Month: April 2024

The 2024 NBA Playoffs will get underway on Saturday afternoon with a quadruple-header of Game 1s (followed by another on Sunday). After a regular season that saw very little separation in the standings (with the notable exception of the Boston Celtics in the East), this looks to be, on paper, one of the most entertaining opening rounds we’ve seen in some time.

We’ll see if that holds true once the ball is tipped, but there are some truly fascinating series in each conference and an awful lot at stake considering many of these teams will view the season as a failure if they don’t get out of the opening round. That’s not to say they’ll all be great (or competitive), but I do think we get five or six genuinely entertaining series, even if a couple of them only last four or five games.

Here, we rank all eight from least to most interesting, starting with a series that should’ve had more promise than it does.

8. Celtics vs. Bulls/Heat

If Jimmy Butler were not hurt, this would be a few spots higher. Instead, it’s just really hard to see how this goes more than five games with either the Heat or Bulls coming out of Friday night’s Play-In finale. The Celtics were a buzzsaw this year, posting the league’s best record and running away with the East’s top seed. That said, facing a full-strength Miami team in the opening round would’ve immediately asked some questions of this team to see if they really have made significant improvements from last year’s squad that fell behind 0-3 in the Conference Finals to the Heat before losing in seven. With Butler sidelined with a knee injury, there’s just not enough firepower from the Heat to put the same scare into Boston.

7. Thunder vs. Kings/Pelicans

Injuries to the lower seed again play a role in taking some intrigue out of this series. The Kings are without two of their top shooters in Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, and while they impressed against the Warriors, sustaining that against a deep, talented Thunder team for a series seems like a tall order. The Pelicans, meanwhile, closed the season very strong and nearly took down the Lakers in the Play-In opener, but a Zion Williamson hamstring injury will likely keep him out of a series. He’s been playing as New Orleans’ best player of late and figured to be the biggest matchup problem for the Thunder (because he’s a matchup problem for everyone). Both of these teams stand a shooter’s chance because they do have the ability to get hot from three, but that will be a necessity to stick with this OKC team in a seven-game series.

6. Cavs vs. Magic

As soon as this series got set in stone, everyone knew it’d be this year’s NBA TV series. That’s just life in the middle of the pack without bonafide superstars (and in relatively smaller markets). I do think folks are a little bit too low on this series, because it has a chance to go long and feature some fun, tense endings, and has some intriguing players, headlined by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland for the Cavs and Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner for the Magic.

This will also be a treat for those that miss the early 2000s when playoff games in the East finished in the double digits, because defense will shine in this one. The Cavs better get the cold tubs ready to deal with the physicality of the Magic, and this series will really come down to whether Cleveland’s guards can shake free of Orlando’s hellacious point of attack pressure (and deal with Jonathan Isaac and company’s rim protection on the back end). If they let this be a rock fight, that’s right up the Magic’s alley. The Cavs have more playoff experience, but it’s not exactly positive experience, so it’ll be interesting to see if Orlando’s youth works in their favor here as they don’t have the same mental hurdles as the Cavs after last year’s first round flameout.

5. Bucks vs. Pacers

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s health status looms over everything here, but in a way that makes this series even more intriguing. There is a ton on the line for Milwaukee, which responded to last year’s first round exit by firing their coach (and hiring someone who got fired midseason) and making the biggest trade of the summer to bring in Damian Lillard. Now they might have to navigate the start of the series without Giannis and face a team that went 4-1 against them this year, although all of those games came before mid-January when Adrian Griffin was still in charge. The Pacers look different than they did in those five contests, as Pascal Siakam is now on board alongside Tyrese Haliburton, and the Bucks look different by virtue of being coached by Doc Rivers. We’ll see how those changes impact this matchup, but if Indiana can get one of the first two games in Milwaukee, this will get interesting quickly.

4. Nuggets vs. Lakers

This could go the same way the Western Conference Finals did a year ago, with Denver getting a four-game sweep in four tightly contested games. The Lakers also might be able to swipe on or two of those and make this real interesting, but that will require them to do something few teams have been capable of: out-executing the Nuggets in the closing minutes of a game. Denver has the NBA’s best starting lineup and they consistently create good shots in late game situations, which is something few teams (even top contenders) seem capable of doing. That is their superpower and the thing that’s been a separator for them against just about every team over the last two years, and the only way for the Lakers to match that is for their “others” to be more reliable than they were a year ago. That will be fascinating to watch and while I expect Denver to win this series (perhaps in short order) I think the games will, again, be close.

