Category: Tech news

Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Supergirl season 6, episode 15, “Hope For Tomorrow.”

The Supergirl season 6 episode “Hope For Tomorrow” enhanced the story of the Superman movie Superman 4: The Quest For Peace in every respect. The final movie to star Christopher Reeve as Kal-El of Krypton, Superman 4 is widely considered to be the worst of the classic Superman films. Given that, it would be all but impossible for Supergirl to revamp The Quest For Peace and not improve it, but the episode “Hope For Tomorrow” successfully addressed nearly every common complaint about the movie.

The central storyline of the second half of Supergirl season 6 found Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist) competing with the exiled 5th Dimensional Princess Nyxly (Peta Sergeant) for control of seven magical totems, tied to the seven cosmic forces of Hope, Love, Courage, Humanity, Dreams, Destiny and Truth. Each totem required its wielder to pass a test proving their mastery of each force. The Test of Hope in the Supergirl season 6 episode “Hope For Tomorrow” proved particularly difficult, as it required the victor to “inspire a hope that burns longer and brighter than the sun.” While this might ordinarily have been an easy task for Supergirl, this test came at a time when nuclear war seemed imminent between the nations of Kaznia and Corto Maltese and hope was in short supply.

The story of Superman 4: The Quest For Peace, was likewise based around the fear of nuclear war and Superman acting to end the threat after receiving a letter from a concerned boy. Sadly, the movie did so poorly it sunk any chance of a Superman 5. While the story of Superman 4 made a noble effort to tackle a serious issue, the film suffered from budget cuts and editing issues that eliminated most of the film’s more thoughtful moments in favor of recycled flight scenes and nonsensical padding. The Supergirl season 6 episode “Hope For Tomorrow” takes most of the story elements from Superman IV and builds upon the base concepts to create something far better.

Roughly halfway through the Supergirl season 6 episode “Hope For Tomorrow,” Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) asked the same question as the worried boy in Superman 4: The Quest For Peace; why can’t Supergirl just take away all the nuclear weapons and throw them into the sun? Kara gave the same basic answer as Superman in the movie, saying that she was “forbidden from interfering in human history.” However, Kara further explained to her friend Lena Luthor that human nations needed to be free to determine their own destinies without some all-powerful alien imposing their beliefs on them. Kara also pointed out that even if she could get rid of all the nuclear weapons in the world, it wouldn’t solve the conflicts that lead to war. (Ironically, Kara did wind up having to throw several nuclear missiles into the sun before the episode’s end.)

This point was driven home by another scene, in which the United States diplomat overseeing the peace talks between Kaznia and Corto Maltese asked J’onn J’onzz (David Harewood) to use his telepathic powers to make the leaders of the two delegations sign a peace treaty. The Martian Manhunter refused, saying that while he was glad to use his powers to pacify the two leaders after Nxyly used the Totem of Courage to make them afraid of looking weak during the negotiations, he refused to directly control their actions. Both of the Supergirl scenes did a far better job of showing why heroes have a responsibility not to use their powers than every speech Superman made regarding that point in Superman 4: The Quest For Peace.

The Supergirl season 6 episode “Hope For Tomorrow” featured a subplot that centered around Esme, a foster child adopted by Alex Danvers/Sentinel (Chyler Leigh) and Kelly Olsen/Guardian (Azie Tesfai), and the Super Friends’ efforts to help the young girl get acclimated to her new home. A victim of an abusive situation in her previous foster home, Esme was shy and fearful of being sent back to the group home she had been in. Restoring Esme’s hope in the future went beyond being a test of Supergirl’s ability to inspire hope and became a test for the whole team, as well as a central part of the theme of “Hope For Tomorrow.” By contrast, despite being the inspiration of Superman’s effort to bring an end to nuclear war in Superman 4: The Quest For Peace, the boy who wrote to Superman disappeared from the movie after Superman took him to the United Nations to hear him speak.

Originally set up as a romantic interest for Kara Danvers in Supergirl season 5, reporter William Dey (Staz Nair) has been one of the more divisive characters created for the Arrowverse, with many fans finding the character annoying and wondering what purpose he served after he and Kara agreed to be just friends in Supergirl season 6. Comparisons could be drawn between William Dey and Lacy Warfield (Mariel Hemingway) whose only purpose in Superman 4: The Quest For Peace was acting as a hostage and pushing an unconvincing love triangle between herself, Lois Lane and Clark Kent. However, the Supergirl season 6 episode “Hope For Tomorrow” redeemed William, who was far from a passive figure after being taken captive by Nyxly. Indeed, it was William’s quick thinking that enabled the Super Friends to take the Totem of Courage away from Nyxly.

While Superman 4: The Quest For Peace saw legendary actor Gene Hackman return as Lex Luthor, his role in the film was far from extensive. Apart from creating the monstrous Nuclear Man, Luthor had surprisingly little to do with the action of the film and most of his scenes were comedic non-sequiturs. By contrast,  the Arrowerse Lex Luthor does not appear on camera in the Supergirl season 6 episode “Hope For Tomorrow,” but nevertheless had a major impact on the episode’s final scene.

As “Hope For Tomorrow” came to a close, Supergirl elected to throw the Totem of Hope into the sun, knowing that Nxyly needed all seven totems as part of her scheme to defeat Supergirl and the Super Friends. Shortly after Nxyly learned what Supergirl had done, a box fell through a portal in front of her. The box contained a watch and a note from a secret admirer telling her not to “lose hope.” When Nyxly put on the watch, it formed one of Lex Luthor’s trademark armored Lexo-Skeletons around her, revealing the identity of her mysterious new ally in a clever fashion. It was certainly more subtle than most of Gene Hackman’s scenes trolling Superman in Superman 4: The Quest For Peace. This, coupled with the other connections throughout the episode, highlight how Supergirl was able to successfully revitalize the failed film’s story arc.

The latest The Flash trailer suggests that Michael Keaton’s Batman has a bigger role in the film than many initially assumed. Ezra Miller makes his DCEU return as the Scarlet Speedster after starring in Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash‘s first trailer was released at DC FanDome 2021, offering a sneak peek at what to expect from the standalone flick.

It’s no secret that The Flash was in production limbo for quite some time with a few director changes. But, the movie finally kicked into production in 2021 and is currently filming. Specific plot details are still scant at the moment, although a few pertinent details have been confirmed. That includes the return of Kiersey Clemons as Iris West and the introduction of Sasha Calle as Supergirl/Kara Zor-El. Barry Allen is also joined by two Batman variations: the first one being Ben Affleck’s and the other one being Michael Keaton’s. Obviously there’s a lot of excitement surrounding their involvement, but there’s heightened anticipation about Keaton’s Batman iteration simply because this is the first time he will reprise the superhero role in two decades.

