If you're under the age of 30 and think of the name Celia Imrie, you likely think of the woman who farted in a log cabin during an episode of The Celebrity Traitors season 1.

Obviously you'd be factually correct, but this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of just how iconic Imrie actually is. From Acorn Antiques and Dinnerladies to Calendar Girls and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, if there's been a worthwhile British drama, she's been there to improve it.

Now, the same can be said for War on HBO Max (international) and Sky TV (UK). Following two legal firms as they represent a spouse in a high-profile divorce trial, Imrie plays Budgie, a freelance barrister working for the newly established Taylor & Byrne.

From watching the trailer below, you might have assumed, like me, that Imrie was to play the High Court Judge overseeing the trial. According to Taylor and Byrne themselves, James McArdle and Phoebe Fox, Imrie had those onset so fooled by her power, that their opening scene in episode 1 had to be entirely reshot.

'She has such inherent power'

"She is such an incredibly charismatic woman and has such an inherent power," Fox tells me. "Originally, she just turns up and is in the office with us having a scene — but they actually had to reshoot her entering the office because everyone who watched it thought that she ran the company.

"We're the bosses, but that wasn't clear, apparently. She's a dream woman to work with."

And water is wet. This news doesn't surprise me in the slightest... but what I didn't realise is that Celebrity Traitors was airing at the same time as War was being filmed, which must have been like striking gold for any other cast members with a penchant for reality TV.

"While we were filming, Traitors was on," McArdle adds. "It was really hard for the director to get me to concentrate because I just kept trying to get spoilers out of Celia and Nick (Mohammed). Celia and I knew each other from way before, so I thought she would tell me... but she never did."

Oh, didn't I mention that there's also a Celebrity Traitors reunion within the cast too? More on that later this week. For now, set your clocks ready to watch War this Friday (October 2).

September was a surprisingly stacked month for horror. I was spoiled for choice when putting together this month's horror movie recommendations, and I've got a real mixed bag to cover here too.

Most notably, September saw new entries into the Creep and Silent Hill franchises. This means there's some familiarity here for fans keen to dive into these well-established horror worlds. But, as always, Shudder had a good helping of new originals to keep us entertained too.

I spent much of this month with the following three titles, and here's what I thought of each one.

TV — The Creep Tapes season 3

Where to watch: Shudder, AMC+
Lucy's verdict: Scream

Mark Duplass can do no wrong, in my opinion. After making an appearance in the hugely successful Backrooms this year, he's gone back to his original horror roots. Indeed, The Creep Tapes season 3 is the latest installment in his found footage nightmare, and it's incredibly good.

If you're keen to deep dive into Peachfuzz's character, season 3 does exactly that. Josef's (Duplass) serial-killer alter ego is front and center here, and this feels like it's going back to the Creep we know and love. We're uncomfortably up-close to Josef here, seeing many things from his point of view, making for an effective third season which might sit with you for a long time.

It's well worth checking out the first two Creep movies if you haven't already, which are available on Prime Video in the US and Netflix in the UK.

Movie — Parasomnia

Where to watch: Shudder
Lucy's verdict: Skip

Shudder's new movie Parasomnia has an interesting premise, but it ultimately didn't do enough to keep me engaged. The movie follows a woman who has recurring night terrors — and each time they happen, awful things happen around her in the real world.

When she struggles to keep these terrors at bay, a threat emerges and terrorizes her, which makes up much of the movie's 85-minute runtime. Unfortunately, Parasomnia suffers from an over-reliance on jump scares teamed with some predictable narrative beats, so I wasn't a huge fan of this movie.

It is on the shorter side, so you may want to try it anyway, or check out the line-up of new Shudder releases to find something new.

Game — Silent Hill: Townfall

Where to play: PS5, PC
Lucy's verdict: Scream

Silent Hill has a new spin-off game starring Welcome to Derry's Jovan Adepo. It's set in the coastal town of St. Amelia, and I spent my weekend getting lost in this creepy new world.

It's important to note that Silent Hill: Townfall is separate from the main storyline, so you won't find well-known characters like Pyramid Head here. Instead, you play as newcomer Simon in a slow-burn narrative that encourages you to explore in first-person. Despite a few initial glitches like the map not loading in, I did settle nicely into Silent Hill: Townfall, and I was particularly impressed by the central location, which is modeled off a quiet Scottish town.

Silent Hill: Townfall is a relatively short game which is easy to complete in a weekend, and I recommend giving it a go.

• The teaser for Lanterns' eighth and final episode has been posted online
• It's sparked a major new fan theory about John Stewart and Sinestro
• It appears to have ties to the show's name and title card

Full spoilers immediately follow for Lanterns episode 7. Potentially huge spoilers are also discussed for Lanterns episode 8.

The trailer for Lanterns' season 1 finale has sparked a major new theory among fans — and it's got nothing to do with the central mystery surrounding Hal Jordan.

HBO's Green Lantern TV show has been a hot topic of conversation since it premiered in mid-August. Indeed, ever since Lanterns episode 1 dropped the bombshell that Hal Jordan had been murdered in its 2026 storyline, fans have, among other things, been trying to solve events surrounding this shocking moment.

With just one chapter, titled 'Dirt and Stars' remaining, many are hoping that Lanterns will explain all before its end credits roll for the final time. However, viewers are also now wondering about John Stewart's fate in the HBO Max show following the release of the forthcoming finale's teaser — and I'm starting to believe that what they're predicting might come to pass.

Is John Stewart going to become the DC Universe's first Yellow Lantern?

I'll preface what follows by saying I haven't seen 'Dirt and Stars'. I watched the first seven episodes for my spoiler-free Lanterns review, but HBO and DC Studios don't want anything from this week's chapter to leak online ahead of time. As such, members of the press won't see it prior to its debut on October 4/5, which means I have no insider information on how the season 1 story will be wrapped up.

But, I digress. With Stewart and the Hal-O-Gram — the latter being a digital back-up of Jordan's consciousness, which lives inside Jordan's Green Lantern ring — traveling off-world and crossing paths with Sinestro in episode 7, the stage is set for a dramatic season finale.

The debuting of Lanterns episode 8 teaser has only further raised our collective excitement levels. More than that, though, it's sparked a new fan theory that, as this article's sub-header acknowledges, Stewart might be getting set up to be the DC Universe's (DCU) first Yellow Lantern.

I covered the creation of the Yellow Lanterns, otherwise known as the Sinestro Corps., in my Sinestro in Lanterns explained article. Essentially, though, this antagonistic faction wield Lantern rings fueled by fear, rather than willpower, which powers Green Lantern rings.

With Yellow Lanterns being required to understand and control fear, it's not a leap to suggest that the DCU's Stewart is a prime candidate for this role.

After all, he's been trained to be fearless since the age of five, so he'd make for a perfect Yellow Lantern if the manipulative Sinestro can persuade Stewart to join his cause — something Sinestro is clearly trying to do by telling Stewart: "The Guardians [of the Universe] think fear makes you weak. They couldn't be more wrong. Fear can be the most powerful force in the universe."

Some fans are convinced that, while Stewart might not fully help to form the Sinestro Corps. in the DCU Chapter One project, he's set to become a Yellow Lantern instead of a Green one, too.

"Is it just me, or are they setting up John as a Yellow Lantern?" Reddit user MrMojoRising422 mused. "John's gonna be a Lantern.. but Green? not 100% sure," FlashyClaim also pondered, before fmalk wrote: "Maybe he's only meant to be a Lantern in [James Gunn's Superman sequel] Man of Tomorrow? After this episode 7, I wouldn't bet 100% on him been Green."

"Yeah, the finale is gonna be about Sinestro tempting John with becoming a Yellow Lantern," Maleficent-Choice254 suggested, while ArcadianBlueRogue asked: "Are....are they gonna have the balls to have John have to pick between the Green and Yellow rings?"

There's evidence to suggest this fan theory might not be so wild, either.

For one, Lanterns' title card seems to have been foreshadowing this since the show began, with its green hues subtly being replaced by a brighter yellow as the weeks have gone on. If that's not a big clue that Stewart's allegiance might switch from the Greens to the Yellows, I don't know what it is.

Additionally, Lanterns' tagline of "only one can wear the ring" implies that there can only be one Green Lantern on planet Earth. Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner is the current holder of that title so, unless Stewart finds a loophole that allows Earth to have two Green Lanterns, becoming a Yellow Lantern might be the only option available to him.

Then there's Redditors Elegant_Positive5768 and M00reC, plus X/Twitter user OlinOnBull, who've reminded us that DC Studios co-head James Gunn shared a very specific image of John Stewart when Lanterns was announced as part of the original DCU Chapter One line-up in January 2023. The picture in question? Stewart wielding a Yellow Lantern ring.

Another sign that gives legs to this hypothesis is the Hal-O-Gram telling Stewart "you're taking a very big risk" in the episode 8 teaser.

Is he warning Stewart that he's taking a major gamble by trusting Sinestro and/or becoming a Yellow Lantern, which would infuriate the Guardians? If so, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Guardians send Guy Gardner, aka Earth's current Green Lantern, to forewarn Stewart about the potential pitfalls of doing this.

The season finale's teaser confirms Gardner will show up. Furthermore, at the 1:31 mark of Lanterns' official trailer, we see Gardner telling someone that an army is going to be sent to "put you down". That trailer was edited in a way to make it seem like he was talking to Jordan, but what if it's actually Stewart who he's speaking to?

As the above X/Twitter user points out, we already know Aaron Pierre will return as John Stewart in Man of Tomorrow, but there's no word on whether he'll be a Green Lantern in one of next year's most exciting new movies.

I'll readily admit it'll be a massive — and likely controversial — swing from Lanterns' creators and wider writing team if it ends with Stewart being a Yellow Lantern rather than a Green Lantern. But hey, I'm all for narrative surprises if it's not to the detriment of a character's overarching journey. So, if all roads have been leading Stewart to become a Yellow Lantern (even if it's temporary), I'm all for it.

But, what do you think: will Stewart end season 1 as a Green or Yellow Lantern? Let me know in the comments.

I've been waiting impatiently for The Celebrity Traitors season 2 to begin airing on BBC iPlayer... and finally, the wait is almost over.

Our new cast heading to the Scottish Highlands is as follows:

• Amol Rajan, Journalist and Broadcaster
• Bella Ramsey, Actor
• James Acaster, Comedian and Podcaster
• James Blunt, Singer/Songwriter
• Jerry Hall, Model and Actress
• Joanne McNally, Comedian
• Joe Lycett, Comedian
• Julie Hesmondhalgh, Actor
• King Kenny, Content Creator
• Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Singer/Songwriter
• Maya Jama, Broadcaster and Entrepreneur  
• Michael Sheen, Actor and Presenter
• Miranda Hart, Actor and Author
• Myha’la, Actor
• Professor Hannah Fry, Broadcaster and Mathematician
• Richard E. Grant, Actor and Author
• Rob Beckett, Comedian
• Romesh Ranganathan, Comedian
• Ross Kemp, Actor and Presenter
• Sebastian Croft, Musician and Actor
• Sharon Rooney, Actor

As ever, we've got to expected the unexpected, and the below trailer teases that host Claudia Winkleman definitely has some new tricks up her sleeve.

But when will The Celebrity Traitors season 2 episodes 1 and 2 be arriving on BBC iPlayer?

What time can I watch The Celebrity Traitors season 2 episodes 1-2 on BBC iPlayer?

There are no batch uploads to BBC iPlayer this year! The Celebrity Traitors seasons 2 will have two episodes dropping this week as follows for UK fans:

• Episode 1: October 1, 8pm BST
• Episode 2: October 2, 8pm BST

Fans in the US, Australia and other international territories will have to wait for another designated streaming service to pick up episodes at a later date (e.g. Peacock in the US, or Paramount+ in Australia).

If you're a BBC licence-fee payer, you can use one of the best VPNs to stream iPlayer from anywhere in the world — check out our How to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad guide for more information.

When do new episodes of The Celebrity Traitors come out?

New episodes release on Thursdays and Fridays each week until the season 2 finale, giving us the below series schedule:

• Episode 1: October 1
• Episode 2: October 2
• Episode 3: October 8
• Episode 4: October 9
• Episode 5: October 15
• Episode 6: October 16
• Episode 7: October 22
• Episode 8: October 23
• Episode 9: October 29
• Episode 10: October 30

The most anticipated Netflix series — and perhaps the most awaited TV series of the entire year — is finally here, with East of Eden arriving later this week.

The new adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel stars Florence Pugh, Mike Faist and Christopher Abbott in its main roles, with events taking place between the 1860s and the build-up to World War I.

It's a cross-generational story that essentially retells the biblical story of Cain and Abel through the intertwined lives of two families in California's Salinas Valley; and it's epic in every sense of the world.

East of Eden is set to be a binge-watch for the ages, but exactly when does it arrive on Netflix?

What time can I watch East of Eden on Netflix?

East of Eden drops on Thursday, October 1.

As for the time, it should be the standard 12am PT / 3am ET release time that practically every other Netflix TV Original has.

For fans who don't live in North America, here's when you'll need to tune in:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 6pm AEST
• New Zealand – 8pm NZDT

When do new episodes of East of Eden come out?

All seven episodes of this season will be released at the same time. Unlike weekly drops on the likes of Prime Video, Apple TV, and Disney+, then, you won't need to wait around for new installment of East of Eden.

As this is a standalone book adaptation, there won't be a second series.

• Spider-Man 4's digital release date has been revealed
• It'll be available to watch at home in early October
• The record-breaking Marvel movie is the highest-grossing film in US history

Update: Sony has officially confirmed that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be available to rent and/or buy at home starting Tuesday, October 6.

Additionally, it'll go on physical sale on Tuesday, December 14, with 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD options available to purchase.

Original story follows.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to swing onto premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms very soon.

That's according to the ever-reliable WhenToStream website, whose sources have indicated that the record-breaking Marvel movie will be available to rent or buy on October 6, 2026.

Currently, digital stores, such as Amazon, Fandango, and Apple TV, have placeholder webpages for the latest Spider-Man film, but they make no mention of an impending release date, or simply say that its digital launch is "coming soon".

Nonetheless, WhenToStream has a fantastic track record when it comes to movie-based PVOD launch date announcements, so there's no reason to doubt the aforementioned at-home release date for Brand New Day.

I've approached Marvel and Sony Pictures for comment on what WhenToStream has reported, and I'll update this article if I receive a response.

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (2026)Streaming: October 6, 2026PVOD (Apple, Amazon, Fandango, etc.)#SpiderManBrandNewDaywhentostream.com/spider-man-b...

— @whentostream.bsky.social (@whentostream.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-09-29T13:37:51.426Z

Whenever Spider-Man 4 makes its PVOD debut, every rental or permanent purchase will only add to the eye-watering amount of money it's already made.

At the time of writing, the Marvel Phase 6 flick has made a staggering $2.495 billion at the global box office. $950 million of that figure has been in the US alone, which is enough to make it that nation's highest-grossing movie of all-time. Star Wars: The Force Awakens had been the holder of that particular mantle, with the seventh Star Wars film making $936.6 million in the US between December 2015 and early 2016.

How long will that record last? It's hard to say. The iconic webslinger's latest big-screen adventure, which sees A-listers (and married couple) Tom Holland and Zendaya star in their fourth Spidey movie, has been lauded by pretty much everyone.

I wasn't as big on it as many others were — read my Spider-Man: Brand New Day review to find out why. Nevertheless, there's no denying that the aforementioned pair's star power, plus Spider-Man's enduring popularity, helped it to swing to unprecedented new heights.

Still, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) highly-anticipated next team-up film in Avengers: Doomsday set to hit theaters on December 17, it'll be fascinating to see if Spider-Man 4 can hold of its fellow comic book-inspired flick and retain its position as the biggest money-spinning movie in US history.

When might Spider-Man: Brand New Day be released on Netflix?

That's another tough question to answer, especially in light of the new 'Pay-1' worldwide agreement that Netflix and Sony announced in January 2026.

Currently, Sony-developed movies typically premiere on one of the world's best streaming services around four months after their initial theatrical release. Using that as a barometer, Brand New Day wouldn't come out on Netflix until late November, which would be an incredibly timely, well, time to arrive, as it coincides with Thanksgiving in the US.

However, things are more complicated than that. For one thing, Sony has various licensing agreements with numerous streamers that means its films have different streaming homes in different parts of the world.

For instance, Spider-Man: No Way Home, aka Brand New Day's predecessor, has regularly been available on Starz in the US. Overseas, the Spider-Man movies have come to Sky and Prime Video in the UK, and Stan and Binge in Australia. Further complicating matters is that the live-action Spidey flicks have occasionally joined Disney+ in multiple territories.

Things won't be that way for much longer, mind you. As I mentioned above, a new 'Pay-1' deal between Netflix and Sony means the latter's films will exclusively stream worldwide on Netflix following their theatrical and digital releases.

Per Netflix's blog announcing the agreement, the streaming titan said that "the new global Pay-1 arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as individual territory rights become available, with full global availability on Netflix in early 2029."

What does that mean for Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Theoretically, it could make its Netflix debut in the US and other countries before the end of the year.

Sure, much will depend on when Sony's current licensing deals with other streamers expires in certain parts of the world. Given Netflix's wording above, though, I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix users in multiple nations suddenly see Spider-Man 4 appear on their home page before 2026 is over, whenever that date will be.

For now, read my Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending explained piece for more on its biggest talking points. Once you're done, see why Spider-Man 4's post-credits scene might not mean what you think it does.

There aren't many episodes left of Ted Lasso season 4. In fact, only two more, including this week's chapter, remain, so there's not much time left for it to find a match-winning goal.

AFC Richmond Women will have to do so without their star striker Gemma following the potentially serious knee injury she suffered in last week's entry. Who, if anyone, will step up and try to get the team promoted? We'll have to wait for this week's installment to arrive, so read on to find out when it will.

What is the launch time for Ted Lasso season 4 episode 9?

Ted Lasso season 4's penultimate episode should come out in the US and Canada at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Tuesday, September 29.

Publicly, Apple has always stressed that new episodes of its first-party shows premiere every Wednesday at 12am PT in North America. However, every episode of the hit soccer comedy-drama's latest season has arrived on Tuesday evenings at the times listed above. Barring an unexpected launch date and time change, I'm confident season 4 episode 9 will do likewise.

As for the rest of the world, this week's entry will air on Apple TV, aka one of the world's best streaming services, on Wednesday, September 30. Read on to see what time it'll be released near you:

• US — Tuesday, September 29 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Tuesday, September 29 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Wednesday, September 30 at 2am BST
• India — Wednesday, September 30 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, September 30 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, September 30 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, September 30 at 1pm NZST

When is the final episode of Ted Lasso season 4 set to come out?

The 10th and final episode of the Apple TV show's fourth season will kick off on Tuesday, October 6, in North and South America. Meanwhile, viewers on other continents will have to wait until Wednesday, October 7 to catch the series' latest finale.

What'll happen in it? Its story will be dictated by what goes down in its predecessor — i.e. season 4 episode 9. So, be sure to tune in to Ted Lasso's next chapter to see what it'll set up ahead of this season's last hurrah.

It's probably wrong to fall in love with villains, but Harry's (Tom Hardy) new arch-rival Frankie (Johnny Flynn) is exactly what MobLand season 2 needed.

Somewhere between the third Gallagher brother and a so-called "prick on a scooter," Frankie's unnervingly mundane tone is only just beginning to do some serious damage... not that it would be too hard to impact the fractured Harrigan family.

With Conrad (Pierce Brosnan) and Kevin's (Paddy Considine) feud reaching new levels and Seraphina (Mandeep Dhillon) trying to strike out on her own, absolutely everybody is playing into Kat's (Janet McTeer) hands.

But, can things be salvaged in time? And, more importantly when does MobLand season 2 episode 3 arrive on Paramount+?

What time can I watch MobLand season 2 episode 3 on Paramount+?

