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Star Trek Just Ruined Its Best Alien Race, And The Explanation Makes No Sense

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Star Trek Just Ruined Its Best Alien Race, And The Explanation Makes No Sense

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

The fourth episode of Starfleet Academy, “Vox In Excelsio,” made some huge changes to the most famous alien race in all of Star Trek: The Klingons. The biggest change (and beware some spoilers the size of a warp core, this is your only warning!) is that the Klingon homeworld of Qu’onos has been completely destroyed because the Burn (introduced back in Discovery, Season 3) caused all of the planet’s dilithium reactors to explode. However, based on everything we know about dilithium from over 60 years of franchise history, this should have been completely impossible!

First, some context: since the days of Star Trek: The Original Series, we’ve seen starships traveling the galaxy thanks to the dilithium crystals that power their warp cores. After the crew of the USS Discovery jumped to the 32nd century, they discovered that both interstellar travel and the Federation had been devastated by an event called the Burn. The Burn caused dilithium throughout the galaxy to go inert, and this caused countless starships to explode because these crystals regulate the matter/antimatter reaction necessary to achieve warp speed.

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Once the crystals went inert, the matter and antimatter collided in any ship with an active warp drive. This instantly caused the last thing any Starfleet captain wants to deal with: a warp core breach. Because of this, the Federation is still rebuilding by the end of Star Trek: Discovery, and Starfleet Academy is all about training the next generation of cadets who will make the galaxy a safer place as various planets and space empires continue recovering.

That brings us to the most recent episode of Starfleet Academy, “Vox Excelsius,” in which a reporter casually mentions that the Klingon homeworld of Qo’noS has previously been destroyed by the Burn. How did this work, mechanically speaking? The only explanation we get (aside from a dismissed conspiracy theory that “they blew it up themselves”) is that “the Burn caused dilithium reactors on Qo’noS and other worlds to explode.”

What The Experts Have To Say

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At first glance, this probably makes sense. After all, we know that the Burn affected dilithium in a way that made starships throughout the galaxy explode. Dilithium is both mined and stored on various planets, so the reporter’s breezy comment might make you think that the dilithium simply exploded with enough force to either destroy the Klingon homeworld outright or render it completely uninhabitable. 

However, the starships destroyed by the Burn were only lost because the dilithium going inert caused instant warp breaches. While Starfleet Academy doesn’t really explain what a “dilithium reactor” is, it’s fair to assume that the Klingon homeworld was not attempting to travel anywhere at warp speed. The reactor is presumably meant to be a power source for Qo’noS, but at no point in Star Trek history has matter/antimatter been used to power anything other than warp drive.

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Therefore, it’s only logical (Spock would be so proud) to determine that Paramount ruined the Klingons because the writers forgot how the Burn worked, which was established in the show that Starfleet Academy spun off from. This isn’t a case of the writers forgetting some obscure factoid introduced in The Original Series or even The Next Generation. Instead, they are ignoring a major story element that was introduced just a few years ago, a mistake made even worse by the other logical problems of this bizarre plot point.

Almost All Klingons Died For No Reason

For example, even though the Klingons are canonically stupid, why would they rely on dilithium as a power source? Even if we were to expect the idea (that flies in the face of established lore) that dilithium works as a planetary power source, Discovery previously established that dilithium had started becoming super scarce years before the Burn happened, which is why the Federation was researching alternative methods of achieving warp speed without dilithium crystals. Facing that same dilithium shortage, the Klingons could have easily traded out their dilithium reactors to power planets with fusion or solar power, both of which the Federation was relying on nearly a millennium ago.

Now, before the Star Trek fanboys come for me, I’ll concede that Starfleet Academy might explain all of this away in a future episode. Maybe we’ll get a technobabble explanation as to how dilithium reactors work, or we’ll get an in-universe reason why the Klingons never switched to another, more convenient power source once dilithium got insanely scarce. Heck, we might even get an explanation as to why the Klingons had these reactors on every single planet of their empire, something which seems like it would be overkill for smaller, more remote colonies.   

Right now, though, none of this makes any sense, which is effectively bad news for Star Trek as a whole. The writers just ruined the franchise’s most iconic race, and they did so with a plot point that proves even they weren’t watching Discovery. You should act accordingly, when this kind of narrative stupidity causes you to unsubscribe from Paramount+, don’t forget to write in “exploding warp reactors” as the reason you are leaving.

Don’t think the Skydance Corporation will believe it? Trust me: if they bought Paramount, these guys will buy anything.

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Righteous Gemstones’ Tony Cavalero, Wife Welcome 1st Baby

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Life just got a little rowdier for The Righteous Gemstones and DMV star Tony Cavalero and wife Annie Cavalero after welcoming their first baby.

Us Weekly can exclusively reveal that the couple’s first child arrived earlier this month.

