Hoda Kotb reflected on how Savannah Guthrie has continued to navigate mother Nancy Guthrie‘s missing case.

“There is a desperation and also a steeliness about Savannah,” Kotb, 61, shared on the Wednesday, March 25, episode of the Today show. “She’s hoping that somebody — whoever this person is — will see something and say something.”

Kotb, who had a sit-down interview with Savannah, 54, noted that they talked “about so many things.”

“She talks about the investigation, she talks about her faith and she talks about how she’s getting through,” Kotb continued. “That was one portion there, and then the next portion you’ll see how she talks about how God’s holding her hand.”

Related: Savannah Guthrie’s Mom Nancy Guthrie Is Missing in Arizona: What to Know

Questions still remain after Today show host Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the news on February 1, sharing a missing person report via X. Nancy was described as a “vulnerable adult” who was last seen “at her residence” within Arizona’s Catalina Foothills area on the evening […]

After speaking with her friend on camera, Kotb was in awe of Savannah’s strength, adding, “I was sort of marveling that she was able to sit there with an outfit on, have a conversation and also have direct thoughts about what she sees going forward. … It’s like no one’s stealing her joy, so you’ll see both sides of that.”

Savannah got emotional during a segment for the morning show while detailing the ongoing search for Nancy.

“Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony,” she shared about the “unbearable” pain of waiting for updates. “And to think of what she went through. I wake up every night in the middle of the night. Every night. And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable.”

Nancy, 84, was reported missing in February, one day after she was last seen in Arizona. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos later noted that there were “concerning circumstances” found in Nancy’s home.

“She’s very alert, she’s of good, sound mind,” he told reporters, adding that Nancy is “not in good” physical health. “I hope we find her safe and sound, but we can’t ignore what’s in front of us.”

Savannah, meanwhile, has been absent from Today amid her mother’s disappearance. She previously shared a statement from her family with the show, which read, “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.”

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Related: What Happened on January 11? Breaking Down the Potential Nancy Guthrie Clue

While Nancy Guthrie was last seen by loved ones on January 31, investigators believe that January 11 might be a significant date into her disappearance. Nancy’s family, which includes daughters Annie and Savannah Guthrie as well as son Kamron Guthrie, posted a message on social media asking for assistance in providing footage related to their […]

Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron Guthrie, have since kept sharing public messages in hopes that their mother’s kidnapper would listen. In February, they confirmed that the reward for Nancy’s return had been raised to $1 million.

“She may have already gone home to the Lord that she loves and is dancing in heaven with her mom and her dad and with her beloved brother, Pierce, and with our daddy. If this is what is to be, then we will accept it,” Savannah said at the time. “But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home.”

The FBI has previously released photos and video footage of a subject outside of Nancy’s home.

Claressa Shields has responded to those who believe that Papoose is only dating her for her money.

RELATED: Whew! Claressa Shields & Papoose’s Recent Baecation Flicks Have Some Social Media Users Goin’ IN (PHOTOS)

Claressa Shields Responds To Those Who Believe Papoose Is Only Dating Her For Her Money

On Wednesday, March 25, ‘The Breakfast Club’ released a sit-down interview with Claressa Shields via its YouTube channel. Furthermore, the conversation began with the group discussing the song Shields recently wrote about Papoose. Additionally, Charlamagne Tha God noted that some people believe her actions fuel the “‘rumors that Pap is with Claressa because Claressa takes care of him — Claressa gives him money.’”

“What?” Shields initially responded. “… That’s how they paint out narratives. But I will tell you something, though: Pap pays my mortgage. Pap pays my car insurance, and my car note. And what else does he do? I haven’t paid for a flight or for a hotel in I don’t know how long — that’s a man right there!”

Social Media Weighs In

Social media users immediately entered TSR’s comment section with reactions to Claressa Shields’ response.

Before Claressa Shields Responded To Those Who Believe Papoose Is Only Dating Her For Her Money, She Dropped A Love Song About Him

Before Claressa Shields responded to those who believe Papoose is only dating her for her money, she dropped a love song about him. As The Shade Room previously reported, Claressa Shields celebrated her 31st birthday on March 17. But instead of showering herself in all the love, she reportedly had Papoose choose between rapping or singing a song for him, and she hopped in the booth!

