Entertainment
Candace Owens Drops Verdict On Both Halftime Shows
As far as Candace Owens is concerned, both the Super Bowl and Turning Point’s Halftime shows were not her cup of tea.
The political commentator, famous for her honesty and biting remarks, did not hold back while addressing this year’s halftime performances. Unlike previous years, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chose to host its own event to stand against Bad Bunny’s non-English performance.
Candace Owens found fault with both events, dropping her thoughts in a series of tweets that naturally got fans debating with the political activist.
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Candace Owens Has One Big Question For America After The Halftime Shows

Owens had plenty to say after the NFL and TPUSA’s Halftime performances on X, stressing that she wasn’t a fan of both shows. “I am sorry, but I hate both options,” she began, calling out Bad Bunny for not performing a single song in English.
As for the TPUSA, Owens accused them of spreading a false narrative about their performance. “We have an organization that scammed its views by paying platform advertisers, followed by influencers to pretend they broke records,” she wrote.
“The left vs. right grift is actually boring now. What exactly are we doing here, America?” Owens wondered. She doubled down on her stance in a second tweet, implying she disliked the Super Bowl Halftime Show because of its alleged backers.
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The Political Commentator Alleges The Halftime Show Is Backed By Illicit Sponsors
In the second tweet, Owens noted that she would love to watch a Super Bowl Halftime performance that’s centered on “meritocracy” and songs in English. Most importantly, she did not want to watch a show that was “sponsored by pedophiles and human traffickers.”
When a fan called her out for slamming Bad Bunny for not performing in English, Owens reiterated that she wasn’t against the artist but wanted to listen to a performance in English. She added that she actually enjoyed Spanish music; however, “it’s an American football game, so the show should have been tailored to that.”
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Besides Bad Bunny’s non-English performance, Owens had a bigger problem with TPUSA’s halftime show, particularly their alleged views. She sided with a fan who called out the Charlie Kirk conservative foundation for lying about having five million live viewers during their event.
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TPUSA Accused Of Buying Viewers To Appear Successful
In her response to the fan’s theory about TPUSA, Owens claimed that the problem with people who have a lot of money that they didn’t earn is not understanding how things actually work. She shared a screenshot of the halftime show performance on YouTube, showing only 10K views.
“No, this is not a possible result if you truly had 5.2 million live viewers,” Owens said about the love number of views. “Sorry, America, everything is still fake and gay until further notice.” She doubled down on accusing TPUSA of falsifying their view counts in another tweet, writing:
“Note: what they will do now is spend an offensive amount on YouTube ads overnight to bring their viewership up while we sleep.”
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Owens claimed the tactic was previously used by Jeremy Boreing, the former CEO of The Daily Wire, when his razor commercial flopped. “When you wake up tomorrow, this video will have north of 50 million views,” the political commentator theorized.
Donald Trump Slammed Bad Bunny’s Halftime Performance

Although Bad Bunny concluded his halftime performance with a plea for love and unity in America, the heartwarming moment did not move President Donald Trump. He slammed the show in a heated Truth Social rant, labeling the event “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!”
“It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” Trump argued. He noted that Bad Bunny performing in his native language made it impossible for anyone to understand him, and he also disliked his “disgusting” dancing.
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Trump stressed that the performance was not appropriate for children and doubled down on Bad Bunny’s show being “a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country.” He concluded his rant with a warning to the NFL, asking the football foundation to “immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule.”
More About The TPUSA Halftime Show Performance
Naturally, Trump preferred the TPUSA’s halftime show performance over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show. The conservative foundation launched its All-American Halftime Show during the 2026 Super Bowl on Sunday, February 8.
According to US Weekly, the show featured performances from Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett. The event also featured a tribute to its late founder, Charlie, who was killed in September 2025 at age 31. However, his wife, Erika Kirk, was not in attendance.
Erika and Owens previously clashed in December 2025 when the grieving widow asked for privacy to mourn Charlie. The Blast reported that Owens called her out for having the “Meghan Markle Syndrome,” stressing that she could not film herself crying over her husband’s casket and then ask for privacy.
Entertainment
Drake Maye Holds Back Tears After Patriots Lose Super Bowl 2026
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye struggled to control his emotions after losing the 2026 Super Bowl.
“I’m so proud,” Maye, 23, said in a postgame press conference on Sunday, February 8, after the Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. “That’s probably the reason I’m choked up most.”
Maye continued to pause as he answered reporters’ questions while visibly holding back tears.
“This team is something that I’m just glad to be part of,” he continued, offering a shout-out to the “great people” who work alongside the Patriots all season.

