GoneTrending

Black Monday (Sunday, Showtime 9:55 p.m.) — Don Cheadle’s Mo Monroe (and his coke-snorting ways) return for the third season of this dark comedy executive-produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Mo is still up to no good, although he’s now a jazz producer, and Dawn’s still on the hook for masterminding the historical event known as, well, Black Monday.

The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Emmett’s past comes back to haunt him, and a law enforcement run-in leaves several characters feeling off kilter while Kiesha has a major decision to make.

Flatbush Misdemeanors (Sunday, Showtime 10:25 p.m.) — This show debuts with a Flatbush, Brooklyn setting, where good friends Kevin and Dan are settling in while thriving, but Kevin messes it all up by angering a local drug dealer.

Ziwe (Sunday, Showtime 10:53 p.m.) — Ziwe Fumudoh’s former status as a Desus & Mero writer will be no shocker for anyone who catches her new variety series. This week, Ziwe reveals her desire to become New York City major after Bowen Yang and Patti Harrison drop by to chat about stockpiling wealth.

Here’s the best of this week’s streaming picks:

Army Of The Dead (Netflix film) — Zack Snyder’s pretty much the King of Streaming at the moment after Justice League scored big for HBO Max on the superhero front, and he’s spreading his love around over at Netflix while going back to his undead-loving roots. This zombie-heist movie follows a group of mercenaries who head into the Las Vegas quarantine zone to pull off the ultimate heist. Watch out for those intelligent zombies, through, and an undead tiger. Fortunately, Dave Bautista is aided by hot Tig Notaro (who replaced Chris D’Elia) — both good reasons to root for humanity.

Master of None: Season 3 (Netflix series) — It’s been (four) years since we’ve seen Aziz Ansari’s brainchild do its thing, and that’s not even (officially, at least) down to the pandemic. Ansari’s been largely out of the public eye following sexual misconduct allegations, although he did emerge a few years ago for an insightful comedy special that goes a long way to show that gazing inward, and this new batch of episodes proves it. Aziz takes a step behind the camera to direct in a season that he cowrote with the Emmy-winning Lena Waithe, whose character moves to the forefront.

Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. (Hulu series) — Patton Oswalt’s indisputable knack for voice work recently managed to shock The Boys audience (that’s what happens when you “cameo” as a set of gills for the lead pervert character), and now he’s the leading man in a very adult-oriented animated series. Here, Oswalt’s portraying an egomaniacal supervillain (with a massive, unwieldy noggin) who’s struggling to balance his day job as a bad dude with family life (it happens, even to the most evil among us!). In the process, he’s gotta deal with a certain busybody named Tony Stark/Iron Man, who’s voiced by freaking Jon Hamm. Expect to hear Bill Hader, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Schwartz, and Nathan Fillion all join the chorus as everyone on this show seems to want to push a bad man down.

And back to the scheduled programming here:

Pride (Friday, FX 9:00 & 10:00 p.m.) — This week, the 1990s Culture Wars spotlight the years following Bill Clinton’s election, and the 2000s Y2Gay years welcome the new age of queer visibility in the mainstream culture.

Pause With Sam Jay (Friday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — The Emmy-nominated SNL writer aims to revamp the late-night talk show format with each episode taking place at Sam’s apartment, where she’s throwing a party. Get ready for some feisty conversations and, hopefully, a sense of understanding between those who hold different perspectives on cultural issues.

A Black Lady Sketch Show (Friday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — The fast-paced, quick-witted narrative series returns with loads of celebrity guests, but of course, the sketches all happen by the grace of the core cast, including Robin Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, and Gabrielle Dennis with Issa Rae executive producing,

SNL (Saturday, NBC 10:30 p.m.) — Anya Taylor Joy (who will definitely be better than Elon Musk) hosts with musical guest Nas by her side.

Fear the Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — Weeks after the show brilliantly subverted Negan’s storyline, Teddy holds Alicia prisoner, although she reunites with familiar faces and begins to plot an escape.

2021 Billboard Music Awards (Sunday, NBC 8:00 p.m.) — Nick Jonas hosts to celebrate this (difficult) year’s greatest musical achievements amid performances by The Weeknd, Pink, Alicia Keys, BTS, Doja Cat, SZA, AJR, Bad Bunny and Karol G, DJ Khaled featuring H.E.R. and Migos, and more.

