Last week and over the weekend, one of, if not the, largest board game and tabletop conventions, Spiel Essen, was held in Germany. Board game designers and publishers the world over made their way over to not only demo their games but also reveal brand new upcoming ones. One such game was Blade Runner 2099 from the folks over at Lucky Duck Games which is slated to launch on Kickstarter next year.

Lucky Duck Games, publisher of other such great titles as Unconscious Mind (a game we ranked as one of the best worker placement games you can play right now ) pulled back the cover -literally- of Blade Runner showing off the box during the show over the weekend. Details are still sparse about it but speaking with Lucky Duck, we were able to get a little more information to share. This latest tabletop adventure set in the Blade Runner universe will be a narrative-driven game that you will play alongside a digital app, providing the narration among other features. This time around humans will be the ones being persecuted the game and promises a detective-based cooperative adventure.

Fans of Ridley Scott’s neo-noir science fiction series have a lot to look forward to in the coming year. In addition to Lucky Duck Games’ Blade Runner 2099 Kickstarter campaign launch, a brand new Amazon Prime series is also inbound. Launching in the November, we recently had a chance to sit down and talk with showrunner Silka Luisa about the upcoming “undercover police story”. One thing to note, outside of the name, Lucky Duck’s board game will feature a separate story from that in the Amazon Prime series, though there is no word on whether or not characters may make appearances.

Stay tuned for more details coming in the coming months leading up to the Kickstarter launch next year. Currently, the page is live so head over there and make sure you are notified when it launches.

Full spoilers follow for VisionQuest Episodes 5 & 6, which are streaming now on Disney+.

At this point, I'm fully on board with VisionQuest and the story of robotic reinvention it's telling. But as compelling as Paul Bettany's White Vision is, he's small potatoes compared to the series' real star, James Spader's Ultron. Episodes 5 and 6 go all-in with Ultron and his romantic obsession with the fair robo-lady Jocasta (T'Nia Miller), and the results are pretty darned impressive.

That's especially true of Episode 5, which is definitely the high point for VisionQuest so far. This one kinda, sorta takes the form of a bottle episode, as Vision and his fellow A.I. units find themselves locked in Ultron's attic prison and forced to observe his machinations from afar. This episode is cleverly constructed in how it presents bits and pieces of Ultron's conversations from different vantage points while still leaving the character's true motivations somewhat shrouded in mystery. As ever, the series gets a lot of mileage out of conveying complex digital processes through very hokey, analog representations. See also - the exorcism scene from Episode 4.

Visually, Episode 5 is a real treat. I really enjoyed the transitions between grainy video footage and more elaborately staged black-and-white environments. There's a very cozy feel to Ultron's conversations with Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) and Jocasta that serves to highlight the dialogue and the tense back-and-forth. Having Vision and his full-color comrades patrolling in the background only makes the whole effect work that much better. It's almost like watching a well-choreographed stage play unfold.

Ultimately, though, it all comes down to the terrific chemistry between Spader and Miller. Sure, the earlier Tommy/Ultron conversation is strong, but even that can't hold a candle to the pure scenery-chewing fun of watching Ultron and Jocasta take each other's measure. Miller is able to bring a whole new level of nuance and charm to her role in this more human form, and she expertly matches Spader's gravelly blend of menance and good humor. I almost didn't want their exchange to end, but at least that element carries over into Episode 6.

Both the Ultron/Tommy and Ultron/Jocasta scenes do a fantastic job of exploring the troubled psychology of this maladjusted creation of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Tommy cuts right to the heart of the matter when he accuses Ultron of failing to understand connection. Yet paired with Jocasta, Ultron feels the pull anyway. He was already a fascinating villain in his original cinematic appearance, but the series has found newer and more complex layers to delve into. And now, though his intentions are entirely self-serving, he's no longer so clear-cut an antagonist.

Given how enthralling Episode 5 is, it should come as no surprise that Episode 6 is a bit of a comedown in comparison. After a bottle episode spent in purely digital space, it's a slight adjustment getting used to a more real-world conflict and the return of Paladin (Todd Stashwick). Part of me would be just as happy to see that character shuffled offstage, but Episode 6 does eventually justify his return. There's a fun little standoff between Vision and Paladin that unexpectedly leads to the two enemies becoming temporary allies, and the reveal that the Handler (Diane Morgan) is herself an oppressed AI unit is an amusing twist (as is the MCU origin of Tommy's Speed codename).

What this episode doesn't quite justify, however, is the sudden and inexplicable return of Faran Tahir's Raza. On some level, it's sort of neat seeing the very first MCU bad guy putting in an appearance nearly 20 years later, but why dust off that old chestnut in an Iron Man-free context? The character doesn't serve any particular purpose beyond providing Vision and Paladin with the necessary goons to battle, and he's taken out of the picture as suddenly as he appears. It comes across as continuity mining for the sake of continuity mining.

Fortunately, Episode 6 does still have a healthy dose of Ultron/Jocasta banter to fall back upon, and that's where the series continues to shine brightest. The interplay between the two characters really is the show's biggest selling point now. Every time it seems we've sussed out Ultron's motivations or that the character has bitten off more than he can chew with Jocasta, he surprises us again. We still don't know who the ultimate villain of the series is meant to be (Phineas Horton? J.I.M.?), but I'm having a blast on the road to VisionQuest's endgame.

Lupin: Part 4 is on Netflix now.

It’s been three years since Lupin’s last season — a less memorable, less focused entry — so you’d be forgiven for forgetting much of what transpired. The show’s fourth part features an extended recap narrated by the title character before kicking off in earnest, at which point it hits the “soft reboot” button, both narratively and stylistically. Its biggest change is a welcome one: it leans unapologetically into the soap opera underpinnings which have always made it tick. The result is a brisk eight episodes that, despite wheel-spinning near the season’s end, eventually find their way to the kind of ludicrous melodrama that makes the French heist series such a turn-your-brain-off delight.

Part 3 ended with a major cliffhanger, as gentleman thief Assane Diop (Omar Sy) — a devotee of Maurice Leblanc’s fictitious fraudster Arsène Lupin — found himself in prison, in a cell adjacent to his long time, opulent enemy Hubert Pellegrini (Hervé Pierre). How does the new season resolve this tension? Well, it doesn’t. Which is to say, it treats the whole thing like a gag in order for the show to move forward into unexpected territory. Four years have passed, and in that time, Assane has willingly remained behind bars — except for a brief escape where he bamboozled Pellegrini all the way into a shipping container bound for a Malaysian prison. Now on the verge of release for good behavior, it finally seems like Assane has turned over a new leaf. That is, until a slickly-executed pair of simultaneous heists, in his signature style, make the police suspicious, forcing him to go rogue in order to prove his innocence.

During Assane’s prison stint, his teenage son Raoul (now played by newcomer Théo Christine) has grown into a frustrated young adult in want of an absent father. Once a mere plot device and kidnapping victim, Raoul now becomes the series’ unexpected heart and soul, though the narrative, and Assane, keep shoving him to the side until those frustrations reach a boiling point. A winding conspiracy takes precedence, involving a copycat swindler and twists and turns ripped right from a daytime soap opera — a secret lineage, sudden deaths, equally sudden resurrections, and so on — forcing Lupin to unexpectedly turn to former foes for new partnerships in search of a secret treasure. All the while, his police frenemy Youssef Guédira (Soufiane Guerrab), a fellow Leblanc enthusiast, remains on his tail, but is less willing to offer him the benefit of doubt when his partner Sofia Belkacem (Shirine Boutella) is gravely injured.

Complicating matters further is the fact that, in Assane’s absence, his best friend and co-conman Benjamin (Antoine Gouy) has fallen for his ex-wife and Raoul’s mother, Claire (Ludivine Sagnier), adding yet another layer to the sprawling flashbacks of the various characters as teens and young adults. Was this pairing always in the cards? Of course not, but the fourth season also goes a long way towards re-writing the show’s basic DNA. These flashbacks involve both interpersonal drama and a surprising amount of setup for the contemporary conspiracies, as though the central plot of this season — involving a secret society with some icky blood-purity leanings, playing into the show’s modern, pluralistic re-imagining of Leblanc’s Lupin — had been decades in the making. Like Assane himself, the show is a bullshit artist of the highest caliber; it works to convince you that every twisting screw is part of some intricately devised puzzle dating back to its 2021 debut, when it’s all clearly been designed on-the-fly.

And yet, that design yields some clockwork thrills from time to time, between Assane’s continued weaponization of racial prejudice to pull off his galaxy-brained heists (one scheme in particular involves a flashmob of re-enactors dressed as an oft-forgotten Black French general) and the style with which the series presents each deceit. The editing is more judicious this time. To reveal how a given ploy was pulled off, it relies less on unseen angles and elements when episodes re-visit existing scenes, and more on parts of the image you might’ve missed in the first place.

The season’s broader themes of family allow Lupin to become a particularly silly bit of business akin to the later Fast & Furious films. Assane becomes increasingly torn between making up for lost time with Raoul and tracking down lost jewels with a newly-formed family of thieves who start out the season at odds. Among these is a mixed-race character named Adèle Kapoor (Laïka Blanc-Francard) who, in addition to expanding the show’s quickfire (if malformed) invocations of racism in modern France, becomes the center of a tech-infused update to the series with her skills as a hacker in the age of A.I. deepfakes. The less said about her backstory beforehand, the better, but that she’s on par with Assane as a Leblanc-inspired burglar and gives him a much-needed rival and dramatic counterweight.

The show’s new directions aren’t necessarily original — here you’ll find familiar gadgets, scenes and dynamics straight out of everything from Bond, Indiana Jones and Mission: Impossible to the network procedural White Collar — but Lupin’s fourth part sublimates all these influences into something cheekily enjoyable. It rides a fine line between heightened, crisscrossing nonsense plots and intensified character-centric schmaltz, but when it counts the most, it manages to find just the right balance between the two, before leaving off in perhaps the most unexpected place this series could go. If there is a fifth season (and there really should be), the dilemmas facing Assane will probably make for damn good television, given the various pieces Part 4 moves gradually into place.

“There's a lot going on right now,” The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power co-showrunner Patrick McKay told me on the set in England in August 2025.

At the moment, McKay is catching his breath as the crew resets to shoot a quiet but key moment from the Prime Video series’ upcoming third season. The massive production has taken over a large section of Windsor Great Park, which has been used as an outdoor setting for numerous films in the past, including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Huntsman: Winter’s War.

It’s a gargantuan setup, with dozens of vehicles, tents and trailers nearby, along with a small army of actors in full Orc and Elvish regalia. And it happens to be just one aspect of a massive logistical puzzle that has to happen to make the show possible. “It's a [huge] production every time we do this. We have four units running right now, including ours,” notes McKay. “One unit is over in a place called Frensham (about 25 miles south of Windsor), shooting [a scene] with the dwarf characters. Then we have another unit that is shooting various sundry action sequences back at Shepperton Studios, and a fourth unit is prepping [scenes] we will be shooting in a few weeks.”

When it returns for its third season on November 11, Rings of Power will be making a significant time jump in the storyline. Season 3 will be set five years after the events of Season 2, when Sauron did away with his disguise and sent the Elves into retreat as his armies overran Middle-earth. McKay embraced making such a pronounced jump in the narrative timeline, because it drops the viewer right in the center of the action, making them catch up to the story.

“We really love the idea of throwing the viewer in in a way that is a completely fresh start. J.D. Payne, my co-showrunner and I, we're huge admirers of shows that have done this kind of [time jump] before, like Battlestar Galactica and Halt and Catch Fire,” he says. “That can be really fun for a viewer.”

According to McKay, it’s also an opportunity to do a soft reboot and send the series in a new direction. “Hopefully, this season is a great jumping-on point for fans,” he says. “And it truly starts with people talking about the One Ring.”

He admits that filming the first two seasons back to back was an enormous strain on everyone involved, and believes the upcoming season will benefit from having more breathing room. “I think our goal for Season 3 is really to blow the doors off the hinges,” McKay says. “We're really proud of Seasons One and Two, but …for us, now, in some ways, we're starting a whole new story. This is turning the page on the show.”

The showrunners have already benefited from the fact that their series is not based on a detailed narrative like The Fellowship of the Ring or The Hobbit. While it’s a prequel to the LOTR stories set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, Rings of Power is not a direct adaptation of any single Tolkien work; instead it draws mainly on Tolkien’s background lore and appendices for inspiration. That has allowed the show’s creatives to forge their own path. Tolkien himself, in a correspondence published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, said this era in Middle-earth was a dark age, where “not very much of its history is (or need be) told. “

“There's lots of room for original characters in this era of the mythology,” McKay says about the breathing room the creative team has for the series. “Tolkien gave us a very broad outline … an outline that sometimes contradicts itself depending on where you're reading.”

