Dark Winds Season 4 Episode 8, “Ni’ Hodisxǫs (The Glittering World),” is one of the most powerful finales in the series’ history—delivering its most gut-wrenching finale yet, beautifully written by Max Hurwitz and Thomas Brady, and expertly directed by Erica Tremblay.

From the moment the episode begins, we are thrust inside Irene’s warped machinations—a reality that exists and thrives on obsession, control, and delusion. This immediately sets a mood that is both disturbing and unsettling, turning Joe’s captivity into a psychological standoff embedded in a distorted world of intimacy.

Irene stages a family dinner that is something out of the film Misery (1990), forcing Joe and Billie to participate in a shattered version of reality that directly reflects how she processes love, family, and belonging. And in this unsettling scenario, the dark and twisted chemistry between McClarnon and Franka Potente shines the brightest—creating one of the most salacious hero/villain dynamics the series has explored yet.

Irene does not want Joe dead.

She wants him to submit.

Her psychosexual obsession, layered with a hyper-religious fixation on Navajo culture, creates a villain who is not only dangerous but deeply complex—mirroring Joe in strength, conviction, and purpose, just on the opposite end of morality and reality.

When escape attempts fail, Irene escalates.

Billie becomes leverage, and her pain is the only language Joe understands to keep him in line in order to bend to Irene’s will.

And Joe, faced with the unthinkable, shifts tactics—not through force, but through a level of raw vulnerability that pierces Irene at her core.

“I’d give my life to make an offering to Mother Earth…just to sit down and eat breakfast just one more time”

In this moment, Joe does something unexpected: he humanizes himself in front of someone who has stripped him of everything. And it works.

Even if only briefly, and when Irene suggests they make the offering together, he replies softly, intimately

“you’d do that for me?”

And she responds with the same softness but a resounding “yes.”

That quiet exchange becomes the turning point.

Not because Irene changes—but because Joe understands exactly how to move within her delusion.

Trial By Faith and By Fire

The ritual scene is where everything converges—faith, language, identity, and survival.

Joe insists on speaking in Navajo, grounding the moment in truth while simultaneously using it as strategy. Beneath the surface, he communicates with Billie, turning a sacred act into a final attempt at escape.

And then—

Fire.

Explosion.

And a maniacal Irene who realizes she’s just been used.

When Joe finally gets the upper hand, the moment feels eerily dangerous as he is, once again, faced with ending his tormentor without anyone finding out. The weight of everything Irene has done—all of the lives she claimed—culminates in his hands around her throat.

And yet—

He stops.

Because Joe Leaphorn is still himself, understanding that violence begets a deeply spiritual disruption that claims more than it relieves.

In the end, he chooses law over vengeance.

The Ending is But The Start of Something New

What follows is a quieter, more reflective unraveling of the season’s emotional core.

Joe’s visit to Dominic is not about closure—it’s about accountability. Naming him. Confronting him. Letting him know the cycle has been broken.

But the real healing begins elsewhere.

At Chee’s ceremony.

This moment brings everyone together—faith, forgiveness, and reconnection taking center stage. Relationships that have been strained all season begin to mend, particularly between Chee and Bernadette and between Joe and Emma.

Emma’s presence carries weight. Her honesty even more.

And when she asks Joe, “Is this change for you or for me?,” it lingers.

This single question reframes the entire season, as Joe’s pending decision is not just an idea or a mental musing—the time to decide is now.

Their goodbye is not an ending—it’s an understanding.

“you always will be my family”

When One Tragedy Ends, Another Follows

Just as the episode allows space to breathe, hope begins to settle in.

Joe considers retirement. Chee looks toward a future. The team feels, for the first time in a long time, aligned.

Just as a sense of normalcy settles on the reserve, reality sets in to remind the audience of the show they’re watching.

Bernadette checks in to the station just as Joe receives harrowing news.

Gordo is murdered.

This sharp shift from healing to heartbreak is immediate and devastating, reinforcing what Dark Winds has always conveyed:

Peace does not come without consequence.

Related Coverage

• Dark Winds Season 4 Episode 7 Recap — “Nániikai (We Came Back)”

• Dark Winds Season 4 Trailer Reaction

• AMC’s The Audacity Trailer Reaction

Final Thoughts

This season was 10 out of 10, delivering something emotional, healing, and cathartic, while setting up for a Season 5 that promises the sweetness of vengeance.

Season 4 proves just why Dark Winds is a series deserving of its 100% Rotten Tomatoes streak through compelling storytelling, cultural reverence, and powerful performances.

And it only gets better from here.

Stream the full season now on AMC+. Check out the trailer below.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That
Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

Faith, Obsession, and a Chase That Turns Personal

Dark Winds Season 4 Episode 7—“Nániikai (We Came Back)”—continues to escalate the danger, tension, and emotional stakes as the series heads into its finale.

[SPOILER]

While Chee ignores his death hogan, or ghost sickness, that’s been haunting him—and the advice Emma gives for a cleansing ceremony—Joe frantically struggles to bring down Irene in this bloody cat-and-mouse chase.

The ending of Episode 6, “Shíká Nidanitáhąą (Those Who Were Searching for Me),” catapults this chase into something emotionally vicious as Irene confronts Emma and tells her, "You abandoned him. You deserve to die.”

This moment didn’t end with Emma’s death, but it laid bare something much worse: the fear of Irene’s return.

Irene's unhinged psychosexual obsession with Joe and Navajo culture puts Joe in a situation where the killer doesn’t want him dead. She wants everyone and everything around him out of the picture so she can do what she pleases with him.

And in true Dark Winds fashion, this penultimate episode blows the entire storyline wide open—attacking the characters’ relationships with faith, spirituality, romance, and loyalty.

Relationships Tested as the Truth Comes to Light

One major moment comes when Billie returns home. But it wasn’t the emotional high as one would expect. Instead, it set off a series of events that make for a cataclysmic finale.

Billie’s kidnapping by Irene leads Joe to visit Dominic McNair (Titus Welliver)—an aging Nazi now suffering from early onset dementia—in prison to gain insight into Irene’s pattern of movements and violence. This visit creates more questions than answers, leaving Joe to go into the mind of a psychopath on his own.

Now, something that comes as a mild surprise (because, I mean, the writings were on the wall) is Irene’s difficult, yet necessary, decision to run over her grandfather. His constant disappointment and berating clashes with her obsessive ideologies, leading her to the only solution: he must no longer be alive.

While emotionally devastating yet exhilarating, he was perhaps the one person in her life keeping her connected to reality. Without him as an anchor, anyone and everyone is in grave danger.

In all of the danger, Kiowa Gordon delivers one of his most powerful performances yet as Chee opens up to Bernadette about the death of his mother and places blame upon himself for abandoning his Navajo heritage—refusing her request for him to take her back to the reservation during her final days.

This confession brings Chee and Bernie closer, solidifying their support for one another and removing the blockade that was slowly entering the relationship as he kept this haunting secret.

Simultaneously, Emma and Joe find themselves in a similar cocoon of confessions—Emma acknowledging that Joe is who he is not by choice but because it’s his calling. She reassures him that while she wants to maintain her life and independence, wherever he is will always be her home.

As we come upon the final moments of the episode, Bernadette reveals she knows where Leroy Gorman is, along with his true identity—she and Chee have already met him.

With Joe and Emma’s marital status in a better position now than at the start of the season, and Chee agreeing to have his cleansing ceremony along with his relationship strengthened with Bernie, the team is clear to make a move on Irene with renewed focus, vigor, and precision.

Related Coverage

• Dark Winds Season 4 Episode 6—”Shíká Nidanitáhąą (Those Who Were Searching for Me)”

• Dark Winds Season 4 Most Haunting Season Yet

• Dark Winds Season 4 Episode 1 Recap and Breakdown

Final Thoughts

Just when you think the episode is ending on somewhat of a satisfying note with the investigation, suspicion turns toward Leroy as Joe prepares to take him to Flagship.

Just as Joe begins to put all the pieces together, Irene comes out and kidnaps him, with the help of “Leroy.”

All is then revealed: the real Leroy Gorman is dead, and the imposter will testify in his place to help McNair walk free.

As for Joe,

“You’re mine now.”

Tune in to the highly anticipated season finale Sunday, April 5, on AMC and AMC+.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That
Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

Paradise Season 2 Episode 8, “Exodus,” delivers a finale packed with chaos, revelations, and just enough confusion to leave us questioning everything heading into Season 3.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, March 30, hailed in a chaotic finale from start to finish as Paradise Season 2 Episode 8, “Exodus,” launches viewers right back into a reactor meltdown.

Across the episode, tensions and panic are high as Gabrielle, on the heels of killing Jane, initiates the Exodus protocol of mass evacuation in order to save as many lives as possible. In the mayhem, Presley and Hadley are trapped in an elevator, Robinson is hurt from the initial reactor blast, Link and the team are blasting their way inside, and Sinatra is on a train ride back from her visit with Alex.

So, who is Alex?

The opening of the episode answers this question quickly. Alex is the AI computer built from Dylan’s application of his theoretical sciences that can predict future catastrophic events based on past data. We learn that Sinatra found out about his experiments and offered him a price for the technology and the machine (flashbacks of Billy seeking him out). However, we learn that Henry may not have sold this technology with Dylan’s consent. The details are a little hazy (we’ll get back to that).

But what we do learn is that Alex doesn’t just compute prompts. She began to make predictions on events and scenarios that were never entered into her core, and she could also predict life and death expectancy of individuals, not just natural disasters. When Henry sees the magnitude of this type of power, his wanting to pull the plug results in his execution.

Hence, Dylan looking for Alex.

