Highs and lows are part of sports handicapping, and that has been evident the last two weeks in this space. After a sparkling, undefeated Week 4 performance, Week 5 was a house of horrors for our NFL card. The Sunday night finale was simply a pick that had no chance, as the Kansas City Chiefs were bludgeoned as a small home favorite, but the first four games… were unfortunate.
For a quick snapshot, the Falcons-Jets game was a horror drawn up from the depths when it came to an Under bet. The Bengals somehow pushed (at +3) despite myriad opportunities. The Browns (+2) became the first team in the history of the NFL to score more than 40 points with more than 500 yards and no turnovers… in a loss. And, finally, the 49ers out-gained the Cardinals and gave away multiple opportunities to lose by seven as a five-point underdog.
Things happen, of course, but part of the fun is pressing through. Before we hand out five selections for Week 6, let’s check in on the season-long work and a hideous Week 5 showing.
Last Week: 0-4-1
2021 Season: 14-10-1
Come get these winners.
Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars UNDER 47 points
The London under bit us last week, but I’m not deterred. Miami’s offense has been horrendous, landing 31st in both points and points per drive. Jacksonville hasn’t exactly been lighting it up either, and this number feels a touch high. Pray for hideousness.
Cleveland Browns (-3.5) over Arizona Cardinals
Arizona is undefeated and catching more than a field goal against a Browns team that lost a high-profile game a week ago. Admittedly, it would’ve been preferable to get Cleveland earlier in the week at a better number, but I don’t think the Cardinals can stop Cleveland. It’s the rare situation where the favorite isn’t the public side.
New England Patriots (+3.5) over Dallas Cowboys
This is really gross, particularly if you’ve been watching New England’s offense lately. We might be jumping in front of the train, but the Patriots’ hiccup last week helps us get a good number here.
Las Vegas Raiders (+3.5) over Denver Broncos
It’s been a long, ugly week for the Raiders. I get that. It’s still wild to see them catching more than a field goal against Denver in this spot. I’ll bet on a bit of a bounce after the Gruden exodus, and Las Vegas mailing it in last week perhaps throws the market off the scent.
Seattle Seahawks (+5.5) over Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle was favored on the look-ahead line. Then, the Steelers looked spry last week and the Seahawks lost Russell Wilson. That certainly explains the massive shift in this point spread, but Pittsburgh laying more than a field goal here feels silly. It’s possible that Geno Smith lets us down, but we’ll take the chance.
This is the spookiest of all seasons, but let’s face it: the streaming services have been cranking out the Halloween-themed content for weeks already, and maybe you wanna pace yourself a bit (and set straight-up horror aside) before the big day? Luckily, Netflix is fully here for you for that endeavor. This week, one of the most deliciously dark shows on TV, You starring Penn Badgley, returns to put the “D” into Dysfunction. Stalker Joe’s marriage is forged in homicidal tendencies, and we’ll see if he can get his sh*t together. Next up, Noomi Rapace plays half of a similarly afflicted couple in an entirely different setting. Both are very dark selections, so would you like to lighten up as well?
Fortunately, a humanity-affirming documentary has you covered, along with some fluffiness with the return of The Babysitters Club. There’s also an anime film and a historical drama, and if you’re a Shameless fan who hasn’t caught up with the final (Fiona-less) season, it’s time to binge some high Gallagher drama.
Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.
You: Season 3 (Netflix series streaming 10/15)
Nothing says (twisted) family bonding like two parents digging a grave for their murder victims while an infant sits in his car seat and does his best to amuse himself. Yikes. From the looks of things, this show somehow manages to sustain its own gimmick after a second season of barely containing its own crazy (and careening off a cliff). Near the end of that sophomore round, Stalker Joe (Penn Badgley) found himself trapped in a relationship with a woman, Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), who’s just as homicidal (if not more) as he is. Naturally, it seemed that Joe didn’t quite learn his lesson by the end of the season, and we saw him noticing that he’s got an attractive neighbor that perhaps he might stalk. This sounds like a good time for the ghost of Beck to deliver a lecture, and who knows what shall happen there, but in the Season 3 trailer, Joe appears to be scared out of his mind. (Good!) Love definitely has the upper hand, or so it appears, but Joe’s awfully nervous that his kid will follow in his parents’ footsteps.
