Comedian Laura Clery is recalling a “terrifying” incident that she claims “nearly killed” her.

“Most terrifying night of my life as a single mom,” Clery wrote via Instagram on Friday, May 22. “I was home alone getting ready for bed when my 600 pound fridge slammed into me and pinned me against the counter. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe right. Was impossible to get off and I could feel myself losing consciousness. My kids were in the house.”

She continued, “I genuinely didn’t know if I was getting out of that alive. Thank God my phone was in my pocket and I was able to call 911. Thank god it didn’t fall on my kids. It took three firefighters to lift it off me. I’m still shaking.”

Alongside the message, Clery shared a clip featuring the comedian being transported into an ambulance and asking paramedics whether she “broke anything” in the accident. The paramedics explained that they were taking her to a trauma center.

“As a single mom, my biggest fear came true. I was very seriously hurt and stuck while home alone with my two young kids. Thank GOD I was able to call 911,” she wrote over the video. “Thank. God.”

Clery elaborated on the incident in a Patreon post, explaining that her son “decided to climb” the fridge. (Clery shares her two children with ex-husband Stephen Hilton.)

“I saw it shift slightly, just enough to make my stomach drop,” she wrote. “So I ran over to push it back into place. I thought I’d just nudge it in and move on with my day like a woman who has control over her life. The second I pushed it, it came down on me. Not slowly. Not in a way where I could catch it or jump out of the way. It just fell.”

Clery explained that she began to have trouble breathing.

“I could feel it getting harder to inhale, like my body was just slowly deciding to shut down,” she wrote. “And I’m just there, pinned under a fridge, thinking this is the dumbest way anyone has ever died.”

Ultimately, she called 911 and said it took three firefighters to lift the fridge off of her. In a Facebook post on Friday, Clery wrote that she’s “feeling so deeply grateful that we’re all OK and also not OK…”

“I keep getting these flashbacks that just hit out of nowhere,” she wrote. “Like I’m right back under that fridge, stuck, unable to move, my kids in the house. My brain keeps looping all the “what ifs” on repeat. What if I had gone unconscious. What if it had been my son under there. What if he had run out of the house while I was trapped.”

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She continued, “The second they got the fridge off me, I was just screaming for him. He was in the backyard, watching through the glass, scared. But my mind keeps going to all the ways that could have gone differently. It’s such a weird place to be… feeling overwhelmingly grateful and completely shaken at the same time. My body is wrecked, my lower back is f***ed, but nothing is broken, which feels like a miracle.”

Clery went on to wonder if any of her followers had tried EMDR therapy for something similar, writing that she’s “just… processing.” In a separate Facebook post, Clery wrote that she wanted to “f***ing sue” the contractors who installed her fridge.

“This is a nearly 600 pound stainless steel French door fridge that was NOT properly mounted into the wall,” she wrote. “Because of that, my 7 year old was able to pull it forward, and when I tried to push it back, it fell on me and was fully crushing me. It nearly killed me. And it could have absolutely killed my child. This should never have been possible. This was negligence.”

Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for the Marshals Season 1 finale.

In the season finale of the CBS series Marshals, entitled “Wolves at the Door,” an assassination attempt against Broken Rock Chairman Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) leads Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) to step in, literally bringing the danger to his own doorstep. With the stakes higher than ever, the team works to uncover the truth of who’s behind the attack and what their goal is. As Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) works on figuring out the next steps in his cancer diagnosis, which he’s only revealed to fellow teammate Belle (Arielle Kebbel), the two are blindsided in a moment that we’ll have to wait until Season 2 for answers.

Collider recently got the opportunity to chat one-on-one with Marshall-Green about that shocking cliffhanger. During the interview, he discussed how much the series has evolved since the start of the season, getting to dig into Cal and Kayce’s past, how Double G (Riley Green) may be gone but he won’t be forgotten, wanting to keep Dre (Ash Santos) from leaving the team, the dynamic between Cal and his daughter (Morgan Lindholm), the deeper connection with Belle, his love of a good cliffhanger, and that Season 2 will return with a big premiere episode. Marshall-Green also talked about his experience working on The Odyssey for director Christopher Nolan and what it’s been like to see the reaction to the trailer.

Collider: I spoke to you at the start of this season, and it feels like these characters have taken quite a journey since then.

LOGAN MARSHALL-GREEN: Yeah, it’s a different show at this point.

Cal Has Been on a Journey of Redemption in Season 1 of the CBS Series ‘Marshals’

“The show really did start in a certain direction, but if you kept watching the show, you quickly realized we’re moving at a much different tempo and direction now.”

Being a Dutton haunts Kayce, but Cal is possibly even more haunted by his own past. Do you feel like, regardless of whatever happens in that last moment, whether Cal and Belle got shot or whatever happened there, that Cal is in a better place by the end of the season, as far as sorting through some things that had been bothering him?

MARSHALL-GREEN: I do. I think that there are a few moments of redemption for him that he has to carry throughout the season – one with his daughter, one with Kayce, and one with Double G. That’s the lovely part of the writing. The show really did start in a certain direction, but if you kept watching the show, you quickly realized we’re moving at a much different tempo and direction now. Just when you see Cal smile and find some peace with someone else, in this case Belle, he gets a shotgun in his face.

The latter portion of the season dug deeper into Kayce’s past, but also into the past of everyone on the team, including Cal. How did learning more about what happened previously with the Four Musketeers give you a better understanding of who Cal is now? What did that add to the dynamic with Cal and Kayce? How was it to have Garrett come in as a character, but to also work with Riley Green?