RELATED: She Got It Bad! Papoose Reacts After Claressa Shields Drops Love Song About Him On Her 31st Birthday (VIDEO)

By Joshua Tyler
| Published 32 seconds ago

Paramount has announced that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be cancelled after airing its second season sometime next year. That’s welcome news, but for most Trekkies, it doesn’t go far enough.

The problem with this announcement is that Paramount still plans to air the show’s second season. They completed filming it several months ago, and since they’ve already got the footage, you can see why they might think it makes sense to dump whatever they’ve got online, as long as they’ve got it.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. There is another path. Paramount could Batgirl Starfleet Academy.

Batgirling – The act of a studio permanently shelving a completed or near-completed film or series because it is deemed unreleasable, choosing instead to claim a financial loss through a tax write-off rather than risk public exposure or reputational damage.

The Batgirl Precedent

In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery made an unusual decision: it canceled an upcoming Batgirl movie after filming had already wrapped and the film had entered post-production. The superhero outing, starring Leslie Grace and featuring Michael Keaton’s return as Batman, had a reported budget of around $90 million and was originally planned for release on HBO Max.

Instead of finishing and releasing the movie, the studio chose to shelve it and treat the production cost as a financial loss. This allowed Warner Bros. Discovery to reduce its taxable income through a write-down, a legal accounting strategy tied to its post-merger restructuring. Batgirl has never been released and never will be.

Why Batgirling Starfleet Academy Makes Sense

Starfleet Academy has the lowest viewer rating of almost anything on television. According to some reports, the show performed 20% worse than even Paramount’s most pessimistic projections predicted. It didn’t just fail; it tainted the brand in a way Star Trek may not recover from.

In that context, why would any for-profit company want to release more of it? There’s basically no value in releasing it, because no one will watch it. Meanwhile, there’s huge potential value in not releasing it, because doing so protects your brand from further reputational harm.

Most importantly, fans don’t want it. We asked Trekkies on X if they’d like to see Starfleet Academy’s second season released. Nearly 85% of respondents voted for Batgirling it.

There’s currently a petition running on Change.org asking Paramount to Batgirl Starfleet Academy season 2. If you’re part of that 85%, consider signing it to send Paramount a message. Maybe it’s time Star Trek fans were heard.

Ashley Iaconetti isn’t too worried about The Real Housewives of Rhode Island impacting her relationship with husband Jared Haibon.

“I know that since we’ve been through the spotlight together, that neither of us are going to feel affected by it,” Ashley, 38, told Us Weekly exclusively during the RHORI cast’s first interviews. “We have been under the spotlight together. This isn’t going to be a new thing.”

She added, “I just think that’s nice that we’re not gonna have a new thing thrown at our relationship.”

Ashley explained that she and Jared, both Bachelor Nation alums, have already experienced “the struggles” of putting their relationship under a microscope on a reality show.

“We, honestly, know how to navigate it pretty well. It’s our foundation,” Ashley explained. “I would say we, kind of, know how this is gonna go. We know we have our priorities in line, for sure.”

Ashley and Jared, 37, wed in August 2019 after they experienced a series of ups and downs on two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise. The two have since relocated to Rhode Island, where they live with sons Dawson, 4, and Hayden, 20 months.

“We’re very grateful for having previous experience when jumping into this. I cannot imagine starting to get a spotlight on me in my late 30s,” Ashley explained to Us. “We’re really super grateful we’ve had [a] background in it.”

Related: Meet the Men of Bravo’s ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ Spinoff

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The newly minted Real Housewives of Rhode Island cast has the complete support of their better halves. Bravo announced during its annual BravoCon convention in November 2025 that a new Housewives iteration would take place in the Ocean State. “The Real Housewives hits its milestone 20th anniversary next year, Bravo is expanding the distinguished franchise […]

The RHORI trailer teased an inside look at aspects of Ashley and Jared’s marriage that Bachelor Nation fans haven’t seen before — including the financial aspect of their business Audrey’s Coffee House & Lounge.