Noomi Rapace plays one half of a married couple who can’t remember why they ever loved each other. He’s a director, and she’s an actress, and both have failed heavily (even in soap operas) over the past handful of years. There might be infidelity involved, and there are definitely personality issues on both sides, and then they end up taking a weekend in the woods at an isolated cabin. Will either of them be able to emerge alive, and if not, will one take out the other? Or maybe they’ll reconcile, who knows! Crikey.
The Baby-Sitter’s Club: Season 2 (Netflix series streaming 10/11)
The updated dramedy series continues to adapt the best-selling Ann M. Martin books to follow friendships that evolve through the opening of a babysitting business. New members arrive, along with new lessons and new journeys, but thank god that they always remember what’s most important.
Convergence: Courage in a Crisis (Netflix film streaming 10/13)
This documentary poses an unlikely idea: did the pandemic really bring us together, as much as it’s torn humanity apart? Listen up for the argument that unsung heroes are pushing us toward a collectively brighter future.
Bright: Samurai Soul (Netflix film streaming 10/13)
This anime movie takes place in between the Shogunate’s fall and the Meiji era’s rise, all while a wandering ronin and an orc (who’s working toward redemption) meet up with a young elf girl, and they all take a journey toward the land of the elves. In the process, they must evade a shady organization who aims to take the elf’s wand and use it to resurrect the Dark Lord’s power.
The Forgotten Battle (Netflix film streaming 10/15)
Allies are facing off against the German army in 1944 in Zeeland. There’s flooding and all sorts of other hardships involved when three young lives intersect, possibly forever. There’s a Dutch boy on the German side, an English glider pilot on the Allies’ side, and a Zeeland girl who picked up with the resistance. All three must make decisions not only for themselves but for the whole of humanity and with a mind toward freedom for all in the future.
Karma Grant, an aspiring rapper with loads of talent and an enormous heart, leads this story with all manner of empathy, which fuels her songwriting. Soon enough, she’s whipping out passionate rhymes that are spiked with humor. She’s harnessing the power of words and music and hopes to influence generations (including her own) to come.
Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:
Avail. 10/9 Blue Period
Insidious: Chapter 2
Avail. 10/11 The Baby-Sitters Club: Season 2 Going in Style
The King’s Affection
Shameless (U.S.): Season 11
Avail. 10/12 Bright: Samurai Soul
Convergence: Courage in a Crisis
Making Malinche: A Documentary by Nacho Cano
Mighty Express: Season 5 The Movies That Made Us: Season 3 Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
Smart People
Avail. 10/13 Fever Dream / Distancia de Rescate
Hiacynt
Love Is Blind: Brazil
Reflection of You
Violet Evergarden the Movie
Avail. 10/14 Another Life: Season 2 In the Dark: Season 3 One Night in Paris
Avail. 10/15 CoComelon: Season 4 The Forgotten Battle
The Four of Us
Karma’s World
Little Things: Season 4 My Name
Power Rangers Dino Fury: Season 1 Sharkdog’s Fintastic Halloween
The Trip
You: Season 3
Avail. 10/16 Misfit: The Series
Victoria & Abdul
And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:
The Brooklyn Nets will tip-off the 2021-22 NBA season on Tuesday night in Milwaukee, as they watch the Bucks raise a championship banner on ring night. Next October, the Nets hope it will be them hosting the league’s opening game and raising a banner of their own, but to get there they will, at least to start, have to do so without the services of Kyrie Irving.
The star guard will not play with the Nets at all due to his refusal to this point to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which makes him ineligible to play home games in Brooklyn due to New York City’s vaccine mandate. Irving broke his silence on Wednesday night, but offered little in the way of substance regarding the reasoning behind his choice and it became clear on Thursday night that the rest of the Nets were ready to simply move on.
“Why am I not upset? Because we still get to do what we love to do every day. We still get the opportunity to play,” Durant said after Thursday’s preseason finale win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. “This is not the ideal situation coming into the season, but some of this, it’s out of our control. So what we can do is come in and focus on our jobs every single day.
“What is being mad going to do? We are not going to change his mind, you know what I’m saying? We’ll let him figure out what he needs to do and the team figure out what they need to do. And us as players, when we are in that locker room, on that floor, we are going to work with each other.”
It’s a very zen approach from Durant and really the best way for him and the rest of the Nets players to look at this. While no one would fault them for being frustrated, there still isn’t a soul around the NBA who would view anything but a title being a success for this team, even without Irving, and as such, they’ve got to shift complete focus to the season.
