Love Island USA‘s Sincere Rhea claimed Mel Moreno‘s behavior in the villa was putting their future as a couple at risk.

The Tuesday, June 9, episode of the Peacock show picked up with Sincere questioning how Mel was behaving with other guys – while not allowing him to explore connections with other women despite them not being “closed off” as a couple.

“I feel very disrespected,” Sincere told Mel in a heated argument. “You’re sitting there kissing every single body.”

Sincere specifically called out how Mel went back and forth between kissing him and Corbin Mims over and over again in a challenge, adding, “You were literally going ping pong with me and Corbin. It’s embarrassing. I felt disrespected and embarrassed.”

Mel, for her part, tried to apologize.

“I’m sorry. But do you know that I didn’t know that that was Corbin, right? I couldn’t see,” she told Sincere, who fired back, “But you could feel … He’s clearly different than I am.”

He continued: “Have your fun and explore. You are here to play this game but don’t play the game with me. I’m here for a reason. Then the cherry on top was when all they did was say Caleb [McDaniel] and then you started jumping up and down. We literally saw his feet and you were tweaking.”

Mel defended her reaction by saying she was more excited for Kenzie Annis.

“I keep hurting his feelings and I’m not trying to hurt his feelings,” she explained in a confessional. “I’m not doing anything on purpose but I think sometimes I guess I just do too much. He genuinely believes I knew it was Corbin. I did not. Me having fun and challenges does not delete everything I feel about Sincere, and I hate that he thinks that way. I f**ked up. ”

While Mel tried to apologize, the damage was done. Sincere started to heavily pursue new bombshell Sol Dean, who was just as interested in him. They kissed twice in secret before Mel walked in on them — and Sincere came clean.

Sincere tried to argue that he was still committed to Mel but she was clearly worried about their future together not that he was exploring with other women. Tuesday’s episode was also brought for KC Chandler and Aniya Harvey as they tried to figure out who closed off they actually were.

Related: ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8 Couples: Who Is Still Together? Who Broke Up?

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Love Island USA is all about coupling up — so which Islanders are currently together and which have already called it quits in the villa? Peacock’s popular dating show returned in June 2026 with contestants Aniya Harvey, Beatriz Hatz, Bryce Alakai Dettloff, KC Chandler, Mackenzie “Kenzie” Annis, Melanie Moreno, Sincere Rhea, Sean Reifel, Trinity Tatum […]

Meanwhile Zach Georgiou and Kayda Bosse realized they both had to explore other options because the other wasn’t completely writing anyone new off yet. The various cracks in the villa relationships came as Peacock opened voting up for the first time this season.

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Viewers will have the chance to choose who each bombshell should pair up with — and that will ultimately decide the next recoupling.

New episodes of Love Island USA are released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.

Join Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv in our first-ever Love Island USA fantasy league! This is your chance to predict who you think will win Season 8 and rank the Islanders weekly based on how confident you are that they will survive the next elimination. You will be playing against our editors, get access to exclusive content and have the chance to win fun prizes. Sign up for free today!

Rumors continue to swirl around Welsh football club co-owner Ryan Reynolds, as the fingers of MCU fans are kept tightly crossed, wishing for Deadpool to join the Avengers for the upcoming Doomsday. Scheduled for release on December 18, the confirmed involvement of a jaw-dropping ensemble — including Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal, and more — is impressive enough, but a cryptic post on Reynolds’ social media and his vague comments at the Toronto International Film Festival caught the attention of fans across the world.

It is now considered a realistic possibility that Reynolds will appear in Doomsday, although a cameo is most likely. Deadpool’s return is perhaps at the top of fans’ list of Reynolds character reprisals, but another that some will be hoping to see again comes from one of the actor’s early cult classics. The hugely underrated Just Friends, a comedy flick released in 2005 co-starring Reynolds and Amy Smart, was initially panned by critics upon release, with reviewers supposedly feeling “shortchanged” by a “lackluster” comedy.

However, time has been kind to Just Friends, with the film now considered a comedic gem from the mid-noughties, thanks to its subversion of comedy stereotypes and a frankly iconic performance from Scary Movie‘s Anna Faris. During a panel hosted by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt at the recent Indiana Comic Convention, Reynolds’ co-star Smart spoke of her love for the project, naming it as the one movie she’d love to return to. “I hope that we do a Just Friends 2. I just want that one,” Smart said. But where would Chris and Jamie be over two decades on? “There’s so many variations. I do think Chris and Jamie got married, I think they have kids, but I don’t know what kind of drama ensues,” Smart answered.

Was ‘Just Friends’ a Box Office Hit?

Sure, the movie proved unsuccessful with critics, but could Just Friends find enough of an audience for financial success? Against a reported production budget of $25 million, Just Friends just missed out on the all-important $50 million mark, with a total box office haul of $42 million. Split between $32 million in domestic revenue and a further $10 million from overseas markets, the film failed to even open inside the U.S. top five in its first weekend, although it faced the all-conquering Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

For the latest movie news, stay tuned to Collider.

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Release Date

November 23, 2005

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96 minutes

Director

Roger Kumble

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Ariana Grande is back on the road for the first time in years, but her return to touring has arrived alongside major changes in her personal life. 

Just days after launching her highly anticipated Eternal Sunshine Tour, news emerged that the singer and her “Wicked” co-star Ethan Slater had quietly ended their relationship months ago. 

While the breakup surprised some fans, sources close to Grande claim the split reflects a familiar pattern that has played out throughout several chapters of the pop star’s life.

