Big Brother veto meeting results are in including the names of the three nominees heading into Thursday night’s BB Blockbuster. Haley Thogmartin had to make a renom because of course Taylor Brown used the veto to save herself.

But there was some scrambling as people tried to keep themselves off the block as the renom.  We’ll get into the veto meeting and some confrontations before it went down. Also, some thoughts about BB Time Capsule winner Dee Valladares and what she plans to do with her BB Bribe advantage.

Big Brother Spoilers: Lyric Tries to Work Magic

On Sunday, Lyric Medeiros began to realize there was a good chance she could hit the block and was doing all she could to stop it. She went to Chuk Anyanwu and told him Haley said during the HOH comp that she wouldn’t nominate her.

Haley said that to Lyric but Haley also made clear she said nominate not renom. That’s just like what Kamuela “Kamu” Kirk told Jason De Puy. “I won’t nominate you today“. Then he renommed him.

So, Lyric worked both guys. She told them both that Mallory Aurichio was coming for them, threw Mallory under the bus hard trying to push for Haley to renom Mallory. It was Kamu who first went to Haley about Lyric on Saturday night to try to keep her off the block.

That sent Haley into a fit of anger. Then, Haley got a replay of that on Sunday night, when someone went to advocate for Lyric. And Haley got even more upset. Lyric’s strategy worked on both guys. And that infuriated Haley.

Big Brother: Haley’s Giving Hate

But even so, Lyric’s not her target for eviction. Drew Campbell is still the one his own alliance wants to target. Angela Murray is pushing for it so hard. Mallory’s in denial about Lyric trying to get her on the block as the renom to save herself.

What’s funny is Melody Morris acted shocked in front of Mallory when they heard that. Mallory actually tried to defend saying she didn’t do it in a malicious way. And ironic that Melody threw Mallory under the bus in week 1.

Then, last week, when there was a plan to try and save Jason which would greatly benefit Melody’s side of the house, she ran that right to Kamu. She ruined what could’ve been a move to get some balance in BB28. And now, Melody’s on the block, it’s clear Haley hates her.

And what’s funny is when Lyric talked to Haley pre-veto meeting trying to stay off the block, Haley laid into her about turning on her friends and allies. She told Lyric that she knows that Lyric talked a lot last night to a lot of different people and the stories were not the same.

Haley said Lyric’s jumping ship and it doesn’t look great that these are her best friends she is so quick to throw under the bus. Haley called out Lyric specifically for scrambling after Rome Seymour and Jason are gone. But that’s how you play Big Brother.

Big Brother 28: Veto Meeting and Strategic Chaos

All that said, Lyric may actually be safe on the block even if she doesn’t win the Blockbuster. Melody and Drew are much bigger targets than she is right now. The Toolshed wants Drew gone and Barrett Pfeiffer abandoned him to save his own butt.

He’s not fully trash-talking Drew in convos with Rick Devens trying to stay safe. And also, Drew seems to think he’s safe when he’s not. Likely because everyone’s lying to him. Devens keeps insisting that Drew’s good this week.

At the veto meeting, Drew made a big speech asking Taylor to use the veto on him, which would never happen. Sure enough, she used the veto on herself and Haley put Lyric on the block. But even so, Haley doesn’t seem to want Lyric gone.

Also, there’s a big build happening in the backyard and a lot of the houseguests think it’s the wall comp. What’s funny is Barrett thinks Kamu will win it. Over the seasons, more women win the comp than men. My money’s on Mallory. She’s athletic.

And more muscular bulky men usually don’t do well. It’s smaller men that do better. Historical winners have won the wall comp twice. If it is the wall, Angela’s coming off first. Then I can see someone going second, Devens third. Then Haley and Kamu.

I’d really like to see them bring back other classic comps in BB28 like the Slip n Slide. I also like the spinning disc comp where they hang and are spun around and pelted and crash into stuff. That one hasn’t been around in a few seasons either.

Big Brother 28: Dee’s Bribe Power and Strategic Withholding

Also, there’s Dee and her BB Bribe power. First of all, it’s a lame “power”. The only time they had it before, in a past season, someone bribed another person to do something they were already going to do — basically just gave a friend the cash.

But Dee’s not going to do that. Here’s why. She lied right to Devens face about the power and that’s her ride or die. What Dee got is not a strong power. Devens power’s great — the Diamond Power of Veto.

And the only really good powers left are the Mystery Competitor and Coin of Destiny. The Never-Not pass is meh. And Replay is very conditional and not a guaranteed power. Coin of Destiny’s the only major game changer in the mix and it’s still up for grabs.

But because Dee lied to Devens, I am pretty sure that she doesn’t ever plan to use that power as intended. Dee’s gameplay in past competition shows was a lot about strategically withholding information. And never making emotional decisions. Plus, she’s a comp beast.

So, this power she’s sitting on is doing her a lot more good unplayed than played. Dee’s sitting back and letting the speculation amp up and also the paranoia. Many people think Drew has it and is screwing with them. Some think that Mallory has it.

The power’s not worth much but withholding the fact that she won the power — that’s worth a lot more to Dee. So, no, I doubt she’ll use it or tell anyone she has it till BB28 is over. I could be wrong.

But having watched Dee play competition shows twice and seeing her play BB28 like this, that’s my prediction.

