Pooh Shiesty has been out of federal prison for nearly 6 months. He rejoined the outside world on October 7, 2025. His initial release date would’ve been next week, April 11. Instead, he came home early to heavy fan love, booking inquiries and a celebration that went viral. But, as of April 2, the rapper is behind bars again. This time, he, his father and several others have been linked to the kidnapping and robbery of Gucci Mane. Now, fans are flooding his Instagram account with “FREE HIM” comments, questions and criticism.

RELATED: Pooh Shiesty, His Dad & Others Reportedly Arrested For Kidnapping & Robbing Gucci Mane At Gunpoint (VIDEO)

Fans Sound Off Under Rapper’s Most Recent Post

Pooh Shiesty’s last Instagram post before his arrest was a video of a new luxury vehicle. He shared it on March 11. In his caption, he said, “it’s only right” that he “pop it” after his song, ‘FDO,’ performed well. Pooh released the record in mid-December, marking his first drop since his release from prison last October. The lyrics, ironically, spoke about his time locked up and his street cred. At one point in the song, he raps, “See, my daddy my first co-D, jumped in the skreets, he showed me lanes (them facts). Your daddy a killer, but you ain’t, you just like Bronny James (facts).” 

Now, ahead of and after the news of Pooh’s arrest, fans have mentioned these same lyrics. Some have even suggested he’ll have to sell his new car. As Pooh Shiesty remains silent, likely due to his detainment, the comment section on his car post is continuing to do numbers. And the reactions? Mixed.

@amaridifferent wrote, “Damn u couldn’t even make it till Rolling Loud,” adding a peace sign and laughing emojis.

“The feds about to seize it,” @urstrulyriri added.

“Ain’t no way my dawg get raided stay out the way 🤦🏾‍♂️,” @alsojr said.

“This why they came to the house 🙄,” @boosy_boswell commented.

@mazi_mack16 wrote, “Let me buy that for the low now since you can’t drive it dawg.”

“Yo as* love goin to jail instead of dropping hits,” @dannydee_jr said.

“Damn smh 🤦🏾 you just got out,” @gurlfriendz_hair37 commented.

@jtfilmenditt added, “Foo be blessing everybody around him the team gon love driving this while he locked up 😭.” 

“Went #1 copped a new maybach 😂😂 Sooooo wtf Gucci getting ran down on fa,” @thishollywood asked.

@fayoworld wrote, “Did all that to end up back in the Slammer, lmaooo big bur 😭.” 

“Bro dropped First Day out and then went right back to jail😂😂😂🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️,” @chuckieg05 said.

“Bro lasted 2 weeks of freedom 😂,” @mikeypeege commented.

“Pooh why bro, this sh*t not GTA,” @getn.richalive said.

Pooh Shiesty’s Recent Arrest Explained

To recap, Pooh Shiesty is currently one of several people under an FBI investigation. He and two others reportedly traveled to Dallas, Texas, on Jan. 10, 2026, to talk about the terms of a recording contract. At the meeting, Pooh and eight others allegedly “executed a coordinated armed takeover.” One victim was allegedly ordered to sign a music label release form at gunpoint. Meanwhile, two other victims were robbed of their valuables, including high-end watches and jewelry. Pooh Shiesty’s dad, Lontrell Williams Sr., allegedly helped execute the kidnapping. Additionally, authorities said photos of the stolen loot ended up on social media.

Police have not revealed the names of the three victims, but media outlets, such as Action News 5, have identified at least one as Gucci Mane. Following an FBI raid at Pooh’s Tennessee home on Tuesday, Pooh was arrested in Dallas, while his dad was arrested in Memphis.

If convicted, the offenders could reportedly face up to life in prison. Some of the alleged evidence includes electronic monitoring and cell phone records, surveillance footage, fingerprints, social media posts and records from Greyhound and a car rental company.

Pooh Recently Got Called Out For His Boosie Caption 

Prior to his March 11 post, Pooh Shiesty shared photos of himself on February 27, holding stacks of cash. In his caption, he said, “It Might Be One Rapper That Got Mo Bodies Than Me That’s Lil Boosie.” At the time he posted, Pooh got called out in the comment section for seemingly “dry snitching” on Boosie. @jokedapainaway, for example, commented, “Incriminating Boosie in a caption is insane 😂😂😂😂😂🔥🔥🔥.” 

After getting locked up again this week, fans are sharing their thoughts under that post, too. Keep scrolling to see some of the recent reactions as fans await more news about the new case against him.

@khronic.k said, “Bro got out and stripped Gucci before GTA VI 🥀.”

“Free you boo always Mr Pooh minor set back for a major come back someone close is a 🐍 telling everything. 🩸 4L 💯,” @onlyralenwatts wrote.

“‘Don’t let durk verse go to your head, aint nobody slime as me.’ Mann i thought you were overwhoopin but you meant that sh*t 🤣🤣🤣✌️✌️,” @jonothan3088 said, referencing the song ‘FDO.’

“Now he going back prolly for a couple more yrs lol,” @darkvegito8 said.

@1babyfg added, “lol who gets out of jail to go back in.” 

“When I saw this post, I said unfortunately, he probably going back. Mindset moving forward is everything,” @ante_yana commented.

