Reel Perspectives January 19, 2026 Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO George R. R. Martin's newest book-to-drama HBO show opens with a grounded, character-driven premiere that trades spectacle for sincerity, following an awkward and super tall hedge knight and a persistent orphan as they navigate the unforgiving margins of Westeros.   We Learn Knighthood Is Earned, Not Inherited If you’re coming to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  expecting dragons, dynastic scheming, and a morally questionable council meeting every ten minutes, allow this premiere to gently recalibrate your spirit. Episode 1 is less Game of Thrones  and more a sad medieval road trip with no music to listen to —and somehow, that’s exactly the assignment. For timeline girlies who like to be oriented: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  is set after House of the Dragon  but long before   Game of Thrones . The Targaryens still sit firmly on the Iron Throne, dragons are a very recent memory, and Westeros hasn’t yet descended into full “everybody betrays everybody” mode. Power is stable. Legacy is intact. And yet, none of that really matters to the man at the center of this story. Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO The series opens on one of the bleakest sights Westeros has ever offered: Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall  standing over the worst grave imaginable, trying—and failing—to find the right words for his fallen knight, Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree . It’s not cinematic grief. There’s no swelling score, no dramatic monologue. It’s awkward. Lonely.  Very much a “I didn’t prepare an eloquent eulogy” kind of energy. Dunk isn’t mourning a legend. He’s mourning someone the world barely remembers—and Westeros makes it painfully clear it does not care. So what is an aspiring and unfortunately unknighted knight to do next? Update his LinkedIn profile? Sell his trio of horses? Or—against all common sense—try to make a destiny in a realm that barely notices him?  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  chooses the latter, following Dunk—after a George R. R. Martin–canon, unfortunately detailed (and loud AF) potty break—as he takes on the mantle of a wandering, landless hedge knight and heads toward Ashford with grief in one hand and hope in the other, poorly armored, emotionally unprepared, and very much on a “we’ll figure it out when we get there”  plan. Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO Along the way, he runs into a bald, sharp-tongued child tending the stables— Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg —who sizes Dunk’s tall ass up immediately. Egg feeds the horses, gives him a once-over like he’s being judged on Project Runway: Westeros , and then, without hesitation, asks to become his squire. Dunk says no. Politely. Respectfully. With his whole chest. While Egg hears, “Try again later.” Their early exchanges are funny, but there’s tension underneath it—the kind that comes from two people who know the world isn’t built for them. Both are orphans. Both are navigating a realm obsessed with banners, bloodlines, and who can co-sign your existence. Egg’s persistence isn’t cute—it’s survival. And Dunk, still shaky after Ser Arlan’s death, isn’t ready to be anyone’s protector yet, especially when he’s barely holding himself together. That emotional imbalance becomes the episode’s thesis. Dunk moves through Westeros like someone who showed up overdressed and under-informed—too tall, too earnest, and wildly unprepared for how transactional knighthood really is. As one character sums up his life as a hedge knight with brutal efficiency: “It’s like a knight, but... sadder.” And honestly? That’s the most accurate Facebook comment Dunk gets all episode. This version of Westeros isn’t interested in grandeur, prophecy, or who’s next in line for the throne. It’s interesting what knighthood costs . Win a tilt, and you gain honor, recognition, maybe even land. Lose—and you owe your sword, your armor, your horse, and whatever dignity you walked in with. Dunk can’t afford to lose—financially, emotionally, spiritually. The more people dismiss Ser Arlan’s name, the more determined Dunk becomes to make it matter. Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO Dunk tries to make it matter. Call it grief. Call it loyalty. Call it refusing to let the realm erase you. That quiet resolve finally meets recognition in one of the episode’s most unexpectedly joyful sequences. Enter Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon , loud, unfiltered, and radiating pure “chaotic uncle at the cookout” energy. He reads Dunk instantly and slices through the insecurity with a line that reframes everything the show is asking about knighthood: “Do it, Ser Duncan. Any knight can make a knight.” It’s not notarized or official. Nor is it approved by the Iron Throne. But it lands . Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO For a franchise obsessed with bloodlines and birthrights, this idea that knighthood can be chosen—affirmed person to person—feels quietly radical, especially in 2026.  