Month: February 2022

(SPOILERS for this week’s Euphoria will be found below.)

The season two finale of Euphoria will answer a lot of questions for its fans. How does Lexi’s play Oklahoma end? What happens between Maddy and Cassie? Will Cassie go off on Lexi for ruining her relationship with Nate? The questions that have accumulated from this season of Euphoria are neverending, and while we can’t count on each one being answered, we can guarantee that as always, a great soundtrack will be used to score the intense and dramatic events of season two’s finale.

Just like last week’s episode, which featured songs by Bonnie Tyler, Captain & Tenille, Bobby Darin, Labrinth, and more, this week on of Euphoria also featured a great selection of songs. The aforementioned events in this week’s episode are soundtracked by carefully curated songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene.

What Songs Were In The Season Two Finale Of ‘Euphoria?’

The songs that soundtracked the standout moments on the season two finale of Euphoria are “L’amore Dice Ciao” by Armando Trovajoli and a new untitled record by Dominic Fike. “L’amore Dice Ciao” came into play as Lexi prepared to resume her play after Cassie interrupted it to confront her about its contents. That interruption came after Nate made a dramatic exit from the play, but not without breaking up with Cassie first. A fight between Cassie and Maddy ensues while the former’s mother takes to the stage to try and break things up.

As for Dominic Fike’s untitled record, it’s a song that was written by Zendaya and Labrinth as revealed in the post-episode recap. Elliot, the character Fike plays, sings the song to Rue after she visits him to apologize and thank him for saving her life. In short, the song talks about creating distance from someone you care for with the hope that they’ll use the time to improve themselves and return as a better person.

The soundtrack for this week’s episode also includes the following songs:
Kylie Minogue — “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”
Francis Lai — “Concerto Pour La Fin D’un Amour”
DJ T-Boy — “Kwaze Kwamnandi”
Lanterna — “Grey”
Philippe Sarde — “Les Choses De La Vie (Final)”
Lumix — “The Journey”
Deepstate. — “Unreal (Extended Version)”

HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ airs on Sundays at 9:00pm EST.

The highly-anticipated Uber origin series Super Pumped, based on the 2019 book of the same name, premieres this weekend on Showtime. But, as with most anthology series, it begs the question: will there be a follow-up season?

Though the series has yet to drop, Showtime has already ordered a second season of the show. The first season is subtitled The Battle For Uber (which sounds very Lord Of The Rings) and chronicles the tumultuous rise and fall of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, who created the company in 2009.

A second season was ordered last week, which will tackle the tale of Mark Zuckerberg and the rise of Facebook. Just like the first season, the second will also be based on an upcoming book from Super Pumped author Mike Isaac, and written by Billions co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Coincidentally, this announcement came days after HBO picked up a limited series about Zuckerberg. As with many anthologies, it’s likely that there will be a new cast for the upcoming season. Perhaps Jesse Eisenberg wants to reprise his Acadamy Award-nominated role?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the TV adaptation will “zoom in on the relationship between COO Sheryl Sandberg and Zuckerberg and the world-changing forces that were unleashed, both intentionally and not, as a result.”

The first season stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, Kyle Chandler as financial analyst Bill Gurley, and Uma Thurman as Arianna Huffington, with narration by Billions superfan Quentin Tarantino.

Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber premieres this Sunday, February 27th at 10 pm on Showtime.

(WARNING: Spoilers for the Euphoria Season 2 finale will be found below.)

The Euphoria season two finale made fans a ton of promises.

We were told to expect drama. We were told to expect catfights. We were told to expect the possible demise of some fan-favorite characters. And we were told to expect Zendaya to eat every scene she’s in. (Okay fine, that last part is always expected.) But, did the show’s final episode deliver? Here’s everything that happened in Euphoria’s eighth episode, “All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned for a Thing I Cannot Name.”

