In his own words, screenwriter Steven Knight does legends. The Peaky Blinders, Taboo, and SAS: Rogue Heroes creator takes elements of real-life history and turns them into swaggering myths.With an ear for an unusual name, and a knack for conjuring flesh-and-blood icons out of historical figures that crop up in newspaper reports and census columns, Knight has rehabilitated the British working class period drama. Hes taken the gratitude and drudgery out, and written ambition, glamour and modernity in. He made icons out of real-life Birmingham gangsters in Peaky Blinders, and hes about to do the same with East-End boxers and female thieves The Forty Elephants in new drama A Thousand Blows.As the six-episode first series (a second has already been filmed) arrives on Disney+ in the UK and Hulu in the US, lets have an overview of the real history of A Thousand Blows, and some pointers on where you can find out more.Hezekiah Moscow, Alec Munroe & Sugar Goodson Were All RealTo learn about the real Hezekiah, Alec, Sugar, Treacle and more, go no further than the historical research that inspired A Thousand Blows, conducted by the shows boxing historian and historical consultant Sarah Elizabeth Cox. First published online in 2019 on her Grappling With History website and currently being expanded into a book, Coxs findings include photographs, posters, newspaper articles, census entries and more detailing the lives and careers of the real people who inspired the shows characters. As Cox writes, A Thousand Blows is not a documentary: the characters and storylines are the creation of a wonderful team of writers, and it is only in little snippets here and there that they cross paths with reality.Those crossed-paths with reality include the real existence of a West-Indian immigrant named Hezekiah Moscow, who worked at the East London Aquarium as a bear and lion tamer and competed in various boxing bouts, including at the real Blue Coat Boy pub in Shoreditch, London. His West-Indian trainer and corner man Alec Munroe was also real. There was indeed an East-End fighter nicknamed Sugar Goodson though according to Cox, the real Sugar was thought to have only one eye.Mary Carr and The Forty Elephants Were a Real Criminal GangSpeaking to the BBC, A Thousand Blows creator Steven Knight explained how he combined two real-life stories to create the Disney+/Hulu drama. Approached by actor-producers Hannah Walters and Stephen Graham about putting the life of boxer Hezekiah Moscow on screen with their company Matriarch Productions, Knight combined that story with another based in historical fact hed been wanting to tell about female thief gang The Forty Elephants.A story about a real person who came from Jamaica with an ambition to become a lion tamer and became a really famous boxer? Thats pretty much irresistible.And when I dug into it and found out about this person and his experiences, it was very compelling. Before then, for a long time, Id wanted to tell the story of the Forty Elephants. Both of those true stories are amazing, and the fact is they were both happening at the same time and in the same place. I thought it would be interesting to imagine what would have happened if Mary and Hezekiah had met and thats what this show is about.Mary Carr was indeed the Queen of the Forty Elephants around the 1880s period in which A Thousand Blows is set, as well as being an artists model for painter Frederic Leighton. Read more about the Elephant and Castle-based gangs tactics and lifestyle via the BBC here.Mild Spoiler warning: references to plot details in A Thousand Blows below.The Morant Bay Rebellion Was an Infamous Part of Jamaican HistoryHezekiahs traumatic flashback memories to his childhood in Jamaica elliptically tell a version of a real, violent historical episode in colonial history. The 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion was an uprising by the people of Jamaicas southeast coast against cruel privations by their British colonial oppressors. You can read more about its origins and impact at the national archives website here.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Li Hongzhang and Lo Feng Luh Were Real Chinese DiplomatsThe Chinese dignitaries who are guests of the Earl of Lonsdale in A Thousand Blows are based on real diplomats who served as part of a legation to London in the aftermath of the 19th century Opium Wars between Britain and China. You can see here an artists drawing of Lo Feng Luh (played by Chike Chan in the show), and here a contemporary newspaper report about the Chinese minister.The 5th Earl of Lonsdale Was a Real Boxing EnthusiastHugh Cecil Lowther was a real English peer and sportsman during the period around which A Thousand Blows is set. Hes the Lonsdale behind the famous British sports brand of the same name, and was a founding member of the National Sporting Club who was said to have donated the very first Lonsdale Boxing Belts for the boxing championship trophy.Aerialist Miss La La Was RealThe acrobat that Mary and Hezekiah see performing at a West End music hall is based on a real Black Polish historical figure, also named Miss La La. She performed on a swing high above crowds and her feats were recorded by painter Edgar Degas in his 1879 work Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando. She was the subject of an exhibition at Londons National Gallery in 2024, which you can read more about here.Queen Victoria Did Have a Black GoddaughterThe A Thousand Blows character Victoria Davies must be inspired by the real Nigerian-born woman known as Sara Sally Forbes Bonetta (originally called Aina, before she was renamed by the English captain to whom she was discharged by enslaved people trader King Ghezo of Dahomey), who became Queen Victorias goddaughter. The timeline doesnt quite match up as the real Aina died young of tuberculosis and didnt survive into 1880 period in which A Thousand Blows is set, but its very close. See portraits of her here, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.The Blue Coat Boy Pub, its Boxing Ring, and its Landlord Were RealThe Blue Coat Boy Pub had an MC who owned a boxing saloon nicknamed William Punch Lewis, just like Daniel Mays character in the TV show. Read more about them all here, thanks to the research of Sarah Elizabeth Cox.A Thousand Blows is streaming now on Disney+ in the UK and Hulu in the US.

Batman isnt just the worlds greatest detective. Hes also a master of branding, someone who understands the importance of iconography. So while hes had several different costumes throughout the years, Batman also knows that some things need to be consistent.Such is the case with the Caped Crusaders newest Batsuit, which was introduced by DC along with the announcement that the main Batman comic series will relaunch with a new issue #1 and a new creative team, writer Matt Fraction and artist Jorge Jimnez. To celebrate the occasion, Jimnez has redesigned Batmans costume, nodding back to a classic look for the Dark Knight.Photo: DC Comics.Batmans now back in what many consider his definitive color scheme, with a bright blue cape and cowl to go along with a lighter grey bodysuit. This reverses the more recent course of giving Batman moodier tones, with black or dark blue highlights atop of the grey.However, this isnt a full throwback to the Silver Age days of Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Jimnez forgoes the yellow circle emblem often associated with the brighter costume, opting for a large bat logo, also in blue. Jimnez keeps the trunks on the outside and, of course, doesnt abandon the utility belt. But he adds piping along the torso and arms, as fitting the more realistic approach common in superhero comics today.For Fraction, Jimnezs mix of modern and classic captures the books old-school adventure spirit.Its a small shift meant to feel both classic and fresh, subtly evolving while staying true to the original design weve used in recent years, Jimnez said in an announcement from DC Comics. At the same time, Im working on Gotham Citys visual identity, giving it a fresh approach that sets it apart from my previous takes. Im aiming for a slight pop influence, something that subtly nods to classic stories while keeping the dark and ominous feel of contemporary Batman.On one hand, that pop aesthetic doesnt sound too different than the run by Fractions predecessor, his frequent collaborator Chip Zdarsky. While Zdarskys run relied too much on the common break down Bruce Wayne trope, it also introduced some wild ideas, such as the evil backup Failsafe and an Into the Spider-Verse-style adventure that saw Batman meet his Animated Series and Michael Keaton variants.But Fraction and Zdarsky want to spend less time exploring the meaning of the character and tell more straightforward stories. Jorge and I have a very superhero-forward kind of take on Batman, Fraction said. Weve got a new Batmobile, weve got a new costume, weve got new characters, and weve got a lot of old ones toogood and bad; all the stuff that makes Batman the coolest character in comics. We want to celebrate it all.Even then, Fraction and Jimnez know theyre just scratching the surface of Batman. Part of the reason Batman has lasted as long and has resonated as loudly as he has as a character is that hes incredibly resilient, Fraction said. He can be all kinds of things to all different people all at the same time whether thats in the comics or in animation or in movies.Its true Batman can be everything and still be Batmanresiliency is his consistency.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Batman #1 swings into comic shops in September 2025.Photo: DC Comics.Photo: DC Comics.Photo: DC Comics.Photo: DC Comics.

The cast of new Disney+/Hulu drama A Thousand Blows dont so much introduce themselves as smash their way onto the screen almost literally in the case of Shoreditch boxers Sugar and Treacle Goodson, and Hezekiah Moscow and Alec Munroe, the two young fighters from Jamaica who take the East Enders on in the backroom boxing ring of pub The Blue Coat Boy. And then there are the shows women: not genteel, fainting Victorian ladies, but a gang of savvy pickpockets and con artists with ambitions far beyond what life has afforded them. Led by Mary Carr, The Forty Elephants were a force to be reckoned with, and like Sugar, Treacle, Hezekiah and Alec above, were a real part of late 19th century London history. Below, meet the A Thousand Blows characters and the actors including stars from The Crown, Peaky Blinders, and many more who play them.Erin Doherty as Mary CarrInspired by a real-life character of the same name, Mary Tarr is the Queen of The Forty Elephants, the all-female gang of thieves who picked the pockets of the East End and raided the new department stores of Londons West End. A Thousand Blows version of Tarr makes her a workhouse survivor whos fought her way to criminal supremacy, and made enemies and devotees along the way. Which category though, does Sugar Goodson fall into? Carr is played by Erin Doherty, who won acclaim for the role of Princess Anne in two seasons of Netflix royal drama The Crown, as the lead in 2022 BBC thriller Chloe, and in several stage roles. Doherty will soon be seen alongside A Thousand Blows Stephen Graham in Netflix drama Adolescence.Malachi Kirby as Hezekiah MoscowBased on a real Jamaican boxer who emigrated to London in the 19th century, A Thousand Blows Hezekiah Moscow comes to the East End to train as a lion tamer, but is drawn into the boxing world and into the orbit of Mary Tarr and Sugar Goodson. Hes played by Malachi Kirby, whos been acting since he was a teenager, with small roles in Silent Witness, EastEnders, Doctor Who and many more, but who won acclaim for playing civil rights activist Darcus Howe in Steve McQueens Small Axe, and for leading Black Mirror episode Men Against Fire, playing Kunta Kinte in the 2016 Roots remake, and in 2020, for the role of Oliver in Devils, and Tony in Boiling Point (with A Thousand Blows Hannah Walters and Stephen Graham). Kirby also plays the dual roles of Charlie/Spider in Prime Videos Anansi Boys adaptation, the status of which is up in the air in the wake of serious allegations made against creator Neil Gaiman.Stephen Graham as Henry Sugar GoodsonAlso inspired by a real historical person, Sugar Goodson is a vicious fighter known as The East London Gladiator. In A Thousand Blows hes the owner of The Blue Coat Boy pub, in which he and his younger brother Treacle take on chancers willing to pay for an opportunity to take a pop at the best.Hes played by an actor so well-known and beloved that he really needs no introduction. Since playing Combo in Shane Meadows This Is England film and TV continuation, and winning international acclaim as Al Capone in HBOs Boardwalk Empire, Graham has been acknowledged as one of the UKs finest. Seen recently in Boiling Point (along with his wife and co-producer Hannah Walters), Graham will soon appear in the Peaky Blinders movie and Netflixs Adolescence.James Nelson-Joyce as Edward Treacle GoodsonThough a fierce boxer himself, Sugars younger brother Treacle Goodson is also a family man, and a pragmatist. Hes played by James Nelson-Joyce, a film actor whos also appeared in multiple TV crime dramas including Innocent, The Responder, The Gold, A Town Called Malice, Strike, and Jimmy McGovern prison drama Time, as well as playing Spider in BBC comedy-drama The Outlaws. Hell soon be seen opposite Sean Bean in BBC gangster series This City Is Ours.Francis Lovehall as Alec MunroeAlec Munroe is another real figure recorded in 19th century London history, and the character inspired by him is played here by Francis Lovehall, a stage and screen actor who appeared in Kenneth Branaghs Death on the Nile Poirot movie, as well as having television roles in Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air and Criminal Record, BBC fantasy His Dark Materials, and playing Laurent in Channel 4s adaptation of Candice Carty-Williams Queenie.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Jason Tobin as Mr LaoMr Lao is a local hotelier who becomes the landlord to members of The Forty Elephants and other key players in A Thousand Blows story. Hes played by Hong-Kong British actor Jason Tobin, who has a long career on screen and is probably best known for the role of Young Jun in historical action series Warrior, and as Earl in The Fast and the Furious franchise.Hannah Walters as Eliza MoodyEliza is a member of The Forty Elephants with a fierce loyalty to Queen Mary Tarr that becomes tested as the series plays out. Shes played by actor-producer Hannah Walters, whose Matriarch Productions (founded with husband Stephen Graham) is behind A Thousand Blows. Walters appeared across the This Is England series, in Jimmy McGoverns prison drama Time, and in Boiling Point (both the film and its excellent TV continuation) and in hospital drama Malpractice.Daniel Mays as William Punch LewisWilliam Punch Lewis is another name from East End history folded into this story. He runs The Blue Coat Boy pub, the back room of which is a hub for illegal bare-knuckle boxing matches. Hes played by screen stalwart Daniel Mays, who came to fame in Mike Leighs award-winning 2004 film Vera Drake and hasnt been off screens since. Hes played coppers galore in Moonflower Murders, The Long Shadow, Des, Line of Duty, and alongside Stephen Graham in Sky comedy Code 404, to name just a few roles. Hes soon to appear in the adaptation of Richard Osmans The Thursday Murder Club and Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.ALSO APPEARING Happy Valley and Save Mes Susan Lynch plays the ruthless matriarch Jane Carr. King Gary, The Curse and Murder in Successvilles Tom Davis plays boxing MC and quack Charlie Mitchell. The Bay and The Irregulars Darci Shaw plays Forty Elephants new recruit Alice Diamond. The Terror, The Agency and The Responder actor Adam Nagaitis plays boxing enthusiast peer the Earl of Lonsdale Billy Elliot, The Bay, Vigil and Rig 45sGary Lewis plays illegal distiller Jack Mac. Fifteen Love and Black Doves Ella Lily Hyland plays Treacles wife Marianne Goodson. Sherwood, Strike and Suspicions Robert Glenister plays the fearsome Elephant gang leader Indigo Jeremy. Stage and screen actor Nadia Albina (Doctor Who, Great Expectations, The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself) plays Forty Elephants member Verity Ross. Queen Victorias goddaughter Victoria Davies (a fictionalised version of a real historical person) is played by Everything I Know About Loves Aliyah Odoffin. Actor-producer-director Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Missing You) has a cameo role as Switch in A Thousand Blows flashback scenes to Jamaica.A Thousand Blows series one is streaming now on Disney+ in the UK and on Hulu in the US.

A set 65 million years in the making. Dinosaur and LEGO fans alike can rejoice because the biggest Jurassic Park LEGO set of all time has just leaked. Allegedly just 25 more pieces than the 2019 set 75936: T. rex Rampage, the 76968: Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus is rumored to be the new set joining the theme this year. You can view the leaked images from Instagram below:76968: Dinosaur Fossils: TyrannosaurusRelease date: March 1, 2025Price: $249.99This massive brick-built rendition of the T. rex skeleton is 41 inches long (105 cm) and consists of 3,145 total pieces. Made from primarily tan and dark tan bricks, this creation seems like it will immediately become the centerpiece of any LEGO Jurassic Park collectionif youve got the shelf space needed for such a large design.The building looks undeniably immaculate. Fossils are a unique structure LEGO hasnt tapped into often, but it looks like the brick masters did a superb job capturing every detail of the dinosaur kings skeletal structure. Every bone, from the sharp teeth to vertebrae and all the ribs, is present here, which will likely yield a highly satisfying (albeit tedious, look at all those bones) building experience. The model is clearly intended to be just that, a model. Targeted at LEGO devotees ages 18+, this isnt a set meant to be played with, but rather a display item. In fact, the large rods and terrain of the T. rexs stand mimic that of a museum, something that would make fellow Steven Spielberg icon Indiana Jones proud.Speaking of Spielbergs finest characters, two new and exclusive versions of Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler are reportedly included in this package. Their outfits are the ones they are seen wearing at the start of the film, where Alan is recruited to visit the original Jurassic Park. Fittingly, during this sequence, Dr. Grant is pictured as part of an excavation crew digging up dinosaur fossils in Montana. There is even a cute little easter egg hidden behind one of the rocks on the display stand that looks like a printed element resembling a freshly unearthed T. rex skeleton.Finally, for this spectacular build, everything is communicated with an exquisitely printed plaque, queuing builders and spectators in on all the fun details of the Tyrannosaurus itself.Loyal fans of LEGO Jurassic Park might think this set looks familiar, seeing as just last year, the Danish toymaker released a smaller set of just a T. rex skull. Eagle-eyed fans pointed out the similarities between the two builds, but of course, the new set completes the entire skeleton and will allegedly command a much higher price. Additionally, a triceratops skull set was released this past January. Does that mean we can expect a similar full-scale skeleton for that dinosaur in the future? The set name Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus implies this could become a new subtheme for LEGO moving forward.

