Category: Worldwide

For eight years, Michelle Obama had a front row seat to the U.S. presidency. Perhaps more than any other citizen, she’s seen what that job entails and what the character of the person holding that office means for their ability to do the job.

As the world’s most admired woman several years running, Obama has an audience. And though she’s famously detached from the nitty gritty world of politics, she has the first-hand experience to offer some words of wisdom. Today, she’s done just that.

In a 26-minute video posted to social media, Obama makes a “closing argument” for ending the Trump presidency and opening a new chapter of decency and calm with Joe Biden. In it, she lays out where we are in this crazy, chaotic moment and explains how the president has contributed to getting us here. “Let’s be honest,” she says. “The country is in chaos because of a president who isn’t up to the job.”

She also lays out reasons for voting for Biden, whom she calls “a leader who has the character and the experience to put an end to this chaos, start solving these problems and help lighten the load for families all across the country.”

It’s clear that the former First Lady filmed the video prior to the president contracting COVID-19, as she doesn’t mention the diagnosis (or the irresponsible insanity that has followed) in it. She also shared this message on Facebook with the video:

“I understand if the last few days have felt like a whirlwind. My heart goes out to everyone touched by this virus—from those in the White House, especially the Secret Service and residence staff whose service to this country ought never be taken for granted, to all those across the country whose names and stories most of us will unfortunately never know.

The truth is, the events of the past few days are a bracing reminder of the tragedy that has been this administration’s response to this crisis. And I’ll be very honest: This is a message I’d planned to release earlier, and after everything that’s happened, I weighed whether or not to go public at all. But I wanted you all to hear what’s been on my mind. Because the drama of the past few days has only emphasized what’s at stake in this election, from the coronavirus to a constant drumbeat of fear, division, and chaos that’s threatening to spiral out of control. There’s only one way we can pull ourselves out—by voting for my friend Joe Biden, who’s got the heart, the experience, and the character to lead us to better days.

So I hope you’ll watch, and I hope you’ll share this video with everyone you know who might still be deciding how or if they’re going to vote. And more than anything, I hope you’ll vote for Joe with power, with passion, and with a love of this country that cannot possibly be denied.”

Michelle Obama’s Closing Argument | Joe Biden For President 2020

youtu.be

There’s a lot of compelling stuff in there, but here are some highlights worth revisiting.

On Trump’s values:

“A president’s policies are a direct reflection of their values and we’re seeing that truth on display with our current president who has devoted his life to enriching himself, his family and other wealthy people he truly understands, cutting taxes for the rich and big corporations, cutting regulations that protect regular families from getting taken advantage of by people like him, cutting his friends loose from prison time. He boasts about gains in the stock market, but when you look at the lives of regular folks, whether it’s creating blue-collar jobs, making healthcare more affordable, protecting the environment, keeping our family safe from gun violence, let alone the coronavirus, there’s nothing much to brag about.”

On Biden’s values:

“By contrast, Joe Biden has lived his life guided by values and principles that mirror ones that most Americans can recognize. I know Joe. He is a good man who understands the struggles of everyday folks. When he was a kid, his dad lost his job. His family had to move to find work. As a young man, he quit his job at a lucrative law firm to serve as a public defender protecting the rights of those who couldn’t defend themselves.

He continued to serve this country, even in the face of unimaginable tragedy, losing his wife and baby daughter, later in his life, his eldest son. Relying on his deep faith in God to carry him through, never growing cynical and always willing to see the humanity in us all. It is that spirit, that determination that will make Joe the kind of president we need right now, one who will continue to put the needs of the country before his own to ensure that all families can get back on their feet and our economy can get back on track.”

On how Biden will help the nation recover from the pandemic:

“He’ll start by getting this virus under control, working with a broad coalition of leaders to develop a national strategy that will include mandatory mask wearing and free testing. He’ll get schools the resources they need to sort through this confusion. He will listen to doctors and scientists to make sure that any vaccine will be safe, effective and available to everyone.

Joe Biden will also get back to work solving problems that this president has ignored or made worse these past four years. Joe will give working families a tax credit for childcare. He’ll roll back those tax cuts for the rich and instead help small businesses and working families. He’ll lower the cost of prescription drugs and give every American access to affordable health coverage. He’ll work to restore trust between police and communities of color and address the racial discrimination that has plagued us for far too long. He will protect our planet. He will invest in our schools and bring people together to get something done, even across our differences.”

