Young and the Restless gives Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) with a plan in mind and she’s set a trap for somebody. And my guess is that it is Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) because even if she goes down, I doubt that she’s going to go down alone.

So, we’re going to talk about how Phyllis and her chief enemy Victor might both end up in trouble with the law.

Phyllis Starting To See How Bad Her Legal Situation Is on Young and the Restless

So, right now, Phyllis is starting to see with a lot of clarity how bad her legal situation is. The faked AI evidence is either really thorough and convincing or Victor paid off some experts to say it’s legit. Seems like something he would do. So, it’s enough though to convince new DA Christine Romelotti (Lauralee Bell) to go full speed ahead with the criminal charges against Phyllis and Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn), which you know Christine is enjoying.

And when Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman) suggested that Phyllis could cut a deal to give Newman back to Victor and escape criminal prosecution, well, Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) wrote Phyllis a reality check. And he said even if Victor were to drop the charges, Christine would most likely still go after Phyllis. She could still prosecute. And I mean, let’s not forget she is guilty. But don’t forget, so is Victor in this storyline.

Victor Needs to Pay as Much as Phyllis Does

Both Phyllis and Victor are really the villains. So there is a chance Phyllis and Victor both may wind up in legal hot water. I mean honestly that would be pretty karmic because they’ve both been behaving terribly. Phyllis and Victor both use the AI to steal companies and Victor did Phyllis really dirty before that. So that’s why she’s turned around and flipped and done him dirty in return.

So, if Victor was also arrested and both he and Phyllis were facing criminal charges, that seems right. It seems like they’re facing consequences they deserve. Now, I doubt either of them would wind up in prison at all, or if they did, not for long. If Victor and Phyllis were both charged, they might get probation or they could be barred from running a corporation. But let’s face it, both Victor and Phyllis are way overdue for a good slap from karma.

The Evidence Against Phyllis Is All AI Generated on Y&R

Let’s talk about Victor in just a minute, but I want to start with Phyllis. So, the evidence against her is all AI generated. Plus, Christine absolutely hates Phyllis and won’t stop prosecuting her unless she gets 100% proof that the evidence against her is 100% fake. Up until that, full steam ahead. So, with all that stacked up against her, Phyllis seems to be in really hot water. And it’s hard to see a path forward for her. The problem is, not only does Victor want Newman back, but he also wants to punish both Phyllis and Cane for doing the exact same thing that he did. It’s hard to see how Phyllis can avoid legal consequences and a criminal conviction.

Now, as for Victor, Young and the Restless viewers really don’t want him to go unpunished for using this illegal AI to ruin two different companies. More than that, honestly, I think fans would just like to never hear the words AI again. So, even though Cane is a jerk, Victor’s track record of despicable deeds is much worse than Cane’s. So, they don’t appreciate him doing what he did to him.

Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) is an awful murderous rapist human being that everybody hates and also fears. So, him losing his company isn’t something really anybody but him cares about. Regardless, Victor’s gotten away with too much for too long. Plus, he’s playing dirty and he’s acting like Phyllis is beneath him and that her actions are detestable.

Victor is Guilty Too on Young and the Restless

However, Victor did the exact same thing Phyllis did and he did it first. It’s just ridiculous how Victor can want to punish others for doing bad things, but then he does the exact same thing or worse, and he thinks the rules don’t apply to him. It’s gotten so old, and he needs to face consequences. Fans are on fire about Josh Griffith’s meh AI writing. And don’t forget, Cane’s got his lawyer, Amanda Sinclair (Mishael Morgan), working on the case.

Amanda Might Be Able to Turn Up Evidence Against Victor

She might be able to turn up some damning evidence against Victor. Or could be Amanda has a backup of the Chancellor server since she was shutting down the AI after they took over all of Newman. If there is a Chancellor backup, it would show that the emails implicating Phyllis and Cane didn’t exist at the time they were supposedly sent.

