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With the original cast set to reunite for an animated series, now’s a good time to see what they’ve been up to over the last few decades.
On 90 Day Fiance, Lisa finds a suspicious contact in Daniel Tito Herrera‘s emails thanks to some detective work by her daughter Faith. Josh Lawson blows his chance with Elise Benson after spending her last night down under partying with friends. Birkan proposes to Laura Nevenner as she prepares to head home. Rick Van Vactor gets a surprise at the airport. And Annalyn Fox shares exciting news with Jovon Fox. Let’s take a look at who’s crying and who’s lying in this recap of Season 8, Episode 19 Now Departing.
On 90 Day Fiance, Lisa is back home in Pennsylvania working 3 jobs and sporting a fresh blonde wig. But her relationship with Daniel Tito Herrera has deteriorated. For the past few months Daniel has been distant. And Lisa’s daughter Faith does some snooping of his texts and emails. What she finds is definitely concerning. While Daniel has Lisa’s number in his contacts as Lis B, there’s another contact that just says “wife”. And the number isn’t Lisa’s.
When pressed, the wife contact says so what. And requests not to be contacted. Lisa isn’t having it. And confronts Daniel Tito Herrera when he calls her. Lisa wants to know what’s changed. And he says he was traveling and returned to some debts. Lisa reiterates that she’s working 3 jobs to pay her debts. But still makes time for him. Next she brings up the “wife” contact. Daniel plays dumb and gaslights, leading her to end the relationship and hang up heading into next week’s Tell All.


After some rocky times down under, 90 Day Fiance couple Elise Benson and Josh Lawson head to the rental for her last night. But what happens next is definitely a he said /she said mess. While Elise plans for a night alone with Josh, he’s got other plans. He invites friends over for some partying. And according to Elise disrespects her in front of them. While Josh and friends (including two women) rage all night, Elise weeps alone in the bedroom.
Roommate Chris backs up that he heard Elise Benson crying. Meanwhile, Elise is still weeping. Since it’s an hour till she has to leave for the airport. And Josh has dipped again. And turned off his location sharing. A disheveled Elise rocks back and forth. Josh returns and begs for forgiveness. But when it’s time for her to get on the plane, she breaks it off completely. Citing his inability to fight for her or show up for her. So Josh returns to his old life and says maybe in another lifetime they would work.
As with the other 90 Day Fiance couples, Laura Nevenner and Birkan’s time together is running out. For her final day in Turkey, Birkan wants to do something near and dear to him. Play soccer. He shows off his ball skills and Laura admits she’s impressed. So much so it’s “panty dropping” hot. Birkan encourages her to kick some balls. She’s not very good at first. But eventually lands a goal in the net. Birkan uses some soccer analogies to segue into a marriage proposal.
He speaks of patience, distance and believing until you score a goal. He ties a red string around Laura’s ring finger. While explaining that it’s called the ring finger because it’s the only finger with a vein that leads to the heart. Laura is smitten and says yes. The next morning its time for her to fly home with her BFF Michal. She shares the news with Michal while Birkan loads luggage into a cab. And Laura knows once she gets home boundaries need to be established with her and Michal’s friendship.
Before the 90 Days couple Rick Van Vactor and Trish have called it quits. Rick mopes and cries as he prepares to go back home. He blames his ex for contacting him. And it led to a series of events that ultimately made Trish end it all. Because not only did he respond back, but he also admits he still has feelings and won’t block her. Trish understandably doesn’t want to be a second choice and is tired of his wishy washy ways.
Rick walks through the airport feeling sorry for himself. When lo and behold he sees Trish walking towards him holding a gift bag. He sobs and runs to her and she gives him a hug. He wants to know why she’s there. And she opens the bag to reveal an outfit. She had bought matching outfits for them and forgot to give it to him. He wants to know if they can still make it work. Trish agrees to stay in contact. But doesn’t promise reconciliation. And she’s got a big surprise according to the Tell All trailer.