Stephen Kings 1980 short story The Monkey (which can be found these days in his outstanding 1985 collection, Skeleton Crew) tells the story of Hal Shelburn, a man who is obsessed with an old toy from his childhood, a wind-up monkey that seems to cause death whenever it claps its cymbals. The tale is in many ways vintage King, with incidents and/or cursed objects from someones past re-emerging into the present to haunt that person once again.The Monkey, writer-director Osgood Perkins adaptation of Kings story, makes a number of structural, character, and narrative changes to the tale while keeping the basic premise intact. For one, the monkey beats on a drum instead of knocking two cymbals together. But more importantly, Perkins (who terrified us less than a year ago with Longlegs) develops a huge shift in tone for his film: while Kings story is relatively somber and suffused with dread from its opening lines, Perkinsperhaps sensing that a killer toy monkey might not work as well on the screenjumps headfirst into sheer absurdism, turning The Monkey into a full-blown horror comedy.The deaths in the story are all tragic but plausible: they seem as if they could really happen, adding a layer of psychological doubt to Hals memories. On the other hand, Perkins makes every kill in his movie more outlandish than the last, filling the screen with exploding, burning, and disintegrating human bodies in set pieces that take the accidents in movies like Final Destination and play them strictly for howls of grossed-out laughter.But Perkins also connects Hal and his brother Bill more directly to the monkey and its hideous power, expanding a bit more on their characters than King does in his narrative, although in the end, the monkey symbolizes the same thing in both versions: the random, sudden, inescapable nature of death, and the way it follows all of us around whether we realize its constantly there or not.How Stephen King Tells His StoryIn Kings story, Hal Shelburn is a family man: hes got a wife named Terry and two sons named Dennis and Petey. Theyve had a rough couple of years: Hal got laid off from his job as a computer software designer and, while he found another one, hes making less money and the family was forced to relocate from California to Texas. Its implied that this has put some pressure on the family, with Terry popping Valium and Hals relationship to both her and his sons somewhat strained.Hal and Bills merchant marine father vanishes from their lives when the boys are young (like Kings own dad) and is not present in the story; in the movie, we briefly meet their father, a pilot (played by Adam Scott), in a prologue where we learn that hes the one who obtained the monkey originallyprobably on his travelsand is desperate to get rid of it, which does not go well for the proprietor of the pawn shop to which he brings the toy. As in the story, Pete Shelburn disappears after that.King opens his story in the present, with Hal and his family going through the belongings of Bills Aunt Ida, who has passed away from a stroke. As in the movie, Aunt Ida and Uncle Will (also deceased) raised Hal and Bill after their parents died. Dennis finds the monkey in a box in Aunt Idas atticthe same box that Hal and Bill found the monkey in as children. Except that Hal, as we find out via flashbacks, threw the monkey down a well on the property decades earlier.Even after Hal and Bill discover the monkey hidden in a closet of their fathers things and shove it back in there, it manages to find its way onto one of the boys shelves. It also manages to kill Hals friend (broken neck from a fall), Bills pal (hit by a car), and the boys mother (an aneurysm), along with Uncle Wills dog, Aunt Idas cat, and eventually, its implied, Aunt Ida herself. When it comes back years later, Hal and Petey drive out to a lake, where Hal shoves it in a bag weighed down with rocks and drops it into the deepest part of a lake. Although he almost doesnt make it back to shore as his boat comes apart and the water begins to literally seethe around him, he does surviveand the monkey is possibly vanquished.The movie makes one important changeOsgood Perkins takes a number of liberties with Kings story as he expands it for the screen, and as we mentioned, he plays The Monkey as much more of a black comedy than a straight horror tale. But he does make one crucial change: in Kings story, the monkey often activates itselfit doesnt need anyone to wind it up and set it in motion. In the movie, someone has to turn the key in the monkeys back, as Hal and Bill (who are twins in the film, played by Christian Convery as kids and Theo James as adults) find out to their horror. There are two more wrinkles: even if you wish for someone specific to die, the monkey picks its victim(s) of its own volition, while the person who winds it up is spared.In a key scene, the socially awkward Halfed up with the cooler, brasher Bills constant teasing and tormentturns the monkeys key and wishes for Bill to die. Their mother (Tatiana Maslany) dies instead, filling Hal with unbearable guilt and Bill with pathological rage when he finds out what his brother did. This drives a wedge between the two, who are estranged as adults after being raised by Uncle Chip (Perkins himself) and Aunt Ida (Sarah Levy), portrayed here as dissolute louts and not the kindly people in the story.Bill remains behind and becomes a recluse, while Hal marries and has a sonalthough he eventually leaves his family in order to keep them as distant from him as possible, alienating his son in the process, for fear that the monkeys curse still follows him even though he tossed the toy down the well. When Aunt Ida dies, the monkey is found in her house and included in an estate salewhere a local wastrel named Ricky (Rohan Campbell) buys it (in a new subplot that is one of Perkins less effective additions).Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Bill calls Hal, telling him that the monkey has reappeared and they must find it and get rid of it again. Hal returns to their hometown with his son Petey (Colin OBrien) in tow, the two having been on a rare vacation together. But its Bill himself who hired Ricky to purchase the monkey for him, part of a plan all along to lure Hal back to town, where he wants to use the monkey to murder his brother as revenge for their mothers death. At the end of the film, Hal and Petey finally confront Bill and the monkeybut its Bill who ends up dead. Hal and Petey leave town, taking the monkey with them as a precaution, even while it leaves a trail of destruction in the town behind them.The monkey takes on new meaningKings original story makes the monkey almost a force unto itselfas we said, it doesnt really seem to need winding in order to work its malevolent magic. The monkey in the story represents not just death, but Hals past, his guilt, and possibly his own destructive impulseswhen the monkey is around, he becomes increasingly agitated and even violent toward his family. In the movie, however, one has to consciously wind the monkey to set it in motion, making its symbolism as a vehicle for ones own vengeance more direct, even if that vengeance has unforeseen consequences when the monkey kills of its own accord and not according to the users wishes.Hal wishes his brother dead and ends up killing their mom instead; Bill, unable to forgive Hal and driven insane by it, wishes Hal dead even though he knows it wont work and that the monkey will act on its ownas it does when it kills many of the people in the town around him. The consequences of ones own actions, and whether one accepts or denies responsibility for them, becomes just as much a theme of Perkins film as the unavoidable nature of death itself and generational trauma (the brothers father bringing the monkey home and then leaving his family behind creates all these repercussions).By the end of the film, as he and Petey drive away, Hal has learned to accept both his own responsibility and the fact that the reaper eventually comes for everyonesomething Bill was unable to do. He and Petey are back on good terms, and he realizes that the monkey will never leave their lives entirely, so he decides to keep it with them, where at least no one (hopefully) will get their hands on it. In the story, Hal is still uneasy after throwing the monkey in the lake, imagining that someone might fish it out one day, even as he and his family get back to normality. In the movie, Hal accedes to a new normal, one in which hes no longer weighed down by fear, even if that damn monkey is still with him.The Monkey is in theaters now.

This review contains spoilers for season 3 episode 3 of YellowjacketsFor the past two seasons, Yellowjackets has expertly toed the line between thriller and outright horror, building suspense as we wonder whether or not there are actually supernatural forces at work in the Wilderness. Trying to figure out how much is real and how much is in the survivors heads is part of what makes this show so intriguing to watch. Episode 3 Thems the Breaks doesnt just toe this line, however, it takes a high dive into horror and might just be one of the scariest episodes of the series yet.The episode begins with my current favorite pairing of the season Mari (Alexa Barajas) and Coach Ben (Steven Krueger). The two are in his secret cave, still very much at odds. Mari tries (and fails) to flirt with him in an attempt to try and stay alive before he exasperatedly tells her that hes gay, and even if he wasnt he definitely wouldnt be interested. Even after she accidentally sprays them both in the eyes with mace in an attempt to escape, Ben decides to cut her free and let her go. A kindness which she almost immediately repays by giving him up to the others.And so the witch hunt begins. Mari leads the others back to the caves, where they end up splitting up to try and find him. One group, Shauna (Sophie Nlisse), Van (Live Hewson), and Akilah (Nia Sondaya) crawls through a tunnel that takes them on the worst trip of their lives and through one of the most haunting hallucinations weve seen yet.Van envisions herself in the cabin nearly consumed by flames. Shauna sees her son on the shore of the lake and nearly drowns making her way to him. Akilah is nearly consumed by the earth that she tends to so well. And then they all come together in the same hallucination featuring Jackie (Ella Purnell), a lethal slap bracelet, and the man with no eyes. The Wilderness is hungry for a sacrifice after all these months without one and will clearly do whatever it takes to get one.Eventually, they regain consciousness thanks to Ben pulling them away from the poison gas that is supposedly causing these hallucinations. The rest of the group finds them and captures Ben. But if he truly wanted them all dead, why would he have saved them from the poison gas? Its starting to look like Ben might not have actually set that fire after all. Or at least wasnt conscious of it.The Wilderness may be screaming at the survivors in the past, but it isnt exactly quiet in the present either. Van (Lauren Ambrose) discovers that her cancer might be in remission, and Tai (Tawny Cypress) is very quick to celebrate it as a gift from the Wilderness after the waiters death. We see her actively pray to the Wilderness while Van looks at her with slight terror.Later that night while watching old recorded episodes of Pee-wees Playhouse, Tai and Van see the man with no eyes in a commercial for a now closed ice cream parlor from when they were kids. They decide to go investigate the building and see a coyote kill a rabbit, to which Van says We know what It wants. It wants more.Speaking of sacrifices, Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) and Misty (Christina Ricci) have a near-death experience when they realize that the brakes on Shaunas minivan have been tampered with while on the road and go careening into a nearby park. Someone seems to have it out for Shauna, and doesnt seem to care who gets caught in the crossfire. I also submit this scene as evidence that the music supervisor for this show deserves a raise because playing Nookie by Limp Bizkit as the background song for this scene is an impeccable choice.Meanwhile, Lottie (Simone Kessell) and Callie (Sarah Desjardins) have been having a girls day, shopping, bonding, and preparing dinner for the family. Until Shauna returns home to see Callie wearing Jackies necklace. Furious, she confronts Lottie, wondering how she even got it in the first place. Lottie calmly, yet ominously tells her It never meant what you thought it meant, to which Shauna replies by kicking Lottie out of the house in a rage.Thems the Brakes packs a mighty big punch for only being the third episode of the season. From literally screaming at the survivors through the sounds of the forest to causing mass hallucinations to making its presence known in the present, the Wilderness is making it clear that it cant be ignored any longer. Which will likely mean, as the Drowning Pool song playing in the trailer seemed to promise, that bodies will be hitting the floor sooner rather than later.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Last season featured multiple instances of cannibalism, and yet this still might be the scariest and most unsettling episode in the series thus far in the best possible way. It feels like the Wilderness is making its presence known to us as well, insisting that its very real and very hungry. And after watching this episode, I too am ravenous for more.The first three episodes of Yellowjackets season 3 are available to stream on Paramount+ now. New episodes will premiere Fridays on Paramount+ and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Showtime.Learn more about Den of Geeks review process and why you can trust our recommendationshere.

A decade isnt really such a long time ago, but it feels like ages ago if youre a Star Wars fan whos lived through the many highs and lows of the franchise since Disney acquired the rights to George Lucas empire. That must go double for Daisy Ridley, who in that span of time has not only starred in a trilogy of Skywalker filmswhile experiencing all the good and the bad that comes with landing a role of that cultural magnitudebut also several more intimate indies, including the well-regarded Magpie and Sometimes I Think About Dying. Now shes also a John McClane-style action hero in this months Martin Campbell-directed thriller Cleaner.Yet, just 10 years on from her big-screen debut as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ridley is set to return to the massive spectacle of the galaxy far, far away. Set 15 years after the end of The Rise of Skywalker, the still-in-development New Jedi Order movie will see Ridley play an older and wiser Rey, now a Jedi Master ready to guide the next generation of young lightsaber-wielding heroes.The script is still being pennedoriginally by Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, then by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and now by George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum). In the meantime, Ridley has had plenty of time to reflect on the legacy of Rey and what the character means to her a decade after she first hit the screen.[Rey] is a part of a beautiful whole, and being part of that is wonderful, Ridley tells Den of Geek. The character is beautiful and has resonated with people and continues to. I also think of the Star Wars world as [this] feeling of the people who make the films and enjoy the films, it feels like such a togetherness. Thats what I feel the legacy is.Ridley was cast in Star Wars at the age of 22, a newcomer with only a few short films and minor British TV credits to her name, and the news of her casting thrust her into superstardom virtually overnight. Landing such a huge role of course came with quite a bit of scrutiny before and after the release of The Force Awakens. Needless to say, the film brought both positive and negative attention to Ridley, who left social media all together for a time as a result, only returning to Instagram in 2022.Since completing the Sequel Trilogy in 2019, Ridley has been candid about dealing with extreme stress that led to health issues during her first tenure as Rey: I went to therapy for a bit, which was great because a lot of it was about feeling out of control, cause Im quite controlling in that I like to know whats going on and suddenly youre in a situation where you have no idea whats going on, she told Glamour UK in 2010.But after a bit of time away, the 32-year-old Ridley is ready to lead a new era of Star Wars on the big screen once again.Ive gone off and done lots of different sorts of films. I feel like Ive learned a lot and grown a lot I would hope as an actor, Ridley told Den of Geek at SXSW last year, saying she was looking forward to having a fresh start with Rey. I think it will feel like baby steps again, like sort of starting at the beginning. But yes, Im very excited!Just when well finally get to see that film is still unclear. The Rey movie, which will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel), remains in the scripting stage and doesnt currently have a release date. But according to Ridley, the longer development time is for the best.People have talked about it a lot that the release date often affects films and how quickly things go into production. So the freedom to make sure that this [New Jedi Order] script is the best way to tell this story is wonderful, and I dont think any fans would want it to be rushed, Ridley told THR earlier this month. The wait will be worth it. I know what George [Nolfi] is working on, and he is a phenomenal writer. So Im really looking forward to reading it, and yes, its all worthwhile.While the finer details about what the movie is about remain a well-kept secret at Lucasfilm, last year we learned one small tidbit about the story when we asked Ridley whether Rey will be a different teacher from Luke Skywalker. Her answer: I would say, from what I understand, yes.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Cleaner is out in theaters on Feb. 21. Star Wars: The Force Awakens turns 10 on Dec. 18.

Science fiction is, almost by definition, an invitation to create anachronisms. By the time the present catches up with the future, various aesthetic and narrative choices within a sci-fi story can suddenly seem silly or outdated. In a best-case scenario, like the 60s Star Trek, certain analog technology can seem to generate nostalgia that allows us to compensate for any sort of plausibility gap. Or in the case of something like Blade Runner, we can casually accept that the future it projected of Los Angeles, November 2019 takes place in an alternate timeline. When Blade Runner 2049 was made in 2017, we all shrugged our shoulders and agreed that this future was built on an alternate past. No technological retcon was needed; as long as the audience does a bit of mental gymnastics.But, now, after 41 years, a close sci-fi sibling of Blade Runner is finally going to be adapted for the screen. William Gibsons seminal cyberpunk masterpiece, Neuromancer is being produced by Apple TV+ and has started to announce various cast members, including, Callum Turner as Case, Briana Middleton as Molly Millions, and Mark Strong as Armitage. The show is created byGraham Roland and J.D. Dillard with Gibson serving as an executive producer. For fans of the authors work, this will be the second major TV series to tackle his cyberpunk ethos, following the tragically underrated 2022 Amazon series, The Peripheral, based on Gibsons 2014 book of the same name. But, theres a big difference between adapting a 2014 Gibson cyberpunk book and a 1984 cyberpunk book, and it all comes down to just how this new show will handle those pesky anachronisms.Future NostalgiaThe cyberpunk hard guys of science fiction, with their sharp black suits and their surgically implanted silicon chips, already have a certain nostalgic romance about them, William Gibson wrote for Time Magazine in 2000, in an essay entitled Will We Have Computer Chips in Our Heads? Essentially, hes been aware of this wrinkle for two decades, well after Neuromancer became a hit book. As he puts it in the same essay: In hindsight, the most memorable images of science fiction have more to do with our anxieties in the past (the writers present) than with those singular and ongoing scenarios that make up our life as a species; or real futures, our ongoing present.And its in this dichotomous split between aesthetic power and future fidelity that the new Neuromancer series will have to make a very important choice. Will it go the Blade Runner 2049 route and simply exist in an anachronistic alternate past, or fundamentally alter the nature of Neuromancer to make it more realistic for todays audiences?To recap, the story of Neuromancer takes place in the near future, and in it, data that can be hacked in cyberspace translates to a booming criminal business. The story revolves around one former hacker, a cowboy named Case, who, after having his nerve-endings fried by some crooks he tried to double-cross, is pulled back into the hacking game by a shadowy organization. The epic story takes Case across a dystopian future world, including a massive city called The Sprawl, and eventually has him facing down with not one, but two different AIs. Heres the thing though: The book was written in 1984, so Case talks about stuff like trying to sell Three megabytes of hot RAM while living in a high-tech world without cell phones. As Gibson jokes in his 2004 introduction to the novel, The Sky Above the Port, there are several moments in the book that could jar a contemporary reader, such as Cases puzzlingly urgent demand, when the going gets tough, for a modem.In Gibsons 1984 imagination, the concept of cyberspace is more like what we saw in The Lawnmower Man, or Tron than the more mundane version of the internet we actually got. In the cyberpunk future of Neuromancer, the pull between the analog world and the digital world is more interesting, more pronounced, and extreme than the slightly lazier, and depressing way we access the internet now. Theres no need to jack in to cyberspace today, and nobody needs to be as cool as Case to find weird pieces of data or a meddling AI online. In Neuromancer, the menacing AI Wintermute was scary and memorable as hell. (Mission: Impossibles The Entity is a near-total ripoff of Wintermute from Neuromancer.)Today, some of us struggle with trying to turn off various glitchy AI assistants that are ruining our Word docs or Zoom calls. If Im nostalgic for anything, its AI that is actually messing up my life in a cool way rather than whatever it is Gemini is doing to my search resultsUpdate the Tech, Lose the AppealThis is where it seems almost impossible for Neuromancer to try to update the technology of the book to match it with contemporary culture. In a sense, the romance of the book, the reason why it is so readable and such a classic is found in the 1980s cyberpunk aesthetics. Remaking the world of Neuromancer would be like remaking The Matrix, but this time, Neo isnt allowed to wear shades, and instead, has to be dressed like Mark Zuckerberg. The basic coolness of Neuromancer is inextricably tied up in the texture of the books imagery, whether those exist in the virtual world, or the real world.Sure, there are certain things a contemporary update of Neuromancer could pull off without having to build the narrative on a future history in which cell phones dont exist. The nature of Night City, The Sprawl, and the coffins that Case sleeps in can all work in an updated future as well as an anachronistic one. Mollys retractable razor claws can work just fine whether she has a TikTok account or not, but theres something about imagining these characters with contemporary references that just feels off.It would be easy to handwave this away and use something like Westworld as an example of how to walk this line effectively. Once that series left the robot amusement parks in season three, the future world it presented felt similar to ours, with some minor differences. The key to Westworlds aesthetic success was a minimalist approach. But, shows like Westworld, and Altered Carbon, inherently dealt with analog things in a cyberpunk context: Robot bodies, clone bodies, and the like. Neuromancer is somewhat the opposite, while the analog real world (complete with payphones and jacking in) is a big part of the book, the virtual world is equally important to the story.And its here, in the nostalgic version of William Gibsons conception of cyberspace that the Apple TV+ version of Neuromancer will have to make the hardest decisions. Theres no way to predict which kind of science fiction will age well nor what we even mean by that phrase. Arguably, Blade Runner with its Atari Signs and video call payphones has aged well not in spite of its anachronisms, but because of them. And it seems likely that if the TV version of Neuromancer wants to capture the essence of what makes the book great, it will avoid the temptation to fix things that arent broken. Science fiction is an artform that endures because we understand imagination runs into the past and future. By letting Neuromancer remain a cellphone-less world, were letting science fiction be its purest, most interesting self.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