McKay and Payne enjoy a fairly wide berth with which to craft the story that drives the series. They’ve introduced several new concepts and characters, one of the most notable being Adar, an integral figure in the first two seasons of Rings of Power. Adar was an Elf who was corrupted and twisted by Morgoth into being one of the first Orcs. He viewed the Orcs as his children, and they viewed him as their Lord-father. He was ultimately betrayed and killed by a band of Orcs loyal to Sauron in the Season 2 finale, Shadow and Flame.

Delivering a new character like Adar into Middle-earth involves a certain process which involves discussions with Tolkien scholar Carl F. Hostetter, who serves as a linguist and consultant on the series. “Usually we change the name to fit more the conventions of how he used his accenting and the types of sounds he would use and everything else,” McKay says. “We're inventing in, hopefully, a way that is really informed.”

The presentation of the Orcs is one of the most notable detours the series takes from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies. In the films, the Orcs are mainly a collective of terror and brute force. By that time period in the Rings mythos, they have devolved into an existence of serving as Sauron’s blunt instruments of war and destruction.

In Rings of Power, Orcs are not simply rampaging monsters. They are more complex, with distinct personalities and deeply personal motivations. Fans even got a glimpse of an Orc family last season when we met the Orc Glûg, his wife and child. Of course, Sauron viciously kills Glûg to sow distrust among the other Orcs and turn them against Adar. But that tragic ending underscores how in the Second Age, the Orcs are more than just mindless cannon fodder.

The expansion of the Orcs as a more complicated aspect of Middle-earth continues in Season 3 as we are introduced to the character of Marnûkh, an Orc unlike any we’ve ever seen in a Tolkien adaptation. He appears in Rivendell claiming to be a defector from Sauron’s army who wants to help the Elves fight back. “He claims to know all kinds of things about Sauron's strategy and reveals to the Elves that Sauron is trying to make the One Ring,” says McKay. “And if he succeeds, he will defeat everyone, including the Orcs, because the One Ring will now make them subservient to him, slaves to him forever, and there'll never be another Orc rebellion like Adar, who died last season, led.”

Marnûkh is a character meant to challenge long-held perceptions of Orcs. He’s such a departure from past depictions that within the production, Marnûkh has picked up the catchy nickname, “the Orc with an arc.”

IGN was the only media outlet on set for the filming of key moments of an episode in Season 3 where Marnûkh is being escorted by Galadriel and Arondir. There is a tension and uncertainty hovering above the trio’s interactions, notes the episode’s director, Sanaa Hamri, that viewers won’t know how to feel about him at first.

"I have a real soft spot for this Orc," admits Hamri. "I think the audience is going to be really torn about Marnûkh."

Adam Young, the actor who portrays the new Orc, says having the audience question Marnûkh’s true purpose is a central element of his performance. “We were working out early on what was his incentive? What's his purpose for being here? Is he good, is he bad?,” Young notes.

During the scenes I witnessed, there is noticeable tension as Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and especially Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) are suspicious of their travel companion, who claims to know the location of the one remaining element Sauron needs to create the One Ring. That unease is heightened by certain moments, such as the one I saw filmed. It’s a sequence where the group comes across a field littered with the corpses of Elves. Marnûkh urges the Elves to take a detour, a suggestion that is met with understandable suspicion. There are also moments of levity that add a new layer to the complex relationship between the three; Arondir, besides being wary of Marnûkh, is visibly annoyed by the Orc’s constant chatter.

“He's a wizard with words. He's a word spiller,” Young says. “It's just been really fun to play around with him and come and join Miv and Ismael on that journey and come into the family.”

The trio seem like an intentional callback to another unlikely group of travelers from Rings lore. “It's a little bit like Frodo, Sam and Gollum,” McKay admits. “Galadriel had this very grudging respect that developed between her and Adar so she's maybe a little more willing to maybe believe there's something to what Marnûkh is saying.”

But while Galadriel may be willing to give the Orc a chance to prove himself, her Elven partner is not. “Arondir's interactions with Orcs have been terrible. They basically killed the woman he loved,” McKay points out. “So he's like, ‘I don't believe him. I think it's a lie.’ And so you've got this dynamic from the three of them where the audience will constantly not be sure that they can trust this guy. Is he out for himself? Is he working on Sauron's [behalf]? And that becomes a journey of a big part of the season, and there's quite a few twists and turns along the way.”

The misdirection Marnûkh’s character conveys at different points meant the show’s prosthetics department, led by multiple Emmy Award winner Barrie Gower, had their work cut out for them.

“We knew he was going to have an awful lot of dialogue and there was going to be a lot of exposure to his face, so he would need to convey a lot of emotion [through his facial expressions],” notes Gower. “It dictated how we designed his prosthetics.”

Gower is no stranger to massive productions, having worked on blockbuster series like Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, and The Last of Us. Rings of Power has posed its own unique challenges with regards to the sheer number of different prosthetic designs used onscreen. Gower’s crew has amassed a trove of Orc character designs since Rings debuted. In fact, for the epic Siege of Eregion that served as the climactic battle to the second season, nearly 1,700 different Orc makeup designs were created. And if you’re wondering how they can possibly not repeat themselves while having to create so many Orc looks, well … Gower and his team had the same concern.

So after production wrapped on Season 2, they created a library of different Orc designs, featuring character designs as well as a variety of details such as different types of hair, contact lenses and dentures. That way they can cobble together different looks depending on the needs of the storyline.

“So Season 2 we didn't have that catalog to start off with. We started from the ground upwards and we did a lot of concept art and design and did some three-dimensional sculptures to distinguish these characters,” Gower says. “This time we've got this catalog and we can go to the showrunners and say, ‘What about this guy from last year, something on a variation of this with a little bit of this?’ So, it's actually really lovely that we've got all this.”

The type of material used for Orc prosthetics on Rings of Power varies by necessity. Due to the sheer number of Orc characters who show up during a big battle sequence, i.e. stunt actors and background players, the prosthetics are often an assembly of foam latex pieces from 10 to 15 different Orc designs. “We can take the forehead from one and put it with the cheeks of another and the nose of one and mix and match them as such, like a jigsaw puzzle,” says Gower.

For Marnûkh, Gower and his crew had to create an entirely new design to accommodate his performance. It began with a 3D scan of the actor, which was then used to create a clay maquette of the character. That maquette is then used as the blueprint to sculpt the full-scale makeup.

“With somebody like Adam, it's a bespoke make-up, made particularly for Adam Young,” he says. “And it's made out of a silicon gel material. Very, very flexible, very, very soft. But we actually sculpted and made the application very thin.”

“So even though he's got a big Orc-like nose and big Orc ears and he's got an Orc chin, what have you, we've made sure that the forehead in particular and the cheeks were very thin and could give Adam a lot of movement,” Gower adds. “So everything that he did with his performance would show through the application, basically.”

There is a brief but key moment in the scene I saw being filmed where Marnûkh tells his escorts/captors, “I give you my word” as he tries to convince them he’s telling the truth about the path he wants to take. It’s a close-up shot, and the emotion in the delivery is amplified by the incredible detail in Young’s prosthetics makeup. The whites of Young’s eyes stand out surrounded by the green of the Orc prosthetics, and the exposed bone and scars complement the look. I should note that Young has crystal-blue eyes in real life, so he also has to wear contact lenses to complete his Orc look.

“He’s very emotive, so in a way it really is like a second skin for him,” Gower says. “But it was just really important chatting with the showrunners that he was able to convey as wide a range of emotions as possible because he looks really sinister and evil in some points, And he looks very surprised and very joyful in some shots as well. We just had to make sure that Adam was never going to be fighting the make-up to convey his performance.”

I talked with Young in-between takes while he was in full makeup, in the supply center section of the production the crew affectionately call ‘Orc-ia.’. Getting used to the prosthetics and figuring out how to convey certain expressions without overdoing it took some time. “It's been a lot of me in the mirror looking at myself every day and figuring it all out,” Young says. “I mean, I was pretty blown away by how much movement and emotion I could get out of it by not actually doing a lot. And once I get the teeth in, once I get the lenses in, it's great.”

The London-based actor, whose credits include The Witcher: Blood Origin, Masters of the Air, and EastEnders, recalls getting the news that he’d landed the role during the Christmas holiday. He then immediately began immersing himself in Rings lore, which he admits he was not that familiar with.

“I’d actually never read the books and so I just [threw] myself into the Tolkien world and Silmarillion and all of that,” Young says. “It was really nice to just have a bit of time to actually jump into that and the language and the lore. It's huge.”

It didn’t take long for the actor to notice the parallels between his character stepping into the story and Young’s arrival on a show where much of the cast and crew have been together for several years.

“I was just saying to [my publicist] the other day that me as Adam coming into the Rings family and me as the character coming into that narrative was a … similar thing, in my head,” he says. “It felt quite distant at first, and then I got to know everyone.”

Young is well aware of the plum opportunity he has, coming into a beloved franchise like Lord of the Rings and getting to portray a different side of a character that has often been one-dimensional. He says the questions the audience will have about Marnûkh when Season 3 debuts are the same ones he had to figure out when he landed the role.

“Is he good, is he bad? Do we know? Is he smarter than he makes out? And what's his drive? He's coming out of Sauron's world … I don't want to say too much on that, but what's his purpose?,” says Young. “That's been a lot of fun to play around with. And for the audience, it’s working out whether they trust him. And they will see as the show goes on, he's a tough nut to crack.”

Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on the original Star Trek series, has died at age 90.

“The late actor's rep tells us ... Walter's daughter, Danielle, and his niece were by his side when he died of old age at his home in North Hollywood on Sunday,” TMZ reports.

Koenig joined the NBC series Star Trek in its second season as the USS Enterprise’s Russian crewmember Ensign Pavel Andreievich Chekov. With his Beatles-style mop of hair, the boyish Chekov was meant to appeal to younger viewers a la Davy Jones of The Monkees.

As Chekov, Koenig would appear in the latter two seasons of the original series and then in all six feature films featuring the cast.

With Koenig’s death, only William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and George Takei (Mr. Sulu) remain alive from the original cast.

Takei took to social media to salute his longtime co-star:

Marvin Walter Koenig was born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1936. The Hollywood Reporter recounts that he studied at Neighborhood Playhouse in New York alongside future sci-fi and comedy icon Christopher Lloyd, who would star opposite Koenig in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

After Star Trek was canceled – and the character of Chekov was left out of the animated series – Koenig turned to writing episodic television series.

Following Star Trek, Koenig returned to the sci-fi genre with his role as Alfred Bester on Babylon 5. In 2017, Koenig reprised the role of Chekov (as “The Admiral”) for the crowdsourced online series Renegades.

Koenig was widowed in 2022 after the death of his wife Judy. His son, Growing Pains actor Andrew Koenig, committed suicide in 2010.

You can read our archival interview with the Trek legend from 2024 where he looked back on the good, the bad, and the hilarious after 57 years of the franchise.

Can any TV series rival The Simpsons for the sheer number of Halloween episodes? Since Season 2, the series has given fans at least one new "Treehouse of Horror" anthology episode every single year. Early on, these stories were more directly horror-centric, but since then "Treehouse of Horror" has become something of a clearinghouse for stuff the writers can't do during a "regular" episode. And we love it. Well, usually...

In honor of this Halloween tradition, we've ranked every single "Treehouse of Horror" episode so far, up through Season 38's "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII." Some of them are good enough to rival the best episodes from the show's golden years. Others… well, it's hard to bat a thousand over three decades. Read on for our full list, and after you're done, be sure to check out our recently updated best Simpsons Episodes list and see a preview of a classic Treehouse of Horror comic.

40. "Treehouse of Horror XXII" (2011)

"The Diving Bell and the Butterball" is the single-worst "Treehouse of Horror" segment ever, and it's not particularly close. It's essentially one long, profoundly unfunny fart joke. The final segment is an Avatar parody that, like Avatar, has not aged well.

39. "Treehouse of Horror XXXII" (2021)

We'll give this episode a slight bit of credit for trying to shake up the formula and tackle five segments instead of the usual three. But predictably, that only means this batch of horror spoofs feels even more rushed and underdeveloped than usual. The biggest disappointment here is "Bong Joon Ho's 'This Side of Parasite,'" which adds absolutely nothing to the satirical horror film it lampoons.

