Tom Ellis has made the move from Tell Me Lies to the FBI spinoff CIA — and he already has ideas about which of his costars should join him.

“They’re all so good,” Ellis, 47, exclusively told Us Weekly about his former Tell Me Lies scene partners. “But I think because of this season and the way this season is going, I’m really excited about the work that Spencer [House] is doing as Wrigley.”

Ellis continued: “He’s so brilliant. I’d welcome him onto any set that I was working on because he’s got so much to give.”

The actor credited his wife Meaghan Oppenheimer‘s hit Hulu series for preparing him for CIA.

“Tell Me Lies was practice for CIA. Tell Me Lies is basically what Colin does all the time,” Ellis quipped to Us. “It’s really weird going from a character on Lucifer who prided himself on never lying to now playing someone who basically exclusively deals in lying. Because of what Colin does and because of how long he’s done it for, his sense of what reality is is probably a bit warped by now.”

Ellis was thrilled by the challenging character work, adding, “He chooses and hand picks what he tells people about himself. Sometimes you realize that that changes and you think about how reliable is this? How reliable is this source? But it’s always about self preservation. For the CIA, they can’t let anyone into their inner circle and so that’s why it becomes a bit of a stumbling block for [Nick Gehlfuss’] Bill.”

FBI debuted on CBS in 2019 and follows the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York City. The network followed that up with FBI: Most Wanted, which aired from 2020 to 2025, about the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fugitive Task Force. There was also the FBI: International spinoff about the International Fly Team that ran for four seasons before concluding in 2025.

In April 2025, CBS gave CIA a straight-to-series order starring Ellis and Gehlfuss. According to the official synopsis, CIA centers on “two unlikely partners — a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of law.”

“If these two people are going to get paired up to work together, there has to be an element of trust. How can you trust someone who isn’t always telling you the truth and is quite often bare faced lying to you?” Ellis teased. “But as the season goes on, Bill starts to realize why Colin is this way and the type of work that he does and why it’s important that he doesn’t let people in.”

Ellis went on to compare CIA to its predecessor FBI.

“The FBI deals in crimes that have already happened predominantly and the CIA try to stop the crime from happening in the first place,” Ellis exclusively told Us. “FBI is a very public present arm of the law enforcement. They’re the poster boy of U.S. law enforcement. And the CIA is very much in the shadows — and doesn’t want to be on any poster. It doesn’t want people to see who they are and they operate in a very sort of voyeuristic manner.”

CIA airs on CBS Mondays at 10 p.m. ET.

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Gwen Stefani says getting pregnant with son Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale at age 43 helped inspire her to become a Christian.

“I really wanted to have another baby. I really did,” Stefani, 56, explained in an interview published on the “Hallow: Prayers and Meditation” YouTube channel on Thursday, March 5. “I couldn’t and I was old and [I] started talking about all these things … it was waking me up.”

Stefani tied her emerging Christian faith to welcoming her son Apollo in February 2014, just after she’d turned 44. (Stefani and ex-husband Gavin Rossdale share three sons: Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, born in May 2006, Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale, born in August 2008, and Apollo. Stefani split from Rossdale, 60, in 2015 and married her Voice costar Blake Shelton in 2021.)

The three-time Grammy Award winner reflected on how her spiritual revelation occurred shortly after she started working with a friend who’d gone from being “an atheist Jew” to a believer.

“I started working with this guy, and he was really like an atheist Jew that converted after being an atheist growing up in Israel,” she noted. “He was studying the Torah, and he had this big epiphany [and] awakening and he starts talking to me about the Torah.”

Stefani recalled that, around the same time, her eldest son, Kingston, said he “really wanted [her] to have a baby.”

“[I told him], ‘I’m sorry. Mommy is too old to have a baby.’ … [Kingston] was 8. He was like, ‘Please God, let my mommy have a baby,’” Stefani remembered. “I just remember thinking, look at my little boy. He’s praying for me!”

Kingston started praying for his parents to have another child “every night” even though neither of them ever asked him to do it, according to Stefani.

“I never taught him that, really,” she admitted. “I think it was four weeks later and I was pregnant with Apollo, who I had at 44 years old, naturally, totally a full-on gift. That was the first miracle.”

Stefani acknowledged that she went into that period of self-discovery feeling “ignorant” before conceding that she still “doesn’t know enough” about Christianity.

“It’s almost scary because the more you know, the more fear you get,” she said. “You realize, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m running out of time and I need to get this together. I’ve got to be a real Christian! I’m not gonna make it.’”

