What a year it’s been for Rebecca Ferguson, and to top it all off, one of the most underrated projects of her career is finding a second wind on streaming. To kick off 2026, Ferguson starred opposite Chris Pratt in the Amazon MGM sci-fi thriller, Mercy, which bombed at the box office before going on to become one of the biggest movies of the year on Prime Video. Ferguson also headlined one of the biggest sci-fi shows of the summer in Silo on Apple TV, and she’s returning to her role as Juliette in the fourth and final season of the show next summer. Ferguson will also reprise her role as Lady Jessica later this year in Dune: Part Three, but she has confirmed that she will only have one scene in the franchise-capping sci-fi threequel.

Rebecca Ferguson has starred in enough movies to this point in her career that it’s only natural for some to have been largely forgotten to the scope of time. One of said projects that fans don’t often remember is Doctor Sleep, the legacy sequel to The Shining starring Ferguson as the featured villain, Rose the Hat. Ewan McGregor, best known for playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, also has a key role in Doctor Sleep, along with Cliff Curtis and Zahn McClarnon. Based on the novel by Stephen King, Doctor Sleep was written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who is a frequent adapter of King’s work. Seven years after Doctor Sleep hit theaters, the film is still not available to watch on streaming, but fans are checking it out in droves on VOD platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV.

What Is ‘Doctor Sleep’ About?

The official synopsis for Doctor Sleep, which holds scores of 79% from critics and 89% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, reads as follows: “Struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for a peaceful existence soon becomes shattered when he meets Abra, a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the ‘shine.’ Together, they form an unlikely alliance to battle the True Knot, a cult whose members try to feed off the shine of innocents to become immortal.” Doctor Sleep may be a sequel to The Shining, but it certainly isn’t remembered in the same light as the 1980 horror classic directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Check out Doctor Sleep on VOD platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Rebecca Ferguson’s future projects.

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Release Date

November 8, 2019

Runtime

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152 minutes

Producers

Trevor Macy

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Gwyneth Paltrow is shedding light on how the “conscious uncoupling” phrase — which she and ex-husband Chris Martin used to announce their split — initially came to be.

Appearing on a recent episode of the “Friends Keep Secrets” podcast, Paltrow, 53, recalled how it was consideration for their children’s wellbeing as she and the Coldplay singer called it quits that led them to the concept. (Paltrow and Martin, who were married from 2003 to 2016, share two kids, daughter Apple, 22, and son Moses, 20).

“We really sat down and thought, ‘Is there a way that we could do this?’ Paltrow said on the podcast. “Because — this is very me — but when I was getting divorced, I was like, ‘How do I do this?’”

Paltrow recalled asking her friends who grew up with divorced parents for advice, specifically investigating what the worst aspects of that situation were so she and Martin, 49, could attempt to avoid the same pitfalls in their own family.

Related: Gwyneth Paltrow Took ‘A Lot of S–t’ for ‘Conscious Uncoupling’ Phrase

No regrets. Gwyneth Paltrow revealed that while she and ex-husband Chris Martin were criticized for using the phrase “conscious uncoupling” when they split in 2014, she still thinks it was the best term. “I definitely did not coin the phrase, but I feel despite us taking quite a lot of s–t for it when we […]

“I said, ‘Tell me what was the worst thing. What do you feel you have scars from to this day?’” she said. “And they said, ‘You know, it wasn’t really so much the divorce, ‘cause you’re a kid, and yes, of course, the idea of it is terrible, but you sort of get used to that quickly.’”

The Sliding Doors star explained that many people shared that it wasn’t the divorce itself that was the most difficult, it was the tense dynamic between the parents in the aftermath.

“‘My dad used to drop me off at the end of the driveway. It was so tense at my birthday parties. They never ate dinner in the same room until my college graduation and it caused me so much pain,’” Paltrow said of her friends’ experiences. “So I was like, ‘How could we not do that?’ Is there a way where you can sort of circumvent all of that awful stuff when no one is in the same room and get to the graduation where you’re all having dinner at the same table.”