Related Coverage

• Paradise Season 2 Episode 7 Recap — The Final Countdown

• Paradise Season 2 Review

Where the Finale Stumbles Despite High Stakes

Multiple questions were answered in the finale but there are still a few knocking at the front of our brains that seem to take the finale from an epic climax to something that kind of just…fizzles.

While the explosions were plenty and the stakes high for the lives of everyone living inside the bunker, the episode still felt like a rush to tie loose ends from Season 1 while ignoring some elements of the current Season in an attempt to frame Season 3 for the audience.

Using Cal in flashbacks to explain the future downfall of Sinatra’s bunker was an excellent decision to keep Season 1’s events in conversation. After all, we came into the series under the veil of false protection only to find that everything in their current existence was a lie. And while we received the well-earned reunion of the Collins family, everything in between felt muddled and contrived.

Gabrielle’s off-handed admission of killing Jane was the first eye squint. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t the most pressing issue at hand, but it was thrown out casually as if her presence and murders weren’t set up to be significant, all for her storyline to fall flat. The character was far more interesting and integral to so many chess pieces get her death failed to live up to the magnitude of her elusive yet dominating presence.

Sinatra barely reacted. Yes, she’s cold, but Jane’s death should have warranted something other than “go save yourself.”

The second eye squint came during the scene where Xavier and Dylan finally come face-to-face and we see the visions they’ve been having that’s been causing altered brain patterns and nosebleeds. This moment was structured within the season as a huge clue, only to be met with “what’s going on?” “I don’t know,” then glossed over for the sake of Xavier urging everyone to put aside their differences and leave.

Because this framework wobbled during this pivotal moment, it made the reveal of Annie and Dylan’s daughter not as emotionally impactful as it should have been. It was rushed (albeit the entire bunker is caving in on itself) and the emotional pause the scene needed just failed to actually trap the audience within the gravity of the admission, especially after the powerful performance Shailene Woodley delivered with the character.

I get it. You may be thinking “well, everything had to happen fast. The entire place was imploding.”

Yes.

That is true.

But with the amount of character deaths and near deaths, the gasp and jaw-dropping reactions those moments deserved just weren’t there.

The final head scratch moment that solidified my overall thoughts about “Exodus” was Sinatra openly revealing to Dylan that he was her son. She’s been depressed for years because of this major loss, yet the moment that should have brought out more emotion from her was met with quiet resolve—as if he’d simply come home from an extended overseas trip rather than come back to life.

If any reunion was to be given the time to settle—and the moment for the audience to stop breathing—this was it. Instead, Sinatra simply succumbed to her fate, leaving Dylan with a potential truth that even he cannot comprehend.

What This Means for Season 3

Now—getting back to Henry using Dylan’s technology with or without his consent—this leads to these moments being potential crumbs and a peak into what Season 3 may bring.

• What will be the fallout of Hadley and her dad learning her Dylan is alive? Sinatra believes this to be true—and it very well may be—but it hasn’t been confirmed at all.

• Did Sinatra’s Dylan die and Link is some alternate version? Because why would he not recognize his own mother once he confronted her the first time?

• If Link is an alternate Dylan, who built this AI that reset the timeline prior to Sinatra acquiring the technology of Alex?

• Did Henry use Dylan to build Alex but sold it without his knowledge which is why Dylan wants it back?

• And lastly, is Xavier now set up to be the new president?

Final Thoughts

Given that each season explores different avenues of science fiction, Season 3 may very well be set up to lean deeper into the multi-dimensional existence by taking us back in time, before The Event ever occurred, in order to lead to a finale where Xavier and Dylan actually figure out to stop every disaster and death from happening in the first place.

If you haven’t watched the finale of Paradise, head on over to Hulu now.

Chaos at 6:00pm — When the Shift Breaks Everyone

Episode 12 of The Pitt arrives at 6:00pm and immediately reminds us that the final stretch of a shift is anything but relief.

For anyone who’s ever worked in emergency medicine or trauma centers, you know that the final four hours feel like being pulverized by every fire hydrant in the city rather than a relief of pressure and stress of the day.

On the heels of an extremely triggering episode—how ICE not only impacts families, but their intimidation and impact on medical treatment and the first responders as well—we come into the final quarter hours of the shift.

At 5:00pm, Jesse stepped in to protect a patient and got detained by ICE. Immediately, 6:00pm becomes a dreadful shift as ICE’s presence and actions have now diminished the presence of staff members in the entire hospital as well as scared off patients who refused care and fled due to fear of being unlawfully detained.

But we also jump head first into a patient waking up from sedation and violently assaulting Emma, keeping the attention on the lack of security in oversized and understaffed hospitals and the inadequate safety protocols for the staff.

Fractures Within the System — Robby vs Everyone

How Robby chooses to handle Emma’s assault versus Dana standing her ground behind her nurses sets up a barrier between the friends—Robby’s approach of “getting back on the horse” by stuffing personal feelings down versus Dana’s approach to protecting the staff above all else when it comes to patient violence against first responders.

For 2 seasons, we have seen Dana stand by Robby’s side, even when he was wrong both objectively and morally. Now, the head doctor and the charge nurse are on opposing sides when it comes to this situation. However, for Robby, this seems to stem from a core values issue, especially when it comes to women in the workplace. This is further highlighted when Robby continues to question Dana about the situation and she tells him:

“anyone else stops an assault they’re a hero, but a nurse does it, and we’re punished.”

This begs the question here at So There’s That: is it extreme arrogance or sexism?

When Dr. Al-Hashimi finally learns about the friction between Langdon and Santos—during a confrontation with Robby—his phrasing only adds to the feelings of sexism.

“Santos is responsible for revealing Langdon’s benzo addiction.”

There is no responsibility assigned to Langdon for not only being an addict but also a thief and a liar. Robby’ words further ostracize Santos in the situation, thus creating a culture of her feeling like an outcast for doing the right thing.

This position he takes is especially called out when Dr. Al-Hashimi plainly asks if Langdon was stealing drugs, to which Robby deflects:

“This ED is the best of the best, and I would put it up against any emergency department in the country and it is going to be yours to fuck up, so don’t fuck it up.”

Sir, that’s not an answer.

But something that is a natural reaction, yet unexpected, is how Al-Hashimi begins to treat Langdon.

As the attending and the one to set the example for the entire shift, this sudden change is glaring, loud, and noticeable.

For Al-Hashimi, it speaks to her inability to remain impartial—contrary to the energy she led with upon her coming on shift. This could be taken as being hypocritical or simply being human.

Pressure, Bias, and the Breaking Point

As a medical professional, one thing here on So There’s That we take pride in is taking a non-emotional assessment on character decisions in a medical setting, especially with a show that is positioned as hyperrealistic. However, Dr. Robby’s unsolicited recommendation to Dr. Mohan toward geriatric care due to her having “a predisposition to the pace” solidified my character assessment of him: No.

Throughout the entire shift, but especially this hour, Dr. Robby’s personal life and biases take over in a way that gives credence to favoritism (Mel) and unprofessionalism (Mohan and Dana). And with his internal war seeping into his current dealings at work, one person is fed up with his actions: Dana.

The best part of the episode is the blow up (that needed to happen) between Dana and Robby. During this emotionally hijacked confrontation we find the core of his mood is his issue with Langdon being back at work and feeling responsible for it—a personal issue that he reprimanded, and continues to take shots at, Mohan about bringing to work. A personal issue that impairs his treatment of his staff, and issue that he masks as leadership but Dana sees through the façade.

Finally. A worthy opponent.

In all of the chaos and the madness and the sadness, the bright spots always make it worthy. The reveal that Santos actually likes Whitaker living with her (and Javadi gleefully overhearing the entire exchange) was a bright spot in knowing that at least the new doctors aren’t completely alone. They have each other, even when they pretend to not want the friendship.

But just as night shift begins to come in for turnover, Orlando—a previous patient of Dr. Mohan from 2:00pm—returns with a grave injury.

The shift is far from over.

What Questions Remain After Episode 12

• What is Robby’s issue with Dr. Mohan to where he has grace for everyone’s situation (including his own) except hers? Is his reprimand to Dr. Mohan a reflection of his own internal dilemma?

• Is what everyone fears Robby will do a true assessment, or is he truly only going for a motorcycle ride?

What to Expect at 7:00pm

(Sorry, no spoilers, just a tease)

• Increased tension

• New cast members

• Pressure

• Backlog

• Healthcare costs

• Tears (and lots of them)

Related Coverage

• The Pitt Season 2 Review — HBO’s Award-Winning Medical Drama

• The Pitt Episode 9 Recap: Everything We Know So Far

Final Thoughts

The Pitt continues to prove why they not only dominate awards seasons but why they dominate conversations within our homes, on social media, and about the state of healthcare in the U.S.

Every actor gives their all to each character, making them feel real and tangible in all their imperfections, exhaustion, and humanity.

Simply put, The Pitt is worth all its hype and more.

Tune in to Season 2 Episode 13 “7:00pm” Thursday, April 2, on HBO Max. Check out Episode 13 teaser below.

A Penultimate Episode That Changes Everything

Paradise Season 2 Episode 7 “The Final Countdown” delivers exactly what a penultimate episode is supposed to—answers, chaos, and a level of volatility that refuses to let you breathe.

[SPOILER-ALERT: Read at your own risk]

There is a reason Paradise is renewed for its third season with the script already complete. Cancellation isn’t an option with Dan Fogelman, his writing team, and Sterling K. Brown at the head of the spear.

While finale’s tend to set viewers up for the next season, penultimate episodes sole purpose is to answer every question in a way that is volatile and unrelenting—and this episode did just that.

