Entertainment
Red Alert! New Star Trek Short Film Is Everything You’ve Been Waiting For
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

Starfleet Academy disappointed Star Trek fans for many reasons, including the liberties it took with franchise lore and its focus on foul-mouthed, drama-loving teens. But some fans hated that show long before it came out because they were hoping Paramount would produce a very different series. Namely, they wanted Star Trek: Legacy, which would blend new characters with legacy favorites and serve as a spinoff of Terry Matalas’ fan-favorite third season of Star Trek: Picard.
That show never materialized, and Paramount now seems focused on rebooting the franchise altogether. Does that mean you’re up the Great River without a paddle if you want classic Star Trek adventures? Negative, captain! Trek Shorts recently launched its newest fan film: Legacy Returns. Billed as “The world’s first SNW/Voyager Era fan film,” Legacy Returns is free to stream on YouTube, and we’ve embedded it below.
Legacy Returns is worth watching for any fan hoping to return to the Golden Age of Star Trek.
Reporting For Duty

What is Legacy Returns about, exactly? Like many classic Trek adventures, it begins with affable Starfleet officers (Dr. Louise Nilson and Lt. JG Hayes) preparing to warp to their next mission. Along the way, though, they encounter something unexpected: a Constitution-class vessel named USS Magellan. In exploring the vessel, they encounter many curiosities, including a mystery tied to events from over a century earlier. Fortunately, there is no obstacle that our heroes can’t solve with the cornerstones of Star Trek: exploration, diplomacy, and endless curiosity.
If you wrinkle your nose like a Bajoran when you hear the phrase “fan film,” I get it. Many such productions are low-rent and downright cringey to watch. For example, it feels like half the Star Wars “fan films” in existence are just an excuse to watch two grown men hit each other with sticks in the woods. Star Trek hasn’t fared much better, with fan productions that suffer from bad acting and even worse production quality.
Setting Phasers To Fun

Fortunately, Legacy Returns is a breath of fresh air among fan films. It is made by the Patreon-funded Trek Shorts team, and they’ve been creating killer Star Trek fan films since 2023. That experience has helped this team craft a movie that is a genuine pleasure to watch. For one thing, the special effects (which include absolutely beautiful ship exteriors) are top-notch. That same level of quality extends to the rest of the production: the uniforms are crisp and professional, and some of the recreated ship interiors will blow you away. The uniforms and props are perfect, making this “fan film” look polished and professional.
Most importantly, though, the story of Legacy Returns feels like Star Trek at its best. There isn’t much in the way of action and adventure, which may disappoint younger fans who grew up with the Kelvinverse movies. Instead, the movie focuses on characters quietly exploring a mysterious ship, all while diving deep into Trek lore. Incidentally, this is why it’s billed as a Voyager/Strange New Worlds film: our main characters are from the TNG/VOY era, but they explore a Constitution-class vessel that has the same slick interior as Captain Pike’s Enterprise.
Like Reconnecting With A Very Old Friend

Obviously, Legacy Returns isn’t a perfect movie. While the acting is much better than most fan films, it’s a far cry from what you get from professionals in shows like The Next Generation. Plus, while I dug the slower, lore-heavy plot, some fans might find the pace slow. However, these are relatively minor gripes, given how good the story and production quality are. Starfleet Academy had professional actors, and that show’s bad writing nearly ran the franchise into the ground. Quite frankly, Legacy Returns is the perfect fan film for anyone who has had issues with NuTrek and just wanted more Star Trek adventures as we had back in the ‘90s.
Best of all, this fan film is like everything else in the Utopian future of the 24th century: completely free! You can now stream Legacy Returns on YouTube. If you like what you see, take the time to dig in: under the Power543 Fan Films account, Short Treks has posted a number of fan films, each more passionate and ambitious than the one before. If you’re a huge Star Trek fan, you don’t have to wait for Season 4 of Strange New Worlds or Season 2 of Starfleet Academy to get your fix. You’re just one click away from more stellar, sci-fi storytelling than you can shake a jumja stick at!


Entertainment
5 Near-Perfect Netflix Shows That No One Remembers Today
Some shows do not get forgotten because they were bad. They get forgotten because streaming trained people to move on too fast. It’s like pop-culture gripped other shows way too fast, for way too long, and these shows got sidelined. Netflix especially has this ugly habit of swallowing its own history.