RELATED: Whew! YSL Woody Weighs In As Social Media Users Share Their Thoughts On Pooh Shiesty Allegedly Kidnapping & Robbing Gucci Mane (WATCH)

Days of Our Lives reveals Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) checked herself out of Bayview this week, and we know she’s still scheming to get revenge, and she doesn’t seem to care that her little bestie Rachel Black (Lorelei Olivia Mote) got sent back to Bayview because of her.

You can see that Sophia is still a ticking time bomb ready to explode and ruin lives. And with Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) having Sophia doing her bidding, it’s going to get worse. But I think that Sophia is about to face karma and get blown out of the water. Let’s get into it.

Who Will Stop Sophia’s Reign of Terror on Days of Our Lives?

Let’s talk about who may bring Sophia’s reign of terror to an end once and for all. So, Kristen does not seem to care what Sophia did to Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) in particular. She only cares about Sophia using Rachel and that meant her daughter was set up.

And then, Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) told the judge that she should send Rachel back to Bayview for inpatient care. And in the end, somebody whether it is Kristen or Holly or the cops needs to stop Sophia once and for all. But who’s going to stop her?

I mean, let’s face it, Sophia has been making waves and even more enemies ever since she convinced her lawyer, Melinda Trask (Tina Huang), to pull her out of Bayview to testify at Baby Trey’s final adoption hearing at the courthouse.

And of course, turns out Melinda didn’t have any say in it. Because Sophia is 18 and she walked out the door never intending to come back where Melinda thought she was going back.

Sophia Crashes the Adoption Hearing on DOOL

So, Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) and Chanel Dupree DiMera (Raven Bowens) were angry and they were quite worried when Sophia who had been faking mute suddenly showed up running her mouth causing last minute problems.

But thankfully EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) swooped in to save the day. He took over as Johnny and Chanel’s lawyer which irritated Belle Brady (Martha Madison). And then EJ dropped all the receipts on Sophia’s awful antics and he told the judge what she put Johnny and Chanel through and had for months.

So, the judge sided with them and now Trey has a forever home. But Sophia isn’t happy about that. Not at all. You can already see the wheels turning in her twisted mind. Johnny and Chanel are worried sick that Sophia won’t go away quietly. And she already tried ruining Johnny’s life by sending those dirty pics of a passed out Holly Jonas to his phone.

Sophia sent the same pics to the CPS worker that was working Chanel and Johnny’s adoption case. So, I imagine they’re also scared that Sophia might try to do something else. Might even try and take baby Trey.

Johnny Turns to EJ on Days of our Lives

And this week, spoilers have Johnny asking his dad EJ for a favor. And of course, he’ll be happy to help. I do wonder if Johnny will ask EJ to go full DiMera on Sophia and run her out of Salem for good. Then again, I kind of think it’s more likely that Johnny is wanting EJ’s help with the copyright case, not with Sophia, at least not right now.

But, you know, Johnny may circle back around and ask for EJ’s help on that later on just getting rid of her. Also, there’s a chance that EJ may spontaneously threaten Sophia on his own, even without Johnny asking him to intervene.

Holly and Tate Want Sophia to Pay on Days

All right, next, let’s talk about Holly. She and Tate Black (Leo Howard) just got confirmation from Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) that Sophia was behind the pill swap, not Rachel. And of course, they know Sophia’s out of Bayview on the loose in Salem. And Holly and Tate want nothing to do with her.

They don’t want to see her. She tried ruining Holly’s life for a long time because Sophia felt scorned back in high school because Tate was secretly dating Holly and took Sophia to the prom as a cover story. He was never into her and she had this huge crush on Tate for a long time and she felt like she had been led on and strung along, which is 100% accurate. Tate and Holly were definitely using her as a shield and that wasn’t fair.

Days of our Lives: Sophia’s Far from Innocent

But of course, the first chance she could, Sophia got in bed with Tate. So, I think Sophia is still harboring a twisted crush on him. And that’s why Sophia keeps lashing out at Holly. Tate and Holly aren’t only livid about the pills that Sophia used to drug Holly.

Tate is still furious about Sophia lying with the whole fake adoption thing, wearing the fake baby belly. And then, of course, the lie where she led Tate to think she was only with him when she had also slept with Aaron, who turned out to be Trey’s bio dad on Days of our Lives.

So, Tate and Holly are absolutely ready to see Sophia pay for everything she’s done. And they’re working with Brady, who is gathering evidence. He wants to give it to the Salem PD and let them know that Sophia drugged both Holly and Tate.

No way is Brady gonna let Sophia get away with using Rachel in her awful revenge scheme or get away with drugging his son Tate. Brady wants to make sure Sophia pays. But he also wants to keep Rachel out of court. He doesn’t want her to have to testify again and for her part in this to come out.

Kristen Recruits Sophia on Days

And then of course we got crazy Kristen. She literally bumped into Sophia and then blasted her for using Rachel as her personal drug mule. Kristen ranted at Sophia for taking advantage of vulnerable little Rachel, who of course is about as vulnerable as a snake.

Of course, Sophia lied, denied, pulled that deer in the headlights innocent look she does. And she begged Kristen to not hurt her. And Sophia should be scared because Kristen’s a nightmare. After she cornered and terrified Sophia, we had Kristen telling Sophia she could make it up to her.

