Jerry O’Connell has shared candid details about his life, as he recently recalled a tense moment with his wife, Rebecca Romijn, and their daughters.

According to the actor, the women got “physical” with him due to his opinion about the outcome of the election and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Jerry O’Connell also hinted that he walks on eggshells around his wife and kids, claiming they would get angry at him if he made any kind of joke.

Jerry O’Connell Alleges Wife, Daughters Got ‘Physical’ With Him Over His Election Comments

O’Connell opened up about his home life with wife Rebecca Romijn and their twin daughters in a revealing chat on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast on Monday, March 16.

The “Stand By Me” actor, 52, first shared a tense moment involving his family after he made comments about Kamala Harris losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump.

“I said something along the lines of, ‘There was no planning. This is what they get. There should have been a primary,’” O’Connell recalled. “I was just spit-balling ideas.”

The reaction, however, caught him off guard. “It was shocking,” he noted. “My wife and daughters, without saying anything, became physical with me. They were filled with rage.”

The Actor Can’t Make ‘Any Kind Of Joke’ Around His Wife And Kids: ‘I Live In California’

O’Connell admitted that, despite his comments, he never expected Harris to lose and acknowledged the need to be cautious about his words at home.

“I live in California,” he said. “I live with not one, not two, but three people who, if I made any kind of joke, they’d become very angry with me.”

O’Connell and Romijn, 53, have been married since 2007 and are parents to 17-year-old twins, Dolly and Charlie.

While it’s unclear how serious O’Connell was about his wife and kids’ reactions to his jokes, the actor once revealed that he avoids getting into fights with Romijn, telling the Daily Mail that, “If there’s an argument brewing, I try not to engage.”

“I try to distance myself,” he added, noting that he would even go as far as leaving the house whenever things get tense.

Jerry O’Connell Jokes That Rebecca Romijn Only Gets Intimate With Him When She’s High

In another part of the episode, O’Connell asked Maher, 70, known for smoking marijuana during recordings, to “get higher than you’ve ever been on any episode” and blow smoke in his face.

Maher agreed, saying he’d be “happy” to, and asked whether O’Connell smoked himself. “I don’t smoke myself, but listen, I live with someone who smokes — vapes, actually,” he replied, referring to Romijn.

Joking about the intimate side of their relationship, O’Connell added, “The only time my wife finds me appealing, is intimate with me … the only time my wife — what’s the word? — touches me is if my wife takes a hit off that pen.”

Maher then asked if O’Connell was a “health nut,” prompting the actor to admit he often indulges in processed snacks and takeout. “I’m getting this picture: A guy doesn’t get laid unless his wife is high, he’s always on Instagram, eating sh-tty food,” Maher teased.

O’Connell laughed and replied, “Well, my wife gets high every day, so don’t worry about me!”

The Actor And His Wife Speak About Their ‘Community Pot’ Approach To Family Finances

O’Connell and Romijn have also been open about how they manage their finances.

During a July 2025 appearance on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show, they revealed that while they keep their personal spending separate, they contribute to a shared “community pot” for joint expenses.

“That’s like one of the first conversations you have when you decide to enter into a legal agreement together,” Romijn explained.

How much each of them contributes, however, isn’t fixed. It shifts depending on who’s earning more at the time.

“I have to say, we actually throttle how much money we put into that account sometimes,” O’Connell said, while Romijn added, “Depending on who’s working more. The one who isn’t working gets a little break, and the one who is working puts in a little more. And we really tag-team with work.”

Jerry O’Connell Reveals Hypnosis Helped Him Quit Smoking After Decades Of Nicotine Use

O’Connell has also recently opened up about another deeply personal chapter during the February 13 episode of the “Work In Progress” podcast with Sophia Bush, where he reflected on his decade-long battle with nicotine and how he finally quit.

“I struggled with nicotine for decades… I had to get hypnotized,” O’Connell shared, noting that he hasn’t smoked in about 14 years.

The turning point, he revealed, came from an ultimatum at home. According to the actor, his wife made it clear she wouldn’t be physically affectionate with him if he continued smoking, and she followed through. What he initially brushed off as a joke quickly became reality.

“After about three and a half weeks, I was like, I gotta do something,” he recalled.

Although he tried quitting on his own, he admitted it didn’t stick until he explored hypnosis after a recommendation from a friend, which, despite having doubts, actually helped him stop smoking.

TikTok creator Jools Lebron, who rose to viral fame with the “very demure, very mindful” trend, is opening up about the unexpected toll that sudden internet stardom took on her life. What began as something lighthearted and fun quickly turned into overwhelming attention, pressure, and a dramatic lifestyle shift. 

In a series of TikTok videos, Jools shares a candid reflection about navigating instant fame and how it led her down a difficult path that included struggles with substance abuse. She’s speaking out with honesty and shedding light on the darker side of internet fame while emphasizing growth, accountability, and moving forward transparently. 

Jools Lebron Is Opening Up About The After Effects Of Viral Fame

Jools, who quickly rose to viral internet fame a little over a year ago and has more than 2.3 million followers on TikTok, is sharing the hidden side to sudden fame in a series of videos on the app.

In one video, she shares that she “got ate up and spit out by the influencer Hollywood system.”

“I went mega viral a year and a half ago, and it unfortunately was the best time of my life and the worst time of my life,” she candidly shared. “And I’m opening up about it and I’m calling it ‘Jools’ Journey’ because I’m on a track of getting my life back together after the entertainment industry led me to substance abuse and alcoholism and having my life fall apart.”

She followed that by saying she felt “chewed up and spit out by Hollywood.” She attributed it to the same thing people can sometimes go through after winning the lottery, or someone who has a “one in a million” kind of moment.

‘It’s A Roller Coaster’

The video, posted just one day ago and has nearly 250k views and tons of supportive comments, continued with Jools’ honest storytime.

“Yesterday, I came to social media for the first time to share what’s been going on because I need support and I need help and I just can’t do this by myself,” she continued. “And I see the comments and they’re like changing my life right now, if I’m gonna be honest with you.”

She said that she spent much of the prior day cleaning and struggling to try to “figure out what to do cause it’s not like my first day sober but it’s my first time I’m willing to be open about it.”

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“I don’t know what to do. What am I supposed to do?” she asked. “A lot of the comments are really redirecting me.”

She explained that she fell into “peer pressure” and that it led to other things such as “shopping addiction.”

Viewers Shared Supportive Words For The Viral TikToker

Many viewers hopped into the comment section to share words of encouragement and their own similar stories.

“‘Less struggling w being sober and more struggling with what to do’ I FELT THIS,” one person wrote. Another added, “Jools, you and your vulnerability *are* ‘The Brand.’ We watch bc we love YOU! No matter what your journey, you’ve got this!”

And there were many other comments with the same theme.