MARSHALL-GREEN: Really, in the end, Kayce was the odd man out. You start hearing about the Four Musketeers, and Roner (Jay Reeves) starts haunting the show. And then, upon finally landing in this non-linear episode where you get to go back and revisit Afghanistan, you realize very quickly that Kayce was led astray by Cal holding onto this secret for Double G’s benefit. As he said, he’d already lost Roner. He’s already lost one brother, and there’s no need to lose another. Knowing that he had to be strong so that Double G could survive and really take it on the chin from Kayce throughout the season about Roner really shows Cal’s hutzpah and his ability to lead a team through whatever gantlet it is. I was really happy to finally get there, and to finally get him some redemption. Riley Green was terrific casting, by the team and by Luke [Grimes]. I was really happy to see Riley so effortlessly inhabit this incredibly hard character, who’s going through real trauma. I thought he did a great job.

Cal is able to resolve some of these things between him and Kayce, but they don’t get that moment with Garrett before he dies. Do you think that will ultimately affect Cal more deeply because he never had that conversation, or do you think it helps that Kayce now knows that truth about what happened?

MARSHALL-GREEN: In the end, we’ll never know because Double G isn’t around anymore. I think you will definitely feel Double G’s presence and spirit on this show in Season 2, from the little I know. As much as we don’t get to have that camaraderie again, now that it’s understood, with Double G’s passing, he’s relieved of a lot of his own demons and finally finds some peace, albeit in the worst way, which is death. There is a moment that I actually had to fight for on the day. And it was written. It’s not something I came up with. It’s something Spencer [Hudnut] and the writers came up with. And I haven’t seen the show, so maybe this moment isn’t even in the show, but there was a moment, which was the last moment between Cal and Double G.

s it was written, it was just a little fist bump, with his hands all bandaged. We were running and gunning. It’s not anything against the director or writers on the day, but we were moving really quickly past that moment, where it wasn’t even needed. It almost felt like it might be comical with this hand all bandaged. I don’t know if the moment is even in the show because I haven’t seen it, but I felt that it was incredibly important, given what I knew was about to happen with his death, that two brothers and soldiers finally connect and allow each other in one last time. I thought Riley did a great job with that moment, given the state he was in. I hope it played. Maybe it didn’t. But it was an important moment for me to have that last connection, physically and intimately, as a brother. It seemed silly on the page. They give a fist bump. But it echoes now, much more deeply.

Cal has a moment in the car with Cruz when he tells her that she might be running the team sooner than she thinks. Does Cal see her as a leader? Does he think she’d be the best one to step in and lead the team if need be?

MARSHALL-GREEN: Absolutely, 100%. Dre is a born leader. Dre has bailed Cal out on many turns. While he is saying the truth, because of this secret he’s holding on to, which is cancer, he is also trying to get her to stay. He’s disappointed and pissed that she would leave this team at this stage. He understands and he gets it. Nothing is forever. But I think there’s also a little bit of manipulation there.

Why doesn’t he just tell her that he wants her to stay on the team and not leave? Does he feel like it’s better to leave her to make that choice?

MARSHALL-GREEN: I think he knows Dre. Dre is driven. When Dre wants something, she goes and gets it. That’s why she’s our interrogator. He also knew that if he went after her, she would just push away more. He knew who he was dealing with. She’s got so much pride as he does.

According to Logan Marshall-Green, Cal’s Biggest Objective in ‘Marshals’ Is To Get Close to His Daughter

“I’ve loved those scenes with Morgan [Lindholm], who plays Maddie, my daughter.”

Image via CBS

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What does it mean to Cal to have his daughter sit down next to him and be willing to talk to him, and even call him dad? As much as he wants to talk to her, is he more worried that he’ll screw that up?

MARSHALL-GREEN: I don’t think he was ready for it. When actors talk about objectives and super objectives, that’s Cal’s super objective. It’s to be a marshal. It’s not to solve crimes. Cal’s super objective on the show was to move to Montana and use this opportunity as a marshal to get close and reconnect with his estranged daughter. When you get to finally have a super objective filled, it’s incredibly rewarding. I’ve loved those scenes with Morgan [Lindholm], who plays Maddie, my daughter. Those are very heavy scenes, due to the situation that they’re both in.

What is the conversation that you think he would like to have with his daughter that he doesn’t feel like he can have yet?

MARSHALL-GREEN: I think he wants to listen to her. As much as a conversation is two-sided, I think he just wants to listen and be the dad that he couldn’t because he was too busy being a soldier. I think he just wants to listen to her and hear everything that she’s done and hear everything that she’s still angry about with him. I think he just wants an opportunity for her to finally tell her story to him.

Why do you think he’s really only opened up to Belle about his health and about what he’s going through? What is it about her that allows him to have conversations with her that he doesn’t really have with other people?

MARSHALL-GREEN: First, booze.

That’ll do it.

MARSHALL-GREEN: Yeah. The exhaustion of carrying it all for so long, carrying the secret of Roner, the secret of his daughter, and all of these crimes that they’re fighting, these children that they’re fighting for. She helps him navigate his own child, with Maddie. The character that Arielle [Kebbel] has created in Belle, she has her own stuff, and stuff that she hasn’t even told him. It’s not actually so reciprocal. It’s a lot of Cal unloading on her. She, in a way, puts herself in that position to potentially maybe allow Cal in. But as far as his ability to tell anyone, he has real admiration for her and her strength and, more than anything, her as a mom and how she’s prioritized her child in a way he couldn’t.

Without so many words, they clearly understand that anything happening between them would be messy. How does Cal feel about messy? Is he okay with messy? Would he rather avoid messy?

