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Starfleet Academy’s Only Hero Is The Character It Thinks Is The Villain

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Starfleet Academy's Only Hero Is The Character It Thinks Is The Villain

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

Paul Giamatti’s Nus Braka is Star Trek’s latest Big Bad, and he has done an amazing job of tormenting students and teachers alike on Starfleet Academy. In a previous episode, he feigned helping out Chancellor Ake only to execute his real plan: destroying a starship and then ransacking the starbase it was protecting. The recent episode, “300th Night,” revealed what he stole: the Omega-47 particle, which can be weaponized to destroy subspace and make warp travel impossible.

He wasted no time deploying Omega-47 mines around the entirety of Federation space, essentially trapping everyone within their established borders. The show presents this as the act of a supervillain, one that our cadets must figure out how to stop in order to save the galaxy. However, given that the Federation was researching a superweapon to help them replicate the worst tragedy the future has ever seen, Nus Braka actually comes across as a hero saving everyone from a terrifyingly powerful rogue state.

From Villain To Hero

The special weapon that Nus Braka stole has been known to the Federation for the better part of a millennium. In the Voyager episode “The Omega Directive,” Janeway reveals that all Starfleet captains are required to destroy any trace of Omega particles that they find throughout the galaxy. The reason is simple: when these particles detonate, they destroy subspace, rendering warp and even long-range communications impossible. On top of its raw destructive power, the Starfleet of the 24th century wanted to destroy Omega on sight because it represented an existential risk to interstellar travel.

However, the Starfleet Academy episode “300th Night” revealed that the Starfleet of the 32nd century was secretly studying how to weaponize this particle. They succeeded in creating Omega-47, a synthetic version of this destructive molecule. It’s very easy to weaponize Omega-47, which our heroes found out the hard way when Nus Braka created landmines and deployed them around the entirety of Federation space, trapping all of his enemies in one place without having to so much as fire a shot.

An Omega-Level Threat

Nus Braka’s plan is both bold and effective: in one crazy move, he just managed to threaten the entirety of the Federation. Even better, he did so using the illegal weapons technology they have been secretly developing. All of this is meant to set up a season finale where our heroes save the day, but given what we’ve seen so far, I can’t escape one shocking conclusion: Nus Braka is the real hero here, and Starfleet has been the villain all along.

You can tell Starfleet is the bad guy of this story largely because of the organization’s own hypocrisy. Once upon a time, captains were responsible for destroying the Omega particle on sight simply because it represented a threat to interstellar travel. Destroying these particles meant that ships could continue exploring strange, new worlds. It also meant that alien planets wouldn’t effectively be cut off from the rest of the galaxy by particles whose detonation destroys subspace, making it impossible to warp in or out of an area or even communicate with the people inside.

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Starfleet’s Heel Turn, Revealed

Now, the Starfleet of the future has decided they want to have the ability to threaten the rest of the galaxy. Keep in mind that there is no known positive use of Omega particles; they can’t be used as an energy source, which might at least make sense when dilithium has become so scarce. The only function of Omega-47 is to give Starfleet the ability to threaten countless worlds, and that threat comes in the form of replicating the greatest disaster the 32nd century has ever known: the Burn.

In Discovery, we learn about an event known as the Burn that suddenly made most of the dilithium in the galaxy inert. This instantly destroyed any ships with an active warp core (when dilithium goes inert, it can no longer keep matter and antimatter separated) while making interstellar travel significantly more difficult. This event decimated the Federation and made the 32nd century downright hellish for many people. The young characters in Starfleet Academy are rough around the edges in large part because of the Burn: with supply lines nonexistent and energy in short supply, characters like Caleb grew up eating out of dumpsters, something that would have once seemed impossible.

The Future Is Even Worse, Thanks To Starfleet

I mention this to underscore that the Burn was the worst thing to happen to almost everyone in the 32nd century. It ruined lives and led to the rise of evil powers like the Emerald Chain, and all because it was now insanely difficult to travel anywhere at warp speed. Now, we discover that Starfleet has been secretly developing a superweapon that can replicate the effects of the Burn on a smaller, more targeted scale, allowing the Federation to cut any of its enemies off from the rest of known space.

That brings us back to my fairly simple thesis: while this certainly wasn’t the intention of the writers, Starfleet Academy just presented Nus Braka as a hero for using Omega-47 against the Federation. Our protagonists are supposed to be the good guys, but it turns out that Starfleet was secretly developing technology that could help them threaten or outright destroy every planet in the galaxy. Now, the show’s biggest villain just used Omega-47 mines to contain the Federation within their own space, ensuring that no other ships can get in or out while the minefield is still up.

The Federation Is Now A Rogue State

In the real world, other countries take a dim view of rogue nations developing nuclear technology for two simple reasons: 1) they have threatened and harmed other nations before, and 2) they are trying to develop a weapon deadlier than any they have ever had before. If the rest of the galaxy learned about Omega-47, they would view the Federation as a rogue state that just violated all of its lofty ideals so that it could develop a superweapon. A weapon that would do what the various admirals and administrators have been wanting to do since the Burn, which is to make the Federation the most powerful force in the known universe.

