Not even a quick vomit break can stop Coco Gauff.

The pro tennis player had to call a medical timeout during the second set of her match at the Madrid Open against Sorana Cirstea on Sunday, April 26, running to the side of the court before getting sick.

The short delay didn’t hold her back long, as Gauff went on to advance in the tournament, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

“I don’t know how I got it done,” Gauff told Sky Sports after the match. “Just dealing with a lot of trying to keep my food down. But once I threw up — and I was able to throw up after the first set — I felt a bit better.

Related: Coco Gauff Calls Out TV Broadcast After Being Caught Smashing Her Racket

Coco Gauff is advocating for player privacy after TV cameras captured her smashing her racket following a loss at the 2026 Australian Open. “I kind of have a thing with the broadcast,” Gauff, 21, told reporters after her quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina on Tuesday, January 27. “I feel like certain moments — the same […]

She continued, “It was just a tough match. I think I got the Madrid stomach virus that’s going around. I’m usually someone who doesn’t get sick. My luck today just wasn’t good.”

Gauff’s medical issues came just one day after Iga Swiatek had to retire in the third set of her match. Swiatek also took a medical timeout but — unlike Gauff — ultimately had to step away from the court.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine in a couple of days, but I had zero energy,” Swiatek told Tennis.com after withdrawing. “I just felt really bad physically and yesterday, even worse. So I thought maybe today it’s gonna be better, but maybe it was, but not enough to play a match.”

She continued, “The symptoms are not something you want to hear about.”

Nearly half a dozen players have been forced to retire from the tournament so far due to an illness that is seemingly making its rounds.

“When I actually threw up on the court, that was a little bit embarrassing,” Gauff told reporters, per the WTA. “Then after that first game and the second, I was like that took everything out of me. I’m someone who doesn’t like to pull out [of matches]. I don’t like to do that unless I really feel like I have no other options.”

She continued, “So the plan was to always just try to finish, even if it ended up with me, just playing just to get through it.”

Related: Coco Gauff Felt ‘Mentally Overwhelmed’ Before Early Wimbledon Exit

No. 2-ranked Coco Gauff was noticeably off her game in her shocking first-round loss at Wimbledon on Tuesday, July 1, to unseeded Dayana Yastremska. Gauff, 21, lost 7-6 (3), 6-1, and finished with 29 unforced errors and nine double-faults. After the match, she opened up about what went wrong, saying her French Open win last […]

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Gauff next faces No. 13 Linda Noskova on Monday, April 27.

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Jannik Sinner — the World No. 1 on the men’s side — said he’s doing everything he can to avoid the stomach bug.

“I come match days a little bit earlier, but practice days are very late,” Sinner said. “I practice, and then I get away. But this is how I do every tournament.”

He continued, “I don’t know if it’s something that’s just around here or in general, but this can happen. When one gets sick, you’re always quite close to each other in the dining rooms and in the gym.”

There are some sci-fi movies that age, and then there are the ones that somehow get sharper every single year. Ex Machina is very much the second kind. Alex Garland’s directorial debut still feels sleek, unsettling, and way too relevant, even more than a decade after it first landed. It’s the kind of film people keep rediscovering because the ideas haven’t gone stale, the performances still hit, and the whole thing remains just a little bit unnerving in the best possible way.

If you’ve been putting off a rewatch, you don’t have much room left. Ex Machina is leaving HBO Max at the end of April, with May 1 marked as the cutoff. That gives viewers only a short window to catch it before it drops out of the platform’s library. That matters because this one isn’t just “good for sci-fi fans.” It’s one of the defining genre movies of the 2010s, full stop. With Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, and Oscar Isaac doing some of the best work of their careers, the movie turns a contained premise into something tense, intimate, and deeply creepy. It’s smart without being smug and stylish without losing its edge. HBO Max losing it is a blow, so yeah, now would be a very good time to press play.

How Good Is ‘Ex Machina’?

The cast is a huge part of why the movie works as well as it does. Gleeson and Isaac play off each other superbly, and Vikander delivers a star-making performance that’s one of the decade’s finest. Collider’s Perri Nemiroff reviewed the movie at SXSW in 2015, and she was a huge fan of what she saw from Garland’s debut outing:

“Clearly Garland set out to deliver a deeply character-driven A.I. film and picking apart her programming could have steered it in a different direction, but the idea is so surprisingly grounded that that’s what I was most interested in. Ex Machina is a strong feature and a huge achievement in a number of ways. There’s a surprising amount of very effective humor courtesy of Isaac’s character, there’s an extremely riveting scenario at the core of the film, and there’s also tons of stunning visual work to admire as well. But, for an exceptionally unique and layered character study, Ex Machina has a surprisingly minimal amount of humanity and that keeps the film from striking a chord on a deeper level and having a lasting effect.”

Ex Machina leaves HBO Max at the end of April.