Asked how her faith has changed in the past years, Stefani answered, “I remember it was 2020. It was during COVID [and I was] searching online. Thank god for online. It’s horrible out there but there’s so much good information too.”

She added, “I found Pastor Mike Schmitz … That sermon really changed [me]. I remember just bawling and being on fire. Like, I had found this truth.”

Since that time, Stefani has partnered with the Catholic app Hallow, which describes itself as “a Christian prayer app that offers audio-guided meditation sessions to help us grow in our faith & spiritual lives and find peace in God.” Their partnership for a Christmas advent campaign proved to be controversial in December 2025 when Hallow’s anti-abortion messaging resurfaced.

Related: Gwen Stefani Explains Why She Felt ‘Selfish’ After Having Baby No. 2

During Gwen Stefani’s first pregnancy, she was just a girl trying to have it all, which included a successful music career. “I find out I’m pregnant with Kingston and I was in rehearsals, and I was, like, so sick,” Stefani, 54, recalled during an upcoming episode of “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast” via […]

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“It is important this holiday season to spend time in prayer. That is what Christmas is all about: letting God into our hearts and letting Jesus bring us his peace,” Stefani encouraged her followers at the time. “Download Hallow and join me and millions of others in praying every day this advent and Christmas season on Hallow.”

Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause was among those to call out Stefani’s partnership with Hallow, even invoking No Doubt’s 1995 song ‘Don’t Speak.’

“Gwen-DON’T SPEAK,” Stause, 44, demanded via Instagram in December 2025. “Please take your own advice on this one🫠.”

The reality star doubled down by later condemning Stefani for “​​taking money to promote an app that encourages anti-abortion, even in cases of [rape] and incest.”

“Please stop making young girls feel guilty to not have a choice,” Stause wrote.

She went on, “‘Don’t speak’ is a play on words. She can say what she wants, and I can oppose it. If your child got pregnant by a pedophile, would you want Gwen Stephanie [sic] making her feel guilty to keep [the baby]? I wouldn’t.”

Stefani has not responded to Stause’s criticism of her Hallow promotion.

Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian’s connection is growing stronger.

“They are going strong and really happy. Lewis is head over heels and those closest to him believe he has finally met his match,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “He has waited over a decade for his dream girl and is crazy about her.”

The insider adds that Hamilton, 41, “has been FaceTiming” Kardashian, 45, “regularly from the paddock.” While they can’t be together in person as much as they like, Kardashian has been “incredibly supportive” of Hamilton’s “demanding F1 schedule.”

“They are both very committed to making things work no matter how long the distance is or how busy they are,” the source shares. “Because their relationship started with a friendship first, those closest to them believe this could be endgame for them both.”

Kardashian and Hamilton have known each other for quite some time, as the pair have been spotted together at multiple events and functions since 2014. However, things seemingly shifted earlier this year after they were seen spending time at Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire, England.

Amid the rumors of a potential romance, Kardashian opened up about her struggles to date as a single mom. (The Kardashians star shares four children, North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, 8, and Psalm, 6, with ex-husband Kanye West.)

“I just feel like my kids need me. It’s really hard when I have to put them to bed every night. I get them up. I take them to school. I get them ready. They sleep in my bed,” Kim explained in a January episode of sister Khloé Kardashian’s “Khloé in Wonderland” podcast. “I haven’t had time [to date] — and I’m OK with that. I thought, ‘You know what? I’m going to be studying. I won’t have time. When I’m done, I’ll open myself up.’ I opened myself up. But it’s just, I haven’t found anyone. And that’s OK.”

Shortly after her comments about putting dating on pause, Kim and Hamilton were seen together at a hotel in Paris and at Super Bowl LX. At the time, an insider told Us that the twosome had gone on “a few dates” but things were just “casual.”

Earlier this month, Hamilton and Kim took a getaway to Arizona. An additional source exclusively told Us that the duo had a “break in their schedules” and wanted to “spend more time together and really get to know each other.”

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Related: Lewis Hamilton Asked About Kim Kardashian Romance for the 1st Time: Report

Lewis Hamilton was reportedly asked about his newfound romance with Kim Kardashian for the first time after they were spotted together at the Super Bowl. Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz caught up with Hamilton, 41, on Wednesday, February 11, during the first day of testing in Bahrain ahead of the upcoming Formula 1 season. […]

“It’s going well, and Kim has been genuinely enjoying her time with Lewis,” the insider explained, noting that they were still “taking it slow”.

