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Entertainment
The Raunchiest, R-Rated Comedy On Netflix Proves How Painful Nostalgia Can Be
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
You know the most insidious thing about Mad Men? The show goes to painstaking depths to portray all of the greed and cynicism at the heart of commercial advertising. Nonetheless, when Don Draper gives a big speech to clients, you still get caught in the honeyed trap of his words. As with propaganda, nobody is immune to marketing, and Jon Hamm’s relentless sloganeering takes on a magic life of its own. My personal favorite moment is when he’s pitching to Kodak and says that, “In Greek, nostalgia literally means the pain from an old wound. It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone.”
In our world of endless reboots, revivals, and retro Funko Pops, how could your own nostalgia be painful? Simple: when it reminds you of something you’ve lost. This was all I could think about when watching Animal House on Netflix. As an R-rated, snobs vs. slobs boner comedy, it’s quite literally the kind of movie that Hollywood doesn’t make anymore. That’s not the part that hurts, though. No, the real nostalgic sting comes from the fact that these types of students (the slobs and the snobs) don’t really exist anymore. We’ve sanded down education even as students sanded down their brains, creating campuses as devoid of passion as they are of original thought.
Embracing The Chaos
In retrospect, the beauty of Animal House is that it doesn’t really have a plot. Sure, we are nominally following the exploits of two college freshmen (Larry Kroger and Kent Dorfman) as they pledge to a raucous fraternity house. Really, though, the story is just an excuse to revel in frat bros behaving badly, whether that’s throwing toga parties, starting food fights, or even creeping on sorority sisters as they undress. Predictably, our frat heroes are railroaded by snooty students and an angry dean who wants the college to be prim and proper. Quite unpredictably, our protagonists crash a college parade, effectively reasserting that chaos will always reign over order.
It’s a very unconventional story that represents a kind of thesis statement from director John Landis. Just as National Lampoon had taken the piss out of the college experience, Landis wanted to usher in a new kind of movie: the raunchy, college-centric comedy. It worked fabulously, with Animal House serving as a creative touchstone for literally decades of “boys behaving badly” films. While the film is as funny as it ever was, it can be a little painful to watch because this world no longer exists. The primary reason for this is that modern college students lack the joie de vivre of this film’s heroes and its villains.
A New Kind Of Student
When people talk about Animal House reflecting a forgotten time, they are usually talking about its portrayal of college as a place of endless partying and debauchery. The success of the movie initially led to a revival of fraternity life, with real-life students trying to emulate the raunchy antics they had seen onscreen, complete with binge-drinking and hazing. In turn, university administrators spent countless years tightening their own rules and doing their best to kill campus party culture before it could take hold. While all of that is a factor, the real reason that Animal House is a product of the past is that modern students’ view of college has completely changed for the worse.
Animal House was made back when college was considered a time of personal growth. Not just through the traditional liberal arts education (which is the reason you learn at least a little about so much outside your major), but through the experience itself. In its own demented way, that is something the movie is celebrating: that even when our audience surrogate characters are struggling academically, they are forming friendships, finding love, and generally becoming fully-formed young men. Crashing the parade is the most extreme example of this: these two went from weak-willed yes men to dudes ready and willing to defy authority in the loudest and most hilarious way.
Giving In To Temptation
Unfortunately, modern students see college as nothing more than a jumped-up trade school. They aren’t here to broaden their horizons; they’re here to get a piece of paper required for whatever job they want. It’s education by algorithm, really: they are chasing the careers likeliest to pay well by getting the degrees likeliest to land those careers. Along the way, most will just lean on AI to jump through all those pesky educational hoops. Making friends and joining organizations in meat space mean nothing to the modern generation of students. When they aren’t asking ChatGPT to invent a few more fake citations, these students are just trading brainrot memes on their favorite Discord servers.
Obviously, these students are a product of their environment. The pandemic made them embrace the internet as their only social outlet, and the easy availability of generative AI made them intellectually lazy. Meanwhile, poor job forecasts made the whole prospect of a college education feel like a gamble. Why spend four years mastering skills in an industry that will be dead in five years? Accordingly, these students are trapped in a kind of half-life, with one foot in the internet and the other in the increasingly uncertain real world. Is it any wonder, then, that they don’t have any real passion for classroom lectures, campus parties, or even partying?
The Party’s Over
All of this is why I get a bit sad watching Animal House. Most modern students will never have the kinds of friendships portrayed in this movie, and they most certainly won’t have the same R-rated campus shenanigans of the titular “animal house” fraternity. They won’t even have the same experience as the uptight snobs trying to shut the party frat down. All of that would require a genuine passion and intellectual curiosity that is completely absent from a generation raised by iPads and planning marriages to their AI girlfriends. It’s no longer slobs vs. snobs, it’s just screens vs. everybody else. And trust me, the screens are winning.
So, if the nostalgia is a little too painful, you might want to sit this one out. Otherwise, you can currently stream Animal House on Netflix. The antics of performers like John Belushi are just as funny as you remember, and there’s something joyful about returning to the age of the flamboyant R-rated college comedy. Plus, the film is filled with lines you’re likely to be quoting for the next week. Just don’t try any of those jokes on the Zoomers in your life; they won’t laugh, but they will make you an endless punchline over in the group chat!
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It’s not an easy accomplishment for any kind of show to even approach perfection. But if there’s any one medium of television that allows creatives to come up with all sorts of fresh, ambitious, boundary-pushing ways to deliver a truly flawless show, it’s animation. It’s a medium that’s virtually limitless—at least visually—, and as such, it should be no surprise that several of the most perfect new shows are animated.