“Actor Tony and jewelry designer wife Annie Cavalero are overjoyed to announce the birth of their first child, a son, Rowdy Baria Cavalero, born on March 11, 2026, at 9:39 p.m.,” a rep for the new parents told Us in an exclusive statement on Friday, March 20.

Rowdy weighed 8.4 pounds and measured 20 inches long.

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Related: Bobby Bones and More Stars Who Welcomed Babies in 2026

Many stars grew their families in 2026. Former Bachelor contestant Sydney Warner announced in January that she gave birth to her second baby with her husband, NFL star Fred Warner. The Warners aren’t the only stars who have their hands full this year. Meghan McCain, for her part, welcomed baby No. 3 nearly a week […]

Tony, 42, and Annie, 40 — who met while performing at The Groundlings in Los Angeles — welcomed their son “after a deeply personal journey spanning nearly a decade, including nine rounds of IVF.”

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01 Tony and Annie Cavalero Welcomed Their 1st Baby Son Rowdy 2 Bugged
Courtesy of Tony and Annie Cavalero

“Following a brief but brave stay in the NICU, he is now home in his parents’ arms already living up to his strong and spirited name,” Tony and Annie confirmed to Us, adding, “In a full-circle moment, Tony and Annie manifested his name, Rowdy Bear, eleven years ago at their wedding.”

When Tony and Annie tied the knot in 2015, they posed in a photo booth photo with a large sign that read, “Rowdy,” foreshadowing their choice for their baby boy’s moniker.

Both Tony and Annie are comedic actors, with Annie also working as a jewelry designer and comedy writer.

01 Tony and Annie Cavalero Welcomed Their 1st Baby Son Rowdy 3 Bugged
Meg Smith

Tony, meanwhile, is best known for playing Keefe Chambers on The Righteous Gemstones from 2019 to 2025. He has been playing Vic on DMV since last year.

In August 2025, the couple celebrated their 10-year anniversary with Tony sharing a video montage of their life together via Instagram.

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Related: Stars Who Struggled to Conceive Children Share Their Fertility Issues

It has been a difficult road to parenthood for many celebrity parents, including Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. After in vitro fertilization didn’t work on the first try, Teigen wondered if she had done something wrong. “You just look for anything to blame, especially yourself,” Teigen explained to New York Magazine’s The Cut in April […]

“💛10 years my love 💖Let’s keep being silly little geese and do 100 more and beyond! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY @anniecavalero 🫶 Honestly the luckiest man in the world!,” he captioned the video.

That same year, Tony and Annie took fans inside their Hollywood Hills home in Los Angeles for House Beautiful.

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Tony and Annie Cavalero Welcomed Their 1st Baby Son Rowdy Bugged
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“We wanted to restore it to its Hollywood Regency glory as best we could, while incorporating our own personal touches and tastes,” Annie told the outlet of their six-bedroom, five-bathroom pad, which features bold wallpaper and bright colors.

Tony gushed, “Annie’s everywhere in the house,” from the crystals her grandfather found to her late uncle’s chandelier hanging in the hallway.

Tony and Annie Cavalero Welcomed Their 1st Baby Son Rowdy Pregnancy Shoot
Bliss Braoudakis

While the pair were open about their home, they chose to keep their pregnancy journey private. Shortly after welcoming their son, Tony took to social media to celebrate his wife on her birthday.

“Happiest Birthday to MY ABSOLUTE WARRIOR QUEEN 👸🏼 @anniecavalero,” the Big City Greens alum wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, March 17. “🫶 you are my whole heart and a gift 💝 to us all!”

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Star Wars Icon’s 12-Year-Old Thriller Is About To Leave Streaming

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Free streaming windows rarely stay open for long on ad-supported platforms, and one of the “catch it while you can” thriller films, a gritty, Australia-set crime thriller headlined by Star Wars icon Ewan McGregor that’s currently sitting on Tubi, is set to leave the platform soon.

The film’s placement in the leaving carousel on Tubi soon indicates that the title will rotate out at the end of the month, making this a short, practical watch window for anyone who likes tight prison-to-heist thrillers and wants a McGregor performance that isn’t filtered through Jedi iconography. What makes the film worth the last-chance urgency is the specific mix: it starts as a prison survival story (JR, a teen offender, trying to stay alive and relevant), then pivots into a mentorship trap as McGregor’s criminal protector demands repayment. It’s a familiar genre chassis, but the execution is sharper than its forgotten status suggests. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 63% from critics and 62% from audiences, with consensus praise for its grittiness, style, and as a strong change of pace for McGregor.

The movie is 2014’s Son of a Gun, and the irony is that it’s far more of a hidden gem than its cast deserves. The film reportedly cost about $12 million yet only grossed around $660K, which explains why many people never even heard of it the first time. That commercial whiff is exactly why a free Tubi run matters.

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Lights, Camera, Retraction — The Collider Movie Quiz!

Sometimes actors quit; other times they’re fired. On this first day of spring, we’re recalling some famous roles that got a fresh start with a recast.