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Release Date

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April 24, 2015

Runtime

108 minutes

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Director

Alex Garland

Writers

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Alex Garland

Producers

Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald

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By TeeJay Small
| Published 22 seconds ago

You probably know Bill Murray as one of the greatest comedic minds of the 1980s through the mid 2000s. If you’ve followed his career closely, you’ve seen him put audiences in stitches with performances in Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters, Zombieland, and everything in between. Still, every actor makes a few questionable choices in their time, and not every Bill Murray performance is a slam dunk. Fans of the comedic A-lister were shocked, for instance, when Murray agreed to voice the titular orange cat in 2004’s Garfield: The Movie, a role he later revealed he took by mistake after mistaking writer Joel Cohen for Joel Coen.

When this casting news was first announced, fans pontificated on the reason why Bill Murray would agree to lead a highly sanitized PG movie. After all, his other projects around that time include such mature, introspective hits as The Royal Tenenbaums, Lost in Translation, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Surprisingly, it turns out that Murray signed on to voice Garfield not for a quick paycheck, not out of love for the original comic strip, but purely by accident, due to this case of mistaken identity.

Not The Coen He Was Looking For

2004’s Garfield: The Movie was written by a screenwriter named Joel Cohen. Cohen is credited as a writer on such hit films as Toy Story, Cheaper By The Dozen, and Evan Almighty. When Bill Murray saw the name on the screenplay for Garfield: The Movie, he mistook the scribe for the very similarly-named Joel Coen, of the Coen Brothers. The Coens, as you likely already know, have a penchant for writing off-beat comedic films that would be a much better fit for Bill Murray’s off-the-walls personality than Garfield: The Movie.

Bill Murray spoke on this subject over a decade ago during a Reddit AMA session. Responding to a fan who asked if there would ever be a third Garfield film, Murray stated “I wasn’t thinking clearly, but it was spelled Cohen, not Coen. I love the Coen brothers movies. I think that Joel Coen is a wonderful comedic mind. So I didn’t really bother to finish the script, I thought ‘he’s great, I’ll do it.’” The comedian claims that he didn’t realize Cohen and Coen were different people until months later, after he started laying down his lines.

A Simple Misunderstanding Extrapolated To Absurdity

In that very same comment, Bill Murray outlined his process while working on Garfield: The Movie, and spoke as though the experience was complete torture. He adds “It was sort of like Fantastic Mr. Fox without the joy or the fun.” Furthermore, Murray claims that all the live action parts of the film were shot before he laid down any lines, and the Garfield model was composited in as a gray blob. It’s well known that Murray improvised heavily throughout the recording process, but he revealed during his Reddit Q&A that he made numerous attempts to reframe entire scenes by swapping his dialogue with jokes that more closely aligned with his vision, much to the chagrin of Joel Cohen.

In an era of social media, it seems like celebrities are more accessible to the public than ever before. Even still, I’m not sure there’s anything more relatable than a guy taking on a massive months-long job based on a simple miscommunication because he couldn’t be bothered to proofread for a single letter H. To this day, Bill Murray has still never worked with the Coen brothers, but he did complete two Garfield films, which are currently available to stream on Hulu.

For a director so closely tied to giant robots, slow-motion chaos, and things exploding in increasingly dramatic ways, Michael Bay has one movie that always feels a little overlooked in the conversation. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is still very much a Bay movie, but it’s also one of his leanest and most relentless. Based on the 2012 attacks in Benghazi and adapted from Mitchell Zuckoff’s nonfiction book, the film follows six ex-military operators defending a CIA annex under overwhelming pressure. It’s now part of Paramount+’s May 1 arrivals, which gives the movie another shot at finding a bigger streaming audience.

The movie is a classic combo deal: It has the trapped-in-combat intensity and tactical grit of a modern war thriller, but it’s filtered through Bay’s love of scale, impact, and sensory overload. That mix didn’t make it one of his biggest box office hits, but it has helped the film build a reputation as one of his more mature and grounded efforts.

The cast of 13 Hours includes James Badge Dale (The Departed, World War Z) as Tyrone “Rone” Woods, John Krasinski (A Quiet Place, The Office) as Jack Silva, Pablo Schreiber (Den of Thieves, Skyscraper) as Kris “Tanto” Paronto, Max Martini (Pacific Rim, Captain Phillips) as Mark “Oz” Geist, Dominic Fumusa (Focus, The Irishman) as John “Tig” Tiegen, David Denman (Brightburn, Rebel Ridge) as Dave “Boon” Benton, and Toby Stephens (Die Another Day) as Glen “Bob” Doherty.

Is ’13 Hours’ Worth Watching?

Collider’s review stated that 13 Hours is one of the clearest examples of Bay’s strengths and weaknesses colliding in the worst way. On one hand, the film has scale, noise, and plenty of chaotic action. On the other, it takes an incredibly complicated real-world event and flattens it into a shallow, macho action story with almost no nuance. That leads into the review’s biggest criticism: the film’s politics and worldview. Even when Bay claims the movie is just about honoring the men involved, the storytelling reduces everything into armed American heroes versus sinister enemies, while anyone outside that frame is treated as weak, clueless, or disposable. The review argues that Bay has no interest in complexity, only in turning the story into another siege movie with lots of gunfire and hard-edged posturing.

