TeaMates, in case you missed it, Big Lex has officially been crowned the ‘Baddies’ Champion after defeating her co-star Tesehki in a highly anticipated boxing match. The matchup served as part of the undercard for Claressa Shields vs. Kaye Scott at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday. Big Lex secured the victory by unanimous decision after the fight went the full distance across three two-minute rounds. Shields, who previously trained with Big Lex ahead of the matchup, also walked away with a win over Scott after previously showing support for Big Lex as the underdog. Big Lex’s victory appeared to surprise some social media users, who quickly took to the internet to share their reactions. Among those reactions was one from Tesehki’s younger sister, Chrisean Rock, who watched the fight during a livestream.

Related: Social Media Sounds OFF After Claressa Shields Trains Big Lex Ahead Of Her Boxing Match Against Tesehki (VIDEO)

Chrisean Rock Says She Needs That Fade After Watching Her Sister Lose To Big Lex

While Big Lex and Tesehki’s highly anticipated matchup had viewers tuned in, Chrisean was streaming her live reaction to the fight on KICK.

At the beginning of the matchup, Chrisean appeared excited as she cheered her sister on from her living room. She even mimicked boxing movements and offered what seemed like coaching advice as Tesehki went head-to-head with Big Lex.

As the fight progressed and Big Lex appeared to gain momentum, Chrisean’s energy quickly shifted. She went from cheering her sister on to visibly emotional, yelling, “Tiffah!” as the action intensified.

The fight ultimately went the full distance before Big Lex was announced as the winner by unanimous decision. Once the decision was announced, Chrisean was visibly heartbroken over her sister’s loss. Through tears, she told viewers, “I’ma have to take that fade,” seemingly suggesting she may want to step into the ring with Big Lex herself.

Social Media Reacts

Clips of Chrisean’s emotional reaction quickly circulated online, prompting social media users to share their thoughts on her response to the fight.

Instagram user @iamsheiktv wrote, “yall would hate to see how I’d act 🤣”

Another Instagram user @kaylaneshay wrote, “I’m on that bout my sister too 🤣 but I feel like that wasn’t a real figth probably paid her to lose”

While Instagram user @honeey.shayy_ wrote, “She must’ve lost money or sumn bc why she crying?? 🤣😭”

Instagram user @asmr.ashley wrote, “It’s never that deep I mean NEVER 😂”

Another Instagram user @only_reekw wrote, “Lucy she wasn’t there she probably would’ve jumped in the ring 😂😂😂”

While Instagram user @kaylazh wrote, “Rock please you barely like her lmao”

Instagram user @kompozed_ wrote, “Yoo this how the whole internet was feeling last night 😂😂”

Another Instagram user daddy.alaiya wrote, “when she swung 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂”

While Instagram user @riah.reneeeee wrote, “Regardless what they go thru her reaction is genuine. I’d be pissed to I can’t watch nobody I love get hit bro I’m automatically jumping in”

Karlissa Saffold Tells Chrisean Rock To Keep Her Hands Off Blueface

Before reacting to her sister’s matchup, Chrisean was already making headlines after a livestream moment with Blueface.

While livestreaming, the two appeared to engage in a playful sparring session. However, the interaction took a turn when one of Chrisean’s hits connected with Blueface’s face.

Blueface reacted to the moment, and Chrisean grabbed his face and kissed him on the nose, seemingly attempting to smooth things over.

The moment caught the attention of Blueface’s mother, Karlissa Saffold. After clips of the interaction circulated online, Karlissa took to her Instagram Story with a message for Chrisean. “Chrisean please keep your hands off my baby. Thank you,” she wrote.

Related: Chrisean Rock & Blueface Set Off Internet Users After She Says They’re Bigger Than Jay-Z & Beyoncé (VIDEOS)

The 1980s were an exciting time for sci-fi, as the political climate and shifting technological landscape gave writers a lot to work with. Personal computers were becoming increasingly important, biotechnology was advancing, and the Cold War still held the world in its grip; the genre responded by becoming stranger and darker.

Many of the classics of that time are bleak and paranoid, suggesting that technology might create just as many problems for humanity as it solves. For this reason, some 1980s sci-fi novels have aged very well. Here are a few of the finest of them.

10

‘Firestarter’ (1980)

Image via Viking

“Some abilities are too dangerous for anyone to control.” With Firestarter, Stephen King took some ideas he’d touched on with Carrie but gave them a more action-packed, overtly sci-fi treatment. The book tells the story of Andy McGee and his daughter Charlie, who has extraordinary abilities because of a government experiment in which Andy and his future wife participated years earlier. Charlie can generate fire with her mind. This makes her an enormously valuable weapon to the clandestine agency known as the Shop.

The plot unfolds as a relentless pursuit. At its core, Firestarter is a paranoid thriller that rhymes thematically with 1970s bangers such as The Parallax View, which were very suspicious about the government and its secrets. Many books and movies have borrowed from it. Decades later, King’s son Joe Hill, too, would pay significant homage to Firestarter in his own novel The Fireman.

