Steve Pond's Blog, page 92

Jesse Watters Criticizes ICE Tactics as ‘Too Nice,’ Says Agents Should ‘Knock Some Heads Together’

Fox News host Jesse Watters questioned if ICE was “being too nice” in their ongoing raids of immigrants in California, even asking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis if using more force by knocking some heads together was the better course of action.

DeSantis, who has been outspoken about supporting the President Donald Trump and his campaign promise to deport illegal immigrants from the country, joined the Fox News host on Thursday night’s episode of “Jesse Watters Primetime” and shared his thoughts on a standoff that happened earlier in the day in Ventura County, California. Watters show images of the raid at a local farm and the pushback ICE received from the community.

“It seems to be like there’s a lot more intensity now with each one of these raids,” Watters said before asking DeSantis, “How do you see this going forward?”

“If the roles were reversed, the left would be saying it’s an insurrection,” the Florida governor said. “You have federal law enforcement that have clear authority to enforce clear federal law, and if you are illegally employed in this country, that is a violation of federal law.”

He went on to say that in Florida citizens would never get away with such behavior, calling the process lawful.

“I think what’s happened in California is they’ve really developed a sense of entitlement to simply disregard federal laws they don’t like, particularly with regard to immigration, and this has been happening for many years,” DeSantis continued. “So I think the situation has escalated. I think clearly they are in the wrong. But this is likely not going to stop in California anytime soon because I think this has been embedded in the psyche there—that somehow they can disregard laws they don’t want to follow.”

At that, Watters asked if he thought ICE was being aggressive enough. The agency has already received backlash in the form of protestors and local California officials like Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass who have done their best to quell the surprise raids.

“Governor, is ICE being too nice? They are doing, I guess, de-escalation tactics—which probably is the right move—but the more you tangle with these crazy people, the more it gives them confidence,” the Fox News host asked. “If you don’t make arrests and knock some heads together and show them that you may get hurt when you come in and block law enforcement, they’re just going to get more and more angry. Do you think they can step up some of their tactics?”

DeSantis explained that in Florida ICE would be met with more support from local police and sheriffs saying his state would work cooperatively with the federal agency.

“I think there are a lot of police officers individually who want to be helpful, but the political leadership is not allowing that to happen,” DeSantis said. “So I would not necessarily say that it’s ICE that has to take care of all of that, because some of that absolutely needs to be done with state and local assets.”

Watters conceded the point and agreed with the governor saying, “It’s more dangerous when the locals in California don’t provide backup because the ICE agents are outnumbered and it gets a little hairy”

You can watch the full “Jesse Watters Primetime” segment in the video above.

The post Jesse Watters Criticizes ICE Tactics as ‘Too Nice,’ Says Agents Should ‘Knock Some Heads Together’ appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Poker Face’ Boss Unpacks Charlie’s Heartbreaking Season 2 Finale, Shares Hopes for Potential Season 3

Note: This story contains spoilers from “Poker Face” Season 2, Episode 12.

Just as quickly as Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale settled into the bustling metropolis of New York City in “Poker Face,” the Season 2 finale ripped away any shred of normalcy as Charlie headed back on the road again, fearing for her life even more than the first time.

After settling into her Brooklyn crash pad (thanks to Steve Buscemi’s Good Buddy) and developing a friendship with a local named Alex (Patti Harrison), things were looking pretty good for Charlie — that is, until she found out she’s at the center of a plot from notorious assassin the Iguana to find and kill Beatrix Hasp (Rhea Perlman). Charlie and Alex thought they had evaded the Iguana, until Charlie realizes that her friend was actually Iguana all along, who had befriended Charlie so she could lead her to Hasp and kill her.

It turns out, Alex was the one person who could lie to Charlie without alarming her bulls–t detector — a realization that leaves Charlie “heartbroken” with “some real sorrow” as she hits the road after FBI Agent Luca Clark (Simon Helberg) told Charlie she’s now wanted by the FBI, according to showrunner Tony Tost.

“She connects with people, but … she finds it hard to find a home in the world [and] I think she really felt like she maybe found her place in Brooklyn, found someone who seemed uniquely well suited to be her friend,” Tost told TheWrap.

Tost added that Alex was someone Charlie could trust and she thought never lied to her, enabling Charlie to connect with Alex without feeling a lingering bulls–t alarm going off in the back of her head.

“To have that pulled out from underneath her and to find out this is actually the one person who can lie to her, it leaves her in a little bit of a existentially unmoored, heartbroken spot,” Tost said, adding it was interesting “to see what was lurking underneath the kind of rye grin that we see Charlie usually have.”

Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, Simon Helberg as Luca in “Poker Face” (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/Peacock)

Charlie fights through the pain of the betrayal to get herself out of the grave situation, which ends with Alex flying down a cliff in Charlie’s Plymouth Barracuda while Charlie finds herself face-to-face with Luca, who gives her a head start to escape, but cautions her that the next time he sees her, he’ll have to arrest her. The conversation sparks an emotional response for Lyonne’s Charlie, which Tost said might’ve been colored by the show’s looming changes of securing another installment.