With James Marsden reprising his role as President Cal Bradford, we take a trip back in time to when Sinatra successfully commissioned the bunker and she gave him a tour. This tour was riddled with foreshadowing as Cal—while many thought he was aloof and unaware—carefully yet blatantly challenged Sinatra’s ego and ambition; questioning her true motivation behind the bunker.

But as we continue to toggle from the past to present, unraveling everyone’s secrets and true identities along the way, we can finally cheer: Xavier is reunited with Teri.

Secrets, Showdowns, and a System Ready to Collapse

Episode 6 revealed that Gary was not the man he portrayed himself to be, proving Xavier’s instincts to be unfailing when it comes to reading people’s intentions (and, let’s be honest, when has a Gary ever been trustworthy in television?)

But we’re not here to rewrite the episode for you. In Paradise fashion, “The Final Countdown” matches—if not exceeds—its previous season’s penultimate episode, not only with answers but with lingering questions that pound on our brains endlessly as we head into the season finale.

Let’s quickly recap:

• Xavier found Teri and almost took out the entire camp before she convinced them he was good

• Gary was revealed to be a liar and was confronted by Teri in an intense showdown that had him at the end of Xavier’s sightline

• Robinson joined Jeremy in his quest to lead an uprising in order to inform the people of the bunker that there is life outside

• Sinatra and Link both made plans to move against one another

• The leaders of the bunker are in a panic

Yet somehow in all of the chaos and mystery of the series, Teri went from not wanting kids, to falling in love with Xavier and having two kids, all to head back into the bunker with two more children (Teri, it was your destiny all along).

However, one of the more dangerous, and slightly expected, showdowns came between Gabriella and Jane.

Gabi spent the entire season being extremely suspicious of Sinatra, as well as suspicious of her influence on Jane’s violence within the bunker—and rightfully so, after a direct confrontation and Sinatra all but admitting it under the guise of doing good and not being “a monster” (Season 1 anyone?)

This revelation led us to a (not so) shocking twist, Jane is brought down by Gabi after trusting her suspicions, instincts, and total belief that Jane was a murderer.

You Were Warned

The most informative and brilliant part of the episode is when Cal delivers a historical account of former leaders in power to Sinatra during their tour—in both a flashback and voiceover as the leaders of the bunker lose their stability:

“they started infighting and they all imploded…they were unstoppable until they weren’t”

As Jeremy, Robinson, and the engineer initiate their plan with the internal system mechanisms, the leaders (without Sinatra) initiate a total lockdown, thus pressurizing the bunker to explosive levels.

“Everything, Sam. Every single thing that achieves greatness, they all have one thing in common. They end.”

As the episode ends, Xavier and Teri make their way to Colorado on a train while Sinatra makes her way to a secret passageway on another.

In the final countdown of the episode, a door opens and Sinatra smiles and says:

“Hi, Alex”

Related Coverage

• Paradise Season 2 Review, Cast & Characters Guide

• Paradise Season 1 Finale Recap

Final Thoughts

With all of the answers in the world, the biggest question still remains:

Who is Alex?

But there are certainly more questions on the list:

• Is Jane dead or just paralyzed?

• Is the bunker going to actually explode is Link Sinatra’s son?

• Is “Alex” Billy? (we have a running theory that he didn’t die and somehow was kept hidden for an alternate agenda, I know, but that’s the beauty of fiction)

As we head into the finale, we must take a look at every clue in the first seven episodes. I feel that just like in Season 1, the mystery character is someone we’ve already seen, but who?

Tune in to Paradise Season 2 finale, “Exodus,” Monday, March 30, only on Hulu. Go inside the episode with the official podcast for the show below.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That

Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

The Past Isn’t Done With Them Yet

Dark Winds Season 4 continues tonight with Episode 6, “Shíká Nidanitáhą́ą́ (Those who were searching for me),” airing at 9pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+.

Starring Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, and Deanna Allison, the series continues to unravel the emotional and spiritual weight carried by the Navajo Tribal Police as the case surrounding Irene Vaggan tightens its grip.

From AMC, “When Chee’s new intel provides a clue to Vaggan’s identity, Leaphorn enlists the FBI to help ambush the killer, while Manuelito and Emma help Chee with his recovery from a close call as he is haunted by a specter from his past.”

Conflict, Grief, and What Comes Next

In addition to the primary storyline, Manuelito struggles with wanting more for her versus doing what’s expected of her. As this season dives deeper into her storyline, especially with Joe wanting her to take over, this conflict is at the center of her decision-making.

As for Emma, these words seem to double as advice for herself as she has not fully forgiven Joe for his betrayal and inviting darkness into their home at the expense of their grief for their son.

As we continue into the back half of Season 4, we find that no one can escape their demons no matter how far they run or how hard they try to hide.

Related Coverage

• Dark Winds Season 4 Premiere Recap

• Dark Winds Season 4 Overview

Final Thoughts

As things continue to heat up for Leaphorn and the team, the stakes within their personal lives get higher and higher.

Tune in tonight for Episode 406 “Shíká Nidanitáhą́ą́ (Those who were searching for me)” at 9pm ET on AMC.

Check out the sneak peek below.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That

Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

Sunday, March 8, HBO Max premiered Episode 1, “Release the Brown Fat,” of their new original series Rooster, starring Steve Carell as Greg, Danielle Deadwyler as Dylan, Charly Clive as Katie, Phil Dunster as Archie, John C. McGinley as Walter, and Lauren Tsai as Sonny.

Creators and co-showrunners Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses team up for this new comedy that focuses on an author (Greg) who aims to live his life to the fullest after decades of taking a backseat within his own existence.

Steve Carell and Danielle Deadwyler are Magnetic

Right away, Rooster makes the tone very clear: sharp humor uncomfortable honesty delivered through characters who work tirelessly to conceal just how undone their lives truly are.

It is within the quiet pulse of this uncomfortable honesty that reveals the incredible chemistry between Greg (Carell) and Dylan (Deadwyler)—their scenes producing a third thing within the room, charm. Their on-screen charisma and magnetic energy keeps you wanting more, immediately jumping to a “will they, won’t they,” even if the rest of the series never answers that question.

Inside the comedy is a sense of loneliness within Greg; a sense of regret of someone who didn’t go after all he wanted in life in service of keeping the peace…

But to what end?

This loneliness is a feeling that Dylan recognizes—a familiar feeling, a reflection. And reflected back is a charge that feels, at best, like a romance and, at worst, a regretful hookup. That is until the fireworks fizzle and land on the ground between them like a dud.

This hilariously embarrassing moment is clumsy, it’s familiar, and it’s relatable. It’s the type of scene that pulls the audience into the emotional core of the series rather than keep them disconnected.

Absurdity in the Best Way

One of the funniest moments of the episode occurs when Greg and Katie hide in the bushes while watching Katie’s husband with another woman, Sonny (Tsai).

This scenario and style of humor is where Carell shines—his comedic timing and ability to be endlessly naive in the most absurd situations cements your commitment to the project. Simply put, he’s still got it.

He shares these moments on screen with his castmates, each of them giving in to the story to not only expand every hilarious bit, but add to the emotionally vulnerable moments in which the audience wants to hold onto.

In a press conference in New York City, Carell said this of his cast:

“It just felt like a true ensemble. You don’t know what the energy’s going to be like, you don’t know what each of them are going to be like as people. But there was just a pervasive kindness and generosity.”

From Danielle, to Charly, to John, the generosity and commitment to the story is palpable in every frame.

One of the Best Series Premieres of the Year

“Why do you hate women?”

If Rooster intended to make a grand entrance, this line drives it right through the gates, ripping the hinges right off the frame.

And just when you settle into Greg’s journey through heartbreak and finding himself, the episode ends with Katie experiencing the very pain her father tried to shield her from.

[SPOILER] Sonny (Tsai), her husband’s mistress, is pregnant.

It’s this moment—albeit Greg isn’t aware just yet—that connects the entire episode back to the synopsis: a man who wants to do right by his daughter. What began as a singular journey quickly expands to one that is full of life, friendship, and promise.

Related Coverage

• DTF St. Louis Episode 1 Recap

• A Knight of Seven Kingdoms Finale Recap

• Dreaming Whilst Black Season 2 Review

Final Thoughts

From the opening scene of a naked Walter on the campus lawn to the final scene of Archie’s house going up in flames, Rooster is poised to be one of the biggest breakout comedy series of the year.

New episode of Rooster will air Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT only on HBO. Check out the trailer below.

It’s been twenty-four hours since Episode 9 of The Pitt aired and the cyberattack storyline is starting to feel less like a plot device and more like a nightmare.

Modern medicine is built on the reliability of digital systems—VoIP phones, electronic health records, internally linked ordering systems, and patient tracking.

Remove those systems in 2026 and suddenly it is a work stoppage. Everyone and everything rips at the seams, threatening to unravel one emergency at a time.

As mentioned in previous coverage, Dr. Javadi’s line about task delineation captures the mindset of the new doctors at The Pitt: someone (or something) else is supposed to do that. That line alone signals a tech dependency that many healthcare workers have when it comes to the advancement, and added convenience, of healthcare.

And in an emergency room setting, everyone and everything depends on another spoke in the giant wheel to function properly. The moment that process is stalled or, in this case, broken, the entire department could collapse.

All Systems are Not Go

Dana’s continues to be the steady drumbeat that keeps everyone afloat, even if they lose the rhythm for a moment.

Her quick thinking, flexibility, and ability to adapt to a multitude of circumstances is infectious as she uses her experience during this real-world event to teach everyone how to do the same—something medical books just can’t teach.

