It’s hard to imagine a gritty crime drama, much less a biker drama, as having anything to do with the Western genre, but in this case, there’s one that completely subverts it, without question. The genre has always been popular, and while Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone helped revive mainstream obsession with the modern-day Western, it certainly didn’t invent the trend. Hit predecessors like Deadwood and neo-Western Justified did that. When 2008’s Sons of Anarchy arrived, the genre experienced a subversion of epic proportions.

As an outlaw biker drama about a blended family within a blended family within a blended family, all fighting for survival, FX’s Sons of Anarchy saw massive success with audiences and critics, with Season 4 peaking on Rotten Tomatoes with a perfect score. It even went a step further and drew in not just gritty crime fans but also gritty Western fans, making a huge cultural impact. And why wouldn’t it? Creator Kurt Sutter crafted a gorgeously intense combination of gritty neo-Western elements with an addictively riveting Shakespearean tragedy. Its gritty narrative was so influential, in fact, it updated traditional Western tropes not just for a modern-day context, but also for an anxiety-ridden, post-9/11 one, giving us an inverted structure, setting and character exchanges, and unforgettable social critiques and evolution.

‘Sons of Anarchy’ Inverts the Traditional Western Narrative

In addition to their late-19th-century American Frontier setting, traditional Western narratives boast crystal-clear, plot-driven structures, rugged landscapes, stark dichotomies between good and evil, and a stoic, gun-slinging antagonist. There’s also that climactic, moral showdown topping it all off. Sons of Anarchy honors those tropes well but goes a step further and transforms them into a gritty neo-Western focused on urban outlaw culture. It modernizes the frontier setting and replaces the lone cowboy and typical homestead way-of-life with a defensive, extremely tight-knit, completely self-governed structure of a club where brotherhood and loyalty are the only forms of currency. Sutter knew exactly what he was doing in his decision to trade horses for Harleys, cowboys for outlaw bikers, and desolate landscapes for inner-city territory, which eventually led to his creation of a more heightened Western in 2025.

Instead of the vast, open landscape, the gritty crime drama moves its narrative to the claustrophobic, urban landscape of Charming, a quaint little town in the Central Valley of Northern California, between Stockton and Lodi. In doing so, it updates traditional themes of westward expansion to reflect modern anxieties, economic struggles, and community decay. Furthermore, in place of the traditional idea and expectation of civilization expanding into a wild frontier, Sons of Anarchy reverses that and inverts its borders, placing lawless bikers at the top of the law in a small, sheltered town fighting with all its might against encroaching threats. There is a police force in Charming, but they know it’s in their best interest to work with the Sons, not against them. There are law enforcement officers who try, though, and it’s fascinating that one of the first is portrayed by Taylor Sheridan.

In using SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original) as the antagonistic archetype, the show further subverts the Western genre by placing the anti-hero as the community protector. SAMCRO is a morally bankrupt yet protective entity echoing traditional Western notions of lawmen, but in inverting them, the club enforces its own violent, illegal, and often selfish justice, all in the name of protection and preservation. They’re adamant about keeping their town drug-free, and they enforce that with threats backed up by violence. They’re shields against threats, and when local law enforcement fails, SAMCRO intervenes to protect themselves and Charming’s citizens.

Sons of Anarchy’s use of a self-contained world where the rule of law always yields to the rules of nature allows the club to operate like a governance and justice system, much like the whole sheriffs-versus-outlaws aspect of the classic Western. It also redefines the idea of violence with consequence by grounding its narrative in realism so brutal, it deeply alters plots and characters. Nearly every one of our main and supporting characters and plots are intensely altered in ways that force audiences to bear witness to such acts from a place of compassion, as is the case in Season 1, for example, when club officer Tig (Kim Coates) accidentally kills another brother’s wife, or in Season 5, when club president Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) takes revenge on the prison guard who killed club brother and best friend, Opie (Ryan Hurst). It goes without saying that fans could use — and deserve, as much as Sutter’s magnum opus does — a Sons of Anarchy revival.

Related

The 55 Best Westerns of All Time, Ranked

Reach for the sky!

Image by Annamaria Ward

Sons of Anarchy also uses the Western framework to critique and redefine social tensions, which are examined through the club’s functioning as, in addition to violent criminals, a parallel government. Through the lens of Western themes, the show explores how a closed, loyalist, and violent group works to maintain its autonomy against approaching modernization, corporate corruption, and law enforcement. Sutter also spotlights post-9/11 societal anxieties through gripping, gritty explorations of how different characters cope with trauma and rebellion, like, for example, how the club matriarch silently deals with her gang rape in Season 2 or how Tig deals with trauma rooted in guilt, loss, and extreme fear. Paranoia, self-defense, cynicism, and retaliation reign supreme.