“I’m just glad to have this uniform on and looking forward to getting back and play [in] another one,” Maye said.
The NFL star looked down and rubbed his eyes before responding to another reporter. While the question was inaudible, Maye replied that it was “hard” to compare playing at the Super Bowl to any other regular season game.
“It’s a business at this level, but it’s more than that,” he explained. “It’s more than that in a game like this and that’s about it. It’s more than a business. There’s people in there that are doing it, not for the money or fame and that’s what’s cool about this team.”
Sunday night marked Maye’s first Super Bowl appearance following an impressive season. In his second year on the Patriots, he brought the team to their first Super Bowl in seven years.
There was speculation ahead of the game that Maye wouldn’t take the field on Sunday because of a shoulder injury sustained during the playoffs. He addressed the injury during the postgame press conference.
“I shot it up, so not much feeling,” Maye said. “It was good to go and it felt all right.”

Maye and the Patriots had a rough go against the Seahawks, making their only two touchdowns during the fourth quarter while their opponents dominated the field throughout the night.
“Just like every year, somebody’s going to lose this game and we have to remember what it feels and make sure that it’s not repeated,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said during his postgame press conference on Sunday. “We couldn’t gain any rhythm, field position. … We’ve been really good against the run lately, and we weren’t.”
Vrabel, 50, added, “I appreciate the way that the guys offensively battled and competed. But just not enough consistent execution.”
Maye also told reporters that the Seahawks “played better” than the Patriots on Sunday, noting they “deserved to win” the game.
“Speaking for the whole team and myself, what a journey it’s been for us. I love this team. Love those guys in that locker room. I’m going to leave it all on the field and I know a lot of guys did that tonight and just came up short. Didn’t play our best and that’s what happens,” Maye added, noting that he’d love to “go back to the beginning and redo” the game.
Entertainment
Raunchiest Sitcom Of The 1980s Now Streaming Free
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

In 1987, Fox debuted Married…With Children, a subversive sitcom about the most dysfunctional family ever put onscreen. The show is filled with “how did they get away with that” jokes and, as an added bonus, happens to star two of the decade’s hottest actors. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a dime to experience these raunchy laughs for yourself, as Married…With Children is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
The basic premise of Married…With Children is that a slobby, schlubby shoe salesman is raising a family that includes a lazy wife, a ditzy daughter, and a dirtbag son. They get into various TV show shenanigans, but what sets this show apart is its dark humor and complete subversion of the family sitcom formula. Basically, this was a show as hilariously mean-spirited as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but it premiered back when the airwaves were dominated by more family-friendly fare like Who’s the Boss and Growing Pains.
A Shockingly Great Cast

The cast of Married…With Children includes David Faustino (best known outside of this show for his voice work on The Legend of Korra) as young Bud Bundy and breakout bombshell Christina Applegate (best known for Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead) as young Kelly Bundy. Katey Segal (best known for voicing Leela on Futurama) plays Peg Bundy, a stunning housewife who is despised by her husband. That husband is played to hapless perfection by Ed O’Neill, someone best known to younger sitcom fans for his long-running role as a perpetually-perplexed patriarch on Modern Family.
When Married…With Children came out, it was a smash with audiences looking for something other than another cookie-cutter sitcom about another overly perfect little family. The show’s comedy has also stood the test of time, and it currently has a 97 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While there are not enough professional reviews for the show to have a critical score (poor Al Bundy gets no respect), most of the critics who reviewed the show agree that it is perfectly cast and filled with writing as acidic as it is infectiously hilarious.
Everyone Fell In Love With TV’s Crankiest Husband

