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Ryan Gosling’s R-Rated Netflix Thriller With An MCU Budget Is Worth Its Weight In Shootouts

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Ryan Gosling’s R-Rated Netflix Thriller With An MCU Budget Is Worth Its Weight In Shootouts

By Robert Scucci
| Published

After watching 2021’s Kate, the almighty algorithm threw 2022’s The Gray Man onto my radar, and I can’t say Ryan Gosling has ever disappointed me, so I figured I may as well give it a shot. He has a built-in level of charisma that lets him do his thing, and most of the time it lands. Going into the Russo brothers’ film expecting to see $200 million well spent on action sequences, with the added bonus of Gosling in the mix, I didn’t quite know how things would play out, but I had a hunch I wouldn’t feel let down.

But here’s the problem with straight-to-streaming action thrillers. Films like The Gray Man never get much time on the big screen, and they kind of need it if you want to enjoy them at the highest level. Across roughly 400 theaters, the film only brought in $454,023, which isn’t really its fault. It had a very short run across a disproportionately small number of screens, meaning it was never meant to recoup its budget this way. It’s a Netflix Original, designed to pull huge numbers on streaming.

The Gray Man 2022

The reason I see this as a bad thing is because this is an expensive movie. MCU expensive. Waterworld expensive. When that much money goes into blowing stuff up in spectacular fashion, I want to see it on a giant screen. Living in an apartment, I don’t have a fancy audio setup because my neighbors would murder me if I did, and my 44-inch TV is fine for most things, but less than stellar when entire city squares are getting leveled with all guns blazing.

Long story short, The Gray Man is a lot of fun, but it would be even more fun if you could watch it the way it was meant to be seen.

Let’s Not Get Bogged Down By The Details

The Gray Man 2022

The Gray Man also has an extremely convoluted plot. Not in a “too many twists” kind of way, but it’s a “load up the guns, spray and pray” kind of movie that would have been better served by simplicity. It’s executed well, but as side characters keep getting introduced in the second and third acts, part of me gets annoyed that I can’t fully shut my brain off because there’s always a new name or face to keep track of after the blasting has already started.

Ryan Gosling is a black ops agent known as Sierra Six, formerly Courtland Gentry. He was locked up as a minor after murdering his abusive father, and CIA officer Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton) decides he’s the perfect candidate for a second chance. The deal is simple: Courtland works for him in exchange for his freedom, knowing he’ll be dealing with some very dangerous people.

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The Gray Man 2022

Once things get rolling, Sierra Six teams up with Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas), and the first mission we see involves assassinating a target named Dining Car (Callan Mulvey). Complications arise when the job goes sideways and Dining Car reveals he’s also part of the Sierra program before succumbing to his wounds. A flash drive gets passed off with vague instructions, and the wild goose chase begins, centering on CIA officer Denny Carmichael (Regé-Jean Page), who sends a swarm of operatives after Six and Dani to retrieve it.

Along the way, we get more backstory on Six’s relationship with Donald and his niece Claire (Julia Butters), who Six previously worked security detail for. This obviously becomes important later because more collateral has entered the equation. The scenes between Six and Claire offer a surprisingly wholesome break from the chaos in Prague, and they’re a welcome addition.

The Gray Man 2022

From here on out, you pretty much know the deal. Double crosses stack on top of double crosses, things explode, and there’s so much inter-agency confusion over who’s good and who’s pulling the strings that you almost wish they’d ease up on the exposition and just keep blowing stuff up.

Solid, Pulse Pounding Action Thriller

The Gray Man’s budget absolutely shows on screen from start to finish. The action sequences are gorgeously shot (something that’s not always consistent across Netflix Originals), and at one point Sierra Six is standing on top of a moving tram, firing through the roof while tracking targets through reflections in nearby windows as the city flies past. This comes after he’s handcuffed to a railing in a town square, picking off attackers before they even get a chance to take him out.

The Gray Man 2022

Ana de Armas wielding a shotgun after throwing hands is also worth your time because she fully commits when the moment calls for it.

The only real issue I have is the film’s tendency to overload its premise with complexity for the sake of it. Most people don’t turn on action thrillers to do mental gymnastics. At least I don’t. I love psychological thrillers when I want things to get murky, but with action movies, I just want to sit back and watch things explode.

The Gray Man 2022

The convoluted plot isn’t a dealbreaker, just a nitpick. Some people enjoy sprawling shadow government conspiracies. It’s just not really my thing, so take that with a grain of salt. It’s still a great watch, just not one you can fully sink into the couch for and completely turn your brain off.

The Gray Man is a Netflix Original, and you can stream it with an active subscription.

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RFK Jr.'s kids with Mary Richardson were 'swept up by' Cheryl Hines, book claims

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Hines and RFK Jr. wed in 2014, two years after Mary Richardson Kennedy died by suicide.

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The “Terminator ”movies, ranked

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We’ll be back again and again to some entries… while saying hasta la vista (baby) to others.

