If you are a TV fan, you’ve no doubt had to deal with the premature loss of a favorite show. Before the streaming era, shows like My So-Called Life, Freaks and Geeks, and Pushing Daisies all ended before their time. Then along came Netflix, the ultimate heartbreaker. Did you enjoy that take on Daredevil? Too bad, it’s gone. Were you a fan of Mike Flanagan’s The Midnight Club? Sorry, it’s over — go read the book. Were you impressed by Dark, so now you’re checking out 1899 because it’s made by the same people? I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re not getting the answers to all of those questions the series asked. If you get involved with a Netflix series, you pretty much go in knowing the risks. You’re getting involved with a show that could break up with you at any moment, no matter how new it is or how good it’s going.

‘Mindhunter’ Was One of Netflix’s Best Series

Another victim of Netflix’s fear of commitment was Mindhunter, which ran from 2017 to 2019. But it was a show that had everything going for it. David Fincher was one of Hollywood’s elite film directors, creating such masterpieces as Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac, and The Social Network. Then came the news that he was working with Netflix on an adaptation of the 1995 true-crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Serial Elite Crime Unit. Written by former FBI agent John E. Douglas, the book looked into the lives of real-life criminal profilers. For Fincher, who built a career on making crime thrillers, pairing him with this book and Netflix was a match made in heaven. It wasn’t his first time working with Netflix either, as he had already been an executive producer and director on House of Cards.

The series turned out as well as anyone could have expected, completely living up to the hype. It wasn’t just Fincher’s dark, slow-burn storytelling that made it work. He was also assisted by a stellar cast, including Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany as FBI agents, and Cameron Britton in a quiet but creepy performance as serial killer Ed Kemper. Britton’s impression of Kemper was so spot on that the actor earned himself an Emmy nomination.

Season 2 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. An arrest had just been made in the Atlanta child murders, and the frightening scenes of the BTK killer were growing more intense. Season 3 looked to continue the macabre mayhem, except it never came to be. In early 2020, it was announced that the cast had been released from their contracts. Netflix put out a statement to TVLine, saying, “David is focused on directing his first Netflix film Mank, and on producing the second season of Love, Death and Robots. He may revisit Mindhunter again in the future, but in the meantime felt it wasn’t fair to the actors to hold them from seeking other work while he was exploring new work of his own.” That meant Season 3 would eventually come, right? No. In short, the show was unofficially cancelled, but getting fans to accept that would take some time.

David Fincher Has Had To Continously Answer Questions About the Status of ‘Mindhunter’

Image via Netflix/ Denver and Delilah Productions

It was disappointing to hear, but not surprising. It had been a few years since Fincher had made a feature film. Let him go scratch that itch, and he’d be back. He went on to make Mank, which, unsurprisingly, won a few Academy Awards and earned Fincher yet another Best Director nomination. Later in the year, when being interviewed by Vulture, Fincher was asked if Mindhunter was over, and he replied, “I think probably.”

“Listen, for the viewership that it had, it was an expensive show. We talked about ‘Finish Mank and then see how you feel,’ but I honestly don’t think we’re going to be able to do it for less than I did Season 2. And on some level, you have to be realistic about dollars have to equal eyeballs.”

Oof. That hurt. For anyone hoping the show would soon return, that seemed to be the clearest answer that it wasn’t coming back, except then a Netflix rep also had to tell Vulture, “Maybe in five years.” Dang you, Netflix. You make it impossible to let go! A few months later, in an interview with Variety, Fincher was again asked about Mindhunter, and he gave a similar answer: “I don’t know if it makes sense to continue,” he said. “It was an expensive show. It had a very passionate audience, but we never got the numbers that justified the cost.”

It’s Time To Give Up on Any Hope for More ‘Mindhunter’

Image via Netflix

That seemed to seal the series’ fate. Mindhunter cost too much money and not enough people watched, so Netflix pulled it. As much as it sucked, what could you do? Some things just aren’t meant to be, no matter how much you love them. Then, in what had to have been an attempt to one-up that Netflix rep, Fincher added, “At some point, I’d love to revisit it. The hope was to get all the way up to the late 90s, early 2000s, hopefully, get all the way up to people knocking on the door at Dennis Rader’s house.” Once again, fans were fed a bit of hope and then left hanging, like someone who’s been dumped in a relationship, only for the ex to keep popping up and telling you there’s a chance at getting back together. The hope continued to grow when, in 2021, Fincher signed an exclusive four-year deal with Netflix. Maybe, just maybe, that meant the series would return eventually. Spoiler alert: It didn’t.

While we waited, creator Joe Penhall and the cast moved on to other things. Series lead Jonathan Groff had a big role in 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections. While promoting the film in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he was asked about the status of Mindhunter:

“To me, Mindhunter is Fincher. The whole experience for me was the honor and privilege of getting to work with him. So I’m not a sports person really at all, but it’s like the [1997-1998] Chicago Bulls. Do you go for another season with the team? Or do you just do what the general manager says? But if the general manager believes that it should stop, you have to go with the general manager. And this is how I feel with David. The minute he says he wants to do another one, I’ll be there in a second. But I trust his vision and his instincts, and so I leave it always in his hands, as ever.”