“New” meaning any show from the last five years here, this leaves us with ten particularly amazing animated series which demonstrate how praise-worthy animation is. This is a category of television that’s looked down on by many fans of the medium, but these ten exceptional new series show why in this fresh golden era of small-screen animation, things are starting to change.
10
‘Common Side Effects’ (2024–Present)
Adult Swim has been producing some of the greatest adult animated series in history since the early 2000s, and if it continues heading in the direction that it’s currently heading in, Common Side Effects has the potential to join that elite club. It’s one of the most delectably odd, trippy, and surreal animated shows of the last five years, perfect for those who prefer animation at its most mind-bending.
Masterfully balancing a hilarious sense of deadpan stoner humor with elements worthy of the most gripping, high-stakes thriller imaginable, it’s one of those animated shows whose every episode is a masterpiece. Brilliantly genre-bending and thematically multi-layered, it’s one of the best animated satires that the 2020s have thus far gifted us with.
9
‘Pantheon’ (2022–2023)
Based on a series of short stories by Ken Liu, the cyberpunk conspiracy thriller Pantheon is one of the most near-perfect hard sci-fi shows on Netflix. Bolstered by its excellent voice cast, its copious amounts of philosophical and thematic depth, and its fascinating portrayal of the singularity (a hypothetical in which technological growth accelerates beyond human control), it quickly became one of the most acclaimed animated sci-fi shows of the last decade.
Mind-bending and emotionally weighty, Pantheon approaches themes of transhumanism and artificial intelligence in ways that feel far more chillingly timely and relevant today than they did back in 2022. It’s perfectly paced and thoroughly engaging, proof of just how intelligent and compelling sci-fi stories can be in the limitless field of animation.
8
‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ (2023–Present)
Based on the manga series written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is already one of the highest-rated shows of the 2020s thus far on IMDb. It has a well-deserved perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, all reviews coming from critics who were inevitably charmed by its cozy, refreshingly calm atmosphere.
Subverting the traditional fantasy formula of the epic quest to defeat a powerful enemy, Beyond Journey’s End kicks things off after the Hero’s Journey has concluded, focusing on the poignant aftermath and passage of time. This is more than enough to make it one of the best fantasy anime of all time, a deeply moving comfort watch imbued with bittersweet nostalgia.
7
‘Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord’ (2026–Present)
The iconic television side of the Star Wars franchise has been making plenty of ventures into the live-action format since 2019, but animation is where the galaxy far, far away lived on the small screen for several decades; and animation is still the medium that’s producing some of the best Star Wars content out there. Case in point: the incredible Maul — Shadow Lord.
Maul is a character that has been greatly expanded on and enriched over the history of animated televisual Star Wars, but Shadow Lord is, unsurprisingly, the most fascinating that the villain has ever been. With some of the most stunning animation, memorable music, and exceptional voice performances of any animated show from the last five years, Shadow Lord can already be counted among not just the best Star Wars shows, but also the best new sci-fi shows currently on television.
6
‘X-Men ’97’ (2024–Present)
Back in 1992, X-Men: The Animated Series completely revolutionized superhero television, kicking off the Golden Age of animated superhero television alongside Batman: The Animated Series. Its cancellation in 1997 due to financial issues was a deep tragedy, but in 2024, Disney’s Marvel revived the show with X-Men ’97, which has managed to live up to the stratospherically-high bar set by its predecessor.
There’s definitely a wonderful sense of nostalgia here, but even those who didn’t grow up with the 1992 original are bound to be delighted by X-Men ’97‘s crisp animation, top-tier voice acting, and exceptional writing. All of that and more makes this one of the best animated shows of the last five years. With its clear reverence for the source material being strongly balanced with a sharp, modern feel, X-Men ’97 is already finishing what its predecessor started back in the ’90s.
5
‘Invincible’ (2021–Present)
Created by Robert Kirkman and based on the Image Comics series of the same name that he co-created with Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, Invincible has proven just how capable adult-oriented superhero media is of ingraining itself into pop culture in precisely the same way that the more family-friendly MCU and DCU have done.
It’s the sort of Prime Video show that keeps you hooked throughout, and though some may point to its occasionally subpar animation as an argument against its perfection, that ends up feeling like nothing more than a nitpick when the writing and voice acting are so legendarily flawless. With its deep, emotionally grounded character development and its eye-popping bloody action, Invincible has already cemented its place in the pantheon of history’s best adult animated shows.
4
‘Scavengers Reign’ (2023)
The long history of both animation and science fiction often being looked down on, even by the studios that produce such shows, claimed a new victim in 2024: Scavengers Reign. It’s one of those new sci-fi shows that are perfect from start to finish, and though it was originally devised and pitched as a self-contained miniseries (which means that those worried about cliffhanger endings needn’t worry about getting into Scavengers Reign), it had tremendous potential to develop into a full-fledged series.
Even still, this should forever be remembered as one of the best sci-fi shows and best animated shows of the 2020s, as well as one of the best animated sci-fi shows of the first quarter of the 21st century as a whole. Full of wonderfully imaginative world-building, tremendous psychological depth, and absolutely breathtaking animation, Scavengers Reign is the sort of masterpiece that the small screen only gets once in a lifetime.
3
‘Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War’ (2022–Present)
There’s a good reason why Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War is the highest-rated anime series of the 2020s so far on IMDb: It really is that good. Based on Tite Kubo‘s manga series Bleach (one of the most underrated manga of the 21st century) and a direct sequel to the 2004 anime show of the same name, it’s a huge, massive-budget return to form for the franchise.
Whereas the original Bleach show ended on a pretty polarizing note, The Thousand-Year Blood War has thus far earned nothing but universal praise from fans and critics all across the board. The animation is nothing short of god-tier, delectably colorful and full of fluid choreography. Pair that with a thrilling, practically filler-free sense of pacing and a legendary soundtrack, and you get an anime series with the potential to be remembered as one of the best of all time if it sticks the landing in the end.