This isn’t even the first time something like this has happened; remember, the Genesis Device could be used to destroy all life on a planet, making it the 23rd century Star Trek equivalent of the Death Star. Simply put, Starfleet and the Federation have spent nearly a millennium developing weapons that could threaten the entire galaxy, and Omega-47 is the latest one. By using this weapon against the Federation, Nus Braka may be a villain to our protagonists, but he’s a hero to the rest of the universe because he has done what nobody has been able to do before: save them from Starfleet!

This isn’t what the writers of Starfleet Academy intended, but they just made Nus Braka the secret hero of the series. Just as Michael Burnham had to keep Starfleet from blowing up the Klingon homeworld, somebody had to keep them from weaponizing the greatest threat the Federation has ever encountered. If the writers really want us to root for Starfleet Academy cadets, they need to do something simple: stop portraying Starfleet as a group of amoral control freaks out to threaten the entire galaxy!

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Apple TV’s Near-Perfect ‘True Detective’ Replacement Is Still a Must-Watch Weekend Binge

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Luke Roessler in Smoke

If someone were to make a list of the most consequential TV shows of all time, it would be hard to leave True Detective out of the top 10. When the first season of HBO’s crime thriller arrived all the way back in 2014, it didn’t take fans and critics long to realize that the studio had produced yet another masterpiece. The pairing of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson left viewers around the world in awe, and their reunion later this year in a new Apple TV project remains one of the most anticipated of 2026. Following the breakout success of True Detective Season 1, every streaming service has taken a turn trying to replicate the magic of the show, and Apple TV settled on Smoke as its True Detective replacement last year.

Smoke co-stars Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett as a troubled detective and an enigmatic arsonist who follow in the footsteps of two serial arsonists wreaking havoc on the city of Umberland. The show premiered last June and wrapped up its first season in August, but despite widespread appreciation from both critics and audiences, it hasn’t yet been picked up for a second season. In addition to Egerton and Smollett, Smoke also features other stars like Rafe Spall and John Leguizamo in key roles, and the show was written and created for TV by Dennis Lehane. Although it’s quickly approaching a full year since Smoke premiered on Apple TV, the show is still in the streamer’s top 10 in several countries around the world. Fans of the series are doing their all to ensure that it gets a Season 2 renewal, but the chances of this happening grow dimmer by the day.

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Remembering the Icons of Television — Collider TV Quiz

These television artists were posthumously recognized for their work, and the awards they received were testaments to their lasting legacies.

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What’s the Worst Season of ‘True Detective’?

Most fans would agree that the second season of True Detective is the weakest in the series, and this is reflected in the poor scores of 47% from critics and 31% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. This is a far cry from the 91% and 92% scores held by Season 1. The show managed to turn things around in Seasons 3 and 4, but while they’re still held well above Season 2, they still didn’t capture the same magic of Season 1. Early reports indicate Nicolas Cage has been tapped to star in Season 5 of the show, which would certainly bring a spark back to the franchise.

Check out the first season of Smoke on Apple TV and watch True Detective on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.


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Release Date

2025 – 2025-00-00

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Apple TV+

Directors

Kari Skogland

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10 Almost-Perfect Crime Thriller Shows, Ranked

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Antony Starr impersonating Lucas Hood in 'Banshee'

Isn’t it so annoying when crime thrillers promise everything and end up delivering nothing? High stakes and shocking twists sound great until one realizes that the actual story starts collapsing under all that. A good crime thriller, that’s why, has to strike a very delicate balance. Twists and turns can only take things so far if the characters feel one-dimensional or if the beats of the story don’t add up.

That’s because shock value might grab attention, but it can never sustain it, and the sooner showrunners understand that, the better. For every half-baked story, though, plenty of others get things exactly right. This is a list of such crime thriller shows that come dangerously close to perfection.

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10

‘Banshee’ (2013–2016)

Antony Starr impersonating Lucas Hood in 'Banshee'
Antony Starr impersonating Lucas Hood in ‘Banshee’
Image via Cinemax

Banshee is a crime thriller that embraces chaos like no other. The series takes place in the fictional town of Banshee in Pennsylvania, where a recently released master thief (Antony Starr) assumes the identity of a murdered sheriff named Lucas Hood. The story revolves around Hood trying to keep up the charade while secretly continuing his criminal life. Most people would assume that these stakes are high enough for the show to create a sense of tension. However, Banshee keeps expanding its central conflict by introducing new characters, including the ex-Amish crime lord Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen), along with Hood’s partners Job (Hoon Lee) and Sugar Bates (Frankie Faison).