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‘Son of a Gun’ Is a Thriller But Not a Traditional Heist Film

Son of a Gun isn’t a traditional heist film because the score is never the point; it’s leverage. The movie is structured like a corruption story disguised as a crime thriller. JR doesn’t join a crew to chase money; he gets pulled into a criminal ecosystem where every favor is a hook, and every plan is a test of obedience.

Even when the narrative shifts to break-ins and robberies, the camera treats the action as a consequence of a relationship, mentor/protégé, captor/captive, rather than a puzzle to be solved. Where a classic heist sells competence and control, Son of a Gun sells instability, paranoia, and the slow realization that the real threat is the man offering protection.

Son of a Gun is set to leave Tubi soon. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

October 16, 2014

Runtime
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108 minutes

Director

Julius Avery

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What we know about “Beauty in Black” season 3 so far (and what the cast has teased about how the story ends)

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Netflix has revealed that season 3 will be the show’s last.

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Boston Blue’s Marcus Scribner Wasn’t Satisfied With Finale

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blue bloods usweekly‘s Marcus Scribner explained why he wasn’t necessarily satisfied with the season 1 finale.

“I don’t want to say if it’s satisfying or a cliffhanger — but I was not satisfied because I want more,” Scribner, 26, quipped while speaking exclusively to Us Weekly. “I won’t say why, but it was a very interesting ending.”

Scribner noted the audience will learn “more about” his character, Jonah, before the season comes to an end, adding, “We get some cool pairings, which is really dope. We switch things up a little bit and [have] some fun guest stars as well, which I know a lot of people are excited for.”

Despite the need for more, Scribner called the upcoming finale a “great” ending. “It just left me wanting more,” he concluded.

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Before Boston Blue, Blue Bloods followed the lives of the Reagan family, many of whom work for the NYPD under the leadership of NYC police commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck). Frank’s father, Henry Reagan (Len Cariou), was also central to the show, alongside Frank’s children: daughter Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan) and sons Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Jamie Reagan (Will Estes).

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The show aired from 2010 to 2024 before CBS announced a spinoff. Wahlberg’s character is at the center of the spinoff, which picks up as the former NYPD officer takes on a position with the Boston Police Department. He is then paired with detective Lena (Sonequa Martin-Green), the eldest daughter of a prominent law enforcement family.

Boston Blue's Marcus Scribner Wasn't Satisfied With Finale
Michael Gibson/CBS ©2025 CBS

“I hadn’t watched Blue Bloods prior to joining Boston Blue, but I heard a ton about it from my relatives. It’s been a cultural phenomenon for years and years. I — of course — had heard of the show, and then I started to dive into it,” Scribner told Us. “Then getting to know Donnie even further — and seeing how different he is from Danny Reagan — is crazy.”

He continued: “Taking some of those characteristics from Danny Reagan, I was trying to infuse them into my character, Jonah Silver, who is a bit of a hothead like Danny. He goes against the grain to do what he thinks is morally right, which has been very exciting.”

Joining the Blue Bloods universe — and introducing the Silver family — has allowed Scribner to push himself as an actor.

“It’s been very, very interesting. I recently rediscovered myself as an actor. I feel like for a while I was trying to push myself to the side and do something different,” he told Us. “But it’s been very fun to ground myself in this universe.”

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Scribner praised his Boston Blue costars for inspiring him, sharing, “Acting is so weird because it really is so much receiving. So being on the show and being around these amazing actors is so nice because you barely have to do any work. I’m just listening to them, and it really builds this feeling in you and you just get to respond.”

He concluded: “It’s a lot of fun. It’s definitely been challenging and cool getting to do a lot of physical stunts and all those things. I was involved in a car chase recently — an explosion — and all this crazy stuff. So it’s been really cool.”

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Boston Blue airs on CBS Fridays at 10 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.

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Alleged Mom Of His Kids Reacts To Latto’s Baby News

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Alleged Mom Keyanna Joseph Of 21 Savage's Two Oldest Children Seemingly Reacts To Latto's Pregnancy Reveal

Latto’s pregnancy announcement has taken over the internet, and while fans are staying busy hunting for clues, they peeped something that many didn’t see coming. It looks like Keyanna Joseph — the alleged mother of 21 Savage’s oldest kids has seemingly reacted to the rapper’s baby news, and now fans are wondering what that simple heart really means.

RELATED: Congrats! Latto Seemingly Confirms Pregnancy With Baby Bump Reveal In ‘Business & Personal’ Music Video (WATCH)

Fans Clock Alleged Mother Of 21 Savage’s Kids Reacting To Latto’s Baby News

Roommates, if y’all have been keeping up, then you already know the internet was working overtime trying to prove Latto stepped into her Big Mama status with one kid! Folks went just as hard on that rumor as they do trying to keep their credit scores up. At first, the Atlanta raptress made a quick return to social media after being off the grid for a minute. On Thursday, March 19, she dropped a short visual showing just her shoes and feeding a baby cheetah. While folks tried to figure out if she teased new music or a baby announcement, it turned out to be BOTH!

