Entertainment

‘Ponies’ Stars Vic Michaelis and Nicholas Podany Break Down That Mole Reveal and the Choice That Changes Everything for Season 2

Published

2 months ago

30 January 2026

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Vic Michaelis as Cheryl standing in a room and looking surprised in Ponies

[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Ponies.]

Summary

In the Peacock spy thriller series ‘Ponies,’ Bea and Twila go from grieving widows to inexperienced CIA spies trying to navigate 1977 Moscow.
In the season finale, the mole is revealed, destroying evidence and leaving chaos to erupt at the CIA.
Ray and Cheryl Szymaski’s fragile marriage masks love, mistrust, and a looming Season 2 mystery.

The Peacock spy thriller series Ponies, set in 1977 Moscow, follows Bea (Emilia Clarke) and Twila (Haley Lu Richardson), two women whose husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances that lead them to become CIA operatives. Bea’s ability to charm and speak fluent Russian is a perfect complement to Twila’s fearless nature and street smarts, but their lack of experience while they’re learning on the job puts them in precariously dangerous situations. And if they’re going to have any chance at survival, they have to be able to trust the lead of the CIA’s spy division, Dane Walter (Adrian Lester), and his team.

As a member of that team, Ray Szymanski (Nicholas Podany) is Dane’s right-hand man while his wife Cheryl (Vic Michaelis) is a secretary for Shep (Andrew Richardson) at the embassy. But when Cheryl kills the nanny and is revealed to actually be the mole that everyone has been trying to hunt down, chaos and fire erupt at the CIA. What comes next will make for a very interesting Season 2, and I know my fingers are crossed that we’ll be hearing about a greenlight soon.

During this interview with Collider, Michaelis (Dropout TV, Very Important People) and Podany discussed their reactions to the way the season played out, how they view Ray and Cheryl’s marriage, getting to improvise and explore their characters together, that rooting for Cheryl’s success at villainy is just the most fun option, killing Eevi (Clare Hughes), how Ray might react to learning the truth about Cheryl, wanting to get out in the field more, what all of this could mean for a possible Season 2, and their most memorable moments with Clarke and Richardson. Michaelis also talked about whether Twila, Bea or Cheryl would make the best guest on Very Important People, and whether they tortured any of your castmates on set as much as Sam Reich.

Collider: First of all, congratulations on the series. It’s getting a lot of buzz and people, including myself, are hoping for a Season 2. If at all possible, I want to will that into existence, after the way the season ended.

VIC MICHAELIS: I so appreciate you saying that. We’re really hoping so. Every little bit of goodwill into the universe helps.

You can’t leave it there. It’s just not fair. That would just be rude, if you left it there.

MICHAELIS and NICHOLAS PODANY: (Both laugh)

Vic Michaelis Screamed on the Plane Trip To Shoot in Hungary While Reading the ‘Ponies’ Finale Script

“Truly, it was such a shock.”

Did you guys go into this knowing the full arc for your characters? How much did you know about where all of this was heading? Do you feel like you had any sense of where it would end up?

MICHAELIS: I signed on very late for this, so I got the scripts on the plane on the way to Hungary to begin filming. I was somewhere over the ocean, getting through the end of episode eight, and I screamed on the plane. Truly, it was such a shock, in the best possible way. It’s an absolute dream character for me to get to come in and be a little bit mean, but then also have a little bit of dramatic stuff to get to do and then also be the villain. It’s so fun.

PODANY: What’s amazing about that is just the fact that you found out that soon to filming. If you just watch the series back a second time and you watch Vic’s performance, you can see it. It’s brilliant. It’s so good on a second watch of going back through and going, “Aha!”

MICHAELIS: That’s really kind, but that’s the writing. Everything is there in the character already. It does logically make sense.

PODANY: A friend pointed out to me that you don’t like music. You say it gives you a headache when I turn it on because you don’t want music playing.

MICHAELIS: Yeah.

PODANY: My friend pointed that out to me.

MICHAELIS: I was so mad about the concert. I wanted to go to the concert.

PODANY: Yeah, it’s crazy.

“Someone Saved My Life Tonight” Episode 108 — Pictured: (l-r) Haley Lu Richardson as Twila, Emilia Clarke as Bea in Ponies.

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Two unlikely spies navigate danger and betrayal in this wild ’70s-era series.

Vic, you’ve previously talked about how you think Cheryl thinks of herself as somebody that is powerful and holds weight in the world and has value to the people around her, but that that’s also not true. She sees herself in a way that doesn’t match her reality. How do you think she views who she is in her marriage?

MICHAELIS: I think she views herself as a literal perfect wife who has done absolutely everything and gone above and beyond for what she is expected to do, especially in Moscow, where you can’t go to the salon and none of those things are accessible to you. She’s in new outfits all the time, and I think she views that as her wifely duty. I really think that she thinks that a lot of being a wife is about the aesthetic and doing the wifely duties, and I think she performs those exactly as expected. She fills and checks every single box with her little gel pen. It’s that space between realizing that there are other things that you can’t necessarily quantify that go into a relationship and realizing that you have to continue building, and you have to earn those things. A lot of that space is where the current unhappiness is coming from, from Cheryl’s perspective. I’d be so curious what you think, Nick, on that.

