Did you know Ella Purnell is in two video game shows? And that of the pair, Fallout, which was nominated for 16 Emmys including Outstanding Drama Series, actually has the lower Rotten Tomatoes score?
Fallout: a strong 94 percent. Arcane: a perfect 100 percent.
The animated series on Netflix from creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee is based on League of Legends, but trust me, even if you know zilch about the multiplayer online role-playing game, you can still enjoy Arcane. Season 1 premiered all the way back in 2021 (it’s been an even longer wait than Stranger Things), but the strikingly stylish show is coming back for its second season… which will also be the final season.
Here’s everything we know about Arcane season 2, including plot details, the release date, and whether there’s a trailer.
Plot
By the end of Arcane season 1, sisters Vi and Jinx (or Powder, if you prefer) have drifted further apart than ever. Not helping matters is that Jinx, after the death of her evil father figure Silco, fired a rocket launcher equipped with a powerful Hextech gemstone at the council of Piltover, the supposed City of Progress. How will the fat cats in city hall respond to the attack? Probably with force on the citizens of “undercity” Zaun, and lots of it.
“I think a lot of characters are the goody two-shoes of season 1, trying to avoid the open conflict between the two cities,” Linke told Tudum. “And then, at the end of season 1, it’s no longer possible to avoid that confrontation. And so, season 2 really explores the dark sides of the characters.”
Especially Vi and Jinx. “The first season focused heavily on their connection as siblings and how much they were willing to forgive each other for their actions, and season two dives even deeper into that question,” Linke said in a separate interview with HypeBeast. Purnell added to Tudum, “One of the biggest themes of Arcane is, you are the choices that you make, and you can never predict the consequences of those choices.” Jinx, in particular, is nearing rock bottom and is forced to finally decide: “Is she Jinx or is she Powder?”
Here’s the official plot summary for season 2:
In this final chapter, Jinx’s attack on the Council sets the stage for a dire escalation of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun.
Other lingering plot threads include Caitlyn’s (romantic?) relationship with Vi, Heimerdinger and Ekko’s alliance, and whether Jinx finally cuts her ridiculously long hair. Based on the trailer below, it’s possible!
Cast
The voice cast for Arcane season 2 includes Ella Purnell as Powder / Jinx, Hailee Steinfeld as Vi, Katie Leung as Caitlyn, Harry Lloyd as Viktor, Reed Shannon as Ekko, Amirah Vann as Sevika, Brett Tucker as Singed, Ellen Thomas as Ambessa, and Mick Wingert as my dude Heimerdinger. Kevin Alejandro as Jayce, Toks Olagundoye as Mel, and Harry Lloyd as Viktor have not been officially confirmed to return, but they will presumably be back.
Release Date
Netflix has split the final season of Arcane into three parts: act 1 on November 9, act 2 on November 16, and act 3 on November 23.
Nicole Kidman isn’t completely done with movies. Later this year, she will be seen getting it on with Harris Dickinson in A24’s Babygirl, but she certainly favors TV series these days. Lioness, A Perfect Couple, and Scarpetta are only a few of her currently running or in-development projects, and there might be a third Big Little Lies season coming, too. Those latter two projects, though? They will take awhile. She’s busy.
Speaking of limited series, more Nine Perfect Strangers is coming, but much sooner than any other Kidman series. This probably also came as a surprise to executive producer David E. Kelley after he predicted to USA Today that the series is “certainly not going to be everybody’s cup of tea.” Yet the psychedelic series was enough people’s tea to propel another season because Hulu’s streaming numbers practically demanded it. Really, filming is completed and everything, so let’s talk about what to expect.
Plot
Kidman previously worked with Kelley on both The Undoing and Big Little Lies, and together, they brought another Liane Moriarty work to life. Viewers will recall that Kidman’s wellness guru, Masha, ended up drugging her first-season resort guests that included characters portrayed by Bobby Cannavale, Michael Shannon, Samara Weaving, Melissa McCarthy, Regina Hal, and Melvin Gregg. These warm beverages laced with Psilocybin were supposedly for therapeutic purposes? Sure. And it sounds like Masha will be doing it again with Kidman suggesting to Deadline that there will be laced hot chocolate with a “crazy” sequel season that takes place in the Swiss Alps.
Although the first season finale was left ambiguous on Masha’s fate (she supposedly went free after her arrest and was seen with her dead daughter in a car), she’s clearly going to be doing her “wellness” thing again. Although Hulu hasn’t released a synopsis, and most new cast members have kept their lips zipped, Christine Baranski did tell Hollywood Reporter that the season filmed mostly in Munich with “some in the Austrian Alps”:
“It takes place in an old-world spa that was a sanitarium for famous artists. It’s landscape p*rn! We shot for six months, and it was all systems go as soon as the strike ended. Nicole owed a lot of work from another series, so she wasn’t available until weeks later, so we were shooting without her in January.”