While classic Westerns feature clear divisions between the good guys and the bad guys, Sons of Anarchy does the opposite. The show intentionally blurs the lines between good and evil, right and wrong, to allow for more moral ambiguity than audiences can stand. Here, the protagonists are the outlaws, and everyone engages in violence and illegal activities. This forces viewers to question the nature of belief and perspective, of justice and survival, and it pushes their moral boundaries. Moreover, the show effortlessly works to deconstruct gender norms. It portrays women in a much more significant role — one with opportunity-wielding power, as is seen in key characters Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal), club matriarch, mother to Jax, and center of one of the show’s darkest storylines, and Tara Knowles Teller (Maggie Siff), Jax’s old lady. Unlike in traditional Westerns, the women in this gritty crime drama often control the narrative and the men, which turns out to be crucial in a crumbling patriarchal organization.

By using a modern-day outlaw motorcycle club in small-town America to explore themes that, before the 21st century, were predominantly reserved for depictions of the Old American West, Sutter allowed for an updated type of neo-Western to emerge, and it has, by far, been the grittiest, most riveting to date. Sons of Anarchy ultimately updated so much about traditional and neo-Western classic tropes, it became the impetus for future hits like Justified, Yellowstone, and the highly anticipated, upcoming Marshals, and it remains one of television’s most bingeable shows and the best, grittiest modern-day Westerns to date.

Sons of Anarchy is available to stream in its entirety on Hulu in the U.S.

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Release Date

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2008 – 2014

Directors

Paris Barclay, Guy Ferland, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Peter Weller, Billy Gierhart, Kurt Sutter, Stephen Kay, Adam Arkin, Paul Maibaum, Phil Abraham, Terrence O’Hara, Allen Coulter, Charles Haid, Charles Murray, Karen Gaviola, Mario Van Peebles, Michael Dinner, Seith Mann, Tim Hunter

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Writers

Dave Erickson, Misha Green, Liz Sagal, Regina Corrado, Mike Daniels, Kem Nunn, Roberto Patino, Gladys Rodríguez, Peter Elkoff, Marco Ramirez, James D. Parriott, Julie Busher, Pat Charles, Stevie Long, David Labrava, Vaun Wilmott

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Sons Of Anarchy

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 43 seconds ago

Ever notice how fans go crazy for deleted scenes, especially when it comes to their favorite shows? If you love a series hard enough, it’s easy to look at deleted content like something that was taken from you. When the scene in question is good enough, you might even start to wonder why it was cut in the first place.

Well, very few series are as popular as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a show with more than a few deleted scenes. This includes a snippy interaction between Willow and Cordelia in “Phases” that many fans wished had been kept in the episode. However, it’s good that this dialogue was cut because it would have completely changed Willow’s character, effectively hinting at her later transformation into a much darker character.

A Self-Defense Class Gone Wrong

“Phases” was, of course, the episode where we discover that the eternally Zen character Oz has quite the secret: he’s a werewolf who transforms into a dangerous, ravenous monster by the light of the full moon. The Slayer keeps the big, bad wolfman from harming anybody, and she also stops a hunter hellbent on making Oz his latest prize. Along the way, our Sunnydale High students took a self-defense class, and some dialogue between Willow and Cordelia was ultimately removed from the final episode.

In the scene, Cordelia is about to spar with Xander, who sarcastically tells her, “Be gentle with me.” Matching his sarcastic vibes, Cordelia turns to Willow and says, “You’re first. I wouldn’t want to be accused of taking your place in line.” In response, Willow replies, “Oh, I think you pushed your way to the front long before this.”

Girls Can Be So Mean

Things get increasingly snippy between the young women, with Cordelia claiming, “Hey, I can’t help it if I get the spotlight just because some people blend into the background.” Willow frostily responds, “Well, maybe some people could see better if you weren’t standing on the auction block, shaking your wares.” Cordelia tells her, “Sorry, we haven’t all perfected that phony ‘girl next door’ bit” before Willow brings this deleted scene to an end with a distinctively vindictive response: “You could be the girl next door, too. If Xander lived next to a brothel!”

Important context for this episode is that Cordelia and Xander have been secretly dating behind everyone’s back. However, Xander is preoccupied with Willow’s relationship with Oz, even stopping his makeout session with Cordelia to wonder what his witchy friend sees in this wolfy senior. While Willow isn’t directly aware of this particular relationship drama, that same drama helps to explain why Cordelia was being so mean in this deleted scene from “Phases.”

A Girlfight Scarier Than Any Vampire Fight

What the drama doesn’t really explain, though, is why this scene portrays Willow as a Cordelia-esque mean girl in her own right. Historically, early Buffy the Vampire Slayer portrayed Cordelia as the preppy mean girl and Willow as the mousy nerd. The two women had a rather cantankerous relationship going back to before the show starting, and in their very first onscreen interaction, we see Cordelia criticizing Willow for how she dresses.

In early Buffy episodes, Willow wasn’t afraid to get back at Cordelia, but she usually did so in relatively subtle ways. Perhaps the most infamous (and funniest) example of this is when Willow tracks the other women into deleting an assignment on the computer by convincing Cordelia that the DEL key on her keyboard stands for “deliver.” However, she didn’t really push back against Cordelia’s snark more directly until Season 3, which included the messy plot point of stealing Cordelia’s boyfriend (they are openly dating by this point), Xander.