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“Being accountable, very demure, very cutesy,” one viewer shared. Another said, “Thank you for your vulnerability! Love you, Jools!”

Jools Lebron Shared She’s ‘On The Path To Further Success’

In a follow up TikTok video, Jools shared an update using her viral trend.

“You see how I fixed my life? Very demure, very mindful,” she shared. “You see how I come to the internet to start my ‘Jools’ Journey’? Very cutesy.”

She gave a bit of an update for anyone who missed the original confession video that started the “Jools’ Journey” series. She shared some of the ways she’s “fixing” her life and inviting her fans to be part of the journey through her videos. It appears, based on comments, that she’s inspiring others to also make necessary life changes.

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“‘I will not accept a life I do not deserve’ is a new mantra for the people!” one viewer wrote in the comments. Another said, “Not Jools inspiring me to take out my stepper and work out so we can get it together.”

‘Thank You For All Your Support On This Journey’

In another follow up video, Jools gets visibly emotional as she thanks her followers for all the support they’ve been giving her.

“Thank you guys for your support,” she said through tears. “I don’t know why I felt like I was gonna come to the internet with this and it was gonna make me lose everything. I don’t know why I was like the internet is tired of me. But thank you for your support.”

She said it was “confusing” on whether or not she should open up this way about her struggles.

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“We’ll never be tired seeing someone find themselves again,” one viewer wrote in the comments. Another said, “Oh how can we not love our girl, life is not linear, we should never judge someone on their lows but just support them to get back up again. You got this.”

Bold and the Beautiful excites as two characters are about to hit the sheets as the newest bed buddies on the CBS soap and we’re going to talk about who it is that’s getting frisky by the end of the month. There’s only a few possibilities based on the existing characters on the screen. We’re going to discuss three possible couples who are about to get frisky soon.

Hot New Love Scene Coming Up on Young and the Restless

So, recently an official Bold and the Beautiful spoiler said two people make love for the first time. And it happens in March and we’re getting towards the end of the month. So, right now, we’ve got things twisting around and shaking couples up. And we’re watching some new pairings in their fledgling stages. There’s really only three possible pairings for people that might get into bed based on who’s on screen. And so, I have ranked these from the least likely to hook up to the most likely.

Possibility #1: Electra and RJ Forrester (Least Likely)

And the first to talk about is Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace) and RJ Forrester (Joshua Hoffman). And as you know, Electra has only ever been intimate with Will Spencer (Crew Morrow). She lost her V-card to him not too long ago and it was a really big deal for her, especially once that whole lie about the mystery girl who turned out to be Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada) sleeping with him came out. So after all that, I just don’t think Electra would jump right into intimacy with somebody else right after breaking up with Will.

But they are absolutely a possibility for this spoiler. Because Electra is newly single and RJ is completely smitten with her. He has been thinking about when he kissed Electra and we know RJ wants a chance to do it again. At the moment, Electra is all worked up about Will and Melissa Dylan (Sydney Bullock) and we know Electra feels completely betrayed. So, she’s in a very vulnerable place and RJ might be able to play on that vulnerability and that means there is a chance she could get caught up with RJ and things turn steamy.

Bold and the Beautiful: Ivy’s Pushing Electra into RJ’s Arms

I do think it’s a very, very small chance that Electra ends up in bed with RJ in the next couple of weeks. I do think he is genuinely into Electra. But I also think he respects her and that RJ wants something real with Electra. And I don’t think RJ wants to take advantage of her. But that being said, if they hook up, I think that he would be sure to rub it in Will’s face that he’s been with Electra.

I could see RJ saying he’s going to be the one to treat Electra the right way, which Will didn’t do. And Electra also may be more open to getting with RJ. Because Ivy Forrester (Ashleigh Brewer) is pushing for this to happen. She hates Will and wants Electra to give RJ a chance. Ivy thinks RJ is much better than Will.

And Electra really values her aunt Ivy’s opinion and trusts her which she should not. Because Electra has no idea how much Ivy manipulated her and intentionally destroyed her relationship with Will.

Despite Ivy’s scheming and RJ’s genuine interest in Electra, I feel like of the three possible pairings that RJ getting with Electra is the least likely. But we still have to acknowledge that it may happen. I would be absolutely shocked if it went that way, though.

Possibility #2: Dylan and Will (More Likely)

So, the second possibility of new bed buddies is Dylan and Will. Now, it’s no secret that Dylan is wildly attracted to Will. She has been pretty much from the start. But she was trying to keep it in check while she and Electra were best friends. And Dylan already admitted to Deke Sharpe (Harrison Cone) that she is falling for Will and isn’t going to leave his house anytime soon if he’s willing to let her stay. So that has her in close proximity to him. So that could help this.

Also, Dylan overhears Daphne Rose (Murielle Hilaire) and Ivy talking this week and Dylan’s going to be shocked by what she hears. We know this week Daphne is telling off Ivy and saying that Electra and Will love each other. And Daphne is really bothered by what Ivy did that absolutely broke Electra’s heart. But Ivy dismisses Daphne’s concerns and says kids date, they break up, things happen.

Bold and the Beautiful: Dylan Learns the Truth

So, Dylan may also overhear depending on how many details Dylan gives about Ivy stealing Electra’s letter and replacing it with Will’s broken necklace which made Electra think Will chose Dylan over her and was breaking up with Electra. But even if Dylan doesn’t hear all of the details, she may figure out Ivy manipulated their breakup. So, Dylan may realize there’s a ticking clock.

And if Will finds out what Ivy did, there’s a chance Will and Electra could reconcile. Bottom line is Dylan seems to be a decent person. And if Electra hadn’t been bullying her, which has gone on for quite a while now, more so than just recently. And if they were still on good terms, I think Dylan would tell Electra what Ivy did. But instead, I think Dylan may use this time and this advantage to get more seductive with Will to try and keep him.

And because he’s really upset about Electra and RJ kissing and then Electra lying to his face about the kiss while Will told the truth about his kiss with Dylan. He’s feeling really betrayed. So, I could see Will being vulnerable and if Dylan makes a move, it may pay off for her and it helps that they’re under the same roof. So, I do think there is a chance Will goes there with Dylan. I feel like these two hooking up is way more plausible than RJ getting Electra into bed.

Possibility #3: Taylor and Deacon (Most Likely)

But the most likely couple for this spoiler about a new couple getting in the sheets in March has got to go to Dr. Taylor Hayes (Rebecca Budig) and her ex-patient Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan).

Now, we know Taylor and Deacon are in love. They fell hard. But Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) is acting like she’s Taylor’s mom and forbade them to be together, which of course just made them forbidden fruit, which is very tasty, right? And of course, Steffy is rightly worried about Taylor being targeted by psycho Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) if she gets in deeper with Deacon.

