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‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Showrunner Ira Parker Says George R.R. Martin Has “Only Been a Benefit” While Filming Season 2
[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.]In the season finale of the HBO series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, set in Westeros a century before the events of Game of Thrones, hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) was left wondering just what his responsibilities toward his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) should be. The aftermath of the Trial of Seven and the death of Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) make Dunk reflect on his own regret and guilt, unsure of what to do and where to go next. When Dunk ultimately decides to take Egg back, it’s on the condition of continuing to travel as a hedge knight and getting as far away from royalty as possible.
While there is a sense of closure to the story being told over the six-episode first season, there’s also a sense of adventure to come. Already deep into production on Season 2, showrunner Ira Parker is continuing to work with the source material, following The Sworn Sword while also getting feedback from George R.R. Martin as he adds his own touches to the adventures of Dunk and Egg.
Collider recently got the opportunity to chat one-on-one with Parker about the events of the finale, poking fun at the need to rename the series A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms now (and no, the title is not actually changing), that reunion between Dunk and Sweetfoot, how that final shot with Ser Arlan riding off as Dunk and Egg go on their way came about, whether Dunk was ever really knighted, the change in dynamic between Dunk and Rafe from what was in the book, the nod to Brienne of Tarth, and the reveal that Egg lied again so that he could rejoin Dunk. Parker also talked about how far into the Season 2 production they are, whether any Season 1 cast members will show up in Dunk and Egg’s world again, the possibility of continuing beyond Season 3, and how they handle any potential changes that might need to be made.
Collider: It’s fun to see a show that feels so different from the other shows in this world, and yet still looks like it fits in this world.
IRA PARKER: I’m glad it still looks like it fits in this world. That was what made us the most nervous. One of our actor’s agents almost didn’t let them be in it because he said, “We don’t know how you’re going to make this look okay for the money that they’re giving you.” They took those words back by the end. I’m glad that this is the result.
No, the Series Will Not Be Renamed ‘A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms’
“We’re just having some fun in Westeros.”
So, do you have to rename the series now to A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms, or were you just having fun with the title card at the end of the finale?
PARKER: I think that’s probably what it was. We try not to take ourselves too seriously. We’re serious when it’s appropriate. We’re just having some fun in Westeros.
It was nice to have that little bit of humor again, after some of the heavier stuff in the last couple episodes.
PARKER: It was important to have that last little conversation between them to cleanse the palate a little bit. So much stuff has come to pass between the two of them in both of their lives, and we just needed to let the audience know, “Don’t worry, going forward, this will still be the Dunk and Egg that we all grew to know and love even before we turned that relationship upside down.
I also have to give you kudos for taking the time to reunite Dunk with Sweetfoot, the horse. Why was it important for you to find the time for that moment when that’s not something that you had to do?
PARKER: We all felt, pretty early on, that a lot of people, including us, were going to care only if Dunk got reunited with that horse. If he wins the tournament, fine. The Trial of Seven, great, we want him to live. But the horse, that was a hard seed to watch. Obviously, Dunk has a great affinity for his animals, so we felt that it was appropriate to at least address that. And he’s going to an apple farm. What could be better? It’s like horsey heaven.
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Just Achieved Something ‘House of the Dragon’ Never Has
The new ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off is a win for the franchise.
I thought there was something really beautiful about seeing Ser Arlan on Sweetfoot, heading off in another direction from Dunk and Egg. It’s far away, but I thought I saw Dunk turn and look in his direction. Did that happen? Was that moment more emotional than you expected, because it made me very emotional?
PARKER: I’m glad. That was the very last thing that I wrote for this show. It wasn’t actually in the original script, and when we were cutting all the things together, our ending didn’t feel quite right. I forget exactly when or how that came up. We were very lucky when we went back to do some of the re-shoots. We very quickly went and grabbed that, and I’m really glad that we did. First of all, Dunk is looking. There is just a little bit of something there. It’s perfect because your response is exactly what I wanted. Is he looking? Is he not? Was that on purpose? Was it not? We’re sending Ser Arlan off on his way. Ser Arlan has done his job and remained present with Dunk even after he died, but now Dunk is setting off to become his own mentor.
Well, thank you for confirming and clarifying.
PARKER: You have an eagle eye. I appreciate you picking that out.
I’ve really enjoyed watching Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell work together this season. They’re so different, but they also work so well together. They’ve been a fun odd couple/buddy comedy duo. What has most surprised you about watching them together? When there’s no way you could have known if they would work until you saw them together, was there a moment that just gave you a sigh of relief?
PARKER: In the audition, they related to each other very well physically. How do you quantify that? There was just a certain natural familiarity that they always had. They both went out of their way to forge a relationship off-screen as well, hoping that would translate to more ease and more chemistry on screen, and it worked. Those guys off-screen are exactly like the pair that they are on-screen. They needle each other, but in a brotherly way. I don’t think the mentorship is bottom up the way it is in the show. It’s more classic in real life. But there’s still a lot of back and forth, which I really appreciate. They’re just two very delightful people. George [R.R. Martin] knows what he’s doing. Those odd couple pairings he creates are like none other. We’re very happy to have Peter and Dex bringing them to life, but a lot of that comes from the source material.
Did Dunk Ever Really Get Knighted by Ser Arlan in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’?
“The whole journey is going to be about what makes a true knight.”
There’s a moment in the finale flashback when Dunk reveals that he wasn’t knighted by Ser Arlan. Why did you want to make that clear?
