Meghan Markle is set to headline a luxury wellness retreat in Australia, with VIP packages priced at up to $3K, featuring wellness sessions and photo opportunities.

According to a royal expert, the duchess is considering this as a new means to “generate income” for herself, and the move aligns with her growing focus on lifestyle ventures, alongside her brand As Ever.

During her visit to Australia, Meghan Markle will also appear on MasterChef Australia, blending media, wellness, and commercial engagements.

Meghan Markle To Lead Luxury Wellness Retreat In Australia, Receives Royal Expert Approval

Meghan’s “Her Best Life” retreat includes premium experiences such as group photo opportunities with the Duchess of Sussex, curated wellness sessions, spa-style activities, and multi-day stays at an upscale coastal hotel.

Standard tickets are also available at a lower rate, though both tiers grant access to talks, workshops, and lifestyle-focused events.

An insider familiar with the industry told Page Six the move fits into Meghan’s broader lifestyle and wellness brand positioning, noting that audiences are increasingly willing to pay for celebrity-led experiences centered around personal development and self-care.

Grant Harrold, former royal butler to King Charles III, also commented on the venture, noting that he “wasn’t surprised to hear about Meghan exploring this as a new way to generate income.”

“People pay a lot of money to attend these retreats, and with Meghan [as] the face of the event, they are sure to generate a decent profit,” he added.

Harrold further noted that she has steadily built a presence in the lifestyle sector through projects such as As Ever and earlier media work.

According to him, unlike traditional royal family members who tend to keep wellness interests private, Meghan has taken a more public and commercial approach since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.

Royal Butler Says Meghan’s Business Move Is Unlikely To Cause Tension With The Monarchy Amid Australia Visit

Harrold shared that he does not expect the initiative to create tension within the royal household, adding that Harry may have informed King Charles III beforehand as part of efforts to maintain communication with his father.

“I don’t think the King or other members of the Royal Family will take issue with this,” he said, suggesting they would likely prefer “Meghan made money from this than a tell-all book or yet another TV interview.”

He also highlighted that other royals, including Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie, have pursued independent careers, arguing that modern royal relatives often need alternative income streams.

On whether formal approval was needed, Harrold said Meghan would not require royal permission, but believes Harry likely gave King Charles a prior heads-up as part of maintaining family relations while the couple continues their Australia visit from April 17 to 19.

Meghan Markle Joins MasterChef Australia As Couple Continue Multi-Day Visit To Australia

In the same period, Meghan is also set to appear as a guest judge on the upcoming season of MasterChef Australia, with filming confirmed by Network Ten. The show’s 18th season is scheduled to premiere on April 19.

Meghan and Harry are currently undertaking a four-day visit to Australia, combining charitable engagements with professional commitments. T

he trip marks their first return to the country since their 2018 royal tour, shortly after their wedding, and follows their decision to step back as senior royals in 2020.

More About Prince Harry And Meghan’s Aussie Tour

During the trip, the couple has attended a range of events across Melbourne and Canberra.

Harry spent time with an Australian Rules football team, learning the basics of the game, and also visited the Australian War Memorial.

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Meghan, on her part, visited the Royal Children’s Hospital, where she met staff and served meals at a women’s shelter.

The couple also spent time with local communities earlier in the week, including a hospital visit where they met children and families.

Meghan Markle’s As Ever Brand Expands Global Trademark Coverage Across Lifestyle Categories

Meanwhile, speculation continues about Meghan’s lifestyle venture, As Ever, and its possible entry into the Australian market.

While reports point to recent trademark activity across several product areas, a spokesperson for Meghan and Prince Harry has pushed back on the narrative, telling People Magazine that Australia is simply “one of many” countries where the brand has been registered.

Public records from Australia’s intellectual property authority indicate that the brand has secured protections across a wide and diverse range of categories.

These reportedly include beauty and skincare products, pet care items, candles, gardening equipment, jewelry, stationery, furniture, yoga accessories, as well as hospitality-related services such as food, beverages, and short-term accommodation.