Finding the best weapons in Avowed is one of the greatest pleasures in Obsidian Entertainments new RPG. Exploring dungeons or venturing off the beaten path often leads to discovering powerful gear, but upgrading weapons is also essential to surviving the games toughest challenges.In the early game, combat can feel challenging until you acquire stronger weapons that allow you to experiment with synergies and build strategies. If you want to maximize your effectiveness from the start, here are the best weapons for the early game in Avowed.Best Early Weapons in AvowedThe Philosophers Riddle (Best Early Two-Handed Sword)Abilities: Aggressive Debate: A Full Combo Attack grants +15% Attack Speed for 10 seconds. Poison Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Poison Damage.The Philosophers Riddle is the best early weapon in Avowed for most players. Even if you dont plan on sticking with a two-handed melee build, this thing will help you get through the toughest early challenges and farm whatever upgrade materials you need.Its stats are impressive, but this swords abilities put it far over the top. Getting that kind of attack speed buff with a weapon this powerful is absurd, and that poison enhancement adds up quickly. You want the most value out of every two-handed strike in this game, and thats what The Philosophers Riddle offers.Where to Find The Philosphers RiddleThis weapon can be found on Castols Folly island southeast of Paradis in the Dawnshore area. There, look for the ruins on top of a mountain on the west side of the island. Climb your way to those ruins (some platforming is required), and youll spot The Philosophers Riddle near their entrance, lying next to some mushroom-like plants. You wont have to kill anyone to get it, but the island is filled with enemies who may block your progress.Beothels Grimoire (Best Early Grimoire)Abilities: Corrosive Siphon, Arcane Veil, Parasitic Staff, Blizzard.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! 20% Ability Cost Reduction. 15% Cooldown ReductionThere are quite a few Grimoires (books of spells, essentially) found throughout Avoweds starting areas, but Beothels Grimoire stands out for a few reasons.First off, the 20% ability cost reduction and 15% cooldown reduction this Grimoire offers is about as good as youll get at this point in the game. More importantly, this Grimoire includes the incredibly valuable Corrosive Siphon spell (which converts damage into health), the Parasitic Staff spell (which helps you restore valuable Essence), and eventually allows you to access the devastating Blizzard ability. Its just an essential item for struggling low-level casters.Where to Find Beothels GrimoireYou can purchase this Grimoire from Merylin in the Market District of Paradis City for 450 Skeyt.Seven Strivings (Best Early Two-Handed Axe)Abilities: Determined Step: Killing an enemy grants +15% Move Speed for 10 seconds. Vicious Strikes: +5% Critical Hit Chance.An alternative (or companion) to The Philosphers Riddle, Seven Strivings offers a little more base damage and an incredibly useful speed buff.That speed buff reveals its value when you start fighting larger groups of enemies who have an annoying tendency to step out of the way of your heavy blows. Being able to consistently close the distance on those enemies makes some of the more frustrating early fights against larger groups much easier.Where to Find Seven StrivingsSeven Strivings can be found in The Falls northeast of Paradis in the Dawnshore area. There, youll fight an ogre named Ralga. Look in the area around Ralga after defeating them, and youll find this axe sticking out of a body.The Long Touch (Best Early Bow)Abilities: Grim Focus: +10% Critical Hit Chance for Power Attacks while Fine Aiming. Lesser Opening Strike: +5% Damage against enemies with full Health.Your bow options are kind of limited in the early parts of Avowed, which makes The Long Touch even more appealing.This bows strong stats and abilities make it perfect for rangers looking to open fights with a sneaky power attack (as they often should). Its a little less effective in longer battles against multiple enemies, but thats just the early ranger lifestyle for you.Where to Find The Long TouchYou can buy The Long Touch from the Paradisian Military Surplus shop in Paradis for 4,320 Skeyt.Minolettas Conduit (Best Early Wand)Abilities: Charged Missile: +5% Attack Damage, +30% Maximum Wand Range. Shocking Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Shock Damage.Much like bows, its not easy to find viable wand upgrades in Avoweds early hours. If you need a better option, though, Minolettas Conduit is both there for you and relatively easy to acquire.This wands generous ability spread compensates for the range and base damage shortcomings that otherwise make wands a less-than-appealing option early on. Its also a generally valuable ranged weapon for anyone looking to weave a little magic into their rotation.Where to Find Minolettas ConduitYou can purchase this from the Porrya & Vellino shop in Fior Mes Iverno (near the start of the main game) for 3,780 Skeyt.Sheathed in Summer (Best Early Dagger)Abilities: Glimmering Embers: A Full Combo Attack deals moderate Fire Accumulation. Burning Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Fire Damage.The natural benefits of wielding a dagger (quick strikes for little stamina) are amplified by this unique weapon that burns through enemies with relative ease.It doesnt take long to unleash a combo attack with this dagger, and those combo attacks will quickly build up an absurd amount of Fire damage that early enemies simply will not be able to withstand. Pair this with another powerful one-handed melee weapon, and youll be laughing.Where to find Sheathed in SummerHead to the Godless Ruins area just North of Paradis. There, youll find a boss enemy named Octav the Firebrand. Kill Octav and loot this weapon from their corpse.Last Light of Day (Best Early One-Handed Sword)Abilities: Golden Suns Ascent: Killing an enemy restores 3% of your Maximum Health. Dawns Remembrance: Hits deal +10% bonus Fire Damage.As a one-handed sword that deals an impressive amount of base damage, Last Light of Day justifies a spot in your inventory for its versatility alone. However, the big reason to seek out this sword is to take advantage of that incredible health regeneration ability that will save you during many early battles.Even better, Last Light of Day pairs quite well with Sheathed in Summer thanks to its ample built-in Fire damage bonus. If youre committed to that playstyle, you can ride that equipment combo for quite some time.Where to Find Last Light of DayComplete the Dawntreader quest that you pick up from Sarganis while exploring the Eothasian Temple (youll enter this area as part of a main quest). Youll either kill Sarganis and loot this from their corpse or receive it from them as a reward depending on the choices you make.Drawn in Winter (Best Early One-Handed Axe)Abilities: Rising Chill: Power Attacks deal moderate Frost Accumulation to nearby enemies. Freezing Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Frost Damage.While Drawn in Winter doesnt boast the same base damage as other early one-handed weapons, it is one of the best early ways to take advantage of the generally overpowered Frost effect.Build up enough Frost, and youll be able to essentially stun enemies (assuming you dont kill them outright). Even better, this weapons power attacks generate an AoE Frost effect that allows melee players to more effectively deal with groups of attackers.Where to Find Drawn in WinterYoull find Drawn in Winter in the Watchers Mirror area just northeast of Paradis. There, youll interact with an Ancient Memory that grants a powerful perk. Once that sequence is finished, turn around and walk to the nearby pond. Drawn in Winter will slowly rise from the center of that pond, but please note that picking it up will trigger a battle with numerous nearby enemies.Caerocs Pride (Best Early Pistol)Abilities: Distant Thunder: Power Attacks deal high Shock Accumulation. Shocking Lash: Hits deal +10% bonus Shock Damage.Even basic pistols offer a powerful combination of range and damage during Avoweds earliest hours. If youre looking to exploit the benefits of a dual-pistol strategy early on, you need to pick up Caerocs Pride.This weapons synergistic abilities allow you to quickly stack the Shock effect from a relatively safe distance. That effect not only helps you deal with groups of lesser enemies but can be used to turn the various bodies of water youll find into lightning-infused death traps.Where to Find Caerocs PrideYoull find Caerocs Pride on a small island just east of Shantytown. Its an unnamed location, but its easy to spot. There, youll find a pirate named Tempestuous Luandi. Kill Tempestuous Luandi and loot this pistol from their body.

The best Avowed builds take advantage of the games generous equipment and skill systems that essentially allow you to create a custom class. While youll be pulling from the basic ability and stat pools, the ways you combine those core character concepts with all the items youll find enable an incredible number of possibilities.Thankfully, getting started is much simpler. Today, were going to focus on the best builds for the early parts of the game (the first 10 levels). While these builds are designed around the background options youll choose when you create your character (and thus your starting stats), please note that they dont limit you in the long run. For that matter, you have quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to the order you acquire your skills and the equipment you use, though well point you in the right direction in those areas.And while well talk about late-game builds another day, these builds do offer ideal starting points for optimal styles of play that can carry you to the end of the RPG. Just dont forget to play around with the possibilities or youll risk losing out on half of the fun of the game.Best Arcane Scholar Build Grimoire WizardWeapons: Grimoires and WandsPrimary Stats: Intellect, Perception, DexterityFirst 10 Abilities:Minor MissilesGrimoire MasteryArmored EssenceConstant RecoveryGrimoire MasteryWand MasteryGrimoire MasteryBounceGrimoire MasteryWand MasteryAs a pure wizard, the best thing you can do for yourself early on is focus on leveling up your Grimoire Mastery ability. Doing so will allow you to access more powerful spells earlier in the game and help manage the often daunting resource requirements that otherwise limit magic users early on.So, the basic idea is to buy or loot a better Grimoire as soon as possible and start chipping away at those Grimoire Mastery upgrades. Doing so will allow you to rely on your spells earlier and more often, though itll take some wand upgrades early on for when you need to conserve Essence. Still, youll be surprised by how quickly you become a true spell slinger.Armored Essence is highly recommended for resource management, but Constant Recovery and Bounce are flex spots. The former is a nice health regeneration ability from the Fighter tree and the latter makes your wands more viable in fights against larger groups of enemies (typically the most dangerous kinds of fights). If you find yourself longing for more spells (or other Fighter and Ranger abilities), you can swap those as needed.Best Court Augur Build Magical GunfighterWeapons: Pistols and GrimoiresPrimary Stats: Perception, Dexterity/Resolve, IntellectFirst 10 Abilities:EvasiveSteady AimCorrosive SiphonParasitic StaffArmored EssenceMarksmanshipGrimoire MasteryMarksmanshipGrimoire MasteryHarvest EssenceIf youve ever dreamed of wielding a pistol and a spell book well, I have a few questions for you if youd like to reach out and talk about your interests and background. Until then, this build is what youre looking for.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!First off, youre going to want to acquire Beothels Grimoire as soon as possible to make this build work. Fortunately, thats pretty easy to do relatively early in the game. Youll also want to find a decent pistol. I recommend going out of your way for Caerocs Pride early on, but anything will do until you can snag an upgrade.With your core components in place, youll be relying on the Corrosive Siphon and Parasitic Staff abilities to both deal damage and help you restore your Essence and Health. Those siphoning abilities pair perfectly with your pistol, which allows you to stay on the edge of a fight and will be buffed by Marksmanship and Steady Aim. Youre ultimately working your way towards Harvest Essence which makes it much easier to rely on your spellsthough your pistol will carry a surprising amount of weight through the leveling processBest Noble Scion Build The RenegadeWeapons: One-handed melee weapons and a Pistol/BowPrimary Stats: Might, Perception, Resolve/DexterityFirst 10 Abilities:TanglefootChargeEvasiveSteady AimMarksmanshipPiercing ThrustsFinesseConstant RecoveryDevastating CriticalsPower SlideNoble Scions offer a nice blend of combat abilities that allow them to easily dance between the incredibly valuable early abilities found in the Fighter and Ranger skill trees.The basic idea here is to use a bow/pistol power attack to open most fights. Steady Aim and Marksmanship will help enhance the effectiveness of those attacks. When the opportunity presents itself, youre going to finish those fights with (preferably) dual-wielded one-handed melee weapons that are bolstered by Piercing Thrusts and Finesse. All the while your high Critical Strike chance (combined with the Devastating Criticals abilities) ensures the effectiveness of every blow.Tanglefoot and Charge make this build especially enjoyable. The former allows you to root an enemy for a follow-up power attack while Charge lets you easily transition from ranged to melee combat. By the time you get to Power Slide, youll be able to weave in and out of melee range while dealing a steady stream of damage all the while.Best Vanguard Scout Build The Stealth ArcherWeapon: Bows/GunsPrimary Stats: Dexterity, Perception, MightFirst 10 Abilities:TanglefootSteady AimEvasiveArmored EssenceShadowing BeyondMarksmanshipEvasiveTanglefootShadowing BeyondMarksmanshipWhile I dont necessarily recommend going the stealth archer route until youre a little later in the game, this early version of that build does take advantage of the Vanguard Scouts starting stats and will get you through a lot of early fights.This build is all about unleashing devastating ranged attacks with a bow or rifle (thematically, I prefer a bow). While its not the most exciting playstyle early on, Shadowing Beyond takes this strategy to the next level. That skill lets you turn invisible and unleash a melee backstab or simply escape to a safe distance. When combined with Tanglefoot (which lets you trap enemies) and Evasive (which greatly reduces the Stamina cost of your dodges), Shadowing Beyond allows you to transform into a sniping ghost during most fights.Ideally, this build will take Parry, Arrow Deflection, and Quick Switch to weave in melee counter-attacks/blocks while allowing you to operate at a distance. Since its kind of hard to grab all the skills you need to make that strategy work in the first 10 levels, though, I recommend respeccing around Level 11 or 12 to start incorporating melee counters.Best War Hero Build The BarbarianWeapons: Two-Handed Axe/SwordPrimary Skills: Might, Constitution, ResolveFirst 10 Abilities:ChargeArmored GraceToughnessConstant RecoveryBleeding CutsEvasiveBrawnBleeding CutsChargeBrawnPlaying a straight-up bruiser in Avowed (aka a two-handed weapon weilding tower of strength) is not only surprisingly fun but is one of the best ways to get through the early parts of the game with little trouble.Charge is the engine that makes this two-handed beast go vroom. Its one of the best overall abilities in Avowed, and it shines when you pair it with one of the buffed two-handed weapon strikes youll be building towards with the rest of this set-up. Charge into battle, disrupt your enemies, deal massive damage with an equally large weapon, and dodge when needed at a reduced Stamina cost.You will want to rely on an axe or greatsword early on to take advantage of the Bleeding Cuts ability. Later, you can swap to a mace or hammer when Stunning Blows becomes a bit more valuable. You could spec into a shield with this build, though it doesnt feel nearly as valuable as killing the enemies outright at this point in the game. Barbaric Shout is also a viable early option if you find yourself longing for another skill, though not having to manage your Essence quite as much early on is a blessing in disguise.

Features Reacher Season 3 Just Teased One of Reachers Biggest FightsReacher may have met his match with Paulie this season, and the series is already giving us a taste of the bigger fight to come.By Brynna Arens | February 20, 2025 | | Photo: Jasper Savage | PrimeThis article contains spoilers through season 3 episode 3 of Reacher and mild spoilers for Lee Childs novel Persuader.Reacher has returned for a third season, taking the lone wolf hero on yet another thrilling adventure ripped from the pages of Lee Childs novels. This time, the Prime Video series is adapting Persuader, a novel that follows Reacher as he infiltrates a crime familys operation hoping to find a dangerous man from his past. As readers of this novel know, part of Reachers journey sees him go up against a man even larger than his own formidable size, and just as the book does, the series has already given us a taste of what this fight might look like.From the moment that Reacher (Alan Ritchson) and Paulie (Olivier Richters) meet at the Becks, they appear to be at odds. Paulie seems intent on proving that hes the bigger man (literally), and Reacher isnt afraid to goad him a little. In the second episode of the season, Truckin, Reacher and Paulie end up in the mansions home gym together. Paulie challenges him to a bench pressing contest, but Reacher convinces him that a true test of strength lies in Bavarian arm wrestling.Reacher tells him to sit on a bench, hold out his arm in traditional arm wrestling fashion, and then put his hand in a fist, facing himself. Then Reacher stands in front of him and tries to pull his arm down. Despite giving it his all, Reacher has a hard time keeping their arms even let alone gaining any headway against Paulies strength. However, Reacher lets his hand go at just the right time, the momentum causing Paulie to punch himself in the face. Reacher of course insists that his hand slipped, but Paulie isnt having it. Paulie stands and looks ready to kick Reachers ass, when Duke (Donald Sales) comes in just in time to get him to stand down.This scene is not only fun to watch who doesnt want to see two absolute units square off against each other it also gives us a taste of the actual fight to come. Whereas Paulie may have Reacher beat as far as size goes, Reacher knows how to fight smarter, not harder, and this scene proves that. When the big fight comes later on in the season, the winner isnt necessarily going to be determined by muscle size, its more likely to be determined by who can hold out the longest. And if we know anything about Reacher by now, its that hes a master of patience and playing the long game.But that doesnt mean that the fight will be easy. Just because Reacher has a chance of outsmarting Paulie doesnt mean that he wont still be fighting for his life. Theres a reason that fans have been excited about this fight since Persuader was announced as this seasons adaptation. Were used to seeing Reacher pummel bad guys with relative ease. This is the first time in the show that were going to see him go up against someone physically bigger than he is, so you know its going to be one hell of a fight to watch.With both an intellectual foil in Francis Xavier Quinn (Brian Tee) and a physical foil in Paulie, Reacher certainly has his work cut out for him this season. Fans of the book may have an idea of whats in store for our favorite wandering hero, but all well say is that everyone watching is in for a wild ride.The first three episodes of Reacher season 3 are available to stream on Prime Video now. New episodes premiere Thursdays, culminating with the finale on March 27.