That Durant, despite being one of Irving’s closest friends (at least in the league), doesn’t feel like he can change Kyrie’s stance on the matter is only further indication that this doesn’t seem like it will be a saga that comes to a happy resolution for the Nets anytime soon. All they can hope is that, at some point, Irving changes his mind or the city lifts the mandate, but until then, they are moving on without Irving and it seems everyone in that locker room is ready to stop talking about the guy who isn’t there.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the NLCS where they will take on the Atlanta Braves after defeating the rival Giants in five games in the NLDS.
It was a battle between the two teams with the best records in baseball, an unfortunate byproduct of being in the same division, and while many wish it had been a seven-game set, it at least went the full five the two teams deserved. However, the Dodgers win in Game 5 came to a close not with a bang, but an unfortunate whimper, as a controversial strike three call will be the lasting image of an otherwise tremendous series.
Dodgers ace Max Scherzer came in to close out Game 5 for L.A., getting his first batter to fly out before Kris Bryant reached on an error by Justin Turner, putting the tying run on base. LaMonte Wade Jr. strolled to the plate and nearly ended things with a bomb that he pulled foul on an inside fastball, before ultimately striking out looking on a pitch up and away. The final hope for the Giants was Wilmer Flores, who quickly fell behind 0-2, as Scherzer threw a breaking ball low and away to try and get him to chase.
Flores started to chase, but checked his swing pretty clearly before passing parallel with the plate. Unfortunately for the Giants, the first base umpire saw it differently and rung him up to end the game in an anti-climactic end to the series — and one that on review was clearly wrong.
The worst part is, the Dodgers still very likely win this series as it would’ve been a 1-2 count against one of the Cy Young favorites, but it robbed the Giants of the possibility of tying or winning the game in the ninth and robbed fans of a fitting ending to the game and series. It is a brutal way to close out the series, where the talk should’ve been about the ups and downs as both teams played incredibly well throughout, where now the lead story is about a bad call that potentially took away San Francisco’s chance at a late rally — however slim it was.
More than three years after his breakout moment with his “Honesty” single in 2018, Pink Sweats finally arrived with his debut album, Pink Planet earlier this year. The Philly native’s project came after he graced the world with three consecutive EPs: Volume 1, Volume 2, and The Prelude. Five months after dropping off Pink Planet for his fans, Pink Sweats is back in action with his latest single, “I Feel Good.” The track is a soft and heartwarming release that finds the singer appreciating the world around him and how great life feels nowadays.
The single comes after Pink Sweats performed“ At My Worst,” “Heaven,” and “Paradise” on The Eye, a new series that allows up-and-coming artists to their breakout songs in beautiful and minimalistic environments. In an interview on the show, Pink Sweats characterized Pink Planet as “an album about one of the most timeless emotions… love. I wanted to express my love about someone I truly love and document that.”
Let’s hope you’re a fan of Halloween because the streaming services are doling out several heaping helpings of spooky content this week. There are psychopaths and stalkers and couples who could murder each other at any moment, so which streaming service reigns supreme to give you the most for your money? This week, there’s no contest: Netflix wins the title. The Ted Sarandos-helmed service gives us the newest installment of the addictive You along with The Trip, both of which pair the spirit of the season with a slasher mentality. There’s also Midnight Mass, which is Mike Flanagan’s latest contribution to the witching hour, and if you want something that doesn’t include supernatural flavor but still strikes a cultural chord, there’s Squid Game and The Closer.
Back to scares: four other streaming services — Peacock (with the newest Michael Myers picture), Disney+ (with Muppets and LEGO offerings), Amazon Prime (with a remake of a 1990s slasher movie and Blumhouse), and Discovery+ (with lots of Eli Roth stuffings) — have you covered. And if you’re tired of pumpkins and knives already, then Paramount, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and AMC+ will have plenty of fresh selections for your taking. Here’s the best of the new streaming selections for this weekend.
Netflix
Netflix
You: Season 3 (Netflix series) — Nothing says (twisted) family bonding like two parents digging a grave for their murder victims while an infant sits in his car seat and does his best to amuse himself. Yikes. Fortunately for all of us, however, the show about Stalker Joe manages to sustain its gimmick and volley the nutso-factor into the stratosphere. It’s a lot like Mr. & Mrs. Smith but with serial killers. Joe (or “Will”) can’t give up his ways (including his roaming eyes), Love refuses to give up hers, and their sleepy little suburb is about to get rocked into oblivion.
