Before she built anything resembling an empire, Victoria Campbell was elbow-deep in skincare textbooks and hands-on training at a beauty school in Wellington, New Zealand. She’s always believed in one simple rule: you only have one face, and you’ve got to take care of it. That belief was strong enough to send her through more than a year of formal training and tens of thousands of dollars in debt before she ever stepped foot in the content creation world. What happened next turned that debt into financial independence within a matter of weeks, and eventually into a career, and a philosophy, entirely her own.

A real qualification first

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Victoria’s path into beauty wasn’t a side interest that got out of hand. It was intentional from the start. She enrolled at Elite Beauty School in Wellington and left with a Diploma in Beauty Therapy, training across makeup, skin, brows, lashes, nails, and massage.

“I’ve always had an interest in beauty, especially skincare, and I wanted to educate myself on a deeper level and gain a real qualification before starting in the industry,” she said. “I’ve always said: you only have one face, and you’ve got to take care of it. Everyone should be using skincare.”

It wasn’t a fast or cheap process. The diploma took about a year and a half to complete, and by the time she graduated, Victoria had racked up roughly $25,000 NZD in debt chasing a career she genuinely wanted.

The math that changed everything

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Her first job in the industry checked every box on paper. She landed at a beautiful salon, surrounded by people she loved working with, doing the job she’d trained for. The problem was the math. At around $40,000 NZD a year, Victoria calculated it would take her until she was almost 30 just to pay off what beauty school had cost her.

A few weeks later, Playboy reached out and asked if she wanted to join their creator platform. She didn’t hesitate.

“I’d seen other girls having huge success on these platforms and I wanted a piece of it,” she said. “I’d grown up dealing with being sexualized online and in person because of my body type. This was my chance to take control of that and make it work in my favor instead.”

Everything moved fast from there. Victoria paid off all of her beauty school debt within the first month. Not long after, she went full-time with Playboy, quit her job in beauty therapy, and relocated to Melbourne to focus entirely on her new career.

One rule she has never broken

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Even as her career accelerated, Victoria drew a hard line early and has never crossed it: she only creates solo content.

“It’s what I’m comfortable with, full stop,” she said. “Even knowing it means leaving money on the table. Some things aren’t worth compromising for.”

Money, peace, and an empire of her own

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For Victoria, the appeal of the work has never just been about the money, though the financial freedom it’s provided is something she values above almost everything else.

“OnlyFans has opened doors I never thought were possible, and the financial freedom it’s given me is what I value most,” she said. “I believe it is extremely important for women, especially, to have their own money. There is a certain kind of peace that comes from knowing you don’t need to rely on anyone to survive. Nobody’s coming to save me, so I built a life that I don’t need saving from. My own money, my own peace, and my own empire. A woman with money answers to no one.”

From training wheels to running her own show

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Looking back, Victoria credits her time with Playboy’s creator platform as the ideal entry point into an industry she knew little about starting out.

“It was honestly the perfect introduction to the industry,” she said. “In those early days, I still had my training wheels on, learning as I went with every piece of content I put out. Starting my journey there gave me the space to figure out what direction I actually wanted to take with this work, and it’s where I first got a real glimpse of my own potential.”

That early experimentation eventually gave way to a full-time content creation career that Victoria describes as the best decision she’s made. “This decision changed everything for me,” she said. “It gave me the chance to clear significant debt and build real financial independence, which is something I’m genuinely proud of and still feel strongly about. From there I moved into full-time content creation, which has grown into a career I love — the creative control, the flexibility, and being able to build something that’s entirely mine. Being your own boss is unbeatable.”

Her beauty background never really left

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Even with content creation as her full-time focus now, Victoria hasn’t left her beauty therapy training behind. If anything, it shows up more than people might expect.

“As for the beauty world, I still love it and my training comes in handy more than people might expect,” she said. “Skincare, styling, and presentation are all part of what I do now. I still continue to use everything I learned in my everyday life, and I enjoy being able to pass that knowledge onto other women so we can all look our best.” While she hasn’t made concrete plans to return to beauty therapy professionally, content creation remains where her focus is right now.

Life beyond the camera

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Outside of work, Victoria’s other great love is travel, something she doesn’t take lightly. “Travelling is something I believe is so important to do if you have the privilege of being able to,” she said. Her favorite destinations so far include Italy, Spain, Japan, Bali, and the Sunshine Coast in Australia, with Noosa standing out as an especially favorite spot.

By her own description, she’s a self-proclaimed beach girl — tanning, reading, and cooling off in the ocean rank among the few outdoor activities she genuinely enjoys. And when she travels, she does it in style. Nice accommodation isn’t negotiable for her, even when the itinerary is packed with things to do. Shopping, trying new food, and letting the schedule loosen up are all part of how she likes to spend her time away.

Victoria is headed to Sydney next week for ten days to spend time with friends, and she’s planning to document the trip for her audience. Later in the year, she’s hoping to add a U.S. trip to the list as well, possibly in October. Travel content has long been something she loves watching, and now she’s excited to be the one creating it.

From a beauty school classroom in Wellington to building a content creation career on her own terms, Victoria Campbell’s story is one of turning a setback — mounting debt and a slow path forward — into an opportunity she seized without hesitation. The beauty therapy training never went to waste. It just became one more tool in an empire she built for herself, on her own rules, answering to no one.

Julia Stiles and her husband, Preston Cook, are still blissfully in love after 12 years together.

“Taking a breath to wish my main man, my lurve, a Happy Anniversary,” Stiles, 45, wrote via Instagram on Friday, September 4, sharing a throwback wedding photo with Cook. “Grateful you are not on social media (Somehow you’ll hear about this).”

Stiles and Cook began dating in 2014 after meeting on the set of Blackway. The couple, who got married three years later, have since welcomed three children together.

While the Save the Last Dance star and Cook often keep their family life private, she recently embarked on a new professional move. Earlier this week, Stiles was announced as one of the contestants on Dancing With the Stars season 35.

“Thank you for holding down the fort while I live my dance dream, and being cool with my [Ezra Sosa] obsession,” the actress added in her Friday tribute to Cook, also referring to her pro dance partner. “I love love love you. Miss you already ❤️❤️.”

Sosa, 25, has since been preparing Stiles for the DWTS season premiere later this month.

“This is my chance to free myself from [Save the Last Dance] and just enjoy the experience and learn something new with an amazing partner at the top of his game,” Stiles exclusively told Us on Wednesday, September 2. “It’s a dream, a total dream.”

While Stiles portrayed an aspiring ballet dancer with aspirations of attending the Juilliard School in the 2001 flick, she stressed that the film doesn’t give her a leg up in the ballroom.

“It did not prepare me for Dancing With the Stars,” she stated. “First of all, I have not gone to a dance class. I stopped taking dance classes after that movie because I was so self-conscious. I can see how tense I was in that movie.”

Related: Breaking Down the ‘DWTS’ Pros Who Won’t Return for Season 35: Gleb, More

The Dancing With the Stars ballroom will look a little different for season 35. While returning faves like reigning mirrorball champ Witney Carson, Val Chmerkovskiy, Rylee Arnold, Sharna Burgess and Ezra Sosa will all be back to cha cha with a celebrity, a number of the show’s well-known choreographers will be absent this year. The […]

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She continued, “I’m so grateful for all the opportunities that came from that movie but I am not a professional dancer. I just played pretend.”

