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YELLOWJACKETS Season 3 Reveals What Is on the Mystery Tape Shauna Recieved

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Yellowjackets season three is finally here and new mysteries already await us in its first two episodes. We caught back up with the crew in both 2021 and the wilderness in Spring 1997. Division is brewing among the teen survivors, with Shauna reeling over the loss of her child while the others are praising the wilderness for a new season. In the present, Shauna is processing Natalie’s death and hoping that her poor kid is not forever traumatized nor overly influenced by Lottie. Little does Shauna know that a whole new situation is brewing in her home in Yellowjackets season three after a mystery person left an envelope on her doorstep, which Callie found and is keeping a secret along with the tape inside of it. 

What Is in the Mystery Envelope Left for Shauna in Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 1?

At the end of Yellowjackets season three, episode one, Callie is home alone (or so she thinks) after getting in trouble at school for pouring animal guts on a group of mean girls. (She’s certainly got her mother’s spunky and vengeful spirit.) She hears a noise at the door and discovers that someone left a brown envelope on the porch. The front simply says “Shauna Shipman,” along with that weird symbol from the wilderness in place of a return address.

It’s interesting that whoever left the note decided to use her maiden name instead of Sadecki, her married name. But what’s inside the mysterious Yellowjacketss season three envelope? Well, we get to see that there’s a small audio tape inside, which Callie pockets before her dad sneaks up on her and tells her to go to bed. But we do not get to see or hear what is on the tape.

RELATED ARTICLE

What Is YELLOWJACKETS’ Mysterious Symbol and What Does It Mean?

Episode two of Yellowjackets doesn’t dive into the tape and envelope anymore after that. Callie briefly looks at the mystery tape before Lottie, who is now out of psychiatric hold and temporarily staying with Shauna’s family, enters the room. We never see Callie listen to it in the first episodes of Yellowjackets season three, nor does she tell anyone about the envelope. However, she does attempt to pressure Lottie into telling her about what happened in the wilderness. Lottie mostly evades her questioning, but they seem to bond over a ridiculous TV show by the time Shauna and Jeff get home. 

We Finally Learn More About the Tape in Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 6

In Yellowjackets season three, episode six, Callie finally reveals that tape to Shauna. We learn that it’s no normal tape, it’s an old kind of tape called a DAT tape, which stands for a Digital Audio Tape. This kind of tape was made in 1987. Handily, Van is into nostalgia and vintage tech and has a DAT-player. She shares that garage bands and hunters tend to use them. And then has another thought which alarms her.

Shauna, Tai, and Van listen to the tape. But what exactly is on this mystery Yellowjackets tape? We only get to hear snatches of it so far. The mysterious tape Shauna receives begins with a woman’s voice, and she records, “Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3, Oh my god, what is this.” She sounds a little frightened. Yellowjackets then cuts to the end of the tape. There we hear howling and screeching, presumably, of the girls in the wilderness. And the woman’s voice returns to yell, “Nooooo!” quite emphatically. Did she die? Did she get hurt? Did she see something awful? Yellowjackets isn’t revealing what’s on the tape fully quite yet.

Tai, Van, and Shauna seem shaken by what they hear recorded. Van says, “The only people that even know about this are either us or dead.” And Shauna says the tape is clearly a threat. But from who or how so, that much we don’t get to find out at this time.

Who Sent That Tape to Shauna in Yellowjackets Season 3? 

The end of Yellowjackets season three, episode two, might have had a big hint about who is trying to reach out to Shauna with a cryptic envelope. It’s clear that someone is following her at this time. She sees someone in a restaurant from afar but doesn’t mention it to Van and Tai. And, this person leaves a cell phone in a bathroom while she’s out to dinner with Jeff. She turns the cell phone in and later calls to see who picked it up.

Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with Showtime

This scene cuts between one in the wilderness where Shauna discovers that Melissa, a survivor who seems to oppose Natalie’s leadership, was watching her move her baby’s remains. Shauna puts a knife to her throat and threatens to kill her, but Melissa kisses Shauna. She is surprised at first but soon returns a kiss with passion. So, it is possible that 1) Melissa survived the wilderness and 2) she’s somehow involved with this tape in Yellowjackets season three, episode two. We don’t get confirmation that the phone belongs to Melissa, but it is heavily hinted at based on how the scenes cut between each other. 

It is also possible that Misty sent the tape to Shauna. She’s known for still calling her “Shipman” at times, and she could be looking for a way to get back in good with the friend group. Or, maybe there’s another survivor outside of Melissa who possibly found the tape, whatever it contains, and decided to send a cryptic envelope for some reason.

Is Hilary Swank Playing Melissa, the Survivor That Teen Shauna Kissed, in Yellowjackets Season 3? Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with Showtime

We know that Hilary Swank will be in Yellowjackets season three, but we have no idea who she is playing. After the end of episode two, it seems possible that Hilary Swank could be Melissa. It is not clear why she’s suddenly reaching out after all of these years but perhaps Natalie’s death was the spark to bring her back home. Or, maybe the person who sent the envelope in Yellowjackets season 3’s earliest episodes isn’t Melissa but someone else whom Swank is portraying.

We will have to see how the season plays out and what that tape means for Shauna’s future in this season of Yellowjackets.

Originally published on February 14, 2025.