Considering the fact that it’s the Flash’s solo outing, it was initially unclear how involved Keaton would be in the film. Set photos revealed him back as the Bruce Wayne persona, and the actor’s personal interviews confirmed that he’s indeed wearing the cape and the cowl again. Still, with very little known about the movie’s plot, there were questions about the extent of his appearance. Some argued that it wouldn’t be anything more than an extended cameo, with the primary focus on Barry Allen instead. This makes sense since he is the movie’s headlining character. However, The Flash‘s trailer suggests that Batman’s role in the film is going to be more prominent than initially perceived; much of the trailer focuses on him, including both versions of the Flash visiting Tim Burton’s Wayne Manor and then, his Batcave. It even ends with the tease of the 1989 Batmobile reveal.

Interestingly, despite all the references to Keaton’s Caped Crusader, the hero doesn’t properly appear in The Flash trailer. Instead, there’s only a shot of his iconic cowl looking outside the Batcave. But, the fact that he provides the narration for the majority of the trailer further indicates the extent of his appearance. At one point, it seems like the two Barry Allens and Supergirl recruit him for a mission, and it’s safe to say that he at least considers joining his fellow DC heroes in the movie. It’s worth noting that The Flash appears to be an adaptation of the Flashpoint storyline from the comics. Barry’s time-traveling likely fractured space-time which has had ripple effects in other universes, including that of Supergirl and Keaton’s Batman. The voice-over dialog is Bruce Wayne making sense of everything that’s happening.

The question now is, how does Affleck’s Batman fit into all of this? Based on what’s known about The Flash production, the actor didn’t start to film his scenes until the middle of principal photography. Some theories suggest that Affleck’s Batman dies in the movie, and that it could serve as motivation for Barry’s time travel. Furthermore, many are also curious if Affleck’s version of the hero will cross paths with Keaton’s Caped Crusader. Fans will likely have to wait for the movie’s debut to find out.

Robert Pattinson’s Batman takes multiple bullets to the chest in the latest trailer for The Batman, indicating how bulletproof his version of the Batsuit is. Although he lacks superpowers, Batman fights crime in Gotham City with superlative fighting skills, a genius-level intellect, and state-of-the-art gadgetry. A common piece of equipment for live-action Batman adaptations is a Batsuit made of bulletproof material. Not all the Dark Knight’s costumes have the same level of protection, so how does Pattinson’s suit compare to the others and the comic source material?

In his first comic book appearances, Batman wore no armor, using a simple, lightweight, and flexible costume with an intimidating appearance instead. One of the earliest uses of an armored Batsuit comes from the first standalone Batman book in 1940, in which the Caped Crusader survives a gunshot wound from The Joker thanks to a layer of armor underneath the main suit. Modern comic iterations of Batman wear fully armored Batsuits, offering significant protection against gunshots; partially inspired by the various film adaptations and their many shout-outs.

In the latest trailer for The Batman, Robert Pattinson’s Batsuit is put to the test multiple times. While fighting a gang of criminals in clown makeup, Batman is shot point-blank with a handgun, but he shrugs this off rather quickly and continues fighting. Later in the trailer, Batman walks towards a group of assault rifle-toting assailants, who pepper him with gunfire. Batman walks through the hail of bullets mostly unimpeded before counterattacking. This indicates that Pattinson’s Batman uses an extremely durable material that can withstand more gunfire than most versions of the Dark Knight.

While Adam West’s Batman wore no armor, Michael Keaton’s iteration in the Tim Burton films had a highly durable suit that could take direct gunshots. However, as shown multiple times in Batman and Batman Returns, while the suit kept gunfire from proving immediately lethal, the force often knocked Batman off his feet and left him winded on some occasions. Pattinson’s gear provides more protection, allowing him to remain in fighting condition even when shot numerous times.

Christian Bale’s first Batsuit in Batman Begins also offered protection from gunshots, though Lucious Fox explicitly advised against taking direct hits. While protective, the suit proved to be too restrictive, so Bale’s Bruce wore a modified` suit in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Bale’s second Batman suit offered far more flexibility, though it was even more vulnerable to gunfire, which Bruce learned firsthand when facing off against Two-Face.

The only live-action Batman iteration whose suit provided similar levels of protection to Pattinson’s is the DCEU Batman. As shown in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck’s Batman wears a light and flexible suit that allows him to take gunshots to the head at point-blank range with little impediment. The suit has some vulnerable points, as evidenced by an assailant’s knife puncturing the suit near the shoulder, but this may have been a lightly-armored area for the sake of articulation. Ben Affleck’s Batman armor, like Pattinson’s Batsuit in The Batman, is fully bulletproof, protecting Batman from gun-toting enemies.

Katey Sagal played one of the most important characters in Sons of Anarchy, but what has she done since the show came to an end? In 2008, Kurt Sutter took the audience to a small town in California to meet a motorcycle club and all the drama in their daily lives in the TV series Sons of Anarchy. The series premiered on FX in 2008 and lived on for a total of seven seasons, coming to an end in 2014. Sons of Anarchy got positive reviews throughout its whole run, with most praise going towards the themes it addressed (such as corruption and racism) and the performances of the main cast.

Sons of Anarchy tells the story of Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), VP of the motorcycle club Sons of Anarchy in the fictional town of Charming, California. The series kicks off when Jax finds a manifesto written by his late father, John “JT” Teller, one of the founding members of the MC. In it, JT shared his plans and vision for the club, which were very different from those of the current President and Jax’s stepfather, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman). Reading his father’s ideas and seeing how different the club was, among other events, send Jax on a personal journey that leads him to question his path, role in the club, relationships, family, and more. Sons of Anarchy also introduced the audience to Gemma Teller-Morrow (Katey Sagal), Jax’s mother and the matriarch of the club, who even though wasn’t a member of it, had a lot of influence in it and the town in general, but she was also a very dangerous woman.