Bold and the Beautiful: Taylor & Deacon Can’t Stay Away

Steffy’s ultimatum, I think, is the primary obstacle to Taylor hooking up with Deacon, even more so than the Sheila issue. But I can see Taylor and Deacon ending up alone together, maybe in Taylor’s office. That seems a plausible place for them to hook up and then Deacon and Taylor kiss and then they lose control and they get frisky. Because they can’t help themselves no matter what Steffy is threatening.

Or it could be that Taylor drops in at Bikini Bar. Because she knows Deacon is expanding there and might catch him alone there and nobody would be looking for them at Bikini Bar because if you remember, he only told Taylor about it. He didn’t mention it to Sheila.

Bold and the Beautiful Hints at Bikini Bar Lovin for Taylor & Deacon

And I feel like them saying that wasn’t for nothing. I think there was a reason behind it. And if memory serves me, there is a bedroom upstairs at Bikini Bar. Because I think it was like 2019. It’s been some years. But Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) got drunk at Bikini Bar after a fight with Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang).

And Ridge was so wasted that he couldn’t drive. And then Shauna Fulton was there and she joined him in the bed and Ridge was stunned when they woke up together. I don’t think they did the deed. I think because he passed out. She just slept beside him. But we do know there’s a bedroom there.

Bottom line. I suspect Taylor and Deacon have some kind of combustible moment and make love and it’s amazing and then Taylor may freak and say it can’t happen again. We know that Sheila finds out about them. That’s according to official B&B spoilers and that means there is more to come for Taylor and Deacon.

For these reasons, I suspect the hitting the sheets for the first time spoiler is about Taylor and Deacon rather than one of the younger couples. But we’ll see how it goes.

If you want to find great movies released as recently as the 2010s, or even the current decade, the 2020s, you’re in luck. Contrary to what some might say (and you know what some might say), cinema has been alive and well within the last couple of decades, and just like any other decade in history, the last quarter of a century has seen its share of both winners and critical misfires.

It’s the misfires that are going to be acknowledged below, because these movies – most of them fairly well-known and/or notorious – can be considered some of the worst made in the last 25 years. They’re generally not fun in a bad way, either, so if you’re wondering why The Room isn’t here, it’s because The Room is just too much fun. These movies, on the other hand, are probably best avoided by anyone who’s not particularly into watching bad films as often as good ones.

10

‘Yoga Hosers’ (2016)

Image via Invincible Pictures

It can be hard to see the mighty fall, and Kevin Smith, for a short while, was once pretty mighty as far as boldly independent filmmakers went. He rose to fame with Clerks, which was a movie mostly just about surviving a job you hate, which found comedy in very relatable things and a mundane convenience store setting. Yoga Hosers, admittedly, also takes place predominantly in a convenience store, but it brazenly makes a decision to not be like Clerks when it comes to being funny.

Sure, it’s going for more of a comedic horror thing, with some fantasy elements that involve villainous bratwurst Nazis (don’t ask, it’s stupider than it sounds, somehow), but none of it works. Yoga Hosers rambles on and on, seemingly never ending, even though information online will tell you it’s allegedly less than 90 minutes long, don’t believe it — the misery of Yoga Hosers is eternal.

9

‘Sniper: Special Ops’ (2016)

Image via Lionsgate

Sniper: Special Ops is one of the least compelling war movies ever made, and features one of the least committed lead performances in cinema history, courtesy of Steven Seagal. He plays a purportedly badass expert sniper, and though he does shoot some people throughout, Seagal does nothing to suggest his character cares, and it’s sort of funny how he really does spend almost the entire film sitting down.

And, yes, snipers do stay stationary, but Sniper: Special Ops sticks to this in a bad way, leading to a whole movie that feels static and uninspired. It’s a little absurd at times, owing to just how barebones and brazenly lazy it is, but bafflement isn’t the same as entertainment… unless you are morbidly curious and do want to see a particularly poorly handled action/war flick.

8

‘Birdemic: Shock and Terror’ (2010)

Image via Severin Films

In 1963, Alfred Hitchcock did a surprisingly great job at making mundane birds come across in a surprisingly terrifying way on screen. Sure, it’s one thing to have a giant shark be intimidating, or bring dinosaurs to life and have them terrorize humans (Jaws and Jurassic Park, respectively), but The Birds doing the same for ordinarily-sized birds was uniquely harrowing.

Close to half a century later, there was another attempt at a scary bird movie that failed across the board: the infamous Birdemic: Shock and Terror from 2010. It’s not quite as fun as The Room, but it’s built up the same sort of reputation, doing for “nature attacks” horror movies what Tommy Wiseau’s magnum opus did for romantic melodramas. Terrible special effects, baffling dialogue, and acting so wooden it makes the Ents from The Lord of the Rings look fleshy in comparison await anyone brave enough to experience the Shock and Terror of Birdemic.

7

‘Battlefield Earth’ (2000)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

The acting career John Travolta’s had since the 1970s has undeniably been up and down, but nothing put a dent in the comeback he had during the 1990s quite like Battlefield Earth. It was not a good way to kick off the new millennium for anyone involved, with its story taking place another 1000 years in the future and involving an alien race enslaving humanity.

Then, humanity fights back, blah, blah, blah, and things get ridiculous, ugly, over-acted, poorly paced, and sometimes, admittedly, quite laughable. There are flashes of genuine hilarity found throughout Battlefield Earth, but other sequences within are more of a slog. It has the sort of notoriety it has for good reason, and if someone wanted to label it a nadir of the overall science fiction genre, that might be strangely difficult to dispute.

6

‘Saving Christmas’ (2014)

Image via Samuel Goldwyn FIlms

The problem with Saving Christmas isn’t that it’s simply about faith, but rather that it’s a mess, it is because it’s not an effective exploration of faith and how it relates to the titular time of the year. It is a somewhat passionate film that wants to present an argument about the true meaning of Christmas, but it’s hard to imagine any naysayers of the most wonderful time of the year being persuaded by anything contained within.

Kirk Cameron pretty much plays himself, and the movie revolves around him trying to convince a brother-in-law not to be such a sad sack around Christmastime. Through this basic premise, Saving Christmas goes to some absolutely wild places, at least in its “better” moments. Otherwise, it’s very preachy and kind of repetitive, too, but those parts can be bewildering in a sort of engaging way, too.

5

‘Disaster Movie’ (2008)

Image via Lionsgate

Disaster Movie is the worst kind of bad movie because it’s not particularly fun to talk about (or watch). Certain movies that don’t quite work are at least fun to dig into, either by making jokes at their expense or trying to get to the heart of just why they don’t work. Sometimes, it’s possible to get a thrill out of doing a bit of both. There’s no such thrill to discussing Disaster Movie.