PARKER: It’s fascinating to me that that’s what you got out of that scene. At that moment, Dunk had never been knighted by Ser Arlan. He says, “Why did you never knight me?” And then, Ser Arlan dies, and we think it’s over. But then, he’s back and, as far as we know, the continuation of that scene is, “Boy, go get me my sword,” and then he knights him. There is no conformation, one way or the other, coming out of that scene. That’s exactly how Mr. R.R. Martin requested it. It remains [ambiguous] and people can decide for themselves. Look, Danny Webb is a fucking magician. I love him so much. He’s just become Arlan. It could have been no one else in this whole world. He was just pitch perfect, all the way up until his death. This whole journey is going to be about what makes a true knight, whether or not you’re given the title, or if you have to earn the title even after you’re given it. Can you earn it, even if you’ve never been given it?
It feels like, for someone like Dunk, it’s also very much a confidence issue because even if he really has the title, it’s not something he feels that he deserves or is worthy of.
PARKER: Yep. What person doesn’t feel that way, even deep into their careers and even successfully deep into their careers, that they’re not complete frauds and undeserving of any little morsel of praise or success that they receive. Honestly – spoiler alert, except I guess people know from the original series – even when he is more successful in his career than he is now and at quite high levels, as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, he’s still feeling that way. He’s still feeling insecure because there’s always new levels of a job. No one ever lets you stay at the same place for your whole life. As soon as you do a good job, they want you to do something that’s out of your comfort zone. And so, you can remain anxious and feeling unworthy for your entire career.
The ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off star goes deep on that surprise twist at the end of the penultimate episode.
Was there ever a version of The Trial of Seven that showed Maekar attacking Baelor? Did you always want that to be something that you held for the end of the episode?
PARKER: We always knew that because of the nature of the novella that is completely told from Dunk’s POV, that our show would follow that quite closely. We’re almost religiously in Dunk’s POV, breaking only a few times for Egg, but no one else. In that Trial of Seven, we wanted to keep it between Dunk and who he was fighting in that moment. That’s not to say we don’t see other little bits of that fight, but we do through Dunk’s perspective and Dunk’s story. When Aerion says on the ground to him very softly, “I yield, it’s over,” Dunk knows it’s over, but people are still fighting. There are still battles to the death going on and Dunk thinks, “I have to get this information out.”
It’s like those war movies when the war is over, but you still feel even more tense now because, what if somebody you love dies after the war is over and they didn’t have to? He sees these brutal fights going on. You see Maekar turning around with his flail and Baelor is still fighting with him. You see the Fossoways going at it, which is one of my favorite ones, and Dunk says, “I need to get this guy to the fucking front and end this thing right now,” and literally drags him there. So, we were always, no matter what, going to show it through Dunk’s POV. That moment at the end had to come through Dunk again. He’s just been given maybe everything he wants. He finally got through it, and maybe now he’s going to be Baelor’s guy. But as George so often does, it was not exactly meant to be that way.
Why did you decide to change Dunk’s childhood friend, Rafe, into a girl and add a bit of romantic interest to it? Did something about that relationship feel important?
PARKER: Is it 100% confirmed that Rafe was a boy?
No, it wasn’t.
PARKER: More than anything else in Dunk’s life, the fact that he was an orphan with no family probably weighs the heaviest and informs most of his decisions. Just that search for family, that search for a mother and somebody to take care of you, which he never had, is very at the core of what it is to be a lonely kid out there, trying to do better. I think Rafe fills that gap in some ways. Not in all ways. Dunk does this thing where he tries to see the very best in everyone because he really wants that family, even when it’s not quite right. I’m still not completely convinced that Rafe isn’t using him a little bit because he’s big and he’s strong, and he doesn’t seem to be that smart, so she can manipulate him. She’s not a bad person. That’s just what she has to do to get by. Dunk is quite earnest. He wears his emotions at the front. It makes you hope for good things.
Rafe is a very interesting relationship in Dunk’s life. At one point, we were going to have all of his little friends. We were going to have Rafe and Ferret and Pudding all in the mix. Of course, our budget necessities brought that all down to what we could accomplish. It originally started off as City of God in Westeros, and then it got paired down a little bit. Rafe, ultimately, was the most important of all those friendships. When a kid that age says, “I love you,” what does it really mean? What is he really saying? I’m not sure it’s romantic love, even though maybe it feels that way because they’re close in age and they only have each other. What is love? Feeling safe and protected and reassured, and somebody you can trust and rely on. Rafe probably qualifies to check off a bunch of those things, and I think a mother probably does the same. I think it was written in the script somewhere that Dunk looks at her like she’s his mother, sister, best friend and wife, all wrapped into one. He’s heaping a lot of things into that moment.
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Showrunner Ira Parker Says That Moment Connecting Dunk and Brienne of Tarth Came Up During Reshoots
“It just seemed perfect.”
You also have a subtle moment connecting Dunk and Brienne of Tarth, and I love that you not only did that, but also shot at the same location. How did all of that come about? Was that something you had always wanted to include? Did that come up later?
PARKER: That came up later. That actually came up in our reshoots. That was a scene that we had early on, that came out for budget reasons but then went back in due to cutting too deeply. We were looking for the original, original spot where they did the very first of those walks, but those trees had become a bit of a Belfast landmark and had actually been destroyed a little bit, just by all the tourism. And so, even the original series had to go, in Season 3 or 4 for the Brienne and Pod walk, had to go to a different spot that looked a lot like it and use that because they couldn’t use the original. So, we went to that one. It just seemed perfect. I loved it when I found out that we could get there and do that. That’s exactly the vibe that we were going for. I love that image of the trees touching over the street. There’s something that feels very special to me about Dunk and his great, great, great-granddaughter, whoever it is, walking along the same road. I think Season 1 is a lot about what we pass down to the next generation. We have father to son. We have knight to squire. We have master to apprentice. And so, it felt very within our motifs or themes for the season.