Stiles is a longtime fan of the ballroom competition and appeared overjoyed to learn from Sosa.

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“I’m so excited,” she gushed in social media footage shared earlier this week, jumping into Sosa’s arms during their first rehearsal.

As for Sosa, he simply noted that he was “gagged” to pair up with the 10 Things I Hate About You star.

Dancing With the Stars season 35 kicks off with a two-night premiere on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.

Lindsay Clancy’s high-profile murder trial in the death of her three children has been declared a mistrial after the defense team’s emergency appeal was denied by highest court in the state of Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court concluded an emergency hearing on Friday, September 4, ultimately denying an appeal filed by Clancy’s defense attorney after the judge shared his intention to declare a mistrial amid a deadlocked jury.

Judge William Sullivan granted Clancy’s defense, Kevin Reddington, an hour to seek an emergency stay before a mistrial was formally declared, according to CNN.

“I’m kind of a history buff and during World War II, Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of England when England pretty much stood against Nazi Germany alone,” Judge Sullivan said while addressing the jury before declaring a mistrial in the controversial case. “So Churchill [often] had to talk to the citizens and let us brace for our duties. I always like that phrase, and I thought of that phrase when all of you were agreeing to be on this jury. You agreed to brace for that duty and each one of you knew how long the case was going to go, you knew how difficult the case was going to be to listen to, facts-wise. But still, you braced for that duty.”

He continued, “I watched every day, day after day, week after week, [and] all of you [were] performing that duty that you braced for. And I kind of wanted to let you know: I understand how hard everyone worked in this case. I understood you all gave everything you could and probably more than you thought you could … I just want to thank you so much. You should be proud of what you did. You braced for that duty. You performed that duty.”

The Supreme Judicial Court had turned down Reddington’s appeal aimed at preventing a mistrial, CNN reported.

“Intervention is necessary in this case to avoid an avoidable mistrial of a case that is so time and labor intensive and that has captured so much public attention. It is also necessary to preserve the Defendant’s right to a fair trial by unbiased jurors applying the law and to avoid violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments and Article 114, which makes mental illness a protected category,” Clancy’s defense team argued in the emergency request, obtained by NBC Boston.

“A mistrial at this point is entirely avoidable, but only if the court does its job,” the filing also states.

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Related: Judge to Declare Mistrial in Lindsay Clancy Case, Grants Defense 1 Hour

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A Massachusetts judge is preparing to declare a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case after jurors spent several days and more than 30 hours in deliberation. Judge William Sullivan granted Clancy’s defense, Kevin Reddington, one hour in order to seek an emergency stay from the Supreme Judicial Court on Friday, September 4, per CNN. Clancy, […]

According to CNN, the Supreme Judicial Court judge praised the defense before issuing a ruling.

“I think I understand your argument,” the judge reportedly told the defense team, per CNN. ‘Although it was quick papers it was good papers and I understand the distinction that you’re making. I now have to make a decision.”

Another hearing has been scheduled for September 29. The future of the case remains unclear.

In an exclusive Collider Signature for the HBO Max series, Movsesian admits she came home with what she estimates were “gallons” of the stuff, enough to constitute a flight hazard. But naturally, she’s already considering another trip. “I feel like I have to go to Conan and say, ‘I think I need to go to Morocco again,’” she says with a laugh. “Just for more oil.”

Of course, the oil is really just an excuse to put O’Brien and Movsesian back into their natural habitat: annoying each other like kids on vacation. After 12 years as his assistant — and trips together to Cuba, Armenia, South Korea, and Mexico City — Morocco marks the first time Movsesian has joined O’Brien on this kind of adventure without technically being responsible for him — technically being the important word here. “There were so many times where I still kind of wanted to take care of him, make sure he was being fed, make sure he was comfortable,” she says, but it didn’t last. Put the two back on the road and, as Movsesian frames it, they “revert right back” to their old dynamic. “We’re incredibly childish,” she admits. “He brings out the immaturity in me, which says a lot because I’m already very immature.”

That is also likely the secret to why their comedy is so magnetic. Movsesian is not interested in matching O’Brien joke for joke because, as she puts it, “I will never be as funny as Conan and… I don’t ever want to be.” Instead, she relies on what she likes to call her “Conan net” — a fairly luxurious knowledge where she can say something ridiculous and one of our generation’s greatest comedic minds will somehow make it a thousand times funnier.

In Collider’s in-depth conversation with Movsesian about Episode 3: “Morocco,” the podcast host and New York Times bestselling author gets into that authentic chemistry, what didn’t make it into their Moroccan adventure, how traveling with her boss has changed since the Conan Without Borders days, and what it was like leaving her children for the longest stretch since becoming a mother. She also opens up about her new book, The World’s Worst Mom, the follow-up to her smash hit The World’s Worst Assistant, and navigating a level of recognition she never expected.

For Movsesian, It Felt Like No Time Had Passed Since Her Last Trip With O’Brien

“He brings out the immaturity in me.”

Image via Team Coco/HBO

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COLLIDER: Sona, I am so humbled and honored to chat with you — I’m a huge fan, and loved seeing you on Conan O’Brien Must Go this season, so congrats on Season 3! I have to know, after an entire trip to Morocco basically culminating in you getting argan oil, how much of your haul is actually left, and are you rationing it now?

SONA MOVSESIAN: You know what? I gave a lot of it away because so many people were like, “You’re going to go for actual argan oil from Morocco?” I want to say I got gallons of it. I mean. I think I got one suitcase that was just oil, so if it exploded in the plane, it would have been the worst thing. But I got so much of it, and then I just gave it away to a lot of people. But I still have a lot. I use so much of it, so I’m actually moving through it pretty quickly. I feel like I have to go to Conan and say, “I think I need to go to Morocco again,” just for more oil. [Laughs]

You’ve traveled with Conan before. It’s funny because that Armenia episode is a great travelogue. But with Morocco, all these years later, it really feels like watching you two as siblings. What happens when you are taken out of that normal environment, and then suddenly you’re each other’s travel companions? Because I feel like, blend the jet lag and schedules, and the two of you are a different combination.

MOVSESIAN: Well, I was his assistant for 12 years, so I traveled with him a lot. Plus, it wasn’t just the Armenia episode; I had traveled with him to Cuba, to South Korea, to Mexico City. We went to a lot of places together. This is the first time I’ve traveled with him as not his assistant on a trip like this, so there were so many times where I still kind of wanted to take care of him, make sure he was being fed, make sure he was comfortable.

But as soon as Conan and I go back into a place where we’re doing something that we used to do before I had kids, and when I was still his assistant, we revert right back to the same dynamic that we had before. It really is just like two pals traveling. We’re incredibly childish. He brings out the immaturity in me, which says a lot because I’m already very immature, but he heightens that immaturity. [Laughs] It’s honestly just really fun to travel with him. I miss that part of my job a lot. I miss a lot of things about being Conan’s assistant, but I think getting to travel with him and getting to experience all these cool things is probably what I miss the most.