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Deshae Frost Plays ‘Whoop That Trick’ On Stream Amid Viral Clip

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Deshae Frost Sparks Reactions After Opening Stream With “Whoop That Trick” Following Viral Altercation Video (WATCH)

Deshae Frost is trending online after a recent livestream moment quickly raised eyebrows across social media.

Related: Deshae Frost Speaks Out After Resurfaced Clip Showing Physical Altercation With Woman Goes Viral (VIDEOS)

Deshae Frost’s Plays ‘Whoop That Trick’ During Return Stream Following Viral Incident

Earlier this week, Deshae Frost returned to livestreaming for the first time since a video resurfaced online that appeared to show him in an altercation with a woman. Prior to going live, Frost addressed the situation in an apology video posted to his YouTube channel. However, viewers noted a noticeably different tone during his return to Twitch.

The stream opened with Frost playing ‘Whoop That Trick,’ a choice that immediately sparked conversation among viewers. Moments later, he briefly addressed the situation, stating he is “not stopping sh**” and “don’t give no f***,” explaining that he considers the situation to be behind him.

Clips from the stream spread rapidly across social media, with many users questioning both the timing of the song choice and the contrast between his apology and his on-stream comments.

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Social Media Reacts

Reactions poured into The Shade Room Teens’ comment section as clips of Deshae’s return stream circulated online.

Instagram user @ryanwitdasauce wrote, “Bruh dgaf 😂😂😂”

Another Instagram user @crystianna.s wrote, “Ew”

While Instagram user @brandeeezzzyyy wrote, “And I’d be singing all the way to the courthouse… since you think it’s funny”

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Instagram user @am0ur._Ciara wrote, “Y’all don’t humble people enough for me, like his career not based solely on the public. Would’ve had him broke by tomorrow”

Another Instagram user @amarilevy wrote, “you can tell when someone hasn’t experienced lasting consequences for their poor behavior. How icky”

While Instagram user @yologanprice wrote, “Do y’all realize that cancel sh** is ‘Fake’ 😂 y’all can’t cancel nobody if they got a fanbase.. it is what it is 🤷🏽‍♂️ y’all can be upset all y’all want but as long as Deshae for a fanbase he chilling honestly”

Instagram user @nappyhead_tashaa wrote, “Idgaf I’ll never hate him”

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Another Instagram user @dess.thebest_ wrote, “So he doubling down? Gotcha! I hope they delete his account”

While Instagram user @marnniqueeee wrote, “LMAOO I’m sorry but that was kinda funny like out of all things he could’ve did”

Dub Responds After Viewer Calls In About Deshae Frost

Deshae’s circle has also become part of the online conversation after his friend Dub addressed the situation during a recent advice hotline segment on his stream.

During the exchange, a viewer called in asking Dub to “keep it real” and hold Frost accountable following the viral incident involving the streamer. The conversation quickly escalated, with Dub pushing back strongly, going back and forth with the caller, and at one point telling them to “shut up.”

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Dub later continued addressing the situation, arguing that people should not be focused on what they see online. He claims that viral moments do not last, adding that the internet and cancel culture are “fake.” He pointed out that when Deshae goes live again, viewers will return to watch regardless of the backlash.

Related: DDG’s Brother DuB Reacts To Halle Bailey Mentioning His Alleged Altercation At DreamCon In Her Declaration Response (VIDEO)

What Do You Think Roomies?

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Young and Restless Early Spoilers April 20-24: Nick Overdosed in Alarming Crisis – Cane’s Major Gesture Shocks Everyone!

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Young and the Restless Spoilers: Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn)

Young and the Restless early weekly spoilers for April 20th through the 24th dive in to Nick Newman‘s (Joshua Morrow) overdose and Cane Ashby‘s (Billy Flynn) big gesture.

As we always do on early edition day. We start with what’s coming the rest of this week and then dive into what is ahead next week. Let’s get to it.

Young and the Restless Spoilers Wednesday, April 15th: Is Sally Pregnant?

On Wednesday, April 15th, we’ve got Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) feeling sick. So, Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) canceled his trip to go see his mom Jill Abbott in London. And Sally is telling him to please go, but Billy is hovering and kind of annoying her. And Sally at first says she might get him sick, but he dismisses that. Sally has an idea of what’s going on, but she doesn’t want to tell Billy. And instead, Sally texts Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver) and asks her to do her a favor.

So, Billy brings soup again, the hovering, and Sally sends him away saying that Audra is coming over. They have some things to do. Billy wants Sally to take a sick day, but she refuses. And then Audra shows up, and Sally tells Billy to leave them alone. They’re going to get some work done. And he goes and Audra hands Sally the pregnancy test to take and she tells Audra that she thinks it’s going to be positive but seems upset about the prospect. Sally’s been pregnant before so she knows how she feels when she’s pregnant.

