Last week The Sopranos turned a quarter century old. It can’t be overstated what a game-changer it was. Apart from gifting viewers with six all-timer seasons — and one of the most divisive, maddening endings in the medium’s history — it also inspired others to think bigger. Without The Sopranos, you don’t get The Wire, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Americans, yada yada yada. But 25 years on, is TV still kicking butt? Its creator doesn’t seem to think so.
“We’re going back to where I was,” Chase said, referring to the time before The Sopranos came along and changed everything. “They’re going to have commercials,” he added, referring to how streamers, once ad-free, are starting to go back to the ways of linear television.
Chase also lamented how the powers-that-be have been telling him to “dumb down” his prospective shows, to steer away from television that “requires an audience to focus.”
For instance, he’s been working on a show about a sex worker with the filmmaker Hannah Fidell. Recently they were on their third draft and fifth meeting, during which they were told the “unfortunate truth” that their show was way too complex.
“Who is this all really for?” Chase fumed. “I guess the stockholders?”
The last quarter century has been seen as a second “Golden Age,” producing shows as strong and bold as in the early days, from 1947 through 1960. Chase thinks that’s over, calling a “25-year blip.”
“And to be clear, I’m not talking only about The Sopranos, but a lot of other hugely talented people out there who I feel increasingly bad for,” Chase said. “This is the 25th anniversary, so of course it’s a celebration. But perhaps we shouldn’t look at it like that. Maybe we should look at it like a funeral.”
The Sopranos ended in 2007. Since then Chase has returned to the world he created with the underrated prequel The Many Saints of Newark. He also made the even more underrated 1960s saga Not Fade Away, from 2012.
Was Jo Koy’sGolden Globe joke about Taylor Swift funny? No. Not even in the slightest. But that doesn’t erase the truth behind the statement. The NFL’s fan cam on the “Shake It Off” singer is an obnoxious ploy to drum up at-home viewers. However, we would have missed out on a now-viral moment without it.
On January 13, as the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Miami Dolphins in freezing temperatures, Swift and crew kept themselves warm in the sky box by doing synchronized choreography. There are tons of group dances in a sports fan’s arsenal, like the wave, to keep the crowd’s energy up. For Swift, she ditched tradition for something with a bit more kick. With her boo, Travis Kelce’s mother Donna, by her side, Swift joined in on the massive swag surf line.
Without skipping a beat, viewers at home chimed in to call out Swift for cultural appropriation, given that the dance originated by Black folk in the South. However, since Fast Life Yungstaz’s popularized the dance in 2009, it has continued to be enjoyed by all. Others applauded Swift and cheered on her as most were shocked to see she was even hip to the dance at all.
The public should’ve been on high alert when the year opened up. First, Katt Williams aired out the comedy community during his appearance on Shannon Sharpe’sClub Shay Shay podcast. Although it wasn’t quite as explosive, Yasiin Bey’s (previously known as Mos Def) recent interview has reawakened a hotly debated topic in music.
During Bey’s sit-down with The Cutting Room Floor podcast, when asked if he felt Drake was “hip-hop,” Bey disagreed. Instead, Bey shared that Drake’s music should be categorized as pop. However, he didn’t stop his commentary there. He described Drake’s work as ideal for shopping in Target. This line forced users to ask whether Drake and Bey have beef.
Drake is no stranger to musical feuds, having had dust-ups with Pusha T, Meek Mill, Kanye West, and most recently, Metro Boomin. But, a beef with Yasiin Bey would seem odd to many. Based on newly surfaced screenshots, the answer could be yes. Last year, after Complex gave Drake’s poetry book a subpar review, he asked the publication for another lookover but with one stipulation.
“Can you do an article now where the baddest Instagram girls in the world review my poetry book,” he said in the message exchange. “Not the head of Mos Def fan club…thanks .”
perfect time throwback to Drake sending a DM to Complex for posting a girl reviewing his book he released last year in the Summer
“Can you do an article now where the baddest Instagram girls in the world review my poetry book not the head of Mos Def fan club…thanks ” pic.twitter.com/NANdo1QBi4
Well, that seemingly innocent joke must’ve made its way back to Bey, thus initiating the rumored feud. But there wasn’t always friction between the two. On songs like “Away From Home,” Drake thanked Bey for his support in the beginning stages of his career. Bey has even performed covers of Drake’s song “Hotline Bling.”