The ‘Game of Thrones’ series is not told chronologically.
We learn that Egg seems to be disobeying a bit again by venturing off with Dunk. How will that affect things for Egg and his family moving forward? Is Dunk ever going to get so fed up with this kid lying to him?
PARKER: We’ve tried a bunch of different versions for Season 2, big and small. It’s not actually even determined yet where we’re going to land on that. It will come back up again. It was initially meant as just a bit of a joke, but then people started telling me afterwards that, “No, it’s a huge cliffhanger, man. You have to go and address this.” And I was just like, “Oh, okay. Yeah. I suppose.” I don’t want it to distract from the main story they were telling in Season 2. That is the only goal. We don’t want to create an alternate timeline. In the book, it felt fair game to me because it’s actually never explicitly drawn that Maekar says, “Okay, my son can go squire for you.” They’re talking about it and Dunk makes a good point, but then Maekar just walks off, and a few moments later, Egg shows up. Maybe Egg was just hiding in the bushes. Maybe Egg followed his father there, and his father was going back to the castle to say, “Let’s fucking get out of here.” And then, Egg is like, “Hey, Ser, I’m allowed to come with you.” It created a little gap there. It was ambiguous enough that we didn’t feel like we were contradicting anything that had been written down. The after effects of this could potentially do that, so we were trying to be very careful.
How many of the Targaryens that we saw this season will crossover to the second season? And really, how much of the cast, in general, will we see again?
PARKER: Every book is a brand-new cast of people. George has a plan for later novellas, where certain people would come back in. We’ll see how it goes. It’s going to be, if any, quite light. There might not be any. We’re exploring. If it feels right, if it feels fun, if it adds something to it while not taking away from everything that we’re trying to do with The Sworn Sword, then it could happen.
Production of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season 2 Is Moving Right Along
“We’re doing some really cool stuff.”
How are things going with Season 2? Where are you at in the process of it all?
PARKER: We are pretty deep into shooting now. We’re seeing some scenes get cut together. I’m still writing a little bit and still tweaking here and there. But everything is going very well. I love our cast this season. I think we’re doing some really cool stuff, and some very different stuff than we did in Season 1. We’ll see. You never know until it’s out there.
You’ve said that Season 2 would also be six episodes. Has it felt challenging to tell the story with just six episodes that are at 40 minutes or less, or has it felt like a good amount because you really can pack the episodes with a lot of story?
PARKER: It is challenging to tell a drama episode in that amount of time, setting up the stakes, telling a full story, and closing it off. However, I will say it’s fortunate for us that, because we are a single POV show, it’s not like we have to manage multiple storylines in every single episode. This feels like the perfect amount for us. It never felt like we were straining or trying to fill time. We were just having fun. Ultimately, at the end of the day, we actually ended up cutting down a lot of stuff because it didn’t work or we didn’t need it or it slowed things down. I’m very grateful that HBO gave us such a wide breadth to deliver an episode in. The truth is, if an episode had come in at one full hour and it was just a banger, then it would have gone out like that. But between 35 and 40 minutes seems to really be our sweet spot.
George R.R. Martin Confirms ‘The Winds of Winter’ Isn’t His Current Priority
The author’s focus isn’t that surprising.
Do you have plans to go beyond three seasons? Have you discussed that with George R.R. Martin at all, with him still writing and things not being done? Are you worried about the Game of Thrones problem of running out of source material? How do you feel about that?
PARKER: Certainly, I’ve talked to George a lot about this, and he’s given me a bunch of paragraphs and synopses of 10 to 12 more of these – I forget and need to count them up again – to take them all the way through their whole lives, which is very exciting. And there’s a lot of really cool stuff in there. Because we actually already know all the moments that happen, because this is in the past from A Song of Ice and Fire, there’s no danger of big events being done uncanononically. Honestly, we know their fates, or George knows their fates, and we know major events that happen within their lives, we know battles that they fought in, and we know people that came in and out of their world, marriages, and deaths, and all these things. So, we actually have a fair bit to work with. We have, essentially, a finished timeline. But we’ll see. We’ll see how this first season wraps up. If people stick with us into the second season, we’ll go from there. It’s a lot of fun to write these characters.
Everything Showrunner Ira Parker Is Doing in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Is Guided by the Stories of George R.R. Martin
“We never change the story.”
Are there changes that you’ve already needed to make to material for the second book to do Season 2? Do you make those changes and then go to George R.R. Martin, or do you have to ask him about that stuff before you write it? How does that work?
PARKER: George gets sent every draft of the script, and he’s only been a benefit to the series. That’s all we want, his input. Every now and then, little things have to change, but we never change the story. The beginning is the beginning, the middle is the middle, and the end is the end. We just fill out the world and fill out the characters, and we try to do it in a way that feels seamless and that feels like he would have done it if he had written them as novels instead of novellas. Sometimes we get it wrong, but for the most part, so far, so good. We’ll see where Season 2 comes out. It’s been a joy writing in this world. Just getting to do the fun scenes and having a strong story laid down in front of you that works, what more could you hope for with a big TV series like this? It’s a story that people love. It’s quite a classic tale that can reach a lot of people. We just get to give a different bit of flavor, a little bit of a different tone, and a little bit of a different side of Westeros. We’ll see if people continue to follow us on this journey or not.
