Entertainment
The Dark Science History Series That Ties Elon Musk’s Rocketry To The Occult
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
The only thing stranger than science fiction is science fact. Dark Matters: Twisted But True, a short-lived documentary series hosted by genre legend John Noble, took this to the extreme in 2011.
Every episode documented the real history behind strange scientific experiments and breakthroughs, from the origins of lobotomies to brain transplant experiments, and even how the origins of the rocket were tied to the Occult. After catching a few episodes, you’ll think that science fiction doesn’t go far enough.
The Occult And Cheating Death Are Only Part Of The Series
Dark Matters: Twisted But True stuck to a formula, an introduction by Noble, historical images, and reenactments combined to tell a twisted story, and then the final wrap-up that was, typically, tragic or horrifying and often, both. The Season 3 finale tells the story of John Parsons and the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), which developed the first rocket engine. In an effort to boost his research, Parsons started taking the teachings of Aleister Crowley very seriously, converting to Thelema and using sex-magic rituals to empower his experiments. It worked until he pushed too far, losing his standing in the academic community, his marriage, and all of his money.
The first episode included a segment on the Philadelphia Experiment, the alleged disappearance of the USS Eldridge, which has served as the basis for movies and even Stranger Things. It’s a tame story compared to another Season 2 episode focused on Dr. Robert Cornish, a researcher in the 1930’s convinced the dead could come back to life, though his human experiments never worked. The lengths men and women of science went to prove a theory or to push the boundaries of human knowledge sound ripped from the pages of a dime-store novel, but they’re true.
John Noble’s gravitas adds to each segment of Dark Matters: Twisted But True; no matter how ridiculous the experiment is or how insane the researcher has become, his soothing yet oddly unsettling tones elevate each reenactment. Once you start watching, you’ll keep going through the entire series in one night. There’s something oddly hypnotizing about the dark science tales you don’t hear about in school.
On The Verge Of Being Lost Forever
With the rise of true crime docuseries in the last decade, it’s clear that there’s a massive audience out there for real stories that aren’t afraid to show how bizarre early science could get. New standards and closely monitored research make it unlikely that there’s anyone out there experimenting with brain transplants or trying to bring back the dead, but for centuries, science was the wild west. There’s no telling how many bizarre stories are out there.
Dark Matters: Twisted But True aired 19 episodes between 2011 and 2012, and currently, only Season 3 is available for digital purchase. It’s a shame that the series is close to becoming lost media, and more of a shame that there have been no new episodes in the last 14 years. Dark Matters: Extra Twisted, a series of remixed episodes with more scenes, more information, and “deeper insights,” was briefly aired on the Science Channel as well, but it has since vanished into the digital aether. If you can find it, the series is a fun binge despite the disturbing content. If nothing else, John Noble’s portrayal of Fringe’s mad scientist Walter Bishop makes a lot more sense when you realize the long, sordid history of insane researchers who’ve shaped our understanding of the universe.
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Classic literature and iconic pieces of cinema will forever go together. Our case in point is solidified by looking no further than down the calendar a few months to July, when Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey sets sail into theaters around the world. Stacked with an impressive cast that includes Matt Damon, Zendaya and Anne Hathaway, the Tenet filmmaker makes his return to the craft with an adaptation of one of the world’s most iconic pieces of Greek literature. Considering just how much money Nolan’s last flick, Oppenheimer, earned at the global box office (not to mention the multitudes of awards that followed), we’d say it’s more than likely that he’ll knock it out of the park again with The Odyssey.
Beyond literary classics and notable pieces of the past, there’s nothing Hollywood loves more than a good adaptation. Over the next several months, audiences will have the chance to feast their eyes on numerous on-screen remakes of their favorite titles. From episodic productions like Apple TV’s Imperfect Women and Netflix’s Pride and Prejudice to feature-length undertakings of titles such as The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and Project Hail Mary, the next few weeks and months will be overflowing with plenty of options for book lovers.
Of all the beloved literary classics to get remade into on-screen tellings, The Count of Monte Cristo is up there at the top with the most adaptations. Since Alexandre Dumas first had his book published in 1844, it’s been a favorite among fans as well as producers and filmmakers who long to delve into its emotional themes of isolation, revenge, and adventure. While there are plenty of adaptations out there to watch, one will soon be coming into port on a free streamer when Kevin Reynolds’s 2002 film The Count of Monte Cristo arrives on Tubi on April 1. Starring Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ) as the titular protagonist, the film largely stays in line with Dumas’ writing — although it takes some liberties along the way.