2026 has been an incredible year for film, with the current crop of theatrical options the perfect proof. After two weekends where Christopher Nolan‘s historical epic, The Odyssey, set records for the great director as it sailed towards the billion-dollar mark, the standard was blown out of the water with the arrival of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel’s last feature-length step on the road to Avengers: Doomsday. With over $900 million worldwide in its first weekend, Brand New Day is already making history, with 2026 looking like the best year for movies since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of all the big movies released this year so far, from Spider-Man: Brand New Day to Curry Barker‘s record-breaking horror hit, Obsession, none can claim to be as cozy as Hugh Jackman’s The Sheep Detectives, based on Leonie Swann’s international bestseller Three Bags Full. One of the true gems of the year so far, The Sheep Detectives took home $131 million at the global box office, which, although falling short of financial success, was a total higher than many had predicted.

This heartwarming story of a flock of sheep who put the puzzle pieces together of the mysterious murder of their shepherd was penned by The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin and directed by Kyle Balda. The movie earned acclaim from both critics and audiences and is still proving popular three months after it debuted. At the time of writing, The Sheep Detectives is one of the ten most-streamed movies on Prime Video in the U.S.

Another 2026 Favorite is Dominating the Prime Video Streaming Charts

The Sheep Detectives ​​​​​​isn’t the only gem from this year’s theatrical circuit to be taking down the competition on Prime Video right now. Currently placing third in the ranks, behind the chart-topping new horror The Devil’s Mouth and the fantasy space opera Masters of the Universe, is the sci-fi masterpiece Project Hail Mary, one of the defining films of 2026. The Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-directed epic, which stars Ryan Gosling in a role sure to earn him awards recognition, earned an eye-watering $682 million worldwide during an extended box office run earlier this year, before making its way to streaming and continuing the success.

The Sheep Detectives is streaming on Prime Video. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.

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Release Date

May 8, 2026

Runtime

109 Minutes

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Director

Kyle Balda

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Weeks after finalizing his divorce from Bunnie XO, Jelly Roll has reportedly shared that he’s planning to step away for “a year or two” to heal.

RELATED: Jelly Roll’s Daughter Speaks Out As Fans Flood His Comments With STRONG Words Amid Him Filing For Divorce From Bunnie XO

Jelly Roll Reportedly Says He Plans To Step Away For “A Year Or Two” To “Heal”

According to Country Now, Jelly Roll recently held a concert in Salt Lake City, Utah, and during the show, he shared a message with his fans. Per the outlet, the show was a part of his “The Little Ass Shed Tour,” which was held simultaneously with him appearing alongside Post Malone on the “The BIG ASS Stadium Tour Part 2.”

“This has truly been a lifetime experience for me. And in a couple of nights, I go to Colorado Springs and do my last show for a year or two. I’m fixing to take some time off and heal. Thank you for the opportunity,” he reportedly told the crowd.

Per the outlet, Jelly’s last show was on July 30.

His Announcement Arrives Weeks After Finalizing His Divorce From Bunnie XO

According to PEOPLE, Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO settled their divorce in early July. This, weeks after their divorce filing surfaced in June. At the time, it was reported that Jelly Roll filed the paperwork on May 18. Additionally, he reportedly attributed their split to irreconcilable differences.

Per PEOPLE, details about their settlement are “confidential.” However, it appears they will be splitting their “homes, cars, an aircraft, and their intellectual properties.” Additionally, Bunnie XO will reportedly receive a one-time lump sum from her former husband of nearly a decade.

To note, despite their split, Bunnie shared that she and Jelly are still planning to welcome a child together via IVF.

Jelly Roll’s Daughter Recently Made Headlines For Her Comments On His Divorce

As The Shade Room previously reported, last month, Jelly Roll’s daughter, Bailee Ann DeFord, went viral for her cryptic comments on his split from Bunnie. While on a livestream, she reportedly told viewers, “Don’t y’all ever come for my father’s name like that again. I’m so done. Get the f**k out of my DMs, out of my comments, my life with that s**t. I don’t care. I don’t want to talk about it.”

From there, she noted that neither her dad nor Bunnie had cheated on the other.

“Y’all have no f**king idea what happened, and wait ’till y’all find out. Just **king wait. Because I promise y’all, the view of what y’all have of not only the situation, but their relationship and the internet in totality is about to f**king crumble the day that I open my mouth,” she reportedly added.

RELATED: Whew! Jelly Roll’s Daughter Says Internet Will “Crumble” The Day She Shares Reason For Her Dad & Bunnie XO’s Divorce

“Celebrity Apprentice” alum Piers Morgan is sticking up for his pal, Ariana Grande. On social media, the British broadcaster and TV personality urged fans to back off of the “Petal” singer days after her spokesperson revealed her plans to take a step back from the public eye following her tour’s conclusion.

On Instagram, Morgan posted a photo of himself with Grande and added a lengthy caption.

“I’ve no idea what’s going on with @arianagrande, but I do know, after spending a random evening with her in a Beverly Hills restaurant a few years ago, that she’s a genuinely great person: intelligent, funny, engaging, and of course, supremely talented,” he wrote.

Continuing, Morgan said that the level of fame Grande has is no easy task and explained that it can be a “very difficult and lonely place.” Morgan finished by urging the “trolls currently making her life a misery” to “back off” and give her the space she needs to get back to feeling like herself.

Ariana Grande Planning To Pull Back From The Spotlight Beginning September 2

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Morgan’s statement of support for Grande comes days after a representative for the singer revealed that she will pull back from the public eye at the end of her “Eternal Sunshine Tour,” which wraps on September 1.

