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Entertainment

Netflix’s Stellar 5-Part Crime Thriller Is the Perfect Weekend Binge Before Its 2026 Return

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Carla Sehn as Hanna in The 'Åre Murders.'

With so many mystery shows arriving on streaming lately, from The Last Thing He Told Me to Imperfect Women, it’s getting harder for any one series to stand out. That is part of what makes The Åre Murders feel like such a hidden gem. The smart Swedish Netflix crime drama is set to return for Season 2 in 2026, with production reportedly beginning this past February. Based on Viveca Sten’s novels Hidden in Snow and Hidden in the Shadows, the five-episode 2025 series follows Hanna Ahlander (Carla Sehn), a Stockholm detective who gets pulled into the case of a missing girl while visiting the small town of Åre.

What Is ‘The Åre Murders’ About?

In the first episode of The Åre Murders, Harald Halvorsen (Henrik Norlén) and Lena Halvorsen (Sofia Papadimitriou Ledarp) are horrified to realize their teen daughter Amanda Halvorsen (Freddie Mosten-Jacob) has been missing for a full night. Her parents thought that Amanda was staying over at a party, but when they checked in with one of Amanda’s friends, they discovered she had left the party early, and no one has heard from her since. Hanna joins the initial search for Amanda. At first, she’s not acting in her capacity as a police officer; she’s simply joining a large search party of concerned civilians. But when this search is unsuccessful, the police open a proper investigation. They’re understaffed and ask Hanna to join the investigation even though she’s on leave. Although Hanna knows she has personal problems to work through, she’s invested in the case and agrees to join.

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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz
Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner?

Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt

Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.

🎖️Rambo

🍸James Bond

🏺Indiana Jones

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🔧John McClane

🎭Ethan Hunt

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01

You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner?
The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.





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02

You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel?
How you get there is half the mission.





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03

You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do?
This is when you find out what someone is really made of.





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04

The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest?
Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.





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05

How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission?
Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.





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06

Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them?
The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.





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07

Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do?
Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.





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08

What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace?
A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.





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09

Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with?
No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.





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10

It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now?
The last question is the most honest one.





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Your Partner Has Been Assigned
Your Perfect Partner Is…

Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.

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Rambo

Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.

James Bond

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Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.

Indiana Jones

Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.

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John McClane

Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.

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Ethan Hunt

Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.

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The specifics of Hanna’s personal problems are slowly revealed over the show’s five episodes, along with the central mystery in which the case of one missing girl leads to larger secrets, including a murder mystery and human trafficking. Carla Sehn’s excellent performance anchors the show as Hanna uncovers multiple brutal crimes. She plays the serious scenes well but also gives Hanna a breezy, flirty quality.

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‘The Åre Murders’ Includes a Messy Will-They-Won’t-They

Carla Sehn as Hanna in The 'Åre Murders.'
Carla Sehn as Hanna in The ‘Åre Murders.’
Image via Netflix

One of the strongest aspects of The Åre Murders is the relationship between Hanna and her new partner, Detective Daniel Lindskog (The Abyss‘ Kardo Razzazi). Their partnership starts rocky. When they first meet, Hanna is having a rough moment while driving her brother-in-law’s car. Daniel pulls her over and finds out that not only is she driving a car that isn’t hers, but she doesn’t have her license on her. He only lets her off after finding out she’s a fellow police officer. When she joins the case, he’s reluctant to partner with her. But over the course of the series, they slowly begin to trust each other.

Hanna and Daniel’s relationship is sure to please anyone who loves watching crime-fighting partners fall in love. They have strong romantic tension throughout the show. One scene in which Daniel visits her in the hospital is especially sweet and tender. But the best part of their relationship is the less serious moments. In an otherwise bleak show, it’s a joy watching how easily they fall into a rhythm of joking around together. At the same time, their dynamic is complicated because of Daniel’s wife and newborn baby.

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‘The Åre Murders’ Focuses on Character First, Mysteries Second

The structure of The Åre Murders is unusual but intriguing. Partway through the series, it shifts focus to a murder that is seemingly unrelated to Amanda’s disappearance. The disconcerting structure works and creates an engaging two-part mystery. Structurally, the show is similar to Dublin Murders, which adapted two mystery novels into a single season. But The Åre Murders pull this off more smoothly. The Åre Murders works because Hanna and Daniel are such strong characters.

Despite having ‘murders’ in the title, Amanda’s case doesn’t actually become a murder case until Episode 2, and it takes even longer for the detectives to start investigating a second murder. The Åre Murders doesn’t have to wear its mysteries on its sleeve because it’s satisfying just watching Hanna try to pick up the pieces of her life and navigate her messy relationship with Daniel. Like Top of the Lake, it’s a character drama first. It’s fitting that the end of the series focuses on where Hanna and Daniel are at in their personal and professional lives rather than setting up the mystery for Season 2.