I love that dynamic between you two, and when you’re in Morocco, and you’re talking about Heated Rivalry and Off Campus — oh, I hope you’re watching Sterling Point.

MOVSESIAN: Oh, I finished it yesterday! I’m sorry, we’re gonna have to take a sidebar. Like, clearly they’re mirroring their parents. I think that’s a very obvious thing. But I’m like, “What is this girl going to do? Just live on this island for the rest of her life?” Why are we already making these massive decisions? Anyway, OK.

These young adult TV shows are so good, and they’re so delicious in that way where I just want to sit and watch it for the sake of being in delulu land; being young again and caring about things like that over other things, so it’s so good that way.

MOVSESIAN: I’m obsessed. And I love that Amazon Prime has shifted into giving me everything I ever wanted.

I love how they went from The Boys to basically all of this. It’s so funny to see that transition. [Laughs]

Movsesian Knows the Secret to Making O’Brien Funnier

Her secret? Just don’t think about it.

Image via Team Coco/HBO

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You have become incredibly good at shutting Conan down without actually killing the comedy. When you’re filming together, are you ever consciously thinking about what will make a moment funnier, or are the reactions we see completely instinctive?

MOVSESIAN: No, I don’t. I go into it knowing A) I will never be as funny as Conan, and B) I don’t ever want to be as funny as Conan. It’s an impossibility. It’s not like I’m going in there thinking, “Oh, I’m going to try to match him and try to do some bits that we can create.” You can say “houseplant” to Conan, and he’ll go on a riff about houseplants. [But] it’s kind of cheating; every time people talk to me about doing live podcast shows and stuff, and how I don’t really get that nervous when we do them, I go, “Well, I have a Conan net.” And a Conan net is very different from any other kind of net because in comedy, when we are out there, I know I can say something, and it could be stupid, but he’ll make it funny. I think that our audience, too, is really smart. If they ever see me trying to be funny and trying to kind of improv with him and trying to really work with him on that kind of level, they’ll notice, and that’s not something that they like.

So it’s not just that I can’t; it’s that I never want to lose that authenticity that he and I have. It’s beautiful because that means I just don’t think before I do anything with him — which is my favorite way to do anything, is just to not think about it and just do it, and so it helps a lot.

That’s how we should go through life. Just don’t think about things and just do them. [Laughs] I will say, being buried alive in the desert, I feel like that’s supposed to be a therapeutic experience, but it ended up with the two of you being like, “I want to kill each other,” basically. What was that experience like? Did you actually think at one time, “Why did I sign up for this? This is a lot.”

MOVSESIAN: Yeah! Oh, yeah. [Laughs] And they don’t tell you a lot of the stuff because they also work out a lot of the comedy as they go. There are a lot of things that they already have figured out, but a lot of things… If it were anybody else, I think they would ask, “Hey, what are the different things we’re going to do while we’re in Morocco?” But I never did that. I was just sort of like, “Oh, we’re gonna go shopping for Argan oil, and that’s it.” But then I get to the Sahara Desert, and they’re burying me. [Laughs] I’m riding a camel in the middle of the desert. It’s better for me to be unsuspecting of a lot of the things that we do just because it’s more fun for me and I don’t get in my head about it.

But they did tell me we were going to get buried, and it is my legitimate fear. You’re talking about all these shows I brought up — I had just finished Euphoria, and there was that episode where [Nate] gets buried alive, and that’s my legitimate fear, so I was so terrified, because I thought they were going to bury me and I wasn’t going to be able to move.

But there are a lot of moments where I think to myself, “This is exhausting. I am tired. I can’t believe that these people are doing this.” And then I look over at Conan, who’s 20 years older than me, and he’s powering through it. He’s a sport about everything. He’s doing 10 times more than I am. I’m just confused. I don’t know how someone gets that sort of will to do these things, and it’s worrisome, but it’s also something I admire about him.

He’s got so much energy. I don’t know where he gets it from. I feel like the more orange his hair, the more power he wields. His hair got very bright in the sun!

MOVSESIAN: [Laughs]

I will say, side note, that I have a fear similar to yours of being buried alive, except mine is falling off a cliff. I’ve never gone camping or hiking, but I need to know how to hold my body up, so I’ve been starting to do partial chin-ups because I’m just so nervous about it. I know The Rock’s never going to come and save me, so I need to do it for myself.

MOVSESIAN: [Laughs] It had to specifically be The Rock. You know what I love about what you just said? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people dangle from buildings or cliffs and they pull themselves up, and I think to myself, “Oh, I’m just gonna die if this ever happens to me.” I can’t physically pull my body up for anything, so I would just die. I think there’s a certain kind of person who’s like, “I’m going to do whatever I need to do to survive in this situation,” and then I think there are people like me where we’re like, “I think I’m just gonna die.”

“I’m just gonna let go. It’s fine.” [Laughs] But I get it; I’ve been in F45, so I’ve been trying to do all the exercise, but the chin-up is so hard. I’ve only done this much of a pull [gestures small amount with fingers], so I haven’t hit my chin on the bar, but I’m getting there. But it’s very hard to hold that bar. Sometimes I’m like, “I don’t have the grip.”

MOVSESIAN: I get it. I’m very sweaty. I’m 44, and everyone’s been telling me that I need to start working on my strength because it’s important or whatever… But I can’t do a chin-up just because I’m a very sweaty person, and I’m gonna slip. I need towels with me all the time. Like, I’m sweating now, and I’m in an air-conditioned townhouse.

We need to travel with The Rock everywhere we go and just have him save us.

MOVSESIAN: [Laughs]

What ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ Left Out of Its Morocco Episode

Movsesian says the cameras miss just how much attention Conan gets — and the quieter moments the crew gets once filming ends.

Image via Team Coco/HBO

There’s footage in the trailer that I really loved seeing. Conan was wearing that brown leather tuxedo, and he was partying and vibing in the streets of Marrakesh. Yet we don’t get to see that in the episode. I’m wondering what exactly happened that night, and what else didn’t we get to see that you guys went on adventures for in this episode?

MOVSESIAN: On the last day, we went to the souk in Marrakesh, and by the way, it’s like 90-something degrees in Marrakesh, and he’s wearing a full-on leather tuxedo. We’re just walking around, and what they usually have to cut out is how much attention he gets when he’s out. There were a lot of tourists who started noticing him and seeing him and following him around en masse. So, I think they cut out a lot of that.

But in terms of what content they shot that they cut, they’re so good about using most of what we shoot and being efficient about it. When we go to the store to buy the Argan oil, for instance, I remember we were there for a couple hours, but then they edit it down to a six-minute segment. So the things that they don’t show are how, after we shoot, everyone just goes shopping for Argan oil and all the beauty products and stuff.