So, Kristen wants revenge on Marlena and EJ both. Kristen blames Marlena for Rachel being sent back to Bayview. And Kristen blames EJ for his own shooting because he hid Rachel Blake (Roslyn Gentle) away. If you remember, little Rachel was angry because Uncle EJ hid her grandma away.

And that’s when little Rachel picked up the gun that Johnny left and accidentally shot EJ. Bottom line, Kristen’s the one responsible for all of Rachel’s bad deeds because Kristen is the absolute worst influence that Rachel or any child could have.

But she will never acknowledge her own culpability in all this. Now, we know Kristen is going to circle back and have Sophia targeting Marlena and EJ.

And Kristen wants Rachel out of Bayview, but all of that could backfire on Kristen and land her in prison. Also, if Sophia’s arrested, she’ll go to big girl prison because she’s over 18. I think it’d be ironic if she and Kristen wound up cellmates.

Rachel Could Rat Out Sophia on Days of Our Lives

The best karma, though, I think, for anybody to slap Sophia with is for Rachel to take a crack at Sophia because she’s just as devious. Rachel could tell the doctors at Bayview everything she did to help Sophia.

You know, faking being Sophia’s bed check, not once, a few times. Rachel knew Sophia lied the whole time about being mute. She had a secret phone and then of course drugging Holly with the psych meds. Rachel could spill all that tea on Sophia.

And I think it’s deserved because she used Rachel as a pawn, lied to her, manipulated the kid while she was targeting Tate, the brother that Rachel loves. I don’t think Rachel necessarily cares that much about what happened to Holly.

But Sophia using her to get to Tate is a big deal. If Rachel comes clean and testifies against Sophia, that could be interesting because Kristen’s about to start using Sophia the same way that Sophia used Rachel.

So, this could get twisted because if the cops wind up arresting Sophia because Rachel ratted on her, you know what? Sophia could turn around and rat out Kristen and make sure Rachel loses her mom, which honestly would probably be the best thing for the kid at this point.

And I think if Sophia’s going to go down, I think she will make certain that she does not go down alone. That would be some twisted karma and all of Salem would be safer if Kristen and Sophia both wound up in Statesville.

Adaptations of any medium can be very hit or miss. Retelling a manga in an anime format sometimes turns out well (though not always), but what’s more concerning is when a manga gets a live-action adaptation. As manga and anime become more and more popular in North America, Hollywood keeps trying to use the popularity of these stories to recreate them in live-action. However, from Dragonball Evolution to Cowboy Bebop, these remakes focus too much on catering to Western audiences that they lose the essence of what makes the source material great.

Understandably, it can be difficult to recreate the fantastical worlds and the intense action from manga, but then it begs the question: why even do it? Like it or not, these attempts will keep on going. Fans just hope that at least one of them will be good. And thankfully, Netflix and Tomorrow Studios developed the best live-action manga adaptation with One Piece.

Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Feels Like the Manga Brought to Life

Image via Netflix

Created by Eiichiro Oda in 1997, One Piece follows the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail across the world to find the One Piece, a legendary treasure that promises wealth, fame, and power. Over 20 years later, and it’s still one of the best anime series of all time. The manga and anime are still ongoing to this day, with well over 1,000 chapters and episodes each. When Netflix announced it would be adapting One Piece, fans were justifiably concerned about how they would be able to tell such a grand story set in this fantastical world with unique abilities. But with Oda heavily involved in the production process, his creation was handled with care and surpassed all expectations.

Showrunners Steve Maeda, Joe Tracz, and Matt Owens managed to adapt over 100 chapters in just 16 episodes (spread across two seasons) while still hitting the main story beats and character development. While some manga adaptations try to bring these stories to a more modern and realistic setting, One Piece embraces its roots to the fullest with colorful costumes, locations, and characters. The show perfectly balances the silliness and fun with the dark and creepy moments. Adapting manga or anime into live-action doesn’t immediately mean making it more adult or serious. It’s about capturing the essence of the source material, but not being afraid to change some things to better the overall narrative and direction. Even with the large amount of content to go through, the One Piece creative team blends story arcs together to make them more digestible and fit with the characters’ development.

Related

‘One Piece’ Star Charithra Chandran Reveals What That Epic Finale Cliffhanger Sets Up for Season 3

The hit show’s newest star also reveals if she’d return for another season of ‘Bridgerton’ or ‘Dune: Prophecy.’

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‘One Piece’ Is the Live-Action Manga Adaptation Fans Deserve

For new fans who might be overwhelmed by diving into the overwhelming amount of source material, Season 1 does a great job of introducing them to this grand world by devoting full episodes to each character’s backstory to really make audiences feel invested. Loyal fans are also rewarded by seeing these iconic moments recreated with such love and care. Chopper’s (Mikaela Hoover) backstory in Season 2 is one of the best episodes of the entire series, and just a stellar standalone episode that anyone can jump into. It also helps that almost every cast member embodies their characters to the fullest. The on and off-screen chemistry amongst the cast feels so tangible and heartwarming. Iñaki Godoy, especially, is perfectly cast as Monkey D. Luffy and will go down as one of the most accurate portrayals in history, like Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

What also helps One Piece stand out amongst other live-action adaptations is how the world looks and feels like a place people can visit. Other projects rely on green screen and VFX, which can look very jarring, but the One Piece team takes the time to build out these large sets to not only immerse the audience, but the cast as well. With a perfect 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes for Season 2 and being the most-watched show on Netflix globally, One Piece is what a successful adaptation should be. It perfectly translates the source material’s tone, themes, stories, and characters, while still providing something new and refreshing. With a third season already in the works, the team is working as fast as possible to keep fans engaged without sacrificing quality in terms of writing and production value. It’s rare, but refreshing, to see just how dedicated the creatives are to making the One Piece fandom proud to see this world come to life and grow.

