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Tense video shows a woman filming herself after sensing a man following her. She was right.

It’s no secret that even the most seemingly safe of public places can instantly turn dangerous for a woman. Is it fair? No. But is it common? Absolutely, to the point where more and more women are documenting moments of being stalked or harassed as a grim reminder to be aware of one’s surroundings.

Lacie (@lacie_kraatz) is one of those women. On April 11th, she was out on a run when she noticed a man in front of her displaying suspicious behavior. Things got especially dicey when the man somehow got behind her. That’s when she pulled out her phone and started filming—partially to prove that it wasn’t just her imagination, and also out of fear for her safety.

“Hello. I’m just making this video so that women are a little more aware of them,” she begins in the video. “See this gentleman behind me? Yeah, this is what this video’s about.”


According to Lacie, the two were initially running in opposite directions. But at some point after seeing her, the man stopped in the middle of the trail and waited for her to pass so that he could follow her path from behind.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking—‘Why are you suspecting that he’s following you?’” Lacie continues. “Well, let me tell you. I was just walking like this, and I look up, and he’s in front of me, and he just keeps doing a ‘peek’ like this behind him, over and over again.”

Lacie added that at one point, she even made an illegal crossing when “do not walk” sign was still up in an attempt to put some distance between herself and the man. After looking over her shoulder, she noticed that the man was visibly “speeding” to keep up.

In case there is still any doubt, Lacie then begins to run to see if the man will follow suit. Sure enough, he does.

Luckily the man eventually seems to give up, though he still seems to be watching her from a distance. Lacie ends up safe back home, but she didn’t even accomplish what she set out to do that afternoon.

“I couldn’t even finish my run,” she concludes. “I only ran like a mile and a half. I wanted to do 3 miles, but no—creepy men just had to be creepy f****** men today.”

Watch:

@lacie_kraatz #foryou #ladies #awareness ♬ original sound – Lacie

Countless women empathized with Lacie in the comments section. Clearly, this was not a unique circumstance.

“What I do when I’m being followed is act feral,” yet another person shared. “Like I’ll bark and growl really loud and flail my arms around. If you look crazy, you’re doin’ it right.”

Another added, “Man, nothing pisses me off more than men who make me feel uncomfortable doing things that I NEED to do for my health and well-being.”

Others tried to give their own tips for handling the situation, from finding nearby police or fire stations to using a variety of running trails to simply notifying the first visible passerby of what’s happening and asking to stand with them.

And of course, the resounding advice was to use the public space, and modern-day technology, to one’s advantage.

As one person wrote, “Girls we have got to normalize turning around and yelling at people following us. Let them know you know, take pictures of them, scream, make a scene.”

It’d be nice if these kinds of unsettling interactions didn’t exist. But here we are. At the very least, it’s good that women are speaking up more so that these situations are easier to spot early on and women can know how to navigate them in the safest way possible.

This article originally appeared on 4.4.23

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Snoopy is real, her name is Bayley and the internet can’t get enough of her

Soooo, there’s this dog and I’m pretty sure it’s the actual Snoopy come to life. Seriously all the dog needs is a red dog house out back and a little yellow bird that follows it around. If you think it can’t be true, then you’re going to have to fight the entire internet about it because nobody can get enough of how much this sweet dog looks like the iconic cartoon character.

Snoopy is Charlie Brown’s pet from the comic strip “Peanuts” that eventually spawned several movies and cartoon series, and Bayley is a dead ringer for the black and white animated pup. Since we live in a digital age, people across the country have been falling all over themselves to get to the pooch’s Instagram account and admire her cartoonish mug.

Bayley is a 1-year-old mini sheepadoodle, which is a cross between a miniature poodle and an Old English Sheepdog. Her sweet face is something you have to see to believe and even then you may question if she’s real.


The dog’s perfectly groomed curly fur makes her face look fluffy and cartoon-like. Once you add in her black ears and black button nose, that honestly looks more like a smooth lump of coal than a dog nose, then you have the perfect Snoopy doppelgänger. Bayley came into her viral fame after Doodle Dogs Club shared her photo on their Instagram account that has over 230,000 followers, and just like that, she was “famous.”

The introductory post of the live version of Charlie Brown’s best friend racked up over 1.4 million likes and 10.3K comments. The comments ranged from people reminding others that the fictional dog was a Beagle to people demanding Bayley star in the live action version of Charlie Brown.

