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Tag: HBO

  • Barry’s Patrick Fischler Knows Why Cousineau Spilled the Beans to Vanity Fair

    Barry’s Patrick Fischler Knows Why Cousineau Spilled the Beans to Vanity Fair

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    Patrick Fischler jumped at the chance to play a role on the final season of Barry. “I got a call just from my rep saying, ‘Hey, do you want to do this arc on Barry?’ And my answer before I even saw what it was was yes, because it’s Barry,” he says. Little did he know at the time that he’d be playing the part of journalist Lon O’Neil, who works for a little magazine called Vanity Fair. Ever heard of it? 

    Over the course of three episodes, we see Lon track down Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler)—who, despite strict instructions to the contrary, can’t help but tell the twisted story of his relationship with Barry (Bill Hader) to Vanity Fair. Unfortunately for Lon, his dedication to the craft of journalism sends him right into the clutches of Detective Jim Moss (Robert Wisdom), who uses his powers of interrogation and intimidation to infiltrate Lon’s brain, effectively killing the Cousineau story and leaving Lon a German-speaking shell of a man. “Who the hell knows what Jim did in that garage to this guy?” Fischler says. “In my mind, he’s mush…. I think Lot O’Neil leaves that house and gets on a plane and goes to Germany, and goes and lives among what he thinks are his people.”

    Fischler, a veteran actor who’s made memorable appearances on every show from Mad Men to Lost to Twin Peaks: The Return, says that Hader, who directed every episode of the final season of Barry, was one of the best he’s ever worked with. “I’ve worked with some incredibly prestigious, amazing directors that have been wonderful,” he said. “But Bill has just blown me away.”

    In a somewhat meta moment, fictional Vanity Fair writer Fischler chats with actual Vanity Fair about the trials and tribulations of being a journeyman actor, and how Lon O’Neil could afford a house with a pool on a print journalist’s salary.

    Vanity Fair: How did you prepare to take on this role of a lifetime?

    Patrick Fischler: They sent me a little blurb of what it was. [It] didn’t even say Vanity Fair, it said a reporter who needs to speak another language. I said, sure. And then I found out it was Vanity Fair, which I loved because I felt like you’re kind of clear who this guy is. It made it very specific for me, and I didn’t really need to do much. I had to then quickly learn German.

    How was that?

    That was the most challenging part of this whole thing, actually. German is not an easy language to quickly learn. I learned a little improv in German, because Bill lets us play after we shoot it. He’s so collaborative and so open. So I learned a little bit of extra lines in German so I could make sure that I could improv the scene. And of course the other people have no idea what I’m saying, which is brilliant.

    Do you know what you’re saying? Because I actually didn’t know what you’re saying either. 

    I think it’s literally “I have no idea who any of you are. I have to go back to my farm. I hope everyone’s okay.” It’s that kind of shit. He has no idea what’s going on. He has no idea any of these people are, and that’s what the lines are saying. I told Bill, “you guys should put subtitles.” He’s like, “nah.’ I think the whole idea is just that he’s just speaking German and they have no idea.

    Obviously, we think it’s fun that Lon works for Vanity Fair, but it seems to makes sense from a storytelling perspective as well.  

    Right away when we were rehearsing, I said, “I want him to be good at his job.” I think that’ll just make it more interesting. The fact that Bill picked Vanity Fair is…I mean, I think [Cousineau] is desperate for any spotlight he can find. But for a man like him, who’s always wanted to be on the cover, always wanted to be on that young Hollywood issue back in the ’90s—you know what I mean? That’s Cousineau.

    What was it like watching Henry Winkler perform his one-man play?

    It was amazing. Anyone you ever meet in your life will say this: Henry Winkler is the loveliest man in the world. He is a true mensch. On top of it, he’s so incredibly talented. So to have Bill write this amazing monologue for him, which, by the way, was much longer than they showed.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 5: Are Kendall and Roman Failing Upwards?

    ‘Succession’ Episode 5: Are Kendall and Roman Failing Upwards?

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    CE-Bros Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) notched a huge win for Waystar Royco on paper, but they certainly don’t feel like celebrating. In “Kill List,” the fifth episode of the final season of Succession, the whole Waystar Royco crew travels to Norway at the behest of GoJo CEO Lukas Mattson (Alexander Skaarsgard). Of course, things don’t go as planned when Mattson reveals that he wants to buy the entirety of Waystar Royco—including ATN.

    “My theory is that Matson’s company is maybe kind of a house of cards,” posits Richard Lawson on this week’s episode of Still Watching. “I’m wondering if something is about to collapse at his company and he needs something concrete to hold it up.” 

    While Mattson’s motivation for changing the terms of the deal are somewhat unclear, what is clear is that Kendall and Roman no longer want to the deal to go through. In a power-hungry move, Kendall convinces Roman to join him in his attempt to tank the GoJo deal so that the two of them can remain on the top of the Waystar Royco foodchain. However, the move blows up in their face when an emotional Roman tells off Mattson on the top of a mountain, spilling the beans that the brothers have zero intention of selling the company to him. Roman’s screed against Mattson was honest and fair, notes Still Watching co-host Chris Murphy, but he ultimately shot himself in the foot.

    Elsewhere, the Waystar Royco staff are reeling after Mattson’s team sends a list with names of Waystar employees who will likely not have a position if the deal goes through. Frank (Peter Friedman), Karl (David Rasche), and Hugo (Fisher Stevens) are all on the chopping block, but the women of Waystar Royco, specifically Karolina (Dagmara Dominczyk) and Gerri (J. Smith Cameron), live to fight another day. J. Smith Cameron also drops by Still Watching to discuss Gerri’s rollercoaster of a season at Waystar Royco, as well as the hat that she wore to Connor’s wedding—which started out as an idea from the lighting department. “I think a hat is sort of subliminally a kind of a statusy thing for a woman these days,” she said. “I thought of it a bit like, ‘I’m gonna show up in my finest and bluff this out.’”

    Halfway through the final season of Succession, it’s clear that it’s best to expect the unexpected when it comes to the Roy family. Listen to the latest episode of Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the fifth episode of Succession season four. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • Succession’s Zoe Winters Won’t Say If Kerry Loved Logan

    Succession’s Zoe Winters Won’t Say If Kerry Loved Logan

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    Kerry and her bangs have been through a lot on this season of Succession. From her botched ATN audition to the death of her boss-slash-boyfriend, Logan’s trusted assistant, played to precision by Zoe Winters, has been absolutely put through the wringer. “Until this point, she’s been this impenetrable, indomitable, inscrutable presence,” says Winters. “It’s been really, really satisfying to track her as she unravels in some sense.”

    In episode four of the final season of Succession, we see Kerry reach her breaking point in Logan’s foyer in a showdown with his widow, Marcia (Hiam Abbass). “One of the most painful things is that anything between them was always kept a secret,” says Winters about Kerry and Logan’s relationship. “Now, when she felt like maybe she was on the brink of being able to have more real estate in her relationships, and in her position, and in her security, he dies, and she’s left without anything—and also left without the right to grieve publicly.” Below, Winters opens up  about Kerry’s season four arc, the similarities between Kerry and Marion Davies, and her own tiny apartment. 

    Vanity Fair: How real is the relationship between Kerry and Logan? Does she really love him, or was she in it for the money? 

    Zoe Winters: I think that I definitely have my views of what this relationship is. But for me, it’s been important to leave it up to the audience. Part of why this show is successful is that they don’t do any exposition. They’re not hand-holding the audience in any way. These cameras are just in the room, picking up these interchanges between people that would naturally occur. I think it creates this sense of anxiety, not having all the answers. But the reality of life is that we don’t have all the answers. So I’ve kind of kept my opinion out of it, just so I could give the audience the pleasure of deciphering their own ideas.

