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Who Are Still Together and Who Broke Up?

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Everything to Know About RHOSLC Alum Jen Shah's Legal Drama

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Motherhood ‘Changed’ How Hilary Swank Views ‘Discipline’

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Hilary Swank Has Been 'Transformed' by Motherhood After Welcoming Twins: 'Ecstatic But Exhausted'

Hilary Swank is opening up about the way motherhood has altered how she views discipline while working out.

“Motherhood has changed the way I think about discipline,” Swank, 51, wrote via Instagram on Friday, May 8, alongside a slew of pictures featuring the actress’ home gym. “It’s less about perfection, more about consistency — and letting your kids see you take care of yourself.”

In October 2022, the Academy award-winning actress announced she was expecting twins with her husband, Philip Schneider.

“This is something that I’ve been wanting for a long time, and my next thing is I’m gonna be a mom,” she said at the time. “And not just of one, but of two. I can’t believe it.”

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Swank welcomed twins Aya and Ohm in April 2023. Since then, Swank admitted that it has been difficult to find the “me time” necessary to work out.

“My workout routine is a little different these days… it mostly happens in the garage,” she wrote. “With 3-year-old twins, ‘finding time’ to work out isn’t really a thing. So we started figuring out how to move together — in between naps, book readings, swim lessons, and the general chaos of toddlerhood.”

She added, “I’m back on set for #Yellowjackets — so grateful — but the hours are long. And when I’m home, I just want to be with the kids. So this became our answer: a space we could all use, that could grow with the kids, and where we could not just work out but actually have fun.”

Swank shared that her husband “managed to design and build” most of her new at-home gym, alongside a couple of “very ‘handy’ friends” who utilized “as much scrap material as possible.”

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Hilary Swank Has Been 'Transformed' by Motherhood After Welcoming Twins: 'Ecstatic But Exhausted'


Related: Hilary Swank Has Been ‘Transformed’ by Motherhood: She’s ‘Ecstatic’

Hilary Swank is enjoying every moment of her new chapter after welcoming twins with husband Philip Schneider — even the hard ones. “[They] are ecstatic but exhausted,” a source exclusively reveals of the couple, who became parents earlier this year, in the new issue of Us Weekly. The Million Dollar Baby actress, 48, “has some […]

“I’m just grateful he didn’t burn down the garage in the process,” she wrote. “I usually hide power tools from him…”

Swank then broke down her workout routine, saying that sometimes she just has time to do a “quick power-lift during nap time.”

“Other days it’s tap dancing inspired by the insanely talented @chloearnoldtaps, swinging around like monkeys @tumbltrak, rock-climbing ‘Everest’ to find the whale @atomikclimbingholds, pretending we’re firemen going up and down the fire-pole, or just laying in the ‘spider web’ reading books on a rainy afternoon,” she wrote. “Mostly, it’s just about showing up however we can.”

She concluded, “Grateful for my husband for creating this space… and for the tiny humans who keep me moving whether I like it or not.”

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Ciara Miller’s Drama With West Wilson, Jen Fessler Explained

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Summer House star Ciara Miller publicly accused ex West Wilson of sleeping with The Real Housewives of New Jersey alum Jennifer Fessler — a claim both Wilson and Fessler have firmly denied.

The cross-franchise feud spilled across red carpets and social media in May 2026, with Fessler even arguing the rumor is best described as an act of “libel.”

Keep scrolling for a complete breakdown of the Bravo drama:

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Related: West Wilson Reacts to Ciara Miller’s Claim He Slept With Jennifer Fessler

Summer House’s West Wilson is setting the record straight after Ciara Miller accused him of sleeping with Jennifer Fessler. Ciara, 30, made the claim on Friday, May 8, after Real Housewives of New Jersey alum Jennifer, 57,  defended West amid his ongoing relationship dramas. “[West] is the cutest, sweetest golden retriever puppy dog. He does […]

Jennifer Fessler Defends West Wilson on the Red Carpet

The drama kicked off in early May 2026, when Fessler was asked about Wilson’s Summer House scandal at Vulture‘s The Masterminds of Reality TV event. (Wilson announced his relationship with costar Amanda Batula in March 2026, despite his previous fling with her former BFF Miller in 2023.)

