By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 hour ago

I spend a lot of time dunking on Star Wars. Accordingly, many people think I’m just a hater who loves to see this iconic franchise fail. In reality, the opposite is true: I have loved Star Wars for almost my entire life, and I’d love nothing more than to see it succeed. However, under Disney’s stewardship, the franchise has had quite a few critical and commercial missteps, so now I love Star Wars the same way you love the drunk uncle that slurs his way through Thanksgiving get-togethers. You know, the one who’s fun to talk to, but you’d secretly like him to put down the sauce and get his life together.

Your uncle is deeply unlikely to put himself together anytime soon, but it might not be too late for Star Wars. You see, Disney doesn’t need to reinvent the franchise from the ground up; instead, they just need to release one really great movie to remind audiences how great this franchise can be. Unfortunately, The Mandalorian and Grogu didn’t scratch that particular itch, and many fans decided they wanted something more from Star Wars than a spinoff of an outdated show. That’s why the House of Mouse needs to bring back the one canceled movie that can finally save this franchise: Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron.

Going Rogue

In The Empire Strikes Back, we learn that Luke Skywalker is the commander of Rogue Squadron. The exploits of these pilots (who are basically the best X-Wing pilots in the galaxy) and their new leader, Wedge Antilles, were recorded in some excellent Legends books by Michael Stackpole. In December 2020, Lucasfilm revealed that Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins would be directing a Rogue Squadron movie. Eventually, Jenkins left the project because she wanted to focus on other films, and the project seemingly died, though Jenkins later revealed that she signed a new deal to write the script for this X-Wing movie. However, there have been no real updates since then.

Given its name and its post-The Rise of Skywalker setting (something Jenkins’ film was supposed to have), most fans assume that Disney dropped Rogue Squadron in favor of Star Wars: Starfighter. However, it’s unclear how well Starfighter will go over with audiences because its rumored plot (about a grizzled pilot escorting a Force-sensitive child through dangerous space) is so similar to The Mandalorian and Grogu, a movie that is (by Star Wars standards) flailing at the box office. Fortunately, it’s not too late for this franchise to get back its former glory. All Disney has to do is bring Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron film (which now has a completed script) to life.

You’re All Clear, Kid

Why am I convinced that Rogue Squadron would be a hit Star Wars film for Disney? While its exact plot details have been kept secret, it’s clear that in commissioning a movie about starfighter pilots, Disney wanted to have their own Top Gun in space. As it turns out, that was a fairly good instinct. When Tom Cruise returned for the belated sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, it earned over $1.5 billion, which is why Top Gun 3 is now in development. As it turns out, general audiences love the combination of sexy pilots and cool dogfights, and Rogue Squadron would be an easy way for Disney to get a piece of the action.

If done well, a Rogue Squadron movie would also help channel what originally made The Mandalorian so cool. Remember how hyped everyone was for that show when it first came out? A big part of the show’s early appeal is that it was free of Jedi and Sith drama and generally untethered from the various Star Wars trilogies. Eventually, it got bogged down with connections to other franchise shows and films, and the hype for Baby Yoda died, which is part of why The Mandalorian and Grogu fizzled at the box office. But a Rogue Squadron movie could deliver what The Mandalorian used to have: entirely new characters and adventures set in a galaxy far, far away.

Stay On Target

Finally, Rogue Squadron would be the perfect way to bring the franchise back to its roots. If you ask people what their favorite part of the first Star Wars movie is, it’s a safe bet they’ll say the attack on the Death Star. Pilots saving the galaxy through death-defying maneuvers is, quite frankly, what made the entire world fall in love with A New Hope, and one of the only weaknesses of that film is that we hardly knew any of the pilots. Rogue Squadron could finally shine a spotlight on these lesser-known heroes of the rebellion while giving us more of the coolest dogfights in the galaxy.

Unless the Force is with us, it’s unlikely that Rogue Squadron will see the light of day, and it might go down as the only Star Wars movie that got canceled twice. But the script is written, and Patty Jenkins still seems enthusiastic about directing it. All Disney has to do is give the green light to the most exciting franchise film idea of the last decade. If they wait until Starfighter bombs, though, they might have to send the director a personalized holographic message: “Help me, Patty Jenkins, you’re my only hope!” 

Eva Longoria had a sweet reunion with ex-husband Tony Parker more than a decade after their divorce.

“Look who came to visit,” Longoria, 51, wrote via her Instagram Story on Monday, June 8. “The one and only TP! @tonyparker09.”

Parker, 44, seemingly visited Longoria while she filmed her CNN series Searching for France. The actress donned an apron, while the former basketball player rocked a blue sweatsuit. The exes were all smiles as they posed alongside two of Longoria’s colleagues.

Longoria and Parker tied the knot in 2007. The couple called it quits three years later after rumors swirled that Parker had an affair. The athlete denied the allegations at the time.

“I am so secure in who I am. I really am! And I’m not conceited. I just think, ‘Wow, OK, that’s the life you want to live.’ It wasn’t about who he chose,” Longoria recalled of the split during a 2012 appearance on Lifetime’s The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet. “I mean, I had moments [where I wondered], ‘Am I not sexy enough? Am I not pretty enough? Am I not smart enough?’ But in so many of those questions, I immediately stopped and said, ‘No, don’t start doing that.’ Because you can get stuck in that cycle and you can carry on to other things.”

