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By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 13 seconds ago

A finale for a season of a series has two jobs: to close the season’s story arc while also leaving enough of the larger world’s story open for a possible next season. This is even more important for serial shows like The Pendragon Cycle because the entire season usually has its own plot and circumstances while introducing elements of the larger story. The seasonal arc is supposed to provide closure in case the series doesn’t continue its larger arc with another season.

A Sprawling Setup Hints At A Much Bigger Picture

While the overarching plot of Rise of the Merlin is how he winds up advisor to the One and Future King, Arthur’s parents have only just met, and right now, there are Saxon invaders to take care of. Lots of them. A lot more of them than there are Britons under Aurellius’s banner, and some of his allies are getting scared.

Fortunately, there’s Gorlas to hold things together with his usual candor, while his beautiful daughter Ygerna makes eyes at Uther. All of Briton’s kings must unite to fight this threat, but there are a few in question, and Merlin isn’t back yet. Regardless, ready or not, it’s time for war. Will Merlin bring reinforcements? Will Briton prevail against the Saxons? Will Aurellius become High King?

While all the short-term threads are tied together, this finale didn’t seem like an ending. It left more questions than answers, and a lot of the plotlines that have long-term arcs did not get resolved. This is but a segment of Merlin’s very long life, the part that positions him as the eventual advisor of Uther and his son, Arthur. The Pendragon Cycle is not a contained story in the first place, but the window we are provided is not adequate, and I couldn’t help feeling that the series could have benefited from one more episode. Or, perhaps, a second season, please.

Nevertheless, the immediate threat of Hengist and his hordes of barbarians hangs over the camp during the first half of the episode. Having participated in the Society for Creative Anachronisms, a historical cosplay group for medieval enthusiasts, I felt right at home among the tents, kitchen tables with cooks portioning herbs, squires frantically running from encampment to encampment, and especially the noise.

Dramatic intrigue aside, the camp feels like it leaps out of history, which has been a strength of the show in its later episodes. Did I mention the noise? This camp is a living place, and the din of activity is always present in the background, contributing deeply to its authenticity. This episode hardly has any soundtrack music, and this was a good choice that allowed each scene to speak for itself.

Once the armies face off, though, the episode turns into something else: an amazing spectacle of savage medieval warfare, starting with the eerie effect of the Saxon army’s approach. The lack of soundtrack music is even more effective here. Gritty, chaotic, and violent (hide the kids and the squeamish), this is the best battle in the series. The direction of Jesse V. Johnson really takes the forefront at this point. Once again, authenticity reigns as the camera is deftly maneuvered through the field to follow the various players and their tribulations. Distant shots of the battlefield give a sense of scale that compliment the close frames by adding more urgency to them.

The Epic Battle Buildup

Josiah Nelson’s script shows off both his strengths and his weaknesses. I’ve said before that he’s great at drama, tension, and character development, but that sometimes he lingers too long on both the decision to act and the action itself. In a few places, scenes start to lag, but these are quickly caught before they become tiresome. A lot of time is spent in the build-up to the battle, with the various under-kings squabbling, plotting, and considering retreat. Nelson’s writing is especially good when he’s focused on this kind of intrigue.

The actors seized this opportunity. Riveting performances abound from all the cast, but the spotlight this episode falls to Chick Allan as Gorlas, Nicholas Boulton as Morcant, and Steve Varnom as Custennin.

In pairs, they shine, but when confronted with one another, their performances are mind-blowing. Boulton has been excellent through the entire series at portraying Morcant’s Doubting Thomas attitude toward the youthful king and is especially vibrant with the Saxons on the doorstep. Allan brings his rugged humor to Gorlas’s loyalty to Aurellius, especially on the battlefield. Varnom is at his best, now that Custennin is allowed his full range, especially in battle while wielding a very unusual weapon. But in an episode full of great acting, it’s almost unfair to single anyone out.

A Climax That Needs Closure

The finale of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin seems to have been the focal point of all the production. Hints of it have been dropped along the way: beautiful sets, attention to small details of medieval life, and intense skirmishes that were only a taste of what was to come. This episode brings all that to a resounding crescendo of cinematic visual spectacle. It is almost perfect. Almost.