PODANY: I think we, as a marriage, are so comfortable in the arguments and in the disagreements. That’s how life works and that’s how our marriage is. I would so much rather be content in that than rock the boat and risk any kind of discomfort in my personal life, especially because Ray’s job is so deeply uncomfortable for who he is, as a person. I think having a very stable place to come home is the only thing he wants. If it’s Cheryl being mad at him all the time, then that’s what it is and that’s okay by him. I think he’s a very lost guy who needs to stay present and in the situation he’s in. Otherwise, the entire Jenga tower would just topple, and that would be that.

‘Ponies’ Co-Stars Nicholas Podany and Vic Michaelis Believe That Ray and Cheryl Really Do Love Each Other

“There is some love liquid there, underneath it all.”

Vic Michaelis as Cheryl standing in her living room in front of the curtain in Ponies

What did the two of you most enjoy about finding and exploring the relationship between your characters? What was the best part of having each other to find that with?

PODANY: When I first read this, I was like, “How will this character ever work?,” in terms of Cheryl. This person doesn’t really seem to have a redeeming quality.” And then, at the first table read, it immediately clicked. I was like, “Oh, my God, she’s an icon. She’s a housewife diva. You root for her and her and her antics and her feeling of being unjustly treated.” And so, the very first day that we were shooting at the Christmas party, just immediately Vic went into improv. They were like, “Okay, just improv your way into the scene,” and every single take was a brand-new way to get under Ray’s skin and to devalue the romantics of the relationship. It was amazing because all I needed to do was just smile and laugh. It was this brilliant thing that Vic brought to the character and to the set. Oh, my God, it was all them. It was insane.

MICHAELIS: No, that’s not true at all, but that’s so kind. [We] had a conversation really early on that I think was really informative and will be the base moving forward. I think these two do love each other. They’re just so lost as to how to communicate that to each other anymore. It’s that status quo and that being the most important thing, but if you really were to strip all that away, there is a base that’s green and boiling. There is some love liquid there, underneath it all, that is beautiful.

PODANY: Give them therapy for five years and they’ll figure it out. There are moments in the show where we get to show that. They’re fleeting, but those were my favorite scenes.

MICHAELIS: It was great. It was awesome.

‘Ponies’ Creators Unpack Those Finale Twists and Tease “More Complicated Loyalties” for Season 2 and Beyond

Creators Susanna Fogel and David Iserson unpack the finale’s biggest gut-punches, Bea and Twila’s new leverage, and why trust gets messier.

Vic, to get a little silly for a minute, would you want Twila, Bea, or Cheryl on Very Important People, and who do you think would be the best?

MICHAELIS: Oh, okay. That is really tricky. We’re talking the characters? The character is getting in hair and makeup as another character. Cheryl would try the hardest, that’s for sure. But Cheryl would also be really concerned about doing it wrong, in my opinion. So then, that leaves Bea and Twila. Nick, what do you think, gut reaction?

PODANY: Cheryl.

MICHAELIS: No, not Cheryl. Cheryl, I genuinely think, would be an untenable guest. She’d get on set and be like, “I’m not putting that on my face. There’s not a chance.” She would refuse to cooperate. I think Twila, in the opposite direction, would have some of that because she wouldn’t care enough. So, I think that maybe leaves Bea. I think Bea would earnestly be a quiet hitter. A homerun, but it’s so quiet.

Vic, did you torture any of your castmates on set as much as you torture Sam Reich?

MICHAELIS: I’d constantly set traps for people on set. They’d be like, “Let me out of the tree” and I’d say, “No. Not until you give me a dollar.” It was really fun though. Everybody was so wonderful and so sweet. It’s such a cliche, but we really had such a good time. We sang a lot of karaoke. Nick, at one point, set up a live band karaoke for us, where he just learned a bunch of music in a week. There’s a band in episode four at the party, and that band turned into a real band.

PODANY: I got this band of these great Hungarian musicians to come to this club, and I got submissions from the entire cast and crew of songs that they wanted to sing and we set up a band. We literally had the best time.

MICHAELIS: It was great. It was amazing.

‘Ponies’ Star Vic Michaelis Thinks It’s Fun To Root for the Villain

“It was so fun.”

Vic Michaelis as Cheryl opening the door of her home and looking at someone on the other side in Ponies

Everything really comes crashing down in the finale. One of the biggest questions this season, with who is the mole, is answered and we learn that it’s Cheryl. Vic, how did you feel about Cheryl having the tracking device taken into the vault to then have it explode and destroy all that evidence? When your character does something like that, do you cheer on their creativity or do you want to scold them for their bad choices?

MICHAELIS: It’s so curious. I have my own ideas, obviously, of how Cheryl ended up in this situation. From a person that is closely tied to this character and is, of course, having to root for their success because it is the most fun option in this situation, it was a ballet. By the time that device gets into the ambassador’s hands, all of a sudden, Cheryl can start showing emotion because it’s like, “I did it! Oh, my God, I did it! Here we go. Can you even believe it?” Personally, I think it’s kind of fun to root for a villain, especially in a situation like that. It’s so fun. Make more fun TV. I love this. It was so fun. It was so good.

