The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s 30th anniversary set has finally arrived, but its full card list still managed to contain one last surprise. 30th Celebration includes hundreds of cards honoring the TCG’s history, including returning favorites, new Illustration Rares, and a guaranteed Pikachu card in every booster pack. None of those cards, however, generated as much confusion as three bizarre Mew cards that Pokémon refused to acknowledge before release.

Images of the cards first circulated online months ago after reportedly appearing during a Whatnot livestream in June. Each card features Mew rendered in a different primary color, earning the set the unofficial “RGB Mew” nickname, but their unconventional artwork and complete absence from Pokémon’s pre-release marketing caused some collectors to dismiss them as elaborate fakes. Even after physical copies began appearing online, Pokémon kept the mystery alive by leaving the cards out of its initial public checklist.

Pokémon has now officially confirmed that all three RGB Mew cards are real by adding high-quality images of them to the complete 30th Celebration card gallery and Pokémon TCG Live. The red, green, and blue variants were created by Japanese artist YOSHIROTTEN, whose work frequently uses bold colors, digital distortion, and psychedelic imagery. Their official inclusion ends months of debate while confirming that Pokémon intentionally hid some of the anniversary set’s biggest chase cards until players began opening packs.

Pokémon’s Secret RGB Mew Cards Are Real

The RGB Mew cards are pretty unusual because they were treated like actual secrets instead of being revealed through the normal promotional cycle. Pokémon typically publishes a set’s complete numbered checklist before release, allowing collectors to identify every Illustration Rare, Special Illustration Rare, and Hyper Rare they can potentially pull. These three cards were omitted from that process, turning what initially looked like a leak into a mystery that continued until 30th Celebration officially launched.

That secrecy has already sent the cards’ aftermarket prices into absurd territory. Now that the expansion has launched, individual sales listings have begun popping up, particularly on TCGPlayer, where sellers are seeking four figures. Those numbers should be treated cautiously while the market settles, especially as more packs are opened and additional copies enter circulation, but they demonstrate just how much attention Pokémon created by refusing to confirm the cards ahead of time.

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration was released on September 16, 2026. The set is available exclusively through special products, including Elite Trainer Boxes, collection boxes, and other anniversary bundles.

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Release Date

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1997 – 2023-00-00

Network

TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC

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Directors

Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Bjarne Heuser, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano

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Writers

Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku

Franchise(s)

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Pokemon

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• 

  Rica Matsumoto

  Satoshi (voice)

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• 

  Ikue Otani

  Pikachu (voice)

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In a time when most shows are available to watch on at least one streaming service, it’s always noteworthy when fans are purchasing a series in its entirety. Buying a series gives those who love the show the opportunity to rewatch it over and over, and it also allows new viewers to have full access for a binge-watch. In the last couple of weeks, a number of long-concluded comedy series have been on sale in their entirety in the Apple TV store. One such series is Happy Endings, a hilarious hangout sitcom that premiered on ABC in 2011 and was cancelled after just three seasons.

What Is ‘Happy Endings’ About?

Like any classic hangout sitcom, Happy Endings follows a close-knit group of friends who all live in a big city, with a focus on both their professional lives and their personal lives. Jane (Eliza Coupe) and Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.) are happily married, Dave (Zachary Knighton) and Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) are about to walk down the aisle after many years of dating, Penny (Casey Wilson) is desperately searching for the one in nearly every guy she meets, and Max (Adam Pally) is happily single and content with casual flings with the guys that he meets. They have all been friends for a very long time, and they hang out every single day. Then, on Dave and Alex’s wedding day, she leaves him at the altar to run off with a man whom she barely knows.