A show arrives, finds the exact people it was made for, wrecks them a little, gives them a mood or a world or a relationship dynamic they start living inside for weeks, and then the platform buries it under the next wave of content until it starts feeling like you imagined the whole thing alone. That is what happened to these series. And what makes it so frustrating is that they were not half-successful curiosities. They were the kinds of shows that had texture in the bloodstream.
‘Dead to Me’ (2019–2022)
What people miss about Dead to Me is how viciously exact it was about grief. Not movie grief. Not prestige-TV grief. The real kind. The kind that makes you angry at the wrong person, funny at the wrong time, controlling when you should collapse, clingy when you should walk away, and weirdly attached to the exact person who seems most dangerous to your emotional survival. Jen Harding (Christina Applegate) and Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini) were the greatest damaged pairing Netflix ever stumbled into.
The show understood immediately that if you put a woman held together by rage next to a woman held together by apology, the result will not be healing at first. It will be combustion. And that is why it stayed so good. It never turned their bond into a neat friendship arc. Every time it got close to sweetness, it would remember the blood under the floorboards. Another lie. Another guilt spiral. Applegate gave Jen that clenched, exhausted, punishing intelligence that grief sometimes sharpens into cruelty, and Cardellini made Judy feel like someone whose need to be loved had already broken every internal boundary she had. The show’s brilliance was that it kept letting both women be unbearable and lovable in the same breath. That is near-perfect writing to me.
‘The OA’ (2016–2019)
This one still feels like a robbery. Not a cancellation. A robbery. Because The OA was not just another ambitious Netflix mystery where you wait for clues to click into place. It was doing something much stranger and much riskier. It was asking the audience to surrender to belief as an emotional act. Prairie Johnson (Brit Marling) returns after seven years, is able to see, gathers those five lonely people in that unfinished house, and tells them what happened to her. That should not have worked as powerfully as it did. On paper, it sounds almost absurd. On screen, it felt sacred and unstable at the same time. The show understood that stories can function like portals long before they function like explanations.
The real genius was that it never treated the listeners as furniture. Steve Winchell (Patrick Gibson), French Sosa (Brandon Perea), Buck Vu (Ian Alexander), Jesse (Brendan Meyer), and BBA (Phyllis Smith) mattered because the show was also about the kinds of lives that are so emotionally starved they become vulnerable to miracles. Prairie was not just giving them exposition. She was giving them a shape of meaning large enough to interrupt despair. That is a huge thing for a show to attempt without irony. Then Season 2 somehow got even bolder, wider, more structurally deranged in the best way, and instead of being rewarded for that nerve, it got cut off just when it was opening into something enormous. That is why people who love The OA talk about it the way they do.
‘Sense8’ (2015–2018)
There are shows people admire. There are shows that people binge. And then there are shows people attach to in this almost embarrassing, full-body way, because the show touches a need they do not get met anywhere else. Sense8 was that kind of show. It was not just clever sci-fi about psychic connection. It was about how unbearable isolation is, and how intoxicating it would be to be truly reached by other people, not politely understood, not “related to,” but reached.
To have somebody else inside your panic, your desire, your shame, your language, your body, your memory. The premise itself was already emotional dynamite. What made the show special was that it actually believed connection could save people. That sounds cheesy when written plainly. Good. It was. It was gloriously, vulnerably earnest about human interdependence in a television era that often hides behind detachment. Watching the cluster become a real cluster was the whole thrill. Sun Bak (Bae Doona)’s control, Lito Rodriguez (Miguel Ángel Silvestre)’s fear, Wolfgang Bogdanow (Max Riemelt)’s damage, Kala Dandekar (Tina Desai)’s divided heart, Nomi Marks (Jamie Clayton)’s courage, Capheus Onyango (Aml Ameen and Toby Onwumere)’s optimism, Riley Blue (Tuppence Middleton)’s ache, Will Gorski (Brian J. Smith)’s steadiness, each one becoming part of the others without disappearing into them. It was brilliant.
‘Marco Polo’ (2014–2016)
This is one of the easiest shows for people to dismiss lazily, which is exactly why it belongs here. People remember the budget, the early-Netflix prestige push, the fact that Marco Polo did not become the platform-defining sensation somebody wanted it to be. But if you actually watched it, really watched it, you know it had heft. It had an appetite. It had that old-fashioned historical-drama pleasure of stepping into a world where every glance, every seduction, every ritual, every silence around the throne might change somebody’s fate. It was not always elegant, and honestly that was part of the charm. It had a little excess in its bloodstream, which a court drama should.