“It’s our real life. Audrey’s, ever since it opened, it’s been such a work of love for Jared and so many hours get put into that place. He’s really grateful he did it,” she explained, noting there are always questions about renewing the lease. “It’s always a debate on whether it’s worth keeping because it’s really about his happiness.”

When it came to being so honest on the show, Ashley said she and Jared knew doing RHORI was “too good of an opportunity” to skip out on.

Newcomer Jo-Ellen Tiberi, meanwhile, had in-depth conversations with husband Gary Tiberi about signing on for RHORI.

“Gary and I talked a lot about our family. That’s our No. 1 focus,” she explained, telling Us that their “biggest concern” was with their 11-year-old son and “if anyone was going to tease him.” (The couple are also parents to a 4-year-old and 18-month-old.)

Related: Every Bachelor Nation Alum Who’s Crossed Over to Bravo Franchises

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Many reality TV stars have handed in their roses for slots on Bravo. Ashley Iaconetti rose to fame on Chris Soules’ season of The Bachelor followed by stints on Bachelor in Paradise and Bachelor Winter Games before eventually marrying her BiP crush, Jared Haibon, in 2019. Nearly five years later, the pair will make the […]

“I want to protect my kids. That was probably our biggest thing,” she said. “Gary and I have known each other since we were in high school. We know everything about each other. He knows the good, he knows the bad. I do, too. So if my husband loves me and my friends, it’s not going to change anything.”

Rosie DiMare told Us that, looking back, she should have had more discussions with husband Rich DiMare about the show.

“We didn’t have any boundaries going into it, and I kind of wish that we had,” she said. “We should probably talk about that if we’re going to do [another] season.”

The Real Housewives of Rhode Island premieres on Bravo Thursday, April 2, with a second episode premiering on Sunday, April 5. New episodes will be released on Sundays, streaming via Peacock the following day.

For more from the RHORI cast, pick up this week’s issue of Us Weekly.

Crystal Renay stepped in for her childhood friend Sammie after his child’s mother, Marie Brooke, seemingly suggested he has deadbeat tendencies. Before Renay entered the chat, Sammie’s attorney shut down the allegations in an exclusive statement to The Shade Room. However, Renay took her friend’s defense a step further! She posted home footage that shows Brooke dropping off her infant at his father’s front door. In response, Marie Brooke clapped back at the singer and his friend, explaining what led up to the controversial baby drop-off. Here’s the breakdown of everything that went down online! 

RELATED: R&B Rumble? Mario Responds After Ray J Claims He’d Win In A Song Battle — Sammie Picks A Side (VIDEOS)

Marie Brooke Alleges Sammie Has Barely Seen Their 5-Month-Old Son

On Monday (March 23), Marie Brooke, real name Brooklyn Marshall, tagged Sammie in a Threads post. Her words accused him of barely seeing their son, Legend Lee Bush, since birth. She also claimed that he visited for less than 48 hours after their child had surgery at seven weeks old.

“Imagine your son being in the same city as you several times since birth and you’ve only seen him once while he was in your city for a total of three hours, and haven’t visited him in his city since 10 days after he had surgery at seven weeks for less than 48 hours,” Marie wrote, tagging Sammie.

For context, Legend was born on October 21, 2025. He’s now five months old, according to her Instagram post on March 22. She captioned the sweet video of Legend at an aquarium, “He may never remember, but I’ll never forget this moment.” 

Lawyer Denies Marie Brooke’s Allegations, Singer Seemingly Agrees Son’s Mom Wanted A Relationship 

Meanwhile, Sammie’s lawyer, Durante Partridge, says the deadbeat allegations are all cap. In an exclusive statement on Tuesday, Partridge shut down claims that his client isn’t involved in Legend’s life.

