Next Gen NYC’s Gia Giudice is defending Ariana Biermann’s flirty connection with Charlie Zakkour.

“I did know everything that was going on. I think it was kind of that normal thing that you go through after a breakup, where you’re like, let me explore all my options,” Gia, 25, exclusively shared with Us on Wednesday, August 12. “There was no malicious intent behind it. It was really her just being like, ‘I’m out here. I’m single. I’m hot,’ and she’s getting attention from all these guys. And I mean, who doesn’t love attention?”

This season on Next Gen NYC, cameras have rolled as Ariana, 24, adjusted to her new single life after breaking up with Hudson McLeroy.

Although the Bravo star has been spending time with new cast member Liam Obergfoll in recent episodes, viewers learned on Wednesday’s show that she’s also been flirting with Charlie, 31.

“She was just exploring,” Gia explained. “And you know, I think you’ll come to see where that brought her, and how she felt about it. But I think it was all just newly single energy and just exploring.”

During Wednesday’s episode, Charlie opened up about his relationship status with Ariana to close friend Shai Fruchter.

Despite previously telling Hudson, 24, that he has “no intention” of sacrificing his friendship for Ariana, Charlie admitted things have taken a turn.

“[Ariana] came out of the gate saying, ‘I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole. If anything, that triggers me to be like, ‘Well, look at how wrong that was,’” Charlie said. “Obviously, that’s a shot at my ego, and I want to defend it.”

He continued, “I think my friendship, flirtation, whatever with Ariana is perfectly genuine. If anything, I’m trying to hide the details of it from the show. Not the other way around. She’s reluctant to play ball in front of the cameras, but she’s going to be extra reluctant to play ball in front of Liam.”

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Related: Next Gen NYC’s Hudson Addresses Rumor Gia Caused Ariana Biermann Split

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Next Gen NYC star Hudson McLeroy is shutting down rumors that Gia Giudice had anything to do with his split from Ariana Biermann. “The biggest rumor was you’re the one that caused the breakup,” Hudson, 24, said during the Monday, June 29, episode of Gia’s iHeartRadio “Casual Chaos” podcast. “We could put that to rest […]

As fans keep watching to see what unfolds with Ariana and Charlie, Gia seems to understand why things have gotten flirty.

“I think when Charlie wants to be a charmer, he’s a charmer,” she said. “There are times where you absolutely love him. There are times where you could disagree with him. I think every person has different sides to them, different emotions and he definitely did a better job of expressing himself this season.”

Next Gen NYC airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET. Stream new episodes the next day on Peacock.

After nearly two years away, “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” is returning with something the franchise has been missing: a sense that its most difficult relationships might finally be manageable. 

Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice are no longer locked in the kind of feud that helped derail the previous season, and Gorga says that change affected everything on camera. 

With Season 15 bringing the longtime rivals back into the same orbit, the cast is promising a noticeably different energy.

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The biggest shift heading into Season 15 may not be a new cast member or dramatic storyline, but the changed relationship between Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice. 

Speaking to PEOPLE at the “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring” 20th premiere in New York City on Tuesday, Melissa explained that being on better terms with her sister-in-law made the experience feel fundamentally different.

“Obviously, Teresa and I are getting along, which just makes everything so much better, and it makes it feel safe,” she said.

That sense of safety is particularly significant given how Season 14 ended. The reunion was canceled in June 2024 after longstanding tensions among the cast made a conventional resolution impossible. 

With Melissa and Teresa now getting along, the new season has room for the women to show more of their personalities instead of constantly circling the same conflicts.

Melissa Teases A More Playful ‘RHONJ’ Season

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Melissa Gorga believes viewers will notice the difference when “RHONJ” returns for its 15th season.

Rather than describing the new episodes purely through the drama that has traditionally driven the franchise, she pointed to a lighter atmosphere and a cast that had more opportunity to simply enjoy being together.

“We wrapped it with a bang,” she shared, adding, “I had so much fun this season. The cast is so funny.” 

According to Melissa, the stress surrounding the show actually helped reveal more authentic sides of the women. 

“I feel like there was a lot of stress, so you got to see our real personalities,” she noted, further noting that the experience reminded her of the earlier seasons when the cast could “just have a lot of fun and be goofy.”

Melissa said she and Teresa “appreciate all the support” from viewers, even as some fans remain skeptical about whether their reconciliation will last. 

Teresa Giudice Opens Up About Her Repaired Relationship With Melissa Gorga

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Teresa has also told her side of the family reconciliation story, revealing that the decision to make peace with her brother and sister-in-law came from a deeply personal realization. 

As The Blast stated, during her August 9 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Teresa explained that filming “Special Forces” alongside her daughter Gia helped her rethink the anger she had been carrying. 

Gia encouraged her mother to let go of her resentment toward Teresa’s ex-husband, Joe Guidace, and the conversation ultimately prompted her to consider her relationship with Joe Gorga and Melissa as well. 

Teresa said she wanted to demonstrate to her daughters that conflict did not have to continue indefinitely. 

After returning home, the reality TV star said she began thinking about her brother and reached out directly. 

“So I texted my brother and I said, ‘Do you want to meet? Let’s meet together and let’s talk.’ And ever since that day, it’s been great,” she said. 

Andy Cohen Gives His Take On Teresa Giudice And Melissa Gorga’s Reunion

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Andy Cohen has been watching Teresa and Melissa’s repaired relationship with a level of optimism that was difficult to imagine during their years-long feud. 

The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” executive producer recently addressed their reconciliation, making clear that he believed the family had genuinely moved past its old conflicts. 

Cohen explained that Bravo deliberately did not rush to film the reunion because Teresa and Melissa had reconciled before, only for tensions to return. 

Instead, he wanted to see whether the change would actually last. “They actually have [reconciled], and I do believe it,” Cohen said per The Blast. 

He recalled speaking with Teresa’s daughter Gia at BravoCon, where she described the families spending time together and became emotional about having her uncle and cousins back in her life. 

That conversation convinced him the reconciliation was different this time. “And I was like, ‘OK, good. This is real,’” Cohen recalled. 

‘RHONJ’ Season 15 Is Reportedly ‘Far Less Toxic’

The change in atmosphere surrounding “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” appears to extend beyond Melissa Gorga and Teresa simply putting their differences aside. 

According to a source who spoke to Us Weekly in June, the entire dynamic on set shifted following the cast shakeup, with Season 15 described as “far less toxic” than previous seasons. 

