Month: September 2022

House of the Dragon’s sixth episode introduces a handful of new characters, swaps out two major cast members, and gives us the best glimpse of the battle to come for the Iron Throne.

Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke take their place as “The Princess and the Queen” this week, playing older versions of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, respectively. A 10-year time jump is a long time, but apparently not long enough for Alicent to get over her jealousy, Ser Criston Cole to get over his rejection, and King Viserys to get over… well, whatever the hell it is that ails him. (The man looks like a chunk of rotting meat. Someone send help!)

As always, we’re measuring where everyone stands in the ever-growing line for the Iron Throne this week, and boy has this past decade not been kind to some contenders.

The Pretenders

Ser Criston Cole

In further proof that, even in a fantasy world filled with dragons and magic and silver-haired queens, basic white men just never take rejection well, Ser Criston Cole has gone full medieval incel when House of the Dragon picks back up after the 10-year time jump. Somehow, despite killing an innocent man unprovoked and laying hands on the future king consort, Cole has been able to keep his job but instead of being Rhaenyra’s Kingsguard, he now simps for Queen Alicent. You’d think a decade would be enough time for him to get over a one-night-stand with a literal teenager but Cole is still as bitter as ever, stalking around the castle calling Rhaenyra a spoiled c*nt (rude), and refusing to properly train her sons alongside Alicent’s. Too bad this guy didn’t castrate his toxic masculinity in that Godswood because he reeks of it right now.

Aegon II Targaryen

That little sh*t jacking off on the balcony of Kings Landing and gifting his dragon-less little brother a winged pig? That’s not Mike Wheeler in a wig, y’all, that’s Aegon II Targaryen. You know, the cherubic usurper who had a weekend glamping expedition to celebrate his second name day just a couple of episodes prior. Aegon is (almost) all grown up and doing his best Joffrey Lannister impersonation at the moment, beating up boys smaller than him, bullying his own kin, and doing weird sex stuff. He might be Alicent’s pick to sit on the Iron Throne but, surprisingly, Aegon doesn’t seem to want the crown at the moment – even going against his mother by claiming it’s Rhaenyra’s birthright. He’ll likely change his tune soon enough but for now, he’s just a little weirdo controlled by his raging hormones.

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Speaking of the right and future Queen, the years have not been kind to Rhaenyra Targayren. Emma D’Arcy (they/them) plays the older version of the heir apparent and we meet her in this episode soon after she gives birth to her third son. (Really, we cannot stress enough how soon after – like afterbirth expelling soon.) It’s clear that, while Rhaenyra was born to lead, she hasn’t mastered the politics of court. Alicent has her father’s ear – even sitting in and managing small council meetings – and the questionable parentage of her three boys has thrown her claim in doubt. While Rhaenyra and Laenor may be happy with their progressive living arrangement – their blended family is truly aspirational and wholly unexpected from a world created by George R.R. Martin – Alicent is fuming that, once again, Rhaenyra gets to make her own rules while she must play by the ones her father put in place a decade earlier. Jealous much? Unfortunately, try as she might to make peace with Alicent – proposing a union between her son and Alicent’s daughter, and promising a dragon’s egg to Aemond should have been enough to build a bridge if her evil stepmother wasn’t such a bitter, power-hungry harpy – Rhaenyra can’t seem to find a foothold in Kings Landing. Her lover/baby daddy Ser Harwin Strong is banished from court only to suffer a terrible death alongside his father, the former Hand of the King, once they return to Harrenhaal, her uncle has all but abandoned her, and her husband would rather bar-hop around Flea Bottom than do his duty. Rhaenyra makes a decision that will likely come to haunt her later, taking her family and returning to Dragonstone, giving Alicent full reign of the Red Keep. And here we thought she was smarter than that.

The “Strong” Boys

It’s not Jacaerys & Lucerys Velaryon’s fault that the concept of an open marriage just has taken off in Westeros yet but the boys look too plain for their mother to explain away their parentage which means, even if Jacaerys should inherit the Iron Throne one day, he likely won’t. What’s worse, because Alicent and Ser Criston Cole are so blatantly obvious about their hatred for Rhaenyra, the boys are made to suffer for her alleged crimes – in the dragon pit and the practice ring. By the end of this episode, they lose the only home they’ve known, their real father dies, and their inheritance is threatened in a major way.