Speaking with Page Six on the red carpet, Fessler had nothing but kind words about Wilson.

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“[West] is the cutest, sweetest golden retriever puppy dog. He does not mean any harm. He didn’t mean it,” Fessler said. “He’s just trying to have a good time. He doesn’t wanna hurt anyone. Give him a break.”

Ciara Miller Accuses West Wilson and Jennifer Fessler of Hooking Up

When Fessler’s red-carpet defense was shared via Threads the next day, Miller fired back with a pointed comment.

“Lol, because they slept together too,” she wrote.

Hours later, Miller appeared to double down by reposting a Summer House still of Batula on Threads with the caption: “If I send this to you I’m about to lie straight to your face.”

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West Wilson and Jennifer Fessler Deny the Allegations

Wilson responded swiftly via his Instagram Stories within hours, writing “news to me” alongside a meme indicating confusion.  A source close to Wilson told Us Weekly that the claim was “absolutely not true,” calling the rumor “such a silly allegation.”

Fessler issued her own denial to Page Six, stating, “It’s flattering that anyone would think someone who slept with Ciara Miller would be interested in sleeping with me.”

Jennifer, who has been married to husband Jeff Fessler since 1999, took a more serious tone the next day.

In a statement shared via her Instagram Story, Jennifer wrote, “In all seriousness, and while I can’t help but be a little flattered, it is not nice nor is it OK to post something categorically untrue and defamatory on social media. Regardless of whatever rumors or apparent ‘evidence’ led you to that conclusion, that is the definition of libel.”

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She added, “If it were true, I would have no recourse. Because it’s a lie, this can get more complicated. Having said that, I hope we can rectify this. It’s enough now.”

A Complicated History

Fessler and Wilson have a friendly history of their own. The pair went viral in a May 2024 Instagram video, where they coined the term “Messy Wessy” about the sports journalist. Fessler later told Us she “didn’t realize at the time” that Wilson was “America’s Sweetheart” and apologized for poking fun at his name.

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“I feel terrible because my best friend who was there, she took it,” Jennifer explained to Us in June 2024. “There are times where I just think I’m so funny, and I just think everyone would think that I’m so funny. … He’s just like a golden retriever puppy. He’s the cutest. He looks kind of confused and cool. We met each other and he was so adorable — and then we got smashed. So, everything was just so funny.”

This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. 

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RFK Jr. Ends Proposed FDA Ban on Tanning Beds for Minors

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has withdrawn a proposed FDA rule that would’ve banned tanning bed use for minors.

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the withdrawal of the proposed rule titled ‘General and Plastic Surgery Devices: Restricted Sale, Distribution, and Use of Sunlamp Products,’ which published in the Federal Register of December 22, 2015,” RFK Jr. the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services for President Donald Trump’s administration, wrote in a March 2026 withdrawal letter.

“FDA is taking this action because it no longer intends to finalize the proposed rule,” the controversial HHS secretary continued, citing “support for personal choice and parental decision-making; availability and relative safety of sunlamp production alternatives; and compliance burdens on small businesses.”

“In light of the scientific and technical concerns raised in the comments on the Proposed Rule, concerns regarding possible unintended consequences of certain proposals in the Proposed Rule, and potential alternatives proposed in comments received on the Proposed Rule, FDA is withdrawing the Proposed Rule in order to reconsider the best means for addressing the issues covered by the Proposed Rule and related issues regarding access to sunlamp products,” Kennedy added.