At this point, it had been almost two years since Season 2 of Mindhunter. While Groff’s comment about being there to do another season in a second was enticing to hold on to, it also wasn’t feasible. Fincher had moved on, returning to feature films. The cast had moved on, too. Groff was also one of the leads in Knock at the Cabin, and Anna Torv appeared in the first season of The Last of Us. On paper, it seems easy to bring the show back. Well, everyone sounds like they still want to do it, so why not? Netflix surely has enough money. Look at how much money they spend on other shows just to cancel them. On top of that, look how popular true crime is now! Netflix is like a murder documentary assembly line. It’s not that easy, sadly. Resurrecting Mindhunter is not like making a movie. In terms of runtime, it’s like making three or four feature films back-to-back, which is a commitment that’s hard to live up to years later.

‘Mindhunter’ Is Over, It’s Time To Watch Other TV Shows

In an interview with the French outlet Le Journal du Dimanche in 2023, Fincher was, of course, once again asked about the status of Mindhunter. “I’m very proud of the first two seasons,” he said, before repeating:

“But it’s a very expensive show and, in the eyes of Netflix, we didn’t attract enough of an audience to justify such an investment [for Season 3]. They took risks to get the show off the ground, gave me the means to do Mank the way I wanted to do it, and they allowed me to venture down new paths with The Killer. It’s a blessing to be able to work with people who are capable of boldness.”

That sounds like acceptance for Fincher. He did his best, but his relationship with the series is over, and he’s ready to move on. That means you, too, interviewers. Please, for the love of God, quit asking the man about Mindhunter in every interview he does. It’s getting to be absurd and makes it impossible to move on when we’re so often reminded of the one who got away.

That also means fans need to finally move on as well. There are other fish in the sea. For some, however, there’s just no escaping the hold that Mindhunter has on them. While there have been other petitions to bring back the show (along with several other shows), one petition to bring the show back received over 80,000 signatures, with a heartfelt plea from fans begging for a Seson 3, even without the involvement of Fincher. Unfortunately, despite the determination of the fans, it seems that Mindhunter‘s fate is sealed. It’s not coming back, it’s been over five years since that Netflix rep gave us some empty promises. It’s time to move on.

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Release Date

2017 – 2019

Network

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Netflix

Showrunner

Joe Penhall

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Directors

David Fincher, Carl Franklin, Andrew Dominik, Andrew Douglas, Asif Kapadia, Tobias Lindholm

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Writers

Joe Penhall, Jennifer Haley, Joshua Donen, Courtenay Miles, Carly Wray, Pamela Cederquist

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Leave it to Reese Witherspoon to channel New York class and Charleston charm at the same time. Flat sandals are having a serious moment, and Witherspoon just gave the style a cutesy, elevated twist. We found her polished look on sale for just $24!

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Get the Stratuxx Kaze Dressy Flat Sandals for $24 (was $34) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

These Stratuxx Kaze Dressy Flat Sandals mimic the classic brown color, strappy look and sleek silhouette, plus the gold-tone metallic accent that makes any outfit appear rich. Translation: you’ll look like an Upper East Side socialite no matter what you pair them with.

Related: Kate Middleton‘s Classy Summer Dress Is Pure Sunshine — The $28 Look

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Kate Middleton‘s wardrobe usually leans more neutral, but the Princess of Wales is switching things up this summer. We’ve spotted her in purple, sky blue and most recently, yellow. But not just any yellow. She chose the classiest shade, and we found her polished yellow dress style for just $28 on Amazon! Middleton attended the […]

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Related: Pamela Anderson Walked Around Saint-Tropez in This Sleek Sneaker Trend

In case you missed it, chunky sneakers are out in favor of a sleeker, more elegant alternative. Pamela Anderson put the trend into action, wearing a classy sneaker style that didn’t just complete her outfit, but made it. We found Anderson’s polished look for just $35 on Amazon! A few days ago, Anderson wandered around Saint-Tropez, picnic […]

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We’re all used to a genre like science fiction getting tangled in its own ambition. A show with a fascinating premise becomes a lavish, multi-season story, and though a lot of great shows find their footing and fulfill the promise of a long narrative, others become weighed down by filler and the pressure to keep a story running indefinitely.

There are great sci-fi stories that have been told in a short, well-focused narrative. They build complex worlds, explore mind-bending concepts, and deliver great character development, all without a single wasted moment. Each of these is a complete, self-contained masterpiece proving that sometimes, the most profound journeys are the shortest ones. These are the nine greatest sci-fi shows with eight episodes or fewer.

1

‘Childhood’s End’ (2015)

Image via SYFY

Childhood’s End was based on Arthur C. Clarke‘s classic novel, and the adaptation is a stunning and faithful rendition of the story, told through a miniseries. The production design is gorgeous, and the show’s willingness to embrace the story’s philosophical nature makes it one of the most compelling sci-fi shows you’ll ever see. It’s a haunting, thought-provoking exploration of sacrifice and evolution, with characters you can easily empathize with and an ending that is as satisfying as it is sad.