“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” the rep said. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”

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While it’s unclear exactly why Grande has decided to pull back, many have assumed it’s due to the ongoing conversation and speculation surrounding her body, something the “Victorious” actress has condemned over the last several years.

“I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies, no matter what,” she said in a 2023 TikTok. “There are ways to compliment someone or to ignore something that you see that you don’t like that I think we should help each other work towards.”

Meghan McCain Speaks About Grande With Shocking Social Media Post

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According to a previous report from The Blast, former “The View” co-host Meghan McCain was one of the public figures to speak out about Grande. Her comments came after the release of Grande’s latest music video, “Petal,” which prompted viewers to share their concerns about the singer’s health and well-being.

McCain allegedly shared a similar message, saying, “This reminds me of the Amy Winehouse era when it was blatantly obvious something was very wrong, but everyone around her just ignored and enabled it. This is very, VERY sad and she clearly needs help immediately.”

Trisha Paytas Speaks Out

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Internet personality Trisha Paytas is another celebrity who spoke out, according to Us Weekly, and said that the conversation surrounding Grande and her body was unacceptable. She added that she feels the internet has emboldened people to say whatever they want without consequences.

While she admitted she was also concerned about Grande, she said commenting publicly wasn’t her place and could only cause more harm than good.

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“I just don’t think [commenting on people’s bodies] helps either way. It doesn’t help them want to get help, it doesn’t help them want to stop the problem. So many times when people say, ‘Oh, you look sick,’ or ‘We see your bones’ … it’s almost like encouraging, enabling that issue, if that makes sense,” she finished.

Ariana Grande Said Her Decision To Pull Away Was Not A ‘Reactive Or Impulsive’ Choice

Ariana Grande with a speech at tonights show in reference to her break and the hate 🤍 #weloveyouariana pic.twitter.com/CB0tajXXk3

— 𝓞𝓭𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮 (@D0LLIKE) August 4, 2026

The announcement about Grande’s future only drew more attention to the singer, and during her show at Chicago’s United Center on August 3, she addressed the crowd with a handwritten letter. According to Grande, her choice to pull away from the public eye was not a rash decision.

“It is something that I had decided to plan,” she said before clarifying that the public’s opinion and “negativity” weren’t the reason. “No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or not as real to me as this love that we share,” she added.

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Days of Our Lives spoilers indicate that Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins) has a health scare this week that could be very serious and in fact downright scary. And Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) is set to be there when she gets this devastating diagnosis.

This could change everything for Alex and his baby mama and for Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) as well. We’re going to talk about Joy’s scary diagnosis and Stephanie doubting that it’s even a real thing.

Days of our Lives: Joy is a Thorn in Stephanie’s Side

So, we all know that Joy has caused nothing but grief for Stephanie since she arrived in Salem with Alex’s daughter, Kelsey. And if not for Jeremy Horton (Michael Roark) prodding her, Joy might still be in New York with her parents raising little Kelsey alone. But Jeremy wanted to stir the pot. And boy did it work.

And from there, Stephanie actually made things so much worse. I mean, I’d be worried if my baby daddy’s wife fired a gun at my head. And I honestly don’t think that Stephanie has apologized enough directly to Joy for that. You know, maybe because Alex keeps saying it’s not your fault, but it is Stephanie’s fault.

And I don’t think she’s gone and had a sit down and explained it herself and really genuinely apologized. Yes, it is Jeremy’s fault that he kidnapped Stephanie and she had PTSD as a result. However, it is Stephanie’s fault that she ignored every single one of her dad, Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) gun safety rules.

Stephanie Was Careless on DOOL

Not only did she have a loaded gun not in a safe, but she had it close at hand while taking double doses of sleeping pills. Have you ever taken Ambien? I have. It is not a drug to take with a loaded firearm close at hand or your cell phone or your credit card or your car keys. So, I think at this point, Joy has some PTSD that’s maybe not being acknowledged because of that. But in the end, we all know the truth. Joy did come to Salem hoping to use Kelsey to steal Alex from Stephanie.

Those are definitely facts of the matter, and it is an extreme demand from Joy that they keep Stephanie away from Alex’s daughter forever. But they could agree that keep Stephanie away from Kelsey for 6 months and then we’ll revisit it and if there’s no more scary incidents, no bullets flying, then you know, alter the custody and visitation arrangement.

I think it’s understandable that Joy is a little scared, but Alex refused to sign the custody arrangement because of the ban on Stephanie that was initially set for Kelsey until she turned 18. I agree that was heavy-handed, not fair to Alex in the least. But at the same time, it’s Joy and Alex’s co-parenting issue for them to hash out, them and their lawyers.

Days of our Lives: Stephanie Ruined Things with Her Big Mouth

Stephanie knows she screwed up shooting at Joy and she should have stayed out of it. You know, give Alex the room to negotiate because this is his to deal with. And in fact, Belle Black (Martha Madison) had talked some sense to Joy, but then Stephanie had to butt in and she shouldn’t have and she made things worse.

Not only did Stephanie tell Joy she thought she was being unreasonable, but it got worse. Stephanie told Joy off, saying she was trying to steal Alex from her. Stephanie was raging about Joy calling Alex about the medical insurance.

In that case, he was the one who panicked and ran off instead of listening to what Joy had to say. Then Stephanie griped about the flat tire that Joy called Alex about. But Joy didn’t have roadside assistance and didn’t want to leave Kelsey alone in the car while she changed the flat on a busy road.

Stephanie’s not a mom. She doesn’t understand. I would have done the same thing. And the spare tire caused the blowout that caused the car crash and Stephanie was ignoring Joy’s calls to Alex’s phone and then deleted the voicemail. That was immature behavior.