13 Hours arrives on Paramount+ next month.

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January 14, 2016

Runtime

144 minutes

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Writers

Chuck Hogan

Producers

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Erwin Stoff, Matthew Cohan, Scott Gardenhour

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Netflix has delivered hit after hit when it comes to engaging series, and within its massive library are rare gems that hold audiences’ attention from the very beginning, right on up until the end. The true standouts of those captivating series are those that never lose momentum, whether with the help of interesting characters, carefully paced narratives, or simply gripping storytelling.

Impeccable Netflix series like the brilliant romance drama, One Day, which stands as one of the most heartfelt and well-done miniseries to ever exist, and the iconic horror epic, The Haunting of Hill House, which blends emotional depth and psychological horror to create a tense and layered narrative, are two prime examples of the kinds of series within Netflix’s catalog that can turn a casual viewing experience into a full-on binge session. Compiled on this list are other such shows—Netflix greats that keep viewers hooked from start to finish.

10

‘On My Block’ (2018–2021)

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On My Block is an entertaining combination of humor, coming-of-age storytelling, mystery, and a surprising amount of emotional depth. The underappreciated teen drama follows a tight-knit group of friends—Monse Finnie (Sierra Capri), Ruby Martinez (Jason Genao), Jamal Turner (Brett Gray), and Cesar Diaz (Diego Tinoco)—as they navigate adolescence, family pressure, crushes, gang activity, and neighborhood volatility.

On My Block is one of Netflix’s most underrated series. It may be a teen drama, but the story tends to resonate with viewers of all ages. On My Block hosts a fast-moving plot and a vibrant batch of characters that genuinely captivate audiences. The series is often truly heartfelt and wields a laugh-out-loud comedy that never denies the high stakes of the story, keeping its momentum strong throughout its run. With friendships vivid enough that every fracture hurts, and an evolution that keeps climbing without losing its coming-of-age heartbeat, On My Block offers audiences a truly great time from beginning to end.

9

‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)

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This masterclass in psychological drama wields extremely meticulous storytelling. Set in the late 1970s, the Netflix series, Mindhunter, focuses on FBI agents, Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), and Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) as they help build the FBI’s behavioral-science approach by interviewing serial killers and trying to understand their patterns of violence before other crimes occur.

Mindhunter has often been lauded as a “just one more episode” kind of series. The show’s addictive combination of procedural structure with creeping psychological contamination keeps viewers thoroughly engaged and hanging on to every quiet revelation and unsettling conversation within each episode. Mindhunter is consistently strong across its two seasons, and even with an abrupt end, it stands as one of Netflix’s most hypnotic unfinished masterpieces.

8

‘The Last Kingdom’ (2015–2022)

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The Last Kingdom is an ambitious Netflix gem that doesn’t get talked about enough. The sweeping historical drama centers around the Saxon-born Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon), who, raised by Danes, is permanently split between bloodlines, ambition, and loyalties as the kingdoms rise and fracture around him.

The Last Kingdom is pure bingeable material. Its historical nature tends to suck audiences in as it wastes very little narrative energy. From politics that remain legible and strong action, to character arcs that carry enough personal resentment that even viewers are able to feel it, the series delivers a binge-watch that is consistently entertaining for its entire run. Season to season, The Last Kingdom gifts audiences with rising stakes and powerful character arcs, making it an insanely good time for viewers—a watch that never truly falters.

7

‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018)

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This limited horror series is quite the watch, and stands as one of Netflix’s most memorable standouts. The Haunting of Hill focuses on the siblings—including Steven Crain (Michiel Huisman), Shirley Crain (Elizabeth Reaser), and Luke Crain (Oliver Jackson-Cohen)—as they’re forced back to their family home, rife with trauma, after a family tragedy reopens old wounds.

The Haunting of Hill House is absolutely peak binging material as it keeps a quality balance of deeply emotional storytelling and psychological horror, weaving together past and present timelines to increase both character depth and chilling tension. The series consistently widens the mystery of its world with each episode, ensuring viewers are engaged enough to steadily wonder about the much bigger picture. With a literal haunting atmosphere and a steady maintenance of a gripping narrative, The Haunting of Hill House stands as a strong single-season watch that easily earns its place on this list.

6

‘3 Body Problem’ (2024–Present)

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3 Body Problem is a fantastic sci-fi series that offers audiences a complex narrative grounded in global stakes. The series follows a group of investigators and scientists as they uncover a mysterious signal that threatens civilization as they know it, triggering a chain of events that disrupts scientific reality and forces humanity to confront a coming extraterrestrial force.