The Trip (Netflix film) — Noomi Rapace plays one half of a married couple who can’t remember why they ever loved each other. He’s a director, and she’s an actress, and both have failed heavily (even in soap operas) over the past handful of years. There might be infidelity involved, and there are definitely personality issues on both sides, and then they end up taking a weekend in the woods at an isolated cabin. Will either of them be able to emerge alive, and if not, will one take out the other? Or maybe they’ll actually reconcile, who knows! Crikey.
Squid Game: (Netflix series) — This Korean show’s on track to be the streamer’s most-watched show ever and has been topping the charts in 90 countries in counting. It’s not real stuff, but the show tells the story of hundreds of desperate contestants who play a deadly survival game, all to win billions of prize money, at the best of… who? (That aspect is mysterious until you watch.) The consequence of losing the games-within-the-games is certain death, and people truly can’t get enough of the premise or the show’s execution (pun fully intended), along with a blistering critique on capitalism.
Midnight Mass (Netflix series) — Get ready, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor addicts, because creator Mike Flanagan’s back to cause us more horror fits. This happens to be his favorite project so far and revolves around an isolated community that lives on spooky Crockett Island, which gets even spookier due to a charismatic priest’s arrival. Naturally, a whole lot of supernatural shenanigans are afoot, but human nature (as we are currently experiencing in-real-life these days) can often be scarier than the ghosts that people can dream up. It’s dark, real dark.
Bright: Samurai Soul (Netflix film) — This anime movie takes place in between the Shogunate’s fall and the Meiji era’s rise, all while a wandering ronin and an orc (who’s working toward redemption) meet up with a young elf girl, and they all take a journey toward the land of the elves. In the process, they must evade a shady organization who aims to take the elf’s wand and use it to resurrect the Dark Lord’s power.
The Closer (Netflix comedy special) — Dave Chappelle’s stand-up comedy run with Netflix has been a lucrative one for both parties, and it’s sixth-and-final chapter time. Expect plenty of controversy and line-crossing (he defends J.K. Rowling and DaBaby, for example), as is customary for the man on the mic to deliver. And there’s no telling whether Chappelle and Netflix’s common goodwill will result in a re-upping of a deal beyond this installment, but for now, the comedian (with returning, Emmy-award winning director Stan Lathan) is closing things out.
Peacock
Universal
Halloween Kills (Universal movie on Peacock) — A horror blockbuster is here to spook you in your living rooms, y’all. Michael Myers survives that damn fire, which leads to a fully-had-it-up-to-here mindset of Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode, who’s mad as hell at firefighters and vowing that Michael Myers is going down. If it was a matter of wills and badassery, she could make it happen, but that’s not how things usually roll out in this franchise. Laurie may believe that she can (once again) presumably kill her brother and tormenter, but the bloodbath is only getting started. David Gordon Green directs again here, and he’ll be back for Halloween Ends, so good luck, Laurie.
One of Us Is Lying — The New York Times bestselling novel comes to life when a group of give teens (the brain, the beauty, the jock, the criminal, yes, this sounds like a John Hughes imitation) go to detention, and one of them (the outcast) does not emerge. Hey, it happens. Was the death an accident? Not likely. Naturally, the four remaining students all become suspects, and all of them are looking sketchy. Again, it happens!
Hulu
Hulu
Dopesick: Season 1 (Hulu series) — Michael Keaton (who is still the greatest Batman in history, so don’t mess with him in any role) finally comes to TV beyond cameo mode. Here, he takes on Big Pharma as a physician whose patients are dying off amid an opioid epidemic, and Rosario Dawson portrays one of the heroes who want to take the makers of Oxycontin down. The title of the source material (Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America, the book by Beth Macy) tells you a lot, and the cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg and Kaitlyn Dever, who’s all over TV now and making Justified‘s Loretta proud here.
Jacinta (Hulu documentary) — Intergenerational trauma is real in this real-life story of what happens when a mother and daughter both end up in prison. This is no Orange Is The New Black take, and both women are attempting to battle their own addictions and other demons while doing time at the Maine Correctional Center. It’s bleak, but it’s a valuable watch with director Jessica Earnshaw shooting with a verité approach.
What We Do in the Shadows (FX series on Hulu) — Well, well, well. Guillermo turned out to be a vampire killer, which sure as heck came as a surprise to Nandor, Nadja, and Laszlo, and Colin. The four Staten Island roommates must figure out how to handle this conundrum, along with tackling the other challenges of this season. Those include dealing with wellness cults and gym culture, along with gargoyles, werewolves who play kickball, casinos, and more.