One thing, and this is not even something we shot, so it’s not on the editing floor, is this was the longest I was away from my kids, and it was really hard. The whole week, I was just like, “This is tough. This is tough.” And one of our writers has a little kid, as well, and she and I were both commiserating over how hard it was. Then, we got everything early, and Conan left a day early, and there was one seat on the plane to leave a day early, and so our producer came back to us, and he said, “Does anybody want this ticket?” And we were like, “Okay, this is going to be the only day we have in Marrakesh where Conan’s not here, and the cameras are not shooting us. We’re just hanging out.” So she and I both decided to stay an extra day just to enjoy it. After a week of commiserating because we were like, “Oh, we miss our kids. We miss our kids,” we were like, “We’ll stay an extra day!” [Laughs] “I think we’re okay.” We both just wanted that time to really enjoy it.

The thing about traveling with Conan and shooting these shows is there’s a purpose to why you’re there, so you don’t have that much time to enjoy it for yourself and to really take it in. So, that’s what we did when Conan left: we just kind of enjoyed the day without him.

Was there a part of the Moroccan culture that you connected with more than you expected to? Between the food and the market, the hospitality, everybody is just so nice, and the family traditions, too. I feel like those are things that, when you go traveling, especially with a friend and a crew and all that, it’s a different experience altogether.

MOVSESIAN: Yes, it’s completely different. When we went to Armenia, I was having this moment where I just wanted to take everything in. Same with Morocco, but with Armenia it was different because it was kind of a pilgrimage for me. But when you’re there, the whole time you’re there, you’re shooting things, so you’re going from location to location to location shooting. It’s different than the kind of trip where you really sit down with certain locals by yourself without a camera involved, and you really get to know the culture and things. You learn about the culture on camera, so you’re aware of that, and that adds a completely different layer to it.

I grew up with a lot of people who spoke Arabic. There are a lot of Armenians from places like Lebanon and Syria and stuff, and so I knew a lot of people who spoke Arabic throughout my whole life, and I’ve eaten a lot of Arabic-inspired food, whether it’s Lebanese food, Syrian food, or whatever. But when I went to Morocco, it was like I was hearing a familiar language, but it was different. There was this African influence in it. The food was different than what I was used to, so it was a really interesting experience. It was my first time in Africa, and so it was a very different perspective that I was coming from.

O’Brien’s Travel Show Has Evolved in Every Way Except the One That Matters

The series may be more cinematic now, but Movsesian says O’Brien’s approach remains “exactly the same.”

Image via Team Coco/HBO

Speaking of perspective, you can tell the production value has changed so much from Conan Without Borders to now. What was that feeling like when you guys got to go on a bigger set and a bigger crew and take these adventures together? Because I feel like that also informs the episode in a way. I guess it’s been 10 years since you went to Armenia.

MOVSESIAN: What’s funny is when we were shooting those other shows, it was in between us shooting another show. We were shooting Conan on TBS, and then we would take some of the crew from Conan’s show and go to different countries with them. So, they were familiar faces. They were people that we knew. This is its own sort of entity, and it’s something that’s with HBO. They’re doing things to the show like color correcting and drone shots and more cinematic cinematography than they had before. For the first time, personally, I had met them, but I didn’t really know anybody in the crew. Our crew is our two camerawomen and then our soundwoman, and they’re hired just for this show.

It’s a really interesting thing for me to go into a situation that feels a lot more… I don’t want to say it’s a lot more professional, because there was always some professionalism to it. Our crew is Brenda [Zuniga] and Emily [Topper], who are our camerawomen, and then Emily [Strong], who does the sound. They’re on a whole new level of professionalism. They do documentaries. They come from a background of shooting film and documentary and other shows that are not talk shows. They have such perspective when they come to it [and] it was just a really fascinating thing to see. I’m gonna just say it: It’s a little bit more professional than it was before. [Laughs]

We were traveling with our editor, Matt Shaw, who then edits and uploads the footage as we go through. I remember when we first went to Cuba in 2015, and we had all of the footage, and our field producer, Jason Chillemi, was walking through security, and he was so precious about this footage because if we lost the tapes, I think we would have lost the whole episode, whereas now we can upload everything to some cloud. There’s a completely different approach to it, and it’s a really fascinating thing to see that it’s being shot in a way that is a lot more cinematic, and I think that makes it more fun.

But the way Conan shoots it and approaches it is exactly the same. It did feel like we did it 10, 11 years ago. On a technical side, it’s different, but on the side with Conan, it’s the same. He’s the same guy. He does the same stuff. His approach is the same as it’s always been.

You’ve been with him for so long. From your side of things, what do you think makes somebody such a good scene partner with him? Every time he has this dynamic with you or Jordan or even Andy, it’s a very different vibe each time, and I love that combination of the humor we get from everyone in those situations.

MOVSESIAN: I think that what Conan instantly gets turned off by is when he notices people are trying too hard, and he really loves talking to people who are genuine and who are being themselves. It’s what he responds to. I’ve noticed that in just everything that he’s shot, whether it’s a remote or an interview or a travel show. When he’s interacting with someone who’s truly just being their authentic self, it allows him to be more himself and allows him to bounce off somebody more.

But if he’s talking to someone who’s just constantly trying to throw in jokes and who’s putting up some sort of a facade of the person that they are, he notices that and is instantly sort of turned off by it. It’s not something most people can see, but having worked with him so long, I can tell when he’s not vibing with someone in a certain way, and it becomes very noticeable. I really think that’s the key: he just loves authenticity.

Movsesian Already Has a ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ Season 4 Plan

Movsesian has a simple Season 4 strategy: pick the destination first, then figure out what she “needs.”

Image via Team Coco/HBO

If Season 4 is determined by something that you need to buy, where are you going to make Conan go next? I feel like there’s so much you can do there, and have a nice haul.

MOVSESIAN: [Laughs] I think I would go off of where I want to go. I think I really need a lei from Hawaii. I think I really need a perfume from Paris. I think I need to buy a car in Italy. Knowing now that if I just need something from a specific place, I’m just going to think — where do I want to go? — and then figure out something from that place that I need. So, I need some chocolate from Switzerland. I need some more cognac from Armenia. I’m totally down to go back to Armenia.

Come to Toronto and get some BeaverTails. Everybody needs a good BeaverTail.

MOVSESIAN: Did you say “beaver tails”? What do you mean?

Do you guys have BeaverTails in California?

MOVSESIAN: I don’t even know if we have beavers in California.

They’re fried-dough pastries that look like a beaver’s tail. They’re pretty wide, and then they’re filled in with chocolate and cream — it’s very good. Look up BeaverTails after this, and you’ll see what I mean.

MOVSESIAN: Okay, good. All right! So, I think next time, instead of what I need dictating where we go, I’m going to just let where I go dictate what I need.

Like a grocery store list. Just do that. [Laughs]

‘The World’s Worst Mom’ Lets Movsesian Say the Quiet Part About Parenthood Out Loud

Movsesian opens up about guilt, IVF, vulnerability and why admitting parenthood is hard doesn’t make the love any less real.

Image via Penguin Random House, Plume

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Your first book, The World’s Worst Assistant, is very funny. I read it the first time when it came out, and then years later, I was like, “I’m going to buy the audiobook because I want to hear you talking about it.” Now you’re following that with The World’s Worst Mom. I’m wondering what it was about becoming a mother that made you realize there was another version of that idea worth exploring. What did you want to say about motherhood that you weren’t hearing enough people actually admit? I feel like that’s a big thing that we still have with motherhood; the stigmas are still there.