Paraphrasing an unidentfied source, Deadline reports that these series never actually got a full greenlight and were just in early development. Originally, Marvel approached series development in much the same way it handled features: a slate was announced, and what was teased was more or less what got made, Deadline explained. A couple of years ago, senior leadership decided to retool the development process, as they were also revamping their new Daredevil series, Born Again.In other words, Marvel had been in the habit of putting shows in development based on comic book properties that had crossover potential, but not necessarily general audience appeal. That explanation illuminates the companys decisions regarding Nova, Terror, Inc., and Strange Academy. Nova would have focused on a fan-favorite character, whose scenes from the 2006 Annihilation storyline are regularly shared online. Strange Academy, a relatively new comic series about young magic users, had potential for Harry Potter-style stories in the MCU. And the Z-list concept Terror, Inc. would have worked as a holiday special, not unlike Werewolf by Night.Its not hard to see how these projects could have ended up on screen. But its also not hard to imagine viewers skipping over the series, as the MCU has lost the prestige it once enjoyed after saturating the market with a barrage of less popular characters. Furthermore, none of these concepts have particularly strong ties to the Avengers, at least not the MCU variety, which remains the biggest draw for casual viewers.The promotional campaigns for Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* feel like write-offs for Marvel, as if theyre happy to see any return on those investments at all. Likewise, Marvel Television and Marvel Animation still have Ironheart, Marvel Zombies, Eyes of Wakanda, and Wonder Man coming, projects that have been in development since before the company retooled its approach. Time will tell if they attract Disney+ subscribers.But at the same time, its clear that the studio is putting quite a bit of care and attention into The Fantastic Four: First Steps, hoping to repeat the success of Deadpool & Wolverine and Avengers: Endgame. In theory, abandoning riskier projects like Nova and Strange Academy will allow Marvel to focus resources on stronger material, making series such as season two of X-Men 97 as compelling as possible.Because if theres one thing Deadpool & Wolverine has shown, people arent experiencing superhero fatigue as much as theyre experiencing bad superhero movie and TV series fatigue.

This article contains major spoilers for Zero Day.In the six-episode series Zero Day, available on Netflix, a cyberattack forces former U.S. President George Mullen (Robert De Niro) out of retirement to seek the truth. For exactly one minute, all cell phones, laptops, and other systems shut down, plunging the country into a state of emergency. Trains collide, airplanes are forced to fly blind, and hospital patients on life support are affected.The unprecedented attack prompts current U.S. President Evelyn Mitchell (Angela Bassett) to authorize the creation of the Zero Day Commission and grant it extensive powers, such as search and seizure and the suspension of habeas corpus. On the other hand, a separate committee is established to oversee the Zero Day Commissions work, led by Alexandra Mullen (Lizzy Caplan) and Richard Dreyer (Matthew Modine), ensuring that George and his team do not violate laws or citizens rights.Heres how things shake out in Netflixs latest cyberthriller.Who Is Responsible for Zero Day and Who Is Involved?With the cyberattack classified as an act of terrorism, foreign powers, particularly Russia, become suspects. In the series political landscape, it is common for characters to believe that external enemies are trying to harm them. However, as George delves deeper into the investigation, he discovers that a radical left-wing organization is connected to the attack, which turns out to be an act of domestic terrorism. The organization is just the tip of the iceberg. In reality, its hackers were hired by powerful individuals to modify technology developed by the National Security Agency (NSA).Tech billionaire Monica Kidder (Gaby Hoffmann) was involved in the attack and was responsible for spreading malware through automatic updates of her app, which had been downloaded on 80% of phones in America. This allowed the malware to spread to any phone it came into contact with via USB, Bluetooth, and other connections, infiltrating various technological systems. Additionally, billionaire Robert Lyndon (Clark Gregg) also played a role in the plan, although he mostly operated from the shadows. Lyndon fed false information to Roger Carlson (Jesse Plemons), George Mullens assistant, to mislead the Zero Day Commission, blaming Russia, for example. He also bought oil from the Russians and sold it short days before the cyberattack, making a fortune.However, the main culprits behind the cyberattack are members of the U.S. Congress. They planned and executed the attack, believing it would unite the country under a common cause. Americans were deeply divided, and Congress was at a standstill, having failed to pass a single piece of legislation in 18 months. As a result, House Speaker Richard Dreyer gathered several congress members to find a solution, including George Mullens daughter, Congresswoman Alexandra Mullen. She believed they were acting in the countrys best interest and did not know there would be casualties.In episode six, George presents the Zero Day Commissions investigative report during a political session. Beforehand, President Mitchell advises him to place all the blame on Monica Kidder, who died in her cell (more on that later), thus saving his daughter and preserving the publics faith in the system. George agrees to do so and omits the involvement of politicians in the report. However, during the session, he decides to reveal the whole truth by reading aloud a letter from his daughter confessing everything. In addition to exposing his daughter and Dreyer, he also names other politicians involved in the attack: Representative Jerry Benson, Representative Barbara Rollins, Senator Max Trillin, and Senator Pat Bishop.The Deaths of Monica Kidder and Roger CarlsonRoger Carlson, George Mullens right-hand man, received information from Lyndon that could link political commentator Evan Green (Dan Stevens) to the radical left-wing organization. Lyndon wanted the TV personality out of the way since Green had already spoken about Lyndon on his show. In the end, the strategy failed, even though Green was arrested and tortured by the Zero Day Commissionbefore being released. As a result, Lyndon tried to persuade Roger to leak information about Georges unstable mental health to the public, aiming to remove the former president from leading the Commission and replace him with Dreyer. This would allow the conspirators to resolve all their problems, but Roger refused to betray his boss. Lyndon then sent men to Rogers apartment to drug him and drown him in the bathtub, staging it as a suicide.As for Monica Kidder, Dreyer recruited her because her companys apps, Panoply, were crucial to the cyberattacks success. Her involvement was exposed by the media after her arrest by the Zero Day Commission, and shortly afterward, she was found dead in her cell. Although it appeared to be a suicide, her death may have been a way for the conspirators to silence her before she could reveal everything.What Is Proteus?From the first episode, Zero Day shows that George is not mentally wellhe hears and sees things that arent there, becomes confused, and forgets things. During a press conference about the cyberattack, he mentions that Proteus is a defunct government program used to orchestrate the terrorist attack. However, he forgets that the program had no connection to cyberattacks.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Proteus is a neurological weapon that can attack a persons brain from a distance and could never be traced. Its symptoms include visual and auditory hallucinations, memory loss, confusion, and more. As a result, George becomes convinced that someone is using Proteus on him to render him unfit to lead the investigationmeaning the mastermind behind the cyberattack is also targeting him with Proteus. When the truth is revealed, the neurological weapon is not mentioned anywhere, and it remains unclear whether anyone actually used it.After the investigation concludes, George returns to his routine. During a walk, he finds a broken device inside a bird feeder, suspects it might be related to Proteus, and gives it to Valerie (Connie Britton), his chief of staff, for analysis. However, the results show that it is residue of indeterminate origin. The device could have come from anywhere and does not appear to be connected to Proteus, suggesting that George may have convinced himself he was targeted by the weapon as a way to reassure himself that he was mentally soundeven after losing his son Nick to a drug overdose. On the other hand, it could also indicate that the person who used Proteus on George is still out there.How Does Zero Day End?After Georges revelation, journalists report on TV that FBI sources indicate the director will create a task force to investigate Richard Dreyer and other members of Congress, as well as Alexandra Mullen, who turned herself in to authorities. Now, the governments main challenge is confronting the internal enemy and bringing them to justice.At home, George is alone after being abandoned by his wife, Sheila (Joan Allen), who left after their only surviving child was turned over to the FBI. In his personal office, he looks at the memoir he was writing for publication and decides to throw it into the lit fireplace. During the terrorist attack investigation, George made wrong decisions and crossed legal and moral boundaries in the name of justice, though he was not held accountable due to the investigations positive outcome. Whatever he had written in the bookperhaps about his time with the Zero Day Commissionhe chose to let his decision to reveal the truth in Congress define his legacy moving forward.All six episodes of Zero Day are available to stream on Netflix now.

The coldest blood runs through my veins, you know my name, croons Chris Cornell at the start of Casino Royale, the film that rebooted the James Bond franchise with a new approach and a new face as 007. Yet, as many times as the guy playing James Bond changed, fans could count on one constant name: Broccoli.But thats about to change. Amazon Studios has announced a joint venture with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the current heads of Eon Productions, to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. Although the announcement makes clear that Broccoli and Wilson will remain co-owners of the franchise, it also indicates that Amazon MGM Studios will gain creative control of the James Bond franchise following closing of the transaction.Thats a seismic change in the world of James Bond. Since 1961, Eon Productions has been the sole creative shepherd of live-action adaptations of Ian Flemings novels and characters. Founded by Albert R. Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, Eon has remained family-owned, even after Saltzman sold his shares in 1975 and Cubby died in 1996, after which his daughter Barbara Broccoli and his stepson Michael G. Wilson assumed control.Eon and the Broccoli family have been the people most responsible for James Bonds successes and failures. Outside of the occasional production that occurs outside of Eons aegis the 1967 spoof version of Casino Royale, Never Say Never Again from 1983 the family has been in charge of choosing the actors, directors, and creative direction of the project. It was the Broccolis who picked Scot Sean Connery and blond-haired Daniel Craig to portray the dark-haired English agent, but it was also the Broccolis who rushed Moonraker into theaters to cash in on Star Wars and refused to let Steven Spielberg make a Bond film.Obviously, the familys record is imperfect. But its the type of record that can only occur when unique voices are at work, a rare thing in our current state of boardroom-driven IP-mining. Thus far, the Broccolis have largely avoided farming out the James Bond for cheap cash ins. That is, if we forget about the weird cartoon series James Bond Jr. and the aborted attempts to make a show about Jinx Johnson, Halle Berrys American agent from Die Another Day. Still, compared to a media landscape that includes Pennyworth: The Origin of Batmans Butler, such restraint is absolutely monk-like.Will that change with Amazon in charge? A company best known for getting cheap iPhone chargers to your door may not be anyones best hope for creative integrity. However, the corporate giant has produced some pretty fantastic work, including the TV series The Boys and last years groundbreaking film Nickel Boys (produced by Orion Pictures, a subsidiary of MGM, which Amazon now owns). Amazon may want to continue the level of care exerted by Eon, if only to protect the brand.Then again, just two months ago, the Wall Street Journal reported on tensions between Eon and Amazon. These people are f____g idiots, Barbara Broccoli was quoted as saying of Amazon executives, dismissing their suggestions by repeating a line she heard from her father: Dont have temporary people make permanent decisions. The Wall Street Journal article described Eon as having primary control in the negotiations, which they wielded to prevent spinoffs and short-term ideas that the Broccolis found contrary to James Bonds best interests.Apparently, thats changed. With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects, Wilson says in his statement with Amazon. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future. For her part, Broccoli looks backward in her statement, reflecting on Eons successes rather than her issues with Amazon. My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry, she stated.What does the future of James Bond look like? Its hard to say. But Bond has gone through several permutations before and still come out okay. If Bond can survive Auric Goldfinger, Xenia Onatopp, and Blofeld, then he can also survive Jeff Bezos. Probably.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The Avatar Spirit in Nickelodeons animated classic Avatar: The Last Airbender cycles through the four major elements in selecting the next human embodiment of light and peace. In the original series, it was the titular last Airbender Aang who faced the awesome responsibility of mastering nature. Then it was Waterbender Korras turn in Avatar: The Legend of Korra. Now its an Earthbenders time to shine. And no, were not talking about TophNickelodeon has announced Avatar: Seven Havens, a brand new 2-D animated series set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by original Avatar writers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the show will feature 26 half-hour episodes, split into two 13-episode Books, and will follow a young Earthbender who discovers shes the new Avatar after Korra. Sure enough, earth comes after air in the Avatar Cycle.Full plot details remain scarce but the brief description released by Avatar Studios is both surprisingly juicy and surprisingly dark. It reads: Avatar: Seven Havens is set in a world shattered by a devastating cataclysm. A young Earthbender discovers shes the new Avatar but in this dangerous era, that title marks her as humanitys destroyer, not its savior. Hunted by both human and spirit enemies, she and her long-lost twin must uncover their mysterious origins and save the Seven Havens before civilizations last strongholds collapse.An Avatar being viewed with suspicion rather than reverence makes a lot of sense, given the awesome Spirit World power each master of the elements wields. This grim state of affairs suggests that Avatar: The Last Airbender is growing up with its audience in a meaningful way. When we created the original series, we never imagined wed still be expanding the world decades later, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko said in a joint statement. This new incarnation of the Avatarverse is full of fantasy, mystery, and a whole new cast of amazing characters. Get ready to take another epic and emotional adventure!While theres a lot to unpack in this announcement and plot description, perhaps the most meaningful nugget of information is that Avatar: Seven Havens picks up after Korras tenure as Avatar. The Legend of Korra ends on a warm note but The Avatar Cycle cannot continue until the current Avatar shuffles loose their mortal coil, meaning Korra will no longer be around once this new Earthbender realizes her destiny. Avatar: Seven Havens status as a sequel also means that our poor Earthbender and her twin likely wont have access to a crucial tool that previous Avatars did.For ten thousand years, Avatars operated as reincarnations of all the previous Avatars who came before them, meaning the current Avatar had access to their predecessors as ghostly advisors. Korras tussle with the Dark Avatar UnaVaatubrought an end to that ancient cycle, with Korra having to restart a new one on her own. With that in mind, the protagonist of Avatar: Seven Havens may be able to solicit Korras help, but reconnecting with older Avatars like Aang, Roku, and Kyoshi will be harder, if not impossible, to pull off. That disruption of institutional and cultural memory helps to explain how Seven Havens world might have been shattered by a devastating cataclysm. It also adds a new dimension to the news that our heroic Earthbender will have to avoid human and spiritual hunters alike. This poor kid doesnt even have a name yet and we already feel so bad for her and her twin. Additional news of Avatar: Seven Havens premiere date and casting will be announced at a later date, per Nickelodeon. The series was revealed as part of the networks celebration of Avatars 20th anniversary. Next up for the franchise is the Untitled Animated Aang Avatar movie, set to be released to theaters on January 30, 2026 and two future seasons of Netflixs live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender reboot. Be on the lookout for more news as Nickelodeon continues to observe the February 21, 2005 debut of an animated legend.

Osgood Perkins is having fun these days. And you know what? Hes earned it. One of the more interesting horror directors to emerge in the last decade, Perkins finally had his mainstream breakthrough last year by writing and helming the surprise indie curio of the summer: Longlegs, an achingly bleak movie about the things the Devil, and your parents, make you do.With his follow-up, a liberal adaptation of a Stephen King short story about cursed toys and even more accursed childhoods, hes pretty much tackling the same subject matter again, but he does so with a reckless mean streak which might make even the condemned awaiting their turn on the gallows cringe.Oz Perkins The Monkey is another story about the scars of childhood but told through the prism of turn-of-the-century slasher movies and splatter cinema. Eagerly reaching toward a Grand Guignol aesthetic over anything that might be mistaken for elevated, The Monkey is deliberately kitsch. Unfortunately, for all the fun the filmmaker seems to be having, its a lot less grand to watch than its camp influences.Ostensibly the story of a wind-up toy that causes someone to die a freak and gushy death every time it plays its drums, The Monkey is less about the toy in the title than it is the brothers who wind up in its possession. The monstrosity was accidentally bequeathed to them (perhaps) by a father they never really knew and who only appears in the movies sadistic prologue in a brief cameo by Adam Scott. Where he went after that is a mystery. All thats certain is the Monkey sits (or waits) in a closet for twin brothers Hal and Bill (Christian Convery) to give it a go.The saying that first time is incidence, second time is coincidence, and third is enemy action is quickly implemented as the brothers tinker with the doll, and each time someone close to them dies. Horribly. So the pair wisely decide to drop the furry little bastard down a well and never speak of him again. And yet, 25 years later after both twins have been upgraded into the burly frame of Theo Jamesand Hal now has a son of his own (Colin OBrien)the reality that generational trauma will not stay buried comes roaring to the surface as the Monkey shows back up in their former hometown, and neighbors start dropping like flies from their little, ghastly accidents.The son of one of the most famous performers in horror history, Perkins is neither a stranger to horrors trappings nor real-life tragedy. Hes known plenty of both, including brutally in the loss of his own parents. As a consequence, he admits he developed an oblique and acquired sense of humor. It might explain the ice-cold nihilism that runs through the veins of all his movies, but The Monkey feels like the first overt attempt to let us in on what he he sees is the joke.If so, I suspect few who admired the creepy atmosphere of Longlegs or even Blackcoats Daughter will be laughing along. There are a lot of spectacularly gruesome death scenes in The Monkey. By the end of the film, theyre virtually having to pile bodies on the side of the road and our side of the screen across the aisles. The actors are wading through the corpses to hit their marks. In a certain sense, it is the excess of the Final Destination movies but with fewer considerations allowed for things like decorum or taste. It is a blood bath fit for the Roman waterworks of Caracalla.And yet, unlike Final Destination and similar splatterfests of yoreOmen sequels or even a handful of Nightmare on Elm Streetsthis thing is working hard to let us know how pleased it is with its schlocky self.Well, its definitely schlock, but also given its Neon pedigree and its directors natural tonal instincts, The Monkey errs as it tries to be something else too. It wants to be art and say something as profound about the sins of the father as Longlegs had to say about those of the mother.But artat least of the good varietydoesnt reach for naturalism while having James play characters as arch as Bill, who as a fortysomething adult still talks to his brother like a 90s kid edgelord who stayed up late watching Andrew Dice Clay. With his 2025 mullet and paperback motivations, he doesnt have much at all profound to say, but exists in a movie too self-serious (even if with a smirk) to be good schlock. Schlock should be fun; schlock should be delicious; The Monkey leaves you with a faintly rancid taste in your mouth.There are some spectacular set pieces that revel in gonzo gore-letting, and there is at least one really good performance by Tatiana Maslany as Hal and Bills mother. Yet the screenplay saddles her like everyone else with characterization that feels neither human or heightened enough to crossover into camp. One doom-marked figure even later says that when a freak death occurs it must mean God is bowling strikes today. Thats apt in a film where everyone onscreen amounts to little more than a deadweight pin waiting to be knocked down.Even the enigma of the father and why he left this terrible inheritance to his sons is neither examined or satisfyingly considered. That might reflect one of the bitterest ironies about life, but in a mess like this, its just another thread dangling with enough slack to hang the film. Which might be for the best.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The Monkey opens on Friday, Feb. 21. Learn more about Den of Geeks review process and why you can trust our recommendationshere.

