It might not be the last time that 9-1-1fans see the beloved fire captain of the 118 after all.
Warning: This post includes spoilers for 9-1-1 season 8, episode 15.
In an interview with Variety published after the Thursday, April 17, episode aired on ABC, showrunner Tim Minear teased that Peter Krause will appear in upcoming episodes.
“I will say that episode 15 is not Peter Krause’s final appearance this season,” Minear, 61, quipped.
Krause, 59, has played fire captain Bobby Nash on all eight seasons of 9-1-1. In Thursday’s episode — a two-part thriller about a contagion — Bobby died at the tail-end of the episode. Throughout the bulk of the episode, Bobby and his firefighter crew of Chimney (Kenneth Choi), Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) were trapped in a subterranean biomedical facility after Chimney was exposed to a deadly pathogen. Outside the lab, Buck (Oliver Stark), Athena (Angela Bassett) and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) sought a way to secure a sole dose of an antiviral to save Chimney’s life.
Peter KrauseDisney/Christopher Willard
With the antiviral eventually secured, Bobby pleaded with the FBI and SWAT agents stationed outside to help his team safely leave the sealed-off facility. He, however, didn’t follow suit and revealed that his gear had a leak, exposing him to the virus.
According to Minear, the decision to kill off Bobby was “entirely creative” and had nothing to do with Krause himself.
“[It was] a very difficult creative decision because there’s practically no one I love on this Earth more than Peter,” Minear told the outlet. “I think it needed to be Bobby for a lot of reasons. The first reason is that it made sense. It didn’t feel arbitrary, because if you track the tragic arc of his character, of where he started and how he came to L.A. looking for atonement, it just makes a kind of tragic sense for his character in a way it wouldn’t for another character.”
Peter KrauseDisney/Christopher Willard
Minear further stressed that Bobby’s death would affect “every single character’s story in a way that really no other character death would.”
Bobby’s wife, Athena, was particularly emotional on Thursday’s episode as she said goodbye from the other side of the facility’s door.
“Angela was shocked. She was like, ‘You’re gonna kill my husband?!’” Minear recalled to Variety of Bassett’s initial reaction to the script. “And I’m like, ‘And it’s gonna create a lot of story for you.’”
9-1-1 returns to ABC in two weeks with a promo trailer teasing Bobby’s funeral.
The wait is almost over for NCIS fans to see LL COOL J back on the flagship series as Sam Hanna — and Us Weekly has an exclusive first look at his return.
“Guess who’s back?” LL COOL J teases in Us’ exclusive sneak peek at the Monday, April 21, episode, sitting inside the NCIS offices that fans will instantly recognize.
The video then jumps to LL COOL J in character as former NCIS: Los Angeles special agent Sam Hanna popping into an autopsy alongside Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), special agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) and forensic scientist Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover).
“We’re going to get a special visit from one of our family members, LL COOL J,” Wilmer Valderrama, who plays special agent Nick Torres, reveals in the preview. He reminds viewers, “You met Sam Hana 15 years ago on a little show called NCIS: Los Angeles.”
LL Cool JRobert Voets/CBS
LL COOL J recalls working with the NCIS team “a couple of times,” calling the crossovers “cool” and “always fun.”
The NCIS cast completely agrees that LL COOL J’s visit can’t be missed. “He is so much fun. I really, truly enjoy having him here,” Katrina Law, who plays special agent Jessica Knight, says.
As glimpses at Knight and Sam fighting side by side on the episode flash across the screen, Sean Murray confirms the upcoming case is “just fun” with “new dynamics.” Murray, who plays special agent Timothy McGee, adds, “I mean LL, he’s fantastic.”
When it comes to Monday’s episode, which is titled, “After the Storm,” Valderrama, 45, teases, “We’re going to try to keep people guessing.”
The preview then shows Torres and Knight, guns drawn, approaching a man covered in blood as he hits stunned at a bus stop. The bloodied man is later identified as an associate of Sam, which is how he joins the Washington, D.C. agents to crack the case.
(L-R): Sean Murray as Special Agent Timothy McGee, Gary Cole as NCIS Special Agent Alden Parker, xx, and Wilmer Valderrama as NCIS Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres.Robert Voets/CBS
“A friend of Sam’s gets tied up with a group and the only person that this friend of his is willing to trust with the info is Sam Hanna,” LL COOL J explains in the video.
Law, 39, reveals that after Knight and her pals call up Sam, “He shows up and he brings all the LL COOL J glory.”
Elsewhere in the preview, Sam arrives at NCIS headquarters wearing a suit, which is not his regular wardrobe. “Even a man of steel has to dress like Clark Kent once and a while,” Sam jokes after being asked about his change in style.
“It’s really just about fun. I like the character. I think he’s a very cool character. He’s beloved and he’s fun,” LL COOL J tells the cameras, promising that the new episode will have “all the same chemistry” fans love “plus, a little more action. Plus, a little more suspense.”
LL COOL J initially played former Navy SEAL Sam on a season 6 episode of NCIS, which aired in May 2009. The episode acted as a backdoor pilot for NCIS: Los Angeles, which ran from September 2009 to May 2023, totaling 14 seasons. (He also made a cameo on a season 20 NCIS episode, which aired in 2023.)
The actor reprised his role as Sam on NCIS: Hawai’i beginning with season 2. He remained on the series for season 3 before Hawai’i was canceled in April 2024.
Last month, LL COOL J announced he was slipping back into Sam’s shoes for an April episode of NCIS. “Back on set, baby. NCIS. Let’s get it,” he said in a March social media video.
On Monday, LL COOL J will make his cameo on season 22 of NCIS. The episode follows the team as the investigate a trio of combat veterans who are found murdered in a D.C. motel room. “NCIS tracks down a suspect who refuses to talk to anyone but Sam Hanna,” the official logline reads.
NCIS airs on CBS Mondays at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes air next day on Paramount+.
Just over a week after Tori Spelling and Ryan Cramer attended the premiere of Paramount+’s The Carters docuseries in Los Angeles, a source confirms to Us Weekly that the two are dating again.
Spelling, 51, is taking it day-by-day, but their relationship has been going for “a few months,” the source adds.
Spelling and Cramer had not been seen out together since late 2023, shortly after Us confirmed that the pair were dating.
Their relationship came amid the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum’s separation from husband Dean McDermott. Spelling and McDermott, 58, married in 2006 before Spelling filed for divorce in March 2024. Their initial date of separation was listed as June 17, 2023.
Spelling and McDermott share five children — Liam, 18, Stella, 16, Hattie, 13, Finn, 12, and Beau, 8 — and remain on amicable terms. McDermott also shares son Jack, 25, with ex-wife Mary Jo Eustace.
Even when Spelling and Cramer’s romance last came to an end, the two remained in touch “here and there,” the source continues.
“She feels it was serendipitous that they reconnected and hit it off again,” the insider tells Us, adding that Cramer is “the last judgmental person” and that because Cramer has been there for her, Spelling feels supported.
“She is really happy and feels like her life is moving in a great direction.”
Another source told Us when the couple were dating in 2023 that they met through work and “[Tori] thought he was very charming and handsome.” (Cramer is the cofounder and CEO of California-based advertising agency Neuron Syndicate.)
“Tori is really excited about the new relationship,” the source added at the time.
News of the duo’s reconnection comes two weeks after Spelling opened up about being single on her “Misspelling” podcast.