The smartest thing it did was refuse to make Marco the entire point. Marco Polo (Lorenzo Richelmy) is there, yes, but the world around him kept threatening to outgrow him, which made the series richer. Kublai Khan (Benedict Wong) had gravity. Hundred Eyes (Tom Wu) had mystery. The women around the court were not decorative wall decor but players that read power with terrifying speed. The whole show felt built around the idea that empire is theater and blood at once, and that anybody surviving inside it has to learn how to perform before they can even think about freedom. When people call it forgotten, what they usually mean is that Netflix did not turn it into a forever brand. That is different.
‘Bloodline’ (2015–2017)
Bloodline should not be forgotten. This one feels personal. It should still be sitting right there at the center of any serious conversation about Netflix’s best dramatic work, because season one in particular is one of the most suffocating family thrillers the platform ever produced. The setup was already poisonous in the right way: the respectable Rayburn family, all local charm and inherited standing, slowly coming apart when the damaged son comes back and starts pressing on every buried bruise. But the show’s real power was not in its secrets — it was in the humidity of the secrets. The sense that this family had been breathing around the same lies for so long, they had forgotten what clean air was supposed to feel like.
And then there was Danny Rayburn (Ben Mendelsohn), who gave one of those performances that changes the chemical balance of an entire series. He was not a villain in the neat sense, but a grievance with memory. He was the family’s guilt returning in human form and refusing to stay at the polite distance they had assigned him. Every scene with him felt unstable because he knew where the emotional rot lived, and he had the cruelty and hunger to keep pushing there. That made John Rayburn (Kyle Chandler), Meg Rayburn (Linda Cardellini), and Kevin Rayburn (Norbert Leo Butz) more interesting too, because the show never let their damage separate cleanly from his. They were all trapped in the same family myth, just occupying different corners of it. Bloodline understood a truth a lot of family dramas miss: love does not cancel rot. Sometimes it protects it.
Bloodline
- Release Date
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2015 – 2017-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
-
Mikael Håfström, Todd A. Kessler, Michael Morris, Ed Bianchi, Mario Van Peebles, Jean de Segonzac, Johan Renck, Daniel Zelman, Dennie Gordon, David Manson, Alex Graves, Michael Apted, Daniel Attias, Simon Cellan Jones, Stephen Williams, Tate Donovan, Carl Franklin
- Writers
-
Arthur Phillips, Bill Cain, Lizzie Mickery, Addison McQuigg, Ashlin Halfnight, Lucas Jansen, Barry Pullman, Melanie Hoopes, Dani Vetere
Entertainment
Cargo Pants Are Trending, and This $17 Lee Find Is Ultra Comfy
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In case you missed it, cargo pants are suddenly one of the most talked about styles for spring (again). What was once deemed as ‘ugly’ is currently trending at record speed, and we’re so on board for the revival. If you, too, are ready to toss your restricting jeans aside, take one look at these ultra-popular capri pants that Amazon shoppers call “ridiculously comfortable.” Bonus: They’re currently on sale.
Everyone from California rich moms to Palm Beach socialites will be wearing this cargo capri pant style. This Lee option is loose, comfy and totally functional — it’s no wonder these pants have over 4,200 five-star ratings on Amazon so far. The popular pants are so versatile, shoppers wear them to the beach, softball games, hikes, dinner and even to the office. If you ask Us, that adaptability pays for itself.
Get the Lee Ultra-Lux Cargo Capris for $18 (was $37) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
The Lee Ultra-Lux Cargo Capris are the spring staple you’ll reach for time and time again. They give off that easy-going cool look that we’re seeing everywhere, blending the cargo design and capri trend into one. Even celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Priyanka Chopra and Kim Kardashian are sporting the cargo style, and if that’s not an indication to hop on the trend train, we don’t know what is.
This shopper-approved pick features classic slash and cargo pockets, giving you room to stash small items like your phone, keys, ID and more. The functional style even has buttoned closures to ensure all your items are safe and secure. The mid-rise waist and flexible band move with you to prevent squeezing or uncomfortable digging while you sit. After all, there’s nothing worse than wearing cute pants that make you feel on edge the entire day. And in true capri fashion, the pants have a shortened, rolled hem that hits around the shin area, making these bottoms perfect for both tall and short women.