This is the laziest of lazy parody movies, ripping into cinema and pop culture predominantly from 2008… and infamously doing so in 2008, meaning there wasn’t much to work with parody-wise beyond some recognizable characters and the marketing they might’ve appeared in when Disaster Movie was made. Parody movies are great when done right, but there’s very little parody in this parody movie. It simply shows things you might vaguely know, and then it hopes that’ll be enough. It’s not.

4

‘Verotika’ (2019)

Image via Cleopatra Entertainment

The worst anthology movie of the last 25 years will be mentioned in a bit, but the second-worst from that same period is probably Verotika. As the title suggests/threatens, Verotika is purportedly erotica combined with horror, but none of it is sexy, and none of it is scary. Even calling it sleazy somehow feels like giving Verotika credit, and sleaze isn’t even something you’d usually want in a movie!

It’s just a nothing movie, telling three main stories with all of them taking common horror tropes and conventions before mutating them in thoroughly dull and tedious ways. There’s nothing fresh here, nothing technically impressive, and nothing that even comes close to being scary. Verotika doesn’t even have the courtesy to be bad in a funny way, so just avoid it at all costs.

3

‘Cats’ (2019)

Image via Universal Pictures

After one infamously mortifying trailer, Cats, upon release, ended up being one infamously mortifying movie. With a paper-thin premise and nightmarish visuals, this movie is about a bunch of cats who all want to die, and they sing some songs because they’re all competing to be the one who gets to die. Well, maybe. They want to ascend to some kind of cat afterlife. But they actually want to die.

Viewers of Cats might well also find themselves wishing to ascend to a higher plane of existence while trying to survive this one. It’s a movie that feels longer than it is, being a true endurance test packed with annoying musical numbers, horrific animation mixed with live-action, and one of the most repetitive stories you’ll ever witness. Seriously, one of the most repetitive stories you’ll ever witness. The story here is so repetitive. It’s a movie that repeats itself. Cats is very repetitive.

2

‘Movie 43’ (2013)

Image via Relativity Media

Rivaling something like 1992’s The Player when it comes to having an astounding number of A-list actors in one movie, Movie 43 has too many famous people to count. Thankfully, there aren’t 42 more of these, and if there were, by no means would they be worth watching to properly understand Movie 43, because this is one of the last movies you should ever watch.

It’s even worse than Verotika, as far as anthology films go, stringing together numerous unfunny skits that are all packed with cheap, crude humor, but not cheap/crude humor that manages to be in any way amusing. Movie 43 is painful to get through, and the story of how it came to be proves far more interesting than the film itself (not to mention a lot stranger and more eventful).

1

‘2025: The World Enslaved by a Virus’ (2021)

Image via Wesely Bros

There’s something neat and numerically satisfying about giving 2025: The World Enslaved by a Virus the title of worst movie released between 1999 and 2024, given it’s set in 2025. It imagines a strange dystopia brought about by COVID-19… well, less so the virus itself, and more the ways that the powerful in the world used it to oppress and restrict, with communism being rampant and Christianity being illegal.

It was the sort of thing that had aged and felt preposterous even before it came out, and now that 2025 is right around the corner, the fearmongering here is even funnier. Also funny: the way this film is put together, the way it’s acted, the way it’s written, the way it uses music, and the fact it ends with a tragic event – like, in its final moments – that’s immediately undercut by the inclusion of bloopers in the end credits. 2025: The World Enslaved by a Virus is impossible to comprehend, even if you’ve successfully gotten through it. This kind of bafflement and cinematic ineptitude only comes around once every quarter of a century, if you’re (un)lucky.

[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Will Trent Season 4, Episode 11.]

In episode 411 of the ABC series Will Trent, the GBI special agent (Ramón Rodríguez, who also stepped in as director) races to Puerto Rico to make sure his Uncle Antonio (John Ortiz) is safe. Just after arriving and because he doesn’t actually have any jurisdiction, he’s joined by a woman who introduces herself as FBI Agent Elkie (Mallory Jansen). The two end up trekking through the rainforest, on a trail following clues that lead directly to Will’s own past and more questions than answers, that will continue to reverberate throughout the rest of the season.

Collider recently got the opportunity to chat one-on-one with Rodríguez about pulling off the biggest episode of the series so far, the challenges of shooting in Atlanta and Puerto Rico, the urgency of the mission to find Antonio, the ways this will all become pivotal to what’s next, the importance of Will’s therapy, seeing James Ulster (Greg Germann) in the elf costume, how the dance between Will and Elkie came about, his favorite moment in the episode, the surprises still to come, and how there’s still plenty of stories to tell in a potential Season 5.

Episode 411 of ‘Will Trent’ Is a Juicy Roller Coaster That Will Ripple Through the Rest of the Season

“It is our largest episode. It’s huge.”

Image via ABC

Collider: Between multiple people thinking that they’re doing Ulster’s bidding, to leaving a murdered woman in a refrigerator, to the spiders, to an FBI agent that seemed helpful turning out to be Ulster’s daughter, I feel like there are a lot of things piling on in this episode. What was your reaction to how it all unfolded when you first read it? Was there anything that most surprised you, especially with how much Adelaide was able to get away with before Will realized who she really is?

RAMÓN RODRÍGUEZ: When I read it, I actually really loved it. I was like, “Oh, this is juicy. And it’s big.” It was really a large-scale scope. It is our largest episode. It’s huge. I loved the twist, though. There are several really interesting twists and turns. The challenge then became, “How can we really try to preserve it as much as possible, so hopefully audiences don’t get too ahead, knowing that they’re really smart and can pick up cues.” And I think Mallory [Jansen], who played Adelaide, did a really great job. You have to let go and understand once you realize that that was a pretty masterful, insane plan to pull all that off. So now that you’ve let that go, you go, “Okay, we’re not going to get hung up on that,” and hopefully you just get sucked into it, and you’re just on this crazy adventure of an experience that takes Will to Puerto Rico. I love the motivating force that got him there, which is family. We know how much that resonates for Will, so the fact that family could be in danger, I bought that he would just pick up and go. Seeing Uncle Antonio in a new light as a ladies’ man was really fun and delightful.

And then, from the Atlanta side, we’re exploring Jeb and the RV and that chase, and we realize there are acolytes and tentacles that Ulster has out there. With the final result after the whole spider sequence and all the crazy cliffhanging moments, it was insane. It was a huge, massive, exhausting episode, but I absolutely loved it. We kept referencing Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Romancing the Stone. I wanted to show a new part of Puerto Rico with the jungle and the rainforest, and show the green, gorgeous, lush that is the island. We shot in Old San Juan because why not? It’s gorgeous. And there were the fun twists in it, learning who Adelaide really is, and then learning that Will knew a little bit, but he just played the game because he was desperate to find his uncle. There were just a lot of really fun elements. We got some great casting. Going back to Puerto Rico, the last time we were there was Season 2, but this time, as director, it was incredibly special. Seeing similar faces of the crew and their pride and having a Puerto Rican director bring the show to the island, there were a lot of high, wonderful, passionate, pride-filled moments.