By the time Dunk and Egg reunite for the night, the decision feels inevitable. Their final scene together unfolds beneath an open sky, deliberately set apart from the silk pavilions and polished armor surrounding them. While other knights retreat into status and soft living, Egg remains awake, already more aware of the world than most men twice his age: “A falling star brings luck to those who see it. All the other knights are in their pavilions by now, staring up at silk instead of sky.” It’s a gentle drag. A quiet rebuke. And a thesis statement for the series as a whole. Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO Dunk’s response isn’t heroic or poetic. It’s tentative. Hopeful. Human: “So, the luck is ours alone?” A loyal duo is formed—not by prophecy or blood, but by choice. And just like that, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  makes its intentions crystal clear. This isn’t a story about who rules Westeros. It’s about who belongs in it. Set during a relatively stable era of Targaryen rule but focused firmly on the margins, Episode 1 favors character over conquest, intimacy over intrigue. Small in scale, rich in heart, and refreshingly uninterested in spectacle for spectacle’s sake, it’s an antidote to everything we thought a Game of Thrones  spinoff had to be. 🗡️ Westeros-Level Quotes 🗡️ 🥚 “I know that eggs do well to stay out of frying pans.”  — Dunk laying down the law early, proving that even in Westeros, boundary-setting is an essential life skill. Protective, cautious, and already tired in a way only a reluctant guardian can be. 🙇🏽 “Yes, my lord.”  — Egg being Egg, while fooling absolutely nobody. 💰 “Good armor and a good horse means a good ransom if I unseat him.”  — Dunk explaining Knighthood, but make it financial literacy. Dunk understands that honor doesn’t pay the bills, and survival sometimes means knowing the resale value of your opponent’s gear. 🐎 “A knight with no horse is no knight at all.”  — Ser Lyonel Baratheon cutting straight through the romance of knighthood to deliver the most practical truth in Westeros. No horse, no status, no debate. Just facts. ⚔️📽️ Behind the Iron Throne ⚔️📽️ For longtime readers of George R. R. Martin , A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  represents a deliberate shift in scale. Adapted from Martin’s Dunk and Egg  novellas—stories that exist in the same sprawling universe as A Song of Ice and Fire  but operate on a far more intimate level—the series resists the franchise’s usual obsession with power and prophecy. Often joked about as coming from Martin’s “30,000-page brain,” The Hedge Knight  focuses instead on the margins of Westeros, where knighthood is less about destiny and more about survival. Loneliness and bad luck linger beneath the surface, shaping a story that values character over conquest and small moments over spectacle. Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO That restraint allows the cast to shine. Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall  anchors the series with an earnest, physical performance that emphasizes Dunk’s awkwardness as much as his size, making him instantly endearing rather than heroic by default. Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg  brings sharp intelligence and quiet determination to a role that could have been played for novelty, grounding their dynamic in genuine chemistry. Meanwhile, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon  injects humor and warmth, offering a Baratheon who is loud, blunt, and unexpectedly affirming. Together, the performances give A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  its beating heart—proof that this corner of Westeros doesn’t need dragons to feel alive. 🏰✨ Dat Reel Perspectives Grade ✨🏰 8.6 / 10 — Well-Shod Horses 🐴 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  earns a solid 8.6 for understanding exactly what kind of story it wants to tell—and telling it with confidence. It’s character-first, refreshingly intimate, and uninterested in racing toward spectacle just to remind us it’s part of the Game of Thrones  universe. The premiere succeeds because it resists excess. Instead of dragons and dynastic chaos, it offers awkward silences, economic anxiety, and a knight who doesn’t quite know where he fits yet. The chemistry between Dunk and Egg carries real emotional weight, and the series’ gentle humor gives Westeros room to breathe again. Like a knight with a sturdy horse and just enough armor to survive the road ahead, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  may not look flashy—but it’s prepared. If the series continues to honor its small-scale storytelling and character-driven heart, this could quietly become one of the most beloved corners of George R. R. Martin’s world. Before the road gets longer—and the stakes get higher—here’s a look at what awaits Dunk and Egg this season: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is streaming now on HBO and HBO Max, with new episodes dropping every Sunday. Follow along with Reel Perspectives for weekly recaps and analysis.

