Zach Cregger‘s Resident Evil hits theaters September 18th, and after Weapons and Barbarian, expectations could not be higher. Cregger has quickly become one of the most exciting creative voices in modern horror, someone who understands terror as a slow, patient build built on expectation rather than the jump scares that dominated the genre for quite some time. Sony clearly believes he’s the right person to finally crack a franchise that has struggled to translate its video game roots into a quality theatrical experience. This new take follows Bryan (Austin Adams), a medical courier who stumbles into an outbreak at a remote hospital and is forced to fight his way out through hordes of infected creatures over one nightmarish night. Cregger is fresh off of 2025’s Weapons, a critical and commercial smash that grossed over $269 million worldwide and earned Amy Madigan an Oscar. He arrives with more industry goodwill and creative leverage than almost any other horror director stepping into a video game adaptation ever has. That combination of proven craft and creative trust and license is exactly why this particular reboot feels different from the franchise’s prior attempts.

Getting ready for it means revisiting the films that built the DNA that Cregger is clearly drawing from: outbreak horror, claustrophobic survival, and the kind of anxiety-inducing fear that can only come when you truly do not know what to expect next. This list traces that lineage all the way from the Umbrella Corporation’s earlier screen outings through the genre’s high points, ending with what might be the single best pure zombie film ever made. Consider it required viewing before opening night. Each of these projects approaches infection and outbreak horror from a slightly different angle; corporate conspiracy, claustrophobic confinement, global scale, giving a full picture of everything this subgenre is capable of. There’s no reason to watch these in order, but it does trace a clear evolution in how directors have handled this kind of story for the past two decades.

Here are seven horror films to get you fully primed for Cregger’s take on Resident Evil. Some showcase the outbreak-horror lineage directly, tracing where the genre’s visual and tonal language actually comes from. Others share Cregger’s specific interest in modern horror tactics, letting suspense and fear develop pretty much as long as possible. A couple are pure scale and spectacle, useful reminders of just how big this kind of story can get once a studio commits fully to it. Together, they map out the territory that Cregger is stepping into and what kind of performances and sequences he will need to top.

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‘Resident Evil’ (2002)

Image via Screen Gems

Paul W.S. Anderson‘s original film adaptation may not be any masterpiece of horror craft, but its placement here is purely as a baseline comparsion for how far this franchise has come. The reboot allows for ample room for Cregger’s version to reinvent it in a survival horror aesthetic that more closely mirrors the game’s aesthetics and structure. Milla Jovoich‘s Alice became an iconic action horror lead of the 2000s almost overnight, even as the version of the franchise leaned harder into stylized gunfights and fought constant mixed reviews over its nearly decade and a half run (2002-2016). Looking back at the original a decade later after its final entry, audiences are reminded that aspects such as the hive setting, were fairly effective as a claustrophobic horror space. An all-sterile white corridors and a homicidal AI were entertaining elements of an otherwise unevenly developed project. Regardless, this debut kicked off a six-film franchise that grew increasingly action focused with every subsequent film, which is exactly the thing Cregger’s reboot seems destined to correct.

Watching it now is less about scares and more about looking at what a straight, atmosphere-first Resident Evil adaptation was capable of being. The Umberlla Corporation’s cold, coproate indifference to human life, dropping test subjects into a nightmare, is a theme that’s remained throughout every film. It’s a useful reminder of the franchise’s premise, stripped down to its essentials before six sequels buried it in increasingly convoluted mythology. Jovovich’s performance, for all the film’s shortcomings, established a template for a capable, resourceful horror lead that later entries relied upon. For anyone catching up before Cregger’s version, this is where the cinematic side of the story actually began.

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‘Barbarian’ (2022)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Zach Cregger’s solo directorial debut announced him as a uniquely creative horror talent, a project designed around subverting expectations about where its story is actually headed. Georgina Campbell stars as a woman who discovers her Airbnb has been double booked with a stranger, a set-up that spirals into something far darker and terrifying. Cregger’s command of tone, shifting from tense thriller to pitch black comedy to grotesque body horror, is what makes his body of work such an intriguing fit for a franchise this vast and tonally varied. The film’s now infamous midpoint structural swerve is still one of the more talked about surprises in recent horror memory.

Barbarian is the film that should tell you everything about what to expect tonally from Resident Evil, a real confidence in patience and build up, and an interest in the human ugliness evident in institutional and interpersonal decay. Cregger creates empathy for his characters before subjecting them to escalating horror, a discipline that separates great horror from more disposable scares. It’s the clearest evidence yet that he understands how to build a truly unsettling atmosphere from the ground up. Justin Long‘s performance demonstrates Cregger’s gift for casting against type, in ways that pay off enormously by the film’s end. If you’ve somehow missed this one, it’s essential pre-Resident Evil homework.

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’28 Days Later’ (2002)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Danny Boyle‘s genre-redefining outbreak film reinvented what a zombie movie could be, trading the shuffling, groaning undead for the fast and feral rage-infected humans capable of the immediate terror the franchise has come to be known for. Cillian Murphy anchors the film as a man waking up from a coma into a version of London already emptied by catastrophe. Those early shots and sequences of him wandering an abandoned city are some of the most haunting images of 21st century horror. Boyle’s grainy, digital-video aesthetic gives the film a raw, documentary-like urgency that countless outbreak films have tried and failed to replicate since. The back half of the movie shifts its focus to a group of surviving soldiers, and adds a real moral complexity about what humanity looks like once civilization collapses.

28 Days Later is the film that essentially rewired audience expectations for infection horror, and its DNA is all over every subsequent Resident Evil adaptation’s attempts to modernize its own creature threats. The “fast zombie” innovation alone changed the genre permanently, injecting a form of physical urgency that hadn’t been explored in a subgenre that had unfortunately grown into something comfortable, slow and recognizable to audiences. Its bleak, morally ambiguous ending remains one of the zombie film category’s most effective gut-punches. Boyle’s willingness to end on uncertainty instead of a tidy resolution sets a tonal precedent that better apocalyptic films on the undead have followed ever since. Watch this one to understand where modern zombie horror’s visual and tonal language is bred from.

