Sci-fi is usually associated with spectacle: spaceships, alien worlds, futuristic technology. However, the genre’s most enduring stories go deeper than just those trappings. Indeed, they turn inward and touch on rich themes, using the unfamiliar to illuminate the deeply human, all while serving up compelling characters who hold our attention.

The science fiction movies on this list all boast intriguing heroes or antagonists, and the characters’ decisions provide most of the narrative momentum. Often, these fascinating figures are confronted with something they cannot quite comprehend, forced to reckon not just with aliens or machines, but with themselves. In the process, they craft thought-provoking arcs that leave you pondering and perhaps a little changed.

10

‘Under the Skin’ (2013)

Image via A24

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“I am not myself.” Jonathan Glazer‘s Under the Skin is one of the most philosophical and identity-focused sci-fi movies of the last quarter-century. In it, an alien entity disguised as a human woman (Scarlett Johansson) roams Scotland, seducing and capturing men for an unknown purpose. As she continues her work, something begins to shift within her, a growing awareness that complicates her role as predator.

Johansson’s performance is hauntingly detached, gradually evolving into something more uncertain and vulnerable. For example, her early interactions are transactional and controlled. Later encounters, especially with the disfigured man (Adam Pearson), reveal hesitation and something like empathy. There isn’t much plot in the traditional sense. Instead, we get lingering close-ups, abstract imagery (the black void, the dissolving bodies), and observational sequences of everyday human life. All these elements externalize the alien’s inner state. Ultimately, Under the Skin very much refuses to explain itself, allowing its ambiguous meaning to emerge through feeling.

9

‘Ex Machina’ (2014)

Image via A24

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“Isn’t it strange to create something that hates you?” Ex Machina follows a young programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), who is invited to administer a Turing test to Ava (Alicia Vikander), an advanced AI created by the reclusive tech genius Nathan (Oscar Isaac). However, Caleb soon begins to question the nature of Ava’s consciousness… and Nathan’s intentions. Alex Garland builds this premise into a psychological pressure-cooker, relying on little more than conversation.

The dialogue is precise and layered, exploring themes of consciousness, control, and manipulation. The setting is minimal, the cast small, yet the stakes feel immense. Every plot development emerges directly from the characters’ desires and traits, whether that’s Caleb’s loneliness and idealism, Nathan’s ego and tendency to underestimate people, or Ava’s hidden strategizing. The performances are strong across the board, doing a lot to flesh out the characters and give them interesting dimensions they might have lacked simply on the page.

8

‘Her’ (2013)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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“The heart’s not like a box that gets filled up. It expands in size the more you love.” Joaquin Phoenix delivers a brilliant performance in Her as Theodore, a lonely writer who develops a romantic relationship with an advanced operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Their connection deepens way beyond that of owner and machine, challenging his understanding of love and intimacy. The tale that follows is disarmingly intimate, a major break with most sci-fi movies of its time.

Rather than being about killer robots or a mecha apocalypse, Her is all about emotions and psychology, love, and loneliness. It’s one of the most prescient films ever made about modern isolation and humanity’s relationship with technology. The aesthetics complement this approach perfectly. Spike Jonze creates a future that is soft, warm, and accessible, not that far off from our own, allowing the focus to remain on Theodore’s internal journey.

7

‘Gattaca’ (1997)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

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“There is no gene for the human spirit.” Gattaca follows Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), a man born without genetic enhancement in a society that values perfection. Determined to pursue his dream of space travel, he assumes the identity of a genetically superior individual, risking everything to pass as something he is not. Although that premise draws heavily on hard sci-fi, it becomes the jumping-off point for a deeply human story about ambition and identity.

Unlike many dystopian films, Gattaca is not about overthrowing the system: there is no revolution, no mass uprising, no attempt to dismantle the genetic hierarchy. Rather, the story is intensely personal, and Vincent’s inner defiance drives the whole plot, refusing his assigned limitations and the authority of genetic destiny — he refuses to see himself as inferior. Through him, the film engages smartly with questions around gene-editing, inequality, and discrimination, and the technologies it depicts are rapidly advancing in the real world.

6

‘District 9’ (2009)

“You are all sick!” District 9 was one of the most thematically rich and creative sci-fis of the 2000s. It bucked genre convention by depicting its aliens as extraterrestrial refugees confined to a slum in Johannesburg, where they are exploited and marginalized by humans. When bureaucrat Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is exposed to alien biotechnology, he begins to undergo a transformation that forces him to see the world differently.

