Clint Bentley and Greg Kweder have an interesting creative partnership in which they write and direct films together, but trade off taking on the director’s position. Kweder earned unanimous praise for his extraordinary work on the prison drama Sing Sing, but Bentley proved he was just as talented with Train Dreams, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Although there is a shared dedication to realism present in both filmmakers’ styles, Bentley’s projects tend to be more ethereal and, at times, experimental. Bentley made his underrated directorial debut with Jockey, a stirring drama about an aging horse rider facing a reckoning within his career.
Jockey stars Clifton Collins Jr.as Jackson Silva, a legendary racer who has suffered several serious injuries that threaten his future prospects in competitions. Despite having broken his back on three separate occasions, Silva is courted by the horse trainer Ruth Wilkes (Molly Gordon) to ride the thoroughbred Dido’s Lament, which she feels could go all the way. Jockey also features a remarkable performance by Moisés Arias, best known for his performance on Fallout, as the young jockey Gabriel, who has reason to believe that Silva could be his father. Jockey isn’t a traditional inspirational sports film, but a thoughtful character drama about whether one’s achievements define their career.
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‘Jockey’ Is a Methodical, Deeply Felt Psychological Drama
As was the case with both Sing Singand Train Dreams, Jockey was made with authenticity in mind because it showed an incredible amount of respect for the community that it was depicting. In addition to being shot at the real Turf Paradise racetrack in Phoenix, Jockey employed many non-actors who made the film feel even more like a slice-of-life. While there is an original story being told about a specific character, what Silva experiences is similar to what many real jockeys go through, particularly when it comes to the all-consuming nature of the profession. The film finds an interesting way to characterize Silva’s journey because he is no longer at the point in his life where he could do anything else; for better or worse, he’s dedicated so much time to the practices required of a jockey that it would be impossible for him to pick up a new career or alter his routine.
Barely anyone had seen this documentary before the film received its nomination, but now, it’s on streaming.
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Jockey doesn’t necessarily glamorize the rigors of horse riding, as there is surprisingly little footage of the races themselves. Much of Jockey is set within the sidelines, stables, tracks, and local taverns where Silva spends his days, as he can never be too far away from the competition. There’s a beauty to how insular his world is, as he’s found a community that is willing to support his way of living, even if it would be considered a risk to an outsider. Bentley isn’t interested in defending or condemning the choices that Silva made because the point of the film is that he has to live with them; while there are gorgeously rendered images, some of which have the naturalist beauty of a Terrence Malick film, everything in Jockey is fragile and could disappear at any given moment. It’s an appropriate tone to craft for a film that is so indebted to neo-Western dramas, which creates a timeless quality to the depiction of the profession. As Silva becomes keen to teach Gabriel, the training and riding of horses has been done the same way for centuries, and there’s little that contemporary technology could do to modify the practice.
‘Jockey’ Has the Best Performance of Clifton Collins Jr.’s Career
Given how challenging it can be for independent films to find an audience, Jockey deserved more credit for the strength of Bentley’s directorial vision and its uncompromising approach to the material. Collins is an actor who has been giving great performances for decades, but Jockey finally allowed him to show what he could do as the lead; as for Bentley, his ability to make something both unconventional and emotionally rewarding is deserving of praise, especially given how much groundwork it laid for what he and Kweder would eventually do with Sing Sing and Train Dreams. There aren’t many films about horse racing that are as interested in the minutiae as Jockey is, but it’s also rare to see a film so blunt and mature in its depiction of aging. Bentley certainly seems like he is on his way to becoming one of the most interesting American independent filmmakers of his generation, and Jockey should be remembered as the film that first showcased his potential.
Jockey is available to stream on Starz in the U.S.
FBI director Kash Patel really let loose with the USA Men’s Olympic hockey team Sunday … he was seen partying with the newly minted gold medalists in the locker room after their big win.
Check out the video … Patel — who plays a bit of hockey himself — is absolutely euphoric, appearing to chug part of a beer and christening the players around him with what was left.
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One player even drapes a gold medal around Patel’s neck while he’s completely beside himself with joy.
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While Patel’s time in Italy was full of fun, the good times may come to a crashing halt when he gets back home.
The U.S. is bracing for a potential attack on Iran which could inspire threats stateside … not to mention the investigation into the killing of a would-be intruder at Mar-a-Lago and the ongoing Nancy Guthrie investigation.
