For a franchise built on legacy, redemption, and shocking returns, it is fitting that one of the most intriguing unrealized Star Wars projects refuses to disappear quietly. The Hunt for Ben Solo, a proposed sequel centered on Kylo Ren after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, may have been rejected once, but new comments and behind the scenes details suggest the idea is far from buried.

And according to Adam Driver, it was one of the most exciting scripts he had ever read.

Adam Driver’s Secret Sequel Plan

Following the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, Driver quietly began developing a continuation of Ben Solo’s story. Teaming with director Steven Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns, the pitch reportedly explored how Ben might have survived and what redemption would actually look like beyond a final act sacrifice.

Driver has since spoken openly about his passion for the project.

“It was one of the coolest scripts I’ve ever been involved with,” Driver said when discussing the shelved film. “It wasn’t about undoing anything. It was about consequence. It asked what redemption really costs.”

That thematic focus is what reportedly convinced key creatives at Lucasfilm to support the idea. The story was not meant to be a simple resurrection twist. Instead, it would have leaned into the spiritual mythology of Star Wars and the idea that the Force does not operate within normal rules of life and death.

Driver also noted that the film was deeply character driven. “Ben was never meant to be simple,” he explained. “There was always more there. We wanted to explore that in a way that felt earned.”

Adam Driver, as Kylo Ren The Force Awakens [credit: Disney Pictures]

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Why Disney Said No

Despite creative enthusiasm, the pitch ultimately stalled at the executive level. When presented to leadership at Disney, including CEO Bob Iger and co chairman Alan Bergman, concerns reportedly centered on the plausibility of Ben Solo surviving his apparent death.

From a corporate standpoint, the Skywalker Saga had concluded. Reopening it carried financial and narrative risk. Driver has acknowledged that hesitation without bitterness.

“I understand why people were cautious,” he said. “But Star Wars has always been about taking big swings.”

He is not wrong. The franchise has revived characters before, often in far more controversial ways. For many fans, Ben Solo’s survival would have felt thematically aligned with the saga’s long history of redemption arcs and Force mysticism.

Why The Story Still Has Life

More recently, comments from Kathleen Kennedy have added fuel to speculation that previously shelved ideas are not permanently off the table. Kennedy has emphasized that Lucasfilm continues to revisit concepts depending on timing and creative direction.

That matters. The Star Wars franchise is currently in a period of recalibration, with new films and series reshaping its future. In that context, a character driven story about Ben Solo seeking atonement could fit naturally into a broader thematic revival.

Driver himself has not closed the door.

“I don’t think that story is finished,” he said. “Whether it’s this version or something else, I think there’s still something powerful there.”

For now, The Hunt for Ben Solo remains a fascinating what if. But in a galaxy where no one is ever truly gone, the idea of Ben Solo returning one more time feels less like fantasy and more like unfinished business.

A Florida man has been accused of killing his father after they got into a heated argument about a dog.

Port St. Lucie police said that Sheldon Morrison killed his father, Glen Morrison, shortly before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18, inside their family garage on Southwest Ketona Circle, according to a police report viewed by Us Weekly.

Sheldon’s mother told police that her husband was “agitated and angered” and “banging water containers around” during the argument. She also claimed that “at one point” he “aggressively walked up very close to her.”

However, she said that Glen never touched her and she never felt like she was in danger during the incident.

Related: Ohio Man Allegedly Fatally Shoots Roommate, 61, Over Fight About Dog

An Ohio man is dead after a New Year’s Day argument with his roommate over house rules turned fatal. Robert Palermo, 24, has been charged with aggravated murder in connection with the death of John “Lefty” Grehn, 61, who was a longtime friend of his father’s. The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday, January 1, after […]

At this point in the altercation, Sheldon went into the house and retrieved a gun. He then reportedly returned to the garage and shot his father, according to the report.

A brief manhunt was launched for Sheldon and he was arrested hours later in Hollywood, Florida, on the afternoon of February 18, according to the police report. He was then brought back to St. Lucie County and is currently in custody at St. Lucie County Jail, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly. He is now facing murder charges in connection to his father’s death.

It is not currently clear if Sheldon has entered a plea or retained legal representation following his arrest.

After Sheldon was taken into custody, Police Chief Leo Niemcyk was asked what he believed Sheldon’s mindset was following the arrest.