Reel Perspectives January 19, 2026 L- Tamara Tunie. R- Clifton Davis (CBS) CBS groundbreaking daytime soap opera Beyond The Gates is making a meaningful change by shifting focus from its daily drama to collaborate with the Know Your Lemons Foundation. Founded by the passionate Dr. Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont, this nonprofit is dedicated to enhancing early breast cancer detection through creative education. This exciting partnership aims to raise awareness of a disease that significantly affects many African American women, introducing vital, life-saving initiatives through a new storyline that began airing on December 15. The new soap opera, which launched in February of 2024, is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C, and focuses on the Duprees, "a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty." The new storyline sees matriarch Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) receive a triple-negative (TNBC) breast cancer diagnosis as her family (Clifton Davis) and daughters, Dani (Karla Mosley) and Nicole (Daphnee Duplaix), rally around her to support her. The storyline will continue to unfold in months to come as viewers follow Anita's chemotherapy journey and witness the emotional impact on the family as they navigate genetic testing for both the women and men who must confront the realities of the disease. Viewers will see the physical and mental effects of chemotherapy on Anita, including hair loss and the impact of the results of the BRCA gene test on her daughters and grandchildren. The special awareness includes two PSAs, the first of which aired on January 1 and features series regulars Karla Mosley and Daphnee Duplaix in a joint effort. Per CBS' press release, the campaign not only raises awareness for the character's breast cancer journey, but it also showcases what it means to be positive for the BRCA gene and how that ripples through families and communities. Anita's journey offers a heartfelt, realistic look at a tragically common situation. Despite a 44% decline in breast cancer deaths since 1989, there is a mortality gap between Black and white women. Access and awareness are often barriers to Black women getting the care they need. By partnering with Know Your Lemons,  Beyond The Gates  takes a step toward bridging this gap. Beyond The Gates executive producers Michele Val Jean and Tracey Thomson said: "Our goal is to tell a story that raises awareness about the prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer and the importance of regular screenings to aid in early detection. Beyond that, we want to encourage and empower women to take an active role in their own breast health. You are your own best advocate." CBS Dr. Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont, CEO and founder of the Know Your Lemons Foundation, added: "So often, we don't learn about breast health until we have a breast problem. In partnership with BEYOND THE GATES, we can educate about the 12 symptoms of breast cancer and share an app that has saved many lives through early detection of breast cancer. Including us in the promotion of Anita's diagnosis is a meaningful way to not only raise awareness among viewers but also encourage them to get screened, report a change, and feel more confident about their health. We're thrilled to be working alongside the show team to bring this education to everyone." Their Know Your Lemons campaign and award-winning app have reached over 2 billion people worldwide, helping to make breast health knowledge accessible, visual, and the reason why many lives have been saved from breast cancer. Know Your Lemons app features: Customize options for Black breast health Calculate a personalized risk score based on age and health history Build a custom screening plan tailored to country guidelines and risk factors Learn the 12 signs of breast cancer using easy, memorable visuals Follow self-exam audio guides to understand what feels normal and how to report a change Get reminders and earn badges to stay on top of screening and monthly self-exams The series is a CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble, and executive-produced by Michele Val Jean. Additional executive producers are Julie Carruthers, Tracey Thompson, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner, and Anna Saalfeld. Catch a special Martin Luther King episode on Monday, January 19th, as the cast comes together to discuss their respective storylines and take viewers on an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Season 1 and a preview of Season 2. Beyond The Gates airs weekdays at 2 pm EST on CBS, with full episodes available to stream on Paramount+ and the CBS app.

Reel Perspectives January 17, 2026 Courtesy of Paramount Plus Starfleet Academy brings bold new Trek shifts focus to cadets, legacy, and the uncomfortable work of inheriting Starfleet ideals. 🖖🏾🎓 Star Trek Goes Back to School — and So Do Our Expectations It’s time to live long and watch  as the latest Trekkie spinoff boldly goes where Star Trek  hasn’t gone before: cadet school. This time, the focus isn’t captains or command chairs, but a new generation of would-be officers drawn together by promises of hope, optimism, and Starfleet’s carefully polished ideals. If you’ve ever watched a franchise reinvent itself and thought, “I respect the ambition, but I’m a little nervous,”  congratulations — Star Trek: Starfleet Academy  was made with you in mind. Holly Hunter as Chancellor Nahla Ake, Tig Notaro as Jett Reno; Courtesy of Paramount Plus Under the watchful — and often unforgiving — eyes of their instructors, these cadets navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves, and a looming threat that puts both the Academy and the Federation itself at risk. And yes, for even the most dedicated of fans, that’s a problem. But Starfleet Academy  knows exactly what it’s doing with that discomfort. So consider this your orders, Trekkies: engage. 