The insider revealed that Melissa, Teresa and Dolores had been “very nice and welcoming to the new ladies.” 

They also described the season as containing “fun, sisterhood, emotion, comedy and drama,” offering a very different picture from the atmosphere that surrounded Season 14. 

That season became dominated by the bitter family conflict between Teresa and Melissa, eventually contributing to the decision not to hold a traditional reunion. 

Sean “Diddy” Combs has accused a man who previously sued him for sexual assault of selling stolen video footage to Netflix for 50 Cent’s documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning.

Combs, 56, filed a countersuit against Rodney Jones on Tuesday, August 11, alleging that the videographer and producer used his access to the musician during a trip to St. Barts in 2022 to steal documentary footage, according to documents obtained by Us. (TMZ first reported the news.)

“Mr. Jones was supposed to stay in the staff villa. However, after first coming to the yacht, Mr. Jones did not want to leave,” the lawsuit reads. “There was no room available for Mr. Jones on the yacht — but that did not deter Mr. Jones, who preferred to sleep on couches on the yacht to remain in the vicinity of Mr. Combs.”

Per Diddy’s lawyers, Jones, 38, was one of multiple videographers on the 2022 trip but they suspect that he secretly stole another cameraman’s footage and then took steps to conceal his alleged theft. (The footage was being shot for a biographical project on Diddy’s life, per his legal team.)

“Mr. Jones devised a plan to exploit the trust provided to him by Mr. Combs during the St. Barths trip and to obtain leverage over Mr. Combs by stealing valuable footage that Mr. Combs and the videographers were collecting for Mr. Combs’s documentary,” the suit alleged.

The mogul contends that Jones later illegally sold that footage to Netflix to be used in 50 Cent’s December 2025 four-part docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning.

“Mr. Combs did not become aware of Mr. Jones’s theft until December 2025 when it came to his attention that the Stolen Footage — footage Mr. Combs had created for use in his own forthcoming documentary — had been published by Netflix in a competing documentary,” the mogul’s attorneys insisted.

At the time of Sean Combs: The Reckoning’s release, a Netflix spokesperson denied Diddy’s complaints that it was “fundamentally unfair, and illegal” to air the allegedly stolen footage.

“The claims being made about Sean Combs: The Reckoning are false. The project has no ties to any past conversations between Sean Combs and Netflix,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to Us on December 2, 2025. “The footage of Combs leading up to his indictment and arrest were legally obtained. This is not a hit piece or an act of retribution. Curtis Jackson [50 Cent] is an executive producer but does not have creative control. No one was paid to participate.”

Netflix also pointed to previous comments from Sean Combs: The Reckoning director Alexandria Stapleton about how the company obtained unreleased documentary footage of Combs.

“It came to us, we obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights,” she said. “We moved heaven and earth to keep the filmmaker’s identity confidential. One thing about Sean Combs is that he’s always filming himself, and it’s been an obsession throughout the decades. We also reached out to Sean Combs’ legal team for an interview and comment multiple times, but did not hear back.”

Related: Diddy Slams 50 Cent’s Netflix Doc About Him As a ‘Shameful Hit Piece’

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A spokesperson for Sean “Diddy” Combs has hit back at 50 Cent’s upcoming Netflix docuseries, Sean Combs: The Reckoning. “Netflix’s so-called ‘documentary’ is a shameful hit piece,” a spokesperson for the disgraced rapper said in a statement to Us Weekly on Monday, December 1. “Today’s GMA teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that […]

In addition to the dispute over video footage, Diddy’s lawsuit against Jones accuses the producer of defaming him by repeating sexual assault allegations during an interview for Sean Combs: The Reckoning.

“Mr. Jones’s statements in his Netflix interview accusing Mr. Combs of directing him to procure sex workers are false and Mr. Jones knew they were false. … Mr. Jones also falsely claimed in his interview in the Competing Documentary that he was given drugs by Mr. Combs without his knowledge,” Diddy’s countersuit read.

Jones accused Diddy of sexual assault and sexual harassment, as well as drugging and threatening him, for over a year between September 2022 and November 2023 in a lawsuit filed in February 2024. He also named Diddy’s former chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, his son Justin Combs and his company, Combs Global, as defendants.

However, New York federal judge J. Paul Oetken dismissed five of nine claims in Jones’ lawsuit in March 2025, including a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) allegation related to the producer’s insistence that he was not paid properly for work on Diddy’s 2023 record, The Love Album: Off the Grid.

“[Combs’] alleged refusal to honor the contract with Jones is not itself a RICO predicate act, even if the contract breach resulted from Jones’s refusal to participate in Combs’ alleged racketeering scheme,” the judge wrote at the time.

Separate claims for negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract were also dismissed. Diddy’s company, Combs Global, was removed from a claim of violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). (The judge ruled that trafficking, sexual assault and premises liability claims against Diddy and Khorram could proceed.)

Diddy’s former attorney, Shawn Holley, previously dismissed the merits of Jones’ lawsuit when it was originally filed.

“Lil Rod [Jones] is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit, shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday,” Holley said in a statement to Us in 2024. “His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.”

Khorram denied Jones’ allegations that she was “the Ghislaine Maxwell to Sean Combs’ Jeffrey Epstein,” saying in a statement in March 2025, “For months, horrific accusations have been made about me in various lawsuits regarding my former boss.”

“These false allegations of my involvement are causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family,” Khorram added to Rolling Stone. “I have never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone. Nor have I ever drugged anyone.”

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Related: New Diddy Doc Shows Him Reacting to Dawn Richard Lawsuit Before Arrest

Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard sued Sean “Diddy” Combs shortly before his September 2024 arrest — and a new docuseries shows him reacting moments after he got the news. “Dawn Richard just dropped a lawsuit on me. For $30 million,” Diddy, now 56, says in Netflix’s Sean Combs: The Reckoning, which premiered Tuesday, December 2. In […]

Us has reached out to representatives for Jones and Diddy for comment.

In October 2025, Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison after being found guilty on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. He is scheduled to be released from prison on January 24, 2028. (Diddy denied all allegations of wrongdoing from his criminal trial. His conviction was based on separate allegations from those in Jones’ lawsuit.)