If Stephanie had just answered the call, everything would have been different because she would have heard from Joy about the wreck and then she could have contacted Alex, sent him to the hospital and Stephanie could have met him there and they could have dealt with it together as a couple.

Instead, Stephanie assumed the worst because Joy was hurt, you know, and Kelsey had to get checked out. But Stephanie was actually thinking that Joy would crash her car on purpose to manipulate Alex. That’s next level paranoia. 99.99% of moms would never put their child in danger.

Joy’s Devastating Diagnosis and Leukemia Theory on DOOL

Alex finds out that Stephanie interfered, made things worse with the custody thing. And then Alex is begging Joy to reconsider. All of this could have been avoided if Stephanie just let Alex deal with his business. And then things take a turn for the much worse.

Joy’s at Brady Pub pulling Kelsey’s car seat off the stroller and she’s got some kind of arm thing. She’s in obvious agony. Kelsey’s scared and crying and Javi Hernandez (Jacob Martinez) id going to be there. He’s checking on Joy. Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) is checking on Kelsey to calm her down. And I bet an EMT insists Joy has to go to the hospital to get checked out.

And initially it may look like an arm injury, maybe some leftover thing from the car crash or a pulled muscle when you know that baby gear is heavy. But spoilers hint, it is so much more serious than that. Alex is on hand to support Joy when she receives devastating news. And that sounds to me like a terrifying medical diagnosis. You know, a pulled ligament in your arm or pulled muscle, that’s not devastating news. So, I don’t think this is related to Kelsey on Days of our Lives.

I think it’s about Joy herself. And at the same time that Alex is with Joy for this stuff, Stephanie’s having a heart-to-heart with her mom, Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans). And we can already guess Stephanie’s going to rant about Alex rushing off to be with Joy, ranting about the custody deal. I expect Stephanie tells Kayla she thinks this is another stunt Joy’s pulling to get his attention. All part of her master plan to steal Alex. But it’s not a stunt. And it could be something terrifying.

Days of our Lives: Stephanie Horrifies Alex

And Stephanie’s going to look like a monster for saying all this because Alex is there, he hears it straight from the doctor. So if Stephanie rolls up and suggests that Joy is faking and conning him, I think Alex may be upset. So, here’s what I suspect is going to happen.

I think Joy’s going to be told she has leukemia. If you recall her origin story, leukemia is part of it. Joy was conceived as a savior sibling to be a bone marrow donor for her sister who had leukemia. That same cancer that almost killed her sister might now be threatening Joy.

And just to be clear, leukemia doesn’t run in families, but soaps can write what they want with medical conditions. And one of leukemia’s symptoms is arm pain. It is a very common leukemia symptom. That’s why I jumped right to thinking that might be what we’re getting. The pain is caused by cancerous white blood cells building up pressure in the bone marrow.

So, while Stephanie is accusing her of a stunt, you know, Alex may be hearing that Kelsey’s mom has cancer. And Kayla, as a doctor, can check and see Joy’s test results, but she can’t tell Stephanie anything. So, Stephanie may run her mouth to Alex and then he is angry. From there, they’d likely see if Kelsey is a match to be a bone marrow donor to her own mom.

Two Ways this Could Go on Days

If Joy has a cancer like this, I expect it’s going to take one of two storyline paths. One, Joy needs a donor. Kelsey’s tested as a match, and that exposes that the paternity test was rigged and Alex isn’t Kelsey’s biological father. A lot of fans think Joy’s been lying and somehow tampered with the test that Alex took when Joy first came back to Salem.

Another route they could go is Alex is still Kelsey’s daddy and they’re writing a cancer plot to potentially kill off Joy so that Alex and Stephanie will be raising little Kelsey. So Stephanie doesn’t want kids. That could be really messy. This whole situation might push Alex and Stephanie’s marriage to the brink and it could be a life and death ordeal for Joy that could leave her daughter Kelsey without a mom.

Adventure stories have always captured our desire to explore the unknown. For centuries, adventure novels have invited readers to sail across uncharted oceans, uncover hidden civilizations, duel fearless enemies, and survive impossible odds. So many movies and games have taken inspiration from them.

A few key books were central in shaping the genre’s conventions, laying down blueprints that countless writers would follow. Whether introducing unforgettable heroes, pioneering entirely new subgenres, or digging deep with their themes, the titles on this list all left their mark on adventure storytelling.

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‘Robinson Crusoe’ (1719)

Image via CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

“I learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition.” One of the very first English novels ever, Robinson Crusoe tells the story of a sailor stranded alone on a deserted island after a shipwreck. Forced to survive using only his ingenuity and determination, Crusoe gradually builds shelter, cultivates crops, domesticates animals, and creates an entirely new life before eventually encountering the man he names Friday.

In the process, author Daniel Defoe transformed survival into the central engine of an adventure story, paving the way for an entire subgenre. (Indeed, the protagonist’s name has come to be synonymous with being stranded and isolated in the wild.) Crucially, rather than relying on constant action, Defoe mined drama out of practical problem-solving, self-reliance, and the character’s ability to adapt under extraordinary circumstances. You continue to see echoes of this in everything from Cast Away to The Martian.

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‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ (1872)

Image via Penguin Classics

“Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real.” This banger is one of the defining works by the legendary Jules Verne. It follows the impeccably punctual English gentleman Phileas Fogg after he wagers that modern transportation has made it possible to circumnavigate the globe in just eighty days. Accompanied by his loyal servant Passepartout, Fogg embarks upon a whirlwind journey across continents while being pursued by a detective who mistakenly believes him to be a notorious bank robber.

