Happy 2022 and welcome to the era of the Sparrow Academy. Netflix unveiled brand new character posters for the newest super-team in town, the Sparrows, incoming in season 3 of The Umbrella Academy.
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
After seeing the results of his first choices after the Hargreeves’ jaunt back in time to fix another apocalyptic mistake, Sir Reginald Hargreeves chose a new bunch of super-children after the mysterious events of October 1, 1989. However, since Ben met his demise early as a child, he made the cut the second time around, this time being promoted to Number 2.
Ben is joined in the Sparrow Academy by Marcus, Number 1 (Justin Cornwell), Fei, Number 3 (Britne Oldford), Alphonso, Number 4 (Jake Epstein), Sloane, Number 5 (Genesis Rodriguez), Jayme, Number 6 (Cazzie David), and the squarest of them all Christopher, Number 7 (a dread-inducing cube) in what is sure to be an epic face-off with our favorite Umbrella crew after they arrive back at the Umbrella Academy mansion from 1963 to find their rooms no longer vacant.
Season 3 will also see the return of our favorite Hargreeves siblings played by Tom Hopper (Luther), David Castañeda (Diego), Emmy Raver-Lampman (Allison), Robert Sheehan (Klaus), Aidan Gallagher (Five), Justin H. Min (Ben), and Elliot Page (Vanya), along with Colm Feore (Sir Reginald Hargreeves), and Ritu Arya (Lila).
There is no official date or synopsis for season 3 of The Umbrella Academy yet, but the series is confirmed to be flying to screens sometime in 2022. Stay tuned for more news!
HBO Max’s Peacemaker series officially releases on January 13. Ahead of the series premiere, a new red band trailer teases a lot of violence, action, f-bombs, and some good old-fashioned rock and roll.
Peacemaker will explore the origins of the popular DC Comics character that was first introduced in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. In early December, the first trailer revealed an additional threat set to emerge known as The Butterflies.
Alongside John Cena’s Peacemaker, the series also stars Economos (Steve Agee), Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), and Vigilante (Freddie Stroma).
Peacemaker will air exclusively on HBO Max. The first three episodes will drop on January 13 with the subsequent five having a weekly release.
In this episode of Cobra Kai, Johnny and Daniel teach each other their respective techniques. We also meet a new kid named Kenny, who attends his first day at West Valley Middle School. Meanwhile, Amanda makes her own stand. Read on to find out what happens in “First Learn Stand.”
Warning: Spoilers beyond this point.
Johnny’s Lesson in Patience
Daniel heads to the dojo, ready to use his sanding technique for the sparring deck. But unfortunately for him, Johnny’s already on it… with a much bigger and faster sander. Soon, they agree to teach each other their methods. Johnny’s up first, but his impatience doesn’t lend well to learning Miyagi-Do karate. Eventually, he makes decent headway, and his lesson ends after falling into the pond (again). Meanwhile at Cobra Kai, Robby also begins teaching Miyagi-Do.
Amanda Takes a Stand
Amanda has her own confrontation, visiting Tory at her job. She tells Tory to stay away from Samantha. As Tory gets progressively more heated, she snaps at a customer and is fired. Later, she tells Kreese. He stages a run-in with Amanda at the grocery store. He respects Amanda protecting her daughter but then tells her that Tory doesn’t have a mother. In a final confrontation for the episode, Tory (with a full bag of groceries in tow) finds Amanda at the dealership. Tory says she doesn’t want pity before leaving.
Daniel Learns to Bite Like an Eagle
It’s time for Daniel to learn some new tricks, too. Like Johnny, he doesn’t understand the methods at first. But, of course, he picks it up. After, he and Johnny head to a hockey game as more “training.” Johnny provokes a player, hoping it will cause a fight. Daniel de-escalates. As they leave, though, they face the player and a few others. Johnny decides this is the perfect time to get a pretzel. The players make snide remarks about Amanda, so Daniel defends her honor, taking them all down. When Johnny returns, he’s surprised but also ecstatic.
New Kid on the (School) Block
A new kid, Kenny, starts his first day at a new school. From the get-go, it doesn’t go well, as he’s teased on the bus for dancing (by none other than Anthony LaRusso). During PE, he accidentally smacks Anthony in the face with a basketball. But he manages to make it through the day. He talks on the phone with his dad, who offers support. We also learn something happened with his brother.
Later, he plays a roleplay game called Dungeon Lord Legacies. A girl from school, Lia, messages him through the game. Only it’s not really her. It’s Anthony and his friends. They invite him to meet up, and when Kenny arrives at the spot (in full cosplay), Anthony and co. record and tease him. In response, Kenny swats at Anthony’s phone, accidentally breaking it. A chase ensues and Kenny manages to hide in a dumpster. The next day at school, he’s teased by everyone. Fed up, he asks for help from someone at the juvenile detention center. It’s his brother, Shawn, the guy who previously had a rivalry with Robby.
