By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 29 seconds ago

Whenever a director or a producer decides to turn a classically male character into a woman for a modern retelling, it’s usually pushed back by fans of the original. Turning Starbuck from a man played by Dirk Benedict to a woman played by a then mostly unknown Katee Sackhoff was a huge risk that paid off big for Battlestar Galactica, but when Elementary announced Watson would go from John to Joan, the outcry could be heard from space. Not only did Lucy Liu absolutely kill it as Joan Watson, but the series held back one of its other twists: Natalie Dormer, fresh from playing Anne Boleyn on The Tudors, would be Holmes’ love interest, Irene Adler, and in a move that turns Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s subtext to text, Moriarty. 

A New Take On A Classic

In the classic detective stories, Moriarty is Holmes’ evil nemesis, as smart and as cunning as the Detective, but devoted to using his intellect for crime. Elementary with Johnny Lee Miller, than mostly known for playing Zero_Cool in Hackers, subverts expectations with the revelation that Irene and Moriarty (given the first name here of Jamie) are one and the same. Dormer and Miller’s chemistry was palpable from the very first flashback scene of them together while she’s pretending to be Irene, and it keeps going, though it’s mostly one-sided. 

A twist to the twist is that Moriarty purposely took advantage of their gender roles to seduce Holmes, make him fall in love with her, and use that information to remain one step ahead of him as she builds her criminal empire. Elementary plays it coy with the two communicating mostly via letter, which works for both the narrative, and Dormer’s career exploding thanks to Game of Thrones a few years after her first appearance on the series. If Hollywood is going to change a character, this is how to do it right.

Elementary’s Joan Watson Is The Best Version Yet

Lucy Liu won fans over through her interpretation of Watson from the very first set of episodes. As Sherlock’s sober companion, Joan struggles with helping him solve cases and battle his addictions at the same time, during the entire seven season run. Sherlock can’t change and grow during that time due to the Doyle estate’s licensing agreements, but Joan was instead able to go from disgraced doctor and sober companion, to a brilliant analytical detective in her own right. Often, it can feel like she’s the real main character of the series, which isn’t a bad thing, for a show with 154 44-minute long episodes it helps to fluctuate between two leads. 

Both Liu and Dormer excelled at their gender flipped characters. One would be impressive enough, but for Elementary to pull off both while making it work to enhance the story and not merely as stunt casting, is just showing off. For characters who have been adapted over and over again, even as rodents and gnomes, the CBS procedural tried something different and for once, it worked.

Elementary is available to stream on Paramount+.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 25 seconds ago

Heroes has become shorthand for unfulfilled potential. It’s the poster child for a series that has an amazing first season and a disappointing, well, everything else. The exception has always been the highlight of Season 1, the highlight of the series, and the episode that elevated superhero television, “Company Man.” Putting the focus on Jack Coleman’s H.R.G (Horn-Rimmed Glasses) for an entire episode was such a success that everyone involved submitted the episode for Emmy consideration. 

The Whole Season Led Up To Company Man

For the entire first season of Heroes, Coleman’s H.R.G was working in the margins with his partner, The Haitian (Jimmy Jean-Louis), abducting those with powers, killing them if needed, and using The Haitian’s ability to wipe memories when needed (including a brutal application of how a man meet his deceased wife). The reveal that he’s Claire Bennet’s (Hayden Panettiere) father, Noah Bennett, complicates the whole “save the cheerleader, save the world” mission. And then Heroes layered on another twist, by revealing H.R.G. wasn’t a bad guy, he was a company man. 

Former officer Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) and Ted (Matthew John Armstrong) break into Noah’s home and take him hostage, along with his entire family. Between the present day scenario and flashbacks to Bennett’s earliest days with the Primatech Paper Company (including Chirstopher Eccleston as his first partner, right before he became The Doctor), it’s clear that as much as Bennett is a company man, his real loyalty lies with his family. 

In one episode, everything we knew about “The Boogeyman” goes right out the window, and H.R.G., Noah Bennett, becomes the complicated heart of the series. If the rest of Heroes was able to develop characters as well as the first season did Bennett, it would be remembered as a landmark television series, instead of one of the most disappointing series of all time.

Heroes Was Never This Good Again

Jack Coleman is able to sell Bennett’s real fear and concern for his indestructible daughter when she runs into the house to stop an exploding Ted. Two scenes later, the ruthless, calculating super hunter makes the choice to save Claire from the Company, and in the process, gives up his own life. It’s the type of performance that in 2006, we never saw on a show about superheroes. Smallville would get there, but everyone knew that was a show about Superman. Heroes was an unknown quantity, and unlike the adventures of young Clark, it was an ensemble series.

“Company Man” became the blueprint for creating an individual showcase out of an ensemble series. It moved the overall myth arc forward, changed the audience’s perception of Noah Bennett, and stressed the importance of Claire through not only her powers, but her now mysterious parentage. It set Heroes up for success, and 17 episodes into the first season, rejuvenated the growing audience clamoring for answers to the show’s mysteries. 

September will mark 20 years since the debut of Heroes. Though it’s been overshadowed by the rise of the Arrowverse and the MCU’s various streaming shows, it was the first attempt to take superheroes seriously on network television. The first season was appointment viewing, and despite Marvel’s best efforts, you can argue “Company Man” is still the highlight of superhero television.

Heroes is now streaming on Netflix.

Madonna is undoubtedly in a class of her own.