Published in the 1870s, Around the World in Eighty Days captures the excitement of its moment in time, an age when the world was suddenly feeling more interconnected thanks to steamships, railways, and global communication. Every destination introduces fresh obstacles, colorful characters, and ingenious escapes, and the plot maintains a relentless pace throughout. All this makes it the archetypal modern globe-trotting adventure.

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‘The Lost World’ (1912)

“I am a believer in the impossible.” Although most famous for Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle also penned this classic sci-fi-edged adventure. Long before dinosaurs dominated pop culture (this book was published more than a century ago), The Lost World imagined an isolated South American plateau where prehistoric creatures continued to thrive. The eccentric Professor Challenger leads an expedition into this mysterious region, where the explorers encounter dinosaurs, ape-like beings, and civilizations untouched by the outside world.

Through this, Doyle essentially created the “lost world” subgenre. His emphasis on discovery and exploration established a template that would influence generations of adventure writers, filmmakers, and game designers. From King Kong and Jurassic Park to countless pulp adventures and fantasy epics, most stories about hidden civilizations and prehistoric ecosystems can trace much of their DNA back to this origin point.

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‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ (1864)

“Science, my boy, is made up of mistakes.” Jules Verne strikes again, this time taking us deep underground rather than far overland. In Journey to the Center of the Earth, Professor Otto Lidenbrock discovers an ancient manuscript describing a route into Earth’s interior. He promptly organizes an expedition with his nephew Axel and their Icelandic guide Hans. As they descend beneath extinct volcanoes, the trio discovers a breathtaking world of subterranean oceans and prehistoric animals.

The imagination and world-building here are off the charts. It’s all very fantastical, hitting us with one whimsical setting or creature after another, infecting us with its boundless spirit of exploration and possibility. Verne wants us to see the magic in things again, to believe that the world still contains unimaginable mysteries waiting to be uncovered. He more than succeeds.

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‘Treasure Island’ (1883)

Image via Cluny Media

“Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest. Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!” No story has shaped the popular image of pirates more profoundly than Robert Louis Stevenson‘s Treasure Island. Narrated by young Jim Hawkins, the story begins when an old sea captain leaves behind a mysterious treasure map, sending our protagonist searching for buried pirate gold. Along the way, he encounters mutiny, betrayal, naval battles, and one of literature’s greatest villains, the charismatic Long John Silver.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that this book pretty much invented the modern pirate adventure. All the genre’s core ingredients are here: peg legs, parrots, buried treasure, treasure maps marked with an “X,” tropical islands, mutinous crews. In a sense, almost every pirate tale since is either drawing from Treasure Island or deliberately subverting it. Not to mention, Long John Silver’s complexity made him a deeply influential villain.

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‘The Three Musketeers’ (1844)

Image via Wordsworth Editions

“All for one, and one for all!” This is another story that’s become so famous that it almost feels like a modern myth. The Three Musketeers follows the ambitious young d’Artagnan after he travels to Paris hoping to join the King’s Musketeers. Instead, he finds himself befriending Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, becoming embroiled in dangerous political conspiracies involving Cardinal Richelieu, Queen Anne, and the deadly Milady de Winter.

Here, Dumas perfected the swashbuckling adventure by blending sword fights, romance, espionage, humor, witty banter, team-based heroics, and historical drama into something irresistibly entertaining, and his breakneck pacing ensured that readers were constantly swept from one thrilling episode to the next. The characters are compelling, too, each possessing distinct personalities and flaws. This means that their friendship is just as compelling as the countless duels they fight.

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‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas’ (1870)

Image via Penguin Random House

“The sea is everything.” Yet another Jules Verne gem. This time, he guides us to the ocean’s deepest depths, portraying it almost like an alien planet. The plot revolves around Professor Pierre Aronnax, who joins an expedition investigating reports of a gigantic sea monster. He travels aboard the Nautilus, a submarine capable of descending to the deepest reaches of the sea, all under the command of the fascinating Captain Nemo.

Nemo is one of Verne’s most compelling creations. Brilliant, mysterious, and morally ambiguous, he combines scientific genius with profound personal tragedy. At the same time, the novel keeps us hooked with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of wonder and whimsy, including marine forests, giant squids, shark attacks, hostile warships, Antarctic icebergs, and even the ruins of Atlantis. Plus, some of Verne’s depictions of submarine technology wound up being surprisingly prophetic.

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‘Moby-Dick’ (1851)

“From hell’s heart I stab at thee.” Another adventure on the high seas, but a much darker and more complicated one. Narrated by Ishmael, Moby-Dick follows the crew of the whaling ship Pequod as its obsessive captain, Ahab, abandons commercial whaling in pursuit of the enormous white whale that previously cost him his leg. The voyage itself becomes increasingly perilous as Ahab’s monomaniacal pursuit consumes both himself and his crew.

In the process, Herman Melville elevates the adventure structure into an epic exploration of obsession, fate, nature, and humanity’s place in the universe. Alongside thrilling encounters with whales and storms, the book brings in philosophy, natural history, religion, and symbolism, as well as weird digressions like poetry, stage directions, catalogs, and extensive anatomical notes about whales. The novel’s greatness begins from the famous first line: “Call me Ishmael.”

