Year: 2024

I’m trying desperately to be respectful of the person speaking to me, but my husband keeps texting me.

First he sends me a selfie of him with Rafi*, then it’s an account of who stopped him on his way into the NICU.

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Then he suggests I take a selfie with Jillian* so he can post them side-by-side on Facebook and boast that we finally have two babies.

People will ask if they’re twins, I’m sure. But they’re not twins. In fact, the babies aren’t even ours.

I take care of these babies because I’m what’s known as an “interim parent.”

The program I’m part of is rare; there are very few like it in the United States.

While the babies are in my care, the birth parents retain their legal rights as parents and are encouraged to visit their babies (if that’s something they would like).

If they weren’t in the care of interim moms like me, these tiny babies might wait in the hospital a few extra days while their adoptions are finalized — or they might enter the foster care system.

In New York, biological parents have 30 days after adoption proceedings begin to change their minds about their placement plan.

I became an interim parent when a local mom posted about it on our neighborhood Yahoo! group.

“That! THAT I can do!” I thought, as I looked at the computer screen.

I was thrilled. I felt incapable of doing other types of volunteer work, but I felt like I had finally found a community service that I could perform. So, my husband and I applied. And after months of doctor appointments, background checks, interviews, and letters of reference from close friends, we were accepted.

The hope with the interim boarding care program is that biological parents have time to gain clarity about their decisions without pressure.

It also helps adoptive parents feel secure in their status as parents.

The children don’t usually get the chance to be present when one of our babies goes home, so this was a special day. Roughly 30% of the babies I’ve cared for have returned to their biological parents after their stay with me, and the rest have been adopted. Many of the birth mothers I’ve known have pursued open adoptions, selecting and meeting their child’s forever families.

People often ask me what the experience of interim parenting is like, but there’s no rule: Each case is different.

Babies stay with us, on average, for a few weeks. But one baby stayed with us with five days, another for nine and a half weeks.

Whatever the scenario, my family and I are available to care for these babies until they go home … wherever “home” may be.

This work can be emotionally challenging, too. Some biological parents do not interact with us at all while they’re making big decisions, and some end up being very involved. Some text regularly, requesting photos and updates on the baby while the baby is in our care. Sometimes they schedule weekly visits with the babies. One birth mom became such a constant in our life that my son asked if we could bake her cookies.

I am often blown away by the biological parents’ gratitude.

Melody* was one of the most beautiful babies I’d ever cared for, and I met her parents a couple of times. When they came to take her home, it was as though she was the only one in the room. When they thanked me for taking care of her, my lip started to quiver.

I had also never met Jibraan’s dad, either, when I placed him in his arms the day they went home together. “From the bottom of my heart … I can’t tell you what you’ve done for me,” he said. I remember that he towered over me, the size of a linebacker, clenching his jaw to keep the tears from spilling down his cheeks.

When I wave goodbye to the social workers at the agency after introducing each baby to their forever family, I always wonder how long it will be before I get to hold another baby.

I don’t get attached to each baby, per se. But I get attached to having a baby, to taking care of a baby. I resent my empty arms, and I feel like I’ve lost my purpose. So each time I see the adoption agency’s phone number pop up on caller ID, my heart skips a beat.

When the voice on the other end says, “Hi, Ann … are you ready to take another baby?” my first thought is, “Baby! I’m getting a BABY!” That excitement lasts for at least 48 hours.

But even as the adrenaline calms down and the sleepless nights begin to take their toll, the experience of caring for each baby proves to be more than enough motivation for me to keep going.

The emotions that swell when my babies go home with any parent — their adoptive parents or their birth parents — are not just because of the emptiness I feel in my arms or even because of the happiness I have for my babies and their families.

The emotions I feel are because of the fullness in my heart and the gratitude I have for being a part of each of these babies’ stories, even if it’s just for a moment.

This article was written by Ann Lapin and originally appeared on 04.08.16

Honestly, there isn’t a season that doesn’t invite us to overspend. Autumn demands funds for school supplies and Halloween costumes, then there’s buying Christmas gifts in winter, followed by an expensive spring break vacation, and finally…summer. A time for camping ($), trips to the amusement park ($) and concerts ($$). It’s easy to see how no one can avoid going over budget each year.

But mom and money mentor Elyse says that these “five things” can help families not overspend without missing out on any summer fun.