Wikus begins as an unremarkable, even unlikable figure, but his transformation, both physical and emotional, becomes the heart of the narrative. At first, he is bureaucratic, eager to please, and even casually racist, but his priorities rapidly shift once his metamorphosis begins. In this sense, the protagonist’s journey mirrors the film’s broader societal critique. It helps that Copley delivers such a charming, entertaining performance in the role. Finally, on the aesthetic side, the documentary-style presentation adds a perfect touch of realism, making the world feel immediate and lived-in.

5

‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)

Image via Focus Features

“Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders.” This quirky gem was directed by Michel Gondry, one of the masters of offbeat cinema. Here, he strikes the perfect balance between strange and accessible. Jim Carrey plays Joel, who discovers that his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has undergone a procedure to erase all memories of their relationship. In response, he chooses to do the same, only to change his mind as the memories begin to disappear.

Gondry uses this speculative setup as a tool for emotional excavation; the sci-fi elements never overshadow the human ones. As Joel relives moments from his relationship, the film moves fluidly through time and space, mirroring the fragmented nature of memory itself. It becomes a blunt, vulnerable study of a relationship. It’s all believably messy: moments of joy blur with moments of pain, trivial details take on emotional weight, and regrets surface too late.

4

‘Solaris’ (1972)

Image via Mosfilm

“We don’t want other worlds. We want mirrors.” Solaris is another reflective, psychological sci-fi masterpiece, this time from legendary Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky. A psychologist named Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis) is sent to a space station orbiting a mysterious planet that appears to manifest physical embodiments of the crew’s memories. There, Kelvin confronts a version of his deceased wife (Natalya Bondarchuk), forcing him to grapple with guilt, grief, and even the nature of reality.

In this regard, the planet itself is less a setting than a catalyst, forcing characters to deal with unresolved emotions. It’s a clever inversion, replacing the genre’s usual focus on exploration, discovery, and external conflict with an inner reckoning defined by distorted memories and resurfacing trauma. The dialogue is philosophical, too, often reflecting on the limits of human understanding and the desire for connection. In the end, Solaris is science fiction as a mechanism for introspection.

3

‘Arrival’ (2016)

Image via Paramount Pictures

“If you could see your whole life from start to finish, would you change things?” While it lacks the grandeur of Dune, Arrival is Denis Villeneuve‘s deeper project when it comes to theme and psychology. Amy Adams carries most of it single-handedly as linguist Louise Banks, who is recruited to communicate with extraterrestrial visitors who have arrived on Earth. She slowly, painstakingly begins to understand their language, at the same time experiencing time in a fundamentally different way, altering her perception of life itself. In the process, a first-contact story turns into an exploration of language, time, and choice.

The movie has a lot to say about loss and acceptance, in particular. The emotional core is Louise’s relationship with her daughter. Cleverly, what initially appears to be backstory is eventually revealed to be something else entirely. As a result, Arrival‘s central question isn’t “Why are the aliens here?” but “Would you choose love if you knew it would end in loss?”

2

‘Children of Men’ (2006)

Image via Universal Pictures

“Even if they discover the cure for infertility, it doesn’t mean the world will be saved.” In Children of Men, a disillusioned man named Theo (Clive Owen) is tasked with protecting a miraculously pregnant woman (Clare-Hope Ashitey) in a world where humanity has become infertile. Bereft of a future, society is collapsing into nihilism and violence, and the characters’ journey becomes a fragile thread of hope.

Theo himself mirrors this dystopia: at the start, he’s an empty person who has lost everything. In other words, Theo does not begin as a hero — he’s reluctant, self-interested, emotionally detached, and cynical. The real narrative is his slow re-engagement with the world, moving from indifference to responsibility, from survival to sacrifice. The film’s long takes and immersive cinematography place the viewer directly inside the action, but it is the character development that lingers. Theo begins as a passive observer and gradually becomes someone willing to act, driven by the possibility of renewal.

1

‘Alien’ (1979)

Image via 20th Century Studios

“In space no one can hear you scream.” The crew of a commercial spaceship responds to a distress signal, only to encounter a deadly extraterrestrial organism that begins to hunt them one by one. While it may seem odd at first to call Alien a character-driven movie, since so much of its power stems from creature design and masterful horror storytelling, a big part of why the film is iconic is thanks to the character of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). She’s a fantastic protagonist: resourceful and tough as nails, but also real and empathetic and anchored by unyielding principles.

Ripley’s not superhuman, but she does have a remarkable ability to adapt and keep her wits about her under pressure. Her fierceness makes her a match for even a monster as formidable as the xenomorph. The movie may start as an ensemble piece, driven by a collection of colorful and contrasting personalities, but it gradually centers on Ripley. In short, she’s one of the genre’s greatest heroes.