This article contains spoilers for Jenny Sparks #7.Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my father. But go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my father, and your father, and to my God and to your God.The devout among us might recognize that statement as the words of Jesus, as recorded in the King James Version of the Gospel of John. They also appear on the first page of Jenny Sparks #7, accompanied by a splash page of the titular character, standing tall and smirking, a cigarette in her hand.Such injections of lofty ideas into superhero comics are nothing new for writer Tom King, whose Jenny Sparks series is the latest bold (and, crucially, non-canonical) miniseries of an established superhero. Like Vision, Mr. Miracle, and The Human Target before it, Jenny Sparks breaks the central character down to her fundamental qualities, offering a unique and philosophical approach to someone we thought we knew. In the case of Jenny Sparks, that means reinventing her as a godlike being even more powerful than any other DC hero.Born in the StormJenny Sparks is no stranger to philosophical musings. In 1996s Stormwatch #37, written by Warren Ellis and penciled by Tom Raney, an energy-emitting villain quotes Friedrich Nietzsches faux-Bible Thus Spoke Zarathushtra, telling a corpse, Behold I teach you the superman. Man is something to be overcome.Nietzsche citations are nothing new among supervillains either, but the line serves as more than a ploy to impress college freshmen. It symbolizes the struggle at the heart of Stormwatch in its later incarnation, after Henry Bendix, aka the Weatherman, puts the organizations massive resources to creating a better world. He recruits a number of heroes to aid his new mission, including Jenny Sparks.Born at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 1900, Jenny is one of a small handful of Century Babies, human-like constructs imbued with special gifts to help guide the next 100 years. In Jennys case, those powers include control of electrical bursts and aging that stops at 19 years old. After a few failed attempts at super-heroing throughout the years, Jenny had planned to spend the rest of her days drinking when Bendix recruited her to Stormwatch with the promise of a proactive approach, one that would attack the causes of problems, not the effects.That approach lead her to the Authority, the Justice League-style team that comes out of Stormwatch. It also leads to her death, as she sacrifices herself while fighting God at the end of the 20th Century, giving way to her successor Jenny Quantum and her DC Comics version Jenny Crisis, both new types of century babies.A Crisis of Infinite FaithJenny Sparks #1, written by Tom King and penciled by Jeff Spokes, opens with a less famous quotation, one no less philosophical: Save the world. They deserve it. Be better. Or Ill come to kick your heads in.Those, of course, were the last words that Jenny spoke to her Authority teammates before her death. The echo suggests that Jenny has returned because her friends did not save the world, and she needs to deal with a reality-warping threat. Which she does. Sort of.The miniseries follows Jennys clash with Captain Atom, who has gone mad with power. As the Captain easily takes down the Justice League, its up to Jenny to prevent Captain Atom from becoming a mad god who reshapes the world into his image.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!That might sound like the setup for a massive Crisis-level event, but this is Tom King were talking about. So what really happens is a conversation between Jenny and Captain Atom, filled with philosophical asides. The grandiose Captain has kidnapped various people to be representations of humanity and the benefactors of his beneficence. Jenny has to talk him through it, in between drinks and with lots of British snark, of course.King takes advantage of the looser restrictions offered by the Black Label branding on Jenny Sparks, as DCs out-of-continuity Mature Readers imprint allows him to show Captain Atom casually killing the Leaguers. Even Superman and Green Lantern die easily at his hand, while Jenny sits in a corner and plays tic-tac-toe. And then, at the end of issue #6, Captain Atom wipes out everything. All of existence ceases to exist, except him, the bar, seven humans, and Jenny Sparks. As soon as the humans start to stand up against him, he wipes them out too.Heres where it gets interesting.Building a Better BeliefThroughout the miniseries, Captain Atom has been trying to convince Jenny, the sole unbeliever, that he is God. And as God, he can do better than anyone else who laid claim to the title, fixing the problems that other Gods never did. He can build a better world.That phrasing, of course, is the mantra of the Authority, the proactive superhero team that embodied Jennys belief. And so, when Jenny rejects Captain Atoms godhood she also experiences a crisis of faith. If she cant believe in a better world, then what can she believe in?It appears that the question remains unanswered toward the middle of Jenny Sparks #7, when she finally submits to Captain Atom and lets him burn her out of existence.But in the very next panel, we see Jenny sitting between Batman and Superman, smoking a cigarette and hardly acknowledging the Worlds Finest. In her best Miss Marple or Velma Dinkley, Jenny explains her gambit. She dealt with Captain Atoms play to godhood by giving him what he wanted, letting him become God, letting him destroy everything that displeased him, and then letting him sit in the disappointment. Eventually, just as she predicted, he recreated the world as it was to focus on the real problem: himself.In the end, Jenny defeated Captain Atom by teaching a fellow all-powerful being the lesson she learned throughout her 100+ years of existence: You dont fight life. You live it.Beyond SuperpowersDC Comics had to know what it was doing when it slated a Jenny Sparks series to end in February 2025, just a few months before James Gunns Superman flies into theaters. Although we dont know the full details yet, we do know that Superman will feature at least one member of the Authority, the Engineer (Mara Gabriela de Fara), as a primary villain.As always, the Authority stands as a counterpoint to Superman and his hopeful ideology, as well as his massive power. But Jenny Sparks turns that thought process on its head, reframing power.Could Jenny beat up Captain Atom, a guy who can bend reality to his will? Maybe. She certainly thinks so, leaving warning to Captain Atom that if he tries something like that again, shell do horrible things to very intimate parts of his body. And the worried look on his face suggests that he believes her.But thats not the point that Jenny Sparks wants to make. The true power isnt the ability to punch or fire quantum rays. Its the ability to live ones life instead of fighting it, to learn from ones mistakes instead of constantly battling them. Thats a power Jenny Sparks possesses more than any other DC hero.That and the power to toast people with lightning, but that doesnt mesh well with scripture or philosophy.Jenny Sparks is now available from DC Comics.

Warning: contains finale spoilers for The Leftovers.HBOs The Leftovers opens on an ordinary street in Mapleton, New York, on an ordinary day in October, moments before an extraordinary global event the Sudden Departure changes the world forever. As 142 million souls two percent of the worlds population suddenly and inexplicably vanish into thin air, seemingly at random, we get to see it in microcosm. The chaos and confusion. The disbelief and destruction. The howls of anguish. Its a powerful and harrowing scene that hammers home the existential horror at the heart of the show and sets the stage for a three-season long odyssey of grief, loss, trauma, and delusion refracted through the lenses of faith and family. The questions, the first of many, begin here. Why did this happen? Where did the people go? What does it all mean? What do we do now?In contrast to the bleak emotional kineticism of its opening scene, The Leftovers closes with something thats quiet, profound, and beautiful, though no less powerful. Almost the entirety of the final episode is a two-hander, focusing on the reunion between Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) and Nora Durst (Carrie Coon) out in the back-wilds of Australia, many decades after their last, bitter meeting. The final scene serves as a coda to the shows existential journey, striking a beautiful note of hope for the future. And its achieved through simply letting Nora tell a story, a creative decision thats as bold in its own way as the cut to black at the end of The Sopranos.The Leftovers was always more interested in asking questions than answering them. Its goal was to paint its characters in shades of doubt and uncertainty and watch how they made sense of their lives and the world around them, encouraging us to do the same by proxy. For the show to have ended as damn near perfectly, and as perfectly satisfyingly, as it did was a creative master stroke on the part of creator Damon Lindelof and his team, which cemented The Leftovers as not only a superlative piece of prestige television, but a work of art for the ages.Crucially, The Leftovers reveals itself to have been a love story all along.Kevin and NoraNoras whole family her husband and two children vanished along with millions of others on that October day, leaving her to make sense of it all through her work at the Department of Sudden Departure. Kevins family remained on terra firma, but the loss and confusion of the Sudden Departure scattered them to the winds. His wife joined a cult, his step-son hitched his wagon to a mystic, his teenage daughter retreated into nihilism, and he began to descend into madness. These were two people who had lost everything in the Sudden Departure and tried and failed to find it again through each other. And yetThe final episode The Book of Nora begins a little after the seventh anniversary of the Sudden Departure. Nora says goodbye to her brother, Matt (Christopher Eccleston), as she prepares to enter an experimental machine its creators claim can transport its users to the same place as the Departed. Nora allows herself to be sealed inside the contraption and it begins to fill with fluid, but just before her face is submerged the scene cuts away. The next time we see Nora shes many years older, living a cloistered, solitary existence in rural Australia with only her birds and the occasional nun for company.Few know shes still alive perhaps only Laurie (Amy Brenneman), Kevins former wife and Noras long-time friend and therapist which explains her shock when Kevin arrives on her doorstep. He claims to have no memory of their life together beyond their fortuitous first meeting at a Mapleton Christmas dance many decades previously. He frames their reunion as no less an act of coincidence: just a man on vacation who spotted an old friend and wants her to accompany him to a party later that night. For old times sake.Reluctantly, she goes. But it isnt a party, its a wedding. One at which Kevin appears to be a guest of honour. Noras birds are also guests of honour, having been hired for the night by her friend, the nun, so the wedding guests can attach notes of love to their legs and send them heavenward with their hopes and dreams. All evening, Kevin refuses to deviate from his story, though Nora probes at its edges, her eyes searching and critical, leaving both Nora and the audience wondering whether Kevin is pretending or in the midst of some mental relapse. The faade eventually becomes too much for her, and she storms away from the wedding.I cant do this, she tells him.Why not?Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Because its not true.Back home, Nora is angry when she discovers that her birds havent returned home. She climbs a ladder on to her flat-panelled roof and stares skyward in trepidation, just as Matts father, and the Millerite family from season threes cold open, once did on similar roofs as they waited for an apocalypse that never came; one that wouldve vindicated their actions and beliefs, and, paradoxically, made them seem like beacons of sanity. To Nora, the birds represent both her family, and her fear of once again losing the things that she loves. Nora pedals off to the church. As she arrives, she sees a man in a leather jacket clambering down a ladder from a bedroom in the loft. He greets Nora sheepishly before roaring off on a motorcycle. The nun looks no less sheepish when she appears at the front door of the church. Nora rebukes the nun for her handling of the birds and blames her for their absence.Maybe theyre delivering the messages of love, the nun offers with a barely repressed smile.Its great that your newlyweds believe that a bird with a range of 50 miles is gonna carry their stupid poetry to Timbuktu, but dont sell that bullshit to me, Nora replies.Im not trying to sell you anything. Its just a nicer story.Nora accuses the nun of sleeping with the man on the motorcycle, and when the nun refuses to acknowledge the truth, Nora is even more unequivocal in her response: Youre a fucking liar.Truth, of course, is one of the cornerstones of The Leftovers. What is true? What is truth? Who or what caused the Sudden Departure? Where did all the people go? Was Nora transported to the same place? If so, how was she returned? Was Kevin once immortal? Is Kevin telling Nora the truth now? And, of course, a central theme: what is it possible to believe, and what should one believe, in the absence of an answer?Kevin returns to Noras house the next day and confesses the truth: that he remembers everything; that hes been coming back to Australia every year to search for her, even though he feared the chances of her being alive were somewhere between gossamer thin and zero. Every year I would say to myself, I cant do this. Im not doing this. Never again. But every year, I would come back. Because Because I couldnt stop. And a couple of days ago I showed your picture to that nun. And I saw it in her eyes. She recognized you. She knew you. And when I saw you I couldnt believe it. There you were But I didnt know what to say. Or where to start, and so I just thought, Oh fuck it, Ill erase it. Just erase it all and maybe that would give us another chance. But you were right. Its not true. Thats how I found you, Nora. I I refused to believe you were gone.Kevin was once considered by many perhaps even by himself to be the Messiah, and in pursuit of that conviction he took himself to the edge of death and beyond many times. New gospels, a whole new testament, sprouted from his trials and deeds. But when the flood his desert-wandering father prophesied would claim the earth and Kevins mystical role in preventing it proved to be as fanciful as any number of apocalyptic pronouncements made by world-ending cults, the beliefs and rituals that swirled around Kevins supposed powers and abilities went the way of Thor and Ra, and non-magical reality slowly re-asserted itself.Kevin stands before Nora an ordinary man of flesh and blood: physically fallible, with a pacemaker to prove it. And yet his almost evangelical belief that Nora was still alive demonstrated a faith that was at once richer, more powerful, and longer lasting than any beliefs hed ever held about his destiny or the departure. His faith was in love. In Nora. As all-consuming as it was irrevocable. You want some tea? she asks him.After twenty-seven episodes of militant cults, radicalised doubt, messianic wrangling, religious quests, ritualistic deaths, biblical iconography, and planet-wide predictions of doom its fitting that it would all boil down to two people talking.Though The Leftovers often went big, it was always about the little moments: the stories we need to tell ourselves to paper over the cracks in our existences; to keep our families and relationships together; to live our lives with some measure of peace. And so, at a dining table, over cups of tea, Nora tells Kevin the story of what happened to her after she climbed inside the tank. Where she went; how and why she came back.The Book of Nora The device worked. The tank transported Nora to a world that was identical to theirs except the Sudden Departure had happened in reverse, taking 98 percent of the human population instead of two: Over here we lost some of them. But over there, they lost all of us.Nora made the long journey back to Mapleton Planes dont really fly over there. They have the resources, just not enough pilots and returned to her old home, where she observed her children, now grown, living with her husband and a new woman. They were all happy. I understood that here in this place, they were the lucky ones. In a world full of orphans they still had each other. And I was a ghost who had no place there.Nora sought out the man whod developed the machine on their side of the partition, now settled in this new world, and convinced him to make a new machine to send her back.Did I think about you? she asks rhetorically. Did I wanna call you? Did I wanna be with you, Kevin? Of course I did. But so much time had passed. It was too late. And I knew that if I told you what happened that you would never believe me.Noras story is either true or false, and in the absence of any proof beyond her words its left to Kevin, and the audience, to act as arbiters. Its worth considering each eventuality, if not to arrive at a definitive answer, then to both better understand Nora, and fully appreciate Kevins response.Assuming Noras Story Is TrueIn a world in which the Sudden Departure happened in the first place, not to mention one in which Kevin seemed to possess powers of divination, its tempting to ask: why shouldnt we believe Noras story? After all, Kevin journeyed to the twilight realm between life and death several times, seeing things there that made us strongly question whether mental breakdown was sufficient as an explanation. The very fact that he thrice survived what should have killed him is cause enough for doubt.Though Noras story is no better at answering the question of what caused the Sudden Departure the tone and texture of her experience eschews the supernatural in favor of a more scientific approach: machines, technology, the multiverse. This fits with what weve learned about Nora. Shes always been rational, even in her irrationality; someone who never suffered fantasists or liars gladly.When a man whod preached atop a column in the town of Miracle, Texas, died of an ordinary heart attack, her brother, Matt, helped shroud his death in mysticism and mystery both as a favor to the mans wife, and in a bid to bolster the faith of the townsfolk. Nora tore a page from the play-book of the Guilty Remnant the silent, chain-smoking cult whose raison dtre was to stand as living and hostile reminders of the Sudden Departure and angrily exposed the truth, because she refused to participate, even tacitly, in a lie.Everything up to and including Noras reaction to Kevins feigned ignorance and her dealings with the nun demonstrate a through-line of not just honesty, but righteous anger in the face of untruth and false comfort. From a purely psychological perspective it makes sense to take Nora at face value.Its not inconceivable to imagine, of course, that Nora entered the machine, drowned as the water enveloped her, and before she was rescued by either the scientists or Matt, went to a similar place to that which Kevin visited during his own wanderings in deaths hinterlands. And whether real or imagined, Noras experiences would almost certainly have seemed true to her.We can, however, discount any notion that the events of the final episode occurred anywhere other than the real world. Damon Lindelof himself confirmed as much in an interview with Esquire. For someone who wrote a show where there was a misdiagnosis of they were dead the whole time attributed to the end of it, I would have to be a masochist to try to do that here in The Leftovers, he explained. What I would say that is critical to us is that everybody understands that this finale is taking place in real space in the same reality that all other episodes of The Leftovers take place, probably with the exception of the International Assassins episodes [which chronicle Kevins after-death dalliances], which very clearly are not taking place in this reality.Assuming Noras Story Isnt TrueTheres an undeniably stronger case to be made that Noras story isnt true, though how much you agree with that statement probably depends on how you view the world; whether your lens is scientific or religious, or some point between the two. Thinking clinically and critically, if science had reached the stage where people from our world could be sent to the reverse departure world and back with relative ease then surely there would have been a thriving inter-world travel industry in full swing by the time Kevin tracked Nora down, and she would have been its poster girl. Even supposing that Nora was a statistical aberration the only departure-naut to have survived the process and that she kept her survival and subsequent return a secret from everyone, including the scientists or charlatans behind the machine, her story is nevertheless filled with such a glut of questionable, implausible and fantastical details as to make it almost unswallowable.While the Nora we know despises liars, cheats and seekers of easy answers, the loss of her children was a wound that refused to heal, and over time her hope and defences may have lowered to the point where embracing a comforting untruth seemed preferable to embracing oblivion (which shed tried to do many times in any case). Her reaction to the nun, then, angrily mocking her for expressing a willingness to embrace a story just because it was nicer, could be seen as a projection of Noras own angry feelings for having essentially done the same.In many ways, Nora is the better nun. Both women abandoned ordinary lives to uphold the integrity of a story. Whereas the nun broke her covenant by sleeping with paramours, Nora kept hers sacred. She needed isolation to seal her story in amber, fearing that any scrutiny, especially from Kevin, would destroy the comforting untruth: shed built to protect and sustain herself. Arguably, whatever the literal truth, Nora had reinvented heaven just for herself, one unburdened by the strictures and rules of organised religion. And within that heaven shed contented herself that her children were safe, and where they now belonged. After all of her pain, thats the thing that mattered most to Nora.Kevins Belief in Nora is TrueTo get to the heart of the objective truth of Noras story you could scrutinize her eyes and body language as she tells it. When she recounts certain details, like the other world not having enough pilots to fly their planes, her eyes look up and to the right, a sign some experts claim shows deceit or invention. Many times she seems to hold Kevins gaze as she talks, with an air of either defiance or desperation. But when she talks about missing Kevin it doesnt matter that her eyes veer to the left. We dont need a body language expert to know for sure that Nora loves, and has always loved, Kevin. Its all there in his eyes, too. Especially when, at the end of her long story, he looks at her and says with supreme and instant conviction:I believe you.You do?Why wouldnt I believe you? Youre here.Im here, says Nora, as she reaches out her hand to Kevin.When the Sudden Departure struck, it added fresh layers of myth, misery, madness, and mystical contemplation to the already muddled story of our species. Faith and families were fractured. Therapists became patients, humble servants became holy warriors. Mankind was plunged back into its primordial childhood, and forced to fight anew for a way to co-exist with the Departure, just as it had found a way to co-exist with death. The world, and our characters, had to wade through their pain and confusion, trying on coping strategies like hats, moving through the five-stages of grief towards an acceptance they never thought theyd find.But with two words, Youre here, Kevin and Nora find it. Through their love. In their faith for each other, and their acceptance of the stories theyd each fused with their fragile hearts. Outside, as the two lovers clasp hands, enjoined after so many years apart, Noras birds return like Old Testament doves divining dry land after the horror of the flood. Kevin and Nora are finally healed, and the world around them is healing, too. When all is said and done, The Leftovers leaves us with the touching, and well-earned, notion that where and in whom we place our faith matters much more than the answers to the big existential questions which might not have answers anyway. We are the answer. Time is the answer.Love is the answer.The Leftovers is streaming on Max in the US, and on NOW and Sky Go in the UK.