“I just started with a new therapist,” she told guest Aubrey O’Day during the April 4 episode. “We’re going all back way back to childhood because she’s like, ‘I don’t know where this comes from, but I have a very odd relationship with men.’”
“I’m now 51 and single again with five kids,” she continued. “So, I don’t even know where I stand in the future.”
She concluded, “I just don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to die alone. I don’t know what I’m doing right now.”
Spelling broke down in tears as she spoke, prompting a hug from O’Day, 41.
“You and I are strong,” Spelling said. “They should sample my DNA when they f***ing go to the next world war. Whatever the f*** I am, I’m resilient, but what does it mean at the end of the day?”
When the temps climb so high it feels personal, getting dressed becomes a full-on mental battle. Shorts? Too clingy. Pants? Absolutely not. And while tiny tanks and cutoffs have their place, sometimes you want to feel a breeze without baring it all. Enter: maxi skirts. This tried-and-true solution makes you look put together while staying cool.
Whether you’re into boho-inspired details, sleek designs or something with a little swish and drama, these skirts serve comfort without sacrificing style. Ahead, shop our favorite finds that help you keep your cool without overthinking it.
10 Must-Have Maxi Skirts to Grab Before Summer
1. Fresh Blooms: This breezy chiffon skirt is made for days when pants feel like a personal attack. The sheer fabric and floral print give it romantic, springtime-in-the-South-of-France energy — even if you’re just running errands.
2. Patchwork Princess:This boho chic skirt delivers rich auntie vibes, thanks to flowy tiers and a patchwork print that feels artsy yet elevated. The elastic waistband and ankle length make it ideal for floating through hot days without breaking a sweat.
3. Office To Ocean: The easy pleats and breathable fabric make this maxi skirt a work-to-weekend MVP. Pair it with a bikini top or a blazer — either way, you’ll stay cool without sacrificing style.
4. Cool Ranch Denim: Who says denim can’t be comfortable? This high-waist maxi skirt is soft, breathable and has just enough Western flair to feel intentional, not cowboy cosplay.
5. Villa Vibes: This floaty skirt brings full “rich mom in a Mediterranean villa” vibes, especially when it’s paired with a tank and oversized sunglasses. The linen-like fabric keeps you cool when the sun won’t chill.
6. Bring the Drama: The waist tie and side slit make thisslimming skirt feel styled without even trying. It’s flowy, flattering and comes with pockets.
7. Set it and Forget it: When it’s too hot to think, this two-piece skirt set gets you ready in no time. You get a perfectly matched top and skirt that give the illusion you put effort into the outfit.
8. Boho Bedhead: If pajama-level comfort is your summer uniform, spring for this bohemian-inspired pick. The breezy cut is made for beach days — or just pretending you’re at one.
9. Stretch Goals: This ultra-soft, body-skimming skirt is the stretchy secret to looking cute when you’re melting. The fold-over waist lets you adjust the fit to your comfort level.
10. Breeze Catcher: The side slit on this skirt adds just enough drama without sacrificing comfort.
Spring is in the air, and there’s no better time to give your outfit rotation a refresh, particularly your denim wardrobe.
And even if you already have that one pair of jeans you simply can’t live without, there’s no denying the excitement that comes with investing in a promising new style. So we decided to tap NYC-based celebrity stylist Meghan Stimac, who’s worked with stars like Emily Ratajkowski and Lily Aldridge, to get the scoop on the six best trends of the season.
Below, the expert-approved and A-list-worn trends — from a sleek straight-leg pant to a figure-flattering wide-leg silhouette. Plus, the footwear you should rock with them.
1. Straight
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“It’s a perfect blend of structure and ease,” explains Stimac, who calls the style “a must-have for every wardrobe.” A spring-perfect flat, like The Danza from M.Gemi, or a design featuring a pointed or rounded toe, as seen on Zoe Saldana, are your best footwear pairings for this silhouette.
2. Cuffed
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The fad is “a modern refresh on baggy, straight-leg and wide-leg jeans,” said Stimac, who also suggested completing this look with sporty trainers (we love the Gola Daytona Blaze Sneaker) or sexy heels just like Naomi Watts did.
3. Barrel
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“These are quickly becoming a closet essential,” the fashion pro told Us. “The curved, wide-leg silhouette [creates] an editorial feel, making even the simplest pairings — tees, tanks and cardigans — look instantly cool.” Although statement stilettos or peep-toe pumps, like Julianne Moore’s, would look amazing with balloon jeans, preppy loafers like this pair from Steve Madden will be just as stylishly in step.
4. Capri
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“With a ’60s mod feel and a touch of ’90s nostalgia, denim capris are making a strong comeback,” ensured Stimac. “Keep the look clean and chic by pairing them with a fitted top and sleek thong sandals.” And don’t think too much about it, either: Throw on a simple black tank like Gigi Hadid and versatile ballerina shoes, such as Boden’s Kitty Flexi Sole Ballet Flats.
5. Wide-Leg
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Fashion meets function: “This is a timeless silhouette that flatters every body type,” the expert said of the baggy style. Elevate your pair with a retro platform, such as the Seychelles Paloma Sandal, and a romantic, ruffled blouse à la Sydney Sweeney.
6. Bootcut
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“It’s a throwback with a modern twist,” Stimac said of the slightly flared pants, which give off subtle ’70 vibes. Meghan Markle was spotted wearing the style back in February of this year, and we love how she paired it with a simple bootie and oversized sweater. If the weather feels too hot for a closed-toe shoe, Stimac suggested reaching for an attention-grabbing slingback or a lace-up sandal with a slight heel.
Little People, Big World alums Jeremy and Audrey Roloff have a different approach to being influencers than others in the field.
“I think it’s just interesting. One of the things that I was made, like, more aware of on this [brand] trip was just how segregated our worlds are with work,” Audrey, 33, said on the Thursday, April 17, episode of the couple’s “These Are The Days” podcast. “At this trip, all of these creators are on the brand partnership grind. That’s their main thing that they do, which is great.”
According to Audrey, other influencers are “successful” at their approach to content creation, which often doesn’t include selling “their own product” or running a local business. (Audrey and Jeremy, 34, own a brand called Beating 50 Percent and have also published several journals and self-help books about marriage.)
“Most of them have never done an MLM, or know anything about the MLM space,” Audrey said, referring to the business model of multi-level marketing. “Some of them do affiliates, but in a different way. … It’s just interesting because I feel like you and I have our hands dipped in all these different buckets, and we’re not really great at any of them.”
According to Audrey, she and Jeremy have also been involved with MLM programs like Young Living that they balanced with doing “the author thing” and selling books. (Audrey has not publicly shared when or why she left Young Living but hinted on Thursday that her reasoning was “multifaceted.”)
“It’s hard because we’ve tried to do them all — and it’s hard to do them all,” Audrey said. “I think we’re really good at diversifying, maybe in fear, partially. We’ve always been painfully aware that what we do could be gone in a heartbeat. We’ve always tried to diversify, even if it’s through, ‘Let’s buy an Airbnb that we’re going to make a rental property’ or ‘Let’s [buy] Bitcoin.’ … We’ve tried a little bit of a lot of things.”
Jeremy, meanwhile, stated that he and his wife — they wed in 2014 before welcoming four kids — wanted to “get out” of LPBW so badly and saw influencing as a “life raft.” (Jeremy and Audrey left his family’s TLC series in 2018 after 17 seasons to prioritize their home life.)