In Treatment (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — Season 4 kicks off with Brooke reestablishing boundaries as Eladio’s therapist before Colin arrives for his court-mandated sessions, for which he’s awfully evasive while claiming to love therapy.

Mare Of Easttown (Sunday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — Kate Winslet returns not only to TV but to HBO as a hard-vaping detective in a small town where she both portrays and elevates the “complicated” cop trope. This week, the Evan Peters-centered events leave Mare reeling, although Chief Carter gives her a second chance to reexamine old suspects.

Last Week Tonight (Sunday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — Please, let John Oliver tackle Ted Cruz again.

Here are some more fresh streaming picks:

Hacks (HBO Max series premiere) — Jean Smart’s not-so-quiet domination of recent prestige TV shows (Fargo, Watchmen, Mare of Easttown, Legion) and other popular shows of late (Big Mouth, Dirty John) has finally culminated with this leading-lady turn in a role she was arguably meant to play. Hacks hails from executive producer Michael Schur and has three Broad City alums in the writers’ room, so get ready for a (Las Vegas) buffet of complex female characters. Smart portrays a legendary comedian who forges a “dark mentorship” to a 20-something newcomer in town. Don’t miss this one.

Solos (Amazon Prime limited series) — This dramatic anthology series, which hails from David Weil (who also created Hunters), aims to explore the power of human connection while gazing through the eyes of seven individuals, who embody their own stories. The series stars Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba, Nicole Beharie, Anthony Mackie, Dan Stevens, and Constance Wu, and expect to witness stories that will illuminate the human experience, even during times of isolation.

The Me You Can’t See (Apple TV+ series) — On the heels of *that* interview, Prince Harry and Oprah are teaming up as co-creators and executive producers of this series that will dig into stories that revolve around mental health and emotional well-being. Expect a variety of guests, including Lady Gaga, the NBA’s DeMar DeRozan and Langston Galloway, plus a popular chef, and more.

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (Apple TV series) — This docuseries dives into a year that was overstuffed with musical innovation and a sense of rebirth, all of which was fueled by cultural and political upheaval. Artists obliterated boundaries and stars reached higher than they’d ever done before this fateful moment.

Trying: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — Esther Smith and Rafe Spall return as a married couple who are painstakingly wading through the adoption process after learning that they’re unable to conceive a biological child. That particular angle on parenthood isn’t frequently tackled on TV, but as the couple moves past conquering the almighty adoption panel, they’ve got even harder work ahead of them. This show’s already landed a Season 3 renewal, so there’s an ultimate plan out there for this couple.

After nearly 12 years with Blizzard, Overwatch‘s lead character artist, Renaud Galand, has left the company. Galand took to Instagram to share the big news, uploading a photo of his Blizzard ID badge with a caption expressing gratitude to his former team and explaining his departure. Galand said that while working on Overwatch was one of the best experiences of his life, he is ready to “embark on a new exciting adventure.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Renaud Galand (@renaudgaland)

This news comes the day after the Overwatch team hosted their “What’s Next” livestream showcasing all the changes coming to the series in Overwatch, which include major overhauls for PvP modes, new maps, new abilities, and new hero looks, several of which Galand designed. While some fans have already expressed concern over his departure — especially following Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan’s leave earlier this year — Galand’s departure has seemingly not hindered his excitement for the upcoming title.

“I can’t wait to play Overwatch 2 when it comes out and discover, as a fan, all the amazing things the team put SO MUCH work and love into,” Galand wrote. “You guys are amazing, and the world just isn’t ready for what will become THE game they will play for years to come.”

Only time will tell how all these shake-ups impact the explosively popular 2016 game’s sequel, which has yet to receive a release window but seems likely to be a 2022 title.

If you’ve read anything about early nineties action star Steven Seagal, you know that he’s either the most fascinating man in the world or one of the world’s biggest liars, or possibly the former by virtue of the latter. The honorary citizen of Serbia and friend to Vladimir Putin has made headlines recently for putting his bulletproof Arizona mansion on the market. Which would certainly match his specially made, bulletproof kimono. Bulletproof stuff is to Steven Seagal what leopard print is to your kooky aunt.