The singer, 67, made history after her recently-released album Confessions II topped the Billboard 200 chart — the 10th No. 1 that the Queen of Pop has earned throughout her illustrious career.

Madonna is the only artist aside from The Beatles who has earned 10 No. 1 albums on the Billboard chart.

Confessions II, which dropped on July 3, is Madonna’s highly anticipated follow-up to 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Related: Madonna Through the Years: Pop Stardom, Motherhood and More

Since releasing her debut album in 1983, Madonna has rarely been out of the public eye — and she’s never stopped delivering floor-filling pop hits. Born in Bay City, Michigan, in 1958, Madonna — whose full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone — started dancing as a kid after convincing her dad to let her study […]

“I was supposed to make a movie about my life. I worked on my script for two years and spent two years at Universal Studios with the line producers doing budgeting and casting. We had a falling out, me and Universal, regarding budget,” Madonna told Interview magazine last month, revealing how she decided to return to the recording studio. “I’ve had an extraordinary life. I’ve had a huge life, so I needed a big budget.”

As Madonna sought other ways to fulfill her creative streak, she contacted former collaborator Stuart Price.

“I thought the world is in a very dark place and people need to dance. I hadn’t worked with Stuart for a long time,” she recalled to the outlet. “We’d just done the Celebration Tour together, but besides that, I didn’t really see or speak to him for probably 15 years. I was living in New York and I reached out to him, thinking, “What if we tried to make Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II, and reenter the world of inspirational dance music?” So I came to London and went to his studio, and we were just playing around to see if there was magic between us.”

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The spark between Madonna and the producer was still there, soon crafting a slate of dance that felt “good” amid a series of personal struggles.

“I went through all this darkness in the beginning, writing these songs with Stuart, and then we went full circle, and I’m like, ‘Okay, now what happens? How do we get out of this?’” she quipped. “What happens when you walk into a nightclub or walk onto the dance floor or go to a rave? [Life] can be [heavy], but I always push through and I’m a survivor.”

Madonna celebrated her album, and its incredible Billboard feat, with a “Club Confessions” pop-up in New York City presented by MISTR on Saturday, July 11. During the event, the pop icon performed “School” and “One Step Away” for the crowd.

When a sitcom can sustain a high level of quality over multiple seasons, it’s nothing short of amazing. Producing a half-hour comedy show is hard work, challenging even the brightest team of writers and performers to create a high volume of self-contained stories that are also genuinely funny.

Many sitcoms find their way around the second season, while others start strong and fizzle out, but a select few shows come out strong and leave on a high note. The following comedies can all claim such an accomplishment, boasting the television equivalent of pitching a perfect game. Listed in no particular order, here are 10 sitcoms with zero weak seasons.

1

’30 Rock’ (2006–2013)

Image via NBC

The chaotic struggle to produce a live sketch comedy series is the focus of the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Tina Fey stars as Liz Lemon, the head writer of a fictional sketch show, whose life is disrupted (even further) by the arrival of new NBC executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). His first order of business is to add controversial comedian Tracy Jordan (Tracey Morgan) to the show, a move Liz hates until she sees the results.

30 Rock episodes moved at a relentless, breakneck speed, packing as many clever jokes as possible into every moment. 30 Rock was frequently on the bubble of cancellation, but those who watched did so with a fanaticism that allowed them to remember every inside joke or callback to an obscure reference. The humor of 30 Rock was unafraid to be weird or ultra-specific to a niche group, and that spirit remained until the last episode of the show.

2

‘Frasier’ (1993–2004)

Image via NBC

Although the sitcom Frasier was a spin-off of the highly acclaimed Cheers, the high quality of the writing and acting made viewers immediately forget about Boston. The series followed Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) as he moved from Boston back to his hometown of Seattle to host a radio call-in show. When his estranged father, Martin (John Mahoney), injures himself, the two men get an accelerated reunion after Frasier reluctantly takes him on as a roommate.

It’s somewhat inconceivable that Frasier could regularly produce hilarious episodes that resembled mini-farcical stage plays that were intricate comedies of errors. A distinctly different style and tone from Cheers allowed Frasier to avoid comparison and a chance to explore Dr. Crane from new perspectives. Grammer knew his character inside out by the time his spin-off started, but characters like his tightly-wound brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) or his blue-collar father Martin allowed Frasier new opportunities for growth.

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3

‘The Golden Girls’ (1985–1992)

Image via NBC

A witty and smart sitcom that never had a weak season is The Golden Girls. The NBC sitcom followed the lives of four older women, Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Dorothy’s mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty), who lived together in a Miami home. Their initial arrangement is done out of necessity, but the roommates quickly become a found family to draw support from as they enjoy their retirement years.

Where many sitcoms begin to decline after numerous years of being on the air, later seasons of The Golden Girls increased in quality. The chemistry between the cast was so strong, and they each played their part with such a high level of expertise, that any topic could have been introduced to the quartet, and they would have spun it into a must-watch episode. The spin-off series, The Golden Palace, didn’t hold the same magic for viewers, but it had little impact on diminishing the memory of the seven-season hit.

4

‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ (1990–1996)

Image via NBC 

The sitcom that introduced many to future superstar Will Smith still holds up decades later. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air followed Will (Smith), a charismatic teen from Philadelphia who is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the affluent neighborhood of Bel-Air for the chance at a better life. His upbringing immediately introduces a culture clash to his extended family’s household, but they soon learn from each other and grow close bonds.