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Release Date

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August 31, 2023

Network

Netflix

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Showrunner

Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz

Directors

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Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka

Writers

Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand

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The divorce train elongates for “Real Housewives” stars.

It is no longer “’til death do us part” as more Bravo stars are pulling the plug on their unions, the latest being Sai De Silva. The “Real Housewives of New York” star’s husband of about nine years has reportedly filed for divorce for reasons yet unknown.

Many “Real Housewives” stars have consistently made headlines with news of failed relationships, drama, and marriages. However, a “RHOSLC” star flipped the switch earlier this year, bringing positive light to Bravo stars with her appearance at Capitol Hill.

Another ‘Real Housewives’ Star’s Marriage Bites The Dust

De Silva’s husband, David Craig, has reportedly filed for divorce on Thursday morning in New York City. If the filing pushes through, it would bring an end to their almost nine-year union. Information as to what prompted his decision remains undisclosed, as Craig is known for his love for privacy.

The lovebirds have known each other for almost two decades. They met in 2009 in Costa Rica while the reality TV star was on vacation and Craig was on a business trip. De Silva previously recalled their meet-cute moment, noting that she was pretty hungover when they met, but he caught her attention with his sense of humor.

The pair tied the knot in 2017 after welcoming their two children: a daughter, London, born in 2011, and their son, Rio, in 2017. Over the years, the “RHONY” star has repeatedly praised Craig for being a very involved father. TMZ notes that fans may get a fair share of the tea as De Silva, along with other castmates, is shooting the 16th season of the hit show. Craig has appeared on the reality TV set a few times and has also made rare appearances on his wife’s socials.

Sai De Silva’s Divorce Will Take The Spot From Brit Eady’s

The news of De Silva’s divorce now takes the spotlight from another Bravo star from a different franchise. Earlier this year, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star made headlines after she officially ended her marriage to Michael Cunningham. The union lasted five years, and the reality TV star shared that she hopes they remain on good terms despite their split.

Before the split became official, the pair had been estranged for a while, as the court documents listed their date of separation as December 1, 2025. Eady shared that divorce was the last resort as they had tried to salvage the union to no avail.

The Blast also reported that, as regards to their property, the reality TV star and Cunningham agreed to sell their home in Fulton County and divide the proceeds as they deemed fit. There was no issue of child support as the recent exes did not welcome any kids during their marriage; however, Eady expressed that she would not like to pay spousal support or alimony.

Other Bravo Stars With Divorce Drama

The topic of divorce on the network has existed right from the beginning across different franchise series. The reality TV stars make headlines based on how messy the divorce gets and the drama that takes place during the process. This is not to say that some Bravo couples do not stick together over time. Teddi Mellencamp and Edwin Arroyave called it quits after thirteen years of marriage.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann from “Real Housewives of Atlanta” were married for twelve years before severing ties in 2021 due to messy financial constraints. Another notable couple who had a tumultuous relationship and breakup was Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers, who were married for six years before calling it quits.

“RHONY” star Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy separated in 2012 but did not make their split official until almost a decade later. During the time their divorce was still in the works, Hoppy was arrested for allegedly stalking and harassing his ex.

Inside Some Jaw-Dropping Bravo Stars’ Divorce Cases

Danielle Staub and Marty Caffrey from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” made a Bravo record for divorcing just 10 months after they said, “I do.” The TV personalities went through a rocky patch involving Caffrey evicting his then-wife from their home.

Cosmopolitan shared that the breakup ordeal isn’t tied to only heterosexual couples. “RHOC” star Braunwyn Windham-Burke, who came out as lesbian in 2020, started dating Victoria Brito. Two years later, she went through a tough, heartbreaking split due to long distance.

Some “Real Housewives” do not walk away empty after dissolving their union. Camille Meyer accused her ex- husband, Kelsey Grammer, of infidelity during their divorce process and eventually walked away with a $30 million settlement. 

Another one for the books was the love story between Teresa and Joe Giudice from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” The former lovers fell in love, made names in the industry, then got convicted of fraud and sentenced to serve jail time. Joe got deported due to his fraud crimes, and ultimately, they got divorced.

The Recent Silver Lining For Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives’ 

A reality TV star made waves earlier this year after she stepped onto Capitol Hill to testify on behalf of the International Franchise Association. Angie Katsanevas from “RHOSLC” gave her voice to address Congress in support of franchise businesses. This marked a historical moment for the network, as no other star had ever testified before Congress before Katsanevas. 

Her advocacy for business geared towards helping women and immigrants sent a message of positivity from reality TV stars, who are often pigeon-holed for drama. The Blast shared that although another Bravo star, Lisa Vanderpump, had made an appearance before lawmakers, she did not testify but pushed against the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in 2018.

Katsanevas’ message hits close to home as she operates a salon franchise and is also a child of immigrants. Her parents came from Greece chasing the American dream, and she hoped to give the opportunity to other people with a similar background.