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Adam In Las Vegas on Y&R

Meanwhile, Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) is stunned to see Chelsea Newman (Melissa Claire Egan) at the door of his hotel room in Las Vegas. She came because Adam kept dodging her calls and Chelsea wants to know where is Nick and then Riza Thompson (Tina Casciani) shows up. So, Adam introduces them, kind of awkward.

Riza taunts Chelsea a bit and then they explain to Chelsea that Riza’s partner Ronnie is really Matt Clark (Roger Howarth). And they tell Chelsea that Nick insisted on going in alone to meet Matt, but Adam was listening on the phone and there were sounds of a struggle. And then Adam, you know, ran into Riza’s room, but by then Nick was already gone with Matt.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Adam Admits His Concern to Chelsea

Chelsea thinks that they need to tell Sharon Rosales (Sharon Case), but Adam wants to wait. Rizza takes off when Chelsea asks to talk to Adam alone. And of course, he’s very worried about Nick and tells Chelsea about his brother’s wild mood swings and his weird behavior. Adam suspects that Nick is addicted to opioids, but Chelsea doubts it. And Adam thinks that Matt got Nick hooked on something worse than just the pain pills.

Rizza finds Matt in her room and he says he knows that Adam is Spyder. And then Matt accuses Rizza of working against him with Adam. Riza says yes, she knew who Adam was, but she didn’t know that that mattered to Matt. That’s why she never mentioned his name. So he drags her down to Adam’s room and Chelsea is disgusted to see him. She wants to spit on Matt and he tells them that Nick overdosed and is dead.

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Young and the Restless Spoilers: Devon Files Appeal On Mariah’s Plea Deal

Christine Blair tells Sharon that Devon Hamilton (Bryton James) filed an appeal on Mariah Copeland‘s plea deal and he wants criminal charges filed. He wants the deal overturned completely. And Christine says yes, it could be reversed. Sharon is terrified that Mariah is going to be sent to prison.

And of course, Sharon is blaming Ian Ward (Ray Wise) for all this. And Christine says they need to talk to Devon because he put it in motion. If you remember, he said he was going to make sure that the DA and the judge both would not be reelected. He very strongly feels like Mariah avoided all consequences and he’s worried about Dominic Chancellor Winters (Ethan Ray Clark) having PTSD and all of that.

Y&R Spoilers: Abby Shocks Devon

Meanwhile, Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway) is really annoyed that Devon filed this appeal without consulting her. Abby is insistent that Mariah needs the psychiatric help she’s getting. But Devon thinks that the judge was deceived by Christine and he fears that Mariah could still be a danger to Dominic. Now Abby thinks that Devon is just raging when Mariah is his friend on Young and the Restless.

And then Christine and Sharon show up and Devon says he will not change his mind and he storms out. So Sharon then appeals to Abby as a mom and she and Christine promise that the mental facility where Mariah is is really secure and she’s not free range or anything. And then Sharon tells Abby she worries if Mariah’s pulled out of there and sent to prison that she will be broken and will never recover.

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Young and the Restless Spoilers Thursday, April 16th: Adam Forces Matt’s Hand

On Thursday, April 16th, Adam gets one up on Matt and he forces his hand. I do wonder if Adam is going to figure out that Nick is not dead because he’s definitely not. He’s in that storage locker. I think we can all figure out that Matt is lying about the overdose and the death because he is planning on all that to happen, just not yet.

Sally’s patience is tested. We’ll see if it’s by Billy as he continues helicoptering around her while she’s not feeling well. And Sally seems stressed by the idea that she might be pregnant. This may be bringing back some PTSD over her and Adam losing their baby daughter, Ava.

Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) supports Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman). Of course, he’s distraught about the state of his marriage and Diane Jenkins Abbott (Susan Walters) refusing to talk to him.

Friday, April 17th: Sharon Heads To Vegas on Y&R

Then on Friday, April 17th, we’ve got Sharon really worried about Nick. So, she decides she is also going to go to Las Vegas. Now, we’ll see if Chelsea or Adam has told her anything that Matt said or if they want to investigate first. So, since Chelsea’s there, you know, Adam’s already worried and Sharon being there could put her in danger and things get really messy.

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Also, this week, Cane is chatting with Stephanie Simmons (Vivica A. Fox). Now, I expect that Cane wants to know more about what’s going on with Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore), but Stephanie is his doctor, so her hands are tied because of HIPAA, but I’m quite certain Cane’s going to get the whole story very soon from somebody.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn)Young and the Restless Spoilers: Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn)
Young and the Restless Spoilers: Nick Newman – Cane Ashby

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Victor & Diane Play with Fire

Diane and Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) scheme against Jack to give him a taste of his own medicine. Honestly, this sounds like a very, very bad idea, and there’s just this string that’s holding Victor’s marriage to Nikki together and Diane’s marriage to Jack together. And if they do something terrible, it could just snip that string and burn it all down to the ground.

Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) and Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman) start a new phase of their life. So, I do wonder if Michael is finally going to cut ties with Victor like Lauren wants.