MobLand season 2 episode 3 will drop on one of the world's best streaming services in the US and Canada on Friday, October 2 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

Here's when it will be released in other nations globally:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 5pm AEST
• New Zealand – 7pm NZST

When do new episodes of MobLand season 2 come out?

MobLand season 2 will have a total of 10 episodes, with new entries airing weekly. That gives us the following schedule:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: out now
• Episode 3: October 2
• Episode 4: October 9
• Episode 5: October 16
• Episode 6: October 23
• Episode 7: October 30
• Episode 8: November 6
• Episode 9: November 13
• Episode 10: November 20

It's almost time to enjoy the final Marvel TV show of 2026.

VisionQuest, starring Paul Bettany as the titular android, will make its Disney+ debut in mid-October — and to celebrate its impending release, I've put together a tricky quiz that covers the superhero's story so far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Set some time after WandaVision's finale, the third and final project of the Wanda- and Vision-fronted TV trilogy will reunite us with the rebooted synthezoid who, "having escaped from those who sought to weaponize him, has been in hiding," according to an official press release.

"Searching for new meaning, he consults the AI personas embedded in his programming, including F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., J.A.R.V.I.S., and the infamous Ultron," the Marvel Phase 6 TV show's synopsis continues. "His discreet existence ends when a bounty placed on his head thrusts him on the run with Thomas Shepard, a mysterious boy who may be Vision’s son, reincarnate. As Vision evades capture, he must confront his nature, resist Ultron's influence, and unravel the enigma that is his young companion if he’s to survive."

Think you have what it takes to be crowned the ultimate Vision fanatic? I challenge you to put your MCU knowledge to the test by taking on my 20-question quiz below. Once you've completed it, post your score in the comments section to see how you did against your peers.

VisionQuest will drop on Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services, on October 13/14, depending on where you live.

Before it comes out, be sure to learn everything we know so far about VisionQuest, and then read up on how to watch the Marvel movies in order if you plan on rewatching every MCU film and TV show Vision's in.

Calling NFL Week 3 crunch time might seem a touch dramatic, but since 1990 only 38 of 288 teams that have got off to a 0-2 start have gone on to make the playoffs. Three of them – the 1993 Cowboys, 2001 Patriots and 2007 Giants – went on to win the Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers, Texans and Colts are three of eight teams staring down the barrel of an excruciatingly long season, and unlike many of the other five, Tampa Bay, Houston and Indianapolis held serious Vince Lombardi Trophy aspirations at the start of the campaign.

Scroll down for our pick of the top five NFL Week 3 games – and who's showing them.

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Bengals vs Steelers

• Sunday, 1pm ET, CBS/Paramount+ (US) | FREE on TVNZ+ (NZ)

Things could get real ugly at Acrisure Stadium, as the Steelers, who failed to score a touchdown in a 3-20 defeat by the Patriots last week, host their AFC North rivals the Bengals, who shut out the Texans in a 20-6 beatdown. The Black and Gold defense might actually give Joe Burrow a few problems, but will Aaron Rodgers be able to capitalise? Pittsburgh's offense ranks dead-last in the NFL for points scored, and he's already been sacked six times.

Texans vs Colts

• Sunday, 1pm ET, CBS/Paramount+ (US)

Both the Texans and Colts entered the campaign with playoff expectations, but the AFC South rivals are yet to win a game between them. Although Houston squeaked in despite getting out to a 0-3 start a year ago, Indianapolis missed the cut despite an 8-2 start. That effectively makes this an early do-or-die clash, and although CJ Stroud still looks way off it, Indy rank dead-last in the NFL in total defense. He's got to hand the reins to David Montgomery.

Vikings vs Buccaneers

• Sunday, 4.05pm ET, Fox/Fox One (US)

The Vikings are 2-0 and the Buccaneers are 0-2 and coming off a humiliating defeat by the Browns, but Kyler Murray's impending return has the potential to stall Minnesota's momentum. How Murray will fit into Kevin O'Connell's system was the subject of endless speculation in the offseason, and we're yet to get any answers because he suffered a concussion minutes into his debut. This could be the slice of luck Todd Bowles so desperately needs.

Ravens vs Cowboys

• Sunday, 4.25pm ET, CBS/Paramount+ (US) | FREE on 5 (UK) & Virgin Media Play (IRE)

We don't know what it is about Brazil, but NFL International Series games in the land of samba almost always turn into shootouts, and we're expecting the Ravens' meeting with the Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro to be another high-scoring affair. Even if Zay Flowers' hamstring isn't up to scratch, Baltimore should have the edge seeing as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are the worst matchup imaginable for one of the most hapless rush defenses in the league.

Rams vs Broncos

• Sunday, 8.20pm ET, NBC/Peacock (US)

The Rams bounced back from their horrorshow Down Under by destroying the underhanded Giants, but the Broncos represent a step up in competition. Bo Nix and Jaylen Waddle hit things off in an impressive victory over the Jaguars last weekend, and with home-field advantage at altitude, there's a real possibility the preseason Super Bowl favourites fall to 1-2 for the season under the Sunday Night Football lights.

Use a VPN to watch NFL Week 3 live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual streaming services. One of our favourites is IPVanish – it does everything and comes with up to 83% off.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

There's meta, and then there's Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.

We've been following awkward comic book owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman), who accidentally triggered a multiverse Armageddon after breaking a device supposedly built by Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki).

Did we see the latter two appear in any of season 1's 10 episodes? No. Does the fact that many of The Big Bang Theory cameos and a season 2 renewal mean we should hold out hope for the future? Absolutely.

However, absolutely nothing is guaranteed in this HBO Max show. Given that the core concept shifts between universes, creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady could come up with literally anything they wanted, and it makes canonical sense.

This leaves us with the biggest TV guessing game of all, so let's try and work out what Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 will look like together.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 release window predictions

We've currently got no idea when season 2 could start production or be released, but we do know that episodes are pretty quick to film. If you think of production in sitcom format, episodes could be turned around as soon as six months' time.

However, my best guess would be that we'll likely see new episodes in summer 2027. Chuck Lorre is a busy man with a lot of plates spinning, after all.

“We’re delighted with how this hilarious, genre-bending show from Chuck, Zak, and Bill has connected with the audience, both devotees of The Big Bang Theory and new fans alike,” Amy Gravitt, Head of HBO & HBO Max Comedy Series, said when the renewal was announced in August.

“Along with everyone else, we can’t wait to see the worlds they conjure for these beloved characters next season.”

Writing has begun for new episodes, though, so stay tuned.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 trailer: is there one?

Don't be silly. It took us until the end of June 2026 to get one for season 1, so expect the first full trailer to arrive around two weeks before the second season does.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 cast

We can expect the below awesome foursome to return for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2:

• Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom
• Lauren Lapkus as Denise
• Brian Posehn as Bert Kibbler
• John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke

Obviously, season 1 had a lot of surprise cameos, meaning any of the below could also be eligible to return in an unspecified alternate form:

• Kunal Nayyar as Alternate Raj
• Wil Wheaton as Alternate Wil Wheaton
• Mayim Bialik as Alternate Amy Farrah Fowler
• Kaley Cuoco as Alternate Penny
• Melissa Rauch as Alternate Bernadette
• Christine Baranski as Herself
• Riki Lindhome as Ramona Nowitzki

We can also expect new cast members to be announced, though we likely won't find out who until closer to the show's release... and given how many surprises there were in season 1, possibly not even until episodes air.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 plot predictions

For once in my life, I've got no idea what to put here. Obviously, the core concept of Stuart, Denise, Kripke, and Bert landing in a different universe in each episode will stay firm, but what that will look like is anybody's guess at this stage.

While writing for new episodes is underway, there's still no big master plan for the future. "It would be great if I had the big picture," Lorre told TechRadar shortly before season 1 was released. "Wouldn't that be swell? I don't. There's no big picture. This is just chasing what seems to be fun to do... the big picture would require a bigger person."

Penn added, "We purposefully wrote ourselves into corners. We like doing that and then saying, 'How are we going to get out of this?' That was definitely part of the design of how the team writes and how they wanted to approach it. It makes it more fun not really knowing where we were going to be and how we were going to get there.

"Eventually, we figured some stuff out and came up with an ending. But [the show] was never designed to be 'Oh, we know where all of this is going.'"

For now, I'm continuing on with the perhaps-delusional belief that I could find myself in the season 2 writers' room within a matter of months. So, I pitched the team two ideas for future storylines.

The first is addressing the really big picture: use Stuart Fails to Save the Universe to address the existing problem of George Cooper being dead, and bring him back to life through an alternate universe. That way, Young Sheldon fans get the ending they really wanted.

"We'll definitely keep your ideas in mind," Penn says. "There are an infinite number of universes within this universe, so the universe that you're looking for is going to exist by definition. Whether it makes it to TV is another question."

So far, so good. But I hammer this home with another idea: explore the episode 2 universe that reveals film and TV's Christine Baranski is an AI overlord.

Bill Prady responds, "We'll have to see how the rebellion goes and what happens afterwards. What do they do to her afterwards?"

"She'd be tried," Lorre agrees. "Well, there we go — there's something we can do if we get a second season."

It's that time of year again — and the world's best streaming services are up to their usual tricks.

Indeed, with fall (or spring, if you live south of the equator) upon us once more, the entertainment giants of the world are ready to demand more of your hard-earned money by jacking up the prices of their various streaming-platform plans.

So far, four of the world's leading streamers have passed increased costs onto consumers, with three doing so in the US — and they're only getting more brazen with when they announce these price hikes and how much they're now charging.

Just look at Apple TV raising its monthly and annual fees by $2 and $20 respectively in late August. Then there's the 2026 Disney+ and Hulu price rise, which came into effect a whole month earlier (September 23) than in 2025 (October 21), and now asks new and returning users to pay an extra $0.50 to $3 per month for the plan they want to sign up for. And don't get me started on Netflix's recent UK price hike, which saw its cheap, ads-based plan rise by an eye-watering 34%...

Admittedly, Disney has frozen the price on three of its streaming bundles, including its cheapest ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle. While that's worth applauding, especially for those on a budget, it's scant consolation for anyone subscribed to one of the House of Mouse's more expensive, ad-free, standalone plans or bundles.

Those higher fees will be an even more bitter pill to swallow amid Disney's claims that they're necessary to improve the user experience on their streaming platforms. Try telling that to Disney+'s worldwide user base, which was left fuming over reports — ones that have since been proved false — that Disney+ would soon show ads on its ad-free plans, and UK and European users after they temporarily lost 4K and HDR support on Disney+ in late July.

Netflix, Disney, and Apple are far from the only culprits, mind you.

Rival streamers including Prime Video and HBO Max have also bumped up the price of their plans in recent years. At the time of this article's publication, there's no word on when they or other subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms will announce their latest — and inevitable — annual price increases. Mark my words, though: it's coming.

Predictably, all of this begs an obvious question: how long will we continue to put up with these now-yearly price hikes?

If you listen to some users on myriad social media platforms, the straw has already broken the camel's back. Dive into any Reddit thread, or search for terms like 'Netflix price hike' on X/Twitter or the ResetEra forums, and you'll find numerous examples of people who have already voted with their bank cards and canceled their subscriptions.

Unfortunately, the number of users who have closed their accounts is a mere drop in the ocean for the globe's entertainment titans. With a reported 260 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix simply doesn't care if a handful of paying patrons walk away because it doesn't even dent their bottom line.

That said, the tide may be turning. Per Yahoo Finance, Netflix's stock has recently taken an almighty beating. The reason? A change in viewing habits that's seen people flock to YouTube and TikTok to watch more short-form video content. Add to the mix the constant cancellation of fan-favorite shows, less unmissable content worth streaming, and certain features being locked behind expensive tiers, and why would people pay for Netflix, Disney+, and company when they can get visual content for free elsewhere?

Is that enough to make the world's leading streamers sit up and take notice? Probably not. In my view, the only way Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, or any other SVOD service will listen is if tens of millions of users suddenly and collectively ended their subscriptions — and, frankly, that's almost never going to happen.

However, if people really want a sea change in the industry from a subscription cost standpoint, a major user revolution is required. Until we collectively say "enough is enough" and hit these companies where it hurts (i.e., their income streams), the streaming service spending scam will continue — and the price hike bubble will never, ever burst.

Spoilers for MobLand season 2 episode 2 ahead

It's official: the season 2 episode 2 ending is my favorite scene in all of MobLand history so far… and that's not just because Firestarter by The Prodigy is used as its epic soundtrack.

As we get officially acquainted with Kat McAllister's (Janet McTeer) new henchmen Frankie (Johnny Flynn), he makes his first movie on the Harrigan family. Kat has deduced that the best way to get to Harry (Tom Hardy) is through his friendship with Bella (Lara Pulvey), leaving her hugely at risk.

Well, risk is an understatement. In the episode's final scene, Frankie arrives at Kevin (Paddy Considine) and Bella's home and attacks her while Kevin is away. Masked men come tearing into the house, scrapping with the Harrigan's own security before finding Bella cowering at the back of the house.

Episode 2 is left with Frankie pulling a gun on her, but only making the sound "bang" rather than shooting. Is she dead, or alive and a hostage? Only next week will tell.

It's all enough to give us a heart attack while watching, but the episode, now streaming on Paramount+, actually left Flynn himself terrified, he tells me… and for good reason.

'It was my first day on the job'

"That was my first day, so I was terrified," Flynn tells me about the episode 2 scene.

"It's really fun. I always wanted more to do with Lara because we've crossed over in other places and thought it would be fun for these two quite sharp-tongued characters to have more of a showdown. I worked with Lara's husband on a film and it was really nice to get to hang out.

"She was so nice to me on my first day… really put me at ease. I was really terrified, because coming into something like MobLand with these really amazing actors that you admire so much and something with such energy — knowing that you have to provide a lot of energy for that particular character, this kind of agitator. It was intense. Guy's [Ritchie] sets are like machines."

Intense is truly the name of the game when it comes to MobLand, and even two seasons in, the action hasn't let up once. Frankly, Frankie's rough-and-ready introduction is more exciting because of where he could go in the future. If things are already this bad, what on Earth is to come?

He's pretty close to being the third Gallagher brother, that's for sure. "That was that was a thing for me," Flynn adds about Noel and Liam being a reference point.

"There wasn't a lot on the page in terms of what Frankie looked like, so with the with the costume designer [Rebecca Hale], I talked about what he could be in terms of his references being that mid-90s feel. The pageboy cut, the sheepskin jacket… it was a fun thing to lean into because it allowed me to have that swagger."

More "prick on a scooter" vibes in every episode from this point on are needed, if you ask me.

We're only a few days from Lanterns' second-to-last episode. Indeed, with the hit sci-fi crime drama's next chapter due out shortly, we don't have much longer to see John Stewart team up with the Hal-O-Gram — aka the digital back-up of Hal Jordan's consciousness — to continue investigating the real Hal's apparent murder.

So, will John get on better with this version of Hal than the real thing? What lies in store for them in the DC Universe (DCU) show's seventh entry? And, most importantly, when will it premiere?

I'm not at liberty to answer the first two, but I can tell you more about episode 7's release date and launch time. So, read on to learn more.

When does episode 7 of Lanterns come out?

HBO's Green Lantern TV show will return for its next installment, titled 'The Jordan Boys Legacy', in the US and Canada on Sunday, September 27 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

Just like every episode before it, this week's chapter will come out a day later outside of North and South America. Viewers in other territories, then, will need to wait until Monday, September 28, to see the DCU Chapter One TV series' penultimate entry. Check out the list below to see what time it'll drop where you live:

• US — Sunday, September 27 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Sunday, September 27 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Monday, September 28 at 2am BST
• India — Monday, September 28 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Monday, September 28 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Monday, September 28 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Monday, September 28 at 1pm NZST

Where can I watch Lanterns episode 7?

All episodes of Lanterns — including this week's entry — air on HBO Max, aka one of the world's best streaming services, in nations that the platform is available.

For some reason, HBO Max hasn't launched in every world region, so some of you will need to go elsewhere to stream the DC comic book TV series. Alternatively, you could just make things easier for yourself and read the below list:

• US — HBO and HBO Max
• Canada — Crave
• UK — HBO Max, Sky Atlantic, and Now TV
• India — JioHotstar
• Singapore — HBO Max
• Australia — HBO Max
• New Zealand — HBO Max

Lanterns full release schedule: when do new episodes come out?

Unfortunately, only two more episodes of the Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler-led show remain.

As long as HBO doesn't suddenly change the launch date for the final two chapters, they'll continue to air on Sundays in the Americas and Mondays on other continents. There's no reason to suspect that an unexpected release schedule alteration will happen for the forthcoming finale, either, so I'm confident it'll be released at the same time that its forebears were.

Anyway, here's a quick breakdown of when the remaining entries will come out:

• Lanterns episode 1 — out now
• Lanterns episode 2 — out now
• Lanterns episode 3 — out now
• Lanterns episode 4 — out now
• Lanterns episode 5 — out now
• Lanterns episode 6 — out now
• Lanterns episode 7 — September 27/28
• Lanterns episode 8 — October 4/5

For more on the hit series ahead of its next episode, check out what Lanterns' midseason trailer tells us about its final two chapters. Then, read up on why I'm fearing the worst for Lanterns season 2.

I probably shouldn't have told Dominic West that he plays punchable characters incredibly well when I interviewed him a few weeks ago, but it's painfully true. From The Affair to his Nationwide adverts (sorry, but that guy needs a slap), West has the sub-genre ingeniously sewn up.

As of October 2, we can add War to the list. Streaming on Sky TV (UK) and HBO Max (internationally), we follow the high-profile divorce of British celebrities Morgan (West) and Carla (Sienna Miller) after Carla sets up a honeytrap to expose Morgan's infidelity throughout their marriage.

They're not the only two who have beef, though. Morgan's law firm, Cathcarts, is a stalwart of the legal world, with Carla's firm, Taylor & Byrne, co-founded by an old Cathcarts employee who was refused partnership. Think old money meets nouveau riche, if this was a reality TV show.

What we're left with is the kind of delicious legal drama that only the unique complexities of British culture could pull off this well. The legal system, our consumption of popular celebrity culture and our continued fascination with people's private lives are eviscerated at every turn, and I frankly love being reminded that collectively, we're getting so much wrong.

But nobody is real here, so we can happily get stuck into berating them — and by God, do they give us a lot of ammunition. From Carla and Morgan's sneaky manoeuvres behind closed doors to new legal assistant Johnny (Archie Renaux), who thinks he's outwitting everyone around him when he's really ten steps behind, there's something for every armchair gossip.

War is the ultimate game of celebrity tennis — with no winners

Not only is the above trailer possibly one of the strongest of the year, but it aptly sets the scene for our modern Shakespeare tragedy without giving too much away. Unsurprisingly, Miller and West are our focal points, and as punchable as West makes Morgan, I'm actually floored by how much the pair is able to give these roles.

When you take a step back, the level of public scrutiny both Carla and Morgan receive is incredibly true to life. Both are mercilessly hounded by the press through relentless front-page tabloid articles, uncomfortable questions at events, and even lawyer-up red carpet premieres. It's a situation that I can vividly remember both actors being in before, and I applaud their remarkable level of personal and professional separation.

If it were me, I'd have had a major chip on my shoulder having to fictionally revisit the things that made me the most miserable over the last few decades of my life. But that's the beauty of good actors — being willing to put themselves on the line to allow viewers to engage as critically as possible. Trust me... I think you'll learn a lot from its premise.

The structure, overall, has one fatal flaw. From War's opening seconds, we're booted into the trenches of doomed marriage with such severity that we could collectively get a headache. But fast-forward seven episodes and the stakes are exactly the same. Think of the eight-episode season as a flatlining heart monitor... It's not a good result for a patient on The Pitt, and not entirely successful for us, either.

Celia Imrie and Nina Sosanya, take a bow

But when things are good, they're golden (with the exception of the very underwhelming theme song). Biting, cutting, and scheming at every turn, War is a British legal drama at its best. None of this is possible without a cracking ensemble cast, of course, and there are two standouts in particular.