Katey Sagal’s role as Gemma in Sons of Anarchy was one of the most praised elements of the series, and she was one of the few characters from the first season who made it to the final one, though not to the series finale, as she was killed by Jax in the second last episode. Gemma Teller has become one of Sagal’s most memorable roles, but it definitely isn’t her most famous one, as she has played a variety of characters before and after Sons of Anarchy. Prior to living in Charming, Sagal did a lot of voice work in film, such as in Recess: School’s Out (playing Mrs. Flo Spinelli) and the Futurama movies, voicing Turanga Leela. In TV, she became known for playing Peggy Bundy in the sitcom Married… with Children from 1987 to 1997, and other notable roles include Edna Hyde in That 70’s Show and Cate S. Hennessy in 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.

While working on Sons of Anarchy, Sagal continued doing voice work, most notably in Futurama, and once the show came to an end, she explored other genres in TV. Sagal played Annora of the Alders in The Bastard Executioner, Penny’s mother in one episode of The Big Bang Theory, and Lanie Schultz in This Is Us. Sagal reprised her role as Gemma in one episode of Mayans M.C, the spinoff series of Sons of Anarchy, and after that, she went on to play Dr. Ingrid Jones in Shameless, Louise Goldufski in The Conners, Teresa Williams in Grand Hotel, and Eleanor Hale in Dead to Me. Her most recent work is in the legal comedy-drama Rebel, inspired by the life of Erin Brockovich, and in which she plays the lead role of Annie “Rebel” Bello. On the big screen, she played Lee Ann in There’s Always Woodstock, Katherine Junk in Pitch Perfect 2, and Louise Pazienza in Bleed for This.

In addition to an incredible acting career that has covered almost every genre, Katey Sagal has a musical career and released her first solo album in 1994, and she also contributed with at least one song per season in Sons of Anarchy. Katey Sagal is a woman of many talents, and while many will always remember her as Gemma Teller-Morrow, it’s definitely worth checking out her other works in both film and TV.

A new mod for Dark Souls 3 pits the final boss of the game’s last DLC against the final DLC boss from fellow FromSoftware title Bloodborne. FromSoftware has developed a reputation for challenging bosses over the past decade and seems to be continuing that trend with the upcoming Elden Ring, which fans have been awaiting eagerly for some time now following its initial reveal at E3 2019. A more in-depth trailer released at Summer Games Fest earlier this year revealed many of the hallmarks fans have come to expect from the upcoming title.

Another unique aspect FromSoftware titles have cultivated over the years is a dedicated modding community that still puts out content for installments as far back as the original Dark Souls. As with other communities, the mods cover a wide range of changes and additions, including one that brings sports into Dark Souls 3. Thanks to the work of the modding community, one fan was recently able to answer a unique question: who is the ultimate final DLC boss?

YouTuber Garden of Eyes started their channel at the end of 2020 with the focus of pitting Bloodborne bosses against one another. Since then, however, that goal has expanded to encompass more FromSoftware titles, and their latest fight features Dark Souls 3‘s Slave Knight Gael from “The Ringed City” DLC against Bloodborne‘s Orphan of Kos from “The Old Hunters.” The video consists of three bouts between the two bosses, featuring an updated version of Orphan of Kos from a mod named “Call of the Abyss.” Each fight takes place in a different boss arena from Dark Souls 3. Despite a victory in round one, the Orphan of Kos ends up losing to Slave Knight Gael in the following two rounds, culminating in a neck and neck competition in the finals.

Watch Slave Knight Gael and the Orphan of Kos do battle on YouTube here.

Boss vs boss battles are not the only FromSoftware content Garden of Eyes posts. Sometimes the fights feature NPCs or notoriously difficult mini bosses taking on the actual bosses as well as one another. The channel also features some unique FromSoftware mods such as a Bloodborne first-person camera mod. It goes to show how much creativity can be found in the gaming industry, even in the player base of such a brutally difficult franchise as Dark Souls.

There is an undeniable appeal in watching Dark Souls and Bloodborne bosses savagely beating each other instead of a helpless player. It comes from a shared struggle every player of From Software’s games has had at some point, particularly when going through these titles for the first time. It also helps that the bosses themselves are imposing figures, and make for thrilling adversaries when turned against each other. Elden Ring will likely add more notable bosses that will not only make seasoned players feel right at home, but bring a new generation of players into the fold that have not yet taken on the FromSoftware experience. Until then, however, players can continue to fight against what came before and, if ever things become too difficult, watch the likes of Gael and the Orphan smack each other around for a change.

Source: Garden of Eyes/YouTube

Mon-El actor Chris Wood recalls the silly “stunt” that resulted in him breaking his jaw while filming Supergirl. The Arrowverse series has enjoyed a long run, but it will be coming to an end very soon. Supergirl, which stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, started out on CBS before moving to The CW for season 2. During the show’s 6-season run, Supergirl has faced countless enemies and teamed up with fellow Arrowverse heroes like The Flash (Grant Gustin) and Batwoman (Ruby Rose). The sixth and final season is currently airing and will conclude in November.

Supergirl has featured a wide and eclectic group of characters over the years, but some are more memorable than others. One of the most controversial is perhaps Mon-El, a Daxamite prince who joined the series in its second season. Mon-El initially hid his royal heritage from Kara, but after they formed a romantic relationship, he came clean. Wood remained a series regular on Supergirl for 2 seasons before departing, though he’s come back several times as a guest star. He’ll even be among those returning for the series finale, along with Jeremy Jordan (Winn Schott) and Mehcad Brooks (Jimmy Olsen).

During this weekend’s DC FanDome event, Supergirl received a special farewell panel featuring the entire cast. When looking back on some of the wildest stunts from the show, Wood mentioned a scene from season 2 when he had to bite into 10 pancakes at once. His castmates were quick to laugh, but Wood pointed out that it wasn’t all that funny because “my jaw sort of dislocated a little bit.” The Supergirl cast also teased him for deeming it a stunt, but he defended the qualification. “It was a big stack of pancakes and I was like, ‘Oh, this is gonna be so funny,’ and then my jaw went like,” Wood said before demonstrating the painful moment.

Injuries on the set of a superhero production aren’t uncommon, and the Arrowverse itself is no stranger to these kinds of incidents. Before departing Batwoman, Rose had to get emergency surgery after sustaining a neck injury on set. When considering that example, Wood’s Supergirl experience isn’t as drastic. However, a dislocated jaw is far from fun, and to have it happen during an innocuous kitchen scene probably came as quite a shock.

While Supergirl‘s end is bittersweet for the fans and those who worked on the show, there are some reasons as to why this is the perfect time to conclude it. Kara has been on quite the journey over these past 6 seasons, and hopefully she’ll go out on a high note. For her part, Benoist admitted during the DC FanDome panel that she will miss playing a superhero, though she’d said before that she will not be sorry to leave Supergirl‘s flying scenes behind. This cast has endured plenty of bumps and bruises, but now they can rest and content themselves with a job well done.