Back in 2022, the Scream franchise made a triumphant if confusingly titled return with, uh, Scream, which for the record was the fifth entry. It had been the first in the series in 11 years, and it brought back all the big surviving players. But when it came time for Scream VI, they lost original star Neve Campbell, because they were stiffing her on fair pay. Since then the series has been thrown into chaos, losing both its stars and its new director. Now what? Campbell has an idea.
“I know things are spinning at the moment and I would imagine they are spinning at the top trying to figure out what they’re going to do. I would not be surprised to get a call,” Campbell told The Hollywood Reporter.
“But at the same time,” she added, “I made a strong statement a few years ago, which is I did not believe that the way that I was treated would’ve happened if I had been a male and that I deserve a certain thing for having carried this franchise for as long as I have.”
Back in the fall, as the series was revving up its seventh installment, studio heads blew things up by firing one of its stars, Melissa Barrera, over her pro-Palestine social media posts. Then they lost their other star, Jenna Ortega. Then they lost their director, Happy Death Day’s Christopher Landon. Will they return to the drawing board and decide to pay Campbell her fair share? Will they find new blood who might be turned off by how they’ve treated their cast members? Stay tuned.
Hate him or love him, Drake is one of the world’s most successful rap acts. As he so boastfully brags through his music, he’s surpassed several titans, such as The Beatles and the late Michael Jackson’s metric markers. Despite his record-breaking achievements to some, Drake still isn’t “hip-hop enough.”
On January 13, Yasiin Bey (previously professionally known as Mos Def) shared his thoughts on Drake’s music, and it sent users online into a frenzy. During an appearance on The Cutting Room Floor podcast, when asked by host Recho Omondi if he considered Drake to be a hip-hop act, Bey didn’t hold back.
“Why are you doing this to me,” he said. “Drake is pop to me, in the sense like, if I was in Target in Houston and I heard a Drake song… it feels like a lot of his music is compatible with shopping. Or shopping with an edge in certain instances… It’s likable.”
Bey went on to provide further context to his initial response. “What happens when this thing collapses,” he said. “What happens when the columns start buckling? Are we not in some early stage of that at this present hour? Are we seeing the collapse of the empire? Buying and selling, where’s the message that I can use? What’s in it for your audience apart from banging the pom-poms?”
The response caused a ripple effect online, with musicians, critics, and fans alike chiming in. Read a few of their responses below.
Drake took “If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli” and amplified it x10 in comparison to Jay. Drake really started off as a Hip Hop purist type who found way more success going commercial, but the roots are def still in him. He still brings it out https://t.co/2NUZktYcTa
Missy Elliott Hip Hop but Drake isn’t Hip Hop? Make it make sense. They are BOTH Hip Hop. Hip Hop isn’t just ppl rapping like Black Thought or some sh*t. Y’all continue with bad Hip Hop takes because you don’t like an artist but forget their resume & facts. Facts don’t matter.
Drake been fighting the “he’s not hip hop/a rapper” allegations since 09. He’s a Rapper. He’s Hip Hop and he has a catalogue of music that includes raw hip hop tracks and Pop ones. Two things can be true.
His music’s subject matter has seemed uninspired but he is still Hip Hop
It sounds silly now, but this time last year Ron DeSantis was seen as the GOP’s great, very white new hope. Donald Trump had gone all Sideshow Bob stepping on endless rakes, with one creative controversy after another. The Florida governor was going to be his arguably even more draconian replacement. Jump to early 2024 and voters are trolling him with a trophy for probably coming in second, maybe even third.
Atlantic, Iowa — a man came up to DeSantis at his town hall & tried to hand him a participation trophy. He said DeSantis he “probably won’t win the election.” He also called DeSantis “our favorite snowflake.” pic.twitter.com/fTEY9Y4kM9
Per Mediaite, DeSantis was in Iowa before the state’s caucus, which may finally put the nail in the coffin of his campaign. During a town hall, one local went up to him with a little gift.
“Governor DeSantis I want to present to you this participation trophy,” the man told him as he tried to hand him the award. “Now you’re probably not going to win the election but we’re proud of you for trying.”