3. Timberwolves vs. Suns

I am really excited about the last three series on this list and all have an argument for the top spot. The Suns have had the Wolves’ number all year and it is a matchup that really forces Minnesota to adapt their style to Phoenix. Bradley Beal has finally started to look like the guy Phoenix thought they were trading for, and Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are both having incredible individual seasons. The X-Factor here is Karl-Anthony Towns, because he creates the biggest matchup problem for the Suns. If they’re going to send a lot of attention at Anthony Edwards as expected to try and keep him from dictating the game, Towns has to be great to force an adjustment from Phoenix. Both of these teams fall into the category of “a first round loss is a failure,” and that only ratchets up the tension and the pressure both sides will feel. That’s when playoff basketball is at its best and I’m excited to see who steps up to that pressure and which team’s stars can assert their will.

2. Knicks vs. Sixers

It’s not often you get a 2-7 matchup where the 7-seed is the betting favorite, but that’s where we are at with Knicks-Sixers thanks to the return of Joel Embiid. He also is the biggest question mark, as he’s been good but not quite at his previous MVP level since returning from his knee injury. His ability to have an impact on the game and dictate the tempo consistently figures to be decisive in this series. The Knicks have two very good defensive centers in Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson, and their ability to make Embiid work hard and defend him without falling for his tricks and getting into foul trouble is vital.

Then you have a tantalizing backcourt matchup between Jalen Brunson, who has been one of the best players in the league this year, and Tyrese Maxey, who’s shown flashes of brilliance and is at his best when paired with Embiid. Maxey doesn’t have to match Brunson (whose role is serving as the Knicks engine) but will need to keep pace to an extent, especially because the Knicks should have the advantage in terms of “the others.” OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo have all become incredibly trusted cogs in the wheel for the Knicks. Meanwhile, the Sixers have not gotten the contributions they’ve hoped from Tobias Harris, who is stuck in the mud right now, and just generally have fewer guys you feel comfortable relying on for a nightly impact. That’s not to say they can’t survive on one-offs (see: Nic Batum’s Play-In performance), but the pressure will certainly be on their two stars to lead the way.

1. Clippers vs. Mavericks

For the third time in five years, we’re getting a Mavs-Clippers first round series. The first two were classics, with the Clippers winning in six and seven games respectively, but the two teams look a bit different this time around. The main characters remain in the form of Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, but now Luka has Kyrie Irving as a running mate as opposed to Kristaps Porzingis. James Harden and Russell Westbrook are in the fold for the Clippers. If Leonard is a full-go (which, the Clippers have kept quiet on his status), this series should be spectacular.

The storylines are endless and both teams will be desperate for a series win. L.A. has Kawhi locked up long-term, but the rest of their core could test the free agency waters this summer. The Mavs, meanwhile, cannot afford another first round loss to the Clippers. Luka has been sensational in the first two, but this team has been built to be a more complete group that Doncic can trust in more. He lacked that in Porzingis and the supporting cast in the past, but Irving is supposed to be that release valve for some of that pressure and the rest of the roster is built to be better defensively.

That may end up being the real deciding factor in this series, because in the past the Clippers have gotten whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it on offense. This year’s Mavs team has a season-long profile of a middling defense, but seemed to find something in the final month-plus when they had the league’s best defensive rating. How real that improvement is may determine this series, and at the very least, it will determine whether Luka has to be near-perfect for the Mavs to have a chance or if he will have a bit more margin for error this time around.

The San Antonio Spurs finished the season with the NBA’s fifth-worst record at 22-60, but while the teams around them at the bottom of the league are searching for their identity for the future, the Spurs have little doubt about how to proceed.

That’s because the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and other teams do not. The presumptive Rookie of the Year had a spectacular first season in the league, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game on 46.5/32.5/79.6 shooting splits. What’s terrifying is Wembanyama is just scratching the surface (he said he’s at 15 percent of his potential after the season) and is still one of the NBA’s most impactful players already. This season confirmed the Spurs have their superstar of the future, and now the challenge begins to build a real contender around him.