While Jovon Fox stayed a little longer to travel with wife Annalyn Fox, his time too is coming to an end. But Annalyn feels a little nauseous and decides to take a pregnancy test. And it’s positive. And Annalyn is overjoyed to let Jovon know he’s going to be a dad. Jovon is encouraged by the big news. But also upset that he’s got to leave for the U.S. right after finding out. He packs and they both discuss their concerns.
Annalyn’s mom is thrilled with the news on 90 Day Fiance. But also wary of the long distance and history on both sides of a broken family. She is sad to see her son-in-law go. But sends him off with some home cooked chicken adobo. Jovon admits he’s concerned to leave Annalyn behind. Admitting it’s like leaving a part of himself behind. Especially with her being pregnant. But he promises to return sooner than later.
It’s time for Forrest and family to head home. And Sheena struggles to say goodbye. Forrest will miss her teeth grinding. And she will miss his flatulence. Mom Molly sticks to her guns that forcing Forrest to leave with them is the right decision. Nevertheless Sheena sobs and hugs Molly when it’s time to say goodbye. Forrest gifts Sheena his cowboy hat bedazzled with a gold chain as collateral that he will return for her. And Sheena sobs as he disappears through airport security.
Aviva Duhamel makes a tearful appearance on 90 Day Fiance. It seems the engagement to Stig Da Artist is off. And Aviva chokes back tears while she explains what happened. Stig visited her in the United States. But after he returned to Belize she saw a different side to him. And suspected he was talking to other women. After ghosting her he broke up with her via text. Although the accusations fly both ways at next week’s Tell-All. Till next time!
Starting with a definition is never particularly fun, but it’s necessary here, before properly talking about the greatest climaxes in cinema history. A climax is not the same thing as an ending, being defined as: “the most important or exciting point in a story or situation, especially when this happens near the end.” So, emphasis on that part about “near the end.”
A climax will sometimes play out across multiple scenes, especially if it’s some kind of massive battle, or if the story is epic enough that action is taking place across different areas. Sometimes, the climax is the penultimate scene, and then you’ll have a denouement, which can be a little like an epilogue, or some kind of quieter scene that actually concludes things. Some climaxes happen at the very end, though, especially if the storyteller/filmmaker wants to leave you hanging, to some extent. So, with the following examples, some take place at the very end, while others are the most exhilarating parts of their stories and take place close to the end.
Goodfellas is a good example to demonstrate how a climax can function without itself being the very end of the story. Goodfellas wraps up with Henry Hill in witness protection, and maybe the ending also includes the courtroom scene where he rats on his surviving associates, but the climax of Goodfellas details the lead-up to his arrest over one very hectic day in 1980.
Singling out one sequence in Goodfellas as the best is difficult, when the movie as a whole is so immaculate, but the paranoia-heavy sequence where things fall apart for Hill is maybe as good as it gets (which, again, is saying a lot). It’s like a perfect short film housed inside a perfect gangster movie, and it’s an essential climax in the sense that it leads to – and sets up – the also-perfect (proper) ending of Goodfellas.
If you watch a John Woo movie, you can be fairly confident you’re going to get some incredible action. With his very best films, you happen to get a ton of incredible action, and Hard Boiled might be the clearest example of that. It’s probably the most John Woo of all the John Woo movies, telling a typically heightened and bombastic story about a pair of good guys with guns who shoot the hell out of a whole bunch of bad guys with guns.
That might not sound like the most complex story out there, and it’s not. Hard Boiled does what it needs to, premise-wise, to showcase a ton of amazing action, and really, it’s the final act that makes Hard Boiled a classic. It’s a remarkably long climax of sorts, but can sort of be counted as one whole “sequence” because all the action takes place in and around a hospital, and it’s all glorious.
While The Last of the Mohicans is not a perfect movie, it does have a perfect final act, climax included. It takes place in the mid-18th century, during the French and Indian War, with its plot involving a trio of trappers agreeing to protect and escort a pair of daughters through dangerous/war-torn territory, and then there’s a good deal of romance and some melodrama wrapped up in all of it.