Ashtray Dies, And Fez Gets Hurt

It wasn’t shocking to see Ash bite the bullet this season — the kid was way too impulsive when he got a knife in his hand — but it was devastating to see the way he went out, and the emotional toll it took on Fez. The brothers opened the episode by handling the Custer threat. After Faye warned Fez not to say anything about Mouse’s murder when Custer brought it up, Ash realized he was a snitch and dealt with it in a fairly violent way: by slicing his throat wide open. To protect his brother, Fez intended to take the fall for the kill, telling Ash to surrender to the police outside, and he’d admit both murders. Ash wasn’t keen on going along with that plan so he threw some guns in a bathtub, locked himself in the bathroom, and prepared for a shootout with the police. While Fez begged him to come out and turn himself in, the S.W.A.T. team busted through the front door, prompting Ash to start spraying bullets — one of which knocked Fez in the stomach. By the end of the shootout, Fez and Faye were in police custody, and Ashtray was left dead on the bathroom floor. R.I.P. Ash — you were a little psycho, but you were also a ride-or-die.

Cassie Crashes Lexi’s Play

We left Cassie doing her best Jurassic Park re-enactment in episode seven, fuming after Nate broke up with her because of Lexi’s play. Unhinged and with nothing to lose, she stormed down the auditorium aisle and invaded the stage, dragging Lexi out from behind the curtains to accuse her of being jealous, too afraid to live her own life, etc. You know, normal Cassie Howard avoidant b.s. The girls’ mom, Suze, was forced to jump up on stage as the audience watched on in order to keep Lexi and Cassie from going for each others’ throats, eventually giving up as Cassie decided to take her anger out on her doppelganger. Maddy, who had had enough of Cassie’s emotional meltdown by that point, kicked off her heels and ran up on stage, slapping Cassie across the face before chasing her into the school’s bathroom. The “riot” ended with Lexi continuing her play — thanks in part to Rue’s well-timed chant — and Maddy ominously warning Cassie that her on-again-off-again with Nate was “just the beginning.”

Nate Turns On Cal

Nate, enraged over Lexi’s play and blaming his dad for all of his problems in life, began the episode by driving erratically while guzzling a beer and loading his revolver. He was clearly a deranged man on a homicidal mission, and when he pulled up to one of his dad’s properties, we were expecting the worst. (We’re talking patricide.) Things didn’t get that bad but they did get fairly awkward, especially when Nate crashed Cal’s new Queer, free-loving lifestyle. He was apparently partying with some new friends when Nate dropped in reminding him of how badly he screwed their family over. Nate even admitted to having nightmares about his dad raping him after finding the sex tapes that he secretly filmed with his many hook-ups. That last confession managed to clear the room of Cal’s crew which is when the two men really went at it with Nate revealing he wasn’t interested in Cal’s apology, he just wanted revenge. And it looks like he got it because, by the end of the episode, the cops had come to arrest Cal after Nate revealed he’d save copies of the sex tapes on a thumb drive.

Rue Makes Amends

Rue continued to take some monumental steps in her recovery journey. Lexi’s play opened her eyes to how much trauma she’s been through, and it showed her that something good might come from her pain. By the end of the episode, we saw her make up with Elliot — forgiving him for telling Jules about her addiction and thanking him for saving her life. She also said goodbye (for now) to Jules. Their love story might be on hold but at least they haven’t left any bad feelings from that tense intervention. But, most importantly, Rue reconnected with Lexi, going over to her house after the play to apologize for checking out the past two years and giving both girls the chance to share how heartbroken they still are over their dads’ death/disappearance. Rue ends the episode with a monologue narrating how she will remain sober for the rest of the school year, giving fans an optimistic outlook on where her sobriety journey is headed.

Warning: Spoilers for Euphoria’s Season 2 finale are below.

Euphoria fans were probably dreading its season two finale.

That’s because, despite eight episodes teasing possible overdoses, violent showdowns with parental figures, and alcohol-fueled car crashes, the most tangible threat to one of the show’s main players was expected to come in its final episode. With Rue (Zendaya) on the road to recovery, Cal (Eric Dane) giving up on his family, and Nate (Jacob Elordi) abstaining from drinking and driving for an entire episode, that left just two characters in the crosshairs. Fezco (Angus Cloud) and Ashtray (Javon Walton) have been dealing with the fallout of Mouse’s murder all season, having to play nice with Custer and his girlfriend Faye (Chloe Cherry) while establishing themselves as power players to fellow dealers like Laurie. In Euphoria’s most recent episode, Custer — who’s been working with the police to make sure Fez and Ash take the fall for Mouse’s murder — was nervously fidgeting on the boys’ couch, warning Faye to keep quiet. Something was clearly up and after a promo for the season finale showed Fez, covered in blood spatter and screaming on the floor as a S.W.A.T. team raided his home, fans of the drug dealer with the heart of gold were rightly worried.

