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P-Valley Season 1 Review: Belly and Legacy

After being jailed for fighting with Patrice, The Pynk's O.G. found herself potentially stuck in a cell with her mother for the weekend on P-Valley Season 1 Episode 5. Her jailer was Jesse, a man with whom she had gotten into a disagreement at the club. So he wasn't inclined to help her out. Poor Mercedes. Unlike many of her peers, she had set up a path to respectability and was carefully following it. She should be admired for that.

She wanted to be the coach of her own dance squad, to bring accolades to Chucalissa. Based on what's been shown of the town, the question of why comes to mind. The upshot of that plan was that Mercedes's biological daughter, Terrica, was on her squad. Also, once Mercedes was running her own business, she would stand a better chance legally of regaining some form of custody of Terrica.

However, that plan went awry when Terrica started flaunted her body on social media on  P-Valley Season 1 Episode 3 and her stepmother pulled her off Mercedes's team as a result, viewing Mercedes as a bad influence. So now Mercedes can't even see Terrica anymore.

Even worse, Mercedes forgot all about their checkered family history (much of which came to light) and trusted Patrice with her money.For a bright woman, that was sure a dumb choice. Patrice managed to rip off both Mercedes and the church which she felt had wronged her.

Patrice felt unappreciated by the men in her church. So she took Mercedes's money and used it to buy the building Mercedes wanted in which to establish her church.

The money they can't afford to drop at The Pynk would instead be spent at the casino. The town treasury would probably get a cut and Mayor Ruffin undoubtedly would be getting a kickback. But the residents, unless they end up working there, would be no better off.

Instead of her triumphant departure from The Pynk, Mercedes, in her new performance outfit, got perp-walked and treated like a piece of meat by the men (and some women) jailed there.

Jesse, the jailer, felt bad enough for her that he offered her his jacket so she could cover herself. Mercedes did the right thing turning down Clifford's offer of bail because she knew he had much bigger financial problems on his hands.

Give Gidget credit. Despite being miffed with Mercedes, she still attempted to put together the bail money. If only Mercedes hadn't dug herself such a deep hole legally.

Why did Autumn bail out Mercedes, despite their rivalry? She was probably just being opportunistic. She couldn't use her fake identity any more to transfer funds electronically, so she needed someone desperate to become her new partner in crime.

But maybe she sensed a kindred soul, someone else who had lost a daughter. Why else would she share her history which she has kept secret since arriving in town? In any event, it could prove a mutually beneficial arrangement. Autumn needs money to keep running and Mercedes just needs to replenish her stacks.

But Autumn's abusive boyfriend Montavius, from whom she's running, has arrived in Chucalissa. And he somehow seemed to be able to track her transfers as well. So Mercedes may be in trouble as well. Also in trouble was Uncle Clifford. If she's been falling deeper and deeper in the hole financially for months, even years, how is she supposed to come up with $55,000 in two weeks?

Why was she was at all surprised? It was clear that Mayor Ruffin had it for her. Trading The Pynk for the casino, which is his legacy project is a win-win situation for Ruffin. Ruffin is a truly despicable character who is looking out only for himself and uses people when it benefits him. Once he referred to Andre as his godson, it became apparent why Andre has had anything to do with him.

Chucalissa is proving to be a place where strange partnerships blossom. Unusual, beneficial relationships formed on P-Valley Season 1 Episode 6, all of which promise intrigue over the season's last two episodes. My favorite, even though it hasn't fully formed yet, was the last one, developing between the strangest bedfellows -- strip-club owner Uncle Clifford and holy-roller Patrice.

It was based on that oldie but goodie bit of wisdom by Sun Tzu: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."The enemy, in this case, would be the proposed casino, which Andre and the mayor are seeking to build in Chucalissa.

In Clifford's case, he was trying to preserve his family's legacy. What a great addition his grandmother Ernestine was this late in the season! It's a good thing Starz has already renewed the series for a second season.Blind Ernestine, who lost her sight to "the sugar," helped to fill in The Pynk's storied if sordid history. So Ernestine was involved with The Pynk, which was first a brothel, saved by God if you believe her, then a juke joint.

Then Clifford took over the club and its debts, changing it into a shake joint while adding to the debt. Is it any wonder that the respectable people in town resent The Pynk (except when they are there)? Let's count Patrice among those people. However, she is going to hate the concept of a casino even more. After all, people losing their money at a casino couldn't contribute to her new church.

At least those who go to The Pynk on Saturday night will donate to the church out of guilt on Sunday morning, paying for their sins.So the club is the lesser of two evils. I'd wondered why Clifford had seemed catty to the mayor's comely assistant Eloise.

So it turned out that Eloise was a Pynk alumna who had done Maite's job before her. No wonder Clifford was unhappy about being blindsided with the foreclosure notice. Both the sheriff she pays off and former employee Eloise failed to give her any advanced warning. But Clifford knew how to lay on the guilt after "running into" Eloise at her weekly nail treatment. That proved to be the move she needed to make.

That was because Eloise resented the mayor and his cronies even more than Clifford did. And she knew that Clifford needed to bring the secret project into the daylight for the public to consider. Who better to recruit for this effort than the self-righteous, and what better representative of that group than Patrice, who had been waiting to be bailed out of jail for nine days?

Clifford hadn't made his proposal by episode's end, but the writing was on the wall, to put things in Biblical terms.How can an alliance between those two be anything but uneasy? And what will Mercedes think about Clifford teaming up with the woman who ruined her life?

Mercedes was too busy learning the ins and outs of identity theft to give much thought to Patrice. She was trying to get back on her feet financially after Patrice ripped off her life savings. Watching Mercedes and Autumn do their Thelma-and-Louise routine, in a variety of different outfits, you had to wonder why the two never hit it off previously. android tv box

It was probably because Mercedes had it in for high-yella newcomer Autumn, who wasn't giving proper deference to O.G. Mercedes.But Mercedes needed to replenish her stacks, and Autumn required Mercedes's local connections so that they could come up with sufficient IDs for Autumn's electronic-transfer scheme.

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TVLine Items

(1)TVLine Items: Diana Musical on Netflix, Tough as Nails Renewed and More

Princess Di is headed to Netflix — and no, we’re not referring to The Crown. Diana, a musical based on the life of the late Princess of Wales, will premiere on the streamer next year before making its debut on Broadway, our sister site Variety reports. The production was in the midst of theater previews when the coronavirus outbreak forced the show to shut down before its March 31 opening night. Diana will now kick off its stage run on May 25, 2021. The Netflix special will be filmed without an audience at the Longacre Theater, following health protocols, and will feature the original Broadway cast, including Jeanna de Waal in the titular role. “We speak for the entire company when we say that we couldn’t be more excited to finally be able share our show with theater lovers everywhere,” the producers of Diana said in a statement. “Though there is no substitute for the live theater, we are honored to be a part of the quality entertainment that Netflix provides its subscribers worldwide.”

(2）TVLine Items: Lady Gaga Rocks VMAs, Young Wallander Trailer and More

Lady Gaga is making her long-awaited return to the VMAs stage: The singer will perform at the MTV Video Music Awards for the first time in seven years. Lady Gaga — who is nominated in nine categories — shared the news via an Instagram video, with the caption, “I’ve been at home dreaming of #Chromatica, and it’s finally time to take off for the first live performance.” She joins previously announced performers BTS, Doja Cat, J Balvin, The Weeknd, Roddy Ricch, Maluma and CNCO.

（3）TVLine Items: NYCC Goes Virtual, Grand Hotel Vet to Sistas and More

New York Comic Con is following in the footsteps of Comic-Con @ Home and taking things online: An all-virtual version of NYCC will take place Thursday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Oct. 11, in lieu of an in-person event at New York City’s Javits Center. Panels will be live-streamed via NYCC’s YouTube channel, and will include Starz’s American Gods and CBS All Access’ Star Trek franchise, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. The con will allow fans “to participate in talent Q&As during panels, turn every panel into a watch party, and geek out with other fans using YouTube’s Community and Live Chat features,” per the official announcement.

（4）TVLine Items: Rogue One Prequel Casting, Ninth Doctor Returns and More

The Rogue One prequel series is expanding its ensemble: Adria Arjona (Good Omens, True Detective) will star opposite Diego Luna in Disney+’s Star Wars offshoot, our sister site  Deadline reports. The untitled spy thriller focuses on Luna’s rebel spy Cassian Andor during the formative years of the Rebellion, while exploring tales filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire. Stephen Schiff (The Americans) will serve as showrunner, with the film’s co-writer Tony Gilroy set to write the pilot in addition to directing multiple episodes android tv box. The cast also includes Alan Tudyk, Genevieve O’Reilly and Denise Gough. No details are currently available about Arjona’s character.

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How to watch？

（1）How to watch the Kerwin Frost Telethon Supershow live from anywhere

The very first annual Kerwin Frost Telethon Supershow takes place this weekend live from Los Angeles on a screen near you. Full of music performances, appearances by pop culture influencers, and even a live celebrity auction, the 12-hour event is dedicated to fundraising for the Know Your Rights Camp. Kerwin Frost is aiming to raise $5 million dollars during the benefit which will go towards the liberation and well-being of black and brown communities in several ways, including through youth daycamps, a legal defense fund, and also a pandemic relief fund. Among the performers and guest stars include Anderson.Paak, Asap Ferg, A-trak, Beck, DMC (of Run DMC), Jaden Smith, Kehlani, Lil Nas X, Lil Yachty, Mac Demarco, Major Lazer, Miguel, Yo Gabba Gabba, and more.

The first annual Kerwin Frost Telethon Supershow is being broadcast live via YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok Live, which means you have a variety of options to watch the benefit this Sunday via either on your phone, your smart TV, your tablet, or your computer. You can find direct links to watch on these platforms via the Kerwin Frost Telethon Supershow website once the show begins. Then again, if you're having trouble watching the benefit, you may need to look into a VPN service. Certain sites can be blocked due to your location but a VPN lets you change your location virtually so you can access more content like the Kerwin Frost Telethon Supershow. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, but there are plenty of cheap VPN services to choose from.

（2）How to Watch the NBA Restart Online

After COVID-19 cut basketball — and everything else — short, the NBA has been working on a way to finish out season the season safely. Tonight is the debut of NBA Restart, which will let the top 22 teams in the league finish out the regular season and send 16 of them into this year's playoffs. Each game will be held in an NBA bubble, meaning the teams will play with no fans in the arenas and players will be regularly tested before and between games.  Tonight's tipoffs include the Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans at 6:30/5:30c followed by the Los Angeles Lakers playing the LA Clippers at 9/8c. If you're quarantined in a home with cable you can catch the games on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV, all of which will be broadcasting nearly 50 games over the course of the next three weeks as the league finishes out regular season.  

（3）How to watch the Tour de Pologne 2020 live stream online

Coming hot on the heels of last Saturday's Strade Bianche in Italy, the return of top class cycling from the coronavirus hiatus continues with the 77th edition of this iconic race across Poland. Read on for full details on how to get a live stream of the Tour de Pologne 2020 with our guide below. The riders took off from the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów on Wednesday, with the five-stage event set to be concluded on Sunday in Kraków. All 19 UCI WorldTour teams have fielded a squad for this week's race, which covers a gruelling total distance of 911.4km, with the event featuring ProSeries wild cards and Polish national team riders.

（4）How to watch the UEFA Champions League soccer tournament on CBS All Access

CBS will broadcast every UEFA Champions League match on the  CBS All Access streaming service. You can sign up for a month-long free trial of the app  here. CBS All Access costs $5.99 a month with limited commercials, or $9.99 a month for the commercial free plan. With that said, the commercial free plan still includes ads during live broadcasts. In addition to  CBS All Access, three of the remaining four round of 16 games will also be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network. After that, games stretching from the quarter finals through the final are expected to be exclusive to CBS All Access.If you have a supported cable or satellite package, you can watch CBS Sports Network's selection of games on TV.  CBS Sports Network is also available through select live TV streaming services, including  FuboTV and Hulu+ Live TV. You can access all of these services on most mobile devices, media players, and connected TVs, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Xbox One, Roku, Samsung smart TVs, and more.  The UEFA Champions League restart begins August 7 at 3 p.m. ET with Juventus vs. Lyon and Manchester City vs. Real Madrid. You can view a  schedule of upcoming games here. Since CBS also has the rights for next year's season, it's likely that future Champions League games will also be streamed through  CBS All Access. The group stages of the 2020-21 Champions League will begin on October 20.  

（5）How to watch UFC 252: Heavyweight legend Daniel Cormier says this title match will be his last

UFC heavyweight titans Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier will face off in their third championship match during the main event of  UFC 252, streaming live from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on August 15. Cormier knocked out Miocic in the first round of their first meeting to claim the heavyweight title at UFC 226 in 2018, but Miocic returned the favor with a fourth round knockout to reclaim the title at UFC 241 in August 2019. The grizzly fight left Miocic's eye in need of surgery after the match, keeping him out of the octagon for a full year.Cormier, now 41-years-old, has said the  UFC 252 main event against Miocic will be the last fight of his career. The UFC legend enters UFC 252 with a career record of 22-2 in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, with his only losses coming to Miocic and Jon Jones android tv box. Cormier has spent lots of time in the commentary booth for several UFC events through the past year and will likely return to that role after UFC 252.UFC fan favorite Sean O'Malley will fight Marlon Vera in a co-main event match. The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 239 but O'Malley was suspended for six months by the USADA in 2018 after two positive tests for a banned substance. After serving the suspension, O'Malley has scored knockouts and performance of the night honors in both of his fights. Vera lost his last fight against Song Yadong in a five round decision.UFC 252 will begin with early prelims at 7 p.m. ET, while the main card is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET. The main event will be available on the ESPN+ streaming service, but will require an additional pay-per-view fee of $64.99 along with the cost of an ESPN+ subscription. Fans will not be in attendance for UFC 252 or any of the other events due to the coronavirus pandemic. UFC has implemented at least 18 different safety precautions for staff, including advanced medical screenings, temperature checks, and social distancing guidelines.

