Dakota Johnson and Machine Gun Kelly recently sparked dating rumors and fans are already weighing in on the possible romance!
The speculation comes after the pair were reportedly spotted spending time together on Friday night in New York City. While neither Johnson nor MGK, both 36, has confirmed that they are dating, the possibility of a romance has quickly caught the attention of fans online.
4ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
As reported by Deux Moi, Johnson and MGK spent a private meetup at Taylor Swift’s Tribeca apartment while the singer was out of town. The “Fifty Shades of Grey” actress reportedly arrived first in a black SUV, while the musician arrived half an hour later, and was escorted inside by Johnson’s security.
According to the outlet, Johnson and MGK spent several hours alone inside Swift’s residence before leaving together and heading to the actress’ hotel, where the pair remained for the night. As seen in pictures obtained by the publication, MGK was spotted helping Johnson out of the car before quickly making their way inside.
Fans React To Dakota Johnson And MGK Dating Rumors
The possibility of a Johnson and MGK romance quickly became a topic of discussion among fans on X, with some users seemingly surprised by the latest dating speculation.
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One commenter appeared to take a more critical view of the rumors, writing, “She gets around,” while another wrote, “Who hasn’t she slept with.”
Some users also weighed in on the latest speculation, mentioning Johnson’s previous relationships.
One declared, “She’s really into musicians phew!” while another remarked, “Dakota really said my type is a walking red flag and I’m tired of pretending we don’t see it.”
A different person noted, “Dakota always looks so effortlessly chic, but seeing her name next to MGK’s makes the whole thing feel tacky/cheap!”
Earlier this year, The Blast reported that MGK and Megan Fox, 40, are officially over after trying to reconcile. The former on-and-off couple are solely focused on co-parenting their daughter, Saga Blade, whom they welcomed in March 2025.
According to sources, Fox discovered MGK, born Colson Baker, had been in contact with other women, which led to their breakup.
“[They] haven’t been together in a real way for a long time now, and whatever they had romantically is done,” an insider told PEOPLE. “Their relationship at this point is just about co-parenting. Megan is focused on her kids and the baby and just getting settled into this new chapter. That’s genuinely her priority.”
Johnson was previously involved with Role Model, 29, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury. The actress was first spotted in December 2025 dining with the singer, and on another date in Los Angeles a month after, per PEOPLE.
“It’s definitely more than a fling, or just a flirt,” a source told the outlet in April, adding that the pair had been dating “since late last year.”
The insider also shared that Johnson “does really like” the musician “but is also taking things slow after her previous long-term relationship.”
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She previously dated Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 49, from October 2017 until June 2025. The two were also engaged.
Dakota Johnson And MGK Have Yet To Confirm Romance
For now, there’s no confirmation that Johnson and MGK are actually dating. Their reported New York City outing has naturally fueled romance speculation, but neither star has spoken publicly about the rumors. Until one of them addresses the situation, it’s unclear whether the two are simply friends or if there’s something more going on.
Lily sitting in a chair in Thoroughbreds.Image via Focus Features
Having featured in two of the summer’s biggest hits, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, actors Zendaya and Tom Holland have perhaps reached the peak of their respective careers. The two movies have broken numerous records and grossed a combined total of more than $4 billion worldwide. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is among the three biggest releases in global box-office history, and is poised to become the biggest domestic hit of all time. Meanwhile, The Odyssey was recently crowned the biggest Universal release of all time. There is, however, another actor who has had a tremendous year so far, and still has a trump card up her sleeve.
Anya Taylor-Joy reprised her role as Princess Peach in this year’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which made more than $1 billion worldwide. In December, she will be seen in director Denis Villeneuve’s epic trilogy-capper Dune: Part Three, which is projected to break franchise records at the box office. Dune: Part Three will clash with Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, and both Warner Bros. and Disney have their fingers crossed for a repeat of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, where the competition fuels combined interest in the films. Dune: Part Three is tracking to deliver a $100-million-plus debut domestically and to outgross Dune: Part Two‘s $715 million global box-office benchmark.
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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
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🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
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01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
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02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
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03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
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04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
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05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
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06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
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07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
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08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
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Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
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The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
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You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
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You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
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You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
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Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
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You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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Anya Taylor-Joy’s Hits Are Charting Simultaneously on Streaming
It would be another feather in Taylor-Joy’s cap this year at the box office, but she is proving to be an equally big draw at home. According to FlixPatrol, two of her Apple TV releases are concurrently among the streamer’s most-watched titles. The Gorge, a genre-bending hit from 2025, has now spent more than 550 days on the streamer’s domestic chart, while the limited series Luckyhas crossed the 50-day mark itself. Both projects have been well-received by the audience, with Lucky holding the higher critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Gorge, on the other hand, is among Apple TV’s biggest hits ever, alongside Greyhound and The Family Plan, led by bona fide movie stars Tom Hanks and Mark Wahlberg, respectively. Taylor-Joy has successfully found a place on the same table, setting herself up for more success in the future. She is now working on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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Release Date
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February 28, 2025
Runtime
127 Minutes
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Director
Scott Derrickson
Writers
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Zach Dean
Producers
Gregory Goodman, C. Robert Cargill, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Don Granger, Miles Teller, Sherryl Clark, Adam Kolbrenner
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has had a tumultuous year so far. After rallying the original cast and securing Chloe Zhao as the director, the revival series seemed to be moving forwards in production. But earlier this year, it was announced that the revival was canceled and Buffy would not be returning. Fans have slowly come to terms with the lack of a reunion, but the Emmys might give audiences a little more Buffy content. Two stars are set to present at the September 14th awards show, encouraging excitement online among Buffy fans.
With the return of two iconic Buffy actors, it brings up the lingering significance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show is nearing its 30th anniversary and has been off the air since 2003. Despite that, love for the show continues to go on. With such a strong fanbase, it’s curious to examine why the show has remained so beloved all these years later and how it went on the shape popular media since its creation.
