By Robert Scucci
| Published 17 seconds ago

Vigilante justice is often portrayed in films through masked superheroes or hardened but well-intentioned police officers who are tired of always seeing the bad guys win. 2023’s Walden introduces its quirky brand of vigilante justice through a frustrated stenographer who has access to countless court records and starts noticing the coincidences that pile up through his millions of keystrokes. It’s the story of a man with a front row seat to some of the worst crimes that pass through the courtroom, who finally snaps after watching enough guilty people walk away without receiving the punishments they deserve.

Between the acts of brutality found in Walden is an underlying sweetness from its titular protagonist (Emile Hirsch), who simply wants to see bad people go away. The problem is that he’s such a nice guy that he doesn’t quite know how to carry himself in heightened situations, which lands him in more trouble than even the most hardened private eye could reasonably handle.

Documenting Cases Leads To Cynical Places

When we’re first introduced to Walden Dean, there’s literally nothing to dislike about him. He speaks softly, with a gentle Southern drawl, and he’s excessively polite to everyone he encounters, not because he’s trying to pull one over on anybody, but because he’s genuinely kind.

A true master of his craft, Walden is well on his way to accomplishing the unthinkable by typing 360 words per minute with startling accuracy. This particular skillset becomes the catalyst for his transformation, because those skilled hands are responsible for documenting every grisly case that passes through the courtroom under Judge Boyle (David Keith).

When a fainting spell leads to a potential terminal brain tumor diagnosis, Walden starts thinking about his purpose in life, and it doesn’t take long for him to find one. After learning that murderer Norman Bolt (Ben Bladon) walked free on a technicality after burning his own daughter to death in an oven, he springs to action, deciding he has nothing left to lose. Convinced he’s found his calling, Walden pulls out old case files with the intention of tracking down guilty parties and delivering the punishments he believes they deserve.

What Walden doesn’t anticipate, though, is a larger conspiracy that surfaces when his mentally handicapped friend George (Luke Davis) is wrongly implicated in a string of child disappearances and arrested by detectives Bill Kane (Shane West) and Sally Hunt (Tania Raymonde). As Walden’s brand of vigilante justice escalates, the stakes climb quickly. His days are numbered. His friend is in serious trouble. Authorities are catching on to his totally justified but still totally illegal slayings. And looming over everything is a much bigger case that has been brushed under the rug for years.

You Can’t Not Like This Guy

Walden works so well because Emile Hirsch dials the wholesomeness up to 11. He’s a typing nerd who suddenly finds himself way in over his head after learning he might not have much longer to live. He has seen firsthand how often people avoid justice for their horrific crimes, and he has the paper trail to prove it. He carries out acts of violence that mirror the ones committed by his targets, and he does it all with near childlike innocence and Southern charm.

Even if Walden is technically the bad guy for taking the law into his own hands, it never feels like he’s in the wrong. His intentions are pure. He still shows up week after week trying to hit that per-minute word count that would make him a legend, because at the end of the day, he takes pride in his work, and he’s simply on a side quest.

They say nice guys finish last, but in Walden, Walden Dean gets the last laugh, and it’s so satisfying to watch. If you want to type along to the subtitles while solving this murder mystery, you can stream Walden for free on Tubi as of this writing.

Hugh Hefner’s Widow
Investigate His Secret Sex Diary!!!

Published
February 17, 2026
3:22 PM PST

Taylor Sheridan is famously known as the Yellowstone guy, but the acclaimed Western scribe also has plenty of other amazing credits under his belt. In fact, he actually began his career not with TV shows, but with movies like Sicario (starring Josh Brolin), Wind River (starring Elizabeth Olsen), and Hell or High Water (starring Jeff Bridges). It wasn’t until the first season of Yellowstone in 2018 that he turned his attention to the world of TV, and it wasn’t just with offshoots of the Kevin Costner-led series like 1883 and 1923. Sheridan also developed gritty crime dramas like Mayor of Kingstown (featuring Jeremy Renner) and Tulsa King (led by Sylvester Stallone), and he topped it all off with Landman (starring Billy Bob Thornton), his new oil drama with the potential to become his biggest show yet.