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‘Cloverfield’ (2008)

©Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

Matt Reeves‘s found-footage monster movie relocated giant horror to street level, following a group of young New Yorkers trying to survive and document a sudden, inexplicable attack on the city in real time. The shaky, handheld camera work, controversial at the time, puts the audience directly inside the characters’ confusion and panic without offering the clarity and comfort of a traditional wide shot. Reeves withholds full depictions of the creature for the majority of its runtime, opting for a strategy of suggestion and partial glimpses which tend to be much scarier than a complete reveal. The film’s ground-level chaos, collapsing buildings, panicked crowds, military barricades, give it a scale to a story told and centered on an incredibly intimate, limited perspective.

The connection to Resident Evil is less about zombies specifically and more about tone: ordinary people with no special training thrown into a catastrophic, world-ending event they don’t understand and can’t control. That’s precisely the position Cregger’s protagonist Bryan finds himself in, a medical courier with no combat training forced into one night of pure non-stop survival. Cloverfield‘s commitment to disorientation and limited information mirrors the kind of dread that any good survival-horror adaptation should generate. The movie’s refusal to fully explain its creature or its origins keeps audiences in the same state of confused panic as the characters are in throughout. It’s a reminder that scale and intimacy aren’t mutually exclusive in this genre.

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‘World War Z’ (2013)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Marc Forster‘s globe-trotting zombie epic swings for a blockbuster scale, following Brad Pitt‘s former UN investigator as he races around the world trying to find the source of, and a cure for, a rapidly spreading zombie pandemic. The film’s most memorable sequences, massive, swarming hordes of infected scaling walls and overwhelming cities in tidal waves of bodies, gave the zombie genre a sense of true, apocalyptic scale rarely attempted before or since. Pitt leads with a grounded urgency, playing an ordinary family man ripped from his loved ones and thrust into a globe-spanning crisis he had no plan for. The production’s notoriously troubled reshoots reworked the entire third act, but the finished film’s mix of scale and intimate survival tension still largely works over a decade after its original release.

World War Z serves as useful preparation specifically for understanding how a franchise can steadily ramp up a virus outbreak without losing the horror elements or human stakes entirely, a balance that the Resident Evil games and movies have wrestled with across every installment. The film’s central question, whether a single family’s survival matters against a planet-scale catastrophe, echoes the corporate-versus-individual tension that’s always driven the Umbrella Corporation’s mythology. It’s blockbuster horror rather than pure genre film-making, but its scale remains genuinely impressive. The international scope of the project, moving from South Korea to Israel to Wales within its runtime, gives it a global sense of catastrophe that few zombie adjacent films attempt. A solid reminder of just how large this kind of story can get when a studio commits fully to the spectacle.

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‘Dawn of the Dead’ (2004)

Image via Universal

Zack Snyder‘s feature directorial debut Dawn of the Dead reinvented George Romero’s original for a new generation, trading slow, shuffling zombies for fast, aggressive, terrifyingly relentless ones. The shift ended up changing the genre’s pacing and tonal language permanently. A group of survivors barricades themselves inside a shopping mall as the outbreak spreads outside, and the fear escalates and desperation escalates from within. Snyder mines real tension from the claustrophobia of a space meant for consumption now serving as a fortress against imminent collapse. The film’s opening sequence, a wordless, escalating descent from ordinary morning routine into full-blown chaos, remains one of the most purely effective openings in zombie movie history. Snyder balances his scares with dark comedy and surprisingly effective character work across a large, well-drawn ensemble cast.

This is essential preparation for the kind of relentless, high-velocity threat Cregger’s version of Resident Evil seems to be building toward, infected creatures capable of speed and aggression at a degree most zombie films don’t gear themselves toward. The film’s interest in how quickly social order collapses once systems stop working is reminiscent of the kind of institutional failure baked into the workings and history of the Umbrella Corporation. It’s tightly structured, genuinely tense from start to finish, and remains one of the best modern zombie movies made in English. Snyder’s later career, despite all of its grand scale, never again matched the lean efficiency he brought to this debut. If Cregger’s Resident Evil captures even half of this film’s relentless energy, audiences are in for something special.

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‘Train to Busan’ (2016)

Image via Next Entertainment World

Yeon Sang-ho‘s claustrophobic masterpiece Train to Busan stands as the gold standard of modern outbreak horror, confining its entire zombie apocalypse to a single high-speed train racing toward the last uninfected city in South Korea. Gong Yoo anchors the film as an emotionally distant father forced to confront his own selfishness while protecting his young daughter against a series of increasingly desperate train cars. Yeon builds devastating emotional stakes alongside relentless, propulsive action, making the film’s losses land with real weight rather than feel like cheap genre spectacle. The zombies themselves are terrifyingly fast and aggressive, but the film’s real horror often comes from the selfish, cowardly choices made by the surviving humans around them.

This is the film every modern outbreak horror movie, Resident Evil included, is still chasing. It’s a perfect combination of visceral tension, tight structural confinement, and a human desperation that feels second to none. Its influence on the entire subgenre since release has been massive, and it is the clearest possible argument for why claustrophobic, character-driven outbreak projects work better than sprawling effects-driven herds of slow-moaning zombies or infected. Every element, pacing, character work, practical tension, is calibrated as close to perfectly as this kind of film gets. Its success also helped fuel a broader global appetite for South Korean genre film-making that continues to shape international horror to this day. If you watch nothing else on this list before Resident Evil, make it this one. It’s simply the best the genre has to offer.

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Release Date

July 20, 2016

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Runtime

118 minutes

Director

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Yeon Sang-ho

Writers

Park Joo-suk

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Producers

Kim Woo-taek, Lee Dong-ha, Huh Soo Young

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Vice President JD Vance is giving his “pitch” to prospective voters ahead of the highly contested 2026 midterms, begging voters to give Donald Trump’s divisive administration “another chance” amid historically low poll numbers.

“Give us another chance,” Vance, 42, directly pleaded with voters on the Tuesday, September 15, episode of the “All In” podcast. “Give us another couple years to continue to work on the amazing things that we’ve been doing for the past two years.”

The former Trump adversary-turned-ally added, “Even if you don’t agree with us on every issue, the other party is consumed by craziness.”

The vice president presented an eyebrow-raising midterm strategy during multiple media appearances this week, encouraging voters to be wary of the Democratic Party — even if they are unsatisfied with the various aspects of the Trump administration’s policies, including the war in Iran, high gas prices, inflation, cost of living, controversial immigration policy and an affinity for renaming monuments and rebuilding Washington, D.C. in the president’s image.