Made with a blend of breathable cotton, durable polyester and stretchy spandex, the capris feel like lounge pants, but look way more elevated. They provide a roomy fit with a soft, lightweight feel that won’t make you sweat in 80 degrees. Bless! Some people even swear that they give off a slimming appearance and a flattering look.
These Lee pants are available in over ten spring colors, including light blue, beige, army green and white. We also appreciate the size-inclusive range, which stems from 2 to 18, so everyone can join in on the trend. We can easily see these pants styled with a classic white tee and sneakers for errands, or a blouse and kitten heels for an early dinner. Just throw on some jewelry and accessories to dress it up or down, and you’re good to go.
“These are great all around,” wrote one shopper. “The waist band is so comfortable and they are flattering. It’s not often you get comfort and get to look good. It’s hard to find a great bottom that you love. I can’t say enough about these.”
One other reviewer captioned their review, “[The] best capris I’ve ever worn.” In fact, they became a long-time fan after one wear. “I love these capris so much that I’ve ordered three pairs, and am getting ready to order a fourth,” they wrote. “They are so comfortable, have lightweight fabric and fit perfectly. I also love how they’re made.”
Now is the time to see what all the fuss is about. These Lee capri cargo pants lean into the trend both shoppers and celebrities can’t get enough of. And at just $18, you can afford to get one (or two)!
Get the Lee Ultra-Lux Cargo Capris for $18 (was $37) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more cargo capri pants, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
Entertainment
Wild But Strict Met Gala Rules You Didn’t Know Exist
The Met Gala may look like the ultimate celebrity playground, but behind the scenes, it’s one of the most tightly controlled events in the world. From strict rules about phones to carefully curated seating arrangements, fashion’s biggest night comes with a long list of do’s and don’ts that even A-listers have to follow. And yes, some of them might surprise you.

One of the most talked-about rules? No phones at dinner. Once celebrities walk those iconic steps at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, they’re expected to unplug. The policy is meant to keep the night private and exclusive, meaning no selfies, no social media, no behind-the-scenes leaks.
Of course, a few sneaky bathroom selfies have gone viral over the years… but technically, they’re breaking the rules.
The Seating Chart Is Strategically Planned

Think you can sit with your best friend or partner? Think again. The Met Gala seating chart is meticulously curated, often separating couples and close friends in favor of more “interesting” pairings. Event planners carefully consider who sits next to whom, aiming to spark conversation between people who may not normally interact.
In fact, event planning for the Met Gala starts months in advance, especially when it comes to the seating chart. “We start with a seating document when the names come together in December,” expert planner Eaddy Kiernan told Vogue. Although the “actual seating chart” isn’t locked in until about a month before the event, the early stages help organizers map out “a sense for the layout of the room and the flow of the evening.”
And when it comes to who sits next to whom, there’s one key rule they don’t take lightly. “We try to make sure someone isn’t staring into the eyes of a former flame,” Kiernan said.
You Can’t Just Buy Your Way Into The Met Gala

Even if you have the money, you can’t simply purchase a ticket and show up. While tickets reportedly cost tens of thousands of dollars, and tables can run into the hundreds of thousands, often purchased by major fashion houses and brands, the guest list is ultimately controlled by Anna Wintour, who has final say on who gets an invite.
Designers typically fill their tables with celebrities who align with their brand, meaning many attendees are invited as a guest of a fashion house rather than buying their way in directly.
You Have To Follow The Theme

Every year comes with a theme, and it’s not optional. For Met Gala 2026, the theme is “Costume Art,” with a dress code of “Fashion Is Art,” pushing attendees to treat fashion as a true form of artistic expression rather than just red carpet glam.
Celebrities are expected to interpret the theme through their looks, often collaborating with top designers for custom, one-of-a-kind pieces that align with the exhibit. For many, it’s months of planning, fittings, and creative direction just to get the look right. “What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” Andrew Bolton, head curator of the museum’s Costume Institute, told Vogue.
He added, “It’s the common thread throughout the whole museum, which is really what the initial idea for the exhibition was, this epiphany: I know that we’ve often been seen as the stepchild, but, in fact, the dressed body is front and center in every gallery you come across. Even the nude is never naked. It’s always inscribed with cultural values and ideas.”
Those who nail it often dominate best-dressed lists and go viral for all the right reasons. Those who don’t? They definitely hear about it online, with fans and critics quick to call out anyone who seems to have missed the assignment.
