By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 19 seconds ago

As someone who writes extensively about Starfleet Academy, I frequently find myself in the trenches of fan spaces, ranging from r/startrek on Reddit to Star Trek S**tposting on Facebook. As you might expect, these spaces are filled with those who are passionate about all things Trek, and they love to swap memes while sharing their love for Gene Roddenberry’s seminal sci-fi franchise. But there’s trouble in paradise whenever someone breaks the one, unspoken rule: “never say anything bad about NuTrek.”

Such posts are likely to get removed altogether, especially on Reddit, where the Paramount astroturfers tirelessly work to remove any and call criticism. But when a criticism does make it through, the critic faces a deluge of hatred from Star Trek fanboys who act like a critique of their favorite show is nothing less than a deep, personal insult. Because of this, I think franchise fans of every quadrant need to accept a blunt truth: IDIC includes people who disagree with you. 

Where It All Started

My most tinfoil-hat Star Trek conspiracy theory is that this problem goes back to the earliest days of Star Trek: Discovery. At that time, many YouTubers realized they could hit the click lottery by going all-in on criticizing the new show. For example, Nerdrotic led the charge in criticizing the show as forcing diversity down viewers’ throats (often to the detriment of the story), and that Star Trek had suddenly gone woke.

Channels like Midnight’s Edge echoed the wokeness claims and similarly griped about Star Trek: Discovery’s perceived identity politics. It didn’t take fans long to strike back, pointing out that Trek has literally been diverse from the very beginning (just look at that Original Series cast).

Eventually, those earlier criticisms were used by moderators to make sure nobody was allowed to criticize NuTrek in any way without being canceled by their fellow fans. 

Criticism Of NuTrek Is Now Completely Forbidden

While the aforementioned YouTube channels made some salient points about Discovery, some fans understandably seized on parts of their opinions they felt missed the mark. The primary things that made this new Star Trek show “diverse” were, seemingly, the Black female main character and a supporting cast that includes two gay men. Therefore, such criticisms were condemned by the Reddit-style fan community as being both sexist and homophobic.

However, Discovery fanboys soon began to use those earlier critiques to silence all opposition to their new favorite show. If someone disliked Michael Burnham’s character for more legitimate reasons (like her being written as a Mary Sue with plot armor as thick and obvious as transparent aluminum), they were dismissed as just another bigot who had a problem with a strong, Black, female character. If someone said they thought Stamets and Culber could have had better chemistry, they were denigrated as a homophobe who just couldn’t handle Trek’s first openly gay couple.

Unfortunately, this foundational aspect of NuTrek discourse continues to this day with Starfleet Academy. If you criticize Jay’den (the stuttering soft boy Klingon pacifist) for being a poorly written member of his warrior race, you will be labeled as an old sexist who just can’t appreciate this alien’s slow burn journey of gay self-discovery. If you criticize SAM (the happy-go-lucky hologram with the literal mind of a child) for being a walking meme, you’ll be labeled as someone who hates Black women (and probably autistic people).

Forgetting The Franchise’s Most Important Rule

Do some members of the Star Trek fandom still make racist, sexist, and homophobic comments about Starfleet Academy and other shows? Of course, and they need to be called out by a comment section that sets their phasers to “kill.” But it’s important to remember that not every criticism of NuTrek is a coded dogwhistle; sometimes, people just have a difference of opinion, and somebody not liking something that you love is not a personal attack on you or your tastes.

All of this had me pondering the most important rule in all of Star Trek: IDIC, which stands for “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.” NuTrek is often praised for adhering to this more than earlier shows, and its diversity is part of what those problematic YouTubers freaked out about when Discovery premiered. Obviously, diversity is a good thing, and shows like Starfleet Academy deserve full credit for giving us the kinds of characters that we wouldn’t have previously seen headlining a Star Trek show.

IDIC Includes People Who Don’t Like Your Favorite Show

However, diversity of thought and opinion is also part of IDIC, and this has always been baked into Star Trek’s DNA: we see McCoy and Spock argue over the different cultural perspectives of humans and Vulcans in The Original Series, for example. In The Next Generation, Worf’s stories constantly forced characters like Picard to consider the wildly different (yet no less relevant) perspective of the Klingons. Meanwhile, Deep Space Nine used the Ferengi Quark to constantly contrast the Federation’s hippie, humanistic values with naked faith in the power of free market capitalism.

