By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 48 seconds ago

Since Starfleet Academy aired, I became increasingly aware of the full-throttle efforts among fans and even journalists to launder its reputation. Threads that criticized the show for bad writing and plotting were often disappeared from places like r/StarTrek, and many other Star Trek online spaces would block, ban, or otherwise censor anyone who said anything bad about the show. Eventually, the prevalent narrative became that SFA was the best thing since sliced bread and that anyone who didn’t like it was nothing more than a bigoted troll. 

Starfleet Academy’s haters were arguably vindicated when the show was canceled because this was proof that not enough people were watching for Paramount to justify making more episodes. Still, the narrative continues that the only people who could dislike this Discovery spinoff are mindless haters. Recently, the best evidence of this came from an exclusive TrekMovie interview with Jonathan Frakes where they prompted him with a comment about online trolls. This led to an obligatory headline about Frakes calling out the trolls. However, the real headline should be his bombshell admission that SFA focused too much on spectacle and not enough on telling good stories.

Riker Vs. The Trolls

Jonathan Frakes’ primary purpose during the interview with TrekMovie was to promote the recent Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer event. Eventually, though, they began discussing the wider world of Star Trek. Frakes lamented the “unfortunate irony” that there are currently no new shows or movies in active production despite this being the 60th anniversary of the franchise. Eventually, they began discussing why people disliked Starfleet Academy, and the interviewer basically prompted him, claiming that the show’s biggest critics were people who hadn’t even watched it. 

In response, Frakes said this was “unfortunate” and mentioned a conversation with Alex Kurtzman about the cancellation of Starfleet Academy. While the Star Trek actor and director didn’t give many details, he said that Kurtzman and SFA co-showrunner Noga Landau “couldn’t not mention as a factor, the trolls.” Based on his mild agreement with their extremely leading question, TrekMovie included in their headline how Frakes “Decries ‘Starfleet Academy’ ‘Trolls.’”

What They Don’t Want You To Know: Shoot To Thrill

What’s wrong with this headline, you ask? Earlier in that same interview, before he was prompted to talk about trolls, Frakes speculated about various reasons why “some people…either didn’t like or didn’t approve or didn’t support” Starfleet Academy. He noted that it could be because of “the changing of the guard at Paramount+ and CBS” before focusing on “the amount of money it costs.” He noted how “the level of the production has become this sort of ‘shoot to thrill’ cinematic phenomenon…when we did [Star Trek: The Next Generation] back in the ‘80s, we counted on storytelling and acting and the occasional camera move.”

He went on to say, “It’s a different beast now, and that beast is very expensive.” Now, Jonathan Frakes kept things light, but it really seems like he agrees with Starfleet Academy’s critics that the show is focusing more on expensive spectacle than on comparatively cheap “storytelling and acting.” Many in the fandom want a return to those halcyon days of episodic storytelling, and they’d gladly take a simpler, cheaper-looking show if it meant we could have shows that looked and felt like those in the Golden Age of Star Trek. Sadly, Alex Kurtzman focuses almost exclusively on expensive, cinematic effects, leaving the writing and characterizations to wither and rot. 

How They Manufacture Consent

At any rate, this is a lesson in how fans and complicit media work together to manufacture consent. Previously, all critics of Starfleet Academy were dismissed as a minority of bigoted trolls who didn’t even watch the show. Now, the show is canceled because the “minority” was actually sharing a fairly mainstream opinion: the spinoff sucked because it was poorly made. As soon as Star Trek icon Jonathan Frakes brings up how SFA focused on spectacle rather than storytelling, an interviewer steers him to say something about trolls, all so they can run a headline about how he “decries trolls” rather than honestly criticizing a failed TV series.

Unfortunately, this mindset is how the modern Star Trek writers and producers have landed in their own no-win scenario. There’s too much pride (or, in NuTrek terms, “sheer f*cking hubris”) to admit that most traditional fans don’t like Starfleet Academy and most of NuTrek, so the creators blame their failures on trolls. But as Frakes has proven, the “trolls” are the mainstream audience, and they are leaving in droves because these new shoes are Star Trek in name only. At $10 million an episode, that’s a mistake producers literally cannot afford to keep making, and Trek’s temporary hiatus may become permanent unless we get what Frakes is calling for: genuine storytelling rather than empty effects.

Young and the Restless 2-week spoilers for April 27 – May 8, 2026 reveal Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) threatening and Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) blindsided.

Young and the Restless Spoilers Monday, April 27th

On Monday, April 27th, Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) tells Devon Hamilton Winters (Bryton James) and Nate Hastings (Sean Dominic) that Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) got tested to see if he could be a donor for Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore). Turns out Nate and Devon also got tested, but neither of them were a match.

So, of course, they’re questioning Cane’s motives, but Lily doesn’t want to hear it. She pushes back on Devon and says, “Get your priorities straight.” He’s so angry with Mariah Copeland (Camryn Grimes) that he’s just being a storm cloud and Lily wants to focus on getting Malcolm back to healthy.

Devon’s even angrier when Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway) shows him a letter that says Devon’s appeal to Mariah’s plea deal was denied. And Abby says Devon is acting irrational and needs to get off this revenge kick because he is actually upsetting their son Dominic Winters (Ethan Ray Clark). Cane tells Holden Novak (Nathan Owens) they’re family now.

And then Cane tells him he got tested to see if he is a match for Malcolm. And Stephanie Simmons (Vivica A. Fox) tells Lily they will have Cane’s test results soon. Stephanie already has everything set up to do Malcolm’s transplant ASAP once they have a donor because he is running out of time fast and Cane finds out he is a match on Monday.