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The Emmys are Bringing Back Buffy and Angel
Buffy and Angel in episode “Forever” of ‘Buffy, The Vampire Slayer”.Image Via The WB
Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz have been announced to present at the 2026 Emmys. Their reunion at the event has sparked conversation within the Buffy fanbase. After the cancelation of the Buffy revival series, fans have noticed an increase in Buffy the Vampire Slayer merchandise. From new merch in stores to Monster High collector dolls, audiences find themselves overcome with Buffy content — all except for the revival show.
During the runtime of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, the two star-crossed lovers had reunited multiple times on both shows. Crossovers between the two shows were common, as different characters would make guest appearances. For Buffy and Angel, their reunions were always emotionally charged with their past romance. There had been hope that the two would meet once more in the revival, but the Emmys might be the only chance to see Buffy and Angel again.
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Why Buffy the Vampire Slayer Continues to be Loved
Buffy has been off the air since 2003 with the release of its final season. After seven years of runtime, the iconic show finally concluded the story of Buffy Summers and her fight against evil. Aside from the spin-off show Angel, which ended its run in 2004, Buffy hasn’t produced much from this universe in the years since. There have been comic book runs, novelizations, and an unaired animated series, but Buffy Summers hasn’t returned to television since. So why do audiences still love this show so much?
Part of it is nostalgia. Buffy the Vampire Slayer embodies the late 90s and the connection some audiences have to that point in their lives. The show was a massive success when it was airing, garnering a strong and steady fanbase who still adore the show to this day. New viewers are able to tune in to the show on streaming services, and it seems as though Buffy isn’t fading into obscurity any time soon. But nostalgia isn’t the only reason why fans still adore Buffy.
The show itself is a testament to its ongoing support. Buffy Summers is a witty yet troubled character who experiences far more suffering than she should. The monsters and demons she fights not only make for cool fight scenes and exciting action, but it speaks to how dedicated she is to her role as the Slayer. Alongside her quirky friends, Buffy demonstrates a remarkable strength that is inspiring to watch. The writing is funny, the characters are goofy, and the end-of-the-world stakes continue to get more dire with each season. Buffy the Vampire Slayer balances the challenges of teen girl life and fight against paranormal forces in a way that shaped supernatural media. The heart and humor of the show has stood the test of time and continues to speak to audiences to this day.
With Gellar and Boreanaz reuniting at the Emmys, it brings up thoughts on the revival. With how successful and beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer still is, there is an audience who would want more from the universe. While a revival looks unlikely, it’s good to know that people still love the original show thirty years later.
Every year around Emmys season, TV fans hear about shows and actors who were snubbed as equally deserving nominees celebrate. In fact, some of the most iconic series of all time never won a single Emmy in their heyday.
While Alexis Bledel won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for The Handmaid’s Tale in 2017, neither her work on Gilmore Girls nor costar Lauren Graham’s performance were honored by the awards show. The dramedy itself never received a nod either, but makeup artist Marie DelPrete earned an award for Outstanding Makeup for a Series in 2004. “I’m definitely happy about that, that I brought them the Emmy,” she told Vice in November 2016. “I don’t necessarily know if they’re happy it’s the only Emmy they have!”
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The Wire — a critically-acclaimed HBO drama often referred to as the best television show in history — was similarly overlooked by the Emmys. Writer Ed Burns spoke out about the Television Academy’s seeming lack of regard for the predominantly Black cast in 2007.
“These guys clearly cut the mustard. They can act with anyone,” he told the Associated Press. “I don’t know why it has to be this ‘You can play a drug addict; you can play the good sidekick.’ These are the roles that these actors end up doing and it’s a shame.”
Scroll down to revisit popular TV shows that never won an Emmy:
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of films depicting the gut-wrenching peril and horror of war. But there’s only one that can claim its rightful throne as the film that saved 20th Century Fox from complete financial ruin. The 1962 epic starring John Wayne, The Longest Day,captures the cinema icon as Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort, a real-life paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division during the D-Day invasion. Despite the heavy criticism from audiences regarding the historical accuracy of the film, half a century and some change later, one quote still rings particularly loud in the ears of fans and critics alike.
Interestingly, the film did not have one sole director. In fact, it had three: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, and Bernhard Wicki. Additionally, two more uncredited directors jumped on the project for extended scenes: Daryl F. Zanuck and Gerd Oswald. In many cases, this would result in a “too many cooks in the kitchen”, chopped-up, amalgamation of ideas thrown on a silver screen. But against all odds, the group created one of the more influential movies of the time, including a specific moment in particular.
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The Context and The Unforgettable Moment in ‘The Longest Day’
Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, and John Wayne on a cropped poster for The Longest DayImage via 20th Century Studios
Firstly, the immense thought and care put into the premise of this film is certainly worth noting. This story is the result of Cornelius Ryan‘s nonfiction recounting of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. Through conducting extensive interviews with more than three hundred soldiers and officers who were present on that fateful day, as well as closely studied reports, personal diaries, and public records, Ryan built this story brick by brick. Interestingly, the film captures the perspectives of both the British and French forces, expressing emotional and physical commonalities that cross enemy lines. This choice highlights the inhumane absurdity of war,
So where does the quote come in? A flight officer, David Campbell, played by Richard Burton, says the infamous line in the brutal aftermath of D-Day. He was shot down, nearly fatally injured. His leg was held together with safety pins, an inarguable death sentence on the battlefield. He stands over the body of a German soldier, one he killed. At this moment, two innocent men forced into the horrific brutal nonsense of war both fall victim to the consequences in different ways. One dead, the other a killer, each irrevocably changed.
Later, Dutch Schultz, played by Richard Beymer, an American paratrooper left to his own devices, wandering far off from his unit, arrives on the scene. He hasn’t fired a single weapon, a feat almost nobody else can say they achieved. They talk, Schultz noting that night is falling, and he keeps hearing gunfire, yet he always somehow shows up after the fighting is over. Thus leading Campbell, overcome with the sudden awareness of the tragic horror of war, to say the iconic line: “He’s dead. I’m crippled. You’re lost. Do you suppose it’s always like that? I mean war.” This quote highlights the humbling reality that, in war, there are truly no winners. Nobody leaves unscathed, and more often than not, no battle is worth forcing innocent men to murder each other. There are plenty of war movies out there, but hardly any that tackle the reality of war in such a poignant and accurate way.
