Every year, an avalanche of K-drama content floods our screens, and while many of those shows stick and impact the K-drama landscape, some of those shows also get lost or left behind. They may not have fancy billboard ads or Netflix global top ten banners, but for those who discovered them, they are nothing short of perfect.

These are the forgotten gems, the dramas that slipped through the cracks, were overshadowed by bigger hits, and were overlooked by the public. To make things right by these greatly made shows, here are the forgotten K-dramas that are perfect from start to finish. Get your popcorn and tissues ready, and buckle up for a great ride.

‘The Light in Your Eyes’ (2019)

Image via JTBC

The Light in Your Eyes is fairly well-known, but only among hardcore K-drama fans; Han Ji-min plays Kim Hye-ja, an unemployed twenty-something who dreams of becoming a news anchor. When she uses a mysterious watch to save her father from a fatal car accident, she wakes up as a 70-year-old woman, now played by veteran actress Kim Hye-ja. The early episodes play like a whimsical, funny fantasy romance as elderly Hye-ja befriends Lee Joon-ha (Nam Joo-hyuk), a disillusioned, aspiring reporter working at a scam call center for the elderly.

While The Light in Your Eyes plays with whimsy, semi-romance, and time-traveling tropes, it also pulls the rug out from underneath our feet with a massive, surprising plot twist, changing the narrative almost completely—this is why the show is so worth a watch. Veteran actress Kim Hye-ja won the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the 2019 Baeksang Arts Awards for her performance, which is the highest possible accolade among Korean awards, while the drama remains one of the highest-rated Korean cable dramas ever. The Light in Your Eyes may be rarely mentioned in “best of” lists today, but it demands and rewards patience with a feeling that lingers for days after watching.

‘The Smile Has Left Your Eyes’ (2018)

Image via Studio Dragon

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a famous melodrama (among devoted fans) that aired on tvN in 2018, and it’s a slow-burn tragedy disguised as a mystery. Seo In-guk plays Kim Moo-young, who grew up as an orphan and has a photographic memory; he becomes a murder suspect after a university student’s death is reclassified from suicide to homicide. Veteran detective Yoo Jin-gook (Park Sung-woong) investigates him while trying to keep his little sister, Yoo Jin-kang (Jung So-min), from getting close to Moo-young. However, Jin-kang isn’t fooled by Moo-young’s mind games and finds herself drawn to him anyway, leading to a risky romance.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a remake of the 2002 Japanese series Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi (which means the same thing as the Korean title translation); the show creates suspense well, tracing Moo-young and Jin-kang’s tangled shared history back to a dark, shared past. It’s filled with melancholy and dread, and the chemistry between the leads is palpable and beautiful, questioning whether people can truly change and whether love can really save and change a person for the better. Fans find The Smile Has Left Your Eyes to be one of the greatest melodramas of its time, praising its performances and emotional depth. Yet, it was overshadowed by larger dramas that year, making it a forgotten masterpiece of tragic romance.

‘Children of Nobody’ (2018–2019)

Image via MBC TV

If you’re a fan of mysteries and thrillers, Children of Nobody is one of the best K-dramas that delivers on that particular mix of genres. Kim Sun-a delivers a memorable performance as Cha Woo-kyung, a pregnant child counselor whose life unravels after she’s involved in a car accident and becomes convinced she killed a little girl, despite records saying that the victim was a boy. As she investigates, she partners with detective Kang Ji-heon (Lee Yi-kyung) to track down “Red Cry,” a vigilante murdering parents who abuse their children, while also chasing buried memories of her own traumatic childhood.

Children of Nobody is a brutal, unsettling exploration of child abuse, trauma, and the failures of the system that is meant to prevent such crimes; the show adds to its own mystery by using lines of poetry as recurring clues throughout the central plot. Of course, such a subject matter could easily be sensationalized, but Children of Nobody avoids that trap well; also, the performances, especially from its young cast, are all excellent, with Kim even getting a Grand Prize nomination. The show got widespread praise for its writing and emotional weight, and despite tackling one of the most difficult subjects any show can take on, Children of Nobody drew modest ratings during its original broadcast. It has been largely overlooked since, but it’s a perfect thriller that deserves a second look.

‘Lost’ (2021)

Image via JTBC

Lost might just be the most understated show on this list, and it’s one you’ll probably find to be the most relatable. Lost follows Bu-jeong (Jeon Do-yeon), a forty-year-old ghostwriter who is unfairly fired after a plagiarism dispute and, too embarrassed to tell her family, secretly takes a job as a hotel cleaning manager instead. She forms an unlikely bond with Kang-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol), a twenty-seven-year-old man scraping by as a male escort and stand-in, after he helps her through a low moment. It’s a slow-burn, character-driven drama about loneliness, failure, and the small daily moments of happiness and grace that keep people going, marking both leads’ returns to television after five years away from the small screens.

Lost was critically acclaimed for its performances, but it’s also the kind of show that doesn’t really present solutions or intricate plot twists that could save the protagonists from themselves. Many fans who were willing to sit with this kind of show hailed it a masterpiece; the reason it was overlooked was likely that the show’s network, JTBC, created the show as its tenth-anniversary special project, and it competed against flashier titles. Lost was largely overlooked and has faded from the cultural conversation, but it’s an atypical K-drama for those who appreciate quiet, introspective slice-of-life storytelling that trusts them to sit with discomfort rather than look away.

