Steve Pond's Blog, page 195

‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Ending Explained: Who Died?

“The White Lotus” Season 3 finale was a bloodbath that ended up with two dead and one red herring.

The finale brought all the stories crashing back together for the mysterious shootout we briefly heard playing out back in the premiere. The biggest questions were who was firing the gun, who was caught in the crossfire, and who was the body Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) found floating in the river — and whether it was even connected to the shooting or not.

All season long it has been anyone’s guess who would end up dead. Tim (Jason Isaacs) has been having suicidal fantasies for half the episodes, Rick (Walton Goggins) has been on a revenge-fueled manhunt for the person responsible for his father’s death, and Gaitok seemed to have finally figured out who robbed the resort.

Here is who did not make it out of the Season 3 finale alive.

Sam Nivola and Jason Isaacs in “The White Lotus.” (HBO)Who Died in the Finale?

There was a storm of theories going into the Season 3 finale of “The White Lotus.” Unlike past seasons, it really seemed like anyone could be under the gun and wasn’t making it out of the episode alive. It ended up being much more of a bloodbath than previous seasons.

Early on, all signs pointed to Lochlan (Sam Nivola) was on death’s door. He was the only member of the Ratliff family that seemed to be OK with the thought of living without wealth. And when Tim balked on an original secret family suicide pact with his wife and two eldest children using the suicide fruit seeds growing conveniently next to his room, he forgot to clean out the blender he used to make the almost killer beverages.

The morning everyone was set to leave, Lochlan made himself a shake using the uncleaned blender and nearly poisoned himself to death. He puked in the pool and then hallucinated himself drowning while looking up at four monks staring down at him. Luckily, Tim found his youngest son and managed to revive him while the shooting was happening elsewhere on the resort. So Lochy served as a terrifying red herring.

The two who did die though were Rick and unfortunately Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn) returns to the Lotus and confronts Rick, insults his mother and says his dad was a dirtbag. Rick flees to try to calm himself down but again sees Hollinger taking pictures. In a fit of rage he walked up to the man he thought killed his father, pulls the gun from the holster the man had on him, and shot him in the chest. It was only after Rick killed Hollinger he was told that the man was in fact his father all along.

After Hollinger’s death, his bodyguards – who have been popping up to give Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) hell all season – finally tried to earn their wage. They started shooting at Rick as he took Chelsea by the hand and ran for cover. Rick being a good shot from near and far managed to kill both bodyguards but turned to find that Chelsea had been hit in the chest. Despite his pleading, he watched her die in his arms.

Gaitok, hearing the shooting, unlocked the drawer hiding the gun he managed to get back from Tim and ran into the mix. He finds Sritala (Lek Patravadi) holding Hollinger’s body and yells at the boy to kill Rick – who is walking away from the scene carrying Chelsea’s body. Gaitok catches up and yells out but Rick isn’t of a mind to stop. After more yells from Sritala, Gaitok takes aim and puts two in Rick’s back and both he and Chelsea fall into the water – becoming the body that Zion saw in the premiere.

Everyone else makes it out of the resort relatively unscathed – though the Ratliffs are about to face a whole new kind of life and Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) essentially pulled a Tanya on Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul) by saying she was taking a pause on wanting to start a wellness business together after she got a $5 million payout from Greg (Jon Gries).

So the Season 3 finale death total looks as such: Rick, Chelsea, Jim Hollinger, and two bodyguards.

“The White Lotus” Season 3 is now streaming on Max.

The post ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Ending Explained: Who Died? appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Suits LA’ Honors Late Actor John Amos With Episode 7 Dedication, Special Storyline

Note: This story contains spoilers from “Suits LA” Episode 7.

“Suits LA” honored the late TV star John Amos with a special storyline and dedication nearly a year after his death in August 2024. The “Good Times” star made a guest appearance in the series premiere, playing himself as one of the many high-profile clients of attorney Ted Black (Stephen Amell).

Episode 7, appropriately titled “Good Times,” saw Ted brought back together with his former partner Rick (Bryan Greenberg) to streamline the appointment of a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Amos after his passing.

After agreeing to mend fences in order to honor their client one last time, Ted and Rick disagree after Ted confronts an executive in charge of the star process for not knowing the classic CBS series that made Amos a television legend.