But the elephant in the room is that it doesn’t provide the closure of a finale. There is still more of Merlin’s story yet untold, too much left undone and unseen. Fans of Arthurian legend will be left with a sense of foreboding that is unfitting for a finale, especially if the show never gets a second season. The single weakness in an otherwise great finale is that Merlin’s story is so dominant over the entire series that it takes precedence over the Saxon invasion, and not enough closure is offered him, which made the finale bittersweet.

Nevertheless, there are so many good things about the finale of The Pendragon Cycle that it’s unfair to hold the fate of future seasons against it. On the contrary, I want to see another season, and the best way to get one is to watch the show and encourage Daily Wire+ to make more.

The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is now streaming in its entirety on Daily Wire+. Check it out and give this Arthurian epic the attention it deserves.

Mama June
It’s Not the C-Word!!!

Published
March 5, 2026
4:30 PM PST

Critics, film historians, and film scholars have never quite come to a definitive conclusion on whether film noir is a genre, a style, or a film movement. Regardless, these movies about morally grey characters dealing with complex, crime-filled plots can be deliriously entertaining—and, when at their best, can even be among the greatest films of their respective era.

With time, however, even the best of noir films can fall into oblivion. Indeed, several near-perfect noir masterpieces are barely remembered nowadays, whatever the reason for that may be. Directed by some of the best filmmakers of their generation, from Fritz Lang to Carol Reed, these exceptional films are proof that film noir can make for some of the most unforgettable movies ever made.

‘The Fallen Idol’ (1948)

Image via British Lion Films

In The Fallen Idol, a butler working in a foreign embassy in London falls under suspicion when his wife accidentally falls to her death, the only witness being an impressionable boy. All in all, it is one of the most underrated film noir masterpieces of all time, a Carol Reed gem that earned its director the first of only three Best Directing Academy Awards he was ever nominated for.

Also known as The Lost Illusion, this British mystery thriller proves that, though noir was mostly an American phenomenon, the production of excellent noir movies wasn’t limited to Hollywood exclusively. It’s a suspenseful, nerve-racking film that builds suspense slowly throughout its runtime, until it all erupts in one of the most brilliant third acts of any film from the ’40s.

‘Pickup on South Street’ (1953)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Combining traditional film noir and Cold War espionage drama elements, Pickup on South Street tells the tale of a pickpocket who unwittingly lifts a message destined for enemy agents and becomes a target for a Communist spy ring. One of the most underrated noirs of the ’50s, Pickup on South Street is a hidden gem with some excellent performances (including Thelma Ritter‘s, which earned her an Oscar nomination) and great direction by Samuel Fuller.

It’s a dark, complex story of urban existential dread that proves Cold War films and film noir were a match made in Heaven. Though critics were split on the movie back in 1953, cinephiles nowadays look back on Pickup on South Street with far more admiration and fondness. It’s a gloriously pulpy movie that all fans of film noir should check out at least once in their lives.

‘Odd Man Out’ (1947)

Image via General Film Distributors

Another Carol Reed gem, the British film Odd Man Out is a psychological thriller about a wounded Irish nationalist leader who tries to evade the cops after a failed robbery in Belfast. It’s probably the movie most similar to Reed’s magnum opus and most iconic film noir outing, The Third Man, yet it’s entirely its own thing—and very much worthy of being rediscovered today.

Odd Man Out was a hit both with critics and at the box office, particularly in a European landscape where Reed seemed to have perfectly understood the general postwar mood and mentality. With a well-deserved score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is grim and absolutely enrapturing, full of hard-hitting visuals and deeply compelling drama.

‘Scarlet Street’ (1945)

Image via Universal Pictures

Austrian filmmaker Fritz Lang jumped over the pond to Hollywood in 1936. By the time he made Scarlet Street, he was already a properly established and highly prolific director of American classics, and that shines through in this adaptation of the French novel La Chienne by Georges de La Fouchardière. In it, a man going through a mid-life crisis befriends a young woman whose fiancé has persuaded him to con him out of the fortune they mistakenly assume he has.

It’s another masterpiece with a well-deserved score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, benefiting from Lang’s sharp eye for unforgettable images and the excellent cast led by Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea. It’s one of the greatest films currently in the public domain, a Dostoevskian melodrama so powerful and dark that it was originally banned in Atlanta, Milwaukee, and the entirety of New York State.