Another thought is that Matt might have some evidence he can offer to Phyllis from when Victor cleaned him out and took all his stuff. Matt doesn’t have his memory at the moment. I’m expecting him to get it back soon and he may recall something that could help Phyllis.

And of course, Matt would love to have some other way to get revenge on Victor because he took everything from him and punishing Noah Newman‘s (Lucas Adams) granddad is always a bonus to Matt. Also, we’ve got Phyllis making a move by the end of this week and she’s setting a trap. Michael asked her if she’s ready to give back Newman later this week to try and stop all the madness.

But Phyllis says she has something else in mind. So, she might try and do what she asked Michael to do, but he refused. If you remember, Phyllis asked Michael to get Victor on tape confessing and admitting the evidence against Phyllis was fake. But Michael said Victor wouldn’t fall for it. However, you never know. His ego is so big that he might.

Phyllis Could Get Victor on Tape Confessing

Phyllis could show up with her phone already in her pocket or purse set to record. She could confront Victor and start a fight with him. And Phyllis could get Victor all riled up. And you never know, Phyllis might actually get Victor to say something incriminating like, “Yeah, the evidence is fake, but there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re going down.” Something like that.

And then Phyllis would have Victor exactly where she wants him. He’s been very careful when Chelsea Lawson (Melissa Claire Egan) or anybody else asks him if he faked the evidence. But if Phyllis goads him the right way and keeps poking, poking, poking, Victor might lose his patience with Phyllis. You know, his family never pushes after Victor lies and denies or says, “Don’t worry about it.”

Phyllis Tries to Trick Victor on Young and the Restless

You know how he does. But with Phyllis, she’s able to get all the way under Victor’s skin and she could provoke him into telling the truth if he gets really mad and starts ranting at her. I think it would be phenomenal if Phyllis could get the goods on Victor.

And if she threatens Victor once she has it and says she’ll give it to Christine, that might not stop things just like Michael said. Because even if Phyllis has him over a barrel, you know, if Victor can’t stop Christine from prosecuting Phyllis, she may go ahead and say fine and give this legitimate evidence to Christine to use against Victor.

Phyllis’s mindset might be, if I’m going down, then Victor’s going down with me no matter what. And so he might have to suck it up and even admit that it was all him that faked the evidence because otherwise Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) could be prosecuted for giving Christine knowingly false evidence.

And let’s be clear, Victoria knows it’s false even though she’s lying and denying. So, I think honestly it would be great if both Victor and Phyllis wound up facing consequences for their awful antics. We’ll see what happens.

But for me, with we’ve got like I don’t know six episodes, maybe seven left of May sweeps, I’d like to see this happen and both of them land in handcuffs. Phyllis already has, but Victor, he’s overdue for cuffs.

Ashley Iaconetti set the record straight on if she’s gone under the knife.

The Real Housewives of Rhode Island star, 38, addressed rumors surrounding her appearance during a recent Q&A on her podcast, “Almost Famous,” which she cohosts with fellow Bachelor Nation alum Ben Higgins. During the Friday, May 8, episode, Iaconetti shut down speculation that she had a rhinoplasty and revealed she’s “never had plastic surgery.”

“You know how Kendall Jenner says that she’s never had plastic surgery? Kendall — I understand what she’s saying about her nose, though,” Iaconetti said, referring to rumors that Jenner, 30, got a nose job. “My sister had a nose job, my aunt had a nose job and my grandma had a nose job,” Iaconetti explained of the women in her family. “My other grandma? Well, she didn’t want to have a nose job but let’s just say she doesn’t have a tiny nose and she’s alive and 102.”

“My nose is natural, but Kendall says [her nose] got smaller with Accutane,” Iaconetti continued. “I also think my nose has gotten so much smaller with age.”