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Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman’s stepson Gregory Zecca is facing life behind bars if convicted of aggravated manslaughter after fatally shooting his teenage son. Florida’s Collier County Sheriff’s Office posted an update on the July 2025 incident via Facebook on Tuesday, February 3, stating that Zecca accidentally shot his 13-year-old child, Anthony, in the […]

“It’s hard to say. You know, I have to presume that he’s dangerous. You just shot and killed his father and fled the scene,” he said, per CBS 12. “Believed to be armed. So, I can’t state, his state of mind, right? It’s obviously not normal today.”

After Sheldon committed the murder, he reportedly told his mother, “I thought he was going to kill you.”

Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg weighed in on the case, telling WPBF that he believes the comment is a “critical piece of evidence” in the case to determine “the gap in time.” Despite sharing his thoughts on Glen’s death, Aronberg is not involved in this particular case.

Additionally, Aronberg said that he expects Sheldon to plead self-defense.

“The defendant may try to convince at least one juror that he was in reasonable fear of his safety and had to engage in violence to protect his mother and himself,” the attorney said.

Aronberg went on to admit that he believes arguing that the killing was self-defense may be a “steep hill to climb,” pointing out that Glen was not armed during the incident and has no history of violence.

“The defendant had to go into another part of the house to go retrieve a weapon, so the threat was over at that point, and he brought it back with a gun,” Aronberg added.

The investigation into Glen’s death remains ongoing.

Megyn Kelly was an inquisitive spectator during the Team USA women’s hockey gold medal game victory over Canada — and social media had a field day with her line of questioning. 

“Why do ppl keep calling the Megan Keller goal filthy/nasty/dirty in a good way? Can hockey fans pls explain?” Kelly, 55, asked via X on Thursday, February 19. 

The question was posed after Team USA’s Keller, 29, scored a highlight-reel goal in overtime to defeat the Canadians in the tournament final. 

“Those things have been positive descriptors in sports for going on 30 years,” one person responded to Kelly. 

One person commented, “You aren’t even that old. My boomer parents understand this. 😂”

“This was a real question? These slang terms aren’t exclusive to hockey,” another fan wrote. 

Despite the trolling, Kelly did receive some genuine answers to her query. 

“Hockey slang for the most beautiful goal or display of skill you’ve ever seen. The highest praise!” Fox reporter Britt McHenry responded. 

Another said, “It’s nothing to do with hockey Megyn, it’s basic millennial slang! Nasty/filthy is used to express admiration for or being impressed by something.”

Kelly responded to the wide array of answers, writing via X, “You guys are filthy! Thank you!”

The former Fox News host discussed Team USA’s dramatic victory Friday morning on her podcast, “The Megyn Kelly Show.”

“Move over Megyn Kelly, make room for Megan Keller,” she said. “Who scored the game-winning goal against our northern neighbor.”

After the game, Keller, a native of Farmington, Michigan, discussed the history-making moment, which all started with a feed from teammate Taylor Heise. 

“A lot of times you get a little nervous trying to make a move,” Keller said. “Heise made a great pass up to me, just saw one defender and thought, ‘Why not?’”

Team USA forced overtime after captain Hilary Knight, playing in her 5th and final Olympics, tied the game with 2:04 remaining in the third period. 

“I remember [head coach John Wroblewski] drawing it up,” Knight, 36, said of the game-tying goal. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, this is our moment. Here we go.’”

She added, “I’ve had a heck of a career personally. It’s been an incredible ride. I have to soak this all in because this room is just so special, this team is so special. This is the best U.S. hockey team I’ve ever been a part of. That is just so tremendous.”

Knight’s goal moved her into sole possession of the U.S. record (men’s or women’s) for goals and points in an Olympic career, with 15 and 33, respectively. 

“Poetic,” Team USA’s Kendall Coyne Schofield said of Knight’s accomplishment. “I said it yesterday, Hilary always goes out with a bang.”

She added, “You couldn’t script it any better.”

Team USA defenseman Lee Stecklein echoed the sentiment about Knight. 

“I think that’s the perfect way for her to break the record,” Stecklein, 31, said. “She carries that pressure, and she knows we’re relying on her. If it wasn’t her, I do believe it could have been someone else. But also, it’s so not surprising for it to be her because that’s just who she is and who she’s always been.”