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

One of the biggest obstacles facing any remake is whether it can successfully justify its own existence. The debate about which adaptation of Jane Austen‘s Pride and Prejudice is superior will likely persist ad nauseam, for example, with fans eternally divided over which version of Mr. Darcy is actually the most swoonworthy of them all. While it’s possible that no one was remotely anticipating another take on My Brilliant Career, Miles Franklin‘s 1901 novel, it’s been almost 50 years since Gillian Armstrong‘s Oscar-nominated film was released — so one could argue that the story was well overdue for a second screen adaptation.

Enter showrunner and co-writer Liz Doran, responsible for developing this new interpretation of the classic romantic drama for Netflix, which certainly bears shades of similarity to some of its more recent contemporaries in the genre. A soundtrack infused with modern pop and rock songs serves as a gentle echo of shows like Bridgerton or The Buccaneers, while the show’s unapologetically headstrong heroine, who has bigger dreams of becoming a successful author, shares parallels withLittle Women or Dickinson. Yet Doran’s adaptation of My Brilliant Career masterfully carves out its own niche within the period drama by both embracing the original novel’s best aspects and incorporating thoughtful updates into the text, ultimately resulting in a remake that manages to feel both timeless and refreshingly modern.

What Is ‘My Brilliant Career’ About?

Sybylla Melvyn (Philippa Northeast) comes from humble origins, but has greater aspirations for her future than anyone would expect from a young woman in 1900s Australia. While her rural surroundings have given her plenty of inspiration for her writing, she also finds herself wondering whether she needs to leave her home — and her family — to experience more of what life has to offer. What she isn’t expecting is for her grandmother, Winifred Bossier (Anna Chancellor), to suddenly invite Sybylla to stay with her at her estate, Caddagat. Sybylla’s first instinct is to reject her grandmother’s summons, especially since her mother, Lucy (Mirrah Foulkes), has been estranged from the rest of her family for years. Despite learning that Mrs. Bossier intends to find her a husband, which automatically clashes with her ambitions to be a professional writer, Sybylla decides to use her time at Caddagat to expand her horizons, outwardly conceding to her grandmother’s plan while secretly working on the perfect novel that will give her true independence, financially and otherwise.

Sybylla’s arrival at Caddagat, however, instantly sparks a push and pull between societal expectation and her own free-spirited nature. She’s much more likely to risk embarrassing her grandmother with a rollicking dance during a formal party at the estate, or reciting an intensely sensual poem in front of her potential suitors. Yet, even while Sybylla’s various forms of rebellion threaten to upend Mrs. Bossier’s attempts at matchmaking, her unconventional behavior results in her earning several new friends — and possibly even a love match. Her quiet but kind aunt, Helen (Genevieve O’Reilly), as well as Mrs. Bossier’s non-conforming neighbor, Augusta Beecham (Kate Mulvany), quietly encourage Sybylla to pursue her dreams, while Augusta’s handsome nephew Harry (Christopher Chung), as well as the Bossiers’ English foreman, Frank Hawden (Jake Dunn), both find themselves in a position to potentially win Sybylla’s heart.

Philippa Northeast’s Fearless Performance Leads ‘My Brilliant Career’s Fantastic Ensemble

It’s hard to say whether the success of My Brilliant Career lives or dies on the shoulders of its lead, but what watching all six episodes provided for review proves is that Philippa Northeast was born to play the role of Sybylla Melvyn. Her wonderfully expressive performance perfectly suits the characterization of someone who has largely run free in the early years of her life and now finds herself chafing beneath society’s restrictions — or sometimes more literally, courtesy of uncomfortable shoes. She’s forthright in her opinions and unapologetic in her judgments, but her creative soul couldn’t exist without a heart that has the potential to be bruised if she’s too open with it. As the anchor around which the entire miniseries is rooted, Northeast creates an absolutely winsome heroine, and it’s a joy to watch her deliver both Sybylla’s biggest experiences of ecstasy and her lowest moments of melancholy.

With Northeast’s performance leading the charge, as Sybylla comes to Caddagat like an utter force of nature and upends every existing structure in place, the rest of My Brilliant Career‘s ensemble serves as perfect foils or allies, depending on the situation. As Mrs. Bossier, Chancellor inhabits the character with a precise mix of domineering authority and hidden warmth that gradually emerges the more her granddaughter wins her over alongside everyone else. O’Reilly, arguably one of Andor‘s biggest standouts over its two seasons, brings that same presence to all of her scenes as Helen, couching it in a reserve that ultimately gives way to more powerful emotion. Harry Beecham might be the romantic hero that Slow Horses‘ Roddy Ho would like to think he is, but Chung puts his own entirely dreamy spin on the character Neill first inhabited — and could easily become the internet’s next boyfriend in the process. By contrast, Dunn’s Frank Hawden adopts a convivial dynamic with Sybylla at first, one that slowly makes room for less platonic feelings and unexpected vulnerability.

‘My Brilliant Career’ Is a Refreshingly Modern Period Drama Remake

Image via Netflix

It doesn’t take long for the more contemporary elements of My Brilliant Career‘s identity to assert themselves. From episode titles splashed across the screen in bold font to a soundtrack made up of Australian artists from Isabella Manfredi to Thelma Plum — both of whom actually appear in the show as in-world performers — this remake, like its leading heroine, proudly and unflinchingly declares itself to the viewer from the very first frame.

Other book-to-screen changes are clearly treated with care in terms of their impact on the story; My Brilliant Career‘s inclusive casting choices, specifically, aren’t just narrative window dressing. First Nations characters, like Caddagat’s horse trainer and aspiring foreman, Nell (Sherry-Lee Watson), and her housemaid sister Betty (Miah Madden), both of whom work for Mrs. Bossier, are perpetually aware of the fact that they both have to work doubly hard to earn half the recognition from their wealthier and inherently more privileged employer. Similarly, Harry’s Chinese heritage, on his mother’s side, sits in constant conflict with the status of his fortune, and often no amount of money can paper over the uglier prejudice that persists in certain society circles. The show doesn’t revel in the suffering of its marginalized characters — there’s just as much attention paid to their personal joys and triumphs, which include some lovely romantic sideplots, as well as their setbacks and disappointments. A period drama that thoughtfully considers how every character would be reasonably impacted by the story’s colonial era is a breath of fresh air among others of its kind.