But that leadership, no matter how transformative, falters when individuals are dealing with internal system failures that get in the way of maintaining clear minds and clear communication when treating patients.

Romantic relationships (or lack thereof) are brought into the workplace by Dr. Santos.

Dr. Whitaker has blurred the lines severely between him and a patient from Season 1, to the point where Dr. Robbie has to intervene. It’s not that the relationship interferes with his ability to deliver exceptional care, it doesn’t. It’s that this type of relationship is the beginning of a slippery slope—one where you will drown trying to be there for patients in ways doctors simply aren’t meant to be.

And perhaps the biggest relationship elephant in the room is Dr. Langdon’s return. Dr. Robbie shows a lack of leadership by pawning him off to locations where he doesn’t have to work alongside him—and Dr. Al-Hashimi notices.

This friction also exists between Dr. Langdon and Dr. Santos, adding to Santos’ growing storyline of drowning under the pressures of her relationships, professional or otherwise.

The cyberattack is simply the catalyst to showing the audience exactly what happens when everyone and everything is pushed to its limits.

What Else Could Go Wrong

The moment a patient in the waiting area asks to turn up the news on the television, every petty issue is placed on the backburner as Donnie, the patients, and the audience, ask ourselves “can we even handle this?”

The ER is already operating in a huge contingency plan training deficit—the residents are lost, there aren’t enough attending’s to go around, and there are only but seconds to teach on the spot before it costs someone their life.

This is the harsh reality of modern medicine that The Pitt captures effortlessly and flawlessly. The disaster hasn’t even arrived yet, but the fear of what’s to come is already enough to stop your breath.

Related Coverage

• The Pitt Season 2 Review

• The Pitt Episode 9 Recap

The Biggest Questions of Episode 9

• Can the hospital handle an influx of trauma patients without any technological support?

• How long will the cyberattack last?

• Will the team put aside their differences long enough to do their jobs or will the tension cause someone to break?

• What other crisis will they have to deal with after this?

From the predicted Fourth of July injuries to the waterpark incident, one has to wonder, what else will happen? It is the heart of the summer which means a higher likelihood of ER visits.

Will the two events be the only major events or is there something much bigger looming that will take us into the night shift?

All current episodes of The Pitt are available to stream now on HBO and HBO Max. Tune in every Thursday at 9 p.m. for all new episodes.

Chaos Hit the ER as The Pitt Goes Offline

Episode 9 of The Pitt picks up at 3:00 p.m., in the thick of the ensuing chaos, and it’s all hands on deck as the staff suddenly finds themselves operating in the dark.

A cyberattack sweeping the region knocks out hospital systems, forcing the ER into contingency operations. What does this mean for the crew? Full analog systems. A group that has spent their entire lives using cell phones and computers and another group that has come to rely heavily on digital systems must now work together and function without them—all while delivering exceptional medical care.

With no end in sight for getting patients out and for those continuing to fill the waiting room, the shift quickly becomes one of the most chaotic (and barbaric) hours the staff has faced this season.

Episode Overview

Series: The Pitt

Episode: Season 2, Episode 9—"3:00 P.M.”

Network: HBO/HBO Max

Event: Cyberattack

Core Problem: Rendering medical care without technology

How Episode 9 Exposes Technological Dependency

One moment in the episode stands out like alarm bells in a code blue, and it is when Dr. Javadi says:

“I don’t put anyone on the board. I thought the nurses did that?”

It’s a deceptively insignificant moment—a throwaway statement that could be easily disregarded with immediate correction. However, her comment highlights something larger.

In degraded operations settings, roles and responsibilities blur quickly. Hierarchies that normally structure hospital workflow (i.e., who inputs orders, who runs tests to the lab, etc.) begin to dissolve.

There is no room for ego.

No room for rigidity.

And while the ER struggles to operate without its normal systems, Dr. Santos finds herself caught in another tension, slowly imploding from the pressurized demands of the shift and her “are we/aren’t we” space with Dr. Garcia.

When Santos all but asks this very question, Garcia responds in a way that wounds her even more than patient charting.

“We’re just keeping it casual, right?”

Garcia’s response, while hard to digest, mirrors the relentless rhythm of the hospital.

In. Out. Rinse. Repeat.

Dana Proves Why Charge Nurses are the Control Centers of the Wards

Dana continues to represent great charge nurses everywhere by monitoring every single situation, staff member, and patient like a hawk. Nothing gets past her. And on the off chance it does, she recovers in a way that shows humility, humanity, and resilience.

Katherine LaNasa’s performance is subtle but powerful, anchoring the chaos of the episode in both experience and measured control. And when the hospital systems fail, Dana inevitably—remarkably and proudly—becomes the system.

And no system works well without a quick update. For Dana, that update is an old employee and friend, hospital clerk Monica Peters (Rusty Schwimmer), who volunteers to assist with the flow, management, and accountability of patients as the ER shifts into manual operations.

But despite the escalating pressure, the episode still finds moments of humor. The payout for the bet on why the systems are down ends up in the hands of Princess, who is then immediately blackmailed by Perlah for a cut of the winnings.

Even in the middle of chaos, Perlah and Princess will always be Perlah and Princess.

Immigration Laws and Medical Ethics

Episode 9 is full of chaos, mistakes, miscommunication, and confusion, yet it manages to weave in a storyline that hits close to reality for many viewers—the impact of immigration laws and deportation policies when it comes to medical decision-making.

When Santos brings her concerns to Dr. Robbie, urging him not to get child services involved with children of recently deported Haitian immigrants, he echoes her sentiments. However, he delivers a sobering truth:

“A lot of what happens to people around here isn’t right.”

It’s a statement that puts a spotlight on the broader systemic handcuffs that exist beyond the hospital walls.

The Pitt Ending That Sets Up A New Disaster

As the hour winds down, Donnie escorts a patient back to the waiting room, in higher spirits than the current operations call for (and that’s why we love him)—using his infectious and natural charisma to reduce patient panic.

Then a patient asks to turn up the television, and it catches his attention.

“Breaking News: a deadly water slide collapses at a local water park.”

In the final seconds before the screen cuts to black, Donnie—and the audience—arrive at the same conclusion.

“Ah sh—.”

Questions That Linger After Finishing Episode 9

• Will Santos ever finish charting?

• How many people will Monica scare by the end of the shift?

• What else can go wrong?

• And more importantly, will the first responders at The Pitt be able to withstand it?

Episode 9—Final Thoughts

The best parts of the episode lie in the quiet moments where the staff reminds one another that they are only human.

They will make mistakes.

But as long as they maintain a willingness to learn, receive criticism without offense, and remain resilient, they will always have another opportunity to make things right.

One hour, and another patient, at a time.

New episodes of The Pitt air weekly on Thursdays at 9 p.m., only on HBO/HBO Max.

Related Coverage

• The Pitt Season 2 Review

The HBO Original limited series DTF St. Louis, from creator Steven Conrad (Patriot), debuted Sunday, March 1. The seven-episode series will debut weekly leading up to the series finale on Sunday, April 12. This series centers on a love triangle between three people experiencing the downside of marital relations that leads to one of them ending up dead. With the series premiere, “Cornhole,” DTF St. Louis wastes no time riding directly into the wreckage.

Written and directed by Steven Conrad, the series stars Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins, Joy Sunday, Arlan Ruf, Peter Sarsgaard, and Chris Perfetti. Episode 1 immediately introduces us to Clark (Bateman), Floyd (Harbour), Carol (Cardinelli), Det. Donoghue Homer (Jenkins), and Special Agent Jodie Plumb (Joy Sunday)

From Friendship to Fatality

In a convenience store “meet-cute,” that becomes something far worse than a romantic comedy, Clark and Floyd strike up an immediate friendship that appears to be rooted not just in chemistry and similarity, but in a shared and unspoken loneliness as well. Six weeks later, during a cornhole party, Clark brings up a dating app for married people to spice up their lives: DTF St. Louis (yes, it happens that fast). What begins as curiosity amongst friends quickly becomes the timebomb that sets off all subsequent events.

The show centers on physical attraction and how it fades within a marriage when two people no longer check in; when they no longer find ways to desire nor be attracted to one another. One singular decision between new friends, to step outside their marriages to explore a passionate life beyond their marital bed, leads directly to the investigation of Floyd’s suspicious death by Det. Homer and Agent Plumb.

A Reveal In Plain Sight

We proceed to go down a rabbit hole—or cornhole— of “whodunnit” as we explore a crime through the lens of sexual desires, hidden fantasies, and deadly secrets. The level of secrecy between Floyd and Clark is elevated in their use of sign language to keep their desires from being overheard by their spouses and anyone else in the vicinity. A clever insert from the writing team shows the two friends at the gym practicing ASL, when the final interpretation from Floyd is left unrevealed on the screen—a crucial way to keep a major clue away from the audience and solely between the characters.

Flashes of the moments leading up to Floyd’s death include Clark, Carol, and what’s exposed to us as likely the final moments between Clark and Floyd before his death. Everything in the investigation points to Clark, but is that too easy? Often times it’s the ones closest to you who is the guilty party but, by revealing this so fast, it feels like the perfect setup for the audience to get every prediction wrong right up until the end.

Confession or Cover-Up?

Episode 1 ends rather ambiguously: did Clark confess or is he simply reflecting on how the start of their friendship subsequently became the beginning of the end? And just when you think the episode will close with Clark’s tale of it all starting with a game of cornhole, we go back to the ASL conversation in the gym where Floyd reveals to Clark,

“I know you’re f— my wife.”

A stunning revelation to the episode—that is, unless you are fluent in ASL.

