Put that Pixar franchise back in the spotlight, or so help me! With the 25th anniversary of Monsters Inc., the fourth Pixar movie ever made, on the horizon, Pixar appears to be celebrating the occasion in a big way. An extensive new report from the Wall Street Journal has revealed that a 3rd Monsters Inc. movie is now in the works at Disney’s Oscar-winning animation studio. The WSJ credits the surprising news to insider sources who are “people familiar with the matter.” This will mark the franchise’s first feature film in at least 13 years, with the last being the college-set prequel movie, Monsters University. The franchise also returned in 2021 for a Disney+ spin-off series, Monsters at Work.

Apart from the news that a new Monsters Inc. movie is in development, other details are slim, and it is not currently known whether the third movie will be a direct sequel to the original or take a different route, as Monsters University did. Likely the biggest question fans will have is whether Billy Crystal and John Goodman will be reprising their roles as the neurotic yet clever Mike Wasowski and the cocky yet empathetic James P. Sullivan, respectively. The two comedic acting icons returned as Mike and Sully for both Monsters University and Monsters at Work, so it stands to reason that they’d be willing to return again. Plus, Disney is also in the middle of developing a Monstropolis-themed land and roller coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, which will likely feature voices from the original movies. Other notable names who could potentially return for the third movie include Steve Buscemi as Sully’s villainous rival Randall, Jennifer Tilly as Mike’s romantic partner Celia, and Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as the Abominable Snowman.

The story of Monsters, Inc. began in 2001 with the original film, in which the employees of the titular company, Mike and Sully, work hard at the energy plant that generates power by scaring children. Things take a surprising turn when a young girl whom Sully affectionately names Boo (Mary Gibbs) escapes into the monster world, leading the two heroes to uncover a company-wide conspiracy. The prequel, 2013’s Monsters University, takes place several years before the events of the first movie, showing how Mike and Sully went from bitter rivals to best friends. Finally, Monsters at Work jumps forward to the aftermath of Monsters Inc., with the company now harnessing energy through laughter rather than screams.

Pixar Has Several Other Sequels in the Works

Pixar and CCO Pete Docter (who coincidentally made his directorial feature debut with the original Monsters Inc.) are still committed to original stories, with their new sci-fi comedy Hoppers already becoming one of the studio’s best-reviewed movies in years. However, after the astronomical success of Inside Out 2, sequels are still on the table. Later this year on June 19, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and the rest of the gang will be back for Toy Story 5, with them teaming up to stop a maniacal tablet from replacing toys for good. Beyond that, the recent WSJ report also confirmed that Pixar fans can expect Incredibles 3 todebut in 2028 and Coco 2 in 2029.

Monsters Inc. 3 is reportedly in development now, with the rest of the franchise currently streaming on Disney+. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

November 2, 2001

Runtime

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92 Minutes

Director

Pete Docter

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Writers

Andrew Stanton, Daniel Gerson

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Producers

Darla K. Anderson

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Disney

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Tensions in the Middle East are heating up, and one familiar figure is speaking out in a way that has everyone talking. As fears of retaliation against U.S. forces rise, Donald Trump didn’t hold back when asked what Americans should expect. And let’s just say… his blunt answer has the internet buzzing.

RELATED: Donald Trump Addresses Major Military Operation As US And Israel Attack Iran, At Least 50 Dead (VIDEO)

Trump Warns Some Could Die In Iran Conflict

During a Wednesday phone call with Time magazine’s Eric Cortellessa, the president admitted there’s reason to be concerned about potential attacks, saying, “I guess.” Trump also added, “…Some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.” He stressed that while the U.S. constantly plans for such scenarios, the reality of conflict is unavoidable. Meanwhile, Iranian officials are signaling their focus is on U.S. bases and assets in the region, not direct strikes on the homeland, following counterattacks after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed top Iranian leaders.

Donnie Also Wants Say In Iran’s Next Leader

Adding another layer, the president discussed his vision for regime change in Iran, saying he wants to have a say in who succeeds Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While he hasn’t revealed a specific pick, he confirmed his administration is “watching” potential candidates to ensure their safety amid the escalating tensions. Outside of Iran, exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi has put himself forward as an option for interim leadership, praising the U.S.’s involvement and even jokingly echoing the former president’s famous slogan: “You know, the president says, ‘MAGA,’ we say, ‘MIGA,’ Make Iran Great Again.”