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‘The Hobbit’ (1937)

Image via George Allen & Unwin

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“Far over the misty mountains cold…” The Hobbit is one of the cornerstones of modern fantasy, but it’s also simply a well-told adventure story, one whose energy and economy have been widely imitated. It fits a lot of imagination into less than 300 pages. It’s a mini-epic, a brisk journey filled with treasure, trolls, goblins, giant spiders, elves, dragons, riddling creatures, unlikely heroes, and unforgettable landscapes, carried effortlessly by Tolkien‘s gorgeous writing.

The narrative structure is episodic, harking back to classic hero’s journey stories, borrowing widely from myths and legends. Fundamentally, it’s about an ordinary protagonist gradually growing into a capable hero. This template has inspired everything from tabletop role-playing to modern video games. The depth of the author’s world-building here was also hugely influential; every setting feels lived-in because Tolkien worked out elaborate backstories and histories for them.

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‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ (1844)

Image via Penguin Random House

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“Until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words: Wait and hope.” Although The Three Musketeers is more accessible, The Count of Monte Cristo is the overall stronger book. It follows Edmond Dantès, a young sailor falsely imprisoned on the eve of his wedding. After years of captivity, Dantès escapes from the seemingly inescapable Château d’If, discovers a legendary hidden fortune, and reinvents himself as the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo to execute one of literature’s greatest revenge plots.

Along the way, Alexandre Dumas masterfully combines prison breaks, hidden treasure, secret identities, duels, political intrigue, romance, and international adventure. Every twist feels meticulously planned, and Edmond’s transformation from an innocent young sailor into an enigmatic aristocrat is one of fiction’s all-time great character arcs. In many ways, this is the pinnacle of adventure storytelling.

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The Count of Monte Cristo

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Release Date

June 28, 2024

Runtime

178 minutes

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Director

Alexandre de La Patellière

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Producers

Dimitri Rassam

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  Pierre Niney

  Edmond Dantès / le Comte de Monte-Cristo / Lord Halifax

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  Bastien Bouillon

  Fernand de Morcerf

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  Anaïs Demoustier

  Mercédès Herrera

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  Anamaria Vartolomei

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  Haydee

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Bianca Stanciu has built a career on a weird flex: making statistics feel like a text from your smartest friend. Her latest video grabs one of the sneakiest concepts in data science, survivorship bias, and points it straight at your phone habit.

She’s not lecturing anyone. She’s asking the question you didn’t know you needed to answer.

Quick version: it’s the trap of only studying what made it through and ignoring everyone who didn’t, which quietly messes with how you judge success, risk, and “normal.” It’s the reason people think overnight fame is common and near misses don’t count. It shows up everywhere once you know to look for it.

Bianca’s move is applying that lens somewhere nobody expects: the last 20 years of living online. Her take? You made it through. You’re still standing. That’s worth sitting with for a second.

“The fact that we survived this social experiment so far, it’s kind of amazing,” she says in the video, right before she flips the whole idea on its head and gets into what actually got stronger in you along the way.

Then she hands you a tool you’ll actually use. Next time you’re scrolling, ask yourself: is this adding something real to my life, or did my nervous system just get hijacked by comparison? Suddenly that tired line about not comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel means something again.

Seven minutes. Zero fluff. This is the video you send to the friend who can’t put their phone down. [Watch the full video here]

From Romania To 2.5 Million Followers

Nobody scripts a path like this. Bianca grew up in Romania, studied Data Science at the IT University of Copenhagen, then landed in Los Angeles in 2020 for a run in the video game industry. A year later she launched BIANCADATA and turned it into one of the internet’s most followed corners of tech, AI, wellness and lifestyle content.

Her whole philosophy comes down to one line: “Some of the same tools we use to understand data can also help us better understand ourselves.”

The Pep Talk Series Breaking The Internet

Forget charts for a second. Bianca’s biggest recent wave has come from a run of “over the top” positive self-talk Reels, filmed from a floor-level angle that puts her fully in charge of the shot.

“I think of it as talking to myself if I had fallen on the ground and needed a pep talk to get up,” she says. “I think a lot of people feel that way as they scroll through social media, like they’re feeling low and need that little voice in their head to give them a good reason to take that next step.”

One clip sitting at 1.4 million views hits like a slap and a hug at the same time: “That self-doubt you’re carrying that whispers ‘you’re not enough’… that didn’t start with you, that was planted by someone else’s fear… so stop rehearsing their lines and start writing your own.”

‘Why Not Both?‘

Bianca isn’t pretending the angle is an accident. She knows exactly what she’s doing, and she knows her famously curvaceous figure is part of why the video stops your thumb.

On occasion, that honesty has earned her a couple of predictable critics in the comment section: smart and sexy supposedly can’t be the same person. 

“For as long as I’ve made content, people have been obsessed with finding contradictions,” she says. “If I make a tech video, someone will comment, ‘how are we supposed to take you seriously when your outfit has cleavage?’ But to me, that’s such a boring way to look at the world. Why not both?”

She takes it further: “In my opinion, art and science are both about discovering truth and beauty. So can’t I try to look beautiful while also making something interesting and true about the human condition?”

Watch the video, then try arguing with her.

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Brad Pitt is asking a judge to force Angelina Jolie to disclose additional details about her Hollywood earnings as their long-running legal battle over Château Miraval intensifies. Pitt claims Jolie has refused to provide movie contracts and other financial records he believes could challenge her explanation for selling her interest in the former couple’s French winery business. Jolie is pushing back, arguing that Pitt is not entitled to the expansive collection of documents he requested and has misunderstood why she wanted to sell her stake.

