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Summer is right around the corner, bringing the heat and blockbuster movie season with it. Just this month, fans have already gotten a sneak peek at what’s to come with the release of trailers for films like Bad Boys: Ride or Die and Deadpool & Wolverine. Those two titles are a small glimpse into what the next few months have to offer on the big screen. There are also plenty of sequels, prequels, and remakes to come, like Inside Out 2 and The Quiet Place: Day One. But summer is not just for action, as Trap and Alien: Romulus are also in store for horror and sci-fi fans.
While most people prefer to spend the warmer months outdoors, real movie lovers know that this is the best time for some of the hottest, most talked-about releases of the year. Fall is for award show contenders, but summer is for fun-loving action fans. It’s also not talked about enough how a chilly movie theater is the perfect reprieve to escape the high temperatures. Some flicks are arriving directly to streaming services like Netflix, which means not having to face the heat at all.
We have compiled a list of some of the most exciting new releases that will hit theaters this season. While summer doesn’t officially kick off until June 21, there are a few major releases in early June that are worthy enough to be on this list. Check out the films below to see which ones are must-watch this summer.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
When: June 7
Where: In theaters
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back with another installment of their nearly 30-year journey with 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The actors will reprise their popular roles as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett and pick up where 2020’s Bad Boys for Life left off. The story will follow as their late police captain gets accused of being connected to drug cartels and working with them during his tenure, so the dynamic duo of Miami cops set out on a dangerous mission to clear his name. The buddy cop action comedy is directed by Adil and Bilall, written by Chris Bremner, and also stars Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig. Sony released the trailer last month, and it promises the same intensity, chemistry, and laugh-out-loud humor that has made the franchise so beloved by fans for all these years.
Ballerina
When: June 7
Where: In theaters
Ballerina is the first spinoff of the John Wick franchise. The film, starring Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, and Keanu Reeves, is set to take place somewhere between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4. Reeves’ character died in Chapter 4 but is set to return for this one. Ballerina follows a ballerina-turned-assassin named Rooney (Ana de Armas), who is seeking revenge for her family’s murder. The spin-off will belong to one of the most successful action franchises in recent memory and will be packed with just as much thrill and excitement as the first four. Lee Chung-hyeon, who directed the Netflix thriller The Call, will also direct Ballerina.
Hit Man
When: June 7
Where: Netflix
Professional killer Gary Johnson breaks protocol to help a desperate woman who is trying to flee an abusive husband and finds himself falling for her. Inspired by a true story, Gary (Glen Powell), a straight-laced professor, discovers that he has a hidden talent to pose as a fake hit man. Gary begins taking on false identities to catch criminals for the local police. The situation quickly changes when sparks between the fake hitman and his prospective client Madison (Adria Arjona) fly immediately, but the secrets between them become a challenge for their romance. Not only does Powell star in the film, but he also co-wrote the new noir comedy directed by Richard Linklater.
Inside Out 2
When: June 14
Where: In theaters
Inside Out premiered in 2015 and followed a young Riley as she dealt with the emotions when she moved with her parents from the Midwest to San Francisco. Following the move, Riley goes through all the characterized emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, as she adjusts to her new life. The sequel will follow the original five emotions as they deal with all that comes with being a teenager, including Anxiety and Embarrassment, which take over Riley’s mind now that she’s 13 years old and heading to hockey camp. Maya Hawke will star as Anxiety, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui a.k.a. boredom, and Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment.
A Quiet Place: Day One
When: June 28
Where: In theaters
On top of being summer 2024’s first big offering, A Quiet Place: Day One might also be one of the year’s most anticipated films. Following the release of the original 2018 film and 2020 sequel starring John Krasinski (who also directed) and Emily Blunt, the new movie is a prequel to the first two and will follow a whole set of new characters. The prequel follows the events of the first day the extraterrestrial creatures from the first two films came to Earth and unleashed absolute chaos in New York City, attacking anyone and anything that made any kind of noise. The film stars include Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, and Denis O’Hare.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
When: July 3
Where: Netflix
Eddie Murphy is returning to Netflix just in time for the Fourth of July and the 40th anniversary of his beloved comedy Beverly Hills Cop. Murphy will be filling the role of Detective Axel Foley for the fourth time, and this film will see him back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. The film was produced by Murphy, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Chad Oman, and directed by Mark Molloy. Beverly Hills Cop came out in 1984, II came out in 1987 and III dropped in 1994, 10 years after the original.