“If you’re a mom, and you are already dreading summer because you know that you’re just going to spend money over and over and over again…I got you,” Elyse begins in a video posted to her TikTok. “It doesn’t have to cost $100 every time you leave the house, you just have to plan ahead.”

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Number one: packing lunches.

“We are packing a lunch, snacks, drinks everywhere we go,” Elyse says. “Get a cooler, find one at a thrift store, get that cooler and pack it every single day. We are taking the, ‘We have food at home’ to ‘We have food in the car.’ The major exception. of course, being: I will always have money in the budget for ice cream. We can get ice cream on the way home.”

@thesavvysagittarius It doesn’t have to cost $100 every time you leave the house, you just have to plan ahead #budgetingwithkids #summerfun #summerbucketlist #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity ♬ original sound – Money Mentor – Elyse

Appreciate that she allows for the one treat that really matters. As one person rightfully put it, “there’s always money for ice cream.”

Second: opting for parks

“I live in Nebraska, and we have a lot of state parks available within driving range of where I live, but I think it’s like $34 to get a state park sticker for the entire year in Nebraska … it gives you access to so many other resources and so many places to go, but also just regular parks in general. We’re going to the park. It’s 8 a.m. Parks are always open, at least most of them,” she says.

Third: Hosting over going out.

“We are inviting friends over for meals. We’re not going out for dinner. It’s expensive. We don’t need it. We are exercising our hospitality muscle this summer. Invite them over for coffee or tea or a meal or snack.”

Four: not hopping on the latest fashion trend of the season.

Rather, Elyse and her family will wear last year’s summer clothes, or buy secondhand. We are done consuming just to consume. Maybe this means I’m getting old but I am not following the summer’s trend just because last summer’s trend was slightly different. I’m not spending money on new clothes if the ones from last year already fit,” she says.

Last but not least, money saving tip number five: “a hose and a sprinkler or splash pads are the way to go.”

“I see so much pressure on social media, especially for moms to buy the big bounce house or the big pool or all the things,” Elyse explains. “My kid’s three and he played in a puddle for 45 minutes yesterday. Some of my best memories are with a hose and a sprinkler.”

Elyse’s advice certainly resonated with folks, many of whom offered their own summer saving hacks.

“Our go-to is uncrustables, take it out of freezer and good by lunch time 😌 the library is also a great place to go! Rain or shine. Ours has events, play areas, and storytime,” one person wrote.

“Here in California you can also get a state park pass at the library to use for free,” added another.

A third wrote, “Find a friends with EBT or WIC and take part of the museums for all program.”

“Buy nothing groups are amazing too,” another person suggested, referring to the community groups on Facebook where neighbors can offer or take all kinds of items for free.

Sure, the opportunities to spend money will be everywhere this summer, but just as Elyse mentioned, having fun while being frugal just takes a bit of planning. But it’s totally doable, and you can still enjoy the important things…like ice cream.

According to her daughter, Lucille Ball never considered herself a feminist, but there’s no question she blazed many a trail for women. A working mother in real life, she depicted issues facing housewives with her brilliant television comedy and became the first female studio head in Hollywood. She broke glass ceilings but wasn’t particularly outspoken about women’s rights. In fact, in a 1980 interview with “People,” she said, “They can use my name for equal rights, but I don’t get out there and raise hell because I’ve been so liberated, I have nothing to squawk about.”

Ball empowered women by example—and by speaking her mind. Carol Burnett shared a story on PBS about how Ball was unhappy with a script for her new show, but women at that time didn’t raise concerns about such things. Men could express criticism and demand changes, but women simply didn’t. Ball did—and firmly—despite being non-confrontational by nature. Later she told Burnett, “Kid, that’s when they put the ‘s’ at the end of my name.”

A video has been circulating on social media showing Ball’s no-nonsense way of speaking up when she felt the need to, and people are gushing over it.

In 1978, Ball participated in a Q & A session with UCLA theater arts students on the television program “America Alive!” The viral clip shows Ball repeatedly telling one of the hosts, David Sheehan, to take his hands off of female audience members when they were asking a question.

Watch:

@femalequotient

We love Lucy ❤️

People laughed every time, but Ball didn’t so much as crack a smile during her clear, simple, repeated “hands off” admonitions. For 1978 especially, her advocacy for the women in the audience was extraordinary. Sheehan wasn’t touching these women in a lewd or sexual manner, but he was touching them in a way that he wouldn’t have touched a man who was asking a question. Most people wouldn’t have thought much of it at the time, but Lucille Ball immediately noted it and didn’t let it stand.