Even in the first episodes where the chemistry of the cast was forming, Smith’s dynamic presence carried the show along as the sitcom found its footing. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air boasts one of the strongest casts of a ’90s sitcom, with everyone on stage from Uncle Phil (James Avery) to cousin Hilary (Karyn Parsons) contributing in a meaningful way. There have been sitcoms built around less than the odd couple chemistry between Will and his cousin Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), so it’s no surprise the show ended on a high note after six seasons.

5

‘The Larry Sanders Show’ (1992–1998)

Image via HBO

Years before shows like The Studio were satirizing the business of Hollywood, HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show was pulling back the curtain on late-night television. Garry Shandling starred as late-night talk show host Larry Sanders, a man unable to enjoy his accomplishments from behind a mountain of insecurities. Always available to tell Larry what he wanted to hear were his producer Artie (Rip Torn) and his on-air sidekick Hank (Jeffrey Tambor).

The Larry Sanders Show aimed its comedy at the specific peculiarities of the entertainment business, with a long line of guest stars playing themselves, but the heart of the show was the complicated relationships between Larry and his co-workers/friends. Predating mainstream hits like The Sopranos or Sex and the City, The Larry Sanders Show was an early example of HBO cultivating its reputation as a destination for quality storytelling.

6

‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ (1996–2005)

Image via CBS

Ray Romano transitioned from a respected stand-up comedian to sitcom star when Everybody Loves Raymond debuted on CBS. The series followed the lives of Ray (Romano) and his wife Debra (Patricia Heaton) as they raised their children in a quiet Long Island suburb. At least, it would be quiet if Ray’s parents, Marie (Doris Roberts) and Frank (Peter Boyle), weren’t living across the street with his older brother Robert (Brad Garrett).

Everybody Loves Raymond was a traditional family sitcom executed perfectly, mining humor from the relatable occurrences of life with a voice that felt familiar and honest. The show was a reliable ratings draw for CBS, but series creator Phil Rosenthal decided to conclude Everybody Loves Raymond after nine seasons, wishing to end on a high note. The goal was accomplished, as Everybody Loves Raymond remains a timeless piece of comedy.

7

‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ (1970–1977)

Image via CBS

The Mary Tyler Moore Show is one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, delivering a near-flawless run of comedy. Mary Tyler Moore starred as Mary Reynolds, a woman who moves to Minneapolis looking for a fresh start after a broken engagement. There, she finds a job as an associate producer for a local news station and friends who will become her new family.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show is frequently cited for its progressive approach to focusing a series on a single woman who was focused on an independent, career-oriented life. While the sitcom was groundbreaking for television, those accomplishments wouldn’t be remembered as well if the show had not been incredibly funny. One-liners were thrown out with ease, but it was the relationships between the characters that drove the humor and kept The Mary Tyler Moore Show a fan favorite until its iconic finale at the end of Season 7.

8

‘Sanford and Son’ (1972–1977)

Image via NBC 

Sanford and Son is one of the most influential sitcoms that remained a staple of the NBC lineup until reaching its unexpected finale. The sitcom followed the day-to-day lives of Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) and his son Lamont (Demond Wilson) as they ran a junkyard in Los Angeles. The father and son duo were prone to extended bickering, but they always came together to work an angle for a big payday or look out for each other.

Although Sanford and Son was based on the long-running British sitcom Steptoe and Son, Foxx and Wilson were able to make the show their own by modeling the series to their specific personality traits. Sanford and Son, along with All in the Family, helped usher in a new form of edgy comedy that reflected a more realistic depiction of the world viewers knew. Sanford and Son ended after Foxx accepted an offer to host a variety show on ABC, and when Wilson didn’t want to continue without Foxx, one of America’s best sitcoms ended without a proper finale.

9

‘Cheers’ (1982–1993)

Image via NBC

Set in the bar where everyone knew your name, Cheers set a high standard for comedic brilliance. The series followed the staff and regulars of the Boston-located bar Cheers, run by ex-professional baseball player Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Episodes would explore the characters’ love lives, professional worries, and occasionally, both at the same time.

Cheers’ ability to maintain a funny and engaging sitcom for 11 seasons is a testament to the talent of the cast and crew. It may not have been planned by the show’s creators, but new cast members such as Woody Harrelson as new bartender Woody and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane kept Cheers feeling energized without disrupting the show’s momentum. After a slow build to drawing viewers, Cheers became a top 10 series for a majority of its run and would take home 28 Emmy wins from 117 nominations.

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10

‘Veep’ (2012–2019)

Image via Max

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Every day in political office is a new opportunity for a crisis in Veep. The series followed the day-to-day mishaps of Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the Vice President of the United States, and the members of her staff. Stuck in an office she feels is beneath her, Selina will navigate the petty political landscape to become the Commander in Chief while trying not to humiliate herself in the process.

There might never be another show that can have its characters string together insults in such a comedically poetic fashion as Veep did. The show never dipped into a complacent lull during its run by constantly keeping the story fluid; characters came and went in a ruthless cycle of demand for excellence, and Selina’s changing job title kept things fresh. The seventh and final season took darker turns when wrapping up the series, but it was also the perfect way to send off an unapologetically selfish Selina.