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‘Will Trent’ brings back its best villain to kick off Season 4.

It’s funny, I seem to only talk to you this season for episodes that ended with a cliffhanger that have Will’s life hanging in the balance.

RODRÍGUEZ: I’ve noticed that, yeah.

Much like with the one at the beginning of this season, I’m guessing Will is going to be okay since the show is still called Will Trent. But Adelaide is still on the loose, bodies keep turning up, and she wants to kill Will. What would you say to tease what comes after this episode? She’s clearly smart and someone who has done some planning, so what comes next?

RODRÍGUEZ: This episode really becomes the springboard and the catalyst for the rest of the season. A lot of the things we end up exploring story wise are all related to the events of this episode. Trying to find Antonio becomes mission number one, and finding Adelaide. As we were building Adelaide, and we teased it in episode 11, she’s very Ulster-like, manipulative and smart. She’s someone that can shapeshift. She can be an FBI agent, and then we see this other, very dark side of her. But we also met her mom in this episode, and I hope we get a sense that something wasn’t right there either. Something was off with this lady. Something was off in this family, obviously. It’s going to be a really fun journey. It’s going to be a real roller coaster from this episode to the very end. We’re still filming, but we’re almost at the end. A lot of the stuff that we’re talking about and dealing with are things that stemmed from episode 11. It becomes a very pivotal episode for the season.

I love Will’s therapist, and not just because I love Margaret Cho, but because she actually gives him some good advice. I really liked her suggestion of rebranding Ulster when he shows up. Were there conversations about or any different possibilities before deciding to rebrand him as an elf? What did you think of him in that costume?

RODRÍGUEZ: It was fantastic. I agree, one of the fun things in this season has been watching Will finally deal with some of these issues in therapy. Dr. Roach is just the perfect, quirky, left-of-center therapist. When they first spoke, she took him to pickleball. It’s just weird stuff. I loved that, in this episode, she does give him the thought of rebranding. She’s helping him reclaim the power because Ulster has had the upper hand with Will. From life through death, he’s been tormenting and really messing with him, so it was great to finally see Will have an upper hand in this relationship, and taking Dr. Roach’s advice to heart and actually implementing it.

The elf idea, I thought was hilarious, and then the idea got funnier. When we were scouting in Puerto Rico, I looked over, and I was like, “What if we made our own tree stump and had him come out of it like a Keebler elf hat on?” We were dying. Everyone loved it. Our production design team, that is amazing, made the perfect tree stump. Up popped Ulster on the day, and everyone just couldn’t hold it in. He was just so game and such a great sport about it. It’s a nice color in that relationship, which we don’t often get to see. And to be able to use Ulster to get some solutions was an empowering thing. It was great.

Ramón Rodríguez Says They Only Had a Couple Chances To Pull Off That Dance Between Will and Elkie

“That was supposed to be a larger scene.”

Image via ABC

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There are so many fun things in this episode that aren’t in a regular episode of Will Trent. It was nice to see Will spend some time with his uncle. It was also nice to see him have some time to hang out on the beach surrounded by music, drink, and dancing. I absolutely loved the moment when he took the hat off the other guy and put it on himself before he started dancing and even sharing the kiss, not knowing it’s Adelaide. What was all of that like to get to do? My only complaint is that I wanted more. Would you have wanted to do a whole dance number if there had been time and budget to do so?

RODRÍGUEZ: We did. That day was our final day in Puerto Rico. We were so up against it. That was supposed to be a larger scene. Literally, that is one of two takes that we had to do before they pulled the plug on us. So, it originally was a bigger thing. We didn’t have the time, sadly, but I still think it’s very effective. If that had been longer, that means something else in the episode would have likely been cut. But trust me, we were all very excited about that scene and that moment. To see Will in that fantasy and be the dancer and speak fluent Spanish, there was more to it, for sure, but we did the most quality version we could, that hopefully still felt effective.

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What was the biggest challenge in pulling this episode off?

RODRÍGUEZ: It was such a large episode. We had massive stunts and wire stunts, with the cliffhanging moment. We had a ton of visual effects. We were shooting in two locations, and we were in Puerto Rico for the majority of the episode. The biggest challenge is always, and particularly for me while acting, is time. I was acting heavily in episode 410, and then I was prepping. I had half the normal prep schedule a director would have, for an episode that was the biggest episode we’ve ever done. It was a real challenge, but I really wanted to do it, so I didn’t make any complaints and I just pushed through. I spent every minute I wasn’t acting prepping and shot listing and looking at locations and looking at casting videos and finding wardrobe. I was doing all the things that a director has to do.

The nice thing is that I knew, when we wrapped the episode, we began our holiday hiatus, and I was just going to stay in Puerto Rico. I had a very clear goal. I was like, “Just get to the last day, and then you’ll get to have time off, and you’ll be in Puerto Rico.” I stayed there and it was lovely. I had family come visit me on set. Though it was hectic and there was chaos, and there were issues and problems, we were able to overcome them. I’m really proud of the work of the crew in Puerto Rico, and, of course, our Atlanta crew. Everyone was just hustling and wanting to make the best episode they could.

It feels like four seasons in, you can probably work your way out of just about anything at this point.

RODRÍGUEZ: Pretty much. And it’s nice when you have the same crew because now we’re a well-oiled machine.

You mentioned nearing the end of the season, as far as filming goes. Are you looking ahead and having conversations about Season 5 yet? Do you know where the show goes in the future?

RODRÍGUEZ: We do not know yet. Those conversations, everyone’s really focused on just finishing strong. We’re at that last 10-yard line, so that’s the main focus. But I will say there’s going to be plenty of story. Where the remainder of the season goes, there are going to be surprises. There are going to be highs and lows. There will be some questions answered. It is going to fully loaded. The way this episode rocks people and feels like, “Oh, wow!,” is going to continue as the season goes on. I think audiences are going to be floored in many, many ways.

Ramón Rodríguez Reveals That His Favorite Episode 411 Moment Made Him Emotional

“That was a nice little surprise blessing.”

What was your favorite moment in the episode? When you saw the whole thing finalized and put together, what most stood out to you?

RODRÍGUEZ: There are so many moments that I’m really proud of how they turned out. There’s stunt work that I thought came together beautifully. I thought there were some really fantastic performances. The guy that played Jeb was wonderful. The production design did such a great job with the RV and it looking disgusting. I thought the spiders in the tunnel came out great and creepy and scary. This wasn’t written on the page, it was a feeling and a thought I had on the day, but there was that moment with Lucy at the very end. I was pretty tired. I was pretty wiped out at that point. Directing and talking a lot, my voice was actually starting to give a little bit. I had this idea the morning that we were going to go shoot that scene with Lucy, and I said, “It’d be really cool and maybe even more emotional that, when she whispers in his ear than I scream, we don’t hear the scream. It’s a silent scream. The sound goes out.”