It’s Not Just A Party, It’s A Power Move

While the red carpet gets all the attention, the actual gala is a formal, sit-down dinner, and it’s far more low-key than you might expect. Guests tour the exhibit, mingle, and enjoy performances, but the focus is on fundraising for the Costume Institute, not partying all night.
At the end of the day, the Met Gala is more than just a glamorous night out. It’s a carefully orchestrated event where fashion, influence, and strategy collide, and every detail, from where you sit to what you wear, is part of a much bigger picture.
Entertainment
This $15 Illuminator Loved by Martha Stewart Is on Sale Right Now
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When it comes to glowing skin at any age, Martha Stewart continues to prove that radiance isn’t about piling on makeup — it’s about choosing the right formulas. One product she’s reached for? The L’Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion, a lightweight glow-booster that gives skin a fresh, lit-from-within finish without looking heavy or overly shimmery.
Stewart featured the illuminator in a “get ready with me” video with Vogue on YouTube, where she walked through her routine and used the product to add warmth and luminosity to her complexion. The beauty of this formula is in how flexible it is — you can apply it a few different ways depending on the finish you want.
Get the L’Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion for $15 (originally $18) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
For an all-over glow, smooth a thin layer onto bare skin after skincare — it acts almost like a radiant primer, giving your complexion that soft-focus sheen before foundation even goes on. If you prefer coverage, you can mix a pump directly into your foundation to dial up the luminosity without changing the texture too much. It also works beautifully tapped onto high points of the face — cheekbones, temples and even the collarbones — for a more targeted highlight that looks natural, not glittery.
Formula-wise, it’s lightweight and fluid, meaning it blends seamlessly into the skin instead of sitting on top. There’s no chunky shimmer or sparkle; just a soft, diffused glow that catches the light in a flattering way. That’s key for a more elevated finish, especially if you want skin to look healthy and radiant rather than overly made up. It also layers well with other products, doesn’t pill and won’t emphasize dryness or texture when applied correctly.
The glowy product has over 5,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. One reviewer said it’s “super smooth” and “blends beautifully,” while another raved that it gives the skin a “nice healthy glow.”
If you’re looking to add that effortless, radiant finish to your routine, this is an easy, affordable place to start. Shop the glow-boosting favorite while it’s on sale and give your skin that lit-from-within look!
Get the L’Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion for $15 (originally $18) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more glowy lotions here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
Entertainment
Tank Defends Chris Brown Amid Criticism About His Musical Range
Team Breezy fans are clapping it up for Tank after he stepped in to check a social media user who claim Chris Brown doesn’t step outside of his comfort zone in music. Tank basically told them, “aht! aht!” Breezy is a genius, and they need to put some respeck on his name immediately!
RELATED: Not The Lean Back! Chris Brown’s New Album Cover Has Fans Convinced He’s Tapping Into Classic R&B Vibes (PHOTO)
Tank Stepped Up & Said “No Chris Brown Slander Will Be Tolerated!”
Chris Brown dropped his first single, ‘Fallin’ from his twelfth studio album, ‘Brown.’ The new record features Leon Thomas, and while some fans are loving the track, others are sharing their opinions online and Tnak didn’t hesitate to check the negativity. On Friday, May 1, an X user @_davyben posted a message saying they haven’t seen CB step out of his comfort zone or get challenged in a while, but they feel like Leon Thomas helped him tap into new sounds and creative lanes.
“Again, this is why I keep going back to ‘MUTT’. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen anyone challenge Chris Brown to leave his comfort zone. Huge credit to Leon Thomas. He seems well positioned to unlock boxes even CB didn’t know he had. Long may this relationship continue, he wrote.
Tank ended up peeping the comment and made it clear he wasn’t feeling it at all. He made it real clear that Chris doesn’t need to get “challenged.” He stays in new lanes and if people are just noticing that now, they’re definitely late.
“Challenged Chris Brown?.. What do you niggas be talkin bout?..
CB is a musical genius if you’ve really followed the music. This style isn’t new to him it’s only new to you..lol” Tank wrote.
Social Media Seemingly Sides With Tank
After The Shade Room shared Tank’s response, fans immediately flooded the comment section with reactions. Plenty of folks said if the people closest to them don’t ride for them them the way Tank rides for Breezy, they don’t want them around.
Instagram user @breezygotjuice wrote, “Tank is the REAL TEAM BREEZY.”
