Five years have passed since USA Network’s Suits aired a series finale and briefly followed up with a Pearson series (starring Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson) that was cancelled. The show seemed destined for the memory vault, but in June 2023, Suits came to Netflix and launched a full Summer of Suits that hasn’t ended yet. Early this year, NBCUniversal decided that the time was right to launch a full-fledged spin off series that takes the action from New York to Los Angeles, and everything is now starting to come together with promising news related to the production’s logistics and finances.

Perhaps credit for a Suits renaissance is also down to interest in Meghan Markle, yet it’s clear that the appetite remains for successful sudsy prime-time series to spin off while retaining their brand in new cities. Let’s take a peek at what we can expect next from this soapy legal world that hails from the mind of showrunner Aaron Korsh, who originally created Suits while envisioning “something in the tone of Entourage that took place on Wall Street.”

Plot

Times. Have. Changed. Obviously, the the world isn’t exactly hearing about an Entourage spin off, so Suits went in the right direction while leaving Wall Street. Now, nine seasons of the Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams-starring series remains in heavy rotation on Netflix, and the spin off is not only leaping from NYC to LA but is switching practice areas. Suits LA will revolve around an entertainment and criminal law firm launched by Ted Black (Stephen Amell), who is also a New York guy adapting to the West Coast lifestyle.

Before we move onto story details, it’s worth noting that this series is now shooting on location rather than in Canada. That ball went into motion in July when NBCUniversal issued a full-season order based upon the completed pilot, and filming went into high gear as of August 1. As Deadline reports, the entire production relocated at that time from Vancouver to LA, where the show will benefit from new tax incentives and also received $12 million from the state for the first season. According to Korsh, this will lend more authenticity to the show as the character navigate entertainment law:

“Suits LA is a show whose characters are deeply ensconced in the world of film and television. Being able to shoot here will be a huge part of the show’s authenticity. More importantly, thanks to the Soundstage Program, we’re able to provide employment for Los Angeles-based cast and crew who have been starving for opportunities at home.”

Now back to the story that we can expect. As noted above, Ted will be portrayed by Stephen Amell, recently seen shirtless and sweaty in Starz’ Heels wrestling drama. He is looking forward to doing more talking and less punching, and although he wasn’t a Suits watcher, he quickly caught up.

Meanwhile, Ted’s partner in crime legal business would be Stewart Lane and embodied by Josh McDermitt, who is most fondly remembered by audiences as Eugene in AMC’s The Walking Dead. The dude has range as revealed by that character alone — who went from not being able to defend himself from a single walker to crafting his own bullets. Now that he’s better dressed and groomed, McDermitt’s character will be equipped to begin Suits: LA by helping Ted Black save his fledgling firm. From the synopsis:

Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York, has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. His firm is at a crisis point, and in order to survive he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career. Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives. All of this is going on while events from years ago slowly unravel that led Ted to leave behind everything and everyone he loved.

Considering Ted Black’s bicoastal status, there should be a window open for him to be familiar with Gabriel Macht’s Harvey Specter. Whether we will see Macht remains to be confirmed, although Patrick J. Adams (as Michael Ross) will likely be too busy with his upcoming Taylor Sheridan gig for Suits: LA face time. That still leaves Sarah Rafferty and Gina Torres as cameo options, but Meghan Markle remains occupied with duchessing, and we will simply stay tuned for word on any Suits characters who could make a guest-star leap.

Cast

The Walking Dead fans should get a kick out of McDermitt as the confident Stuart Lane, partner of Amell’s Ted Black. Other cast members include Rachelle Goulding, Victoria Justice, Troy Wingush, Bryan Greenberg, Lex Scott Davis, John Amos, Kevin Weistman, and Alice Lee.

Release Date

Suits: LA was originally slotted into NBCUniversal’s 2024-2025 plans, and as time ticked away and other new and returning series went public with release dates, 2025 began been looking more and more likely. With the show picking up production and moving from Vancouver to Los Angeles, this could potentially push the release to Fall 2025, but the good news is that those substantial tax incentives from California will make a longer-lasting series more possible.