Trump Sets One Condition To End Iran War

President Donald Trump is not mincing words about Iran — he’s demanding nothing less than “unconditional surrender” from Tehran. On Truth Social Friday, he declared that there will be no deal with the Islamic Republic except complete submission, followed by the “selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)” and a plan to rebuild Iran “bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.”

Trump clarified in a previous interview that surrender doesn’t necessarily mean a formal announcement — it could also come when Iran’s military is totally defeated and “can’t fight any longer because they don’t have anyone or anything to fight with.” Fans and critics alike are buzzing over his bold, unapologetic language, with some calling it classic Trump bravado and others questioning just how far this military showdown could go.

US President Donald Trump posts on Truth Social- “There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender…” pic.twitter.com/IXKdTVcleL

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2026

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RELATED: Armed Man Fatally Shot & Killed Following Unauthorized Entry Into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Estate (VIDEO)

Fresh off Season 4, Netflix viewers are hooked on The Lincoln Lawyer, and the numbers prove it. In just two weeks, the legal thriller racked up 80.8 million hours watched, indicating its instant binge appeal. Then again, television has long had a soft spot for addictive lawyer stories. There’s the morally gray hustle of Better Call Saul, the seerily “based on real-life” cases of Law & Order, and the corporate cutthroatness of Suits.

Despite the oversaturation of legal thrillers, The Lincoln Lawyer still manages to attract its own loyal audience. While the show follows familiar courtroom-drama formulas, its appeal stretches beyond the genre’s usual crowd, drawing in viewers who may not normally gravitate toward legal thrillers. Not everyone dreams of becoming a lawyer, but the lead protagonist’s sincere determination to fight for what is right gives someone easy to root for.

What Is ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ About?

Based on Michael Connelly‘s bestselling novels, The Lincoln Lawyer follows defense attorney Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a charismatic courtroom ace with a complicated past. A surfing accident left him addicted to painkillers, which hindered him from practicing law for 18 months. Now seemingly sobered up, Haller’s ready to win back the trust of clients and put a good name to the law firm left to him by a late associate. Despite being the son of J. Michael Haller, Sr. (Jon Tenney), widely regarded as one of Los Angeles most successful lawyers, Haller’s not piggybacking off of someone’s credentials — especially his father.

Haller knows the legal jargon inside and out and has a sharp instinct for reading the courtroom. But after a lengthy hiatus — one that potential clients see as a red flag — he’s forced to juggle high-profile cases alongside the occasional, just-as-difficult smaller ones while rebuilding his reputation. Fortunately, he’s backed by a tight-knit team at Haller & Associates: his friend of 15 years and second ex-wife, Lorna Crane (Becki Newton), who doubles as his case manager; former Road Saints Motorcycle Club member turned investigator Cisco (Angus Sampson); and client-turned-personal driver Izzy Letts (Jazz Raycole). The title The Lincoln Lawyer comes from Haller’s unusual habit — he often works his cases from the back seat of his cherished Lincoln Navigator.

Mickey Haller Battles Institutional Corruption and Personal Demons in ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’

If there’s one thing about Haller’s cases in The Lincoln Lawyer, it’s that they’re rarely simple — and almost never resolved on the first try. As a defense attorney, Haller is usually tasked with representing clients already accused of serious crimes. His job is to prove that the accused is not responsible for the crime in question, or that the crime itself is not exactly as it has been described. However, things get tricky when the evidence speaks louder than the defendant’s claims of innocence. In those moments, Haller begins to question whether his client is truly right or simply manipulating him. The situation becomes even more difficult when powerful forces are involved, whether through government or police institutions, or, in some cases, organized crime.