The source added that while Hamilton has not met Kim’s children yet, the Skims founder is “open” to the idea.

“Lewis is such a great guy and has really been courting her and treating her right. He’s been making all the plans and making sure she is taken care of,” the insider continued. “Everyone around her thinks it’s really sweet and what she deserves. Kim has had such a relaxed aura recently in all aspects of her life. Her mindset has totally changed. She’s not forcing anything, just letting it unfold naturally.”

War movies age well when the tension still feels physical and the moral questions still feel sharp decades later. You can watch them today and the fear still reads on faces, the decisions still feel impossible, and the aftermath still follows you out of the room. The films I’ve reviewed below are the ones people don’t bring up enough anymore, usually because they aren’t loud greatest hits titles yet they play like they were made yesterday.

Every entry here earns its place through specifics: a courtroom that turns your stomach, a trench that feels like a trap, a tank crew making the wrong turn into hell, a friendship you already know is going to hurt, a mission that turns into survival-by-minute. These aren’t background watches. They pull you in and keep you there.

‘Breaker Morant’ (1980)

Image via Roadside Show Distributors

Breaker Morant throws you into a war story where the bullets barely matter compared to the words. Harry “Breaker” Morant (Edward Woodward) sits in a courtroom facing execution, and the movie makes you feel the pressure of men being judged by rules that shift depending on who needs protecting. Major J.F. Thomas (Jack Thompson) walks in as the defense and you can see him realizing, piece by piece, what kind of trial this really is. It’s tense in the way great legal thrillers are tense. Every objection, every witness, every line of testimony tightening the rope.

The hook stays emotional. Morant doesn’t play like a clean martyr. He plays like a soldier who did brutal things in a brutal situation and then got left holding the bag. You keep watching to see whether truth matters at all when politics has already decided the ending. The film makes you stick to the screen to this day. It makes you stare at the ugliest part of war: the paperwork and the scapegoats after the blood is spilled.

‘Cross of Iron’ (1977)

Image via Embassy Pictures

Cross of Iron drops you on the Eastern Front and refuses to romanticize a single inch of it. Rolf Steiner (James Coburn) leads exhausted infantrymen who look like they’ve been living in mud for years, and the film makes you feel how survival becomes the only belief system left. Then Stransky (Maximilian Schell) shows up with rank, ambition, and obsession with medals, and the conflict turns personal fast. It becomes about soldiers who want to live versus a man who wants a story told about him.

The movie captures contempt inside the same uniform. Steiner isn’t trying to be noble; he’s trying to get his men through another day with their bodies intact. You end up caring about tiny battlefield choices, where someone crouches, when someone moves, who covers who, because the movie makes those choices feel like the difference between breathing and not breathing. It’s nasty, direct, and still shocking in how honest it is.

‘The Beast’ (1988)

Image via Columbia Pictures

The Beast follows Daskal (Jason Patric) as part of a Soviet tank crew that gets lost in Afghanistan. The movie turns that mistake into a slow, grinding panic. The crew is filmed trying to navigate terrain that wants to eat them while people who know the land start hunting them. The movie makes war feel like a wrong turn you can’t undo. Taj (Steven Bauer) gives the story its moral heat and the local fighter watching these men with rage that comes from lived harm.

The tank becomes a moving prison. You feel the claustrophobia, the paranoia inside the crew, the way fear makes men crueler to each other. The film earns its power by keeping the violence close: a village encounter that stains the crew, a pursuit that never feels far away, a code of revenge that feels inevitable once the first wrong act happens. It’s one of those war movies that makes you sit there afterward thinking about how fast human beings justify what they’re doing.

‘Gallipoli’ (1981)

Image via Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Gallipoli wins your heart before it breaks it. Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) and Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson) start as young men with speed in their legs and confidence in their voices, and the early sections make their friendship feel simple and real — rivalry, jokes, pride, that belief that life is wide open. Then the war starts shaping every decision, and you can feel the boys becoming soldiers while still trying to stay boys.

The second half sits in your chest because the film makes the waiting unbearable. Orders move slowly. Messages get lost. The distance between command and the men who pay the price becomes obvious in every scene. You end up clinging to the friendship because it’s the one thing that still feels human in a place designed to grind humanity down.

‘Hamburger Hill’ (1987)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Hamburger Hill feels like being dropped into a fight that refuses to end. Sgt. Frantz (Dylan McDermott) leads men up Hill 937 again and again, and the movie makes repetition feel like torture. There’s mud, rain, screaming, bodies falling, then the order to climb again. The soldiers are trying to get through the next push without losing someone they just shared a cigarette with.