    I will say that I think that there’s real feelings there, whether those feelings are on a business level or on an intimate level. He’s the most powerful person in the room, and then the most powerful person in the room looks at you. You feel seen by the most powerful person in the room—what does that do to a person that hasn’t previously had that? I think that she comes from a background where maybe she’s been striving for that, and so she becomes addicted to the power and attention that she gets by his gaze being on her. 

    We talked a lot about Marion Davies, and the fallout that she had from when [William Randolph] Hearst died. He did so much for her career, and maybe also hindered her career. She wrote this letter to Charlie Chaplin’s wife about what it is that she gets from this dynamic. She said something to the point of feeling that being with him gives her worth, that she’s worth something to him. And if somebody this powerful finds worth and value in you, and you’re someone that is in need of that, it’s captivating and intoxicating. I think that that is what has happened to [Kerry] here. 

    With the absence of Logan, Marcia sends a lot of darkness her way. She actually sends Kerry into a taxi to the subway, to her little apartment.

    The thing where I actually relate most to Kerry is the fact that she has a tiny apartment. [Laughs.] So much of this episode is about, I think, landing. Where do people land after the king has fallen? What’s their place, and what’s their value and what’s their worth? Kerry has really lost the sole being that has kept her in the room. And so you can be as mean to Kerry as you want, because she is now rendered powerless.

    It’s such a ferocious line. And Marcia’s had her moments of being humiliated and being betrayed. Everyone has carried the feeling of being broken by him, so then they pass on that torch to someone else. One of the most painful things for me about this episode for Kerry is that whatever the relationship was, she had hoped for some formal arrangements and some agreements and some sort of legalizing that she would have security in her future. [She’s] trying to salvage anything that would promise that.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 4: Shiv and Kendall Face the Future

    ‘Succession’ Episode 4: Shiv and Kendall Face the Future

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    Just when you think the Roys have been through it all, another surprise comes their way. In the opening moments of “Honeymoon States,” episode four of Succession’s fourth season, Shiv (Sarah Snook) takes a call from her doctor the morning after her father’s death, confirming that she’s pregnant. 

    In real life, Snook revealed at the Succession premiere that she’s also expecting a baby—leading Still Watching hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy to wonder whether life merely imitates art, or if Shiv’s pregnancy was by design. But either way, this development works for the show, complicating not only Shiv’s ambitions but also her relationship with Tom (Matthew Macfadyen).

    Shiv’s major news has to take a back seat, though—because, as always on Succession, there’s business to attend to. Most of the action of the episode centers around a single pencil mark on a page, as Frank, Gerri, Karl, and the Roy siblings try to determine whether Logan (Brian Cox) meant to underline that he wanted Kendall (Jeremy Strong) to take over as CEO in the case of his untimely demise, or if he meant to cross Kendall’s name out entirely. “The point is that we’re never gonna know,” notes Lawson. “The point is the ambiguity, which leads to this polite-ish war of the wills in terms of who’s gonna step up.”

    Somewhat miraculously, the two who are chosen by the episode’s end are Kendall and Roman. For all his foibles leading up to this moment, Kendall seems to be shining in the wake of his father’s death, stepping up to the plate in a way that previously seemed impossible for the prodigal son. “Kendall is really clicking in this episode, despite him still seeming very fraught,” Lawson says, though he still thinks something more nefarious might be at play. “I think Kendall is gonna become his father—like, his father’s ghost is gonna possess him,” he adds, pointing to the end of the episode—when Kendall asks Hugo to tarnish his father’s legacy.

    Elsewhere in the Still Watching episode, Lawson and Murphy talk to public relations maven Risa Heller about how she’d advise the fictional Roy family in the aftermath of Logan’s death. “What I would say is, they would have to either say immediately, here’s who’s running the company in the interim, or announce the new governance structure,” she says, noting how bizarre it was that Shiv gave a public statement right after her father died. 

    “That, to me, was an insane thing to do,” Heller says. “Because first of all, practically, if you’re a human and your parent dies, who wants to go stand in front of 20 cameras and microphones to be like, ‘Our father died’? It’s a very weird thing to do, number one. Number two, there was no need for them to actually do that. They could have just put out a statement.” 

    Unfortunately, it looks like the PR foibles are just beginning for the growing Roy family. Listen to the latest episode of Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the fourth episode of Succession season four, and how the Roys handled the aftermath of their father’s death. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • A ‘Harry Potter’ TV series is coming, with J.K. Rowling as executive producer – National | Globalnews.ca

    A ‘Harry Potter’ TV series is coming, with J.K. Rowling as executive producer – National | Globalnews.ca

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    Is the new Harry Potter TV series a celebration of legacy or a cursed idea? It depends on who you ask.

    The much-beloved story of the “Boy Who Lived” from controversial writer J.K. Rowling has been officially green-lit for television by the streaming service Max, formerly HBO Max.

    Billed as a “faithful” retelling of Rowling’s original seven books, the live-action series will be released across the span of a decade, with a new cast of actors in the leading roles.

    Read more:

    Arnold Schwarzenegger terminates huge pothole that wasn’t actually a pothole

    Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced the project on Wednesday, in tandem with a declaration that HBO Max would merge with Discovery+.

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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o07u0uKkV_g

    “The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years,” reads a statement from Max.

    The streaming platform promised the TV series would be produced with the “same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.”

    “Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”

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    Prince Harry to attend King Charles’ coronation – without Meghan Markle

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    Rowling is labelled an executive producer on the production. In a statement of her own, Rowling said, “Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series.”

    Reaction to the announcement has been mixed, with many condemning Rowling’s involvement. In recent years, Rowling has come under fire for her outspoken views on transgender rights. (In 2020, Rowling described transgender hormone therapy as a “new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people.”)


    Click to play video: 'J.K. Rowling responds to backlash triggered by transphobic tweets'


    J.K. Rowling responds to backlash triggered by transphobic tweets


    Harry Potter movie actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have previously spoken out against Rowling’s views.

    Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, told The Hollywood Reporter that Rowling’s “insights will be helpful” in creating the TV series.

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    “We are in the Harry Potter business. The TV show is new and exciting, but we’ve been in the Harry Potter business for 20 years; this isn’t a new decision,” he said. “We’re comfortable being in the Potter business. J.K. is a very online conversation.… It’s very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into. Our priority is what’s onscreen. The Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive about love and acceptance, and that’s our priority, what’s on the screen.”

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    Regardless, the reaction from Harry Potter fans online has been less than stellar.

    Entertainment podcaster Dave Gonzales said the series makes way for “ten years of press events dragging (Rowling’s) anti-trans agenda back into the news cycle.”

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    The Harry Potter franchise of books, movies, video games and more is estimated to be worth US$25 billion.

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    The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997. The seventh book that concluded the series was released in 2007. The eight films in the series’ movie franchise were released between 2001 and 2011.

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    In the years since, Warner Bros. has released a trilogy of Fantastic Beasts films starring Eddie Redmayne. The stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which launched with a new story from Rowling in 2016, has also been mounted across the globe.

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    This year, the video game Hogwarts Legacy earned more than US$850 million in global sales, despite calls to boycott the game over Rowling’s financial benefit.

    The cast of actors and writers involved with the new Harry Potter series has yet to be released.

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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    Sarah Do Couto

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  • HBO Max To Relaunch as ‘Max’ and Integrate Discovery Content | Entrepreneur

    HBO Max To Relaunch as ‘Max’ and Integrate Discovery Content | Entrepreneur

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    HBO Max is nixing the HBO and relaunching simply as Max, Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Wednesday at a press event. The service will officially launch on May 23, 2023.

    “This new brand signals an important change from two narrower products, HBO Max and Discovery+, to our broader content offering and consumer proposition,” said Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO of global streaming and games, JB Perrette, at the press event. “While each product offered something for some people, Max will have a broad array of quality choices for everybody.”