Whether Snoopy was a Beagle or not, there’s no arguing that Bayley looks more like the cartoon canine than real life Beagles. This probably has a lot to do with cartoons being…cartoons. Everything tends to be a bit bubbly and over exaggerated with cartoons.

Charlie Brown was supposed to be between the ages of 4 and 8 years old according to PeanutsWiki, who busted out the comic strip receipts. If cartoons looked exactly like real life, poor Charlie Brown would have a hard time walking with his oversized noggin.

Bayley’s curly fluffy fur gives her an advantage over actual Beagle’s when it comes to the ability to look like the famous cartoon character. It’s something she probably couldn’t care less about, unless every time she got compared to Snoopy equaled a dog treat. Otherwise, I’m sure the black and white sheepadoodle is perfectly happy just being a dog wondering why suddenly her mom keeps taking pictures of her.

Since Bayley’s debut on Doodle Dogs Club, the animated dog come to life has climbed up to over 240k followers and her fanbase just can’t get enough of her. To make people love her even more, the dog’s mom uploads videos of Bayley using audio that makes it sound like the pup is a toddler trying to tell a story.

Check out some of the love Bayley gets on her Instagram account.

This article originally appeared on 4.17.23

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Expert says there’s only one laundry cycle you ever need, no matter what’s being washed

Once upon a time, our only option for getting clothes clean was to get out a bucket of soapy water and start scrubbing. Nowadays, we use fancy machines that not only do the labor for us, but give us free reign to choose between endless water temperature, wash duration, and spin speed combinations.

Of course, here’s where the paradox of choice comes in. Suddenly you’re second guessing whether that lace item needs to use the “delicates” cycle, or the “hand wash” one, or what exactly merits a “permanent press” cycle. And now, you’re wishing for that bygone bucket just to take away the mental rigamarole.

Well, you’re in luck. Turns out there’s only one setting you actually need. At least according to one laundry expert.


While appearing on HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast, Patric Richardson, aka The Laundry Evangelist, said he swears by the “express” cycle, as “it’s long enough to get your clothes clean but it’s short enough not to cause any damage.”

Richardson’s reasoning is founded in research done while writing his book, “Laundry Love,” which showed that even the dirtiest items would be cleaned in the “express” cycle, aka the “quick wash” or “30 minute setting.”

Furthermore the laundry expert, who’s also the host of HGTV’s “Laundry Guy,” warned that longer wash settings only cause more wear and tear, plus use up more water and power, making express wash a much more sustainable choice.

Really, the multiple settings washing machines have more to do with people being creatures of habit, and less to do with efficiency, Richardson explained.

“All of those cycles [on the washing machine] exist because they used to exist,” he told co-hosts Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson. “We didn’t have the technology in the fabric, in the machine, in the detergent [that we do now], and we needed those cycles. In the ’70s, you needed the ‘bulky bedding’ cycle and the ‘sanitary’ cycle … it was a legit thing. You don’t need them anymore, but too many people want to buy a machine and they’re like, ‘My mom’s machine has “whitest whites.”’ If I could build a washing machine, it would just have one button — you’d just push it, and it’d be warm water and ‘express’ cycle and that’s it.”

washing machine

According to Good Housekeeping, there are some things to keep in mind if you plan to go strictly express from now on.

For one thing, the outlet recommends only filling the machine halfway and using a half dose of liquid, not powder detergent, since express cycles use less water. Second, using the setting regularly can develop a “musty” smell, due to the constant low-temperature water causing a buildup of mold or bacteria. To prevent this, running an empty wash on a hot setting, sans the detergent, is recommended every few weeks, along with regularly scrubbing the detergent drawer and door seal.

Still, even with those additional caveats, it might be worth it just to knock out multiple washes in one day. Cause let’s be honest—a day of laundry and television binging sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

To catch even more of Richardson’s tips, find the full podcast episode here.

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Persuasion expert shares how one word makes people 30% more likely to change their minds

Everybody wants to see themselves in a positive light. That’s the key to understanding Jonah Berger’s simple tactic that makes people 30% more likely to do what you ask. Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the bestselling author of “Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way.”

Berger explained the technique using a Stanford University study involving preschoolers. The researchers messed up a classroom and made two similar requests to groups of 5-year-olds to help clean up.