Sheila, Rachel, and Skylar in 'Friends Like These' on Hulu.


Hulu’s 3-Part True-Crime Series Is So Good, You’ll Finish It in One Sitting

When friendship turns fatal.

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This focus on character applies not just to the detectives, but also to the friends and family members of the victims. The show holds the audience’s attention not with constant wild twists but with how well it dramatizes the distress caused by the absence of the missing and deceased.

The Åre Murders is an intriguing binge, with enough surprises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end. Like so many other female-led thrillers, its biggest strength is a unique, complex woman at its center, brought to life beautifully by a great actress. Hanna is a flawed and idiosyncratic character who’s always interesting to watch.

The Åre Murders is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

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Release Date

February 6, 2025

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Network

Netflix

Directors
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Alain Darborg

Writers

Karin Gidfors

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Carla Sehn

    Hanna Ahlander

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    Kardo Razzazi

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    Daniel Lindskog

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Alex Cooper Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby With Matt Kaplan

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Alex Cooper Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 1 With Husband Matt Kaplan: ‘Our Family’

Alex Cooper and her husband, Matt Kaplan, are expecting their first baby.

“Daddy Gang, there is something I’ve been waiting to share with you ….” Cooper, 31, wrote via her Instagram Story on Sunday, May 17.

Cooper went on to share a series of photos of her cradling her baby bump while looping at Kaplan, 42. She captioned the Instagram post, “Our family 🤍.”

The “Call Her Daddy” podcast host also shared a selfie of her sitting on Kaplan’s lap outside with mountains visible in the distance. His face was covered by her phone.

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Alex Cooper Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 1 With Husband Matt Kaplan: ‘Our Family’
Courtesy of Alex Cooper/Instagram

“Honestly happy I can finally stop trying to hide the bump lol,” Cooper wrote in a separate Instagram Story, alongside a photo of a bag of candy.

The news comes amid reports that the couple were experiencing tension in their marriage after the Unwell Network made headlines following allegations of Kaplan’s behavior. (Neither Cooper nor Kaplan have addressed the drama. Us Weekly reached out to representatives for Cooper, Kaplan and the Unwell Network at the time.)

However, sources close to the pair tell Us that the rumors are false. The insiders add that Cooper and Kaplan are so excited for this new chapter and have tried to hold out as long as they could before announcing.

Days prior to the announcement, Cooper and Kaplan attended the YouTube Brandcast event at Lincoln Center in New York City. During the Wednesday, May 13, event, YouTube revealed that they officially expanded their partnership with Cooper and her Unwell Network and announced four new shows.

Kaplan popped the question to Cooper in 2023. While recalling the engagement, Cooper told W Magazine at the time that her “entire house was covered in candles, lit all over, music playing, and a scavenger hunt leading to Matt proposing.”

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“There was a computer and the screen said ‘play me.’ I played the video, and it was Matt wearing the same exact outfit that he wore on our first Zoom meeting together,” she continued. “He talked about our relationship and his love for me, and then he asked me to open the card sitting there and to follow the scavenger hunt around the house.”

Cooper and Kaplan tied the knot in April 2024 in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The couple opted to keep their vows private from each other until their wedding.

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“For our families and closest friends to hear us verbalize our feelings toward one another in the most intimate setting felt electric,” Cooper told Vogue at the time. “As you will see in almost every photo, there were no dry eyes in sight. We will never forget that moment.”

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WHO Declares International Health Emergency Amid Surge

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Rihanna Seemingly Addresses Baby Rumors, Talks "Little Pouch"

Health officials are once again sounding the alarm as a fast-moving outbreak linked to a rare Ebola variant spreads across parts of Central and East Africa. And let’s just say, it’s prompting urgent international concern. The situation has escalated enough for the head of the World Health Organization to step in. Now, they’ve formally classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

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Call her Mommy! Alex Cooper announces she's pregnant with first baby

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“Honestly happy I can finally stop trying to hide the bump.”

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Get Over Here—Because Mortal Kombat 2 Is Worth Watching! : Coastal House Media

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Get Over Here—Because Mortal Kombat 2 Is Worth Watching! : Coastal House Media

In a movie called Mercy, you’d expect compassion — instead, you get cold algorithms, hard deadlines, and a justice system that wouldn’t know a second chance if it filed an appeal. This near-future sci-fi thriller throws Chris Pratt into a courtroom where the judge isn’t just stern — it’s silicon. And from there, the film makes one thing clear: in this world, “processing your feelings” is less important than processing your data.

