It’s difficult enough to write an excellent book, but it’s an entirely different art unto itself to craft an equally excellent trilogy of them. As long as each book offers a feeling of self-contained satisfaction, and the author also manages to make the whole trilogy feel like an escalating, meaningful, satisfying progression, any trilogy has the potential to be deemed great.

Throughout the 21st century in particular, there have been a few noteworthy book trilogies that haven’t just been great, they’ve been the absolute best of the last 26 years. From YA classics like the Hunger Games series to period pieces like the Wolf Hall trilogy, these have been some truly exceptional sets of novels that have demonstrated why the art of the book trilogy is still alive and well in modern times.

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The Wolf Hall Trilogy

Image via Henry Holt & Company

British writer Hilary Mantel was a great master of the historical fiction genre, and she demonstrated that greatly with the last three novels she ever wrote: Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror & the Light. Set during the 16th century, this trilogy is a sweeping saga chronicling the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell (which is why this is also known as the Thomas Cromwell trilogy), the son of a blacksmith who became the chief minister to King Henry VIII.

Before it became one of the best miniseries worth watching over and over, Wolf Hall was the greatest historical fiction trilogy of the 21st century. Anchored by Mantel’s beautifully vivid prose and a brilliantly creative reinvention of the Tudor era, the trilogy masterfully strikes the perfect balance between mythologizing Cromwell and also humanizing him with unexpected depth. It’s an entirely unique approach to the genre that makes court politics feel like the most gripping, modern-feeling source of drama imaginable.

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The MaddAddam Trilogy

Image via McClelland and Stewart Ltd.

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Saying that novelist, poet, and literary critic Margaret Atwood is one of the greatest and most important Canadian writers of the 20th and 21st centuries would be quite an understatement. But it’s not all The Handmaid’s Tale with Atwood; there’s also the MaddAddam trilogy, a speculative fiction and adventure romance trilogy (which technically also counts as sci-fi, even if Atwood rejects the label) about a dystopian near-future Earth that’s been decimated by climate collapse.

From Oryx and Crake to The Year of the Flood to the eponymous MaddAddam, the trilogy is a wonderfully human yet bitingly satirical critique of genetic engineering and unchecked capitalist greed. We’re talking about three of the greatest climate-fiction novels of the 21st century, a trio of books bolstered by some exceptional worldbuilding, which present a sense of hope readers don’t often find in the dystopian genre.

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The Infernal Devices Trilogy

Image via Margaret K. McElderry Books

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With the unprecedented success of J. K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series, the 21st century saw an unprecedented boom in the Young Adult genre across all media, including literature. From this boom came Cassandra Clare‘s The Mortal Instruments series, six of the most widely beloved YA fantasy novels of the last two decades. Before she finished the series, though, Clare wrote the Infernal Devices trilogy, a prequel series to the Mortal Instruments saga.

To this day, many fantasy fans still deem the Infernal Devices series as not just considerably superior to the original saga, but also three of the best YA books of their era. With its tremendous emotional depth, richly atmospheric Victorian setting, and one of the best love triangles in the history of the YA fantasy genre, Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess are worth reading even for adult readers. With a more mature writing style than The Mortal Instruments, as well as an emotionally stirring exploration of themes of grief and sacrifice that should resonate with anyone, every reader should love this trilogy, no matter their age.

4

The Hunger Games Trilogy

At this point, with it being such a tremendously successful multimedia franchise, there’s barely any need to even introduce Suzanne Collins‘ Hunger Games trilogy. It should hardly be surprising that the series, which originated and spearheaded the YA dystopia fad of the 2010s, consistently remained the best of the bunch. Still, all that fame and popularity can, at times, make people forget that this is actually a legitimately exceptionally written trilogy.

There’s an argument to be made that the trilogy got slightly weaker as it went on, but Catching Fire and Mockingjay are both still a pair of incredible sequels. There are only a handful of dystopian books better than The Hunger Games, and when it comes to dystopian book trilogies? It doesn’t get much more iconic than this one. With its high-stakes, adrenaline-pumping action, chillingly relevant critiques of authoritarian power and the media’s exploitation of the public, and the profoundly compelling character writing, these three books are essential reading for all those who love the dystopian genre.

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The Remembrance of Earth’s Past Trilogy

Image via Tor Books

It’s not only the English-speaking world that has produced exceptional book trilogies throughout the last 26 years. Case in point: Cixin Liu‘s Chinese series Remembrance of Earth’s Past, consisting of The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest, and Death’s End. It was the inspiration for one of the most near-perfect hard sci-fi shows on Netflix, and itself fittingly consists of three books that wonderfully blend hard and soft science fiction elements. Sometimes read as an allegory for China-United States relations, the series is about humanity’s preparation for the invasion of an alien threat.

Alien invasion stories are aplenty, but few reach the awe-inspiring, downright epic cosmic scale that the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy benefits from. Mind-bending, sharply political, and boldly philosophical, it’s a series that perfectly lends itself to some of the most profound analyses that one will get from any 21st-century book trilogy. It’s a must-read for all those who enjoy literary science fiction, and even though its characters may sometimes feel like somewhat shallow vessels for the plot, the plot itself is so deliriously entertaining and emotionally compelling that it’s easy to forgive that as a feature, not necessarily a bug.

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The Broken Earth Trilogy

Image via Orbit

When science fiction meets fantasy in a way that blurs the line between both genres, along the same vein of the kind of magic that Star Wars achieves, it becomes a genre known as science fantasy—and N. K. Jemisin‘s The Broken Earth is one of the best science fantasy book trilogies in history, let alone of the 21st century. It’s an epic post-apocalyptic tale set on a supercontinent called the Stillness, where humanity struggles to survive cataclysmic natural disasters that occur periodically.