MOVSESIAN: My book isn’t just about raising my kids and how I feel like I’m in over my head about raising my kids. Just getting pregnant for me was a struggle — I had to go through IVF; delivering, I thought I was going to have a normal delivery, and I ended up having to have a scheduled C-section. From the get-go, I just felt like I was failing at everything. And it’s how I felt, also, being Conan’s assistant at times; I felt like there were times when I just wasn’t doing anything right, and I think that I write these books as a way of coping with that.

But what I love hearing and what I love seeing is when people come up to me and talk to me about how they relate to a lot of the things that I feel. And you’re right, there is a stigma. There still kind of is a stigma to admitting how hard parenthood is, how hard it is to get pregnant, what happens to our minds, what happens to our bodies. And I’m not saying this to be like, “Oh, poor me,” but I’m saying it in a very self-aware way: I don’t have a lot of strengths, but one strength I do have is I’m comfortable being vulnerable in front of people and being vulnerable and showing how difficult certain things are. I’m fine with that. So, that’s what this book is.

I’m sure a lot of moms are going to be like, “I can’t believe you’re complaining about being a parent,” or “You’re saying all these things about being a parent” — but one thing I say in my book, which I really believe, is you can talk about how hard parenthood is and still love it so much. You can talk about all the issues that your kids have and still look at them as these perfect human beings. Admitting something is not saying something doesn’t exist. I’m a very flawed person. I admit that. I’m putting that out there. It’s just I enjoy getting the response from people that they relate to me. Anybody else who might come along and look at it and be like, “I can’t believe you’re saying these things. I can’t believe you’re admitting these things,” I don’t really listen to that stuff.

You really shouldn’t. There’s that conversation about men having this epidemic of loneliness; with women, we don’t talk about the things we need to enough, whether it’s our health, experiencing endometriosis, or having perimenopause, which is a very huge conversation. As a society, we’re not used to having that conversation because, growing up, we were not used to talking about it. It’s the same thing with death. We learn about birth in school, but we never learn how to deal with grief. So, I think you are owning yourself, and I love that you are talking about it because I have friends who have kids, and it’s not easy to raise them and have a full-time job, too.

MOVSESIAN: Oh no, it’s not. I remember how my mom did it, and I don’t think my mom ever talked about how hard it was to raise us, but she was a stay-at-home mom, and that, to me, is the toughest job. She’s devoting all her time to making sure the house is spotless. I have an excuse for my house being a disaster, and the excuse is I have a job, so I can’t spend all day cleaning. And I have an excuse for why, if I come home after a day of recording and I don’t have dinner ready for my boys, I have an excuse for giving them nuggets or making something frozen and thawing it and feeding it to them. But my mom never had that excuse, and I think the guilt really ate at her if she just one day didn’t feel like doing something. So, it made me look at my mom differently.

What I love is I do think our generation is being a lot more honest about a lot of stuff. Like when I went to Morocco, I was guilty about leaving my kids, and then I felt guilty that I didn’t want to go home to my kids immediately when I could. There’s just this double standard, and it’s really, really hard.

Movsesian Has One Rule for Surviving Life in O’Brien’s Spotlight

The mom of two explains why she refuses to let public opinion define her.

Image via TBS

It’s good for you to own your own truth, and being able to do that in this industry, I think, is even better because it’s so hard. There are so many different voices, and there’s so much noise, and for you to be able just to filter it out, you know who you are.

MOVSESIAN: You have to, or else you’re going to just die. I really don’t know how people survive listening to and reading the things people say about them. Once Conan asked me to be on his podcast, I knew that that was sort of opening me up to a level of scrutiny that I never would have faced before. That’s because he’s so beloved, and anybody who enters that space — even though I had been on the show a bunch of times — when I’m entering that space on a regular basis, I’m facing a lot of scrutiny, and I knew that from the beginning. I told myself I can’t read the comments about any of the videos we post, anything I post, anything we put online, on social media, on YouTube. I can’t read that stuff because it would just drive me crazy, and I can’t let these opinions affect me in a certain way.

If there’s ever a time when Conan doesn’t think, or the people behind the podcast don’t think, that I’m pulling my weight and most people dislike me, they can just take me off the podcast, and I’ll be fine. So, approaching it with that level of “this can go away at any minute, and that’s okay” is really kind of liberating for me. I’m used to it. I’m trying to cope with the fact that I’m in this place that I didn’t anticipate being in, which is kind of becoming somewhat of a known figure, and it’s not anything I ever sought out or anticipated for myself, so I’m just figuring out how to cope with that.

You’re doing a great job. I know you’re on tour right now, but will that extend to Canada as well? Thinking specifically of Toronto. [Laughs]

MOVSESIAN: I would love to. We have, so far, just my West Coast tour. There’s some stuff that I’m working on to get to the East Coast, but I’d love to go to Canada. I love Toronto!

Conan O’Brien Must Go streams on HBO Max Wednesdays, and The World’s Worst Mom is out in bookstores now.

Since the conclusion of the iconic sci-fi series, Lost, fans have been waiting for something that could measure up to Damon Lindelof’s magnum opus. The island mystery was one of the most talked-about shows of the golden age of television. With a massive ensemble cast, Lost was incredibly character-driven, focusing on a flashback structure that became a calling card for the series. Two decades later, Lindelof has returned with perhaps an unintentional successor.

HBO Max’s Lanterns is James Gunn’s Green Lantern series that fans have been waiting for. Following the trials of John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as he trains to be Hal Jordan’s (Kyle Chandler) replacement, the official DC translation of these comic book characters goes the extra mile as most Lindelof productions do. Though it is somewhat creative when it comes to the set-up of the series, Lanterns marries the flashback and mythological-heavy structure with the gritty detective story of True Detective.

‘Lanterns’ Is the Character-Driven Mystery That Green Lantern Deserves

Typical of any comic book interpretation, the arrival of Lanterns was considered controversial by many. Because Earth can only have one ring-bearer, it was clear that something nefarious was going to happen to one of the titular Lanterns. Hal Jordan’s story comes to a screeching halt at the end of the first episode, but also typical of any Damon Lindelof series, the writer may have some tricks up his sleeve.

Lanterns continues to defy all expectations with its twists and turns while also having touchstones familiar to fans of television. These twists are all housed in a compelling mystery that HBO is known for. True Detective made a name for itself as one of the best detective stories on television. Lanterns has followed suit with the intriguing Southern mystery set in Rushville, Nebraska.

Like in True Detective, two opposites must team up to look into a local concern full of colorful characters – some who would rather not have this mystery solved at all. Lanterns has all the makings of a classic detective story that also honors the characters at the center of it. John and Hal’s rocky relationship is full of jealousy and confrontation, but the two must come together when a suspected alien attack occurs in Nebraska.

The two Lanterns arrive on the scene to discover that several aliens have been killed at a local football game. As it turns out, there is much more to the story, including a local militia intent on getting rid of any alien life and the presence of an infamous Manhunter, which could mean Earth’s greatest threat.