Related: Bill Maher Defends His Interview With Vice President JD Vance

Democrat Bill Maher is speaking out after facing criticism for how he handled his interview with Vice President JD Vance. “They would never be happy unless JD Vance walked out and I punched him in the nose,” Maher, 70, told Fox News Digital in an interview published on Monday, June 29. “That’s the only thing […]

“To the American people, I’d say, send these people [Democrats] packing,” he said in Tuesday’s podcast interview. “Put them in the mental hospital. Do not put them in Congress because even if you don’t agree with us on every policy issue, at least we’re motivated by common sense and American interest. They’re just motivated left-wing interest groups and radicalism and they’re going to do a very bad job if we give them power.”

Vance’s pitch comes during a time where the GOP faces a gloomy forecast for November’s midterms. On Wednesday, September 16, pollster Nate Silver cited a “string of excellent polls for Democrats” with mere weeks to go before election day.

The same pollster shared an aggregation of Trump’s personal popularity across several top polls on Wednesday, revealing that the president currently holds a 58.5 percent disapproval rating — which is only “up slightly from its all time low.” (Trump currently holds 38.4 percent approval, per Silver.)

Despite his sagging poll numbers, Trump continues to ask voters to approach the midterms as if his name was on the ballot — even though, constitutionally, it cannot and will not be. .

Trump faced criticism for his appearance at the GOP’s American Airlines Center in Dallas, where he asked delegates to personally pledge their allegiance to him.

“Please raise your right hand. I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States that loves us so much he can’t even breathe,” Trump, 80, said on September 10, per USA Today. “That I will go out with my family, my friends. I’ll do it anyway. I don’t care if I am registered or not, I am going to cheat like hell like they do. There have never been bigger cheaters.”

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The president went on to say,“I’m going to go out and get my friends, my family, and we are going to vote on November 3, or we are going to vote before that.”

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Related: Donald Trump Calls Mystery Woman a ‘Great Daughter’ in Social Media Post

President Donald Trump took to social media to praise a mystery “daughter,” sparking online confusion. “Great daughter. My Honor!!!” Trump, 80, wrote via Truth Social on Saturday, June 20, sharing a photo of a woman who was not either one of his daughters, Ivanka Trump or Tiffany Trump. He signed off the post with his […]

Later, he attempted to firm up support within his base to get out the vote on election day. (Trump has promised to send $5,000 dividend checks to all American adults if the GOP wins in November, though House Speaker Mike Johnson has since confirmed any payments would need the approval of Congress.)

“You know what? If you want, you can vote Democrat, but I don’t think there’s one person in this room that’s going to vote [for them]. I don’t think so.” Trump continued, “You know what happens if you don’t vote? You go to hell, you know that? You go to hell, and I don’t want that to happen to you, so please go and vote.”

Martha Stewart is hinting at making a bold move following her reality television cameo. 

After the release of the highly anticipated premiere of “The Real Housewives of New York City” Season 16, the lifestyle icon took to social media to tease an NSFW project, which quickly drew funny responses from fellow celebrities and major media brands.

Stewart has celebrated many wins lately, including signing a new deal with Netflix following the huge success of her 2024 documentary. 

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Stewart recently took to Instagram with a zoomed-in selfie featuring a playful kissy face. She candidly teased her millions of followers about taking her personal brand in a risqué new direction, writing, “I’ve been thinking about releasing my nudes.”

The lighthearted post immediately sparked a flurry of celebrity endorsements and brand reactions. “Shark Tank” investor Barbara Corcoran was quick to join, commenting, “If you do it, I’ll do it!”

Corporate accounts also jumped into her comments section, with Playboy hinting at a prospective cover shoot by asking, “Have your people call our people?” and OnlyFans writing, “Martha Stewart Living has entered the chat.”

Stewart’s Cameo Involved A Playful Kitchen Critique Of Her Longtime Makeup Artist

Stewart’s playful online comments come on the heels of her “The Real Housewives of New York City” debut, during which she visited her longtime makeup artist and new cast member Nicole Daisy Toye.

While getting glam before an event, Toye confessed she felt nervous about her boss visiting her home, then joked that her space is “always Martha Stewart-ready.”

However, the lifestyle guru couldn’t resist delivering a hilarious, unfiltered critique after searching the kitchen for a snack and spotting a packaged dessert.

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“What do you have in this kitchen … store-bought pie? Oh, come on,” she teased, as reported by People Magazine. She then promised to teach Toye how to make a pie so she never has to buy one again.

Stewart’s inspection didn’t stop at the baked goods; she advised Toye to clean and turn her hanging cookware around before pointing out a kettle on the stove, noting that it wasn’t in the right place. 

The Lifestyle Guru Recalled Speaking To JFK Jr. Days Before The Tragedy

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Besides criticizing Toye’s kitchen setup, Stewart also got candid about her friendship with one of America’s most famous public figures.

During the premiere episode of “The Real Housewives of New York City” Season 16, Stewart recalled an eerie final conversation with her close friend John F. Kennedy Jr. just days before his death on July 16, 1999. 

She revealed that they caught up over dinner shortly before the tragic incident to discuss his political lifestyle publication. The conversation then shifted to his upcoming weekend travel plans to attend a family wedding in Hyannis Port with his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and her sister, Lauren. 

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Upon learning that Kennedy intended to pilot the light aircraft himself, Stewart immediately advised him to bring along professional assistance. However, he insisted that he didn’t need a co-pilot, per The Blast. 

Unfortunately, later that week, Kennedy became disoriented over the Atlantic Ocean, causing the plane to crash off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and killing all three passengers on board.

The Lifestyle Expert Is Expanding Her Netflix Presence 

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In addition to her successful debut on “The Real Housewives of New York City,” Stewart also recently made major moves in her career. 

Building on the momentum of her 2024 documentary, the 85-year-old entrepreneur is broadening her partnership with Netflix by bringing two of her flagship projects to the platform, according to The Blast.

Stewart expressed her excitement over the new platform launch, saying, “I’m delighted to bring my podcast to Netflix, and with that, introduce the medium of video to the series. Netflix is the perfect partner to share and amplify the thoughtful and informative conversations the show is known for with an even greater audience.”

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Stewart’s new deal with Netflix came after the network unexpectedly ended its relationship with Meghan Markle, a longtime fan of the lifestyle guru. 

However, despite Markle’s admiration for Stewart, the latter reportedly left the former distraught over remarks she made. 

According to The Blast, Stewart openly questioned the credibility of Meghan’s career transitions, saying:

“If you’re an actress, it’s hard to then transition to a princess and then from a princess into a homemaking guru on a television show. It doesn’t sort of follow.”