2
‘Blue Eye Samurai’ (2023–Present)
For people who love gritty revenge stories like Kill Bill and Lady Snowblood, Blue Eye Samurai is a must-see. With its second season in production, this is still one of those short TV shows you can finish in one night—and such a fast-paced binge session will surely be awfully tempting, seeing as this is one of the most enthralling adult animated series in Netflix’s catalog.
With its stunning animation and its emotionally resonant narrative, this character-driven gem subverts the traditional gender and racial tropes of stories set in Edo-era Japan. Its antihero protagonist is an absolutely fascinating lead character, its animation is wonderfully cinematic, and its thematic depth never feels forced or overly dense. In other words, it’s one of the greatest samurai masterpieces that the small screen has ever seen.
1
‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)
Arcane is far more than just one of the best Netflix shows of the last five years. For one, it may very well be the most visually impressive animated show in history, 18 episodes’ worth of pure eye candy full of vibrant colors, emotional expressiveness, and wonderful world-building. But visuals are definitely not the only thing that it has going for it, either.
Instead, this adaptation of League of Legends seemed to come out of nowhere and shock Netflix subscribers with its intricate plotting, emotionally stirring character work, and thematically profound narrative. It’s the most high-quality example of what animation has had to offer on the small screen over the course of the last five years, a breathtaking work of art that has no right being as entertaining and well-made as it is.
Arcane
- Release Date
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2021 – 2024
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Christian Linke
- Directors
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Barth Maunoury, Marietta Ren, Christelle Abgrall
Viewers waiting for Love Island USA‘s Casa Amor just found out when to expect the episodes — which they can also watch in theaters.
Peacock confirmed that Casa Amor will start airing on Monday, June 22. In addition to being available on the streaming service, Casa Amor will be screened in select cities across the country. With a runtime of 90 minutes, the special will be available in 28 theaters.
According to previously released info, the episodes will last five days — and will feature a shakeup with The Heartbeat Challenge format.
The hit show follows a group of singles who have to pair off in order to stay in a luxury villa in Fiji. The contestants — who are referred to as Islanders — live in isolation and are under constant video surveillance.
Hosted by Ariana Madix, Love Island USA requires the group to be coupled up in order to have a chance at receiving the $100,000 prize. While the Islanders are filming nonstop for weeks, viewers are watching daily episodes — and even get to cast votes that affect couples and the fate of the contestants who are facing temptation as sexy new singles make their debut.
Peacock’s popular dating show returned in June with contestants Aniya Harvey, Beatriz Hatz, Bryce Alakai Dettloff, KC Chandler, Kenzie Annis, Melanie Moreno, Sincere Rhea, Sean Reifel, Trinity Tatum and Zach Georgiou.
While the Islanders paired off during Day 1, it didn’t take long for those bonds to shift. There was also the arrival of bombshells Gabriel Vasconcelos and Kayda Bosse, who allured several Islanders to reconsider their connections.
Casa Amor will divide the couples into two different villas — one for the men and one for the women. During their separation, the Islanders are tempted to see whether their connections are solid with the arrival of brand-new bombshells.
The villa test will end with everyone deciding whether they want to recouple with a bombshell — or remain in their existing couple.
The experiment usually lasts three to four days and has been known to create more chaos … and a potential Movie Night where everyone sees what happened in the other villa.
New episodes of Love Island USA are released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.
Join Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv in our first-ever Love Island USA fantasy league! This is your chance to predict who you think will win Season 8 and rank the Islanders weekly based on how confident you are that they will survive the next elimination. You will be playing against our editors, get access to exclusive content and have the chance to win fun prizes. Sign up for free today!
Keith Urban may have moved on from his marriage to Nicole Kidman, but that didn’t stop him from publicly celebrating his ex-wife’s birthday. The country music star shared a heartfelt message for Kidman as she turned 59, offering a rare glimpse into the friendly dynamic the former couple has maintained since their divorce earlier this year.
The country music star took to Instagram Stories on June 20 to mark the occasion, sharing a simple but enthusiastic tribute to his former spouse. “Happy birthday, Nicole Mary!!!!!!!!!!!!” Urban wrote against a colorful purple-and-teal background.
While Kidman did not publicly respond to the message, she spent the day reflecting on the milestone herself. The Oscar-winning actress shared a photo from a nature hike and thanked fans for their well wishes. “Another trip around the sun,” Kidman wrote. “Thank you for all the birthday love xx. #SummerSolsticeBaby.”
Nicole Kidman And Keith Urban’s Marriage Ended After Two Decades
Urban’s birthday tribute comes less than a year after the former couple ended their marriage. The pair separated in 2025 after nearly 20 years together before finalizing their divorce earlier this year.
According to reports, the pair reached an out-of-court settlement that allowed them to divide their shared assets without a lengthy legal battle. Their Marital Dissolution Agreement reportedly included no spousal support, with neither star required to pay alimony following the split.
The former couple also worked out a custody arrangement for their daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. Kidman was granted primary residential custody in Nashville, while Urban retained joint responsibility for major parenting decisions and shares regular visitation, including alternating weekends with the girls. However, reports have continued to suggest lingering tensions between the girls and Keith Urban, with one daughter even unfollowing the country music star on social media.
Nicole Kidman Focuses On Family Following Divorce
Following the split, Kidman largely kept details of the breakup private, though she briefly addressed how she was coping during an interview shortly after the separation became public. “I’m hanging in there,” Kidman told Interview in October 2025.
Months later, the actress emphasized that despite the end of her marriage, maintaining a strong family unit remained her top priority.