Every season features new threats, while the town serves as a pressure cooker of violence that can explode at any moment. Banshee fully commits to its over-the-top premise and is packed with brutal hand-to-hand fight sequences, intense shootouts, and pulpy storytelling. The show can feel ridiculous at times, but it never stops being entertaining thanks to the depth it gives to its characters and their relationships. The series is one of TV’s most underrated crime thrillers and remains a true hidden gem.

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9

‘Top of the Lake’ (2013–2017)

Elizabeth Moss looking to the side, sitting with her back against an interior brick wall in Top of the Lake.
Elizabeth Moss looking to the side, sitting with her back against an interior brick wall in Top of the Lake.
Image via BBC

Top of the Lake is the definition of quality TV. The story begins with the disturbing disappearance of a 12-year-old girl who is revealed to be pregnant in the opening moments of the show. Elisabeth Moss stars as Detective Robin Griffin, who becomes entangled in the investigation while she is in town to visit her dying mother. She believes that this will be yet another missing-person case, but little does she know that it will quickly unravel into something much darker. Top of the Lake is a slow-burning psychological drama that constantly plays with the audience’s expectations.

The investigation takes its sweet time to unfold and exposes complex systems of power and misogyny that exist within this community. The deeper Robin digs, the more the case becomes intertwined with her own unresolved trauma. Top of the Lake strikes the perfect balance between layered character work and a mystery that keeps getting increasingly addictive. In Season 2, the story moves to Sydney and continues Robin’s journey several years later. However, the show never lets go of its willingness to explore difficult themes. This isn’t a conventional thriller series by any means, but one that forces the audience to question their own role in systemic injustice.

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8

‘Rubicon’ (2010)

Three people standing together out in the snow in Rubicon Image via AMC

Rubicon deserves way more appreciation than it gets. The political thriller follows intelligence analyst Will Travers (James Badge Dale), who works at the shadowy New York-based organization called the American Policy Institute (API). The story picks up when Will’s mentor and father-in-law dies in what appears to be a staged accident, and Will knows he needs to get to the bottom of what really happened. However, what pulls him deeper is a pattern hidden across crossword puzzles in multiple newspapers. At first, Will thinks it’s a coincidence, but when he begins to connect the dots, he realizes that the mystery is far more complex than he initially thought. All of a sudden, he suspects he is being watched and notices small inconsistencies in his everyday interactions.

Rubicon breaks away from the typical thriller beats by slowing the narrative down. Most of the action in the story happens in offices through conversations, data, and Will’s personal analysis of the situation. However, that pace only adds to the show’s constant sense of uncertainty. Rubicon thrives on this ambiguity, where the audience and Will don’t know who to fully trust. The show taps into the very specific fear of being exploited by those in power, and that’s exactly what makes its central conspiracy feel so plausible. Unfortunately, Rubicon was canceled after Season 1 before it could give its characters the long-term arcs they deserved. Even then, though, the show is a must-watch for anyone looking for sharp writing and a compelling mystery.

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7

‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)

Julianne Nicholson sitting on a park bench with Kate Winslet's head on her shoulder in 'Mare of Easttown'.
Julianne Nicholson sitting on a park bench with Kate Winslet’s head on her shoulder in ‘Mare of Easttown’.
Image via HBO

Mare of Easttown might be a miniseries, but it feels more complete than several long-running shows that lose the plot after the first few seasons. The crime thriller follows Detective Marianne “Mare” Sheehan (Kate Winslet), a local hero whose life is falling apart right when a teenage mother is found murdered, while another young girl remains missing. Mare is then forced to confront a complicated case as the town both relies on her and constantly questions her competence. What makes Mare of Easttown so special is how it connects the detective’s personal and professional lives. As her investigation deepens, she is forced to confront her friends, family, and neighbors to find answers.

All of this unfolds as Marianne copes with the suicide of her son, deals with an increasingly strained relationship with her daughter, and is involved in a custody battle over her grandson. The case is yet another factor that contributes to her downward spiral and makes the story feel emotionally heavy. The fact that nearly everyone is connected to the murder in one way or another makes the whole thing all the more unsettling. Mare of Easttown is a masterclass in building suspense and delivering payoffs that are actually worth the patience. By the end, the show is no longer a whodunit. Instead, it tells a much more complex story about loss and community.

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6

‘Dexter’ (2006–2013)

Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) holds a camera at red string representing blood on 'Dexter'.
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) holds a camera at red string representing blood on ‘Dexter’.
Image via Showtime

Dexter flips the crime thriller formula on its head by making the audience root for the bad guy. The series is set in Miami and follows Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a forensic analyst by day and vigilante serial killer by night. The show revolves around this constant balancing act as Decter juggles his jobs and relationships while also targeting murderers who have escaped justice with chilling precision. The show could have easily leaned into the shock value of it all. However, it chooses to focus on Dexter’s psyche and how his life begins to unravel over time. Each season introduces a new adversary for the protagonist, but what’s interesting is how these killers mirror him in different ways.