The breakup became public just two days after Ariana Grande kicked off her Eternal Sunshine Tour in Oakland, California.

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Sources revealed that the singer and Ethan Slater had actually ended their relationship several months earlier after nearly three years together. 

By the time the news surfaced, some fans had already noticed the pair had not been photographed together for months.

Their romance began in late 2022 while filming the two-part “Wicked” adaptation, where Grande portrayed Glinda and Slater played Boq.

At the time, both stars were married. Grande later separated from her husband, Dalton Gomez, while Slater filed for divorce from Lilly Jay shortly after news of his relationship with Grande became public. 

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However, because of the timing, the relationship immediately attracted scrutiny and accusations that the pair had become involved while still with their spouses.

The “God Is A Woman” singer repeatedly denied claims of an affair, but the controversy reignited discussions about her past relationships and dating history.

Now, sources say the romance ultimately faded as Grande shifted her focus toward a demanding new chapter in her career.

Grande’s Inner Circle Claims A Familiar Pattern Has Emerged

According to insiders, those close to Ariana Grande have observed a recurring trend when it comes to her relationships.

“Ariana and relationships have always been a bit of a complicated mix. She tends to fall hard and fast, and when she does, it’s all-consuming,” one source told the Daily Mail.

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The insider claimed that the 32-year-old often becomes fully immersed in whichever relationship she enters, but major career opportunities can eventually redirect that focus. According to the source, a new film, album, or tour can quickly become her primary focus.

“The person she’s with gets her full attention, and it’s easy to get swept up in that. But then something shifts. That’s a pattern people around her have seen play out more than once,” they added.

The source also revealed that Slater reportedly hoped the relationship would continue. However, Grande reportedly “followed her own instincts,” and decided it was time to move on. 

Despite the breakup, another source stressed that the separation was amicable and that both stars remain supportive of one another.

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Ariana Grande Entered A New Era After Leaving The World Of ‘Wicked’

For much of the past three years, Grande’s life revolved around “Wicked.” The former Nickelodeon star transformed her appearance for the role, traded her signature brunette hair for blonde locks, and largely stepped away from music while bringing Glinda to life on screen.

However, once excitement surrounding “Wicked: For Good” began winding down, Grande quickly pivoted back to her music career. 

In August 2025, she surprised fans by announcing the Eternal Sunshine Tour, her first major tour since 2019.

The ambitious schedule includes 40 shows across North America and Europe. Following stops throughout California, the southern United States, New York, Boston, Montreal, and Chicago, Grande will head overseas for a lengthy run at London’s O2 Arena.

The tour supports both her 2024 album “Eternal Sunshine” and her upcoming album “Petal,” which is scheduled for release on July 31.

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While fans initially speculated that the new music could be inspired by her breakup, reports indicated that “Petal” was not created around her relationship with Slater or their split.

Grande’s Health Continues To Worry Fans And Loved Ones

As Ariana Grande embarks on months of performances, concerns about her health have resurfaced. During the “Wicked” press tour, reports suggested some of her loved ones feared she was “not in a healthy place” and had been struggling under mounting pressure.

Additional concerns emerged after a frightening incident at the Singapore premiere of “Wicked: For Good,” where an overzealous fan reportedly confronted her.

Friends and family are also said to worry about the Grammy Award winner’s anxiety levels and lingering PTSD stemming from the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.

“The concern from people close to her is that she’s spent so much time taking care of everyone else that she hasn’t given herself the opportunity to slow down and recharge,” one source said.

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Another insider claimed that those around her remain anxious about the demands of touring. According to them, “People who know her well and care deeply are anxious that she might have taken on too much.”

The source noted that Grande’s perfectionist tendencies add another layer of pressure because she remains heavily involved in nearly every aspect of the production.

Ariana Grande Faces Growing Concern As The Tour Moves Forward

Grande’s ongoing tour began on June 6 and in a matter of hours, photos and videos from the opening nights quickly sparked concern among fans, many of whom commented on her noticeably thin appearance and apparent lack of energy.

“I just can’t look at some of these pictures, it breaks my heart,” one fan wrote. Another added, “I hope she’s taking care of herself throughout this tour.”

A third supporter expressed concern that the demanding schedule could impact her overall wellbeing.

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The scrutiny is something Grande has addressed before. During a 2024 interview, she reflected on spending much of her life under public observation.

“I’ve been kind of doing this in front of the public and kind of been a specimen in a petri dish, really, since I was 16 or 17,” she said.

The Hollywood star also criticized people who felt comfortable commenting on others’ bodies, describing the behavior as “really dangerous for all parties involved.”

Despite her public stance, sources say Grande is fully aware that concern about her wellbeing has intensified only days into the tour. Her inner circle is reportedly monitoring the situation closely and hopes she adopts a healthier routine once the tour settles into a rhythm.

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Still, some worry the larger issue may come after the final show. “They’re hopeful that she’ll slow down,” one source suggested, but the fear remains that Grande may jump directly into another major project without taking time to rest after the tour concludes in September.

Amanda Batula made a declaration of love to husband Kyle Cooke on In the City, just months before she told him she was done with their marriage.

“My biggest fear is losing you,” Amanda, 34, told Kyle, 43, on the Tuesday, June 9, episode of the Bravo series. “And that’s scary. And I get frustrated with how badly I want it to work.”

Amanda’s honesty about her feelings toward Kyle, whom she married in September 2021, came to light amid her and Kyle’s conversation about her moving out of their shared apartment in New York City.