If DTF St. Louis pilot episode feels like sleuthing in online forums, sneaking through phones, or reading someone’s diary, that’s because it is—and it feels intentional.

The framework of the entire episode feels like walking into a messy room—carefully stepping over everything and peeking under scattered junk so you don’t knock anything out of place. You don’t quite know what you’re looking for, but you’ll know you’ve found it when you’ve seen it. That final moment feels like “it” was found by the audience, even if “it” isn’t revealed during Clark’s confession. And as you begin to think “not another whodunnit series, please stop,” the final flashback scene and smash to credits changes it all.

Questions That Need Answers

• Do we think Clark confessed?

• Do we think that the reason Clark brought up using the app was after he’d already began an affair with Carol (and he used it to hide/justify his actions)?

• Was Carol going to umpire code for meeting Clark?

• Do we think Carol did it?

A successful “whodunnit” presents many pathways to the truth and “Cornhole” does just that. Here at So There’s That, we love predictions and theorizing, and DTF St. Louis is the perfect series that sets us on the path to a dark discovery.

So who do you think is guilty? Tune in weekly as we uncover the deadly truth.

DTF St. Louis will air every Sunday at 9pm ET/PT only on HBO. Check out the trailer below.

If Game of Thrones taught us anything, it’s that the gods rarely spare anyone without reason. And if A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has proven anything in its six short episodes, it’s that mercy often carries a heavier weight than death.

Season 1 Episode 6, “The Morrow,” closes the chapter not with heightened spectacle or brutality, but with sorrow and the quiet hope of a beginning that may prove greater than the melancholy of today.

If you missed my full season review, you can read it here before digging into the finale below.

Here are the Cliff Notes:

• “The Morrow” finds citizens mourning Baelor in a farewell that lingers like smoke from a flame

• Lionel invites Dunk to move to Storm’s End, but Dunk believes he’s bad luck

• Maekar offers Dunk a place at Summerhall and the opportunity for Egg to squire for him there

• Dunk declines the offer due to feeling unworthy and Egg overhears

That’s the shell of the episode, and it barely scratches the surface of what A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms delivered in its finale.

A broken, bruised, and battered Dunk wanders around questioning why the gods deemed him worthy of living—this question looming over the entire finale like a dense fog.

Baelor is gone.

Aerion is being sent to the Free Cities to atone.

And whispers begin to take shape, following both Dunk and Maekar—it should have been them who had taken Baelor’s place.

But there is something quietly devastating about Dunk and Maekar bonding over the shared loss and unfortunate fallout of Baelor’s death. They are not friends, nor are they quite allies. But grief levels the playing field in ways that status and politics never can.

For all its violence and heartbreak, the relationship between Dunk and Egg remains the bright shining light of the entire series.

To say A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms hit the casting jackpot with Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell is an understatement. Their chemistry is effortless. From the scene in Episode 1 to their final scene in the finale, through them the show is able to weave comedy, charisma, and charm into what could have otherwise been a relentless tragedy.

And tragedy often befalls even the most innocent of Westeros, which makes Daeron’s plea to Dunk to mentor Egg feel less like an ask and more like a prophecy.

The most powerful scene of the finale belongs to Egg.

At the discovery of his hair regrowing, Egg feels the pull back into a life he vehemently detests—one he associates with the atrocities of his brother Aerion. He takes his knife and enters his brother’s bedroom, tears in his eyes, ready to make a decision that will alter the course of his life.

It’s a heartbreaking display of how circumstances and environment can turn even the most innocent into monsters, whether they want to change or not. His father, Maekar, sits in the room (unbeknownst to him at first) and watches as his youngest son sits on the precipice of taking out another. Instead of scolding, he provides comfort—understanding Egg’s fury, yet torn between his love and devotion to both of his children.

It is restraint. It is grief. It is the ugly horror of legacy.

When Dunk says farewell to Ashford, it marks not an end, but the beginning of a new adventure. As Egg accompanies him, the calm is the kind of full-circle storytelling that feels gentle and well-earned.

Egg and Dunk bickering about the number of kingdoms is the perfect summation of what we love about this show. Even in sorrow, there is humor. And even in the wake of uncertainty, there is friendship.

The image of Dunk’s mentor walking beside him provides both Dunk and the audience the reassurance that his new journey signals growth, and his grief finally finds a place to rest within him rather than anchoring him to a past he’s outgrown.

Just as we ready ourselves for a hope-filled farewell, we discover that Maekar never changed his mind about the conditions in which he would allow Egg to be Dunk’s squire. Once again, Egg fell to Dunk’s side on his own accord in full Egg fashion.

And the final scene? A king yelling, "Where the f@!* is he?!”

We couldn’t have asked for a better cliffhanger.

All six episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are available to stream now on HBO and HBO Max. Check out a preview from the finale below.

Season 4 of Dark Winds slithers in, leaving a slick feeling inside of you that never subsides, settling uncomfortably inside your chest. If you think this is a feeling you can shake, think again.

Episode 401, “Baptism by Fire,” comes in blazing, reminding us exactly why Dark Winds remains a top drama on AMC Networks. And with its visual framing and signature composition, Season 4 immediately feels ominous, signaling a more sinister path for Leaphorn and the residents on the reservation.

We open with Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) attempting to live in his “new normal,” emotionally isolated and vulnerable in a way that is monumentally heartbreaking.

The investigation into his involvement in BJ Vines’ death has concluded, yet the weight of Emma’s (Deanna Taushi Allison) absence anchors his spirit in quiet reflection and looming depression. Alone and pensive, Joe decides retirement is the solution to getting Emma back, and he propositions Bernadette (Jessica Matten) to take his place in the department.

However, retirement is just a bandaid that fails to cover the septic wound that infects Joe’s broken heart. His road to forgiveness and redemption marks one of the emotional undercurrents of the season as well as a major plot device for Joe.

Meanwhile, Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and Bernie are no longer circling one another. We find them attempting to build something steady after the trauma in Arizona that drove Bernie back to the reservation, surrounded by friends who love her and would protect her with their lives. As she processes her feelings, she’s now confronted with the weight of taking Joe’s place. And while her break from the force brought her genuine peace, a shootout makes her return anything but.

Let’s recap Episode 401:

• An unknown woman enters the diner looking for Albert

• A shootout erupts, claiming multiple lives

• A wounded Albert escapes along with a young Navajo teenager named Billie

The musical shift from the opening to 15 hours earlier is disarming. The Kiners’ composition takes us on a musical journey from frantic to hopeful yet slightly melancholic. This musical choice temporarily brightens the mood, bringing mundanity and regularity back on the screen as we catch up with Joe, Chee, and Bernadette. Then Billie’s missing-person case lands on Chee’s desk and ignites the season’s central investigation, driving us back into mania.

Franka Potente as Irene Vaggan is the antagonist we see at the start of the season—elusive, controlled, and terrifyingly focused. She doesn’t rely on theatrics, nor is she one for long-winded conversations. She is the new storm that looms over the reservation, wreaking havoc in her wake.

The episode ends with a distorted vinyl hum over the blood-soaked aftermath, making Joe’s final words to Bernie, “welcome home,” hit like a blast to the chest.

Cast & Production

Dark Winds stars series regulars Zahn McClarnon (Lt. Joe Leaphorn), Kiowa Gordon (Jim Chee), Jessica Matten (Bernadette Manuelito), and Deanna Taushi Allison (Emma Leaphorn). Season 4 adds new and returning guest stars Franka Potente (Irene Vaggan), Isabel DeRoy-Olson (Billie Tsosie), Chaske Spencer (Sonny), Luke Barnett (FBI Special Agent Toby Shaw), Titus Welliver (Dominic McNair), A. Martinez (Gordo Sena), and Linda Hamilton (Barbara Sena).

Dark Winds is created by Graham Roland, executive produced by Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, and John Wirth serves as the showrunner.

Episode 401 “Baptism by Fire”

• Director: Craig Zisk

• Writers: John Wirth, Steven Paul Judd

Episode 402 “Toward Their Unknown Paths”

• Director: Zahn McClarnon

• Writers: Max Hurwitz, Wenonah Wilms

Read here for what’s to come in Season 4 of Dark Winds.

Preview Episode 402 “Toward Their Unknown Paths”

If Episode 401 is about inevitability, then Episode 402 is about immersion.

“Toward Their Unknown Paths,” directed by Zahn McClarnon in his television directorial debut, doesn’t just move us forward in the investigation—it pulls us backward, pulling the curtain back on the destruction. This approach makes the episode more intimate and more horrifying than anyone could imagine.

The cinematography shift from Episode 401 to 402 immerses the audience in the episode, evoking a sense of suffocating danger and placing us squarely in the path of danger.

This shift is what makes Zahn’s direction so provoking. He leverages his intimate knowledge and understanding of each character to his advantage. Through the use of first-person point-of-view, as well as strategically placed one-shots, “Toward Their Unknown Paths” boldly makes a bid for best direction…and we’re only two episodes in.

Season 4 makes it crystal clear that viewers will not have room to breathe, nor will they be comforted by dull moments. If the first two episodes are any indication, the only thing Dark Winds promises is more ruin.

Dark Winds airs every Sunday at 9pm ET/PT on AMC and is available to stream on AMC+ every Sunday at 3am ET/PT for subscribers. Check out the sneak peek for Episode 402 below.

On February 16, Netflix dropped Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, the three-part documentary from directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, and if the title didn’t warn you, the content absolutely will. This documentary provides an inside look into arguably the greatest modeling competition show of all time, chronicling the rise, reign, and reckoning of America’s Next Top Model—the chaos both in front and behind the camera.