Y&R Spoilers: Matt Leaves Sharon & Noah for Dead

In Vegas, Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) taunts Noah Newman (Lucas Adams) and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) who he’s cuffed to a pole in an abandoned garage. Matt says they’ll get to watch each other die because Noah decided to bang his wife. Matt leaves, but he has the garage rigged with cameras so he can watch what happens, which is hopefully them dying, right? But Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) is driving him and Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) out there.

However, Nick is showing withdrawal symptoms. He denies it, but Adam insists they swap spots and he lets him drive. They do. And he tells Nick, “Go ahead, take a hit so you’re not falling apart and we’ll deal with it once we’re done with Matt.” So, Nick takes some pills from one of his magic baggies.

Adam kicks the garage door in and a shocked Sharon and Noah tell them that Matt has gone. The bad guy, meanwhile, is watching a video feed of this from his car as he’s speeding away. Adam tries to free Sharon and Noah, but then he has to run help Nick, who collapses as he spirals into an overdose. And of course, Matt is thrilled.

Young and the Restless Spoilers:

Back at the hotel, Riza Thompson (Tina Casciani) taunts Chelsea Lawson (Melissa Claire Egan) because she doesn’t have Adam’s ring on her finger. They bicker and then Sienna Bacall (Tamara Braun) shows up and said Noah took off without her. Sienna is absolutely disgusted to meet Riza, knowing that Matt cheated with her for years, but Riza insists she didn’t know he was married.

Didn’t know any of this stuff. Sienna demands that Riza give her the address to the garage so she can go after Noah and Sharon since they can’t reach Adam and Nick. Sienna tells Riza that Matt is a kidnapper and an attempted murderer. But Riza insists she never saw that side of Matt. But at the same time, Riza also insists that she is done with Matt. We’ll see.

Young and the Restless Spoilers Tuesday, April 28th

Tuesday, April 28th, Victor calls Phyllis Summers‘ (Michelle Stafford) bluff. She may tell Victor she has evidence that he used the AI against Cane to steal Arabesque. Maybe evidence that he used the AI on Matt’s business, too. Nick is at rock bottom as Adam, Sharon, and Noah try and save his life.

Matt watches their efforts to save Nick while he’s laughing about him finally taking a hit from the bag with the bad batch. If you remember, Matt’s fentanyl was killing people in LA. Detective Burrow (Matt Cohen), who we never get to see, even though he’s so handsome, had mentioned that before.

Sienna is en route to the gas station, but Matt has already taken off in another direction. Meanwhile, Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman) won’t budge with Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei). So, I do wonder if he’s pushing her to walk away from Phyllis.

Y&R Spoilers Wednesday, April 29th: Nick Faces the Ugly Truth

Wednesday, April 29th, Adam pushes Nick to face facts. So, Adam knows Nick’s addicted to opioids and is spiraling. You know, hopefully Adam got Nick to the ER unless somebody had some Narcan lying around. Then, Adam gets back to Chelsea at the Vegas hotel. She’s freaking out. She’s glad that Adam is okay. And then Chelsea wants to know, “Where is Nick?” So, are Sharon and Noah with Nick at the ER? Let’s hope so.

Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) has a surprise for Sally. It’s a rose and maybe some romance, maybe something more serious since she’s pregnant. This week, Cane is all smiles with Lily. She’s obviously very happy about the news. So, she also has great news for Stephanie and Holden. Now that we know Cane’s a match, you know, I’m sure he’s scheduling his donation procedure to save Malcolm.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Thursday, April 30th

Thursday, April 30th, Victor is pushing Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) hard. I’m sure it’s about the Phyllis situation. I do wonder if Victor is making Michael make legal threats to Phyllis and Lauren. Plus, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) lays out his new plan of attack. He and Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) may decide to pull the trigger on the nuclear option they think might save their marriages by letting their spouses think they are in a romance, which is insane.

Christine Williams Romalotti (Lauralee Bell) threatens Phyllis. Cricket may tell Phyllis she’s going down now that she’s DA. Danny is also back this week. I wonder if he might try and intervene on Phyllis’s behalf with Christine just for his son’s benefit. Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) gets under Kyle Abbott‘s (Michael Mealor) skin. So Kyle runs into Patty at the GCAC and she’s looking really good. I will give her that. But she’s crazy. And Kyle does not want to hear Patty’s crazy obsessive comments about his dad. You know, probably about them meant to be together, you know, loving each other, yada yada.

Y&R Spoilers: Friday, May 1st Victor Learns the Truth

Friday, May 1st, Victor gets the truth from Nick. So he may tell Victor that he is struggling with addiction. Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) plans her defense strategy against Phyllis. So, I wonder if Red really has some evidence against Victor. And Sharon wonders if Sienna is loyal and whether the Newmans can trust her. I bet Noah won’t like her being questioned like that.

Week of May 4th-8th: Second Full Week of Sweeps on Young and the Restless

The week of May 4th through the 8th, which is the second full week of sweeps, we’ve got Nikki, Adam, and others wanting Nick to get his act cleaned up, probably to rehab. If you remember, Victor didn’t want Nikki to go to rehab. Didn’t think she needed to when she was clearly spiraling after the vodka IV. So, I hope that Victor doesn’t go that route again on Young and the Restless.