“She’ll bring whatever is going on that day in her life to the performance — sometimes there’ll be moments of vulnerability that aren’t written in, but then deepen in a scene,” Tost said. “That was one of the last days that we shot … You’re not guaranteed seasons forever. Is this her last scene with Luca? Is this her last scene as Charlie?”

Below, Tost unpacks that cliffhanger fakeout and honoring pre-prestige TV shows, and reveals Rian Johnson’s biggest word of guidance for the murder mystery series.

TheWrap: Why did you choose to kill of Hasp?

Tost: It felt like it’d be a death that would have some punch to it. It wasn’t originally the grand master plan, but as we were talking about this Alex character, [we discussed] what would justify the world’s greatest hit woman to come in? We’ve established this Hasp thing has still out there. She’s alive. We’ve established that she’s testifying events against powerful people. It grew in that way, as a way of justifying this Alex character being in our world. The added benefit is Rhea Perlman is inherently very likable, even when she’s scary. You don’t want to see her get killed; it ups the emotional stakes for Charlie and for the viewer.

Patti Harrison as Alex, Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in “Poker Face” (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/Peacock)

The finale has a great fakeout and literal cliffhanger before resolving the end. What was the inspiration behind that?

That was something that Rian [Johnson] and I talked about, and that we giggled about. There’s something about these ’80s shows where sometimes there’s almost this “The Dukes of Hazzard” thing where the car’s in the air and then a freeze frame and “to be continued next week.” We’ve been talking the whole season, before we knew what the serialized story, about maybe we do a two-parter story because that’s something that “Magnum P.I.” or “Rockford Files” did. It came from just our love of these weekly old school TV shows and some of the tropes and some of the go to moves, and how could we repurpose them and remix them and make them fresh for a new audience?

Before the turn of events, do you think that Charlie would have been content with living in Brooklyn and just staying there?

I have a feeling that probably, with that gift, and with this fact that there seems to be murders happening around her all the time, I think almost any location has a certain shelf life for Charlie. I could see her spending a season, if she didn’t have her cosmic nemesis cozying up to her, but probably not 20 years in the same apartment building.

Have you heard anything negative or positive about a potential Season 3? Would you want to come back and what do you see long-range for the show?

Whether or not there’s a Season 3 that’s really between the studio, Peacock, Rian, Natasha, and I’m kind of happily, hopefully, a good, hired hand to help out in it. But it’s really the Natasha-Rian show, so I think it starts there. And obviously it starts with whether MRC and Peacock see that there’s another season for them, and then the conversations go for there.

This season had a few more several-episode arcs but still a good dose of one-offs. Did that balance feel sufficient and would you want to achieve a similar balance in Season 3?

It’s really Rian’s brainchild. When we came in to start the writers’ room, I started off asking about Season 2, what the overall arc was, and he just told me, “don’t worry about it.” I had on the board, 201,202,203 just to map out — there’s 12 episodes, how do we fill it? He was like, actually, “could you take those cards down and when the writers come in here, just focus on one good mystery.” We were breaking those individual episodes before we even knew what the whole season would be … If there is a Season 3, again, I think it’s really Rian’s call.

We didn’t see much of Good Buddy, especially as Charlie became closer with Alex. Could he return in Season 3?

He could definitely come back. Charlie needs a friend, and it’d be nice to have someone that she could talk to, just to get what’s on her mind and heart out. A CB radio buddy, that you hear, but you never see — that just feels like a throwback to these 1980s shows that we love. There’s just something in this world of pre-prestige TV that’s kind of fun, so that was the conception of Good Buddy. Would we see him? Do we hear him more? I think all that’s on the table for future story.

What conversations do you guys have in the writers’ room about honoring past TV while being a streaming show looking at the current TV landscape?

It’s very much this mandate that starts with Rian that the last thing we should do is chase [and] try to replicate what other shows are doing well and not chase whatever the coolest, newest trends are. When we’re in the writers’ room, it’s very much like, “this is a case-of-the-week show.” We need to do certain things for it to feel like a “Poker Face” episode and that’s the driving element, and a lot of the inspiration are these pre “Sopranos” pre-prestige shows where — awards are nice, but we’re not aiming for, “this is our award-winning episode” — we just try not to repeat ourselves and then try to just what variations we can find on this kind of template or this kind of model of “Poker Face” we have, and of course, sometimes we can depart from too.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

“Poker Face” Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Peacock.

The post ‘Poker Face’ Boss Unpacks Charlie’s Heartbreaking Season 2 Finale, Shares Hopes for Potential Season 3 appeared first on TheWrap.

Patti LuPone’s ‘And Just Like That’ Character Debuts With a Bubbling Feud and a Salacious History

Note: This story contains spoilers from “And Just Like That” Season 3, Episode 7.

Patti LuPone made her “And Just Like That” debut in Thursday’s new episode, and she’s already feuding with one of the “Sex and the City” spinoff’s fan-favorite characters.