On top of his work life, Haller has some personal baggage of his own to deal with. Unlike Lorna, he doesn’t have the easiest relationship with his first ex-wife, Deputy District Attorney Maggie McPherson (Neve Campbell). Sharing custody of their only daughter, Hayley Haller (Krista Warner), Haller genuinely tries his best to be a present father, though it isn’t always easy when his trials clash with his daughter’s schedule. Although he no longer turns to drugs to numb his pain, Haller sometimes considers relapsing with alcohol, which proves that his journey to sobriety is still a long one.

Related

‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Just Made Its Best Move in 4 Seasons With This Crucial Character’s Return

This character adds a much-needed emotional anchor to Mickey Haller’s intense world.

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‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ and ‘Bosch’ Share the Same Universe and the Same Relentless Spirit

Image via Netflix

For longtime fans of Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer also shares a subtle connection to the Prime Video police procedural Bosch. In the 2008 novel The Brass Verdict, it’s revealed that Haller and LAPD detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) are biological half-brothers. The connection even gets a brief appearance in Bosch Season 1, Episode 8, “Bloodline,” when a younger Bosch visits his estranged father’s house, and a child — Haller himself — answers the door. Unfortunately, because Bosch streams on Prime Video while The Lincoln Lawyer lives on Netflix, an on-screen crossover between the two actors is unlikely. Still, viewers who stick around The Lincoln Lawyer long enough may spot an uncanny Bosch reference.

Both The Lincoln Lawyer and Bosch share the same relentless spirit. The dogged determination that becomes the core of Bosch’s work ethic — the kind of detective who would rather chase a lead over the weekend than pause a case because the courts say so — also lives in Haller. As a defense attorney, Haller brings that same stubborn drive to the jury. That persistence often pushes him to take enormous risks, from chasing evidence outside the county within 24 hours to pursuing leads that could implicate him. Yet beneath all that recklessness, at the end of the day, Haller is smart and calculative. While The Lincoln Lawyer keeps the adrenaline running with Haller’s job and safety constantly on the line, it never waters down on the legal jargon, offering audiences a lesson or two in courtroom strategy along the way.

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Release Date

May 13, 2022

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Netflix

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  Manuel Garcia-Rulfo

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Cops To NBA’s Dillon Brooks
Your Car Smells Like Weed Shop!!!

Published
March 6, 2026
5:01 PM PST

Timothée Chalamet beefing with the Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera and Royal Ballet was not on anyone’s 2026 bingo card.

Chalamet, 30, raised eyebrows after making an off-handed comment about the performing arts community during an onstage conversation with Variety, which was published last month.

“Some people want to be entertained quickly. I’m really right in the middle,” Chalamet explained to Matthew McConaughey while discussing audiences’ shortened attention spans. “Because I admire people [saying], ‘Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. We gotta keep this genre alive.’”

Chalamet noted, “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.’”

Related: Chelsea Handler Slams Timothee Chalamet’s ‘Marty Supreme’ Comments

Chelsea Handler is not a fan of how Timothée Chalamet handled his Marty Supreme press tour. “He seemed pretty serious about winning and getting acknowledged for his great acting,” the comedian, 50, said of Chalamet, 30, during an appearance on the Tuesday, January 14, episode of Amanda Hirsch’s “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. Ahead of […]

The Marty Supreme actor quickly added, “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there,” before seemingly acknowledging his misstep.

“Damn, I just took shots for no reason,” Chalamet, whose mother, Nicole Flender, was a professional dancer and New York City Ballet performer, admitted.

The Met Opera was among the establishments that clapped back with Chalamet’s remarks. The organization posted a video via Instagram on Thursday, March 5, highlighting all the performers, designers, crew and behind the scenes workers at the opera.

“All respect to the opera (and ballet) people out there,” the Met Opera wrote alongside the video, adding, “This one’s for you, @tchalamet… 👀” in the caption.

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Related: Timothee Chalamet’s ‘Top-Level’ Comments Spark Mixed Fan Reactions

Timothée Chalamet takes pride in his work on the film Marty Supreme, but his latest comments about his performance have left fans divided. “This is probably my best performance, you know, and it’s been, like, seven, eight years that I feel like I’ve been handing in really, really committed, top-of-the-line performances,” Chalamet, 29, said in […]

The clapback video received support from the Broadway community, actors, Dancing With the Stars pros and more celebrities.