“Do you feel like you’re in love with me?” Kyle asked as the pair had lunch together in October 2025. Amanda didn’t hesitate, responding, “Yes, that’s why I’m doing this. Are you even still in love with me?”

“Of course, I love you,” Kyle said. Amanda interrupted asking again, “Are you still in love with me?”

Kyle started to laugh because of how intensely Amanda was looking at him across the table. “Of course. Stop! I love you,” he responded.

Amanda was also giggling as she pointed out to him, “I’m a f***ing catch and I want you to treat me like that.”

Kyle got serious, responding, “K. Then let’s bring that back.”

Amanda explained that while they were living apart, she wanted to feel like Kyle was “doing everything you can to fight for this relationship and that you don’t want to lose me.”

“OK,” Kyle replied.

Earlier in their conversation, Amanda confirmed that she had gotten the keys to her new apartment — a furnished property with a year-long lease as opposed to a month-to-month setup she initially pitched — and would be moving that week.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision for me to make,” Amanda claimed to Kyle. “The reason that I feel like I’m able to get through it is because I’m really hoping this move is going to make a shift in our relationship.”

When Kyle asked whether he would be getting a key, Amanda said “no,” but reminded him that she would be keeping her keys to their place.

“You tell the front desk you’re coming to see me. Then you go to the elevator, push my floor and just go up. You don’t need keys,” Amanda explained.

Kyle called the situation “uncharted territory,” wondering whether Amanda would give him a “heads up” when she was coming over. She agreed, saying she would text before dropping by.

As Kyle tried to get onboard with their relationship shift, he asked Amanda to do one thing for him.

“Speak to me like we’re making decisions together, not that you’ve already made up your mind,” he said. “That’s all I’m saying.”

Amanda nodded in agreement, telling him, “OK. You’re not single. I’m not single,” once again outlining their new roles while living separately.

“I know, I still have my wedding ring on,” Kyle said before noticing that Amanda wasn’t wearing hers. “What the s*** is that?”

Amanda laughed it off, claiming, “I don’t have any jewelry on!”

Kyle and Amanda later outlined their guidelines to living apart while still being together, with Amanda saying, “I feel like we should be at each other’s places at least two times a week.”

She also wanted to keep up with couples therapy weekly, telling Kyle, “I think that’s going to be our saving grace.”

Kyle, for his part, was in total agreement.

Related: Summer House’s Amanda Calls Couples Therapy Her and Kyle’s ‘Last Option’

Amanda Batula admitted on Summer House that couples therapy was her and husband Kyle Cooke’s “last option” to save their marriage — just months before they announced their divorce in January. “Last weekend was really, really bad,” Amanda, 34, said during the Tuesday, April 7, episode of Summer House, which filmed in August 2025. Amanda […]

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While Amanda admitted to Lindsay Hubbard during the episode that she felt like she was in a “weird limbo” by living on her own amid her marriage to Kyle, she told the cameras she was hopeful for their future.

“The plan is still the same. To try and reconnect again. We’re not dating other people. We’re not seeing other people,” Amanda insisted. “This is to create space to actually try to date each other again. In my delusional little mind I think that this could actually work.”

Just a few months after Kyle and Amanda filmed In the City, they announced their split. The pair were married four years before they released a statement in January saying they’d parted ways. (Amanda later revealed that she was the one that initiated the statement and told Bravo they were breaking up.)

The following month, rumors surfaced that Amanda was hooking up with Summer House costar West Wilson, but they downplayed the speculation. However, Amanda and West, 31, later released a joint statement on March 31, confirming that their platonic relationship had turned romantic.

The development sent shockwaves through the Bravo universe because of how soon after Kyle and Amanda’s split she moved on with West.

West’s past romance with Summer House costar and Amanda’s former BFF Ciara Miller also raised eyebrows among the cast. (West and Ciara, 30, dated in 2023 but were very cozy during summer 2025 and into the fall after season 10 of Summer House.)

“Was there any physical activity? I don’t care if there’s any emotional affair, because at this point that’s subjective. Did you ever hook up in 2025?” Kyle asked West and Amanda during part 3 of the Summer House reunion, which aired on Tuesday, trying to get clarification on their timeline.

West replied, “No, f*** no.”

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Related: West Wilson Weighed in on Kyle and Amanda’s Marriage 2 Months Before Romance

West Wilson weighed in on Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula’s marriage — and rocky relationship — two months before confirming his romance with Amanda. “They are very different people,” West, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly in January of Kyle, 43, and Amanda, 34, after the then-couple’s marriage struggles were teased in a trailer for season […]

Amanda was on the same page, telling Kyle, “On my f***ing life, on the dogs’ life, no,” referring to the exes’ two puppies.

While Lindsay, 39, told Kyle that “an emotional affair is so much worse,” he admitted he agreed, but added, “But we’re never going to be able to prove that.”

The Summer House reunion concluded with Kyle telling Amanda off stage, “I hate when our 10-year relationship gets talked about as if it was 100 percent bad.”

The former couple exchanged a big hug and Kyle cried as Amanda responded, “I know. I’m sorry.”

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Kyle later told host Andy Cohen that he made a “big effort to just be at peace” when he and Amanda called it quits.

However, he confessed, “I don’t know where we go from here. … This was not something I ever thought was going to be possible.”