It turns out there may be a good reason for that. According to ER actress Julianna Margulies, Seagal, who has moonlighted as a police officer and once destroyed the house of a suspected cock-fighter with a tank, is so careless with firearms that she once found one in his sofa cushions.

Margulies described the incident on the Drew Barrymore show this week, which she says occurred during one of the many creepy one-on-one auditions with Seagal that actresses have alleged over the years. She described meeting the sleepy actor in 1991, during an audition for Out For Justice (that’s the one in which Seagal plays Gino Felino, featuring the admittedly awesome action scene in which Felino dispatches numerous henchman with a pool ball stuffed into a bar towel while trying to find out why Richie did Bobby Lupo).

From The Independent:

Despite being told that the casting director would be in the room with her and Seagal, Margulies said she arrived to discover the casting director was absent.

When she arrived, she discovered that it was just Seagal in the room, and the pair began discussing a scene in the film.

“It was a frightening moment,” Margulies said. “He asked me to sit on this couch and underneath this cushion… I jumped up, there was something hard [beneath the cushion], and he pulled out a gun. And he said, ‘Oh, I must have left my gun there.’”

“Oh, was that my gun under there? Pardon me, I’m so clumsy!” It sounds very much like Steven Seagal was an early proponent of the D.E.N.N.I.S. system from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. “You know, they can’t refuse, because of the implication.”

Though it doesn’t seem to have worked out that way for Seagal this time. Instead, he simply invited Margulies into his bedroom where he read her palm and told her about her organs.

“He put the gun down so I was calming down a little bit and he read my palm and told me that he was a healer and told me I had weak kidneys,” she said. “And I thought, ‘Is this the shtick that works on women?’”

After that, Margulies says, she left. In any case, it’s clear that this is a man containing arguably unprecedented multitudes. Steven Seagal: aikido master, possible descendant of a 17th century Buddhist monk, and, it seems, one of history’s most skilled ladies men. Not many pick-up artists are bold enough to use palm science to neg their date’s kidneys. But say what you will of Steven Seagal, he’s nothing if not a man of bold moves. Not fast moves necessarily, but bold ones.

What a wonderful world.

It took Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page all of one season to become one of TV’s best tall drinks of water, along with Alexander Skarsgård on True Blood, Cousin Greg on Succession, and Elizabeth Debicki whenever The Great Gatsby is on TBS. But unfortunately, the actor won’t be back for season two of the wildly popular Netflix series.

“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end — give us a year,” he told Variety about his decision to not return. “[I thought], ‘That’s interesting,’ because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.” Unlike the rest of the internet, Page’s exit did not catch his co-star and the Duchess to his Duke, actress Phoebe Dynevor, by surprise.

“I had a bit of a heads up, so I knew, but yeah, I guess it is a spanner,” she said on the Awards Circuit podcast. “But again, the show centers around the Bridgertons and there are eight books. I think maybe the fans of the books were more aware of that happening than the fans of the show. I think fans of the books know that every episode is about a different sibling. And we’re very much passing the baton to the lovely [Jonathan Bailey], who plays Anthony.” Dynevor says it’s “sad” to see Page leave, but she’s “looking forward to being reunited with my family.”

Now Page is free to join his fellow tall hunks on Succession.

(Via Variety)

After a three year investigation resulted in charges of multiple counts of rape for That 70s Show and The Ranch star Danny Masterson, the actor has been ordered to stand trial following a preliminary hearing this week that included testimony from his alleged victims. The testimonies along with evidence provided by prosecutors was enough for the judge to rule that Masterson’s case will move forward next month. Via Variety:

The Associated Press reported that one of the women, identified as Jen B., told the court that Masterson had carried her upstairs after she became woozy at his house in April 2003. She testified that she threw up, and Masterson put her in the shower to clean her off, according to the A.P. Afterward. She alleged that Masterson raped her, and then threatened her with a gun, the A.P. reported.

The two other women testified on Wednesday that Masterson sexually assaulted them in November 2001 and late 2003. The case has been a lightning rod for the Church of Scientology, which has also been accused of covering up the allegations to protect Masterson as well as the church’s reputation. His accusers have filed a separate lawsuit accusing Masterson and the church of stalking them in an effort to intimidate them into dropping their claims against the actor.