Trailer

With filming ongoing for months, we can hope that a teaser arrives before too long. In the meantime (and since it’s Emmys weekend), feel free to revisit this 2024 Golden Globes onstage reunion from several original cast members.

Earlier this year, Uproxx launched The SOUND+VISION Awards, a first-of-its-kind celebration of creative direction designed to bring our audience closer to the visionary collaborators who empower artists and help drive music culture forward.

On September 22, 2024, we’ll host creative directors, stars, and storytellers at our first IRL awards ceremony. The event will be held at will.i.am’s FYI Campus in Hollywood. Hosted by comedian/musician Reggie Watts with musical performances by J. Rocc and Isaiah Collier, the event will feature a star-studded list of attendees and presenters.

Honorees include:

• Tino Schaedler creative director for Travis Scott, Andre 3000, and SAULT.
• Adrian Martinez, creative director for Bad Bunny and 6lack.
• Tyler, The Creator’s headline performance at Camp Flog Gnaw.
• ODESZA’s live show lead, Sean Kusanagi.

Eric Haze – the designer behind some of the most revered logos in music history – is being given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“This award show is core to what Uproxx is all about as a brand,” says CEO Jarret Myer. “It lives at the intersection of design, culture, music, and lifestyle.”

Uproxx is partnering with Hennessy for the event, with bespoke cocktails planned for both the brunch and event portions of the day. Oysters and caviar will be served, along with a range of small plates, created by the culinary design studio AnanasAnanas.

If you didn’t get the elusive invite, fear not – Uproxx will share photos by Indie Sleaze icon ToastyCakes next week, along with recipes for the bespoke Hennesey cocktails featured throughout the event.

The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from Babyface Ray, Joey Badass, and Playboi Carti.

Do y’all see what happens when you hype up rap beef like that? Seemingly the whole industry is reluctant to drop thanks to the possibility of being overshadowed by a surprise release from Drake or Kendrick Lamar, leaving us with one of the thinnest weeks for new music all year. (It also probably doesn’t help that the VMAs were this week, curtailing any attention being given to new releases, as well.)

Still, we did get a “Murdergram Deux” video from LL Cool J and Eminem:

An untitled new song from Kendrick Lamar addressing the state of the industry.

A slew of great VMAs performances from Eminem, GloRilla, LL Cool J, and Megan Thee Stallion.

The return of Playboi Carti with “All Red” his first “official” single in almost four years.

And Joey Badass’ romantic new single “Tell Me” with burgeoning R&B superstar Chlöe.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending September 13, 2024.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Babyface Ray — The Kid That Did

Babyface Ray makes motivational music for Motor City’s downtrodden, and his latest could be the peak of his career so far. With only two features — Bossman Dlow and Peezy — it’s largely a solo effort for the Detroit upstart, but he manages to keep things lively throughout with a wide array of production styles and an elastic delivery that allows him to change speeds at will and match all kinds of moods on the 20 songs.

Jay Worthy & MadeinTYO — Time After Time

Two names that I wouldn’t have normally put together in my head join forces for a smooth collection of vibey lifestyle raps. With very jazz-heavy, laid-back beats, the focus can stick to the imaginative storytelling both rappers are best known for. While their collaboration is unexpected, it’s a welcome and pleasant surprise, displaying some solid chemistry between the cross-coastal duo.

Singles/Videos

1Up Tee — “Broken”

Detroit rapper 1Up Tee was sidelined by a near-fatal car wreck, but turns pain into profit with his new single, “Broken,” with a flip of Johnny Cash’s “Hurt.”

Cousin Stizz — “Nokia” Feat. Smino

It’s been a while since we last heard from either of these alt-rap mainstays, but on their new collaboration, they make the wait worth it.

Fat Joe — “Paradise” Feat. DJ Khaled & Anitta

Fat Joe takes it waaaay back with his new single, combining ’80s electro-hop sensibilities with modern summertime rap. It kinda works.