“We knew we had this mission, but, like, how do you monetize a mission or build a brand?” Jeremy recalled. “We just tried a bunch of things and then we know very well, like, ‘Oh, this blogging thing could be something but it could also disappear tomorrow, so let’s make sure we turn this thing we’ve been doing into a product.’”
Audrey also does a handful of brand partnerships.
“If you’re someone that’s monetizing the internet [or] even if you’re someone who’s not and you want to be in some way, it is the easiest way by far to do that,” she said. “You need to have a following, you have to build up this thing [and] you have to be super consistent with content. If you want to sell your own product, same thing, and then you’re having to invest your own capital or you’re having to buy inventory and manage all this stuff.”
For example, Aubrey has a deal with Thrive Market and said that she was only “paid a one-time flat fee.”
“That’s it,” she said. “It ends with that unless they want to renew another contract and continue.”
An insider exclusively revealed to Us Weekly on Thursday, April 17 that Frankel’s daughter Bryn Hoppy, 14, was one of the driving forces behind the decision. (Frankel shares Bryn with ex-husband, Jason Hoppy.)
“Bryn is Bethenny’s top priority, and the decision to move to Florida was all about supporting her,” a source close to Frankel, 54, exclusively tells Us. “The move reflects Bryn’s academic and athletic goals, and was made with her physical and emotional well-being front and center.”
It comes after Frankel announced via an Instagram video earlier on Thursday that she planned to move interstate.
“I am moving to Florida for personal and professional reasons,” she announced via the clip. “Something has arisen that made this the best and healthiest for myself and my daughter.”
Bethenny Frankel.(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
She added: “We will maintain residences in the Hamptons and New York City because we love New York. This will be our primary and permanent residence.”
Frankel previously hinted that she was thinking of moving when she shared a photo of U-Haul boxes stacked up.
“Life is good albeit with some unexpected stressful surprises … Moments with good friends, food, laughs, and as always a little chaos,” she captioned the Instagram post, teasing, “So many exciting changes coming soon… but you nosy B’s will just have to wait and see xoxo #lifelately #goodlife #suprises #happy.”
Bethenny Frankel.(Photo by Emily Berman)
The Real Housewives of New York City star welcomed Bryn in May 2010. Frankel and her ex Jason — who wed in 2010 — split two years after welcoming their baby girl. After a custody battle with her ex, Frankel was awarded full custody of the teen in 2020. The pair finalized her lengthy divorce in 2021.
Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly in June 2023, Frankel gushed about how much she adored being a mom, sharing: “I love parenting!”
The reality TV star opened up about how she and Bryn cultivated their special mother-daughter bond over the years.
“We love rituals and creating memories with every holiday and season,” Frankel explained to Us. “From vegetable picking to surfing to wakeboarding and snowboarding, we do a lot together.”
After her divorce and custody battle with Jason, Frankel moved on with Paul Bernon, who she dated for six years before calling off their engagement.
A mutual friend of the couple confirmed to Us in May 2024 that “it just wasn’t going to work” between the pair.
“They are so different – he’s an under the radar kind of guy,” the source said.
Growing an outdoor garden can be challenging. Whether you have a green thumb or not, starting a garden requires time, patience, trial and error and a willingness to get your hands dirty. It also requires special cooperation from Mother Nature and ample backyard space.
If you’re on the fence about digging up your backyard, you’ll want to hold off. Carrie Underwood showed Us how she grows all sorts of plants, veggies and herbs from the comfort of her home, all without sacrificing nature’s real estate.
“Got one of these thingies from @gardyntech,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m impressed! I don’t have any affiliation with the company . . . just wanted to be able to grow some things indoors.”
We found the exact vertical garden Underwood uses, one that can grow up to 30 plants with very little effort — and no green thumb required. This fail-proof growing system allows you to plant flowers, fruit, greens, herbs and veggies in the comfort of your home (or studio apartment), taking up just two square-feet of space. It may be small, but it’s mighty, providing up to 10 pounds of plants every month.
This self-watering garden has a smart assistant, Kelby, that monitors the plants at all stages of growth. It also uses a network of sensors to ensure success, even offering suggestions to promote growth. Kelby controls everything, assessing indoor temperature, humidity, water usage and growth rates to optimize plant health.
Unlike most indoor gardens, you don’t have to worry about messes, watering or lighting. Everything is done for you! All you have to do is set up the system, trim and thin your plants, refresh the water tank and harvest. Kelby even takes care of your plants while you’re on vacation, allowing you to monitor its growth in real-time via the app and included high-resolution camera.
All plants are organic and non-GMO, so you can feel good about what you’re growing. You’ll have fresh produce in five weeks, just in time for summer hosting. It’s no wonder reviewers are coming back for seconds!
If you want to start small, opt for the Gardyn Studio, which grows 16 plants at a time. Regardless of the size you choose, this system makes the perfect gift for anyone trying to eat healthier and save money. It even doubles as decor!
UPDATE — 4/18/25, 7:19 a.m. ET:Justin Bieber’s wife, Hailey Bieber, and rap star Sexyy Red have each reacted to viral party footage of the “Baby” singer’s cheek kiss.
“My two personalities… thank for comin friend @justinbieber. HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2 DA BADDEST,” Sexyy Red wrote via Instagram on Thursday, April 17, later replying to a fan who suggested that Justin doesn’t smile like the same way around Hailey, writing, “Yes, he do!”
Justin also shared the video via his Instagram page. Hailey, for her part, responded by dropping three heart-eye emojis in the comments section.
Original story:
Justin Bieber gave Sexyy Red a celebratory kiss on the cheek in honor of her birthday in a new video causing a stir with fans.
The “Lonely” singer, 31, shared a clip from the rapper’s 27th birthday party via his Instagram on Thursday, April 17.
In the short video, Justin can be seen leaning in to give Sexyy Red (real name: Janae Nierah Wherry) a cheeky smooch as she approached the star at a table he was seated at.
A second Instagram post featured Justin and Sexyy Red in a selfie and was shared via his Instagram grid and story. In the Instagram Story version of the selfie, Justin added Tupac’s song, “Unconditional Love” to the post.
Over on Sexxy Red’s X account on Wednesday, April 16, she shared a clip from the party showing her dancing with Justin and wrote, “I love him.”
After the singer posted the video, fans flocked to the comments section to share their opinions on the kiss, with some labeling it “disrespectful” to his wife Hailey Bieber, 28, who he wed in 2019.
“I be damned if my husband kissing someone[‘s] cheek,” commented one follower, while another added, “The disrespect is crazyyyyy.”
However, there were also many followers who defended Justin and the kiss, and believed the singer wasn’t doing anything wrong.
“Not to be that guy but in Puerto Rican culture this is almost expected. He’s not Puerto Rican , but not everyone sees a cheek kiss greeting as disrespectful,” wrote one follower.
Another commenter thought some fans were making a mountain out of a molehill by being so offended by the post.
“It’s just a kiss on the cheek? yall r so dramatic fr,” they wrote, while another chimed in with, “If his wife ain’t tripping about it why the f*** are you? You’re not married to Justin Bieber.”
Justin and Hailey sent the rumor mill into overdrive in recent weeks when eagled-eye fans spotted on March 30 that Hailey was no longer following her husband on Instagram.
But all was not as it appeared – Us Weekly confirmed in March that Justin deactivated and then reactivated his account — which threw the cache system into a glitch.