- Release Date
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January 18, 2026
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Ira Parker
- Directors
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Owen Harris
- Writers
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George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker
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Peter Claffey
Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall
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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max.
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Euphoria is finally returning for its third season on HBO following major delays and multiple cast deaths off screen — but when do the new episodes air?
HBO confirmed that the show is coming back on April 12 at 9 p.m. ET. In a press release, creator Sam Levinson teased story lines for each character in the show’s final season.
“We basically pick up Rue [Zendaya] south of the border in Mexico, in debt to Laurie [Martha Kelly], trying to come up with some very innovative ways to pay it off,” he revealed about Rue ending season 2 sober — but owing a drug dealer money after being threatened with human trafficking.
Levinson went on to address where the other characters ended up after a time jump.
Eddy Chen/HBO The third season of Euphoria is officially come back after a major delay — but not every fan favorite is returning for more episodes of the show. Euphoria, which premiered in 2019, follows troubled high school student Rue (Zendaya) as she struggles to remain sober after rehab. The ensemble cast initially included Hunter […]
“And then Cassie [Sydney Sweeney] is living in the suburbs with Nate [Jacob Elordi],” he added. “They’re engaged and she’s very addicted to social media and envious of what appears to be the big lives that all of her high school classmates are living at this point in time.”
Levinson promised the “best season yet,” sharing, “I will say that Cassie and Nate do in fact get married. I’m confirming it. And I promise that it will be an unforgettable night.”
Hunter Schafer’s Jules will be “in art school, very nervous about having a career as a painter and trying to avoid responsibility at all costs.” Maddy (Alexa Demie), meanwhile, is “working in Hollywood at a talent agency for a manager, she’s obviously got her own side hustles going.”
Euphoria fans have watched the cast change on and off screen since the series first debuted. Based on the Israeli series of the same name, Euphoria follows troubled high school student Rue (Zendaya) as she struggled to remain sober after rehab. The series also explores topics including mental illness, toxic relationships, sexuality and more. After […]
Lexi (Maude Apatow) has found success as “an assistant to a showrunner played by Sharon Stone, who is just absolutely delightful and a true icon,” Levinson concluded.
Euphoria, which premiered in 2019, originally followed troubled high school student Rue as she struggled to remain sober after rehab. The hit HBO series was quickly renewed for a second season after its premiere, but it took nearly three years for the episodes to air.
Season 3 was originally set to air on HBO in 2025 before facing several obstacles, including Levinson’s commitment to his short-lived series The Idol. The dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which took place in late 2023, prolonged the delay.
Since season 2 concluded, the cast went through a loss when Angus Cloud died at age 25 in July 2023 following an accidental overdose. The show is expected to address the fate of his character, Fezco, while Eric Dane‘s Cal made an appearance in the trailer one month after the actor’s death following a battle with ALS. He was 53.
Euphoria returns to HBO on April 12.
Joey Fatone is weighing in on the likelihood of an *NSYNC reunion, addressing the ongoing speculation that has kept fans hopeful for years. The former boy band member shared information on where things stand today, offering a clearer picture of whether the iconic group could reunite again in the future.
All The Members Of *NSYNC Discussed The Possibility Of A Reunion
In the past few years, speculation about an *NSYNC reunion has resurfaced repeatedly, fueled by fan interest and occasional public appearances by the boy band, consisting of Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, JC Chasez, and Chris Kirkpatrick.
In a conversation with Page Six published on April 10, Fatone shared an update, saying that after conferring with all the members, he now has a concrete answer. Unfortunately, it’s not something die-hard *NSYNC fans want to hear.
Fatone said the conversation was more about catching up with each other and finding out how everyone was doing. They did touch on the possibility of a reunion, but sadly, it isn’t happening. “Literally we just said, ‘Hey, do we see anything happening in a couple of years of *NSYNC?’ And that was a no,” Fatone told the outlet.
Joey Fatone ‘Finally Got An Answer’
Fatone also shared that he believes not all of the members are interested in a reunion, though he did not specify which ones. “So do I see anything happen in the next two to four years? Probably not. Flat out. Finally got an answer,” he shared.
The former boy band member made it clear that a reunion is unlikely in the next few years, but he did not completely shut down the idea of it happening down the line.
In 2025, Fatone publicly shared his interest in reuniting with his former bandmates, but back then, they hadn’t talked about it. He admitted that it was difficult to get all five members’ schedules aligned, as reported by The Blast. “Everybody has families and relationships now. It’s hard to get the five of us together and it’s a huge commitment,” Fatone said at that time.
*NSYNC Announced An Indefinite Hiatus In 2002
*NSYNC formed in 1995 and released their debut single, “I Want You Back,” in Germany in 1996. It was released in the U.S. in 1998 and was followed by several hit songs, including “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” “Bye Bye Bye,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” and “This I Promise You.” After four albums together, the band went on an indefinite hiatus, but did not make a formal breakup announcement.
Following their Celebrity Tour in 2002, the group decided to take a break and pursue other opportunities individually. In November that same year, Timberlake released his first solo album, “Justified.” In 2017, Timberlake revealed that he left the group because he felt he “cared more about the music than some of the other people in the group.”