MARSHALL-GREEN: He does not want to be messy. I can tell you that, for sure. He does not want the mess that follows, but I don’t know if he can keep his hand out of the cookie jar. There are pros and cons. I don’t know what’s messier when it comes to messing up work, an interpersonal relationship or cancer. I think he is choosing stability through cancer. In the end, it’s going to get messy no matter what for him, and I think he sees that on the horizon. He’s going to need someone to help him.

He seems like the king of avoidance at the moment.

MARSHALL-GREEN: Well, a lot of these men are – these men and women that come back. We build these soldiers up and we spend a lot of money in advanced ways to create warriors, but we have very little in the way of infrastructure to create humans once they’re done. It’s not just Cal. It’s a lot of these men and women.

‘Marshals’ Star Logan Marshall-Green Loves a Good Finale Cliffhanger

“There’s a team happening, and they’re going to move forward together, and then they get shotguns in their face.”

Image via CBS

We’re left with quite a cliffhanger with Cal and Belle. What was your reaction to that moment? How do you feel about cliffhangers? Have you been told anything about what will happen after that moment, in Season 2?

MARSHALL-GREEN: I love a cliffhanger because it means, more than likely, we’re going to be back. I liked it because you get this moment of levity between the two of them and some hope. There’s a team happening, and they’re going to move forward together, and then they get shotguns in their face, as is the case with these kinds of shows. As much as there’s a cliffhanger for me, the biggest cliffhanger is going on with the other stories – whether Dre is going to stay and, more than anything, Kayce and his son.

It feels like everybody has a cliffhanger at the end of this season.

MARSHALL-GREEN: There’s a lot going on.

I’m curious to see what happens with Season 2 and where it will all go next.

MARSHALL-GREEN: Yeah, me too. We’re just about to start shooting the first episode, and we’re already shot out of a cannon again. It’s a massive first episode.

And who knows, you might just be a ghost in Season 2.

MARSHALL-GREEN: You’ll have to tune in.

Logan Marshall-Green Was Surrounded by Artists at the Top of Their Game on Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

“I’m somebody who comes to set, I clock in, and there’s no phone in my hand, whether I’m on a Nolan set or not.”

Image via Universal Pictures

If you want to have a filmmaking experience, you can certainly accomplish that by working with Christopher Nolan. Because you’re an actor and director, what did you take from that experience? What did you absorb on set with him for The Odyssey?

MARSHALL-GREEN: More than anything, I absorbed that it’s hard to ever hear someone say, “It can’t be done.” When it comes to being on a Nolan set, everywhere you look, Christopher surrounds himself with the highest of high artists. Everywhere you look, you see departments at the highest degree of telling stories and creation and art, even down to the way he wants the lightning to strike and when it strikes. He’s in control of that. Looking around, many of the actors had already worked with him, and some hadn’t. It was great to just watch and take cues. I’m somebody who comes to set, I clock in, and there’s no phone in my hand, whether I’m on a Nolan set or not. It was an incredible opportunity that was given to me, to help him tell this incredible story. The fun part is watching everybody get their panties in a bundle over the trailer. Nobody knows anything. It just goes to show that nobody knows anything. In Nolan, I trust, for sure.

Christopher Nolan strikes me as a filmmaker who spends time on the details.

MARSHALL-GREEN: I can’t speak for Christopher Nolan, nor am I going to try, but I can tell you that when it comes to a lot of these auteurs that I’ve worked with, especially with film but also with TV, it’s the frame. It’s who’s in the frame. It’s about what’s in the frame. It’s the light. It’s the paint. Is it interesting? Is it beautiful? Is it balanced? Is it deep? But by the way, once they get a really cool shot, they’re just like kids. They just want to make great stories. They’re not looking to be political. They’re looking to make a beautiful frame that is going to elevate storytelling.

Marshals airs on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+.

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Release Date

2026 – 2026

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Showrunner

Spencer Hudnut

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Writers

Spencer Hudnut, Tom Mularz, Dana Greenblatt

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Ray J‘s weekend adventure did not end in his favor!

The rapper faced off with popular YouTuber Supa Hot Fire in a celebrity boxing match in Las Vegas on Saturday, where he suffered a crushing defeat followed by a heated outburst.

Ray J has been in the news lately since revealing that he has a few months to live due to severe health issues that have plagued him over the years, which he did not detect early enough.

The rapper was seemingly knocked out in the second round of the fight by the YouTuber during the celebrity boxing match at Adin Ross’s UFC Apex event.

While things began with a few mixed punches, smiles, and playful comments in the ring, Supa Hot Fire’s clean shot to Ray J’s face around the 2:35 mark changed everything.

The rapper lost his balance from the impact of the punch and stumbled into the ropes before crashing into the canvas. The referee was on site to instantly break up the fight and rule the victory in Supa Hot Fire’s favor as a knockout. 

However, after the duel ended, Ray came forward with a few things to get off his chest, suggesting that the match was tampered with, telling Supa Hot Fire during an interview that he took an “L” in that match.

The in-ring interviewer quickly pushed back, mocking Ray J’s complaints and pointing out that he had gone down after just one punch.

US Weekly stated that as tensions rose, Ray J walked away from the interview before returning to speak briefly with Supa Hot Fire, where he was overheard asking, “You know how much money we lost?”

Meanwhile, the commentator continued roasting the singer over the growing welt on his forehead following the knockout defeat.

The Singer Got Advice From Boxing Icon Mike Tyson Ahead Of The Fight

On May 22, Ray gave a sneak peek into the preparation process ahead of the match, including a clip of him preparing with MMA legends Chuck Liddell and Rampage Jackson.

TMZ‘s footage shows Ray training with both of the UFC veterans before the celebrity fight. The singer was seen sweating through the drills, queries, and techniques taught by fighters who made careers from dominating inside the cage.