The film stays strong because it keeps the focus on the squad’s emotional weather. Fear shows up differently in each man: anger, jokes, silence, reckless bravado, numbness. The racial tension and class tension aren’t tossed in for flavor; they live in the way men speak to each other under stress, then fight beside each other anyway because the hill doesn’t care who you are. It leaves you with exhaustion, the same kind you see on their faces.

‘The Train’ (1964)

Image via United Artists

The Train is older than the rest of this list and still feels viciously watchable because it turns a mission into stubborn, sweaty problem-solving. Paul Labiche (Burt Lancaster) is resistance, rail man, and pragmatist, and you feel how hard he has to work to keep people alive while delaying a train loaded with stolen art. Colonel von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) plays another brutal type — the kind of man who treats human lives as acceptable losses for his cause.

The suspense in The Train comes from practical obstacles: switches, engines, schedules, sabotage that needs timing, the risk of a single mistake turning into a firing squad. You watch Labiche make choices that cost people he cares about, and the film never lets you pretend those costs are clean. It’s the kind of war movie that makes you respect competence while also forcing you to feel what competence costs in war.

‘A Bridge Too Far’ (1977)

Image via United Artists

A Bridge Too Far earns its place on this list purely because of its scale and heartbreak. Not to mention that it feels extremely personal. The film follows Maj. Gen. Roy Urquhart (Sean Connery) who lands with his men and immediately feels the plan’s cracks widening — distance, radio failure, time slipping. Then there’s the main man, Lt. Col. John Frost (Anthony Hopkins) who holds the Arnhem bridge with a kind of calm resolve that makes every scene with him tighten your throat. The movie makes you understand the goal, then makes you watch how many things have to go right for that goal to happen.

You keep watching with a growing sense of dread because the film never hides the friction between ambition and reality. Soldiers fight like hell, messengers run, commanders argue, and the road keeps choking everything. It feels like watching hope get outpaced by logistics and luck. All those faces and small decisions that couldn’t save them stay in your memory.

‘Come and See’ (1985)

Image via Sovexportfilm

There are war films that show destruction, and then there is Come and See, which feels like watching innocence be erased in front of you. The movie begins and Flyora (Aleksei Kravchenko) begins as a boy drawn toward war by the kind of excitement only a child could still believe in, and the cruelty of the film lies in how completely it tears that belief apart. By the time the nightmare has fully closed around him, his face carries the kind of exhaustion that should never belong to someone so young. Glasha (Olga Mironova) matters so deeply to the story because every moment beside her feels like a fading connection to warmth, fear, and human tenderness before all of it is swallowed by horror.

What makes the film overwhelming is the way it presents atrocity without distance. Burned villages, collaborators, humiliation, murder — none of it is framed to thrill or impress. Everything lands with a sickening plainness, as if the world itself has accepted the unbearable. That is why the film feels so punishing. It traps you inside endurance, inside witness, inside a reality where survival itself stops feeling like mercy. And with time, Come and See has only grown to feel harsher, clearer, and more essential, because it refuses every lie that cinema so often tells about war.

‘The Long Good Friday’ (1980)

Image via HandMade Films

The Long Good Friday belongs on a list like this because it understands war as something that can move through a city in tailored suits, exploding cars, broken deals, and silent panic. It follows Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins). He begins the film with the swagger of a man who believes power is already his, and what follows is the slow terror of watching that certainty collapse from one blow to the next. Every explosion, every failed arrangement, every new threat tightens the pressure around him until the performance of control starts to look almost desperate. There’s also Victoria (Helen Mirren) who gives the film an added sharpness because her composure makes it clear she sees the shape of the danger long before Harold is willing to face it.

The brilliance of the film, though, is in its escalation. Harold keeps answering chaos with force, intimidation, and brutality, as if sheer will can drag the world back into place, but every move only reveals how little command he really has. Bob Hoskins makes that unraveling unforgettable because he never lets Harold become small; the panic lives inside the character’s personality, inside the fury, inside the dawning realization that the old rules no longer protect him. By the final car sequence, the film reaches something close to pure cinema: a man cornered inside his own understanding, with nowhere left to run and no illusion left to hide behind.

‘Paths of Glory’ (1957)

Image via United Artists

Paths of Glory takes the top spot because almost no film has ever expressed moral fury with such precision and control and yet nobody remembers it. The courtroom scenes are where the film cuts deepest. The film follows, Col. Dax (Kirk Douglas) who tries to defend men who have already been condemned by leaders more interested in preserving authority than confronting truth. He moves through the story with conviction, intelligence, and decency. There are also Gen. Mireau (George Macready) and Gen. Broulard (Adolphe Menjou), who is super chilling.

