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Even though Yellowstone is one of the biggest shows among your midwest relatives (and the whole country for that matter), but the stars still seem pretty shocked at the impact the series has. What other show has a spinoff starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, a bunch of cute cows, and some pesky republican accusations?

The mid-season finale aired this week, and while there were some cliffhangers that won’t be resolved until the series returns this summer, one mystery from the finale has been solved, and that’s who the heck Clara, Dutton’s new ally played by Lilli Kay, was smooching.

Kay spoke with Deadline to reveal the mystery person behind the kiss, and the story is actually quite amusing. The actors were under strict Covid-related precautions while filming, which inspired a last-minute change: “It was written that Clara is making out with someone in the background behind John and Summer. And we were trying to figure out who was easy and comfortable [to cast] who was also in the testing cycle,” Kay explained. The series was filmed over the summer in Missoula.

“My partner, Juli Kocemba, was there with me in Montana so they said, ‘oh, let’s just have you guys make out in the background.’ My partner’s non-binary, se were like, ‘well it’s a gender fluid make out in the background.’” Kay explained, adding that they didn’t think much of it. “We thought, nobody’s gonna make a big a big deal about it. And then a lot of people made a very big deal about it.” As it turns out, some people did notice, and they weren’t happy with the (single, quick, and harmless) kiss.

Kay continued, “It was very funny because I did not expect anyone to even really catch it. And then people were like, lesbians on the range! It was very, very funny. But it was a fun little evening.” Despite the backlash from various unnamed Twitter users, Kay and her partner weren’t fazed. “We got to listen to some really good music and hang out and quietly make out in the background. Lesbians on the ranch!” Lesbians on the ranch! Let’s go lesbians on the ranch!

(Via Deadline)

Donald Trump is scared of running out of Diet Cokes, toilets that don’t flush properly, and “Tiffany (Daughter)” appearing on his phone’s caller ID. Also, sharks. Don’t forget sharks. But there’s only one thing — or, more accurately, one person — he fears.

Back in November, Kellyanne Conway appeared in front of the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot. The transcript from her testimony was released this week, and in it, Trump’s former counselor (the two are on the outs) reveals that she didn’t contact the president on that fateful day — she got in touch with his wife, Melania.

“I texted her, please — something to the effect of, you know, please talk to him, because I know he listens to her,” Conway told the committee. “He listens to many of us, but he reserves fear for one person, Melania.” Donald Trump is like a doofus husband from a 1950s sitcom who’s afraid that his wife (who reportedly called him out for “blowing” the response to COVID-19) is going to kabong his head with a frying pan.

Conway said the first lady “didn’t have her phone,” however, and [was] “preparing for the end of term.” Melania said so herself in a July 2022 Fox News interview — claiming ignorance to the fact that the Capitol was breached. “She didn’t know what was going on,” Conway told the panel. “And I’m offended that nobody ran in there to tell the First Lady of the United States that, I mean, she and her teenage son may be, I don’t know, at risk.”

As a reminder, this is Melania’s alleged response to the violence on January 6th:

These two deserve each other.

(Via the Huffington Post)

It’s an understatement to say that Wednesday is a major hit for Netflix. The show also impeccably timed itself to avoid the October rush of spooky content while aiming for the binge-friendly Thanksgiving weekend, and after three weeks, the show reached the one-billion streaming-hours mark. Still, Netflix seems to be sitting in an odd spot lately, kind of a holding pattern, before they rapidly greenlight followup seasons. We’re still waiting to hear about Season 6 for crowd favorite series Cobra Kai, and The Sandman fans endured a nightmarish wait for Season 2 news, given that the show’s quite expensive, according to Neil Gaiman.

Where does that put Wednesday, though? The notoriously poker-faced Jenna Ortega gave the world an updated title character (following her The Addams Family predecessors) that’s keeping viewers invested, but there’s been no official update as of yet from Netflix. On a speculative note, however, a recent Deadline article (on Amazon closing its deal to acquire MGM) has prompted NME to read between the lines while reflecting on Netflix’s silence:

This, teamed with the recent purchase of the show’s studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) to Amazon, hint that Netflix may lose the rights to the show for any potential second season.