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Get a case to protect your Galaxy A50 from scratches or cracks

Samsung's mid-range smartphone options have typically been less than impressive, but with the Galaxy A50, the company's finally crafted a handset that doesn't skimp out on presentation or features while coming in at a price tag that everyone can get behind. If you have the A50 or plan on getting it, we recommend checking out any of the below cases to keep the phone safe and secure for years to come.

The Galaxy A50 is a no-nonsense phone that offers a great user experience without any big compromises. In the case world, that's precisely what the Spigen Rugged Armor sets out to do. It has a simple, yet effective design, shock-absorption technology, and raised edges over the display to prevent unwanted scratches.

Otterbox has been in the case game for awhile and the Commuter series is one of the most popular. With the Galaxy A50, you get a two-piece case with a TPU inner shell, and a hard polycarbonate outer shell. This combination makes for a great way to keep your Galaxy A50 safe from any drops that may occur.

The SupCase Unicorn Beetle Pro is one of the best options for people who regularly drop their phones. The Beetle Pro has multiple layers comprised of both TPU and polycarbonate, along with a rotatable belt holster. SupCase has even built-in a kickstand on the case, while still making it slim to enough to wirelessly charge your Galaxy A50.

Samsung's A50 is a good-looking phone, and as such, we wouldn't blame you if you want to show its design off to the world. With the Spigen Liquid Crystal Case, you can allow its natural beauty to shine through while still keeping it as safe as can be. The four corners are reinforced with drop resistance, there are precise port cutouts, and a raised lip over the screen.

Have a tendency to drop your phone? Like, a lot? If so, the Poetic Rugged Case is a great choice. The dual-layer design offers ample protection for the A50, with the case being shock-, drop- and scratch-proof. There's also a built-in screen protector to prevent the phone from turning into a shattered mess, along with a kickstand on the back.

There's no denying that the A50 is an eye-pleasing phone, but if you find yourself getting tired of its design for whatever reason, the Anccer Colorful Series is a great way to change up its aesthetic in the blink of an eye. Available in red, blue, green, pink, and black with a thin 0.3mm body, this is an excellent option for minimal protection and maximum style.

Combining a clear case and rugged protection into one sleek package, the Ringke Fusion-X continues to be one of our top case recommendations year after year. The protective bumper offers increased drop resistance, a dot matrix pattern on the clear portion prevents unwanted rainbow effects, and there's a hole for attaching a lanyard.

ZIZO's Bolt line of cases is military-grade tested exceeding the 810.1-G Military Drop Test standards, which is rather impressive for a case like this. The Bolt is surprisingly slim, while sporting a tempered glass screen protector, and even a holster clip. ZIZO also offers five different colors along with having a built-in kickstand on the back of the case.

VRS Design Slim Premium Wallet Case.Wallet cases are great, but more often than not, they take the form of bulky folio designs. With this case from VRS Design, the hidden sliding door on the back allows you to store two cards and some cash discretely. The case itself is also pretty slim and offers drop, scratch, and stain resistance.

Poetic Guardian Rugged Clear Case.With the Poetic Rugged Clear Case, you're getting an incredibly well-built package that will ensure your Galaxy A50 stays in great shape for years and years. It's military-grade drop tested, has a clear polycarbonate back, comes with multiple accent color options, and has a built-in screen protector to ensure you get full 360-degree coverage.

If you love the Galaxy A50 but feel like it could use a little more pizzaz, the Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter is a great choice. The clear TPU material is slim, lightweight, and keeps the A50 safe from daily wear and tear. The star of the show, however, is all of the glitter that gives the A50 an extra bit of pop we think you'll love.

Nobody likes when their phone falls out of their hands and the Ghostek Covert helps to combat this. The soft TPU bumper helps make sure that your Galaxy A50 doesn't slip out, along with the patterned finish on the back and sides of the case. With the Covert, you'll also get raised edges to keep your screen from getting those annoying micro-scratches.

Starhemei is known for making a wide-array of cases, but its TPU cases are some of the best. This Silicone Cover features added padding on all four corners to go along with the non-slip grip thanks to the material. There are even 15 different case patterns to choose from.

Having a phone case that is sleek, protective, and flashy is not a combination that you'll find very often. The Dzxouui Sparkle Case, it combines all of these with improved grip along the edges to go along with added material and protection around all four corners. The best part is that you'll have hearts moving around and sparkling in the light as you use your phone.

The Incipio NGP case doesn't add a lot of bulk to your Galaxy A50, but is flexible enough for easy installation. This wrap-around design is also perfect to protect your phone from drops. And with the two-toned finish, you'll get some added grip to keep your phone in your hands.

If we had to choose,the Galaxy A50 has an impressive selection of available cases. If you're having trouble deciding which one would be a good fit, we'd recommend going for the Spigen Rugged Armor. Its design isn't the flashiest out there, but it excels thanks to its surprising durability, slim and lightweight design, and affordable price.

If you tend to be a bit rougher on your phones, something like the Poetic Revolution Rugged Case is likely a better fit. The dual-layer design offers more all-around protection, and with a built-in screen protector, you never have to worry about shattering the A50's screen. h96 tv box

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we really like the Anccer Colorful Series if you only need basic coverage from daily wear and are primarily after a super-thin case that can quickly add a splash of color to the A50.

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Tyler Perry on How He’s Managed to Safely Make TV During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Tyler Perry wants you to wear your mask. After successfully completing production on his BET series “Sistas” without a single case of COVID-19 during the two-week shoot, shooting on “The Oval” is up next, with cast and select crew beginning to arrive at Tyler Perry Studios for their stint in “Camp Quarantine” on Thursday. And Perry says there’s not much he plans to do differently this time around, especially when it comes to having everyone wear masks both on-set and around the 330-acre campus.

“I made sure that the cast and crew and everybody wore their masks when they weren’t on set because I do know for a fact that masks help stop the spread — scientifically, I know that,” Perry tells Variety. “And everybody adhered to that, even though we were all testing negative. I just didn’t want someone to be incubating with [COVID-19] for three to 12 days, and we not know it.”

Perry and the “Sistas” crew wore their masks between 12 and 14 hours while shooting the 22-episode season, with an hour and a half lunch break as a chance to catch their breath.

“Listen, I was the mask police. Every time I saw something I was screaming about it,” Perry says. “It’s summer in Georgia so credit to the crew — it’s burning up here and they were still doing the right thing. So, I gave a lot more breaks for people to have water because we had a couple people that got dehydrated from all the heat, and the water breaks were actually the ‘breath break’ where you can pull your mask down, drink some water and get some fresh air.”

Of wearing his mask while directing the show, Perry admitted that he did feel “mask-drunk” from time to time due to lack of oxygen, but the team got through it. “For me, once I got the actors comfortable seeing me looking like a man from outer space, it was fine. But you’ve got to remember that I direct in a wig and a dress sometimes so that wasn’t as odd for me,” he quipped.”

To perfect their method of working in the quarantine bubble, Perry’s team worked with Emory University’s Dr. Carlos Del Rio, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Colleen Kraft to execute a rigorous testing schedule with a nasal swab test administered upon arrival at Tyler Perry Studios and follow up tonsil tests every four days on site.

“Every fourth day was so important and that’s when my anxiety was raised most was in those first two tests because I was so concerned,” he recalls.

After the first 160 cast and crew moved into Tyler Perry Studios, two people tested positive during initial the sequestering period. When the next 200 people arrived a few days later, two more people tested positive during their initial test. Those four people never worked on set and were sent to get medical attention.

“I felt this wave of relief after the last test results, where everybody was negative, I was like, ‘Okay, we pulled it off,’ so I’m so proud of my crew,” Perry says, celebrating his group of “underdogs” for the achievement. “I don’t know how any other production, if you’re not in quarantine, I don’t know how you do it, but testing is key.”

Though Perry took extra care to address COVID behind the scenes, he says that his shows will not reference the pandemic in any upcoming storylines.

“All these scripts were finished right at the time that COVID started to show up,” Perry explains. “And also, what I know about COVID is people are tired of hearing of it, and entertainment is escape, so I don’t think my audience want to brought into more of what is happening in their reality. All of my work has been about escapism, so I’m just going to hold to escapism.”

One challenge to production, though, is operating with a reduced crew size; Perry says his crews were reduced by about 80-100 members, with a total of 360 people on site for production on “Sistas.” When asked whether he thinks shows will continue to go on with reduced crew sizes after the pandemic is over, he concedes that there is some financial reasoning to do so.

“I think that the producers and the people who are controlling the purse strings would definitely want to hold it to this [size],” Perry says. “But I can tell you that it was stressful on some of my crew, because they were they were down people. So, I would make sure that they had what they needed to continue this way.”

Citing one specific example, he adds, “The extras are a problem, especially when you’re doing big scenes and you only have 10 extras. You’re changing their clothes, moving them around the room and hoping that people don’t recognize them, trying to shoot the back of their heads or having the crew jump in and be extras. That was a challenge. Some things I think we will be good for this [to continue], but others won’t work.”

Another challenge to producing content during the pandemic is the sheer cost — which in Perry’s case, included housing all cast and crew at Tyler Perry Studios and flying out-of-town players into Atlanta via private planes. Perry previously told Variety that he expected costs to be high, now estimating that after producing “Sistas,” “The Oval,” “Ruthless,” and “Bruh” (which will all shoot in succession), the total could be somewhere around $18 million.

Michelle Sneed, the president of production and development for Tyler Perry Studios, further detailed the logistics of filming, explaining that the ultimate cost of COVID precautions was somewhat higher than initially budgeted for, though most of the extra spending was unavoidable.

“The most important thing is to trust people to do their job and to be able to acclimate to whatever these COVID standards are,” Sneed says. “What COVID does for production is slow it down — it costs money and it slows it down. So, our thing was, is it going to be ridiculous for cast to wear masks? Can a cast member really take off their mask as soon as they open their mouth to do a scene? Absolutely — they can and they did. Can our camera people really wear a face shield with a mask even if he wears eyeglasses. Absolutely, yes he did. So I think it’s trusting these professionals and crew to do what they have to do.”

Prior to filming, Perry’s team added 315 one-bedroom housing units with private bathrooms (which Perry likes to call “luxury mobile hotel rooms” or pods, which house 14 people each) in addition to the 60 housing units for cast and crew. They also added more than 70 golf carts (according to Sneed, most productions would have 20-25 golf carts) for transporting cast and crew around the campus and allowing for more social distancing than average production vehicles. In addition to two COVID compliance officers, Perry’s team also employed a safe service officers to oversee food. Sneed says they also ended up doubling the housekeeping staff on site.

The most significant cost, though, came with the different kinds of PPE gear each department would need to perform their specialty, which required “trial and error” to figure out. “We’d discover we have to get the $15 per face shield, versus the $3 one that we had budgeted for, for departments that rely heavily on face shields, or get these version of the goggles for this department, so that really adds up,” she explains.

Perry and his team also paid for the cast to have some socially distanced fun too. “When you’ve got 360 adults were working these kinds of hours, of course, I had to have a bar, food trucks, and movie night on the lawn and church on Sunday, so that people could feel like they were at least not in prison,” Perry says.

And in addition to working during the pandemic, Perry is also filming during industry’s internal reckoning about how the Black Lives Matter movement relates to changes needed in Hollywood.

“George Floyd’s death, as horrific and tragic as it was, it was the thing that was the catalyst to open people’s eyes,” Perry says. “When people saw that played out — eight minutes and 46 seconds, real time video of what really happened — I think it just struck a chord of the conscience of America. So, to see so many races galvanizing together to come and fight this level of injustice has been so moving to me. I just want to be sure that that message doesn’t get lost about what we’re fighting for. More than anything I’m grateful that all industries are waking up and going. ‘Wait a minute, there is something that we can do here there is something wrong.’ That makes me very proud of just the human spirit of our country.”

Speaking of the record-number of Black actors nominated for Emmy Awards this year, Perry says: “It says a lot about the Emmys, the governors and the voters and all that they’re doing to try to at least hear — that’s what it’s so important — that we hear each other. I was very happy to see that because I feel like Hollywood Is a place that dreams come true for everybody, and to have the Emmys recognize so many people of color, it was really, really moving for me.” x96 tv box

When it comes to what else he wants to see from Hollywood, Perry defers to the mentality that has gotten him so far professionally.

“I come from a people who had to find a way — make your own way, own your own way, build your business, build your studio. That’s my mentality, so rather than asking Hollywood what they can do, I want to see more people like me, just come in and own, and take a sledgehammer to anything that is unjust,” he explains. “Ownership is what really changes things long term, because what happens is, when there’s a movement, people get excited and they’re with it. But when it fades, things tend to go back to where they were. If there are more people in ownership and more people in power and more people rising through the ranks in Hollywood, I think that is that is the change that is really needed to make a long-term difference.”

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Full-Frame Showdown: Canon R5, Panasonic S1H, and Sony a7 IIICanon, Panasonic, and Sony.