Instagram user @jdevoir_ wrote, “I love the support tank be giving towards CB like a big brother😂😂😂💯”
While Instagram user @dominiquedaniell3 wrote, “I just want a man to have my back the way tank does Chris 😂”
Then Instagram user @missnabiha wrote, “Am I the only one that doesn’t mind @chrisbrownofficial staying in his “comfort zone”?? I mean he hitting every time!!!! Anything he touches is 🔥🔥”
Another Instagram user @jonnaec_ wrote, “I really don’t get why CB gets so much hate.”
Instagram user @mochaxshay wrote, “Fr fine china is a good example of that.”
Then another Instagram user @acovergirl wrote, “They must haven’t heard his album Exclusive.”
While another Instagram user @lexsumpter_ wrote, “I never have to defend Chris because Tank can do it for me 🥳”
Finally, Instagram user @laniseandon wrote, “Baby Tank is the president of Team Breezy.”
Chris Teases What Fans Can Expect From His New Album
On Friday, May 1, Chris Brown shook up timelines when he dropped the first single off his twelfth studio album, ‘Fallin,’ featuring Leon Thomas. The music video packs in some star-studded cameos, including Tank, Leon, and Kayla Nicole — who fans might remember went viral for her spicy on-stage moment during Chris’ ‘Breezy Bowl’ tour in 2025.
RELATED: Congrats! Chris Brown Seemingly Confirms Arrival Of Baby With Jada Wallace In Sweet Message (PHOTOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Entertainment
Netflix’s 10-Part Miniseries Based on a True Story Is a Perfect Weekend Binge
Television shows that are based on true stories are often so much more compelling to watch than pure fiction. These types of shows eliminate any unrealistic qualities and help to teach us about people or events that we’re unfamiliar with. In 2021, Netflix released an exceptional 10-episode limited series that was inspired by a real woman’s life. It’s certainly worth a re-watch if you’ve already seen it, or a first-time binge-watch if you haven’t caught it already.
What Is ‘Maid’ About?
In 2019, writer Stephanie Land came out with a book called Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. It quickly became a popular nonfiction read that offers a fascinating insight into Land’s life as a single mother entrenched in poverty. Several years later, Netflix premiered a miniseries that is a completely faithful adaptation of the book. Maid follows the story of Alex Russell (Margaret Qualley), who is based on Land. She’s a young woman and single mother to her two-year-old daughter, Maddy (Rylea Neveah Whittet), and she has been forced to leave her abusive boyfriend, Sean (Nick Robinson).
15 Shows Like ‘Maid’ to Watch Next If You Loved Netflix’s Acclaimed Drama
For some social commentary and raw emotion at its best.
With very little help from her family, Alex finds herself alone in a world that is not designed to help single mothers. She ends up becoming a maid — a physically demanding job where she is not respected and is required to deal with all kinds of abhorrent messes. Alex lands a client named Regina Campbell (Anika Noni Rose), whose massive, gorgeous home is a constant reminder to Alex of how the other half lives. Challenges come at Alex in every direction, whether it’s dealing with her narcissistic ex, her flighty mother (Andie MacDowell, Qualley’s real-life mom), who has never been there for her, or the harsh bureaucracy that comes along with a life steeped in poverty.
‘Maid’ Is an Emotional, Compelling Series With a Spellbinding Lead
Maid is an incredibly difficult show to watch because it’s hard to see Alex getting knocked down over and over again. Whether she’s trying to fill out applications for low-income housing or searching for affordable childcare, challenges come at Alex from every direction. Every scene is laced with a brutal tension that you’ll experience along with Alex, who lives her life in a constant state of worry and despair. The series feels both achingly real and hauntingly somber, but there are also moments of quiet joy. Alex loves her daughter more than anything, and this devotion outweighs the many heartaches she experiences in the quest to create a safe, happy life for Maddy. Maid never shies away from depicting the terrifying world of someone running from domestic abuse, as well as grappling with the obstacles and judgments that go along with requiring food stamps and other government assistance. But knowing that Land actually went through most of these roadblocks makes the story even more heartbreaking to watch.
The reason Maid feels so authentic has much to do with Qualley’s portrayal of her. She perfectly captures every emotion that Alex goes through during her never-ending struggles, and the gritty determination she needs in order to survive. Qualley’s vulnerable desperation swims across her face, creating a protagonist that you hope will come out on top. With every frame she’s in, it’s easy to see why Qualley landed an Emmy nomination for her work. MacDowell and Billy Burke are both fantastic as Alex’s unreliable parents, who help offer a background into how Alex landed where she is in life. Robinson is equally captivating as Alex’s toxic ex, and Rose offers a nuanced, layered performance as Regina (who maybe doesn’t have the perfect life after all). The entire cast works together to effectively depict Alex’s difficult situation, showing all the people surrounding her who could lend a helping hand, but somehow never manage to.