Joey Fatone Felt ‘Blindsided’
In 2023, Fatone shared his thoughts about *NSYNC’s “breakup,” telling Yahoo Entertainment what happened behind the scenes. He said he wasn’t surprised about the band’s “breakup,” but felt “blindsided” after learning that Timberlake was releasing his own album and touring. In his mind, Timberlake was going to pursue a solo career, but would be coming back to *NSYNC.
However, he didn’t blame Timberlake. Instead, he said “it was the record company” that didn’t keep him in the loop about what was going to happen.
In 2024, Bass and Kirkpatrick also talked about that time in the documentary “Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands,” saying they were told *NSYNC was getting back together after a six-month break. “That just never happened. So it just fazed out without any fanfare, at all, with no goodbye. We just never got back together,” Bass said.
Kirkpatrick recalled feeling “anger,” “animosity,” and “resentment” back then, adding that they were confused about what was happening with the boy band.
*NSYNC’s Last Performance Together Was In 2024
Though not officially reuniting as *NSYNC, the five members have performed together as a boy band over the years. In 2013, they reunited at the MTV Video Music Awards, where they performed a medley of their songs. Ten years later, all five members got together to release the song “Better Place,” which they collaborated on for the movie “Trolls Band Together.”
Their last performance together as a group was in March 2024, a surprise performance at Timberlake’s “One Night Only” concert in L.A. *NSYNC performed a few of their hits, including “Bye Bye Bye,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” and “Girlfriend,” much to the delight of fans. They also performed “Paradise,” one of the tracks in Timberlake’s 2024 album, “Everything I Thought It Was,” that features his former band members.
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There’s “The Sopranos” and “The Wire,” of course, but our list also highlights under-the-radar gems like “Landscapers” and “Five Days.”
After sampling the other two Flavor Swap flavors, I have reached the final bag: iShowSpeed’s Doritos x Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream. In full disclosure, I don’t know what a Dorito should actually taste like. I recognize the red and blue bags from childhood soccer games, but I rarely encountered a Dorito since graduating from college. I’m not going to date myself and say how long ago that was, but I will say that it has been a while since I’ve eaten a Dorito. I was worried that I might be opening a door to a new addiction when I popped open the bag, but fortunately, these Doritos just didn’t do it for me. And I wasn’t alone in my assessment. My Dorito-loving friends who took this taste test with me also didn’t see much to write home about.
Doritos Did Not Win This Flavor Swap
Out of the Flavor Swap Cheetos and Ruffles potato chips, I declared Ruffles the winner. My opinion has not changed, and I am not honestly sure the Cheetos or the Doritos deserve the second spot, because I disliked them both equally. The Cheetos were missing the cheese dust that everyone expects from a Cheeto, and the Doritos were lacking flavor.
At first, I thought I got a bad bag, as the Doritos tasted a bit stale to me. I was quickly informed that’s just how Doritos taste (are tortilla chips really supposed to be THAT crunchy, though?) My second thought was that the Doritos didn’t really taste like anything.
That comment got pretty much universal agreement. One taster spent a whole episode of “Scrubs” trying to figure out what it reminded them of before they realized they were thinking about the limited edition Doritos flavor that was essentially flavorless.
Wait, Did Doritos Really Make A Flavorless Dorito?
After doing my research on snack foods, I learned that Doritos actually became the very first tortilla chip available for purchase in the United States in 1966. Their original flavor was just “toasted corn.” The iconic taco seasoning wasn’t introduced until 1967, and the nacho cheese chip didn’t surface on grocery store shelves until 1972.
Although they’re known for their eclectic flavors, the original “Toasted Corn” plain chips were discontinued in 2019. However, they are still reportedly available in the UK, where they are called “Lightly Salted” and made up of ground corn (maize), vegetable oil, and salt.
Ironically, although the original Doritos product was a success, they began to add seasoning because – you guessed it – many customers, especially those in the Southwest, thought that they were too bland. Unfortunately, this Flavor Swap flavor might be a little too close to the original.
So Who Is iShowSpeed?
I’m going to again be showing my age a bit here, but I had never heard of iShowSpeed before this Flavor Swap test. To be fair, I had never heard of Dude Perfect, either, until I tried their Flavor Swap mash-up. I was more familiar with Madison Beer, but I had only heard a few of her songs. Considering that this product launch was targeted towards a Gen-Z audience, I’m clearly in the wrong demographic, but I enjoyed taking an opportunity to learn more about celebrities who are apparently famous enough to appear on a chip bag.
iShowSpeed, real name Darren Jason Watkins Jr., has been described as “one of the most energetic and chaotic streamers” on social media. He’s best known for gaming, variety streams, high-energy reactions, and IRL adventures. He got his start early, hosting gameplay videos on YouTube in 2016 when he was only 11 years old, and started streaming in 2019.
His channel grew big in 2021 thanks to some of his TikTok clips going viral. As of 2026, he has over 50 million subscribers across his main YouTube channels and around 47 million followers on Instagram.
Who Won The Taste Test?
Dude Perfect’s mashup of Doritos Cool Ranch and Ruffles easily won this taste test for me. The texture of the chip and the bite were just right. I highly recommend that you pick up a bag if you see it in stores. It is a limited edition flavor, after all.
Madison Beer put Lay’s Sweet Southern Heat BBQ seasoning on Cheetos Crunchy, and it still does not appeal to me. The “heat” was missing, and the lack of cheese made it less like a Cheeto and more like a puffy snack. I think it ties with these Doritos. Neither one brought the flavor the bag seemed to promise.