As we reported … the U.S. Men’s team won their first Olympic gold in 46 years after Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime.
Jason Statham on the red carpet for ExpendablesImage via INFevents.com
Jason Statham may not be pursuing any Academy Awards anytime soon, but at least the action star knows what works and sticks to it. Statham has been starring in one action movie per year for the last few years, but he’s turning up the heat in 2026 by starring in two films, Shelter and Mutiny. The former is his first action vehicle of the year, which is already winding down its theatrical run after a disappointing box office performance. Statham co-stars alongside Naomi Ackie (Mickey 17) in the actioner, which was directed by Ric Roman Waugh. Mutiny is another new action thriller co-starring Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders). It hails from director Jean-François Richet (Plane), and it will arrive in theaters everywhere this August. Statham also has several projects in the works slated to come out in 2027 and beyond.
Three years ago, Statham suited up as Lee Christmas for the fourth and final time in Expend4bles. He played the character for the first time 13 years prior in the first Expendables movie, which was a massive success at the box office, grossing nearly $275 million globally against an $80 million budget. As the years passed, though, the demand for Statham and his Expendables co-stars like Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren declined. This led to the fourth film being a complete disaster at the box office, grossing less than $40 million globally against a $100 million budget. However, Expend4bles recently premiered on Netflix in America, and the film quickly rose to #1 on the U.S. streaming charts. It took a few years, but it finally found streaming redemption.
The following article contains spoilers.Ending a television show comes with a tremendous amount of expectation because loyal viewers want to ensure that their time has been rewarded. While a comedy show may only have situational scenarios in which the narrative development doesn’t lead towards a dramatic finale, drama shows can be judged based on whether they are perceived to have a satisfying finale. There’s no better example of this than Game of Thrones; although it was once considered to be one of the best drama shows of all time, it now has a more mixed legacy as a result of its terrible last episode.
The pressure to be successful has grown stronger in the last decade because of the obsessive relationships viewers have with their favorite shows within the streaming era. Here are the best drama television finales of the last ten years, ranked.
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10
“Prisoners of War” (Season 8, Episode 12)
‘Homeland’ (2011–2020)
Carrie looking angry while talking to someone in Homeland.Image via Showtime
Homelandwas an uneven series that managed to pull off a great finale with “Prisoners of War” because it ended in a realistic way. It was never possible for Carrie (Claire Danes) to completely escape from her responsibilities to protect the United States from terrorist threats, but “Prisoners of War” at least put a solid finish to her relationship with Saul (Many Patinkin), a character who was her ally, mentor, and occasionally adversary.
“Prisoners of War” was a cleverly named title because it’s shared with the original Israeli television series that inspired Homeland. Although “Prisoners of War” indicated that one chapter of Carrie’s story had come to an end, there’s always the possibility that the series could have a revival, especially given that it has seen a surge in popularity after being made to stream on Netflix, which resulted in a significant uptick in viewership.
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9
“Lock and Key” (Season 6, Episode 6)
‘Peaky Blinders’ (2013–2022)
Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders leaning against a dresserEverett Collection
Peaky Blindersis one of the most satisfying British crime dramasbecause it was a rare show that seemed to get better with each season. While it began as an underrated BBC series with a niche viewership, Peaky Blinders became a phenomenon when it became available internationally on Netflix, and managed to make an icon out of Cillian Murphy’s Thomas Shelby.
Peaky Blinders ended perfectly with “Lock and Key” because it resolved the succession of the Shelby family and provided a satisfying end to each of the characters, including a clever last-minute twist involving Thomas’ destiny. While it was as great a conclusion as any loyal fan of the show could have asked for, it’s not the ultimate ending, as Murphy and most of the original cast are returning for the spinoff film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Manon Netflix.
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8
“Jedha, Kyber, Erso” (Season 2, Episode 12)
‘Andor’ (2022–2025)
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor looking behind in ‘Andor’ Season 1.Image via Disney+
Andor ended on the appropriately bittersweet note, as it was always going to be somewhat depressing that Cassian would not live to see the Empire fall to its knees. However, the twist that Bix (Adria Arjona) was pregnant with his child was an emotional way to signify that his heritage of heroism would continue well into the future, and that the name “Andor” would be remembered throughout galactic history.