Former Scientologist Leah Remini has been a fierce advocate for the alleged victims, and following Masterson’s charges, she offered a warning to the church’s current leadership. “Finally, victims are being heard when it comes to Scientology! Praise the lord!” Remini tweeted. “This is just the beginning Scientology, your days of getting away with it is coming to an end! #justice #scientologytheaftermath”

(Via Variety)

As the world watches longstanding tensions between Israel and Palestine escalate into violence once again, it’s good to be reminded that political conflicts are not a reflection of how average human beings feel about one another. Even when violent attacks take place among civilians, even when hate crimes happen, even when some people express their prejudices loudly and passionately, there are plenty of examples of people on opposite sides of those conflicts—people that the world views as enemies—who join hands to say, “This is not who or what we are to one another.”

Case in point: This inspiring show of solidarity between Arab and Jewish medical staff at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.

The city of Haifa itself has been viewed as a model of peaceful coexistence between people of various faiths and backgrounds, its religiously and ethnically diverse population avoiding most of the violence seen in other large Israeli cities over the years. Living up to that reputation, in recent weeks, Jewish medical staff at Rambam Medical Center have taken extra shifts to give their Muslim coworkers time off for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, and Arab staff have done the same for their Jewish coworkers to give them time off during Shavuot.

On May 12, as violence escalated, Rambam’s medical teams shared photos of Arab and Jewish medical personnel standing arm in arm with signs of peace and coexistence written in Arabic and Hebrew on Facebook.

“Three turbulent days and the escalation in Israel’s security situation has led Rambam Health Care Campus employees to send an important message to the general public – we are together,” the post states. “The medical staff, nursing staff and employees from other sectors across the hospital are united in these difficult days under the umbrella of peace, coexistence, unity, and solidarity, and many of them chose to take part in a campaign showing colleagues and friends from different religions working side by side to provide the best possible healthcare. These individuals were photographed together, carrying signs of peace and seeking to convey this important message.”

The post also included the text of a letter sent to employees from the hospital’s director, Michael Halberthal:

“Dear Rambam Employees,

We are all witnessing the recent events in the country, which are characterized by great tension and violence.

Rambam is a hospital where members of all denominations and religions from all walks of life, work side by side. We are all united around only one goal – to help our patients recover and make their hospitalizations easier.

Each of us holds diverse personal opinions and worldviews, but all of these are irrelevant to our shared mission in the hospital.

I hope and believe that Rambam, as a family with differences, will remain an island of sanity within the uneasy reality around us, standing together as we have done during all of the difficult trials we have experienced in recent years.

Therefore, when we, the employees from all the different sectors, enter the hospital and put on our work clothes, we leave the turbulent world behind us and concentrate on our shared goals.

We have built a special “home” here, one that we nurture as a place of harmony and inclusivity. One of which I am personally proud to be a part. Let us keep it going together.”

The staff took that message to heart and organized a “solidarity rally” with dozens of Arab and Jewish doctors, nurses, and para-medical staff gathering together under the slogan, “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies.”

“We work side by side in the departments and the operating rooms,” the doctors who organized the rally said. “We are one big family, and this is our message.”

There’s no doubt that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over land rights and political recognition is complicated. When you have a centuries-long quagmire of power, oppression, religious prejudices, historical injustices, and more, violence is a natural—though not inevitable—result. While people around the world may feel compelled to protest or support one side or the other for reasons they feel are totally justified, it’s heartening to see people on the ground, who live and work with one another, rejecting the idea that they are enemies and embracing one another as fellow human beings sharing a common goal.

The vast majority of people simply want to live in peace. Thank you, staff of Rambam Health Care, for reminding the world of that truth so beautifully.

The NBA has gone through this season with minimal attendance. While some teams have permitted fans from the beginning of the campaign and the rest have slowly let people back in over the course of the year, the pandemic has made it so there are pretty strict attendance limits with distancing and masks in stadiums.