By TeeJay Small
| Published 30 seconds ago

If you grew up in the 1990s or early 2000s, you almost certainly spent your fair share of evenings tuned into the comedy stylings of Seinfeld. The series, which boasted some of the highest ratings of all time, drew in a staggering number of fans.

The much-anticipated finale was reportedly watched by over 76 million people live, with millions more catching it via reruns and streaming deals. Series co-creator Larry David even returned to pen the final two-part episode, after leaving the show several years earlier. Unfortunately, the Seinfeld finale failed to impress audiences, with many critics calling it the worst sitcom finale of its day.

Larry David Vows Never To Write Another Series Finale

For years, Larry David maintained that he would never write another TV finale again. In fact, he nearly ended his next hit show Curb Your Enthusiasm without telling anybody at all. After airing eight seasons without any major interruptions, news of a Curb season nine simply didn’t materialize for years, leaving many fans and critics to wonder if the show had stealthily been cancelled behind the scenes. Over three years later, David sat down with The Guardian. When asked if he would bring Curb Your Enthusiasm back for more episodes, he proclaimed “I guess, right now, the odds would be against it, probably six to one.”

Larry David continued to explain that the fan reaction to the Seinfeld finale rubbed him the wrong way, and left him unsure about giving Curb a definitive conclusion. He argued “I wouldn’t say I’m mad about it, but it taught me a lesson that if I ever did another show, I wasn’t going to wrap it up.” After suffering through six years of silence about the future of Curb, fans were shocked when season nine finally arrived, in 2017. From there, the show resumed its usual schedule, as though the six year break never happened. Then, in 2023, Larry shocked the world by formally announcing that season 12 would be the show’s last.

The Infamous Seinfeld Finale

Just in case you’re not familiar with the Seinfeld conclusion, let’s run through a few brief bullet points. The finale centers on the main characters as they are drawn into a Kafkaesque criminal trial during an out-of-state trip. Numerous one-off side characters from the series appear and take the witness stand, creating a sort of clip show of the gang’s worst moments. After fruitlessly defending themselves as pillars of moral justice, they are thrown into jail, where they continue to pour over the minutia of everyday life as the camera pans away one last time.

If any of that sounds strikingly familiar to you, it may be because that is exactly how Larry David chose to end Curb Your Enthusiasm 26 years later. Right at the beginning of Curb season 12, Larry travels out of state, and violates a Dickensian law, resulting in him facing a criminal trial. As the season progressed weekly, fans took to social media to muse about how funny it would be if the finale acted as an exact retread of the much hated Seinfeld conclusion. Week after week it became clear that that was exactly what was going on, leaving fans unsure about the artistic choice.

Larry David Repeats The Seinfeld Finale

Season 12, episode 10 “No Lessons Learned” aired on April 7, 2024, and practically served as an exact remake of Seinfeld’s “The Finale.” Obviously, there were a few key differences, like Larry getting off after a juror broke his sequester, but nearly all of the broad strokes served as a giant middle finger to critics. During a visit to PaleyFest shortly after the Curb finale aired, Larry was asked about his decision to end the show, alongside Jerry Seinfeld and executive producer Jeff Schaffer.

Per People, Schaffer stated “it was a joke 26 years in the making. It’s neat that you can stick around long enough to do that.” Larry David didn’t mince words, however, and humorously offered one simple message to his detractors. “F— you!” He shouted. “You didn’t like the first one? F— you!” So if there is a lesson to be learned from the narrative of “No Lessons Learned,” it’s that sometimes, the funniest thing you can do is double down.

Crown Royal is stepping into the outdoors in a major way. For the first time ever, the whisky brand has teamed up with Realtree to launch a limited-edition camo capsule collection, reimagining its signature purple bag with Realtree’s instantly recognizable APX camouflage pattern. The collaboration marks a big moment for Crown Royal, transforming one of its most iconic brand elements into something entirely new while still staying true to its roots.

Rob Rausch Brings Outdoorsy Vibe To Crown Royal Camo Collection

Leading the campaign is Alabama native Rob Rausch, whose laid-back personality and love for the outdoors made him a natural fit for the partnership. “This partnership brings together the things I care about most, like being in nature, spending time with my people and enjoying great whisky,” Rausch said.

He added that the collection reflects his everyday lifestyle, noting he often uses the cooler while hanging out outdoors, filling it with ice and enjoying Crown & Lemonades with friends.