However, Deadline report that Amazon’s MGM deal doesn’t automatically ensure that all content from the producer becomes exclusive to Amazon Prime Video, so Netflix may yet retain the rights for Wednesday season two.

Granted, this could all simply be about Netflix waiting to see how their new year shapes up before making any major Wednesday calls, but the merger aspect is something to consider. Whatever the case, it would be a strange development if we didn’t hear something soonish about Season 2, so that Ortega can get ready to not blink during another dance scene because (let’s get real) there’s gotta be one.

(Via NME & Deadline)

Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bash was clearly the place to be this New Year’s Eve. First, there was the former president ringing in the new year with a truly rousing speech in which he attempted to blame the winter storms for MyPillow King Mike Lindell and Rudy Giuliani being the only people who showed up to his party. Then, Mr. Four Seasons Total Landscaping himself took the time to record and post what might be the most inspiring message he’s ever delivered — only because you couldn’t hear a word he said.

While toasting 2023 with the rest of the MAGA elite (all two of them), Giuliani turned his phone inward and recorded a message for all to hear… but all anyone could hear was whatever band actually agreed to play at Mar-a-Lago busting out a banger rendition of “Footloose.” While Giuliani surprised everyone by having enough sense to actually delete the post after being brutally roasted over it (sorry!), The Independent fortunately kept a copy of it for posterity — and helpfully tried to caption what words could be heard, including “I’m.” If Melania Trump had to guess how that sentence might have ended, she might have gone with: “I’m hoping to catch Melania in her robe a little later.”

Unfortunately, the world will never know what sage words Rudy had for us, but you can watch his message hilariously being rendered moot — and mute — while everybody cuts (everybody cuts) footloose here.

(Via The Independent)

If it comes out that GOP serial bullshit slinger George Santos has offered one big whopper of a lie about anything else in his life, Donald Trump might start getting jealous. The incoming congressman from New York is still scheduled to be sworn in today, despite the fact that he is currently under criminal investigation for lying about pretty much everything about his accomplishments and life in general, including his mother being killed on 9/11. But lying might be the least of his worries.

According to CNN, Santos’ bizarre/brazen/idiotic decision to throw himself into the congressional spotlight with a resume full of lies has led authorities in Brazil to carry on with a more than decade-old fraud investigation into the (supposedly) 34-year-old. Police are requesting a “formal response” from Santos regarding a 2008 incident in which the shiny new congressman — who would have been 19 years old at the time — reportedly spent $700 at a clothing store using a fake name and stolen checkbook. The New York Times reported that Santos originally copped to the caper, and was charged with embezzlement, but never showed up to court.

The case was eventually all but abandoned as Brazilian authorities could not locate Santos. Cut to: a successful congressional campaign in 2022. With Santos’ whereabouts not well known to authorities, Maristela Pereira, a spokesperson for the Rio de Janeiro prosecutor’s office, told CNN that they will be reaching out to the DOJ in order to notify Santos of the outstanding charges against him.

When asked about the charges, Santos told The New York Times: “I am not a criminal here – not here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction in the world. Absolutely not. That didn’t happen.” And if there’s one thing we have learned about Santos, it’s that you can absolutely believe every word that comes out of his mouth.

If convicted, Newsweek reports that Santos could face up to five years in prison.

Meanwhile, his GOP colleagues apparently want nothing to do with Santos, which says a lot.

(Via CNN)

Hip-hop is a culture, but thanks to decades of promotion, it has become a viable career path for many. Rapper Westside Gunn can attest to this. From the release of his music to producing for other acts and even entry into acting, the co-founder of the independent record label Griselda Records has seen his share of success. According to the producer, he is ready to hang it all up.

In a series of tweets, the musician shared, “2023 [will] definitely be my last year doing this sh*t.” His reasoning was, “I don’t have nothing else to prove.”

As a proud Buffalo, New York native, he wrote, “I put my team on. I put my city on. I worked with everybody I ever wanted to work with. Plus, m*therf*ckers still don’t even understand 1-10, FLYGOD, Awesome GOD, or Pray for Paris.”

As fans of the genre know, not many rappers genuinely retire from the music industry. But Gunn assures he is serious about his upcoming plans, writing, “I know I say I’m a retire all the time, so people might be like ‘he always says this.’ Seriously, I’ve been through so much with this sh*t behind closed doors that y’all would never know. It’s brought more pain than joy. I’m just so G that I make it look super easy, but I fight these devils every day.” One of those battles included health complications. The other is lack of support.