‘Leave Her to Heaven’ (1945)

Image via 20th Century Studios

A Golden Age Hollywood noir in Technicolor? In this economy? John M. Stahl‘s Leave Her to Heaven certainly isn’t your usual classic noir, but it’s nevertheless one of the most defining films of the ’40s—at least in its genre. Russian-born Stahl was a master of classic melodrama and what were then known as “women’s films,” and those unique sensibilities lend themselves to one of the most fascinatingly unique film noir efforts of all time.

The characters aren’t particularly likable, but Jo Swerling‘s phenomenal script and the cast’s extraordinary performances (particularly Gene Tierney‘s) make the narrative engrossing nonetheless. It’s a delightful bit of pure pulp enhanced by Stahl’s distinctive artistic voice, which makes it rather unsurprising that the film has gained a small cult following that should definitely be far bigger.

‘Angels with Dirty Faces’ (1938)

Image via Warner Bros.

Directed by Michael Curtiz of Casablanca fame, Angels with Dirty Faces is about a priest trying to stop a gangster from corrupting a group of street kids. The movie has one of the most star-studded casts of any ’30s noir, including James Cagney (who earned an Oscar nod for his performance) and Humphrey Bogart. All in all, it’s one of the best gangster movie masterpieces of the last 100 years.

Powerfully melodramatic and occasionally utterly harrowing, Angels with Dirty Faces tells a story built on the foundations of a somewhat commonplace premise, but the directions in which it takes that premise are stunning. It’s explosive, gritty, exciting, and absolutely riveting. It’s just as much of a masterclass in noir filmmaking as it is in gangster filmmaking, a fantastic classic film all around.

‘The Set-Up’ (1949)

Image via RKO Radio Pictures

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There aren’t many noir movies that are also boxing movies, which only makes Robert Wise‘s The Set-Up more special. Based on a 1928 narrative poem by Joseph Moncure March, it was named by Wise as one of his favorite films of his career. It tells the story of Bill “Stoker” Thompson, a 35-year-old has-been boxer whose manager, sure he will continue to lose fights, takes a bribe from a betting gangster without telling Stoker.

Working with a relatively low budget, Wise made a brutal and exciting melodrama that stands out among most other noir films from the era, since this one’s also one of the best sports movies of the last 100 years. Wise’s gritty style here is so different from his voice in later works like West Side Story and The Sound of Music that one could even think they’re made by different filmmakers, which only speaks to the director’s versatility.

‘Fury’ (1936)

Image via MGM

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The first film Fritz Lang directed in Hollywood was Fury, which also happens to be one of the director’s best works. Loosely based on the events surrounding the Brooke Hart murder, the movie follows a wrongly accused prisoner who barely survives a lynch-mob attack and is presumed dead, after which he decides to get revenge.

The movie, whose screenplay was Oscar-nominated, is an engrossing revenge film that portrays the dangers of mob justice in ways that still hit hard 90 years later. Led by Spencer Tracy at the top of his game, this incredible psychological thriller has all the traditional noir elements down to a T, including its pessimistic—yet all-too timeless—view of humanity.

‘Night and the City’ (1950)

Image via 20th Century Studios

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Directed by Jules Dassin, one of the most notorious names of the Hollywood blacklist, Night and the City is a British noir based on Gerald Kersh‘s novel. It follows Harry Fabian, a small-time grifter who takes advantage of some fortuitous circumstances to try to become a big-time player as a wrestling promoter. Though its revolutionarily bleak tone and complete lack of sympathetic characters made many critics dislike it when it originally came out, cinephiles today look back at it as one of the best noir films of the ’50s.

It’s one of those noir masterpieces with great acting, infused with a moody and pessimistic atmosphere that was clearly influenced by Dassin’s exile from the U.S. It’s a nuanced, pulpy gem that shows noir elements in their purest form. As one of the genre’s biggest masterpieces from the era, it’s a tragedy that it’s not considered a far more mainstream classic nowadays.