Clocking in at a smooth six episodes, My Brilliant Career could never be defined as overstaying its welcome, striking a balance between period authenticity and character-forward changes for a miniseries that grasps the original novel’s enduring power and somehow transforms it into an even more relevant tale for a new generation. Northeast gamely infuses Sybylla with all the fire and passion that the role deserves, and she’s buoyed by a charming ensemble, each of whom brings something equally crucial to the character’s moving journey of self-discovery. By the time you’ve reached the end of Sybylla’s story, with all of its unexpected emotional detours along the way, the only thing you’ll want to do is jump right back to the beginning and watch it all over again. What more could a remake ask for than that?

My Brilliant Career is now streaming on Netflix.

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Network

Netflix

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Directors

Alyssa McClelland, Anne Renton

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Cast

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• 
• 

  Philippa Northeast

  Sybylla

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Pros & Cons

• Philippa Northeast gives an utterly fearless performance as Sybylla.
• Christopher Chung and Jake Dunn are equally charming love interests in their own ways.
• The series makes inclusive book-to-screen casting changes that actually engage with societal and cultural ramifications for characters like Harry, Nell, and Betty.
• The six-episode count serves as the perfect length for the story.

• The finale’s structure does drag down the show’s pacing a bit before its conclusion.

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Muse singer Matt Bellamy and Elle Evans had a whirlwind romance before they called it quits.

The pair met while filming the music video for his song “Mercy” in 2015 and got engaged two years later. Bellamy and Evans tied the knot in August 2019 in an outdoor ceremony in Malibu, announcing less than one year later that they were expecting their first baby together. Daughter Lovella Dawn was born in June 2020. (Bellamy previously welcomed son Bingham with his ex Kate Hudson in 2011.)

The family of three grew even bigger in May 2024 when Evans gave birth to son George Julien-Wade. “So grateful to my wonderfully perfect husband for being so supportive & by my side every step of the way!” Evans wrote via Instagram at the time.

Bellamy and Evans reportedly split in 2025. However, the Grammy winner did not publicly reveal their separation until the following year. Us confirmed that Bellamy filed for divorce from Evans in August 2026.

Keep scrolling to see a complete timeline of Bellamy and Evans’ relationship:

February 2015

Bellamy and Evans started dating after meeting on the set of Muse’s music video for “Mercy,” in which Evans played an android.

September 2015

Evans shared photos of the couple at Burning Man in Nevada.

February 2016

Bellamy wore an Emporio Armani suit while Evans donned a ruffled plum gown to the 2016 Grammy Awards, where Muse won Best Rock Album for Drones.

November 2016

Evans shared a glimpse of her and Bellamy’s matching Grease Halloween costumes after attending a party thrown by Hudson.

April 2017

Evans shared photos of herself and Bellamy with their friends at Coachella. One month later, the couple attended a screening of Evans’ film Muse.

December 2017

Bellamy proposed days after Evans’ birthday. “Was going to surprise everyone on Christmas, but just can’t wait any longer. . . We are so happy to announce to the world that we are engaged!” Evans gushed via Instagram.

June 2018

Evans celebrated Bellamy’s birthday with a sweet Instagram tribute, writing, “This wonderful, beautiful dream of a man had a birthday over the weekend!”

December 2018

“Happy birthday my dream love!!!” Bellamy wrote via Instagram in honor of Evans’ birthday, sharing a series of photos in a decorated bathtub.

July 2019

Bellamy and Evans traveled around the U.K. and Russia, sharing photos via Instagram posing in front of Dartington Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Saint Basil’s Cathedral.

August 2019

The couple officially tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony by the sea. Both Bellamy and Evans celebrated by sharing photos of themselves walking down the aisle, writing via Instagram, “Mr. and Mrs. Bellamy.”

February 2020

Evans announced her pregnancy via Instagram, sharing a photo of herself and Bellamy posing with their hands on her belly. “Our little family is growing. . . and so is my belly,” she wrote.

June 2020

The spouses welcomed their first baby together, daughter Lovella Dawn.

August 2020

Bellamy and Evans celebrated their first wedding anniversary by revisiting the same place where they exchanged vows, bringing Lovella and their two dogs. “Here we are with Lovella, stood exactly where we got married 1 year ago surrounded by family and friends,” Bellamy captioned his Instagram post.

January 2021

Evans celebrated the new year with pics of Bellamy, Lovella and Bingham on the beach, writing, “From our family to yours — Happy New Year! We’re wishing you all a year full of love and happiness!!!”

June 2021

The couple celebrated Lovella’s 1st birthday with a teddy bear-themed party.

April 2022

Evans and Bellamy celebrated Easter with Hudson and her fiancé, Danny Fujikawa, and their blended family.

March 2024

Evans revealed her pregnancy after attending Paris Hilton’s birthday party. “I’m only out with this baby bump on special occasions & this was one of them!” she captioned the post.

May 2024

Bellamy and Evans welcomed their second child together, son George Julien-Wade. Describing how their baby boy got his name, Evans wrote via Instagram, “Named after Matt’s dad George, my mom Julie, and my cowboy dad Billy Wade Evans. It’s an honor to bring another brilliant Bellamy into existence!”

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June 2026

After sparking split rumors in 2025, Bellamy confirmed that he and Evans separated after seven years of marriage.

“It’s one of those situations that involves something that people wouldn’t normally think it is,” he told The i Paper. “It was a set of really unexpected circumstances. It’s the kind of thing no one really prepares for in life. It threw me off, and I had to prioritize looking after the kids and creating stability at home.”

August 2026

Two months after confirming his separation from Evans, Bellamy filed for divorce. According to court documents obtained by Us, Bellamy cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. The musician also requested legal and physical custody of the pair’s two children.

Aside from Sergio Leone himself, few knew the spaghetti Western genre in their bones like Sergio Corbucci. Director of the original Django, which spawned a lengthy franchise and served as inspiration for Quentin Tarantino, Corbucci also helmed Burt Reynolds‘ Navajo Joe and the blackly comedic The Mercenary, and his sardonic, bullet-riddled style rarely flagged. But Corbucci’s undisputed masterpiece is 1968’s The Great Silence. Full of breathtaking snowy photography shot in the alpine regions of Italy and an equally breathtaking Ennio Morricone score, and laden with hard-eyed violence, this film would also prove irresistible to Tarantino, who called it “my favorite snow Western, one of the great nihilistic spaghetti Westerns, done by one of my favorite directors” — and borrowed heavily from its imagery for The Hateful Eight.

