By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 14 seconds ago

The latest Star Trek show was so unpopular that it was not only cancelled, but it has salted the earth for many other Star Trek shows and movies. Starfleet Academy couldn’t place even on Paramount Plus’s top streaming shows, much less compete with anything from other services. Yet the show’s supporters, including featured series actors Gina Yashere and Robert Picardo, have found someone else to blame: the fans.

Yashere, who played the Jem Hadar/Klingon hybrid, said in an Instagram post that “I’ll let you guys come to your own conclusions as to why we didn’t get to continue this wonderful legacy… Stay woke. Wokey woke. Wokest of woke. Wokeylicious. A cacophony of woke.”

Holographic doctor Picardo was more specific on X, “Careful! Can’t remind the ‘real Star Trek fans’ on this platform form [sic] what real Star Trek is and was meant to be. They get angry and abusive…” He then went on to single out Jon Del Arroz of Fandom Pulse, who he has blocked on the social media site; Picardo tagged Del Arroz after blocking him.

Hater Conspiracy Theories

To them and other crew of the show, the problem wasn’t that the show disregarded or ignored established Star Trek lore, sent all the Klingons to their version of Hell, or included gratuitous characters like the aforementioned half-Klingon or another Klingon who doesn’t want to fight and wears a dress (both are Klingons are LGBTQ). According to Yashere, Picardo, and others who were enthusiastic about the show, the real reason Starfleet Academy was cancelled was that disingenuous “chuds” review-bombed the show on critic-aggregate sites and launched a campaign against it. Yashere did not hold back that she directly believes bigotry was more involved than valid criticism.

The show’s failure was blamed on disingenuous fans supposedly poisoning the well against it, rather than on any accountability for the show’s flaws. The word is that the “trolls” who didn’t like the show are so culturally powerful that they were able to dissuade fans from watching the show entirely just by saying “mean” things about its plot, characters, and lore.

According to this logic, all the people who normally would have watched failed to do so because they were convinced by “irrational” haters to believe that it was not worth watching. Picardo, Yashere, and many fan accounts claim the show is excellent and the best Star Trek installment yet, so blame its failure on other, more insidious factors. 

The Reality Of What Viewers Want

Star Trek fans don’t seem to want sloppy writing or transparent “representation”; they want a good story, no matter who is in it. There is even a petition on Change.org to convince Paramount to “Batgirl” the second season by writing it off for tax purposes so it never airs.

Many fans agree that it is better for the show’s legacy to be preserved rather than sullied by a second season that the majority of fans don’t seem to want, as evidenced by viewing metrics. This has been a point of debate since Christopher Cushman’s infamous tweet in which he threatened that cancellation of the franchise would result from the “review bombing” of Starfleet Academy.

Internal Politics At Paramount May Be The Real Impetus For Change

However, some are convinced that changes within the Paramount corporation are also an impetus behind the cancellation. The recent purchase of Paramount by the Ellison family (famously supporters of President Trump) as well as the hiring of Bari Weiss as editor of CBS News, has caused Hollywood pundits to have “concerns” about the future of creativity from the studio and its holdings under “right-wing” ownership.

These expressions of concern have grown louder now that Paramount has acquired Warner Brothers, including HBO and CNN. As a result, Starfleet Academy’s few defenders often blamed owner David Ellison’s influence, direct or indirect, for cancelling the show.

Fan Blaming Is An Old Trick

None of these attacks on fans are new. Other IPs have accused fans of every -ism and -phobia available. This has been used to blame fans for the bad reception of other major franchises (Star Wars), of television properties (Doctor Who and the cancelled Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot), feature films (The Bride), and even video games (Dragon Age: Veilguard, Concord). Why make a quality product when you can just accuse the people who want quality of being evil?

What’s really disingenuous is that while Yashere and Picardo blame review bombs for the failure of Starfleet Academy to attract audiences or retain fans, there really is a show, The Pendragon Cycle, that has actively been suppressed by mainstream reviewers. Starfleet Academy has a Tomatometer score averaging 87%, while The Pendragon Cycle still has no score at all, not even a bad one.