‘Mother’ (2018)

Image via tvN

Now we’re getting into sob territory, because like Lost, Mother will shatter your expectations when it comes to typical K-dramas. It is quite a heartbreaking show, though, so tread carefully. Mother is a remake of the acclaimed 2010 Japanese series of the same name, and it follows Kang Soo-jin (Lee Bo-young), a substitute teacher who discovers that one of her students, Kim Hye-na (Heo Yool), is being abused at home. In a moment of desperate impulse, Soo-jin kidnaps the girl to protect her, becoming her surrogate mother on the run. It’s a story about found family, sacrifice, and the lengths Soo-jin will go to protect a child that the system has failed.

Mother won Best Drama at the 2018 Baeksang Arts Awards, with the little girl, Heo Yool, taking home Best New Actress. She was selected from over 400 child actors for her acting debut, and she genuinely delivers one of the most astonishing performances you’ll ever see from someone so young. Despite the critical acclaim and award sweeps, Mother is rarely mentioned in the same breath as other K-drama classics, likely because its cable-network broadcast never reached the audience that its story deserved. This perfect, deeply human masterpiece of a show will also give you some hope, as Soo-jin represents people who still exist, willing to fight for fairness, justice, and a good life for all children.

‘Misaeng’ (2014)

Image via tvN

Misaeng is the greatest office drama ever made, and it’s almost criminal how forgotten it’s become. Im Si-wan stars as Jang Geu-rae, a former prodigy in the game of Go whose dream of turning professional collapses, forcing him into an internship at a trading company despite having no degree. He enters a high-stakes world, and his time there is a grueling, relatable portrait of office life, from pettiness and competitiveness to the desperate struggle to survive in an environment that would wear anyone down. Misaeng is led by an incredible ensemble that includes Lee Sung-min as Geu-rae’s gruff but ultimately soft-hearted department boss.

Misaeng is about resilience, friendship, and hard work that doesn’t need a romance to hold your attention for twenty episodes (though it has hints of one, for good measure). It swept award shows throughout Korea, but it also found a loyal audience among the office workers of the country, who often rushed home from work to watch a new episode of Misaeng. The show is rarely known nowadays because it’s a cable show that came out before tvN’s global expansion and has been largely forgotten by newer fans who came to K-dramas through streaming. It is a masterpiece, though; it’s flawless and perfectly crafted from start to finish.

‘Just Between Lovers’ (2017)

Just Between Lovers, also called Rain or Shine, is a romantic K-drama that should be a classic, and for those who’ve seen it, it is. Ten years after a mall collapse kills 48 people, survivors Lee Gang-doo (Lee Jun-ho) and Ha Moon-soo (Won Jin-ah) find their lives intersecting again when a construction project breaks ground on the site of the disaster. Gang-doo lost his father and his dream of playing professional soccer in the collapse; Moon-soo lost her younger sister and still has nightmares about it. As they’re pulled back into the tragedy’s orbit through work, they slowly, painfully learn to heal, not just with each other but alongside an ensemble of side characters also touched by the disaster in different ways.

Just Between Lovers is guided by the chemistry between Lee and Won, which is truly extraordinary, while all the characters are messy and broken, contributing to the realistic and relatable feel of the story. It has been called “a masterpiece” by longtime fans of the romantic drama genre, but despite that devotion, Just Between Lovers was overshadowed by bigger romance dramas that year and has largely faded from the broader cultural conversation. This is a great, highly understated perfect romance that deserves to be rediscovered, and anyone, regardless of attraction to the K-drama landscape, would enjoy this vulnerable story of love amid tragedy.

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Just Between Lovers

Release Date

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2017 – 2018-00-00

Network

JTBC

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Directors

Kim Jin-won

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Writers

Yu Bo-ra

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• 
• 

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Is there such a thing as a perfect crime? That’s debatable, but there is such a thing as a perfect crime movie. The crime drama has been a fan favorite among cinephiles for decades. From noir mystery thrillers to high-concept sci-fi action dramas, the evolution of the genre has produced some flawless films, ten of which we’re about to discuss.

The crime films on this list are considered some of the greatest of all time; in fact, they’re so good, they’re presented without flaws. These films represent the history of the genre, from early classics that set the tone for our obsession with crime movies to recent mysteries that have reinvigorated it today. While there are certainly more flawless crime flicks out there, these ten are some of the best of the best.

‘Dial M for Murder’ (1954)

Image via Warner Bros.

No director has mastered suspense quite like Alfred Hitchcock. His resume is filled with iconic crime thrillers, so this list could be limited to his work. But in order to spread the wealth, we’re selecting one of the finest: Dial M for Murder. Based on the play by Frederick Knott, Dial M for Murder follows Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), a retired tennis player who plots the murder of his wealthy wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), to inherit her fortune upon discovering her affair with crime-fiction writer Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). When his hired assassin, Charles Swann (Anthony Dawson), is killed by Margot in self-defense, Tony must improvise, framing her for the meticulously staged, premeditated murder.