After listing out his rather extensive professional resume, Gunn stands on his claims of being the greatest rapper of all time, writing, “I only brought y’all the best art. I elevated the Hip-hop culture. I bridged the gap. I showed people how you could make money. I showed people to never change and do it your way. I’ve literally showed you all […] at an elite level, no compromising!”

Gunn closed out the series of tweets by thanking musicians who have supported him, including Roc Marci, Action Bronson, Alchemist, Skyzoo, Danny Brown, and more.

To say that the brewing world in the US has absolutely exploded in the past twenty-plus years is a ridiculous understatement. Back in 2000, less than 1,500 breweries operated in the country. Today, we have over 9,000. And while there are breweries scattered everywhere from Bangor to Bakersfield, there are also cities where the number of breweries is particularly dense and overall quality is exceptionally high.

We think 2023 is a great time to travel to see them.

Road trips are great — made even better when the long journey ends with a ton of amazing, high-quality beer. Stouts, IPAs, lagers, sour ales, we love them all. But we don’t think just randomly hopping in your car and driving to a random destination in search of beer is the best course of action. Instead, we asked a few of our favorite brewers, craft beer experts, and beer professionals to tell us the absolute best beer cities to visit in 2023. Keep scrolling to see all of their malts and hops-centric can’t-miss destinations.

Tampa Bay

Tyler Adams, the Florida and Georgia territory manager at Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina

That is a hard question because I get to go and see so many great beer cities. Atlanta, Athens, Birmingham, and even Orlando with their great growth over the past couple of years are all fantastic cities in their own right. Although, if I was to plant my flag in a city that I currently think is the best beer city I would have to say Tampa, Florida, and its surrounding areas. I have fantastic beer all across the Southeast but the reason I think Tampa is the best beer city is the spirit collaboration that is ingrained in the beer culture there. Every time I travel to that area, I get to meet with brewers that are constantly collaborating with other brewers in the city, the state, and even from all over the country. It is amazing to see so many people come and share knowledge with each other and make some awesome unique beers. There is no other prime example of this when Tampa Beer Week happens, and you see brewers from all over the nation come and participate in local brew fests and planning collabs for the upcoming year.

So, in short, the reason why I give this city my stamp for best beer city is that I get to see all my favorite brewers come and create awesome innovative brews together. It really captures why craft beer came to be in the first place.

Other Breweries Include:

Green Bench Brewing, Cigar City Brewing, Magnanimous Brewing, and Angry Chair Brewing.

San Diego

Peter Zien, owner of Alesmith Brewing Co. in San Diego

Trying not to show bias, I feel that San Diego is the best beer city for a variety of reasons: First, it is home to over 150 breweries and brewpubs including Internationally known and respected award-winners such as AleSmith, Ballast Point, Lost Abby, Pizza Port, and Stone. San Diego Beer Week is a 10-day celebration of brewing that draws visitors from far and near and out-grosses the world-famous Comic-Con annually according to the San Diego Department of Tourism. The final reason is a single word: comradery.

The San Diego brewing scene is well known for its unusual sense of comradery among its’ brewers and breweries — a rare and wonderful thing.

Other Breweries Include:

Burgeon Beer Co, Fall Brewing, Coronado Brewing, and Pure Project.

Los Angeles

Dave Ziolkowski, head brewer at Arts District Brewing Company in Los Angeles

It’s hard for me to not say the greater Los Angeles area, mainly due to my inability to get out much. But look at the pedigree of brewers that we have here who just keep populating our county with more and more mitosis of talented people launching into projects and sailing high right off the bat. There is a fantastic balance and lightness, brightness, and airiness valued here that I feel can be described as our own drinking terroir versus the more resin and IBU-forward nature of San Diego or the earthy/doughy aspects of Denver’s scene. A very quick namedrop of some of my personal favorites: Ogopogo, Arrow Lodge, Claremont Craft, Common Space, El Segundo, Beachwood, Highland Park, HopSaint, Mumford, and Party Beer Co.

Other Breweries Include:

All Seasons Brewing, Monkish Brewing, Golden Road Brewing, and Boomtown Brewery.