But it’s the good kind of melodrama, and you get a lot of it throughout the final stretch of The Last of the Mohicans. It’s like one set piece after another, all moving at a mean pace, and it’s also where the movie really pops even more than before on a visual and musical front. If there had just been more time spent on the lead-up to the climax, The Last of the Mohicans could well have been perfect (it’s a two-hour movie that really needed to be three hours), but at least it ends as strongly as it does.
A big reason why Se7en is considered such a classic is the way it wraps up, but it’s been more than 30 years since it came out, and it’s well-known for such a dark film, so it doesn’t feel like too much of a crime to allude toward that. It’s nowhere near as bad a crime as the spree the killer orchestrates throughout this film, basing a series of murders on the seven deadly sins, and doing so unnervingly well.
If you’ve seen how Se7en wraps up, then you know all that already. Basically, everything that happens regarding the final two “victims” of the whole ordeal makes up the climax of Se7en, and it elevates what was already a great/grim/gritty crime/thriller movie into genuine all-timer status.
While The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King has the better ending (it kind of has to, what with it wrapping up a trilogy’s worth of movies and all), The Two Towers arguably has the better climax. The Return of the King peaks spectacle-wise around its mid-point, and then it’s the epilogue (a series of scenes) that resonates the most emotionally, while The Two Towers does build throughout to its most impressive sequence.
That is, of course, the whole Battle of Helm’s Deep, or the Battle of the Hornburg; whatever you want to call it. It’s the point at which the whole trilogy gets truly epic, and the climax of The Two Towers also has a great deal going on at other locations, like the parts in the city of Osgiliath and the Ents storming Isengard, all cut together very well editing-wise to make for a final act that’s rather superb.
Another movie split into parts, and it came out around the same time as The Lord of the Rings, Kill Bill was initially two volumes, one released in 2003 and the other in 2004, but nowadays, it’s easier to watch them as The Whole Bloody Affair. Still, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 remains watchable as its own movie, and it does very much have a climax in the classic sense, with a huge fight sequence that takes place right near the end.
Or if you count the showdown with O-Ren Ishii as the climax, rather than the Bride battling O’Ren’s Crazy 88, then that’s also a pretty great climactic scene. Hell, throw in the big fight and then the smaller/more intimate fight as the one big climax. It’s an incredible set piece, to put it mildly (though the quieter showdown at the end of Kill Bill: Vol. 2, when the Bride confronts the titular character, is also fantastic).
If you look at The Godfather as a duology (or, perhaps begrudgingly, as a trilogy), then the overall narrative is one of Michael Corleone sinking morally, and taking down many family members and associates with him. He takes over control of the Corleone crime family, proving to be more ruthless – and quicker to make enemies – than his father was, and the climax of The Godfather really makes that clear.
Not that he’d been a saint before, but he orchestrates a series of murders right near the end of The Godfather, and they’re all shown occurring in rather brutal fashion while Michael himself is at his nephew’s baptism. So he becomes a godfather at the same time he becomes “the godfather.” It’s not subtle, but it doesn’t have to be when it’s so effective and memorable a sequence (and honorable mention to the final scene/denouement, with Michael’s wife, Kay, realizing just who her husband’s become).
Damien Chazelle has made bigger films since 2014, but nothing he’s done has ever felt quite as exciting and relentless as Whiplash. It’s a movie about jazz and drumming, which might not sound particularly intense, but Whiplash is one of the most intense films in recent memory, and it’s one of many instances of the execution being everything. That it has such a great ending to build toward doesn’t hurt, either.
Basically, Whiplash has a dangerously driven student and a full-on dangerous instructor battling each other psychologically (and even a little physically), and that conflict comes to a head in a way that really does have to be seen to be believed. It’s an incredibly suspenseful film up until that point, and then the climax is, on one hand, cathartic, but then, on the other hand, perhaps more unsettling than anything else in the film up until that point, and the whole thing leaves you both thinking and feeling things long after it’s all over.