🚀 A Franchise That’s Never Been This… Awkward Star Trek  has always sold aspiration — to boldly go where no Vulcan, Klingon, Borg, or occasionally reckless human has gone before. Even at its darkest ( Deep Space Nine   truthers, we see you), the franchise usually knew where its moral center lived. Starfleet Academy  deliberately destabilizes that comfort from Episode One. Holly Hunter as Chancellor Nahla Ake; Courtesy of Paramount Plus Early on, Chancellor Nahla Ake  ( Holly Hunter ) reframes Starfleet service not as glory, but as accumulation — an idea the series returns to repeatedly: “Tiny acts of service to your fellow cadets — a single stitch and another and another — until you have devoted yourself to something greater than you ever imagined, a tapestry that is Starfleet.” It’s a noble sentiment, but the series is far more interested in what happens when that tapestry begins to fray. The Academy itself feels less like sacred ground and more like a pressure cooker — a place where ideals are taught in theory and stress-tested in practice. That tension plays out most clearly through cadets who don’t fit cleanly into inherited molds. Karim Diané as Jay-Dean Kraag, Kerrice Brooks as Sam; Courtesy of Paramount Plus Jay-Den Kraag  ( Karim Diané ), a Klingon cadet whose instincts lean toward care rather than combat, quietly challenges expectations baked into both Starfleet and Trek history: “A warrior does not let a friend face danger alone.” That restraint feels intentional — a signal that this series is less interested in performing legacy than interrogating it. It’s also where longtime fans begin to feel uneasy. Those expecting tidy allegories and episodic exploration instead get overlapping arcs, unresolved tensions, and characters who don’t always make choices that feel particularly Starfleet-approved. But don’t get it twisted — that friction isn’t accidental. That friction, and the drama it creates, is exactly why this show is worth watching. 🖤 Legacy, Rewritten by the Kids Who Inherited I t What Starfleet Academy  understands — and what makes it quietly radical — is that reverence doesn’t automatically transfer across generations. These cadets didn’t build the Federation. They inherited it post-collapse. Their relationship to Starfleet isn’t mythic; it’s complicated, transactional, and deeply personal. That tension lands most powerfully through Series Acclimation Mil aka “Sam”  ( Kerrice Brooks ), the first of her kind to attend the Academy: “Sometimes I feel invisible… but mostly awkward.” It’s a line that resonates because Starfleet Academy  understands visibility — not valor — as the real currency here. That awareness extends outward through characters like Genesis Lythe  ( Bella Shepard ), an admiral’s daughter determined to make her own name, who instinctively understands how power and access circulate long before anyone names it outright. Paul Giammati as Nus Braka, Holly Hunter as Chancellor Nahla Ake; Courtesy of Paramount Plus And then there’s Nus Braka  ( Paul Giamatti , who is clearly having the time of his life ), the season’s antagonist, whose critique of the Federation refuses to stay safely theoretical: “Time, with its infinite sense of humor, will always fall upon itself like an origami chicken. This moment is that chicken.” When the villain sounds this incisive, Starfleet Academy  isn’t positioning him as a simple threat. It’s positioning him as a question the institution would rather not answer. The series isn’t asking whether Starfleet is good. It’s asking who gets to define that goodness — and who pays the price when the answer changes. 🎭 Why the "Is this a Trek Show" Debate Won’t Die For viewers looking for comfort Trek, Starfleet Academy  can feel crowded, unfocused, and even unsure of itself. It juggles politics, trauma, philosophy, and campus chaos — sometimes all in the same episode. But once you stop expecting the series to behave like legacy Trek, a different picture emerges. This is a show about formation, not heroics. About how institutions replicate themselves. About whether ideals survive contact with real people, especially young people who are less interested in preserving myths than in surviving systems. That’s why the show lands differently depending on who’s watching. If you’re looking for captains and certainty, it may feel like a miss. BUT if you’re interested in power, legacy, and who gets shaped by them, it starts to click. 🖖🏾 Sixty Years In and Still Asking the Right Question There’s something quietly audacious about premiering Starfleet Academy  during Star Trek’s  60th anniversary year. Instead of nostalgia, the series offers reflection. Instead of triumph, it offers tension. The callbacks are there — ships, names, mottos — but they function less as fan service and more as reminders of what’s at stake. The show knows the history. It just isn’t interested in worshipping it. Courtesy of Paramount Plus And honestly? That feels right. Because after sixty years, Star Trek  doesn’t need another reminder of where it’s been. It needs to ask whether its future still believes in the same promises — and who gets to define those promises in a fractured galaxy. So yes, Starfleet Academy  doesn’t always have the answers. But it sure knows that the question of belief, power, and inheritance is the one that matters. Set phasers to play and catch the official trailer below: Episodes 1 and 2 of Starfleet Academy are now streaming on Paramount+.

Reel Perspectives January 17, 2026 Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars and Ben Affleck as Det Sergeant J.D. Byrne; Courtesy of Netflix Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s latest crime caper is a slow-burning thriller about what loyalty costs when temptation won’t leave the room 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏼💰 Old Friends, Dirty Money, and a Moral Line That Will Be Crossed Okay, Fam, stay with me for a second. There’s something quietly reassuring in the year 2026 watching Matt Damon  and Ben Affleck  fall back into familiar territory — not the glossy, awards-season version of themselves, but the grown, tired, been-through-it  iteration. In The Rip , the Boston duo reunite for a Netflix crime thriller that isn’t trying to wow you with explosions. Instead, it asks a quieter, more unsettling question: what happens when doing the “right” thing stops being so clear? Courtesy of Netflix Directed by Joe Carnahan , whose films tend to live in the moral gray rather than the glow, The Rip  plays like a throwback with intention. This is adult Netflix genre storytelling — tension over spectacle, vibes over noise — the kind of movie that trusts atmosphere, performance, and uncomfortable silences to do the work. No hand-holding. No easy outs. Just people, pressure, and choices that start to look real different once money enters the conversation. 