"Carry-On" is essentially "Die Hard" in an airport — don't worry, "Die Hard" also appears on this list. It stars Taron Egerton as a lone TSA worker who is blackmailed into helping a terrorist known only as The Traveler (Jason Bateman) smuggle nerve gas onto a plane, all while his wife, Nora (Sofia Carson), is being held hostage.

What else could you ask for? We ranked this as our favorite of Netflix's six new holiday films this year. It should not be missed.

"Carry-On" is streaming on Netflix.

When Liam, a sixth-grader who has dyslexia, accidentally addresses his letter to "Satan" instead of "Santa," hijinks ensue. Instead of St. Nick, Satan, a low-level demon played by Jack Black, shows up to help Liam gain back some confidence ... for the low price of his soul, of course.

Anyone who loves to see Black going wild should fire this movie up. It will not disappoint.

"Dear Santa" is streaming on Paramount+.

In the world of "Red One," Santa Claus (JK Simmons) is totally ripped and loves to lift weights. He's also protected by a Secret Service-esque agency that knows him by the codename Red One. When Santa is kidnapped, his best agent, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), teams up with a talented hacker and bounty hunter, Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans), to get him back.

"Red One" is streaming on Prime Video.

"Violent Night" stars David Harbour as Santa Claus, but not like any Santa you've seen before. When a rich family is targeted by a band of mercenaries at their mansion on Christmas Eve, Santa decides to stick around and take them down.

The mercenaries all have Christmas-themed code names, including their leader Scrooge, played by the always-great John Leguizamo.

If you're looking for some very visceral action and a Santa who used to be a bloodthirsty Viking, turn on your TV now.

"Violent Night" is streaming on Starz.

"Die Hard," released in 1988, stars Bruce Willis as John McClane, an NYPD detective traveling to Los Angeles to attend his estranged wife's holiday party at her building, Nakatomi Plaza. That same night, radical German terrorist Hans Gruber, played by Alan Rickman, decides to execute his plan to take the entire building hostage to steal hundreds of millions of dollars.

There's been much debate over the years whether "Die Hard" is a real Christmas movie, or a movie that just happens to take place on Christmas Eve.

Whichever side you fall on, it works as a thrilling action movie.

"Die Hard" is steaming on Disney+, Hulu, and Tubi.

The sequel to 1989's "Batman," 1992's "Batman Returns" stars Michael Keaton once again as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. This time, he's joined by Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, Danny DeVito as the Penguin, and Christopher Walken as sleazy businessman Max Shreck.

Director Tim Burton's gothic version of Gotham City is all decked out for the holidays in "Batman Returns," covered in snow, Christmas lights, and a huge tree.

Plus, one of the most famous lines from the movie involves the potentially lethal nature of mistletoe.

This sequel isn't for the faint of heart, with the Penguin's overall disgusting vibe, the multiple attempted murders of Catwoman, and the overall dour vibes of Gotham City.

"Batman Returns" is streaming on Max.

In the 2003 black comedy "Bad Santa," Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie, a small-time crook who secures a gig as a mall Santa every year — and this year, it works out in his favor as he meets Sue (played by Lauren Graham), a woman with a full-blown Santa fetish.

Along the way, Willie meets a young boy, Thurman, who he takes under his wing, gets blackmailed by a mall security guard (played by Bernie Mac), and learns a bit about the meaning of Christmas.

The less we say about 2016's "Bad Santa 2," the better.

"Bad Santa" is streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

A true '80s classic, "Gremlins" is the tale of Billy Peltzer, played by Zach Galligan, who receives a mogwai for Christmas from his dad, accompanied by three simple rules: Don't expose the mogwai to sunlight; don't let it touch water; and don't let it eat after midnight.

Of course, everything goes wrong, the entire town is invaded by gremlins on Christmas Eve, and more than one person dies at the hands of Stripe, Gizmo, and the rest of them.

"Gremlins" and its sequel "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" are both quintessential anti-Christmas Christmas movies.

"Gremlins"  and "Gremlins 2" are streaming on Max.

Starring Adam Scott and Toni Collette, 2015's "Krampus" follows the Engel family, who are more than a little dysfunctional. When Max, the youngest son and the only true believer in Santa, curses his family and loses his Christmas spirit, he inadvertently summons Krampus, a horned demon that punishes any family that doesn't respect the holidays.