38. "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" (2013)

Guillermo del Toro was responsible for the opening sequence of this episode, but after that it's really bland. None of the segments are good in the slightest. In particular, the second segment, "Dead and Shoulders," involves Bart's head being attached to Lisa's body, which is a trope that has been handled seemingly dozens of times before, including in a previous "Treehouse of Horror" episode.

37. "Treehouse of Horror XXXI" (2020)

This episode is particularly frustrating in that it probably could have been a winner had the concepts been fleshed out more. "Toy Gory" is a deeply uninspired spoof of the Toy Story movies, and "Be Nine, Rewind" misses the mark with its time travel humor. This episode does at least have the somewhat amusing Marvel parody "Into the Homer-Verse," but even that ultimately recycles a similar premise from the much more successful "Treehouse of Horror XIII."

36. "Treehouse of Horror XXXV" (2024)

This is another case where the gorgeously animated opening sequence (in this case courtesy of The Book of Life's Jorge R. Gutierrez) is more memorable than any of the actual segments. "The Information Rage" is a mostly toothless satire of society's current political divide disguised as a Pacific Rim parody, while "Denim" is a so-so sendup of the Venom movies. "The Fall of the House of Monty" packs a bit more punch, feeling like a return to a more classic type of "Treehouse of Horror" tale.

35. "Treehouse of Horror XXV" (2014)

"The Others" is a fun segment where the "ghosts" of the original Simpsons designs haunt the current Simpson family. It's fun to hear Dan Castellaneta do his old Walter Matthau-esque Homer voice again. On the other hand, "School is Hell" is an example of an unfortunate trend that started to plague these episodes as things went on; super gory gross-out humor that is unsubtle and unpleasant. Call it a mixed bag.

34. "Treehouse of Horror XXVII" (2016)

This recent addition to the series is so unmemorable you may very well not recall a single segment. That means none of them are particularly good, but also none of them are particularly bad. It's thoroughly mediocre. Also, this is the 600th episode, which feels unfortunate, but it did get us a semi-fun song tacked onto the end. You'd like such a significant milestone to be marked by something other than a bland collection of stories that includes an uninspired James Bond/Kingsman parody.

33. "Treehouse of Horror XXXIV" (2023)

This episode is another real mixed bag. The segment spoofing NFTs and Crypto Bros feels dated on arrival, and the Kylie Jenner cameo doesn't help. "Lout Break" is a half-hearted spoof of pandemic movies that never really connects. But there is fun to be had in "Ei8ht," as the series again brings in Kelsey Grammer's Sideshow Bob for a story set in an alternate universe where the beloved episode "Cape Feare" ended very differently.

32. "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" (2025)

This is another "just OK" episode that's bolstered by a strong opening sequence (in this case courtesy of The Onion's Stan Kelly). Of the three segments, the one real standout is "Plastic World." The novel 3D animation style and the unlikely fusion of Waterworld and Mad Max make for a pretty amusing tale of a Springfield overrun by plastic waste.

31. "Treehouse of Horror XXX" (2019)

The 30th Treehouse special also happens to be the show's 666th episode, a fact that yields some comedic gold in the Omen-inspired intro sequence. Beyond that, however, there's not much to write home about with this one, even as The Simpsons finally gets around to spoofing Netflix's Stranger Things in "Danger Things."

30. "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" (2015)

Sideshow Bob finally got to kill Bart. That's amusing in concept, although the segment isn't actually all that enjoyable. For such a "momentous" event, it didn't really stick the landing. "Homerzilla" is no "King Homer," but it's decent enough. One imagines it can be hard to keep coming up with new "Treehouse of Horror" segments, but it'd be nice for the execution to be a bit higher than these more recent ones, nevertheless.

29. "Treehouse of Horror XXIX" (2018)

Like many of the more recent specials, Treehouse XXIX tries and mostly fails to do justice to the classic horror fare it spoofs. It's particularly frustrating seeing the series struggle with classics like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Jurassic Park (though the latter got all the parody it ever needed way back in Season 6's "Itchy & Scratchy Land"). But this episode does hit paydirt with a much more recent film, as "Multiplisa-ty" turns out to be a surprisingly entertaining riff on M. Night Shyamalan's Split.

28. "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" (2007)

"Mr. & Mrs. Simpson" is a parody of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which has nothing to do with Halloween. However, it's also the best segment in this episode, and a good, entertaining one overall. It's certainly an argument in favor of "Treehouse of Horror" stepping out of the Halloween and horror world. That's also true of the final segment "Heck House," which is definitely spooky, but equally mundane. The opening segment is an E.T. parody that's fine.

27. "Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes" (2024)

Simpsons fans got a bonus Halloween episode in Season 36, one which turned out to be quite a bit more memorable than the actual "Treehouse of Horror XXXV." This one has the benefit of being united around a common theme, with each installment spoofing a different Ray Bradbury story. The highlight here is definitely the Fahrenheit 451 parody that closes out the episode.

26. "Treehouse of Horror XX" (2009)

The opening segment is really fun, especially if you like the idea of Frankenstein's Monster dressing like SpongeBob. "Don't Have a Cow, Mankind" is a solid zombie story, although not as good as "Dial 'Z' for Zombies," which we'll talk about in a bit. The final segment is weird, because it's quite meta. It's basically the characters from the show putting on a parody of Sweeney Todd. However, that also makes it feel fresh, which is impressive 20 episodes in.

25. "Treehouse of Horror XIII" (2002)

The clone story is funny, especially the dig at Family Guy they sneaked into it. On the other hand, "The Island of Dr. Hibbert" isn't funny in the slightest, and is one of the worst "Treehouse of Horror" stories. The first two segments are carrying that one to make this a middle-of-the-road outing.

24. "Treehouse of Horror XXI" (2010)

This episode features an of-the-moment parody of Twilight, a very much not-of-the-moment parody of Dead Calm, and a -- now, anyway -- suddenly of-the-moment parody of Jumanji. They are all fine, although the Jumanji bit is surprisingly dark. That is if you consider the idea of two 10-year-olds being hanged dark.

23. "Treehouse of Horror XII" (2001)

There is a lot of potential in a Harry Potter parody, even in 2001 when that franchise was still mostly known in book form. But "Wiz Kids" only partially succeeds. Pierce Brosnan is fun as the voice of a killer house in "House of Whacks," and the first segment is decent enough. This particular edition of "Treehouse of Horror" came at a time when popular opinion was starting to turn against The Simpsons, and also at a time when these Halloween episodes were airing in early November. Both of these things went against this episode, but time has revealed it as being an OK half-hour of TV.

22. "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII" (2026)

As far as contemporary Halloween specials go, "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII" isn't half bad. None of the three segments in this special are going to dethrone the classics of yesteryear, but all are perfectly enjoyable on their own merits. It's fun seeing these shorts explore the Simpson clan at different phases of their lives, and there's plenty of silly humor and Halloween-y gore to go around. The worst than can be said for this episode is that it languishes in the shadow of the much superior "The Revengening."

21. "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" (2022)

For a recent Treehouse of Horror installment, this one is unusually decent. "The Pookadook" is a surprisingly effective sendup of The Babadook, and if nothing else, "Death Tome" offers a welcome chance to see the world of Springfield rendered in full-blown anime style. The real highlight here, though, is "Simpsons World," an extremely meta parody of HBO's Westworld series that gleefully and repeatedly calls back to the show's golden era.

20. "Treehouse of Horror XVII" (2006)

"The Day the Earth Looked Stupid," a parody of the (alleged) panic stemming from Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast, has an interesting idea it doesn't execute in ideal fashion. It does eventually turn into a satire of America's invasion of Iraq, which you would think would date things, but… On the other hand, Richard Lewis voicing a neurotic golem is quite funny. Then Fran Drescher shows up and this Halloween episode gets rather Jewish (to its tremendous benefit).

19. "Treehouse of Horror XV" (2004)

"The Ned Zone" is really good, because it builds on Ned Flanders' mild-mannered personality, and also his sometimes antagonistic relationship with Homer. When a story is a flight of fancy, it's a lot easier to accept Homer being a complete jerk and doofus, and the stakes can be higher. Like, the destruction of Springfield through nuclear meltdown higher. The other two segments are pretty good, and we do get to hear Yeardley Smith put an English accent onto her Lisa voice.

18. "Treehouse of Horror XVI" (2005)

Here is a case where every single segment could be met with "Eh, I guess that was OK." That makes for a decent episode of television, but also one that is somewhat difficult to discuss critically at length. At least The Simpsons got to take a shot at baseball in its opening sequence. At this time, the MLB playoffs were pushing "Treehouse of Horror" into November, which one imagines the folks on the show weren't too happy about.

17. "Treehouse of Horror XXVIII" (2017)

This episode is easily among the best of the more recent Treehouse specials. That's thanks in no small part to the fact that the series finally gets around to lampooning The Exorcist (with Maggie as the demonically possessed child, naturally). This episode also gets props for its visually ambitious tribute to Neil Gaiman's Coraline in "Coralisa."

16. "Treehouse of Horror XIV" (2003)

"Reaper Madness" is one of the top 10 "Treehouse of Horror" segments of all time. Maybe even top five. Homer becomes the Grim Reaper, and the story ends with Homer trying to outrun God on a motorcycle in a parody of action chases everywhere. It's hilarious and a delight. On the other hand, the other two segments (including one with the late Jerry Lewis) aren't up to that level. In fact, the final segment kind of blows. This ranking is almost entirely thanks to the excellent "Reaper Madness."

15. "Treehouse of Horror" (1990)

Where it all started. At the time, this idea was fresh. The Simpsons stepping out of their real world and telling stories was remarkable. We were introduced to Kang and Kodos! This is definitely a noteworthy episode. It just isn't quite as funny as other installments. Hey, it was a new idea. They had some kinks to work out. It may have been cool to hear James Earl Jones recite "The Raven" on The Simpsons, but is anybody going to try and argue that segment is funny at all?

14. "Treehouse of Horror X" (1999)

A parody of I Know What You Did Last Summer. A story built around Xena: The Warrior Princess. A segment all about Y2K. Yes, this "Treehouse of Horror" is very much of its time. That being said, all these bits are at least pretty good. It has some memorable lines, and features a funny appearance from Tom Arnold. This episode will remind you of the importance of putting your fog lights in, and also maybe make you crave some Sugar Crisp.

13. "Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening" (2026)

Between this episode and "Halloween of Horror," there's a real case to be made that the show's Halloween specials should permanently pivot to one full-length storyline. "The Revengening" delivers a satisfying slasher movie parody that works pretty well as a straightforward (and surprisingly gory) slasher in itself. But this episode has the added benefit of finally bringing back a fan-favorite character and tying things up in an appropriately meta way.

12. "Treehouse of Horror II" (1991)

Since the idea of "Treehouse of Horror" was still fresh, The Simpsons decided to put these fantastical stories into context. As such, here Homer, Bart, and Lisa all eat too much candy and then have sugar-induced nightmares. The stories are all strongly geared towards the horror and Halloween theme, which is nice, and the twist at the end of Bart's story (he awakes in horror because he has a tender moment with Homer) is clever.

11. "Treehouse of Horror IX" (1998)

"Hell Toupee" and "The Terror of Tiny Toon" are both good segments. The latter is particularly strong, because Bart and Lisa are sucked into the television, which leads to a lot of fun stuff, including interactions with a live-action Regis and Kathy Lee. The last segment, though, wherein we find out Maggie is an alien and the family goes on Jerry Springer, is a little lackluster. The overall episode is good, though.

10. "Treehouse of Horror XIX" (2008)

For a later "Treehouse of Horror," this edition is particularly amusing. There is a funny segment where Homer kills celebrities so that their images can be used in ads without their consent. Alas, two of the people he killed are the now actually dead Prince and Neil Armstrong (watch your back, George Clooney). However, the final segment, a violent parody of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," is the highlight. It's a pitch-perfect spoof, but also funny and clever beyond that.

9. "Treehouse of Horror XI" (2000)

None of these three stories are iconic standouts, but they are all good. The opening sequence, a Munsters parody, is also cool, at least if you remember The Munsters. Homer as a ghost is entertaining, and so is the tale of dolphins rising from the oceans to overtake humanity. Additionally, a Hansel and Gretel parody includes a great twist on the old gag of somebody making up a fake name based on something they see in the room. This feels like one of the first instances of that twist, perhaps the very first.

8. "Halloween of Horror" (2015)

Maybe this episode is more of an honorable mention, since it's not technically part of the Treehouse series. But considering that it's also one of the best Halloween-themed Simpsons episode of the 21st Century, it really deserves a place here. "Halloween of Horror" bucks the anthology format for a single, more straightforward story about Homer trying to help a badly spooked Lisa learn how to enjoy the holiday again. It's a surprisingly heartfelt celebration of their father/daughter bond.