Who’s next on the Bravo’s “Real Housewives” divorce list?

Jon Hamm is embracing something Hollywood doesn’t always spotlight: getting older and actually enjoying it. The Emmy-winning actor is opening up about life in his mid-50s, why success doesn’t always equal fulfillment, and how his latest role is tapping into some familiar territory. As he gears up for Season 2 of “Your Friends & Neighbors,” Jon Hamm is reflecting on everything from career highs to personal growth, and why this chapter of his life might be his best yet.

Jon Hamm Says Aging Is ‘Fun’ And Earned

At 55, Hamm isn’t shying away from getting older. In fact, he’s celebrating it.

“If you’ve made it this far, you’re doing something right,” Hamm shared in his interview with AARP’s Movies for Grownups, making it clear he’s fully leaning into this stage of life. “I’m very lucky. I get to do what I’ve always wanted to do at, I think, the highest level. I still appreciate it every day. I still love going to work. So for me, aging is fun, honestly. I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve earned it.”

Rather than viewing aging as a setback, Hamm sees it as something he’s worked for and something worth appreciating.

From ‘Mad Men’ To Now

Since wrapping “Mad Men” in 2015, Hamm has kept his momentum going with a wide range of roles. He’s taken on everything from a chilling sheriff in “Fargo” to a tech billionaire love interest opposite Jennifer Aniston in “The Morning Show.” He’s even poked fun at himself with a comedic turn on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Now, he’s stepping back into the spotlight with “Your Friends & Neighbors,” where he plays Andrew “Coop” Cooper, a disgraced hedge fund manager resorting to theft to maintain his lifestyle. While Hamm’s newest character may live in a very different world than Don Draper, he admits the two aren’t as far apart as they seem.

“There’s a lot of shared DNA between the two characters. There’s a competency there in both of their jobs, but also kind of an unfulfilled quality to what looks like, from the outside viewer, material success,” he said. “One of the early episodes of ‘Mad Men’ ends with the song, ‘Is That All There Is?’ That could be Coop’s theme song, or at least the theme song to Westmont Village [the setting of ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’], because that’s certainly one of the themes that we drill down on the show.”

Jon Hamm Reflects On Loss And Life Lessons

Hamm also got candid about the personal experiences that shaped him, including the loss of both of his parents before he turned 20.

“I’ve had tremendous advice over the course of my life. Unfortunately, I lost both my parents before I turned 20, but I had some other folks in my life who were able to remind me that, yes, sometimes bad things happen, but if you let those things define you, then you’re going to end up wallowing in those things…” he explained. “Life is about growing and experiencing new things. Life is about the future, not about the past.”

Those lessons have clearly stuck with him, influencing not just his outlook on life, but his approach to his career as well.

Hamm Is Still Dreaming Big

Even after decades in the industry, Hamm says there are still plenty of people he hopes to collaborate with.

“There are still tremendous people out there making movies. And the list grows every day,” he admitted. “It was a wonderful awards season. We saw Paul Thomas Anderson finally win. Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan.”

He then went on to recall when he met Jordan when he was on “Friday Night Lights.” “I knew he was fantastically talented,” Hamm said. “It’s great to see people like that go on and win the whole thing. Once I saw ‘Sinners,’ I knew he had a great shot at it. He really deserves it. But there are tons of people out there I’d still love to work with. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to.”

Jon Hamm Reveals The Movie He Can’t Stop Watching

And when he’s not working, Hamm is still a full-on movie buff at heart. “I’ve got a million of them,” he admitted. “I most recently had ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ on it. It’s a great film. Cameron Crowe.”

He continued, “I just read Cameron Crowe’s autobiography. It was fantastic. It’s called ‘The Uncool.’ There are a million movies that I could go back to. I’m a member of The Criterion Channel. I look at that every day. It’s great. We live in a pretty great time if you’re a movie buff. You’ve got all the movies in the world a click away.”

Quentin Tarantino is undoubtedly divisive as a filmmaker. He’s courted controversy and criticism while simultaneously helping to redefine postmodern cinema. Despite their myriad influences, his films are all uniquely his, with a distinct pop-culture-infused voice behind their stylish visuals and colorful characters. The director broke onto the indie scene in the ’90s with the violent, verbose heist thriller Reservoir Dogs, which established his singular style right from the beginning. He would follow that debut up with what many would call his signature film, the neo-noir crime anthology Pulp Fiction. The Oscar-winning film not only codified the new category that critics and film majors would define as Tarantino-esque, but also so heavily affected the film world at large that it precipitated dozens of imitators within the newly established subgenre.

While Pulp Fiction may be Tarantino’s quintessential film, it’s not his best. If the filmmaker is to be taken at his word, he only has one more film left in his directorial filmography, rounding it out at an even ten — assuming you count Kill Bill as one whole bloody affair. In terms of directors that have been active in as many decades as Tarantino has, that’s a relatively modest number of films, though it still leaves room for plenty of debate. Any fan of Tarantino’s is likely to have their personal favorite film of his, and it’s even arguable that he’s never directed a bad film. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but to take a cue from the filmmaker himself, who has never been shy about giving a hot take, it is without any humility that the following three films directed by Quentin Tarantino are submitted as better than Pulp Fiction.