IDK — “Kickin’”

Part of a double release with his prior single, “Tiffany,” IDK’s “Kickin’” is a concrete-solid display of his tongue-twisting rap skill.

Kal Banx — “Hop Out Cho Feelings” Feat. Smino & Buddy

The frequent TDE producer teams up with Compton neighbor Buddy and Smino (who’s on a bit of a comeback run) for a soulful smoker.

Monaleo — “Passenger Princess” Feat. Stunna 4 Vegas

The Texas native’s bar work improves by the release, and on “Passenger Princess,” she puts in extra effort, topping herself and her beau(?) Stunna 4 Vegas.

Ray Vaughn — “Everybody Dies” Feat. SiR

The Long Beach native gets introspective on his latest, jazz-inflected single release.

Wale — “What’s The Play”

Wale’s comeback continues with a woozy meditation on nighttime moves.

Panda Express and First We Feast’s Hot Ones are teaming up for a new dish, and as fans of both the show and spicy fast food, we couldn’t be more excited. Given how much of a cultural force Hot Ones is, we’re not sure how there haven’t been more fast food tie-ins, but we aren’t too mad at it because right now the brand is working with a spotless record. We’ll take quality over quantity any day.

Back in 2022, Hot Ones teamed up with Shake Shack, resulting in our favorite chicken sandwich of the year (and a pretty great burger as well) and even managed to make Shake Shack’s fries palatable (I’ve made it no secret that I think Shake Shack’s fries are its weakest menu option). For 2023, Hot Ones kept things relatively quiet by linking up with Panda Express and testing Blazing Bourbon Chicken in select markets. It must’ve been a success because now, a year later, the dish has gone nationwide.

Panda Express is calling the Blazing Bourbon Chicken its “spiciest dish,” to which we say — challenge accepted! The dish features boneless chicken wok-tossed with veggies in a bourbon sauce that has been made with Hot Ones’ coveted Last Dab Apollo sauce. We picked up the new dish and gave it a taste, here are our thoughts.

Blazing Bourbon Chicken

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I’m going to come right out and say it — if you’re looking for a super spicy dish, keep looking because this isn’t it. I’d describe the Blazing Bourbon Chicken heat level as mild. I suppose “Mild Bourbon Chicken,” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, so I get where Panda Express and Hot Ones are coming from with the name. Having said that, I wouldn’t write off the Blazing Bourbon Chicken just because it doesn’t deliver the heat, because this dish is f*cking delicious, and as much as I love spicy food, at the end of the day all that matters is whether what I’m eating is tasty.

The Blazing Bourbon Chicken is heavily breaded with a crispy corn-starch-based breading that serves as the perfect sponge to soak up its rich, slightly smokey, sweet, and mild sauce. The flavor begins with a sweet honey and maple vibe, with gentle smoked notes, and a subtle fruitiness. The heat isn’t really present until you’ve had a few bites, where it starts to slowly build on your taste buds, which results in a mouthwatering gentle heat. It might not reach “blazing” levels of spice, but the mild heat is still pretty addicting and had us rushing through the meal.

The sesame seeds dusted on the chicken are purely decorative, they don’t impart much flavor, but the combination of green bell peppers and onions help to add some a vegetal counterbalance to all the sweetness, helping the dish to come across as much more savory and nuanced.

The Bottom line:

Overall, the Blazing Bourbon Chicken is a delicious addition to the Panda Express menu and is worth a trip and the money. Even if the heat doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of a Hot Ones collaboration.

Warning: spoilers for Emily In Paris season four below.

By the end of Emily In Paris season four, Emily ditched her berets and baguettes for a new chapter in Rome, but there’s no way she would really leave with all that unfinished business, right? While a fifth season of everyone’s favorite comfort watch has not yet been confirmed, creator Darren Star has high hopes for Emily and co.

