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In season two of Cross, actress Samantha Walkes says her character, Elle, arrives with a new kind of clarity that is shaped by mess, love, and the difficult work of choosing yourself again. In an interview with BGN, she she talks about how her character protects her peace. Cross raises emotional and psychological stakes for everyone. When asked: How did that escalation impact your approach to your character this season? Here’s what she had to say:
“You just see Elle lean into it, not be afraid of it,” Walkes explains when reflecting on the emotional terrain of the new season. Where season one placed Elle inside uncertainty, season two allows her to sit with that discomfort instead of running from it. “I feel like it can be intimidating when there’s so much mess. It can be confusing,” Walkes says. That confusion, however, becomes a place of growth rather than paralysis.
Returning for a second season gave Walkes the opportunity to advocate for what Elle truly needs. She describes the experience as a chance to help Elle fortify herself, to dig deeper, and to set herself apart again. “Cause sometimes love makes you forget yourself,” she notes. Season two becomes a process of remembering. For Walkes, it was powerful to come back to the strength of the character and to actively champion Elle’s needs.
That strength also shows up in quieter, more observant ways. Elle watches closely, and she understands the people she loves. She knows her man. She knows this friend she has known since childhood. She can sense when something is off, whether it is through shifts in energy or through what the kids are expressing and needing. Elle reads the room in ways others may overlook.
Even when she cannot be physically close, Elle remains deeply present. Walkes describes her as “a protector of his peace,” someone who safeguards emotional balance even from a distance. It is a form of love rooted in awareness rather than control, and care rather than proximity.
Taken together, Walkes’ insight reveals season two as a return to self for Elle. It is about rediscovering personal strength without losing tenderness, and about choosing clarity even when emotions are complicated. In Cross, strength does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it listens, observes, and protects peace with intention.
Season 2 of Cross is streaming now on Prime Video
The post Samantha Walkes on Finding Elle’s Strength in ‘Cross’ Season 2 appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
In season two of Cross, actress Samantha Walkes says her character, Elle, arrives with a new kind of clarity that is shaped by mess, love, and the difficult work of choosing yourself again. In an interview with BGN, she she talks about how her character protects her peace. Cross raises emotional and psychological stakes for everyone. When asked: How did that escalation impact your approach to your character this season? Here’s what she had to say:
“You just see Elle lean into it, not be afraid of it,” Walkes explains when reflecting on the emotional terrain of the new season. Where season one placed Elle inside uncertainty, season two allows her to sit with that discomfort instead of running from it. “I feel like it can be intimidating when there’s so much mess. It can be confusing,” Walkes says. That confusion, however, becomes a place of growth rather than paralysis.
Returning for a second season gave Walkes the opportunity to advocate for what Elle truly needs. She describes the experience as a chance to help Elle fortify herself, to dig deeper, and to set herself apart again. “Cause sometimes love makes you forget yourself,” she notes. Season two becomes a process of remembering. For Walkes, it was powerful to come back to the strength of the character and to actively champion Elle’s needs.
That strength also shows up in quieter, more observant ways. Elle watches closely, and she understands the people she loves. She knows her man. She knows this friend she has known since childhood. She can sense when something is off, whether it is through shifts in energy or through what the kids are expressing and needing. Elle reads the room in ways others may overlook.
Even when she cannot be physically close, Elle remains deeply present. Walkes describes her as “a protector of his peace,” someone who safeguards emotional balance even from a distance. It is a form of love rooted in awareness rather than control, and care rather than proximity.
Taken together, Walkes’ insight reveals season two as a return to self for Elle. It is about rediscovering personal strength without losing tenderness, and about choosing clarity even when emotions are complicated. In Cross, strength does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it listens, observes, and protects peace with intention.
Season 2 of Cross is streaming now on Prime Video
The post Samantha Walkes on Finding Elle’s Strength in ‘Cross’ Season 2 appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
It’s been heartening to see, in light of James Van Der Beek’s untimely passing, that real ones know the titular star of Dawson’s Creek did his best work as himself on the short-lived Don’t Trust The B in Apartment 23. The best JVDB episodes and arcs on Don’t Trust The B proved Van Der Beek was as good at making us laugh in wacky sitcom shenanigans as he was at making us cry in a coming-of-age drama.