With a solid combination of mystery-box plotting, a cosmic threat, philosophical inquiry, and pure scientific dread, 3 Body Problem delivers a solid, binge-worthy watch. From beginning to end, the series ensures that its audience is on the edge of their seats, absolutely desperate for answers. Despite quite a few slower moments, the series remains completely engaging, never offering a dull moment that feels unimportant. With each captivating installment, 3 Body Problem’s story scale changes, making it a genuinely gripping show that keeps its viewers thoroughly hooked throughout its run.

5

‘Alice in Borderland’ (2020–Present)

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This Netflix sci-fi series is an underrated watch about deadly games of survival. The Japanese series, Alice in Borderland, centers on Ryohei Arisu (Kento Yamazaki), as he and his two close friends are thrown into an emptied-out Tokyo where survival depends on deadly games.

Before there were icons like Squid Game, there were thrill rides such as Alice in Borderland. The series is an intriguing blend of mystery, action, and psychological tension. Alice in Borderland quickly establishes its high stakes, hooking viewers in almost immediately. Its constant twists maintain a gripping pace that keeps audiences guessing until the very end. Alice in Borderland is an underrated sci-fi epic that remains addictive throughout its entirety, keeping viewers hooked from start to finish.

4

‘Blue Eye Samurai’ (2023–Present)

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Blue-Eye Samurai is a fantastic adult animation that has a brilliant story and captivating action sequences. The show’s story is set in Edo-period Japan and focuses on a disguised swordsman, Mizu (Maya Erskine), as she desperately pursues revenge.

Blue Eye Samurai is one of those rare watches that hosts episodes that feel handcrafted and purposeful. Not only is the series’ character work strong enough to support its almost constant state of violence with a visual style that gives quieter scenes momentum, but Blue Eye Samurai also offers audiences quality depth that is genuinely moving. The show stands as one of Netflix’s finest modern animated series, and its ability to remain intense and engaging makes it a bingeable good time from beginning to end.

3

‘One Day’ (2024)

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This limited series is as beautiful and heartbreaking as it is deeply personal, tracing a love story that is quite intoxicating to witness. The Netflix romance drama One Day, centers around best friends Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) as their relationship evolves while they revisit the same day each year, reconnecting and drifting apart as their lives unfold.

One Day is truly a watch unlike any other. It’s an absorbing, binge-worthy series for its romance story and calendar structure. Every episode sparks curiosity in viewers: what has changed, what the characters have lost, and what might still be possible for them and those around them. One Day’s design creates emotional cliffhangers at the end of each installment, never relying on unnecessary plot gimmicks, which results in a genuinely compelling romantic drama that feels intimate, cumulative, and very hard to pause in between episodes, right up until the end.

2

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)

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The Queen’s Gambit delves deep into addiction, ambition, and genius as it builds consistent tension through character and strategy. The Netflix miniseries focuses on orphaned prodigy Beth Harmon’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) rise to an elite chess contender as she battles addiction, loneliness, and the psychological costs of being a genius.

The Queen’s Gambit sparked an almost instant new passion for chess around the world, as the show turned the game into gripping cinema by framing every competition as an extension of Beth’s internal state, and somehow never reducing her to talent. The captivating limited series wields a posh combination of visual polish and sports-drama momentum that makes certain that no scene is wasted. The Queen’s Gambit is truly gripping from its very first episode and builds towards a rather satisfying conclusion that makes even the quiet moments feel tense and deeply impactful.

1

‘Sense8’ (2015–2018)

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This quiet icon may be one of Netflix’s most underrated shows ever, but it also happens to be one of the platform’s most brilliant gems. Sense8 follows a group of strangers bound by a psychic connection that allows them to share each other’s thoughts, skills, emotions, and even physical presence across continents.

Sense8 is undeniably a fantastic watch that explores identity, connection, and love. It’s an ambitious story that draws viewers into its intricate web of emotion. Sense8 is such a great bingeing experience, mostly due to the show’s emotional generosity that’s baked into its high concept—a sincerity that transforms its story’s romance, action, and conspiratorial plotting into something deeply human, marking it as a perfect addition to this list of Netflix shows that will keep its viewers hooked from start to finish.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 1 second ago

Now that Netflix’s live-action One Piece Season 2 has been out for awhile, you’ve probably become curious about how it matches up to the original One Piece anime. As with the first season, manga creator Eiichrio Oda was actively involved in all stages of production, even helping with adjustments from the source material and giving them his blessing. His level of involvement is why the series is the new gold standard for live-action adaptations. 

The Garp And Gol D. Roger Flashback

Ripped from the Marineford arc and dropped at the start of Season 2’s Loguetown episode, Garp and Gol D. Roger’s conversation is a bit of misdirection. Fans watching only the live-action series would think that Roger is asking Garp, who we know is Luffy’s grandfather, to take care of his son. That would mean Luffy is the son of the greatest Pirate in history. 