However, one Sheridan-produced show that has fallen through the cracks over the years is Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the eight-part Western miniseries following one of the greatest frontier heroes of all time, who was also one of the first Black marshals west of the Mississippi River. The show features Silo veteran David Oyelowo in the lead role, and he’s surrounded by other major stars like Dennis Quaid and the late Donald Sutherland. All episodes of Lawmen: Bass Reeves aired on Paramount+ back in 2023, and although the show has been off the air for almost three years now, it’s still hanging around the top 10 in several countries. It’s quietly become the perfect Western weekend binge for both Sheridan fans and those just looking for something else to dive into.

What Is Taylor Sheridan Working on Right Now?

It will come as no surprise to Taylor Sheridan fans that the Western scribe has a lot of irons in the fire right now. His next two projects on the slate are two more Yellowstone spin-offs, Marshals and The Madison, which will premiere on March 1 and March 14, respectively. He’s also working on new seasons of some of his most popular shows, like Landman, Tulsa King, and Mayor of Kingstown, but none of them have yet been assigned slots on the release calendar. Sheridan is also due to wrap filming soon on the third season of Lioness, which is expected to air before the end of the year. He’s also writing a new movie, F.A.S.T., as well as a Call of Duty movie for Paramount with Peter Berg directing.

Check out all episodes of Lawmen: Bass Reeves on Paramount+ and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.

Savannah Guthrie’s Husband
Lands in Arizona Amid Frantic Search For Nancy

Published
February 17, 2026
2:41 PM PST

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 17 seconds ago

In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel is a character stricken by a very specific curse: as a vampire, one of his victims’ families gives him his soul back, forcing him to constantly experience the crushing guilt of everyone he has ever hurt or killed. To make things worse, there was a catch to this curse that served to twist the knife in Angel’s heart. Specifically, if he ever experiences a moment of true happiness, he would lose his soul and once again become Angelus, one of the scariest vampires the planet had ever known.

All of this makes Angel (played by David Boreanaz) one of the most complex and fascinating characters in television history, and many Buffy fans have wondered where showrunner Joss Whedon got the idea for this gut-wrenching curse. But you don’t have to look far to discover the answer: as it turns out, Whedon drew inspiration from one of the most famous stories in all of literature. You see, Angel’s curse is very similar to what we see in the tale of Faust, better known as the original “deal with the devil” story.

What A Terrible Night For A Curse

If your memories of English class are a little fuzzy, here’s a quick primer: Faust was originally a German legend about a man who, despite his success, simply wanted more out of life. In order to get it, he made a deal with the devil in which he would get all of the worldly knowledge and pleasures that he could ever want. But after a life of experiencing what amounted to Heaven on Earth, his soul would go straight to Hell once he died.

Multiple authors have adapted this German folktale, and the most famous was created by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He added his own twists to Faust’s pact with the devil, including Faust making a very special wager: he will become a servant in Hell only if the Devil can provide him with a moment of true happiness that he would want to last forever. This unexpectedly happens when Faust begins dreaming of people working together to make the world a better place; this moment of happiness damns his soul, but he is effectively saved by God, who rewards Faust with salvation because of his righteous dream of human harmony.

The Most Tortured Vampire In History

Needless to say, there is plenty of parallelism between what happens to Goethe’s Faust and what happens to Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Once his soul is restored, Angel does his best to atone for all the terrible acts that he committed as a vampire. But once he experiences a moment of true happiness (which happened, awkwardly enough, during sex with Buffy), he loses his soul, becoming once more a terrible monster who damns himself with each transgressive act.

Arguably, Angel is also the beneficiary of the same divine grace that saved Faust: after losing his soul and becoming Angelus, he enacts a plan meant to plunge the entire world into Hell. Buffy stops him, but only after Willow successfully restores his soul. This leads to the most heartbreaking moment in the entire series, in which Buffy has to kill the only man she has ever loved, sending him to a hell dimension in order to save every human on the planet.