In a perfect world, the Star Trek fandom would more readily embrace this basic concept of IDIC: not everyone in the fandom is going to agree with everything you say. The person criticizing the childish humor of Starfleet Academy isn’t someone who hates the franchise or hates you for liking the show; he’s just somebody who wishes NuTrek wasn’t resorting to d*ck and fart jokes to make audiences laugh. Similarly, the people complaining about the nonstop slang and vulgarity of these young characters aren’t just old and out of touch; they just remember when you could show Star Trek to your kids without cringing and reaching for the remote. 

Fans Need To Stop With Friendly Fire

Not every Trek is for every fan, and disliking Starfleet Academy is no more inherently problematic than disliking Enterprise or the Kelvinverse. But it’s important to remember that the vast majority of fans criticizing this new show are doing so from a place of love because they want Star Trek to succeed. By assuming that every critic is a bigot, fanboys shut down any chance for genuine discourse while making Paramount think that nothing about their new show (the one that’s already fallen out of the Top 10 streaming charts on Paramount+) needs to be changed.

Simply put, this mentality goes against the entire IDIC philosophy of Star Trek and will ultimately doom the franchise in a sad attempt to pretend that NuTrek is absolutely perfect. If we can’t argue in good faith about the things we love about Trek, then there will soon be no new Trek to love. But if the fandom can finally drop all the culture war garbage (including painting all critics as fascists to the right of Colonel Green) and have a reasonable discourse, we might have something that seemingly disappeared decades ago. Namely, a Star Trek show that most fans are actually excited to watch each week!

By Robert Scucci
| Published 25 seconds ago

I’ve been running into a lot of unintended movie pairings lately, and 2025’s Ballad of a Small Player makes for the perfect companion piece to 2019’s Adam Sandler-starring Uncut Gems. In this film, Brendan Reilly’s (Colin Farrell) behavior mirrors the same kind of anxiety-inducing gambling spiral that Sandler’s Howard Ratner faces. Instead of sports betting, we’re in Macau throwing hands at baccarat, with equally disastrous results.

Ballad of a Small Player holds its own thanks to its supernatural undercurrent, implying that streaks of bad luck and the acts of desperation that follow are manifestations of hungry ghosts who insatiably feed on greed and opulence. These ghosts operate with no regard for the collateral damage left in the wake of the increasingly reckless decisions made by their human counterparts, making the whole thing feel like the kind of waking nightmare you’d expect after losing hundreds of thousands of dollars and still refusing to give up chasing the high of winning big.

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

Chronic gamblers often cling to their own set of superstitions to trigger a hot streak. Brendan Reilly, for example, won’t play baccarat without his lucky yellow gloves, even though he’s already lost nearly seven figures he either embezzled from his clients back in the UK or racked up from loan sharks in Macau while posing as Lord Doyle, a wealthy aristocrat who always has his sights set on the finer things in life.

Bouncing between penthouse suites, stuffing his face with five-star cuisine, and washing it down with expensive champagne, Brendan finds himself in a tight spot when his debtors, and the casinos they’re associated with, catch wise to his game. They refer to him as the white ghost, a supernatural entity fueled by greed and desire. His habits finally catch up with him when UK investigator Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton) tracks him down, demanding he return the hundreds of thousands of dollars he has stolen, not knowing that his present financial standing is far worse than she could ever possibly imagine.

Brendan has a different idea for navigating his increasingly dire situation, one that involves his fledgling relationship with credit broker Dao Ming (Fala Chen) and the recent trauma she endured when one of her clients committed suicide after failing to repay his debts. Unable to function without the rush of his next big score, Brendan grows increasingly hedonistic, incapable of breaking the cycle that will either land him in jail or send him to an early grave.

An Exceedingly Stylish Downward Spiral

Colin Farrell’s portrayal of a desperate man who does not know when to stop mirrors Sandler’s performance in Uncut Gems while staying firmly in its own lane. It is the same personality type in a wildly different setting. Uncut Gems thrives on New York City grit, while Ballad of a Small Player luxuriates in penthouse suites, colorful casino floors, and elaborate Chinese architecture.