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YELLOWJACKETS Season 3, Episode 6 Recap: New Revelations & Questions From ‘Thanksgiving (Canada)’

We’re past the halfway mark on Yellowjackets season three, and the season’s biggest surprise just hit. And now, we’re not talking about yet another major death on Yellowjackets or a new Queen emerging in the wilderness, although all these things did happen on Yellowjackets season three, episode five. What we’re thinking about is a major twist that changes everything about the Yellowjackets’ time in the wilderness so far. Here’s our recap of Yellowjackets season three, episode six, and the biggest revelations and questions from “Thanksgiving (Canada)”

[image error]Revelations From the Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 6—“Thanksgiving (Canada)”Past Timeline: Shauna and Melissa Are a Couple (And Jackie’s Ghost Is Lurking)

Shauna and Melissa are seen being affectionate and emerging from the same tent in Yellowjackets latest season three episode. We love a romance between two of the most toxic people you’ll ever meet. However, Melissa does have an uncanny resemblance to Jackie, which is something that Van and Tai point out. We wonder how that will come into play between the two of them.

Past Timeline: Nat Killed Coach Ben

RIP Coach Ben. You truly did not deserve to die in this way, but we guess it was nicer than wasting away. After Akilah declared Coach Ben the team’s “bridge home,” he was spared execution. But his heel was cut, and he was trapped in the pen with animals. Wanting to just die, Ben begs Nat to kill him, and eventually, she does exactly that. We’re not sure we liked how this storyline played out, but it does go some way to explain how haunted Nat becomes in that future.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEPast Timeline: Shauna Is Now Queen of the Yellowjackets and the Wilderness Leader

Before blood can be shed over Nat killing Coach Ben without getting permission from the rest of the team, Lottie declares Shauna the next Queen or Wilderness leader in Yellowjackets season three, episode six. This is what Shauna has wanted all along, and she magnanimously pardons Nat for her transgressions, punishing her by making her dismember and cook Coach Ben but not by killing her. “We’re still a team,” Shauna says. Maybe Shauna will be mollified by being declared Queen, but we don’t know if we want to live in a Shauna-run society.

Past Timeline: Winter Is Coming

On Yellowjackets season three’s sixth episode, we learn the nights in the wilderness are getting colder. That means summer is almost over and winter will be back soon. The last winter the Yellowjackets experienced was brutal and led to murder and cannibalism. But now they have furs, food, and shelters, also known as fun huts. Still, it sends a chill up our spine to know warm days are almost at an end.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEPast Timeline: Someone Else Is in the Wilderness with the Yellowjackets

Dun, dun, dun!!! Someone has found the Yellowjackets in the wilderness, two people to be exact. We don’t get to see them interact with the team yet. But a man and woman do find their camp… and their severed head. That’s a doozy of a plot twist.

Present Timeline: Lottie Gave $50,000 to Lisa

The biggest revelation we get in the present timeline during Yellowjackets season three, episode six, is that Lottie took out $50,000 before her death in order to give to Lisa, an ex-member of Lottie’s cult. It looks like Lisa was not involved in her death, but did Lottie know she was going to meet her end when she gave Lisa the cash? Only time will tell.

Questions From the Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 6—“Thanksgiving (Canada)”Past Timeline: Did Yellowjackets Season Three, Episode Five Reveal How the Survivors Will Escape the Wilderness?

The most important reveal in Yellowjackets season three, episode six comes right at the end of the episode. As the girls are dancing and honoring the wilderness, a person appears! Yes, someone from the outside world has found the Yellowjackets. Is this how the team will get rescued? It feels like the first step in getting back home.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEPast Timeline: Did Coach Scott Burn Down the Yellowjackets’ Cabin?

Coach Ben confesses to burning down the Yellowjackets cabin in season two. Ben says he burned some rags and stuck them in the walls of the cabin, then he watched and waited for their screams. But is that true? It’s feeling like we may never know. Perhaps, like some other mysteries, we’ve seen on Yellowjackets, the answer is just that the cabin caught fire. Hrm….

Past Timeline: Are the Creatures Really Screeching on Yellowjackets Season 3? And Do Akilah’s Visions Mean Anything?

We get more screeching creature noises and more Akilah visions in “Thanksgiving (Canada)”—but are those noises really there? And do Akilah’s Wilderness visions really mean anything? Travis doesn’t seem to think so, and he’s looking guiltier and qualities every day. Are Akilah’s visions just more wishful thinking from the group that Travis accidentally manifested? It seems like that may be the case. But we’ll have to see

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEPresent Timeline: What Is on the Tape Shauna Was Sent?

Callie finally lets Shauna know about the tape she was sent, marked by a wilderness symbol. Shauna, Tai, and Van manage to play the DAT tape, but we only get to hear snatches of it. What we can make out is a scared woman’s voice at the beginning and then a lot of howling at the end, with a very intense scream of “No!” All the adult Yellowjackets are shaken by this and say, “The only people that even know about this are either us or dead.” But what exactly is there to know about? It certainly seems like it’s something that incriminates the Yellowjackets, especially Shauna, in some less-than-stellar behavior.

Present Timeline: Why Did Tai See Lottie on the Day of Her Death?

Lisa tells Misty that Lottie saw Tai on the day of her death, something Tai obviously has not revealed. Why did they meet? And did Tai have anything to do with Lottie’s death on Yellowjackets season three?

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEPresent Timeline: What Is Wrong with Tai and What Was with the Freaky Phone Call Van Received on Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 6?

Something is up with Tai, and we bet it’s related to other Tai. After hearing of Lottie’s death, Tai just wants to get massages at the spa and eat expensive food. She only begrudgingly agrees to help Shauna with her mystery tape. Later, Van receives a phone call from Tai on an ancient transparent phone that’s not plugged into anything at all. On the line, Tai asks for help, something she later repeats when she startles awake in the night. What’s wrong with Tai, and how long has the problem been going on?