Episode 7, titled “They Wanna Have Fun,” introduced LuPone as Gia, the strong-willed mother of Giuseppe (Sebastiano Pigazzi). She got off to a great start with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and the rest of the ladies, but a bad first impression put her at odds with her son’s boyfriend Anthony (Mario Cantone) from the start.

We also got a glimpse of her interesting backstory, as well as a promise (or threat) that she’ll be a thorn on Anthony’s side for longer than expected.

Gia’s Past

Viewers first meet Gia when she arrives at Anthony’s bread shop to a warm welcome from Giuseppe and the ladies. She quickly befriends Carrie and the gang after they profess their shared love for the poet, whom Gia calls her masterpiece.

When Charlotte (Kristin Davis) compliments her English, Gia reveals she was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and moved to Italy to pursue her passion for painting when she was 19.

“I was going to be the next Botticelli,” she tells the gang, before admitting those dreams went on the back burner after she met the love of her life, and then focused her time on her son and her work as a psychologist.

Later in the episode, Gia and Carrie have lunch together and Gia shares more about her love story. She was in her 20s when she met Gio’s dad, who was in his 50s, noting that the age difference is considered more scandalous in America than it is in Europe. But her stepchildren hated her so much that she dropped art to study psychology in an effort to understand them better, which launched her current career.

That animosity with the stepchildren helps her bond with Carrie, given her current predicament with Aidan and his kids. Gia tells her that the key is to stay true to herself in her interactions with them, because “inauthentic beings never win.”

Patti LuPone and Mario Cantone in “And Just Like That.” (Craig Blankenhorn/Max)Feuding with Anthony

While she gets along great with the ladies, Gia is quick to look down on Giuseppe’s boyfriend Anthony from the moment they meet. So much so that while telling everyone to call her Gia, she tells Anthony to stick to her full name.

After confusing one of the other hot men in the bread shop for him, Gia is not happy when introduced to Anthony with a snarky and explicit comment. At lunch with Carrie, she tries to appeal to Gia by telling her that Anthony is one of the sweetest people she has ever met. But she is not convinced, given his older age and prickly personality.

Later, at Charlotte’s birthday party at Carrie’s house, Anthony arrives with Giuseppe announcing that he had been forced to bring “Maleficent” with him, referring to Gia.

After Bitsy von Muffling (Julie Halston) invites Giuseppe for a cringey karaoke rendition of “Shallow,” Gia even hints at her displeasure with the romantic match for Anthony, noting how sad it looks for an older individual to lust after someone like her son.

Patti LuPone and Sebastiano Pigazzi in “And Just Like That.” (Craig Blankenhorn/Max)Sticking Around

Episode 7 did little to hint at resolution for the feud between Gia and Anthony, and even hinted at more to come. Close to the end of the party, Giuseppe and his mother have a heart to heart and she breaks the news that she decided to extend her trip to help him out with some things.

Could a plan to sabotage the relationship be afoot?

Theater Easter Egg

No one likes the karaoke at the party more than LTW’s son, who sings “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Misérables,” “I Dreamed a Dream,” which Patti once sang as part of the cast of a West End production. He also sings “Hopelessly Devoted” and “Copa Cabana.”

Near the end of the episode, as Giuseppe and Gia talk things through, he asks if she enjoyed the party. She cheekily references LuPone’s Broadway roots when she brushes the event off for having “too much singing for me.”

Will Gia succeed in breaking up Anthony and Giuseppe, or be won over before she heads back to Italy?

“And Just Like That” releases new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max.

The post Patti LuPone’s ‘And Just Like That’ Character Debuts With a Bubbling Feud and a Salacious History appeared first on TheWrap.

Rachel Reilly Checks Into ‘Big Brother’ Season 27 in 17th Mystery Houseguest Twist

The “Big Brother” Season 27 contestants better grab a life vest, because Seasons 12 and 13 star Rachel Reilly is checking into the game at the Hotel Mystère, but in premiere twist she is technically not the 17th mystery houseguest.

Thursday night’s season premiere saw Julie Chen welcome the new competitors into the house for “A Summer of Mystery,” complete with the return of the former winner. Fans had been speculating Reilly as the mysterious 17th houseguest for a few days, after following clues shared by the CBS competition series ahead of the premiere episode.

Reilly’s return became official with tonight’s premiere, after shocking the other houseguests with her arrival.

“I’m back bitches!” Reilly said upon joining the houseguests. “I’m here to show these newbies how to play Big Brother.” The premiere ended with one more twist, revealing that Reilly is actually a regular houseguest, whereas one of the aforementioned cast members is her accomplice and the actual 17th mystery guest. It is up to the other houseguests to identify the accomplice and if they identify them they’re out of the game, if not they’ll stay in play. Results will be revealed in Sunday’s new episode.

Reilly’s other television appearances include three seasons of “The Amazing Race” — Seasons 20 and 24 with her showmance-turned-husband Brendon Villegas and Season 31 with her sister and “BB15” alum Elissa Slater — as well as Season 2 of “The Traitors,” “Snake in the Grass” and “Celebrity Fear Factor.”