Childhood’s End shows a seemingly peaceful alien invasion, where a mysterious alien race called “Overlords” arrives on Earth and ushers in an era of utopian peace, eliminating war, disease, and poverty. However, their true purpose turns out to be far more complex and terrifying than a simple conquest. Led by a compelling performance from Charles Dance as the alien leader Karellen, the three-episode miniseries excels in slow-burn dread, leading to an ending that feels inevitable and tragic. Childhood’s End proves that a powerful idea, done with love and precision, doesn’t need any more than a few hours to leave a permanent mark.

2

‘The Lost Room’ (2006)

Image via SYFY

The Lost Room is pretty much a cult classic of the genre, and longtime fans know all about this stunning, lore-heavy miniseries. It’s a brilliantly weird and original piece of sci-fi that feels like an urban legend that’s come to life. This miniseries has three episodes, each with a runtime of around 90 minutes, showing a perfect understanding that the best sci-fi doesn’t need to explain everything — it just needs to make the ordinary and mundane feel a lot more magical. The Lost Room has gained a devoted following over time, with promises of a comic book continuation that never came to life but was welcomed with lots of excitement.

The Lost Room follows detective Joe Miller (Peter Krause), who, while investigating a crime scene at a rundown motel, discovers a key that opens any door — and not just any door at the motel, but any door in the world. He soon learns that the key is just one of a hundred everyday objects from Room 10 of the Sunshine Motel that gained impossible powers after a mysterious event in 1961. Some of those objects include a comb that stops time, a pair of scissors that can spin objects, and a bus ticket that transports you to New Mexico. Beautiful and haunting, The Lost Room is a perfect time capsule that will evoke the 2000s perfectly, but at the same time, it’s a timeless piece of sci-fi that’s still relevant two decades later.

3

‘Bodies’ (2023)

The Netflix miniseries Bodies has a brilliant premise that hooks you instantly — the same dead body investigated across multiple timelines. Based on Si Spencer‘s DC Vertigo graphic novel, Bodies is a beautiful genre-bending series that starts as a gritty police procedural and expands into a dystopian sci-fi thriller. The story includes some intriguing time-travel dynamics, which can be confusing at times, but that’s why Bodies is also a perfect series to rewatch.

As mentioned, Bodies is about a dead body that appears in the same alley in London in four different years: 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053. Four detectives from four different eras investigate the same murder, and as their cases intertwine, they uncover a conspiracy that involves one sinister man. The performances across the different timelines are uniformly excellent, with each detective bringing a unique perspective to the central mystery; a valuable addition to the roster is Stephen Graham, who portrays the mysterious Elias Mannix. Bodies is a perfectly paced, eight-episode puzzle box that rewards careful attention; it’s a brilliant, twisty ride.

4

‘The Silent Sea’ (2021)

Image via Netflix

The Silent Sea is a South Korean Netflix gem, and it’s a tight, claustrophobic thriller set in a dystopian near-future where Earth’s water supply has almost completely disappeared. The show is an adaptation of director Choi Hang-yong‘s short film The Sea of Tranquility, and he also wrote and created The Silent Sea. If you like sci-fi mysteries and thrillers, this show feels the most similar to Alien but borrows from the genre’s greatest hits and becomes a unique amalgamation of ideas and concepts.

Bae Doona stars as Dr. Song Ji-an, an astrobiologist who joins a hand-picked team on a dangerous mission to the Moon. Their destination is the abandoned Balhae Lunar Research Station, where all the station’s researchers died five years earlier under mysterious circumstances. Gong Yoo co-stars as Captain Han Yun-jae, the mission’s stoic leader. Their retrieval mission starts pretty straightforward, but it quickly unravels into a nightmare of environmental horror, unveiling a disastrous biological secret. The Silent Sea is a tense, cerebral, and visually stunning entry that might help you venture away from a well-known English-speaking landscape.

5

‘The Peripheral’ (2022)

Image via Amazon Prime Video

Based on William Gibson‘s novel, The Peripheral was released on Prime Video, and it’s a slick, mind-bending thriller that perfectly captures Gibson’s signature blend of high-tech paranoia and noir mystery. The show is a visual feast, with executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and director Vincenzo Natali crafting a world that feels both futuristic and remarkably familiar. The show was canceled after one season, but mostly because the conversation about its renewal was meant to happen at the same time as the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers’ Guild strikes.

The Peripheral stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Flynne Fisher, a young woman in a near-future American rural community who makes ends meet by testing VR games. She stumbles into a simulation that is actually a portal to a future London, where she becomes entangled in a deadly conspiracy involving quantum computing, time manipulation, and powerful corporate factions. Despite its single-season run, The Peripheral delivers a gripping, eight-episode ride that rewards fans of dense, intelligent sci-fi with a rich world that they’ll love to explore and get into.