On thinking beyond partisanship with your vote:

“I want to ask every single American, no matter what party you normally vote for, to please take a moment to pause. Click off the news. Think about how you felt over these last four years, how quickly things have turned and then think about what next four years could mean for our country’s future, the message we will send to our children about who we are and what we truly value. Think about what would possibly compel you to accept this level of chaos, violence, and confusion under this president and be willing to watch our country continue to spiral out of control. Because we can no longer pretend that we don’t know exactly who and what this president stands for.”

On bringing competence and maturity back to the White House and ending the chaos:

“Right now, we’ve got a chance to start getting things back under control, to restore some stability and integrity and soul in this country. It is within our grasp. That’s what keeps me going, thinking about a time not all that far off, with a new president in the Oval Office, a trustworthy, honest, stable leader with a clear plan for controlling this virus and getting our economy back on track. With meaningful support for families and schools, with competence and maturity instead of chaos and confusion. It is possible. It really is, but only if we vote for Joe Biden in this election. We have all been working so hard to keep ourselves and our families afloat and we deserve a president who will do the same.”

Please vote, and vote early if possible. Visit vote.org to register to vote and find out about voting deadlines in your state.

Eddie Van Halen, the legendary guitarist who co-founded the band Van Halen, has died at 65 years old, TMZ reports.

Van Halen’s son and Van Halen bandmate Wolfgang Van Halen confirmed the news this afternoon, revealing that his father died this morning (October 6). He wrote on Twitter, “I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.”

Last year, Van Halen was hospitalized due to complications from cancer treatments. He had secretly been battling throat cancer for the previous five years. In April 2020, he was reported to be in stable condition.

In 1972, the band Van Halen was formed, and the group achieved tremendous success. The band has four No. 1 albums and a chart-topping single, the memorable upbeat hit “Jump.” The band is one of the most successful of all time: RIAA data published last month revealed the band Van Halen is the 20th best-selling artist of all time, with over 56.5 million album units sold across their storied discography. Additionally, Van Halen himself was immensely respected as a guitarist and is commonly viewed as one of the most skilled and influential of all time.

After 20 years, Thomas the Tank Engine is returning to the big screen in a new, live-action movie from World War Z director Marc Forster. The beloved children’s series has been the property of Mattel since 2012, and now, the toy company is including the cheeky little engine in its aggressive plans to turn its most popular brands into feature films.

The Thomas movie will reportedly be a mix of live-action and animation similar to Alvin and the Chipmunks and Detective Pikachu. A script is already locked down, so it’s just a matter of getting the film into production with its new director. Via Deadline:

“Thomas is a beloved global franchise that focuses on the importance of friendship, a theme that resonates deeply with children and parents around the world,” said [executive producer] Robbie Brenner. “Marc is an incredible storyteller and I look forward to partnering with him to tell Thomas’ story in a modern and unexpected way.”

While there were no plot details, the film will be most likely be heavy on the caring and sharing, and light on the more nightmare-ish elements of the classic series that freaked out the internet a few years back. In 2017, former College Humor writer Tristan Cooper noticed that one of the older episodes featured a storyline where Henry, one of Thomas’ fellow engines, is trapped inside a makeshift tunnel prison after he refused to work in the rain. “A stubborn train is punished by being entombed alive forever,” Cooper wrote, “and it’s worse than any horror movie.”

After Cooper posted the video, Twitter users chimed in with their horrified reactions. “What moral lesson are kids supposed to learn from this?” one commenter wrote. “Do as you’re told or you will be entombed forever in the darkness to die?” I mean, if it gets them to stop jumping on the couch…

(Via Deadline)

This year celebrated 45 years since Bruce Springsteen released his iconic record Born To Run, which Uproxx’s Steven Hyden named “one of the greatest rock albums ever made,” an opinion with which few would argue. Springsteen is currently gearing up to release yet another album, but Christine And The Queens decided to pay homage to the classic record by hopping on piano to share a soulful rendition of the Born To Run track “I’m On Fire.”

Transforming the song from an atmospheric tune to a slow-burning piano ballad, Christine showcased her soaring vocals while delivering the song’s lyrics alongside an upright piano. “Sometimes it’s like someone took a knife, baby, edgy, and dull / And cut a six-inch valley through the middle of my skull,” Christine sings. Sharing the cover to social media, Christine offered a heartfelt note to fans. “Miss you all,” she wrote with a heart emoji.