‘I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang’ (1932)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Far and away one of the best movies of the 1930s, Mervyn LeRoy‘s I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a pre-Code tragedy based on a true story. It tells the story of a World War I veteran who tries to re-enter civilian life, but after being unwittingly caught up in a robbery, he falls victim to the horrible conditions of a Southern chain gang.

Bold, realistic, and so dark that one has to wonder if LeRoy would have been able to get it made in its current form after the Hays Code began being strictly enforced, it’s a gut-wrenching critique of the penal system whose biggest tragedy is perhaps the fact that it still feels timely in 2026. Led by a top-form Paul Muni, it’s just as important a social document as it is a marvelous Golden Age Hollywood work of art.

Claressa Shields is showing her man, Papoose, major love as he turns 48. Early Thursday (March 5), she shared a sweet social media post celebrating him and their moments together. The champion boxer also revealed that they have plans for a joint birthday party later this month.

RELATED: Claressa Shields Responds After Viral Skit Recreates Her Luxury Shopping Trip With Papoose (VIDEOS)

Claressa Shields Thanks God For Another Year With Papoose 

As mentioned, Claressa Shields slid on social media, namely Instagram, to shower Papoose with love and praise on his 48th. She addressed him as her “man” and her “best friend,” and revealed their plans to celebrate “the rest of the month.” According to her caption, the couple also has a joint birthday party planned for the 28th. She will celebrate her 31st birthday on March 15.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAN & MY MAN ONLY @papoose 🎉🎊🎈🥳🍾🎁🤪🤣❤️❤️🥰🥰! God blessed me with another Year with my Bestfriend! CAN’T WAIT TO CELEBRATE YOU TODAY & THE REST OF THE MONTH PAPI!!! Let’s party like the 70s!!!! FYI March 28th is Our Joint Bday Party 🥳🤩 #papoose #birthday #happybdaypapoose #claressashields #pisces”

Claressa Shields’ post includes several photos of them cozy and cheesin’ in selfies, on dates and more. Pap popped into the comment section, dropping nine heart-eyed emojis and an equally sweet reply, “Thank you baby I love you!!!” See all the photos she posted HERE. Claressa also shared some birthday love for Papoose on her Instagram Stories. 

Pap Posts Birthday Shoutout For Himself 

Over on his Instagram, Pap showed himself some birthday love! On IGS, he reposted messages from family, friends and fans and, of course, his babe! Meanwhile, on his feed, he shared a photo of himself in a stooped position with a black fur coat lying near his feet.

“Another lap around the sun. Can honestly say I’ve accomplished everything I dreamed of as a child. Never forget to love yourself. God is the greatest!! Pisces ♓️,” he wrote in his caption.

At least one of more than 500 comments was from Papoose’s lady, Claressa. She wrote in all-caps, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!!” 

RELATED: Whew! Internet User Tells Claressa Shields Her “Attitude Is Not Nice” And Her Response Has Social Media Saying She “Proved Them Right”

An adult daughter in Kentucky has been accused of fatally shooting her mother after she wouldn’t let her leave the house, police confirmed.

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office announced that Brianna Rich has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of her 50-year-old mother, Carol Rich, according to Law & Crime.

Deputies responded to the home where the mother and daughter lived in London, Kentucky, on March 14, 2025, after they received reports of a shooting that same night.

Following the shooting, Brianna, 27, called police and told dispatchers, “I just shot at my mother.”

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Brianna allegedly told 911 dispatchers that she shot her mother approximately five times after they got into a physical altercation, according to WDKY. “I’m holding blankets on her wounds, and she don’t have a pulse. There’s a lot of blood,” she reportedly said.

The dispatcher asked Briana what happened before the shooting, and she claimed her mother “came at me” and was “trying to hurt me and choke me.” She continued, “It’s been going on for a while now. I haven’t been able to go out of the house.”

First responders then reported to the home and found Carol, whom they pronounced dead at the scene.

Family members told WKYT that Brianna was staying at Carol’s house as she dealt with a drug problem. While she was previously two years sober, the family members said it was possible that she relapsed.

“That’s what you do for your kids. Try to do the best that you can. That’s what my mom did,” relative Brittney Rich told the outlet about Carol’s intentions to help Brianna.

Brittney also said that she does “want her to be in jail forever,” adding that she believes Brianna “is dangerous.”