9

‘The Uplift War’ (1987)

“Humanity isn’t alone—and certainly isn’t in charge.” This space opera takes place largely on the planet Garth, where avian aliens known as the Gubru seize control while humanity is embroiled in a much larger interstellar conflict. Humans and their uplifted chimpanzee allies must navigate occupation, resistance, alien politics, and the complicated rules governing Galactic civilization. It’s a colorful, sweeping tale of space-age culture clash.

Here, author David Brin imagines an ancient interstellar society in which humanity is a strange newcomer surrounded by alien species whose civilizations stretch back millions of years. In addition to the Gubru, there are the Tymbrimi, who have tentacles on their threads that can shift and form symbols; as well as the Thennanin, 7-foot-tall telepathic reptilians, and even genetically engineered neo-dolphins and neo-gorillas. At the core of all this is “uplift”, where pre-sapient animals are modified to achieve higher intelligence.

8

‘Ender’s Game’ (1985)

Image via Tor Books

“The enemy’s gate is down.” The movie adaptation was disappointing, but the Ender’s Game novel remains a classic. With it, Orson Scott Card took the familiar premise of humanity preparing for war against an alien civilization and focused it through the perspective of a brilliant child. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is recruited into Battle School because military leaders believe his unusual combination of intelligence, empathy, and ruthlessness could make him humanity’s greatest commander.

Through increasingly difficult simulations and games, Ender learns to think about conflict in entirely new ways while remaining largely unaware of how completely the adults around him are controlling his development. Card makes the Battle Room sequences especially memorable by turning zero-gravity combat into a series of tactical puzzles. Yet the novel’s enduring power comes from the moral consequences of that training, and the themes continue to hit hard.

7

‘Speaker for the Dead’ (1986)

“Understanding can be more difficult than victory.” Speaker for the Dead is the sequel to Ender’s Game. Rather than treading the ground of the first book, the novel changes direction considerably, in a good way, transforming Ender’s story into an exploration of guilt. Thousands of years have passed through the effects of relativistic space travel, and Ender now travels between human colonies working as a Speaker for the Dead, a person who tells the complete truth about someone who has died.

In this case, he writes about the dormant Formic Queen whom he secretly carries. At the same time, Ender travels to the planet Lusitania, where he encounters a community divided by secrets and a mysterious indigenous species known as the pequeninos, whose behavior humans repeatedly misinterpret. The central conflict therefore becomes one of understanding rather than conquest.

6

‘Life, the Universe and Everything’ (1982)

“The universe is ridiculous enough without anyone trying to destroy it.” Life, the Universe and Everything is the wonderful third installment in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Having perfected his recipe of sci-fi crossed with absurdist comedy, Douglas Adams expands the series into a genuine universe-threatening adventure. In it, Arthur Dent once again finds himself dragged across space and time, eventually becoming involved in an attempt to prevent the inhabitants of the planet Krikkit from destroying the rest of the universe.

Naturally, the resulting story involves bizarre technology, impossible coincidences, robots, aliens, and hilarious digressions that are often more memorable than the central plot itself. Adams’ genius lies in treating big-brain sci-fi concepts as opportunities for philosophical jokes. Artificial intelligence, time travel, interstellar warfare, and the nature of existence are simultaneously taken seriously and rendered completely silly, often within the same paragraph.

Image via Simon and Schuster

“The universe is a pretty big place.” Although best known for his nonfiction science communication, particularly the landmark book and TV series Cosmos, Carl Sagan also penned one of the best sci-fi novels ever. Contact (later made into a film by Robert Zemeckis) centers on Ellie Arroway, whose lifelong search for extraterrestrial intelligence finally produces an astonishing result when an unmistakably artificial signal arrives from the star Vega. Hidden within the transmission are instructions for constructing an enormously complicated machine.

Governments and scientists all around the world are left scrambling to determine what the device does and whether humanity should risk building it. Sagan gets incredibly thoughtful with this premise. Scientists debate the signal’s meaning, governments compete for influence, religious movements respond to its implications, and all of humanity is forced to confront how little it truly understands about the universe.

4

‘The Shadow of the Torturer’ (1980)

Image via Simon & Schuster

“The future can become so old that it resembles the past.” This is the opening entry in the masterful Book of the New Sun series, a seminal sci-fi/fantasy hybrid. Our protagonist is Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers who is exiled after showing mercy to a prisoner. His journey through the immense city of Nessus and beyond exposes readers to forgotten technologies, ancient institutions, bizarre creatures, and fragments of history whose true meanings are rarely explained directly.

Author Gene Wolfe trusts readers to interpret his world for themselves. Severian is an unreliable narrator, as well, meaning that every detail potentially contains information that only becomes meaningful much later. For that reason, The Shadow of the Torturer rewards rereading. The world-building here is simply rich, too, full of visions, seemingly magical gems, and a badass sword named Terminus Est.