According to reports, Liddell walked Ray through what to do when the show started, while Rampage Jackson, more hands-on, took some time to walk the entertainer through some grappling moves and positioning to avoid getting embarrassed on fight night.

During the training session, Ray J also posed for photos with Liddell’s partner, Creators Inc. founder Andrew Bachman, and long-time manager David Weintraub. The singer did not just get trained by the MMA icons; he also revealed he was getting tips from “Iron Mike” himself, Mike Tyson.

Should Ray J Be Fighting In Boxing Based On His Health Revelation?

As noted by The Blast, Ray revealed a serious health issue as a result of his years of drinking and partying, saying it has wrecked his heart.

The singer admitted in a video that he was so unwell that he thought that he would die, as the doctor told him that his heart was currently at 25% capacity.

Ray continued that after years of alcoholism and non-stop partying, he believed it was to blame for his poor health. The “Sexy Can I” artist confessed he would drink several bottles of alcohol at one night, he said the lifestyle turned his heart “black” after a while. 

He further informed fans of his plans to travel to Haiti to try to solve his health problems, even though there are still worries in the nation over gang violence, kidnappings, and sexual violence.

The singer noted that he had received a prescription for multiple drugs: Lipitor and Entresto, which are both frequently prescribed to individuals who are at risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular issues.

He also revealed that his condition may lead to the need for medical devices like a pacemaker or defibrillator in the future. Furthermore, doctors reportedly advised the entertainer to refrain from all alcoholic beverages and avoid taking up smoking from now on.

Despite Ray’s emotional and thought-provoking confession, internet users were split over their perspective on the issue.

While some commenters felt genuine concern for the rapper amidst the urge that he find a solution to his health, others feel the opposite.

Some social media commentators theorized that Ray was not exactly coherent when he made the video due to the influence of some unwanted substance. However, another set of online fans saw his revelations as a cry for help.

However, some nationals of Haiti felt uncomfortable with the rapper’s decision to name-drop their country as his sanctuary of healing, advising him to ditch the clout chasing. The user opined that Ray find holistic treatment, consider cleansing himself, and reconnect with God.

Meanwhile, some eagle-eyed fans went deeper with their conspiracy theories, describing the move as a sympathy ploy, especially after he was arrested on Thanksgiving for threatening his baby mama with a firearm.

Ray J Bragged About An Usual Aspect Of His Sexual Life

The media personality tends to attract drama with every utterance and action, and just last month, he pulled another move that raised eyebrows.

The Blast reported that the rapper confessed in a conversation with Cam Newton that he has slept with over 10,000 women.

Ray continued on his three podcasts with Newton that he threw a “booby trap party” when he reached the 10,000 mark, and nearly 500 of the women he had been with were in attendance. 

Speaking of his escapades in the bedroom, the actor referred to his infamous sex tape with Kim Kardashian, noting that there were only three videos, but only one made it out in 2007, which broke the internet.

He accused Kris Jenner of making them do the video, watched it, and subsequently handled how it got out to the public.

Currently, the singer is stuck in a legal debacle with the mother and daughter duo, who sued the singer for defamation, stating that he breached a confidential settlement agreement by talking about the sex tape.

Hope Ray J is doing well after that match!

The great thing about a miniseries is that they’re meant to be viewed as one singular and complete story. That means no cliffhangers! A miniseries gives you a concise and fully realized story without any added frills or fluff, and over the last five years, we’ve seen extraordinary examples of that. Just look at these 10 titles.

From ripped-from-the-headline stories to comic characters coming to life, we’ve been living in a golden era of miniseries. Many of the shows have earned award-show glory. Some have spawned spin-offs or earned follow-up conversations. Together, they’ve given us a reason to continue watching television. Though there certainly are some great shows that barely missed the list, the 10 shows included have made profound television history.

10

‘The Dropout’ (2022)

Without a doubt, you have heard the shocking tale about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Well, in 2022, the saga was given the miniseries treatment. What resulted was extraordinary. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether, based on the ABC News podcast of the same name, The Dropout tells the true story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) during her rise as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire to her spectacular fall when her revolutionary technology was exposed as a massive fraud. From the big idea to the exposure of deception in between, The Dropout didn’t leave any stone unturned. The miniseries masterfully blended a chilling true-crime suspense story with a breathtakingly perfect character study that is simply chilling.

The Theranos story is sheerly absurd. Rather than making the story a fiasco, The Dropout explores the nuances of what happened and how Holmes got in too deep through a grounded, empathetic approach. Of course, the series wouldn’t have thrived had it not been for Seyfried’s pitch-perfect performance. A brilliant and magnetic portrayal, Seyfried brought a calculated vocal cadence and physical presence that matched her real-life counterpart. In turn, it resulted in a tense psychological unraveling of a formidable individual. The Dropout goes beyond the Silicon Valley scammer story to showcase a tale of ambition and flying too close to the sun. Both awkward and cringeworthy, yet disturbing, The Dropout refused to sensationalize a crime in favor of a nuanced piece.

9

‘Dopesick’ (2021)

Image via Hulu

The impossible becomes possible when the nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy was turned into a flawlessly executed fictional drama. Putting a face to the opioid epidemic, Dopesick brings viewers to the epicenter of where America struggles with opioid addiction as various timelines explore the fight families face in the crisis against the alleged conflicts of interest by Purdue Pharma and various government agencies. Ultimately, the battle led to the legal case against Purdue Pharma and its development, testing, and marketing of the drug OxyContin under the Sackler family. Through smartly crafted vignettes and composite characters, Dopesick examines the personal effects on everyone involved, from the ground up.