Related: Kendall Jenner Addresses Speculation She’s Had Plastic Surgery

Kendall Jenner is proud that she’s only rarely dabbled with cosmetic procedures. “I swear to God, I’ve done two rounds of baby Botox in my forehead [and] that’s it,” Jenner, 30, said on the Friday, January 9, episode of Owen Thiele’s “In Your Dreams” podcast. “[That’s] the only thing I’ve ever injected.” Jenner further debunked […]

Iaconetti went on to say that in old photos, her nose was “so much wider.”

“Now I’m wondering, is it just acne medication in general? Because if [Kendall’s] not lying, my nose [also] got smaller once I started Spironolactone at 24.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Iaconetti doubled down that she’s never gone “under the knife” and has “never been under anesthesia.”

“I get my lips injected about once a year and I’ve been doing that for about 11 years,” Iaconetti shared. “I got it for the first time going into Bachelor in Paradise. And then, I get Botox — really mine lasts a long time. I think my forehead’s kinda trained at this point so it’s really every 5 months.”

She continued, “And then once a year I’ll do Botox in my masseter muscles — my jaw. And then the other thing that I love is chin filler, which I’ve done for 7 years.”

Iaconetti noted that she’s not a “big fan” of having filler in her cheeks.

Jenner previously squashed rumors that she secretly underwent a rhinoplasty during a January episode of the “In Your Dreams” podcast. “I swear to God, I’ve done two rounds of baby Botox in my forehead [and] that’s it,” she said.

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“For any young fan that’s watching this video, thinking, ‘I’m just going to run and get a nose job … or whatever it is,’” Jenner continued. “I will say the nose job allegations I’ve gotten, I would believe them if it wasn’t me. I look at old photos of me and I’m like, ‘Wait, it does look like I’ve had a nose job.’”

Jenner shared that with time, she simply “grew into her nose.”

“It did look wider and it did feel bigger on my face when I was younger,” she explained. “I also … did Accutane for my acne, and there’s a theory on TikTok that acne shrinks your nose and, you guys, I swear it’s true.”

Even with all the crowd-pleasers to his name, few contemporary blockbuster filmmakers have a catalog as frequently debated as Steven Spielberg. Two decades on, his adaptation of War of the Worlds continues to divide audiences more than most. Released in 2005 and starring Tom Cruise, the film holds one of the lowest audience scores of Spielberg’s career on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s often left out of the top 10 in rankings of his greatest works. But War of the Worlds doesn’t deserve such a middling reputation. Revisiting it today, you’ll find something far more special than its legacy would suggest.

Coming from such iconic source material, you probably already know the basic setup: An alien invasion threatens humanity, and an ordinary man must fight for his family as society collapses. But, unlike the H. G. Wells book, Spielberg takes the book’s Victorian England setting and drops us in New Jersey instead. Cruise plays Ray Ferrier, a dockworker and flawed father to Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin). When aliens invade, the family’s going to need a hero if they’re going to make it through alive. But is Ray really up to the task?

‘War of the Worlds’ Replaces the Traditional Action Hero With a Panicked Everyman

Spielberg isn’t interested in depicting heroism in the traditional sense. Ray isn’t a savior, and he sure isn’t a leader either. Unlike the action hero you’d expect at the center of all great sci-fi thrillers, he’s highly reactive, incredibly overwhelmed, and just barely holding it together. It locks the film in on a character other post-apocalyptic thrillers would do away with in act one. The ambition of this choice is clear from the film’s first major set piece: the invasion.

In his more than 50 years of filmmaking, Spielberg’s never directed something more terrifying. In films past, the director would put us in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing. But when the ground cracks open and the first tripod emerges, the audience isn’t left in the hands of a level-headed and unwavering lead. Like his kids, we’re stuck with Ray… and all the uncertainty and panic and chaos that comes from him as our guide.

‘War of the Worlds’ Channels Post-9/11 Fear Into One of Spielberg’s Boldest Sci-Fi Visions

Image via Paramount Pictures.

