Month: July 2021

The streaming game feels particularly strong this week, which is fantastic news, given that the outside world feels a little less safe than it did a mere week ago? Do you want to know where you’ll find the best bang for your buck among the streaming services? There are two top contenders this week, and I’m talking about Apple TV+ and Netflix. The former’s bringing back a widely beloved Jason Sudeikis title character, who is sorely needed right now to spread his brand of optimism. And the latter has a sequel of a fondly remembered 1980s series, along with the most bizarre dating series that you’ve ever heard of and more. In other words, it’s impossible to break this Apple TV+/Netflix tie, but there’s something for everyone on those two services.

However, it’s worth noting here that there are three other strong competitors this week. AMC+ keeps adding to its coffers with The Walking Dead: Origins being their cap’s feather, but there are three other (relatively) new shows on the roster as well. HBO Max brings in a good showing with selections that showcase music, comedy, hard-hitting journalism, and a different side of Sesame Workshop. Disney+ follows with a Loki behind-the-scenes special and a few other new series, and the streaming realm is not done yet. Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Paramount+ all have fresh offerings for you as well.

Here’s everything that you should consider putting in your queues this weekend.

Apple TV+

Ted Lasso: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — First thing’s first: Everyone who’s caught a glimpse of this Bill Lawrence co-created and developed series loves it. That’s a notable feat, considering that star Jason Sudeikis first portrayed the title character way back in 2013 for NBC Sports’ promos for Premier League coverage. Fast forward to the fresh hell that was 2020, and the show surfaced as one of the year’s lone bright spots. Ted Lasso is somehow both relentlessly and charmingly cheery, although the last season finale showed the team losing against Manchester City, which spelled bad news, since the team can no longer hang in English Premier League games. We’ll see how they can turn themselves around, and while considering that possibility, it’s best to remember that Ted Lasso (and Walt Whitman) once said, “Be curious, not judgmental.”

Schmigadoon!: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series) — If a musical comedy series starring Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jane Krakowski sounds a little bit too frenetic to you, consider this: Apple TV+ has been crushing the comedy game these days with the likes of Mythic Quest and Ted Lasso under its still-young belt. So, one can bet that if a series called Schmigadoon! can succeed, the show found the correct streaming home. Strong and Key portray a backpacking couple who stumble into a 1940s musical, literally. The premise might sound a bit like a horror movie, but it’s intended to be (bizarrely) romantic with a bang-up cast that demands a streaming shot.

The Snoopy Show: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series) — Don’t be a blockhead, Charlie Brown. Instead, tuck into this new animated series for all ages, as long as you’re into the almost universally beloved beagle, Snoopy (duh), and his best friend for life, Woodshock. Not only is Snoopy actually Joe Cool, but he’s also Masked Marvel and a World War I flying ace, and yes, do not try to resist this delight of a revisiting that’s based upon Charles M. Schultz’s “Peanuts” comic strip.

Netflix

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Netflix series) — The very battle for Eternia’s soul continues with the ultimate fanboy, Kevin Smith, picking up the showrunner sword. Smith’s enthusiasm for all stuff geeky has led him down many roads, all of them filled with huge feelings, and honestly, the dude has the Power of Grayskull running through his veins. So, one can expect him to nail the tone here while advancing the story, justifying a revival, and continuing the story of the rivalry between Skeletor and everyone else. Cringer and Orko and Teela are on board, and the voice cast (including Lena Headey, Henry Rollins, and Jason Mewes) is phenomenal here, especially Mark Hamill as Skeletor. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of He-Man, guys.

Sexy Beasts (Netflix series) — Well, if you thought that you’ve seen every kind of dating series out there, Netflix is shouting something about holding their beer. The show purports to feature contestants that will choose matches based on personality only. Sounds practical, right? Well, the key to doing that here is dressing up as furries and other prosthetic-adorned creatures, and no reveal of actual physicality shall happen until the pivotal decisions are made. It’s like The Masked Singer, only way hornier.

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (Netflix film) — This franchise installment (from Guillermo del Toro) picks up after the events of the Tales of Arcadia films, and those heroes must now come together to banish the evil Arcane order and defend humanity. Of course, the Arcane Order has ancient titans on their side and the darkest of magic, so vanquishing them won’t be a simple feat.

The Last Letter From Your Lover (Netflix film) — Shailene Woodley and Felicity Jones star in this story (based upon the novel by JoJo Moyes) about a journalist who uncovers decades-old love letters that reveal a forbidden affair. While investigating the individual threads that make up the mystery surrounding the affair, the journalist soon falls into a love story of her own.