The Mousy Girl Bites Back

In this deleted scene from “Phases,” however, Willow’s sarcastic replies seem out of character, much more in line with the snappy repartee of Buffy Summers. Willow basically tells Cordelia to her face that the other woman, despite having advantages like wealth and beauty, is still neurotically obsessed with being popular. She then calls Cordelia a prostitute, accusing her of selling her body to men before outright saying she belongs in a brothel.

Is it funny? Of course, and it’s not like ditzy mean girl Cordelia didn’t have it coming. But I keep reflecting on the fact that this is much more like what we’d expect of Willow in Season 6: that was the season where she began recklessly using magic, needlessly resurrecting Buffy, brainwashing Tara, and eventually becoming a threat to the entire world. Dark Willow was always great for sassy quotes, including calling a foe “superb*tch” and saying “bored now” right before she rips the skin off another human being.

A Scary Glimpse Of What She Would Become

Obviously, the Willow in the deleted scene of “Phases” isn’t in danger of ripping the flesh off anyone’s body. But she is in the business of dropping the kind of harsh truth bombs that Dark Willow would be known for, and like her later villain persona, she’s suddenly not taking crap from someone who gives her attitude. This is arguably an improvement over mousy Willow, of course, but it’s also completely out of character with the Willow of Season 2, one who had yet to fully come out about her love of magic (among other things).

Long story short? It’s good that this Buffy the Vampire Slayer scene was cut, even though countless fans would give up their Mr. Pointy replicas to see it in the final episode. Cutting the scene meant cutting out a severely out-of-character moment for everyone’s favorite girl next door, and that helped make it all the more surprising when Willow later stopped playing by the rules and showed everyone just how dangerous a mean girl could really be.

Whew! Looks like Fetty Wap had more than music on his mind while sitting behind bars. After quietly serving time, the rapper is opening up about what his next chapter could’ve looked like—and let’s just say it might’ve taken fans by surprise.

RELATED: Daddy Duties! Fetty Wap Enjoys Heartwarming Reunion With Daughter Khari After Prison Release (PHOTO)

From ‘Trap Queen’ To Trade School?

As previously reported, the ‘Trap Queen’ artist was released from a New Jersey prison in January after serving three years of a six-year sentence tied to a drug trafficking conspiracy conviction. Now one month out, Fetty is reflecting on how he spent his time incarcerated—and it wasn’t focused on plotting a major rap comeback.

In a clip from his appearance on the ‘Tamron Hall Show,’ Fetty revealed he used his time to better himself academically. “I got my GED. I took a few HVAC courses…I did a few things,” he shared. Since he doesn’t write his music down, he explained that creating new songs wasn’t really a priority while he was locked up.

Rap Comeback? Nah, He Had Other Ideas

When Tamron Hall asked if he expected to return home as a hip-hop star, Fetty didn’t hesitate. “No,” he replied. And when she jokingly followed up about whether he was serious about becoming “Fetty the HVAC guy,” he doubled down. “Yeah, I’m so serious too.”

Fetty explained that being around other inmates who ran legitimate businesses opened his eyes. He met people making what he described as “rapper money” through trades and entrepreneurship, which inspired him to consider a completely different lane. While fans are eager to see what’s next musically, it sounds like Fetty was fully prepared to swap the studio for toolkits if that’s what life required.

The Girls Said Run It Back, Fetty

Fans sprinted to The Shade Room’s Instagram comment section to make their interest known. Some mentioned that he looks so healthy, and they need his workout plan. Meanwhile, others applauded him for getting his GED and leveling up through education. And of course, a few Roomies made it clear they thought he was fine before—but now? They’re saying he’s foinnneee.

One Instagram user @diamonddd.sopretty said, “That man look good!😮‍💨🥰”

This Instagram user @badgalabbey wrote, “no one can ever take away your education from you! so happy he did that.“

And, Instagram user @kamariasarai commented, “The young man is beautiful ❤️”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @sweetchicj shared, “Fetty looks soooo good and healthy😍😍 Blessings to ya…may you continue to strive 🙏🏽”

While Instagram user @peachiesuze2 said, “He always been fine one eye and all 🔥🔥🔥 This just makes him more appealing 😍”

Finally, Instagram user @natural__beau_ki added, “Baby wont you come my waaayeeeyaaayyaaayy😍😍”

RELATED: 1738 Era Is Back? Fetty Wap Puts On A Show To Remember In First Post-Prison Performance (WATCH)

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

The impact that 1979’s Alien had on cinema and pop culture at large is undeniable. There have been countless imitations since its release, with 1982’s Forbidden World being one of the earliest examples. Using the same Alien blueprint that films like The Last Days on Mars (2013), Ash (2025), and Underwater (2020) shamelessly cling to, Forbidden World is more true to form in its depiction of a hostile alien takeover, but it leans harder into gore, sex, and low-fi B-movie spectacle than most films that share its DNA.