Following the statements, the Duchess was reportedly left upset by the candid assessment.

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Coi Leray recently gagged her fans when she revealed how the song ‘Put It On Da Floor’ led to a physical fight with Brooklyn Nikole, who is Latto‘s sister. Soon after, a resurfaced clip appeared to show the sisters cackling about the same fight. Now, fans are divided about whether Big Mama meant to throw shade, as Coi first believed and lashed out over in April 2023.

RELATED: Yikes! Trippie Redd Seemingly Calls Coi Leray A Female Dog While Claiming He’s Not Allowed To See Daughter Miyoco

Coi Leray Says Brooklyn Nikole Fought Her On Latto’s Behalf

Coi Leray took fans back to 2023 when she told Jason Lee about a physical encounter with Latto’s sister, Brooklyn Nikole. She appeared on Lee’s self-titled show on Sept. 16, but teaser clips before then quickly spread online.

In one clip, the ‘No More Parties’ rapper admitted to throwing hands with Brooklyn. She explained that she was heated about Latto mentioning her in the track ‘Put It On Da Floor’ because she doesn’t like her name used for clickbait or clout, or to be mentioned in beef. The song was widely believed to be a diss at Nicki Minaj. 

In response to ever working with Latto, Leray said that, behind the scenes, the tension “went too far.” The rapper said she and Brooklyn fist-fought and she even re-fractured her knee in the confrontation. Coi said this happened pre-baby for both her and Latto, but the exact date is unclear. Though the confrontation with Brooklyn was physical, Leray said they never ended up “rolling around on the ground” with it. “I’m very strong,” Leray said, later admitting that Nikole swung on her first.

“She was defending her sister, felt like she had to defend her sister and me, I was defending myself.”

Coi Leray said all Latto had to do was hit her on the side to clear up that the lyric wasn’t shady, but she didn’t. “She let the fans eat that up,” the rapper said. Ultimately, Coi said she was the bigger person and squashed it.

Resurfaced Video Shows Latto Laughing Over Brooklyn’s Fight With “Female Rapper”

Amid Coi Leray revealing the fight with Brooklyn Nikole, the internet dug up an old clip of Latto and her sister talking on Snapchat. In the clip, Latto recalled Brooklyn getting herself in “that one fight” while laughing. Nikole affirmed she remembered and also laughed. Then, Latto said, “Brook put her hands on y’all favorite rapper, on y’all least favorite rapper.” The video is making its rounds as fans are connecting the apparent dots and claiming Latto was referencing the tussle with Leray.

Latto Previously Addressed Coi’s Body-Shaming Allegations

As mentioned, after ‘Put It On Da Floor’s initial release in 2023, Coi Leray clocked the lyrics online. She mentioned Latto in a tweet, accusing her of speaking on her body and warning her not to speak on anyone’s. “Lol like seriously . Out of all things . Lmaooo ya blunt my size ? Lmaooo this sh*t is never ending,” Coi wrote at the time. Minutes before the direct call-out, she had posted “let’s fight.” In additional posts at the time, Leray claimed that female rappers want to have beef “so bad,” like their male counterparts. Also, she said that anyone speaking about her body wants to have it. Her rant appeared to end after asking that her name not be mentioned in spaces where she’s not liked.

“If you don’t like me , support me or fwm don’t mention my name. Period. Sh*t don’t make sense. I don’t know none of you b*****s in real life. Stay in y’all lane and leave me outta the bullsh*t. I be minding my business and showing real love offline.”

While Latto didn’t return the energy online, she finally addressed Coi Leray’s tweets days later while performing at Coachella. While performing ‘Put It On Da Floor,’ she clarified that she loves Coi’s body.

“Smokin’ on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray, B*****s like to run their mouths, but I’m the type to run the fade. When your diamonds hit like this, you never see the shade. Got the key to my city, they gave me a holiday b***h,” Latto rapped. Adding, “Aye Coi, by the way, I love yo body baby.”

Coi Leray later retweeted the video with a 100% emoticon and responded in a separate post. She wrote, “It was the diss record with my name on it that confused me. Much love to Latto! Appreciate the compliment.”

RELATED: Family Business? Ye & Big Sean Put Years Of Rumored Beef Aside With Surprise Reunion In Chicago (VIDEOS)

Sydney Sweeney’s relationship with Scooter Braun is reportedly facing pressure, with claims that one Hollywood agent believed the romance could affect how she is viewed in the industry.

Ari Emanuel allegedly encouraged the actress to reconsider dating Braun as she continues expanding her career beyond acting. However, reps for Emanuel have shared a different story.

Despite the alleged warning, Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun have remained together, while the actress continues making bold career moves that keep her in the spotlight.

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Sweeney was reportedly advised to end her romance with Braun over concerns about how the relationship could affect her professional image.

According to Page Six, a source said, “Ari was telling her that if she wanted to be taken seriously as an actress and businesswoman, she needed to break up with Scooter.”

The alleged conversation reportedly happened months before Sweeney left Paradigm Talent Agency and moved to CAA. However, Emanuel’s representatives have strongly denied that he ever gave the actress such advice or had the interaction described in the report.

Braun was said to be unhappy when he learned about the alleged warning, particularly because he was said to have helped arrange the meeting.

Still, the situation did not appear to create lasting tension when Sweeney eventually joined CAA, with insiders indicating there were no hard feelings surrounding the move.

Scooter Braun Remains Firmly In The Actress’s Corner Despite Concerns

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Whatever concerns may exist about Sweeney’s romance, Braun has continued to support her professional ambitions. The former music executive has reportedly taken a strong interest in her growing career and business ventures as their relationship developed.

Braun has remained one of Sweeney’s biggest supporters despite the alleged concerns surrounding their romance.

Their relationship, which began after they connected in 2025, has become increasingly serious, with Braun reportedly hoping marriage could eventually be part of their future. A source also said he thinks Sweeney is the “modern Marilyn Monroe.”

His support also comes as Sweeney expands beyond acting. She recently launched her lingerie company, Syrn, adding another business venture to a career that already includes major film and television projects.

Rather than distancing herself from Braun amid the reported pressure, Sweeney appears to be continuing with both her relationship and her ambitions on her own terms.

Sydney Sweeney Continues To Show Off Her Daring Side

Confirmed: Sydney Sweeney knows ball. pic.twitter.com/EXQ4PzVZsi

— Novig (@Novig) September 9, 2026

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Sweeney has also continued embracing a more provocative public image as her profile grows.