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Related: RFK Jr. Under Fire After Changing Photo With McDonald’s for Thanksgiving Food

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is under fire once again after digitally altering a now-infamous photo featuring an Air Force One McDonald’s meal. The current secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services shared a festive, but clearly altered image on Thursday, November 27, in honor of Thanksgiving. “Happy Thanksgiving!” RFK Jr. captioned the post, […]

While skin cancer remains the most common form of cancer — an estimated 1 in 5 Americans develop skin cancer at some point in their lifetime, according to the American Academy of Dermatology — wellness influencers have increasingly advocated for more sun exposure while denouncing sunscreen and similar products as harmful or toxic.

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US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Dr. Vinod Nambudiri, a dermatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, told The New York Times that people should at the very least use a sunscreen with a SPF of at least 30, adding, “There’s no harm in going higher, though.”

RFK Jr., who ran for president in 2024 before ending his candidacy and endorsing now-President Trump, is known for espousing conspiracy theories related to healthcare, including denouncing vaccines and arguing that Black people have different immune systems.

In 2021, Kennedy claimed that Black people should follow a different vaccine schedule than white people because their immune systems are “stronger” – a racist medical trope that has long been debunked.

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During a February 12 appearance on the ‘This Past Weekend With Theo Von” podcast, RFK Jr. said he isn’t “afraid” of germs because he used to do drugs off toilet seats.

“I’m not scared of a germ,” he said at the time. “I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats. I know this disease [addiction] will kill me. If I don’t treat it, which for me means going to meetings everyday, it’s just bad for my life. For me, it was just survival.”

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The Valley’s Zack Wickham Reacts to Janet’s Surrogacy Offer

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The Valley star Zack Wickham is reacting to his costar Janet Caperna’s generous offer to serve as his surrogate.

“I’ve never wanted to, like, say, ‘No, thank you,’ faster,” Zack exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, May 7. “Oh my god, could you imagine?”

The reality TV star continued, “I just don’t even know what that would entail. I do think she was, you know, saying it in a joking manner. Because I think if I followed through with it, she’d be like, ‘Oh yeah, no, no, no, no, no.’”

Zack and Janet star on Bravo’s hit reality TV series The Valley alongside Brittany Cartwright, Jesse Lally, Daniel Booko, Kristen Doute, Lala Kent, Nia Sanchez, Jasmine Goode, Jason Caperna and Tom Schwartz.

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For the uninitiated, Janet — who welcomed son Cameron with husband Jason after season 1 filming wrapped in December 2023 — offered her friend her uterus during season 3, episode 6 of the hit series.

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Jason Caperna, guest, Jasmine Goode, Janet Caperna and Zack Wickham
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“Do you guys want babies,” Janet asks Zack and his boyfriend Benji during a group trip to San Diego.

“Uh huh,” Zack says in response, before pointing to his boyfriend and saying, “It’s a non-negotiable for him. He can take care of both me and a child. It’s, like, two kids. It’s fine.”

“Just let me know when you need a uterus,” Janet quipped.

“Stop offering your uterus out,” her husband Jason chimed in.

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“I’m sure if Zack’s not ready for me to be planning his birthday he’s probably also not ready for me to carry his child, but a girl can dream,” Janet then tells the cameras of the heartwarming, on-camera moment.

Despite the heartwarming moment during the cast trip, Zack told Us that he and Janet’s friendship experienced another significant up-and-down cycle on season 3.

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“You will see us go kind of back and forth,” he explained. “I think when we sat down at the pool we had a discussion — you see, you know, a portion of it, but it was a much longer discussion — and I felt throughout it [that] she was being very dismissive of how I was feeling, and not really being genuine with apologizing or with just us being able to move forward.”

He continued, “I know that she’s trying to say, ‘Oh, well, I’m just trying to joke so that we can move on.’ But I felt like that’s not really showing… these are not actions that are showing you’re moving forward. These are actually actions that are showing you’re trying to brush it under the rug. So, I think I struggle with that for a lot of the season, and I think she struggles with understanding why I’m coming from that angle. “

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10 quintessential cop movies you can stream right now

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These crime dramas and comedies explore both sides of the law.