6

‘Constellation’ (2024)

Image via Apple TV+

Constellation is a fairly unknown Apple TV series, mostly because it was canceled after one season. It’s a haunting and visually stunning psychological thriller that lingers long after the credits roll, doubling as a meditation on grief and identity; it also tackles the many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics. Constellation is a favorite for some well-known names and faces, too: Stephen King praised the show, calling it almost perfect and giving it his seal of approval. The cinematography is breathtaking, the atmosphere is tense and palpable, and the central mystery is interesting enough to make you binge-watch the show over a weekend.

Constellation stars Noomi Rapace as Jo, an astronaut who survives a catastrophic disaster on the International Space Station and returns to Earth with no memory of some parts of her life. As she desperately tries to reconnect with her daughter, she learns more about the true nature of her return and existence, getting sinister visions of a life she’s unsure is her own. While the true nature of the show’s cancellation isn’t exactly known, Constellation remains a self-contained miniseries and a must-watch for fans of cerebral and emotionally resonant sci-fi.

7

‘Tales from the Loop’ (2020)

Image via Prime Video

Tales from the Loop was based on the evocative retro-futuristic art book of Simon Stålenhag; it was created and written by Nathaniel Halpern (Legion, Outcast), and it’s a sci-fi show unlike any other on this list. While its sci-fi premise obviously tries to describe the story as a futuristic narrative that uses tech to its advantage, deep down, the show is about human connection and the wonder and melancholy that define our lives. It’s a slow, meditative, and deeply emotional masterpiece that proves sci-fi can be gentle, poetic, and human underneath the layers of polished machinery.

Tales from the Loop is set in the small town of Mercer, Ohio, which sits on top of “The Loop,” a massive underground machine built to unlock the mysteries of the universe; it’s comprised of eight episodes presented as an anthology that follows interconnected stories about the people living in the shadow of The Loop, in particular the couple Loretta (Rebecca Hall) and George (Paul Schneider), and their sons, Cole (Duncan Joiner) and Jakob (Daniel Zolghadri). The sci-fi elements are beautiful and strange, and the human stories are relatable; it’s a stunning series, or as The Verge‘s Joshua Rivera describes it, “so pretty it breaks your heart.”

8

‘Years and Years’ (2019)

Image via HBO

Russell T. Davies‘s prophetic six-part miniseries, Years and Years, is an interesting mirror to the real world that is less about predicting the future and all of its technological advancements than it is about holding a mirror to our present anxieties and how, despite a fairly advanced world, many of our worldviews still linger in a past life. This BBC and HBO collab is an eerily plausible and emotional drama that feels more like a documentary from a parallel timeline than a work of fiction. It’s one of the most underrated but most praised miniseries of the past decade.

Years and Years follows the Lyons family in Manchester throughout the years; it begins in 2019 and ends in 2034, showing the family navigating a world rapidly descending into political chaos, economic collapse, and authoritarianism. Emma Thompson is chilling and fantastic as a populist politician who rises to power on a wave of nationalism and fear (mirroring some familiar faces from real life). Years and Years is a scathing critique, a family saga, and a warning, all wrapped in a tight, six-hour package that will leave you shaken and profoundly moved.

9

‘Devs’ (2020)

Image via FX

There is rarely a more perfectly constructed, intellectually daring, and visually stunning sci-fi miniseries than Alex Garland‘s Devs. Garland employs his signature slow-burn narrative in both writing and directing to create a hypnotic world of cold, brutalist architecture and spiritual seeking; the characters seek God through technological advancement, even playing God to stave off regret and loneliness that creeps up on them every single day. It’s a show that challenges, unsettles, and ultimately offers a strange, beautiful kind of hope.

Devs follows Lily (Sonoya Mizuno), a software engineer at a quantum computing company, Amaya, owned by the reclusive CEO Forest (Nick Offerman). Lily’s boyfriend is hired into the company’s secretive “Devs” division, and one day after clocking in, he apparently dies by suicide; Lily doesn’t believe it, so she begins her own investigation into the event. Devs is a mesmerizing, slow-burning philosophical thriller that explores determinism, free will, and grief through a hard sci-fi lens. Offerman delivers a career-best performance as a man plagued by loss and obsession, while Mizuno proves worthy of taking the lead in such an ambitious show. Devs is probably the greatest short-form sci-fi series ever made, but it will test your patience often.

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Devs

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Release Date

2020 – 2020-00-00

Showrunner

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Alex Garland

Directors

Alex Garland

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Harry Styles gave fans a brief scare during his latest Wembley Stadium performance after a routine concert moment appeared to go wrong. The singer was captured on video choking on water before falling to the stage during his signature “whale” spit interaction with fans, leaving concertgoers worried as London battled record-breaking June temperatures. While Harry Styles quickly recovered and continued performing, footage of the incident quickly spread across social media, with many fans expressing concern for the star.

In footage shared on TikTok, Styles could be seen preparing for his well-known “whale” spit moment when he suddenly appeared to choke after spraying water into the crowd. The singer then dropped to the stage floor while continuing to cough for several seconds before eventually sitting upright and regaining his composure.