The actress has attracted considerable attention through revealing appearances and projects that show she is comfortable pushing boundaries.

Among her recent moves was a nude campaign for a sports betting app, while her lingerie company has further placed her at the center of conversations surrounding her sex-symbol image.

Her return as Cassie Howard in the final season of “Euphoria” has also continued that daring streak. The actress’s huge confidence and career progress add another dimension to the concerns about how her relationship could affect her career.

Sweeney appears determined to make her own choices about both her personal life and the direction of her public image.

Scooter Braun Is Unbothered About Negativity Surrounding His Relationship

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Braun appears largely unconcerned by the criticisms surrounding their relationship. A source close to him told People Magazine that he is “unfazed” by the negative reactions and even finds some of the attention amusing.

“He finds the headlines comical,” the insider said, adding that Braun considers the speculation “very funny.”

Despite the outside noise, the source maintained that the couple feels secure in their relationship and has no problems with trust.

Another insider close to Sweeney offered a similar picture, saying those around her find the negative coverage amusing because she is finally with someone confident enough not to be bothered by it.

The source also claimed the actress has “never been happier” since getting together with Braun.

Sydney Sweeney And Scooter Braun’s Relationship Keeps Waxing Stronger

Despite the reported outside concerns, Sweeney and Braun appear more committed to each other than ever.

Braun celebrated the actress’ 29th birthday with a romantic social media tribute that offered another glimpse into how serious their relationship has become.

“Happy birthday to the woman who is the exception to every rule,” the music mogul wrote alongside a video of the couple dancing and kissing.

He also praised Sweeney for showing him what “true partnership” could look like and said she makes him “smile harder, laugh louder, adventure more, and dream bigger.”

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Braun ended the affectionate message by telling Sweeney, “I love you,” while looking ahead to “many more celebrations” together.

The public declaration comes after their romance gradually developed from something casual into a more committed relationship.

Many Criminal Minds episodes are difficult to watch. Some are gruesome, some are genuinely frightening, and others leave viewers staring at the credits in stunned silence, but Season 5, Episode 9, “100,” manages something far more painful: It makes the people hunting monsters feel completely helpless.

The episode, which aired in November 2009 as the series’ 100th installment, concludes the Reaper storyline that had been building since Season 4’s “Omnivore.” George Foyet (C. Thomas Howell) has spent months turning Aaron Hotchner’s (Thomas Gibson) life into a personal nightmare, and by the time “100” begins, the FBI agent has done everything he can to protect his family, but it still isn’t enough. Sixteen years later, “100” remains one of Criminal Minds’ most effective episodes because its violence is almost secondary. The real horror is watching Hotch realize he can do nothing.

‘Criminal Minds’ Makes Hotch’s Worst Fear Come True

Image via CBS

“100” wastes very little time establishing that the BAU is already behind. The episode opens with the team sitting through an internal investigation into Hotch, immediately revealing that something has gone terribly wrong. From there, the story rewinds to show how Foyet found Sam Kassmeyer, the U.S. Marshal responsible for protecting Hotch’s ex-wife Haley (Meredith Monroe) and their son, Jack.

Foyet has always understood that control matters more to him than simply killing people. In “Omnivore,” he manipulated Detective Tom Shaunessy into abandoning the Reaper investigation by offering him a deal. Hotch refuses to play along when Foyet offers the same bargain, making him the Reaper’s new obsession. By “100,” that obsession has become brutally personal.

After attacking Kassmeyer and stealing his phone, Foyet tricks Haley into believing that the people protecting her have been killed. He poses as the replacement marshal and convinces her to let him in. Hotch and the BAU are racing to find her, but Foyet has already anticipated their moves.

Haley’s Death Makes ‘100’ So Much More Than a Serial Killer Story

Image via CBS

Hotch’s relationship with Haley had never been simple. His dedication to the FBI repeatedly strained their marriage, and Haley spent years feeling as though she was raising Jack alone while her husband chased other people’s monsters. Their divorce was painful, but it never erased the fact that these two people loved each other.

As Hotch races toward the house, he is forced to speak with Haley over the phone while Foyet stands nearby. He knows what is happening, Haley knows what is happening, the audience knows what is happening, and no clever escape hatch is coming. Haley asks Hotch to tell their son how they met so that Jack will still believe in love. It is a heartbreaking request because it is simultaneously about her own death and the life she knows she is leaving behind. Hotch tries to stay composed for his son, even as he realizes he’s about to lose the woman he once planned to spend his life with. Foyet shoots Haley three times as Hotch and the rest of the BAU listen.

The episode didn’t need to show the murder to make it horrifying. The sound is enough. In fact, keeping the camera away from the actual shooting makes Hotch’s helplessness even more brutal. He is an FBI agent who’s spent his career learning to anticipate violence, and now all he can do is listen. Hotch is usually the person in the room who keeps everyone else calm. He is controlled, disciplined, and rarely lets his personal feelings dictate his decisions. But Gibson spends much of “100” showing exactly how much effort that composure requires.

When Hotch hears Haley being killed, there is nowhere for that control to go. His eventual confrontation with Foyet releases everything the character has been suppressing. Hotch finds Haley’s body, sees Foyet hiding behind the curtains, and unloads his gun. Foyet survives because he is wearing a bulletproof vest, and the two men then fight hand-to-hand. Even after Foyet surrenders, Hotch continues beating him until Morgan (Shemar Moore) has to physically pull him away. It is an ugly scene, deliberately so. The BAU has spent years asking whether hunting monsters can change the people doing the hunting. Now the show has its answer: Yes, it can.

That question was planted back in the Criminal Minds pilot. Showrunner Ed Bernero specifically wanted the 100th episode to revisit whether someone could spend their life hunting monsters without becoming one. Hotch killing Foyet with his bare hands — rather than the knife used in an earlier draft of the script — makes the point impossible to miss.

Why ‘100’ Still Hurts 16 Years Later

Image via CBS

The brilliance of “100” is that the audience already knows the destination. The opening scenes reveal that Hotch will face an internal investigation, and the episode becomes a countdown to the tragedy we know is coming — a structure that should make the episode less suspenseful. Instead, it makes every scene worse. And while “100” is not without flaws — Foyet’s seemingly endless ability to escape consequences requires a healthy suspension of disbelief, and Haley’s willingness to trust a stranger claiming to be a marshal can feel frustratingly convenient — none of that changes what the episode accomplishes emotionally.