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Release Date
October 4, 1962
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Runtime
178 minutes
Director
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Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, Ken Annakin
Writers
Cornelius Ryan, David Pursall, Jack Seddon, James Jones, Romain Gary
Late last year, viewers were stunned and enthralled when HBO delivered its steamiest series of the past year. A gripping, NSFW hockey-based drama, Heated Rivalryfollowed the secret long-term relationship between rivals Shane and Ilya (Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie) as it twisted and turned in romantic chaos. A six-episode adaptation of Rachel Reid‘s Game Changers, the seriesearned an average of 10.6 million viewers per episode on HBO Max, which doubled following the December 26 finale, and eventually earned the green light for a second season.
With HBO Max boasting Heated Rivalry, Prime Video would soon debut their own alternative, Off Campus. Based on a series of books by Elle Kennedy and adapted for the screen by Louisa Levy, this eight-episode series follows the steamy, blossoming relationship between Ella Bright‘s Hannah and Belmont Cameli‘s Garrett, a music major and hockey captain who find unlikely love in the fictional Briar University.
Just like Heated Rivalry, Off Campus was a big hit with critics and audiences, with Collider’s Therese Lacsondescribing the show in her review as “the perfect blend of sizzling romance and soapy drama.” The series defied expectations by becoming a huge streaming hit, earning 36 million global viewers in its first 12 days of release, which ranked as Prime Video’s third most-watched series launch of all time, behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Fallout. It’s been over three months since the finale aired, and the show is still proving popular. At the time of writing, Off Campus has surpassed the 100-day mark on the Prime Video top ten in the U.S.
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Collider Exclusive · TV Medicine Quiz Which Fictional Hospital Would You Work Best In? The Pitt · ER · Grey’s Anatomy · House · Scrubs
Five hospitals. Five completely different ways medicine goes sideways on television — brutal, chaotic, romantic, brilliant, and ridiculous. Only one of them is the ward your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out exactly where you belong.
🚨The Pitt
🏥ER
💉Grey’s
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🔬House
🩺Scrubs
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01
A critical patient comes through the door. What’s your first instinct? Medicine under pressure reveals who you actually are.
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02
Why did you go into medicine in the first place? The honest answer says more about you than the one you’d give in an interview.
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03
What do you actually want from the people you work with? Who you want beside you under pressure is who you are.
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04
You lose a patient you fought hard to save. How do you carry it? Every doctor who’s worked a long shift has had to answer this question.
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05
How would your colleagues describe the way you work? Your reputation on the floor is usually more accurate than your self-image.
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06
How do you feel about hospital protocol and procedure? Every institution has rules. What you do with them is a choice.
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07
What does this job cost you personally? Nobody works in medicine without paying a price. What’s yours?
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08
At the end of a long shift, what keeps you coming back? The answer to this question is the most honest thing about you.
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Your Assignment Has Been Made You Belong In…
Your answers have pointed to one fictional hospital above all others. This is the ward your instincts, your temperament, and your particular brand of dysfunction were built for.
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Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center
The Pitt
You are built for the most unsparing version of emergency medicine television has ever shown — one that puts you inside a single fifteen-hour shift and doesn’t let you look away.
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You need your work to be real, not romanticised — meaning over drama, honesty over aesthetics.
You find purpose inside the work itself, not in the chaos surrounding it.
You’ve made peace with the fact that this job takes from you constantly, and gives back in ways that are harder to name.
Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center demands exactly that kind of person — and you would not want to be anywhere else.
County General Hospital, Chicago
ER
You are the person who keeps the whole floor running — not the most brilliant in the room, but possibly the most essential.
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You show up, do the work, absorb the losses, and come back the next day without needing the job to be anything other than what it is.
You care about patients as individual human beings, not as cases to solve or dramas to live through.
You believe in the system even when it fails you — and you understand that emergency medicine is about holding the line just long enough.
ER is television about endurance. You have it.
Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, Seattle
Grey’s Anatomy
You came to medicine with your whole self — your ambition, your emotions, your relationships, your history — and you have never quite managed to leave any of it at the door.
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You feel things fully and form deep attachments to the people you work with.
Your personal and professional lives are permanently, chaotically entangled — and that entanglement drives both your greatest disasters and your most remarkable saves.
You understand that extraordinary medicine often happens at the intersection of clinical skill and profound human connection.
It’s messy at Grey Sloan. You would not have it any other way.
Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, NJ
House
You are drawn to the problem above everything else — the symptom that doesn’t fit, the diagnosis hiding underneath the obvious one.
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You’re not primarily motivated by the patient as a person — though you are capable of caring, even if you’d deny it.
You work best when the stakes are highest and the standard answer is wrong.
Princeton-Plainsboro exists to house one extraordinary, impossible mind — and everyone around that mind is there because they’re smart enough to keep up.
The only way forward here is to think harder than everyone else in the room. That is exactly what you do.
Sacred Heart Hospital, California
Scrubs
You understand that medicine is tragic and absurd in almost equal measure — and that the only sane response is to hold both of those things at the same time.
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You are warm, self-aware, and funnier than most people in your field.
You use humour to get through terrible moments — and at Sacred Heart, that’s not a flaw, it’s a survival strategy.
You lean on the people around you and let them lean back. The laughter and the grief are genuinely inseparable here.
Scrubs is a show about learning to become someone worthy of the job. You are still very much in the middle of that process — which is exactly right.
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Will There Be an ‘Off Campus’ Season 2?