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Who Else Is in Kevin Reynolds’s ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’?
Along with Caviezel, the 2002 feature-length take on one of literature’s most notorious tales also boasts top-tier performances from names like Guy Pearce, James Frain, Richard Harris, Luis Guzmán, James Frain, Helen McCrory, and a young Henry Cavill in what was one of his very first big acting gigs. From there, it would be a full decade before Cavill transformed into the world’s most popular superhero in Man of Steel, with a lot of duds in between, but The Count of Monte Cristo undoubtedly laid a foundational building block in the framework of the actor’s career.
Head over to Tubi on April 1 to stream The Count of Monte Cristo.
- Release Date
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January 23, 2002
- Runtime
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131 Minutes
- Director
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Kevin Reynolds
- Writers
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Alexandre Dumas, Jay Wolpert
Any book-to-screen adaptation poses certain challenges. Beyond how factors like budgetary constraints and runtime flexibility (i.e., a feature film versus a multi-season TV show) affect the outcome, it’s inherently tricky to shift between radically different formats with radically different needs. And although no perfect 1:1 adaptation is possible, there’s no guaranteed path to success, either. Certain products benefit from creators who follow the source material to the letter, whereas others improve upon their origins while still hewing to the tale’s overall spirit.
Isaac Asimov‘s Foundation books are a defining work of hard sci-fi that once seemed untranslatable, no matter how many high-profile companies took their swing over the decades. What made adapting the Hugo-winning bestsellers such a Sisyphean task? The sheer intergalactic scale, substantial philosophical cadences, Asimov’s anthology format, and a timeframe spanning several millennia. For three seasons, David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman‘s Apple TV series has forged its own way through Asimov’s epic with severe adjustments that could seem antithetical to the author’s intent, but instead offer a masterclass in adapting for ethos over beat-by-beat faithfulness.
‘Foundation’s Changes Streamline the Source Material Without Sacrificing Its Themes
During her 2023 interview with Goyer for Collider, Foundation executive producer Robyn Asimov described her father as more of an ideas man than an expert at viable flesh-and-blood creations. Although some stand-out exceptions have earned their lasting reputations, the majority of his characters are vessels conveying his commentary about history, social habits, and the repercussions they expose. She also discussed how previous adaptation attempts either found themselves stymied by Foundation‘s anthology-style or tried to inject the stories with unnecessary action. The key to a successful live-action Foundation production, then, meant achieving a minor miracle: transmuting the saga’s philosophical essence without simplifying the themes, yet also injecting them with emotional gravitas by demonstrating their direct impact on the humans involved.
The Apple TV sci-fi drama does just that. It is a show that prizes character depth as much as plot-driven dilemmas. Goyer’s structural changes are both inspired by the existing text and act in service of the characters. The series fleshes out underserved perspectives, expands fascinating kernels of potential, bakes in Asimov’s plot developments from the chronological start, and gives a face to both sides of his war for the galaxy’s soul — not to mention the innocents caught in the middle. Those recurring characters provide the audience with the anchor points serialized shows need to establish emotional connectivity, which itself goes a long way toward smoothing out bumpier aspects or early growing pains.
‘Foundation’ Author’s Other Cult Classic Sci-Fi Title Is Dominating Streaming in America
The 22-year-old saga remains a classic.
The reverse applies with just as much fervor and success. Foundation‘s ensemble cast, both the television-only inventions and those original to the short stories, are re-envisioned (and thus re-invigorated) to reflect modern sensibilities. Therefore, the series embodies Asimov’s grimly grand conceits — autonomy, individuality, arrogance, cult followings, cumulative social habits versus individual impact, and reality versus propaganda. Whether they resist tyranny or perpetuate suffering, Foundation‘s individuals must confront their own personal existential crises while an extinction-level catastrophe forces them to step outside themselves. Witnessing the soulful sacrifices accompanying crisis after crisis, be they permanent deaths or fractured relationships, amplifies Asimov’s ideas from fascinating theory into terrifyingly vivid resonance.
Apple TV’s ‘Foundation’ Is a Masterclass in Achieving the Impossible
Foundation is a study of human nature. The same breadth of experience that, at its worst, plunges civilization into an inescapable futuristic Dark Ages, is also a testament to courageously empathetic endurance. And a series that functions as an introspective character piece and a battle between forward progress and regressive collapse gives Foundation‘s impeccable cast of multi-generational talents ample room to play, which is never a bad thing.