Christine’s “I’m On Fire” rendition is the latest in a handful of covers the singer has shared as a way to keep fans entertained during the lockdown. Along with Springsteen, Christine has shared covers of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” Travis Scott’s “Highest In The Room,” and Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold.”

Watch Christine And The Queens cover “I’m On Fire” above.

James Hibberd’s oral history Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series is full of goodies for Game of Thrones fans. It’s where we learned about the cruel prank that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss played on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Rob McElhenney, the “complete piece of sh*t” original pilot, and author George R.R. Martin’s least favorite scene in the HBO series. The book also includes Emilia Clarke’s super-depressing theory about what happened to Drogon — and, uh, Daenerys’ lifeless body — following the series finale.

In “The Iron Throne” (extremely belated spoilers), Jon Snow kills Dany, and when it looks like her dragon Drogon is going to kill him, too, the winged beast melts the throne and flies off into the unknown. Did Drogon eat the Mother of Dragons? Maybe. But that’s not what Clarke believes. “I think he flies around with her body until it decomposes. I literally think he keeps flying until he can’t fly anymore,” she said. “He just keeps grieving.”

That’s way more dark than Benioff’s explanation, which is that he flew to Volantis. Also, as he told Clarke, “Drogon’s not going to eat you. He’s not a cat. Did you see how gently he was nudging you?” That’s cute, until you remember the decomposing corpse thing.

(Via TVLine and Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon)

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got a surprise new album from Laura Jane Grace, one of the most impressive debut albums of recent memory from Bartees Strange, and another new Song Machine entry from Gorillaz. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

Laura Jane Grace – Stay Alive

Last week, Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace released a new solo album out of the sky. Written and recorded during quarantine, Grace’s lyrics are especially poignant, with her solo vocals taking on an added bite as she tries to find the silver lining in isolation while admonishing the Trump administration.

Shamir – Shamir

On their sixth studio album, Shamir turns up the fuzz and delivers some of their best music to date. The album is jam-packed with infectious melodies and arrangments that touch upon everything from alternative rock to ’90s-inspired pop, making Shamir‘s eleven tracks some of the most interesting and exciting of their career.

Bartees Strange – Live Forever

On his debut album, Bartees Strange is able to sound like Frank Ocean, James Blake, and a dozen others. Live Forever feels like something from a veteran artist, and “Strange’s casual prolificacy with melding guitar rock with R&B, hip-hop, and EDM styles is stunningly showcased,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.

Field Medic – Floral Prince

Ever prolific, it’s only been a bit more than a year since Field Medic released Fade Into The Dawn, a collection of lo-fi folk tracks that put Kevin Sullivan’s lyrical prowess on full display. Floral Prince continues in the same lane, with many of the songs sounding like they were recorded on a four-track and featuring not much more than Sullivan’s guitar and light percussion.

Jonsi – Shiver

After a decade-long hiatus, Sigur Ros mastermind Jonsi has returned with new solo music. Shiver takes on a more urgent approach than his work in Sigur Ros, with big synths and vocal modulation, featuring appearances from Robyn and Cocteau Twins’ Liz Fraser.

Drive-By Truckers – The New OK

Just a few short months after releasing The Unraveling, which Steven Hyden called the year’s “most political rock album,” Drive-By Truckers have unveiled The New OK, another album that was initially inspired by outtakes from The Unraveling. It’s the band’s thirteenth studio album, but they are as impressive as ever, with provocative songwriting and emotional delivery.

Kurt Vile – Speed, Sound, Lonely KV (ep)

Two years removed from his latest solo album, Kurt Vile has shared a collection of two covers, two originals, and a duet with the late John Prine, which Vile called “the single most special musical moment” of his life in a statement. The EP is full of goodness, with dreamy guitars and Vile’s carefree drawl, a welcome return from the man who has delivered some of the most enjoyable guitar music of recent memory.

Gorillaz ft. Elton John & 6LACK – “The Pink Phantom”

Gorillaz have been racking up some pretty impressive talent so far for their collaborative Song Machine series, but they raise the bar significantly with an Elton John feature on the new track “The Pink Phantom.” It’s perhaps the most pop-oriented song that Gorillaz have released since “Feel Good Inc.”, with John’s piano serving as the focal point around which the song moves and evolves.