By Robert Scucci
| Published 14 seconds ago

Some of my favorite moments in film and TV involve long tracking shots that appear to have been filmed in a single take. Rust Cohle’s legendary six-minute run through the projects in True Detective Season 1’s “Who Goes There” has earned its reputation as one of the most ambitious sequences in modern television, and 2014’s Birdman ups the ante by only showing clear cuts during pivotal moments, otherwise presenting itself as one continuous feature-length shot. 1997’s Running Time, directed by Josh Becker, co-written by Becker and Peter Choi, and starring Bruce Campbell, plays out similarly, and it’s the best heist movie you’ve never heard of.

Clocking in at just 70 minutes, Running Time not only appears to be filmed in a single take like Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope (1948), its story also unfolds in real time, mirroring Robert Wise’s 1949 noir classic, The Set-Up. Running Time wastes no time getting into the action because the clock is ticking, the safe needs to be cracked, and fortune only favors the bold. In this case, bold means orchestrating one of the sloppiest heists known to man, minutes after getting out of prison.

Back To His Old Ways In No Time At All

Bruce Campbell is Carl Matushka in Running Time, a petty criminal who has just finished a five-year sentence for a botched heist. After jokingly telling the Warden (Art LaFleur) that he’s getting into the laundry business, he walks out a free man and immediately boards a bus driven by his former partner, Patrick (Jeremy Roberts), with their next score already in mind. While Carl got caught the first time because of Patrick’s carelessness, he figures Patrick owes him one since he never ratted him out when he was apprehended five years earlier.

Sitting in the back of the bus is a prostitute named Randi (Anita Barone), who he soon realizes is his high school sweetheart, Janie, wearing a blonde wig. Carl promises to reconnect with her after pulling off the upcoming heist, and she gives him her address and phone number, though she has no reason to believe he’ll actually come back for her.

As for the heist itself, it couldn’t be more stupid. While working in the prison laundry unit, Carl learned that the Warden and other corrections officers had figured out a way to make a small fortune off the books. They contracted local laundry services, rigged the scales, overcharged, and pocketed the difference. After overhearing where they make the bag drop, Carl, with help from Patrick, former cellmate and safe-cracking expert Buzz (William Stanford Davis), and hapless junkie Donny (Gordon Jennison Noice), plans to steal what he assumes is roughly $250,000 in cash.

With about 10 minutes to pull off the plan, the bus gets a flat tire, it becomes obvious Donny can’t be trusted with the getaway vehicle, and Buzz discovers Patrick’s intel about what kind of safe needs to be cracked was wrong, forcing them to improvise as Patrick quickly resorts to violence. It’s a perfect, profoundly stupid plan that unravels in record time on multiple fronts.

A Single, Fluid Shot

While there are likely hidden edits in Running Time for obvious logistical reasons, the entire film feels like one unbroken shot. From the prison gates to the final getaway, Bruce Campbell commands the screen with his snark and charm as bedlam erupts around him. The getaway sequences are some of the best I’ve seen in a heist film with such a shoestring budget, and the tension generated by its short run time makes it clear why this isn’t a 90-minute feature. Another 20 minutes of suspense might actually push you over the edge as the gang splits up, trades gunfire with cops, and nearly loses a bag that ultimately turns out to be worth closer to $30,000 than $250,000.

Such a reckless heist can only be pulled off by somebody like Bruce Campbell, who exudes disproportionate confidence the entire time. My favorite moment comes when he realizes just how unreliable Donny is and casually says to Patrick, “Hey, can I talk to you over here for a second?” as if he’s only mildly inconvenienced while trying to score bags of cash from the Warden minutes after his release.

For good, dumb fun that plays out smarter than it has any right to, Running Time is currently streaming for free on Tubi.

Mia Goth to Shia LaBeouf
Please Go to Rehab!!!

Published
February 20, 2026
3:22 PM PST

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt had an awkward reaction when pushed to address husband Conner Leavitt‘s past porn addiction and infidelity.

“I don’t know the logistics of that,” Whitney, 32, told Ziwe Fumudoh in an interview released on Tuesday, February 17, where she was asked about the details of Conner’s porn struggles. “I don’t think I want to know. That was something for him to figure out.”

