If you’re ready to start “spooky season” early with some grounded sci-fi horror, we have the perfect streaming hit for you. Currently making waves on Peacock, where it has found itself a nice spot on the platform’s Top 10 Movies list, Signs is everything you could hope for in a spooky alien movie this fall. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan at the peak of his early career — he had just come off The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable — there are few movies in the alien invasion subgenre so intelligent and spiritually profound as this one. If it’s been a few years (or you’ve not yet had the pleasure), don’t sleep on Signs.

You’ll Never See Another Alien Invasion Movie Quite Like ‘Signs’

Image via Buena Vista Pictures

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For this author, it’s the entire premise of Signs that just speaks to the soul. The film follows former Episcopalian priest and widower Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) as he struggles to raise his two young kids, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), in the wake of their mother’s accidental and unfortunate death. With his brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), by his side, the two start witnessing some high strangeness in their back cornfields as crop circles and odd movement along their small Pennsylvanian farm begin to occur simultaneously with strange heavenly lights making their way throughout the world. As it becomes clear that we are not alone in the universe, Graham’s crisis of faith spirals further as he is forced to come to terms with all the otherworldly occurrences happening around them. Nowhere is safe, and as the invaders begin to close in, there are no more places to hide. For the Hess family to survive, they must learn to read the signs all around them . . .

A deeply personal (and, dare we say, spiritual) take on the “alien invasion” subgenre, Signs is a masterclass in tension, discomfort, and powerful performances from its leading stars, who create such vivid characters that even their oddest behavior is believable. Graham is a man who has only ever been a pastor, but even with that role removed from his life, he finds himself in oddly pastoral circumstances and discovers that he is perhaps the only one who can put all the pieces together to save his family. The chemistry between Gibson and Phoenix is off-the-charts, too, as the brothers perfectly balance out each other’s respective character flaws. Additionally, James Newton Howard‘s haunting Signs score courses throughout the carefully woven moments of personal dread and the hanging threat of global annihilation. The piano keys are just as anxiety-inducing as the alien fingers under the door or the shadowy figure propped on the opposite roof. It’s these small touches that Shyamalan peppers throughout that give the film real character, transforming it into an accidental masterpiece.

‘Signs’ Deserves to Be Revisited on Streaming

For as big as the concept is, Signs is quite an intimate (and even hopeful) film. Yes, it’s about alien invasions, but it’s also about deep levels of grief, regret, moral failing, and faith. Some of those aspects may not be the first things that come to mind when you think about aliens slowly trying to take over the world, and yet, it’s those kinds of movies where the horror feels most real because the characters feel the most real. And that’s true even if there’s a bad CGI alien at the end . . . Some have noted that Signs would have been better if not for some of the strange character choices and oddities present in the kids themselves, but, frankly, as a father to young children, that’s one of the film’s most endearing aspects. Those “goofy” elements are exactly what makes the world of Signs feel so lived in and authentic, even with aliens involved.

Signs is perhaps Shyamalan’s best work, though that may be a bit of a strong statement to some who already have their favorite Shyamalan films ranked. Still, with the alien horror flick trending on Peacock, there’s no better time to give it a rewatch. Signs just works for a fall-themed binge, and for those looking for monsters a bit more out-of-the-coffin than Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster or Wolf Man, then Signs may just be the pivot for you — just don’t expect any monster make-up that looks remotely as good.

Signs is available for streaming on Peacock.

Selena Gomez just gave one of 2026’s biggest retro pants trends a seriously sexy upgrade. Capris have been making their way back into fashion, but her slim-fitting take feels considerably more sophisticated than the pedal pushers of decades past. The curve-skimming silhouette is proof that showing a little ankle isn’t the only way to make cropped pants feel chic.

On September 16, 2026, Gomez stepped out in New York City wearing slim black capris with a simple short-sleeve tee, pointed-toe pumps and a black Chanel bag. The fitted silhouette and monochromatic styling landed somewhere between sultry and sophisticated, making the retro pants feel surprisingly modern. While we couldn’t confirm her exact pair, we found a $27 stylish lookalike on Amazon.

Get the Stelle Cropped Pull On Capri Pants for just $27 (Was $30) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, September 24, 2026, but are subject to change.