Not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination, Dopesick combines a strong, emotionally resonant, character-driven drama with investigative journalism to peek into the greed behind the crisis. Through multifaceted perspectives, Dopeick offers a multidimensional tour from the boardroom to the doctor’s office. Meanwhile, Dopesick humanizes the characters, demonstrating how anyone might fall victim to opioid addiction. Dopesick paints an empathetic picture of addiction, as patients were truly trying to alleviate severe physical pain — not become addicted. The series is carried by a brilliant ensemble, including Michael Keaton, Will Poulter, Rosario Dawson, Michael Stuhlbargh, and Kaitlyn Devers. Dopesick is a tough pill to swallow, but the high-stakes drama is deliberately told, moving beyond simple statistics.

8

‘Black Bird’ (2022)

Image via Apple TV

The desire for true crime stories continues to soar thanks to the podcast boom and inspired books. With the race to dramatize these stories, many networks and streamers have struck gold. Such is the case for Apple TV’s Black Bird. Based on the 2010 autobiographical novel In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, the six-part series follows Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), a charming former football star sentenced to 10 years in prison who is offered freedom if he can elicit a confession from suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), who is suspected of killing up to 40 women. A slow-burning, tense “cat-and-mouse” drama, Black Bird is a chilling psychological thriller that is nothing short of an acting masterclass.

Rich with immense psychological tension, Black Bird forces viewers to get uncomfortably close to the subject. A dangerous game but a juicy watch, Black Bird does an extraordinary job at split storytelling. In one corner, it’s Jimmy’s undercover work inside the prison. In the other, it’s the parallel investigation happening on the outside, led by FBI investigator Lauren McCauley (Sepideh Moafi) and local detective Brian Miller (Greg Kinnear). Black Bird flies high thanks to the sensational acting, especially from Egerton. There’s an intensity in his performance, driven by the high-stakes objective. His scenes against Hauser are dynamic. Psychological manipulation is often frowned upon, but given the way the justice system works, Black Bird shows how it can be used for good. At only six episodes, there’s no time wasted. Each episode adds layers of urgency without dragging out the plot.

7

‘Fellow Travelers’ (2023)

Image via Showtime

Queer love may be easier to have out in the open today, but it was a fight to get here. There have been stories about the struggles of being true to oneself and in love, but never as beautifully romantic and tragically harrowing as that of Fellow Travelers. Based on Thomas Mallon’s novel, the Showtime historical romantic political thriller tells the story of the decades-long romance between two gay men, Hawkins Fuller (Matt Bomer) and Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey), set against the backdrop of major LGBTQ+ historical events, from the McCarthy-era “Lavender Scare” in the 1950s to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Exploring their volatile relationship, navigating political dangers, societal prejudice, and personal complexities as they try to find love while hiding their identities in a hostile world, this devastatingly tender tale showcases the great lengths we’ll go for love and what the cost of love means to each of us.

A breathtaking decades-long forbidden romance that also serves as a sweeping LGBTQ+ history lesson, Fellow Travelers is layered with uncompromising emotional depth. Going through the Lavender Scare in the ’50s, the Vietnam War in the ’60s, and all the way through to the AIDs crisis in the ’80s, Tim and Hawkins fought against the harshest backdrops to be themselves and find one another. The writing and performances are authentic and unsanitized, meaning the intimate portrayals of queer individuals are fleshed out and not caricatures. The power dynamics, compatibility, and even complexity of the two men are genuine enough to believe their journey. Bomer captures an emotionally guileless individual, which contrasts with Bailey’s more idealistic dreamer. Together, they found the emotional core of the series. At the end of the day, Fellow Travelers‘ nuanced exploration of love and survival thrives thanks to these individuals.

6

‘The Penguin’ (2024)

Image via HBO

Once upon a time, our definitive image of what the Penguin looked and acted like was Danny DeVito from Batman Returns. Then, Colin Farrell came along as Oz Cobb in The Batman, and a new Penguin emerged victorious. Exploring the man beyond his initial big screen introduction, the hit HBO series follows Oz as he exploits a massive power vacuum in Gotham’s criminal underworld, caused by the seawall’s destruction and the assassination of crime boss Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong). Documenting his rise from a low-level mobster to a reigning kingpin, Oz finds a new ally in Vic Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), a homeless teenager, while at odds with a new threat, Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti). An unflinching crime thriller under the guise of an iconic DC comic, The Penguin emerged as a top-tier series with rich, complex characters.

The Penguin masterfully builds upon Matt Reeves‘ vision from his film to make Gotham an even darker, more corrupt underworld. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc gives the eight-episode drama its own distinct identity while serving a larger picture. With a world to play in, it was Farrell and Milioti’s performances that made The Penguin must-see TV. Many origin stories tend to feature a desire to make their common villain and anti-hero into a redemption arc. Instead, The Penguin dives into the villain’s unredeemable psyche while still finding ounces of humanity around Vic and his mother, Francis (Deirdre O’Connell). Then there is the Falcone family drama that unfolds better than any mafia movie. As far as superhero stories, The Penguin sits on top of the heap.

5

‘Midnight Mass’ (2021)

Image via Netflix

Mike Flanagan single-handedly sparked a resurgence of horror series through his collaboration with Netflix. After two back-to-back brilliant series in 2018 and 2020, it was his 2021 follow-up, Midnight Mass, that took his storytelling vision to new depths. The supernatural horror series follows a devout, isolated fishing community as it experiences strange and terrifying events. When a charismatic young priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), arrives offering miraculous “blessings,” the denizens are drawn into a dangerous descent of religious fanaticism, vampirism, and apocalyptic doom. Coinciding with the return of Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), Crockett Island hangs in the balance as faith and doubt battle in the unfolding horror. A brilliant dissertation on grief, forgiveness, life, and death, Midnight Mass is a deep philosophical horror that leaves jump scares behind to examine human nature and the extremes of unwavering belief.