“I love that she didn’t even laugh when the room was,” shared one commenter. “She was not joking.”

“‘Take your hands off her, David,’ should be a sound AND a t-shirt,” wrote another.

“He kept trying. She kept telling him. Love her,” shared another.

“Lucille Ball always reminds me of my grandma,” offered another. “She hated to be seen as delicate, and she hated men that would touch her even more. She would say, stone-faced, ‘Get your paws off.'”

Even if Sheehan was casually touching those women out of habit and not ill intent, it’s laudable that Ball made a point of making him aware of it. Unfortunately, women are still having to deal with men touching them without being invited to, but seeing Lucille Ball’s serious face while calling it out is a good reminder that women have been fighting this battle for a long time. Good for her for using her microphone and the respect afforded her to speak up for the young women in her audience.

Laura Stack’s son Johnny lost his life to suicide three months ago when he was just 19 years old. Though she says the grief of his death is “still fresh,” Stack took to Facebook to share something that happened three days before Johnny died, hoping it will help other parents whose kids may be at risk.

She wrote:

“On Sunday, November 17, 2019 around 5:30 PM, he came over for dinner. He lived in our condo a couple miles down the street and would often pop in for a home-cooked meal. This evening, he was a bit agitated but lucid. ‘I need to tell you that you were right,’ he told me. ‘Right about what?’ I asked. ‘Right about the marijuana and the drugs. You told me weed and drugs would hurt my brain, and it’s ruined my mind and my life. You were right all along. I’m sorry, and I love you.’ He died by suicide three days later.

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Stack explained that Johnny had “dabbed” since he was 15 or 16. “Do you understand the difference between smoking pot (and some edibles) and dabbing high-THC wax, shatter, or butter?” she asked. “Most of my friends look at me blankly when I say these words and say, ‘I’ve never even heard about this.’ If you don’t know what cannabis extracts are, and you have children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews between the ages of 14 and 24, PLEASE keep reading.”

“I am NOT talking about those of you who are supporters of legal recreational marijuana for adults over 21 years old—it’s your life—do what you want,” Stack clarified. “I know some people who take it successfully for specific medical purposes, so please don’t write comments in my post about my personal experience. I’m specifically talking about illegal usage by children and young adults under 21, whose adolescent brains are still forming. You may be thinking, ‘C’mon, Laura, it’s no big deal – it’s just pot.’ ‘Pot’s legal, so it must be safe.’ Or ‘I did pot when I was a kid, too, and look, it didn’t hurt me.’

Well, have you recently studied TODAY’S pot, and have you personally seen its effects on your children like I have?”

Stack explained why today’s recreational cannabis is so different:

“First, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a crystalline compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis that gives the ‘high,’ is extracted out of the cannabis so that it’s nearly pure. THC is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. Then a butane torch is used to heat the crystals (similar to beeswax) or oil in a ‘rig’ (just google it), or a vaping device with a heating element called a dab pen can be used. Forget the ‘grass’ or ‘papers’ that were rolled in the 70s and 80s. The pot we grew up with (10% or less THC content) is HUGELY different than today’s high-concentrate extracts (often 80% THC content or higher).”

She also explained why young people tend to be affected more by these high THC concentrations, and that the earlier they start the more likely it is that they’ll develop a disorder.

“The brain is still developing through a person’s 20s, and psychotic disorders typically develop in the late teenage years. During brain formation, heavy cannabis use has been shown to have a negative effect on the formation of neural pathways. It can also lead to heavier drug use. While the vast majority of marijuana smokers never experience CIP, researchers have found that the earlier and heavier someone starts dabbing, the more likely it is that they will develop a disorder at some point (often years later). We must educate our children when they are young (10-12 years old) and use hyper-vigilance in the early teen years, which we found was much easier before the age of 16, when they could drive. We couldn’t lock him up or monitor him 24/7. Keep talking and keep trying!!