    HBO Max subscribers will have their accounts updated to the new service in May with the option of adjusting their subscription. The cost of Max will remain at $16 a month (the current cost of HBO Max’s ad-free subscription), but will also have other tier options ranging from Max Ad Lite ($9.99 a month), Max Ad Free ($15.99), and Max Ultimate Ad Free ($19.99 a month).

    The Max Ultimate Ad Free option is new. Unlike the other two subscriptions, which include access to two concurrent streams and 1080p resolution, Max Ultimate Ad Free includes access to four concurrent streams and up to 4K UHD resolution.

    Related: Warner Bros. Inflated HBO Max Subscriber Numbers Ahead of Discovery Merger, Lawsuit Alleges

    In regard to the rebrand and name change, Perrette noted that it wants to expand its viewership to “kids and families.”

    “We all love HBO. And it’s a brand that has been built over five decades to be the edgy, groundbreaking trendsetter in entertainment for adults,” she said at the event. “But it’s not exactly where parents would most eagerly drop off their kids.”

    Max will offer the same HBO originals such as “The White Lotus” and “Euphoria” as well as familiar collections such as the DC Universe and Harry Potter. However, the new service will also incorporate Discovery’s slate of shows ranging from true crime and food programming to reality favorites like “90 Day Fiance.”

    Prior to the official announcement, Julia Alexander, director of strategy at research firm Parrot Analytics, told The New York Times that the merger would likely increase user engagement by incorporating more variety apart from HBO’s series-driven content.

    “You’re opening HBO Max once a week and might not open it up for the rest of the week,” Alexander told the outlet. “They want you to open it two, three or four times a week. Unscripted programming creates that increased engagement.”

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    Madeline Garfinkle

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 3: Logan Roy Has Left the Building

    ‘Succession’ Episode 3: Logan Roy Has Left the Building

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    The unimaginable has finally occurred. Logan Roy, the unblinking, ferocious patriarch of the Roy family masterfully played by Brian Cox, drops dead at the beginning of the third episode of the final season of Succession.  

    On this week’s episode of Vanity Fair’s television-analysis podcast, Still Watching, hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy process what Logan’s death means for the Roy family, Waystar RoyCo, and the series as a whole. “It’s HBO’s playbook. We’ve seen the Red Wedding. We know that they like to sort of pull the rug out from under us when we least expect it with major character deaths,” Murphy notes. “But for Logan to die [during] episode three of a 10-episode final season? I was not emotionally prepared for it to happen.” 

    Logan’s death was both rather quick and undignified, with his heart stopping on the toilet of his private jet. “What I love about this episode artistically is the choice that Jesse Armstrong, who wrote the episode, made to have this death so unceremonial, so off-camera,” says Lawson. “That’s how it is for a lot of people in life. You get a phone call while you’re distracted by something else.”

    That something else happened to be Connor’s yacht wedding to Willa, played by Justine Lupe. Lupe dropped by Still Watching to chat with Vanity Fair Hollywood correspondent Julie Miller about Willa’s big day, her cold feet, and shooting the final season of Succession. “I just thought that it was incredibly sweet, and loved that they were kind of alone [for the actual wedding],” Lupe said. “It felt intimate. I root for them.”

    While Connor experienced some modicum of joy on that fateful boat ride, his siblings were reeling processing the death of their father, each in their own way. “For each of the siblings, the biggest person in their lives is Logan, right? The towering monster-daddy figure,” says Murphy. “To burst that bubble with [Logan’s] death…they all sort of didn’t think that was ever gonna happen, even though it was always going to happen. That’s the thing about our human emotions and our brains—we can hold these two things to be true that are contrasting and conflicting. Of course he was gonna die, but he was also never going to die.”

    In any case, it’s clear that the Roy family will never be the same after the events that transpired around “Connor’s Wedding.” Listen to Still Watching to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the third episode of Succession season four and what’s to become of the Roy family. For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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    Chris Murphy

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 3 Recap: No, We Are Not OK After That Shocking Death

    ‘Succession’ Episode 3 Recap: No, We Are Not OK After That Shocking Death

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    I found the episode darkly hilarious because neither the siblings nor the extended folks in Logan’s camp know what to do with themselves without him. For the siblings particularly, hating their dad — and simultaneously wanting to impress their dad — was their entire personality. — Candice

    It’s a testament to the brilliance of the show that I found myself laughing. Of course, they would find a way to make this funny, like when the siblings are all debating whether the big man is in fact dead.

    Few shows have this level of precision in the acting, the writing, the camera angles, the attention to detail in the way each and every shot is framed, what’s said, what isn’t said, what’s shown, what isn’t shown, everything! I cannot stop marveling at the consistency and specificity of, for instance, how each sibling’s reaction to the news is exactly what you’d expect, as you said, Candice. Also, in their responses and the way they talk to Logan at the very end, we see how emotions and vulnerability remain, as ever, so foreign to them. When they say the words, it’s like they’re trying on something that doesn’t fit and quickly taking it off. — Marina

    I found that especially to be true about Roman, who cannot cope. And Kieran Culkin was such a standout in this episode. — Candice

    Yes, incredible work! When he’s on the phone with Logan at the end, it seems like he might actually say the words: “I love you.” But he doesn’t even attempt to get it out, and then throws the phone down. “No, sorry, I don’t know how to do that!” Just an incredible performance.

    As always, none of the Roy siblings “know how to do” emotions, and each of those actors just plays that so brilliantly in their own specific ways. — Marina

    When Kendall says, “I can’t forgive you,” I lost it. The emotion in that moment for me was so much. And then I think he says I love you at some point. By this time, I was like, Y’ALL NEED TO GO GET SHIV. And then I was like, oh, and I guess Connor too. Damn, even I forget about the eldest son. — Erin

    Connor is extremely forgettable. — Candice

    I also thought Matthew Macfadyen gave an incredible performance in the episode. He somehow managed to keep calm amid the chaos, which I feel like we often see Tom railing on Greg or being flustered going at it with Shiv, so this was a nice side to see of him. — Erin

    Though, he does still manage to make fun of Cousin Greg (and then apologizes quietly).

    “What’s at the bottom of your stocking, Greg, huh? An old guy who fucking hated you!”

    “Tom, man. Easy, dude!” — Marina

    The moment when Shiv kind of lets her head fall on Tom’s chest was really interesting to me. Then, seconds later, she pulls away. — Candice

    When Shiv asked Tom, “Are you just being nice to me?” I knew it was serious. Like…these people are not poster children for altruism in the slightest. And when Connor said, “He never even liked me,” my heart lowkey shattered. Lest we forget Roman’s last words to his father being, “Are you a cunt?” That would haunt me forever.

    Then, when he expressed to Gerri that he was sad — a first for him — she was basically unaffected, because they fired her mere minutes before. The writers, cast and crew did an excellent job of conveying the sheer mayhem and grief that transpires when you receive that type of call regarding a loved one.

    Seeing each sibling process their grief and trauma in that moment was heart-wrenching. It’s episodes like this that are the reason I’m a TV gal over a film gal. (Sorry not sorry.) In a mere hour, they’ve managed to convey more emotion and tell a compelling story better than some of these ridiculous 3-hour films. I couldn’t look away. — Ruth

    Also, I highly recommend everybody go watch that post-episode feature on HBO Max. The director of this episode, Mark Mylod, explains how they pulled off you-know-what sequence in the middle, and it’s absolutely astonishing. Kieran Culkin describes it as, like, “a one-act play on a boat,” and it truly is. — Marina

    I’m kind of in the minority here that I don’t feel any substantial empathy or grief for any of these characters, because I don’t think it’s real in the way that people normally grieve — at the loss of somebody. So, when Connor said that his dad never really liked him, I immediately thought, “Yes, finally, the truth. That is a true thing he said, and I wish all the siblings would come to this realization.” — Candice

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  • 14 Of The Best And Most Obscure Secrets We Spotted In The Super Mario Bros. Movie

    14 Of The Best And Most Obscure Secrets We Spotted In The Super Mario Bros. Movie

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    Photo: Illumination

    I watched The Super Mario Bros Movie during its opening week with the intent of writing this Easter eggs and references article, only to realize that the movie is nothing but Easter Eggs and references. A thorough roundup would be indistinguishable from a wholesale rundown of the entire movie.