One concertgoer told the Daily Mail, “As Harry ran down the stage for the final time in preparation for his famous whale, he sprayed the crowd before he then started to cough. Managing to suppress his chokes, he performed the whale before falling to the floor, where he lay on his back and continued to cough and splutter. It was quite worrying, but he quickly got up to continue with the gig.”

The Wembley Show Took Place During A Historic Heatwave

London was experiencing unusually high temperatures at the time of the performance, with the UK recording its hottest June day for a third consecutive day. According to reports, temperatures reached 99.5°F in the capital, creating difficult conditions for both performers and fans packed inside Wembley Stadium.

Another attendee noted just how intense the heat was during the show. “After the first two songs, he took off his jacket and his shirt was already soaked with sweat,” they recalled. “And he was like ‘oh god look at that! I’ve only done two songs!’”

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Harry Styles Previously Urged Fans To Stay Hydrated

Just days before the incident, Styles had addressed the soaring temperatures during another Wembley concert, encouraging fans to prioritize their health throughout the show.

“We’re going to look after each other, please try and stay hydrated. If you need anything at any point, please let me know, we can stop at any time,” he told the crowd. “It’s all good. We’re gonna look after each other, have fun, dance, get sweaty, sing, scream if you wanna go faster.”

Wembley Stadium also relaxed its water bottle policy during the heatwave, allowing concertgoers to bring reusable bottles into the venue while offering discounted water and free sunscreen to attendees.

Despite the frightening moment, Styles appeared unharmed and continued with the remainder of the concert, much to the relief of the 80,000 fans in attendance.

Harry Styles’ Record-Breaking Wembley Residency Continues To Draw Massive Crowds

The onstage scare comes as Styles continues his hugely successful 12-night residency at Wembley Stadium, which sold out in record time. For the tour, the singer has divided the show into five distinct acts, taking fans through a carefully curated setlist that spans both fan favorites and newer material.

Styles typically opens the first act with “Are You Listening Yet” before closing the section with an emotional performance of “Fine Line” accompanied by a live string ensemble. The pace then picks up during the second act, featuring songs such as “Italian Girls,” “American Girls,” and a shortened version of “Keep Driving.”

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Fans are also treated to a more intimate experience when Styles moves to the X-Stage, while tracks including “Season 2 Weight Loss,” “Carla’s (Satellite) Song,” and “Aperture” have become staples of the show’s A-Stage performances.

Zoë Kravitz Fuels Harry Styles Engagement Buzz With Massive Diamond Ring

Off stage, Styles has been making headlines for his relationship with Zoë Kravitz. While neither Kravitz nor Styles has publicly commented on their reported engagement, the actress once again put the sparkling diamond on display during a recent appearance in London.

The “Blink Twice” director co-hosted a Summer Solstice celebration alongside jewelry designer Jessica McCormack, stepping out in a flowing off-white midi dress paired with silver accessories and layered diamond jewelry. However, it was the eye-catching ring on her left hand that quickly drew attention.

Kravitz was first spotted wearing the diamond while out in London earlier this spring, and sources later confirmed to PEOPLE that she and Styles had gotten engaged.

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Fans on social media are arguing that Kylie Jenner could not have been unaware of the alleged mistreatment of staff at her home.

A chef who previously worked for Jenner has become the latest former employee to file a lawsuit against the beauty mogul in recent months. The cook alleged that she suffered a miscarriage while carrying out physically demanding duties during her employment with Jenner.

The reality personality has already faced lawsuits from two other former housekeepers.

As reported by The Times, Jenner’s former private chef claimed that on New Year’s Eve in 2024, a supervisor instructed her to “lift and transport heavy food items across the street and uphill without assistance.”

Her lawsuit stated that she was three months pregnant at the time and that her supervisors, whom she describes as hostile, ignored her condition despite her informing them when she was hired that she “required reasonable accommodations to protect her health and pregnancy.”

The cook further alleged that the strenuous physical work caused her to become dizzy, choke, and struggle to breathe. She also noted that the incident was serious enough for security personnel to intervene, including providing her with water and other assistance.

Two Former Housekeepers Also Sued Jenner

In recent months, two other former staff members have also filed lawsuits against Jenner.

One of the women, who worked as a cleaner, claimed she was repeatedly subjected to harassment and discrimination by several of Jenner’s other employees.

The second woman made similar allegations, claiming she also suffered abuse from fellow staff members.

However, her lawsuit included the additional claim that she attempted to reach Jenner directly to inform her of the situation.

She even wrote a letter to the reality star asking for help in stopping the alleged bullying, but claims her plea was ignored.

Both accusers are seeking compensation from Jenner, including unpaid wages, meal and rest period premium pay, unreimbursed business expenses, unpaid sick leave, and other compensation they claim was unlawfully withheld.

Fans Say Kylie Jenner ‘Had To Know’ About Staff Treatment

On social media, fans have been quick to reject any idea that Jenner could have been unaware of the alleged treatment of her staff.

“At the very least, she would’ve been informed at the time the first and second suit were filed,” one commenter argued on Reddit, adding, “There is no scenario on earth where she’s kept in the dark about all of this.”