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 13 seconds ago

Like many creative types, I really hate AI. In the right context, this technology can be a great productivity tool, and its loudest evangelists are correct that creators can accomplish awesome things with AI. Nonetheless, it’s an open secret that places like movie studios care more about using this tech to save money. They don’t want to give you bigger and better movies; they want to charge you full price for something that they cut every corner to make. If this technology is left fully unchecked, the result will be a glut of Hollywood movies that are even crappier and even more bereft of originality than ever before. 

Because of this, I always breathe a sigh of relief when I see big, successful directors pushing back against AI. That happened recently with one of the most beloved moviemakers in the world: Christopher Nolan. Ahead of The Odyssey’s premiere, he recently gave an interview with a very blunt assessment of this technology. He not only named what is created by this tech as “AI slop” but pointed out that young people have almost completely rejected AI in film. The message is clear: movies can’t survive without appealing to the youth market, and if Hollywood wants to survive, it needs to keep AI out of film altogether.

Welcome To Nolan’s Land

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Christopher Nolan offered his thoughts on what he sees as the modern state of Hollywood. He praised Curry Barker and Kane Parsons, whose success with (respectively) Obsession and Backrooms proves that “things are on the right track” for cinema. He pointed out that “young people can’t get enough” of films like this, which are “so mysterious and ruminative.” From there, he launched into an unexpected (but certainly not unwelcome) rant against the use of AI in film, something that both Barker and Parsons have spoken out against.

“I’ve never seen a more rapid wholesale dismissal of a supposedly foundational jump in technology in my lifetime. So much energy has been expended on bringing in AI, but if you look at that generation’s reaction, they’re utterly rejecting it.” The Odyssey director went on to reference his own children and how they see this technology. “Their judgment of AI slop has been immediate and harsh. They see it for what it is very quickly—and it’s much easier for them to identify it, because it grew out of an online world they know really well.”

Like many, Nolan himself isn’t someone who has wholly rejected AI or who thinks there is never any purpose to using it. However, he thinks it’s bad to use it for filmmaking because it impacts the creativity of these works while potentially harming box office potential. “While that doesn’t mean that every aspect of [AI] is useless or meaningless, in filmmaking it’s hitting at exactly the wrong time. After years of driving towards heavily virtual environments, we’re seeing a renewed interest in more tactile, more real forms of storytelling.” The practical effects and locations are, of course, a large part of what young people enjoyed about Obsession and Backrooms.

Regarding AI, Christopher Nolan is speaking a language that various Hollywood studios and directors can finally understand. The powers that be won’t care about using this tech as long as the films they create make money. But the Odyssey director is pointing out that the coveted youth demographic effectively votes with their wallets and avoids movies made with AI; instead, they favor movies made with the human touch. The reason moviegoers complain about the endless sequels, prequels, and reboots is that they crave something genuinely original. Now, Nolan is here to not-so-gently remind studios that AI is the opposite of originality, and studios who embrace it may very well ultimately be signing their death warrant.

Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for The Vampire Lestat Episode 6.

With only the finale left to air, fans likely suspected that the penultimate hour of The Vampire Lestat had more than one clever trick up its sleeve. So far, the show’s creative and stylistic pivot from Interview with the Vampire has resulted in the story being told to viewers through a very different perspective — that of Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) in all his complicated and mercurial glory. That doesn’t mean the series isn’t still following the vampires we’ve come to know and have increasingly conflicted feelings about. Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) is still grappling with his grief over the long-deceased Claudia (Delainey Hayles), preserving her memory through brutal revenge killings and spending too much time with her eerily uncanny doppelgänger. Lestat’s band, now down one guitarist (RIP, Noah Reid‘s Larry), has all been turned into immortals themselves with an assist from Lestat’s own mother and fledgling (yes, you read that right) Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle). Meanwhile, whatever’s going on between Armand (Assad Zaman) and Daniel (Eric Bogosian) can’t possibly bode well for everyone else.

Ahead of the premiere of “Montreal,” written by Ryan Kattner & Kevin Hanna and directed by Jane Wu, Collider had the opportunity to discuss the episode’s most pivotal moments with Anderson and Hayles, the latter of whom finally reprises her role as Claudia to absolutely heartbreaking ends. Below, the co-stars break down the events of a night that starts almost optimistically for Louis and Lestat, the experience of filming that emotionally exposing seance scene (and how Louis feels about it in the aftermath), and why that shocking twist in the episode’s closing minutes is harder to talk about before fans have seen the season finale.

Louis and Lestat’s Night Out in ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Episode 6 Is Full of Ups and Downs

At a glance, “Montreal” shows all signs of a potential reconciliation for one of Interview with the Vampire‘s most tortured romances. Louis and Lestat have certainly had their ups and downs over the years, many of them transpiring within the last five episodes of this season, but it seems that when Louis summoned Lestat to confront Regina (Hayles) — or “Fraudia,” as Lestat later dubs her — it resulted in these on-again, off-again paramours coming back together again.

Not only is Louis staying with Lestat at his house in Montreal, on a Halloween night two years to the day that news of Daniel’s book first broke, but the two are joking and teasing each other like old times as they stroll through the neighborhood. At one point, Lestat notes in voiceover that Louis has done his best to keep his distance from Regina since the night that Lestat saw her (and wrote “Stained Glass Eyes” in the aftermath), but Hayles says that her mysterious character hasn’t exactly been waiting around for either vampire to show up again.