In the wake of Alex and Dave’s disastrous wedding in Happy Endings‘ pilot episode, the rest of their friends worry about what their breakup will do to their group. The six of them are more than a little codependent, have their own intricate rituals and shorthand amongst each other, and don’t have the easiest time fitting in with people outside of their group. Determined to keep the group together as much as they can, Jane, Brad, Penny, and Max try to maintain their friendships with both Dave and Alex. Meanwhile, Alex and Dave have to figure out how to be around each other now that they’re not a couple anymore, and how to let go of their lingering resentment towards one another. Naturally, none of the friends can stay away from each other despite the drama, and they remain an obsessive and dysfunctional friend group for the entirety of Happy Endings‘ three seasons.

15 Years Later, ‘Happy Endings’ Is a Timeless Cult Classic Sitcom

Sitcoms make for excellent shows to buy and to rewatch regularly, because they are perfect for a comfort watch. Happy Endings is as cozy and enjoyable as any great sitcom, but its unique sense of humor is what really makes it stand out. The show has sharp dialogue, and every episode is packed with so many jokes and bits that multiple rewatches are necessary just to pick up on them all. The main friend group is made up of six people who are genuinely obsessed with one another and are constantly involving themselves in every aspect of each other’s lives. They regularly have group insult pile-ons where they all pick one person as their collective target, and they have their own made-up holidays — like the annual “Spring Smackdown,” Brad and Jane’s yearly marital fight that the rest of the friends like to use for their own benefit.

Happy Endings‘ recent success on the Apple TV store charts proves how timeless the show is 15 years after it first aired. The characters are all very dynamic and delightfully flawed, and their banter with one another is absolutely hilarious. The show also has some of the funniest sitcom episodes of the last couple of decades. In one episode, the friends struggle to go out for a simple birthday dinner because they’ve made too many enemies and bad memories at the local restaurants. In another, a simple prank turns into a truly ruthless prank war with pretty much no line off-limits to cross. For TV fans looking for a show with strong characters that will make them laugh with every episode, Happy Endings makes for a fantastic watch, either for the first time or for the hundredth.

Happy Endings is available to stream on Hulu.

Bill Belichick once again had the support of his No. 1 cheerleader, girlfriend Jordon Hudson, at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s Saturday, September 19, football game.

Hudson, 25, was spotted arriving at Clemson’s stadium for the ACC matchup, per social media footage. Clearly rooting for the Tar Heels, the former cheerleader traded in her signature snakeskin outfits for a boss-like strapless jumpsuit, which matched the team’s pale blue logo.

Hudson completed her ensemble with white stilettos and a coordinating handbag and sunglasses. For glam, she styled her brunette tresses in long, loose waves.

Hudson and the UNC head coach, 74, have been together since 2021. In the midst of their controversial 49-year age difference, the pair have continually shown up for each other publicly and while defending their romance.

Related: Jordon Hudson Sizzles in Snakeskin for Bill Belichick’s Game After Drama

Not even a little drama will keep Jordon Hudson from supporting her boyfriend Bill Belichick’s football team. Hudson, 24, stepped out at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s Friday, October 17, football game in Berkeley, California, where she watched the matchup from the sidelines. Hudson brought her signature flair to the game, as well, […]

“Let’s take a deeper dive into the hot topic of the day: LOVE,” Hudson began a February 2025 post via Instagram. “‘What constitutes love?’ or, ‘What makes someone worthy of loving?’ are questions that require a deep analysis and could possibly enable one to understand the romances that they may not understand nor relate to.”

She continued, “Love does not look the same every time you see it. People and relationships, like everything else, are impermanent; even though love is eternal. Love is not to be judged. It is never OK to harass or abuse a person based upon who they love.”

Hudson has remained by the former Super Bowl champ’s side throughout his collegiate coaching career, sparking questions about her perceived involvement.

Related: Jordon Hudson Supports Bill Belichick’s Team in Blue Top and Flared Pants

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Jordon Hudson wasn’t just showing up as a supportive girlfriend — she was calling fashion plays for University of North Carolina’s game day at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Dressed in a sleek pale blue pitted tank top and statement-making snake-print flared pants, Hudson, 24, showed her team support in honor of her boyfriend, North Carolina Head […]

“When I took the job here, it was December, and at that time I was doing five TV shows, the radio show, I had a book coming out,” Belichick told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, September 16. “I had a lot of other things going on when I took the job. I sent an email when I got here and I said, ‘Can you please forward any requests to Jordon about my personal appearances so that I can work and coordinate them outside the university?’”