“Houseguests will enter the enigmatic Hotel Mystère, a place where secrets lurk behind every door and nothing is as it seems,” CBS previously teased. “In a season full of surprises, the premiere will be filled with unexpected twists and turns, including a masked visitor, a secret accomplice and the shocking arrival of a ‘Mystery Houseguest’ whose identity will remain under wraps … at least for now.”

As for the summer schedule, all of this year’s episodes will air at 8 p.m. ET/PT on their respective days — Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday and every other Friday — meaning it will be easier than ever to keep track of things. Paramount+ and Pluto TV viewers will also be able to follow along on the live feeds, of course.

The post Rachel Reilly Checks Into ‘Big Brother’ Season 27 in 17th Mystery Houseguest Twist appeared first on TheWrap.

Lena Dunham Says MAGA Rise Doesn’t Shock Her Because of Conservative Misogyny She Endured Through ‘Girls’ | Video

After years enduring hateful messages online while making “Girls,” Lena Dunham was not as surprised as others by the rise of MAGA.

While talking on this week’s “Girls Rewatch” podcast, Dunham explained that based on a number of comments she was sent on social media back in the early 2010s she was prepped and ready for the more hateful aspects of the MAGA movement. What did surprise her was how many other people were shocked by it.

“There were so many people who when the voices of like the really alt-right or MAGA or conservative voices, Proud Boys, whatever started to rise and people were like I’m so shocked by the way people are talking,” Dunham said. “I was like I’m not. Those voices existed in the comment section. I was experiencing those voices in 2012.”

She continued: “There were so many angry seemingly men and some women dissecting the show in these like incredibly conservative terms. Like yes, there were people in Brooklyn who found us irritating … I always had a lot more respect for that. But there was also a big contingent of conservative people looking at it almost like evidence of a certain kind of moral decrepitude and also making big judgements about our physical bodies, our sexuality. It was really interesting to realize kind of what a surprise that was to some people.”

I love Girls, and found Lena Dunham's thoughts on the misogynistic backlash to the show, and how it previewed today's far-right, to be perceptive. She also addresses the relevant class critiques.

Male artists get to be neurotic, snooty, even predatory, and no one bats an eye! pic.twitter.com/8hsO4kgTdr

— Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) July 9, 2025

Dunham has a new show out now on Netflix called “Too Much.” She might not star as the lead this time around – that honor falls to “Hacks” breakout Megan Stalter – but the story is yet another personal one for her.

“All my work is personal,” Dunham told TheWrap of infusing aspects of her life into the Netflix series. “I think I would be more scared tackling work that wasn’t personal to me.”

Watch the full clip of Dunham on the “Girls Rewatch” podcast in the video above.

The post Lena Dunham Says MAGA Rise Doesn’t Shock Her Because of Conservative Misogyny She Endured Through ‘Girls’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Where to Watch All the ‘Superman’ Movies Before James Gunn’s ‘Superman’

It’s finally time for another “Superman” movie.

Despite being one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, the superhero movie boom largely left Superman behind. After a series of movies starring Christopher Reeve in the 1970s and 80s, it took nearly 20 years for the character to have another big-screen project. Across the 10-year lifespan of the DCEU, the Man of Steel only got one solo outing.

Now that Superman is finally back in theaters, it’s time to revisit his old adventures.

On July 11, Clark Kent/Kal-El returned to theaters in “Superman” from DCU architect James Gunn. David Corenswet stars as the Last Son of Krypton alongside Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. The film kicks off a brand new DC cinematic universe, marking the first theatrical Superman solo film since the last DC universe started in 2013.

Before you see Superman’s newest movie (or after you get back from the theater), here’s where you can watch every theatrically released film starring the Man of Steel.

Where can I watch the “Superman” movies?

If you’re an HBO Max subscriber (née Max, née HBO Max), you’re in luck. Every major “Superman” movie released in theaters before “Superman” (2025) is currently streaming on the service — with one exception.

Here’s what you can watch on HBO Max:

“Superman” (1978)

“Superman II”

“Superman III”

“Supergirl”

“Superman IV: The Quest for Peace”

“Superman Returns”

“Man of Steel”

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”

“Justice League”

Though it wasn’t originally released in theaters, it should be noted that the long-anticipated “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is also currently on HBO Max, as it was on its day of release. Snyder’s “Ultimate Edition” of “Batman v Superman” can also be streamed on the service.

If you don’t have HBO Max, all of these movies are available for physical and digital rental and purchase. “Superman II” and “Justice League” can both be streamed on TBS and TNT. “Justice League” is additionally streaming on truTV.

What’s missing from HBO Max?

The biggest holdout from HBO Max is the original theatrical Superman film: “Superman and the Mole Men.” This film, starring George Reeves as Superman/Clark Kent, was released in 1951 and is the first full movie to hit theaters based on a DC Comics superhero. The movie was seen as a starting point for Reeves’ “Adventures of Superman” TV show, which ran from 1952 to 1958. It can currently be streamed on Flix Fling or rented/purchased on physical and digital media.