The harmful combination of a still-forming mind, high-potency THC products, and a high frequency of use = Cannabis-Induced Psychosis. Yes, that’s a real diagnosis (or High-THC Abuse – Severe). Repeated CIP incidents can trigger schizophrenia or other mental illness, and even when the cannabis is withdrawn, the psychosis doesn’t go away. This is what happened to my beautiful boy. When he died, the toxicology report showed he had ZERO drugs in his system. He wasn’t depressed, neglected, drugged, or unloved. He was psychotic, paranoid, and delusional by the time he reached 19, and he refused the anti-psychotic drugs that he now needed, because he thought he wasn’t sick (common to schizophrenia).”

It’s so easy to think that marijuana use isn’t that big of a deal, especially since some states have begun legalizing the drug for recreational use and many people see it as “natural.” But the mild, laid-back high many people picture with pot use is not the reality of many of today’s marijuana products or methods. Parents need to be aware of the dangers cannabis-derived drugs pose to their children’s mental health and educate them as early as possible.

Stack included the following links to articles and studies backing up what she’s learned about today’s THC products. These are things we all should read and share, as this knowledge and awareness could literally save someone’s life.

Potent pot, vulnerable teens trigger concerns in first states to legalize marijuana – The Washington Post

The contribution of cannabis use to variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder – The Lancet Journal

Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood – Journal of the American Medical Association

Dabs, Wax, Vaping Weed, Edibles and the Real Impact of High Potency THC Products: What Parents Need to Know – Resources to Recover

How Marijuana May Damage Teenage Brains in Study Using Genetically Vulnerable Mice – Johns Hopkins

Significant link between cannabis use and onset of mania symptoms – Science Daily

Cannabis-induced psychosis: A Review – Psychiatric Times

Summary of literature on marijuana and psychosis – Moms Strong

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on 02.21.20. The opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the author and the subjects written about or quoted.

Becca Moore is a popular TikToker with over 800,000 followers who’s known for her funny, laid-back takes on dating. Like any influencer-type she was at the Coachella music and arts festival in Indio, California recently. While she was at Coachella, she was robbed of her phone, rental car keys and wallet.

“I went to Coachella this weekend and I thought this guy was kinda hitting on me but then he just robbed me,” Becca says at the beginning of her three-minute TikTok video with over 3 million views. After the festival, she was left with no ride, money, or means to get in contact with friends and family. She was stranded in the desert.

Becca’s friend’s hotel called her an Uber so she could get to a local store to buy a new phone. The driver she was incredibly lucky to be connected with was a lot more than a guy with a car in a time of need, he was a guardian angel named Raul Torres from Fresno, California, six hours north of Indio.

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“A normal Uber driver takes you to a place and then drops you off. He insisted on coming in with me and making sure that I was going to have a ride after that,” Becca said.

The store wasn’t able to get her a new phone because she didn’t have access to her current plan. But Raul wouldn’t give up, so he took her to the local police station where they were able to locate the Airbnb where the thief was staying. The police let them into the room and they searched it but couldn’t find the phone.

@becccamooore

the uber driver that saved me from going missing is @buds4u559!! 😭 after spending the day w him he told me his daughter is a senior in high school & is having a hard time going through chemo. i made a gofundme, he could’ve left me and didn’t have to help me the way he did! I’d love to help his fam give his daughter a normal end to her senior year of high school this year (prom!!) i’m putting it in my bio!!

After the big let-down, Becca and Raul decided to take a break from their quest and refresh their spirits with some margaritas, on Raul. “Just because he’s an angel on this Earth,” Becca said in her TikTok video.

While the two bonded over drinks, Raul told Becca his daughter had been battling cancer and that’s why he’s been working as an Uber driver. “He told me all he wants is for his daughter to have a normal end to her senior year, and to be able to go to big events like prom and graduation,” Becca said.

Raul also revealed that his father had cancer as well.

His revelations put Becca’s troubles in perspective and made his decision to drop his driving for the day to help Becca all the more incredible.

@becccamooore

thank god he refused to leave me 😭 raul’s tiktok is @buds4u559. also you can donate to the fam in my bio!! thank you all for your donations and generosity. you today, me tomorrow!! #TipsForRaul

After the final slurps of their margaritas, Becca still wasn’t sure how she’d get home. But Raul wouldn’t give up. “We’re getting your phone,” he exclaimed. He drove her back to the thief’s Airbnb where she found the phone sitting on top of the outside gate. Becca believes the robber abandoned the phone after realizing the police were involved. Then, Raul helped Becca get a rental car so she could get home. Before saying their goodbyes, the two had spent eight hours together.