So, what happened to Fez in the Euphoria finale?

By the end of the season, Fez ends up in police custody after being accidentally shot by his brother Ash. Before the cops storm the house, both brothers have a violent confrontation with Custer, whom they discover is working with the police thanks to Faye. She warns Fez to say nothing after Custer brings up Mouse’s murder, even going so far as to set Laurie up for the crime but Ash acts impulsively, stabbing Custer in the throat. Fez is forced to cover Custer’s mouth while he bleeds out so that he doesn’t alert the police. Once he goes limp, Fez throws the guy’s phone in a cup of water and tells Ash to wash his hands and go outside, knowing if he surrenders to the police, they’ll pin Custer’s murder on Fez.

Instead, Ash unpacks his stored artillery and locks himself in the bathroom, prepping for a shootout with the police despite Fez literally banging down the door and pleading with him to just turn himself in. As the police charge in, Fez continues to beg Ash to stop, but the boy starts firing against the police, accidentally hitting Fez in the stomach in the process. By the end of the gunfight, Fez is injured and carted off by the S.W.A.T. team along with Faye but Ash, unfortunately, doesn’t make it out alive.

But perhaps the saddest thing about this particular ending? Fez never makes it to Lexi’s play.

The Pistons are firmly looking towards the future with this season, as they find themselves with the second worst record in the East, but Detroit has been more competitive of late, winning three of their last four games including a thriller on Sunday in Charlotte.

Jerami Grant, who the Pistons somewhat surprisingly kept at the trade deadline, has started to find a rhythm, while Cade Cunningham has shaken free of his early season slump to look like the player Detroit fans were hoping for with the first-overall pick. The result is a team that is easy to overlook on the schedule and has a chance to play spoiler for teams fighting for seeding, as they did Sunday against the Hornets.

The Pistons nearly had the win in regulation, but PJ Washington was able to get a putback bucket with under five seconds left to tie things up and force an extra period.

Entering Sunday, the Hornets were 0-6 in overtimes this season, and Sunday’s loss followed a familiar refrain. A hot shooting start to overtime, led by Terry Rozier, didn’t yield a significant lead as Charlotte couldn’t get consistent shots and, ultimately, they found themselves up just one with the clock winding down. After a Cunningham midrange jumper bounced off the iron, Isaiah Stewart and PJ Washington got tied up on the rebound and Jerami Grant ran down the ensuing jumpball allowing Detroit to call timeout.

With 2.1 seconds to go, they had a side-out and got the ball to veteran big man Kelly Olynyk, who faded over Washington for the high-arcing game-winner.

It’s another quality performance from the Pistons, who got 20 points from Olynyk, 26 points from Grant, 19 from Cunningham, and 28 from Saddiq Bey in the win. For Charlotte, it’s a rather dismal loss that drops them back into a tie with the Hawks for the ninth and tenth spots in the East, keeping the Wizards alive in the chase at two games back of the play-in.

Tonight is an important night for film and TV — it’s the 2022 SAG Awards. After the last several months of canceled events and virtual appearances, an in-person red carpet is a treat for stylists, who are back at work, and all the artists and creatives who are eager to celebrate their work together once more. Especially during a time when unease is spreading in other ways, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s a welcome distraction for some. However, plenty of other artists and actors are more than willing to show their support for the suffering of the people in Ukraine, and Lady Gaga is one of them.

Gaga is up for several nominations for her work as Patrizia Reggiani in her second starring role in a major feature film, House Of Gucci, but still had plenty of time to discuss foreign politics on the red carpet. When E! correspondent Laverne Cox approached Gaga about the event, her succinct response acknowledged both the impact of Covid-19, and the situation in eastern Europe. “What story are you telling us tonight with this gorgeous, gorgeous ensemble?” Cox asked.

“The story I’m telling is the truth, which is that I’m just really honored to be here,” Gaga said. “This is a beautiful night when we get to celebrate art together, and celebrate each other. There’s so much going on in the world, and my heart really goes out to Ukraine. I think tonight we should all sit in the gratitude of this.”