3

‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ (2019)

Image via Columbia Pictures

Tarantino’s potentially penultimate film is this immensely entertaining hangout of Hollywood revisionist history. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood transports viewers back in time to a transitional period amid the shift from the classic studio regime to the rise of New Hollywood, where a fading TV Western star and his longtime stuntman companion must reckon with a landscape they don’t quite recognize anymore. The chemistry between Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, both of whom we’re reteaming with Tarantino from their separate films, is electric, and while they take up the majority of the marquee, it’s Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate who is the film’s heart and soul. For a Tarantino film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is surprisingly wistful, nostalgically longing for a bygone era of Hollywood and tenderly mourning the loss of Tate to the disciples of Charles Manson. It showcases the empathetic side of Tarantino, which he had engaged with less and less as his films had dived deeper and deeper into genre and exploitation.

In 1969, Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), the former star of a once-popular Western series, is now relegated to guest stints as a villain on other stars’ shows. He commiserates with his faithful stuntman pal Cliff Booth (Pitt), who has a sordid history that has left him just as washed up. As they cruise and booze together, the film treats viewers to a stunning recreation of the era, one that is also filled with impending doom, as we also spend time with movie star Tate and catch glimpses of the members of the Manson Family. The Spahn Ranch sequence is one of Tarantino’s finest, a masterclass in tension that is a microcosm of the film’s entire purpose. The more familiar finale, where Booth and Dalton intervene with history and make bloody mincemeat of the Manson Family members sent to target Tate’s home, is bloody hilarious. However, it’s in the film’s final moments that it makes its fairy tale intentions clear. It isn’t Tarantino’s Spaghetti Western vision of Hollywood; it’s his love letter to it.

2

‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)

Tarantino first dabbled in historical revisionism by having his Inglourious Basterds violently murder Adolf Hitler. While this film doesn’t have the aching sentimentality that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood does, it is a rip-roaring action-adventure war epic that features what are undoubtedly some of Tarantino’s best scenes ever and his greatest villain. From the first moment Christoph Waltz steps on screen in the film’s absolutely nerve-jangling opening to when he leaves it screaming as a swastika is carved into his forehead, it is abundantly clear with affectionate repetition that Tarantino has found his greatest acting collaborator since Samuel L. Jackson. In the conflict that arises between Waltz and the titular Basterds, Tarantino delivers his most entertaining, most immaculately crafted war film.

The Basterds are an all-Jewish group of commandos led by the Tennessee-tinged Aldo Raine (Pitt), who intends to have his men engage in cruel and unusual warfare against the Nazis, drawing the ire of Hitler himself. While they wage war, SS officer Hans Landa (Waltz) is hunting Jewish refugees across Nazi-occupied France. The paths of Landa and the Basterds cross at a fateful film premiere hosted by a cinema operated by Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent), whose family was brutally murdered by Landa and who has plans of vengeance all her own. Throw in a Mexican standoff in a tavern and an explosive finale, and Inglourious Basterds stands tall alongside its action-war progenitors. The final shot of the film infamously has Raine, after having carved his aforementioned swastika into Landa, declare that it’s his masterpiece, before smash-cutting to Tarantino’s writer-director credit. The intention is clear, and it’s hard to disagree.

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‘Jackie Brown’ (1997)

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Jackie Brown is Tarantino’s most underrated film, but as the direct follow-up to Pulp Fiction, it had a long shadow cast over it. The film is far more subtle and subdued in comparison, but also leagues more mature and measured. The differences are what likely led many to write it off as minor Tarantino, but time has shown it to be his greatest cinematic achievement. As an adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel Rum Punch, the film is fairly faithful to the text, but Tarantino’s signature is still all over it, in the dialogue and the casting. Giving ’70s blaxploitation icon Pam Grier her greatest acting showcase, alongside fellow undervalued thespian Robert Forster, the film is anchored by their sincere love story, while the marriage of Leonard and Tarantino’s criminal prose proves as effective as that of any filmmaker and author. Jackie Brown is both the best Elmore Leonard movie and the best Quentin Tarantino movie.

Jackie Brown (Grier) is a middle-aged flight attendant who moonlights as a smuggler for gunrunner Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson). When she gets pinched by the ATF, she has to play all the angles in order to keep herself out of jail and alive. Conspiring with bail bondsman Max Cherry (Forster), Jackie makes plans to get out from under the threat of Ordell and the ATF, and walk away with half a million dollars clean. The twisty crime plot is vintage Leonard, while the characters all sound distinctly Tarantino. It’s not the pulpy plot or punchy dialogue that leaves the most lasting impression, though; it’s the budding romance between Brown and Cherry. Grier and Forster are consummate pros, and they play off each other beautifully, while Tarantino shows a patience and restraint in their scenes only glimpsed in his prior two movies, and which became exceedingly rare in his future films. It’s pointless to wonder whether Tarantino’s career would have taken a different turn had Jackie Brown been more warmly received, and it’s unlikely the director will return to any criminal world crafted by Leonard for his final film, but audiences would be so lucky to get it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an iconic pop culture landmark that continues to find new generations of fans today, nearly three decades after it first premiered. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, the titular Slayer, the show follows her attempts to balance battling the forces of darkness with leading a normal life in high school (and later college). The series premiered on The WB on March 10, 1997, over 29 years ago, with the two-part broadcast of the episodes “Welcome to Hellmouth” and “The Harvest.” In them, we see Buffy and her mom, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland), move from Los Angeles to Sunnydale, where she makes new friends, stumbles onto a vampiric conspiracy, and learns that the town is situated on a Hellmouth, a magical portal that’s the source of Sunnydale’s high concentration of supernatural occurrences.