🌴🚔 Welcome to Miami On paper, this is the part where everyone pretends the answer is obvious. Damon and Affleck trade Boston grit for Miami heat with matching goatees, stepping into a narcotics unit that stumbles onto a massive stash of cartel cash during what should’ve been a routine operation. The rules are clear: lock it down, count the money, turn it in, go home. Easy… right? From the trailer, the choice feels straightforward: “From the outside looking in, it seems simple. Seize the cash, count it, and turn it in.” But The Rip  isn’t interested in how things look from the outside. It’s locked in on what happens once time stretches, nerves fray, and that neat little rulebook starts to feel less like guidance and more like a trap. The longer the team stays put, the more the room fills with questions — about loyalty, corruption, and who might already be playing both sides. Catalina Sandino Moreno as Detective Lolo Salazar, Teyana Tayloras as Detective Numa Baptiste; Netflix That’s where the pressure really kicks in. This isn’t about shootouts or flashy heroics. It’s about waiting. Watching. Listening a little too closely to who says what — and clocking who suddenly goes quiet. Damon’s Lt. Dane Dumars frames the entire ordeal as a test of judgment rather than force: “All I know is what we do right now — and who we talk to — matters.” That line tells you everything The Rip  cares about. The tension doesn’t come from immediate violence; it comes from uncertainty — who can be trusted, who’s already compromised, and whether doing the “right” thing is still possible once doubt has officially entered the room. 🎬🎭 Behind the Camera: Cast & Director Let’s be clear about one thing up front: The Rip  works because Carnahan has been here before — and he knows exactly what kind of tension he’s chasing. His career is built on grounded, character-first genre films that care less about flashy heroics and more about what pressure does to people when nobody’s watching. If you’ve seen Narc , you already know his vibe. That film didn’t just show corruption — it sat in it, letting guilt, grief, and moral exhaustion do the talking. The Grey  took a totally different setup and applied the same energy, stripping survival down to instinct and quiet despair. Even his louder titles, like Smokin’ Aces  and Copshop , are really about collision — personalities clashing under stress until something gives. ​​Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro and Sasha Calle as Desi; Courtesy of Netflix That approach carries straight into The Rip . Carnahan favors simmering unease over noise, letting scenes breathe just long enough for paranoia to creep in. He trusts silence. He trusts the audience. And he trusts that tension doesn’t need to shout to land. That restraint extends to the cast, too. Alongside Damon and Affleck, the ensemble includes Steven Yeun  (yes, The Walking Dead  Steven Yeun), fellow Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor , Kyle Chandler , Catalina Sandino Moreno , and Sasha Calle  — a lineup that understands the assignment: hold the tension, don’t announce it. 🍿🔥 Why The Rip is a Saturday Night Must-Watch Inspired by a real-life Miami-Dade Police Department cash seizure, The Rip  isn’t all that interested in the mechanics of the bust itself. What it really wants to explore is what happens afterward — how money tests loyalty, corrodes certainty, and exposes fault lines within even the most disciplined teams. This is a movie about pressure. About how quickly “we got this” can turn into side-eyes and second-guesses once temptation enters the room. It’s not asking who the hero is; it’s asking who people become when the rules stop feeling protective and start feeling inconvenient. Carnahan, on the film’s emotional core: “The devil is in the details in this film. It’s really about human beings—what your team means to you, what your friends mean to you, and what the people you love mean to you.” That focus on human consequence is what elevates The Rip  beyond standard crime-thriller fare. Instead of sprinting toward explosions and easy answers, the film lingers in moral gray areas, letting discomfort breathe and trusting the audience to sit with the uncertainty. It’s the kind of thriller that doesn’t just fill the evening — it gives you something to chew on once the screen goes dark. Catch the trailer before the Feds do: The Rip is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Reel Perspectives January 15, 2026 Peacock Peacock's latest espionage thriller, Ponies , enters a crowded landscape of thrillers and still manages to feel sleek and emotionally grounded. Created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson ( Mr. Robot ,  New Girl) , the series premiered on January 15 with all 8 episodes starring  Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson as two PONIES (persons of no interest in intelligence speak). Set in 1977 Moscow, the two work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. That is, until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the USSR, and the pair become CIA operatives. Bea (Emilia Clarke) is an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. Her cohort, Twila (Haley Lu Richardson), is a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless. Together, they work to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy and solve the mystery that made them widows in the first place. It's slim pickings for a series headlined by two women, and Clarke and Richardson deliver magnetic performances set against the backdrop of the Cold War's heightened tensions between the United States and Russia. The series prioritizes the atmosphere and music of  Fleetwood Mac  over a fast-paced plot, with less emphasis on explosive action and more on coded conversations, glances, and the constant sense that every character is operating with only part of the truth. Clarke and Richardson are perfectly cast, each bringing a distinct energy that keeps their dynamic compelling. Clarke is calm and controlled, while Richardson is more spirited and overconfident, with a touch of vulnerability, making every scene feel entertainingly unpredictable. Together, they create a partnership defined by necessity and offbeat humor, which becomes the emotional engine of the series. Peacock In addition to Clarke ( Game of Thrones ,  Me Before You ), who also serves as executive producer, and Haley Lu Richardson ( The White Lotus ), the series adds Adrian Lester ( The   Sandman ,  The   Day After Tomorrow ); Artjom Gilz ( Tár ,  Das Boot ); Nicholas Podany ( Saturday Night ,  Hello Tomorrow! ); Petro Ninovskyi ( Shttl,   The Silence ); and Vic Michaelis ( Very Important People ,  Upload ) . Ponies  is a solid, understated thriller. It's not trying to reinvent the genre or overwhelm you with twists. Instead, it settles into a steady, easy rhythm and lets the story unfold at its own pace. What makes Ponies  especially engaging is its thematic focus.  A more serious series might explore what it truly means for women to exist on the margins - politically, socially, and personally - in that era, but the series is just as clever as its title. By the end of the season, which ends with a major cliffhanger, you realize that these two women were never Ponies, they're actually POIs (Persons of Interest) with their highly entertaining super sleuthing. All episodes of Ponies are streaming now on Peacock.