Brianna’s older sister, Bridgett Rich, also told WDKY that the fatal shooting was not the first time her sister tried to kill Carol. Bridgett recalled an incident in which Brianna “tried to stab” Carol several years ago. However, she was stopped at the time by her mother’s boyfriend.

She has been charged with murder and is currently in custody at the Laurel County Correctional Center.

WDKY reported that attorneys for the Commonwealth of Kentucky filed a request that Brianna undergo an inpatient competency examination, which was approved on Tuesday, March 3. Court records obtained by the outlet said she will be taken to the newly ordered evaluation by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

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The sheriff’s office and the KCPS will coordinate the date and time for the upcoming exam, according to the station.

Brianna is next scheduled to appear in court regarding the charges on June 1.

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

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.

Carol’s family set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses following her death. In the post, Carol was remembered for loving “all her friends and family so so much.”

UPDATE 03/05/26 at 6:00 p.m. ET — TikTok star Riziki Ilenre’s cause of death has been revealed.

The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences confirmed to People on Thursday, March 5, that Ilenre died by suicide. The department told the outlet that the content creator had a “reported history of depression and previous suicide attempts.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Original story:

TikTok star Riziki Ilenre has died at age 27.

The creator, who rose to fame online for her comedic videos, died on Friday, December 12. Her account appeared to be deactivated after her death.

A spokesperson for the Montgomery Police Department in Alabama tells Us Weekly that an investigation into Ilenre’s death is “ongoing” and there is no further information available at this time.

In the wake of Ilenre’s death, a church in Carrollton, Georgia, paid tribute to the social media star in a statement.

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Courtesy of Chris O’Donnell/Instagram; Courtesy of Kyle Marisa Roth/Instagram The deaths of several online stars have shaken the TikTok and influencer community — and broken the hearts of countless fans — over the years. Taylor Rousseau Grigg died in October 2024 at the age of 25 after battling undisclosed medical issues. Her husband, Cameron Grigg, […]

“Our church family is grieving the heartbreaking loss of someone deeply loved and deeply valued, Riziki Ilenre,” Church Without Walls wrote via Facebook on Saturday, December 13. “She was part of our ministry family, a bright and brilliant young woman, full of purpose, faith, and promise. She served faithfully, graduated college, and was pursuing her dream of law school. Her future was meaningful, and her life mattered.”

The statement continued, “This is not a moment for speculation or easy answers. This is a moment for grieving, compassion, and love. Scripture reminds us that even Jesus paused to weep in the face of loss and today, our community weeps. Today, we mourn.”

The church asked for “prayers for her family, for all who loved her, and for anyone silently battling deep pain.”

The statement concluded, “May we honor her memory by loving harder, listening better, and protecting one another more fiercely.”

Several users took to the comments section to send their condolences.

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“Even though I did not talk to this young lady like that it took me by surprise when I found out she passed away but when I did talk to this young lady she brought joy to my heart because she was full of life and she had a great spirit and she had a great personality and I remember I tried to talk to her and she turned me down nice and sweet, but we always been friends and she was full of happiness and joy and she always had a smile on her face and for all of these things I will truly miss so until we meet again my friend rest easy RIP,” one user wrote, while another added, “Praying for all family.”

In a separate tribute, Walter D’Andre Green — an apostle at Church Without Walls — honored Ilenre as his “daughter — not biologically, but absolutely spiritually.”

“Her smile was infectious,” the statement read via Facebook on Saturday. “Her grit and determination were unmatched. Her loyalty and honor were unwavering.”

The statement continued, “I had the privilege of watching her grow from an awkward sophomore in college into a young woman preparing to take on the world as a law student. She was brilliant, driven, and fearless in thought. One thing about Rizi — she loved to debate. She thrived in apologetics and theological discourse, and I think that’s part of why we were so close. She loved truth, and she wasn’t afraid to wrestle with it.”

He concluded his message by noting it had been a “long day” and he had “very little sleep.”

“And I’ll be honest — this hurts deeply. I’m still processing. But even in the pain, I rest in this: Riziki is eternally safe now,” he wrote. “No more worrying. No more fighting. No more carrying what was never hers to bear. Just peace.”