Twisters
When: July 19
Where: In theaters
Glen Powell is having one hell of a year. A month after starring in Netflix’s Hit Man, he will head back to theaters as the lead in the new Twisters movie, which is the standalone sequel to the 1996 hit, Twister. The sequel is also about tornadoes but its not like the original. Powell told Vogue in December 2023 that the film is not quite a remake and it would be a whole new story, and said the characters from the original would not be returning.
Powell stars as a social media personality and self-proclaimed “Tornado Wrangler” named Tyler Owens, who chases storms for thrills. Meanwhile, Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who is a fearful storm tracker who prefers studying meteorology from the safety of behind her computer screen in New York City, gets convinced by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) to test out new technology on tornadoes in Oklahoma. The screenplay was written by The Revenant’s Mark. L Smith and the film was directed by Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung.
Deadpool & Wolverine
When: July 26
Where: In theaters
Deadpool & Wolverine is ready to heat things up this summer. Marvel had a bit of a rocky 2023 and a slow start to 2024, aside from the hit X-Men ’97. That means there is a lot of pressure resting on Deadpool 3’s shoulders. Ryan Reynolds will make his MCU debut in the third installment of his superhero franchise as Wade Wilson aka Deadpool, and the film will also mark the first time a Marvel film has been rated R. Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth, Deadpool. There is no word yet on how Wolverine will be introduced into the picture, but rumor is that the multiverse is involved. Deadpool and Wolverine will team up to defeat a common enemy, reportedly Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin, who has been confirmed to be the lead villain.
Trap
When: August 2
Where: In theaters
M. Night Shyamalan is back at it again with another thriller. Trap is about a man and his teenage daughter attending a pop star’s concert when they realize that they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event. The father, played by Josh Hartnett, is told by a man working a merch stand that the police have set up a trap for a known serial killer who was believed to be attending the concert. The trailer reveals in the most chilling way that the trap was put in place to catch the girls’ dad. This one is a must-see.
Alien: Romulus
When: Aug. 16
Where: In theaters
Alien: Romulus is the eighth film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and stars Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, and David Jonsson. Romulus will focus on a group of 20-something space colonizers and scavengers in a distant world. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, they find themselves confronting the most terrifying life form in the universe, a Xenomorph. Romulus takes place in between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens and it reportedly ties in to those films. Romulus was originally slated to be a Hulu, release but the studio shifted to theatrical release at the start of production.
Summer is right around the corner, bringing the heat and blockbuster movie season with it. Just this month, fans have already gotten a sneak peek at what’s to come with the release of trailers for films like Bad Boys: Ride or Die and Deadpool & Wolverine. Those two titles are a small glimpse into what the next few months have to offer on the big screen. There are also plenty of sequels, prequels, and remakes to come, like Inside Out 2 and The Quiet Place: Day One. But summer is not just for action, as Trap and Alien: Romulus are also in store for horror and sci-fi fans.
While most people prefer to spend the warmer months outdoors, real movie lovers know that this is the best time for some of the hottest, most talked-about releases of the year. Fall is for award show contenders, but summer is for fun-loving action fans. It’s also not talked about enough how a chilly movie theater is the perfect reprieve to escape the high temperatures. Some flicks are arriving directly to streaming services like Netflix, which means not having to face the heat at all.
We have compiled a list of some of the most exciting new releases that will hit theaters this season. While summer doesn’t officially kick off until June 21, there are a few major releases in early June that are worthy enough to be on this list. Check out the films below to see which ones are must-watch this summer.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
When: June 7
Where: In theaters
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back with another installment of their nearly 30-year journey with 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The actors will reprise their popular roles as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett and pick up where 2020’s Bad Boys for Life left off. The story will follow as their late police captain gets accused of being connected to drug cartels and working with them during his tenure, so the dynamic duo of Miami cops set out on a dangerous mission to clear his name. The buddy cop action comedy is directed by Adil and Bilall, written by Chris Bremner, and also stars Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig. Sony released the trailer last month, and it promises the same intensity, chemistry, and laugh-out-loud humor that has made the franchise so beloved by fans for all these years.