Now, hours after Latto’s bombshell reveal, fans peeped something else. They spotted Keyanna Joseph, the mother of 21 Savage’s two eldest kids, liking Latto’s teaser clip. Now everybody is wondering… was that a cosign, or was she just confirming Latto and 21’s relationship?

A Closer Look At Keyanna Joseph & More About 21 Savage’s Three Children

Latto hasn’t officially confirmed that 21 Savage is the father of her child, but fans think she dropped clues all through her ‘Business & Personal’ video. A mystery man with tattoos similar to Savage’s pops up in the visuals, and folks swear they spotted his baby pics in the scrapbook Latto was putting together. The ‘Georgia Peach’ femcee might be stepping into her Big Mama era, but 21 already holds it down as a dad of three. According to PEOPLE, he reportedly shares two kids with Keyanna Joseph — his firstborn, Kamari, and his second child, Ashaad. He also has a daughter named Rhian. The ‘Bank Account’ rapper keeps his life with his kids private, but he’s made it clear he “always wanted to be a father” and “feels like that’s where your legacy really counts.” 

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Big Mama Drops Sweet Thank You Message After Breaking The Internet

Hours after the raptress broke the internet with her pregnancy reveal, she dropped a heartfelt message on Instagram, sharing more photos of her baby bump and thanking her family and loved ones for their support as she navigates her journey to motherhood.

Before that, fans got a closer look at her baby bump when she hopped on a livestream just minutes after her ‘Business & Personal’ single dropped. She told fans she already shed tears and made it clear she’s a cool, hustling mom, because she’s gearing up to drop her album on May 29.

“Thank y’all! I already cried. She continued, “I ain’t doing no more crying, I’m a gangster. I’m a mother first and I’m a gangster right after.”

RELATED: That’s Dada? 5 Reasons Why Fans Think Latto Is Expecting Her First Baby With 21 Savage (PICS + VIDEO)

What Do You Think Roomies?

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Kendra Duggar arrested as she and husband Joseph Duggar face new child endangerment charges

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Joseph Duggar was arrested Wednesday after a teenage girl accused him of molesting her when she was 9 years old.

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Justin Timberlake’s DWI Arrest Footage Is Released

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Footage of Justin Timberlake during his highly publicized 2024 DWI arrest in The Hamptons has been released.

TMZ published an 18-minute video of the “What Goes Around” singer’s arrest on Friday, March 20, which shows Timberlake, 45, engaged in roadside sobriety tests after being pulled over in Sag Harbor, New York in 2024.

“These are, like, hard tests,” Timberlake said at one point while attempting to follow instructions from police conducting the sobriety tests.

In another part of the footage, Timberlake commented, “My heart’s racing,” after police shined a flashlight in his eyes and asked him to walk in a straight line.

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Justin Timberlake Appears Virtually in Court for Arraignment 1 Month After DWI Arrest


Related: Justin Timberlake Appears Virtually in Court, Pleads Not Guilty to DWI

Justin Timberlake made a virtual appearance at his arraignment on Friday, August 2, more than one month after his arrest for DWI, Us Weekly can confirm. While unable to attend in person as he is currently in Europe for his Forget Tomorrow World Tour (he will next take the stage in Belgium on Saturday, August […]

Timberlake was eventually put into handcuffs and arrested and a female friend was enlisted to drive his car home from the scene.

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“You’re arresting Justin Timberlake right now?” the friend asked police when she realized the seriousness of the situation.

She added, “Can you guys please just do me a favor ’cause you loved ‘Bye Bye Bye’ or ‘Sexyback?’ Do me one favor!”

Timberlake attempted to prevent the release of the bodycam footage by filing a lawsuit against the Sag Harbor Police Department, Us Weekly previously confirmed.

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Justin Timberlake.
(Photo by Sag Harbor Police Department via Getty Images)

Court documents filed by Timberlake on March 2 stated that the singer wanted an order from a Suffolk County Supreme Court judge to prevent the public dissemination of footage from his traffic stop on June 18, 2024, arguing that it “constitutes an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”

Timberlake took legal action after a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by members of the media in an effort to obtain the recording.

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In the court docs obtained by Us, Timberlake argued that he is shown “in an acutely vulnerable state during a roadside encounter with law enforcement.”

In June 2024, Us Weekly confirmed Timberlake was taken into custody after being charged with driving while intoxicated.

The Sag Harbor Police Department later issued a statement regarding Timberlake’s arrest. “On June 18, 2024, at 12:37 AM, Justin R. Timberlake, age 43, of Tennessee, was observed operating a 2025 BMW southbound on Madison Street, failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign and failing to maintain his lane of travel. A traffic stop was initiated by a Police Officer from the Sag Harbor Village Police Department and upon investigation it was determined that Mr. Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition.”

