thankfully, the single season served as a faithful adaptation of an underrated King piece.

‘True Detective’ (2014–Present)

The 2010s ushered in the rise of the anthology series. One of the exceptional entries was HBO’s True Detective. Created by Nic Pizzolatto, each season follows a dark, often occult-themed murder investigation across different locations and time periods. Focusing heavily on the psychological scars, personal flaws, and deep philosophical conflicts of the detectives involved rather than just the crime itself, True Detective is a dip in and dip out style series, but if you watch them all, you’ll be highly addicted. With each season self-contained, featuring a new ensemble of characters and stories, True Detective soars thanks to its gritty narratives and its ability to keep commonality through individuality.

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Thus far, True Detective has presented four distinct stories. Season 1, the Southern Gothic, tells the story of detectives Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) investigating ritualistic murders in Louisiana over 17 years, spanning 1995 to 2012. Season 2’s crime noir tells the story of three detectives. When California Highway Patrol officer and war veteran Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch) discovers the body of corrupt city manager Ben Caspere on the side of a highway, Vinci Police Department detective Raymond “Ray” Velcoro (Colin Farrell) and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division Sergeant Antigone “Ani” Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams) are called to assist in the following investigation. Meanwhile, Career criminal Francis “Frank” Semyon (Vince Vaughn) attempts to legitimize his business with his wife Jordan (Kelly Reilly) by investing in a rail project overseen by Caspere. In Season 3, the story takes place in the Ozarks over three decades as partner detectives, Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff), investigate a macabre crime involving two missing children. And finally, the fourth season, subtitled Night Country, follows detectives Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) as they investigate the disappearance of researchers from a remote station in Alaska.

Each of the four seasons is remarkable on its own. Watch in chronological order or start with your favorite star. However you begin, True Detective is an excellent series. With top-notch performances and cinematic-quality filmmaking, True Detective satisfies the crime bug. With such a focus on character-driven stories, True Detective is quite a heavy, intellectual show that dives deep into the individual psyches during the investigations. With a range of themes, including morality, religion, and the nature of time, True Detective changed the vision of thrillers forever.

‘Watson’ (2025–Present)

Morris Chestnut in Watson Season 2, Episode 4
Morris Chestnut in Watson Season 2, Episode 4
Image via CBS
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Finding that intersection of crime and medical drama comes Watson. The relatively new CBS series is a modern riff on the Sherlock Holmes mythology. Set one year following Sherlock’s (Robert Carlyle) death, Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut) runs a Pittsburgh clinic treating rare, complex diseases. Leading a team dedicated to treating these diseases, Watson is a modern adaptation of a classic concept that blends detective-style drama with a medical thriller. Giving the beloved sidekick the spotlight, Watson elevates the House tropes, lending a more optimistic tone in which medical mysteries must be solved.

A unique take on the medical detective story, Watson engages Sherlock Holmes fans while still finding its own identity in modern television. Through a familiar case-of-the-week format, the series seamlessly marries crime and medicine, with Watson playing a detective as a patient’s life serves as clues to help save their lives. Chestnut is a formidable lead, proving you don’t need Sherlock after all.


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Watson

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Release Date

January 26, 2025

Showrunner
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Craig Sweeny

Directors

Larry Teng, Bille Woodruff, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jennifer Lynch, Kristin Lehman, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Underwood, Tara Nicole Weyr, Christine Moore, Clara Aranovich

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    Morris Chestnut

    Dr. John Watson

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    Eve Harlow

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    Dr. Ingrid Derian

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Entertainment

Netflix Is Turning The Best Ever Superhero Crime Story Into A Series

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Netflix Is Turning The Best Ever Superhero Crime Story Into A Series

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published

Comics haven’t been only for kids for a very long time, if ever, but the general public has had a perception that they are primarily superhero stories about good vs. evil and everything is resolved with a fight. There’s a whole world of comics out there that are different, but straddling the line between noir mysteries and cape-filled superheroes is Powers by Brian Michael Bendis.

The award-winning series follows two Chicago homicide detectives investigating the deaths of “powers” (superheroes). It’s a police procedural mixed with superheroes, and Netflix is making an animated series out of it, finally giving fans the adaptation they’ve wanted for 25 years. 

One Of The Best Crime Comics Ever Printed

Powers starts off with a bang with the “Who Killed Retro Girl?” story arc, which introduces us to the detectives, rookie Deena Pilgrim and the veteran Christian Walker, both of whom have connections to the powers community that slowly come to light over the series. The blonde bombshell Retro Girl was one of the most popular superheroes, which means the list of suspects is long, from villains to those jealous of her success. It’s a classic noir storyline filled with red herrings, and it slowly peels back the layers of Bendis’ superhero universe, with each new revelation bringing with it even more questions. 

The second arc, “Roleplay,” involves a college LARP (live-action roleplaying) club in which, of course, the members are being murdered one by one. It’s not as good as the first arc, but that’s more a testament to the quality of the first murder mystery than it is the second. No matter the story, it looks incredible thanks to the artwork of Michael Avon Oeming, with big, bold characters, colors, and matching the noir story by evoking the classic comics of the 1930s. 