Were you surprised that Cheryl actually killed the nanny? Do you think she knows more about the nanny than she’s saying? Was it just instinct? Was it a loose end? How did you rationalize that?

MICHAELIS: (Creators) David [Iserson] and Susanna [Fogel] have gone on record saying that they’ve left it ambiguous. But I think Cheryl kills the nanny, at the end of the day, for the family. I think that legitimately is the motivation there is because now, at this point, it is like looking down the barrel. I do think Eevi staying alive messes up her son and her husband and her life. I think she kills Eevi because if Eevi wakes up and starts talking, and they find out that Eevi was not the mole, that then can affect Cheryl’s family, and I think that is a motivation worth killing for.

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The wife of the great khal has another husband to mourn.

Nick, at the end of the season, the CIA isn’t aware of who the mole is. Even Ray is unaware that it’s Cheryl. How will that affect things? How do you think he’ll feel about that? What do you want to see with him in Season 2?

PODANY: I think he spent the entire season being very stubborn to his own moral compass. I think he knows exactly who he’s loyal to. I think he knows exactly what this job means to him and what his family means to him. He’s got a list of people he trusts. And then, the rest of the world, no, but that list is stuck in his brain forever. For the rest of the characters, in this whole thing, we learn that the technique of being a spy always gets you in trouble, and yet Ray has lived with it and thrived on it for a long time. Given that he’s an analyst in the CIA, he’s not usually boots on the ground. He’s able to distance himself. So, it would be really cool to see him thrown into the middle of the action and learning that trust gets you in some real hot water in this kind of world. I’m really excited to see how his kindly manner will mix with that information.

The ‘Ponies’ Set Embraced a Vibe of Fun and Joy While the Cast Got To Play and Shake Things Up

“I adore every person in this cast.”

Aside from working with each other, you’re also sharing scenes with Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson. Do you guys each have a favorite moment or scene that you had with one of them from the season?

PODANY: The bubble, where it’s me, Adrian [Lester], Emilia and Haley, was the crew’s least favorite place to film because we wouldn’t be able to get through a scene. We’d just start laughing. It was really hard to get through sequences because the four of us would just have giggle fits all the time. I adore every person in this cast because of their work ethic, but also just this incredible capacity for fun and joy. I think trying to stifle creativity by making something really serious and really hard-framed and where you know exactly what you’re going to do in every take just completely stifles the joy and ultimately the beauty of the project. And so, my favorite thing about working with them was just the ability to fuck with things and have a great time doing it.

MICHAELIS: I love that. I didn’t know we could cuss. There we go. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I didn’t have a place for it, I just wanted to do it to make sure that was on record.

PODANY: I’m a pretty cool guy. I swear sometimes.

MICHAELIS: I didn’t know, but now I know. There you go. My favorite scene is also the first one that we filmed. It was me, Haley, and Tom [Stourton], who played George. In the second episode, we’re at this discotheque and we’re literally pushing through fog and into the discotheque, and Haley just leans over to me and goes, “This is a movie.” I feel like when you’re an actor, before you ever step on set, you have a dream of what filming a movie is going to be like and it’s often like you’re living in the final product that you’re seeing. And that was a moment where it really was like, “Oh, yeah, we are literally experiencing filming and simultaneously living a movie right now.” It really was absolutely crazy, walking through all this fog with all these characters pushing through, and then being in this bustling discotheque. And they actually had the sound on for the first little bit, so that way we could get the feel for it. A little movie magic, they don’t often have the sound on when they’re playing music, so that you can hear dialogue and stuff like that. It was incredible. It was crazy.

Release Date: Advertisement

January 15, 2026
Network: Peacock
Directors: Ally Pankiw, Susanna Fogel, Viet Nguyen
Writers: Advertisement

Carolyn Cicalese, Susanna Fogel, David Iserson, Adrian Lester, Emilia Clarke, Haley Lu Richardson, Jordan J. Riggs, Rosa Handelman

Ponies is available to stream on Peacock.

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Dan Hurley Offers Geno Auriemma Support Amid Final Four Drama

Published

11 minutes ago

6 April 2026

NewsAdmin

UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley is sticking with his school, offering women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma words of encouragement amid his Final Four drama.

“Obviously, I’ve had a negative influence on Geno,” Hurley joked in a Saturday, April 4, press conference, referring to his own hot-headed reputation. “And it’s crazy, because Geno’s helped me so much.”

He continued, “The way he handled the whole thing, such a stand-up guy, with the way he handled it with the statement, and he’s one of the classiest people.”

Hurley — who was speaking after his team defeated Illinois in the Final Four to advance to the national championship game — raised some eyebrows himself after his team’s epic comeback against Duke in the Elite Eight on March 29.

After UConn guard Braylon Mullins hit an improbable three-pointer in the final seconds of that Elite Eight matchup (giving the Huskies the lead and eventual win), Hurley was seen staring down and headbutting a referee on the sideline. There was no discipline given to Hurley or the team at the time.

Less than a week later, Auriemma got into a brief postgame scuffle with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley after his Friday, April 3, Final Four loss to the Gamecocks. After the 62-48 loss, he shared some tense words with Staley on his way to the locker room.