    The plot for The Super Mario Bros Movie is paper-thin. Narratively, the characters are static bordering on inert; there’s no arc or growth to any of them. It’s just one action set piece to the next; your enjoyment is intimately tied to your pre-existing knowledge of these characters and your ability to recognize a parade of homages to Nintendo history.

    It is, in other words, narratively identical to a Mario 2D platformer. Critics are complaining about the lack of characterization and depth in the Mario movie. But to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, there is no “there” there. We needn’t be so harsh.

    Unlike HBO’s The Last of Us, which took its game’s cinematic aspirations to their logical conclusion, the Mario franchise’s brilliance has never been the Plot; it’s been the gameplay. It’s been that perfect blend of inventive, instructive level design and hairpin controls.

    Take that away, and we’re left with a reel of Easter eggs, which is exactly how this movie was intended. Here are 20 of the best ones that we spotted. Which one was your favorite?

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    Kevin Wong

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  • Euphoria’s Costume Designer Heidi Bivens Brings Her Vision to the Page

    Euphoria’s Costume Designer Heidi Bivens Brings Her Vision to the Page

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    When you think of HBO’s drama series Euphoria, fashion is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. Matching sets, head-to-toe sequins, and Y2K aesthetics have become synonymous with the show, which first premiered in 2019. And that’s all thanks to its costume designer, Heidi Bivens.

    As a former fashion stylist and market editor, she understands the seamless relationship between costume design and high fashion. And if you watch the show, you can tell. Now, with her new book, aptly titled Euphoria Fashion, she’s giving fans a peek at the behind-the-scenes process of creating some of the show’s most iconic looks.

    Published this week by A24 Books, Euphoria Fashion includes one-on-one interviews with Bivens and main members of the cast—including Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, and Alexa Demie—as they reflect on their characters’ personal style and evolution. Each outfit is given its just due as Bivens discusses every detail—from Maddy’s go-to accessories to Kat’s corset bustiers. For the fashion savant, designers like Jeremy Scott, Arianne Phillips, Arnaud Vaillant, and Sébastien Meyer are also featured in the book in a series of essays and Q&As.

    Bivens spoke to ELLE.com about bringing her vision to the page, the trends that she’s been able to spotlight on the show, and what we can expect from season three.

    HBO

    Why did you decide to write Euphoria Fashion?

    A24 approached me and invited me to do it. I hadn’t even thought about pitching a book like this to them or to anyone, so this was a welcome surprise. Then I started doing research to find other examples of books written by costume designers and I had a really hard time finding good examples. Obviously, there have been books written before about costume design, but in my opinion, none quite like this.

    In the book, you feature interviews with the show’s makeup artists, fellow designers, and even with the actors themselves. It’s incredibly comprehensive and thorough. In that way, it feels unique.

    Thank you. It seems like during the pandemic, when everyone was at home watching films and television, people started to pay attention to costumes in a different way. I know this is a really welcome turn for everyone involved with costumes, because for so long, the work has not necessarily been recognized in a real way. Celebrity stylists dressing actresses for the red carpet have received more attention than costume designers. So I’m really hopeful that a new era of costume designers will get there due. Now I have aspirations to move on and to do different things like producing. I want to be the kind of producer that lifts costume designers up and really supports that department because I don’t think they often have advocates. It’s really rare that a producer comes along who actually cares about costumes and looks out for that department. So my main interest in doing this book, besides celebrating the show, was the idea that this could lead to opportunities for other designers.

    sydney sweeney

    Eddy Chen/HBO

    What did you want to make sure you included in this book that would differentiate it from others?

    Well, the idea of captions came from the design team and then I asked if we could shoot selected costumes on a light box. So that’s the still life that you’ll see in the book. I was then asked questions about each costume and I verbally dictated anecdotes. The anecdotes became an exciting part of the book because they really give a window into the whole minutiae and thought process behind choosing each costume and each item. Some have backstories and some have sentimental value to the cast members, so that was exciting. Anyone interested in costumes or the show could walk this road with me.

    You included a few mood boards in the book, and it was very cool to see the visual inspiration behind certain looks.

    I love that. I have mood boards from some of the actors too, which I had asked to include. I don’t know if it was a clearance thing, but for whatever reason they chose not to include them. But I plan on posting those at some point for the fans. They love to see the behind-the-scenes stuff more than anything.

    Since Euphoria premiered, are you surprised that the show has inspired so many different aesthetics and style moments?

    I could have never anticipated it. But in terms of trends, this stuff was already happening and I just had the amazing opportunity to showcase it on television. With an ensemble cast and with these different characters, giving them all their own identity was an accomplishment. And that was one of the most exciting parts about creating the look of the show. I also think the way that I approach costumes is different than a lot of other costume designers. Things are beginning to shift as contemporary costume designers connect to the fashion world. That’s something that I understood from the very beginning of my career because I was also a fashion stylist. So I’ve seen the history of fashion since I was old enough to be in the business. That’s really stayed with me. It’s the same as a period piece costume designer who studies history. I’ve studied fashion. So it’s just natural to me to want to include designers in a contemporary show like this.

    euphoria fashion

    Courtesy of A24.

    Speaking of fashion, in the book’s foreword, the designer Jeremy Scott said that you have “dual citizenship”—you’re part fashion and part costume design. Can you speak a bit more about how the two intersect in your work on Euphoria?

    Weirdly, there is such a divide between costume designers and fashion stylists and editors. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember. As a fashion stylist, I remember going to events and industry mixers with costume designers and it almost felt like they were intimidated by stylists and the fashion world, so they didn’t even try. And when I first started doing costumes for films, I approached it like an editorial request. I would make a market list and write down all the designers I thought would work for the characters. And I would send out requests. In the beginning, it was only the designers who I had a relationship with who would do me favors. They understood the value of putting their costumes on an actor in a movie. And that quickly changed. Editors, bloggers, and celebrity stylists were simultaneously starting to come up. Celebrity styling started to become this popular profession and people were paying more attention to what the actors were wearing on red carpets. Then over time, designers, brands, and [fashion] houses started to understand the value of putting their clothes on camera because that lasts forever. It can become something iconic. So I think people have started to understand this and are now much more willing to work with costume designers on contemporary stuff. It wasn’t always like that. Now, it seems so obvious, but for a while it was uncharted territory.

    Euphoria Fashion by Heidi Bivens

    Euphoria Fashion by Heidi Bivens

    Euphoria Fashion by Heidi Bivens

    You do a deep dive on each of the main character’s style in your book. Who was the most fun to look into?

    Whenever anyone asks me about favorites, it’s so hard. They’re all like my children. But if I had to pick, it would probably be Rue because she’s so central to the story. She’s not always the most dependable, but she’s the narrator and the main character that the story’s revolving around. Even though it’s an ensemble cast, there’s been so much thought put into Rue, maybe more than others, because she carries the show.

    Were all of the actors involved in their costumes from day one or did it evolve as the show progressed?

    It sort of waxed and waned. Sometimes I would have a lot of input from an actor and then sometimes I wouldn’t. Because of how the scripts were written between the first and second season, certain characters and storylines were focused on more than others at times. So that was a natural reason as to why I was a bit more collaborative with some of the actors more than others. But, for example, in the second season I worked with Sydney Sweeney a lot because Cassie had a lot of screen time. So it depends.

    hunter schafer

    Courtesy of HBO

    Have you already started working on season three?