Meanwhile, Gaga stans are on the exact same page as Mother Monster:

Some of the unsung heroes of award shows are the makeup artists, hairdressers, and stylists — a group of workers who also had a tough time during Covid-19, but probably didn’t get as much attention for it. Well, stylists like Kate Young are getting their proper due this year, as Young’s look for Only Murders In The Building nominee, Selena Gomez, went viral almost immediately. This is the first time Gomez has attended the SAG Awards, and it’s her first red carpet of the year, so obviously the multi hyphenate star wanted to go big.

How big are we talking? How about million dollar necklace big?? The pop star/actress wore a full-length, black velvet Oscar De La Renta gown, complete with trendy puffed sleeves, and the kind of jewelry that makes people lose their minds, in this case a Serpenti necklace made up of Bulgari diamonds. Young finished off her look for Gomez with a pair of Louboutins, and posted the singer’s transformation from start to finish on her Instagram. THe final look, below, is a jaw-dropping example of sheer elegance, a much-needed break from the alway-casual feel of quarantine chic.

Selena and her co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short are nominated for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series for their work on Only Murders In The Building. Tune in tonight to see if they score an award — and to check out Selena’s excellent look.

Last night’s Saturday Night Live episode was one for the books. Not only were New York indie legends LCD Soundsystem back in the house, but after a fairly rough time in the public eye of late — in a few month streak that included a stint in rehab, a divorce, and a baby with new girlfriend Olivia Munn — John Mulaney returned to host the comedy show. As a staple of the show, and in today’s comedy scene in general, Mulaney was entering his fifth time hosting the show, a “five-timers club” distinction that comedians and actors are proud to achieve.

What else should he be proud of achieving? Enlisting LCD Soundsystem as his guardian angels! Well, it was just for a sketch on the show, but the “Subway Churro” episode, which is, of course, also somehow a musical, casts Mulaney as a newsstand worker in a subway station. At one point, he adopts the stylings of Fiddler On The Roof to wax poetic on the joy of going off the grid, and as more characters emerge, LCD shows up as “Guardian Angels” a group who emerged in reaction to the lawless atmosphere in the New York subway during the ’80s. It’s a perfect casting choice for the rockers, and puts them at the center of one of the funniest sketches of the night. Check it out above.

Green Day have always been a fairly political band, so it’s not surprising that they’ve decided not to perform in Russia due to recent global events. After the conflict between the two nations erupted into a full-blown invasion, with Russia’s violent encroach on Ukraine’s borders, artists like Cardi B and The Weeknd have commented on the situation.

As for Green Day, they had a show scheduled to take place in Moscow on May 29, but have let fans know well in advance that given the current situation, that show will not be happening. “With heavy hearts, in light of current events we feel it is necessary to cancel our upcoming show in Moscow at Spartak Stadium,” the band commented in an Instagram story posted a few hours ago. “We are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it’s much bigger than that. But we also know that rock and roll is forever and we feel confident there will be a time and a place for us to return in the future. Refunds available at the point of purchase. Stay safe.”

In this statement, it feels like the band are leaving room to reinstate the show if the situation is resolved before May. As of today, Ukraine has agreed to meet with Russia “without preconditions,” and many people are hopeful this will lead to a resolution and stop the violence and threat of nuclear firepower.

Foo Fighters have been going strong for nearly three decades now. The band came together in 1994 and since then they’ve released ten albums and ten EPs, with their last project being last year’s Medicine At Midnight. The group has also won 12 Grammy Awards with their first coming back in 2000. Additionally, in 2021, Foo fighters were also inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. By all means, Foo Fighters has achieved everything and more together and it’s something that that their lead vocalist Dave Grohl recognizes.

Grohl and company are currently promoting the Foo Fighters’ new horror film Studio 666. During a recent interview with Sky News, Grohl spoke about his tenure with the band and how he doesn’t want to be like the main character of Studio 666. “The premise is based on a lot of really hilarious rock and roll cliches and stereotypes, right?” Grohl said. “The lead singer that wants to go solo and is at a creative war with his own band – and some lead singers do exactly that.” He added, “That’s something I would never wish to do because I actually like being in the Foo Fighters.”

These comments arrive as Foo Fighters are gearing up to bring their talents to a few festivals this year. The band will make appearances at Osheaga Festival, Boston Calling, Lollapalooza’s Brazil and Argentina festival, and more in 2022. They will also continue their North American tour with additional dates this year.