However, I have learned a bit more about three celebrities that I didn’t know much about before, so I’m sure they’ll count that as a win. It remains to be seen how successful the PepsiCo Foods Flavor Swap experiment was, but if it was profitable, I’m sure we’ll see more influencers gracing the packaging of more chip bags.
Anyone else interested in a Miss Vickie’s x Fritos mash-up?
Last year, Fargo writer Noah Hawley added to the ever-expanding lore of the Alien franchise with Alien: Earth, a sci-fi show that proved hugely popular with critics. Perhaps due to some mixed reviews from fans of the franchise, the decision to renew Alien: Earth for Season 2 officially came last November, with the likes of Sydney Chandler’s Wendy, Alex Lawther‘s Joe, Essie Davis’ Dame Sylvia, and more set to return.
Just days ago, the most exciting news yet ahead of the return of Alien: Earth landed, as it was confirmed that Peter Dinklage, the beloved actor behind the likes of Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones and more recently Leon Prater in the debut season of Dexter: Resurrection, has officially joined the cast of Season 2. Anticipation is now slowly building nicely for the next chapter in one of sci-fi’s most impressive stories, even if any news of who Dinklage is playing in the series is likely to stay quiet for some time.
Ahead of Alien: Earth Season 2, it seems fans are getting in the mood by revisiting some of the franchise’s recent past. At the time of writing, Alien: Romulus, director Fede Álvarez‘s ushering in of a new era for the series, has landed in the top ten most-watched movies on HBO Max in the U.S. Starring the likes of Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, and Isabela Merced in a fresh-faced cast, the movie impressed critics, earning an 80% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus on the site reading, “Honoring its nightmarish predecessors while chestbursting at the seams with new frights of its own, Romulus injects some fresh acid blood into one of cinema’s great horror franchises.”
What Did Collider Say About ‘Alien: Romulus’?
Ross Bonaime reviewed Alien: Romulus back in 2024 for Collider, awarding a strong 8/10 score and praising the performances and direction. However, Bonaime criticized the movie’s choice to heavily reference its own past, saying, “Alien: Romulus has plenty of its own solid ideas on how to build this world in ways we haven’t seen before, but it’s a shame that a strong opening and ending are bookmarking a film that’s stuck in so many decades of callbacks and reminders of this franchise’s past.” He later added, “Alien: Romulus proves that for the Alien franchise to move forward, it might have to quit looking backward so much.”
Alien: Romulus is streaming on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.
- Release Date
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August 16, 2024
- Runtime
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119 Minutes
- Director
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Fede Alvarez
- Writers
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Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues, Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Network television is packed with procedural dramas. From the Carrie Preston-led spin-off of The Good Wife, Elsbeth, to an ongoing second season of High Potential, and ABC’s action-packed cop series The Rookie, some of the best shows airing right now are procedurals. Not just drawing impressive numbers on networks, these shows are also hits on streaming sites, often doing battle with streaming original content and coming out victorious.
One of the best action procedurals in the midst of an acclaimed third season is Tracker, a CBS series adapting the 2019 novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver. After premiering back in April 2024 with a helpful post-Super Bowl LVIII viewership boost, the adventures of skilled survivalist Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) and his money-making scheme assisting law enforcement and citizens have been a mainstay in the viewing habits of many millions. The current third season, which debuted in October 2025, opened to over eight million U.S. viewers on CBS, according to reports, a number that has stayed consistent throughout the season so far.
But what about streaming? Tracker continues to prove strong competition for Paramount+ original content, such as the many shows of Taylor Sheridan, including Landman and Tulsa King. In fact, so popular has the series been during the past few months that it has now passed a major new milestone. Officially, across all Amazon channels on Paramount+, Tracker has surpassed 100 days in the top ten. Other shows currently proving popular on Paramount+ include the adult animated comedy South Park, Sheridan’s The Madison starring Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer, and Marshals starring Luke Grimes.
‘Tracker’ Returns This Sunday
After a pulse-pounding Episode 15 last week, Colter is back this Sunday with Episode 16, “Struck.” “A pregnant wife reaches out to Colter to find her missing husband,” a synopsis for the episode reads, with the script penned by Alex Katnelson and Amanda Mortlock, and the episode directed by Ben Hernandez Bray. Once this third season comes to an end, fans can look forward to a future for Colter, with Tracker already renewed for Season 4. Star Hartley executive produces the beloved modern action procedural, alongside Ken Olin, Elwood Reid, Connie Dolphin, Sharon Lee Watson, and Katsnelson.
Tracker Season 3, Episode 16 will air on CBS on Sunday, April 12, at 9 pm EST, and it will be available to stream the next day on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.
- Release Date
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February 11, 2024
- Showrunner
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Elwood Reid
- Writers
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Ben H. Winters, Hilary Weisman Graham
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Justin Hartley
Colter Shaw
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Sadie Robertson offered a critical update on her baby daughter Kit’s condition after the child choked and stopped breathing.
“I’m currently walking through the waves of anxiety from the trauma of the situation, and the immense gratitude for the miracle of Kit’s full recovery and God’s undeniable hand on this situation,” Robertson, 28, revealed via Instagram on Saturday, April 11. “I’ve been off social media and having my family and amazing team help me on here for some time while I work on having a sound mind.”
The Duck Dynasty star then offered a full explanation of why she has been away from Instagram in recent days, adding that her experience with Kit was “hard to talk about in my real life, much less on social media.”
“Kit was sitting in her high chair this week, eating a snack while I was finishing up dinner prep, when she began to choke. Within seconds, you could tell the severity of the situation. My mom pulled her from the high chair and placed my girl into my arms just as she stopped breathing,” she recalled. “Everyone went into action and into prayer. Mom called 911, I started CPR, and everyone began to pray out loud and move the other kids downstairs.”