Japanese camera makers that have played a huge part in major advances in video production over the last 20 years. While they have lost some ground at the top end to innovators like RED, and to market leaders like ARRI, they are massively dominant in the budget range most of us can afford. And for the first time in a long, long time they have relatively comparable cameras in their lineup. The reason why it's the first time in a long time goes back to the beginning of the DSLR/mirrorless revolution. Each company really targeted different markets. Sony was ahead of the game in moving towards full-frame mirrorless back in 2014 with its Alpha line. At the same time, Canon was still pushing hard on DSLR cameras with an internal mirror system that could adapt to PL mount, and Panasonic was out with the very popular, but smaller sensor GH line of cameras. Not only was Sony out early with full-frame mirrorless, they then came out with the  a7S II which was a huge hit among filmmakers for its high resolution and great low light performance. For nearly a decade, the three giants were competing in different spaces. Panasonic was up against Olympus and Fujifilm for the MFT market, Canon was up against Nikon for the DSLR market, and Sony had full-frame all to itself. That almost changed two years ago with the release of the RF line from Canon, a series of full-frame mirrorless cameras built around a brand new lens mount. But the resolution wasn't exciting. It was a 4K crop, and it just didn't sing to filmmakers. In 2019, Panasonic generated a ton of buzz with the LUMIX DC-S1H, a very filmmaker-focused full-frame mirrorless offering that shot 6K video, could do RAW over HDMI, 4K up to 60fps, and created very pleasing images. Combined with the same color science and log format as the very popular VariCam line of cameras made this an especially appealing choice for filmmakers who frequently rented or even owned that larger cinema platform. If you were on a VariCam show, you could feel comfortable using the  S1H as a C camera or for crash setups. Now Canon is catching up with the EOS R5, which is targeted towards filmmakers with a completely new sensor that is able to shoot 8K internal RAW footage. Now all the big players have options that are broadly in competition with each other. The Canon  R5 does 8K RAW internally. You can shoot 6K on the  S1H, but to get RAW you need an external recorder. For Sony, the current "filmmaker" camera is the  a7 III, which tops out at 4K. In truth, though, we don't care about the resolution number as an end in itself. The key is not the resolution of the file that is created, but the actual measurable perceivable resolution of the final image. If when projected on a movie screen you can't see any resolution difference between the 6K and 8K, then does it really matter? Canon currently is ahead based on the 8K number, but we're going to wait for real-world side-by-side testing with the cameras to see what actually passes the most information along. 8K also requires lenses to actually resolve 8K, which might not even matter if you are shooting with a vintage cinema lens. If you are picking this camera and hoping to shoot with a set of old Super Speed primes or the even older and softer Cooke Speed Panchros, you may not see any difference in resolution at the camera level. Canon has Dual Pixel Autofocus II on the EOS R5 that uses "deep learning" to identifying subjects. Autofocus development is likely going to be one of the key battlegrounds between the cameras. This is vital since Sony has gotten a major lead going in autofocus with some truly impressive results. Autofocus that actually feels like a tool filmmakers might really appreciate makes the a7 III very appealing. Panasonic has a whole host of lenses custom-built for the S1H but hasn't pushed its autofocus hard. While this shouldn't be the main reason a filmmaker chooses a camera, it can be a lifesaver in an interview setup with a subject who keeps leaning forward and back, for instance. If autofocus is a key decider for you, you should focus your attention on who's really ahead of the pack: Canon and Sony. Panasonic S1H As a reminder, in the end, you can make most cameras look like anything. As Steve Yedlin points out, there is so much power in post-processing that a lot of what we talk about when we discuss camera color science is just "wine language." However, color science does matter somewhat on smaller jobs when you won't have much time in post. If you are shooting something where you won't be invited to post, or where it will be online the next day, or even later that night, you want pleasing color straight out of the camera. This category, to me, leans towards Panasonic and Canon. Sony has traditionally had the strangest color science choices, with greens looking a bit off and skin tones a bit shifted towards the orange as well. It's improved over the years, but footage from the FX9 still looks a bit too saturated in the greens for me, and the a7 III fits in that space as well. The first Sony camera to really look good in this area was VENICE. Compare that to Panasonic, who has done an amazing job rolling down the VariCam look into an affordable package. For that alone, Panasonic wins the color competition. While Canon looks quite nice out of the gate, its look is the "look of YouTube," and while it's pleasing, it's very associated with vlogging and the DIY space. Based on footage seen so far, the S1H is the winner here to me. It was also the first  Netflix approved mirrorless camera, despite Sony having had 4K cameras available for several years prior. Panasonic felt like a real contender with its 4K 60fps, but the Canon R5 stomps it with a 4K 120fps shooting mode. If you are doing sports, action, or even a certain kind of narrative filmmaking, that 120fps is going to be killer. Sony is carrying the rear here with only 30fps in 4K mode from the a7 III. But that will most likely change with the up-coming a7S III. Canon uses the proprietary RF mount. Sony uses the proprietary E mount. Panasonic uses the open format L mount, part of the L-mount alliance with Leica and Sigma. While that isn't the biggest industry group, I tend to prefer open formats to closed formats, and that has some appeal. However, the E mount has a more robust lens offering at the moment than either RF or L. If you need to shoot today, and you need a lot of lens choices, E mount is the way to go. But then again, most lenses can be adapted. h96 max x3The only reasonable conclusion I can make is that it's a good time to be a filmmaker looking for a camera around $4,000. There are three very strong choices that are going to give you amazing images no matter what. If you already shoot a lot of VariCam, the S1H is the obvious choice. But the R5 deserves a lot of attention and testing for its new autofocus, IBIS, and 8K RAW, which is a real game-changer at this price point. Sony isn't out of the game by any means with its arsenal of lens choices and famous low light quality. It will come down to what your personal expectations and preferences are in a camera. h96 max tv boxSo which one makes the most sense for you?

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CNN Gets Animated Over 2020 Election Coverage

CNN has over the years run all kinds of content: hard-news hours, documentaries, even a quiz show. Now it’s going to try animation. The AT&T-owned cable-news outlet will on Tuesday launch a new promotional campaign for some of its biggest pieces of coverage of the 2020 election. In cartoon-y vignettes, a donkey and elephant – the traditional avatars of the Democratic and Republican parties – will grumble and poke each other in humorous fashion. “Whoa. We need to be six feet apart when we argue,” says the elephant to the donkey in one of as many as four spots that are planned for the initiative. “This is the closest we’ve been in years,” says the donkey. The pair will jockey in similar fashion in the other promos. CNN viewers will be reminded at the end of each of four different vignettes to tune in to network coverage of political conventions, Election Day results and other potential events. The shorts should be visible on CNN venues through early November. “This is a little bit different from the promos you see for breaking news on CNN” or others that tell viewers what might be coming up on Anderson Cooper’s primetime show, says Allison Gollust, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of CNN Worldwide, in an interview. The two animal figures will also show up on social media and online, she says, “and if we do it right, they could be something that becomes iconic for CNN throughout our coverage of the next few months.” TV networks typically like to run commercials from traditional advertisers, but that’s never stopped them from creating ads of their own to burnish their programming and mission. Some of those efforts can be as memorable as a spot from Apple or Coca-Cola, as anyone who recalls rock and pop stars shouting “I Want My MTV” on behalf of a nascent music-video network in the early 1980s might tell you. Cable-news outlets, however, usually have a limited range of options, as they spend much of their time reminding viewers of their programs or their newsgathering abilities.And most lack the funds to place high-priced commercials for themselves in other venues. MSNBC has for several years captured segments of its reporters doing their job under pressure to tell viewers “This is who we are.”  Fox News Channel last year in a bid aimed at advertisers told potential sponosrs that “America Is Watching” as part of an effort to talk about the broader crowd it sees turning in to its programming. CNN has a well-recognized and years-old effort featuring actor James Earl Jones reciting the words “This…is CNN.” It remains in use today. Getting people to tune in to the year’s top political coverage is critical for TV-news outlets. Election years typically drive higher-than-normal viewership at CNN and its competitors – and ad dollars often follow. Though the TV-ad market has been hobbled by the nation’s coronavirus pandemic, CNN is still seen capturing $619.2 million in advertising this year, according to a June estimate from market-research firm Kagan, a unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence. Under Gollust, the network has on occasion veered into the non-traditional. In 2017, CNN responded to a growing antipathy from President Trump and his supporters with a campaign that  underscored to viewers how the network took a “Facts First” approach to newsgathering and journalism. The commercials used the simple image of an apple, and a narrator who made sure viewers understood what they were seeing. They have surfaced several times since the initial effort debuted. When CNN worked to promote a documentary series on the movies, various anchors appeared to emulate Hollywood icons. Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper, for example, recreated a scene from the 1988 movie “Big,” playing a song on a large floor piano with their feet. The new campaign attempts to inject a lighthearted note into a political-news cycle that is anything but. The elephant and donkey, while antagonistic toward one another, are depicted as longtime associates. They are more like Statler and Waldorf, the grumpy “Muppet Show” critics, than they are Montagues and Capulets, says Whit Friese, vice president and group creative director at CNN. CNN viewers who find the pair interesting will be able to see more of them via online banners found at various CNN sites, he adds. The promos, created with animation studio House Special and ad-agency FIG, aim to draw attention to election coverage that could look quite different from the norm. CNN and other news outlets have already indicated they intend to scale back on-the-ground coverage of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, slated to take place in August. Crowds, simply put, cannot gather during the current pandemic. And presidential debated between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden may also have new presentation guidelines. “We might have had a show on the ground there in the past, but we will still do the show,” Gollust says. “I don’t think the consumer experience will be all that much different. It’ s just the way we pull it off will be different than we’ve seen in the past.” h96 tv boxExecutives don’t believe CNN has aired animation in such a way, but the network has tested other interesting effects. In 2008, CNN correspondent Jessica Yellin was beamed in to a New York studio in “hologram” form to talk to anchor Wolf Blitzer about election activity from Chicago.

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Killer Camp's Gory Eliminations Are Goddamn Works of Art

That All Reality Shows Can Learn FromReality competition television as an art form has evolved little in the years since it first exploded onto small screens, because it hasn't had to. The idea of starting with a pool of participants and eliminating them one by one each week fits snugly into television's episodic format today just as well as it did when it was introduced with the Swedish series Expedition Robinson (which would later become the model for Survivor) in 1997. Each week, someone is declared a loser and ousted from the show until there is only a champion left. There's nothing left to improve on. Of course, the circumstances around the core idea of weekly eliminations may have changed in shows over the years. Some have gotten more pleasant (thank you,  Great British Baking Show) while others have gotten cattier (an extra special thank you, Instant Hotel). Some come with broken financial dreams ("You're fired!," a mean, disgusting old man used to blurt out on The Apprentice) while some come with broken hearts (any black SUV ride away from The Bachelor/-ette/in Paradise). And some eliminations aren't of major consequence (see:  Jennifer Hudson placing seventh on Season 3 of American Idol) while others can literally save lives (see: History's  Alone). The Best Reality Competition Shows to Watch on NetflixBut one thing remains essential with reality competition shows that will never change: The elimination itself. It is the only thing that truly matters about the genre (and if you disagree, you are probably one of those weirdos who watches the Olympics "for the stories"). It is the spectacle that everything else in the show builds up to. It is the driving force behind the meme-able behavior that we lap up the next day. It's the reliable climax that rewards an hour of your invested time. The way shows have captured these moments varies, from the sorrowful, almost regretful "You've been chopped" of Chopped, to the torch being symbolically snuffed out at a tribal council on Survivor, but no show — with apologies to Total Blackout's farewell to contestants involving a trap door that suddenly opens, sending losers to the basement of Universal Studios or wherever it's filmed — has rightfully captured the moment of elimination like The CW's new series Killer Camp. To go right into explaining how Killer Camp eliminates its contestants without explaining Killer Camp itself would be irresponsible, so here it is. At first look, Killer Camp is more spackle for The CW's porous summer schedule, an import from England's ITV that will occupy a slot for a month before it's probably forgotten for good, but it's remarkably fun for desperate filler. Modeled after slasher summer camp movies like Friday the 13th, Killer Camp buses in archetypes — the jock, the vegan, the flirt, the nerd, etc. — to a lakefront summer camp where they participate in dumb games to gain advantages in the overarching game. They think they're there for summer camp fun, but they're quickly told about the twist: There's a Jason Vorhees-like serial killer on the loose, and one of the the contestants is secretly mind-controlling him and will be killing off the competition one bye one. Everyone else has to figure out who the secret mastermind is before he/she kills everyone, and the hot ones flirt with each other. It's The Mole meets Survivor meets Love Island by way of Sleepaway Camp 2, and thanks to the show knowing how utterly ridiculous it is, it's surprisingly entertaining, especially when it comes to eliminations. In keeping with the tone of the show, losers aren't just told they've been cast off, they're MURDERED. A hooded figure known as the Handyman, under the control of the mystery contestant who controls him, KILLS THEM. Well, with the help of television effects. But it's brilliant, and it's something every single reality competition show can learn from. Killer CampPhoto: 2020 Tuesday's Child Television I've got some spoilers for the first episode coming, but nothing specific to who was eliminated, so read with caution. During the elimination ceremony, everyone left alive gathers around a campfire — some in cheerleader uniforms and letterman jackets, natch — where the host, a goofy American who is clearly on a few adult kickball teams based on his unshaven face and intense energy, lets those on the chopping block know that they're needed elsewhere for some ridiculous activity. For example, in the premiere, two contestants who had a rough go of it go on moonlit Segway rides (absolutely preposterous and perfect), and the host turns their adventure into a scary ghost story he tells the survivors.The Best Shows and Movies to Watch This Week: P-Valley, the New Psych MovieThe entire production changes moods for the campfire story, shifting from sunny summer camp reality show to dark, foggy horror movie. We see glimpses of the Handyman stringing barbed wire between two trees at head level, and the suspense builds as the riders, blissfully unaware (or at least playfully pretending to be), steer their embarrassing pseudo-scooters toward the wire. The host builds tension with some "Who's it going to be?" verbiage, and we're shown who it's going to be as the loser rides into the wire, cartoonishly lopping off their head while a geyser of their red essence shoots into the sky and a prosthetic head drops to the ground. "Blood spurted from their neckhole like ketchup being squeezed by a fat child!" the host screams excitedly. It is the greatest elimination ceremony in the history of elimination ceremonies, and captures everything Killer Camp strives to be: goofy, ridiculous, and fun. h96 max x3There are no exit interviews, no follow-ups, no goodbye hugs from other contestants. The finality of it all is staggering. They are, for all intents and purposes, dead. It is the ultimate elimination, beautifully reproducing the dispensable feeling of slasher-film victims, and transplanting that feeling to reality competition losers. Because what else is a reality competition show than survival of the fittest?  h96 max tv boxKiller Camp premieres Thursday, July 16 at 8/7c on The CW. (Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.)

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How to Watch Mad Men and More Great Shows for Free Right Now

Another day, another brand new streaming platform out there begging you to subscribe to its service so you can ignore your family members and binge-watch a bunch of TV shows and movies in the name of entertainment. This time, it's NBCUniversal's Peacock, which offers a free tier as well as  two premium options (one with ads and one without). The service  features a number of programs for free, including Friday Night Lights and even Parks and Recreation, but Peacock isn't the only place you can stream great shows without breaking the bank.