Though not a theatrical release, “Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut” is also notably missing from the streaming service. After Donner shot significant portions of the film back-to-back with the first “Superman,” the director was removed from “Superman II” and replaced by Richard Lester. It wasn’t until 2006 that fans would see “The Richard Donner Cut” of the sequel, restoring much of the director’s original creative vision — think of it as a prototypical “Snyder Cut.”

HBO Max is also currently missing a number of non-theatrical animated films featuring “Superman” — “All-Star Superman,” “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths,” “Justice League: The New Frontier,” “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse” and “Superman: Doomsday,” to name a few.

David Corenswet as Superman in “Superman” (Warner Bros.)How to Watch the “Superman” Movies in Order

There isn’t one set universe across the theatrical “Superman” movies. You by no means have to see an early entry like “Superman III” to understand “Man of Steel.” However, there are a few films that build upon others within the franchise, so you don’t necessarily want to jump into every movie cold. For the most part, release order will see you through.

“Superman and the Mole Men” (1951)

As mentioned before, “Superman and the Mole Men” launched George Reeves as Superman when it hit theaters in the early 50s. The 58-minute film features Clark Kent coming into contact with a race of subterranean “Mole Men” while on a reporting assignment with Lois Lane. This movie would later appear on television as a two-part story for “Adventures of Superman,” retitling to “The Unknown People.”

“Superman” (1978)

The first major “Superman” movie is still the best. Richard Donner’s “Superman” (also titled “Superman: The Movie) introduced audiences to Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent, Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane and Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor. Donner and his team of writers takes their time developing the interior life and human drama of Superman, making his appearance as the Metropolis Marvel all the more exciting when he finally debuts more than an hour in. Filmmakers and comic book creators still chase the success of this character-defining portrayal. Lois’ first interview with Superman and Reeve’s masterful switch from Clark Kent to Kal-El remain two of the strongest movie moments the hero’s had to date.

“Superman II” (1980)

While “Superman” concludes with a fight between the titular hero and Lex Luthor, “Superman II” presents Clark Kent with a Kryptonian threat for the first time. Shortly after the events of “Superman,” General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his minor army of Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O’Halloran) escape from the Phantom Zone after being imprisoned by Jor-El in the first film. At the same time, Lois learns Clark’s big secret, changing the fabric of their relationship. “Superman II” can be enjoyed via the theatrical cut or the Donner Cut — but you should probably watch “Superman” first either way.

“Superman III” (1983)

This is when the wheels start to fly off. “Superman III,” again directed by Richard Lester, changes up the formula by largely replacing Lois Lane with Clark’s childhood sweetheart, Lana Lang (Annette O’Toole) while Clark visits Smallville for a high school reunion. Also along for the ride is Richard Pryor’s Gus Gorman, a strange, awkward programmer who bites off more than he can chew in an embezzlement scheme. The movie features a supercomputer and an evil Superman as its villains — just don’t confuse them with Brainiac and Bizarro. You’d be disappointed if you did.

“Supergirl” (1984)

1984 introduced audiences to Helen Slater as Supergirl in her first (and only) theatrical adventure. Supergirl is joined in the film by Lois Lane’s sister, Lucy (Maureen Teefy), and Marc McClure’s Jimmy Olsen — the only character to appear in all five Reeve-era movies. Faye Dunaway portrays the campy villain in the film, an evil witch named Selena. Sadly, Kara never meets her cousin in the movie, though Reeve does appear as Superman on a dorm room poster. It would be at least 42 years until Supergirl headlined her own theatrical film again.

Brandon Routh (Credit: Warner Bros.)

“Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” (1987)

“Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” rounds out the Reeve era by having Superman come into conflict with Mark Pillow’s Nuclear Man. The film features a compelling subplot with Superman removing the world’s nuclear stockpile. Aside from this, “The Quest for Peace” is a messy, meandering, cheap-looking finale to the best cinematic iteration of this character.

“Superman Returns” (2006)

There are a few different spots you can place “Superman Returns” your watchlist. As a reboot to the franchise, the Brandon Routh-starring “Superman” movie can easily stand on its own or be watched after the most recent film. Notably, “Superman Returns” treats itself as a sequel to Donner and Reeve’s first two movies, essentially ignoring “Superman III,” “Supergirl” and “Superman IV” by picking up with Clark after a five-year voyage in space. As such, it could easily replace “Superman III” as a trilogy conclusion. It’s not a perfect movie, but “Superman Returns” is easily the stronger of the “Superman II” follow-ups.

“Man of Steel” (2013)

Unlike “Superman Returns,” the Zack Snyder “Superman” reboot has no connection to anything that came before. “Man of Steel” starring Henry Cavill kicked off a new DC film universe — often called the DCEU — in a relatively heavy departure for the character. While the evolution of the DCEU would be one of constant setbacks, Snyder’s “Superman” film lays the groundwork with a unique interpretation and interesting setups. Michael Shannon’s portrayal of General Zod stands out as one of the best Superman villain performances to date.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)

The direct follow-up to “Man of Steel” would be a Batman/Superman two-hander, focusing on the Dark Knight’s initial impression of the Last Son of Krypton. After the large-scale destruction in the third act of Man of Steel, Batman (Ben Affleck) goes on a mission to keep Superman from becoming a larger threat. The film, which was initially scheduled to premiere on the same day as “Captain America: Civil War,” loosely adapts a number of iconic comic book storylines like “The Death of Superman” and “The Dark Knight Returns.” It also dives head-first into the expansion of the DC Universe, bringing characters like Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) into the fold.