The film never needs to exaggerate them; their comfort, vanity, and polished certainty make everything around them feel even more rotten. Against the mud, terror, and broken bodies of the battlefield, their world feels not just detached, but obscene. The injustice, therefore, feels organized and procedural in Path of Glory. It is delivered with the confidence of men who know the system was built to protect them. That is what makes it so infuriating. The movie is devastating precisely because it reminds you what war tries to crush in the first place.

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Paths of Glory

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Release Date

December 25, 1957

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Runtime

88 Minutes

Director

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Stanley Kubrick

Writers

Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham, Jim Thompson, Humphrey Cobb

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There’s a new star at the top of Prime Video’s TV rankings this week: the British mystery series Young Sherlock starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin in the title role. Created by Matthew Parkhill and developed by Peter Harness and Guy Ritchie, the show reimagines Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective as an unruly 19-year-old at Oxford, drawing inspiration from Andrew Lane’s Young Sherlock Holmes books. With exceptional talent in front of and behind the camera, Young Sherlock has proven to be a critical and audience hit, but in case that’s not quite what you’re in the mood for, there’s still plenty more great series of all stripes to check out on the streaming service. Here’s a look at three great shows that we think you should binge on Prime Video this week.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Prime Video.

1

‘Expats’ (2024)

If you’re excited about Nicole Kidman’s imminent Prime Video drama Scarpetta, this 2024 miniseries may be perfect for you. Created and directed by Lulu Wang, Expats is an adaptation of Janice Y. K. Lee’s 2016 novel The Expatriates, starring Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and KPop Demon Hunters voice actor Ji-young Yoo as three American expatriate women living in Hong Kong. The series explores their personal lives, both individually and through their connections to each other, in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy. Brian Tee, Tiana Gowen, Bodhi del Rosario, Ruby Ruiz, Amelyn Pardenilla, and Jack Huston star in significant supporting roles.

Expats’ Prime Video premiere was unfortunately overshadowed by controversies that plagued the production, and despite favorable reviews, the show flew mostly under the radar. That’s a shame, really, because the show is a highly underrated drama centered on some truly stellar performances, particularly by its leading trio. Featuring one of Kidman’s best performances to date on the small screen, Expats is easily one of the best shows of the 2020s so far, and a must-watch for fans of challenging, character-driven melodrama.

2

‘We Were Liars’ (2025–Present)

Developed by Julie Plec and Carina Adly Mackenzie, We Were Liars is a psychological thriller series adapted from E. Lockhart’s 2014 novel. The show stars Emily Alyn Lind as Cadence “Cady” Sinclair Eastman, the eldest grandchild of the old-money Sinclair family, who suffers a mysterious accident that leaves her with memory loss and intense suspicions about the rest of her family. Caitlin FitzGerald, Mamie Gummer, Candice King, Rahul Kohli, Shubham Maheshwari, Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada, and David Morse star in other key roles.

Sometimes compared to the HBO series Succession, We Were Liars explores similar dysfunctional family dynamics, but with a highly dramatic, psychologically complex narrative that draws equal inspiration from shows like Big Little Lies, Pretty Little Liars, and Cruel Summer. Powered by its compelling performances, the series earned largely favorable reviews from critics and very high viewership on Prime Video, where it premiered in 2025. A second season is currently in the works as well, so it’s a good time to get on board this twisted, soapy journey.

3

‘The Good Place’ (2016–2020)

Created by Michael Schur for NBC, The Good Place is a fantasy comedy starring Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, an exceptionally selfish woman from Phoenix, Arizona. When she dies and finds herself in the Heaven-like afterlife known as “the Good Place,” Eleanor quickly realizes she’s in the wrong place and sets out to cover up her less-than-perfect life by learning ethics and morality from indecisive professor and fellow Good Place resident, Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper). The show also stars Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden, Manny Jacinto, and Ted Danson in lead roles.

The Good Place is, first and foremost, a hilarious comedy with intelligent storytelling that sets it apart from the usual sitcom fare. As the series develops, it reveals more secrets about the afterlife and introduces several memorable characters, evolving into an unexpectedly twisty and philosophical journey. The show was highly acclaimed throughout its four-season run, earning 14 Primetime Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and a Peabody Award.