Come for the surprisingly solid cast, stay for the festively gruesome kills and German folklore.

"Krampus" is streaming on Peacock and Max.

"Black Christmas," released in 1974, is a true '70s slasher. It follows three sorority sisters who are targeted by a mysterious caller only known as "The Moaner," who terrorizes them just before they're set to go home for Christmas break.

There won't be anything bloodier and less jolly on this list than "Black Christmas," but it has staying power — the film was remade in 2006 and 2019, though neither is as good as the original.

"Black Christmas" is streaming for free on various websites, including Peacock, Prime Video, Tubi, Crackle, YouTube, and more.

A California Christmas is already an odd combination, as many associate the holidays with cold temperatures, snow, and general coziness, not 85-degree weather, shorts, and sunshine.

Add in a dark criminal conspiracy, a thief played by Robert Downey Jr., a gay detective played by Val Kilmer, and a childhood crush played by Michelle Monaghan, and you have a solid neo-noir on your hands — and yes, it takes place at Christmas.

"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" is available to rent online.

Starring Ella Hunt as Anna, a student who is planning to take a gap year before university, "Anna and the Apocalypse," released in 2017, is like "High School Musical" meets "Shaun of the Dead" meets Christmas.

Anna and her friends, on the night of their school's Christmas show, discover that their town (and later country) has been infected by a zombie virus ... all while singing about their feelings.

A particularly memorable set piece takes place at a Christmas tree warehouse.

"Anna and the Apocalypse" is streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel.

With a cast of A-listers like Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, and Gary Sinise, 2000's "Reindeer Games" is filled with action, multiple plot twists, stolen identities, and Affleck dressed up as Santa attempting to rob a casino.

"Ocean's 11" this is not, but "Reindeer Games" provides the laughs and only a little bit of Christmas cheesiness at the end.

"Reindeer Games" is streaming on Paramount+.

Geena Davis plays Samantha Caine, a schoolteacher with amnesia who discovers she has the skills of an expert assassin. To figure out who she really is, she hires a private investigator named Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson). 

"The Long Kiss Goodnight," released in 1996, also has an iconic action set piece at a Christmas parade where Davis dresses up as Mrs. Claus, if you needed any more convincing to turn this on.

"The Long Kiss Goodnight" is streaming on Pluto TV.

Sin-Dee Rella, played by Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, meets up with her friend Alexandra, played by Mya Taylor, on Christmas Eve, soon after she was released from prison. This 2015 film follows the two friends on their Hollywood escapades over the next few days as they catch up, look for clients, support each other's work, and more.

"Tangerine" is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

"The Ice Harvest," released in 2005, stars John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton as unlikely allies who team up to steal from their mobster boss, played by Randy Quaid. When the two are stuck in town due to icy roads, they're left to their own devices to entertain themselves in Wichita, Kansas, during the holiday season.

Rounding out the cast is Connie Nielsen as a woman who runs a strip club in town (and is the object of Cusack's affection), Oliver Platt as one of Cusack's friends, and Mike Starr as a mob enforcer.

"The Ice Harvest" is available to rent online.

The 1987 film "Lethal Weapon" is the story of LAPD narcotics sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and homicide sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) teaming up to take down a criminal conspiracy. It's also another California Christmas film.

Throughout the film, there are many reminders of the holiday season, including lights, Christmas trees — and frequent shootings, murders, and more. But it can still be considered a holiday classic!

"Lethal Weapon" is streaming on Hulu.

The Belgian city of Bruges has never looked better than in this 2008 film, as it's decorated for the holidays — too bad its charms are wasted on Ray (Farrell), who compares being in Bruges to being in hell.

This is a story of redemption and friendship, as Gleeson's character Ken sticks by his friend, even after Ray accidentally kills a kid.

If you enjoyed "The Banshees of Inisherin," which recently starred Farrell and Gleeson, try watching their first collaboration.

"In Bruges" is available to rent online.

I highly recommend checking out all of the Sephora Collection lines. Sephora is owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton) and though the brand's packaging is simple, the formulas are amazing.

The Best Skin Ever foundation is one of my favorite base products because it's the perfect formula for my dry skin.