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He added at the time, “Didn’t have anything to do with the university. Well, that was leaked as released as ‘Jordon’s involved in every single thing that I do and she’s copied on every email.’ That’s just a flat-out lie.”

Belichick has repeatedly stressed that Hudson is a successful businesswoman in her own right and has only lent a hand to his personal duties outside of UNC.

“I stay focused on football and, some of the other opportunities that come along, Jordon looks at those and can dig into them a little bit deeper,” he said on the “Pivot” podcast last year. “But really, what she does is help me spend my time on football, and that’s what’s important to me.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert is firing back over a House Ethics Committee complaint alleging that she had sex with three current and former staffers.

“Congresswoman Lauren Boebert rejects these allegations as utterly false and there is no truth to them whatsoever,” a spokesperson for Boebert, 39, told Us on Saturday, September 16. “This is nothing more than a politically motivated stunt designed to manipulate the ethics process, create headlines, smear her, and generate clickbait.”

The Colorado representative’s office spoke out following American Muckrakers’ David Wheeler submitting a sworn statement about her alleged misconduct with three staffers — two female and one male — to the House Committee on Ethics earlier this week, reports The Colorado Times Recorder. The complaint alleges that Boebert previously arranged a $200,000 hush money payment to prevent one staffer from filing their own ethics complaint.

“[These accusations] come from an activist who has long recycled sensational claims, including numerous baseless accusations previously fact-checked as false,” Boebert’s rep said.

Related: What to Know About Eric Swalwell’s Misconduct Scandal and Investigation

Congressman Eric Swalwell is facing sexual assault allegations from multiple women, a Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation and calls from top Democrats to end his campaign for California governor. Four women — including a former staffer who claims the politician raped her — accused Swalwell in April 2026 of sexual misconduct and harassment. Swalwell has categorically […]

Wheeler and Boebert have had a long-running feud that dates back over four years and has involved multiple threats of legal action.

Us has reached out to Rep. Boebert’s office for comment.

The ethics complaint against Boebert could carry serious consequences as the House Code of Official Conduct strictly prohibits representatives from having intimate or sexual relationships with staff who work directly under them in their offices or on committees.

In September 2023, Boebert — an outspoken ally of President Donald Trump — publicly apologized over reports that she and a companion were thrown out of Denver’s Buell Theatre during a performance of Beetlejuice The Musical.

The prominent Republican politician initially denied accusations that she and her companion were vaping and groping one another during the performance — though she later conceded she’d acted inappropriately, in part, because of the trauma of her then-pending divorce from ex Jayson Boebert, per CPR News.

“The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I’m truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community,” she wrote at the time. “There’s no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family.”

Her statement concluded, “I’ve tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday. That’s unacceptable and I’m sorry.”

Related: Bernie Moreno ‘Doesn’t Know’ if Daughter’s Ex Should Resign Amid DV Claims

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Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio is unable or unwilling to say if his daughter Emily Moreno’s ex-husband, Rep. Max Miller, should resign after Emily accused the Ohio congressman of domestic violence, including breaking their daughter’s — the senator’s granddaughter’s — collarbone. “I don’t know,” Moreno told political outlet NOTUS on Friday, July 31, when he […]

More recently, Boebert appeared to poke fun at former House colleagues Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) resigning due to separate sex scandals earlier this year.

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“Like, I mean, why is everybody so horny here?” Boebert asked reporters on the steps of Capitol Hill in April.

Speaking to Nexstar D.C. correspondent Vinay Simlot, Boebert recommended that troubled colleagues should “go to church [and] find Jesus.”

Boebert has represented Colorado’s fourth district since January 2025, having previously served the state’s third congressional district.

Can MomTok survive the group’s latest social media squabbles?

