Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried has signed on for the leading role in the upcoming series adaptation of Skinny Dip, based on Carl Hiaasen’s 2004 caper novel. Before Amazon MGM Studios acquired the project, it was originally set up at HBO Max earlier this year.
What do we know about Amanda Seyfried’s Skinny Dip show?
According to Deadline, Seyfried will be playing the role of Joey Perrone, a woman who is pushed off a cruise liner by her cheating husband. She managed to survive the fall, giving her a chance to plot revenge with a former cop. It is being written and executive-produced by Once Upon A Time creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis.
“Perrone’s second anniversary didn’t go quite as planned. She expected earrings, but instead, her husband Chaz had alternate plans,” reads the show’s logline. “After unexpectedly finding herself on the other side of those plans, she vows to get revenge. Teaming up with a disgraced ex-cop, Joey sets out to make Chaz pay.”
In addition to leading the cast, Seyfried is also serving as an executive producer along with Bill Lawrence for Doozer, Hiaasen, Jeff Ingold, and Liza Katzer. The Prime Video adaptation is a production by Warner Bros. Television.
Seyfriend’s most recent TV project was the Peacock miniseries Long Bright River, which debuted last March. She will next be seen in the psychological thriller The Housemaid with Sydney Sweeney and in the musical drama The Testament of Ann Lee with Lewis Pullman. The latter recently earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
It’s not uncommon for a streamer on the precipice of premiering one of its banner shows to release a helpful little recap video to catch folks up to speed. What shouldn’t be a sentence written, let alone read, is that Prime Video appears to have rake-stepped once more with AI, making new slop in the form of a Falloutahead of its second season. Surprise! It comes complete with inaccuracies and hallucinations about the show.
GamesRadar+ first reported on the news; Prime Video’s Fallout season one recap video was also shared on Reddit. You can currently view the three-minute clip on Prime Video by going to the Fallout page, selecting season two, and clicking “Bonus: Fallout Season 1 Recap.”
Immediately, it hits viewers with a monotone text-to-speech-sounding voice. It’s not unlike the streamer’s anime AI beta dub that pissed a bunch of users off—to the point that Amazon quietly rolled back the implementation of its English AI beta for shows like Banana Fish and No Game No Life.
Key among the Fallout trailer’s errors is the robotic narrator claiming the show’s flashbacks to a pre-ghoul Walton Goggins are set in 1950s America. In fact, as GamesRadar+ notes, these scenes, while both a throwback to the novelty of the time and featuring a nuclear-powered futuristic visage, actually take place in 2077.
Another inaccuracy within the recap video is its characterization of season one’s climax, stating the Ghoul’s offer to Ella Purnell‘s Lucy MacLean to hunt after her father was of the “die or leave with him” variety.
In reality, both characters were fed up with all of Kyle MacLachlan’s Hank and his bullshit, so they decided to pretty amicably join up to hunt him down. That is seemingly the whole thrust of the show’s upcoming second season. But no one would’ve gleaned that by watching this particular recap video.
io9 has reached out to Prime Video for comment and will update this post should we hear back.
Prime Video’s AI recap videos aren’t a new thing, it seems. As with AI beta dub tracks introduced back in March, Amazon has been testing AI-generated recap videos as recently as last month, according to the Verge. In fact, the company was so proud of it, it wrote a whole blog touting that AI video recaps would “use AI to identify a show’s most important plot points, combining them with synchronized voice narration, dialogue snippets, and music to create a visual summary that prepares viewers for the new season.”
“Video Recaps marks a groundbreaking application of generative AI for streaming,” Gérard Medioni, vice president of technology at Prime Video, wrote in the post. “This first-of-its-kind feature demonstrates Prime Video’s ongoing commitment to innovation and making the viewing experience more accessible and enjoyable for customers.”
But as noted earlier, the program clearly isn’t built to do what it says it would, like identifying all the crucial details of a show, when it even gets the simplest and most nuanced details wrong. Then again, AI is wont to do that. But even if it did those things right, who is asking to sit down and listen to an emotionless voice summarize plot details for a show with all the enthusiasm of a wet dishrag?
On any given day, all of this is just another bad look for a media corporation. But it’s especially messed up considering a lot of folks will likely take a gander at it, what with Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards taking place later today. Last year, Fallout won Best Adaptation, bringing out Bethesda developers like Todd Howard to accept the award. Two years ago, Fallout stars Purnell, Goggins, Aaron Moten, and a dude wearing full power armor took the stage to announce the show.
Fallout is a good show that deserves kudos, so seeing the platform that houses it not give enough of a shit to do the bare minimum of hiring someone to cut a quick little recap of the show’s “things to remember” moments is all kinds of hacky and lazy.
Fallout season two premieres December 17 on Prime Video, should this instance of AI chicanery not have yucked your Vault-dwelling yum.
Aaron Paul has been in his voice acting bag since leaving Breaking Bad, with one of his most recent being over on Prime Video’s Invincible. There, he played Powerplex, an electricity-controlling supervillain with a beef against Mark because his sister and niece died during the Invincible vs. Omni-Man fight during season one. However much you liked Paul in that role, turns out it was a one-and-done part that he won’t be reprising.
In a recent episode of the Kinda Funny podcast, the actor said he turned down an offer to come back for future seasons. His reason? It was “too grueling” on him, and he “didn’t feel comfortable” putting himself back in the animated skin of ol’ Scott Duvall. While a fan of the show and its team, he just simply “didn’t want to do it anymore. What it did to me, I didn’t like.”
Powerplex debuts in the season three episode “All I Can Say is Sorry,” where during his battle with Invincible, he accidentally kills his wife and son. It’s a downer episode that leaves Mark in a bad emotional spot, and Powerplex then appeared in the immediate follow up “What Have I Done?,” where he helped heroes kill a bunch of alt-universe Invincible variants and wanted to continue his vengeance against the prime Mark as he went off to save the day. Powerplex appears throughout the comics going forward, so we’ll be seeing more of him, and even with a new voice, he’ll likely be as dangerous as ever for Mark or anyone else crossing his path.
Invincible will return with season four in March. For those who want to hear Paul in a superheroic role that’s not a bummer, there’s always AdHoc Studio’s Dispatch, which was recently nominated at the Game Awards.
Being Eddie — Did you know that Shalimar Seiuli, the trans hooker Eddie Murphy was caught with in 1998, died a year later, after falling five stories down the face of her apartment building? Don’t expect to hear that fun factoid in this official retrospective of the legendary comedian’s career. But maybe we’ll get to see “James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party” again. (Netflix)
A Merry Little Ex-Mas — On the cusp of their divorce, Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson have plans to spend one final holiday together. But when his new girlfriend shows up, even that humble aspiration becomes a tall order. See, this is why it’s always better to make a clean break, like the Murdaughs did. (Netflix)
Premieres Thursday:
The Beast in Me — Afflicted by writer’s block since losing her son, an author (Claire Danes) gets interested in life again when a suspected murderer moves in next door. And why shouldn’t she? In the best-case scenario, she could get a whole new novel out of it. Especially if she can figure out how to outsource the adverbs to ChatGPT. (Netflix)
Tiffany Haddish Goes Off — The irrepressible comic actor and some of her childhood buddies take a wacky girls’ trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. No Nigeria, though, because a Signal chat they’re all on said some shit is about to go down. (Peacock)
Premieres Friday:
Come See Me in the Good Light — Documentary cameras follow married poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley as they navigate Gibson’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer. This doc won the Festival Film Favorite Award at this year’s Sundance, just five months before Gibson passed away. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame want you to know they could be just as punctual if this country would get off its ass and standardize Daylight Saving Time. (Apple TV)
The Creep Tapes Season 2 — David Dastmalchian is among the guest stars as the found-footage series profiles new victims of the insidious Peachfuzz. Coincidentally, “the insidious peach fuzz” is what Usha has been calling JD ever since he started coming home smelling like Erika Kirk and White Claw. (Shudder and AMC+)
Malice — It’s Saltburn without the whacking off, as a vengeful nanny (Jack Whitehall) plots the destruction of an upper-class British family headed by David Duchovny. Wait a minute, if it’s Fox Mulder we’re talking about, this is probably more like BRIGHTburn. WITH whacking off. (Prime Video )
Nouvelle Vague — Richard Linklater dramatizes the filming of Godard’s Breathless in what Variety called “an enchanting ode to the rapture of cinema.” In their spare time, they all break into Barnes & Noble together and lick the Criterion Collection. (Netflix)
The Seduction — The umpteenth riff on Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a prequel series that has roles for Anamaria Vartolomei, Diane Kruger and Vincent Lacoste. Not to be outdone, Disney+ has placed an eight-episode order for Cruel Intentions Babies. (HBO Max)
Premieres Sunday:
Landman — High-profile cast additions in Season 2 of the Texas big-oil drama include Colm Feore, Andy Garcia and Sam Elliott. Wait a minute, you’re telling me Sam Elliott wasn’t already in this thing? I thought SAG had a rule that you have to hire him if your show is set west of New Orleans and there’s a role for Dennis Weaver with pharyngitis. (Paramount+)
Premieres Monday:
Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks — This glorified ad for the Universal family of parks has now been delayed two times since its promised launch last July. The problem is that they keep having to update it every time somebody snuffs it on Stardust Racers. (Peacock)
The Mighty Nein — While you wait for the fifth and final season of The Legend of Vox Machina, enjoy the same cast of Critical Role principals in this stopgap animated show set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Or you could just visit your local comic shop on whatever day of the week everybody’s mom cleans out the basement. (Prime Video)
Selena y Los Dinos: A Family’s Legacy — The Tejano sensation’s short but groundbreaking career is recapped in a doc that also won big at year’s Sundance, this one in the category of Archival Storytelling. The runner-up in that category: “The Inspiring Life and Brilliant Future of Andrew Cuomo.” (Netflix)
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Emma Thompson in ‘Down Cemetery Road’ Credit: courtesy of Apple TV
Premieres Wednesday:
Ballad of a Small Player — Filmmaker Edward Berger (Conclave) casts Colin Farrell as an inveterate gambler and swindler living under an assumed identity in China. The Wall Street Journal called it “a failed attempt to wring laughs out of this abundantly awful man.” That was on page B25, directly opposite a full-page profile of Peter Thiel. (Netflix)
Down Cemetery Road — Emma Thompson plays a private investigator whose search for a missing girl uncovers a shocking secret: Vast numbers of Britons who were believed dead are secretly still alive and well. “How does a guy get in on that?” asks Keir Starmer. (Apple TV)
Hazbin Hotel Season 2 — With the forces of Heaven vanquished, Charlie finds her infernal hostelry overrun with new guests who see no need to renounce their evil ways. See, God? This is what happens when you think you’re putting Charlie Kirk somewhere where he can’t do any more damage. (Prime Video)
Ink Master — The prize is not only $250,000 but recognition for one’s origins in Season 17, which carries the theme “Hometown Heroes.” That’s a significant departure from the previous 16 seasons, the theme of which was “hepatitis.” (Paramount+)
Selling Sunset — Season 9 adds new realtor Sandra Vergara, who just so happens to be Sofia Vergara’s cousin. And also her adoptive sister. How does that work, you ask? Forget it, Jake, it’s Sunset! (Netflix)
Star Wars: Visions — Season 3 of the animated anthology hearkens back to Season 1 by once again focusing entirely on anime. I don’t know, do we think that genre is really bankable yet? (Disney+)
Colin Farrell in ‘Ballad of a Small Player’ Credit: courtesy of Netflix
Premieres Thursday:
Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers — Archival footage and interviews with survivors paint a documentary portrait of the criminal psychopath who made living in Central Florida a waking nightmare in the late 20th century. And here you thought everyone had forgotten Glenda Hood! (Netflix)
Amsterdam Empire — Famke Janssen takes on the role of a former Europop star who tries to ruin her husband’s cannabis business as revenge for his infidelity. I never thought I’d say this, but J.Lo’s inability to find true and lasting love suddenly seems kind of trivial. (Netflix)
Hell House LLC: Lineage — The fifth and final installment in the franchise about a cursed haunted attraction is the first one that isn’t based on found footage. Which I’m assuming means it was stolen. (Shudder)
Juan Gabriel: I Must, I Can, I Will — Four documentary episodes retrace the remarkable career of the flamboyant Mexican balladeer, who became a gay icon despite having fathered six children with three different women. In related news, my strategy of hanging around the Parliament House for four years is due to put me up to my neck in it any minute now. (Netflix)
Son of a Donkey — The Australian YouTube duo known as Superwog launches a new series that explores the lighter side of modern challenges like road rage, online scams and failing kidneys. It must be nice to live in a country where those are your biggest problems. Some of us would gladly give up a kidney to be that close to Kylie. (Netflix)
The Witcher Season 4 — The eagerly anticipated penultimate season finds Liam Hemsworth taking over the title role from Henry Cavill. But don’t worry, Henry fans: You’ll be able to see him soon enough, in … oh, I’ll think of something. (Netflix)
Premieres Friday:
Bad Influencer — A single mother with a special-needs child to take care of runs afoul of the law when she conscripts an aspiring influencer to help her sell phony handbags. And she might have gotten away with it, if Kim Kardashian hadn’t spotted the unauthorized knockoff of her pubes. (Netflix)
Breathless — The Joaquín Sorolla Hospital has gone entirely private as Season 2 begins, forcing our already taxed resident physicians to make some tough choices. For example, when they have to tell a cancer patient that insurance won’t cover her treatment, do they do it through the portal or as a Zoom puppet show? (Netflix)
The White House Effect — Return with us now to the complicated days of Bush 41, when warring factions of the Republican party problematized the administration’s response to climate change. Nowadays, the warring factions are the ones who want to ignore it and the ones who want to ignore it while wearing blackface. (Netflix)
Premieres Monday:
Crutch — This spinoff from the CBS series The Neighborhood has Tracy Morgan as a Harlem businessman who’s having to do a lot of recalibrating now that his grown son and daughter have moved back in with him. In the hilarious third episode, the son comes out as gay and Tracy stabs him to death with a kitchen knife. (Paramount+)
In Waves and War — Follow the healing journey of three Navy SEALs who had to travel overseas to be prescribed psychedelics for their PTSD. Meanwhile, ICE want you to know they’re going to shoot you in the face if you try to charge them for that vanilla latte. (Netflix)
Premieres Tuesday:
All’s Fair — And speaking of Kim Kardashian, she’s been cast in the lead role of a divorce attorney in Ryan Murphy’s new legal drama. Supporting parts go to Glenn Close, Naomi Watts and Sarah Paulson, who might be stars themselves someday if they can just get their muffs on Candies. (Hulu)
Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things — Taking a momentary step away from her Netflix sitcom, the Tennessee comedian fills us in on everything that’s been going on in her life, like adjusting to success and trying gummies. As opposed to Pete Davidson, who’s adjusting to gummies and thinking about trying success. (Netflix)
Squid Game: The Challenge — The spinoff competition show stays married to the bit in Season 2, pitting another 456 contestants against each other in pursuit of $4.56 million. High concept, right? Now give me my two tickets to Tucson, because my flight is boarding at Gate 2 in two minutes. (Netflix)
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Plus everything else debuting on Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock and the rest
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After reflecting on the conclusion of The Boys season four, it became time to shift our focus back to its surprisingly good, and dare we say even better, spin-off series, Gen V.
Season two had a lot to build upon, especially considering the cliffhanger that season one left us with: Homelander ruining the fun and Billy Butcher pursuing the Supe-killing virus. While the series retained some elements that fans have come to love and appreciate more than its predecessor, season two showed signs of senioritis, suggesting that a series known for satirizing the management of other superhero franchises and their overflowing release schedules can’t monkey-see, monkey-do its way into mimicry.
When cast member Chance Pedromo passed away, many fans questioned how Gen V would address the character of Andre Anderson. Instead of recasting the role, the showrunners chose to honor Perdomo by incorporating his character’s off-screen sacrifice into the storyline, making it the driving force behind the ensemble. Although this approach could have been clumsy, it ultimately resulted in a stronger narrative.
Not only did it closely resemble Ryan Coogler’s approach to addressing the passing of Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther 2, but it also highlighted a glaring blind spot in the shared mythology of both The Boys and Gen V: despite the presence of superpowered beings and the rise of fascism, racism persists, and having superpowers does not exempt one from being viewed as disposable by those in power.
It’s a delicate line to walk, but the show succeeded by illustrating that the powers that be at Vought are no different from any other fascist regime. Andre served as a significant catalyst throughout the season, with characters donning his hoodie and reminding others of his light, becoming a poignant high point in an otherwise lackluster season.
Liked: Hamish Linklater’s scene-stealing performance as Cipher
Being the new headmaster at God U, especially amid the looming threat of Homelander, required a commanding presence to rival the menace of that insecure, overpowered man-baby. Casting Hamish Linklater as Cipher in Gen V was a sensational decision. In a meta sense, it made perfect sense to have Linklater in this role, especially considering his recent subdued yet charismatic portrayal of Batman in Batman: Caped Crusader, which cleverly folded into the character’s mythos. And fans of Midnight Mass know that he has the power to convince anyone of anything with his monologues, regardless of their length. He truly has a way with words.
In this season of Gen V, Linklater’s performance as Cipher acted as a stimulus to the show’s quality while cranking the dial to 11 on the scale of villains you definitely don’t want to mess with in The Boys universe. His unnerving portrayal combined elements of Kilgrave from Jessica Jones with a heavy-handed dash of quirky Gen V humor and quips, elevating every scene he was in and stealing moments of the spotlight. It’s unfortunate that the show took some of the momentum away from his character toward the finale. We’ll discuss that later.
Emma had a tough break last season. Her powers to grow and shrink intrinsically tied into her body dysmorphia, and she basically ended up being the butt of the joke for everyone on campus. While she was off on her own side quest, the rest of the gang did their thing, converging every so often. That meant Emma got some much-needed character development to address the elephant in the room: her powers, their harmful triggers, and how to try to overcome them. In a show all about gross-out moments, it was nice to see this handled with a modicum of maturity and a deft hand, even as her antics this season were no less madcap than last. More of this, and less of that going-nowhere-fast love-triangle subplot, please.
Liked: The on-the-ground approach to The Boys‘ political anarchy
With the ever-expanding parody of our political landscape that The Boys represents, it’s refreshing to see its aftereffects and consequences from the ground level. This was one of the qualities that made season one of Gen V a welcome companion to The Boys. Gen V is not bound by source material, allowing it more freedom to explore themes without being confined to the mean-spirited plot developments typical of The Boys, which often boil down to someone being a sex pest and viewers having to watch how in exhaustive detail.
Gen V feels more thoughtful about its direction, pulling at your heartstrings and engaging your mind, rather than relying on a gross-out punchline that you have to brace yourself for because you know it’s coming. While The Boys often draws direct political parallels that sometimes feel like throwaway Saturday Night Live sketches, Gen V offers a more humorous perspective on the ramifications of Homelander’s overt fascism and its impact on the students at God U. The exploration of power dynamics between superpowered and non-superpowered students, along with the propaganda disseminated online and on campus, added an intriguing depth to what could otherwise have been a shallow direction for the season.
We’re not made of stone! This budding relationship was hecking cute. Seeing them go from the kind of offhand, reluctant allies to close partners (and exes) was a pleasant bit of levity to witness in the show. Plus, seeing how their bond grew, even when they were literally pitted against each other in a school-approved superpowered fight with all the microaggressions (and aggression aggressions) lambasted at them for being who they are, was good shit. We love the tenderness that Jaz Sinclair, London Thor, and Derek Luh brought to these characters and eagerly await the fix-it fanfiction that’s no doubt being written as we speak.