Paltrow explained that her and Martin’s attempts to avoid such a tense dynamic led them to seek help from a therapist, which is where the concept of “conscious uncoupling” was first proposed.

“So Chris and I had this therapist that was really brilliant, and he sort of introduced us to the concept and we just made a commitment to really put the kids first and so what that meant was to stay a family even though we weren’t a couple,” she said.

After Paltrow and Martin publicly announced their divorce, using the term “conscious uncoupling,” it created worldwide headlines and the phrase has since been adopted by many.

Related: Why Gwyneth Paltrow Lived With Chris Martin for 1 Year After Separation

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin continued to live under the same roof after separating — ahem, consciously uncoupling. “I think, now, people are thinking about different ways of separating and doing it,” Paltrow, 52, shared during an episode of Erin and Sara Foster‘s “The World’s First Podcast,” released on Thursday, April 24. “Chris and I […]

Appearing on Erin and Sara Foster‘s “The World’s First Podcast” in April 2025, Paltrow reacted to becoming synonymous with the term.

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“I don’t mind being the poster child for it,” The Goop founder said. “What I think was interesting was how upset it made people when it happened.”

Paltrow explained that she believed the term was “triggering” to some people who didn’t have an amicable relationship with their exes.

“I think it’s hard to hear that if there was a very painful situation in your life that you could have done something potentially to make it less difficult,” she continued. “It’s a hard thing to look back. I have a lot of understanding for people who were triggered by it. I get it. But at the same time, I don’t regret it at all.”

There is no denying that Gilmore Girls is an iconic teen drama of the 2000s and was immensely influential for its generation. Packed with quirky characters, witty banter, fun romance, and the endearing dynamic between Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), the bold, progressive series has been a comfort show for an entire generation. Amy Sherman-Palladino’s cozy mother-daughter drama was a cult hit during its broadcast and became massively popular in the streaming era, which also exposed fans to some of the more dated aspects of the storytelling.

The comedy-drama does feature several key arcs and gags that may feel outdated when seen through today’s lens, particularly by a younger audience. Several episodes of Gilmore Girls take questionable stances on gender roles, body image, social sensitivity, representation, personal identity, and relationship dynamics, and these have become problematic in the modern context and brought the show some retrospective criticism, though that hasn’t in any way diminished the popularity of the series. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the Gilmore Girls episodes that simply don’t hold up today, including episodes from both the original run and the 2016 revival.

1

“A-Tisket, A-Tasket”

Season 2, Episode 13

Image via WB

As has been the tradition of this show, Gilmore Girls features various quirky events to fuel its cozy, small-town energy, and the annual Stars Hollow charity picnic basket auction is an iconic one. In the second season, during the annual Bid-on-a-Basket, Lorelai and Rory find themselves in a stiff competition for their baskets, while Jackson (Jackson Douglas) and Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) work through a conflict. The episode also explores tensions between Rory and her boyfriend, Dean (Jared Padalecki), after Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) wins Rory’s basket.

“A-Tisket, A-Tasket” is considered problematic today because it is seen as normalizing toxic male behavior and unhealthy relationship dynamics. While it is not unnatural to explore jealousy or passiveness in teen romances, this particular episode of Gilmore Girls also serves as a dark foreshadowing of Dean’s troubling behavior in the future.

2

“Here Comes the Son”

Season 3, Episode 21

Image via The WB

In this penultimate episode of the third season of Gilmore Girls, Rory is worried about her final exams and gets ready for graduation from her prep school. Meanwhile, Lorelai faces difficulty paying Rory’s tuition at Yale and ends up in a feud with her mother, Emily (Kelly Bishop). Outside the Gilmores, the episode also follows Jess traveling across the country to Venice, California, to meet his estranged father, which ends up causing further complications.

“Here Comes the Son” is not problematic in the way some other episodes of Gilmore Girls are, in terms of bad jokes or inappropriate arcs or character behavior. Rather, it’s a storytelling problem. The conflict between Jess, his father Jimmy, and Jimmy’s girlfriend brings an unnecessary shift in the narrative tone of the show, which is otherwise mostly a nuanced, heartwarming drama. The episode was meant to be a potential backdoor pilot for a planned spin-off show, which never materialized and feels out of place, distracting from the main character’s major life event.