Following their divorce, which was finalized in 2011, Parker moved on with French journalist Axelle Francine. The pair tied the knot in 2014 and went on to welcome sons Josh, 12, and Liam, 9. Francine and Parker split in 2020.

Longoria, for her part, fell in love with businessman José “Pepe” Bastón. They wed in 2016 and welcomed son Santiago, 8, two years later. (Longoria is also a stepmom to Bastón’s three children from a previous relationship.)

The Desperate Housewives actress previously opened up about her decision to become a mom later in life.

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Related: Jessica Simpson Reveals Recent Bizarre Interaction With Ex Tony Romo

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Jessica Simpson is revealing that she and ex Tony Romo recently reconnected — but not romantically. “A couple weeks ago, my mom got a phone call,” Simpson, 45, said onstage at the 2025 Women Who Rock Benefit Concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, per fan footage. “He’s calling my mom, saying, ‘Well, Tina, I’m selling the boat.’ […]

“You have so much more wisdom and patience when you become a mother in your forties,” she told The Sunday Times in a November 2025 interview. “It was all about me for so long. Forty years of me was enough time, so I was really blessed to have my child later in life because I had traveled, I’d done everything I needed to do for my career. Now everything I do is just icing on the cake and I get to do that with my son.”

Longoria added that her family is her top “priority” and only takes on specific projects if they spark joy.

“My family is my priority, so if I’m saying yes to something and it’s taking time away from them, it’s got to be something I’m really going to enjoy and people I really want to work with,” she explained.

Young and the Restless is about to see some major fallout from Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) getting her hands on Chancellor and handing it to Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) to run. This is about to infuriate some big and powerful people in Genoa City. And of course, Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) didn’t give anybody a heads up that he was handing it over and now there’s going to be heck to pay.

Y&R: Lily’s Shocking Chancellor Ownership

First off, I have say I was stunned that Lily actually wound up with Chancellor. Remember that was the deal she made with Victor. If she and her twins pretended to be kidnapped to force Cane to back down, then she would get Chancellor. And if you dial it back before that, you might remember this. Victor made that deal to give Chancellor to Lily. This was even before he tossed Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) out of the house.

And Victor had been lying to Nikki and everybody else in the family about Chancellor before and since. All the Newmans were certain that Chancellor was going to be back in their hands once they got Newman Enterprises back from Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford).

They thought it was all coming back. And then once Victor tossed Nikki out, she told Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin) she didn’t think she would be running Chancellor ever again, even when they got it back. But at that point, Nikki and the other Newmans all thought it would still be back under the family control. She just thought because of her split with Victor that Nikki wasn’t going to be in charge.

Young and the Restless: Victor Makes Good on His Promise

So this past Friday, Victor summoned Lily over to the new ranch and did the documents, delivered Chancellor to her as promised. And if you recall, she had asked Victor about it since he got Chancellor back first. But he put Lily off and Victor said he couldn’t give it to her until he got Newman Enterprises back because till then he needed it. And I’m sure Lily thought Victor would back out of the deal.

So, after he did officially sign it over to Lily, of course, we know Victor still didn’t tell everybody. Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) knows because he was there in the room when Victor gave it to Lily. And Nick was super upset, saying this would kill Nikki.

Y&R: Victoria’s Fury and the Newman Family Fallout

More importantly, Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) has been running Chancellor and Victor didn’t tell his daughter. And Victoria found out in the worst possible way when Lily gloated about it. She told Victoria, “I guess Victor didn’t tell you.” this happens at the Shadow Room launch. Then Victoria is griping that she’ll run to her dad. And Victoria said, “It can’t be true because Victor wouldn’t have done it without telling her because she’s been running it.” And Victoria told Lily, “Don’t get comfortable. That company belongs to my mom.” And she insisted Victor will reconsider.

But Lily clapped back, “Oh no, it’s a done deal.” And then Victoria had the bravado to say, “You would do that to my mother?” And Lily laughed right in Victoria’s face and asked, “Do you know what your mother did to me?” I remember Nikki and Victor both lied to Lily right in her face over a period of months and screwed her on Chancellor when she’s the one who helped them buy it out and promised she’d be running it.

And then Victoria actually tried to offer her something else in place of Chancellor. Lily said no, she’s got big plans. Told Victoria Nikki can find something else to do. She’s going to be in a health crisis. She didn’t have time for this anyway. But I also thought it was funny because Lily gave her the bye-bye and then just walked off. So, I’m sure Victoria is going to go tear into Victor. He’s not going to listen. But I think what will get his attention is that Lily gave it to Cane to run.

Y&R: Cane’s New Role and Victor’s Reaction

That hasn’t been spread around a lot yet, but it’s going to become common knowledge very soon. Lily is still the owner, but I think Victor is going to be furious that Cane is in charge of it. But if the papers are signed, Victor’s going to have to kick rocks, which I think is pretty funny.

Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) will obviously side with whatever Victor says. And plus, Adam really doesn’t have skin in the game. You know, Nikki’s not his mom. So, Nick is annoyed. And Victoria is outraged. And I don’t know if Nikki herself will be annoyed for a couple of reasons. First, she’s given up on the idea of running Chancellor because she’s estranged from Victor. And second, she has this health crisis coming. So Victoria is probably going to be a lot angrier than her mom.

Y&R: Billy Abbott’s Opposition to the Deal

But another huge negative reaction is going to come from an enemy of the Newmans, Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson). We know how badly he has always wanted Chancellor. He’s been on fire ever since his mom Jill Abbott (Lauren Coslo) sold Chancellor to Victor snatched it right out from under Billy.

We know that Lauren Coslo is going to be playing recast Jill for five episodes of Young and the Restless in just a couple of weeks right as July Sweeps kicks off. So, it might tie back to some of this Chancellor stuff. I do think Billy will be glad that Victor no longer owns Chancellor and it’s out of Newman hands, but he might be bothered that Lily owns it. You know, maybe, maybe not.

But I definitely could see Billy being irritated that his sort of brother Cane is running it. Now, I fully expect for Holden Novak (Nathan Owens) to wind up working for Lily and Cane at Chancellor. And I think from there, other powerful people like Devon Hamilton (Bryton James) and Nate Hastings (Sean Dominic) are going to be on fire. They are probably going to complain and make accusations about Holden trying to cash in on being Lily’s brother. But I bet that she’s going to tell Devon and Nate to stow it. She wants Cane and Holden both in her life.

Y&R: Billy’s Potential Countermove

But if Billy turns around and asks Cane to hire him at Chancellor, that’s where Lily’s probably going to draw the line because Billy’s been such a colossal jerk to Lily. And of course, Billy and Lily have been at it since she was involved with the deal for Jill to sell it to Victor. So, if Cane’s at Chancellor and Billy can’t be, we might see him ranting and whining about it. And I’m sure that Billy will complain to Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) about all this.

Plus, there’s a June spoiler that says Billy finds out a powerful piece of information and it makes him go after something he desperately wants and Cane and Lily are working together to stop him. So, I wonder if Billy finds out why Victor gave Lily to Chancellor. If Billy finds out that Lily faked her kidnapping to dupe Cane because Victor promised her Chancellor, you know, Billy might be able to use that against them, especially if Jill comes to town and gets involved.

Young and the Restless: What will Jill Do?

You know, maybe there’s some way for Billy to bring this to the attention of law enforcement, like Federal Trade Commission or something. Or maybe Jill sides with Billy and against Victor. I’m sure Jill won’t like that Victor was tormenting Cane with a fake kidnapping. We know Jill adores Cane. So, you know, we’ll see.

Jill may think Lily doesn’t deserve Chancellor, and neither does Victor once she really finds out what went on because she really wasn’t listening before. So maybe Jill can go back and claim fraud on her initial deal with Victor since Jill was grossly lied to and misled by both Lily and Victor so that she would think the worst of Billy and be willing to snatch it out from under him.

Y&R: The Battle Ahead for Chancellor

But clearly whatever happens, Lily and Cane are going to be working together to thwart Billy. And in the end at this point, I’d almost like to see Billy get it just to infuriate Victor. If not, I’m happy with Lily having it, just as long as Victoria doesn’t have it. Although, I do think that Victor is already going to be furious once he finds out Lily is going to have Cane running it.

He might even come and try to make some threats about it. And with Victor targeting Cane, using his new pet, Matt Clark (Roger Howarth), to do it, we could see Victor also having him take aim at Lily for her getting close to Cane again and daring to let him run Chancellor. However, Lily’s new outlook on Cane is understandable since he just saved her biological father Malcolm Winters’ (Shemar Moore) life. We’ll see, but things are going to get explosive all over Genoa City once word spreads about Chancellor changing hands again and who is running it.

In the MCU, the name Tony Stark commands considerable respect. Within the franchise’s context, the now-deceased, self-described “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” was the former co-leader of the Avengers and the ultimate savior of the universe, sacrificing his life to wipe Thanos (Josh Brolin) from existence. In real life, Tony is an icon of superhero cinema, resuscitating Robert Downey Jr.‘s career and becoming the MCU’s face for all intents and purposes. The character’s eventual death in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame marked the end of an era for the franchise and, arguably, superhero cinema as a whole.

One of the reasons for Tony’s popularity is his intelligence. Widely considered one of the smartest characters in the MCU, Tony is behind many of the franchise’s most important breakthroughs. For starters, he single-handedly provides the tech that makes the Avengers work, including the suits of many superheroes, including Spider-Man (Tom Holland). He also discovered how to travel through time using the Quantum Realm, thus allowing the time heist that eventually saved the universe from Thanos’ plans. Yes, it wouldn’t be an understatement to say Tony is the smartest character in the Marvel Universe, except it’s maybe not exactly true. Indeed, at least five characters in the MCU are smarter than Tony, which is no small feat. Moreover, two of those are still quite young, meaning they have their whole lives ahead to further surpass Mr. Stark in the intellectual department.

Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo)

Image via Marvel Studios

Let’s kick off this list with a divisive entry that revives the age-old MCU debate: is Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) smarter than Tony Stark? Well, it depends, but for the purposes of this list, we’ll go with “yes.” Bruce is the world’s leading authority on gamma radiation and biochemistry, holding seven (!) PhDs and participating in many of the series’ most influential events. Notably, he’s one of the few characters who could match Tony in the MCU’s early days, with the two collaborating in several projects, most notably the creation of the android Vision (Paul Bettany).

In the MCU, Bruce’s most notable feats apart from Vision include co-designing the Hulkbuster armor and perfecting the time machine alongside Tony. He also has a mind for problem-solving — for example, he’s the one who suggests separating Vision from the Mind Stone, and he’ll also help Peter Parker in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Bruce also cracked the code to “solve” his own dilemma, combining his intellect with The Hulk’s sheer strength to create the controversial but no less impressive Professor Hulk persona. Sure, the answer as to who is smarter between Bruce and Tony is less straightforward than it might seem, but there’s no denying that Banner is at the very least on the same level.

Riri Williams, AKA Ironheart (Dominique Thorne)

Image via Marvel Studios

An intellectual prodigy and MIT student who became a superhero on merit alone, Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) is among the newest additions to the MCU. Introduced in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri is recruited by Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) to fight in Wakanda. Later, following her expulsion from MIT, she returns to her Chicago home, where she finds herself in the middle of a battle between science and magic.

Riri’s intelligence allowed her to build a suit of armor that rivals Tony’s in her college dorm room using only scraps and basic tools. Moreover, her suit has a vibranium detector, a powerful tool that made both Talokan and Wakanda take interest in her. Tony was considerably older when he built his suit, so Riri already has a head start. Furthermore, her suit doesn’t have the same energy issues as Tony’s original design because it runs on batteries powered by solar and wind energy. Ironheart’s suit is literally eco-friendly, meaning she’s both smart and socially conscious. It’s a shame her solo show didn’t quite work, but here’s hoping we see her again in the MCU, sooner rather than later.

Shuri (Letitia Wright)

Image via Marvel Studios

Shuri is the princess of Wakanda and the current Black Panther, protecting her country from outside threats while also leading the Wakandan Design Group. She was first introduced in 2018’s Black Panther, immediately making a strong impression thanks to her mighty intellect and spirited personality. In Wakanda Forever, she’s far physically stronger and more resilient, relying on both her intelligence and mental fortitude to lead her people.

There really is no argument here: Shuri is more intelligent than Tony. A master of nanotechnology and biomechanics, she’s the main driving force behind Wakanda’s impressive technology, leading many of the country’s modern and more experimental inventions, including the powerful Black Panther nanotech suits she and her late brother used. Shuri also understands and is capable of weaponizing vibranium far better than anyone else in the MCU, making her a key player on the geopolitical stage and possibly the only person in the world capable of exploiting the rare metal. There’s also the fact that she’s been officially declared the smartest character in the MCU, so there’s that.

Reed Richards, AKA Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal)

Fans had eagerly been awaiting the debut of Marvel’s First Family since the MCU first started expanding. However, they had to wait nearly two decades since the franchise began to finally see the Fantastic Four on the big screen. The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces the titular family in all their swinging ’60s glory, focusing on Reed Richards, AKA Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and his efforts to defend his world from the threat of the planet eater, Galactus (Ralph Ineson).

In the comic book lore, Reed and Tony are considered equals, but in the MCU, the former arguably surpasses the latter. Tony might’ve cracked the secret to time travel, but Reed managed to find a way to transport an entire freaking planet to another solar system. He then built the teleportation devices to make it happen, and his plan actually worked. That takes some serious mental prowess, since we’re talking about moving millions of people light-years away from their point of origin. Based on the post-credits scene in Thunderbolts*, Reed also cracked the secret to interdimensional travel, another feather in his already considerable cap.

Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / © Marvel Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

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Some of you might object to including Phastos in this list, but the fact of the matter is, he arguably has more knowledge than most other characters in the MCU. As an Eternal on Earth since the dawn of humanity, he has been alive for millennia, accumulating knowledge and sharing it with humanity, contributing to their technological development and directly influencing most of the most important breakthroughs in the species’ history.

In his first appearance in Eternals, Phastos is seen helping humans develop their civilization. He eventually comes to regret his influence after humans find a way to turn technology into something destructive, building bombs and other weapons of mass destruction. In a way, everything that Tony ever did was only possible because of Phastos. Sadly, Eternals flopped quite spectacularly, so the chances of ever seeing this character again are slim to none. It’s a shame, because it would’ve been great to see him interacting with the other characters on this list and realizing his technology could also be applied for the greater good.

The most well-known franchise Vin Diesel is attached to is probably Fast and Furious, unless you want to count Guardians of the Galaxy, which he has a voice role in (albeit a humorously limited one). In any event, Fast and Furious has more movies that make up the overall series, started further back in time (2001, specifically), and also has Diesel at the center of things. He’s absent from 2 Fast 2 Furious, and only has a cameo in Tokyo Drift, but is in all the other main films (not the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw) as a central character. But there is one film series of his that technically kicked off before even the first Fast and Furious movie: The Chronicles of Riddick.