Speaking of DNA, what sets Forbidden World apart from Alien is its characters’ willingness to poke and prod at the very alien lifeform threatening their survival, fully aware of how much trouble it could cause. Alien centers on a hostile organism that nobody aboard the USCSS Nostromo intended to encounter, while the crew in Forbidden World could have avoided catastrophe entirely if they had simply aborted their mission and terminated their test subjects in a controlled environment.

Like Alien, But More Violent And Sexy

Forbidden World opens with a familiar setup, taking place at a research station on the distant desert planet Xarbia. The film wastes no time establishing its gooey, bloody, gestating antagonist, Subject 20. We’re introduced to visiting military officer Mike Colby (Jesse Vint), who, alongside his trusty robot SAM-104 (Don Olivera), urges head researcher Gordon Hauser (Linden Chiles) to terminate the experiment after witnessing the dozens of slaughtered animal carcasses littering the “creature room,” clearly victims of Subject 20’s violent metamorphosis.

Accompanying Gordon in his study of Subject 20 are assistants Barbara Glaser and Tracy Baxter, who, for reasons the movie never bothers to justify, are almost always scantily clad in space uniforms that may as well be short sun dresses or bath robes. Rounding out the crew are lab technician Jimmy Swift (Michael Bowen), electrician Brian Beale (Raymond Oliver), security officer Earl Richards (Scott Paulin), and Doctor Cal Timbergen (Fox Harris).

When Jimmy carelessly opens Subject 20’s enclosure after being ordered to clean up the piles of animal bodies in its wake, he becomes the first victim of the creature’s violence, though he isn’t killed outright. Dr. Cal examines Jimmy’s barely alive body and discovers that Subject 20 has infected him with a mutated strain known as Proto B. The infection reduces human DNA to a uniform protein mass, effectively turning the body into a blank slate that Subject 20 can consume, only making it stronger.

As Forbidden World moves into its second and third acts, Subject 20 goes into full rampage mode, hunting down the rest of the crew and annihilating everything in its path as it grows exponentially stronger and inches closer to its final form.

Let’s Just Call It What It Is

For a movie that would not exist without Alien, Forbidden World still has a lot going for it, along with enough B-movie charm to stand on its own. The key distinction is that Alien follows a crew that unknowingly brings a hostile lifeform aboard their ship and pays the price. Every crew member in Forbidden World, on the other hand, understands the dangers they are facing and even receives orders from the military to terminate the research once Subject 20 proves dangerous.

This willful ignorance separates Forbidden World from the film that inspired it because the characters more or less know what they are getting into and choose not to exercise caution. When Subject 20 finally launches its slasher-style rampage, the violence is easier to stomach because everyone here had ample warning. Alien’s characters are sympathetic because they were deceived into transporting a Xenomorph. The crew in Forbidden World is essentially asking to be slaughtered inside their own research station because they know better and press on anyway.

Thanks to these tonal differences, Forbidden World works as a shameless copycat that still manages to carve out its own identity. Exploitative, sexually charged subplots notwithstanding, there are still some great creature shots, and the gore is surprisingly solid for an early 80s, low-budget riff on a much more successful intellectual property.

A slasher-style Alien copycat that commits fully to its sleaze and splatter, Forbidden World is a solid watch for these reasons and can be streamed for free on Tubi as of this writing.

On 90 Day Fiance, Daniel can’t seem to keep his stories straight to Lisa and admits he was chatting up another lady on social media. Stig Da Artist suggests he and Aviva Duhamel should slow their roll as her Aunt Spring’s visit looms. Emma Perry is forced to come clean after Ziad El Yahyaoui fails to propose on her birthday. And Forrest struggles with the thought of losing Sheena. Let’s break it all down in this recap of Season 08, Episode 10 Prepare For Arrival.

90 Day Fiance: Daniel Admits He Got Caught

On 90 Day Fiance, Daniel denies talking to another woman. Lisa had screenshots for proof, but deleted them. Daniel takes a look at the woman’s profile picture. He plays it off that he does not recognize or know that person. But Lisa reminds him he didn’t deny it the night before when they were with his friends. Daniel evades her questions. But Lisa isn’t giving up and her suspicions run wild.

In the morning, Daniel sleeps in while Lisa spends some time at the pool. He comes looking for her and she’s not letting up. She tells him the woman had previously sent screen grabs and evidence. Lisa messages the woman again and heads back up to the hotel room to wait on the reply. She rages and second guesses her decision to delete the prior convos. Daniel maintains he doesn’t know the woman in the profile.

Finally, the woman replies with a lengthy response on 90 Day Fiance. Daniel returns to the room and Lisa is hysterical. He asks to see the profile picture again and this time admits he talked to the woman in the past. But once he got to know Lisa it ended. Lisa bawls while Daniel consoles her. But he admits to production he knows he got caught. Daniel sweet talks Lisa and she calms down. But Daniel hasn’t heard her secrets yet.