“He’s gonna be singing a different tune when the live arts are all that’s left after AI takes over. Oh wait. He’s above singing a tune,” Tony winner Laura Benati wrote in the comments section.

Jordan Fisher and Sarah Hyland both shared clapping hands emojis in support of the post as did DWTS’ Sharna Burgess.

The Los Angeles Opera addressed Chalamet’s comments with humor as well, posting a photo from the opera Akhnaten, which is currently in residency in the city.

Related: Timothee Chalamet Jokes About his ‘Anemic Frame’ on Wheaties Cereal Box

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Timothée Chalamet still can’t believe he’s on the cover of a Wheaties box. The actor, 29, addressed his limited-edition Wheaties “Marty Supreme Box” during an appearance on the Wednesday, December 17 edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Fallon, 51, beamed as he held up the box, which features a very serious-looking Chalamet as […]

“Sorry, @tchalamet. We’d offer you complimentary tickets to Akhnaten, but it’s selling out. There are a few seats left to purchase if you hurry,” the caption read on Wednesday, March 4.

The Royal Ballet in the U.K. shared their own tribute video to its dancers, writing, “We care,” with a red heart emoji on the clip.

“Every night at the Royal Opera House, thousands of people gather for ballet and opera. For the music. For the storytelling. For the sheer magic of live performance,” they captioned the upload on Friday, March 6. “If you’d like to reconsider, @tchalamet, our doors are open. ✨#TheRoyalBallet #TheRoyalOpera #RoyalBalletAndOpera.”

Jamie Lee Curtis showed her support for the arts by reposting a video via her Instagram Story that questioned, “Why are any artists taking shots at any other artists?”

Related: Shia LaBeouf Shares Alleged Emails With Timothee Chalamet: Us Explains

Shia LaBeouf raised eyebrows for allegedly sharing private emails he exchanged with Timothée Chalamet. Controversy initially erupted over a May 2025 interview where LaBeouf referenced Chalamet’s stated goal of being “one of the greats” in their shared profession — with some fans arguing that LaBeouf’s comments were either critical or judgmental. “On him, it’s cute. […]

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Megan Fairchild, a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet, fired back at Chalamet’s comments as well via an Instagram video.

“Timmy, I didn’t realize you were a world class dancer or opera singer, who simply chose not to pursue it because acting is more popular,” Fairchild quipped. “Ballet and opera aren’t niche hobbies people opt out of for fame.”

She added in her caption, “Good luck in the Oscar race. Artists supporting artists matters. None of these paths are easy, and there’s no need to put ballet or opera down along the way.”

Us Weekly has reached out to Chalamet’s rep for comment.

Roomies, Yung Joc has the internet asking “since when?” after he dropped a video showing exactly what he’s working with. The rapper seemingly teased a new track called ‘Welcome To The Rodeo,’ and judging by the reactions on social media, the ladies are clearly down for the ride.

RELATED: Kendra Robinson Recalls The Moment She Learned Yung Joc Had A Baby During Their Break (VIDEO)

Yung Joc’s Transformation Has The Ladies Scrolling Back For A Closer Look

Yung Joc came out of no where and hit fans with not one, but two surprises! The rapper teased new music but folks online couldn’t even focus because his six-pack stole the spotlight. Some folks are even saying the footage has them ready to call him Jasiel instead of Joc (for context, Jasiel Robinson is his real name). The viral clips show Joc shirtless in different settings, rocking nothing but leather pants and a cowboy hat. He even hits a little dance while singing, ‘Welcome To The Rodeo.’ Joc’s abs had plenty of fans asking for tips on getting their bodies like his, while the ladies said they were trying to cover their eyes, because after all he is a married man. But they won’t have to look away for long. Joc told his Instagram followers he’s joining the ‘Boys 4 Life’ tour kicking off this month with Bow Wow and B2K headlining. So ladies to preview to get a better view of Jasiel.

Once Yung Joc’s shirtless footage started blowing up online, he stepped into The Shade Room’s with a few words. He didn’t say too much, but he made it clear he’s going to keep doing him by any means necessary. “Hey man imma do me til this b** blow,” the reality star wrote. 