Just like Heated Rivalry, Off Campus is getting a second season, one that was confirmed before the first had even aired. However, the central cast will feature a big shake-up for Season 2, with Allie Hayes (Mika Abdalla) and Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn) headlining, and Bright and Cameli returning in reduced roles. Production is reportedly underway for Off Campus Season 2, with a release date still unknown.
Off Campus has surpassed the 100-day mark in the Prime Video top ten. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the latest streaming stories.
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Release Date
May 13, 2026
Network
Prime Video
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Directors
Dawn Wilkinson, Erica Dunton, Silver Tree, Sam Bailey
We’re going to step away from the glitz, glam, and celebrity view of Sin City for this week’s Vegas Files to take you on some outdoor adventures.
With the cooler months approaching, now is a great time to start planning some fun outside in nature. We’ll take you to a few spots in and around Las Vegas that are worth checking out when in the area.
5The Blast | Melanie VanDerveer
If you’re looking for a scenic hike that’s not too far from the Strip, Red Rock Canyon is what you’re looking for.
According to the website, “The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area [RRCNCA] is located jus a few miles west of Las Vegas and encompasses 195,819 acres within the Mojave Desert. Red Rock Canyon is an area of worldwide geologic interest and beauty.”
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You can choose to just take the 13-mile scenic drive, stopping where you want to take pictures or explore a little deeper, hit some hiking trails, do some rock climbing, bike, camp, or more. Whatever you choose, be ready to take in the beauty and take plenty of photos along the way.
For more information about Red Rock Canyon, visit the website.
Lake Mead Is A Must Visit For Any Outdoor Enthusiast
When driving from Vegas to Boulder City, the sight of Lake Mead in all its glory strikes you all at once. The landscape is something out of a painting – mountains, canyons, the lake, and just so much more to take in and enjoy.
You can do some hiking, fishing, biking, boating, or just relax around the lake. A stop at Lake Mead is an absolute must when visiting the Hoover Dam. You can make a whole day of it with many great restaurants and shops nearby to add to your outdoor adventure.
Whether you’re just looking for an incredible sight to take in or want to learn more about the area and how the dam came to be, a visit to the Hoover Dam is a must.
You can choose to just check out the area on your own or take one of the guided tours to learn more in a fun way. There are a few options to choose from — a guided dam tour, a guided power plant tour, or you can do a self-guided visitor center tour.
Just a few miles away from the Strip lies a place where you can get into a sportscar and speed around a track. Speed Vegas is a state-of-the-art facility built for anyone with a “need for speed.”
“Whether it’s your first time behind the wheel or you’re an experienced driver, Speed Vegas offers one of the most exciting driving experiences and things to do in Las Vegas,” the website reads.
You can pick your car and experience and get on the track to feel what it’s like to drive a supercar at top speeds. The 1.3 mile racetrack was specially designed for a supercar driving experience. The 2,000-foot straight away gives you enough time to really put the pedal to the metal!
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With supercar options such as various models of Ferraris, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, Mercedes, and more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
Visit Speed Vegas’ site for more details and to book your experience.
Spend A Day Admiring The View At Grand Canyon West
Just a two hour drive from Las Vegas, Grand Canyon West is an incredible day trip for anyone seeking to be one with nature. The scenery speaks for itself and there are some fun things to do while taking it all in.
“There’s so many things to do in and around Las Vegas as a city, but nothing is like the Grand Canyon. Some of the misconception is it’s so far away, and I can tell you I drive there at least once a week,” Paul McGuire, Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer at Grand Canyon West, told The Blast exclusively. “It’s a beautiful scenic two-hour drive, and you pass through Boulder City, where the community that built the Grand Canyon exists, quaint little villagey town, and then you come upon Washoe Tree Forest which is absolutely beautiful and stunning. It’s a beautiful ride, very tranquil, very relaxing, no traffic.”
The picture-perfect views at Grand Canyon West will have you forgetting you just came from a city filled with neon lights and action. Majestic, peaceful, and the perfect reset from being in the hustle and bustle of a busy life.
Over the last 30 years, crime television has delivered some of the best and most compelling stories the small screen has ever seen. It doesn’t matter whether the genre is tackling corruption and the abuse of authority within the police force, the frantic desperation of organized crime, or the horrific intricacies of a murder investigation; its appetite for absorbing drama has always been evident.
This has resulted in a litany of exceptional series, but those same qualities of impactful and precise storytelling, thematic depth, and emphasizing character nuance have also been pivotal in delivering some of the greatest series finales the medium has seen across all genres. From somber and restrained endings that meditate on the cost of ambition to jaw-dropping climaxes that leave everyone in a state of shock, these crime television conclusions are truly perfect in every way.
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10
‘Boardwalk Empire’ (2010–2014)
Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi) wears a suit and hat as he walks along the Atlantic City boardwalk at night in ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Season 5, Episode 8 “Eldorado” (2014).Image via HBO
A stylish descent into Depression-era crime, Boardwalk Empire follows Atlantic City treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi) as he juggles his political ambitions with his criminal operations. The longer the series goes on, the more it revels in the faults in Thompson’s character, be it his insatiable greed, callous disregard for human life, and his fiercely immoral scheming and manipulations to further his own goals.
Boardwalk Empire’s Season 5 finale, “Eldorado,” sees these flaws backfire on Thompson in extraordinary fashion. While some viewed it as being predictable, Thompson’s violent demise is directly tied to his original sin decades earlier and the continuous impact he has had on the Darmody family. Complimented by its ties to actual history, its sense of karma, and the lingering poetic beauty of the final shot, Boardwalk Empire delivers a succinct and rewarding finale that emphasizes the age-old idea that crime doesn’t pay.
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9
‘Ozark’ (2017–2022)
Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney) stand in formal, black-tie attire at night in ‘Ozark’ Season 4, Episode 14 “A Hard Way to Go” (2022).Image via Netflix
Marking one of Netflix’s more defining triumphs in the realm of television production, Ozark embroils viewers in a pulsating story of crime tension as it follows the Byrde family, who must relocate to the Missouri Ozarks to oversee a money laundering operation when they find themselves in the debt of a Mexican drug cartel. The visceral high-stakes drama and relentless suspense define the propulsive allure of the series’ four-season run, with the Byrdes’ desperate fight for survival always underlined by a hope of one day breaking free from the cartel’s control and returning to their ordinary suburban lives.