The first, which shouldn't be surprising, is Celia Imrie. From the trailer, you'd have guessed that she plays the High Court Judge overseeing the trial, but she's actually "freelance lawyer" Budgie working under Taylor & Byrne. I'm wording that generously, seeing as the minute she enters the room, all decisions pay deference to her presence. That's exactly how it should be, and if anyone was going to represent me in court, I'd want it to be Imrie.

After her epically infamous fart on The Celebrity Traitors season 1, I'm glad that Imrie's back on the international stage, proving that she's always been a world-class esteemed performer, don't you know. Seth Rogen's reference to her at the 2026 TV BAFTAs annoyed me endlessly... Calendar Girls was my favorite film at eight years old for good reason, man.

Then there's Nina Sosanya, a woman I have been parasocially in love with for decades. I can guarantee that you'll recognise her immediately thanks to her quiet commitment to making TV shows and movies infinitely better just by turning up in them. As head Cathcart's lawyer Bea, she's the Miranda Priestly of the British legal world, and her razor-sharp tongue provides lashings of delectable dialogue. Let's get her on Celebrity Traitors season 3, BBC.

With shortcomings so small, you'd be a fool to miss out on War next month. Even better: it's an anthology series, so expect a gripping defamation case to hit our screens in the future.

Fall — or spring, if you live in the southern hemisphere — has arrived. And, while that means the nights are about to get longer or shorter for you, some things will stay the same — including the release of new movies and TV shows on the world's best streaming services.

After last week's top-heavy TV series round-up, its follow-up has done a complete 180 and delivered a bonanza of new films to enjoy, including two of the biggest hits of 2026 on Disney+ and HBO Max. So, what are you waiting for? Scroll on to find out more. — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Toy Story 5 (Disney+)

I'm going to be frank: Toy Story 5 doesn't have a friend in mine. Indeed, as I said in my Toy Story 5 review, it's not terrible, but it's certainly a "a few Lightyears away from the Disney film series' best entries".

Still, if you're a sucker for a new Toy Story project, or any Pixar film for the matter, you can check out the multi-billion dollar-spinning movie franchise's latest outing on Disney's primary streamer. This time around, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and company have to contend with the prospect of being replaced by high-tech toys and devices, so it's a timely albeit predictable fifth outing for the fan-favorite toys. — TP

• Watch Toy Story 5 on Disney+

Backrooms (HBO Max)

Did you know Backrooms filmmaker Kane Parsons was only 20 years old when he made his feature film directorial debut? It's all that most outlets could talk about before his much-anticipated adaptation of the viral internet phenomenon hit theaters.

Well, nobody's talking about his age now, because Backrooms, which has arrived on HBO Max, was a major hit for A24 earlier this year. I enjoyed it up to its final act (I don't think it stuck the landing), but my colleague Lucy Buglass ended her Backrooms review by giving it five out of five stars, so it comes highly recommended from one of us!

I could tell you about its plot, but the less you know about this one, the better, believe me. — TP

• Watch Backrooms on HBO Max

Unabomber (Netflix)

What happened to that tiny little boy from Room? Well, he grew up to play domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski for a Netflix movie, that's what.

Jacob Tremblay stars as the self-titled Unabomber, who was behind a series of mail bombs that killed its recipients in 1994. However, instead of following the man as each fatal moment unfolds, Unabomber takes us back to his Harvard days in 1958 and examines what led him to becoming the infamous domestic terrorist.

It's really answering the question that we're endlessly dying to know: what makes someone kill another? In this case, it's a mix of bullying and becoming the subject of severe psychological experiments. Oof. — Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter

• Watch Unabomber on Netflix

Brothers (Apple TV)

What would you do if you took a long-standing rumor and decided to run with it? If you're Apple, you fully lean into the fact that Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are related, and create a TV show titled Brothers.

The famously close friends, who some observers believe are half-brothers, play fictionalized versions of themselves in this new Apple TV comedy series that — yep, you guessed it — plays along with the fact that they may be blood relatives.

Obviously, the whole thing is played for laughs, but I suspect Brothers will do little to dispel the gossip that the A-listers might be closer than everyone, including themselves, initially thought. Will we ever find out for sure? If an incredibly reluctant McConaughey ever takes a DNA test, sure, but don't gets your hopes up... — TP

• Watch Brothers on Apple TV

The Love Hypothesis (Prime Video)

Prime Video isn't loosening its grip on young adult romantic drama just yet. The Love Hypothesis , which is based on Ali Hazelwood's book namesake, is the latest in line of its banging 2026 genre content.

In a nutshell, Olive (Lili Reinhart) is a third-year biology PhD candidate at Stanford researching early pancreatic cancer detection. In order to convince her best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) that she has completely moved on from a crush, Olive impulsively grabs and kisses Adam (Tom Bateman) in the lab hallway.

The two make a mutually beneficial agreement to fake date each other... though that fakeness doesn't last for long. Personally, I think the strongest love story here is between the two besties, but the new movie ticks all of the rom-com boxes that it needs to. — JV

• Watch The Love Hypothesis on Prime Video

Jackass: Best and Last (Paramount+)

How many times can you put explosives in your butt, dangle on a wire over a pool of alligators, or get slapped to the ground by a giant mechanical hand? 11, if you count all the movies, which sign off with Jackass: Best and Last.

Expect more of the same idiotic vibes with a touch more sentimentality. Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and the rest of the gang return for more outrageous and hilarious stunts, and my jaw is still on the floor after all of these years.

What you really won't expect is how strangely moving the whole thing is. Do I really believe this is the end? No. Surely these guys will be the Cher of final farewell tours, but what do I know? Well, apart from the fact it's out on Paramount+... — JV

• Watch Jackass: Best and Last on Paramount+

A Different World (Netflix)

This 10-episode series feels worth watching purely because one of its main characters is called Dwayne Wayne. Hilarious names aside, A Different World is Netflix's revival of the hits 1990s sitcom of the same name, and follows a freshman and her ride-or-die crew juggling school, romantic drama, and family legacy at a historically Black college.

Can the 2026 version live up to the huge shoes it has to fill? Time will tell. But, with multiple original cast members returning to the new show, I'm more than willing to give it a shot. — JV

• Watch A Different World on Netflix

Spoilers for MobLand season 2 episode 2 ahead.

Start talking, copper. That's the delicious line we were left on last week, as MobLand season 2 episode 1 gave us our first look at the new villain, Frankie (Johnny Flynn).

He's been picked by Colin (Toby) as a "knight in shining armor" to ride into battle on behalf of Kat McAllister (Janet McTeer), allowing her to take control of London from the Harrigans without ever being directly involved herself.

At the moment, Conrad (Pierce Brosnan) is too busy fighting with Kevin (Paddy Considine) and paying no attention to Harry (Tom Hardy) to be able to fully recognize this. Even Kevin doesn't understand what's coming, with Harry describing Kat as "Her mob has eight trillion in cash and the world's biggest nuclear arsenal."

This week, they're in for a nasty wake-up call. MobLand season 2 episode 2 is now on Paramount+, so let's dig a little deeper into what's actually happened.

Jan has a suspicious car accident while Conrad's health worsens

We start episode 2 following Gina (Teddie Allen) and Eddie (Anson Boon) as they party the early hours away and arrive back at their flat with their bodyguards, with Harry watching them from a car further down the road.

Jan (Joanne Froggatt), meanwhile, is at a spin class, ignoring Harry's "urgent" calls as she begins to drive back home. Before she gets there, her bumper is hit from behind by another car, with the American driver incredibly apologetic. Jan, infuriated, is having none of it, and the pair exchange numbers before she angrily drives away.

At the same time, Colin visits his local library only to get a call from Kat as he's checking a book out (see, even gangsters think it's cool to utilise public services). She gives him the go-ahead to spring Frankie into action, telling Colin to "show her what he's got."

We've really got a lot of plates spinning at once, as Conrad goes to see a doctor. The doctor tells him that Conrad is showing signs of focal atrophy, meaning that his sense of instinct, strategy, and restraint is diminishing to allow any natural sense of anger and aggression to take over, unchecked. Conrad tells him to forget that the appointment ever happened, adding, "I'm f**ing fine."

Outside, Conrad threatens a parking ticket officer with a gun when a fine is left on his car window. Maeve (Helen Mirren) calls from home, suggesting that they should invite Seraphina (Mandeep Dhillon) out to dinner to "bury the hatchet." Zosia (Jasmine Jobson) is revealed to have been tailing Conrad the entire time at Harry's request.

Kavanagh works out a mole is in the force

At the police station, DCI Kavanagh (Ophelia Lovibond) assembles the few officers she feels she can trust to run through the events of episode 1. With the waiter witness recanting his statement after being threatened by Harry, Kavanagh is convinced that there's a mole in the force leaking information to him.

Not only is she right, of course, but she's also correct in assuming that Finch (Warren Brown) is among the potential suspects, leaving him out of the meeting. Her plan? Feed the rest of the team false information to make Harry think that the Harrigans are in the clear before they pounce.

The American driver, who we now know is called Jamie, calls Jan and offers to give her £5,000 directly, as his insurance company is saying they'll take months to process the claim. Jan barters for £6,000, to which Jamie agrees. He tries to take her out to dinner to do the handover, but Jan pushes back by suggesting a morning coffee instead.

Harry phones and Jan finally picks up, telling her that he's found Gina. The pair meet in a local park, where Harry tells her about Gina's YouTube shakedown scheme and that she's living with Eddie. Harry remains convinced that he can pull her back from the brink of being involved in organised crime, but Jan thinks the moment has passed. "You see yourself as the antidote, but you're the poison," she tells him.

At the Harrigan's house, Maeve tries to get Conrad's dogs put down, for no appropriate reason, without telling him. Paul (Emmett J. Scanlan) refuses to phone the vets without Conrad's knowledge, so Maeve organises a home visit. The doctor confirms that both dogs are in good health, leaving Maeve to unsubtly find out how to do the job herself (spoiler: with antifreeze).

Frankie is told about the Harrigan's as Seraphina squeals to Kat

Colin arranges to meet Frankie in a nail salon, where the latter is already getting a pedicure. Colin begins to tell him about the Harrigan's empire, and how the drugs and other criminal enterprises are "there for the taking" because the family itself is spiralling into chaos. The way to get to them, obviously, is through Harry.

In an unnerving power move, Frankie decides to give Colin a pedicure himself. He asks what would happen if he was to say no to "f**king Harry up," with Colin responding that he's got enough evidence on Frankie to "get him locked up for the rest of his life." Frankie responds with a thinly-veiled threat concerning Colin's wife.

We get another history lesson from Colin when Frankie asks about the best way to get to Harry, this time about the French Catholic who assassinated King Henry IV of France in 1610, François Ravaillac. Ravaillac's execution was to be tied to four horses who each pulled his limbs in different directions, implying that the Harrigan's have four horses that would have the same metaphorical impact on Harry.

Conrad invites Seraphina to dinner, who is immediately suspicious of Maeve's intentions. She reluctantly agrees, but immediately phones the number Kat gave her in episode 1 to reveal Conrad's plans. The voice on the other end of the phone is revealed to be Jamie, Jan's car accident stranger.

Gina and Jan meet, with Gina laying on the success of her YouTube shakedowns thick. Jan tells her about the divorce, with Gina trying (badly) to hide how much her family's dysfunction has been affecting her. Eddie arrives to meet Gina, immediately getting feisty with Jan, who mildly threatens him in return.

Colin correctly guesses that Bella will be the best way to get to Harry

While Colin is at home watching TV with his wife, Frankie rings to ask who Harry's four horses might be. Colin lists off the Harrigan's who are most likely to crack, while also telling him about Jan and Gina. However, he guesses that Kevin's wife Bella (Lara Pulvey) will be the best bet... and he's right.

As luck would have it, Harry makes his way to see Bella to discuss what Gina and Eddie have been up to together. They have a stilted conversation about parenthood, with Harry opening up about Jan asking for a divorce. Bella thinks that Kevin would feel insecure if he were to know that Harry was there with her alone, despite nothing going on between them.

As he leaves, we see Jamie and Jan meet up for coffee. Jamie gives her £7,000 in a white envelope, which is even more than she asked for. Jamie tries to get to know her and ask about her life, but Jan immediately leaves once she's got the money.

We also see Eddie take a call from Maeve to ask if he's got rid of Gina, which was her request in episode 1. Eddie says that he doesn't want to, claiming that the pair work well together as a team.

Frankie leaves Bella for dead — and makes sure Conrad knows it

Jamie rings Seraphina as she gets ready to meet Maeve and Conrad, and tells her not to go to the restaurant. He doesn't say why, but claims it's important... and she obliges.

Then, a lot of things happen at once. We see Maeve and Conrad arrive at the restaurant, with Maeve remarking that Seraphina is "rude" for being so late. As more time passes, Conrad is inclined to agree, but he's then called away when a waiter says there's a call for him on the main phone. He's confused as to how anyone would know he's there, but we know it's not Seraphina — she's tried calling Conrad's phone, which Maeve declines.

At the same time, Paul and Fergus (Jack Archer) go for a drink outside a nearby pub. As Fergus admits that he's worried about his family's safety now that he's working in organised crime, Paul heads in to get another drink at the bar. While he does, a man in a van arrives as asks Fergus for directions to the nearest A-road. As Fergus approaches, the van door opens and a masked man shoots Fergus point-blank in the head.

Also at the same time, Harry tries to leave Jan a voicemail about moving abroad for a fresh start as Kevin calls Bella to check on her. Harry is sitting outside Gina's flat, shooting a bunch of masked men arriving nearby. He checks that the pair aren't hurt before leaving.

Bella, meanwhile, isn't so lucky. Masked man shoot down the outside security before storming the house, leaving Bella to make a run for the basement while still on the phone to Kevin. Kevin says that he's on his way, but it's too late... Frankie, who appears once the rest of the men have gone in, gets to her first.

As Conrad reaches the restaurant phone, Frankie finds Bella cowering in a downstairs bathroom, pointing a gun with a silencer directly at her. Conrad answers the phone, as Frankie picks up his to say just one word: "Bang."

• A new trailer has been released for DC Studios' Clayface
• The body horror movie will take shape in theaters worldwide this October
• It features a really cool Easter egg that's renewed hope over a Batman cameo

DC Studios has release one final trailer for Clayface — and it contains a specific Batman reference that's set tongues wagging among comic book fans.

Revealed yesterday (September 24), the movie's latest teaser offers a fresh look at its body horror vibes, slick cinematography, and Matt Hagen's tragic villain origin story. Thankfully, the DC Universe (DCU) film's latest round of footage doesn't reveal the titular character's final, grotesque form, meaning audiences will have to check it out in theaters if they want to see Clayface in all of his gruesome, malleable glory.

The comic book flick's new trailer arrives five months after Clayface's first "super freaky" teaser. Two months later, Clayface trailer #2 was unleashed upon the world and left fans with many, many questions — the most pressing of which was whether the shapeshifting villain's primary foe Batman would appear.

Even if the Caped Crusader does show up in the DCU Chapter One movie, Clayface's cast and crew are doing their best not to give away what would be one of the film's biggest surprises. That said, fans have spotted a very specific Batman Easter egg in Clayface's final trailer that's sparked new hope that the Gotham City-based vigilante will make an appearance — even if it's just as a silhouetted cameo — in the James Watkins-directed feature.

Why a musical motif in the new Clayface trailer has excited Batman and DC Comics fans alike

So, what's this big Batman reference that some DC fans noticed in Clayface's newest teaser? Skip to the 1:30 mark of the trailer and you might recognize a very familiar motif that plays as the forthcoming film's title card appears on the screen.

Batman fanatics won't need me to explain this Easter egg to them. For those not in the know, though, the brief musical snippet we hear is an exact replica of Clayface's theme from fan-favorite 1990s TV show Batman: The Animated Series (B:TAS), which you can watch right now on HBO Max.

Now, this doesn't give any indication that the Dark Knight will have a walk-on part in DC Studios' next big-screen offering. After all, despite reports that studio co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have cast an unlikely star as the DCU's Batman, the pair have consistently denied that anyone has been hired to play Bruce Wayne and his superhero alter-ego in their nascent cinematic franchise.

Nevertheless, the use of Clayface's theme from B:TAS has captured some fans' imagination — and with good reason. Clayface's story is heavily inspired by 'Feat of Clay', a two-part tale from B:TAS that's viewed as some of the best storytelling in the beloved cartoon's four-season run.

If nothing else, fans are excited about this musical nugget because, if Clayface is half as good as 'Feat of Clay' is, it could be the best DCU movie so far. Throw a Batman cameo into the mix, though, and it'll generate even more headlines than many of us expected when it's released on October 23.

For more on the upcoming comic book film, find out everything else we know so far about Clayface.

Spoilers for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 10 ahead.

We've finally arrived at the end of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (SFtStU) and episode 10 certainly didn't let us down. In fact, it's the closest to The Big Bang Theory (TBBT) that we've been since 2019.

Although Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) don't appear in the finale — remember, they built the multiversal machine that Stuart (Kevin Sussman) has been responsible for breaking, this season's finale takes us back to where it all began in a different way.

Indeed, as Kevin, Denise (Lauren Lapkus), Kripke (John Ross Bowie), and Bert (Brian Posehn) arrive in yet another alternate universe, they're confronted with others versions of themselves filming the HBO Max show in front of a live studio audience.

Aside from Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, creators haven't used a sitcom studio multicam format since TBBT itself.... but the Easter eggs don't stop there.

For Posehn and Bowie, the entire thing was "surreal," but could it indicate more of what we can expect to see in the future, including the already greenlit SFtStU season 2?

'It felt like the old show but wildly different'

"Episode 10 definitely felt the most surreal for me," Posehn told me.

"It was interesting because it was the only time during the entire run of this show that we had a studio audience there," Bowie added. "It felt like a real mix of being like the old show, but also feeling wildly different."

"We were back on that same stage, weren't we? Stage 25," Posehn continuds. "That's our old stage, so that was really weird."

You heard correctly. As the gang point out, while leaving the live studio audience behind, they've been plopped onto Stage 25 on the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California. The stage was named lot is officially named "The Big Bang Theory Stage" in honor of the aforementioned sitcom's 10-season run.

Fun fact: Stage 25 is one of only five stages on the entire lot to be named after a show, with the other four being The Ellen DeGeneres Show, E.R., Friends, and Two and Half Men. Stage 25 is part of the public lot tour, but that's the closest we've been to reviving its TBBT spirit, until now.

"The whole thing was just extremely trippy and fun," Bowie agreed.

I hope more of these incredibly obvious tributes to the original series are made in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2, purely for the fun and whimsy of it. I don't massively mind if Sheldon and Leonard never turn up, but I do want Chuck Lorre to bring George Cooper back to life... but that's another story.

Oh Netflix, you have a lot of apologizing to do.

Its latest reality game show, Wonka’s Golden Ticket, hasn’t even been on the platform for 24 hours, and it's already found itself in the midst of scathing criticism for, you guessed it, its controversial use of AI.

To put it into context, the show takes inspiration from the beloved 1971 movie musical with Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In the game show, a group of contestants is thrust into a series of themed challenges filmed on elaborate sets based on the original movie’s fantastical aesthetic.

The first seven episodes are available to stream now, and the final two episodes will be released on September 30 where the champions will be revealed.

From its first teasers, I knew the show had already begun its downward spiral before it even saw the light of day. For me, Netflix game shows are nothing more than money-grabbers and devoid of any quality, and to those who held out hope for the show’s survival, you were very naïve indeed.

It was over before it started

When the best streaming service announced the show in the summer, it wasn’t just its cheap and gaudy attempt at resurrecting the movie’s familial charm that had viewers concerned. It was when Netflix unveiled that the show’s host would be an off-screen AI-generated recreation of Wilder’s voice — yes, the OG chocolatier — that the boycott really took shape.

What’s shocking is that, surprisingly, Wilder’s estate actually granted Netflix the right to use an AI recreation of his theatrical Wonka voice. Even so, we thought this decision was going too far. I was particularly upset; the original movie is a childhood staple of mine.

