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Critical Role’s founding cast is getting back together for one night of fun, all for a very good cause. And Critical Role is inviting you to be a part of this special tabletop role-playing campaign. The group announced it’s hosting a live one-shot charity event to raise funds for wildfire relief in Los Angeles.

On January 30 “Critters” everywhere are encouraged to tune into Critical Role’s “Freaky Thursday” event, “a chaotic and interactive one-shot charity livestream.” This special (non-canon) one-shot ad venture will feature Bells Hells, the characters from Critical Role’s third RPG. Ashley Johnson, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey, and Liam O’Brien will sit down for Game Master Matthew Mercer’s campaign. Here’s what awaits Bells Hells when they do:

Two Elemental Royals have made a wager: Are modern mortal “heroes” as resilient and courageous as those of legend? Hearing of the recent, wild exploits of Bells Hells, these two entities pluck the troupe from Exandria and force a series of challenges to test their skills, wit, and ability… all while the Elementals subtly manipulate the odds between Order and Chaos to serve their bet. Weird magics weave throughout the realm, as onlookers from across the realms alter the dangers mid-contest, rending the battlefield or even swapping souls between the players! Can Bells Hells survive this series of clashes, and does either Order or Chaos truly carve the path of a hero?

Fans who tune into either Critical Role’s Beacon membership service, or its Twitch and YouTube channels, will get to do more than just watch. “Freaky Thursday” is the group’s latest fundraising effort to help the recovery from the Los Angeles wildfires. Viewers can shape the one-shot’s story via Critical Role’s Tiltify page. There fans can “donate or purchase rewards” that will directly influence the campaign. As of this writing more than $19,000 has already been donated. From Critical Role:

Story elements with the most donations will take center stage in the adventure. Each fundraising milestone reached will unlock unique surprises, including new allies, unexpected adversaries, or even character sheet swaps, ensuring an unpredictable and exciting adventure shaped entirely by the community’s contributions.

Your contributions will fund grants to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund, the Latino Community Foundation, and the LA Fire Department Foundation. In addition, 10% of every donation will go into Critical Role’s emergency fund. It allows them “to send help quickly in the event of a future unforeseen natural emergency.”

The company, its Critical Role Foundation, and fans have already done a lot to help Southern California. They’ve donated $30,000 to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund. And that was without getting the founding cast back together for an adventure. This event, especially with how you can literally be a part of it, should raise way more. You can how exactly at the show at the event’s official page.

If you want to get in on both the fun and the funds tune into “Freaky Thursday” live at 7 pm PT on January 30.

The post Critical Role Founding Cast Reuniting for Live Charity One-Shot To Support LA Wildfire Relief appeared first on Nerdist.

At Walt Disney World Resort, Emmy award-winning journalist and TV host Tamron Hall will kick off the celebration as the Grand Marshall during the magical parade at Magic Kingdom Park on February 1! Guests can also experience:

• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the newest attraction where guests can enjoy a musical adventure and the thrills of a 50-foot drop!
• Meet and greet moments with Princess Tiana and live-action character, Ariel
• Disney on Broadway special performances at Epcot
• Delicious dishes featuring Blackened Salmon

At Disneyland Resort, sing your praises and lift your hands for showstopping performances featuring Gospel artists DOE on February 8 and Melvin Crispell, III on February 15. Guests can also experience:

• New Orleans square for all things Princess Tiana where guests can shop at Eudora’s Chic Boutique and dine at Tiana’s Palace Restaurant
• Meet and greet moments with superheroes such as the Wakanda Warriors
• Enjoy smooth Jazz tunes featuring Joe Gardner from Pixar Animation Studios’ Soul on select days
• Delicious dishes featuring the Catfish Po’Boy

The post Join the Fun at Disneyland with Tiana and Gospel Performances appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

It’s the end of January, so Valentine’s Day is just a few short weeks away. What better way to spend Valentine’s Day with your gal pals than to stream new and returning shows, especially ones like the iconic The Bachelor? I compiled a list of six new shows streaming on various platforms that will set the mood for the perfect Galentine’s Day party.

The Bachelor season 29

The Bachelor is back with season 29 and Grant Ellis is the man all the ladies are going after. Ellis was part of Jen Tran’s journey on The Bachelorette season 21, but ultimately she said goodbye to him. Now, he’s making a comeback as the titular Bachelor this season!