Titled “A Hard Way to Go,” Ozark’s finale grounds viewers in the consequences of the Byrdes’ actions, showing beyond any doubt that they are ensnared in their lives of crime, while the haunting final moments display that even their kids have been poisoned by their lifestyles of cold pragmatism and cunning opportunism. Also featuring surprise deaths, bleak twists, and a muted acceptance of corruption and evil standing victorious, Ozark’s resolution is one of blunt thematic resonance and damning drama.
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8
‘The Penguin’ (2024)
Gotham City gangster Oswald Cobb (Colin Farrell) stands outside alone at night, his face shrouded in shadow as the moon gleams behind him in ‘The Penguin’ Season 1, Episode 8 “A Great or Little Thing” (2024).Image via HBO
A notably impressionable miniseries release from HBO, The Penguin excels at combining the surreal, stylized allure of superhero drama with gritty neo-noir brutality as it follows Oswald Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) rise up the criminal underworld following the events of The Batman. Torn between a disconcerting relationship with his mother and his determination to rule Gotham’s underbelly, the miniseries presents Cobb as a complex force of ambition, but the finale is emphatic in its endeavor to ensure he isn’t viewed as a sympathetic anti-hero.
Instead, “A Great or Little Thing” explores Cobb’s evil brutality in unflinching detail, be it through him strangling Victor (Rhenzy Feliz) to eliminate a vulnerability or conspiring to have Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) returned to Arkham Asylum, a fate she considers to be worse than death. Just as superhero spectacle is somewhat defined by CGI slugfests and comical quirks, crime television has come to be known for anti-hero angst and gentle moral ambiguity. The Penguin blows both of those ideas out of the water with a raw and uncompromising vision of Cobb’s savagery that makes for one of the most piercing finales crime television has ever seen.
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7
‘Barry’ (2018–2023)
A stressed and dejected looking Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) stands in a black t-shirt in ‘Barry’ (2018-2023).Image via HBO
It is astonishing what Barry achieves with its final episode. Following Bill Hader’s titular hitman as he discovers a passion for stage acting but struggles to separate his newfound hobby from his violent past. Much of the series wrestles with ideas of intent and outcome, deliberating on the standing of Barry’s character even as he murders people with cold dissonance. There is a feeling the finale could be a triumphant redemption or a heroic farewell, but true to the series’ nature, it does something a little different.
From unceremonious demises to acceptances of quiet isolation, the appropriately titled “wow” manages to give each character a resolution they deserve while satirizing Hollywood sensationalism and calling out audiences who want easy and comfortable conclusions to complex stories. It lampoons the moralism of blockbuster storytelling and eviscerates expectations of dramatic catharsis, making for one of the boldest and most acidic finales television has ever seen.
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6
‘The Shield’ (2002–2008)
Police officer Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) sits defeated behind a desk wearing a white shirt and grey suit pants in ‘The Shield’ Season 7, Episode 13 “Family Meeting” (2007).Image via FX
Amid the plethora of great crime shows that were dominating the airways throughout the 2000s, FX’s The Shield has come to be something of an underrated gem. The shame in this is that it is one of the boldest and most important crime series the medium has ever seen, with its seven-season run revolving around the conniving practices and shocking morality of the Strike Team, a corrupt and unlawful police unit operating in a crime-riddled district of L.A. who revel in using illegal methods to uphold the law while finding ways to profit off street crime.
While it starts off strong, The Shield only gets better as it proceeds, with Season 7’s final episode, “Family Meeting,” marking an unforgettable highlight of the series. In layman’s terms, the chickens come home to roost. The members of the Strike Team are confronted with the consequences of their heinous actions, and in their punishment, their supposedly ironclad virtues of loyalty and brotherhood wither away into silent isolation. Poetic, powerful, and perfect, The Shield’s conclusion is a masterclass in crushing finality and consequence.
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Collider Exclusive · Taylor Sheridan Universe Quiz Which Taylor Sheridan Show Do You Belong In? Yellowstone · Landman · Tulsa King · Mayor of Kingstown
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Four worlds. All of them brutal, complicated, and built on power, loyalty, and the price of survival. Taylor Sheridan doesn’t write heroes — he writes people who do what they have to do and live with the cost. Ten questions will reveal which one of his worlds you were made for.
🤠Yellowstone
🛢️Landman
👑Tulsa King
⚖️Mayor of Kingstown
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01
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Where does your power come from? In Sheridan’s world, everyone has leverage. The question is what kind.
02
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Who do you put first, no matter what? Loyalty in Sheridan’s universe is always absolute — and always costly.
03
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Someone crosses a line. How do you respond? Every Sheridan protagonist has a line. What matters is what happens after it’s crossed.
04
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Where do you feel most in your element? Sheridan’s worlds are as much about place as they are about people.
05
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How do you feel about operating in the grey? Nobody in a Sheridan show has clean hands. The question is how they carry the dirt.
06
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What are you actually fighting to hold onto? Every Sheridan character is fighting a war. The real question is what they’re defending.
07
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How do you lead? Authority in Sheridan’s world is never given — it’s established, maintained, and constantly tested.
08
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Someone new arrives and tries to change how things work. Your reaction? Every Sheridan show has an outsider disrupting an established order. Sometimes that outsider is you.
09
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What has your position cost you? Nobody gets to where these characters are without paying for it. The bill is always personal.
10
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When it’s over, what do you want people to say? Sheridan’s characters all know the ending is coming. The question is what they leave behind.
Sheridan Has Spoken You Belong In…
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The show that claimed the most of your answers is the world you were built for. If two tied, both are shown — you’re complicated enough to straddle two Sheridan universes.