Netflix describes the documentary as “a look at how a glamourous launchpad became a pop-culture juggernaut fueled by explosive drama, public meltdowns, and controversies that still go viral today.” And after watching all three parts, I walked away with two competing timelines in my head: the teenager who watched the show religiously when it aired, and the adult who now understands the importance of consequence, responsibility, and accountability.

The Show That Raised a Generation

When ANTM first aired, the modeling and fashion industry already had a disgusting and sordid history of racism, misogyny, body dysmorphia, and abuse. Tyra Banks set out to change that. She wanted to create a space where people who felt “othered” could finally be seen and succeed.

The idea quickly bloomed and the powers that be transformed good intent into a bad reality.

What began as entrepreneurial ambition quickly turned into a reality check for the supermodel herself. Banks wasn’t just building a show—she became a pawn in the machine that is network television. From networks slamming the door in her face because they believed models were unintelligent and unlikable, to nearly coming to blows with Viacom president Mel Karmazin, the documentary makes one thing painfully clear: the show was set up for moral scrutiny from the very beginning.

UPN said yes but Viacom had a harsh condition.

Translation:

We want drama, not empowerment.

And drama is definitely what was served.

At the height of the series, teens and young adults were scandalized and sensationalized by the chaos. We went to school the next day with our own “watercooler” meetups—not just about the photoshoot fails and successes, but about the mess surrounding each of the contestants. But what we didn’t know then was that the message of empowerment was just a veil.

No One Can Outrun the Impact

The documentary features production alums like Ken Mok, Miss J Alexander, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker reflecting on their actions with regret, remorse, and uncomfortable humor—repeatedly reminding viewers that it was the “sign of the times” in hopes that the audience will reflect upon their own past behavior and offer sympathy and grace in the present.

But for the models, this isn’t a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Contestants including Ebony Haith, Shandi Sullivan, Dani Evans, Giselle Samson, and Keenyah Hill speak openly about looking to Tyra as a mentor—only to watch their “shero” become the orchestrator of their worst experiences.

And yes, Tyra appears in the documentary. Her presence, however, sparked much debate online. While she acknowledges the wins and cultural shifts she helped usher in, many viewers couldn’t help but notice the deflection and limited accountability for the show’s darkest moments.

Tyra Banks: A Visionary, Victim, or Both?

The documentary stops short of blaming Tyra Banks for all of the unsavory moments. She built the show to platform outsiders, but the engine of ANTM accelerated faster than anyone expected, including Banks herself. As a brand-new executive producer navigating television for the first time, she was caught between modeling agencies dictating the models’ career paths (criticizing their weight, teeth, bone structure) and network executives demanding more spectacle.

However, even with the purest of intentions when filming Season 1, Banks still became the monstrous product of her own empire. For that, she bears the blame and ire of the models whose lives she negatively impacted. Tyra failed to uproot the nastier parts of the very industry in which she was embedded since she was a teenager. Her lack of self-assessment and internal restructuring was always going to lead her down this road.

In trying to change the industry, she became the worst parts of it.

Does America Want Another Top Model?

The timing of this documentary is as poetic as it is questionable, as Tyra announced that America’s Next Top Model will return for Cycle 25. She promises growth, reflection, and change. But her participation in the documentary leaves one massive thought lingering in the air:

Did Tyra do the work to actually enforce these changes? If not, a revival risks becoming nothing more than an uglier clone of its original self.

Thus, the million dollar question: can this format survive in 2026?

If you haven’t watched Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, head to Netflix. If you have, where do you land? Can a show like ANTM actually be both positive and successful today? Or will the industry’s craving (and let’s face it, the fans too) for drama keep recycling the same trauma?

Checkout the trailer for Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model below and stream now on Netflix.

From the very first episode, Wonder Man announces itself as every director’s nightmare—and it’s perfect.

We meet Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) on the set of American Horror Story, confidently (and incorrectly) offering updates, changes, and insight…despite having a tiny role. It’s the kind of over-eager enthusiasm that feels painfully similar to anyone who’s ever loved the craft a little too much. And in a stroke of comedic cruelty, his character gets cut.

What did he expect?

The hits keep coming. After losing his job as a day player, he comes to home to find his girlfriend moving out—something she planned to do while he was out but returned unexpectedly. Dejected and emotionally flatlined, Simon does what so many of us do when reality gets too loud: he goes to the movies.

That’s where fate—and the MCU—intervenes.

Enter Trevor Slattery.

Yes, that Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley)—the man who once served as the public face of the Mandarin in Iron Man 3 (2013), believing he was filming a fictional role for the BBC while unknowingly fronting a terrorist persona created by Aldrich Killian.

Watching Yahya and Ben together is an MCU dream. They aren’t just acting—they’re imitating actors who are imitating actors, struggling with relevance, ego, regret, and the fear that maybe the industry has already passed them by.

But maybe…it hasn’t. Not yet.

After genuine conversation, Simon learns that Wonder Man—his favorite obscure superhero story—is being revived. A remake. A real opportunity to propel his career. And in true Simon fashion, he hilariously secures an audition behind his agent’s back.

At the audition, Simon is frantic, ungrounded, and spiraling. Trevor finds him and, surprisingly, offers real advice: get out of your head, trust the words, stop searching for subtext that isn’t there.

Except…there is subtext—and it refuses to remain hidden in the shadows any longer.

By Episode 2, the series reveals its true motive. Trevor isn’t just a new friend—he’s been planted by the Department of Damage Control (DDC), tasked with monitoring Simon because of his powers and emotional instability.

This is where Wonder Man gets extremely clever.

Instead of a bombastic origin story, we get slow dread. Surveillance. Video files. Reports. Simon’s growing trust being eroded without him ever knowing there was trouble in the first place. And by Episode 3, Simon’s powers and when they first manifested are revealed, further showing just how far the DCC will go to get him in their custody.

Trevor is forced to choose between his growing loyalty and his legal dilemma: do the task or go back to prison.

The emotional core of the series strikes during Simon’s mother’s birthday party. Trevor tags along as a buffer, while conversations drift—awkwardly, inevitably—back to the stove incident. Simon’s brother Eric presses. Pushes. And it’s in this insistence and lack of family support that we learn that Simon has a deeply rooted trigger that signals his explosive emotive reactions.

What makes this scene devastating isn’t the spectacle, it’s what happens before it. Trevor hiding in the kitchen with Simon’s mother. Her quiet confession that she’s glad Simon finally has a friend, that he’s always been alone and never shared his life with anyone.

Until now.

By the end of Episode 3, Wonder Man shifts gears. What began as a plot-centric story (here’s what’s happening) becomes a character-driven exploration (here’s how our heroes evolve). The callbacks come in. Simon and Trevor both advance. Dreams feel close enough to touch—yet only one knows that this happiness is a phone call away from being destroyed.

Without spoiling the entire series, Wonder Man traverses effortlessly between comedy, drama, identity, and self-acceptance, transforming a deeply obscure Marvel comic into something grounded and tangible. The show prioritizes Simon’s humanity over his grandeur—his loneliness over his power.

A Finale That Blows the MCU Wide Open

In the finale, loyalty is tested through sacrifice. A lifelong dream arrives but at a cost that reshapes everyone involved.

And perhaps the boldest choice Wonder Man makes?

We still don’t fully understand who Wonder Man truly is. That restraint in the superhero reveal is the show’s ultimate power.

By leaning into this approach, pacing, chemistry, and character complexity, Wonder Man doesn’t just breathe fresh life into the MCU—it quietly becomes one of its strongest series. Funny, layered, emotionally astute, and primed for expansion, Wonder Man blasts the door wide open for more seasons, fresh films, and new direction that keep the Marvel Universe alive.

And honestly?

That final note of uncertainty imbued with possibility might be the most incredible moment of it all.

All 8 episodes are available to stream now on Disney+.

Violet Bridgerton is the quiet revelation that made the loudest statement.

While Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1 is structurally built around the love story of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), the emotional plot-stealer—unexpected, tender, and deeply resonant—is Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and her blooming relationship with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).

One of the most beautiful things about Violet has always been her capacity to love, but more importantly, her ability to recognize that love changes shape and intensity across time, space, and people. Over the years, she has guided her children toward love that reflects who they are, not replicas of the relationship she once shared with her late husband, Edmund. Violet understands something many parents struggle with: love does not have a singular blueprint.

And in Season 4, for Violet, that wisdom turns inward.

While her attention is split between Benedict’s unfolding (and fumbling) romance and Eloise’s continued self-discovery, Violet finally turns the mirror on herself. And what Ruth Gemmell gives us is the forgotten innocence of it all—the quiet shock of realizing that love can bloom again when you didn’t know you were still fertile ground for it.

When Violet clumsily confides in Marcus about her feelings, she blushes. She hesitates. She is awkward and slightly embarrassed, not because she’s ashamed—but because she didn’t expect it to feel like the first time all over again. That vulnerability is intoxicating, and Marcus meets it with patience rather than pressure.

And this is what makes Marcus such a compelling love interest: he gives Violet space.

He allows her thoughts to fully articulate themselves. He lets her feelings settle and rest in the space between them, giving her time to grow strength from these emotions rather than shrink away from them—all without dampening his attraction to her. There is balance in his patience and desire, and he understands the most important truth of it all:

Violet holds all the power.

After all the buildup—the honest conversation, the quiet vulnerability, the subtle blessing from her ladies’ maid—Violet’s new love story takes center stage, becoming the true pinnacle (yes, I had to) of Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1.

But Violet’s story isn’t just romantic. It’s cultural.

She represents sensuality and desirability in a woman of a certain age. A widow. A mother of many. A woman who has already lived a full love once—and dares to want more.