Saved By The Spell

He is inexplicably resurrected in Season 3, and there is never an official explanation given for who or what brings him back from Hell. But one very prominent fan theory is that he was brought back by The Powers That Be, the same mysterious group of cosmic powerhouses who ensured Angel met Buffy. Later, they gave prophetic visions to Doyle, the demon who helped Angel become a champion of the helpless once he moved to Los Angeles.

Angel was originally condemned to Hell thanks to a very Faustian curse, and he may have been saved in the same way: by divine powers that rewarded his dream of making the world a better place. Either way, it’s clear that the tale of the most iconic vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer was influenced by the original deal with the devil story, one that has been influencing storytellers for centuries. Even though most fans never clocked it, this means that the hottest TV show of the ‘90s is forever connected to a German folktale that became popular nearly 500 years ago!

Shia LaBeouf
Headbutts Man Before New Orleans Beatdown

Published
February 17, 2026
2:32 PM PST

Shia LaBeouf was arrested after an alleged fight during a Mardi Gras party in New Orleans.

TMZ broke the news on Tuesday, February 17, reporting that the 39-year-old actor was involved in an apparent physical altercation just after midnight, which resulted in paramedics being called to the scene. Court records obtained by TMZ stated that LaBeouf is facing two counts of simple battery.

Us Weekly has reached out to police and LaBeouf’s team for comment.

The publication also released a video, which appeared to be taken on the scene. In the 18-second clip, a shirtless LaBeouf appeared to be speaking with someone in the French Quarter. The video then cuts to LeBeouf, still shirtless, sitting in the open trunk of a police car. A white T-shirt was on his head as he spoke with EMS paramedics.

Photos from the alleged incident, also published by TMZ, showed LaBeouf in the back of an ambulance.

An eyewitness claimed in a statement to the publication that LaBeouf was escorted out of a bar before getting into the alleged fight.

LaBeouf has experienced a series of ups and downs in the public eye, including a series of legal issues and multiple arrests for alcohol-related incidents, starting in 2014. He spoke candidly about experiencing alcoholism and PTSD in an interview two years later.

“Alcohol or any of that s*** will send you haywire. I can’t f*** with none of it. I’ve got to keep my head low,” the actor told Variety at the time. “I got a Napoleonic complex. I start drinking and I feel smaller than I am, and I get louder than I should. It’s just not for me, dude.”

In December 2020, LaBeouf was accused in a lawsuit of “relentless abuse” and sexual battery against ex-girlfriend FKA twigs. LaBeouf denied the allegations in a lengthy statement to The New York Times.“I am not cured of my PTSD and alcoholism,” he said, in part. “I am committed to doing what I need to do to recover, and I will forever be sorry to the people that I may have harmed along the way.”

Related: Shia LaBeouf’s Ups and Downs Through the Years

Shia LaBeouf has experienced several controversies throughout his time in the public eye. The actor kicked off his career as a child, becoming one to watch while starring on the Disney Channel series Even Stevens. He went on to appear in films like the Transformers franchise, Honey Boy and The Peanut Butter Falcon. LaBeouf’s legal […]

LaBeouf continued: “I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.”

Us Weekly broke the news in July 2025 that FKA twigs dropped the lawsuit against LaBeouf.

Two years later, LaBeouf claimed that he experienced suicidal thoughts as his scandals made headlines.

“At this point I’m nuclear. Nobody wants to talk to me, including my mother,” he claimed in an August 2022 interview with Bishop Robert Barron. “The manager’s not calling. The agent’s not calling. I’m not connected to the business anymore.”

LaBeouf also recalled the moment he almost took his own life amid ongoing legal issues.

“I had a gun on the table. I was outta here. I didn’t want to be alive anymore when all this happened,” he said. “Shame like I had never experienced before — the kind of shame that you forget how to breathe. You don’t know where to go. You can’t go outside and get like, a taco.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Young and the Restless indicates Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) are so deep into their need for revenge and power that they have alienated everybody and are ruining their lives. Let’s talk about how there’s no coming back at this point for Billy and Phyllis.