This article contains spoilers for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.By the end of the final episode of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Peter Parker has saved the day. Hes rescued his friend Nico Minoru, stopped a gang war between the 110th Street Gang and the Scorpions, and even prevented an interdimensional invasion of Venom symbiotes.But the most shocking moment doesnt involve Peter at all. With Peter safe and sound at home, Aunt May goes on an errandan errand that leads her to the local prison. There, she checks in on an inmate curious about Peter. The episode lets us think for a minute that its about to reveal its take on Uncle Ben Parker, whose fate has been hinted at but not fully revealed in the series. But instead, we see Richard Parker, Peters father.The reveal should make longtime comic book fans roll their eyes and sigh. For as many things as Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has done right, its hard to believe that this show will be able to make Richard Parker interesting when no one, in any medium, has ever been able to pull it off.Not-So-Amazing MysteriesWhen we first meet Peter Parker in 1962s Amazing Fantasy #15, neither the character nor the narrator even mention his parents. He simply lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt Mayno more explanation needed.That changed with 1968s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5, written by Stan Lee and penciled by his brother Larry Lieber. At Long Last the Parents of Peter Parker! declares the cover, a cool Jim Steranko-style design that promises more than the actual issue delivers. Amazing Spider-Man #5 begins with Peter helping Aunt May move a safe, which he accidentally damages with his super-strength. From the damaged box comes a newspaper clipping announcing the death of Richard and Mary Parker in a plane crash in Algeria. Worse, the newspaper describes the couple as traitors to America.Upset by the news, Peter dons his Spidey costume and investigates. With the help of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man travels to Algeria, where he discovers that his father served in an international criminal organization operated by Captain Americas arch-enemy, the Red Skull. Spidey refuses to believe it and continues to push further, interrogating someone familiar with the operation. Through this contact, Peter learns the truthhis father was an American agent working deep undercover in the Red Skulls organization. Although most of the evidence gets destroyed in an explosion, Peter gets enough to clear his fathers name and returns to the States.Like most stories in early annuals, its easy to dismiss the secret agent reveal. And for decades, thats exactly what writers did.Secret Agents ParkerThat changed with Amazing Spider-Man #365 from 1992, written by David Michelinie and Jerry Bingham, which revealed that Richard and Mary were still alive, having been held in a Soviet prison since their apparent death. Of course, since this is Spider-Man in the 1990s, the story ended with the duo turning out to be clones, but the two years of storylines confirmed what many already suspected: Richard and Mary made for a poor fit in Peters universe.Through backstory, we learn that Richard and Mary were James Bond-style spies, going on globetrotting adventures on behalf of SHIELD. The duo faced off against some of Marvels biggest bad guys, including the Red Skull and Baron Zemo, and set up a lineage that included their daughter Theresa Parker, now an agent of SHIELD.By themselves, these spy stories are fine. The Marvel Universe is full of such derring-do. But they dont make sense next to Spider-Man, at least not in his lineage. Peter Parker works best as a regular, unassuming guy. Super-smart, sure, but otherwise unremarkable. Thats what makes it so special when he chooses to use his great power for good. Making his parents secret agents undoes that banality a bit, transforming him into a scion of heroes.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Fortunately, writers have rarely returned to the secret agent well for Richard and Mary, preferring to show them as regular people in flashbacks (which does include the disastrous sex romp Trouble, written by Mark Millar and starring teenaged Richard and Mary with Ben and May as supporting characters, but lets not talk about that).The sole exception to this rule was The Amazing Spider-Man movies. Desperate to create a shared universe to rival the MCU, Sony overstuffed the two films with teases, including a Sinister Six nod and Felicity Jones as Felicia Harding aka the Black Cat. Both movies also starred Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz as Richard and Mary, here portrayed as scientists whose experiments in arachnids led not just to the radioactive spider that gave Peter his powers, but also a range of medical benefits. A jealous Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) has the duo killed, but their work lives on in the many OsCorp experiments.Once again, The Amazing Spider-Man movies commit the key error with Richard and Mary. They make Peter into part of a vast super conspiracy, someone fated to power instead of having the power thrust upon him. And, just like in the comics, Richard and Mary have fallen away from the movies, not even meriting a mention when Andrew Garfield reprised his take on Peter for Spider-Man: No Way Home.Straying from the Friendly NeighborhoodSo far, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has veered away from established Marvel canon in good ways. Giving Pete new pals Nico and Lonnie helped shake up the status quo, and his relationship with Norman provided a necessary corrective to the emphasis on Tony Stark in the life of MCU Peter.We dont know enough about the series version of Richard Parker to say if the show will follow down the same misbegotten path as the comics. He might just be a regular guy with a prison sentence, not some SHIELD agent deep undercover. But if history is any indication, the Richard Parker reveal means a whole host of secrets for Peter Parker, and potentially dull stories for fans in season 2.Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season one is streaming now on Disney+.

In the final moments of Dune: Part Two, Chani storms out of Pauls court and back into the desert. Disgusted by the megalomania she sees in the man she once loved, Chani readies her hooks for the oncoming worm, which shell ride away from here.For a while, it looked like director Denis Villeneuve would do the same. After mounting the massive productions that were Dune and Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve had hinted that he might want to leave Arrakis for a bit and pursue another project. However, the Canadian filmmaker more recently changed his position, and revealed that he had begun working on an adaptation of author Frank Herberts second book in the series, Dune: Messiah.In fact, it seems like that work is coming along nicely. According toDeadline, Villeneuve hopes to begin shooting Dune 3 later this summer, as pre-production wraps up.However, Villeneuve has said several times that Dune 3 will be the end of his journey on Arrakis, leaving room for another director to take the franchise down the Golden Path if WB decides that a fourth film is in order after the completion of the initial trilogy. Well, according to insider Daniel Ritchman, WB is considering Gareth Edwards as Villeneuves successor in the directors chair to helm an adaptation of Frank Herberts third Dune book, Children of Dune.Keeping in mind that this is just a rumor and should be taken with a spoonful of salt, and that quite a bit has to happen before Villeneuve steps away t and a new director is chosen, Edwards makes sense as the next in line. Edwards broke out with the kaiju indie Monsters, and has worked on big sci-fi franchise pictures such as Godzilla, Star Wars: Rogue One, and the upcoming Jurassic World: Rebirth. He knows how to do scale and how to work in the studio system, skills needed for to carry Children of Dune past the oddity that will be Dune Messiah.The second book in the original Frank Herbert series, Dune Messiah takes a more intimate approach than the writers original epic, focusing instead on a conspiracy within the court of Emperor Paul Atreides. In the novel, as Paul and Chani struggle to conceive an heir, this conspiracy works against the family, employing new threats such as the shape-changing assassins known as the Face Dancers and the machine savvy people of Ix, both of which appeared in the HBO miniseries Dune: Prophecy.Even more than the first Dune, Dune Messiah critiques the concept of charismatic leaders. The novel portrays the cost of Pauls Fremen Jihad in frank detail, never forgetting the destruction he wreaks, even as he tries to do what he considers best for humanity.Children of Dune returns to the larger scope and stakes of the series. Paul and Chanis children, Leto II and Ghanima, take center stage here, along with Pauls mother Jessica, his sister Alia, and a surprising ally in the form of Princess Irulan. The focus on Leto and Ghanima helps put Pauls plans and actions into perspective, letting us witness the legacy that he leaves for not just his children but also all of humanity.If youre reading Den of Geek, you probably already know what happens to Leto: at the end of Children of Dune, he transforms into a giant sandworm/human hybrid. Although this version of Leto isnt really the main character until the fourth novel, God Emperor of Dune, its appearance in Children of Dune would justify the decision to hire Edwards, who knows how to make things look huge and upsetting, and those are the two primary qualities of Leto in his worm form.Even so, its hard to imagine anyone being able to translate Herberts vast imagination as well as Villeneuve has, so we cant help but hope he delays his exit one more time and makes a fourth Dune film.Dune and Dune: Part Two are streaming now on Max.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

The cover to Ultimate Wolverine #2 recalls one of the most famous comic book covers of all time. Incredible Hulk #340, drawn by Todd McFarlane, features Wolverine with his claws popped, the image of a rampaging Hulk in the reflection. Alessandro Cappuccios cover to Ultimate Wolverine #2 zooms into the face of Colossus, with Wolverine charging at him in the reflection.On first glance, the cover seems like a classic Ultimate Marvel inversion. Wolverine and Colossus are pals, right? Well, in this universe, theyre going to be enemies, kind of like the mainline Wolverine and Hulk.Credit: Marvel ComicsHowever, a closer inspection of X-Men comics over the year shows that the massive Russian mutant has always had a rocky relationship with his short Canadian counterpart, one that makes the Ultimate showdown a lot more reasonable.Deadly GenesisAlthough he had popped up in a couple issues of Incredible Hulk, Wolverine really started coming into his own with 1975s Giant-Size X-Men #1, the same issue that introduced Nightcrawler, Storm, Thunderbird, and, of course, Colossus.The two couldnt be more different in their first interaction. As expected, Wolverine is all bad attitude, grouching at Professor X as Xavier tries to convince him to leave Canadas Department H and join a new generation of X-Men. Colossus finds Xaviers offer flattering, and only pauses to discuss the possibility of leaving Russia with his parents.Those differences set the stage for the clash of personalities in early X-Men comics. After Sunfire returns to his native Japan and Thunderbird dies in an explosion, Wolverine becomes the sole hothead in the X-Men, occasionally irritating others when he gets into a berserker rage. And yet, more often than not, the kind-hearted Colossus rolls with Wolverines outbursts. In fact, the two team-up to create one of the most iconic attacks in comic book history, with Colossus hurling Wolverine at enemies in whats called the Fastball Special.Yet, Marvel Comics being Marvel Comics, writers still found ways to pit the two against one another.Fighting and FastballsThe first notable dust-up between the two occurred in 1984s Uncanny X-Men #183, written by Chris Claremont and penciled by John Romita Jr. Set after the events of the original Secret Wars, in which Colossus falls for an alien woman and dumps his steady girlfriend Kitty Pryde, the issue finds Wolverine and Nightcrawler taking their Russian buddy out for a drink to give him a talking to.Colossus and Wolverine dont come to blows in that issue. But Colossus does get heated, so much so that he wont listen to Wolverines warning that they should leave the pub. When Colossus shoves Wolverine and spills his beer on another patron, Wolverine drops it and lets the Russian deal with the problem he tried to avoid, the arrival of the unstoppable Juggernaut. While Nightcrawler wants to help out, Wolverine insists they stand aside and let Colossus slug it out with Juggernaut.Originally, Claremont wanted Colossus and Wolverine to actually fight in that issue, but readers would have to wait for a while to see that. When Colossus left the X-Men to care for Magneto and join the villainous Acolytes, he attempted to be a conscience for the team, and thus never crossed paths with Wolverine. Still, when Colossus returned to the X-Men, Wolverine was slow to forgive his old pal (even if he takes the first possible chance to pull off another fastball special). For his part, when Wolverine turned to the dark side, becoming the horseman Death under the control of Apocalypse, he battles most of the X-Men, but Colossus is absent from the team and misses the chance to fight.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!However, fans got to finally see the two fight it out in alternate realities. Wolverine and Colossus had a very different bond in the original Ultimate Universe, but even they couldnt resist fighting. In 2008s Ultimate X-Men #94, written by Aron Coleite and Mark Brooks, a rampaging Colossus even tears off Wolverines adamantium leg.More recently, Wolverine: Revenge by Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo went all the way. In this alternate reality tale, Colossus sides with Omega Red, Deadpool, and Sabertooth after a massive EKG throws the worlds balance of power out of whack. The quartet capture Wolverine, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier, leaving them for dead. Of course, Wolverine survives and makes his way toward bloody revenge, as promised by the series title.The clash is titanic as expected, finally paying off the years of tension between the two X-Men. In the end, Wolvie gets his arm ripped out, but still manages to pop his claws in Colossuss head, leaving his old friend for dead.Ultimate Grudge MatchGiven Hickmans treatment of Colossus and Wolverine in Wolverine: Revenge, its no surprise that he would play with the duos dynamic in the new Ultimate Universe. In this rebooted world, Colossus rules over the Eurasian Republic alongside his sister Magik and Omega Red. Dubbed the Winter Soldier in this story, Wolverine is still closer to his Weapon X form, a masked super soldier who doesnt seem to recall his memories as Logan and willingly slaughters old friends like Nightcrawler.Written by Christopher Condon and penciled by Alessandro Cappuccio, Ultimate Wolverine pits the old frenemies against one another on unequal ground. Dr. Alonya Prostovich, the scientist in charge of the Winter Soldier program, delivers a report to her higher ups when Magik transports them, along with Colossus and Omega Red, to the laboratory that contains Wolverine. Colossus dismisses Prostovichs jargon with a more direct approach.I know how to handle creatures like this. It is not with verbal commands, he declares. He grabs Wolverine by the throat and lifts the Canadian into the air. It is with violence. The violence that follows is completely one-sided, with Colossus squeezing and shaking Wolverine around, underscoring the fact that he sees the Winter Soldier as nothing more than a tool to be deployed as he wishes.The truly shocking part comes when Colossus tosses Wolverine away. Its not the speed or brutality with which he throws Wolverine thats shocking. Its the pose Cappuccio gives Colossus, a leg in the air and an arm thrusted down, with Wolverines body hurling toward the reader. Readers recognize exactly what Colossus is doing, hes throwing Wolverine in a Fastball Special.Were only two issues into the series, so its too early to expect a full knock-down, drag-out fight now. But Ultimate Wolverine #2s twist on the Fastball Special reminds us that these two mutants are together inseparable, as friends, as enemies, or as something in-between.Ultimate Wolverine #2 is available on Feb. 19.