Disney+
Disney+
Just Beyond: Season 1 (Disney+ series) — This horror-comedy anthology bases itself on R.L. Stine’s BOOM! Studios comic book series of the same name. Expect plenty of supernatural journeys (with a personally affecting touch) through alternate dimensions with witches, aliens, and ghosts onboard.
Muppets Haunted Mansion (Disney+ special) — After several Muppets-themed Christmas offerings, it’s about time that we’ve received a spooky installment, and let’s face it, more Miss Piggy is always a good thing. Gonzo takes center stage here while attempting to survive the evening in (according to the synopsis) “in the most grim grinning place on Earth.” The special’s actually inspired by all four of the Disney Haunted Mansion attractions that are scattered around the globe, and three original songs (“Rest In Peace,” “Life Hereafter” and “Tie The Knot Tango”) will surface, along with plenty of celebrity cameos along with the all-star Muppets cast.
LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales (Disney+ special) — The witching hour has arrived for Star Wars characters too, and you know what that means: Luke Skywalker’s heading to the dark side of the Force. This animated is full of haunting moments, including a crime boss that messes with Darth Vadar’s castle, and a misadventure for Poe Dameron and BB-8. There’s an ancient evil threatening to rise, and expect iconic villains from across the vast Star Wars canon to make an appearance.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime+
I Know What You Did Last Summer: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series) — Sure, you remember the 1997 film and perhaps you’re aware that that was based upon the 1973 novel by Lois Duncan, but this Amazon Studios collaboration with Sony Pictures Television wants you to relive the nightmare once more. Obviously, this version doesn’t have Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, or Freddie Prinze, but these teens seem more twisted by nature than the O.G. bunch, so perhaps that will add some shading to justify reviving their shared dark secret as they aim to survive.
Welcome to the Blumhouse: Madres/The Manor (Blumhouse films on Amazon Prime) — This week’s Halloween-themed double dose follows a Mexican-American couple (in 1970s California) who are weathering a troubled pregnancy while being besieged by horrific visions, which might be part of a legendary curse. Then, a woman moves into a famous nursing home, where a supernatural force might be controlling all residents. She’s unable to escape her confines, and no one believes her. Sounds like hell.
Discovery+
Discovery+
Eli Roth Presents: A Ghost Ruined My Life: Season 1 (Discovery+ series) — Eli Roth has so much going on over at Discovery+ this month (following his recent real-life horror/Shark-Week film on the streamer) that one has to wonder… is he running the joint? It’s a valid question, but more to the point, this series present personal accounts on those who have survived feeling like they’re been dragged through hell and fought their way back. One woman suspects that her home’s a portal to hell, and an abandoned asylum appears to be ground central for an evil presence while a demon curse follows a Mexican-American woman who wants the truth about intergenerational hauntings.
House Haunters: Season 1 (Discovery+ series) — Yep, this house is exactly what it sounds like: a play on the long-running House Hunters series. Join up with comedian Anthony Anderson and his mom, Doris, who inject some horror into the housing market by pranking the hell out of prospective buyers and their realtors alike.
The Haunted Museum: Season 1 (Discovery+ series) — More Eli Roth stuff. Here, he’s teaming up with Ghost Adventures host Zak Bagans for this scripted anthology series, in which they illuminate nine of the world’s most cursed artifacts. These relics are actually in display in Bagans’ Vegas museum, but here, you’ll get the historic commentary in addition to having the pants scared off of you.
Paramount+
Paramount+
Guilty Party: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — Kate Beckinsale stars in this charming-looking dramedy series about a disgraced (and opportunistic) journalist who works to redeem herself by digging for the real story on a young mother who was convicted of murdering her husband, a crime that the mother insists that she did not commit. Expect (strangely enough) some whimsy amid this seemingly serious premise, including some adversaries that are a real pain in the butt.
Madame X (Paramount+ movie) — In this concert documentary, Madonna takes viewers on tour with her (from way back in January 2020, so pre-pandemic, obviously) all the way to Lisbon, Portugal. Her set included 48 onstage performers, including other musicians and dancers, and she’s here to share her vision with the rest of the world. Her statement on the film points towards reaching out to fans “at a time when music is so deeply needed to remind us of the sacred bond of our shared humanity.”