90 Day Fiance: Stig Pulls Back from Aviva

90 Day Fiance couple Stig Da Artist and Aviva Duhamel have very different takes on what went down during his show. Aviva thinks he was disrespectful to her by openly flirting with other girls on stage. He thinks she was the rude one for being on her phone while he performed. After ordering up some strong tropical drinks, the pair discuss their struggle. And Stig wonders aloud if they are moving too fast. In spite of not using any birth control since Aviva arrived.

Aviva Duhamel finds things awkward between them. And Stig Da Artist suggests maybe they should use protection since they need to be sure. Aviva wants to know where it’s really coming from. Her Aunt Spring arrives in Belize the next day. And she’s been doing some digging. So Aviva hopes if their is anything going on she doesn’t know about her aunt can find out. On the drive to Placencia to meet Aunt Spring, Aviva is concerned that Stig hasn’t said “I love you ” yet.

The Before The 90 Days couple meet up with her aunt. Right off the bat Aunt Spring can see how Aviva would fall for Stig’s charms and sweet talking. Aunt Spring asks hard questions. Such as if he is serious. Or if Aviva is one of many ladies who visit him on the island. Then Spring pulls him aside to question him about some things she’s heard. She shows him a picture on her phone. And it’s clear by his reaction Stig is busted on camera doing something.

TLC Couple Ziad and Emma Spend the Night in the Desert

Emma Perry is packed and ready to go on a desert getaway with Ziad Yahyaoui on 90 Day Fiance. Camel rides are on the agenda. And Ziad warns that her heels may not be the best for transversing the desert terrain. Emma takes her chances, preferring to be in style over safety. She squeals with delight when she sees the camels. And they take a nice ride checking off the first thing on the birthday activity list.

The pair call it a night and Emma Perry is perplexed that they will stay in separate tents. Ziad El Yahyaoui admits to production that he is happy. But doesn’t divulge as many personal details as Emma did. He plans a romantic birthday dinner al fresco. But it’s really windy and Ziad shivers as they feast on chicken tagine. Again. Emma is hopeful there will be a proposal. In spite of having to give up her cardigan to Ziad who is freezing.

The final surprise arrives on 90 Day Fiance and it’s not an engagement ring but rather a cake. Emma’s disappointed. And Ziad shutters her back to her tent so he can go thaw out somewhere. Emma Perry wakes up “in her head”. And decides to come clean about her former Moroccan connection. She spills it all to Ziad El Yahyaoui. She was here before with another guy. They broke up. But got back together and that’s why she ghosted him. And drops the big bomb in the end: they were engaged.

Before The 90 Days: Forrest in the Middle of Both Families

Forrest feels great about his future with Sheena in spite of her lies about money on 90 Day Fiance. His mom Molly doesn’t share his good vibes. She fears he’s too trusting. And in spite of Sheena’s tears and apologies, she doesn’t trust her. Sheena treats everyone to a Kawa bath. A tradition in the Philippines, the baths feature soaking in a cooking cauldron filled with warm water, leaves and flowers. Molly claims it’s a heavenly experience.

But the aromatic bliss doesn’t last long. Later, they meet again with Sheena’s family. And her dad draws the line at the kids having a joint account. Suggesting Sheena can control the funds since Forrest technically doesn’t have any. And she can send a screen grab of the balance now and then. After she gives a little off the top to mom and dad to keep the business up and running. Forrest is A-ok with this. But Molly thinks something isn’t right.

90 Day Fiance: Laura Falls for Birkan’s Charm

Laura Nevenner has been hit with multiple red flags since arriving in Turkey. The 90 Day Fiance newbie discovered her young paramour is 50 grand in debt. Not to mention an avid gambler who spends his days puffing shisha in a neighborhood cafe. But in spite of it all, she is hanging on for the ride. Especially a boat ride on the Aegean sea complete with white wine and emotional groveling.

Laura Nevenner melts when Birkan retells being dumped after an injury that ended his football career. Even worse he was dumped via text. Laura is sympathetic. Birkan gives her all the credit for bringing him back to life. From the soccer field to the cafe. She wonders aloud how he’s affording the cruise. He simple says “gambling”. “Go with the flow just like the boat” he swoons. She beams as if she’s hit some jackpot.

90 Day Fiance: Jovon Peeved at Annalyn’s Lifestyle

And last but kind of least we revisit our boring old 90 Day Fiance married couple Jovon and Annalyn Fox. Between griping over desserts, exes and attitude the honeymooners are anything but. However, it’s time to move on to real life. And head to Annalyn’s place. She’s a fixture in town. And everybody stares including the stray dogs when she emerges from the taxi with Jovon. He’s a little uncomfortable. But eager to finally meet Annalyn’s mom.

Annalyn Fox eagerly shows him around her place. She has a spacious kitchen, lots of travel pictures and even (gasp) an upstairs. Jovon Fox isn’t happy to see his wife living in normalcy. And even more unsettled that she owns more than one pair of shoes kept in a closet. He feels she’s taking advantage of the money he sends. While he toils and lives with roommates. Next he meets her mom. Who fawns over her son-in-law and is affectionate with him to Annalyn’s surprise. Till next time!