Is Matt on the way to Genoa City ready to finish what he started? Everybody escaped the garage unscathed, maybe. Look for a final showdown with Matt as we head deeper into May sweeps. Probably on the Newmans’ home turf. We could see a death before all is said and done. And maybe not just Matt pushing up daisies.

Y&R Spoilers: Chelsea & Adam Rough Patch Ahead

Chelsea’s going to have some questions for Adam once they’re home. And I wonder if he will admit he got too close to Rizza. Nikki might feel guilty for not seeing the signs of addiction in Nick because she was focused on the drama in her marriage. If you remember, Sienna did see the signs and nobody listened to her.

Expect fallout from Jack and Nikki’s nuclear plan. That is not going to help get Diane Jenkins Abbott (Susan Walters) and Victor back. It’s going to blow up in their faces if they do it. And I do wonder if Phyllis and Victor are going to both wind up arrested or if they have to cut a deal of some sort so they both don’t go down.

Cane’s ready to undergo the donation procedure to save Malcolm. Devon’s going to need to get it together or he’s going to be so bitter he ruins major relationships. And Lauren may push Michael to cut Victor out of his life.

There are some horror movies that waste absolutely no time, and Crawl is one of them. Alexandre Aja’s 2019 thriller takes a very simple idea — a daughter trapped in a flooding house with her injured father during a hurricane while alligators close in — and turns it into 87 minutes of pure panic. It’s lean, nasty, and exactly the kind of movie that knows its hook is good enough to carry the whole thing. That’s a big part of why it’s built such a strong reputation since its release, and now it’s about to find a bigger free-streaming audience. Pluto TV already has Crawl available on demand in the U.S., and the film is currently featured in its horror and creature-feature collections.

The movie has the locked-in creature-feature simplicity of Jaws, but it also weaponizes a natural disaster in a way that keeps every escape route feeling worse than the last. The impressive cast does a lot with that stripped-down setup, and Aja keeps the tension tight without overcomplicating anything. It’s basically just people, water, teeth, and bad decisions, which is exactly why it works. The cast of Crawl includes Kaya Scodelario (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, The Maze Runner) as Haley Keller, Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan, True Grit) as Dave Keller, Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud, The Personal History of David Copperfield) as Beth Keller, Ross Anderson (The King’s Man, 1917) as Wayne Taylor, and Jose Palma (Miami Vice) as Pete.

Is ‘Crawl’ Worth Watching?

RogerEbert.com stated that Crawl is a tight and effective survival thriller, even if it stops short of becoming the gleefully outrageous creature feature it easily could have been. The movie works best when it keeps things simple and nasty. The basement setting gives Aja plenty of chances to build claustrophobic tension, and the gator attacks are handled with enough style and brutality to keep the movie moving. There are also a few fun side detours, like a looter sequence at a convenience store, that give the film a little extra life without dragging it out. And yes, importantly, the dog survives.

Crawl arrives on Pluto TV next month.

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Release Date

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July 11, 2019

Runtime

87 minutes

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Director

Alexandre Aja

Writers

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Alexandre Aja, Michael Rasmussen, Shawn Rasmussen

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Days of Our Lives 2-week spoilers for April 27 – May 8, 2026 indicate Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) is being accused and Shawn Brady (Brandon Beemer) flexing.

Days of our Lives Spoilers: Monday, April 27th

Monday, April 27th, we’ve got Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) surprised by Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins). She’s at his door with a baby she says is theirs. An adorable little girl named Kelsey. And Alex is about to fall in love all over again with this little girl that Joy says belongs to them. And this, of course, comes right as Alex thought he might never get to have kids at all.

Liam Selejko (Hank Northrop) rejects Ariana Horton (Vico Escorcia) advances. He’s trying to do right and is telling Ari he’s not a good guy. She doesn’t need to be around a guy like him. Her mom agrees because this week Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) threatens Liam and tells him to stay away from her daughter. Meanwhile, Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) gets a yes from Gabi about a proposal he makes. Could be business or pleasure.

And Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) and Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) get competitive. So, Steve takes them to the gun range and Stephanie and Brady may be competing over who is a better marksman. Plus, Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) tries to fool Holly. She is baiting her former bestie, probably setting her up.

DOOL Spoilers Tuesday, April 28th

On Tuesday, April 28th, we’ve got Joy and Jeremy Horton (Michael Roark) questioning each other’s motives when it comes to Alex and Stephanie. Now, it was Jeremy who told Joy to get to Salem. He even picked her and the kid up from the airport. He wants Stephanie and probably assumes that Joy wants Alex. So theoretically, their agendas should align and they might have gotten to know each other fairly well when his dad Mike was dating her mom Nancy a few years ago.

Also, f you remember, Cat is EJ DiMera‘s (Dan Feuerriegel) sounding board as he opens up and tells her what he is upset about. This could be about Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) making Theo Carver (Cameron Johnson) the executor of his will and not EJ or some of the Kristen drama.

Meanwhile, Abe Carver (James Reynolds) is pushing Theo to skip Stefano’s will reading, but as the executor, Theo needs to be there. Now, we know Abe doesn’t want Theo around the DiMera family, but I just don’t think he’s going to skip out on this, especially because of what’s going on with Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford), that even though he’s not at the corporation, he’s still very deeply tied to all of them, especially EJ.