The limited-edition drop includes a mix of wearable and functional items designed for both whisky lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. The collection features a reimagined Crown Royal Camo Bag, a collectible twist on the brand’s iconic purple pouch now updated with Realtree APX.

It also includes a camo hoodie and t-shirt, offering everyday comfort with an outdoors-inspired edge, along with a camo baseball cap designed for easy, casual wear. Rounding out the collection is the Crown Royal x Realtree Cooler, a 45-quart essential built for tailgates, road trips, and time spent outdoors.

Rob Rausch is already playing favorites when it comes to the limited-edition drop. When asked which item he’ll be reaching for the most, Rausch didn’t hesitate. “Probably the hoodie,” he told Parade. “I wear a hoodie basically every single day, whether it’s just to the gym, or in my house. I love a good hoodie.”

Crown Royal Gives Back With Donation To Purple Heart Foundation

Beyond the aesthetics, the collaboration also gives back. Crown Royal is donating $20,000 to the Purple Heart Foundation, with additional proceeds from the collection supporting the organization’s Critical Assistance Grants program. The philanthropic element aligns with Crown Royal’s ongoing commitment to supporting veterans and giving back to the community.

Crown Royal Aims For ‘Authentic’ Feel With Realtree Partnership

According to Crown Royal, the partnership was designed to feel authentic, not just another brand collab. “We always hear stories about what people do with their Crown Royal bags,” Hadley Schafer, Vice President at Diageo, said. “It was important that we made something with the right partners that would be cool and collectible.”

Realtree’s Tyler Jordan echoed that sentiment, noting the collaboration blends heritage, craftsmanship, and style in a way that resonates with both audiences.

Rob Rausch Turns ‘Traitors’ Win Into New Crown Royal Collab

Rausch’s latest collaboration arrives on the heels of a major career moment that proved plenty of people wrong. The Alabama native was initially underestimated as the first “Love Island USA” alum to enter the castle on “The Traitors,” but he ultimately came out on top, winning Season 4 as the last remaining traitor and taking home the $220,800 prize.

Looking ahead, he’s already thinking about how to use his winnings. “I grew up with cows, chickens, guineas, pigs, goats, peacocks, ducks, [and] turkeys,” he previously shared. “We had everything. So probably whenever I settle down, I’m home more, I’ll probably get more of that stuff.”

Rob Rausch Reflects On Humble Roots Amid New Crown Royal Collab

While celebrating Crown Royal’s partnership with Realtree, the reality star opened up about how the campaign mirrors his upbringing. “It’s a lot like my childhood,” he shared. “It’s a lot like how I grew up, but it’s a little nicer here.”

Rausch recalled growing up on a farm in Alabama in a three-bedroom trailer with his parents and siblings, brother Adam and sisters Bella and Lily, describing a childhood that was as close-knit as it was crowded. “We grew up very close, literally and metaphorically,” he said. “I was always sharing a room… we’d kind of rotate. I’d stay with Adam for a while, then Bella, then Lily.”

He added that while he got along with all his siblings, their personalities sometimes clashed—especially with his more structured sister. “Me and Lily rarely shared a room because we are very much opposites,” he explained. “She’s very type-A, organized. I’m not at all.”

The Crown Royal Camo Capsule Collection is available now online while supplies last, giving fans a chance to snag the limited-edition pieces before they’re gone.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 22 seconds ago

Now that Starfleet Academy has been canceled, its fans have been fondly reminiscing about what they see as the show’s better qualities. Arguably, the best thing about the show was its colorful characters, whose diversity reflected the ideals of Star Trek as a whole. However, some critics felt the show went a little too far with Jay-Den, the gay, pacifist Klingon. Accordingly, this became another culture war flashpoint, with SFA superfans claiming that anyone who dislikes Jay-Den’s portrayal is just a bigot who never really understood what this franchise was about. 

The truth is, there was a problem with this character’s portrayal, but not in the way the show’s biggest fans or its biggest haters could have guessed. You see, there’s nothing wrong with Starfleet Academy prominently featuring the first gay Klingon in Star Trek history. But the writers went about Jay-Den’s characterization in such a way that the show’s most progressive character accidentally became the most offensive. 

The Accidental Caricature

Ironically enough, one of the reasons that Jay-Den became the most offensive character on Starfleet Academy is that the writers kept putting hats on top of hats to make him a uniquely progressive character. You see, he’s not just a gay Klingon, but he’s also an aspiring nurse who is a complete pacifist. Oh, and his parents are polyamorous (today was a good day for monogamy to die). 