Another wrote, “Yeah, there’s no way she didn’t know. The boss is the one who sets the tone.”

Others pointed to the filing’s claim that a supervisor allegedly told the worker, “Stop it, just stop it. You are upsetting Kylie. You are making her depressed.”

One user reacted, “So, Kylie was fully aware of miscarriage, and instead of offering any support, she told her staff supervisor to reprimand the woman for being sad…” while another simply labeled it “villainous behavior.”

Chef Claimed She Broke Down At Party

Elsewhere in her lawsuit, Jenner’s former chef shared details of a second incident that allegedly occurred on Feb. 1, 2025.

At the time, she was assigned to work at Jenner’s child’s birthday party in Palm Springs and was once again given a heavy workload despite being five months pregnant.

She claimed that she again appealed to her supervisors for a reduced workload because of her pregnancy, but her requests were reportedly ignored.

The chef alleged that she went on to suffer “exhaustion and overwhelming physical strain” while carrying out her duties, ultimately breaking down emotionally in the bathroom during the event.

“That evening, [she] experienced extreme physical exhaustion and heaviness throughout her body as a result of the prolonged and intense workload,” the suit also read.

Kylie Jenner’s Accuser Details Miscarriage Claims

Hours after her emotional breakdown in the bathroom, Jenner’s accuser reportedly began suffering severe hemorrhaging. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors allegedly informed her they could not detect her baby’s heartbeat and that she had lost her unborn child.

What followed was equally difficult for the former chef, who claimed she was “falsely accused of leaving the kitchen and refrigerator in disarray” after the Palm Springs event.

She further alleged that her miscarriage left her suffering from severe depression and emotional distress. According to the lawsuit, her supervisors telling her, “Stop it, just stop it. You are upsetting Kylie. You are making her depressed,” was an attempt to “play the Jenner card.”

Slide sandals are convenient and all, but they’re not the most flattering — especially if your legs are short to begin with. These platform sandals have the opposite effect, making you appear longer and leaner from every angle. Just ask the 14,000 shoppers who give them five stars!

These Soda Topic Espadrille Wedge Sandals bridge the gap between cute, flattering and comfortable. With a classic espadrille rope wrap, an adjustable buckle strap and an open toe, these sandals work for anything summer. Add in a height-boosting platform, and it’s no wonder the fanbase is growing.

Get the Soda Topic Espadrille Wedge Sandals for $30 (was $40) on Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

Unlike many platforms, these classy sandals have a wedge high enough to lengthen your legs, but stable enough to walk in all day. One happy reviewer summed up the appeal: “These are so cute and comfortable, and make me look a lot taller and my legs longer!”

Related: Shoppers With ‘Every Imaginable‘ Foot Pain Rave About These $14 Flip-Flops

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Low fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that refers to monsters or aspects of magic that intersect with the real world. A good example of this is the Harry Potter series. The series is set in the British Isles, on the same planet we call Earth, albeit in a very different version of it where an entire magical world exists, yet is hidden from non-magical folk.

Most times, these shows feature magic systems, albeit they aren’t always heavily elaborated on. Or at least, not the same way that they would be if it were a high fantasy TV show. Still, these magic systems do exist in low fantasy shows, and they definitely deserve more attention. These are the best magic systems in the low fantasy subgenre.

‘Carnivàle’ (2003–2005)

Image via HBO

Carnivàle is a TV show that is unapologetically weird, but it does it so well. The series is set in the U.S. Dust Bowl of the 1930s. As if the Great Depression weren’t making things hard enough, the Dust Bowl made it so that crops were having a hard time growing. The story follows a traveling carnival, and draws upon heavy inspiration from Christian folklore, especially the mystery surrounding the Knights Templar.

Magic can only be accessed by people known as Avatars, but it isn’t free. Each magical action must be supported by an equal and opposite reaction. For example, if an Avatar wanted to heal a mortal wound, they would need to kill somebody else in order to balance it out. This is true whether the Avatar serves the Light or the Darkness. This is such a great system because it has clearly established rules, and is based on actual laws of physics. It also means that each magical action has actual gravity and weight to it — magic can’t be used all willy-nilly like it can in other series.

‘Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’ (2015)

Image via BBC One

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a miniseries set in an alternate version of the Napoleonic Wars, which occurred at the beginning of the 19th century. In this alternate version of the world, magic isn’t just speculation — it’s an established reality that it does exist, yet its usage is highly discouraged by society and is rarely used in practical settings. So while it does exist, it’s still seen as taboo due to established religious customs.

While the details of the magic system aren’t elaborated upon too, too much, what is revealed is pretty interesting. It’s almost treated like a science. It’s documented in books, kept in archives, and experimented on by professionals, much like how labs would carry out scientific experiments on newly-discovered chemicals. All that is known about it to the audience is that it is tied to the English language, and to the land of England itself. This show presents a fascinating take on magic, as most fantasy shows will revere magic users, but in this one, they are shunned.