The Fifth Season won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, as did its first sequel, The Obelisk Gate. The Stone Sky may not have achieved the same honor, but it is the highest-rated book of the trilogy on Goodreads, and isn’t the favor of the court of public opinion the ultimate award? In any case, these are three of the best sci-fi books of the last 10 years. With Jemisin’s unique eye for breathtaking world-building, instantly captivating imagination, and ambitious narrative structure, it’s no wonder that the Broken Earth series has received so much praise. Jemisin is well-known for her bold artistic choices, and there are plenty of those here (including a particular POV being narrated in second person), making this essential reading for sci-fi fans.

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Era One of Mistborn

Image via Brandon Sanderson / Tor Books

Those who have grown tired of the likes of George R. R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss seeming unable to finish the book series that they’ve been promising for well over a decade ought to take a look at Brandon Sanderson. He is easily one of the greatest fantasy authors of modern times, and few of his works demonstrate that better than the Mistborn series. The books are organized into four eras (only two of which have been completed up to this point) with large time jumps between each other, making it so that each era feels entirely like its own series. Era One of Mistborn is composed of The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages, and it feels like a completely self-contained story as high-quality as any of Sanderson’s previous and future masterpieces.

It’s one of the few fantasy book series better than Harry Potter, the kind that must be read in order to be truly believed. It’s a masterpiece of modern fantasy unlike any other, with one of the best hard magic systems ever written, a powerful subversion of the “Dark Lord” trope, and a mind-blowing ending that recontextualizes the whole thing and makes a re-read instantly tempting. It’s an exquisitely creative work of genre literature that always takes full advantage of its fascinatingly original premise, full of the same kind of slow-building tension and airtight structure that all fans of Sanderson have come to expect. Some have called Sanderson’s prose here overly simplistic, but those who appreciate highly accessible and functional language over unnecessarily flowery styles are bound to find Mistborn irresistible.

Doubling Down With the Derricos alum Deon Derrico is opening up about the aftermath of his split from ex-wife Karen Derrico.

“There was a breakdown at the point that I just told her that I didn’t want a relationship between [her] and I any longer,” Deon, 55, exclusively tells Us Weekly of his dynamic with Karen, 46, after their 2024 split, adding that they chose to coparent their 14 children under the same roof for two years following their divorce.

“We were trying to make it work for the children,” he recalls. “I know I was very dedicated and devoted to that. She appeared to be as well. But we were just having issues and, you know, financial issues, you could name it.”

Though Karen suggested that they try couples therapy to make their coparenting dynamic work, they continued to grow apart. Karen also allegedly pressed Deon on whether he was seeing another woman, which led to a transparent conversation between them.

“[She] just kept asking me that, saying, ‘I can handle it, tell me. I can handle it if it is.’ And I then just said, ‘Yes, my love interest does lie somewhere else, but I don’t want that to factor on you and I with the children,’” he recalls, noting that he’s had a “special friend” in his life for about a year. “And, of course, you know, she had her crying moment. It felt like a kumbaya moment. We were just really transparent. I told her it wasn’t her. We just grew apart. I’m not faulting anyone.”

Karen ultimately decided it was best for her to move out, according to Deon.

“I helped her move out, and that was on April 3, [2026],” he continues. “The very next day, I had discovered a series of untruths that she had been taking part in, and I addressed those issues with her. And everything rapidly declined.”

Though Deon thought he and Karen had been in a good spot, he says he could see “anger and hatred” in his ex after she moved out with seven of their kids.

“I just kept telling her, ‘Hey, look, I want peace.’ I’m a peaceful person by nature,” he explains, recalling a day where Karen allegedly wouldn’t let him visit with one of their sons in her care.

“I went by the house to pick up three boys that were in her care to cut their hair, and then when I brought them back to drop them off, I asked to see one of my sons. She declined me being able to see him, and I then said, ‘Don’t do this, don’t play this game. We’ve never done this before,’ which we hadn’t,” he recalls, adding that they had “always been supportive” of each other as parents despite calling it quits romantically.

Related: Who Is Karen Derrico? TLC Alum Allegedly Threatened to Kill Her Family

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Karen Derrico is known for her role as a TLC star, but she’s also been making headlines for a recent arrest. Karen made her TLC debut in 2020 when Doubling Down With the Derricos premiered. The reality show followed Karen and her then-husband, Deon Derrico, along with their 14 children. Doubling Down With the Derricos […]

The exes share kids Darian, 18, Derrick, 13, twins Denver and Dallas, 12, quintuplets Deniko, Dariz, Deonee, Daician and ​Daiten, 10, Diez and Dior, 6, and triplets Dawsyn, De’Aren and Dyver, 4.

“When she did that, I knew something was up,” he says of her alleged behavior, adding that Karen filed a temporary protective order against Deon the following day.

“After that happened, I couldn’t believe it, ’cause she had done threatening things to me and things that made me question even my life. I had even told my mother, on a couple occasions, maybe back in January, that if something happens to me, look at Karen, because that’s the level of anger and hatred I was feeling from her,” he claims, adding that as far as he was concerned, they were “on the same page” about their relationship.

“My daughters, they saw it too. They started sleeping in the room with me. So she and I were sleeping in separate rooms, and my daughter started staying in my room with me and locking the door,” Deon notes.

Us reached out to reps for Karen and TLC for comment.

Related: TLC’s Karen Derrico Appears to Threaten Child on Phone Call: Report

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TLC personality Karen Derrico seemingly threatened her child while on a contentious phone call amid her recent arrest and legal drama. According to audio obtained by TMZ on Thursday, June 25, the Doubling Down With the Derricos alum, 46, was on the phone with some of the 14 children she shares with ex-husband Deon Derrico. […]

Karen was recently arrested in Las Vegas and charged with harassment, violating a restraining order, preventing a witness from testifying through threat of violence and aggravated stalking, according to online records viewed by Us on Wednesday, June 24. Prosecutors accused her of sending emails to Deon in which she threatened to kill him and their children. She also allegedly tried to prevent Deon from attending a court hearing about a temporary protection order he requested.

Karen was arraigned on the felony charges on Tuesday, June 23, and pleaded not guilty.