Days of our Lives Spoilers: Chad Wants to Help Marlena

Chad DiMera (Connor Floyd) offers Marlena help. Could be at Basic Black. She doesn’t want to work with Kate and Chad may also have problems with Kate targeting Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman). And Chad does have valuable experience. So other than him being a DiMera, Xander Cook Kiriakis (Paul Telfer) shouldn’t complain too much. Stephanie is stunned by Alex’s big old baby bombshell. This could derail the progress they just made trying to get their relationship back on track.

DOOL Spoilers Wednesday, April 29th

Wednesday, April 29th, EJ does some bonding with Johnny. And I wonder if he’s going to open up and tell his dad EJ how worried he is about Chanel Dupree DiMera‘s (Raven Bowens) mammogram. Alex needs Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) to do a favor. And this may be a rush paternity test. I’m sure Stephanie will insist on that. And Sophia is ordered to make the move. Take out Johnny. Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) calls Sophia and says this gets done tomorrow. No emotion, no mess.

Lani Price (Sal Stowers) and Chanel have a heart-to-heart sister chat. Jeremy misreads a moment with Stephanie and he kisses her. Now she looks quite disturbed by this and you know she was just at the shooting range. She has a gun and she just found out Alex had a baby. She still has the kidnap trauma. So, I’m wondering if Stephanie’s going to lose it on Jeremy. Some fans are even wondering if Stephanie is going to shoot Jeremy because it is Michael Roark’s last day on Days of Our Lives.

Thursday, April 30th on Days of Our Lives

Then on Thursday, April 30th, we’ve got Sarah preparing Chanel for her mammogram, which is kind of scary. And you could tell that Sarah was quite worried about the lump when she scheduled the scan. Stephanie takes comfort in her mom, Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans).

This may be about the DNA results on Joy’s baby, about what happened with Jeremy, or all of the above. Marlena gets exciting news from Brady. This may be about him getting his PI license or some fingerprint proof against Sophia that proves Rachel was telling the truth about the supplements.

Plus, Johnny tries to reason with Sophia. She showed up at the apartment. She sprays him in the face with mace looks like and she gets the better of him. So, it looks like Sophia has a weapon on Johnny and she’s ready to follow Kristen’s orders. Shawn puts on a show for Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu). He may be flexing, you know, doing a little bit of a gun show. I’d like a ticket to that, right.

DOOL Spoilers: Friday, May 1st

Friday, May 1st, we’ve got Brady and Jada teaming up. They are searching for Sophia. So, this could be because Brady is shown a suicide note that Amy Choi (Shi Ne Neilson) says that Sophia left. It’s all about how she’s been bullied, about how Holly says she’s dead to her, so she might as well be.

Sophia is carrying on about how she’s hurting and she’s tired of begging forgiveness and she says if she’s dead like Holly wants, everyone will be better off without her. Now, I don’t think this is Sophia’s cry for help. I don’t think she’s contemplating suicide. I think she’s setting up Holly.

Javi Hernandez (Al Calderon) realizes that Johnny is in big trouble, so he may figure something out. Also, this week though, Javi is up at the hospital and Sarah freaks out when he just abruptly collapses right in front of her and so she’s giving Javi medical attention. Sarah is also supportive as Chanel goes through with the mammogram.

And I do wonder if Johnny is missing the test because he is being held captive and threatened by Sophia or maybe Chanel told him she was going to go without him. We’ll see. So, she may have double stress on this very bad day because of what Sophia is up to.

Days Spoilers: Tate in Danger

And Kristen gets her revenge on Friday. So, this week, she’s smirking at the DiMera mansion, waiting for EJ to get bad news. I do worry that Sophia is going to follow through and hurt Johnny. I don’t think she’s going to kill him, though. Tate Black (Leo Howard) tries to encourage Holly. So, I wonder if Brady and Jada grill Holly and ask if she was really bullying Sophia to the point of suicide. Hopefully, Brady will be pretty skeptical about that.

Week of May 4th-8th on Days of Our Lives

The week of May 4th through the 8th, we could see Holly blamed if Sophia fakes her death by suicide. So, the note she left her mom Amy to me, I think feels like a frame job where she might have been planning to use Kristen’s money, run off, start a new life, but you know, set it up so it looks like that she killed herself. So, personally, I hope that Kristen and Sophia both wind up busted. And in Statesville, not Bayview, because they are mean, mean.

Marlena accepts the invitation to attend the reading of Stefano’s will now that we know she is a beneficiary. Theo continues to visit his mom, Lexie. Hopefully, we’ll see her awake in May sweeps. Chad may have questions for Leo about what his brother EJ has been doing while he has been gone. Why Gwen was at the house, all about the secret lab. Lots of juicy reporter updates that Leo might have for him.

DOOL Spoilers: Kate Caught & Tony Returns

Roman’s set to find out what Kate was doing, conspiring with Xander to set up Johnny. I kind of hope they’re not setting the stage for Kate and Roman to break up to put him with Marlena. At this point, Tony is also back for the will reading of his father, Stefano’s last testament.

I am expecting some big shockers in the bequest. Now, EJ got Stefano’s ring from Rolf, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be the big winner in the family when everything is handed out. So, could be the Phoenix ring was EJ’s one prize, you know. We’ll see how much he gets and what he doesn’t get. I think he’s not going to be happy, though.

Oprah Winfrey is making a major power move, just not one she’s putting a price tag on publicly.

The media mogul’s Harpo Entertainment has entered a sweeping multi-year partnership with Amazon, bringing her most iconic content, including the full 25-season archive of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “The Oprah Podcast,” under the tech giant’s umbrella.

While the deal signals another major expansion of Oprah’s media empire, both sides are keeping the financial details firmly under wraps.