3

‘Foundation’s Edge’ (1982)

“The closer to the truth, the better the lie, and the truth itself, when it can be used, is the best lie.” Foundation’s Edge is the fourth book in Isaac Asimov‘s landmark Foundation series, arriving a full thirty years after the first three stories. It picks up centuries into the Foundation’s grand project of shortening humanity’s coming dark age, as councilman Golan Trevize begins to suspect that the supposedly destroyed Second Foundation is still secretly manipulating events.

His investigation sends him and historian Janov Pelorat across the galaxy, gradually transforming a political mystery into a search for something far stranger. Although not as good as its predecessors, Foundation’s Edge is still a respectable achievement. In particular, it revisits ideas the author first developed in the 1940s and ’50s without simply repeating them. The result is a cerebral space opera with a lot of philosophical heft.

2

‘Hyperion’ (1989)

Image via Doubleday

“Every pilgrim has a story.” Few science fiction novels combine as many different traditions as confidently as Hyperion. With it, writer Dan Simmons draws on space opera, horror, literary fiction, cyberpunk, romance, religion, and the structure of Chaucer‘s Canterbury Tales to create a truly unique experience. In the novel, seven pilgrims travel toward the mysterious Time Tombs on the planet Hyperion, where they expect to encounter the terrifying creature known as the Shrike (one of the genre’s most fascinating creations).

During their journey, each traveler recounts the events that brought them there, with every story adopting a different tone and subgenre. One account becomes military science fiction, another resembles detective noir, while others explore tragedy, horror, artificial intelligence, religion, and time itself. Even more importantly, the character development is just as thorough and convincing as the world-building.

1

‘Neuromancer’ (1984)

Image via Ace Books

“The future arrived wearing mirrored shades.” This is the ur-text of cyberpunk. Neuromancer centers on Case, a former hacker whose ability to enter cyberspace has been chemically destroyed after he betrayed his employers. Offered the chance to regain that power, he joins a mysterious operation involving mercenary Molly Millions, powerful corporations, artificial intelligence, and secrets hidden within the digital world.

Along the way, author William Gibson immerses us in a vision of the future that’s grimy, globalized, commercially saturated, and technologically astonishing. In the process, he pioneered several concepts and terms (including “cyberspace” itself) and predicted things like widespread internet access and megacorporations that wield almost as much power as governments. At the same time, he doesn’t scrimp on the atmosphere, conjuring up a striking mood of danger, seduction, and rebel cool. Not for nothing, this banger took home both the Hugo and the Nebula.

Kevin Smith has most prominently made his mark on pop culture as a filmmaker, establishing the View Askewniverse with the classic Clerks and expanding to more ambitious, weird, and comedic places from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back to Chasing Amy and Tusk. However, as an avid comic fan, his work has also extended to the page. He’s not only used the medium for more View Askewniverse stories, but has also created some memorable storylines for Marvel and DC characters like Daredevil, Green Arrow, and even Batman. With the announcement earlier this month that the superheroes of Earth-616 would collide with the characters from a galaxy far, far away for the first time in the crossover event Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles, it’s no surprise then that the multihyphenate icon was tapped to pen the historic five-part limited series.

Featuring art by David Marquez, the comic will release in January 2027, just in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. It’s a collaboration that’s been envisioned for decades, and the cover artwork teases the possibilities of the crossover, with Luke Skywalker and Captain America among the heroes standing together against the united might of Darth Vader, Doctor Doom, Thanos, and more. Events will unfold on Earth when a powerful spell conjures the events of A New Hope on the planet. While fans wait for the momentous occasion when these two massive, iconic worlds collide, Smith has another Marvel story on the way centering on two beloved Avengers who recently shared the big screen together.

Marvel Comics shared the official preview for Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire & Brimstone, a new series penned by Smith and long-time collaborator Andy McElfresh that promises thwip-smashing action and plenty of quips. The early pages waste no time delivering on both fronts, either. A cadre of villains, including Sandman, Mole Man, Stilt Man, Molten Man, and more, are seen wreaking havoc on a church, and delivering one painful pun after another related to their powers. That is until Spidey swings onto the scene, stopping Absorbing Man from bringing his ball-and-chain down on the priest and sending everyone scrambling to flee with the cash they stole. Plant Man is able to tie up the web-head and clear a path for Sandman and Mole Man to make a break for it, but just as Peter laments the lack of a partner to appreciate his quips, Hulk enters the picture with an almighty smash to bury the baddies before they can get away.

‘Spider-Man/Hulk’ Will Feature the Exorcism of Bruce Banner’s Jade Demon

Amid Spidey’s many puns and Hulk’s rampage, Fire and Brimstone will tell a story with religious themes within the Marvel Universe. It unfolds as Easter Mass in Central Park is interrupted by the many Man-themed villains as seen above. Peter Parker and Bruce Banner save the day in their own ways, but Banner has another purpose for the church once they’ve driven off its attackers. He’s long wrestled with the furious Jade Giant within him, and, instead of science, he’s resorting to an exorcism to separate himself from the Hulk. Smith is no stranger to exploring religion, between his 1999 film Dogma and his Guardian Devil comic run, but this will be his first time putting the Hulk front and center in one of his stories.