“Justice League” (2017)

Few comic book movies have been mired in as much controversy as 2017’s “Justice League.” After Joss Whedon replaced Zack Snyder as director on the film, “Justice League” was reworked into a drastically different movie. Superman looms large, though his appearance is rather limited — and often features an infamous CGI lip due to Cavill’s mustache during reshoots. Fans with four hours to kill can opt instead to watch “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” on HBO Max. Both directly continue from the events of “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman.”

“Superman” (2025)

Like “Man of Steel,” James Gunn’s “Superman” can be viewed either after the aforementioned films or on its own. As another reboot, “Superman” (2025) will again launch a new iteration of the DC universe, this time taking on a lighter and more comic booky tone than the previous interpretation. The film, in theaters now, may pay homage to past interpretations through its use of John Williams’ iconic theme, but it stands entirely on its own.

What else can I watch with “Superman”?

True completionists can watch a handful of other theatrical films with appearances from the Man of Steel. Henry Cavill’s take on the character appears for mere moments in “Black Adam” and “Shazam!” — though the character is played by a body double with his head off-screen in the latter. Superman makes a similar faceless appearance in the first season finale of “Peacemaker.” Multiple interpretations of the character — including from deceased actors — make disturbing CGI cameos in a crucial scene of “The Flash.” All of these are on HBO Max.

Warner Bros

Though it’s missing a lot of the DC animation catalog, HBO Max also has a number of animated films starring Superman.

These include “Batman/Superman: Public Enemies,” “Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons,” “Superman: Man of Tomorrow,” “Superman: Red Son,” “Superman: Unbound” and the two-part “The Death of Superman” and “Reign of the Supermen.” The theatrically-released “DC League of Super-Pets,” featuring John Krasinski as Superman and Dwayne Johnson as Krypto, can also be streamed on HBO Max.

Last year, DC Studios released “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.” This documentary focuses on Reeve’s life and legacy, highlighting the actor’s embodiment of the character before and after a tragic accident that left him paralyzed. The film is currently available on HBO Max.

Finally, HBO Max has a number of Superman series from the past several decades that can be streamed. These include “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “My Adventures with Superman,” “Superman & Lois” and “Superman: The Animated Series.” All 10 seasons of “Smallville” currently stream on Hulu.

The post Where to Watch All the ‘Superman’ Movies Before James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Modern Family’ Star Ariel Winter Says Men Sent Her ‘Inappropriate Messages’ as a Minor: ‘It Caused Trauma’

“Modern Family” star Ariel Winter opened up about the “trauma” she faced after older men sent her “inappropriate messages” while working the TV show as a minor.

“I don’t want to say too much about it, but by the time I was on a laptop and cell phone, I was getting inappropriate messages from older men,” Winter, 27, who was 11 years old when the series premiered in 2009, said in an interview published Thursday with The Daily Mail. “And it caused trauma.” Winter starred as Alex Dunphy for all the show’s 11 seasons.

The actress shared that she had to take up therapy to overcome the trauma she endured over the years as a child star.

“The experiences I had in person and online as a child have affected me so deeply that I’ve had to go to therapy for it,” Winter, who now will be going undercover as an underage decoy in an effort to catch alleged sexual predators for the YouTube true crime documentary series “SOSA Undercover,” said.

“The movie and TV industry is a dark place,” Winter added.

This is not the first time Winter opened up about the challenges she’s faced growing up in Hollywood. Back in May, Winter shared that she received rude emails and messages about her weight. She also mentioned that her body has been the subject of several stories in media.

“It was just everywhere,” Winter told People at the time. “It was every headline I read about myself, like, grown people writing articles about me saying how I looked terrible or pregnant or like a fat slut. I mean, I was 14. It totally damaged my self-esteem.”

While she told People that she remains open to acting, adding that she’s truly never stepped away from Hollywood completely, she is passionate about using her platform to help young girls and women.

“Growing up in the entertainment industry, I’ve been the girl we are trying to save,” she told The Daily Mail. “It’s vital to me to help protect young women from the experiences I endured in my own life.”

The post ‘Modern Family’ Star Ariel Winter Says Men Sent Her ‘Inappropriate Messages’ as a Minor: ‘It Caused Trauma’ appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The Pitt’ Star Tracy Ifeachor Won’t Be Returning for Season 2

Sorry, fans of “The Pitt,” you won’t be seeing Dr. Collins in Season 2.

Tracy Ifeachor, who starred as Dr. Collins in the first season of “The Pitt,” won’t be returning for the medical drama’s upcoming second season, TheWrap has learned.