Ballerina
When: June 7
Where: In theaters
Ballerina is the first spinoff of the John Wick franchise. The film, starring Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, and Keanu Reeves, is set to take place somewhere between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4. Reeves’ character died in Chapter 4 but is set to return for this one. Ballerina follows a ballerina-turned-assassin named Rooney (Ana de Armas), who is seeking revenge for her family’s murder. The spin-off will belong to one of the most successful action franchises in recent memory and will be packed with just as much thrill and excitement as the first four. Lee Chung-hyeon, who directed the Netflix thriller The Call, will also direct Ballerina.
Hit Man
When: June 7
Where: Netflix
Professional killer Gary Johnson breaks protocol to help a desperate woman who is trying to flee an abusive husband and finds himself falling for her. Inspired by a true story, Gary (Glen Powell), a straight-laced professor, discovers that he has a hidden talent to pose as a fake hit man. Gary begins taking on false identities to catch criminals for the local police. The situation quickly changes when sparks between the fake hitman and his prospective client Madison (Adria Arjona) fly immediately, but the secrets between them become a challenge for their romance. Not only does Powell star in the film, but he also co-wrote the new noir comedy directed by Richard Linklater.
Inside Out 2
When: June 14
Where: In theaters
Inside Out premiered in 2015 and followed a young Riley as she dealt with the emotions when she moved with her parents from the Midwest to San Francisco. Following the move, Riley goes through all the characterized emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, as she adjusts to her new life. The sequel will follow the original five emotions as they deal with all that comes with being a teenager, including Anxiety and Embarrassment, which take over Riley’s mind now that she’s 13 years old and heading to hockey camp. Maya Hawke will star as Anxiety, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui a.k.a. boredom, and Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment.
A Quiet Place: Day One
When: June 28
Where: In theaters
On top of being summer 2024’s first big offering, A Quiet Place: Day One might also be one of the year’s most anticipated films. Following the release of the original 2018 film and 2020 sequel starring John Krasinski (who also directed) and Emily Blunt, the new movie is a prequel to the first two and will follow a whole set of new characters. The prequel follows the events of the first day the extraterrestrial creatures from the first two films came to Earth and unleashed absolute chaos in New York City, attacking anyone and anything that made any kind of noise. The film stars include Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, and Denis O’Hare.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
When: July 3
Where: Netflix
Eddie Murphy is returning to Netflix just in time for the Fourth of July and the 40th anniversary of his beloved comedy Beverly Hills Cop. Murphy will be filling the role of Detective Axel Foley for the fourth time, and this film will see him back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. The film was produced by Murphy, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Chad Oman, and directed by Mark Molloy. Beverly Hills Cop came out in 1984, II came out in 1987 and III dropped in 1994, 10 years after the original.
Twisters
When: July 19
Where: In theaters
Glen Powell is having one hell of a year. A month after starring in Netflix’s Hit Man, he will head back to theaters as the lead in the new Twisters movie, which is the standalone sequel to the 1996 hit, Twister. The sequel is also about tornadoes but its not like the original. Powell told Vogue in December 2023 that the film is not quite a remake and it would be a whole new story, and said the characters from the original would not be returning.
Powell stars as a social media personality and self-proclaimed “Tornado Wrangler” named Tyler Owens, who chases storms for thrills. Meanwhile, Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who is a fearful storm tracker who prefers studying meteorology from the safety of behind her computer screen in New York City, gets convinced by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) to test out new technology on tornadoes in Oklahoma. The screenplay was written by The Revenant’s Mark. L Smith and the film was directed by Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung.
Deadpool & Wolverine
When: July 26
Where: In theaters
Deadpool & Wolverine is ready to heat things up this summer. Marvel had a bit of a rocky 2023 and a slow start to 2024, aside from the hit X-Men ’97. That means there is a lot of pressure resting on Deadpool 3’s shoulders. Ryan Reynolds will make his MCU debut in the third installment of his superhero franchise as Wade Wilson aka Deadpool, and the film will also mark the first time a Marvel film has been rated R. Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth, Deadpool. There is no word yet on how Wolverine will be introduced into the picture, but rumor is that the multiverse is involved. Deadpool and Wolverine will team up to defeat a common enemy, reportedly Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin, who has been confirmed to be the lead villain.