Source: DC

The Sith are the primary antagonists of the Star Wars saga, but they’re largely absent from the sequel trilogy, having been seemingly replaced by a different dark side religion: The Knights of Ren. All conflicts in the Skywalker Saga lead back to the Sith sooner or later, specifically their deadliest and most brilliant Dark Lord, Darth Sidious, aka Palpatine. The Sith seemingly died with Palpatine in Return of the Jedi, but The Emperor survived, and, thus, the Sith Order did, too. With Sith influence remaining behind the scenes yet again, the Knights of Ren became the new face of the galaxy’s dark side menaces, with their leader, Kylo Ren, being second in command of the Galactic Empire’s successor state, the First Order.

Although the Jedi are the galaxy’s most effective and famous Force users and the Sith the most powerful dark side users, the two are hardly the only Force religions in the franchise. The Sith created a splinter group, the Inquisitors, as a means to use corrupted Jedi as Imperial agents. Star Wars: The Clone Wars included a significantly reimagined version of the Legends-era Nightsisters, who use the dark side in the form of spells. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story introduced the Guardians of the Whills, a Force-using religion separate from the Jedi who guarded the Kyber crystals on Jedha. Considering how many Force-using religions exist in the Star Wars franchise, the sequels’ introduction of a dark side group other than the Sith was fitting.

The Sith orchestrated the Separatist Crisis and the Clone Wars in the Star Wars prequels, paving the way for Palpatine to replace the Republic with the Galactic Empire with Darth Vader at his side. With the Sith seemingly gone at the end of the original trilogy, the sequels introduced Kylo Ren, the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, as the successor to Vader and the leader of the Knights of Ren. The Knights had only a brief appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and a small role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but their origins and philosophies were expanded on in the four-issue comic miniseries Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren.

Thousands of years before the events of Star Wars‘ Skywalker Saga, a group of fallen Jedi formed the Sith Order on Moraband. Although they began as a Jedi splinter group, the Sith Order has a fundamentally different outlook on the Force and the galaxy than the Jedi. Using the corrupted power of the dark side rather than the Force, the Sith believed in dominating the galaxy from the shadows and imposing their absolute rule over all other beings. The Sith also developed the Rule of Two as a means to keep the order alive and reduce in-fighting. The Rule of Two, created by Darth Bane, kept the Sith two only a master and apprentice, each trying to replace the other.

The exact origins of the Knights of Ren are unknown, but at some point a gang of dark side-using marauders established themselves in the galaxy’s Unknown Regions, terrorizing the people of the galaxy. Unlike the Sith, the Knights of Ren had a far more passive philosophy and use of the dark side. While the Sith sought to control the dark side and use it to control the galaxy, the Knights of Ren followed the dark side, following its pull wherever it took them and stealing, pillaging, and murdering wherever their travels brought them. Unlike the Sith, the Knights of Ren didn’t limit their members, but given their dark side use, only the strongest and most ruthless could join their ranks.

While the Sith and the Knights of Ren have fundamentally different philosophies, the two do share some commonalities. Aside from using the dark side of the Force, both organizations also used similar weapons, in some cases. The signature weapon of the Sith is the red-bladed lightsabers, which they created by corrupting Kyber crystals with the dark side and making them “bleed.” While the Knights of Ren use various scavenged weapons, their leader also uses a red-bladed lightsaber, though theirs tend to be different from Sith weapons. Ren, the earliest known leader, built a self-destruct mechanism into his weapon, and Kylo Ren modified his weapon with a cross-guard to vent the unstable blade’s excess energy.

Two of the Star Wars sequel trilogy’s main villains, Snoke and Kylo Ren, are not Sith. Kylo Ren, despite worshipping his Sith Lord grandfather, never became a Sith himself. After leaving Luke’s revived Jedi Order, Ben Solo joined the Knights of Ren, eventually killing their leader and taking his place as their new master, Kylo Ren. As a Knight of Ren, Kylo wore body armor and a fearsome mask, which served multiple functions. In addition to protecting his head and indicating his knighthood, the mask also allowed Kylo to feel more like his grandfather and idol, Darth Vader.

Snoke wasn’t officially part of any dark side religion, Sith, Knights of Ren, or otherwise. Snoke was an unaffiliated dark side user and the Supreme Leader of the First Order, though he did mentor Kylo Ren, serving as his dark side master, which gave him a degree of authority over the Knights of Ren. Snoke was, ultimately created as a proxy for Darth Sidious, so despite his free will and incredible strength in the dark side, Snoke was yet another tool of the Sith Order, and his betrayal by Kylo Ren followed the Sith Rule of Two perfectly.

Despite never having joined the Sith, Kylo Ren became an ally of the order in The Rise of Skywalker. Working with Palpatine, Kylo combined the First Order with the Sith Eternal, forming the Final Order. The Knights of Ren followed Kylo Ren into this alliance as well, continuing to serve Palpatine after Kylo became Ben Solo once more. This was a fitting move for the Knights of Ren since they follow the dark side, rather than rule over it. With Palpatine, the galaxy’s most powerful dark side user, growing in strength, it makes sense that the Knights would follow his incredible dark side power and serve him. The key difference between the Sith and the Knights of Ren in Star Wars is revealed in their names. The Sith Lords rule over the dark side of the Force in the Star Wars saga while the Knights of Ren serve the dark side.

Dolph Lundgren shared a photo of his reunion with Sylvester Stallone from the set of The Expendables 4. The new film in the ensemble action franchise comes almost a decade after The Expendables 3, which was released in 2014. The film is being directed by former stunt coordinator Scott Waugh with an eye toward a 2022 release. Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture are all reprising their franchise roles along with Expendables newbies Andy Garcia, 50 Cent, Tony Jaa, and Megan Fox.

In the Expendables franchise, Dolph Lundgren plays Gunner Jensen, a chemical engineer with a wild streak, a reference to the fact that the Swedish actor has a degree in chemical engineering in real life. Jensen is known for his crass jokes, and is an original member of the Expendables team, having appeared in all three previous films. He has worked under Stallone’s character Barney Ross for years, though he can’t always avoid butting heads with him.