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The Good Place

Release Date

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2016 – 2020

Directors

Dean Holland, Beth McCarthy-Miller, Morgan Sackett, Michael Schur, Jude Weng, Trent O’Donnell, Rebecca Asher, Linda Mendoza, Claire Scanlon, Ken Whittingham, Kristen Bell, Michael McDonald, Tristram Shapeero, Tucker Gates, Alan Yang, Julie Anne Robinson, Lynn Shelton

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After two-and-a-half years, Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the beloved manga and anime One Piece is back for its much-awaited Season 2, subtitled Into the Grand Line. Based on Eiichiro Oda‘s seminal manga, which itself spawned quite possibly the most iconic anime adaptation ever made, One Piece: Into the Grand Line follows the Straw Hat crew, led by Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), as they venture along an ocean route that wraps around the planet and just so happens to be full of unpredictable dangers. The Straw Hats meet new friends and foes on their journey to find the One Piece, the legendary treasure of Gol D. Roger that will make whoever finds it King of the Pirates.

Season 1 of the series received near-universal acclaim for how incredibly well it translated Oda’s distinct world into live-action, and Season 2 does not disappoint. Featuring more wacky characters, wild settings, incredibly goofy action, emotional moments galore, and the same endearing crew fans have come to know and love, One Piece: Into the Grand Line is further proof that this Netflix hit is the greatest live-action adaptation currently on television.

‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Adapts One of the Manga’s Most Important Arcs

One Piece: Into the Grand Line picks up right where Season 1 ended, with Monkey D. Luffy and his newly assembled crew — navigator Nami (Emily Rudd), first mate Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), cook Sanji (Taz Skylar), and marksman Usopp (Jacob Romero) — as they get ready to enter the Grand Line. On their way, they make new acquaintances and find themselves pursued by the Marine Captain Smoker (Callum Kerr) and the mysterious organization Baroque Works, led by the elusive Mr. Zero (Joe Manganiello). Season 2 also mainly adapts five of the manga’s main arcs: Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island.

Joining Season 2 are a plethora of new characters, most notably Miss Wednesday (Charithra Chandran), Mr. 9 (Daniel Lasker), Miss Valentine (Jazzara Jaslyn), Mr. 5 (Camrus Johnson), Mr. 3 (David Dastmalchian), Miss Goldenweek (Sophia Ann Caruso), and Miss All-Sunday (Lera Abova), all members of Baroque Works. Golden Globe winner Katey Sagal plays Dr. Kureha, Mark Harelik plays Dr. Hiruluk, Clive Russell plays Crocus, Rob Colletti plays Wapol, and Julia Rehwald plays Tashigi. Reprising their roles from Season 1 are Vincent Regan as Monkey D. Garp, Jeff Ward as Buggy the Clown, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as Alvida, and Morgan Davies as Koby. Mikaela Hoover also joins the series as the voice of fan-favorite Tony Tony Chopper.

‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Expertly Brings Oda’s World to Life

Season 1 of One Piece was lauded for how well it translated the manga and anime into live action; Season 2 continues that success and even surpasses it. From this point on, the series features some of the source material’s wackier characters — literally every member of Baroque Works looks like the escapee of a mental asylum — and the fact that Netflix’s adaptation translates them so accurately into live-action is nothing short of impressive.

The key to this success begins with the show’s casting. Iñaki Godoy remains a perfect Luffy, bringing the charm and relentless, hopeful enthusiasm to keep this crew motivated. Luffy is one tricky protagonist: he’s immature, unserious, frustrating, hilarious, and endlessly endearing. In short, he’s a literal cartoon character brought to life, and it’s a testament to Godoy’s talent that Luffy never becomes annoying or tiresome. As for his crew, everyone is well acquainted with their role and plays it to perfection. The five actors have genuine chemistry together, no matter how the show pairs them, ensuring every scene they feature in is simply fantastic.

Best known for her breakout role in Bridgerton Season 2, Charithra Chandran is a perfect addition to the One Piece cast. Without going into spoiler territory, Miss Wednesday is a huge part of the season, and Chandran effortlessly fits into this world. Every member of Baroque Works is… well, baroque. Jeslyn and Caruso are loathsome as Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek, and Abova is very well-used as Miss All-Sunday. If there’s someone who steals the show, however, it’s Dastmalchian as Mr. 3. Few actors have so much fun with such unhinged characters, and Dastmalchian is chewing scenery left and right. Special shoutout to the familiar but incredibly underrated Mark Harelik, who delivers an Emmy-worthy performance as Dr. Hiruluk that’s sure to break your heart.