It has been nearly a decade since Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens debuted in theaters. The film was a once-in-a-generation event, as the final domestic box office gross is still the highest in cinematic history (unadjusted for inflation). Suffice it to say, the flick was an honest-to-goodness pop culture phenomenon, and with it, came all of the collectible merch. In fact, fans got their hands on The Force Awakens merchandise a few months ahead of schedule, with their release commemorated by Disneys first Force Friday in early September 2015.While every subsequent Disney Star Wars theatrical effort had a similar event, nothing quite compared to the first. Aficionados of all things the galaxy far, far away lined up outside stores, waiting to get their paws on the latest Star Wars merch. LEGO was at the forefront of this campaign, of course, dropping an initial wave of seven brand-new sets.The Danish toymaker continued to produce The Force Awakens and other Star Wars Sequel Trilogy sets for the next few years, but the flame dwindled following the release of The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. In the years since, very little attention has been paid to this era by LEGO, with efforts instead put towards creating sets for the Disney+ shows and Prequels. However, the 10th anniversary of The Force Awakens may be about to change that.According to new leaks and rumors about the toymakers 2025 plans, LEGO is reportedly producing a couple of exciting new sets based on the film. Den of Geek has compiled a list from reputable LEGO leakers on Instagram and YouTube, and while the wave is only two sets strong, its certainly a better number than the complete lack of Sequel sets featured thus far in the 2020s.75406: Kylo Rens ShuttleEstimated release date: May 1, 2025Estimated price: $69.99This aint LEGOs first rodeo with Kylo Rens shuttle. Two separate versions were released in 2015 and 2019, respectively. The original, 75104, which coincided with the first Force Friday, is an infamous set in the LEGO Star Wars community. This is due in large part to the builds extreme inaccuracies. The wings are unable to fold like the in-universe vehicle, and the entire design is the wrong color. This was likely because of concept art LEGO received while designing the set, and Lucasfilm later changed the appearance before The Force Awakens was released.The second rendition of the set, 75256: Kylo Rens Shuttle, fixed these issues, now sporting a universe-accurate black and red color scheme. The latest version should follow suit of the 2019 model but on a smaller scale. Set 75406: Kylo Rens Shuttle is reportedly a midi-scale ship and will be part of the Starship Collection, a line of large vehicles from the Star Wars canon recreated in a smaller (and more affordable) scale. Unfortunately for fans of minifigures, nothing of that sort will be included, but the build will likely be a nice size thatll snugly fit into any shelf display.75415: Kylo Rens HelmetEstimated release date: May 1, 2025Estimated price: $69.99LEGO introduced its Helmet Collection in 2020 and has produced at least two Star Wars helmet sets yearly (besides a weird blip in 2024). While the AT-AT Driver helmet has already been revealed for a March release date and Jango Fetts helmet is also rumored to be coming in May, LEGO is reportedly dipping their toes into the Sequel Trilogy for the first time as part of this subtheme. Kylo Rens iconic helmet is the perfect choice for this, as even the most prominent critics of the heavily maligned trilogy can agree this helmet is undeniably cool. The LEGO Star Wars designers do not have an envious task ahead of them because the unique shaping of Kylo Rens helmet is a very un-LEGO-like sculpt, but if they are able to knock it out of the park, this could become one of LEGOs best helmet sets to date.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

Genre filmmaker Osgood Perkins is on a roll after the moderate success of 2020s fairy tale terror Gretel & Hansel, as well as the summer phenomenon that was 2024s supernatural serial killer thriller, Longlegs. Now this week sees him tackling a story by the king of horror himself, Stephen King, with the comedic splatter film The Monkey. Its looking to be another ace in the hole for the rising director too.The Monkey was partly shepherded by Conjuring Universe impresario James Wan as a producer through his Atomic Monster banner. Wan is one of those guys like Jordan Peele, John Carpenter, andquite long agoAlfred Hitchcock whose very names became a brand for genre fans. Perkins can already see himself as one of those dependable genre names above the title, and he says he owes it to his recent benefactors who turned Longlegs into a $126 million global-grossing smash. This is all the more remarkable, too, once you know how that working relationship beganThats kind of happening, Perkins admits to us during a recent interview. Its sort of happening because Neon has treated me so well, right? Neon first called me and my producers when we were still shooting Longlegs and said, We want to buy Longlegs, and not only do we want to buy Longlegs, weve never seen it. Can we see any of it?The mid-shoot Perkins said yes provided theyre okay with seeing a single shot of the lead actor.We showed them a shot, one shot of [Nicolas] Cage in his makeup doing his voice. Then they said to me on this phone call, Well, what we want to do is make this our biggest movie ever. I was like, Yeah, okay. That sounds nice. Turned out to be more than true [though]. And we want your name above the title from now on. I said, Well, thats also super nice and cute, but Im far too niche a guy for that. But theyve done it! So yeah, you could say I have a beautiful partnership with them. I love those guys and gals and people, and hope to make a thousand movies with them.Something name filmmakers like Carpenter, Wan, and Peele have in common is they all consistently leveled-up to bigger and bigger movies as their careers progressed. In other words, they grew their brand. Perkins was already deep into making The Monkey for Neon when Longlegs had its success last year, and now hes wrapping up another small-scale horror film called Keeper (also for Neon and again featuring Tatiana Maslany). While he would like to keep up this prolific pace, Perkins is slightly hesitant to make something on a significantly bigger scale.I think I can probably do both, but bigger scale is a tricky one, he admits. I dont think anybody wants me making an Avengers movie. I dont want to do it. I dont think they would want me to do it. Frankly, that seems like a bad recipe, so Im not looking to get into that. Ive had really good luck with original material. I consider The Monkey original enough, because I personalized it to myself and was able to ride the coattails of the greatest author ever. That helps authenticate me in a really nice way. I think the next thing will be bigger, but not too big. Big budgets are nasty. That makes people nervous and everybody gets uptight. Its hard enough to do with a little money, right? More money seems harder to me. Im not that into that. Too much money doesnt necessarily work out. You never hear anybody say, Wow, that movie really worked well because we spent so much money on it.Perkins concluded by talking about the long period of being in the wilderness of development between Gretel & Hansel and Longlegs where he was in everybodys office but just not clicking. After chasing greenlights for years, the success of Longlegs and soon The Monkey suggests he doesnt need to chase anymore.Ive lucked into this weird time where my weird voice is all of a sudden worth money, he acknowledges. Its gnarly, dude. Its very much through the looking glass, and I guess Ill take it.Osgood Perkins The Monkey opens in theaters everywhere on Friday, Feb. 21.

[W]ere both good soldiers and professionals, and we were trying to be open-minded. When the star of your much-anticipated new superhero show describes that as the attitude that he and his co-star needed to bring to the project, you can probably expect the project to bomb. Yet, thats exactly how Charlie Cox and Vincent DOnofrio needed to approach the initial (but now scrapped) first take of Daredevil: Born Again, the highly-anticipated sequel to the Netflix series.In a profile for GQ, Cox explained the disappointment he and other cast membered shared in Disneys first attempt to revive the show, a production that was later reworked to more closely resemble the three-season Netflix series. If the leaks and rumors about the initial direction of Born Again are true, lets just say were relieved.Where the Netflix show traded on darkness and surprising violence, Disney initially intended to tone it down, something that took Cox by surprise. The thinking was, Well, we dont want to do the same thing. Weve done that,' he told GQ. However, Cox and DOnofrio, who plays the Kingpin of Crime Wilson Fisk, had their doubts, according to the actor. Vincent and I were both not 100 per cent convinced what we were doing at the time was the right path.Equally perturbed were fans hearing about the production process through leaks and rumors online. Initial repots indicated that Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson would not return as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson respectively, despite being two key characters from the comics and the Netflix series. Moreover, Marvel had reportedly recast other characters from the Netflix show, most notably hiring Sandrine Holt to portray Fisks beloved wife Vanessa, replacing Ayelet Zurer.So, what convinced Disney to change their minds about the first take on Born Again and go back to the feel and tone of the Netflix series? Although he and DOnofrio did speak to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and other higher-ups about their frustration with the change in direction, Cox actually credits a stroke of luck that led to the revamped show. Under the direction of head writers Matt Corman and Chris Ord, Disney shot six episodes of Daredevil: Born Again that built on the characters official MCU appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Hawkeye, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo. These episodes followed the softer tone originally intended.And then the 2023 writers and actors strikes happened and production had to pause, giving Disney time to reflect on the work so far. The writers strike happened, then the actors strike, which gave the producers an opportunity to look at our episodes and decide that it wasnt quite workingIn a bizarre twist of fate, the strikes that were so terrible for so many people in the industry ended up being the best thing for our show, said Cox.During the pause, Disney made Loki season two showrunners Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead producers and putt Dario Scardapane in the showrunner role. The studio also brought back Woll and Henson, and also added villain Bullseye, once again played by Wilson Bethel from the Netflix series.The finished first season consists of nine episodes, which tell a deeper tale with stronger connections to the original series. The new show feels much more in keeping with the kind of stuff we did at Netflix, Cox told GQ.But perhaps the most exciting news concerns Daredevils future in the MCU. Although the Netflix series was already theoretically part of the MCU, its larger universe connections were more to other series on the streamerJessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Daredevil sat out of the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, his lone crossover occurring in the lackluster series The Defenders.So does Born Agains much clearer MCU status mean that the Man Without Fear gets to join allies such as Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four in the next Avengers movies? I think its more possible than its ever been, yeah, Cox said. I would love to be in one of the Avengers films, or another Spider-Man, or something like that. For a couple of reasons. One, because over the years I have become a geeky fan of the character, and I weirdly, for the characters sake, feel like itd be really cool for him to get that kind of upgrade.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Even if Daredevil doesnt get that upgrade, its clear that Born Again is an upgrade from its earlier version, giving the starsand the fansexactly what they want from the character.Daredevil: Born Again leaps onto Disney+ on March 4.

Despite the fact that Nintendo finally revealed its next console last month, theres still quite a lot we dont know about the Switch 2. Just how powerful is the Switch 2? Which games, will launch with the console? And perhaps most importantly, how much will the Switch 2 cost gamers?That last question has been the subject of much speculation onlineindustry experts, influencers, and forum users who claim a friends uncle who works at Nintendo gave them insider information have chimed in on the matter for months. Currently, theres no official word from Nintendo, but its likely well learn more during a Nintendo Direct broadcast focusing on the Switch 2 on April 2.In the meantime, all we have to go on regarding the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 are comments from Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, who said during a quarterly earnings call this month (via VGC) that the company would consider the affordability that our customers expect from Nintendo products, as well as predictions from analysts who seem to agree that the console will cost $399 when it launches later this year. The latest analyst to assert that the Switch 2 will hit shelves with a $399 price tag is Joost van Dreunen, co-founder of the now-shuttered games market research firm SuperData Research, who wrote in his SuperJoost Playlist newsletter why he believes that price point makes the most sense for Nintendo. According to Dreunen, Nintendo will aim to present the Switch 2 as a more premium console that is still more affordable than current PlayStation and Xbox hardware.Based on current market dynamics and platform positioning strategy, Nintendo is likely to price the Switch 2 at $399. It represents a critical psychological threshold that balances premium hardware aspirations against mainstream market accessibility, wrote Dreunen. At this price point, Nintendo would maintain its traditional positive margin on hardware while positioning the Switch 2 distinctly below rival premium gaming devices yet above the original Switchs launch price. It signals a meaningful technical advancement without alienating its core family demographic.MST Financial senior research analyst David Gibson made a similar price projection when speaking to CNBC earlier this month. In January, Dr. Serkan Toto of Kantan Games Inc. and Circana analysts Mat Piscatella and Piers Harding-Rolls also predicted $399 when speaking with IGN.Meanwhile, Rhys Elliot of the firm MIDiA suggested to IGN that, while $400 seemed like the sweet spot for the Switch 2, short supply of the console at launch as well as the costs to make the hardware could see the price tag balloon to $500 or higherIf the Switch 2 is supply-constrained at launch, Nintendo could charge more, Elliot said. Early adopters would be willing to pay for it, and if its going to sell out anyway, Nintendo might think, Why not? I think Sony and Microsoft regret releasing the base PS5 and Series X consoles at $500. Both could have got away with $600 or more at launch.Whether the Switch 2 is $100 or even $200-300 more expensive than the original Switch, there will be gamers who will be disappointed if Nintendo doesnt release its next console at the more competitive $299 price point that helped make its predecessor such an instant success. In 2017, the original Switch launched as the most affordable console option out of the big threethe Xbox One released at $499 in 2013, while the PS4 cost $399 when it hits shelves that same year. But the times have changed, as Furukawa suggested, pointing to the rising inflation rate in Japan and less favorable exchange rate as factors Nintendo would need to consider when pricing the Switch 2. Of course, at $399, the Switch 2 would still be cheaper than the its main competitors premium consolesthe Xbox Series X and the disc drive model of PlayStation 5 both cost $499, with only the Xbox Series S giving the Switch 2 a run for its money at $299. The $700 PlayStation 5 Pro is eye-wateringly expensive in comparison as well.The Switch 2, a hybrid console that can be plugged into your TV or played on the go as a handheld, will also launch at a time when there is much more competition in the handheld market. Even then, at $399, the new Nintendo console would match the base LCD model of the Valve Steam Deck, which is widely considered to be the best and most bang-for-your-buck handheld gaming PC currently on shelves. What the Switch 2 offers that the Steam Deck and its thousands of Steam games doesnt are the Nintendo franchises that fans love. Even if its $100 more expensive, the Switch 2 will eventually offer the only way to play the next Zelda, Super Mario, and Mario Kart. Plus, Switch 2 owners will still be able to play most of the original Switchs library on the new console. That may very well be enough to get gamers to cough up the $399.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Well learn more about the Switch 2 during the Nintendo Direct on April 2 at 9 am ET.

At the risk of offending a lot of geeks, British sci-fi TV is a pretty easy thing to be an expert in. If youre in your 30s or 40s, your parents probably remember when the subgenre started existing. Weve covered the high points of the genre on this very website, from the the 70s to the 80s to the 90s, and into the 21st century.A mainstream press that found it laughable, and a TV industry that loves nothing more than cancelling these shows just as theyre getting good, means that even within the few short decades British sci-fi TV has been around, there isnt that much of it to get through.It makes the gaps all the more painful. There are the Doctor Who episodes we can fill in with animated reconstructions and Target novelisations. Then there is The Quatermass Experiment. Where there are Doctor Who episodes whose recordings might be forever lost, most of The Quatermass Experiment was never recorded in the first place.It was created by Nigel Kneale, a well-regarded TV writer who was also the basis of the dad in his wife Judith Kerrs childrens classic, The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The Quatermass Experiment was a six-part drama series filmed and broadcast live in 1953 for a budget of under 4,000. By the time the first episode was being broadcast (again, live) the script for the final episodes had not yet been written. An attempt was made to telerecord the first two episodes with an eye to selling them to Canada, but the results were so poor the project was abandoned.And yet, even today, if you scratch almost any British sci-fi TV show, you will find Quatermass beneath the paint.The Quatermass ExperienceThe two surviving episodes of The Quatermass Experiment make strange viewing today. This was a TV serial broadcast when Yuri Gagarins first crewed spaceflight was still science fiction. Its a simple story a three-man rocket is the first to be launched into orbit. Mission control loses track of it. When it returns, there is only one man on board, and he has come back changed.The live broadcast nature of the series means it is practically a stage play the most dramatic set piece is the house in Croydon the space rocket lands on a sight that would have still seemed familiar to an audience less than a decade out from the Blitz. The story is told through conversations between policemen pondering the case of the missing astronauts, between scientists pondering the scientific anomalies of the mission, and between journalists speculating about the veil of secrecy over the returned space mission.There are no special effects, but more than that, it feels like there is no language of sci-fi here, no familiar visual tropes to draw on, despite a few characters reflecting that the story seems like science fiction. The opening credits describe The Quatermass Experiment as a thriller, and that is how it comes across. In 1953, even the idea of Britain launching a manned space mission didnt seem that ridiculous. That wouldnt be the case until 1971, when Britain cancelled its space programme almost immediately after its first successful rocket launch Black Arrow, which like later Quatermasss rocket, was launched from Australia.The most surprising part of the story is Bernard Quatermass himself, however (played by Reginald Tate). For a character whose place in the sci-fi pantheon is obscured, hes extremely low-key. He is certainly no Doctor Who, no Sherlock Holmes, no eccentric genius. Hes a professional scientist who gets frustrated with bureaucracy and political agendas but is otherwise methodical and measured in everything he does.The Quatermass Xperiment, the 1955 Hammer Horror movie adaptation that survives today, is a very different beast. This is a 50s monster movie. The rocket crashes in a mighty explosion, and seen from a distance looks straight off the covers of the pulps. Quatermass himself is played by Brian Donlevy as a much more abrasive, egotistical, American version of the character, throwing his weight around for the sheer joy of it.As that movie was in cinemas, Quatermass II was already showing on the BBC, which suddenly had to compete for viewers with the 1955 launch of ITV. This series saw Quatermass investigating strange meteor showers that led him to uncover an alien invasion. It too quickly received a Hammer Horror adaptation.The original Quatermass trilogy, both the series and the Hammer Horror films, concluded with Quatermass and the Pit, when a construction site uncovers ancient remains that prove to be evidence that Martians attempted to genetically modify the human race in prehistory. The series ends with a warning directly to camera, Every war crisis, witch hunt, race riot, and purge is a reminder and a warning. We are the Martians. If we cannot control the [Martian] inheritance within us, this will be their second dead planet.That would be the last Quatermass on screen until 1979, when Kneale concluded the series on ITV with a story about youth counterculture and alien mind control that ended with Quatermass and his daughter nuking themselves to save the planet.Quatermass Who?Despite being groundbreaking TV, and a popular movie series still known today, Quatermass has still fallen into the shadow of its later successor, Doctor Who.But Quatermasss fingerprints are all over the series throughout its run. Doctor Who stories such as the Second Doctors The Web of Fear (which introduced UNIT), the Third Doctors The Ambassadors of Death and even the Tenth Doctors The Lazarus Experiment all share plot elements and ideas with Bernard Quatermasss adventures. The homages even verge on crossover, with The Quatermass Experiments fictional British space agency, the British Experimental Rocket Group, and someone who works there called Bernard, being mentioned in the Seventh Doctor story Remembrance of the Daleks. The agency itself appears in person in The Christmas Invasion. In The Planet of the Dead we even learn that Bernards are a unit of measurement used by scientists at, um, UNIT.In fact, the first time anyone refers to David Tennant as Doctor in a science fiction show isnt Doctor Who it was in the live broadcast remake of The Quatermass Experiment in 2005.But the Quatermass/Doctor Who connection goes deeper than that. If we look at the very earliest pitch documents for the Doctor Who, there is no mysterious time traveller, but a team of scientific troubleshooters in the near future. In short the person who wrote it had definitely seen the Quatermass serials.But Doctor Whos enduring love of Nigel Kneales work was destined to be unrequited. Kneale was reportedly no fan of the show, refused to write for it, and was equally scathing of other British TV sci-fi fare. Despite creating Quatermass, as well as the science-fiction ghost story The Stone Tape, and the reality-TV predicting satire, The Year of the Sex Olympics, Kneale was vocal in his contempt for sci-fi and its fans, a contempt which found its outlet in the sci-fi sitcom Kinvig.This is all intended to be a joke, a send up of the whole awful science fiction thing, he says in this interview from 2007. I never really saw myself as writing science fiction anyway.Beyond QuatermassKneale is far from the first or last serious writer to be taken with stories of aliens and speculative futures while trying to distance himself from the sci-fi label, but whatever his feelings about it, the echoes of his work are still rebounding around the genre today.If you take Doctor Who off British telly, every writer and producer in the country seems to immediately start trying to invent it, but Quatermass is still visible underneath that. The original Doctor Who pitch of a team of scientific troubleshooters, itself a direct take from Quatermass, is one that we have seen over and over again.Doomwatch, which Kneale also reportedly despised, was one of the earliest in 1970. It was a series that attempted to keep its scientific trappings within the bounds of plausibility, such as environmental threats, rogue viruses and subliminal advertising (with the occasional hyper-intelligent carnivorous rat for good measure). Bugs was one of the 90s many attempts to reinvent Doctor Who, but its premise of a team of troubleshooting hackers feels like Quatermasss British Rocket Group for a generation that had just learned what a modem was.As writer on the series, Colin Brake tells Den of Geek, While not a direct influence I have no doubt that Quatermass was lurking in our collective subconscious as we developed ideas for Bugs stories, especially for myself, Stephen Gallagher and Alex Stewart who were, and still are, huge fans of the original Prof.The short-lived The Eleventh Hour, starring Patrick Stewart, was possibly the closest to a full-on Quatermass reboot weve had yet, with Stewarts Dr Hood acting as a scientific consultant for the Home Office investigating various ripped-from-the-headlines sci-fi stories.The 2000s also saw super-science-team procedurals in the form of Ultraviolet (scientists versus vampires), Primeval (scientists versus dinosaurs), and of course, the genre coming full circle with Torchwood, a Doctor Who spin-off with a premise alarmingly close to Doctor Whos original pitch (admittedly, with a whole lot more sex, swearing and queer representation than originally envisaged).Even now, the first spin-off of Russell T Daviess re-rebooted incarnation of Doctor Who is The War Between the Land and the Sea, a miniseries that will see a hot-shot scientific team (UNIT again) fighting against the sea devils, a threat that might appear alien, but has actually been on Earth since primordial history.At the same time, weirdly, the real-life space programme feels much closer to where it was in Quatermasss day, with billionaires inventing flying into low Earth orbit again.Nigel Kneales dislike of science fiction can be frustrating for, well, frankly, anyone visiting a website with a name like this one. Kneale set the blueprint for British TV sci-fi for generations to come (and we have only touched upon the spread of his influence here, which stretches from mega franchises like Alien to lesser-known but brilliant more recent films such as Sputnik (which might as well be called Quatermass in the USSR).But Kneales refusal to acknowledge and take part in the tropes of the science fiction genre gives the original Quatermass serials an undeniably authentic feel, less in-keeping with monster movies and alien invasion flicks than a series of political thrillers about institutions dealing with phenomena they are simply ill-equipped to handle. As much as the codified tropes are fun to play, modern science fiction could stand to learn from writing that was not yet bound by them.Quatermass and Quatermass and the Pit are available to stream on ITVX Premium in the UK.The post Quatermass: The Show That Defined UK Sci-Fi TV appeared first on Den of Geek.