Both the Spurs and Wembanyama have pledged patience, but his rapid growth means there’s some incentive to begin looking for core pieces this summer. In an interview with the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor this week, the young star did confirm that he’s had players (both veterans and in this draft class) reach out to him with an interest in joining the Spurs — while also insisting he’s not planning on stepping on the toes of the Spurs front office.

“Yeah, I’ve received some messages,” Wembanyama responded. “Even from prospects. But I try to sustain my role. It’s a whole new world that I’m eager to discover. For sure, one day or the other, I’ll have to be involved in this, I guess, even though I’m staying in my role as a player.”

Wemby declined to discuss specific front office moves. “I trust the front office and coaches,” he said.

The most notable thing here is that players don’t tend to want to join forces with young guys, even potential stars, this early in their career. Veterans want to compete for titles, and typically they don’t see a path to doing that in the window they have with guys on rookie deals. However, Wembanyama certainly seems to be an exception, as his ability to impact the game on both ends is already pretty incredible and he certainly seems to have the work ethic and ability to add things to his game quickly. That means the Spurs might be in play for bigger names than a team typically would in a similar situation, and we’ll see how quickly they are willing to act on that. Knowing what we do about how San Antonio operates, I would guess they won’t be super aggressive hunting big names, but will be patient until someone they think is an ideal fit alongside Wemby comes available.

As Rihanna as grown older and moved further into motherhood, she, by her own admission, has changed how far she’s willing to push the fashion envelope in terms of revealing looks.

At a launch event for Fenty X Puma yesterday (April 17), Rihanna explained how there are some styles of hers she looks back on in disbelief (as Vogue notes):

“I’ve done so much sh*t in my life. I’ve had my nipples out, my panties out. But now, those are the things which, I guess as a mom and an evolved young lady — emphasis on ‘young’ — there are things I feel like I would never do. Like, ‘Oh my God, I really did that? Nips out?’”

RiRi also spoke about how she looks back especially fondly on the Guo Pei gown she wore to the 2015 Met Gala, saying, “Nobody will ever forget that and I will never forget the feeling of discovering that designer based off of the design challenge that Anna gave me. And damn! You know what, no one would ever expect this, but there’s also the Stella McCartney crop top and skirt, and the party dress that she made me for that same [Met Gala] with my little ass crack out.”

Check out more from the interview here.

With just a few more hours to go until Taylor Swift officially releases The Tortured Poets Department out into the world, fans got to find out exactly what the first main surprise was she had in store this afternoon. After teasing that something would happen at 2 p.m. ET, Swift finally unveiled what the first single from the album will be — and it’s one of her collaborations.

The album’s opening track, “Fortnight,” features Post Malone and is currently available as a physical CD copy on Swift’s website until 8 p.m. tonight. Tomorrow evening, at the same time, fans will get to see the music video for the lead single.

“I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever,” Swift shared on both Instagram and Twitter, complete with a photo of the single’s artwork. “I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on ‘Fortnight.’”

Along with the statement, Swift posted a short video to YouTube of her using a typewriter to reveal the news. Later in the clip, she teases something called the “Fortnight challenge” coming soon.

For now, check out Swift’s social media announcement of the “Fortnight” single with Post Malone below.

If you don’t know anything about Abigail, the latest horror film from Ready or Not and Scream VI directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (a.k.a. Radio Silence) then you might want to turn back if you don’t want to have the film’s central “twist” spoiled. Although, if you’ve seen the trailer, then you know what’s up.

With that warning out of the way, Abigail centers on a team of kidnappers that includes Dan Stevens, Melissa Barrera, and Euphoria‘s Angus Cloud in his final role. However, the little girl they’ve captured proves to be more than just a 10-year-old ballerina. She’s the daughter of a wicked powerful vampire, and just like dear ol’ dad, she’s quite skilled at dropping bodies.