Review

The premise is easily the movie’s biggest strength. A justice system run by AI, a detective who helped build it, and a race against time to prove innocence — it’s the kind of idea that instantly pulls you in. The story unfolds with a constant ticking-clock energy that keeps things tense, and the tech-driven way events are revealed — through screens, surveillance, and digital trails — gives the film a sleek, modern edge. It feels like a cinematic cousin to a long Black Mirror episode, built around the fear that technology might be efficient… but not exactly fair.

Chris Pratt as Detective Chris Raven in Mercy (Justin Lubin/Justin Lubin – © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC)

Chris Pratt delivers a solid, restrained performance. This isn’t his usual wise-cracking, action-heavy role; instead, he carries the movie through urgency, frustration, and quiet desperation. He does what he can with the material, even though the character is often limited by the film’s structure. Much of the story unfolds in confined or static situations, which fits the concept but sometimes makes the movie feel smaller than its big idea deserves.

Rebecca Ferguson plays the AI judge, a character that’s less about emotional nuance and more about what the movie’s central idea looks like in human form. She isn’t a warm or sympathetic presence — she is the embodiment of the system Chris Pratt’s character is up against. That immediately gives her role a kind of gravity: she represents the cold logic of a world where justice is measured in algorithms and milliseconds instead of human deliberation.

Rebecca Ferguson as Judge Maddox in Mercy (Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios – © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC)

Ferguson doesn’t have to carry the emotional weight in the way a traditional judge character might. Instead, her performance leans into stillness and precision — every word, every pause feels deliberate. It’s like she’s calibrated to deliver the law exactly as programmed, without the messy complications of empathy or second chances. That fits the film’s premise really well, because you never forget she’s not just another character — she’s the machine that decides life or death.

Her impact goes beyond just being the antagonist figure. Ferguson’s presence raises the stakes. Every time she speaks, you feel the system’s power in a way that simple exposition couldn’t achieve. She makes you feel the rules of this world — not through anger or theatrics, but through a kind of unemotional certainty that’s almost more unsettling. It’s one thing for a judge to be strict; it’s another for them to be literally incapable of bending or understanding emotion.

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The movie doesn’t give her a deep backstory, and it doesn’t turn her into a cliché villain. Her role is functional, but in a smart way: she is the mechanism that keeps the clock ticking. Because of that, Ferguson’s performance becomes an anchor for the entire film — not by stealing scenes, but by giving the audience a clear sense of what the protagonist is fighting against. She sets the tone for the courtroom drama, and her steady, almost robotic delivery makes the tension feel real even when the visuals are just screens and data panels.

In short: Ferguson’s character isn’t there for charm or emotional beats. She’s there to be the system, and she does that with a cool, controlled performance that elevates the movie’s central conflict. If the film had a weaker presence in that role, the whole thing might have felt much less urgent. But because she’s so effective at what she represents, you feel the pressure in every scene she’s in — even if the story around her doesn’t always dig as deep as it could.

Visually, Mercy looks polished. The futuristic design leans more toward believable near-future than flashy sci-fi spectacle, which helps ground the story. The heavy use of screens and digital interfaces adds to the atmosphere, though it can occasionally make the film feel more like you’re watching a very intense system interface than a fully cinematic experience. It’s stylish, just not always immersive in the way you might hope.

Where the movie loses a bit of momentum is in its depth. It raises huge questions about AI, surveillance, and who we trust to decide guilt — but it never digs as deeply into those themes as the setup promises. Some story turns feel familiar, and while the tension keeps things watchable, the emotional and philosophical impact doesn’t hit as hard as it could have. You’re engaged in the moment, but you’re not necessarily haunted afterward.

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That’s why this lands at a comfortable 3 out of 5 stars. It’s entertaining, well-paced, and built on a strong concept, but it plays things a little too safely to be truly memorable. Worth a watch if you enjoy technological thrillers and high-stakes tension — just don’t expect a verdict that blows your mind.

By the end, Mercy proves one thing: the movie may be about justice without emotion, but as a film experience, it could’ve used just a little more heart… and maybe a mistrial on some of those missed opportunities.

Mercy Official Trailer (Amazon MGM Studios)
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Crunchyroll’s Near-Perfect Dark Fantasy Series Just Teased A Much-Needed Change of Pace in Season 4

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Jujutsu Kaisen anime

At this point, Jujutsu Kaisen fans have become so used to constant chaos that even the idea of Yuji Itadori relaxing for five minutes feels genuinely shocking. That is part of why a recent comment from Yuji’s English dub actor, Adam McArthur, immediately caught the attention of manga readers.