Midnight Mass relishes its thought-provoking themes, layered expertly into the story. The truth is, though, Midnight Mass‘ sensational ensemble pushes it toward the top of Flanagan’s pack. Filled with a host of long-running collaborators, Midnight Mass doesn’t just have stock characters; every character is an intensely unique human — flawed, scared, and desperately seeking meaning. Linklater is at a career-best as Father Paul. Rather than a one-dimensional antagonist, he finds a tragedy in the deeply layered figure. One must be alluring to convince an entire town of one’s ways. Midnight Mass may be best remembered for the infamous Bev Keane. Proving she can play the gnarliest characters, Samantha Sloyan makes the town’s pious, manipulative busybody an infuriatingly brilliant antagonist. She provides a chilling study of how righteousness can blind people to true evil. Midnight Mass succeeds thanks to the atmosphere Flanagan crafted and the characters that inhabit it. Perhaps there’s more to Crockett Island to explore one day.

4

‘Baby Reindeer’ (2024)

Image via Netflix

Not since Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the adaptation of her solo play, Fleabag, have we been enamored by a stage-to-series masterpiece. In the black comedy Baby Reindeer, an autobiographical thriller by Richard Gadd, a struggling stand-up comedian, Donny Dunn (Gadd), offers a vulnerable woman, Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), a free cup of tea at his bar. What was beloved to be a single kind gesture evolves into a suffocating, years-long stalking obsession that unravels both of their lives. Built around the twisted, messy dynamic of two lost individuals, Baby Reindeer highlights the cycle of abuse and how individuals engage in toxic relationships due to self-loathing, shame, and a desperate search for connection.

Baby Reindeer was the story you couldn’t imagine was true. But it was. The harrowing narrative served as a fervent vessel of entertainment and a cautionary tale about trauma. The story transcends the typical stalker narrative to deliver a richly emotional and psychologically nuanced study of vulnerable individuals. There are beats at both ends that you feel for both Donny and Martha, but as the ambiguity sets in and the actions reach new depths, the story evolves. Once Baby Reindeer showcases how the Donny and Martha dynamic influenced others around them, that’s when it becomes truly dark. Baby Reindeer served as an important story about the handling of male trauma and sexual abuse. A groundbreaking story, Baby Reindeer puts a new perspective on the shame, confusion, and fear that prevent male survivors from seeking help. Baby Reindeer strikes a balance as it sharply shifts tones so the story can both reflect the tragicomic nature of life and the harrowing ordeal simultaneously.

3

‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)

Image via HBO

We might have to put a pin on this one, as rumors always circulate about a second season of Mare of Easttown. But until that day comes, we’ll keep considering the Brad Ingelsby crime drama a miniseries. Set in the fictional Philadelphia suburb of Easttown, Pennsylvania, Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) is tasked to investigate the murder of a teenage mother, Erin McMenamin (Cailee Spaeny). As she dives knee-deep into the investigation, she struggles to keep her family from crumbling and falling apart — all thanks to a divorce, a son lost to suicide, and a custody battle over her grandson against her son’s drug addict girlfriend, Carrie Layden (Sosie Bacon). Once a hometown hero, Mare is plagued by her inability to solve the case of a missing girl, casting doubts on her skills in the present. Both a gripping crime series and a harrowing family drama, Mare of Easttown has everything you could want in a sensationally acted and brilliantly written series.

Mare of Easttown has a facade of a procedural investigation, but the core of the show is about grief, the dark side of close-knit communities, and how one heals from the past. The titular character is complex and flawed, making her inhuman. By doing so, it makes her struggle to not fail even more enticing to watch. Winslet gives a hyper-transformative performance, DelCo accent and all. Winslet is unmatched, unafraid to give an unglamorous and deeply flawed portrayal of an exhausted woman. Joining her is a brilliant ensemble of stars, including Jean Smart, Julianne Nicholson, and Evan Peters, each of whom has a complex subplot that contributes to Mare’s multidimensional motivations. Perfectly plotted in seven sensational episodes, no wonder we want more of Mare!

2

‘WandaVision’ (2021)

Image via Disney+

The world of superhero series changed forever when Disney+ introduced the world to its very first official MCU show on the streamer: WandaVision. Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, super-powered beings Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) live an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, New Jersey. The seemingly perfect existence soon unravels as the couple realizes their reality is shifting through different decades of classic American television sitcom tropes. As the illusion breaks down, the story begins to reveal a deeper tale of love, trauma, and the stages of grief. A groundbreaking MCU masterpiece, WandaVision blends a singular story into the broader MCU, proving that these projects are essential to superhero storytelling.

Though ABC and Netflix had strong MCU-set shows, it was the arrival of WandaVision that reshaped the types of stories the MCU could tell on the small screen. Here, the storytelling came through sitcom tropes that dictated Wanda’s psychological state as she sought to build the perfect life. But as the facade shattered, it opened up the larger superhero world to take over, giving fans S.W.O.R.D. and familiar faces, including Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), to connect beyond Westview. Oh, and of course, there was Agatha Harkness, portrayed to perfection by Kathryn Hahn, who gave freedom to further defy the comics for television glory. A prologue to future MCU films, as well as Agatha All Along and the upcoming VisionQuest, WandaVision put the MCU on the map in a brand-new way, and we’re even better for it.