Week of April 20th-24th: May Sweeps Begins on Y&R

Then the week of April 20th through the 24th, we’ve got May sweeps kicking off, you guys. Those are going to run April 23rd through May 20th. So, my next question is, are Noah Newman (Lucas Adams) and Sienna Bacall (Tamara Braun) also going to head to Las Vegas?

Because it would be very convenient for Matt if all the people that he wants to punish are all gathering in Sin City and he can just be very efficient and do bad things to all of them.

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Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) and Holden Novak (Nathan Owens) take baby steps towards building a sibling bond and they are both quite worried about Malcolm and I’m sure Holden’s going to have a lot of questions for Lily about their dad. And with Cane talking to Stephanie, I do expect that Cane is going to go get tested to see if he’s a donor match without telling anybody.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Nikki & Jack Grow Closer

After Diane and Victor’s petty little revenge scheme, I think we’re going to see Nikki and Jack get closer. And by the way, Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) is not done yet. Far from it. And the big boss battle with Matt is going to kick into high gear with May sweeps starting on Thursday of this week ahead.

And Nick is at an all-time low. He’s in an addiction spiral, but he is still alive. I won’t say he’s healthy and well, but still breathing. However, Matt is planning his overdose and death. He just wants to punish his loved ones first before he takes him out.

Billy and Sally have a conversation about their future soon, and we’re going to find out if she is indeed pregnant. And we’re going to see Sharon, Chelsea, and Adam banding together to take down Matt so they can save Nick.

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Star Trek’s Most Ambitious Villain Helped Create The Franchise’s Most Complex Hero

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Star Trek’s Most Ambitious Villain Helped Create The Franchise’s Most Complex Hero

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

When Star Trek: Voyager first came out, the most fascinating character was the Doctor. While Robert Picardo’s performance was superb, it’s fair to say this character was mostly fascinating on a conceptual level. We had seen things like hypercompetent Starfleet captains and exotic aliens before, but what we hadn’t seen was a fully holographic chief medical officer. Voyager’s Emergency Medical Hologram seemed like the perfect embodiment of the Star Trek ethos. He’s a technological strange new world and new life, all rolled into one.

However, what casual audiences didn’t realize is that the Doctor wasn’t completely unique. Long before Picardo’s character ever sawed bones in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Picard dealt with another extraordinary hologram: Moriarty, the brilliant foe of the famous investigator Sherlock Holmes. Over on The Next Generation, Geordi LaForge accidentally created this villain as a sentient hologram when he asked the holodeck to create a challenge worthy of the android Data. Later, Star Trek: Voyager executive producer Jeri Taylor revealed that, in-universe, the holographic Doctor was created because Starfleet took advantage of the same accidental breakthrough that created Moriarty!

It all started in “Elementary, My Dear Data,” the Next Generation episode in which the titular android and Geordi LaForge recreated Sherlock Holmes’ adventures on the holodeck. Thanks to his positronic brain and his encyclopedic knowledge of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes novels, Data is able to easily solve every mystery that is thrown at him. That’s when Geordi makes a seemingly simple request. He asks the Enterprise computer to develop a holodeck foe that could actually defeat Data, one of the smartest beings in the entire galaxy.

The computer obliges and creates a sentient version of Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’ greatest foe. Following Geordi’s instructions, the Enterprise computer included much of Data’s vast programming, which resulted in the holographic character becoming self-aware. Moriarty ended up threatening the Enterprise on two different occasions, and Picard eventually got rid of him by trapping the unknowing villain in a simulation where he thought he had left the holodeck and could explore the stars. This was meant to be a happy ending for Moriarty, but in the show’s typically bleak fashion, Star Trek: Picard later showed us a different, more hostile version of this character created by a malevolent Section 31 AI.

How A Villain Created A Hero

What does all of this have to do with Robert Picardo’s holographic Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager? Elementary, my dear reader! Very early in Voyager’s development (the show didn’t even have a name yet), executive producer Jeri Taylor was inspired by Moriarty to create a new character. As reported in A Vision of the Future-Star Trek: Voyager, Taylor wrote down notes for a holographic doctor “who, like Moriarty, has ‘awareness’ of himself as a holodeck fiction. He longs for the time when he can walk free of the Holodeck.”

A few days later, she wrote down additional notes that contain a startling bit of Star Trek lore. “The Holo-Doctor represents a new, state-of-the-art technology which has capitalized on the serendipitous incident which created Moriarty, and has programmed a holographic character which has self-awareness of his situation and limitations.” While Moriarty is name-dropped on Voyager a couple of times, the show never mentioned what Taylor’s notes seem to confirm: that Lewis Zimmerman could never have created the Emergency Medical Hologram program if not for Geordi LaForge accidentally creating Moriarty on the holodeck.

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From Villain To Leading Man?