Soon, they’re going to be left with nobody but each other, which is kind of a dismal thought. So, Billy’s feeling pretty good because he’s got Chancellor, and Newman Media under the AbbottCom umbrella. He finally got revenge on Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), but that’s about the only thing Billy got going for him because this week, his relationships fall apart.

Billy Abbott’s Revenge Backfires as Relationships Crumble on Young and the Restless

Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Billy are at odds. While talking to Jack, we’re going to see Billy accusing Jack of being mad that he got the best of Victor. Billy did it, not Jack. Then, his big brother messes up Billy’s plans somehow. Maybe he gets Jill Abbott (Jess Walton) involved or makes some other move.

Things get worse for Billy when Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) hits her breaking point. Billy was just ranting that she didn’t have ambition, and he walked out on their Valentine’s Day dinner. After a talk with her ex, Adam Newman (Mark Grossman), we’re going to see Sally head over to Billy’s place. She tells him she’s packing and she’s going.

Sally says that Billy keeps lying and saying he wants her, but what he really wants is Chancellor and revenge. Despite Sally ready to walk out on him, Billy is still trying to defend his actions. It’s crazy. He’s still saying it’s not wrong to chase his dreams, as if he wants an Olympic medal or to learn to play the piano. It’s not that. His dreams are all about revenge and Victor.

Sally Spectra Dumps Billy as Victoria Newman Plots Punishment on Y&R

Sally tells Billy he’s blinded. They’re over. They’re done. She’s out of there. Of course, he’s asking Sally, “Don’t do this.” But she tells Billy, “You’re the one that did this.” Sally says there’s no coming back from it. Billy tries saying he loves her. Sally says she loves him, too, but that Billy doesn’t think Sally is enough for him because he’s still chasing all these other terrible things.

Billy is officially dumped. He’s got nothing and nobody at this point except Chancellor. On top of that, Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) is plotting against Billy. She wants him punished, and she’s going to use their kids to do it. Victoria may refuse to let Billy see the kids. She may take him to court if she has to. She’s already said she’s going to tell the kids these awful things he’s done.

Victor Newman Gaslights Cane Ashby to Reclaim Newman Assets on Young and the Restless

Then we’ve got Phyllis. She betrayed Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn), and Victor now has Cane spun up into thinking that he’s going to hurt Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) and the kids unless Cane finds a way to get all the Newman assets back from Phyllis. Victor has really messed with Cane’s mind. At this point, he’s just simple. I don’t know why he isn’t taking what Victor says with a grain of salt.

Cane is supposed to be this brilliant person. He is going to try and take down Phyllis and do what Victor is demanding to save Lily and the kids because Victor has gaslit him. Cane is going to go to Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei) and ask him to help stop Phyllis. Daniel is probably going to do it. We know that he hates what his mom has done and thinks Phyllis has just gone too far.

Daniel may help Cane trick Phyllis and find a way to take it back. Daniel’s had enough. Summer Newman (Allison Lanier) had enough. They’re sick of Phyllis making one awful decision after another. It’s even worse because, let’s be honest, Phyllis already hit rock bottom a couple of years ago when she faked her death back in the Jeremy Stark (James Hyde) days.

Phyllis Summers Hits Rock Bottom as Daniel and Summer Walk Away

Everybody turned their back on her then. It took a while, but eventually, Daniel and Summer forgave her. You’d think after that rock bottom, Phyllis wouldn’t keep pulling these stunts and risk losing her kids again. Apparently, she didn’t learn her lesson. Phyllis has gone to rock bottom and then she started digging, trying to find a lower point.

Daniel and Summer may finally wash their hands of Phyllis once and for all. Honestly, if Daniel conspires with Cane to get Newman Enterprises away from her, Phyllis may lash out at Daniel for betraying her. I don’t think she’d let it slide. I think she might play the victim card and say that she was done dirty.