The Internet Can’t Stop Talking About Joc’s Six-Pack

The minute The Shade Room dropped Yung Joc’s video, the comment section was flooded. Some fans said he popped out looking great, while others added that they’re not even mad at his flex, because the timeline could use something fun and refreshing right now.

Instagram user @vicmo_sdo wrote, “As far as health and taking care of his body after 40… he looks great 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾” 

Instagram user @real_life_chocolatebunny wrote, “Ngl he look good….Ok Joc 👀😏” 

While Instagram user @therealistsince91 wrote, “Damn he look good can’t even lie 😂😂🔥🔥🔥🔥” 

Then Instagram user @tanesha5350 wrote, “All the old school rappers are in good shape!” 

Another Instagram user @que3n_kii wrote, “It’s kinda giving Lil Nas lol.” 

Then another Instagram user @mz_scorpio_ktb wrote, “Shout out to his trainer 🙌🏾 💪🏾 😍” 

While another Instagram user @monsieurbelange wrote, “I just wanna know if this is equinox body? Or La fitness body? because…!!” 

Instagram user @vicmo_sdo wrote, “As far as health and taking care of his body after 40… he looks great 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾” 

Finally, Instagram user @kariastiara wrote, “We need something fun, life too serious right now. I’ll take it.” 

Joc’s Six-Pack Isn’t New, But It Still Has Fans SHOOK

Joc’s abs and shirtless flex aren’t new. Back in February, he gave fans a peek at his progress in an Instagram video. In the clip, he posed for a mirror selfie, lifting his shirt to show off his body. Yes, we counted he’s holding a solid six pack, and we’re not talking about drinks, chile. Peep the video below.

RELATED: Meghan James Apologizes To Yung Joc After ‘One-Hit’ Career Comment, He Says People Shading ‘Ain’t Nothin’ New’

Horror has many subgenres, but the most fascinating just might be slashers. Unlike creature features, or anything to do with zombies, vampires, or the supernatural, a slasher often exists in a reality close to our own. In these worlds, a human killer is on the loose, stalking their unsuspecting prey. Their victims could be us, and when we look outside on a dark night, horror fans wonder if one of those movie madmen could be lurking around a corner. Slashers had their heyday in the 80s, then again in the late 90s, both times petering out before making a comeback the past few years. And none of it would be possible without these classics. They make up the Mount Rushmore of slasher films.

‘Psycho’ (1960)

Image via Paramount Pictures

While maybe not the first slasher (1932’s 13 Women arguably gets the credit), Alfred Hitchcock‘s Psycho was the first to become a pop culture sensation. Before Psycho, horror on screen existed in the gothic, with the impossible being the source of fear. What made Psycho so terrifying was that it seemed like it could really happen. Based on Robert Bloch‘s novel of the same name, the film begins with Marion Crane (Jennifer Leigh), a thief on the lam who decides to spend the night at the Bates Motel, run by a seemingly harmless Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). As Marion and so many others will soon find out, there is a lot more going on at this motel than meets the eye.

Psycho isn’t a high body count movie with buckets of blood. The early 60s weren’t ready for that yet. In fact, Psycho was the first movie to ever show a flushing toilet! The kill count is low in this one. It’s the slow build and the unwinding tension that makes it so good. The shower scene is filmed and scored masterfully, and the mystery surrounding Norman’s mother has a terrifying ending. Perkins is such a talented actor that a simple shy smile will have you doubting his intentions. If you think Psycho isn’t a slasher, we dare you to watch it, then try to take a shower afterward.

‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ (1974)

Image Via Bryanston Distributing Company

October 11, 1974 was a monumental day for horror. On this day, both Bob Clark‘s Black Christmas and Tobe Hooper‘s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were released. It’s tempting to put Clark’s film on this list because of how it influenced Halloween, but the saw can’t be denied. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre begins with a group of friends who stop for help at a seemingly abandoned house in Texas, only to encounter an imaginable terror. Inside waits Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), a chainsaw-wielding cannibal who wears the faces of his victims. For Leatherface and his family, these kids are now on the menu.