For decades, though, American audiences were unable to experience Corbucci’s vision, as stateside studio heads here were reportedly horrified by the film’s violence and grim ending. It took until 2001 for a DVD release to reach the U.S., but even that was marred by a poor transfer. Finally, in 2018, Film Movement released a gorgeous 2K version of the film to Blu-Ray and DVD, and that transfer is now finally available to stream in its pristine, uncut glory on MUBI.

Tarantino Was Enamored By The Grim, Snowy Beauty of ‘The Great Silence’

Image via 20th Century Fox

While a number of Westerns have taken place (at least partially) in snowy environments, nothing out there looks like The Great Silence. Corbucci’s command of space, color, and tone make his standard widescreen compositions of the snowy landscape look titanic and terrifying, with his tiny, bundled gunmen struggling against the elements in an ocean of white. The almost literally black-and-white look also lends an irony to the film’s morality, which is markedly more complex and nakedly political than that of your average spaghetti Western.

Watching any outdoor scene in Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, it’s impossible to ignore the visual and tonal cues he took from Corbucci. In a 2016 video essay, Little White Lies writer Adam Cook noted individual shots that are virtual mirrors of each other in the two films — a list that includes not only outdoor shots, but those of characters bouncing along inside of stagecoaches.

While The Hateful Eight is an overall more cynical enterprise than The Great Silence, and more full of backstabbing than historical myth-making, between its setting, individual shots, and Ennio Morricone score (Tarantino reused many an old Morricone cue throughout his career), it’s homage bordering on theft — in the best way.

‘The Great Silence’ Is Despairing and Unabashedly Political

The finale of The Great Silence is notorious even among spaghetti Westerns (not known for their feel-good endings) and may be one of the all-time downer finales in genre film in general. After the film’s mute protagonist is goaded into a rigged duel and gunned down, and the group he set out to protect is also massacred, The Great Silence ends with its villains, led by a terrifying Klaus Kinski, literally riding off into the sunrise. This was no accident, and Corbucci was clear about his intentions: The bankers and capitalists, with their monopoly on violence, were holding more cards than society’s revolutionaries.

A committed leftist whose Westerns were often themed around revolutionaries versus imperialist forces, Corbucci made The Great Silence at a time when liberation movements were being put down — violently — across the West, and just as the Years of Lead unofficially began in Italy. In a special feature included with the film’s initial U.S. DVD release, Alex Cox (who also directed the brilliant anti-imperialist Western Walker) said that Corbucci was consumed by the assassinations of Malcolm X and Che Guevara, and had them in mind when crafting the devastating climax. Cox added that Corbucci’s widow put it succinctly: “For the radical, for the revolutionary, both deaths were terrible news. You could only take on the powerful and the wicked for a short while, it seemed, before they crushed you.”

While it’s a much more primal and devastating film than Tarantino’s blackly comic pastiche, The Great Silence is one of the great Westerns, and it has never looked or sounded better.

The Great Silence is streaming on Mubi.

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Release Date

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January 27, 1969

Runtime

105 Minutes

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Director

Sergio Corbucci

Writers

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Sergio Corbucci, Vittoriano Petrilli, Mario Amendola, Bruno Corbucci, John Davis Hart, Lewis E. Ciannelli

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When talking about TV shows with legacies, attention always drifts to the likes of Game of Thrones and Stranger Things among a handful of others. But once in a while, we get niche television experiences that mark a set of people for life, whose impact becomes limited because of unknown circumstances. A legacy that should be part of the discussion is that of The Expanse. First a SYFY original that eventually made the jump to Prime Video halfway through its run, The Expanse is based on James S.A. Corey’s book series of the same name. Focusing mainly on the crew of the Rocinante — a stolen ship filled with a ragtag crew — the show slowly incorporates many key players across the solar system that influence the course of galactic history.

Throughout its run, The Expanse mixes political tensions with moral dilemmas inherent in human nature. Adding as well rebel uprisings, interplanetary conspiracies, bioterrorism, and the discovery of unexplored corners of the galaxy, it balances an engaging plot with character-driven storylines. The show’s scope is one that, ahem, expands as the series progresses, making it clear that this isn’t only a story, but a tale of epic proportions with repercussions for every character and their setting, regardless of the side they’re on. With six seasons that tell a full story with a rewarding finale, The Expanse stands as one of the best sci-fi journeys worth taking.

‘The Expanse’ Is Intricate Interstellar Storytelling at its Finest

Very much like the trade blockade that kicks off Star Wars‘ Skywalker saga, The Expanse starts small, with a seemingly random attack on an ice hauler called the Canterbury. This turns the crew of the Canterbury, led by James Holden (Steven Strait), into runaways who refuge themselves in a stolen ship renamed as the Rocinante. Elsewhere, Detective Miller’s (Thomas Jane) investigation of the disappearance of Julie Mao (Florence Faivre) feels like an independent noir film developing on its own. But the ramifications of both events kick off a domino effect that escalates to an all-out war between the powerful factions of Earth, Mars, and the people of the (Asteroid) Belt.

When the scope widens from these two conflicts, an intricate web of scheming and treachery is unveiled, where the strings are pulled by Earth people trying to perpetuate their domination over the system. But both Mars and the Belt have leaders the likes of Chad Coleman’s Fred Johnson (a.k.a. The Butcher) and sci-fi legend Jared Harris’ Anderson Dawes, who will not cede power without a fight. The Expanse’s tropes remind of Game of Thrones, where the slow burn of seemingly unrelated stories starts to intertwine into a tragically epic tale – with its share of unexpected deaths as well.

‘The Expanse’ Never Loses Focus of its Characters

The Expanse is full of stories that start on a personal scale but build up to have tremendous repercussions on the course of the solar system’s fate. While things may get lost with such a heavy plot, the show’s focus is always on its main characters. Strait’s James Holden unwillingly finds himself in tough spots that bring out his best qualities and true nature as a leader. Through it all, he becomes a weary idol of the Belters and, eventually, a bridge between their voice and the political forces that rule the solar system. The bonds formed with his crew evolve to the point where he’s romantically involved with Naomi (Dominique Tipper) and becomes basically a brother to Alex (Cas Anvar) and Amos (Wes Chatham). The Rocinante’s crew, as a whole, is the show’s core.