“Meeting Lestat, after he leaves, she takes a big exhale, and it’s because she’s petrified. Lestat has got this energy that is the whole thing [of] why maybe he and Louis met — it’s alluring, but it’s also very, very scary.” While it may have been easier for Regina to manipulate Louis after recognizing that he was grieving someone who looked exactly like her, Hayles adds that her character’s run-in with Lestat has given her a new perspective on the dangers of getting involved with immortals. “I think that’s kind of her wake-up call. Because Louis is grieving, and maybe in a way she exploits that, and Lestat comes in, and it’s like, ‘Oh, they’re real.’”

With Regina now seemingly out of the picture, the two are more joined at the hip than they have been in years — Daniel even directly refers to them as “Taylor and Travis” when they meet him at a restaurant for a private dinner that could only be enjoyed by vampires, complete with the finest vintage of fresh blood. Even more telling is the moment when Louis tags along with Lestat to a rehearsal for the band’s upcoming concert for 50,000 vampire devotees, resulting in a performance that instantly brings reminders of their relationship swirling to the surface.

Previously, Anderson revealed that “Brutal Love” was one of his favorite songs of the season, and here, we finally get the official context, as Lestat initially sings for an audience of two — Louis and Gabriella, awkwardly enough — before his gaze intentionally drifts over to Louis and stays there through the rest of the number. It’s not the first time that Lestat has sung directly to him (and been “pretty harsh” about it, per Anderson), but listening to the lyrics, it’s hard not to feel as though this song carries all the weight of their past combined with potential hopes for the future. Now, Anderson doesn’t hesitate to confirm what’s going through Louis’ head in the moment itself. “I feel like there’s this idea of the fog of love passing over them in this episode that [series creator] Rolin [Jones] used to talk about a lot, and that term comes back again in Episode 7. I think that’s when it starts to really pass over him.”

Throughout the season, we’ve seen the power that the link between vampires holds and how it can manifest differently for different pairs. While Daniel is forced to realize that the feeling he has with Armand, of everyone else disappearing from view, is unique to their bond as fledgling and maker, Anderson points out that this song in particular is Louis and Lestat’s version of the same phenomenon. “It’s nostalgia and feeling that vampire bond again, like the only two people in the world feeling — maybe not quite as literally as Armand and Daniel, but a cosmic version of that.”

Anderson admits, with a chuckle, that he enjoyed having Ehle present for the scene, yet even through Lestat’s performance, there’s the looming sense that another shoe is waiting to drop regarding “Sofia.” Once the rehearsal is over, a text from Louis’ lawyer and lover, Lemuel (Moses Sumney), alerts him to a new video posted by Daniel, in which Armand’s daylight testimony and a leaked video from the recording studio reveal that Sofia is actually Gabriella, Lestat’s mother, and the two have been sleeping together. Lestat’s initial reaction is to deny the NSFW clip’s veracity, dismissing it as a deepfake, but when it’s clear Louis isn’t buying it, their argument spills out of the car and into the street. Louis is trying and failing to wrap his head around the idea, referring to Lestat’s omission of it as “Armand-level deceit,” while Lestat points out that their “unnatural” nature as vampires conflicts with human concepts of morality. Besides, who was there to pick Louis up after he was paying someone to pretend to be Claudia for him, and did so without judgment?

Witnessing the panic attack that results for Lestat is further confirmation for Louis that the situation is more complicated than a mere mommy fetish, and once emotions have cooled, the two retreat to a bar to hash things out at a lower volume. Lestat refers to Gabriella as “one of the many chainsaws I juggle,” and, as for where Louis ultimately lands on the subject of his maker’s relationship with his mother, Anderson directly quotes a line from the episode itself: “It’s a hill to climb, vampire or not. I think it’s that for [Louis], as well.” What that argument and its resolution represent on a higher level, he adds, is how much progress Lestat and Louis have made in their relationship; they’re actually listening to each other instead of letting their feelings get the better of them.

“They’re communicating in a different way in that scene. The way that they used to communicate, some of it kind of spilled over into these fits of emotional or sometimes physical violence. Now, I think they’re hearing each other more. They’ve both had an opportunity to vent, and now they’re able to hear each other. But where Louis stands on it is still something that needs to be processed.”

Claudia Finally Returns in ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Episode 6

As if Louis and Lestat’s night wasn’t already enough of an emotional rollercoaster, now they’ve got a seance to attend, one that Louis has been having misgivings about in the hours leading up to it. With Merrick Mayfair (Sarah Afful) having landed in town — seemingly confirming that Lestat’s longtime connection to one of New Orleans’ most powerful witching families remains alive and well — the task turns to officially summoning a ghost from their past. After weeks of watching Regina the waitress do her best impression of Claudia, “Montreal” finally resurrects the real vampire, and she’s got quite a lot to say now that the floor is hers. Hayles likens the experience of reprising the role of Claudia, especially on the heels of Regina’s playacting, to “putting an old pair of shoes back on.” She’s been mourning the character herself since the Season 2 episode that culminated in Claudia’s death by sunlight, and still considers the trial in Paris as the “worst injustice ever to her.” Getting the opportunity to return to the role made Hayles very happy, by her own admission, and, in her words, “what a way for her to make her entrance this season.”

In preparing to embrace her character’s complex emotional state for the seance scene, Hayles admits that her physical transformation into the state Claudia had been in prior to her demise was immensely helpful. “I think I sat for two or three hours in a chair, and my whole body was getting spray-painted with this yellow, ill-looking paint.” Getting a good look at herself in the mirror afterward reaffirmed that mentality as Hayles geared up for Claudia’s reappearance. “When you have the makeup on, and the lenses, all of it intertwined helps you feel odd, if that makes sense, and othered. The scene starts with a close-up of the feet and the tendons, and it draws out. All of those aspects combined helped me feel uncomfortable, but in the best way.”