A masterclass in suspense, Dial M for Murder subverts the traditional murder mystery to depict the perfect crime. Rather than present a standard whodunit, Hitchcock gives the audience the ultimate crime setup: they watch the sinister, calculated plot unfold, making it an inverted detective story. Through dynamic shots, including specific angles, tight framing, and a focus on tense actions, the visual storytelling is just as important as the action itself. Tony is presented as a smooth individual who evolves into the perfect anti-hero. You find his moral compass despicable, but you continue celebrating his brilliance, hoping he can get away with murder, in a manner of speaking.

‘Heat’ (1995)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Michael Mann gathered one of the finest ensembles of stars to play cops and robbers in the classic ’90s thriller, Heat. The film explores the psychological game of cat-and-mouse between an obsessive LAPD detective, Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), and a ruthless, methodical career thief, Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), while examining how their professional pursuits destroy their personal lives. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, Heat showcases that, while they are masters at their crafts, their obsession runs deeper than they could possibly imagine, making them two sides of the same coin.

Known for the infamous diner scene, Heat is a brilliant character-driven crime drama that balances philosophical depth with revolutionary action. Mann’s piece is a mesmerizing dissertation on the perception of morality between two definitive roles: detectives are meant to be good, and thieves are meant to be bad. Heat proves that the line might be more blurred than previously believed. McCaulley and Hanna have mutual respect for one another, realizing that they are simply mirror images, doomed by their respective destinies. Heat works because Pacino and De Niro are titans of the screen, having a wealth of history in the crime genre already.

‘Inception’ (2010)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Not every crime film has to be completely realistic; just ask Christopher Nolan. Inception is not only a brilliant heist thriller, but it’s also science fiction perfection. It follows Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a professional thief who extracts corporate secrets by infiltrating his target’s dreams. Desperate to clear his name and reunite with his children, he is tasked with the impossible: planting an idea into CEO Robert Fischer’s (Cillian Murphy) subconscious.

Inception blurs the line between reality and imagination in a high-stakes thriller. Nolan prioritizes in-camera, practical effects over CGI to give the dream sequences tangibility, immersing the viewers in the heist itself. Between the rotating hallway fight scene and the explosive Parisian street scene, Nolan makes everything feel extraordinarily real. Cinephiles have believed that the film operates as a metaphor for the filmmaking process—Cobb is the director, Ariadne (Elliot Page) is the writer, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is the producer, Eames (Tom Hardy) is the actor, and Saito (Ken Watanabe) is the studio financier. If you follow that logic, it just makes Nolan a brighter visionary.

‘Knives Out’ (2010)

Rian Johnson not only reinvigorated Agatha Christie‘s style of crime stories, but crafted a lead character who could rival her greatest detective, Hercule Poirot: the character is Benoit Blanc, and the film is Knives Out. When wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) dies under mysterious circumstances, eccentric detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is anonymously hired to investigate. Blanc quickly discovers that the author’s wildly dysfunctional, greedy family has countless motives to kill him for his inheritance. But who was it?

Knives Out balances tense drama with colorful camp to craft a story of blackmail, an elaborate scheme, and a web of lies reminiscent of a classic murder mystery. Johnson brilliantly subverts the genre’s tropes by taking a structural gamble and revealing the apparent killer early into the film. Only it’s a red herring, giving the audience a chance to play along and discover who the real murderer is in a thrilling, hilarious game of cat-and-mouse. The first Knives Out film is a strong vehicle to tackle themes of privilege, social class, and greed through sharp satire and extraordinary characters.

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Image via Warner Bros.

Based on James Ellroy‘s 1990 novel, L.A. Confidential follows three very different Los Angeles detectives forced to set aside their rivalries to unravel a massive web of police corruption, organized crime, and Hollywood scandal following a brutal diner massacre. There’s Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), an ambitious, by-the-book politician and ladder-climber who initially informs on other officers to advance his career, but is driven by a deep, underlying need for justice. There’s Bud White (Russell Crowe), an intimidating, brutal enforcer who relies on his fists, with a soft spot for protecting women who are victims of abuse. And then there’s Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), a slick, celebrity-chasing detective who feeds classified tips to a sleazy scandal magazine.

Directed by Curtis Hanson, L.A. Confidential condenses Ellroy’s sweeping novel into a tightly woven neo-noir thriller, perfectly blending gritty realism with captivating storytelling through a flawless ensemble who lift Ellroy’s tale with ease. L.A. Confidential is an unpredictable joyride with a visual vocabulary evocative of classic hardboiled films. Working as an homage yet with a contemporary feel, cinematographer Dante Spinotti juxtaposes the glamorous Hollywood of the ’50s with the stark, shadowy underbelly of the city’s crime and corruption. Its unsettling authenticity presents the drama as an uncomfortable reality, leaving you eager to reach its stunning conclusion.

‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

Image via Miramax Films

Perhaps sans Scarface, no other crime movie has ingrained itself in pop culture quite like Pulp Fiction. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, the crime film weaves together intersecting storylines: there are Los Angeles mob hitmen, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), who are tasked with retrieving a mysterious briefcase for their boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is paid by Marsellus to lose a match, only to double-cross him. The mob boss’s wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), is escorted out for dinner by Vincent, only for an accidental overdose to lead to a chaotic turn. And the diner bandits, Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer), who decide to stage an armed robbery.