HBO Max

Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage (HBO film on HBO Max) — All was not what it seems for this three-day music festival that was meant to revive the countercultural idealism of its 1969 predecessor. Well, things weren’t “peace and love” in 1999, but rather, a total disaster by most standards. Mosh pits, blazing heat, a distinct lack of sanitation, and an absence of free water led to riots and looting, all of which were not deterred by the scant security measures. Decades later, this documentary looks back upon a pivotal moment when rose-tinted nostalgia evaporated under the hard truths exposed by this mismanaged festival. All pre-Fyre Festival!

Tig Notaro: Drawn (HBO special on HBO Max) — On the heels of the “hot Tig” role in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, quadruple threat (comedian, writer, actor and director) Tig Notaro pulls off an innovative first. That feat would be the first-ever entirely animated stand-up comedy special, in which you’ll witness an hour of pure genius. Several artistic styles will mesh with Notaro’s voice and storytelling style, and expect anecdotes about Dolly Parton and Jenny Slate, along with other fearless touches.

Through Our Eyes: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Sesame Workshop gets dark with this quartet of 30-minute films that intend for adults to watch with their kids, who should be at least 9 years old, according to HBO Max’s press information. Each installment will follow children as they experience enormously challenging family issues, including parental incarceration, housing insecurity, weather-related disasters, and the hurdle of a military parent who’s been injured. These very real issues mean to teach lessons in empathy and will hopefully educate all ages.

Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes (HBO series on HBO Max) — Ronan Farrow’s podcast undergoes this miniseries treatment here while expanding upon existing interviews with whistleblowers, private investigators, and more. The minseries will dig into the powers that be, beginning with the Harvey Weinstein case, for which Ronan’s groundbreaking New Yorker investigative report got the #MeToo ball rolling.

Gossip Girl: Season 1 premiere (HBO Max series) — The original CW series helped to launch the careers of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Sebastian Stan, and Penn Badgley (and the latter is now portraying an amped-up version of the same character on Netflix’s You). HBO Max is now ready to welcome another crop of mostly unknown faces playing wealthy, privileged teens who find themselves socially surveilled and at the mercy of the “Gossip Girl” narrator, who’s still voiced by Kristen Bell.

AMC+

The Walking Dead: Origins (AMC+ limited series) — This batch of episodes will bridge the gap between zombie-apocalypse-laden seasons with the origin stories of Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan. Expect a lot of interwoven clips (along with cast interviews and narration) to remind everyone of these characters’ most pivotal moments as their stories head into the final season.

Ultra City Smiths: Season 1 (AMC+ series) — Fans of Robot Chicken will undoubtedly want to check out this stop-motion animated selection from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and showrunner Steve Conrad. Expect very adult-oriented humor and the voices of Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, Alia Shawkat, Tim Meadows, John C. Reilly, Bebe Neuwirth, Jason Mantzoukas, and Damon Herriman. The show revolves around a corrupt city and a group of characters who only want a kinder, gentler atmosphere in which to, uh, live. It’s a sort-of whodunit with the most unorthodox detectives (literally baby dolls) who are attempting to save the world. Hey, this show has Dewey Crowe, so why ask for logic?

The North Water (AMC+ limited series) — This adrenaline-filled series stars Jack O’Connell, Colin Farrell, and Stephen Graham with a story about a beleaguered and disgraced military surgeon who must contend with a terrifying Arctic mission. The elements are the worst enemy here, followed closely by the crew-mate violence at hand. Civilization is a long way away from this story.

The Beast Must Die: (AMC series on AMC+) — Jared Harris and Cush Jumbo star in this revenge-thriller series that has already been renewed for a second season. The story’s based on Nicholas Blake’s 1938 novel and revolves around a mother who’s hell-bent upon avenging her son’s death, all while a PTSD-afflicted detective’s working the case. It’s an enormously chaotic show, but it’s so crushingly executed that you’d be gripping your seat arms if you watched it in a theater.

Disney+

Marvel Studios: Assembled:: Season 1 The Making of Loki (Disney+ series, releasing in the wee hours of Wednesday morning) — This immersive documentary-type series brings us a fresh installment to help us feel a little bit better about having to wait for Season 2 of all of the Lokis and their mercurial pursuit of the glorious purpose. Tom Hiddleston had an absolute blast playing the MCU’s trickster god, and hopefully, we’ll hear more about that crushing moment and the new big bad. This is the best Disney+ show so far, and Loki’s so beloved that you might binge the whole season all over again.