🤠 Yellowstone
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🛢️ Landman
👑 Tulsa King
⚖️ Mayor of Kingstown
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You are a Dutton — or you might as well be. You understand that some things are worth protecting at any cost, and that the modern world’s indifference to history, to land, to legacy, is not something you’re willing to accept quietly. You lead from the front, you carry your family’s weight without complaint, and when someone threatens what’s yours, you don’t escalate — you finish it. You’re not cruel. But you are absolute. In Yellowstone’s world, that combination of ferocity and loyalty doesn’t make you a villain. It makes you the only thing standing between everything that matters and everyone who wants to take it.
You thrive in the chaos of high-stakes negotiation, where the money is enormous, the margins are thin, and the wrong word in the wrong room can cost everyone everything. You’re a fixer — the person called when a situation is already on fire and needs someone with the nerve to walk into it. West Texas oil country rewards exactly what you are: sharp, adaptable, unsentimental, and absolutely clear-eyed about what people want and what they’ll do to get it. You’re not naive enough to think this world is fair. You’re smart enough to be the one deciding who it’s fair to.
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You are a Dwight Manfredi — someone who has served their time, paid their dues, and arrived somewhere unexpected with nothing but their reputation and their wits. You adapt without losing yourself. You build loyalty through respect rather than fear, though you’re not above reminding people that the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Tulsa King is for people who are still standing when everyone assumed they’d be finished — who find, in an unfamiliar place, that they’re more capable than the world gave them credit for. You don’t need a throne. You build one, wherever you happen to land.
You carry the weight of a system that is broken by design, and you do it anyway — because someone has to, and because you’re the only one positioned to do it without the whole thing collapsing. Mike McLusky’s world is for people who are comfortable operating where there are no good options, only less catastrophic ones. You speak every language: law enforcement, criminal, political, human. That fluency makes you invaluable and it makes you a target. You’ve made your peace with both. Mayor of Kingstown belongs to people who understand that keeping the peace is not the same as being at peace — and who do the job regardless.
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5
‘Sharp Objects’ (2018)
Amy Adams looks worried in Sharp Objects.Image via HBO
Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, Sharp Objects soars with its Southern Gothic atmospheric intensity and simmering slow-burn suspense as it follows crime reporter Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) as she returns to her hometown to investigate the murders of two girls. As is typical with crime mystery miniseries, Sharp Objects delivers an abundance of twists as Preaker’s investigation is compounded by her own traumatic past with her family, but it saves its best and most devastating episode for last.
To be completely truthful, it saves its most harrowing scene for its final moments before the credits roll, delivering a brutal revelation that reconfigures the entirety of the series and shatters Camille’s most sacred relationship. It is an ending that lingers long in the mind, a masterclass in shocking plotting and disturbing detail that complements the miniseries’ ruthless mood of dread and tension perfectly.
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4
‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)
Dominic West as Jimmy McNulty staring blankly ahead in the finale of ‘The Wire’.Image via HBO
Opening as a tightly-focused exploration of street-level drug dealing and a small police unit investigating the Barksdale crime organization, The Wire expands exponentially to examine the inner workings of the Baltimore police department, the volatility of City Hall, the chain-of-command of the drug trade, and the abysmal failure of social institutions. Over the course of five seasons, the series evolves through a litany of character deaths and the gradual overhaul in personnel within systems, and yet the finale holds the idea that nothing has changed from Season 1.
It is a bold message, but one that illustrates the cyclical nature of crime, violence, and institutional failures. It homes in on this with the bleak and hopeless emphasis on the trajectories of the younger characters, with some becoming callous enforcers in the drug trade while others succumb to addiction. McNulty’s (Dominic West) resigned reflection as he looks over the city is the cherry on top, the perfect highlight that compounds the message of damning repetition that makes the series so timeless and powerful.
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3
‘Better Call Saul’ (2015–2022)
Bob Odenkirk looking at Rhea Seehorn smoking a cigarette in the Better Call Saul series finaleImage via AMC
For so much of its run, Better Call Saul was known as the prequel series to Breaking Bad, following Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) in his tumultuous journey from a street-savvy defense attorney to the legal advisor of one of Mexico’s biggest drug cartels. Its final stretch of episodes, however, leaps forward to after the events of Breaking Bad, focusing on Jimmy McGill’s reclusive life in hiding in Nebraska after his involvement with “Heisenberg.”
In the appropriately named “Saul Gone,” McGill is finally apprehended by the authorities and stands trial for his crimes, circumstances that force him to make a monumental decision between avoiding the consequences of his wrongdoing and facing his punishment in a manner that allows him to reclaim his identity and win back the respect of Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). Handled with delicate care, sentimental flourishes, and a sense of welcomed justice, Better Call Saul ends with an acknowledgment of the power of regret, an uplifting emphasis on Jimmy and Kim’s relationship, and a 180°-turn on the tone and themes of Breaking Bad‘s conclusion.
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2
‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)
Tony Soprano sitting across from Carmela and Anthony Jr. in The Sopranos – Made in America.Image via HBO
Famous for its pioneering impact on television storytelling and its relentless brilliance, The Sopranos had its place in small-screen history enshrined long before its finale came around. However, its swan song has become, in itself, one of the most fiercely debated moments in television history. After following New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) for six seasons, and with the final season gradually ratcheting up the tension, the finale boldly aspires to ambiguity rather than clarity.
Every aspect of the final scene has been dissected ad nauseam, and while there is a general consensus about what the abrupt cut-to-black ending signifies, there is still room for those with differing perspectives to mount their case. Looking at the storytelling of the episode as a whole, “Made in America” excels at tying up lingering loose ends, delivering rewarding character farewells, and staying true to the series’ overall style of gritty realism and engrossing drama. Creator David Chase’s defiance of traditional Hollywood closure was met with some criticism at first, but in time it has only added to the legacy of The Sopranos, making it the flagship of modern television greatness and an ageless beacon of creative dare in the medium.
