Minority Mindset

Will Ferrell is hosting Saturday Night Live for the sixth time, marking his first full episode since 2019 – though many still remember his appearance on the show’s 50th anniversary special. Even with a couple of slightly awkward moments, he’s always entertaining, and I actually liked that he didn’t just rehash old favorites. You want a season finale to be easy to watch, with a host you know will deliver, and Ferrell fits that perfectly. The same goes for Paul McCartney – his voice isn’t as strong as it once was, but it’s wonderful to see him perform, and he always brings a great energy to any sketch he’s in.

While Band of Brothers powerfully and realistically portrays the experiences of a World War II military company, and deeply connects us to their stories, the show isn’t without its problems. Its central idea, at its core, has a significant weakness.

Many popular shows, like Supernatural, Evil, Grimm, Lucifer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Fringe, probably wouldn’t exist without The X-Files. The show’s complex, season-long mysteries also pioneered a storytelling style – now known as the ‘mystery box’ format – that became hugely influential on television in the 2000s and 2010s. In fact, the iconic mystery series Lost likely wouldn’t have been possible without The X-Files paving the way.

The network isn’t sharing many details about Stephen Colbert’s final episode on Thursday, simply calling it “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Series Finale.” Colbert has already publicly stated who he hopes will be his last guest: Pope Leo XIV. He explained to The Hollywood Reporter that, as a devout Catholic, the Pope is his long-sought guest. He even wrote a letter, playfully addressing the Pope as “Your Holiness” and requesting an appearance, adding they didn’t need to discuss politics. Since no guests have been announced yet, it’s possible Colbert will get his wish.

Given the current widespread frustration with tech companies, the sharp cynicism of the satire The Audacity makes perfect sense. (A good example of this frustration is a recent viral video of college graduates booing a speaker who praised artificial intelligence.) However, even shows that mock powerful people, like HBO’s Succession – on which The Audacity creator Jonathan Glatzer worked – usually show some human side to those in charge. While the characters’ company might be harmful, acknowledging their weaknesses adds depth and complexity to the story.

To mark the end of Outlander on Starz, stars Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe, along with showrunner Matthew B. Roberts and executive producer Maril Davis, revealed in a recent Entertainment Weekly interview that they wished they could have rewritten one death: that of Black Jack Randall.