1

‘Adolescence’ (2025)

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At this point in time, it’s going to take something pretty spectacular to dethrone Adolescence as the greatest miniseries in recent memory. In four sensational episodes, the Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham-created and Philip Barantini-directed masterpiece is a gripping psychological crime drama series about a seemingly ordinary and supportive family whose lives are upended when their 13-year-old son, Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), is arrested for the murder of a female classmate. Brought to life through intense realism and brilliant one-shot filming, Adolescence is a devastating examination of internet culture, toxic online misogyny, and the nightmare realities parents face when their child is not the angel they believed them to be.

Every single element that makes up a good show is perfected here. The writing is sublime. There are powerhouse performances. The direction is unique. And the topics are vital to society. Combine them, and you get a sharp collaboration that has earned many of the parties involved award-show gold. The emotional weight the series carries for viewers is unlike that of many average crime dramas. You very likely need to catch your breath between episodes, as there are few opportunities to pause due to the filming style. Adolescence is proof that tight, concise miniseries that lack fluff will forever be the best way to tell a story.

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Adolescence

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Release Date

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March 13, 2025

Network

Netflix

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Directors

Philip Barantini

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Romantic comedies are typically relegated to streaming platforms these days, but some of them break through and when they do, they tend to do extremely well. The most recent example was 2023’s Anyone but You, but 5 years earlier, another glossy rom-com made the big leap and became more than a box office hit. It actually ended up being something of a cultural phenomenon.

Based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novel, Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel Chu, a New York economics professor who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick Young, only to discover that he comes from one of the wealthiest families in Asia. You’d think that would be a bonus, but not in this story. What begins as a romantic trip quickly turns into a full-blown battlefield, as Rachel has to navigate the snobbery of old money, familial expectations, judgmental relatives, and Nick’s absolute monster of a mother, Eleanor.

Crazy Rich Asians stars Constance Wu (Hustlers) as Rachel Chu; Henry Golding (The Gentlemen) as Nick Young; Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Eleanor Young, Nick’s protective mother; Gemma Chan (Eternals) as Astrid Leong-Teo, Nick’s cousin; and Lisa Lu (The Last Emperor) as Shang Su Yi, the family’s matriarch. Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Sonoya Mizuno, and Chris Pang also make appearances as extended family members and friends. Comedians Ronny Chieng and Jimmy O. Yang fill out the cast, alongside Nico Santos, Jing Lusi, and Harry Shum Jr.

How Successful Was ‘Crazy Rich Asians’?

Unbelievably so. It grossed about $239 million worldwide against a reported $30 million budget, which is huge for a romantic comedy without much in the way of A-list stars. In North America alone, it made about $174.5 million, with another $64 million internationally. The movie opened at No. 1, then had an almost ridiculous second-weekend drop of only around 6%, which is the kind of hold studios dream about. It eventually became the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the 2010s, as well as one of the most beloved, with a 91% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Crazy Rich Asians is streaming now on HBO Max.

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Release Date

August 15, 2018

Runtime

121 minutes

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Writers

Peter Chiarelli, Adele Lim

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Walk into a restaurant today and you’ll likely see a menu that reads like a road map: the name of the dairy that supplied the cheese, the ranch behind the steak, the farm down the road that grew the tomatoes. That shift didn’t happen by accident. The farm to table movement has reshaped how restaurants source food, how chefs build menus and how diners think about what’s on the plate — and its influence on grocery aisles, farmers markets and home kitchens keeps growing.

The idea sounds simple, but the philosophy behind it has changed an entire industry. Here’s what farm to table actually means, why it matters and how home cooks can tap into it.

What Does Farm to Table Mean?

At its core, farm to table describes food sourced directly from local farms, ranches, dairies or producers, with fewer middlemen between growers and consumers. The emphasis is on freshness, seasonality and transparency, and it’s often tied to sustainable agriculture and supporting local economies.

In practice, the term is most closely associated with restaurants that build direct relationships with the people who grow their ingredients.

Molly Watson, writing for The Spruce Eats, explains: “More commonly, the use of farm-to-table emphasizes a direct relationship between a farm and a restaurant. Rather than buying through a distributor or a food service, some restaurants establish relationships with farms and buy directly from them. Farmers benefit by being able to reap more of the profit their goods can earn at market, and many enjoy knowing how their food will be treated and cooked.”

That two-way relationship — chef knows farmer, farmer knows chef — is what separates a true farm-to-table operation from a restaurant that simply markets “local” ingredients.

The clearest sign of the movement’s reach is on the menu itself. Restaurants now rotate dishes with the seasons rather than printing the same lineup year-round. Many name the specific farms supplying their produce, meat and dairy. Hyper-local ingredients — sometimes grown within miles of the kitchen — have become a selling point, not a footnote.

The result is a dining culture that prizes ingredient quality and provenance over consistency. A tomato dish in July looks nothing like one in February, and that’s the point.

Related: Heritage Grains Are Back: Ancient Staples Everyone Is Eating

Heritage grains are quietly reshaping the way home cooks think about everyday meals. Once relegated to health-food shelves and specialty bakeries, grains like farro, spelt, einkorn and teff are now turning up in weeknight bowls, breakfast porridges and pantry staples — and they’re easier to work with than most people expect. The appeal goes beyond […]

Why Farm to Table Matters for Diners and Farmers

The appeal cuts in two directions. Diners get fresher food and a clearer picture of where it came from. Farmers receive a larger share of the profits from their goods and greater control over how their products are used. Cutting out distributors shortens the supply chain, which supporters argue is better for local economies and for the environment.

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The movement has also pushed mainstream grocers and chain restaurants to highlight sourcing — a sign that what started in independent kitchens has reshaped expectations across the food industry.