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7
“Green Queen” (Season 1, Episode 10)
‘The Curse’ (2023–2024)
Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone in ‘The Curse’ on ShowtimeImage via Showtime
The Curseis one of the weirdest shows of all time because it combined the awkward, psychologically unnerving black comedy of Nathan Fielder with the relentless thrills of Benny Safdie. Although The Curse was a series that hinted at supernatural elements as a conflict that emerged between the white characters and the people of color whom they try to “save,” the finale, “Green Queen,” takes a surprising twist by including something completely fantastical.
The Curse’s ability to take a hard slant into the inexplicable was a daring choice that resulted in an ending that left viewers scratching their heads in a way television hadn’t seen since the ending of The Sopranos. Perhaps the greatest surprise is that Fielder, a comedian at heart, was capable of giving a profound, dramatic performance and proved himself worthy of sharing the screen with Emma Stone.
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6
“The Book of Nora” (Season 3, Episode 8)
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
Justin Theroux as older Kevin Garvey and Carrie Coon as older Nora Durst slow-dancing at a wedding in the series finale of The LeftoversImage via HBO
The Leftoversis the best show that Damon Lindelof has ever written, and in many ways makes up for some of the mistakes that were made on Lost regarding plot contrivances. The Leftovers may have started as an HBO show that was almost too bleak for its own good, but it evolved into a surprisingly thoughtful, moving expose on the way that people respond to the unexplained facets of life.
The Leftovers dropped any semblance of spectacle in its finale by reverting to focus singularly on the relationship between Nora (Carrie Coon) and Kevin (Justin Theroux), whose romance had been the guiding light of the series. Whether the story that is told within the final monologue should be believed is a debate that fans of The Leftovers still have, which is only further proof that the finale has a lasting power.
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5
“START” (Season 6, Episode 10)
‘The Americans’ (2013–2018)
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys in The Americans Season 6, Episode 10, “START” (2018).Image via FX
The Americansis one of the best contemporary dramasbecause it was both a thrilling espionage series and a thoughtful examination of the burdens placed upon a family. Although there was a threat hanging over Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) from the beginning that suggested they would eventually have to choose between their loyalties to the Soviet Union and their new home in the United States, “START” forced them to confront this question in the most dramatic way possible.
“START” managed to finally pay off the storyline involving the character Stan, played by Noah Emmerich, in a remarkable performance. It’s even more impressive in retrospect to consider how authentically The Americans was as a depiction of what married life is like, especially since Rhys and Russell became married in real life after forming a bond while shooting the series together.
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4
“Hello, Elliot” (Season 4, Episode 13)
‘Mr. Robot’ (2015–2019)
Mr. Robot and Elliot Alderson staring off to the side in the show Mr. Robot.Image via USA Network
Mr. Robot didn’t have the finale that fans of Sam Esmail’s brilliant hacking drama expected because it didn’t center on a major showdown between Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) and Whiterose (BD Wong), who has commanded the cyberterrorist organization Dark Army. Instead, the “Hello, Elliot” unpacked how Elliot’s various personalities had been born out of his desire to escape childhood trauma, and brought a satisfying conclusion to his relationship with Mr. Robot (Christian Slater).
Mr. Robot is a perfect example of why planning out a show in advance is a good thing, as Esmail knew exactly how Elliot’s story would end from the moment he began working on it, meaning that all the foreshadowing within the previous seasons paid off perfectly in “Hello, Elliot.” It also featured a staggering performance by Malek, who was able to unpack new layers to Elliot after shocking truths were revealed throughout the fourth and greatest season of the series.
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3
“Saul Gone” (Season 6, Episode 13)
‘Better Call Saul’ (2015–2022)
Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) stands at a podium, wearing a neat suit as he addresses people in the courtroom through the microphone in ‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6, Episode 13 “Saul Gone.”Image via AMC
Better Call Saulended with a finale that was perfect and seemed to confirm that it was a masterpiece worthy of Breaking Bad, the series in which Bob Odenkirk had first debuted the character of Jimmy McGill, also known as “Saul Goodman.”
Better Call Saul had used a split narrative device since its beginning to show the events that lead Jimmy down a path of corruption and crime, as well as what his life looked like in the aftermath of the Breaking Bad finale, “Felina.” “Saul Gone” not only completed flashing back to the events of Breaking Bad and showing them from Saul’s perspective, but finally forced him to face the consequences of his actions; like Walter White (Bryan Cranston) before him, Saul became a narcissistic anti-hero who was incapable of being redeemed because of his unwillingness to show any change.