The statement continued, “Mr. Timberlake was placed under arrest, processed, and held overnight for morning arraignment. Mr. Timberlake was arraigned at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court on June 18, 2024, at 9:30 AM where he was released on his own recognizance.”

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Timberlake, who was in the midst of his Forget Tomorrow tour at the time of his arrest, sparked memes when he reportedly said, “This is going to ruin the tour,” during the altercation.

The singer later addressed his arrest during a court appearance in September 2024.

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“I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself — and this was not that,” he told reporters at the time, according to ABC News. “I found myself in a position where I could’ve made a different decision. But I’ve had some time to reflect on that.”

He continued, “What I’d like to say to everyone watching and listening: Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car. There’s so many alternatives. Call a friend, take an Uber, there’s many travel apps [or] take a taxi. This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake.”

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Survivor’s Country Music Cameo Annoys Everyone

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Survivor Season 50

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published

Survivor Season 50

Survivor is in its 50th season, which is subtitled In the Hands of the Fans. 24 of the show’s most explosive returning players were cast, and so far, the game has been pretty good this season, including incredible blindsides. However, the season’s fourth episode, “Knife to the Heart,” aired on March 18, 2026, and included a long segment that fans didn’t ask for or want.

One thing about this season being in the hands of the fans is that some fans are celebrities. Director Tyler Perry famously came up with a mega-immunity idol that was used in Survivor: Cagayan by winner Tony Vlachos, and the “Sia Award” has been given to players like Tai Trang and Rick Devens by the iconic singer-songwriter simply because they were her favorite show contestants that season. Celebrities have even played the game: athletes like Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Kent, TV and film actors like Lisa Whelchel and Jonathan Penner, and pro wrestlers like this season’s Jonathan Young or “Mayor of Slamtown” John “Morrison” Hennigan.

Survivor Season 50

Country singer Zac Brown has apparently watched every episode, as he told the castaways when he appeared as part of a combined reward-immunity challenge on episode 4. The beefy star would be spearfishing for the winning team, then serenading them after eating the catch. This sounded like a great reward to a few of the contestants, including Dee Valladares of the Cila tribe. Unfortunately, she didn’t win: the Kalo tribe, in teal, got to experience the relaxing evening, with players like Coach Wade, Colby Donaldson, and Tiffany Ervin in attendance.

Interfering With Gameplay

The problem is, the segment went on far too long, while at the Vatu tribe, there were shenanigans going on that led to the ouster of The White Lotus creator Mike White, a formidable player. We didn’t get to see much about how that transpired, or anything about what went on at the third beach where the Cila tribe, with fan favorites Devens and Cirie Fields, is encamped. Instead of getting to watch the contestants that are the reason we watch the show, fans got to watch Zac Brown fish, Zac Brown cook, Zac Brown eat, and Zac Brown sing. This lasted more than half an hour of a 90-minute run time. We even got Zac Brown confessionals, and we got so many that he’s gotten more than some of this season’s cast.

Survivor Season 50

Fans took to social media to complain. X and the Survivor Reddit subs are filled with fans who were wondering who voted for this. We’ve already been tormented with other celebrity name drops on the season, like the Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol, but no one tuned in to Survivor to see a concert. They tuned in for the game, and we were deprived of some of the best game play as Christian Hubicki maneuvered a historic blindside.

Some of the biggest journalists to cover the show also complained in their articles about it. Dalton Ross, one of the top commentators of the show, titled his recap, “How Much Zac Brown Is Too Much?” Mike Bloom was more forgiving, with “That Zac Brown Cameo Explained” as the title of his review, but he had harsher words on social media:

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More Unwanted Cameos To Come

Former players like Victoria Baaramonde and Jonathan Penner seemed confused as to why we were seeing so much Zac Brown there, and Rob Cesternino, founder of reality contest powerhouse Rob Has a Podcast, admitted he had just found out who Zac Brown is. When even former contestants are questioning the segment, it should be a red alert to the producers of the show about what fans want.

Zac Brown isn’t the only celebrity slated to appear this season. Fans are already skeptical about the upcoming guest appearance of Mr. Beast, and as one fan expressed, this “segment is giving me MAJOR concerns about what we’re gonna get when Mr. Beast shows up.”

Survivor Season 50

As Mr. Beast almost certainly comes from the Uncanny Valley, no one is looking forward to seeing him, and the length of the Zac Brown segment does set a worrying trend for this season. There is a much lower threshold for “too much” Mr. Beast than there is for Zac Brown.

It’s awesome that Survivor brings so many people together and includes celebrity fans. A season called In the Hands of the Fans is also a great time for these celebrities to express their fandom in their own ways. The problem is that the audience doesn’t need to see quite so much of it. We’re here to watch the people who brought us all together as fans, not watch other fans who are fortunate enough to have celebrity status. We don’t need one third of our precious time with the castaways gobbled up by a guy who isn’t even playing the game.