The Stelle Cropped Pull On Capri Pants capture the same slim, streamlined shape for considerably less. Available in black like Gomez’s, as well as khaki and navy, they come in sizes XS to XL and are made from a soft, stretchy spandex blend that combines the comfort of activewear with the polish of proper pants.

Related: We’re Copying Dakota Johnson’s Rich-Looking Plaid Blazer for $35

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There’s nothing wrong with a simple jeans-and-tank outfit, but Dakota Johnson reminded Us how much better it can look with the right fall layer. A cropped plaid blazer adds structure without covering up your entire outfit, while the classic print brings an expensive-looking touch to even your most-worn denim. Consider it an easy way to make […]

A concealed elastic waistband helps keep them comfortable enough for all-day wear, while two deep front pockets add some welcome practicality. One shopper called them her “absolute go-to comfy pants,” dubbing them the “unsung heroes of my Friday office attire.”

The body-contouring cut hugs curves without squeezing, while the straight-leg finish keeps the silhouette sleek. Another customer “paired them with sandals and a sweater” and “still felt dressed up and confident,” but they’d look just as chic with loafers, an oversized button-down or a blazer.

Copy Gomez’s sultry take with a fitted tee and pointed-toe pumps for date night, or dress them down with a sweater and flats for daytime. At just $27, they’re an easy way to give 2026’s retro capri trend the same sexy, sophisticated spin.

Love Gomez’s sexy, sophisticated take on capris? Shop more slim-fitting black styles on Amazon below!

Shop more black straight-leg capris that we love:

Not your style? Explore more capris here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

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.

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Related: Recreate Julianne Moore’s Chic Off-Shoulder Look for Just $13

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There’s nothing wrong with a basic black top, but Julianne Moore just reminded Us how much chicer the staple can look with one small switch. Rather than another crewneck or basic long-sleeve style, the actress opted for a shoulder-baring silhouette that instantly felt more elevated. It’s an easy city-girl upgrade we’re ready to copy this […]

At the beginning of A Storm of Swords, George R.R. Martin dedicates the novel to Phyllis Eisenstein, a fantasy writer who convinced him to include dragons in his A Song of Ice and Fire books — and in truth, it’s hard to imagine what Game of Thrones would look like without dragons. In 2023, Martin told Kevin Smith that he originally considered making Targaryens pyromancers, with the ability to wield fire. Fast-forward to House of the Dragon Season 3, and the show now features 16 different dragons, each with unique designs and personalities. These magical beasts have been a trope of fantasy fiction since the conception of the genre, but Martin uses them very carefully — and there seem to be strict rules in the Song of Ice and Fire universe about which characters can actually ride dragons.

House Targaryen Has Always Followed Specific Rules for Dragonriders

There is a distinct difference between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones regarding Targaryen dragonriders. Martin established a strict set of rules for Westeros’s most powerful house — a rider can only control one dragon, no more, no less. That said, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) seems to be an exception. Throughout history, Targaryens often tamed dragons by confronting them, like Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) did with Vhagar, or placed dragon eggs in the cradles of newborn babies, allowing for an instant bond with their intended rider the moment they hatched. Daenerys poses an interesting case, given that her dragon eggs are hundreds of years old, supposedly fossilized, but when she walks into the burning funeral pyre at the end of Season 1, she emerges with three newborn dragons. As a result, Daenerys shares a maternal bond with three dragons, rather than just one. However, this is with the caveat that Daenerys can no longer give birth to a human child, an unprecedented situation unlike any other Targaryen in history.

Can Daenerys Control All Three of Her Dragons in ‘Game of Thrones’?

Image via HBO Max

While Daenerys is undeniably a mother to Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion, there is a common misconception that she can ride and control all three. Martin’s rules are unwavering, and even Daenerys isn’t an exception to the concept of one rider per dragon. Season 6 proves Drogon is Daenerys’ dragon when she takes flight from Mereen. By the end of Game of Thrones, both Rhaegal and Viserion find new riders in Jon Snow and the Night King, but things are a little more complicated in the Song of Ice and Fire books, where Daenerys must learn more about Valyrian magic before she can fully control her dragon. Drogon is a unique dragon, said to be the reincarnation of Balerion the Black Dread, the fiercest and largest dragon ridden by Aegon the Conqueror. Despite the variety of dragons seen in House of the Dragon, none ever come close to resembling Balerion until Drogon. Drogon adds a symbolic significance to Daenerys, as she has not only brought dragons back into the world but supposedly given birth to a dragon that rivals the ultimate symbol of Targaryen dominance in Westeros.