With a vivid landscape of the Seattle suburbs, each episode dives into the many perils of being a parent, especially when there’s no support to be found. These elements are why Maid is such an inspiring true story. It’s masterful television that’s deserving of a binge watch this weekend.
- Release Date
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2021 – 2021-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
Entertainment
Tommy Dorfman Slams Plane Passenger for Trans Comments
Actress Tommy Dorfman isn’t afraid to call out people who have a problem with her transgender identity.
“Objectively, I know I’m not ‘passing’ and I’m ‘bricky’ and ‘clocky’ but passing hasn’t been the point for me nor should it be for any trans person,” Dorfman, 33, wrote via Instagram on Friday, May 1. “We are all allowed to evolve in any way that feels true and that evolution can expand and contract. It’s always been about alignment and autonomy for my own comfort, not the comfort of others or the expectations of society.”
Dorfman claimed that she was sitting next to a man on a recent flight, who allegedly texted a group chat about her.
“I am in the first aisle of first class. Guess what is sitting next to me? A f***ing transsexual in the midst of going from a man to a woman,” the alleged text read, per a screenshot shared via Dorfman’s account. “Just my luck. I was hoping for a hot babe.”
The 13 Reasons Why actress was admittedly offended by the individual’s messages.
“The audacity of this man so blatantly blasting off texts about me (sparing you the deeply misogynistic and revolting comments on our flight attendants in contrast to my freak) only reaffirms the choices I’ve made for myself to feel safe and comfortable in my body and spirit,” she stated. “This does come at the cost of safety and comfort in the world, especially in America, and that’s not without consequence internally and externally.”
Dorfman added, “I am lucky to have the life I have, the ability to fly freely (for now), and even post s*** like this, and why post, you may wonder? Because I can and this man is an alt-right vampire.”
Dorfman publicly came out as transgender in 2021.
“It’s funny to think about coming out, because I haven’t gone anywhere. I view today as a reintroduction to me as a woman, having made a transition medically,” she told TIME in July 2021 of her identity. “Coming out is always viewed as this grand reveal, but I was never not out. Today is about clarity: I am a trans woman. My pronouns are she/her. My name is Tommy.”
She continued, “I’ve been living in this other version of coming out where I don’t feel safe enough to talk about it, so I just do it. But I recognize that transitioning is beautiful. Why not let the world see what that looks like?”
Dorfman has since taken her experience to the big screen, directing the 2025 film I Wish You All the Best about a nonbinary teen’s journey.
“When I grew up I didn’t have social media to even build trans community, and we have so much access to that in the real world, but I still hadn’t really seen a nonbinary character in a film in cinema centered at the heart of the story in a story like this,” Dorfman exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2025. “My hope is that you can do less work trying to compartmentalize yourself to relate to cis characters and you can find some ease watching a movie like this with Ben’s story and synergy and you can just really enjoy the ride.”
Entertainment
The 21 best trippy movies and TV shows on Netflix
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Road trips are expensive, but trippy flicks on Netflix can be watched from your couch.
Entertainment
Walton Goggins’ 7-Part Detective Thriller Is So Good, You’ll Finish It in One Sitting
Over the last few years, with his performances in Fallout and The White Lotus, Walton Goggins has become one of the most popular character actors on TV. Even before either show, he could be heard lending his voice to the role of Cecil in Invincible, who has been one of the most important parts of the show since it first premiered on Prime Video back in 2021. However, Walton Goggins has been around as a major TV star for years, dating all the way back to his performance as Boyd Crowder in Justified, the hit Western that ran for six seasons between 2010 and 2015. If there is any indication that the show is from a different era, it’s that the studio was able to produce and release six full seasons of TV in under five years, which is almost unheard of now.
Another of Goggins’ most popular shows came even before the release of Justified: The Shield. Goggins teamed with stars like Michael Chiklis (Fantastic Four) and Michael Jace (State of Play) for the series, which also produced an impressive seven seasons between 2002 and 2008. The police procedural/cop drama is widely considered one of the best the genre has to offer, and it holds nearly flawless scores of 90% from critics and 96% from audiences on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Good news for fans: There is no shortage of ways to watch The Shield on streaming. The show has several homes in America, including both Hulu and Prime Video. For fans who aren’t subscribed to either service, all episodes of The Shield can be streamed for free on Tubi.