Except he’s not. Long-time fans know that Roger’s son is Ace, part of Whitebeard’s pirate crew, and user of the Flame Flame Devil Fruit. DC’s Blue Beetle, Xolo Marideuna will play Ace when he makes his first appearance in Season 3. 

For now, the flashback to Roger’s execution hints at the existence of his son, misdirects the audience, and lays the stage for something Oda did a lot during One Piece Season 2: placing events from future arcs much, much earlier than before, but where they make perfect sense. 

Bartolomeo Appears Much Much Earlier

An example of an early appearance comes right in Episode 1, when the memorable green hair and canines of Bartolomeo appears as a very confused bystander in Loguetown. He doesn’t appear in the anime until episode 633, over 500 episodes from the events of the first episode. But what he does do in the anime, is mention that he saw Luffy during the events in Loguetown. That makes this one of the best changes any live-action adaptation has ever made. 

Bartolomeo may not be an East Blue mob boss, but his inclusion in Roger’s execution is technically, not a change from the anime. It’s a bit of a tease for fans as we may not see him again during the Netflix show’s run, unless they start compressing even more arcs each season, and they did a great job bringing the character’s strange appearance to life. He’d eventually become Luffy’s biggest fan, and his ship, the Going Luffy-senpai, is as ridiculous as his fashion sense. 

Brook’s Human Form

Yet another pull from the future came in Episode 2, “Good Whale Hunting.” Anime viewers didn’t get to see Brook as a human until long after they got used to his undead skeleton form. His backstory isn’t shown until episode 379, over 40 episodes after his first appearance, and by then, it’s been hundreds of episodes since Reverse Mountain. Including the flashback right away, to explain Laboon’s obsession with ramming the mountain, teases fans with what’s to come, and gives the heartbreaking story maximum emotional impact. 

If Brook ever does return to the live-action One Piece, at least Martial T. Bachamen has nailed the look for one of the most unique Straw Hat Pirates. Fans will have to keep waiting to see how they’ll get across his skeletal appearance and wild fighting style in live-action.

Luffy Befriending Laboon 

The live-action series changed a lot about the Reverse Mountain arc, from Crocus living inside Laboon, to the weird sky painted on the inside of the whale’s stomach. Among all the changes, Luffy’s plea for friendship is one of the best. It’s perfectly fitting that Luffy, the most joyous, upbeat, enthusiastic character in One Piece, would use the power of friendship to win over the massive whale. 

In the anime and manga, Luffy stabs Laboon with the mast of the Going Merry. Instead of declaring their friendship, he announces that he and Laboon are now rivals. On the one hand, that’s how boys make friends, on the other, the live-action did it so well while being true to Luffy’s nature, that both versions work. 

Luffy And Zoro Don’t Fight

Zoro gets his shining moment in Whiskey Peak by taking on 100 members of Baroque Works, in what’s not only the highpoint of Season 2, but in the running for Netflix’s best action scene ever. What’s left out, is what comes next in the other adaptations: Luffy attacks Zoro for killing a lot of people he has no idea are Baroque agents. It’s the first real showdown between the two friends and it only comes to an end when Nami acts as the voice of reason. Sort of.

It was a stand out moment in the anime as anime fans love nothing more than debating who can beat who (saying Saitama form One-Punch Man would win is always an immediate flag on the play). Zoro, the greatest swordsman, against Luffy, the indestructible rubber man? It’s a great match up, which Luffy would win 10 out of 10 times, but it’s also easy to see why the live-action series cut it out. 

Zoro And Sanji’s Dino Hunt

Little Garden is an interesting early island. Giants weren’t enough, it had to include actual dinosaurs. In the Netflix series, Zoro and Sanji argue over who can take down the biggest beast, and they end up arguing over who landed the killing blow on a massive T-Rex. In the source material, they each take down one of their own. They still argue, but it’s more evidence that Sanji isn’t the joke his only-kicks fighting style can make him look like. 

Another small change that ties into the fauna of Little Garden is the missing shot of the insect that bites Nami and gets her sick. Removing any foreshadowing of the illness worked, and Nami going down during the party is an effective teaser for the next part of the journey. 

The Marines vs. Baroque Works

Season 1 add a whole new subplot with Kolby and Helmpopo, so it makes sense that Season 2 keeps the Marines involved by including a sequence with Smoker and Tashigi investigating a Marine listening post under a Baroque Works assault. This is the type of addition that helps expand the world of One Piece. Even when the focus is on the Straw Hat Pirates, other characters are going on adventures in the background. 

The other reason for the addition is to remind viewers that Smoker is an absolute unit. Without breaking a sweat, he goes through a unit of Agents and Miss Thursday. There’s nothing wrong with letting cool characters show why they’re cool. It’s the basis of Shonen anime. 

The Flag 

It’s one of the moments in the anime that establishes Luffy as a badass. When he dives and saves Chopper’s flag from destruction at the hands of King Wapol, he’s covered in smoke. Then it clears, and there’s Luffy, holding onto the tattered flag, standing on top of the castle. The kids call this aura farming. 