Also, how could the phone have rung when it was not plugged into anything? Is this a sign there is magic at play on Yellowjackets season three?

Hopefully we’ll find out the answers to all these questions and more as Yellowjackets season three heads into its final stretch.

Previous Recaps: Premiere/Episodes One and Two, Episode Three, Episode Four, Episode Five

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New Images of the Titular Hero in THE TOXIC AVENGER

Macon Blair’s reboot of Troma Pictures’ cult classic The Toxic Avenger has been one of the most anticipated movies on our list for the past couple of years. Now that Cineverse has picked up the distribution rights for the horror-comedy, we know the movie will finally hit theaters this August. But we still haven’t seen too many images of Toxie himself, the post-nuclear-waste janitor played by Peter Dinklage. Entertainment Weekly, goody for us all, has a new feature with two brand new images of Toxie in the full light of day.

'The Toxic Avenger' reveals Toxie! See an exclusive first look at Peter Dinklage's titular hero in the flesh. 'Part human, part mutant, all heart,' says director Macon Blair. https://t.co/16cXyx5qtP

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 13, 2025

The look of this version of Toxie, as opposed to the original Troma designs, feels a little…cuter, for lack of a better term. Toxie was famously hideous, but here he lives up to director Macon Blair’s description, “Part human, part mutant, all heart.” The movie also finds a different, less humiliating way for the character to have mutated while wearing a tutu.

Dinklage plays Winston Gooze, a janitor at a chemical factory trying to provide for his step-son. Winston endures a freak industrial accident that turns him into a mutant. Though he becomes an outcast as a result, he also uses his newfound superhuman strength to become a vigilante to battle freaks, gangsters, and corrupt CEOs. Alongside Dinklage, the movie stars Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon.

Legendary Pictures

I got to see the movie in 2023 and it’s a delightfully gory and uproarious time. I’d recommend seeing it with people in theaters. You’ll soon be able to. The Toxic Avengers takes on corruption beginning August 29.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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FREAKIER FRIDAY Trailer Brings the Heartwarming Feels of the Original (And Twice the Body Swap)

H-O-T-T-O-G-O, Chappell Roan’s incredible anthem guides us through the Freakier Friday trailer. And it’s a perfect fit because this trailer is definitely hot to go! It’s been 22 years since Freaky Friday came into our lives with that perfect blend of humor and heart. And while it’s hard to recapture such a specific kind of magic, The Freakier Friday trailer looks totally adorable, with twice as much body swapping and even more inter-generational healing on the horizon. In Freaky Friday, as the Freakier Friday trailer reminds us, Lindsay Lohan’s Anna and her mother, Jamie Lee Curtis’ Tess Coleman, learned important lessons about themselves and one another. And now, in Freakier Friday, they’re about to learn even more… Just add in one more daughter and step-daughter.

See for yourself by checking out the Freakier Friday trailer below.

Say it with us, Ahhhhhhh!!! There’s something wholly bizarre about swapping bodies with your mom. Now imagine swapping bodies with your grandmother. If it were any movie but Freakier Friday, we might be alarmed. But if the trailer for Freakier Friday is anything to go by, this movie will carry off this storyline in style. We guess it’s good timing because some people who saw Freaky Friday way back when might be mothers now, while others might be grandmothers. Fans are in for their own kind of Freaky Friday.

Disney

Not to mention, Freakier Friday will bring back many iconic references from the original movie that will have us sighing nostalgically. And that includes Chad Michael Murray’s Jake pulling up on his bike and making a “sexy grand entrance.” But we know that Manny Jacinto is playing Lindsay Lohan’s husband in Freakier Friday, and he is looking so cute in this trailer. So Jake better save that energy for someone else. Maybe Tess?

DisneyFreakier Friday‘s SynopsisDisney

In addition to its trailer, the official synopsis for Freakier Friday shares more about the sequel movie’s plot. It reveals:

In the film, Curtis and Lohan reprise their roles as Tess and Anna Coleman. The story picks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice. 

“Freakier Friday” is directed by Nisha Ganatra and based on the book “Freaky Friday” by Mary Rodgers. The film, which also stars Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Rosalind Chao, Chad Michael Murray, Vanessa Bayer, and Mark Harmon, is produced by Kristin Burr, p.g.a., Andrew Gunn, p.g.a., and Jamie Lee Curtis, with Nathan Kelly, Ann Marie Sanderlin, and Lindsay Lohan serving as executive producers. 

What Is Freakier Friday‘s Release Date?Disney

Freakier Friday will release in theaters on August 8, 2025. In the meantime, you can check out the original on Disney+.

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How to Start Playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) is a Pokémon battle simulation tabletop game. It may seem daunting to start playing a game that has been around since 1996 and features over 1000 different Pocket Monsters. But the amount of beginner-friendly products and community resources available today makes it easier than ever to learn the rules and jump right into a Pokémon battle with a friend. We’re going to break down everything a new player needs to know to play the game, purchase starter decks and supplies, and join the larger Pokémon TCG community to participate in tournaments.

Jump To: The Basics // How The Game Works // Decks and Products Breakdown // Starter Supplies and Accessories // Online Resources for Beginners // The Basics of the Pokémon TCG

The Pokémon TCG pits two Pokémon Trainers against one another in a Pokémon battle. The first player to knock out six opposing Pokémon and claim all six of their Prize cards is the winner. Being a collectible card game, cards are acquired by purchasing pre-made decks, opening booster packs, buying single cards, or trading cards with trusted friends. 