I did it to preserve my voice, but that’s also how things are sometimes. It’s very interesting, honestly. Problems arise and if you’re open to it and looking, you’ll find something that’s actually even better than the original idea. That, to me, is a perfect example. When I watched the editor’s cut of the episode, before I got to get into my director’s cut, and I saw that moment after having written her the note, the sound dropped out, and the camera came down from the sky, which in my mind was essentially Lucy’s spirit coming down to Will and then leaving him. I thought it’d be quite emotional, and when I saw it, I got emotional. I thought that was quite lovely. That was a nice little surprise blessing.

It’s also emotional because, before that, he experiences the moment of discovering the dummy in the bed that represents his mother and the recorder playing the baby’s cries in the trash can.

RODRÍGUEZ: Agreed. To see him losing his mind where he thinks it’s her, but then it’s a dummy, but everything looks like it’s staged the way his mom was found. He didn’t see that, but he’s seen her like that. It’s very dark. It’s very, very dark and tortured. Hopefully, it makes that moment [more impactful]. He says something about wanting a family. For someone like Will, who never had family, is facing death and realizing that he’s not going to get that, it’s pretty devastating. It’s pretty heartbreaking.

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It’s very impressive how much you were able to pull off in this episode.

RODRÍGUEZ: That means a lot, honestly. I always want to continue to elevate and push, and not feel like we’re comfortable and that we’re just settled in. I want to keep elevating the show. I know the writers and the cast and the crew do, as well. This was one that I felt like we really got to step it up. Honestly, when we talked about it, I let everyone know, “Just so you know, we’re making a movie right now. This isn’t an episode of television. This is a feature film on a television schedule and budget.”

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Release Date

January 3, 2023

Directors

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Howard Deutch, Eric Dean Seaton, Holly Dale, Lea Thompson, Patricia Cardoso, Sheree Folkson, Bille Woodruff, Erika Christensen, Gail Mancuso, Geary McLeod, Jason Ensler, Mark Tonderai, Paul McGuigan

Writers

Inda Craig-Galván, Henry ‘Hank’ Jones, Karine Rosenthal, Adam Toltzis, Antoine Perry

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• 

  Ramón Rodríguez

  Will Trent

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  Erika Christensen

  Angie Polaski

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Will Trent airs on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu.

It’s only been a little over a decade since Netflix began soaring as one of the dominant streaming services. While first playing host to many classic films and series, once they began getting into the original content universe, Netflix soon shocked network and cable with its binge-style viewing.

With an abundance of original titles over the years, we’ve been given the gift of sensational shows, but with seemingly a new show a week, have we forgotten some of the greats? Absolutely. The titles on this list are 10/10, but no one seems to remember them like we once did. From shows gone too soon to shows ahead of their time, we celebrate them once again.

‘GLOW’ (2017–2019)

Image via Netflix

It’s safe to say that female-led series were all the rage on Netflix, and they tended to be quite good. Following in the footsteps of Orange is the New Black came GLOW. Created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, the period dramady put the characters and gimmicks of the 1980s syndicated women’s professional wrestling circuit, Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, into the limelight. The series followed Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), a struggling 1980s actress who finds an unlikely career in GLOW alongside her former best friend, Debbie Egan (Betty Gilpin). Directed by Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron), he assembles a motley crew of misfits as they train together and develop wrestling personas, while building lasting friendships. Exploring the power dynamics between women in a male-dominated industry, GLOW was an instant classic. And then it just ended.

With an incredible female-led ensemble cast, the show was renewed for a fourth season. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down production, the streamer ultimately cancelled the series, and thus, the final season never came to fruition. To end on a cliffhanger— one that would have jump-started a sensational new chapter— was a complete disservice to the 10/10 masterpiece. GLOW is fondly remembered by its die-hard fans, but because it was shuttered before its natural end, it seems no one else remembers it because of how and when it faced its send-off. A smartly written and brilliantly performed series, GLOW was the definition of a character-centric show. You had your favorites but also appreciated the rest of the ensemble. It was light-hearted enough to give you a much-needed escape from reality, yet empowering and triumphant in story. Visually transporting you back to the ’80s, GLOW was a sleek, fully realized series, even if it never got to complete its journey.

‘Sense8’ (2015–2018)

Image via Netflix

A series truly ahead of its time was the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski masterpiece Sense8. The daring science fiction series followed the psychic connection between eight strangers from various walks of life, born into the same cluster of sensates, across different parts of the planet. Mentally and emotionally linked human beings, the eight — Capheus (Aml Ameen in Season 1, Toby Onwumere in Season 2), Sun (Bae Doona), Nomi (Jamie Clayton), Kala (Tina Desai), Riley (Tuppence Middleton), Wolfgang (Max Riemelt), Lito (Miguel Ángel Silvestre), and Will (Brian J. Smith) — attempt to live their everyday lives while navigating the sinister Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO) and Whispers (Terrence Mann) trying to hunt them down.

A truly globetrotting sensation, Sense8 explored rich themes of identity, sexuality, gender, and politics through an atypical superhero lens. There was no need for capes or leotards; Sense8 presented a different hero-and-villain narrative in a novel way. A visually triumphant series brought to life through pristine storytelling and intricate direction, Sense8 was built around its individual characters. The characters were the reason to enter this universe because they were expertly crafted. Whether they were forging their own paths in their individual stories or blending worlds through their connections, Sense8 was the little show that could. Highly regarded for its LGBTQ+ visibility, the series weaved in important conversations without compromising its integrity. Sadly, the show was cancelled before it was meant to end, though its final movie did its best to wrap up the story in a fan service kind of way.

‘Russian Doll’ (2019–2022)

Image via Netflix

One of the most ambitious science fiction dark comedies to come to the streamer was the two-season series, Russian Doll. Created by Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, and Amy Poehler, the intricate labyrinth of a show follows Nadia Vulvokov (Lyonne), a sarcastic software engineer stuck in a time loop, dying and reviving, at her 36th birthday party in NYC. Alongside a stranger named Alan (Charlie Barnett), who shares the same loop, they uncover the cause through traversing trauma and finding connection. By Season 2, it’s all about time travel as Nadia soon begins to experience life inside the body of her mother, Nora (Chloë Sevigny), thanks to a supernatural 6 train. Slightly morbid in premise yet uplifting when the cheery “Gotta Get Up” began to blare, Russian Doll explored trauma, mental health, and the need to confront one’s past through a sci-fi lens.