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According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Pitt is seeking records showing Jolie’s income between 2017 and 2021, including upfront acting fees, brand sponsorship payments and profit-participation statements. During that period, Jolie appeared in several major studio projects, including “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” “Eternals” and “Those Who Wish Me Dead.” Pitt’s team believes the information is relevant because Jolie previously explained that she decided to sell Château Miraval to achieve financial independence following their 2016 separation.

The actor is now attempting to examine how much Jolie earned from her film work during the years preceding the sale. Pitt claims Jolie initially agreed to provide the requested information before reversing course and refusing to turn over everything his team sought

Jolie, however, maintains that she has already provided certain financial records and argues that Pitt is demanding more information than he is legally entitled to receive.

Angelina Jolie Denies Claiming She Was In Financial Distress

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Jolie’s attorneys insist Pitt has built his request around a mischaracterization of her previous statements. The actress does not deny wanting financial independence following her separation from Pitt. However, she argues that this did not mean she lacked money or was experiencing financial hardship.

Her lawyer said, “The issue is not whether Jolie needed the money. The issue is that she was trying to untangle her life and her finances from her controlling and abusive ex-husband. That distinction makes all the difference.”

Jolie further characterized Pitt’s argument as a “made-up theory that [Angelina] did not allege.” Her position is that wanting to separate her financial interests from Pitt is fundamentally different from claiming she could not support herself without selling her winery stake.

Jolie has also pointed to the financial information Pitt already received during their divorce proceedings, which concluded in 2024.

Court filings previously reported by PEOPLE indicate that Jolie voluntarily provided tax returns and profit-participation statements for 2020 and 2021. Her attorneys have objected to producing additional records from earlier years, arguing that doing so would invade her privacy.

The Former Couple Remains At War Over Château Miraval

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The financial dispute is the latest development in Pitt’s ongoing lawsuit over Jolie’s sale of her interest in Nouvel, the company through which she held her stake in Château Miraval. Pitt and Jolie purchased the estate in Correns, France, in 2008 for approximately $28.4 million.

Pitt has argued that he invested significant time and money into developing the property and its wine business. He has also acknowledged that Jolie contributed approximately 40% of the original purchase price.

Their business relationship became increasingly complicated after Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, beginning a contentious personal and legal separation.

Although their divorce has since been finalized, the dispute over the winery remains unresolved.

Brad Pitt Claims Angelina Jolie Violated Their Agreement

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Pitt sued Jolie in 2022, alleging that she improperly sold her interest in the winery business to a third party without obtaining his consent. According to Pitt, the former couple had an understanding that neither would dispose of an ownership stake without the other’s approval. Jolie began pursuing a sale of her interest before ultimately reaching an agreement with Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of Stoli Group.

Pitt claims that he agreed she could explore a possible sale but retained the right to approve or reject the proposed buyer. The actor said he was shocked to learn that Tenute del Mondo had acquired Jolie’s interest. He maintains that she never sought his final consent and deliberately withheld the terms of the transaction.

Jolie has contested Pitt’s interpretation of their agreement and his claimed authority over her decision to sell.

Pitt Objects To The Winery’s New Business Partner

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Pitt has described Tenute del Mondo as a “hostile” third party and objected to its connection to Stoli Group executive Yuri Shefler. The actor claims the sale complicated his ability to operate the winery and introduced an unwanted business partner into an enterprise he had spent years developing.

Jolie’s position has centered on her right to separate herself financially from Pitt and dispose of her interest after their marriage ended.

The opposing arguments have transformed what began as a disagreement over a business transaction into a sprawling legal fight involving financial documents, nondisclosure agreements and testimony from people involved in the sale.

Beyond the Gates spoilers promise that this week Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) collapses. And it looks like this is the big one. The deathbed scene we have known was coming. This week’s spoilers look really scary for Big Bad Bill.

And his medical crisis could ruin Dani Dupree’s (Karla Mosley) marriage if she can’t stay away. We’re going to talk about Bill’s near-death being what outs Dani’s true feelings for Bill in a way that Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) cannot ignore.

Beyond the Gates: Bill & Dani’s Elevator Romp Changed Everything

Ever since their elevator encounter, both Dani and Bill have been thinking a lot about the past and he wanted more chances with his ex. But Dani is denying him. She rejected Bill when he tried to get Dani to have an affair with him and she told Bill she would never be a sidepiece like Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) was.

But Dani is still obviously in pain over all the things that Bill did to her, ripping her heart out with the whole Hayley thing. Dani suffered years of Bill’s cheating. And then that was topped off with the humiliation of Bill dumping Dani to be with Hayley. And even worse, Bill moved Hayley into Dani’s own backyard. What she can’t deny is that Bill still gets her hot and bothered and he can play her body like a fiddle.

BTG: Hayley Throws Sinister Plot into High Gear

Meanwhile, horrible little Hayley Hamilton told Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry) that she’s done with all this. So, he gave her more poison. And Hayley is planning to kill Bill in St. Barts. And Randy knows a guy there that can do up the death certificate real quick and go ahead and cremate Bill so that nobody will ever know that she poisoned him because, you know, once you’re ashes, it’s kind of too late.

Hayley has been dosing Bill with smoothies full of the toxins and then making him work out, pushing Bill’s body to the limit while keeping family away and then goading him to stay away from the doctor. Hayley kept saying fine, go to the hospital, get poked and prodded because she knew Bill’s ego would make him say no, forget it. Bottom line, Hayley wants Bill dead right now so that she can cash out.