As a parent of teenagers, I often worry about the ramifications of raising my kids in a world filled with influencers, social media, and extreme oversharing. Gabby Petito, who was just 22 when killed by her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, in 2021, was among the first generations to grow up watching YouTube and counting likes on social posts, but I didnt know that part of her story when news first broke of her disappearance and, later, murder, several years ago.Netflixs latest iteration of its American Murder docuseries, American Murder: Gabby Petito, breaks down the entire story of Petitos death, which began with a vlogging road trip. According to the three-episode Netflix series, Petito and Laundrie had a sometimes-troubled relationship, but quit their jobs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to drive cross-country in a Ford Transit Connect van-turned-camper and share the trip on social media.Petito was missing for several weeks in late August and early September 2021, before her body was found at a camping area in Wyoming. In the early days of Petitos disappearance, Laundrie returned home alone to Florida with the camper van and made national news headlines due to both his and his parents unwillingness to speak with police or help with the search for Petito. Laundrie was later reported missing by his parents in September 2021, and his body was found in October 2021 at a Florida nature reserve. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.As was the case with American Murder: Laci Peterson, the Petito docuseries is eye-opening, shining a light on aspects that many observers missed in news reports in 2021 or simply forgot over the years. Its a heartbreaking watch that reveals lots of interesting facts about the tragic murder of a 22-year-old girl, what could have been handled differently, and the impact Petito still has on young women today. Here are five things we learned (or were reminded of) while watching the latest American Murder docuseries.Petito and Laundrie left for their cross-country trip on July 2, 2021, visiting destinations like Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park along their route. On August 12, 2021 in Moab, Utah, a 9-1-1 call was made by a witness to report a man hitting a woman several times before they drove off together. Soon after, the Moab City Police Department spotted the couples van driving erratically and performed a traffic stop. One officers body-cam footage recorded Petito explaining to officers that she was just frustrated and in a bad mood due to having OCD. Weve just been fighting all morning and he wouldnt let me in the car before, she says while crying and breathing heavily in the video footage.Since neither Petito or Laundrie wanted to press charges and both asked not to be separated, police called the incident a mental breakdown and not domestic violence. Officers arranged for Laundrie to spend the night in a hotel while Petito spent the night in the van. The last time Petito was seen alive was 10 days later, on August 27, leaving many to speculate as to whether if the police had handled the incident as domestic violence, which would have required an arrest, the couples course would have been changed and Petito would still be alive today.YouTubers helped police hone in on where to look for Petitos bodyAs police searched for Petito, narrowing down the last known location of the van was critical. Many who had seen news of the disappearance shared stories of seeing the couple or just Laundrie in the the Jackson, Wyoming area contacted police, including Jenn and Kyle Bethune, van-life vloggers, who slept for a night at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area on the night of August 27, 2021.I was editing our YouTube video from the Spread Creek timeline of August 27, Jenn Bethune says in the docuseries, and I was sitting next to my phone and I got this notification from one of our RV friends and they said, Check any footage you have, the timeline has changed. I read the National Parks Service post and it said August 27 or 28. All the color and life drained from my body because I was like, I have it.What Bethune had was video footage of Petito and Laundries van pulled to the side of the road on the campgrounds. She posted the clip to YouTube where it quickly soared to over a million views. Police used the Bethune footage to hone in on the search area, which led to them locating Petitos remains on September 19, 2021, not far from where the van was observed.After Laundrie was reported missing by his family on September 17, 2021, police searched the familys Florida home for potential evidence and found a note written to Laundrie by his mother, Roberta Laundrie. The letter, titled Burn After Reading, contained statements like, You are my boy, nothing can make me stop loving you. Nothing will, or could ever, divide us, no matter what we do. If youre in jail, I will bake a cake with a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.Later, it was Laundries parents who found his body, as they knew areas where he liked to hike at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Sarasota, Florida. Laundries skeletal remains were found on October 20, 2021, and in November 2021, it was released that a forensic anthropologist had determined Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Later, Laundries diary was released, in which he claimed he killed Petito after she had fallen and injured herself. Experts, however, say this account does not match investigators findings.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Petitos parents later sued Laundries parents and their attorney and were awarded $3 million for wrongful death. A suit was also filed by Petitos parents against the Moab police department for their handling of the domestic dispute call regarding Petito and Laundrie, but the charges were dismissed by a judge who cited governmental immunity.Petitos death has helped other domestic abuse victims find the strength to leaveAs the docuseries closes, Petitos stepfather, Jim Schmidt, shares the impact his daughters death has even today. Although we lost Gabby, many other people have been saved because of her.We get messages saying, Hey, Gabbys story is what made me leave my boyfriend. I got help and Im doing what I can, Petitos best friend Rose Davis shares. And it is beautiful and heartwarming.In Petitos honor, her friends and family started the Gabby Petito Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the searches of organizations working to locate missing persons and assists victims of domestic violence. We wanted to bring attention to the dangers and signs of domestic violence, Petitos mother, Nicole Schmidt, says in the series. There is a literal help button on that page you can click on it and it will guide you to the right resources.Petitos death also brought awareness to how the disappearances of non-white women are handledLoretta Bush, an FBI special agent based in Tampa, Florida, starts an important conversation toward the close of American Murder: Gabby Petito. This story is unique, says an emotional Bush, but I will tell you there are so many other people out there missing and they are important, too.A news clip shown in the series reminds viewers, Petitos story has renewed debate about which cases get attention and the medias seeming infatuation with missing white women. And, on a CNN appearance shown in the final episode, Mara Schiavocampo, host of the Run Tell This podcast, says, Imagine the men, women, and children in the community where Gabby Petito went missing who know that, for the last 10 years, more than 700 Indigenous people have gone missing and nobody has said a word and one missing white woman turns up in their backyard and the world pays attention.This isnt saying that Gabby Petito isnt important, Schiavocampo goes on, what it is saying is that theres an overrepresentation in media when white women go missing and an underrepresentation in media when Black, brown, and Indigenous women go missing.Petitos father, Joe Petito, admits sentiments like these offended him initially, but when he started to look into the situation, his opinion changed. Now, he uses his platform to advocate for greater attention to missing persons cases that involve marginalized groups, including working with the Gabby Petito Foundation and helping produce a television series that highlights missing persons cases called Faces of the Missing.All three episodes of American Murder: Gabby Petito are available to stream on Netflix now.

Once someone becomes a part of the Saturday Night Live family, it takes a lot to get excommunicated.The most infamous example of a creative not being invited back to NBCs long-running comedic institution is, of course, Sinad OConnor. In a 1992 episode of SNL, the Irish singer, songwriter, and activist concluded a cover of Bob Marleys War by tearing a photograph of then-Pope John Paul II to pieces. Though OConnors stated intention of protesting the Catholic Churchs history ofphysical, sexual and emotional abuse of young parishioners was well reasoned, it was perhaps too ahead of its time. She would go on to be condemned by many organizations and was ultimately banned from ever returning to SNL.Following OConnors death in 2023, SNL began to soften its stance towards her controversial performance. The ultimate mea culpa arrived on February 16, 2025, during the shows sprawling, three-hour-long broadcast SNL50: The Anniversary Special, in which Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard covered OConnors classic Nothing Compares 2 U. While that was perhaps the biggest moment of reconciliation in SNL50, there was another, far stranger, example of a banished performer getting a shout near the end of the special.Adrien Brody was on top of the world back in May 2003 when he hosted Saturday Night Live for the first and only time. Having just won a Best Actor Oscar for his remarkable turn in The Pianist two months prior, Brody was ready and game for anything SNL could throw his way. Unfortunately, he was too ready and too game as the committed SNL creator Lorne Michaels cardinal sin: he went off script.When the time came to introduce musical guest Sean Paul usually a simple, perfunctory task for the host Brody elected to spice things up a bit. He took the stage in a dreadlocked wig and vamped extensively in an offensive Jamaican patois aboutpeople named Sean? And said respeck mah neck a couple of times? It was at least a little bit racist, a lot of bit incomprehensible, and most damningly for the live show, completely unplanned.In recent interviews to promote The Brutalist (for which he will likely win another Oscar), Brody has pushed back against the characterization that he was banned from SNL, telling Vulture that I think Lorne wasnt happy with me embellishing a bit, but they allowed me to. Ban or no ban, Brody joined the ranks of folks like OConnor who were pointedly never invited back to Studio 8H.Of course, important dates like anniversaries have a way of healing old wounds. Because, while Brody didnt receive as touching a shoutout as OConnor did in SNL50, his inexplicable Rastaman improv did make an appearance in a hilarious compilation. Introduced by Tom Hanks, SNL50: The Anniversary Special took some time out for a special In Memorium segment of canceled SNL characters and moments that were no longer appropriate for the modern world.The reasoning for many of these canceled artifacts were clear from ethnic stereotypes to body shaming to sexual harassment. Adrien Brodys rasta moment, however, was accompanied by a simple woah. All these years later, there seems no better way to describe whatever it was that was than woah.

If you asked a lineup of Arcane fans which character theyd like to read more about in a full-length novel, Ambessa Medarda would likely not be their first choice. She probably wouldnt even rank in the top half of those for whom more backstory was desired. Yet here we are with C. L. Clarks Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf.But guess what? Not only is it a page turner filled with high-stakes encounters and authentic consequences; it actually delivers much more than the title would suggest. After all, viewers of Netflixs Arcane know that the next likely setting for a follow-up League of Legends screen adaptation is Noxus, the warrior nation for which Ambessa serves as general.Since Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is a prequel (Arcane viewers already know thats this characters only option), it ends up providing a surprising amount of insight into the development of someone fans do care about: Ambessas daughter, Mel Medarda. In fact, an early chapter of the book replays word for word the fox and wolf scene from an Arcane season 1 flashback and places it into a larger context.Want to know how Mel got her golden tattoos? Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf has got you covered! Wondering why they glowed in the Arcane season 1 finale, protecting her and Jayce from Jinxs attack on the council chambers? Thats in there, too. In fact, Mels entire mage history unfolds in the background of Ambessas tale of family betrayal and succession of power.That main story has merit on its own, not because it makes Ambessa, the notorious villain of Arcane season 2, more sympathetic, although readers will better understand her (and her bodyguard Rictus) by the end of the book. But the battles, escapes, and political intrigue, particularly in the Noxus ruled by Boram Darkwill, are all intense, brutal at times, and completely compelling.Those that know the League of Legends lore outside of Arcane will enjoy not only getting a glimpse of Darkwill at his most corrupt, but also of Jericho Swain in his pre-demonic arm phase of life. There is definite foreshadowing of the Ionian invasion, however, which could figure prominently in a future animated offering or perhaps in follow-up novels from Orbit.Speaking of which, the biggest bonus coming from Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is actually the origin story of Rell, a League of Legends hero from Noxus that many Arcane fans anticipate seeing in a future series. Although Mel never meets the Reckoner in this novel, it seems likely the two will be introduced to each other on screen shortly, with Mel sailing the Noxian fleet back to her homeland at the end of season 2.Rell is not only depicted in the book as a Reckoner, fighting gladiator-style battles to garner Ambessas attention. She also gets her first kill in battle in this story, with all that taking a life entails, and awakens powers that will be recognizable to players of the League of Legends game. She even gets her own love story in Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf!In the background of any good Noxian tale is the Black Rose, the hidden society that Arcane viewers may remember from season 2, and the group certainly plays their role in Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf. Without getting into spoiler territory, suffice it to say their goals do not align with General Medardas plans, and their influence on Rells life will be familiar to those who know that League heros story.Will readers finish Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf feeling more sympathetic towards the title character? Probably not, and to the novels credit, it does not attempt to excuse her actions or motivations in any way. However, readers will likely understand her a little better and realize shes only human, with a full range of emotions and flaws. The extra League of Legends and Arcane lore only serve to strengthen an already solid story of the tainted victory of a powerful Noxian warlord.Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf releases on February 18, 2025 from Orbit Books.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

News The White Lotus Season 3 Ratings Reveal Appointment TV Is Alive and WellThe White Lotus season 3 proves that weekly episode releases are still thriving in the streaming era...at least on HBO.By Brynna Arens | February 18, 2025 | | Photo: Fabio Lovino | HBOThough the binge-watching model of television popularized in the streaming era has changed how a lot of people watch TV, theres still nothing like sitting down to watch a show live, knowing that millions of people around the world are doing the same. Whereas people used to gather around water coolers in their offices to chat about a shows latest episode the morning after it aired, social media has now become a virtual water cooler of sorts, making it even easier to react in real time as dramatic events unfold on screen and connect with others watching the same thing across the world.Even as binge watching continues to grow, HBO has stayed a leader of must-watch appointment TV over the years. The White Lotus season 3 premiere alone had 2.4 million viewers, according to an HBO press release. This is a 57% increase from the season 2 premiere and a 155% increase from the season 1 premiere. This is the kind of growth you can get from word of mouth and people actively talking about a show every week for a month or more.But its not just The White Lotus season 3 premiere that proves that appointment TV is alive and well. Other recent HBO shows like Euphoria, House of the Dragon, Succession, and The Last of Us have also brought in millions of viewers in their Sunday night slots.FOMO or the fear of missing out has long been a driving force of appointment TV you dont want to be the one person in the group who doesnt have an opinion on The White Lotus new theme song or Jason Isaacs Southern accent and social media has made it even harder to not feel like youre missing out if you arent tuning into these shows every week. Not only is it incredibly difficult to avoid spoilers, but you can also miss out on some pretty great memes if you arent watching live.The White Lotus is a great example of how a show can grow in viewership if you give it time and let it find its audience. Though there are a couple cast members who have appeared in more than one season, the show is effectively an anthology, changing location and cast every season. This also means that its a fairly easy show for people to jump in on at the beginning of a season. You dont necessarily have to have watched the first two outings in full before tuning into the third. You get to learn who everyone is as well as their motives and desires in real time along with everyone else tuning in to the show.Appointment TV is all about letting things simmer. With a week between episodes, people get to talk and theorize about what could be coming next, something thats missing in the urgency of binge watching. Its almost always a good time for TV when HBO has a Sunday night show, and we cant wait to spend the next several weeks tuning in with everyone else.