As you can imagine, the AI-generated voiceover is by far the most criticized aspect of the show. In addition to an eye-watering 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes, major outlets such as Variety and The Guardian haven’t taken well to the AI host, with the latter saying ‘it sounds stilted, indefinably wrong somehow’. That’s tame compared to what viewers are saying.

Despite the legal permission Wilder’s estate gave to Netflix, it’s still unfathomable to some that it was given a pass in the first place — including this user on X, who called Netflix "disgusting".

Equally, Reddit is full of posts featuring the same level of revulsion. One user was left asking, ‘Does Netflix do anything decent these days?’, to which another user replied, "[Netflix] has always been quantity over quality". My thoughts exactly.

A sickly streaming experience

I’ve never committed to any of Netflix’s game shows, but in the case of Wonka’s Golden Ticket, I streamed the first episode to see how much it lived up to its car crash reviews. The only thing I’ll say is, don’t waste your time.

It’s clear that Netflix has spent quite a bit of money on the production (the prize money alone equates to roughly $3 million, not to mention its sets and engineering must’ve also cost a fortune), but money doesn’t buy everything — not even a near-accurate AI version of Gene Wilder.

While there’s a slightly replicated cadence, the uncanny valley-ness of it all leaves you feeling rather sickly. It’s emotionless, robotic, and completely lacking the bold infectiousness that Wilder brought to the original role. It’s not just that; the structure and overall approach are just as disjointed.

Unlike the original five children who first stepped into the chaotic world of the chocolate factory, Netflix introduces 12 pairs of contestants, totalling 24 players, of which remembering all their names and relationships is a chore in itself. But the icing on the cake is the roster of false and unnatural reactions that are played to the camera during both the challenges and confessional segments. This isn’t The Traitors, this is a chocolate factory. It’s not that serious.

Since 1998, we've been enjoying the feature films and TV shows of one Guy Ritchie. A man who arguably defined the British gangster sub-genre, cult hits like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels have stood the test of time.

Fast-forward to 2026, and streaming hits like Netflix's The Gentlemen and Paramount+'s MobLand are all anybody wants to talk about... and rightly so. And that's all without scratching the surface of the projects Ritchie has worked on in between.

But can you fill in the gaps? I've created the ultimate quiz for any and all Guy Ritchie fans, focusing on his feature-length movies and TV shows over the last three decades.

I didn't say it was going to be easy, though... so do your worst.

Of course, all of this is up to the time of writing — we already know that we've got plenty more Ritchie projects to look forward to.

Young Sherlock season 2, The Gentlemen season 3 and MobLand season 3 have all either been greenlit or are in development. There's a few more titles to add to this list... but that would be giving away the quiz questions.

Much like Ritchie-style gangster, I'm just not that nice.

All six episodes of The Split Up are now on BBC iPlayer and, in the best possible way, it feels a world apart from main series The Split. Both are about families involved in divorce law, but the shape of their family dynamics look entirely different.

The new spin-off follows the Kishan family firm, with Aria (Ritu Arya) poised to take over leadership from her father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar). However, the death of Aria's mother six months prior causes Dhruv to hesitate.

Add in a workplace love triangle, complicated siblings, and a messy divorce trial walking through their doors every week, and you've got a pretty delicious watch. But, I quickly wondered whether viewers would become preoccupied with the show's (excellent) South Asian representation — so much so that it overshadowed what actually happens in each episode.

Based on press and public reactions to its opening weekend, I was right. The Daily Mirror has reported that fans have "switched off" in droves, while comment section of the YouTube trailer (which you can catch up with below) is sporting exactly the kind of racist rubbish you'd expect from the internet.

However, before any episodes were released, I asked the cast how they felt about others making The Split Up's focal point its representation — and, as expected, their answers were even more insightful than I could have expected.

'The Split Up goes beyond representation'

"Ursula [Rani Sarma, writer] beautifully said that The Split Up goes beyond representation, and there's a universality in how we all feel human," star Arya told me. "I couldn't agree more. It's all about how we bring our authentic selves to the table... I find that a lot more interesting to talk about."

I love how simple yet effective this answer is, but it's Bhaskar's take that I'm the most interested in. Long-time fans of his will know that he was the star and co-creator of the 2001 comedy chat show The Kumars at No. 42, which followed a British Indian family supporting the fictional Sanjeev's dreams to be a TV presenter.

More than two decades on, I still can't believe that Meera Syal, who later married Bhaskar, was the woman playing his grandmother.

"I've got some experience in terms of representation versus family because of The Kumars at No. 42," he said. "That did pretty well around the world even though it was about a British Asian family interviewing guests in their London home. The reason for that was because it was a family... and everyone understands that.

"In terms of people tuning into The Split Up, if they decide to look at representation, that's more of a political issue. Most people will see a family and see themselves reflected in that. The Split did so well, and at no point did I watch it and think of it as a matriarch having nothing to do with me. I watched it as a drama. I think people who will enjoy this will not be thinking about representation."

I couldn't have said it any better myself — and trust me, The Split Up is a drama not to be missed.

Not only did we have the season finale of Reacher season 4 hit Prime Video last week, but all eight episodes of spinoff series Neagley were released at exactly the same time.

Understandably, most fans hopped straight from one to the other, despite the two storylines contrasting in the most jarring way possible. While Reacher season 4 has followed a length political espionage plot, Neagley took the Amazon TV franchise back to its roots, exploring the mysterious death of a young man in the heart of Chicago.

If you asked me, I'd say that the two seasons are neck and neck. The pair is flawed for different reasons, yet feel like exactly the same show... especially as Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher features heavily in both.

But, if you were to ask fans, there's a clear winner. In fact, Neagley is so "superior" to Reacher season 4 that, based purely on Reddit, Amazon should look to greenlight Neagley season 2 immediately.

'I'm always happy when a spinoff turns out to be better than the original'

"Neagley is superior to Reacher season 4 in nearly every way," one fan posted. "You can clearly see where the energy went from the overlapping schedules."

A second fan doubles down, writing: "Not nearly. Literally every way." But, what is it about the spinoff that makes it the better watch?

"I love the supporting characters and that they’ll continue working with Neagley. I really hope we get a season 2," one fan weighs in, which another adds, "Reacher 4 was all over the place. Too many characters. They should go back to the basic of season 1. Reacher in a small setting uncovering some nefarious activities."

"To me Neagley just felt overall better with the pacing and supporting actors, I even enjoyed the plot line more," a poster in a second thread agrees. "Maybe it’s just because it’s something fresh. We didn’t get to know too much about Neagley and I was intrigued by her past and seeing a badass female led role always makes me happy!"

Not only is Maria Sten's return to the titular role near flawless, but Neagley gets the IP basics right in a way that the already confirmed Reacher season 5 needs to pivot back to. Think smaller stakes, bigger impact.

Surely it's just a matter of days before we get the news we're waiting for. In the meantime, don't panic — ideas are already being formed.

"We have so many great action sequences in this show, and if we get another season, I want to build on that... make it even bigger. Continue to develop these characters, get them into trouble, and get them to face the consequences of their emotional problems," Sten told TechRadar.

• New details about Avengers: Endgame Encore's post-credits scenes have been shared online
• Descriptions of four end credits stingers show how it'll directly lead into Avengers: Doomsday
• The footage has also leaked now

Fresh details about Avengers: Endgame Encore's new post-credits scenes have leaked online — and they show how elements will directly lead into Avengers: Doomsday.

For those who don't know, Avengers: Endgame Encore is a re-released version of the 2019 Marvel cultural phenomenon that made over $2 billion at the worldwide box office.

The updated film, which arrives in theaters this Friday (September 25), is being promoted as a direct prequel to Avengers: Doomsday ahead of the penultimate Marvel Phase 6 flick's own theatrical debut on December 18, 2026. As such, Endgame Encore includes never-before-seen footage — scenes believed to total an additional six minutes — that'll position it as an immediate predecessor to Doomsday.

That way, fans who fell off the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) bandwagon after Endgame's initial launch won't need to watch every single film and Disney+ show that's been released since. That said, Marvel has created a Disney+ watchlist of 15 must-see MCU projects to catch you up on the franchise's main storylines heading into the next Avengers movie.

But, I digress. With Endgame Encore's own launch fast approaching, fans have wondered what new footage will be included in the re-release that'll directly tie it to Avengers 5. As it happens, Endgame Encore has already premiered in South Korea, and some lucky fans have taken to various social media platforms to share what they saw at their showings.

Now, there's no leaked footage to speak of, so we can't verify the following descriptions (Update: footage of all four scenes have leaked online, but I'm not posting them here).

There's also some confusion over the order in which these end credits scenes were shown and people's interpretations of said clips. Nevertheless, potentially huge spoilers immediately follow for Endgame Encore, so click away now if you don't want the experience ruined before you see it yourself. Even better, go and find out everything we officially know so far about Avengers: Doomsday.

Avengers: Endgame Encore's end credits scenes show a Doom-Hulk meeting, Loki visiting Steve and Peggy, and the multiverse collapsing

According to Reddit user ARST_ARSW, Endgame Encore has three post-credits scenes. The first sees Loki visit Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter in the alternate timeline that Steve (aka Captain America) stayed in after he returned the Infinity Stones to their original timelines, before Loki tells them he can help them with… something.

Then, the second round of footage reunites us with Bruce Banner. He's in solitary confinement after the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and is experimenting with a new way of controlling his gamma irradiated alter-ego. However, his tests are suddenly interrupted by Doctor Doom, who apparently says "I'm here to adapt you" before appearing to absorb Hulk's superhuman abilities.

Lastly, the final end credits stinger takes us to the Time Variance Authority (TVA), and shows O.B. say "the Multiverse is collapsing" as he watches numerous realities collide with one another.

So, how accurate are the above Redditor's descriptions? According to X/Twitter use and semi-reliable leaker SukunaOnFN1, the Hulk-Doom meeting isn't entirely correct.

Indeed, SukunaOnFN1 has claimed that the Hulk-Doom scene is the first one we see at the end of Endgame Encore. Furthermore, they said that we only hear Doom speak (i.e. he doesn't appear on the screen), and actually tell Banner "I've come to collect you". Then, we hear Hulk, well, hulk out, and see a flash of green light before the camera pans down to some Latverian symbols burned into the ground.

But wait, there's more. On r/LeaksandRumors, another fan in brewstew07 says the TVA scene was shown first in their screening, and that the Hulk-Doom one appeared after it. Brewstew07 doesn't mention the Loki, Steve, and Peggy scene at all.

Thankfully, another Redditor in KostisPat257 has rounded up all of the available information on not three, but four end credits stingers.

Where the Loki scene — which is the first one that most viewers seem to have seen — is concerned, KostisPat257 says Peggy and Steve are dancing, before a knock at the door spooks them and forces Steve to go hide. Peggy answers the door and asks someone "Can I help you?", with the latter replying "No, but I can help you". Steve emerges from his hidey hole and is stunned to see Loki standing in front of him.

Scene 2, aka the Hulk-Doom one, plays out exactly as SukunaOnFN1 says it does. Meanwhile, the third round of footage shows flashes of Doom making his mask interspersed with the sound of Tony Stark's hammer hitting metal when he created his super-suit in 2008's Iron Man.

The fourth and final scene, i.e. the TVA one, sees Ms. Minutes reminding its employees to prevent people from traveling outside of their universe. Mobius is then informed by Casey that Earth-10005 (the FoX-Men one) and Earth-1127 are about to collide.

As Mobius asks why this didn't make the report he read, the two realities start firing missiles at each other. As a shocked O.B. says they're trying to destroy each other, the camera pans to other TVA monitors that show multiple universes have already been destroyed, including Earth-400083 (the Eric Bana Hulk-Verse), Earth-15886 (the 2015 Fantastic Four-Verse), and Earth-82111 (the What If...? Universe).

With Endgame Encore out now in some parts of the world and set to debut everywhere else by the end of this week, I suspect leaked footage will be widely shared across the internet in the days ahead. Until they do — and, let's be frank, they will leak online — the above descriptions are all we have to go on in terms of knowing how the aforementioned film will set up the plot of Doomsday and its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars.

What do you think of these post-credits scenes? And will you be seeing Endgame Encore? Let me know in the comments.

Whether it's at work or with my family, all I've been talking about recently is shocking six-part ITV crime drama The Blame.

Led by Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth, it follows the murder of a teenage skater, which not only draws detectives down a dark, treacherous path, but also forces them to investigate their own team.

The call is coming from inside the house, as the kids say. DI Emma Clare (Keegan) is not just the only member of the force to work out what's really going on, but she's the only person brave enough to call out (the fictional) Wakestead police force on its biggest issue: misogyny.

I won't lie to you, it's a really difficult watch. The Blame's approach to its subject matter is incredible heavy-handed, but I think it needs to be. However, if you need some time out — or to swap to a crime drama that doesn't feel as bitingly real — I've got you covered.

In fact, Keegan and Booth are the ones that have you covered. If you're looking for more of the same vibe, they've got the perfect recommendation for you to stream next. Not only can you watch it for free, but there's a hidden link between the two shows.

The Blame on ITV is secretly linked to BBC's Happy Valley — and it's what you need to stream next

"That's a hard question," Booth responded, before he added: "Just because it's my favourite one and Nicola [Schindler] produced it, Happy Valley, but they're obviously very different. It has another great female lead at the heart of it."

To me, that's an understatement. The UK market is flush with cimpeccable crime dramas, but Sally Wainwright's Happy Valley might just be the best of the 21st century so far (at least, it is according to me).

Available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer or on Netflix internationally, we follow West Yorkshire police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) as she balances local crime in Calderdale with her fierce pursuit of Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), the violent criminal she holds responsible for her daughter's suicide.

It's fast-paced, quintessentially Yorkshire, and gritty at every turn — to the point where it's almost unbelievable what one woman can physically and mentally endure.

What's even better is the hidden link that Happy Valley has with The Blame.

"We had Lisa Farrand, who was a police advisor," Keegan explained. "She was with us for the interrogation and investigation scenes, where we were out looking for the body, things like that. She was brilliant. Very matter of fact, and if something wasn't working, she would pull it up straight away, speak to the director, and sort of steer us and help navigate the scene.

"She worked on Happy Valley and actually Catherine Cawood was loosely based on her. She's a real character... a tough cookie."

If Catherine Cawood herself isn't a good enough sign of a crime drama being unmissable, I don't know what is. Maybe give yourself some breathing space in between them both, though.

• Daredevil: Born Again will end with its third season
• Marvel has wielded the ax on its longest-running live-action Disney+ show
• Its showrunner has also left with the final season deep into post production

Daredevil: Born Again will end with its third season after Marvel called time on the Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio-led TV show.

Rumors first emerged in the US morning yesterday (September 21) when X/Twitter user HablemonsdecineX claimed it had been canceled. Almost instantly, numerous industry insiders with spotty track records quickly jumped on the bandwagon to insist they'd heard similar things.

TechRadar approached Marvel and Disney for comment on its supposed axing, but didn't receive an immediate response. However, a few hours after Hablemonsdecine's original post, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) published its own piece indicating Daredevil: Born Again season 3 would be the show's last hurrah.

A Disney spokesperson has since told me that THR's article is accurate, so Born Again season 3, which will air on Disney+ sometime in March 2027, will be its final outing.

Why was Daredevil: Born Again canceled after three seasons?

Outside of Marvel headquarters, nobody knows for sure — but there's one major reason why it's likely been consigned to the scrap heap.

Indeed, the show's second season suffered a significant drop in viewership compared to its debut outing on Disney+. Per audience measurement experts Luminate, Born Again season 2 accumulated 4.5 million views across its first five weeks in March. Compare that to the 8.4 million that season 1 accrued across the same time period in early 2025 on one of the world's best streaming services, and the Marvel Phase 6 program's audience share fell by a seemingly unrecoverable 47% in the space of 12 months.

For all intents and purposes, Born Again season 2's dramatic drop in viewers didn't appear to spook Marvel executives. That's because its third — and now final — season was not only greenlit prior to its forebear's release, but also entered full production mere days before season 2 premiered on Disney+.

Furthermore, it seems that the decision to throw the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV show in the trash was only just made. According to Deadline, its cast and crew were informed of its cancellation on the same day that said news broke. It's unclear if Marvel's top brass spent months deliberating over the show's future before culling it, or if it was more of a spur-of-the-moment decision.

One thing that might have fast-tracked its demise is the departure of showrunner Dario Scardapane.

Per THR, Scardapane, who was brought on to rescue Daredevil: Born Again following reports that Marvel wanted to rework the entire show in late 2023, is said to have parted ways with the comic giant. Scardapane's exit comes with the show's third season deep into its post-production phase, too, thereby leaving the Born Again team without its creative figurehead. There's no word on who, if anyone, will fill the void and get the series' final installment over the line.

Why Daredevil: Born Again's cancellation couldn't have come at a worse time

With Born Again's time coming to an end, Marvel now has a two-fold problem on its hands.

For one, season 3 was seemingly set to herald a new dawn for the street-level corner of the MCU. Indeed, with the likes of Luke Cage and Iron Fist set to join the eponymous vigilante, Wilson Fisk, and Jessica Jones in making the leap from the Netflix Marvel-Verse to the MCU, fans had hoped that more gritty and grounded MCU stories would branch off of Born Again's forthcoming season.

Admittedly, that could still happen. However, if Marvel no longer has confidence in its longest-running live-action series, what hope do we have of seeing a Jessica Jones TV revival or — whisper it quietly — a Heroes for Hire project?

The other major issue Marvel has to contend with is actively promoting Daredevil: Born Again season 3.

New York Comic-Con (NYCC) has been used to market and/or announce many of the comic titan's forthcoming Disney+ offerings. And, with NYCC 2026 due to take place between October 8 and 11, it's highly likely that Marvel will hold its usual panel to reveal more details about its 2027 TV line-up.

With Born Again season 3 confirmed to be the show's last entry, will Marvel show and/or tell us anything significant about it? Or will it shift its focus to its animated programs, such as X-Men 97 season 3 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2, and subsequently ignore the giant Daredevil-shaped elephant in the room? I guess we'll find out in a few weeks' time.

For now, catch up on everything else we know so far about Daredevil: Born Again season 3.

While everyone else at school was dreaming about their future spouse and white wedding, I was dreaming about my future friends. I didn't have the platonic relationships I was told I would have by popular 2000s kids TV shows like The Sleepover Club, with my friends and I braiding each other's hair and spilling all of their secrets.

Watching The Love Hypothesis on Prime Video brought the romance of that childhood dream flooding back. In fact, I think the new movie has got the love story at its core all wrong — this isn't a passionate affair between PHD student Olive (Lili Reinhart) and "evil" Doctor Adam (Tom Bateman), but an example of enduring connection between friends Olive and Anh (Rachel Marsh).

Of course, I get why the former route has been taken. Not only is the film an adaptation of the popular Ali Hazelwood novel of the same name, but Amazon is on a roll with its abundance of young-adult romantic dramas. You can't tune into a streamer that's developed bangers like Off Campus, Stirling Point and Every Year After and expect it to take a different tack here.

Is this taking the safe option? Probably. Does The Love Hypothesis tick the rom-com boxes it needs to? Undoubtedly. But while I don't think fans of the book will be disappointed, I can't help feeling that The Love Hypothesis has missed fully exploring its most enriching love story.

The Love Hypothesis is far from the greatest love story ever told — but it's fun

In a nutshell, Olive is a third-year biology PhD candidate at Stanford researching early pancreatic cancer detection. In order to convince her best friend Anh that she has completely moved on from a crush, Olive impulsively grabs and kisses Adam in the lab hallway. The two make a mutually beneficial agreement to fake date each other... though that fakeness doesn't last for long.

You can see, and correctly guess, all of the story beats just from me writing that short synopsis. There are no surprises, and things will end exactly where you expect them to. For some people, this is what they'll want — a reliable, sexy and giving rom-com in these desolate times? I get the appeal. Just don't expect anything that will blow your wind.