Below, we've gathered up a number of shows that don't require you to shell out money for Netflix,  Hulu,  Amazon Prime,  Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock, and/or  whatever other streaming service subscriptions are out there. Sometimes you just need a simple freebie. And you know what? You deserve it. So check out the list below and take comfort in knowing it won't cost you a thing.

Watch it on: IMDb TV

Until recently you had to have a Netflix subscription to watch Mad Men, AMC's Emmy-award winning period drama from Matthew Weiner that was dedicated as much to style as it was to substance. The 1960s-set series, which traced the rise and fall of flawed Madison Avenue advertising executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) through his own complicated relationship with identity, was a pointed commentary on the toxic masculinity, sexism, and racism of the era. It also changed the way we watch and talk about TV. If you haven't seen it yet, now's the perfect time to do so.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (complete series)

Realizing  The Dick Van Dyke Show is streaming for free feels a bit like winning a secret lottery or viewing an exceptional piece of art without paying the museum admission fee. The popular comedy, which ran for five seasons, was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke as the head writer of a TV show, while  Mary Tyler Moore portrayed his wife. It's a timeless classic — one that took home 15 Emmys during its run, and if you've yet to experience it, you literally have no excuse at this point.

The Dick Van Dyke Show Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Felicity is best known as the show in which Keri Russell cut her hair (not to be confused with the show in which Keri Russell wore a lot of great wigs, aka The Americans). Depicting Felicity Porter's (Russell) college years and the struggles that accompany trying to figure out who you're supposed to be, the show is also famous for Scott Speedman's whisper-talking and the ongoing battle of Ben (Speedman) vs. Noel (Scott Foley). Although the WB series was previously streaming on Hulu, you can now watch it for free on the ABC app.

A reimagining of the kitschy original series, Syfy's Battlestar Galacticastarred Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan, James Callis, and Jamie Bamber and explored the aftermath of a nuclear attack by the Cylons, cybernetic creatures invented by man who evolved and rebelled against their creators. The show was critically acclaimed for the way it tackled the subjects of science, religion, and politics, and for the way it explored the deeply complicated notion of what makes us human. Everything from the miniseries to the two BSG films (Razor and The Plan) is currently available to stream for free on Syfy's website, so there's no better time to watch it. So say we all!

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series), Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (first 13 seasons), YouTube (first 13 seasons)

For many millennials, the fourth series in the Degrassi franchise, Degrassi: The Next Generation, is the defining iteration of the long-running Canadian series. The drama series, which was sometimes so overly dramatic it was actually funny, tackled everything from date rape and suicide to sexual orientation and teen pregnancy. The series, which launched the careers of Drake (then known as Aubrey Graham) and Nina Dobrev, is streaming on multiple free platforms.

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Eli Stone really had it all, which is to say it had Victor Garber singing George Michael songs, Loretta Devine singing George Michael songs, and George Michael singing George Michael songs. What else is there? ABC's offbeat two-season comedy-drama starred a pre-Elementary Jonny Lee Miller as Eli Stone, a high-powered San Francisco lawyer whose brain aneurysm gave him prophetic visions — which usually involved his friends, family, and colleagues breaking into song. Aside from a couple of ill-advised plotlines (the pilot, which suggests vaccines cause autism, is best forgotten), the show was a blast: a weird but memorable cocktail that should have stuck around for more seasons because, as I mentioned, Victor Garber sang George Michael songs. Also, Sigourney Weaver played God?! -Kelly Connolly

Watch it on: YouTube (nearly every episode)

A true Canadian treasure,  The Red Green Show was a long-running comedy starring Steve Smith as Red Green, a handyman who constantly tried to cut corners using duct tape and who had his own cable TV show. It was a parody of home improvement shows and outdoor programs and featured segments like Handyman Corner, Adventures with Bill, and The Possum Lodge Word Game. The show ran for 15 seasons, airing on PBS in the States. 

TV Premiere Date Calendar: Find Out When Your Favorite Shows Are Back

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series), ABC app (complete series)

Critically beloved but struck down before its time,  My So-Called Life has been praised for its realistic and honest portrayal of teenage life, not just via Angela Chase (Claire Danes), but through the show's young supporting cast as well. Now considered to be one of the best shows of all time, it tackled topics like homophobia, homelessness, drug use, and more without ever feeling preachy or like an after-school special. Also, Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) could lean.

Watch it on: CW Seed (first five seasons), IMDb TV (first five seasons)

If you don't have Netflix but still want to watch  Schitt's Creek, you'll be happy to know you can watch the first five seasons of the heartwarming, Emmy-nominated comedy series, about a wealthy family who loses everything they own except the town of the show's title, for free on CW Seed and IMDb TV.

Dan Levy and Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek Photo: Pop TV

Watch it on: Peacock (complete series); IMDb TV (complete series)

You may never know what it feels like to have Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) be proud of you, but you can pretend by watching all five seasons of  Friday Night Lights, a series that was as much about a Texas community as it was about the sport that united it. By the end of the show, you'll be asking yourself "What Would Riggins Do?" and tattooing "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" on your body, all while chanting "Texas forever!" Trust me, it happens to everybody.

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

It is relatively easy to forget that The CW series The Carrie Diaries was a prequel to  Sex and the City, because the charming show, which lasted just two seasons, was able to stand on its own. The coming-of-age series that followed a teenaged Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) was relatively innocent compared to the original series. The show's 1980s setting made it easier for the writers to focus on more harmless family storylines and teenage heartbreaks, but the show never shied away from the heartstring-tugging drama of young adulthood either. It's a shame the show never got the kind of ratings it deserved and wasn't able to exist beyond Carrie's high school years, but the Season 2 finale works well as a series finale, so viewers won't feel as if the story was left incomplete. android tv box

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

It's a shame Bryan Fuller's saturated dramedy  Pushing Daisies, about a pie-maker (Lee Pace) with the ability to bring the dead back to life, couldn't bring itself back to life after becoming a casualty of the 2007-08 writers' strike. A whimsical delight, the show featured the pie-maker teaming up with a local private eye (Chi McBride) to solve murders by reviving the victims for a brief time. Known for its quirky characters, eccentric visual style, and Jim Dale's pitch-perfect narration, it remains must-see TV.

Watch it on: IMDb TV (first seven seasons); Peacock

Columbo kicked off nearly every episode by revealing the crime and its perpetrator to the audience, which means unlike most crime dramas, the show was less about whodunnit and more about Peter Falk's iconic raincoat-wearing homicide detective catching them and getting them to confess. Oh, and just one more thing: it's great.

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

The charming and playful Forever, which starred Ioan Gruffudd as an immortal medical examiner, was the one show that could have saved ABC's Tuesday at 10 p.m. death slot. But the network still canceled the series anyway, enraging the show's fans, who have never let the sting of its death go. Luckily, it now lives on, ahem, forever (aka until the content license expires) on CW Seed.

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series)

It sounds odd to say The Middle, which ran for nine seasons on ABC, was unfairly overlooked, but it always felt like the series, which followed the middle class Midwestern Heck family, was a bit of a hidden gem. It wasn't as popular with Emmy voters as, say, Modern Family, and critics also failed to give it its due, but it was a real, heartfelt, reliable family comedy with mass appeal, and you can stream it on IMDb TV for free. h96 tv box

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Trophy Wife's short life — it was canceled after just one season — can probably be chalked up to its unfortunate title, which was meant to be ironic but ultimately kept viewers from tuning in and experiencing the warmth of the show and the relationships at its center. Malin Akerman starred as the young wife of  Bradley Whitford's middle-aged lawyer, and the comedy explored the dynamics between the two, his children, and his two ex-wives, who were played by  Marcia Gay Harden and  Michaela Watkins. h96 max x3

Watch it on: NBC app (complete series)

Loosely based on the Biblical story of King David, Kings was a compelling drama before its time. Rudely cut down after just one season by NBC, the show starred Ian McShane as the king of the fictional kingdom of Gilboa, while  Christopher Egan portrayed an idealistic young soldier whose counterpart is David. The show also starred Sebastian Stan, which is reason enough to want to check it out.

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Ray Wise portrays Satan in Reaper, a supernatural dramedy about a slacker (Bret Harrison) who reluctantly becomes a reaper tasked with capturing escaped souls from hell after it's revealed his parents made a deal with the devil many, many years before. The fact the show only lasted two seasons is a crime against humanity. Luckily, you can watch it in its entirety for free on the ABC app. h96 max x3

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series)

A team of experts led by a kooky old scientist (John Noble), his son (Joshua Jackson), and an FBI agent (Anna Torv) investigate strange occurrences around the country, X-Files style, in the J.J. Abrams-produced Fringe. The series is one of the best broadcast science-fiction shows of all time, particularly in its first three seasons, and perfected the art of the serialized procedural by weaving the show's deep mythology and excellent character work into weekly standalone stories, making it easy to binge or watch in spurts. And by the time the end of Season 1 starts, you'll have a hard time stopping. -Tim Surette

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Vudu (complete series)

Although American TV producers would eventually adapt  Being Human, the original British version, which followed three supernatural beings trying to live amongst humans, is far superior. The show, which ran for five seasons, starred Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey, and  Lenora Crichlow as a vampire, werewolf, and ghost, respectively. So skip the U.S. version entirely and watch the U.K. series for free.

Watch it on: Pluto TV (complete series),  Vudu (complete series), Tubi (complete series)

The Australian young adult-oriented series Dance Academy is not exactly what you'd call "great television," but it is great fun. Brimming with teen angst and melodrama, the series, which ran for three seasons and even had a follow-up movie, followed a handful of dancers at Sydney's National Academy of Dance as they trained in the sport they loved while also falling in and out of love with each other. The acting was sometimes questionable, but the series itself was addictive, not to mention one of the easiest binges you'll ever encounter. h96 max tv box

3rd Rock From the Sun

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (complete series), Crackle (all six seasons),  Vudu (all six seasons)

You might think a show about a group of socially awkward, 1,000-year-old aliens in human skin suits who are trying (badly) to pose as a human family and blend into an ordinary Midwest town might sound ridiculous, and, well, that's fair. But  3rd Rock From the Sun was still charming in even its most bizarre moments and gave its cast a lot of room to play up their roles and create an ensemble of weirdos that, at some point or another, start to tap into their newfound humanity and relish their new home here on Earth. -Amanda Bell.

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Emmy Song Competition: With Music Branch Facing Hundreds of Choices, Is It Fair?

Now that first-round Emmy voting is completed, who will be nominated for the season’s best song? RuPaul? Hailee Steinfeld? Darren Criss? Kristin Chenoweth?

That’s right, all four actors are potential nominees in Emmy’s song competition, officially known as Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics … as are such musical personalities as the Weeknd, Sara Bareilles, Brad Paisley and Nick Jonas — along with about 200 other songwriters.

If you’re an Emmy voter in the music branch, how do you decide what song to vote for? Do you pick something you already know and like, or do you investigate some, or all, of the many tunes entered?

There are seven music categories, which encompass more than 300 separate programs, a daunting task for even the most diligent voter. The vast number of shows entered is overwhelming, and no one — especially working professionals, which constitute the bulk of the estimated 600 composers, songwriters and music supervisors in the TV Academy’s so-called “Music Peer Group” — can possibly see them all.

Emmy’s original-song category is challenging on several fronts. There are 103 tunes in contention, many from obscure series or movies, but also a surprising number written, or performed, by top writers and singers. Those may have an advantage simply because of their pedigree.

The Weeknd is a credited co-writer on a song from Fox’s “American Dad!,” country singer Brad Paisley on ABC’s “Brad Paisley Thinks He’s Special,” Sara Bareilles on the animated Apple TV+ “Central Park,” Nick Jonas on the Jonas Brothers’ Amazon documentary “Chasing Happiness,” Labrinth for Zendaya’s HBO series “Euphoria,” John Legend for the Epix series “Godfather of Harlem,” Ingrid Michaelson for Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere,” and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for HBO’s “Watchmen.”

A handful of actors, too, are credited as writers, including RuPaul on a song for Netflix’s “AJ and the Queen,” Kristin Chenoweth on Hallmark’s “A Christmas Love Story,” Hailee Steinfeld for a very contemporary song in Apple TV+’s period “Dickinson,” and Darren Criss on Quibi’s “Royalties.”

Documentary songs have a shot, particularly when they have already gotten plenty of promotion because they were eligible the previous year for an Oscar. Diane Warren won in 2016 for “Til It Happens to You,” the Lady Gaga song for the campus-rape doc “The Hunting Ground,” and Common won the following year for “Letter to the Free” from the racial injustice doc “13th.”

This year Warren has another such song, written for “Cracked Up: The Darrell Hammond Story,” which went to Netflix after a theatrical run last year. Similarly, Pharrell Williams is up for the Emmy for the song he wrote for the Clarence Avant doc “The Black Godfather,” having also been Oscar-eligible last year. Singer-songwriter Sia is eligible for yet another doc, “Seven Worlds, One Planet.”

There are three subcategories of songs that have a better-than-average shot at nomination, and the eventual award: “Saturday Night Live,” the weeknight talk shows, and the annual Tony Awards.

“SNL” has won three times (including two for Justin Timberlake, one of which was for the infamous “Dick in a Box”). This year the NBC weekend fixture entered five songs, which run the gamut from the questionable-taste “Let Kids Drink” to comedic ditties with Adam Driver (“Slow”), the Weeknd (“On the Couch”) and Adam Sandler (“Stuck in the House”).

Opening numbers at the Tonys won in three consecutive years at the Emmys (2012-14). Up this year is host James Corden’s live, 10-minute, elaborately choreographed performance at Radio City Music Hall in June 2019.

Name recognition may also add points for the late-night talk shows. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” entered two, while “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” have one apiece.

So don’t count out tastelessness as a factor. “Dick in a Box” won in 2007 (despite efforts by high-placed music-branch officials to get it disqualified for its rude content), and Jimmy Kimmel’s “I’m F—ing Matt Damon” won the following year. This year’s questionable delights include graphic masturbation in a song from Netflix’s animated “Big Mouth” and a profanity-spewing John Oliver singing “Eat S—, Bob,” aimed at a coal baron who sued him.