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Looking for a new supplement to add to your wellness routine? Humann has delicious pomegranate berry SuperBeets Heart Chews that offer benefits for cardiovascular health. The formulated chews support healthy blood pressure, circulation and overall heart health to give you the results you’re looking for. Grape seed extract is the standout ingredient here, which is […]

How Home Cooks Can Embrace Farm to Table

You don’t need a restaurant kitchen to cook this way. Chef Erling Wu-Bower told Samantha Lande in a Food Network piece: “For the home cook, talking to farmers at your local farmers market, or visiting a farm near where you live, is a great way to get you closer to their products personally.”

Head to a true farmers market and you’ll likely spot chefs inspecting greens, tasting fruits and plotting nightly specials of farm-to-table dishes — the same approach any home cook can take. Ask questions, taste before you buy and build meals around what’s in season instead of a fixed shopping list. That’s the entire philosophy in miniature.

The story behind this Oscar-winning movie’s big night in Hollywood has almost as many twists and turns as the movie itself. It will always be linked to Avatar, partly because this lean, nerve-shredding Iraq War thriller beat James Cameron’s giant sci-fi blockbuster for Best Picture. And what’s even funnier is that its director, Kathryn Bigelow, was married to Cameron once upon a time. Talk about a domestic dispute for the ages.

The Hurt Locker follows an elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War, with our focus squarely on Staff Sergeant William James, a bomb technician who seems terrifyingly comfortable when he’s around things that are about to go boom. As James joins Sergeant J.T. Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge, the team moves from one life-or-death situation to another, with each mission showing us how differently these men respond to fear, pressure, and the possibility of dying at any second. We would not do well here.

The Hurt Locker stars Jeremy Renner (The Avengers) as Sergeant First Class William James, Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Brave New World) as Sergeant J.T. Sanborn, Brian Geraghty (Flight) as Specialist Owen Eldridge, Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) as Staff Sergeant Matt Thompson, Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) as Contractor Team Leader, David Morse (The Green Mile) as Colonel Reed, Evangeline Lilly (Real Steel) as Connie James, and Christopher Sayegh (The Stoning of Soraya M.) as Beckham.

Was ‘The Hurt Locker’ a Success?

In a manner of speaking, The Hurt Locker was a genuine critical sensation and an awards success, but it was actually only a modest box office hit. That’s not to say it didn’t do relatively well, though, as it grossed about $49.9 million worldwide against a reported $15 million budget, so it did make money theatrically, but it was never a mainstream breakout. Domestically, it made only about $17 million, which is tiny compared to most Best Picture winners.

Where it really succeeded was awards season. The Hurt Locker earned nine Oscar nominations and won six, including Best Picture, Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow, and Best Original Screenplay for Mark Boal. Bigelow also became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director, which was worth more than any box office total.

The Hurt Locker leaves Prime Video on May 31.

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Release Date

July 31, 2009

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Runtime

131 minutes

Director

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Kathryn Bigelow

Writers

Mark Boal

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Producers

Greg Shapiro, Nicolas Chartier

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Controversial rapper Ray J suffered a second round knockout loss to popular YouTuber Supa Hot Fire in a celebrity MMA boxing match.

The singer, 45, took on the influencer, 35, in a co-main MMA fight at internet personality Adin Ross’ UFC Apex event in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 23.

At around the 2:50 mark in the second round, the pair exchanged a few missed punches while smiling at each other. As they danced around the ring, they seemed to talk to each other and make light of the fight. As the seconds ticked down, Ray J had Supa Hot Fire up on the ropes before the YouTuber landed with a single punch to the rapper’s face near the 2:35 mark, disorienting Ray J to the point that he fell into the ropes before hitting the canvas.

The referee quickly intervened and called the match, marking a KO loss for Ray J, real name William Ray Norwood Jr.

An arguably even more fiery exchange occurred after the match, when Ray J — the brother of Brandy Norwood who famously dated Kim Kardashian — seemingly suggested that the celebrity fight was somehow rigged.

“Like a motherf***er bro. Damn bro. Like that?” Ray J told Supa Hot Fire after the fight. “For real … that’s janky as f***.”
“Say what you gotta say man,” the post-fight in-ring interviewer told Ray J.

“I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to get nobody in trouble, but damn … we took an L tonight,” Ray J responded.

“We didn’t take s***, your ass was over here … you want me to show you what you did?” the interviewer said before walking to the area where Ray J fell. “Where was ya’ll at? … he took one punch.”

Ray J then walked away from the interviewer, which seemed to bother the in-ring commentator even more.

“Ray J, this is professional man. You can’t just do what the f***… you can talk backstage,” he told the rapper while speaking into the microphone. “I ain’t even gonna interview ya’ll.”

As Ray J returned to the interviewer, the microphone picked up the rapper talking to the YouTuber, saying, “You know how much money we lost?”

“We didn’t think you was gonna win — so how ya’ll lost money? That’s a good method … if I got my ass knocked out. Look at that … you got one of those cartoon lumps,” the interviewer interjected, commenting on the welt forming on Ray J’s forehead as a result of the influencer’s punch and his knockout loss.

Ray J has been the center of controversy for some time, especially as of late when the rapper claimed he didn’t have long to live due to unspecified health issues.

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“2027 is definitely a wrap for me,” he claimed in a video shared via social media on January 27. “That’s what they say.”

The singer added at the time, “I shouldn’t have went this hard, bro. My baby mama gonna be straight, my kids gonna be straight. If they wanna spend all the money, they can spend it. I did my part here. And damn, when it’s all done, burn me, don’t bury me.”

One month prior, Ray J was arrested for allegedly threatening his estranged wife, Princess Love. At the time, TMZ reported that the rapper said he had “the worst Thanksgiving in the f***ing world” before he appeared to pull a gun on Princess Love during a livestream video.