The show moves smoothly between Dexter’s complicated personal relationships, especially his sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), who unknowingly gets close to the truth. Dexter is especially compelling in how it forces the audience into an uncomfortable position. Dexter’s internal monologue pulls viewers deeper into his mind, and that moral conflict becomes the driving force of the story. There’s no denying that the show really shines in its first few seasons compared to its later installments. Despite that, though, it still remains one of the most iconic crime thrillers of its time.













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Collider Exclusive · Taylor Sheridan Universe Quiz
Which Taylor Sheridan
Show Do You Belong In?

Yellowstone · Landman · Tulsa King · Mayor of Kingstown
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Four worlds. All of them brutal, complicated, and built on power, loyalty, and the price of survival. Taylor Sheridan doesn’t write heroes — he writes people who do what they have to do and live with the cost. Ten questions will reveal which one of his worlds you were made for.

🤠Yellowstone

🛢️Landman

👑Tulsa King

⚖️Mayor of Kingstown

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01

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Where does your power come from?
In Sheridan’s world, everyone has leverage. The question is what kind.




02

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Who do you put first, no matter what?
Loyalty in Sheridan’s universe is always absolute — and always costly.




03

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Someone crosses a line. How do you respond?
Every Sheridan protagonist has a line. What matters is what happens after it’s crossed.




04

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Where do you feel most in your element?
Sheridan’s worlds are as much about place as they are about people.




05

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How do you feel about operating in the grey?
Nobody in a Sheridan show has clean hands. The question is how they carry the dirt.




06

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What are you actually fighting to hold onto?
Every Sheridan character is fighting a war. The real question is what they’re defending.




07

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How do you lead?
Authority in Sheridan’s world is never given — it’s established, maintained, and constantly tested.




08

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Someone new arrives and tries to change how things work. Your reaction?
Every Sheridan show has an outsider disrupting an established order. Sometimes that outsider is you.




09

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What has your position cost you?
Nobody gets to where these characters are without paying for it. The bill is always personal.




10

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When it’s over, what do you want people to say?
Sheridan’s characters all know the ending is coming. The question is what they leave behind.




Sheridan Has Spoken
You Belong In…
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The show that claimed the most of your answers is the world you were built for. If two tied, both are shown — you’re complicated enough to straddle two Sheridan universes.

🤠
Yellowstone

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🛢️
Landman

👑
Tulsa King

⚖️
Mayor of Kingstown

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You are a Dutton — or you might as well be. You understand that some things are worth protecting at any cost, and that the modern world’s indifference to history, to land, to legacy, is not something you’re willing to accept quietly. You lead from the front, you carry your family’s weight without complaint, and when someone threatens what’s yours, you don’t escalate — you finish it. You’re not cruel. But you are absolute. In Yellowstone’s world, that combination of ferocity and loyalty doesn’t make you a villain. It makes you the only thing standing between everything that matters and everyone who wants to take it.

You thrive in the chaos of high-stakes negotiation, where the money is enormous, the margins are thin, and the wrong word in the wrong room can cost everyone everything. You’re a fixer — the person called when a situation is already on fire and needs someone with the nerve to walk into it. West Texas oil country rewards exactly what you are: sharp, adaptable, unsentimental, and absolutely clear-eyed about what people want and what they’ll do to get it. You’re not naive enough to think this world is fair. You’re smart enough to be the one deciding who it’s fair to.

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You are a Dwight Manfredi — someone who has served their time, paid their dues, and arrived somewhere unexpected with nothing but their reputation and their wits. You adapt without losing yourself. You build loyalty through respect rather than fear, though you’re not above reminding people that the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Tulsa King is for people who are still standing when everyone assumed they’d be finished — who find, in an unfamiliar place, that they’re more capable than the world gave them credit for. You don’t need a throne. You build one, wherever you happen to land.

You carry the weight of a system that is broken by design, and you do it anyway — because someone has to, and because you’re the only one positioned to do it without the whole thing collapsing. Mike McLusky’s world is for people who are comfortable operating where there are no good options, only less catastrophic ones. You speak every language: law enforcement, criminal, political, human. That fluency makes you invaluable and it makes you a target. You’ve made your peace with both. Mayor of Kingstown belongs to people who understand that keeping the peace is not the same as being at peace — and who do the job regardless.

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5

‘The Killing’ (2011–2014)

Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos in The Killing
Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos in The Killing
Image via AMC

The Killing is the kind of crime drama that creates tension through its setting. The show takes place in a constantly rainy Seattle and follows homicide detectives Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) as they investigate the murder of a teenager. The case seems pretty straightforward initially, before it slowly expands into a complicated web of political conspiracies, dark secrets, and a never-ending list of suspects. However, the story isn’t a standard procedural. It focuses just as much on the victim’s family as they deal with grief, along with the detectives and the cost of their jobs.