For the King Arthur show, part of the problem is that it’s on a niche streaming site, but another part of the problem is that it has not only been ignored but actively suppressed. The hew and cry over Starfleet Academy’s cancellation is hypocritical when the behavior being criticized is the exact behavior these critics themselves have engaged in. It is, as Yashere reminds us, “a cacophony of woke.”

Whether the second season of Starfleet Academy airs or is shelved remains to be seen, but it’s doubtful that any of the show’s flaws will be meaningfully addressed. It’s easier to blame fans for being bigoted against the weak plots and gratuitous characters than it is to accept that you’ve failed.

By continually accusing detractors of bigotry, the showrunners, actors, and fans of Starfleet Academy avoid accountability by taking a stolen moral high ground and dismissing any concerns. It’s too bad the “correct” people didn’t tune in, or maybe they’d have a leg to stand on.

In our post-Yellowstone world, many of the best Western shows out there have been long-forgotten in favor of the Taylor Sheridan brand of the American West (or some other modern take on the locale). Although certain classics like Gunsmoke and Bonanza will never fully fall to the wayside, many of the other TV Westerns of the day weren’t so lucky. If you’re looking for a show that has been off the beaten path for a while, you’ve come to the right place.

For Western shows that have largely been left in the dust, here are the ventures into the Old West that you won’t want to miss out on. Between action/adventure shows, family comedies, and more traditional frontier fodder, these picks include a little something for everyone. So, without further ado, saddle up, because we’re taking a ride back in time.

‘The Young Riders’ (1989–1992)

Image via ABC

Based on the historical Pony Express, The Young Riders was a fictional take on the famed mail carriers that first pushed Josh Brolin and Stephen Baldwin as “Wild Bill” James Hickok and “Buffalo Bill” Cody, respectively. Joining them were a handful of other riders, and together the group tackled all the injustices of the Old West prior to the American Civil War. It’s a great time that is made better by enjoyable characters who keep you invested until the very end.

Seemingly inspired by the success of Young Guns (though that was never proven), The Young Riders pulled in younger demographics as it aimed to make the Western cool again. For the most part, it remained consistent throughout its three-season run, ending quite satisfactory. The beauty, of course, is that this is one of the best Western programs out there that’s available to stream free of charge.

‘How the West Was Won’ (1976–1979)

Image via ABC

After James Arness was forced off the air with the cancellation of Gunsmoke, he returned to the Old West as Zebulon Macahan in the television adaptation of How the West Was Won. The series followed the Macahan family as they escaped the horrors of the Civil War to travel west and begin a new life for themselves, only leading to more hardship and heartbreak along the way. And yet, despite all of those challenges, it’s a hard one to turn off.

After a made-for-TV movie to kick it off, How the West Was Won enjoyed three seasons of hour-and-a-half-long frontier dramas. Each installment was like a standalone film, with serialized hints of the Macahans’ exploits as they ventured further westward. Though not a game-changing Western that forever changed the genre, the series is quite enjoyable, and certainly worth the binge. Don’t believe us? Watch this William Shatner episode for proof!

‘Death Valley Days’ (1952–1970)

Image via McGowan Productions

Despite running for 20 seasons across two decades, Death Valley Days is often overlooked when it comes to classic Western TV. It’s a shame too, because for an impressive 452 episodes, this anthology program uncovered many of the long-forgotten tales of the Old West, with each new installment recounting a new tale of American history. It was both educational and engaging, which is likely partly why it was on the air for so long. It’s just a shame that many have forgotten about it since.

Another classic anthology series that few remember, Death Valley Days was one of the greats. Boasting several hosts over the years, including Ronald Reagan (who even starred in several episodes), the show often challenged our perceptions of the wild frontier by revealing the true stories of those who settled it. Of course, it also gave Clint Eastwood his first on-screen television credit, so that’s a pretty big deal in itself.