Nick Newman and Sharon Newman Vow to Make Phyllis Pay for Her Betrayal on Y&R

Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) also both despise Phyllis now. She has pushed them past their breaking point. Sharon said, “Everybody always forgives Phyllis, but not this time.” Nick has vowed to make Phyllis pay, and he said for the rest of her life. We all know Nick’s always a hothead, but right now the pain pill addiction and the pain are both making him more aggressive and vengeful.

He’s been annoyed with Phyllis since back when they were in France and she was looking to team up with Dumas. That was right around the time they found out it was Cane. Nick may really be done with her now. Phyllis literally has nobody who can stand to be in the same room with her except Billy.

A Billy and Phyllis Reunion on Young and the Restless? The Last Two Stand Alone

Those two don’t even get along, but by the end of this week, Phyllis and Billy are going to be the only ones that each other has left in their lives. I think everybody else is going to be done with them. Phyllis and Billy might hook up. That would ice the awful cake, right? Phyllis and Billy were in love at one point, so it wouldn’t be unprecedented.

Sally just walked out on him, and Phyllis’s bed buddy, Cane, has turned on her. If Billy slid into the sheets with Phyllis, I think that Sally would absolutely never let that go. Any chance of reconciliation would be over if Billy sleeps with Phyllis. As for Red, she’s got nothing left to lose. Why not replay her past with Billy? She’d probably be all for it.

I actually liked them together. They were engaged and they were happy at one point. They lived together and were playing video games. Then, of course, Billy slept with Summer. That was awkward. A while back, when Billy first got with Sally, we saw Phyllis having this dream about reuniting with Billy.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Will Victor Newman Stay on the Losing Side?

That dream happened right before Phyllis and Sharon were abducted by psycho Martin Laurent (Christopher Cousins) and held captive in that creepy abandoned psych hospital. It looked for a minute like they were hinting that Billy and Phyllis may reunite, but nothing ever came of it and he moved on with Sally. Maybe we are circling back around to it.

The big question is, of course, can Billy and Phyllis hang on to what they stole? I would hope she has everything locked down with super secret, extra secure passwords. Even if Cane gets Daniel to steal Phyllis’s laptop, they shouldn’t be able to get into it. I know that a bunch of Young and the Restless fans, even those that don’t like Phyllis and Cane, want to see Victor suffer for a while before he gets his companies back.

Victor Newman to Blame on Y&R

Victor says to Adam and Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) this week, “I know you probably blame me.” They’re both like, “No, we don’t blame you.” Ridiculous. It is 100% his fault. But I guess they’re not going to go there because Josh Griffith loves Victor Newman. We’ve got a week of sweeps left, and I just really hope that we come out of it with Victor still on the losing side of this.

He needs to pay for a while longer. I do hope that, at least in terms of their corporate assets, Phyllis and Billy keep winning for a little while longer. By the end of the week, though, it looks like Phyllis’s and Billy’s personal lives are ruined. Phyllis’s kids vow they’re done, even though she thinks they’ll come around. Billy’s kids are going to find out the things he’s done. Sally walked out on Billy. Honestly, I think she should have done it months ago.

This week is critical and life-changing for the two of them. What I really hope is someone gives Cane a reality check and tells him, “Look, Victor is lying to you. You’re being played.” Phyllis told Cane that Victor was bluffing, but he didn’t believe her. Maybe Cane will speak to Jack or somebody else who has a lick of sense and knows that this Lily kidnapping is fake. Maybe Cane will snap out of it and won’t help Victor get his stuff back.

Months after a heated family feud spilled over onto the internet, PJ Washington and Brittany Renner seem to be enjoying their separate lives. They co-parent a 4-year-old son named after the NBA baller and have been in dispute over child support in recent months. But on Valentine’s Day, it seems PJ and Brittany only had love on their minds— for their respective partners, that is! Washington apparently dropped a big bag on his wife, Alisah Chanel. Meanwhile, Renner and her new man, Rashad Scroggins, flaunted their bond on the ‘gram.