In episode 10, Emily accepts a short-term role in Rome, though Star doesn’t think it’s the end for her Parisian adventures. When asked if the season finale was supposed to act as a series finale, Star said he fully intends to finish these storylines. He told Deadline, “No, no, definitely something to segue into other seasons. For me, it ends on a cliffhanger. It doesn’t end on a final note.” Star then said confirmed that he is hopeful for another season of the Netflix hit.

In a separate interview with IndieWire, Star says that it was only natural to get Emily out of her comfort zone for a bit. “Just at the point that Emily has gotten comfortable in Paris, she’s sort of thrown into another country where she’s going to experience some cultural differences. And also, I think there’s cultural differences to explore — and we do — between French and Italians. It’s a whole new world, but it doesn’t mean that we’re leaving Paris.”

Of course, she’ll go back to Paris eventually! She just needs to consume massive amounts of authentic gelato first.

Emily in Paris is now streaming on Netflix.

(Via Deadline)

How much trouble would you go through for a free month of Netflix? Your answer may vary depending on what’s streaming at the moment.

If you’re a Stranger Things fan, odds are good that you already have a subscription to the streaming service. Whatever your status is, Netflix wants to offer you a free month of the service…with a slight catch.

Ahead of the new Stranger Things Broadway production, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Netflix will grant one free month of the streamer for first-time subscribers who purchase tickets to the show, which will debut next spring. Tickets for the public will go on sale at 11:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, and the 30-day Netflix subscription will be offered via a gift card.

So in order to get that free month (worth approx. $15.99) you just have to purchase a ticket to Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Marquis theaters. Easy enough! Tickets start at $80, though, so you have to be the one to decide if it’s worth it. Keep in mind that there’s a whole new batch of Emily in Paris episodes on there just waiting to be watched!

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is based on an original story from the Duffer Brothers that takes place before the Netflix series. Casting has yet to be announced, but if you want to secure the deal, you need to purchase by September 30th. Here is the official synopsis for the show, which will debut in April 2025:

Before the world turned upside down. Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously, and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.

(Via IndieWire)

If you were to drink them side by side, you might have a difficult time telling the differences between porters and stouts. The ingredients and flavors aren’t too drastically different — mostly, it comes down to the malts used. Stouts are often made with unmalted roasted barley. This is why you’ll find slightly smoky, roasty, coffee-like flavors when you sip a stout. Porters on the other hand, are made simply with malted barley. This is partly why porters are known to be sweeter.

To find some experts to sound off porters and stouts, we asked a handful of well-known brewers and craft beer experts to tell us the most underrated, underappreciated, and undervalued riffs on these beers currently on the market. Keep scrolling to see all of their picks. When an unseasonably cool fall night hits, you’ll be glad you did.

Societe The Butcher

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

ABV: 9.6%

Average Price: $13.99 for a four-pack

The Beer:

It’s rare these days to find a stout without vanilla, syrup, or all manner of nuts stuffed inside, but Societe’s The Butcher has been quietly slicing up lesser beers with nary an adjunct for nearly a decade.

Tasting Notes:

Chewy as the last pour of coffee from a French press, the beer coats the tongue with notes of espresso and nut shells, while dark cherries, blackstrap molasses, and torched marshmallows mingle at the edges. It’s a classic flavor profile, and an approach to stout so method it should be played by Daniel Day-Lewis.

Creature Comforts Koko Buni

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

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Creature Comforts’ Koko Buni has a lot going for it. It’s underrated because people might be turned off by the robustness of ingredients, but it’s ultimately a drinkable milk porter because the flavors work in harmony.

Tasting Notes:

From toasted coconut flavors to chocolate cocoa nibs and then layers of coffee complexity. It’s a can’t miss fall beer.

Snake River Speargun

Jody Valenta, co-president and COO of Roadhouse Brewing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

ABV: 4.3%

Average Price: $11.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

I’m not sure it’s underrated (at least in Wyoming), given the sheer number of medals gracing its existence, but I’ll say I always know it’s winter in Jackson Hole when I get my first Speargun Stout at neighboring Snake River Brewery.