“Doesn’t discount phone calls at 1 am, asking him to go on a podcast with you, inviting him over,” Miranda Hope said of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives costar Taylor Frankie Paul’s friendship with Chase McWhorter, the aspiring singer’s ex-husband. “If I did that with Dakota [Mortensen, your ex], I’d end up in a ditch somewhere. Once again, it’s about the principle.”

Miranda, 28, continued, “Trying to make it about jealousy is so laughable; I wouldn’t wait up for that apology call.”

Influencer Emma Ellis posted a TikTok video featuring Chase, prompting Hope to address the alleged hypocrisy via a meme that read, “Bitch, you on some weird s***.”

Related: Mormon Wives’ Miranda and Layla Condemn Domestic Violence After Taylor’s Video

Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Miranda Hope McWhorter and Layla Taylor broke their silence after leaked footage showed their costar Taylor Frankie Paul throwing chairs at now-ex Dakota Mortensen during an argument in February 2023 that led to her arrest. Miranda, 27, and Layla, 25, condemned domestic violence in statements posted via Instagram Stories […]

Layla Taylor, who briefly dated Chase and his brother Mason McWhorter at separate times, also called out what she considered to be the “insane” double standard of the post.

Taylor, 32, for her part, also chimed in the comments, claiming the girls were just “jealous.”

“Their jealously [sic] is embarrassing at this point because I was talking about Emma aka my girl crush. I’ve mentioned that multiple times on her page,” Taylor wrote via Instagram comment on Friday, September 18, clarifying her initial message. “Maybe Miranda and Layla can call to privately apologize for THIS too.”

After Miranda responded to Taylor’s claims of jealousy, Layla, 25, denied the accusations in a separate comment.

“Jealous of the girl who only has 8 hours of supervised time with her kids?” Layla wrote. “Don’t wait up on the call, love.”

Taylor, who has not further responded to her costars’ messages, reportedly lost parenting time with her three children after allegedly failing multiple drug tests in the last 60 days. (Taylor shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 6, with ex-husband Tate Paul, as well as son Ever, 2, with Dakota, 33.)

TMZ reported on Wednesday, September 16, that Taylor was limited to eight hours of weekly parenting time after allegedly failing drug tests. (Us understands that juvenile court proceedings are strictly confidential and a court-ordered gag order remains in effect.)

“The fact that alleged information from these confidential proceedings is being disclosed publicly is yet another example of the continuing harassment and inappropriate conduct from the other side,” a source told Us at the time.

Taylor temporarily lost custody of Ever in March after resurfaced footage from her 2023 arrest was leaked. (Taylor was arrested for assault after she physically and verbally assaulted Dakota at the time, at one point throwing chairs at him in the presence of her daughter. She entered a guilty plea as part of a deal to dismiss additional child abuse accusations. She completed her mandatory three-year probation last month.)

After a court hearing this summer, a judge ruled to increase Taylor’s visitation rights with Ever and granted both the influencer and Dakota multiple protective orders. Tate, for his part, requested a restraining order against Taylor in July to change the terms of their divorce and custody arrangement. His motion was subsequently denied.

Taylor has denied the allegations as she continues to navigate both legal battles.

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“I tried to have this sealed from the beginning. It wasn’t in protection of me, but honestly, just to keep it sealed for the children,” she claimed in a July social media video. “This was something I asked for and was denied from the beginning. I am an open book. I will give you the ugly and the pretty. If you know me, I don’t claim to be this ‘mother of the year.’ I have my faults.”

Taylor continued at the time, “I also have a right to stick up for myself, give context of my life. … I will admit I am a lot of things. I can confidently say that if you were to put my kids on a [witness] stand, they are choosing Mom and Mom’s house every time, I say that with full confidence because I love my children. They know that I love them.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

Starting a thriller is the easy part. All it takes is one intriguing mystery or terrible decision, and the audience is hooked for a couple of episodes at the very least. The real challenge is holding onto that same tension. The longer a story runs, the more chances it has to overcomplicate things, or worse, lose all momentum.