Even as social norms inch forward, conversations around women and sexuality remain shackled by the concept of “respectability.” You’d think The Golden Girls would’ve settled this decades ago, yet Hollywood—and society—continues to push the idea that women lose desirability after 35.

Violet Bridgerton pushes back against that narrative with grace and conviction.

She believes—and feels—that if anything, she is better now than she was before. She has more knowledge. She is more in tune with her body, her wants, and her needs. With time has come confidence, and with confidence comes clarity. That self-assurance crescendos beautifully in Part 1, reminding us that desire does not expire; it evolves.

The only lingering question now is not if this love will deepen… but how long before her children find out?

Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1 is available to stream now on Netflix. Part 2 arrives February 26.

Dreaming Whilst Black is the indie filmmaker reality check we rarely see on TV, and it’s good

SHOWTIME’s BBC comedy arrived quietly in 2023 with its six half-hour episodes in Season 1, but left behind something loud: a brutally honest portrayal of ambition and integrity colliding with reality inside the film industry—especially when you don’t come from money, nepotism, or proximity to power.

Created by and starring Adjani Salmon, the series follows Kwabena, an aspiring filmmaker with a deeply personal script rooted in his Jamaican heritage and the cultural hybridity of growing up Jamaican in the UK. His family—an interwoven blend of Jamaican and Nigerian immigrants—believes in him, worries about him, and at times questions him. His friends range from unwavering supporters to necessary realists. And the industry? The industry demands something else entirely.

Season 1: When “making it” comes at a cost

At the core of Season 1 is a tension many indie filmmakers know too well:

• wanting to tell your story

• needing to just tell a story to kickstart your career

• and being judged for compromise before given the opportunity to develop and evolve

Kwabena’s journey hits its emotional peak when a former film classmate—now with a feature under his belt—challenges him to stop talking about filmmaking and actually make something. The result is a pivot: Kwabena shelves his passion project in favor of a film that’s more feasible given his access and resources.

The film lands him an agent. On paper, it’s a win.

But to his family, it feels like a betrayal—trading authenticity for industry approval by telling a story of incarceration instead of one of celebration. The finale leaves Kwabena suspended between celebration and guilt, success and disappointment.

And that’s what makes the show sting in the best way.

What Dreaming Whilst Black captures so well is the unglamorous reality of indie filmmaking:

• day jobs that you hate to fund your passion

• unpaid/volunteer cast and crew giving their time, equipment, and energy because of the love of the industry

• friends and family on the outside not understanding the sacrifice

• quiet shame from being called a “sellout” when you’re just trying to do what you need to do in order to do what you want to do

For Kwabena, it isn’t selling out—it’s strategy.

So why does it feel so bad?

Season 2: The dream gets bigger—and messier

On January 21, Paramount+ announced that Season 2 of Dreaming Whilst Black will premiere Friday, February 20, streaming weekly and airing the same day on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. PT.

According to the official press release:

“In Season 2, Kwabena is finally on the brink of his first major directing opportunity when he’s offered the chance to helm a radical, “color-blind” historical drama. What initially feels like a dream come true reveals itself to be more complicated.

And complicated it is.

Season 2 looks poised to interrogate a new layer of pressure: visibility.

In a world where everyone is connected, everyone also believes they’re a critic. From couches and office chairs, opinions fly about what a filmmaker should’ve or could’ve done, or what they would’ve done—without any of the risk, labor, or consequence.

This is where Dreaming Whilst Black thrives: exposing the microaggressions, gatekeeping, and emotional tax Kwabena endures just to be seen once—while still wrapping it all in hilariously sharp satire that knows when to laugh with the pain instead of at it.

The ensemble cast —including Dani Moseley, Denny Ladipo, Rachel Adedeji, Babirye Bukilwa, Roger Griffiths, Jo Martin, Martina Laird, and Kemi Adekoya—grounds the series in warmth, laughter, frustration, and truth.

It is, quite simply, too honest and too hilarious not to watch.

CBS & Paramount+ Are Building Momentum for 2026-2027

The good news didn’t stop with Dreaming Whilst Black.

On January 22, CBS announced its 2026-2027 broadcast season renewals, signaling confidence across both legacy hits and newer standouts:

Renewed Series

• Tracker

• Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

• Matlock

• Elsbeth

• Fire Country

• NCIS

• NCIS: Sydney

• Survivor

• The Amazing Race

Previously Ordered for 2026-2027

• Boston Blue

• Sheriff Country

• FBI

• Ghosts

• Cupertino

• Einstein

If you haven’t neem paying attention to what CBS and Paramount+ are lining up, consider this your invitation. The slate is expanding—and they’re just getting started.

Stream Dreaming Whilst Black and all your favorite CBS favorites on Paramount+. Check out the trailer below.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That Podcast
Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

Cat Stevens once said “the first cut is the deepest.” But Korris said the first cut isn’t deep enough.

Episode seven of Spartacus: House of Ashur, aptly titled “Deepest Wound,” is not a spectacle episode. It’s a reckoning. A chessboard episode. The kind that rewards patience, punishes arrogance, and confirms what many of us suspected weeks ago: this series isn’t interested in shock for shock’s sake—it’s interested in consequence.

And nowhere is that clearer than in the fallout from Opiter’s death.

[spoilers ahead]

Grief becomes an unexpected main character

Korris’ reaction to Opiter’s murder is not grief in stillness—it’s grief as a typhoon. The kind that destroys everything in its path until it runs out of steam. As stated in the podcast recap episode airing tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET,

“the grief has nowhere to land except the tip of his sword on whomever was responsible.”

The brilliance of this episode is that it allows the rage to exist without constraint. Korris doesn’t just spiral blindly—he burns with purpose. The arena massacre isn’t framed as heroics; it’s an inevitability. A man who survived decades in the sands doesn’t flail—he finishes.

And Graham McTavish? His raw performance awarded him the “scene-stealer” of the week for the podcast. The crazed look in his eyes with “dracarys” energy fueled the entirety of the episode from beginning to end. That’s wasn’t spectacle to capture old Spartacus brutality. That was grief characterized as a powerful force to behold.

The double-double cross that changes the gamers

Let’s be clear: this wasn’t just a betrayal. This was a double-cross executed with surgical cruelty.

Cossutia’s maneuver with Proculus—luring Ashur into a false alliance—should have ended him. Instead, her decision to believe Ashur, thus ambushing Proculus’ men, exposed something far more dangerous: allegiances change like a shift in the wind with the right motivation.

The arena setup, the slaughter (RIP The Brothers Ferox), and a singular message to Proculus was far from subtle. It promised unending retribution.

Be careful how you treat those on the way up

If “Deepest Wound” confirmed anything, it’s that Ashur is not simply holding back his reactions—he’s recording. Every humiliation. Every slight. Every inflated promise followed by public ridicule. He takes each hit full-on while meticulously plotting his next move. And Cornelia’s display at the auction against him wasn’t just a power play—it was a test. Ashur survived yet another bout of public derision but one wonders, did he test her as well?

Character and plot predictions

Episode seven cements the board for what feels like unavoidable outcomes (remember, we’re just guessing):

• Proculus’ role in Opiter’s death will unite the Houses of Ashur and Gabinius

• Viridia will return to Ashur in the wake of the news, sparking an advance in their relationship

• Messia’s easy display of disloyalty may lead to her demise at the hands of Cornelia

• Ashur will make an importance alliance against the House of Caesar

Why Episode 7 is the turning point

This wasn’t just about advancing plot—it was about locking character trajectories into place. Grief deepened bonds. Betrayals are poised to clarify future potential alliances. Violence rebalanced the scales of power. And perhaps most importantly, “Deepest Wound” reminded us why House of Ashur works. It’s not louder than it’s predecessor—it’s smarter, more intimate, and more dangerous.

As new fans enter the Spartacus universe, they’re not only inheriting legacy—they’re inheriting chaos and destruction. And as the episode proved, no one walks away unscarred.

With just three episodes remaining, the sands are hungry for blood. Whose blood will feed it next?

Tune in every week on the podcast, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. ET, for full recaps, detailed plot analysis, and prediction (Tarchon, we’re coming for you).

Episode eight “Horizons” airs Friday, January 23 on STARZ. Catch up now on all episodes now and check out the preview below.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That Podcast
Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

There are cooking shows you put on in the background. And then there is Culinary Class Wars—a series that demands your undivided attention, your emotional stability, and at least one moment where you pause the episode just to breathe. Culinary Class Wars—a Korean food competition show—is the most stressful, addictive food competition on Netflix—and Season 2 turns the heat all the way up.

For a culinary show, it feels less like a battle of skill and more like a prolonged stress test: for the contestants, the judges, and the audience. Each season runs 13 episodes, released 2-3 episodes per week, which means the tension doesn’t reset—it compounds. You finish one episode already anxious for the next, only to discover the stakes somehow get worse.

The premise is deceptively simple:

White Spoons—elite, globally recognized chefs—versus Black Spoons, lesser-known cooks whose reputations come from local communities, viral moments, or years of quiet mastery. The show frames it as prestige versus proof. What unfolds is something far more emotional.

Prestige meets purpose

Season 1 launched with 100 chefs entering the arena, immediately throwing them into brutal culinary duels that tested creativity, speed, technique, and resilience. Judges Paik Jong-won and Ahn Sung-jae (of Mosu Seoul), oversaw the chaos with an exacting eye, guiding the competition toward a final showdown that crowned a Black Spoon winner, who took home the prize of 300 million won.