Days of Our Lives divulges that EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) just revealed that it’s about time for Stefano DiMera‘s (Joseph Mascolo) last will and testament to be read. And EJ suspects it could cause drama for him and his siblings. Is he right? Is there chaos coming to Salem one last time, thanks to Stefano.

We’re going to dig into Elvis Junior DiMera’s prediction that his dead dad, Stefano, has one last scheme to pit his children against each other in the terms of his will. Let’s dive in!

The Discovery and DNA Confirmation of Stefano DiMera’s Remains on Days of Our Lives

EJ and his siblings Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis), Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn), and Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk), and nephew Theo Carver (Cameron Johnson) finally laid Stefano’s remains to rest. Even though their dad had been missing for years and presumed dead, only Dr. Wilhelm Rolf (Richard Wharton) knew for certain that Stefano had passed away.

Kristen discovered his bones. And then Theo and Chad helped excavate them while they were trying to dig their way out of the crypt. Dr. Rolf had interred Stefano remains in the mausoleum But we just found out that local criminal Liam Selejko (Hank Northrop) was hired by Vivian Alamain’s (Louise Sorel) henchman, Klaus, to move supplies into the mausoleum.

Liam said he accidentally spilled a sarcophagus and the bones went out, so he just buried them under the dirt. We know that Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) is the one who had the bones DNA tested by the FBI crime lab. And he confirmed to the family they do indeed belong to the late, great Stefano DiMera.

A Complicated Farewell on DOOL: The DiMera Mansion Memorial

EJ, Kristen, Chad, and Tony invited Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) and Theo to come over and say goodbye to their Nonno Stefano. They had a simple memorial at the DiMera mansion for anybody who wanted to pay their respects—or in some cases, for those to vent about EJ’s father. Stefano caused decades of heartache and trouble for a lot of people in Salem.

Even the memorial caused drama in the family. Stefano’s grandsons, Theo and Johnny, grieved the loss of an attentive and kind grandfather But Stefano’s children were not all sharing that fond opinion. They had a range of emotions, as each of EJ’s siblings had a different and unique relationship with their father.

Favored Sons and Adopted Heirs: Stefano’s Complex Family Dynamics on Days of our Lives

Kristen and Peter Blake (Dan Gauthier) were adopted by Stefano. He basically stole them But they took after the worst parts of their adopted father. Yet, both Kristen and Peter held grudges against Stefano and the other biological children. Then there’s Tony, who knows full well EJ was their father’s favorite on Days of our Lives.

Tony was also not a biological child of Stefano’s but he was treated like one of Stefano’s own for the most part. However, the Phoenix still didn’t want Tony at the helm of his multinational DiMera Corporation, nor did he want him controlling his vast estate. It is interesting that Stefano didn’t want that, yet it was Tony who went to all the effort to get DiMera Enterprises back for the family. Stefano didn’t have nearly enough faith in him.

Missing Heirs and the Mystery of Stefan DiMera’s Death on Days of our Lives

Meanwhile, Chad has exited Salem with his kids, Thomas DiMera (Cary Christopher) and Charlotte DiMera (Autumn Gendron), for a couple of months. We’re getting a recast Chad and Thomas in April, so Chad is not going to be around for the will reading. He has no interest in running DiMera or having a share of the family business. He’s happy at the Spectator. Still, Stefano could have left Chad a sizable inheritance for him or for the kids.

Several of Stefano’s other children are dead. Most recently killed off was Peter. Now we know Stefan DiMera (Brandon Barash) was held captive by Vivian Alamain (Louise Sorel) until he died But I still don’t buy that. I know there was a DNA test on Stefan’s remains But we all know that Vivian could have moved Jake DiMera’s (Brandon Barash) remains into Stefan or just swapped their headstones. As twins, they would be a DNA match.

EJ DiMera’s Secret Inheritance: The Return of the Phoenix Ring

Despite what the will says, it’s already pretty clear that EJ DiMera is Stefano’s heir apparent But only he and Dr. Wilhelm Rolf know that. EJ siblings had taken off by the time Dr. Rolf showed up to the mausoleum with a special bequest for EJ direct from his dad.

Dr. Rolf said that Stefano wanted him to hand EJ his original Phoenix ring when the time was right. And Dr. Rolf decided the time was right. EJ has not told his family that Stefano’s ring was hand-delivered to him.

It has been spotted But not by his siblings yet. EJ getting the ring may also be mentioned in the will. And that might be when it comes out. In the meantime, Kristen or Tony might see him wearing it. And have a reaction.

Will Gabi Hernandez Claim a Share of the DiMera Fortune on Days of Our Lives?

Right now, EJ is wondering if his father is going to wreak havoc from beyond the grave one last time. EJ expects the will is going to pit Stefano DiMera’s kids against each other: Kristen DiMera, Tony DiMera, Chad DiMera, EJ DiMera. And possibly Megan Hathaway (Miranda Wilson).