Second Time’s The Charm For Powers

Powers (2016)

Netflix’s choice to bring Powers to the service as an animated series makes sense not only because of the success Amazon has found with Invincible, another adult superhero series, but Sony’s 2015 live-action Powers series was a complete disaster. Starring Sharlto Copley as Walker, the show was the first original series for the PlayStation Network. If you forgot PSN ever had original shows, don’t worry, everyone forgot this happened despite the show airing for two full seasons. 

This time, Powers is being handled correctly, and the move to animation means, hopefully, it will be closer to the source material. Invincible proved there’s an audience out there for animated adult superhero shows. It remains to be seen if there’s an equally massive audience for Netflix’s new show, which is more police procedural than action epic. 

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In September 2025, Powers came back for a new 12-issue run, proving that there’s at least an audience of comic readers out there anxious for more adventures in Bendis’ original universe. Advertising “from the creator of Miles Morales and Jessica Jones” will go much further in 2026 than it did in 2015. There’s still a wait to see if Netflix can pull it off, with no announced release date, but that’s alright, it gives you more time to hunt down the collected editions and enjoy one of the best superhero crime comics of all time.


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10 Greatest Black-and-White Action Movies, Ranked

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Tony Camonte firing a shotgun in Scarface

From Die Hard to Mad Max: Fury Road, several of the greatest action films of all time are injections of adrenaline in full color. However, color is by no means required for an action movie to be great, exciting, or even visually appealing. Indeed, throughout history, several of the best action films in history have achieved greatness through a purely black-and-white color palette.

From gangster pictures like Scarface to samurai classics like Yojimbo, these black-and-white films either defy expectations or deliver everything anyone could want from the genre, and then some. They’re exciting, suspenseful, full of movement, and action-packed from start to finish. Nowadays, action is almost always shot in color, which only makes it even more fun to look back at these classics and appreciate everything they were able to do with only black and white.

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10

‘Scarface’ (1932)

Tony Camonte firing a shotgun in Scarface Image via United Artists

Before Brian De Palma and Al Pacino took on the story, Howard Hawks directed Paul Muni in 1932’s Scarface, a pre-Code gangster action film loosely inspired by Al Capone. Like many great Hollywood crime films from before the Hays Code started being strictly enforced, Scarface was heavily censored upon release, making it a box office disappointment. With the passage of time, however, it has come to be recognized as one of the greatest films of the ’30s, making it a success story of triumph against censorship.

Hawks set up the entire archetype for the gangster movie genre, which became particularly popular during the ’30s and ’40s (particularly gangster pictures produced by Warner Bros.). But aside from its historical significance, Scarface is impeccably made, with Muni at the very top of his game and stylish black-and-white visuals that make the violence feel even grittier.

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9

‘The Longest Day’ (1962)

John Wayne standing next to another soldier in The Longest Day Image via 20th Century Studios

Based on Cornelius Ryan‘s non-fiction book of the same name, The Longest Day follows the D-Day landings in Normandy with a stunning scope and tremendous technical qualities. In the modern day, the movie’s cast can be critiqued for its lack of diversity, but the fact of the matter is that an ensemble this star-studded, featuring actors of the stature of John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, and Henry Fonda, is objectively one of the most impressive of any war film ever.

But aside from being a three-hour-long war epic, The Longest Day is also an action film through and through. It’s a dramatic, testosterone-filled gem that many still think of as the definitive D-Day movie, and the way it takes full advantage of every second of its runtime to paint war as hell without the need for bright-red blood is admirable.

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8

‘The Train’ (1964)

Burt Lancaster as Paul Labiche standing next to a clock in The Train (1964)
Burt Lancaster as Paul Labiche standing next to a clock in The Train (1964)
Image via United Artists

Directed by John Frankenheimer, The Train is another one of the greatest action war movies ever made. Loosely based on a non-fiction book by Rose Valland, the film is about the mission to recover the works of art that had been looted by Germany from museums and private art collections during World War II. The result is a fascinating meditation on the debate between cultural preservation and the protection of human lives.

But on top of being thematically gripping, The Train is also one of the best war thrillers of all time, full of adrenaline-pumping action sequences that never let up. It’s a potent, surprisingly complex film that results purely from expanding the moral question at its core to a feature-length story. Powerfully philosophical and absolutely visceral, it’s a black-and-white movie whose lack of color feels designed to amplify the depth of its moral nuances and themes.

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7

‘Sanjuro’ (1962)

Three samurai hiding in bushes in Sanjuro Image via Toho

Many would perhaps refer to Akira Kurosawa as the single greatest filmmaker in history, and he achieved that status mainly by making action movies—several of them belonging to the beloved samurai subgenre. Kurosawa, in fact, can very reasonably be called the leading voice in samurai cinema, and for proof, one needn’t look much further than the sequel to 1961’s Yojimbo, Sanjuro.

It’s one of those Kurosawa movies that are bangers from start to finish. Action-packed, well-paced, and often unexpectedly funny, it’s a hugely influential masterpiece whose score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is perfectly deserved. With a fantastic Toshirô Mifune in the lead role and some of the most jaw-dropping swordplay of any action movie in history, Sanjuro is evidence enough that black-and-white action films can be as fun as those in color.