It’s almost impossible to overstate what a monster hit Married…With Children really was. To this day, it is the longest-running sitcom ever aired on Fox, and at 11 seasons and 259 episodes, it’s also one of the longest-running sitcoms in television history. Whether you’re an old fan looking for some comedy comfort food or a new fan looking for a few dark laughs, this is the dirty, binge-friendly pleasure you’ve been looking for.
As an ‘80s kid, I watched Married…With Children at a young age, and if I’m being honest, I didn’t really process what was so subversive about its humor. All I really knew was that Kelly was hot, Peg was hotter, and Al’s cranky punchlines were funny. Returning to the show now as a family guy (complete with a Peter Griffin-like waistline), though, I find myself appreciating its dark humor now more than ever.
The Darkest Laughs The ’80s Had To Offer

You see, the central gag of Married…With Children is that Al Bundy has achieved the American dream: he has a steady job, a beautiful wife, two healthy kids, and a big house to raise them in. Nonetheless, he has inexplicably found that the dream has turned into a nightmare.
His customer service job offers endless abuse from the public, his children are idiots, and his wife has transformed henpecking into an art. All Al really wants to do at the end of a long day is disassociate and obsess about the good old days, which makes him an almost shockingly modern figure in the world of ‘80s television comedy.

Another way that Married…With Children was ahead of its time was how it focused on the comedy that can only come from dysfunctional and hilariously broken people. Seinfeld debuted two years later and became a cultural phenomenon, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which debuted 18 years later) arguably perfected the formula of “jerks behaving badly.” Arguably, those other shows’ outsized success would have been impossible if Married…With Children hadn’t shown how hungry audiences were for an alternative to saccharine-sweet sitcoms.
The Original Doomer

In this way, Married…With Children is weirdly timeless: it still works well as a kind of antisitcom, and if you grew up watching ‘80s staples like Who’s the Boss, you’ll still laugh (and laugh hard) at how transgressively this show breaks all the rules. But if you’re a bit young for those vintage sitcoms, you’ll still enjoy the adventures of Al and Peg Bundy because they are of a piece with later cynical programming like It’s Always Sunny. Basically, Al Bundy is the original doomer, and whether you’re here to laugh at his jokes or ogle his wife, there’s a lot to love in this vintage sitcom.
Will you agree that Married…With Children is one of the best raunchy sitcoms in television history, or would you rather work in a shoe store than finish a single episode? The only way to find out is to run for the remote (go channel your glory days as a high school running back!) and stream it for free on Tubi. Come for the killer theme song and stay for the hottest ladies the ‘80s had to offer!