What truly separates the two films is how greed’s appetite is literalized through consumption in Ballad of a Small Player. Brendan is not just hungry for his next big win. He is trying to fill the bottomless pit that is his soul with rich food, the finest spirits, and whatever excess he can grab. When he is up, he cannot pump the brakes. When he crashes, his desperation becomes a force of nature because quitting is never an option in his mind. He believes the world is there for his taking, never fully grasping how far he’s fallen off the edge.

To bear witness to one man’s slow descent as his excessive habits drain the light from his eyes, you can stream Ballad of a Small Player on Netflix. If you want to keep the anxiety going, Uncut Gems is waiting on Max.

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The female chef who alleges she was assaulted by Stefon Diggs has shared a statement as he enters a not guilty plea.

RELATED: Yikes! Stefon Diggs’ Lawyer And New England Patriots Respond To His Strangulation Charges

Female Chef For Stefon Diggs Shares Statement On Alleged Assault

On Friday, February 13, the woman, who has not been identified in news reports, took to Instagram to share a message with the public. Furthermore, she wrote that she is writing to address the “false information that has been shared publicly.”

Additionally, she stated that she is a “professional chef” with 10 years of professional experience, and her “reputation” and “integrity” matter deeply to her. Claims that she engaged in “settlement discussions” with Digg, she says, are “untrue.” And she noted that she “never sought money” from him. Furthermore, she stated that she would “never” make false claims about domestic violence because she knows the allegations are serious and damaging.

“I did not seek public attention and reported this matter through the proper legal channels. This is an active criminal matter, and I will continue to respect the legal process,” she added by noting that she will not engage with “rumors” or “personal attacks.”

Instead, she noted that she is focused on “healing,” her work, and “moving forward with integrity” while trusting the legal process.

Social Media Reacts

Social media users weighed in on the female chef’s statements in TSR’s comment section. Many noted that Stefon Diggs appears to be taking back-to-back L’s with the loss of the Super Bowl and this criminal case.

Stefon Diggs Enters Not Guilty Plea In Alleged Assault Against Female Chef

Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that Stefon Diggs entered a not guilty plea to the strangulation and assault charges on Friday, February 13. His arraignment reportedly went down at the Dedham District Court in Massachusetts. Additionally, he was ordered to reappear in court on April 1.

Per the outlet, the chef alleges that on December 2, 2025, she confronted Diggs over money he allegedly owed her for her services. In turn, he allegedly smacked her in the face. And he allegedly tried to choke her by wrapping his elbow around her neck. Per PEOPLE, the chef reported the assault to police on December 16, 2025.

The Guardian adds that Diggs has denied the claims, and the New England Patriots have expressed their support for him.

RELATED: Stefon Diggs Breaks His Silence Following Strangulation Allegations From Former Private Chef (VIDEOS)

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
Logistics Company CEO Steps Down …
After Epstein Link Revealed

Published
February 13, 2026
11:44 AM PST

James Van Der Beek‘s close friend is describing his family’s “urgent” need for money after his death.

“I’m just so happy and grateful that so many people feel moved in their hearts the way that those of us close feel,” designer Erin Fetherston told ExtraTV on Thursday, February 12, as the actor’s family raised more than $2 million in donations via GoFundMe. “There is a sincere and urgent need here for the family. They have really been through it, and I just want to thank everyone on their behalf who has given and who may feel inspired to give.”

Following his battle with stage III colorectal cancer, James’ wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and loved ones are struggling to stay afloat.

“These are six children who are facing life without a father,” Fetherston, 44, added. “Their amazing mother Kimberly has been a devoted wife and mom. She’s had six children and been public about losing babies along the way. She has been in the space of motherhood and supporting James all of these years. Now, she’s really left to pick up the pieces.”

Fetherston continued: “By supporting them, you’re helping them just maintain some stability in their life after going through a terribly challenging, painful, and heartbreaking journey that has ended in the loss of their father.”

Kimberly, 43, shared kids Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 11, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3, with James. The couple, who got married in 2010, previously revealed that Kimberly suffered five pregnancy losses.

In November 2024, James announced his stage III colorectal cancer diagnosis, writing via Instagram, “I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family. There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”

James was candid about his efforts to raise money for his treatment, which included selling memorabilia from his roles on Variety Blues and Dawson’s Creek. Fetherston told ExtraTV that James wasn’t able to work for the past two years.

“They tried everything to save his life,” she said. “And it’s just so hard that he’s gone now and also to be facing after already losing such a tremendous parent is nothing that I want to see them go through.”