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6

‘The Sword of Doom’ (1966)

A samurai with his katana in The Sword of Doom Image via Toho

Another one of the greatest samurai films in history, this one directed by Kihachi Okamoto and starring Tatsuya Nakadai, The Sword of Doom is as brutal as it is fast-paced. It’s one of the darkest samurai movies ever made, with a largely amoral main character (frankly, a rarity for the genre) that Nakadai plays to absolute perfection.

From the gorgeously lit and staged black-and-white imagery to the breathtaking action sequences, Sword of Doom is the work of a master at the top of his game. It’s one of the bleakest, angriest, most existentially violent action movies of the 20th century, and a complete must-see for anyone and everyone who even remotely enjoys well-made samurai films.

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5

‘Yojimbo’ (1961)

Nameless Ronin stands off against bandits in Yojimbo
Scene from Akira Kurosawa’s 1961 film, Yojimbo. Nameless Ronin stands off against bandits.
Image via Toho

Sanjuro may be great, but there’s no beating the original. Yojimbo is such an immensely iconic and influential samurai flick that Sergio Leone pretty much copied it when he invented Spaghetti Westerns with A Fistful of Dollars, to the point that Kurosawa successfully sued him for copyright infringement. But who could blame Leone? Yojimbo is such a faultless film that anyone looking to make a great action flick should be at least tempted to imitate the perfection of Kurosawa’s efforts.

Yojimbo is full of flawlessly shot and edited action sequences.

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It’s also one of the best classic Japanese movies for beginners, perfectly friendly and welcoming to all those who might not be used to watching international (or even black-and-white) action movies. Full of flawlessly shot and edited action sequences, and supported by Mifune and Nakadai at their best, Yojimbo is one of Kurosawa’s most narratively enthralling and visually exquisite works.

4

‘White Heat’ (1949)

James Cagney's Cody talking to Virginia Mayo's Verna in White Heat
James Cagney’s Cody talking to Virginia Mayo’s Verna in White Heat
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
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White Heat succeeds at earning many superlatives at once. On the one hand, it’s one of the best noir films of all time, displaying the psychological twistiness and black-and-white gorgeousness of the genre perfectly. On the other hand, it’s one of the best crime films of Hollywood’s Golden Age, serving as one of the earliest masterpieces of the gangster genre as we know it today. And on the other hand, it’s a ravishing action movie full of showstopping sequences of thrill and suspense.

For one, James Cagney is a powerhouse here, and his performance alone makes White Heat obligatory viewing for crime action film fans. As if that weren’t enough, however, the film also has a level of psychological depth that was rare among crime films made during the Hays Code era. Lastly, it has one of the darkest and most explosive finales of any action film from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

3

‘The General’ (1926)

Buster Keaton in a handcar in The General Image via United Artists
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Before Tom Cruise made it cool and mainstream for actors to do their own stunts, there was Buster Keaton. Charlie Chaplin and Keaton are to silent cinema what salt and pepper are to food, and while Chaplin tended to focus more on elements of melodrama and romance, Keaton was considerably more interested in elaborate slapstick action sequences. Enter The General, easily one of the best comedy movies of all time.

Aside from having some of Keaton’s most revolutionary death-defying stunts, The General also has some of the most effective gags and action set pieces of his whole filmography. The movie was a box office and critical failure when it originally came out, but as the years have passed, cinephiles have warmed up to it tremendously. Today, it’s remembered as one of the greatest films from before Hollywood’s Golden Age, and one of the most perfect early examples of what the action genre could do at its best.

2

‘Sherlock Jr.’ (1924)

While The General is amazing, Sherlock Jr. is simply out of this world. Clocking in at only 45 minutes of runtime (barely qualifying it as a feature film), it’s also a delightfully breezy watch for those looking for a quick classic masterpiece to watch. Sherlock Jr. is one of the coziest mystery movies ever, but people looking to watch it shouldn’t be fooled by that coziness, because it also has some of the craziest stunts in Keaton’s filmography.

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Funny, uplifting, romantic, creative, and an absolute blast of fun from start to finish, Sherlock Jr. shows just how amusing and ambitious action films could be back in the day. At no point is color something that people miss when watching this masterpiece, especially because so much happens. Indeed, there’s an essential old-school charm to this film that you simply can’t get anywhere else.

1

‘Seven Samurai’ (1954)

Kikuchiyo charging at a person offscreen in 'Seven Samurai'
Toshirō Mifune as Kikuchiyo charging at a person offscreen in ‘Seven Samurai’
Image via Toho

Throughout history, Seven Samurai has widely been recognized as Akira Kurosawa’s magnum opus, and it’s easy to see why. It is, after all, one of the most perfect action films ever made, delivering absolutely everything that any fan of the genre could want in a movie. Though it moves somewhat slowly through its three-and-a-half hours of runtime, Seven Samurai is an exciting blast from start to finish.

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The riveting action sequences are marvelously performed, choreographed, shot, blocked, and edited, but like any filmmaker of his quality, Kurosawa understood that well-made action wasn’t all you needed in order to make a samurai movie work. That’s why Seven Samurai is primarily a character-driven film, and its many story arcs are so fascinating that you can’t help but watch the whole thing on the edge of your seat. Often imitated, never matched, this masterpiece is the pinnacle of not just black-and-white action filmmaking, but action filmmaking as a whole.

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Valerie Bertinelli Says Her Breasts Are Deformed After Surgery

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Valerie Bertinelli is getting candid about her body.