The Targaryens in House of the Dragon face the opposite problem. While characters like Daemon and Rhaenys (Eve Best) display a great degree of control over their dragons, none ever grow to the same size as Balerion. Vhagar is the only dragon that comes close, and despite being nearly as old as Balerion, she is still smaller. Another big difference between the two series is that while dragons wear saddles and dwell in Dragonstone’s caverns in House of the Dragon, Daenerys’ dragons feature no such equipment and prefer to roam wild until she eventually locks them underneath the Great Pyramid in Meereen. The fact that Daenerys doesn’t require a saddle to ride her dragon could be due to her affinity for Dothraki culture, given the horselords roam the wilderness and ride horses with no saddles.

Daenerys’ Dragons Grow a Lot Quicker in ‘Game of Thrones’

Next to House of the Dragon, Daenerys’ dragons grow a lot quicker than any of her ancestors’. Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) dragon, Syrax, is over 30 years old, while Caraxes is roughly 70 during House of the Dragon Season 2. Despite their age, neither matches Drogon in size. Fans often attribute this as a plot hole in the story, but several explanations can account for this. In the Song of Ice and Fire book series, Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion are relatively smaller than their onscreen counterparts, but are expected to grow bigger before Daenerys invades Westeros. Martin originally planned a five-year time jump in his original novels, which would have given Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion ample time to develop into fully-grown dragons. He eventually decided against the time-skip, meaning the dragons would have to develop quicker to be effective assets to Daenerys.

Aside from a literary standpoint, there is an in-world explanation for the size disparity. Game of Thrones is set during a time when magic is returning to the world, partly indicated by the striking red comet seen in Season 2. Both dragons and White Walkers return to Westeros, and Greenseers like Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) unlock new magical abilities. Daenerys’ dragons also seem to grow quicker because a new age of magic has come to Westeros. By contrast, House of the Dragon is set in a time when magic has almost completely died out. As a Dragonkeeper tells Rhaenyra in Season 2, Episode 7, “The dragons are sacred; they are the last magic of Old Valyria in this sad world.”

Most of Daenerys’ dragons meet an unfortunate end in Game of Thrones, but the books will likely play out differently. Rhaegal and Viserion may have completely different riders, given there are more alleged Targaryens alive there than in the show. One thing is for certain: Daenerys is a unique Targaryen who shares a special bond with her dragons, something Daemon (Matt Smith) discovered during his prophetic vision in the Season 2 finale. While her fate onscreen disappointed viewers, the books will hopefully deliver a satisfying conclusion to her story and answer more of the many questions surrounding dragons.

Wherever they lead, these former costars will follow! Though it’s been nearly 20 years since Gilmore Girls finished its initial run, the WB stars have remained just as tight as their characters.

Gilmore Girls originally ran for seven seasons on The WB (and later The CW) between 2000 and 2007, following mother-daughter duo Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel).

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After the conclusion of its final season, the cast — and OG showrunners Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino — reunited to film the A Year in the Life four-episode revival series for Netflix in November 2016.

The TV writers also enlisted a number of their former Gilmore stars for brief cameos on their short-lived Bunheads series and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Milo Ventimiglia (Jess Mariano) and Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore) were both tapped to reunite with the Palladinos for brief arcs on the Prime Video series.

Scroll down to see the Gilmore Girls cast’s sweetest reunions after the show wrapped:

A phone case in a box that could hold a toaster is one of e-commerce’s favorite jokes. It is also a window into the strange economics of shipping air.

Everyone has received one. The USB cable in a carton sized for a board game. The lip balm rattling around a box with its own weather system. You laugh, you photograph it, you wonder briefly whether anyone is paying attention, and then you flatten the box for recycling and move on.