Even though Adam is barely tolerable for the majority if The Love Hypothesis, the ensemble cast is clearly at home in the genre. We want to be Olive as she wrestles between her head and heart, attending cool house parties and industry mixers. We want to shout at the characters who do her wrong, and we truly feel like her ride or die through the process.

The highly-anticipated hotel room scene, I can confirm, is hot. It's not the most explicit or sexiest moment in a movie I've ever seen, but you can't deny the natural chemistry sizzling between our two leads. Take everything you felt during the split second teaser in the above trailer and amplify it by 1000.

Yes, The Love Hypothesis largely plays it safe, with its direction, narrative and unbelievably underwhelming soundtrack all evidence of that. But the journey from start to finish is fun, understanding, and convincingly sincere. It's tough work being a woman as it is, let alone a talented woman in STEM.

This should really be a love story between two best friends

But enough about textbook love... let's talk about friendship. My heart bursts for the love between Olive and Anh, and their unrelenting willingness to go above and beyond for each other. I mean... Olive is fake dating someone just so her bestie feels comfortable enough to pursue the man she likes without crossing a boundary. That's a girl's girl alright.

Neither of them compromise on their smarts, or dedication to their future careers, let a man come between them, or change who they are to fit in with their university's social norms. They are fully themselves at all times, allowing their value and worth to shine through in every aspect of their lives.

If anything, this is what I hope viewers will take away from the new Prime Video movie. At the end of the day, there are no greater romances than your friendships, and those of us that have such friendships are incredibly lucky to have such invaluable wells of support and love in their lives.

The Love Hypothesis might be marketed as a standard enemies-to-lovers romance, but strip back the tropes and you'll find a love letter to friendship — and this, for me, is the mark of a job well done.

For Stuart Fails to Save the Universe viewers who have been waiting for things to feel exactly like The Big Bang Theory... your moment has arrived.

Sure, we've had a whole host of cameos from the original show (though three notable faces have yet to turn up), but zipping from unhinged universe to unhinged universe has been a world away from the science sitcom we know and love.

But what if I said that there's a key reason why this week's episode could be straight out of 2007? And when does Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 9 arrive on HBO Max?

What time can I watch Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 10 on HBO Max?

For US viewers, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 10 will drop on Thursday, September 24 at 6pm PT/9pm ET.

Internationally, you're looking out for these times:

• US – Thursday, September 24 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada – Thursday, September 24 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK – Friday, September 25 at 2am BST
• India – Friday, September 25 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore – Friday, September 25 at 9am SGT
• Australia – Friday, September 25 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand – Friday, September 25 at 1pm NZST

When do new episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe come out?

New episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will make landfall every Thursday in the US and on Fridays everywhere else. Here are the all-important dates you need to know about:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: out now
• Episode 3: out now
• Episode 4: out now
• Episode 5: out now
• Episode 6: out now
• Episode 7: out now
• Episode 8: out now
• Episode 9: out now
• Episode 10: September 24

Spoilers for Outlander: Blood of my Blood season 2 episode 1 ahead.

Outlander: Blood of my Blood season 2 has officially kicked off on Starz (US) and MGM+ (international)... and boy, is it off to an explosive start.

Alongside some great Easter eggs (IYKYK), we've picked the action back up with Claire and Jamie's parents: Brian (Jamie Roy), Ellen (Harriet Slater), Julia (Hermione Corfield), and Henry (Jeremy Irvine).

The lovers are separated once again as the Scottish Highlands are split in two by the 1715 Jacobite Rising in season 2, with Julia and Henry split when their plan to travel back to the 1920s goes wrong at the last minute.

It was brutal, but somehow Henry has found himself in a psychiatric asylum in 1924, while Julia stays trapped in 1715... with no idea what's happened or how to fix it.

We see Henry undergo electric shock therapy after it's revealed that he was found on the street by a local policeman, incoherently babbling about time travel enough to cause concern.

It's a brutal scene to watch, but how was it to film? Irvine gives us a full breakdown... and it might actually have been worse than it looked.

'It really jumps in at the deep end'

"It's great. I got to do a load of research into something that I didn't know much about," Irvine tells me. "I'd watched some footage of people having it done, and that was a good excuse to sort of really jump in at the deep end... go for quite a big performance and um, see if we got away with it."

If you ask me, it certainly does. As I tell Irvine, season 2 episode 1 largely feels less like Outlander and more like an episode of American Horror Story or Ratched. For the tonal shift alone, I'm hooked — there's nothing like keeping us on our toes right from the get-go.

"I remember it being exhausting to film," he continues. I think I basically had a seizure for two days on a gurney. I really enjoyed the wacky way they went inside Henry's mind. I think that it's the part of the character that I enjoy playing the most, his fragile mental state and his warped view on reality.

"It's a great obstacle for him to have to try and work through. It's unsettling for me to watch back, which I think is a good, good thing."

If you've been following my Blood of my Blood coverage since season 1, you might remember that Irvine told me shortly after starting production that season 2 would be "wildly not what we expect." But now that we're all seeing it, were the actors as surprised when the drama picked back up?

"I remember before I read the scripts, I went for a costume fitting and had a vicar's outfit and a straitjacket to try on... that's when my suspicions were first aroused," Irvine adds. "For Henry, it's a completely different world to go into, which is great.

"We filmed episode 1 in that first month, which was nice because you don't always get to film in order. It was great to see how everybody just came back and hit the ground running pretty much from that first step."

But if you think this means that things are slowly down from episode 2 onwards, think again.

For years, major governments around the world have routinely conducted wargames and simulation exercises to test their military readiness, crisis response, and supply chain resilience. For the first time ever, we're about to see how one plays out.

Based on its hit 2025 podcast of the same name, Sky TV has developed four-part docuseries The Wargame, which explores how a fictitious UK cabinet — made up of former MPs from multiple parties — could responded to completely made-up threats and eventual attack from Russia.

Here's how it works. Our cabinet (listed below) will face an escalating simulated crisis, beginning with the suspicious murders of two RAF soldiers. While the Russian side, and any international players, are being given instructions by producers, every decision we see from the UK side is being made in the moment.

With four episodes dropping nightly on both Sky and NOW from September 21, I won't sugar coat it: The Wargame is an absolutely terrifying watch. If you've ever seen anything like Threads, When the Wind Blows or the BBC 1966 film The Wargame, it's the same sense of impending dread... just from the other side of the table.

But, don't get me wrong — this might just be the most important piece of television of the 21st century. As the UK's War Book is being redrafted in real time to advise the public on how best to be prepared, consider that Sky TV is granting us an important head start

We can no longer bury our heads in the sand over just how unprepared the UK is, and artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the main reasons we'll be able to realize this.

The Wargame is the most important TV show you'll stream in your lifetime — just be prepared

Before we drill deeper into what you'll soon see, here's our full list of players and their assigned roles:

• ● Prime Minister: The Rt Hon. the Lord Gove PC
• ● Deputy Prime Minister: The Rt Hon. Nicola Sturgeon PC
• ● Defence Secretary: The Rt Hon. Dame Penny Mordaunt DBE PC
• ● Home Secretary: The Rt Hon. the Baroness Harman KC PC
• ● Foreign Secretary: The Rt Hon. Jim Murphy PC
• ● Attorney General: The Rt Hon. the Baroness Warsi PC
• ● Director of Communications: The Baroness Hazarika MBE
• ● Chief of Defence Staff: General Sir Richard Barrons KCB CBE
• ● National Security Adviser: The Rt Hon. the Lord Kim Darroch KCMG
• ● Intelligence Chief: Christopher Steele
• ● Nato Secretary General: The Rt Hon. the Lord Robertson KT GCMG PC
• ● US Secretary of State: Anthony Scaramucci

As you can see in the above trailer, Sky has been incredibly upfront about its use of generative AI visual effects to create scenes showcasing Russian missiles hitting numerous UK targets. This is normally the part where I'd do my "AI is unnecessary in the creative arts, why couldn't they have just used CGI instead?" tirade, but actually, I'm glad that this decision was made.

Why? Not only is there a poetic irony of using AI to depict missile attacks mere weeks after the global public was told that there's a 10% that AI could kill us all within the next decade, but its use feeds into a wider point that The Wargame is trying to make. We've become so used to a certain type of 'peacetime life' and concerned ourselves with other issues (such as AI) that we've lost any kind of resilience we've ever had since World War II.

While the exact military capabilities of the UK are made up, seeing just how weak and unprepared we are if direct conflict was to strike our shores will hopefully be a wake-up call to anyone watching. As Sturgeon tells us, these choices are often like picking between "bad and worse," and it's nice to see our politicians slightly more humanized, even if the docuseries doesn't fill me confidence as to how international conflict could be handled.

With a fake COBR-style boardroom, military ops room, and press room all in use, it does feel as though this is the closest we'll ever get to an all-politician version of Big Brother. But, fake TikTok clips from real-life influencers capturing their reactions to the fictional breaking news brings the effects straight back home.

What do our players hope we take away from watching? "Governments have to, of course, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. And that's not just about defence spending," Sturgeon said at the show's launch event. "There's a whole debate about preparedness of the population and some really basic things that we're just not at the races of, in terms of being prepared for even a fraction of this unfolding.

"So, getting rid of the optimism bias that this won't happen, to starting to think seriously about the prospect of this possibly happening." Deep breaths, people.

• Disney has denied that ad-free tiers on Disney+ will start showing ads during movies and shows
• Last weekend, reports emerged that ad breaks would become commonplace for all fans
• Some users closed their accounts over the incorrect claims

Disney+ fans have been left angered — and then confused — after incorrect reports suggested they'd be subjected to ads even if they were subscribed to one of its ad-free experiences.

Last weekend (September 19/20), images were shared on the ResetEra forums and other social media platforms that showed an updated Subscriber Agreement for European users.

One screenshot of the revised document appeared to indicate that even those subscribed to the more ad-free expensive tiers — i.e., Standard and Premium — might soon see "promotional content, sponsorship, and advertisements before/after playback of Content and in channels, live/as-live, special events, and any third-party services content".

Understandably, it didn't take long for users to lash out at Disney over the supposed change. As fan fury gained traction online, numerous outlets picked up on the story and ran with it, too, further fueling subscriber indignation.

However, it turns out that everyone had jumped the gun. In a statement shared with German language website anime2you.de, Disney said the rumors weren't accurate, and clarified that ad-free subscribers wouldn't start to see traditional ad breaks while watching movies and TV shows. Furthermore, a moderator post on the Disney+ Reddit page confirmed Disney's stance, adding that "nothing" has changed for Standard and Premium customers.

Responding to a request for comment from TechRadar, Disney reaffirmed that Standard and Premium users wouldn't be shown during movies and TV shows.

Before publishing this story, TechRadar also investigated whether ads had been added to the Standard and Premium experience. And, while trailers and other promotional materials appear before and after a movie or TV show begins (NB: Disney+ has done this for a while now), we confirmed that ads do not interrupt your viewing experience on these plans.

A minor inconvenience, or a big blow?

So, why the confusion? As explained in the aforementioned Reddit thread, Disney — and other corporations, for that matter — occasionally make changes to their terms of service agreements. These tweaks are made to make things clearer for anyone who reads such documents — and, by proxy, reduce the legal risk posed to major companies.

The irony, of course, is that, by updating its user agreement, Disney didn't make things easier to understand, because this online maelstrom wouldn't have happened if it had.

As much as the House of Mouse has tried to limit the damage created by this, the episode has further eroded trust with small sections of its fanbase and, as the above Reddit posts exemplify, even led to some viewers canceling their Disney+ subscription.

Admittedly, those that have unsubscribed over this will be a mere drop in the ocean of the streamer's 100 million+ user base. Nonetheless, it's done a small but seemingly significant amount of damage to the reputation of Disney+. We'll see if it takes a further hit if, in October, the entertainment giant announces the inevitable yearly price hike to Disney+ and Hulu that's been a staple of the industry for the last few years.

Unsurprisingly, things took absolutely no time at all to kick off in MobLand season 2.

Turkish gangster Gakbu has been eliminated during a messy meeting at the dog track, but that feels like the least of Harry's (Tom Hardy) concerns.

Not only has Jan (Joanne Froggatt) asked him for a divorce, but Harrigan arch-rival Kat (Janet McTeer) as acquired her own version of Harry via Colin (Toby Jones), who has so far only been described as a "prick on a scooter."

But even they can do the world of damage. So, when does MobLand season 2 episode 2 arrive on Paramount+?

What time can I watch MobLand season 2 episode 2 on Paramount+?

MobLand season 2 episode 2 will drop on one of the world's best streaming services in the US and Canada on Friday, September 25 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

Here's when it will be released in other nations globally:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 5pm AEST
• New Zealand – 7pm NZST

When do new episodes of MobLand season 2 come out?

MobLand season 2 will have a total of 10 episodes, with new entries airing weekly. That gives us the following schedule:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: September 25
• Episode 3: October 2
• Episode 4: October 9
• Episode 5: October 16
• Episode 6: October 23
• Episode 7: October 30
• Episode 8: November 6
• Episode 9: November 13
• Episode 10: November 20

Full spoilers immediately follow for Lanterns episode 6.

Lanterns episode 6 has made its debut on HBO Max — and while it didn't answer every big question I had heading into Lanterns' sixth chapter, it does include a cameo from someone who's an incredibly important part of the Green Lantern mythos.

Titled 'Bad Optics', this week's chapter sees John Stewart return to Rushville 10 years after the town's near-destruction to investigate the apparent death of Hal Jordan. Before his mentor's funeral, Stewart meets and interacts with a character who has strong ties to Jordan in DC Comics, and whose presence in this DC Universe (DCU) TV show further cements the wider worldbuilding — or should that be universe-building — of this nascent cinematic franchise.

So, who is this mystery individual? What's their relationship to Hal Jordan? And could we see their superhuman alter ego at some point in the DCU? Let's take a look at the latest comic book character to be referenced in the hit HBO Max show.

Who is Carol Ferris in Lanterns? Hal Jordan's love interest in DC Comics, explained

Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Carol Ferris is not only Hal Jordan's long-time love interest but was also one of his most noteworthy foes for many years.

Making her debut in Showcase #22 in late 1959, Carol was introduced to readers as the only child of aerospace mogul Carl Ferris and the vice president of her father's company, Ferris Aircraft. After hiring Hal Jordan as a test pilot for said corporation, Carol quickly falls in love with the soon-to-be Green Lantern, but their romantic relationship doesn't last.

The reason? Carol is abducted, brainwashed, and turned into one of Jordan's arch-nemeses in the form of Star Sapphire by the Zamarons. Formerly part of an alien race called the Maltusians, the female members of this species became the Zamarons after parting ways with the male Maltusians, who then rebranded themselves as the Oans — or, to call them by their more common name, the Guardians of the Universe.

With the immortal Guardians no longer requiring their female counterparts to procreate, the Zamarons left them to their devices, developed a warrior-like cult, and — to cut a long story short — soon became fierce rivals to the Guardians.

But back to Carol. Following her kidnapping, she's infused with an incredibly powerful space stone known as a Star Sapphire, which turns her into a superhuman capable of going toe-to-toe with a Green Lantern.

Abilities-wise, Star Sapphire's powerset includes — but isn't limited to — the ability to fly, create energy blasts, constructs, and force fields, survive in space, alter people's minds, and even heal individuals with the power of... well, love.

Anyway, ever since Star Sapphire's first appearance in October 1962's Green Lantern vol. 2 #16, Carol and Hal have battled each other on a regular basis as their superpowered aliases. Whenever Carol isn't possessed by the space gem she's synonymous with, the pair get on pretty well (for the most part) and have been romantically entangled on an on-off basis through the decades.

More recently, Star Sapphire has taken on the role of a superhero rather than a supervillain. In fact, as of 2007's Green Lantern vol. 4 #20, Carol is the leader of the Star Sapphire Corps, otherwise known as the Violet Lantern Corps. This group has purple power rings, which are charged/powered by the emotion of love, and are now viewed as allies of the Green Lantern Corps.

Who plays Carol Ferris in Lanterns?

That'll be Amie MacKenzie. Viewers might recognize her from Better Call Saul and The Madison on Netflix, Dexter: Original Sin and Yellowstone spin-off 1923 on Paramount+, Mountainhead on HBO Max, and MacGruber on Peacock.

Lanterns' latest chapter doesn't indicate whether we'll see Carol again. While her appearance at Hal's poorly attended funeral suggests they were together at some point prior in the DCU, it seems her inclusion is simply to make diehard DC comic book fans imitate that famous Leonardo DiCaprio meme from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Don't expect to see MacKenzie as Carol's superpowered alter-ego at any point in the DCU, then.

Anyway, this isn't the first time Carol has appeared in a live-action project. She was portrayed by Blake Lively in 2011's Green Lantern movie, which starred Ryan Reynolds as the titular hero and was slammed by fans and critics alike upon release. But, hey, Reynolds and Lively fell in love, got married, and had kids after meeting on that film, so something good came out of it for them!

How Carol Ferris' cameo might be hinting at the creation of more Lantern Corps

In spite of what I've just written, though, it's possible Carol's appearance could point to the formation of other Lantern Corps in the DCU.

Okay, that already appears to be a given. Sinestro's brief appearances in the DCU Chapter One show and Lanterns' title card slowly changing from green to yellow imply that it won't be long before Sinestro creates the Yellow Lantern Corps, if he hasn't secretly done so already.

Regardless, with Carol showing up in the sci-fi crime drama, we've now met individuals with ties to three of the seven Lantern Corps that exist in DC Comics, all of which harness a specific feeling on the emotional spectrum: Green (willpower), Yellow (fear), and Violet (love). The others are Red (rage), Blue (hope), Indigo (compassion), and Orange (greed).

Will we see any and/or all of these interstellar organizations in the DCU? It's possible, although recent comments made by the head of HBO have me fearing the worst about Lanterns season 2. If another season of this successful TV series isn't greenlit, we'd have to hope that they're part of a Green Lantern movie — maybe an adaptation of the acclaimed 'Sinestro Corps War' comic storyline, perhaps? — on the big screen instead.

How is Ted Lasso season 4 going to end? Outside of those who worked on it, nobody knows — but I can tell you when its eighth episode will be released on Apple TV.

Indeed, as one of TechRadar's resident entertainment experts, I'm your best source for all manner of release date and launch time information. So, if you're desperate to know more about when this week's chapter — titled 'Follow the Anger' — will premiere, I've got you covered.

What is the launch time for Ted Lasso season 4 episode 8?

Ted Lasso season 4's next entry is expected to drop in the US and Canada at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Tuesday, September 22.

Apple has always made a habit of telling us that episodes of its new and returning TV Originals will come out every Wednesday at 12am PT in North America. Nonetheless, every single one of this season's episodes has arrived on Tuesday evenings at the times I mentioned above. It's all but confirmed, then, that season 4 episode 8 will do the same.

As for the rest of the world, Ted Lasso's next installment will be released on Wednesday, September 23. Read on to see what time it'll launch where you live:

• US — Tuesday, September 22 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Tuesday, September 22 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Wednesday, September 23 at 2am BST
• India — Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, September 23 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, September 23 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, September 23 at 1pm NZST

Ted Lasso season 4 full release schedule: when do new episodes come out?

Unless there's an unexpected alteration to this season's current release schedule, new episodes will make landfall every Tuesday in North and South America, and on Wednesdays on other continents. Read on to see when the final two installments will air near you:

• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 2 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 3 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 4 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 5 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 6 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 7 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 8 — September 22/23
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 9 — September 29/30
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 10 — October 6/7

In the UK, we're exceptionally good at producing legal dramas. From Silk to Kavanagh QC, we've been offering the world a strictness and sense of traditionalism that the likes of Law & Order just can't touch.

Nowhere was this more apparent that The Split, one of the most popular dramas on BBC iPlayer in recent years. Exploring the world of divorce law, we follow the Defoes, a family of sisters working as divorce lawyers, who come face-to-face with their past after their estranged father returns to the fold.