‘The Magnificent Seven’ (1998–2000)

Image via CBS

You may think you know the classic story of The Magnificent Seven, and if you’ve seen the original 1960 film (or its 2016 remake), then you probably do. But that’s only the beginning of the story, at least if this CBS series proves anything. A television remake of the original concept, The Magnificent Seven unites seven gunslingers to protect a small town from a band of outlaws — and instead of riding into the sunset, they stick around for a while to keep the peace.

The ensemble cast includes heavy hitters like Michael Biehn, Eric Close, Laurie Holden, and Ron Perlman, with each episode generally focusing on a new member of the title Seven. With two seasons and 22 episodes total, the network Western takes its time to really develop each member of the group. The results rival anything you might expect from a series trying to ride off the success of one of the genre’s greatest theatrical installments.

‘The Loner’ (1965–1966)

Image via CBS

After his work on The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling decided to move away from science fiction in favor of a careful examination of the Old West. The result was The Loner, a Lloyd Bridges-centric series that followed ex-Union officer William Colton as he traveled throughout the open range, dealing with more mature and adult drama than was popular with most Western programs at the time (like The Lone Ranger). Although it only lasted 26 episodes, Serling knew how to make the genre shine.

Bridges played the wandering gunslinger with ease, emphasizing how one man can truly make a difference when faced with the injustices and brutality of the world. One of the genre’s most criminally underrated shows, The Loner is a remarkable piece of television that, sadly, just didn’t make the cut at the time. But revisiting the series now will prove a real treat, especially if you’re looking for something of such high caliber as The Twilight Zone (just don’t expect any time-traveling, supernatural shenanigans like Serlings’ previous Western entries).

‘Harts of the West’ (1993–1994)

Image via CBS

A more comedic take on the American West, Harts of the West is the only Western-based series on this list set closer to present day, technically making it a neo-Western. When Beau Bridges‘ Dave Hart has a life-threatening heart attack and a midlife crisis, he moves his family out of the Chicagoland area to the middle-of-nowhere Nevada, buys a run-down ranch, and fulfills his life-long dream of living like a cowboy. Yeah, it sounds like a wild premise (and it is), but this one-season dramedy absolutely delivers.

Alongside local cowboy Jake (played by Bridges’ father and The Loner star Lloyd Bridges), the Hart family fixes up their homestead and gets involved with the eclectic group that populates the town of Sholo. No doubt, this short-lived CBS gem is both funnier and more heartfelt than you’d expect, perfect for fans of Little House on the Prairie. And, for those hardcore Western fans out there, you’ll appreciate that Dave and Allison (Harley Jane Kozak) named their three children after Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, and John “Duke” Wayne himself.

‘Hec Ramsey’ (1972–1974)

Image via NBC

After several years headlining the six-season Have Gun — Will Travel, longtime TV star Richard Boone returned to the Old West in his later years for Hec Ramsey. With episodes ranging from 90 minutes to two hours in length, the Oklahoma-based program followed the title investigator as he solved crimes in the early 20th century using budding scientific techniques and technologies. Think of it as a cross between Gunsmoke and CSI.

A solid two-season Western worth the binge, Hec Ramsey combined modern procedural investigative techniques with a traditional period setting. In many respects, Boone considered Hec to be a sort of continuation of his Paladin character from Have Gun, though there were no real connections between the shows. Still, it’s hard to say no to such a memorable Western star; just be warned, you’ll wish this 10-episode series ran a bit longer.

‘The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.’ (1993–1994)

Image via FOX

Admittedly, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. isn’t your traditional shoot-’em-up Western adventure. More of a “Weird Western,” the series follows Bruce Campbell as the titular hero who is seeking justice for his father’s murder, only to be thrown into a sci-fi-inspired adventure. No, there are no space aliens or robots, but time travel and rockets are certainly factors.