While Season 1 saw Dr. Collins as a fourth-year resident at the teaching hospital, she won’t be at the shift in Season 2, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap. 

Ifeachor appeared in the majority of the first season of “The Pitt” as Dr. Collins, who kept her pregnancy a secret from her co-workers at the hospital. Dr. Collins helped a number of patients in early episodes, notably including a 17-year-old girl (portrayed by Abby Ryder Fortson) who came to The Pitt seeking an abortion.

As the season progressed, fans also learned that Dr. Collins and Noah Wyle’s Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch were romantically involved prior to the start of the series. Due to the real-time nature of “The Pitt,” fans only got to see a few hours in a single day of Dr. Collins’ life.

This day proved to be incredibly challenging. At one point in a mid-season episode, Dr. Collins suffered a miscarriage, choosing to largely keep it a secret from the rest of the staff. She eventually confided in Dr. Robby, who then told her in Episode 11 (“5:00 P.M.”) to take a personal day for the remainder of her shift.

“Go home,” Dr. Robby told her. “Turn off your phone, turn off the TV, pour a glass of wine, have a bath. Go to bed. And if you need anything …” he trails off.

As the season progressed, fans noticed that Dr. Collins took the advice to heart. After a mass casualty event at the music festival Pitt Fest nearly overwhelmed the hospital staff, many fans expected Dr. Collins would eventually make a late-season heroic return.

Once Ifeachor walked out that door, however, she never appeared for the rest of the season. Now, it looks like fans won’t see Dr. Collins return at all — at least for Season 2.

Wyle went on “The Watch” podcast in April to talk about the first season of “The Pitt” with hosts Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald. The hosts brought this absence up with Wyle, poking fun at the “turn off your phone” line in particular.

“I know Chris was particularly motivated by Dr. Collins’ Do Not Disturb functionality on her phone,” Greenwald said.

“Deep sleeper,” Wyle joked. “Deep sleeper, that Collins.”

When the hosts asked if any behind-the-scenes reasons existed to explain Dr. Collins’ permanent disappearance, Wyle noted that the absence further pushed Dr. Robby into the depths of his season-long spiral. Dr. Collins is far from the only person Dr. Robby loses as a support system by the end of the season.

“The whole end of the season is just removing bearing walls from Robby’s life,” Wyle said. “He leans so heavily on Collins and Langdon, and then you take them both away. He leans so heavily on Dana, and then she becomes compromised. Then his one last relationship, to Jake, is severed when he can’t save his girlfriend. It really was more of a, ‘Let’s take away all of this guy’s support system and have him out there.'”

“If she had been there, I think she would have been maybe one of those voices that could have reached him,” Wyle went on. “We didn’t want him to be reachable.”

The post ‘The Pitt’ Star Tracy Ifeachor Won’t Be Returning for Season 2 appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Review: Michael C. Hall Returns From the Dead in Promising Sequel Series

Serial killers aren’t heroes, but you’d never know it given the number of true crime stories and dramatized murderers currently populating television. Our culture has become obsessed with those who take lives and Dexter Morgan is partially responsible. Now, his TV resurrection aims to question that obsession.

When “Dexter” debuted in 2006, the Michael C. Hall character was considered TV’s first leading serial killer. What made him palpable was who he extinguished: other killers whose victims were less “deserving.” In his own way Dex was making Miami a safer place, all while feeding his innate bloodthirst.

Nearly two decades later, the appetite for fictional — or fictionalized — serial killers has evolved, with romanticized takes in shows like “Monsters,” “Hannibal” and “You.” Add in the true crime obsession and a trend of forgetting the victims, and there have been endless dissertations and theories about why we continue to make and watch these series.

Four episodes in and “Dexter: Resurrection” is a response to that evolution. Showrunner Clyde Phillips, who oversaw the original first four seasons and all spinoffs since, uses the newest series to put Dexter in direct contact with quirky killers and explore the headlines that give them their fan bases.

It’s no spoiler to say that Dexter is alive after his son Harrison (Jack Alcott) shot him in the “New Blood” finale, despite Phillips insisting the character was dead. The trailer, meanwhile, confirmed a reunion between Dex and his former friend and co-worker Angel Batista (David Zayas), who has long suspected Dexter of being the Bay Harbor Butcher. The pair meet quickly in the first episode, driving Dexter to leave Iron Lake for New York City in search of his son.

It’s while living the big city life that the real action unfolds. Harrison is trying to forget his past while working at an established hotel, until a horrific accident sends him spiraling down the same path as his father. Dexter, meanwhile, becomes embroiled in the darkest of underbellies, details of which would be a spoiler to reveal. Especially since the heart of the story is a slow burn, with the first few episodes dedicated to establishing Dexter’s titular resurrection, hiding Easter eggs and building out Harrison’s new life.

Unlike “New Blood,” in which Dexter tried to live down-low and away from murders and controversy, the character is ready to re-embrace his Dark Passenger in New York City. That means his father Harry (James Remar) is back as his ghostly guide. But remember, this is an older Dexter who is coming back from death. And so, he is no longer capable of the same physical feats he once was. The scripts embrace that change for humor and frustration, reminding us that no one is actually immortal here.