Though still early in its tenure, Lanterns may prove to be the best comic book series on television. It perfectly balances honoring the origins of the characters while delivering a unique story that speaks to what culture is talking about right now. The narrative doesn’t go for obvious comic plot points and instead delivers something new. Tailor-made for an HBO audience, the story of Hal and John is moving, gripping, and at times, humorous. This is what happens when fans of comics come to the television side of things. It creates a modern classic.

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August 16, 2026

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HBO

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The Young and the Restless exciting new spoilers for next week, including crazy Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) escaping, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) offering Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) a big old bribe, and a possible murder in rehab that we have to cope with next week. Good thing Michael Baldwin (Christian Leblanc) will be on that case.

We’ve got the latest Young and the Restless spoilers for the week of September 7th, including big trouble for Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) when it comes to Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver).

Young and the Restless: What Did Nick See?

All right, first let’s discuss Nick Newman and whether he witnessed a murder in rehab. So, at the end of this week, he is having a hard time fighting the urge to use opioids. And he’s sitting there fighting these urges, telling himself he doesn’t need to do drugs. And then Marie Kirkland (Jade Harlow) comes in and finds him. And initially, she’s joking about Nick not having a line of admirers today because she saw Phyllis Summers (Courtney Hope) and Sharon both come to visit him.

Nick tells Marie he’s having a really hard day and he needs to get to a meeting. And Nick wants Marie to go with him, but she doesn’t want to. And Nick figures out something else is going on with her. And finally, Marie admits that her husband Logan is coming to see her to talk about the divorce. Marie just wanted their lawyers to handle it because her husband Logan makes her feel really small.

Y&R Spoilers: Nick Protective of Marie

But Marie says Logan insisted they do this face to face. So, Nick offers to stick around, but Marie says it’s not a good idea. And she tells Nick that she’s scared she’s going to wind up with nothing when all this is over. But Nick won’t let her give up on herself. And he urges her to go to that meeting with him and tells Marie they can beat their addiction together. But before they can go, then her husband Logan is there and he introduces himself to Nick.

Then Logan actually recognizes Nick as one of Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) son. So, Logan asks to talk to Marie alone and Nick walks out, but he lurks nearby so he can eavesdrop. And then Logan gets really nasty. He asks Marie if she’s going to fail this time like she did six times before. And Logan wants to know if she’s bad mouthing him at rehab, but Marie says no.

And his secret is safe with her. Whatever that secret is. Logan calls Marie the biggest mistake of his life. Says he’s going to cut her loose. And then Logan grabs Marie’s face and he’s kind of crushing it in his hand and he wants to know if she’s sleeping with rich boy Nick. And then Marie shoves Logan off of her, but he falls and hits his head.

Young and Restless: Nick & Marie Panic

So, Nick rushes back in and Marie wants to leave before Logan wakes up, but Nick’s nudging the guy with his foot and Logan doesn’t wake up. He doesn’t move. Nick checks Logan’s pulse and tells Marie, “You need to get out of here.” She’s horrified and asks Nick if she killed him.

If you remember, this is how Ashland Locke (Robert Newman) died. The guy who was hassling Victoria and Nick punched him and then he fell and hit his head on the fireplace at her house. And then Victor had his henchman stage a car crash in a ravine. So, I wonder if Nick is going to call on the powerful Newman family to help clean up Marie’s mess because official Young and the Restless spoilers for next week have Michael Baldwin talking to Nick up at the rehab clinic and we’re going to see Michael asking Nick if he’s doing okay and he tells Michael, “Yeah.”

And then thanks him for making sure that something finally went right and Nick hugs Michael. So, we’ll see if Logan is dead or alive and maybe Nick has brought in Michael to help Marie deal with that or help her with her divorce. Either way, Nick is clearly playing hero again for Marie.

Y&R Spoilers: Jack Makes a Move to Help Billy

Also, at the end of this week, Jack and Diane are having a romantic time in Tahiti and they come across a message in a bottle and Diane ends up with her finger stuck in the bottle and then her wedding ring gets stuck inside. They finally get all of that out along with a note that asks, “Is all love lost?”

So Diane decides to write a note back and toss the bottle back in the ocean. And she writes, “Never give up on finding love.” Despite some hiccups on their trip, Jack and Diane had fun and they’re back in Genoa City the week of September 7th.

And we’ll see Jack talking to Billy. I’m sure by then Jack has heard that Billy backed off of Chancellor because of Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope). So, Jack makes Billy a generous offer. Jack says he will give Billy a small fortune to prove how much he believes in him.

Jack says he will fund a whole new company that’s all Billy’s. But if you recall, Jack already did this once. He was funding Billy and Abbott Communications. But if you remember, Jack got really frustrated and after Billy told him, “Fine, just take the money back.” Jack did. He pulled the funding because Billy was so obsessed with Chancellor and revenge on Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) that Jack didn’t trust him with the investment.

Will Jack’s Plan Work on Young and the Restless?

And then of course we had Jill Abbott (Jess Walton) stepping up to fund the new company that Sally is now running. So, it looks like Jack’s taking another leap of financial faith with Billy. But no matter how much Jack offers, I cannot imagine that Billy’s going to give up on Chancellor because he thinks the Abbotts rightly own it. My money is on the second that Sally gives birth to their baby.

Billy’s going to be right back at it going after Chancellor, going after Cane and Lily. And of course, when Sally hears about the offer that Jack makes, I expect that she will press on Billy to put Chancellor behind him and just accept Jack’s generous offer. The problem is Chancellor is all tied up in Billy’s mommy issues that he has with Jill. So, I don’t think Billy can stop.

Young and Restless: Victoria Faces Off with Audra

Also next week in spoilers, Victoria is asking Audra how much she wants for the Vibrante patents. And if you recall, Victoria was annoyed that the patents were not in the Newman name or Vibrante‘s name and were in Audra’s name personally, which Victoria said was inappropriate. And Audra’s telling Victoria next week that she has to give her something much more interesting than just money.

There is absolutely no telling what Audra is going to demand, but I’m guessing it’s something Victoria is probably not going to want to give her. And in the biggest news in all of these spoilers, next week on The Young and the Restless, there’s something really scary happening.

Crazy Patty has been held in a high-security psychiatric prison because she tried to kill Jack and Diane. If you remember, Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) went to see her this past week and now he’s staying at that motel and kind of flying under the radar.

Young and the Restless: Patty Shocks Matt

So, next week, out of the blue, Patty shows up at Matt’s ratty motel room and Patty’s in disguise. She’s in a hat and sunglasses and Matt is shocked to see Patty. And Matt demands to know what is Patty doing there and how did she get out?

And she tells Matt, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” So, Patty is on the loose again. And since she was just telling Matt that he’ll always be dark and that he should embrace that dark side of him. You know, Patty might have escaped to join him and wants them both to embrace their dark sides together. I’m guessing Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) might be in danger from Patty.

And honestly, Patty might be in danger from Phyllis because she’s at her man’s motel room. This is bad news for everybody with Patty being loose, especially Jack and Diane. Be sure to check out our full weekly spoilers video tomorrow for the week of September 7th through the 11th. Come back for our weekly prediction edition and also our two spoilers and lots more.