Winfrey is expanding her media empire with a sweeping new deal, but don’t expect her to reveal what it’s worth.

The media mogul has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with Amazon that will bring “The Oprah Podcast,” her famed book club, and the full archive of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to the tech giant’s ecosystem.

At the center of the deal is the move of “The Oprah Podcast” to Wondery, Amazon’s premium podcast network. Beginning in July, Wondery will take over exclusive distribution and ad sales rights for the show in both audio and video formats, while also securing select rights to Winfrey’s broader content slate, per Variety.

Despite the scale of the partnership, neither Harpo Productions nor Amazon has disclosed the financial terms.

Oprah Gushes About The Deal

As Winfrey continues to expand her reach in media, she is doing so leaning fully into the kind of storytelling she says she feels “called” to do.

While Amazon is still weighing how best to roll out the 25-season archive of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” its immediate focus is on audio, with the company reportedly shifting away from narrative-style podcasts in favor of personality-driven content. That pivot places Winfrey’s voice-led platform front and center as the deal begins to take shape.

“Hosting this podcast allows me to continue the work I feel called to do, opening the door for conversations that matter,” Winfrey said in a statement.

Amazon Exec Weighs In On Oprah Winfrey Deal’s Impact

Over the years, Winfrey has hosted a wide range of high-profile guests on “The Oprah Podcast,” including Serena Williams, Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Mel Robbins, and Leanne Morgan.

Now, Amazon says it plans to take that reach even further.

Speaking about the partnership, Amazon’s VP of Audio, Steve Boom, praised Oprah’s cultural impact while hinting at how the tech giant intends to scale it.

“Oprah Winfrey has built one of the most iconic, timeless brands in the world, spanning television, publishing, and beyond,” Boom said. “Through this collaboration with Harpo Entertainment, we are bringing her voice to more people and expanding how her audiences engage with Oprah in ways only Amazon can deliver.”

Oprah Recalls Painful Red Carpet Fashion Mistake

Winfrey has recalled a painful experience when a heavy dress she wore to a 1986 awards show left her choking in her seat, and with a scar on her neck.

During a recent appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the media mogul opened up about a painful fashion misstep from 1986. At the time, Winfrey was attending her first major awards show after earning a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in “The Color Purple,” directed by Steven Spielberg.

Winfrey revealed she wore a dress with an ornate beaded collar that weighed about 12 pounds, something she quickly regretted once seated.

“When I went back to sit in the chair, it choked me, and I ended up with a scar on my neck. I’m not kidding,” she said, per PEOPLE.

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Oprah Winfrey Addresses Viral Paris Fashion Week Moment

Winfrey has also responded to the online backlash over her viral Paris Fashion Week appearance alongside Gayle King, offering a simple explanation for the moment.

The media mogul recently found herself trending after clips of her walking alongside King at Paris Fashion Week sparked mockery online, with some social media users criticizing their pace as they headed to the Chloé runway show.

Speaking in a taping of “The Oprah Podcast,” Winfrey pushed back on the criticism, revealing there was more to the moment than meets the eye.

“I wear glasses, or I wear contacts. Those were not prescription glasses, so I didn’t know where I was walking. I could not see,” she said, adding that the criticism didn’t account for that reality.

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The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys shines a light on Steven “Steve” McBee and his family as they run their farm in Missouri — but not everything has always run smoothly for the farmers.

Steve and his ex-wife, Kristi McBee, were married 28 years before his infidelity came to light, leading her to file for divorce. The pair, who share sons Steven McBee Jr., Jesse McBee, Cole McBee and Brayden McBee, separated in 2019.

Despite his personal woes, Steve’s dream of building McBee Farm & Cattle Co. into a massive business continued with the help of his sons. However, in November 2024, Steve pleaded guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud, throwing their family and farm into disarray.

“We take it day by day,” Steven exclusively told Us Weekly of the family’s plan in July 2025. “The situation is still ongoing. We’re hoping to have it wrapped up and have some finality to it before the end of the year. That’s the goal, just so we can move on and say, ‘OK, we’ve got this figured out. We can start life again now.’” Steve was sentenced to two years in prison in October 2025.

Related: Steven Sr. Finally Returns on ‘The McBee Dynasty’ Amid FBI Investigation

Steven “Steve” McBee Sr. made his first appearance on season 2 of The McBee Dynasty — seven episodes in — after the patriarch remained largely offscreen while weathering an FBI investigation. During the Monday, August 11, episode of the hit Bravo series, Steve appeared on the show for the first time this season after reuniting […]

Scroll down to relive the McBee family’s highs and lows, starting with the purchase of their farm in the ’90s:

1998

Steve bought his first tract of land, a 300-acre parcel in Missouri.

2005

After purchasing more land and having “some issues” with a local farmer he hired, Steve took on the role of farming the land himself, according to the company’s website.

2009

Steve added cattle ranching to his resume by expanding the farm to include raising livestock. The company would later add buffalo to their list of farm animals.

2018

Once Steven joined the farm full-time, he created Apex Protein Snacks as an offshoot of the company. Apex sells high-protein meat snacks, including jerky and travel sticks.

2019

“Steve and I were married 28 years. Then I started finding out there was a lot of infidelity,” Kristi revealed during season 2 of The McBee Dynasty, noting that she filed for divorce in 2019.

After their split, Kristi founded her own company, Lan-Tel Communications. “Steve definitely said that I was going to run it into the ground within six months,” she said in a July 2025 episode of the Bravo series, describing her business as “communications, underground construction and [a] concrete company.”