Moviegoers often like easy stories; Pulp Fiction is not. The radical non-linear storytelling allows Tarantino to allow the various stories to ruminate as they ultimately converge, forcing the audience to pay attention as the plot’s randomness and bizarre coincidences transform into a brilliantly constructed narrative puzzle. Tarantino leaves certain elements, such as the glowing MacGuffin briefcase, entirely open to viewer interpretation, cementing their lasting mystique. The characters are not cookie-cutter, but deeply flawed yet undeniably human, with moral compasses that often don’t align. Pulp Fiction also boasts one of the greatest film soundtracks of the decade, which plays a massive part in the storytelling.

‘The Departed’ (2006)

Image via Warner Bros.

Thanks to The Departed, we can’t help but think of Martin Scorsese’s hit film when you hear “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” And then all you can think of is the barrage of Boston accents. The Departed follows a tense cat-and-mouse game between two moles: Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), an undercover cop embedded in a ruthless Irish mob, and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a mobster embedded deep within the Boston police force. Both the police and the mob realize they have a rat in their midst. As Billy works to figure out who is leaking police secrets, the mob tasks Colin with identifying the undercover informant.

A brilliant example of tension from top to bottom, The Departed explores themes of corruption, identity, and loyalty, showing the devastating human cost of maintaining a double life using a cast of Hollywood heavyweights. Scorsese uses the dual narratives to make the action feel like a ticking time bomb where only one side can prevail. Writer William Monahan ensures that the Boston roots are inherently infused into the script. Though a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, the film stands proudly on its own, earning its identity.

‘The Godfather Part II’ (1974)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The Godfather was a groundbreaking film, but everyone knows that The Godfather Part II is even stronger. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, loosely based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo, the film follows two parallel dramas to contrast the ruthless moral decline of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in the late 1950s with the early life and rise of his father, Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro), in the early 1900s. The primary timeline follows Michael as he attempts to expand his crime syndicate into Las Vegas, Hollywood, and pre-revolution Cuba as he battles betrayals, congressional hearings, and assassination attempts. The prequel sequences trace the life of a young Vito from his escape from Sicily to his rise to power, culminating in revenge in Sicily.

The Godfather Part II is an example of structural brilliance. The storytelling is never contrived, as each scene interacts with the next, weaving the perfect tapestry of two tragic figures. De Niro’s Oscar-winning performance proved just how much depth the character still had left following Marlon Brando’s take in the original. Pacino built upon his sensational performance, shifting from a reluctant heir to a ruthless, isolated, and chilling patriarch. Rather than revisiting the same themes as its predecessor, The Godfather Part II focuses on internal deception, betrayal within the family, and the aftermath of the pursuit of the American Dream.

‘The Sting’ (1973)

Image via Universal Pictures

One of the greatest crime capers is none other than The Sting. From a screenplay by David S. Ward, the film is inspired by real-life cons perpetrated by brothers Fred and Charley Gondorff. Directed by George Roy Hill, the 1936-set film follows two grifters—small-time con man Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and seasoned pro Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman)—who team up to exact revenge on a ruthless mob boss, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), after he murders their partner, Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones).

Renowned for its numerous twists and turns and its Academy Award-winning legacy, The Sting features quite a strong, airtight script. The story ultimately becomes a con on the audience itself as Ward carefully withholds information to deliver one of cinema’s greatest and most satisfying plot twists. But that payoff could not have been achieved had it not been for the pure magical chemistry seeping out of Redford and Newman. Their charisma is simply unmatched, making them one of the strongest duos in Hollywood. There may have been a sequel, but nothing compares to the original. ​​​​​​​

‘The Usual Suspects’ (1995)

Image via Gramercy Pictures

Many try to hyperbolize the weight of a shocking twist, but in a time before spoilers could go viral, no twist shocked the world quite like that of The Usual Suspects. Directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie, it has cemented itself at the peak of crime thrillers. Following the aftermath of a deadly, explosive shootout on a docked ship in San Pedro harbor, the police are left with only one physically disabled survivor: a small-time con man, Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey). He’s interrogated by U.S. Customs Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) and recounts a convoluted story detailing how he and four other high-profile criminals came together under a legendary, ruthless, and nearly mythical crime lord named Keyser Söze.

The Usual Suspects is an example of the unreliable narrator device executed perfectly by exploring the story through Verbal’s perspective until he walks out of the interrogation room, and your jaw is left on the floor. Through meticulous foreshadowing and plotting, the intricate mystery actually rewards multiple viewings. The film is less about the crime itself and more about the psychological battle of wits between Verbal and Kujan. Spacey may have won an Oscar for his part, but the entire ensemble made the film as iconic as it has become.

Not everyone got an invite to the highly anticipated wedding of the year, including a key figure from Travis Kelce‘s Tight End group.

Dave Portnoy addressed the snub on his podcast, revealing retired NFL star Will Compton was not invited to his pal’s union with Taylor Swift.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift tied the knot on Friday, July 3, at Madison Square Garden. The guest list featured several prominent A-listers, including stars from the sports world.

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During Monday’s episode of his “Wake Up Barstool” podcast, Portnoy called out Kelce for not inviting Compton to his July 3 union with Swift. He pointed out that everyone in the athlete’s Tight End University group scored an invite to the ceremony, excluding the retired NFL star.

When he dropped the claim, Bobby Joseph Hebert III, better known as T-Bob Hebert, noted that Compton probably didn’t get an invite because of his business in Italy. Then Portnoy called the media personality on his show to ask for his thoughts on the snub.