In the City airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 second ago

Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about one of the coolest things from the Star Wars prequels: podracing! Even the biggest critics of The Phantom Menace readily admitted that the podracing scenes were some of the most thrilling moments ever captured on film. This high-speed racing in a galaxy far, far away was so popular that it led to multiple podracing video games. Now, another game is on the horizon: Star Wars: Galactic Racer. Releasing on October 6th, this game will feature a solo campaign mode as well as a variety of multiplayer modes that pit players against different races.

Between excitement for this game and social media users rediscovering the darkly hilarious story of racer Ratts Tyerell, it’s clear that excitement for podracing is greater than ever before. That excitement is so great that it seems like a no-brainer for Lucasfilm to create a Star Wars TV show about a plucky young racer trying to win big. Unfortunately, we’re never going to get this or countless other great show ideas for a simple, depressing reason: the MCU. You see, Star Wars authorities like Dave Filoni are obsessed with creating their own Marvel-style cinematic universe, meaning that any shows that don’t directly connect to other series or movies will never see the light of day.

The Mando Cinematic Universe

If you somehow don’t know (what, you didn’t feel a disturbance in the Force?), there’s a slowly growing mountain of exciting Star Wars projects that got canceled before they ever got off the ground. This includes things like Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron movie, Guillermo del Toro’s Jabba the Hutt film, an untitled movie from Taika Waititi, and even an entire new trilogy from The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson. Some canceled projects were later transformed into TV shows for Disney+. This includes a solo Boba Fett movie and what was meant to be a solo Obi-Wan Kenobi trilogy. Interestingly, both TV shows featuring these characters underscore why Star Wars is doomed to fail.

You see, part of why The Book of Boba Fett sucked is that a huge chunk of its runtime was dedicated to other characters. Like, midway through its first and only season, this Boba Fett spinoff focuses on the Mandalorian and Grogu, with a bit of Ahsoka thrown in for good measure. Similarly, Obi-Wan Kenobi couldn’t simply focus on the wacky dessert misadventures of its titular character: instead, Lucasfilm inexplicably threw in both Darth Vader and Princess Leia, which threatened to disrupt established Star Wars lore. Ahsoka is, of course, a live-action Rebels sequel with plenty of character overlap, and even The Acolyte features appearances by familiar names like Yoda, Ki-adi-Mundi, and even Darth Plagueis.

Let Me See That Thrawn

Why are potentially solid Star Wars shows getting clogged with characters that ultimately hurt the overall story? Simple: Dave Filoni wants this franchise to be more like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Part of the MCU’s charm is that characters can pop into each other’s movies. Iron Man is in the first Spider-Man movie, Black Widow is in the second Captain America movie, and so on. Done well, this lays the groundwork for major team-ups, like The Avengers. For years, there have been rumors that Star Wars is trying to put its own interconnected characters in place to loosely adapt Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire book into a show or film.

That sounds fine on paper; after all, Heir to the Empire is one of the best Star Wars books ever written. But it’s a book featuring characters that Disney likely won’t feature in their own adaptation, including all of the Original Trilogy’s primary heroes and fan-favorite new characters like Mara Jade. Even if we do eventually get an Heir to the Empire adaptation, it’s clear that it would have almost nothing in common with the book besides the presence of Thrawn. Adding some salt to the wound, the lack of any official updates means that this project is very likely dead.

No Heir, No Spare

If Filoni’s dream of creating an Heir to the Empire movie or series is over, then it means that we’ve had years of wasted Star Wars TV shows. Why bother using The Book of Boba Fett to set up more Mandalorian stuff? Why use The Mandalorian to set up Ashoka? Why try (and fail) to cause Ahsoka to set up Heir to the Empire? From the outside looking in, it seems like these shows were extensively tweaked to set up a project that we’ll never see. Episodes and entire series that could have been great ended up sucking, and for what? To set up yet another franchise project that ended up getting canceled.

Star Wars is dying because it can’t stop copying the MCU, which itself is on life support thanks to superhero fatigue. Just like that, two great franchises ruined themselves because they were too busy setting up the next big thing instead of giving fans what they really want: something original, for once!

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Episode 5

We are halfway through Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed‘s first season, and, while a lot has happened over the course of five episodes, there is still quite a bit of unresolved chaos and mystery for Tatiana Maslany‘s Paula to sort through. The twisty Apple TV thriller — which is infused with moments of levity in between the bloody murder investigation and blackmail — works as well as it does thanks to its eclectic and talented cast, which includes Murray Bartlett and Brandon Flynn.

Bartlett and Flynn play Dennis and Trevor, respectively, two characters who are definitely not how they seem. The two men — who start out as a seemingly loving couple — quickly evolve into anything but that. Bartlett’s Dennis is a cold, calculated killer trying to track down Paula, and Trevor’s a Cam Boy-turned-victim who thrusts Paula into a maddening kidnap-blackmail plot. During this conversation with Collider, Murray Bartlett and Brandon Flynn talk about their first impressions of the story, what it was like playing such complicated characters, and how they pulled off that ambitious murder scene in Episode 5.

Apple TV’s ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’ Allowed Murray Bartlett and Brandon Flynn To Play Several Characters

“Trevor has many truths going on.”

COLLIDER: It’s so great to meet you both. I really enjoy the show, and your storylines go in quite a few unexpected directions, which made it that much more fun to watch. I want to start with a fun, silly question. Paula clearly finds an outlet for pleasure. Is there something like a show, a movie, or activity that will bring you out of a funk instantly and will turn your mood around?