Hailey responded to speculation surrounding the apparent “unfollowing” saga, and confirmed it was not intentional by either herself or Justin.
“It’s a glitch. Didn’t unfollow him. Hope this helps!” Hailey wrote via a TikTok comment on March 31 in response to a video discussing the Instagram “unfollow” and what it potentially meant.
Justin did not accompany her to the event but publicly showed his support for his wife, with whom he shares son Jack Blues, 7 months, via Instagram.
The singer hyped up his life partner by sharing a photo of Hailey that showed off her stunning look, as well as a close-up selfie of the Rhode beauty mogul.
The comedy lineup on HBO and Max is a film lover’s delight because its library of movies goes back decades into the past.
Most of the other streamers don’t have many movies made before 1980. That’s why it’s so refreshing to have the option to go back even further.
Watch With Us’ selections for the best comedies on HBO and Max only includes one film from the ‘60s. The rest are a mix of contemporary hits and modern classics.
There are also a few films on loan from other studios, including a certain Marvel character. Catch those while you can, because they won’t be on Max forever.
Some films like Extinction and Pixels attempted to recapture the magic of the original Ghostbusters, but there’s no recreating the comedic rapport between Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. Even the supporting players in this Ivan Reitman comedy are hilarious, including Rick Moranis, Annie Potts and William Atherton.
The real secret of Ghostbusters’ success is that it’s funny without slipping into farce. There are real stakes for Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), a woman haunted by a malevolent spirit. She and Louis Tully (Moranis) have both been selected as part of an otherworldly plot to release something evil into our world. Who you gonna call when that happens?
No list of the best comedy movies would be complete without at least one Jim Carrey film when the actor was at his peak. The Cable Guy features Carrey in one of his most unhinged roles to date — Ernie “Chip” Douglas. Chip’s entire persona is based on giving his customers what they need, and he happily accepts a bribe from Steven (Matthew Broderick) to give him the best cable channels without extra fees.
However, Chip views their arrangement as more than a one-time thing and he ingratiates himself into Steven’s life. He seems harmless at first, but Steven soon realizes that Chip is a maniac who will never take no for an answer. As far as Chip is concerned, Steven is his new best bud and there’s no escape from his affection.
The original Deadpool let caution fly to the wind with its R-rated action and some of the filthiest humor ever seen in a Marvel-related movie. Ryan Reynolds found the perfect character for his comedic sensibilities and the result was box office gold.
There isn’t much to the story of the movie, which involves Wade Wilson (Reynolds) falling in love with a former stripper named Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). Their love affair is cut short when Wade’s attempt to cure his cancer leads him to Ajax (Ed Skrein). Ajax’s cure leaves Deadpool with grotesque scars across his face and body, as well as a thirst for revenge. It’s a lot funnier than it sounds, and Deadpool never takes itself too seriously.
Before Jordan Peele went off to direct horror movies, he and his Key & Peele co-star Keegan-Michael Key reunited on the big screen in Keanu. The title character is an adorable kitten who mends the broken heart of Rell Williams (Peele) following a breakup.
That cat is Rell’s pride and joy until Keanu is stolen during a gang robbery. Rell and his best friend, Clarence Goobril (Key), trace the robbery to a gangster named Cheddar (Method Man), who mistakes the duo for a pair of assassins. Cheddar will only return Keanu if Rell and Clarence do him a professional favor in their adopted personas. That favor is just going to make Rell and Clarence a target for the real assassins.
It would have been a crime to exclude Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther from the best comedies on Max. The famous cartoon Pink Panther made his debut in the very amusing opening credits sequence, but the rest of the hilarious film revolves around Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) and Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven), who lives a secret life as the jewel thief known as the Phantom.
The Pink Panther itself is a rare and valuable diamond held by Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale), and Charles plans to steal it. Clouseau is a clueless idiot, but he still somehow manages to prevent Charles from easily claiming the diamond. It’s a comedy of errors on both sides, and this film spawned numerous sequels with Clouseau in the lead.
Watching Pretty Woman serves as a reminder of why Julia Roberts was a rom-com queen in the ‘90s. She’s so charming and charismatic that it’s easy to accept her character, Vivian Ward, as a prostitute with a heart of gold.
Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) is so taken by Vivian that he hires her to be his escort for the week and shows her the high life. They have a lot of fun together, but this fantasy they’ve created can’t last forever. Or can it? A pre-SeinfeldJason Alexander appears as Edward’s lawyer, Philip Stuckey, and Hector Elizondo nearly steals the show as a friendly hotel manager.
Who needs a fancy DeLorean when you’ve got a Hot Tub Time Machine? The hot tub may be more comfortable, but at least the DeLorean could go back to the present at will. Adam Yates (John Cusack), Lou Dorchen (Rob Corddry), Nick Webber-Agnew (Craig Robinson) and Adam’s nephew, Jacob Yates (Clark Duke), weren’t trying to use the hot tub for anything other than its intended purpose. But they still found themselves transported back in time to the ‘80s.
For Adam and his friends, it’s a chance to relive the vacation they took as children and prevent themselves from making the same mistakes. The trip will prove to be revelatory for Jacob as well, assuming they can figure out how to get back home.
Are you ready to see some sinners this Easter weekend? Sinners, the movie directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld, is this weekend’s big new release, and the reviews have been pretty good.
But not everyone wants to go to the theater, and for those who desire to stay at home, there are some pretty good movies streaming too.
If you have a Hulu subscription, you can treat yourself to an erotic thriller about the sexual mind games two people play with each other, a ’90s thriller starring a post–Pretty WomanJulia Roberts or a Whoopi Goldberg comedy that doesn’t get the love it deserves.
Hal (Christopher Abbott) and Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) have a transactional relationship — he pays her to act as a dominatrix and humiliate him during sex, while she roleplays as someone tougher than she actually is. But when Hal attempts to end their sessions because he’s about to become a high-profile CEO, Rebecca threatens to humiliate him by leaking footage of their sexual encounters.
Is Rebecca serious? Or is this just another game that they are both playing to achieve the ultimate erotic climax? Sanctuary constantly keeps you guessing about its two lead characters’ true intentions, and that’s part of its kinky pleasure.
As Hal, Abbott is deceptively vulnerable — you never know if he wants to kiss Rebecca or kill her. (Sometimes, it’s both.) It’s Qualley, though, who is the film’s domme, a blonde cipher so carefully guarded that even she doesn’t know what she’ll do next. Long before The Substance, Qualley showcased an appetite for characters who aren’t easy to define, and Sanctuary contains her best work yet.
Does Laura Burney (Julia Roberts) have it all? It certainly seems that way. She’s young, beautiful and lives in a gorgeous house on Cape Cod. But appearances can be deceiving, and Laura’s life is a private hell of physical and mental domestic abuse. Fearing her control freak husband, Martin (Patrick Bergin), will eventually kill her, Laura fakes her death and starts a new life in small-town Iowa.
Until this point, Sleeping With the Enemy is an engrossing drama about a woman taking control of her own life. But the movie quickly turns into a well-crafted thriller when Patrick finds out Laura is still alive — and will do anything to get her back.
A box-office hit when it was first released in 1991, Sleeping With the Enemy wasn’t loved by critics and was parodied at the time for its over-the-top moments. (There’s a recurring motif with bathroom towels that will make your eyes roll.) But it’s effective at what it does, and Roberts is magnetic as the traumatized Laura. The score by Jerry Goldsmith isn’t subtle, but you’ll be humming it long after you’ve finished the movie.