“Raul ended his Uber shift that morning to spend his day helping me, expecting nothing in return,” she said in her TikTok video. So she used her considerable audience to ask followers to help contribute to a GoFundMe page for Raul and his family. Over the first 4 days, the campaign has raised over $144,000.

“When I was in the car with him it seemed like we were both so focused on my situation. We were only talking about me getting a phone and like things that did not matter. And he completely glazed over the fact that his daughter and his dad were the ones that needed help,” she admitted.

On Friday, April 29, Raul’s dad passed away from cancer.

The story of Becca and Raul is a great reminder that no matter how big our troubles seem, it’s always important to put them in perspective.

This story originally appeared on 05.03.22

Paige Connell is a working mom of four and a popular social media personality who discusses moms’ mental load and advocates for equality in relationships. Recently, she struck a nerve on TikTok with a video where she admitted she doesn’t do her husband’s laundry and said it “brings out big feelings in people.”

Paige says she isn’t being petty. It’s “just how it functions” in her home.

She took things a step further in a follow-up video, listing all of the things that she doesn’t do for her husband. “You all know I don’t do his laundry,” she said in the video. “He can do that himself.”

“He cooks dinner every night. I do breakfast and lunch for us and our kids,” she continued. “I don’t pack him a lunch. If he’s hungry, he’ll figure out what he’s gonna eat for lunch the same way that I do.” She added that she doesn’t make his doctor’s appointments, pack his clothes for vacation, or buy him new underwear when it gets holes.

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“Is it my job? Absolutely not,” she said. “All of those are things that he’s a grown man and he can do himself.”

@sheisapaigeturner

Replying to @rafael it’s important to show your partner, love and kindness. And I believe in small acts of kindness for a partners. However, expecting your partner to do your laundry and all of the cooking and all of the cleaning, is not the same qe small acts of kindness. All of those things are domestic labor and then when add it up, create a lot of work. #domesticlabor #actsofkindness #actsofservice #marriagegoals #fairplay #millennialmom #mentalload #laundry

However, she doesn’t want to confuse her refusal to take care of her husband’s domestic responsibilities with a lack of kindness. “That’s domestic labor. Those are chores; those are not acts of kindness,” she says.

She adds that she does plenty of kind things for him outside of the home such as buying him vinyl records or picking up a new non-alcoholic beer that she thinks he would like.

Her main point: “Small acts of kindness that are mostly domestic labor just add up to work at the end of the day.”

Paige’s post has resonated with many, garnering over 2.5 million views and a wave of support from the commenters. “Preach. Parentifying your spouse is such a turn-off,” wrote Nicki, echoing Paige’s sentiments.”’Exactly, a lot of men think that having a wife is like having a personal assistant. If that’s the case, pay me by the hour,” added iloveme_011.

Some women say that they still do their husbands’ domestic chores as a sign of love. “I do all these things because acts of service are my love language, but after a while of no reciprocation, you start to become resentful,” Soph wrote in the comments. “Times have changed for sure. I take pride in doing all of those things for my husband. In fact, I’ll do it for my grown children, too!” Brenda Castro added.

Upworthy contacted Paige to find out what her husband thinks about the arrangement. “We are in alignment on sharing the load equitably. We believe in striving for a partnership where we are both supported and neither one of us takes on more than the other when it comes to our home and kids. We work hard to share the load as equally as possible!” she told Upworthy.

She also shared why some women equate domestic labor with kindness. “I believe many women have been taught that doing labor for someone else shows your love to them. It is ingrained in us in so many ways in our society that we are raised to believe that is how you show love when in reality there are many ways to show love and doing domestic labor does not have to be one of them,” she told Upworthy.

Paige’s video proves that we all have different ways of expressing our love for our significant others and that for women, it can be a lot more than taking on more of the domestic load. As Paige notes in the video, what starts as kindness can quickly devolve into a job and then resentment.

I wonder how Yellowstone viewers would react if they stumbled upon Outer Range, hoping to get a Taylor Sheridan Fix before seeing Josh Brolin yelling at a hole in the ground that’s tied to time travel. That would be an interesting case study, although the two shows do have, on the surface, a few things in common. Obviously, there are dudes in cowboy hats. There’s also a family ranch being circled by (possibly) nefarious outside forces. Yes, there’s drama to be found as well, but Outer Range quickly veers into mystical territory and some of the strangest sci-fi currently on TV. It’s not a Yellowstone clone or a Lost tribute (comparisons have also been made there). You might feel like you’re watching the soul sister of Twin Peaks, but otherwise, this is a highly unique creation and genre mash-mash that defies (accurate) explanation.