Michael C. Hall in “Dexter: Resurrection.” (Zach Dilgard/Paramount+ with Showtime)

Much like in “New Blood” and the original series, Dexter continues to strive toward moral resolution as the episodes unfold. His past trauma continues to haunt him (the only time he ever sought therapy was to entrap a homicidal therapist, after all), and some of the most interesting scenes are when he’s trying to balance his hubris with his sense of society.

Of course, Dexter is also there to protect and keep an eye on his son, having yo-yoed back to the decision that he is the only one who can truly understand Harrison. The series benefits by keeping the characters’ storylines separate for now, since viewers have never really had a chance to know Harrison outside of his father’s gaze. Harrison’s growth and development are only possible in his father’s absence, but having Dexter there, secretly watching him, is the link viewers need to invest in his storyline. There’s a reason a “son of Dexter” series sans Dexter never happened.

The duality leads to explorations of nature versus nurture, generational trauma and the examination of killer psychology and acceptance. There’s also plenty of physical action to keep up an ample pace in the first three episodes and hook you, not to mention a script that’s dark, comical and rarely stretches as far beyond reality as some of the original’s latter seasons did. (Dexter and his sister should have never been a thing, thank you very much.)

Neil Patrick Harris in “Dexter: Resurrection.” (Zach Dilgard/Paramount+ with Showtime)

By the time the series gets to the fourth episode made available to critics, the real crux of where this season is going unravels. That’s when we learn more about the characters played by previously announced guest stars like Peter Dinklage, Eric Stonestreet, Uma Thurman and Neil Patrick Harris, who each bring a memorable take.

A particular dinner scene plays more like a gothic stage play, which is appropriate given the New York backdrop, and there are plenty of nods to notorious serial killers from real life, including John Wayne Gacy and Charles Manson. They’re thrown into the same world as the fictional serial killers. How Dexter relates to them, feels as though he differs from them and interacts with them is where things get really, really interesting.

This is all to say Dexter holds a mirror up to society’s current obsession with serial killers in an entertaining and somewhat cathartic way that makes the series relevant now. Dexter isn’t a hero, but he’s never pretended to be. Here, particularly, he seems to be toeing the line between finally fitting in or taking down the idea of serial killers as heroes.

Is rooting for one serial killer OK if it means the downfall of many? It’s a utilitarian take that would make the likes of John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham proud, and it’s what makes “Dexter: Resurrection” relevant to the world 19 years after the original series’ debut.

“Dexter: Resurrection” premieres Friday on Paramount+ With Showtime.

The post ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Review: Michael C. Hall Returns From the Dead in Promising Sequel Series appeared first on TheWrap.

Megyn Kelly Says It’s ‘Too Late’ for Trump to Downplay Epstein Files | Video

Megyn Kelly thinks it’s “too late” for President Donald Trump and his administration to try to pretend like people are going to accept the DOJ and FBI’s purported outcome when it comes to the Epstein files.

The journalist and podcast host discussed the case with Mark Halperin on Wednesday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” in an episode titled “Epstein is DIVIDING MAGA.”

“Trump himself promised full transparency on the Jeffrey Epstein case when he was running for president. This has been a big issue on the Right, my friend Dan Bongino was one of the people who made it a big issue. So did Kash Patel, talking about it over and over and over again,” Kelly recapped. “It is just not real for Trump to pretend he’s shocked. This is still an issue. Nothing’s been resolved. Nothing’s been released. He promised transparency, as did his attorney general, and then they release a memo saying, ‘You’re not getting anything. It’s over. Just trust us.’ And that was not real, Trump pretending he’s shocked that people are still interested in it.”

Her comments came after Trump snapped at a reporter during a cabinet meeting with AG Pam Bondi. “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years. We have Texas, we have this all of the things,” he said. “Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable!”

For Kelly, that tactic is not going to work with the general population.

“It was an obvious attempt to deflect and to set the messaging like, ‘We’re not talking about Epstein anymore, period, and I’m the head of MAGA and that’s what I say,’ but it’s too late. That animal has already been created, and it’s pretty ferocious,” she said on Wednesday. “It’s not going to be tamed just by one line from the President at a cabinet meeting. He helped create it. He helped inspired it. His top lieutenants helped create it.”

In fact, the podcaster noted that his attempt to downplay the Epstein list — which former DOGE boss Elon Musk once said Trump was named within — is actively dividing his MAGA supporters.

“We, too, have been watching the reaction amongst the most faithful supporters of the president. We put together a butted sound bite. In this, you’ll hear names that you know — the only one who doesn’t seem to be demanding more is our friend Ben Shapiro — but you’ll hear almost a uniform tone from literally almost everyone else on the Right.”

You can watch the “Megyn Kelly Show” video above.

The post Megyn Kelly Says It’s ‘Too Late’ for Trump to Downplay Epstein Files | Video appeared first on TheWrap.