Beabadoobee – “How Was Your Day?”

One of the brief moments of serenity on Beabadoobee’s debut album Fake It Flowers is “How Was Your Day?” a lo-fi acoustic numbers that was recorded on a four-track cassette recorder in her boyfriend’s garden while her studio was closed around the beginning of the pandemic. Although she’s just 20 years old, Beabadoobee’s songwriting cuts like few other modern artists, and “How Was Your Day?” dives deep into “all the relationships I neglected when I was away from home,” she said in a statement.

Wallows – “Virtual Aerobics”

The new EP from Wallows was written and recorded during the throes of quarantine, but “Virtual Aerobics” sounds as cohesive as any other track the band has released. It features a bouncing chorus that will burrow itself deep inside your brain, and a green screen video that is instantly captivating.

Adrianne Lenker – “Dragon Eyes”

Adrianne Lenker’s two(!!) new solo albums are coming soon, and “Dragon Eyes” is the latest entry into the canon, a sparse but lush number that puts her poetic delivery on full display. As the leaves turn and start to fall from the trees, there isn’t a more perfect moment for new Adrianne Lenker music — take it from the top comment on the song’s official video, which reads “This song turned me into a bird.”

G Flip – “You & I”

The latest single from Australia’s G Flip was written in just a few hours in London from the perspective of the honeymoon phase of a new relationship that ended up falling apart before the song could be released. It’s a jubilant indie pop song about “being able to look at someone and the whole world just becomes background noise to your epic love story and it feels like it’s only you and that other person standing on the planet,” G Flip wrote in a statement.

Romy – “Lifetime”

You might know Romy Madley-Croft from her time in The xx, and now she is getting ready to release her debut solo album under the name Romy. “Lifetime” was produced during lockdown, and revels in the modern daydream of being reunited with friends, family, and loved ones after months apart. It’s an emotional, electronic club track, with poignant and evocative lyrics.

The Big Easy – “Alone/Fake It Till I Make It”

The debut album from Brooklyn’s The Big Easy was written during a period of start-and-stop changes — after going through breakup, vocalist/guitarist Stephen Bethomieux moved out of his parent’s place in New Jersey and into Brooklyn, but then had to quickly turn right back around and move back to Jersey. The tension is palpable on the band’s meditative and propulsive new double single “Alone/Fake It Till I Make It,” which comes accompanied by a music short film about being yourself.

Sinai Vessel – “Guest In Your Life”

It’s been three years since we last heard from Sinai Vessel – on 2017’s Brokenlegged, the lineup expanded to feature a full band, but on the new album Ground Aswim, Sinai Vessel is once again the solo project of Caleb Cordes. “Guest In Your Life” is written from the perspective of a new relationship, although the lyrics look ahead to predict the way it might hypothetically end. It’s a welcome return for Cordes, and a solid indication that Ground Aswim will be well worth the wait.

Goat Girl – “Sad Cowboy”

Recorded just before lockdown, Goat Girl’s new album On All Fours was produced by Dan Carey (Kate Tempest, Black Mid, Franz Ferdinand). The album’s lead single, “Sad Cowboy,” is an adventurous track featuring drum machines, sci-fi synthesizers, digital soundscapes, and dramatic swells of vocal and guitar. For a track about losing touch with reality and trying to navigate a world that constantly feels like a bad dream, the instrumentation often adds an additional level of anxiety to the lyrical material.

The Weak Days – “The Seams”

The Fabric of Our Lives, the new album from The Week Days, is a concept album. It’s an ambitious project from the Lansing, Michigan band, but one that shows the value in going big or going home. “The Seams” is an inflection point in the story of The Fabric Of Our Lives, told through the lens of an emo-inspired arrangement and a guest vocal from Looming’s Jessica Knight.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The White Stripes were one of the most successful and beloved rock bands of the 2000s, and Jack White has remained in the public eye in various capacities since the group disbanded in 2011. While White’s career is going strong, the group’s legacy is one worth celebrating, and that is just what is being done now: Their first greatest hits compilation, appropriately titled The White Stripes Greatest Hits, is set for release on December 4.

To mark the announcement, the duo shared a never-before-seen video of them performing “Ball And Biscuit” in Tokyo, Japan back in October 2003.