Even though the show is not flawless and sometimes falls victim to occasional meandering, the overall shape of Foundation‘s equation is mathematical precision: an ideal merging of creative license and faithfulness. Goyer’s brand-new creations even become the show’s selling point, and that’s something one can rarely say about even the strongest adaptations. By embracing evolution over limitation, Foundation soars into an era-defining space opera as revolutionary as Asimov’s original intent.
Foundation
- Release Date
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September 23, 2021
- Network
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Apple TV+
- Showrunner
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David S. Goyer
- Directors
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Alex Graves, Roxann Dawson, Jennifer Phang, Mark Tonderai, Andrew Bernstein
Taylor Sheridan’s TV universe has sprawled so far that it is easy to forget Lioness is still one of his sharpest streaming hits. It is slicker, meaner, and more overtly high-stakes than some of his ranch-and-oil dramas, which is part of why it found such a strong audience when it premiered. It is also why the upcoming access change is going to sting a little.
Based on the Prime sample-window change, Lioness is another title that will no longer be casually available in April. The series’ main home remains Paramount+, where Season 2 originally rolled out in late 2024. The cast is led by Zoe Saldaña as Joe, with Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz Manuelos, Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade, Michael Kelly as Byron Westfield, Morgan Freeman as Edwin Mullins, and Genesis Rodriguez as Josephina Carrillo.
The show remains one of Paramount+’s most recognizable Sheridan brands, even if it sometimes gets overshadowed by the louder Yellowstone-adjacent titles. So yes, the devastating part here is simple: If Prime’s sample access is your route into Lioness, that shortcut is about to disappear. From April on, Paramount+ looks set to be the only real home base for Joe’s war.
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Is ‘Lioness’ Worth Watching?
Collider’s review, by Michael John Petty, stated that Lioness Season 2 justified its own existence more than expected, even if it didn’t quite match the self-contained power of the first installment. After Season 1 ended on an emotionally devastating note for Joe (Saldaña), the new season expanded the scope of the narrative while doubling down on the show’s core tension: the impossible balance between duty to country and duty to family.
“Lioness is based on the real-life team, after all, and while the series differs from the true story, its commitment to examining the genuine psychological effects of these operations is both admirable and daunting. As civilians, it can be challenging to try to understand the sorts of hardships those in the U.S. Armed Forces face, and Lioness does its best to show how all of that plays out — both in the field and off it. Season 2 is certainly a step in the right direction for this series and leads us to hope Sheridan will pursue more thriller projects in the future.”
Lioness streams on Paramount+.
- Release Date
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July 23, 2023
- Network
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Paramount+
- Directors
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John Hillcoat, Anthony Byrne, Paul Cameron, Stephen Kay, Taylor Sheridan
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Laysla De Oliveira
Cruz Manuelos
Former NBA star Glen “Big Baby” Davis has broken his silence over securing an early prison release after serving 17 months behind bars for fraud.
“They tried to hold me down,” Davis, 40, said in a video posted via X shortly after his release on Thursday, March 12. “You know what I’m saying? But I’m back, man. I’m back, baby.”
Davis was originally sentenced to 40 months behind bars in May 2024 for allegedly filing false medical claims with the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan. The basketball player has always maintained his innocence.
Former U.S. Attorney Damian Williams announced in November 2023 that more than 20 people — including Davis — were convicted of a scheme that allegedly generated more than $5 million in illegal profits with fraudulent chiropractic and dental receipts.
“Moments ago, a Manhattan jury convicted former NBA players Ronald Glen Davis and William Bynum of a criminal scheme to defraud the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan,” Williams, 45, said at the time.
The former U.S. Attorney went on, “While many of the more than 20 defendants convicted in this case were well-known NBA stars, their conduct was otherwise a typical fraudulent scheme designed to defraud the NBA’s health care plan and net the defendants over $5 million in illicit profits. Today’s conviction exemplifies that despite notoriety or success in sports or any other field, no one is exempt from criminal charges if they engage in fraud.”
Davis is now required to spend four months living in the Long Beach Residential Reentry Management Office, a halfway house, to help him successfully transition from imprisonment to living among the general public.
“He used his time [in prison] productively while serving his sentence and took many programs during that time,” Davis’ attorney, Brendan White, said to The Athletic on Friday. “He’s ready to become a productive member of society again.”