In The Expanse lore, the UN is the most powerful organization in the solar system. The decisions taken on its committees cause ripples that resonate through all of space. The bureaucratic turmoil and political scheming are brilliantly mastered mainly through Shohreh Aghdashloo’s fierce and foul-mouthed Chrisjen Avasarala. Throughout the series, the UN representative goes on a quest for power but is always seeking the common good. She’s unafraid of doing what needs to be done to keep the solar system safe and is willing to dialogue with all parties, even those that would usually be considered her enemies. This brings her close to Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams), a former Martian soldier who becomes her trusted aide and is essential for bringing peace to Earth, Mars, and the Belt.

Unknown Territories and Technologies Are Explored in ‘The Expanse’

Image via Amazon Studios

While The Expanse focuses on human nature as the way to define the solar system’s fate, a series-long arc involves a mysterious alien protomolecule as the trigger for many — if not all — of the system’s conflicts. A conspiracy to use said protomolecule as a bio-terrorist agent is slowly unveiled. The first experiments go awry and answer the burning question of what happened to Julie Mao. After the protomolecule is deliberately set loose on Eros station, it consumes it completely and becomes a sentient being. In trying to send Eros hurling into the sun, the human race fails, and it ends up crashing into Venus.

This, in turn, kicks off a transformation of the protomolecule into a whole other machine. Rising from the ashes of Eros and Venus, a ring that serves as a portal to 1300 planetary systems establishes itself in space. A power struggle ensues as to who should control the access to the ring, with all parties fighting between them. All this while adding the menace of ruthless space pirate Marco Inaros (Keon Alexander) who – in his quest to dominate the system and the ring – starts an all-out war with Earth, sending guided asteroids to crash onto its surface. The Expanse characterizes itself with these twists that change the status quo completely from season to season, and sometimes even from episode to episode.

Though The Expanse’s run was cut short after its third season on SYFY, fortunately, it was rescued by Prime Video for three more. This allowed the show to tell a complete story – although with a somewhat rushed final season. Nevertheless, its well-rounded finale is carried out by its talented ensemble cast. That’s when we know James Holden is finally able to shake off his leadership and truly start living his life, and the solar system is finally at peace. Mixing mystery, political treachery, all-powerful alien substances, and the exploration of new planetary systems make The Expanse an underrated sci-fi story worthy of continued inclusion in the larger TV conversation.

General Hospital early spoilers for the week of August 17th stun with Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) getting a verdict that is shocking. It’s going to rock Port Charles and the whole family. Plus, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) is busy scheming as he rebuilds his life and sets it up the way he wants it for him and Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright).

Also, the week of August 17th through the 21st, we’ve got Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) and Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen) at war. And we’re going to see Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) really worried, plus Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) is lashing out, and lots more. And as we always do on early edition day, we go over what’s happening the rest of this week and then we jump into what is coming next week. So, let’s dive right in.

General Hospital Spoilers: Drew’s Awful Behavior and Willow’s Custody Grab

On Wednesday, August 12th on GH, we have got Scout Cain (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) having a heart-to-heart with Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr). This is all about how Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) is trying to keep Danny Morgan (Asher Jared Antonyzyn) away from his sister Scout, which is terrible. And of course, it’s really hurting Scout, but Drew, of course, doesn’t care. Something stuns Michael and it’s likely Willow demanding that he hand over the kids right now because she is gunning to take Wylie and Amelia away from Michael.

And then Gio Palmieri (Giovanni Mazza) is intervening trying to calm things down, but Willow erupts and tells Gio that Michael had his girlfriend Jacinda Bracken (Paige Herschell) drug her and she can prove it. Now Michael may reassure Willow that he didn’t know about it and he was so angry that he dumped Jacinda and sent her away. Called it quits.

But this is looking really bad for Michael. Lucky for him, Kai Taylor (Jens Austin Astrup) and Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) are there, and she tells Michael that they can help him stop Willow. Trina and Kai tell Michael what they told Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) months ago that they know for sure Willow shot Drew. Even though Willow can’t be rearrested for it, a custody judge might listen.

GH Spoilers: Scheming and Mob Conflict

Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) is getting ready for battle. This may be about the auction and getting his piers back. Or it might be about facing the five families and the fallout since he is planning to step away from the mob. So, it looks like Sonny tells Ric his plan to step back from illegal activities. And Ric tells Sonny that he’s actually not relieved, just the opposite. So, Ric may repeat basically what Drew just told Jason Morgan (Steve Burton). You can’t just quit being a mobster. Everybody will come for Sonny and Jason and things may actually be more dangerous.

Also, Something has Portia Robinson (Brook Kerr) really conflicted. It’s about Curtis and Isaiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson). If Curtis doesn’t have to pay any consequences, fans are going to be so upset. He’s guilty. And Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) is being truly horrible for not confessing. If she doesn’t come clean, fans are going to be so done with her. Isaiah asks Portia if she wants to hear some good news. And Portia tells Isaiah yes, she’ll take whatever she can get. This may be good news about the prognosis for Isaiah’s hand and his surgical future.

Also, Curtis asks Jordan if she’s sure that she wants to use her association with Jens Sidwell (Carlo Rota). And Jordan may tell Curtis that she’s considering working with Valentin while he considers buying up some of Sidwell’s legitimate business interests. This may be Jordan’s next job. Drew tells somebody about his new plot. It’s likely Ava Jerome (Maura West) that Drew is telling. He says he’s going to do everything he can to marginalize it. This may be about Jason or the Scout and Danny situation.

General Hospital Spoilers: Joss Digs in her Heels

Thursday, August 13th on General Hospital. Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) will not budge. She refuses to run the family company. She wants to be in the WSB. In fact, she wants Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) to send her away on assignment, but he won’t. Not yet. Josslyn may soon have another meeting with Hudson Parker (Troy Lennon Appel) , who may make a play to run her dad’s company himself.

Also, Trina is beside herself. This might be about finding out she has a stalker, or her offer she made to help Michael with the Willow mess.

Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) is setting a trap and it’s for Britt Westbourne (because Peter August (Wes Ramsey) keeps pushing Anna to kill her. Meanwhile, Britt tries to find Rocco. So maybe Britt just needs to see a friendly face, somebody who doesn’t hate her. And Willow gets a threat. It’s from Michael and he may tell her that he knows she shot Drew and will publicly out her. Even if Willow doesn’t wind up going to prison, Michael can still ruin her life. We also know Alexis is going to let Willow know soon that she knows she shot Drew.