Here is the part that makes it interesting: someone, or rather something, chose that box on purpose. And the reasons say a lot about how the machinery behind online shopping actually works.

The box is a decision, not an accident

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In a modern fulfillment operation, a human packer rarely decides what box to use. That call is made by warehouse management software, the system that runs the building. Before your order is even picked from the shelf, the software has measured the dimensions of everything in it, compared them against the cartons the warehouse keeps in stock, and assigned the one it calculates as the best fit.

So when the fit is comically wrong, the algorithm didn’t glitch. It did exactly what it was told with the options it had. The question is why the options were bad.

Why air is expensive

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First, understand what’s at stake. Carriers long ago stopped charging purely by weight, because a truck full of feather-light, oversized boxes fills up just as fast as a truck full of bricks. So they charge by dimensional weight: the size of the box converted into a billable weight, with the shipper paying whichever is higher, the real weight or the dimensional one.

That means empty space in a box isn’t just wasteful. It is, quite literally, a product the retailer is buying from the carrier. Every oversized carton ships a few cents to a few dollars of nothing. Multiply by millions of packages, and shipping air becomes one of the quietest large expenses in retail.

So why the giant box?

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If air is that expensive, why does the toaster-sized box keep showing up? A few honest reasons.

The carton menu is short. A warehouse might stock a dozen box sizes, chosen when the operation launched. The software can only pick from the menu it has, and if your item falls between sizes, it rounds up. Always up, because a box that’s too small isn’t a box at all.

The menu goes stale. Product catalogs change constantly; carton catalogs don’t. An assortment chosen for last year’s bestsellers can be quietly wrong for this year’s, and the mismatch shows up one oversized shipment at a time, invisible in any single order.

Speed beats precision at the pack station. During a surge, some operations fall back to fewer, larger box sizes because it keeps the line moving. The giant box you received in December may be the fingerprint of a warehouse running flat out.

And sometimes the box was sized for a friend that never came. Systems often plan cartons for orders that might be consolidated, and when part of the order ships separately, the survivor rattles around in space reserved for its companions.

The warehouse already has the evidence

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What makes this problem fixable is that the proof is sitting in the shipping data. Every carton choice, every package dimension, every carrier charge already flows through the system that cut the label.

Deposco built its Supply Chain Intelligence suite to read that evidence directly. Working with Deposco’s WMS Bright Warehouse rather than as a separate analytics stack, its packaging analysis evaluates a warehouse’s carton assortment against the shipments it actually sends, flags dimensional weight overages and boxes leaving with too much empty space, and quantifies what fixing the carton menu is worth in dollars. It also compares what an operation pays for shipping, like for like by package weight and destination, against comparable shippers, so a retailer knows whether its rates are as good as it believes. Across the operations it works with, Deposco typically surfaces a 2 to 5% opportunity on overall shipping spend. Packaging is a rare lever in that number: a retailer can pull it immediately, without negotiating with anyone.

And for operators who enable Felix, a team of AI expert agents inside Deposco, the shipping analyst agent turns the investigation into a conversation: ask why shipping cost per package crept up this quarter, and it answers from the live operation, then keeps answering as you dig.

Reading your next delivery

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So the next time a small thing arrives in a big box, you’re holding a clue. Maybe the retailer’s carton menu hasn’t kept up with what it sells. Maybe you ordered during a surge, and the warehouse traded precision for speed. Either way, somewhere a piece of software made the best choice available to it, and the real story is whether anyone is watching the choices add up.

The retailers that watch are shipping less air. The ones that don’t are paying to deliver it.

A good amount of mystery surrounds the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next steps after Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, particularly when it comes to their upcoming television slate. More MCU blockbuster films are in the pipeline (Black Panther 3, Ghost Rider, their interpretation of the X-Men), but Disney+ currently has no live-action series planned after Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 — which they just announced will be the show’s last. What’s more, Kevin Feige teased his intentions to eventually reboot the entire experiment, which assumedly would close the door on most ongoing stories. Even though the MCU’s small-screen era has produced some of its finest work across the franchise’s 18 years, all public information points to Marvel shifting away from the medium.