If Psycho is nearly bloodless, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is filled with it… at least that’s what your mind tricks you into believing. In reality, there is very little of the red stuff. The violence is so intense and non-stop that our imagination lies to us. It’s a hot, sticky, uncomfortable movie, with a captivating final girl in Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns), a fighter who never stops screaming in terror. Hooper brilliantly disturbs the viewer in every scene and keeps you on edge for the entire runtime. Its success led to a franchise. Those are hit-and-miss. This perfect film is where it all begins, complete with a smart message about the failures of industrialization. Are we supposed to feel sorry for Leatherface as much as we fear him?

‘Halloween’ (1978)

Image via Compass International Pictures

Perhaps the most famous slasher of them all is John Carptenter‘s Halloween. Without it, not only would a thirteen-film franchise not exist, but neither would Friday the 13th and Jason Voorhees, nor the last name on this list. Halloween has a bare bones, simplistic plot. In Haddonfied, Illinois, the sister killing Michael Myers (Nick Castle) has escaped from a psychiatric hospital. On Halloween night, now wearing a chilling white mask, the silent Shape looks to relive his past crime when he spots a trio of high school girls, led by babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).

If you watch slashers from the 80s and 90s before Halloween, finally getting around to Carpenter’s masterpiece hits differently. It feels like a trope-heavy slasher just like all the others. There’s a reason for this though. Halloween is what perfected all of those plot beats the subgenre would come to rely on. The minimalism of the low budget makes the film lifelike rather than a slick Hollywood creation. Laurie is the perfect final girl as a shy young woman forced to fight for her life. And, oh, that score. No matter how many times you hear it with the Boogeyman lurking in the shadows, it’ll never fail to send a shiver down your spine. Halloween is a suburban nightmare like no other. If you’ve never seen a slasher before, start here.

‘Scream’ (1996)

Image via Dimension Films

The slasher fad died out in the late 80s, and for much of the 90s, horror lost its identity. It was saved by one of its best filmmakers when Wes Craven, the man behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, directed Scream. A brief synopsis hints at a movie just like everything that came before it. High school students in California are stalked by a killer in a mask who picks them off one by one, as final girl Sidney Precott (Neve Campbell), the object of their terror, struggles to bring them down. Yes, this is another masked psychopath, but this time, rather than being silent, they prefer to terrorize with phone calls. The history of scary movies is their favorite subject, and the only way to make it out is to maneuver through slasher stereotypes.

Kevin Williamson‘s clever meta horror script is a love letter to the past, and it’s all done so well that it created a new chapter for slashers. Forget being a slow-moving stalker, Ghostface is fast. What makes him really stand out is that he doesn’t have an established backstory. Rather than being a known entity like Michael Myers of Jason Voorhees, the villain in Scream is unknown. On top of the horror, viewers also have to figure out the mystery. While other movies in the franchise dropped the ball in the third act reveal, Scream teases us with both the obvious and the unpredictable, leading to a spot-on final act.

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 15 seconds ago

Like many critics, I felt like Starfleet Academy had a very rocky start, one that presented the show as a broad, lowbrow comedy for juvenile (in both senses of the word) audiences. To my astonishment, the show steadily improved as we warped through Season 1: the vulgar slang (mostly) disappeared, the thin characters fleshed out, and the comedy got minimized. At its worst, early Starfleet Academy felt like Beavis and Butt-Head meets Doctor Who. Now, each adventure feels like one of Voyager’s wackiest episodes, albeit one with the melodrama and fan service turned up to 200 percent.

The most recent episode, “300th Night,” is a new high for the series, in large part because it builds upon the mythology laid down by the very first episode. In this tale, Caleb finds his mother while the Federation finds itself at the mercy of Nus Braka’s deadliest attack yet. All of this is setting up what should be a satisfying season finale of Starfleet Academy next week, but unless that episode can win back the viewers it already lost, this show may be completely doomed.

Mommy Issues? More Like Mommy Subscriptions

The first episode of Starfleet Academy saddled main character Caleb with some seriously sad lore: his mother was unfairly busted by Starfleet, forcing Caleb to grow up on the run from Federation authorities. After he learned that she escaped prison, Caleb used the resources of Starfleet to try to reach out to Mommy Dearest. He never found her, but in “300th Night,” she is located on a planet that is about to be invaded by Nus Braka’s merry band of pirates.