Trap
When: August 2
Where: In theaters
M. Night Shyamalan is back at it again with another thriller. Trap is about a man and his teenage daughter attending a pop star’s concert when they realize that they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event. The father, played by Josh Hartnett, is told by a man working a merch stand that the police have set up a trap for a known serial killer who was believed to be attending the concert. The trailer reveals in the most chilling way that the trap was put in place to catch the girls’ dad. This one is a must-see.
Alien: Romulus
When: Aug. 16
Where: In theaters
Alien: Romulus is the eighth film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and stars Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, and David Jonsson. Romulus will focus on a group of 20-something space colonizers and scavengers in a distant world. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, they find themselves confronting the most terrifying life form in the universe, a Xenomorph. Romulus takes place in between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens and it reportedly ties in to those films. Romulus was originally slated to be a Hulu, release but the studio shifted to theatrical release at the start of production.
Prime Video’s Fallout featured a major, infamous figure from Fallout: New Vegas. The mustachioed leader of RobCo present for Barb Howard’s secret meeting was none other than the billionaire industrialist Mr. Robert House. With the show heading to the wasteland’s Sin City in season two, we might see the once powerful New Vegas ruler (or at least his brain) once again. But he might not be the only iconic denizen of the Strip still living there. We might also see a beloved video game character we would never say “no” to meeting again: Yes Man.
Who is this super positive, upbeat, hilarious fan-favorite AI robot voiced by Dave Foley? Here’s everything to know about a friendly and funny figure who can never turn us down.
Who Is Fallout: New Vegas‘ Yes Man?
Mr. House amassed his fortune thanks to his advanced robotics and software company. He then maintained order and kept power in New Vegas thanks in part to his fleet of Securitron robots. The heavily armed, single-wheeled machines served as his own private army. Fallout: New Vegas opens with an associate of Mr. House stealing the Platinum Chip, an upgrade that would greatly enhance the effectiveness of Securitrons.
The thief behind the subterfuge was Benny, head of the Mr. House-aligned tribe and casino operators known as “The Chairmen.” Benny (voiced by the late Matthew Perry) was already in possession of something that once belonged to Mr. House. That object was vital to Benny’s attempts to take control of New Vegas.
The Chairmen leader had reprogrammed a damaged Securitron robot with a unique AI program. Benny’s right hand man/robot was known as Yes Man, and with good reason. Its comprehensive new programming (with one fatal oversight) made it impossible to refuse any commands or withhold any information asked of it. Yes Man’s compliant nature is the reason it alerted Benny to the Mr. House’s pending covert plans of the Platinum Chip. It also helped ruin its owner.
What Happened to Yes Man in Fallout: New Vegas?
Benny’s ultimate scheme to take control of New Vegas was going to include uploading Yes Man into Mr. House’s mainframe. First, he had to steal the Platinum Chip from the Courier, the delivery person gamers play as in Fallout: New Vegas. Benny’s associates left the delivery person for dead, but the Courier returned to New Vegas. There, Yes Man couldn’t refuse to answer the Courier’s questions about his owner or Mr. House. It was programmed to serve anyone and everyone.
Fallout: New Vegas provides players with many decisions, and they can change when and how gamers interact with Yes Man initially. Ultimately Yes Man becomes their sidekick as Benny is either captured, killed, or set free.
One available storyline sees the Courier work with Yes Man to free the city from the three main forces vying to control it. In that alternate ending the Courier acts on their own behalf, using Yes Man to secure the Hoover Dam and New Vegas. In one version of that ending the Securitrons don’t get an upgrade and chaos comes to the Strip. The one that includes them getting the Platinum Chip upgrade results in them maintaining order and peace in Sin City.
Yes Man ends the game by undergoing a small personality change Benny really should have thought of. It makes Yes Man only follow the Courier’s commands.
Does Yes Man Die in Fallout: New Vegas?
Yes Man is an artificial intelligence program. If someone or something destroys the robot or machine he possesses he simply pops up in another one. Yes Man’s sunny persona and smiling face can appear in any Securitron, his usual form. (Sometimes when he respawns its hard to find his new Securitron body. The Platinum Chip does not change his personality and programming if/when uploaded to Mr. House’s operating system.)
The only way Yes Man can truly “die” in the game is if he’s destroyed by a laser or plasma weapon. Prime Video’s Fallout doesn’t have to treat that as canon. And why would it when fans would love nothing more than to see Yes Man appear on the show?