Tasting Notes:

This buzz-worthy, creamy and rich stout has earned its gold accolades and its place in a glass right in front of me.

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout

Amy Cartwright, co-founder of Independence Brewing in Austin, Texas

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $10.99 for a four-pack

The Beer:

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout deserves way more acclaim than it gets. It’s a well-known name but definitely doesn’t get the respect it deserves. It’s a very well-made, flavorful stout.

Tasting Notes:

While overshadowed by Guinness, Young’s delivers all of the creamy chocolate and roasty character I like in a stout. It’s a wildly complex, rich beer.

Hercule Stout

Daniel Gadala-Maria, brewer at Finback Brewery in Glendale, New York

ABV: 9%

Average Price: $9.15

The Beer:

Hercule is uncommon and wonderful. It’s a Belgian stout. It combines the roasted flavors found in stouts with the dryness and distinctive spice characteristics that come from Belgian yeast.

Tasting Notes:

It’s complex, malty, perfectly dry, and gently hopped. It’s a remarkable beer that needs to be tasted to be believed.

Hogshead Hog’s Extra Stout

Enrique Vittorino, brand manager at Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami

ABV: 5.4%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

I think Hog’s Stout from Hogshead, out in Denver, Colorado is a highly underrated stout. It’s definitely not a household name. But one sip and you’ll be hooked by its rich, robust, complex aroma and flavor.

Tasting Notes:

It is an outstanding stout with a dry, smooth, chocolaty, medium-bodied flavor profile. Pure unalloyed liquid joy.

Guinness Stout

Rob Day, vice president of marketing at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Massachusetts

ABV: 4.2%

Average Price: $8.49 for a four-pack

The Beer:

Guinness Stout. That is if you could consider it underrated. I think many people overlook Guinness because of how big they are, but it’s a damn near perfect stout. Can a beer this popular still be underrated? I think yes.

Tasting Notes:

It’s loaded with chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt flavor while being surprisingly light and drinkable. If that’s not underrated, I don’t know what is.

Westbound and Down Western Justice

Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak & Yeti Brewpub and Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado

ABV: 14.2%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

Westbound and Down BA Western Justice Beers. They come in an eight-ounce can and the batch sizes aren’t quite tiny enough to garner the hype of an upstart brewery. So, you have awesome portions with un-hyped packaging and batch sizes, which makes it one of the best stouts in Colorado that you can actually get without reserving or lining up.

Tasting Notes:

It’s new school stout in all the best ways, good chocolate, but with enough of a bittering balance, and a lot of barrel character. It has the mouthfeel to hold that bourbon, but it isn’t particularly cloying for modern-day stouts. You can tell they were thinking entirely of the customer when making this beer, from package to taste.

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald

Ryan Joy, lead brewer at Green Flash Brewing Company in San Diego

ABV: 6%

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Edmund Fitzgerald from Great Lakes Brewing. Branded as a porter, instead of a stout (what really is the difference, anyway?) is heralded, but still underrated. It’s also hard for me to get very frequently.

Tasting Notes:

Bitter, dark chocolate, and roasted coffee notes with some underlying sweetness make this beer delightfully rich yet easy to drink. Always a beer I look for on my yearly visit to Ohio.

The Emmys have a strange sense of humor.

In its 76th year, the awards show’s frontrunner in nearly every comedy category belongs to a dramatic grease trap brimming with dysfunctional sandwich shop workers on the brink of a mental breakdown. We’re talking about The Bear, of course, the fast-paced FX/Hulu series that follows a group of back-of-house chefs trying to transform a family-owned Chicago beef spot. The show racked up plenty of hardware in its first season, scoring actor, series, and supporting actor wins when the Emmys aired its rescheduled ceremony earlier in the year. And, just a few months later, the Christopher Storer created breakout is poised to do it again. This time around, it’s the show’s second season that’s enjoying the spotlight, a frenetic fever-dream that whipped fans back and forth through time, space, and Copenhagen to plot the Berzatto clan’s personal and professional turmoil. With 23 nominations – the most ever in a single year for a comedy series – The Bear broke an awards show record previously held by NBC’s gag-a-minute sitcom, 30 Rock, and in doing so, it might’ve just spotlighted one of the Emmys’ biggest problems … it takes comedy too seriously.