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4 men found guilty of first-degree murder in ambush shooting of rapper Julio Foolio

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The 26-year-old musician was shot multiple times in a Tampa parking lot in a 2024 incident tied to a Jacksonville gang war, investigators said.

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Misse Beqiri Speaks Out After Ex Jake Hall’s Death

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Missé Beqiri is paying tribute to her ex Jake Hall after his untimely death at age 35.

“I never thought I would ever have to write this, and the pain of even putting these words down feels unbearable,” Beqiri, 39, wrote in a Saturday, May 9, Instagram statement. “There was no way you were ever supposed to go. My heart is shattered, and so is our daughter’s.”

“You lit up every room you walked into — your smile, your charm, your energy that filled the air. The way you loved music, how deeply you felt every sound, your creativity, your mind, your spirit. You were so deeply loved by so many people, and seeing the love everyone has for you is both heartbreaking and beautiful all at once.”

Beqiri further stated that she loved Hall “from the very first moment” the met.

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“Together, we created the most beautiful girl, the one you loved more than anything in this world, beyond words,” she continued, referring to their 8-year-old daughter, River. “Your love for her was so strong it almost scared me because I knew you would go to the ends of the earth for her.”

Beqiri added, “You will be missed. I promise to keep River safe, loved and wrapped in the kind of love you gave so effortlessly. You are at peace now. … You left behind your mini version, our River, and for that we are forever grateful. You will always live on through her, and you will forever be with us.”

Although Beqiri and Hall were no longer romantically involved at the time of his death, the pair remained linked since they shared daughter River. Following news of Hall’s death, Beqiri’s rep released a statement to The Mirror.

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Courtesy of Misse Beqiri/ Instagram

“At this time, Missé’s focus is on supporting and protecting their child as they come to terms with this,” the May 7 statement read. “The family are asking for privacy, compassion and respect while they grieve privately.”

Earlier that day, The Sun reported that Hall was found dead in a villa following a house party in Majorca, Spain. He appeared to sustain fatal head wounds, leading authorities to speculate that he may have hit his head on a glass door.

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Related: Celebrity Deaths of 2026: CNN Founder Ted Turner and More Stars

Hollywood mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2026. The year started off with Broadway performer and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford’s death at age 46. At the end of the month, comedy acting icon Catherine O’Hara died at age 71. In February, Designing Women’s Camilla Carr died at age 83, Dawson’s Creek […]

Neighbors allegedly heard “loud noises” hours before police arrived at the scene, though one person told local outlet Ultima Hora that Hall “hadn’t been causing problems” and seemed “relatively normal.”

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Still, the neighbor claimed to be scared of some of Hall’s friends. “I began to hear a very loud noise, as if they were drilling something,” the individual alleged. “They stopped after about five minutes, and then I fell asleep.”

While police reportedly questioned four men and two women staying at the property, no arrests were made at the time. An autopsy was scheduled to take place in Palma.

Shortly before his death, Hall posted a cryptic message on social media.

“Life is bollocks sometimes but I’m gonna try to remember the good things,” he wrote via Instagram on May 5. “Looking through things — I’m just making art — in many forms.”

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Hall achieved reality TV stardom while appearing on seasons 14 through 17 of the British series The Only Way Is Essex from 2015 to 2016.

“Jake was a part of the TOWIE family for a number of years and we send our very deepest sympathies to his family and friends following today’s very sad news,” read a statement from The Only Way Is Essex.

Beqiri, for her part, got her start on reality TV on the British series The Real Housewives of Cheshire, appearing as a main cast member from 2016 to 2017. Earlier this year, she starred on season 4 of Ladies of London: The New Reign, a rebooted version of the Bravo reality series that originally aired from 2014 to 2017.

After welcoming their daughter in November 2017, Hall and Beqiri got engaged in May 2018. However, the on-off couple split shortly afterward.