7. "Treehouse of Horror III" (1992)

For all the talk of "Treehouse of Horror" getting away from horror stuff in recent years, that trend really started almost as soon these specials became a thing. The third edition of the series features a (decent enough) parody of King Kong. The other two segments are horror-centric, and also better, including "Dial 'Z' for Zombies," which allows Homer to finally shoot Flanders. The evil Krusty doll story is particularly good, and features Homer's iconic "That's good/That's bad" conversation with a mysterious shopkeeper.

6. "Treehouse of Horror XXIII" (2012)

This special proves there's still gold to be found even with the more recent seasons. The middle segment, a Paranormal Activity spoof, is decent, and probably necessary. They couldn't avoid doing a found footage horror parody around this time. Meanwhile, the other two segments are really good, especially for being from the 23rd edition. The first one isn't really a parody. It's just a smart, amusing story about a black hole. Then there is "Bart and Homer's Excellent Adventure," which is one of the best segments ever. There's time travel, Artie Ziff, and "The United Federation of Homers Through History."

5. "Treehouse of Horror VIII" (1997)

The top five really take things to another level. "Fly vs. Fly" is great. It features the hilarious line, "The pants are a dead giveaway." Sure, without context that may not be funny, but in context it's great. Watch the episode. It's wall-to-wall wonderful. Homer as the (seemingly) last man on Earth is also a joy. Even "Easy Bake Coven," which isn't quite as good as the other two segments, is memorable and as satisfying as a caramel cod.

4. "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1993)

"The Devil and Homer Simpson" is definitely memorable. After all, Homer sells his soul for a donut. It may not be side-splittingly funny (or groin-grabbingly transcendent), but the execution is still a lot of fun. That being said, "Terror at 5 ½ Feet" and "Bart Simpson's Dracula" are both really strong. Plus, there are the wraparounds, which were written by Conan O'Brien. Need you be reminded of the most horrifying painting of all? The one of the dogs playing poker? Of course you don't, because it's iconic (and hilarious).

3. "Treehouse of Horror V" (1994)

All of these episodes are great, and feature iconic "Treehouse of Horror" segments. This is the episode where Groundskeeper Willie gets an axe in the back in all three stories. There's the one where the adults of Springfield Elementary kill and eat all the children. Homer building a time machine out of a toaster and experiencing the perils of the butterfly effect is super funny. Then, of course, we can't forget "The Shinning." No TV and no beer make Homer something something…

2. "Treehouse of Horror VI (1995)

All three of these segments are impeccable. You can try and quibble with them, but your quibbles are faulty. Lard Lad coming to life to get his donut back? Awesome. Groundskeeper Willie as Freddy Krueger in the segment that gave us the quote "Lousy Smarch Weather?" Fantastic. Homer in 3D? Super cool and incredibly fun, even before he enters the real world (and then enters an erotic cake store). This isn't just a great "Treehouse of Horror." It's one of the very best Simpsons episodes period. And yet, it isn't quite the best "Treehouse of Horror" of the bunch.

1. "Treehouse of Horror VII" (1996)

That's because of this episode. "The Thing and I," with Bart's long-lost twin Hugo, is really good. So is "The Genesis Tub." However, if we are all being honest, this is mostly about "Citizen Kang." "Citizen Kang" is the best "Treehouse of Horror" segment, hands down. It's brilliant. It's one of the most iconic bits of Simpsons history, period. From beginning to end, it's hilarious and full of memorable moments and lines. "Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos" is one of the quintessential Simpsons lines. Thanks to the power of "Citizen Kang" this is the best of all the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes. Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!

What's your favorite "Treehouse of Horror" episode? Let's discuss in the comments...

Note: This story was updated on November 4, 2024. It originally ran on April 15, 2018.

Chris Morgan is the author of The Ash Heap of History and The Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Wisely or not, he's also on Twitter.

Full spoilers follow for The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII."

While it's best to go into modern "Treehouse of Horror" episodes with tempered expectations, the truth is that The Simpsons' track record with Halloween specials has improved a fair bit in recent years. "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII" is far from the strongest the series has ever delivered, but nor is it anywhere near the weakest. Its main flaw is in being a just plain decent episode in the immediate aftermath of the much superior "Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening."

Unlike last week's special, which focused on one singular storyline involving Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and his compatriots being hounded by a bloodthirsty slasher villain with a surprising secret identity, this episode reverts to the traditional "Treehouse" formula. That means a cleverly animated intro sequence (in this case, a neat little claymation parody of The Nightmare Before Christmas) followed by three spooky shorts. My main takeaway from watching these two episodes back-to-back is that the series really ought to consider switching to the full-length episode format more permanently. But if the plan is to start doing both every year, then who are we to complain, really?

If there's no one particular standout segment in this year's "Treehouse," at least there aren't any weak links, either. The episode opens with the cleverly titled "Bride's Shed Revisited," as Marge (Julie Kavner) assembles a backyard shed that winds up switching out husbands at random. It's amusing to watch Marge lean into her dubious new power and cycle through the best and worst eligible mates Springfield has to offer, culminating in Survivor host Jeff Probst. I can even forgive the idea of Marge hooking up with Probst, since this episode is (as Lisa reminds us in the intro) strictly non-canon.

That's followed by "Dog Boy Afternoon," a very loose Pet Sematary parody that sees Homer accidentally kill both Santa's Little Helper and Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and inadvertantly cause their corpses to switch brains. It's a fun little segment that benefits both from the recurring gag of Homer drinking his way through morning and afternoon-themed liquor and the general body-swap comedy. There's also a surprising amount of gore here, particularly in the scene where Homer is ripped apart by hungry dogs. It's always nice to see these Halloween specials push the envelope in that regard.

Finally, there's "Vehicular Dad Slaughter," as teen versions of Bart and Lisa (Yeardley Smith) discover their dear old dad has been imprisoned in DMV training video limbo by Patty and Selma (Kavner). I like that writer Tim Long opted to jump forward in time for this segment, even if the segment could just as easily have been executed with the traditional characters. Patty and Selma also make for solid witchy antagonists here.

If there are any unifying themes to this year's special, it's the emphasis on exploring the Simpsons clan at different eras of their lives and in spotlighting Kavner's characters over the rest of the ensemble cast. Both work to the episode's benefit. The focus on Marge and her sisters might have given me pause in seasons past, as Kavner's voice has deteriorated quite a bit over the years (granted, the same could be said for several cast members of this nearly 40-year-old sitcom). But whether through some sort of digital AI assistance or just plain effort on her part, that's another area the series has improved upon of late. Kavner's Marge sounds closer to her old self these days.

Again, none of these three segments are good enough to rival the all-time "Treehouse of Horror" classics, but nor are there any stinkers this time. That's still only enough to make "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII" the second-best Halloween episode of Season 38.

Eric Bauza, the voice acting legend behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and countless other classic characters, has died at 46.

Confirmation of Bauza's passing arrived in a post shared on his Instagram account. As reported by KTLA, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office said he died October 25, 2026, of hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

Additional details surrounding the sudden announcement remain unclear. His family promised to share more soon with a message posted on social media.

"Eric Bauza, Emmy Award-winning voice actor and the modern voice of iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, along with dozens of other beloved cartoon characters, has passed away suddenly," a message from his family said. "More details to come."

Bauza has such a thorough career in animation and voice acting that almost everyone who has enjoyed any TV shows, movies, or games in the last 25 years has probably heard his work. His time lending his unforgettable talent in the industry started with smaller roles in the 2000s, including spots in World of Warcraft, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Sims 2, Chowder, and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, just to name a few, but it wasn't long before he graduated to become the prolific actor he's known as today.

In the 2010s, Bauza took on parts in video games like Batman: Arkham City, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13. Eventually, his work in animation took him to the Looney Tunes universe, where he would go on to play modern iterations on characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian, and many, many others.

"I’m in complete shock and disbelief," Phineas and Ferb's Vincent Martella said. "A tremendously talented and kind coworker who I always had great conversations with and learned from. Sending so much love to his family. He was a giant. A titan in our industry."

More recently, pop-culture fans may have caught him voicing a few names in Invincible or The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. He also played characters in kids-programming-turned-horror-film Buddy, as well as High on Life 2. Moviegoers heard him reprise his role as Bugs Bunny and other classic Looney Tunes characters in the once-shelved Coyote vs. Acme when it made its way to theaters in August of this year. You can also hear him as Jin-Woo, Kuzon, Pich, and more in Avatar: Seven Havens.

For all intents and purposes, Bauza was a legend not just in animation but entertainment in general. You could fill a book just listing the roles he's played, and that's exactly why the internet has already lit up with friends, fans, and fellow entertainers posting their condolences. IGN interviewed Bauza about how he fought to save Coyote vs. Acme in 2024. You can see some of the ways the internet is remembering the star below.

Still can’t believe it. Eric Bauza was one of the most talented, kind, compassionate, lovable, giving, and wonderful people I’ve ever known. We worked shoulder to shoulder every week during my most formative years. He married my wife and I. We were some of the first people to hold each other’s children. We shared our hopes and dreams and watched each other grow, and I witnessed him become the actor, man, and father he always wanted to be. The world will be a dimmer place for his loss. Love you, buddy.

— Robbie Daymond (@robbiedaymond) October 26, 2026

"I am at a loss for words," Winnie the Pooh actor Jim Cummings shared in a reply to the Instagram post. "Such a young kind man."

"My life was immeasurably changed for the better by having met Eric Bauza," El Tigre creator Jorge R. Gutierrez said. "He just made everything he worked on better. A generational talent. A legend. I would write and design characters giddy thinking how he would bring them to life. And behind the scenes, an incredibly kind, humble and open-hearted good dude. How lucky we all were to have been able to witness his talent shine. And boy did it shine!!! My heart goes out to his family and friends. Adios, amigo. You will never be forgotten."

"I’m so sorry," Ghost of Yōtei star Erika Ishii said. "Much love to you and the rest of the family. He was a good man, a literal voice for change, advocacy, and a pioneer in animation, not to mention the Asian American community. The rest of the voice acting community is here for anything."

I still cant believe this is real. I'm absolutely numb right now. This feels like a bad dream. Eric Bauza was not only one of the most gifted people to grace the voice acting industry and a phenomenally talented artist, but one of the humblest, kindest, most supportive souls in the business. He had the warmest smile and was always sincere. He let his talent speak for itself and made everyone feel like he was their biggest fan. He will always be a legend but I'm devastated that I'll never be able to give him a hug, or hear him joke, or see him smile again. Fuck, man.

— Josh Keaton🇵🇪🏴✊🏼 (@joshkeaton) October 26, 2026

Eric Bauza was so kind to me and everyone he interacted with. Such an exuberant and lively soul who never said no when asked to voice these iconic characters. He will be missed. https://t.co/wK0gczaRmT

— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) October 26, 2026

this fucking sucks, what a loss

— Arin Hanson (@egoraptor) October 26, 2026

Eric Bauza dying might be the worst thing to happen to animation in like decades, im so fr, that man was the modern day Mel blanc. He was SO passionate about carrying on those characters to the modern day, he was such an amazing actor and created so many characters of his own.

— 𝙎𝙤𝙧𝙩_𝙤𝙛_𝘼𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 (@sortofamusing) October 26, 2026

Eric Bauza and I didn’t cross paths very often, but you’d never have known it for the genuine warmth and friendliness he showed me every time we did. His talent was only eclipsed by his humility, and that’s saying something. https://t.co/eDkOYMF2C0

— Patrick Seitz (@Seitz_Unseen) October 26, 2026

We have now lost Peter Cullen and Eric Bauza in the same year.

This hurts.💔 https://t.co/uyHrztZc4C

— ToonHive (@ToonHive) October 26, 2026

RIP Eric Bauza, the man who brought the Mel Blanc scream back to the Looney Tunes and so much more.

— Ryan W. Mead (@rwmead) October 26, 2026

We are deeply saddened to hear of Eric Bauza's passing. His voice talents extended to Ratchet & Clank, Spider-Man, Batman: Arkham City, MultiVersus and so many more. https://t.co/KZwIPnKIin

— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) October 26, 2026

crazy to think that this is the last time we got to hear him voicing bugs bunny and it almost never got released. he should’ve had way more years ahead of him, still doesn’t make sense that he’s gone. RIP Eric Bauza https://t.co/VZCn8QS8xY

— Jared Gilman (@realJaredGilman) October 26, 2026

Photo by JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images.

DC Studios co-chairman James Gunn has defended the DCU's approach to interconnected stories, saying he doesn't want movies like Clayface to exist just to "set up" crossovers.