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Nicholas Brendon, Best Known as Xander in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ Dead at 54

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Family-Matters-Jo-Marie-Payton

Nicholas Brendon, the actor best known for playing Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 54. He was a familiar face to TV fans thanks to his long run on the hit supernatural drama, where he played one of Buffy’s closest friends, and was a key member of the “Scooby Gang”. His family released a statement, via The Hollywood Reporter, in which they confirmed his passing and paid tribute to the actor.

“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed in his sleep of natural causes. Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was. While it’s no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing. Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart. Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.”

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Casting (Re)Directors — The Collider TV Quiz!

When a new actor takes over an existing role, audiences can be wary. On this first day of spring, let’s look at some characters who got fresh starts.

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What Did Nicholas Brendon Appear In?

Brendon starred as Xander Harris across all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series followed Buffy Summers, a teenager chosen to fight vampires and other supernatural threats, with Xander as one of the ordinary friends who stayed by her side. The main cast included Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, Anthony Head as Rupert Giles, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase, David Boreanaz as Angel, James Marsters as Spike, and Brendon as Xander.

Outside of Buffy, Brendon also appeared in Criminal Minds and on the short-lived series Kitchen Confidential with Bradley Cooper. He also starred in the cult film Psycho Beach Party alongside Lauren Ambrose​​​​​​​ and Amy Adams. In recent years, he dealt with several health issues, including a heart attack, a congenital heart defect, and cauda equina syndrome, which led to multiple spinal surgeries.

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The thoughts of everyone at Collider are with the family of Nicholas Brendon.


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Release Date
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1997 – 2003

Network

The WB

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Showrunner

Joss Whedon

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Directors

Joss Whedon

Writers
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Joss Whedon

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‘Outlander’ Star Caitriona Balfe Reacts to What Episode 3’s Shocking Magic Reveal Could Mean for Claire

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Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan in Outlander Season 8

[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Outlander Season 8, Episode 3.]

Summary

  • ‘Outlander’ is bidding an emotional farewell with Season 8, and Caitriona Balfe is grateful for the privilege of getting to be a part of the fan favorite series.
  • Claire miraculously saves a twin in Ep.3 — an inexplicable, possibly magical moment she must reckon with.
  • Season 8 balances warm family reunions with trauma, Frank’s shadow looms, and the inevitable arrival of war is coming.

In episode three of Season 8 of the Starz series Outlander, Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) had to step in to help a young Black girl whose mother was on the verge of giving birth to twins, as the result of a very high-risk pregnancy. While delivering the babies, it seemed as though one was not going to make it, until something inexplicable and possibly magical happened at the hands of Claire. Something that neither Claire nor Jamie fully understand, but that Claire will likely have to come to terms with before the final season is over.

During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Balfe discussed the experience of saying goodbye to a TV series that was such a huge part of her life for so many years, shooting different endings for the finale, how lovely it was to have a happy family reunion so early in the season, the presence of Frank Randall hanging over Jamie’s possible fate, shooting the bear mauling and the birth of Ian and Rachel’s child in the same episode, the fun of watching Claire and Jamie (Sam Heughan) bicker over what happened with John Grey (David Berry), the bond with Fanny, and what really happened when Claire saved that twin. She also talked about being unsure whether she’ll be doing any comedy or a musical in the future but mentioned her excitement over her next role in the period drama The Housekeeper.

Collider: Does it feel like you’ve wrapped this series ages ago now, or does it still feel very recent?

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CAITRIONA BALFE: No. We wrapped almost a year and a half ago. These first few episodes we filmed two years ago, so that feels like quite a while ago. It’s weird, there was that first phase of saying goodbye to it all, and now this feels like the next phase.

Caitriona Balfe Is Grateful for the Privilege of Playing Claire Over 8 Seasons of ‘Outlander’

“It’s just been such an amazing, wild ride.”

If the you on day one of all this knew what the full journey would be and what the last day would be like and how it would all end, would you have even believed any of that?

BALFE: No. When I think back to 2013, when we started, it’s just so mad. I had no idea. And thank God, because I think I would have just been so overwhelmed with the idea that it was going to be the next 10 or 11 years of my life. But what a privilege. It’s just been such an amazing, wild ride. I just feel so grateful for it all.

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It’s such an unusual experience because you do get to play this character so thoroughly and through so many years and parts of her life. Even if you do a series for a long period of time, you don’t typically get that kind of time span.

BALFE: Yeah. I think it’s 30 years of her life, and then within those 30 years, she crosses so many different decades. It was such an amazing privilege and an amazing opportunity. Shows don’t happen very often where you get to live with the characters for this long. It’s been an amazing journey.

Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan in Outlander Season 8


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‘Outlander’ Season 8 premieres March 6 on Starz.

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You’ve also done very different types of projects between seasons and since the series has finished. Those projects have not only been very different from Outlander, but very different from each other. Do you know what you’re going to shoot next? Is there a genre that you’d love to work in that you haven’t gotten the opportunity to play in yet?