The film is innovative for more than just its main character. Beneath the surface, War of the Worlds is a different kind of spectacle — one more concerned with uniquely 21st-century themes. The imagery is clearly born of post-9/11 anxieties: a morning attack, dust swallowing crowds, people running in fear, a sickening sense that things will never be the same … War of the Worlds channels the fear and disorientation that was still so fresh in American minds after 2001. Rather than offering escapism as usual, Spielberg confronts that reality head-on.a 76% critics’ score at Rotten Tomatoes

Plenty of critics liked War of the Worlds — it does hold a modest 76% critics’ score at Rotten Tomatoes — but top voices like Roger Ebert and Jonathan Rosenbaum called it hokey and uninteresting. Its 42% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter is also less than enthusiastic. They’ve got it wrong, though. Viewed today, the film’s unconventional Cruise role and its willingness to explore the darkest corners of the collective unconscious make for one of Spielberg’s boldest projects ever. It’s a film that challenges its audience, sidestepping the easy answers or comforting resolutions we expect from Spielberg. It might not fit neatly alongside some of his most entertaining works, but that’s precisely what makes it so ambitious … and one of his most underrated, too.

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Release Date

June 29, 2005

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116 Minutes

Writers

Josh Friedman, David Koepp, H.G. Wells

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The fallout from “The Roast of Kevin Hart” is continuing to spiral after Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial George Floyd joke sparked outrage online and drew criticism from Floyd’s family, fellow comedians, and viewers alike. Now, Tiffany Haddish is being pulled into the conversation after she was asked directly about the backlash while leaving the star-studded Netflix event. While the comedian admitted she missed the joke entirely, her reaction to the growing controversy is still raising eyebrows online.

Haddish was stopped by TMZ following Sunday night’s Netflix roast event and asked directly about the joke that has since ignited criticism from George Floyd’s family, fellow comedians, and viewers online. However, the “Ride or Die” actress admitted she was distracted during the now-viral moment. According to Haddish, she had stepped away because she needed to use the bathroom and missed the joke entirely.

While she declined to directly address the George Floyd comment itself, Haddish did appear to react to the backlash surrounding the roast. The comedian suggested that many of the loudest critics are fellow comics who may simply be upset they were not included in the event.

Though Haddish didn’t elaborate further, her facial expression at the end of the interview appeared to hint at how she personally felt about the controversy surrounding the show.

The backlash erupted after Tony Hinchcliffe made a joke referencing Floyd during his set at the Netflix roast. “The Black community is so proud of you… right now George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can’t breathe,” Hinchcliffe said while roasting Kevin Hart.

Floyd died in May 2020 after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest, despite Floyd repeatedly saying he could not breathe. His death, which was captured on video and widely shared online, sparked massive protests across the United States and around the world demanding police reform and racial justice.

The case became a defining cultural moment, fueling the Black Lives Matter movement and leading to widespread demonstrations against police brutality. In 2021, Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in connection with Floyd’s death and was later sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.

George Floyd’s Family Reportedly Furious Over Tony Hinchcliffe Joke

Now, representatives connected to The Gianna and George Floyd Foundation are speaking out against the joke and criticizing both Hinchcliffe and Hart.

Travis Cains, a spokesperson for the foundation, told TMZ that Hart allegedly allowing the joke was “sad for the culture.” According to the foundation, Floyd’s family and friends are reportedly “baffled and disgusted” by Hinchcliffe’s repeated references to Floyd in comedy routines.

The criticism also comes after Hinchcliffe previously made another Floyd-related joke during “The Roast of Tom Brady.”

George Floyd Foundation Says Jokes Are Impacting His Daughter

The foundation also raised concerns about the impact these jokes could have on Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, who is now 12 years old. According to the organization, Gianna has reportedly experienced bullying at school, something they believe jokes like Hinchcliffe’s only worsen.

“We are trying to rebuild things for our community and make things better in our community,” the foundation said in a statement. “Let’s try to be a little bit more positive, and not sit up there doing colon inspections by white comedians.”