The Pokémon CompanyHow a Game of the Pokémon TCG Works

The Pokémon TCG is easy to learn but hard to master. We’re going to cover the broad strokes of how the game works here, but before you start playing we recommend taking the time to read the official Pokémon TCG Rule Book or, if you want to jump right into a match, the Pokémon TCG Quick Start Rules. 

Building a Pokémon Deck 101

To get started, each player assembles a deck of 60 cards using the three different types of cards. There are Pokémon cards to deal damage and use abilities, Trainer cards to search your deck for Pokémon and provide other useful effects, and Energy cards to enable your Pokémon to attack. For beginners, it’s recommended to build your deck with about 15-20 Pokémon cards, 15-25 Trainer cards, and 15-18 Energy cards. 

As any Pokémon fan knows, a Pokémon’s Type plays an important role in achieving victory. There are 10 different Types of Pokémon in the Pokémon TCG: Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Fighting, Darkness, Psychic, Metal, Normal, and Dragon. Each Type represents a different strategy, such as Fire’s strong but costly attacks or Grass’s ability to tank big hits and heal away the damage. Playing Energy cards of the appropriate Type allows you to use your Pokémon’s attacks in battle. We suggest choosing just one or two Types to focus on for your first deck.

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Detective Pikachu & Friends Are Coming to POKÉMON TCG

To make an effective deck, pick one or two Pokémon you really like to be your main attacker. Then fill the rest of the deck with other Pokémon and Trainer cards that complement and support those Pokémon. Make sure to keep an eye on the Weakness Type of your Pokémon, as noted at the bottom of the card. If your Pokémon is attacked by a Pokémon Type that it’s weak to, it will take double damage. Make sure your deck has Pokémon with at least two different Weakness Types to avoid getting blown out of the water by a single Type.

How to Start the Pokémon TCG

In order to start a game, both players draw a hand of seven cards and choose one Basic Pokémon (i.e., a Pokémon that doesn’t need to evolve) to be their Active Pokémon. To finish setting up, each player takes six cards off the top of their deck and sets them to the side face down. These are your Prize cards and are key to how you win the game. From there, players take turns playing additional Pokémon, using Trainer cards, attaching Energy, and announcing attacks to deal damage or utilize effects. 

There are three different ways to win a game of the Pokémon TCG. The first and most common way to win is to take all of your Prize cards. Whenever you knock out an opposing Pokémon, you draw one Prize card. The first player to take all six of their prize cards is declared the winner. Some Pokémon are extra powerful and are therefore worth multiple Prize cards when knocked out. For example, Pokémon ex are worth two Prize cards when knocked out. Additionally, if a player has no more Pokémon left in play or if they have no cards left in their deck at the start of their turn, they lose the game.

Jump To: The Basics // How The Game Works // Decks and Products Breakdown // Starter Supplies and Accessories // Online Resources for Beginners // What Decks and Basic Products Do I Need for the Pokémon TCG?

If you’re new to strategy card games, we recommend beginning your Pokémon TCG journey by purchasing a pair of Starter Decks and playing with a friend. A Starter Deck is ready to play right out of the box. It comes with a paper playmat, cardboard gameplay tokens, and a guide to the Quick Start Rules. The decks are designed to be new-player friendly with cards that have simple effects and basic strategies that are easy to pick up on fast. 

Alternatively, new players may want to check out the Pokémon Trading Card Game Battle Academy. This product is packaged like a board game and is designed to teach new players the ropes. Another product great for learning the game are the Pokémon TCG: My First Battle decks. They come with two mini-decks that are played with simplified rules. This helps you grasp the basics before jumping into a full game.

The Pokémon Company

Perhaps this isn’t your first TCG rodeo and you already have experience playing these types of card games. In that case, you’ll want to pick up a “Play Level 2” pre-constructed Pokémon TCG: ex Deluxe Battle Deck. This one is meant for intermediate players. For more advanced players, we recommend a Play Level 3 pre-built League Battle Deck. These read-to-play decks utilize more complex strategies and come with powerful cards often used by top-level competitors. Best of all, they are easy to upgrade when you’re ready to start playing in tournaments with other Pokémon Trainers.

If you’re a seasoned TCG player who prefers to create their own deck from scratch, then pick up the Pokémon TCG: Trainer’s Toolkit. It contains 50+ cards that are often used as the foundation of the best competitive decks. This kit also comes with all of the accessories and game pieces needed to play in a tournament.

The Best Starting Supplies and Accessories for the Pokémon TCG

Once you have your Pokémon deck in-hand, it’s time to acquire some practical and decorative accessories. Card sleeves protect your cards and make it easier to shuffle. Deck boxes keep your deck safe during travel. Playmats give you a clean surface to play on and make it easy to pick up and move around your cards. Best of all, these supplies come in all manner of color and design, so feel free to customize your look and express yourself just as the many colorful characters of the Pokémon universe like to do. 

In order to play the Pokémon TCG, you’ll need a coin for flipping and dice to keep track of damage on your Pokémon. It’s not uncommon for some Pokémon players to forego flipping a coin in favor of rolling a die and calling odds/evens instead of heads/tails. For damage counter dice, a handful of standard six-sided dice will do, with each pip representing 10 damage. 

Helpful Online Resources for Pokémon TCG Beginners

The best way to learn the Pokémon TCG and get better is to play the game yourself and to watch other, more experienced players. There are plenty of ways to do both online. 

There are currently two digital clients for the game. Pokémon TCG Pocket is a great way to get your feet wet because it sports a short and sweet version of the game. To play the full game online, there’s Pokémon TCG Live. Both games are free to play and have tutorials to help you learn how to play.