Laenor Velaryon

Laenor Velaryon is the supportive gay husband every woman dreams of having but even he isn’t perfect. He’s clearly still mourning the loss of his first love – he names his third son after his slain boyfriend – and he’s chaffing at court life, longing for war and the open sea. To dull the pain of having to deal with the melodrama of basic Karens day-in and day-out, Laenor imbibes … heavily. Which might be why Rhaenyra’s so pissed at him this episode. She could care less that he flaunts his boy toys all over Flea Bottom – though that likely doesn’t help the whole paternity problem they’re facing – she does take issue with how terrible he is at playing the game for the Iron Throne. He’d rather chase glory on the battlefield than ensure his family’s legacy and that’s just not the kind of attitude that guarantees someone a long life on this show.

King Viserys Targaryen

If any medical professionals watch this show, please diagnose Viserys because the man does not look well. He’s sallow, blistered, with rotting teeth and a weak constitution and his mental facilities just aren’t all there. Whatever his actual illness is, Viserys is a king in name only at this point. His wife runs the show and everyone, from the small council members to Rhaenyra herself, knows it.

The Contenders

Alicent Hightower

Another main character who gets an actor swap this episode is the Queen Regent, Alicent Hightower, and boy does Olivia Cooke EAT this episode. Our introduction to this older, more manipulative version of Rhaenyra’s childhood best friend sets the tone for their contentious relationship. The sweat of labor hasn’t even dried on Rhaenyra’s brow when Alicent demands to see the baby, umbilical cord still attached and all. And her power is so unchecked at this point that Rhaenyra obeys without argument. It seems that Alicent has let her father’s paranoia marry with her own jealousy over Rhaenyra’s station because she constantly see-saws between envying her friend’s freedom and privilege, and panicking over her son’s future. Despite never threatening Aegon, Alicent is convinced that, should Rhaenyra take the throne, his life will be in danger. But Alicent Hightower — for all her scheming and backstabbing — is still just a poor woman’s Cersei Lannister at this point. She’s still clinging to impractical ideals like morality and virtue, thinking she deserves power and prestige because she’s played the part of a good daughter and wife all these years. She’s counting on karma to punish Rhaenyra, which makes her self-righteousness even harder to stomach because she doesn’t have the backbone to be as cutthroat as her ambition demands. Luckily, she’s got friends for that.

Daemon Targaryen

Forget slut-era, Daemon Targaryen is firmly in his male-wife era and, somehow, even hotter for it. He suffers this episode, it’s true. His wife, Laena, chooses to burn herself to crisp rather than suffer the same fate as Queen Aemma, and he’s stuck in Pentos, playing the part of a sell-sword because he has no inheritance to speak of. But, Daemon seems to have settled a bit. Dare we say, he’s matured? He’s a girl-dad now, he’s free to do as he pleases, and he’s somewhat escaped the shadow of his brother and his House. He’s a contender for the throne this week simply because he’s stayed far enough removed from the drama in Kings Landing to prove dangerous once he does enter the succession discourse.

Larys Strong

Back when House of the Dragon premiered we assumed Otto Hightower was this show’s Littlefinger stand-in. Readers, we were wrong. Otto might one day prove to be more like a Tywin Lannister – we’re still not sure – but the title of Westeros’ most devious sociopath is firmly in Larys Strong’s grip after this episode. The man is cuckoo’s nest crazy – a sociopath who happily burns his own kin alive for a spot closer to the throne. It’s insinuated that, while his father nobly tried to help Viserys rule the Seven Kingdoms and his brother kept the future queen’s bed warm over the past decade, Larys has been whispering in Alicent’s ear, sowing discord and using his connections to manipulate the happenings at court. Why we’re still not sure. It’s one thing to hate your family to the point of orchestrating their deaths, but Larys doesn’t seem the type to want to bask in the glory of his scheming as Littlefinger did. Alicent and Ser Cole are fueled by bitterness and jealousy, Aegon might one day be motivated by a lust for power, but Larys? Larys seems happy to just collect favors at this point while doing the dirty work his friends don’t have the stomach to do themselves. He’s the true wild card of this show and we’re disappointed we didn’t see it sooner.

HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ airs on Sunday nights.

Spoilers for House of the Dragon will be found below.

A decade passed in Westeros, and the first Game of Thrones spinoff (and prequel) picks back up with those bad vibes from the Green Wedding still in high gear. A chilly set of relations between Princess Rhaenyra (now portrayed by Emma D’Arcy) and Queen Alicent (played by Olivia Cooke) continues to be passive aggressive, at best, with the latter being forced to cart her (incredibly) newborn child across the castle for the latter’s viewing pleasure. It’s an episode filled with scandal, partially involving Rhaenrya’s children almost 100% not being fathered by her actual husband, Laenor Velaryon. Alicent surely couldn’t resist dragging this mess in front of him.