In addition to River, Beqiri is also the mother of son Julian from her marriage to ex-husband Anders Lindegaard.

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Ben Affleck and Matt Damon sued by Miami cops for defamation over portrayal in their movie “The Rip”

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Two officers in the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office claim the actors’ Netflix crime drama caused “substantial harm to their personal and professional reputations.”

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Sadie Robertson Gives Update on Baby After Choking Twice

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GettyImages-2154799468 Sadie Robertson Shares Update After Her Baby Choked

Sadie Robertson revealed her 8-month-old daughter, Kit, has been battling an “underlying” health condition after two choking incidents.

“A month since Kit choked, and what we thought was a one-time event, [it] happened again shortly after,” Robertson, 28, wrote via Instagram on Friday, May 8, referring to her child’s health scare last month. “That was the beginning of discovering something underlying.”

She continued, “Praise the Lord that for such a scary and life-threatening event we had, it was a relatively small fix [and] because of the incredible doctors, and she is healing now. God really does establish STRENGTH in the mouth of infants 😭🙌🥲.”

Robertson, who shares Kit with husband Christian Huff, did not disclose their daughter’s diagnosis amid her recovery.

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Related: Sadie Robertson Shares Update After Baby Choked and Stopped Breathing

Sadie Robertson offered a critical update on her baby daughter Kit’s condition after the child choked and stopped breathing. “I’m currently walking through the waves of anxiety from the trauma of the situation, and the immense gratitude for the miracle of Kit’s full recovery and God’s undeniable hand on this situation,” Robertson, 28, revealed via […]

“This past month has marked us in a way that will take a while to unpack,” the Duck Dynasty star wrote on Friday. “It has tested faith, and strengthened it. We’ve seen things that brought a lot of trauma, and also seen miracles on miracles that I’ll tell stories about forever! The power of prayer has marked us, the love of community, amazing doctors and nurses and the evidence of God’s faithful hand in the midst of uncertainty.”

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Robertson also shares daughters Honey, 4, and Haven, 2, with Huff, 27, and has found solace in prayer amid Kit’s health scare.

“God is faithful, He is good, He is an ever-present help in times of trouble, He is a provider and protector,” Robertson said. “And the church is a wonderful place that displays His love in times like this. It is hard to know how to step back into reality after times like this, but we will one day and one moment at a time trusting the Lord will meet us in it!”

According to Robertson, she and Huff are “working with an incredible group of doctors and therapists” regarding Kit’s care.

“We kindly ask for no further medical advice on this platform,” she concluded her upload.

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Related: ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Sadie Robertson’s Honest Quotes About Motherhood

Sadie Robertson has been open and honest about her experience with motherhood. The Duck Dynasty star, who shares three children with husband Christian Huff, has not shied away from discussing intimate details about her births and postpartum struggles over the years. (She welcomed daughters Honey James, Haven Belle and Kit Carroway in May 2021, May […]

Huff responded to his wife’s post, writing, “You’re the best mom ❤️.”

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Robertson shared via social media in April that Kit briefly stopped breathing that month.

“I’m currently walking through the waves of anxiety from the trauma of the situation, and the immense gratitude for the miracle of Kit’s full recovery and God’s undeniable hand on this situation,” she wrote on April 11. ““I’ve been off social media and having my family and amazing team help me on here for some time while I work on having a sound mind.”

Robertson explained that Kit “began to choke” while eating a snack that week.

“Within seconds, you could tell the severity of the situation. My mom pulled her from the high chair and placed my girl into my arms just as she stopped breathing,” she recalled at the time. “Everyone went into action and into prayer. Mom called 911, I started CPR, and everyone began to pray out loud and move the other kids downstairs.”

Kit eventually “miraculously coughed and began to breathe” after Robertson’s attempts at CPR.