3

“Girls In Bikinis, Boys Doin’ The Twist”

Season 4, Episode 17

Image via The WB/The CW

In this Season 4 episode, Rory and her friend Paris (Liza Weil) head to Florida for their first spring break, which is the key plotline of the episode. Meanwhile, back home, chaos unfolds for Lorelai and Luke (Scott Patterson), as Lorelai struggles with her new romance and Luke gets in trouble with the law. This episode also sees Rory getting drunk and calling Dean.

“Girls In Bikinis, Boys Doin’ The Twist” is quite a divisive chapter of Gilmore Girls and one of the most poorly aged episodes of the comedy drama. On the one hand, this episode has some hilarious fish-out-of-water gags as Rory and Paris experience spring break and Florida for the first time. But on the other hand, the episode is rife with 2000s college tropes and spring break clichés, and takes an unnecessary “cool-girl” stance toward the intellectual Rory and Paris, who constantly judge other girls enjoying their vacation.

4

“That’s What You Get, Folks, For Makin’ Whoopee”

Season 7, Episode 2

Image via WB

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In the second episode of Gilmore Girls Season 7, Lorelai deals with the aftermath of sleeping with Christopher (David Sutcliffe), Rory’s biological father, which angers her daughter. Rory is also upset about her long-planned Asia trip with Logan getting canceled, and Lorelai tries to cheer her up by creating an Asia-themed “wonderland” at home. Meanwhile, Rory’s best friend, Lane (Keiko Agena), returns from a disastrous honeymoon with shocking news.

The seventh and final season of Gilmore Girls is widely considered one of the most controversial seasons, with its character arcs, plotlines, and tropes dividing fans in their opinions. And the very second episode, “That’s What You Get, Folks, For Makin’ Whoopee,” proves that. One of the worst elements of this episode is Lorelai’s feeble attempt to bring an Asian experience to Rory, with a cartoonish, inappropriate aesthetic, which depicts cultural stereotyping and insensitivity to outdated tropes. The episode is also criticized for writing off Lane’s arc with a sudden pregnancy instead of giving her character positive closure.

5

“Summer”

‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’, Episode 3

Image via Netflix

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In the third episode of the Gilmore Girls revival series, A Year in the Life, Rory takes up an unpaid editor job at the town’s local newspaper, the Star Hollow Gazette, in an attempt to keep it from shutting down. She is also offered an opportunity to write a book about her and Lorelai, which Lorelai instantly shuts down, leading to a huge mother-daughter fight. With the added chaos of the town’s bizarre musical, Lorelai decides to go on a journey of self-discovery.

When A Year in the Life was released, it certainly brought back the nostalgia that the show had come to be known for, but the four-episode revival also features the most uncomfortable element of the entire show. In the opening scene of the third episode, “Summer,” Lorelai and Rory sit fully clothed by a public pool and make fun of other people wearing swimsuits, body-shaming everyday people and making harsh jokes. To some viewers at least, this kind of commentary appears to be in poor taste and mean-spirited, and fails to hold up in the context of modern perceptions of TV tropes.

6

“To Live and Let Diorama”

Season 5, Episode 18

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In this Season 5 episode of Gilmore Girls, an old resident of the town dies and leaves his house to the town to be run as a museum for the first two months, and Luke volunteers to help. Meanwhile, Rory, Paris, and Lane deal with relationship troubles while getting drunk on the punch at the Founder’s Day celebration. On the other side of the episode, Lorelai makes some unfiltered comments in a magazine interview.

Another episode of Gilmore Girls that has not aged well, “To Live and Let Diorama,” is not problematic today because of any offensive commentary or interpretations. Rather, the relationship dynamics and character tropes explored in the episode feel completely out of touch with today’s reality and have not aged well. Additionally, the museum gags don’t quite communicate small-town charm the way they used to and have been criticized for being fairly cringey now.