If you already love Bruce Campbell, then this is one adventure you can’t pass up on — even if it’s not his usual flavor of horror or action/adventure. With its steampunk-themed Western style, Brisco County, Jr. was unlike any other horse opera out there, always pushing the boundaries of what the period could pull off. And yet, it remains a cult favorite for the few who followed it thoroughly.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 13 seconds ago

Part of what makes Star Trek cool is that, like all good sci-fi, it forces viewers to consider perspectives that are very different from their own. After all, when characters like Kirk and Picard go “seek out new life and new civilizations,” they don’t always find perfect mirrors of Earth culture. Often, they find worlds that are alien in every sense of the word, populated by beings with values very different from those of humanity.

In Voyager, the collision of values came to a head in the Season 2 episode “Elogium.” This episode’s B plot concerned itself with whether Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Kes (Jennifer Lien) were ready to have children, a discussion made more intense by the fact that she was undergoing a Ponn Farr like mating drive. That seems relatable enough on paper, but these two have an age gap that goes way beyond problematic. You see, Kes was only one year old in this episode, which basically cemented Neelix as (by human standards) the galaxy’s biggest sex pest.

Groomer Has It

The A Plot of “Elogium” has to do with the ship trying to get rid of a swarm of space critters that keep draining power from vital areas like helm and shields. In the B plot, the swarm somehow triggers a premature elogium in Kes. This is the name her people (the Ocampa) use for a special mating cycle where they feel the urge to reproduce. It normally only happens to Ocampa who are four or five years old. Kes is only one year old, and she and Neelix weigh whether to have kids. They ultimately decide against it, and Voyager’s successful escape from the swarm frees Kes from their influence.

These days, the young age of Kes is a source of dark humor for Star Trek fans who joke about Neelix being a creeper for having a one-year-old girlfriend. Interestingly, script writer Kenneth Biller (whose success on “Elogium” landed him a position on the show’s staff as executive story editor) revealed that producers fretted over discussions about Neelix and Kes having sex.

In an interview with Cinefantastique, Biller revealed that he “wanted them to be living together and doing it, but Jeri [Taylor] and Rick [Berman] had some concerns that she is so young.” Collectively, the producers worried, “Are we sending the right message to say that they are screwing?”

Alien Sex: Even Weirder Than You Imagined

Eventually, the producers convinced Biller that it would be “more interesting if we show the time they have to first confront this issue.” However, he felt that the idea that Neelix and Kes hadn’t yet had sex was pretty unbelievable, given when “Elogium” aired. You see, this episode was filmed for Season 1 but ultimately pushed back to Season 2. “I thought it began to feel less believable and a little odd to tell the audience almost a year later that these people have never had any kind of sexual relationship.”

Biller eventually accepted that what would seem weird to us wouldn’t necessarily be weird to aliens. “Who knows what mating is for an Ocampa?” he asked. “Just because they didn’t have a sexual relationship is open to discussion and people can kind of believe what they want.” These words proved quite prophetic: decades after Voyager aired its final episodes, fans still question whether or not Neelix and Kes had an explicitly intimate relationship. 

Neelix And The Week-Long Erection

Biller enjoyed that Kes’s story doubles as a teen pregnancy metaphor, but he mostly liked how this episode was “trying to play with the weirdness of alien sexuality.” This included that the couple would have to be bonded for a full week before any action: “you see the look on Neelix’s face that he was metaphorically going to have to keep it up for seven days.” Sadly, the show never really returned to this level of sexual tension between the two characters again; they would later break up in Season 3 before Kes left the show to make way for Seven of Nine, arguably the biggest source of sexual tension in all of Voyager.

To this day, “Elogium” remains something of a Star Trek anomaly. As a Voyager episode, its A Plot does a good job of illustrating how weird life on the final frontier can be, making for a fascinating bottle episode. Its B Plot, meanwhile, focused on the quirk of Ocampan biology that would effectively give Neelix a pass to get his one-year-old girlfriend pregnant. In that way, this obscure Star Trek episode gives Neelix a new title. He was already the cook and the morale officer; now, thanks to “Elogium,” he’s also the biggest, weirdest sex pest in the entire Delta Quadrant.