Turner & Hooch (Disney+ series) — The beloved 1989 Tom Hanks film gets the reboot treatment with Detective Scott Turner’s son taking the helm. Josh Peck stars as a U.S. Marshal who’s saddled with an unruly canine, only to realize that this pup is actually the partner of his dreams. Hooch is portrayed by five French Mastiffs, which means that series doesn’t take CGI shortcuts, and these dogs will charm everyone.

Stuntman (Disney+ film) — The Rock executive produces this movie that tracks veteran Hollywood stuntman Eddie Braun through highs and lows. Both arose from Braun’s career, including his attempt to complete cinematic history’s (arguably) most dangerous stunt, which happens to be replicating (and besting) Evel Knievel’s (failed) Snake River Canyon jump. What would be a more fitting way to put an exclamation point upon a crash-and-explosion filled career in Hollywood?

Playing With Sharks (National Geographic film on Disney+) — Valerie Taylor, a legend and icon in the shark-exploration world, shows off her incredible underwater archival footage in this documentary. She’s a pioneer, for sure, along with a leading spearfisher and an ardent activist for shark protection.

Amazon Prime

Jolt (Amazon Prime film) — Honestly, I couldn’t describe this film better than the synopsis, which I’ll quote here. Kate Beckinsale stars as a “bouncer with a slightly murderous anger-management problem that she controls with the help of an electrode-lined vest she uses to shock herself back to normalcy whenever she gets homicidal.” Well, at least she’s a self-policing menace? Unfortunately, she actually falls in love with a dude who ends up dead, which causes a few problems, including being the primary suspect for obvious reasons. Jai Courtney and Stanley Tucci co-star.

Paramount+

Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — Young SpongeBob, age 10, goes to sleepaway camp, where Mr. Krabs rules the roost. Our protagonist seeks to nab his first jellyfish, and of course, his friends step up to assist while antics rage elsewhere.

Hulu

American Horror Stories: Season 1 (FX on Hulu series) — This spinoff of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s anthology-based franchise will present a new iteration of horror. Viewers will receive a fresh set of terrors within every episode, after the flagship series already dove through an unsettling asylum, a freak shows, a haunted hotels, a witch coven, and the apocalypse. It’s not as scary as the real America, but close.

McCartney 3,2,1: Season 1 (Hulu series) — The legend himself (yes, Paul McCartney) sits down with Rick Rubin to get real about his work and legacy from The Beatles, along with his five decades as a solo artist. This is a six-part series the aims to be much more revelatory than your usual pop-culture documentary, which is fitting, given that we’re talking about an iconic musician.

Sean Penn reportedly isn’t interested in a workplace that isn’t fully vaccinated, throwing production on Gaslit into turmoil in the process. The actor has apparently offered to vaccinate everyone working on the Starz limited production and has reportedly gone as far as to say he won’t return to work on the show until everyone involved has gotten the jab.

According to Deadline, Penn’s work on Gaslit is on hold until the crew, which is working on the show in Burbank, gets vaccinated.

In a move that likely will reverberate across an industry still trying to deal with Covid, Penn is refusing to return to work on Gaslit — the UCP-produced Starz limited series he stars in with Julia Roberts — until everyone on the production has been vaccinated for the virus. With the highly contagious Delta variant raging enough that Los Angeles has re-imposed indoor mask wearing and cases among the unvaccinated are spiking again at alarming levels across the country, Penn has insisted to the production that the vaccination of everyone must be mandatory. Through his organization, CORE, Penn has offered to facilitate the vaccination effort, free of charge.

Deadline notes that NBCUniversal has mandated vaccines for “Zone A” crew, which is the cast and anyone in close proximity. An on-site vaccine clinic was also established, but Penn wants everyone involved in the production to be protected from the pandemic and the ever-dangerous Delta variant that’s shown to be increasingly contagious around the world.

It’s unclear how the crew has responded to this demand, or Penn’s willingness to help those get the jab. But it’s one of the first major stars to demand a fully vaccinated workplace in Hollywood, and it will certainly be interesting to see how the staff and others in the industry respond.