“I’m always going to be moving toward what’s good. What I’m grateful for is my family and keeping them as is and moving forward,” she told Variety. “That’s that. Everything else I don’t discuss out of respect. I’m staying in a place of, ‘We are a family,’ and that’s what we’ll continue to be. My beautiful girls, my darlings, who are suddenly women.”
Kidman Has No Plans To Leave Nashville
Despite the major life change, Kidman has made it clear she isn’t leaving behind the life she built during her marriage to Urban. “We have our life here,” the actress said of Nashville. “I’m part of the city and community for 20 years. It’s my home.”
The actress also noted that while she frequently travels, especially to visit family in Australia, Tennessee remains where she feels rooted. “We go away. I’m very close to my sister in Sydney, and all my nieces and nephews,” she said. “My sister and I are a bit like the aunts in ‘Practical Magic.’”
Keith Urban Has Reportedly Found Comfort In Music
Meanwhile, Urban appears to have thrown himself into his career following the divorce. A source previously told Us Weekly that the separation was a “long time coming” and that both stars had quietly grown apart over the years.
“Keith has moved on and has been open with Nicole about where he stands,” the insider said, adding that “The two had grown apart quietly over time, and by the end, the decision to separate was more about acceptance than surprise.”
Friends of the singer have also suggested he’s remained focused on his music in the months since the split. “Keith Urban is my guy,” fellow country star Russell Dickerson told Page Six earlier this year. “He’s doing great” and “seemed in good spirits.”
“He’s always been focused on music, and so I think he’s just kind of doubling down on that, and it’s just beautiful. I can’t wait to hear what comes out of it.”
Entertainment
HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ Begins Its Penultimate Act With an Explosive Season 3 Premiere
Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3’s premiere.
Long waits for new seasons of hit shows are common, especially ones as ambitious and large-scale as House of the Dragon, but it’s rare that lengthy delays like this cause such division and controversy. Much of this stems from the creative schism between series creator Ryan Condal and Game of Thrones franchise creator George R.R. Martin, the latter of whom has practically disowned the show for its creative deviations from the source material. Couple that with the release of another Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the third and penultimate season of House of the Dragon faces an uphill battle.
“Battle” is the perfect term to use, as Season 3 of Game of Thrones‘ first-ever prequel series is full of them. Season 2 left off with Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) making the most headway in a daring play for the throne as Prince Regent, having severely injured his brother, King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), and killing Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) in one fell swoop. Still grieving the death of her son, Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) has grown obsessed with killing Aegon, and, with the help of Daemon’s (Matt Smith) newfound army, the Sea Snake’s (Steve Toussaint) naval fleet, and a newly recruited squadron of bastards with Targaryen dragon blood, she seeks to wage an all out war in a bid to reclaim the Iron Throne — which may be easier to claim than expected, as Season 2 ended with Rhaenyra conspiring with Alicent (Olivia Cooke) to take King’s Landing once and for all. Season 3 picks up right where Season 2 left off, and in spectacular fashion at that.
Rhaenyra Is Ready for War in ‘House of the Dragon’s Season 3 Premiere
Though there has been a shift in trust between Rhaenyra and her childhood friend, the displaced queen seems to believe that Alicent’s desire to sacrifice Aegon for the good of the kingdom is genuine. Someone who does not agree with that assessment is Rhaenyra’s eldest heir, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), who firmly believes that the current Queen of Westeros is leading his mother into a trap. Rhaenrya refuses to heed the counsel of her firstborn child, as she once again proves she will do whatever it takes to kill both of her half-brothers.
HBO Officially Confirms a Super-Sized Premiere for Its Biggest Fantasy Series of 2026
Fire. Blood. Battles.
Elsewhere, Rhaenyra’s allies have made significant progress in their campaigns to gain footholds throughout Westeros before an all-but-inevitable invasion of King’s Landing. Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell), desperate for a dragon of her own, is attempting to tame the wild (and decently ugly) beast named Sheepstealer in the Vale. Meanwhile, Rhaena’s father, Daemon, is leading a campaign against the affluent Lannisters before he makes contact with House Stark, forming an alliance that proves the Lannister and Stark rivalry predates the events of Game of Thrones by many decades. Also in the mix are the newly recruited band of bastard dragonriders that Rhaenyra has recruited, who are growing impatient waiting for their queen to join them in their planned ambush of Aemond, especially when they have a run-in with a mysterious antlered creature. Finally, Corlys is preparing his fleet for battle, which is arriving sooner than he thinks.
Alicent Is Losing Her Grip in ‘House of the Dragon’s Season 3 Premiere
Although the Blacks have their sights set on an all-but-assured victory, the same can’t be said for the Greens, who are practically falling apart at the seams. For starters, the current king of Westeros is in the process of fleeing King’s Landing with Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham). Not only that, but when they are stopped by Rhaenyra’s footsoldiers, Larys completely surrenders himself and Aegon into captivity, seemingly implying that they will surrender to Rhaenyra just as the tide starts to turn in her favor.
Back in King’s Landing, Aemond has practically named himself king in the absence of his brother, and while Alicent regards her son with fear in her eyes, Aemond is also clearly shaken by the current state of the war. He knows well that the more progress the Blacks make, the higher the likelihood he’ll need to confront Daemon — the uncle he once revered — and even a dragon as large as his undefeated Vhagar would be genuinely challenged. Despite this, Alicent still encourages her son to face Daemon in battle, which Aemond responds to by proving that Targaryens still have a penchant for incest when he kisses his own mother on the lips.