Entertainment
The Prime Video Favorite That Ruled the Charts Falls Off Entirely After Hotly Debated Season 3
In a year stacked with great television, a handful of shows stand out as defining 2025 titles. From the outstanding Noah Wyle-led medical drama The Pitt to Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham‘s timely masterpiece, Adolescence, 2025 was home to some of the best and most vital television of the decade. The summer of 2025 was packed with plenty of popular projects, but it was the final installment of a Prime Video romance that had us all turning pretty.
The biggest teen series of the year, The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s (almost) final chapter saw Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, and Gavin Casalegno, caught in the fiery final stages of a gripping love triangle, all set against the gorgeous sunset of the fictional town of Cousins Beach. Earning 70 million viewers worldwide in its first 70 days, marking a 65% increase over Season 2, Season 3 was a greater success than most involved could’ve imagined. Despite the finale airing on September 17, 2025, The Summer I Turned Pretty has remained a constant on the streaming charts ever since.
Alas, all good things must come to an end, and, at the time of writing, The Summer I Turned Pretty has bowed out of the Prime Video top ten in the U.S. In all likelihood, it will quickly find its way back into the charts, but a mammoth finale for Fallout Season 2 and the arrival of Bridgerton‘s fourth outing on Netflix have taken viewers’ gaze away from Jenny Han‘s coming-of-age gem.
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Isn’t Going Anywhere Just Yet
Fear not, TSITP fans, as more is on its way in the form of a feature film. Set to serve as a direct continuation from the recent finale, the film was announced following the enormous success of Season 3, with Han returning to pen the story. There has been no word on when production might begin on the next installment of this love story, nor do we know what direction Han will take it in following Belly’s final decision between the brothers, so make sure to stay tuned for the latest updates. A logline of The Summer I Turned Pretty reads:
“A girl is caught in a love triangle between two brothers as she deals with her first love and first heartbreak during the perfect summer.”
The Summer I Turned Pretty is available to stream on Prime Video. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.
- Release Date
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2022 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Prime Video
- Directors
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Erica Dunton, Jesse Peretz, Jeff Chan
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Lola Tung
Isabel ‘Belly’ Conklin
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Christopher Briney
Conrad Fisher
Entertainment
Hoda Kotb returns to “Today ”to fill in for Savannah Guthrie amid search for mother: 'There is also a job to do'
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‘We show up for each other,” said Kotb, who left her permanent post on the show in 2025.
Entertainment
I’m Always Traveling: 17 Amazon Outfit Sets I Wear on Repeat
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Whether I’m flying, driving or taking the train, I’m pretty much always heading somewhere. That means my wardrobe is overflowing with travel outfits, but like anyone else, I have my favorites. Some live in the back of my closet while others are front and center, worn and washed every week. Rather than gatekeep, I’ve rounded up my top picks, a.k.a. the pairings I reach for on both travel and non-travel days.
My go-to travel outfits have to be loose, breathable and skin-soft. They also have to be layerable, since I can’t stand being too hot or cold on an airplane. Lastly, style is non-negotiable for a fashionista like me. These 17 picks check all the boxes. I’ve also included some outfits that are currently in my cart — because no, my closet isn’t large enough for all 17 travel outfits at once. Maybe someday!
The 17 Comfiest, Classiest Travel Outfits — From $7
1. Sporty Chic: This side-stripe outfit begs to be worn to Europe, so go ahead . . . plan that vacation. I’m wearing it to London!
2. Road Trip: You haven’t experienced ‘silky’ until you’ve tried this loose, buttery-soft outfit that’s perfect for long car rides.
3. Medium-Thick: If your body can’t decide between hot and cold, this medium-thick tracksuit is a smart pick. It has short sleeves and long pants for the perfect balance.
4. Layering Staple: I love wearing this tank and pants combo with a cardigan for the plane and a jean jacket for lunch.
5. Warm Weather: This tee and shorts set is my easy but cute uniform for weekends in Florida and spring breaks in Mexico. It’s a lightweight dream!
6. Feeling Nauti: I’m adding this striped polo sweater and lounge pants set to my cart while it’s on sale! The nautical pairing channels pure yacht-wife energy.
7. Elevated Look: Everything about this tee and pants set is polished, including the ribbed texture, slouchy fit and practical waist tie.
8. Oui Oui: You don’t need a French passport to look Parisian, thanks to this cozy, classy knit set. The cap-sleeve top and joggers do all the talking.
9. Errand Outfit: Whether you’re stocking your Airbnb or grabbing coffee for your crew, Ekouaer’s stretchy set keeps you cool and comfy on the go.
10. Oddly Flattering: I wrote an entire article about this viral travel sweatshirt. This lounge set features the iconic hoodie plus flattering sweatpants.
11. Second Skin: Calling fabric snobs! This rayon-and-spandex-blend set might make you forget you’re wearing clothes.
12. Date Night: I wear this sophisticated knit outfit for date nights near and far. The pleated pants are elegant enough for the office, too.
13. Super Cozy: Imagine feeling like you’re wrapped in a cloud while looking like a millionaire. That’s the best way to describe this fuzzy ribbed outfit.
14. Boho Babe: People will think you bought this waffle-knit set at Urban Outfitters or Zara. They’d never guess it’s only $25!
15. Cool Mom: Classic and luxurious, Automet’s crewneck and pants combo is the easiest add-to-cart. The drapey silhouette screams ‘cool mom.’
16. Aspen Socialite: This color-blocked quarter-zip outfit makes you look like a wealthy ski bum. I’m grabbing it to wear both on and off the slopes.
17. Budget-Friendly: Considering this short-sleeved, pajama-like lounge set is just $7, you’ll want to scoop up a few in different colors.
Entertainment
Cardi B Sparks Relationship Speculation Ahead Of The Super Bowl
The famous couple recently sparked separation rumors after the “WAP” hitmaker gave a curt response to a question about the NFL player.
The speculated rift in their relationship comes days after Stefon Diggs addressed the possibility of taking his relationship with Cardi B to the next level.
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Cardi B Raises Eyebrows With Curt Reaction To Stefon Diggs Question