Then there are the shows that are built around music — again, an advantage for branch members who can’t be bothered to check out shows they’ve never heard of. Disney’s “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” entered four songs and the same studio’s “Descendants 3” submitted two.

Popular shows with musical components also loom large, including Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Amazon’s “Transparent” musical finale, and Netflix’s musical drama “The Eddy.” And what to make of the song from Netflix’s fantasy series “The Witcher,” which has 29 million views on YouTube? (Last year’s winner was a song from “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” which routinely built musical numbers around its stars and scripts.) android tv box

Even Oscar-winning credentials are no guarantee of a nomination. “La La Land” songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote the sweet marriage-proposal song “Running Home to You” for “The Flash” in 2017 but the music branch passed. This year Pasek has two songs in contention for YouTube’s “Saturday Night Seder” fundraiser. h96 max x3

Are there too many nominees to reasonably be considered? What does a conscientious voter do?

“All voting members in the Music Peer Group are instructed to vote for the submissions they have seen and are worthy of nomination,” says Julie Shore, the TV Academy’s VP of awards and member services. “Beginning in March, they are provided with access codes so they can watch and listen to programming on the viewing sites provided by all the platforms, networks and cable networks engaged in For Your Consideration campaigning. They also can watch and listen to all the entries on the Academy’s FYC Viewing platform, which allows the voter to select the entries by category.”

“Most of them are pretty lame,” concedes one music supervisor who viewed a number of entries on the Academy’s streaming platform. (Variety saw about 30 of these on YouTube, but many songs there are accompanied only by a slide from the show, not the actual video content.) h96 max tv box

“You can vote for one, or all,” says another longtime member. “You have no assurance that anything has been seen. It’s just a coin flip, the whim of whoever logs in and says, I like that. It feels more like an online poll.”

Over the last two years, the TV Academy has dismantled the system that the music branch designed and implemented two decades ago, that was designed to ensure that every single entry was examined by at least a handful of fellow branch members. But it was complicated and costly, Academy execs say, and cost them voters — because in order to enter one of the categories, you had to agree to judge another one, and many busy composers and songwriters simply couldn’t take the time.

“The current voting procedures have resulted in a significant increase in Music Peer Group member participation,” reports Shore. h96 tv box

For many years, nominees in the song category were chosen by a “blue-ribbon panel” of top TV composers and songwriters, viewing all of the entries in one evening at the Academy. Sometimes as many as 40 would participate, and the results of their voting would determine the nominations in that category. “Everything was screened and vetted, so when the nominations came out, you knew that qualified people had really thought about this and spent time with it,” says one veteran.

The current system, says a multiple Emmy winner, “is what we had over 20 years ago. No one knows what to vote for and the more popular shows clearly have an advantage.”

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Black Monday's Producers Explain Why Confessed and Went to Prison in Season 2 Finale

If you stuck with the joyously demented carnival that is Showtime's Black Monday for all of Season 2, you know it took bonkers to new heights, even for a show that was pretty bonkers to begin with. By the time it was done, we'd seen a half-dead man sing a song through a computer; an epic shoot-out that looked like something out of Rambo; the precursor to the modern-day dick pic via a Xerox'd willy; and a whimsical musical number inside a white-collar prison that celebrated the joys of wealthy white privilege. Yes, the jokes, set pieces, and gags in Season 2 of Black Monday were a lot, in the gleeful, "I can't believe they just did that" way that makes the enjoyably absurdist romp unlike anything else on TV. Season 2 also juggled a dizzying number of overlapping storylines involving financial jargon and backstabbing schemes, with Mo (Don Cheadle), Dawn (Regina Hall), Blair (Andrew Rannells), Tiff Georgina (Casey Wilson) and Keith (Paul Scheer) tangled up in crisscrossing tales of revenge and oneupmanship. At the conclusion of its 10 episodes, we'd seen Mo try to do something right for a change, the once-innocent Blair turn dark, Keith cozy up to the Lehmann brothers, and Dawn land in prison after confessing that she was the one who engineered the Black Monday crash that kickstarted the series. Even if the intricacies of every story turn became a little head-scratching at times, the overall movements made Season 2 like a wild, intoxicating ping-pong match that ultimately finished with Dawn in the clink and Mo back at square one. Why did Dawn tell on herself? And what might a Season 3 look like if the Showtime gods smile on us? Executive producers Jordan Cahan and David Caspe talked with TV Guide about how the madcap season came to be, some of their favorite moments, and what they're thinking about next. There was so much happening inside this season; how'd you map out what you wanted to have happen? Jordan Cahan: Well, that's funny, because I was thinking before this call, as comedy people, it's rare that we get to go story first. Usually, it's like, what jokes, what is a funny set piece. But it's good to go story first, and that was what so fun about the season. We really did talk about where we wanted the characters to end up. What is the final frame of each character? Where are they? And then the real question was, how do we get them there in a way where we're juggling all the characters but where you can't get so cleanly ahead. So that it feels like a drama where the journey is exciting and unexpected, but hopefully at the end, it all feels like it makes sense. We're not used to doing that for comedy. I think the fun of that was looking at a board and bringing out where the characters' peaks and valleys were and how we could get them to all interact. David Caspe: I think the end game that we were excited about was Regina [Dawn]. The room as a whole got to a place where they're like, "Okay, the most interesting thing is that a Black woman is responsible for [Black Monday] which was actually a brilliant trade, but also something very illegal. There's such an interesting dichotomy of wanting the credit or something that also would take you down, but being so frustrated over the course of the season that you're not getting the credit you deserve, that in the end, she basically turned herself in to get the credit more than anything. We had where everyone begins and we had where Regina ends and we had to figure everything else out. Black Monday Wasn't Conceived with Black Leads, but It's All the Better for ItOne of the things that stood out to me was the feminist theme of the season. You have Dawn in charge of a mostly female firm at the start, and then this subplot where Wayne (Horatio Sanz) is this incel character determined to punish women. Was Season 2 intended to be an overtly feminist statement? Caspe: I think every character we have is, for lack of a better word, not a straight white man. Looking at how they have to navigate today through the lens of the '80s is really been what the show is about a little bit and I think inevitably women are a big part of that. The Just for Men thing from Wayne was very much about a lot of men's reactions to like, the female Ghostbusters and stuff like that just felt insanely ridiculous to us. It just felt natural that if we've got this woman who was the mastermind behind Black Monday, she would break the glass ceiling and start this all-female firm, but inevitably you're gonna have one of these sort of incel type-men who reacts in this misogynist way. You see it constantly now, as a reaction to the Time's Up movement. They always frame it as like, "I'm a men's rights activist," which, you know, straight white men don't need activists. They've done just fine. So a lot of the story is, "How did we get to the end game?" We really wanted all the characters and stories to be very interconnected. You've talked before about how your writers' room is mostly people of color and/or women — and you had that in place before the new push for more inclusivity behind the scenes. Do you feel like you were ahead of the curve there? Cahan: Saying it's a mandate is sh---y. For us, it's always been our absolute desire to have the most diverse rooms as humanly possible. I've never worked any other way and I won't. Yes, it happens to fit this show hand in glove, but I just think it's the way shows should be made. Caspe: And it's also selfish, frankly, in that you get a better show that way...the more perspectives you get and voices you get in the room [you get] more variety of hilarious jokes and experiences that inspire storylines.

Cahan: I can think of two or three storylines that I would be really afraid to touch, that would be like third rails, and the room was so encouraging going in that direction. Ultimately, you want them to lead you. Not only did it end up educating me, but I think it makes the show richer. Dawn borrowing from what is essentially the United Negro College Fund. Stories like that where it's like "Do we really want to do this?" and then having the room get so excited, to put that character in such a difficult moral pose

Caspe: And the story itself is just not one that I would think of. The relationship between Dawn and her mother is informed by Black women in the room. I wouldn't have come up with the nuanced, intelligent version; I would come up with like, an outsider looking in assumption of it rather than something that felt authentic. A lot of [Blair's] story was inspired by people that went through similar things of what it means to be gay in a religion that doesn't accept it. That's not my story to tell; I also don't know it, because I haven't been inside it. Let's talk about the brilliant song "White Collar," Keith sings in Episode 5. How'd that come to be? Cahan: We knew we wanted to [take on]  Club Fed because it was such an '80s anomaly. And it was so weirdly written about in the '90s as like, "Can you believe this happened?" It felt almost like a Simpsons-style step out where all of a sudden you're seeing things...it felt like a fun, silver bullet way to describe what you're seeing in these prisons but in the same way but a silly, fun thing that stretches the limits of credibility where we didn't know if we could pull it off and still feel like you're in the real world. Caspe: It was very inspired by the Simpsons musical numbers. Cahan: It was "See My Vest" from The Simpsons. It was Maison Derrière Simpsons. We probably pulled the rubber band back as far as we could with that one. In that vein, the visual gags and set pieces in Season 2 went to a new level — the bank shootout, in Episode 3 ("The Idiot Inside") for example, the most over-the-top. What were your favorites of the season?

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Cahan: I would say the things that got me excited are on two ends of the spectrum. And I'm sure Dave's would be different but on one end, the bank is as ambitious anything we've ever done. I mean, the idea of not just making it a little music video or alluding to it, but actually playing it, and really destroying that bank digitally and physically, having to do a lot of practical effects and plotting that whole thing out. We had never done an episode that didn't have a B-story. So we have never done an episode that didn't cut away to the other characters. So it was very much like writing a play, but a play that could get explosive very quickly. I can't tell you how much fun it was for somebody who grew up with '80s action movies and loves them so dearly, to be able to do that. And then weirdly, on the complete other side of that, I would say the very next episode, which was on purpose, was the country club episode. We wanted it to feel zany and goofy, almost like a Three's Company episode in the same way that our bank episode feels like a Miami Vice or something like that. The country club episode deals with race and class and sexuality and religion; we really wanted that to feel like a farce. And I think I think we got really lucky with our writers, directors. I really love the way the show can go from one complete extreme to the other. It sure seems like Mo is full-on in love with Dawn, but he just can't seem to get over himself. What's up with their dynamic and why he's so reluctant to be vulnerable with her?Caspe: I think this season he was a victim of circumstance, which was like sort of the most tragic [part]. Usually, in the past it's been his own ego and his own lack of vulnerability that has [messed things] up with her, you know, I think this season, he was getting on that plane. He was going to disappear forever. Now granted, he had just completely f---ed her over, but he was completely f---ed over by her Black Monday. She did steal his entire company and basically took all his money. So he was pissed. And he did his one last piece of revenge to screw up her bank deal. And then he got on that plane and was leaving. When the FBI caught up to him, they forced him back to help them find who was responsible for Black Monday. And in that respect, he was trying to keep Dawn out of it, and he was genuinely trying to steer them towards Blair and saved Dawn.

He just kind of wasn't able to. But he really was trying to do the right thing by her. I also think we were trying to look at [how] there's still sexism within races or cultures. When you flashback to him, he genuinely looked at it as like, I'm the one who got the seed money, I'm the one who got on the [Wall Street] floor. Like I think it never occurred to him that Dawn would have been his partner. Mo has some sexism [about him] too. Discover your new favorite show: Watch This Now!But, he's willing to take the rap for her. I read that as a sign of his deep abiding love for her, and I reading that wrong? Cahan: No, you got that. He literally says, "I'm going to be the tragic hero." He's trying to display that he's changed. At the end he runs into Keith and Keith is basically telling him "You are going to go away for life." And Mo continues on. He goes to the FBI and he confesses, he's willing to do the sacrificial thing. Where are you thinking about for Season 3, if you get renewed?Caspe: Maybe the '90s. It's almost '89 by the end of Season 2, so there's something interesting about 1990, or even jumping ahead.

Cahan: I'm really excited by where the four chess pieces are. We really wanted to position them in these exciting places. Season 2 starts with Blair making a deal with Tiff and they have this understanding, and they're going to help each other. And by the end of the season, you can see she's kind of terrified of him, and how far he'll go for power. And we get a glimpse into his background and know that when his back is against the wall, he's not afraid to push back all the way to protect himself. Now I'm like, "Oh, God how bad is this going to get?" I think for Mo, it hinges on a little be careful what you wish for. Now he's inadvertently got the immunity he's always wanted. All of his old transgressions are wiped away.android tv box

He's a new man. He can start again clean, but the question is at what cost? For Dawn, we were very careful to not mention how long she'd been put away or how deep of trouble she's in. But clearly it's a very serious crime. We've painted ourselves into a corner of how could that possibly work? And then for Keith it's another be careful what you wish for [situation]. He's finally found someone who really appreciates him. But there's a bit of a Single White Female relationship. I feel like if Season 1, we painted ourselves into a corner, I think Season 2, it would be even more fun to watch how these four people, who seem to not be able to get out of each other's way, and their lives would continue.h96 tv box

Last question is, in the final moments, we see Lenny, that poor twin who's just come back from the brink of death, being attacked by a wolf after being left in the woods by his brother. The guy can't catch a break. Is he dead, or just in bad shape again?Caspe: I think it would be the same thing as Season 1. So if he died again at the end of Season 2, if you're a betting man I would bet on Lenny's triumphant return at some point in Season 3 if we get it, probably even more mangled than he was at the end of Season 1. In classic '80s villain.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla Hands-On Preview