With all of Starfleet being recalled to Betazed, Caleb is forced to steal a shuttle to go to his mother’s rescue. However, most of his fellow space cadets invite themselves along, and the best and brightest youngsters in the galaxy make a rough landing in a real hive of scum and villainy. There, they find Caleb’s mom and more trouble than they can handle, and Chancellor Ake must decide between saving the students she swore to protect and risking an intergalactic incident.

Starfleet Academy At Its Best

I was very hard on early episodes of Starfleet Academy, and for good reason: the show continuously used humor as a crutch, and the humor was often as juvenile as an episode of Jackass. Additionally, the show took big swings when it came to Star Trek lore, but the bad didn’t always connect. For every successful homage to past episodes of Deep Space Nine or Voyager, we’d get something controversial, like an episode revealing that most Klingons in the galaxy died (off-screen, no less) in their sleep, which means their souls went straight to hell (turns out it was not a good day to die).

Recently, however, Starfleet Academy has learned how to walk and sometimes even run without the crutches: most of the humor has been replaced with more dramatic beats, resulting in characters that feel more like serious cadets and less like sparring siblings. The show stopped making huge changes to franchise lore, leaning instead into episodes that follow up on previous adventures from Deep Space Nine and Voyager. The cherry on top of this is that the show seems to have finally learned proper pacing, resulting in tense episodes that are genuinely rewarding to watch.

In my always humble opinion, “300th Night” is the best episode of Starfleet so far. It continues the recent trend of following up on older stories, in this case, carving a new tale out of Voyager’s infamous Omega particle.  The episode also reunites Caleb with his mom, deepens his relationship with Tamira, and establishes Nus Braka as one of the most effective villains in Star Trek history. The result is an episode that you can enjoy as a chunk of series mythology, as a character piece for Caleb, or simply as a taut thriller in its own right.

The Talaxian Furfly In The Ointment

Don’t pour that Saurian Brandy too soon, kids: “300th Night” still has a few distracting flaws in it. The first is SAM, whose childlike character recently gained 17 years of life experience, during which the holographic Doctor served as her adoptive father. The previous episode implied that she would be very different, and SAM in “300th Night” says she didn’t like her old self. However, her new self isn’t very different: between giving long, unfunny bits of word salad and screaming half her lines, the new SAM seems inexplicably more annoying than the old one.

SAM’s more annoying moments are a reminder of a depressing fact: while Starfleet Academy is relying less on comedy than ever before, the attempts at humor that we do get are still exceedingly subpar. Other less-than-satisfying comic bits include the return of glitter vomit and Jet Reno getting a few “well, that just happened”-style quips. However, to the show’s credit, these bits of bad comedy are few and far between, and “300th Night” mostly focuses on the high drama of Caleb and his buddies breaking all the rules to make the galaxy’s most unlikely family reunion finally happen.

A Day Late And A Bar Of Latinum Short

As a Starfleet Academy hater from the beginning, I was surprised at the thought that kept bouncing around my head during “300th Night”: “Why the heck did the show wait so long to get so good?” This latest episode builds on plot elements laid down in the first episode, but this most recent adventure is infinitely more polished, led by actors and writers who are infinitely more confident in these characters. At long last, Starfleet Academy has achieved the impossible: it is now a good enough Star Trek show that I don’t mind recommending it to a friend. 

However, the show now finds itself in a state of limbo: it hasn’t been renewed beyond Season 2, and big changes at Paramount have made it increasingly likely it will be renewed. This is a bitter irony, but I’m convinced the show would already have been renewed if its early episodes focused more on the dramatic storytelling of “300th Night” and less on broad humor and lame attempts to appeal to young audiences. Now, Starfleet Academy may have finally transformed into a decent Star Trek show, but it won’t live long or prosper because embarrassing early attempts to appeal to new fans continuously drove everyone away.

Too busy chasing new fans to satisfy any of the old ones? That’s Alex Kurtzman at his best, baby.