GettyImages-2269724786 Geno and Dawn Staley — Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma exchange words after the Final Four of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The two legendary coaches were quickly separated after the explosive incident, while Staley continued to chirp at Auriemma as he made his way off the court.

“I will beat Geno’s a**,” Staley said, according to a video on social media.

On Saturday April 4, Auriemma released a statement apologizing to the South Carolina “staff and the team.”

“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina,” Auriemma said in a statement shared via X. “It’s unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut.

He continued, “I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. It was uncalled for in how I reacted. The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to detract from that. I’ve had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them.”

Hurley praised Auriemma’s statement and said he deserved the “benefit of the doubt.”

“And if anyone should get the benefit of the doubt, in a world of sports, it’s Geno Auriemma,” Hurley said. “Because he’s one of the most authentic, genuine, great people you’ll ever meet in your life.”

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Read President Trump’s Expletive-Filled Easter 2026 Message

Published

24 minutes ago

6 April 2026

NewsAdmin

President Donald Trump shared an unprecedented Easter 2026 message amid the country’s ongoing war in Iran and online rumors the Commander-in-Chief is in poor health.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” Trump, 79, posted via his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday, April 5. “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F***in’ Straight, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH!”

The president concluded, “Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Hollywood A-listers, political pundits, former Trump allies and voters alike took to social media to respond to the president’s post, including country music singer Maren Morris.

“Invoke the 25th already,” she wrote over a screenshot of the president’s social media post.

“On Easter morning, this is what President Trump posted,” former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a staunch MAGA supporter, shared via X. “Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshiping the President and intervene in Trump’s madness. I know all of you and him and he has gone insane, and all of you are complicit. I’m not defending Iran but let’s be honest about all of this.”

Tiger Woods Was Not Allowed to Drive Trump Children Before His Recent DUI Arrest — U.S. President Donald Trump. SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

Trump’s unorthodox Easter morning message comes in the wake of swirling online rumors regarding his health. Over Easter weekend, unfounded and uncorroborated claims Trump was transported to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, permeated online.

The rumors became so prominent, the White House was forced to issue a social media response.

“Deranged liberals cook up insane conspiracy theories when @POTUS goes 12 hours without speaking to press,” the administration’s rapid response account wrote via X on Saturday, April 4. “(They said nothing when [former president Joe] Biden routinely went 12 days without speaking to press). Fear not! President Trump literally never stops working.”

Adding fuel to the health allegations, Trump reportedly skipped the Easter masses he was scheduled to attend on Sunday. Instead, the president took a so-called “tour” of Washington, D.C. before returning to the White House. A “full lid,” meaning no additional press engagements or public appearances will take place for the president, was later announced at 12:22 p.m. EST.

The president also reportedly visited his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

Prior to Trump’s “tour,” the president was last seen on Wednesday, April 1, during his national address discussing the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran. In the address, the president attempted to distance himself from rising oil prices while denouncing NATO and the U.S. allies’ refusal to engage in the ongoing conflict.

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Dak Prescott Confirms Sarah Jane Ramos Split in Court Docs

Published

37 minutes ago

6 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott confirmed his breakup from ex-fiancée Sarah Jane Ramos in custody documents, Us Weekly can exclusively report.

Prescott, 32, filed a legal petition in Texas on March 17 to ensure “the best interest” of his and Ramos’ daughters: Margaret Jane “MJ”, 2, and Aurora, 11 months.

“The parents of the children are separated. The appointment of the parents as joint managing conservators would be in the best interest of the children,” court documents obtained by Us on Sunday, April 5, read. “It is in the best interest of the children that [Prescott and Ramos] be appointed joint managing conservators of the children.”

Prescott and Ramos, 32, started dating in 2023 and got engaged in October 2024 months after welcoming MJ that February. The pair, who welcomed Aurora in May 2025, called off their engagement one year later.

“There wasn’t any rockiness in the lead-up, and there was no big argument or blow up,” Ramos’ rep told People last month. “It was a mutual decision.”

While neither Prescott nor Ramos have further detailed what led to their broken engagement, the pro athlete is taking precautions for MJ and Aurora’s benefits with his court filing.

According to the docs, Prescott requested that the court “make temporary orders” to ensure his daughters’ “safety and welfare” moving forward.

“[Prescott] prays that citation and notice issue as required by law and that the court enter its orders in accordance with the allegations contained in this petition,” the docs state. “[He] prays that the court, after notice and hearing, grant a temporary injunction enjoining [Ramos], in conformity with the allegations of this petition, from the acts set forth while this case is pending. [Prescott also] prays for general relief.”

Per the order, Ramos would be required to preserve any documents or electronic data relevant to the case. She and Prescott will also be unable to remove MJ and Aurora from Texas without the other’s written permission. The Cowboys star is also asking that the exes avoid any communication involving “vulgar, profane, obscene or indecent language.”

The order, however, doesn’t make stipulations about Prescott and Ramos occupying their once-joint home or spending money for “reasonable and necessary living expenses.”

Prescott and Ramos have 30 days after the motion was filed to produce documentation about their resources and the ability to pay child support.

“The parties are encouraged to settle their disputes amicably without court intervention,” the docs conclude. “The parties are encouraged to use alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation, to resolve conflicts that may arise in this lawsuit.”

Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for Prescott and Ramos for comment.