The show doesn’t want to give the audience quick answers because the entire point is to sit with that unsettling feeling of not knowing what comes next. The Killing is committed to realism and explores the far-reaching consequences of crime. Not to mention that it doesn’t present Linden and Holder as typical heroes who swoop in to save the day. The fact that they are flawed and often make questionable decisions out of desperation only adds to the believability of it all. The Killing isn’t always comforting or even satisfying in its resolutions, but that’s exactly why it stays with the audience long after the credits roll.

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4

‘Ozark’ (2017–2022)

Jason Bateman looking to the side, about to get into a car in Ozark.
Jason Bateman looking to the side, about to get into a car in Ozark.
Image via Netflix

Ozark is essentially a show about how one bad decision can spiral into a lifetime of consequences. The series follows financial advisor Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), who is forced to relocate his family from Chicago to the Lake of the Ozarks after a money-laundering scheme for a Mexican drug cartel goes horribly wrong. However, this survival attempt quickly takes a dangerous turn as Marty and his wife Wendy (Laura Linney) find themselves involved with local crime families while also staying under constant pressure from cartel leaders and the FBI.

The narrative puts the characters and the audience in a world where the threats and betrayals just keep getting worse. Marty and Wendy are forced to adapt almost constantly, and that drives the plot forward. Wendy’s journey, in particular, is one of the highlights of the show because she starts operating out of fear that slowly turns into ambition and a ruthless power for hunger. Ozark is a complex show with no easy heroes or villains. It’s rooted in relatable family dynamics but takes those emotions a step further by exploring the psychological toll of crime.

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3

‘Quarry’ (2016)

Jamie Hector and Logan Marchall-Green in Quarry.
Jamie Hector and Logan Marchall-Green in Quarry.
Image via HBO

Quarry is a crime thriller that does everything right, so it’s unfortunate that it slipped under the radar. The series is set in 1972 and follows Mac Conway (Logan Marshall-Green), a Marine returning home to Memphis after serving in Vietnam. However, instead of being welcomed back, Mac finds himself ostracized due to his rumored involvement in a wartime massacre. As he struggles to reintegrate into civilian life, Mac is approached by a mysterious figure known as The Broker, who recruits him into a network of contract killers operating along the Mississippi River.

Each job drags Mac into a world where morality is blurred, and soon enough, he is trapped in a web of violence, corruption, and manipulation with no way out. The show isn’t driven by constant action because it focuses more on the slow yet inevitable unraveling of the protagonist. The show was canceled after just one season, but despite its short run, it feels complete in its vision and execution. Quarry’s strong writing and immersive period detail are a masterclass in storytelling and deserve a lot more applause than they get.

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2

‘Gomorrah’ (2014–2021)

Salvatore Esposito and Marco D'Amore talking next to a body of water during a grim day in Gomorrah
Salvatore Esposito and Marco D’Amore talking next to a body of water during a grim day in Gomorrah
Image via Fandango

Gomorrah is a story about pure evil. The crime thriller is set in Naples and follows Ciro Di Marzio (Marco D’Amore), a loyal member of the powerful Savastano clan, led by ruthless boss Pietro Savastano (Fortunato Cerlino). However, when Pietro is arrested, the entire power structure begins to collapse and triggers a brutal internal conflict between the old guard and the next generation led by his son, Gennaro “Genny” Savastano (Salvatore Esposito). Ciro finds himself constantly choosing between loyalty and power as alliances shift and members of the clan start betraying each other. However, it’s interesting that the show manages to portray all this chaos without ever romanticizing crime.

Gomorrah makes it a point to convey that it’s a show about flawed people operating in a system that is practically built on violence. The writing constantly subverts expectations, and none of the characters are given any plot armor. This constant sense of unpredictability drives the story forward and keeps the viewers hooked till the very end. The best part about Gomorrah is how lived-in and authentic the show feels. The narrative builds tension organically instead of relying on spectacle, and that elevates Gomorrah from another typical crime story to an unsettling exploration of power.

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1

‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)

Holt McCallany sits in a car, smoking and wearing sunglasses in Mindhunter.
Holt McCallany sits in a car, smoking and wearing sunglasses in Mindhunter.
Image via Netflix

Mindhunter is a crime thriller that traded action for psychology, a gamble that definitely paid off. The show is set in the late 1970s and follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), along with psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), who interview imprisoned serial killers in an attempt to understand their behavior and use those findings to solve active cases. The exercise soon takes a dark turn as the detectives become increasingly immersed in these conversations and start to mirror the same manipulative tendencies that they are studying in all these killers. Their personal lives begin to intersect with the emotional toll of their work, and that’s where the emotional weight of the show comes from.

The interviews, of course, are the highlight of the show. They feel less like conversations and more like psychological chess matches where both parties are constantly sizing each other up. The show portrays real-life serial killers, including Edmund Kemper (Cameron Britton) and Jerry Brudos (Happy Anderson), with chilling precision, which adds a layer of authenticity to the story. Mindhunter is the perfect example of a show that is meticulous in its storytelling. Its slow-burn approach might feel a little too restrained at first, but it’s exactly what pulls the audience into this unsettling world.