“I mean, if you read the book, you’ll know that my boobs are deformed,” Bertinelli, 65, said during a recent 92Y panel discussion, promoting her Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect memoir. “I talk very extensively and graphically about how deformed they are.”

She continued, “My boobs suck, but I’m not dating, so it doesn’t matter.”

Bertinelli explained that she had “four surgeries” in 2024 to remove the breast implants she initially got in the early 1980s.

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Valerie Bertinelli 'Freaked Out' After Trying Botox, Details Implant Rupture


Related: Valerie Bertinelli ‘Freaked Out’ After Trying Botox, Details Implant Rupture

Valerie Bertinelli got candid about the work she had done to enhance her appearance.. Bertinelli, 65, opened up about getting a breast augmentation and experimenting with Botox in her new book, Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect, which was released on Tuesday, March 10. In 2019, she “tried Botox” for the first […]

“Mine were mocked relentlessly. They were called ‘little quarters,’ ‘itty-bitty titties,’ and ‘tiny boobies,” the actress wrote in her book about her decision to go under the knife. “I took it all to heart. Instead of appreciating the changes my body was going through, I dreaded them. I had no idea what I was supposed to look like; I only knew it was wrong.”

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Bertinelli’s implants eventually ruptured, which she subsequently needed to have removed.

“I couldn’t believe they had been in my body. I went home bandaged and sore, with drains under my arms, uncomfortable but hopeful,” she recalled in a book passage. “For the first two weeks, everything was great. About a week later, my right breast took on shades of green, yellow, and blue. The next day it started to swell and turned a dark purple. I felt myself getting dizzy. By nighttime, I was running a fever.”

After developing an infection, Bertinelli had another surgery to install a “small implant under the muscle” to help restore “what was left of [her] nipple.” She said it took nearly a year for her breasts to take “shape.”

“They are now two completely different sizes; the implant on the left is over the muscle, and my right side is sad and misshapen,” she further wrote. “Eventually, I will have a fourth operation that will, I am assured, even things out once and for all.”

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Related: Celebs Who’ve Had Their Breast Implants Removed — and Why

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It’s no secret that many of Hollywood’s A-listers have breast implants. But what you may not know is that as popular as the cosmetic enhancement is, celebs also aren’t afraid to say goodbye to them for good. Dr. John Paul Tutela, a trusted NY and NJ board-certified plastic surgeon tells Us Weekly that the two […]

Elsewhere in Getting Naked, Bertinelli detailed her experience with other cosmetic procedures like Botox.

“I didn’t like it and had a mini freak-out when I saw it changed the shape of my eyebrows, which changed the shape of my face, which was a shock because my face is the way I recognize myself,” she wrote, revealing she got injections for the first time in 2019. “I didn’t like what I saw. I didn’t want to see a puffy, distorted version of me in the mirror. I didn’t want to wake up and say, ‘Knock knock, is Val there?’”

Bertinelli continued, “Don’t get me wrong. I am not against plastic surgery or Botox and fillers. Some people look amazing when it works. They feel much better about themselves after a procedure. I get it — and I’ve been there.”

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One Of Sci-Fi’s Best R-Rated Sequels Is Being Unfairly Buried And Hated, Save It!

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One Of Sci-Fi's Best R-Rated Sequels Is Being Unfairly Buried And Hated, Save It!

By TeeJay Small
| Updated

I recently penned a scathing review of Alien 3, wherein I posed the question: What kind of god would allow such a horrendously bad film to ever see the light of day? Despite my better judgment, I decided to continue my binge of the Alien film franchise, only to be pleasantly surprised by the fourth installment, Alien: Resurrection.

This film has all the signs of a terrible sequel, and a 56 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, which made me think I was sitting down for another miserable viewing experience. Maybe I’m still recovering from the rage-induced concussion I developed while watching Alien 3, but I’d go so far as to label Alien: Resurrection the most underrated entry in the entire franchise.

The Problem With The Previous Alien Movie

Ripley’s death in Alien 3

We all know and love 1979’s Alien and the 1986 Aliens sequel. But even the most faithful Xenomorph super-fan should be able to admit that they’re tired of watching Ripley wake up in a cryopod, face off against a terrifying obsidian monster from beyond the stars, get back in a cryopod, and repeat the cycle for three films in a row.

When Ripley died in the final moments of Alien 3, I was just happy to see the character finally get a moment of rest, and for the franchise to move on to other protagonists. So imagine my surprise when Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley wakes up once again during the opening credits of Alien: Resurrection, this time as a lab-grown clone.

Ripley Returns In Alien: Resurrection

Right then and there, I was prepared to turn off the movie and spend the rest of my afternoon shaking my fist in the angry dome a la Professor Farnsworth. But as the film progressed and introduced Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, and Breaking Bad’s Raymond Cruz, I started falling in love with the ensemble and their mission to escape the military scientists’ vessel alive.

The look of the film grabbed me, too. The Xenomorphs in Alien: Resurrection look far superior to their counterparts in Alien 3. That complements their wicked cunning and shocking intelligence as they utilize their own acidic blood to break containment and traverse the ship.