Fetherston offered insight into her final moments with James, who died Wednesday, February 11, at age 48.

Related: How James Van Der Beek Dealt With Financial Stress of Cancer Diagnosis

James Van Der Beek dealt with significant financial strain before his death from stage III colorectal cancer at age 48 in February 2026. The former Dawson’s Creek actor and his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, shared six children — daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn and sons Joshua and Jeremiah — so they were forced […]

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“We all really held faith for a positive, miraculous outcome until the very end. James and Kimberly maintained such positivity through this journey, such high consciousness, always holding for a miracle, doing everything they could, trying everything,” she shared. “I mean, James, he put so much effort with all his strength to do this, and he did it with such grace, with a smile, still taking time to ask, ‘How are you doing? What can I do for you?’ I just did not imagine that this could happen.”

Fetherston expressed gratitude for the time she spent with James before his death, adding, “I had the chance to do that and say goodbye and see him. And even at the end, you know, I said to Kimberly, like, ‘He’s still beautiful.’ After everything he’s been through, he’s still emanating his love.”

Seeing such a “beautiful community” rally around James was meaningful for Fetherston.

“I think he really felt supported by all the love and the people who were able to be there at the end,” she continued. “He was just absolutely his authentic self until the very end — including people, making everyone a family, helping us all connect to one another.”

She concluded: “He leaves behind this incredible legacy of the most beautiful, kind family, and the most beautiful family of friends that would have never found one another had it not been for James and Kimberly and their open-hearted, generous way of living.”

Kimberly revealed on Wednesday that friends set up the GoFundMe for her family, sharing the link to donate via her Instagram Story “with gratitude and a broken heart.” Derek Hough, Zoe Saldaña and Steven Spielberg were among the A-list contributors.

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General Hospital has got a major leak and rumor roundup and we want to share with you from a very reliable inside source. We have a huge kidnapping to talk about, three big exits, and one despicable character coming back that you’re going to absolutely hate to hear about.

We have the latest leaks for you. This is the same leaker who told us months before the reveal that Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober) is the one who killed Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco). They leaked Maxie Jones’ (Kirsten Storms) medical leave and Chade Duell quitting as Michael Corinthos before that all rolled out, and we’ve reported it here.

This source is legit and has a good track record. Remember, with leaks and rumors, these are not confirmed spoilers, but we trust the source enough to share it with you. Unless it’s direct from the network, we still call it a rumor.

Now, let’s get into it. Let’s start with those three exits. One of them you’ve probably heard about is Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), but we’ve got additional details. Another one we’ve mentioned before seems to be manifesting. The third is brand new, really shocking, and is being compared to Chad Duell’s exit.

Steve Burton’s Temporary Exit from General Hospital and Jason Morgan’s Kidnapping Plot

News recently broke that Jason Morgan is taking a couple of months—two to three months—off of GH to spend time with his family and his new wife, Michelle Lindström. We’re going to have maybe 12 weeks of no Jason Morgan in Port Charles. That is not a rumor; that is definitely happening.

We have some details on his exit. The good news is that it is not another fake death story as Jason Morgan leaves. He has already taped his last episode, and our leaker said he needs the time to move from California back to Tennessee. He’ll be back to taping as Jason Morgan in late May or early June, which puts him on air roughly in July.

To facilitate Steve Burton’s exit, our leaker says that Jason is going to be kidnapped. That’s not totally surprising, but what is surprising is that it’s not Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) or the dirty WSB director, Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes), who kidnaps Jason. We will talk about this kidnapping in its own video coming soon, so check back for that.

Is Harrison Chase Leaving General Hospital? Detective Harrison Chase’s Future in Port Charles

The other exit that was leaked before is now feeling like it’s about to happen. We shared a while back that our leaker said Harrison Chase is leaving Port Charles and Josh Swickard will be leaving General Hospital. That rumor feels timely because Chase was demoted to beat cop and his marriage is hitting the skids soon.

Plus, Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) warned Chase to stay out of Michael’s investigation, but Chase is already in it because of Drew Cain Quartermaine’s (Cameron Mathison) house key. I suspect Chase is going to drop a hint to Mac Scorpio (John J York) about that because he’s the one overseeing the search for evidence against Michael.