When I first heard that the new Star Trek show would feature a gay Klingon character, I assumed it would be a more traditional, Worf-like Klingon who is simply into dudes rather than gals. Making the character an aspiring medical officer was a confusing choice, but it still made a kind of sense; after all, a warrior culture like the Klingons must have battlefield medics. But then the writers made Jay-Den a Klingon pacifist (completely unheard of in previous lore), put him in a skirt, and did the shocked Pikachu face at the fact that old-school Trek fans disliked him.

Hello, Nurse!

Starfleet Academy made Jay-Den completely different from other Klingons in every way except his face. This is, understandably, offensive to Star Trek fans who expected him to act like a Klingon rather than simply look like one. But it’s also arguably offensive to those expecting a truly progressive character because Jay-Den ended up being weirdly half-baked as a person. He was ultimately nothing more than a set of half-assed progressive signifiers that transformed him into a caricature that leaned on offensive stereotypes.

I would bet my last bar of gold-pressed latinum that the Starfleet Academy writers thought they had struck gold by making Jay-Den the 32nd-century equivalent of a nurse. However, what they failed to consider is that, to 21st-century viewers, the “gay nurse” is actually a very offensive stereotype. It’s rooted in patriarchal, old-school homophobia and assumes that caretaking is a feminine activity. Writers often perpetuate the stereotype by making nurses gay, effectively confirming the homophobic assumption that male nurses can’t be “real” (i.e., heterosexual) men.

In retrospect, I can’t help but think that making a member of Star Trek’s most famous warrior race into a gay pacifist was a decision to play things safe. A hugely muscled, highly aggressive, bloodthirsty warrior who just happened to be gay is the kind of thing that makes people very, very nervous. By making Jay-Den gay and a pacifist and a nurse, Paramount effectively reassured sponsors, execs, and traditional fans (groups comprised mostly of older, white men) that the strong Black character couldn’t hurt them.

The Diversity Is The Character (And Why That’s A Bad Thing)

As I said before, Starfleet Academy is, by certain metrics, the most progressive Star Trek show ever made. Unfortunately, the writers made a pretty crucial mistake with Jay-Den: they made his sexuality and other progressive aspects very nearly the sum total of his character.

To see what I mean, look back at Stamets and Culber, the two most prominent gay characters in Trek before Jay-Den came along. Outside of their (frankly, very cute) scenes together as a couple, you might barely know they were gay because the show largely focused on their responsibilities: one was a doctor, one was an engineer. They were defined by their competence and characterization, and not by sexuality.

Jay-Den, outside of the one episode that focused on his character (the one that sent 99% of Klingons to Hell while giving him the “my parents didn’t understand me” stock gay story), wasn’t really developed as a character. Most of what we got from him was stupid romantic drama (“ooh, will he end up with the bad boy alpha or the adorkable beta?”) or more progressive signifiers (“look, he’s wearing the skirt again!”).

Such a portrayal arguably nullifies the whole point of representing minority groups because Jay-Den doesn’t get to be a real character; he gets to be a collection of stereotypes that make the audience feel good about how progressive they are.

To Explore New Worlds Of Strange

Despite being canceled, Starfleet Academy has a second season already filmed. At this point, one of my biggest hopes for Jay-Den is that he gets better character development in Season 2. But with Jay-Den actor Karim Diané’s recent Instagram declaration that “season 2 is gay AF” and that it will be “season 1 … turned all the way up,” I’m not exactly holding my breath. 

Which is a shame because, once more for the cheap seats, there’s nothing wrong with having a gay Klingon. But the Starfleet Academy writers turned Jay-Den into a caricature rather than a character, one whose substance was buried under layers of cheap skirts and cheaper tropes.

He’s a non-threatening cipher that progressive fans can embrace to showcase their love for diversity. He’s touted as a brave new character, but Jay-Den actually reflects the cowardice of the writers. After all, if they were really ready to give us a gay Klingon, they wouldn’t have taken away everything that makes him a Klingon!

Roomies, y’all know Jania Meshell never hesitates to clap back. That’s exactly what she did when fans started speculating that she might be pregnant after a photo popped up online. Jania peeped the reactions and didn’t hold back on letting folks know if she really has a bun in the oven.