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Having been bred to incubate a Xenomorph queen embryo, clone Ripley, AKA Ripley 8, realizes that she’s got more genetically in common with the alien creatures than ever before. Her DNA is intrinsically tied to theirs, allowing her to develop some otherworldly powers that completely redefine her character. Unlike Alien 3, where Ripley becomes beholden to the protection of men, Alien: Resurrection allows her to regain her autonomy and become the biggest badass on the screen, even when Ron Perlman is present.

When she comes across a lab full of horribly deformed experiments that came before her, Ripley 8 puts them out of their misery by torching them the same way the OG Ripley did with the Xenomorph nest in the final act of Aliens. The whole scene felt like a cathartic way to express how I’d felt watching bad writers butcher her character in the previous outing. It was as though director Jean-Pierre Jeunet was burning the very concept of Alien 3 right in front of my eyes.

In Defense Of The Xenomoph Hybrid

Nearly thirty years after its release, there are now sequences where dated special effects don’t hold up. That doesn’t matter, because the writing from a young Joss Whedon does. Alien: Resurrection’s fresh ideas make it a cut above several other entrants in the franchise.

One of the largest criticisms levied at Alien: Resurrection centers on the hybrid newborn creature, which is aggressively disturbing. This creature is a cross between an alien queen and Ripley herself, taking on traits of a baby, a Xenomorph, and a Cronenbergian nightmare that cost the studio roughly $7 million to build.

The animatronic for the newborn required nine puppeteers to operate and was considered the most complex practical effect in cinema history at the time. The whole thing is weird, gross, and insane, but it works better than most audiences give it credit for.

Alien: Resurrection Is As Influential As The First Two Alien Movies

A modern rewatch reveals how many popular films of the early 2000s straight-up stole action scenes from this movie. With a fresh set of eyes, you could comfortably say that Alien: Resurrection is as influential as the first two films in the series, even if it doesn’t usually receive the same fanfare.

Whether you initially caught Alien: Resurrection back in 1997, or you’ve just never been compelled to check it out before, now seems like the right time to revisit the classic sci-fi sequel. Unfortunately, Alien: Resurrection isn’t currently available for free on any of the major streaming services, and can only be purchased through transactional video on demand. Still, it’s well worth the price of admission if you decide to rent or purchase it through Amazon Prime or YouTube.


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Jason Earles Reveals The Advice He’d Give Himself During ‘Hannah Montana’

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Jason Earles posing on the 'Hannah Montana' red carpet.

Jason Earles is reflecting on his past days as Jackson Stewart on the hit Disney TV show “Hannah Montana.” While celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary in late March 2026, the Disney alum revealed what he would tell his younger self while filming the series in the early 2000s.

What Would Jason Earles Tell His Younger Self While Filming ‘Hannah Montana’ In 2006?

Jason Earles posing on the 'Hannah Montana' red carpet.
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On March 23, 2026, the cast of “Hannah Montana” gathered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California, to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary.

While speaking with PEOPLE, Earles, 48, reflected on his early days filming the series alongside Miley Cyrus.

“I think just… settle in sooner,” Earles said, adding that he was concerned he was not the right fit for the series when production began.

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“I was really nervous about fitting in and if my humor was the right sense of humor for the show and if I was… approaching it as an actor the right way,” he said. “I think I was just not as confident as early as I could have been.”

Earles Was Nervous About Filming ‘Hannah Montana’ For A Bigger Reason

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Earles was not only worried about his on-set skills, according to The Blast. During an episode of his podcast, “Best of Both Our Worlds,” the actor revealed he was concerned he would be fired from the series due to a secret he was holding on to.

“I was desperately afraid that I was going to be fired and recast because I had a big secret,” he said before admitting he lied to producers about his age during the audition.

“When I auditioned for the show, I lied to them and told them I was 18 years old,” he revealed, despite actually being 28.

Earles And Other ‘Hannah Montana’ Alum Gather On The Red Carpet For The Show’s Disney+ Special

Miley Cyrus and cast at Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Earles is not the only “Hannah Montana” alum reflecting on their time on the show. According to a previous report from The Blast, Cyrus sat down with the host of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Alex Cooper, to talk about the show’s impact on pop culture during a Disney+ special.

“Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection,” Cyrus said about the TV show. “The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”

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Actor Shanica Knowles, who played one of the show’s mean girls, also shared a moving message as she looked back on the series, calling it “a wild ride.”

In her message, Knowles spilled the tea on what it was like to work with Cyrus, calling the “Flowers” singer one of the most “down-to-earth home girls” she has ever worked with, and then mentioned some of their childhood experiences.

“The world may see you as Miley Cyrus, but I’ll always see you as the girl I had fun slumber parties with, wrote songs together with, talked about boys together with, and stayed up all night laughing on the phone with. I’ll always see you as just…Miley,” Knowles wrote.

Emily Osment Says The Disney Show ‘Changed My Life’

While the “Hannah Montana: 20th Anniversary Special” premeire included a handful of the show’s main cast, Cyrus’ on-screen besties, Emily Osment and Mitchel Musso, were notably absent.

On Instagram, Osment said her absence was due to her work on the CBS show “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.”

The actress also shared an emotional message in her caption, saying that working on “Hannah Montana” not only “changed my life” but also gave the performer “a lifelong respect for this medium of comedy.”