The Battle of the Gullet Lives Up to the Hype, but Comes With a Cost
Things may not be looking good for the Greens, but initially, there seems to be a silver lining with their new alliance with the Triarchy. Unfortunately, Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn) has a personal score to settle with her enemy, the Sea Snake, and is willing to abandon her position as the flagship to pursue her mission of revenge. Her decision plays into the infamous Battle of the Gullet, perhaps the greatest naval war ever showcased in the Game of Thrones universe. Rhaenyra is ready to take her dragon into battle, but a bold move from a worried Jacaerys leads to him locking his mother in her chambers while he and Baela (Bethany Antonia) leave to turn the tide themselves with their own dragons.
Back on the front lines, the Sea Snake’s forces have clashed with Lohar’s, but Corlys knows that his old enemy will do anything to catch up to him. After leading Lohar through a narrow strait, causing her to sacrifice her Lannister allies, a final battle between the seafarers results in Corlys being thrown overboard, with his fate ultimately left unknown. On the other hand, Lohar meets her end at the hand of Corlys’ recently reclaimed son, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim).
With the Triarchy’s naval commander defeated, victory for the Sea Snake’s allies should be guaranteed, but things aren’t over yet. A wildcard enters the picture when Rhaena brings a semi-tamed Sheepstealer to the battle, which starts as helpful but soon turns disastrous when the wild dragon starts attacking friendlies. Jacaerys and Baela try to stop the violent beast, but upon realizing their kin is riding the monster, Jacaerys has to maneuver to get out of the way, sending Vermax to the depths in the process. Just when it looks like Jacaerys might make it out alive, a slew of arrows from a nearby ship kills him in an instant, taking yet another of Rhaenyra’s children and setting the stage for an explosive penultimate season.
House of the Dragon Season 3’s premiere episode is streaming on HBO Max now.
- Release Date
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August 21, 2022
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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George R.R. Martin
- Directors
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Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel
- Writers
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Gabe Fonseca
-
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Fabien Frankel
Ser Criston Cole
Pros & Cons
- The Battle of the Gullet is an impressive battle that lives up to the hype.
- Olivia Cooke’s performance as a conflicted mother is impeccable.
- Jacaerys’ death is bound to have terrible consequences.
- Main players like Rhaenyra and Daemon don’t have much to do (yet).
Bunnie Xo is not letting her divorce from country music star, Jelly Roll, dim her light, as she recently unleashed her curves for a girls’ night out.
The media personality and her estranged husband shocked many when it was revealed that they were ending their marriage.
However, things still seem amicable between Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo, as they’ve made efforts to keep talks about their separation as civil and friendly as possible.
Bunnie Xo took to social media to flaunt videos and images from her night out, as she rocked a daring plunging top, which showed off her abs and curves.
She also had on high-waisted plaid pants, while accessorizing the entire look with silver jewelry and keeping her blonde hair in loose waves.
Bunnie seemed to be having a great time at the bar she was at with her gal pals, as some videos shared showed her laughing and dancing, sometimes with a cocktail in hand.
In the caption of the Instagram post, she wrote, “So in love w/ these women,” adding a heart and bandage emoji, seemingly hinting at her ongoing divorce from her husband of almost 10 years, Jelly Roll.
Fans Praise The Podcaster For Taking Care Of Herself And Having Fun Amid Her Divorce
In the comment section of her post, fans of Bunnie had nothing but kind words for the podcaster, with some even taking subtle jabs at Jelly Roll.
One person wrote, “I hope you can feel the support of the world, Bunnie! You are a beautiful person, keep loving on YOU.”
“Lady, you are like some superhero. We love you, hope you know that and feel it,” another individual commented.
Someone else said, “You are ONE of a kind PERFECT in every way—don’t ever stop being you with your beautiful, gorgeous heart! You are IRREPLACEABLE 100000%.”
A fan blasted her estranged husband, writing, “J is gonna regret losing you, and he will try to circle the block for sure.”
“Jelly roll will never be able to replace you,” another said.
Jelly Roll Filed For Divorce From Bunnie Xo Due To ‘Irreconcilable Differences’
Jelly Roll was the one who made the move to legally end their marriage in May, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Court documents obtained by Us Weekly showed that the singer further stated that he and Bunnie were “unable to live together successfully as Husband and Wife.”
Insiders have since shed more light on the reason behind their split, revealing that Jelly Roll and Bunnie’s lifestyles began to clash.
The former lovebirds, who initially bonded over their similar pasts being riddled with struggles, grew apart, especially with the singer prioritizing a “faith-centered lifestyle.”
Speaking to Page Six, a source noted, “Some people around them felt there was growing tension as Jelly embraced a more faith-centered lifestyle while Bunnie continued building the outspoken and provocative brand that had always been authentic to her.”
“Whether that’s fair or not, it became increasingly difficult to reconcile those two worlds,” they added.
The Ex-Couple’s Lives Have Been Moving In ‘Different Directions’
The source further explained how multiple marital issues strained Jelly Roll and Bunnie’s marriage, especially the singer’s increased focus on faith amid his weight loss journey.
“A lot of people want to point to one thing, but it was really a combination of issues that had been building for years,” the insider said. “They came from similar worlds when they met and bonded over surviving difficult circumstances, but over time their lives started moving in different directions.”
They added, “Jelly has changed tremendously over the last few years. His focus shifted to his health, faith, family, and the long-term legacy he wants to leave behind.”
Regarding their assets, Jelly Roll noted in the divorce documents: “The Husband anticipates that the parties will execute and enter into a Marital Dissolution Agreement that provides for the division of the parties’ marital assets and debts. Plaintiff asks that the Court approve any Marital Dissolution Agreement entered into by the parties upon the expiration of the statutory waiting period.”