If that’s not strange enough, there was a period of time when Voyager’s producers were considering making Moriarty a mainstay character on the show. As reported in Star Trek–Where No One Has Gone Before, Taylor’s notes mentioned that “everyone agreed that was a little too broad, and we couldn’t figure out why anyone would take him along.” After dismissing the idea, they decided “that having a holographic doctor with the full consciousness of being a hologram might be fun, and we’d never done anything like that before, except for Moriarty.”

There you have it, gentle reader. Without the character of Moriarty on Star Trek: The Next Generation, we’d never have the Doctor on Voyager. In this way, Trek’s most ambitious villain helped create the franchise’s most complex hero. Thanks to Jeri Taylor’s notes, we also know that, in-universe, Lewis Zimmerman would never have been able to create the Doctor if not for Geordi accidentally creating a sentient Moriarty so Data could have fun. In retrospect, this does make Zimmerman’s arrogance that much weirder. After all, he has a lot of attitude for someone who owes his entire career to the two biggest book nerds in the galaxy! 


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The Sci-Fi That Failed Twice And Demands A Third Chance

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The Sci-Fi That Failed Twice And Demands A Third Chance

By Joshua Tyler
| Published

No other genre falls victim to early cancellation more often than science fiction. Networks are notoriously impatient with anything that involves expensive special effects or sets, and SF is labor and cost-intensive.

That short runway for success has deprived us of proper endings to some of the greatest sci-fi stories ever told, so we’re left wondering what happened to the Wild Cards in their war with the Chigs, whether the crew of the Destiny ever found a gate back to Earth, and did Captain Gideon find a cure for the Drak plague before it was too late?

Watch the video version of this article.

It’s the not knowing that’s the worst, and in the case of one sci-fi franchise, we were left in the dark not once, but twice. This is why V failed, and then failed again!

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The Biggest Television Event Of The 1980s

V was created by television writer-producer Kenneth Johnson as a large-scale science-fiction event for NBC. The story begins when massive alien ships arrive over Earth’s major cities, with the Visitors aboard them claiming they come in peace and offering advanced technology in exchange for Earth’s resources. They look like humans, they act like humans, and they seem friendly, so we go all in on cooperation. 

As the world falls further under the influence of the Visitors, a small group discovers that their human appearance is only a disguise. In reality, the Visitors are secretly reptilian beings manipulating humanity and harvesting people. As the truth is uncovered, a resistance movement forms to fight back. 

When it aired in 1983, the two-night miniseries became a huge ratings success and a pop-culture phenomenon, praised for its spectacle, suspense, and memorable twists.

The Event Becomes A Series

After the huge ratings success of V, NBC quickly ordered a follow-up. In 1984, the network aired the sequel miniseries V: The Final Battle, which continued the human resistance fighting the alien Visitors and again drew strong viewership. Hoping to turn the concept into a long-running franchise, NBC then launched a weekly television series simply titled V: The Series later that same year. 

At the heart of V: The Series was more of the struggle between the human Resistance and the Visitors’ full-scale invasion of Earth. It starred popular actors of the time like Marc Singer and Faye Grant, who portrayed resistance leaders Mike Donovan and Juliet Parrish. The aliens were the real selling point of the show, with Jane Badler standing out as the evil leader of the visitors, Diana, and the great Robert Englund, famously known for his role as Freddy Krueger, as Willie, a sympathetic Visitor

Why The First V Series Failed

There were immediate problems. The weekly format required producing far more episodes with a more limited budget. That meant the show drastically reduced the spectacle and large-scale action that made the original events exciting. 

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It also had a leadership problem. Kenneth Johnson, who’d created the concept, refused to be part of the series. He disliked the sequel miniseries V: The Final Battle and wanted out. Lacking his presence, V lost much of its more complex narrative drive and fell into the boring, predictable monster-of-the-week format most shows of the era used. 

At the same time, the show’s narrative was all over the map, as constant changes disrupted the story. Resistance leader Mike Donovan was written out midway through the season when the character was captured by the Visitors. Key resistance member Robin Maxwell, played by Blair Tefkin, also disappeared early in the run.

With major characters gone and the storytelling becoming more episodic, the show lost the tight resistance-movement narrative that made the original miniseries compelling. Throw all that in a blender, and you have a disaster in the making, and the audience bailed. 

V: The Series debuted on NBC on October 26, 1984, and on March 22, 1985, it was canceled and off the air. What started out as one of the biggest television events in the medium’s history crashed and burned within a year. 

Rebooting V For Battlestar Galactica Audiences

The concept was good. The miniseries was great. There was something here that should have worked. So decades later, ABC tried again, hoping to ride the early 2000s wave of sci-fi interest generated by the success of shows like the rebooted Battlestar Galactica

V: The Series was brought back by ABC on November 3, 2009, and ran for 22 episodes across two seasons until March 15, 2011. This time, they skipped right over the miniseries and went straight to a new V series, wasting no time at all.

Within minutes, the aliens have landed, and from there it skips forward at a rapid pace, setting up the same intrigue that fans of the first series are familiar with. The aliens, who call themselves Visitors and “Vs” for short, present themselves as human in appearance, and the plot starts rolling.