It’s true that humor is subjective, so naturally, nailing down a set of rules that clearly define what’s funny and what’s not is always going to be an exercise in imperfection. But the Academy has tried. Currently, the Emmys define a comedy as a program “where the majority of the running time of at least six episodes are primarily comedic.” That standard has changed over the years – at one point, a show’s runtime had the final say in which category it belonged – and because of it, nominees have see-sawed between comedy and drama designations. During Orange Is The New Black’s run, the Netflix prison dramedy bounced from a comedy to a drama after a panel of experts decided it was too heavy to hang with shows like Veep, Parks and Rec, and Modern Family. But if a show filled with jokes about mythical chickens and prison pageants, inmates-turned influencers and panty-selling-Ponzi-schemes was deemed too dramatic, what does that mean for a show like The Bear where every episode feels like the viewing equivalent of the boiling frog experiment? Normally comedy is a form of escapism, not something you try to escape from.

But even if judging a show on it’s whole instead of its parts feels too limiting, slapping The Bear with a comedy label is still unfair to a majority of its cast.

This year, 10 of the show’s stars were nominated for their comedic contributions to season two’s storyline. Coming off a win in the same category earlier this year, Jeremy Allen White scored a Best Actor in a Comedy nod for his work as Carmy, the tormented-yet-talented head chef in charge of resurrecting his family’s business. Ayo Edibiri’s performance as his promising sous chef, Sydney, earned her another nod in the Best Actress category (she lost last year to Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson). Lionel Boyce and Liza Colon-Zayas received some supporting love for their roles as Marcus and Tina, two chefs challenged to level up their culinary skills for the good of the restaurant in season two while a host of guest stars – Jon Bernthal, Bob Odenkirk, Will Poulter, Olivia Colman, and Jamie Lee Curtis – enjoyed recognition for their turns in lone episodes. The problem though is that, as deserving of praise as these actors and their performances are, most of them are burdened by the wrong designation. When judged against the larger pool, it seems almost ridiculous to expect voters (and audiences) to compare what White does as Carmy, what Curtis does as his chaotic mom, Donna, what Boyce does as a promising young pastry chef shouldering unimaginable burdens, and what Colon-Zayas does as a woman experiencing a second chance in life, to the actors and characters they’re up against. These are one-liner maestros like WWDITS’ Matt Berry, SNL alumni like Maya Rudolph and Bown Yang, sketch legends like Carol Burnett, and Meryl Streep in her funny girl era. It’s not apples and oranges, it’s Italian beef sandwiches and whatever beige monstrosity tyrant Joel McHale had Carmy serving in his Michelin-starred New York hellhole.

But they’re nominated that way because of another confusing Emmy rule, the one that states that “placement of a program automatically directs the placement of all individual achievement entries,” i.e. if the Emmys say The Bear is a comedy, then every performance in it is also comedic. It’s a head scratching stereotype, especially considering the awards show has seemingly loosened its definition of what a comedy is to include shows like The Bear and later seasons of Barry while excluding OITNB and HBO’s The White Lotus. Just because an actor’s performance exists within a show doesn’t necessarily mean it matches the tone of that show. Look at what Curtis and Bernthal did in “Fishes,” a wild, emotionally-charged half-hour fueled by toxic familial ties, the side effects of addiction, and years of pent-up resentments (for which they both won comedy awards). Or what Jennifer Coolidge accomplished in season two of Mike White’s sharply funny eat-the-rich satire with a shoot-out on-board a yacht belonging to a couple of Gays trying to murder her. Are we really arguing claiming last year’s most memefied TV moment resonated with audiences because of its dramaturgical leanings? Have we strayed this far from Jeremy Strong’s internet?