Compton, as heard in the clip shared on X, sounded breathless as he explained his side of the story. He noted he was speaking while running on the treadmill and confirmed he never got an invite to Kelce and Swift’s wedding before sharing his reaction.

The Kansas City Chiefs Player’s Pal Was ‘Flabbergasted’ By The Snub

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The retired NFL player confessed that he initially did not think too much about not getting invited to the wedding until he noticed almost everyone he knew had attended the affair. Naturally, being excluded left a sour taste in his mouth, with Compton saying:

“I’ve been seeing these photos of everybody else at that wedding. I’m kind of flabbergasted that we didn’t get the invite.”

He noted that he wouldn’t make assumptions until he spoke to Kelce or someone named George about what happened. Compton later addressed his reaction on the podcast on X, writing, “Tough phone call. Heart rate had been at 142 for 44 minutes at that point.”

The NFL Alum’s Snub Left Fans Disheartened

The comment section was filled with heartbroken reactions about Compton’s exclusion from the wedding, with some shocked Kelce had snubbed him. “It is crazy to think you’re not one of Travis’ closest 1200 boys,” a fan mused. Another echoed similar sentiments, wondering if Compton’s invite got lost in his spam mail.

“Even Claire Kittle’s mother and George Kittle’s parents got an invite!!” an X user claimed, adding that “Travis owes Will an explanation.” The stunned feelings continued, with someone noting Compton deserved an invite. On the other hand, some fans were not surprised.

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“Why the f-ck would he be invited? He didn’t get snubbed,” someone argued. A fellow critic slammed Portnoy for stirring up trouble with Compton’s invite snub claims, dubbing them “pathetic men being petty and immature.”

All The NFL Stars Who Attended Travis Kelce’s Wedding

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Compton’s absence was glaring due to the large number of NFL stars who scored an invite to Kelce and Swift’s wedding. The list included the athlete’s Kansas City Chiefs teammates such as Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes.

The Chiefs’ defensive tackle Chris Jones made the list alongside the team’s center Creed Humphrey and defensive end George Karlaftis, who attended with his wife, Kaia Karlaftis. Former Chiefs star Mecole Hardman was also a guest.

The list continued with former Chiefs stars Isiah Pacheco and JuJu Smith-Schuster. NFL alum Tom Brady, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen, former NFL tight end Greg Olsen, ESPN commentator Joe Buck, and more also made the list, per Clutch Points.

Taylor Swift’s Bouquet Lands In The Kansas City Chiefs Family

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Besides having many from the NFL world as guests, a part of Kelce and Swift’s wedding coincidentally honored a member of the Kansas City Chiefs family. The Blast covered the story, reporting that the person who caught “The Fate of Ophelia” hitmaker’s bouquet was related to the team.

Trey Smith’s sister, Ashley Smith, confirmed she was the lucky individual who caught Swift’s bouquet at the July 3 ceremony. She shared the news on Instagram, dropping a carousel of images detailing her appearance at the highly publicized event.

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For the big day, Ashley rocked a stunning embellished black gown and took two pictures with the bouquet. The flowers were bent at different angles, with a huge chunk of the bouquet missing, presumably from the struggle to catch the flowers. Ashley’s brother, Trey, is the Chiefs’ guard.

Actress and former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Claudia Jordan caused a stir in June 2026 when she alleged that one of the current cast members on the show was pregnant. Now, after substantial backlash, the “Love & Hip Hop Miami” personality is responding and revealing where she allegedly heard the “RHOA” pregnancy rumor.

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Jordan appeared on an episode of reality television producer Carlos King‘s Patreon show, “Reality After Dark,” in July 2026. In a clip from the show posted to King’s official TikTok page, the former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star addressed the backlash she received from fans who felt she was out of line for spreading a rumor that a cast member was pregnant.

She began, “People are so f-cking fake.” After that, Jordan began to discuss the circumstances that led to her learning about the alleged pregnancy. According to her, “It’s not like someone from the show called me or we had a conversation or it was in confidence and said, ‘Hey, between you and I, such and such is pregnant, no one should know.’”

The former “RHOA” star then revealed that the pregnancy revelation she’d learned about occurred during the recently filmed season 17 reunion. She said, “Just like when we all heard other things that happened, when fights happen, this is revealed, that always gets leaked on blogs and people always run with it.”

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Claudia Jordan Says She’s Facing A Double Standard

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Jordan continued her side of the story, noting that many high-profile blogs and websites report on rumors from “Housewives” reunions. She said, “No one has a problem, but when I’m told by someone that heard it, it was said in front of like a hundred people: cast, crew, production, all kinds of people.”

Jordan went on, “And they said, ‘Here’s some tea, you can have this.’ It’s something that was said on the show.” From there, regarding some of the criticism she’s faced, the “Run” actress said, “I would never ever tell a secret that someone does not want the masses to know.”

From there, she defended her mentioning of the pregnancy revelation by reiterating that the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star allegedly said it at the reunion, meaning they were comfortable revealing that they were pregnant.

What Claudia Originally Said

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Jordan appeared on another episode of King’s show in June 2026, where she and a panel discussed the latest “RHOA” episode. In a clip from the show, she said, “I have some tea, and it’s not from any of the girls on the show.”

She then said, “Someone told someone that told me, someone is pregnant. One of the girls is pregnant.” After that, when discussing the seating chart for the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion, the 53-year-old stated that the woman in question was seated on the right in the reunion seating photo.