The Visitor’s representative is Anna, played by the stunning Morena Baccarin (Firefly). She quickly becomes a global celebrity, convincing governments and much of the public that the aliens are humanity’s greatest allies. Behind the scenes, however, the Visitors are secretly infiltrating governments, media, and military organizations while preparing for a long-term takeover of Earth.

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The story focuses on several characters who gradually discover the truth and join a growing resistance. FBI counterterrorism agent Erica Evans, played by Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell, becomes one of the central leaders of the underground fight against the Visitors. 

Her son, Tyler, played by Logan Huffman, is drawn to the aliens and joins their human youth program, creating tension between loyalty and suspicion. Journalist Chad Decker, played by Scott Wolf, becomes Anna’s media ally while questioning the Visitors’ true motives.

Why V Failed Again

V premiered with strong curiosity and solid ratings, drawing viewers eager to see a modern take on the classic V. Critics were mixed on the reboot. Many praised the sleek production values and Morena Baccarin’s performance as the alien leader Anna, but reviews often said the show moved too slowly and lacked the urgency of the original. 

Audience response followed a similar pattern. The pilot attracted over 14 million viewers, but interest steadily declined as the season progressed. By the second season, ratings had dropped sharply, signaling fading audience enthusiasm despite a loyal core fanbase.

The new V had a promising start, but the show made some of the mistakes the previous V series had. It tried to save money by avoiding the spectacle that had made the original miniseries such a hit, and instead leaned heavily into slow-burn conspiracy plotting.

Once again, behind the scenes, V was in turmoil. There were showrunner changes between seasons that shifted the tone and direction. Long breaks between episodes disrupted its ability to retain its audience, draining momentum and confusing casual viewers. 

So in 2011, ABC canceled yet another V series before its larger alien-occupation storyline could reach a real conclusion.

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Why V Deserves A Third Chance

There’s something to V as a premise. It does things no other alien invasion story has ever done quite as well. It’s exactly the right idea, but somehow it has never found the right time.

Maybe that time is now. Rather than rebooting something that already worked once, Hollywood should consider giving V a third attempt and maybe, just maybe, instead of repeating the same mistakes, they could learn from them and make V the stunning, generational hit it was always meant to be.


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90 Day Fiance: Forrest Admits Mother Knows Best – Before The 90 Days Recap [S08E18]

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90 Day Fiance: Forrest Admits Mother Knows Best - Before The 90 Days Recap [S08E18]

On 90 Day Fiance, Forrest chooses to go home with his mom instead of staying in the Philippines with Sheena to start a life together. Laura Nevenner too makes a tough choice but Birkan surprises her with his response. Trisha gets a hard truth from Rick Van Vactor. And Elise Benson has an epic meltdown while cascading down a waterfall. Let’s break it all down in this recap of Season 8, Episode 18 Emergency Exit.

90 Day Fiance: Forrest Listens to His Mom

On 90 Day Fiance, Forrest stands by his decision to stay with Sheena in the Philippines. Until his mom Molly delivers a scathing takedown of the plan. Sheena even leaves the table for a breather. Molly lays it to Forrest. He can’t stay in the Philippines and find work. She suggests he return with her to the United States and go through some government sponsored training. And then work on getting a K-1 visa for Sheena to come to the U.S.

Forrest fights back on 90 Day Fiance. But his mom won’t stop. Continuing to mock Sheena and tell Forrest to think with his head. Sheena sobs and Molly has zero empathy. Forrest starts to wear down under Molly’s tirade. And by the time they get back to the apartment for the final night in the Philippines, he’s sold that his mom is right. He tearfully tells Sheena that he’s going home the next day with Molly and Dev.

Forrest promises he will set a plan in motion and if he can’t get her to the U.S. he will return to the Philippines. But Sheena rightly has her doubts since Molly is so manipulative with her son. And makes it clear she doesn’t trust Sheena. The next day they head to the airport. Molly is smug while Forrest and Sheena share a tearful goodbye.

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90 Day Fiance: Birkan Puts Laura on the Spot

Laura Nevenner spent the night alone after a fight with Birkan over her BFF Michal. Birkan feels betrayed by Laura after Michal admitted it was Laura who came onto him and not the other way around. Birkan actually enjoyed hanging out with Michal. And thinks he’s a good guy. But he’s not okay with Laura’s role in the friendship. Laura pouts in the hotel to production. But Birkan agrees to talk so she stops for some street food and coke as a peace offering.

Birkan is cold at first. Laura explains that she fibbed about who hit on who because she feared he would ask her to end the friendship. He asks if she would do that for him. She pauses but ultimately says yes. Birkan says ok. But then clarifies he wouldn’t want her to cut Michal out of her life. He suggests they remain friends. But just that. And not continue a “weird” friendship. Laura is relieved and they hug and agree to move forward.