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Osment went on to say that she is always moved when meeting “HM” fans over the years, adding that the “sweet messages” mean more to her than people know.

“Thank you for letting me into your living rooms and I hope to still be there many years from now. Would never be where I am without you guys,” she finished.

Musso Thanks The Fans For Sticking With Him Over The Years

Mitchel Musso getting in car
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Musso, meanwhile, reflected on the show with a carousel of his own images. In the caption, the “Hey” singer said the show would forever be “wrapped around my heart,” before thanking the audience for sticking by his side over the years.

“Thank you for believing in a goofy kid from Texas who wore some questionable outfits with a haircut like that,” he wrote. “To all of you, thank you for welcoming me into your homes and hearts 20 years ago and still allowing me to be here today. I’m honored we get to share all of this together.”

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Fox News reporter reacts to getting body-slammed on air in crazy wrestling segment: 'I was pulverized'

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“I felt like I was being hoisted off a skyscraper,” Abby Hornacek said after Olympian Kennedy Blades suplexed her.

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Ryan Gosling Halts L.A. Event To Beg Directors Hire His Brother-In-Law

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Ryan Gosling Smashes Beer Bottle Over Jimmy Kimmel’s Head

Ryan Gosling halted an L.A. event promoting his new film “Project Hail Mary” to pitch his brother-in-law, Carlos Mendez, to Hollywood Directors and producers.

Carlos has opened up about his struggles in securing a top acting job and shared that he doesn’t want to call on his sister, Eva Mendes, for favors.

Unlike her brother, Eva had a successful acting career but let everything go to focus on raising her daughters, Esmeralda and Amada, whom she shares with Ryan Gosling.

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Ryan Gosling Interrupted An L.A. Event To Support His Brother-In-Law’s Acting Career

Ryan Gosling Smashes Beer Bottle Over Jimmy Kimmel’s Head
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Ryan Gosling showed how wonderful it is to have him as a brother-in-law during an L.A. event promoting his new film “Project Hail Mary.”

In a viral TikTok video, the “Barbie” star was seen seated on stage as part of a panel but took an unexpected detour so that he could promote his brother-in-law Carlos Mendez’s acting profile and help him get a gig.

Addressing several Hollywood power players in the room, he described Carlos as the “hardest-working nonworking actor” he knew, before going on to call on movie executives to hire him.

“Can I stop you one second? Carlos are you in the audience? Can you stand up for a second?” Gosling called out, prompting his brother-in-law to stand to his feet.

He then continued, “Okay, how many of you are directors? Raise your hands. How many producers? How many writers? This is Carlos Mendez, he’s Eva Mendes’ brother. He is the hardest-working nonworking actor in this town that I have ever met.”

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Much to the admiration of the crowd, the actor added, “So my Hail Mary is, please, hire this man! He deserves it. Get his number. If you’re writing something, directing something, put him in it. He deserves it. He’s as talented as he is handsome.”

Fans Praise Ryan Gosling For The Sweet Gesture, As Some Joke About ‘Nepotism’

Gosling’s show of support for Carlos drew praise online, with many calling the movie star an “angel” for his actions.

One person on TikTok wrote, “What a good brother-in-law,” while another said, “Love this guy!! If you can’t help family, who can you help?”

However, some noted that the move came off as “awkward,” with one individual commenting, “Man, I’d just die from embarrassment, lol.”

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Others brought up the topic of nepotism in Hollywood, which has been at the center of debate for a few years now.

“Listen, when you’re this unapologetic and open about helping family, you can’t even hate on it lol. Nepotism isn’t always bad,” a person noted.

Another said, “This is not nepotism. Nepotism would be giving him jobs on every movie he has been an executive producer on. asking others to give him a chance is not nepotism.

Carlos Mendez Has Faced Struggles With His Career: ‘It’s Tough’

Although Gosling labeled his brother-in-law “nonworking,” Carlos is no stranger in Hollywood and has appeared in films like “Dexter: Original Sin,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “90210.”

However, he has found it difficult to rise to the top of the game like his famous brother-in-law, who has even been nominated for an Oscar.

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According to the Daily Mail, he had previously opened up about his struggles in the industry but shared that he’s doing everything he can to score more top jobs.

“It’s tough, I’ve been at it for about 16, 17 years now, and I still have a long way to go,” he told Fox5 New York in February last year. “It’s the journey, I have to enjoy the journey of it. Every step and everything I get makes me a better actor, and it makes me even hungrier to get what I want.”

He doubled down about his struggles in a recent conversation with the Boston Herald, saying, “Of course it’s been a struggle, up and down, like it is for everybody when it comes to acting.”

Carlos added, “You got your moments where you’re booked up – and then you don’t know where your next job is coming from. It’s a very tough industry. There’s a lot of competition. You just have to keep working hard.”

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Carlos Mendez Doesn’t Ask His Famous Sister Eva For Favors

Eva Mendes during the photocall of the movie Live!
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In his chat with the outlet, he emphasized that he doesn’t benefit from having a famous sister like Eva, as he has no intention to call on her for favors.

“In having a famous sibling, most people don’t know unless they happen to find out we have the same last name,” he shared.

Carlos added, “We talk, but I don’t talk to her when it comes to the business. I’m not trying to ask for any favors. I’m just trying to do as much as I can on my own and prove myself as much as I can.”