One group was asked, “Can you help clean?” The other was asked, “Can you be a helper and clean up?” The kids who were asked if they wanted to be a “helper” were 30% more likely to want to clean the classroom. The children weren’t interested in cleaning but wanted to be known as “helpers.”


Berger calls the reframing of the question as turning actions into identities.

“It comes down to the difference between actions and identities. We all want to see ourselves as smart and competent and intelligent in a variety of different things,” Berger told Big Think. “But rather than describing someone as hardworking, describing them as a hard worker will make that trait seem more persistent and more likely to last. Rather than asking people to lead more, tell them, ‘Can you be a leader?’ Rather than asking them to innovate, can you ask them to ‘Be an innovator’? By turning actions into identities, you can make people a lot more likely to engage in those desired actions.”

Berger says that learning to reframe requests to appeal to people’s identities will make you more persuasive.

“Framing actions as opportunities to claim desired identities will make people more likely to do them,” Berger tells CNBC Make It. “If voting becomes an opportunity to show myself and others that I am a voter, I’m more likely to do it.”

This technique doesn’t just work because people want to see themselves in a positive light. It also works for the opposite. People also want to avoid seeing themselves being portrayed negatively.

“Cheating is bad, but being a cheater is worse. Losing is bad, being a loser is worse,” Berger says.

The same tactic can also be used to persuade ourselves to change our self-concept. Saying you like to cook is one thing, but calling yourself a chef is an identity. “I’m a runner. I’m a straight-A student. We tell little kids, ‘You don’t just read, you’re a reader,’” Berger says. “You do these things because that’s the identity you hold.”

Berger’s work shows how important it is to hone our communication skills. By simply changing one word, we can get people to comply with our requests more effectively. But, as Berger says, words are magic and we have to use thgem skillfully. “We think individual words don’t really matter that much. That’s a mistake,” says Berger. “You could have excellent ideas, but excellent ideas aren’t necessarily going to get people to listen to you.”

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Just in time for the Super Bowl, A cappella group sings 27 years of Usher’s music in 5 minutes

If you ever want to see a bunch of Millennials go from soccer mom mode to dancing like it’s the early 2000s involuntarily–play “Yeah!” by Usher. This doesn’t require a specific location. You could play it in the library, grocery store, in a house or with a mouse, these parents are going to dance like nobody’s watching much to their children’s dismay.

So with Usher confirmed to be the Super Bowl halftime performer, the NFL has essentially agreed to have an Usher concert with some football highlights. In preparation for the big concert, A cappella group Kings Return put together a medley that contains 27 years of Usher’s hits and people can’t help but sing along. The group starts out with the 1997 hit “You Make Me Wanna…” before seamlessly moving on to the next hit.

Songs like, “My Way,” “My Boo,” “Confessions,” “Let It Burn” and more flow directly into the next to span his entire career from the age of sixteen until now.


Kings Return has vocals so immaculate that commenters can’t get enough of their tribute to the R&B legend.

“Your harmonies are like butter on a fresh home-made slice of bread,” one person writes.

“What an awesome tribute. The man is a LEGEND. Been around a long time with a string of massive hits. This is absolutely the best tribute. Well done,” another says.

“Ahhh…Im so glad I came across this video! Usher needs to hear this beautiful tribute to him! You guys are beautifully synced! Amazing! You need a record deal! This generation needs this amazing group vocals!! Like the 90’s! Let’s get it,” one excited commenter writes.

“Thank you Kings Return, the harmonies at 3.06 just had my ears longing for more, you had the parts locked down with the ‘I’s dotted and the ‘T’s crossed,” a fan gushes.

If these commenters had any say, they’d put Kings Return right there on stage with Usher for the Super Bowl halftime. They don’t need instruments, their voices do it all and its beautiful enough to make you want to cozy up and listen to them on repeat. Hear it for yourself below:

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GOP Frontrunner Donald Trump Said He’d Let Russia ‘Do Whatever The Hell They Want’ To Some NATO Nations

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Barring something like going to prison for crimes, Donald Trump is almost certainly going to be the GOP’s presidential candidate, again. He’s already telling people the alarming things he’d do. For one thing, he said he’d be a dictator, but only one “day one.” He’s threatened his likely opponent, Joe Biden, with an indictment for…something. And on Saturday, he basically told his supporters he’d let Russia effectively start World War III.