Speaking with ScreenRant at LVL UP Expo 2026, McArthur discussed one of the moments he is most excited to see animated in Season 4. Instead of teasing another massive fight or devastating death, he pointed to a much smaller and much stranger scene involving Yuji casually hanging out in a bathrobe while holding a wine glass during the Culling Game arc. Honestly, that excitement says a lot about what the series has become over the last few years.

“I’m excited to see more of the culling game. There’s one scene — so I want to keep this as non-spoilery as possible — but one of the scenes I am absolutely most hyped to see animated is when we come back to Yuji in the Culling Game after we hang out with Megumi for a while. I cannot wait to see Yuji in a bathrobe holding a wine glass in a hotel room.

I think that’s going to be hilarious. I got to see that. I love that with all the craziness that’s happening through all these things, we still get those little tiny moments of levity — with Yuji. So, yeah. I’m looking forward to that.”

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‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Rarely Lets Its Characters Breathe

Jujutsu Kaisen anime
Jujutsu Kaisen anime
Image via MAPPA

One of the biggest reasons Jujutsu Kaisen exploded into such a massive anime phenomenon is because of how relentlessly energetic it is. Even from its earliest episodes, the series moved with an urgency that made it difficult to stop watching, and that pacing only intensified as the anime continued. By the time the series reached the Shibuya Incident arc, Jujutsu Kaisen had fully embraced emotional devastation as part of its identity. Then Season 3 pushed things even further with the Culling Game. Overall, the series’ characters have been constantly thrown into increasingly brutal confrontations while the story itself becomes more chaotic, more unpredictable, and significantly darker. Yuji, especially, has spent the majority of the series trapped in an almost nonstop cycle of violence, guilt, and psychological exhaustion.

That intensity is part of what makes Jujutsu Kaisen feel so different from a lot of other modern shōnen anime. The series rarely allows audiences to feel comfortable for very long. Fans genuinely believe terrible things can happen at any moment because the story has repeatedly proven that they can, so the audience has been conditioned to literally expect the worst at all timesespecially when things seem happy and comfortable, because it’s just more painful that way. But there is also a reason the smaller, stranger moments stand out so much when they finally appear.

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Death Note


The 10 Most Rewatchable Anime Shows, Ranked

These anime are so good you must watch it twice, thrice, or ten times!

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‘Jujutsu Kaisen’s Weird Humor Is One of Its Most Important Strengths

Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen Hidden Inventory arc.
Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen Hidden Inventory arc.
Image via MAPPA

It is easy to primarily associate Jujutsu Kaisen with trauma and destruction now, especially after the last two seasons, but the series has always had an absurd sense of humor running through it. Some of its most memorable moments are bizarre comedic detours that briefly interrupt the chaos surrounding the characters rather than the visually stunning destruction happening surrounding those moments. Whether it is Gojo acting like an overgrown menace, the pure nonsense energy of the Juju Stroll segments, or characters like Fumihiko Takaba completely derailing the tone of scenes around them, Jujutsu Kaisen has consistently balanced horror and absurdity in ways that keep the world feeling unpredictable. Those moments matter far more than they initially seem to. Without occasional flashes of levity, the nonstop brutality of the series would eventually become emotionally numbing. The humor creates a necessary contrast, because it reminds audiences that these characters are still people underneath all the destruction surrounding them. More importantly, it gives viewers room to breathe before the story inevitably spirals back into chaos again.

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Season 4 of ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Could Feel Very Different From Recent Arcs

What makes McArthur’s comments especially interesting is that they hint at a side of Jujutsu Kaisen anime only viewers may not fully expect yet. While the upcoming material still includes massive fights and devastating confrontations, the Culling Game also allows the series to become significantly weirder and occasionally much more playful than its recent reputation suggests. That tonal flexibility is one of the biggest reasons Jujutsu Kaisen continues dominating anime conversation: the series understands that constant escalation only works when audiences are occasionally allowed to emotionally reset. Even at its darkest, Jujutsu Kaisen still leaves room for awkward character interactions, visual gags, and moments that feel unexpectedly human amid all the destruction. The bathrobe scene McArthur teased represents exactly that kind of balance.