Eva Mendes Put Her Career On The Back Burner To Focus On Raising Her And Ryan Gosling’s Family

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival - 'The Place Beyond the Pines' - Premiere
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Unlike her brother, Eva was a top star who had acting credits like “Ghost Rider” and “The Place Beyond the Pines.” However, she quit her career to focus on raising her and Gosling’s daughters, Esmeralda and Amada.

According to Page Six, she told Australian Nova 96.9 in a 2019 interview that she didn’t want children until she met Gosling.

“I never wanted babies before until I fell in love with Ryan, and it kind of worked out to where I was 40 and having my first baby,” she said at the time, adding that she was focused on her career, but when the “La La Land” actor came into the picture, everything fell into place organically.

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“I think I was 42 for the second [kid], so it worked out in that way that I had a career and then I changed my focus to my family,” she said.

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Iman Shumpert Shares Thoughts On Teyana Taylor’s Recent Wins

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Rihanna Seemingly Addresses Baby Rumors, Talks "Little Pouch"

People have been wondering what Iman Shumpert is really thinking as Teyana Taylor keeps racking up wins and living her best life. Fans finally got a glimpse of his reaction when he was stepped out in New York City and now folks online are trying to read between the lines.

RELATED: Teyana Taylor Explains Heated Security Exchange At 2026 Oscars & The Academy Reacts To Incident (WATCH)

Iman Shumpert Reacts To Teyana Taylor’s BIG Wins

Iman Shumpert was looking effortlessly sharp in Manhattan recently, and of course, he couldn’t escape the questions about his famous family. The NBA star, rocking a stone-colored striped suit with a crisp white shirt, black tie, and his signature cornrows, was all vibing as TMZ caught up with him—and naturally, the spotlight turned to his wife, Teyana Taylor.

In the clip, Shumpert kept things short and sweet when asked about his daughters, simply saying they were “good” and noting how they had just appeared on the red carpet with Teyana. When pressed about whether he had sent any congratulations to Taylor after her recent Golden Globe win, he acknowledged, “she did well,” before quickly moving on—leaving fans to question his response.

Everybody’s Got Something To Say

Folks ran straight to TMZ’s Instagram comment section, and they were not holding back. Some gave Iman props, saying he actually handled the questions about Teyana gracefully. Others argued that just because he’s divorced doesn’t mean he should be expected to disrespect or shade his ex.

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One Instagram user @leo_soulread added, “I love how he kept his composure 🔥”

Likewise, Instagram user @dihimamclean commented, “❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏 I love his maturity

And, Instagram user @_prayingforloyalty added, “Divorce doesn’t erase respect. Iman showing maturity and grace here being proud of Teyana’s wins even after the split is how you co parent and move forward.

While Instagram user @mzcrunch25 said, “Better reply than offset

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Then Instagram user @ultimatewarrior_89 wrote, “Stop asking about his ex, he moved on obviously

Lastly, Instagram user @mr.2cool78 shared, “Leave that man alone. Just because you are not with someone doesn’t mean you have to hate and belittle them.

Teyana Is On A Major Award-Winning Streak

Looks like Teyana Taylor has been on a serious roll lately. She snagged the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ‘One Battle After Another,’ rubbing elbows with the likes of Emily Blunt and Elle Fanning, and Ariana Grande delivered a tearful, empowering speech celebrating Black girls and their shine. While she didn’t take home the Oscar, Taylor kept the energy positive, cheering on others’ wins and celebrating her film’s multiple victories, including Best Picture—clearly living her best, award-winning life.

@theshaderoom

Teyana Taylor gives powerful speech after winning Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe for role in ‘One Battle After Another.’ #goldenglobes ✍🏾: #TSRStaffST

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♬ original sound – The Shade Room

RELATED: Teyana Taylor Sheds Tears At 83rd Golden Globe Awards As ‘Sinners’ Leaves Viewers Shocked — Here’s The Full List Of Winners!

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The Peaceful Star Trek Episode Inspired By The Vietnam War

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The Peaceful Star Trek Episode Inspired By The Vietnam War

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

For better or for worse, Star Trek has slowly morphed into an action franchise: the Kelvinverse films were powered by nonstop lens flares and explosions, and Discovery began with a season focused on the brutalities of war with the Klingons. Soon, other NuTrek shows took a similar tactic, which is why everything from Picard to Section 31 to Starfleet Academy focused on the scary prospect of a mustache-twirling villain threatening the galaxy with a superweapon.

This is markedly different from the Golden Age of Star Trek, where shows like The Next Generation were focused on the peaceful exploration of the galaxy. One Voyager episode, “Elogium,” is particularly chill. It was a bottle episode where Captain Janeway had to figure out how to rid the ship of some tiny space creatures who were sucking power from the helm and shields. Interestingly, though, this peaceful Star Trek episode was secretly inspired by the last thing any fan would suspect: the Vietnam War!

To Explore Strange New Fish

Cap’n, there be more than whales here!

In “Elogium,” Voyager encounters a cloud of critters who swarm the ship and begin draining power. This presents Janeway with an interesting dilemma: she has to save her ship and escape the swarm, all while not hurting or killing the tiny lifeforms she just discovered. Meanwhile, in a particularly weird B plot, Kes goes through a Pon Farr-like mating cycle and must ponder whether she, at the tender age of one, is ready to start pumping out Neelix’s children.