Whitney revealed she personally has never watched any sexually explicit content. She said the closest she has come to watching porn is “rated-R movies that have intense sex scenes” but then couldn’t name any examples except Ryan Murphy’s new FX series The Beauty.

The reality star had a similar response when asked who Conner was “talking to” on dating apps, saying, “I have no idea. I don’t want to know.”

Related: DWTS‘ Whitney Leavitt and Husband Conner Leavitt‘s Relationship Timeline

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and her husband, Conner Leavitt, have navigated ups and downs together. The couple met in the early 2010s when Whitney served her Mormon mission in Georgia, where Conner’s family was based at the time. “It’s just [a] coincidence. How cool is that?” Whitney recalled to Vulture […]

Conner and Whitney have leaned into speculation regarding their marriage after The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered in September 2024. During the season 1 premiere, Conner and Whitney relocated back to Utah from Hawaii after previously leaving when Conner admitted to having a secret Tinder account to solicit NSFW images.

Conner and Whitney, who shared two kids at the time, worked on their marriage and later expanded their family with a third baby.

“It takes time and it takes a lot of work. I remember being in therapy and my therapist asked me, ‘Before we even dive into this, you need to decide is this something you want to work out or something you don’t want to work out?’” Whitney exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2024. “It was something I really had to sit down [and think], ‘Did I want to rebuild this trust?’ That doesn’t mean that things aren’t still triggering to me. When it is, then I’m going to work it out and just keep moving forward.”

After viewers started to speculate about Conner’s sexuality, the pair would poke fun at the comments.

“Do I need to put out a sex tape or something? Trust me, we’re good. Like, everything is fine,” Whitney quipped on the “Off the Vine” podcast in October 2024. “I think it’s because, like, when we were going through our personal stuff — and I know you haven’t seen it, but he struggled through a porn addiction — and there’s a scene where one of my friends says something along the lines like, ‘Oh, I can see how he was confused sexually.’”

Conner, for his part, opened up about working through trauma after he was sexually abused.

“I had a really big problem with pornography. On top of that, I had a presence on a dating website — not because I didn’t love my wife — but because I felt like I needed validation,” he explained during the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 2 reunion in June 2025. “I needed to get help. So we started going to therapy and trying to figure out why — and I knew why.”

Conner revealed that he only shared this information “with Whitney, my therapist and my family” before addressing it on screen.

“When I was a little boy, I was raped. When I was finally honest with that emotion and that memory, everything made sense,” he said in the emotional joint interview with Whitney. “The validation I needed … I hate that I did that to you. But I’m so proud that I was able to be honest with you and start working through some really, really hard stuff.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Tesekhi is speaking out after fans criticized her emotional breakdown during a recent livestream. The reality star was streaming while getting her hair done on camera. The moment led folks to wonder whether drugs had anything to do with her actions and choice of words.

RELATED: Whoa! Tesehki Says She Wants Parts If Claressa Shields & Laila Ali Ever Step In The Ring (WATCH)

Tesehki Responds After Fans Question Her Emotional Livestream

Recently, Tesehki hopped on her Instagram Story after a clip from her livestream went viral. The footage showed her getting her hair done before suddenly breaking down in tears. While scrolling on her phone, she could be heard saying, “You need to be better people. You people are f*****g evil!” She then told her hairstylist she was seeing certain stuff on television. Right after that, her stylist decided to end the stream, but just before it cut, Tesehki seemingly flipped the middle finger.

The clip immediately had fans talking about what was happening behind the scenes and whether she was under the influence. Tesehki apparently peeped the comments and later responded in a post on her IG Story. She said she felt hurt and disappointed that people would assume she was doing drugs. However, she admitted she had two shots of Hennessy before streaming, and overall, she was having a rough moment and became super emotional.

“Why does a person have to be on drugs to have a mental break Down?!” she wrote in part. “I’m always strong for everyone else and just wanted to be weak for once.”

Support Pours In For Tesehki After She Addresses Rumors

Even with all of the backlash Tesehki caught for her livestream, fans still flooded The Shade Room Teens’ comment section with love and support. Plenty of folks praised her hairstylist for cutting the session short, while others said they didn’t see anything wrong with her crying on live.

Instagram user @bruhjustinj wrote, “Mental health is sum serious no matter what position u in.” 