    I haven’t read the scripts for season three yet, so I don’t have any idea where they’re going, but I have heard that the main characters aren’t in high school anymore. And that should be interesting to see how they evolve and change when they enter the real world. Are the costumes going to become more pedestrian and less exciting? I don’t know.

    For Euphoria fans, what do you hope to offer them with this book?

    The fans have really embraced this show. That’s been so moving to me. There’s a community who supports and believes in the show. This is a love letter to them.

    This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

    Headshot of Juliana Ukiomogbe

    Juliana Ukiomogbe is the Assistant Editor at ELLE. Her work has previously appeared in Interview, i-D, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and more.  

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  • ‘Succession’ Episode 2: What Is Logan Roy Sorry For, Really?

    ‘Succession’ Episode 2: What Is Logan Roy Sorry For, Really?

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    Are Shiv (Sarah Snook), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) playing hardball with the GoJo deal? Or are they potentially ruining everything out of spite for Logan (Brian Cox)? That’s the major question at the end of Succession season four, episode two, as the Roy children join forces with Sandi (Hope Davis) and Stewy (Arian Moayed) in a bid to drive their father back to the bargaining table with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) the day before the GoJo deal is supposed to go through. It also happens to be the day before Connor’s (Alan Ruck) wedding to Willa (Justine Lupe), who appears to be getting cold feet—although the Roy siblings barely have the capacity to pretend to care about Connor’s impending nuptials.

    On the latest episode of Still Watching, hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy try to suss out who on the show, if anyone, might have the purest intentions. “If anything, I trust Matsson more than anyone involved in the GoJo deal right now,” says Murphy. “He seems like, as Roman said last episode, a 4chan weirdo, but he does not seem like a liar.”

    Matsson makes it very clear to Kendall on the phone that if they try to renegotiate the terms of the sale, he’s going to walk. And yet, the Roy siblings—particularly Kendall and Shiv—seem more than happy to take that risk if it means they can squeeze a few more dollars out of him and hurt their father in the process. “I think the kids think they have him figured out better than Logan does,” says Lawson. “But I just don’t know that.”

    More surprising than Shiv and Kendall’s potentially reteaming with Sandi and Stewy to mess with their dad is the family’s heart-to-heart, and the location in which it transpires. In a private room at Maru, a swanky karaoke spot in New York’s Koreatown, Logan comes face-to-face with his children for the first time this season—and a lot of Logan’s bravado, demonstrated earlier in the episode on the floor of ATN, falls by the wayside. “We have seen some moments of emotional vulnerability on this show before—and in this season, maybe especially. But that scene felt like something new, where [Logan’s] walk-and-talk bluster is kind of gone,” notes Lawson. 

    In his own way, Logan tries to make amends with his kids. “There’s no amount of words that he could possibly say to apologize for everything that he’s put his kids through,” Murphy notes. “But they’re able to get at least a kernel of an apology.” Time will tell if it’s enough to keep them from blowing up his GoJo deal, but he seems to have made inroads with Roman at least. 

    But is Roman entertaining his father’s dangling ATN in front of him for the right reasons? Lawson isn’t so sure. “Maybe [Roman’s] just trying to hold the family together out of pure business
    interest,” Lawson notes. “I think these people are all capable of love, or finding it, but they have absolutely no idea what to do with the faintest shred of a sincere sentiment.”

    Joined by Vanity Fair political correspondent Bess Levin, Lawson and Murphy also delve into the real-life inspiration for the dysfunctional Roys—the Murdoch family—and the stark similarities between that media dynasty and its fictional counterpart. “There are so, so, so many similarities between these two families,” Levin says. “At the basic center of it, you have this patriarch running a global media empire. Rupert Murdoch has a child from his first marriage, Prudence,
    who has never worked for the business—a similarity to Connor Roy. And then from his
    second marriage, he has three children, Lachlan, Elizabeth, and James, who have all
    worked for him over the years and jockeyed for the top job in a very similar fashion to Kendall, Shiv, and Roman.”

    And as with the Roys, the interpersonal relationships between the Murdoch family members are decidedly messy. “I believe, at this point, the relationship between James and
    Lachlan is said to be pretty nonexistent,” Levin shares. “I believe somebody said that Prudence—the oldest one, the Connor of them all—she’s Switzerland.”

    Many questions loom heading into the third episode: Will the GoJo deal fall apart? Will Connor’s wedding? Listen below to hear Lawson and Murphy discuss the second episode of Succession season four and debate who won this week at Waystar Royco (as well as what songs the Roys would sing at karaoke). For your own questions, comments, and final-season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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  • ‘The Last of Us’ season 2 will be shot in Vancouver | Globalnews.ca

    ‘The Last of Us’ season 2 will be shot in Vancouver | Globalnews.ca

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    It appears that one of the biggest shows on TV is moving production to Vancouver.

    As first reported by Deadline, The Last of Us will be filming season 2 in the west coast province.

    “We’re incredibly excited to have one of the largest shows on television choose to film in Vancouver,” Mayor Ken Sim told Vancouver’s Economic Commission Friday.

    “Vancouver is Hollywood North – this announcement is a demonstration of our city’s continued strength in the film and television sector. As we look to the future, I’m confident that we will see even more productions decide to make their home here.”

    Global News has reached out to HBO and Creative BC for comment.


    Click to play video: 'Travel Alberta hopes ‘The Last of Us’ success leads to boom in tourism'


    Travel Alberta hopes ‘The Last of Us’ success leads to boom in tourism


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    ‘The Last of Us’: All the Alberta locations that got a dramatic makeover

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    The blockbuster hit’s first season was shot exclusively in Alberta starting in 2021 and used an astonishing 180 locations around the province, from Grande Prairie all the way down to Waterton Lakes National Park.

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    The City of Calgary said in a statement that it was notified Friday morning of the decision to move production to Vancouver.

    Global News reached out to one of the unions whose members worked on the show in Alberta and a spokesperson said a producer confirmed the news to them.

    They were not surprised, however, as the season two storyline is dependant on marine-based locals, which Alberta does not have.

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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  • Is ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Ending After Season 12?

    Is ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Ending After Season 12?

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    The odds that Curb Your Enthusiasm’s next season might be its last are pretty good. As filming on the upcoming 12th installment wraps, multiple social media posts hint that the end is near.

    Viewers were tipped off to this news in a fairly casual manner—namely, a pair of tweets.  “Maybe you love the show. Maybe you hate the show. Maybe you don’t give a shit. In any event, shooting the last scene of the last episode of the final season,” Curb writer producer Jon Hayman wrote Tuesday, in a since-deleted tweet that has been reviewed by Vanity Fair. An accompanying photo shows David and Heyman standing behind a monitor on set. 

    Curb executive producer and director Robert B. Weide also seemingly confirmed this news, tweeting: “1st day: March, 1998. Last day(?): March 27, 2023. These 25 years have flown by. Thank you, #LarryDavid. What a trip.” (VF has reached out to HBO reps for comment.)

    The show, which was renewed for a 12th season last August, stars David as an exaggerated, overtly tongue-in-cheek version of himself alongside Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove, Cheryl Hines, Richard Lewis, Vince Vaughn, and Ted Danson. An official premiere date for the new season has yet to be announced.

    So maybe Curb, like its HBO brethren Barry and Succession, plans to hang up its spurs soon. But then again, the series is prone to taking lengthy hiatuses; Curb could be simply, well, curbed for a period before making its triumphant return in the future. 

