Entertainment

Discussing Suzie Toot, who transforms herself into a lovable underdog in the show Untucked, has a unique advantage. Suzie’s win condition as a quirky queen with an unconventional appearance and exceptional talents surpassing most of her competitors is to convincingly portray a struggling contender. Does this scenario sound familiar? Indeed, if played correctly, it could lead to the strongest Drag Race edit ever: The Jinkx Monsoon edit. Recall Jinkx Monsoon from season five who was not only an outstanding comedian and musical theater performer but also faced misunderstanding from fellow queens in the Werk Room. This made the audience empathize with her even more.

Similarly, Suzie has been playing the underdog role throughout the season, yet it hasn’t been very effective until now. When she expressed, “They finally see that I am a real threat,” after winning the first challenge, I felt like saying, “girl…” This week in Untucked, however, the other queens offer Suzie a prime chance to show her true potential, and she does just that by delivering an impromptu speech and confessional about continuing to be herself despite their criticisms. And I couldn’t help but think, “You guys! This is how Suzie wins! Don’t let her say that and have it make sense!

If you started watching Paradise because you noticed it brought together This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman and Sterling K. Brown, one of the best emotional performers on TV, you might have briefly wondered if this show would follow in the twist-filled footsteps of This Is Us. Perhaps there was a fleeting moment when you thought, “Could this series be full of unexpected twists?”

Maybe you even anticipated a bit of surprise as you watched, such as noticing the mechanical ducks in the pond or spotting the seams in the digital “sky”. Although it’s unlikely that these subtle clues would have prepared you for every twist and turn, they could have added a hint of anticipation to your viewing experience.

I’m usually not one to criticize a Sundance Film Festival year, but this time around, I find myself in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with many others: This has been a disappointing Sundance year. The highly anticipated films, which often attract the most attention due to their star-studded casts or renowned directors, have largely fallen flat. From the misfires like “Opus,” “The Thing With Feathers,” and “Rabbit Trap” in the genre category, to the confounding idiocy of “Bubble & Squeak,” and the mediocre indie returns of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Last Days,” it seemed that each day brought a significant film (relatively speaking) that we all eagerly anticipated and were ultimately left disappointed by.

If your initial response to that exclamatory cue wasn’t an enthusiastic “The Pitt!”, it might be because you haven’t immersed yourself in Max’s captivating new medical drama yet. Similar to my co-worker Kathryn VanArendonk, I too found myself eagerly consuming The Pitt, to the point where I felt aggravated when I had to stop to watch something else due to its irresistible charm. Just like Kathryn, I was fortunate enough to get early previews of the first ten episodes, which I devoured in under three days, only to feel dejected when I realized that the remaining five episodes of the season were not accessible at that time. The Pitt is a series whose fast-paced narrative structure makes it perfect for a binge-watching session, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Neil Gaiman has faced accusations of assault by nine individuals, ranging from his former nanny to younger fans, as detailed in a recent article for The New Yorker. In response, Gaiman denied these allegations, stating that some incidents never occurred at all, while others have been significantly exaggerated and no longer resemble the truth. Despite this controversy, the second season of the Sandman series is still set to premiere as scheduled in 2025.

As a film enthusiast, I found myself immersed in an intricate episode this time around. Let’s delve into the details. At the Morgan residence, a thought crossed Harry’s mind – he had forgotten about another child. The worry began to brew as Deb didn’t return home the previous night. Inquiring about things for the first time, Harry learned some startling facts about Gio. Specifically, that his 17-year-old daughter’s boyfriend was well into his mid-20s. With a sigh, he muttered, “Oh, Deb,” a father’s disappointment echoing in those words. Instead of focusing on finding Deb, Harry decided to travel to Tampa with LaGuerta to pursue the NHI serial killer case. Dexter was assigned Deb’s care but dropped a bombshell about his suspicions regarding Captain Spencer and the Jimmy Powell murder, as well as Nicky’s kidnapping. Harry swiftly dismissed these accusations, delivering a harsh response: “I know you harbor darkness within; I just didn’t realize you’d cast it upon everyone around you.” (To set the record straight, the show revealed the kidnapper’s identity in the opening moments of this episode, despite us learning about it last week.)

The webcomic that spawned the “DreamWorks Face” meme was criticized for being biased towards Pixar and unfair to Dreamworks. Despite this, it became a popular way to quickly compare these two animation studios, who have been competitors since their inception. Established in 1994, Dreamworks Animation premiered its first film, Antz, in 1998 – the same year as Pixar’s A Bug’s Life. Since then, Dreamworks has found itself often overshadowed by Pixar (it’s worth noting that with this weekend’s release of Dog Man, Dreamworks Animation will have produced nearly twice as many films as the currently Disney-owned Pixar).

In a recent interview with People magazine, Reese Witherspoon and her co-star Will Ferrell from the show “You’re Cordially Invited” had a good laugh. During their chat, Witherspoon shared an embarrassing story that she can’t seem to shake off. She recounted an incident where a fellow actress, whom she wasn’t close with but was known for her serious and proper demeanor, asked her to present an award. Thinking it was a roast, Witherspoon made some jokes about laser-hair removal which turned out to be inappropriate as the event was formal and classy. The actress in question wasn’t named, but Witherspoon mentioned they aren’t friends anymore and she doesn’t communicate with her.

In the film You’re Cordially Invited, the romantic elements are used sparingly and mainly towards the end, suggesting that Margot (played by Witherspoon) and Jim (played by Ferrell) end up together out of circumstance rather than passion. Director Stoller is known for his com-roms, or comedies with a romantic twist, such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five-Year Engagement, and Bros. While it might have been more effective if the romance was eliminated entirely, Stoller’s skill at this genre still manages to make both halves of the film enjoyable.

Ferrell’s part of the storyline is a humorous exploration of a father-daughter relationship, where a highly devoted parent is alarmed by his daughter’s decision to marry her college boyfriend. On the other hand, Witherspoon’s plot revolves around a family reunion drama about a successful career woman who reverts to adolescent defensiveness in the company of her Atlanta relatives with whom she has mostly drifted apart. Despite the film’s two distinct halves, both are generally well-executed.

As a movie aficionado, let me see… The Mentalist, White Collar, and Suits are all intriguing suggestions for shows that revolve around mental acumen and unconventional problem-solving. However, while the protagonists in these series possess remarkable intellects, their primary focus seems to be on legal matters rather than crime-solving per se.

In contrast, Columbo is a tricky case. Columbo is indeed a detective, but his unorthodox methods and tenacious approach make him an exceptional addition to our list. So, while he may not fit the exact mold of an outside consultant brought in to assist a detective, we can’t deny that his unique style of investigation deserves recognition.

At the end of the day, it’s our list, and if a traditionalist chief objects to our unorthodox choices, well, we’ll just have to remind him that results speak louder than rules.