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2
“Part 18” (Season 3, Episode 18)
‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ (2017)
Amanda Seyfried appears in Twin Peaks: The ReturnImage via showtime
Twin Peakshad a rocky road to its finale because David Lynch’s brilliant crime mystery was initially canceled by ABC in 1991, only for him to revive it in 2017 with a third and final season. Twin Peaks: The Returnhad trapped Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in the body of the childish character for the majority of its eighteen episodes, but the ending saw him finally returning in an attempt to save Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the past before the murder that set up the show.
“Part 18” is among the bleakest hours of television ever aired because Cooper sees the misguided notion of trying to change the past, which inevitably leads Laura to suffer even more. It’s not only a perfect ending to Twin Peaks, but a poignant ending to Lynch’s work as an artist, as he did not direct any other movies or shows before his tragic passing in 2025.
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1
“With Open Eyes” (Season 4, Episode 10)
‘Succession’ (2018–2023)
The cast smiling at a long conference room table in Succession episode With Open Eyes.Image via HBO
Successionended in the only way it possibly could by finally facing Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) with the consequences of aspiring to fulfill the legacy of their late father, Logan (Brian Cox). Although the question of who would take control of Waystar RoyCo had been debated throughout the entire show, “With Open Eyes” made a cruel twist; Shiv’s spurned husband, Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), would be placed as the new CEO, even though he had sold out the company to the invasive investor Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard).
Succession ended on a Shakespearean note that confirmed the tragic fates that each of the characters was doomed to after failing to come together to save the company. Nicholas Britell’s score has always been brilliant, but the musical cues he used within the final moments of “With Open Eyes” may be his greatest contribution to the show.
On Sunday, February 22, Harvey took to her Instagram Story with a reaction to Blueface and Nevaeh Akira’s announcement. Furthermore, Harvey wrote, “Kids are a blessing if he happy I’m happy [heart hands emoji] congratulations to them both and may God bless the baby.”
Afterward, she even shared a follow-up post:
“It’s a girl and I already knew she was coming [crying face emoji]”
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More On Blueface & Nevaeh Akira’s Apparent Pregnancy Announcement
As The Shade Room previously reported, on Sunday, Blue and Nevaeh Akira took to a livestream via Twitch. Furthermore, ahead of the stream, Blue reportedly told his fans that he would be sharing whether he and Nevaeh were expecting.
Well, as their stream rolled, the pair ultimately shared a positive pregnancy test with viewers.
“Congratulations, you’re having a Blueface baby!” the rapper told Navaeh as they hugged and shared a kiss, seemingly excited for their new chapter ahead.
Have Chrisean Rock & Jaidyn Alexis Publicly Reacted To The Pair’s Apparent Pregnancy Announcement?
As Blueface and Nevaeh are likely basking in their excitement, the other mothers of Blueface’s children have apparently remained mum on his announcement. Chrisean Rock, who shares a two-year-old son named Chrisean Jr. with Blue, has not yet shared a public message in reaction. This, although she recently shared a post via Instagram earlier this evening.
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Additionally, Jaidyn Alexis, who shares Blueface’s eldest children, Journey and Javaughn, has not yet publicly reacted either.
For one glorious moment in time, Baywatch was the most-watched show on the planet, turning Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, and Carmen Electra into stars, but even those three paled compared to the popularity of David Hasselhoff. The star of Knight Rider found the perfect role for his second act as Mitch Buchannon, a veteran lifeguard who often said it was the only job he ever had, but secretly wanted to be a detective.
Baywatch Nights, the 1995 spin-off, let Mitch live his dream as a detective straight out of a 1930s pulp novel, solving murders, finding missing people, battling sea monsters, uncovering an alien conspiracy, exploring a parallel dimension, and even going 20 years into the future. Baywatch Nights is a bizarre fever dream that would never, ever get made today.
Baywatch Nights Is The Strangest Spinoff In TV History
Baywatch Nights is really two shows: the noir crime thriller of Season 1 and the X-Files knockoff it became in Season 2. Hasselhoff’s Mitch wasn’t the only familiar face. Garner Ellerbee (Gregory Allan Williams), the police officer from Baywatch since the beginning, established a private detective agency and brought in his buddy Mitch to help him, alongside Detective Ryan McBride (Angie Harmon’s debut, known today for Law & Order and Rizzoli and Isles). Legendary musician Lou Rawls not only played the owner of the nightclub that housed the new detective agency, but also performed the opening song, “After the Sun Comes Down,” which played over the opening montage of mostly daylit scenes.