Seven Samurai is one of those movies that pretty much defined a genre, or a kind of film, all the while remaining, decades later, perhaps the peak of that overall genre. It’s definable as an early action movie, and it’s also an epic, unfolding across a runtime of about 3.5 hours and telling the story of a town that employs seven warriors as a way to defend against an imminent bandit raid/attack.
It’s structurally untouchable, as you get introduced to everyone in the first act, the plan’s set in the second act, and then the third act is mostly centered around the inevitable battle. It’s hard to define the battle as one scene, since it takes place over an extended period of time, and the fighting is very stop-and-start in nature, but all the action there does feel like it takes place within a stretch of the movie definable as its climax. So, it’s the whole final act of Seven Samurai that goes here, which might sound like cheating, but it’s a long movie and, appropriately, much of it’s spent on setup, so an above-average amount of payoff (so to speak) makes sense.
The climax of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is pretty much everything that happens in the graveyard right near the end, though the Civil War battle sequence that takes place right before is also remarkable. But it’s from “The Ecstasy of Gold” to the end of the three-way showdown that’s truly climactic, and the overall best part of what would have to be one of the best Westerns ever made.
Wait, scratch that. It’s as good as movies get, really. Westerns, epics, whatever sort of film, this climax has pretty much never been topped. Maybe this will be the climax of cinema as a whole, and everything that happened post-The Good, the Bad and the Ugly will be seen, in time, as just a denouement. Well, probably not. Hopefully not. For now, though, it’s as good as it gets, but without Jack Nicholson.
Beyond the Gates spoilers for April 20-24, 2026 expect Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) being stunned, Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom) plotting, and a stabbing.
I know we’re a day behind on these, so I’m going to give you real quick a fast recap of Monday’s episode, April 20th, in case you haven’t seen it. Then we’ll get into what’s coming the rest of this week.
So, season 2, episode 74 of BTG. We had Grayson Perez (Jordie Vilasuso) asking Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob) for Derek Baldwin’ (Ben Gavin) number, Ashley stunned. Grayson wants to volunteer at the clinic because he’s so busy, but Derek rejects Grayson, hangs up on him. Ashley stunned. Grayson tells her Derek’s jealous. Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit) shows up and tells Ashley that Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) was beaten undercover.
Derek thanks Eva Thomas Richardson (Ambyr Michelle) for keeping Dana ‘Leslie’ Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) away from the clinic and Derek is stunned to hear Leslie is dating Marcel Malone (Darryl W. Handy). Eva asked Derek not to call her mom a criminal and to be thankful Marcel’s keeping her busy. Eva also lectures Derek about not turning away a volunteer even if he dislikes Grayson.
Ashley confronts Derek for rejecting Grayson and Derek calls her boyfriend sketchy. She reminds Derek he faked paralysis and he says Grayson was casing the clinic when he gave him a tour. Ashley calls that a lie, but Naomi says, “No, Derek mentioned it at the time.” Ashley says Grayson said that Derek’s jealous and he says, “Look, I don’t trust the guy.” Takes off.
Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) tells Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) Bill Hamilton‘s (Timon Kyle Durrett) theory is that Andre started Babygate because he’s insecure about their marriage. He scoffs. Martin reassures him. Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) declines Martin’s pitch about a collab and that leaves Martin pouting.
Jacob wants Smitty to drop the story because Jacob is worried Smitty is going to get hurt. So, Jacob goes and picks up a drop from Grayson, demands to know why he’s ignoring his calls. Jacob tells him he got beat up and asks him about the woman from the lab that Smitty mentioned.
Marcel takes Leslie to the casino high rollers table and Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli) tells Joey, “Find out what’s going on.” Leslie crows to Vanessa that Marcel got a divorce for her but lost big money getting rid of the wife. Vanessa thinks Marcel and Leslie seem like a good match and Vanessa and Leslie do a little awkward girl talk.
Joey reports back that Marcel is doing well at the tables and Leslie goes to see her man as Joey warns Vanessa don’t try to set us up as couple friends with Leslie and Marcel. Good thing that Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix) decided to soften up on her being with Joey because, by the way, Jon Lindstrom has now been promoted to contract.