“While the claims being made do not accurately reflect the reality of the situation, Sammie remains focused on what matters most: his children and his continued presence in their lives. He is, first and foremost, a father, and he takes that responsibility seriously.” It continues, “Out of respect for his family, he has chosen not to engage in public discourse regarding private matters. However, it is important to note that he approaches fatherhood with care, intention, and consistency,” the statement reads.

Sammie also spoke out for himself in The Shade Room’s IG comment section, under the repost of Marie Brooke’s message. @thatguy_marco wrote, “Well the thing is that sometimes it leads you to delusion.” Sammie replied, “Preach, preacher.” 

@danididitduh commented, “Sh*t be so cap lol I’m sick of it! You wanted the baby and relationship…got a one night stand instead.” Sam replied, “preach, again.” 

@_ashaunda_ added, “You want him to spend time with his son or you?” Again, the singer replied, “Preach.” 

Sammie also reposted his lawyer’s statement on his Instagram Stories, adding the comment: “It’s all about the kids. No internet games. #RealFathersStandUp”

Amid peeping Sammie’s comments, Marie Brooke hopped on Threads to share a text he sent her. The message thanks Marie for “being a safe space” and pouring into him. It’s unclear when the singer reached out as the screenshot does not show a date or any before and after conversations. She tagged her co-parent and said, “You’re always commenting and doing everything but be a father.” 

Cystal Renay Shares Home Footage Of Marie Dropping Off Legend

In a now-deleted post, Crystal Renay, who is Ne-Yo’s ex-wife and co-parent, stood by her childhood friend. It’s unclear who gave her access to Sammie’s home footage. But, on her Instagram page late Tuesday, she shared a video of Marie Brooke dropping off Legend Lee at his father’s front door. It was nighttime and the infant was in a carseat, bundled with blankets. It’s unclear how old the child was when this incident occurred.

After setting the car seat down and seemingly ringing the doorbell, video shows Marie Brooke walking away. Shortly afterward, there’s audio of what sounds like a car door closing and a vehicle driving off. In the caption, Crystal Renay wrote:

“OK, so normally I stay out of ALL internet drama, but this has been my friend since the 6th grade! YOU dropped your newborn son off in 38 degree weather on his front porch, in the middle of the night and left… @sammiealways you’re a great dad.”

Additionally, there was a video Sammie filmed that showed the infant inside the home, as the singer explained the situation. He, too, said it was 38 degrees outside, and claimed Marie Brooke did the drop-off unannounced and left the infant outside for several minutes. Additionally, he said she was parked near his house, then pulled into his neighbor’s and waited. She had allegedly told him she couldn’t “do this anymore.”

“And I thought she was playing until I actually went to the door and picked him up. But I got her pulling in and just watching him in the cold for minutes,” Sam said in the video.

As mentioned, the post is no longer available on Crystal Renay’s IG feed. Before she removed the post, Sammie slid in her comment section, dropping an infinity symbol and blue heart in one response that tagged Crystal.

“That’s why I be silent. Tried to save her. Tried to spare my son. But oops,” he wrote in another comment.

In another comment, Sammie said: “But I’ve seen my son in Oct., Nov., Dec., but Jan. bcz my dad died, saw him in February too although my grandma passed, tired of saving people that’s vile and only wanted the baby bcz they wanted me.”  

Marie Brooks Reacts To Drop-Off Footage As Crystal Renay Doubles Down 

After Crystal Renay shared the home footage, Marie Brooke circled back to Instagram Stories to defend herself. In a lengthy statement speaking directly to Sammie, she said she asked him several times for help with his son while dealing with postpartum, then and now. Every time she reached out, Marie said she was “met with excuses.” Additionally, she claimed that Sammie and his father knew she was planning to drop off Legend because she called them beforehand.

“Passing that video someone to post is, by far, one of the lowest and saddest things my son’s father has ever done to me. Choosing to weaponize my mental health against me—after knowing I have diagnosed and treated for postpartum depression after having our son—is a level I didn’t even think he would reach. I truly believed I was bringing my son to a place where he would be safe. I never imagined the delay at the door was because he was being recorded for content. And to the woman who chose to post that video as if you know me—shame on you. As a mother, you should know better,” Marie Brooke said.