Instagram user @j.cole_62 wrote, “Definitely understand this! ❤️” 

While Instagram user @monay.j__ wrote, “I understand sista! 🥺💛💛💛 for some reason people think you’re not allowed to have feelings!” 

Then, Instagram user @iam.hazela_ wrote, “People can’t cry anymore?” 

Another Instagram user @shaythechosenone_ wrote, “🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽”

Instagram user @notantoniovelaz wrote, “Respect to the hairstylist, for protecting the Brand like a real one!!!”

While another Instagram user @chelseathedoll wrote, “This why I stopped drinking brown 😩😭” 

Then another Instagram user @big_toekyo wrote, “Now he is a real friend Seki keep him around ❤️” 

Finally, Instagram user @ kaella_bella_godschild wrote, “That’s a friend. He ended her live.” 

Tesehki Pops Out Serving A Lewk

Prior to going viral for her stream session, Tesehki previously had fans talking when she dropped some photos on Instagram. She posed in a full-brown outfit — a cropped jacket with a pleated skirt, while soft glam tied it all together. Her comment section quickly filled up with heart-eyes and fire emojis with fans saying she definitely popped out and showed them she’s really THAT Girl!

RELATED: Chrisean Rock Breaks Down In Tears As She Virtually Reunites With Sister Tesehki Following Their Viral Feud (VIDEO)

Pastor TD McNutt, a pastor in West Palm Beach, Florida, was reportedly arrested after his young nephew reported injuries, specifically cuts and bruises, at school. Subsequently, Pastor TD McNutt and his nephew went live, and the child issued multiple apologies for the claims. But now the footage reportedly sparked renewed CPS interest.

What did Pastor TD McNutt allegedly do to his nephew? And were the child’s apologies voluntary or coerced?

Now, The Shade Room’s Justin Carter is getting to the bottom of things on ‘TSR Investigates.’

What Happened With Pastor TD McNutt & His Nephew?

According to Carter, Pastor TD McNutt is the leader of Transformation Empowerment Worship Center. In December 2025, he was reportedly arrested for allegedly abusing his 16-year-old live-in nephew. Then, last week, McNutt sparked more confusion when he went live alongside his nephew, alleging that his nephew “spun” things “out of proportion and did a whole bunch of damage.”

Per the December 2025 police report, the 16-year-old had bruises on his back, buttocks, and legs. Furthermore, it was reported that a November 2025 incident left him with a busted lip and bloody nose. This, from allegedly being smacked in the face for not washing dishes “correctly.” Per the report, the 16-year-old’s mom was allegedly aware of the injuries. However, the 16-year-old did not want his additional bruises to be reported, as he believed he would be beaten again.

More Details

Per Carter, McNutt was ultimately arrested and charged with cruelty toward a child and abuse without bodily harm. However, Carter reports that the charges “never stuck” because McNutt’s nephew declined to testify.

Scroll above to watch as the livestream video shares how the boy’s mother reacted to the entire ordeal. Additionally, McNutt ultimately alleges that the 16-year-old lied about the abuse. This, while ordering the child to repeatedly apologize to the public. Lastly, clips show how social media users have weighed in with their thoughts on it all. This, as reports allege the boy has been removed from the pastor’s care.

RELATED: DL Whisperer’s Legal Fight Over His Controversial Platform | TSR Investigates

Whew, Roommates! As Bow Wow gears up to headline the ‘Boys 4 Life’ Tour with B2K, he’s making it clear that he’s running a strict program. The rapper dropped a message on social media that has fans scratching their heads and turning into full-blown detectives trying to figure out what could’ve sparked his post.

RELATED: B2K & Bow Wow Reunite, Talk Celebrity Crushes & Beef | SITSR (Exclusive)

Bow Wow Drops A Message & Fans Try To Connect The Dots

The ‘Boys 4 Life’ Tour featuring Bow Wow and B2K is days away from kicking off, and it looks like a few more guests — or maybe some replacements — could hit the lineup. Bow Wow jumped on his Instagram Story early on Friday, February 20, throwing out a lil’ subliminal message for folks who want a check but don’t want to put the work in. He said he and B2K have been grinding heavy as headliners while others haven’t matched their energy. Without name-dropping anybody, he claimed some artists complained about getting just four minutes on stage, which led him to start listing other performers he thinks would be a better fit for the tour.