GH Spoilers: Danny Turns to Charlotte

Friday, August 14th on General Hospital, we have Danny needing Charlotte’s help. This week, Danny is at the Q dock with Charlotte and Danny’s looking very riled up while Charlotte just looks worried. No doubt, it’s about the whole Scout, Jason, and Drew mess. Also, Jason confides in his best friend Carly.

She and Jason are hanging out at her place, happily chatting over coffee, and Carly may be happy that he and Sonny are getting out of the mob. Someone asks something surprising of Tracy, and it may be about Brook Lynn’s guilt because the verdict is in on Curtis this week, and it’s going to be a real shocker. We may get the actual verdict or just hear that it’s in as a cliffhanger for next week.

Molly Lansing-Davis (Kristen Vaganos) shares an idea with Cody Bell (Josh Kelly) and it may be about him getting together with his newfound sister Serena Baldwin (Kelly Krueger). Maybe a horseback ride. Brennan makes somebody an offer. It could be about helping Willow or about Josslyn pushing him for a new assignment because it definitely looks like she’s going to be working on Hudson soon.

General Hospital Spoilers: Ric’s Jealousy Grows

The week of August 17th through the 21st, Danny struggles with Drew’s actions, trying to keep him away from his sister. And Danny may act out. Ric gets more jealous of Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst)’s friendship with Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna). And unfortunately, Ric’s actions may push Elizabeth away. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) keeps offering Britt an olive branch, and she keeps whacking the cute doctor with it. Serena keeps trying to get close to Michael and it’ll be easier now that he’s single and Jacinda is gone.

Ava and Drew keep scheming for revenge on Sonny and they might get a lot closer doing this. Brennan does everything he can to help, but we know his time is running out. He dies soon. Sidwell took a plea deal. Maybe he took the deal to get to Pentonville so he can break out from there. Serena and Cody try to get to know each other. Of course, they’re siblings, but Serena’s plotting against Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot). That’s going to be a problem since she is Cody’s best friend. There’s no way he’s going to let her hurt Tracy.

GH Spoilers: Emma Stresses and Jacinda Leaves Town

Hopefully, we’ll find out more about Trina’s stalker because it’s getting creepy. Emma Scorpio-Drake (Brayden Bruner) continues to struggle with Gio being constantly busy with this new record deal, but Emma doesn’t want to be a drag and is trying to hide her disappointment. Hudson may try and learn more about Ava. He knows she had a connection to Ethan Lovett (Christian Howard) and Hudson wants to know where his baby is, and Ava is his only lead.

So, with Ethan long gone, he’s got to do something. Jacinda is officially gone as well. And good riddance. What she did to Willow was insane because it’s a risk to the lives of Michael’s kids. So, maybe she and Ezra Boyle (Daniel Cosgrove) run off together. Britt is in danger from Anna because of ghost Peter and that accelerates soon. And Carly’s actions keep pushing Josslyn further away.

There are plenty of horror shows that rely on ghosts, monsters, or masked killers to get under your skin, but one of Netflix’s creepiest series turns something much more familiar into its villain. Red Rose, an eight-episode British horror series with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, takes the technology teenagers use every day and asks what would happen if it suddenly started working against them.

Produced by Eleven, the company behind Netflix’s Sex Education, Red Rose puts a sinister twist on the modern teenage experience by showcasing the dark side of growing up online. Across eight episodes, the series mixes familiar horror tropes with social media, smartphones, location tracking, and an app capable of turning its users’ lives upside down. The result is a horror story that feels unsettling precisely because so much of its technology already exists.

What Is ‘Red Rose’ About?

Set near the city of Manchester in England, the miniseries follows a group of recent high school graduates whose plans are interrupted when their friend, Rochelle (Isis Hainsworth), downloads an app called Red Rose. At first, the program resembles spam more than something dangerous, beginning as a random text message sent to potential users from a phone number similar to one in their contacts, but unlucky characters who click the link soon find their lives controlled by the program’s insidious functions. When the app takes over Rochelle’s life and eventually results in her suicide, her best friend, Wren (Amelia Clarkson), downloads Red Rose as well, refusing to believe Rochelle would hurt herself and resolving to get to the bottom of the mysterious app.

This resolve leads Wren to undergo the same rituals that Red Rose inflicted on Rochelle, resulting in an eerie series of trials that quickly escalate into the same kind of all-out terror that can be found in the world’s most recent horror movies. At first, Red Rose flatters its victims, using filters to show users an enhanced reflection of themselves and treating them to expensive gifts. Rochelle, for instance, receives a glittery dress when she first obeys the system’s wishes by jotting her innermost desires onto her bedroom mirror, but it doesn’t take long for the app to abuse its user’s newfound trust in the system. After Rochelle’s death, Red Rose taunts Wren with her deceased friend’s digital profile, demonstrating just how quickly everyday devices can be turned into instruments of horror.

‘Red Rose’ Depicts the Horrifying Possibilities of Technology in the Digital Era

Image Via BBC

As Wren and her friends continue investigating the circumstances of Rochelle’s death, Red Rose’s exploitation of its digital domain only worsens, and it’s through this technological brand of suspense that Red Rose produces its own unique horror. Throughout the self-proclaimed Dickheads’ attempts to retrace Rochelle’s online footsteps, members of the group are subjected to various torments, with Wren in particular almost killed by her stepfather, Simon (Rob Hallett), after Red Rose plants child abuse onto his laptop to blackmail him. Wren’s remaining friends are subsequently stalked both digitally and in person, and the ever-practical Ashley (Natalie Blair) is even hospitalized after Red Rose uses her location to push her off a cliff.

As a result, what makes Red Rose feel so scary is the ever-present power of its digital antagonist, a villainous organization whose lofty, poetic persona is grounded in a familiar apparatus. Unlike other horror shows that imagine the future dangers of modern technology, such as Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, Red Rose never veers too far into the speculative, instead opting to torture its characters through methods which feel startlingly realistic. Between the app’s use of editing software to digitally haunt Rochelle with audio and video of her deceased mother and Red Rose’s ability to seemingly access cameras anywhere, the miniseries is at its most creative when uncovering just how much horrifying potential exists in present-day devices.