Still, Laenor initially seemed like a pretty chill (and attentive) husband because he has his own arrangement, even though it’s rather odd to name one’s third (legal, at least in a Westeros sense) child after one’s dead gay lover (Joffrey), who happened to have been murdered (by Ser Criston) at Laenor and Rhaenyra’s wedding feast. And speaking of Joffreys, one of King Viserys I’s and Alicent’s children is absolutely the worst. This teenager, Aegon (played by Ty Tennant, son of David), is being called out for exuding a Joffrey Baratheon aura right away.

Some people were wise to Aegon’s vibe ahead of time, given this still.

The bratty kid also helped to give his sister, Aemond, a pig instead of a dragon, and he mocked her while everyone laughed. Then there was that scene where he pleasured himself in a window that appeared to be the same place where Tommen killed himself. Right away, the tweets began: “WTF IS THIS AEGON SCENE, Y’ALL KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT.”

In the space of less than 20 minutes, Aegon became a much maligned character on HotD. That’s an accomplishment, considering Criston’s continued awfulness. Let the pile on begin.

HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ airs on Sunday nights at 9:00pm EST.

As training camp gets set to open around the NBA, there are plenty of teams that are trying to integrate new additions into their current roster, but two of the most fascinating situations involve players returning to teams they were once thought to be on their way out of.

One is in Brooklyn, where Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both dabbled in seeking out a trade only to return to the Nets, and the other is in Los Angeles, where the Lakers tried in vain to find a trade that would send Russell Westbrook somewhere else. As such, the Lakers come into training camp with Westbrook still on the roster alongside a pair of offseason additions in Dennis Schröder and longtime Westbrook rival, Patrick Beverley.

As such, it’s not a guarantee that Westbrook is in the plans to be the starter in Los Angeles, as there are a number of potential lineup combinations for new head coach Darvin Ham, depending on how they want to balance defense and shooting — two things Westbrook struggled with a year ago. Given Westbrook’s reported pushback to the idea of a role change a year ago, it was fair to wonder if he’d be willing to accept a potential bench role this season if that’s what the Lakers choose to do.

For now, it appears the answer is yes, as Westbrook told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski he’s “all-in” on doing what’s needed for the team to win.

Maybe that’s as a starter or maybe it’s off the bench. “I’m all-in on whatever it takes for this team to win,” Westbrook said. “I’m prepared for whatever comes my way.”

This, of course, is easier to say in late September when games aren’t happening than it is in mid-October when the season starts, but Wojnarowski notes there’s been a pretty constant dialogue between Westbrook and Ham as the new Lakers coach looks to mend some fences and get Westbrook to understand his vision for how he can be best used, in a variety of possible roles. The biggest thing of note in this quote, to me, is that what Westbrook sees as what is best for the team to win and what the Lakers see may not be aligned, and getting Westbrook on the same page may be more difficult if he’s not seeing the rest of the point guard rotation as being better for the team than him.

For now, Westbrook and Ham, at the least, have said all the right things to get their tenure together off on the right foot. Whether that continues and whether they can be successful is a much bigger question.

Don’t Worry Darling is the number one movie in America, grossing more than double the re-release of the biggest ever moneymaker (not adjusted for inflation, of course). Did it do that thanks to all the bizarre gossip and social media nonsense surrounding it? Probably, at least in part. But just as “spitgate” turned out to (almost certainly) be bunk, crew members of the ‘50s-set psychological thriller are claiming all that the same can be said about all that on-set drama that’s filled tabloids.

Forty members of the film’s crew and production team signed a statement sent to People, disputing some of the more lurid claims about a tumultuous set. One of those involves star Florence Pugh getting into a shouting match with director Olivia Wilde, who, a source told Vulture, “would just disappear” from set with co-star/maybe paramour Harry Styles. Not so, said the statement.

“As a crew, we’ve avoided addressing the absurd gossip surrounding the movie we’re so proud of, but feel the need to correct the anonymous ‘sources’ quoted in a recent article,” the statement begins. “Any allegations about unprofessional behavior on the set of Don’t Worry Darling are completely false.”

That includes the claim that wound up published by Vulture. “There was never a screaming match between our director and
anyone, let alone a member of our cast,” the statement reads.

The signed crew also praised Wilde, calling her “an incredible leader and director who was present with and involved in every aspect of production,” and that she “ran this set with class and respect for everyone involved.”