It’s important to note that Jordan never gave a name in regard to the woman who was said to be pregnant. However, from there, one of the other panelists speculated that it was “RHOA” newbie Pinky Cole who was pregnant.

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The ‘RHOA’ Alum Is Open To Returning To The Show Years After Confrontation With NeNe Leakes

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Jordan joined “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” for the show’s seventh season. However, despite making a real mark with viewers, thanks in part to her showdown with NeNe Leakes, she announced her exit following the season in 2015.

Since then, she’s expressed an openness to return despite continuing her acting career and appearing on other reality shows. In 2023, she said to Entertainment Tonight, “I don’t watch ‘Housewives’ anymore. Once I wasn’t on the show, I watched it two more times. Some people go on there, and they make it their entire life. It was a great experience, and I still get love to this day, and I would definitely go back.”

Jordan then said, “I’ve done so many other things, and I’m really loving my time kind of popping in and out of ‘The Breakfast Club’ in New York, films, producing, and I wrote a stage play.”

Claudia Recently Joined ‘Love & Hip Hop: Miami’

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Jordan has been a cast member on several reality television shows. However, most recently, she joined “Love & Hip Hop: Miami” for its seventh season. The season began airing in November 2025 and then had its midseason premiere in March 2026.

The season then ended in June 2026, marking the end of the series.

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By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 22 seconds ago

Before the MCU, superheroes on television were few and far between. Sure, we had Smallville, but that was it. Until 2006 when Heroes premiered on NBC and it conquered pop culture. “Save the Cheerleader. Save the world.” is still the greatest tagline in television history. All four seasons of the groundbreaking series are now streaming on Netflix, which is good, because it’s an iconic show, and bad, because all four seasons are streaming when you only need the first one and a half. 

Save The Cheerleader. Save The World.

Heroes starts with the “grounded” take on superpowers that annoyed comic fans until Tony Stark emerged from the cave in his Mark 1 armor. For the first season, we follow everyday people slowly learning they have superpowers following a mysterious eclipse. There’s Hiro (Masi Oka) the salaryman in Japan who can manipulate space/time, Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) who mimics the powers of others, Claire (Hayden Panettiere) the high school cheerleader who regenerates like Wolverine, and Sylar (Zachary Quinto) the evil villain who rips open brains to learn how they work, allowing him to gain the powers of others. 

Season 1, dubbed “Genesis,” tells a complete story from the simple beginning to the climatic final episode with a knock down drag out fight between Sylar and the heroes trying to stop him. Season 2, “Generations,” picks up later and starts to reveal more about the world and how powered individuals have been around since long before the eclipse. Created by Tim Kring, who started his Hollywood career as a writer for Knight Rider and Misfits of Science, the first two seasons were peak television for 2006. Then the writer’s strike happened.

The Missing Season

The WGA strike cut short Season 2 at 11 episodes, forcing the team to drop storylines,  and adjust their plans for Season 3. By then, the world of Heroes had grown to the point of becoming unwieldy with too many characters, organizations, and subplots to devote television time to everyone. If anything, the superhero show became more like the comics of the time. 

Amazingly, Heroes Season 3 and 4 may have been narrative kryptonite to audiences, the show was so popular, that it went from a high of 16 million viewers down to 4.5 million, which is a steep drop, but 4.5 million was nothing to sneeze at. It was still popular enough that in 2015, five years after cancellation, it came back with the miniseries Heroes Reborn. 

Heroes Reborn Went Back To Basics

Marketed as a back to basics approach, Heroes Reborn has “evols” or “evolved people,” are again, running after being blamed for a terrorist attack. It’s as if the writers read Marvel’s Civil War event and thought that was the greatest story of all time. On the bright side, Tim Kring went into with the plan of telling a complete story, so it sidesteps the biggest issue with the original series. 

If it’s been awhile since you’ve watched Heroes, fire it up and give it a weekend binge on Netflix. If you want to keep it going, you can catch Heroes Reborn for free on AppleTV.

The wait is over for Delicious in Dungeons fans. After the anime’s first season premiered on Netflix in 2024, Delicious in Dungeon was highly praised by fans and critics alike. It also spawned a pop-up café in Japan that recreated the dishes seen in the show. Now, Netflix and Studio Trigger are preparing for the show’s return and continuing this delicious adventure.

Delicious in Dungeon is a fantasy series that follows Laios Touden (Damien Haas), whose mission is to save his sister, Falin (Lisa Reimold), after a red dragon ate her. Alongside his party members, Marcille (Emily Rudd) and Chilchuck (Casey Mongillo), and their newest member, Senshi the dwarf (SungWon Cho), they embark on a journey through a dungeon in hopes of saving her before she gets digested. Since its release, the show earned a perfect 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 93% on the audience Popcornmeter, in addition to landing on Netflix’s Top 10 charts.

Over the weekend at Anime Expo, Delicious in Dungeon announced its release date for Season 2, two years after its confirmation. To celebrate, the series released a first look at the next installment through a poster that resembles the manga’s cover, featuring Laios and his party, as well as Falin, as a Chimera, along with the “Mad Mage” Thristle (Rebeka Thomas). Unfortunately, Delicious in Dungeon‘s return is scheduled for next year, so fans will have to wait a while before they get to see this epic adventure continue.