Lil Rel Howery Calls Tony Hinchcliffe’s Joke ‘Disgusting’

Comedian and actor Lil Rel Howery also publicly condemned the roast joke in a passionate Instagram post shared Tuesday morning. Lil Rel described the moment as “disgusting” and questioned why the audience did not react more strongly in the moment. The actor pointed out that the crowd loudly booed NBA star Draymond Green throughout the roast but remained silent during Hinchcliffe’s Floyd punchline.

Lil Rel Howery also said he could not understand why Hinchcliffe felt the joke was necessary in the first place, calling it “needless.” And as outrage surrounding the Netflix roast continues spreading online, neither Kevin Hart nor Tony Hinchcliffe has publicly responded to the criticism.

2025 was packed with great television. From Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham‘s groundbreaking British breakout Adolescence, and the bittersweet genius of Andor‘s second season, to the brilliantly offbeat comedy of HBO’s The Chair Company, and one final outing for the gang in Season 5 of Stranger Things, 2025 was overwhelmed with must-see TV. Because of this reality, several great hidden gems were left under-watched in the streaming rotation, one of which has recently had its future sealed.

The show in question is Film Club, a brilliantly cozy and perfectly melancholic comedy-drama starring one of Britain’s best rising stars, Aimee Lou Wood. Following her breakout in Sex Education, Wood has stunned with several show-stealing performances, with 2025 her most impressive year yet. However, thanks to acclaimed turns in the likes of The White Lotus and Toxic Town earlier in the year, her starring turn in Film Club has fallen further under the radar. This is a particular shame for a series that deals so gently with mental health and offers an emotionally resonant blend of comedy and drama, scoring impressive critical reviews in the process.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Film Club boasts a near-perfect 90% score from critics, dubbed a “subtly off-kilter, and an understated gem,” by one reviewer, with another saying that “this wonderfully nuanced series also sincerely understands the experience of feeling through cinema and feeling seen by it.” Sadly, as revealed in an exclusive new report, the BBC has chosen not to move forward with Film Club, as Wood’s series is cancelled after just one season. According to the report, “The decision was mutual,” with Wood “said to be keen to prioritize other writing, while the BBC was relaxed about moving on from the series.”

Aimee Lou Wood is Joining an Ambitious Cinematic Experience

As her stock continues to rise, Wood is sure to feature in many a big-name film and TV project to come. Perhaps the most impressive project in her filmography yet is the ambitious upcoming Beatles quadrilogy helmed by the brilliant Sam Mendes. In late October last year, it was announced that Wood, Anna Sawai, Mia McKenna-Bruce, and Saoirse Ronan were joining an already stacked cast for the movies as the former Quarrymen’s love interests. It was confirmed that Wood will portray Pattie Boyd, who met George Harrison on the set of A Hard Day’s Night and later became his wife.

Film Club has been cancelled. Stay tuned to Collider for all the latest TV news.

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Release Date

October 7, 2025

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BBC Three

Directors

Catherine Morshead

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Writers

Anna Jordan

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Over the last few years, Apple TV has become one of the most important streaming services for producing high-quality sci-fi TV shows. The platform unleashed Pluribus into the world last year, and despite it being a much slower-paced, methodical show than some fans may be used to, it still shattered records on its way to becoming the most popular Apple TV sci-fi show of all time. Pluribus, which hails from creator Vince Gilligan and stars Rhea Seehorn, was renewed for Season 2, but it’s unlikely that the show will return anytime before 2028. There is another beloved Apple TV sci-fi show set to return with another season sooner than Pluribus, and while it may have lost its spot at the top of the Apple TV sci-fi hierarchy, that doesn’t mean fans aren’t anxiously anticipating its return.