It’s a pretty bad sign for a superhero show when you can comfortably look away to futz around on your phone whenever bouts of fisticuffs are on display and feel like you’re not missing much. For whatever reason, this season of Gen V lacked the sauce to make any of its fights feel like they were worth watching. Some dude gets shoved, hands are outstretched to, you guessed it, push more guys, and occasionally there will be copious amounts of blood.
It’s not that the show engendered desensitization to it all; it just looked a bit like a cheap afterthought in its presentation this season. It can sometimes feel like the show forgot that being the teen-forward CW version of The Boys doesn’t mean it has to look like it’s operating on a shoestring budget, cutting corners to make its action look worth the sliding-scale fee Prime Video is charging subscribers (with ads!).
Being the second season of a show that spins off a series nearing its conclusion, unfortunately, means that Gen V‘s more methodical pacing from the previous season—characterized by gradually building mysteries—felt rushed this time around. While it’s understandable that The Boys can seem a bit rapid in its scene transitions as it approaches its climax, the quickened pace of Gen V diluted character development and weakened the overall viewing experience. Instead of focusing on its own storylines, it seemed to prioritize adding intrigue for The Boys, ultimately hurrying through its own narrative without fully resolving the plot points it introduced well.
At first, it made its characters feel pragmatic, almost to the point of voicing every possible contingency in their hastily made plans, as if they were battle-hardened, to avoid their plot against God U gong awry. But with each passing episode, it started to feel less like the shrewdness of the ensemble and more like the writers’ room laying everything bare on the table for things to either go south or just as planned, as a way not to try to explore them fully.
As a result, people wound up exactly where they’re supposed to be. Even when things went kaput, our heroes were allowed to just… leave and reconvene later to decide what to do. Any sense of stakes this season with the Gen V cast felt all but moot; instead, the main objective seemed to be helping The Boys carry the baton to its series finale, and that sucked.
As mentioned up top, Cipher is a cool concept for a character from top to bottom. Having the power to body-snatch anyone as if he were a protagonist in Quantic Dream’s The Nomad Soul is some scary stuff, and Linklater’s performance added to the weight of his imposing presence.
All respect to SpongeBob Broadway actor, Ariana Grande’s beau, and Wicked star Ethan Slater, but the reveal that he was actually Cipher the entire time completely took all the air out of the room. He’s an entirely different character when Slater shows up. Gone are the playful, catty quips, and all we’re left with is a kind of dorky guy trying to seem imposing, but he’s clearly not that guy. Generational aura loss, as the kids say.
Didn’t like: Clunky dialogue and humor skewing more toward The Boys’ worst bits
Let’s be honest for a moment: The Boys‘ brand of humor is one short walk away from being Deadpool‘s, and not in the good way. They’re the kind of juvenile jokes that, once you’re subjected to them, don’t improve with a revisit. And sure, while comedy is subjective, the dissonance of edgy high school humor sliding out of the mouths of grown ass adults always makes The Boys feel a bit off and unserious. Gen V, with its school setting, makes its crass jokes feel a bit more at home because its shock-humor antics require less suspension of disbelief from the audience.
But for whatever reason, the types of jokes this season started to lose their armor, garnering either a cheap pity chuckle at the desperate attempt to be funny or no pop at all from viewers. It also didn’t help that this season suffered from “people don’t talk like that,” with a majority of its ensemble’s would-be funny men making the long walk to their jokes not worth suffering through.
Didn’t Like: The late-stage MCU-ification of Gen V
As we’ve expunged exhaustively at this point, Gen V‘s second season felt like The Boys crew finally buckled from talking out of both sides of their mouths about Marvel and DC Comics’ incessant need to franchise-build—all while showing signs of the same lackluster result. This time around, Gen V felt less like a refreshing offshoot and more like an episodic trailer to get folks hyped for the tentpole extravaganza that is The Boys.
We saw a lot of cameos around where The Boys characters were tantamount to TV bumpers advertising another show airing after the one you’re currently watching, rather than actually enriching the plot. It will be really embarrassing if the show isn’t picked up for a third season after spending so much time trying to beef up hype for The Boys‘ series finale. But honestly, what would be the point, since the narrative railroad for Gen V feels like it has effectively run out of track to continue on after however the hell The Boys wraps up? Watch the space, we guess.
Gen V season two is now streaming on Prime Video. The fifth and final season of The Boys arrives in 2026.
If you’ve got Falloutfever ahead of the show’s second season, Las Vegas has a museum exhibit you’re going to love.
Beginning November 14 and lasting through 2026, the city’s National Atomic Testing Museum will have a limited-time “World of Fallout” exhibition backed by franchise owner Bethesda. The exhibition will explore the cultural legacy of atomic history as it relates to the video game franchise and will feature “carefully selected objects and interpretive displays.” That includes “screen-worn Vault suits and memorabilia alongside graphic panels that explore the recurring elements of the franchise, along with the key Cold War themes that influenced the world and its lore.”
Joseph Kent, the curator and chief community officer for the museum, called this “a chance for gamers and history buffs alike to see just how closely the two worlds connect.”
The year 2025 is significant for Fallout: along with the show, it marks the respective 15- and 10-year anniversaries of Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas (released October 19, 2010) and Bethesda’s Fallout 4 (November 10, 2015). On Thursday, October 23, Bethesda is holding a livestream celebrating the franchise, which may potentially contain a look at Fallout 76’s next big update that’ll bring over Walton Goggins’ Ghoul from the show into the game. It may also have a new look at the Prime Video series before its return on December 17.
Inside Furioza — The sequel to the 2021 crime drama Furioza has a new kingpin taking hold of the Polish underworld, with plans to extend its reach into other countries. At press time, a confused Stephen Miller had ordered the arrest of Doda. (Netflix)
Loot — Molly and Arthur are stranded on a desert island at the top of the long-awaited Season 3, which is finally hitting screens after a hiatus of nearly a year and a half. See, for a while there, it looked as if star Maya Rudolph was going to be busy playing Kamala Harris. Isn’t it great when we can be two previews into one of these things and you already want to put the gun in your mouth? (Apple TV)
Murdaugh: Death in the Family — Jason Clarke plays Alex Murdaugh, the “it” killer of 2023, in a drama series that was announced two months before he even went to trial. What were they going to do if he was acquitted, retcon him as a K-pop demon hunter? (Hulu)
No One Saw Us Leave — The Mexico of the 1960s is the setting for a reality-based drama in which a couple’s divorce becomes needlessly complicated when the husband kidnaps the daughter. That’s a niche market for the lawyers all right, but I understand their billboards are the s***. (Netflix)
Six Kings Slam 2025 — Plant yourself in front of the screen for three days of men’s tennis from Riyadh, but think very carefully: Do you really want to spend that much time in a country even Shane Gillis wouldn’t visit? (Netflix)
Premieres Thursday:
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy — The humane approach is the modus operandi of an eight-episode dramatization that’s so determined to avoid exploitation it doesn’t reenact a single one of the infamous Gacy’s murders — or even show his victims interacting with him in any way whatsoever. As Derek Smalls would say, that’s a cozy 10 minutes. (Peacock)
The Diplomat — As Season 3 commences, the sudden death of the American president elevates a psychopathic vice president into the top job. Listen, we’d take it. (Netflix)
Romantics Anonymous — A chocolatier who has trouble making eye contact falls in love with a customer who doesn’t like touching people. Which explains why their meet cute is her throwing a bag of truffles at his head and missing by a mile. (Netflix)
Starting 5 — The quintet of NBA greats profiled in Season 2 includes James Harden, No. 1 point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers. Or as I knew him until five minutes ago, that guy whose side eye I use to respond to every one of James Woods’ tweets. (Netflix)
“The Perfect Neighbor” on Netflix Credit: courtesy Netflix
Premieres Friday:
27 Nights — The life of Argentinian artist and writer Natalia Kohen inspired this probing drama about a woman whose daughters have her committed, even though what looks like mental illness on her part might simply be eccentricity. It’s more complicated than it seems, because she was born four decades too early for the Tylenol defense. (Netflix)
Good News — A black-comic take on the 1970 hijacking of a Japanese commercial flight, with the authorities exploring a bunch of zany strategies to restore order. Bright idea No. 1 is having Johnny in the control tower just unplug everything. (Netflix)
Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam — Former friends and even his ex-wife explain how they were taken in by Zach Horwitz, a struggling actor who fraudulently claimed to hold the foreign distribution rights to various big Hollywood films. Investors were seduced by fake contracts with Netflix and HBO — documents that were later ruled phonies because they didn’t include a single notification of coming subscription hikes. (Prime Video)
Mr. Scorsese — Fellow filmmaker Rebecca Miller salutes the great Martin Scorsese with a five-part documentary that chronicles the great man’s life and work. Follow his entire creative evolution, from his early days as a student filmmaker at NYU to his later years as Kevin Feige’s No. 1 troll. Cinema! (Apple TV)
The Perfect Neighbor — Bodycam footage is used almost exclusively to document the racial tensions that culminated in a 2023 shooting in Ocala. Or you could just plug your Nextdoor feed into Google Photos and hit “animate.” (Netflix)
She Walks in Darkness — A Spanish secret agent risks her life to spend years undercover with the terrorist group known as ETA. But how dangerous can they be if they’re never totally sure when they’re going to get anywhere? (Netflix)
The Thaw Season 3 — The six-episode third season of the Polish crime drama has widowed detective Katarzyna Zawieja (Katarzyna Wajda) investigating a drug ring run entirely by teenagers. Well, it’s a better return than they used to get from delivering Gritski, Poland’s family newspaper. (HBO Max)
Turn of the Tide Season 2 — Eduardo returns to his Azores neighborhood three months after the events of Season 1, to find the local drug trade controlled by a new and intimidating enemy. Careful, Eduardo! Those Polish teenagers will f*** you up! (Netflix)
Turn of the Tide: The Surreal Story of Rabo de Peixe — Learn the true story behind today’s returning crime drama in an accompanying documentary that shows how a humble fisherman’s life was turned upside down by the washing ashore of a massive shipment of cocaine. For one thing, he sure could gut those fish faster! (Netflix)
The Twits — This animated adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book about “the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world” features new songs by David Byrne. “No comment,” say Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison. (Netflix)
Premieres Sunday:
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards — Presenters in the 27th annual tribute to the best in horror cinema will include Ryan Coogler and GWAR. Expect the state of the art in bloody decapitations. And I’m sure GWAR have something fun planned as well. (Shudder)
Premieres Tuesday:
Who Killed the Montreal Expos? — Two decades later, Canada is still wondering how it lost its first MLB team to Washington, D.C. Which only goes to show that country is ahead of us in everything, because America is currently wondering how it lost everything to Washington, D.C. (Netflix)
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Plus everything else debuting on Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock and the rest
Plus everything else debuting this week on Prime Video, Shudder, AMC+ and the rest
Plus: Jessica Chastain in ‘The Savant,’ Brett Goldstein in ‘All of You’ and everything else premiering on streaming
In manga circles, Paru Itagaki is affectionately revered as a certified weirdo. Since her debut, the Beastars creator has built a reputation for crafting fearless, genre-bending stories that are unapologetically offbeat, exerting a magnetic pull that is bold and bizarre, yet impossible to tap the glass and see what wonders will never cease.