What Is ‘The Shield’ About?
The official synopsis for The Shield, which has DNA from other classic crime thrillers like Training Day and Breaking Bad, reads as follows:
“A gang of corrupt cops in the Los Angeles police department uses illegal methods to maintain law and order, all while engaging in a series of undercover dealings to line their own pockets.”
The Shield creator Shawn Ryan is also the writer and creator behind Netflix’s Reacher rival, The Night Agent, which has aired three seasons so far. The show has been renewed for Season 4, which is expected to premiere sometime next year.
Check out all episodes of The Shield on Hulu or Prime Video in America, and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates and coverage of Goggins’ future projects.
- Release Date
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2002 – 2008
- Directors
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Guy Ferland, Scott Brazil, Clark Johnson, Dean White, Stephen Kay, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, D. J. Caruso, Nick Gomez, Paris Barclay, Peter Horton, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Philip G. Atwell, Terrence O’Hara, Billy Gierhart, Brad Anderson, Craig Brewer, David Mamet, Davis Guggenheim, Frank Darabont, Gary Fleder, John Badham, Leslie Libman, Michael Fields, Scott Winant
- Writers
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Shawn Ryan, Glen Mazzara, Charles H. Eglee, Kim Clements, Kevin Arkadie, Gary Lennon, John Hlavin, Lisa Randolph, Reed Steiner, Angela Russo-Otstot, Diego Gutierrez, Ted Griffin, Elizabeth Craft, Emily Lewis, Jameal Turner, Renee Palyo
Entertainment
Kaia Gerber, Lewis Pullman to Star in Erotic Thriller Bulls
Kaia Gerber and Lewis Pullman are taking their romance to the big screen.
Gerber, 24, and Pullman, 33, were both recently cast opposite Dylan O’Brien in James Morosini’s new erotic thriller, Bulls.
In Bulls, Danny (O’Brien) “books a last-ditch trip to a hedonistic island resort, hoping to come back as someone his girlfriend can finally believe in,” a logline reads. “His lonely escape detonates when a hookup with Ava, a married woman (Gerber), puts him on a collision course with her alpha male husband Marco (Pullman).”
The summary adds, “As Danny is drawn deeper into Ava’s dangerous and intoxicating world of sex, power and psychological games he quickly realizes getting caught by Marco is only the beginning.”
The film, written and directed by 35-year-old Morosini, marks the first time Gerber and Pullman will share the screen.
“I wrote Bulls because it’s the type of film I would cancel my plans to go see in cinemas,” Morosini told Deadline on Friday, May 1. “It’s mischievous, twisty, turn-y, and most of all it’s sexy.”
Gerber, for her part, celebrated the casting news, reposting the Deadline announcement to her Instagram Stories with eight “🥵” emojis. She has been dating Pullman since late 2024.

Lewis Pullman and Kaia Gerber depart from Hotel Excelsior during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in September 2025. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
“Kaia and Lewis have actually been together for a while now,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2025. “They started dating in early December [2024]. They kept it under wraps until the news of her and Austin [Butler’s] split came out. Kaia and Austin have been broken up since October.”
The model dated Butler, 34, for three years before going their separate ways in 2024. Gerber later connected with Pullman through mutual friends.
“They run in the same circle and have similar friend groups, and that’s how they were introduced,” the insider told Us at the time. “Kaia likes that this relationship feels low-pressure and that Lewis is a very low-key guy. They have a lot of chemistry and a very easygoing relationship. She’s really happy and feels like she can be herself.”
Gerber and Pullman have often kept their relationship, which the Palm Royale actress has called healing, out of the spotlight.
“A lot is being healed in this relationship,” Gerber said on the “Therapuss” podcast in October 2025. “I really feel like if you have the opportunity to date a friend, do it, because it just is so much better. I never wanna fight with my friends, I never wanna be mad at my friends [and] I respect my friends. It just is like a whole other thing, and I think sometimes you forget you like someone when you love them.”
She continued, “If you can date your friends, you should, or date someone that you would be friends with anyways. Don’t just date someone because you’re sexually attracted to them or in lust with them. You should sleep with those people, for sure, but you don’t need to make them your partners.”
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