Billions: Season 5, Part 2 (Showtime series on Paramount+) — There ain’t no drama quite like hedge-fund-king drama, and it remains to be seen whether Bobby Axelrod and Chuck Rhoades will ever decide to stop wasting so much time hating the hell out of each other. Probably not? Yeah, that’d be no fun at all, and everyone on this show ends up getting yanked into the beef that may very well destroy them all. Everyone’s got a reason to love this show, and mine just happens to be watching Maggie Siff and Asia Kate Dillon, rather than the warring dudes. (Also, Axe is done after this season!)
Apple TV+
Apple TV+
The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+ film) — Acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes directs this documentary, which is no ordinary rock ‘n’ roll movie. Instead, this reintroduces fans to the game-changing qualities of this band that made them an enduring cultural touchstone, including all of their inherent contradictions, which will be put on display in never-before-seen lie performance moments and plenty of recordings, interviews, and experimental art. Expect a fully immersive experience (not to mention iconic tunes).
The Problem With Jon Stewart (Apple TV+ series) — Jon Stewart’s return to TV fast approaches, and it could be argued that he’s never been needed more on TV than this particular moment. The former The Daily Show host will be doing the current-events thing with an episode every two weeks, which isn’t as frequent as fans might prefer, but we’ll trust the process. According to Apple TV+, viewers can expect Stewart to go deep on a single subject per episode with a “solutionary” approach, and yes, there are jokes.
Acapulco: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series) — Vacation-based shows are all the rage following The White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers, so get your next fix here with the story of a 20-something cabana boy in Acapulco’s most in-demand resort. Naturally, he discovers that the job is not all fun and games, given the demanding clientele and other demanding professional and personal circumstances. Get ready for a bilingual focus, too, with both Spanish and English coming in hot while the main character, Máximo Gallardo, also attempts to avoid temptations.
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. 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 there’s always the spectre of Led Tasso to consider.
HBO Max
HBO
We’re Here (HBO series on HBO Max) — Nope, you’re not looking at a photo of Beyoncé. This ^^ would be the fabulous Shangela (of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame), who’s back with the rest of the Queens (including Bob and Eureka) in Spartanburg, South Carolina after COVID interrupted the first round. In Season 2, the trio will continue to recruit small-town residents (in this case, that would be Noah, Faith, and Olin) and train them for onstage moments that they never dreamed possible.
Aquaman: King of Atlantis: Season 1 (HBO Max) — While DC fans sit in the limbo in between live-action Jason Momoa movies, this three-part animated miniseries from James Wan could tide things over a bit. This week’s installment involves the Dead Sea with Aquaman learning that he’s still got a lot of learning to do upon becoming king. The voice cast includes Cooper Andrews, Gillian Jacobs, Dana Snyder, and Thomas Lennon.
Doom Patrol: Season 3 (HBO Max series) — DC’s struggling misfit superheroes are back for another round. Brendan Fraser has received plenty of raves for his fury-filled Cliff Steele/Robotman, but don’t count out the rest of the crew. There’s Matt Bomer as the bandage-wrapped Negative Man and Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane, which is actually a role that requires Diane to play dozens of incarnations, including a very timely take on a Karen. This season, the sh*t hits the fan with a time machine.
AMC+
AMC
Fear the Walking Dead: Season 7 (AMC series) — This show didn’t shy away from speculation that a possible time jump was in store for this spinoff to tie some of The Walking Dead universe threads together. Yet a teaser showed that things don’t look too time-jumpy ahead of premiere day. Morgan and Grace awaken in the bunker, and she heads out into the outside world while wearing a protective suit and gazing out into the immediate wasteland before walking past an incapacitated walker on the ground. All of this would lead one to believe that, nope, there’s no leap into the future here, but the good news is that this spinoff found fresh legs last year.
Indefensible: Season 1 (SundanceTV and AMC+ series) — This show works to put a different spin on the true-crime genre with host Jena Friedman, who previously wrote for The Late Show With David Letterman and produced for The Daily Show. Friedman aims to take the story beyond the conventionally satisfying outcome, where the criminal gets locked up, end of story. She’s digging far beyond, into the dysfunction inherent within the criminal justice system and the reasons why the crimes in question could’ve happened.
It was just two years ago that Summer Walker arrived to take R&B by storm with her excellent debut Over It. Two years later, the only thing that’s changed for Walker is her popularity as fans have arrived with double the excitement for her next body of work. Aside from that, listeners can expect the same heartbroken and fed-up tales with love as the singer is preparing to drop her second album Still Over It in less than a month. Adding towards the anticipation for the project, Walker calls on City Girls’JT to join her on “Ex For A Reason.”