Per NPR, during a rally in South Carolina, Trump — who’s long floated baseless accusations that some NATO nations have unpaid bills — recalled one president asking him, “If we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?”

Trump’s response was, well….not great! “No, I would not protect you,” he thundered. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”

For all his multitude of faults, Trump has always been anti-war. He was against the Iraq War and when he recently spoke about the Civil War — which he did bizarrely, saying that it could have been averted through a deal — he described in horror what old-timey weapons did to bodies.

And yet here he is, saying he’d let Putin get aggressive in the most reckless way possible. Trump’s statement caused disgust, including in a statement released by the White House.

“Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged – and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home,” said White House spokesman Andrew Bates. “Rather than calling for wars and promoting deranged chaos, President Biden will continue to bolster American leadership and stand up *for* our national security interests – not against them.”

Meanwhile many in the media are harping over Joe Biden’s age, forgetting that not only is Trump nearly as old and with a much more broken brain, but he also says things like this. And this.

(Via NPR)

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Sylvester Stallone Thinks The Next Person Who Could Play John Rambo Is…Ryan Gosling?

Rambo Ryan Gosling
Tri Star / Warner Bros. Discovery

Sylvester Stallone is allegedly done with John Rambo, just as he’s allegedly done playing Rocky Balboa. But you never know. The actor-filmmaker has long had a habit of dusting off old characters. Not that the world has seen the last of Rambo. Indeed, on a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Stallone entertained the idea of passing the torch to a perhaps surprising successor.

Per HuffPost, Stallone told host Jimmy Fallon that he had dinner with no less than Ryan Gosling, who spent part of the meal gushing about the former soldier, who first appeared in David Morell’s novel First Blood, which was turned into a movie in 1982, launching a franchise.

“He goes, ‘I was fascinated by Rambo and I used to go to school dressed as Rambo and people would chase me away and I still didn’t stop,’ vacation as Rambo, he just kept saying that he had a lot of affiliation with Rambo,” Stallone recalled. “And I thought, you know, this is interesting. If I ever pass the baton, I’ll pass it on to him because he loves the character.”

When pressed about Gosling taking over the role, Stallone replied, “I would say yes but I don’t know if anyone would say, ‘Hey, he’s too good looking to be Rambo.’”

Gosling has a long history of talking up Rambo. Back in 2011, the actor told Jay Leno about how he took cosplaying the character too far when he was a kid.

“I even thought my face felt like Sylvester Stallone’s and I put a bunch of steak knives in my Fisher-Price Houdini kit,” he remembered. “I took it to school the next day and I threw them at all the kids at recess.”

And of course, Stallone gets prime real estate in Barbie, his ripped figure captivating Gosling’s Ken, all because co-writer/director Greta Gerwig is obsessed with the guy.

So could Gosling get super ripped and take on the Reagan era’s angriest vet? It’s a weird world we’re living in nowadays, so probably.

You can watch Stallone’s Tonight Show appearance in the video below.

(Via HuffPost)

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Nikki Haley’s Husband Torched Trump After He Randomly Attacked Him (For Being Away Serving In The National Guard)

donald trump nikki haley
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Donald Trump sure has a lot of enemies, doesn’t he? Right now, near the top of the pile is Nikki Haley, a former member of his administration who’s dared run against him for the GOP ticket. She’s the last one standing, too, refusing to drop out even as she’s nowhere near him in any poll or primary. Still, Trump’s so mad at her that at a rally on Saturday he decided to call out her husband.

“She comes over to see me at Mar-A-Lago. ‘Sir, I will never run against you,’” Trump thundered. “She brought her husband. Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. He’s away. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband?! Where is he?! He’s gone. He knew. He knew.”

Who is Nikki Haley’s husband? His name is Maj. Michael Haley. And where is he? He’s in the National Guard, currently on a year-long deployment in Africa.

For anyone else this would be a new low. Not for Trump! The former president has a long history of disrespecting the troops, from criticizing John McCain for being a POW to calling soldiers killed in battle “losers.” His base simply doesn’t care that he’s a draft dodger who smears soldiers.

Trump’s line didn’t get much of a response from the crowd, but it did catch the attention of Michael Haley himself, who appeared to drag him for his attack. Here’s the meme he posted, which reads “The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack.”