Jelly Roll And Bunnie Xo Still Plan To Have A Baby Together Despite Their Divorce
Despite their divorce, the former couple still plans to have a child, with Bunnie Xo sharing the details on her “Dumb Blonde” podcast.
We’re going to co-parent together,” Bunnie stated. “J is my best friend. Like, this isn’t what you guys think this is. Nobody cheated on the other person. We just served our purpose for each other.”
Back in February, the pair shared the exciting news that they had finally found a surrogate following a long battle with infertility.
Bunnie had been open about her struggles, once revealing details about the challenges she was facing while slamming fans speculating about her marriage to Jelly Roll.
“Someone said the other day, ‘They used to always be together, and now you never see them together,’” she recalled. “I’m like, ‘Do you guys not know that for the past six months [that] I’ve been trying to make a baby?”
With the pair confirming that a baby is still underway, it means child support is bound to come into play in their ongoing, and presently amicable divorce.
In the world of television, there are very few creators who can outmatch Taylor Sheridan. Thanks to the success of Yellowstone, Sheridan’s built a veritable empire of TV shows for Paramount. He’s also wrangled a collection of talented actors to star in them, including Kevin Costner, Sylvester Stallone, and Harrison Ford. Long before he climbed to the top of the Paramount mountain, Sheridan racked up a collection of supporting roles on various television shows. One of those series was on a popular 2000’s-era neo-noir series, and it features Sheridan playing a character that’s the complete opposite of the rugged, salt-of-the-earth cowboy types he often writes about or portrays in his current shows.
That series is none other than Veronica Mars. The Rob Thomas-created series stars Kristen Bell as the titular private eye, who juggles solving crimes in her hometown of Neptune with completing high school. Equal parts dark and witty, Veronica Mars was a major success during its original run, outlasting the end of its parent network, UPN, and even returning for both a movie and a revival series. It also saw a number of iconic guest stars during that run, including Tessa Thompson and Amanda Seyfried. That raises the question:What exactly is Taylor Sheridan’s role in Veronica Mars?
Taylor Sheridan Is Utterly Unrecognizable in ‘Veronica Mars’
Taylor Sheridan makes his first appearance in Veronica Mars during the Season 2 episode “Ahoy Mateys” as Danny Boyd, the cousin of criminal Liam Fitzpatrick (Rodney Rowland). Veronica first encounters Danny when she’s investigating a mystery involving a school bus that plunged into the Pacific Ocean. Danny isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, as he unwittingly shows Veronica around his cousin’s headquarters and winds up being taken down by her signature taser shortly after. It’s a far cry from Sheridan’s clean-cut role as David Hale in Sons of Anarchy, but it showcases that the man has some serious range.
Danny would wind up playing a key role in Season 2 of Veronica Mars, since he has a connection to a plastic surgeon whom Veronica suspects is involved in the bus crash. Said surgeon almost put Veronica’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) behind bars, making Danny’s help all the more necessary. Sheridan would reprise his role in two more episodes of Season 3, though his last appearance in the episode “Debasement Tapes” was overshadowed by none other than Paul Rudd. Despite a brief run, Sheridan managed to be one of Veronica Mars’ most memorable guest stars.
‘Veronica Mars’ Was The Beginning of the End of Taylor Sheridan’s Acting Career
Shortly after his stint on Veronica Mars, Taylor Sheridan would board Sons of Anarchy. However, he quit after that show’s third season to pursue writing, as he felt he wasn’t paid enough for his roles. Sheridan further elaborated on his decision during a 2021 interview with Deadline, saying he knew the time was right to shift gears to writing and creating his own shows.
“It wasn’t so much over money. It was so much more than that’s how the business saw me… And I decided right there that I didn’t want to be 11 on the call sheet for the rest of my life.”
True to his word, Sheridan immediately pivoted to writing scripts for movies and television, beginning with the crime thriller Sicario and then launching the Yellowstone universe, which continues to this day with the spin-offs Y: Marshals and Dutton Ranch. He’s still managed to play key roles in those series, particularly in Yellowstone as horse trainer Travis Wheatley. Travis is the complete opposite of Danny Boyd, as he’s muscular, confident, and impresses every woman he comes into contact with. Some Yellowstone fans tend to see Travis as little more than Sheridan’s self-insert, since the series’ penultimate episode, which features him prominently, is the lowest-rated episode of Yellowstone‘s run.
Taylor Sheridan is about to undergo another seismic career shift, as he’s departing Paramount for a robust deal at Universal Pictures. Fans of his work should remember that his short-lived stint on Veronica Mars helped pave the path to his current superstardom.
- Release Date
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March 14, 2014
- Runtime
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107 minutes
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When temperatures climb, the last thing anyone wants is an outfit that feels heavy, clingy or uncomfortable. Sound familiar? Plenty of Amazon shoppers feel the same, which is why so many are adding the R.Vivimos Flowy Maxi Dress to their carts as fast as they can. Made from 100% cotton, the breezy style was made to keep you cool while making getting dressed feel almost effortless, all for just $36.
Part of what makes this dress such a standout is how versatile it is. It’s the kind of easy, laid-back piece you can throw on in seconds and somehow manage to look miraculously put together, whether you’re off to the farmer’s market, packing for vacation or meeting friends for lunch. Better still, its relaxed silhouette keeps you comfortable even on the hottest summer days.
Get the R.Vivimos Flowy Maxi Dress for $36 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
The lightweight cotton fabric delivers an airy, effortless feel that’s hard to find, especially at such an affordable price point. Its flowy shape moves beautifully, while the otherwise simple design makes it easy to dress up with a kitten heel and jewelry or keep casual with flats and a straw tote.