Stephen Amell in “Suits LA.” (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

“John Amos was the Sidney Poitier of television,” Ted said as part of his rant. “He should’ve had a star decades ago.”

Rick got the man in charge to agree to Amos getting a star, but it would take at least two years to happen. Ted struggled with waiting too long and letting Amos’ legacy fade away in the meantime, but agreed to the terms knowing a star would happen after some time. The episode ended with the show’s lawyers watching an old episode of “Good Times” in his honor.

Amos previously appeared as himself in Episode 1 of “Suits LA.” He was caught in the middle of Ted Black’s firm collapsing after his partner Stuart (Josh McDermitt) left him with half the firm to join another one in a merger. Rick was leaving with him and Amos asked to jump ship as well, knowing Rick could get him an audition that Ted had advised him not to take. But Episode 7 saw the lawyers make amends for their client — with Ted noting Amos, one of his first clients, had been like a father figure.

Amos died on Aug. 21, 2024 at the age of 84 from natural causes. His breakout role was as James Evans Sr. in “Good Times.” He later starred in the Emmy-winning adaptation of “Roots.”

Bryan Greenberg and Stephen Amell in “Suits LA.” (Trae Patton/NBC)

“Suits LA” airs Sundays on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.

The post ‘Suits LA’ Honors Late Actor John Amos With Episode 7 Dedication, Special Storyline appeared first on TheWrap.

Amber Ruffin Reveals Why ‘It’s a Good Thing’ She Lost White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gig | Video

It’s only been a week since the White House Correspondents’ Association decided to forgo having a comedian host the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but Amber Ruffin seems to have already come to terms with her firing.

In fact, the “Late Night” comedian admitted on CNN’s “Have I Got News for You” on Saturday night that “it’s a good thing” she lost the job — because she wasn’t about to paint both sides of the political aisle as equals.

“Oh my God, I could f—king talk for the next three hours,” Ruffin began when host Roy Wood Jr. asked her about the situation. “I lost the gig because I was out here talking s—t. I think it’s a good thing that I lost the gig because I was going to show up there and act all the way out.”

“Also, it’s not anyone’s fault, because when I was hired, we were like, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll give it to everybody’ and I was like, ‘Bet,’” she further explained. “Then, they started f—king disappearing people to a prison in El Salvador, they rolled back f—king civil rights, so I was like, if I make this equal, then I’m also a piece of s—t. I can’t f—king do that.”

Last Saturday, WHCA president Eugene Daniels informed members that the board had unanimously voted to cancel Ruffin’s appearance in an effort meant to “ensure the focus is not on the politics of division.”

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In turn, Ruffin responded on her NBC late night show with Seth Meyers, saying, “I thought when people take away your rights, erase your history and deport your friends, you’re supposed to call it out. But I was wrong.”

She later added: “We have a free press so that we can be nice to Republicans at fancy dinners. That’s what it says in the First Amendment.”

In addition to Ruffin and Wood Jr., Saturday’s episode of “Have I Got News for You” on CNN also featured Rep. Ro Khanna and fellow comedians Michael Ian Black and Karen Chee.

As things stand, the 2025 White House Correspondents’ Dinner is set to take place on April 26.

The post Amber Ruffin Reveals Why ‘It’s a Good Thing’ She Lost White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gig | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Fyre Festival 2.0, Billy McFarland Insist They’re Working With Mexico for Safe and Successful May Event

It wouldn’t be the second coming of the Fyre Fest without a little disorder, but the organizers behind Fyre Festival 2.0 insist they’re doing things by the book — even if their venue disagrees.

Following reports from The Cut and Rolling Stone that the upcoming envisioned music/culture event set for May 30-June 2 in Mexico may be shaping up to be yet another scam, Billy McFarland shared his side of the story on Friday.

“Fyre has been working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2025, to ensure a safe and successful event,” he wrote on Instagram. “All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation.”

“Fyre has operated as a good partner with PDC government and has followed the proper processes and procedures to lawfully host an event,” the message continued. “We will be sharing all relevant permits, payments and communications.”

Those permits included March submissions for talent, tourism, special event and environmental regulations — meaning they only just started getting permission last month even though the follow-up festival was announced back in September 2024.