Cobra Kai season 4 is streaming now on Netflix. Keep up with our season recaps here.
In the season 4 premiere of Cobra Kai, Johnny and Daniel begin to put aside their differences and team up. However, their teaching styles begin to clash. Meanwhile, Kreese tries to recruit an old friend. Read on to find out what happens in “Let’s Begin.”
Warning: Spoilers beyond this point.
Eagle Fang Meet Miyagi-Do
Johnny and Daniel begin their joint classes at Daniel’s dojo, but as they approach karate in drastically different ways, the first day is kind of a dumpster fire. They try not to get too discouraged though. At home, Amanda voices her concerns to Daniel, and he tries to reassure her. Meanwhile, Johnny cooks for Miguel’s family, and they’re all excited. Well, until Miguel brings up Ali. This later prompts Carmen to tell Johnny she wants to take things slow.
During the next class, Johnny and Daniel split up to teach. Johnny’s session disrupts Daniel’s. So, Daniel confronts him, which leaves an opening for a few of the Miyagi-Do kids to also confront Hawk. When Miguel and Johnny get home, Miguel still has hope. But Johnny doesn’t.
Robby Faces His Options
At Cobra Kai, Kreese wants to recruit Robby, who would rather stay out of the rivalry; he just needed a place to stay. A bit later, Tory confronts him, saying that if he won’t fight, he can leave. He’s also soon approached by Samantha, who wants to make amends. Robby is fed up and says as much. He refuses to give Samantha what she wants.
Kreese Seeks an Old Friend
Kreese heads to Terrance Silver’s home, where he finds that Terrance is living a new life (and hosting a swanky but casual soirée). When they have a chance to talk privately, Kreese brings up the old days in Vietnam, hoping to sway Terrance. It doesn’t work. Terrance is content in his new life. However, when Terrance later goes to grab some wine, a bottle sitting on a small table catches his attention. So, he kicks it against the wall. Seems like Terry Silver is catching the karate bug.
Finding Common Ground
Daniel shows up at Johnny’s place to apologize. The two sort of patch things up but decide their joint dojo method won’t work out. The next day, they go tell the kids. Instead, they find everyone clearing out a new space where they plan to build a sparring deck. Rather than end the team-up, they give it another chance.
Meanwhile, Robby prepares to lead Cobra Kai, but they’re not on board. He tells them if they land a hit, he’ll leave. The only person who does is Tory. But she lets him stay. He rallies them in a rousing speech, ending by saying that he’s going to teach them Miyagi-Do karate.
Cobra Kai season 4 is streaming now on Netflix. Keep up with the rest of our season recaps here.
Will Arnett is replacing Armie Hammer in Taika Waititi’s upcoming film Next Goal Wins. Hammer exited the film following multiple accusations of sexual assault.
Next Goal Wins is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison. It tells the story of about Dutch-American football (soccer) coach Thomas Rongen’s efforts to push the American Samoa national team, considered one of the weakest in the world, to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Arnett will portray an executive at Football Federation American Samoa in the story. He has already begun to reshoot Hammer’s scenes alongside cast-mates including Elisabeth Moss, David Fane, Beulah Koale, and Semu Filipo.
Arnett is best known for his work on Arrested Development; however, he is also recognized for lending his smooth baritone voice to characters in Despicable Me, Monsters vs. Aliens, and the Lego Movie franchise where he played Batman.
“Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff … Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-your-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is, ‘You like stuff.’ Which is not a good insult at all. Like, ‘You are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.'”
15 years ago today, John and Hank Green decided to communicate solely by video blog for a year, signaling the beginning of the phenomenon known as the Vlogbrothers. Over the years, that original gimmick has evolved to weekly videos from the Brothers Green on topics as diverse as the meaning of life and giraffe sex (yes, you read that correctly). They have created their own language of inside jokes, a shorthand that is cheerfully incoherent to anyone stumbling on a video out of context.
When faced with the prospect of trying to encapsulate what Vlogbrothers has done for a generation of nerds and the world at large, facts and figures are inadequate. Paragraphs could be devoted to how the Green brothers’ ability to mobilize nerdy passion for good has led to well over $14,000,000 in donations through the Project for Awesome alone and millions more for the Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone. In terms of cultural impact, the brothers have collectively sold millions of books, started multiple award-winning Internet projects, helped create the first wave of professional YouTubers, and continue to be role models for influencers today. But there will never be enough records broken or film deals or chart-topping podcasts to describe how watching John and Hank Green for 15 years will make you feel.