When Black high school senior Zora (Nia Long) discovers her father is really an anonymous sperm donor, she investigates to find out who he is. When it turns out to be a white used car salesman named Hal Jackson (Ted Danson), she’s not the only one who is shocked — her mother, Sarah (Whoopi Goldberg), is too. Will the overly protective Sarah allow Hal into her daughter’s life? And will the immature Hal act responsibly and be there for Zora when she really needs him?
Made in America sounds like a drama, but it’s actually a comedy, and it’s a very funny one that doesn’t get a lot of credit today. As the too-proud Sarah, Goldberg gets the most laughs when she’s trying to make sense of Hal, who loves wearing polyester, blue jeans and a big cowboy hat. A young Will Smith shows up as Zora’s friend Tea Cake, and his scene in the sperm bank is one of the film’s funniest.
Warning: Spoilers below for season 8, episode 15, of 9-1-1.
The Thursday, April 17, episode of 9-1-1 saw the death of beloved character Captain Bobby Nash, played by Peter Krause. Krause has been part of the show’s ensemble cast since its inception in 2018. Bobby died after being infected with a deadly virus following a leak at a research lab.
In an interview with Deadline published Thursday, Minear explained that after eight seasons of the first-responder characters surviving various high-stakes scenarios, he felt it was time viewers saw the potential consequences of their perilous work.
“I had been toying with the idea for a couple of seasons, actually, maybe even longer, feeling like at some point I’m going to have to do this,” Minear explained. “And then once I came up with this idea for the lab leak episode, that’s when it solidified for me that it was time to do it, it felt like a real opportunity to give somebody an epic Wrath of Khan-like death.”
“When it came down to deciding who should that be, I wanted it to be a character that affected all the characters’ stories in a very specific and yet different ways. There was only one man for the job, and it was Bobby,” Minear added.
Minear admitted that losing Bobby — and Krause — was a “wrenching decision,” because, “I adore Peter, and he’s so great on the show, really the backbone of the show in so many ways, which is why it was both a terrifying decision but also, creatively, I just knew that it would be so meaningful and have such repercussions and give me so much story for the show.”
“Once I had made that choice, suddenly the world of the show seems so much more real to me, just feeling the grief of the characters and feeling just how that nuclear bomb going off in the center of that universe affected everything,” Minear added. “Suddenly, everything just felt weirdly more alive to me.”
Angela BassettDisney/Mike Taing
Krause’s costar Angela Bassett, who plays Bobby’s wife, Athena Grant-Nash, also shared her reaction to the news, noting she had no idea a twist of this magnitude was coming.
“Absolutely not. Not an inkling, not a word, not birdies, nothing,” she said.
In March, Bassett told People that she can’t imagine 9-1-1 without Bobby and Athena together, a sentiment she echoed to Deadline in the wake of Bobby’s death.
“I don’t know how this is going to play out: Athena, her relationship with her job, herself, her kids, the 118. This is the second husband that she’s lost, and the end of her and Peter’s tremendous bond. Where is she going?” Bassett said.
9-1-1 season 8 returns Thursday, May 1, on ABC. The show has been renewed for a ninth season.
The collaboration of the century just happened — for the little ones, at least! Little Sleepies just launched its second Bluey Collection, inspired by the beloved Sleepytime and Fruit Bat episodes your kiddos won’t stop talking about. Bluey, Bingo, Muffin and the whole crew are part of the fun.
In addition to pajamas, the Bluey Collection offers playful wardrobe essentials that are designed for movement. The day-to-night pieces are ideal for everyday adventures, whether they’re climbing on the swingset or bouncing around the house. You’ll also be able to make Bluey style a family affair; Little Sleepies not only sells coordinating clothing in a range of children’s sizes, but even makes matching pieces for adults.
If you want to know what we’re adding to cart, keep reading. We gathered some of our favorite options from the pajama and play departments, guaranteed to make your little one smile.
She’ll look and feel like a mini fashionista in this Bluey Bomber Jacket. Made of an ultra-soft bamboo material, the dynamic style also has UPF-25 protection.
Two-piece sets are a trend beloved by people of all ages. This bedtime pajama option is seasonless, making it perfect for all-year wear. It goes up to size 10.
How darling is this play-ready T-shirt? Bluey and Bingo will remind your little one of the importance of sibling friendship — and hugging your loved ones!
Buttery-soft bamboo material, a Bluey hood and an attached blanket are just some highlights of this Bluey Lovey. It’ll keep them cozy for all the snuggles your heart desires!
Wendy’s is addressing its controversial X posts about Katy Perry’s journey into space.
The “Firework” singer was among the all-women crew aboard a Blue Origin spaceflight that ascended above Earth for around 11 minutes on Monday, April 14. She was joined by CBS Mornings host Gayle King and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sánchez.
Responding to a Pop Crave post that said, “Katy Perry has returned from space,” the official Wendy’s X post tweeted, “Can we send her back.”
The fast food chain’s social media account continued to poke fun at Perry’s ascent into space. Commenting on a photo of Perry kissing the ground after returning to Earth and exiting the space shuttle, Wendy’s joked, “I kissed the ground and i liked it,” a riff on Perry’s hit song “I Kissed a Girl.”
In a statement to People on Thursday, April 17, Wendy’s said that despite its spicy social media commentary, the chain has no issues with Perry, 40.
“We always bring a little spice to our socials, but Wendy’s has a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world-talent,” Wendy’s said.
Monday’s spaceflight was criticized by numerous celebrities, including Emily Ratajkowski and Olivia Wilde, who questioned the expensive journey amid a cost-of-living crisis in the U.S. and its impact on the environment.
“This is what I would say to that: space is not an either/or, it’s a both/and. Because you do something in space doesn’t mean you’re taking anything away from Earth, and what you’re doing in space is trying to make things better here on Earth,” she said. “What Blue Origin wants to do is take the waste here and figure out a way to put it in space to make our planet cleaner. Jeff Bezos has so many ideas, and the people that are working there are really devoted and dedicated to making our planet a better place.”
King went on to add, “Have you been? If you’ve been and you still feel that way after you come back, please let’s have a conversation.”
Courtesy of Blue Origin
“So, I’m very disappointed and very saddened by it,” King said of the criticism, noting that she has received messages from women and girls who have been inspired by the all-women space crew.
Perry, King and Sánchez were joined on the spaceflight by filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe. They became the first all-women crew aboard a spaceflight since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s 1963 solo trip.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson is engaged to his girlfriend, Haley Cavinder!
Cavinder, 24, shared the big news via TikTok on Thursday, April 17, flashing her engagement ring in a video alongside Ferguson, 26. In the clip, the couple can be seen celebrating on the beach and smiling as Cavinder shows off her ring.
Cavinder, a Miami Hurricanes college basketball player, set the video to the tune of “Low Life” by Future, which includes the lyrics, “That’s your wifey, wifey, wifey, wifey.”
In a separate post via her Instagram Story, Cavinder again showed off her engagement ring in a close-up photo.
According to Sports Illustrated, Ferguson and Cavinder began dating in 2023. In September 2024, Cavinder celebrated the couple’s first anniversary via Instagram with a series of photos of her and Ferguson, which she captioned, “A year w ferg.”
Cavinder and her twin sister Hanna both play for the Miami Hurricanes and are also well-known social media influencers with over 4 million TikTok followers.