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Where Is Malcolm in the Middle’s Erik Per Sullivan After Recast?

Published

50 minutes ago

6 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Malcolm in the Middle is returning without Erik Per Sullivan — but where is the former child star now?

After Disney+ picked up a revival series for Malcolm in the Middle, Variety confirmed that Per Sullivan would be recast. His character Dewey will be played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, who is taking over the role for the four-episode special.

The rest of the cast including Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield are expected to reprise their respective characters. In addition to the main cast, Kiana Madeira, Anthony Timpano, Vaughan Murrae and Keeley Karsten have been cast in key roles as well.

“25 years since we premiered Malcolm in the Middle. I’m so excited… that I may have peed just a little bit,” Cranston and Kaczmarek said in a December 2024 announcement post. “What a delight that I get to yell at that kid again! We’re very, very excited about coming back together and seeing what this family has been up to.”

The revival will be written by Linwood Boomer, who created the original series. It will chronicle Malcolm (Muniz) and his daughter as they are “drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party,” according to a press release.

Malcolm in the Middle Revival Recasts Erik Per Sullivan After Retirement — Frankie Muniz, Erik Per Sullivan in Malcolm in the Middle. Everett Collection

“Malcolm in the Middle is a landmark sitcom that captured the essence of family life with humor, heart and relatability,” President of Disney Branded Television Ayo Davis said in a statement. “Its hilarious and heartfelt portrayal of a lovably chaotic family resonated with audiences of all ages, and we’re so excited to welcome the original cast back to bring that magic to life again. With Linwood Boomer and the creative team at the helm, these new episodes will have all the laughs, pranks, and mayhem fans loved — along with a few surprises that remind us why this show is so timeless.”

Meanwhile, President of 20th Television Karey Burke released a statement as well, which read, “Malcolm in the Middle literally changed the face of the television comedy landscape when it premiered two decades ago, redefining what the genre could be. When Linwood Boomer suggested it might be time to bring everyone’s favorite dysfunctional family back for a bit of a reunion, we couldn’t think of a more iconic and influential series to revisit, along with a truly brilliant cast to reunite.”

Per Sullivan’s absence doesn’t come as a surprise. He rose to stardom playing Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle, which ran from 2000 to 2006. Per Sullivan appeared on Come on Over, Arthur and the Invisibles and Twelve.

The now-former actor officially retired in 2010 and hasn’t participated in any of the show’s reunions over the years. Kaczmarek, who played Per Sullivan’s onscreen mother, shared an update in 2024 during an interview, saying, “I admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world. It’s not for everyone.”

Kaczmarek revealed that Per Sullivan retired from acting because he was no longer interested in the profession. He is currently a student at “a very prestigious American university” and pursuing a degree in Victorian literature.

The actress offered another update in April 2026, telling The Guardian that the retired actor is “studying Dickens and is an incredible student. They offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said, ‘No thank you.’”

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Disney+’s Gritty Crime Thriller Proves the Franchise’s Darkest Stories Are Its Best

Published

1 hour ago

6 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Nearly a year after Andor came to a devastating conclusion last May, Star Wars has delivered a new series that embraces its gritty, hard-hitting storytelling more closely than most fans could have imagined. Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord may be an extension of the animated Clone Wars universe that first added much-needed depth to The Phantom Menace’s Zabrak baddie, Darth Maul, but it’s also the closest the franchise has come to a full-blown crime thriller since Andor first debuted.

Trading battlefield spectacle for shadowy corridors, syndicate conflict, and the mounting paranoia of Imperial oppression, the series reframes Maul (Sam Witwer) as something even more unsettling than we’ve previously seen. Here, he’s a crime lord slowly unraveling under the weight of his own grief, rage, and desperate need for control. Set in the aftermath of the Clone Wars, the series leans hard into a cat-and-mouse dynamic that feels more like a serialized, slow-burn detective story than the crisis-of-the-week styling that even The Bad Batch occasionally fell into.

Despite the series’ title, Maul isn’t the sole character driving the narrative. In fact, the character who pushes the plot forward the most is Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon), an Order 66 survivor trying to keep a low profile alongside her Jedi Master, Eeko-Dio-Daki (Dennis Haysbert). After a run-in with the law places her directly in Maul’s path, Devon finds herself torn between what the Jedi taught her and what Maul is tempting her to become. Their dynamic is immediately compelling, especially with her Master still alive and present. Maul’s desperation to claim an apprentice transforms their relationship into something distinctly predator-and-prey, and — quite early on — it’s clear to everyone around them that he already has his hooks in her. The way Maul clings to this fragile sense of control creates a tension that fuels much of the series’ psychological weight.

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‘Shadow Lord’s Best Character Isn’t Maul

Wagner Moura's Lawson in Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord — Wagner Moura’s Lawson in Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord

But for all its focus on Maul and Devon, Shadow Lord’s most compelling thread belongs to someone entirely outside the would-be master and apprentice dynamic. Brander Lawson (Oscar nominee Wagner Moura), a hardened police detective on Janix, grounds the series in a perspective Star Wars has rarely explored on screen. His investigation into Maul’s criminal operations unfolds like a classic noir mystery — complete with bank heists, rival crime syndicates turning on one another, and layers of intrigue that deepen with each episode.