Why Is Yes Man Such a Beloved Fallout Video Game Character?
Yes Man offers players advice and insight, but that’s not why players adore him. It’s how he does it. His can-do/must-do attitude makes for an always charming, consistently hilarious sidekick who is brought to life by the great Dave Foley. Yes Man, along with his biting, insightful commentary, is a whole lot of fun in a franchise that makes a dystopian wasteland a place worth wandering.
If you know Dave Foley, it’s not hard to understand what makes the character so memorable. Whether you’ve played Fallout: New Vegas for a thousand hours or are just learning about it right now, you can hear Foley saying, “This is going to be great! I’m going to help you accomplish so much, whether I want to or not!”
What we want is for Prime Video’s Fallout to say “yes” to bringing Yes Man to the show. With a character this good how could it even think about saying “no” to that?
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who loves Dave Foley and always will because of Newsradio. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
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A great thing about television is how it may normalize people of color navigating their mental health or suicidality. However, one of the worst things for television is shoddy depictions of suicide for people of color. Here is my list of the top five worse depictions of suicide for people of color on television.
(This article will reveal a lot of spoilers.)
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm
In case absolutely no one has noticed Kramer’s crappy comments about suicide in Seinfield, or all of the crappy comments Larry David made about mental health all throughout Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David’s content especially wasn’t great at depicting a person of color’s attempted suicide.
In Episode 4 of Season 5, Larry meets a Japanese man named Yoshi (Greg Watanabe) who attempts suicide after Larry accuses his father of being a cowardly kamikaze pilot in World War II. While Larry and his friends are gambling at Yoshi’s sister’s house, when his sister (Elaine Kao) and brother in law (Kevin Nealon) get a call about his attempted suicide, Larry and his friends continue to play cards.
In the end, stereotypical Japanese music plays while Yoshi’s father (Ken Takemoto) crashes into Larry with his wheelchair shouting “Banzai” as the sound effect of a plane crash also plays.
I don’t feel comfortable with how Larry David always portrayed Asian people as caricatures who are victims of his antics throughout Curb.
4. Rick & Morty
I know some may not be surprised this is on the list considering the whole well-meaning white leftist animated comedy writing that just ends up making the situations worse, but it’s still worth bringing up. Out of all of the times Rick & Morty has made fun of suicide, flippantly and casually, only two episodes out of its entire run so far presented a content warning for depictions of suicide. I will talk about one of these episodes: Episode 4 of Season 7.
Rick (voiced by Ian Cardoni) gets spaghetti from an alternate universe that is tasty for the whole family to assign once a week “Spaghetti Night.” Unfortunately, his grandson Morty (voiced by Harry Beldon) finds out that Rick has been obtaining the spaghetti from a planet where if someone chooses to die by suicide, their body’s internal parts turn into spaghetti.
When Morty brings this to the planet’s government’s attention, they turn it into a conglomerate targeting dying people of color, formerly incarcerated people, and more who are considered disposable to die by suicide so spaghetti can be sold across the universe. They also use each person’s “story” as a marketing ploy. The first “test” before the pasta goes live as a product is a Black woman who dies by assisted suicide.
I would feel differently about this episode if we as viewers actually learned something about how to remind people that they’re not disposable and that although being alive is difficult, it’s worth it. But we don’t. Instead, it’s just another episode where Rick and Morty go the equal opportunity death route because Rick deems everything worthless.
3. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Copaganda screws up once again after attempting to make this a “teachable moment” kind of episode. Even if their intention was to encourage people in and out of law enforcement to seek help, the impact involved romanticizing suicide for law enforcement and just reminded viewers why law enforcement can’t be trusted to handle the topic in the first place.
In Episode 12, Season 21, of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, we see a total of three suicides in one forty-five minute episode. One by Rachel Wilson (Holly Robinson Peete), a Black former NYPD officer who ends her life with a gun publicly at Ed Tucker’s (Robert John Burke) retirement party because of a mishandling of a sexual assault complaint she filed during her career. Another by Ralphie Morris (Saul Stein), an officer who completed his suicide two hours after being interviewed by Olivia Benson (Mariska Hartgitay) and her team. The final suicide is completed by Ed Tucker within the final minutes of the episode.