[via Deadline]

More than a year after he first announced the project, Kanye West finally revealed when the world would receive his tenth album, Donda. The rapper announced the project would arrive this Friday, July 23. As expected, fans all over the world quickly built up their excitement for its release. To build up the anticipation for Donda, Kanye also announced a huge listening event for the project set to take place at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the 75,000-capacity venue that’s home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

The event was slated for an 8 p.m. kick-off time, but to the surprise of no one, the event did not start at its intended time.

Thankfully, nearly two hours later, Kanye kicked things off for the night. The show began with what seemed to be a recording of Kanye repeatedly singing, “We gonna be okay,” as an organ played loudly in the background. The camera panned out to show him rocking a red bubble jacket while moving all across the stage, which was essentially the full stadium floor covered in some type of white material.

Prior to the show, Kanye was spotted backstage at the stadium putting the final touches on the album. This includes sequencing the project’s presumed tracklist, making last-second tweaks with producer and engineer Mike Dean, and apparently inviting acts like Playboi Carti and 2 Chainz to record additional verses for Donda.

Rumors of the arrival of Donda first began when Kanye and Tyler The Creator were spotted in the studio together, presumable working on the album together. Shortly afterward, the album was confirmed for a release through a Beats By Dre commercial featuring track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson that also featured his currently unreleased track, “No Child Left Behind.”

You can watch a livestream of the listening event for Donda here.

The Golden State Warriors expect next season to be their return to the top of the Western Conference hierarchy — a belief seemingly shared by oddsmakers as well.

With Klay Thompson returning from injury alongside Stephen Curry coming off a scoring title and Draymond Green showing he’s still a dominant defensive force, the Warriors have the foundation still in place to contend, but certainly need more. They’ve been caught in the middle of two worlds the last two years, best evidenced by the presence of last year’s No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who had the expected struggles of a young player finding his way on an established team before an injury ended his season.

The Warriors have a pair of lottery picks once again this year at No. 7 and No. 14, but adding two more rookies isn’t exactly what Curry, Thompson, and Green need. As was the case last year, trade rumors are swirling around the Warriors’ picks as the Draft approaches, but this year there seems to be a mandate from their best players to make a move.

According to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, the Warriors star trio has made it clear to management that they want them to go get immediate help for a championship push this offseason, which means to trade those lottery picks for an impact veteran.

The Warriors’ trio of stars — Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson — have made it clear to management they want the franchise to focus on the pursuit of a championship, even to consider using their two lottery picks to get someone who can help immediately, sources confirmed. Warriors general manager Bob Myers said their goal this offseason is to add more of a veteran presence.

Should the Warriors go that route, Beal, the Washington Wizards’ guard who made third-team All-NBA, is deemed to be the best player and best fit for the Warriors among the players who could potentially be available this offseason.

The probable package the Warriors could offer the Wizards for Beal would be Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, and their two lottery picks this year. That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at, but if Washington were to open themselves up to moving Beal — who, it should be noted, has continually said he wants to be in the nation’s capital — they would be fielding offers from all over the league that could very well top what the Warriors have to offer.

Maybe the most interesting nugget from the piece is where it notes that while Damian Lillard is being pursued hotly around the league, a return home to the Bay area is not something he wants, per Thompson. Should Beal not be available in discussions, the Warriors will have to turn their attention elsewhere, with Pacers big man Myles Turner being a possible target for the Warriors who wouldn’t necessarily require them to move Wiseman.

In any case, it is clear that while last year the Warriors’ stars were content to let the chips fall as they may, this year they want to leave no doubt in the minds of management that they expect them to build a title contender in the immediate term, future assets be damned.

The Surreal Life was a staple of a VH1 that seems a lifetime away for television viewers in a streaming world, but the music-adjacent TV channel is bringing back a seventh season of the reality show with an interesting cast list slated to revive the format.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, VH1 is reviving The Surreal Life and already has a cast in mind, with eight celebrities and celebrity-adjacent people ready to live together and have their every actions filmed for our enjoyment.

August Alsina, C.J. Perry, Dennis Rodman, Frankie Muniz, Kim Coles, Manny MUA, Stormy Daniels and Tamar Braxton will face off in what is being dubbed as a “reimagined” season of the originals. The cast of eight will come together for what VH1 describes as a “wild, over the top journey that pushes them to reveal different sides of themselves in surprising ways.”

“The Surreal Life is known for bringing together some of the biggest names in pop culture and creating many unforgettable moments in reality television,” says Nina L. Diaz, president of content and chief creative officer at MTV Entertainment Group. “We are excited to see how this stellar celebrity cast will make captivating television for audiences everywhere.”