Although Stallone has wrapped shooting on The Expendables 4, Dolph Lundgren shared a throwback photo from the set on his Instagram. It’s a black and white shot of him and Stallone relaxing between scenes. In his caption, Dolph expresses his gratitude that the film was being shot in London at the same time as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, in which he will be reprising his role as King Nereus. It looks like he will be keeping Nereus’ long hair in the Expendables film as well, unless they put him in a wig before rolling the camera. Check out the post below:

Click Here to View the Post on Instagram

The Expendables is the second action franchise to unite Stallone and Lundgren. Lundgren originally rose to prominence in the Stallone vehicle Rocky IV, in which he played Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Lundgren’s casting in the original Expendables was certainly due to this connection, given that the series’ intent was to gather as many classic action stars as possible into one explosive film. Given the fact that Stallone himself directed and co-wrote the film, Lundgren was an obvious choice for the character.

With both The Expendables 4 and Aquaman 2 gearing up for release next year, it’s going to be a big 2022 for Dolph Lundgren. To add to his busy promotional schedule, he will also be appearing in the World War II thriller Operation Seawolf and the animated sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru. His renaissance on the silver screen is well-earned, considering that the actor has devoted himself to entertaining audiences, appearing in nearly 100 titles across his career.

Source: Dolph Lundgren

Even though SpongeBob SquarePants is aimed at children, it hasn’t been safe from all types of theories, of which many don’t make much sense, such as one that says the reason why Squidward is always sad is that he misses his wife. Nickelodeon has been home to a variety of cartoons that have become very popular with viewers, but the most successful Nicktoon to date is SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg. The show made its debut in 1999 and has since become one of the longest-running animated series, allowing it to branch out to other media as well.

SpongeBob SquarePants takes viewers to the bottom of the ocean to visit the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, where the title character and his friends (and a couple of enemies) live and get involved in all types of trouble. Throughout his different adventures, SpongeBob is often accompanied by his best friends Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks, his neighbor and coworker Squidward Tentacles, and his greedy boss Mr. Krabs, as well as his pet snail Gary, who joins the fun from time to time. Every character has their own personality and quirks, and one who has become popular with viewers is Squidward, as he’s the opposite of SpongeBob, and this has made way for some strange theories.

As mentioned above, Squidward is SpongeBob’s neighbor and coworker at the Krusty Krab, so he has to spend a lot of time with the always cheerful sponge, much to his annoyance. While SpongeBob is optimistic, childish, and clueless, Squidward is bad-tempered, stubborn, and rude, and nothing seems to work out in his favor. This has made fans come up with all types of theories on why Squidward is like this, and one suggested that Squidward was once married, but his wife left him and his life hasn’t been the same ever since – and, of course, SpongeBob had something to do in this, though not as you might think.

The theory went viral on TikTok and has now been deleted, but descriptions of it can be found online. The author of the video explained that Squidward wasn’t always mean, but the failures in his love life have driven him to be a pessimistic character. They also added that during those hard times nobody listened to him except for SpongeBob, so the famous sponge is the only one who’s fully aware of what Squidward has gone through, and that he “looked after Squidward more than you think”. The reason why the show has never addressed this is because it was “too dark”, and so Squidward is always sad and grumpy because he wants his wife back in his life. Squidward did have a love interest in one episode of SpongeBob SquarePants: Squilvia, a woman who looks like him but with short black hair, long eyelashes, and dark pink lips. Squidward and Squilvia met at the Krusty Krab, and SpongeBob actually helped Squidward ask her out, and while at the end of the episode they were shown together, she hasn’t shown up again.

There’s no truth to the “Squidward’s wife” theory that was once a hit on TikTok, and he has never mentioned being married and Squilvia was only a date, though the status of their relationship remains unknown. Not every “mystery” or strange thing found in SpongeBob SquarePants needs an explanation, as it’s ultimately a cartoon, and it doesn’t always have to make sense. Squidward surely has other reasons to be bitter and grumpy, but a lost love definitely isn’t one of them.

The Breakfast Club star Anthony Michael Hall says the so-called teenage friendship group, The Brat Pack, never existed. Currently celebrating his debut as Tommy Doyle in the slasher sequel Halloween Kills, some of Hall’s most iconic roles hail back to his adolescence. The now 53-year-old actor formerly starred in the likes of National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, and Johnny Be Good.

Though he has since broken free of his more satirical roles, Hall is undoubtedly best known for his portrayal of Brian Johnson in The Breakfast Club. It was a role that kept him in close quarters with co-stars Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, and Sheedy, all of whom became synonymous with the fabled “Brat Pack”. Joining them under the teen-star banner were St. Elmo’s Fire castmates Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, and then-teen-idol Rob Lowe. Throughout the 1980s this collective of teenage stars was glorified for their personal chemistry both on and off-screen. The Brat Pack label was first given life by a 1985 headline ‘Hollywood’s Brat Pack’, which alleged that the teen stars hung out regularly off set and portrayed some of their behavior in a negative light. Several Brat Pack members have since blamed the article for typecasting them and preventing their ascension into more serious work.

Now, in an interview with Insider, Anthony Michael Hall has dismissed The Brat Pack label entirely. “It didn’t exist.” He goes on to point out that he was an underage teenager at the time of the article and that while his co-stars, Emilio and Judd, were in their 20s and were perhaps going out to drink together, he was not present. Hall goes on to say that he had never even met some of his alleged ‘friends’, including Andrew McCarthy. When the interviewer says that Hall’s claim makes their childhood a lie, The Breakfast Club star answers that audiences want to believe the actors they watch are friends in real life. Read Hall’s full comments, below:

“It didn’t exist. It was a media ploy. Whoever was the editor of New York Magazine at the time, it was a set up. ‘Let’s get all these guys together and get them talking shit.’ The truth is in that time frame, I was at the very young end of that group. I was literally still in high school. When we did “The Breakfast Club,” Emilio and Judd were in their early 20s and they are going out and having beers and I was a teen. So when they did that article I did feel that was a ploy to get all them yapping.

“I have never met him [McCarthy]. And I also think audiences want the actors that they watch together in projects to be actually connected in life. They expect that. People will be like, ‘How are Emilio and Judd?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen them in 14 years.'”

While Hall’s comments might come as a surprise to some and a disappointment to others, they mark the first time that an alleged Brat Pack member has outright disparaged the friendship group’s existence. Though other members haven’t quite gone so far, individuals like Emilio Estevez have said that their friendships weren’t as broad nor as close as the media suggested. Regardless, this latest statement might have some old fans re-evaluating their perceptions of beloved childhood actors and being more mindful of media hyperbole.