7

“That Damn Donna Reed”

Season 1, Episode 14

Image via The WB

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This episode from the very first season of the show explores Rory and Dean’s budding romance as they begin their relationship and have their first fight. When Lorelai invites him to participate in the mother-daughter ritual of making fun of the titular hit television show from the ’50s, Dean reveals that he supports traditional gender roles. Rory fights with Dean about his patriarchal views, but ends the evening by dressing up like Donna Reed and cooking him dinner.

“That Damn Donna Reed” has been criticized for its mixed signals on feminism and foreshadowing Dean’s toxic control. It mocks conventions of ‘50s lifestyles, while also romanticizing the same for its characters and ultimately reinforces the gender norms it initially set out to criticize. The episode also lays the early groundwork for Dean’s controlling behavior, which is explored later in the show, and to modern audiences, it all comes across as somewhat toxic.

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Gilmore Girls

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Release Date

2000 – 2007-00-00

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Network

The WB, The CW

Directors

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Jamie Babbit, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Lee Shallat Chemel, Kenny Ortega, Michael Katleman, Matthew Diamond, Michael Zinberg, Gail Mancuso, Lesli Linka Glatter, Steve Clancy, Bethany Rooney, Jackson Douglas, Robert Berlinger, Steven Robman, Alan Myerson, Lev L. Spiro, Rodman Flender, Adam Nimoy, Arlene Sanford, Bruce Seth Green, Danny Leiner, David Paymer, David Petrarca, Eric Laneuville

Writers

Rebecca Rand Kirshner, David S. Rosenthal, Sheila R. Lawrence, Jennie Snyder Urman, Joan Binder Weiss, David Babcock, Bill Prady, Gayle Abrams, Gina Fattore, Jane Espenson, Jenji Kohan, Keith Eisner, James Berg, Stan Zimmerman, Allan Heinberg, Jed Seidel, Jessica Queller, Lisa Randolph, David Grae, Rina Mimoun, Jordon Nardino, Scott Kaufer, Joanne Waters

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Sweet Magnolias is coming to an end with a shocking cancellation — but Netflix has already ordered a new series with JoAnna Garcia Swisher.

News broke on Friday, September 18, that Netflix chose not to renew Sweet Magnolias for a sixth season. Instead, the streaming service ordered a new drama series from Sweet Magnolias’ showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson — with Swisher, 47, set to executive produce and potentially star in.

“All grand adventures must eventually end,” read a post from the show’s official Instagram account. “And here, dear friends, is where ours goes. Sweet Magnolias is now complete with five seasons streaming on Netflix.”

Anderson, for her part, teased their next chapter with Ladies of the House.

Related: Which TV Shows Are Canceled in 2026-2027?

2026 has been brutal when it comes to our favorite shows getting canceled. Netflix cut ties with Boots two months after the show premiered. Based on Greg Cope White‘s memoir, the scripted series followed Cameron (Miles Heizer) as he joined the U.S. Marine Corps alongside his best friend Ray (Liam Oh) during the 1990s, the […]

“I’m thrilled to be embarking on this new adventure with JoAnna and Netflix,” Anderson said in a statement. “When Jo shared the novel with me, I immediately saw the foundation for a series centered on three women grappling with the complexities of family, friendship, and romance — the kind of stories Jo and I most enjoy telling. I cannot wait to share the Richardson women and their world with Netflix’s global audience.”

Swisher also weighed in on the decision to adapt Ladies of the House, which is a modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility.

“From the moment I read Lauren Edmondson’s Ladies of the House, I fell completely in love with Daisy, Cricket and Wallis: their relationships, their messiness, their strength, and most of all, their heart,” she said. “I am beyond excited to continue to tell meaningful, female-driven stories alongside the incredible Sheryl J. Anderson, and to bring this to life through our production company Rolling Clover and with our wonderful partners at Black Label. Netflix has been my creative home for the past seven years, and I couldn’t imagine a better place, or a better team, to tell this story.”