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1
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)
Walter White exploring his old lab, touching a metal tank in Breaking Bad.Image via AMC
Viewed by many as being the greatest television series of all time, it is perhaps no great surprise that Breaking Bad holds what is possibly the greatest finale of all time as well. Throughout five seasons, the hit AMC show follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he goes from being an ordinary and meek suburban family man and science teacher to a ruthless and completely amoral drug lord in charge of the most in-demand form of methamphetamine.
By the time “Felina” begins, Walter’s empire has crashed around him as he has been forced into hiding, and the family he once hoped to leave with millions of dollars has been consigned to squalor. From quiet emotional beats like Walter’s conversation with Skylar (Anna Gunn) to more explosive moments like the attack on the drug compound holding Jesse (Aaron Paul) as a prisoner, and, of course, to the note-perfect final scene complemented by Badfinger’s “Baby Blue,” the Breaking Bad finale is as masterful a finale as has ever been written, produced, and presented.
We are now less than 100 days away from the culmination of one of the century’s best film trilogies. Released on the same date as another major blockbuster in Avengers: Doomsday, December 18, Dune: Part Threewill provide one final flourish to Denis Villeneuve‘s acclaimed trilogy adapting Frank Herbert‘s Dune novels. So far in the series, both Dune and Dune: Part Two have risen to the status of “masterpiece,” and all eyes are on the third to complete a perfect set.
Dune: Part Three is penned by Brian K. Vaughan and features yet another stacked cast, led by Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, and also featuring Zendayaas Chani, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Jason Momoa as Hayt, and many more. To round off a sci-fi story as expansive as Dune is no easy task, but thankfully it is in the hands of a modern genre master who has already taken a beloved work and crafted a genius follow-up.
Back in 2017, Villeneuve took on the unenviable task of crafting a sequel to director Ridley Scott‘s Blade Runner, itself an adaptation of Philip K. Dick‘s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Despite skepticism, Villeneuve would defy all expectations and make one of the greatest sequels in cinema history, led by Ryan Gosling in one of his best performances. Sadly, Blade Runner 2049was a flop at the box office, although its subsequent popularity and status have encouraged the green light on the upcoming Prime Video series Blade Runner 2099. Ahead of that series’ arrival, Blade Runner 2049 is proving popular again, officially ranking as the most-watched movie on HBO Max in the world at the time of writing.
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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🏜️Paul Atreides
🖖Capt. Kirk
✊Princess Leia
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🔦Ellen Ripley
🔥Max Rockatansky
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01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn’t be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
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02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
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03
What is the thing you’d sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
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04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
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05
You’re facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you’re the only one who sees it defines everything.
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06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they’d pay it again.
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07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you’re in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What’s yours?
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08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
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Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
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Arrakis · Dune
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
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You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.
USS Enterprise · Star Trek
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
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You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
The Rebellion · Star Wars
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.
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You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
The Nostromo · Alien
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
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You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.
The Wasteland · Mad Max
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
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You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
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Denis Villeneuve Is Taking on One of Cinema’s Biggest Franchises Next
Never one to take a rest, Villeneuve will move straight from Dune into another enormous franchise, as he takes a seat in the directing chair for Amazon’s new James Bond era. Little is known about this next installment, although we are now closer than ever to discovering who will be the next 007. What we do know is that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knightwill pen the script for the next Bond movie, with him and Villeneuve sure to make a great partnership.
Blade Runner 2049 is streaming now. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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Release Date
October 6, 2017
Runtime
164 minutes
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Director
Denis Villeneuve
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Writers
Michael Green, Hampton Fancher
Producers
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Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Bud Yorkin, Cynthia Sikes, Carl Rogers, Dana Belcastro, Steven P. Wegner
Few genres are as thrilling as the spy film, whether it’s the kind with a cat-and-mouse game played across exotic locations; suave, debonair secret agents uncovering evil plots to destroy the world; or more cerebral fare, where the protagonist stumbles across a conspiracy that is rooted deep within global institutions. But let’s say there’s a spy movie that largely bucks those conventions, one that pits the Americans against the Russians during the Cold War. There’s no exotic locales, just water as far as the eye can see, with the bulk of the film spent aboard cold, gray submarines, with a protagonist who isn’t a suave secret agent in the vein of James Bond, but instead a desk jockey with a fear of flying. Would you believe that such a film isn’t just good, but is a bona-fide masterpiece thriller? If you don’t, you should: the film is The Hunt for Red October, and 36 years after its release, it’s found new life as one of the most popular rentals on Apple TV.
Jack Ryan Has Three Days to Uncover a Rogue Soviet Submarine Captain’s Intentions in ‘The Hunt for Red October’
Alec Baldwin and James Earl Jones as Jack Ryan and Admiral James Greer in The Hunt for Red OctoberImage via Paramount Pictures
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It’s November 1984, and the Soviets have given command of Red October, a state-of-the-art Typhoon-class ballistic missile submarine with a “caterpillar drive,” to the esteemed Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery). It’s a decision they’ll soon regret, after Ramius kills the political officer on board and tells his crew that they have been instructed to conduct missile drills off the American East coast. With that, they engage the caterpillar drive and, now undetectable, make their way to their destination.
Government officials in Washington call on CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) to brief them on the threat that Red October—and its commander—poses. It’s certainly not good news, and after hearing that the bulk of the Soviet Navy has been mobilized to locate and sink the sub, the military staff surmises that Ramius has gone rogue and plans a renegade nuclear strike. Only Ryan, who has done extensive research on Ramius, has a different hypothesis, suggesting that Ramius actually plans to defect to the United States with the sub, a major coup for the Americans if he’s right. It’s his monkey, so now it’s his zoo, and Ryan’s given three days to confirm his theory before the U.S. Navy joins the hunt to find, and scuttle, Red October.