This $22 long-wearing foundation has light to medium coverage and a natural, dewy finish.

The $14 Sephora Collection Colorful blushes are absolutely beautiful. If a shade you like is in stock, I recommend picking it up because they sell out quickly.

The blushes come in matte and shimmer finishes. The pigmentation is great, the texture is soft and buttery, and the application is smooth. 

If you're looking for a good eyebrow pencil, the Sephora Collection has got you covered.

The $13 Retractable brow pencil is waterproof and smudge-proof and has an ultra-fine tip for easy application. I love to brush the spoolie through my brows to soften the look. 

Rare Beauty has quickly become one of the best brands at Sephora. The brand's easy-to-use products and packaging and the mission alone make it worth checking out.

I recommend starting with the $23 Soft Pinch Liquid blush. It's extremely pigmented so you need the tiniest dot to blend into a beautiful blushed look.

I didn't use to be a cream or liquid-blush person but once I started using formulas like these, I fell in love.

If you don't apply your liquid or cream makeup with a damp beauty blender, you're missing out. After working in the beauty industry and using this sponge for seven years, I can never go back.

I know $20 for a makeup tool may sound like a splurge but something about the design of the original beauty blender and its soft texture blends my base to a flawless finish.

Though there are more affordable alternatives that create a similar effect, I've used other sponges and brushes and still think nothing beats the beauty blender.

I used to be a matte liquid-lipstick girl, but as I got older I thought it made my lips look dry and crusty. Now, I want my lips as glossy and juicy as possible and the $21 Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow is the most perfect lip-gloss shade and formula.

This gloss looks great on every single skin tone, age, and lip shape. I would recommend this to anyone who was looking for the perfect nude lip gloss.

I also love the shade FU$$Y, which is a soft pink. The formula is thick and moisturizing without being sticky and has a soft watermelon-like scent and a high-shine finish.

If you're looking for a great lip gloss from a "clean" beauty brand, I recommend the $16 Tower 28 ShineOn lip jelly gloss.

This unscented, lightweight formula isn't sticky and has the perfect amount of shine. This gloss looks amazing with or without makeup, and there are a variety of natural-looking shade options.

Clinique may not be a brand I use a lot, but I've always loved the .5-ounce $23 Acne Solutions clearing gel.

This gel is a lifesaver if you have a pimple that you want to get rid of quickly. It has salicylic acid, witch hazel, and laminaria-saccharina extract to eliminate blemishes and prevent new ones from forming.

I apply this gel at night and see my minimized pimple in the morning.

If you want to shop at Sephora but can't quite justify a splurge, check out the mini-sized, more affordable items in the Beauty on the Fly section by the register.

Though a lot of these products aren't a better value per ounce than the full size, they're still a good way to try something at a lower price or pick up if you need something TSA-approved.

Personally, I loved the $22 Supergoop Glow-Screen Sunscreen SPF 40 for the summer. I'm a fan of its dewy finish, how it works on its own as a primer, and the way it gives my skin radiance without makeup. I usually throw the mini size in my purse to reapply throughout the day.

This story was originally published on September 6, 2022, and most recently updated on December 12, 2024.

After receiving the heartbreaking news, Iris is depressed and distraught. However, after getting a request from Los Angeles movie trailer executive Amanda, played by Cameron Diaz, to switch homes for the holidays, everything starts to look up for Iris. 

While in Los Angeles, she befriends an elderly neighbor who wrote for many old Hollywood movies and gains self-confidence. She also meets a film score writer, played by Jack Black. Their adorable friendship turns romantic at the end of the movie.

After "The Holiday," Winslet starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in "Revolutionary Road," for which she won a Golden Globe award for best actress in a leading role. She also won an Academy Award for best actress in a leading role for "The Reader" in 2009.

More recently, Winslet starred alongside "Little Women" star Saoirse Ronan in "Ammonite," a period drama released in 2020, and multiple television series, including "Lee." Winslet also received an Emmy Award in 2021 for her role on HBO's "Mare of Easttown."

Winslet also starred in "Avatar: The Way of Water," the highly anticipated sequel to James Cameron's "Avatar," which was released in 2022.

After breaking up with her unfaithful boyfriend and switching homes with Iris for the holidays, Amanda enters a whirlwind romance with Iris' brother, Graham. They fall head over heels for each other but recognize their relationship will be complicated if they're living on opposite sides of the world. 