Now, one thing that made the Golden Age of Star Trek so cool is that, with so many episodes per season, producers could afford to entertain pitches from any fans who had a cool story to tell. The story for “Elogium” was based on an idea from freelance writers Jimmy Diggs and Steve J. Kay. Diggs served in the Navy during Vietnam, and he had a vivid memory of a time when he and the rest of the crew had to clean the ship ahead of an inspection. However, neither the moon nor the stars were very visible, so the only illumination came from the ship’s own lights.

A War Story With A Happy Ending

Computer: replicate a fishing pole!

As a deckhand, Diggs soon noticed that the lights of the ship were attracting fish. A lot of fish: by the time the ship docked for its upcoming inspection, there were thousands of them. As he later told The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, Diggs was moved by the strange beauty of a peaceful night in the middle of America’s most controversial war. “The way the fish glistened in the water from the lights, it seemed, surreal,” he said. It felt like we were in outer space surrounded by millions of moving stars, and we were on a starship, our own, Enterprise.” 

The memory stayed with Jimmy Diggs for many years. When he was pitching Star Trek: Voyager ideas to Jeri Taylor and Brannon Braga, the memory resurfaced, and he suggested an episode in which tiny space creatures are attracted to the ship because of its unique resonance signature. The producers liked the idea, incorporating it into one of the quirkier episodes of Voyager’s second season.

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Whaling frequencies open, captain.

“Elgoium” would have never been written if not for Diggs and his experience during the Vietnam War. He transformed a moment of transcendental beauty amid horrifying conflict into a memorable story for the greatest sci-fi franchise ever created. In this way, Voyager demonstrated that art really does imitate life. Fortunately, Diggs’ wartime memories were never sullied by the most traumatizing sight of all: a sweaty Neelix pondering whether he and his leola root were ready to get his one-year-old girlfriend pregnant!


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Chilli Addresses Trump Donations & Michelle Obama Controversy

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Chilli Speaks Out After Backlash Over Trump Donations And Michelle Obama Conspiracy Post (PHOTO)

Roommates, y’all know how one post can set the internet on fire—and this time, TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas found herself smack dab in the middle. What started as a little online chatter quickly snowballed into full-blown accusations. And now, she’s stepping up to set the record straight in her own words.

RELATED: T-Boz Speaks Out Amid Her Recent Hospitalization And Canceled TLC Shows

Chilli Says Repost Was Accidental & Sets The Record Straight

This weekend, Chilli addressed the controversy head-on after facing backlash over alleged support for Donald Trump. In an Instagram post and video with a purple background and white text, she wrote:

“I WANT TO BE CLEAR: I am not MAGA and do not support any of the many policies that are causing great harm to the American people. I made a mistake too many make: I did not read the fine print. I thought I was supporting causes against human trafficking and for veterans. Two things I care deeply about, as my dad is a veteran and everyone knows I love children. I have learned a valuable lesson and ask for grace as I navigate this. Love, Chilli”

According to Federal Election Commission records, in 2024, Chilli donated $210.60 via WinRed, a Republican campaign payment processor, and also gave $340.60 and $486.54 to the Trump National Committee JFC and Never Surrender Inc., respectively. She also clarified that any donations tied to Trump’s campaign were made under the belief she was supporting causes like veterans’ assistance and anti-human trafficking—not politics. Chilli added, “These are the things that support the veterans. I’ve always supported them, not just now, for years. This is not something new.

Chilli Reaffirms Respect For The Obama’s

Chilli also made it a point to remind everyone of her long-standing support for Barack and Michelle Obama. The post in question claimed that former First Lady Michelle Obama had registered to vote as a man in 1994—a claim that has been debunked multiple times. Chilli made it clear she would never share anything like that and took the opportunity to remind everyone of her long-standing support for both Barack and Michelle Obama.

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Furthermore, the TLC singer apologized for accidentally reposting the viral video after fans noticed it briefly appeared on her page. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for Michelle Obama… I would never say or do anything that is disrespectful to her or any woman.”

The Internet Won’t Let This Slide

Fans did not hold back, flooding TSR’s Instagram comment section with hot takes. Some were shook that anyone could “accidentally” give money to a campaign, while others threw in TLC lyrics for extra shade. Of course, a few had to ask if Chilli’s partner Matthew Lawrence had any role in the drama — because y’all know the internet can’t help itself.

One Instagram user @__limarsnowden said, “I have never in my life sent money to the wrong person NEVER

This Instagram user @lexijonesmua added, “So ask for a refund then 😒 maybe I’ll believe you!

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And, Instagram user @jayt.music claimed, “Man if pebbles took all my money I’d make sure to read everything in front of me fr

While Instagram user @dance_witachef shared, “please stick to the rivers and lakes that you’re used tooo…..

Then Instagram user @tia_samuda commented, “There is also no fine print when it comes to that man!!!! He says everything loud!!!!

Finally, Instagram user @mafiosalareina said, “Chili, let us know if Matthew has something to do with this…

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RELATED: He Said, WHAT?! Donald Trump Invites Summit Crowd To “Talk Sex” And Folks Aren’t Letting It Go (VIDEO)

What Do You Think Roomies?

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