There’s truly not one weak link in the One Piece cast, and it never ceases to amaze how the show managed to create such a faithful live-action version of such a fantastical world. We’re talking about men in George Washington wigs that fire bullets when vocalizing, as if Quentin Tarantino adapted Hamilton. There are pirates with metal beards, talking reindeer, quarreling giants, and killer otters riding vultures. Nothing here should make sense or look good, but it somehow does, and that’s not only impressive; it’s outright exhilarating, and in many cases heartwarming.

‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Features More and Better Action

Image via Netflix

One of the few criticisms aimed at One Piece Season 1 was how the action sequences were shortened or watered down. One Piece: Into the Grand Line corrects this by featuring more elaborate, more ruthless set pieces, at least one per episode. The best and most thrilling are the insanely long, Kill Bill-evoking bar brawl featuring Zoro, the fight in Loguetown, and the finale’s most climactic battle. All these sequences are very well choreographed and exciting, evoking the classic swashbuckling adventures of yore. They’re intense and kinetic, yet surprisingly easy to follow; there’s very little shaky-cam or needlessly fast editing, with the show instead opting for wide shots that make excellent use of the space to paint a full picture of the battleground.

The series’ world is rather unique. There’s death, but very little blood. There’s action, but the violence isn’t extreme. That’s another great strength of One Piece: Into the Grand Line; it’s not only deeply enamored with its source material, but it has a profound understanding of what makes the story special. Everyone here understands the type of show they’re making, and that enthusiasm is contagious — it practically leaps off the screen. At a time when many live-action adaptations seem to be embarrassed by their source material, One Piece is like a breath of fresh ocean air. It takes pride in Oda’s work, embracing the manga’s inherent absurdity and finding new, creative ways to showcase it.

‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Struggles With Some of Its Wackier Characters

Image via Netflix

Almost every aspect of One Piece: Into the Grand Line is flawless, from the big, tactile sets that make this wild world seem actually real and lived-in to the eclectic costumes that look as if a child used Barbie clothing on a He-Man figurine. However, a world as inventive as the one Oda created, populated with incredible designs that defy logic, was always going to be difficult to replicate. The Netflix series’ first major challenge was to depict Luffy’s powers accurately, and it aced it. Season 2 even finds new and more inventive ways to use them, and Godoy’s facial expressions really sell it. Wapol is also fully realized, and his metallic beard is a triumph of the makeup department. Indeed, whenever the sequence is short or fast-paced, the visual effects look pristine, sometimes better than big-screen offerings. When the scenes go on longer, however, the issues become noticeable. Nowhere are these flaws more apparent than in two primarily CGI characters: Laboon the Whale and Tony Tony Chopper.

Laboon mostly looks great, but wider shots do a disservice to the actual sets by making the green screen incredibly obvious. Still, the whale passes the CGI test, but the same can’t be said for Chopper. The reindeer has far more expressions; it emotes just as much as any other character, and sometimes, the CGI simply can’t keep up, especially considering Hoover is acting her heart out in the voice department. Chopper’s transformations, achieved through a mix of CGI and practical effects, are also far less convincing. The CGI is by no means bad; it’s just not on par with what the character demands.

‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Is an Overall Triumph

Image via Netflix

Overall, One Piece: Into the Grand Line is a stellar continuation of the story. It expands the world, introduces deliriously fun characters, features non-stop action, and delivers an adventure with plenty of heart and full of hope, which is what Luffy would want. More importantly, it maintains the spirit of Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece, letting its freak flag fly and flaunting its colors with pride. One Piece: Into the Grand Line has everything going for it to become one of Netflix’s all-time best originals, and this new season is proof. Time will tell if the series can continue this streak with its already confirmed Season 3, which is set to adapt the Alabasta arc, but for now, it remains the best live-action adaptation on television, and the competition isn’t even remotely close.

One Piece: Into the Grand Line is now streaming on Netflix.

General Hospital two-week spoilers for March 9th through the 20th stun as Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) terrified and Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening) won’t stop. Let’s dive into what’s coming up in Port Charles.

General Hospital Spoilers Monday, March 9th: Kristina Needs Help and Valentin Questions Last Night

On Monday, March 9th, Kristina Corinthos-Davis (Kate Mansi) tells Jacinda Bracken (Paige Herschell) she’s in desperate need of her help. Kristina may want Jacinda to come help her run Charlie’s pub.

Things explode between Carly Corinthos Spencer (Laura Wright) and Jason Morgan (Steve Burton). He tells Carly she needs to cut ties with Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) before he gets her killed.