The series came to an end in 2024, but two years later, spinoff The Split Up is ready to take up the mantle. This time, we're following Kishan Law, a powerhouse British South Asian family law firm.

Aria (Ritu Arya) is poised to take over leadership from her father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar), but the death of Aria's mother six months prior causes Dhruv to hesitate. Add in a workplace love triangle, complicated siblings and a messy divorce trial walking through their doors every week, and we've got something to get our teeth into.

It's a brilliant and delicious watch — so much so that I binged all six episodes in one sitting. Speaking to writer Ursula Rani Sarma, I learned that she already has ideas for more (though no official renewal has been made). On top of that, they're not ruling out a Nicola Walker cameo further down the line.

'If a storyline created that opportunity, we could 100% do it'

"My personal hope is for three seasons minimum," Sarma tells me. "I feel like I'm only just getting started with writing these characters and their journeys. As I was coming up with these storylines for season 1, I also had ideas for seasons 2 and 3 in my head."

This last statement alone immediately makes The Split Up worth investing in. We're living in an age of routine TV cancellations and one-season miniseries, so for Sarma to be taking the time to think further ahead means there's a natural richness that (surely) the BBC can't say no to.

"The three-season arc also emulates The Split," she continues. "But of course, that turned around and surprised everyone with a special. It's endless, my hopes and dreams for this family."

No spoilers, but we leave The Split Up at a place where enough is resolved and left unspoken simultaneously — which, frankly, is exactly where you want be heading into another season.

But what about a direct crossover? "I don't think anything's off the table," Sarma adds. "It was really important for the first series to establish this family to hopefully make audiences fall in love with them in the same way. To build that up without wondering what would happen if Hannah [Walker] were to walk in.

"But this is the gift of being part of The Split. If a storyline created that opportunity, we could 100% do it. Its cast are clearly so fond of that show."

That's the sense of optimism I like to see... now I just need to keep my fingers crossed.

For the past couple of weeks we’ve been seeing how Reality Fracture will conclude the multiverse-tearing Omenpath saga of Magic: The Gathering’s story. Jace’s domination of his Echoverse rings through his presence on seemingly every other card as the Empower Jace mechanic — which brings forth a Planeswalker token of himself, as a sort of simulacrum of the popular Amass mechanic.

But before Jace attempted to break the multiverse, Wizards of the Coast was already dabbling in powers beyond their control with Universes Beyond. This sees non-native IP break into the Magic: The Gathering game, and it has proven itself both incredibly popular and divisive.

One setting that has managed to unite both sides of the aisle, however, is Middle Earth: the land of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and dark forces attempting to enact Sauron’s corrupting plans on the world.

We recently returned to this setting through The Hobbit set, a return which felt much more like a return to a classic Magic world such as Ravnica, Lorwyn, or Dominaria rather than a return to a UB world like… New York City, which we experienced through both Marvel Super Heroes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles after first swinging through with Spider-Man.

Through his YouTube channel Good Morning Magic, Gavin Verhey (Principal Magic Designer at Wizards of the Coast) details the design philosophy and origins of cards from throughout Magic’s history, including its most recent releases. At Gamescom, I got some time to chat with him, deep diving into Wizards’ approach for The Hobbit — and its approach to Universes Beyond more generally.

A return to a Magic plane normally means the return of mechanics associated with that world. Case in point, after debuting a variant of Amass with Amass Orcs in its Lord of the Rings: Tales from Middle Earth set, another variation appeared with Amass Goblins in The Hobbit — enabling players to assemble a Goblin Army, one of the five armies that battled in the book’s climax.

However we didn’t see the return of The Ring Tempts You, not even as a cameo on a Bilbo or Gollum game piece (a term designers use to denote a mechanic we see on only a couple of cards rather than as a core feature).

Verhey explained the team did look into including it, but ultimately decided against it.

“The Ring Tempts You was a mechanic that did not play out super great, and was quite complicated, and doesn’t make a lot of sense because the Ring is such a small part of The Hobbit,” says Verhey.

He explained that it could have fit as a one-off cameo, but “There’s no reminder text on the card for what The Ring Tempts You does, that’s on an entirely different card you have to track. Maybe it could have worked as a Jumpstart card, but we decided it would be a lot of work for a little gain so we didn’t bring it back.”

At least my Food and Fellowship precon deck got a couple of food token and lifegain support pieces in the set.

There, and back again?

Now that we have returned to Middle Earth, a question I’ve had rattling through my brain is which UB plane could we planeswalk back to next? Gavin Verhey wasn’t about to spoil anything, but I did ask if the possibility of returning meant Wizards of the Coast was more cautious about what it did or didn’t use from a partner’s IP.

The Lord of the Rings set only included one The Hobbit reference through the card There and Back Again, meanwhile The Last Airbender didn’t include any ties to The Legend of Korra — not even as a Secret Lair.

“In general we want our designers to use everything they can, because there’s no guarantee we’ll ever make another set in that world. So you should make as much as you can, and what makes sense. But we’re often making them based on very specific properties.

“So with Avatar: The Last Airbender the set was Avatar: The Last Airbender not Avatar: The Legend of Korra. So Korra was off the table for that set. The same for The Lord of the Rings set, The Hobbit was off the table.

“It’s a bit of preservation for the future, but also just a bit of what we have access to.”

Verhey adds this is contrasted by sets like Final Fantasy or Doctor Who where the designers knew they had access to the whole franchise’s history for one set.

The Marvel collab is also a bit different as Wizards of the Coast knew there would be multiple sets from the get go: “So we actually figured out, before we did anything else, how we were going to divvy all of those sets up to make sure cards ended up in the right place.”

Riddles in the dark

Gavin Verhey explained there are plenty of positives that come from working in a Universes Beyond set — chiefly the distinct characters the worlds are filled with are a delightful design puzzle to bring to life in MtG. But what are the challenges?

“The place that you get into the most trouble is figuring out how the characters translate into colors — because a well-written character is usually many different colors over the course of their lifecycle.”

Verhey explained players have different expectations of the characters. Someone will reasonably see Bilbo as Blue for his riddles expertise, another person sees him as Black as he embraces thievery, another as Green for hobbits’ embrace of food and nature in the Shire — we’ve seen him represented across all five colors in fact across both Middle Earth-based sets.

We’ve seen how the designers solve this: make multiple versions of the same character at different points throughout their story. This prevents every legend becoming five-color soup, and keeps things simple and accessible for newcomers — who are more likely to open a card belonging to a popular character if there’s multiple of them, and cards with fewer colors are usually less complex as they don’t need to mechanically justify why they’re multi-disciplined.

That said, Verhey said there do need to be multi-color legends to encompass other similar legends so folks can play them all in the same deck more easily if they want — “For example, we make sure there’s a Red-White Dwarf lord that all other Dwarves can go into a deck for.” (Note: A lord is a term for a card which offers a static benefit to all cards of a certain creature type).

This doesn’t just account for creatures in The Hobbit. The designers also try to make sure the cards pair well with the Dwarves, Elves, Goblins, and Hobbits they’ve released before.

Universes Beyond can also create almost the reverse challenge for the designers: not having enough characters in each color.

Verhey explained. “You know, this is not the case for The Hobbit but a funny Universes Beyond problem is usually most worlds have heroes — that makes for easy White characters — and they have villains which tend to want to be Black characters. Then there’s usually someone who’s a little aggressive or impulsive, so our Red characters. And there’s always the smart people so that’s the Blue. But Green?”

For The Hobbit Elves, Bears and other nature-aligned figures fill this slot, but that’s not always the case.

“Figuring out what Green means in a world without Elves, growth, or lots of nature is really challenging — that’s what many Universes Beyond can live or die on.”

A Warm Welcome

Universes Beyond has been a standout success for Magic: The Gathering. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that Wizards of the Coast would want to apply this to its other world-famous brand: Dungeons and Dragons.

So far it has announced collaboration plans with World of Warcraft and Star Wars — partnerships which will bring iconic characters, worlds, items and archetypes (as classes and subclasses) into the tabletop roleplaying game.

However no Universes Beyond property has yet to feature in both games, so I asked Verhey if any rivalry or jealousy has developed between the teams — Star Wars fans on the Magic side or The Last Airbender lovers on D&D wishing they could be building inside those worlds.

Unsurprisingly Verhey said there’s nothing but excitement around the office, “It’s honestly very cool to see D&D be like ‘Hey this thing’s been great for Magic, Let’s have us give that a try as well’. I’m stoked to see what they do with it.”

The Last Stage

There’s only a few months left of 2026, but we have a lot more Magic: The Gathering to enjoy. Verhey says reality is “huge. It’s the capstone event of the current story arc, and like nothing we’ve made before.”

Previews have showcased dozens of alternate reality pairings — showing original and Echoverse versions of characters from across Magic’s worlds — and in Verhey’s words the team has done “a heck of a lot better a job than we did with Planar Chaos” in terms of warping Magic characters and mechanics without warping the color pie in ways designers regret later.

We also have Star Trek, another Universes Beyond property. This may seem like an odd inclusion for a fantasy focused game, however space has featured in several sets now — Unfinity, Doctor Who, and Edge of Eternities — and Star Trek actually featured all the way back when MtG was still in early testing. Spock performing a Vulcan salute was placeholder art for a card called Blessing.

Verhey also said we can expect a set filled with the new Dilemmas — a new mechanic for the set related to mimic the tough choices characters face — and for us to “try an experience that’s a little different than normal”. Verhey mentioned combat isn’t a massive part of the Star Trek shows, so perhaps we’ll see Limited games play out very differently when this set rolls around.

Finally, there’s Mystery Booster Commander Edition. This event-exclusive set has been filled with exciting Commander cards, including several brand new game pieces that break the rules of the format, and harken back to Magic’s past in creative ways — Verhey is currently explaining these callbacks on his YouTube channel.

“I cannot wait for folks to start playing it at MagicCon Atlanta, it’s a blast.” As a Commander lover, I can’t wait either.

It's a legendary fantasy franchise, which has influenced pop culture for almost 90 years now. But how well do you know The Lord of The Rings?

Ever since the first-published story back in the 1930s, the franchise has become a giant. We've seen video games, TV shows, board games, radio plays and, of course, one of the most famous movie trilogies ever made. It's safe to say that The Lord of The Rings is something any fantasy fan should know about.

But do you? To figure out, we've compiled a 30-question The Lord of The Rings quiz, to see if you're a smart elf or a bumpkin Hobbit. These won't pick your brain about the story: you don't need to know about the comings and goings in Rhun, what Beregond does, or what Ancalagon the Black did. Instead, it's about the franchise itself; all the media based on the books (and the books themselves).

The questions are organized by difficulty: we'll start with 10 easy ones (to make sure you're not better suited for our Harry Potter quiz), then 10 medium ones, and finally 10 harder ones.

So let's dive in, to see how much you know about The Lord of The Rings.

Need to brush up on your Middle-earth knowledge? Maybe this will help:

I'm sure that you'll be looking for some soothing escapism to stream this weekend, but ITV has other ideas. From September 20, new crime drama The Blame hits our screens, with episodes available to stream en mass on ITVX.

Led by Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth, the six-part series follows the murder of a teenage skater, which not only draws detectives down a dark, treacherous path, but also forces them to investigate their own team.

The call is coming from inside the house, as the kids say. DI Emma Clare (Keegan) is not just the only member of the force to work out what's really going on, but she's the only person brave enough to call out (the fictional) Wakestead police force on its biggest issue: misogyny.

From the moment The Blame begins, the murder investigation becomes shockingly intertwined with just how prevalent casual misogyny is across multiple officers involved in the case. It's a heavy-handed approach, which includes text messages from real officers discovered through whistleblowing operations. They're hideous, and it's tough to watch.

I quickly wondered whether the series needed to be so blatant with the issue to get its point across (in my view, yes it does). But Keegan and Douglas Booth don't just think that this creative decision leads to an "even deeper" storyline, but the original opening to episode 1 was so explicit that it had to be re-filmed.

'If you've done nothing wrong, what would you be worried about?'

"It was a deliberate choice to start with that," Booth, who plays 'nice guy' DI Tom Radley in the series, tells me. "It's on the nose, but I think even if it wasn't that blatant, the effect would be the same. As you go through the story, it goes much deeper.

"You're trying to solve a crime, but the way that men talk to you, the way they interfere or get in the way, even the compliments... this is all explored through many facets," Keegan adds. "But starting with the base of something seeming harmless immediately drops you into the right place."

When we first meet Clare and Radley, they're talking over the day's events in the local pub — before anyone knows that a murder has taken place. Other officers are also scattered around, talking about the best way to try to pick up an attractive woman at the bar. It's a subtle yet all too familiar reminder of the social culture that's become ingrained.

The more grisly action doesn't begin for another 10 minutes or so, but this wasn't always the case. "There were actually a couple of different versions of that scene," Booth adds. "There was a much more explicit one that [creators] decided not to go with. It was explicit... I won't go into what. But they didn't start with it. As you see them, things are still blunt and direct, but things are later dissected from there."

It's this constant moral back-and-forth experience you have as a viewer that I think is the most poignant part of watching The Blame. You don't feel as though you can believe any part of what you're seeing, including the texts that you know for a fact are real. We naturally want to believe that decent human behavior is something more frequent than it actually is.

But is anybody worried about potential public backlash? "When we spoke to police, they understand that there are issues. I don't think anyone can say otherwise," Booth explains. "But you also see all of the brilliant work that the police do. They're doing a really difficult job out there, all the time.

"That doesn't mean that there aren't systemic issues, and a certain institutional rot that is portrayed in this show. But I'm not really worried. Because if you've done nothing wrong, what would you be worried about?"

Reacher season 4 has only just ended, and I'm already thinking about what could be to come in Reacher season 5.

That's partially because I wasn't completely taken with the season 4 storyline. My favorite Reacher seasons are where we see him drifting through small US towns that we've never heard of, punching a load of people as penance for their crimes, and then leaving.

But season 4 moved us towards a big city political espionage narrative — a move that clearly divided viewers, not just me. But with season 5 already renewed by Amazon, the first plot details reveal that we're heading away from the city once again.

But what has Prime Video actually told us about what to expect from Reacher season 5? We're breaking down everything from release date speculation to potential cast below.

Reacher season 5 release window predictions

With no production schedule currently public, it's going to be a little while before Reacher season 5 hits our screens.

Based on season 4's filming calendar, which ran from June-November 2025, we can guess that the very earliest we'd see season 5 episodes is late 2027.

While season 4 aired from August 2026, seasons 1-3 dropped anywhere from December to February, which again, could influence when we might see season 5.

Renewal news came in May 2026, with Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television, Amazon MGM Studios, explaining in a statement: “The series’ ability to combine high-octane action with compelling character storytelling continues to resonate with tens of millions of viewers around the world.

"We’re excited to move forward with a fifth season ahead of Season 4's debut and to build on this incredible momentum.”

Reacher season 5 trailer: is there one?

Don't be silly. It took us until the end of July 2026 to get one for season 4, so expect the first full trailer to arrive around two weeks before the fifth season does.

Reacher season 5 cast

As Reacher's supporting cast tends to change on a season-to-season basis, the only person we can guarantee will return for season 5 is Reacher himself: Alan Ritchson.

However, past cast members such as Neagley (Maria Sten) appeared in multiple seasons of the show, so there's currently nothing stopping the below season 4 cast from returning:

• Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher
• Sydelle Noel as Tamara Green
• Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette as Jacob Merrick
• Kevin Corrigan as Detective Shaun Docherty
• Kevin Weisman as Russell Plum

The above hugely depends on how closely show creators will follow the original novel's source material. We can quite easily rule out Neagley's return now that she has her own spinoff.

New faces will likely be announced as filming kicks off, so watch this space.

Reacher season 5 plot predictions

We know that Reacher season 5 will adapt Child's novel Make Me, which is the 20th installment in his Jack Reacher series.

In short, Reacher arrives at a remote, quiet prairie stop named Mother's Rest. There he meets Michelle Chang, a former FBI agent turned private investigator who is searching for her missing partner, Keever. Together, they trace clues across Chicago, Los Angeles, and the Deep Web, uncovering a horrific online operation.

With the local townspeople hostile and incredibly cryptic, it feels as though the season's tone will be more similar to seasons 1 and 3. However, the ties to bigger cities — particularly Chicago — provides a potential gateway for old characters to return.

At this stage, we're running before we can walk. I'm just glad that once again, the small town feeling wins out.

Black Panther 3 is already primed to round out Marvel's 2028 line-up on the big screen. Indeed, with its launch set for December 2028, we know it'll be one of three movies the comic book giant will release in just over two years' time.

What do we know so far about our next trip to Wakanda? Below, I've rounded up all the latest information on the forthcoming Marvel film, including its official release date, confirmed cast, and more. Let's dive in, then — altogether now: Yibambe!

Black Panther 3 release date

Black Panther 3 is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters worldwide on December 15, 2028. That launch date was revealed during Marvel's Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026 in late July.

There's no word on when filming might begin or how much of the script has been written. However, it's highly unlikely the cameras will start rolling until principal photography has wrapped on Avengers: Secret Wars, aka the final film of the Marvel Multiverse Saga.

The reason? Some of Black Panther 3's confirmed cast (more on them shortly) will appear in the sixth Avengers movie, so it won't enter full production until they're available to shoot it.

Black Panther 3 trailer: is there one?

No — and it's going to be a long time before a teaser for the next Black Panther movie is publicly released.

If I had to guess, I expect its first trailer will be unveiled at SDCC 2028. That's a good 18 months away, so don't expect me to update this article section for some time.

Black Panther 3 confirmed cast

Per Marvel.com, here's the confirmed cast so far:

• David Jonsson as T'Challa II
• Letitia Wright as Shuri
• Winston Duke as M'Baku

Jonsson (Alien: Romulus, The Long Walk) was officially announced as T'Challa II — FYI, his legal name is Toussaint — at SDCC 2026.

We first met T'Challa's son in the final scene of 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but it was unclear if he'd ever succeed his father and become the technologically advanced African nation's new protector-in-chief.

Indeed, speaking exclusively to TechRadar back in February 2025, Black Panther producer Nate Moore suggested that the eponymous hero wouldn't be played by a third actor. The first two being, of course, the late Chadwick Boseman, who played T'Challa before his passing in August 2021, and Letitia Wright, whose Marvel character Shuri assumed the mantle in Wakanda Forever.

Now, though, we know that Jonsson will play the grown-up version of T'Challa II. Chatting to Empire magazine, Marvel President Kevin Feige revealed Jonsson was cast after a secret meeting in February 2026, so Moore wasn't pulling the wool over our eyes 12 months earlier.

Meanwhile, Wright told Entertainment Weekly that she's happy for Jonsson to take ownership of the role, although there's no word on whether Shuri will have passed the torch by the start of this movie, or whether it'll happen as part of its plot.

Jonsson won't be the only Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debutant in Black Panther 3.

Speaking on The Today Show in late 2025, multi-award-winning actor Denzel Washington dropped the bombshell that he'll appear in the threequel. Per Variety, Washington personally called director Ryan Coogler to apologize for jumping the gun on that announcement, but everything's been smoothed over now. Indeed, Coogler doubled down on Washington's casting during a chat with people.com, though he declined to reveal the identity of the A-lister's character.

As for other stars who might feature, it's possible Danai Gurira might return as Okoye, the former head of Wakanda's Dora Milaje. Lupita Nyong'o could be back as Nakia, aka T'Challa II's mom, too. Until Marvel announces their returns, I'll keep them off the confirmed cast list.

Black Panther 3 plot rumors

Predictably, there are no story details for Black Panther 3. Marvel is fully focused on Avengers: Doomsday, which arrives in cinemas this December, and its Secret Wars sequel, which comes out in December 2027. With the MCU's future being dictated by what happens in these films, we won't have any concrete information about Black Panther 3's plot until the Multiverse Saga has drawn to a close.

That said, there are a couple of things we can speculate on.