There is no shortage of Pokémon TCG content to watch online. Official Pokémon TCG broadcasts are great to watch because the commentators explain what the cards do and break down each player’s strategy. YouTube is an excellent resource for players of all skill levels. Pokémon TCG content creators do everything from make deck guides and tier lists to demonstrating gameplay and streaming tournament runs. 

The online Pokémon TCG community is extremely expansive and active. Between Discord, Reddit, and social media, it’s easy to find others to ask for advice and make new battle buddies with.

How to Play in Tournaments and Join the Larger Pokémon TCG Community

Once you feel comfortable with your ability to play the Pokémon TCG, you can seek out others to battle at your local game shop. Use Pokémon’s event locator to seek out a Pokémon League near you. Pokémon Leagues are a great place to learn more about the game and make friends with other Pokémon Trainers. They usually host a weekly casual tournament or sometimes just provide a place to play with others for fun. Leagues award attending players with free Play! Pokémon Prize Packs that contain special versions of powerful competitive cards.

If you feel ready to embark on your journey to become a Pokémon TCG master, then you can start playing in official tournaments that award the top finishers Championship Points (CP). There are different sized tournaments, from the smaller League Challenges and League Cups to the massive Regional Championships and International Championships. Those who perform well enough throughout the season and earn enough CP will be invited to play in the Pokémon TCG World Championship. 

Regardless of whether you go on to become the next world champ or simply enjoy playing at the kitchen table with a loved one, remember the most important thing to do when playing the Pokémon TCG is to use Hyper Beam on your enemies have fun. 

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Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY: The Full Cast List, Synopsis, and More

What is a director, even one of Hollywood’s best, supposed to do after delivering an epic Best Picture winner? For Christopher Nolan, the answer is making one of the most famous epics ever. After some wild speculation and some big name casting news, we finally know exactly what story he will after Oppenheimer. Universal Pictures announced Nolan’s next movie is an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey.

Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.

— Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) December 23, 2024

The Latest Casting News From Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Most recently, Shōgun star Cosmo Jarvis joined the cast of The Odyssey. We bet he’s playing a suitor. Mia Goth also recently came aboard The Odysseys‘s cast, increasing the brightness of an already massively star-powered cast. There is no casting yet for Goth.

A24

Additionally, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Ryan Hurst, and Samantha Morton have joined The Odyssey. Once again, we don’t know who they will play in this film, but we do have some guesses.

AMC/Netflix

Deadline also revealed that Oppenheimer‘s Benny Safdie will reteam with Christopher Nolan on The Odyssey. In Oppenheimer, Safdie played physicist Edward Teller, but it’s not yet known who the actor will play in this upcoming adventure.

The Full Cast of The Odyssey

That’s a lot of names, but not nearly all of them. Here are ALL the actors we know have joined Christoper Nolan’s The Odyssey.

Matt DamonTom HollandAnne HathawayZendayaRobert PattinsonLupita Nyong’oBenny SafdieCharlize TheronHimesh PatelElliot PageMia GothBill IrwinJon BernthalCosmo JarvisSamantha MortonJesse GarciaWill Yun LeeCorey Hawkins Michael Vlamis Iddo Goldberg Nick TarabayJimmy Gonzales Maurice CompteChristopher Nolan Is Heading to Real-Life Odysseus Stop, Goat Island

Christopher Nolan isn’t known to do anything by halves, and for his latest movie, The Odyssey, he’s taking his crew to the real-life location that Homer supposedly imagined Odysseus visited, Goat Island in Siciliy—also known as Favignana island. Reports indicate the movie will also film in Sicily’s Eolian islands, U.K. and Morocco.

But what could measure up to a real-world location that Odysseus wandered through in his epic tale, cooking goats and gathering supplies? Nothing, if you ask us.

More About Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan is moving on after Oppenheimer by going back. Way back. Described as a “mythic action epic,” his version of the ancient epic poem The Odyssey will rely on cutting edge technology to bring the story to life. Universal Pictures said the longtime IMAX enthusiast will be using “brand new” tech to shoot for the large-scale format.

But how he will shoot the film isn’t nearly as interesting as to what the film is actually about. It’s hard to imagine anyone would have guessed Nolan would adapt The Odyssey even if they had 20 years to figure it out. (If you don’t get that reference, this movie will be very educational for you!) Even then, there’s still so much we don’t know about the project. Will this be a traditional, faithful adaptation? Will it be a modern take on the story? And will Armand Assante and George Clooney appear for a Spider-Man: No Way Home style crossover?

Universal Pictures

While we don’t know any setting or style specifics, we do know who is playing Odysseus. Matt Damon is set to lead the star-studded film. Nolan’s The Odyssey will also feature Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, and Charlize Theron. We also know the movie will arrive in theaters on July 17, 2026.

Netflix

That gives us plenty of time to start guessing which legendary characters from Homer’s epic everyone is going to play. (Theron as Circe, Calypso, Penelope, or Athena? She’s perfect for literally all of them.) It also gives us time to wonder just how good this movie will be. No one delivers epics live Christopher Nolan. What’s he going to be capable of when he makes one of the most famous epics ever?

Originally published January 2, 2025.

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YELLOWJACKETS Adds Another Main Character to Its Death Toll

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Believe it or not, Yellowjackets season three is more than halfway over. While there are still many questions that need answers, one big question about a crash survivor does get a resolution in episode six. And it is a very heart wrenching and sad one. In the previous episode, Shauna bullied everyone into finding Coach Ben guilty of attempted murder despite Misty doing a superb job of defending him. And by the end of this episode, Natalie makes the very difficult decision to kill a suffering Coach Ben in Yellowjackets’ latest episode, which doesn’t go well for her. 