Additional filings also appear to cover outdoor décor, craft materials, and edible products like jams, which have been highlighted as a signature part of the brand concept, alongside sauces and non-alcoholic drink mixes.

The registrations further extend into media and digital spaces, including internet broadcasting, content production, downloadable and non-downloadable entertainment such as films, television content, and video podcasts.

Jaws may have laid the blueprint for many shark films to come, but this year, Netflix’s newest creature feature, Thrash, proves that there are still undiscovered waters to wade into. Instead of one behemoth of a shark terrorizing folks who dare to enter its territory, Thrash throws a multitude of smaller (but no less terrifying) bull sharks into the floodwaters of a town struck by a Category 5 hurricane.

It begins as your usual foray into a creature feature as we’re introduced to several characters, some who would turn into survivors and others fodder, but there is one storyline that becomes increasingly more unrealistic and is better for it. One of the characters stuck in the chaos is Lisa (Phoebe Dynevor), a single soon-to-be mother who stars in the gnarliest scene of the movie, one that may just give future horror films a run for their money.

Netflix’s Crazy Horror Movie ‘Thrash’ Delivers the Gnarliest Sequence in Recent Creature Feature History

Most shark films involve a group of intrepid or ambitious people diving into the deep blue sea, but Thrash takes the Rogue approach, where a hurricane floods and de-familiarizes the streets of a coastal town. This is the first step towards the absolutely berserk scene the film is setting up — one that allows a woman to give birth in shark-infested waters. In the beginning, Lisa is trapped in her car before the agoraphobic Dakota (Whitney Peak) finally musters enough courage to help her. She leaves Lisa on the bed of her second-storey bedroom to find a boat, which is when Lisa’s scene really begins. As the water level rises, the bed floats to the ceiling and Lisa continues to dilate, and anticipation drastically ratchets up until she is clutching her newborn in a pool of blood while menacing fins circle her.

Conceptually, a pregnant woman not only surviving this shark-pocalypse, but also successfully giving birth, is ludicrous and laughable. It is imagination stretched to the unreachable limits. Yet, as we watch Lisa almost rabidly sever her umbilical cord then immediately turn around to skewer a shark in the head, there’s no doubt that this is the peak of gnarly cinema. To add to the ridiculousness of the scenario is the tiny twist of irony of Lisa being vehemently against doing the water birth encouraged by her mother, only to perform it in the most perilous way possible — the kind of humor we scoff at but secretly appreciate. There may be something deeper, like an allegory of the anxieties around pregnancy and motherhood for women, but the most compelling part of the scene is truly the creativity. It is hilarious, ferocious, and everything we crave in a B horror movie.

Phoebe Dynevor’s Childbirth Scene in Netflix’s ‘Thrash’ Is Absurd but Brilliant

The wildest part of Lisa’s childbirth scene in Thrash is that, on a technical level, it is actually brilliant. It kicks off when the bed begins to float and Lisa reaches for her birth playlist to flick on “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton, the perfectly dissonant soundtrack to the utter devastation around her. Alongside the masterful sound design is the claustrophobia of the bed inching towards the ceiling, eerily forecasting the moment she would have to leave the relative safety of the room while making for a visually morbid yet captivating scene. Similar to how the flood de-familiarizes the town, watching everyday items float around her while she is lurching around the bed in unimaginable pain evokes a surreal kind of horror. Already, it is the ideal set up for the bonkers sequence yet to come.

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Once again, disregarding the absurdity of it all, Dynevor’s performance is all-consuming throughout Lisa’s entire ordeal. It would be too farfetched to say Dynevor sells the scene, but she certainly sells Lisa’s pain, desperation, and the brutal rush of adrenaline that invokes the super-strength associated with a maternal instinct. She is fully immersed in her role and cinches the audience’s favor — we’re all rooting for her as she viciously protects her newborn without skipping a beat after losing so much blood. Even the film seems to need to take a break, as there is a silent overhead shot of Lisa swimming in water that is darkening with her blood, a grim, dangerous, yet almost triumphant moment that contrasts with the rest of the mayhem. With Peak’s Dakota covering her with a harpoon gun on the sidelines, the scene is wonderfully acted, enhancing the sheer egregiousness of it all.