All the way back in 2022, Apple TV unleashed the first season of Severance into the world, and it’s still viewed as one of the best seasons of sci-fi TV ever made. The COVID-19 pandemic and WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes delayed the release of Severance Season 2, but the show finally returned last year with its long-awaited second season. Apple TV renewed Severance for a third season on the same day that it released the Season 2 premiere, and director Ben Stiller even promised that the wait for Season 3 would be shorter than Season 2. Severance star Adam Scott recently spoke on a red carpet interview for his new horror movie, Hokum, and he was asked if the wait for Season 3 was still going to be shorter than that of Season 2:

“We’re always trying to shorten the amount of time between seasons, but it’s more important for it to be great than for it to be fast. We’re definitely planning on getting it out much sooner than the last round, which was three years, which was too long.”

‘Severance’ Season 3 Is Already in a Deep Hole

While it’s refreshing to hear that Adam Scott and the rest of the Severance team are committed to bringing Season 3 to the screen in a shorter time frame, this is going to be difficult to do. It’s already been over a year since the premiere of Season 3, and reports indicate that Severance Season 3 isn’t even going to begin production for at least a few more months. It takes a long time to film a new season of Severance, meaning the gap between Seasons 2 and 3 is likely to be around 2.5 years, assuming it can even make that. Still, Scott’s comments assure the wait will be worth it.

Check out the first two seasons of Severance on Apple TV and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Season 3.

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February 17, 2022

Network

Apple TV

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Showrunner

Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman

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Anna Ouyang Moench, Wei-Ning Yu

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Lisa Kudrow may have just called out “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” for allegedly faking drama on camera. The “Friends” alum put Andy Cohen, who serves as an executive producer for multiple “Housewives” series and is the longtime host of the reunion specials, on the spot during Monday night’s episode of “Watch What Happens Live” after revealing she had questions about one very suspicious scene from the Bravo reality series.

The awkward exchange began after Cohen casually asked Kudrow whether she watches any of the “Housewives” franchises. “Yes [I do],” Kudrow responded before immediately warning him, “I saw the ‘Beverly Hills’ [episode], you don’t want me to discuss it. I am telling you right now.”

Kudrow then referenced a moment from “RHOBH” Season 15, Episode 15 that sparked major fan speculation online. “I am just going to say Black Mercedes, sprinter twins. I caught that, I’m sorry,” Kudrow said.

Cohen appeared caught off guard by the observation before laughing and replying, “OK, yeah.”

‘The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’ Fans Accused Italy Blowup Of Being Staged After Van Mix-Up

The scene in question involved Dorit Kemsley storming away from castmates Kyle Richards and Erika Jayne during the women’s cast trip to Italy after a heated argument.

Viewers watched Kemsley climb into the group’s SUV and tell the driver to leave without Richards and Jayne, forcing the two women to supposedly call an Uber. However, eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed what appeared to be two identical black Mercedes Sprinter vans parked near each other, leading many viewers to accuse the show of staging the dramatic exit.

‘RHOBH’ Fans Backed Lisa Kudrow After Spotting Second Van In Scene

Social media users immediately began dissecting the footage after the episode aired, with many claiming the transportation mishap looked suspiciously orchestrated for television. “I noticed the second van and assumed that’s for the actual crew,” one user pointed out. “So no, they weren’t ‘stranded,’ but Dorit did take their vehicle.”

Another X user wrote, “‘RHOBH’ is really so far from reality TV.” A third chimed in with, “We all saw the second car.” Others agreed with Lisa Kudrow, with one fan writing, “We are all Lisa in this moment. Andy, you really don’t want to hear what we think and feel about this season.”

Meanwhile, someone else didn’t hold back, writing, “Lisa Kudrow just EXPOSED ‘RHOBH’ live on ‘WWHL.’”

Kyle Richards Insisted Her Explosive Fallout With Dorit Kemsley Was Real

The blowout fight itself centered around tensions involving punctuality issues and ongoing relationship drama between the women. Despite fan speculation surrounding the scene, Richards later insisted the fallout with Kemsley was very real.