I guide my longship along the waterways of East Anglia, one of the regions of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Anglo-Saxon map. Ahead is the shoreline of Beodericsworth, which will soon be the stage for one of this Viking-themed entry’s flagship features; raiding. With the blow of a horn, my crew begin bailing out, charging up the sands and crashing into the shields of the village’s unprepared guards. Wood splinters, blood gushes, and heads drop from shoulders. It’s exactly the kind of skirmish you’d expect from a Norseman raid. Inside, we hack apart the guard leaders defending the village’s treasures and take it for ourselves. Amongst our findings are two caskets so large it takes multiple vikings to get them open, filled with raw crafting materials. It’s a bounty that will, at the very least, get a knowing nod from Odin, if not a smile.Raiding in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla feels smaller scale than I expected, but is nonetheless good fun, and a vital part of fulfilling the Viking fantasy at the heart of the game. It’s also not the only way to pillage a Saxon settlement. The first time I approached a raiding target in a recent three-hour hands-on with Valhalla, I actually bailed out of the longship on my own, snuck around the back, and crept from guard to guard, taking them out silently. Stealthing the entire camp was overly easy due to the enemies standing perfectly still at their posts - something I hope will be upgraded with patrol paths by the time of full release - but some satisfaction remained thanks to the fact that Assassin’s Creed’s iconic hidden blade has been restored to full power once again, killing instantly with a generous splash of crimson. Preorder Assassin's Creed Valhalla Post-raiding party, I take protagonist Eivor to meet up with fellow clansman Finnr, who sets us on a course to assault Burgh Castle in Northwich, where we’ll face a rival clan. This transitions into what is effectively the boss fight version of raiding; Valhalla’s siege assaults. This one begins with a Viking variant of D-Day, with landing craft exchanged for longships and machine gun fire swapped out for volleys of flaming arrows. As the boats hit the shore and the first set of walls are blown apart, I become tangled up in the first phase of the main assault. It’s here where Valhalla’s combat really shines, despite the rough edges of the work-in-progress build. It’s an iterative upgrade of the system first introduced in Assassin’s Creed Origins, but one with enough Norse-flavoured garnish that it feels just right. Active abilities return, including one that has Eivor hurl half a dozen throwing axes into a collection of nearby enemies, and another that’s basically a charge-and-tackle manovre that lasts for as long as there’s still yards left to sprint. Such abilities can only be triggered by spending adrenaline, which is built through performing standard attacks and parries. But the moments between those super-powered blows are no less entertaining. Enemies have a stun meter, which when worn down allows you to follow up with finishers such as beating them over the head with their own shield, or swinging your axe up through their chin. Foes knocked to the floor can be leapt and stomped on as if they were a bed at a child’s slumber party. And if they refuse to fall over, they can be gleefully booted across the battlefield with the Kick of Tyr; essentially Odyssey’s Spartan Kick in all but name. In moments like these, the spirit of the berserker really starts to shine through. With the first courtyard clear of enemies, I’m able to use a battering ram to break down a timber perimeter fence and progress up to the gate. There are three phases in the assault (frustratingly without checkpointing in this preview build, meaning a full restart on death) with each introducing a new wrinkle of complexity. At the next gate, contained within a stone archway, archers fire arrows from wall-mounted ballistas and pour gallons of burning oil over the ramming crew. On the other side in the final courtyard, the castle’s hardiest occupants do their best to scupper your assault.By this point, I’m feeling fairly exhausted (I’m on my third attempt) and Eivor is feeling the burn. There’s no regenerating health in Valhalla, nor an HP boosting ability like Odyssey’s Second Wind. Instead, you have rations; effectively health potions made up of food gathered from the open world. While the grounds of the castle have a few mushrooms to nibble on, by the last phase of the assault I’ve picked both the land and my pockets dry of food, and have sustained a dent to my HP meter. In other words, I’m not well equipped for the boss battle the game then throws me into. Rued is a rival Viking armed with a longsword he can set ablaze, and is accompanied by a pet wolf. Like with many of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s boss fights, it’s in this battle where you can detect some potential Soulsborne influences. Eivor has a stamina meter, depleted by dealing heavy melee damage, dodging, and absorbing enemy strikes with your shield. While light attacks may come for free, in a tight boss fight arena populated by a walking mountain and a ravenous wolf, it means stamina is constantly in need of attention. The wolf is able to grab hold of my shield in its maw, opening me up to heavy cleaves from Rued while I try to wrestle my arm free. A few well-placed strikes and some throwing axes knock the wolf out of the fight, leaving just Rued and I to dance it out atop the castle wall. As the fight progresses Rued begins to throw his weapons at me, but the combination of his attack patterns and the gap between us means there isn’t enough time for me to pull out my bow and strike back at range. With the screen fading to black as my health drops to critical levels, I’m just able to dodge a blow and generate enough adrenaline to perform Dive of the Valkyries; a leap that brings both my axe and shield down on Rued in a bone-crunching slam. He’s done for. Before I can bury the hatchet in his skull, though, my hand is stayed by Oswald, an Englishman ally who we’ve saved from Rued’s clutches. He preaches of fair trials before God, and I’m offered the choice to kill or spare my enemy. h96 max tv boxI do the sensible thing and slice open Rued’s neck with an axe, much to Oswald’s distaste.A bug in the demo - something not uncommon in pre-release builds - means I have to reset the game. I continue from where I left off, but am told that in this save game Eivor has abided by Oswald’s request and spared Rued. Fair enough, I think, that’ll keep him happy for his wedding, which is Valhalla’s next quest. Very much following in Odyssey’s footsteps, Valhalla - at least in this showing - has a well-judged balance between light and dark. h96 max x3After a gloomy castle siege I’m treated to a wedding filled with fun conversations and mini-games. I’m challenged to shoot a field full of targets after downing a flagon of ale, and take part in a drinking competition in which I need to neck no less than three horns of beer and not fall over in the process. It’s a delightful time to celebrate Oswald uniting with our clan as he marries Norsewoman Valdis. At least, it is until Rued crashes the party. It appears that Valhalla has ambitions to take the RPG side Assassin’s Creed up a notch; this moment feels like the kind of narrative consequence akin to what we’d see in games like Dragon Age. Because Rued had been spared, he turns up at the wedding looking for vengeance (had he died, I’m informed I’d instead be enjoying a race around the town). But rather than my blood, it’s Oswald’s he’s here to claim. At this point I’m offered another choice; I can let Oswald fight, or I can be his champion and kill Rued on his behalf. I take the latter option, and while I cut down Rued for good this time, Oswald seems slightly disappointed in me taking his place. I wonder if, in later hours, this will have a negative effect on our relationship. I also wonder if this is not just a one off event, but a promise that Valhalla is filled with these kinds of choices and repercussions. Along with narrative choices, Valhalla also iterates on the RPG stats systems its predecessors added to the Assassin’s Creed mix. Alongside the familiar active abilities is a constellation-style map of skill upgrades that provides a variety of passive upgrades. Some improve your basic stats - higher damage, increased health - while others unlock new combat moves such as stun attacks and finishers; those additional attacks that make the combat that extra bit more flavourful. Together, all of your upgrades increase your Global Power rating, a numerical indicator as to how powerful you are that replaces standard levelling. h96 max x3Alongside the introduction of further RPG mechanics, Valhalla’s world is also significantly more traditional of the genre, too; when galloping around it on my horse, or sailing down rivers on my longboat, it was easy to mistake England for The Witcher 3’s Velen. This means, visually, Valhalla is less striking than Odyssey or Origins, with its practically Tolkien colour palette feeling less fresh than the sands of Egypt or mediteranean greenery of Greece. Yet, perhaps because I’m English, I can’t help but get a thrill out of exploring just-about-recognisable versions of my own homeland.h96 max x3It should also be noted that Valhalla embraces British folklore perhaps more than it does Norse Mythology; as I explored this small chunk of the world I came across Black Shuck, a huge black dog that’s part of classic East Anglian folklore, as well as two members of the Daughters of Lerion; Gaelic women dressed in skulls with a fondness for sacrificial rituals and the supernatural. As with Odyssey, exploring uncovers optional bosses and other fun activities, although this time it’s all a lot more goth. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla looks to be, as is the tradition of the series, an iterative update on its predecessors. If the new approach to RPG design and gear-based progression has put you off the series, this slice of the game indicates that you’ll likely be unconvinced by Valhalla’s barely altered direction. But the few changes it makes to those systems suggests developer Ubisoft Montreal may have a newfound confidence in its RPG abilities, and a willingness to embrace more of the genre’s toolset. If its branching story points are frequent occurrences, it may be that Valhalla’s real innovation comes from player agency in the narrative, rather than any mechanical revisions. Provided the game delivers on that promise, my only genuine concern is that the return of the lethal hidden blade hasn’t resulted in instantly satisfying stealth. h96 max tv boxIt currently feels underbaked due to those stationary guards, and so needs some extra challenge to make it a worthwhile alternative to the entertainingly barbaric combat encounters. Fix that, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla might well be able to both reclaim its lineage and further its admirable RPG ambitions.Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

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Teen Mom: Ranking the Most Insane Feuds of All Time!

From on-camera brawls to social media feuds and legal threats, the cast of Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2 sure know how to go hard. Moments that made you cringe 'cause they were so painful, or smile ear-to-ear. Scenes that were fights, or made you fight back tears.

The franchise really does have it all, and as such, it's become one of the most entertaining in the history of the reality TV genre.

Below, we look back at some of the MTV gang's most explosive feuds, and however you might rank them, this much is undeniable: Way back then. Not so way back then. Last year. Last month. Last week. Probably right now. There is no shortage of beef.

NOTE: We’ve saved the craziest for last, so we suggest that you a deep breath, sit back, grab a hat and hold the f--k onto it …

When Briana DeJesus joined the Teen Mom 2 cast in 2017, she was not welcomed with open arms. In fact, she quickly became persona non grata at her first get-together with the cast - with one exception. Jenelle Evans, Briana said, “is the only one who was acting like her s--t ain’t stink. Plus she was the only one who wasn’t acting fake and choosing sides.” Leah Messer’s response was to “pay no attention to those who try to bring you down … they’re just envious of where you are and how well you’re doing.” As we'll get to in a bit, relations haven't exactly gotten more amicable since.

Maci Bookout and Taylor McKinney's relationship has produced three kids, and they seem very happily married ... most of the time. Like, 85 percent of the time. Bookout alarmed fans with the confession a few years ago that revealed some trouble in paradise: “Eighty-five percent of the time we’re good to go … Fifteen percent is hell. All of our stress and emotions, we take out on each other. When the cameras leave, we’ll drink and freak out. It’s always literally the smallest things. It’s such small stuff but it blows up. It’s not going to go away.” Yikes ... but at least they've had plenty of time to work on things?

So Jenelle has this weird thing about Chelsea -- she accused her of copying her because she made a website for herself after she'd already made her own, because making a website is something totally special and unique. She also kind of accused Chelsea of copying her when she gave birth to Watson the day after Jenelle gave birth to Ensley, which is just wild. On another occasion, Jenelle went off about Chelsea ignoring her older daughter, Aubree, after having Watson, insinuating that she's a bad mother. Chelsea liked a tweet from someone who called Jenelle "pathetic" for bringing up Aubree, which is pretty much the most she's ever participated in this feud.

This one is pretty weird -- one time Babs "jokingly" threatening to "kill Kail" during an Instagram Live session with Jenelle. Lowry was understandably not amused and threatened to quit the show over Barbara's threats. That didn't happen, of course, and it's no longer an issue since Jenelle and her family are no longer on the show, but how bizarre, right?

Brooke Wehr was never a Teen Mom 2 cast member, but due to her mercurial relationship with Jeremy Calvert, her impact was felt just the same. A few years ago, the couple's engagement ended after Brooke accused Jeremy of cheating on her with multiple women, one being a Teen Mom 2 producer, another being her best friend, and a third possibly being his ex-wife Leah Messer. Brooke even shared a screen shot of a text message conversation between Jeremy and the best friend as proof, while Calvert responded in a drunken stupor that yes, maybe he did sleep with Brooke's best friend, but ... only because Wehr slept with some other guy first. Or, as he put it, Brooke was "f-cking his brains out, every day," and he was single, so "my dick was happy to do whatever the f-ck it wanted to do, and it did." Shocking that these two didn't work out ... but neither party was completely off base with their allegations. Just saying. Jeremy and Leah did hook up.

Briana hooked up with Luis in a bathroom while she was drunk, and she got pregnant. They tried to make a relationship work, but he cheated on her and was generally just not great. He's never really been around for their daughter, Stella, but he did come back around last year for a bit. Briana even decided to give him another shot -- except this time, she got the clap. So yeah, they're not on the best terms.

Devoin is the father of Briana's first child, Nova, and they haven't gotten along for many, many years. Briana says that Devoin is a deadbeat dad, Devoin says that Briana won't let him be an active father, it's this whole thing. However, things got especially bad last summer when Briana let him take Nova for an overnight visit and he ended up getting drunk while he was with her alone at a pool. More recently, she criticized him for not giving her any money to help with Nova.

This feud has been going on for years, but has taken on many new forms due to ever-changing circumstances and new tensions. The main point of contention for awhile was Javi's relationship with Briana DeJesus, who came on board the cast of Teen Mom 2 in 2017 amid a lot of controversy. Bri and Kail are bitter rivals (more on that later), so it's not surprising that Ms. Lowry would take issue with DeJesus hooking up with her ex ... or proposing to her. Kail was so salty over Javi's new relationship that she even canceled plans to collaborate on a pair of memoirs with Marroquin. android tv boxThese days, the two of them seem to be doing OK for the most part, but of course that could change at any moment.

Jenelle and Leah used to be friendly, but then things changed -- possibly because Leah became so close with Jenelle's mortal enemy, Kailyn Lowry. Jenelle has thrown plenty of jabs at Leah on social media, like the time she claimed CPS removed the twins from Leah's care and that there were more shocking details about all that that no one knows about. She's also criticized Leah for allowing her daughter to wear makeup and short skirts for cheerleading. As for Leah, she doesn't really seem to pay too much attention to anything Jenelle's ever said about her, although she did speak out after David killed Nugget, Jenelle's dog.

There was a time when Jenelle and Farrah were friends, but no more -- to be honest, both ladies seem to have trouble maintaining friendships with anyone. Jenelle has made remarks about Farrah's plastic surgery and her adult entertainment ventures, and Farrah has called Jenelle out on her bad parenting and her horrific taste in men. After Jenelle left David last year, Farrah offered her support, then ultimately decided to block her on social media because it's none of her business.

Jenelle didn't like Cheyenne from the moment MTV announced she was joining the cast of Teen Mom OG because of some tweets she'd made about white people several years ago. But the feud really started last year when Jenelle made a comment about Amber Portwood's assault charges -- Cheyenne tweeted that Jenelle "should be the last person throwing shade." Jenelle told her that she had no clue what she was talking about, then Cheyenne hit back with "Coming from the real racist, dog killer, abuser and honestly the most unstable individual I’ve witnessed.. GREAT STATEMENT.. get custody of ALL your kids and stay out of court before you talk about me." Jenelle tried to come back from that by calling her a "replacement," but Cheyenne said "And you're fired... soooo?" Beautiful.