On Wednesday morning, Crystal circled back to Instagram Stories to clarify her intention behind posting the home footage.

“Apparently, my post caused an uproar last night…but it’s not about being a girls’ girl, it’s about being a parent first and I’m a mom at the end of the day and just cause somebody don’t wanna be with you, don’t mean your child has to suffer for it. Hell, look at my situation, cause I’m the last one to talk about a man being with you, but guess what? My kids ain’t suffer for it. I still show up everyday for my children and there’s so much other things I could say, y’all don’t even really know what be going on behind the scenes. I could’ve posted so much more, but I didn’t. But I stand on what I said, I stand on how I feel. That’s been my friend for a million years and to hear him in distress and going through it, yeah I felt a way. So yeah I wanted to come to his defense. Could I have done it differently? Probably, but I didn’t so it is what it is and that’s all I’m gon say on that. So, back to my corner I go.”

After The Shade Room reposted Crystal’s response, Sammie slid into the comment section to thank her. He wrote, “I love you @itscrystalsmith in this life & the next. Under no circumstances is this ok. If I did this, I’d be crucified. God bless us all. 💙🫶🏾 I’m speaking up all 2026. I never speak 🗣️ ima clear it 🆙.” 

RELATED: Love To See It! Crystal Renay & Ne-Yo Reunite To Send Their Sons Off For Their First Day Of School (VIDEOS)

The news that For All Mankind is ending with Season 6 is a little bittersweet, but the people behind the show are making it clear that this is not some rushed last-minute wrap-up. Apple TV officially renewed the acclaimed space drama for a sixth and final season ahead of Season 5’s March 27 premiere, and according to creators Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert, this ending is actually very much in line with the plan they have been working toward from the beginning.

Speaking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Nedivi pushed back on the long-running idea that the show had some fixed seven-season blueprint.

“To correct the record, it was never seven seasons. We’d always said it’d be ‘like six or seven.’ Honestly, the goal was always, from the beginning, getting us to the present. As we’ve told you many times, we love the idea of starting from this point of divergence and ending the show in the present day to show how different the world could have been. We realized as we’ve been working on the show and getting closer and closer to that point in terms of the time jumps, in terms of where we find ourselves in Season 5 in the end, it felt like we only needed one more season to complete that story and to complete the roadmap that Ron [Moore], Matt, and I had created in the very beginning.”

That really sounds like the key point here. For All Mankind is not ending because it ran out of road. It is ending because the creators believe they have now reached the point they were always aiming for.

Wolpert also made it clear that the Season 6 renewal came out of the team seeing the shape of the ending more clearly while putting Season 5 together. “Basically. That was almost verbatim our email,” he joked when asked if they went to Apple with a pitch for one more season. He then explained, “No, it was a little more involved than that. But yes, it was basically like we talked about. After we had finished shooting Season 5 and were editing, and seeing that story play out, we started talking about what a Season 6 might be, and we felt like we came up with a great concept to bring the whole series to a close.”

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Did Apple Cancel ‘For All Mankind’?

Just as importantly, Wolpert said Apple and Sony were fully behind it: “Apple was nothing but supportive, as well as Sony. They’ve just been great partners throughout this whole show, honestly. The fact that such a unique show as this has been supported by them in the way it has is just a testament to them as creative partners.”

That lines up with Apple’s own announcement, which confirmed not only the final season renewal but also that the For All Mankind universe is continuing with the spin-off Star City, debuting on May 29. Nedivi also stressed that it is still early days on the final season.

“We don’t know that yet. We just started. We’re just starting to work on it,” he said when asked if Season 6 would also run 10 episodes, before adding,

“But the plan is we’re doing Season 6, we’ve got Star City in post right now, coming out right after Season 5, which is also crazy, and tells you the investment that both Sony and Apple have made in the show.”

Wolpert then noted that while they are closer to filming than people might think, that does not mean everything has been fully figured out yet.