While the upcoming VisionQuest series is also shrouded in secrecy, the marketing positions showrunner Terry Matalas‘ contribution to the MCU as completing the trilogy that began with 2021’s masterful WandaVision and continued with 2024’s equally sensational Agatha All Along. A giant question mark has hovered over Vision’s (Paul Bettany) character since WandaVision resurrected the AI with a soul, not to mention whether his wife, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), survived her apparent death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Agatha All Along added its own “to be continued” when Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke) and Agatha Harkness’ (Kathryn Hahn) ghost joined forces to search for his brother, Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica). If those dangling threads weren’t intriguing enough, VisionQuest is also the final Phase Six project before Avengers: Doomsday‘s December release date. Suffice to say, VisionQuest feels like an integral piece of the franchise’s sprawling puzzle and a crucial stepping stone during a transitional moment.

What Is ‘VisionQuest’ About?

As Collider learned during our set visit, VisionQuest opens with its titular hero having spent several years hiding from the corrupt people who want to weaponize his abilities. Disguised as a human during the day and retreating to his quantum computer Mindspace at night, the former Avenger tries to either relearn his identity and purpose or forge new ones. Since his original programming as the White Vision stripped him of the ability to feel, reconciling the memories he gained from the Hex’s Red Vision with his lack of emotional response towards those recollections proves difficult.

It’s certainly a superb wild card on Matalas’ part to incorporate all the figures tied to Vision’s birth and his evolution: James D’Arcy‘s Edwin Jarvis (now J.A.R.V.I.S.) from Agent Carter, Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) other AI companions, and, best of all, Ultron (James Spader). How much their influence informs Vision’s version of his “humanity” remains to be seen, but that’s quite a few different voices tugging him this way and that. And at this time of uncertainty and vulnerability, Vision must also navigate being a father to Tommy, who isn’t immediately open to the idea of accepting this stranger as his parent.

‘VisionQuest’ Bridges the MCU’s Past and Future

Image via Disney+

When it comes to Wanda’s status, although Marvel and all related parties have kept tight-lipped, it wouldn’t be surprising if the underutilized fan-favorite secretly returns in Doomsday as one of Doctor Doom’s (Downey Jr.) allies. Costume displays have included a “Latverian Witch,” and Doom nurses an amnesiac Wanda back to health in a comics arc. Since VisionQuest leads straight into Doomsday, the series could reveal numerous plot and character-related bombshells that affect future installments. As the Maximoff trilogy’s closer, it’s almost guaranteed to provide definitive closure. Most likely, the series juggles both.

Regardless, VisionQuest‘s immensely promising trailer suggests another fascinating character study in the same psychological and psychedelic vein as WandaVision. Since the entire Disney+ branch of the MCU, as well as Phase Four, began with WandaVision, it’s full-circle fitting that Wanda’s husband closes out Phase Six. Creator Jac Schaeffer delivered an Emmy-nominated cultural explosion right out of the gate — a vividly rich, potently mournful tapestry that established both the creative opportunities and the level of emotional nuance that could be achieved with these larger-than-life characters in an intimate, serialized setting. With that door knocked down, Loki, Moon Knight, Echo, and Wonder Man (to name a few) followed.

If Marvel does abandon its live-action shows, it will be disappointing. Although pulling back to prioritize quality over quantity is always a wise choice, the studio has yet to fully utilize some of those series’ potential with either further seasons or ongoing transitions to the big screen; at the moment, that still feels like a critical oversight. No matter what the future holds for the MCU’s television era, if VisionQuest is its final bow, all signs point to another home run.

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VisionQuest

Release Date

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October 14, 2026

Network

Disney+

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Directors

Christopher J. Byrne, Gandja Monteiro

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Taylor Swift‘s music videos have included many memorable appearances from famous men taking on the roles of her love interests.

Over the years, the Grammy winner has enlisted many well-known actors to help make her visions come to life, including Stephen Colletti, who starred in the 2008 music video for “White Horse.”

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In 2021, Swift recruited Dylan O’Brien to star alongside Sadie Sink in the short film for her 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” The actors seemingly played characters inspired by Swift and her ex Jake Gyllenhaal, whom the song is heavily rumored to be about.

In February 2026, Swift starred alongside Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson in the music video for “Opalite.” Seven months later, the pop star announced her new single, “Patient Zero,” along with a music video starring herself, Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell.