Mackenzie has often criticized the network that made her a D-list star -- she once blasted both MTV itself and Teen Mom viewers who have been critical of her relationship with Ryan, particularly her decision to let him drive to their wedding while he was so high that he lost consciousness behind the wheel. "It’s easy to show the ‘half truth’ and portray it as a whole," Mackenzie wrote in a lengthy social media tirade. "But that’s ok because regardless of what happens, whether right or wrong, you’re considered scum.” She's also accused MTV of making her and her husband look bad with editing, but we'd argue that Ryan has always made himself look bad just because of who he is as a person. android tv box

Jenelle Evans' relationship with David Eason has been suspect from the start, even to members of their inner circle - and their own families. One of the loudest voices of disapproval of Jenelle is David Eason's sister. Her complaints were nothing new - Jenelle's a bad mom, a violent criminal, a drug addict, etc. But just because Jenelle's heard these criticisms before, that doesn't mean she took them lying down. In a public Facebook exchange that was at once amusing and horrifying, Jenelle tore into Jessica Eason Miller, accusing her of child abuse and hard drug addiction. Jess shot back by accusing Jenelle of going to great lengths to keep her numerous abortions a secret. Needless to say, these sisters-in-law won't be meeting up for cosmos anytime soon.

Following a slew of gossip stories shared by her co-stars a few years ago that she deemed unflattering, the Carolina Hurricane unleased her legal fury ... to widespread mockery. Jenelle sent cease-and-desist letters to a number of her co-stars, including Leah Messer, Chelsea Houska, and Chelsea's father, Randy Houska. She also took legal action against peripheral friends such as Ryan Dolph, and even her own mother, Barbara Evans. It's yet another reminder that Jenelle is not someone you want to mess with. Not because there's any legal merit to what she was alleging, but just because she's certifiably bonkers and when you kick a hornets' nest of that size, you open yourself up to all kinds of mayhem, bedlam and chaos.

Farrah hasn't gotten along with her former co-stars for years, but on one memorable occasion, she hopped on Instagram to allege that Lowell is a closeted pothead and Baltierra is secretly gay. Yes, for real. Catelynn was unable to defend herself as she was in rehab at the time being treated for various emotional issues; Tyler simply dismissed Farrah's claims as the ravings of seriously unstable woman. Probably the best way to conduct one's self in that situation, but they don't always brush it off. Tyler later stirred the pot once more when he said MTV was right to fire Farrah for her porn career, to which Abraham responded with an iconic word salad in the third person. android tv box

Catelynn has also attacked Farrah over the years - who could forget when she called her fellow Teen Mom a "hoe bag," or when she pretended not to know who Farrah was and instead started talking about Farrah Fawcett? What about the time that she charged out during Farrah's reunion fight with Amber yelling "TRASHY BITCH"? And then there was the time that Catelynn posted this just before Farrah's canceled boxing match with Hoopz. Stay classy, everyone!

This was a feud no one saw coming. Apparently Ryan was active on the dating app Tinder, despite the fact that he's, ya know ... married. When Mackenzie found out about this RIGHT AFTER they tied the knot, she was understandably not pleased. Catching your husband swiping and chatting with other chicks after you married him days earlier? Insane. But, instead of taking out her frustrations on Edwards himself, she decided to let loose on a random girl he was chatting with online. Edwards' Tinder Girl was the undisputed victor in this one, destroying Mackenzie's argument simply by stating, “Your husband is the one on Tinder.” Enough said, really. Incredibly, they stayed married, Mackenzie got pregnant ... TWICE. To quote the legendary Kieffer Delp, "You know how choices be."

Jeremy has never been a fan of David and Jenelle -- he spoke out against the homophobic remarks that got David fired, and he got into a spat with Jenelle after she was shown pulling a gun on that guy (he called her a "dumb bitch" in case you forgot). Later, David commented on a photo that Jeremy shared to tell him that he looked "like a bitch," and Jeremy went off on him in a long rant that concluded with "keep f-cking with me and I'll fly my ass to nc and I'll show u what kind of bitch I am pretty boy." So yeah, they don't like each other.

Where do you even start with these three? Ryan and Maci have experienced their share of rough patches over the years as they've struggled to peaceably co-parent their son, Bentley, but in the past, they've always been able to sort out their differences eventually. But then Ryan started doing heroin and brought Mackenzie into the picture, and that's not really the case anymore. Maci thinks that Mackenzie enables Ryan, Mackenzie thinks that Maci stresses Ryan out -- it's a mess. The two ladies have said plenty of nasty things about each other over the years, while Ryan went in and out of jail and rehab. Like we said, it's a mess. Poor Bentley.

Farrah has said a lot of things about the network that made her famous, like that time that she bizarrely claimed that MTV forces stars of the Teen Mom franchise to continue having children, even when they'd prefer not to. Abraham also accused the producers of encouraging Amber Portwood to attack her during their reunion show melee (more on that later), and even claimed she was fired from the network for partaking in "adult" pursuits on the side. Even more amazingly than the fact that she threw around the term "hate crimes" to describe how MTV treated her? The apparent fact that the folks who made her famous are actually willing to continue working with Farrah. Or were, until she finally got fired or quit, depending who you believe. With Farrah, every day is another day in the Post-Truth Era.

Where do we even begin with this. In late summer 2019, a 911 call was placed from Javi's home, following a dispute there. No charges were filed, but the truth came out. You see, Javi had recently gotten engaged to Lauren, with whom he welcomed his second son. Not long after that, he got busted cheating on her, banging one of the members of his CrossFit gym ... IN HIS BATHROOM while Lauren was asleep (or so he thought) IN THEIR HOME. As if that weren't crazy enough, he then called Kailyn to mediate; Kail later put him on blast, claiming he'd been cheating on Lauren back when she was pregnant and chastising him for wanting her to "clean up their mess." Don't worry, Javi posted a cheesy apology on Instagram, for everyone to see, and it was all good with Lauren after like 12 minutes.

There's always been some seriously bad blood between Farrah and Debra -- remember that time that she hit her in the early days of Teen Mom OG? Deb forced Farrah to become a mother when she insisted she wasn't ready, she didn't support her after Sophia's father passed away, and she was just generally awful towards her. Things got so bad between them that at one point, Farrah said that she'd wished that her mother would "just f-cking die already." They've been estranged for a long time now, although Farrah does sometimes allow Deb to see Sophia.

Jenelle Evans and her mother, Barbara, have always had a tumultuous relationship, with Babs unafraid to dish it out as much as she's forced to take it. In previous years, they would fight a lot and trade zingers (such as this classic image), then eventually put it behind them. For a good long while, Jenelle and Babs were at each other's throats more often than not, and the stakes couldn't have been higher. Barbara now has permanent custody of Jenelle's oldest son, Jace, and Jenelle has mostly come to terms with it. Thankfully, they're not fighting so much these days -- yep, they're actually managing to get along. For the moment, anyway.

Things neared a boiling point between Amber Portwood and Matt Baier after he vowed that would never marry her ... because she wouldn’t marry him on the spot in Las Vegas, obviously. “I will not marry her,” he said. “I will not marry her now, ever! I’m not gonna let her [brother] dictate my life. That f—king f—got. She wants to marry her brother. That’s who she wants to marry. F—k her. She just humiliated me on TV. I’m done!” Matt, who was livid at Amber’s reasoning for not eloping in Vegas - her brother Shawn not being present - went on to tell a producer, “I don’t care who you have to give oral pleasure to, keep the Amber and Matt wedding thing off [the air]. She just embarrassed me in front of 12 million people.” We’re pretty sure you did that to yourself, Matt …

As if it wasn't bad enough that Matt Baier offered Catelynn Lowell a Xanax before a press event, casting serious doubt over whether or not he remains drug-free, he ultimately took a lie detector test to prove his faithfulness to Amber Portwood ... and failed. The polygraph revealed that Matt made sexual advances toward other women during his relationship with the Teen Mom star, and that was it for her. "Trash! TRASH! I got you money. I got you deals! And you tried to f--k her! F--K YOU!" Their breakup, which was a long time coming, was not undone despite a stint on Marriage Boot Camp ... though she did meet crew member Andrew Glennon while on the set and went on to have his baby. Matt also got married (seriously) to Jen Conlon. Funny how life works out. h96 max tv box

Perhaps the longest-running feud of the franchise, Chelsea Houska and Adam Lind face off mostly through their lawyers these days, because the derelict of society can't stay out of trouble or pay child support. In recent years, he's failed drug tests with meth in his system, and he's also been arrested more than once for domestic violence. Because of all of that, he's only allowed to see his daughter with Chelsea at a visitation center (which he rarely seems to do), and he gave up his parental rights completely for his other daughter, Paislee.

Amber and Jenelle have never interacted all that much since they were on different shows, but still, Amber felt the need to speak out after one of David's many abuse scandals -- she ranted about it on Instagram, calling him names like "bitch" and "disgusting clown." Jenelle told her to leave her family alone, and she also said "You’re the one who went to jail for domestic violence but you’re sitting here pointing fingers at my husband?" Amber then threatened to beat her up, because of course she did. Their feud was reignited months later when Jenelle started saying that it was unfair that she got fired when Amber got to keep her spot on the show. Amber never responded, but a source did report that “She doesn’t feel the need to get into a feud with Jenelle with everything going on in the world right now."

This feud has been going on for a long, long time, and it started back in the day when Jenelle needed Kailyn to post bail for her, but then she never paid her back. These two have traded insults over the years, and Jenelle was actually low enough to leak the news of Kail's pregnancy with Lux. Since then, they've been making snide remarks about each other on social media, with David even joining in to insult her about things like her weight and her sexuality. Most recently, Jenelle took a break from her newfound body positivity to call Kail "a giant compared to me," and Kailyn hit back by saying that at least she has custody of all of her children. Classic stuff there.

Nathan and Jenelle were terrible together, and things didn't change after they broke up. The big issue was that she didn't waste any time in getting with David, and David has always hated Nathan. Like, a lot. The feeling became mutual after a while, and Nathan started claiming that Kaiser had told him that David was abusive. Nathan once even tweeted photos of some suspicious bruises on Kaiser that he said were from David hitting him with a stick, but Jenelle turned it around, suggesting that Nathan was the abusive one. Nathan has been talking about getting custody of Kaiser for a while now, but of course he has his own issues on top of everything else.

Amber Portwood and Farrah Abraham’s iconic beef may never be topped, at least in terms of how it came to a head on an MTV reunion special with the cameras rolling. It was pretty standard - or at least it was until Farrah said that Amber's then-boyfriend, Matt Baier, looks like a pedophile. With Farrah and her then-boyfriend, Simon Saran, just trolling Matt incessantly, Portwood hit her breaking point off camera. She stormed the stage, trying to fight Farrah, hurling insult after insult at her rival, and even throwing a punch that missed. Baier and Farrah's father, Michael, then got into it physically, forcing security to break it up. Crew members stormed the stage to pull Amber away from Farrah and it was all a mess. An epic, chaotic and glorious mess. h96 tv box

The bad blood from their epic reunion fight lingered long after the dust settled and only worsened in the years since.. Farrah said Gary Shirley should have full custody of Amber’s daughter, and that Amber needs to stop "using me to get attention … I want nothing to do with [her] criminal behavior or lying evil groups of people [she associates] with.” Fast forward to 2019, in the wake of Amber's arrest for assaulting Andrew Glennon (below), Farrah said again: "I do not speak to others who are very vulgar and abusive. I haven’t spoken to her. I feel that children, adults, family members, everyone associated should be treated with care, love. And that’s where the society and the world is going. I really hope that, not only Amber, but I hope Catelynn, I hope Maci… gets some help. They seriously need it." Vintage Farrah word salad.

This feud never really stops, but boy does it take more twists and turns than we can even count. Most notably, Javi started dating Briana, and even proposed to her in 2018, resulting in a lot of bitter feelings from Kailyn. THEN, he broke up with Briana and started dating Lauren Comeau ... who quickly became pregnant with his child, prompting more feelings from both Kailyn and Briana. THEN Kailyn revealed that after his split from Briana, but prior to him impregnating Lauren, Javi tried to bang Kailyn repeatedly. After that, it came out that Javi was actually juggling all three women at the same time. Who has the energy?

One of the best, for obvious reasons. As we mentioned, Bri's was dating Kailyn's ex-husband, Javi Marroquin, a move that effectively drove a dagger into the heart of their friendship - whatever that consisted of. They had a very heated argument at one reunion, and at the next, they wanted to physically fight each other. First, Kail invited Briana for a private chat in a room backstage, but Briana left before things could get bad. Later, when it was time for all the girls to to onstage together, Briana tried to attack Kailyn, but security guards were able to keep them away from each other. They don't do reunions together anymore, but they do get sassy about each other on social media!

There's a lot here, so let's just breeze through, all right? Kailyn met Chris at college, she slept with him when she was still married to Javi, and he ended up impregnating her when the marriage was over. He was never around throughout the pregnancy, and she even said he had another girlfriend, though he did show up for the birth and for a little while after. Kail has said that things went bad a few months later, and she's even claimed that he broke into her house and broke a window in her bedroom at that time. Still, she had a big thing for them, and they hooked up every now and then. Eventually, he got her pregnant again, and she soon got an order of protection against him. Right now, she's nearing the end of that pregnancy, and things don't seem to be much better with Chris.