Asheville, North Carolina

Zach Fowle, advanced Cicerone and head of marketing at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, Arizona

I once spent a day walking my way around Asheville, North Carolina. Here’s a list of breweries I was able to hit on foot. Asheville Brewing Co. is an area stalwart and home to the World Beer Cup gold-winning Ninja Porter. New Belgium Brewing Co. constructed a beautiful production facility overlooking the French Broad River (great for people-watching when tubers float by during summer) and offers tours every half hour. Burial Beer Co. is in my top ten breweries in the country, and it has two locations in the city (one of which is the must-visit forestry camp, a repurposed facility built among the trees of Asheville for the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933). Bhramari Brewing Co. is a spot with unique, ingredient-driven beers, upscale food, and a funky aesthetic. And there are many, many more to which my tired feet weren’t able to take me.

Asheville has more breweries per capita than nearly every city in the country, and nearly every one of them is outstanding. No other beer city can compare to its combination of walkability and caliber.

Other Breweries Include:

Wicked Weed Brewing, Ben’s Tune-Up, Hi-Wire Brewing, and One World Brewing.

Denver

Wes Burbank, head brewer at Flix Brewhouse in San Antonio

I haven’t traveled much in the past few years, but my favorite beer city is absolutely Denver. There are world-class examples of just about every imaginable type of beer being made at breweries throughout the city. I have particularly enjoyed Comrade, Crooked Stave, Cohesion, Bierstadt, and Little Machine.

My favorite brewpub is Live Slow, which also has a bowling alley— how cool is that?

Other Breweries Include:

Great Divide Brewing, Call to Arms Brewing, Wynkoop brewing, and TRVE Brewing.

Portland, Oregon

Kaylen Gibbens, assistant brewmaster at Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Oregon

I’m definitely biased, but I think Portland is the best beer city. We have loads of talented brewers making solid beer. A couple of breweries I really like that I don’t work at are Steeplejack and Breakside because they both have great beer as well as great food. Currently, there are more than seventy breweries in and around Portland. There’s definitely something for every beer drinker. It’s a city where you’ll never run out of new and exciting breweries to try.

Other Breweries Include:

Wayfinder Beer, Occidental Brewing, Cascade Brewing, and Culmination Brewing.

Fort Collins, Colorado

Ryan Joy, lead brewer at Green Flash Brewery in San Diego

It’s a toss-up between San Diego and Fort Collins, Colorado. But I’m going to go with my original hometown, Fort Collins. You can throw a rock in just about any direction and hit a brewery. There are concentrated pockets throughout town making it very easy to visit multiple breweries in a short amount of time.

With nearly thirty to choose from, there is something for everyone but my must-stop breweries are Funkwerks and Zwei Brewing. Funkwerks makes some of the best Belgian-inspired beers in the country. Their saison is the standard bearer for the style but my go-to is the strong saison known as Tropic King. Zwei Brewing on the south side of town might be the most underrated brewery in Colorado, but the people who know, know because this place is busy seven days a week. Order from the left side of the menu for perfectly crafted German-style lager and Weissbier (their specialties) or look to the right side of the menu for great examples of IPA, fruited sour, and the occasional offering in the Belgian style.

Other Breweries Include:

Odell Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Snowbank Brewing, Equinox Brewing, and Intersect Brewing.

Milwaukee

Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin

Every day of my life I teeter-totter between thinking Denver is the best beer city and Milwaukee, (basically my backyard) is the best beer city. In my eyes, Denver wins because of the walkability to so many breweries near each other. Then Milwaukee wins because of the sheer volume of innovation that happens–you have some creating AI-inspired beers, others relaunching pre-prohibition beers, some contract brewing wild brews that get sent out across the nation. The list goes on. In Denver, check out Woods Boss. In Milwaukee, check out Amorphic. If I had to pick one, it would be Milwaukee because of its mix of historical and contemporary brewing.

Other Breweries Include:

Eagle Park Brewing, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee Brewing Co, and MobCraft Beer.