Based on Lauren Edmonson’s novel of the same name, Ladies of the House follows three women. When the charismatic owner of a winery dies unexpectedly, his wife and two adult daughters “must battle through their issues with each other in order to confront challenges with the business, their extended family, and the men in their lives,” according to the official synopsis.

The description continued: “Good friends and good wine will aid in the journey to hang on to the winery, but what matters most is that they find a way to hang on to each other.”

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Sweet Magnolias, which premiered in 2020, is based on Sherryl Woods’ novels about three women who have been best friends since childhood as they navigate their romantic lives, careers and family.

According to Deadline, Netflix had a choice between renewing Sweet Magnolias for a sixth — and final — season or picking up Ladies of the House, with Anderson and Swisher focusing on the next show. After options were up for the Sweet Magnolias cast on Thursday, September 17, Netflix opted to cancel Sweet Magnolias and order Ladies of the House.

Sweet Magnolias is currently streaming on Netflix.

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, is clapping back against the haters.

After a video featuring Farley with a noticeably slimmed physique was posted via social media on Friday, September 18, people flocked to the comments section to criticize her weight.

Farley, 41, addressed the criticism – including accusations that she had taken Ozempic or other GLP-1 medication to achieve the look – via a comment of her own.

“Apologies to everyone offended by my weight lol.” she wrote. “I have never been this thin since middle school, but unfortunately, I was told I couldn’t eat for six days in the hospital as they debated taking out my appendix while I was also suffering from a kidney abscess the size of a golf ball… appendicitis, and a kidney infection sucks (and because I had this ongoing I was losing weight over the summer).

She added, “But what sucks more is the fact that I can’t control how thin I am right now and I did not do any ‘shots’ for this to happen… but I will ask when I gain all the [weight] back for you to then comment about how fat I got 😂😂 because women can’t win either way.”

In response, several followers defended Farley against the more aggressive commenters.

“As someone who has been through major health battles myself, this breaks my heart. People have NO idea what illness does to the body,” wrote one social media user. “There’s a total lack of sympathy and understanding from those who expect everyone to be 100% all the time. They think if they can’t feel it, it isn’t real. It’s not true. You are a warrior, and you just keep shining bright ✨️💜”

Another told Farley, “Do what you have to do to make yourself healthy. People will always have opinions. The only ones that matter know your struggle and support you.”

Earlier this month, Farley opened about her health ordeal, which led to her being hospitalized.

“Not the ‘first day of school’ picture I wanted to post… but then again, I guess we wouldn’t have one,” Farley wrote via Instagram on September 3, alongside a photo of herself wearing a hospital gown.

Related: JWoww Hits Back at Haters Who Slammed Her After Wedding Invite Snubs

Jersey Shore’s Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley is taking aim at people who criticized her for not inviting them to her wedding to Zack Carpinello. Taking to her Instagram on Thursday, June 25, Farley, 41, doubled-down on her decision to leave some people off the guest list, telling them via a video: “You proved my point.” “I’m […]

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Her daughter Meilani, 12, and son Greyson, 10, whom she shares with ex-husband Roger Mathews, were also featured in the image.

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She continued, “This past week has probably been one of the hardest weeks of my life. I’ve spent every day fighting to get healthy enough to get home to my family while dealing with a horrible kidney infection and appendicitis.”

Farley explained that something felt was off in her body for “months” before her hospitalization.

“I want to say it came out of nowhere, but the truth is, I haven’t felt like myself for months,” she continued. “Weight loss, exhaustion, constantly feeling off … and then last Friday, my body finally said, ‘We aren’t making it like this anymore.’”

Throughout the ’80s and the first half of the ’90s, Gary Larson‘s The Far Side ruled the comics section of the newspaper. While others strips, such as Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes, used several panels to tell quick stories with the same characters, The Far Side took satirical jabs at everything with just one panel to tell it all.

Although the characters changed in each comic, Larson often returned to familiar themes, whether it be dinosaurs, talking animals, or bizarre kids and their families. Then there’s what he did with sci-fi, from goofy scientists to aliens from outer space. These five comic strips showed how much Larson could do with so little.