The seance, which Hayles describes as “exposing in itself,” starts with Claudia first making her presence known by slamming Merrick face-first into a table and speaking through the Mayfair witch, but then the vampire’s ghost manifests in the room — within the limits of a salt circle, at least at first. Hayles says she felt like a spinning top set loose in a confined space alongside Reid and Anderson, whom she calls her fellow “fidget spinners.” Their approach to filming the sequence mirrored Season 2’s trial, with long takes for the actors to deliver their lines, “where you could run it until you don’t.” It’s a revealing scene in more ways than one, with Claudia divulging her true feelings about Louis and the ways in which she manipulated him over the years. At one point, she even admits that she liked Lestat more, because, in her words, “he knew who he was.”

Hayles isn’t surprised that Claudia uses being summoned by the two people she both loves and hates most to get a few things off her chest — including the confirmation that she had lied about what happened between her and Lestat on the train — but she initially grappled with the degree to which her character had seemingly manipulated events before reaching her own conclusion. “I got the script, and I was slightly heartbroken, but then I drew back, and I was like, ‘No, I’m doing it now,’ infantilizing her. She is a woman. She is intelligent. She’s learned to survive that long through the decisions she’s made.” It’s a scene that also speaks to the overall complexity of every individual involved, as well as what Hayles praises as the brilliance of the show’s writing: “They’ve never created black-and-white characters.”

Whether you believe Claudia’s words to Louis are “harsh or correct,” she adds, the seance spotlights more beyond just what others remember about her. “I love Claudia inside out, upside down, right way round — even through her, if you want to call them, ‘wrongs.’ It gives her the space to be multifaceted, as well. You have the complexities of Louis and Lestat, whereas we’ve known Claudia through her diaries and the guys’ memories. And now we get her. It’s not gonna be sunshine and rainbows, right?”

While the scene is full of anger and rage and revelations, there’s a different emotion that arises when Claudia declares that she can’t find her lover, Madeleine (Roxane Duran), in whatever afterlife she’s been existing in since her death. Seeing Louis and Lestat together, seemingly on the road to patching things up, only reaffirms that feeling of despair, and Hayles admits that the conversation might have gone differently if Louis had actually done the seance solo. “If Louis had just called her without Lestat by his side, maybe she would have been gentler. It’s about that vampire loneliness, and her wanting a companion and wanting somebody who understands her. She had that, and then it was dragged away from her.

Now she’s been called upon, and the two people that she does love, but she hates right now, have found each other again. How unfair. In every life, will they go back to each other? Probably, because they love each other. Claudia is not given that same privilege or grace. When I got the script and [read] the end, when she’s screaming for Madeleine, I was really, really sad. How much can one person take?”

Throughout our conversation, however, Hayles reasserts that her affection for Claudia has never dimmed, and the tragedy of her story actually reveals her most important trait. “She’s a traumatic character, and she’s written sad, but to me, she’s the one vampire that has been dished out terrible dealings in life, but tries to seize life at the same time, seize every moment.”

Meanwhile, how is Louis coping in the aftermath of Claudia’s brutal truths? Anderson says that the reunion represents the closing of a certain chapter in the vampire’s life, but only to an extent. “I think there is a real finality to that scene. As brutal as the séance is, what comes out of it is really beautiful. What comes out of it is they saw her again, rather than just the memory of her. They remembered the frustration in her and the brutality of it for her. I think that they were able to hold some of that for her again, rather than it just being about their own grief and their own feelings of injustice.”

Anderson admits that he’d originally wanted Louis to have processed Claudia’s death by the end of Interview with the Vampire Season 2, but he’s realized since that grief will always be wrapped up in who Louis is, given that he’s lost so many people he cared about the most, both before and after being turned into a vampire. “It’s a part of him in the same way that his grief over Paul will be with him forever. His grief about how things went with Grace will stay with him forever. He was made in grief. They were the circumstances around his turning. I think that’s always going to be a part of his character and his being.” Yet, in the same breath, Anderson adds that he has different aspirations for Louis’ future now, speaking about him in quietly affectionate terms: “I just hope it’s less overwhelming for him going forward. As a friend, I want that for him.”

Regarding Claudia’s potential future on the show, well, fans of Anne Rice‘s book series know that her ghost comes back to haunt the narrative more than once, interacting with other characters besides Louis and Lestat. While this season treated fans to a double dose of Delainey Hayles, the actress confirms that she’d definitely be up for returning in some capacity moving forward. “She made a promise that she was going to come back and kill everybody, so I think she should just do that,” she declares with a laugh.

Jacob Anderson Has Complicated Feelings About ‘The Vampire Lestat’s Most Shocking Twist

Image via AMC

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As Lestat and Louis process the events of the seance in a nearby park, their choice to sit on a bench for more quiet conversation instantly calls back to some of their most introspective moments over the course of the entire series. Lestat questions why he’s developed the habit of actively pursuing failure, while Louis posits that it might stem from the eternal burden of their existence: “What’s to live for if there’s no end?” Both of them conclude, over the course of the conversation, that they have some work to do on themselves, which is a start. The episode’s closing minutes successfully lull the audience into a sense of calm — or maybe even hope about Louis and Lestat’s potential future together in a desert trailer park, growing evening primrose. Even a casual brush of fingers feels as significant as a kiss.