John and Hank offer more than just a path towards accepting the nerd within and learning how to nerd out responsibly. They offer the possibility of joy amid fear. John and Hank’s openness about their mental and physical health has made so many feel they aren’t alone in what can often be an unforgiving world for those with chronic illnesses. Their beautiful “Sunset Series” offers pockets of serenity for a world that sorely needs them. They make time for the everyday happiness of life, like John’s successful quest to find a Sing-a-ma-jig that plays “All Star” or Hank’s ode to anglerfish. The Vlogbrothers channel doesn’t ignore the sadder or less pleasant parts of life; some of their best video essays center around the struggle to find the light in the darkness. But they refuse to succumb to hopelessness. There is always a resource to share or a way to help, or even just a silly joke to bring a smile to your day.
The Greens’ most enduring legacy, however, is the community they have created. While Nerdfighteria’s numbers have swelled (and shrunk) over the years, the core group of devoted viewers has remained as one of the kindest and most thoughtful fandoms out there. If you wander into the comment section on a Vlogbrothers video, you will find only constructive debates, top-tier dad jokes, and friendly interactions — a rarity on YouTube. You only have to look at the beautiful phenomenon that is Esther Day to see that this group is special.
We have John and Hank Green to thank for creating such a vibrant safe space that has become a home for thousands for the last 15 years. As John recently reflected in “I do this every. single. tuesday,” the consistency of Vlogbrothers videos makes the channel the most stable thing in many viewers’ lives. John and Hank are the rare content creators who grapple with the strange parasocial world they have found themselves in, and Hank’s “My Giant Robot Suit” should be required viewing for anyone who fancies themselves an influencer. It is this willingness to be introspective and engage directly with their audience that makes the Greens beloved and the community they have cultivated unique.
11 years ago, I, like so many other young viewers who found their way to Nerdfighteria, was aimlessly scrolling through YouTube’s front page. At 13, I was a goofy nerd who could talk for hours about Broadway musicals or Twilight, but I also worried a lot about the world and my place in it. Thus far, everything I had seen had taught me that in order to grow up, in order to make a difference, you had to abandon the “silly” passions that took focus away from the serious business of being an adult.
The Vlogbrothers were the first adults I encountered in media who were unapologetically dorky and yet incredibly successful. They drew on their faces with Sharpie, they did silly dances … but they also organized massive charity donations, wrote bestsellers, and started businesses. Their refusal to succumb to the notion that being a nerd is not desirable was so refreshing that it changed the way millions of young adults thought about the way their lives could unfold. I would not be the person I am today without their influence. I became a nurse because of John’s profile of Ethiopian healthcare workers, forever changing the direction of my life. The Vlogbrothers made caring about other people cool, not foolish or a romantic ideal.
“The story of humanity is not a story of a few people who had huge, gigantic effects on the world. That’s only the story we hear because it’s the easy story to tell. Caring for ourselves and other people is the only thing that has ever mattered to the future of our species, and sometimes even that care is very difficult, but other times it won’t be. And that, even when I’ve had really dark times in my life, is the one thing that I’ve tried to be sure about.”
One of the most iconic moments in Vlogbrothers fandom history occurred in 2013 when the brothers headlined a sold-out Carnegie Hall to support John’s book, The Fault in Our Stars. The evening had been filled with readings and performances from the likes of Neil Gaiman and Kimya Dawson, but the moment that has stuck with me for over 8 years now came during the finale. The Mountain Goats arrived to sing their hit “This Year,” and as each of the performers returned to the stage to join the festivities, John and Hank danced with reckless abandon in the background.
That moment encompasses so much of what it is to be a Nerdfighter: dancing like no one is watching while screaming the lyrics to a song about summoning the energy to carry on. The world may not be a perfect place, and we may not be perfect people, but we are people who are trying to make the world more perfect, and sometimes that’s enough. I am proud to call myself a Nerdfighter, but more importantly, I am proud of this community and all it has accomplished in 15 years. As they say in our hometown, don’t forget to be awesome.
“There will be feasting, and dancing, in Jerusalem next year, I am gonna make it, through this year, if it kills me. I am gonna make it through this year, if it kills me.”
In this episode of The Expanse, Marco discovers what Holden did, and Drummer raids the supply depot with the help of The Golden Bow. Keep reading for what happens in “Redoubt.”
Monica is Live on the Scene
After the explosion on Ceres station, the Belters assume the Inners are the cause of the attack, not a plant by Marco. She’s recording the entire situation because Avasarala told her she had complete access.
Avasarala looks over all of the footage Monica has recorded, admitting that it makes Earth look weak. Monica bites back, telling her it makes them all look weak, that’s why it works. If she wants the enemy to see them as human, they have to see you as human. Avasarala doesn’t think it would appeal to the Belters, but Monica wasn’t talking about them.
