For a minute there, Westworld was the talk of the town. You couldn’t go five feet without hearing about the Evan Rachel Wood-led show. For many, it felt like a new incarnation of Lost. The show had twists and turns on twists and turns, and who doesn’t love a good mystery? But alas, in the midst of many upheavals around HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO officially canceled Westworld. The show will end with season four and won’t make it to season five.
HBO
We first learned about the news from Variety. The publication reports a number of factors went into Westworld‘s cancellation. Among the variables that led to the ending of the now-canceled show are production costs, Westworld‘s sinking viewership, and the continued scrutiny that has come with Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
Westworld, of course, has had a spotty run. And even many of its fans have felt the story and characters have not always been top-tier. However, the sudden cancellation does not allow Westworld to wrap its story up in any meaningful way. Season four of the show finished airing on August 14.
It seems that for a show that has such a place in our pop-culture consciousness, a final season may have been in order. Over the course of its run, the show received nominations for 54 Emmys and took home a few wins. But, of course, that does not seem like it will be now. We will miss Dolores, the Man in Black, Charlotte, Maeve, and all the rest. Goodbye Westworld, now another cancellation for the pile.
For a minute there, Westworld was the talk of the town. You couldn’t go five feet without hearing about the Evan Rachel Wood-led show. For many, it felt like a new incarnation of Lost. The show had twists and turns on twists and turns, and who doesn’t love a good mystery? But alas, in the midst of many upheavals around HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO officially canceled Westworld. The show will end with season four and won’t make it to season five.
HBO
We first learned about the news from Variety. The publication reports a number of factors went into Westworld‘s cancellation. Among the variables that led to the ending of the now-canceled show are production costs, Westworld‘s sinking viewership, and the continued scrutiny that has come with Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
Westworld, of course, has had a spotty run. And even many of its fans have felt the story and characters have not always been top-tier. However, the sudden cancellation does not allow Westworld to wrap its story up in any meaningful way. Season four of the show finished airing on August 14.
It seems that for a show that has such a place in our pop-culture consciousness, a final season may have been in order. Over the course of its run, the show received nominations for 54 Emmys and took home a few wins. But, of course, that does not seem like it will be now. We will miss Dolores, the Man in Black, Charlotte, Maeve, and all the rest. Goodbye Westworld, now another cancellation for the pile.
Good evening everyone! Today I want to discuss which picks I got correct and which ones I got wrong! So, let’s get started! I predicted that the Cowboys would beat the Bears 27-21, but the final score was 49-29 Cowboys over the Bears. I predicted that the Vikings would beat the Cardinals 31-27, but the final score was 34-26 Vikings over the Cardinals. The Cardinals made 3 mistakes by turning the ball over 3 times plus with too many penalties. Two interceptions and a muffed punt. Had they not made those mistakes, the Cardinals would have a better chance of winning. DeAndre Hopkins had another a hundred yard game reception and he had a great one-handed catch for his first touchdown of the season. The Cardinals offense has gotten a little better by scoring more than 20 points. It is just that the Cardinals offense has to move the ball down the field and run the ball. They could not run the ball at all and Kyler Murray was not comfortable in the pocket because they were 3 offensive linemen that are starters and that they were out including Rodney Hudson and D.J. Humphries. The Cards run defense has given up over a hundred yard rushing yards for the first time to Dalvin Cook. I predicted that the Eagles would beat the Steelers 34-17, but the final score was 35-13 Eagles over the Steelers. I predicted that the Titans would beat the Texans 28-20, but the final score was 17-10 Titans over the Texans. I predicted that the 49ers would beat the Rams 26-23, but the final score was 31-14 49ers over the Rams. I predicted that the Bills would beat the Packers 37-23 Bills over the Packers.
I predicted that the Jags would beat the Broncos 23-17, but the final score was 21-17 Broncos over the Jags. The Broncos desperately needed a win. I predicted that the Lions would beat the Dolphins 24-20, but the final score was 31-27 Dolphins over the Lions. I predicted that the Raiders would beat the Saints 30-23, but the final score was 24-0 Saints over the Raiders. The Raiders offense did not score any points at all last week as they were shut out. I predicted that the Jets would beat the Patriots 31-24, but the final score was 22-17 Patriots over the Jets. I predicted that the Colts would beat the Commanders 23-16, but the final score was 17-16 Commanders over the Colts in a very close game. The Commanders drove down the field to score a game-winning touchdown to Terry McLarin. I predicted that the Giants would beat the Seahawks 30-23, but the final score was 27-13 Seahawks over the Giants. I predicted that the Bengals would beat the Browns 34-27, but the final score was 32-13 Browns over the Bengals. The Bengals defense could not stop the run as the Browns ran all over them and taking a lot of time off the clock.