Tuesday, April 21st is season 2, episode 75 of Beyond the Gates, and we have Tomas Navarro (Alex Alegria) getting some new info about Lynette Wise (Dominique Madison), does Tomas figure out that Lynette went missing, or does he get a lead on her many fake names and her past con jobs on wealthy men?
Nicole goes looking for Joey and they have a very tense and intense conversation. I’m guessing Nicole tells Joey she doesn’t like or respect him, but she’s going to play nice for her bestie Vanessa’s sake. They can probably agree to disagree.
Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) tries to cover up her conwoman track. So, I wonder if what Tomas found links Hayley to Lynette from somewhere back in the day. And did Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry) really kill Lynette or did he just stash her somewhere?
Martin confesses to his granddad, Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis), that he worries his past could ruin his future. They had Joey clean up the mess from before, but skeletons have a way of falling back out of the closet. And the higher Martin climbs up the political ladder in DC, the more scrutiny he and his background are going to face.
On Wednesday, April 22nd episode of Beyond the Gates, it’s season 2, episode 76, and we got somebody stabbed. It is Grayson for sure in the stairwell at the hospital with a knife. You know, if we’re playing Clue, and you had that in your clue box. Shanice Johnson (Ernestine Johnson) and Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) have another talk about their relationship slash situationship.
He told Andre that he’s worried he’s not in a place to offer Shanice what she wants and needs, which is something serious, not just a rebound, maybe a husband and kids, stuff like that. And when Ted said to her, “One of the things I love about you,” you know, Shanice misread that to him saying, “I love you,” and that got awkward.
Tomas and Katherine ‘Kat’ Richardson (Colby Muhammad) spent some time romancing on Wednesday and Martin talks to his mom, Nicole, who is skeptical. So, Martin is asking Nicole for advice. Says after the campaign, should he ease up or take on something bigger?
And Nicole kind of freaks out and says this could blow up Martin’s life and asks, “What are you doing?” So Bill finds out something sketchy. And as a result, Hayley faces scrutiny.
This week, Hayley says to Bill after being married for over a year, you know, she’s shocked. He called Martin baby. Hayley’s ranting and storming out of the office. And this might be her trying to gaslight Bill and distract him from what he found out.

Thursday, April 23rd is season 2, episode 77 of Beyond the Gates. And we’ve got Vanessa surprising Anita because she stops by to see her. So, I wonder if Vanessa might ask Anita some advice on pushing people back, pushing against public opinion because she wants to be with Joey, the man she loves. Now, Anita knows that Joey is a shark and exactly how bad he is. So, we’ll see how she advises Nicole’s best friend.
Joey sees two people bickering and then makes Martin an offer to consider. He already owes Joey an undefined favor for cleaning up the latest mess for him. So, that’s something that Joey’s sitting on that he can still call in on Martin. So, hopefully he won’t get in deeper with Joey.
The plasma dealer guy has an update that has Jacob freaking out. Then he’s going to tell Smitty who’s going to freak out. So the plasma guy is telling Jacob, “I told you there was a price for your mess. I just didn’t tell you who had to pay.” Obviously Grayson has paid.
Plus Ashley is in a tough position. So, we’ll see if, you know, Dr. Lia Whitmore (Cecilia Specht) stitches up Grayson and tells him to hide his injury or else, you know, Ashley may help Grayson, but he makes her promise not to let anybody know she stitched him up.
So, obviously at this point, Grayson is stabbed, terrified, probably desperate, and obviously Ashley would help him. Madison Montgomery (Kenjah McNeil) has a critical update for Vernon.
So, I wonder if Madison did some testing. I’m also worried about us going straight from an Anita cancer crisis right into some sort of early onset something crisis for Vernon.
Friday, April 24th on Beyond the Gates is season 2, episode 78. We’ve got Ashley’s mom, Jan Morgan (Jerri Tubbs), lurking around. She’s back on the scene and she is stressing out Ashley. So, I wonder if this is something to do with the attack on Grayson or this could be back to Derek. So, Jan may side with Derek in thinking that Grayson is dodgy. Jan’s, you know, been on the fence.