The only shows that avoid that rut hold on to their central narrative while giving their characters room to evolve in every direction. This way, every new twist feels like it is moving the story somewhere rather than just buying more time for bad writing. Here are five such thriller series that stay in complete control of their stories and make the ending feel as exciting as everything that came before it.

1

‘Dark’ (2017–2020)

Image via Netflix

Dark is Netflix’s first-ever German original series, and it begins with the disappearance of a child in the small town of Winden. However, it doesn’t take long for that mystery to expand into something much bigger than the audience could have imagined. The search for this missing boy brings together four families into a mystery stretching across different generations of the town. The story also follows Jonas Kahnwald (Louis Hofmann), who is still struggling with his father Michael’s (Sebastian Rudolph) suicide. What’s interesting, though, is how all of these strange events in Winden lead to a wormhole hidden inside the town’s caves that allows people to travel through time.

Suddenly, Dark turns into a completely different show as characters begin traveling between different periods of Winden’s history, only to discover that events from decades ago are directly connected to whatever is happening in the present. The series keeps introducing different versions of the same characters and builds on its central mystery without ever losing control of it. Now, a show with this many timelines, characters, and convoluted stories could have easily fallen apart in the middle, but Dark manages to bring everything together in a finale that truly feels earned. Dark Season 1 is excellent at asking questions, but Seasons 2 and 3 prove that the writers actually know exactly how to answer them all.

2

‘Mr. Robot’ (2015–2019)

Image via USA Network

Mr. Robot is intriguing right from the start thanks to its incredibly compelling protagonist. The series follows socially isolated cybersecurity engineer Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek), who secretly hacks people he believes deserve to be exposed. Hacking is Elliot’s way of understanding a world he otherwise feels disconnected from. However, his otherwise boring life takes a turn when the mysterious Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) recruits him into fsociety, a hacker group planning to bring down the enormously powerful E Corp and erase consumer debt.

The group actually succeeds in carrying out its attack, but soon enough, Elliot finds himself caught between E Corp and his own increasingly unreliable mind. Every episode throws a curveball at the audience as they realize they can’t always trust Elliot’s perspective. The show creates a constant sense of uncertainty between what’s real and what isn’t. The consequences keep shifting, and Mr. Robot keeps finding new sides of Elliot to explore, especially after the identity of Mr. Robot is revealed. By the time the series ends, it feels completely different from the hacker thriller it started as, but that gradual progression is what makes the protagonist’s downward spiral so intriguing to follow.

3

‘The Americans’ (2013–2018)

Image via FX

The Americans takes a familiar spy story and immediately makes it feel personal. The series, set during the Cold War, follows Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys), a seemingly ordinary married couple living with their two children outside Washington, D.C. The catch is that Elizabeth and Philip are actually Soviet KGB agents who have spent years pretending to be Americans. Their children have no idea who their parents really are, and neither do their neighbors. Their situation takes a dangerous turn when FBI counterintelligence agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) moves in across the street, a man whose very job is to smoke out spies.

The Americans thrives on the contrast between the couple’s increasingly dangerous missions and their normal suburban life. Of course, balancing their two lives becomes harder as Elizabeth and Philip’s children grow older, their work starts affecting their marriage, and the lines between their identities begin to blur. The Americans is one of the very few spy shows that manages to stay consistently entertaining and emotionally mature throughout its run. The possibility of the Jennings family being exposed never completely disappears, which makes every episode feel urgent, not to mention that the final season leads to one of the greatest endings in modern thriller TV — one that forces the couple to finally face the cost of every lie and sacrifice they have made.

4

‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)

Image via AMC

Breaking Bad begins with high school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) finding out that he has cancer. Now, what could have turned into an extremely tragic story takes the exact opposite turn when Walter teams up with former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and uses his chemistry skills to make meth. At first, Walter insists he is only doing it for money, so he knows that his family will not struggle after he is gone. The fascinating part is watching how quickly that excuse starts falling apart. The series takes its time turning Walter from an ordinary, frustrated man into someone far more dangerous, and that patience is a huge part of why the story works so well.