She revealed, “We’ve been able to grow the business three times the size that it was. Little sweet revenge.”

2022

Steven starred on Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer, which premiered in January. On the show, he met Calah Jackson. The couple dated on and off from 2021 to 2024.

That June, the McBees opened their first McBee’s Coffee N’ Carwash in Missouri. As of September 2025, there are eight locations in Missouri and three in Arkansas.

2023

In summer 2023, the family expanded their business and opened the McBee Meat Co. facility in Lamoni, Iowa, bringing their products from farm to table. That same year, the group filmed season 1 of the The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys.

2024

The McBee Dynasty premiered on Peacock in March, following the family’s lives as farmers and ranchers. That September, the family launched their “Meet the McBees” podcast.

In October, second eldest son Jesse married his high school sweetheart, Alli McBee, in Missouri. One month later, Steve pleaded guilty to his part in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.

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Related: McBee Dynasty’s Steve McBee’s Sons React to Fraud Sentencing

The McBee Dynasty’s Steven “Steve” McBee Sr. took a step back from the Bravo series during season 2, later revealing his FBI investigation was to blame. As a result, his sons, Steven McBee Jr., Jesse McBee, Cole McBee and Brayden McBee, took over his responsibilities on their family farm in Missouri and also helmed their […]

Steve was charged in November with one count of federal crop insurance fraud after being accused of falsifying reports about his crop yields and misrepresenting his crop usage. His sentencing took place the following year.

Amid all the turmoil, the McBees celebrated the birth of Cole and girlfriend Kacie Adkison’s first baby, daughter Blair, in December. Blair is the first grandchild of Steve and Kristi.

2025

The McBees expanded their brood in April with the birth of Jesse and Alli’s first baby, daughter Summer.

In June, season 2 of The McBee Dynasty premiered on Bravo. It was renewed for season 3 that October.

As fans learned in more detail about Steve’s legal woes, the family awaited his sentencing, which took place in October. A judge ruled that Steve must serve two years in prison with two more years of supervised release. Us confirmed that Steve was ordered to pay $4,022,124 in restitution. According to court documents, Steve has until 2 p.m. on December 1 to self-surrender.

2026

In April 2026, Steven McBee Jr. shocked fans when he accused his girlfriend, Allie Eklund, of cheating on him during the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California.

“I still don’t know exactly what happened,” he shared via an Instagram video. “I just know there was hand holding, grinding, dancing, drunken stupor at an afterparty.”

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Steven continued, “I have no f***ing clue what was going through her mind at the afterparty other than there’s a hole there that needs attention all the time. … I thought there was some loyalty there.”

Allie later broke her silence on the situation and said it was “extremely disheartening and extremely unfair” that he posted their business on social media.

“I’ve handled everything in this relationship privately and with respect, even when it hasn’t been easy,” she shared via an Instagram Story. “This situation is painful, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’m not looking to escalate things any further, I’d like this to end here. I’ve said what feels necessary in response to his actions and I plan on taking time to process and move forward.”

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 1 minute ago

Fantasy movies have always faced an upward battle at the box office, with the exception of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, which remains the most successful traditional fantasy series in movie history. However, like that other successful fantasy franchise, Harry Potter (which with its 90s setting isn’t the same sort of swords and sorcery as Tolkien’s masterpiece), once the books were all adapted, it was running out of gas. Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was the franchise’s return to theaters, and though it was a box office disaster, now that it’s on HBO Max, the standalone anime film has finally found an audience. 

Before The War Of The Ring

The War of the Rohirrim explores the history of the kings of Rohan, dramatizing the saga of Helm Hammerhand’s daughter, Hera, loosely adapting the story from one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices. As with Rings of Power, the film attempts to bring to life the history of Middle-Earth long before the return of Sauron, but while the series found its footing in Season 2, the anime film collapses under the weight of expectations. Removed from the trappings of Middle-Earth, and the story of Hera rising above society’s expectations to save her people in their darkest hour is classic fantasy catnip, but as part of a storied franchise, it failed to meet expectations.

Narrated by Eowyn herself, Miranda Otto, War of the Rohirrim finds the Kingdom of Rohan under siege by the Dunlendings after their leader, Wulf, is humiliated when he asks for Hera’s hand in marriage. Helm Hammerhand, voiced by Succession’s Brian Cox, attempts to wage war by himself, fighting a losing battle against the vast horde despite his strength and unyielding will. It’s an exciting part of the history of Middle-Earth, and is echoed in The Two Towers, but with a better plan and more backing from Warner Bros., it could have been a hit instead of being sent out to bomb. 

When Good Isn’t Good Enough

That’s the true tragedy of War of the Rohirrim: it was created to fulfill a contract and to hold onto the film rights, and not because the studio thought it finally had a great story to tell in the world of Middle-Earth. Centering the film on Rohan was a smart move as the kingdom lends itself to the medium of anime, and though the animation itself isn’t as smooth as that of Demon Slayer, it’s perfectly serviceable and does a good job emulating the look of Jackson’s films. But “good enough” isn’t enough with one of the world’s largest franchises that happened to define the entire fantasy genre. 