MURRAY BARTLETT: Oh, my God. I mean, I can’t think of anything as racy and kind of cool as what Paula does. I live in the woods, so I go and walk on the beach. [Laughs] That pulls me out of a funk. I take my dog out and just hang out with my dog. That’s basically what I do. But I can’t think of anything that’s more fun and interesting than that. That’s my go-to.

BRANDON FLYNN: Usually go see something, play or museum or something.

BARTLETT: I mean, yeah, going to see movies is kind of the solution to many things.

FLYNN: It really is, yeah.

BARTLETT: It’s a mood lifter. Even if it’s sad or depressing or dark.

FLYNN: Even if it’s bad.

BARTLETT: Even if it’s bad, yeah.

You’re like, “I got out of the house and ate candy. It’s fine.”

BARTLETT: You’re still in a cinema. I think particularly for us, even if something isn’t working very well, you’re kind of still like, “These people made this thing!” There are always things to learn from it or take from it or whatever. That is sort of a joyful experience that kind of soothes anything, I think.

Dennis and Trevor are two very complicated characters. What were your impressions when you first read the script and were introduced to the story?

BARTLETT: I loved that Dennis just kind of shifts on a dime and is all these different things to different people. That’s just a great thing to play. That was a very tantalizing thing for me. I just found the story to be relatable. I think we’re in a period of time where it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed. The amazing Tatiana Maslany, who anchors our show, is going through this kind of overwhelmedness, and what you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed. I feel like that’s super relatable, particularly at this point in time. And then the fact that the show just keeps jumping and changing and surprising you. It was a really compelling read. I was like, “Oh yeah, I want to be part of this.”

FLYNN: Trevor felt so fun and like he was the ultimate performer, giving the people what they want. I was excited to be a part of that journey with him, where I think the audience is going to get a kick out of where it goes.

Going off of that, Brandon, I know you studied at the Globe Theater. Trevor’s kind of constantly acting himself. Was there anything from when you were studying at the Globe that you took and that you feel really connected with this project specifically?

FLYNN: Oh my God. I mean, Shakespeare’s in everything. I’m sure there’s some sort of Shakespearean character that Trevor could be linked to. I mean, he’s kind of like Plato’s idea of an actor, right? At the Globe, I was always just taught, “Tell the truth.” Like, that’s it. And Trevor has many truths going on [laughs], and they were all fun to tell.

Murray Bartlett Studied What It’s Like To Be a Sociopath for ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’

“They learn to imitate social cues and become great actors.”

Image via Apple TV

Murray, I love watching you be really bad and scary. I’m sure it was very fun to play a villainous role. Did you prepare for this character differently than you have with other characters, or do you kind of have the same method when you get into a story?

BARTLETT: I think it’s always different, for me, anyway. There are certain steps that I always take to make sure I’ve covered my bases, but I feel like I’m always on high alert to pull in music or movies or films or people I’ve met, or little videos that I’ve seen, or whatever, to kind of make this kind of collage that becomes the character in a way. Sort of pulling on things from yourself that resonate with the character. But with this, I felt like, because he shifts and changes and can sort of switch emotion on and off, it felt very sociopathic.

I read this book about a sociopath, and it was super helpful. It was just fascinating because the woman who wrote the book, who is a sociopath, has a very small spectrum of emotions, so they learn to imitate social cues and become great actors, basically. That was a really wonderful kernel that I kind of held to, amongst other amazing things about sociopaths, like a lack of empathy. I am proud to say that I feel like I have a lot of empathy, but I’m a very, very emotional person, and to play someone who isn’t that was kind of exciting and challenging in a great way for me.

When he was in the car and trying to channel crying and how he should feel, it was very unnerving in the best way. I want to talk about Episode 5 a little bit because that was a very brutal kill, and I want to know how choreographed that scene was in the motel. What was it like when you read it, and then how was it when you filmed it?

BARTLETT: There’s a technical aspect. You want to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable and all that kind of stuff. It’s disturbing shit. Because we’re seeing the cameras and stuff, to a certain extent, you can objectify it. But that’s when the sociopathic stuff came in. He doesn’t feel the things that I would feel here. So, what would that be like? He’s just getting the job done. The stuff is here that I’m going to use to get the job done. There is some sort of glee in it for him, which was enjoyable to imagine. It’s horrible, but it’s all play, so we had a lot of fun with it. The way into that brutal stuff that I find personally hard to watch [laughs]… It was helpful to have that sociopathic thing of, “Well, this person doesn’t actually respond like most people would.” That’s how sociopaths and psychopaths do this stuff. They don’t have that sort of capacity in their being to feel empathy or feel the things that most of us would.

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed airs new episodes Wednesdays on Apple TV.

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Release Date

May 19, 2026

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Network

Apple TV

Showrunner

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David Rosen

Directors

Damon Thomas, Alethea Jones

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Writers

David Rosen

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated 4 seconds ago

While younger fans have done their best to rehabilitate the Star Wars prequels, most older fans still agree that The Phantom Menace was pretty bad and that Attack of the Clones was an overstuffed, equally embarrassing sequel. However, the third time was the charm for George Lucas: Revenge of the Sith felt like a proper Star Wars movie, especially after the disappointing films that preceded it. Unfortunately, the film is held back by some of Lucas’ trademark excess and bizarre dialogue. The most famous example of this is Obi-Wan Kenobi infamously warning Anakin Skywalker, “I have the high ground;” Anakin attacks anyway, getting sliced up and left to burn.