Glen Davis in March 2011. Gail Oskin/Getty Images for T-Mobile
Davis will take part in financial management classes and undergo drug treatment, as required by his sentence. He is scheduled to be released from the Long Beach Residential Reentry Management Office on July 9.
The former NBA player was originally set to begin his 40-month prison sentence on September 1, 2024, but a judge allowed him to delay serving his time until October 22, 2024.
Davis’ attorneys requested the delay so the athlete could finish filming a documentary about his life. His attorneys argued that money generated from the film could help Davis pay back the $80,000 he owed in restitution.
His lawyer previously described Davis’ dire financial situation during a sentencing hearing in May 2024, revealing that he’d asked her for $800 so he could pay his phone bill.
Former NBA star Patrick Beverley has opened up about his November 2025 assault arrest. “Like, a part of me understands [the controversy], right?” Beverley, 37, said in a new video addressing his arrest. “If I’m outside looking in and I’m reading something — you know, big bold headline, mug shot — I get it. But […]
“I’ve been struggling because basketball was taken from me,” Davis told the judge at sentencing. “That’s all I know. I was [an] expert at that. But when I lost basketball, I lost myself.”
Davis played college basketball for the Louisiana State University Tigers from 2004 to 2007 before turning pro. He played for the Boston Celtics for four years, during which time he was part of an NBA Championship team in 2008.
He later spent time with the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers before being sidelined with left ankle surgery in September 2015, per ESPN. Davis attempted a comeback with the St. John’s Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada before retiring in 2019.
Hit-maker Taylor Sheridan released his latest Paramount+ series this week to mostly positive reviews and typical viewership success. The new show, titled The Madison, was initially supposed to be a sequel to Sheridan’s career-defining hit, Yellowstone. However, closer to The Madison‘s release, it was revealed that the show would not be a part of the Yellowstone universe. One possible reason is that Sheridan has severed ties with Paramount, signing a lucrative deal with NBCUniversal that will commence in a few years. However, his tenure at Paramount has been nothing but extraordinary. Sheridan not only delivered Yellowstone but also created a handful of other hit shows, many of which have aired multiple seasons over the years. His work, to put it simply, is sustaining an entire streaming platform. This is clear from even the briefest of glances at the Paramount+ viewership charts, which typically feature multiple Sheridan titles vying for the same positions. Now, one of his most acclaimed series has passed a major milestone.
The series was released five years ago in 2021, and for it to still be drawing audiences even though it ran for only 10 episodes is quite remarkable. It served as the first of Sheridan’s two official prequels to Yellowstone, and traced the origins of the Dutton family’s Montana ranch. It followed the great-grandfather of John Dutton III, played by Kevin Costner in Yellowstone, as he journeyed across the Wild West with his family. The show featured several protagonists, but was primarily told from the perspective of Elsa Dutton, the grandmother of Costner’s character. Sheridan is largely known for his work in the neo-Western genre, but this gave him an opportunity to do what he had always wanted: to make a sprawling, old-fashioned Western. He was given a reported budget of nearly $170 million to realize his vision. It starred Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and breakout star Isabel May as Elsa. The show also featured cameos from Tom Hanks, Billy Bob Thornton, and Sheridan himself.
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Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone Universe Is Set to Expand
The show we’re talking about, of course, is 1883. It is now sitting at a “Certified Fresh” 89% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “1883 can feel too overdetermined to be a properly rough-hewn Western, but viewers will want to saddle up for Sam Elliott’s commanding star turn.” 1883 was followed by the second Yellowstone prequel, the equally beloved 1923. A third show, tentatively titled 1944, is in the works. According to FlixPatrol, 1883 has now spent more than 50 days on the domestic PVOD charts over the last year. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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2021 – 2022-00-00
- Network
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Paramount+
- Showrunner
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Ron Burkle
Fans of Landman, Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown are gearing up to watch Taylor Sheridan‘s new TV show The Madison — but how is it connected to his Yellowstone franchise?
Paramount+ offered a glimpse at the upcoming show in January, which introduced the fictional Clyburn family. After originating from New York City, the Clyburns relocate to the Madison River valley of southwest Montana for emotional recovery following a tragedy that shattered the family.
Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell lead the cast of the highly-anticipated series, which also includes Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, Matthew Fox, Beau Garrett, Amiah Miller, Ben Schnetzer and Kevin Zegers. Rebecca Spence, Alaina Pollack and Danielle Vasinova make up the rest of the cast — with a guest appearance from Will Arnett.