At first DeSantis and his wife Casey seemed amused by the stunt. But his weird fake smile curdled as he refused the prize, telling the gentleman, “I don’t do participation trophies, sorry buddy.”
The man responded by telling the crowd, “He’s special, he’s unique, and he’s our little snowflake.” He was then escorted away from DeSantis.
Monday’s vote, which will take place amidst freezing weather conditions, is a biggie for the GOP candidates. There’s a good chance DeSantis will be edged out by another rival, Nikki Haley. Then again, they might be merely vying for second place, with both of them being clobbered in the poll by a guy who doesn’t even know how many Wordl Wars there have been.
Two teams firmly in the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft reportedly pulled off a trade on Sunday morning. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, both Marvin Bagley and Isaiah Livers are on their way to the Washington Wizards, along with a pair of future second-round draft picks.
In exchange, the Pistons will get a pair of veteran players on expiring deals, as Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala will make their way to Detroit.
The Pistons and Wizards are finalizing a deal to trade Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Livers, and two second-round picks for forwards Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala, sources tell ESPN.
Detroit moves Bagley’s contract ($12.5M in 2024-2025) for two future second-round picks. Livers ($1.8M), Gallinari ($6.8M) and Muscala ($3.5M) are on expiring contracts. https://t.co/qRnVfR6JbJ
As Wojnarowski noted, this trade lets Detroit get off of Bagley’s salary moving forward — while it’s hardly a terrible deal, he’s the only player involved signed beyond this season, and he’s seen his role decrease this year under new Pistons coach Monty Williams. That, combined with a series of back and ankle injuries that limited him to 29 games played this year, have led to him putting up the fewest points and minutes per game of his tenure with the team. As for Livers, he’s struggled to consistently hit shots this season — he entered this year as a career 37.8 percent three-point shooter, but has only connected on 28.6 percent of his triples in 2023-24.
Gallinari, who is coming off of an ACL tear, has exclusively come off the bench for Washington this season, while Muscala has started two of the 24 games in which he’s appeared.
Nobody like Vivek Ramaswamy, and that includes fellow Republicans. The pharma bro-turned-presidential candidate is so obnoxious Chris Christie took a break from dragging Donald Trump to drag him instead. He’s not even polling well. His entire campaign has seemed like a thinly-veiled lobby to kiss up to Trump, to score a swanky position in his potential second administration. It even seemed to be working. Alas, now Trump has had one of his unpredictable changes of heart.
“Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, ‘the best President in generations,’ etc. Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks,” Trump wrote on his rinky-dink Twitter clone ahead of the Iowa caucus, in which both candidates will be competing. He continued:
“Very sly, but a vote for Vivek is a vote for the “other side” — don’t get duped by this. Vote for ‘TRUMP,’ don’t waste your vote! Vivek is not MAGA. The Biden Indictments against his Political Opponent will never be allowed in this Country, they are already beginning to fall! MAGA!!!”
Other than the Iowa caucus, what could have compelled Trump to turn on the only GOP candidate not criticizing him? Was it some kind of jealousy? Or was it a test — to see how Ramaswamy reacts when Trump trashes him? Whatever the case, Ramaswamy did not take the bait.
Here’s the plot & it’s hiding in plain sight:
1. Narrow this to a 2-horse race between Trump & Haley. 2. Eliminate Trump. 3. Trot their puppet into the White House.
I respect the hell out of Trump. He’s the best President of the 21st century. I’ve defended him at every step… pic.twitter.com/2ws18qLQYR
“I respect the hell out of Trump. He’s the best President of the 21st century. I’ve defended him at every step against the unjust persecutions,” Ramaswamy wrote on Twitter/X. “But OPEN YOUR EYES to the hard TRUTH: this system will stop at nothing to keep this man away from the White House.”
Isn’t Ramaswamy gunning for the same job as Trump? Of course he is. Surely he thinks the magnet understander will respect him for continuing to kiss his butt and hand him a gig next year, even if he has to do it from the clink.
Will Yellowstone ever film the final half of Season 5 and conclude the flagship series as planned? No one knows, and that show is awash with drama, but the good news for Taylor Sheridan devotees is that approximately 72 spinoffs are either in process or in the works.