Nothing funny about this one. On July 5, 2019, Portwood was arrested and charged with two counts of domestic battery and one count of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon after she struck her boyfriend, Andrew Glennon, in the neck as Glennon held their son James in his arms. She then threatened to commit suicide by overdosing on pills, and used a machete to attempt and break into the room where Glennon was hiding with their son. She was convicted on felony charges of domestic battery and intimdation, and she's currently on probation. Later, audio recordings were released in which Amber could be heard verbally abusing Andrew, and in one she even admitted to punching him in the face. There's no contact between them now, and Amber has been allowed visits with their son. h96 tv box

Where do we even begin? Jenelle and David have always gotten in awful fights, and they've only gotten worse as time has gone on. In the beginning, they argued a lot, but a couple of years ago, she called 911 in hysterics, claiming he pushed her down so hard she thought he'd broken her collarbone. She called again a few months later because she'd locked him outside and he was beating the door down. Last year, she left him for a while after he killed her dog, which resulted in them losing temporary custody of the kids, and she even got a restraining order against him after telling a judge she feared for her life. She went back to him, but things definitely haven't been good -- she recently left him again and threatened to get a restraining order. She didn't, and we guess things are supposed to be OK right now, but it's only a matter of time until things get bad again.

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The Winners And Losers From The 2020 Emmy Nominations

The 2020 Emmy nominations rolled out today, and boy, were they something. Right away, Rhea Seehorn fans grew furious that she was somehow left on the side of the road again, and it’s very strange to not see Larry David receive more nods for being a lovable curmudgeon on HBO, but perhaps he’s topped out with a lifetime total of 27 Emmy nominations and 2 wins. We could also talk about numbers mattering, which is good news on the HBO front, with Watchmen and Succession scoring 26 and 18 nominations, respectively, and Disney+ scooping up 15 nods for The Mandalorian, although sorry, Baby Yoda, you are somehow not eligible for acting awards.

That’s not as satisfying, though, as talking about the real winners and losers, which is a fine tradition here. Please do not consider this to be a complete list of wronged-and-righted parties (for example, I cannot even begin to understand why Desus and Mero got the shaft, which shouldn’t have happened), but let’s get this ball rolling, shall we?

When it comes to Ozark, I kind-of get why people don’t want to give this show a shot at first. The bizarre insistence upon a blue filter goes a long way, for example, or the fact that it arguably fine-tunes the Walt-Jesse dynamic from Breaking Bad — yes, that might grind some gears. Yet all of those concerns don’t matter once you surrender to the setting and watch Jason Bateman lose his sh*t in consistently captivating ways. The acting nominations here were all well deserved, as was the Outstanding Drama series nod, especially with that cliffhanger. I do look forward to one day seeing Julia Garner win her 15th Emmy in, like, 2045, but let’s also shout out Dead To Me. That little Netflix series also been recognized once again despite (probably) being intended as a trash-comfort watch. Yet it works surprisingly well to stir up a wide range of emotions and affirm humanity in the process. Also, recognition for Linda Cardellini will never get old. Now she can forget that Capone came out this year. h96 tv box

Let’s make one thing clear: Reese is doing just fine. In fact, she’s likely doing wonderful. However, her prestige TV turns have gone unrewarded for this year’s ceremony. Whereas Jennifer Aniston received a nod for Apple TV’s The Morning Show, Reese didn’t walk away with the same honor for her performance as an unruly spitfire of a co-host. Her Hulu and HBO roles, in Little Fires Everywhere and Big Little Lies, also went unrecognized. I can only guess that there simply wasn’t enough room for all the BLL ladies, and although her ruffling of Adam Scott was convincing enough, neither she nor Nicole Kidman could beat out Laura Dern and Meryl Streep’s  extremely unhinged  turns on the show. Still, Reese will not walk away from 2020 empty-handed. Quibi  paid her $6 million to narrate a wildlife series, and you gotta respect that hustle.

Yes, I did suggest that numbers don’t matter, but c’mon. Not only did The Mandalorian receive 15 nods, but Watchmen scored 26. The best part about Damon Lindelof’s show gathering so many decorations, though, is that no one even asked for a Watchmen TV series to be made. Alan Moore’s graphic novel was always considered to be unfilmable (and Zack Snyder made the case there), but Lindelof did it anyway. He recontextualized the whole story against the backdrop of a long-buried U.S. atrocity and hid Doctor Manhattan in the body of a Black man. He put the damn squid in there, included Jeremy Irons’ fart face, made Regina King walk on water (or not), and inserted a Lube Man. Watchmen could win no Emmys at all, and it’d still be the winner for all those things.

This one is a puzzler. The Emmys nominated Bob Odenkirk in 2019, 2017, 2016, and 2015, but he somehow came up short this year for his lead role in AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff that landed on the top of our best shows of the year (so far) list. Even if one considers that his category was stacked — and let’s be honest here, it wasn’t airtight because Steve Carell‘s The Morning Show role felt more like a supporting role than a lead — it’s hard to ignore how the Emmy’s almost entirely shut out the Saul actors. And really, how does one justify continuing to leave Rhea Seehorn on the side of the road with an arc like the one she had this season? With  those finger guns… and everything? It just doesn’t make sense, but I guess at least Gus Fring is getting his due. h96 max tv box

Zendaya could become the  youngest winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award for her turn in the provocative Euphoria. The drug-fueled series about teens isn’t an easy watch by any stretch, but it’s a relevant one, and Zendaya’s finally receiving the dramatic material that her talents deserve. On the Ramy side of things, it’s nice to see more affirmation that this is the best show that  you’re not currently watching. It’s a little disheartening to not see the show’s actresses gain recognition while their characters are finally coming to the forefront, but it’s hard to argue with the possibility of creator Ramy Youssef adding an Emmy to his Globe win for this dramedy about Muslim-Americans. Also, Mahershala Ali getting a nod for his Hot Sheikh means that at least something’s right in our current universe (after that Green Book mess).

Young women challenging institutions are where it’s at this year. Even though Watchmen will (and should) walk away with the Outstanding Limited Series category, I’m thrilled to see two insurgent-feeling shows, Unbelievable and Unorthodox, make the shortlist. Kaitlyn Dever should have also been nominated in the acting department for her turn as a rape survivor who was treated like a criminal, due to being an “imperfect victim,” but the show as a whole deserved the nod that it received for being taking such a feminist approach to crime-drama storytelling. And I’m pumped to see Unorthodox‘s Shira Hass pop up with an Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series nod (she’s up against Regina King and Cate Blanchett), as well as seeing recognition for the  stunning miniseries’ exploration of a young woman’s flight from Hasidic Judaism. android tv box

Pacino’s first regular TV role in Amazon Prime’s Hunters was a highly anticipated one, but sadly, the show (despite plenty of enticing ingredients like Jordan Peele producing and, you know, the killing of Nazis),  didn’t hit the mark. Honestly, yeah, it was messy, and Pacino’s accent work managed to be one of the weirdest parts of a very weird show. It’s not worth too many words to rehash what happened there, for it’s enough to say that Pacino’s already won two TV-movie Emmys for You Don’t Know Jack and Angels In America. He’s also notched an Oscar win (in 1993 for Scent of a Woman) and eight Oscar nominations (including in 2020 for The Irishman). He doesn’t necessarily need to win at TV shows, too!

You can see the full list the  Emmy nominations here.

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#Nebula

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Watch Dogs: Legion Hands-On — A World Worth Exploring

Watch Dogs: Legion follows the series’ established hack-heavy formula, but the new recruitment system adds a refreshing layer of intrigue underneath your run of the mill missions. All of which still have the fun of outsmarting enemies or finding the right angle to solve a puzzle, download a key/file, or wreak havoc from afar. But the most appealing part of Watch Dogs: Legion is finding and recruiting new people. From potential new weapons to lovable characters with fascinating backgrounds and recruitment missions, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by expanding DedSec.

Watch Dogs Legion’s Degrees of Dystopian.Set in near-future London, the bombings DedSec was framed for have led to an authoritarian state in which Albion - a private military corporation - has taken over policing while an intelligence community, led by Signal Intelligence Response Service (SIRS), spies on London’s citizens. In an attempt to clear DedSec, you’re tasked with finding out who is responsible for the London bombings. Villains include Nigel Cass, CEO of Albion, and Mary Kelly, leader of an organized crime syndicate in London. x96 tv box

In keeping with the series norms, Watch Dogs: Legion operates in the extremes of tech-gone-too-far and corporations-up-to-no-good. It’s what I expect, but  as an exaggeration of where society could head, some storylines are more believable and intriguing than others. An Albion security guard making a janky deal to get medicine felt like a natural extension of the current ways governments fail their people, but an evil CEO shooting someone with a room full of high-powered witnesses felt more cartoonishly evil than cleverly dystopian.

Making every character playable is a narrative risk, but it’s one Watch Dogs: Legion seems to pull off based on what I’ve played so far. Those who felt Marcus Holloway’s cutscene persona didn’t match his mid-mission murders may have a hard time buying into the idea of convincing anyone on the street to join what’s publicly viewed as a terrorist organization — favors aside.

The script differences highlight each character as a unique individual rather than a generic stand-in. From the reserved yet no-nonsense attitude of the old lady I added to my team to my recently recruited Albion guard frantically chatting while she drives through London as if to say “Oh my god; I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.”

And at the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with things being a bit video game-y if the ends justify the means, and in Watch Dogs: Legion they seem to do just that. Playing as anyone goes as narratively smoothly as it can, given the gameplay, and the experience of recruiting randos makes for a joyous open-world experience. android tv box

While there are plenty of new elements to Watch Dogs: Legion, such as ridable cargo drones, the fundamentals are still present. Take over cameras to redirect power, download data, or interact with nearby objects to create distractions or explosions. Distract enemies by sending something to their phones. Or go straight into combat, which leans even more heavily on player choice with enemies only using melee attacks against you until you pull out your gun and decide it’s time for a firefight. This is particularly convenient for those looking to stealth and hack their way through encounters.

My demo dropped me to the midpoint of the game where missions were a routine to-do list of heading from location to location, hacking drones to scope out the area, and then hacking cameras to download access keys or cause mayhem. At this point in the game the ability to cloak enemy bodies was available, allowing for a more aggressive playstyle, with stealth easier to pull off without alerting foes. London’s various buildings, tourist spots, and construction sites made for a fun playground to strategize my way through each gig.

The loop may be familiar, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. As usual, I found that causing destruction without getting my hands dirty was far more amusing than doing stealth takedowns of less than intelligent A.I who have dull walking patterns and are easily lured or distracted. Seeing how many enemies I can kill by stringing hacks to set off carefully timed explosions before I even step foot in a building never ceased to satisfy. If I was spotted, I found it easier to lean on whatever guns I had available than to bother regaining my cover or fighting hand to hand.

Fast travel still exists and some characters even have their own vehicles (often equipped with useful tech), but otherwise there’s good old-fashioned carjacking. A clever, futuristic touch is the option to steal a self-driving car (just look for the icon on the windshield). No driver or passenger punching required!

Driving still feels arcade-y at heart but some vehicles control better than others. The narrower and more roundabout-filled London streets make for a slower, more challenging drive than speeding down San Francisco. Of course, there isn’t much of an immediate penalty for running over lampposts or even pedestrians.

However, upon closer examination you’ll notice that running over someone makes them like you less. Good luck recruiting the person you just hospitalized (still possible! But an awkward icebreaker once they recover). Albion may come after you if they see you commit a crime, but losing them isn’t too difficult as long as you put enough distance between the two of you. Some nice touches include the fact that they can follow you into buildings — your safe house is inaccessible when you’re under pursuit — and if you’re cornered, an electrical device can latch onto your car, rendering it undrivable.

Making Your Team is a Dream.By far, Watch Dogs: Legion’s biggest and most impressive differentiator is the ability to play as anyone. Though getting complete intel on a person (down to their schedule) requires you to upgrade the DeepProfiler by using Tech Points you find hidden in the world. Getting to know them will tip you off to what they’re looking for and unlock their recruitment missions to turn an initial No into a Yes. x96 tv box

The borough uprising system lets you take on missions to empower a borough and give them a more positive outlook on DedSec. Some recruitments will be mandatory as part of the campaign, such as an Albion guard, but you mostly have free reign. If you just want to get the best of the best, DedSec will mark a few people of interest on your map who have been predetermined as good recruits, such as a Drone Expert and Bee Keeper. But you’re also free to recruit whoever is roaming around London.

The first person who caught my eye was an adorable old lady who was looking for some Darts competition. To recruit her, the first step was to go to the pub and play her in Darts, which is one of the most appealing mini-game side quests I’ve ever had the option to do. Hell yes, I want to play this old lady in Darts to get her to join DeadSec! Winning led to her recruitment mission of investigating how her job replaced the 300 workers who were laid off.

I could see this recruitment loop getting stale over time but, during my brief session, I adored every moment of it because I was doing it for my new recruit and my reward was having her there for the rest of my adventure - despite the fact that the mission itself was nothing special.

Unfortunately, she was arrested shortly after being recruited.  Despite previous plans for mandatory permadeath, no one dies in Watch Dogs: Legion unless you opt-in to play with permadeath on. Instead, they just get arrested or hospitalized and locked by a timer. You can go to the police station and potentially get them out early but the easier solution is to just switch to a different operative. Having certain operatives on your team such as Albion guards, police officers, or EMTs will decrease your time in jail or the hospital.

A Dynamic and Diverse Group.Each character has their own loadouts, perks, professions, personalities, and backgrounds. Weapons and tools are shared across your team and can be swapped, but there are some gadgets and guns that are locked to certain types of recruits.

Uniform Access allows for certain characters to enter restricted areas more easily. So walking into a construction site as a construction worker means I can more freely walk through the area and it takes longer for enemies to detect my presence. However, they can still realize I don’t belong there so it’s not an instant win.

My assassin had a slew of powerful guns at her disposal but the graffiti artist had a paintball gun and would spray folks in the face after executing a takedown. Even across folks from the same background there’s some level of variation. android tv box

For instance, one construction worker will have a different set of tools than another.There were some rough edges in the build I played. When characters are defeated the animation looks a bit goofy, and there are some questionable drivers. But some of these may be cleared up by launch. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Watch Dogs: Legion and grew attached to the different characters, their arsenals, and their sparkling personalities. The lack of a primary main character doesn’t detract from the story. Instead, it incentivizes exploring and immersing myself in a world I otherwise may have ignored in favor of mainlining the story.

Watch Dogs: Legion’s gameplay follows the established formula of hacking devices to accomplish your task at hand with the option to go in guns blazing - though it’s the less enticing route when you have plenty of gadgets at hand and drones overhead.