I suspect Wiley Corinthos (Viron Weaver) may rat Chase out, and then he could end up losing his job. That might be too much for Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) because Chase’s devotion to Willow has really irked his wife. Plus, BLQ isn’t moving forward with adoption plans and there are already a lot of issues there.

Josslyn Jacks Exit Rumors: Is Josslyn Jacks Saying Goodbye to GH?

The third exit shared by the leaker is huge and one I didn’t see coming: Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy). Our source says Eden McCoy is leaving General Hospital, potentially for the same reason as Chad Duell did. I think that’s a reference to the Michael Corinthos actor’s father dying, after which he decided to step away from GH long-term to grieve and be with his family.

If you remember, Eden’s mom passed away in November 2023 after a more than two-year battle with cancer. In mid-December, about five weeks after her mom died, we said goodbye to Joss for six weeks when Eden McCoy took some time off. The rumor seems to indicate that she may be ready to leave the role of Josslyn full stop. We’ll see if that manifests.

Emma Drake Returns for Robert Scorpio’s Memorial Service on General Hospital

This next leak is to dispel another rumor floating around. There’s chatter that Braedyn Bruner is leaving GH as Emma Scorpio-Drake. The character exited temporarily to go to San Francisco and tell her parents, Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough) and Patrick Drake (Jason Thompson), about the Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) crisis. Anything you see about Emma leaving the soap is clickbait.

Emma is coming back. She’s also already confirmed to be present for her granddad Robert Scorpio’s (Tristan Rogers) memorial service. Regarding that service, we had heard they were scheduling Robert’s memorial and Robert’s offscreen death around Kimberly McCullough and Emma Samms’ schedules.

They play Robin Scorpio and Holly Sutton. However, rumor has it Emma Samms may not be available to film. The Holly Sutton actress has been battling long COVID for a while and she lives in England. I hope Emma Samms can be there as Holly, but we’ll see.

Anna Devane GH Update and the Sonny Corinthos and Valentin Cassadine Collaboration

An update on Finola Hughes: she is still on an extended break. That’s why Anna Devane is offscreen for the most part. However, Finola is still on contract. She will be filming this spring as Anna again full-time.

The leaker also said Cullum is picking up where Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy) left off with his corrupt reign as head of the WSB. We also heard that when they recast the new Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke), it was specifically for this Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) and Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) story.

The leaker also said Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Valentin are going to join forces. That makes sense because Sidwell is in bed with the WSB, which means Valentin probably shouldn’t work with him. The Sonny and Valentin collab ties into the bomb at Sonny’s apartment that burned Michael and is also supposed to tie up loose ends from the long-dragging Pikeman storyline.

Scout Cain’s Living Situation and a High-Stakes Incident for Danny Morgan

The next leak tidbit is that Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) and Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) debate where Scout Cain (Cosette Abinante) should live long term—whether it’s at Alexis’ house or at the Quartermaine mansion to be close to her brother, Danny Morgan (Asher Jared Antonyzyn). It’s unclear why they are hashing this out. It points to Drew still being locked in, or him losing custody, and maybe Willow going away for what she’s done.

This next leak is about an incident at a school, and it includes Jason Morgan, Danny Morgan, Dante Falconeri, and Alexis Davis, plus the PCPD cops and a stunt actor. The leaker said Danny may be in trouble. Plus, we heard that Jason is up on a roof in March. Maybe it’s for this plot or his upcoming kidnapping.

New Romance for Jason Morgan and Drew Cain Quartermaine’s Dark Pivot on General Hospital

There’s a rumor that they may be testing out a new love interest for Jason because allegedly Britt Westbourne’s (Kelly Thiebaud) comeback isn’t going quite as the powers that be hoped. I love Kelly Thiebaud and Britt is always fun. I personally love Jason and Britt together, so I hope it’s not true, but I report all the rumors, even the ones I don’t like.

Our source says Drew will not be redeemed with this Willow tournament story. Instead, he is going to pivot and go off in a different direction. If you were hoping Drew was going to exit, that’s not happening; Drew sticks around. One particularly wild rumor is that there might actually be two Nathan Wests (Ryan Paevey)—a real one and a fake one.

Is Peter August Alive? The Latest GH Casting Leaks and Resurrections

We have some good news and bad news on resurrections and casting. First, the good news: the leaker said Cesar Faison (Anders Hove) is not alive and is not coming back. We know they had Anders Hove taping audio for that episode with Anna in her room on Spoon Island. He did that Cesar Faison voice work remotely from Denmark, and Anders Hove is not coming back to reprise the role in person on General Hospital.