Based on early reviews, Abigail is on par with directors’ breakout hit, Ready or Not, which also focused on a victim turning on her captors in a creepy mansion. For the most part, the critics were on board with seeing Radio Silence do what they do best:

Frank Sheck, The Hollywood Reporter:

Breathlessly paced and filled with the sort of black humor that makes it as much a comedy as a horror film, Abigail is wildly entertaining for most of its running time, although it becomes overly burdened with baroque narrative flourishes. The joy exhibited by the Radio Silence directors in delivering as much excessive gore as possible is matched by the terrific ensemble, who must have spent much of the shoot getting hosed down after takes. Take Stevens, for example. With his looks, he could easily be a leading man in Nicholas Sparks adaptations. Instead, he’s opting for entertaining character turns such as this one, in which he seems to have stepped out of an old gangster movie.

Katie Walsh, The Los Angeles Times:

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have a gleefully maximalist horror style. The blood is dark and sticky; it doesn’t just spurt, it geysers, projects and splatters. Bodies burst like water balloons under pressure, goopy viscera raining from wall to wall. It’s uniquely them, but they pay homage to the greats: Kathryn Bigelow’s “Near Dark,” the leaping vampires of “Blade” and an oblique script reference to the 1936 film “Dracula’s Daughter,” which offers a layered double meaning to the film.

William Bibbiani, The Wrap:

The whole ensemble cast understands the assignment, and almost everybody works wonders with their characters, even if they die early and don’t get much screen time. Melissa Barrera carries the film’s whole emotional crux like it weighs nothing, Dan Stevens is (as always) a perfect weirdo, Kathryn Newton is (as always) funny as hell, and Kevin Durant is (as always) perfectly adorable. But in the end the movie falls on the shoulders of Alisha Weir, who gives an incredibly complex and difficult performance. This young actor convincingly plays a centuries-old mass murderer who loves ballet so much she can’t help herself. There should be Oscars for this kind of thing.

Kim Newman, Empire:

Here, they revisit the chase-around-a-spooky-mansion scenario, with smart, desperate chatter (it’s a great ensemble of jittery character acting) and gruesome splatstick comedy. Once the vampire card is on the table, there are several more surprises to spring. Future horror scholars can ponder why audiences in our era were so terrified of monsters shaped like little girls, but Abigail is a welcome sister to the Orphan and M3GAN in a trinity of tween-impersonating killing machines.

However, not every critic was enthralled with Abigail. Others felt the characters and plot were too thin while the constant blood-spattering was way too thick:

Simon Abrams, RogerEbert.com:

You already know what you’re in for if you’ve come to “Abigail” to watch a body count caper featuring plummy character actor performances from That Guys like Kevin Durand and Dan Stevens. Most of their co-stars keep up in less attractive roles, including Melissa Barrera’s thinly drawn anti-heroine team leader. There’s also plenty of viscous-looking blood splatter and some modestly good-looking vampire makeup—the fangs, in particular. Some action scenes are well-choreographed, but generally over-edited and shot just ahead of whatever’s moving on-screen. The rest of this 90-minute genre exercise is unfailingly conventional, though that’s also a big part of its ostensible appeal.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

“Abigail” was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who made those last two “Scream” films, and though I was impressed, to a degree, by what they brought off there, this movie feels like a step backward into overwrought generic schlock. Why does a vampire movie need to be so relentlessly physical, with whacked limbs and decapitations and bodies slammed into walls? Dracula, among other things, is the most metaphorical character in horror-film history, and I guess his daughter could be too, but not in a film that turns bloodsucking into a form of professional wrestling.

Alison Foreman, IndieWire:

Yes, “Abigail” was conceived as a new take on “Dracula’s Daughter.” But as the finished product stands, that infamous origin story is as invisible as a vampiric reflection. Not only is Abigail routinely sidelined by a plot that fails to trust her skills, but the ostensible underpinnings to her character are as half-assed as one-sided fang. If ballet means anything to anyone (and it doesn’t have to but specificity helps), it’s not on display here. And with neither a solid backstory nor a truly satisfying kill to stand on, “Abigail” is a far cry from the classic horror movies featuring her dad who actually matters.

Abigail opens in theaters on April 19.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. So far April has gone off with a bang, last week saw three Kobe Protro drops, and the week prior brought the ultra hyped NOCTA Hot Step 2 and for this week we’ve got, well… okay admittedly this week isn’t quite as exciting as the last two.