Reel Perspectives January 15, 2026 Disney Disney has created another joyful, vibrant animated series for children, featuring lively animation where nothing is off-limits for wholesome family fun! "Hey A.J.!" is a series inspired by author and former Super Bowl champion Martellus Bennett. It is a whimsical, music-filled family comedy about an imaginative young girl who, along with her stuffed-bunny sidekick, turns ordinary moments into extraordinary ones. The series, executive produced by Bennett, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (Phineas and Ferb) , and Grammy-winning producer Michael Hodges (The Garfield Movie) , premiered the first seven of its 14 episodes on Disney Jr. on Tuesday, January 13. The episodes are also available to stream on Disney+, with additional episodes released on Fridays through the season finale on February 27. A.J can turn a long drive with her mom and dad into a rocket ship space adventure or a trip to the park into a superhero mission to save the world. With AJ's trusty stuffed bunny sidekick, Theo, her mom Siggi, dad Marty, and best friends Jessie and Jazz—there's no situation that A.J. can't make extraordinary by using her imagination. Disney A retired NFL tight end who played for 10 years and won the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, Bennett has discovered a new passion as a children's book author and draws inspiration from his experiences with his daughter, Austyn Jett. "When I wrote the books, there weren't a lot of children's books that reflected my relationship with my daughter or kids of color," Bennet shared. "Five to seven percent of children's books were about children of color, and then a lot of them focused on the kids being kids of color. They were about subjects like 'I'm not my hair' or 'I love myself' or very self-esteem-based children's books. But I've never really met any kids who didn't love themselves, especially during preschool and kindergarten. Every kid at that age thinks they're the best at everything." The talented Amari McCoy brings A.J. to life, with Martellus Bennett as Marty, Jhené Aiko as Siggi, Juliet Donenfeld as Jessie, Innocent Ekakitie as Jaz,z and David Mitchell as Theo, also lending their voices. The celebrity guest voice cast includes Meghan Trainor, Cristo Fernández, Bootsy Collins, Kate Miccuci, Maulik Pancholy, Calum Scott, Lena Waithe, and retired NASA astronaut and engineer Leland Melvin, who will guest star as himself. The first 7 episodes of "Hey A.J.!" are streaming on Disney Now and Disney+, and air on Disney Channel & Disney Jr.

Reel Perspectives January 14, 2026 Rue Bennett played by Zendaya; Eddy Chen/HBO Five years later, Rue and the crew are older, louder, and still running from the same damage. 😬💸 Euphoria Is Back — and the Mess Has a Mortgage Guess who’s back… back again? Rue’s back and running — from her life choices, her demons, and possibly the plot itself. That’s right, Euphoria   is clocking back in to terrorize our nervous systems, with Season 3 premiering Sunday, April 12 . HBO Max just dropped the trailer, and the chaos is already in a light jog — on a freeway, glitter-adjacent, ignoring consequences, and stressing out your mama. But before we lace up and spiral together, let’s rewind and rekindle our complicated affection for these reckless, law-breaking “teens” — played by adults pushing 30, thank God — because this mess has lore, flashbacks, Labrinth vocals, and a very  long memory. ⏪ A Quick (But Brace Yourself) Refresher: Seasons 1 & 2 Season 1: Rue, Relapse, and the Blueprint of Disaster At the center of Euphoria  is Rue Bennett  — beautifully, devastatingly played by Emmy winner Zendaya  — a teenager who tells us from jump that something in her brain has always  been off. Mood swings. Impulses. Numbness. And eventually, drugs — the kind DARE warned us ’90s kids about and still lost the room and  the assembly. Rue’s addiction starts young, quietly, and tragically: stealing her dying father’s painkillers while no one’s looking. By the time the series opens, she’s fresh out of rehab after a near-fatal overdose, already white-knuckling sobriety she doesn’t fully believe in. Hope is present. Faith is not. Lexi Howard played by Maude Apatow; Eddy Chen/HBO Season 1 unfolds like emotional whiplash — each episode zooming in on a different character, but always tethered to Rue’s POV. Around her orbits a cast of teens unraveling in their own personalized ways: Nate Jacobs  (played by Jacob Elordi ) weaponizes masculinity and control like a varsity sport; Maddy Perez  ( Alexa Demie ) mistakes volatility for passion — until she absolutely does not; Cassie Howard  ( Sydney Sweeney ) confuses validation with intimacy; Kat Hernandez  ( Barbie Ferreira ) experiments with online power before the show largely forgets she exists (yes, we clocked that); and Lexi Howard  ( Maude Apatow ) watches quietly from the sidelines, taking notes like she’s already drafting the third act. No matter where the camera drifts — carnivals, bathrooms, glitter-drenched breakdowns — it always snaps back to Rue and her relationship with