As noted above, the first season’s ending left several character fates open-ended on whether what happened to them was “real” or fictional, given the framing of the book-inside-the-book by Melissa McCarthy’s character. Hulu hasn’t previewed whether the same structure will lead the second season, but hopefully, at least a synopsis will roll out soon.
Cast
Nicole Kidman surely has a ball as Masha. The second season cast will include Murray Bartlett (who will add some more The White Lotus flavor) along with Henry Golding, Christine Baranski, Annie Murphy, Dolly De Leon, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Lena Olin, Lucas Englander, Mark Strong, and Aras Aydin.
Release Date
This series debuted slightly before Kidman began picking up TV roles like candy. Renewal news (i.e., the end of the “limited series” label) arrived in 2023, and the second season will arrive sometime in 2025.
Trailer
A teaser trailer should surface soon with filming complete for months, but for the moment, here’s Nicole Kidman admitting that she went slightly method as Masha. Yikes.
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.
10. Terrifier 2 – Bloody Disgusting film streaming on Freevee
This killer clown’s third outing obliterated that other joker clown and has already smashed the Terrifier 3 budget multiple times over, so naturally, the second entry in this gross-out saga is seeing people catch up at home before heading out to multiplexes, and this isn’t simply happening because it’s October. Horror knows how to deliver full-on experiences while keeping budgets low and margins high, and there’s no moviegoing experience quite like gripping seat handles in a room full of fellow patrons who are doing the same.
9. Strange Darling – Magenta Light Studios film on VOD & Amazon Prime
This film has been highlighted by our own Josh Kurp as one of the best horror flicks of 2024 for solid reason, and even though this movie is on VOD and not part of a streaming service’s “free” package yet, audiences are finding it worth their while to order up another stellar turn from the underappreciated Willa Fitzgerald, who helped Reacher find footing as a series before low-key stealing The Fall Of The House Of Usher. As for Strange Darling, you’re in for a complex, serial-killing ride with endless layers.
It wouldn’t be October without some M. Night Shyamalan involved. The Village and Signs director produces this movie that will go over well with as little advance description as possible. The plot involves a missing eight-year-old girl, whose disappearance connects to several other disappearances, and as always, expect some twisting to go down where M. Night’s influence is present.
James Wan must not believe that he has enough on his plate because he added this Peacock horror series to his revolving door of tasks. This horror series stars Yvonne Stahovski and Scott Speedman and according to the synopsis, “follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive.” The story is based upon Robert McCammon’s Bram Stoker Award-nominated Stinger with a more minimalistic, stripped down take that Strahovski might have found more stressful than her entire Handmaid’s Tale run.
A second season is coming, surely to stir up a bit more controversy and otherwise attempt a crowd-pleasing continuation to the romance between Kristen Bell’s sex-friendly podcaster and Adam Brody’s hot and single rabbi. There’s some Sex and the City influence in there somewhere, but creator Erin Foster was inspired by her own real-life marriage (including her adult conversion to Judaism for marriage) while making the series. Perhaps there will be some sequel-winks toward the haters, too, but the leading couple has such believable chemistry that maybe the Internet detractors will move on to something else.
Ella Purnell has made her recent acting bones by portraying survivors, so she has headed to Opposite Land in this “coming of rage” story that blends Heathers and American Psycho vibes with some Bridget Jones for good measure. The darkly comedic series is based upon C.J. Skuse’s same-named novel about Purnell’s Rhiannon, who received her name (from the writer, anyway) due to influence from the witchy Fleetwood Mac song. The plot sees Rhiannon, after being ignored in life too long, abandoning her wallflower self in favor of an intoxicating but horrifying hew persona.
Come for Colin Farrell in prosthetics, and stay for the liberal use of Pepsi-Bismol and Cristin Milioti periodically stealing the spotlight as Sofia Falcone. Matt Reeves’ The Batman sits outside the DCU, as does this spin off show with Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot navigating the Gotham underworld’s power vacuum and finding exactly where he fits in after the murder of mob boss Carmine Falcone by Paul Dano’s The Riddler. Farrell wasn’t thrilled to wear the extensive prosthetics that this role requires, but this series has been so much better received than other WBD comic-book efforts that it’s hard to imagine a second season not happening.
3. Alien: Romulus – 20th Century Studios film on VOD & Amazon Prime
Fede Álvarez isn’t becoming known as the horror revival king for nothing. This interquel movie isn’t streaming on Hulu yet, but that hasn’t stopped it from flying into space via VOD platforms. Following this facehugging-good time for an unfortunate group of space scavengers, FX will unleash its Hulu-bound Alien: Earth streaming series (from Fargo and Legion showrunner Noah Hawley) that will star Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, and Timothy Olyphant. Everything is coming up Xenomorphs, y’all.