Thrash takes survival to a whole new level with this one scene, and it’s a must-watch for any fan of creature features. Between the complete absurdity of the situation and how incredibly they executed it, Lisa’s childbirth sequence is already by far the gnarliest one we’ve seen in horror movies this year. It is B-horror at its best, filled with all the little ironies and delicious terror we search for in the genre.

Hailey Bieber is turning heads in her latest campaign for Yves Saint Laurent, but not everyone is loving the look. The 29-year-old supermodel posed in a striking blue-and-black one-piece swimsuit, accessorized with gold bangles on both wrists, as she struck a power pose with her fists on her hips. The stance instantly drew comparisons to “Wonder Woman,” famously portrayed by Lynda Carter in the 1970s TV series and later by Gal Gadot on the big screen.

Hailey Bieber Dragged Online Over ‘Zoolander’ Poses

While some admired the bold aesthetic, others were left scratching their heads over Hailey Bieber’s latest campaign look. “Why is she standing like that… I don’t get it?” one follower commented on Instagram, while another added a more sarcastic take, writing, “Where’s the toilet, man?”

As the photos continued to circulate, the reactions only intensified, with critics aiming for her posing style. “It’s like Zoolander the way she has literally one look,” one user joked.

Others focused on specific shots from the campaign. “Second pic? Ironically, taking a sh-t,” one commenter wrote, while another admitted, “I laughed out loud at that picture.”

Fans Divided As Bieber’s Poses Spark Debate

Confusion remained a recurring theme throughout the comment section. “What’s with the weird-a-s poses?” one person questioned. “Is she about to pee on the lawn? What are we even doing?” another added.

Still, not everyone was critical, with some fans rushing to defend the model. “Notice how the haters are here before anybody else?? She’s really that girl…. Models have been posing like this for years now because it’s Hailey, y’all have something to say,” one supporter fired back.

Hailey Bieber Opens Up About Stepping Back From Runway Modeling

Hailey Bieber is also getting candid about why she’s taken a step back from certain parts of the fashion industry. While covering the May issue of Allure, the model reflected on an experience that impacted her confidence on the runway. “I had a really bad experience with a casting director who was very important,” Bieber said.

The moment she explained, it ultimately changed how she views that side of the industry. “He said something to my agent that just shook my confidence when it came to the runway,” she recalled. “I don’t want to feel bad about myself in this space because I feel really good about the other work that I do. So why would I even put myself in a position to feel small?”

Bieber Credits Family For Inspiring Her Skincare Brand

Elsewhere in the interview, Hailey Bieber opened up about balancing her modeling career with her growing role as an entrepreneur, particularly after launching her skincare line Rhode. The model revealed that her passion for skincare was deeply rooted in family traditions passed down through generations.

“I just could always remember my mom, as a child, getting [me] out of the bath, drenching me head to toe, just hydration, hydration, hydration, very focused on keeping the skin healthy. It started with my grandmother, she taught my mom, my mom taught me,” she shared.

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The inspiration, she explained, became the foundation for building her own brand focused on simple, effective skincare.

Hailey Bieber Says ‘Hannah Montana’ Inspired Her Early Style

Even before her modeling career took off, Hailey Bieber had an eye for fashion, and she credits a Disney Channel favorite for sparking that passion. “I remember watching ‘Hannah Montana’ and being so inspired by Miley [Cyrus]’s fashion on the show, and wanting to recreate the outfits and put my own spin on them,” she said.

That early influence helped shape her approach to fashion, but over time, Hailey Bieber says her style has become more about how she feels than what she wears. “When I feel good in clothes, is when I feel they look the best, a lot of it comes from the inside-out,” she said. “One thing I’m always aiming for is to be effortless and chic, and like I’m wearing the clothes and not that they’re wearing me.”