So overall, I have gotten 6 out of 12 picks correct!! Now, let’s get to the NFL week 9 picks, shall we?! The first game I will predict is the Colts @Patriots game. I think the Patriots will beat the Colts 22-14. The next game I will predict is the Packers @Lions game, the divisional rivalries. Despite that the Packers are struggling to win games so far, I think the Packers will barely come away with the win 17-14 over the Lions. The next game I will predict is the Bills @Jets game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Jets will beat the Bills in a close game 21-18. The next game I will predict is the Vikings @Commanders game. I think the Vikings will beat the Commanders 34-24.
The next game I will predict is the Seahawks @Cardinals game, the divisional rivalries. The Cardinals are coming off with a loss and the Seahawks are coming off with the win last week. The Seahawks are leading the division and the Cardinals are last in the NFC West. For the Cardinals, this is a crucial game for them to win if they want to stay in the playoff race and possibly win the division. This is a must win for the Cardinals, but can they win the game tomorrow? It is going to be tough though because the Seahawks offense is pretty good and the Cardinals offense is somehow struggling to move the ball down the field. The Cardinals defense will be up against D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Geno Smith, and Kenneth Walker and their defense has gotten better. So, the Cardinals will have their hands full and they will probably play from behind a lot like we have been seeing every week. So, who will win? Well unfortunately, I think the Seahawks will beat the Cardinals 33-21. I just don’t see the Cardinals scoring enough points to beat the Seahawks and they might make mistakes like last week on offense. Hopefully they will prove me wrong. The next game I will predict is the Rams @Buccaneers game. I think the Rams will beat the Bucs 23-20. The next game I will predict is the Titans @Chiefs game on Sunday Night Football. I think the Titans will beat the Chiefs in a very close game 30-27. The last game I will predict is the Ravens @Saints game. I think the Ravens will beat the Saints 24-16.
So, what do you guys think about the NFL week 9 picks?! I would love to hear lots of comments, thoughts, opinions, questions, or concerns down below!
We have quite a bit to discuss this Wednesday bit really isn't any different than any other Afronerd Radio show, huh? Welcome to the latest installment of our Mid Week in Review broadcast airing every Wednesday at 8 p.m. eastern on BTalk 100. Join your cosmic-irradiated AFROnerdist hosts as they delve into this week's following topics: our thoughts about the Jordan Peele penned Black animation Netflix movie, Wendell & Wild including it's fiery Afropunk/Black Rock soundtrack; MCU fans have received some very important casting news.....popular actor, Yahya Abdul Mateen II, has been tapped to portray Simon Williams aka Wonder Man in another Disney Plus series; another legendary musician has left our mortal plane, D.H. Peligro, the drummer for the influential punk rock band, Dead Kennedys dies at 63;
As the Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever approaches, we revisit past reports that Disney higher-ups originally considered having the Wakandan characters speak with a British dialect and the late Chadwick Boseman fought to make sure that the Wakandans spoke with an African tongue; in more Wakanda Forever news, misguided fans are requesting that White MCU fans refrain from attending the movie premiere to allow Black fans to enjoy the film "in peace."; another rapper dies in a hail of bullets, Takeoff aka Kirshnik Khari Ball of the popular rap act, Migos and we have our thoughts; Dburt just checked out a new SYFY comedy-horror series, Reginald the Vampire, starring Spiderman franchise alum, Jacob Batalon and Mandela Van Peebles, the son of legendary filmmaker, Mario Van Peebles (and grandson of the late film icon, Melvin Van Peebles); we must ask, is the Quantum Leap reboot cancelled already? Unfortunately, we do know that Stargirl has bit the dust , however; And if time permits, we will cover other issues that we left on the virtual dining room table.
One thing that Dburt is doing (finally) is investing in cryptocurrency, courtesy of Roundlyx. We would implore our followers to investigate, discern and then explore by using our referral code: afro-87A4BF
Call us LIVE at 508-645-0100. AFTER CLICKING ON THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK, GO DIRECTLY TO AFRONERD RADIO!!!