And we know that she is a big fan of Derek’s. And if you remember, Jan was actually meeting Derek on the sly after they broke up, but before Ashley got in deeper with Grayson like she is now. So I could see Jan telling Ashley, “Don’t pressure Derek about Grayson. Back off.” I think he’s sketchy, too. We’ll see.
Chelsea has some questions for her dad, Bill, about his little bride, Hayley. Vanessa makes herself comfortable at Joey’s condo. Nicole and Carlton smooth things over, but Kyle stops by and things get really awkward when he interrupts.
Naomi and Martin are there to comfort each other. And by the way, we’re going to see Ashley Jones, who plays Bridget Forrester on Bold and the Beautiful, making her debut on Beyond the Gates in the next few weeks in an as yet to be named role.
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I take everything Bethenny Frankel says and does as the Bible. The mogul is truly #LifeGoals! In an effort to emulate her effortless confidence, I’m shamelessly copying her style — starting with this electric teal bikini.
One thing that Frankel does impeccably is embrace the beauty of color, which she showcased in a recent Instagram outfit dump. I couldn’t help but notice her joy-inducing teal bikini, and I made it my mission to find a similar style on Amazon. I completely struck gold with this high-waisted bikini set that’s a complete steal at $41.
Get the Shuangyu High Waisted Bikini Set for $41 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
When it comes to swimsuits, I often opt for black ones since the hue is inherently slimming. That said, simply wearing a color, like teal, can make people feel happier. When you’re happy, you feel more confident. Plus, it also helps that this suit offers more coverage than your average bikini and is designed with subtle details to flatter your figure.
First off, it feels like a rarity to find a full-coverage bottom. If you’d prefer not to have your bum on full display, this design keeps things covered, and the side hip ruching also offers a subtle minimizing effect. As for the top, the underwire bra style, which includes adjustable straps, keeps bigger busts secure and provides extra lift. No need to worry about wardrobe malfunctions when you’re enjoying yourself in the water.
Amazon shoppers who were looking for a sexy yet decently-covered bikini feel like they’ve found a top choice with this design. “I was honestly surprised by how much I love this bikini,” one reviewer writes. “The fit is very flattering, especially the high-waisted bottoms—they smooth everything out and sit comfortably without digging in.”
“The top provides great support thanks to the underwire and push-up design,” the same shopper continues. I felt secure wearing it, even moving around, and the adjustable straps made it easy to get the perfect fit. This swimsuit looks stylish, very supportive, and offers great coverage while still being cute.”
Stylish? Check. Supportive? Check. We’re sure that the Shuangyu High Waisted Bikini Set would pass Frankel’s vibe check. And seriously, go for the teal colorway and see how you glow!
Get the Shuangyu High Waisted Bikini Set for $41 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more from Shuangyu here and more high-waisted bikini sets here! Don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
Country music singer Lauren Alaina is grateful to God and her daughter for helping her move forward after a devastating death in the family.
“The last couple of years of my life have been very life-changing, not just because I became a mother. I also lost my father, which I’ve talked a lot about,” Alaina, 31, shared on the Wednesday, April 15, episode of iHeartRadio’s “If You Can Hear Me” podcast. “A lot of my prayers are praying for healing from that and also still trying to be healed enough to be a good mom and to be there for her and to do the right things.”
In July 2024, Alaina announced the death of her father, J.J. Suddeth. Five months later, the singer revealed she was expecting a baby girl with husband Cam Arnold.
“My dad died and I found out I was pregnant two months later, and she was a big surprise,” Alaina told podcast host Ben Higgins. “So my biggest prayer right now is just to heal from that and to be present with her and to be a good wife and a good mom and a good businesswoman.”
The “Ladies in the ‘90s” singer continued,” “Honestly, my career is the thing I probably pray for the least right now. It’s really my heart and my healing and being a mom that is most important to me right now.”
In the last year, Alaina has navigated the difficult balance of following her dreams while being a loving and devoted mother.