Russian Doll was a heavily layered piece. At under a half hour per episode, the series managed to blend classic science fiction with emotional and philosophical conversations. Mortality was front and center, yet it wasn’t overwhelmingly difficult to undertake. Russian Doll dove into Nadia’s psyche rather than just focusing on the mechanics of dying. To say the show was profound is an understatement. Lyonne played a simultaneously selfish and deeply damaged individual, breaking away from the character she had been previously known for on Orange Is the New Black. While we may never forget Nicky, we did forget Nadia. Perhaps we forgot about Russian Doll because Lyonne followed up the series with an even stronger vehicle, Poker Face.

‘Godless’ (2017)

Image via Netflix

Before the Taylor Sheridan Western boom came an epic Netflix series that’s been lost to time, Godless. In Scott Frank‘s series, Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), a young outlaw on the run from his vengeful mentor, Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), seeks revenge for betraying him. He winds up in La Belle, a small New Mexico mining town populated almost entirely by women after a mining disaster killed most of the men, who band together to defend their home against a murderous gang. A show about morality in the face of survival, Godless explores the strength of community and the tension between freedom and order.

Though the series maintained classic Western tropes, it was wonderfully contemporary thanks to the female-forward ensemble. If you’re looking for strong female characters, Godless has you covered with Michelle Dockery as Alice Fletcher, an unflinching widow, and Merritt Wever as Mary-Agnes, the widow of the mayor and lover of another woman, Callie Dunne (Tess Frazer). The seven-part Western is a wonderfully constructed and plotted story that blends gritty drama with emotionally-tinged emotional arcs. Helped by a stunning New Mexico landscape, Godless checked all the boxes a few years before audiences were ready for the full resurgence of the genre.

‘Narcos’ (2015–2017)

When Narcos first premiered, it came out guns blazing. Chronicling the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) in the late 1970s and 80s, from a smuggler to the leader of the Medellín Cartel, Narcos is partially told through the eyes of the DEA agents on the hunt for the powerful leader. By Season 3, Escobar has fallen as the Cali Cartel swiftly rises. Highlighting the violent, high-stakes battle between traffickers, local police, and U.S. law enforcement, Narcos mixes real-life archival footage with dramatized scenes to portray the brutality of the era, including corruption, politics, and “narcoterrorism.” As there had always been an inch for crime dramas, Narcos stood out as a sensationally daring series. But over time, as new crime thrillers arrived, Narcos fell to the back burner.

The first two seasons thrived thanks to Wagner’s career-making performance as Escobar. His balance between being a terrifying tyrant and a devoted family man made his performance so extraordinary. Further, the dynamic between Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook as Javier Peña and Steve Murphy added an extra layer to the treacherous, dangerous atmosphere. Even as a show on a steamer, the series had a true cinematic feel. Narcos could easily have been a movie, but allowing it to evolve over ten episodes per season proved brilliant for storytelling. If Rotten Tomatoes scores mean anything, Narcos got better season after season. Narcos did see a spin-off, Narcos: Mexico, arrive with some familiar faces returning, but it didn’t quite extend the series’ legacy.

‘Bodyguard’ (2018)

Image via Netflix

From the BBC to Netflix, Bodyguard proved that thrillers are what viewers seek. Created and written by Jed Mercurio, Bodyguard is a fast-paced political thriller that follows David Budd (Richard Madden), a traumatized war veteran working as a Specialist Protection Officer for the London Metropolitan Police. Tasked with protecting Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes)—whose politics he despises—Budd becomes caught in a conspiracy involving terrorism, government corruption, and organized crime. As Budd grapples with duty and trauma, he discovers that he might be the biggest threat. A series with twists and turns around every corner, through complex explorations of PTSD and government conspiracy, Bodyguard was a sensational six-episode, one-season binge.

Though the series resolved itself with its single season, there was a desire for more. With a beloved Game of Thrones star in the lead, the hype surrounding it could have brought more stories to the screen, especially with lingering loose ends that needed to be tied up. Yet, it was a one-and-done situation. Madden was in demand, and the lack of Season 2 left him open for other opportunities. Could a second season eventually come to fruition? “Maybe.” For now, other political thrillers on the streaming service continue to steal the spotlight, leaving Bodyguard to be forgotten as time goes by.

‘The OA’ (2016–2019)

Image via Netflix

A brilliant show, but decisive at that, The OA was Netflix’s original cult classic. The risky series, created and executive-produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, with Marling in the lead, told the story of a young woman named Prairie Johnson, who had resurfaced after being missing for seven years. Prairie now calls herself “the OA” and can see, despite having been blind before her disappearance. She recruits five locals to teach them a series of movements she claims can open portals to other dimensions, revealing her traumatic past, near-death experiences with otherworldly beings, and a mission to rescue others. A truly mesmerizing science fiction fantasy thriller, The OA had a devoted following that helped push it to great heights.

At a time when difficult, risky series were intriguing, The OA was uniquely so. A highly intellectual and heady piece, it was also very much a personal project for Marling. You had to be willing to go on that journey with her and Prairie. And if you did, it was truly sensational. The story went to difficult places, including the trauma of emotional abuse and a school shooting. It was unabashedly unafraid to push to those lengths to start a conversation. Even with Marling at the center of the story, The OA was celebrated for its diverse ensemble. With the likes of Emory Cohen, Phyllis Smith, Jason Isaacs, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and others coming and going across its two seasons, the acting was crucial for the plot-driven thriller. A truly remarkable moment in television history, The OA is uniquely its own work of art. The OA‘s initial fan base helped earn it a second season, falling away soon thereafter before a third season could commence. Though if a special choreographed dance happened, perhaps Season 3 could come to life.

‘Maniac’ (2018)

Image via Netflix

Emma Stone and Jonah Hill have had extraordinary careers, so it is logical to have forgotten a project or two along the way. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case for the single-season run of Maniac. The unofficial Superbad reunion series, loosely based on the Norwegian series, the Patrick Somerville-created show followed two struggling strangers, Anna and Owen, who connect during a mind-bending pharmaceutical trial involving Dr. James K. Mantleray (Justin Theroux), a doctor with mother issues and an emotionally complex computer, set in a retro-future New York City. Through surreal, genre-bending dreamscapes, Annie and Owen confront trauma, loneliness, and their inner demons, ultimately exploring themes of connection, reality, and what it means to be “normal” in a technologically advanced, emotionally disconnected world. A sci-fi premise with a black-comedy undertone, Maniac forced a discussion about how true healing comes not from a pill but from understanding and connection with others and ourselves.

Alongside Stone and Hill, Maniac boasted an excellent ensemble including Sally Field, Gabriel Byrne, Billy Magnussen, and Julia Garner. With those names attached, it’s shocking that we still don’t toss the title into the discussion alongside other Netflix greats. With director Cary Joji Fukunaga at the helm, Maniac set itself apart through its dazzlingly distinct visual styles during its dreamscapes. The retro-futuristic aesthetic, which united 80s technology with futuristic concepts, highlighted the bizarro New York the characters navigated. A rich dissertation on mental health and grief, Maniac deserves a second chance.