“The allegations are completely false,”. “And we will prove they were completely fabricated by Mr. Derrico.”

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“We are in the process of proving that these emails are crude forgeries by the supposed victim and never sent by my client,” her attorney Jess Marchese said in a statement to Us. “We have retained a forensic expert who is uncovering vast inconsistencies in the his story.”

Karen was released from custody on a $2,000 bond and outfitted with an ankle monitor. Her next hearing is scheduled for August 6.

Karen and Deon rose to fame on the TLC reality series Doubling Down With the Derricos, which documented the former couple’s life raising their 14 kids. The show ran for five seasons from 2020 to 2024.

As speculation surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s upcoming wedding continues to build, new details have emerged about what is reportedly shaping up to be a multi-day celebration in New York City. Just days before the pair are rumored to tie the knot, a fresh report claims Swift and Kelce have planned an intimate rehearsal dinner for their closest friends and family ahead of what could be one of the most star-studded celebrity weddings in recent memory.

According to a new report from Page Six, the superstar couple is planning an intimate rehearsal dinner ahead of their rumored July 3 wedding, giving close friends and family a chance to celebrate before the main event.

Neither Swift nor Kelce has publicly confirmed wedding plans.

Swift And Kelce Reportedly Hosting Rehearsal Dinner For 100 Guests

The latest report claims the couple will host a rehearsal dinner at Madison Square Garden on July 2, one day before their reported wedding celebration.

Sources told the outlet that approximately 100 guests are expected to attend the more intimate gathering, which will reportedly be reserved for close family members and friends. The event is said to serve as a kickoff to a larger wedding weekend celebration expected to draw a significantly bigger crowd the following day.

Reports suggest the main wedding festivities could welcome between 1,000 and 2,000 guests. The New York Times was the first to report details surrounding the alleged Madison Square Garden venue, while Page Six later reported that the pair had opted for a larger New York City celebration after previously considering other locations.

Earlier rumors suggested Swift and Kelce might marry in Rhode Island, where the singer owns a sprawling waterfront estate. However, sources now claim the couple ultimately decided on a venue capable of accommodating a much larger guest list.

If the reports prove accurate, the event would rank among the most high-profile celebrity weddings in recent memory.

Celebrity Wedding Planner Reportedly Helping Coordinate The Event

The couple has also been linked to celebrity wedding planner Mark Seed, who is known for overseeing large-scale, high-profile events. According to Page Six, Seed’s reputation for discretion was a major factor in his reported involvement.

An insider described him as someone capable of creating spectacular events while maintaining strict privacy for celebrity clients. That secrecy has reportedly extended to the guest list as well.

A-List Guests Are Rumored To Be Attending

While no official guest list has been released, reports suggest several of Swift’s closest celebrity friends have secured invitations to the highly anticipated celebration. Among the rumored attendees are Gigi Hadid, Ed Sheeran, Zoë Kravitz, Suki Waterhouse, and the Haim sisters, as well as Selena Gomez, whose recent wedding to Benny Blanco included Swift as one of her bridesmaids.

Meanwhile, Kelce’s NFL friends are also expected to play a major role in the festivities. San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle recently joked that even invited guests remain largely in the dark about the wedding details.

Speaking earlier this week, Kittle revealed that he attempted to get more information directly from Kelce but came away empty-handed. “I actually asked Travis last night and he laughed at me,” Kittle said.

The tight end jokingly added that he’s preparing for a surprise destination wedding. “I’m half expecting there to just be a jumbo jet on a runway and they put us on a plane somewhere,” he said.

Wedding Rumors Have Been Building For Months

Rumors about Swift and Kelce’s future intensified after reports surfaced that the Kansas City Chiefs star proposed in August 2025 following two years of dating. In recent weeks, fans have closely analyzed the couple’s separate celebrations and public appearances for clues about a possible wedding.

Just last week, a woman believed by some fans to be Swift was photographed at her Rhode Island estate alongside a group of friends, while Kelce spent time celebrating with family and friends in Los Angeles. For now, neither star has publicly addressed the wedding reports, leaving fans to piece together the growing number of details emerging from sources close to the alleged event.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated 25 seconds ago

Adventure Time became a pop culture phenomenon, finding a storytelling sweet spot that appealed to children and adults alike. Kids enjoyed the silly humor and larger-than-life characters; adults, meanwhile, enjoyed the show’s brilliant deconstruction of fantasy themes and its surprisingly in-depth character relationships. Arguably, none of those relationships was more complex than the one between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline, the Vampire Queen. Early on, the show teased that they might have once been a gay couple, which freaked out Cartoon Network and the show’s production company. As queer relationships became more mainstream, however, these two characters became a canonical couple and even shared a same-screen kiss in the series finale “Come Along With Me.”

That finale was bittersweet because fans worried they wouldn’t be getting any new Adventure Time stories. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, and HBO Max became the exclusive home of two popular spinoff series: Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake and Adventure Time: Distant Lands. Now, it looks like everyone’s favorite lesbian couple is about to come back in a big way. At the Annecy Animation Film Festival, HBO announced that we’ll be getting Adventure Time: Bubblegum and Marceline, a 10-episode series.

A Little More Than Friends

Right now, the official description for this new spinoff is pretty short on details. The logline for Adventure Time: Bubblegum and Marceline reads as follows: “Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen journey across the farthest reaches of Ooo, encountering familiar faces and new dangers.” That description makes it sound like the spinoff is very episodic in nature; however, it’s designed (like Fionna and Cake before it) to tell a story across multiple seasons. The spinoff should have the classic feel to it: the showrunner is Adam Muto, the Emmy-winning creator who started out as a storyboard artist for Adventure Time before rising up the ranks and becoming showrunner in Season 5.

Right now, it’s fair to say that fans of this franchise are eating quite well. While news of Adventure Time: Bubblegum and Marceline is currently electrifying the fandom, a new show is about to premiere: Adventure Time: Side Quests, which hits Disney+ and Hulu on June 29. On top of that, while Season 3 has not been officially greenlit, Fionna and Cake showrunner Muto has told fans there’s always a chance we’ll get more episodes. All of this and a new Bubbline show? That’s great news for old-school fans who can remember when Bubblegum and Marceline had the most controversial relationship on television! 