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8 Drama Shows I Knew Would Be Masterpieces After the First 10 Minutes

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Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) in 'The Wire'

Since television is a way to tell an ongoing story across dozens – or even hundreds – of episodes, and across multiple years, it’s possible to find certain shows that ended up being great, but took some time to find their footing. You could argue Better Call Saul started off good, but took a while to become great, and if you go into sitcom territory, you can find tons of shows where the first season was one of the weaker – or even weakest – ones (like Seinfeld, The Office, and arguably The Simpsons).

But to stick to the drama side of things, here are some shows that inspired confidence right out of the gate. Even more specifically than great pilots, these shows all had great opening scenes, which means that some opening episodes that end with a bang – like The Shield’s – might not necessarily be mentioned here. If a show had an instantly great hook, though, or opened in a way that, in hindsight, feels like a summation of the entire series, then it might well be mentioned below.

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‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)

Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) in 'The Wire'
Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) in ‘The Wire’
Image via HBO

Admittedly, The Wire is one of those shows that gets better as it goes along, mostly since it takes a while to get the hang of what the whole show’s going for. So it’s less that The Wire took some time to find its footing, and more that it might take you some time to find your footing, because Season 1 throws you into the deep end, and some catch-up is required before things start truly hitting and resonating.

But the opening episode is still strong, and it begins with a conversation that really sets the tone going forward, with McNulty (Dominic West) talking to someone who witnessed a murder, but in a very different way to most crime/police procedurals. It instantly feels grounded, the acting is great straight away, and the dialogue is immediately compelling and easy to appreciate, so you feel confident early on that you’re in good hands (and, given how great the rest of the show is, it turns out you really were).

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‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)

A little girl in the winter woods in Game of Thrones
A little girl in the winter woods in Game of Thrones
Image via HBO

Say what you want about the final season, but for a while, Game of Thrones was a masterful drama series that also functioned as a fantasy/action/adventure series, albeit being all those things in a very dark way. When it had source material to rely on, it was a great adaptation, and problems started to emerge when Game of Thrones overtook most of the material found in the Song of Ice and Fire series.

But to focus on the good, the opening scene of Game of Thrones sets the stage well, since viewers are introduced to one of the main threats going forward (the White Walkers), and the tone is set by having some characters who feel like they could be important to die straight away. It’s also a brutal and eerie prologue, cluing you in to the idea, early on, that this isn’t exactly going to be a pleasant or “fun for the whole family” sort of fantasy story, by any means.

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‘Six Feet Under’ (2001–2005)

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Nathaniel Fisher Sr. moments before dying in a car crash in the pilot episode of Six Feet Under (2001).
Image via HBO

Death is constant throughout Six Feet Under, occasionally for the main characters, but often for side/one-off characters. A death is seen at the start of almost every episode, which is fitting, considering the show’s setting is mostly around a funeral home, and the first episode is no exception. Here, though, it’s the death of the patriarch of the family who runs the funeral home who dies quite suddenly: Nathaniel Fisher Sr. (Richard Jenkins).

So, everyone else is thrown into chaos, and things shift, and continue to do so throughout Six Feet Under‘s five largely great seasons. There’s stuff here about the absurdity of life and death, a great deal of tragedy, and some dark comedy, too, all of it established right in the opening moments of the show, and the events here really do reverberate and echo for dozens of episodes to come.

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‘Succession’ (2018–2023)

Jeremy Strong listening up on Succession
Jeremy Strong listening up on Succession
Image via HBO

Some people will say that Succession starts off a little wonky, but some people are wrong. Right from the jump, the characters here are flawed, pitiful, cringe-inducing, and yet still compelling all at once. The show’s unique style of humor is found very early on; it establishes its visual style straight away; the writing (though it perhaps got even better) is already strong; and the impressive music is here, too (albeit a little pervasive; they used it slightly more sparingly later on).

As for the opening of the series premiere? “Celebration” sees Logan (Brian Cox) peeing on a carpet in the middle of the night, and then the next scene is Kendall (Jeremy Strong) being as embarrassing as ever, trying to hype himself up for a meeting by rapping along to music in the back of a car. It’s chaotic, strange, uncomfortable, and kind of funny straight away, and these are all constants throughout the rest of Succession.