Amanda leaves to go back to Los Angeles but finds herself crying over the idea of leaving Graham. In the end, they decide they'll try to make it work.

In addition to her decades-long acting career, Cameron Diaz has also worked as a producer and an author. The star announced her retirement from acting in 2014. 

"I got a peace in my soul, because I finally was taking care of myself," Diaz told Gwyneth Paltrow on her Goop podcast in August 2020. "It's a strange thing to say; I know a lot of people won't understand it; I know you understand it, but it's so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there."

Diaz and her husband, Benji Madden, announced the birth of their first child, Raddix, in 2019.

After an eight-year hiatus from Hollywood, Diaz returned to acting to star alongside Jamie Foxx in the upcoming Netflix movie "Back in Action."

Graham is a widower and explains that he never introduces anyone to his two children, or even tells the women he sees that they exist. He prefers to be seen as a young, single guy with no attachments or complications.

However, this changes when he meets Amanda and they fall in love.

Law also co-starred with Robert Downey Jr. in the Sherlock Holmes films and Keira Knightley in "Anna Karenina."

In 2016, Law starred in the title role in HBO's "The Young Pope." The actor has also played prominent roles in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" and "Captain Marvel."

His most recent acting credits include appearing again as Albus Dumbledore in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" and as Captain Hook in "Peter Pan & Wendy."

Miles is originally introduced as one of Amanda's ex-boyfriend's friends and his friendship with Iris grows throughout the movie. They connect by watching old Hollywood movies, many of which were written by Arthur.

Their friendship turns romantic after they decide to help prepare Arthur for an event in his honor. Miles breaks up with his actress girlfriend Maggie, who has said she's been filming on location but has instead been cheating on him. In the end, Miles asks Iris if she will be his date on New Year's Eve and she says yes.

After "The Holiday," Black starred in films like "Tropic Thunder," "Gulliver's Travels," and "Goosebumps." He also held starring roles in the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise and in the two most recent "Jumanji" movies. 

In 2018, Black was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Most recently, he starred as Satan in the 2024 holiday comedy "Dear Santa" and reprised his role as Po in "Kung Fu Panda 4." He also voiced the role of Bowser in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."

In addition to his acting career, Black is the lead singer of the band "Tenacious D." The band, which formed 30 years ago, continues to tour, although their 2024 tour was cut short in light of a comment Black's bandmate, Kyle Gass, made about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July. Gass apologized for the remark, and Black told Variety in August, "We'll be back."

He also runs the YouTube channel Jablinski Games.

After befriending his new next-door neighbor Iris and Miles, he attends an event celebrating his achievements in the film industry. 

Wallach's prolific acting career spanned more than six decades, with his most notable film appearances including roles in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "The Godfather: Part III," "How to Steal a Million," and "The Misfits," which is most commonly known as Marilyn Monroe's last completed film.

"The Holiday" was one of Wallach's final film appearances.

After leading Iris on for years, Jasper gets engaged and announces it in front of his and Iris' entire office at a Christmas party. Iris tells Jasper she is going on holiday to get over him.

However, instead of leaving her alone, Jasper asks Iris for notes on his manuscript while she's on vacation. He also shows up in Los Angeles unannounced to tell Iris he's afraid of losing her but is still engaged. Finally, Iris breaks it off.

Sewell has appeared in "The Man in the High Castle" and "Victoria," and he guest-starred in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as a stubborn but genius artist.

His most recent acting credits include roles in "Kaleidoscope" and "The Trouble with Jessica," and he stars alongside Keri Russell in Netflix's "The Diplomat," which is in its second season.

After a rip-roaring fight in one of the first scenes of the movie, Ethan tells Amanda he has cheated on her with his secretary but blames it on the fact that he doesn't feel connected to Amanda. He also points out that she doesn't "even shed a tear" during their breakup. 

In recent years, Burns has directed and produced several of the projects he's acted in, including "27 Dresses," "Public Morals," "Summertime," "Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies," and "Bridge and Tunnel." 

He is married to model Christy Turlington — they wed in 2003. They have two children, Grace and Finn.

Not much about Maggie is known other than the fact she's beautiful, likes to talk on the phone while Miles is listening to classical music in the car, and she cheats on him while pretending to be acting on location.