‘A Discovery of Witches’ (2018–2022)

Image via Sky One

A Discovery of Witches, believe it or not, is about witches. Naturally, this means a lot of magic is going to come into play here. The story is about a forbidden relationship between a witch and a vampire, who bond over a newly-rediscovered manuscript, one which could determine the fate of the world if it were to fall into the wrong hands.

There are two ways magic works in this series. The first concerns a group known as the Weavers. Weavers can create spells from scratch, pretty much at will, using the elements of air, fire, earth, and water. They twist and pull the elemental threads, tying them into knots to create a spell or conjure a familiar. On the other hand, traditional spell-casting relies on spells already established by Weavers, which can be cast by speaking an incantation. However, this has its limits, as if the threads degrade or another witch binds the magic, its effect will not be as powerful. This is such a great magic system because there are actual limitations, and there seems to be a clear-cut picture of how it actually works.

‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ (2025)

Image via AMC

Talamasca: The Secret Order is the third series in the newly-emerging multiverse of TV shows based on the works of Anne Rice. This one is about a psychic who is invited to join the secret order of Talamasca, an ancient covenant that monitors and controls immortal beings and the undead, including vampires, ghosts, and werewolves.

The magic in this show isn’t anything explosive or traditional. There are no spells to cast, no magical incantations, and no familiars to conjure. Instead, magic is performed via telepathy and psychic mind control, using the undead as tools to carry out deeds. It is also used in elaborate rituals, which are often multistep processes and difficult to execute. This one might not be clearly defined or rigid, but it’s cool because it shows that magic does have limitations. It can be used to control a ghost or communicate telepathically, but don’t expect to be able to turn anyone into a frog.

‘American Gods’ (2017–2021)

Image via Starz

American Gods is about a group of magic users called Old Gods. The Old Gods are having a bit of an existential crisis, because they are quickly being replaced by New Gods, in the form of rapidly-advancing technology and mass media. Desperate to defend their existence, the Old Gods must band together, despite their differences and disagreements.

Magic in this show isn’t based on an inherent ability — that’s only part of it. While the Old Gods might be able to use magic, their inner strength is directly tied to their followers. Their power begins to wane if they lose followers, or don’t have people sacrificing things for them. This is the reason the whole plot happens: because people are stopping their worship of the Old Gods, their power is beginning to decrease, paving the way for the New Gods to come in. It’s an interesting concept, one that’s pretty unique, considering most magic systems are dependent either on external, inanimate sources like energy, or on one’s innate strength. It’s also great because it addresses a real-world theory that many people follow: that gods only have the power that their followers give them.

‘The Magicians’ (2015–2020)

Image via SYFY

The Magicians is a forgotten fantasy series about a student who enrolls at a university with the intention of becoming a magician. Mind you, this is the realistic form of a magician, meaning he is basically there to learn how to do card tricks and pull rabbits out of hats. Once he gets there, though, he discovers that actual, proper magic is real, and that the magical world is in a precarious spot, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance.

The magic system in this show is another classic one that isn’t particularly unique. Spells are cast by speaking the incantation in a dead language, usually Old Slavonic or Latin, and then performing a specific hand gesture. Because of this, using magic doesn’t only require intellect; it requires physical dexterity and emotional fortitude, as well. The source of the magic comes from the Wellspring, a cosmic reservoir outside the known bounds of the universe. Magicians just act as catalysts for this Wellspring, tearing a hole in the fabric of reality itself to bring the power of the Wellspring forth. Like many low fantasy magic systems, it’s simple, and not particularly original, but there’s a reason they worked in the first place.

‘Merlin’ (2008–2012)

Merlin is about Arthurian legend, specifically about the eponymous wizard, played by Colin Morgan. Normally, movies or shows about Arthurian legend depict Merlin as a grouchy old fuddy-duddy with a long, silvery beard, blue robes adorned with stars and moons, and a matching tall, pointy hat. In this show, though, Merlin is a much younger individual, who is just discovering his magical prowess.

The magic system in this show is pretty classic. Spells can only be cast by sorcerers, who are born with their gift. To cast a spell, one must speak the incantation, which is in the language of the Old Religion, similar to Old English. In order to learn these spells, sorcerers must study grimoires extensively. Not everybody can use magic, however. Those who aren’t born with the ability will never be able to learn it, so it’s only a select few who can use it. It might be an old and not very unique magic system, but it’s a classic for a reason. It’s simple, but it feels arcane and ancient in all the right ways.

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Merlin

Release Date

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2008 – 2012

Network

BBC One

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Showrunner

Julian Jones

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Directors

Jeremy Webb, Alice Troughton, David Moore, Justin Molotnikov, Ashley Way, Alex Pillai, James Hawes, Metin Hüseyin, Ed Fraiman, Stuart Orme

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With Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 currently in production, some set photos have recently emerged that should build even more excitement for the show’s return. While Finn Jones has already been confirmed to be reprising his role as Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, the new images reveal Jones’ Danny alongside Mike Colter‘s Luke Cage as well as Luke’s daughter, Danielle. While the reunion of the Defenders in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 is thrilling on its own, the reaction of fans should be a signal to Marvel that it might be time to revisit the idea of a potential spin-off for these characters.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Brought Two MCU Heroes Back Into the Fold

It may have taken some time, but Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 doubled as a revival for Marvel’s Netflix shows with the return of the superpowered private investigator, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), as well as Colter’s Luke Cage, who appears via cameo in the Season 2 finale, “The Southern Cross.” The episode reveals that the character’s absence was the result of classified undercover work for the CIA at the behest of the morally ambiguous Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard), but Charles released Luke from his obligations, replacing him with the volatile Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye (Wilson Bethel). Season 2 additionally confirms that not only have Luke and Jessica rekindled their romance, but they also have a daughter named Danielle.