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Collider Exclusive · Taylor Sheridan Universe Quiz
Which Taylor Sheridan
Show Do You Belong In?

Yellowstone · Landman · Tulsa King · Mayor of Kingstown
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Four worlds. All of them brutal, complicated, and built on power, loyalty, and the price of survival. Taylor Sheridan doesn’t write heroes — he writes people who do what they have to do and live with the cost. Ten questions will reveal which one of his worlds you were made for.

🤠Yellowstone

🛢️Landman

👑Tulsa King

⚖️Mayor of Kingstown

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01

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Where does your power come from?
In Sheridan’s world, everyone has leverage. The question is what kind.




02

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Who do you put first, no matter what?
Loyalty in Sheridan’s universe is always absolute — and always costly.




03

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Someone crosses a line. How do you respond?
Every Sheridan protagonist has a line. What matters is what happens after it’s crossed.




04

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Where do you feel most in your element?
Sheridan’s worlds are as much about place as they are about people.




05

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How do you feel about operating in the grey?
Nobody in a Sheridan show has clean hands. The question is how they carry the dirt.




06

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What are you actually fighting to hold onto?
Every Sheridan character is fighting a war. The real question is what they’re defending.




07

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How do you lead?
Authority in Sheridan’s world is never given — it’s established, maintained, and constantly tested.




08

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Someone new arrives and tries to change how things work. Your reaction?
Every Sheridan show has an outsider disrupting an established order. Sometimes that outsider is you.




09

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What has your position cost you?
Nobody gets to where these characters are without paying for it. The bill is always personal.




10

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When it’s over, what do you want people to say?
Sheridan’s characters all know the ending is coming. The question is what they leave behind.




Sheridan Has Spoken
You Belong In…
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The show that claimed the most of your answers is the world you were built for. If two tied, both are shown — you’re complicated enough to straddle two Sheridan universes.

🤠
Yellowstone

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🛢️
Landman

👑
Tulsa King

⚖️
Mayor of Kingstown

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You are a Dutton — or you might as well be. You understand that some things are worth protecting at any cost, and that the modern world’s indifference to history, to land, to legacy, is not something you’re willing to accept quietly. You lead from the front, you carry your family’s weight without complaint, and when someone threatens what’s yours, you don’t escalate — you finish it. You’re not cruel. But you are absolute. In Yellowstone’s world, that combination of ferocity and loyalty doesn’t make you a villain. It makes you the only thing standing between everything that matters and everyone who wants to take it.

You thrive in the chaos of high-stakes negotiation, where the money is enormous, the margins are thin, and the wrong word in the wrong room can cost everyone everything. You’re a fixer — the person called when a situation is already on fire and needs someone with the nerve to walk into it. West Texas oil country rewards exactly what you are: sharp, adaptable, unsentimental, and absolutely clear-eyed about what people want and what they’ll do to get it. You’re not naive enough to think this world is fair. You’re smart enough to be the one deciding who it’s fair to.

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You are a Dwight Manfredi — someone who has served their time, paid their dues, and arrived somewhere unexpected with nothing but their reputation and their wits. You adapt without losing yourself. You build loyalty through respect rather than fear, though you’re not above reminding people that the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Tulsa King is for people who are still standing when everyone assumed they’d be finished — who find, in an unfamiliar place, that they’re more capable than the world gave them credit for. You don’t need a throne. You build one, wherever you happen to land.

You carry the weight of a system that is broken by design, and you do it anyway — because someone has to, and because you’re the only one positioned to do it without the whole thing collapsing. Mike McLusky’s world is for people who are comfortable operating where there are no good options, only less catastrophic ones. You speak every language: law enforcement, criminal, political, human. That fluency makes you invaluable and it makes you a target. You’ve made your peace with both. Mayor of Kingstown belongs to people who understand that keeping the peace is not the same as being at peace — and who do the job regardless.