It’s a notoriously goofy moment in franchise history. Like, when they’re dunking on Star Wars writing in shows as normy as Gilmore Girls, you know you wrote something pretty stupid. Interestingly, though, this notorious line was almost removed from Revenge of the Sith altogether. In one version of the duel scene, Obi-Wan never says anything about the high ground, but he still ends up beating Anakin by accidentally slicing his former apprentice. This would have ruined the movie’s most iconic scene by turning it into accidental comedy. Fortunately, Lucas changed things up and added the high ground dialogue, effectively saving the best Star Wars prequel by giving it the worst line in the franchise!

Dueling Fates

All of this information comes to us courtesy of Revenge of the Sith stunt coordinator Nick Gillard. In an interview with Empire, he revealed how the first version of Obi-Wan and Anakin’s duel went down. “Originally, they both land on the side of the lava flow and immediately start fighting. Anakin disarms Obi and grabs him by the throat,” he said. “He’s about to chop his head off, but Obi sucks the lightsaber into his hand in a defensive move to try and block it, and in doing so cuts straight through Anakin’s arms and legs.”

What happened? George Lucas. According to Gillard, “[George Lucas] wanted something else.” He then added that, “George is the creator. We would be foolish to second-guess him.” While Gillard’s loyalty is laudable, he accidentally shed some light on why most of the stupidest stuff ended up in the prequels. Basically, Lucas would get some weird idea or another in his head, and he was surrounded by so many sycophants that nobody wanted to tell him this was a bad idea. This is presumably why Jar-Jar gets farted on, why Anakin rambles about sand, and why Qui-Gon’s obsessed with midichlorians: Lucas came up with these things without anyone to tell them these are dumb ideas. 

Burn, Baby, Burn

In this case, though, George Lucas had the right idea. Sure, the high ground dialogue is dumb, but at least it’s charming, adding some levity (even if by accident) to one of the franchise’s most serious scenes. Speaking of unintentional comedy, the original scene that Gillard describes sounds like it would have been a little too goofy. Like, Obi-Wan wins the duel through an act of self-defense, which some might think seems fitting for a Jedi. But this description also makes it sound like the Jedi Master dismembered his old apprentice completely by accident, which would arguably ruin Star Wars far more than hearing Obi-Wan screaming out, “I have the high ground!”

In the final version of the duel that made it onscreen, Obi-Wan Kenobi is forced to make a haunting decision. He has to fight Anakin to save his own life, but he can’t bring himself to kill his old apprentice. Instead, he dismembers him, which ends up being far crueler: Anakin is disabled and disfigured, and instead of getting a clean death, he slowly burns, nearly to death, before getting rescued. All of this adds weight to Obi-Wan’s words about Anakin in A New Hope: he truly loved his former apprentice, and that final duel hurt him as much (okay, almost as much) as it hurt young Skywalker. 

Saving The Best Prequel With The Worst Dialogue

There you have it, Star Wars fiends. Originally, Revenge of the Sith lacked any dialogue about having the high ground, and Obi-Wan and Anakin’s final duel was very different. But George Lucas personally intervened to create the scene that we know and love (or perhaps loathe). It’s the kind of decision that only the Maker could, uh, make, and it was a good one. With a single decision, Lucas saved the best of the Star Wars prequels, and he did so by adding the worst dialogue in the galaxy. 

Sadly, nobody was willing to clap back at him like Harrison Ford reportedly did on the set of A New Hope: “You can type this sh*t, but you sure can’t say it!

The three-part Summer House reunion has officially come to an end — so where does West Wilson and Amanda Batula’s romance stand?

“We are not using the word ‘love’ right now,” West, 31, revealed on the Tuesday, June 9, episode of the Bravo series after Andy Cohen asked both him and Amanda, 34, whether they are “in love” at this point.

“It’s been two months, three months,” West added, to which Amanda chimed in, “It’s so early.”

West claimed, “I’m very much committed to this relationship.”

Amanda, meanwhile, admitted that she and West “haven’t said” that they “love” each other, but shared that they were “having conversations about [how] serious our feelings [are] and where it’s going.”

Mia Calabrese asked for clarification, wondering, “So you guys are exclusive now?” West responded, “Yeah.”

Elsewhere in the episode, West revealed that he was not “monogamous” after he and Amanda first “expressed feelings,” but claimed, “Since the statement, yes,” he’d been solely dedicated to her.

Kyle Cooke — who announced his split from Amanda in January after four years of marriage — had his own questions about the pair’s relationship timeline.

“Was there any physical activity? I don’t care if there’s any emotional affair, because at this point that’s subjective, did you ever hook up in 2025?” Kyle, 43, asked them both.

West replied, “No, f*** no.” Amanda said the same, adding, “On my f***ing life on, the dogs’ life, no.”

When Andy, 58, asked the couple if they had an “affair” in summer 2025, West and Amanda replied in unison, “Absolutely not.”

Scroll down for the biggest revelations from part 3 of the Summer House reunion — including how Ciara Miller feels now that she’s said her peace:

When Did Things Turn Romantic for West and Amanda?

“We started going out a lot in February and March with a lot of my friends. Having a lot of fun,” West explained when asked about when their dynamic shifted. “Seeing her happy and having fun and kinda the Amanda I didn’t see prior, I took it kinda personal I guess.”

West called that spark in Amanda “special to me,” noting it was a “treat for me to see Amanda incredibly happy and we started spending more time together.”