Clayface poured into the DCU when it brought the tragic story of Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) to theaters yesterday. A bloody body horror movie with a firm R rating, its October release date makes sense as it molded its way into the comic book movie universe with a more adult story, but not everyone is happy with the film's place in the universe.

Despite solid scores from critics and fans (IGN gave it a 7/10 review), there are DC watchers who have continued to complain that executives like Gunn and co-chairman Peter Safran haven't done a good job of using smaller stories to build toward bigger tie-in projects. For reference, the DCU technically started with animated series Creature Commandos before heading to theaters with Superman. Peacemaker Season 2, Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface then followed.

While standalone Wonder Woman and Batman movies are in the cards, projects like The People v. Gorilla Grodd seem to be further along than most, with crossover moments mostly limited so far. So, what gives? Gunn has an easy answer that might leave impatient fans wanting more, but for him, it's a solution that will keep the DCU telling quality stories for years to come.

"I couldn't agree more," he said when replying to a fan defending the cinematic universe on Threads. "DCU is just an alternate universe; we can enter at any location or time and tell THAT story. I dislike the idea that individual stories aren't meaningful unless they lead to something else."

Gunn continued, saying it's "strange" to see "people not understanding this" considering Star Wars has taken a similar approach for decades. He did admit Disney's sci-fi franchise may not have the "tonal variety" of something like the DCU, which has so far ping-ponged between serious drama and action to comedy and, most recently, horror. Still, he wants fans to know that, no matter how different each movie or show may be, there is still connective tissue holding them together.

"The Superman Saga starts with Superman and travels into Man of Tomorrow and onward, and contains many characters we've introduced in other stories," he continued in a follow-up post. "But that doesn't mean those other stories only exist to set up what's happening there. I would love people to be seeing Clayface because it's a great, fun horror movie unto itself, not because of where else Clayface will show up three movies from now."

While not everyone is pleased that DC Studios doesn't want to dive head first into crossover event films, one of the reasons others have actually been excited for Clayface is its promise to weave its way into the universe with a new Gotham City. We won't talk about whether Batman or Bruce Wayne make any appearances here, but with plenty of footage taking viewers through one of DC's most iconic locations, it's clear Gunn and co. are more interested in continuing to lay a worthy foundation rather than speeding into a big team-up movie like the Justice League.

Gunn took his time on social media today to touch base on a few other projects in the works. Creature Commandos Season 2, for example, will arrive after Man of Tomorrow's premiere next year. Speaking of the Superman sequel, a small group of people has now seen director's cuts of the film, with Gunn calling the process "exciting" as he tries "to recut over the week and screen the latest version for a few new eyes every Friday."

Meanwhile, Elseworlds sequel, The Batman Part 2, is still seemingly on track for its February 18, 2028, release date despite recent behind-the-scenes shuffling. For an update on the status of the DCU's Batman, you can click here. Finally, for everything else in the DC movie pipeline, we've got you covered here.

A return to Night City, a legendary blacksmith, and a bizarre race are what you can expect this fall anime season. There's a new season full of anime to check out this Fall like the return of the award-winning Cyberpunk Edgerunners, the hilarious Overgeared, and the highly anticipated continuation of Steel Ball Run JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Across Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Hulu, and Netflix, as well as others, there are a lot of places to enjoy anime at the moment.

Check out some anticipated series in the video above or the slideshow gallery below, followed by the full list of new Fall season 2026 anime and where to watch them in the U.S. and their respective streaming platforms. Anime listed are available now unless otherwise stated.

Aoashi Season 2 (Crunchyroll)

The highly anticipated sports series Aoashi returns with Season 2! It’s been a few years now since we last saw Ashito and teammates attempt to rise through the ranks of the Tokyo City football club. Now that Ashito has made a good showing, the competition ramps up yet again. TMS Entertainment, known for Dr. Stone and Yowamushi Pedal, takes up the animation production reins this season. Unlike Blue Lock, but similar to Haikyu, Aoashi is much more grounded. So if you’re a fan of sports anime along those lines, now’s the time to get on the pitch and check this out. Aoashi Season 2 is available now on Crunchyroll.

Blue Box Season 2 (Netflix)

Speaking of sports anime, Blue Box is back with its Season 2! This sports anime also has romance, so there’s been quite a bit of drama since we last saw Taiki and the gang navigate their feelings. Electric Circus, a newer studio composed of some former Telecom Animation Film staff, is taking on animation production this season. We can’t wait to see how these relationships progress this fall after leaving us with major decisions last season. If you’re looking to take a break from the many action-packed series out now, this series is worth checking out. Blue Box Season 2 is available now on Netflix.

Firefly Wedding (Crunchyroll)

A new romance series dropping this fall is Firefly Wedding. The series follows Satoko, the daughter of a prestigious family who is navigating marriage proposals while dealing with a secret health issue. After an unfortunate event, she negotiates for her life by proposing marriage to a killer. David Production, known for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Fire Force, is at the helm of this series, so expect some crazy action as these spouses-to-be prepare for an unlikely wedding. Firefly Wedding is available now on Crunchyroll.

Overgeared (Crunchyroll)

Looking for a fun fantasy series this fall? Overgeared is the anime for you this season! The series follows Shin, a player in a popular fantasy VR game which offers opportunities to make money in the real world. He’s been struggling for a while now, but falls upon a once-in-a-lifetime chance to become a legendary blacksmith class. With these newfound abilities, he can turn around his luck even though he isn’t super exceptional in other categories. J.C. Staff, the studio behind The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. and Bakuman, is handling animation production on this series. So far, it’s been a hilarious ride as Shin learns more about his class and how he can use it in this dangerous fantasy game world. If you have time outside the big returning anime this season, check out this new series. Overgeared is available now on Crunchyroll.

The Laid-Off Cheat-Granting Mage Enjoys a Second Lease on Life (Crunchyroll)

Another new fantasy series this season is The Laid-Off Cheat-Granting Mage Enjoys a Second Lease on Life. The series follows Rein, an enchanter who gets laid off from his guild after serving his purpose. Soon after, he takes back all his enchantments and imbues his own plain gear with the same magic, making him a force to be reckoned with. P.A. Works, known for Shirobako and Skip to Loafer, is heading animation on this new series. Seeing Rein dive head first into an adventure without any clue of what he’s doing has been the highlight this early in the season. It’s an especially good time when his newfound ally, Lily, freaks out about all the careless chaos he brings. The Laid-Off Cheat-Granting Mage Enjoys a Second Lease on Life is available now on Crunchyroll.

Psyren (Crunchyroll)

The supernatural 2007 manga Psyren is getting an anime adaptation this fall season. The series follows Ageha, a young student who tries to help a friend and unknowingly gets involved with a mysterious world filled with monsters. Satelight, the studio behind Log Horizon and Macross F, is taking on production for this long-awaited series. If you’re interested in seeing what the fuss is about after all these years, you can check out Psyren, available now on Crunchyroll.

Fool Night (Netflix) - Premieres 11/26

One of the most striking anime this fall season is Fool Night. The series follows Toshiro, a struggling man contemplating difficult choices in a dystopian world trapped in constant darkness. Since there’s no sunlight, society has developed a way to sustain life and oxygen by turning humans into plants. The studios behind Mobile Suit Gundam and March Comes in Like a Lion, Sunrise and Shaft, are joining forces for what looks to be a visually impressive anime. Based on the teasers so far, there is a beautiful emphasis on lights in this dark world. Alongside the body horror of the plant technology, there are some intriguing bits here to get sci-fans excited for the upcoming premiere. Fool Night will be available on Netflix November 26.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 (Netlfix)

Speaking of dystopian worlds, Cyberpunk Edgerunners returns with a Season 2 this fall! The series has a whole new cast of characters this time around, so we may or may not see someone like Lucy this season. Studio Trigger returns yet again to this award-winning series, and it shows in what we’ve seen so far. Between the amazing character designs and the gritty Night City action, Season 2 is looking to impress yet again. Cyberpunk Edgerunners Season 2 is available now on Netflix.

Black Clover Season 2 (Crunchyroll)

The highly anticipated return of Black Clover is finally here with Season 2! It’s been about five years since we last saw Asta and friends, and here they prepare to rescue their beloved captain from the latest big baddie. Studio Pierrot is back again to lead animation production, so expect more of the sleek, action-packed battles we’ve seen before. If you’re interested in the series, there’s a bit of catching up to do, but now’s the time to really get into this popular shonen series. Black Clover Season 2 is available now on Crunchyroll.

Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc (Hulu)

Another long-awaited return this season is Tokyo Revengers with the War of the Three Titans Arc. Last time around with Takemichi and friends, we saw major reveals as his secret got around; there was also a pivotal demise that viewers have been wondering about ever since. LIDENFILMS, the studio behind Call of the Night and Kotaro Lives Alone, is back again to helm this arc as well. It’ll be interesting to see where our protagonist goes from here now that a major player is behind him as he continues his time-traveling investigation. Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc is available now on Hulu.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 (Crunchyroll)

The award-winning Apothecary Diaries is back this year with Season 3. Last we saw Maomao and friends, the Imperial Palace faced one of its biggest threats we’ve seen so far regarding a devious plot within its walls. OLM studios, known for Odd Taxi and Berserk, returns to manage animation production. From what we’re seeing so far this early in the season, our eclectic group is out of the frying pan and into the fire with another major problem on the horizon in addition to the fallout of last season. We’re looking forward to seeing how Maomao gets out of these binds this time around as the season progresses. The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 is available now on Crunchyroll.

Steel Ball Run JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 2nd - 3rd Stage (Netflix)

Finally after what felt like forever with the one-episode tease earlier this year, Steel Ball Run JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure returns with the 2nd and 3rd Stage. We just met Johnny Joestar alongside some quirky characters during the first leg of the cross-country race. In typical bizarre fashion, crazy shenanigans between racers will surely ensue in and out of the race. David Production continues where they left off, using the extra time to no doubt knock this series out of the park. If you still haven’t tried out this eccentric series, now is a pretty good time to give it a shot. Steel Ball Run JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 2nd - 3rd Stage is available now on Netflix.

Those are some of our most anticipated new and returning anime available to watch this fall 2026, if you want even more, check out our list of the spring and summer 2026 anime in case you missed the last batch of new series.

All the New Anime Arriving in Fall 2026

Here’s the full list of anime coming out in Fall 2026 that will be available to watch in the US:

Crunchyroll

• #I'm Looking For a Zombie
• A Certain Dark Item
• A Returner's Magic Should be Special Season 2
• A Tale of the Secret Saint
• A Wild Last Boss Appeared! Season 2
• Ace of the Diamond act II -Second Season-
• Aoashi Season 2
• As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World Season 3
• Battle Spirits [Re] Zekkai No Ku
• Black Clover Season 2
• Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle Part 2
• Dandivine
• Dark Machine The Animation
• Dragon Ball Super: Beerus
• Even Though I'm a Super Timid Noble Girl, I Accepted the Bet From My Cunning Fiancé
• Firefly Wedding
• From Far Away
• Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers
• FX Fighter Kurumi-chan
• Hello, I am a Witch and my Crush Wants me to Make a Love Potion!
• Horror Collector
• Hotel Inhumans Season 2
• Keroro☆
• Magic Knight Rayearth (2026)
• Magic Repo Man: Dumped by My Party, I’ll Cash In With a Cute Support Fairy to Become the Strongest!
• Magical Explorer
• Narumi's Week at Work
• Overgeared
• Psyren
• Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship!
• Romelia War Chronicle
• Sasaki and Peeps Season 2
• So What's Wrong with Getting Reborn as a Goblin?
• Super Psychic Policeman Chojo
• The Apothecary Diaries Season 3
• The Cold Sato-san is Only Sweet to Me
• The Detective Is Already Dead Season 2
• The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World Season 2
• The Laid-Off Cheat-Granting Mage Enjoys a Second Lease on Life
• The Prince of Tennis II U-17 World Cup: Final Member Selection Match
• The Vermilion Mask
• The World's Strongest Witch
• Tougen Anki: Nikko Kegon Falls Arc
• Uncle's Obsession with Cute Things
• Vertex Force

Netflix

• Blue Box Season 2
• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2
• Dragon Ball Super: Beerus
• Fool Night (11/26)
• My Happy Marriage Special Episodes
• Ranma1/2 (2024) Season 3
• Steel Ball Run JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 2nd - 3rd Stage
• The Ramparts of Ice Season 2

Hulu

• Mission: Yozakura Family Season 2 Part 2
• Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc

HIDIVE

• I'm Dating a Dark Summoner
• Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden
• Reincarnated as a Sword Season 2
• Tetsuryo! Meet With Tetsudou Musume

Amazon Prime

• Devils' Crest (11/6)
• Tank Chair
• The Seven Knights of the Marronnier Kingdom

YouTube

• Suikoden: The Anime

What anime are you watching this Fall? Let's discuss in the comments!