Now, the first movie was called Pitch Black, which makes it a bit of an unusual series, since the other two movies feature the word “Riddick,” so it’s kind of the Riddick series, or The Chronicles of Riddick series, rather than, like, the Pitch Black series. Diesel, playing Richard B. Riddick, is a constant throughout, as is David Twohy, who’s directed all the movies to date. They’re all science fiction films, but they differ a little in terms of what they go for tonally, and also regarding what other genres they cross over into, and choose to emphasize. They’ve become available on Netflix, as of June 1, and are worth exploring if you like sci-fi thrillers, haven’t seen them before, and want to get a sense of why they’ve picked up something of a cult following over the years.

What Happens Throughout the ‘Riddick’ Trilogy

Image via Focus Features

To spend a little time on the narrative (but only a little, because it’s not always the most important or consistent of things), the Riddick series begins with introducing its titular character as a mysterious criminal with a shady past. He’s on board a commercial cargo ship in Pitch Black, being transported to a prison, but then the ship has to make a crash landing, which results in his escape. It lands on a planet where survival seems pretty much impossible, though, so Riddick reluctantly teams up with the others who are stranded, and transitions into a bit of an antihero by the time it’s over.

Then, The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) gets a good deal more expansive, with its premise involving Riddick escaping bounty hunters, getting captured again, and then finding himself wrapped up in a surprisingly large-scale war. There’s a very intriguing way it ultimately ends, but then that direction is kind of abandoned for Riddick (2013), which gets a little more intimate again, leaning more toward the sort of thing Pitch Black was going for. He’s once more on a harsh and unforgiving planet, and he has to team up with others he initially doesn’t trust if he wants to survive. It is a bit of a retread, but could also be a step in the right direction, if you preferred the sci-fi/horror angle of the first movie.

How the ‘Riddick’ Movies Mix Things Up Genre-Wise

It is technically a trilogy. The Riddick series is, for now, three movies. The first is modestly budgeted in a way that feels like it’s really going for an Aliens kind of thing, and then the second movie is more of a blockbuster, with its grand conflict feeling more than a little Dune-ish. Riddick (2013) is then easiest to compare to Pitch Black, and in line with the sorts of movies you might’ve been reminded of when watching that original film in the trilogy.

There’s some whiplash for sure, just because the ambition of The Chronicles of Riddick is on a whole other level, and it’s quite removed from the horror genre, which is perhaps most evident by the fact that it’s the only PG-13 movie of the bunch. They were going for more of a broadly appealing thing, and you really get the sense that The Chronicles of Riddick wanted to kick-start the franchise on a whole other level, and it’s a bit of a missed opportunity it couldn’t really keep going with the massive world-building. Riddick himself is in a position of immense power at the end of that second film, and your mind starts racing with where he could go, from there, and then it turns out, he kind of just goes back to being stuck on another planet, Pitch Black-style. It’s another action/horror/sci-fi/survival movie, and not a bad one, but it feels extra familiar, by that point.

The Future of the ‘Riddick’ Series

Image via Universal Pictures

This series is a bit all over the place, and so clearly isn’t perfect. There is fun to be had with the way it keeps shaking things up, though. Diesel does make an impression in the lead role, and it’s the kind he was pretty much always made to play. There is a sincerity that comes through, and you can feel a level of interest on the part of both him and Twohy in making this character work. The Riddick movies are sometimes goofy and a bit confused, but there’s a passion and an odd sort of confidence to them that’s admirable… the kind you do often find in the Fast and Furious movies, too, even when they get a bit out of control.

Those movies might’ve jumped the shark, in either F9 or Fast X, but Riddick hasn’t done it yet. There is a fourth movie that’s in production, at the time of writing, called Riddick: Furya, so time will tell whether that’s the one that gets a bit too weird, wild, or messy, potentially possible if they try and go back to the sort of thing the second film went for. But for now, it’s a decently fun trilogy that gets the job done if you’re after science fiction movies that also play around with the action, thriller, and horror genres.

Bold and the Beautiful stuns as Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) slaps Katie Logan (Heather Tom) and then things took a turn for what seemed the better as this week kicked off. But it wasn’t really better. It was trickery. So, Brooke is going to be absolutely livid. She is going to lose it when she finds out that Katie fooled her and that she got played.

We’re going to talk about what Brooke is going to do and how she’s going to react when Katie’s deceit is exposed. And she finds out Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) is working with Katie.

Bold and the Beautiful: Brooke’s Anger Over Katie’s Deceit

All right, at the end of last week, we had Brooke slapping Katie after she referred to Hope as Brooke’s dirty little secret. And yes, that was ugly. But I do want to just bring up a little history because I feel like things are getting lost a bit in this war of words. Accusations are being flung that aren’t always accurate.

So, back when Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan) and Brooke cheated and she got pregnant when he was married to Bridget Forrester (Ashley Jones), that was Brooke’s dirty secret because she lied, denied, married another man, Whipple Jones, all trying to hide the truth as long as possible. She didn’t plan for it to ever come out. And then Bridget overheard Brooke and Deacon talking on the baby monitor and Bridget exploded and she disowned her mom.