Portland, Maine

Kyle Warren, lead brewer at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company in Framingham, Massachusetts

I have been traveling to Portland, Maine in search of great beer for years and have never been disappointed. Portland has a wide variety of breweries to explore that specialize in everything from old-world Belgian-inspired beers to everything one could want from new-school hype. Taprooms like Oxbow’s Blending and Bottling are plentiful. Complete with seasonal outdoor spaces, food trucks, if not full-on food programs, and they all tend to be fully booked with various events showcasing the music, art, and culture of Portland and beyond. If taprooms aren’t your thing, spots like Novare Res have curated draft lists that rival most craft beer bars throughout the world. What’s most impressive is that the service industry as a whole in Portland celebrates its local offerings. I have yet to walk into a bar or restaurant that isn’t serving up several offerings of tasty brews from a brewery in their city. My advice, bundle up and head there in the winter. The hotels are cheap, the restaurants slow down a bit, you’re far less likely to run into any bachelor or bachelorette parties and the beer is still very, very abundant.

Other Breweries Include:

Allagash Brewing, Bissell Brothers Brewing, Lone Pine Brewing, and The Shipyard Brewing Company.

Without Barbara Walters blazing the trail for women anchors, there would be no Megyn Kelly, and the ex-Fox News host made sure to mention that fact while recognizing the passing of Walters, who died at age 93 ahead of the New Year’s weekend. However, things took a surprisingly less reverent turn when Kelly started criticizing Walters’ parenting shortly after praising the late newswoman’s groundbreaking work.

“There is no question that this woman was a trailblazer in news and accomplished feats that would never really be matched and could never be matched,” Kelly said. “She made it in a time when women weren’t being taken seriously and when it was very hard to be considered as a serious news person, right? And all of us who have come in her wake owe her a debt of gratitude on that front.”

With that flowery introduction out of the way, Kelly started tearing into Walters being an absent mother to her adopted daughter. Via Mediaite:

“What I saw was an incredible person professionally. And I would never take one moment of that away from her. But a woman who completely fell down on the job when it came to her mothering.”

“It was jarring to me, her admissions about her own mothering and also what her book said without her seeming to realize it about her lane there as a mom. She talked about how she adopted a little girl named — she named her Jackie after Barbara’s sister. And the daughter never saw her mother,” Kelly added.

Kelly then took things even further by citing how Mike and Chris Wallace patched things up after the iconic 60 Minutes anchor confessed to being a “sh*tty father.” No such resolution happened with Walters, according to Kelly.

“My impression in reading the book was she was clueless about just how much damage she was inflicting on the child,” she said.

What a touching… tribute?

(Via Mediaite)

The Piano Recital is set to make a return to Carnegie Hall in New York City this year, after a five-year hiatus. The Piano Recital puts some of the best acts in music at the venue’s solo piano on the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage.

Taking the stage this year are Michelle Zauner, better known as Japanese Breakfast, as well as Kevin Morby, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, Phil Cook, and Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats and Bonny Light Horseman.

“Playing a unique gig like The Piano Recital is always a true joy,” said Johnson in a statement. “I played the first incarnation of it some years back and it was a blast – a great memory that lives on. To be able to return to it, this time at a legendary spot like Carnegie Hall, is like a dream come true.”

The upcoming show is one of what may be several exciting projects Zauner has in the books for 2023. Back in 2021, Zauner released her memoir, Crying In H-Mart. In October 2022, she revealed the book is in the process of being adapted for a film during an interview with Elle.

“I’m working on final revisions of the script for the studio,” she said, noting that before the interview, “I was actually writing a teenage argument between me and my mom. Hopefully, we’ll be attaching a director soon.”

The Piano Recital will take place on February 25 at 8 pm. Tickets are available for purchase here.

You can check out the full lineup below.

A new year brings new questions about the flood of new and returning TV shows and wannabe blockbuster films. Is there still magic in Indiana Jones’ fedora? Can Yellowjackets top itself? What’s the next beloved show headed for the exit? Will people flock to Barbie? And what, exactly, is going on with DC? Thoughts and theories on all of the above can be found here with Uproxx writers Jessica Toomer and Jason Tabrys debating the finer points of these big questions as we kickstart our month-long 2023 entertainment preview.

What’s The Deal With DC?