5

‘Professor Schwartzman’s Canine Decoder’ (1991)

Dogs are man’s best friend. For centuries, they’ve been by our sides as loyal companions who are always excited to see us, even if we’ve only been gone for five minutes. They sit at our feet, welcome our attention, and sleep in our beds. Humans and canines have a close connection. Two species so far apart need each other, and if you’ve ever had a dog, you’ve often wondered what they were thinking. Could they say “I love you” and tell us how much they care? Maybe they have the same fears we do.

In The Far Side, Gary Larson answered the question with Professor Schwartzman, who came up with a brilliant invention which could decode what dogs are saying when they bark and translate it to English. The results are disappointing. Whether they’re barking at each other, at us, or chasing cars, all dogs have to say is “Hey!” Perhaps it’s better that they can’t speak after all.

4

‘The Dog Spaceship Arrives’ (1984)

Gary Larson often turned to dogs as a source of material in The Far Side. In this comic, they don’t need to be decoded by a professor. Instead, they can speak full English to their owners. At night, one dog is tied up outside of its dog house when a spaceship arrives filled with other canines. If you’ve often wondered if dogs were some sort of loyal gift from the heavens, sorry, but they’re from outer space.

Sick of how they’re being treated by humans, it looks like a lot of them have decided to go back to their home planet. Before this dog goes, all he wants his owner to do is roll over. Let her see how it feels to be commanded to do things for the entertainment of others. As the flying saucers float overhead, will something violent occur if she doesn’t listen?

3

‘Earth Is a Balloon’ (1980)

In 2026, despite so many photos of Earth having been out there for decades, there are still “flat Earthers,” the conspiracy theorists who reject science and, for some reason, insist Earth is not round but flat. Even in 1980, the wild theory existed, along with those who think the government faked the moon landing. In this Far Side comic, Gary Larson takes a jab at both.

As astronauts on a ship return to Earth, they see something shocking. The Earth isn’t round. It’s not flat either. Nope, we’re all hanging on a balloon floating in the nothingness, a long string tailing into space. An astronaut deciding to keep it quiet is just what the government would do in real life, eh! Here, Larson uses over-the-top absurdity to make his point. But what if it’s true, and we really are on a giant balloon? Be careful where you step out there!

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Many junior high and high schoolers have taken some sort of technology class, whether it be something like wood shop or, in the case of this Far Side strip, metal shop. In those classes, we built contraptions which often don’t come together right. This writer struggled mightily with making a miniature house out of popsicle sticks and glue. Meanwhile, some teacher who was thought not to be smart enough to teach other classes watched over us and judged our every move.

In this panel, one kid has had enough. The boy hasn’t struggled at all in metal shop. He’s built a giant, sophisticated robot with tank-like feet, mandible claws, and sharp rows of teeth. Presumably, the kid has been harassed by his uncaring teacher one too many times. Revenge has created a mad scientist origin story and Mr. Big Nose will be the first victim.

1

‘Xenomorph Birthday Cake’ (1983)

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In 1979, Ridley Scott created a sci-fi horror masterpiece with Alien. Gone were hokey sci-fi movies with bad acting and silly-looking men in suits. With Alien, an all-time badass heroine was born in Sigourney Weaver‘s Ellen Ripley. And the monster she fought, a lone Xenomorph designed by H.R. Giger, was absolutely terrifying. Alien has one of the most iconic jump scares in film history, when the baby Xenomorph is born by shooting out of the chest of poor Kane (John Hurt). The scene was so effective that Hurt parodied it in a cameo for Spaceballs years later.

In 1983, four years after the release of Alien, Gary Larson gave the comic world this hilarious tribute to the classic. In it, we see a Xenomorph birthday party. With a cake in the center of the table, it’s not a beautiful woman who pops out but a baby alien. As it bursts forth, the older aliens throw up their scraggly arms and open their jaws wide with excitement. It’s a great tip of the hat to a legendary movie and its monster.