In the end, Maggie tries to win Miles back, but they break up.

Her most recent television credits included roles in "Mistresses," "Wayward Pines," and "Sleepy Hollow." She's also acted in several indie movies.

As of 2020, Sossamon was working on a project called "The Maude Room," a short-form variety show that she described as "a little picture show theater."

"What I wanted to do is to create a space that's like film school in a way. I'm doing mostly everything myself, holding the camera and doing all the post [production], and I'm loving it," she told Refinery 29 in September 2020.

However, the project has yet to be released.

Sophie appeared in adorable scenes alongside her younger sister, Olivia.

Englefield, 6, was living with her dad when filming started and had only recently become permanently housed after being homeless, the actor told Vulture in 2020.

According to her Instagram page, Englefield, now 25, lives in West Sussex, England. In April 2020, she welcomed her first child. 

"She has the largest and most loving family with the most ridiculous mix of beautiful people around her," she wrote in an Instagram post at the time. The former actor's account has since been set private. "We cannot wait for you all to meet her once the world begins to return to a more normal state."

Englefield, who now has dark hair and tattoos, said in a 2019 Instagram story that she struggled to find acting gigs because of her new look, People reported.

"As an adult, I've found that casting directors aren't overly seeking people who 'look like me' to play roles, even though body modifications aren't rare these days and are the most common they have ever been," she said.

Englefield has also shared a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on "The Holiday" on her TikTok page.

In a 2022 TikTok video, she answered frequently asked questions about starring in the film and said she hasn't stayed in touch with any of her costars, but that "they were all so lovely."

One of Pritchard's character's most notable scenes is the one where she and Sophie beg their father to "do Mr. Napkin Head." Graham hilariously places a napkin and his glasses over his face, much to the delight of his daughters and Amanda.

Pritchard has kept a low profile and does not have any public social media accounts.

Some of Bezos' favorite books were instrumental to the creation of products and services like the Kindle and Amazon Web Services.

This book on innovation explains how companies can become disruptors. It's one of three books Bezos made his top executives read one summer to map out Amazon's trajectory.

Also on that list was "The Goal," in which Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox examine the theory of constraints from a management perspective.

Buy it here >>

The final book on Bezos' reading list for senior managers, "The Effective Executive" lays out habits of successful executives, like time management and effective decision-making.

This book draws on six years of research from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business that looks into what separates exceptional companies from their competitors. Bezos has said it's his "favorite business book."

Buy it here >>

This Kazuo Ishiguro novel tells of an English butler in wartime England who begins to question his lifelong loyalty to his employer while on a vacation.

Bezos has said of the book, "Before reading it, I didn't think a perfect novel was possible."

Buy it here >>

This book imparts lessons about improving efficiency based on case studies of lean companies across various industries.

Buy it here >>

The Tesla CEO has recommended several AI books, sci-fi novels, and biographies over the years.

One of Musk's most recent picks, this book tackles longtermism, which its author defines as "the view that positively affecting the long-run future is a key moral priority of our time." Musk says the book is a "close match" for his philosophy.

Musk has also recommended several books on artificial intelligence, including this one, which considers questions about the future of intelligent life in a world where machines might become smarter than people.

Buy it here >>

On the subject of AI, Musk said in a 2014 tweet that this book, which examines its risks and potential, is also "worth reading."

Buy it here >>

In this book, MIT professor Max Tegmark writes about ensuring artificial intelligence and technological progress remain beneficial for human life in the future.

Peter Thiel shares lessons he learned founding companies like PayPal and Palantir in this book.

Musk has said of the book, "Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and Zero to One shows how."

Buy it here >>

Musk's reading list isn't without biographies, including this Walter Isaacson book on Albert Einstein as well as Isaacon's biography of Benjamin Franklin. Isaacson more recently published a biography of Musk himself.

Buy it here >>

The Microsoft cofounder usually publishes two lists each year, one in the summer and one at year's end, of his book recommendations.

In his 2022 summer reading list, Gates highlighted this work by Vaclav Smil that explores the fundamental forces underlying today's world, including matters like energy production and globalization.

"If you want a brief but thorough education in numeric thinking about many of the fundamental forces that shape human life, this is the book to read," Gates said of the book.