Every choice feels like it grows naturally from the one before it. Every time Walter gets away with something, he becomes a little bolder and pushes things even further. What really separates Breaking Bad from most thrillers, though, is how little it wastes. A seemingly minor object, conversation, or decision can return much later with enormous consequences, and the tension keeps building because the series remembers almost everything it sets up. By the time the final season arrives, the story gets to cash in on years of carefully planted choices, which is why Breaking Bad feels just as intentional at the finish as it did at the beginning.

5

‘The Night Of’ (2016)

Image via HBO

The Night Of builds its central conflict using a borrowed taxi, a stranger in the back seat, and one impulsive night. The series follows college student Nasir “Naz” Khan (Riz Ahmed), who loses all control of his life when the woman he spent the night with is dead the next morning. To make things worse, Naz has almost no memory of what happened, and the evidence surrounding him doesn’t exactly paint him as innocent. The Night Of could easily have turned that setup into a conventional whodunit. Instead, it becomes something far more uncomfortable. The murder mystery still matters, but the series is just as interested in what happens after someone becomes a suspect.

Naz is pushed through interrogation rooms, court hearings, and eventually Rikers Island, where surviving means leaving the sheltered college student he once was. The only person on his side is his lawyer John Stone (John Turturro), who keeps pulling at loose threads in the case in the desperate hopes of proving Naz innocent. The Night Of doesn’t reveal whether or not Naz committed the crime, and that uncertainty hangs over all eight episodes. Nearly every character in the series has a theory, and the evidence keeps pointing in different directions. However, what makes The Night Of such a complete thriller is that it understands the case itself is only part of the damage. In the end, the viewers realize that watching Naz slowly change into someone he barely recognizes is the real story.

Moving into a new home with my boyfriend meant making a lot of decisions together, but I’ll admit finding the perfect couch was one I took particularly seriously. I wanted something cozy enough for lazy Sundays and movie nights but still chic enough to make our living room feel elevated. After plenty of searching, we finally landed on a creamy bouclé sectional that seemed to check both of our boxes.

We went with the Ashley Luxe Calden Bouclé 5-Piece Modular Sectional with Chaise in Oyster, and after living with it for about a month, I have plenty of thoughts. At $4,299, it’s definitely an investment, so I wanted it to deliver on more than just looks. Thankfully, its oversized design, creamy fabric and plush cushions have given our living room the dreamy, homey feel we both wanted — without sacrificing comfort.

Get the Ashley Luxe Calden Boucle 5-Piece Modular Sectional with Chaise for $4,299 at Ashley Furniture!

Some of my favorite nights have been spent cuddled up with my boyfriend in the corner of the sectional watching football, whether it’s the Iowa vs. Iowa State game or cheering on the Denver Broncos. When I get control of the TV, you can usually find me stretched out for a movie night with a rom-com like 27 Dresses instead. The ultra-thick foam cushions have a plush, sink-in feel while still being supportive, and the feather-fiber-blend toss pillows make it easy to get really comfortable for hours on end.

Related: 17 Early Deals on Rich Mom Fashion Ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days

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This fall, I want my wardrobe to scream “rich mom” even if my shopping budget says otherwise. Think matching knits for coffee runs, tailored trousers for dinner, sleek loafers for everyday and enough chocolate brown and gold accessories to make the whole thing look expensive. So when I started browsing ahead of Amazon’s huge October […]

The real test, though, has been how well it works when our living room is a lot more crowded. We’ve already had friends over for football and game nights and family over to visit, and there’s been plenty of room for everyone to gather without feeling like we’re squeezing onto one couch. I love that our sectional has already become the spot where everyone naturally ends up hanging out — exactly the kind of welcoming feel I wanted for our new home.