When Louis notices the newly turned vampire Alex (Seamus Patterson) watching them from beneath a nearby lamppost, it serves as enough of a distraction that they’re not aware of Armand and Daniel, disguised in Halloween masks, approaching them from behind until it’s too late. Louis and Lestat’s heads are neatly, unceremoniously severed from their bodies, and now there’s no telling what’s coming next in the finale. Chances are they’re not dead, but we also can’t imagine many good things are going to happen post-decapitation. Anderson reveals that this penultimate shocker was revealed to him and Reid fairly early on, but he can only say so much about why Armand and Daniel have taken action in the most brutal way possible. “That was one of the first things that Rolin pitched to Sam and I, told us was going to happen. And it was more about things that I won’t talk about necessarily right now. It was more about what happens after that.”

Funnily enough, it was Anderson’s time in another major fantasy franchise that actually resulted in him having a heads-up — pun intended — about what Louis’ precise fate would be. Any actor in Game of Thrones whose character was about to meet a certain fate always got a very specific summons. “There was always a thing where, if you get fitted for prosthetics, you’re probably going to die the next season.” When Jones approached Anderson and Reid long before Episode 6 was even filmed, the conversation included a familiar element. “He was like, ‘We’re going to have to do a head cast, so I should probably tell you why.’”

Anderson reiterates that he can’t give his full thoughts regarding the last scene of “Montreal” because of what will follow in the finale to provide added background for viewers — what motivated Armand and Daniel to do what they did, and how Louis will react to it, especially. Yet his cryptic response almost makes the wait for next week’s conclusion feel even longer. “I can’t really talk too much about that final moment, frustratingly, with all the context around it, because I have complicated feelings about that whole thing, physically as well as emotionally or psychologically.” What he will say, with a light shrug, is that it’s certainly a memorable way to end an episode: “I think it’s fun.”

The finale of The Vampire Lestat premieres next Sunday on AMC.

Olympian Simone Biles is opening up about a recent experience in which she says she was misidentified as two Black athletes multiple times in one day.

“It’s not even 6 a.m. and I’ve already gotten called Dominique Dawes 2x,” Biles, 29, wrote via her Instagram Story on Sunday, July 12, referring to the retired Olympic gymnast, “and Sha’Carri [Richardson] once.” (Richardson, 26, is an Olympic track and field sprinter.)

Biles added three laughing emojis to her message, which was shared alongside a photo of the sky from a balcony.

Biles previously revealed in a 2020 interview that she “didn’t really notice racism” in her gymnastics career until seven years prior.

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“I was on a world scene, and what made the news was, another gymnast saying that if we painted our skin black, maybe we would all win because I had beaten her out of beam medal, and she got upset,” Biles told Today in 2020. “And that was really the news, rather than me winning worlds.”

Biles was referring to making history as the first Black woman to win all-around at the 2013 World Championships in Belgium, where she faced a comment from fellow gymnast Carlotta Ferlito. At the time, Biles shared that she felt racism “happens every day.”

“I feel like every Black athlete or colored athlete can say that they’ve experienced it through their career,” she said. “But you just have to keep going for those little ones looking up to us. It doesn’t matter what you look like. You can strive for greatness, and you can be great.”

In recent weeks, Biles has made headlines for experiencing a health scare. She has not disclosed further details about what occurred.

“I’m not one to normally share things like this because I value privacy in today’s age. But almost dying wasn’t on my bingo card this week,” Biles wrote via her Instagram Story in June, sharing a photo of her arm containing alleged hospital wristbands.

Biles explained that her husband, Jonathan Owens, was in Indiana for workouts with his NFL team at the time.

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“This was one of, if not the scariest experience of my life, especially since Jonathan was in Indy for practices,” Biles wrote. “I’ve been in bed resting this week. I’ll explain sooner or later, but [shoutout] to my close circle who reached out, checked in, visited & or sent flowers.”

After opening up about the incident, Biles shared that she and Owens, 30, were headed for a “baecation.”

When a follower commented on a post days later that they “never got the update on [her] near death experience,” Biles replied, “Not ready to talk about it just yet.”

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: Reports surrounding a leaked Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer 2 have surfaced online. While none of the details have been officially confirmed by Sony Pictures or Marvel Studios, the following article discusses rumored footage and potential story elements that some fans may consider spoilers. Proceed with caution.

Sony Pictures may be preparing to release the second trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day much sooner than fans expected.

Over the past several days, reports of a leaked Trailer 2 description, audio, and even low-quality footage have spread across social media. While none of the leaked material has been officially confirmed by Sony or Marvel Studios, the growing number of reports has fueled speculation that a new trailer could be right around the corner.

Adding fuel to the fire, a second Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer was recently age-rated in Canada. The trailer reportedly runs approximately two minutes and thirty seconds, marking the first major batch of new footage since the film’s debut trailer premiered earlier this year. Historically, trailers often arrive online shortly after receiving ratings approval, leading many fans to believe an official release could happen within days.

According to various leak reports circulating online, the trailer may feature additional footage of Peter Parker’s latest adventure, including more action sequences and a closer look at several supporting characters. Rumors have also pointed to expanded appearances from Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, though those claims remain unverified.

Some of the more surprising leak descriptions suggest the trailer includes a confrontation between Spider-Man and Hulk. If true, it would mark one of the film’s biggest reveals yet. However, fans should approach these claims with caution until Sony officially releases the trailer.