Of course, manga readers (and honestly, anyone familiar with Jujutsu Kaisen’s approach to emotional stability) already know peace probably will not last very long. That is part of what makes a scene like this one stand out so much in the first place. Jujutsu Kaisen has become fantastic at giving audiences just enough breathing room to remind them what these characters are fighting for before ripping that comfort away all over again. Seeing Yuji relaxed, awkwardly comfortable, and momentarily free from constant suffering feels strange precisely because the series has spent so long convincing audiences those moments rarely survive for very long. Which honestly makes the image of him standing around in a bathrobe with a wine glass feel weirdly powerful by Jujutsu Kaisen standards.


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Release Date

October 3, 2020

Network
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TBS, MBS, CBC, Tulip Television, BSN, tys, NBC, HBC, RKK, i-Television, SBS, IBC, BSS, MRO, OBS, TUF, RSK, TUY, tbc, RKB, SBC, KUTV, RBC, UTY, RCC, MRT, atv, MBC

Directors

Ryohei Takeshita, Masataka Akai, Chie Nishizawa, Daisuke Tsukushi, Tomomi Kamiya, Kakushi Ifuku, Ken Takahashi

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Writers

Hiroshi Seko

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Franchise(s)

Jujutsu Kaisen

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  • Cast Placeholder Image
  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Yuichi Nakamura

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    Satoru Gojo

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Star Trek Is Releasing New DS9 And Voyager Stories In The Worst Possible Way

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Star Trek Is Releasing New DS9 And Voyager Stories In The Worst Possible Way

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

You remember that old short story, “The Monkey’s Paw”? It’s a creepy tale with a classic conceit: after a family receives the titular monkey mitten, they realize that they can make wishes on it. Those wishes come true, but in the worst possible way. Like, if you ask for money, you’ll get it, but only when your kid dies, and you receive their life insurance. At any rate, I had this story firmly in mind as I learned about the latest Star Trek project, one that is guaranteed to piss off everyone who hated Starfleet Academy.

Fans are getting the new Star Trek series we begged for, but not on Paramount+. Instead, they are online comics that will premiere on WEBTOON, a platform featuring vertical comics. One of these comics is Stargazers, a slice-of-life story about a young man finishing up school aboard Deep Space Nine. The other comic is Recollection, a more mature adult mystery about an amnesiac woman who wakes up on a mysterious starship. The most interesting thing about these comics is that they offer a canonical look at life after the Dominion War. Unfortunately, this move is one that is guaranteed to annoy older fans while failing to bring any younger fans into the fold.

Star Trek Goes… Vertical?

If you grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation or even The Original Series, you probably have a simple question right now: what the heck’s a webtoon? Webtoons themselves are vertical comics that are designed to be read on your phone rather than a tablet or desktop monitor. While often referred to as “episodes,” most webtoons are designed as static, scrollable panels rather than motion comics or other types of animation. Incidentally, WEBTOON is also the name of the popular webtoon platform that Paramount will be using to launch Stargazers and Recollection.

As you might imagine, webtoons are typically aimed at younger audiences, and that’s exactly who Paramount is targeting with these new comics. Stargazers is particularly youth-coded as it focuses on a young human (Leon) and his faithful canine companion as he tries to make friends and find love with a peer group that includes a Bajoran and a Changeling. It’s designed as a Boys’ Love comic, which means you can expect plenty of same-sex romance and quirky dating escapades with Leon and the boy of his dreams.

Star Trek Forgets All About It

Comparatively, Recollection is a more adult tale focusing on an amnesiac woman who wakes up on a weird Federation vessel with six other people and a holopilot who is seemingly lying to her. Eventually, she meets a Vulcan who seems to know who she is, and this logic-loving alien gives our hero a device that allows her to see fragments of her old life. By the time it’s over, she’ll need to solve puzzles old and new to fully unpack the mystery that her life has become.

On paper, these webtoons have a few things going for them. Paramount is clearly throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, and dropping new Star Trek stories on the most popular webtoon platform may win over younger audiences in a way that Starfleet Academy couldn’t. Plus, making these stories canonical is a downright diabolical way to get older audiences to read them. We’re apparently never going to get a Star Trek: Legacy series, so Stargazers and Recollection just became the only real way to find out more about what happened in the 25th century after the Dominion War ended and after Voyager made it home.

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Can Star Trek Fans Live With It?

However, my inner cynic can’t help but think that these webtoons will fizzle out to very little fanfare. Star Trek has had three animated series (gout if you count those awful YouTube shorts), but none of them managed to win over young fans. Meanwhile, Starfleet Academy was designed from the ground up as a romance-driven teen drama in space, but it never found the young audience it was desperately searching for. If smart, brightly-colored cartoons and an insanely flashy show filled with hot actors weren’t enough to recruit young fans, I don’t think a cheap web comic with the art design of a mobile game is really going to move the needle.