But here’s the bad news. Faison’s not alive, but the leaker says his awful son, Peter August (Wes Ramsey), is. To be honest, I kind of suspected that might happen since Britt and Nathan were both revived, but I know a huge pile of GH fans do not want Peter August back.

The leaker also said that Valentin knows Peter is alive and is sitting on that and some other big secrets. I could see him keeping it secret that Peter is alive. Valentin has been like a real dad to Peter. He’s been in Peter’s life practically since birth—mentoring him, protecting him, and trying to shield him from Faison because of the residual guilt Valentin had for his role in Faison getting his hands on Peter.

That’s the whole rumor roundup. Again, none of these are confirmed spoilers, just leaks from an insider with a really good track record. We will wait to see what manifests from this latest round of leaks.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 24 seconds ago

Looking for a neo-noir sci-fi thriller hinging on a time-traveling serial killer who only appears once every nine years, causing victims to bleed out of their eyes for no real rhyme or reason? I know you are, which brings me to the good news. 2019’s In the Shadow of the Moon will take you on this exact journey, and it’s an absolute trip. Think True Detective Season 1, but instead of an elite cabal of corrupt Louisiana officials operating a human trafficking ring behind closed doors, the primary antagonist is a mysterious figure who only surfaces during specific lunar cycles to go on a killing spree.

Is it an alien? A human from the future? Or is it simply a figment of our unraveling protagonist’s imagination as he becomes so obsessed with the case that he alienates everybody he once cared about, turning into a shell of a man over the course of a decades-long investigation that nobody else seems interested in solving?

It’s Happening Again … 

In the Shadow of the Moon tells a time-hopping story in a progressive linear fashion, beginning in 1988 Philadelphia and concluding in 2024. We’re introduced to rookie cop Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook), heading out for his graveyard shift with his partner Maddox (Bokeem Woodbine) while leaving his very pregnant wife Jean (Rachel Keller) at home. What starts as a routine night quickly spirals when multiple victims die under the same bizarre circumstances.

Each victim bears puncture wounds, and their brains hemorrhage catastrophically, leaking from every facial orifice exactly how you’d expect. With the help of Thomas’ brother-in-law, Detective Holt (Michael C. Hall), they track down the woman they believe is responsible (Cleopatra Coleman). Before they can get answers, she jumps in front of a train, but not before telling Thomas intimate details about his life, including the fact that Jean will die during childbirth that very night.

By 1997, Thomas is a widowed detective struggling to raise his 9-year-old daughter, Amy (Quincy Kirkwood). He’s convinced the 1988 massacre was a one-off freak occurrence until the same pattern resurfaces on the nine-year anniversary. This time, the investigation expands to include a physicist named Naveen, who insists the killings are connected through time travel. Thomas, Maddox, and a now-promoted Lieutenant Holt dismiss the theory, but the nine-year cycle continues, tightening its grip on Thomas’ life.

We next see him in 2006, worse for wear after leaving the force to work as a private investigator focused solely on this case. By 2015, he’s a husk, still chasing answers while everyone else has moved on. The pattern persists, the obsession festers, and Thomas remains the only one who refuses to let it go.

If True Detective Were A Netflix Sci-Fi Original

As much as I want to root for In the Shadow of the Moon, a couple of things pulled me out of it. While this may sound nitpicky, the 1988 and 1997 sequences lack the kind of texture that really sells those eras. I’m not saying it needs to function as a full-blown period piece, but you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish the ’80s from the present day outside of the absence of smartphones, which bothered me more than it probably should have.

Minor criticism aside, In the Shadow of the Moon earns serious points for its ambitious premise and hard-boiled neo-noir vibe. The mystery is compelling enough to keep you locked in, and Boyd Holbrook’s physical portrayal of a man slowly losing everything in pursuit of answers is the selling point. Whoever handled his makeup in the later sequences deserves serious credit, because you can practically chart his decline through the lines of age etched across his face.

In the Shadow of the Moon takes familiar mystery-thriller beats, injects them with a bold sci-fi twist, and delivers a time-spanning character study that’s messy in places but undeniably intriguing. It’s currently streaming on Netflix, ready for anybody who wants their crime dramas with a side of lunar-induced chaos.