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Mindhunter
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Release Date

2017 – 2019

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Network

Netflix

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Showrunner

Joe Penhall

Directors
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David Fincher, Carl Franklin, Andrew Dominik, Andrew Douglas, Asif Kapadia, Tobias Lindholm


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Katherine Schwarzenegger Faces Backlash Over Pratt Comment

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Everything to Know About RHOSLC Alum Jen Shah's Legal Drama

Katherine Schwarzenegger is facing pushback over her latest comments about her husband, Chris Pratt.

Schwarzenegger, 36, sparked an unexpected social media debate on Tuesday, March 31, while thanking her “golden retriever husband” Pratt, 46, for building a dollhouse by hand for their children. (The couple share daughters Lyla Maria, 5 and Eloise Christina, 3, and son Ford Fitzgerald, 16 months. Katherine is also a stepmom to Pratt and ex-wife Anna Faris’ son, Jack.)

“I’ll never understand when women say, ‘I don’t need my husband,’ when I very much in fact do need my husband because who else would build our daughters a doll house,” she wrote via Instagram.

Fans debated her post in the comment section, with numerous people insisting that there was underlying — and likely inadvertent — sexism in her suggestion that a man was needed to build a child’s dollhouse. One Instagram user went so far as to call out the post’s “Handmaid’s Tale vibes.”

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“Wives and women can build doll houses, too,” one person pointed out, with another adding, “My 70 year old mother builds things for grandkids. This is not specific to men.”

Yet another user argued, “Unfortunately, we [women] say that [we don’t need husbands] because we get tired of waiting for them to do the project. Which then forces us to just do it.”

Others defended Schwarzenegger’s intentions with the post, with a user insisting, “Omg these comments are ridiculous. 🙄 What a sweet thing he is doing that his daughters will remember forever.”

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“Let’s be honest, he could easily afford someone to do it for him. Kudos @prattprattpratt there’s a lot of love your daughter will feel when you do it yourself,” a commenter pointed out.

Us Weekly has reached out to Schwarzenegger’s spokesperson for comment.

Schwarzenegger has frequently discussed her and Pratt’s parenting style since they tied the knot in 2019. Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly in September 2025, she revealed that the couple try to get “back to the roots” of their ‘90s childhoods by limiting the use of electronics in their house.

“I would say storytime is a really great part of our parenting journey,” she told Us. “We don’t really do a lot of electronic stuff in our house. So, we try to have our kids be outdoors and be creative and really kind of go back to the roots of how we all grew up.”

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The author added, “Storytime and book reading is such a big part of our daily routine every single day. Our kids want to read books morning, noon and night. And I feel really like this is such a sweet time that you know your kid comes up to you and says, ‘Can you read me a story? Can you read me a story?’ So, I’m really excited just being in that space now as a mom.”

Katherine was born and raised in Los Angeles by her parents, action movie icon Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver. However, Katherine has refused to rule out moving her family out of Hollywood someday.

“I can see myself moving anywhere that my mother, father and my siblings would also move with my husband and I and my children,” she told Fox News Digital in November 2025. “So wherever that is, we can have a team huddle and all decide collectively where we’d like to go.”

She continued, “I’d like to go anywhere where we can just be around a lot of animals, me personally. But I feel like I can get that fix sprinkled in with having my home base be around my family.”

“Because there’s nothing that is more important to me than being able to be in close proximity to my parents and to my siblings,” she concluded. “And to be able to have that for our children is such a huge blessing and a gift. A gift that I can’t get anywhere else.”

Katherine is one of the former California governor’s five children. Arnold shares four — Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher — with ex-wife Shriver and son Joseph Baena with Mildred Baena.

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Cillian Murphy’s John Wick Replacement Officially Becomes a Late-Night Sleeper Hit

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2026 has been a big year already for Cillian Murphy, who made his long-awaited Peaky Blinders return in the Netflix sequel film, The Immortal Man. Murphy has officially been playing Tommy Shelby for over 10 years now, and while the ending of The Immortal Man seems as if he’s ready to leave the role behind, it’s impossible to rule out a return further down the line. Murphy is still one of the hottest names in Hollywood right now, thanks to his first Oscar win for his performance in Oppenheimer. This Christopher Nolan-directed WWII epic collected some serious hardware at the 2024 Academy Awards. Murphy has starred in numerous big projects over the years, but one of his most underrated films came out in 2019, when he featured in the underseen action movie Anna.

Written and directed by Luc Besson, Anna co-stars Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, and Sasha Luss. The film tells the story of Anna Poliatova, a woman with striking beauty who becomes one of the most deadly assassins in the world. Anna has understandably been compared to John Wick, and while the stellar action makes this an apt comparison, its plot is much more similar to Charlize Theron’s Atomic Blonde. Anna has a few streaming homes in America, but it’s primarily available to watch on Prime Video. It’s also streaming for free on the Roku Channel, which can be watched by anyone, even without an account. However, in international markets, Anna is streaming on Starz, where it’s become one of the top 10 most popular movies in several countries. It’s also a VOD hit on Apple TV as one of the platform’s biggest purchases.