So Ryan is sent to the mid-Atlantic, where he boards the American submarine USS Dallas at the risk of his own life. There, he tries to convince Commander Mancuso (Scott Glenn) to contact Ramius to determine his real intentions. His timing is perfect, given “Jonesy” (Courtney B. Vance), the sonar technician aboard, has discovered a means of tracking Red October using underwater acoustics software. They catch up to the Soviet sub, where Mancuso, swayed by Ryan’s arguments, contacts Ramius and offers assistance. Sure enough, Ryan was right, and Ramius, stunned but relieved that the Americans figured it out, accepts. After staging a nuclear reactor “emergency” that forces the crew to abandon ship, Ramius welcomes Ryan, Mancuso, and Jonesy aboard, turning over Red October and requesting asylum for himself and his officers. Only the arrival of Alfa-class submarine V.K. Konovalov puts a damper on the proceedings, setting up a deep-sea battle to the death.
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A Wealth of Talent Both On and Off the Screen Makes ‘The Hunt for Red October’ Work
By rights, The Hunt for Red October shouldn’t work as well as it does, but a wealth of riches both on and off the screen creates a memorable film that stands as a masterpiece of the genre. The cast, including heavyweights like Tim Curry, Sam Neill and James Earl Jones, is perfect (Glenn’s performance, in particular, is one of his best). But the film lives and dies with its two leads, and they rise to the challenge. Baldwin is perfectly suited for Jack Ryan’s first appearance on film, taking a character unprepared (and largely unwilling) to be involved directly in the proceedings through a journey that sees him grow in confidence and assertiveness, taking control of the situation and claiming his role as an action hero.
Baldwin’s good, but he’s not Sean Connery good, with the seasoned vet commanding the screen in one of the best performances of his post-James Bond career. His Marko Ramius cuts an imposing, authoritative figure, one that keeps up appearances and (largely) deflects suspicion in order to facilitate the defection of himself and his crew. He balances that with the vulnerability that comes with seeing his plan, his freedom, come to fruition. It’s good enough that even his maligned non-attempt at a Russian accent (Marko McRamius?) isn’t enough to distract from it.
Director John McTiernan is no stranger to generating high tension in confined areas, as he did in Die Hard. He keeps the tension on high throughout the film, dropping dangers at key intervals and generating real concern from the viewer. His vision is perfectly complemented by cinematographer Jan de Bont, his partner on Die Hard. It’s a chemistry so in sync that it creates magic, and the tricks de Bont picked up from McTiernan can be seen in de Bont’s first directorial affair, 1994’s Speed, another thriller that spends the bulk of its time in confined quarters.
Surprisingly, one of the film’s best scenes has no action whatsoever, but simply captures Ryan and Ramius conversing on the deck of Red October at the end of the film. McTiernan and de Bont immortalize the moment in a gentle blue hue, with the two talking heads on the left side of the screen, and the river behind adding an unimpeded calmness to their discourse. In a high-stakes thriller like The Hunt for Red October, it’s a savvy move that grounds the film with humanity, a perfect end to a masterpiece.
Jordon Hudson had yet another unusual interaction with the media — this time on the sidelines of her boyfriend Bill Belichick’s University of North Carolina football game.
Pat Welter — a sports reporter for WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina — shared footage via Instagram on Saturday, September 12, that showed him panning his phone camera over to Hudson, 25, on the sidelines at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, only to realize that she was already filming him with her own mobile device.
The video showed the two seemingly at a stalemate for a few seconds before Hudson waved at him while smiling.
The journalist responsible for leaking audio of Jordon Hudson complaining on a hot mic explained why the footage is emblematic of a larger issue surrounding Hudson’s relationship with her boyfriend, Bill Belichick. The footage of Hudson, 24, was from a taping of Belichick’s show Coach in September 2024, and released on Friday, October 17, by […]
Hudson was rocking a Tar Heels T-shirt, which she wore over white denim pants with a low-hanging ivory-colored belt. Her first appearance of the season on the sidelines may have helped propel UNC to a blowout victory against East Tennessee State Buccaneers, 35-3.
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While Hudson hasn’t explained why she was filming Welter on the sidelines, the reporter has recently been critical of UNC’s leadership.
The school has gone through a tumultuous few weeks after Tar Heels football general manager Michael Lombardi resigned from his post on September 3 amid an internal investigation into a human resources complaint.
While reporting on the Lombardi scandal, Welter recently suggested that there could be a knock-on effect on Belichick’s strategy for the Tar Heels since Lombardi and Hudson were key influences on the coach last season.
“From a #UNC source ‘the downfall of this whole thing is who Bill listens to.’ Last season that was Jordon Hudson and Mike Lombardi,” Welter tweeted on August 26 alongside a clip of a wider discussion of Belichick’s leadership.
Jordon Hudson gave a playful nod to her haters while celebrating another milestone cheerleading victory. Hudson, 24, and her Cheer Extreme Raleigh Code Black squad earned a full paid bid to the 2026 Worlds with their performance at the Cheer for Charity 2026 competition on Sunday, March 15. “📣📣📣📣📣 #GOLDDIGGER GOT #PAID 🤑🤑🤑🤭🤭#IDigGoldMedals #GRANDioseCHAMPS #TroubleCubStrikesAgain,” […]
Hudson is no stranger to clashing with the media, as she became a viral sensation in 2025 for interrupting a CBS Sunday Morning segment when reporter Tony Dokoupil asked Belichick how his age-gap romance began.
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“We’re not talking about this,” she insisted in a now-infamous moment.
Hudson has since called out reporters via social media when they were critical of her frequent presence alongside Belichick on the sidelines of Tar Heels’ games.
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In December 2025, she threatened to sue podcaster Pablo Torre over his reporting that she’d been banned from the university’s football facilities — an allegation that UNC later denied.
“I can report that there has been no legal notice or letter or communique of any kind sent to me,” Torre, 40, told The Contrarian’s editor-in-chief Jen Rubin days later. “I have not been sued by Jordon Hudson despite her threatening to do so on Instagram last week, which is a fun sentence that I never get tired of saying out loud.”
He added, “I can further add to the clarity of the dynamic that the University of North Carolina, who I contacted, has made clear to me that they have no part of any of the legal threats at all made by Jordon Hudson.”
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