Making Things Official

Now, Bubblegum and Marceline are a canonical couple, which took a long time to develop. Originally, they were written as two gals with a mysterious, bitter past. The episode “What Was Missing” implied the two women used to be a couple: Marceline’s song makes her sound like a jilted lover, and the end of the episode reveals the most important thing to Bubblegum is a sweater Marceline once gave her. However, this was back in 2011, and Cartoon Network was very nervous about having openly queer characters. They downplayed any fan suggestions about “Bubbline” (their couple name), and we didn’t get a new episode featuring the pair for two years.

Eventually, Cartoon Network relented: in the wake of queer relationships popping up in other popular cartoons like Legend of Korra and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, they leaned in with episodes like “Varmints,” which followed up on “What Was Calling” while adding more hints about a complex romantic relationship between these two. Still, fans worried the show would be afraid to go beyond giving us some very heavy subtext about this ‘ship. But, not unlike Adora and Catra in the final episode of She-Ra, Marceline and Princess Bubblegum locked lips in the Adventure Time series finale.

Sadly, Adventure Time: Bubblegum and Marceline does not yet have a definitive release date. Therefore, fans of these two will have to content themselves the usual way: by mainlining all their favorite Bubbline episodes, comics, merchandise, and fan content. When the show does drop, it will be interesting to see if it deepens the relationship between these characters while otherwise expanding the crazy world of Ooo. No matter the plot, though, it will be great to see the most fascinating couple in animated history back together again!

By Robert Scucci
| Published 33 seconds ago

As a movie lover, I always feel like I’m playing catch-up with some genuinely great art because there just aren’t enough hours in the day to consume it all. One blind spot for me involves all the movies from 2020 that never got a proper theatrical release, meaning the marketing was light as so many titles silently made their way to streaming with little fanfare. One such film, 2020’s The Lovebirds, currently resides on Netflix, and I’ve never heard anybody talk about how great it is. It’s part rom-com, part action thriller, and one of the most laugh-out-loud funny movies I’ve seen in a while.

Even better, you’re in and out in 87 minutes. Not only does the humor in The Lovebirds never wear out its welcome, it leaves you wanting more thanks to its stars, Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae.

The. Escalations. Never. Stop. 

The Lovebirds kicks off with a murder, and things only get worse for Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Leilani (Issa Rae). The two have been dating and living together for about four years, but only really seem to communicate through petty insults while strongly suggesting their relationship has run its course. While breaking up on the way to a friend’s dinner party, Jibran accidentally runs over a bicycle courier (Nicholas X. Parsons), who seems more concerned with fleeing the scene than tending to his injuries.

A panicked Jibran and Leilani, trying to figure out their next move, are then confronted by a man known only as Mustache (Paul Sparks), who informs them that the man on the bike is actually a criminal, but only after repeatedly running him over with their car to make sure he’s dead. They grab his phone and flee the scene, immediately arousing the suspicion of Detective Martin (Andrene Ward-Hammond).

While I don’t want to spoil the entire course of events in The Lovebirds, let’s just say things escalate fast, and never stop escalating. It doesn’t take long before they’re caught in the middle of an insane blackmail conspiracy, where they’re shot at, tied to chairs and threatened with boiling bacon grease or whatever’s behind the mystery door, chased by cops and the courier’s cohorts alike, all while trying to clear their names with Detective Martin, who, in their minds, has them pegged as the primary suspects in the courier’s brutal murder.

The Situational Humor Is Simply The Springboard

Here’s what makes The Lovebirds such an effective comedy thriller, or at least that’s what I’m calling it: Jibran and Leilani seem like a real couple working through their issues. Their banter and insults are always scathing, but they’re the kind you can only dish out and take if you know somebody well enough to really hit them where it hurts. It’s like trading burns with your oldest friends, knowing that nothing is off limits.

When you take this kind of character dynamic and let it rip alongside a crazy murder plot, you get to hang out with these people while they’re on the adventure of a lifetime, all while trying to figure out if they even want to stay together and realizing that maybe this whole situation is the ultimate test.

Some of the best scenes aren’t even the escalations, but the quieter moments, like when Jibran and Leilani sneak into a discount pharmacy for a wardrobe change, settling for the most ridiculous getups they can find before laying low at the dinner party while being wildly underdressed. Then again, they also end up at an Eyes Wide Shut-style gala, and the escalations just keep coming.

I genuinely can’t remember the last time I actually laughed out loud at a comedy while sitting by myself, but I woke my kids up twice last night while watching The Lovebirds. And the thing is, it’s not trying that hard to be funny. It doesn’t feel like a couple of comedians trying to get their yuks out or recycle old schtick. These characters feel lived in, and they’re simply chewing the scenery being thrust upon them, one escalating incident at a time.

The Lovebirds quietly arrived on Netflix back in 2020 in lieu of a theatrical release. I strongly recommend this to anybody who wants a rom com that’s as dangerous as it is hilarious. 

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 second ago

When it comes to time travel films, I’ll always champion the low-budget, independent movies that focus squarely on the consequences of causality rather than the time travel apparatus itself. Films like Primer (2004), The Infinite Man (2014), and Timecrimes (2007) all have virtually no budget and very little, if any, special effects, but they’re so concerned with the human condition that it doesn’t matter. Another film I’ll add to this list is 2012’s Safety Not Guaranteed, led by Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass.

The film has very little time travel in it, and instead focuses on ideas of arrested development, deferred dreams, missed connections, and letting go of the past. Through its characters’ ordeals, we learn that not everything you see is exactly as it seems, and that finding the truth requires earning someone’s trust. But at its heart, it tells the story of broken people doing what they think they need to do to fix their lives, which on the surface don’t seem all that broken in the first place.