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What Is Cillian Murphy Working on Right Now?

Cillian Murphy is in the middle of filming his new prison drama right now, which will be directed by Damien Chazelle. The first look at images of Murphy on set surfaced online last week. It will also star Daniel Craig. Murphy has also been tapped to reprise his role as Emmett in A Quiet Place Part III, which will be released in theaters everywhere next summer. Director John Krasinski recently shared the first-look photo from behind the scenes of the film, which is now in production ahead of its July 30, 2027, premiere date.

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Check out Anna on Prime Video or the Roku Channel in America, and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates and coverage of Murphy’s future projects.


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Release Date
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June 21, 2019

Runtime

118 Minutes

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Director

Luc Besson

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Luc Besson

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The Best Cult Classic Fantasy Hit of the 2000s Is a Streaming Hit After Sequel News

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Of the many actors to find success in this decade, the world seems most pleased about the recent triumph of Brendan Fraser. Lovingly dubbed the “Brennaissance” by his millions of fans, Fraser finally reached the summit of his emotional return to Hollywood in 2023, when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, in his first nomination no less, for his starring turn in The Whale. Not one to rest on his laurels, Fraser has since turned in several great performances, including an underrated tearjerker in Rental Family.

Now, he is capping this incredible few years off with a return to the franchise that proved a breakthrough for him as a blockbuster leading star. Returning alongside Rachel Weisz and John Hannah, Fraser will star in a new installment in the cult classic The Mummy franchise. Directed by Radio Silence duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, the pair behind 2024’s Abigail, the film is scheduled for a May 19, 2028, release date. It will serve as a sequel to 2001’s The Mummy Returns, and will ignore 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

With excitement running high as fans guess what another Mummy movie might involve, it seems many are returning to the film that started it all to get them in the mood. At the time of writing, 1999’s The Mummy is one of the most-watched movies on Hulu in the U.S. Directed by Stephen Sommers, this fast-paced fantasy adventure drew a mixed response from critics at the time, illustrated by a middling 63% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus on the site reading, “It’s difficult to make a persuasive argument for The Mummy as any kind of meaningful cinematic achievement, but it’s undeniably fun to watch.”

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Was ‘The Mummy’ a Box Office Hit?

Brendan Fraser holding a weapon at the ready in The Mummy THE MUMMY RETURNS, Brendan Fraser, 2001. ©Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

Against a reported budget of $80 million, The Mummy defied a mixed critical reception with a huge global haul of $418 million. Split between $157 million in domestic revenue and a further $261 million from overseas markets, the film recently added to its total in 2024, when it returned to theaters for its 25th anniversary. A synopsis reads:

“The Mummy is a rousing, suspenseful and horrifying epic about an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert in 1925. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb, the hunters unwittingly set loose a 3,000-year-old legacy of terror, which is embodied in the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who had been sentenced to an eternity as one of the living dead.”

The Mummy is streaming on Hulu. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more streaming news.


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Release Date

May 7, 1999

Runtime
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124 minutes

Producers

James Jacks, Sean Daniel

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Star-Studded Events and Buzzy Spring Launches

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Everything to Know About RHOSLC Alum Jen Shah's Legal Drama

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“Outlander” recap: A dead man walks

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7 Years Later, Henry Cavill’s Dark Crime Thriller Is Dominating Paramount+

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Some thrillers vanish so quietly that even an A-list lead can’t stop them from slipping through the cracks. That’s pretty much what happened with Night Hunter, the grim 2018 crime thriller led by Henry Cavill. It never became much of a mainstream talking point, but streaming has a habit of rescuing exactly this kind of movie. Now Paramount+ viewers are giving it the sort of attention it missed the first time around.

The film has been charting on Paramount+ and was recently highlighted as one of the platform’s stronger-performing movie titles. Its ranking has moved around, but the bigger point is that it’s clearly being rediscovered. That’s not too hard to understand. Dark serial-killer thrillers tend to do well at home, and Cavill’s name gives the movie a fresh hook for viewers scrolling past it now.

The cast includes Cavill as Marshall, Ben Kingsley as Cooper, and Alexandra Daddario as Rachel. It’s a nasty, twisty movie with a much bleaker edge than some fans might expect from Cavill. But that’s also why it’s working as a sleeper hit. Paramount+ subscribers are clearly in the mood for something dark, and Night Hunter is benefiting from that.

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Is ‘Night Hunter’ Worth Watching?

Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com stated that Night Hunter is the kind of thriller that thinks being darker automatically makes it deeper. The film throws viewers into a nasty story about a serial killer, broken cops, and vigilantes, but instead of feeling tense or smart, it mostly feels ugly and exhausting. It wants to explore moral gray areas, but its version of that is mostly just making everyone unpleasant.