Sadie Robertson and husband Christian Huff are happily expecting their third baby — but their relationship isn’t without its bumps. “When we got married, Christian became a true partner in life with me and a best friend,” Robertson, 27, exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly, applauding her husband, 27, for diving into […]
Robertson described herself as someone who “likes to be prepared for all situations,” so she’d previously watched videos on administering CPR “while hoping and praying I would never have to use this knowledge.”
“I can only explain it now like my body just knew what to do. I felt God’s Spirit guiding me, partnering with me in what I had learned and seen. I remember saying out loud, ‘what do I do?’ and then immediately started doing it and declaring life,” she recalled.
The reality star went on, “After following protocol for a baby choking and doing CPR, Kit miraculously coughed and began to breathe, just as the paramedics arrived… it was truly terrifying, but God. I rode in the back of the ambulance with my girl, still afraid, but praising God.”
Kit is the youngest of three daughters that Robertson shares with her husband, Christian Huff, whom she wed in 2019. (The couple are also parents to Honey James Huff, 4, and Haven Belle Huff, 2. Kit arrived in August 2025.)
Robertson shared that Kit ultimately made a full recovery after spending one night in a local hospital.
“Christian drove behind [us to the hospital], following us, and told me there was a rainbow over the ambulance the whole way there😭🌈,” she wrote. “We stayed the night for observation, but she charmed the nurses just a few hours later and is now perfectly healthy, happy, and brightening everyone’s day!”
Robertson accompanied the post with a video of Kit laying peacefully on her lap, calling her child’s survival a “miracle.”
The “WHOA, That’s Good podcast” host has frequently spoken over the years about how motherhood fundamentally changed her.
Sadie Robertson Huff and her husband, Christian Huff, opened up about being robbed during a recent family trip. “It’s so sad too because we had our car seats and strollers and diaper bag in [a car that was robbed],” Sadie, 28, revealed on her “WHOA That’s Good Podcast” on Tuesday, July 22. “Of course, they […]
“I met someone today who has seen my messages and she said ever since you became a mom you just seem ‘settled.’ She would be correct,” Robertson wrote via Instagram in 2024. “Since becoming a mom I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to the world … or maybe just my idea of ‘the world’ changed. the world used to be everyone outside of my home … now it’s the ones in it.”
More recently, Robertson confirmed on her podcast in March that she and Huff are in no rush to have their fourth child.
“We’re not planning on having a fourth child anytime soon. Ideally, we’re going to give it a lot of space in between,” Robertson told her listeners. “I would love some time to heal my body and also just enjoy the stage we’re in, but we’d love to one day have another baby.”
With shows such as Bosch and The Walking Dead still on the air, albeit in different shapes from what they once were, it would be unfair to accuse Netflix’s first-ever original series of outstaying its welcome. The show premiered during the Golden Age of Television, but inadvertently kicked off a new wave of programming that thrives to this day. However, in its final stages, the show was struck by an existential blow. Instead of quietly conceding defeat, the show returned in an unrecognizable form for one last season. In total, it ran for six seasons from 2013 to 2018; at its peak, it was one of the most acclaimed shows in the world. It remains a key chapter in the streaming era, having legitimized Netflix and proven that A-list talent could survive and thrive in uncharted waters with strong financial support.
However, the show is not available to every subscriber on its home platform. According to What’s On Netflix, it is among the 59 titles not available to subscribers on the streamer’s ad-supported tier. Netflix does this because it isn’t allowed to monetize property it doesn’t own, and even though the show in question was the first original in its library, the streamer doesn’t own it. We’re talking, of course, about the political drama House of Cards, created by Beau Willimon and executive-produced by David Fincher, who also directed the pilot episode. The show, inspired by William Shakespeare‘s Macbeth, followed a Machiavellian politician through the ranks of power in Washington, D.C. The protagonist was played by Kevin Spacey, whose personal scandals forced a major creative overhaul ahead of the sixth season.
‘House of Cards’ Peaked on Rotten Tomatoes in Its First Season
Spacey’s character was written off the show, with Robin Wright taking over as the protagonist for the sixth and final season. House of Cards was based on the British series of the same name. It was critically acclaimed at the beginning, but scores started to decline as the years went by. House of Cards holds an overall 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes, peaking at 87% for the first season and going out with a final season that scored 65%. Besides Spacey and Wright, House of Cards also featured Michael Kelly, Corey Stoll, Mahershala Ali, Joel Kinnaman, and Neve Campbell, among others. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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2013 – 2018-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Beau Willimon
- Directors
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Beau Willimon
- Writers
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Beau Willimon
A hole-in-one is always cause for celebration — but Shane Lowry’s celebration is going to be even more special.
After hitting an ace on the sixth hole at Augusta National during the third round of the 2026 Masters on Saturday, April 11, Lowry became the first golfer ever to hit two holes-in-one on that iconic course, according to golf reporter Justin Ray.
Back in 2016, Lowry hit an ace during that year’s Masters Tournament on the 16th hole.
Ten years later, he made another coveted — and rare — hole-in-one on the same course.
The Masters reigning champion Rory McIlroy spent the first two rounds of the 2026 tournament paired with 18-year-old Mason Howell — and left the young golfer with some sound advice. “Hopefully he saw that you don’t have to be perfect to shoot good scores,” McIlroy said to reporters after the second round of The Masters […]
Lowry’s shot was the seventh hole-in-one at the sixth hole at Augusta National.