At the very least, while Starfleet Academy was hidden behind a streaming subscription, fans of all ages can check out these web comics for free. Stargazers: A Star Trek Story will be releasing its first three episodes on the WEBTOON app for free on May 17. Meanwhile, Recollection: A Star Trek Story will launch on the same platform later this year. With no new Star Trek shows in production, these may be the closest we’ll get to a new series in a good, long time, but maybe that’s for the best.

After all, we older fans have spent decades wanting new stories to explore what happened after Deep Space Nine and Voyager. If these comics bomb, we may collectively learn the major lesson of “The Monkey’s Paw”: be careful what you wish for!


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Drew Sidora Teases K. Michelle ‘RHOA’ Feud

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Drew Sidora, RHOA, Ralph Pittman

Season 17 of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” is ongoing, with the upcoming 7th episode expected to be supersized. Ahead of its airing, Drew Sidora has taken to social media to deliver a pointed message, hinting at her much-talked-about feud with singer and newbie K. Michelle. This comes after Michelle has blasted Sidora in multiple interviews.

Drew Sidora, RHOA, Ralph Pittman
Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM / MEGA

Sidora posted to her official Threads account on May 17, hours ahead of episode seven of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” The “Run” actress didn’t mention Michelle by name, but fans quickly assumed she was teasing the beginning of their feud playing out on the show.

Drew Sidora comments about k. Michelle
Threads | Drew Sidora

She wrote, “Tonight’s episode, y’all finally get to see where the delusion started. From day one, this person has been creating issues that never really existed.” After that, Sidora alluded to a previous comment made by Michelle, stating, “And you were right, it was never about the music.”

K. Michelle Previously Bashed Drew Sidora’s Music

K. Michelle during the CMA Fest 2025.
MEGA

Michelle appeared on “Sherri” in March 2026 alongside Phaedra Parks and Angela Oakley to promote “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Host Sherri Shepherd mentioned the trailer, highlighting “issues with fellow housewife Drew Sidora.”

In response, Michelle began, “I can’t say a lot, but I can say it’s not for what people think it is or what she would hope it would be about.” After that, the singer claimed that Sidora would “hope it would be about music.”

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However, she then stated that Sidora’s music career “doesn’t compare” to her’s. She went on to list her accolades: platinum records, touring worldwide, and “all types of stuff.” Michelle continued insulting Sidora’s music career, saying, “I try to support all the beginners in music.”

Toward the end of the clip, Oakley defended Sidora, remarking, “Drew has movies. Drew has talent.” Michelle added, “Movies that no one really knows of.”

‘RHOA Fans Are Siding With Drew Sidora So Far

RHOA, Drew Sidora
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA

Following Sidor’s latest comments ahead of the new “RHOA” episode, fans are reacting, with many noting earlier instances of tension between the ladies on the show. One person said on Threads, “It’s a weird one-sided beef. She is fighting that jealousy demon. Ignore her and keep doing you.”

Someone else wrote, “I’ve been wondering!! But in the last episode, you could see she was making up an issue. Talking about ‘the finger’ like what? You were talking…mind you, SHE brought up Black and him in her DM’s, but now she’s married, yet she brought it up first?”

A different “RHOA” fan noted, “I mean… look at you, Drew! The face, the multi-talent, the effortless energy. Little Miss has been triggered at first sight.”

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On X, one Bravo watcher defended the “RHOA” star, saying, “I feel bad that Drew Sidora always seems to be the punching bag. Shamea does it, and Kelli now knows. Michelle, it’s weird.”

Lastly, a different social media user said, “Yeah, it was weird that she made an issue about Drew, ‘pointing,’ then insinuating she had something going on with Black.”

Porsha Williams Recently Defended Drew

Porsha Williams at the 2021 Peoples Choice Awards
OConnor/AFF-USA.com / MEGA

“Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Porsha Williams appeared on “Reality with the King” in April 2026. While on, she briefly weighed in on the issues between Sidora and Michelle, telling the host that the former “Love & Hip Hop” star may regret some of her actions from her inaugural season on “Housewives.”

Williams said, “At this point, I know what else happens in the season, and although she’s funny and she’s adorable, I don’t know how it’s going to go over. I don’t think that hat was happening with her, and Drew is going to go over as well as maybe she thinks it will.”

After that, the Bravo legend stated that she believed Michelle would look back and say, “I probably chose the wrong team, and I probably should have gone about things in a more authentic way.”