BALFE: I’ve never done comedy, but I don’t know if that’s in my wheelhouse. I’m probably not going to do a musical anytime soon. I’m so grateful that, in the last six months, I’ve gotten to do three different projects which were this amazing variety. And I’m about to start filming something in a couple of weeks. That, to me, is the real excitement, that I get to do these very different things. After being in such a long-running series, I’m quite cautious about signing up to something that’s a long time again, without knowing that I’m going to love it as much as I loved Outlander. To go back season after season to something, you’ve got to know that you are so invested and so in love with the character. I don’t know. It’s been a nice year since we finished.

Can you say what it is you’re shooting next or what kind of projects it is?

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BALFE: It’s a period drama. It’s 1930s. It’s a film called The Housekeeper, and I’m excited about it.

We know that different endings were filmed for the show, and you didn’t know which would end up being used. How many different endings did you actually shoot? Were they very different? Do they all have the same feel to them?

BALFE: I don’t know the answer to that because there are some things that were filmed that I wasn’t a part of. For Matt, it was important that he got to choose what he wanted without the peanut gallery of all of us going, “We want this” or “We want that.” I think ultimately, we all just want the fans to be happy, and if we can achieve that, then that’s going to be the greatest thing. I do not envy the job that Matt had in trying to shepherd this to the end. Heavy is the load who wears the crown, right?

This is a series that has always gotten some happy moments before things get dark. This season, one of those moments is the reunion with Brianna and her family. What was it like to have that reunion and to have those moments happen so early on, with them all getting to spend time together again?

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BALFE: It was so lovely. We hadn’t worked with Sophie [Skelton] and Richard [Rankin] in quite a while. We’d all been on these various different storylines, so it was like a real reunion. It was really exciting for all of us to be together. Maybe we were all messing quite a bit and being quite naughty. I think it was really important, in the last season, that the family comes together. It’s a very important thing for Jamie and Claire’s to feel the love of their extended family.

Frank Randall Will Continue To Play a Role in the Final Season of ‘Outlander’

“Is this a way of torturing Claire?”

Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall in a suit and tie looking concerned in Outlander Season 3
Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall in a suit and tie looking concerned in Outlander Season 3
Image via Starz

We see how hard it is for Jamie to see how much Frank Randall looked like Black Jack. He also learns that Frank has written about his death. Is it hard to escape something like that? Is that going to continue to hold a bit of a black cloud over the season?

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BALFE: I think so. It’s really interesting, the kind of psychological terror that that brings to Jamie. Jamie’s reaction is one way, and then Claire has this other reaction to it. For her, she made this contract with Frank to put Jamie aside, to not go looking for him, and to forget about him, even though she couldn’t in her heart, and that they would raise Brianna as their own. And then, to find out that all that time, Frank had gone looking for him, potentially found him, and knew that he was alive and didn’t tell her. So, there’s this question mark over its validity. Is this a way of torturing Claire? Is it a way of keeping her in her other time? I think it’s very complex. This niggle of what could be is a very destructive element that goes into play.

In episode two, Amy gets attacked and mauled by a bear and Claire can’t do anything to help. It’s such a tragically sad moment because it’s so quick and so random. What was it like to shoot all of that? Is a moment like that particularly painful for Claire when she can’t change or stop what’s happening?

BALFE: Yeah. Any time she is unable to save somebody, it’s a heartbreak for her. What I thought was interesting about that is that you have this lovely moment between all the women, and it feels like a very pastoral, bucolic moment where they’re all just picking berries, and then you’re faced with the fact that, at any moment, life can be snatched away. The foreboding of that scene is that we have these very sweet, wholesome moments, and then the rug gets ripped from under you. That’s the Outlander way, in some ways, isn’t it?

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John Bell and Izzy Meikle-Small also talk about what it was like to say goodbye when shooting for the series officially ended.

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It was also such a very Outlander thing to balance out that death with delivering Ian’s son. Was it nice to share that moment together, and to have the happiness that comes with a family that wants their child and experiences that joy of life to offset this tragic death?

BALFE: Yeah. The circle of life never stops rolling. For Ian especially, who had lost children before, this moment between himself and Rachel is so beautiful. That they are now starting their family and that it’s within this larger family in this community is a really beautiful thing. And for Claire to be there and be a part of that and to be able to help in that way and be successful in helping, whereas she wasn’t with Amy, that’s all an important thing.

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Claire Is Having a Bit of Fun Bantering With Jamie Over His Jealousy in ‘Outlander’ Season 8

“Those scenes are very funny.”

Sam Heughan as Jamie sitting on the back of a wagon next to Caitriona Balfe as Claire in Outlander Season 8
Sam Heughan as Jamie sitting on the back of a wagon next to Caitriona Balfe as Claire in Outlander Season 8
Image via Starz

Claire, having been with Lord John Grey is something that comes up again this season in a very big way for Jamie and Claire. I always find it particularly interesting to see the moments when Claire’s more modern sensibilities still clash with how Jamie views things. What do you love most about where they’re at together in this final season?