While the show has become a bit controversial in recent years due to allegations of workplace harassment by creator Joss Whedon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a major critical and commercial success during its original run, and it remains a beloved favorite among fans around the world. That said, there’s no denying that the show hasn’t entirely aged well in the 29 years since its premiere, and as a result, any time you rewatch Buffy’s very first episode, you can’t help but notice some serious flaws. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the harsh realities of rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s first episode, 29 years later.

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The Actors Hadn’t Settled Into the Characters Yet

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s biggest strength is its characters, particularly the supporting cast. “Welcome to Hellmouth” is where Buffy and the audience meet some of the key players: her friends Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon), her Watcher, Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), and her eventual love interest, Angel (David Boreanaz).

Now, while their performances in these roles in the first episode are effective and successfully establish their characterizations and dynamics, they’re not quite as great as what we eventually see in later episodes. That extends to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s performance as Buffy as well, which, while charming, doesn’t feel very real in a lot of the scenes. This is at least partly to be blamed on the fact that it was very early days for the production, leading to an overreliance on archetypes that may have been right for its time, but are undeniably dated now. Speaking of which…

2

It’s Extremely ‘90s (And Not Always in a Good Way)

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s seven-season run extended well into the early 2000s, but it is best known as an iconically ’90s show. Most of the time, that’s a good thing, as the series perfectly captures the culture, stylings, language, and sense of humor of its decade. However, as we mentioned above, the narrative and character dynamics that make those features come alive were still being set up in “Welcome to Hellmouth,” and the result is an episode with far too many flat ’90s stereotypes in place of characters.

This might not be a particularly big problem for fans who grew up in the ’90s and/or watched the series during its initial broadcast, but it can make it feel too dated for some younger viewers. For those audiences, scenes like Buffy’s first meeting with Xander and Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) bullying Willow would mostly seem far too tropey and possibly even offensive. It’s just the passage of time, really, but there’s no ignoring it.

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The Effects Are Dated

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Another issue that you can chalk up to time, “Welcome to Hellmouth” uses pretty low-budget effects that feel visibly dated today. While that’s excusable to a certain extent, it’s not like the episode was exactly a VFX highlight when it first premiered. As the pilot episode, it was made with a very tight budget, and though the effects were seen as mostly adequate when it first came out in 1997, they weren’t particularly impressive back then either.

The show’s production quality did improve significantly starting with Season 2, but the first season’s effects are undeniably cheesy. What actually impressed critics of the time about the pilot episode, however, was the writing, which felt genuinely fresh and innovative for its time. That said…

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The Writing Feels a Lot More Two-Dimensional Now

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This ties back to the problem we mentioned earlier with the characterizations feeling too flat and stereotypical. In its later seasons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was truly one of the best-written shows on television, with layered and well-thought-out character arcs. Compared to that, the first episode feels a lot more clunky.

Again, it’s not exactly bad for its time. The “High School as Hell” concept is brilliantly executed, and the first scene in particular, where we see a boy and a girl break into the school to fool around, only for the girl to be revealed as the vampire, was quite subversive in the ’90s. But again, that was the ’90s; in the 2020s, audiences have already seen scenes like that a million times over, to the point where it feels cliché.

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The Action Isn’t as Polished

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Like the visual effects, this is another aspect of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that improved with later seasons, but the first episode’s stage-fighting looks and feels like stage-fighting. This isn’t just because it’s dated; rather, once again, the low budget can largely be blamed. Buffy’s fight with Darla (Julie Benz), for example, looks quite cheesy, but thankfully, the camera cuts away before we see much of it.

The action in “Welcome to Hellmouth” is quite stilted, even for its time, but again, the fight choreography does get a lot more creative and polished as the show progresses. The early days of any series can involve some growing pains, and to be fair, the action isn’t even the biggest one.

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Dialogue Was a Work in Progress

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Looking back at Buffy the Vampire Slayer​​​​​​’s history, the dialogue is one of the best remembered aspects of the show, with tons of quotable lines that are still used by fans in everyday conversation. It’s honestly quite shocking that the first episode’s dialogue isn’t nearly as good as you may remember. The sense of humor is definitely there, sassy and sardonic, but a lot of the quips don’t land, and it clearly took some time for the writers to get it right.

It’s not just that the jokes aren’t great; far too much of the dialogue is wasted on signaling intelligence without actually being intelligent; others are too dependent on stereotypes, and still more feel forced rather than natural. It’s ironic considering Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s particular style of language, aka Buffy speak, went on to become commonly adopted slang among teens and younger adults. But the lines in the first episode are just not it.

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Life in Sunnydale Sounds Terrifying

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In the early days, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was firmly rooted in its light teen horror foundations, and it’s only much later that the show got into more mature and well-thought-out storytelling. That means there’s a lot of handwaving of plot holes, which fall apart on closer examination. For example, “Welcome to Hellmouth” and its second part, “The Harvest,” firmly establish that the people of Sunnydale are magically oblivious to the supernatural occurrences happening around them.