Despite the Brat Pack name following him, even now, Hall has seemingly managed to cut himself free and allowed viewers to enjoy his portrayal in more serious roles. Since 1985, some of his most notable performances have been in The Dark Knight, Foxcatcher, Live By Night, and War Machine. Even so, there will be more than a few fans of those early teenage days in The Breakfast Club, who will have eagerly and loyally awaited the release of Halloween Kills.

The celebrity formerly known as Cupcake on The Masked Singer opened up about competing on the show. In the latest episode, the Cupcake was revealed to be Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters. The show recently returned for season 6, with Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger all returning to the panel. Nick Cannon is back as host. The Cupcake was first introduced as a member of Group B and got to perform twice before being unmasked. Prior to the Cupcake’s unmasking, the identities of Octopus, Mother Nature, Pufferfish and Baby were revealed. The stars under those masks, respectively, were Dwight Howard, Vivica A. Fox, Toni Braxton and Larry the Cable Guy.

One key clue from the Cupcake’s first clue package alluded to the star being in a musical group and being used to sharing the spotlight. Right before the Cupcake’s unmasking, Nicole disregarded her first-impression guess of Roberta Flack and decided that she thought the Cupcake was Ruth. This earned Nicole her first point towards this season’s Golden Ear Trophy, in which the Masked Singer panel competes to see who can guess the most celebrities correctly. Ruth also revealed that she was supposed to perform as a duo with her sister Anita, who bowed out of the competition due to health concerns.

Now Ruth is telling EW all about her experience on the show. She revealed that she convinced her manager to book her as a contestant. “I had been sort of hammering at my manager to get on the show. He had another client that had been on it, and I said, ‘I want to do that show!’“ She confirmed that when Anita was a part of the act, they were planning to perform as two cupcakes. They wouldn’t have been the only duo this season, with the Banana Split still in the competition. Ruth said she wasn’t surprised that Nicole guessed her, but she wasn’t expecting some of the panel’s other guesses. They included Tina Turner, RuPaul and Roberta. When asked what the hardest part of performing as the Cupcake was, Ruth insisted that it wasn’t too challenging. But she mentioned that “the stage is a little intimidating because it’s so big and it was like a black lacquer.” She expressed how much she enjoyed her time on The Masked Singer and even said she would return to the show in the future.

Since this Masked Singer episode was called “Date Night,” all of the celebrities offered clues that had to do with their love life. While performing as the Cupcake, Ruth said that she’s a hopeless romantic. “When I fall in love with a guy, I’m all in. I have learned a lot about love, particularly falling out of it.” She joked that she would date Nick and even said, when asked to give dating advice, “Date, don’t marry.” Ruth has been married five times and has five children.

Had Ruth been able to perform with Anita, fans can only wonder if the outcome would have been different. Perhaps it would have been easier for fans and the judges to identify the sisters based on their vocal performance. The clue packages may have been altered to focus more specifically on Ruth. Since she has always performed with her sisters, she may have been out of her element while competing as a solo singer, not to mention many contestants explain how tough it is to perform in their costumes. Despite these challenges, The Masked Singer is a great platform for all of the celebrities to connect with their fans and even gain new ones.

The Dungeons & Dragons players of the world could soon be hanging a flag at the end of the mast and taking to the stars as explorers or pirates, as there is mounting evidence to suggest that the Spelljammer campaign setting is returning. Wizards of the Coast has slowly been updating the classic D&D campaign settings for use with the current edition of D&D, even though many groups still default to the Forgotten Realms for their games.

The most popular D&D campaign settings are the ones inspired by European folklore and The Lord of the Rings, but there were more released in the past that went in drastically different directions. The desert world of Athas from Dark Sun was controlled by the powerful Sorcerer-Kings, who ruled the small pockets of civilization with an iron fist, while the only dragon in the world was so powerful that it could decimate any opposition. Ravenloft was a gothic horror plane that trapped the unwary residents of other worlds, forcing them to reside in lands governed by the wicked Darklords, who were just as much a prisoner as their captives. The Ghostwalk campaign was set in the location where life ends and the afterlife begins, where players could use their deceased characters to explore the mysterious boundaries between the living and the dead. All of these campaigns offered different experiences to the standard adventures set in Faerun or Oerth.

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One of the strangest D&D campaign settings was Spelljammer, which involved traditional sailing ships that had been empowered with magic so that they could fly through the void of space, and explore different worlds. Spelljammer debuted in the days of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but it has yet to receive an official revival in a later edition. There’s a good chance that Spelljammer will be returning within the next few years, allowing the many new D&D players to sail the stars and carve their own destiny in the multiverse.

Wizards of the Coast has revealed that three classic settings are returning. Two of the classic settings will return in 2022, while a third classic campaign setting will return in 2023. In recent years, D&D has brought back Ravenloft in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, as well as Eberron in Eberron: Rising from the Last War. There are lots of potential candidates for these returning campaign slots, including Athas from Dark Sun, Krynn from Dragonlance, or Oerth from Greyhawk. It’s likely that Dragonlance will be one of the next two classic settings, as new Dragonlance novels are on the way. There is evidence to suggest that Spelljammer is on the way and it could be the third campaign setting that is coming back in 2023.

The news regarding the third classic setting was revealed during D&D Celebration 2021, where it was included as part of a discussion regarding the growing multiverse of D&D. It was also revealed that new settings will be introduced in the future. There’s a good chance that these settings will be planes from Magic: The Gathering, as several of these already have sourcebooks, with Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos adding another later this year. If Wizards of the Coast is fleshing out the D&D multiverse, then Spelljammer is the perfect setting to accompany the existing campaign settings. A big part of Spelljammer is controlling a magical spaceship, which has the ability to sail the stars and visit other D&D worlds. There has already been an example of Spelljamer content appearing within the lore of fifth edition, as a Mind Flayer ship appears in Baldur’s Gate 3, as well as in one of the campaigns published by Wizards of the Coast.

The smoking gun in the discussion of Spelljammer’s return is the recent Unearthed Arcana article that featured Spelljammer races. The Unearthed Arcana articles released by Wizards of the Coast contain playtest material for fans to use. The intention is for players to send in feedback, based on their experiences using the content, and this is used to refine it for publication. The recent “Travelers of the Multiverse” Unearthed Arcana article featured playable races that debuted in Spelljammer. These include the giff, which are a race of humanoid hippos that have no homeworld and act as mercenaries to those with gold or the promise of plunder. The hadozee were also featured, which are humanoid apes with skin flaps on their arms that resemble the “wings” of a flying squirrel, allowing them to glide through the air. The hadozee are skilled ship hands, who can use their gliding ability to quickly travel from mast to mast. The autognomes also appeared, which are a race of robotic gnomes that were created by the tinker gnomes of Krynn. The fact that so many Spelljammer races appeared in the latest Unearthed Arcana article suggests that it’s coming back unless Wizards of the Coast is trolling the fans.