    Since the show first premiered on HBO in October 2000, it’s aired eleven seasons in fits and starts. It previously took its longest break between season 8, which aired in 2011, and season 9, which aired in 2017. Why did David return in the first place? “I do not know. I just wanted to do it again. A lot of people kept asking me . . . I thought, yes, I suppose I should do this,” David said at the time. He added, “Yeah, I did, I missed it . . . ’cause nothing else really gives me as much satisfaction as doing this.”

    Either way, David has filmed his character’s death scene, should the need arise. 

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  • ‘Succession’ Season Premiere Features Return Of Shadowy Dr. Succession Character

    ‘Succession’ Season Premiere Features Return Of Shadowy Dr. Succession Character

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    NEW YORK—In a dramatic twist that shocked viewers who had waited more than a year for a new episode of the HBO drama, Sunday’s season premiere of Succession featured an unexpected reappearance of the show’s shadowy Dr. Succession character. “Longtime fans of the series were appalled and delighted when its powerful but seldom-seen antagonist, the nefarious Dr. Succession, stepped out of the darkness in the warehouse to which he had lured the Roy family and let out one of his trademark cackles,” said TV critic Emily Barnes, who argued that the eponymous villain’s return had been subtly foreshadowed ever since Siobhan Roy pushed him into a volcano at the end of season two, leading her family to believe he had finally been vanquished. “The reemergence of the menacing psychologist and inventor who swore to wreak terrible vengeance on the Roys after their media empire inadvertently killed his wife is a welcome development for the new season. From the moment Dr. Succession revealed that he was Logan Roy’s evil twin brother as they did battle in their mech suits atop Waystar Royco headquarters, viewers have appreciated the Shakespearean dimensions of this nuanced character. In the early seasons, audiences tuned into Succession to see if the Roys could put aside their differences and harness the power of love to stop Dr. Succession when he strapped a bomb to the president of the United States or turned back time, causing Manhattan to be overrun with dinosaurs. One can only hope the show’s final season is a return to form in which Kendall, Shiv, Roman, and the rest of the crew face off against this chilling puppet master who seeks to rule the world with a bionic fist.” In a sneak peak of the season’s second episode, Dr. Succession is seen laughing hysterically as he tells the Roy family, “Now, my friends, it is you who will fuck off!”

    EPA Closes Down After Running Out Of Salvageable Environment To Protect

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  • ‘Succession’ Premiere: The Roy Children Finally Notch A Win Against Logan

    ‘Succession’ Premiere: The Roy Children Finally Notch A Win Against Logan

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    The Roy children are here to play ball. The first episode of Succession season four sees Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) aligned in their quest to take down Logan (Brian Cox), delivering the one-two punch of skipping Logan’s birthday party and scooping Pierce Media Group up under his very nose. On this week’s episode of Vanity Fair‘s television podcast Still Watching, hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy break down the unification of the Roy children, the end of Tom and Shiv’s marriage, and what exactly happened to Anne Pierce in Maine.  

    Before they can take on Papa Logan, the Roy children have to come up with—and dispense—their maybe terrible idea, The Hundred.  “Rather than deal with any of the way more pressing issues in their lives, they’re like ‘Oh, let’s start a made-up, fake, bullshit company that has no way of going anywhere,” notes Murphy. 

    But The Hundred, the Roy children’s new media venture—described as “Substack meets Masterclass meets The Economist meets The New Yorker”—is dead on arrival. “It fails ten minutes into the episode,” Lawson notes, while pointing out it’s shrewd satire of recent real-life media ventures like Semafor and CNN+. 

    The abandoned business also servers as table setting for the rest of the season. “It was eerily familiar,” says Lawson. “I think that it’s such a good characterization of exactly this kind of heir: not heir to just a static fortune, but heir to a business.” At first, the kids want to try to build something new. Then “they abandoned this kind of dumb rich kid idea, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re rich kids. Let’s just buy this show’s version of the New York Times.”

    Enter Nan Pierce, the owner of Pierce Media Group. Due to a tipoff from Tom, the Roy children learn that Logan is angling to buy it, and decide to get in the game. Played by Tony-winner Cherry Jones, Nan Pierce is diametrically opposed to Logan in her negotiation style, revealing something very true about a certain type of wealthy person . “It’s such a rich people thing to be like, ‘Oh, I don’t care about money. It’s beneath me.’ And it’s like, no, you’re lying,” Murphy notes. “That’s maybe all that you care about, actually.” 

    The Roy kids ultimately go head-to-head with their father for Pierce Media Group—and win with a bid of $10 billion. But will their high bid end up biting them in the ass?  Either way, it seems Nan Pierce needs the money if only to help cover “Anne’s disaster in Maine”—whatever that may be. “What was the disaster in Maine?” wonders Lawson. “Did she run over one of the Bushes in Kennebunkport on her wood-sided motor boat?” 

    In non-business dealings, Tom and Shiv seem to be at the end of the road when it comes to their marriage. Lawson appreciated the scene in which they appear to call it quits. “I thought that was pretty striking. I don’t think these are good people, just cause they had a moment of weakness and connection,” he says.“Throughout this episode there were moments that were careful to remind us that these are, at the end of the day, flesh and blood people—who, like Roman says, should probably be buying snowmobiles and sushi. Should just be enjoying themselves, but they can’t.” 

    But will the end of Tom and Shiv’s union affect Tom’s standing with Logan? If he is legally not married to Shiv any more, if there is no formal bond between them, what is Tom’s position at ATN? We’ll have to wait and see. 

    Listen below to hear Lawson and Murphy unpack the season premiere of Succession, and debate who will take over Waystar Royco by series end. For your own questions, comments, and final season theories, please email stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.

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  • Which ‘Succession’ Character Are You at Work and in the Office? | Entrepreneur

    Which ‘Succession’ Character Are You at Work and in the Office? | Entrepreneur

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    After four seasons of power plays, sibling rivalry and sharped-tongue sarcasm, Succession fans are finally waving farewell to the Roy family. But just because we’re saying goodbye to Cousin Greg, it doesn’t mean we won’t see another naive and awkward recent graduate by the office water cooler.

    Succession is rumored to be based on one famous media-conglomerate family — whose 92-year-old patriarch just announced his fifth engagement — but the characters of Succession might seem familiar to you in more ways than one.

    Related: What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from HBO’s Succession

    If you’re familiar with the show, you’ll recognize that each character represents a different archetype of leadership and teamwork, which we might see in our coworkers and bosses. Regardless of if you deal with an HR nightmare like Roman or aspire to have Shiv’s confidence, it’s hard to escape these Succession personalities in the workplace.

    Ahead of the season four premiere hitting HBO on March 26, see which Succession character most closely matches your office personality and working style.

    Logan Roy: The Authoritative General

    Image credit: Photo by V Anderson/WireImage/ Getty Images

    With a catchphrase like “f— off” Logan Roy’s leadership style needs no introduction. As the family patriarch and head of Waystar Royco, Logan leads with authority and expects those beneath him to be at his beck and call.

    The media mastermind is always three steps ahead and doesn’t waste time getting to business, as we saw during the season three finale when he wasn’t down for chitchatting with Lukas Matsson.

    Although Logan is aggressive and has a his-way-or-the-highway attitude, his background of solo entrepreneurship might influence why he doesn’t trust anyone but himself.

    “What I love about Logan is he’s self-made. Unlike Trump, Murdoch and Conrad Black he did it all himself,” actor Brian Cox said of his character, per The Guardian. “He’s a misanthrope, he’s kind of unhappy, and his curse is he loves his children. If he didn’t love his children life would be a lot easier.”

    Although there is something to be said about Logan’s strength and the power he has over others, his need for control and distrust of others are his fatal flaws.

    Connor Roy: The Egotistical Shaman

    Image credit: Photo by V Anderson/WireImage/ Getty Images

    Fans have seen Connor Roy, Logan’s eldest son, play the role of the family peacekeeper. The rancher doesn’t sweat the small stuff and would likely be the neutral coworker during times of conflict.