The Surreal Life debuted on the WB Network and moved to VH1 after two seasons, becoming one of the iconic franchises of mid-2000s VH1 as music television pivoted away from music videos and toward tangentially-related music reality television. While The Surreal Life eventually spawned Rock of Love, Flavor of Love and several other love-related shows, the franchise itself has been dormant since 2006.

It will certainly be interesting to see how audiences react to the show in the modern, much more surreal world in general. But if you’ve ever wondered what Frankie Muniz and Dennis Rodman would talk about over breakfast, well, you’re about to find out.

Earlier this week, Coldplay confirmed their new album, Music Of The Spheres, and teased another new song from the record would be dropping shortly. The full project won’t be out until mid-October, but that hasn’t stopped Chris Martin and co. from getting the ball rolling early with plenty of new music for fans. Following up the first new single, “Higher Power,” today’s new track is an album cut, a whopping ten and a half minute banger that closes out the record. The song is an epic that namechecks Galileo, Oumuamua and Betelgeuse, and doubles down on the band’s newfound fascination with the cosmos.

Although this is already the second song the band is sharing off the album, they’ve let fans know that the next bit of new music won’t hit until September. This is the ninth studio album for the Brit-rock band, and Music Of The Spheres is definitely venturing into more pop territory for the group. The album was produced by Max Martin and ushers in a new era for the group. Earlier this week they shared the album trailer for the record, dubbing the clip “Overtura” and doubling down on the space name theme for songs and elements associated with the record. Check that out below and listen to “Coloratura” above.

Coldplay is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music.

As people get older, social isolation and loneliness become serious problems. Many find themselves living alone for the first time after the death of a spouse. It’s also difficult for older people to maintain friendships when people they’ve known for years become ill or pass away.

Census Bureau figures say that almost a quarter of men and nearly 46% of women over the age of 75 live alone.

But loneliness doesn’t just affect those who reside by themselves. People can feel lonely when there is a discrepancy between their desired and actual relationships. To put it simply, when it comes to having a healthy social life, quality is just as important as quantity.

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Loneliness is a serious problem because it can be as debilitating as a physical health issue. According to a study published in The New York Times, loneliness can result in an “increased risk of depression, cognitive decline, and illnesses like coronary artery disease.”

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that loneliness is also associated with premature death.

“Loneliness is a common source of distress, suffering, and impaired quality of life in older persons,” the study published in JAMA Internal medicine says.

via Pixabay

The study looked at 1600 participants with an average age of 71 and examined whether they were lonely or had healthy social lives. When the researchers performed a follow-up six years later, they found that 23% of lonely participants died within six years of the study, as opposed to only 14% of those who reported adequate companionship.

“The need we’ve had our entire lives—people who know us, value us, who bring us joy—that never goes away,” Barbara Moscowitz, senior geriatric social worker at Massachusetts General Hospital, explained to The New York Times.

One of the major reasons why older people tend to thrive after moving into an assisted living environment is because they are more social. Older people may resist such a lifestyle change, but being around other people, especially those their age who have a similar lived experience, can help them live a happier, healthier life.

via Pixabay

The study underscores the fact that the gift of time and quality attention is one of the most important things that we can give to the senior citizens in our lives.

We can also assist the older people in our lives by helping them maintain relationships with others. Instead of just driving them to doctor appointments, take them on a trip to see a friend or relative, too.

Watching our older relatives go through age-related decline can be distressing. But the good news from this study is that it’s not completely out of our control. By taking the time to foster healthy relationships with our older loved ones we can play an active role in promoting their longevity.

HBO Max has been a key streaming service for movie fans who have been reluctant to return to theaters amid the still-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and Warner Bros. deciding to release new movies on the platform simultaneously with its theatrical runs has been a huge boon to the service itself.

Now, according to reports, HBO Max-exclusive movies are now soon to be added to an already-lengthly list of original series exclusive to the platform. As CNBC notes, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar revealed during AT&T’s second quarter earnings call on Thursday that the platform will develop at least 10 HBO Max-exclusive titles in the coming years in an attempt to give all the people who have swarmed the platform in recent months more offerings even in a hypothetical post-pandemic world.

“The motion picture format absolutely matters and it matters in a number of ways,” Kilar said. “It matters in theaters …They also matter at home and, absolutely, in terms of the response that we’ve gotten not just from that title but from all of our day in day titles. We feel very good about the response that consumers have given it in the home.”