It bears mentioning that not all of the material in Unearthed Arcana articles makes it into a D&D. An upcoming example of this is happening in Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. Wizards of the Coast released an Unearthed Arcana article for the “Mages of Strixhaven” subclasses, which were unique, in that multiple classes could take them. Usually, the subclasses in D&D are restricted to a specific class, such as the Assassin for the Rogue. The feedback to this new type of Strixhaven mage subclass was so negative that it ended up being scrapped. In this case, it feels as if the decision to revive Spelljammer is set in stone. The “Travelers of the Multiverse” races will likely be tweaked in the future, but it’s unlikely that any of them will be scrapped completely.

The other contender for a multiverse-spanning campaign setting is Planescape. This was the setting that went in-depth regarding the different planes of existence, as well as challenging some of the notions about celestials, demons, and devils. The hub of Planescape was the city of Sigil, which was home to the incredibly powerful Lady of Pain. It’s said that any plane can be reached in Sigil, so long as the traveler knows the location of the correct portal. As it stands, the Planescape campaign setting is best known for being the setting for the incredible classic video game RPG Planescape: Torment. The setting has its fans, but there seem to be considerably more people clamoring for the return of Spelljammer to Dungeons & Dragons than Planescape. There’s still hope for Planescape to arrive in the future, but Spelljammer seems the more likely prospect at the moment.

Ever since the instant classic high school comedy Superbad put them on the map and the subsequent release of action-packed buddy picture Pineapple Express proved they weren’t one-trick ponies, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have been two of the most prolific and sought-after screenwriters in Hollywood. They’ve moved into producing streaming shows like The Boys and Invincible, but Rogen and Goldberg haven’t lost sight of their big-screen roots.

Not all of their movies have been as great as Superbad and Pineapple Express, but a bunch of their scripts – including the ones they directed themselves – have impressive scores on IMDb.

9 Drillbit Taylor (5.7)

The screenplay for Drillbit Taylor was written by Rogen, in his only screenwriting effort without Goldberg’s contributions, and Kristofor Brown, based on a story by John Hughes, the legendary director of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Owen Wilson stars as a bodyguard who’s hired by three kids to protect them from bullies.

As the movie’s mediocre IMDb rating would suggest, the execution doesn’t match the greatness of its premise. But a typically charming performance by Wilson as the title character makes it at least watchable.

8 The Watch (5.7)

Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade star in The Watch as a band of bored suburban men who form a neighborhood watch to escape the mundanity of their lives and unwittingly stumble upon an alien invasion stemming from the local Costco.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Watch was initially conceived as a PG-13 vehicle in the vein of Ghostbusters. When it was retooled as a raunchy R-rated affair, Rogen and Goldberg were brought aboard the project to inject it with a healthy dose of curse words and sex references.

7 Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (5.7)

After Mac and Kelly successfully ousted a fraternity that moved next door to them in the first Neighbors movie, the second one sees a sorority moving into the very same house. It could’ve come off as a rehash of the original, but Sorority Rising adds a unique twist as the couple reluctantly teams up with Zac Efron’s frat boy Teddy, the villain from the first one.

After they resisted the urge to pen sequels to Superbad and Pineapple Express, Neighbors 2 marked the first time Rogen and Goldberg had written a follow-up to one of their movies.

6 The Green Hornet (5.8)

Despite its critical panning, Rogen and Goldberg’s movie version of The Green Hornet is a fun superhero adventure carried by Rogen’s palpable on-screen chemistry with Jay Chou, who takes on Bruce Lee’s iconic role as Kato.

A lot of diehard Green Hornet fans were upset that Rogen and Goldberg adapted the property as a straightforward comedy, but their script has a nice balance of action and humor and director Michel Gondry brings some dazzling visuals to the proceedings.

5 Sausage Party (6.1)

Rogen and Goldberg brought their particular brand of raunchy hard-R humor to the typically kid-friendly realm of computer animation in 2016. Sausage Party is a hysterical riff on Pixar’s premises about anthropomorphized objects in which food products at a grocery store learn that their ultimate fate is to be eaten alive by giants.

On top of all the gags about sausages resembling penises, Sausage Party’s story of foods learning they worship a false god, and that their faith in “The Great Beyond,” is unfounded is a brilliant satire of religion.

4 The Interview (6.5)

Rogen and Goldberg’s second directorial effort after This is the End, The Interview, stars Rogen as a tabloid TV producer and James Franco as a late-night celebrity interviewer who’s invited to North Korea to interview Kim Jong-un. When the CIA catches wind, they task him with assassinating the infamous dictator.

This movie has the distinction of being the only movie in Rogen and Goldberg’s filmography to cause a geopolitical crisis that almost led to World War III. Despite the controversy it caused, The Interview actually has a lot more scatological gags and crass wordplay than biting political satire.

3 This Is The End (6.6)

After observing the work of directors like Michel Gondry and David Gordon Green bringing their scripts to life over the years, Rogen and Goldberg finally tried their hand at directing in 2013 with the apocalyptic comedy This is the End.

With all the actors in Rogen and Goldberg’s regular company – Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, etc. – playing satirical riffs on themselves, This is the End is a must-see for fans of self-aware comedy.

2 Pineapple Express (6.9)

Almost every Seth Rogen movie is about weed in some capacity, but his most overtly marijuana-oriented effort is Pineapple Express, in which he plays a process server who goes on the run with his pot dealer after witnessing a drug lord commit a murder.

After the runaway success of Superbad, Pineapple Express proved it wasn’t a one-off and that Rogen and Goldberg were a screenwriting team to be reckoned with.

1 Superbad (7.6)

The modern comedy classic that put Rogen and Goldberg on the map, Superbad is a coming-of-age gem about two high schoolers – aptly named Seth and Evan – trying to secure booze for a big party. It’s set up as a typical American Pie riff about sex-obsessed teens trying to lose their virginity, but Superbad is really about Seth and Evan’s separation anxiety as they prepare to go to different colleges.

According to The Guardian, Rogen and Goldberg began writing Superbad when they were 13, which explains why the teen angst rings so true. Superbad was the script that launched Rogen and Goldberg’s screenwriting career and, having been finetuned over more than a decade, it remains their strongest script to date.