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Drew Sidora Is Going Through A Messy Divorce

Ralph Pittman and Drew Sidora at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 1 - Press Room
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA

Amid the “RHOA” drama with Michelle, Sidora is embroiled in a messy divorce with her estranged husband, Ralph Pittman. Recently, in April 2026, TMZ reported that the singer/actress had been ordered to vacate the marital home by May 31.

That’s not all. Pittman was also awarded primary physical custody of their minor children after they reportedly missed several days of school while in her care. The estranged couple currently shares joint legal custody of the kids.

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Why Did Off Campus Cut the ‘Hands Off’ Rule After Book Changes?

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Which 'Off Campus' Couples Ended Up Together? Book Order Explained

Season 1 of Prime Video’s Off Campus made some significant changes from Elle Kennedy‘s The Deal — but the absence of the campus-wide “hands off” rule upset book fans the most.

Based on the Off Campus book series by Kennedy, the show, which premiered Wednesday, May 13, follows an elite ice hockey team and the women in their lives as they “grapple with love, heartbreak and self-discovery — forging deep friendships and enduring bonds while navigating the complexities that come with transitioning into adulthood,” read the official synopsis.

Hannah (Ella Bright) and Garrett’s (Belmont Cameli) love story took center stage in season 1 — with several key moments from their book, The Deal, swapped for an updated version.

The most significant change was the way Garrett instituted a campus-wide hands-off law after his split from Hannah. On the page, Garrett’s decision frustrated Hannah — but it also brought them back together.

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Which 'Off Campus' Couples Ended Up Together? Book Order Explained


Related: Which ‘Off Campus’ Couples End Up Together? Book Order Explained

Prime Video’s Off Campus follows different love stories at Briar U — but which couples end up together in the books? Based on the Off Campus book series by Elle Kennedy, the show follows an elite ice hockey team — and the women in their lives — as they “grapple with love, heartbreak, and self-discovery […]

The show did things a little differently with Hannah catching wind of Garrett threatening other guys so they would stay away from her. Hannah confronted Garrett — and that’s when they realized some confusion between his team members led to a misunderstanding.

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“We were trying to find a way to keep this fan-favorite moment from the book, while not making it like a problem for Garrett,” showrunner Louisa Levy told Today. “So we came up with a solution that still honors the original intent but makes Garrett not completely terrible for doing this after breaking up with Hannah.”

Levy also spoke to Us about adapting the story to the screen.

“It’s definitely great to have the blueprint of this fabulous book series to start with, but adapting for a TV show is a little bit different,” she told Us. “We need to keep the audience’s focus in a different way.”

Levy broke down the approach from page to screen.

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“We have a lot of stories told in different ways. We have eight episodes instead of the whole book,” she noted. “So we really started with the things that were super nonnegotiable — that without those things it wouldn’t be Off Campus.”

She continued: “From there, we added as many of the book moments as we could. We dropped them in like Easter eggs, and we just really spent time taking one’s inside character and externalizing them.”

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Off Campus is currently streaming on Prime Video.

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Disney’s Biggest Sci-Fi Failure In Years Making A Return Thanks To Being Freed From Mickey’s Grasp

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Disney's Biggest Sci-Fi Failure In Years Making A Return Thanks To Being Freed From Mickey's Grasp

By Henry Hards
| Published

Confederate Army Captain John Carter is making a comeback now that the rights to the character have reverted to author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ estate. The news comes over a decade after Disney released the ill-fated film John Carter in 2012, based on Burroughs’ first Barsoom novel, A Princess of Mars.

The Edgar Rice Burroughs estate has taken the reins and announced a full-blown animated series titled John Carter, Warlord of Mars. Developed by Michael Kogge (the guy behind the killer official audio drama adaptation with Star Wars creds) and overseen by estate heads Jim Sullos and Wolf Larson, this is the first time the books are getting a proper animated treatment. They dropped a sneak peek at San Diego Comic-Con back in July 2025, hyping the epic scope with nods to wild fantasy action like Castlevania and Blood of Zeus.

John Carter of Mars

Kogge and the estate are going all-in on Burroughs’ sprawling 11-novel saga, complete with John Carter’s immortal heroics, Princess Dejah Thoris, and the savage wonders of Mars that inspired everyone from Lucas to Cameron. This attempt should be faithful, ambitious, and timed perfectly for today’s animation boom. If you’re a longtime Barsoom believer who got burned by that theatrical disaster, this could be the redemption arc we’ve been waiting for.

For those unfamiliar, the story in the books follows Confederate Civil War veteran John Carter, who mysteriously finds himself on Mars, known as Barsoom. On Mars, Carter becomes involved in an epic conflict among the planet’s inhabitants, including the noble Thardos and the evil Sab Than.