Dragons have been part of mankind’s myths since the beginning of civilization itself. The first such legend dates back to Ancient Sumer during the 4th or 3rd millennium B.C.E. Those mythical animals started appearing in stories from China, Egypt, and India not long after. Ancient Greece then followed with its own famous dragon tales starting 4,000 years ago, with more societies around the world independently contributing their own tales to dragon lore. (Possibly after finding dinosaur skeletons.) The classic English dragon tales that endure to this day—ones where brave knights battle giant beasts of fire—began earlier than many realize. The Medieval story “Saint George and the Dragon” traces its origins back to around 300 C.E.
The specifics surrounding tales of large reptilian monsters differ throughout history. In some parts of the world dragons are benevolent and heroic. In others they’re cruel and dangerous. Some fly and breathe flames, while others swim or crawl on land. Others have no wings at all, but sport great horns or even antlers. But while their features, size, and personalities change, dragons’ enduring place in our myths and folktales do not. That didn’t change as the way we tell stories do, either. Just as they’ve long adorned works of art, scrolls, and books, they’ve been part of our movies and TV shows for as long as we’ve had those.
The first dragon appeared on screen in Austrian director’s Fritz Lang’s 1924 “Die Nibelungen.” A dragon made its animated film debut in Disney’s 1931 film The China Plate. (They’ve remained a staple of Disney movies ever since.) Those magical beasts then made the jump to TV in 1946 on Kukla, Fran and Ollie. (The final name in the show’s title refers to the puppet Oliver J. Dragon.) The advent of CGI has only made dragons’ place on screen more ubiquitous during the 21st century. Between live-action stories, cartoons, video games, and tabletop adventures, in many ways dragons are more prevalent in society than ever before. The 21st century makes Arthurian legends seem dragon-light.
Dragons owe their oversized place in modern pop culture to the written word just as much as moving pictures, though. J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales of Middle-earth began with The Hobbit, an adventure about defeating a greedy dragon. We’ll never know if that novel would have been beloved without Smaug. Nor if publishers would have gone forward with The Lord of the Rings had the author’s introduction to his fantasy world not been so well received. But we know Bilbo’s journey led to us meeting Frodo, Gandalf, and Sauron, as well as generations of fantasy stories inspired by the Fellowship of the Ring. Without a dragon at the start we wouldn’t have many of the most beloved and influential fantasy epics we have today. That very much includes George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.
Westeros is not interesting merely because it has dragons. It’s too rich and layered a world to only define it by one element. But it wouldn’t be the same without dragons. Those creatures add a grandeur and mystical quality the story might not otherwise have. (And, let’s be honest, dragons are always cool.) But most importantly they give A Song of Ice and Fire a timeless quality that speaks to people everywhere.
There’s a reason countless cultures, separated by both time and distance, came up with their own dragon myths. It’s the same reason their place in our stories, both for kids and adults, remains steadfast to this day. Dragons represent the power, beauty, and danger of nature. They represent both the perilous challenges and incredible possibilities all humans face. Dragons are supernatural yet made of flesh. They’re seemingly impossible to defeat or even tame, yet vulnerable as any creature. They can be good or bad or something in-between, same as us. They are a fantasy that capture the horror and wonder of the real world.
And George R.R. Martin almost didn’t include them in his story.
HBO
Martin originally considered giving House Targaryen a dragon sigil but no actual dragons. Instead he would have imbued Targaryens with “a psionic power” that was like a “pyrokinesis” where “they could conjure up flames with their minds.” Ultimately, though, his friend and fellow fantasy author Phyllis Eisenstein wisely told him to include actual dragons, forever changing the trajectory of not only Martin’s novels but the entire world of pop culture. Would his books have been as good or successful without dragons? Would HBO have adapted them without that success? And would Game of Thrones, a true global phenomenon, have found its massive audience minus an element that has long been a part of mankind’s stories everywhere?
We’ll never have answers to those questions. We don’t want to know or need to know them anyway, because we know what happened with dragons in the story. We’re reminded of that every time we watch or discuss House of the Dragon, a prequel about the time when House Targaryen had its highest total of dragons ever in Westeros.
HBO
Martin dedicated 2000’s A Storm of Swords, arguably the best book in his series, to his friend. But while Phyllis Eisenstein saw the world embrace Game of Thrones, she passed away in 2020. She never got to see dragons take to the sky on House of the Dragon.
Every time they do, though, we should remember her role in making it all possible and be grateful for what she did. Because she recognized something mankind has always known: dragons always have—and always will—make any story better.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