Lucky Lincoln Gaming recently announced a revenue milestone in Illinois. The company is moving toward $200 million in gaming revenue across the state, a marker that reflects how much its footprint has expanded since its founding in 2013 and how firmly it has established itself within Illinois’ terminal-operator market. 

Growth stories in this part of the gaming business usually get told through raw scale, though that only carries meaning when it’s tied to steady operations and long-term relationships. Lucky Lincoln Gaming, LLC has built a presence through that combination. It’s grown into one of the larger terminal operators in Illinois while keeping the focus on the establishments that host its equipment and the day-to-day support those businesses need. 

That approach has helped shape the company’s current position. Under CEO Jeff Rehberger Jr., Lucky Lincoln Gaming has grown to over 250 locations, with over 1,500 slot machines and a team of more than 75 employees. The company’s latest revenue milestone puts that growth into sharper focus, showing how its reach across Illinois has translated into meaningful business results over time.

A Bigger Presence Across Illinois

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The Illinois gaming market has become increasingly competitive as operators work to secure locations, maintain service, and build trust with venue owners. Growth depends on responsiveness, consistency, and a clear understanding of what makes an establishment function well over the long run.

Lucky Lincoln Gaming has set itself apart by taking a more involved role in that process. In addition to operating terminals, the company is one of the few Illinois terminal operators that assist in building out an establishment. That detail is important because it places the company closer to the full life of a venue, from early planning through ongoing operation, and gives business owners a partner with a wider stake in the success of the location itself.

The result is a company identity that feels grounded in execution. Revenue is important, but so is the path that leads there. In this case, the path has been shaped by years of growth across Illinois, a larger employee base, and a business model built around close involvement with the establishments Lucky Lincoln serves.

A Milestone With Broader Meaning

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Approaching $200 million in Illinois gaming revenue gives Lucky Lincoln Gaming more than a headline figure. 

It also marks a point in the company’s development where early-morning momentum has become a sustained record of growth. For a business founded just over a decade ago, that kind of threshold signals staying power as much as speed. 

Rehberger’s leadership has played a visible role in that trajectory. His background spans government, consulting, and economics. His time at the helm of Lucky Lincoln Gaming has been defined by rapid expansion across Illinois. The milestone belongs to the larger operation it’s built and the network of locations, employees, and partnerships that continue to support its growth. 

As Lucky Lincoln Gaming moves closer to that revenue mark, the company appears focused on carrying its model further across Illinois while strengthening the operational support that helped it reach this stage. 

About Lucky Lincoln Gaming, LLC

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Lucky Lincoln Gaming, LLC is an Illinois-based terminal operator founded in 2013. The company operates in more than 250 locations across the state and employs over 75 people. Lucky Lincoln Gaming is also one of the only Illinois terminal operators that assist in building out establishments, giving venue owners a more hands-on operating partner.

Beyond the Gates has Kat Richardson (Colby Muhammad) and Eva Thomas Richardson (Ambyr Michelle), both with really hunky men in their lives that love them. But we might be heading for a huge couple swap because Kat’s spending a lot of time with Eva’s man Izaiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe) and Tomas Navarro (Alex Alegria) keeps turning to Eva.

Kat & Ava’s Issues on Beyond the Gates

Let’s get into the possibility of a man swap between these two half-sisters. So this latest twist could take their sister rivalry to a whole new level. This could be Kat getting revenge on Eva or there may be something more to it.

The underlying problem here is daddy issues because Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) never knew he had a second daughter, Eva. And that’s because Dana ‘Leslie’ Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) hid this from Ted because Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) threatened to hurt Leslie and her child if she didn’t have an abortion.

Leslie’s Chaos on Beyond the Gates

So, as far as Ted knew, Leslie had terminated the pregnancy. But in defense of Ted, he also didn’t know that Bill had made scary threats to Leslie. So, she basically went on to raise Eva on a diet of lies. Leslie told her that Ted knew about her this whole time and just rejected Eva. And then once Leslie’s husband died, she decided to go and get disruptive. She told Eva a whole bunch more lies to get her to participate in the scheme to ruin Ted and Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix)’s high society anniversary party and their marriage and their lives.

So, Leslie wanted revenge, but she also wanted to steal Ted back from Nicole. And of course, Eva was horrified when she learned that Leslie had been lying to her for years. And at that point, Ted and Nicole had welcomed Eva into their home, let her into their inner circle while she was working as Nicole’s assistant.

Kat Suspicious of Ava on BTG

Of course, Kat was on to Eva from the start. She was certain the interloper was up to something. But Kat had no idea just how bad it was going to get. And Ted, Nicole, and the others pushed back on Kat and told her, “Leave Eva alone. Give her a chance.”

And then when the big party crash happened, of course, Kat was totally vindicated, and she expected everybody to side with her and reject Eva. But instead, Ted wanted to make things right with his other daughter. He saw that it wasn’t her fault, it was Leslie’s fault. And their brother, Martin, opened up his heart and accepted Eva into his life, as did his kids.

And even Nicole forgave Eva because she knew Leslie had manipulated her whole life. But none of that mattered to Kat, who remained locked in on hating her sister, which is completely understandable, right?

Beyond the Gates: Eva & Tomas Cross Lines

Daddy drama aside, let’s talk about the romantic rivalry between Eva and Kat because it looks like things are about to pivot in a really big way. And it all kicked off when Tomas and Eva bonded over shared love of that sci-fi book series that Kat wasn’t interested in at all. And let’s be clear, Eva was flirting and making moves on Tomas back then. She was jealous of Kat and was being totally inappropriate.

But also, Tomas was crossing lines because he shouldn’t have been getting that close to Eva when he knew his girlfriend Kat did not like her sister at all. And then when Tomas had that big blow up with Kat about their lackluster love making, you know, Tomas felt like he and Kat were done. Without wasting a second, Tomas ran over and crawled into Eva’s bed.

And she reassured Tomas the problem wasn’t him because he rocked Eva’s world even though he hadn’t managed at that point to give Kat a big O yet. What was even worse was when Tomas was in bed with Eva. That was the moment Kat decided to extend an olive branch and stopped by her sister’s apartment with a gift and instead of doing sister bonding, she found out her boyfriend had slept with her sister Eva. It was so messy.

Kat Flips Out on BTG

And Kat was understandably furious. And she made sure everybody knew that Eva slept with Tomas. Plus, as soon as Kat showed up and found them together and caught them red-handed, Tomas ditched Eva and followed Kat right out the door. Whatever Eva thought they might have had, he betrayed and she felt less than when it was compared to her sister.

Again, at the time, I was actually wondering if Kat forgave Tomas because she loved him or because she just wanted to keep him away from Eva because she was so mad that once again, her terrible sister had done something really bad. And even after all that, Tomas is still friends with Eva. But to her credit, since then, she’s respected Tomas and Kat’s relationship, and she has established very firm and careful boundaries. Eva has kept Tomas in the friend zone.

Beyond the Gates: Eva Turns Things Around

We haven’t seen Eva flirting with Tomas again and also Kat and Tomas worked out their bedroom issues and for quite a while they seemed to be in a good place up until Tomas proposed in front of the entire Dupree family and Kat said no. And then again Tomas ran to Eva but she did keep him in the friend zone and said he needed to find a guy to talk to and not her. But Tomas keeps showing up.