Before The 90 Days: Rick Van Vactor Can’t Let Go of His Ex

After a fight at the airport over a text from his ex, Trisha is no longer speaking to Rick Van Vactor. But, Trish has agreed to talk to Rick on 90 Day Fiance. Rick sheepishly approaches Trish. Who is tired of his nonsense and questions his betrayal. Rick is wishy washy. Suggesting it’s Trish who he really loves. She questions how that can be since he was texting his ex while he was with her and her family.

Rick waxes over the relationship with the ex to production. They met on vacation and it just kind of fizzled due to distance. But it’s obvious he’s feeling something for her. Trish fires off an ultimatum: block the ex or she will walk away for good. Rick gets teary eyed and says he can’t block her. Trish demands to know why. And he chokes up and says that while he wants to stay with Trish, he can’t deny he has feelings for his ex and won’t block her. So, she blocks him and walks away.

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90 Day Fiance: Elise Goes Overboard

Elise Benson’s time in Australia is winding down on 90 Day Fiance. In an attempt to cement things with Josh Lawson, she wants to FaceTime with his son. He agrees to try and arrange it. Elise wants to appeal to Josh’s love of outdoor adventure. So she arranges an abseiling outing without really understanding what it entails. So she’s shocked to find she’ll be jumping into freezing cold pools of water, careening down waterfalls and gasp getting her hair wet.

She goes along, but before long it’s disastrous. She’s freezing and her hands are numb. Not to mention she’s terrified once they send her rappelling down a waterfall attached to a cord. Elise screams bloody murder and puts her fingers in her mouth. Her helmet cam captures the whole meltdown. Finally Elise descends into the water below. And immediately receives medical attention. Josh rushes to comfort her in spite of thinking she was just being dramatic at first.

While recovering on the drive back, Josh gets a text from his son’s mom on 90 Day Fiance. She’s not cool with letting Elise FaceTime with their son. Elise gets dramatic about it and complains again about being cold. Josh says he wouldn’t blame her for “walking away” and runs off to grab her a sweater. Later she gets froze out again while dressed like a casino cocktail waitress in a windy restaurant. This time the waitress provides a blanket. Josh claims he’s in love with her. But she’s unable to say it back.

TLC Couples Face the Future

Rounding out this 90 Day Fiance recap are Stig Da Artist and Aviva Duhamel. It’s just hours before Aviva is to return to the U.S. and Stig changes the game plan. Instead of making their home in Belize as they discussed multiple times, he now wants to come to America. Aviva is annoyed by this but ultimately agrees. Later, Stig reveals he wouldn’t mind relocating to Houston, Texas. He’s got family there after all. And an ex.

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Before The 90 Days couple Annalyn Fox and Jovon Fox renew their vows. But not until after Annalyn chides him for not having vows prepared and not buying her a ring. But Jovon earns points when he delivers short but sweet vows and surprises her with the very ring she wanted. Till next time!

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Kandi Burruss Announces Her 11-Year Marriage Is OVER… She and Todd Tucker Are Officially Separated!

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Kandi Burruss

Kandi Burruss

Kandi Burruss Announces Her 11-Year Marriage Is OVER… She and Todd Tucker Are Officially Separated! 

Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker are officially going their separate ways after more than a decade of marriage.

Kandi Burruss

“After deep thought and a lot of prayer, I’ve made the decision to move forward with a divorce. This is a difficult and emotional time, but my focus remains on protecting my peace, being the best mother I can be, and co-parenting with love and respect,” Kandi tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement.

“I’m stepping into a new chapter pouring into my work, my family, and my own growth. I’m grateful to everyone who supported us throughout the years, and I ask for privacy, grace, and understanding as we navigate this transition with our family.”

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Kandi Burruss

Kandi, 49, and Todd, 52, met during filming of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2011. They got engaged in January 2013 and tied the knot the following April. The pair share two kids — Ace, 9, and Blaze, 5 — along with Kandi’s daughter Riley, 23, and Todd’s daughter Kaela, 29, from previous relationships.

But fans had been speculating about trouble long before the announcement. Rumors started swirling at BravoCon, and social media detectives quickly began connecting the dots. Kandi’s followers noticed her Instagram profile had quietly dropped “Tucker,” reverting back to simply “Kandi Burruss.” While some wondered if she ever consistently used the hyphenated name, Bravo’s own website still lists her as “Burruss-Tucker,” adding more mystery to the mix.

Kandi Burruss

Adding fuel to the fire, Todd was noticeably absent from BravoCon 2025 in Las Vegas — even as Kandi received the Wifetime Achievement Award. Fans questioned why her husband of 11 years wouldn’t show up for such a major milestone.

Kandi’s acceptance speech also raised eyebrows. She told the crowd she “appreciates all the support, especially now,” leading viewers to believe something was happening behind the scenes. Fans also clocked that Kandi ditched her wedding ring throughout the three-day event. People also claimed Todd hasn’t been wearing his either.