Previously, the girls planned to kill Coach Ben via a one person firing squad. But, after Akilah revealed her vision about Coach being the bridge to get them home, they decided to keep him alive. Shauna and her new girl toy Melissa gleefully maim him so he cannot escape from his outdoor prison. In this episode, Coach Ben begs Natalie to kill him because living this way is not okay. It’s a switch from him previously begging for his life before his botched firing squad death. Perhaps he lost all hope and somehow knew that there was no way to make it out of this situation alive.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Natalie ignores his pleas and continues to go along with the group decision for a while. One night, she’s finally had enough, takes a knife, and kills him with his permission. It is a grisly scene. Honestly, I wish she’d let Coach Ben go and allowed him to make the choice of whether he wanted to die by suicide on his own in the woods. As the morning breaks and the others discover her actions, Misty calls her a killer and Shauna is livid.

They strip her of her leadership title and Shauna becomes their leader. It’s a confounding decision considering Shauna 1) is insane and 2) doesn’t believe in the ways of the Wilderness like the majority. She’s simply a very angry person who could kill anyone at the drop of a hat. It makes sense for them to be mad at Natalie and all because they believe in Akilah’s vision but this choice is… a choice.

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Anyway, Shauna makes Natalie prepare Coach Ben’s body for their feast. This turns into a cool howling session until they are interrupted by two outsiders. One of the new people screams when he sees Coach’s head on a pike. It is not clear if these people are real or figments of their imagination. But, if they are real, they’d better run because these girls literally eat people. 

It isn’t a shocker that Coach Ben met his death in the Wilderness in Yellowjackets. He’d lost a leg and lost his authority as an adult figure in this space. Eventually, someone was going to kill him, either for revenge or because he’d crossed them the wrong way. And, he simply no longer wanted to be alive after all of this horrid trauma. Rest in Peace, Ben. 

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SEVERANCE Season 2, Episode 9 Recap: New Revelations and Questions From ‘The After Hours’

The penultimate episode of Severance‘s second season featured many sad goodbyes. Who is leaving the company (maybe)? Where are they going and why? And what does it all mean for the season finale and beyond? Let’s dive into our recap of Severance, season two, episode nine. Here are the biggest revelations and questions from “The After Hours.”

Apple TV+[image error]Revelations From Severance Season 2, Episode 9, “The After Hours”Gemma Will Die When Mark S. Completes “Cold Harbor”Apple TV+

It’s a good thing “the numbers” weren’t moving on what was supposed to be Lumon’s most momentous day. In Severance season two, episode nine, Harmony Cobel told Mark Scout Gemma is “already dead” if his Innie completed “Cold Harbor.”

We know his wife’s file is still sitting at 96%, thanks to Mark’s reintegration nosebleed. What we still don’t know are any specifics about the “mysterious and important” work refiners do, let alone why “Cold Harbor” is especially important. We just know it’s somehow even more evil than we could have imagined. Lumon has Mark working on a process that will truly kill his wife. And somehow, it could be even worse than Cobel revealed. (Which is the only thing she’s told Mark even though he told her “everything.”)

We believe Cobel when she says it will kill Gemma, but what if it will only kill Gemma? What if the completion of that file only kills her and not her many Innies? Severance season two, episode nine seems to indicate that would mean Lumon can erase individuals while also creating a severed force of slave labor created by the company.

“The After Hours” Reveals That The Creepiest Human Alive, Jame Eagan, Impregnates Many Woman in Secret Apple TV+

“She’s one of Jame’s.” That lie about Devon was enough to get Cobel past security and into Lumon’s severed birthing cottage. Apparently, the creepy CEO gets enough women pregnant in secret that a loyal guard believed a high-ranking Lumon employee might show up in the middle of the night without warning.

Is he just a rich, powerful, POS narcissist who not only wants to rule the world but wants to populate the world with his own progeny out of some disgusting sense of superiority? Is he really that big of a loser? Could he even possibly want a different heir than Helena? Severance season two, episode nine raises these questions and more.

But it could also be that there is a specific reason related to Lumon’s goals (which keeps connecting to fertility and children)? Is it something simpler like, Jame Eagan wants more potential offspring? Until we find out more, this mystery is just another piece of information that makes Jame Eagan such a vile enigma.

Helly Is Alone But Determined in Severance Season 2, Episode 9Apple TV+

Dylan G. was a real asshole to Helly, blaming her for their plight. Helly didn’t let that or Mark’s disappearance discourage her, though. It made her more determined.

Helly went and found his map to Testing Floor in “The After Hours.” She was still trying to memorize the instructions when she got interupted by Jame Eagan, but Helly seems certain to try and get down there in Severance season two’s finale.

Burt Disobeyed Lumon and To Save Irving in “The After Hours”Apple TV+

Helena told her father, “We’re seeing to Mr. Bailiff.” Everything Mr. Drummond found in Irving’s home worried Lumon enough that they made arrangements to get rid of Irving. That meant sending Burt—who took umbrage at Irving’s description of him as a “low-level Lumon enforcer or goon”—to bring Irv for a ride in Severance‘s season two, episode nine.

During the drive, Burt said he never killed anyone, but he did spend his early Lumon career driving people to places without ever asking what happened to them. Burt knew it wasn’t good. Lumon “disappeared” people, just as Irv surmised in his notes. With Lumon, that doesn’t necessarily mean they killed those people. They might have sent them off to work in some secret remote location across the world. Or, in the last 12 years, they might have severed them and turned them into puppets, the kind of nameless employees who wear masks at waffle parties and monitor refiners. Those missing people might be living on a severed Testing Floor same as Gemma.