He even brought a book over when Eva was recovering from transplant surgery. And Tomas seemed a little low-key envious that Eva has moved on with Izaiah. So, right now, Kat and Tomas are kind of at a lackluster point in their relationship.

Even though they’ve moved in together, both of them are hyper focused on work and they’re not really making time for each other or romance. Meanwhile, Eva’s fallen head over heels for Izaiah. He was right there the whole time during her medical crisis, took care of her while she recovered from liver transplant surgery.

Kat’s Surprising Behavior on BTG

But then all of a sudden, Kat starts hanging around with Izaiah and there is a flirty vibe there. And Eva wasn’t happy to see Izaiah laughing and having fun with Kat at Orphe Jeans. And I actually don’t think that this is something that Kat has staged to torment Eva because Kat didn’t know Eva would walk up and see them together. So, I don’t think it was performative.

And to make matters worse, after Kat left, then Izaiah started gushing about what a business genius Kat is. So, it feels like Beyond the Gates is gearing up for a couple swap. Tomas isn’t happy that Kat turned down his proposal and Eva’s not happy about Izaiah vibing with Kat.

And there seems to be genuine chemistry between Izaiah and Kat. And there’s been chemistry for a while between Tomas and Eva. Of course, couple swaps are always exciting on soaps, and Beyond the Gates hasn’t really done one yet, but I feel like this time they’re headed there. In a way, Izaiah and Kat are a much better match because of their family backgrounds.

Beyond the Gates: A Swap Makes Perfect Sense

And the same goes for Tomas and Eva, who are both scrappy outsiders. So, we’ll see how it goes. But Izaiah doesn’t seem like a cheater. But if Kat picks up on the vibe that Eva is jealous of her hanging out with Izaiah, then Kat might keep doing it sort of as a revenge clapback because Eva slept with Tomas.

And if Eva gets mad, she might cross lines with Tomas. I tend to think that Eva and Tomas are more likely to do something and cross lines, maybe cheat, maybe get spotted making out something, and then Izaiah and Kat cross lines because they’re upset at what their partners have done to betray them. But we’ll see how it goes.

One upside to Izaiah couple swapping and changing sisters from Eva over to Kat is that he won’t have to deal with Leslie anymore. Tomas has already dealt with Leslie. He knows the drill. Eva’s mom is definitely unwanted baggage in any relationship.

And I’m sure Izaiah would have a lot easier time dealing with Nicole than with Leslie. And I bet his parents, Darlene and Elon Hawthorne (Malachi Malik), would much prefer that he’s dating a Richardson than somebody tied to Leslie Thomas. So, I definitely am vibing with a couple swap ahead on Beyond the Gates, but we’ll see how it goes.

Three days doesn’t sound like a long time, but you can watch so many movies in a 72-hour timeframe.

Maybe that’s why Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Apple TV decided to release some of their biggest late summer/early fall releases this Labor Day weekend.

The Watch With Us crew are big nerds, which is why we’re over the Forest Moon of Endor with the streaming release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.

We also love a good thriller, and HBO Max is now streaming one with Fuze, starring Theo James, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and a ticking time bomb in the heart of London.

We also recommend streaming the Scary Movie reboot with Anna Faris and the Apple TV spy thriller Mayday starring Ryan Reynolds.

‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ (2026) — Disney+

The knives were out last May when Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu debuted in theaters and pleased almost no one. Critics complained it seemed like a shortened season of The Mandalorian (they’re not wrong!), while fans thought the story lacked the epic scope that’s typical of Star Wars films. But the film plays better on streaming, and it’s an enjoyable side quest that isn’t as offensively bad as, say, The Rise of Skywalker.

New Republic Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) needs to bring in notorious crime lord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne), but she doesn’t know where he is. That’s why she tasks Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his pint-sized partner, Grogu (Grogu), to find him. But the duo first has to do a favor that involves tracking down another elusive criminal, Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White). Jabba’s surviving son has a bad rep, so even if they find him, they might not survive long enough to gain crucial intel concerning Coine’s whereabouts.

‘Fuze’ (2026) — HBO Max

When an unexploded World War II bomb is found in the heart of London, the police call in Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his crew to defuse it. Nearby, Giorgos Karalis (Theo James) and a team of robbers drill their way into a bank, looking for valuable jewels to steal. These incidents appear to be isolated, but they’re both happening at the same time for a reason and soon all of London is embroiled in a daring criminal escapade that threatens to go off the rails — and might kill lots of innocents.

Related: 3 Great New Prime Video Movies to Watch This Labor Day Weekend

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Labor Day weekend shouldn’t be laborious, which is why it’s the perfect time to kick back, relax and watch a good movie or two. You don’t even have to bother deciding which films to watch — that’s What to Watch’s job. We’ve selected three great new Prime Video movies to stream over the long Labor […]

Fuze is a deceptively tricky crime thriller that starts simple and ends up needing a flashback to fill in the blanks of its complex story. It all makes sense, though, and credit director David Mackenzie for making sure you know who the important players are and why they’re teaming up or backstabbing each other. At a brisk 96 minutes, the film is the perfect length to generate maximum tension without any unnecessary padding.

‘Scary Movie’ (2026) — Paramount+

26 years after they survive a brutal massacre that left most of their friends dead, Cindy (Anna Faris), Brenda (Regina Hall), Shorty (Marlon Wayans) and Ray (Shawn Wayans) find themselves once again menaced by Ghostface. Now middle-aged and with teens of their own, the “core four” must reunite to protect their loved ones from a killer who knows them all too well.

Whether or not Scary Movie is a good film is beside the point – they’re all kinda bad, with over-the-top acting, a script littered with holes and some lazy sight gags. But the Scary Movies that are entertaining, like the original and the third installment, work because they have enough jokes to make the other flaws seem irrelevant. This reboot barely passes that test, with a still-game Faris and Hall willing to do anything for a laugh. Yes, it’s stupid, but 2026’s Scary Movie is also funny when it needs to be, and that’s enough.

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‘Mayday’ (2026) — Apple TV+

It’s 1987, which means the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union is still on. That’s why U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy Kelly (Ryan Reynolds) is so on edge after his top-secret spy plane is shot down over the Soviet Union. He survives the crash, but he might not live long enough in a country that’s hostile to anything American. Fortunately for Troy, he’s found by Nikolai (Kenneth Branagh), a reclusive outdoorsman who loves American culture, especially Top Gun. Nikolai likes his foreign friend enough to help him leave the country in one piece, but their journey to sanctuary is complicated by a determined Red Army who wants to capture Troy, dead or alive.

Reynolds hasn’t made a lot of memorable movies lately, but Mayday is a surprisingly entertaining film that’s a welcome love letter to all those buddy cop action films of the 1980s. Like Red Heat and Spies Like Us, Mayday throws together two unlikely actors, in this case Reynolds and Branagh, and lets them cook. Branagh in particular is a hoot; the normally serious British actor clearly relishes using a thick Russian accent to play a lovable Ruskie whose KGB background is useful when avoiding Soviet authorities. Mayday is so engaging to watch that you wish you could see it in a proper movie theater with others around you.