From its opening shot, Alexis Gambis’ Son of Monarchs is a captivating, thought-provoking film. The very first image audiences see — even before meeting protagonist Mendel (Tenoch Huerta) — is a close-up of a chrysalis being carefully, almost lovingly, dissected in a pool of clear liquid. This moment sets up the entire emotional experience of the movie: an uncomfortable clash between science and spirituality, the mundane and the sacred, precariously balanced on the quiet, hunched shoulders of a man struggling to reconcile his present station in life with the demons of his past. Written and directed by French Venezuelan film director (and biologist) Alexis Gambis, Son of Monarchs is an expertly crafted visual experience that weaves disparate themes and images.

The man cutting into the butterfly cocoon is Mendel, a scientist working on identifying and isolating the gene responsible for the monarch’s distinct wing color. Specifically, he’s involved in researching the optix gene, identifying how it determines color and patterns, and finding ways to manipulate the isolated gene (turning what should be orange scales on the butterfly’s wings blue). It’s a mildly controversial topic — at one point, a character compares it to Dr. Frankenstein’s research in Mary Shelley’s classic novel — but for Mendel, it’s deeply contradictory work: his grandmother instilled in him a reverence for the monarch butterflies, which would migrate to the Michoacán forests surrounding his hometown en masse each year. Mendel may have dedicated his professional life to studying these delicate creatures, but in doing so, destroys countless. It’s this inner conflict that drives the narrative.

The movie lacks a clear plotline, instead offering a story told through vignettes that offer a glimpse into the protagonist’s inner life. A Mexican biologist working in New York City, Mendel is an outsider — both among his peers in America but also back home in Angangueo, Mexico. The scientist clearly does not go home often, possibly because of the bad blood between him and his brother, Simon (Noé Hernández); yet, he seems out of place in New York City as well. He’s grown too dependent on his friendship with fellow Mexican-scientist Pablo (Juan Ugarte), and as a single, never-married middle-aged man, appears reluctant to form any meaningful relationships or lay down roots in his new home.

Played gently by Huerta, Mendel seems slightly uncomfortable wherever he goes, often slipping on and off various social masks as he performs the roles of happy-go-lucky peer, uncle, and boyfriend. Huerta offers a beautifully nuanced performance in Son of Monarchs; the actor imbues each moment, each glance, with a depth of meaning and feeling. Although he’s soft spoken, Huerta’s eyes are bold — brimming with emotion in one scene, then reflecting the dull luster of a traumatized mind in the next. As Mendel goes through his transformative journey, he holds himself slightly differently, slowly disregarding his “masks” and allowing his true self to emerge. Scene after scene, Huerta is a joy to watch.

Son of Monarchs is a bold film. Gambis maintains thematic tension throughout the story, constantly pulling Mendel between two very different worlds. The colors orange and blue are a dominant motif representing this, demonstrating the contrast of Mendel’s spiritual and secular lives. Thematically, Mendel’s inner turmoil is extended to offer a look at contemporary society: the inherent violence of scientific study, juxtaposed very intentionally with the environmental devastation, all done for the sake of progress. Son of Monarchs does not outright condemn these actions, instead suggesting humanity and Mother Nature must find a way to coexist. It’s a mature choice that opts for a more pragmatic approach to environmentalism — without villainizing people, like Simon, whose circumstances force them to work in occupations that they know harms the local environment.

Son of Monarchs is a visual treat, embracing a truncated, almost dream-like pacing, which compliments the various surreal shots of Mendel’s memories and nightmares. Interspersed between scenes are various scientific images from monarch butterfly research, presented for artistic effect. The movie rides the line of being artistically indulgent without feeling pretentious or gratuitous; however, Son of Monarchs is a challenging film, and no doubt some audiences will be put off by its psychological drama and visual storytelling. The loose structure of the plot adds an additional barrier that may turn off some viewers: this is a film that must be actively watched and savored — for those simply looking to be entertained, the work required to watch won’t feel worth the effort. Cinephiles, on the other hand, will rejoice at the lush visuals and daring mise-en-scene in Sons of Monarchs — and will no doubt keep an eye out for Gambis’ next project.

Seinfeld did have the makings of a long-term Jerry-Elaine romance, but it ultimately went nowhere – here’s why. Seinfeld explored multiple romantic relationships Elaine and Jerry had with other people, but rarely addressed the prospect of bringing the two back together. Instead, Elaine remained one of the core members of Jerry’s circle of friends up until the end of the show in season 9.

When Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) was brought into the fold in the show’s second episode, it was explained she and Jerry had a brief relationship. Apparently, they had just broken up but decided to maintain their friendship. This served as the beginning of Elaine’s presence on the show, which involved frequent visits to Jerry’s apartment, lunches at Monk’s Café, and all sorts of misadventures with Jerry, George (Jason Alexander), and Kramer (Michael Richards). One thing Seinfeld avoided was Jerry and Elaine becoming an item for longer than an episode.

Seinfeld actually delivered a story where they started dating again, but this was abruptly dropped. In Seinfeld season 2 episode “The Deal” their failure to work out a “friends with benefits” relationship resulted in them getting back together at the end. However, they returned to the status quo in the following episode. It took almost a whole season before this was finally explained. In Seinfeld’s season 3’s “The Pen”, the show dropped a throwaway line from Jerry which revealed he and Elaine had broken up offscreen. Apparently, the reason it took so long for this to be addressed can be attributed to “The Deal” airing out of order. It was originally intended as the season 2 finale. At the time, the writers weren’t even sure if the show would be renewed, so this was also seen as a possible happy ending for the pair if it really was the finale.

As for why Seinfeld decided to limit the Jerry-Elaine romance to just a one-episode story, “The Deal” was ultimately a product of discussions Seinfeld creator Larry David had with NBC executives. The home video release of Seinfeld season 2 revealed NBC was highly interested in Seinfeld pursuing a “will-they-won’t-they” subplot with the two, but David and Jerry Seinfeld were opposed, as both felt Jerry and Elaine should not be romantically involved. NBC was insistent, so to please them, David wrote “The Deal” as a form of compromise, understanding that once he gave the network what they wanted, he could return to the original formula without issues.

That’s essentially what Seinfeld did, and though the series did hint at feelings they may have had for each other occasionally, it kept the two apart. When considering how a romance would have greatly disrupted the friendship dynamic between Seinfield’s main cast of characters that made the show so popular, it’s likely for the best the story was abandoned so quickly.