Don’t fight over a nigga that got his attention all over the place….I hope y’all learn from my mistakes “Ex For A Reason” ft. JT out now on all platforms. pic.twitter.com/peKRcW6jBX
Summer’s new track fits perfectly with the expected theme of Still Over it as it finds her and JT addressing their partner’s old lovers in their lives. Both artists are threatening to end their current relationship if their companion’s ex continues to appear in their lives. The track is supported by bouncy production for provides a steady rhythm to Walker and JT’s warnings. After releasing the song, Summer shared a message with her fans on Twitter. “Don’t fight over a n**** that got his attention all over the place,” she wrote. “.I hope y’all learn from my mistakes.”
Prior to the song’s release, Summer Walker revealed that Still Over It would be laced with 20 songs that include “Ex For A Reason.” She also revealed two additional song titles from the album, “Bitter,” the album’s opening track, and “Ciara’s Prayer,” its closing track which features an appearance from Ciara.
You can press play on the new track in the video above.
Few things are more difficult than watching a loved one’s grip on reality slipping away. Dementia can be brutal for families and caregivers, and knowing how to handle the various stages can be tricky to figure out.
The Alzheimer’s Association offers tips for communicating in the early, middle and late stages of the disease, as dementia manifests differently as the disease progresses. The Family Caregiver Alliance also offers advice for talking to someone with various forms and phases of dementia. Some communication tips deal with confusion, agitation and other challenging behaviors that can come along with losing one’s memory, and those tips are incredibly important. But what about when the person is seemingly living in a different time, immersed in their memories of the past, unaware of what has happened since then?
Psychologist David McPhee shared some advice with a person on Quora who asked, “How do I answer my dad with dementia when he talks about his mom and dad being alive? Do I go along with it or tell him they have passed away?”
McPhee wrote:
“Enter into his reality and enjoy it. He doesn’t need to be ‘oriented.’ Thank God the days are gone when people with advanced dementia were tortured by huge calendars and reminder signs and loved ones were urged to ‘orient’ them to some boring current ‘reality.’
If dad spends most of his time in 1959, sit with him. Ask questions he didn’t have time for before. Ask about people long dead, but alive to him, learn, celebrate your heritage. His parents are alive to him. Learn more about your grandparents. If he tells the same story over and over, appreciate it as if it’s music, and you keep coming back to the beautiful refrain.
This isn’t ‘playing along to pacify the old guy,’ this is an opportunity to communicate and treasure memories real but out of time.”
wanted to share this incredible story on how to engage people with dementia — “enter into their reality” https://t.co/4xbvWqMJ2L
People on Quora loved the thoughtful, compassionate advice. Many people shared that they had taken this approach with their relatives with good results, and people who work with dementia patients confirmed it also. Some said that “orienting” to present reality may be helpful for people in the early stages of dementia, but not necessarily in the middle or later stages.
Of course, caregivers know that dementia means more than simply living in another time period in your head, and that talking with a person with dementia might require different skills and approaches on different days. But this advice to learn about a loved one’s past may come in handy for family members who feel sad or hurt that they aren’t being remembered in the present. It may help to see it as an opportunity to time travel with the person rather than a loss. When a person is deep in their long-term memory, you may be surprised and delighted by what you can discover.
People with dementia don’t need to be brought back to the present if it’s just going to confuse or irritate them. If they are in a safe place and are being watched over so they don’t wander or do something dangerous, let them be. Join them in their past world and get to know them in a way you may not have had the opportunity to otherwise.
Solid advice, Dr. McPhee. Thank you for sharing it publicly.
“I think he’s got it — he’s got a very good chance,” said the former host of “The Daily Show” in a recent interview.
Jon Stewart has recently been resurfacing after the announcement of his new Apple TV+ series, “The Problem With Jon Stewart”, where once again viewers can enjoy his witty, pointed, and relentless criticism on social topics.
For the 22nd annual New Yorker festival, Stewart spoke with David Remnick, who asked for Jon’s hot takes on all the feel good talking points. You know, cancel culture, the COVID pandemic, and of course, Trump’s chances of winning a 2024 presidential race.
Jon spared no punches. And the reasons behind his theory are compelling.
Regarding the how the Republican party would handle their 2024 strategy, Stewart remarked:
“They’re smarter about it…what I think they really learned from this exercise was there are really specific pivot points within the American electoral system, and those pivot points are generally the administration of elections run by partisans, but not ideologues…a lot of the real mechanics and logistics of elections are run by Democrats or Republicans, partisans, but they are administrative positions. If he can replace the administrative functionaries with ideologues, he’s removed almost all of the guard rails.”