Ahead of the episode airing, Richards told Us Weekly that she and Kemsley had a “big blowout” because Dorit is “not open-minded.” “I didn’t think we were supposed to say, but it pretty much came out at BravoCon that Erika and I are not speaking with Dorit and vice versa, because we had a very big blowout on our cast trip,” Kyle said.

The reality TV star added, “She’s not open-minded to listening to you, and when she has something in her head, that’s it. It’s really frustrating to try to have a conversation with her. Unfortunately, we tried to fix things, and it was like two steps forward, three steps back.”

Dorit Kemsley And Kyle Richards’ Feud Continued Exploding At Reunion

The drama between Richards and Kemsley only intensified during the Season 15 reunion earlier this month. During the explosive sit-down, Kemsley accused Richards of judging her finances and trying to make her “look bad” amid her highly publicized split from estranged husband PK Kemsley. Richards later denied the allegations while admitting she was still hurt over the collapse of their friendship.

The pair’s ongoing issues reportedly worsened after Richards remained friendly with PK during the separation. Now, thanks to Kudrow’s unexpected observation on live television, fans are once again questioning just how “real” reality TV actually is.

Season 15 of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” is available to stream on Peacock.

Days of Our Lives stuns as Marlena Evans (Diedre Hall) shocked the DiMeras when she changed her mind and abruptly showed up at Stefano DiMera‘s (Joseph Mascolo) will reading. But then Marlena didn’t even accept the chess set that the Phoenix bequeathed to her and John Black (Drake Hogestyn).

And I think that chess set is more than meets the eye. We know the late Stefano DiMera called John Black the pawn and he called Marlena of course the queen of the night. So, we have a lot to unpack about what secret might be hidden in this bequest.

The Will Reading Was Lackluster Days of Our Lives

So, after all the buildup for weeks and weeks about Stefano’s will reading, I think, you know, based on what I’m seeing on soap social media here in the comments also, fans were really let down. Because it was totally lackluster. We are in May sweeps and after all of EJ DiMera‘s (Dan Feuerriegel) plotting and planning, we got May sleeps. Because it was almost a snoozefest. We already expected that Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) was going to barge in, and she did. She made her grand entrance to announce she’s not an ex-wife. She’s a widow.

And so, Gabi claimed that she’s entitled to her late husband, Stefan DiMera’s (Brandon Barash) share of Stefano’s inheritance. Gabi has a signed affidavit from Vivian Almain’s (Louise Sorel) manservant, Ivan Marais, stating that he saw Vivian personally sign the divorce papers with Stefan’s name. So, there is some proof that Gabi and Stefan were never legally divorced.

Lexie’s Return Lacked Drama on DOOL

Some of the DiMeras groused, but honestly, the reaction was kind of eh, a shrug. And of course, we all expected some huge earth-shattering thing with Lexie Carver‘s (Nikki Crawford) resurrection. You know, maybe the DiMeras are just immune to this. Because they are known for fake deaths and resurrections.

So, when she showed up and collapsed, most of the family again was like, “Oh, it’s Lexie.” You know, the biggest reaction was from nosy Leo Stark (Greg Rikkart) who wanted to write about it and of course from Chad DiMera (Connor Floyd) because he ran to EJ asking can he do the same thing and bring back Abigail DiMera (Marci Miller) and of course EJ said that he couldn’t because it had been too long and all this. But honestly, he could have her in a person pod somewhere. We’ll see.

But the Lexie drama, to be fair, isn’t over yet because Theo Carver (Cameron Johnson) just found out that Paulina Price (Jackée Harry) already knew that Lexie was in the person pod. And Paulina just found out that Theo’s known for a couple of weeks that his mom was being brought back from the dead. But once Abe Carver (James Reynolds) finds out, Theo and Paulina both knew, there is more fallout coming. But other than the staff getting houses and a stipend, the will reading was honestly low drama. All of Stefano’s stuff is to be divided equally among the family.