Admittedly, choosing Oyster for a couch that gets this much use felt a little risky. The bouclé upholstery is 100% polyester and treated with NuvaLuxe for added water resistance, which gives me some extra peace of mind when drinks, game-day snacks and movie-night treats inevitably make their way onto it. The cushions are also removable and reversible, so after a particularly lounge-heavy weekend, I can flip and fluff them to get everything looking pulled together again.

I also appreciate the modular design more now that we’ve actually lived with it. The sectional consists of five individual pieces with finished sides, giving us the flexibility to rearrange it if we ever want to switch up our living room layout. It’s a feature I probably wouldn’t have considered a must-have before shopping, but for a furniture purchase this substantial, I like knowing it can adapt with our home rather than only working one way.

After a month of football games, game nights, family visits, rom-com marathons and plenty of lazy evenings, I’m still very happy we splurged. I got the dreamy Oyster bouclé sectional I wanted, my boyfriend got the roomy, genuinely comfortable couch he wanted and we both got a gathering place that our friends and family can enjoy, too. I can’t speak to how it’ll look years from now just yet, but so far, it’s made our new living room feel a whole lot more like home.

Get the Ashley Luxe Calden Boucle 5-Piece Modular Sectional with Chaise for $4,299 at Ashley Furniture!

UsNow Fall Sale Alert: These chic fashion finds are up to 60% off – plus free shipping

Welcome to fall with our biggest sale of the season. Our favorite dresses, tops, handbags, and shoes are all on sale + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

Shop the UsNow Fall Sale —>

Related: 17 Chic, Zara-Style Clothes on Sale Ahead of Amazon’s Fall Prime Day

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27 years ago, the sci-fi action classic The Matrix hit theaters, kickstarting not just a new franchise, but a new subgenre. The movie beautifully showcases the story of Thomas Anderson, aka Neo (Keanu Reeves), and his journey of self-discovery as he transforms from an idle, stagnant office worker and black-market hacker who is “unplugged” from a false simulation, into a freedom fighter for humanity. Over the course of the movie, Neo then evolves from a would-be freedom fighter into a savior who perhaps holds the key to liberating the human race from machine oppressors. Neo’s journey becomes complete in the movie’s final moments.

Neo Finally Becomes ‘The One’

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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In The Matrix, Neo learns that his life and reality are false. He and many other humans are harvested by an empire of sentient machines, who farm humans for their life-sustaining energy. Humans are plugged into a digital simulation called “the Matrix,” which keeps their minds active so they can continue generating energy. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and his squad of freedom fighters, who are part of a larger military working to liberate humanity from the machines, free Neo from imprisonment. Morpheus also believes that Neo is a special, unique human called “The One,” who can rewrite the Matrix as he sees fit and is prophesied to end the war and save humanity.

Despite Neo doubting his divinity, he grows more confident in his abilities to fight back against the machines and their nefarious super-programs, the Agents, led by the cruel and diabolical Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). At the end of the movie, Neo awakens to his true powers, becoming “The One,” granting him nearly unlimited “superpowers” within the Matrix simulation, essentially a type of computer “God Mode.” Neo’s new abilities allow him to destroy the Agent programs and see the entire code of the simulation.

‘The Matrix’ Ends on an Epic Note

With his newly awakened abilities, the Matrix is now Neo’s playground, where he can make the rules. During the ending, Neo makes a phone call, contacting the machine empire, mirroring Trinity’s (Carrie-Anne Moss) phone call being traced by the machines in the prologue. However, this time, Neo disables the tracer program, proving the machines no longer have the advantage. Neo delivers a warning to the machines that have enslaved humanity. He says, “I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.”

Next, Neo dons some radical sunglasses in full view of all the other unsuspecting humans, who are also imprisoned in the digital simulation. Then, Neo blasts off into the air, as his powers now grant him the ability to fly. Neo no longer needs to make an impossible super jump since he can now take to the skies at will. The score transitions to the aptly titled song, “Wake Up,” by Rage Against the Machine, leaving the movie on a rousing, exciting burst of energy. Neo’s final line and warning to the machines depict that the character has finally discovered his true identity and knows his true purpose, as he seeks to free the minds of the rest of humanity, much as Morpheus did for him.