Criminal Minds has killed beloved characters before and since, but Haley’s death permanently changes Hotch. The BAU doesn’t simply solve another case and move on to the next week because their leader has lost someone he loved because the monster he was hunting came after his family.

That’s why “100” remains the show’s emotional benchmark. It takes the fundamental premise of Criminal Minds — a group of people who understand monsters well enough to stop them — and asks what happens when understanding the monster isn’t enough.

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Release Date

September 22, 2005

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Showrunner

Erica Messer

Directors

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Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, John Gallagher, Douglas Aarniokoski, Guy Norman Bee, Larry Teng, Nelson McCormick, Alec Smight, Charles S. Carroll, Rob Spera, Charles Haid, Diana Valentine, Rob Hardy, Tawnia McKiernan, Bethany Rooney, Karen Gaviola, Sharat Raju, Thomas Gibson, Aisha Tyler, Anna Foerster, Gloria Muzio, John Terlesky

Writers

Bruce Zimmerman, Virgil Williams, Edward Allen Bernero, Janine Sherman Barrois, Chris Mundy, Simon Mirren, Debra J. Fisher, Kimberly A. Harrison, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Karen Maser, Oanh Ly, Stephanie Sengupta, Aaron Zelman, Kirsten Vangsness, Erica Meredith, Andi Bushell, Holly Harold, Alicia Kirk, Jeff Davis, Randy Huggins, Edward Napier, Jayne A. Archer, Chikodili Agwuna

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Selena Gomez turned heads in gold at the 2026 Emmy Awards, but her glamorous red-carpet appearance also sparked a different conversation among some fans.

Social media users questioned whether something looked different around the actress’ eyes, with theories ranging from “fresh Botox” and filler to makeup, lighting and natural facial asymmetry.

Now, plastic surgeon Dr. Omar Tillo is explaining what could produce the effect viewers noticed while stressing that photographs cannot determine whether Gomez recently underwent any cosmetic treatment.

Gomez arrived at the September 14 ceremony in a strapless gold Louis Vuitton gown, pairing the shimmering look with long waves, peach-toned makeup and Tiffany & Co. jewelry. Vogue described the dress as a gold chainmail design, while the actress attended as “Only Murders in the Building” competed for Outstanding Comedy Series.

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Amid praise for her look, some Reddit users focused on an apparent difference between Gomez’s eyes.

Commenters floated several possible explanations, including recent Botox around the brow area, cheek filler, contouring, irritation or natural facial asymmetry.

Gomez has not said she recently received Botox or any other cosmetic treatment.

Dr. Omar Tillo, plastic surgeon and Medical Director at CREO Clinic, cautioned against drawing that conclusion from red-carpet photographs.

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“Looking at photographs alone, it isn’t possible to say that Selena has recently had Botox, and I would be very cautious about attributing any change in her appearance to a particular treatment,” Tillo told The Blast via email correspondence.

Plastic Surgeon Explains Why Her Eyes May Look Different

Selena Gomez fans brand the star ‘unrecognizable’ at the Emmys with some comparing her appearance to Geena Davis.

‘What happened to her?’

‘This is Geena Davis.’

‘I believe she is cloned.’ pic.twitter.com/P83u9b2qgj

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— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) September 15, 2026

According to Tillo, the area attracting the most attention may explain why some viewers thought Gomez looked noticeably different.

“What people seem to be responding to most strongly in these photographs is the asymmetry around the eyes,” he explained. “One eye appears slightly more closed than the other, and because the eyes are such an important reference point when we recognise a face, even quite a small difference can make somebody look surprisingly different.”

Tillo acknowledged that recent Botox is one possible general explanation for that kind of appearance, but emphasized it is far from the only one.

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He explained that Botox temporarily reduces activity in targeted muscles. When used around the forehead or between the eyebrows, dose, placement and distribution matter because several muscles help control eyebrow and upper-eyelid positioning.

“If those muscles are affected unevenly, you can temporarily see a difference in brow height or how open one eye appears compared with the other,” Tillo said.

In uncommon cases, he added, Botox can cause temporary eyelid or eyebrow drooping known as ptosis, creating noticeable asymmetry.

Dr. Tillo Says Timing Could Matter If Botox Was Involved

Ünlü şarkıcı ve oyuncu Selena Gomez’in yüzündeki değişim sosyal medyada gündem oldu; bazı kullanıcılar görüntülerdeki kişinin Gomez olduğuna inanmakta zorlanırken bazıları ise estetik iddialarını gündeme getirdi.pic.twitter.com/FPudUJBhuY

— Onedio (@onedio) September 15, 2026

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Even if Botox were responsible, Tillo stressed that the treatment’s effects don’t appear all at once.

“Botox doesn’t normally reach its full effect immediately,” he explained. “Changes develop over several days and generally become more established over the following week or two.”

Consequently, someone treated relatively recently could experience a period in which the result is still settling.

That explanation remains hypothetical in Gomez’s case because neither Tillo nor fans know whether she recently received treatment.

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Gomez has, however, previously addressed cosmetic-procedure speculation herself. In 2024, PEOPLE reported that she responded to a TikTok discussion about changes in her appearance by writing, “I have Botox. That’s it. Leave me alone.”

That previous admission does not establish that Botox had anything to do with her appearance at the 2026 Emmys.

More From The Blast

Could Filler Have Changed Selena Gomez’s Appearance?

Some commenters also wondered whether cheek filler could explain why one of Gomez’s eyes appeared smaller.

Tillo again cautioned that photographs cannot establish whether she has filler.

“Generally speaking, however, adding volume to the upper cheek can change the relationship between the cheek and lower eyelid,” he told The Blast. “If there is significant volume immediately beneath the eye, particularly when somebody smiles, it can make the eye aperture appear slightly smaller.”

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Still, the surgeon said he would not look at Gomez’s Emmys photographs and conclude that filler was responsible.

“Facial expression, camera angle and existing natural asymmetry can produce a very similar effect,” he explained.

Makeup And Lighting Could Be Playing A Bigger Role

There may also be a considerably simpler explanation behind the online discussion.

“Makeup, lighting and styling can also make facial features appear different in photographs, so they shouldn’t be overlooked when comparing red-carpet images,” Tillo said. “These factors can emphasise existing asymmetry or change how the proportions of the face appear on camera.”

That is particularly relevant at an event where Gomez’s beauty look was deliberately coordinated with her metallic gown. PEOPLE described her makeup as peachy-pink, while her hairstyle featured loose waves.