RELATED: Back On? The Internet Weighs In After Jania Meshell & Dejounte Murray Link Up For Lit Night Out (VIDEO) 

Jania Meshell Addresses Pregnancy Rumors After Photos Go Viral Online

Recently, Jania Meshell hopped on a livestream to clap back at speculation that she was expecting a baby after photos from her uncle’s funeral started circulating online. When one X user reposted a picture of her with her loved ones, saying, “Awwwww congratulations Jania on your new bundle of joy I love this happy ending for you.”  Jania appeared to address the comment on a livestream and called out fans for spreading false narratives.“Even if I was b***h. What that got to do with you?” She shut down pregnancy rumors and said she was mad people were busy talking about her looks while she was still in the middle of mourning her uncle’s passing.

“Y’all done pissed me off, can’t even bury my uncle in peace before y’all get online brewing up some mess,” Jania continued.

Social Media Weighs In After Jania Meshell Puts Pregnancy Rumors To Rest

Once The Shade Room reposted a clip from Jania’s livestream, fans flooded the comment section with reactions. Some swore she was definitely pregnant since she didn’t deny it, while others said people need to stop policing women’s bodies.

Instagram user @iiheartlexx wrote, “ion blame her for being mad tho cause at my loved one funeral tho???🤦🏽‍♀️” 

Instagram user @omggliyawtff wrote, “I hope she not doing all this just to pop out with a baby.. for all that just ignore them fr.” 

While Instagram user @immamakeumybish wrote, “pregnant or not y’all are obsessed with women’s bodies. no other race does this except black ppl. 😑” 

Then Instagram user @simplyprettyfrll wrote, “why do y’all care if sb pregnant or not😭😭”

Another Instagram user @_brownskinnya_ wrote, “She just needs to go off the grid for a while and stop replying to comments silence is best..” 

While another Instagram user @jaylacross_1 wrote, “She definitely pregnant but even if she is that’s her life her business.” 

Then another Instagram user @4everslimme._ wrote, “they will be back together next week .. it be the same thing every month 🫩” 

Finally, Instagram user @_lynn.317 wrote, “Why do this to someone that just buried a family member? I don’t get it.” 

Fans Question Whether Jania Took Shots At Dejounte Murray In THESE Messages

Jania didn’t just shut down pregnancy speculation online. Fans assumed she some subliminal jabs at Dejounte Murray. In a series of now-deleted posts on X (formerly Twitter), Jania wrote, “Now yall so sweet so innocent favorite player can live the life yall think he deserve.” Then in another post, she added that she wished she would’ve gotten married before having her kids. “So mad I had kids before I was married and solidified with MYSELF because now it’s the same cycle different generation. Won’t happen again though.” 

RELATED: Jania Meshell Shares Strong Messages Amid Blasting Social Media Page For “Lying” About NBA YoungBoy Allegedly Being Abusive To Her

The Pitt has only released two seasons on HBO Max so far — but the medical drama has already lost several main cast members.

When the medical drama premiered on HBO Max in January 2025, viewers were excited to see Noah Wyle play a doctor again more than after ER. It didn’t take long for Us to fall in love with the entire cast, including Dr. Robby (Wyle), Dr. Collins (Tracy Ifeachor), Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball), charge nurse Dana (Katherine LaNasa), Dr. Mohan (Supriya Ganesh), Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif), Dr. King (Taylor Dearden), Dr. Santos (Isa Briones), Whitaker (Gerran Howell) and Javadi (Shabana Azeez).

Season 2 looked a little different when most of the cast returned — except Ifeachor. A source told Us Weekly in July 2025 that it was always the plan for Ifeachor’s character — who was a fourth-year resident in the first season — to go on and be a doctor in future installments of the show.

The insider noted that due to the nature of The Pitt, Dr. Collins wouldn’t be in season 2, but Ifeachor “didn’t choose to leave the show” and isn’t aware of “any doors being closed” on a possible return.

The same reasoning was used when news broke that Ganesh wouldn’t reprise her role in season 3. Off screen, fans have expressed frustration at multiple beloved characters not returning for more episodes.

Keep scrolling to see which The Pitt stars have left the show so far:

Tracy Ifeachor

After leaving the show, Tracy Ifeachor addressed whether she could be back in the future.

“It was just such a joy and a pleasure to play Dr. Heather Collins and to know that my character has been so phenomenally well-received. It just blew me away,” Ifeachor told Us in September 2025. “I don’t know where she will be on the weekend of next season, but I know where I’m going to be, which is on my next project, which is just so amazing. But I take the lessons that I’ve learned from playing Dr. Heather Collins — playing this character who goes through such a traumatic event and still shows up every day for other people.”

She continued: “[No one] stops to ask if she’s OK, if she needs time out, if she needs to run away. I think as a woman, sometimes we carry a lot of emotional labor without even knowing it. I’ve learned that through this character, so I wouldn’t change that. This experience has been so life-changing, really.”