The band hasn’t revealed much from the tracklist so far, aside from that it has 26 tracks and one of them is “Ball And Biscuit.” However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the band’s three songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100 (“Seven Nation Army,” “Blue Orchid,” and “Icky Thump”), and probably some of their singles that made it onto the alternative charts as well, like “Fell In Love With A Girl,” “Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground,” “The Hardest Button To Button,” and “My Doorbell.” Also, “We’re Going To Be Friends.”

Watch the “Ball And Biscuit” performance above.

The White Stripes Greatest Hits is out 12/4 via Third Man Records/Columbia Records. Pre-order it here.

Back in June, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream announced it would be changing the culturally appropriated product name “Eskimo Pies” to… something different. After four months, the company has announced a new name for its chocolate-covered ice cream bars. They’re going with “Edy’s Pies” — an honorific to the company’s founder, Joseph Edy. The brand will also stop using the caricature of a young Indigenous child wearing seal fur on its packaging.

This rebranding comes in the wake of massive social upheaval across the U.S. as we grapple with the echoes of chattel slavery, Manifest Destiny, and American colonization. Brands like Uncle Ben’s (now Ben’s Original), Aunt Jemima (rebranding), Cream of Wheat (dropping logo), Mrs. Butterworth (rebranding), Plantation Rum (rebranding), and even the Washington Football Team (rebranding… FINALLY) have taken note of our changing world. And while these responses are easily mocked as superfluous, it’s not completely insignificant to see corporations absorb costs in order to be more culturally sensitive.

Even if that sensitivity is ultimately aimed at selling more ice cream bars. Or syrup.

Dreyer’s — which is owned by international ice cream giant Froneri out of the U.K. — said in their announcement (via The New York Times): “We are committed to being a part of the solution on racial equality, and recognize the term is inappropriate.” While “Eskimo” being classified as a pejorative still seems to be up for debate in the lower 48, the word has been resoundingly dismissed as racially-charged in Canada and across the rest of the Arctic, though it is still used in some parts of Alaska.

So what’s wrong with “Eskimo?”

Not a ton, in theory. The term was used by colonizers to group together all the Indigenous people living the Arctic between Siberia, what is now Alaska and Canada, and Greenland. Of course, those peoples had individual names for their cultures and communities — they are the Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, and Greenlanders or Kalaallit people — but the colonizers were nothing if not efficient in their grouping of massive swaths of humans. Many cultures do that and it’s not always mean spirited. In fact, the term “Eskimo” was likely an outsider word for “people who lived up north,” to begin with. The term is often attributed to the Algonquian-speaking Innu-aimun people (of what’s now Eastern Canada) and translated roughly to “one who laces snowshoes.”

But over the decades, the word grew to be a pejorative for Inuits, Alaska Natives, Siberians, and Greenlanders through usage. Colonizers incorrectly believed “Eskimo” to mean “raw meat eater” or “eater of worms” and historically linked the word with other crude connotations of “savages.” In the present day, at the very best, the term is used to erase identity between a massive swath of varying cultures around the Arctic Ocean across two continents. While at the worst, it carries on the stigmas — created through colonization — of Artic Indigenous people as subhuman.

That may not be enough to prove to you that the word is racially charged, but it’s certainly enough to prove that it doesn’t have to be on an ice cream box. There are better ways to sell candy-coated frozen sugar bricks.

All in all, this feels like a win. And it casts into sharp relief the brands still using offensive or loaded imagery. In fact, here are a few companies that should ponder rebranding ASAP:

• American Spirit — International tobacco company — owned by British American Tobacco — that still uses a stereotypical “Indian in a headdress” logo. It has no affiliation with any Indigenous nation.
• Red Man Chewing Tobacco — Besides the “Red Man” name, this partially Swedish-owned brand still uses a stereotypical “Indian in a headdress” logo. It has no affiliation with any Indigenous nation.
• Indian Motorcycles — Still uses names like “Chief” and “Scout” for their bikes and use a stereotypical “Indian in a headdress” as a logo. The company has no affiliation with any Indigenous nation.
• Miss Chiquita — The original a “sexy” lady banana cartoon was changed to a “Latin” woman in 1987. Chiquita’s history is also rooted in the United Fruit Company which started wars, committed massacres, and overthrew democratically elected governments throughout the Americas so that people in the U.S. could have access to slightly cheaper bananas and pineapples.
• Calumet Baking Powder — Named after a ceremonial Indigenous tobacco pipe and branded with a stereotypical “Indian in a headdress” logo. It has no affiliation with any Indigenous nation.
• Apache Gin — A Belgian owned and operated gin brand that was “influenced” by a trip to Apache Country. It has no affiliation with any Indigenous nation.