Artwork for the new series is done by the great R.B. Silva, known for his work at Marvel with the X-Men, One World Under Doom, and much more. Silva also designed the cover, though several big names are being brought in to craft variants, including Marco Checchetto, Rose Besch, Ryan Stegman, and Skottie Young. For Smith, it’s the latest addition to what’s been a busy year of comic creation, as he’s also brought his signature View Askew characters into the Marvel Universe with the special Jays of Future Past and sent his stoner duo to Riverdale with the double-sized Archie Meets Jay & Silent Bob.

Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire and Brimstone releases its first issue on August 19. Check out the preview of Bruce and Peter’s new team-up in the gallery above.

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Release Date

July 29, 2026

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Runtime

145 minutes

Director

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Destin Daniel Cretton

Writers

Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers

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Producers

Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Amy Pascal, David Cain

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On August 16, 2026, actress Hayden Panettiere in Greenville, South Carolina, at the age of 36.

The news of her death shocked the film community and the world, and immediately prompted several websites to publish retrospectives of the young star’s impressive career.

Watch With Us is one of them. We’re taking a look back at the Ice Princess star’s five best movies and shows to watch and where you can stream them.

From her star-making performance in Heroes alongside Milo Ventimiglia to her iconic work in the Scream franchise, these roles best showcase Panettiere’s unique talent and considerable charisma.

‘Heroes’ (2006–2010)

“Save the cheerleader, save the world.” Everyone knows where that iconic tagline comes from and who it refers to – Heroes’ unlikely high school avenger, Claire Bennett. Played by Panettiere across four uneven seasons, Claire was the show’s unlikely entry point and the one character who changed the most during its run.

Related: ‘Heroes’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

NBC’s Heroes was packed with shocking twists and turns that still have fans reeling, years after the show’s 2010 finale. The show, which ran for 4 seasons from 2006 to 2010, followed seemingly ordinary people who discover that they have supernatural abilities and are forced to band together to prevent life-changing disasters. The successful NBC […]

Heroes’ first season remains its best, and that’s due to its focus on Claire slowly discovering her powers – and that there are other superpowered people just like her. In many ways, Panettiere was the best Supergirl we never really got – a blonde bombshell who was far more dangerous and complicated than she initially appeared to be. If there’s one role Panettiere will be known for, it’s this one.

Heroes is streaming on Netflix.

‘I Love You, Beth Cooper’ (2009)

While still on Heroes, Panettiere headlined her own moderately successful teen comedy, I Love You, Beth Cooper. She plays the titular object of affection for high school nerd Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust), who just graduated at the top of his class but only wants one thing – Beth. He invites her and several of her friends to a house party on graduation night, but Denis’ path to love is paved with one obstruction after another.

Directed by Home Alone filmmaker Chris Columbus, I Love You, Beth Cooper doesn’t reinvent the teen comedy, but it doesn’t traffic in genre cliches either. Instead, it tells a sweet story about two loners who connect before life separates them for good. Panettiere plays another cheerleader, but her Beth is more soulful and complex than even Denis realizes.

I Love You, Beth Cooper is available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.

‘Nashville’ (2012–2018)

The biggest hit of Panettiere’s career was surprisingly Nashville, which ran for six seasons on ABC and CMT. Panettiere played one of the show’s central characters, a young country pop star not unlike LeAnn Rimes, whose obvious talent and growing popularity threaten Connie Britton’s country queen bee, Rayna Jaymes.

Related: Hayden Panettiere and Connie Britton’s Relationship Explained

Hayden Panettiere spilled the Nashville tea fans have been impatiently anticipating for more than a decade — and it turns out the country-music drama didn’t facilitate the quite backstage sisterhood viewers might have imagined. In her debut memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning — released in May 2026 — Panettiere got candid about feeling “deeply uncomfortable” […]

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Because Nashville was about the city’s country music scene, the show featured a lot of songs and performances, with Panettiere writing and performing several original songs like “Wrong Song,” a duet with Britton’s Rayna, and “Nothing In This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again,” which actually charted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Panettiere was nominated for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Golden Globe in 2013 and 2014, and the show won Most Exciting New Series at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards in 2012.

All six seasons of Nashville are streaming for free on Pluto TV.

‘Scream 4’ (2011)

Scream 4 didn’t get a lot of love when it was first released, but it’s since become a favorite for fans of the franchise. A big reason why is due to Panettiere’s Kirby Reed, a supporting character who somehow stole the limelight from the film’s two female leads, Emma Roberts and Neve Campbell.

Scream 4’s best scene occurs when Kirby is forced to play horror trivia on the phone with Ghostface to save love interest Charlie (Rory Culkin), a dorky classmate who is being held captive outside. Being a horror fan, Kirby outsmarts Ghostface by providing every possible answer to his purposefully vague question about which film started the horror POV trend. It’s a stand-up-and-cheer moment, and Panettiere makes the most of it. The actress made Kirby such a likable character that her indecisive death (she seemingly bleeds out offscreen) left enough room for her to be revived in a later sequel, and that wouldn’t have happened if Panettiere hadn’t made Kirby so damn awesome to watch.