2. Yellowjackets – Showtime series streaming on Paramount+
Another Showtime series (waves to Dexter) is flying high on Netflix, which is boosting interest before the show’s third season surfaces next year, hopefully with the second season streaming on Netflix soon, too. If you haven’t watched this series yet, do not eat before you start binging, and that’s not only because of the cannibalism that eventually ends up being on display. My main takeaways from this series (because the “mystery” got teased too long, imo) is that Sophie Thatcher should be in more projects, that Melanie Lynskey is a national treasure, and that the rise of Ella Purnell should continue unabated. Very scientific takes for sure, but also, Christina Ricci seems to be having the time of her life, and her antagonistic era also includes the first Wednesday season on Netflix, so while you’re waiting for more Yellowjackets, there’s more Villain Ricci to enjoy on the same streaming service.
Pogues are Poguing again, but one Pogue ends the first half of the fourth season with knowledge that will rattle his Pogue-self down to its very core. Also, the hunt for Blackbeard’s treasure is officially on, which leads the group to abandon their attempt at being “normal” while running a tourist-centered business. Not even the El Dorado gold discovery could top their current hunt, and this season also sees them face off with dangerous new forces, including a character portrayed by Pollyanna McIntosh of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live fame. It’s not quite a Jadis crossover but still unsettling.
On October 10, the entrepreneur celebrated the collection’s arrival with a commemorative event at Nordstrom Century City in Los Angeles, California. Still while chatting up with press, Rihanna could escape questions about music. But instead of her own solo work, model Alton Mason surprised Rihanna with some musical food for thought regarding Savage X Fenty.
“If there was a Savage X Fenty theme song who would you want to sing it,” asked Alton (see video here).
Although the question could’ve easily been bait for Rihanna to tease her highly anticipated album, she dodged it by spotlighting another musician.
After giving the question some thought, Rihanna hilariously responded, “GloRilla.”
Despite GloRilla’s love for singing online, she is in fact not an actual vocal rather a rapper. Still, users online are in feel support of Rihanna’s imaginary wish.
Rihanna went on to explain the reasoning behind her choice. “To see a young lady who’s still grounded in who she is and where she came from, I love that,” she said.
This isn’t the first time Rihanna has praised GloRilla. Back in June, Rihanna uploaded a clip of her rapping along to the rapper’s song “TGIF.” Thanks to ASAP Rocky’s comical response to Rihanna rapping along to the anti-relationship sentiments it will live on forever in pop culture. Then in July, Rihanna slid into GloRilla’s direct messages to ask when she would drop her debut studio album.
Well, the ball is in GloRilla’s court. Fans are hoping she takes it to the hole with yet another banger.
For the first time in 16 years, The Cure is set to release a new studio album. So far, the band has treated fans to several tastes from their highly anticipated body of work, Songs Of A New World, including singles “Alone” and “A Fragile Thing.”
However, there are still a few weeks before the project is available to supporter. For now, The Cure’s frontman Robert Smith decided to reflex on their entire discography. In a sit down uploaded to their official website, Smith revealed which was his least favorite album of The Cure’s—their 2004 self-titled release.
Initially, during the discussion with BBC Radio DJ, Matt Everitt, Smith bread crumbed what listeners should expect from Songs Of A New World by outlining which past track sonically matched the forthcoming album.
Smith confessed that “he’s most proud of” their 1981’s album Faith‘s title track. He then followed that up by adding “Untitled” from 1989’s Disintegration and “To Wish Impossible Things” off of 1992’s Wish.
Although Smith isn’t as fond of their self-titled release, he did admit its featured song “Before Three” is his favorite song from the album.
If fans can rank The Cure’s project, why can’t its frontman?
Songs Of A New World is out on 11/1 via Fiction Records. Find more information here.
Yesterday (October 18), Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre dropped by Stephen A. Smith’s show to voice their opinions on the current statement of hip-hop and more. When asked to give aspiring artists advice, Snoop Dogg called out current active rappers for their lack of originality.
“Be original,” he said. “Right now there’s so much copycatting, mimicking, sounding alike, and imitation. Find your production, your sound, find your ear for who you are, and be original even if it ain’t hitting. Stay you.”
Dr. Dre shared his own hot take about today’s rap scene focusing his attention on producers. “Find your collaborators,” he added. “I don’t like the fact that there are nine different producers on one album. I like the idea of one producer on an album. Continuity is everything.”
Stephen chimed in to inquire about the trend’s origins, but Dr. Dre hilariously wasn’t interested in tracing its roots, saying: “I don’t know. But I don’t like it.”
Watch the full episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show featuring guests Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.
Yesterday (October 18), during an interview with Telegraph, when asked about Liam Payne’s untimely death he said musicians passing young has sadly become a “normal thing” citing Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain.