This is convenient for a show with a procedural format, but can you imagine how terrifying that would be? In the very first scene, we see a boy being killed, and his death barely makes a mark on the people around him. Even in later episodes and seasons, the regular people of Sunnydale are treated as NPCs who live and die with no real impact, which would be an existentially terrifying idea in anything but a ’90s teen show.

Everything said and done, however, these flaws don’t really ruin the experience of the series, and they definitely don’t take away from Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s enduring legacy. Sure, the show might have taken its time to become the iconic world we know and love, but most of those growing pains are just a product of its time. And as for the rest, they’re more than forgivable when you consider the overall entertainment, joy, and creativity that the series delivers over the course of its acclaimed run.

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Release Date

1997 – 2003

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Network

The WB

Showrunner

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Joss Whedon

Directors

Joss Whedon

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Writers

Joss Whedon

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There are so many Stephen King adaptations now that it’s easy for even the good ones to get lost in the shuffle. Between blockbuster films, miniseries, and streaming originals, King’s name has become almost its own genre. But while many adaptations focus on recreating his monsters or most famous plots, one series quietly succeeded by doing something much harder: understanding why his horror works in the first place.

When Castle Rock premiered on Hulu in 2018, it didn’t adapt a single novel. Instead, it built an original story using King’s fictional Maine setting and the mythology surrounding places like Shawshank Prison. What makes it stand out isn’t just its connections to King lore, but how effectively it captures the emotional and psychological horror that defines his best stories. Rather than relying on constant shocks or elaborate mythology, Castle Rock succeeds because it understands something many modern horror shows forget: the scariest thing in a King story usually isn’t the monster. It’s the damage people were already carrying before the monster arrived.

‘Castle Rock’ Makes Its Setting Feel Like the Real Villain

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One of King’s greatest strengths has always been his ability to make a place feel alive, and not in a comforting way. Towns like Derry and Castle Rock feel infected by history, tragedy, and cycles of violence stretching back decades. From the moment Henry Deaver (André Holland) returns to his hometown after a mysterious inmate at Shawshank asks specifically for him, the show builds dread through atmosphere rather than spectacle. Nothing feels safe. Every location carries emotional weight, whether it’s Henry’s childhood home, the prison looming over the town, or streets filled with people who remember things he would rather forget.

What makes this approach effective is restraint. The series doesn’t rush to explain what’s wrong with Castle Rock. Instead, it allows unease to build through character interactions and small details. Conversations feel loaded with past conflicts, relationships feel strained by things left unsaid, and even before the supernatural elements fully emerge, the town already feels broken. Even Bill Skarsgård’s mysterious prisoner, known only as The Kid, isn’t treated like a traditional horror villain. He’s frightening, but the real tension comes from how his presence affects everyone else. As suspicion spreads, people begin acting in ways that suggest the town itself might be amplifying the worst parts of them. That’s King storytelling. Evil isn’t always an invading force; sometimes it feels like something a place has been quietly cultivating for years.

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Stephen King’s Supernatural Small-Town Series Is Finally Available To Watch for Free 10 Years Later

Rewatching this horror series feels like returning to a place you didn’t realize you missed.

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The Show’s Best Horror Comes From Emotional Trauma

What elevates Castle Rock above many horror shows is how grounded it keeps its characters. Everyone feels shaped by personal history rather than just plot mechanics. Henry’s return isn’t just about solving a mystery, it’s about confronting a childhood filled with suspicion and unanswered questions. Melanie Lynskey’s Molly Strand could have been a simple psychic trope, but the show instead frames her sensitivity as something exhausting and isolating. This focus on emotional realism gives the horror real weight. The characters are reacting through layers of grief, guilt, addiction, and fear they were already dealing with.

No episode demonstrates this better than Season 1’s standout installment, “The Queen,” centered on Sissy Spacek’s Ruth Deaver. Instead of relying on traditional horror structure, the episode places viewers inside Ruth’s fractured experience of dementia. Time shifts unpredictably, memories bleed into the present, and moments of clarity disappear without warning. The horror comes from watching someone struggle to trust their own mind. It’s a perfect example of what Castle Rock does differently. Instead of using trauma as backstory, it makes trauma part of the horror itself. The fear doesn’t just come from what might happen, but from what has already happened and how it continues to shape these people.

‘Castle Rock’ Proves Horror Doesn’t Need All the Answers

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Another reason Castle Rock remains underrated is one of its biggest strengths: it refuses to overexplain its mysteries. Modern genre television often feels pressured to answer everything. Viewers expect detailed explanations of how every supernatural element works. But King’s best stories often leave room for interpretation, and Castle Rock follows that tradition. The show understands that not knowing is often more disturbing than certainty. This helps the series avoid a common trap where mystery eventually turns into exposition. Instead of building toward a clean explanation, Castle Rock builds toward emotional consequences. The question becomes less about what is happening and more about what it’s doing to the people involved.

That ambiguity helps the series linger after it ends. Rather than feeling like a puzzle solved, it feels like a story that continues beyond the final episode. That’s why Castle Rock remains one of the most interesting King television projects of the past decade. Not because it references his work, but because it understands his philosophy. His horror isn’t just about monsters: it’s about how fear reshapes people and how sometimes the most disturbing realization is that the darkness may have been there all along.

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Release Date

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2018 – 2019-00-00

Showrunner

Dustin Thomason

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Directors

Dustin Thomason

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Writers

Dustin Thomason

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