The Dungeon Crawler Carl series has blown up this year in many ways, but it's the incredibly fast expansion into merchandise has been truly impressive for the franchise. There are T-shirts, graphic novels, action figures, tabletop games, and even a halloween costume available to buy already, but now you can add jigsaw puzzles to that list.

Spotted on Reddit yesterday, there is a new 500-piece DCC puzzle now available at Barnes & Noble Stores. It's called "Meet the Crawlers" and features a full cast of familiar characters from the books, including Carl and Donut.

The sixth book in Sarah J. Maas' ACOTAR series is nearly here after years of waiting. A Court of Splintered Harmony is set to release on Tuesday, October 27 and romantasy fans are bracing for another bestseller.

If you haven't already preorderd your copy of the book, there's still time to do so. Preorders for the Target Exclusive version may have already sold out, but there's plenty of copies of the hardcovers elsewhere. And if you're just looking to access the story as soon as it's available, the eBook and Audible formats are launching at the same time as the physical books.

Where to Buy Hardcover Editions

Where to buy the eBook

If you are already planning on reading the digital version of this book, there are a few options available. Once again, Amazon's Kindle Store has the best possible deal. You can grab the Kindle edition of the book for $16.99 ahead of its release. For those who already have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, it's very unlikely that this book will be included with your subscription any time soon.

A Court of Splintered Harmony on Audible

The latest photos and videos from the set of Miami Vice ‘85 making the rounds on social media reveal Michael B. Jordan and John Leguizamo in costume filming scenes that appear to be faithfully recreating the opening sequence of the original TV series pilot.

Jordan plays New York City police detective Ricardo Tubbs and Leguizamo recently confirmed on his Instagram account that he portrays Esteban Calderone, the Columbian cartel boss who was the antagonist of the series pilot and returned in a later episode of the first season of the 1984-89 TV series. (Fittingly enough, Leguizamo got his big break playing Calderone’s son in the original series.)

The recent batches of set photos and videos from the New York set of Miami Vice ‘85 reveal Jordan and Austin Butler, who plays Tubbs’ future partner Sonny Crockett, shooting the earliest sequences that introduced their respective characters in the original pilot.

It’s been known that Miami Vice ‘85 is inspired by the series’ two-part pilot (“Brother’s Keeper”) and the show’s first season in general. The images and footage from the set reveal the movie looks very faithful in those recreations.

John Leguizamo on the set of 'Miami Vice ‘85' 🚨🎬👀 https://t.co/zluTYrPqZt

— Miami Vice ‘85 Crave (@MiamiViceCrave) October 23, 2026

For example, Jordan’s Tubbs is basically wearing the same outfit as original Tubbs actor Philip Michael Thomas wore in the opening scenes of the pilot. Similarly, Leguizamo’s slicked back hair, mustache and cigar are a spot-on nod to Miguel Piñero’s look in the same episode. Beyond the clothes, though, Jordan is recreating the same actions and facial expressions as Thomas’ in the sequence where he runs out into an alley in pursuit of the slippery, enigmatic Calderone. The only major difference is that Jordan’s Tubbs has a beard while the character didn’t grow one until the later seasons of the show.

In the series, Calderone was responsible for the deaths of people close to Crockett and Tubbs so that’s why a New York cop ends up partnering with a Miami Dade P.D. undercover detective. As a lifelong fan of the show, I couldn’t be more excited to see a new Miami Vice movie set in the 1980s and that treats the subject seriously and faithfully. However, a beat-for-beat remake of the TV series pilot could end up being a bit frustrating for fans like myself who know what’s going to happen next and to whom.

Look, my Miami Vice fandom has already gotten the better of me. When the first look images of Jordan and Butler in costume were released, I hastily wrote an op-ed expressing my concern about the dark color palette rather than the pastels that were used in the show’s early seasons. However, my entire thesis was rendered moot just a few hours later when set photos online revealed Butler dressed exactly like Don Johnson’s Sonny Crockett in 1984-85, white suit and all. I had to update my piece with a mea culpa. So I’m concerned I’m similarly rushing to judgment here. Everything from Miami Vice ‘85 looks cool so far and accurate to how it was depicted on the show, but I guess I was hoping for a story that was in the spirit of the show while telling a brand new tale. I’ll just have to wait and see.

Michael Mann’s Miami Vice film from 2006 also riffed on one of the first season’s episodes (“Smuggler’s Blues”) but everything else surrounding that subplot was an entirely new and different experience for fans of the show albeit without the flash and charm that was a hallmark of the series. So I do appreciate that Miami Vice ‘85 is at least going back to its roots.

Miami Vice ‘85 is currently shooting in New York before moving production to Miami, Florida after hurricane season is over. The film opens in theaters on May 19, 2028.

Warning: This review contains full spoilers for Yaga Season 1, Episodes 1-2. Both episodes are now streaming on AMC+ in the US and Crave in Canada.

For anyone familiar with the Eastern European folktale of Baba Yaga, you might have visions of a wicked old witch in the woods who lives in a hut made out of chicken feet. In reality, Baba Yaga is a complex character who can harness the role of both villain and mentor, depending on the story, and encompasses both good and evil.

Yaga, the new series from Kat Sandler, who wrote a stage play with the same title, is a modern retelling of the folktale of Baba Yaga itself. The first two episodes offer an alternate version of the traditional lore, as Yaga dives head first into seduction and horror, while sprinkling humor throughout amid many twists that make you question what’s real, what’s something else entirely, and what that “something else” even is. (Sounds weird, right? Good.)

The opening of Episode 1 sets the tone for where the show seems to be heading. It begins with narration from Baba Yaga herself, describing in detail how she has been perceived in tales “as wicked as the night and as wise and powerful as the sea” – a creature who eats children’s guts and bones and is too ugly to be desired by anyone. But there’s an underlying warning to her ramble.

Nighttime shots are mixed throughout the monologue, ending with Baba Yaga saying, “But the thing that really gets me… is this.” Cut to a man in a forest standing in the middle of a large bonfire, screaming while he’s being burned alive.

We then go straight into meeting the main characters of Whittock, a small Pacific Northwest-esque island town, and dive into the basics of the story: Charlie Rapp, played by Noah Reid (Schitt’s Creek, The Vampire Lestat), and Sergeant Carson, played by Clark Backo (Letterkenny, The Changeling), are forced to team up to investigate the disappearance of Henry Park, played by Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry) – a billionaire playboy whose family is well-known in the town. Rapp was hired on by the Park family to find their son and seems to have questionable intentions for working on the case, which Carson is immediately suspicious of.

We next meet Logan Casey, Henry’s roommate – also played by Williams – who surprisingly looks just like Henry, albeit with a seemingly different demeanor and minor physical changes. Logan acts like he’s hiding something as Carson and Rapp look through the house, though he lets it slip that Rapp and Henry know each other, and Rapp doesn’t seem to appreciate the revelation.

The investigation continues in town, with Carson wondering if Henry’s actually even missing. Carson also accuses Rapp of flirting with basically every single woman he sees, and at first glance, it is possible to dismiss Rapp as a dumb flirt, but as you get further into these first two episodes, his eye-batting tendencies are revealed as a tactic to dig up more dirt (well, most of the time).

Eventually, Rapp meets a woman, Katherine Hargrove (The Matrix’s Carrie-Anne Moss) in an upscale bar. He immediately hits on her and she pulls him right into her orbit – feeling him out with sexy, teasing comments. As Katherine, Moss evokes an intoxicating, seductive quality where you just want to know more about her – and what she’s hiding.

Throughout the first episode, Rapp continuously texts Henry asking where he is and if he’s alright. In a sudden twist, the episode wraps with Rapp finally getting texts back from Henry saying, “STOP LOOKING FOR ME.”

Over the course of these premiere episodes, we see clues from the investigation come into play, specifically images from Henry’s bedroom pointing to people who Rapp and Carson have associated with, including an obscure witch-like symbol, expensive vintage watches, photos, and chicken feet.

Speaking of which, there’s also a consistent, somewhat odd, yet seemingly calculated theme throughout the episodes: chickens. From a chicken foot being tied to Henry’s bedpost, to Carson hitting a chicken with his car while driving through the woods and Rapp snapping its neck to put it out of its misery (which, in turn, haunts him with hallucinations), to even finding a chicken lit on fire and nailed to the door of Rapp’s motel room while he’s getting intimate with a woman named Angel, chickens are everywhere.

By Episode 2, Rapp admits to Carson that he’s definitely friends with Henry – we don’t know how close of friends though – while various people in town who the cop duo are questioning seem increasingly suspicious about the “disappearance” of Henry. Are all these town characters somehow in on Henry’s vanishing? Is there something else going on, something altogether darker?

One of those people is Katherine, who we find out is a professor at the university Henry attends, and who numerous people refer to as the “Boner Beast” due to her allegedly having sex with students. However, she rejects the nickname, stating she’s known as more specifically the “Bone Beast” due to her studies in osteology.

We get the biggest twist so far in the last part of Episode 2, where we see Rapp and Carson going undercover at a “dark solstice party” Henry is apparently hosting at his house – despite his “disappearance” – complete with masks, dark mood lighting, and electronic music. Soon we see what looks to be Henry standing at the upper level railing wearing devil horns while looking down over his partygoers.

As Rapp and Carson search throughout the party for him, we see another shot of someone who seems to be Henry upstairs in his room, having sex with a woman against his photo wall while wearing a leather dog mask – she’s wearing ethereal angel wings and the scene gives a sultry nod to the duality of light and darkness… an angel and a devil.

At this same time, Rapp runs into Angel, who offers a lollipop dipped into a powder, possibly ecstasy, which he willingly accepts. Carson grabs Rapp while reprimanding his insane choices, and they head upstairs to continue their search for Henry. Soon, Rapp hears faint moaning coming from one of the rooms. The person who we now believe to be Henry demands the woman he’s with to say his name while they are continuing to have sex, and she shouts out “Henry!” multiple times, causing Rapp and Carson to instantly look at each other, confirming their suspicions.

Rapp kicks open the door and Henry sees him and panics, running out of the room and shoving Carson in the process as he escapes into the hallway.

As Henry is in the hallway, someone who resembles him seems to magically split apart from his body and run down the stairs while the other one takes off the mask and goes into the bathroom. However, we’re seeing this through Rapp’s point of view, and the drugs he took earlier might be affecting his vision, so he doesn’t notice one of the people going into the bathroom and follows who he believes to be Henry running down the stairs.

Carson is still upstairs at this point and sees Logan come out of the bathroom, despite thinking it was Henry who ran in there. As she tries to grab him to talk with him, he pushes her face into the wall and yells, “Fucking stay out of this!” and runs into his room nearby. Carson follows, but finds him nowhere in the small room. It’s like he magically disappeared out of thin air.

Rapp makes his way outside at a slow-moving pace (due to him hallucinating from the drugs he took) when he sees a vision of Katherine in a white dress with a white mask over her face as she speaks softly to him. He comes back to reality when Carson calls his name, snapping open his eyes and then seeing a large bird flying across the sky, lit on fire – but we don’t know for sure if what he is seeing is real or imagined.

In the final shot of Episode 2, we hear a shriek followed by a lifeless, naked body lying face down on the nearby shore. We pull back to reveal that the person the body belongs to is Logan. It’s a grim ending with dozens of questions left unanswered. What do you mean Logan is dead? And was he ever really alive? And where did Henry escape to – or was he never really there?

It’s often hard to find a show that makes you linger on so many questions: Is Katherine Baba Yaga or is that too obvious? Are Henry and Logan actually the same person but magically split in two? Is Baba Yaga creating visions for Rapp? Was Henry the one burning in the fire at the beginning of Episode 1? We don't have answers yet, but I’m ready and waiting for more reveals from this supernatural story that has already sunk its iron teeth into me.

Amazon has announced a January 13, 2027 release date for its reality competition show, Fallout Shelter: The Experiment.

Confirmation comes via a short video that shows a Pip-Boy displaying the message: “The world is ending. The competition is just beginning.”

Good morning, future Vault Dwellers! Please Stand By for an important announcement.