Right away, fans were incredibly confused when the opening montage had Mitch running in his Baywatch red trunks and then fading in wearing a white Miami Vice-style suit. In 1995. Multiple shots of Hasselhoff behind a car were supposed to remind fans of his time on Knight Rider, but it had nothing in common with the campy, light-hearted show it was spinning off from. Faced with cratering ratings as the first season went on, the studio, The Baywatch Company, retooled into a monster-of-the-week format even further removed from the original beachside drama.
From Noir Detective To Paranormal Investigator
A Vampire In Baywatch Nights
Season 2 of Baywatch Nights is one of the worst shows to ever make it to air. Or one of the best, in practice, this was close to a 90’s version of Kolchak the Nightstalker. There was no myth arc, no character development, and no real point to the series other than that X-Files was exploding in popularity. The lack of commitment went all the way down to keeping Mitch as a character on Baywatch, making him a lifeguard by day and a paranormal investigator by night.
David Hasselhoff in Baywatch Nights
Episode 4, “Strike” starts off with Mitch saving a young man from drowning when a strange lightning strike causes the two to start sharing their feelings. Spoiler: he’s an alien, and instead of letting himself be captured by the government, he chooses to go back to his home planet. There’s no ambiguity. There’s a bright, white light, and he fades from sight as he teleports back home. Again, this is a Baywatch spin-off. With aliens.
A Viking From Baywatch Nights
A later episode is somehow even stranger: Episode 13, “Frozen Out of Time,” pits Mitch against Vikings, and, of course, it ends with David Hasselhoff getting into a sword fight with a broom. Four episodes later, and the team is hunting down a werewolf. At the same time these episodes are airing, Hasselhoff is still playing Mitch on Baywatch, and somehow the topic of aliens is real, and vampires, and werewolves, and yes, even mummies, never comes up. You’d think “I’m friends with an alien” would make great water cooler conversation at work.
Baywatch Nights falls solidly into the “so bad it’s good” category. There’s no question that at the time, it was a massive flop and one of the least successful spin-offs of all time. Describing it today will make people question your sanity, and yet, there are more episodes of Baywatch Nights than there is Stranger Things.
You can tell a lot about someone by asking them their favorite spaceship. Ask 100 sci-fi fans, and you’ll get dozens of different answers ranging from Star Trek’s Enterprise-D and Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon to the more offbeat, including Farscape’s Moya and that one Whovian who insists the TARDIS counts. If you’re lucky, at least one person will choose the truly bizarre Lexx from the offbeat late 90’s series Lexx.
A biomechanical ship that resembles a wingless dragonfly, Lexx is the most powerful weapon of destruction in the two universes. It can talk, achieve ludicrous speeds, and has a tail, all of which put together make it the weirdest ship to ever appear on a sci-fi series.
The Power To Destroy Planets Used to Find A Date
Lexx (voiced by Tom Gallant) was designed by His Divine Shadow as the tool he would use to wipe out humanity and bring all of existence under the insects’ control. That doesn’t quite work out after hapless security guard Stanley (Brian Downey) accidentally kickstarts the spaceship during an escape and becomes Lexx’s captain. Instead of bringing doom and destruction to the universe, Lexx is tasked to use his incredible powers to find planets of open-minded women. Lexx, the series, is very strange with deep lore stretching back thousands of years, but it’s also very horny.
The biomechanical design of Lexx gives it a unique look on both the outside and the inside, similar to Farscape’s Moya, except it’s considerably more squishy on the inside. Passages are smaller, the crew’s quarters resemble organs, and even the ship controls look like fleshy, bulbous nodules. That’s the controls for everything from the shower to the steering, and the toilets. Instead of a bidet or toilet paper, Lexx’s toilets come complete with a tongue. Yes, it’s a strange show.
Lexx Is The Strangest Sci-Fi Show In History
Lexx’s Organic Shower Often Comes Up
Lexx isn’t a great series, but it at least dared to do something different within the sci-fi genre by acknowledging sex exists. That part is obvious within a few minutes of watching an episode. Lexx, the ship, though, you’d think would be super-advanced, maybe thanks to an “organic computer” or accumulated hivemind memories from other insectoid ships, but no, Lexx makes Stanley look smart. The courier/security guard turned captain often has to explain simple concepts to the ship, but once he finally understands, he’s willing to do basically anything Stanley wants.