Sony has already dealt with multiple Brand New Day leaks throughout the film’s marketing campaign. Earlier footage and images reportedly surfaced online before the first trailer debuted, making it possible that the studio could accelerate its marketing plans if additional material continues to spread across social media.

With Spider-Man: Brand New Day set to swing into theaters on July 31, 2026, the timing would make sense for Sony to begin its next major promotional push. Whether the recent leaks are accurate or not, the appearance of a newly rated trailer and the increasing volume of online chatter suggest that Trailer 2 may arrive sooner rather than later.

For now, fans eager for another look at the next chapter in Peter Parker’s story may not have to wait much longer.

Senator Lindsey Graham unexpectedly died at age 71 just one day before he was scheduled to make what would have been his 64th appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press.

“As we reflect on the life and legacy of Senator Linsey Graham, we here at Meet the Press want to extend our deepest condolences to his friends, his family and his colleagues,” Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker said on the Sunday, July 12, episode of the NBC program. “Senator Graham was not only a fixture on Capitol Hill but on this broadcast as well.”

She continued, “He was scheduled to appear on the show this morning for what would have been his 64th appearance. Senator Graham was one of the show’s most frequent guests, second only to hsi dear friend, the late Senator John McCain.”

The South Carolina senator’s office confirmed early Sunday morning that Graham had died the previous evening at the age of 71 after battling a “brief and sudden illness.”

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” a spokesperson for the late politician said in a written statement shared via X. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”

President Donald Trump called into Meet the Press’ Sunday program in the wake of the senator’s death, detailing what he said was perhaps the final phone call the politician made before he died.

“So, what makes it even stranger is I got a call last night something in the early evening — maybe in the sevens — and he called and said, ‘We’re all set for the Save America Act,’ the president, 80, said, referring to his controversial voting bill that many experts have argued will actually make it more difficult for U.S. citizens to vote.

”He was pushing the Save America Act like crazy,” the president continued. “He got back, said he just landed from Ukraine, I said, ‘That’s a long trip.’ He sounded a little tired, but perfect, but a little bit tired — he had the right to be, he was a worker. He was really a worker. But he sounded great, actually. But he actually said he was tired.”

Trump added, “But he wanted to pass the Save America Act, and I said, “Well, we’re gonna get it done, Lindsey. We’re gonna get it done. See you soon.’ We might even meet today, and then that was it. That was very, around the time… it couldn’t have been much longer. It could have been his last call, I don’t know exactly.”

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During Sunday’s tribute, Welker detailed Graham’s final appearance on the program, sharing that the show gifted him a picture that used to hang in a green room.

“During his last appearance on the show this past May we presented him with a photo that previously hung in the Meet the Press green room from a joint appearance with Senator McCain in 2017,” Welker explained. “It was a fitting moment for a senator who understood the power of this program.”

She concluded, “Senator Graham was a frequent guest because he believed in the idea that democracy is strengthened when we continue the conversation even when we disagree.”

Catherine Paiz has added another little one to her family!

“We waited nine months for this surprise!” Paiz wrote via Instagram on Saturday, July 11. “My husband was the first to meet our baby and tell me, ‘It’s a girl.’ 💗 Sea’vanna 🌊 born on July 8, 2026✨.”

Alongside the announcement, Paiz shared photos from her home birth with husband Igor Ten and uploaded an image of the newborn to her Instagram Story with the caption: “The sweetest chapter of our life begins.”

“Laboured under the open sky in my garden 🤍,” she wrote in a separate Instagram post on Friday, July 10. “3 hours of surrendering, trusting, and giving my body fully to the most powerful experience of my life. The hardest thing I’ve ever done, and somehow the most beautiful.”

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Ten gushed over his wife in the comments section, writing, “Watching you go through labor made me admire you even more. Your strength, courage, and love were truly inspiring. I’m so proud of you. I love you so much! ❤️.”

Elsewhere in the comments section, Paiz’s ex-husband, Austin McBroom, congratulated her and Ten on their new arrival.

“Congratulations to you both. The kids are blessed to have another sibling 🙏🏽🫶🏽,” he wrote.

Paiz shared in November 2025 that she and Ten were expecting their first child together, her fourth. The announcement came less than two months after the pair tied the knot.

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Paiz became an online figure as part of The Ace Family YouTube channel with McBroom, where the couple gave glimpses of their lives with their three kids: daughters Elle, 10, and Alaïa, 7, and son Steel, 6. In 2024, Paiz and McBroom announced their split.

One year after their separation, Paiz appeared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast and alleged that McBroom had cheated on her multiple times with various women. Despite McBroom reportedly sharing that he was unfaithful in a series of Snapchats before Paiz’s podcast appearance, he claimed she condoned his behavior — an allegation Paiz denied.

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“I would never want my kids to think that that is OK to cheat on your husband or your wife,” she said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in May 2025. “I will make sure to raise them so that they know that they never, ever do that because that is so wrong. You never cheat on the person you love. I would never in a million years say that.”

Us Weekly reached out to McBroom for comment at the time. McBroom, who did not mention Paiz by name, appeared to address the accusations the following day.

“I realize in order for this s*** to stop, the best thing for me to do is not respond,” he said at the time, per People. “Because you guys see what’s going on. It would just continue and it would affect my kids, and my kids don’t deserve that.”