Jon Stewart on Trump, Cancel Culture, and Optimism | The New Yorker Festival
In other words, replacing appointed positions with speculators could enable an “early-stage minority rule,” and therefore a right-wing led administration, as Stewart sees it. Sort of like what we’re seeing in Texas with the abortion ban, with deputized civilians having the authority to enact legal action, only on a much larger scale.
As for Trump himself, Jon noted, “He’s brilliant at understanding what will drive the television narratives.” He went on to explain how the violent mob of Trump supporters storming the U.S Capitol on January 6 resembled a “TV event moment.”
“It’s the special that came out. And that’s what all the TV networks were focused on,” he warned, saying that the real “danger is that it exposed a fragility at a level that is not flashy, or sexy, or known.”
According to an article posted by The Hill, Stewart thinks that the very qualities that should disqualify Trump, like inciting the Capitol Riot, for instance, are the very points of attraction for his supporters. “He came at the right moment for that audience with the right message, and unapologetic,” said Stewart, adding, “and if nothing else, the dude’s resilient.”
The Hill quoted that Stewart also predicted the main theme of Trump’s 2024 election campaign would focus on his ‘Stop the Steal’ message. Though Trump has not officially declared candidacy, it feels all too inevitable.
But hey, maybe Trump’s supporters will follow his recent advice not to vote in 2022 and 2024, and this will all be a thing of the past. I somehow think that won’t be the case. After all, this won’t be the first Jon Stewart prediction to have come true.
One thing’s for sure: the possibility of Trump’s reelection marks a continued and deepening divide among the American people, as to exactly WHO should be in power. Elected officials? Civilian vigilantes? Realty TV stars? Celebrity activists? Internet speculators? It has the entire country rethinking exactly what democracy is, and whether or not we ever had it in the first place. I mean, we can’t even seem to come to agreement with anything nowadays. We can’t even reach consensus reality on the existence of a pandemic, for Pete’s sake.
Although the prediction is unsettling, it’s a small comfort to once again bask in the brilliant, sardonic candor of Jon Stewart. At the very least, he makes even the most alarming news entertaining.
Some of us just don’t want to hear other people’s opinions on our bodies, whether positive or negative, anymore. It makes sense, nobody wants to hear something negative and sometimes, a positive comment can come off the wrong way.
For example, if someone loses weight and you say, “You look good, you’ve lost weight.” It may seem like a compliment, but the person may think, “Oh, did I look bad before?”
Actor Jonah Hill has had to hear about his body from fans and the media for years and he’s finally had enough of it. The 37-year-old posted a brief message on Instagram Wednesday that politely asks people to talk about something else for a change.
“I know you mean well but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body,” Hill said in the post. “Good or bad I want to politely let you know it’s not helpful and doesn’t feel good. Much respect.”
The post comes eight months after he proudly proclaimed he’s no longer phased when the media tries to comment on his appearance. The post came after The Daily Mail shared paparazzi photos of him shirtless after taking off his wet suit.
“I don’t think I ever took my shirt off in a pool until I was in my mid 30s even in front of family and friends. Probably would have happened sooner if my childhood insecurities weren’t exacerbated by years of public mockery about my body by press and interviewers. So the idea that the media tries to play me by stalking me while surfing and printing photos like this and it can’t phase me anymore is dope,” he wrote.
“I’m 37 and finally love and accept myself. This isn’t a ‘good for me” post,'” he continued. “And it’s definitely not a ‘feel bad for me post.’ It’s for the kids who don’t take their shirt off at the pool. Have fun. You’re wonderful and awesome and perfect. All my love.”
hill celebrated his newfound self-acceptance and passion for surfing with a “Body Love” tattoo.
Hill’s remarks mirror the views of the body neutrality movement which has been gaining popularity recently.
It’s a different way of seeing things than the body positivity movement which aims for “equality and acceptance for all body types and sizes.” Instead, the neutrality movement is about changing one’s focus to accepting your body as is and recognizing its remarkable abilities and non-physical characteristics.
“Body neutrality means taking a neutral perspective towards your body, meaning that you do not have to cultivate a love for your body or feel that you have to love your body every day. You may not always love your body, but you may still live happily and appreciate everything your body can do.”
Hill’s fans and the media should definitely stop talking about his body for his sanity and also because there’s something else we should really be focusing on, his amazing fashion game. I mean look at these amazing threads.
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