Science Saru, meanwhile, has quickly become an anime darling thanks to its own brand of visual chaos and thematic daring, with titles like Devilman Crybaby, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, and Dan Da Dan on its glittering resume. So when these two creative forces collided for the newly released anime adaptation of Itagaki’s manga, Sanda, it was less a question of “Will it be weird?” and more “How weird are we talking?”
Turns out: very. Sanda doesn’t just flirt with the bizarre—it attempts to out-freak Nightmare Before Christmas by pile-driving into a snowbank and daring to declare itself the new cross-holiday anomaly.
A chaotic blend of Christmas cheer, slasher horror, and gag comedy, Sanda delivers all of the above at a breakneck pace that feels like opening every door of an advent calendar at once, revealing a fresh, unhinged surprise with every scene packed into its premiere episode.
Sanda centers on a baby-faced middle schooler named Sanda Kazushige (Ayumu Murase), whose hapless, ordinary life takes a sharp turn when his crush, Shiori Fuyumura (Umeka Shoji) discovers his bizarre secret: he can transform into a burly Santa Claus whenever he gets “red on him”—a loophole she gleefully exploits by stabbing him.
What unfolds is a chaotic blend of Shazam and The Santa Clause, revealing Sanda bears a hereditary curse as a descendant of Saint Nick, magically compelled to grant children’s wishes whenever snow begins to fall (and the conditions above are met).
Shiroi’s wish isn’t some twisted, yandere-coded romance with Sanda—it’s a heartfelt plea to help her find her missing friend, Ichie Ono (Anna Nagase), who has been presumed dead. With Sanda’s help, Shiori hopes to reunite with Ichie in time for Christmas, honoring a promise they once made.
To test Sanda’s resolve as Shiori’s reluctant, underwear-clad Santa superhero, their first outing involves thwarting a school bombing (that she’s the mastermind behind). All of which is delightfully underscored with the soft, menacing hum of holiday carols.
Visually, Sanda stands out as one of the fall season’s most striking oddities, equal parts bizarre and magnetic. Itagaki’s flair for offbeat rom-coms and instantly legible character designs shines through, with each figure telegraphing their personality from the moment their faces appear on screen (which is especially helpful given the brisk pace of its premiere episode!).
From oversized saucer eyes and twitchy beady pupils to jagged silhouettes and wildly varied body types, every design—brilliantly realized by Science Saru’s Masamichi Ishiyama—seamlessly reinforces the show’s razor-thin tightrope walk between horror and slapstick, where every thrown glare could be a threat or a punchline.
What’s more, Sanda’s bold use of red—splashed across scenes like a visual siren—amplifies its off-kilter charm, pulling the viewer’s eye into a world still wrapped in mystery. As the story tiptoes deeper into its cursed Santa lineage, wish-granting compulsion, and surreal dream logic, each crimson accent feels like a breadcrumb leading us through a holiday fever dream and a murder mystery that’s only just begun to unfold.
Because, of course, there’s a murder mystery brewing underneath Sanda‘s unsuspecting premise. If Beastars taught fans anything, it’s that Paru loves herself a good whodunit, as well as scenic long walks through her enchanting, imaginative storytelling.
Yet, for all its aesthetic excess, Sanda’s ensemble channels the scrappy, chaotic charm of classic ragtag anime misfits, such as those in Akira Toriyama’s Dr. Slump or Rumiko Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura. From what little its premiere showcases of its assortment of quirky “what’s-their-deal” characters gloriously make every kinetic interaction, be it comedic or menacing, pop with as much unpredictable delight to match its stunning visuals.
Itagaki may be pigeonholed as manga’s eccentric creative, but she doesn’t get enough credit as a deeply funny and emotionally resonant storyteller who knows how to build worlds that tickle your sides, punch you in the heart, and scratch your brain. And Sanda seems poised to unwrap its own dark secrets one episode at a time.
It also doesn’t hurt that Science Saru’s adaptation amplifies that ethos, turning Sanda into a series that feels tailor-made for Adult Swim’s Toonami anime block. It’s refreshingly unorthodox and hilarious, and just unsettling enough to keep viewers tapping their fingers to see what it’ll do next. And if its premiere is any indication, viewers are in for a chaotic, spellbinding ride.
If you’re on the market for a Kindle, Fire TV device or Echo speaker, Amazon Prime Day is basically Black Friday for you. Prime Day deals on those devices are typically the same (or very close to) the prices we see at the end of the year near the holidays. That means now, during day two of the sale, is a great time to pick up a new Kindle ereader, a Fire TV Stick for streaming while traveling or an Echo speaker for your home office before the discounts disappear tonight. As expected, almost all of Amazon’s hardware is on sale for Prime Big Deal Days; these are the best October Prime Day deals on Amazon gear that you can get right now.
Prime Day Kindle deals
Kindle Kids for $95 ($35 off): This is the same device as the base Kindle, but it becomes more kid-friendly thanks to the included cover, two-year warranty and the included year of Amazon Kids+, which gives children ages 3-12 access to hundreds of appropriate ebooks and audiobooks. Just be sure to take note when you activate that subscription because it will renew after one year at the standard $6/month rate.
Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($35 off): The latest version of the Paperwhite has a seven-inch display, thinner bezels, an adjustable warm light, speedier page turns and a battery that can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge. This model is also IPX8 waterproof and has built-in Audible integration.
Kindle Colorsoft for $200 ($50 off): Amazon’s only color e-reader has a seven-inch, high-contrast display, an auto-adjusting front light, a color highlighting feature and an eight-week battery life.
Kindle Scribe for $300 ($100 off): The Scribe is one of the best E-Ink tablets you can buy at the moment, and certainly the top pick if you want a writable table that also excels as an ereader. It provides a great reading and writing experience, thanks in part to its ability to access the entire Kindle ebook library, and it has handy Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox integration.
Prime Day Echo deals
Echo Pop speaker for $25 (38 percent off): One of the newer Echo devices available, the Pop it sports a 1.95-inch front-facing speaker and a physical mic mute switch for extra privacy. The Pop also has built-in eero compatibility, so it can extend the area of your home Wi-Fi network if you already have an eero router system.
Echo Dot speaker for $35 (30 percent off): One of the smallest Echo speakers, this version of the Dot has improved audio and a compact design that will fit almost anywhere. You’ll control it mostly with Alexa voice commands, but there are a few onboard buttons, including a mic-off button for when you need more privacy.
Echo Show 5 for $55 (39 percent off): This model is one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature, all of which make it an excellent smart alarm clock. Amazon improved the speaker quality on this latest model, which gives sound deeper bass and clearer vocals.
Echo Show 8 for $100 (33 percent off): This is our current top pick for the best smart display with Amazon’s Alexa thanks in part to its 8-inch touchscreen, 13MP camera that supports auto-framing for better video chats and its built-in Zigbee smart home hub. The 2023 model supports Visual ID, which will show personalized information on the device’s display depending on who’s using it, and video streaming from Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and other services.
Prime Day Fire TV deals
Fire TV Stick 4K for $25 (50 percent off): This is the cheapest Fire TV Stick you can get to stream 4K content, plus it has support for Wi-Fi 6 and Dolby Vision and Atmos. With its live picture-in-picture feature, you can view security camera feeds right on your TV while you’re watching your favorite show or movie.
Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 (33 percent off): In addition to 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and Atmos support, the 4K Max dongle includes Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, 16GB of built-in storage and live picture-in-picture capabilities. It also supports the Fire TV “ambient experience,” which lets you display photos and images on your TV screen when you’re not actively watching something.
Fire TV Cube streaming box for $100 (29 percent off): This model will provide the best performance of any Fire TV streaming device, and it supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and an enhanced version of the Alexa Voice Remote. Along with live picture-in-picture view and the Fire TV ambient experience, you can also hardware other devices to the Fire TV Cube including a cable box or a game console.
Prime Day Fire tablet deals
Fire HD 8 tablet for $55 (45 percent off): This is Amazon’s most bare-bones tablet, featuring an eight-inch HD touchscreen, hexa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life. The improvements in the screen quality alone from the old-school Fire 7 tablet make it a better buy for most people, and this slab would make a good couch device for general web browsing, email checking, online shopping and more.
Fire Max 11 tablet for $140 (39 percent off): Amazon’s most powerful tablet, the Fire Max 11 sports an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 touchscreen, an octa-core processor, up to 128GB of storage and 14 hours of battery life. It also works with a number of optional accessories, including a stylus and keyboard case.