In reality, the only performance from season two of The Bear that deserves to be classified as comedic is Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s coming-of-age maturity moment as Richie, an aimless holdover from the shop’s before times who finds purpose and passion with a little help from Taylor Swift. Moss-Bachrach should win, and likely will, for his work, but the rest of his TV family should have the opportunity to submit their own definition of what’s funny and what’s not. If the Emmys can alter category requirements, if they introduce more gender-neutral nomination language, can’t they allow artists to qualify their own work? If White sees his turn as an anxiety-ridden culinary genius doomed to never achieve a work-life balance as dramatic, shouldn’t he have a say in how it’s judged? Politics aside, wouldn’t it be nice to put a bit of power back in the hands of performers? Maybe they’d make a different choice, maybe not, but part of the audience (and critics’) ire when it comes to how these awards shows label the series we love is how arbitrary and nonsensical it all seems. Who’s really deciding and why are common gripes whenever nominations are released, and with voting bodies constantly chasing better viewership, wouldn’t it make sense to test some fixes that could make the Emmys easier to follow and more enjoyable to watch?

The Boys‘ recently barreled through a fourth season finale with Gen V set to return next year and bridge the gap before The Boys‘ final season. The appetite for these satiric Supes continues to rage, however, and Amazon has officially greenlit the next spin off: Vought Rising, which will have executive producing powerhouses Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg onboard. That announcement dropped during this year’s SDCC The Boys panel from showrunner Eric Kripke with Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy) and Aya Cash (the late Stormfront, shown next to Homelander above in The Boys‘ second season) revealed to star.

You might be wondering, though, whatever happened to discussions about The Boys Mexico? Kripke has clarified that the previously reported project has been backburnered for the foreseeable future and might not happen at all. Instead, he and Amazon made Vought Rising high priority while The Boys prepares for a sure-to-be devastating finale. With that said, let’s hop right into what has been revealed about what will actually be the fourth show (after the animated Diabolical series) about what Vought International has wrought.

Release Window

Timing feels like the most important subject to discuss first, even before plot and cast, because a prospective release window feels too important to ignore for crossover relevance to The Boys‘ fifth season.

Neither Eric Kripke nor Prime Video/Amazon have clarified a Vought Rising release date, although we know that Gen V will be the next series to unveil a new season in this universe. That will happen sometime in 2025, and The Boys will return in 2026. It’s possible that Vought Rising could surprise audiences before The Boys airs its final season, but it’s equally as likely that the next spin off will be planned for 2027. At the moment, writers are simultaneously working on finishing scripts for Vought Rising and also putting together the entirety of The Boys‘ final outing, so it’s possible that Eric Kripke and Amazon haven’t yet decided the order of release.

In other words, hang tight there, which is not the most illuminating news for those who want to see more Soldier Boy right now, but rest assured that plenty of of him is coming in both of the above shows. After all, Eric Kripke didn’t show off an “on ice” version of the character in The Boys‘ fourth season finale for no reason, and sure enough, he did tell Games Radar that there will be a substantial amount of Soldier Boy in the final The Boys season because Homelander’s psyche needs to go through more sh*t with his bio dad:

“You know, what we realized was we really hadn’t explored the father-son relationship much between Homelander and Soldier Boy. There’s a lot of material there, how soldier boy feels about Homelander, how Homelander feels about his dad, and so we really wanted to dig into that relationship.”

In The Boys‘ third season, Soldier Boy rebuked Homelander as “just a cheap f*cking knockoff” off the old block, and in the fourth season finale, Homelander appeared to be genuinely moved (was he feeling sentimental? ready to kill? both?) after learning that his sperm donor is alive, so we’ll see how Homie’s struggle against his desire for love continues to evolve/devolve when The Boys returns.

In the meantime, it could be telling that Homelander did have a relationship with Soldier Boy’s Vought Rising co-star, and whatever happens in The Boys‘ final season can only add further shading to tales from Solder Boy’s past.