The ace put Lowry tied for second place on the scoreboard, three shots behind leader Rory McIlroy.
After the first two rounds of the tournament, McIlroy held a record six-shot lead.
“I’ve always felt like this golf course can let you get on runs if you allow it,” McIlroy told reporters after the second round on Friday. “I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn’t think I’d birdie six of the last seven. But it just shows what you can do around here.”
Shane Lowry plays his shot from the fourth tee during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament Hector Vivas/Getty Images
He continued, “I’ve certainly had times where I’ve felt in the zone or in that flow state or whatever you want to call it. Yeah, maybe this afternoon was one of those times. … I definitely find a sense of flow in those last few holes. The only way I can describe it is everything you see or any situation you come across, you can find a positive in it.”
The reigning Masters champion teed off for the third round Saturday afternoon. The tournament runs until Sunday, April 12.
McIlroy began his tournament paired with 18-year-old Mason Howell — the U.S. Amateur champion — and left him with some advice after Howell missed the cut on day two of the tournament.
It seems like Byeong Hun An doesn’t believe in jinxes. “Congrats to Rory Mcilroy [sic] for winning back to back Masters,” An, 34, said in a Friday, April 10 post via X, days before the iconic tournament is scheduled to conclude. The message, instead, came after McIlroy’s historic first two rounds at the 2026 Masters […]
“Hopefully he saw that you don’t have to be perfect to shoot good scores,” McIlroy said to reporters on Friday. “I think when I was 18 and I started to play tour events, I thought that pros just didn’t make mistakes, and he saw plenty of mistakes out of me over the first two days.”
He continued, “Again, I fell back on my short game and my wedge play. So hopefully he saw someone that wasn’t perfect but was very efficient with how he scored, and I think to be successful at the professional level, that’s a big part of it.”
McIlroy continues to hold his lead through Saturday afternoon, but Lowry’s hole-in-one is undoubtedly the highlight of the day… so far.
Golfers who hit a hole-in-one during the Masters are awarded a crystal bowl. This one can go right next to Lowry’s inaugural bowl on the mantle.
Most comedies tend to stick to the same tried-and-true formulas. Whether it’s a multi-cam sitcom (like CBS’s Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage) or a darker 30-minute comedy (like HBO’s Rooster), it can be extremely difficult to come up with an entirely fresh concept for a series that will actually shake up things for the viewer. However, in 2023, Prime Video released a show that quickly became a word-of-mouth sensation — and now, the streamer has dropped a reimagining for Season 2 that is every bit as funny.
What Is ‘Jury Duty’ About?
The first season of Jury Duty centers around a fake trial involving a real juror named Ronald Gladden, who ends up in a courtroom where lots of kooky and hilarious situations unfold. The twist is that everyone surrounding Ronald is an actor, from the judge to his fellow jurors, and Ronald has no idea that he’s taking part in a long-term Candid Camera-type prank. Despite the comedy set-ups becoming increasingly unhinged the longer the trial goes on, Ronald never catches on. Even the appearance of James Marsden (playing himself) as a fellow juror doesn’t tip Ronald off that he’s an unreal environment.
Ronald, set up as the hero of the show, comes across as a courageous yet quiet man who pursues justice in a 12 Angry Men-style scenario. It’s not until the end that all is revealed to Ronald, and then the viewer is treated to an incredible behind-the-scenes look at how the entire gag was accomplished. The series is both incredibly funny and super touching, especially as Ronald’s kind personality shines through.
If ‘Jury Duty’ was the proof of concept, ‘Company Retreat’ is strong evidence that this format still has legs.
‘Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat’ Offers Even More Side-Splitting Laughs
The first season of Jury Duty was a smash hit, but many assumed that there would be no way to recreate the exact circumstances needed to pull off such a massive trick again. Somehow, the show has figured it out, with a second season called Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, which has just been released on Prime Video. With a brand-new setting and impressive actors, the series manages to become even more hilarious in its second outing. Season 2’s hero, Anthony Norman, has been hired as a temp assistant at a family-owned hot sauce company called Rockin’ Grandma’s. He thinks he’s accompanying the group of employees on their annual company retreat, but, once again, every person around Anthony is an actor.
You might assume that trying to repeat the massive success of the first season of Jury Duty would be a mistake, but Season 2 is successful because the show once again finds the perfect hero. Anthony jumps into his role with zero hesitation, is incredibly warm and friendly to his co-workers, and by the end of the retreat, has become like family to them. In some ways, Anthony fits into the group even more seamlessly than Ronald did.
Much of this has to do with Ronald treating his jury duty responsibilities much more seriously, whereas. Anthony is thrust into situations where he can immediately show off his gregarious personality, and this allows him to bond with everyone fairly quickly, helping Season 2 to feel even more light-hearted and upbeat than Season 1 did. Without spoiling the ending, Anthony is also every bit the hero by the end of the season, swooping in to save the day in a way that will warm your heart. That’s not to say that Company Retreat is all schmaltz — there are still plenty of off-color jokes, pratfalls, and odd humor that will have you laughing the whole time.
Both seasons of Jury Duty deserve a binge-watch. Every actor is a master at improvisation, and the cast as a whole, along with Ronald and Anthony, respectively, work together to create storylines that you’ll have to remind yourself aren’t actually real. We’re still not sure how the creative team could come up with an equally brilliant third season, but so far, Prime Video’s best and most unlikely sitcom has already struck gold twice over.
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