Apple TV+

That was not the fate that awaited Irving, though. Burt didn’t do his job this time. He recognized his “innocent” side fell in love with Burt and that meant something to a man hoping to atone for past sins. Irv didn’t want to leave because he’s “never had” this kind of connection with someone in his “whole life,” but Burt insisted. He also didn’t want to know where Irv ended up.

Lumon will question him (and likely worse) for letting Mr. Bailiff leave. That’s also why Burt told him, “You can never come back to Kier.” Lumon won’t let him escape a second time.

Seth Milchick Hit a Breaking PointApple TV+

After mounting, righteous frustration, a lack of respect from both his superiors and his employees on an already disappointing day made Seth Milchick crack. During another absurd dressing down by Drummond, Milchick finally stood up for himself in Severance season two’s ninth episode. He told his boss to “devour feculence” and called out Drummond’s failings. He then had an actual real, human moment on the phone when Mark called out.

Milchick has been growing disillusioned with Lumon for weeks, but it led him to recommit to the company. If he ultimately turns on the Eagan family and their faithful employees, this could be the moment he finally realizes his self-worth is not wrapped up in Lumon’s success.

Questions From Severance Season 2, Episode 9, “The After Hours”How Did Helly “Trick” Jame Eagan?Apple TV+

“You tricked me, my Helly.”

….What? How? What was Jame Eagan talking about when he spoke to his daughter’s Innie? How did she trick someone she doesn’t even know? And why did he call her “my Helly? in “The After Hours”?

That was very weird, just like everything else he did during this episode, like when he watched Helena eat eggs while wishing she’d “take them raw” like Kier Eagan.

Did this “trick” have something to do with why Helena was so nervous with her dad that morning and in the car on the way to Lumon? That’s far from the only question that Severance season two, episode nine has us asking about Helena Eagan, though.

What Was the Meaning Behind Helena Eagan’s Swim in “The After Hours”?Apple TV+

Nothing happens on Severance without real meaning and purpose, so of all the things to show Helena Egan doing at the start of a “momentous day,” why swimming? Was it merely characterization? Irv B. recently threatened to drown Helena. Did this swim show she’s coping with the trauma? Did it reveal she’s struggling with it? Or was there a direct connection between this episode’s sequence and Miss Huang’s Kier ring toss game that features the Founder in a bathing suit swimming?

The likely answer is that it’s all of those things and more. (That makes the smashing of the ring toss game especially tantalizing as potential foreshadowing.) We just don’t know why or how it matters yet.

Apple TV+Is Harmony Cobel Really Mark’s Ally Now on Severance season 2?

Harmony Cobel told Mark they’re allies now in Severance season two, episode nine, but are they really? Are they really a unified team with a singular goal? Or is the inventor of severance using Mark for her own personal agenda? Even if she is, she still might be the only person who can save Gemma, but it’s hard to have too much faith in her when this is how she’s greeting his Innie.

Apple TV+Did Lumon Send Dylan G. to the Testing Floor?

Outie Dylan threatened to quit Lumon after his wife Gretchen told him she kissed his Innie. But Dylan G. beat him to the punch. He quit after Gretchen said she needed to stop visiting him and rejected his very sad marriage proposal. The severed employee filled out his paperwork and handed in his badge.

And then Lumon might have sent him to the Testing Floor.

Apple TV+

The sequence showing Dylan getting on the elevator, which didn’t use his key, ended with the elevator dinging on the Testing Floor. That suggests Lumon did not let him leave. Instead, they might have sent him down with Gemma.

How could they get away with that? Dylan’s Outie has no way of knowing his Innie quit unless Lumon tells him. So they can “free” Dylan G. every work day and then send him back down to the Testing Floor when his Outie shows up for work. It keeps the disillusioned Innie away from the other refiners without anyone, Innie or Outie, knowing what’s really going on.

That is unless Helly gets down there in the Severance season two finale and finds him. (He’ll really feel like an asshole if she saves him right after he blamed her for his situation.)

Why Did The Episode Include An Ominous Shot of the Water Tower? Apple TV+

We’re used to ominous shots of Lumon’s HQ. This season two episode of Severance had plenty of those. But that shot of the seemingly useless water tower (it’s so far away!) made us wonder if it’s holding something else entirely. Water might actually be the last thing an evil “balm” company that uses ether to make child laborers compliant would hold in abundance.

That water tower was important enough it got a speaking role in the Lumon claymation video…

Seriously, What Is the Deal with Miss Huang on Severance?Apple TV+

“Your bed will be moved from your parents’ home to the Gunnel Eagan Empathy Center in Svlbard, where you will work to steward global reforms.”

Okay, bye, Miss Huang. Good luck in Norway. Without your parents. While you work on empathy. Just one question before you leave: what is your deal?! Why did Lumon send a child to work on its most important floor? Why are they moving her bed out of he parents home? Who are they? Why are they allowing any of this? And why is Miss Huang so unusual? Is it because she’s like her parent, a person okay with his daughter working on a severed floor and being sent around the world on Lumon’s behalf? Someone like Jame Eagan, the guy with all the secret kids?

Miss Huang is still such a mystery, and we don’t even know why she’s important to Severance‘s story yet. That’s exactly why she’s far more important than we ever guessed.