Van Der Beek was a key, but a supporting player on Don’t Trust The B. The show starred Dreama Walker as June, a fresh as a daisy New York City transplant. Krysten Ritter plays her roommate and “the B” in question, Chloe. Even though Chloe could be mean and less than ideal as a roommate, she was an incredibly loyal friend. That was especially true when it came to her canonical celebrity bestie James Van Der Beek, or “JVDB” for short.
HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, marks the third live-action adaptation set within the Game of Thrones universe. Unlike its predecessors, the series shifts away from large-scale battles and political power struggles to focus on the smallfolk of Westeros through the journey of Ser Duncan the Tall — a lovable, honorable, and at times disarmingly simple hedge knight — and his precocious squire, Egg.
Set nearly a century before Game of Thrones, the story offers a more intimate perspective on the world while quietly connecting to the larger mythology fans already know. In this piece, we explore seven key character connections bridging A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Game of Thrones, highlighting familiar names, hidden ties, and who we hope to see as the series unfolds. There are some mild spoilers here as we dive into the future fates of these characters.
Aegon V Targaryen (Egg)
At the heart of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is Aegon V Targaryen, better known as Egg — a seemingly ordinary stable boy who joins Ser Duncan the Tall as his squire, only to be revealed as a Targaryen prince traveling in disguise. Described as small in stature but sharp-minded, quick-witted, and fiercely determined, Egg longs not for courtly politics but for the life of a true knight of the realm. His journey alongside Dunk shapes his worldview and ultimately influences the kind of ruler he becomes when he later ascends the Iron Throne as King Aegon V. Known as a king beloved by the smallfolk, Aegon sought to reform the realm and uplift common people, though his reign ends in tragedy at Summerhall during a failed attempt to hatch dragon eggs — an event that forever alters Targaryen history. Game of Thrones viewers may recognize Egg through references from his older brother, Maester Aemon of Castle Black, who relinquished his own claim to allow Aegon to rule. Egg’s legacy extends far into the future of Westeros: he is the great-grandfather of both Daenerys Targaryen and Robert Baratheon, and the great-great-grandfather of Jon Snow, tying this smaller, more intimate story directly to the central figures of Game of Thrones.
Ser Duncan the Tall
Ser Duncan the Tall — better known as Dunk — is a hedge knight from Flea Bottom, said to stand nearly seven feet tall and shaped by a childhood spent surviving on the harsh streets of King’s Landing. After serving as a squire to Ser Arlan of Pennytree, whom he admired as a true knight despite the man’s stern and sometimes harsh mentorship, Dunk claims to have been knighted before Ser Arlan’s death — though it is heavily implied that he knighted himself. Regardless of the truth, Dunk embodies the ideals of knighthood more faithfully than many born into privilege: he is honest, honorable, and deeply protective of the weak and vulnerable.
His life changes when he meets a young boy named Egg on the road to the Ashford tourney, reluctantly taking him on as a squire and forming a bond that will shape the future of the realm. Over time, Dunk rises to become one of the most renowned knights in Westeros, eventually serving as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard under his former squire, King Aegon V. Game of Thrones viewers may recognize his legacy through stories told across the series, as well as through a strong implied connection to Brienne of Tarth — whose extraordinary height, knightly values, and ancestral shield bearing an elm tree with a shooting star point toward Ser Duncan as her likely forebear.
Maester Aemon Targaryen
Maester Aemon Targaryen, the older brother of Aegon V (“Egg”), offers one of the most direct bridges between A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Game of Thrones. The third son of King Maekar I, Aemon was known as a studious and thoughtful child who favored books over swords, forming a particularly close bond with his younger brother — even giving him the nickname “Egg.” The two famously imagined their dragon eggs hatching, dreaming of becoming dragonriders like their ancestors. Sent to the Citadel at a young age due to the abundance of Targaryen heirs, Aemon ultimately chose a life of service over power, forging his maester’s chain and declining opportunities that might have placed him closer to the throne. After their father’s death, he set aside any claim he might have pursued and instead joined the Night’s Watch, ensuring he could never be used as a political rival to challenge his brother’s reign. Game of Thrones viewers remember Aemon as the wise Maester of Castle Black, whose peaceful passing — and final whispered words, “Egg, I dreamed that I was old” — remain among the series’ most poignant moments.
Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers
Brynden Rivers — better known as Bloodraven — is one of the most enigmatic figures in A Song of Ice and Fire, serving as a living bridge between political intrigue and ancient magic. A great-uncle to Aegon V (though close enough in age to be treated more like a cousin), Bloodraven was one of the infamous “Great Bastards” of King Aegon IV Targaryen. Tall, gaunt, and pale even by Targaryen standards, he was known for his albino coloring, long silver hair, and the red, raven-shaped birthmark that earned him his nickname. A brilliant strategist and Master of Whispers, Bloodraven served as Hand of the King under Aerys I and later Maekar I, developing a reputation for ruthless pragmatism and rumored sorcery.
After orchestrating the execution of the Blackfyre claimant Aenys Blackfyre — despite promises of safe conduct — he was condemned by King Aegon V and sent to the Wall. Bloodraven traveled north as a prisoner alongside Maester Aemon, escorted by an honor guard that included Ser Duncan the Tall. At the Wall, he rose to become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch before disappearing beyond the Wall. Game of Thrones viewers recognize him as the mysterious Three-Eyed Raven who mentors Bran Stark, with a younger version briefly glimpsed during Daemon Targaryen’s vision in House of the Dragon.
Aerys II Targaryen and Prince Rhaegar
Aerys II Targaryen, the grandson of King Aegon V, would later become infamous as the “Mad King,” though his early years painted a very different picture. Once known as handsome, charismatic, and close friends with Tywin Lannister, Aerys’ reign gradually descended into paranoia and cruelty, shaped by political pressures, personal tragedies, and declining mental health. He and his sister-wife, Queen Rhaella, survived the catastrophe at Summerhall — an event that marked both the tragic end of Aegon V’s era and the birth of their son, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.
Rhaegar grew into one of Westeros’ most enigmatic figures. Deeply romantic yet a formidable warrior, he was known to walk among the smallfolk, even singing in the streets of King’s Landing. Born amidst the ashes of Summerhall, Rhaegar felt a profound connection to prophecy and believed he was the prophesied Prince That Was Promised. Though rarely seen directly in Game of Thrones, his presence looms large throughout the series: remembered as Daenerys Targaryen’s older brother, the father of Jon Snow, and the man whose relationship with Lyanna Stark — long believed to be a kidnapping but later revealed as a secret love — sparked Robert’s Rebellion.
Old Nan
Old Nan, the beloved storyteller of Winterfell, represents the living memory of Westeros — a quiet yet powerful link between myth and history. Known as the oldest resident of Winterfell and the great-grandmother of Hodor, she spent decades sharing tales with the Stark children, including Bran Stark, recounting legends of the Long Night, the White Walkers, Bran the Builder, and other figures whose stories shaped the world long before Game of Thrones. Viewers first meet her in the series’ early episodes as she spins eerie stories that blur the line between folklore and truth. A popular fan theory suggests that Old Nan may have shared a romantic connection with Ser Duncan the Tall during his travels north, supported by Bran’s visions of a young woman embracing a towering knight — a moment some believe could also explain Hodor’s remarkable height. Whether legend or coincidence, Old Nan embodies how Westerosi history survives not only through crowns and chronicles, but through stories passed from one generation to the next.
Fans eager to dive deeper into these legendary connections can follow Ser Duncan and Egg’s adventure in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, now streaming on HBO Max.
The post Seven Character Connections Between ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
A Denver woman didn’t just have her cake, she ate it too—in more ways than one. TikToker Taylor Black (@taylormakesvideos) has gone viral after the cake she purportedly ordered for her boyfriend contained a hilarious surprise.
In the clip, which has amassed 9.1 million views, Black’s boyfriend was standing over a cake, laughing. As she approached her boyfriend with the camera, she too couldn’t contain her laughter as she said, “I’m sorry! I didn’t think they were gonna take it seriously.”