During the second quarter, HBO and HBO Max topped 47 million U.S. subscribers, up 2.8 million from the first quarter. Globally, subscriber numbers reached 67.5 million as of the end of June, up from 63.9 million last quarter.

Warners added the simultaneous release strategy to HBO Max amid the pandemic as theaters were closed and releases quite literally had nowhere to go. The resulting box office numbers have been interesting to say the least, with both award season impacted and box office numbers muted even as some people return to theaters. With Warners movies slated to return to theaters first again in 2022, those movies would not hit the streaming service until 45 days after the film is first distributed. But according to the report, movies with Oscar expectations headed to HBO Max exclusively may get a theatrical release in select locations.

[via CNBC]

As if a Canada goose named Arnold isn’t endearing enough, his partner who came looking for him when he was injured is warming hearts and having us root for this sweet feathered couple.

Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Massachusetts shared the story on its Facebook page, in what they called “a first” for their animal hospital.

“We often have people ask if they can visit the patients they dropped off, but today we had our first animal visitor!” they wrote. “For the safety of our patients we do not accommodate visitation requests, but in this case we had to make an exception!”

Arnold is a Canada goose that lives on a pond near the facility and is part of a mated pair of wild geese that have been together for several years. The center said the geese usually keep to themselves, but one of their staff noticed that Arnold was walking with a “significant limp” and kept falling over. They were able to capture him and bring him into the hospital for examination.

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“Upon exam our veterinary team found that he had two open-fractures on his foot,” they wrote. “This means that the tissue and skin has been pulled away leaving the bone exposed. Our best guess is that a Snapping turtle or other predator attacked him while swimming.”

To save his foot and help him survive, the staff knew they had to amputate one of the digits and suture the other wound closed. They gave him antibiotics and pain meds and prepped him for surgery the following morning.

Then his mate came knocking.

“Today, as we prepared to sedate Arnold and get him ready for surgery, we heard a faint tapping at the clinic door,” the center wrote. “We turned to see that his mate had waddled up onto the porch and was attempting to break into our clinic! She had somehow located him and was agitated that she could not get inside. She remained there throughout the entire procedure, watching us work, never moving from the doorway.”

Aww.

Surgery went well, and once Arnold woke up the staff decided to let him recover by the doorway so he and his mate could see each other.

“We opened the door and gave Arnold his flow-by oxygen in the doorway. His mate immediately calmed down and began to groom him through the door. They both seemed much more at ease in each other’s presence.”

AWWWW.

“Arnold will likely need several weeks of treatment in our hospital before he is ready to rejoin his mate in the wild,” they added. “He will need to be kept inside for the majority of this time in order to keep his wound sterile and prevent infection. We will do our best to get him back out quickly and will perform bandage changes and treatments in view of the doorway when possible so that his mate can check up on him. ❤️”

While attempting not to anthropomorphize too much, it’s so sweet to see animal partners show such genuine care for one another. Canada geese mate for life, and they are known to mourn in seclusion when they lose a mate. Seeing Arnold’s mate coming to find him and comfort him during his treatment is just too lovely.

Feel good story of the day, indeed. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Arnold!

When Kevin Spacey was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple men, including at least five who said they were teens at the time, it triggered a memory for Mena Suvari.

To prepare for a scene in a future-Best Picture winner American Beauty, Spacey invited the 19-year-old actress to “lay on the bed very close to one another,” Suvari told People. “He was sort of gently holding me. It was very peaceful but weird and unusual.” She “thought of that day” following the allegations against Spacey, but, as she noted in 2018, “it’s important to focus on the conversation that’s happening and the healing, the victims — the right thing that’s to come out of this. That’s sort of what I try to hope for and focus on the most. It’s something that we’re truly changing and moving out of.”

1999 was a breakthrough year for Suvari with high-profile roles in American Beauty and American Pie. But as she revealed in her new memoir, The Great Peace: A Memoir, she was “living a double life” at the time. “Between the ages of twelve and twenty, I was the victim of repeated sexual abuse,” she writes in the book.

“Every time I would go on a set. Every time I was interviewed, I was acting the whole time. It was another role for me to play. That I was okay,” she tells People… Looking back, she says of American Beauty: “It was a beautiful experience, being given the opportunity to work and express myself right when I needed I to save me.”

The Great Peace: A Memoir is available beginning next week.

(Via People)