Lawson’s past, which Shadow Lord smartly leaves partially obscured while sprinkling clues throughout, adds another layer of complexity to his role in the story. It positions him as someone more sympathetic to Devon and Eeko-Dio-Daki’s situation than his badge might suggest, even as Imperial pressure continues to mount. He finds himself caught between a rising criminal empire forming in the shadows and the Empire’s growing overreach into everyday life. Where Andor explored the complacency of regional law enforcement, Shadow Lord does something different with Lawson’s reluctance to fall in line. That tension becomes even more personal for Lawson through his fractured family dynamic. His ex-wife aligned herself with the Empire, fully convinced of its good intentions. It’s an echo of some of the storytelling that Star Wars Resistance toyed with under the First Order’s rule, but even more compelling here. Lawson’s son, Rylee (Charlie Bushnell), is also one of the more intriguing characters, especially as he’s pulled dangerously close to Devon’s orbit.

The result is a storyline that doesn’t just heighten the stakes, but provides much of the series’ emotional core. Shadow Lord does a good job of making the audience care quickly about each of the new characters, to the point that they become far more interesting than whatever is going on with Maul — and there is a lot going on with Maul. While only 8 of the first season’s 10 episodes were provided for review, Shadow Lord sets up some incredible events that could lead to major payoff for viewers who have also invested time in the comics and novels set during this era, and perhaps even Solo: A Star Wars Story fans.

Star Wars Continues to Raise the Bar With Animation

Marrok in 'Maul: Shadow Lord.' — Marrok in ‘Maul: Shadow Lord.’

Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord is just as impressive visually as it is narratively. Building on the style established in The Bad Batch, Shadow Lord pushes things even further, delivering some of the franchise’s most striking visuals in animation. The lighting work, in particular, leans heavily into the show’s noir sensibilities — deep shadows, neon accents, and dimly lit interiors that make each location feel like a living, breathing underworld. It’s like everything fans dreamed that the cancelled video game Star Wars 1313 could have been. Heightened action sequences with lightsabers are fluid but never overindulgent, while quieter, character-driven moments are given just as much visual care. It’s a level of polish that elevates the tone across the board, reinforcing that this is a darker corner of Star Wars.

That same level of precision carries over into the show’s structure. With each episode running around 22–25 minutes, Shadow Lord makes the most of every second, maintaining a pace that never feels rushed or stretched thin. Each installment moves the larger story forward while still allowing room for character development, particularly in the interplay between Maul, Devon, and Lawson. The writing is consistently sharp, balancing its multiple storylines without losing focus. It’s a clear evolution from the more episodic tendencies of previous animated shows, resulting in a story that feels tightly constructed from beginning to end.

Tying everything together is a phenomenal score from Kevin, Sean, and Deana Kiner, who once again prove that they understand the emotional core of Star Wars as well as anyone working in the franchise today. Their work here leans into Shadow Lord‘s darker tone, blending haunting motifs with pulsing, tension-filled cues that heighten both the action and the quieter psychological beats. That atmosphere is further strengthened by a strong supporting cast of characters, including the terrifying Inquisitor Marrok (A. J. LoCascio), whose presence looms large whenever he appears, Maul’s steadfast confidant Rook Kast (Vanessa Marshall), and the unexpectedly entertaining crime lord Looti Vario (Chris Diamantopoulos), who brings a welcome touch of levity without undercutting the stakes.

Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord stands as one of the strongest animated entries the franchise has delivered in years, channeling the same depth, tension, and character-driven storytelling that defined the very best arcs of The Clone Wars. While it doesn’t quite reach the towering heights of Andor, it comes closer than anything else in the modern Star Wars slate, embracing a more grounded tone that feels refreshingly bold. With sharp writing, stunning animation, and a cast of characters that consistently elevate the material, Shadow Lord doesn’t just surpass The Bad Batch — it leaves that series behind entirely, proving that Star Wars animation can still evolve in meaningful, exciting ways.

Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord is set to premiere April 6 on Disney+, with two episodes being released each week until May 4.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord

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A dark, slow-burn crime thriller that trades Jedi heroics for syndicates, shadows, and a compelling new Star Wars character.

Release Date: April 6, 2026
Network: Disney+
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Directors: Brad Rau

Pros & Cons

Shadow Lord is a a bold series with an Andor-adjacent tone that fully embraces a gritty crime thriller structure begging to be told within the Star Wars universe.
Wagner Moura’s Brander Lawson is a standout, offering a refreshing and emotionally grounded perspectives.
Tightly paced, sharply written episodes with a phenomenal score from the Kiners that enhances every beat.

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Why Tracker, Marshals Don’t Start on Time on CBS Sundays: Inside Delay

Published

1 hour ago

6 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Every Sunday, CBS shows Tracker and Marshals are scheduled to air at a certain time yet are always delayed — but what has caused the consistent change?

Viewers have tuned in weekly to see Luke Grimes‘ Yellowstone spinoff at 8 p.m with Justin Hartley solving a new mystery at 9 p.m. and Watson following up at 10 p.m. The timing, however, is always pushed because CBS is home to football broadcasts — and 60 Minutes specials.

Since NFL games usually run long, this impacts the 60 Minutes special that always follows. As a result, everything else gets pushed back and, well, you get the idea.