Chasing A Lead To Crazy Town

Safety Not Guaranteed centers on the titular phrase included in a classified ad written by Kenneth Calloway (Mark Duplass), stating, “Wanted: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke … You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.”

The reason Seattle Magazine writer Jeff Schwensen (Jake Johnson) wants to investigate this advertisement is because it will bring him to the same town as one of his old flames, Liz (Jenica Bergere), who he wants to confess his love to. He brings along Arnau (Karan Soni) and intern Darius Britt (Aubrey Plaza) to locate Kenneth and see if he’s actually the real deal, or some sort of nutjob.

Turns out, he’s kind of both. Blowing his cover almost immediately, Jeff defers to Darius, who earns Kenneth’s trust over the next few days as he reveals his mission: saving the life of his girlfriend, who was killed in a car wreck over a decade ago. Darius reveals that she similarly wants to save the life of her mother, who passed away when she was 14 years old.

As Darius and Kenneth open up to each other, sharing past traumas and future aspirations alike, matters get complicated when two secret agents confront the journalists about Kenneth’s activities, as they have reason to believe he’s been chatting with government officials and stealing classified technology to build his time travel apparatus that very well may work. While Darius has been truthful with Kenneth about everything in her life except how she initially came into contact with him, she now has to worry about him finding out she’s actually a journalist who’s simply looking for a spicy story.

Two Broken People Not Knowing What Needs Fixing

The reason Safety Not Guaranteed works so well is because of how emotionally disarming Mark Duplass is as Kenneth Calloway. He’s certainly off his rocker, but when Darius actually talks to him and gets to know him, you can’t help but fall in love with his earnestness. He’s too smart for his own good, a surprisingly great marksman, trains himself in hand-to-hand combat and other survival tactics, and generally acts like a 12-year-old playing army in his backyard while doing all of the above.

Aubrey Plaza, who had all but perfected the disaffected but sincerely curious vibe by the time she worked on this film, is the perfect person to get Mark to open up, express himself through his art and music, and eventually elaborate on the next phases of his mysterious time travel mission. What you get is two people broken by past tragedies trying to move on with their lives, who realize that maybe the present isn’t so bad so long as they’re in the right company.

Safety Not Guaranteed is not slapstick funny, but it gets its humor through that quirky, Napoleon Dynamite kind of awkwardness. We eventually get some time travel action, but this movie was never about its final destination. It’s about the journey that leads us there.

As of this writing, you can stream Safety Not Guaranteed for free on Tubi.

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED SCORE

General Hospital prediction edition that covers July Sweeps, which runs from June 25th to July 20th, including Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) returning and playing hero. Plus, Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) is back to Port Charles, and he is scolding someone he loves for a very good reason.

We’ve got predictions for Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes), Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota), Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), for Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud), Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna), Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke), Valentin, Jason, and also for Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) and Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). We’re going to get into what we expect to see the four weeks of July sweeps with dangerous villains, big returns, romance, and the possibility of at least two major deaths.

General Hospital: Cullum’s Demise on Spoon Island

Our very first prediction, Cullum is killed and good riddance. So, summer spoilers for GH say that a timely arrival affords Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) one last chance to stop Victor, resulting in a bloody battle on Spoon Island. That timely arrival may be Carly Corinthos Spencer (Laura Wright) and Lucas because they plan to rescue Josslyn and Valentin should be back with Z during July sweeps as well.

Also, it might be them. Lots of people now know that Cullum is an evil double agent. As soon as Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) finishes the cold fusion prototype, Cullum plans to take it and run, but no one wants him to get away with the dangerous weapon. So, he might be killed by Josslyn because of the spoiler about her getting a chance to stop Cullum.

Might be Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) if he finds out Cullum tricked him and Cassius mailed poison to his sister Britt. But honestly, I’d prefer it’s Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) that takes him out. After everything Cullum did to Anna, the gaslighting about Cesar Faison (Anders Hove) and the emotional torment. I think Anna deserves to be the one who takes out Cullum and leaves him pushing up daisies.

GH Predictions: Sidwell vs. Sonny – Collateral Damage

Our second prediction, Sidwell versus Sonny death battle causes collateral damage. GH summer spoilers say Sonny and Sidwell enter a final battle and in the process several lives are on the line. And we heard from our source that Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor) could end up in the crossfire of this Sidwell versus Sonny showdown. And official GH spoilers then confirmed that. Our leaker gave more details and said that Justine will die. We’ll see.

So, it seems like Sidwell also will either die or go to prison, meaning an actress is leaving GH. It kind of makes sense that Justine dies as well because she might have been asked to exit at the same time for family reasons. And of course, we got to wait and see if it manifests. It’s a real possibility. It’s been a minute since Sonny had a love interest, so be a shame to leave him suddenly single again.

General Hospital: Britt’s Life-Changing Revelation

Our third prediction. Britt’s back and Lucas tells her she doesn’t have Huntington’s. GH summer spoilers say a huge revelation gives Britt a new lease on life. So, right now she thinks she’s dying and has end-stage Huntington’s, but we know that the medication Cullum last gave Britt was just saline. However, since Cullum just put poison into the vials Cassius has stolen and mailed to Britt, there may be more to this.

I suspect that Cullum might have been giving Britt mostly saline, but with occasional doses of poison to keep her shaky and sick and too scared to stop working on the cold fusion project. I suspect when she’s back that Lucas is going to run tests on Britt and then Lucas may tell her she never had Huntington’s. Maybe the initial test she took when on the run with Jason was a false positive. Or maybe the bad guys were planning ahead and Sidwell or Cullum tampered with it to set up Britt’s fake death incident.

New Romance on GH – Joe and Lucas

Our fourth prediction, Joe Fitzpatrick (Jonathan Bennett) and Lucas go out on a very first date. So this summer, spoilers say Lucas assists Joe as he’s seeking answers and Lucas gets competition from Joe. Lucas keeps crossing paths with Detective Joe Fitzpatrick a lot lately and it sounds like they’re going to keep crossing paths. So, Lucas may help Joe with answers about a case. And once Cullum’s dead and Sidwell is either dead or dealt with, Lucas will get some closure.