Ezra Klein argues that the American political system has became polarized around identity to dangerous effect in this book, also on Gates' summer reading list in 2022, that Gates calls "a fascinating look at human psychology."

Gates has said this is "the best business book I've ever read." It compiles 12 articles that originally appeared in The New Yorker about moments of success and failure at companies like General Electric and Xerox.

Buy it here >>

This book investigates the thinking patterns and tendencies that distort people's perceptions of the world. Gates has called it "one of the most educational books I've ever read."

Buy it here >>

David Christian takes on the history of our universe, from the Big Bang to mass globalization, in this book.

Buy it here >>

Elizabeth Kolbert plumbs the history of Earth's mass extinctions in this book, including a sixth extinction, which some scientists warn is already underway.

Buy it here >>

This Archie Brown book examines political leadership throughout the 20th century.

Buy it here >>

One of Gates' most recent book picks comes from the head of Microsoft AI.

Mustafa Suleyman's "The Coming Wave" explores the opportunities and risks posed by scientific breakthroughs like AI and gene editing.

"If you want to understand the rise of AI, this is the best book to read," Gates wrote of the book.

I had the option to check a bag, but I decided to keep all my belongings with me throughout the trip.

I packed comfy pants and shorts since I was traveling south to warmer temperatures. 

I brought a Nintendo Switch, a tablet, and a book to pass the time. I made sure to download a bunch of podcast episodes to my phone in case I lost service and internet at any point during the trip.

Even though Amtrak sanitizes rooms between visitors, according to its website, bringing my own disinfectant gave me peace of mind and made me feel more comfortable relaxing in my rooms.

This packing tip comes from my mom. She always brought some sort of immunity-boosting chewable to protect us from germs while traveling. And as Business Insider previously reported, Vitamin C can help your immune system fight off some infections.

I picked up these memory foam babies at T.J. Maxx for only $20. They slipped on and off very easily, which was great for leaving my room quickly with shoes on.

I took frequent dance breaks in my room, where I closed the curtains and blasted music in my ears. This, of course, required a pair of headphones. 

While I danced throughout the day, I was glad I could listen to music as loudly as I wanted without bothering my neighbors.

In some roomettes (mine included), a side table swings open to reveal a toilet. Above, there's a folding sink and mirror. 

I may have had a bigger problem with having a toilet so close to my bed, but thankfully, I had packed some Poo Pourri, a spray that goes in the toilet just before you poop to eliminate odors.

I thought many of my meals on the train were decent, but there were times, like when I tried and disliked a salmon dish, that I was thankful for this bag of trail mix with my favorite ingredient, coconut chips.

An Amtrak attendant brought me disposable water bottles every few hours, but I was still glad I brought my own pre-filled water bottle.

But my bottle was too wide for the provided cupholders, which were just big enough for 12-ounce bottles. So, I wish I had brought a smaller reusable water bottle.

I figured this would only be temporary, but I thought the whole ride was shaky. I ended up feeling motion sickness for the majority of both trips and kicking myself for not bringing any remedies.

I planned on showering during my 30-hour ride home from Miami, but I decided not to when I realized I had forgotten my flip-flops. I usually wear them in public showers, since it's pretty easy to pick up germs from places where many people have walked barefoot.

I only saw a couple of sets of outlets in the rooms. With several devices to plug in, I should have brought an outlet splitter or two. 

I could have sworn I packed this and was so disappointed when I wanted to use it.

This specific neck pillow wraps around 1.5 times, making adjusting to various long-term sitting situations easy. 

The bed on the Amtrak was firm and slightly cushy on top, just the way I like a bed. But when I was drifting off to sleep each night, I thought of my fluffy, dense, soft pillows at home. 

As the final season of "The Sopranos" progressed and the bodies kept piling up, it became clearer than ever that Tony, the head of a New Jersey crime family played by James Gandolfini, wouldn't have a happy ending to his story in the 2007 finale, "Made in America."

Audiences didn't expect the show's final scene to be the Soprano family meeting at a diner while "Don't Stop Believin'" played on a jukebox. The camera showed the front door of the diner opening before cutting to black, ending the show.

People across the country thought HBO had crashed. But the show's creator, David Chase, made it clear that this was the end and that he had no intention of telling us whether the person who arrived at the diner was there to whack Tony.