Jules Vaughn  (played by Hunter Schafer ): intoxicating, codependent, and doomed from the pilot. Rue falls hard. Jules dreams bigger. They talk about running away together. Jules actually tries. Rue relapses instead. The season ends with Rue spiraling backward while Jules boards a train alone — a quiet, brutal thesis statement for the show: love doesn’t cure addiction, and wanting something badly isn’t the same as being able to keep it. Season 2 takes that truth, puts it on a Labrinth track, and lights the match. Season 2: Everyone Hits Rock Bottom (Some Multiple Times) Season 2 of Euphoria  wastes zero time lighting the fuse — then immediately throws the whole box of matches onto the freeway. Rue convinces everyone she’s sober. She is not. She’s using harder drugs, lying better, and quietly sitting on a suitcase full of narcotics she’s supposed to sell — not to build generational wealth, but to stay high. When Jules finds out (thanks to guitar-playing Elliot , played by Dominic Fike ) and tells Rue’s mom (emotionally played by Nika King ), the house of cards collapses instantly. No montage. No mercy. Just mess. What follows is one of the show’s most harrowing arcs: an intervention that detonates on contact, Rue verbally napalming everyone she loves, destroying her house, and sprinting through the city — barefoot, feral, and emotionally uninsurable — to avoid rehab. Somewhere between screaming at her family and dodging traffic, she also realizes she owes thousands of dollars to a woman who does not negotiate. Eventually, Rue is brought home — battered, furious, and hollowed out. By season’s end, she vows to stay clean through the school year. It’s not a comeback. It’s a ceasefire. Meanwhile, everyone else is also making decisions that should’ve stayed buried in their Notes app — password-protected. Cassie hooks up with Nate — her best friend Maddy’s abusive ex — and proceeds to spiral loudly, publicly, and with Olympic-level commitment. Nate tries to remake Cassie into a Wish-dot-com version of Maddy, down to the clothes, the makeup, and the emotional dependency. Cassie lets him. When the truth finally comes out, Maddy chooses restraint… which is  character development but also a very real threat. Cassie Howard played by Sydney Sweeney; Eddy Chen/HBO Nate, in a rare moment of moral clarity that lasts approximately one episode, retrieves a horrifying tape involving his father and Jules and gives it back to Jules — traumatizing Maddy in the process, but still managing to do exactly one decent thing before returning to menace. Speaking of dads: Cal Jacobs (played by Eric Dane ) fully implodes — drunkenly confessing that his entire life is a lie, peeing on the floor, and exiting his family like it’s an avant-garde performance piece. Nate’s mom later hints at darker truths about Nate’s childhood — threads the show dangles ominously, then refuses to resolve. Then there’s Fezco and Lexi — the season’s emotional soft spot. What starts as a New Year’s party conversation turns into a genuine connection. Long phone calls. Mutual respect. Actual tenderness. Fez , played by the late Angus Cloud , brings rare warmth to a show addicted to destruction — which is exactly why fans let their guard down. Which is exactly why it hurt. The season builds toward Lexi’s play — a meta, messy, truth-telling spectacle that drags everyone’s secrets under stage lights. Fez never makes it to opening night. The past catches up. Police surround his house. Violence erupts. And the fantasy collapses. Season 2 ends not with answers, but with exhaustion. Rue is sober — for now. Relationships are fractured. And Euphoria  makes one thing brutally clear: Adulthood doesn’t cure the damage. It just sends a bigger bill. 🔥 Season 3: Grown, Not Healed Season 3 of Euphoria  doesn’t ease back in — it time-jumps five years into the future , checking in on these former high school disasters as full-grown adults who absolutely did not  leave the chaos behind. The acne cleared. The problems evolved. The consequences now cost more. At the center, still: Rue Bennett , now living south of the border in Mexico — and still very much in debt to Laurie, the quietly terrifying drug dealer played by Martha Kelly . Rue narrates the trailer in the past tense, almost wistful: “I don’t know if life was exactly what I wished, but somehow, for the first time, I was beginning to have faith.” Which, in Euphoria  language, means the other shoe is already in the air. Sure enough, Laurie shows up to collect, reminding Rue that consequences don’t respect time jumps or fresh starts. Danger circles fast — and that’s before Rue crosses paths with her ex, Jules Vaughn , in a brief, loaded reunion that suggests old wounds never really closed. Distance didn’t save them. It just delayed the reckoning. Elsewhere, the futures are… bleak in brand-new ways. Hunter Schafer plays Jules Vaughn; Eddy Chen/HBO Cassie Howard  and Nate Jacobs  are engaged, suburban, and deeply miserable — a jump scare in beige. Cassie is making NSFW content online. Nate is furious. “I work all day, and my bride-to-be is spread-eagled on the internet,” he snaps. Cassie’s response? Calm, chilling, and extremely 2026: “I was just making content.”  