Then, of course, there are car brands (Jeep Cherokee, Winnabego), clothing brands (Cherokee, Quechua), and professional sports teams and their damaging mascots and fan “traditions” (Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers). This is simply to say, there’s still a lot of work to do when it comes to undoing racist caricatures and mascot pageantry in our culture.

Is a massive international brand ditching a harmful logo, name, or mascot going to fix the world? Of course not. But at least it’s a start — and reflects the fact that a mostly white and colonial power structure is finally listening to BIPOC voices and concerns on this matter. It’s a step in the right direction. A step towards ending fake or stereotypical imaginary of marginalized cultures — something that we know does harm to the mental health of Indigenous folks.

Perhaps steps like the ones taken by Edy’s Pies, Ben’s Original, and the Washington Football Team will help pave the way towards more equity. Maybe it’s the gateway that will lead towards shedding more light on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit or police killings of Indigenous men or the massive poverty of a majority of Indian Country still lives in. Maybe we’ll get a mainstream Indigenous TV show on the air. Anything is possible!

The thrill of this era of social upheaval is that even gestures like corporate rebranding feel like they’re part of a bigger movement. A movement that might really enact larger change this time. Change that directly impacts communities whose heritage was very nearly obliterated.

One can certainly hope.

Blackpink’s captivating performance at 2019’s Coachella exemplified their global success. As member Jennie put it, “Who would imagine thousands of people singing in Korean.” Ever since, they’ve shattered YouTube records and released their debut record The Album. Fans will now be able to follow Blackpink as they prep for their show-stopping Coachella set through the upcoming Netflix documentary, Blackpink: Light Up The Sky. Netflix just shared the trailer to the documentary, giving fans a taste of the behind-the-scenes footage shown in the film.

Along with offering an exclusive look at their Coachella performance, Light Up The Sky also gives insight into the K-pop group’s dynamic and tight-knit bond. According to the members, they’ve all lived together since they were teenagers in a type of “boarding school” that trained them for artistic success.

The trailer also gives a look at the hardships they faced moving away from their families as young teens, but also depicts the surreal moments where they sing in front of thousands of screaming fans. “All I wanted was for people to see the potential in us,” Jennie said in the preview.

Watch Blackpink’s Light Up The Sky trailer above.

The Album is out now via YG Entertainment/Interscope Records. Get it here.

HBO’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Outsider scored high ratings and also left the door ajar for more. El Cuco had seemingly been defeated, as with the book, but then a final scene showed Holly Gibney apparently afflicted with an El Cuco scratch, so thank you very much for those chills, screenwriter Richard Price. Jason Bateman, who directed some episodes and appeared as Terry Maitland, later told Collider that HBO was considering taking a second swing at the bogeyman, and now, Yul Vazquez (who played Yunis, the voice of reason next to Ben Mendelsohn’s Ralph) is adding fuel to that fire.

Yes, my man, Yunis, survived last season, and the man who portrayed him is suggesting a comeback. While speaking with ComicBook to promote Hulu’s Books of Blood (based upon Clive Barker’s work), Vazquez confirmed that “it’s not a limited series.” He obviously realized that he couldn’t say too much, so he repeated himself, and yup, it sure sounds like what Bateman previously said (“I know that they’re talking about it and Richard Price is playing with some ideas and taking some first steps”) is still to be believed. Bateman had also added that a Season 2 would obviously be “a complete free-ball,” given that Season 1 covered all of King’s book, but Price’s changes to the source material only made the story better, so I have faith that it could happen.

As for Price, he previously suggested to IndieWire that HBO would be game for a second season. “There’s no such thing as a series that, if it does well, they’re not going to want a second season,” he said at the time. Given that the show gathered such an intense following (including horror icon Robert Englund), fingers are crossed over here.

However, we should not expect to see El Cuco host/weird bar manager Claude return, since actor Paddy Considine just joined the Game of Thrones prequel as a lead. And even though people really wanna see more Cynthia Erivo, here’s what I think about a lack of Claude and Doppelganger Claude in a second season.

(Via ComicBook)