    Although Connor takes life day by day and has never had a real job, he’s always found himself at the top of the pyramid thanks to his birthright. Despite his typically laissez-faire attitude, he’ll never let you forget he is the eldest child and definitely has jealous tendencies.

    Although Connor isn’t exactly down to earth, his relaxed managerial style would give his employees free rein. Connor the employee might not get much done, but he’d keep the peace in the office and be the first one to show up for happy-hour drinks.

    RELATED: ‘The Single Dumbest Decision Made By Any Corporation’: HBO Max to Remove Dozens of Shows Starting This Week

    Kendall Roy: The Boardroom Vigilante

    Image credit: Photo by V Anderson/WireImage/ Getty Images

    Kendall Roy was once one of his father’s faithful soldiers, but he’s proved he isn’t afraid to step out of line.

    We’ve seen Kendall acquiesce to his dad, and we’ve also seen him attempt to branch out on his own and lead his own team. However, he quickly learned he was in over his head, even if he couldn’t admit it to himself.

    A Kendall-like employee might work the room in front of his bosses, but in reality, he’s the one organizing a union or secret revolt. This type of employee might think they can run the show better, but they don’t always have the chops to put their plan into action. They are also the type to be quite the virtue-signaler who advocates for the little guy, but whether their intentions are pure or not is up for debate.

    Roman Roy: HR’s Most Wanted

    Image credit: Photo by V Anderson/WireImage/ Getty Images

    Just like on the show, Roman Roy is the guy that everyone in the office loves — except for HR. Roman’s lighthearted approach to life attracts others who could use some comic relief during that mid-day slump.

    And although you can rely on him for a little tea or to keep it real with some office gossip, he secretly doesn’t loathe his job as much as he pretends to.

    His coworkers know they can count on him for some sarcasm, but his dry humor makes him a red flag to HR and others who follow rules by the book. A Roman-like employee colors outside the lines, but we love them for it.

    RELATED: 3 Leadership Takeaways from HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks: Detroit Lions’

    Siobhan Roy: The Not-So-Goody Two Shoes

    Image credit: Photo by V Anderson/WireImage/ Getty Images

    When we first met Siobhan Roy, she was a political strategist, but she eventually gave in and joined the family business.

    Shiv is calculated when it comes to making decisions, and she isn’t afraid to cheat a little to get what she wants. However, although Shiv presents herself with great confidence, her inner insecurities often get the better of her. She’s the coworker who seems buttoned up but will be the last one to leave happy hour.

    Tom Wambsgans: Platinum Holder of the Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card

    Image credit: Photo by V Anderson/WireImage/ Getty Images

    Your office Tom Wambsgans is the guy you work with, but you don’t actually know what he does or what his role is — but you can probably assume he’s not doing what he’s supposed to.

    Although Tom is your quintessential happy-go-lucky slacker, his tendencies never seem to catch up with him. Management appears to laugh off his mistakes, which others eventually have to pay the price for.

    Tom can be just as fun as your office Roman, but his antics tend to rub people the wrong way.

    RELATED: 7 Leadership Styles on Television Entrepreneurs Can Learn From

    Cousin Greg: The Personality Hire (Who’s Still Finding Their Personality)

    Image credit: Photo by V Anderson/WireImage/ Getty Images

    In the workplace and out of it, we all know a Cousin Greg. Lost, confused and finding his place in the office and the world at large, your Cousin Greg is young and has a lot to learn.

    This employee is probably HR’s one Gen Z hire, who they hoped would get the company TikTok off the ground — but Greg is too busy finding himself to put his best foot forward.

    Gerri Kellman: The Back Seat Manager

    Image credit: Photo by Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images

    Although she isn’t a Roy, Logan’s righthand woman has proved to be the most levelheaded person in the family’s inner circle.

    Gerri isn’t running the show, but she and everyone around her know she should be — and probably would do a better job with less drama. That being said, she also has the attitude of not my circus, not my monkeys, and often lays low even when she knows she’s ultimately right … about everything.

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  • ‘Still Watching’ Is Back for Succession’s Grand Finale

    ‘Still Watching’ Is Back for Succession’s Grand Finale

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    Spring is in the air, and it’s time to pick an heir. Succession returns for its fourth and final season on Sunday, March 26—and Still Watching, Vanity Fair’s TV analysis podcast, is all over it. Hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy will dive deep into the final 10 episodes of the Emmy-winning series—which remains as “sleek and engaging” as ever in its last round, according to Lawson’s review. We’ll be unpacking everything from deliciously devastating Roy family drama to the show’s greatest one-liners and sharpest insults.

    “What is the moral of the story for Succession?” asks Murphy on Still Watching. The answer may depend on who ends up in charge of Waystar Royco by series’ end. Throughout the season, Lawson and Murphy will make their predictions as to who, if anyone, will inherit the Waystar Royco throne, while also interviewing key members of the cast and crew. 

    The beginning of the end for Succession kicks off this Sunday, with a brand-new episode of Still Watching dropping right after the episode airs. Tune in, or in the words of Logan Roy, “F–k off.” 

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  • “How Fucking Lucky Am I?”: Frank Rich Bids Farewell to Succession

    “How Fucking Lucky Am I?”: Frank Rich Bids Farewell to Succession

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    Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Frank Rich, Alan Ruck attend HBO drama Succession premiere at Time Warner Center. By Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images.

    I asked Rich for one of his favorite moments working on the show.

    “There are many, many, many,” he began, “but one incredible moment was the end of season two, when Kendall gives his press conference in New York excoriating his father. The end of that episode, you see Logan, with a couple of the siblings, on a yacht in Croatia, watching Kendall give that press conference on a television set. The press conference had not been shot yet. It would be shot in downtown New York a week or two later. So he’s watching it on a green screen, because there’s no image, no video yet, of Jeremy Strong doing that scene. A young woman production assistant is reading Kendall’s lines, maybe three yards out of view. I’m watching Brian [Cox]”—the actor and Royal Shakespeare Company veteran who plays Logan Roy—“and I’m also that close to Brian, behind the camera, looking into the monitor.” 

    “I’m watching his face, and I’m watching him react to Logan’s son betraying him,” Rich continued. “He has no dialogue. He is just reacting. And he’s not even reacting to the actual bit, he’s reacting to someone just reading it flat, and it’s so powerful. And I think, How fucking lucky am I, as someone who’s spent his entire life loving the theater, loving actors, loving this kind of drama, to be a stone’s throw from this scene on a yacht in Croatia? As someone who spent their life treasuring this kind of work, this kind of acting, this kind of writing, what a great thing to have a front-row seat to.” 

    In journalism, you do a piece and it appears in the newspaper the next day, or in the magazine in a few months. In the entertainment business, half the things you work on never see the light of day, and when they do, the wheels of Hollywood grind slowly. But for Rich, when it comes to actually being on set, there’s something about the experience that feels in sync with his earlier career. “You walk onto a soundstage, and it’s very much like a newsroom,” he said. “It could be a hundred people, brilliant people, prima donnas, people who are not so brilliant, people of all ages, ethnicities, races, and people with very different skills, from acting, to being a camera operator, to being a script coordinator, to being a makeup artist, writers, whatever—and you’re working against a very tight deadline where, at a certain point, the train has to leave the station.”

    Succession’s “newsroom,” to borrow Rich’s metaphor, has been conquering deadlines since the series first got rolling at the end of 2016. “It has exceeded everybody’s expectations,” said Rich. “Anything that becomes a phenomenon, you can’t predict it. It’s a mystery. It’s like being struck by lightning.” 