In theaters, The War of the Rohirrim earned $20 million worldwide, which would be considered great for an anime film, but it also had a budget of $30 million, even before taking into account marketing, which, though slim, still cost millions. Removed from the cost of a ticket, it’s a lot easier for anyone curious to give the film a shot, and they have, powering it to debut as Max’s number one movie. The franchise will never hit the heights it did with Jackson’s trilogy, and though the film failed, an anime prequel was a bold move, and if nothing else, it’s better than Rings of Power Season 1.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is streaming on Max.

Flavor Flav is bringing the hype, and he might just show up at your door. The iconic hype man has teamed up with Sparkling Ice and LIFE SAVERS for a new campaign called “Flavor to the Rescue,” giving fans the chance to turn their most mundane moments into something unforgettable.

The concept is simple: fans can submit a “rescue request” describing a boring or routine moment in their lives that could use a boost, and one lucky winner will receive a surprise visit from Flavor Flav himself.

The grand prize experience is designed to inject energy, excitement, and a little chaos into an otherwise ordinary day, while 50 additional winners will score themed swag packs inspired by the collaboration.

Brand Says It’s All About ‘Amplifying The Moment’

Flav has already kicked things off in real life. On April 25, he was spotted at the Santa Monica Pier, surprising families, jumping into a carnival game, and turning it into a full-on hype moment, giving fans a taste of what’s to come.

“Flavor Flav built a legacy on amplifying the moment,” Lisa Holcomb, vice president of brand at Talking Rain, said. “As part of our Sparkling Ice x LIFE SAVERS ‘Flavor to the Rescue’ sweepstakes, Flavor Flav will bring a refreshing, bubbly twist to moments that could use a little lift, making them unforgettable for our fans.”

What Flavor Flav Fans Can Win

Entries for the grand prize are open through May 10, while additional prize entries will remain open until June 1. The campaign also ties into the Sparkling Ice® LIFE SAVERS drink lineup, which transforms classic candy flavors like Wild Cherry, Strawberry, Pineapple, and Green Apple into zero-sugar, low-calorie beverages.

For fans looking to add a little more “flavor” to their everyday routine, this might be one of the most unexpected and entertaining opportunities yet.

The Latest Campaign Follows His Support For Women’s Sports

The high-energy campaign comes just days after Flavor Flav made headlines for standing up for female athletes.

Flav recently invited the University of Georgia women’s tennis team to participate in a Las Vegas parade after a controversial White House visit sparked backlash online. The team, which won a national championship with a dominant 4-0 victory over Texas A&M, faced criticism after a group photo showed them positioned behind male coaches and officials.

After the image went viral, with critics calling it tone-deaf and dismissive of the players’ achievement, Flav stepped in with an offer. “YOOOO (UGA Women’s Tennis) y’all should be front and center for your celebration,” he wrote on X. “I gots a spot for your team in our SHE Weekend Parade in Vegas in July. I’ll put y’all front and center to kick off the parade!!”

Flavor Flav’s Brand Power Extends Beyond Music, Including Raising Cane’s

Beyond music and viral moments, Flavor Flav has built a reputation as a go-to personality for high-energy brand collaborations, including a standout partnership with Raising Cane’s. In 2025, Flav teamed up with the fast-food chain for a hype-filled campaign that saw him swap beats for box combos, stepping behind the counter as a fry cook and cashier. The moment turned into a full-blown spectacle, with Flav bringing his signature energy to the job, and The Blast was on site to witness it firsthand.

“I love their chicken, and I love the toast. It’s the combination of these chicken fingers and this toast,” he told the media at the event. “And not only that, but these chicken fingers don’t taste like any other chicken fingers that I’ve ever tasted.”

He doubled down on the partnership, tying it back to his larger-than-life persona. “I mean, my name is Flavor. Raising Cane’s is full of flavor, and you’ve got a whole bunch of flavors right here on this tray right now,” he added. “And who’s no better to represent flavors than your man, Flavor Flav. So, Raising Cane’s, I think y’all did the right thing by getting Flavor of Flames.”

Flav Surprises Kids With Life-Changing Donation

Later that same year, Flavor Flav teamed up once again with Raising Cane’s, this time for a meaningful cause. The partnership brought holiday cheer to Las Vegas, where they donated 100 bikes and helmets to Communities in Schools of Nevada, a nonprofit focused on helping underserved students stay in school and succeed.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 34 seconds ago

Star Wars is filled with some of the coolest villains in genre history. This includes Darth Vader, an evil cyborg space wizard with a laser sword. There’s also Boba Fett, a ruthless bounty hunter with a cool ship and cooler armor who basically invented aura farming. Oh, and let’s not forget Emperor Palpatine, who walks around in a comfy bathrobe all day, but nobody gets to laugh because the guy looks like a zombie and can shoot lightning out of his fingertips.

As cool as all those bad guys are, they aren’t my favorite Star Wars villain. My pick goes to Admiral Motti, who is best known for mouthing off to Vader before getting Force-choked in A New Hope. Most of the fandom considers this guy a joke, but he’s secretly the most relatable character in the entire franchise. You know why that is? It’s simple: he takes pride in what he does, he hates useless work meetings, he calls out colleagues for their BS, and he takes a brave stance against religious discussion in the workplace.

The Imperial Everyman

Need more of a reminder about who Admiral Motti is? He only pops up in one scene in A New Hope, when he and the other Imperial commanders are laying out some exposition and dishing on the Death Star. When Admiral Tagge points out that the Death Star is vulnerable because of the plans Leia stole, Motti defends the Empire’s latest creation, eventually declaring, “This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it!” That’s when Darth Vader begins chiding the admiral, telling him he shouldn’t be proud of the Death Star because “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”

Instead of yielding to Vader, Motti hilariously claps back, telling the Sith, “Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels’ hidden fort–.” The last word is cut off when Vader decides to Force choke the man, and he only releases his grip when ordered to do so by Grand Moff Tarkin.