“That’s not an unusual thing in my business,” he said. “It’s a normal thing. It’s a business that puts enormous pressures on young people. Young people don’t have the inner facility or the inner self yet to be able to protect themselves from a lot of the things that come with success and fame. So they get lost in a lot of the difficult and often pain inducing whether it’s drugs or alcohol to take some of that pressure off.”
Bruce went onto to talk about how the weight of the industry has impacted him and The E Street Band. “I understand that very well,” he said. “I mean, I’ve had my own wrestling with different things. The band has all wrestled with their own issues. And Danny [Federici] certainly did. Drugs were not uncommon in the E Street Band, you know.”
However, he ended but celebrating how they were able to overcome their battles, saying: “I always say, one of the things I was proudest of is that if one of my fellas passed on, they passed on of natural causes.”
From a fiery “tweeters and deleters” call out from Drake to Metro Boomin’s chart-topping response, the pair’s animosity curated an eventful summer for rap fans. Although hip-hop heads enjoyed seeing the back-and-forth spat between the two eventually others joined the feud (both willingly and unintentionally).
Now, Young Thug has inserted himself as the voice of reason. Yesterday (October 18), the “Dope Boy” rapper took to X (formerly Twitter) to call for an end to the rap war. Despite having his hands fuel with the YSL RICO trial, Young Thug penned a message for unity from behind bars.
“Drake, Future, and Metro Boomin we all bruddas,” he wrote. “Music ain’t the same without us collabin.”
Fans chimed in with mixed reactions. Many praised Young Thug for stepping in to mend their relationships.
“Goat squashing beefs behind bars the streets need him,” wrote one user.
“Thugger has spoken! Future and Drake can’t beef. They have too much chemistry and too many hits. The culture is better when they collab,” penned another.
On the other hand, many supporters believe that their feud has gone too far after Metro Boomin accused Drake of being a pedophile.
Still, Future seems to agree with Young Thug’s sentiments. Followers noticed that shortly after the message was uploaded, Future reposted Young Thug’s message. As of today, it doesn’t appear that Metro Boomin or Drake have responded to the Young Thug’s post.
Yesterday (October 18), Shawn Mendes joined in on the public memorials. On the Brooklyn Paramount Theater stage, the “Why Why Why” singer delivered a touching tribute to the fallen star with a performance of an unreleased Shawn song “Heart Of Gold” (viewable here).
“I just want to take a second to send so much love to him wherever he is up there,” he said. “Liam, we love you. The world is crying for you, brother, and we’re all praying for your son and your family. I miss you.”
Prior to singing the ballad, Shawn revealed the true meaning behind the track. After one of Shawn’s childhood friend died from a drug overdose, it was a pain he couldn’t overcome. So, he channelled those heavy emotions into a song. “It me like a truck,” he said in a video captured by a concertgoer (viewable here). “We wrote this it felt like all the things I never got to say to him.
Shawn is out 11/15 via Island Records. Find more information here.
In the interest of transparency, it hasn’t been fun to navigate the NFL waters this season, which is evident by the full-season record below. However, we were granted a mini-reprieve this week in that, well, I actually liked the Saints on Thursday but couldn’t get the column done in time. Maybe that should-be-loss will open some doors for us.
We press on, and here are five selections for Week 7. But first, a bigger look.
Week 6: 2-3
2024 Season: 10-19-1
Come get these winners.
New England Patriots (+6) over Jacksonville Jaguars – Widely Available
I’ve been on the Jags too often this season. I’ve probably been on the Patriots too often this season. I just can’t get to this number. Why, on earth, is Jacksonville laying six on a neutral field? I do understand the Jaguars have the edge having been in London for more than a week now. I do understand that history buff Drake Maye is a risky proposition. But this is a total in the low-40’s and we have to take the candy on principle.
Cleveland Browns (+6) over Cincinnati Bengals – DraftKings
We are leaning heavy on the principles this week, even when I don’t want to. I have no interest in backing Deshaun Watson whatsoever, but this is an auto-play. Hold your nose.
Green Bay Packers (-2.5) over Houston Texans – FanDuel
Grabbing the best number here is paramount, and it has been pinging around in recent hours. Lambeau Field isn’t worth a full three points anymore, but I think this is a friendly spot for Green Bay. I’m also selling high on Houston, as the Texans haven’t played as well as their record indicates.
Carolina Panthers (+9.5) over Washington Commanders – DraftKings, BetMGM
Another “hold your nose” selection. Washington has impressed me but, in short, this is a big number for the Commanders to be laying against any team. Carolina isn’t good, but we stand with Andy Dalton.
Pittsburgh Steelers (+2) over New York Jets – ESPNBet
Mike Tomlin as a home underdog. Mike Tomlin as a home underdog. Mike Tomlin as a home underdog.
(And a bit of a fade of positive Jets momentum for good measure.)
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