The exception is when it comes time for food. Throughout the run of Lexx, Stanley keeps asking for fancy, exotic foods, and each time, the ship provides goop. There’s no fancy technology creating limitless amounts of food here. Only what the carnivorous ship is capable of producing for the rest of the crew, including Zev (Eba Habermann)/Xev (Xenia Seenburg), the rescued love-slave and later her clone, and Kai (Michael McManus), the thousands-year-old undead assassin. Fast, powerful, capable of feeding and taking care of the crew on the inside, Lexx is, thankfully, a one-of-a-kind ship.
During the four seasons that Lexx was on the air, the quarters and bridge took on different appearances, explained by Lexx himself that he was growing, but in reality, the result of different budget levels for each season, letting the production crew go absolutely wild or, for Season 4, forced to restrain themselves. Throughout it all, Lexx is destroying planets both for noble reasons and Stanley’s selfish impulses, eating other ships and people, and remaining the weirdest ship in sci-fi that could only ever be a part of the strangest sci-fi series.
NBA took to Instagram to make the happy announcement Sunday, posting a video on his story.
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He could be heard in the background saying, “My gangsta had her baby!”
He then asked her, “How do you feel?”
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“Relieved,” Jazlyn said.
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The new addition — a baby girl — joins the son and daughter NBA and Jazlyn already have, as well as NBA’s 10 other children from previous relationships.
There’s a time and a place for one-note humor, and more often than not it’s used wrong. South Park’s most recent seasons proved you can only stretch “the President has a small wee-wee” jokes so far before they fall apart. There are only so many punchlines that can land before the humor goes stale.
Speaking of wee-wees, I expected that same kind of thin delivery when I fired up the 2018 Netflix Original, The Package, which does the unthinkable by taking a one-note joke about somebody getting their wiener chopped off and trying to get it reattached, stretching it across 94 minutes, and somehow keeping things fresh the entire time.
I went in fully prepared to hate-watch it. I wanted to channel my inner old man and say, “They don’t make raunchy teen comedies like they used to,” right before complaining about how restaurant menus are all QR codes now. The Package is a perfect example of a one-note joke done right because it constantly escalates, pushing itself from one extreme situation to the next.
Knowing full well, as a 37-year-old father, that my days of regularly enjoying movies like The Package are well behind me, I’m glad the next generation of young adults still gets raunchy comedies like this one. Had it come out around the same time as Road Trip (2000) or Without a Paddle (2004), everybody my age would treat The Package with the same level of reverence, because it’s just that funny.
The Worst Kind Of Whoopsie
Here’s the plot to The Package. Sean (Daniel Doheny) is planning a bros only weekend in the woods with his best friends, Jeremy (Eduardo Franco) and Donnie (Luke Spencer Roberts). At the last minute, Jeremy announces that his twin sister Becky (Geraldine Viswanathan), who has a crush on Sean, and Sarah (Sadie Calvano), who Donnie used to date, will be tagging along for the camping trip.
The kids head deep into the woods and start drinking and doing spring break stuff, which is par for the course in your typical teen comedy, and then everything goes to hell. Jeremy, who’s been practicing party tricks with his razor-sharp switchblade, accidentally lops off his penis while peeing over a cliff because he’s having just a little too much drunken fun slicing through his own stream. That’s the joke.
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Rightfully panicked, a now penisless Jeremy goes into shock and is airlifted to the hospital, his member packed in a cooler after Sarah and Donnie find it in the bushes. For a brief moment, all is right in the world. Until the hospital staff learns that the cooler handed to the first responders was actually the one full of food and drinks, meaning Jeremy’s unit is still with Sean, Donnie, Becky, and Sarah, who are miles from their car and without cell phones because Sean accidentally dropped them off the cliff while searching for service.
The Package Goes Hard
The reason this one-note setup works so well in The Package is because of how fully it commits to the bit. And in this context, “bit” means “Argyle from Stranger Things’ severed dong.” I can’t remember the last time I crossed my legs and winced while watching a comedy, but they truly go all out here.