While the plot of The Madison likely doesn’t sound familiar, the show has been in the works for a number of years. It originated as a Yellowstone spinoff after Sheridan’s critically acclaimed series premiered in 2018 to resounding success.
Paramount’s Yellowstone is over but the TV universe continues to grow with several long gestating spinoffs — including The Madison. The popular franchise, which premiered in 2018, introduced viewers to the fictional Dutton family, owners of the largest ranch in Montana. While some viewers came for Kevin Costner‘s portrayal of family patriarch John Dutton — […]
Paramount Network officially greenlit an untitled Yellowstone follow in May 2023 after announcing the OG show’s end. ViacomCBS president Chris McCarthy confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the spinoff would star Matthew McConaughey, which came in the midst of Yellowstone lead Kevin Costner not returning for the second half of the final season to shift his focus to directing and acting in Horizon: An American Saga.
Followers of the show were familiar with speculation that Costner, 71, and Sheridan, 55, had a falling out over the direction of the show. Sheridan, for his part, slammed claims he was at odds with Costner.
The McConaughey spinoff was titled 2024 — with Yellowstone stars Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Luke Grimes potentially reprising their roles. One year later, the project was dead and got replaced with The Madison.
Reilly, 48, and Hauser, 50, are now expecting to be at the center of Paramount’s Dutton Ranch. CBS, meanwhile, has its own spinoff with Grimes, 42, titled Marshals, which premieres on March 1. Amid various delays and changes, Yellowstone fans are also still waiting for the previously teased 6666 spinoff — which was set to follow Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) during his time at the Four Sixes ranch in Texas.
Since Yellowstone debuted in 2018, the story of the Dutton family has had enough potential to inspire six spinoffs (and counting) to add to the Paramount Network roster — but with that has come delays. Yellowstone focuses on a powerful family that runs the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. Amid their success, the […]
Sheridan previously addressed his multitude of ongoing projects — including those not connected to Yellowstone.
“Because Paramount trusts me and gives me the time to go shoot 10 to 14 days for a television episode, we can treat it like a movie, and it looks like a movie,” Sheridan told Deadline in January 2022. “We can take the time to rehearse it and light it and build these set pieces. And if I call them and say, ‘I need two helicopters in one day,’ they just go, ‘Alright.’”
He added: “At the end of the day, to go to some of these locations where most people have never been, where you’re opening up a new world, and all of these places or characters in the story, to me, it’s fascinating.”
News broke in October 2025 that Sheridan’s programming would be going through more changes now that he closed a film and TV deal with NBCUniversal. The five-year overall deal for film, TV and streaming is set to begin January 1, 2029, after Sheridan’s TV deal with Paramount — which goes through 2028 — officially ends.
Paramount will retain the rights to Yellowstone and the other franchises Sheridan created under his deal with the company, so he is expected to create brand new IP for NBCUniversal. Sheridan’s move comes after Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance. The change led to the exit of Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy, who worked closely with Sheridan.
The Madison premiered Saturday, March 14, on Paramount+.
Entertainment
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn came up with their iconic 1989 Oscars proposal bit in the shower: 'People thought it was real'
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The “Madison” star tells EW that he and Hawn “didn’t tell anybody” at the event about their new banter before doing it onstage.
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Calling a single beauty product iconic is a bold statement, but certain items truly deserve the label. Case in point: Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick. The universally flattering shade has been a makeup bag staple for decades, and it also happens to be the go-to shade for the equally iconic Julia Roberts. The Academy Award-winner was one of the first to put Black Honey on the map, and to say she was onto something would be an understatement.
In the emotional and beloved ‘90s film Stepmom, there’s a scene in which Roberts, who plays the stepmom of a young Jena Malone, hands her a lipstick to try on, and it’s none other than Black Honey. That one sweet scene helped turn the berry-toned lip color into an overnight pop culture beauty reference. All these years later, the must-have shade is still going strong.
Get the Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey for $21 (was $25) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey is beloved for its sheer and buildable formula, as well as its unique color that seems to adapt to your natural lip tone. The soft berry shade manages to look both subtle and polished at the same time. It’s more pigmented than lip balm but not as much of a commitment as a true lipstick, making it the perfect choice for easy, everyday wear.
In a beauty landscape filled with overlined lips, glossy finishes and viral plumping tricks, Amanda Seyfried’s approach feels refreshingly understated. Her signature lip look isn’t about chasing volume — it’s about enhancing what’s already there with the right color and texture. That philosophy was on full display when the 40-year-old actress broke down her routine […]
The formula glides on smoothly, and the end result is a natural-looking, glossy finish. Build it up for a more dramatic effect or opt for just one swipe for that coveted “clean girl” look. It suits so many skin tones, so it’s not surprising that it’s managed to withstand the test of time and amass an even larger following over the years.