Fire HD 10 Kids tablet for $105 (45 percent off): This slab is designed for kids aged three to seven, with full parental controls plus one year of Amazon Kids+ for free with the tablet purchase. This model has a 10-inch FHD touchscreen, an octa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life, plus it comes with a two-year warranty and a protective case.
Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet for $105 (45 percent off): This model is designed for kids aged six to 12 and comes with a slimmer protective case, a two-year warranty and one year of access to Amazon Kids+. Otherwise, you get a very similar experience here that you would with the non-Pro version, including parental controls, a 10-inch touchscreen, solid performance and a 13-hour battery life.
If you’re on the market for a Kindle, Fire TV device or Echo speaker, Amazon Prime Day is basically Black Friday for you. Prime Day deals on those devices are typically the same (or very close to) the prices we see at the end of the year near the holidays. That means now is a great time to pick up a new Kindle ereader, a Fire TV Stick for streaming while traveling or an Echo speaker for your home office. As expected, almost all of Amazon’s hardware is on sale for Prime Big Deal Days; these are the best October Prime Day deals on Amazon gear that you can get this year.
Prime Day Kindle deals
Kindle Kids for $95 ($35 off): This is the same device as the base Kindle, but it becomes more kid-friendly thanks to the included cover, two-year warranty and the included year of Amazon Kids+, which gives children ages 3-12 access to hundreds of appropriate ebooks and audiobooks. Just be sure to take note when you activate that subscription because it will renew after one year at the standard $6/month rate.
Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($35 off): The latest version of the Paperwhite has a seven-inch display, thinner bezels, an adjustable warm light, speedier page turns and a battery that can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge. This model is also IPX8 waterproof and has built-in Audible integration.
Kindle Colorsoft for $200 ($50 off): Amazon’s only color e-reader has a seven-inch, high-contrast display, an auto-adjusting front light, a color highlighting feature and an eight-week battery life.
Kindle Scribe for $300 ($100 off): The Scribe is one of the best E-Ink tablets you can buy at the moment, and certainly the top pick if you want a writable table that also excels as an ereader. It provides a great reading and writing experience, thanks in part to its ability to access the entire Kindle ebook library, and it has handy Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox integration.
Prime Day Echo deals
Echo Pop speaker for $25 (38 percent off): One of the newer Echo devices available, the Pop it sports a 1.95-inch front-facing speaker and a physical mic mute switch for extra privacy. The Pop also has built-in eero compatibility, so it can extend the area of your home Wi-Fi network if you already have an eero router system.
Echo Dot speaker for $35 (30 percent off): One of the smallest Echo speakers, this version of the Dot has improved audio and a compact design that will fit almost anywhere. You’ll control it mostly with Alexa voice commands, but there are a few onboard buttons, including a mic-off button for when you need more privacy.
Amazon Echo Spot for $45 ($35 off): Amazon brought the Echo Spot smart alarm clock back from the dead last year with a new design, improved speakers and added Alexa chops. In addition to being able to control smart home devices and respond to voice commands, the Echo Spot can also act as a Wi-Fi extender for those that have Eero systems.
Echo Show 5 for $55 (39 percent off): This model is one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature, all of which make it an excellent smart alarm clock. Amazon improved the speaker quality on this latest model, which gives sound deeper bass and clearer vocals.
Echo Show 8 for $100 (33 percent off): This is our current top pick for the best smart display with Amazon’s Alexa thanks in part to its 8-inch touchscreen, 13MP camera that supports auto-framing for better video chats and its built-in Zigbee smart home hub. The 2023 model supports Visual ID, which will show personalized information on the device’s display depending on who’s using it, and video streaming from Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and other services.
Prime Day Fire TV deals
Fire TV Stick 4K for $25 (50 percent off): This is the cheapest Fire TV Stick you can get to stream 4K content, plus it has support for Wi-Fi 6 and Dolby Vision and Atmos. With its live picture-in-picture feature, you can view security camera feeds right on your TV while you’re watching your favorite show or movie.
Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 (33 percent off): In addition to 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and Atmos support, the 4K Max dongle includes Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, 16GB of built-in storage and live picture-in-picture capabilities. It also supports the Fire TV “ambient experience,” which lets you display photos and images on your TV screen when you’re not actively watching something.
Fire TV Cube streaming box for $100 (29 percent off): This model will provide the best performance of any Fire TV streaming device, and it supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and an enhanced version of the Alexa Voice Remote. Along with live picture-in-picture view and the Fire TV ambient experience, you can also hardware other devices to the Fire TV Cube including a cable box or a game console.
Prime Day Fire tablet deals
Fire HD 8 tablet for $55 (45 percent off): This is Amazon’s most bare-bones tablet, featuring an eight-inch HD touchscreen, hexa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life. The improvements in the screen quality alone from the old-school Fire 7 tablet make it a better buy for most people, and this slab would make a good couch device for general web browsing, email checking, online shopping and more.
Fire Max 11 tablet for $140 (39 percent off): Amazon’s most powerful tablet, the Fire Max 11 sports an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 touchscreen, an octa-core processor, up to 128GB of storage and 14 hours of battery life. It also works with a number of optional accessories, including a stylus and keyboard case.
Fire HD 10 Kids tablet for $105 (45 percent off): This slab is designed for kids aged three to seven, with full parental controls plus one year of Amazon Kids+ for free with the tablet purchase. This model has a 10-inch FHD touchscreen, an octa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life, plus it comes with a two-year warranty and a protective case.
Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet for $105 (45 percent off): This model is designed for kids aged six to 12 and comes with a slimmer protective case, a two-year warranty and one year of access to Amazon Kids+. Otherwise, you get a very similar experience here that you would with the non-Pro version, including parental controls, a 10-inch touchscreen, solid performance and a 13-hour battery life.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to take part in Amazon’s latest Prime Day Sale. Everything listed here is currently going for less than $25 and includes tech like speakers, mice, smart plugs, cables, wall adapters and power banks that fall below that price point. And these aren’t just any products with a pulse — we pulled these from Engadget’s , and so it’s all stuff we’ve tested and currently recommend. Prime Day is yet again a good time to stock up on small essentials — Here are the best Prime Day tech deals for less than $25.
Prime Day tech deals under $25
Amazon
Chipolo Pop Bluetooth tracker for $25 ($4 off): If you lose stuff, stop it with a Bluetooth tracker like this. The Pop is our current top pick in our guide. It works with either Apple’s Find My app or Google’s Find Hub app, calling on iPhone or Android phone users respectively to anonymously ping your lost stuff so you can find it.
Blink Mini 2 security camera for $20 ($20 off): This is the top budget pick in our guide to the best security cameras. The Mini 2 is a great option for indoor monitoring or you can put it outside with a weatherproof adapter, but since it needs to be plugged in, we like it for keeping an eye on your pets while you’re away and watching over entry ways from the inside.
Audible (three months) for $3 ($42 off): From now through mid-December, you can get Amazon’s audiobook subscription for just a dollar a month for three months. Note that it will auto-renew at $15 per month after that, but you can cancel at any point.
Amazon Smart Plug for $13 ($12 off): We named this the best smart plug for Alexa users because it hooks up painlessly and stays connected reliably. Use it to control lamps or your holiday lights using programs and schedules in the Alexa app, or just your voice by talking to your Echo Dot or other Alexa-enabled listener.
Kasa TP-Link Smart Wi-FI outdoor plug for $15 ($7 off with Prime): We tested a similar plug for our buying guide to smart plugs and named it the best outdoor pick for HomeKit users — but this model only works with Alexa and the Google Assistant. The range was decent and setup was easy, like most TP-Link plugs. Grab this now and have automatic control of your holiday lights.
Belkin Apple AirTag holder for $15 ($5 off with Prime): The best thing about Apple’s AirTags are their ability to rope in most any nearby iPhone to anonymously hunt for lost trackers. The worst thing is probably the tiny, slippery disk shape that can’t attach to anything without some help. This is the solution we suggest in our iPhone accessories guide.
Apple
Anker Nano Charger, USB-C 30W charger for $13 ($4 off with Prime): Here’s a tiny but mighty wall adapter that we like for iPhones (but it would work for an iPad too). It can pass on 30 watts of power to your device and looks nice doing it in five different pearlescent shades.
Anker Nano portable charger for $20 ($10 off with Prime): It looks like an oldey timey lipstick case and can deliver a partial refill to any small device with a USB-C port. We named it a good pick after testing it for our battery guide.
This is our top pick for the for accessing free and live content. The dongle supports 4K video and HDR and doesn’t need to be plugged into the wall for power. It’s a great way to access any you could ask for: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and many more.
Anker USB-C to USB-C cable (10FT,100W) for $9 ($3 off with Prime): Having a bad cable is almost as bad as not having a cable at all. We’re big fans of Anker’s cords. This one is a generous 10 feet and can deliver up to 100W of power. While it can transfer data, it does so slowly, so don’t grab this one for that purpose. This is $1 more than it sold for as a Prime-exclusive in July.
Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $23 ($6 off with Prime): This handy little fan is a must-have if you live in a warm climate or have a tropical vacation planned anytime soon. It can be used as a table or handheld fan and even be worn around the neck so you don’t have to hold it at all. Its 5,000 mAh battery allows it to last hours on a single charge, and the small display in the middle of the fan’s blades shows its remaining battery level.
Pebblebee Clip Universal for $25 ($10 off with Prime): This is our runner up pick for a rechargeable Bluetooth tracker. It’s ear-splittingly loud, has bright flashing LEDs and works with either Google or Apple’s finding networks.
Roku Streaming Stick HD for $18 ($12 off): If you don’t care about 4K (or your screen resolution isn’t that high anyway) you can still get the same simple-to-use Roku OS that we liked in our guide with this device. The best thing about Roku devices is the access to all the free content — and this is an affordable way to get it.
Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18 ($17 off): Here’s what we named the best budget streaming stick. At a price this low and only an HD resolution, you shouldn’t expect a premium picture, but if you just want a quick way to get your streaming apps up and running on a basic screen, this will do the thing.