“F IT! TRIGGA (Trey Songz) YOU READY? B5 YALL READY??? MYA YOU READY? N****S CAN GET REPLACED REAL QUICK.” He added, “WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON THE FLY AND WE KNOW WHAT THE FANS WANT.” 

From there, Bow even threw T-Pain in the mi,x adding, “T-PAIN GET OFF THE COMPUTER N***A LET’S ROLL!” Finally, he ended his message by saying that if you’re not ready to work, you simply can’t roll with him and B2K.

Social Media Reacts As Bow Wow Hints At Lineup Switch-Up

Once the Roomies peeped Bow Wow’s message, they quickly started throwing out suggestions for who should add to the lineup if he switches things up in TSR’s comment section. Some fans agreed that bringing B5 and T-Pain would be a lituation, while others made it clear they’re secretly hoping he keeps Pretty Ricky on the tour.

Instagram user @brianathecoldestg_ wrote, “Oh so he the tour manager ok bet😂” 

Instagram user @iam.dmaze wrote, “Don’t put T-Pain unless he get a Hour Set !!!! 🔥🔥🔥💪🏾🐐🐐” 

While Instagram user @askaboutceleste wrote, “B5 deserves their moment 🤞🏻” 

Then, Instagram user @_pettyking wrote, “Put an @ on it or keep it on the playground.” 

Another Instagram user @carrice_whitley wrote, “Real talk they put T pain on the tour! That would be 🔥 he need 45 min by hisself straight hits.” 

Instagram user @ashcashblast wrote, “Please don’t be talking about pretty Ricky. That’s whom I wanna see . Well mainly @pleasurep.” 

Then another Instagram user @tadollaz_ wrote, “@tpain please get off the computer …. We need you on this tour.” 

Finally, Instagram user @nikkiyanikkiya wrote, “He asking them to perform and cussing them out @ the same time😂😂😂” 

More About ‘The Boys 4 Life’ Tour

‘The Boys 4 Life’ Tour kicks off on March 6 in Louisville, Kentucky, and wraps up on April 26 in Memphis, Tennessee. Bow Wow and B2K are headlining The Millennium-presented trek, and so far, Pretty Ricky, Yung Joc, Amerie, Crime Mob, Jeremih, Waka Flocka, and Franchize Boys are set to hit the stage with them.

RELATED: That’s Twin! Bow Wow & Shai Moss Went Copy-Paste On A Viral TikTok Dance Challenge & The TL Is Here For It (WATCH)

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 18 seconds ago

Daily Wire+ has been streaming the show The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin, and I have been an enthusiastic fan as I’ve reviewed it for GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT. Going into the show, one concern I had about a conservative take on a masculine fantasy was the role of the women in the story. Characters like the Lady of the Lake, Igraine, and Morgan Le Faye have classically been portrayed as passive set pieces with little role in the larger story. Morgan’s power is often deferred to her son, Mordred, and Igraine is a victim of circumstance, passed from one husband to another.

My fears that The Pendragon Cycle would follow this classical approach to female characters were unfounded. The show takes a very different approach to the women of Arthurian legend, and the result is a group that can conquer even the bossiest of girl-bosses.

The four main female characters in The Pendragon Cycle are Charis and Morgain, Atlantean sisters operating at cross-purposes; Ygerna, daughter of the experienced warlord Gorlas; and Ganieda, Merlin’s wife. All four of them begin as princesses and wind up as queens, and all four of them exhibit their own strength and bravery. None of these women sits idly by, allowing the men around them to control events.

The Lady of the Lake Is A Sexy Athlete

Charis begins as a bull leaper, which was a real sport in ancient Minoa that required physical prowess and acrobatic precision. Right away, Charis is introduced as an athlete willing to risk her life to protect her team.

This is no damsel in distress who needs a man to rescue her; if anything, she needs a very powerful man just to equal her. That powerful man is Taliesin, who gives her the nickname by which we know her in Arthurian legend: The Lady of the Lake. And yes, she is the one who had the infamous sword Excalibur made, a symbol of her power that overwhelms every man she’s tried to give it to.

As Charis, Rose Reid is always dressed in white robes that resemble the Greek garb of her homeland, Atlantis. It is modest enough to be family-friendly but just revealing enough to remind us how muscular she is. Low-cut bodices flaunt her femininity while flowing garments swirl around her. The ensemble punctuates her dignified frame and regal presence.