Tracker was plagued with delays during its first season, due to live events like March Madness and the CMT Music Awards. The show still found a way to be coined the most-watched broadcast premiere since NCIS‘ final episode with Mark Harmon in September 2021. Its average viewership was reported to be 18.2 million per episode, according to Paramount+ and broadcast measurements.

Variety‘s annual list of the year’s 100 most-watched primetime telecasts revealed that Tracker episodes earned 15 top spots. Despite making Us wait 11 weeks for new episodes, the second season dominated viewership with the season 2 premiere bringing in 8.3 million total viewers — a nearly 10 percent increase in viewership from the season 1 finale. The season 2 premiere also marked the show’s highest audience since the series debuted in February 2024 after the Super Bowl.

Tracker, which premiered in February 2024, is centered around a survivalist named Colter (Hartley) who travels the country helping to solve a variety of mysteries. Hartley, 48, recently spoke about how Tracker’s success has paved the way for more opportunities.

“It’s really the cool show now, right? So, we actually got really lucky. I feel like I blinked, all of a sudden woke up and it’s been 20 years. But I’ve been in this business long enough to have developed these relationships,” he told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month. “When you see the people on our show that are familiar faces and actors you know, like Jensen Ackles and my wife [Sofia Pernas], these are relationships I’ve had for a long time. I was really grateful I was able to do that.”

He continued: “I think they trusted me knowing I’m not going to call them and ask them to do something, or invite them to do something unless I think it’s really cool and fun and would be good for them as well. So we start off on that foot, and then this show became what it is. It’s huge. People think it’s cool and want to be a part of it, which is also nice because it allows you to get a bigger pool of talent.”

Ahead of the show’s season finale, Hartley promised to deliver some surprises.

“You are going to get the last five episodes in a row. So, you’re getting five separate movies. We call them little movies. As we’re inching closer to the end of the season, we creep closer and closer to the mystery of what the hell happened to Colter’s father,” he teased. “How did he die? Was there in fact another man in the woods? Did he get pushed? Did he get killed? Was it an accident? What the hell is going on with that?”

Hartley confirmed there was already a possible story planned for season 3, adding, “Now we’re in new territory. We have a couple of ideas. One of these is that Colter has all of these skills — he’s a survivalist and he knows how to be alone, and he knows how to find people and he’s gifted in that regard. He’s a great listener.”

The actor concluded: “But it would be interesting, I think, to see him be set up. In other words, to see him using all those skills to run from the authorities, because you’ve been set up for whatever reason. I’d love to have all that tie into the family background, the government. So, we’ll see. We’ve been kicking that idea around. We have a lot of different stuff that we’re talking about. We have the underlying theme of what we’re going to do next year, while not really changing the direction of where our story is going.”

Marshals airs on CBS Sundays at 8 p.m. ET while Tracker follows at 9 p.m. ET and Watson at 10 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.

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Chiefs Heiress Gracie Hunt Is Engaged to Boyfriend Derek Green

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1 hour ago

6 April 2026

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Kansas City Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt is preparing to walk down the wedding aisle after announcing her engagement to boyfriend Derek Green.

“It was always you,” Hunt, 27, wrote via a joint Instagram post shared on Saturday, April 4, announcing their engagement alongside a slew of photos featuring Green, 26, and the pair — including her now fiancé on one knee — during the monumental moment.

Hunt could be seen wearing a floor-length, sleeveless white dress for the special occasion, while Green decided to wear a dapper light gray suit. The pair, who enjoyed an outdoor proposal at an altar decorated adorned with white flowers and matching candles, were also pictured holding hands after Hunt said “yes.”

While the proposal itself appeared to be an intimate affair — complete with a show-stopping emerald-cut engagement ring encrusted with white diamonds and an emerald stone — the newly-engaged pair were later joined with some of their most nearest and dearest to celebrate their impending nuptials.

Hunt’s father, Clark Hunt, as well as her mom, Tavia Hunt, were in attendance, in addition to Green’s parents, Trent Green and Julie Green.

Gracie and Green — who hard-launched their relationship in May 2025 — have been “friends since 2017,” according to the heiress. (Gracie is a member of one of the wealthiest families in the United States, with a net worth reportedly valued at around $3 billion, according to Sports Illustrated.)

In July 2025, Gracie revealed she was “dating my best friend” via an Instagram post featuring Kansas City Chiefs WAG and pop superstar Taylor Swift’s hit song “You Belong With Me.” (Swift, for her part, famously got engaged to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in August of that same year.)

Prior to the pair’s social media debut, Gracie teased her relationship in an April 2025 Instagram video that she since-deleted.

“After meeting 7.5 years ago in this place… all along there was some invisible string,” she reportedly wrote over the video, according to the New York Post. In the deleted video, Gracie was reportedly seen wrapping her arms around Green, whose identity remained a mystery at the time as Gracie declined to publicly reveal his name.

Green responded to the pair’s engagement announcement, writing in the comments section, “FOREVER AND EVER” along with two red heart emojis.

Plenty of A-list friends also shared their congratulations in the comments section.

“Awwww congrats,” sports reporter and TV personality Erin Andrews commented.