During the Season 2 live action climax, Luffy still saves the flag and gives his speech about what the flag represents to an astonished King Wapol. The scene is still there, but the scale is smaller, the only ones present are Wapol and the crew of the Going Merry. It’s a great moment, and Luffy shows a small fraction of his potential power in absorbing the direct hit, but as with most of the changes from the anime to the live-action, it cuts everything down. Which is understandable, but if more adaptations did it like this, the track record would be a lot better.

One Piece is a Netflix Original, and can be streamed with an active subscription.

During Harry Potter’s (Daniel Radcliffe) more-than-eventful years at Hogwarts, many background students have made their own little yet memorable impacts on the magical franchise. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, it is a young, overly enthusiastic photographer who gives us no choice but to keep our attention on him. Colin Creevey (Hugh Mitchell) was always accompanied by the bright flash of his camera, an incessant grin and a starstruck expression every time Harry was near him. However, he notably disappeared from the rest of the films in the franchise despite being featured in the remaining novels. So, what happened to this slightly irritating, but amusing Harry fan?

Why Did Colin Creevey Disappear in the ‘Harry Potter’ Movies?

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While Colin only had a brief role in Chamber of Secrets, he was a scene-stealer whenever he appeared on-screen. No one can forget his limitless bounds of childlike excitement, especially as he latches onto Harry and idolizes him. In both the film and the book, Colin became one of the victims of the Basilik Harry was fighting up against, avoiding death through his passion for photography as he only saw the snake through the camera. Though he was cured of his petrification by the end of the film, Colin was nowhere to be seen in the rest of the franchise.

There has never been an official announcement regarding his exit from the movies nor was there any in-film explanation for his disappearance. Fans have theorized that Colin’s exit from the franchise could be due to a growth spurt, which would undermine the innocent appearance of the character. This theory arose after another character was given similar treatment — a movie-only character who replaced Colin’s story arc from the novels.

Colin Creevey Was Replaced in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’

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Nigel Wolbert (William Melling) was introduced in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and, despite being a character that was created solely for the movies, fans quickly recognized that he replaced both Colin and his brother from the books. Colin’s younger brother was introduced as a first-year in Goblet of Fire, just as Nigel was, but Nigel’s later role in Dumbledore’s Army is more akin to Colin’s story in the books. During an interview at Leakycon 2012, Melling revealed that the plan for Nigel’s character was to face the same fate Colin would have, had he stayed on in the films. However, Nigel doesn’t appear at the end of the battle against Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at all.

Melling explained that Nigel was supposed to be killed off, but they were unable to include that scene because he was “a lot bigger” by that point and thus didn’t look “innocent enough.” In the novels, Colin’s death at the end of the battle was a brief yet provocative detail, made even more awful by how young he was. As such, the slightly more grown version of Nigel wouldn’t have evoked the same devastation that a childlike figure would have, leading them to scrap the scene entirely. It is reasonable to guess that Mitchell would have left the films for the same reasons, as he was already older than Melling at this point in the production as well.

What Happened to Colin Creevey in the ‘Harry Potter’ Books?

If the films had stayed faithful to Colin’s character, we would have continued to see him hang around Harry, despite the latter’s reluctance to drag a younger classmate into his dangerous ordeals. The books subtly created a connection between us and Colin, as he was a constant presence and a gentle reminder of the youth at Hogwarts. When the battle came about, all the underage students were sent home, but Colin slipped through the ranks and continued to fight with Dumbledore’s Army. During the final battle, we don’t see any of the action Colin participates in, which makes his death more devastating, as Harry spots Colin’s lifeless body in the Great Hall and feels a pang of deep remorse over the loss of innocence.

While the Harry Potter films were unable to uphold this wide-eyed character’s storyline, there is still a chance it will come to fruition on the screen with the upcoming TV show. Perhaps casting an even younger actor to avoid the complications of another growth spurt could be possible, or even just sticking it out and trusting the actor to embody innocence enough during those final moments. Though Colin is by no means an integral character to the magical story of Harry Potter, he certainly adds a whimsical spark that we all look forward to seeing — hopefully, in a continued capacity this time.

Fans have been flooding Megan Thee Stallion with support after she confirmed her breakup with Klay Thompson, and a few celebrity friends have been doing the same too. Angel Reese is the latest to seemingly react to the bombshell news that the rapper and baller have split. Angel dropped a heartfelt message for Meg after video surfaced showing her getting emotional following her Broadway performance.

RELATED: Hotties Stand Up! Fans Show Megan Thee Stallion Love On Social Media Amid Breakup With Klay Thompson (PHOTOS)

Angel Reese Shows Love To Megan Thee Stallion After Emotional Broadway Moment

On Sunday, April 26, Angel Reese sent Megan Thee Stallion some positive vibes after video footage showed her getting emotional following her ‘Moulin Rouge’ performance. The clip showed her wiping away tears while receiving a standing ovation after the show. Angel reshared the video on X (formerly Twitter) along with a message telling Meg that she’s an inspiration because she always shows up, no matter what she’s dealing with.