Amanda, meanwhile, said there wasn’t one moment when her feelings “clicked” for West.

Instead, she told Andy, “There was just a night where he sorta said something, [like], ‘Am I crazy? Is there something here?’ I feel like all the emotions came flooding it. It wasn’t a slow burn or build up to it.”

Cast Weighs in on Strange ‘Summer House’ Moments

Throughout the reunion, the cast pointed out moments from Summer House season 10, filmed in 2025, that felt “weird,” including West pulling Amanda in and her crying on his shoulder after her blowout fight with Kyle at the dinner table.

Mia noted it was “strange” that West put his hands close to Amanda’s breast when she was trying to calm Kyle down during his fight with BFF Carl Radke out on the driveway.

Ciara, for her part, revealed that the “hardest” part to watch back was the finale when she said goodbye to Amanda for the summer through tears.

“It was really emotional for me to see a scene of me and Amanda saying goodbye to each other. Me telling her how much I love her and how special she is and she’s beautiful and she’s seen and she deserves the best,” Ciara — who dated West in 2023 and was cozy with him again in summer 2025 — told Andy. “It kinda f***ed me yup a little bit. It’s a bit bittersweet.”

Did West Have a Crush on Amanda Filming Season 10?

“No,” he insisted, before admitting, “We definitely got way closer after all the moments we shared intimately, bathroom crying night.”

Amanda claimed she didn’t have any romantic feelings for West in summer 2025, alleging, “I was so caught up and lost in my own marriage and the fallout of it. … I’m not a f***ing cheater.”

Ciara noted she “definitely” thought they had an “emotional affair” during those summer months in the Hamptons.

West took a beat then admitted, “Probably. We definitely became closer throughout the summer.”

“But not in a romantic way,” Amanda insisted.

Was Anything Going on at the 2026 Super Bowl?

Kyle explained that there was “one timeline question I’m a little worried about,” pegged to the Super Bowl, which was on February 8.

“There’s only two weeks between when we split and Super Bowl,” Kyle said, claiming, “One of your close friends thought of you guys as an item within that two week period.”

When he asked if that was true, Amanda declared, “We were not hanging out.”

West Back Peddles About His ‘Exclusive’ Relationship With Ex Meija

Meija Moreno has claimed that she and West were “exclusive” in the days and months before he went public with Amanda.

West admitted on part 3 of the reunion that he told Meija “it was not an exclusive relationship in November or December” of 2025.

Ciara claimed, “He’s lying. You sent her flowers on Valentine’s day.”

West then confessed, “I’ve been not clear with a zillion women that I’ve dated prior to this,” saying that Meija did think they were exclusive.

“So you lied to her,” Kyle said, to which West admitted, “Yeah.”

When Andy asked whether West was “seeing other women” while dating Meija, he responded, “Correct.”

West once again claimed that the title “girlfriend is not true,” to which Ciara claimed that’s because West had “loopholes” in his relationships.

Related: Summer House’s Amanda Berates West for Kissing Girl Near Ciara Pre-Romance

Amanda Batula went off on West Wilson for kissing another woman in front of his ex-girlfriend, her friend, Ciara Miller on Summer House — months before she started dating him, seemingly behind her BFF’s back. “You just got too comfortable on probation,” Amanda, 34, told West, 31, on the Tuesday, April 14, episode of the […]

Was West on Beta Blockers?

“No offense, are you on a bunch of beta blockers or what?” Andy asked West, referring to prescription medications that block stress hormones. “Everybody’s so emotional around you, about you and their relationship with you and you’re like this [blank face]?”

West replied, “I’m trying to stay composed as much as possible.”

Ciara chimed in claiming, “Or you’re just a sociopath.”

West the admitted, “I took a beta blocker. That’s why I’m not sobbing. This matters to me. I apologize if I don’t read emotional enough.”

Kyle Questions Whether West Was Ever His Friend — If He’ll Hurt Amanda

“I considered you one of the best things to happen to this show because I considered you one of my best friends,” Kyle told West, noting that he still has “love” for Amanda is “very concerned” about her well-being.

Kyle admitted, “When we broke up it was not a good marriage,” reminding West that he had a “front row seat” to all their ups and downs and still decided to “make that move and pursue these feelings you’ve essentially completely isolated her.”

West confessed he wishes he “could’ve spoken” to Kyle before their relationship made headlines, which caused Kyle to get even more upset.

“I was texting you in early February not knowing you’re in Miami on a dinner date with her about our sex life or lack there of,” Kyle revealed, noting it was a betrayal to think they were so close and he moved in on his wife.

West then admitted that Kyle’s “concern” about him “being the worst person to risk of all of this, makes total sense.”

The Social Media of It All

During the reunion, Ciara called West and Amanda “so f***ing calculated” for how they played with the cast and hid in plain sight that they were hooking up before coming forward to everyone.

“You guys bragging about it for months on end is really the point where it’s the most disrespectful to everyone,” Ciara said.

Amanda claimed her posts, one of which included a quote that said, “This is how much I care” around the time they were rumored to be dating, had “nothing to do with anything.”

“She did a 20 carousel thing of her and West and then that last one was, ‘This is how much I care,’” Kyle added, pointing to a March 22 Instagram post that Amanda uploaded.

Amanda maintained her innocence, replying, “That was a very dumb mistake on my part. Literally they’re not related.”

Ciara Breaks Down Her ‘Betrayal’

“I did a really s***y thing,” Amanda confessed when asked about her betrayal of Ciara by hooking up with West behind her back.