Lauren Alaina and Cam Arnold Courtesy of Lauren Alaina/Instagram
As she traveled the country as part of Rascal Flatts’ latest tour, the American Idol alum realized what’s most important to her.
“I spend a lot of time praying about it, trying to figure out what to do and what not to do, and when is it worth it, and when is it not worth it?” she said about her music opportunities. “Because I’m not going to miss everything. I’m not gonna be gone all the time. I’m just not going to do that anymore. But I am lucky.”
In addition to a supportive family, Alaina has been able to travel with her mom, who helps out when things get extra busy.
No matter how packed her schedule gets, Alaina always takes time to focus on the blessings in her family.
“We’re so bonded together,” she said when describing her daughter. “It’s crazy, the connection between a baby and a mother.”
By Chris Sawin
| Published

In Osaka, Japan, three yakuza have disgraced their boss. With death being the only other option, they are asked to cut off part of their pinky fingers as a sign of loyalty. Two of them perform the task without hesitation, while the last one chickens out. He is beheaded on the spot. The two surviving yakuza are sent to Normal, Minnesota, to redeem themselves.
Three weeks later, Sheriff Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) is sent to Normal as the temporary sheriff for eight weeks. Ulysses is easy to get along with, personable, and laid back. He relates to people and can talk to them, but he also knows when something doesn’t feel right.

Everything in Normal is fairly routine, as paperwork and telling people that “there’s nothing to see here” is essentially what Ulysses does all day long. That is, until a bank robbery occurs and Ulysses stumbles onto a secret that he’s never meant to see.
Directed by Ben Wheatley (Meg 2: The Trench) and written by Derek Kolstad (the John Wick and Nobody films) and Odenkirk, Normal is a fast-paced action thriller. At 90 minutes, Normal doesn’t try to be anything that it isn’t. The action is heavy, the premise is simple, and the humor is amusing enough to remain entertaining throughout. It may be worth noting that Normal continues the common action film trope of one guy being able to battle off hundreds. It’s understandable if that’s too much of an issue to enjoy the film, but honestly, its unlikely concept makes the events that unfold all the more enjoyable.

As Normal progresses, you can tell that something isn’t right in Normal. Even Ulysses is hiding something that isn’t revealed at first. However, the separation from his wife is something he’s open about from the moment the character is introduced. Ulysses hasn’t spoken to his wife in a long time, but he calls her regularly and leaves voicemails. What he says in those voicemails serves as the film’s narration.
Ulysses is always calm and is plagued by the same nightmare at the one motel in town he stays at every night. Odenkirk has moments where he’s able to be poignant and rightfully distant. The character isn’t overly emotional, but Odenkirk’s performance portrays Ulysses in a positive light. He doesn’t take the temporary sheriff gig too seriously because the one serious aspect of his life fell apart because of him. However, when it hits the fan, he seems to know how to handle the situation.

Outside of Ulysses, a flaw that Normal has is that there isn’t much character development outside of “here’s this town in the middle of nowhere full of schmucks, now watch them all die.” Henry Winkler is around long enough to introduce himself as the asshole mayor, while Lena Headey is Moira, the town bartender who has little to no backstory other than she can play pool and always has booze on her.
The rest of the Normal police force is just as forgettable. Deputy Mike Nelson (Billy MacLellan) does nothing but kiss Ulysses’ ass while Deputy Blaine Anderson (Ryan Allen) lets Ulysses do all the hard work as sheriff before he thinks he’ll be able to take over the role full-time. The film introduces Alex (Jess McLeod) as a trans character with a troubled past, but very little is done with them, and the character’s ending is a little disappointing.

The action sequences are where Normal reels you in, and everything in the film changes after what is discovered in the bank vault during the robbery. Taking place in Minnesota, Normal is either a film set in constant snow or one that’s actively snowing throughout. There are two gunfights, and they are visually awesome because of the color contrast. There’s gunfire in the snow at night, which is this battle of sporadic yellow muzzle flashes from guns and the soft white snow falling to the ground.