Fallout Shelter: The Experiment — an all-new competition series — arrives January 13, only on @primevideo. https://t.co/U87TSfNayV

— FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) October 23, 2026

Fallout Shelter the video game is Bethesda’s strategy spinoff in which you manage a vault and its dwellers while under constant pressure from the wasteland. Here's the official blurb on the 10-episode series:

From the epic world of the smash hit drama series and one of the most celebrated video game franchises of all time, Fallout Shelter: The Experiment is a new reality competition series that invites everyday participants to test their aptitude for the apocalypse in Vault-Tec's state-of-the-art bomb-proof vault shelters. They will go head to head in a series of high-octane drills, psychological dilemmas and morally challenging behavior trials until one special dweller emerges to win the prize of a lifetime--$1,000,000.

Fallout Shelter: The Experiment is produced by Studio Lambert, the company that’s also behind The Traitors and Squid Game: The Challenge, with Kilter Films, and in association with Bethesda Game Studios. Todd Howard is down as executive producer.

The release date announcement comes on Fallout Day, (October 23, 2077 is of course the day in the Fallout timeline when the bombs fell, sparking The Great War that caused the irradiated wasteland fans of the franchise have been playing in over the last few decades). This week, Bethesda made a number of relatively low-key announcements, including eye-catching mods for Fallout 4 and some fun real-world collaborations.

Fallout’s 30th anniversary arrives next year, so expect more from Bethesda then. What’s it working on? It’s got everything from Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters to Fallout 5, with an Obsidian-developed Fallout spinoff thrown in for good measure. Work continues on Fallout 76 and Fallout Shelter, and Season 3 of the Fallout TV series is also incoming. In short, Microsoft is doubling down on Fallout, with new Xbox boss Asha Sharma striving for increased profitability across the gaming business.

2026 has been an interesting year of independence and creativity for The X-Files creator Chris Carter. In August, Hulu released Carter’s Director’s Cut of his 2008 feature debut, The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Vrach Frankenshteyn, with the title and tone he always intended. And this month, he’s promoting the limited release of his second feature, the self-funded indie, Queens for a Day.

IGN attended a recent Santa Monica screening of the time-twisting, cautionary tale with a defiantly political message, Queens for a Day. Carter and the film’s screenwriter, wife Dori Carter, attracted a who’s who of former X-Files staffers including Darren Morgan, Glen Morgan, Annabeth Gish, Kristen Cloke, and Jeff Cahn.

After, Gish led a Q&A with Carter who confirmed that his 2025 recut of The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Vrach Frankenshteyn dovetailed into preproduction for Queen, and even shared several X-Files collaborators like editor Cahn and production designer Mark S. Freeborn. Specifically, Vrach Frankenshteyn locked in December 2025. In early 2026, Carter relocated to his old X-Files stomping ground in Vancouver, British Columbia where he filmed over a tight 32 days. He then edited with Cahn, locking the final cut around October 9 with the most timely political topics he was able to include.

In an exclusive IGN chat, the recently-turned-70 Carter said it’s been a big year for him creatively, and that he’s pleased that he finally got to revisit The X-Files: I Want to Believe which initially wasn’t received well by the fandom.

“I just felt like I had made a movie and they made me change it,” Carter said of his initial disappointment with Fox’s cuts. “I wanted to make the movie a scary movie. It was a Frankenstein movie. No one ever appreciated, or got to appreciate it as Frankenstein. I actually got to put the title Frankenstein in it, so that was very important to me. We made sure it’s an X-Files movie that draws on the Frankenstein story and that's what I tried to put back into it.”

Carter enthusiastically said he was happy with how his cut was received by critics and fans, though he acknowledges the Mulder/Scully shippers were not pleased with his cuts. “The relation-shippers were not happy that I took out some Mulder and Scully,” he said pragmatically. “But we also just did two [season] reboots and Scully learns that she is pregnant in the last one. So when I went back to do I Want to Believe, I had to keep that in mind, that if this is a movie I want people to watch now, that it doesn't feel dated.”

He explained in the Q&A that the Queen for a Day screenplay was written 30-years ago by Dori, optioned but never got greenlit. Recently, he discovered the screenplay in a box during some housecleaning, so he encouraged her to update her Twilight-Zone styled story about an adult daughter, estranged from her traditional mother. When she gets into a car crash, the daughter wakes up in her mother’s body in the 1950s and gets to live her life literally in her mother's shoes.

“I said to Dori, ‘I think you should do this in the political moment we're living in, and you should make the character a right-wing newscaster,’" Carter said. “And that’s really the genesis of the project.”

In its current iteration in Queen, the daughter is Judge Jerri, a big, brash conservative MAGA news pundit (played by actress Erin Boyes) who goes through a journey of begrudging empathy, coming to understanding her mother’s struggles as a single mother and more generally a disappointed woman in an era that afforded her few independent options. She comes to see where her bitterness has poisoned not only her world, but helped do so in the broader toxic political discourse.

Carter said he's still working on securing a distributor for the finished film. “The reason we wanted to do this was not just to tell a good tale, but to raise our fists. We’re angry we are living in a world we don't want to live in, and so this is our response to that. And I should say, this story owes to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge gets to see the past and present and the future, and what Jerri sees is the future that changes her life.”

He also agreed that Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone was a big inspiration. “I just read something really interesting about Rod Serling, that he kept trying to write things that they wouldn't let him put on television,” Carter told IGN. “And he finally figured out for The Twilight Zone, if you write things allegorically, you can actually put things on film that you wouldn't be able to do.”

Queens for a Day is screening until October 22 exclusively at LaemmleRoyal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd. News on a wider release and more screenings for Queens for a Day can be found at their Instagram page: @queensforadaymovie

Warning: This review contains full spoilers for Avatar: Seven Havens Season 1, Episodes 7-9!

Whoa, doggy (and we can say that because non-hybrid dogs exist in the world of Avatar)1 After last week’s episodes of Seven Havens seemed to settle into a nice, comfortable rhythm, this week’s trio literally and figuratively tossed the table with some huge story moves and big additions to the mythology while somehow also managing to be the most effortlessly funny episodes thus far. At least a portion of that is due to the show’s first two-part episode, which you know has to be big — and it is — but thanks to the continued impressive balance of ongoing mysteries and emotional storytelling, Episodes 7-9 are a thrilling roller-coaster ride from start to finish.

Oh, and also we get to see Korra and Asami again, so commence freaking out, everyone!

The Long View

To talk broad strokes before we get into the specifics of the episodes: As we’ve stated in previous recaps, the metaphor Seven Havens seems to be going for is how in our own world, countries are closing borders and refusing to work with each other to fix larger problems — i.e. the environment — while also amping up fear of the other. In this case, that “other” are the Havens other than Ellora, which is the main one we’re spending time in this season. But it also extends to the ostensible villains — raiders known as the Faceless, and more specifically the Avatar, as for hundreds of years people have believed Korra caused the Cataclysm that wrecked the world.

This week, with Envoys visiting from other Havens (more on that below), we get to see this distrust in action. It’s enormously simplified for the child’s cartoon we’re watching (no shade there) to the other Havens needing food and Ellora wanting benders to protect them from the red diamond Anomaly that has been growing and attacking Ellora at a regular rate. We’re not talking complicated, multi-faceted trade deals here, and that’s fine. But the thrust is clear for the viewer: These Havens, of course, would be stronger together, but it’s easier to give in to fear, the real theme of this season, than join up. Alone, the Havens are in survival mode; together, they might have something greater, but through pride, tradition, or whatever excuse they want to give, it doesn’t happen.

And for any viewers frustrated about these moves, there’s a key moment late in Episode 9, “The Envoys: Part Two,” when Commander Karthik (Akshay Khanna) talks about how they were raised to hate the Avatar. While it’s been a decade or so in our time since we’ve last seen the Avatar, and we know that Pavi (Saheli Khan) and Nisha (Aishu Devan), our twin Avatars, are good, It’s been 225 years since Avatar: The Legend of Korra. That’s over two centuries, and every character we’re watching on TV was born and raised in a world that doesn’t just hate and fear the Avatar, but has also been taught to distrust each other. Heck, their parents, grandparents, and probably even great-grandparents were born and raised the same. They don’t know any other life, and society has developed solely based around these precepts. It’s less about breaking programming than completely reconceptualizing history and learning. That’s hard, folks!

And speaking of Karthik, let’s take a small but related side-trip to talk about what happens towards the end of Episode 9. Pretty much since he first popped up, fans have pointed at Karthik as likely turning evil, getting corrupted, or perhaps being the head of the evil (or at least morally grey) Red Lotus instead of the Order of the White Lotus, which turns out to be 100% totally not true. In fact, in a shocker, it’s Jae (Major Curda) who betrays Karthik and the Avatars. We’ve watched Jae struggle with what we mentioned above, being raised in a society where the Avatar is seen as the ultimate evil. In Episode 9, he does turn against them, tells everyone about the White Lotus, gets Karthik arrested, and becomes Commander of the Bending Brigade himself. While it’s possible this might be revealed as a long range plan to do the right thing, at least at the end of this week, it’s a punch in the gut, and a real emotional surprise to see a character we’ve been following and believed in stick to the status quo instead of growing, changing, and learning.

It’s also, to be clear, very smartly done and more realistic: In real life, people rarely break out of their programming; they may be challenged, and they could even flirt with changing their minds, but sadly, more often than not they stay with what’s comfortable rather than truly evolve. So, boo to Jae! Hooray to the writers of Seven Havens. Also, boo to the writers — how dare you do this to Jae?! Life is complicated.

The Episodes Close Up

Anyway, there’s lots more to get into, so let’s do some brief recap. First up is Episode 7, “What Lies Beneath,” which does not include appearances by either Harrison Ford* or Michelle Pfeiffer. Instead, when Pavi decides to try and connect with the Anomaly to try and chase down more memories of her missing parents, she blasts a hole in the massive red crystal, revealing tunnels under Ellora. It turns out there’s a lot under the city, including a factory that was built by none other than Asami Sato. Thanks to a “mover,” we get to see both Korra and Asami, older, happier, and not in the Spirit World (where we last left them at the end of Legend of Korra).

(*What kind of bender do you think Ford would be? Is there cranky old man bending? Is that a thing?)

Also lying beneath? The Faceless, who we discover are aiming to live free rather than have life prescribed for them by the dictates of Ellora. Specifically, if you have bending ability, you join the Bending Brigade. That’s what Jae wants and what he believes in, but not Uki (Kimberly Woods), who was seemingly kidnapped last week but has actually been part of the Faceless the whole time. She leads Jae to the Faceless Queen, Zi (Dianne Doan), who later turns out not to be the Faceless Queen, though we’ll get there in a second.

That’s because so many other things happen in this episode! Pavi, first of all, discovers a bubbling pit of red energy, which grabs her and transports her back to Republic City, where we see the beginning of the Cataclysm. It sure looks like Korra in the Avatar state is tearing Republic City to the ground while releasing Spirit Energy tentacles. She’s definitely not, of course, and we’ll likely get a lot more info on this in subsequent episodes and seasons. But it confirms the suspicion that a lot of theories have rested on, and without getting too in the weeds on this: Back at the end of Legend of Korra, the doors between the Spirit and Human world were still open, and there was a lot of controversy about the use of Spirit Energy as batteries (think nuclear energy and you have the general idea). Given the Avatar is always about finding balance in the world, it’s probably fair to posit based on this one scene that things became very out of balance because of Republic City using Spirit Vine energy. Korra tried to stop it, and possibly the Spirit World crashed into the Human world.

We discover that the song Pavi and Nisha remember being sung by their parents is sung by people from the Eastern Outskirts in a lovely little moment where Uki pauses their tense showdown to offer up info on the ditty. Pavi and Nisha have a rift growing between them, and we end with two groups of Envoys — one from New Ba Sing Se and the other from Akasha — travelling towards Ellora like an Avatar version of Mad Max: Fury Road. We just needed Chong wailing on his dramyin while flames pump in the background to complete the picture. So shiny. So chrome!

Then it’s time for the two-parter, “The Envoys.” In the first part, the focus is on the summit between New Ba Sing Se, Akasha, and Ellora, which gets broken up by an attack by the Faceless, revealing the Faceless Queen is none other than… Agam (Sakina Jaffrey), the friendly cook/baker who has now not-so-curiously shown up in nearly every episode. Meanwhile, Nisha gets tested by the White Lotus representatives from New Ba Sing Se, Akasha, and what sounds like Nutha (NOTE: there are no closed captions on the screeners provided by Paramount+, so we might have the spelling wrong)... and fails.

That leads us into the game-changing second part, which doesn’t have a cold open before the title sequence, so you know it’s a big one. We almost immediately discover Agam’s motivation: Her father was taken against his will as a bender in the Brigade. In response, Agam created the Faceless as a way of being free and following their own destiny. Her destiny? To lead them to Republic Forest, which functions not just as a complete recontextualization of the main location in Legend of Korra, but also the mythical safe haven all post-apocalypse stories must have.