Ciara fire back, “You’re still doing a really s***y thing.”

“This has been a very confusing and crazy time. There’s been a lot of feelings that I’ve sorted through,” Amanda explained. “I developed feelings for someone that I wasn’t supposed to in a way that I wasn’t expecting to. There were times I lost sleep, I didn’t eat, thinking about what it was going to do to our friendship. … I f***ed up and I am deeply sorry for betraying your trust. And it kills me to know that I have caused you this pain.”

Ciara didn’t believe Amanda, reminding her she only texted her “24 hours” before she issued her statement confirming her and West’s relationship.

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“Meanwhile, I’m texting Kyle, ‘What the f*** is this?’ When I have done nothing but be there for you. And Lindsay has to come and pick me up off the f***ing bathroom floor so I can go do my f***ing job,” Ciara said. “Because I couldn’t fathom being here today pissed that you’re f***ing my ex.”

Ciara noted that it’s mind-blowing that West “propositioned” Amanda and she just said, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

“At the slightest if you were my friend ever you’d be like, ‘That would be a big f*** you to Ciara. Why would I ever do that to her?,” Ciara continued. “If anything you’d be, like, ‘He wants revenge against her because he resents her so f***ing much.’ But that never even crossed your mind.”

Ciara then alleged that West wanted to “embarrass” her and wanted to get his “last little word” all to “spite” her following their split.

Amanda Claims She’s ‘Truly Sorry’

“I’ve been extremely appreciative of everything Ciara has done for me,” Amanda claimed, referring to her support amid her and Kyle’s marriage problems. “I know that I have f***ed up an incredible friendship and that’s something I will live with the rest of my life.”

Amanda added, “I cannot say sorry more to you Ciara until I’m blue in the face. I truly am sorry for what I have done. You do not deserve a friend like me and I do not deserve a friend like you.”

Kyle and Amanda Share a Moment

After a brief break, Kyle and Amanda exchanged a big hug and he started to cry over their fractured relationship.

“I hate when our 10 year relationship gets talked about as if it was 100 percent bad,” Kyle said while his heart beat was so loud it was audible on the microphone.

Amanda responded, “I know. I’m sorry.”

Related: West Wilson Breaks Silence About Backlash Over Amanda Batula Romance

West Wilson is speaking out about his controversial relationship with Summer House costar Amanda Batula after receiving backlash from fans and costars. “There was no overlap. I know there’s a thousand different theories on the internet right now but that is one thing that for sure did not happen,” West, 31, said on the Monday, […]

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Lindsay Slams West and Amanda for Being ‘Short Sighted’

“Andy, I didn’t learn anything. I just feel like there’s not a lot of clarity,” Lindsay Hubbard confessed after the break. “Why did it take today to think through any of this [on their end]?”

She continued, “I’m just so confused at how such a big decision is at such high risk and you guys say you weighed all these opinions before making this decision, but you didn’t. All these guys are a mess. If you weighed all these decisions, then surely you must have thought how this would affect just the four of you.”

Lindsay directed her questions to West, calling him “the manipulator here.”

“It’s very short sighted for a f***ing hookup, for a fling,” she added.

Where Do We Go From Here?

During part 3, Bailey Taylor got real with Amanda, telling her, “I genuinely worry about you so much.”

Amanda thanked her for the concern, confessing, “Maybe I’m naive. I feel like we’ve had a lot of conversations, he and I that made me feel secure. Maybe this will be a huge mistake and I’ll wake up one day and realize it.”

Jesse Solomon, who came onto the show with West during season 8, cried multiple times during the episode, revealing he felt like he was “losing a brother.”

West admitted, “I f***ing hate that. Obviously Jesse and I are incredibly close. … The friendships here matter to me so f***ing much. It sucks knowing that I’m responsible for watching the cracks in all of this.”

Kyle, for his part, said he doesn’t “know where we go from here,” but told Andy that since his split from Amanda he made a “big effort to just be at peace.”

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Related: Summer House’s Amanda Said She’d Be ‘Happy’ If Ciara and West Reconciled

Amanda Batula vowed to protect Ciara Miller’s heart from West Wilson on the latest episode of Summer House — months before confirming her own romance with her friend’s ex. “I was like, ‘The last thing I would ever do is invite Ciara and West out on an intimate date,’” Amanda, 34, told housemate Mia Calabrese […]

Kyle noted he wanted to “focus on an amicable break up,” but now that Amanda is dating West he doesn’t know what to do next.

Ciara shared that after the reunion, “I think in some ways it was cathartic. It’s nice to be able to move on with my life,” but didn’t address her future with Amanda or West.

“I hope that one day probably not all of these friendships will be mended but I do hope some of them can be. That’s a main priority,” West claimed.

How Will West and Amanda Move Forward?

When asked “was it worth it” to start dating West under these circumstances, Amanda responded, “That’s an impossible question to answer in this moment. I wish I could have both even though that’s not the case.”

West explained that if he and Amanda “can get back to what our early days were, those were very special days” then he thinks they can last.

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“I think he just means when it hasn’t been dealing with the fallout and the turmoil,” Amanda added.

Cookie Time!

Despite all the drama, the cast ended on a high note by toasting to Ciara’s recent achievement — raising $160,000 for a local Girl Scout troop. They were given cookies to end the season with something sweet.

Amanda, however, took a little jab at West for not following the rules. She scolded him, saying, “Don’t eat it yet, we’re cheersing!”