Plot

Vought Rising will revisit the dastardly origins of Vought International from its inception, which was fueled by heroes including Stormfront (Aya Cash), who was revealed in The Boys‘ second season as a rabid racist and member of the Nazi party, and the jingoistic Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), who raised hell in The Boys third season, culminating in a high-rise fight, and also appeared in a Gen V cameo as a figment of Cate’s imagination.

As a series, Vought Rising will be “a lurid, pulp saga prequel set in New York City at the dawn of the 1950s about the humble yet diabolical beginnings of the Vought corporation,” as Jensen Ackles declared in the following panel discussion published by TV Line:

Aya Cash added, according to Variety, that she is “so excited” and added, “We got everything from Judy Garland to Joan McCarthy — how, I don’t know — I didn’t write it, but I have read it, and it’s really, really good.”

Paul Grellong will act as showrunner for this spin off, and he called the show “a twisted murder mystery about the origins of Vought in the 1950s, the early exploits of Soldier Boy, and the diabolical maneuvers of a supe known to fans as Stormfront, who was then going by the name Clara Vought.” He further promised, “We cannot wait to blow your minds and trouble your souls with this salacious, grisly saga drenched in blood and Compound V.”

A lingering question: How, exactly, does the series plan to deal with taking Stormfront and Soldier Boy back to the 1950s with the same actors? Eric Kripke hasn’t clarified that point. However, we do know that Garth Ennis’ comic books details how Supes do have a decelerated aging process. That doesn’t make them immune to the ravages of time (and A-Train props his speedy ways up with a Compound V habit), but it is conceivable that the magic of makeup could take both Aya Cash and Jensen Ackles believably back a human-based decade or so with that being the understood amount of aging that would have taken place in 70 years of Supe time.

However, it’s probably best to not overthink any time-related suspension of belief necessary to watch this show, instead, to hope that Amazon decides to let the trust the audience to still accept Cash and Ackles in the roles. That’s a much better alternative than the roles being recast (and Amazon obviously decided not to do so) or heading for the CGI de-aging paint set (the jury is still out there until an official statement surfaces).

Cast

Thus far, Aya Cash and Jensen ankles are the only confirmed cast members, and it doesn’t sound like we’ll see any time traveling in this project, but you never know, and further casting news will surely be coming from others 1950 Vought installments.

We should likely be grateful that this series won’t take place in 1980s when Soldier Boy was part of Payback because I really don’t want to see any time travel involving Seth Rogen’s cam-customer and Crimson Countess. At present, there are also unsubstantiated rumors of another Supe character, Flyboy, joining the series with no confirmation from anybody with actual knowledge of the series.

Trailer

While we twiddle our thumbs and wait for a teaser, there is never a bad time to rewatch Soldier Boy’s take on Blondie’s “Rapture” (including a sh*t-eating grin at the end) during a 1980s visit to Solid Gold.

Katy Perry is still riding high from the 2024 VMAs (where she received the coveted Video Vanguard Award).

While her 143 album has received a mountain of pushback, most notably around its professional affiliation with Dr. Luke, there is one collaboration fans are digging: During the VMAs, Katy Perry debuted her track “I’m His, He’s Mine” with Doechii.

Now, the unapologetically possessive record, which samples Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless),” has an official music video to match. Throughout the video directed by Torso, Katy Perry and Doechii demonstrate just how they mark their romantic territory.

“I’m his queen, I’m his freak / I’m every woman he wants and needs / I’m his dream, I’m his drug / I’m every woman he wants, so what? / I’m his boss, I’m that b*tch / I’m every woman he knows exists / I’m his main, I’m his side / I’m every woman that’s in his mind,” sings the pair.

From daredevil like stunts to full-on PDA, Katy Perry and Doechii hold nothing back. In interviews, Katy Perry discloses intimate details of her relationship with Orlando Bloom, but “I’m His, He’s Mine” takes it to another level.

Listen to “I’m His, He’s Mine” above.

143 is out 9/20 via Capitol. Find more information here.