Yes, their wedding is in the trailer as well. Pray for everyone involved. Maddy Perez  is working at a Hollywood talent agency, serving looks and proximity to power as if she were born for it. Lexi Howard  is now an assistant to a showrunner — played by new cast addition Sharon Stone  — which feels dangerously on-brand for the sister who’s always been watching, observing, and quietly writing it all down. Maddy Perez played Alexa Demie ; Eddy Chen/HBO After more than four years away — delayed by packed schedules, behind-the-scenes tensions, and creator Sam Levinson ’s own detours — Euphoria  isn’t pretending things get easier with age. They just get louder, lonelier, and significantly more expensive. 🎬 Behind the Camera — and the Guest-Star Chaos If Euphoria  has always been about bad decisions, Season 3 is about what happens after  the excuses expire. Creator Sam Levinson  has been clear about the pivot: this season exists outside the safety net of high school. No bells. No lockers. No “they’re just kids” loopholes. The five-year time jump drops these characters into adulthood — or at least something adjacent — where consequences don’t reset and damage compounds. That shift matters. And it’s why we’re locked in. Season 3 also carries a quieter weight. The absence of Fezco isn’t just narrative — it’s emotional. Angus Cloud  brought humanity and restraint to a world addicted to excess, and his loss lingers over the series in ways Euphoria  doesn’t rush to explain or replace. Rather than filling that space, the show mutates — and the guest list proves it. Season 3 introduces a stacked slate of new faces, including Sharon Stone , Natasha Lyonne , Danielle Deadwyler , Rosalía , Eli Roth , Marshawn Lynch , Sam Trammell , and Asante Blackk . And yes — before anyone pretends this isn’t important — Trisha Paytas  is also part of the season. No character details. No explanation. Just vibes, discourse, and a collective gasp. Which feels extremely on brand. So why are we still watching? 🎭 Why Euphoria  Still Has Us Hooked Yes, Season 3 of Euphoria is finally — actually  — happening, and the trailer makes it clear the show didn’t come back calmer, kinder, or interested in your peace. And that’s the quiet cruelty of Euphoria . It doesn’t promise much in the way of character growth — it promises exposure, vulnerability, and the utmost in drama. Season 3 traps these characters between who they were and who they pretend to be now, asking how long denial can go on before it becomes a lifestyle choice. So yes, we’re running (and tuning in) again. Not because we expect progress. Not because we believe in happy endings. But because Euphoria  understands a hard truth: growing up doesn’t save you — it just takes the training wheels off the damage. Watch the trailer below: Euphoria Season 3 premieres Sunday, April 12, on HBO Max. Proceed with caution and lowered expectations. 😮‍💨🔥

Reel Perspectives January 13, 2026 Disney released a fourth teaser on Tuesday for the highly anticipated Marvel film  Avengers: Doomsday . This teaser sparked excitement online once again, featuring beloved characters from Wakanda and The Fantastic Four. Last year's Thunderbolts  movie hinted at the arrival of the Fantastic Four in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. Previous teasers featured Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and the X-Men's Cyclops (James Marsden), along with Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen). Scheduled for release on December 18, the new teaser features Shuri, the new Black Panther (Letitia Wright) from Wakanda, who courageously stepped into the role following the death of her brother T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman). Robert Downey Jr M'Baku (Winston Duke), who makes his fifth appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introduces himself as the King of Wakanda to Ben Grimm, aka The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The teaser also featured Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who first appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Expectations for the film remain extremely high as Robert Downey Jr returns to the MCU as Dr. Doom, after playing the legendary Tony Stark since 2008, before calling it quits in 2019's  Avengers: Endgame . The new film will be a nostalgic delight featuring many beloved characters from previous Avengers films and Marvel favorites. Confirmed returns include Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hiddleston, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Channing Tatum, Tom Holland, and Pedro Pascal. While details around the storyline continue to remain top secret, we can expect many of these returns from alternate timelines across the multiverse to be a crowd-pleaser. Avengers: Secret Wars  will be released a year after Doomsday , but for now, excitement remains at a fever pitch for the first installment, which will see all the Avengers reunited since Avengers: Endgame.