Of course, it’s any guess what we’ll find out in the Severance season two finale. Even if it answers a lot of these questions, it’s likely to raise all-new ones, too. Severance always does.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He does not “take” his eggs raw. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The Trailer for the Unmade Spider-Man Movie From the ’80s Is a Relic of a Lost Era

Spider-Man is one of the world’s most beloved pop culture icons, with a movie franchise that has grossed nearly 9 billion dollars since 2002. That’s not counting the amount of money Spidey has made via licensing, toys, etc. over the years. Yet despite the character being around since 1962 and being a certifiable cash-cow, it took 40 years for him to get a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. But in the mid-80s, a Spider-Man movie was in pre-production, via Cannon Films, and even got an announcement trailer in 1985. You can watch this rare trailer for the Spider-Man movie that never was right here, via the YouTube channel LIVE ROUNDZ: The Action Channel:

So what exactly happened to this Spider-Man movie? And why did this trailer look so cheap, even by the standards of the time? Well, the 1980s was a very different era for comic book movies. Despite the massive success of Richard Donner’s Superman in 1978, studios just didn’t think people would flock to movie theaters to see their favorite iconic heroes on the big screen. This is despite the ’80s being a robust sales period for Marvel Comics. Spider-Man titles alone in this era sold a now-unheard of 800,000 issues monthly. And he even had two separate cartoons on the air. And yet the only movie studio to take an interest in the property was Cannon Films, a notoriously low-budget operation. Along with the announcement trailer, there was also a poster, which had Spidey swinging through space, for reasons.

Marvel/Cannon Films

So who’s the guy in the Spidey outfit in this trailer and poster? He’s stuntman and occasional actor Scott Leva. Cannon was determined he was going to be their Peter Parker, mainly because he was affordable. Christopher Reeve was an unknown when he got the Superman role after all. The thinking was that maybe lightning would strike twice. Marvel Comics was so sure Leva was going to be their big-screen Spidey, they put the actor in costume for the March 1985 cover of Amazing Spider-Man #262. Readers who bought that issue back in the day really thought this meant Spider-Man was actually in production already.

Marvel Comics

Fun fact; Leva did eventually get to play Spider-Man in a Marvel movie. Well, sort of. He was a stunt coordinator on the original X-Men in 2000. As a prank, he ran on set in his Spider-Man costume while they were filming an action scene. This prank made its way to the blooper reel for the first X-Men DVD back in the day. So, in a way, he still is our first canonical Marvel movie Spidey.

The original director for Spider-Man was going to be Tobe Hooper, of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist fame. Why did Cannon want a horror director for Spidey? Because the owners of Cannon Films didn’t really know what Spider-Man was, besides it being a famous property. They thought it was about a man who transforms into a spider-monster, like The Fly. Eventually, Tobe Hooper left the project. Director Joe Zito, famous for Missing in Action and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter was hired. No shade to Mr. Zito (his Jason movie is still among the best ones), but this called for a young Robert Zemeckis or even Spielberg.

The Cannon Films version of Spider-Man originally had a budget of $15-20 million. And that was pretty decent for a genre movie back then. But after the failure of Cannon Films’ Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Masters of the Universe, the budget was slashed to $10 million. Even in the ’80s, that was too small for a movie of this scale. Zito quit, and the whole project stalled out. Cannon Films went under, and eventually, Columbia Pictures/Sony got the rights. The rest, as they say, is history. But this trailer is a glimpse into a time when no one saw the real potential of comic books as big-budget tentpole films. A truly different era indeed.

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Marvel Commemorates the Death of Spider-Man’s Great Love, Gwen Stacy, in New Animated Video

Spider-Man has gone through many tragic events in his life. Suffering is kind of his default mode, starting with the death of his Uncle Ben, and with many sad events thereafter. But few of those have marked Peter Parker more than the death of his beloved girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, at the hands of Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. This happened in the now-iconic Amazing Spider-Man #121, which hit the spinner racks on March 13, 1973. The issue was written by Gerry Conway, with art by Gil Kane. To commemorate this moment in Spidey’s history, the official Marvel Comics YouTube channel has released an animated short, hosted by the TVA’s Miss Minutes from Loki. (We still don’t trust her.) You can watch it right here:

The death of Gwen Stacy has reverberated through pop culture for 52 years now. Comics changed because of it, in both good and bad ways. Many mark this issue as the official beginning of the Bronze Age of comics. This was when the medium took a more serious tone than during the lighter, more colorful Silver Age. In previous decades, the superhero always saved his loved ones from peril. Gwen’s death meant that wasn’t always the case anymore. This was a huge tonal shift in mainstream comics. On the negative side, it popularized an unfortunate trend of killing off a male protagonist’s female love interest to motivate him storywise. That’s something known today as “fridging.”

Marvel

Gwen Stacy’s death made the Green Goblin into Spider-Man’s #1 foe for all time. In addition, the live-action movies referenced Amazing Spider-Man #121 in various ways. In Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, the Goblin throws MJ off the George Washington Bridge, just as he did to Gwen in the comics. (Luckily, Peter saves MJ in this reality.) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had Emma Stone’s Gwen die similarly to how she did in the comics. Because of Gwen’s status as famously “doomed,” many animated Spidey adaptations skipped using her altogether. Gwen is less remembered as a living character these days, but more like someone who has just always been famously dead.

Sony Pictures Animation

In 2014, Marvel decided to take this famously fridged character and make her a hero in her own right, as Spider-Gwen (or Ghost Spider). She hailed from a reality where she was the one bitten by the spider, becoming a hero. In this universe, Peter Parker died instead. These days, Spider-Gwen is one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, thanks largely to the Spider-Verse movies. This alt-universe version salvaged a character once relegated to a tragic footnote in Spider-Man’s history. It made her viable far beyond being “Peter Parker’s dead girlfriend.” In any event, the original Gwen’s death is a watershed moment for Marvel. And Spider-Man comics were never the same after that.

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