For starters, if T'Challa II adopts the Black Panther mantle and also plans on ruling Wakanda, M'Baku — the leader of the Jabari Tribe and the African nation's current monarch — would need to step aside. Will he do so willingly, or will T'Challa II have to fight him in ritual combat for that honor?

Then, as I mentioned earlier, it'll be interesting to see if T'Challa II is already the new Black Panther by the time this Marvel Phase 7 movie starts. The alternative is that he'll replace Shuri at some point during its runtime. This might be a better way of introducing T'Challa II to audiences and giving him a traditional hero's journey to embark on before he becomes the Black Panther's latest custodian.

On top of all that, we'll eventually learn if Washington's character is an ally or enemy of Wakanda's aristocracy, and what role the fictional kingdom will play in version 2.0 of the MCU (I'll circle back to this in a moment). Furthermore, we should find out whether Boseman's legacy as T'Challa, and his untimely death, will loom as large over proceedings as it did in Wakanda Forever. Once more has been discussed by those involved in the movie's production, I'll update this section.

How will Black Panther 3 impact the MCU?

In short: nobody knows. As I said earlier, we've got to get through Doomsday and Secret Wars before we know what version 2.0 of the MCU will look like. Once we do, we'll have a better understanding of how Black Panther and Wakanda fit into Marvel's streamlined cinematic universe.

While we wait, find out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday and then get the full lowdown on Avengers: Secret Wars.

Once you're done, learn all there is to know about VisionQuest before getting the complete scoop on Daredevil: Born Again season 3 ahead of both projects hitting Disney+.

Now that MobLand season 2 has started streaming on Paramount+, I'm glad we've got more insanely epic television to watch. Nonetheless, in recent times, we've been preoccupied with the unverified Tom Hardy rumors that dogged this season's filming schedule.

In late May, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) claimed that, if MobLand season 3 was to be renewed — which it has been — shooting would begin later this year. However, gossip about Hardy's behavior on set was not only said to have "spooked producers", but even led to the star's firing from the hit crime drama.

THR's source said: "He refused to come out of his trailer for hours at a time. He kept the cast waiting, [which is] a power play. Keeping Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and others waiting is career suicide, I would wager.”

However, speaking to Variety a separate source refuted those accusations, adding: "Tom was not fired, the door is not closed for season 3, and things are being worked through creatively."

We now know that Hardy is confirmed to return for MobLand season 3, and the cast has moved quickly to shoot down any supposed tension on set. Indeed, Anson Boone (Eddie Harrigan), Mandeep Dhillion (Seraphina Harrigan), and Teddie Allen (Gina Da Souza) all confirmed to TechRadar that the cast is "all family."

'It feels like family'

"Just fun, isn't it? Because we all know each other so well," Dhillon replied when I ask what the on-set vibes were like for season 2. "More playful. It's nice coming back for a season 2, because everyone's just so comfortable."

Boone added: "In season 1, we were all getting to know each other. To then come back for season 2, you have that added level of comfort. We're all pals now."

Honestly, it's easy to see how this is the case. When rumors initially surfaced, it was Helen Mirren who posted a message of support for Hardy on Instagram, with the post reading: "love you now and always, Helen."

"It feels like family," Boone continued, as Dhillon and Allen nodded in agreement. "It's so satisfying when we get to do big group scenes together. When you start season 2, everyone is banished to the four corners of the kingdom.

"No one's talking to anyone. We're a little team [pointing to him and Allen], Seraphina is a little team on her own, also, then you have Kevin (Paddy Considine) and Bella (Lara Pulvey), Maeve (Mirren) Conrad (Brosnan), and Harry (Hardy) all trying to piece it together.

"Obviously, in reality, that means that we're all filming scenes separately. Keep tuning in season 2 and you'll see when people do come together. It's so much fun to film. It's the best days knowing that everyone's in."

Even for a potential PR line, this doesn't feel like the energy of actors who genuinely have had a bad time at work. Perhaps we can finally draw a line under the so-called MobLand scandal and focus on what's really important: the show itself.

Lanterns' endgame is fast approaching. Indeed, only three episodes remain of the increasingly popular sci-fi crime show's debut season, so it won't be long until it no longer lights up our screens.

Right now, though, you just want to know when the DC Universe (DCU) TV series' next chapter, which will pick up the story 10 years after the devastating Rushville-based events we saw in last week's entry, will air. So, read on to find out when HBO's Green Lantern TV show will return for its sixth episode.

When does episode 6 of Lanterns come out?

Titled 'Bad Optics', Lanterns episode 6 will arrive in the US and Canada on Sunday, September 20 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

Don't live in those nations? You'll have to wait until Monday, September 21 to catch the DCU Chapter One TV series' sixth chapter. I can point you in the right direction of its launch time where you're based, too, so check out the list below for more details:

• US — Sunday, September 20 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Sunday, September 20 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Monday, September 21 at 2am BST
• India — Monday, September 21 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Monday, September 21 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Monday, September 21 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Monday, September 21 at 1pm NZST

Where can I watch Lanterns episode 6?

I sound like a broken record at this point, but every episode of Lanterns — including this week's entry — will drop on HBO Max, aka one of the world's best streaming services, in countries that it's launched in.

Live somewhere that the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned platform hasn't come to yet? There are other TV networks and streamers that the DC comic book show is available on. Read on to see where you can see it in your neck of the woods:

• US — HBO and HBO Max
• Canada — Crave
• UK — HBO Max, Sky Atlantic, and Now TV
• India — JioHotstar
• Singapore — HBO Max
• Australia — HBO Max
• New Zealand — HBO Max

Lanterns full release schedule: when do new episodes come out?

As I mentioned above, there are only three more episodes of the Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler-fronted TV program to enjoy before it'll go off air.

So, when will that final trio arrive? If you've been watching from the start, you'll already be aware that new installments premiere every Sunday in North America, and on Mondays in other territories.

Even so, regardless of whether you're a long-time reader or new around these parts, you'll want to know the exact date that every remaining chapter will come out on. For more details, scroll on:

• Lanterns episode 1 — out now
• Lanterns episode 2 — out now
• Lanterns episode 3 — out now
• Lanterns episode 4 — out now
• Lanterns episode 5 — out now
• Lanterns episode 6 — September 20/21
• Lanterns episode 7 — September 27/28
• Lanterns episode 8 — October 4/5

For more on the hit series' ahead of its next episode, read about the five big questions I need Lanterns episode 6 to answer. Then, see what Lanterns' midseason trailer tells us about its final three chapters. Lastly, find out why I'm fearing the worst for Lanterns season 2.

An opening act that was chock-full of shocks – we're looking at you Jets and Giants and, for very different reasons, Rams, Chargers and Packers – has given NFL Week 2 a completely different feel.

It's probably why the slate is so wonky, with many of the best games set to play out simultaneously during Sunday's early-afternoon window. You've got some tough choices to make (unless you give up entirely and go with RedZone), but whichever game you go with, the outlook looks promising.

Scroll down for our pick of the top five NFL Week 2 games – and who's showing them.

• 🏈 Unlock your stream with IPVanish (save up to 83%)

Bengals vs Texans

• Sunday, 1pm ET, CBS/Paramount+ (US) | FREE on 5 (UK)

We stand to learn a lot from the Bengals' early-window clash with the Texans – specifically if Cincinnati's defense has gone from bad-to-good, and if Houston's has somehow gone the other way. The Texans ranked No.1 in the NFL for yards allowed last season and the Bengals No.31 (of 32), but you wouldn't have guessedit from their opening-day showings.

Packers vs Jets

• Sunday, 1pm ET, Fox/Fox One (US)

It took the Jets eight weeks to claim their first win last year. This time, they've done it straight out of the gate. No.2 pick David Bailey registered a sack on debut as New York embarrassed the Titans, while the Packers were all kinds of awful in a blowout by the Vikings, squandering a 12-point lead as just 21 of Jordan Love's 42 passes found their target. Green Bay have now lost six straight games – but this would take the biscuit.

Vikings vs Bears

• Sunday, 1pm ET, Fox/Fox One (US) | FREE on 7Plus (AU) & TVNZ+ (NZ)

Bears coach Ben Johnson raised eyebrows in preseason by stating his aim to break the NFL scoring record, and Chicago duly kicked off with a monster 59-point showing. The Brian Flores-run Vikings defense will provide a sterner test. However, while Minnesota's defense ranked at No.2 against the pass last season, it struggled to stop the run – and Williams, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined for 291 yards and six touchdowns on the ground last week.

Raiders vs Chargers

• Sunday, 4.05pm ET, CBS/Paramount+ (US)

Chargers fans definitely won't want to miss this one, because they might not get a sniff of victory again until late November. The Bolts' schedule from Week 3 to Week 10 is horrendous, but on the bright side there's no possible way they could lose either of their first two fixtures... The Cardinals, who are projected to be at the very bottom of the pile come the end of the season, wiped the floor with them last weekend, and Justin Herbert was utterly lost in Mike McDaniel's new-look offense.

Giants vs Rams

• Monday, 8.15pm ET, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN Unlimited (US)

The Rams were so bad in their opener they've gone from Super Bowl favorites to a potential bust in record time. The one saving grace from their atrocious showing in Melbourne is that they only flew out a day before the game, but with three tough fixtures set to follow this MNF meeting with the Giants, Sean McVay's men need to get a W on the board. Unfortunately for them, Big Blue look transformed under new coach John Harbaugh.

Use a VPN to watch NFL Week 2 live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual streaming services. One of our favourites is IPVanish – it does everything and comes with up to 83% off.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

We've officially passed the midway point of September 2026 — and your reward for doing so is a weekend full of thrilling television.

Indeed, our latest streaming round-up features a bumper crop of new and returning shows on the world's best streaming services. That's a good thing, too, because new movies released at home are at a premium this week.

Still, with the eagerly anticipated new seasons of Apple TV and Paramount+ Originals — among others — to enjoy, you're spoiled for choice over what you should watch first this weekend. So, scroll on to see what'll be top of your watchlist. — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

MobLand season 2 (Paramount+)

Look lively, gang — the Harrigans are back in town. MobLand season 2 is even more chaotic than before, and that makes for absolutely exceptional TV.

Conrad's feud with Kevin ramps up a notch, embroiling new 'fixer' Frankie in their mess as family arch-rival Kat tries to take control of London from a distance. This leaves Harry having to clean up even more mess than before, particularly considering his and Jan's impending divorce.

If you think you understand, you don't — between the Harrigans and us, it's the blind leading the blind. But, that makes tuning into Paramount+ this week all the more enriching, because everyone is prepared to take a risk. — Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter

• Watch MobLand season 2 on Paramount+

Slow Horses season 6 (Apple TV)

The latest season of Slow Horses didn't trot, but rather galloped back onto Apple's streaming platform earlier this week — and with good reason. The hit thriller's sixth installment sees past and present agents of Slough House targeted by mysterious adversaries, which forces the likes of Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb, Jack Lowden's River Cartwright, and — spoiler — the returning Olivia Cooke's Sid Baker to go on the run.

With two more seasons already in development, there'll be even more spy- and crime-based drama to enjoy sometime in 2027. Whether we'll see all of our favorite oddballs and damaged individuals return for that chapter, though, remains to be seen. — TP

• Watch Slow Horses season 6 on Apple TV

Neagley (Prime Video)

If you've loved watching Reacher season 4 but absolutely hated that loyal sidekick Neagley wasn't in it, I've got the perfect solution for you. Self-titled Neagley is the spinoff you'll have been waiting for, and it's a seamless continuation of the popular Amazon TV Original.

Taking on the lead role, she's working as a private investigator in Chicago, learning that a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident. Obviously, Neagley is hell-bent on getting revenge and bringing the killer to justice, and puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.

Who does that remind you of? It's clear to see why Neagley has become the fan-favorite that she now is... but don't think that Reacher himself is too far away from this Prime Video off-shoot. — JV

• Watch Neagley on Prime Video

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story (Netflix)

Another installment of Ryan Murphy's controversial Netflix anthology series... consider me sat. This time around, he's taking on the infamous story of Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted of murdering of her father and stepmother in 1982.

The above trailer quickly shows how the dark nursery rhyme "Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks" took hold, or why Martin Prince plays her in the Cape Feare episode of The Simpsons (couldn't not mention him). But, trapped in a cruel Victorian-era household, there's more psychological damage here than meets the eye.

Led by Ella Beatty in the titular role, this is the first time that Monster is fully female-focused. In even better news, American Horror Story stalwart Sarah Paulson also makes an appearance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Go figure. — JV

• Watch Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on Netflix

Youth (HBO Max)

Sharon Horgan has made the jump to HBO Max with her latest comedy vehicle Youth, whose first two episodes drop this Sunday (September 20).

In it, the Irish writer/actor/producer plays Alex, a 50-something divorcee struggling to navigate her newfound post-marriage world. Throw having to juggle her career, family, and quest to find love again into the mix, and Alex has certainly got her hands full.

Horgan's most recent live-action TV projects have all landed well with critics and general audiences alike, so Warner Bros. will be hoping she weaves her magic with this latest venture. — TP

• Watch Youth on HBO Max

Best of the Best (Netflix)

The coming-of-age school dance storyline has been in dire need of a revamp for years, but Best of the Best is coming to save the day.

In it, we follow two childhood besties who join UCLA's competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team, only to find the road to the US championships is fiercer than they imagined.

Leading lady Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is truly the entertainment it-girl of the moment, meaning anything she's in is well worth streaming. Frankly, I'm just happy for an excuse to dance while I watch something. — JV

• Watch Best of the Best on Netflix

Golden Axe (Paramount+)

The first of many SEGA franchises that are getting turned into movies or TV shows over the next few years, Golden Axe is billed as a "hilarious homage to SEGA's iconic 1989 video game", and boasts a strong voice cast that includes recent Emmy double winner Matthew Rhys.

An animated offering, it sees three legendary warriors in Ax, Tyris, and Gilius reunite and embark on a quest to defeat the evil giant known as Death Adder. Unfortunately for the trio, their mission is hampered by Hampton Squid, an inexperienced adventurer who invites himself along for the ride.

All 10 episodes are out now on Paramount+, so those who like to binge watch shows and/or want to get nostalgic over the classic arcade game can do so now. — TP

• Watch Golden Axe on Paramount+

Spoilers for MobLand season 2 episode 1 ahead.

Unsurprisingly, Guy Ritchie has wasted no time getting stuck into absolute madness in MobLand season 2.

Helpfully, he's included a season 1 recap montage before any of the new action gets underway. Conrad's (Pierce Brosnan) feud with Kevin (Paddy Considine) has reached civil war levels, with Jan (Joanne Froggatt) accidentally stabbing Harry (Tom Hardy) in the stomach while daughter Gina (Teddie Allen) made a run for it.

They've all made it through to a new season unscathed, but for how long? With MobLand season 2 episode 1 now on Paramount+, let's dig a little deeper into what's actually happened.

Conrad and Maeve open fire on the dog track after Kevin goes behind their back

As episode 1 picks up, we're down the dog track. Conrad, Maeve (Helen Mirren) and a handful of their cronies have arrived for a 'sit down' with Turkish gangster Gakbu, who we understand has entered into a drug partnership with the family.

However, Gakbu himself hasn't shown up to meet Conrad. Instead, he's approached Kevin to strike a deal, having considered Conrad to be "old news." In the heat of the moment, Kevin's only too happy to betray his dad, leaving Gakbu's brother Luca to attend the dog track face-to-face.

Within the first 10 minutes of the episode, Gakbu's henchmen are all dead, with Conrad and Maeve opening fire on the group as if they're "a real-life Bonnie and Clyde." Staff cower behind the bar in fear, while Conrad screams "We are the Harrigans! Don't know the name? Then f**king Google us."

Harry and Jan start divorce proceedings as the Harrigans hit a 'death spiral'

We then cut to Jan and Harry, who are sitting in a therapist's office. Jan discusses their "rough patch," explaining that they've struggled to make quality time for each other thanks to Harry's work, including the admission that Jan stabbed him in the stomach.

Jan reveals that Gina left a note before she left, reading "Mum, you saw a way out. There's another one… it's called a door. Gina. P.S. I wish you'd killed the c***."

Their session is interrupted when Harry gets a call from Paul (Emmett J. Scanlan) who briefs him on what's happened at Green Park Dogs. Harry, surprisingly, didn't have a clue that a meeting with Gakbu was taking place.

As DCI Kavanagh (Ophelia Lovibond) arrives at the scene, Harry tells police mole Finch (Warren Brown) to clean up the mess from the inside. Bella (Lara Pulvey) is across town meeting with a prospective team of lawyers, but Kevin pulls her out of the meeting — he's heard too, and it's no longer safe for Bella to leave in a known car.

Harry arrives at Conrad and Maeve's house, as Paul tells him that they've gone into a "death spiral." He believes that the chain of command has gone completely out of the window, and everyone is terrified of what's to come.

Harry questions Conrad about why he didn't know about the Gakbu meeting, but Maeve admits that it was her idea. She believes that his closeness with Kevin means that sensitive plans must be on a "need-to-know basis." Harry tells them at the family is now "surrounded by sharks, ripe for the picking," and theorizes that Gakbu was being controlled by Kat McAllister (Janet McTeer).

In Harry's eyes, the opposition is capitalizing on the fractures between Kevin and Conrad, meaning that a war on the family has already begun.

A witness comes forward while Maeve secretly meets with Eddie to try and get rid of Gina

As Harry leaves the house, one of the dog track waiters arrives at the police station. Finch clocks him and alerts Harry, as the waiter tells Kavanagh exactly what Conrad did.

As Maeve leaves for London, Conrad insists that new recruit Fergus (Jack Archer) goes with her. Maeve drives down the road before ordering Fergus out of the car, who chooses to spend the afternoon hiding in the bushes so he doesn't get in trouble with either of them. Harry asks Zosia (Jasmine Jobson) to follow her from a distance.

Jan officially asks Harry for a divorce, telling him "I know you love me. I know you love Gina. But it's not enough." Harry leaves once Dean, the waiter who went to the police, is found trying to return to his flat. Harry packs him into a van and drives him to an empty warehouse unit.

Dean is told to return to the police station to retract his statement, and instead claim that he was coerced into making it by Gakbu. If not, he "won't be needing his bicycle anymore."

We then see Maeve meeting Eddie (Anson Boone) in a Greasy spoon, with Zosia watching on outside. Eddie gives her a bag with £30,000 inside, claiming that it's "her cut." Eddie explains that he and Gina have been shaking down prolific YouTubers with cash to spare, offering them security in exchange for a hefty fee.

Maeve, however, isn't happy with this. She claims that she has "big plans in store," for Eddie, and they involve Gina being in the "f**king rear view mirror." Next time they meet, Maeve wants Gina taken care of... and another £50,000.

Seraphina tries to make her move on Kat McAllister as Kevin admits all to Harry

Harry pays a visit to Kevin, who explains what happened with Gakbu. He explains his theory that Gakbu is being controlled by Kat, though Kevin doesn't seem phased by this.

"She's gonna eat us piece by piece," Harry explains. "Her mob has eight trillion in cash and the world's biggest nuclear arsenal." Kevin remains convinced that "he can look after himself," despite everyone else thinking that he's the weakest link in the family.

We cut to Kat, who is giving a speech at the London Imperial College. Two notable people are in the audience: Seraphina (Mandeep Dhillon) and Colin (Toby Jones).

Seraphina gets to her first, who tells Kat that it's time for Conrad to move on. She's convinced that Harry feels the same way after saving her life at Antwerp. Kat tells Seraphina that she'd want half of all Harrigan revenue for the next five years, if she's to be trusted as a business partner.

Seraphina tries to barter this down to four, convinced that Kat is out of other options after her attempts to corrupt Harry proved futile. Kat gives her a number and tells her to call it whenever she has a conversation with another family member, and to repeat it word for word. "You wanna play in the f**king big league? Honey, you're here... and you're up to bat."

Colin offers Kat her own Harry Da Souza as Gakbu meets his maker

As Seraphina leaves, Colin arrives. Through one of his infamously long-winded historical references, Colin offers her "a brave knight to ride into battle for you," allowing Kat to keep her nose, and reputation, clean.