What frustrated me about this episode was the piss-poor attempt of talking about what Rachel must have felt as a woman of color while on the force. Moreover, I don’t trust writers who believe a Black woman is capable of making her suicide a spectacle for her white ex-colleagues.
2. House
Kal Penn’s character’s exit deserved so much better.
In Episode 20 of Season 5, Lawrence Kutner doesn’t show up for work at the hospital one morning. House (Hugh Laurie) sends his team members Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) and Thirteen Hadley (Olivia Wilde) to discover why Lawrence didn’t show up. The two show up at his apartment and see Kutner’s dead body from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Although we as the viewer don’t see Kutner’s body, we do see Foreman and Hadley covered in his blood.
The leading cast of House already isn’t very racially diverse. To have one of its popular characters, and only Indian character, have such an abrupt and heavy exit from the show like that was totally unnecessary. Because Penn was leaving the show to work for President Obama, the show could have written a celebratory episode of him leaving for a better medical job.
But no, the show creators wanted to display how suicide can be an element of surprise, I guess? No one can ever predict when, how, or why someone chooses to die by suicide. But to do it like this and viewers are only seeing it treated like a mystery to be solved instead of a public health crisis on a doctor’s drama. Disappointing.
Episode 5 of Season 1 involved two Black brothers: one is younger and deaf (Keivonn Montreal Woodard) named Sam; another who is older (Lamar Johnson) named Henry. They are both on the run from a resistance group because their leader (Melanie Lynskey) blames Henry for her brother’s death.
Although the brothers were able to escape the group with the help of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), in the end Sam is bitten by a zombie. Because he puts Ellie in danger as a zombie, Henry shoots Sam, killing him. Completely distraught, Henry kills himself with the same gun.
I know the material is loyal to the plot in the video game, but this one downright broke my heart. I’m not asking for television that will never make me sad. I am only asking for television to be more intentional when it does. I will also say, in the original video game, Sam is not deaf. So although it’s wonderful to see a young disabled Black actor getting recognition, the deliberate choice of making a character disabled as a tool to get even more empathy from viewers when he dies feels gross. And to have a beautiful love story between Black brothers end because of a suicide knowing the suicide of Black youth continues to rise hurts too much.
What would it have been like to challenge the video game’s original narrative? What would it have been like to see Henry and Sam live and fight zombies along with Joel and Ellie? What would it have been like to invite more Black writers on The Last of Us team to make Henry and Sam’s story grow?
Remember, if you or a loved one is struggling with suicidality, contact the suicide warmline 988. For Deaf or hard of hearing folks, dial 711, then 988.
It’s hard to believe, but The Phantom Menace arrived in theaters 25 years ago. It premiered on May 19, 1999. As the first news Star Wars movie in nearly 20 years, the film had a lot to live up to, especially since it explored the origins of Darth Vader. The movie marks the in-universe beginning of the Skywalker saga. The Phantom Menace will be returning to theaters soon to celebrate the milestone anniversary on May 3. That’s right before May the 4th, a.k.a. Star Wars Day. Hasbro has several new items for that special day, including an absolutely perfect retro collection multipack of action figures for The Phantom Menace.
This multipack comes with action figures for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala, Darth Maul, Jar Jar Binks, and a battle droid. In other words, it’s the ideal The Phantom Menace action figure sampler pack. It’s made all the cooler by the retro sculpt style. The lightsabers look like they’re from the ’70s and just look at Qui-Gon’s fabric cape! Take a closer gander at the figures in the gallery below.
Inspired by the design of 1970s Kenner Star Wars action figures, these 3.75 inch scale The Phantom Menace figures each have five points of articulation. Each figure is individually packaged on a cardboard back within the box. The packaging has classic Kenner branding and a weathered look. As usual with these figures, the cardboard backing also has a large “Retro collection” label that takes away some of the coolness. However, if you’re like me, you open your action figures so the packaging doesn’t matter anyway.
Other items in the Hasbro May the 4th release include an Epic Hero series stormtrooper, Epic Hero series Paz Vizsla, a Vintage Collection Jango Fett, a Black Series Droideka, a Black Series Darth Vader, and a Vintage Collection Mandalorian.
This multipack of The Phantom Menace action figures retails for $59.99 and is available in stores now.
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