Courtesy of Haley Cavinder/Instagram
In March, Cavinder announced that she is stepping away from basketball.
“18 years later, and it’s time to say goodbye to the game I’ve loved since I was six,” she shared via Instagram. “Thank you for an amazing basketball career. Nothing will ever fill the void of you or the feeling of accomplishing my dream—playing the sport I love with my twin by my side. The places you took me, the relationships built, and the opportunities you gave me—I will forever be grateful.”
Though people often forget that HBO stands for “Home Box Office,” you should never forget that its library of movies is extensive, delightful and available to watch from your couch.
Max, HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium streaming service, has a surprising number of romantic comedies. Get swept off your feet with these swoon-worthy flicks!
He’s Just Not That Into You is based on a book, which is itself based on a line of dialogue from an episode of Sex and the City. The movie’s sprawling origin story feels relevant to its plot, which features a large ensemble cast of interconnected characters. Each couple (or trio or quartet) includes one person who is much more invested in the relationship than the other — an imbalance that almost any viewer can relate to.
The connective thread is Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), a hopeless romantic who is constantly pursuing disinterested men. When she meets Alex (Justin Long), an aloof bartender, he begins giving her advice about how to interpret signals from guys. Meanwhile, their friends and coworkers are stuck in their own romantic entanglements. The impressive cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Connelly, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and Kevin Connolly.
ABBA + Meryl Streep + stunning Greek island vistas = perfection. This movie version of the jukebox musical is a sparkling, effervescent affair about Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a young woman desperate to learn the identity of her father before her wedding to Sky (Dominic Cooper). But her mother Donna (Streep) doesn’t know exactly who Sophie’s father is. There are three candidates — Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) or Harry (Colin Firth). Certain that she’ll know her dad as soon as she meets him, Sophie invites all three men to the wedding.
What follows is a farcical romantic musical comedy full of stellar choreography, funny dialogue and a sweet message about true love — for a partner but also for yourself. Christine Baranski and Julie Walters are particularly delightful as Donna’s best friends and former bandmates who help her as she tries to balance her unexpected reunion with her three exes and her daughter’s upcoming nuptials.
Crazy Rich Asians was groundbreaking for the mainstream spotlight it placed on Asian (particularly Chinese) characters and actors. It features stars like Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan and Awkwafina in a love story about class, wealth and culture.
Rachel (Wu) is a New York economics professor happily in love with Nick Young (Henry Golding). When Nick takes Rachel to Singapore for the wedding of his best friend, Rachel learns that Nick’s family is part of Singapore’s wealthy high society. Not only are Nick and Rachel constantly in the public eye, Nick’s mother Eleanor (Yeoh) has incredibly high expectations about who her son should marry. Rachel, as a middle-class American, meets none of those expectations.
Rachel has to fight for love and the future she wants in this movie, which features fantastic fashion, eye-catching settings and a soundtrack with music by Asian artists like Jasmine Chen. Rachel is an engaging, relatable protagonist who you’ll root for every step of the way.
A charming examination of love amid mental health issues, Silver Linings Playbook is a must-see romantic comedy that’s both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Pat (Bradley Cooper) has recently completed a stint in a psychiatric facility after a violent episode when he caught his ex-wife Nikki (Brea Bee) cheating on him. Desperate to reconcile, Pat moves in with his parents, Patrizio Sr. and Dolores (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver).
He meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a widow who is also dealing with mental health problems. She encourages Pat to compete with her in a ballroom dance contest to prove to Nikki that he’s changed. Unfortunately, Patrizio Sr.’s gambling problem and obsession with the Eagles cause him to pressure his son and drive a wedge between him and Tiffany. (Patrizio superstitiously believes Pat’s attention to Eagles games is necessary for the team to win.)
The tension is near constant in this pressure cooker of a movie, yet it still manages to deliver laughs. Lawrence, De Niro and Cooper make deeply flawed characters extremely likable, while the family dynamics are complex and relatable. If you’ve ever felt like your family is about to drive you off the deep end, this movie is for you.
Toula (Nia Vardalos) is a shy, awkward woman who has always felt like an outsider in her loud, effusive Greek American family. When she falls in love with WASP-y teacher Ian (John Corbett), she struggles to get her family to accept him. Throughout the movie, she learns to stand up for herself and the man she loves, but she also learns to appreciate the rich culture that makes her family unique. It’s a heartwarming, hilarious story.
Despite being over twenty years old, My Big Fat Greek Wedding remains the highest-grossing rom-com of all time — and rightfully so. The script, written by lead actress Vardalos, is instantly quotable and emotionally resonant. More importantly, Toula and Ian's romance is endlessly endearing. The movie spawned two sequels in 2016 and 2023, but the original remains the best of the bunch.
Based on the bestselling 1996 novel, this sharp and hilarious rom-com follows Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger), an ordinary “singleton” with a habit of ending up in ridiculously awkward situations, as she documents her quest for self-improvement in a wine-soaked diary. Caught between smug married friends and the pressures of turning 30, Bridget navigates the chaos of modern womanhood with humor and heart.
Things get even messier when she begins a flirtation with her charming scoundrel of a boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), and keeps crossing paths with the uptight but oddly endearing Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), who harbors an unexplained grudge against Daniel. Loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’s Diary is an entertaining chronicle of its title heroine’s journey of growth, misjudged first impressions and realizing that love rarely goes according to plan.
New Pornographers drummer Joe Seiders was recently arrested on charges including possession of child pornography.
The Canadian indie rock band said it had severed all ties with Seiders, 44, after his arrest was announced in a news release by local Palm Desert, California, police on Thursday, April 17.
“Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified, and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders—and we have immediately severed all ties with him. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions,” the band said in a statement shared via Instagram.
The Riverside County sheriff’s office said Thursday that Seiders was arrested following two separate incidents on April 7 and April 9. Officers were dispatched to a “suspicious circumstance” in Palm Desert on April 7 and spoke to an 11-year-old boy who said that an “unknown male adult recorded him on a cell phone while he was using the restroom,” per a news release.
Two days later, the police department said it received a second report from the same location. An employee claimed a man was seen “entering and exiting the restroom with juvenile males.” Police took the suspect, later identified as Seiders, into custody.
Following an investigation, including search warrants to access Seiders’ home, car and cell phone, the musician was arrested on charges including possession of child pornography, annoying/molesting a child, invasion of privacy, and attempted invasion of privacy, the release said.
Seiders was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, California.
The New Pornographers formed in 1997; however, Seiders joined the group in 2014, replacing longtime drummer Kurt Dahle. The band’s current lineup, sans Seiders, consists of lead singer Neko Case, bassist John Collins, singer and guitarist Carl Newman, lead guitarist Todd Fancey and pianist Kathryn Calder.
The band’s name takes inspiration from the 1966 Japanese movie The Pornographers, Newman said in 2005.
“I saw the Japanese movie The Pornographers and I thought it was an interesting word,” Newman told Glide Magazine. “On the first Destroyer record, Dan [Bejar, former band member] has a song ‘The Pornographers.’ I remember wanting to put the word new in front of something like ‘the new sneakers of the new Christy Minstrels.’ I always thought that bands that put new in front of their name was somehow kind of modern in a false way. Like, do you really have to call yourself the new? Does it really have to be illustrated by those words. So I like the words ‘the pornographers,’ and ‘The New Pornographers’ just fell together. I don’t know, I can’t tell if it’s a bad name or s***** name.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Haley Joel Osment is apologizing for using an anti semitic slur while being arrested, claiming he is “horrified” by his actions.