Nisha, frustrated by her failed Avatar test, steps up to take down Agam, who reveals herself to be some sort of combo sandbender/mudbender, and an advanced one at that. So naturally, Nisha reveals herself as the Avatar; and just as she does, the red diamond Anomaly busts through. The Faceless escape in the resulting panic, Pavi manages to lure the red diamond away, and in the aftermath, Jae betrays the White Lotus, resulting in their arrest. New Ba Sing Se and Akasha withdraw their aid, while the Chancellor of Ellora essentially puts the town under martial law.

In the midst of all this, we get two eye-opening visions via the red diamond: Nisha sees a rock with an anomaly crystal sticking out of it; and Pavi is taken to a starfield, where something that is not Rainbow Road forms, leading her to the red symbol of Ellora with six additional circles stretching out into space. As we discussed last week, it’s seeming more and more likely that the goal here is for Pavi and Nisha to unlock the Chakras of the planet, starting with defeating “fear” in Ellora via the Root Chakra — likely specifically tied to the crystal seen in Nisha’s vision. Each “Haven” is actually a place where the Chakra is locked, which will send Pavi and Nisha out into the world once they realize what their “Avatar bringing balance” mission is actually all about.

Those are the broad strokes of the plot, but we skipped over something we mentioned earlier: how funny these episodes are at the same time — Jae calling hay his “nose nemesis,” the “who’s that?” as Pavi tells the citizens of Ellora that everything is going to be okay, and we’ll get into this more in the next section, but everything with the Pudding Guy (Eric Bauza) is laugh out loud funny. And isn’t that one of the big draws of the Avatar franchise, that goofball moments can sit right alongside “heck yeah” moments like Nisha saying “I’m the Avatar?”

It’s thrilling to have this feeling back, and this group of episodes definitely feels like Seven Havens firing on all cylinders. It’s also wild to think there are four more episodes to go next week, when “The Envoys: Part Two” in particular has big penultimate-episode-of-the-season energy. We’ll see you back here then (though there’s more article after this, so hang out one second, will you?)!

Avatar Easter Eggs, References, And Connections

We didn’t mention this last week, but while we’re throwing theories out there, there’s been a lot of hay (my nose nemesis!) made out of the fact that Pavi and Nisha are animated with diamond pupils instead of the oval-esque pupils the rest of the characters have. How does this connect to the Red Diamond? And does it connect to Raava and Vaatu (the spirits of order and chaos, respectively) who both have diamond-ish patterns in them? The show has been slow playing the big mythology moves, but with the introduction of the Spirit energy tentacles this episode, it seems likely this does tie to the two spirits in some way. How? We’ll just have to wait and see.

After Pavi opens up the hole in the crystal in “What Lies Beneath,” we get a mention of a rare sect of earthbenders who can feel things under the ground. While it didn’t start with Toph in The Last Airbender, this is a seismic sense (sort of like sonar) that she taught to Aang and passed down to her daughter, Lin Beifong, who appeared in The Legend of Korra. Does this mean that Pavi and Nisha are tied in some way to the Beifong family tree? Maybe!

Businessman Varrick invented “movers,” aka movies, back in Legend of Korra, and it looks like they developed from black-and-white/sepia-toned to color movers at some point, as we get to see Korra and Asami in all their older glory underneath Ellora.

On the lockers next to the main chamber under Ellora, we get to see a Korra action figure, as well as posters for Aang, Kyoshi, and Kuruk. Notably, Kuruk is getting his own spin-off (as announced at New York Comic Con), albeit from his younger days as a 14-year-old wild child in Avatar Kuruk: Waves of Chaos.

After Pavi connects with the Anomaly under Ellora, we see the older Korra using her glider — which was introduced in Legend of Korra Book 3 — to head from Air Temple Island to Republic City. There, while the Spirit energy tentacles are causing the Cataclysm and Korra is clearly in the Avatar state (check out her white eyeballs), it’s notable that Republic City is otherwise empty. Perhaps this cataclysm wasn’t as cataclysmic as everyone thinks?

At the end of Episode 7, as mentioned, we get that Mad Max scene. Some additional details are that the former Earthbending city of Ba Sing Se has somehow been inverted; they now live on Feather Mountain (a new location), and are airbenders – and historians – riding on Flying Bison? Meanwhile, Akasha (another new location) is the one place that has figured out how to keep using technology from Korra’s time, which means they have a riff on Link’s Master Cycle Zero from Breath of the Wild. Adding in the teases of spirit energy, if the whole world was relying on it and that caused the Cataclysm, it’s likely Akasha has figured out an alternative energy source that nobody else has access to. They’re also, per the dismissive Flying Bison rider, clearly younger.

Let’s talk about the biggest, most important addition to the lore: Pudding Guy. In The Last Airbender, there was a Cabbage Merchant who constantly had his cabbages destroyed either directly by Team Avatar or as a side-effect of their adventures, followed by him holding his cabbages to the heavens and screaming “My cabbages!” Then in Legend of Korra, the son of the Cabbage Merchant, Lau Gan-Lan, formed a company called Cabbage Corp, which was constantly destroyed. In the absence of cabbage, we’ve got our new “guy” for Seven Havens, and that’s Pudding Guy. He keeps making pudding, singing little songs about his pudding, and then having it wrecked by the Avatars. Is it cabbage pudding? Perhaps. But get ready for plenty more “My pudding!” to come.

In “The Envoys: Part One,” as noted above, we get an additional Haven showing up as part of the Order of the White Lotus: Nutha. While the spelling may or may not be off, Nutha is the name of a Southern Water Tribe citizen who plays a big part in “The Rift” trilogy of Avatar graphic novels. The rep from Nutha is a waterbender too, so it fits.

We also mentioned Republic Forest earlier. Republic City was the height of technology and innovation, so as New Ba Sing Se seems to be an inversion (going from earthbending to airbending), the city is now Republic Forest. As a side note, in the chamber under Ellora where Pavi, Nisha, and Jae see the mover, there are banners for all four bending nations. It seems likely that the cooperative ethos of Republic City spread through the whole world… at least before the Cataclysm.

Oh, and turtle ducks show up! They’ve been in every iteration of Avatar. They’re cute! That’s all we’ve got on this one.

When it comes to board games, a frequent “Holy Grail” game (a term used to describe a game that someone has been hunting for, usually out of print and expensive) on many lists is Fantasy Flight Games’ Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game. But it looks like the search may be coming to an end for fans, as it was announced today that Ghost Galaxy has entered into an agreement with Universal and Fantasy Flight Games to publish a brand-new edition of this coveted title, coming to crowdfunding early next year.

First released back in 2008 and featuring imagery from the Sci-Fi Channel reboot, this social deduction/hidden traitor game wonderfully captured the tension from the show, where anyone could be a secret Cylon agent trying to thwart the single mission of the humans—to get home. Battlestar Galactica would go on to get three expansions, but almost a decade ago now, it all went out of print, and now prices on the secondary market for a full set (base game + expansions) could easily cost you more than a grand. Back in 2021, FFG did release a sort of reskinned version of BSG with Unfathomable, which replaced the Galactica with a boat and the Cylons with Lovecraftian horrors, which has seen success as well.

Details on this new edition are scant right now; all we have is that it’s a “new edition” that will feature “an updated design,” whatever that means, but I think the game is in safe hands. Overseeing this project will be Christian T. Peterson, the CEO of Ghost Galaxy and formerly the founder and CEO of Fantasy Flight Games and the creator of a little game called Twilight Imperium.

Recently, Fantasy Flight Games launched a similar campaign as the debut of its “Vault Series” with Arkham Horror Remastered (check out our interview and exclusive art reveal), which seeks to accomplish a similar goal with the much-loved Arkham Horror Second Edition. Whether this will be a part of the Vault Series or not, seeing as it is being officially published by another group, remains to be seen, but awesome to hear nonetheless.

The campaign page for the new edition of Battlestar Galactica will be launching soon, so you and your wallet can rejoice.

Annie Potts, who portrayed a younger version of Sheldon’s Meemaw on Young Sheldon, revealed how she felt about the show’s finale, disagreeing with how adult Sheldon remained "mean and unchanged" in Parsons' finale cameo.

The end of Young Sheldon — the seven-season-long Big Bang Theory Spinoff show — was rife with drama. Its abrupt ending was reportedly revealed to cast members in a Zoom call, with Potts saying she felt “blindsided” by the decision and went "full Meemaw” on the series’ producers.

She elaborated on these feelings in a book authored by Jessica Radloff titled Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy, where she described her reaction to Jim Parson’s cameo at the end of the final episode as a grown-up Sheldon.

According to Radloff’s book, Potts was “a little sad” about how Sheldon remained “mean and unchanged” as a character despite all the events of the prequel series.

“That broke my heart,” she told the author. “It was like, ‘Really? Still no responsibility?’ It was just selfishness. It’s just not how I wish to see Sheldon off into the world. …I thought the show could have ended [with young Sheldon] and not to the dreaded scene with Jim and Mayim as Sheldon and Amy revealing he was unchanged and unrepentant. That gave me a stomachache. It was like, ‘Who crashed our party?! Who invited you?'”

While most of the cast reportedly felt similarly burnt by the situation, Young Sheldon himself, Iain Armitage, said he was probably the only member who was actually happy that the show was finally over.

“Looking back now, it’s nostalgic-sad,” he said. “Like, I miss working at Warner Bros., I miss the crew and the people I love. I love the act of acting. I love doing it. It’s fun. But not really specific moments. More the overall thing.”

He went on to call the intense reaction to the show’s cancellation from his fellow castmates as “heavy and annoying and weird,” saying he wanted to be back in Virginia.

“I wanted to be traveling, and I’m happy to do whatever movie comes up. And my mom has always imbued me with a very healthy sense of ephemerality, and the fact that nothing good can last and everything changes, and that’s a good thing,” he continued. “I would hate to be on a show playing 23-year-old Sheldon. That would suck. I wouldn’t want to do that. So it was a perfect time to end it,” he said in the book.

A Young Sheldon spinoff series was greenlit (news that, reportedly, also blindsided the original show’s cast), focusing on Georgie and Mandy as young parents in the 90s. It was first announced in 2024 and is still running today, currently on its third season.

Tom Skerritt, the rugged, mustachioed actor best known to IGN readers for his roles in Top Gun and Alien, passed away from natural causes on Wednesday at the age of 93.

“We are heartbroken by his loss,” Skerritt’s family said in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter.

“While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity and the love he brought into our lives. He cared deeply about imagination, creativity, storytelling, service, veterans, the natural world and helping others find and share their own voices.”

Skerritt first gained acclaim as a film actor in director Robert Altman’s 1970 comedy M*A*S*H, where he played surgeon Duke Forrest, one of the few characters not included in the later classic TV series adaptation.

Other notable films of Skerritt’s in the 1970s include Harold and Maude, The Turning Point, Fuzz, Thieves Like Us, and Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke.

After initially turning down the role, Skerritt played Captain Arthur Dallas in Ridley Scott’s now classic sci-fi/horror film Alien (1979). Skerritt belonged to an ensemble that included Sigourney Weaver, Yaphet Kotto, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton, and Veronica Cartwright. (Be sure to read Scott Collura's deep-dive interview with Tom Skerritt about the making of Alien.)

During the 1980s, Skerritt had roles in films such as The Dead Zone, Wisdom, SpaceCamp, Poltergeist III, and Steel Magnolias. But the role from that decade Skerritt best came to be remembered for is Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in 1986’s Top Gun. As the Commanding Officer of the Top Gun program, Viper had to keep hot shot US Navy fighter pilots like Tom Cruise’s Maverick and Val Kilmer’s Iceman in check.

Skerritt’s most notable film role in the 1990s was as the father of Brad Pitt and Craig Sheffer’s character in director Robert Redford’s 1992 drama A River Runs Through It.

He later appeared in Singles, Contact, Smoke Signals, Tears of the Sun, Whiteout, and A Hologram for the King. Skerritt played himself in Seth McFarlane’s 2012 comedy Ted.

While Skerritt’s career in television goes back to the early 1960s, his most notable role on the screen was as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in the David E. Kelley-created 1992-96 series Picket Fences. Skerritt won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role. The actor also did stints on Cheers, Brothers & Sisters, Huff, and The Good Wife.

Born Thomas Roy Skerritt on August 25, 1933 in Detroit, Michigan, Skerritt was married three times and had five children. He was also a military veteran having served in the US Air Force from 1951-55.