Luke and Jessica’s final scene in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 also ends with Jessica officially reopening her business, Alias Investigations, in Hell’s Kitchen. Pair that with the long-awaited return of Jones’ Danny Rand, first revealed in previous Season 3 set photos as reported by Entertainment Weekly, and Marvel TV has the perfect recipe for a spin-off series that could serve as a direct sequel to 2017’s The Defenders.

A ‘Heroes for Hire’ Spin-Off Could Fill In Even More Gaps From Marvel’s Netflix Era

In Marvel Comics, Heroes for Hire was a licensed small business run by Luke and Danny, where the duo offered their own brand of investigative and protective services. Besides being the perfect way for Colter, Jones, and Ritter to reprise their respective roles, a potential spin-off could fill in many narrative blanks — like what brought Jessica and Luke back together. Although the one-time couple did make amends in The Defenders, the Jessica Jones Season 3 finale, “A.K.A. Everything,” seemed to indicate that they’d elected to remain on more platonic terms. Obviously, a great deal transpired with Luke and Jessica in the gap between the end of Jessica Jones and Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, so a Heroes for Hire spin-off could flesh out those details via flashbacks.

Similarly, a spin-off could reveal what Jones’ Danny Rand has been up to ever since Iron Fist ended after its second season in 2018. The last fans saw of him, he was searching for an individual named Orson Randall, who previously held the title of Iron Fist in the comics. Has Danny regained the mantle, or does it still belong to Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) after she gained the powers of the Iron Fist from Davos (Sacha Dhawan) in Season 2?

Finn Jones’ Danny Rand Can Finally Suit Up in ‘Heroes for Hire’

Image via Netflix

A Heroes for Hire spin-off could also finally deliver on something else MCU fans have wanted for years: Danny Rand donning the Iron Fist costume for the first time in live-action. There were some teases and allusions to the costume in the character’s Netflix series, but over two seasons, Danny never had the chance to wear his full Iron Fist regalia. Other set images for Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 have revealed that Bullseye will wear his most comic-accurate suit yet, so Heroes for Hire could follow suit with a comics-accurate Iron Fist costume for Danny.

Marvel Television hasn’t officially announced any plans for a spin-off, but the concept makes all the sense in the world. With the original leads of Marvel’s Netflix shows now reassembled for Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, a Heroes for Hire series represents both the perfect payoff to their original arcs and a satisfying continuation of their stories in ways that fans have been waiting for.

Two weeks ago, the legendary Steven Spielberg finally returned to the sci-fi genre after almost a decade with Disclosure Day. Opening at #1 at the North American box office and turning in just shy of $100 million, the film surprised many and is a hit with critics and audiences, albeit not without its detractors. The film stars the likes of Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), Josh O’Connor (Challengers), and Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), and is based on a story by Spielberg and a screenplay by David Koepp.

Likely to be one of the best sci-fi movies of this summer, Disclosure Day is yet another reminder of how the genre and the cinematic form go together like salt and pepper. Back in 2015, one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade was released courtesy of Alex Garland, defining the early era of A24 in the process. Starring the likes of Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina earned just shy of $40 million at the box office against a reported budget of just $13 million, becoming the highest-grossing A24 movie of all time worldwide, although this record has since been broken several times.

Ex Machina became an instant hit with critics, with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff one of many who saw just how special this sci-fi gem was. In her review of the movie at SXSW in 2015, Nemiroff said, “Ex Machina is a strong feature and a huge achievement in a number of ways.” She added, “There’s a surprising amount of very effective humor courtesy of Isaac’s character, there’s an extremely riveting scenario at the core of the film, and there’s also tons of stunning visual work to admire as well.” Next month, you can try this masterpiece for free, as it becomes available to stream on Plex on July 1.

A Sci-Fi Movie Joined the Box Office Race This Weekend

Described as “a big science fiction epic film” by producer James Gunn, Milly Alcock’s debut as Supergirl flew onto global screens this weekend, after receiving a hugely mixed reception from critics. Based on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the 2021–2022 comic series by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely, hope was high that all involved could follow on from the success of the David Corenswet-led Superman. Alas, if first reviews are to be believed, this will go down as one of the most underwhelming box office blockbusters this summer.

Ex Machina will be available to stream on Plex this July. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

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Release Date

April 24, 2015

Runtime

108 minutes

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Director

Alex Garland

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Writers

Alex Garland

Producers

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Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald

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