RELATED: Issa New Couple? Social Media Reacts As Mystery Man Shares Mountain Trip Memories With Brittany Renner (VIDEOS)

PJ Washington Spoils Wife With Romantic Set-Up & New Car

One thing about Washington, he’s gon’ spoil his wife, from the private jet lifestyle to luxury bags and vacations. So, as expected, this Valentine’s Day was no different! The NBA player dug into his apparently deep pockets and dropped stacks on Alisah, gifting her a vehicle that’s usually no cheaper than $500,000 when brand new. The wife wasted no time flexing her cherry red Ferrari on social media.

On Instagram, she wrote, “Happy V-Day….SF90 for the princess. Thank you HUBBY.” Additional photos in her post show that PJ Washington also gifted her several designer handbags, including two Birkins and two Chanel bags. Swipe below to see the photos. 

And that’s not where the love gifts stopped! Photos Alisah Chanel posted from their getaway show rose petals sprinkled all over the couple’s bedroom floor, and arranged in a heart on their bed. PJ also seemingly arranged a romantic, outdoor dinner for him and wifey. Her sons, including one with PJ and another from a previous relationship, were also seen in the recap photos. Their romantic set-up included two themed balloon arrangements and a table covered in a pink cloth. Alisah was also dressed for the occasion, rocking a red corset and matching long silk skirt. Swipe below to see the photos. 

Brittany Renner & Rashad Are In Love, LOVE! 

While it’s luxurious energy on the Washingtons’ side, Brittany Renner and Rashad are all about their friends-to-lovers story. On Valentine’s Day, he recapped a four-hour roadtrip he and Brittany took to check off an item from her bucket list. The goal? See the tallest trees in the world, California’s sequoias. Rashad explained that he’d heard her speak that dream throughout their friendship.

“Being with someone who sees the beauty in the world the way you do is a peaceful place to be. We stood there, just admiring the silence the forest brings. It was cold for sure, but the view holding her was perfect,” Rashad’s Instagram caption said.

Meanwhile, in the comment section, Brittany Renner penned a lengthy paragraph about finally experiencing her dream with someone she loves.

“This was on my bucket list for YEARS. I remember you had asked me why I kept putting off going for so long if it was something I wanted to do. The question truly had me stumped! I made a couple excuses about not having time, money, etc (which you clocked 🧐 lmaooo) Then I realized in that moment that yes, I can do everything alone with ease, but where’s the fun in that? Truth is, I was waiting to experience it with someone I loved ♥️ THANK YOU for the most unforgettable experience and memories along with it. This is what dreamssssssss are made of 🎶🤠🥰🕺🏽😂🩰 I love you ever so!!!”

What’s The Latest On PJ & Brittany’s Support Case?

Earlier this month, Brittany Renner revealed on her podcast, ‘Facets of Life,’ that she had voluntarily dismissed her California child support case against PJ Washington. She seemingly credited herself as rare, saying she doesn’t know many “gold diggers” who’d walk away from taking their “bitter BD” to “the cleaners” especially after signing such a lucrative extension. “But then again, this ain’t that and that ain’t this,” Renner wrote on Instagram, promoting the podcast episode which highlights her child support case.

Also, she shared that she had relocated to Atlanta and was initially staying in California for the case because she felt like she was “failing” her son. Renner also claimed that PJ hasn’t seen their son since May 7, 2025 and explained that a friend had convinced her to file against her ex.

” If my child’s father doesn’t want to be around and all you’re good for is money, well then give me more of it. Give us more of it, so at least we can have a good life since you’re not going to be involved,” Renner said. Later adding, “If I can’t get you to care about something that you co-created, then I might as well hit you where I guess it seemingly would hurt you, the only thing you care about, which is money.”

Additionally, Brittany revealed that ultimately she never needed money to be happy and realized her son “doesn’t care about that.”

RELATED: Todd Tucker Breaks Silence On His Living Situation & Seeks Temporary Custody Of His Kids With Kandi Burruss