“It’s the way you show up even while carrying so much—that’s what makes you THAT girl. You always have a little sister riding for you at dawn. I love you, sister ” 

Asian Doll Stands Ten Toes Behind Megan

Angel Reese isn’t the only one standing ten toes behind Megan. Asian Doll also entered the chat to defend her after a troll posted a message saying that Meg doesn’t seem like a good person. Asian peeped the comment and clapped back on X, writing, “Looks can be deceiving b***h!!! She’s actually a GREAT PERSON in person tf.” 

Meg Confirms Breakup With Klay In Official Statement

Support and love for Megan Thee Stallion started pouring in after she dropped a cryptic message on her Instagram Story on Saturday, mentioning “cheating” and “mood swings during basketball season.” Fans immediately clocked the post and assumed she was talking about Klay Thompson. Folks online ended up being right, as TMZ later shared an official statement from her where she confirmed that she and Klay split because fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for her.

“I’ve made the decision to end my relationship with Klay. Trust, fidelity, and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship, and when those are compromised, there’s no real path forward. I’m taking this time to prioritize myself and move ahead with peace and clarity.”

RELATED: Yikes! Fans Flood Klay Thompson’s Comments As Megan Thee Stallion CONFIRMS Their Breakup (PHOTOS) 

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 17 seconds ago

Do you know what happens when Star Wars fans get together? If you said “embarrassing things,” you’re correct, but I meant more specifically. After a few conversations and a few beers (or maybe spiked blue milks), everyone starts dishing on their favorite franchise plot holes. These are supposedly narrative mistakes that make this famous galaxy far, far away feel that much less immersive. Incidentally, the one “plot hole” that comes up most frequently in these discussions is the idea that Order 66 should have killed more Jedi than it actually did.

In the Original Trilogy, we are introduced to the idea that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are the last Jedi in the galaxy. But the prequels, sequels, and an entire universe of tie-in books, comics, and games have increasingly introduced more Jedi characters that survived Emperor Palpatine’s galactic purge of these laser sword-wielding do-gooders. However, as usual, the fandom is griping for no good reason because, based on the sheer onscreen incompetence of Palpatine and his clones, it’s a miracle that more Jedi didn’t survive this sloppy attempt at mass murder.

The Stupidest Order In The Galaxy

The Star Wars movies A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back presented Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda as the only surviving Jedi. Of course, Kenobi didn’t give too many granular details as to how the Jedi died. All he told young Luke Skywalker in that first movie is that Darth Vader “helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights.… now, the Jedi are all but extinct.” Nobody really questioned this because we had no idea how many Jedi there were to begin with. Plus, it was easy enough to imagine the most powerful guy in the galaxy using all of a vast, galaxy-spanning Empire’s resources to hunt and kill a bunch of hippie space wizards.

But in Revenge of the Sith, we see how it all went down. Palpatine had a hidden command secretly installed in the brains of all the clones who were fighting side-by-side with the Jedi during the Clone Wars. Once the Emperor commanded them to “Execute Order 66,” all of the clones stopped what they were doing to immediately kill the closest Jedi. In a montage of bleak scenes, we see how sudden surprise blaster fire was enough to kill even Jedi Masters like Ki-Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, and Aayla Secura.

Holo Pursuits

At the time, it made a kind of morbid sense. We had previously seen how Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi could deflect a handful of blaster bolts, so it seemed reasonable to believe they couldn’t survive if a small army fired on them all at once. However, some of the clones were downright sloppy with their execution attempts. Because of their methods and the whole design of Palpatine’s harebrained scheme, it was basically inevitable that countless warriors would survive this attempted purge. This would explain why popular Jedi like Kanan Jarrus, Ahsoka Tano, Cal Kestis, and even Grogu survived Order 66.

When you re-watch Revenge of the Sith, notice how sloppy the Clone Troopers are. Cody basically fires one shot at Obi-Wan Kenobi and assumes falling into the water will be enough to kill the guy who can take on entire droid armies by himself. The handful of clones who try to kill Yoda somehow forget that he can sense their intent through the Force. Even some of the successful kills are sloppy. Like, sure, y’all blew Plo Koon out of the sky, but other Jedi flying starships could likely hyperspace to safety (yes, they’d have to get to a hyperspace ring first, you can stop writing that comment).

When The Sith Go Marching In

My theory is simple: assuming other Jedi were in similar situations throughout the galaxy, quite a few Jedi would survive Order 66. If the Clone Troopers tried to fire on other warriors who were very far away (like Obi-Wan), the targeted Jedi would likely escape. If other clones tried to sneak up on Jedi in non-combat situations (like with Yoda), these Force users would sense their intent and kill them out of self-defense. Furthermore, if there aren’t enough Clones around when the order goes through, a Jedi could survive, say, only three or four people trying to shoot him, much like Obi-Wan did when fighting Battle Droids throughout the prequels.