Director Rashad Frett brings us a poignant and incredibly emotionally-driven narrative about a man named Ricky (Stephan James) who is released shortly after being incarcerated at the age of 15 for armed robbery and attempted murder. His harsh 15-year sentence takes a toll on his mental state which is what we, the audience, experience through Ricky’s journey in this film.  As he navigates acclimating himself back to life outside of the four walls of prison cells and experiences life as an adult Frett’s film challenges you to ponder why the American justice system tosses and discards their inmates without any regard for their mental health or preparation for career opportunities. 

This film is about second chances. But what happens if the second chance isn’t good enough? That’s truly what the film Ricky explores.

In a year where we currently have the leader of our country, a convicted felon, afforded the opportunity to have a second chance to become President of the United States, watching Ricky became all the more infuriating to watch. As more Black men are imprisoned for crimes and are racially profiled the American justice system truly is stacked against people of color. 

Ricky has missed key milestones like navigating relationships, adapting to technology, and finding his footing in a fast-evolving world.  In one scene, he needs help using a cell phone.

He meets a girl named Jazz (Imani Lewis) who helps him with this cell phone.  There’s an instant connection between the two and he offers to cut her son’s hair. We also meet Terrence (Sean Nelson) who is a childhood friend of Ricky’s who helps him find work. We learn throughout this story there is a connective thread between these two which is quite compelling.

Ricky’s brother James (Maliq Johnson) has a complicated relationship with him and the two are trying to rebuild what was lost while Ricky was away. 

Ricky’s journey is as much about self-discovery as it is survival. As he struggles to meet his parole officer Joanne’s (Sheryl Lee Ralph) strict requirements, Ricky must also navigate the tension of returning to his devout Caribbean mother’s home (Simbi Khali) in Hartford, Connecticut — a setting where faith and love clash with past betrayals. His strained but yearning exchanges with Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Joanne reflect a man desperate for guidance but unsure how to ask for it. Similarly, his scenes with his mother reveal an undercurrent of pain and hope, as James captures the complex emotions of a son trying to reconcile love and resentment. As Joanne, Ralph embodies a tough-love mentor, someone who sees Ricky’s potential but isn’t afraid to challenge him. Her stern demeanor is never overbearing; instead, it’s rooted in genuine care. In one of the film’s standout scenes, where Joanne confronts Ricky about his failure to meet expectations, Ralph skillfully balances frustration with compassion, making it clear that her demands come from a place of belief in his ability to succeed.

Stephan James delivers a raw, heartfelt portrayal of Ricky, blending the vulnerability of a betrayed boy with the strength of a determined man. His performance is gutwrenching. The hesitant body language, awkward pauses, and searching glances illustrate Ricky’s discomfort with a world that feels alien and overwhelming. Sheryl Lee Ralph is magnetic as Joanne, bringing layers of toughness and compassion to her role. She is the anchor in this story and not the antagonistic parole officer you would expect in a situation like this. 

One thing that still haunts me about James’ performance were the emotional outbursts Ricky would experience when a situation got too stressful for him.  It was like he didn’t know how to handle it.  During the Q&A for the film Stephan James mentioned how he was inspired by the life of Kalief Browder. James beautifully depicts the sadness of how vulnerable this character is who is still trying to figure it all out to someone who is also brimming with anger at how he got an unfair advantage in life. We learn in his backstory about how he ended up involved in armed robbery which is a tragic story in and of itself. 

I went on an emotional rollercoaster throughout this journey in Ricky.  I laughed, I cried, and I was angry. And while there are stories like this that are very common, especially stories centered on Black men, I think telling them is important, especially now in this climate.  If it is now precedent to have a convicted felon have the highest job in land, then every convicted felon who is bestowed their freedom, should be allowed to have any job they want without any repercussions. They should be able to find steady work with no conditions.

It’s a story that lingers, not just for its heartbreaking realism but for its resounding awareness of what’s wrong with our justice system. Rashad Frett’s feature debut is an unforgettable exploration of what it means to truly start over and why everyone deserves a second chance.

Ricky is currently screening at the Sundance Film Festival and will be available to screen online.  

The post Sundance 2025 Review: ‘Ricky’ is a Journey of Second Chances and Redemption appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.