“Congratulations! And also, CALLED IT!!!” actor Eric Stonestreet wrote.

“So exciting!! Congratulations!” Randi Mahomes, mom of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, commented.

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Would Manifest’s Josh Dallas Join Justin Hartley’s Tracker?

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2 hours ago

6 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Josh Dallas reunited with Manifest‘s Melissa Roxburgh but would he consider working with her again — except this time on Justin Hartley‘s hit series Tracker?

Dallas and Roxburgh shared the screen in the neatest episode of NBC’s The Hunting Party, which the actress has starred in since 2025. She also appears as Hartley’s onscreen sister on CBS’ Tracker, which Dallas is a fan of as well.

“100 percent. I’d love if Justin would have me,” Dallas exclusively told Us Weekly during a joint interview. “I’d be there in a second.”

Tracker, which premiered in February 2024, is centered around a survivalist named Colter (Hartley) who travels the country helping to solve a variety of mysteries. Hartley’s role as an executive producer has allowed him to surprise viewers with exciting guest stars such as Roxburgh, Sofia Pernas, Jensen Ackles, Jennifer Morrison and more.

Despite introducing Roxburgh as Colter’s sister, Dory, and Ackles as Colter’s brother, Russell, it remained unclear whether the Shaw siblings could reunite again. By the time production on season 2 started, Ackles booked several other roles while Roxburgh became the lead on NBC’s The Hunting Party.

“I had so much fun on that show,” Roxburgh told Us in February 2025. “Justin is great. It’s such a lovely and warm set [because] Justin does such a good job of making it that way. So I’d love to go back. Justin is a friend and it’s nice to play with your friends and I love the show, so we’ll see.”

For now, Roxburgh is focused on her show, which has found even more success after streaming on Netflix.

“I was open to anything after Manifest since that was so specific. It was very sci-fi and there were so many extraordinary events happening in that show that I was like, ‘Anything else will be different,’” Roxburgh previously told Us about booking her first role after leading the cast of Netflix’s Manifest. “So when this came up, I thought it was cool. I do love profiling and I love psychology. So this character obviously does that full-time for a job and she does it for very interesting and unique killers.”

The Hunting Party airs on NBC Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET and new episodes are available to stream on Peacock the next day.

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Stars Celebrate Easter 2026: Mariah Carey and More 

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2 hours ago

6 April 2026

NewsAdmin

The stars donned their Sunday best and celebrated Easter 2026 in style.

“Happy Easter everyone!!! Mummy went all out this year and made sure the Easter bunny was really good to Sidney because he has been such a good boy this year,” Kelly Osbourne wrote via Instagram on Sunday, April 5. “I have [planned] such a special day for him.”

Osbourne, who shares her son with ex Sid Wilson, organized a special Easter egg hunt for Sidney in their backyard before enjoying a boat ride on a lake.

Mariah Carey, for her part, rang in the festive holiday with her kids.

“Happy Easter!” Carey, who shares Moroccan and Monroe with ex Nick Cannon, wrote alongside a pic of her kids meeting a costumed Easter bunny.

Keep scrolling to see how the stars celebrated Easter:

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Golfer Scotte Scheffler Announces Birth of 2nd Baby at Masters

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2 hours ago

6 April 2026

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Scottie Scheffler and his wife, Meredith Scudder, welcomed a second baby boy into their family — and what better place to make the announcement than the iconic Masters Tournament?

Scheffler introduced his 9-day-old son, Remy, to the Augusta National crowd ahead of the coveted tournament, according to a Sunday, April 5, report from Associated Press golf writer Doug Ferguson.

The Masters is scheduled to run from Thursday, April 9 until Sunday, April 12.

“Another boy for the Schefflers (Remy),” Ferguson posted via X. “The little fella is 9 days old and already at the Masters.”

Scheffler, 29, told the Associated Press that Remy was born on March 27.

“We just liked it,” Scheffler said about his newborn son’s name. “We didn’t have very many good boy names, to be honest with you.”

He and Scudder also have another son, Bennett, who was born in May 2024. Bennett was born just weeks after Scheffler won his second Masters tournament.

GettyImages-2258183375 Scottie Scheffler son — Scottie Scheffler with his wife, Meredith, and son Bennett, after winning The 2026 American Express Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

At the end of March, the World No. 1 golfer abruptly withdrew from the Houston Open tournament due to the imminent birth of his son. Now that Remy has officially been welcomed into the fold, Scheffler is expected to return to the tee box in time to compete for another Masters title.

He told the AP that, despite having some time off over the last few weeks, he’s found ways to stay sharp.

“I’ve been practicing,” Scheffler said. “I’ve been able to do a good amount at home.”

According to the Associated Press, the last player to win the Masters after having three weeks off is Adam Scott, who won the tournament in 2013.

Scheffler has separated his personal life with his golf life, but has spoken on the importance of being a dad.

“I love being a father,” he said in June 2025. “I love being able to take care of my son. I love being able to provide for my family out here playing golf. Every day when I wake up early to go put in the work, my wife thanks me for going out and working so hard.”

He continued, “When I get home, I try and thank her every day for taking care of our son. It’s why I talk about family being my priority, because it really is. I’m blessed to be able to come out here and play golf. But if golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or with my son, that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.”

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