By the time season five of "Game of Thrones" was airing in 2015, audiences knew not to get attached to anyone.

But if "Thrones" had a main character by season five, it was Jon, played by Kit Harington.

So when the season concluded with the episode "Mother's Mercy," in which his so-called brothers conspired to kill him via group stabbing, fans were shocked — well, the ones who hadn't read the books at least.

After the season ended, Harington swore he wasn't returning to the world of Westeros, which made viewers wonder: What would happen next? You'd have to tune in to season six to find out.

"The Walking Dead" waited until the finale of season six in 2016 to properly introduce viewers to Negan (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) after teasing him for the entire season.

And what an introduction it was. After terrorizing the main characters off-screen, Negan realized he couldn't decide who to kill and used a game to pick his victim in the episode "Last Day on Earth."

But we didn't get to see his selection — the camera switched to the point of view of the victim, who was then viciously bludgeoned by Negan's beloved baseball bat, Lucille.

Viewers didn't find out until season seven who was on the receiving end of Lucille's wrath.

"Star Trek" is a fairly episodic show by design. But when the season-three finale aired in June 1990, it became clear that even "Star Trek" knew the power of a good cliffhanger.

The third season ended with the episode "The Best of Both Worlds," in which Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), the brave captain of the Enterprise, is taken captive by an evil alien species called the Borg, who have the power to eventually take over the galaxy.

Picard's friend and first officer, William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), is left with a choice: Does he mount a rescue mission or take the opportunity to wipe out the Borg, Picard included?

The episode concludes with Riker firing on the Borg's ship before hitting us with a "To be continued…" leaving Picard's fate up in the air until season four.

Throughout the first season of "Lost" in 2004 and 2005, fans kept getting hints that this wasn't your typical deserted island.

But in the episode "Exodus," when Jack (Matthew Fox) and Locke (Terry O'Quinn) blow the door off a mysterious hatch they found on the floor of the jungle and realize it goes deep underground, we get confirmation that something's wrong on this island.

Meanwhile, Walt (Malcolm David Kelley), a young boy on the plane, is snatched from a rescue raft by a mysterious group of people known only as the Others.

In retrospect, it's wild that we had to wait months to find out who took Walt and what was at the bottom of the hatch.

From the first episode of "Lost," it was clear each episode would split the action between present-day happenings on the island and flashbacks, usually focused on one survivor.

But the season-three finale, "Through the Looking Glass," which aired in 2007, seemed different. We watched as Jack became heavily depressed, even suicidal, and hooked on painkillers, a previously unknown part of Jack's history.

But the last scene of the finale showed us that this wasn't a flashback but a flash-forward, letting us know that at least Jack and Kate (Evangeline Lilly) would be rescued from the island at some point and that Jack would tearfully tell Kate they had to go back to the island, changing the course of "Lost" forever.

By the time "Dallas" entered its third season, audiences were captivated by the wheeling and dealing of the Ewing oil/cattle dynasty.

And no character was more admired (or reviled) than J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), a scheming oil tycoon who stopped at nothing to get what he wanted.

When the season-three finale, "A House Divided," concluded with his shooting by a mysterious gunman, TV audiences became consumed by the question "Who shot J.R.?"

It could've been anyone, as everyone on the show had a reason to kill J.R. In fact, everyone on the show was filmed shooting J.R. to keep it a secret from audiences and the crew alike.

It took four episodes of season four before the shooter's identity was revealed.

Fifteen years after the "Dallas" episode, "The Simpsons" concluded its sixth season by showing Mr. Burns (Harry Shearer), the greedy owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, getting shot.

The first part of the episode contains many clues (and some red herrings) about who shot Burns — but as with Ewing before him, everyone had a reason to want him dead.

We won't spoil it here, but the season-seven premiere clarifies who shot Burns, and the reveal's certainly worth the wait.

"The West Wing" became a phenomenon throughout its first season in 1999 and 2000, but it took the cliffhanger in the season-one finale ("What Kind of Day Has It Been") to put it on the map.

The senior staff of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is at an event where the president's speaking when a gunman opens fire.

In the chaos, we see each member hit the ground. But before we can assess who's safe, the camera pans out, and we hear a frantic Secret Service agent over the radio asking who's been hit.