Jason Tabrys: So we know a few things: Black Adam is not in James Gunn’s plans. Henry Cavill is also not in James Gunn’s plans. We’ve got Shazam, Blue Beetle, Aquaman 2, and Flash coming this year (I guess). But it’s hard to know what matters in the overall architecture of what’s next for DC since we don’t know the plan yet; we don’t even know how the plan’s going to be introduced. Blue Beetle is a film James Gunn has promoted. So maybe that one has an inside track to being a part of whatever’s next, especially if Booster Gold is a part of it — which feels like a very James Gunn character. And then there’s the Flash, and everything with Ezra Miller. How do you determine what matters and what doesn’t with the DC universe at this point?

Jessica Toomer: I think it’s safe to just assume nothing matters. I would hope that fans who like these movies will enjoy what will probably be the last run of a lot of them. I mean, I think DC is unloading Flash just because it doesn’t want to lose money. I think they’ll wash their hands of it. I think Shazam might have a place because it is a kind of weird character that does connect some different universes. But I don’t think James Gunn is going to be able to do his quirky, off-beat bit with every new superhero and movie DC is trying to introduce in this next phase. I think he’s going to be limited in that a little bit because they are trying to build basically what Marvel has

Tabrys: That might not be a glitch. That might be a feature for him to keep expanding the idea of what he’s able to do. Which is something he’s done before. Guardians Of The Galaxy has a lot more heart and sentiment than Slither. I guess the bigger question that I have is, can these films change the course of whatever’s coming next? If people are like ‘Hot, damn, we’ve got to throw some Avatar money at Shazam,’ is that going to change things?

Toomer: Based on the rumors and what’s been confirmed, I don’t think anything’s going to change the plan that they’re brewing at this point.

Will The Reboot Boom Take Off In 2023?

Tabrys: We’ve got a lot of franchises that are eager to jump back to the forefront this year. There’s a new Transformers movie coming, there’s a new Hunger Games prequel coming from Francis Lawrence, the Wonka film with Timothée Chalamet is en route, Indiana Jones 5 is also dropping. Are these films going to be able to have the same popularity that preceeding iterations have had?

Toomer: No. I’m being very negative right now, but no, I don’t think so. I think Indiana Jones might have a good chance only because that franchise is so beloved. Harrison Ford is a bona fide movie star and then they’re adding Phoebe Waller-Bridge, so it does seem exciting where they’re taking it. I don’t think people have cared about Transformers in a hot minute. I think that’s the same issue with this Hunger Games prequel, plus they’re making the weird choice to focus on the origin story of the villain of that original trilogy. At the moment, nothing has built the kind of excitement it needs to cut through the noise, save Indiana Jones. But hey, there’s still time.

Tabrys: I’ll admit, I am very curious about Indiana Jones. I’m a huge fan, but I don’t know that the movie is going to be a gargantuan hit. It’s going to need Top Gun: Maverick buzz, where people are blown away by how broadly appealing the story is, and by how much of a crowd-pleaser it is. They can’t just lean on nostalgia here. They actually have to break the mold and tell a story.

The last time they made a truly great, celebrated Indiana Jones film was in 1989. So I have a little anger toward the Indiana Jones franchise. I feel like in a lot of ways they’ve let it just sort of rot on the vine for 30 years. So I’m curious if this film is actually going to captivate large swaths of people. I don’t think you can just market a film that’s going to appeal to 40-year-old and 50-year-old guys anymore. I don’t know that this isn’t going to just rest on that built-in audience. Top Gun was fighter jets and shit blowing up versus, what, an old dude with a hat and a whip? I feel like I’m going to burst into fan hell flames here saying all this, but I don’t feel like it has the same visual pop. I’m hopeful that I’ll be proven wrong.

Toomer: As am I, but then, I am always hoping you’ll be proven wrong.

Should We Get Ready To Say Goodbye?

Toomer: I think I would like for us collectively to be a bit more critical about when the right time to end a show is. I think the Ted Lasso team has said they had a number in mind and I hope that they stick to that number. I’m for shows going out on top. I appreciate that. I want them to stick the landing and not just kind of leave us on a cliff or linger until we lose interest. I think with something like Barry , I know you’ve said to me you don’t know where else they can go.