“Absolutely obsessed with this lipstick,” wrote one five-star reviewer. “Totally worth the price. The color is gorgeous and enhances my natural lip tone in such an effortless, flattering way. The formula feels smooth and luxurious—the perfect thickness without feeling heavy or sticky.”
According to reviewers, Black Honey is as close as it gets to a one-shade-fits-all lip product: “I’m a firm believer that Black Honey looks good on anyone and everyone because the beauty of it lies in how sheer it is,” said another reviewer. “It’s buildable if you want a brighter look, but light enough with one swipe to just give your lips a little life to them. It really is the perfect ‘your lips but better’ look.”
You don’t have to rewatch Stepmom on repeat to bask in your favorite ‘90s beauty nostalgia. Add the timeless lip shade to your Amazon cart and bring Roberts’ go-to shade to your makeup bag ASAP.
Get the Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey for $21 (was $25) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more tinted lip balms here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
When you find your ultimate lipstick color, it’s difficult to ever stray from it. Just ask Jennifer Aniston — that’s how the actress feels about a very specific shade of Charlotte Tilbury lipstick. According to Marie Claire Australia, Aniston keeps her makeup pretty simple. “If I could only have five makeup products in my makeup […]
RuPaul’s Drag Race producer World of Wonder is asking for fans to help out the show’s first-ever eliminated queen, Victoria “PorkChop” Parker, following a health crisis.
“Recently, Victor [Ray Bowling], or we affectionately know him as ‘PorkChop,’ has experienced a serious health setback and was hospitalized after eating a hamburger from a major grocery chain and is now facing a number of ongoing medical challenges,” a note shared by World of Wonder via Instagram read. “Shortly after eating the hamburger, he started vomiting, had diarrhea and was severely dehydrated [which] lasted 72 hours. 911 was called and he was immediately transported to the hospital via ambulance.”
The note — which was signed by the “PorkChop Care Team” — was posted by World of Wonder on Friday, March 13, along with a link to a GoFundMe fundraiser for the drag queen, 56. (As of publication, the fundraising appeal has raised $4,300, with a goal of hitting $6,000.)
“Quite recently, I, Victor — affectionately known as PorkChop — have faced some very serious health setbacks,” PorkChop wrote on the GoFundMe page. “After preparing a frozen hamburger patty from a major retailer, I became extremely ill. Within 24 hours, I was taken by ambulance to AV Medical Center, where I spent the next week bed-bound. During my stay, I received intensive care, including antibiotics, dozens of tests, and the start of physical therapy.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race’s universe of vibrant and talented drag queens has endured numerous heartbreaking losses and health scares over the years. When Drag Race loses one of its own — or if there’s a performer in crisis — the global community of queens has shown tremendous compassion in honoring their colleagues. Queens can always count […]
Porkchop went on, “After a full week of testing, my doctors diagnosed me with Hyponatremia (an intestinal infection), Acute Kidney Injury, Atrial Fibrillation, and Hypertension. I was finally discharged on March 8th with strict instructions for bed rest for 14-21 days, a visiting nurse, physical therapy, in-home support care, and many prescriptions.”
PorkChop shared encouraging news that she is expected to make “a full recovery,” though she acknowledged that “the journey ahead will be challenging.”
“I am slowly relearning how to walk, and ongoing physical therapy is essential to help me rebuild my strength,” PorkChop explained. “My most urgent need is a medical mobility scooter, which would greatly improve my quality of life and allow me to regain some independence. Being able to get outside, especially to the large park in my neighborhood, would be a huge boost for my mental and physical health as I heal.”
The Drag Race alum continued, “Sometimes, a small act of kindness can make a world of difference. I have spent many years bringing joy to others, and now I find myself in need of support. I hope you will keep me in your thoughts and consider making a donation to help me on my road to recovery. Your generosity will mean more than words can express. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
As of publication, World of Wonder has given the largest single donation with $1,500 while Drag Race season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio contributed $1,000.
Victoria “PorkChop” Parker on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 1. Courtesy YouTube/RuPaul’s Drag Race
Alongside sharing the medical update on PorkChop, World of Wonder sent well wishes and encouraged donations to the GoFundMe campaign.