Ring Indoor Cam for $25 ($25 off): While we thought the Blink Mini 2 was a better overall indoor camera in our guide, we do like the Ring app, which is ideal for beginners. Plus you get access to the Ring Neighbors app which is a fascinating glimpse into your neighborhood’s Ring-captured events.
Echo Pop smart speaker for $25 ($15 off): The half sphere Pop is the most affordable Echo speaker in Amazon’s lineup. The sound won’t be as full as its larger siblings, but will do a fine job of bringing Alexa’s help to smaller rooms. Just note that it went as low as $18 for Black Friday and October Prime Day last year.
JLab Go Air Pop+ for $17 ($13 off with Prime): JLab earbuds pop up in a few of our guides including the best running headphones and best budget buds. The Pop+ earbuds are smaller and lighter than the previous model, and the app’s preset EQ modes let you customize your sound. Total battery life with the case comes in at more than 35 hours.
Amazon Basics Smart LED Light Bulb for $9 ($3 off with Prime): We didn’t test this one for our smart bulb guide, but it’s tough to argue with this price — and I’ve found the smart plug equivalent of this device to be one of the more reliable bits of smart home tech I’ve tried. Like all Amazon smart home gear, this only works with Alexa devices like an Echo speaker (and any smartphone).
Samsung Fit Plus 256GB for $23 (30 percent off): We named this thumbdrive one of the best SSDs you can buy. This configuration has 256GB of storage and read speeds of 400MB/s. It’s also built to resist water, extreme temperatures, magnets and even radiation.
The game is set to take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, where 49ers QB Mac Jones will face off against Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
Both teams are 3-1 this season as they continue their road to the playoffs in 2026 and Super Bowl LX.
Going into this week’s match, several 49ers players were injured, like QB Brock Purdy, who has been ruled out due to a toe injury. Other teammates out for the game include Jauan Jennings, Rick Pearsall, and George Kittle, who remains on the injury reserve list due to a hamstring.
Amazon has announced its Prime Gaming October update, which sees it add a fresh batch of games that users can add to their libraries for free. The most noteworthy additions are probably Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition and Fallout: New Vegas. With the of Prime Video’s surprisingly excellent Fallout TV show arriving in December, it’s an ideal time to acquaint yourself with the games it’s based on. New Vegas is particularly relevant, as season two looks like it’ll primarily be set in that game’s world and will presumably be heavily influenced by Obsidian’s beloved 2010 RPG.
Beyond that, XCOM 2 is probably worth a look, and there’s a handful of games that are giving Halloween vibes — how can you go wrong with Tormented Souls or Hellslave as we approach spooky season?
Here’s the full list of October games that you can claim for free. Most come in the form of codes you can redeem on GOG, though some others are available on the Epic Games Store or Legacy Gaming.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York
Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition
True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 1
True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 2
Lost & Found Agency Collector’s Edition
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
You Will Die Here Tonight
Werewolf: The Apocalypse — Heart of the Forest
Amazon also yesterday that it’s giving its cloud gaming platform a bit of an update. As well as continuing to offer a rotating library of free games to Prime members, the company will also introduce a collection of party games designed to be played with friends on your phone. The new GameNight library will include original games developed by Amazon, such as the excellently named Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg, as well as classics like Angry Birds and Ticket to Ride.
The company also announced that Prime Gaming’s Twitch-related benefits will remain available after Prime Gaming is absorbed into Luna. Prime Gaming actually got its start as Twitch Prime, a benefit to Amazon Prime subscribers that eventually grew into the wider gaming offering it is now. The name is changing yet again, but it might be better in the long run for Amazon to put all of its gaming offerings under the Luna brand.
‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ premieres Friday Credit: courtesy Netflix
Premieres Wednesday:
Love Is Blind — An accountant, a social worker and a watch salesman are among the participants in Season 9, which brings the famous dating pods to the lofty altitudes of Denver. Will our cast of hopeful singles be able to find true and lasting love before the National Guard arrives? (Netflix)
Revenge of the Ghoul Log — Fresh from doing production design on I Know What You Did Last Summer, the Andujar Twins favor us with a 60-minute continuous shot of a grinning jack-o’-lantern. And here Nick Fuentes was thinking he finally had that market to himself. (Shudder)
Premieres Thursday:
The Game: You Never Play Alone — A Tamil game developer fights back against a carefully coordinated attack on her safety and identity in a thriller series that Netflix says reflects “the realities of contemporary digital life.” If that’s the case, expect the show to last for four seasons while she waits for her class-action settlement from Facebook. (Netflix)
Cillian Murphy in ‘Steve’ Credit: courtesy Netflix
Premieres Friday:
Monster: The Ed Gein Story — The third season of the Ryan Murphy anthology series casts Charlie Hunnam as the archetypal serial killer who inspired everything from Psycho to The Silence of the Lambs. And also Ted Cruz, but we aren’t supposed to talk about that! (Netflix)
Steve — The season of high-profile Oscar-bait dramas kicks into high gear, with Cillian Murphy taking on the part of a teacher who has to weather multiple crises on behalf of the students at his reform school. But if you’ve ever seen a stag film, you know it’s totally worth it. (Netflix)
V/H/S/Halloween — The latest installment of the found-footage horror franchise centers on a diet soda with some horrifying side effects. And if that sounds bad, try using it to wash down some Tylenol. (Shudder)
Premieres Sunday:
House of David — Season 2 picks up after David has slain Goliath and is looking for new worlds to conquer. Will he get to live out his dream of debating college students on a nationwide tour? (Only available to subscribers of The Wonder Project on Prime Video)
Premieres Tuesday:
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans — The 14 contestants in Season 2 include Orlando’s very own Dollya Black, who made it to the runner-up level on the main Dragula show back in Season 3. “[T]his season is going to be DRAMA,” she promised on Instagram. Which should be very reassuring to everyone who was afraid of a sudden detour into commedia dell’arte. (AMC+ and Shudder)
Matt McCusker: A Humble Offering — In his first special, Shane Gillis’ asshole brother takes aim at such hot topics as race relations and the homeless. Cheer up, Brian Kilmeade; you might not have had the worst take after all. (Netflix)
True Haunting — Producer James Wan goes all Amityville Horror with a docuseries that examines real-life claims of paranormal activity, including interviews with the haunted parties and dramatic reenactments. Featured segments include “This House Murdered Me,” which despite its title is not an exposé of the Florida insurance market. (Netflix)
Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season kicks off a series of international games with a matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers from Dublin, Ireland.
The game is set to take place at Croke Park Stadium in Dublin, where Vikings QB Carson Wentz will face off against Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers.
Both teams are 2-1 this season as they continue their road to the playoffs in 2026 and Super Bowl LX.
What time is the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers?
The NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. ET and 6:30 a.m. PT.
Where to watch and stream the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers game live?
The 2025 NFL Dublin International Game will air exclusively on NFL Network.
Fans of Vikings and the Steelers will be able to watch the game for free via their local broadcast stations in Minneapolis (KMSP) and Pittsburgh (WTAE).
Football aficionados can also stream the game across devices with NFL+ and on an authenticated basis through NFL Network distributors’ apps/sites and NFL digital platforms.
Live game audio will be broadcast nationally by Westwood One, and carried on SiriusXM, the NFL app and NFL.com.
When does coverage of the NFL Dublin Game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers begin?
Coverage on Sunday begins at 7 a.m. ET on NFL Network with NFL GameDay Kickoff, hosted by Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Steve Mariucci and Gerald McCoy in Los Angeles, joined by Colleen Wolfe from Dublin.
Additionally, Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero provide the latest news and information from around the league, and Jamie Erdahl and Judy Battista join from Dublin.
On NFL GameDay Kickoff, Wolfe interviews NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell from Croke Park.
Eisen, Warner, Mariucci and McCoy provide coverage during halftime of Vikings-Steelers and postgame.
The 2025 International Games continue with three consecutive games in London beginning Sunday, Oct. 5 at 9:30 a.m. ET with the Vikings facing the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, exclusively on NFL Network and available to stream across devices with NFL+.
Now that we know October Prime Day is on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about what you may want to snag at a discount during the sale. If you pay the $139 annual fee for Prime, sale events like these are a great time to stock up on essentials and cross things off your wishlist while you can save some money.
Most discounts will be exclusively available to Prime subscribers, but there are always a few that anyone shopping on Amazon can grab. Similarly, there are always early deals in the days and weeks leading up to Prime Day, and this year is no different. Here, we’ve collected the best October Prime Day deals you can shop for right now and we’ll keep updating this post as we get close to Prime Day proper.
Best Prime Day deals: Engadget’s top picks
Apple
Apple MagSafe charger (25W, 2m) for $35 (30 percent off): The latest version of Apple’s MagSafe puck is Qi2.2-certified and supports up to 25W of wireless power when paired with a 30W adapter. The two-meter cable length on this particular model gives you more flexibility on where you can use it: in bed, on the couch, at your desk and elsewhere.
Apple iPad (A16) for $299 ($50 off): The new base-model iPad now comes with twice the storage of the previous model and the A16 chip. That makes the most affordable iPad faster and more capable, but still isn’t enough to support Apple Intelligence.
Apple Mac mini (M4) for $499 $100 off): If you prefer desktops, the upgraded M4 Mac mini is one that won’t take up too much space, but will provide a ton of power at the same time. Not only does it come with an M4 chipset, but it also includes 16GB of RAM in the base model, plus front-facing USB-C and headphone ports for easier access.
Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $449 ($150 off): The only major difference between the latest iPad Air and the previous generation is the addition of the faster M3 chip. We awarded the new slab an 89 in our review, appreciating the fact that the M3 chip was about 16 percent faster in benchmark tests than the M2. This is the iPad to get if you want a reasonable amount of productivity out of an iPad that’s more affordable than the Pro models.
Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $25 (14 percent off, Prime exclusive): This handy little fan is a must-have if you life in a warm climate or have a tropical vacation planned anytime soon. It can be used as a table or handheld fan and even be worn around the neck so you don’t have to hold it at all. Its 5,000 mAh battery allows it to last hours on a single charge, and the small display in the middle of the fan’s blades show its remaining battery level.
Leebein 2025 electric spin scrubber for $40 (43 percent off, Prime exclusive): This is an updated version of my beloved Leebein electric scrubber, which has made cleaning my shower easier than ever before. It comes with seven brush heads so you can use it to clean all kinds of surfaces, and its adjustable arm length makes it easier to clean hard-to-reach spots. It’s IPX7 waterproof and recharges via USB-C.
Shark AI robot vacuum with self-empty base for $230 (58 percent off, Prime exclusive): A version of one of our favorite robot vacuums, this Shark machine has strong suction power and supports home mapping. The Shark mobile app lets you set cleaning schedules, and the self-empty base that it comes with will hold 30 days worth of dust and debris.
Levoit LVAC-300 cordless vacuum for $250 ($100 off, Prime exclusive): One of our favorite cordless vacuums, this Levoit machine has great handling, strong suction power for its price and a premium-feeling design. Its bin isn’t too small, it has HEPA filtration and its battery life should be more than enough for you to clean your whole home many times over before it needs a recharge.
JBL Go 4 portable speaker for $40 (20 percent off): The Go 4 is a handy little Bluetooth speaker that you can take anywhere you go thanks to its small, IP67-rated design and built-in carrying loop. It’ll get seven hours of playtime on a single charge, and you can pair two together for stereo sound.
Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo for $300 (57 percent off, Prime exclusive): If you’re looking for an autonomous dirt-sucker that can also mop, this is a good option. It has a mopping pad and water reservoir built in, and it supports home mapping as well. Its self-emptying base can hold up to 60 days worth of debris, too.
Nintendo Switch 2 for $449: While not technically a discount, it’s worth mentioning that the Switch 2 and the Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle are both available at Amazon now, no invitation required. Amazon only listed the new console for the first time in July after being left out of the initial pre-order/availability window in April. Once it became available, Amazon customers looking to buy the Switch 2 had to sign up to receive an invitation to do so. Now, that extra step has been removed and anyone can purchase the Switch 2 on Amazon.
To deal with the fallout of Jordan’s decision from last week, Cipher whips up a disturbing solution: Marie and Jordan will duke it out on live TV. Photo: Prime
When Chance Perdomo died last year, Gen V lost its most promising young performer. But season two has avoided recasting the character or introducing a prominent new student to take his place, instead focusing on a smaller group and developing the people we already know: Marie, Emma, Jordan, Cate, and Sam. That shift is working pretty well for me overall, even if this season feels slightly less novel than the first.
It feels right that season two is kicking into gear as we reach the midpoint. “Bags” starts to really peel back the curtain on what this story is about, digging into Project Odessa and the true nature of the villainous new dean. Cipher is a huge presence here, lingering in the air even when he doesn’t appear in a scene, and Hamish Linklater is really selling the character’s creepiness.
This is an episode all about the fallout of Jordan’s decision to reveal the truth about Andre’s death and Cate’s attack. On Vought News, Cate is still parroting the story that she was assaulted by Starlighters and Jordan is lying for likes. But this situation won’t just go away, so Cipher whips up a disturbing solution: Marie and Jordan will duke it out on live TV. It’s blood bender versus gender bender, and Jordan will get their ass kicked to provide the public some catharsis. Marie doesn’t want to fight her partner, but neither of them have any leverage here; Cipher can haul them off to Elmira whenever he wants.
Much of “Bags” is about the heroes trying to find that leverage, to figure out some way of resisting. Nobody loves the idea of enlisting Cate’s help, especially since she’s still a Vought puppet, but Marie knows it might be the only way to learn more about Cipher. Unfortunately, Cate’s powers are still on the fritz. And even before the attack, she couldn’t read Cipher’s mind; he has an ironclad barrier around his mind, perhaps an effect of his own powers.
That doesn’t mean they can’t dig up some dirt on him, though. During Marie’s private lesson with Cipher, Cate and Jordan infiltrate the dean’s house, finding a withered old man in a hyperbaric chamber. They also bond a little along the way. Jordan isn’t sure they can forgive Cate, but they come a long way in this episode, especially after an apology and an argument that devolves into mutual slut-shaming and laughter. It’s a helpful reminder that these two were friends years before the events of the show. There’s a sense of history there, and it makes their alliance feel believable despite Cate’s ever-questionable morality.
She gets another chance to prove herself that evening when Cipher texts her after realizing she poked around his house. The plan to get him to call off the fight is pretty straightforward: Cate will visit Cipher in the VIP box during the big fight and get him to admit that he’s not a supe. (During her lesson, Marie didn’t sense any Compound V in his blood.) Emma, meanwhile, will shrink down and sneak in through the pipes to plant a tiny camera and capture the whole thing, gaining the leverage they need.
It’s nice to see Emma in a new mode this season: much more self-assured and actively working to overcome the deep-rooted self-loathing that still remains. Part of that is having friends like Harper and Ally who really look up to her, viewing her the same way she viewed Andre as a freshman. As a chameleon, Harper can access the same powers as Emma, but she doesn’t need to internally self-flagellate to shrink down. She plays coach in a touching scene, gassing her up in the hopes that she’ll grow to massive size. Apparently Emma is the only other person Ally has told about her power: pubic hair–bending, which I’m surprised hasn’t already appeared in The Boys.
Ally provides the camera, and Emma’s trek through the pipes goes well until the water turns back on and she’s washed away. Luckily, she makes it to Cipher’s toilet and manages to crawl out right before he takes a shit. I will not forget the toilet-POV shot of Linklater’s (presumably prosthetic) ball sack descending from above anytime soon.
It’s a happy ending for Emma, who has a wholesome reunion with her new buddies after successfully growing back to normal size by being “too tired to think.” Elsewhere, though, everything is going off the rails — or, from Cipher’s point of view, going to plan. He admits to Cate that the old man she saw is his father, but he seems completely unfazed by her claim that she can read his mind and knows he isn’t a supe. Her attempt to broker a deal is doomed from the start, and she doesn’t even know it yet. We have some idea this won’t go her way, but we don’t know how.
Jordan gets boos when they come out for the fight, of course, while Marie gets universal cheers. But to her credit, she makes an effort to reject this false choice altogether, kissing Jordan instead of hitting them. It’s not until Cipher says “Watch this” and Jordan punches Marie that we realize what’s going on: He has his own form of mind control far more powerful than Cate’s. He can watch from the VIP box and speak through Jordan, controlling them like a puppet.
When Marie realizes what’s happening, she’s forced to employ the lesson Cipher taught her earlier: lifting living beings through blood-bending. She concentrates and connects with the cells in Jordan’s blood, levitating them and dropping them only when they’re on the verge of exploding. It’s the ideal ending for the narrative Cipher and Vought are constructing: Now satiated, the angry public can cheer for Marie and take joy in Jordan’s punishment.
Viewers of The Boys know that all-powerful supe villains can be narratively frustrating; Homelander is basically unstoppable, and we know he likely won’t die until the end of the show, so it’s just a matter of watching the heroes fail to find leverage over and over. “Bags” arguably has that same issue, but at least the characters know who they’re dealing with now. And unlike Homelander, Cipher might just be a one-season villain like the dean before him. At least in this episode, Cipher getting what he wants successfully raises the stakes. Watching these shows, you don’t want to be thinking, Oh God, they’ll never beat him. You want to be wondering, How the hell will they beat him?
• Cate’s attempt to push a security guard into handing over his keys results in him fucking a garden gnome. Truly classic Gen V humor. Kudos to Maddie Phillips for her urgent delivery of “He’s rearranging a gnome’s guts right now.”
• I always like a hero-villain dynamic in which the villain is the mentor helping the hero unlock new powers (season one of The Flash comes to mind), and the blood-bag training sequence is pretty effective. As soon as that goat appears, you just know it’s going to burst midair.
• Cipher tells Marie that the whole point of God U is to produce someone like her, potentially the most powerful supe ever. We sort of already know that, though. It feels as though there’s more to uncover here.
• “Ease up, Yoda.” “Fair enough. Sorry.” This is a nice, rare moment of Cipher actually backing down slightly.
• Not sure what to think about Cipher saying the goats are named after “assholes” and then using Elon Musk and Julia Fox as the two names.
• Ally’s Starlighter brother is Greg, the cute guy Emma knows from Modesty Monarch’s class. More to come, presumably.
• Emma suggests Bush Master as Ally’s supe name. She loves it.
• Cipher complaining about the bad camera angle might be my favorite Linklater moment of the episode.
• Cipher does seem to lose control of Jordan there at the end, allowing them to tell Marie to stop. What happened there?
Now that we know October Prime Day is on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about what you may want to snag at a discount during the sale. If you pay the $139 annual fee for Prime, sale events like these are a great time to stock up on essentials and cross things off your wishlist while you can save some money.
Most discounts will be exclusively available to Prime subscribers, but there are always a few that anyone shopping on Amazon can grab. Similarly, there are always early deals in the days and weeks leading up to Prime Big Deal Days, and this year is no different. Here, we’ve collected the best Prime Day deals you can shop for right now and we’ll keep updating this post as we get close to Prime Day proper.
Best Prime Day deals: Engadget’s top picks
Apple
Apple AirPods Pro 3 for $239 ($10 off): The latest version of Apple’s most advanced wireless earbuds, the AirPods Pro 3 support Live Translation, heart rate monitoring and improved sound quality and ANC. If you have an iPhone, you’ll be hard pressed to find a pair of wireless buds that provide better performance and handy extra features for the money.