Finally, A Villain We Can Relate To

Now, why is Admiral Motti the most relatable character in all of Star Wars? First, he takes pride in his work. Considering that it blows up at the end of the movie, it’s easy to see his defense of the Death Star as sheer hubris. But this guy was the head of naval operations for the battle station and was simply proud of the Empire’s latest creation. He didn’t like anyone speaking ill of the Death Star because they were effectively blaming him for the shortcomings of others. Like, Vader let the plans slip away, making the Death Star vulnerable before badmouthing it. Is it any wonder Motti hates this guy?

Also, while he had no way of knowing this, Motti’s plan would actually have saved the battle station and everyone on it from certain destruction. When he suggested using the Death Star, he presumably meant using it against any of the growing number of planets that were defying the Empire. Had Tarkin agreed to do so, the Rebellion would have slowly died as all of the planets supporting them would have been destroyed. It’s fair to say the Death Star was doomed because everyone ignored Motti, and hyper-focused so much on getting the stolen plans back, that they brought the battle station to the doorstep of the only people who had a chance to destroy it.

Who Hasn’t Choked During A Work Meeting?

Finally, Motti has the distinction of being the only character in a Star Wars movie with the balls to insult Darth Vader to his face. That alone makes him cooler than every other minor character in the franchise, combined. As an added bonus, he calls Vader out for constantly bringing up his religious beliefs in the middle of a damned work meeting. Can you imagine working with a guy who always interrupts others during a meeting to say things like “the ability to increase shareholder value is insignificant next to the power of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings.” Be honest. You’d want to see that guy die for the sin of being so freakin’ annoying.

Nobody ever calls Vader out because they are rightully scared of him on sight. Admiral Motti, however, dunked on Vader’s incompetence, chastised him for constantly talking about his religion, and even put his life on the line to achieve the ultimate workplace accomplishment: getting the “this should have been an email” meeting to end early. For all these reasons and more, I think the fandom needs to raise their blue milks and toast Admiral Motti, the most relatable character in Star Wars history!

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been floating in that strange Hollywood limbo for years now, where everyone knows another movie has been discussed, but nobody quite knows what shape it’ll actually take. The series remains one of Disney’s most recognizable live-action brands, with a world that still feels instantly familiar the second you hear the music, see a ship on open water, or remember just how weirdly emotional these movies can get when they want to. It’s been nearly a decade since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales brought a new generation into the story. Naturally, that means fans are still wondering whether any of those characters could be part of whatever comes next.

One star from the most recent movie has now shared where he stands. Speaking to Collider’s Maggie Lovitt on a panel at Calgary Expo, Brenton Thwaites, who played Henry Turner in Dead Men Tell No Tales, was asked about the possibility of returning for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Thwaites didn’t pretend to know anything official, but he made it very clear he’d be thrilled to be involved in some way, even if that meant hanging around behind the camera instead of stepping back into Henry’s boots.

“Yeah, I hope I’m in it. I don’t think I will be, but I’ll work as a grip. I’ll be behind the camera, holding a boom if I could,” said Thwaites when asked about the new film. Thwaites isn’t out here trying to tease secret talks or hype up something that may not be happening, but there’s clearly still a lot of affection there for the franchise. He also reflected on watching Dead Men Tell No Tales again with his kids, and said the movie’s emotional story hit him harder than expected, especially when it came to Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa. He told the audience:

“What I really loved — I watched the film, not for the first time, with my kids — and the storyline really almost made me cry was Geoffrey Rush’s, really. I think, in that theme of a kid trying to find a parent, on paper it looked like mine was the most through-line-y, like it kind of starts having a kid sinking to the bottom to see his dad. I think it’s about the kid trying to find his dad. And I think in the film, the emotional core of what it’s about is, you know, the surprise that Carina is Barbossa’s daughter. And as he’s falling to his death, she realizes it. It’s surprisingly really emotional.”

Brenton Thwaites Thinks Pirates of the Caribbean Can Keep Mixing Old and New Faces

What made Dead Men Tell No Tales interesting at the time was how it tried to connect the original trilogy’s legacy characters with a younger generation. Henry was the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, played by Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, while Kaya Scodelario’s Carina Smyth was revealed to be Barbossa’s daughter. The movie also brought back Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow and Rush as Barbossa, while adding Javier Bardem as the villainous Captain Salazar.

Thwaites said he believes that kind of mix has always been part of the franchise’s DNA, with new pirates and younger faces joining familiar characters as the movies go on. “Our actors always had a mix of new, younger actors and older actors. There’s always been that,” he remarked on the panel. “The pirate team kind of changes with different pirates, but yeah, I think it’s great that they continue that model, right? They have some recognizable faces from all those actors from the first film, and also some new, younger faces. So it could be a great opportunity to find another actor we’re particularly excited about. But selfishly, yes.”

As for where a sixth movie could go, Thwaites didn’t claim to have any inside knowledge. Still, he suggested the franchise could lean into the emotional parent-child territory that made Dead Men Tell No Tales land for him on rewatch, saying, “I think they’ll probably follow more down that road, but I have no idea.”

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Pirates of the Caribbean.

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Release Date

July 9, 2003

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Runtime

143 Minutes

Writers

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Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert

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