“Sending all of our love to Victoria ‘PorkChop’ Parker, who has experienced a serious health setback and was recently hospitalized,” World of Wonder wrote via Instagram. “Please consider donating to Porkchop’s GoFundMe to help support our legendary queen on her road to recovery.”
PorkChop made history as the first-ever contestant eliminated in Drag Race history in 2009. Having since become a fan favorite, PorkChop later starred with RuPaul in the 2021 TV movie The Bitch Who Stole Christmas and appeared on Netflix’s AJ and the Queen.
In the past, weekend nights were often seen as the “death kneel” for television shows. Because most people had plans for the weekend, there really wasn’t much incentive to stay home and cut on the TV. That is, until HBO came onto the scene, and made Sunday nights practically must-see TV, especially for fans of the thriller genre. The network’s first big thriller hit was Oz, and HBO has only perfected the art of the prestige thriller ever since we were treated to a prison social experiment that is still tough to watch.
Thrillers on HBO weren’t made for cheap jump scares, as these shows truly kept you on the edge of your seat, keeping you guessing constantly about what was going to happen next. Whether it’s following along in a mind-bending gothic tale, or solving a whodunit with a detective who’s going through mental anguish, these prestige thrillers are the reasons why HBO can be considered the king of the genre. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the HBO thrillers that will keep you guessing for months on end.
‘Perry Mason’ (2020–2023)
You normally wouldn’t look at a series like Perry Mason and think of it as a thriller. Normally, legal dramas operate on the “case of the week” formula, which produces predictable outcomes that normally tilt in the favor of prosecutors. Perry Mason took a different path. Instead of relying on what was familiar, the show acts as a high-stakes, noir thriller that often times keeps its viewers guessing.
Created by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald, Perry Mason follows the titular character (portrayed by Matthew Rhys) on his rise to being the famed defense lawyer that we all know and love. So, the HBO version acts as an origin series, and a thrilling one at that. You see, Perry Mason was a down-and-out private investigator, and this is the version that we get with its noir mystery structure, and not letting us in on “who” is committing the crime, perfectly keeps viewers on their toes, and putting on their detective hats in order to help Perry solve the crime. If you haven’t checked out Perry Mason, we highly recommend you do, as you won’t be disappointed.
‘Big Little Lies’ (2017–Present)
Much like the aforementioned Perry Mason, when you look on the surface of Big Little Lies, you would be hard-pressed to think that this is a show that could come within 50 feet of being considered a “thriller.” You don’t get dark alleys here. You get granite countertops. There are no “shadowy figures,” just a group of moms that look as though they make the PTA tremble in fear. But, looks can be deceiving, and if television has taught us anything, it’s that the suburbs provide the perfect setting for a thriller.
Based on the novel written by Liane Moriarty, and adapted for HBO by David E. Kelley, Big Little Lies follows a group of women who become entangled in a homicide investigation at an elementary school fundraiser. The level of suspense that was built is a masterclass of how you combine a “whodunnit” with a “who was it.” We all know there was a murder, but we don’t know who died, and who was the one that did the murder; nor do we know if any of the women we follow are responsible for this person’s death. Originally created as a miniseries, the mystery in Season 1 was so good that HBO greenlit Season 2, which was just as compelling as the first season.
‘The Night Of’ (2016)
When we think of a great thriller, we normally discount ambiguity; but, in a nutshell, that is the central ingredient in baking a tension-filled cake. Ambiguity can be a dangerous weapon, which was perfectly illustrated in the 2016 miniseries The Night Of. Based on Peter Moffat’s 2008 BBC series Criminal Justice, this thrilling miniseries stars John Turturro as John Stone, a lawyer who is hired to represent Nasir Kahn (Riz Ahmed), a Pakistani-American college kid who winds up being accused of murder.
While we know the set-up, we don’t know what happened before, nor during the murder. Kahn has a massive gap in memory, and viewers are left to piece together what exactly happened the night a woman was murdered on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. We are as much in the dark about that night as Kahn is, and the writers did a phenomenal job of using the “blackout” narrative to thrill us and keep us on the edge of our seats. What can we really trust here? Can we trust Kahn? Can we trust the “facts” of the case? We don’t know, and this presents a claustrophobic atmosphere that feels heavy and intense, which is what makes The Night Of such an enthralling thriller.
‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)
A great mystery thriller keeps its audience guessing until the very end. Then, when they think they have all the answers and have solved the mystery, the show throws a huge curveball that the viewer didn’t see coming. That’s what makes Mare of Easttown such a gripping mystery thriller. Created by Brad Ingelsby, the miniseries stars Kate Winslet in an absolute brilliant performance as Marianne “Mare” Sheehan, a police detective who is tasked with solving the case of a young girl who’s been missing from her suburban Philadelphia town for a year.
While she’s trying to solve the case, Mare is going through a truly harrowing time in her personal life. She’s going through a divorce, she lost her son to suicide, and is embroiled in a custody battle with her son’s girlfriend over custody of her grandson. She’s just having a time in life, which is also what makes Mare of Easttown so tantalizing. It’s a series that perfectly blends the classic “whodunit” trope with character-driven emotion. Her personal life is a mess, and it’s begun to affect her skills as a detective, given the town has begun to doubt her skills. Mare of Easttown lures its viewers in with comfort, but it’s all a ruse that slowly brings the audience into a case with high-stakes that’s also filled with raw emotional intensity. So for anyone who questions whether Mare of Easttown should be considered a crime thriller, watch it, and you won’t question it anymore.
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
So, here’s a scenario. You’re at work one day, and then, all of a sudden, you notice that a few of your co-workers suddenly disappear. You don’t know where they went, as all you know is they’re gone. You get off work, and turn on the news, only to discover that many more people have just suddenly “departed” the world. So now, you have a lot of questions, as does the rest of the world. This is the central premise of the underrated series The Leftovers, adapted from Tom Perrotta‘s 2011 novel of the same name.
Here, we follow the survivors of the “Sudden Departure,” in which, three years before the events of the series, 2% of the world’s population suddenly vanished. Now, some may think that 2% isn’t a lot, but the population of the world is (currently) over 8 billion, and two percent of that is 160 million people. That is a lot of humans gone in a flash; and while The Leftovers is technically a supernatural drama, the series carries a lot of suspenseful energy, and you’re left wondering what happened to 160 million people who just went “poof” into thin air. The Leftovers act as a mystery box that, try as you might, you can never seem to open, which is why it should definitely be included here.
‘Tokyo Vice’ (2022–2024)
The Yakuza are gangs that no one wants to mess with. These are members of organized crime syndicates based out of Japan who are known for their super strict codes of conduct, and they take this code very, very seriously. Now, imagine an American journalist (Ansel Elgort) going to Tokyo to investigate the Yakuza, and you have the makings of one of HBO’s most underrated crime thrillers.
Tokyo Vice follows Jakes Adelstein (Elgort), a journalist from Missouri who moves to Tokyo and investigates the corruption of the city’s underworld. To guide him through this treacherous world, he teams up with Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe), a detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department who acts as a father-figure to him. Tokyo Vice takes the standard “fish out of water” trope and completely turns it on its head. Adelstein is an outsider and sticks out like a sore thumb in modern Tokyo. This makes the audience worry about Jake as he goes deeper into Tokyo’s dangerous underworld run by the Yakuza, and the series keeps the viewers on their toes as the situation gets more and more dangerous. One slip up could cost him his life, and that gives Tokyo Vice a thriller aspect that is very much underappreciated.
‘Sharp Objects’ (2018)
The unreliable narrator is such an interesting trope in the thriller genre, and nowhere was this put to greater effect than in the 2018 Southern gothic miniseries, Sharp Objects. Based on the 2006 novel written by Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects is a powerful psychological thriller that basically weaponizes the mental state of its characters. This is where the central character of the series, Camille Preaker (Amy Adams), comes into focus. Preaker, who is an investigative reporter, has an alcohol problem, and in the first episode, we learn that she was recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital. Dealing with inner demons, she returns to her hometown in Missouri to investigate the murder of two young girls; but once she returns home, she finds herself under the watchful eye of her mother, Adora Crellin (Patricia Clarkson), which ultimately forces her to confront her demons.
Because Preaker is dealing with alcoholism, the viewers can’t really rely on her narration of the events of the series. Granted, the events she’s describing to us could be real, but her life is so filled with trauma and emotional pain, that we, sadly, have to question the validity of what she’s witnessing, because we’re seeing the events of Sharp Objects unfold through her eyes. This is a series in which you have to pay attention to everything you’re watching, from the multiple manipulators to the town itself, you are on the edge of your seat the entire time you’re watching, and it doesn’t let up for a second.
Sharp Objects
- Release Date
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2018 – 2018-00-00
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Marti Noxon
- Directors
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Jean-Marc Vallée
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