Created by Ronald D. Moore, Wolpert, and Nedivi, For All Mankind has been one of Apple’s flagship series since 2019. Season 5 picks up in the 2010s on Mars, with returning cast members including Joel Kinnaman, Toby Kebbell, Edi Gathegi, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña, and Wrenn Schmidt, alongside new additions including Mireille Enos, Costa Ronin, Sean Kaufman, Ruby Cruz, and Ines Asserson.

There is obviously some sadness in hearing that one of Apple’s best shows is coming to an end. But if the creators are being honest, this is not really a cancellation story. It is a finish-line story. And in television, that is a much rarer thing.

For All Mankind Season 5 returns to Apple TV on March 27. Look for more with creators Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert soon.

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Release Date

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November 1, 2019

Network

Apple TV

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Directors

Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Andrew Stanton, Meera Menon, Dan Liu, Allen Coulter, Craig Zisk, Dennie Gordon, John Dahl, Lukas Ettlin, Wendey Stanzler, Seth Gordon, Sylvain White, Michael Morris, Maja Vrvilo, Sarah Boyd

Writers

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Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, Ben Nedivi, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, Nichole Beattie, Joe Menosky

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This year, moviegoers are spoilt for choice. The road to December leads to ‘Dunesday’, a meme, already approved by Robert Downey Jr. and Timothee Chalamet, when their respective movies, Avengers: Doomsday and Dune Part Three, clash on the big screen during the holiday season. The double-feature phenomenon was at rage when Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie shared the release date, and fans went all in.

But is it possible for Doomsday and Dune Part 3? The Barbenheimer phenomenon took on a life of its own because these were the movies for two polarizing audiences. The Cillian Murphy-led Oppenheimer, a WWII drama based on the life and works of its titular scientist, whose audience was dominantly male and Nolan fans. On the other hand, there was Margot Robbie-led Barbie, targeted towards family and female audiences. The audience didn’t overlap, and yet its novelty as a double-feature event undeniably worked. However, the audiences for Dune and Doomsday overlap: nerdy superhero fans who also happen to love sci-fi fantasy, and vice versa.

So, when it was revealed that Dune: Part Three will have IMAX exclusivity in America, with Doomsday only playing on select IMAX screens internationally, fans were devastated. IMAX plans its release schedule well in advance and has a long-standing relationship with Denis Villeneuve, who shot the Dune trilogy with IMAX technology. So, Doomsday marks the first Avengers movie that doesn’t get a wide IMAX release.

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Disney is Pushing for Other Premium Formats for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

That said, there’s nothing to worry about, as per a new report, Disney is pushing Avengers: Doomsday on other premium formats like Dolby, D-Box, and 4DX. The brilliance is that these formats do not plan their release schedules as far in advance as IMAX. Further to satiate fans’ appetite for watching Doomsday on formats with top sound and picture, the studio is targeting around 322 chain-specific formats worldwide to make up for the lack of IMAX screens.

Will this strategy work? Hopefully, Dune 3 and Avengers: Doomsday will not cannibalize each other’s audiences by releasing simultaneously across all major formats worldwide. Furthermore, there’s precedent for two holiday releases, i.e., Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King and Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3. When they released together, it seemed Sonic ate up Mufasa’s audience, but the latter roared as a silent hit, earning $492.2 million and $723 million worldwide. As Dune Part 3 brings a close to the fan-favorite trilogy, Avengers: Doomsday marks a major reshuffle for the MCU after a major box office slump in the last few years. Fans want both films to win when they drop in theaters on December 18.

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Release Date

December 18, 2026

Writers

Stephen McFeely, Michael Waldron, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee

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By Robert Scucci
| Published 17 seconds ago

At its heart, South Park has always been about boys being boys. For the first several seasons, the South Park parents weren’t much more than ancillary characters, though their presence slowly ramped up throughout the early days. There are great standalone episodes that show this parental dynamic, like Season 3’s unofficial Meteor Shower Trilogy and Season 6’s “Asspen,” but for the most part, we’re still dealing with one-dimensional characters that the boys could riff off of.