Morgain Is Wicked Smart

Merlin’s famous nemesis is his aunt Morgain, Charis’s jealous sister, played by Emree Franklin. Not only was she tired of living in the shadow of her heroic sister, but she also fell in love with Taliesin, only to find herself rejected.

Morgain is so sinister that the court magician at Ynis Avallach refuses to train her in the arts of magic, and so driven that she is responsible for the shocking ending of episode 2. As queen of the Isle of Fear, she rules over Lot’s house with a charm and sensuality that extends outside the walls of her castle. Being the archvillain of the piece, she must be Merlin’s mirror, and her intelligence and political sense make her a formidable foe.

Being more forward than Charis, Morgain’s dresses are cut lower and a little more revealing. Her poison green and black garments cling to her, taunting us with her sexuality but denying us that final peek. She is beautiful, which is dangerous, but she’s smart enough to know how to use her beauty, which is deadly.

The Valiant Huntress Who Caught A Wizard

Ganieda has been a mysterious vision only Merlin can see through most of the series, but in the latest episode, she is very real when she bursts out of the bush on horseback in pursuit of a wild boar. She bears an armored chest plate and a leather tunic of the silver-and-black colors of her father’s stronghold of Goddeu. She also carries a spear: she is as much a warrior spirit as she is a huntress.

Brett Cooper’s portrayal of her teases and nudges at a youthful Merlin, like he’s a loose tooth, finally winning his heart. When danger strikes, she is the first to grab a weapon and isn’t afraid to die fighting.

As a married woman, Ganieda’s wardrobe is a little less militaristic, but it walks right out of a medieval tapestry. She is the classic medieval lady, while simultaneously being the only woman strong enough to be Merlin’s wife.

The Mother Of The Once And Future King

The demure future mother of Arthur is played by Flo Thompstone, and she is not letting the world around her collapse. Clad in a wine-colored early Briton wardrobe, Ygerna is the daughter of Gorlas, a powerful figure in the Britons’ world and thus the subject of manipulations by other power-hungry lords.

Ygerna sees what they’re up to and is willing to speak up to Gorlas in favor of the Pendragon brothers, despite Gorlas not getting along with Uther. Ygerna has met Uther, and the seeds of their future romance have already begun to sprout, leading this young lady to a huge destiny.

The Pendragon Cycle Doesn’t Make Women Strong By Turning Them Into Men

All these characters are forces to be reckoned with in their own right. They don’t need to be rescued, and in fact do some of the rescuing themselves. They all take matters into their own hands, despite the world they live in being mainly concerned with the machinations of men. They are not the traditional princesses of fairy tales or Arthurian legend. They are not victims, even when they are.

In today’s world, the media often portrays women as the only smart people in the room. They’re hypercompetent, often bossing around the men around them. It is as though the men can’t function without them, but the women don’t need them because they can do everything themselves, from programming the big computer to bashing around mooks twice their size.

This is intended to combat the idea that women have historically been portrayed as weak and helpless. That’s not entirely true, however. Classics like Charade (1963), His Girl Friday (1941), and North by Northwest (1959) feature strong female characters who are anything but helpless. More recent offerings like Heathers and Mean Girls are all about female power. Yet there have been enough damsel-in-distress female leads in movies and on television that the response to the trend has been to make women, as DH Lawrence writes, “just like the men, only better, because they were women.”

The women of The Pendragon Cycle don’t have to be “better” than anyone. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and those of the men around them. With the exception of Morgain, they are the companions and supports for the men in their lives; Morgain exhibits strategy and calculation worthy of any male villain. They don’t outright reject men, but they don’t let them get away with acting the fool, either.

The Pendragon Cycle strikes a balance between damsels in distress and girl-bosses by portraying women who can be powerful while still embracing their femininity. Their strength comes as much from being wives and mothers as from their abilities to survive the masculine world around them, but they are never just “trad wives.” They don’t have to be nude or sensationalist to get our attention, but they can still have the agency they deserve. Many women could learn from their example.

The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is streaming on Daily Wire+. The final episode will be released next Thursday. Catch up on this great show, and enjoy this sexy quartet of brilliant female role models.