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‘Lost’ (2004–2010)

Without a doubt, the pilot episode of Lost is one of the all-time greatest. It’s cinematic in a way that no network drama had ever really been before then, and honestly, the scope here trumps most of the HBO-level shows that were airing around this time, too. It’s a show that’s initially about a plane crash on a very strange island, and it kicks off right in the thick of it, with the aftermath of the crash itself.

The opening sequence follows Jack (Matthew Fox), who’s the closest thing Lost has to a main character, as he realizes what’s happened and does what he can – in typical Jack fashion – to take charge and save people from the wreckage. You get small insights into various other important characters, all before the pilot episode jumps back to cover a little more by way of events leading up to the crash. It’s immediately engrossing and intense stuff, and makes Lost exciting straight away. Also, one of the very first shots being mirrored at the very end of the series is neat (if you know, you know).

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)

Darla smiling in the opening episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) - Welcome to the Hellmouth.
Darla smiling in the opening episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) – Welcome to the Hellmouth.
Image via The WB
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Okay, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a bit of a strange example to include here, since “Welcome to the Hellmouth” is a good opening episode, but maybe not a great one. It does what it needs to when it comes to introducing all the main characters, and you get the kind of humor, campy horror, and character interactions here you can expect going forward… but it’s the start of the episode that hints at the greatness to come.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a show that’s all about subversion and playing with conventions, and so opening with a scene that seems to put a young woman in danger, only to have her actually be the “monster”, so to speak, transforming into a vampire and killing her male accomplice? It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer in a nutshell, even if it doesn’t feature the titular character straight away (though Darla, played by Julie Benz, is ultimately fairly important for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and then an even more vital piece of Angel later on).

‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano looking to the side with arms crossed in the pilot episode of the Sopranos.
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano looking to the side with arms crossed in the pilot episode of the Sopranos.
Image via HBO
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Unlike some of the other shows mentioned here, The Sopranos doesn’t have an episode that entirely sets up the show going forward. There are some oddities here with the soundtrack, for example, and the voiceover/narration, which isn’t really a thing going forward. But thematically, The Sopranos lays its cards on the table straight away, and the ever-important dynamic between Tony (James Gandolfini) and his therapist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) is also instantly there.

The opening scene of The Sopranos also feels a little odd with its pacing, making viewers sit in silence with Tony as he waits for his first appointment, and then things bounce around more emotionally when he starts to talk about his fairly strange life, and even stranger personal problems. The Sopranos changes a bit after this, and finds its voice to some extent later on in an even stronger way, but the first episode is still fantastic, and establishes enough – with sufficient confidence – to make you feel like you’re in for something pretty great.

‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)

Bryan Cranston as Walter White pointing a gun in the Breaking Bad pilot.
Bryan Cranston as Walter White pointing a gun in the Breaking Bad pilot.
Image via AMC
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The pilot for Lost might be better overall, but if you’re talking about the first 5 or 10 minutes of a TV show, then nothing trumps Breaking Bad. It’s instantly chaotic, with Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in a wild situation that one expects the whole first season to build up to. But no, Breaking Bad is fast-paced enough that once it does flash back, it really doesn’t take long to cover how things got to where they were.

And the chaos here is controlled, and in hindsight, Walt’s whole character – and some of his flaws – are evident immediately. It’s impossible to watch the opening scene here without instantly wanting to know what happened before everything went to hell, and doing that on top of setting up a complex main character, establishing a pace, and also introducing a bold visual style, all in minutes? Yep, Breaking Bad starts with the “bangiest” of bangs, and it’s remarkable that the show itself somehow gets even better from here.


Breaking Bad TV Poster
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Breaking Bad

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Release Date

2008 – 2013-00-00

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Network

AMC

Showrunner
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Vince Gilligan

Directors

Vince Gilligan, Michelle Maclaren

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