I think then he can properly grieve his loss and start moving on with his life. Although Lucas will always love and grieve that loss to some extent, he will eventually move on. And handsome Detective Joe may be his next love interest. So, I think they’re going to end up going on a date soon once the threat of Cullum and Sidwell is behind everybody.

Charlotte and Valentin’s Reunion on General Hospital

Our fifth prediction, Charlotte’s reunited with her papa Valentin and moves in with him and Carly. General Hospital summer spoilers say Charlotte’s got more problems with her mom Lulu Spencer (Emme Rylan) and that has her seeking new living arrangements. We have Valentin already putting his freedom on the line and he did that to try and stop Victor and Sidwell and he’s currently at risk of being tossed back into prison for the rest of his life.

But I do suspect Valentin will be back during sweeps along with the mysterious Z. So, I do expect him to be reunited with Charlotte. And because there’s problems with her and Lulu, that could tie into her telling Danny about Rocco shooting Cullum. Or maybe it ties to Lulu finding out Charlotte was visiting her fugitive dad over at Carly’s. And with her finding a new place to live, maybe it’s with Laura Collins (Genie Francis). However, I suspect Charlotte may prefer to move in with Valentin. And I suspect Carly’s gonna be so happy to have him back. She’ll insist he move in with her and will be totally fine with Charlotte coming along.

Jason Chews Out Danny

Our sixth prediction, Jason chews out Danny Morgan (Asher Jared Antonyzyn). Jason’s back. I think it’s July 13th, but he won’t be back in Port Charles at first, but very soon. And once he is back to Port Charles and face to face with Danny, I think Jason might be upset if he finds out Danny went around blabbing that Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) shot Cullum to Alexis or anybody else for a couple of reasons.

First, remember that Danny wanted to join the mob. Jason wouldn’t like that either. But also, you know what they say in the mob, snitches get stitches. So, Jason won’t like that Dante was ready to tattle on Rocco to try and get him out of the WSB prison. And second, there’s the fact that Jason literally owes Rocco his life. Although it seemed unlikely Cullum had gotten the better of Jason, had him down on the ground. He was about to kill him when Rocco shot Cullum and saved Jason’s life.

I mean, I think he might have covered for Rocco anyway. That’s the kind of guy that Jason is. But since Rocco did save his life, Jason of course wasn’t going to let Rocco get into trouble. So, Jason might have some things to say to Danny about his choice to blab about Rocco.

General Hospital: Nina Takes Jack Home

Our seventh and final prediction. Nina brings Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) home with her. GH spoilers for summer say Nina and Jack get closer when she intercedes on his behalf and she takes it on herself to keep him out of harm’s way. So, I think that we’re going to see Nina taking Jack out of Turning Woods to recover from his ordeal that was caused by her accidentally injecting him with Drew Cain’s (Cameron Mathison) paralytic.

Victor is his medical proxy, but with him out of commission soon, Nina will take care of Jack is what I suspect. Nina already wants to protect Jack, and I expect a romance is coming for Nina and Jack. And I can see it starting while he’s under Nina’s roof and she is making sure that Jack properly recovers. It’s got to be better than Turning Woods where he has to pretend to be locked-in. Nina’s place is a whole bunch better than that.

Bold and the Beautiful prediction edition for you covers July Sweeps, which runs June 25th to July 20th, including Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) demanding that Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) walk out on Katie Logan (Heather Tom). And we may see one fashion house circling the drain. But which one?

We’ve got predictions for Brooke and Hope, Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace), Shauna Fulton (Denise Richards), Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye), Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton), Eric Forrester (John McCook), Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis), Bill Spencer (Don Diamont), Katie, and also for the Forresters. We’re going to get into what we could see in the four weeks of July sweeps at Forrester Creations and over at the House of Logan. 

Bold and the Beautiful Prediction: Brooke Demands Hope’s Return

Our first prediction, Brooke demands that Hope walk out of Logan. So Friday, the House of Logan hits the runway and Brooke is stunned to find out Hope is working with Deke Sharpe (Harrison  Cone) as the new power pair that is Katie’s new design team for the Hope for the Future House of Logan collection. So obviously we know that Brooke is about to find out that it’s not just Deke designing for Katie, but it’s Hope he’s designing for and the collection is in her name.

Remember how Brooke lowkey insulted Deke as a talented nobody? I mean, it’s true, but Brooke didn’t have to say it out loud in front of him. And then she ran back and told Ridge and Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) that Katie is going to be humiliated and is no threat to Forrester Creations. Brooke said Katie has no hope, no pun intended, and it’s just Deke who’s not a name in the industry. But once Brooke finds out Hope’s working for Katie, that’s going to wreck her.

Even worse, Brooke’s going to find out that Donna knew this whole time. I expect Brooke demands that Hope stop working for Katie immediately, leave Logan, and come back to Forrester Creations because Brooke won’t allow this. However, I don’t think Hope is going to do what her mom wants.

B&B Prediction: Electra Feels Threatened

Our second prediction, Electra feels threatened by Shauna. This week, Will Spencer (Crew Morrow) was sworn to secrecy about the jewelry line and the Hope for the Future diamond, and he’s upset that Logan is now competing directly against Electra’s jewelry line. And of course, Bill told him it’s just business, which is true.

Electra has actually been very supportive of Will working with his family. But Electra may feel really betrayed that Will didn’t give her a heads up that she’ll be competing directly against Shauna, who was personally trained by master jewelry artisan Quinn Forrester (Rena Sofer). Electra knows what a legend Quinn was. She trained Ivy Spencer (Ashleigh Brewer), too.

Not only that, sounds like Wyatt Spencer (Darin Brooks) may consult on the jewelry line, too. And he was Quinn’s very first protégé who’s probably as talented as his mom. Plus, they have the Hope for the Future diamond. But Electra may be upset that Will didn’t tell her. I mean, it’s one thing for him to keep the secret about Hope and Deacon is the new design team, but in Electra’s mind, Will could have told her about the jewelry line without giving away any trade secrets.