Plus, if Stefan was in line to inherit, I think we’re looking at Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) getting to cash in. And get a sizable chunk of the estate. Because her divorce from Stefan DiMera was forged and therefore invalid. That could spark some contention between EJ, Kristen, and Tony. Because they may feel that Gabi doesn’t deserve the money.

Stefan and Gabi were on the outs when he was kidnapped by Vivian. And whisked to Alamainia, where Vivian doctored up the divorce papers. None of them were fans of Stefan or his twin, Jake. They were late to the party and basically treated as “discount DiMeras.”

Loyal Employees and Unexpected Bequests in Stefano’s Will

We could see EJ and the others contesting the will. And trying to stop Gabi from getting a share of the estate. It’s already low-key assumed that EJ is going to be head of the family. Tony is the eldest But he knows that EJ was the favored son. Stefano could say everybody shares equally, but that doesn’t sound like the Phoenix.

I’m also interested to see if longtime loyal employees like Dr. Rolf and Rita Lesley (Maggie Carney) are going to get a little something in Stefano’s will. If Lexie Carver (Renee Jones) is the one in the big test tube. And she’s revived, they may have to reallocate retroactively to give her a share of the estate, although she probably wouldn’t want it.

We’ll have to wait and see if the grandkids that Stefano knew about are named in the will, maybe with provisions for grandchildren born after that he didn’t know about. I don’t think Chanel Dupree (Raven Bowens) is going to want Johnny to take one DiMera dime. But we’ll see.

DOOL: Stefano’s Final Scheme: Hunger Games in Salem?

Since EJ is expecting chaos, I wonder if there’s some bizarre Hunger Games element to the bequest. Not a literal fight to the death—although it is Stefano DiMera, so never say never. But it could be some sort of competition to see who gets the lion’s share of it. It would be a devious last game their dad plays with them.

Finally, I wonder if Stefano is going to have any oddball bequests, like leaving something to Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), his “Queen of the Night.” Maybe a first edition Arabian Nights or something. Or perhaps mean things left behind to people he despised.

We could see that robotic eyeball left if he knew about that. I’m trying to remember the timing of when Dr. Rolf said Stefano died. Because he died well after everybody thought he did. I’m fuzzy on the actual timeline from when Stefano shucked off his mortal coil.

I do think that Stefano leaving things to people he hated as one last final insult would be pretty interesting. The reading of the will is just around the corner. I expect it before the end of February sweeps, so stay tuned.

By Jonathan Klotz & Joshua Tyler | Published 8 seconds ago

Tim Burton’s Batman lit the box office on fire in 1989, setting off a rush by studios to push out the next big superhero film. Unlike the early 2000s superhero rush, those earlier studio executives went back to the pulp heroes of the 1930s. 

Dick Tracy, The Shadow, and The Phantom hit theaters, bringing classic radio serials and comic books to life. In parallel with producing The Shadow, Universal Studios also launched a more straightforward approach to the problem of trying to duplicate Batman’s success by making their own, modern-day superhero franchise, just like Batman. 

To do it, they hired a man who’d established himself as an up-and-coming genius in the horror space. Sam Raimi was the right man for the job, but he was too far ahead of his time. His big superhero success wouldn’t come until 12 years after the release of his Universal film.

Sam Raimi Makes His Own Superhero After Being Denied By Hollywood

Sam Raimi was coming off Evil Dead 2, still considered by many to be his best movie, and Hollywood studios were starting to take notice of the offbeat filmmaker. Sadly, Universal Pictures, the rights holders to The Shadow, passed on Raimi helming their Alec Baldwin pulp hero film.

Dejected, Raimi instead wrote a screenplay around a character called Darkman, a superhero he created in a short story years earlier. With that, he captured Universal’s attention.

Played by Liam Neeson, Darkman begins life as Dr. Peyton Westlake, a scientist working on synthetic skin who becomes disfigured when his lab is ransacked by thugs looking for proof their boss is engaged in white-collar crime. 

Westlake is left horribly burned, but an experimental surgery gives him superhuman strength, which he puts to use alongside the synthetic skin that lets him disguise himself as anyone, so long as he stays out of the light, to dismantle the criminal network. On the surface, it’s a standard superhero revenge story, but Sam Raimi puts focus on Westlake’s changing emotional state as he embraces life as a monster, turning his back on his girlfriend Julie after she expresses her love for him. 

Darkman is equal parts pulp heroic fisticuffs and gothic tragedy, but it proved Sam Raimi knows what makes a superhero movie work. Unfortunately, it didn’t give Universal what they wanted.

Darkman’s Sequels Get Dumped In The Bargain Bin

Darkman is one of those movies people like to retroactively call a success because it didn’t lose money. That’s a very low bar. Universal didn’t make Darkman to turn a modest profit; they made it to create a franchise that could ride the post-Batman superhero wave. 