‘Red Rose’ Represents the Social Terror of Being a Modern Teenager

Red Rose’s manipulation of modern technology to torture its main characters isn’t used solely for sadistic traps, however, as early episodes in the miniseries also showcase how the villainous app can take advantage of social media to isolate its victims. After receiving the dress she needed to attend a party, Red Rose blackmails Rochelle into kissing Wren’s boyfriend, Noah (Harry Redding), and uploads fake posts about the incident in the aftermath. Likewise, after Rochelle’s death, the app again accesses the functions of Wren’s phone to upload posts that make her look insensitive, effectively turning her into her hometown’s pariah and illustrating how technology can exacerbate the dark side of teenage relationships.

Red Rose’s capacity for interfering with the normal teenage experience is demonstrated further as the series progresses. During Episode 3, for instance, one of the sweetest members of the Dickheads, Anthony (Ellis Howard), finds himself haunted by a potential digital stalker while navigating a gay dating app in a relatable moment of underrepresented LGBTQ+ terror in a Netflix series. Later, after the group enlists the help of hacker Jaya (Ashna Rabheru), the Dickheads uncover the truth behind Red Rose’s origins and the story of the app’s founder, Adam Taylor (Charlie Hiscock). A high school student desperately obsessed with his classmate, Taylor’s tragedy is one you’ll have to witness for yourself to understand Red Rose’s main themes, but it’s safe to say this boy never heard of personal boundaries.

Thankfully, the miniseries really kicks into gear when the Dickheads do battle against Red Rose’s current leader, the mysterious online entity known only as The Gardener, and the episodes leading up to the show’s final confrontation should more than satisfy fans of the horror genre. While the miniseries’ realistic premise does at times restrict its fear factor, forcing Red Rose to rely on indirect methods of terror in its early episodes that don’t always hit as hard as they could, the show’s ending still delivers on the violence of its rhetoric.

Moreover, by balancing its thrills with a story that raises awareness about the ongoing struggle against online abuse in the world today, Red Rose uses its digital drama to tell an important and terrifying story. Years after its release, its vision of technology turning against the people who depend on it may feel even more unsettling than it did before.

Red Rose is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

WATCH ON NETFLIX

It’s not often that TV shows about first responders or military officers actually cast folks with real-life experience in those roles. It makes sense, though, as actors can best convey the emotions necessary to carry a story and develop a character. But what if an actor actually had those experiences themselves? Taylor Sheridan does this with his character Travis Wheatley on Yellowstone (Sheridan himself was a cowboy before he was a filmmaker), proving that this is entirely possible. But before Sheridan showed up in a cowboy hat on Yellowstone, SEAL Team gained traction for casting a real-life Navy SEAL as a part of the show.

What Is ‘SEAL Team’ Really About?

Developed for television by Benjamin Cavell, SEAL Team is based on an idea brought to CBS by former Navy SEAL and executive producer on the series, Mark Owen, the same man whose helmet lead star David Boreanaz sports in honor of the real SEALs they represent. The series details the lives of the members of Bravo Team, both on and off the battlefield. One of the most impressive parts of the CBS-turned-Paramount+ series is its commitment to accurately portraying the complicated lives of the men and women who serve in the U.S. military — particularly how it deals with the hardship and trauma of combat and how soldiers can bring that home with them.

“One thing that makes our show a little more interesting is the fact that it follows the family lives,” Owen explained in a SEAL Team special feature. “As many friends as I’ve lost in combat, I’ve lost a lot to suicide and dealing with things when they get home. It takes a lot to sacrifice so much, and that’s really why I think this show does so well…” It’s these struggles that SEAL Team is committed to highlighting, and is part of the reason for Clay Spenser’s (Max Theriot‘s character) complex and heartbreaking arc in Season 6.

‘SEAL Team’s Mark Semos and Tyler Grey Are the Perfect Men for the Job

Image via Paramount+

SEAL Team‘s commitment to authenticity shows itself in a variety of ways, one of them being hiring actual military veterans as cast members who can help navigate the subtleties of combat on set. One such cast member is Mark Semos, a former Navy SEAL who played John “TJ” Monero during the second season of the long-running series. Starting in Hollywood as a stuntman, Semos landed work as the stunt coordinator for the Peter Berg film Lone Survivor, which opened the door for a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “A few years later, I had the opportunity to work on the pilot episode of the TV show SEAL Team, the production brought me on as a Consulting Producer at first and now I am a Writing Producer on the show,” Semos told ATRG in 2020.

Serving behind the scenes as a writer and producer on the series, Semos helps guide the story of Bravo Team based on his own experience as a SEAL. He even returned to the screen in the Season 6 episode “Fair Winds and Following Seas” as Devgru OP #6, albeit briefly. “The authenticity level of SEAL Team is truly a team effort,” Semos later elaborated. “It starts in the writers’ room, and every single screenwriter works hard to maintain the standard and still tell the stories we need to tell. Then, on set, the effort continues with our directors and actors all striving to maintain the standards. Tyler Grey usually holds down the fort on set.”

That other guy Semos mentions, Tyler Grey, is a former U.S. Army Delta Force operator and Army Ranger sniper who ended up finding his way to SEAL Team as well. Though not a former Navy SEAL, Grey has plenty of combat experience himself, and after being injured in the field, he was forced to go on medical leave, leading him ultimately to Hollywood. “It completely changed who I thought I was,” Grey told Los Angeles’ CBS affiliate. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the industry; I just knew I wanted to work in the industry.” Eventually, Grey moved on from being an advisor on the show to playing the recurring Bravo Team member Trent Sawyer, who has appeared in all six seasons. From there, he even graduated to the role of director with the Season 3 episode “Unbecoming an Officer.”

‘SEAL Team’ Is Known For Hiring U.S. Military Veterans

Image via CBS

In addition to Semos and Grey, not to mention Mark Owen himself, SEAL Team is known for hiring a host of other veterans to make their story possible and believable. “What we’re trying to do as a group is make something that’s not real, obviously, but make something that’s authentic,” Grey explained on a 2017 edition of CBS This Morning. And he’s right. Of all the military shows that have aired on network television and on streaming, SEAL Team is often considered one of the most authentic, and that’s largely due to the folks they’ve hired to tie it all together.

“We’ve hired almost 100 veterans… that have been a part of our show, and we relish that,” David Boreanaz once told Rachael Ray. “The people—we don’t like to call them technical advisers; we like to call them producers—[are there] from the concept of the story all the way through to the finish.” Without people like Owen, Semos, and Grey–not to mention the countless others who are always on set–SEAL Team would be just another run-of-the-mill military show that doesn’t bother to double-check their work. Thankfully, that’s not the case here.