She cut Brooke out of her life. It was a really huge deal. So Katie did speak truth. But at the same time she didn’t need to bring that up at all. So, I think Brooke might blow up just as big as Bridget did when she finds out that Katie went behind her back and recruited Hope.

Bold and the Beautiful: Brooke and Katie’s Broken Deal?

And I’m sure Katie will remind Brooke they made a deal and shook on it. But I don’t think that’s going to help her. I do kind of get Katie’s frustrations with Brooke because she keeps demanding that Katie apologized and that she and Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) hoodwinked Eric Forrester (John McCook). That’s just not true. Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) fired Eric, which humiliated his father. So, he went to Katie and told her. He didn’t ask her.

Eric told her that he was going to be Katie’s lead designer for one collection because Eric wanted revenge on Ridge and Brooke. He said that explicitly, word for word. And if Ridge hadn’t finally apologized and took it back, I bet Eric would have walked the runway with Katie and done press interviews, he might have been calling out Ridge for what he did. And honestly, if Eric had done all that, Ridge would have totally deserved it because he did his dad dirty. So that’s down to Eric being mad at Ridge. So, I do think Brooke needs to stop making dishonest accusations about the Eric situation. and that may justify it in Katie’s mind for why she deliberately tricked Brooke this week.

Bold and the Beautiful: The Deal That Got Broken

So, Katie agreed she wouldn’t hire any Foresters. Now Brooke should have been more careful and said instead no hiring from Forrester Creations. But after Katie played nice and said their parents wouldn’t like the way they’re acting, Brooke’s guard was down. But from the moment Katie started acting chill, I knew she was up to something. especially after Brooke had just called Katie a homely introvert.

It was mean and it didn’t need to come out of Brooke’s mouth, just as Katie didn’t need to bring up the Hope being a dirty secret thing. That being said, I don’t think that justifies her misleading Brooke with that deal. I’m starting to think Katie is really turning into Ms. Bill Spencer. I’m not sure he’s a good influence on Katie. And Ridge even mentioned that just the other day.

Katie agreed she wouldn’t hire any Foresters and Brooke and the Foresters wouldn’t hire any Spencers. Katie brought up that Brooke is a self-proclaimed Forrester now and if she’s a Forrester then that makes Hope a Spencer since it’s both by marriage. So, when the truth comes out, whether it’s at the Hope collection debut or sooner, I think Katie is going to point out that she didn’t violate the terms of the deal that they shook on. But I don’t think that is going to save her from Brooke’s wrath.

And I can’t imagine anybody but Bill will approve of the way that Katie misled Brooke. Katie was also pretty sneaky, saying that Logan would be a success and said, “I have hope.” But it was clear that Brooke took that as a noun, not as a name. So, once she finds out Hope’s working for Katie, we’re going to see Brooke ranting about her poaching from Forrester again.

Bold and the Beautiful: Hope’s Role in the Deception

I’m sure she will accuse Katie of stabbing her in the back, specifically targeting her daughter, Hope. And I expect Katie to hit back that like with Eric, if Forrester Creations had treated Hope better, then she never would have walked away. She wouldn’t have ever joined Logan. And yes, it’s true that Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton) was the one initially working very hard to convince Hope to come and join Logan. But then while Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis) was standing there saying stop, stop, it was Katie who came in at the end with a hard sell.

But still, Hope was angry at Brooke. And she thinks her mom chose Ridge over her. And although Brooke does advocate for Hope, I will agree that Brooke does put Ridge first. She’s got that fixation on destiny and nothing is more important to Brooke than Ridge being in her bed. However, on the flip side of that is the fact that Hope is a whole grown woman. And her career is not her mommy Brooke’s problem on Bold and the Beautiful. And because she is a grown woman, I think Hope needs to own that she’s the one who decided to lie to Brooke’s face about a leave of absence.

Bold and the Beautiful: Lies and Deceit

This whole thing with Hope working for Katie would be so much less sketchy if the two of them were being honest. Hope is lying to everybody. And she feels like it’s justified because she didn’t get her way over at Forrester. So, what I do wonder is when Brooke blows up at Katie and accuses her of stealing Hope, how will Brooke’s daughter react?

Will Hope step up and push back on Brooke and say that this was her choice and it was made. Because of how Steffy and Ridge have treated her or is Hope going to pull that wimpy, weak type of move that Eric did when he didn’t man up and own the choice he made to go over to Katie and to Logan? I don’t think Eric handled it well because it was his choice to work with Katie and Bill. He asked to do it. He actually said he was and didn’t even really ask.

Bold and the Beautiful: The Runway Showdown

So, I expect when Brooke finds out that she will rage at Katie and if Hope owns her choice to come to Logan, I expect that Brooke might turn around and snap at Hope. You know, I think calling her ungrateful for not appreciating what Forrester has given her would be fair to say. I also expect that Brooke might pitch a fit to Ridge and turn around and blame Steffy for running Hope off by disrespecting her, which would be fairly accurate. And if Katie tells Brooke that she stuck to the deal they shook on, I could see her slapping the taste out of Katie’s mouth again.