Bit by a rattlesnake? Someone has to suck out the venom. Covered in dirt and wilderness debris after a chaotic trek? Don’t worry, the gas station clerk will rinse it off in the soda fountain and buff it clean because, strangely enough, he was a military combat medic previously, and this isn’t his first rodeo. Finally make it to the hospital with the package, only to find out it was sewn onto Redneck Reginald (Blake Anderson), whose girlfriend Sheryl (Sugar Lyn Beard) landed him in the hospital at the same time by cutting off his pee pee and “flushing it like a poo poo”? Don’t worry, the gang will figure it out.
The Package will make you want to gag. It will make you cringe and wince. You’ll throw your hands up and yell, “Oh, come on!” to nobody in particular. But nearly every joke lands. It’s juvenile and vulgar in all the right ways, and I give The Package serious credit for taking a one-note joke and committing to it so hard that it keeps paying off.
The Package is a Netflix Original, and you can stream it if you’re a member.
Rick and Morty is one of those shows that even if you’ve never seen a single episode, you’ve seen the memes: Pickle Rick, “20 minute adventure, quick in and out,” “What is my purpose?” It’s a show packed with jokes that range from the absurd to the multilayered, which makes sense since it shares a creator, Dan Harmon, with the equally acclaimed comedy Community.
Harmon explained in an interview with The Independent that Season 4’s “The Old Man and the Seat” was originally a plot for Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) about shy pooping. True to the spirit of the absurd sci-fi series, the original concept ended up attached to a take on Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, featuring one of the cartoon’s most heartfelt and emotional endings to date.
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Shy Pooper
The Season 4 Rick and Morty episode starts with the reappearance of the butter-passing robot at breakfast, when Rick (voiced by Justin Roiland back then) announces he has to go. Summer (Spencer Grammer) explains to everyone that her grandfather’s a shy pooper, and she’s right. Rick uses his portal gun and works his way to a toilet overlooking a cliff on a picturesque alien world with no other humanoids for hundreds of miles, if not even further. Once he’s done, Rick notices a broken branch, which sets off a manhunt for whoever intruded on his poop sanctuary.
Turns out that an alien named Tony (Jeffrey Wright) found the isolated toilet and started using it, since he’s also a shy pooper. Rick responds in his usual way, by building a giant robotic Rick mech to sit on Tony when he uses the toilet and then putting Tony in a vat of red goo that shows him his ideal version of Heaven (complete with his dead wife). Tony’s shocked, wondering why Rick can build a virtual Heaven but isn’t able to share a toilet?
Emmy, Golden Globe, And tony Award Winner Jeffrey Wright voices Tony The Shy-Pooping Alien
The question hits Rick like a ton of bricks and succinctly sums up the smartest man in existence. Soon after, Tony dies in a skiing accident from “living his life to the fullest” and Rick goes to use the toilet, revealing he rigged a series of holograms and a speech about how Tony is sitting there, all alone, because no one wants to be around him. It’s not subtle; it’s clearly Rick coming to terms with his own sense of loneliness and how Tony, against all odds, seemed like he legitimately wanted to be his friend. Rick sitting on his toilet, all alone, taunted by his own prank, hits even harder after his loneliness and lack of connection became a major part of the last two seasons.
Rick And Morty Manages To Be Both Very Stupid And Very Smart
“The Old Man and the Seat” wrings the most emotion possible out of a storyline about pooping, but then there’s the other half of the episode. Jerry (Chris Parnell) agrees to develop an app for Rick’s assistant, Glootie (Taika Waititi, no, seriously), which turns out to be a dating app designed to distract the humans while aliens steal Earth’s resources. This is explained by the Monogtron Leader (Sam Neil, and yes, Rick and Morty has surprising stars drop by for cameos) and his Queen (Kathleen Turner, see the prior parentheses), until it all goes crashing down with the addition of a pay wall.
Normally, the thought of a simple pay wall turning a wildly successful app into an instant disaster would be the highlight of an episode, but “The Old Man and the Seat” is all about Rick coming face-to-face with his own loneliness. The B-plot doesn’t matter, even if it has some good moments, notably Summer’s soul mate constantly changing, though it does raise the question of how a shy pooping storyline would have been handled on Community. Dan Harmon could never quite get it to work, but by leaning into Rick’s self-induced loneliness, he managed to turn shy pooping into an episode that was true to the character and revealed new depths to his narcissistic nihilism. Rick and Mortyisn’t Shakespeare, but it gets close.
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