This time last year Trump was widely seen as done, having had a disastrous end to his 2022. He even dined with anti-Semites. Now he’s back on top, even though his brain sure seems a lot worse than Joe Biden’s.

(Via Mediaite)

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‘American Rust’ Season 2: Everything To Know About The ‘Mare Of Easttown’-Like Jeff Daniels Show Including The Release Date And More

Dennis/MongShowtime
Dennis Mong/Showtime

HBO hasn’t given us positive signals on a second Mare Of Easttown season yet, but to be fair, HBO is soon giving us Kate Winslet in The Regime instead. If, however, you are jonesing for another murder mystery set in Pennsylvania with a complicated cop on the case, then American Rust does have you covered. The series, which initially developed at USA Network but debuted on Showtime, will now be popping over to Amazon for its second round.

In the series’ first outing, chameleon-esque Dumb and Dumber star Jeff Daniels leaned into his dramatic side to unravel a homicide in a Rust Belt town. The mystery happened to overlap with his personal life, too, given that the primary suspect happened to be the daughter of his lady love. He struggled to make the right call and could accurately be described as “compromised,” yet he was also surrounded by an entire town full of moral ambiguity. Let’s get down to business about what is on tap for the show’s sophomore effort:

Plot

American Rust, by its very title, suggests the decayed state of the American Dream (as set in a steel town) as it’s bogged down by the past. The story was originally written by author Phillipp Meyers in the acclaimed same-named novel. Daniels stepped up as Del Harris, the local police chief, whose day-to-day lawman grind is anything but peaceful. The second season is expected to move past the subject matter of the book into uncharted territory.

As viewers remember, the first season did not end with a tidy resolution. Del had been investigating the death of an ultra-corrupt cop, and in the process, he ended up committing a triple homicide of his own in the season finale. (Well, that took a turn…)

Before this happened, Del’s love interest’s son, Billy, was revealed to be innocent of killing drug-dealing cop Steve Novick, with the real killer being Isaac English. Throughout the season, however, Del had found himself torn between his presumed duty and his interests within his personal life, and the situation spiraled with Del ended up taking out Steve’s two drug-dealing partners and an innocent bystander. Not only will this mess probably resurface in the second season, but he also found himself quizzed about his old partner’s demise. Although Del really had nothing to do with that death, he is aware of what happened. Oh, and Billy’s life hangs on the brink after a prison beatdown, which only adds to the tragedy of the entire unjust situation.

Let’s just say that Del will begin the second season awash in the flotsam of his actions and his own collapsed sense of morality, and Billy’s situation will only complicate matters more for Del and Grace.

Cast

In addition to Daniels as Del, the returning ensemble cast should please the existing audience. Maura Tierney will pick back up as Grace Poe, mother to Billy and labor organizer. The rest of the ensemble cast includes Alex Neustaedter as Billy Poe, Mark Pellegrino as Virgil Poe, David Alvarez as Isaac English, Bill Camp as Henry English, Julia Mayorga as Lee English, and Rob Yang as Deputy Steve Park.

Release Date

Amazon is keeping the precise date under wraps, but we do know that 2024 is happening, and the show is expected to surface again on Amazon’s Freevee service.

Trailer

Viewers still await an updated trailer, but if you’ve been on the fence about starting this series, let this gripping teaser entice you.

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What’s Popular On Streaming Now

HALO
PARAMOUNT

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Alexander: The Making Of A God (Docuseries streaming on Netflix)

This series takes a deep dive into the personal life (and conquests, both historical and personal) of Alexander the Great. In the process, expect to see various gruesome reenactments combined with contemporary expert analysis and findings from ongoing excavations by archaeologists. The series is also stirring up plenty of interest by presenting the possibility that the Hellenic ruler had a pair of close friends, including one with whom he might have engaged in a same-sex relationship. Hey, it happens!

TIE: 10. Expats (Amazon Prime series)

Several years ago, who would have known that Paddington villain extraordinaire Nicole Kidman would become a streaming TV queen? Between Big Little Lies, The Undoing, and Nine Perfect Strangers, she was already everywhere on HBO and Hulu, and now, she’s starring in an Amazon Prime series about a group of expatriates whose paths become intertwined in Hong Kong to mysterious effect. Hmm.