Lulu tells Nathan West (Ryan Paevey) maybe they should just face the music. Looks like they’re about to tell Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) they have feelings for each other but judging by this week’s GH promo, Maxie might beat them to punch.

GH Spoilers: Maxie Blabs about Lulu/Nathan?

Also, Maxie says more than she should, and unless it’s some very clever editing, it looks like Maxie tells Dante about Lulu and Nathan before they get the chance to because as they enter Dante’s office, Maxie says, “Too late.” Meanwhile, in bed, the morning after, Valentin asks Carly if she thinks they made a mistake.

Also, Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke) eavesdrops and hits paydirt. Is this about Valentin or about Lulu and Nathan? Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) welcomes someone to their first day. She’s in Willow Tait‘s (Katelyn MacMullen) Congressional office welcoming her to her first official day in Drew Cain Quartermaine‘s (Cameron Mathison) place.

Willow gets new orders from Sidwell. He shows up at Willow’s house and makes clear that if there’s any difference of opinion, that she needs to look to Ezra Boyle (Daniel Cosgrove) for guidance, not Laura Spencer (Genie Francis). And Willow says she assumed Ezra spoke on Sidwell’s behalf.

He says yes then reminds Willow she wouldn’t be where she was without him. Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) warns Josslyn that things just got a lot more dangerous for her. He might think Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) knows she’s WSB. We know Josslyn seems to be on Director Cullum’s radar.

General Hospital Spoilers Tuesday, March 10th: Jason and Britt Develop a Strategy

On Tuesday, March 10th, Jason and Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) develop a strategy. This is likely about getting her meds. Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) panics. He might be caught snooping by Pascal, Cullum, or his dad and land in hot water.

Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) and Jacinda, are interrupted by Kristina. While they’re getting frisky? Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) makes a plea to someone. This week, she’s at Willow’s house having a tense chat. I wonder if Alexis tells Willow she knows she shot Drew.

Or is Willow asking for her to drop out of Drew’s Congressional seat? Also, Nina’s cornered. May be Brennan trying to find Valentin. Or does Charlotte confront Nina about being a traitor and feeding Jack info?

Wednesday, March 11th: Dante and Elizabeth Find Common Ground on GH

On Wednesday, March 11th, Dante and Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) find things in common. Dante and Elizabeth talk in a room at General Hospital. Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) is interrogated by Alexis. Is it about Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor) or the Willow Congress thing?

Lulu confides in Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot). I’m sure this is about Maxie and Nathan. Cody Bell (Josh Kelly) is insistent. I’m sure he wants Molly Lansing-Davis (Kristen Vaganos) to publish her novel because he loves it now. Justine’s playing it cool with Sonny. You know they’re not going to be able to stop.

Thursday, March 12th: Lulu Turns to Carly for Advice on General Hospital

On Thursday, March 12th, Lulu turns to Carly for advice, likely about Maxie and Nathan. Britt shows her gratitude. To Lucas Jones (Van Hansis? Jason? Did they get her meds? Maxie is after answers. About the Deception deal or Nathan and Lulu? Valentin mulls an offer. From Jason or Josslyn? Carly and Valentin may want to stay close. Dante and Cody catch up on General Hospital.

GH Spoilers Friday, March 13th: Chase Has a Request

On Friday, March 13th, Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) has a request for someone. Is it about the baby? This week, Carly’s with Brennan in the kitchen at Bobbie’s Diner and they look alarmed at someone that comes in.

Portia Robinson (Brook Kerr) is in for a shock. Does she find out Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper) pregnant? Dante brings Elizabeth news. Is this about the dead lady and baby? Jordan’s keeping a secret that might get out. Bun in the oven?

Week Two: March 16th-20th Spoilers

During the second week, Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) is off canvas for a while heading to a medical conference in New Zealand. Ethan Lovett’s back in April. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for him. Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) and Chase spend time with baby Jane Doe and search for her family. Willow settles into office—under Sidwell’s orders and being managed by Ezra.

Jordan struggles carrying her secret. Maxie has conflicted feelings about Nathan. Lulu feels terrible and is afraid to lose Maxie but doesn’t want to give up Nathan. Carly and Valentin get closer. Josslyn is terrified for Carly. Sonny and Justine pulled to each other. Elizabeth and Dante get closer. Sparks flying. Progress made with Britt’s meds. Jason’s gone soon as Steve Burton’s temp hiatus kicks in—rumor has it he’s kidnapped. Sidwell and Carly do their party planning.

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Published
March 9, 2026
5:49 PM PDT