‘Marco Polo’ (2014–2016)

Image via Netflix

Audiences love a historical epic. Whether it’s a medieval drama or sweeping war-set masterpiece, these multi-episode shows enhance what you might see on the big screen, as there is more time to explore. As Game of Thrones was taking over the world, Netflix explored an extraordinary epic by retelling the Marco Polo story. Inspired by his early years, Lorenzo Richelmy starred as Marco Polo, the famed explorer, as he joins the Mongol court of Kublai Khan (Benedict Wong). Marco must navigate intense political intrigue, espionage, martial arts training, the war against the Song Dynasty, and the culture clash of the Silk Road. A name well known but a story forgotten, Marco Polo was a sweeping series that was 10/10, but showed up too soon.

A high-budget, lavish production, Marco Polo brought audiences to a world they likely knew very little about. Even though some embellishment had been sprinkled in, viewers learned as they were entertained. Richelmy’s Marco Polo was the central character by name, but it was a pre-MCU Wong that stole the show. The power that he brought to the legendary leader was quite remarkable. A truly ambitious project, Maco Polo remains a hidden gem.

‘The Get Down’ (2016–2017)

Image via Netflix

A period drama musical from the minds of Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis should have been the recipe for success, but The Get Down was only granted a single season. A masterpiece series that didn’t net the audience Netflix needed, the massive-budget series set in the South Bronx in the 1970s told the story of hip-hop’s birth amid the city’s bankruptcy and urban decay. It follows a group of teenagers, including aspiring poet Ezekiel “Books” Figuero (Justice Smith) and DJ Shaolin Fantastic (Shameik Moore), as they navigate love, violence, and artistic ambition. Depicting the cultural shift from disco to hip-hop, where MCing, DJing, and breakdancing ruled supreme, The Get Down was a worthy story about a crucial period in the evolution of music.

The brilliance of The Get Down was how sensationally well the authentic atmosphere was built. It featured the theatricality for which Luhrmann is known while integrating the raw history of the time. Through brilliant musical curation, The Get Down felt like an immersive experience. With the likes of Nas and Grandmaster Flash lending their credibility to the project, the genre’s origins are highlighted seamlessly. The series lovingly showcased how the “Get Down” acted as a form of liberation and escape for individuals in underserved communities. That’s truly where the heart of the show lay. In a sense, The Get Down is a romanticized coming-of-age story for entertainment purposes, but its core was rooted in reality.

Carl Kolchak is supposed to be covering crime. That’s the assignment when the series begins. He deals with police reports, courthouse chatter, and the slow grind of a city newspaper trying to keep up with Chicago after dark. But the stories he stumbles into tend to delve into the realm of horror. A witness sees something strange. A detail refuses to make sense. Another piece of the puzzle turns up, and suddenly the explanation sounds less like police work and more like superstition.

The TV series wasn’t actually the beginning of Carl Kolchak’s story. Two television movies paved the way first. In 1972, The Night Stalker introduced the reporter as he investigated a string of killings in Las Vegas that turned out to involve a vampire. A year later, horror writer Richard Matheson’s The Night Strangler had Kolchak investigating the site of an ancient, undead killer who had lived there for generations. In 1974, Kolchak: The Night Stalker series premiered. Although only one season, it would clearly have an impact on later shows like The X-Files. Series creator Chris Carter admitted to being inspired by the 70s cult classic.

Kolchak Is Defined Not Only by His Job but Also by His City

Image via Peacock

Star Darren McGavin never gives in to the idea of Kolchak as a monster hunter. He’s a reporter who keeps following strange leads down rabbit holes. His rumpled suit makes him look like he’s spent the day chasing stories across the city and never stops. He scribbles notes and continues asking questions even when the people around him would rather change the subject.

In the first episode, “The Ripper,” you can see his persistence right away. It starts with a series of disturbingly familiar killings. Kolchak recalls a prior experience and feels the possible killer is someone he tangled with before. Back at the newsroom, his editor, Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland), reacts to these developments like a man who’s about to develop yet another ulcer. He respects Kolchak’s instincts but would prefer those instincts point toward stories that don’t sound like pulp fiction. Their arguments are a hilarious highlight of the show.

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The city itself does much of the atmospheric work.Kolchak rarely looks polished or high-budget. The series wanders through darkened alleys, dim office buildings, and quiet residential streets where the traffic has thinned out for the night.Those places already carry a certain tension. A block that feels ordinary during the day can feel very different after midnight, when the sidewalks are empty, andthe only sound is a distant car passing somewhere out of view.

Episodes like “The Vampire” lean into that atmosphere nicely. It circles back to Janos Skorzeny (Barry Atwater), the Las Vegas vampire from the first television movie. Kolchak follows the connection through dark apartments and quiet parts of the city where the supernatural seems to slip into everyday life almost unnoticed.

The Monsters in ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’ Don’t Come From the Typical Legends

Image via ABC

The show also keeps things interesting by reaching beyond the most familiar horror creatures. Vampires appear, yes, but they don’t dominate the series. Instead, the writers wander into folklore and mythology that television rarely touches. “Horror in the Heights” is a good example. Kolchak is looking into some deaths in a Chicago neighborhood. He eventually realizes he’s dealing with a Rakshasa, a demon straight out of Hindu mythology that disguises itself as someone its victims can trust. That alone is terrifying, not knowing someone you know is a demon in disguise.

Other episodes drift into stranger territory still. “They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be…” has Kolchak investigating a series of deaths. They seem connected to an invisible alien that’s somewhere in the city trying to repair his spaceship, as Kolchak relentlessly searches for him. The show moves easily between the supernatural and science fiction without missing a beat.

‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’s Influence Spreads Through Television Like ‘The X-Files’

Looking back now, it’s easy to see how much of modern paranormal television has grown out of this format. The structure is simple but effective. A stubborn investigator takes on a case that doesn’t make sense, while the authorities continually dismiss the explanation. The truth surfaces briefly before being buried again. Anyone who’s watched The X-Files will recognize that pattern, as the latter show’s creator intended. Both series follow investigators who keep running into phenomena that official institutions prefer not to acknowledge.

What keeps Kolchak: The Night Stalker memorable, though, isn’t just the concept. It’s McGavin’s performance. His dry sense of humor keeps the stories from getting too dark. Kolchak reacts to the supernatural with equal parts curiosity and annoyance, like a reporter who has just discovered that tonight’s assignment is far stranger than expected, and he won’t get home in time to watch the fights. Although only one season, once Kolchak is on your radar, the echoes start turning up more often than you’d expect.