BALFE: I think those scenes are very funny, and Jamie is very funny in them. And who can blame him, really. Claire is very like, “God, are you not over this yet? Come on!” Give him some slack. It’s not the easiest thing to get over. There are the funny moments when Brianna finds out. You see that Claire enjoys the humor of the situation slightly too. I think Jamie should be given more credit for how understanding he’s been, or is trying to be, because it’s not an easy thing for anyone to get past.

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I love the moment went Brianna says, “I don’t have to call him da now, do I?” I just thought that was the best.

BALFE: It’s very funny, yeah.

This season, we also get to see Claire form a relationship and bond with Fanny. It’s so interesting to see where that’s going because you can see Fanny’s interest and curiosity in things, and she clearly likes Claire and Jamie and wants to be part of this family, but she’s also seen more than someone her age should ever have to. What was it like to find that relationship? What did you enjoy about finding that between them and working with that young actress who just has the most expressive face?

BALFE: Isn’t she incredible? Florrie May Wilkinson is just brilliant. When she joined the show last season, we were all like, “Holy shit! This girl has got chops.” It was great. It was great that the writers knew that they could give her this weightier material and that she would be more than capable of handling it all. The storyline, in some ways, with having Fanny and the family and Claire and Jamie building a relationship with her, is helping heal their wounds from Faith. And then, for Fanny, or for Frances, she has seen so much. She has been so traumatized. It’s hard for her to trust, and it’s hard for her to let our guard down. There’s this very tentative building of confidence and trust between them. I think they just want to provide her with this loving family. They’re tiptoeing around how much they can pry and how much they can tell her. It’s lovely. She’s interested in what Claire’s doing, and she’s very bright. She’s just a beautiful addition to the show, I think.

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There’s something so magical about just watching her reactions to things without even having to say anything.

BALFE: She’s a very, very talented young actress. She’s really incredible.

Caitriona Balfe with Sam Heughan holding onto a rope on a ship on the poster for Season 7 Pt 2 of Outlander


‘Outlander’ Season 8 Trailer Teases a Tragic Fate for Jamie and Claire’s Time-Travel Adventure

Season 8 will be the flagship romance series’ last.

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In episode three, Claire gets approached by the young Black girl whose mother needs help because she’s pregnant with twins. What was all that like to figure out? Claire delivers these children and she’s able to save this little girl that she thought was dead, but she doesn’t really quite understand why or how. What does all of that mean to Claire and for Claire?

BALFE: Good questions. There’s always been these special energy moments within Claire’s life. We’ve seen them peppered throughout the show. She’s a time traveler. She’s had these connections to things and these understandings of things. We never knew why she was able to [do] these things or not. With the babies, it’s quite a shocking moment, but I don’t think it’s necessarily out of the blue. For Claire, how does she come to terms with the understanding of what has happened? It’s a further evolution of other things that have happened in her life. I’m not sure that she fully understands it yet, at this point.

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No One Can Hide From What’s Coming to the Ridge in ‘Outlander’ Season 8

“Sometimes the inevitable just has to happen.”

Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, and Richard Rankin standing together in Outlander Season 8
Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, and Richard Rankin standing together in Outlander Season 8
Image via Starz

What would you say than to tease what fans can expect from the remainder of the season? The first three episodes set up a lot of things that will continue to come up. How do you think fans will feel throughout the rest of this season?

BALFE: To tease some of the stuff, I think they returned to the Ridge because they wanted to protect themselves and their family from the world events that were going on around them. But you can only hide from things happening like that for so long. Sometimes the inevitable just has to happen. As we know, the war can come to their door. Eventually, they’re going to have to face a lot of things and not just try and hide from it.


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Release Date

2014 – 2026-00-00

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Showrunner

Matthew B. Roberts

Directors
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John Dahl, Metin Hüseyin, Jamie Payne, Stephen Woolfenden, Anna Foerster, Brendan Maher, Brian Kelly, David Moore, Jennifer Getzinger, Mike Barker, Philip John, Joss Agnew, Lisa Clarke, Jan Matthys, Ben Bolt, Charlotte Brändström, Christiana Ebohon-Green, Denise Di Novi, Douglas Mackinnon, Julian Holmes, Norma Bailey, Richard Clark, Justin Molotnikov, Stewart Svaasand

Writers

Toni Graphia, Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Luke Schelhaas, Anne Kenney, Karen Campbell, Shannon Goss, Joy Blake, Richard Kahan, Jennifer Yale, Megan Ferrell Burke, Ira Steven Behr, Diana Gabaldon

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Jack Tarlton

    Kenny Lindsay

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    John Sessions

    Arthur Duncan

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Outlander airs on Starz.

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