However, the city of Playa del Carmen issued an opposing X statement on Thursday, saying, “Neither this event nor any event with its name will occur in our city. After looking over the information around the situation, we can confirm that there have been no registrations, planning or conditions to indicate that this will happen in our municipality.”

With that said, TMZ further reported on Sunday that McFarland and his fellow organizers have supposedly been texting about the fallout with Playa del Carmen. It’s worth noting the original Fyre Festival 2.0 was supposed to take place on Isla Mujeres, but that locale also stated no paperwork was ever filed prior to the switch.

Of course, this all comes nearly eight years after the first Fyre Festival went viral for being a fraud. McFarland was even sentenced to six years in prison and ultimately got out after serving less than four.

TheWrap has reached out to Fyre Festival 2.0 organizers for further comment.

The post Fyre Festival 2.0, Billy McFarland Insist They’re Working With Mexico for Safe and Successful May Event appeared first on TheWrap.

Billy Joel Doc ‘And So It Goes’ to Open 2025 Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival has selected the two-part HBO documentary “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” to be its opening night feature on June 4, co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal announced at NAB Show’s Business of Entertainment event on Sunday.

“For nearly 25 years, the Tribeca Festival has celebrated the artists who give New York its heart and soul, and on the opening night of the 2025 Festival, we are thrilled to honor Billy Joel — an artist who has embodied that very spirit,” Rosenthal said. “Paying tribute to the legendary performer who captured the essence of a ‘New York State of Mind’ is a perfect way to kick off this year’s celebration of creativity and inspiration.”

The official synopsis describes the doc as “an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting. With unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies and personal photographs, along with extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews, the documentary intimately explores the life and work of Joel, whose music has endured across generations.” 

Susan Lacy, creator and executive producer of PBS’ “American Masters,” directed the film as part of a production deal with HBO. The film will screen at Tribeca’s opening night event at the Beacon Theatre in New York, with OKX and City National Bank as sponsors.

“I and my co-director, Jessica Levin, couldn’t be more thrilled about our film ‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes’ opening the esteemed Tribeca Festival,” Lacy said in a statement. “Our thanks go out to Jane Rosenthal and the Festival team and to HBO and the wonderful folks there who have supported us throughout in our efforts to bring an in-depth, honest and musically expressive portrait of this complex talent. We are beyond appreciative of Billy Joel’s trust in us to bring his story to the screen. There is no better place for this film to premiere than at the Beacon Theater, the venue for so many historic musical events for decades, and in the city so important to Billy Joel.”

The full slate for Tribeca 2025 will be released soon.

The post Billy Joel Doc ‘And So It Goes’ to Open 2025 Tribeca Film Festival appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Hands Off’ Organizers Unite Millions Against ‘Authoritarian’ Trump Policies Across 1,300 Protests Nationwide

If you’ve been online or out in any American city this weekend, then chances are you’ve seen people protesting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s “authoritarian overreach” as part of the nationwide “Hands Off” protests.

On Saturday, millions of citizens came together across all 50 states at over 1,300 peaceful protests organized by MoveOn to combat the president and the DOGE head’s agenda, according to internal data. In fact, more than 600,000 people had even signed up to take part in the protests ahead of time.

“What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures and our democracy are under attack,” MoveOn executive director Rahna Epting said in a statement. “This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people — nurses, teachers, students, parents — who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started.”

Plus, by some estimations, the actual number of participants could have been as high as 5.5 million-6 million people — or about 2% of the U.S. population.

Dubbed the National Day of Action, which notably came three days after Trump’s inaugural “Liberation Day,” events took place in major cities such as Chicago, Asheville, Topeka, Boston, Columbus, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle and even internationally in London and Paris.

“This marks the largest day of collective action since Trump’s inauguration, with everyday people turning out in record numbers to defend their healthcare, wages, education, civil rights and democracy,” MoveOn noted. “Organizers and attendees cited moves Trump has taken to gut workers’ rights, dismantle our healthcare and constantly increasing prices for all Americans as major contributors to the increased enthusiasm.”

“With Trump and congressional Republicans doubling down on their agenda to gut essential services, everyday Americans are sending a clear message: Take your hands off our healthcare, our Social Security, our civil rights, our freedom and our education,” their message continued. “The outpouring of energy was fueled by widespread outrage at efforts to dismantle programs that serve working families and middle-class communities.”