Scream 4 is streaming for free on Sling TV. You can also stream it on Paramount+.

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‘Scream VI’ (2023)

With Neve Campbell sitting this sequel out, one of Scream VI’s main selling points was the return of Panettiere’s Kirby to the newly revitalized franchise. The horror film fan is now an FBI agent, and she teams up with Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers to find the new Ghostface before he, she or they strike again.

Related: Hayden Panettiere’s Family Guide: Her Brother Jansen, Daughter Kaya, More

Hayden Panettiere’s family is mourning the actress’ tragic death at age 36. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement to Us on Sunday, August 16. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love […]

Kirby is again a side character, ceding the spotlight to Melissa Barrera’s Sam and Jenna Ortega’s Tara, but she once again steals every scene she’s in, showing her trademark knowledge of slashers combined with her tough-as-nails approach to her investigation. The film does make you wonder a bit if Kirby herself is the real killer, but no one would buy the fan-favorite character as a cold-blooded serial killer. Kirby is too cool for that, and so was Panettiere.

Scream VI is streaming on Netflix and Paramount+.

Last year, Apple TV debuted the buzziest science fiction TV show in years with Pluribus. Now, the wait is on for Season 2 of the mind-bending series, and creator Vince Gilligan has some tantalizing hints about where the show will go from its shocking season finale and how far the show is into production. Collider’s Meredith Loftus caught up with Gilligan on the red carpet for the Televerse festival in Los Angeles last weekend and got all the details.

In Season 1 of Pluribus, an alien virus links every human on Earth into an enormous hive mind, save for a handful of individuals. One such individual is romantasy author Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), whose wife was killed in the chaos of the hive mind’s activation. Now, she must deal with the hive mind, known as the Others, which desperately wants her to join it; it goes so far as to entice her with Zosia (Karolina Wydra), one of the Others who resembles an idealized version of Carol’s fictional creation. However, Carol seems to have found a compatriot in Manousos Oviedo (Carlos-Manuel Vesga), a Colombian man who inherently distrusts the Others…and may be willing to go to extremes to defeat them.

Gilligan hinted at some of the next season’s plot developments, as Carol and Manousos decide what to do about the Others…especially now that Carol has acquired a nuclear bomb. However, Gilligan’s excitement is less about actual pyrotechnics than the interpersonal fireworks that will fly as Carol and Manousos get to know each other, and explore the morality of their strange new world. As Gilligan says, “We’ve got some good stuff coming up.” He continued:

“I’m looking forward to seeing the character of Carol and the character of Manousos spend a little time together. That’s going to be fun. Carlos-Manuel Vesga is such a wonderful actor, as is this lady next to me, Rhea. Seeing them together is going to be great. Learning more about The Joining. Learning more about…watching Carol try to put the world right in her mind. And then asking the question, “Is she right or is she wrong?” in terms of “is the world is better this way?” Maybe it’s not. That’s fun stuff to play with for the writers and myself.”

Gilligan also gave an update on how season 2 is progressing; while a renewal was never in doubt, several of Apple TV’s biggest shows have had lengthy breaks between seasons. Cameras aren’t rolling on Pluribus yet, but Gilligan wants fans to know that he and the show’s writers are hard at work: “I’m really proud of this. We got all the episodes figured out. We got them all boarded and broken, we’ve got them plotted out. Now we’ve got to write them all. The plotting out is the hard part. But all of us writers know what the show is this year, this upcoming season, and I’m really excited about it. I can’t wait for people to see it,” said Gilligan. Pluribus‘ second season is in development; no release date has yet been announced.

What Awards Is ‘Pluribus’ Up For?

Pluribus has been nominated for 18 Emmy Awards this year, which is a record for Gilligan: the final season of Breaking Bad received 16 (and won six, including Outstanding Dramatic Series). Pluribus is up for Outstanding Drama Series this year, while Gilligan has nominations for both writing and directing: stars Seehorn, Wydra, and Vesga are all up for acting trophies, as well.

Season 1 of Pluribus is now streaming on Apple TV. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

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Release Date

November 6, 2025

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Apple TV

Directors

Adam Bernstein, Zetna Fuentes, Melissa Bernstein

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Writers

Ariel Levine

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Blake Lively encouraged people to “be kind” following the deaths of her late Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg and Hayden Panettiere.

Lively, 38, shared a clip of Trachtenberg and Panettiere in their 2005 comedy Ice Princess via her Instagram Story on Monday, August 17, along with a reminder that everyone has private struggles.

“You never know what others are going through,” Lively pointed out. “Thank you to both of these women for all the joy you brought so many.”

Panettiere’s spokesperson confirmed to Us on Sunday, August 16, that the Nashville alum died at age 36 in Greenville, South Carolina. She was found unresponsive from an apparent overdose after authorities responded to reports of an “unresponsive female,” later identified as Panettiere, inside a residence.