Related: Why Is Supriya Ganesh Leaving ‘The Pitt’ Before Season 3? Exit Explained

The Pitt fans are divided over Supriya Ganesh‘s exit from the show ahead of season 3. Ganesh, 28, originally joined the HBO Max series as Samira Mohan in season 1 alongside Noah Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Katherine LaNasa, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell and Shabana Azeez. By the time the show […]

Supriya Ganesh

It was confirmed in March 2026 that Supriya Ganesh wouldn’t be coming back to The Pitt, with Ayesha Harris‘ role as Dr. Parker Ellis being elevated. Variety reported at the time that the decision was “story-driven” due to the nature of a show set in a teaching hospital.

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Ganesh spoke to Us shortly before her departure was announced. The actress hinted she was “curious” where her character would end up while teasing season 3 of the medical drama.

“It’s up to the writers,” Ganesh shared in February 2026 about where she would like to see Mohan in season 3. “Let’s see where they end up taking her.”

Ganesh continued: “I think we left her in a really interesting spot. I’m really curious where she ends up going.”

A new royal book has shed light on the tension that simmered between Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before and after their 2018 wedding.

Sources say disputes began over the duchess’s request to rehearse with Queen Mary’s historic tiara, which the monarch reportedly denied, siding with her dresser, Angela Kelly.

Over time, Prince Harry and Meghan’s distance from royal duties, along with intense media attention, reportedly left Queen Elizabeth cautious and guarded during interactions with the couple.

Queen Elizabeth II Was Allegedly Frustrated By Meghan Markle’s Tiara Rehearsal Request: ‘It’s Not A Toy’

A new royal biography is revealing details about an alleged behind-the-scenes clash involving Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ahead of their 2018 wedding.

According to author Robert Hardman, tensions reportedly arose when Harry and Meghan requested that Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara be sent over in advance so the duchess could rehearse her look. The request allegedly didn’t sit well with the late monarch.

In his book, Hardman claimed that Elizabeth grew frustrated after hearing that her grandson had been repeatedly “calling around the Royal Household demanding that the tiara be dispatched forthwith.”

“The mood turned sour nearer the wedding when the couple rang the palace to ask the Queen’s dresser and curator, Angela Kelly, to send over the tiara. Meghan wished to practice putting it on,” Hardman wrote per the Daily Mail.

Siding with her longtime dresser, Angela Kelly, Elizabeth is said to have dismissed the request for the tiara entirely, stating bluntly that “it’s not a toy.”

She also allegedly referenced how Kate Middleton prepared for her own wedding, noting that her hairstylist practiced with a replica of the tiara instead of the real one. From her perspective, Meghan’s team could have taken a similar approach.

Royal Wedding Jewels Reportedly Faced Extreme Scrutiny Over Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Tiara Request

Hardman further emphasized that royal wedding pieces are handled with extreme care due to the intense global attention they receive, particularly when historic jewels are involved.

He noted that “even if the tiara had only a few offcuts from South Africa’s mighty Cullinan diamond, that could be enough to generate furious headlines about colonial theft.”

According to the account, one staff member even questioned how such a situation might have played out publicly on the wedding day, suggesting it could have caused unnecessary controversy.

The Duke Wrote About The Tiara Debacle In His Memoir

Harry himself addressed tensions with the late queen’s dresser, Kelly, in his memoir “Spare,” describing her as “obstructive” and calling her “a troublemaker” he did not need as an enemy.

Separate reports have also painted a more difficult picture of Harry’s behavior in the lead-up to his wedding.

According to royal commentator Sally Bedell Smith, the duke was allegedly short-tempered with Elizabeth II, at one point speaking to her in a way that left her feeling unsettled.

The late monarch was also said to have been concerned after Harry reportedly approached the Archbishop of Canterbury about officiating the ceremony without the Dean of Windsor’s permission.

Queen Elizabeth II Reportedly Took Precautions During Calls With Prince Harry

In “Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History,” author Hugo Vickers alleges that after the Sussexes stepped back from royal duties, Elizabeth took precautions during phone calls with her grandson, often asking her “lady-in-waiting to stay with her.”

He added that the “distress the Sussexes caused the Queen in the last years of her life cannot be overestimated.”

Sources also claimed that conversations between Elizabeth and Harry became increasingly brief and distant, with the monarch reportedly keeping her guard up following the fallout.