What Happened in ‘Delicious in Dungeon’ Season 1?

Image via Studio Trigger

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Season 1 of Delicious in Dungeon adapts the first 52 chapters of Ryoko Kui’s manga of the same name, which introduced our main characters, as well as the world the show is set in. Before the events of the anime, an old man claimed to rule the Golden Kingdom that vanished 1,000 years ago. He promised that those who could defeat the Mad Mage would inherit his kingdom before turning into dust.

Years later, Laios and his party faced a red dragon, but were able to escape due to Falin’s sacrifice, casting a teleportation spell, but the spell left her behind, leading her to be eaten by the dragon.

Following their escape, two party members, Namari (Marin Miller) and Shuro (Mark Lauer), left the party, leaving Laios, Marcille, and Chilchuck to venture back into the dungeon. Helping them in their journey is Senshi, who has also shown interest in monster-based meals. Throughout Season 1, the backstories of our main characters were revealed, as well as an introduction of the Mad Mage, and it ended with Laios coming up with a plan in order to save his sister from the mage’s spell.

Delicious in Dungeon Season 2 will enter Netflix in October 2027. In the meantime, all of Season 1 is available to stream. Follow Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

January 4, 2024

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Network

AT-X, Tokyo MX

Directors

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Yoshihiro Miyajima

Writers

Ryoko Kui, Kimiko Ueno

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Franchise(s)

Delicious in Dungeon

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• 

  Kentarou Kumagai

  Laios (voice)

• 

  Sayaka Senbongi

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  Marcille (voice)

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Sci-fi films are known for their creative storytelling and strong technical skills that make the genre exciting for movie lovers. Classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and newer films like Avatar: Fire and Ash show the potential of sci-fi in cinema. However, there are also many poorly made sci-fi movies, especially front he 90s when almost every other film was a hit.

Even the worst sci-fi films may have some good parts that keep them from being completely unwatchable. This makes truly terrible films stand out more, as they can be very hard to watch due to their utter and complete lack of positives. Here is the list of 6 terrible 90s sci-fi movies I would advise you never to watch.

6

‘Super Mario Bros’ (1993)

Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

The classic Super Mario Bros. story follows Italian-American plumbers Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo), who discover a parallel universe ruled by the ruthless King of Koopas (Dennis Hopper). He kidnaps Daisy (Samantha Mathis) to merge the dimensions and conquer both worlds; so, the brothers must travel to the dystopian city of Dinohattan to rescue her.

The film had an interesting mix of fantasy and science fiction, but it strayed too far from the popular video game it was based on. Viewers felt let down by its confusing world, inconsistent tone, and odd choices. Instead of capturing the fun and color of the games, the movie created a darker setting that didn’t resonate with audiences. Because of this, it is considered one of the least successful video game adaptations ever made.

5

‘Johnny Mnemonic’ (1995)

Image via TriStar Pictures

Johnny Mnemonic follows Johnny (Keanu Reeves), a data courier in a future where people use cybernetic implants to store and transport information. He takes on a risky job that gives him more data than he can handle. This data could kill him if it’s not removed quickly. As powerful organizations come after him, Johnny looks for answers and teams up with others who might help him discover the truth in his mind.

The film introduced some interesting ideas about cyberpunk, but it struggled to connect them in a good way. There were some problems like uneven pacing, awkward dialogue, and weak character development. It almost felt that the story’s big ideas got lost in a confusing plot that didn’t fully explore them. Although Johnny Mnemonic has gained a small cult following over time, it is still seen as one of the weaker science fiction films from the 1990s.

4

‘Judge Dredd’ (1995)

Image via Buena Vista Pictures

Judge Dredd, created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, is a satirical anti-hero in the British comic 2000 AD. In the dystopian future of Mega-City One, Dredd (Sylvester Stallone) acts as the ultimate law enforcer, a street judge with the power to arrest, sentence, and summarily execute criminals. His life changes when someone accuses him of a serious crime, forcing him to question the system he always trusted. As he looks into the accusations, Dredd discovers a conspiracy that involves powerful people who threaten the city’s future.

Despite being based on a well-loved comic book character, many fans were disappointed with the film. Critics said it focused too much on action and didn’t develop the characters or the world enough. Stallone’s portrayal of Judge Dredd divided opinions, as he missed many traits that made the character special in the comics. The result was a film that did not reach its full potential.

3

‘Lost in Space’ (1998)

Image via New Line Cinema

Lost in Space tells the story of the Robinson family, who go on a mission to help secure humanity’s future through space exploration. Led by Professor John Robinson (William Hurt), they board the Jupiter 2, expecting a well-planned journey. However, sabotage causes chaos. Stuck in an unknown part of space, the Robinsons must work together to survive while facing dangers, limited supplies, and rising tensions caused by Dr. Zachary Smith (Gary Oldman).

Even with a strong cast and a popular TV legacy, the film did not please anyone. Many believed that the visual effects overshadowed the story and characters, and made it hard to engage with the adventure. The screenplay also received criticism for its uneven tone and lack of excitement. Instead of becoming a successful revival of a beloved franchise, Lost in Space became known as one of the decade’s most forgettable sci-fi films.