The soapiest outcome is that Brooke finds out right as Hope’s collection is making its official debut on the Logan runway and Brooke goes running over to see for herself. And then when Katie comes out on the runway after Hope and Deacon take their bow. Then if Brooke slapped her in front of everybody, that would be incredible. And it would be even soapier if Katie slapped her back.

I would love to see a huge Brooke and Katie roll around, slap and choke each other, cat fight with the fashion media there taking pictures and video. It’s been a minute since we had a really good girl fight like that. I think the best one was Stephanie versus Brooke 21 years ago. That was after the reveal that Stephanie had faked her heart attack. That fight with Brooke was so mean and so slaptastic. I would be down to see something just like that. And we may get it right in front of everybody once Katie’s scheming and trickery about hiring Hope comes out and Brooke totally loses it.

Bethenny Frankel’s confidence has only grown with time.

Frankel, 55, exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about being the oldest model to walk in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway on Tuesday, June 9.

“I feel more free,” the Real Housewives of New York City alum told Us on Tuesday, June 9, about this current stage of her life. “I feel happy, I feel proud. I feel like you get extra credit points now, like I don’t think anybody cares.”

She continued, “The biggest thing is that women fail. I never thought about my age until that show. Yeah, women feel discarded, counted out, eliminated. They just sort of have aged out … This changed that.”

Frankel went on to say that she “didn’t realize” she was representing older women, but felt honored by the support she received. “They were like, ‘You f***ing represented us, you go.’ It’s amazing, that’s the biggest thing,” she told Us.

Related: Bethenny Frankel Claps Back at Body-Shamers After SI Swimsuit Runway

Bethenny Frankel isn’t here for haters on her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway moment. Frankel, 55, took to TikTok on Tuesday, June 2, to open up about her “experience” walking in the SI Swimsuit show during Miami Swim Week for the second year in a row. “It is so fun because of the women,” she said. […]

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One of the reasons Frankel loves the SI Swimsuit runway so much is because “you see everyone’s confident in their own body shape, size, race, height, ass, boobs, legs, tan,” and more. “That is very empowering,” she explained. “You just fit in.”

“Changing the age construct is so valuable because it’s the biggest thing people are thinking about: anti-aging,” the Bravolebrity added.

As for where her confidence comes from, Frankel shared that it’s a “practice.”

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“It’s like a honed craft that you practice, and then it creates more confidence, because you see that it works, because you see that women are so concerned about what they look like,” she said, noting that it’s not only about physical appearance. “Focus on your personality, focus on being entertaining, focus on being smart, commanding a presence, owning a room, being interested,” she advised. “Anybody can be hot now … so just be confident.”

While walking on the runway, Frankel looked her best in a blue-and-white crochet bikini featuring triangle cups and string bottoms. She later changed into a black set complete with sweetheart cups and strappy bottoms.

To prepare for the show, she used SofWave and PureImpact to look picture-perfect. “I did some of the SofWave [for skin lifting in her face and body] and PureImpact treatments,” she said of the muscle-toning device that stimulates exercises. “I did that a couple of times before last year’s show, and then before this year’s show. I know that you feel sore after it … I’m doing more than I used to, because everybody got in my head.”

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 19 seconds ago

One of the many ways Babylon 5 is unique among sci-fi series is that it was written out before the cameras started rolling. That doesn’t mean every script, but the story, the characters, and the plot beats were all developed before the first season was in production. Yet there were still quite a few happy accidents that happened on set to re-direct the series, from the chemistry between Londo and G’Kar, to the addition of Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan. Another happy accident is Star Trek veteran Walter Koenig’s performance as Alfred Bester, which was so good that the villainous telepath went from a “Monster of the Week” to a recurring guest star. 

The First Appearance Of Alfred Bester

Koenig first appears as Bester in the Season 1 episode, “Mind War,” which finally goes into the impact of having telepaths running around the space station. Talia Winters (Andrea Thompson) had been established as the resident telepath, helping Londo deal with a delicate personal matter, but in “Mind War,” she’s the one in trouble. Her former teacher, Jason Ironheart, snuck onto the station to hide from the Psi-Cops.  

Bester is one of the two Psi-Cops hunting down Jason, who went rogue after learning that telekinetics were to be trained by the Psi-Corp as assassins. Jason himself was subjected to strange experiments to amplify his abilities, resulting in “mind quakes” that shake the station to its foundations, and eventually, he evolves into a being of pure energy. Before leaving, or “becoming” as he says, he gives Talia the gift of telekinetics, and says to Sinclair (Michael O’Hare) that he’ll see him again “in a million years.” 

You’d think someone ascending to a higher plane of existence would be the highlight of the episode. Walter Koenig managed to steal the show as the uptight and stern Bester, giving Babylon 5 something it had been missing: a villain. Koenig’s performance makes it clear that Bester thinks he’s superior to non-telepaths (and even those less powerful than he is). He also acts like he knows everything going on at all times, which, to his credit, he does. 