Keep scrolling to see all the famous men who have left their marks in Swift’s music videos:

A Florida man, Kenneth Jerome Logan Jr., was arrested for allegedly shooting at a woman inside the courthouse parking garage in Orlando. The shooting reportedly occurred at the Orange County Courthouse parking garage on Wednesday, September 23.

RELATED: UPDATE: Mississippi Police Make 2nd Arrest In Death Of Black Woman Found Hanging From Tree, Tasia Fortune

Florida Man Shoots At Woman In Courthouse Parking Garage

Sheriff John Mina of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office shared a statement on Instagram noting the arrest of 26-year-old Kenneth Jerome Logan Jr. on Wednesday. Logan was arrested after he allegedly shot at a woman inside the Orange County Courthouse parking garage.

“Earlier today, a shooting inside the parking garage at the Orange County Courthouse halted court operations for several hours while our deputies investigated the attempted murder of a woman in the garage, who thankfully was not injured in the shooting,” reads the statement. “Deputies spent the afternoon searching for the known suspect, and we are pleased to tell you he was captured this afternoon…. Thank you to our deputies and detectives for their dogged work in apprehending this dangerous fugitive.”

Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies reportedly arrived on the scene at approximately 11:30 a.m., according to FOX 35.

Logan Allegedly Hid In The Back Seat Of The Woman’s Car

According to an affidavit obtained by FOX 35 News, the woman said that when she got into her vehicle on the fourth floor of the parking garage, she noticed that her seat had been moved. In addition, she also noticed something in her back seat. At that point, she saw Logan pointing a gun at her.

She reportedly asked Logan, “Why are you doing this to me?” 

That’s when Logan allegedly fired a shot as the woman got out of the car and ran. He chased her and reportedly fired another two shots at her, but he missed, and the woman was not shot.

Logan Allegedly Pistol-Whipped Woman

Logan reportedly also chased the woman and pistol-whipped her in the back of the head. In addition, he allegedly got on top of her and tried to reload the gun as he held her down. A witness said the woman identified herself as Logan’s wife, according to WESH 2 News. She was able to get away from Logan and into an elevator. Logan was later captured.

Witness Fero Alhajjah told WESH 2 News that he heard three gunshots in the parking garage. Alhajjah also said that when he asked the woman if she was okay, she allegedly said:

“No, I’m not okay. My husband tried to shoot me.”

The shooting reportedly caused the Orange County Courthouse complex to go on lockdown for several hours. The Orlando Fire Department and the Orlando Police Department were also on the scene.

Subsequently, Logan was charged with Attempted First Degree Murder with a Firearm. Not only that, but it appears that the authorities threw the book at Logan. He was also charged with Aggravated Battery with Firearm (Domestic Violence), Aggravated Battery with Firearm (Domestic Violence), Armed Burglary of Conveyance w/ Firearm, Burglary of Conveyance w/ Assault/Battery, Robbery with a Firearm, Aggravated Stalking (Domestic Violence), False Imprisonment (With a Weapon), and Battery (Domestic Violence).

RELATED: Florida Woman Who Fatally Shot Man In Walmart Parking Lot After Arguing Over Parking Space Reportedly Will Not Be Charged

Alexia Umansky exclusively opened up to Us about the support she received from Next Gen NYC’s Gia Giudice before competing on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

“[Gia] really inspired me to keep going and keep pushing. Her season, she was so incredible,” Alexia, 30, told Us while promoting the fifth season of the Fox reality competition. “Her telling me anything would have gotten me through. I was like, ‘Anything you say, just yes!’”

Gia, 25, and Alexia share a bond not just because their respective moms, Teresa Giudice and Kyle Richards, are Real Housewives OGs but also because they both competed on Special Forces with a parent. In season 4, Gia took on the grueling Special Forces selection course alongside Teresa, 54, whereas Alexia is competing in the Malaysian jungle in season 5 with her dad, Mauricio Umansky.

“[Gia] was just so reassuring. I wanted to call her since she won,” Alexia explained to Us. “I thought, ‘This is the perfect person to [ask for advice].’ We share some parts of our life. We both grew up with our moms being who they are, icons. I called her and she was so sweet, so reassuring. I was so scared. I was very, very nervous.”