And despite Musk implying the protests are inorganic on X due to “puppetmasters” at work, the organizers in question have ensured that “a commitment to non-violent action is a core principle behind all Hands Off events,” adding: “All hosts and participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with their values.”

TheWrap has reached out to MoveOn for further comment.

The post ‘Hands Off’ Organizers Unite Millions Against ‘Authoritarian’ Trump Policies Across 1,300 Protests Nationwide appeared first on TheWrap.

‘SNL’: Trump Touts ‘Fantastic, Unbelievable Depression’ Ahead in Tariffs Speech Reenactment | Video

James Austin Johnson’s President Donald Trump explained his tariffs plan during the latest “Saturday Night Live” cold open, teasing a new era in his presidency he called “MAGDA: Make America Great Depression Again.”

“My favorite word, tariff, which, of course, is short for tarrific idea,” Trump said, reenacting the President’s speech from the rose garden Wednesday.

“It’ll be great. It’ll be better than great. It will be a fantastic, unbelievable depression,” he said. “Never seen before. This depression is going to be so great. We’ll be the ones eating the cats and the dogs.”

Mike Myers joined as Elon Musk later on, introducing a new Tesla Model V that vandalizes itself, saying that users could choose a penis or a swastika graffiti to display on the new electric car model. The show also referenced the now-infamous Morgan Wallen walkout from last week, as Johnson’s Trump said, “Get me to God’s Country.”

Johnson’s Trump brought out the cardboard one sheet that explained which countries were hit with the tariffs and by which percentages. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, played by Andrew Dismukes, accidentally brought out the cheesecake menu instead before bringing out the tariffs breakdown.

“We spent so much time, frankly, millions of dollars, on this piece of art,” Johnson’s Trump said of the cardboard cutout. “We listed the countries in an order that’s neither alphabetical nor numerical for maximum confusion.”

President Donald Trump unveiled his most expansive tariffs to date in the speech on Wednesday. The tariffs will apply to more than 100 trading partners, including the European Union, China, Britain and India. Mexico and Canada, which had been slapped with levies earlier, were excluded.

Johnson’s Trump acknowledged that, though the stock market did crash temporarily, it is all part of the plan.

When Myers’ Musk popped onto the scene wearing a cheese hat, he admitted he was “an idiot” for trying to buy the election in Wisconsin: “I should have just bought Wisconsin.”

Jack Black hosted this week’s episode of “Saturday Night Live” with musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlisle.

Watch the cold open below:

The post ‘SNL’: Trump Touts ‘Fantastic, Unbelievable Depression’ Ahead in Tariffs Speech Reenactment | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Trump Border Czar Says Protests and Rallies – Even Outside His Home – ‘Don’t Mean Anything’ for Administration’s Policies | Video

President Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan is unmoved by protesters who gathered outside his home in New York as part of the nationwide Hands Off demonstrations Saturday. The government’s “decisions aren’t based on protests and rallies and hate mail and rallies,” he told Fox News, dismissively.

“They can protest at a vacant house all they want, no one’s there,” he continued. “I’m down here in D.C., but it’s unfortunate that they don’t listen to the facts of the case, they want to protest my house.”

Homan said demonstrators had gathered outside his New York home to rally against “an operation up there that was conducted by HSI and War Patrol — our criminal investigation into a child predator that was arrested, and there was people that were detained for material witnessing and possible victim statements.”

Watch the Fox News interview below:

On April 3 CNY Central reported protesters planned to gather outside Homan’s house to stand against the detention of a mother and her children. Homan has said the family was taken into custody because they are either witnesses to or victims of a man Customs and Border Protection is looking for.

The man in question reportedly lives in Sackets Harbor, New York, and “shared child sexual assault material with an undercover Homeland Security agent” who had posed as a 13-year-old girl. CNY Central also reported the suspect was arrested in late March. The family was taken from the state and Homan has also said they are currently detained in an “open-air facility.”

“But the people need to understand, decisions will be made, decisions are made on the result of a criminal investigation and what transpires during that criminal investigation,” Homan maintained.

He also touted Trump as a “game-changer” in terms of immigration into the United States. “In 60 days, he did what the Biden administration couldn’t or wouldn’t do in four years,” Homan said.