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Kandi Burruss

And just weeks before the split, Kandi openly discussed their “bedroom life,” insisting threesomes had never caused issues in their marriage and that you can have a successful marriage while doing threesomes. In hindsight, fans now say the comment may have hinted at deeper problems.

 

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LL COOL J Is Officially Returning to ‘NCIS’ With Brand-New Spin-Off Series

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LL COOL J Is Officially Returning to 'NCIS' With Brand-New Spin-Off Series

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

CBS clearly isn’t done building out the NCIS universe just yet. The franchise has been a network staple for years, but even by its standards, this latest move feels like a pretty fun surprise. LL COOL J has already drifted in and out of the wider franchise since NCIS: Los Angeles wrapped, enough to keep fans wondering whether Sam Hanna still had a bigger future in this world. Now we know he does. CBS has officially ordered NCIS: New York, with LL COOL J returning as Sam as the franchise heads to a brand-new field office this fall.

In the new series, Sam returns to his hometown of New York City, where he’ll partner with a roguish agent played by Scott Caan and help lead a new team taking on high-stakes missions tied to one of the most vital cities and ports in the world. The series will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m., right between NCIS at 8 p.m. and NCIS: Origins at 10 p.m., before NCIS: Sydney takes over that later slot in midseason.

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The pilot comes from The Pitt creator R. Scott Gemmill, who also served as showrunner on NCIS: Los Angeles for seven seasons after writing across the show’s full 14-season run. Byron Balasco, creator of Kingdom, will serve as showrunner on the new series, giving NCIS: New York a mix of longtime franchise experience and a fresh voice.

This new move also makes those comments from last year feel a lot more interesting in hindsight. After LL COOL J’s guest return to the flagship NCIS, executive producer Steven D. Binder told TV Insider:

“I, as a showrunner, say LL always has a place at NCIS. They all do. They’re all great. They’re pros. We love having them. It’s just people have very busy schedules, especially he does. So, making it work is a logistical challenge and probably the bottleneck more than anything to why you may or may not see more. Not because there’s not a desire and a will, just because scheduling is very difficult.”

Around the same time, Diona Reasonover, who plays Kasie Hines, told Collider, “It’s always so much fun when Sam comes and, kind of like, disrupts the normal flow of the team. I think that his kind of involvement in the case…I’m not sure if we could have the case without him.”

Looking back now, those comments feel less like simple support for a guest comeback and more like an early sign that Sam Hanna was never really done with the franchise.

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NCIS airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

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Judge Rules Wendy and Eddie Osefo Will Face Fraud Trial Together!

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Wendy Osefo

Wendy Osefo

Judge Rules Wendy and Eddie Osefo Will Face Fraud Trial Together!

It was a busy morning inside Maryland’s Carroll County Circuit Court as Real Housewives of Potomac stars Wendy and Eddie Osefo made an unexpected pivot in their fraud case.

Wendy Osefo

Despite filing separate motions last month, the couple asked the judge on Tuesday to move forward as co-defendants, according to a boots-on-the-ground report from The What Else Is Going On podcast. The judge approved the request. The pair were arrested in October on more than a dozen fraud charges each after prosecutors accused them of staging a burglary at their home and submitting false insurance claims for luxury items. Wendy and Eddie had previously requested separate trials and argued their arrests were “illegal.”

Their next hearing is set for December 19, and prosecutors are expanding their probe.

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Wendy Osefo

Court filings state the couple have “approximately 40 credit and/or debit cards,” including some tied to businesses and aliases such as “Pam Oliver” and “Eddie Hennessy,” which they argue were used to “mask their identity.”

The Osefos’ legal team pushed back, calling the request a “fishing expedition.” Prosecutors countered that the financial records may show “excessive spending” and are relevant because “insurance fraud is a financial crime.” Eddie’s attorney, Joseph Murtha, said prosecutors are still “looking for something they haven’t figured out after 18 months.”

Wendy Osefo

Shortly after reports circulated, the couple released a joint statement accusing police of mishandling the original burglary report. Their attorneys said police “failed to properly investigate… despite clear indications of a break-in” and showed “bias against the Osefo family.” They also argued the couple was met with “silence for over 18 months” despite cooperating.

The statement criticized investigators for exposing the family’s private financial information, calling it “deeply unjust,” and said the State only began investigating “after charging the Osefos,” which they described as an “irregular approach.” Their team argued the disclosures “serve no lawful purpose and invite conclusory opinions.”

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Wendy Osefo

They also denied ever using aliases on financial applications, calling that allegation “false and misleading” and explaining that such names were used only “for the delivery of packages… to safeguard the identity of very public figures.” The statement added that claims about their debt exaggerate the situation and that misleading the public “has compounded the harm.”

The couple was first arrested on Oct. 10.

Wendy Osefo

Investigators say the Osefos claimed luxury items were stolen while they were in Jamaica, but that some pieces were later seen on social media or had been previously returned for refunds.

The Real Housewives of Potomac airs Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.

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