She continued, “Actually, I never get homesick, but when I left my house to go to Malaysia, I cried in the car to the airport. I was not well. … Gia, when I called her … she calls me babe and it makes me feel at home. [I knew] it’s going to be OK. She seemed like she really loved the experience, and that’s what made me feel instantly relieved.”

Gia previously shared with Us some of the advice she offered Alexia before cameras rolled on Special Forces season 5.

“[Alexia] was like, ‘Give me the lowdown from start to finish,’ and I did,” Gia, 25, exclusively told Us in August. “I was like, ‘The physical aspect of it was the hardest part for me.’ I felt like my body was crumbling. But then as you keep going on, I was like, ‘Alexia, we’re young, so yes, it was really hard for me in the beginning, but each day I genuinely felt my body getting stronger and stronger.’ So then, by the end, it’s more of a mental thing than a physical thing.”

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Related: Why Kyle Richards Wasn’t ‘Happy’ About Mauricio, Alexia on ‘Special Forces’

Kyle Richards wasn’t particularly pleased to hear about her estranged husband, Mauricio Umansky, and their daughter Alexia Umansky’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test journey. “My first thought was, ‘I’m going to kill you, Mauricio,’” Kyle, 57, told Page Six on Tuesday, August 4. “I was actually not happy at all. I was so worried about […]

Gia wasn’t the only one offering the Umanskys guidance on Special Forces — they also had a private session with life coach Tony Robbins to get them in the right headspace for the competition.

“We had a session with Tony Robbins,” Mauricio, 56, told Us. “I called him up and I asked him to do this with us. He did a little Zoom session just to get us mentally prepared. He was amazing. He definitely helped us get mentally prepared, talked about creating mantras. …. He helped us a lot.”

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 5 premieres on Fox Thursday, September 24, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Lightsabers can be put away, class. We need the Bunsen burners out instead. Trade in one fascist space government for an academic committee, perhaps remove the patricide element involving your smuggler dad, blend in one fake relationship and you’ve got something akin to Star Wars crossed with Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in Anyone But You. In this one, we don’t need to blow up the Death Star because we’re too busy swooning.

Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) and Tom Bateman (Based on a True Story) star in The Love Hypothesis, which is officially Prime Video’s No. 1 movie in the United States after premiering on September 23. The romantic comedy is based on Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling novel, a story whose origins famously trace back to Star Wars Kylo Ren x Rey fan fiction before it became a publishing phenomenon in its own right.

Based on the New York Times bestseller, The Love Hypothesis follows Olive, a Ph.D. candidate who impulsively kisses her department’s most intimidating professor, Adam Carlsen. Their mutual need for a fake relationship turns into an experiment in chemistry that might actually solve for love. This being a romantic comedy rather than an academic ethics seminar, their experiment eventually produces some results neither of them included in the hypothesis.

The cast is led by Reinhart as Olive and Bateman as Adam, alongside Rachel Marsh as Anh Pham, Nicholas Duvernay(Bel-Air), Jaboukie Young-White (Only Murders in the Building), Arty Froushan (House of the Dragon), Aadi Maaj, and Jeananne Goossen (The Night Shift).

How Successful Is ‘The Love Hypothesis’?

Even prior to Hollywood coming around, the novel was a ridiculous viral success that had then spawned its own viral moments once the movie was in production. Reinhart and Bateman recreated the book’s famous one-armed lift for TikTok ahead of release, and the video accumulated more than 84.5 million views. Proof, if any was needed, that the scientific method now includes checking whether your lead can pick somebody up with one arm. We can tick that one off the list. We’re good scientists here, so put your feet up, bring out your scientific journals and prepare to discover just exactly what ingredients are needed to make you go “yes please”.

The Love Hypothesis is streaming now exclusively on Prime Video.

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Release Date

September 23, 2026

Director

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Claire Scanlon

Writers

Sarah Rothschild

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  Lili Reinhart

  Olive Smith

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  Tom Bateman

  Dr. Adam Carlsen

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  Jaboukie Young-White

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  Malcolm Browne

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