The episode that changed everything, Season 9’s “The Losing Edge,” is what gave us the version of Randy Marsh that would come to dominate the series to this day. This is not to say that Randy Marsh wasn’t a standout character leading up to this point, but this specific moment in South Park history was the shot heard around the world, the moment that proved Randy Marsh is more than a background character and capable of being a lead in a show that was previously focused on four foul-mouthed kids.

From Ancillary Character To Taking Out The Bat Dad 

While there were previously hints at Randy Marsh’s unhinged characterization throughout South Park’s entire run, “The Losing Edge” is the first instance where he has a full B story alongside the kids. Season 7’s “Grey Dawn” sees a hysterical Randy running through the streets, screaming at the top of his lungs because he thinks his kids are in danger.

Old people are out driving, and they’re primed to run over at least a dozen children before settling down for an early bird special at Country Kitchen Buffet.

Season 8 brought us “Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes,” with Randy Marsh quitting his job as a geologist so he could work at the big-box retailer. His reasoning behind this career change? He’s addicted to the bargains and powerless to fight them.

Season 9, though, sees Randy Marsh ramp things up with “The Losing Edge,” where he becomes the drunk dad at Stan’s little league games, gets into fights, and constantly reminds the authorities that “he thought this was America!”

Up until this point, Randy’s potential was evident but never fully tapped. Here, we get South Park firing on all cylinders as the boys try to sabotage their baseball team so they can go back to playing video games for the A plot, while Randy trains harder than he’s ever trained before because getting into scraps with local rednecks is nothing compared to the fights he’s about to face on the regional circuit for the episode’s B plot.

I Thought This Was America!!!

“The Losing Edge” is a historic South Park episode because these A and B storylines are perfectly intersected. The boys keep winning their baseball games, which is a death sentence for their summer vacation. Instead of hanging around town and enjoying their preteen lives, they get loaded onto buses and carted around the country. They’re horrified to realize that literally nobody their age wants to play baseball, and all of their opponents are trying equally hard to throw the championship games so they can stop playing.

Randy, who’s the token drunk dad, never hesitates to rip his shirt off, throw beers, and engage in fisticuffs with whoever’s willing to fight him. It’s like Rocky, but with obnoxious sports dads, complete with training montages and inspirational, against-all-odds underdog tropes pushed to their most ridiculous extremes.

Playing perfectly off the kids’ dynamic, Randy’s behavior humiliates Stan every step of the way, resulting in him getting dragged away by the police, beaten to a bloody pulp, and exclaiming that he thought this was America, and that it’s his God-given right to get belligerent at little league games. It’s also the first time that Randy’s actions have a direct consequence that affects the outcome of the story.

When the boys are about to win and advance to the national circuit, the last thing they want, Randy unknowingly saves the day. After coming to blows with the bigger, badder, and infinitely more drunk Bat Dad, the South Park team gets disqualified because Randy “didn’t hear no bell,” and the rest is history. The kids get their summer vacation back, and Randy becomes the hero of the day, even if the other parents might not be too thrilled with the outcome. 

In a single episode, Randy Marsh transitioned from a side character with a few standout moments to one of the main characters in the series. Season 9 would continue to ramp up Randy’s presence with episodes like “Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow,” which sees the Marsh patriarch going full-on action hero in his rescue efforts, and “Bloody Mary,” which was so controversial upon release that it was temporarily pulled from syndication.

“The Losing Edge” Started It All

Without “The Losing Edge,” Randy Marsh’s transition to lead character status in South Park may never have happened. Constantly escalating his behavior, something he still does to this day, we’d eventually get classic Randy Marsh bangers like Season 11’s “More Crap,” where Randy tries to set the record for the world’s largest bowel movement, Season 12’s “Over Logging,” where Randy gets covered in “ectoplasm” from a “spooky ghost” after sneaking off to watch Brazilian fart porn, and Season 15’s “Broadway Bro Down,” where Randy gets really into writing musicals, but only because he thinks he’ll be rewarded with oral sex for doing so.