Beyond the Gates: Bill’s Medical Crisis and Haley’s Desperation

Unfortunately, Beyond the Gates spoilers for this week say Hayley’s plans go off the rails when Bill gets a health update that delays their trip to St. Barts. But Hayley’s done waiting. So, she pivots to a new plan to just go ahead and kill Bill right there in the DMV. Problem is, Hayley doesn’t know she is about to be busted. Initially, there was suspicion she was cheating on Bill.

But now Kat Richardson (Colby Muhammad), Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla), Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit), and Dani have figured out that Randy isn’t Hayley’s secret boyfriend. He’s something else entirely. And Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli) filled in some blanks for them on their shared background with Doug McBride (Jason Graham), and they realized that Hayley’s from the same place as Randy and Doug.

And then there’s the whole thing with him using another name. That was when he supposedly took Hayley to the hospital for that miscarriage that we all know is faked. But the little killer doesn’t know that all the Dupree ladies are on to her. So, Hayley decides to go for it and just finish off her husband Bill.

And by Thursday this week, Dani is freaking Randy out. So, it looks like Dani corners Randy with some pointed questions. And we’ll see if he alerts Hayley. Also, Randy got a heads up thanks to Vanessa. Of course, she likes him because he was Doug’s good friend. So, Vanessa warned him. And all of this could have Randy deciding to walk away from Hayley. High tail it out of town. But Hayley’s not going to stop.

BTG: Bill Collapses – Hayley Thrilled

And by Friday, Beyond the Gates spoilers say that she gets what she wants. That is the same day Bill collapses at work again. And it looks dire. So, Caroline Lee (Ellie Wang) is there for him. She’s going to get Bill to the hospital, I’m sure. And Madison Montgomery (Kenjah McNeil) might not know what’s going on with him, but we could see a scene with Bill at death’s door and Chelsea and Naomi worried they’re going to lose their dad.

I definitely feel like deathbed stuff is coming soon for Bill. The last time that he was in the hospital, Dani tried to stay away and Andre noticed that Dani was fighting the urge to run to check on Bill when he was in the hospital that time. Andre said it was fine, she could go, but Dani said, “No, I’m not going.”

But in the end, she couldn’t stay away. She went to see Bill, and she waited until Andre was distracted. So, she kind of went on the sly. Dani went over there to check on Bill for herself. And of course, Dani was disgusted that Hayley wasn’t there. And later, Dani lectured Hayley for being off getting a facial while Bill was on his sick bed.

Beyond the Gates: Dani’s True Feelings Exposed

This time, I’m guessing Hayley also won’t be there because she is flat out intent on murdering Bill or trying her best. So, she may be at the house packing a bag of bikinis to head to St. Barts so she can go play rich grieving widow and look for her next target. Dani knows that Hayley’s a gold digger. All the Duprees do.

I just think they didn’t suspect she was also a black widow planning to kill Bill to get his money. What I’m also wondering is if Dani is up there to see Bill, will Andre stop in to see him, too? You know, Bill’s part of the family as much as Andre doesn’t like him, and Andre might overhear something because if Bill thinks he’s really dying, he may have some things to get off his chest.

I could see him telling Dani he’s glad they got to be together one last time during the tornado. That’s something Andre might overhear Bill and Dani talking about. It would be the worst way for Andre to find out his wife had feelings for him. Or Bill might flat out tell Andre about it, either intentionally or because he’s addled and on pain meds and it just slips out and he doesn’t realize.

BTG: Dani’s Feelings Exposed

Either way, I think the truth about Dani’s real feelings for Bill are going to come out during this final life or death medical crisis. And at this point, Madison has tested, poked, and prodded Bill, but none of the blood work detected that he’s been poisoned by horrible Hayley.

But with new symptoms and maybe with Kat’s suspicions, since she’s a true crime enthusiast, maybe they’ll sus out that Hayley’s up to no good and Madison will do a thorough toxicology screen. I will say, I don’t think Bill’s going to die.

But his marriage is going to be dead in the water and Hayley is going to be in trouble. And Dani’s marriage might be dead, too, because there are some other cracks in her marriage already. And of course, Andre’s got that stalker from his past who is escalating this week.

Beyond the Gates: Dani May End Up Back with Bill

I’m assuming it’s some woman who’s crazy about him. Meanwhile, Dani’s denying to everybody that she wants Bill, denying it to herself most of all. And Hayley’s desperate to end this scheme and get her payday this week and it could cost Bill his life. However, I suspect he survives and that it might just kill Dani’s marriage.

I personally think Bill is the worst thing for Dani. Cheating leopards don’t change their spots in the short run after what Hayley’s done to him. I could see Bill working hard to convince Dani he’s learned his lesson. He would never be unfaithful again. But if she took him back, I think we all know Bill won’t keep it zipped long term, which is a very soapy plot and a good way to go.

I do think Andre is the healthiest emotional choice for Dani, but her reuniting with Bill because he nearly died would be a much soapier outcome. And of course, I’d love to see little Hayley hauled off in handcuffs, but it’s also soapier if she gets away. I could even see her showing up in another town looking at another wealthy man as her next target.

But that means Randy might also need to leave town or face some serious heat as her accomplice. And of course, the last time he tried to run, it didn’t go well for Randy because Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom) almost killed him. But that time he took some money. Maybe if he leaves without stealing, it’ll work out better. Watch this week because it’s going to be life and death for Bill, Hayley, and Randy, and maybe for Dani’s marriage, too.