We didn't find out the answer until the season-two premiere months later.

This wasn't a season finale, but it was still very nerve-racking to wait a week to see if President Fitzgerald Grant III, played by Tony Goldwyn, had survived getting shot while entering his birthday party.

The season two episode, "Defiance," was wild enough without the attempt; it was mainly about James, a reporter, investigating the claim that the voting machines had been rigged in the election that resulted in Fitz's win.

But then, in the last two minutes — bang. Fitz was shot by an unseen assailant, thrown back into his limo, and rushed to the hospital, his fate unknown.

The next episode, "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," revealed that Fitz was alive, but he wouldn't wake up for a few more episodes. Classic "Scandal" drama.

It's impossible to predict what will happen on "Twin Peaks," which began as a murder-mystery show and ended as something quite different.

In the first season, the show's creator David Lynch mainly adhered to the mystery aspect of the show, down to the last moments of the finale, when FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), the main character, is shot on his doorstep by an unknown gunman.

There are theories to this day about the identity of Cooper's would-be killer, making it an all-time cliffhanger.

Season one of "Grey's Anatomy," which aired in 2005, had a lot of characters to juggle, but perhaps the most compelling plot line at the time was watching Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), a surgical intern, fall in love with her boss, the neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).

It seemed they'd finally figured out their issues in the finale of season one, "Who's Zoomin' Who?" — only for a statuesque redhead (Kate Walsh) to greet Derek and say to Meredith, "You must be the woman who's been screwing my husband."

Around the country, jaws dropped. Answers would come months later, in season two.

Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) were one of the greatest will-they-won't-they couples of our time.

It was a huge surprise when Ross decided to marry Emily (Helen Baxendale), his British girlfriend of only a few months, in the 1998 finale of season four, "The One With Ross's Wedding."

But the pull of Ross and Rachel's unfinished business was too strong for Ross, and viewers (and Rachel) gasped as Ross said, "I, Ross, take thee, Rachel" at the altar.

The officiant asks Emily if he should continue. Before we find out her answer, the episode ends, leaving Ross' marital status up in the air until the season-five premiere, aptly titled "The One After Ross Says Rachel."

"Alias" starred Jennifer Garner as the superspy Sydney Bristow and Michael Vartan as Vaughn, her handler.

Their explosive chemistry was a huge part of the show's success, but it became increasingly ridiculous that these people wouldn't fall in love by season two.

And so they did — until the season-two finale, "The Telling," in 2003. After surviving a particularly nasty fight, Sydney wakes up in Hong Kong, asking for Vaughn.

He arrives, only to tell Sydney that she's been missing for two years and that in that time he's married someone else. A true gut punch, even 21 years later.

Throughout the first five seasons of "Buffy," the titular vampire slayer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) gave more of herself than any teenager should be expected to give.

But in the season-five finale in 2001, titled "The Gift," she sacrificed herself to save her sister, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg); her friends; and the town of Sunnydale.

The episode's final shot is a close-up of Buffy's gravestone, which declares: "She saved the world. A lot."

How could there be a season six of "Buffy" without Buffy? Fans were asking this question until the show came back and it became clear that Buffy's death would have long-term consequences for the show.

Throughout the first episode ("Be Still My Heart"), Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin) is trying to tell her boss, Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle), that she's concerned about her patient's mental state.

Busy with other things, John ignores her, with disastrous consequences. The patient stabs them both, and the episode ends with a haunting image of John and Lucy staring at each other on the floor next to a hospital bed.

That's nothing compared with what happened the following week when their colleagues found them in this state, in the episode "All in the Family."

"How I Met Your Mother" frequently employed cliffhangers — in fact, the whole show could be considered a cliffhanger, as Ted didn't meet the titular mother until the series finale.

But one of the longest-running cliffhangers was first hinted at in the premiere of season six, when the gang was seen in the near future attending a wedding where Ted was the best man — but fans didn't get a glimpse at the bride or the groom.

That is, until the season finale when it was finally revealed that the groom was notorious womanizer and commitment phobe Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris).

But who was the bride?

We had to wait an entire season until the finale of season seven, when it was finally revealed that Barney would eventually marry Robin.

And then they lived happily ever after, as long as you ignore the events of the controversial series finale.