Bester Wasn’t Part Of The Plan

Koenig wasn’t meant to be Alfred Bester, instead he was going to be Knight Two in “The Sky Full of Stars,” but a heart attack prevented him from filming. J. Michael Straczynski then went to the drawing board and created Bester specifically for Koenig. The reaction on set was that Koenig had been wasted on Star Trek: The Original Series as Chekov. Fans agreed, blowing up online message boards with love for Koenig after “Mind War” aired. 

“Mind War” is a favorite of fans to this day thanks to the first appearance of Bester, but it also, in retrospect, planted the seed of Sinclair’s fate. Turns out, he really will be able to see the ascended Ironheart in a million years. At the time, no one knew it would be an accurate statement. The first season of Babylon 5 is filled with fun moments that fans didn’t fully understand the meaning of until years later. 

As for Koenig, not only would he return as Bester, but he ended up being prominently featured in Season 5’s Psi-War story arc. Not bad for someone who wasn’t supposed to be back on set.

One of the all-time masters of sci-fi and blockbuster filmmaking at large returns this week, as Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day opens under a fair amount of mystery for a project this large, with Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colman Domingo starring in a nostalgia-heavy adventure picture about a mysterious organization’s cover-up of human contact with extra-terrestrials. Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp penned the script from an original story by Spielberg himself. Early critical response has been generally positive, though it remains to be seen if ‘ can recapture anything like the box-office magic of Spielberg in his heyday.

Post-pandemic Spielberg has been an interesting time to say the least; in fact it’s already starting to feel like a distinct era. West Side Story and The Fabelmans saw no shortage of critical acclaim, with many observers calling both a return to top form. Both films are also remembered as rather infamous commercial failures. The following ranks all three Steven Spielberg movies of this decade so far from worst to best.

3

‘Disclosure Day’ (2026)

Image via Universal Pictures

In this very modern, often dark and depressing world that we live in, and perhaps especially in a cinema landscape where no-budget indie horrors Backrooms and Obsession are eating Star Wars’ lunch at the box office, there’s something that feels remarkably quaint, perhaps even dated about this earnest throwback. Disclosure Day captures much of the spirit of Spielberg sci-fi classics, but it lacks the bite, innovation and staying power that made films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind or even Minority Report touchstones that never really leave the conversation.

Disclosure Day is a showcase for a sensational, showy central performance from Emily Blunt. Playing a local news anchor who obtains psychic abilities and other enhancements, she’s undeniably captivating. Apart from her, though, none of the characters here are nearly on the level as those in Spielberg’s upper echelon.

The film is low on action, though the two chase set pieces that are there are pretty excellent. Januz Kaminski shot all three movies on this list, and this is the only one where the camerawork draws unnecessary attention to itself at times. Disclosure Day is handsomely crafted, and in many ways refreshing, particularly in its optimism, but it’s not the home-run instant classic some Spielberg diehards might be hoping for.

2

‘West Side Story’ (2021)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Here’s a film that nobody asked for, which ended up defying all expectations. It’s high praise indeed to say Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story is about equally good as Robert Wise’s classic 1961 Hollywood landmark. Both pictures have limited, critical flaws, but are mostly just exhilarating. As in the original film, the lead characters are simply not as interesting as Anita (Oscar-winning Ariana DeBose) or Bruno (David Alvarez). The musical numbers are breathtaking, though, from showstopping centerpiece “America” to the ever-rousing “Tonight (Quintet),” perhaps the most electrifying Broadway musical number ever composed. The best part of this 2021 remake, though, is a total reimagining of “Cool,” which is morphed into a heartbreaking ballet of doomed bromance.

There’s a baffling change in the third act, with the pivotal ballad “Somewhere,” typically sung by the young lovers, instead reassigned to a newly made-up character. It’s a choice to have such an important and emotional, climactic track sung by someone with the lung power of a 90-year-old, even if that person is Rita Moreno. It’s just an odd change that frankly stops the movie in its tracks a little bit and mutes its romantic power. Still, this is undeniably one of the best musicals of the 21st century, and a Spielberg triumph.

1

‘The Fabelmans’ (2022)

Image via Universal Pictures

Even with a master director at the helm, a prestigious loose biopic like The Fabelmans was at risk of coming off as a vanity project, a therapy session, or a mixture of the two. It’s god-tier Spielberg, thanks largely to a script co-written with Tony Kushner, which affectingly creates a sprawling drama relatable to pretty much anyone who’s ever had a family life, full of victories and heartbreaks of various magnitudes.

Michelle Williams justifiably dominated awards conversation around the film, for a performance that could have easily been delivered as shrilly neurotic, but newcomer Gabriel LaBelle was just as good here, playing “Sammy” Fabelman with razor precision while never feeling like an imitation. Above all, The Fabelmans is a love story, about a love between a man and the movies. It belongs on any list of the best movies about making movies, along with the likes of 8 1/2, Singin’ in the Rain and Ed Wood.

It’s only been a few years, but it feels like time will be really kind to The Fabelmans. The final scene, starring David Lynch as a foul-mouthed and oddly helpful John Ford, was a hilarious highlight in 2022. It’s gained a new layer of emotional resonance since the master of surrealism and Americana passed in 2024.