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Ultimately, Tillo said a single red-carpet appearance cannot provide evidence of a particular procedure.

“A difference in muscle movement, natural asymmetry, makeup, swelling, expression or simply the moment a photograph is taken can dramatically change how familiar somebody looks,” he explained.

And even if Botox caused temporary asymmetry, Tillo noted that its effects are temporary and muscle activity gradually returns.

“But without examining somebody clinically and knowing what treatment they have actually received,” he concluded, “anything more specific would simply be speculation.”

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“Dancing With The Stars” judge Bruno Tonioli is setting the record straight about the controversy surrounding season 35. 

The popular reality television dance show where celebrities are paired with professional ballroom dancers to perform choreographed routines has been on air since 2005 and has boasted an impressive cast list since then.

However, the recent cast announcement has sparked plenty of online conversation. Now, Tonioli is addressing the dispute, and the season is promising to be one nobody wants to miss.

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The latest season of “Dancing With The Stars” premiered on September 15 with a two-night premiere, and unlike other seasons, one male and one female will be eliminated after just one week.

This aims to push contestants to go all in from week one. Speaking to US Magazine about the format, the longtime host revealed that judging would be strict this year.

“What happens is your expectations are higher, so obviously they know that,” the 70-year-old judge said. “They’re gonna be afraid, but the expectations are higher. We will be very honest. Nobody’s gonna get a free ride. I’m telling you that.” 

The judge explained that the show’s ballroom technique was a whole different ball game for contestants, even those with past dance experience. “I’ve done it for a very, very long time. But these kids — they’ve never done it before. So give them a chance. Be nice. Be nice, people. Give them a chance,” he urged. 

DWTS Contestants Question If The Playing Field Is Truly Even 

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Tonioli’s comments come in response to the conversations surrounding the latest season’s lineup. Some viewers questioned whether some contestants have an unfair advantage because of their dance background, with Jenna Dewan being the focal point. 

“The cast is definitely whispering about how unfair some of the casting is,” a source revealed, per The Blast, “especially with Jenna being a former dancer and others having dance experience.”

“Everyone thinks Jenna Dewan has a very unfair advantage because she is a professional dancer. That is how she began her career,” another source said about the “Step Up” actress, who had been dancing for years before coming to Hollywood. “It’s like, ‘Duh, we all know she’s going to win.”

The actress echoed Tonioli’s sentiments, pushing back on the narrative and describing ballroom dancing as a whole different language from the dance she was used to.

“There’s parts of my dance training that’s helpful, obviously. I’ve learned choreography, I can perform, but there is a certain sense of unlearning for me,” she said.

Dewan, however, is not the only contestant under scrutiny. The cast also includes “Save the Last Dance” actress Julia Stiles, former “Bachelor” star Tyler Cameron, who previously appeared on “The Real Dirty Dancing,” and “Glee” alum Harry Shum Jr., who toured professionally as a dancer before becoming an actor. 

DWTS Former Winner Bobby Bones Shared His Opinion On The Ringer Debate

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Former show winner Bobby Bones weighed in on the debate, making it clear he had no issue with trained dancers getting on the show.

However, he didn’t appreciate them acting like it didn’t give them an upper hand in the competition simply because they didn’t know ballroom dance.

The “DWTS” alum said contestants with dance experience already had skills like rhythm and spatial awareness, likening it to a pro baseball player in a softball game.

He reiterated that pretending it was not an advantage was “insulting,” as it was an “obvious advantage,” per The Blast.

Tyler Cameron Says Former Dance Experience Is Nothing Compared To DWTS 

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Tyler Cameron, however, seems to have a different opinion. He is entering the competition with dance experience but does not believe it has prepared him for “Dancing With The Stars.” 

The Blast reported that he compared it to his time on “The Real Dirty Dancing,” which took about two weeks,  while DWTS required more from its contestants. 

“I will say that is like one-fifth of what we’re doing here,” he shared, adding that the difference between the two shows was enormous. 

Jenna Johnson Believes No Celebrity Is Truly Prepared For Dancing With The Stars 

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Professional dance partner Jenna Johnson, who made her show debut in 2014 as a troupe dancer and later became a professional dancer in 2016, also gave her two cents on the situation, as reported by The Blast. 

The choreographer shared that after working with different celebrities from all walks of life, she feels no one is ever truly ready for “DWTS.” She attributed the live audience and millions of viewers at home to that, and said it was impossible to know how someone would act in that situation. 

She also quoted the demanding schedule of less than a week to learn a new ballroom technique, with themes and judging expectations: “I understand when people are like, ‘Oh, you know, dance experience, whatever.’ Who cares! This is the first time they’re ever doing Dancing with the Stars. That is very different.” 

It’s been a few months since Todd Tucker and Kandi Burruss finalized their divorce. And Todd is keeping it real about how he’s been adjusting to his new normal. In a new interview, he also opened up about where things stand with Riley Burruss and spilled on the one thing she wants him to do following his split from her mom.

RELATED: Riley Burruss Opens Up About Life After Kandi & Todd Tucker’s Divorce & What She’s Learned From Her Mom (VIDEO)

Todd Tucker Keeps It Real About Adjusting To Life After Divorce From Kandi Burruss

Todd Tucker kept it a stack about post-divorce life while chopping it up on Big Tigger’s ‘The Morning Show.’ The reality star admitted adjusting to life after his split from Kandi Burruss hasn’t been easy, and he’s still figuring out how to navigate the circumstances. “I’m f****d up!” Todd continued, “You mask it with hanging out, drinking, and all of the s**t, you know. But I’m working through it. I don’t think people understand divorce. I lost my person.”

Todd didn’t reveal what led to his divorce from Kandi, but he admitted the split hasn’t been easy. He said he “lost his family as he knew it.” He also explained that he got so used to having a full house that seeing his kids every other week has been difficult.

Here’s What Riley Burruss Wants Todd To Do

Todd didn’t just keep it real about his own feelings — he also shared how the kids have been handling the divorce. As fans know, Todd and Kandi share Ace and Blaze Tucker, while Todd has his daughter Kaela from a previous relationship, and Kandi has Riley Burruss. Todd recalled chopping it up with Riley while Kaela hosted a party at his New Jersey home, and that’s when Riley shared her thoughts on their split. Todd said she straight-up told him she wants to see him and her mom back together. “She was like, ‘Go get my mom back,’ and it was one of those moments where you can’t even get the words out,” Tucker explained.