Mixing horror with comedy is a fine line. Throw in too many laughs, and the scares can be stripped away. Make the plot too dark, and there’s no joke funny enough. Movies like An American Werewolf in London, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Scream, and so many others have pulled it off by delivering on the comedy while also keeping the antagonists terrifying. Then there’s Joe Dante‘s Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. The original is filled with plenty of Christmastime horror as hundreds of pint-sized little creatures descend on a town and start killing the residents. Despite being PG, it gave plenty of kids, including this writer, countless nightmares.

However, the gremlins and their wild antics are also a source of laughs. This is done to great effect in the first film, then turned up to eleven in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. In the sequel, Dante throws everything at the wall, and most of it sticks in a zany, meta comedy that feels like a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon. Considered a disappointment when it was released, the sequel is now a cult classic. Together, Gremlins and Gremlins 2 show the passion of a talented filmmaker let loose.

‘Gremlins’ Was Made More Family Friendly by Producer Steven Spielberg

Before he directed Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and multiple Harry Potter movies, Chris Columbus was a struggling writer when he came up with the idea for Gremlins. His original screenplay was a vicious, R-rated monster movie, with the creatures killing everyone in their path, including the family dog. But then executive producer Steven Spielberg saw the script, and before it went into production with Joe Dante, he suggested several changes. He wanted Gremlins to be a boy-and-his-dog type movie, so he made Gizmo, who was originally supposed to turn into an evil gremlin too, the protagonist alongside Billy (Zach Galligan), and cut down on a lot of the death scenes.

Families went into the theater in 1984 not knowing what to expect. The PG rating alluded to a cute little movie, perhaps with some slightly scary creatures thrown in. What they got was scene after scene of gremlin carnage, with creatures exploding in microwaves and humans chomped on and launched out of windows. Gremlins is tame compared to today’s levels of violence, but in the mid 80s, the outrage was enough that Spielberg helped create the PG-13 rating in response.

Related

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Gremlins perfectly blends genres. It is a boy-and-his-dog type movie reminiscent of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, as Billy forms a bond with the impossibly adorable and wide-eyed Gizmo, a happy creature who is nothing like the vicious spawn that comes from him. Billy is given a sweet romance with Kate (Phoebe Cates), but none of it works without the creatures themselves. The gremlins were created by Chris Walas, who would later go on to win a Best Makeup Academy Award for The Fly. In an era before CGI, and better than CGI could ever do, Walas brought the gremlins to life in a three-dimensional space. They felt like they truly existed, which only heightens both the laughs and the terror.

Warner Bros. Gave Director Joe Dante Creative Control for ‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’

It’s no surprise that Joe Dante would make such a good horror comedy. He’d already done it before with Piranha and The Howling. However, when Warner Bros. came to him hoping for Gremlins 2, he had no interest in repeating himself. But then the studio made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: complete creative control. Dante would be allowed to do whatever he wanted with zero studio interference. How could he say no to that?

Written by Charles S. Haas, Dante took Warner Bros. up on their offer and went for it. Gremlins 2: The New Batch is similar to the first film, with Billy, Kate, and Gizmo returning, but this time the suburbs of Kingston Falls are traded in for a New York City skyscraper run by the Donald Trump-like Daniel Clamp (John Glover). This becomes the setting for all types of havoc where everything you can think of is tried. The mogwai are a little sillier this time around. When they transform, the building’s advancements, including an in-house science lab, leads to the most cartoony monster movie you’ll ever see. One gremlin turns into a spider, another a bat. Tony Randall voices one who puts on glasses and talks. Gremlins 2 is the pub scene in Gremlins if it lasted for two whole acts. Its meta approach, which includes the gremlins shutting the real movie down until Hulk Hogan intervenes, works because, although how the gremlins are created has those three famous rules, the creatures themselves have no rules to their behavior. They are born chaos with zero limitations. Destruction and wild behavior are their entire reason for existing, allowing Dante to push the envelope without ever risking jumping the shark. It was done so well that Key & Peele would parody it brilliantly a few decades later.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch was a dud when it came out in 1990, only making $41 million at the box office compared to the original’s $148 million. Audiences wanted a repeat of the first film and got the exact opposite. It’s the definition of a movie made before it’s time. Today, it’s celebrated as a stellar meta horror comedy, and the type of movie they don’t make anymore. Combined, they’re perfect to watch together to see how a two-film franchise can evolve. Whenever Gremlins 3 is made, it’s going to have a very hard act to follow.

Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch are available to rent or buy on VOD services in the U.S.

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Release Date

June 8, 1984

Runtime

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106 minutes

Director

Joe Dante

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Writers

Chris Columbus

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Producers

Michael Finnell

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• 

  Zach Galligan

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  Billy Peltzer

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  Phoebe Cates

  Kate Beringer

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Tiger Woods was arrested Friday (March 27) at the scene of a car crash. He reportedly struck another vehicle and rolled his Land Rover, authorities said. Woods was apparently showing signs of impairment. The news broke on Friday afternoon.

RELATED: Florida Dad Battling Stage 4 Cancer Reportedly Receives 37-Year Sentence After Unlicensed Son Killed 4 In Car Crash

No Injuries In Car Crash Allegedly Caused By Tiger Woods

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Tiger Woods and the person in the other vehicle were not injured. Woods was able to crawl out of the passenger side of his Land Rover. The crash occurred just after 2 p.m., not far from where the golf champ lives on Jupiter Island.

Budensiek said Tiger Woods attempted to pass a pressure cleaner truck while driving on a two-lane road. He swerved to avoid a collision as he was passing the truck, but clipped the back end of the truck’s trailer. Tiger Woods’ vehicle then rolled onto its driver’s side.

Police Believe Woods Was Impaired & Arrest Him

Sheriff Budensiek said investigators at the scene found Woods was showing signs of impairment. He did a breathalyzer test, which came out negative. However, he refused to take a urine test. Ultimately, authorities charged him with driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test, Budensiek said. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Woods’ manager at Excel Sports did not immediately respond to a text message seeking information, per the Associated Press.

Tiger Woods Has A History Of Car-Related Incidents

This was at least the third time Woods has been involved in a car crash. The most recent one happened in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed. That accident led to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said later doctors considered amputation. Woods has played 11 tournaments since that 2021 crash. However, he hasn’t finished closer than within 16 shots of the winner the four times he finished 72 holes.

Also, Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge in 2017. At the time, south Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car. The vehicle was parked awkwardly with damage to the driver’s side. Woods said he had taken a bad mix of painkillers. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving.

Golfer Is Recovering From Seventh Back Surgery

Woods won his fifth Masters, and 15th major, in 2019. He has 82 wins on the PGA Tour, tied for the all-time record with Sam Snead. Woods, 50, had been working his way back to golf from a seventh back surgery in September. He had not decided whether he could play in the Masters on April 9-12.

His last official tournament was the British Open in 2024. Woods ruptured his Achilles tendon in March 2025. That kept him off the course all season even before the back surgery. He managed to play in his indoor TGL golf league on Tuesday night (March 24).

RELATED: Video Shows LaMelo Ball Involved In Car Crash In Downtown Charlotte, Hazel E Reacts (WATCH)

Associated Press contributed to this report via AP Newsroom. 

Meghan McCain issued a strong defense over the allegedly “evil” criticism of Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk (née Frantzve).

“I do not understand why Erika Kirk, who saw her husband get brutally assassinated on live television, is a target of such evil and cruelty,” McCain, 41, wrote via X on Friday, March 27. “Why are you all doing this to her? Have she and her children not suffered enough?”

Charlie, a conservative political commentator, was shot and killed during a Utah speaking engagement in September 2025. He was 31 and is survived by Erika and their two young children.

“Some of you were literally birthed in hell,” McCain added on Friday.

Weeks after Charlie’s death, Erika assumed the role of CEO of Charlie’s Turning Point USA organization and went on a press tour promoting his posthumous book, Stop in the Name of God.