Wardrobe panic is real — but add in warmer temps and the pressure to find something that makes you feel cool, calm and confident can be even more of a struggle. You want something feminine and pretty for vacation or Saturday morning farmer’s markets, but the thought of squeezing into something tight in 90-degree heat […]
It’s also the type of wardrobe staple you’ll find yourself reaching for again and again. Comfortable enough for everyday wear but polished enough for vacations, brunches and backyard gatherings, it solves one summer’s biggest style dilemmas: looking chic without overheating.
Many shoppers say the dress quickly became their go-to warm-weather outfit. “I basically live in these dresses,” shared one five-star reviewer. “I have multiple colors and cycle through them. Literally the most comfy piece of clothing I own, and they are super cute too!”
“The 100% cotton material is soft, breathable, and feels wonderful against the skin—especially in the summer heat,” wrote another five-star reviewer. “I’ve looked at similar high-end cotton and linen dresses that cost over $150, and this one is just as stylish and well-made for a fraction of the price.”
If your summer wardrobe is missing that one easy dress you’ll want to wear on repeat, this shopper-loved maxi is well worth considering. Lightweight, breathable and endlessly versatile, it’s easy to understand why so many shoppers are calling it one of Amazon’s best.
Get the R.Vivimos Flowy Maxi Dress for $36 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more maxi dresses here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Growing up, I always respected Don Bluth, whose animated films felt like the weirder, scruffier alternative to the squeaky-clean movies of Walt Disney. Some of these were moving and inspirational, like An American Tail. Others were almost horrifying in their own way, like The Secrets of NIMH and All Dogs Go To Heaven. In a weird way, that was part of the charm: while you generally know what to expect from a Disney movie, you never know what you’ll get from Don Bluth. That’s especially true of his forgotten, turn-of-the-millennium sci-fi classic: Titan A.E.
To put it mildly, Titan A.E. is a movie that shouldn’t work. The plot is filled with warmed-over sci-fi cliches, the 2D and 3D animation clash, and the voice cast is beyond eclectic. However, all of these bizarre elements add up to a strange brew that is surprisingly tasty. The movie has also aged surprisingly well, especially now that Star Trek and Star Wars have started circling the drain. If you want a genuinely fresh view of the future, then you need to take a trip to the past. Fortunately, it’s just a click away: Titan A.E. is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
In Your Space
The plot of Titan A.E. is that after Earth is attacked by evil aliens, humans must wander the galaxy, each trying to cobble together a living. One such human is Cale, whose father was working on an ambitious project that caught the aliens’ attention. As a young man, he joins a ragtag crew who need his help (and the holographic map in his ring) to track down his father’s old ship. According to dear old dad, that ship may hold the key to saving what’s left of humanity. But unless our hero can outwit an alien army and find allies he can truly trust, the human race may be completely doomed.
The most striking thing about Titan A.E. is its animation style. The film came out a few years after Toy Story normalized CGI animation. As such, this movie has a mixture of styles: most of it is animated in gloriously beautiful 2D animation, but some of the action (basically, anything involving aliens or spaceships) is animated with CGI. This ends up effectively being a double-edged sword for Titan A.E. On the one hand, the animation styles visually clash, and some of the computer-generated imagery has aged particularly poorly. On the other hand, this mixture of styles gives Titan A.E. a very distinct style, which is only fitting for a movie that, to this day, is like no other cartoon that you’ve seen.
Witty And Wordy
While Titan A.E. will appeal to many audiences (including animation fiends and sci-fi nerds), it will particularly resonate with fans of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. That’s because Joss Whedon is one of the film’s writers, and he does a great job bringing these quirky characters to life. Also, while saying this may get me staked by crazed fans, the writing in Titan A.E. arguably represents Whedon at his peak: the dialogue is funny and memorable without feeling like it’s trying too hard. Personally, I’ll take dialogue like this any day over Whedon’s attempts at humor in The Avengers, a movie where a quarter of Tony Stark’s lines are dumb puns and outdated references.
Of course, the dialogue in Titan A.E. is that much more memorable thanks to the movie’s weirdly stacked cast. Lion King alumnus Nathan Lane provides great comic relief as a cutesy alien, while Bill Pullman is all grizzled charisma as a gruff space captain. Janeane Garofalo lends her comedic talents to a kind of stern, den mother of an alien, and Drew Barrymore is all sexy confidence as a pilot turned love interest. At the heart of it all is Matt Damon, whose rich performance helps protagonist Cale stand out as one of the freshest and funniest main characters in sci-fi history.
In Space, Everyone Can Hear You Rock
Beyond the unique animation, great writing, and immersive voice cast, Titan A.E. has one more secret weapon in its arsenal: a killer alt-rock soundtrack. We get fun needle drops from millennial-friendly bands like Lit, Jamiroquai, and Powerman 5000, making this the perfect movie for anyone who went to high school in the ‘90s. Heck, this is a film that prominently included Creed’s “Higher” in its trailer, cementing this movie as an artifact of a simpler time. Will the soundtrack make aging nerds want to stand up and shake their groove thing? Yes. Will you probably need a little pain medicine after you do it? Also yes.
All of this adds up to a movie greater than the sum of its parts. The story is a mishmash of various sci-fi cliches, but it remixes them well enough that the resulting film feels surprisingly fresh. The animation styles clash at times, but the combination of 2D and 3D looks better than almost any modern cartoon. Plus, while the needle drops from yesteryear seriously date the film, that’s not necessarily a bad thing; rather, they serve as a bass-shaking reminder that Titan A.E. hails from the waning twilight of the golden age of animation.