On that front, it absolutely failed. A true success gets sequels that people actually see in theaters. Darkman got dumped into the straight-to-video bin with a recast lead, which is Hollywood code for “we’re embarrassed but not quite done squeezing the IP.”

The warning signs were there immediately. Yes, Darkman opened at number one, but it did so with numbers that were already disappointing in a market recalibrated by Tim Burton. This was 1990, when studios were hunting the next pop-culture monster, not celebrating “pretty good.” 

Darkman didn’t dominate the summer conversation, didn’t generate a cultural footprint, and didn’t turn Liam Neeson into a genre icon. Instead, it quietly exited theaters while Batman knockoffs and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ate its lunch.

Why Darkman Failed

Part of what makes Darkman a great movie is also what made it a tough sell for audiences. Darkman isn’t weird enough to be a cult midnight classic, and it isn’t clean enough to be a four-quadrant hit. 

It’s grotesque, mean, occasionally brilliant, and completely unsellable to kids, who were the actual money engine of Batman and early-’90s genre filmmaking. You can’t build an empire on a hero whose face melts, whose rage is chemically induced, and whose romance ends in a parking lot goodbye.

Darkman was quickly forgotten by the mainstream in the early 90s, overshadowed even by inferior box office failures like The Shadow, and is rarely talked about now outside of hardcore Raimi fan circles. 

That happened not because it’s bad, but because it missed the moment it was built for. It arrived just early enough to look experimental, and just late enough to feel overshadowed. Universal wanted its own Batman. What they got was a cult favorite, a director calling card for Sam Raimi, and a franchise that limped off to VHS hell. 

Sam Raimi Proves Everyone Wrong With Spider-Man

Sam Raimi would, of course, go on to direct one of the most influential superhero movies of all time, 12 years later, when he made Spider-Man. Drawing on his experience with Darkman, Raimi wanted to approach the story of Peter Parker from a different angle, opting to bring in Green Goblin as the villain and embrace the loose father/son dynamic between the two.

Amazingly, you can catch a brief glimpse of Darkman in Spider-Man during Peter’s dream sequence right after he’s been bitten.

If you’re looking for the true origin of modern superhero movies, that’s where it all started. With a genius filmmaker being denied the job he wanted, and then making it happen his way, anyway.

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Hilary Duff is a comfort queen. The fashion icon has perfected rich mom style and recently wore a classic pair of UGG boots that made for an effortlessly cozy look.

Duff was spotted making her way through the Toronto Pearson International Airport last month in an oversized shearling blanket coat and the Classic Ultra mini Boot from UGG. Lucky for Us, the exact pair is available on Amazon, making this a budget-friendly find you can add to your wardrobe without splurging on designer footwear. It’s a reminder that great style doesn’t have to come with a sky-high price tag — sometimes, it starts from the ground up.

Get the UGG Classic Ultra Mini Boot for $160 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

A signature staple of the 90s, UGG footwear is beloved for its soft suede exterior and fuzzy, ultra-warm shearling lining. Perfect for winter’s frigid days, it makes total sense that the singer-actress would choose to wear them while braving Toronto’s icy weather.

Related: Jennifer Lawrence’s Comfy Micro Boots Put a Cool Mom Spin on the Classic

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If anyone has perfected the art of cool-mom dressing, it’s Jennifer Lawrence. Her off-duty style always feels relaxed but intentional, striking that rare balance between comfort and polish. This winter, she’s leaning into cozy footwear that still feels undeniably cool. The actress was photographed in New York City on January 5 wearing the Ugg Women’s […]

Duff opted for Ugg’s mini style, which hits right above the ankles, leaving feet and socks covered and protected without veering into full boot territory. You can purchase them in the same chestnut color as the “Mature” singer, or choose from over a dozen other colors ranging from similar rich mom-inspired neutrals to bold pops of color.

A fan favorite for decades, this Ugg boot has racked up well over 1,200 five-star ratings from Amazon shoppers who praise its soft comfort and long-lasting durability.

“These Uggs are simply the best! They’re cute, cozy and are super easy to come on and off without a hassle,” wrote one shopper. “The way they were designed to be sort of minimalist looking but also still have a very distinct, warm look definitely was the part that hooked me.”

Others raved they’re so comfortable, they double as slippers. “The softness is amazing! It always keeps my feet warm, and sometimes I just wear them around the house, they’re so comfy!”

If you need a chic travel outfit, follow Duff’s lead with these mini UGG boots that will elevate any look while providing cozy warmth and iconic style.

Get the UGG Classic Ultra Mini Boot for $160 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more UGG boots here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Related: Kate Middleton’s Exact Ugg Boots Are Back on Amazon — For Now

Kate Middleton has a talent for turning even her coziest winter outfits into something effortlessly chic. Anytime she steps out in a practical piece, it tends to vanish from shelves in minutes. So spotting her exact ultra-comfy boots sitting pretty on Amazon felt like a rare fashion win. The style in question? Ugg’s Classic Tall […]