Fans were shocked ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl, where the New England Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks on February 8. Before kickoff, an ESPN reporter asked Cardi to say something inspiring to her beau.
The female rapper paused at the question, gave a curt smile, and coldly quipped, “Good luck,” before walking away. A clip of the interaction was shared on TikTok, sparking breakup rumors, as many suspected there was trouble in the couple’s paradise.
“He pissed her off. She’s such a Libra!!” Someone theorized. Another echoed similar sentiments, noting Cardi and Stefon Diggs probably fought before the Super Bowl. “She is upset with him,” a third TikTok user agreed.
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Fans Suspect The Athlete May Face A Similar Fate To The Rapper’s Ex
The breakup theories continued, with someone noting “Steffon is just an ‘n’ away from Offset.” A concerned fan wondered what Diggs did to upset Cardi, while another described her reaction as “beefing with my man, but I gotta keep it professional.”
“She didn’t mean good luck for the game,” a TikToker pointed out, with more social media users agreeing. Other fans noted that her reaction confirmed a looming breakup, revealing they had stopped following each other on Instagram.
“Cardi don’t follow him no more. Our good sis said deuces,” a TikTok user shared. A quick search confirmed that the rapper no longer follows Diggs on Instagram and vice versa, fueling fans’ suspicions that they may announce their separation sooner rather than later.
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The Grammy Winner Reportedly Left The Super Bowl Early

The timing of Cardi and Diggs’ speculated rift couldn’t have come at a worse time for the athlete, as the Seahawks dominated the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Additionally, Page Six reported that the rapper appeared to have left the event early.
As seen in a video shared on her Instagram Story, Cardi was in her car singing along to Bad Bunny’s song after the halftime show. It seemed she skipped out on watching Diggs’ team lose the Super Bowl after her halftime show cameo.
Cardi, alongside several celebrities like Pedro Pascal and Karol G, made guest appearances during Bad Bunny’s performance. The entertainer’s decision to leave early further fueled the separation rumors as she had been eager to watch Diggs at the Super Bowl.
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The Entertainer Braved The Cold Weather To Support Her Man