2

‘Wing Commander’ (1999)

Image via 20th Century Fox

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Wing Commander tells the story of Christopher Blair (Freddie Prinze Jr.), a young pilot who joins the military to fight against the Kilrathi, an alien race that is threatening humanity. Blair wants to prove himself and takes on tougher missions while learning what it means to serve in the military. As the war heats up, there are reports that the Kilrathi have found Earth, which could change the entire outcome of the war. However, Blair and his fellow pilots must act fast to stop a possible attack.

Although the film is based on a popular video game series, it did not excite audiences as the games did. Weak acting, ordinary storytelling, and disappointing visual effects are major issues in this movie. The characters were not well-developed, and it was hard to care about them. Instead of providing a thrilling space adventure, Wing Commander became just another video game film that struggled to succeed.

1

‘Alien Resurrection’ (1997)

Image via 20th Century

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Alien Resurrection takes place 200 years after Ellen Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) death, when Scientists clone her using genetic material from her blood. Their goal is to recover the alien queen embryo that was growing inside her before her death. Although the experiment succeeds, Ripley returns with unusual abilities that make her different from the woman she once was. Soon, a group of mercenaries arrives aboard the research vessel, and this failure allows the deadly creatures to escape, placing everyone in danger.

The film shows impressive visual effects and a strong performance by Sigourney Weaver. However, it was a disappointing sequel. The film lacked the suspense and atmosphere that made the earlier films memorable. The odd tone and questionable choices divided the audience, which makes it hard for the film to find its own identity. In the end, it became one of the most debated films in the Alien series.

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Alien Resurrection

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Release Date

November 26, 1997

Runtime

109 minutes

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Director

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

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Writers

Joss Whedon, Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett

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At long last, Marvel Studios is finally paying off a set-up from 2017, but after almost a decade it’s clear that The Defenders reunion fans wanted is going to look very different than they were expecting. This corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe started off on Netflix, before Marvel was making its own content for its parent company’s streaming service, Disney+. The studio took its time picking up the pieces of the “Defenderverse,” but in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, the whole gang is finally back together. Now the question is where the Defenders fit into this new period in MCU history — especially with the big crossovers coming up.

For those catching up, the Disney+ original series Daredevil: Born Again primarily follows Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, but most of the main characters from The Defenders have now shown up. Season 1 saw the return of Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, who is now entering the MCU on the big screen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day later this month. Earlier this year, Season 2 brought the return of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, with the addition of Mike Colter as Luke Cage. Now, leaked set photos suggest that Finn Jones will be making his return as Danny Rand — a.k.a. Iron Fist — along with Élodie Yung as Elektra. This means The Defenders will be back at full strength, even if they don’t get top billing.

‘The Defenders’ Is An Odd Cultural Artifact In This Streaming Era

Image via Marvel Studios

It’s hard to believe that the way our entertainment is produced, distributed, and consumed has changed so much in the last decade, but The Defenders might be the best example of how far we’ve come. Back in 2015, the MCU was the biggest box office juggernaut on the big screen, but it was a novel idea to put that same continuity on TV. Marvel made a deal with Netflix to produce and stream shows that would ostensibly share continuity with the movies, but at the time there was no attempt to intersect the stories. The grounded, gritty Netflix shows would make occasional references to the Avengers‘ exploits, but other than that were virtually separate.

Things were so different then that each of the main characters got their own series with a whopping 13 episodes per season before they even crossed over with each other. Since Daredevil got two seasons, that means we spent over 65 hours with Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, before we finally got to the 8-episode crossover series. It’s hard to imagine a streamer investing that much time and money into a series now without cashing in on more crossovers and major events, as the current state of the MCU — and streaming in general — clearly show.

Still, the long history of The Defenders is intact as part of the MCU’s canon and it will contribute to the foundation of what’s coming next for the franchise, and for this plucky little team in particular. Fan theories are already trying to pull these characters in various directions to participate in other stories around the multiverse, but for now the best move Marvel can make is simply to get the team back together. Seeing the Defenders all on one screen again will be a triumphant moment both in-world and in real life.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ May Need Some Spinoffs

Image by Zanda Rice

As exciting as it is to see Jones and Yung on the set of Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, it is a little heartbreaking to see this whole team falling in behind a de facto frontman. The Defenders are a complex group, and their cooperation is not contingent on an Avengers Tower to unite them. The team has come together in various iterations in each other’s shows before, but for many fans, the reunion won’t be complete until they get a title card.

Hopefully, Marvel Studios has that high on the to-do list, but it’s hard to imagine there will be time. Right now, every storyline in the MCU is coalescing towards Avengers: Doomsday, where the multiverse makes all manner of crossovers possible. Many fans expect to see The Defenders pulled into this madness somehow, but all the moving parts here make it hard to predict. Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 began filming in March of this year, but it has no release date yet. It’s hard to imagine we’ll see that season before Doomsday debuts in December.

There are still other ways the whole team could come back together — Danny Rand could easily be roped into the story of Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), for example. With multi-dimensional travel, just about anything is on the table, but the Defenders reunion shouldn’t be rushed or shoehorned into another story as a B-plot. Fans have waited a long time to see these characters back together, and Marvel must make the time to do them justice. Until then, The Defenders and all of their individual series are streaming now on Disney+, along with Daredevil: Born Again.

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Release Date

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2017 – 2017-00-00

Network

Netflix

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Showrunner

Marco Ramirez, Douglas Petrie

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