That mindset also influences the icons she looks to for inspiration, with Hailey Bieber pointing to some of fashion’s most legendary figures. “Gisele is just a forever reference, when you think of Victoria’s Secret, you think of her and the amazing Angels, so that was fun and felt very bombshell and sexy,” she said, referencing Gisele Bündchen.

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Marlo Hampton recently claimed that Porsha Williams was the reason she was not asked back for “Real Housewives of Atlanta” season 16. Now, days later, the Go Naked Hair founder is responding to her former “RHOA” co-star, saying she’s lucky she got the chance to speak her name. This comes as the show continues to deliver strong viewership in its 17th season.

Porsha Williams Addresses Having Marlo Fired From ‘RHOA’

Williams appeared on “The Breakfast Club” in April 2026 to promote “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” While on, one of the show’s cohosts, Lauren Larosa, mentioned Hampton’s recent comments regarding her “RHOA” firing.

In response, the 44-year-old said, “Oh, okay. Well, she loves talking about me, so I’m glad she got that opportunity to talk about me. She loves it.” After that, Williams claimed that Hampton gets a “thrill” from speaking about her in the press.

For context, Hampton appeared on “RHOA” as a full-time cast member for seasons 14 and 15, which were the duration of Williams’ hiatus from the show. She then returned for season 16, but Hampton didn’t.

The ‘RHOA’ Star Denies Dictating Who She Films With

Charlamagne tha God then asked Williams how she handles filming scenes with “people like that,” referring to Hampton. She responded, “You know, I’m a part of a cast, so you still have to do some scenes with people you might not want to do a scene with.”

However, Williams went on to say that she doesn’t have to be “overly engaged” with those she’s on bad terms with.

Regarding Hampton, the “RHOA” star went on to say, “I guess she’s doing her thing. She’s being interviewed. She’s not on my show. Again, she loves my name. She loves how it feels coming out of her mouth, so I’m glad she had that experience that day.”

What Marlo Hampton Said About Porsha Williams

Hampton appeared on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast in April 2026. During the appearance, the NFL legend listed multiple “RHOA” stars and asked the 50-year-old if she was on good terms with them. Once he mentioned Williams, she said, “I don’t like her. She’s a hater, complicated.”

Regarding her status with the show, Hampton continued, “But anyway, that’s just complicated because she was very against me coming back two seasons ago. She was one of the main people against me coming back. And one thing I don’t play with, I would never try to stop someone from getting their check.”

When asked why she thinks Williams didn’t want her to return to “RHOA,” Hampton said, “I’m the one who will hold her accountable. I’m gonna ask the questions. She likes to run sh-t.” After that, she stated that Williams had failed to deliver what the network expected her to for season 16, noting that Williams was going through a divorce and couldn’t show her lavish home.

Fans Are Mixed On Porsha’s Response

Following Williams’ response to her former “RHOA” co-star, fans of the show are divided, with some noting that she didn’t fully deny Hampton’s claim. One person wrote on X, “Cute shade, but she didn’t deny it. Marlo gotta respond.”

Someone else said, “Judging by her response, she definitely had her hand in Marlo not being on.” However, a different X user stated, “Marlo played her cards wrong, and she’s upset about it. Porsha doesn’t owe her sh-t.”

A different “RHOA” defended Williams, writing, “This was the best way to respond to what Marlo said. Not give it the energy people would expect.”

Lastly, someone else speculated, “So she’s admitting she made Marlo not being there a condition of her returning because she didn’t want anyone holding her accountable.”

‘RHOA’ Is On A Ratings High

Gone are the days when new episodes of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and other “Housewives” franchises drew in millions of viewers for a single broadcast. However, many of them are still performing well, with “RHOA” season 17 among the best in recent years.

According to Bravo Ratings on X, the second episode from the new season drew in 0.711 million viewers and a 0.15 share in the 18 to 49 demographic. Notably, this is a substantial increase from the premiere episode, which delivered 624,000 live viewers and a 0.12 share in the 18-49 demographic.

New episodes of “RHOA” air on Sunday nights right before Bravo’s newest show, “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”

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.

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”

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”

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.”

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 32 seconds ago

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.

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!