9. Wonka (WBD film on VOD & Amazon Prime)

Timothée Chalamet’s mom loved Wonka, and she wasn’t alone. Now, you can watch the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie in the privacy of your own home and perhaps sing along. Too much? Life is incredibly short, so don’t miss the chance to grab joy where possible. This film isn’t quite streaming yet on Max, but if you simply cannot wait, it’s available for rent.

8. Anatomy Of A Fall (Madman Films movie on VOD & Amazon Prime)

This French thriller is captivating streamers with the story of a German novelist who is attempting to prove her innocence in the mysterious death of her husband, who fell from a window. That’s not the only suspicious-looking known aspect of this apparent homicide, and as it turns out, details from one of her books make this look not so great either. Who killed Samuel? Oh man, this story takes the case to trial.

7. The Beekeeper ( on VOD & Amazon Prime)

Jason Statham refuses to disappoint viewers who expect a certain kind of movie from him. That is to say, they are all generally absurd action pictures, and someone has got to do them (and do them well). In this selection, Statham is a shadowy government contractor who needs to “protect the hive” by doing one last job. He’s also an actual beekeeper at one point, in addition to being a Beekeeper. Got it? Oh no, you don’t.

6. Griselda (Netflix series)

If you thought Sofia Vergara was solely able to do comedy, you will think differently after watching this series from original Narcos co-creator Doug Miro and Narcos: Mexico executive producer Eric Newman do the thing here. Colombian drug cartel leader Griselda Blanco trafficked billions in cocaine and scared the hell out of Pablo Escobar, and she engaged in a decade-long (at least) tour of terror while operating under 20 aliases ordering dozens of murders. Do not sleep on the details about the investigator who pushed the hardest to not only apprehend Griselda but credit her (cursed) trailblazing, too.

5. The Tourist (BBC One/Stan series streaming on Netflix)

Netflix picked up this title (in the U.S.) after Max streamed the first season (arriving on Netflix as of 2/1). This season, Elliot/”The Man” will travel to Ireland from the unwelcoming Australian Outback after discovering why bad dudes are trying to kill him in violent ways. As it turns out, Elliot was a bad dude, too, but can he make any headway with digging into his past on the Emerald Isle? First, he’ll be drawn into a family feud — the worst kind of feud.

4. Masters Of The Air (Apple TV+ series)

Sadly, Barry Keoghan plays perhaps his most normal character ever in this World War II epic. Still, he’s worth the watch, as is the rest of the ensemble cast in Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ latest TV collaboration (other than Band Of Brothers and The Pacific). The aerial fighting scenes are a sobering trip, and there’s plenty of scenes where you will be surprised that Elvis’ voice is no longer coming out of Austin Butler’s mouth, but for the most part, you can likely suspend belief to take in the sweeping story of the real-life missions and bombardments aimed toward taking Nazi Germany down.

3. True Detective (HBO series streaming on Max)

Eventually and hopefully, this season should begin to make sense, but at least viewers can rest assured that a Rust Cohle connection does officially exist in the series now. Frozen horrors have also literally risen from the tundra, and the spiral is back while the cop versions of Jodie Foster and Kali Matthew attempt to figure this madness out. There are other parallels, to the eerie chain of events that arose down in the Carcosa ruins of Louisiana, and although Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson have yet to appear onscreen, they are behind the scenes as executive producers, and their characters can be felt in spirit.

2. Halo (Paramount+ series)

Pablo Schreiber is back as Master Chief, and if he has any say in the matter, there won’t be Sexy Master Chief on display this season. In other words, Master Chief will not be sporting a Pornstache, among other things. Officially, he will be fretting about the changing tide of his war and how to prepare for what he believes is an imminent attack by the Covenant on the most valuable stronghold known to mankind. Can he finally find the Halo, which will either help humanity survive or kill it off forever? Master Chief could use a break.

1. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Amazon series)

Forget about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s blockbuster movie. This truly inventive reimagining brings several new shades of a “married spy/assassin” story to the table. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine’s spy characters — also named John and Jane Smith — emerge in an arranged marriage, which might be even more of an occupational hazard than the high-risk missions that their job requires. This show turns all expectations of romantic comedy on its head, although yes, there’s both romance and comedy to be found on the scene, along with a show-stopping fart, cameos galore, and tasty action scenes.