With the playoffs around the corner, vaccinations increasing nationwide, and a light at the end of the tunnel due to the pandemic, NBA commissioner Adam Silver sees reason to be optimistic about postseason atmospheres around the league. Specifically, Silver went onto ESPN’s Keyshawn, J-Will and Zubin and said that he has reason to believe that the kind of playoff environments that the league likes to highlight will be close to fully back by the time the Finals roll around.

“I think it’s very possible that come July, when our Finals will be, you’ll see essentially full buildings,” Silver said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Shortly after Silver’s appearance, one NBA team decided to welcome fans back at nearly full capacity. The Dallas Mavericks announced that playoff seating will happen at near-full capacity, with about 15,000 fans allowed in starting with the team’s series against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The league and teams have generally followed local guidance on these sorts of things, so hopefully, things keep trending in positive directions and teams are able to safely pack stadiums again sooner rather than later.

Detroit rapper Sada Baby first came to prominence with the fun-loving, goofy dances he did in the video for his breakout viral hit “Bloxk Party,” so it’s only right that he returns to such shenanigans in the video for “Little While,” which has even more potential for hit status — at least, algorithmically, thanks to its guest spots from Big Sean and Hit-Boy.

Much like the video for “Bloxk Party,” the clip for “Little While” revolves around a house party, except that now, the stakes and the budget are much higher, causing the venue to change up proportionally. Now, instead of an Airbnb, Sada’s shooting at massive mansions, complete with valets and check-ins, elaborate decorations, and a noticeable increase in the ratio of women to men, including a cameo from fellow emerging Detroit rap star Kash Doll (who should really get a verse on any potential remixes).

“Little While” is Sada’s second major foray into the techno-style drum programming that his hometown pioneered after “Whole Lotta Choppas,” which famously featured a Nicki Minaj verse on its remix.

Watch Sada Baby’s “Little While” video featuring Big Sean and Hit-Boy above.

Sada Baby is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The ninth movie in the Fast & Saga, accurately titled F9, is largely being framed as a return to the movies in America, but overseas it’s already having a monster showing in another market. The final trailer for the long-delayed Fast and Furious movie was an emotional one, giving fans of the action series plenty to look forward to its June 25 release stateside.

But the movie is already out in China and a handful of other overseas markets, and according to reports, the film is having the biggest release of any film since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those big numbers are even in spite of a late cancelation of a major F9 event in China. According to Variety, the film’s opening was marred by a “threat” to a promotional event in Shanghai on Thursday.

On Friday, “Fast & Furious 9” comfortably raced to the top of the box office chart, scoring RMB231 million ($35.8 million) by 5.30pm local time, and claiming an 88% market share, according to data from ticket sales agency Maoyan. That gave it a running total of RMB292 million ($45.3 million) including sneak previews and midnight screenings.

It’s certainly a good sign for the film’s chances of leading a similar box office resurgence in the United States. With vaccinations continuing and more people feeling comfortable at indoor spaces in public as things progress, it’s looking more like the long wait for F9 will pay off both for moviegoers but for the studios who decided to wait out the worst of the pandemic with the movie still in the can. The trick for the next few weeks will be avoiding spoilers. No one tell us how or why Han is alive. No one! Leave us that small sliver of magic. We’ve waited so long already.

Last week, Florence And The Machine teased their contribution to the movie Cruella, a song called “Call Me Cruella.” Now the full track is out, and it filters the classic “Cruella de Vil” song through the lens of grimy ’70s rock. In addition to the complete track, the full score (which is out today) also features an instrumental version of the song.

Florence Welch previously said of the song, “Some of the first songs I ever learned how to sing were Disney songs. And the villains often got the best numbers. So to help create and perform a song for Cruella is the fulfillment of a long-held childhood dream. I’m so grateful to Nicholas Britell and Disney for allowing me so much creative freedom, and for trusting me with Cruella’s beautiful madness.”

Britell also added, “I am a massive fan of Florence’s, so it was a true joy to collaborate with her on ‘Call Me Cruella.’ With both this song and the Cruella score itself, the goal was to really embrace the raw rock aesthetic of ’60s and ’70s London. We recorded everything using all vintage gear and analog tape at Abbey Road and AIR Studios in London, melding orchestral elements with electric guitars and basses, organs, keyboards, and drums.”

Listen to “Call Me Cruella” above and stream the full Cruella score below.