“The most annoying thing about a movie that’s simultaneously as preachy and grim as Night Hunter isn’t that it’s ideologically repugnant, but that it’s also dramatically inert and actively unpleasant. I, myself, am a Stanley Tucci man (he is money in the bank, except maybe in the Hunger Games movies), but even I cringed when he, as the stereotypically overworked Commish, tries to take a swing at Simon (That guy killed a half dozen of my guys, and some had families!). Testing the limits of good taste in otherwise formulaic grimdark entertainment is one thing, but pushing against those boundaries for its own sake is just tiresome.”

Night Hunter is streaming now.


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Release Date

August 29, 2019

Runtime

95 minutes

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Writers

David Raymond

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Producers

Kevin Scott Frakes, Nadine de Barros, Larry Harding, Nasrat Muzayyin, Zorin Finkelsen, Francesca Dutton, James Lancaster, Mitesh Parikh, Niraj Parikh, Gaurav Talwar, Pulak Parikh, Rob Wood, Mark Catton, Rick Dugdale, Sundip K. Bhundia, Steven Ashley, Peter Aitken, James Milligan, Chris Pettit, Alastair Burlingham, Buddy Patrick, Robert Ogden Barnum, Dave Hansen, Tony Parker

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“RuPaul's Drag Race” production company announces contestant died before filming show at age 27

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Misua was set to appear on an upcoming season of the franchise: “We are heartbroken.”

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Summer House’s Lindsay Hubbard Unblocks Ex-Fiance Carl Radke

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GettyImages-2258772845 Lindsay Hubbard Unblocks Ex-Fiance Carl Radke Amid Summer House Drama

Lindsay Hubbard has taken a big step forward with her ex-fiancé Carl Radke amid all of the drama within the Summer House cast.

Lindsay, 39, and Carl, 41, teamed up for an Uber Eats campaign on Saturday, April 4, poking fun at the shocking fallout of Summer House costars Amanda Batula and West Wilson confirming that they are dating.

The clip plays into Amanda’s estranged husband Kyle Cooke telling a reporter this week that “Carl’s a mess” over the whole ordeal. The tongue-in-cheek ad sees Lindsay offering her former partner a tissue as he weeps over the big Summer House news.

“Is this [tissue] soft enough for you?” Lindsay asks while taking Carl’s hand.

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The ad is full of Summer House Easter eggs, including a cameo appearance from Carl’s beloved zebra, Wesley Stripes.

“Can confirm, Carl is A MESS,” Lindsay joked in the caption.

As Summer House fans flooded her comment section, Lindsay revealed, “I unblocked him for this.”

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The unblocking is a big step forward for the former couple since Carl confirmed to Us Weekly way back in February 2025 that Lindsay blocked him on all social media shortly after their split. (Carl announced he’d called off his wedding to Lindsay in September 2023.)

GettyImages-2258772845 Lindsay Hubbard Unblocks Ex-Fiance Carl Radke Amid Summer House Drama

Carl Radke and Lindsay Hubbard in January 2026.
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“I’m blocked on social media, so I’ve kind of taken that as understood,” Carl revealed at the time. “[I’ve been] blocked since the breakup.”

Meanwhile, Amanda and West stunned the Bravoverse on Tuesday, March 31, by revealing that they are dating despite both repeatedly denying any romantic chemistry. (Amanda and estranged husband Kyle split in January after four years of marriage.)

Amanda Batula Said West Wilson Wasnt Marriage Material for Ciara Miller Yet Months Before Romance


Related: Amanda Batula Said West Wasn’t ‘Marriage Material’ for Ciara Before Romance

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Amanda Batula appeared to be adhering to “girl code” after Ciara Miller split from West Wilson — just months before Amanda confirmed she was dating West. Amanda, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly in January that she didn’t think West, 31, was “marriage material” — at least not for Ciara, 30. When asked whether West or […]

“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” Amanda and West wrote in a joint statement. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we needed a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”

They went on, “We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected. Our connection grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”

“As our feelings evolved, we wanted to take time to understand exactly what we were feeling,” they added. “We also recognize that this has had an impact beyond just us and never wanted our actions to cause any hurt or be perceived as careless. We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”

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The news sent shockwaves through the Bravoverse — with Summer House cast members past and present, Andy Cohen and other Bravolebrities all weighing in.

While West’s former love interest Ciara Miller has yet to comment on the controversy, Kyle assured fans he was “good” during an interview on Wednesday, April 1.

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“I appreciate people checking in. I’m actually really worried about Amanda, if I’m being honest,” he said. “I talked to [Amanda] last night, and I understand people have all sorts of opinions, and I’m not justifying any behavior, but, like, from what I’m seeing, she’s getting cyberbullied.”

He went on, “I just feel bad. Amanda knows that what she did was wrong, and she’s trying to come to terms with it, but she is not [doing] well.”

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