Alright, that’s an exaggeration, but 1883 ran for one season and concluded. Several confirmed spinoffs — including 6666, 1944, and 2024 (which might or might not star Matthew McConaughey, and there’s more drama on that subject) — are in various stages of happening. And then there’s 1923, which is beloved by the Yellowstone crowd and was swiftly greenlit for a second season. Let’s talk about what information has spilled forth so far.
Plot
1923 revolves around Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) and his wife, Cara (Helen Mirren), who set up home base at the Dutton Ranch in Montana. The series also featured scenes that take place in Europe, South Africa, and Tanzania while exploring the deep roots of the fam that would eventually spawn John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in Yellowstone. Season 2 has been confirmed to also be shooting scenes in the mining town of Butte, Montana in 2024 following the conclusion of the Hollywood strikes.
The show’s home base of Paramount+ hasn’t been too open on plot details yet, but the Duttons cannot seem to gain a moment’s peace. Timothy Dalton’s prostitute-abusing Whitfield should continue to figure prominently as an antagonistic threat, who surely will not take kindly if he doesn’t receive the money back from the taxes that he picked up for Jacob and Cara. Could the pair lose their beloved home?
That question is only one piece of the soap operatics that filled the first season finale, but Whitfield has it out for the Duttons, so don’t expect him to forget the debt. And as viewers know, the whole “possibly losing the ranch” thing is not a danger that is confined to this spinoff’s time frame.
1883 characters James and Margaret’s son, Spencer Dutton, could be actually be en route to save the day, but he’s also surely distracted by his messy romantic life (where is Alice?) after killing a romantic rival in a duel. Elsewhere, the devastation of Zane’s family remains unresolved, and Elizabeth Strafford will be attempting to recover from her miscarriage. Speaking of Elizabeth, actress Michelle Randolph has promised that there will be many “loose ends to tie up” when the second season eventually arrives, so hopefully, there will be resolution on all of the above issues.
Cast
Taylor Sheridan previously revealed that Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren had initially only signed on for a single season. However, Ford has been confirmed to return, and surely, Mirren will agree to be along for the ride? We will see.
Additionally, presumed returning cast members include Robert Patrick (please let him joke about Sarah Connor like he has done in Reacher), Darren Mann, Brandon Sklenar, Michelle Randolph, Jerome Flynn, Aminah Nieves, Julia Schlaepfer, Brian Geraghty, and Timothy Dalton.
Release Date
The 1923 followup has been another casualty of Hollywood turmoil after missing its filming start date of 2023. Still, Taylor Sheridan’s prolific writing can happen fast, so surely, he’s got the scripts going, and we can cross fingers for filming to resume soon, although no release date has been revealed.
Trailer
There’s no hope of footage or a trailer yet, dang it. Instead, enjoy this oldie-but-goodie interview of Sheridan talking about his writing style.
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.
You might not feel as though you’re in the mood to watch a poignant comedy that revolves around other people’s lives after death, but hear me out. Schitt’s Creek creator Dan Levy directed, wrote, and stars in this lovely film that looks loss in the eyes and emerges gracefully. Levy portrays a grieving spouse, whose husband’s death sends him on a cross-Atlantic adventure with two friends (Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel). While reflecting on the turns that this story took, Levy recently declared, “[Y]our friends are the love of your life.” And with that, feel free to keep reading or go watch a beautiful film.
Certain other horrors about air travel have been in the news over the past week, and this movie unintentionally provides a timely reminder that things could be much worse. The story adapts the real-life ordeal of of Andes Mountains crash survivors in 1972. Cannibalism does happen, so Yellowjackets viewers can get a fix in between seasons. As morbid as this sounds, it’s a reminder that even though you might be freezing your butt off right now in this arctic snap, there’s such a thing as being colder.
9. Saltburn (Lucky Chap/MRC/Lie Still film streaming on Amazon Prime)
Do you want to watch Barry Keoghan do semi-unspeakable things and then wonder why you are riveted by what you see? Sounds like a fine time, yet do not watch this with the fam because there are scenes involving bathwater, naked dancing, and… grave stuff. Keough goes on a reign of terror in this film with a posh family who doesn’t know what hit them. It’s non-low-key one of the finest performances of 2023, and the god only knows what Emerald Fennell plans on doing next. For sure, however, people will be watching.