Apple MagSafe charger (25W, 2m) for $35 (30 percent off): The latest version of Apple’s MagSafe puck is Qi2.2-certified and supports up to 25W of wireless power when paired with a 30W adapter. The two-meter cable length on this particular model gives you more flexibility on where you can use it: in bed, on the couch, at your desk and elsewhere.
Apple iPad (A16) for $299 ($50 off): The new base-model iPad now comes with twice the storage of the previous model and the A16 chip. That makes the most affordable iPad faster and more capable, but still isn’t enough to support Apple Intelligence.
Apple Mac mini (M4) for $499 $100 off): If you prefer desktops, the upgraded M4 Mac mini is one that won’t take up too much space, but will provide a ton of power at the same time. Not only does it come with an M4 chipset, but it also includes 16GB of RAM in the base model, plus front-facing USB-C and headphone ports for easier access.
Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $449 ($150 off): The only major difference between the latest iPad Air and the previous generation is the addition of the faster M3 chip. We awarded the new slab an 89 in our review, appreciating the fact that the M3 chip was about 16 percent faster in benchmark tests than the M2. This is the iPad to get if you want a reasonable amount of productivity out of an iPad that’s more affordable than the Pro models.
Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $25 (14 percent off, Prime exclusive): This handy little fan is a must-have if you life in a warm climate or have a tropical vacation planned anytime soon. It can be used as a table or handheld fan and even be worn around the neck so you don’t have to hold it at all. Its 5,000 mAh battery allows it to last hours on a single charge, and the small display in the middle of the fan’s blades show its remaining battery level.
Leebein 2025 electric spin scrubber for $40 (43 percent off, Prime exclusive): This is an updated version of my beloved Leebein electric scrubber, which has made cleaning my shower easier than ever before. It comes with seven brush heads so you can use it to clean all kinds of surfaces, and its adjustable arm length makes it easier to clean hard-to-reach spots. It’s IPX7 waterproof and recharges via USB-C.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 (33 percent off): Amazon’s most powerful streaming dongle supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and Wi-Fi 6E. It also has double the storage of cheaper Fire TV sticks.
JBL Go 4 portable speaker for $40 (20 percent off): The Go 4 is a handy little Bluetooth speaker that you can take anywhere you go thanks to its small, IP67-rated design and built-in carrying loop. It’ll get seven hours of playtime on a single charge, and you can pair two together for stereo sound.
Levoit Core 200S smart air purifier for $75 ($15 off with clippable coupon): This compact air purifier cleans the air in rooms up to 140 square feet and uses a 3-in-1 filter that removes microscopic dust, pollen and airborne particles. It has a mobile app that you can use to set runtime schedules, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.
Amazon Fire TV Cube for $100 (29 percent off): Amazon’s most powerful streaming device, the Fire TV Cube supports 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision content, Dolby Atmos sound, Wi-Fi 6E and it has a built-in Ethernet port. It has the most internal storage of any Fire TV streaming device, plus it comes with an enhanced Alexa Voice Remote.
Shark AI robot vacuum with self-empty base for $300 (54 percent off): A version of one of our favorite robot vacuums, this Shark machine has strong suction power and supports home mapping. The Shark mobile app lets you set cleaning schedules, and the self-empty base that it comes with will hold 60 days worth of dust and debris.
Nintendo Switch 2 for $449: While not technically a discount, it’s worth mentioning that the Switch 2 and the Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle are both available at Amazon now, no invitation required. Amazon only listed the new console for the first time in July after being left out of the initial pre-order/availability window in April. Once it became available, Amazon customers looking to buy the Switch 2 had to sign up to receive an invitation to do so. Now, that extra step has been removed and anyone can purchase the Switch 2 on Amazon.
Jordan and Emma aren’t taking their forced reenrollment all that well, but they’re still doing better than Marie’s time living as a dropout. Photo: Jasper Savage/Prime
Welcome back to school! How was everyone’s summer break? Hopefully you had a much better few months than the rising sophomores of Gen V. Either way, there’s no time like the fall semester to start anew. An apple cider a day keeps the fascism away, right? The Boys has been an explicitly political show from the beginning, but recent seasons have leaned harder into real-world parallels, especially with Homelander’s ascent to governing power in the season-four finale. It was a bit unsettling last year to witness the supe-supremacist speech where Homelander vowed to take revenge on America’s “enemies” and ordered his puppet, incoming president Calhoun, to declare martial law. But the college-campus setting of Gen V has allowed the spinoff to carve out its own identity, coming at many of the same satirical targets from a different angle.
Take the recap early in “New Year, New U,” which updates us on where The Boys left off while filtering the big world changes down to the campus level. At least among conservative-coded Hometeamers and supe supremacists, it’s accepted knowledge that Robert Singer and Starlight colluded to kill Victoria Neuman, a deep-state conspiracy that necessitated Homelander taking control. Now, Godolkin University is “free from the woke agenda” and staffed entirely by supes, including the mysterious new dean, Cipher (a marvelously creepy Hamish Linklater). It’s pretty clear where some of these ideas originate: Rightwing leadership is hellbent on reshaping higher education in America right now.
Much of season one revolved around a supe-killing virus engineered by scientists in the Woods at Dean Shetty’s instruction; here, that’s not so relevant anymore, even though we know it’s still very much a factor in the parent show. Based on the opening flashback to 1967, just two years after God U was founded, the focus this time will be Project Odessa, led by Thomas Godolkin (Wicked’sEthan Slater) himself.
This premiere has a lot to take care of, introducing new threats while untangling the messy fallout from the season finale. We last saw Cate and Sam taking power as the “new Guardians of Godolkin” after liberating Shetty’s supe test subjects and pinning the death of 12 innocents on Marie, Jordan, Andre, and Emma. Season two has no interest in limiting itself to a jail cell, though, so right away we learn that Cate has persuaded the administration to let the kids reenroll. Well, to let Jordan and Emma reenroll, since Marie is off the grid and Andre is dead.
We lost actor Chance Perdomo at the far-too-young age of 27 last year, and the show has a duty to wrap up his arc as naturally as possible while leaving space to mourn both the actor and the character. And honestly, this premiere does a pretty good job with a tough situation. We don’t need to actually see Andre’s failed escape attempt; hearing Jordan tell the story near the end of the episode is powerful enough. It’s easy to picture Andre making the rash choice to brute-force his way out when a safer method (an open maintenance pipe) falls through.
But easily the best Andre tribute of the episode is the scene between his father and Emma. When Emma walks into Polarity’s house, she finds him depressed, drunk, and full of self-loathing. It’s a foregone conclusion that she’ll ultimately convince him to get back up and start looking into Cipher — the man was present at Elmira when Andre died, and the prospect of revenge is tempting — but it also makes sense that Polarity initially wouldn’t see the point. Even setting aside his own role in “shoving Andre into the Vought machine,” there’s no way he can get his son back now. Sean Patrick Thomas’s performance here is deeply affecting, especially his disbelief at the idea of rectifying this somehow (“He was all I had!”). Thomas has always been one of the strongest performers on the show, and here he reaches new levels.
Emma kind of takes on the protagonist role for much of this premiere, and it suits her surprisingly well. She’s smart enough to understand the necessity of complying — she and Jordan read canned PR statements about their exoneration after being wrongfully accused — but also brave enough to proceed with her investigation of Cipher and search for Marie instead of just keeping her head down. Drowning her sorrows at a frat party, she happens to see a video of wounded Hometeamers lying in their own blood and recognizes Marie’s handiwork. So she gets Jordan’s reluctant approval to go find their friend, mentioning that Andre was the first person to help her see herself as a hero.
Marie has been through a hell of a day fighting off Dogknott (Zach McGowan), a bounty hunter with dog-like abilities who tracked her to a motel in Weehawken. All Marie really wants is to find her sister Annabeth, but she’s getting nowhere, and it doesn’t help that she can’t stop bringing attention to herself by beating up Hometeamers. Starlight herself has to step in to save her during the brutal Dogknott brawl, and she has some advice Marie doesn’t want to hear: Take a deal and return to God U. She wants her to look into Project Odessa, which Vought is apparently resuming.
In the dramatic final scene, Emma and Jordan find Marie, leading to the expected fight about Marie abandoning the group and arguably leading Andre to make a foolish sacrifice. But when Cate follows them there, everything escalates. Now, Cate has always been a bit inscrutable; her motivations are sometimes hard to parse, which makes her the show’s most potentially interesting character but also its most frustrating. In this episode, she’s still trying to play both sides: grieving Andre and “protecting” her friends, but also being a huge narc because she has no actual leverage over Cipher and Vought.
Cate’s efforts to manipulate Marie this time are laughable; she’s not on her A-game, and nobody trusts her enough to let those dangerous fingers anywhere near them. Case in point: Jordan blasting her into an electrical box when she reaches out for Marie. To make matters worse, Marie can’t risk touching Cate to heal her skull. All they can do is leave her to die.
Would Gen V really kill off Cate at this stage? I doubt it, especially since the cast is already down a major cast member. But you never really know with this bold, brutal franchise. Good thing we already have two more episodes available.
• Those explosive deaths in the flashback are basically Gen V dunking you headfirst back into this world. The tentacles shooting out of a man’s ass are particularly memorable.
• Another signature gross supe moment: Jordan punches a guy mid-butt-chug, causing him to explode beer (and whatever else) all over a group of people.
• Not a ton from Sam in this episode, but he’s with Justine now. Emma also gets a nice scene declining his truce offer and telling him off for, you know, killing people. At least Cate is still around to mind-control him into guiltlessness!
• Linklater’s performance is a real highlight of this premiere, so I’m looking forward to seeing more of him. We don’t know much about Cipher or his powers yet, and that blank-slate quality makes him all the more menacing — along with the moment when he almost sticks Cate’s hand in a blender.
• Zach McGowan will always be Jody from Shameless to me.
• Apparently Emma’s new party buddy worked with Jacob Elordi and already has a role secured in the sequel to Saltburn, titled Saltburnt.
• RIP to Chance Perdomo, to whom this season is dedicated.