Riley Burruss Previously Shared How She’s Been Handling Kandi & Todd’s Divorce

During a July interview, Riley Burruss shared how she’s been handling her mom and stepdad’s split. Riley explained that while breakups can hit the couple hard, she’s learned that people who love them feel it too. At the time, she admitted she was still adjusting and learning a lot as she navigated through the new chapter.

“So it is really hard for me,” Riley explained. “It’s just been a year of adapting. It’s tough at times, it’s easy at times, it’s confusing. I’m still learning, honestly.”

RELATED: The Internet Claps For Todd Tucker After He Sends Sweet Message To Kandi Burruss On Her 50th Birthday (PHOTO) 

Modern Family is one of the best modern-day sitcoms. There’s no arguing it. The blend of personalities in the Dunphy-Pritchett-Tucker clan creates a hilarious, colorful viewing experience in every episode. Each episode is special in its own right, and it can be hard to narrow down which episode changed the show for the better, but the show took a big risk with the Season 4 premiere “Bringing Up Baby,” one that ultimately paid off not just by helping one character grow, but by bringing the show into a new era.

What Happens in ‘Modern Family’s Season 4 Premiere?

To truly understand the emotional weight of Modern Family’s Season 4 opener, we must first go back to Season 3. Throughout Season 3, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) are preparing to adopt another child. In the Season 3 finale, aptly titled “Baby on Board,” they receive the call that there is a mother in Calexico currently giving birth, and she has chosen them to adopt her baby. They bring Gloria (Sofía Vergara) as a translator since the family does not speak English. But as they travel to the hospital, Gloria mentions feeling sick, chalking it up to being carsick, coupled with nerves and excitement for Mitch and Cam. However, things don’t go quite as planned when they arrive at the hospital because once the biological grandmother of the baby finds out about the adoption plans, she insists on raising the child herself, ultimately squandering Mitch and Cam’s dreams of adopting again. They opt to put their plans for adoption on hold for a while, as they’re tired of coming so close and being denied time and time again. It not only affects them but Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) as well, and it’s just not fair. Their storyline has one last beat before the episode ends as Gloria reveals that she wasn’t carsick after all but that she’s pregnant.

This is where the Season 4 premiere picks up. It’s Jay’s (Ed O’Neill) 65th birthday, and all he wants is a quiet day. Phil (Ty Burrell), being Phil, can’t accept this and, with the help of Jay’s friends Shorty (Chaz Palminteri) and Miles (Ernie Hudson), they decide to take him fishing, where they toast to Jay’s freedom from responsibility now that he’s turned 65 and is officially an “old age.” On the flip side, Gloria begins telling some of the family to test the waters and see how they’ll react, as she’s nervous about telling Jay. She first tells Manny (Rico Rodriguez), who says Jay likely won’t take it well since he doesn’t like change. She then tells Claire (Julie Bowen), who is excited about the news, and says Jay will be happy, even though she knows he won’t have a good reaction because he struggles to mask his reactions. She decides to get to Jay first and tells him that someone is going to tell him some big news and that he needs to react nicely to the next big news he hears because said person is very vulnerable at the moment. After a bit of confusion, thinking that the big news was Mitch and Cam adopting a cat, Gloria finally frustratedly announces that she’s pregnant and will raise the baby with or without Jay’s help. But to her (and everyone’s surprise), Jay is thrilled by the news. He admits that turning 65 and the newfound freedom it unlocked made him feel like his life was over, so Gloria being pregnant gives him an opportunity to raise a child all over again and feel like his life is only just beginning.

‘Bringing Up Baby’ Has a Positive Effect on the Show as a Whole

Image via ABC

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As I said, several episodes could have been chosen for the one that changed Modern Family for the better, but ultimately, “Bringing Up Baby” had the biggest impact in the long run. A lot of this has to do with Joe (Jeremy Maguire), who is Gloria and Jay’s son. Joe makes for one of the funniest (and cutest) additions to the series and brings a whole new dynamic to the family that we haven’t seen since Cam and Mitchell adopted Lily. It also brings another funny dynamic we haven’t seen quite as much of at this point in the show, in the sense of Mitch and Claire adjusting to having a baby brother while being fully grown adults. We saw them work through this dynamic with Manny in the first season, but as Manny got older, it got a little less odd and noticeable. Now, they have a brother who is around 40 years younger than them, which is a major adjustment for anyone and makes for some hilarious jokes throughout the seasons. Also, thanks to Joe, we get Andy (Adam DeVine), Joe’s “Manny,” who is a fan-favorite character and undeniably the best love interest for Haley (Sarah Hyland).

As Joe gets older, we get to see his personality flourish, and he becomes a mini Jay. It’s most noticeable in the episode “He Said, She Shed” when Jay teaches him how to play golf. Joe becomes very competitive and serious about the sport, which angers Gloria but makes Jay beam with pride. But this also brings me to my next point, and that’s how Joe brings out a whole new side of Jay and helps him to grow as a character. Jay has always been a very hit-or-miss character. His views on things are very outdated, and he wasn’t the best father to Mitch and Claire when they were growing up. There’s no doubt that he loves them, but there’s also no denying he could have done things better. Joe offers him a second chance.

Joe Helps Jay Grow as a Character in ‘Modern Family’

Jay was never a bad father to Mitchell and Claire, but he wasn’t as present as he could have been in their lives while they were growing up. Between the constant fighting between him and his wife, DeDe (Shelley Long), and his long work hours, he wasn’t the father he should have been. He makes up for it now, being a much more present figure in their lives and being the best grandfather to their children. But in many moments throughout the show, Jay expresses remorse to Mitchell and Claire for not being there for them. He and Mitchell especially have a difficult relationship due to Jay’s struggle to accept Mitchell’s sexuality. This is repaired as time goes on, but it takes a long time for them to heal, and rightfully so. Modern Family doesn’t try to beat around the bush about Jay’s shortcomings, nor does it try to defend him or make excuses. He’s made mistakes and said things he’ll never be able to take back. But Joe offers him that second chance to do things right and be the father he never was.

Joe brings out a new, softer side of Jay, which is much desired. He was never inherently bad, but he’s always been grumpy, set in his ways, and often cold. Because of Joe, we also get to see him become a better father to Mitchell and Claire, as he’s softer and kinder, and his heart is more open. All in all, Joe brought a brand-new dynamic to Modern Family. We didn’t know we needed it, yet the rest of the series following his birth took the show on a completely different path that was for the better.