In January, The Blast reported that Cardi proudly showed her love and support for Diggs after his team earned a ticket to the Super Bowl. Despite the cold weather, she rushed onto the field to wrap her man in her arms.
“I’m very excited for him. Very excited for the whole team, they been working their butts off,” Cardi raved in an interview. She noted that she was particularly proud of Diggs, who not only recovered from an ACL injury but also gave his best on the field in every game.
Weeks later, The Blast shared that Diggs had addressed the possibility of proposing to Cardi. When a reporter asked if the athlete would consider putting a ring on Cardi if his team won the Super Bowl, he replied: “It’s on the agenda, maybe, right? Right?”
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Stefon Diggs And Cardi B’s Relationship Timeline
Diggs and Cardi first sparked romance rumors in October 2024 when DJ Akademiks announced that they were dating on his YouTube channel. However, Cardi later shut down the claims that month, calling the relationship speculation “funny.”
However, the paparazzi spotted Cardi with Stefon Diggs on Valentine’s Day in 2025, reigniting the dating rumors. They continued keeping fans guessing in May 2025 when they attended a New York Knicks game together, holding hands upon their arrival.
PEOPLE reported that Cardi made their relationship Instagram official in June 2025 when she shared PDA pictures from a yacht. They welcomed a son, whose name hasn’t been revealed, in November 2025, and the rest is history.
Entertainment
Comedian Matt Rife and Fitness Influencer Mariah Morse Break Up
Matt Rife & Mariah Morse
Splitsville
Published
Matt Rife and Mariah Morse have gone their separate ways after a brief romance … TMZ has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … the comedian and the fitness influencer, who we first reported were dating in March 2025, recently called it quits. It’s currently unclear what led to the split. The two have also unfollowed each other on social media.
@amosblackmon
When we broke the story last year, Matt and Mariah looked very much all in. While it was unclear exactly how long they’d been seeing each other at the time, Mariah had already gotten close enough to post a pic with Matt’s dog, Hammer, raising eyebrows among fans.
The two also enjoyed a cozy weekend together on the East Coast they were spotted holding hands while heading into a Rhode Island club, and Mariah was later seen posted up next to Matt in a group Instagram photo.
They went Instagram official shortly afterward and Mariah has shown up with Matt at a bunch of his public appearances as well as at his comedy shows.
Matt definitely has a type. Mariah joins the list of blondes he’s dated, following his previous relationship with actress and dancer Jessica Lord, which ended 2 summers ago.
We reached out to reps for Matt and Mariah … so far, no word back.
Entertainment
Marvel’s Biggest TV Show Was Doomed From The Beginning
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published

It’s currently the year 2026. For six years, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been off the air, and every day since, fans of the adventure series have been wondering when their favorite characters will show up in the MCU. They won’t.
From the very beginning, the signs were there that Disney had no interest in fully integrating the television series into the MCU. All you had to do was watch the second episode, “0-8-4,” a bottle episode that could be set in any universe, with any cast of characters, and needed a last-minute 30-second Samuel L. Jackson cameo in order to keep viewers going into Episode 3.
No Show Should Start With A Bottle Episode

“0-8-4” has Agent Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) team in Peru to recover an artifact of “unknown origin.” Bringing back the “hero ducks down and a shockwave comes from their stick” move from Serenity, the team flees back onboard their ship, “the Bus,” with members of the national army. That’s right, the second episode of the brand new big-budget MCU television series is a bottle episode.
Bottle episodes utilize existing sets, typically with only the main cast involved, and are heavier on dialogue. They can be great when used right, like Supernatural’s “Baby,” but “0-8-4” was only the second episode to air. Going right into a bottle episode was meant to let us see how the characters interact with one another and develop relationships, but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was also a Marvel series, and nothing about this episode took advantage of the setting.

How many lost civilizations exist in the Marvel universe that the artifact could have been tied to? It could have been part of Nova Roma. Instead of the Peruvian army, Coulson’s ex could have been leading a unit of The Wild Pack. Something. Anything small to tie the story into the larger world, instead of being a generic adventure. Then again, bottle episodes are cheaper to produce, so “0-8-4” should have been a clue that the show’s budget was being throttled in order reach 22 episodes a season.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Is Too Good For Modern Marvel

The best of “0-8-4,” besides FitzSimmons, the best part of every episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., is the brief cameo appearance of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury after the credits. For over a decade, fans have complained that they have never experienced another moment like that. That was the second clue in “0-8-4” that the series was never, ever, going to reach its potential.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. eventually found its groove by, ironically, abandoning all connection to the MCU and saying, “Screw it, we’re doing Ghost Rider,” or “Let’s adapt Secret Empire.” It was a fun, fantastic sci-fi adventure show. 14 years later, the unrealized potential that Disney had right there still hurts. Given the current state of the MCU, though, maybe it’s good that FitzSimmons, May, Quake, Coulson, and Mack can be remembered on their own. But….What If?
Entertainment
New Star Trek Spinoff Is Running Out Of Time
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