Typing out a list of things that makes this show bonkers is a discombobulating feat, but let’s scratch the surface. In the first season, Josh Brolin’s patriarch, Royal Abbott, stumbled upon a giant void that opened up within his family’s sprawling Wyoming ranch. He was then revealed to be a portal-hopper who surfaced in the 1960s, and a mysterious woman, Autumn (who kisses like this, as portrayed by Imogen Poots), appeared right when things started running off the track. There’s a murder (the body was hidden but resurfaced) along with visions of buffalo, a singing cowboy, and a necklace that might have the same effect as medication. Hey wait, is Autumn really Amy?

There are moments where I legit had to hit the back button to make sure something actually happened because the show is that absurd. Through a deft sleight of hand, however, season 1 of Outer Range careened down an illogical hill with abandon, but it did it so gracefully. It’s such a delicate balance that I wondered if a second season could maintain that same feat.

Fortunately, my worries were unfounded. Outer Range is still kind-of a mess and sometimes feels like a full-on identity crisis, but the package is skillfully combined. It also considers enormous questions about human existence but doesn’t take itself seriously by claiming to have every answer. After thinking about the why of this show’s accomplishments (and lack thereof), I’ve decided that two especially stellar (and paradoxically grounded) performances are the key to its appeal. Mind you, the performances are strong across the board, but these two lions circling each other demand to be recognized.

Josh Brolin

As stated above, there are many reasons why this show could be laughable. That giant hole stands out, of course, and the fact that Brolin’s character harbors so many secrets that it’s a wonder he never publicly melted down before this story began. The show is filled with unreliable narrators, and we find out about the true nature of Brolin’s Royal Abbott in such a painstakingly slow manner that the reveals should be infuriating. Brolin, however, sells every inch of what this giant riddle is peddling. He is the glue.

Much of that is owing to his gruff and stoic air. He is also right at home in the Western genre, both after growing up on a California ranch and starring in both True Grit in No Country For Old Men. That second selection, in particular, provides a comparison point in Brolin’s skill at portraying no-nonsense types who end up in over their heads. Could anyone else have pulled off the “from the gettin’ place” line like Brolin did in that Coen Brothers movie? What a silly set of words, but Brolin infused the moment with layers that revealed volumes about the inner workings of a marriage. Here, we’ve got similarly simple yet expansive moments in the beautifully shot Outer Range.

It’s hard to imagine another actor besides Brolin stapling the entire mess into a singular piece of art in a believable way.

Imogen Poots

Then there’s Autumn. While Royal is the character who holds this impending disaster together, Autumn is the chaos. Whether she is “bad chaotic” or “good chaotic” still remains to be seen. Imogen Poots’ character could have ended up coming across as a femme fatale caricature (fortunately, though, nothing sexy is going on between her and Royal) in less deliberate hands than those of the Vivarium and The Art Of Self Defense actress. Her Autumn is charismatic and unnerving, but she’s also so much more.

She is a literal and figurative poker player. She is both in command and out of control, at once enthralling and frightening, and the second season takes this character further into every angle that has been teased so far. The mystery of her identity never seems to stop yet never expands into a subject that grows old. Imogen Poots adds incredible depth, elevating the character beyond what could have been a stock anti-hero role. Her character seemingly holds every answer in this show without revealing her hand, even when she appears to lose grip of a situation. Long story short (to avoid spoilers), I simply cannot wait to see the audience’s reactions to where Autumn goes.

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With all of that said, how does the second season’s continuation of the story measure up? Many more challenges lie along the way, and Royal must mend his fractured relationship with Cecilia (Lili Taylor), who is now learning that her husband has been hiding his secret time-traveling identity for decades. We will also find out what happened to Perry Abbott (Tom Pelphrey) after he dove into the hole and screwed the whole family over.

Expect a heavy focus on what happens with Deputy Sheriff Joy Hawk. She becomes a much larger piece in this puzzle, and I suspect that — when it’s time to start postulating about the third season — her character will figure into plenty of fan theories. Her second-season arc is a perfect example of how this series tackles history and the American identity without attempting to hammer home the significance of every detail. The show doesn’t demand too much mental energy, only that a viewer hop on the ride and be carried along.