The Sixth Sense alum issued an apology via a statement on Thursday, April 17, telling Us Weekly, “I’m absolutely horrified by my behavior. Had I known I used this disgraceful language in the throes of a blackout, I would have spoken up sooner.”
Osment, 37, was arrested at a ski resort in Mammoth Lakes, California after police received a call around 2 p.m. local time about an allegedly intoxicated individual.
He was initially charged with disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance after being taken into custody on April 8. He stayed in jail overnight before being released. The Mono County district attorney later confirmed on Thursday, April 17 that Osment has been charged with disorderly conduct under the influence of alcohol and possession of cocaine.
“The past few months of loss and displacement have broken me down to a very low emotional place,” he said. “But that’s no excuse for using this disgusting word. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to absolutely everyone that this hurts. What came out of my mouth was nonsensical garbage — I’ve let the Jewish community down and it devastates me. I don’t ask for anyone’s forgiveness, but I promise to atone for my terrible mistake.”
Haley Joel Osment.(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Body cam footage obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, April 17, shows Osment being arrested at the ski resort.
In the footage, an officer approached Osment when he was being detained by four others in a parking lot in Mammoth Lakes. An officer who was already on site explained to the new officer that Osment was “beyond intoxication.”
Osment was put in handcuffs by the officers and the actor claimed multiple times he was “being attacked” by police during the arrest. During the altercation he made an anti semitic slur against the arresting officer.
One person in the background of the clip claimed that Osment had “lunged at a bartender” and another person alleged that Osment “couldn’t take care of himself.”
“He went to the bar, ordered one drink, he was so intoxicated that he spilled his drink … They served him one drink, he was so drunk he spilled it, and they cut him off,” the person claimed. “Then he got aggravated, argumentative, he tried to load the lift they refused to load the lift.”
Osment is set to be arraigned at the Mammoth Lakes branch of the Mono County Superior Court on July 7.
The Matlock season 1 finale finally revealed the season-long mystery of who hid those documents — but then introduced a surprise pregnancy and a mysterious new character.
During the Thursday, April 17, finale of the hit CBS series, Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) realized that her ex-husband, Julian (Jason Ritter), was responsible for hiding the Wellbrexa documents. He begged Olympia not to expose him — not knowing she actually found the documents because of Matty’s (Kathy Bates) mission at Jacobson Moore.
Matty, meanwhile, was waiting for an update from Olympia when a stranger showed up at her door. All signs pointed to him being Alfie’s father, who Matty’s husband didn’t want them to reach out to after their daughter’s death.
Over at Jacobson Moore, Sarah (Leah Lewis) ran lead on her first case — and won! — but her nemesis Simone (Andrea Londo) appeared to be plotting a way to take her down. Then there is Billy (David Del Rio), who was preparing to enjoy single life until his almost-fiancée revealed to him that she’s expecting.
Creator Jennie Snyder Urman exclusively told Us Weekly that this was just the beginning, teasing, “The season 1 finale sets up everything. In season 2, you’ll get the answers that we’ve been promising.”
Urman is aware that expectations are high after the first season was full of twists and turns.
“It was both difficult and interesting to be in this bubble where we were shooting episode 17 when the first episode aired. We were already down the road and now we are airing and so we are in conversation with the audience and I try to be aware but not be beholden so that we are still telling the story,” she explained. “But I always think if there’s a problem — and they’re finding a problem — I can fix that more and more. I want the story to be as good as possible and as airtight as possible.”
According to Urman, viewers shouldn’t get too “comfortable,” adding, “It allows for the formula to change and for that to be its own stock. We have a lot of fun structural stuff like that next year that I think is going to really surprise the audience in really fun ways because the finale leaves us in a really loaded position on a bunch of different story lines.”
Keep scrolling for answers to the biggest questions ahead of season 2:
Why There Weren’t Any Big Hints About Julian’s Betrayal?
Jason Ritter as “Julian Markston”.CBS
“The winks were always things that Matty knew that she could let the audience in on. But Matty was not ahead of it in this,” Urman shared with Us. “Matty does not know that she has the document that she is really looking for. She thought it was Olympia up until a point and then she thought it was Julian. So because she wasn’t ahead of it — and we’re discovering it in real time with her — there isn’t foreshadowing in that way because we’re discovering with Matty.”
The writers’ room still wanted to make sure all the plot pieces fit together.
“We made sure it would line up. But the biggest storytelling challenge — and also fun challenge — is that we have a really, really smart character. All of them are, but Olympia and Matty in particular. So we have to work really hard to either have something pulled over on them or pull something over on someone else,” Urman noted. “It’s not like they will see all the subtle things, which I think makes it interesting. But there couldn’t be anything hanging out in plain daylight that indicated it would be Julian or Matty would’ve caught it.”
Was It Always the Plan to Have Olympia Find Out About Matty’s Real Identity?
Robert Voets/CBS
“I always knew that I wanted Olympia to catch her but I wanted us to switch point of views to show Olympia’s perspective. I wanted Olympia to surprise the audience and Matty the same way that Matty surprised us in the first episode,” Urman said. “That was always the plan. We played around a lot about when Olympia was going to unmask Matty for a while. It was a little bit earlier around episode 13 or 14. Then we realized, ‘Oh, we could have her unmasked and have this interrogation episode and that would lead to the finale.’ All the ways that that would load up the finale made it feel like the right order for us.”
What Else Changed — Or Didn’t Make It Into the Final Version?
“We stay pretty close to this document we generated at the beginning of the season, which is like 30 or 40 pages and really tells the story episode by episode. So we stick pretty close to the material, but we flip things,” Urman told Us. “Olympia was going to find out Matty’s secret earlier. CBS was really amazing. I said, ‘I have a little bit more story in the finale than one episode.’ And they let the creative dictate that. So we got to expand our episode order in order to tell the creative story that we wanted.”
She added: “There’s definitely been roads that we thought maybe we might go down that we didn’t go down. But we did stick pretty closely to what we mapped out.”
Throughout the season, all signs pointed to Olympia and Senior (Beau Bridges) before it turned out that Julian was the one at fault.
“He matters to the person who matters to Matty, which is Olympia. Olympia matters to Matty and Julian matters to her. It winds everybody up in the hardest dilemma. If it was Senior, it would be a little bit easier because everybody would be like, ‘OK, let’s turn him in and blow it up.’ He has definitely burned enough people and made enough enemies,” the screenwriter shared. “But Julian is not that character. He has done terrible things and has done wonderful things and has a life and a history and shared parenting. There’s just so much that makes him a complicated character. I just love Jason Ritter’s performance in that scene when he is begging Olympia. He explains that he made this one mistake and to please let him not be judged by the worst day of his life. Jason played it so real and so honest and heartbreaking.”
Urman didn’t want there to be a good option, saying, “There’s only bad options and everybody is compelling on every side. That’s what makes the dilemma really hard and the drama really rich and thick. It allows us to go into the next season with so many layers and different competing agendas and tensions. It just lays out a really packed emotional second season.”
Does This Mean Julian Will Be Explored More?
CBS
“He did this horrible thing and he’s holding secrets. He’s also trying to redeem himself and he’s fighting for a life for himself,” Urman shared. “It just allows him to play on so many different levels and allows the interactions with Matty to be loaded in different ways. It allows the Olympia interactions to be loaded in different ways. We have a lot more now that he’s integrated so specifically into that main plot. We get to see more of him, which I think makes everyone happy.”