Neo’s Awakening Is Also Humanity’s

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

The Matrix’s epic ending offers the perfect plot resolution. The movie utilizes the Matrix, a digitally created simulation, as a metaphor for individuals trapped in the doldrums of everyday life. Directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski craft an empowering story, showing how people can break free from the rut of their lives and awaken to their true selves, much like Neo and his allies. Most humans who broke free from the Matrix already felt like something was off—a truth about the world they couldn’t detect or truly see, but deep down, they knew something was wrong. Morpheus offers individuals the “red pill,” a chance to learn the harsh truth of the world and an opportunity to liberate enslaved humans from imprisonment at the hands of the machine empire.

Neo’s speech at the end presents a microcosm of the entire movie. It represents that humanity yearns to be freed from the shackles, boundaries, and restrictions that machines placed on their lives. Neo, with his newly discovered powers, will similarly empower and free more minds, revealing that the possibilities of reality are only limited by their imagination. The ending also highlights that the machine empire’s philosophy is restricted by their binary coding and rudimentary thinking, while Neo and humanity’s potential are limitless once their minds are liberated. The Matrix and Neo’s journey represent an awakening to your true self, and realizing that an individual’s singular potential is endless when you believe in the power of One. The movie’s final line and moments cement it as one of the greatest sci-fi action flicks of its era, marking a major moment for cinema. The Matrix presented moviegoers with the movie of the future for the future of the medium.

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The Matrix

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Release Date

March 31, 1999

Runtime

136 minutes

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The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Porsha Williams is speaking out as she recovers from her emergency hysterectomy.

“Thank you for all of the love and support today. My heart is so full,” Porsha, 45, wrote in a Friday, September 18, Instagram statement. “I just pray that by being brave enough to share my loss, my journey through surgery, and my new quality of life, my story will inspire women to take charge of their health and their bodies.”

The Bravo alum revealed earlier on Friday that she underwent a hysterectomy to remove her uterus after fibroids were found in her body.

“[As women], we can advocate for ourselves and be informed when we walk into these dr offices,” Porsha wrote on Friday, addressing her decision to have the procedure. “I just wish I had found this community sooner during the years when I felt so alone.”

She continued, “But, look at God and now, here we are, sharing our stories. I just know someone will be blessed. Thank you all again. After reading your stories and shedding tears and feeling togetherness, I’m going to get a little rest.”

Raising awareness for fibroids, Porsha stressed she understands other women with similar health struggles.

“Please know that you are seen, heard and never alone,” she concluded. “I love you all and thank you to my family and my partner for your support.”

Porsha, who previously welcomed daughter Pilar with ex Dennis McKinley in 2019, was initially worried how the hysterectomy would affect her future fertility.

Related: Celebrities Who Got Real About Battling Endometriosis

Olivia Culpo, Julianne Hough and more stars have become fierce advocates for women’s health — especially when it comes to endometriosis. Endometriosis causes abnormal tissue growth in and around the uterus, and is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. The condition occurs in as many as 1 in 10 women, according to […]

“I didn’t have a choice about the hysterectomy, but it saved my life. My quality of life has improved 100 percent since,” she wrote in a Glamour essay about her recovery. “I hadn’t realized the fibroids were behind my migraines, my low iron levels, or how stressed my body had been just from everyday life.”

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Porsha continued, “Now … I’m even more present, more grateful, because when I look at [my daughter], I see a true miracle. I’ve always called her my lifesaver, since she gave me my purpose, and now that feels even more true. I really was chosen to be her mom.”

Porsha further revealed that doctors found 21 fibroids during the procedure, with the largest being “the size of a cantaloupe.”

“I woke up after the surgery and thought, ‘A part of me is gone.’ Fibroids aren’t something we usually talk about as women, and neither are hysterectomies,” she recalled. “There’s a stigma to it, as if you’re somehow less of a woman without your uterus.”