Prime Video/Amazon’s ‘Outer Range’ returns to Amazon on Thursday, May 16.

Nikola Jokic had one of the best games of his already incredible career on Tuesday night, leading the Nuggets to a Game 5 win over the Timberwolves and a 3-2 lead in the series.

Jokic sent a message with the performance, as he flipped the script from the first two games in Denver where the Wolves depth at center seemed to frustrate the MVP. In Game 5, it was Jokic who has Minnesota’s bigs frustrated, most notably Rudy Gobert, who had no answer for Jokic in the post. Jokic hit Gobert with seemingly every move in his arsenal, and left the DPOY struggling to figure out what to do in response.

Beyond a masterful display of post skill, Jokic also showed how important the game was with an extremely rare two dunk night, throwing down a pair of dunks when he got an open lane. Jokic is known for his incredible ability to dominate with a floor-bound game, so seeing him get up for two dunks was rather surprising. After the game he got asked about those dunks — and one he had in Minnesota — and quipped he was just showing his incredible athleticism, calling himself a “freak of nature.”

It’s a very funny line from Jokic, who occasionally flashes that dry humor in pressers. While he brushed off the idea he was doing anything particularly remarkable with his dunks.with this joke, they are an indicator of his level of aggression to get to the rim that strongly, even if he tends not to go for dunks in traffic. Beyond those dunks, Jokic was attacking the rim constantly and finishing in a variety of ways. That is where he truly is a freak of nature, not so much as a high flyer.

The NFL will continue expanding its footprint on streaming services in 2024. The league has been dabbling in more streaming exclusives in recent years, from moving Thursday Night Football to Amazon to adding an ESPN+ regular season broadcast. But after moving a playoff game to be a Peacock exclusive this past year, they showed that they’ll offer up some of their biggest games to the highest bidder.

With the NFL schedule getting set to release in full on Wednesday night, they started to offer up some key dates early, including the plan for this year’s Christmas Day slate. After seeing success with weekend Christmas games recently, the league decided to stick with having games on the holiday even when it falls in the middle of the week, like this year when it’s on a Wednesday. The four teams playing on Christmas in 2024 are the Chiefs at Steelers and Ravens at Texans, but the bigger news is that those games will stream on Netflix, which is entering the live sports fray with a top league for the first time.

This is part of a three-year deal between the NFL and Netflix, which will guarantee the streamer one holiday game each year through 2026.

The league is almost assuredly getting a crazy amount of money for these games — the Peacock playoff game fetched over $100 million — but fan response will likely be similar to how folks felt about that game. Fans will now need four separate services to watch every game in 2024, which is quite the departure from how the NFL operated even five years ago.

The Game of Thrones showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, turned down boatloads of money to continue participating in HBO’s Westeros franchise with their names in the credits as producers. That gamble might not totally be paying off, although perhaps it will after all? The relevant news coming out of Netflix’s Wednesday Upfront presentation isn’t entirely clear, but there’s a suggestion that not everything with 3 Body Problem is going as planned.

The good news, however, is that the sci-fi show has received a renewal order (albeit of unclear duration). Netflix tweeted that development with a joint quote from Benioff, Weiss, and scribe Alexander Woo, who are “thrilled that we get to tell this story through to its epic conclusion.”

How much more of this series has actually been ordered, though? Benioff and Weiss were previously clear about their hopes for four seasons to go as in-depth as they felt necessary, but Hollywood Reporter‘s take on the renewal is that the streaming service “has greenlit additional episodes that will eventually wrap the acclaimed sci-fi epic.” Additionally, “[t]here’s no word yet, however, how many seasons or episodes the order will entail.”

In other words, it sort-of sounds like there was a renewal to conclude the show but probably not as a three-season addition. Or perhaps that would be reading too much into what is ultimately a very vague announcement from Netflix. And perhaps Liu Cixin’s book series won’t receive a fully detailed ending onscreen, so that we see the nuances of how humanity ultimately decides to deal with invading aliens, but maybe the team will decide to tuck in some sex scenes while also diving further into the Wallfacer Project from the Planetary Defense Council. Because priorities.

(Via Netflix & Hollywood Reporter)