But that’s not to say the drops aren’t strong!

Especially if you’re a fan of more obscure silhouettes like the Nike Field General ’82 — a football-inspired low-top silhouette straight out of the Nike archives. But 40-year old silhouettes aren’t the only thing on offer, as this week brings the return of the Air Peg 2K5 Phantom as well, which matches up with modern streetwear’s obsession with early aughts era footwear.

Despite the lack of a big signature release, we’ve got a lot to talk about this week — let’s dive in!

Nike SB Dunk Low Pro Big Money Savings

Price: $125

The concept behind the Big Money Savings SB Dunk is simple — elevated construction and design, a typical price. This won’t run you more than a general Dunk drop but what you get here is a comfort-focused padded collar and tongue, lightweight cushioning for a smooth ride, and an upper of premium leather and textiles.

The colorway features a mix of aged tans, beige, and silver, with a teal outsole and tongue tag. The sneaker comes stocked with thick rope-style laces which give this Dunk a different vibe than the stock laces.

The Nike SB Dunk Low Pro Big Money Savings is out now for a retail price of $125. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Field General ’82 Black and White

Price: $100

Neutral, unisex, and functional, that’s the strength of the Nike Field General ’82. A sneaker that goes with any sort of outfit and aesthetic, whether you’re steeped fully in coquette or something more gritty and street-ready. The sneaker features a mixed leather and synthetic leather upper with a chunky wraparound swoosh and a waffle sole.

The design harkens back to early ‘80s football footwear with a sleek low profile design. It’s not a radical statement or anything, but it looks great and it’s neutral enough that it isn’t going to clash with anything you wear.

The Nike Field General ’92 Black and White is set to drop on April 18th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Adidas Samba Made in Italy

Price: $350

The Samba is enjoying renewed popularity right now, it’s hands down Adidas’ most popular silhouette so it’s only natural that we’d be getting a plush and elevated version with premium construction. The Samba Made In Italy features an artisan overhaul of the usual sneaker’s build with a smooth Italian leather upper and a design inspired by Italian dress shoes.

That’s really all there is to it, it’s a premium Samba at a premium price. We’re not mad at it though because it looks great.

The Adidas Samba Made in Italy is set to drop on April 18th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $350. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app.

Nike Women’s Air Peg 2K5 Phantom and Coconut Milk

Price: $150

Nike has brought back the Air Peg 2K5! This women’s-size exclusive features a layered upper with a mesh base, an embroidered outline on the swoosh, a lightweight feel, and a waffle-inspired outsole. It’s an early ’00s runner perfect for matching with that Y2K aesthetic.

Although this white, red, and black colorway looks great, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t looking forward to future colorways of this model, as this one is a bit tame. Either way, we’re happy Nike has finally brought it out of the archives to enjoy a second life.

The Nike Women’s Air Peg 2K5 Phantom and Coconut Milk is set to drop on April 19th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 1000 Pirate Black

Price: $159.99

If you missed out on last week’s Joe Freshgoods and New Balance drop, you’ve got another chance this week. Unfortunately, both sneakers from the set won’t be dropping though, so you’re stuck with this Pirate Black with Nutmeg colorway, rather than the soft pink-toned iteration. Still, it’s a dope design that highlights the strength of the 1000 silhouette as well as Freshgoods’ immaculate taste.

The sneaker features a black open-knit mesh upper with bronze iridescent leather overlays and woven branding, riding atop an ABZORB midsole.

The Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 1000 is set to drop on April 19th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $159.99. Pick up a pair via the New Balance webstore or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Adidas Centennial 85 Low ADV x Dre

Price: $110

Adidas Skateboarding team rider DeAndre Thebpanya is getting his own signature take on the mid-80s era Centennial 85. The sneaker features a low-top profile with a suede and nubuck upper, textile lining, extra impact cushioning at the cupsole and a colorway that combines black with pink and metallic silver hints.

In place of the usual “Centennial” branding, this signature sneaker simply reads “Lil Dre.” For a debut signature, we’re digging it!

The Adidas Centennial 85 Low ADV x Dre is set to drop on April 19th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Adidas webstore.

Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG Green Glow

Price: $180

The Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG Green Glow is this week’s biggest drop. The design is simple, it’s your typical high-top OG AJ-1 silhouette with a premium leather upper with a white base, teal panels, and black accents. It always feels like a bit of a let down when the week’s biggest release is just a simple color swap but what else can we say?

That’s the power of the AJ-1. It needs very little to generate hype.

The Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG Green Glow is set to drop on April 20th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Adidas_N_Bape (BapeSTA) Green/Yellow

Price: $150

This week brings yet another BAPE and Adidas collaboration (the second in a month) and as fans of the Tokyo brand, we say bring it on! Utilizing BAPE’s classic BapeSTA silhouette, this sneaker features an all leather upper with a rubber outsole, textile lining, classic trefoil Adidas branding at the tongue with an embroidered BAPE ape at the heel, and a chunky take on the three stripes.

The Adidas_N_Bape is set to drop on April 20th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app.

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Andy Cohen, who was recently crowned the Grand Duke of Potomac, knows first-hand how to stir up some drama and get his guests to reveal their deepest, weirdest secrets because he’s…Andy Cohen. But his recent revelation was a new one that features Snoop Dogg, Pam Grier, and a “pissy floor.”

Legendary actress Pam Grier appeared on Watch What Happens Live where a viewer asked what her reaction was when Snoop Dogg recently revealed that he fainted the first time he met her. Snoop told his side of the story on The Jennifer Hudson Show earlier this year: “I’m sitting down and Pam Grier walk up and she sit right next to me and start talking to me,” he recalled. “My heart beating fast. So I’m like, ‘OK. I hear what you saying, Pam. Give me a minute.’ I go to the bathroom and faint.” He also revealed that Grier was his biggest crush, so that makes a little bit more sense.

On Watch What Happens Live, Grier remembered the moment fondly, which happened on the set of their flick Bones in 2001. “I knew when it was happening. He was turning pale and he got up and he wobbled to the men’s room. I said, ‘Is he OK?’ He went in and fell down on the pissy floor and fainted,” she added.

She continued, “I was so upset that they cleaned him up and brought him back out and we sat together. I didn’t know I had that effect on him. He’s such a lovely person, I just couldn’t imagine him lying in urine.” There are many ways to imagine Snoop Dogg, but lying on the floor of a bathroom really isn’t one of them.

Let’s take this time to remember that the man smokes roughly 80 blunts a day. It’s surprising that he doesn’t pass out on the floor more often.

(Via Decider)

Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers is being called the sexiest movie of 2024 (sorry, Madame Web!), but there are no actual on-screen sex scenes. The only, ahem, strokes are tennis strokes.

At the Challengers premiere earlier this week, Zendaya told IndieWire, “What’s really special about this movie is that it is incredibly sexy, but there surprisingly [are] no sex scenes.’ I’ve been asked a lot about sex scenes from people who have seen the movie, and I’m like, ‘What sex scenes?’” She continued, “We keep saying that tennis is the sex in the movie, and tennis, I think, holds a metaphor for a lot of things — desires, passion, pain, anger, frustration — I think they all use tennis as this way of communicating with each other when they just don’t have the words.”

Challengers is the best thing to happen to tennis since Snoopy Tennis was released on the Game Boy Color.

Here’s more:

From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.

Challengers, which also stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, opens in theaters on April 26.

The three current The Walking Dead spin offs recently concluded their first-season rounds with The Ones Who Live taking Rick and Michonne Grimes home. However, the Daryl Dixon spinoff generated (at least) an equal amount of viewer excitement, especially because it whirled the franchise away to a new world, where Daryl could not only continue to kick ass but also be the butt of many fish-out-of-water jokes. The picturesque views didn’t hurt, and then Carol showed up in the season finale with AMC revealing that the second season is officially subtitled as The Book Of Carol.