Bold and Beautiful: Ridge’s Ultimatum to Brooke

Our third prediction, Ridge demands that Brooke kick Hope off her property. This week, Brooke was all excited about Hope coming back to Forrester Creations. And of course, that’s not happening. Even worse, she’s working with the enemy, Katie. I think Hope was wrong for not just saying, “I quit,” to Ridge and Steffy. You know, Hope didn’t have to tell them she was going to Logan, but she could have done the right thing and quit Forrester Creations first.

So, I could see Ridge demanding Brooke throw Hope and Liam off the Logan property. In Ridge’s mind, Hope’s a traitor, and I don’t think Ridge is going to want to see her at breakfast and dinner around the house. And remember, when Hope betrayed the Forresters with the coup, Ridge called her disloyal and said she doesn’t belong. And I feel like Ridge is about to be back at this same breaking point. And if he gives Brooke an it’s me or her ultimatum, you know, she might side with Ridge because Brooke’s also going to feel really betrayed.

Bold Prediction: Hope and Liam’s New Home

And that leads us right into our next prediction. Hope and Liam move in at the Spencer mansion. So, Brooke and the Forresters feel betrayed by Hope’s reveal as Katie’s new designer. And of course, Bill and Katie are thrilled. And if it goes the way I expect and Ridge demands that Hope’s got to go because Ridge can’t be around a traitor, we could see a situation where Hope doesn’t put her mom in a position to have to kick her and Liam out. Hope may say, “It’s fine. We’ll just go.”

No matter how it happens, if she and Liam take Beth and go, I expect Bill and Katie to welcome them with open arms. They already offered for Hope to go over to their house just this week. They’d love to have Hope, Liam, and Beth move in at the Spencer mansion. I’m betting Bill’s got a guest house or he’d build one. Hope and Liam are family, and that is the Spencer family home. And I think Katie and Bill would be thrilled to have them living there so they could spend time with Bill’s granddaughter. Plus, it’s one more way that Katie can stick it to Brooke.

Bold and the Beautiful: Eric’s Discovery of Donna’s Secret

Our fourth prediction. Eric is mad at Donna for keeping such a huge, earth-shattering secret. So, Friday spoilers. That’s the day that Katie is going to reveal the Hope for the Future House of Logan collection at Logan. And of course, Donna hates being in the middle of Brooke and Katie. Remember, poor Donna begged Hope not to go to Logan, but she has kept the secret this whole time. She’ll be back on Friday’s episode when the ugly truth comes out that Hope has been over there with Katie behind their backs while saying she was on a leave of absence.

I expect Donna may be grilled by Brooke about what she knew. And that means Eric’s going to find out Donna knew this whole time about Hope going behind the Foresters’s backs. And Eric might see this as Donna betraying them. But remember, she kept it secret when Eric was working at Logan on the sly. Hopefully, he won’t rant at Donna about it, but I fully expect Brooke to lose it on Donna and tell her she’s just as bad as Katie.

Bold and the Beautiful: Logan’s Triumphant Launch

Our sixth prediction, Bill and Katie celebrate a successful launch Friday. We’re going to have Hope at Logan hitting the runway. The fashion press is going to be all abuzz about Hope Logan’s debut there. It’s huge that she’s the latest get for Katie’s fashion house. Almost as big a news item as Eric’s collection at Logan. So, after the debut of Hope’s line, Katie and Bill are going to be ready to celebrate.

And I expect that Deke’s line is going to get raves. He and Hope worked really hard on it. And Brooke even said that Deke’s a talented designer. The only issue was he’s not a name in the industry. But Hope Logan, she is a big name in the industry. And of course, there’s the scandal that she left Ridge, Steffy, and Brooke to go work with her aunt Katie.

That will also bring more attention to her and Deacon’s launch and could amp up sales. Plus, Bill was conscientious about the bottom line and cost. So, I think their launch will be really profitable. We’re going to see champagne flowing and everybody at Logan toasting their success on Bold and the Beautiful.

Forrester’s Financial Crisis on B&B

Our seventh and final prediction, Forresters may face financial crisis. So this week, Brooke told the Forresters that the Logan launch was ill-timed, but still not a threat since it’s just Deke who’s a nobody. Also, over the last few weeks, we’ve heard Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) saying that Eric’s couture collection is the most expensive they’ve ever done.

And fact is over at Logan, the launch is going to pull attention from Eric’s launch because Katie putting out a Hope Logan collection is a huge deal. The fashion press is going to eat that up and Eric’s collection comes out the next day and I don’t think Hope is going to be second page news by then. I think it’s still going to be a big thing as Eric’s couture line is launching. And so I do think the House of Logan launch is going to hurt them.

And if Eric’s collection doesn’t sell out, the Foresters could be in big trouble because they overspent. Forrester Creations could very well be in financial distress because they spent too much to put Eric’s collection out because they were desperate to overshadow the launch that he did with Katie at Logan. And then Hope’s debut at Logan won’t help them either when it eats up all the front page news attention.

Young and the Restless spoilers for the week of June 29th reveal things really heating up, we’re going to talk about Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) being kidnapped and Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) absolutely terrified as his wife loses her sight and heads into high-risk surgery.

We’ve got the latest Y&R spoilers for the week of June 29th through July 3rd, including big things for Diane Jenkins Abbott (Susan Walters), also for Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) and several others.

Young and the Restless: Victor’s Terror and Nikki’s Crisis

First, let’s talk about why exactly Victor is so terrified. As we end the week on Friday’s episode, July Sweeps is already hitting hard. Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) is at the hospital with Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle), Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin), and Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) all gathered around her. Victor is there, too. Nikki’s eyesight is failing, and she’s honestly just scared to even open her eyes. But her husband’s there, hard hit, and Victor goes out in the hall to cry. He’s terrified for Nikki and feeling guilty as heck, of course.