Though Randy has evolved over the years, largely because Trey Parker used him to poke fun at his own father, only to realize he’s basically become his father, his presence in the show as we know it can be traced directly to “The Losing Edge.” It’s the exact moment the show stopped being just about the boys, and the adults started getting more screen time. It’s what kept South Park fresh in its ninth season instead of trying to rest on its laurels and do more of the same.

South Park is streaming on Paramount+.

Taylor Frankie Paul may be dealing with another consequence of her viral domestic violence incident.

The “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star has been facing the wrath of the internet after a resurfaced video from a 2023 incident. The footage captured her attacking her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.

The video cost Taylor Frankie Paul the chance to have her season of “The Bachelorette” air; however, sources claim she found love on the show before the scandal.

The Controversy May influence Taylor Frankie Paul’s Alleged Relationship

According to new reports, Taylor experienced the joys of being a Bachelorette during filming and even made it to the end with a newfound love. The lucky man, per sources, is a 28-year-old lifeguard and surfer from California.

The contestant, Doug Mason, reportedly stole Taylor’s heart from among the 22 suitors on the ABC show and emerged as the winner. Similar to past installments of the dating series, Doug got down on one knee and “proposed” to Taylor.

However, the backlash surrounding Taylor’s past domestic violence incident may influence their romance. “Frankie and Doug are still in touch, but it’s unclear what will happen now. That’s to be determined,” a show insider told Page Six. 

The Entertainer’s Ex Was Reportedly ‘Jealous’ Of Her Attempts To Move On

An industry insider echoed similar sentiments about a proposal, claiming “there may be a ring.” Other sources alleged that Taylor had joined the show in hopes of moving on from her ex-boyfriend, Dakota, who was peeved by her plans for a new chapter.

Sources noted that Dakota was “jealous that she was getting another show, and she was going to be around all these guys.” One insider described Taylor’s relationship with her ex as “toxic,” stressing that she “desperately” tried to leave.

Doug seemingly confirmed that his relationship with Taylor had grown during their time on the show when he reacted to the resurfaced domestic violence video. The Blast covered the story, reporting that he sent his prayers to Taylor and lamented the cancellation of what should have been “her moment.”

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The Reality TV Star Is Under Investigation For A Third Domestic Violence Allegation

Taylor’s woes continued, with The Blast recently reporting that a third domestic violence allegation had been leveled against her. A police spokesman confirmed that Dakota had accused his ex of attacking him while speaking to the West Jordan Police Department.

Although Dakota told the authorities about the incident in February 2026, he claimed the attack had happened sometime in 2024. The spokesman noted that investigators were currently reviewing multiple videos related to the alleged event to determine the details and timelines.

The allegation marked the third domestic violence allegation against Taylor, as Dakota accused her of a second incident in February. She also fired back with a domestic violence allegation that same month, sparking a separate investigation into what happened.

The TV Personality Temporarily Lost Custody Of Her Son

The aftermath of the resurfaced video did not end with the cancellation of Taylor’s show, as it impacted her rights as a parent. The Blast shared that Dakota filed a protective order against Taylor, citing a horrifying incident that allegedly took place in their son’s presence.

A judge granted his request, ordering Taylor to stay at least 100 feet from Dakota and his home. He was also granted temporary custody of their son, while Taylor was barred from any form of parent time with the young boy.

Taylor won’t be allowed to see her son again until the outcome of the April 7 hearing is known. She was scheduled to appear in court to face off with Dakota over his request for sole custody of their son. Taylor’s rep has since slammed her ex for allegedly trying to ruin her image.

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Taylor Frankie Paul Slammed The Resurfaced Video’s Impacts On Her Children

Losing temporary custody of her son did not stop Taylor from fighting for her kids amid the growing drama. The Blast reported that she had reacted to the resurfaced video underneath a fan’s TikTok post, slamming the footage.

Taylor implied that she was less concerned about the public’s outrage and more worried about how the video affected her kids. She explained that her daughter had to relive the events of that night after “extensive work with her and apologies.”

Additionally, the TV personality was upset because the video resurfaced on her son’s birthday and ruined what should have been his moment. Nonetheless, fans called BS on Taylor’s stance, stressing that she took zero accountability for her actions.