Want to reexperience that golden age for yourself? Don’t worry: you won’t have to form a ragtag band to find answers on the far side of the galaxy. All you need to do is check out Titan A.E., which is currently streaming for free on Tubi. This film is Star Wars meets Firefly, and it will appeal to anyone who has ever obnoxiously quoted the works of Joss Whedon. Throw in a rollicking soundtrack and a pitch-perfect celebrity cast, and you have a forgotten epic that’s worth sharing with the entire galaxy.
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For decades, Dragon Ball fans have wondered how Goku’s story will ultimately end. Will the legendary Saiyan unlock one final transformation? Will he ascend to an even greater level of power? Or could his final form be something much simpler?
An obscure piece of artwork from 1989 is now reigniting that discussion.
The illustration, created by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama for the Dragon Ball Z Anime Special book, depicts an elderly Goku many years into the future. While the image was originally created as a joke, fans are now revisiting it as a fascinating glimpse at what Goku’s final years could look like.
What makes the drawing even more interesting is its origin. This version of Goku was not created out of nowhere. It is based on an old sketch Akira Toriyama drew back in 1989 for the Dragon Ball Z Anime Special book. At the time, Toriyama jokingly imagined what Goku might look like as an old man after fans repeatedly asked him when the story would finally end and how Goku would look in it.
The sketch presents a much older version of the beloved hero, a stark contrast to the youthful and energetic fighter fans have followed for decades. Rather than sporting a new transformation or overwhelming aura, this Goku appears aged by time, offering a rare vision of a future that has never been explored in the manga or anime.
Goku [credit: Akira Toriyama 1989]
Since the illustration came from an obscure publication released long before the internet era, many fans had never even seen it before. Now that it has resurfaced, the image is sparking fresh conversations throughout the Dragon Ballcommunity. Some see it simply as a humorous drawing from Toriyama’s past, while others view it as an intriguing possibility for where Goku’s journey could one day end.
Of course, Dragon Ball has changed dramatically since 1989. Goku has gone on to achieve forms that Toriyama himself may never have envisioned when he first drew the sketch. From Super Saiyan to Ultra Instinct, the Saiyan warrior has repeatedly surpassed expectations and rewritten his limits.
Still, there is something compelling about seeing Goku not as an unstoppable fighter chasing greater power, but as an old man who has lived a long and extraordinary life. It is a reminder that even legends grow older, and perhaps the greatest ending for Goku is not one defined by power, but by peace.
Whether Toriyama ever intended the drawing to represent Goku’s true final appearance may never be known. But more than 35 years later, fans are once again asking the question:
Could this sketch from 1989 be our first glimpse at Goku’s final form?
Kyle Busch’s wife, Samantha Busch, is honoring the late NASCAR legend after his death on a day the racer should be spending time with his children.
“This still doesn’t feel real at all. I was up all night thinking about what today should have looked like for Kyle and the kids. The Father’s Day cards that were already made, sitting in a drawer with no one to give them to. Trying to figure out how to navigate a day that should be filled with so much joy for them,” Samantha wrote via Instagram on Sunday, June 21. “He was the dad who never missed a chance to be silly, race the kids around the neighborhood, wrap them in his arms, or stay up a little longer for one more book, one more question, one more moment.”
She continued, “Nothing made him prouder than being Brexton and Lennix’s dad.Watching these memories hurts more than I can explain, but they also remind me how lucky we were to have him.”
Samantha concluded her post with a message for Kyle, sharing that their family — which includes son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4 — “[misses] you every second of every day.”
Samantha Busch (née Sarcinella) was brought to tears ahead of a moment of silence at the Indy 500 that honored her late husband, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch. Clutching the shoulder of son Brexton, Samantha, 39, was overcome with emotion while one of the event’s announcers paid tribute to the Busch family at the Indianapolis Motor […]
“Our hearts ache for you, but it’s more than that. Your absence is something we physically feel. Our bodies hurt from missing you, from reaching for someone who isn’t there, from loving someone we can’t hold anymore,” Samantha wrote. “I will keep telling your stories, sharing your laughs, and making sure Brexton and Lennix always know just how deeply they were loved by their dad. Happy Father’s Day. We love you and miss you more than words can say.”
Alongside the message, Samantha shared several clips of Kyle with their children through the years. In one video, the family embraced in a sweet hug while standing on a race track.
News broke in May that Kyle unexpectedly died at age 41. One day prior to his death, the racer was hospitalized after he was found unresponsive in a race simulator in North Carolina. A death certificate obtained by Us Weekly showed that Kyle had pneumonia for “days or weeks” before his death, which progressed into sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection that can cause multi-organ failure.
Samantha addressed Kyle’s death the following month, sharing a statement signed by her, Brexton and Lennix.
Samantha Busch, the widow of late NASCAR icon Kyle Busch, gave some emotional insight into their final moments together before his shocking death last month. “In the hospital, I made Kyle a promise,” Samantha, 40, shared via Instagram on Wednesday, June 10. “I promised him that I would do everything I could to help our […]
“As a family, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you,” she wrote via Instagram. “The prayers, messages, flowers, meals, hugs, and countless acts of kindness have carried us through the most heartbreaking days of our lives. While our hearts are absolutely shattered, we have felt God’s presence and arms wrapped tightly around us through each and every one of you.”
She continued, “The love that has surrounded our family during this unimaginable time has brought comfort in the middle of so much pain. Knowing the impact Kyle had on others and seeing how they are honoring him through each unique act of generosity is a true testament to how special Kyle is to so many people. There are moments when the weight of this loss feels impossible to carry, yet time and time again God, through you all, has shown us we are not alone.”
Samantha concluded by sharing “family and friends to fans and complete strangers” for “showing up for us.”
“Thank you for loving our family so well,” she wrote. “Thank you for loving Kyle. Thank you for honoring him. We may never find the words to fully express what your support has meant to us, but please know that we are deeply grateful.”
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