Related: Leighton Meester and More ‘Gossip Girl’ Stars Mourn Michelle Trachtenberg

Giovanni Rufino / © The CW / Courtesy Everett Collection The cast and crew of Gossip Girl honored their former costar Michelle Trachtenberg following the news of her death at age 39. “Michelle was one of a kind,” Chace Crawford, who played Nate Archibald, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, February 26. “I remember her coming […]

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” her father, Skip Panettiere, told Us in a statement on Sunday. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”

Panettiere had recently opened up about her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, released this past May. (Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with ex-fiancée Wladimir Klitschko.)

Her death led to an outpouring of grief in Hollywood, with Panettiere’s Nashville costars, Alyssa Milano, Alexa PenaVega and many others offering stirring tributes to her life and legacy.

A similar outpouring of sadness occurred in February when Trachtenberg was found dead at age 39 inside her Midtown West apartment in New York City. The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed in April that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl actress died as a result of complications of diabetes mellitus. (Per the Mayo Clinic, diabetes mellitus is classified as a “group of diseases that affect how the body uses blood sugar.”)

At the time, Lively reflected on working with Trachtenberg on Gossip Girl, describing her former costar as “fiercely loyal” and “brave.”

“[Michelle] was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed,” Lively wrote via Instagram at the time. “Everything she did, she did 200%. She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.”

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Related: Michelle Trachtenberg Was ‘Thrown’ Health ‘Curveballs’ Before Death

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On the morning of February 26, Michelle Trachtenberg was found unconscious and unresponsive at her midtown NYC apartment by her mom, Lana. She was just 39 years old. “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,” the beloved star’s rep told Us Weekly. As news of her untimely death spread, […]

Lively remembered that Trachtenberg always wore “yummy caramel smelling lipgloss … because she didn’t just want to sparkle on camera, she liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lipgloss because she cared about the sweet detail.”

“You take for granted that you get the chance to see an old friend. To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday,” Lively acknowledged. “Hold those you love and have loved dear. The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Jennifer Lawrence found the easiest way to give a basic summer outfit instant cool-mom energy: add a slouchy purse style. The relaxed silhouette has that effortless, tossed-over-the-shoulder feel that makes even sweatpants look intentional. And while Lawrence’s designer version costs hundreds, we found a similar style for $21.

Lawrence was spotted out and about wearing a black slouchy Tory Burch shoulder bag tucked casually under her arm. She paired it with sweatpants, a classic trench coat, clogs and oversized sunglasses, creating the kind of effortlessly put-together outfit that looks just as fitting for school drop-off as it does for a coffee run.

Get the Jyg Small Hobo Crescent Shoulder Bag for $20 (was $21) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

The star’s exact purse comes with a hefty $789 price tag, but you don’t need a designer budget to copy the look. The Jyg Small Hobo Crescent Shoulder Bag on Amazon delivers a similar soft, slouchy shape for $21, making it an easy way to test drive the cool-mom trend for less.

Related: Get Eva Mendes’ Easy, Comfy Tank Dress Look for Only $20

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Eva Mendes has a masters in effortless dressing, and her latest look is proof that sometimes the simplest outfits make the biggest impact. Stepping out in an easy taupe tank dress, the actress reminded Us that a comfortable, wear-anywhere staple is all you really need to get through the final stretch of summer (and well […]

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Related: Eva Longoria’s Bubblegum Pink Bikini Turned Heads in Spain — The Look

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Eva Longoria knows how to make an entrance, even at the beach. The actress recently turned heads while vacationing in Spain, stepping out in a bubblegum pink bikini that instantly stole the spotlight. The playful color feels like one of summer’s biggest swimwear trends, and we found an affordable way to recreate the look. Longoria […]

Taylor Swift is proudly supporting her dear friend Phoebe Bridgers after she dropped her newest album, Lost Weekend.

“It’s her birthday but she gave us a gift,” Swift, 36, wrote while resharing Bridgers’ new record via her Instagram Story on Monday, August 17, which also fell on the indie musician’s 32nd birthday.

Swift added that she hasn’t “been able to stop listening” to Lost Weekend since its Friday, August 14, release.

“This album is an absolute triumph in every way,” Swift gushed. “To write about grief with such vulnerability and detail, and to trust the listener with this much honesty.”

Related: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Attend Wedding 1 Week After Tying the Knot

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are stepping out for their first event as newlyweds. The couple, both 36, attended the nuptials of Kelce’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster and Laura Kruk in Southern California on Friday, July 10, according to photos posted by Deux Moi. The photos showed the “Gorgeous” singer opted for […]

Swift ended her post by wishing Bridgers a happy birthday and sharing, “I love you!!”

The pop star and Bridgers have been close friends for years. The pair collaborated for the first time in 2021 on Swift’s song “Nothing New,” a vault track for the Red rerecording.

“I just am so excited to have people take it at face value the day that it comes out, because I got teary recording it. I just couldn’t be more excited,” Bridgers said of working with Swift in an interview with Billboard at the time. “I think that she is an incredible businessperson and an incredible writer. What she’s been able to build just from writing adeptly from a young age is insane.”