Their denials were backed up by Miri Yoon, a producer on the film. “Rumors of screaming matches between our director and leading lady on set are completely unfounded,” Yoon told People. “We truly hope you enjoy the movie.”

As Don’t Worry Darling went from highly anticipated to unexpectedly controversial, it’s been hard to tell where the truth lies. When Pugh abruptly pulled out of the press tour, heads turned. They turned again when she took to social media to gush about the film. Still, at least everyone had fun turning a video clip of Styles purportedly (but probably not) hocking a loogie into fellow cast member Chris Pine’s lap into the most examined footage since the Zapruder film.

(Via People)

The Phoenix Suns were among the teams that many felt could make significant changes to its roster this offseason after their disappointing and rather stunning second round exit to the Dallas Mavericks.

However, after being unable to put together a package to acquire Kevin Durant and eventually just re-signing Deandre Ayton after he was dangled in sign-and-trade rumors for a month, the team looks mostly the same as training camp approaches. That won’t be the case for too much longer, though, as Jae Crowder’s name has popped up in trade rumors and the Suns’ desire to move the veteran forward is apparently so significant that the team will not have him report to camp as they try to find a trade for him, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Crowder made his own statement on the situation on Twitter shortly after the Suns made the news official.

Crowder started 67 games for the Suns last year, averaging 9.4 points and 5.3 assists per game, and has been a key part of the Suns rotation since arriving ahead of the 2020-21. It seems Phoenix wants to shuffle up its roster and likely seeking some backcourt depth, as they need point guard help behind Chris Paul and have plenty at the four spot with Dario Saric returning from injury and Cam Johnson likely to step into the starting rotation. Crowder is an elite irritant and figures to be a welcome addition for other contenders needing to add more toughness and defense (and some shooting as he’s become a strong spot-up shooter), but the Suns are ready to move on and shuffle the deck a bit.

Pink Floyd founding member Roger Waters has canceled concerts planned in Poland amid outrage over his stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine. Waters was set to perform at Tauron Arena in Krakow in April of next year, however, Polish media outlets have announced that he has pulled out of the planned dates, as reported by NPR.

A representative from Tauron Arena was quoted by Polish outlets saying, “Roger Waters’ manager decided to withdraw … without giving any reason.”

The cancellation of the shows follows an open letter Waters published this month addressed to the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, in which he urged Zelenska and her husband, president Volodymyr Zelensky, to “seek a different route” in regards the Russian war against Ukraine.

“If by ‘support for Ukraine,’ you mean the West continuing to supply arms to the Kiev government’s armies, I fear you may be tragically mistaken,” Waters said. “Throwing fuel, in the form of armaments, into a fire fight, has never worked to shorten a war in the past, and it won’t work now, particularly because, in this case, most of the fuel is (a) being thrown into the fire from Washington DC, which is at a relatively safe distance from the conflagration, and (b) because the ‘fuel throwers’ have already declared an interest in the war going on for as long as possible.”

Elsewhere in the letter, Waters said, “If I’m not wrong, please help me in my honest endeavors to persuade our leaders to stop the slaughter, the slaughter which serves only the interests of the ruling classes and extreme nationalists both here in the West, and in your beautiful country, at the expense of the rest of us ordinary people both here in the West, and in the Ukraine, and in fact ordinary people everywhere all over the world.”

The Dolphins and Bills met on Sunday in a battle of undefeateds looking to break an early tie atop the AFC East. Early on it looked like we were headed for a shootout, as it was 14-14 in the second quarter, but from there the defenses locked in and the offenses for both teams looked rattled.

Miami would take a 21-17 lead in the fourth quarter, and after getting a stop on 4th and goal, just needed one first down to ice the game as Buffalo had two timeouts. Instead, they took almost no time off the clock and lost yardage, throwing an incompletion on third and 11 to set up a dicey situation having to punt from backed up on the goal line. The result was one of the funniest things you’ll see as an objective football viewer, as the Dolphins punter kicks it straight off the butt of his personal protector and out the back of the end zone for a safety.

The slow-mo replays show how the punt absolutely rockets off that man’s butt and, luckily for Miami, skied out of the end zone.

This set up a scenario in which the Bills needed just a field goal to win, rather than a touchdown, and Josh Allen had the ball with no timeouts and 90 seconds to play. The Bills would push the ball to midfield, but a disastrous mistake after an incredible effort from Allen to get the ball to Isaiah McKenzie saw the clock bleed out while Buffalo scrambled to the line after McKenzie tried to get upfield rather than prioritizing the sideline.

Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey handled this ending as well as one would’ve expected.

The Dolphins got a rather stunning win, while the Bills will feel like they let the game slip away, and on Miami’s side they can laugh about the Butt Punt instead of having it go down in infamy as the reason they lost.

The Detroit Lions are far more fun and competitive than most anyone outside of Michigan expected this season, as they went into Minnesota on Sunday and took a 24-14 lead late in the third quarter on their divisional rival.

It was an impressive performance, backing up a strong showing a week ago when they beat the Commanders, and as has often been the case this season, it was the offense carrying the load. Amon-Ra St. Brown, D’Andre Swift, and Jamaal Williams have been quite the skill position triumvirate to start the season in Detroit, and on Sunday both St. Brown and Williams continued their strong start with some big plays to set up scores.

Williams scored his second TD of the day in the third quarter to push the Lions ahead by 10, breaking a run around the edge from 13 yards out.

After the score, Williams celebrated with some hip action, to the delight of his offensive line, but earned a flag for excessive celebration because, as everyone knows thanks to Key & Peele, you get two pumps, not three, and Williams had four thrusts to earn him a flag.

Hingle McCringleberry is somewhere nodding knowingly, and Williams learned the hard way that life often imitates art, and these were not just jokes from Key & Peele, but sage advice.

Rihanna and the NFL have seemingly confirmed that the Bajan pop star will perform at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Earlier today, Rihanna shared a picture of a football on Instagram, which the official NFL account liked.

Shortly after, the NFL shared a tweet with the same picture, tagging Rihanna, Apple Music, and the NFL on Fox Twitter account.

Rihanna was reportedly offered to perform at the Super Bowl in 2020, however, turned down the opportunity due to the NFL’s treatment of Colin Kaepernick.

Fans of Rihanna are also eager for new music, as she’s been teasing her ninth studio album for more than six years. The Super Bowl halftime show seems like the perfect opportunity to share new songs.

This past May, Rihanna and ASAP Rocky welcomed their son. While it may seem she has her hands tied, as a new mom, an artist, and a business woman, Rihanna said in a recent interview with Vogue that she doesn’t feel restricted or hindered in any way.

“I think I even say yes to more now,” she said, “because I know it will be different on the other side of this. At first, I expected some magical change, but really I remain who I am.”

She continued, saying, “none of the dials are turned down.”

Donald Trump has spent a lifetime avoiding comeuppance, but right now there’s multiple chances for him to get it. On top of the brouhaha over government documents, and the Jan. 6 committee, and his failing Twitter clone, there’s the lawsuit brought upon him, his company, and three of his adult children (not Tiffany, of course) by New York attorney Letitia James. Should he challenge that — and should he lose it — Trump may be so cash-strapped he’ll have no choice but to sell off the only things making him real money: his New York City skyscrapers.

As per Raw Story, Trump’s biographer and Bloomberg journalist Tim O’Brien went on MSNBC Sunday and revealed how screwed he might be by James’ lawsuit. Host Alex Witt pointed out that while the lawsuit isn’t criminal in nature, and therefore wound land him in jail, it would bar the Trumps from doing business in Donald’s home state, thereby unraveling the Trump organization. O’Brien said it’s possible, especially because, as his former attorney Michael Cohen has claimed, he doesn’t really have a ton of wealth hoarded.

“Michael is completely right that he has never had a lot of cash on hand, he’s almost a debt addict, he has always heavily mortgaged the properties he owns,” O’Brien said. “Most of his wealth is tied up in a handful of skyscrapers in New York City.”

That’s why the New York State lawsuit is such a big deal.”Tish James is seeking to bar him from doing business in the state of New York, so he’ll have to unload those if he gets convicted,” O’Brien explained. “And that is a fire sale, which means everyone who’s a buyer will know they won’t have to pay top dollar because he needs to get out of the property.”

James, O’Brien pointed out, has made two criminal referrals in her case: to the IRS and to the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York. “So that is now hanging over his head,” O’Brien said. “I think the family’s legacy is in New York, everything that Donald Trump stands on was built by Trump in New York. Trump has put those holdings in peril twice, the first time in the early 90’s when he gorged on debt and couldn’t repay the banks and again now when he has gotten on the wrong side of the law.”

He added, “I think this is an existential threat to his business and his financial well-being.”

There’s so much bad news for Trump, but at least he has a coping mechanism: employing a team that runs around reading nice tweets written about him — at least as long as he can still afford them.

You can watch O’Brien’s MSNBC appearance below.

(Via Raw Story)