Soon after, there’s a gunfight in one of the shops when the power is out, and the visuals are almost nothing but darkness. Those explosive muzzle flashes are set against a nearly black interior, with glimpses of the attackers and whatever weapon they’ve chosen. There’s a free-for-all battle featuring everybody near the end of the film with squishy, breakneck violence where nearly every person on-screen dies in some gruesome way. At 63, Odenkirk is surprisingly solid at hand-to-hand action sequences, even if there are a lot of noticeable cuts.

Normal is a flawed action film, but it uses its basic concept effectively. Its throwaway characters are used to a kick ass and bullet-heavy advantage while the action is swift, brutal, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. This is a bite-sized action film that delivers unabbreviated destruction.

Normal is now playing in theaters.
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Gertz rose to fame with ’80s films including ‘Sixteen Candles’ and ‘Less Than Zero.’
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Angelica Vasquez alleged that the staff’s poor treatment of her “was continuous and created a toxic and abusive work environment.”
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Kotb was on the show from 2007 to 2025.
UPDATE 4/21/26 at 4:38 p.m. ET —
Ben Williamson, assistant director for public affairs at the FBI, has responded to ABC News’ report that potentially critical DNA has been recovered at Nancy Guthrie’s home.
“Still receiving inquiries on this: this is not new evidence or information,” he wrote via X on Monday, April 20, while reposting the outlet’s report. “FBI asked to test this DNA 2 months ago with the same technology we’ve always had – when the local Sheriff instead sent it to a private lab. Any further developments we will share as soon as appropriate.”
Original story:
The FBI is reportedly reviewing potentially critical DNA recovered from the home of Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie, amid her ongoing disappearance.
Sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News on Thursday, April 16, that a private Florida lab that works with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department recently sent the sample to the FBI.
The FBI is reportedly utilizing new technology to conduct advanced analysis on the DNA sample to see if it can point to Nancy’s abductor.
Us Weekly reached out to the FBI for comment.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, meanwhile, said in a statement that they have worked with the FBI “since the beginning” of the investigation and “this is not new information.”
“As previously stated by the Sheriff, the private laboratory we utilize in Florida continues to share information with the FBI laboratory and other partner labs across the country,” the statement to Us read on Thursday. “DNA analysis remains ongoing, and this investigation is active.”
Nancy, 84, was reported missing in February by a family member who called 911. The FBI then released black-and-white images from Nancy’s doorbell security camera of a man in a ski mask on her porch the morning of her disappearance. Authorities have yet to name a suspect in her case.
Days later, news broke of a search warrant out for a man identified as Luke Daley. He was then detained for hours and released without being charged. His mother was also detained by law enforcement while their home was searched for a possible connection to Nancy’s abduction.
Amid the ongoing search, Savannah, 54, confirmed that her family’s reward for Nancy’s recovery had been increased to $1 million. (Nancy shared daughters Annie and Savannah and son Camron with late husband Charles Guthrie, who died in 1988 after a heart attack.)
Savannah, for her part, said in her first interview since Nancy’s disappearance that she still has “hope” for resolution in the case. While the family is unsure of what a motive might be in abducting Nancy, Savannah became emotional while wondering if the kidnapping was due to her fame. (Savannah returned to the Today show earlier this month.)
“Honestly, we don’t know anything. We don’t know anything. So, I don’t know that it’s because she’s my mom and somebody thought, ‘Oh, that lady has money, we can make a quick buck,’” she told Hoda Kotb in an interview that aired in March on Today. “That would make sense, but we don’t know. … It’s just too much to bear to think that I brought this to her bedside. That it’s because of me. I have to say, I’m so sorry, Mommy.”
NewsNation senior national correspondent Brian Entin, who has been covering this story from the beginning, exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month that he doesn’t believe the case is going cold.
“If I felt like it was going cold, I would tell you. I just don’t,” he told Us. “We have the picture of the suspect. Something is going to break. And I know for us, it feels like forever. It’s now been more than two months. But when I talk to these detectives, they break cases five, 10 years later. I don’t think it’s going to be that long in this case, but I do think for sure there’s going to be a break.”
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