Two years later, Bridgers opened for Swift during several shows of her Eras Tour concerts.

While Swift and Bridgers have been celebrating the “Motion Sickness” singer’s new album release, the pair also spent some quality time together. Over the weekend, Swift and Bridgers were both in attendance at Oli Jacobs and Laura Sisk’s wedding held outside of Gloucestershire, England, on Saturday, August 15. Sabrina Carpenter and Jack Antonoff were also at the event.

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According to photos published by online gossip site DeuxMoi, Swift — who wed husband Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden last month — debuted a new shorter hairstyle. Swift also paired her Kindred Lubeck by Artifex Fine Jewelry engagement ring with a gold wedding band.

Kelce did not attend the wedding as NFL preseason just kicked off. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end also donned his own gold wedding band at the Chiefs’ first home preseason game on Saturday.

“It was a fun offseason, man. [Our] wedding was the best night of my life,” Kelce gushed during an August press conference . “I appreciate everybody who came out and celebrated and had fun with us. That’s about all I really got from that night. It was a crazy night. It was full of a lot of celebration.”

When done right, historical adventure can be one of the most enjoyable subgenres. The best of these books bring the past to life, transporting us to a far-flung time and charming us with epic journeys, daring escapes, adrenaline-pumping battles, and, often, grand, dramatic romance.

All the books below are worth checking out, whether set aboard eighteenth-century warships, in medieval castles, on the American frontier, or amid the chaos of revolution. These are the best historical adventure books ever written, powerful reminders that the figures of the past were humans just like us.

10

‘The Last Kingdom’ (2004)

Image via Harper Collins

“Destiny is all.” This book introduces readers to Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon nobleman captured and raised by Viking warriors during the ninth century. Torn between the culture of his birth and the people who became his family, he finds himself caught in the struggle between the invading Danes and King Alfred’s fragile vision of a united England. Uhtred’s divided loyalties add some emotional weight to a story that might otherwise have been a straightforward military adventure.

The Last Kingdom was the debut novel by Bernard Cornwell, a master of historical writing (he’s written some military nonfiction, too). In particular, he has an amazing knack for writing historical battle scenes: every shield wall, cavalry charge, desperate duel, and clang of steel against steel feels immediate and believable. The fighting is tactile and brutal, really bringing the mayhem of medieval combat to life.

9

‘The Eagle Has Landed’ (1975)

Image via Penguin

“There are no heroes in war. Only survivors.” Some readers will be familiar with the movie adaptation starring Michael Caine and Donald Sutherland, but the original novel is worth checking out in its own right. The premise is certainly audacious: in it, the Nazis concoct a plan to kidnap Winston Churchill during the Second World War. We follow an elite team of German paratroopers, an Irish Republican Army operative, and a host of British civilians whose lives become intertwined as the seemingly impossible mission unfolds… in a quiet English village, of all places.

This story could have been pure pulp (and there are definitely some pulpy elements), but ultimately author Jack Higgins elevates it by refusing to reduce the conflict to simplistic notions of good and evil. In fact, he gets surprisingly complex with some of the characters, painting everyone in shades of grey. For instance, many of his German soldiers are honorable professionals, and several of the Allies have serious flaws.

8

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ (1905)

Image via Bantam Classics

“They seek him here, they seek him there.” Long before modern superheroes appeared in comics, Baroness Orczy created one of fiction’s greatest masked adventurers. The Scarlet Pimpernel centers on a mysterious English nobleman who repeatedly slips into Revolutionary France to rescue innocent aristocrats from the guillotine. At the same time, he continually outwits the relentless French agent Chauvelin.

By day, Sir Percy Blakeney presents himself as a dim-witted aristocrat but, by night, he’s a genuine hero, a skilled swordsman and cunning strategist. Consequently, in many ways, the book is the archetypal “secret identity” story, using disguises, cover stories, daring escapes, and clever deception that went on to be hugely influential. Indeed, its DNA lives on in everything from Zorro to V for Vendetta. While obviously dated now, it’s still interesting to see where many of these tropes originated.

7

‘Master and Commander’ (1969)

Image via W. W. Norton & Company

“There is very little that is not dangerous about a ship.” Here’s another one that served as the basis for a great movie. The first novel in Patrick O’Brian‘s Aubrey-Maturin series introduces Captain Jack Aubrey and naval surgeon Stephen Maturin during the Napoleonic Wars. As Aubrey commands HMS Sophie across the Mediterranean, the two men forge one of literature’s greatest friendships while confronting conspiracies, enemy warships, and the unforgiving realities of life at sea.

The main appeal of the book is its stunning attention to detail. O’Brian’s unparalleled knowledge of naval warfare allows him to recreate the Age of Sail with astonishing authenticity: every maneuver, cannon exchange, and shipboard routine feels convincing. More importantly, though, Master and Commander never gets bogged down in technicalities or info dumps. Instead, the settings and description push the characters into tense situations, crucibles to reveal their courage and, occasionally, their flaws.