So, Victor begins scrambling to get the top surgeon there as soon as possible. Seeing Nikki like this is tearing him in half, especially after how he’s treated her for the past many months. Nikki feels bad the kids are sitting at her bedside, but they all refuse to leave. And she finally tells them she’s glad they’re there. And Victoria and Claire admit that Victor knows what’s going on with her and is doing all he can to help, which surprises her.

Y&R Spoilers: Victor on a Mission & Nikki Worries about Nick

Claire and Victoria try to stop Victor from leaving the hospital, but he says he doesn’t want to stress Nikki out by being there and he needs to make sure that the surgeon gets there as soon as possible. But in the end, Victor promises Claire and Victoria that he will be back once he makes the arrangements to get the surgeon there to do her surgery as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Nikki’s worried that the stress of all this will affect Nick’s addiction recovery, and Victor calls Stephanie, who is with Nate Hastings (Sean Dominic) and Lily Winters (Christel Khalil). So, on Friday, Nate’s telling Lily about Nikki’s health crisis, and Nate says the mass on Nikki’s optic nerve will be tricky to remove. And then Stephanie gets a call from the surgeon saying that they can be there that same day.

And then Victor shows up and he’s thrilled to hear the doctor can come and tells Stephanie Simmons (Vivica A. Fox) that he will send his private jet to get the surgeon. Victor also calls Victoria to let her know the surgeon is flying in. And after Victor leaves, Lily, Nate, and Stephanie mention that Nikki and Victor are a true love story and they always reunite.

Young and the Restless: Race Against Time – Nikki’s Vision Fades

So, it turns out the surgeon may be too late because back at the hospital, Victoria tells Nikki, Nick and Claire that Victor has the surgeon flying in. But then, right as he walks in, Nikki cries out, “It’s too late. Her vision is gone. She’s blind.” And then next week, the doctor’s there and does the surgery on Nikki on Young and the Restless.

Plus we’ll have Victoria giving Victor the update that Nikki is finally out of surgery. And when Nick asks how it went, Victoria says it’s too soon to tell. So, we may see Nikki struggling with lost eyesight for a little while because it’s soapy and it’s sweeps, but I’m sure they won’t leave her permanently blind.

Young and Restless: Jack’s Dangerous Rescue Plan

Okay, now let’s flip over to Jack and Diane’s storyline with big stuff for both of them. At the end of this week, Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) and Jack are talking at Crimson Lights about breaking into Dr. Markham’s (Jere Burns) house where they are sure he’s keeping Diane. And Jack refuses adamantly to let Kyle do the break-in and says it has to be him who does it because Jack does not want Kyle at risk even though he really wants to be there for Diane.

So, the two men debate whether they can deal with Patty head-on and intimidate her, but Jack doesn’t think that’ll work. So, he wants Kyle to lure Markham out of the house so he can get in. And remember, Patty already warned Markham that Jack is going to be a problem. So, Kyle calls Markham and he leaves a voicemail and he tells him he saw his mom Diane through the window of his house and says Markham better call him back or Kyle is going to call the cops on him. So, Jack and Kyle figure that if Markham does call back, that’s confirmation that he really does have Diane.

Diane Plays Markham on Y&R

Meanwhile, back at Markham’s house, we have Diane accusing Markham of lying about Jack moving Patty in. And Markham keeps gaslighting, saying Jack has moved on. Meanwhile, Diane realizes Patty and Markham are working together against her. But Diane also wonders why Jack is playing along with Patty. So, Diane keeps playing Markham, and she fakes this big tearful breakdown, saying she was always Jack’s second choice. And then Diane again starts begging Markham to give her sleeping pills. Diane is sobbing and freaking out.

Young and the Restless: Patty’s Counter-Move and Jack’s Disappearance

And Markham steps out, listens to the voicemail from Kyle, and then Markham calls him back and denies having Diane. He says she’s in an institution, but won’t tell Kyle where. And Kyle says that he knows Markham’s lying and is going to show up with the cops. So he asks to meet Kyle in town, and he tells Markham, “Come to Crimson Lights.” So, the doctor tells Diane he’s going to go pick up her sedatives. And he goes.

Jack and Kyle are feeling pretty cocky about their plan. But once again, Patty is a step ahead of them because she was listening in and now she’s mad that they’re going behind her back and lying to get to Diane. So, we’ll find out next week if Markham shows up to actually meet Kyle. And he may not. But it looks like Patty or Markham are going to kidnap Jack because next week Kyle is asking Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland) if she has heard from Jack today and Traci hasn’t heard from Jack and asks if something has happened. And if you remember, neither Traci nor Kyle are staying at the mansion because of Patty.

So Kyle tells Traci that Jack might be in real trouble. And I agree. I could see Patty stashing Jack somewhere like the Abbott Cabin or some other remote location and honestly drugging him. Patty is an unhinged lunatic with a twisted fixation on Jack. And of course, Victor brought her back to Genoa City, which is awful.

Young and Restless: Diane’s Seduction Strategy

So, next week, we have Diane continuing to play with Dr. Markham, and she asks him if there’s a psychological term for when a patient develops an attachment to their therapist. And he tells Diane it’s quite common. Now, that may be true, but twisted Markham says it’s a positive part of the process, and that is definitely not true. And it has me further convinced that guy is not a shrink at all and is some psych ward pal of Patty’s and the real Markham is either dead or locked in a padded room somewhere.

But Diane is unbothered and she leans into Markham acting like she likes the idea of her, you know, crushing on him. So, Diane gets really, really flirty next week and tells Markham that she’s really looking forward to their next session. And man, I just hope that he gives Diane those sleeping pills and she turns around and drugs Markham, ties him up, tortures answers out of him, and then escapes.

I think it’d be a nice twist if Diane was the one to actually rescue Jack than the other way around. Y&R is kicking it up big as July sweeps rolls on. Be sure you check out our complete weekly spoilers tomorrow, our prediction edition, our two-minute spoilers, and lots more coming soon.