Season 1’s victory was more than a win—it was a statement. Black Spoon chefs, many specializing in street food and comfort cuisine, proved that innovation and excellence don’t belong exclusively to fine dining rooms. Winner Kwon Sung-jun, better known by his self-chosen moniker Napoli Mafia, embodied the spirit of the show: confidence earned through craft, not credentials.

No one is safe—not even the rules

Season 2 doesn’t just raise the stakes. It rebuilds the game entirely.

Every challenge—including the initial elimination round—is redesigned so that chefs who watched Season 1 can’t anticipate criteria, strategy, or judging logic. The result? A competition that’s as much psychological warfare as it is culinary excellence.

What changes everything this season is the talent pool. Many Black Spoon chefs could easily pass as White Spoons—Michelin-level skills, decades of experience, and deep technical mastery. Meanwhile, the White Spoons arrive without the arrogance that lingered in Season 1. Some recognize their competitors as former students, mentees, or peers.

The tension shifts from us versus them to everyone deserves this.

Why this show stands above the rest

Part of what makes Culinary Class Wars so brutal—and so compelling—is its commitment to fairness. The judges don’t know the grading criteria until the challenge begins. That single choice eliminates bias on a structural level and forces Paik Jong-won and Ahn Sung-jae to judge outside their personal culinary preferences.

It’s harder. It’s riskier. And it makes every decision feel consequential.

Season 2 leans fully into the love of cooking itself. Among the competitors are:

• a monk

• a chef with almost 60 years of experience

• Michelin star Chinese and Korean cuisine masters

• Self-taught fine dining chefs

• People who shifted from a career of science and education to cooking

By the time you reach later episodes, you’re not rooting against anyone. You’re rooting for everyone—which somehow makes each elimination worse.

Final take (spoiler-free, because I care)

I won’t spoil the finale. You deserve to feel the stress the way the rest of us did.

What I will say is this: Culinary Class Wars might be the cooking show to end all cooking shows. It’s rigorous, emotional, unpredictable, and deeply respectful of its contestants. It celebrates Korean cuisine while dismantling assumptions about hierarch, prestige, and what makes a “real” chef.

Watching it, I genuinely wondered whether Chef Slowik from The Menu would thrive here…

Clear your schedule and stream Culinary Class Wars now on Netflix. You’re going to need all the free time you can get with this one.

Check out the trailer below.

Brilliant Minds returns Monday, Jan. 5, at 10/9c, and it wastes no time digging into fresh wounds—that was the midseason finale—with surgical precision. This is the rare medical procedural drama that isn’t just about saving lives. Brilliant Minds is about what the mind does with the pain afterward. And when the season left off, pain was the only offering.

The cliffhanger was brutal in that quiet NBC way they’ve perfected: no explosions, no melodrama—just a car accident, a phone unanswered, a truth half-spoken, and a past that refuses to stay buried. But episode 11, “The Boy Who Feels Everything,” brings the series back in the throes of disruption with a case that mirrors the characters’ internal lives so clearly it almost hurts to watch. And that’s the point. Brilliant Minds has never been about symptoms. It’s about the stories our brains write to survive.

Sometimes the diagnosis isn’t the mystery—the denial is.

You cannot outrun pain. It is inevitable

We pick back up in the wreckage—emotional and otherwise.

Dr. Van Markus thought he’d been stood up by Michelle—his ex-wife, now girlfriend, and mother of his child—and he feared he may have pushed her away by wanting to rekindle their relationship so soon after reconciliation. What he doesn’t know is that Michelle is in the fight of her life, the midseason finale ending with the reveal of her in a horrifying car accident. However, the accident isn’t just a plot twist. It’s a reset button, the kind of event that forces characters to say what they’ve been avoiding all season.

Episode 11 centers on Markus’ mirror-touch synesthesia—the gift that feels like a curse—blurring where his pain ends and Michelle’s begins. The episode title says the quiet thing out loud: he is the boy who feels everything, whether he wants to or not.

Predictions made on previous So There’s That Podcast episodes, fan discussions, and trailers point toward:

• a complicated recovery for Michelle

• Markus being pushed to the limit emotionally and ethically

• choices that don’t have clean, right or wrong outcomes

It’s less about who survives and more about who they are afterward. Who will Dr. Markus be if the outcome of Michelle’s recovery is not the one that has a happy ending?

The ghost of residents’ past

The mind heals on its own schedule. Guilt does not.

The midseason finale also dropped a revelation that quietly rearranged Dr. Oliver Wolf’s entire emotional landscape: Dr. Charlie Porter is the son of a patient Wolf lost as a resident. She is the very patient he discussed with his best friend, Dr. Carol Pierce, in episode 6, “The Doctor’s Graveyard.” Not only does Wolf have to deal with the bombshell that is his father’s “undead” return, but now a major source of his internal struggles is there, in the flesh, front and center.

Brilliant Minds loves a slow-burn reckoning, and this one has years behind it.

Wolf isn’t just treating patients anymore. He’s confronting a version of himself who failed and the legacy that failure created: Dr. Porter. This thread feels far from over, and the midseason return makes it clear that the past is no longer interested in whispering.

New faces, old loves, and absolutely no subtlety

Brilliant Minds midseason return also brings fresh chaos…and chemistry.

Marco Pigossi joins as Dr. Beau Pedrosa

• charismatic neurosurgeon

• Dr. Josh Nichols’ former long-term partner

• rekindled and “easy” flame

• arrives episode 12 (Jan 12, 2026)

Beau (an appropriate name, and the irony is not lost on us) is not a cameo—he’s an obstacle with history, and history always has better aim that coincidence. For Josh and Oliver, this is not just romantic tension; it’s the question of whether timing is really ever on your side.

Expect:

• unresolved feelings

• familiar comfort vs unknown risk

• Wolf forced to confront what he does and doesn’t say out loud

While the relationship—which So There’s That Podcast affectionately named Joliver—is not the nucleus of the series, it is absolutely the flame that heats things up. And NBC knows how to build a triangle slowly then twist the knife beautifully.

Sarah Steele joins the cast—and she’s not here for easy answers

Sarah Steele (The Good Fight) joins in episode 11 as Sofia, a recurring patient with a mysterious neurological condition. She’s described as:

• bold

• disarming

• intellectually matched to Wolf

• a walking question mark

Sofia isn’t just another patient-of-the-week. She is the kind of character this show uses to crack a character open without them noticing a single change in their structure.

The goals haven’t changed; the stakes have

Brilliant Minds continues to lean into what makes it a solid series: grief, genius, consequence, and survival. The return takes all of those feelings and explores even further with loyalty, self-preservation, timing, and denial.

Online speculations are already bracing for:

• Michelle’s uncertain future

• Wolf’s guilt colliding with unresolved feelings

• Beau’s introduction

• Charlie’s involvement with Wolf’s stay at Hudson Oaks

While we don’t have all the answers, we are asking all the right questions. And honestly, every question appears to lead us toward answers that will make our stomachs drop. Fans, be very nervous.

Tune in to Brilliant Minds on Mondays, 10/9c, on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock.

Abbott Elementary season 5 Episode 4 titled “Game Night” gives us a perfectly chaotic episode in both the A and B stories. In the A story, Janine’s “water breaks” in her apartment which causes her to cancel the scheduled game night at her apartment. Shockingly, Gregory offers (rather enthusiastically) to host at his apartment. While Janine loves and accepts his quirks—describing his apartment as something out of Architectural Digest based solely on the sterility and rigidity of his domicile—their friends find his idea of “fun” a little peculiar as Abbott takes us into Gregory’s world.

In the B story, Mr. Johnson, Ava, Barbara, and Melissa all must go to the DMV in order to be compliant with the rules of the road. This story is directly juxtaposed against the backdrop of Gregory’s apartment as the DMV location is dull, cold, and impatient rather than warm, intimate, and personal. However, at the DMV, we learn a little bit more about Mr. Johnson (except his name), leaning into the season going deeper into the back story of the elusive character.

It’s Better to be Kind than Nice

When Gregory offers to host game night, Janine goes into her usual state of wanting to be hands on, which resembles an inability to relinquish control. Gregory assures her he has everything under control as he sends an e-vite to the regular game night attendees. We immediately find that Janine is worried that Gregory will be judged by their friends by how he lives and what he considers to be comfortable. This all comes to a head when her friend Erica plays an impromptu game of “Two Truths and a Lie” and reveals three truths, one of which is a confession that game night sucks.

Gregory is shocked considering he’s been having a good time and Janine ran interference to the subtle looks and shady comments all night. However, when Gregory pulls her aside, she finally admits that she tried to spare his feelings by being nice, rather than be kind and tell him what she felt—that he could stand to make his place more homey, a place where she sees a future with the man she loves. This scene is punctuated perfectly with Jacob, Erica, and Simon trying to capture a pigeon that flew into the apartment. This comedic and dramatic dance is the reason Abbott continues to steal the hearts of all who tune in.

A New Feel

If season 5 of Abbott Elementary feels different, it’s because it is. It keeps the same mockumentary formula and comedic beats that we love but, it now aggressively pulls in the ensemble—paying more attention to their character arcs, growth, and backgrounds in a new filming style. The focus shifts to grounding all the characters in the Abbott identity by continuing to show the lives of the educators outside of school while highlighting their motivations to show up day in and day out for each other and their students.

“Game Night” made a dent in a major character’s storyline through Gregory, showcasing the balance of personal life vs professional, vulnerability, community, and navigating change (which can be good) within relationships. Our favorite “will-they won’t-they” turned steady couple showed us how to balance individuality with the identity of your relationship.

Abbott Elementary airs every Wednesday on ABC Network at 8:30/7:30c. Check out the season 5 trailer below and stream on Hulu.