The new Star Trek spinoff, Starfleet Academy, has proven to be very controversial, but its fans always offer the same rebuttal to any criticism of the show: “give it time.” The logic goes that this show might need time to find its footing, just like The Next Generation and Voyager did. However, given that the show is limited to 10 episodes per season and a maximum of four seasons, Starfleet Academy is officially running out of time to impress viewers.
This reaction to a new spinoff began with Star Trek: The Next Generation, whose first season was its absolute worst. Season 2 wasn’t much better, but the show (thanks largely to new showrunner Michael Piller) transformed into must-see TV with Season 3. After Deep Space Nine had a similarly rocky Season 1, it became gospel among many Trek fans that you should always give a new series a season or two to really find its footing.
It Gets Ugly When You Run The Numbers

Needless to say, this has become the most common defense Starfleet Academy fans have used against any and all criticisms of the show. Those fans love to make comparisons to TNG and say that critics should give these cadets time to find their space legs, just like we gave Picard and crew time. However, what these Starfleet Academy fanboys don’t realize is that the new show is racing the clock, and it’s all Paramount’s fault.
Back in the Golden Age of Star Trek, shows ran for seven seasons, with (outside of the occasional writer’s strike) 26 episodes per season. This is why shows like Voyager could afford to have a rocky first season: whenever there was a bad episode, fans could reasonably expect that a good one was around the corner. Even if the first two seasons were wildly rocky (looking at you, The Next Generation), there would be 130 episodes left that would be, relatively speaking, very good.
Each Season Is A Bubble, Waiting To Pop

But those were the salad days of network television. In the streaming era, shows are more streamlined, and Starfleet Academy (like Strange New Worlds before it) has only 10 episodes per season. Moreover, executive producer and co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman has confirmed that the show is designed to last only four seasons, mirroring the four years it takes the cadets to complete their academy training.
That means that Starfleet Academy has a much more limited window to find its audience than fans think. Every episode represents ten percent of an entire season, meaning that a few bad episodes can make the entire season feel like a mixed bag. This is why fans began turning against the more whimsical episodes of Strange New Worlds: while the occasional lighthearted story can be fun, it feels weird when 30 percent of your third season is devoted to overly wacky episodes.
Starfleet Academy is facing a similar problem because the writers keep dragging decent stories down with juvenile humor. Tales of parental trauma and racial diaspora exist uneasily alongside jokes about cadets eating comm badges and vomiting glitter (incredibly, these are different cadets). By the time the show ends, fans may well wonder how much more character development we might have gotten if there had been fewer scenes of farting fish, drunken dancing, and other try-hard attempts to make us laugh.
The Show Will Be Over Before You Know It

It’s also important to remember that Starfleet Academy lasting four seasons is actually a best-case scenario. Previously, NuTrek shows like Discovery and Lower Decks were prematurely canceled by Paramount. Strange New Worlds, meanwhile, unexpectedly had its final season (which recently finished filming) cut in half. While Starfleet Academy has already been renewed for a second season, poor reception of Season 1 could very well get the show prematurely canceled.
That may already be happening, as Starfleet Academy recently tumbled out of the Top 10 list on Paramount+. With any luck, the show will continue to smooth out its rough edges and grow more impressive over time, like The Next Generation before it. But considering that Starfleet Academy will have fewer episodes in its total run than TNG had for only two seasons, it’s important for fans and showrunners alike to realize that this new show is rapidly running out of time to win over new audiences.
Entertainment
Paul Thomas Anderson and Jonny Greenwood call for “Phantom Thread” music to be removed from “Melania” doc
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The filmmaker and musician claim that “Universal failed to consult Jonny on this third-party use which is a breach of his composer agreement.”
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