Long story not very short, the Emperor came up with a stupid plan and executed it in the sloppiest possible way. Plus, contrary to what Obi-Wan said in A New Hope, later Star Wars shows make it seem like Vader stopped personally hunting down Jedi and left that task to the Inquisitors. Whenever the Inquisitors fight someone other than a helpless child or scared former Padawan, they get their butts handed to them, as seen in everything from Star Wars Rebels to the Fallen Order and Survivor video games. Because Order 66 was done so poorly, and Palpatine’s brute squad sucked so hard, it’s no wonder so many Jedi survived the purge.

In retrospect, this makes sense, too. Palpatine is infamous among fans for his insane plans, which included playing the commander in chief of two different warring armies so he could land the job of “mutilated president for life.” It’s only because of (let’s face it) bad writing on George Lucas’ part that any of the Emperor’s plans ever succeed. Order 66 was so utterly stupid and handled so poorly that it guaranteed plenty of Jedi survivors. But what else would you expect from someone who spent all his Empire’s credits on a space station that’s so easy to blow up … twice!

Tom Hardy is reportedly stepping away from the spotlight following the wrap of his latest crime drama “MobLand.”

Reports suggest the movie star is taking a break to rest as the demands of his physical roles have left him “falling to bits.”

Tom Hardy seems to have already started his acting hiatus as he was pictured enjoying a beach day in Barbados with his wife, Charlotte Riley, earlier this month.

Hardy would likely be out of the spotlight for the foreseeable future, as reports suggest he’s taking a “major career break” to rest.

Having starred in hit action films like “Venom,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and “Taboo,” to mention a few, it appears his physical roles have taken a toll on him, with an insider telling the Daily Mail that he plans “to take a sabbatical,” which can last for several years.

It appears his schedule is also clear for that, as he has finished filming the second series for “MobLand,” although it remains unclear which movies are in the pipeline for him.

According to the news outlet, Hardy will be stepping back “so he can have a rest,” but he previously complained that his demanding roles are physically wearing him out.

“I’ve had two knee surgeries now, my disc’s herniated in my back, I’ve got sciatica as well… It’s all falling to bits now, and it’s not going to get better,” Hardy told Esquire last year about his struggles.

There’s currently no release date yet for the second season of “MobLand,” but fans are eagerly waiting for the series as the first season was a major success when it dropped last year.

The Actor Wants To Spend More Time With His Family

Meanwhile, Hardy’s break from the spotlight could also be because he is looking to spend more time with his family.

The “Havoc” actor is married to actress Charlotte Riley, and they share 2 children together.

“Tom is one of the busiest men in the filming industry,” a source said. “Charlotte must never see him, but now she won’t be able to get enough of him.”

The couple seems to already be moving in that direction as they were seen taking a dip in the ocean while on holiday in Barbados earlier this month, per Fox News Digital.

For the outing, Hardy wore a gray UFC swimsuit with “Venum” written on the back while he flashed his tattoo as he went shirtless. Other photos showed him sitting on a lounge chair on the shore as he applied sunscreen.

Tom Hardy’s Wife Opened Up About Her First Impression Of The Actor

The couple first met in 2009 on the set of “Wuthering Heights,” after which they started dating and subsequently got engaged the following year.

They later tied the knot in 2014 at Château de Roussan in Provence, France, and have been doing stronger ever since.

Back in March, Riley spoke with The Times about her first impression of Hardy, revealing that he was such a gentleman with a sweet gesture he made to her.

“He made me a really decent cup of tea. Strong. There’s not much point if the spoon doesn’t stand up. … And he told me that his mother was northern,” she told the news outlet. “So, I thought, all right then. When somebody can give as good as they get, you know you’re in for a good time.”

The Actor Would Rather Play ‘Heavy’ Roles

Even though his roles are physically demanding, Hardy seemingly likes them like that and wouldn’t ask for any less.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that he turned down the idea of starring in a film that isn’t what he’s known for and may likely never act in something light-hearted, jokingly saying, “I don’t think I suit rom-coms.”

He continued, “I don’t know. I just don’t think I do. But maybe if it was interesting and good fun, I’d be up for it. But I haven’t seen anything come across the desk yet where I’d go, ‘Oh, I’d love to do that.’ So, we’ll wait, I’ll wait. It’s just as yet. … Hasn’t happened yet.”

Tom Hardy Reveals He’s Open To Stem Cell Therapy To Manage His Physical Decline

During an interview with Esquire, where he revealed his physical struggles, the actor admitted he was exploring new ways to manage his decline.

Asked about stem cell therapy, the “Inception” actor said it is something he would definitely consider.

“I think if it comes down to the wire and it seems the sensible thing to do and I take advice,” he said.

Hardy also refuses to let the physical strain slow him down as he remains dedicated to jiu-jitsu.