6

‘The Wager’ (2023)

Image via Doubleday

“The sea was indifferent to every human ambition.” Although technically a work of nonfiction, David Grann‘s The Wager possesses all the excitement and narrative momentum of the finest historical adventure novels. Recounting the catastrophic 1741 voyage of the British warship HMS Wager, the book follows its crew through shipwreck, starvation, mutiny, murder, and an extraordinary struggle for survival after becoming stranded on the coast of Patagonia.

Grann reconstructs the ordeal with remarkable clarity, drawing extensively upon journals, court records, and firsthand accounts, thus making the past tangible. Every hardship the men endure feels immediate, from the relentless storms that destroy the ship to the impossible moral choices confronting the starving survivors. We are left with an adventure that never needs embellishment because history itself proves astonishing enough.

5

‘Shōgun’ (1975)

Image via  Hodder & Stoughton

“To learn patience is not to rebel against every hardship.” This book reentered the public consciousness two years ago thanks to the masterful TV series adaptation. Inspired by the real-life arrival of English navigator William Adams in seventeenth-century Japan, the first novel in the Asian Saga follows the shipwrecked pilot John Blackthorne as he becomes entangled in a deadly struggle between rival daimyo, samurai, Jesuit missionaries, and the ambitious Lord Toranaga, who seeks ultimate political power.

It’s a fantastic tale of culture clash. Importantly, rather than presenting Japan merely as an exotic backdrop, author James Clavell allows us to fully engage with its culture through Blackthorne’s eyes as he slowly transforms from bewildered outsider to respected participant. Every aspect of society, from politics and religion to warfare, commerce, and even etiquette, feels fully realized. Decades later, Shōgun remains one of the finest reconstructions of feudal Japan.

4

‘The Pillars of the Earth’ (1989)

Image via Pan

“There is no longer any such thing as innocence.” This is one of the most beloved books by Ken Follett, one of the most ambitious historical fiction writers currently working. Set in twelfth-century England during a period of civil war known as the Anarchy, The Pillars of the Earth follows an enormous cast of builders, monks, nobles, craftsmen, and merchants whose lives become intertwined through the construction of a magnificent cathedral. Their lives are defined by faith, corruption, revenge, and perseverance.

In a lesser writer’s hands, this complex setup could have become a dry history lesson, a cavalcade of names, facts, and dates. Follett instead turns it into a page-turning blockbuster, with an entertaining plot and an endless stream of colorful characters. There’s romance, action, betrayal, and suspense, so the book’s 800-odd pages fly by. Those who enjoy it are in luck, as there are three other books in the series to dive into.

3

‘Lonesome Dove’ (1985)

Image via Simon & Schuster

“I hate rude behavior in a man. I won’t tolerate it.” Lonesome Dove is a fantastic adventure/Western/drama hybrid. It revolves around retired Texas Rangers Augustus “Gus” McCrae and Woodrow Call as they lead an ambitious cattle drive from Texas to Montana, accompanied by an unforgettable cast of cowboys, outlaws, settlers, and drifters crossing the vast American frontier. Their friendship is exceptionally well-drawn and genuinely touching.

Here we have a book of immense landscapes and flawed heroes, where the protagonists are equal parts tough and vulnerable, often uncertain, making their triumphs and losses surprisingly affecting. And that’s without even getting started on the action, including showdowns with the Sioux and shootouts with bandits. Lonesome Dove was a huge hit, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and spawned an acclaimed TV series starring Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall.

2

‘Treasure Island’ (1883)

Image via Cluny Media

“Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest. Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!” Another cornerstone of the entire historical adventure genre that has produced countless remakes and homages. Narrated by the young Jim Hawkins, Treasure Island begins with the discovery of a pirate’s treasure map and quickly develops into an unforgettable voyage involving mutiny, buried gold, naval battles, and one of literature’s greatest villains: the charismatic Long John Silver.

Returning to Treasure Island now, it’s amazing how fresh Robert Louis Stevenson’s storytelling feels nearly a century and a half after publication. His pacing is relentless, his dialogue crackles with personality, and every chapter introduces new dangers that keep readers hooked to the page. That said, Silver himself is the book’s most enduring creation, an engaging, intelligent, unpredictable antihero who oscillates dangerously between charming and ruthless.

1

‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ (1844)

Image via Penguin Random House

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words: Wait and Hope.” Like Treasure Island, The Count of Monte Cristo is a reference point for the whole genre. Wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, protagonist Edmond Dantès, a young sailor, spends years confined within the Château d’If before making a miraculous escape, discovering an immense hidden fortune, and embarking upon a classic quest for revenge.

Edmond’s transformation into the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo ranks among fiction’s greatest character arcs. The book keeps us hooked with a twisted thicket of subplots, each involving disguises, shaky alliances, and shocking revelations, along with a hearty helping of swashbuckling adventure. Admittedly, the book’s writing style does sometimes show its age, and the whopping page count (over 1000!) is intimidating, but The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic for a reason.