Was the Man Who Showed Up at Matty’s House Alfie’s Father?
Sonja Flemming/CBS
In short? Yes.
“Bringing Alfie’s dad back is going to change and destabilize the family life. This one place where everything was on firm ground — suddenly there’s this other element that is out of Matty’s control, which is not a place that she likes to be,” Urman noted. “She’s not comfortable when they’re out of her control. They have to do a DNA test and see if this guy is the father. Suddenly they have to incorporate him into things. When did he know Ellie? What’s his status with addiction? Do they want to get involved?”
She continued: “It brings all of that to the forefront. It definitely brings Ellie back into the story in a real way. You will definitely see more flashbacks that examine some of the joy of Ellie and her mother and their relationship — not only the pain.”
Urman teased that Claudia’s pregnancy doesn’t mean Billy has to go back to pleasing other people over himself, telling Us, “You’re asking the questions that we ask in the writers’ room. But I can’t give it away because it’s all in the season 2 premiere.”
Where Does Sarah Go After That Career High?
Michael Yarish/CBS
“There might have been twists and turns along the way but she showed up in court and she did it. It was amazing. She feels celebrated and seen and it’s such a moment of triumph and we understand it emotionally,” Urman detailed. “Then of course we understand there’s going to be some drama that follows it. But I want to live in Sarah feeling like she’s in a good place and celebrate that before the rug gets pulled out from under her.”
Could Olympia and Matty Become Friends Again?
Michael Yarish/CBS
Urman called the central friendship “an epic love story,” adding, “We are shaping it as though it’s an epic love story over the course of seasons. Depending on what Olympia does with the document, it controls how their relationship will unfold. You’re really watching two people who love each other. It’s all really complicated right now and Matty loves Olympia. The question is, ‘Can Olympia forgive Matty?’ That’s where we lose them at the finale. Matty loves Olympia and if she could preserve the friendship and land the plane on her crime mission, that would be perfect.”
What Guest Stars Could Pop Up in Season 2?
Sonja Flemming/CBS
“I’ve gotten a few people who have reached out to me and a few people have reached out. I don’t want to say who,” Urman teased. “But it has definitely been exciting that there are people that are reaching out and saying, ‘I want to be on Matlock.’ And I know why they want to be on Matlock. They want to act with Kathy Bates. She is a legend. So I am eager to say yes to all of those asks.”
Matlock finally revealed who was responsible for stealing the Wellbrexa documents — but where will the show go from here?
During the season finale, which aired on Thursday, April 17, Julian (Jason Ritter) was unmasked as the person responsible for hiding the docs. When Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) confronted him, Julian begged her not to reveal his secret to anyone — despite Matty (Kathy Bates) waiting to find out whether Julian was at fault.
Ritter, 45, broke down that shocking moment in an exclusive interview, telling Us Weekly, “There was a point about halfway through the season where I was told that it was me. It was helpful because there were some things where in the story I can be a little coy or withholding. But you don’t know if it’s about the big lie or about some smaller lie.”
After being out of the loop in the first half of the season, Ritter was glad he knew ahead of the finale.
“At a certain point, I felt like it was important to know what it was. I didn’t decide when that moment was, but I trust [creator] Jennie [Snyder Urman] so much. I think she’s such a brilliant writer and showrunner,” he told Us. “So she pulled me aside at the exact right time and let me know what was going on. But I didn’t know how it was going to unfold.”
(L-R): Jason Ritter as “Julian Markston”.Michael Yarish/CBS
“To have it end like that with Olympia and Julian in this safety deposit box room where it is just the two of them begging for his life, that was the only version I ever read,” he shared. “When we did the table read, people really loved that scene and were like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what happens next?’ Which is exactly what you want for a cliffhanger.”
Julian’s reasoning was explored leading up to Thursday’s episode, and Ritter hopes viewers understand his decision, saying, “There’s a tragic element. From the beginning of the season, they set it up where you are like, ‘Whoever did this has to go to jail. That’s it.’ Now you can see the person behind it who still did a terrible thing, and that can’t be discounted.”
Skye P. Marshall as Olympia Lawrence, Jason Ritter as Julian Markston, and Kathy Bates as Madeline Matlock in ‘Matlock.’Sonja Flemming/CBS
Ritter continued: “But as Jennie’s writing always is — it’s more complicated and layered than that. Human beings are complicated. It’s one thing as a lawyer in the world and then it’s another thing for Olympia to be talking to the father of her children and thinking about how it’s going to affect them going forward. They’ve created a huge mess and I can’t wait to see how they decide to clean it all up.”
According to Ritter, Julian may have regrets even though hasn’t vocalized his guilt outright. “He put those documents in that safety deposit box and spent probably 10 years thinking he was going to get caught,” he explained to Us. “Eventually he is raising kids and things start to look normal. Maybe him being a good dad offsets the terrible thing that he did. I don’t think that he ever thought that however many years later, this would come back and he would be fighting for his life.”
Matlock, which premiered in September 2024, follows a wealthy retired lawyer named Madeline Kingston (Bates) who pretends to be a poor widower named Matty Matlock to get a job at Jacobson Moore law firm. As it turns out, Matty thinks someone at the company is complicit in the opioid epidemic that resulted in her daughter’s death.
The first season revealed Julian’s mistake only to Olympia, but it remains unclear whether Olympia will tell Matty or protect Julian for the sake of their family.
“Olympia has such a strong moral center that if they didn’t have children together — even if they were married — she would say, ‘I’m sorry, but you did this.’ If Julian goes to jail or if Julian is outed, I don’t know what she will do,” Ritter teased. “I’m so interested to see. But I wonder if once she hears the reasoning being connected to his dad, will that be enough to refocus the energy on Senior? Or is that too far removed to actually ever get him in trouble?”
There’s also the topic of Olympia and Julian’s potential reconciliation.
“I don’t know where that leaves their romance. I think Olympia being such a good person and a morally straightforward person, it would be really hard for her to trust him again,” he told Us. “After the affair and now this huge, devestation, trust is such an important part. It’s so easy to destroy and so hard and painful. You can build it up, but it’s a lot of hard work for both people.”
“We’re going to see a lot more of Julian and get to know not only him. We got to meet his mother, which was very exciting for me. We may meet more members of his family. Julian is not Junior. So I’m very excited to meet my brother,” Ritter explained. “He has a completely different relationship with our dad than Julian does, which is also painful.”
Ritter is also excited for “more backstory,” saying, “Olympia talked a lot about his family, but we haven’t gotten to see a lot of it. It’s a really fun character to play. There’s so many different elements to him and it’s fun to be free of having to be one thing.”
The best part of the finale reveal? Knowing Julian will have more scenes with Matty.
“That’s the thing that I cannot stop thinking about because we don’t get that at the end of season. Is Matty going to know for sure that Julian did it? If she does know for sure that Julian did it, there’s so much pain and there’s so much anger about the loss of her daughter that how would these two people find a way forward that doesn’t involve Julian behind bars?” Ritter asked. “I’m so intrigued. Is there a moment where Matty understands why Julian did it and is able to forgive? Or are we just at odds for an entire season, which it totally could be. I just know that the writers will choose whatever is the most interesting and fascinating version.”
Matlock has been renewed for season 2 and all episodes are available to stream on Paramount+.