The post Trump Border Czar Says Protests and Rallies – Even Outside His Home – ‘Don’t Mean Anything’ for Administration’s Policies | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Elton John Says ‘Tammy Faye’ Musical Flopped Because It Was ‘Too Political’ for Broadway

After Elton John’s musical “Tammy Faye” transferred to Broadway in November, it was not met with a lot of interest from American theatergoers. In an interview with The Times published Friday, John said he felt the musical didn’t perform well because it was “too political” for New York audiences.

“We put out two musicals recently, one a huge flop in America and the other a huge hit in England,” he said in reference to “Tammy Faye” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” which recently hit London’s West End.

“‘Tammy Faye’ came out during the U.S. election, and it’s all about how the integration of church and state ruined America, which Ronald Reagan did. It was too political for America. They don’t really get irony,” John explained of its reception. The production opened on Broadway Nov. 14 and closed Dec. 8.

John also addressed rumors he might be prepared to retire from music completely, something that the outlet said has been “exaggerated.” But the singer admitted that he has no interest in going back out on tour. His “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour wrapped July 2023.

“To go back and do an Elton John set on tour, I would just kill myself. We went to New Orleans recently to film ‘Spinal Tap 2.’ We drove into the back of a big arena and I turned to David and said, ‘You know, I’ve got hives.’ I couldn’t do a better show than Glastonbury 2023, so what would be the point? You have to know when to fold it.”

An eye infection the singer contracted in November spurred first those rumors, and the singer admitted the infection has severely impacted his eyesight. “I can see you, but I can’t see TV, I can’t read. I can’t see my boys playing rugby and soccer, and it has been a very stressful time because I’m used to soaking it all up. It’s distressing,” he said.

The music legend’s latest album, a collaborative effort with Brandi Carlile titled “Who Believes in Angels?,” dropped Friday.

The post Elton John Says ‘Tammy Faye’ Musical Flopped Because It Was ‘Too Political’ for Broadway appeared first on TheWrap.

Eric André Says He Was Offered Kieran Culkin’s ‘A Real Pain’ Role but Said No Because It Seemed ‘Really Miserable’ | Video

In an interview on the “Whiskey Ginger” podcast released Friday, Eric André revealed writer-director-star Jesse Eisenberg offered him Kieran Culkin’s “A Real Pain” role two years ago, but he turned it down.

“I was like, ‘That seems really miserable and not in my lane,'” he explained, a bit regrettably. Culkin went on to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year for his performance in the drama.

The project follows a pair of cousins as they tour Poland to honor their late grandmother a retrace the steps and history of the Holocaust. André said it seemed “like a bummer.”

“Two years ago, Jesse Eisenberg called me … offered me the [‘A Real Pain‘] role that Kieran Culkin got the Oscar for,” André said in the podcast, hosted by Andrew Santino. “I was like, ‘That seems really miserable and not in my lane.’ I read the script. I was like, ‘To go to Poland for six weeks and shoot a movie where we’re just babbling about the Holocaust, seems like a bummer.'”

Watch the clip below:

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André appeared to mildly regret the decision, especially after Culkin was so successful in the part.

“I was like, ‘Appreciate the offer. I’m sure it’s going to be great. I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for right now. The motherf–ker won an Oscar for the role I passed up. It’s not like I get offered roles constantly. I’m not f–king Leonardo [DiCaprio].”

While the performance turned into critical and personal success for the actor, Culkin also admitted to trying to back out of the project after taking the part. While speaking with TheWrap at Sundance, he explained, “I did try to pull out of the film. I had just finished a long job … something you may have heard of, it was called ‘SUCK-cession.'”

“I remember thinking, ‘Why am I doing this? Why am I going for five weeks?’” Culkin recalled. “I just wanted to be home with the kids, and just have time and wanted a reason to say no. So I re-read the script and just started laughing my ass off. I went to my wife and said, ‘Sorry, honey, I think we’re going to have to go to Poland.’”

Culkin co-starred opposite Eisenberg as Benji, one half of a cousin duo traveling to Poland to connect with their ancestral home following the death of their Holocaust survivor grandmother. Culkin’s character is a free-spirited foil to Eisenberg’s neurotic and anxious David.

The post Eric André Says He Was Offered Kieran Culkin’s ‘A Real Pain’ Role but Said No Because It Seemed ‘Really Miserable’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.