Sure, we’re eventually receiving more Dead City, too, but it will be fantastic to see the two platonic ride-or-dies back together again, and if we learned anything from the Terminus debacle, it’s that Carol is the survivor who pulls off the best rescue missions. And Daryl might not need rescuing now, but he’s gonna get it anyway, and nobody will be mad to see another hug like these:

When shall this happen, though? The ballpark arrival date is Summer 2024, and although AMC hasn’t revealed a precise popcorn moment, but there’s a signal on the horizon. As noted by Collider, Daryl Dixon is headed to New York City’s Tribeca Festival that begins on June 5. With any luck, sneak peeks will lead straight into full-on episodes shortly thereafter. Fingers crossed that a release date slips out before then, however. Until then, you can catch up on the first The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon over on AMC+.

There are a few big reasons why 70% of divorces in the United States among heterosexual couples are filed by women. Women have more economic opportunities than in decades past and are better positioned to care for themselves and their children without a husband’s income.

Another big reason is that even though the world has become much more egalitarian than in the past, women still bear the brunt of most of the emotional labor in the home. Gilza Fort-Martinez, a Florida, US-based licensed couples’ therapist, told the BBC that men are socialized to have lower emotional intelligence than women, leaving their wives to do most of the emotional labor.

Secondly, studies show that women still do most of the domestic work in the home, so many are pulling double duty for their households.

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A TikTokker with two children (@thesoontobeexwife) shared why she decided to leave her husband of two decades and her story recounts a common theme: She did all the work and her husband did little but complain.

The video, entitled “Why women leave,” has received over 2 million views.

@thesoontobeexwife

Y’all I laughed when I realized he truly does treat me better now then when he was trying to be in a marriage with me. How is this better?? How did I ever think before was ok?? #toxicrelationship #divorce #mentalloadofmotherhood #divorcetok #divorceisanoption #chooseyou #mentalhealth #mentalload #fyp #mentalload #emotionallabor

“So for the men out there who watch this, which frankly I kind of hope there aren’t any, you have an idea maybe what not to do,” she starts the video. “Yesterday, I go to work all day, go pick up one kid from school, go grocery shopping, go pick up the other kid from school, come home. Kids need a snack–make the snack. Kids want to play outside – we play outside.”

Her husband then comes home after attending a volunteer program, which she didn’t want him to join, and the self-centeredness begins. “So he gets home, he eats the entire carton of blueberries I just purchased for the children’s lunch and asks me what’s for dinner. I tell him I don’t know because the kids had a late snack and they’re not hungry yet,” she says in the video.

She then explains how the last time he cooked, which was a rare event, he nearly punched a hole in the wall because he forgot an ingredient. Their previous home had multiple holes in the walls. Dr. Gail Saltz, a psychiatrist and host of the Power of Different podcast, says that when punch walls it’s a sign that they haven’t “learned to deal with anger in a reasonable way.”

“Anyway, finally one kid is hungry,” the TikTokker continues. “So I offered to make pancakes because they’re quick and easy and it’s late. He sees the pancake batter and sees that there’s wheat flour in it and starts complaining. Says he won’t eat them. Now I am a grown adult making pancakes for my children who I am trying to feed nutritionally balanced meals. So yes, there’s wheat flour in the pancake mix.”

Then her husband says he’s not doing the dishes because he didn’t eat any pancakes. “Friends, the only thing this man does around this house is dishes occasionally. If I cook, he usually does the dishes. I cook most nights. But here’s the thing. That’s all he does. I do everything else. Everything. Everything.”

She then listed all of the household duties she handles.

“I cook, I clean the bathrooms, I make the lunches, I make the breakfasts, I mow the lawn, I do kids’ bedtime. I literally do everything and he does dishes once a day, maybe,” she says.

@thesoontobeexwife

I HAVE OFFICIALLY FILED FOR DIVORCE 🎉 #divorce #divorcetok #toxicrelationship #divorceisanoption #fyp #mentalhealth #chooseyou #iamenough #iwillnotbeafraid #mentalloadofmotherhood #emotionallabor

The video received over 8700 comments and most of them were words of support for the TikTokker who would go on to file for divorce from her husband.

“The amount of women I’ve heard say that their male partners are only teaching how to be completely independent of them, theirs going to be so many lonely men out there,” Gwen wrote. “I was married to someone just like this for over 35 years. You will be so happy when you get away from him,” BeckyButters wrote.

“The way you will no longer be walking on eggshells in your own home is an amazing feeling. You got this!” Barf Simpson added.

This article originally appeared on 5.21.23