The MCU’s having a rough time lately other than the Jonathan Majors-free aspects of Loki, but nonetheless, Disney+ shows are coming, albeit at a less breakneck pace than a few years ago. Following a Hawkeye reveal, Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) receives her Echo origin story after her ruthless NYC adventures follow her to her hometown. The series co-stars Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin/Wilson Fisk and will reportedly even include Charlie Cox as Daredevil/Matt Murdock (although the Daredevil standalone show is currently undergoing significant retools before its own airtime).
Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh was bound to be the biggest highlight of this series as a secret-assassin mom who ends up having to unveil her identity to her unaware son. Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Falchuk (Glee, American Horror Story), teamed up with Byron Wu (The Getaway) to tell the story of younger brother Bruce, who cannot believe what he’s learned about mom. Oh, and his older brother is also a super-killer. The fight scenes are obviously not going to be Reacher quality fare, but this is still a light, fun series in a season otherwise full of heavier awards content.
6. Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures film available on VOD and Amazon Prime)
Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. are surely going to receive even more nominations over the next month, and Christopher Nolan shouldn’t fare so badly, either, even with that slight Peloton setback. In all seriousness, this is a hell of a return to form for the Tenet director, and even though the Barbenheimer phenomenon undeniably contributed to this box office haul, he still delivered such a complex and brilliant film (arguably with Murphy’s career defining performance as the theoretical-physicist title character) that you might not mind the 3-hour runtime or depressing subject matter. (Note: This movie will stream on Peacock in mid February.)
Speaking of long movies about morbid chapters of history, Martin Scorsese also did the thing while adaptation of David Grann’s nonfiction narrative saga that shines light on a shattering chapter in U.S. history. Leonardo DiCaprio’s sketchy accent notwithstanding, the performances (including Robert De Niro, Brendan Frasier, and Jesse Plemons) are stellar across the board, and that also includes the indigenous actors (including Yancey Red Corn, Everett Waller, and Cara Jade Myers) who really should be receiving more attention from this film’s red-carpet tours. Lily Gladstone will likely earn an Oscar nod (and more) for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart, however, and you can finally stream this harrowing and heartbreaking masterpiece on Apple TV+.
Maybe it’s because of Jeremy Allen White’s new thirst-trap photoshoot or because Ayo Edebiri rules at everything, but in the wake of Tinseltown celebrations last week, viewers are rewatching the latest tension-filled kitchen theatrics of these Chefs. Season 3 is in the works, and maybe Carmy should decide once and all that he is aromantic, and Cousin Richie can start his own little Taylor Swift karaoke tour while also wearing suits to pull the whole joint together when Carmy forgets to have that fridge repaired again.
3. The Holdovers (Focus Features film streaming on Peacock)
Good for Paul Giamatti. He’s having a wildly successful year already and has a nice girlfriend. He’s also here to remind everyone that he’s the greatest at portraying misanthropic characters who might even charm you with life-affirming airs. Giamatti portrays a boozed-up teacher who isn’t thrilled to be stuck at work over the holidays, and it’s an ideal stuck-inside-for-the-weekend watch.
The fourth season, Night Country, debuts this week to tear your little world apart, or at least make you shiver and inwardly scream while this series gets back to its roots with Jodie Foster starring in the most watchable installment since the McConaughey-Harrelson pairing. Foster stars as a dogged investigator who has seen some sh*t, and that sh*t gets stirred back up when an unsolved bunch of homicides isn’t the freeze-and-dried case that it might have initially seemed to be. Before that happens, revisit the stellar first season because, you know, “time is a flat circle.”
Hey, it’s almost season finale time, which is both bad and good news. That means that there shall be no more skull crushing from Alan Ritchson’s title character for months, but Season 3 is already in the works, which means that everyone can rest assured that no one throws Jack Reacher out of an airplane. Then again, he could probably survive the fall, right? Then he’d go inhale a large pizza in about two bites. In all seriousness, the Big Guy will be missed, and hopefully, he will eventually touch base again with Roscoe, maybe while drifting through her town on the way to his next (unintentional) investigation of homicide in Somewhere, U.S.A.
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Season 5 Episode 2 
(@TheJobfather__) 
Atlantic, Iowa — a man came up to DeSantis at his town hall & tried to hand him a participation trophy. He said DeSantis he “probably won’t win the election.” He also called DeSantis “our favorite snowflake.” 