    He told me the cast and crew had for some time sensed that season four would be Succession’s last. But Armstrong only made it official “literally weeks ago,” said Rich, when they were doing the “table read” for the final episode of season four. Armstrong broke the news publicly in a February 23 New Yorker interview. “One misconception,” Rich continued, “is that people said, ‘Oh, well once you decided [the show was ending], you had to change the ending of the season.’ That’s not how the show works. The ending didn’t change.” 

    Rich’s demanding Hollywood schedule has put his journalistic life on hold. The last piece he wrote for New York magazine was published on January 7, 2021. (“What Will Happen to the Trump Toadies?”) Is journalism behind him? “It would take extraordinary circumstances for me to want to write political pieces anymore,” Rich said. “I feel like I’ve said what I had to say. Might I do other magazine pieces? Yes, in fact I’ve talked to David Haskell”—the editor who succeeded Moss at New York—“about what I might do during my summer break.”

    Barney Greengrass was getting crowded and our table appeared to be in demand. I proposed wrapping up with a quick lightning round:

    What will Rich miss the most?

    “I’ll work with many of the people on the show again, but all of us being together on a show again is highly unlikely, you know? So you miss that.”

    Could he tell me anything about season four?

    “No!”

    Nothing?

    “10 episodes.”

    Thoughts on the Fox-Dominion revelations, as someone who was writing critically about Fox News 20 years ago?

    “What’s surprising is that it’s all coming out, because we all knew it. I have no idea what a jury’s gonna make of it. There are all sorts of First Amendment issues. But it’s fun to watch.”

    Last one: Semafor recently asked Rupert Murdoch what he thinks of Succession. Murdoch replied, “Never watched it.” Does Rich believe him?

    “No, I don’t believe it,” said Rich. “But on the other hand, I don’t care.”

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    Joe Pompeo

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  • The Last Of Us Season 2 Better Make Abby Ripped, God Dammit

    The Last Of Us Season 2 Better Make Abby Ripped, God Dammit

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    The first season of The Last of Us, the undeniable smash-hit HBO series based on the video game of the same name, has ended. And though the discourse about the controversial ending rages on, people are already looking ahead to season two, which will introduce one of the most infamous characters in the series: Abby Anderson and her incredibly toned arms.

    Read More: The Last Of Us Season Two: Everything We Know

    When The Last of Us Part II first released back in June 2020, gamers had meltdowns over Abby for two key reasons: She enacts some seriously brutal revenge and she is incredibly ripped. I’m talking biceps the size of my head, defined triceps, and strong shoulders—all things that make the dark dude corners of Reddit very scared and very angry about being so scared. In the weeks that followed, gamers stretched so hard to prove she couldn’t be that muscular that they pulled mental muscles, proving yet again that the game industry cannot handle women in any size, shape, or form.

    The She-Hulk Fiasco

    I’d like a little more She-Bulk in my She-Hulk, please.
    Image: Marvel / Disney

    But it’s not just the game industry, as proven time and time again by the dearth of women superheroes built like Victoria’s Secret models. Does Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman look like she can do anything other than strut and make mealy-mouthed comments on the Israeli-Palestine conflict? Is Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow capable of pulling off gymnastic stunts when she’s wearing a SKIMS waist trainer under a leather catsuit?

    Sure, we all went nuts when Natalie Portman actually got buff for Thor: Love and Thunder, but remember how they nerfed She-Hulk’s muscles for the Marvel’s She-Hulk series? When the CGI version of actor Tatiana Maslany (who plays Jennifer Walters) was shown to be rather diminutive in comparison to Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, fans went, justifiably, apeshit. Where are the rear delts, where are the traps? Why does she look, as one person put it, like “she’s running for congress to stop the socialists from taking YOUR guns.”

    In an Entertainment Weekly interview, She-Hulk executive producer Kat Coiro responded to rumors that “Marvel requested She-Hulk’s muscles be made smaller,” saying that She-Hulk didn’t need to be all that big, actually.

    We honestly talked about strength more than aesthetics. We studied musculature and we studied women athletes who were incredibly strong. We really leaned towards Olympians rather than bodybuilders. That’s where a lot of our body references came from, very strong Olympic athletes. So she doesn’t have a bodybuilder’s physique, but she absolutely has a very strong physique that can justify the actions that she does in the show. I think people expected a bodybuilder and for her to have these big, massive muscles but she looks more like Olympians.

    Unfortunately, until recently, one of the few examples of a muscular woman in modern media was MMA-fighter-turned-actor Gina Carano as Cara Dune on The Mandalorian. Her arms were absolutely gigantic, exploding out from her chest armor with purpose. She dwarfed every other person sharing a scene with her. Sadly, Carano came out as a transphobe and a covid pandemic anti-masker, so she got the boot, and I worried I’d never see someone built like her on TV or in movies again.

    Mandalorian muscle mommies

    Actor Katy O'Brian flexing her muscles on the red carpet for The Mandalorian season 3

    This is the way: Cast more muscular femmes in TV shows and movies.
    Image: Katy O’Brian on Instagram / Kotaku

    Thankfully, Katy O’Brian came to the rescue. Though she’s only briefly in The Mandalorian season 2, she returns as a major character in the third season, and yes, we do get to see her arms. In fact, her muscles are so prominent that fans of the series already made an apt comparison, tweeting that O’Brian, an actor and martial artist, should play Abby in The Last of Us season 2.

    It’s certainly not a far stretch. Though Abby is voiced by Laura Bailey and has the face of former Naughty Dog dev Jocelyn Mettler, her body double is CrossFit athlete and former collegiate swimmer Colleen Fotsch, who looks like she could pick me (a pretty muscular woman) up with one arm and wield me like a baseball bat. Fotsch, who did not respond to Kotaku’s request for comment, has a litany of YouTube videos showing off workout routines—and considering she’s currently a data analyst by trade, she’s proof that women can be muscle mommies while also living fulfilled NARP (non-athletic regular people) lives.

    Casting an actor who is athletically inclined and already ripped up like a bad report card as Abby in The Last of Us season two makes a ton of sense—though I find myself longing to see a wild bulk-up of an actor not already built like a brick shithouse. But also, I just want to see more muscular women in movies and television, guys. I don’t really care how they get there, I just want them there, muscles rippling like coiled snakes under their skin.

    The Last of Us fans think the series has found its Abby in actor Shannon Berry, known for her role as Dot in The Wilds series. Berry certainly looks like Abby, and if she is indeed our future antagonist, I look forward to seeing her forearms as they wield the golf club that [REDACTED].

    Update 3/17/23 at 5:24 p.m. ET: Post updated to clarify Jocelyn Mettler’s job title. 

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    Alyssa Mercante

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  • HBO Max Announces Plans To Destroy All Evidence ‘The Sopranos’ Ever Existed

    HBO Max Announces Plans To Destroy All Evidence ‘The Sopranos’ Ever Existed

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    NEW YORK—In the wake of recent moves to reduce the size of its library in order to save on residual payments, streaming service HBO Max announced Thursday it would move forward with a plan to destroy all evidence that The Sopranos ever existed. “Once we have finished burning the 35-millimeter film on which the series was shot and deleting all digitized footage, we will begin confiscating millions of DVD box sets, which will then be steamrolled into tiny pieces and dumped into the Hudson River,” said CEO Casey Bloys, who explained that HBO would begin enforcing a unique noncompete clause in cast members’ contracts that would prohibit Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Lorraine Bracco, and other Sopranos stars from ever again taking an acting role and inadvertently reminding viewers of the show’s existence. “We have already bulldozed the structures used for exterior shots of Tony Soprano’s home and Satriale’s Pork Store, and will soon proceed with demolitions of the Lincoln Tunnel and the entirety of the New Jersey Turnpike.” Bloys confirmed that HBO had also directed its general counsel to send cease and desist letters to every Italian restaurant in the world that has baked ziti on the menu.

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