“My daughter and I [have] talked about this at night. She would ask, ‘What do you think Daddy did today in heaven?’” Erika told Sean Hannity on Fox News in December 2025. “I’ll have her relay that back to me. We’ve come to the understanding — and I’ve tried to explain this to her — that Daddy’s still with us, he’s just in a different location, and he’s building us a home in heaven.”

Erika has drawn criticism for diving into work so quickly after her husband’s death.

“I didn’t ask for this,” she stated during a CBS town hall held later in December 2025. “I view it as a blessing [and] a duty to my husband, but I was very happy being a stay-at-home mom. There’s nothing wrong with being a mother.”

Erika continued, “Stepping into this role is not so much a job title. It’s not a 9-to-5 for me, [and] this is something that I’m very passionate about. [Turning Point USA] is still a living, breathing version of my husband. This organization is not just a company to me, and the staff and employees are not just staff and employees, they’re family.”

Social media commenters also criticized Erika over her now-infamous hug with Vice President JD Vance at a Turning Point event earlier in fall 2025. (JD, 41, is married to Usha Vance, who is pregnant with the couple’s fourth baby.)

“My love language is touch, if you will,” Erika said of the seemingly cozy moment on Megyn Kelly Live in November 2025. “I will give you a play-by-play: They just played the emotional video. I’m walking over, [JD] is walking over. I’m starting to cry. He says, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ And I say, ‘God bless you,’ and I touch the back of his head. Anyone whom I have hugged, that I have touched the back of your head when I hug you, I always say, ‘God bless you.’”

By Douglas Helm
| Published 1 hour ago

Video game adaptations have come a long, long way, with titles like The Last of Us and Arcane receiving widespread critical praise. Still, it’s fun to go back to the dark days of video game adaptations, like 1999’s Wing Commander, which was loosely based on the game series of the same name.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to revisit these films HD versions can’t be found on streaming services.

Wing Commander never received a 4K restoration. In short, there’s really not a great way to watch the film on modern TVs. But it’s not entirely surprising that this movie isn’t getting a lot of love because it’s pretty terrible.

Wing Commander follows an interstellar war between two factions known as the Terran Confederation and the cat-like Kilrathi Empire. A young crew ends up being the last hope for Earth after finding a device that allows them to intercept the Kilrathi invasion. A young team of fighter pilots is forced to hold off the Kilrathi until reinforcements arrive.

Wing Commander has a pretty decent cast that includes Freddie Prinze Jr, Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows, Tcheky Karyo, Jurgen Prochnow, David Suchet, and David Warner. Also, Chris Roberts, the creator of the video game series, directed the film. Unfortunately, having these elements in place did not equate to a good movie.

Wing Commander was a massive critical and commercial failure, only making a measly $11.6 million at the box office. This makes it easily the worst film that Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard ever starred in together. Before Wing Commander, the two starred in She’s All That and would later star in both the live-action Scooby-Doo films and the movie Summer Catch.

It’s not hard to imagine that there is a better version of the Wing Commander movie out there, but some mistakes were definitely made along the way during production. For one, Roberts decided to make the most of the film’s budget and shoot most of the movie in the interiors of the spaceships, which takes away some of the space-opera grandeur you expect from cosmic dogfights.  Also, the film sadly missed out on having some of the voice actors from the video game series.

The Wing Commander movie was a prequel, so it was decided that Mark Hamill was too old to reprise his role from the games. Also, Malcolm McDowell plays Admiral Tolwyn in the game, but he had scheduling conflicts that prevented him from appearing in the movie. Finally, the production was rushed because the studios wanted to get the movie out before Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace came out and destroyed any hope of competing space movies to make money at the box office that year.

In the end, Wing Commander ended up being a disaster, no matter how you slice it. Still, sometimes, it’s fun to revisit terrible movies and see how bad they really were. Unfortunately, the movie isn’t available legally on most streaming services, and it’s definitely not out there in HD.