Past Attempts To Make Barsoom Happen

John Carter of Mars

Multiple attempts have been made to bring the Barsoom series to the screen since the 1930s. However, most were scrapped. In the late 2000s, Walt Disney Pictures decided to move forward with a John Carter film at the urging of Andrew Stanton (the director of the 2012 movie), who convinced the studio to secure the screen rights from the Burroughs estate.

In 2009, Stanton assumed the role of director for the new John Carter film, marking his first foray into live-action filmmaking after his successful work on Disney’s animated hits like Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Filming took place in November 2009, with principal photography starting in January 2010 and ending in July 2010. The film’s score was composed by Michael Giacchino, known for his musical contributions to various Pixar productions.

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Why Disney’s John Carter Flopped

Find out why John Carter failed in our full video.

Despite its high production value and visual effects, John Carter received mixed reviews, with praise for its visuals and action but criticism for its plot and characters. The movie was also a box-office failure, recouping only $284.1 million of its $306.6 million budget.

Many attribute John Carter‘s failure to its poor marketing campaign. Following its disappointing performance, Rich Ross, Disney’s head at the time, stepped down. Lead actress Lynn Collins was also instructed to keep a low profile.

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Whitney Leavitt Reveals What’s Next After ‘SLOMW’

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Whitney Leavitt Reveals What's Next After 'SLOMW'

Whitney Leavitt has been on Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” since its 2024 launch. However, she recently announced that she’s leaving the show at the end of season 5. During a new interview, the mother of three, who just concluded her run on Broadway in “Chicago,” revealed what she has in store next.

Speaking with Kelly Clarkson on her talk show, Leavitt, 33, got candid about her decision to leave the explosive reality show behind her.

“It’s been about four years of my life,” she said, noting that throughout the show’s run, she’s been known to pop in and out of the group due to the heightened drama.

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This time, though, Leavitt said her exit feels different from before. “Every time I left, it wasn’t with gratitude,” she said. “But this time it is. It just feels like a chapter that’s closing in my life. My cup is full, and it just feels like it’s time. So I’m excited.”

Whitney Leavitt Recalls ‘Crazy’ Experience Of Joining The Cast Of ‘SLOMW’

Leavitt had been teasing her departure from the series since the beginning of the year. According to a previous report from The Blast, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum made the announcement during one of her final performances as Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of “Chicago.”

On social media, Leavitt clarified some of the rumors about her exit, revealing that she would continue to film the show until season 5 wraps production. In her latest post, the reality star also paid her respects to the show and her co-stars for helping change her life.

“It’s honestly so crazy to me looking back on this journey because I had been trying to get into theater and film way before Secret Lives even came into my life,” she said. “We have been through so much together, even more than what you’ve seen. We’ve had really big highs, really big lows and no matter what happens with our relationships like that is something that will always be a part of our life, will always be a part of my life and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

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Whitney Leavitt Feels ‘Content’ Leaving The Show Behind Her As She Embarks On Her New Journey

According to Leavitt, her departure this time around isn’t like the others. In the past, Leavitt said she left the show with “anger and frustration,” but this time is completely different.

“I feel content,” Leavitt noted. “I feel like this is a chapter that’s closing in my life and honestly, I believe that’s how it was always meant to be. I’m so grateful for ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.’ It’s got me where I am today. It’s given me the opportunities that you all have seen but I’m ready. I’m ready for the next chapter and I cannot wait to share with you guys what’s next.”

And speaking of what’s next, Leavitt told Clarkson she has big plans post-reality TV, revealing, “I’ve started a production company!”

She shared a bit more about the news online, writing, “SECRET’S OUT!!! ‘Leavitt Media House’ Production has officially launched and we’re working on something big!!!!!”

Another ‘SLOMW’ Star Has Started A ‘New Chapter’

Leavitt isn’t the only “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star to embark on a new journey. According to E! News, Mikayla Matthews revealed on social media that she was relocating to Hawaii in an effort to cure her Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome symptoms.

Matthews, a mother of four and wife to estranged husband Jace Terry, has been open about her skin complications during previous episodes of the show, but on social media, she revealed her flare-ups had worsened, prompting her to take action.

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Online, Matthews said she was “excited” to be in the Aloha State, adding that she was “officially starting the new chapter.”

Matthews Is Eager To Have Some Time To Herself

While it’s unclear how long Matthews will be away from her roots in Utah, the reality star noted that she was “grateful” to take time for herself.

“The stress of having to heal your body and having to worry about taking care of your kids or paying your bills—it’s just so overwhelming,” she said.

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