Marlena’s Inheritance Was A Chess Set

And I think most fans thought Marlena’s inheritance from Stefano would be a much more grand bequest. Jewels, a tiara, something that hearkened back to the Queen of the Night days. And this did, but not in a big splashy way. I think Marlena knew that Stefano was taunting her, giving her a chessboard with a queen and a pawn among the pieces.

And it was meant for her and John both. So, Stefano thought that they would both survive him. That’s clear. So it wasn’t just a message for Marlena, but also for her late husband John. And by refusing to keep Stefano’s bequest, Marlena lost the chance to explore what was in that box. She gave it back to Theo and Marlena said, “Thanks, no thanks.” And then she up and walked out. She felt like, “Okay, I’m done with Stefano. That’s my closure.”

Days of our Lives: Other DiMeras Start Poking Around?

I think Theo or one of the other DiMeras, maybe EJ, maybe Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis), may start poking around into the chess set and discover something hidden within Marlena’s gift. Now, first off, right away, there could be a hidden compartment. The chess set isn’t only symbolic of Marlena and John’s past with Stefano on Days of our Lives.

There could be more to it. You know, there might be a real treasure in there or some sort of mystery or a secret. So, it could be Marlena’s gift contains a secret hidey-hole in the box or in one of the pieces. If Stefano was going to hide something, I bet he would conceal it inside the queen since Marlena was his queen of the night, at least in Stefano’s mind.

There Could Be Something Hidden In The Chess Set on Days

So, there could be something in there, something small like maybe a flash drive or, you know, a photo card. What do you call those little things? A little tiny memory. Those things are teeny tiny now, like pinky nail size. Or there could be a note rolled up and pushed inside it. There could even be a couple of things. One thing hidden in the queen and another thing to go with it hidden inside the little pawn piece.

But because Marlena walked away from the box and left it, somebody else might find whatever Stefano meant for her and John’s eyes only. So, it could be that Marlena’s former rival, Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk), decides to check out the chess set and she discovers something hidden. We know Kristen was hot for John and so she might be curious about what her dad left.

Days of our Lives: Stefano Playing Mind Games?

It could also be that Stefano meant the chess set as a form of psychological warfare from beyond the grave. And it may contain a secret that he wanted Marlena and John alone to know. You know, could be something that Stefano thought he could only trust Marlena with.

And don’t forget, Stefano was a master manipulator. He loved to play mind games, not just with his enemies, but also with his own family. And of course, the box startled Marlena when it revealed the queen and the pawn because Stefano tormented her and John for decades.

And somewhere hidden within the box could be a clue revealing a secret tied to Stefano and Marlena’s twisted past, maybe tied to something Stefano did to her when she was gaslit and manipulated and she doesn’t have clear memories. You know, could be information about a secret love child or a cloned embryo.

There’s been some hints recently that maybe Stefano and Marlena had a child together she doesn’t know about. Of course, that would prompt the question, who. Is there going to be a new DiMera showing up in Salem? It could be somebody already on the canvas like Chad who was born during the period where Stefano was kidnapping Marlena all the time. So she could have had a kid, Chad or somebody else.

The Chess Set Could Be Part Of A Long Revenge Game

Finally, the chess game that he left Marlena could signify some sort of proxy power play and some long revenge game that Stefano was plotting against Marlena and John and their family. Now that she refused the bequest, you know, Marlena may think she’s finally free from Stefano and all the things he tried to do, but he may have been one step ahead of her and anticipated that Marlena would refuse his gift because that seems obvious.

The box may have been bait and Stefano might have known she would refuse it and that it’d be left behind with his family. There could be some bizarre post-mortem contingency plan that Stefano set up to pull Marlena into DiMera family drama. You know, she may have to be the reluctant queen who has to play one more game to protect Salem from Stefano’s final scheme because it feels like there should be a final scheme, right?

I definitely feel like the Phoenix may have something up his dead evil sleeve when it comes to his queen of the night and the man, the pawn, all that. Given how lackluster the will reading was and really to me just totally anticlimactic, it feels like there may be another shoe to drop where Stefano is concerned.