Tabrys: With Barry, it’s not that they’ve run out of things. I just can’t conceive of where they’ll go from here, but I said that before last season and they delivered a magnificent season. Maybe their best while spreading the ball around to the entire cast in really inspiring ways. But I naturally wonder, with the way it ended (and I’m trying to be gentle and not spoil), if the end game is near. But I fully expect Bill Hader to make me look like a schmuck by dropping another 5 seasons of brilliance on us and/or by completely reconstructing what the show is a la Atlanta.

As far as the overall thing of less is more, I’m really mixed on the idea. People get joy from these shows. People get jobs from these shows. If there’s a reason to keep running them and people are still getting joy, then, screw it. If it’s the same core folks behind the scenes and in front of the camera and people are still loving it, I hope these shows run for as long as everybody still gets joy and a paycheck out of it.

Toomer: I guess we’re just different. I’m a story purist, Jason, and you are trash for ratings.

Tabrys: No, I am a bringer and celebrator of joy. You keep your art. I’ll keep my happiness.

Is Barbie Going To Be A Hit?

Toomer: I’m worried because I think Barbie is going to be a bit smarter than people think. Some people got the references in its first full-length trailer and some people didn’t. That’s why I worry about Barbie. I think it might be too smart for us. I think Greta Gerwig has more than proven she can make this kind of material work. She’s a pro at writing for women and her last two films have performed well at the box office, but both Little Women and Lady Bird were holiday releases. She hasn’t had a Summer blockbuster drop yet and that’s just a whole different beast. Barbie is going to be competing with the kind of wild action epics and superhero stories that want to be the next Top Gun so… I’m not saying ‘dumb things down’ but I think marketing this thing is going to be key. It’ll deliver either way but it’s got to be more than just, what did you call it Jason when we were planning this, ‘internet famous?’

Tabrys: Yeah, films like Barbie and Cocaine Bear are going to get so much attention on social and on film twitter that I worry that they’re going to be taken for granted or pigeonholed by the conversation (Barbie is camp! Cocaine Bear is chaos!). I’m worried marketing departments are going to see the buzz and assume these things are in the bag but these are films that, like you said, are going to maybe have a tougher time hooking people (no capes, no cowls!) to actually put money on the counter, which is a bigger ask than asking them to ReTweet or pass around a candy-colored meme of Ryan Gosling in a denim vest.

Will Yellowjackets Live Up To The Hype?

Tabrys: There are so many questions about Yellowjackets. This show came out of nowhere. Is it possible to live up to the hype and actually pull this off again?

Toomer: How dare you?!

Tabrys: I want it to! But is it possible?

Toomer: Of course it is. You know how I feel about this show. Do you want to end our friendship right here?

Tabrys: Fine, fine. And yes, I know you ride or die for this show. You were telling me it was going to be a hit well before it debuted.

Toomer: Girls’ soccer team, cannibals, survival drama. What’s not to love about that?

Tabrys: It’s become this pop culture phenomenon. Let me alter my approach. It’s not can they do it again, but how do they do it again?

Toomer: When I interviewed Juliette Lewis, it seemed like they had a clear idea of how many seasons they wanted and where they were going. I feel like they’ve plotted the story out enough that it’s not going to be impacted too much by people’s expectations. I guess I could always be wrong … but I never am and I don’t think that Yellowjackets is going to disappoint in season two. It’s got a lot of questions to answer. I think it will answer some questions and then pose even more. I’m just really proud of the nineties alt-girl casting and I’m excited to see the gang back together. Now, if you really want to ask a question, let’s talk about whether they’re going to eat that baby this season.

Tabrys: Let’s not. I am very much a believer that Yellowjackets will deliver. I think you hit on something very important though, and that is the problem of trying to exist in a vacuum when shows hit. It’s the biggest question about Yellowjackets. Can they avoid falling into that trap of listening to people on the outside? They nailed the formula in season one. They should stick with what worked and ignore any other outside advice about what did or didn’t work.

Toomer: I think you’re right. And that’s where sometimes a show like Lost fell off for me. At a certain point, there’s a conscious effort to create mysteries that fans couldn’t solve or that have twists that blow people’s minds. Some of the fun of shows like this is that fans get together on the internet and try to solve them and if they solve plot points, that should be okay. You don’t have to always be a hundred steps ahead of the audience. My only worry with Yellowjackets is that the need to keep audiences guessing, to be so much smarter than the audience, will eventually start to dictate its storytelling.