Describing himself as a "lowly middleman," he wants a fee to find the right person to act in Kat's interest... much like Harry does for the Harrigans. "In five years time, this man will run London with your help, and as such, you will own him. The Harrigans will be consigned to the dustbin of history" he claims.

Kat doesn't give an answer as Colin leaves, but she's clearly mulling it over. Harry, meanwhile, has gone to pay Gakbu a visit, taking every last remaining family member — and the main man — out. Zosia rings, telling Harry that he's found Gina.

Colin arrives at a house full of young men, approaching a man called Frankie (Johnny Flynn) while he uses a barbecue. "Start talking, copper," Frankie says as the scene closes out.

• A midseason trailer for Lanterns has been released
• It teases the appearance of Guy Gardner, more Sinestro, and Hal Jordan's possible killer
• The HBO TV show might also be adapting one of the best Green Lanterns stories of all time

HBO and DC Studios have debuted a midseason trailer for their hit show Lanterns — and its 2026 storyline appears to be inspired by a fan-favorite Green Lantern comic-book series.

Released yesterday (September 17), the teaser, well, teases what's to come in the popular HBO Max TV series' final three episodes. Be aware that the following trailer is full of potentially big spoilers for Lanterns episode 6 through 8. If you don't want any plot points ruined ahead of time, click away now.

I'm really not joking when I say the 90-second, hype-generating trailer for the DC Universe (DCU) TV show's final three entries contains myriad spoilers.

For starters, Guy Gardner, aka Earth's new Green Lantern, is finally going to show up, although he has no interest in helping John Stewart investigate Hal Jordan's death (more on this shortly). Other takeaways are that we'll see Hal's backstory at some point, and John and what seems to be the Hal-O-Gram — aka the digital backup of Hal's consciousness that lives inside Hal's power ring — travel to some alien worlds.

Additionally, we'll be treated to more of Jordan's villainous former mentor Sinestro. Considering the latter isn't imprisoned in the space jail that we saw in episodes 2 and 4, he's obviously been broken out by someone. Place your bets on who did the deed.

Furthermore, there's also a surprising albeit expectedly cold reunion between John and at-the-time alive Hal in 2026. They haven't seen each other since the devastating events of Lanterns episode 5, which occurred 10 years prior. Clearly, there's no love lost between John and Hal after their brutal showdown in that chapter's final act, too.

That said, there must be an ounce of underlying respect left, because Stewart sticks around Rushville to investigate Hal's apparent murder. We've known that Hal Jordan is supposedly dead since Lanterns episode 1, but it's only now that the DCU Chapter One program will shine a light on events before, during, and after Hal's presumed demise.

And I keep saying that Hal's death is only implied, because it looks like Lanterns' midseason trailer is teasing an adaptation of one of the most beloved Green Lantern tales of all-time...

Lanterns' midseason trailer could be teasing a live-action take on DC's 'Blackest Night' comic-book story

For the uninitiated, 'Blackest Night' is a DC Comics miniseries that ran from June 2009 to May 2010.

Written by acclaimed comic-book scribe Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, it's a crossover story that involved Earth's four Green Lanterns in Stewart, Jordan, Gardner, and Kyle Rayner, other prominent Green Lantern figures like Sinestro, and characters from other DC properties.

Anyway, in the event that Lanterns' 2026 storyline is indeed inspired by 'Blackest Night', I won't spoil everything that happens as part of its story. However, what I will say is that, if 'Blackest Night' has influenced Lanterns' next three episodes, it might explain how Hal Jordan could come back from the dead. Minor spoilers immediately follow for 'Blackest Night', so proceed at your own risk.

'Blackest Night' includes a DC comic-book character called Nekron, who can reanimate dead superheroes. I won't say how they bring people back to life, but the fact that they can implies there might be a way for the DCU's Hal Jordan to be resurrected.

Lanterns' midseason teaser doesn't hide that this could be possible, either. At the 1:22 mark, we hear Sinestro tell John "Hal didn't have to die in vain. I know a way..." before his sentence is seemingly cut short. Are DC and HBO hiding the fact that this line of dialog is supposed to end with Sinestro saying "I know a way to bring him back"?

That's not the only clue that indicates Hal could be revived. As the aforementioned Sinestro voiceover plays, we see Hal lying on the floor as someone menacingly approaches him. Hal asks "what are you?" before the teaser moves on to the next excitement-building clip.

As multiple fans have pointed out online, Hal can be seen with a mark on his arm that's identical to the one that John had after he was healed by Zoe, aka the mysterious Manhunter hunted by John and Hal in Lanterns' 2016 storyline. Remember, that mark was left because the Manhunters' technology takes a tissue sample before it can heal/cure someone of their injuries or ailments.

If — and it's a big if — Zoe (or another Manhunter we don't know about!) took a tissue sample from Hal, it's not only possible that his body could be cloned from said sample, but the Halo-O-Gram could be embedded into that clone. Hey presto, Hal Jordan lives once more.

Of course, that would negate the need for Nekron to be part of proceedings. Regardless, if Nekron doesn't show up before Lanterns ends, it could still retroactively be inspired by the 'Blackest Night' comic series. All it needs to do is replace Nekron with a Manhunter cloning facility that, say, Sinestro located after his jailbreak, then lay the breadcrumbs for John and the Hal-O-Gram to follow to find him, and persuade them to bring Hal back from the dead. Sure, Sinestro will have a nefarious reason for wanting to do so, but I'm sure John and the Hal-O-Gram can find a way to outwit him.

What did you think of Lanterns' midseason trailer? Do you like the above theory, or have an even more impressive one of your own? Let me know in the comments. Once you're done, check out the five biggest questions I have heading into Lanterns episode 6.

Minor spoilers for Neagley ahead.

Neagley naturally had a lot to live up to as a spinoff of popular Prime Video action series Reacher, but now that I've binged all eight episodes, I think it deftly rose to the challenge.

It doesn't hurt that Neagley herself (played by Maria Sten) is the most popular character aside from Alan Ritchson's hero in Reacher history, to the point where many Reddit threads were dedicated to mourning her absence in season 4.

However, the move to give her her own spinoff has been a wise one. Neagley effortlessly carries on the same vibe, emotion and expectation we have from the main series, and the exploration of Neagley's personal backstory — which finally solves a huge mystery — doesn't disappoint.

In my mind, Amazon would be incredibly silly not to greenlight Neagley season 2 in the next few weeks. While it's still too early to tell exactly how many viewers will be tuning in, that number is like to be a high one. Add in how much the streamer is already invested in the Reacher IP, and you've got a surefire success.

The wait to find out if Neagley season 2 will happen is a frustrating one, so I've chosen to get a jump-start. Luckily, creator Nicholas Wootton and the show's lead cast all know what they want from future episodes... and their ideas couldn't sound more exciting.

'This is where we develop our future seasons'

"I hope we get to dig deeper into the relationships and emotionality of the show," Neagley star Maria Sten tells me.

"We have so many great action sequences in this show, and if we get another season, I want to build on that... make it even bigger. Continue to develop these characters, get them into trouble, and get them to face the consequences of their emotional problems."

Sten knows exactly which beats to hit, but she's not the only one we'd need to consider in a second season. In the final moments of the season finale, Renee (Adeline Rudolph) and Keno's (Jasper Jones) romantic relationship is tentatively cemented — so we're only just starting to scratch the surface of what's between them.

"I think for Renee, there's still a lot of unanswered questions," Rudolph says. "I personally have them too, and I'm so excited to find out about them. And to see what the next adventure is."

Jones agrees, "I kind of want to leave things open because I want to be surprised. I want to keep giving something new. Maria has done such a beautiful job of that in reprising this character... now that she has her own show, she has to bring something new to the table. I would like to hold that torch and bring that forward."

For Wootton, what season 2 holds is much more straightforward. "I've always seen Neagley as being a Chicago-centric show with a team," he explains. It differentiates from Reacher in that it has a home base and a consistent group. That means we can explore more about her psychology and movement forward.

"She's never been in love, had a first dance... all of these sorts of things. Then you've got the richness of Chicago's own crime history. It's fascinating. This is where we develop our future seasons."

Yes, I transcribed that correctly: future seasons, plural. This lot are clearly on a mission, and I'm keeping everything crossed that they'll be successful.

Lanterns' endgame is fast approaching. Only three more episodes remain of the increasingly popular DC Universe (DCU) TV show's debut season, so it won't be long before it departs our screens.

Right now, though, all eyes are on episode 6, which will reunite us with John Stewart, Hal Jordan, Kerry Kane, and other characters 10 years after last week's explosive episode.

Heading into this week's chapter, titled 'Bad Optics', there are five specific questions that need to be addressed, including one that's cast a large shadow over the HBO TV Original since its premiere. Full spoilers immediately follow for Lanterns up to and including episode 5.

1. What are John Stewart and Hal Jordan up to in 2026?

We already know what happened to the Rushville residents who survived the devastating events of last week's episode.

Indeed, as Lanterns episode 1's time jump revealed, Sheriff Kerry Kane stuck around as the town's primary law enforcer. Meanwhile, her son Noah is sure to have remained, while a teaser for Lanterns episode 6 confirmed that Bill Macon stayed put despite his father's death, and the decimation of his and his family's community. But, what happened to the sci-fi crime show's lead duo in John Stewart and Hal Jordan?

Where Jordan is concerned, the episode 6 teaser heavily implies that he and Kane got together. After all, Kane wouldn't say "he came back for me" if they hadn't become romantically entangled in the years since the Battle of Rushville. That would also mean that, at some point, Kane and Macon's marriage ended, so it'll be interesting to see when that occurred, and how long it took for Jordan and Kane to become an item.

Furthermore, I'm intrigued to see what kind of life Jordan has made for himself in Rushville. Given his involvement in episode 5's destructive events, he won't be on any of the townsfolks' Christmas card lists. Stripped of his ring and identity, though, I'm fascinated to learn if he's mellowed out since we last saw him and if he's learned to appreciate the smaller things in life.

As for Stewart, he seemingly departed for pastures new after walking away from becoming Earth's next Green Lantern. So, where is he now? And what's he been doing for the last decade?

If the DCU Chapter One TV show takes cues from his comic book history, I suspect he'll not only return to his artistry-based roots, but he'll have also turned his number one passion into a career and become a successful architect. Additionally, I'm willing to be bet he's settled down in one of DC's famous fictional cities, such as Metropolis, rather than back at home where he'll likely have incurred the wrath of his pushy parents. Hey, they won't be happy that he turned his back on his (read: their) Green Lantern dream!

Of course, we know Stewart will be pulled back to Rushville not after Jordan is mysteriously killed (more on this later) but, as Lanterns' midseason trailer confirms, prior to his death. I imagine that his architectural career will last as long as his military one did, then, once he starts to investigate Jordan's death.

2. Why is there a Green Lantern beacon in the center of Rushville?

Another thing teased in Lanterns' episode 6 preview was the unexpected appearance of a Green Lantern beacon in the center of Rushville.

Considering the disdain that its residents have for Stewart and Jordan, why would they erect something like this in their town? Or, more likely, did Guy Gardner — aka the DCU's current human Green Lantern — install it, and why was he allowed to (if at all) by Rushville's community? Furthermore, is its design supposed to poke fun at a certain Gotham City vigilante's own light-based signal?

Gardner is finally set to appear in the HBO Max TV show in this week's episode, so I'm sure we'll get answers from him — or someone else — shortly.

3. Who killed Hal Jordan...

One of the biggest unresolved mysteries at the heart of this season's 2026 storyline, we need answers — or, at the very least, clues — about who apparently murdered Hal Jordan.

Frankly, I don't think we'll find out who did the deed in this week's episode. Lanterns' final three chapters will largely revolve around this whodunit, so I highly doubt we'll learn the culprit's identity until the season finale.

Nonetheless, there are myriad potential candidates. In my view, Bill Macon is an obvious choice. There's also an increasingly popular theory circulating online that Noah was responsible. Then there's the possibility that Jordan was killed by someone we haven't met yet.

Hopefully, 'Bad Optics' will start to thin out the crowd of would-be murderers. That is, unless Jordan isn't actually as dead as we've been led to believe...

4. ...and is he really dead?

Ever since Jordan's death was revealed in Lanterns episode 1, some viewers have refused to accept that he's actually shuffled off this mortal coil. After last week's episode, they might have a point, too.

Indeed, the above screenshot, which quickly made the rounds online following episode 5's release, appears to indicate that the Jordan we've followed through Lanterns' 2016 storyline is a clone. That much appears to be clear by the subtitles in the aforementioned screengrab.

Now, it's entirely possible that, during the post-production process, someone made a mistake with these subtitles and the error wasn't picked up before episode 5 was completed. If that's the case, this isn't a Jordan clone, which would mean he's dead and gone.

On the other hand, if this is a clone, it would imply that the Hal-O-Gram — ie the digital backup of Jordan's consciousness, which lives inside his ring — is the real Jordan, and would mean he's technically still alive. That would be a huge twist that very, very few people would have seen coming.

Again, it's likely this won't be revealed until Lanterns episode 8, so I don't anticipate a definitive answer will be given when 'Bad Optics' premieres on some of the world's best streaming services. At any rate, I hope we'll get a hint or two that Jordan might yet be alive. If nothing else, it'll keep fans guessing for a couple more weeks.

What happened to Hal Jordan's Green Lantern ring?

With Jordan no longer being in possession of his ring, and Stewart giving it back to the Guardian of the Universe known as Lianna in episode 5, where is it now?

The logical answer is it was gifted to Gardner when he became Earth's latest Green Lantern. However, some fans have pointed out that there slight differences between Jordan and Gardner's rings, which suggests that the latter has a different one to his predecessor.

If Gardner's ring is a different one, it begs the question: who's got Jordan's ring now? Jordan doesn't have it, because Stewart checks his former mentor's right hand for the cosmic weapon and quickly realizes that Jordan isn't wearing it.

So, was it stolen by whoever apparently killed Jordan? Has Jordan locked it away somewhere safe, such as the pocket universe-based vault that Jordan kept his Lantern battery in back in Coast City? Or did the Guardians keep it once Stewart gave it back to them? All could be revealed very soon.

For now, find out why recent comments made by the head of HBO have got me fearing the worst about Lanterns season 2.

• Disney+ has rolled out a new Playlists feature
• The feature groups movies and series by genres, franchises, characters, or moods, providing a continuous, 'lean-back' viewing experience
• You can also pause, rewind, and skip to the next title

Disney+ just rolled out a feature that could help put an end to incessantly browsing for a movie or TV show to watch — and it’s made one of the best streaming services even better.

The new Playlists feature, which has rolled out to Disney+ subscribers globally, is a collection of titles grouped by a specific genre, franchise, character, or mood. It's designed to give you an even more relaxed way to browse for movies and shows, allowing you to — as Disney puts it — enjoy a "lean-back viewing experience". So, if you’re after an action blockbuster or can’t decide on which Pixar movie to reminisce in, Playlists have your back.

I know what you’re thinking, ‘Disney+ already has themed Collections’ — and you’re right, it certainly does. But these new Playlists have a more of an edge over those standard Collections.

While Collections are mini hubs that group titles around a character, franchise, or theme, Playlists builds on this by offering a continuous viewing experience with playback controls to ensure you’re still the boss. For example, if you’re feeling a comedy movie, hit ‘Play’ on the ‘Comedy Movies’ playlist and a title will start playing at random — removing the time you would’ve spent searching individual categories.

That said, it doesn’t mean you’ll be forced to watch the first movie the playlist decides to show. Each playlist has its own controls allowing you to pause, rewind, and skip to the next title in the sequence. Additionally, Disney says that seasonal Playlists will become available throughout the year, so expect to see Halloween- and festive-themed collections.

However, Playlists aren't just about moods, there’s already a fair few collections dedicated to TV shows, including Modern Family, The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and my personal favorite, Family Guy. Essentially, these Playlists are like non-stop, 24-hour live channels dedicated to individual shows, except you have more freedom to skip.

I have severe indecisiveness issues just as much as the next person, and though I’m subscribed to Disney+, it’s definitely not my most-used streaming service — and that's largely due to how its search hub is designed. I was one click away from canceling, but Playlists could be the one feature that makes me stick around for a bit longer.

I’ve been playing around with Playlists just to get a feel for it, and from what I’ve seen so far, I’m quite impressed, especially with the TV show-themed ones. Hitting ‘Play’ on the Family Guy playlist starts a continuous run of random episodes, and you don’t have to do anything as much as lift the remote to stream an episode after another finishes — it’s literally my dream feature.

Disney+ could really be onto something here, and I hope that as time passes more themed Playlists are added (please, just give me the Glee and Desperate Housewives Playlists I’m urgently yearning for).

But Disney+ can’t get all the credit. Netflix released a similar feature years ago called Play Something, which was basically a shuffle feature that played a random movie or TV episode when you couldn’t decide on what to watch. However, low user engagement resulted in its short lifespan.

On paper it was a solid idea, but I think one of the reasons why it didn’t last very long was because Play Something didn’t divide titles into categories, and you got what you were given. Whereas with Disney+, narrowing down titles by genre, show, and character at least gives you some kind of a starting point.

I think Disney already has the edge over Netflix for this very reason, and there are plenty of choices at hand. I just hope that Disney+ continues to invest in this tool so it doesn’t join Play Something in the graveyard of streaming features.

MobLand season 2 makes its debut on Paramount+ very soon — and, if you've read my five-star review, you'll know that you're in for an absolute treat.

In short, it's a chaotic masterclass in storytelling. Season 2 picks up Conrad's (Pierce Brosnan) feud with Kevin (Paddy Considine) as it ramps up a notch, embroiling new 'fixer' Frankie (Johnny Flynn) in their mess. Frankie is acting on behalf of the Harrigan's arch-rival Kat (Janet McTeer), who is trying to take control of London from a distance.

This leaves Harry (Tom Hardy) having to clean up even more mess than before, particularly considering his and Jan's (Joanne Froggatt) impending divorce. On top of that, daughter Gina (Teddie Allen) has gone missing.

Just another average day with this lot, eh? Even with the above onslaught of drama, one thing that's still not sunk in after two years of watching is just how much deadly, explicit swearing there is. Weaponised by a former James Bond and a Dame, no less.

With so many See You Next Tuesdays flying about — I did count, and there's four from Conrad in season 2 episode 1's opening six minutes — I asked the young cast members if it's any less surreal watching Brosnan and Mirren at work.

As it turns out, they're much more at ease with the insults than I am... but they're all leading to something even more unhinged.

'You ain't seen nothing yet'

"I think I'm so used to it," Mandeep Dhillon, who plays Seraphina Harrigan, told me, before Allen added: "I think I feel desensitised to it. We get so much, and then when we're doing the extra takes for scenes, it's like a second language."

Anson Boone, who plays grandson Eddie Harrigan, interjected: "I'm desensitised to the swearing, but not the fact that I'm in scenes with them. That is still mad to me. I was a little boy who would watch them in films, and to think that I'm now playing a family with them is still a bit mental."

Watch any episode of MobLand and you won't see a trace of being starstruck in Boone's performance. However, you will notice that Eddie and his grandmother Maeve (Mirren) have a fairly bizarre relationship.

While they rarely cross paths, their time together is charged with an underlying chemistry that borders on Oedipus levels of uncomfortableness. According to Boone, the outlandish swearing is only a gateway for more of those scenes this season... and they go even further.

"Keep tuning into season 2 because things just get weirder and weirder," he teased. "You ain't seen nothing yet. In season 1, we were all getting to know each other, so to then come back for season 2, you have that added level of comfort. We're all pals now.

"It's so exciting when you get to read a really meaty, shocking or strange scene... and then getting to play that out with a national treasure like Dame Helen Mirren is surreal, but amazing."

If I could sum up what's to come in three words, meaty, shocking and strange is also what I'd choose. Without giving anything away, keep your eyes particularly peeled for episode 3.