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“There were lots of one-word answers, ‘yes’ and ‘no,” an insider told Page Six. “The Queen clearly wanted some kind of protection. I think the Queen was also on her guard with Harry because she was so hurt by what he had done.”

Meanwhile, Susan Page, in her upcoming book “The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History,” alleges that Elizabeth had grown cautious of Meghan early on, viewing her as highly media-savvy in a way that outpaced the “palace’s outdated press operation.”

Queen Elizabeth II Reportedly Kept A Guarded Distance During Harry And Meghan’s Visit With Princess Lilibet

Royal author Vickers further claims that Elizabeth II chose not to meet Harry and Meghan alone when they introduced their daughter, Princess Lilibet, during the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.

According to his account, the couple was staying at Frogmore Cottage at the time, where they marked Lilibet’s first birthday with a small celebration. When they later visited the Queen, a lady-in-waiting was reportedly present throughout the meeting.

Vickers also alleges that the monarch declined a request to allow a photographer to capture the moment, reportedly concerned that the image might later be shared publicly.

He goes on to suggest that the monarch struggled to understand her grandson’s new life in the United States, claiming she once questioned his decision to step back from royal duties, wondering what he had ultimately gained from the move.

By TeeJay Small
| Published 1 minute ago

Do you recall the 2021 GameStop stock trading story that took over the media and made a bunch of broke college kids thousand-aires overnight? It’s an incredible underdog story, about how the little guys can band together to take on financial behemoths, using the very tools that the billionaire elite employ to keep us down.

If you told that story with a stacked cast including Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman, Sebastian Stan, Vincent D’Onofrio, and more, you might have a certifiable hit on your hands. Unfortunately, the film Dumb Money fails to deliver on any big laughs and reminds me of why movies about internet trends so often miss the mark.

The True Story Behind Dumb Money

In case you missed it, Dumb Money follows the true story of Keith Gill. Gill is a broke financial analyst living in Brockton, Massachusetts, who maintains a middling social media presence discussing low-value stocks with a small group of would-be day traders.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gill’s channels began to pick up major steam, especially as he bought up cheap shares of GameStop. As Gill reads into the financial reports, he arrives at the conclusion that the big firms are betting on Game Stop to fail, and shorting the stock with the intention of raking in billions from the business’s impending bankruptcy.

Thanks to an army of loyal Reddit users, Gill and his pals manage to fight back against Wall Street and raise the stock price of GameStop significantly. Doing so makes millions for people with pennies and takes billions from companies with hundreds of billions. If you’re not a complete sociopath, you should see it as a win-win for every party. Sure, the billionaires lose a fraction of a percent of their wealth, but they can dry their tears with lobsters on the decks of their massive yachts.

Reddit Forums Are Not Interesting

I wasn’t actively part of the GameStop stock push in 2021, but I did follow it as it took place. I was super excited to see Dumb Money when it released just a few years later, but I ultimately left the film extremely disappointed. As it turns out, it’s really hard to make a movie engaging or visually interesting when 90 percent of the action takes place on Reddit forums. The result is roughly 100 minutes of watching Paul Dano shout “holy shit” while sitting in a gamer chair, or watching America Ferrera make shocked expressions at her cell phone.

Dumb Money is also loaded with random, unnecessary, and downright obnoxious needle drops. The narrative hardly progresses for five minutes at a time without some licensed pop song stopping the action so we can watch people dance around pointlessly. Look, I’m not a monster, I enjoy Kendrick Lamar‘s “Humble” as much as anyone. But if I wanted to watch 6 music videos back-to-back, I’d be on YouTube, not Hulu. My estimate is that the team behind Dumb Money realized they didn’t have enough story to make a feature film and relied on these musical portions to pad the runtime.

Has Craig Gillespie Ever Met Another Human Being?

To further that point, it seems like director Craig Gillespie really struggled to juggle the moving parts behind this story. Sure, Keith Gill is the centerpiece of the narrative, but all the side characters feel more like cameo appearances than supporting performances. Nick Offerman’s character is meant to loom over the movie like a video game final boss, but he gets only about 5 minutes of screen time. Seth Rogen was all over the trailer for Dumb Money, but in the narrative, he has practically nothing to do. The two college girls created for the film are portrayed so obnoxiously that it makes me wonder if Craig Gillespie has ever met another human being in his entire life.

Personally, I’d skip this movie, but if you’re interested in checking it out for yourself, Dumb Money is streaming on Hulu. My best advice would be to throw it on while you’re cooking, cleaning, or looking at your phone. That way, you can soak up the interesting parts without committing to an hour and 44 minutes of Pete Davidson lip-syncing.