Holden and Naomi Butt Heads
Holden pulls Naomi aside to tell her that Filip looks so much like her. When they launched the torpedo he couldn’t look at his face. She wonders why he’s telling her this. He admits the torpedo wasn’t a dud … he disarmed it. Holden knows what the choice meant but he couldn’t do that to her. He wants her to stop carrying the weight of everything on her shoulders. He can’t be the one to kill Filip. Every time she wakes up she’ll be sleeping next to the man that killed him. Naomi tried to save him and he didn’t want to be; she knows there’s a risk that he may die now.
Drummer Raids Marco’s Supply Depot
Upon arrival, Drummer’s team is met with attackers; they were readying a pickup. Drummer instructs everyone to collect what they can so they can get out of there before anyone shows up. Just then, a crate falls on top of Josep’s arm, pinning him. Michio rushes in to help but there’s not much they can do besides cut his arm off to free him. Once back on her ship, Drummer demands an open wide ban channel to call out Marco. She calls him a coward and tells him he’s nothing.
New episodes of The Expanse premiere Fridays on Prime Video.
Sophia Bush fans, get ready. The beloved actress is scheduled to make an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden very soon. You can expect to see her on your screens on January 3 along with the episode’s other guests Aaron Sorkin and indie band Japanese Breakfast.
Bush is best known for her role as the iconic Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill and Erin Lindsay on Chicago P.D. The actress’ newest endeavor, the medical drama Good Sam, is slated to debut on January 5, 2022 on CBS.
Don’t miss Sophia Bush on The Late Late Show With James Corden on January 3. Want more content concerning Bush? Head on over to our coverage of Drama Queens, the One Tree Hill rewatch podcast Bush co-hosts. As always, stay tuned for more updates.
Drama Queens is ending 2021 with a bang! Our favorite ladies from Tree Hill High recently released a special end-of-the-year episode solely dedicated to Q&A, titled “One Tree Thrill”!
During episodes of Drama Queens, Sophia Bush, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Hilarie Burton Morgan usually answer a few fan questions sent in via email, but this episode was solely dedicated to responding to these questions. The episode’s brief synopsis can be found below.
“Introducing One Tree Thrill … Sophia, Hilarie and Joy are thrilled to spend time with you each week so they are putting you in control! Ask them anything. Send us your questions. Take a ride in our Comet … let’s go!“
Drama Queens releases a new episode every Sunday. Check out all of our other content related to the podcast here. As always, stay tuned for more updates.
If 2021 gave us anything good, it was good film and television. As the pandemic raged on, many of us continued to hunker down and enjoy the slate of new projects the year had to offer, since that was really all it had to offer. Netflix put out more content than we all knew what to do with, with new original films debuting every week throughout the year alongside new and returning series.
Our co-director, Kaity, and one of our editors, Hannah, sifted through all of Netflix’s new releases and chose a few favorites to highlight as 2021 (thankfully) comes to a close.
Kaity’s Picks
Bo Burnham: Inside
Netflix
Bo Burnham took us on a journey of inner turmoil this year when he released his fourth comedy special, Inside. Its profound, raw honesty was something that so many are unwilling to share, but Bo Burnham came back to comedy after a five-year hiatus and bared his soul to the world. In the 90-minute special he tackled the issues plaguing our culture as he shared his own struggles with isolation, anxiety, and dwindling hope for a societal reconciliation. What starts off with a glimmer of hope and some laughs in “Comedy” and “White Woman’s Instagram” ends after a metaphorical descent into madness and despair as “That Funny Feeling” and “All Eyes on Me” close out on a somber tone; a tone that is much more rooted in reality. Burnham has solidified himself as one of the voices of a generation, and we are forever grateful, and hopefully better, because of it.
Don’t Look Up
NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX
If my personal favorites of 2021 had a tone, it was the projects that turned a mirror onto us as a society to hopefully begin a new culture of change. Don’t Look Up hit the nail on the head. It put a glaring spotlight on the ever-growing anti-science community, the polarization of society by our politicians, and the exasperated frustration felt by so many as conspiracy theories and willful ignorance threaten the planet as we know it. Originally written pre-2020 to be a message for climate change, the film’s supposedly satirical content took an all too real turn as the world now enters year three of a global pandemic. With a star-studded cast and witty jokes to soften the blow, Don’t Look Up took a new approach to present vital information. Let’s hope it takes. You can check out our review of the film, too!
Squid Game
NOH JUHAN/NETFLIX
Squid Game was obviously the surprise hit of 2021 and for good reason. Its brutally violent challenges were only outshined by its massacre on capitalism, making viewers sit and watch this abhorrent class war play out in abject horror. It was enraging and enlightening all the same. Strong performances and great writing led to quick attachments being made to these characters, which only aided in fueling the rage felt for their circumstances and the elite few that had created them. It was remarkable storytelling from start to finish, and while it’s shocking to learn that it took creator Hwang Dong-hyuk 10 years to get this made, it debuted at the perfect time.
And please, if it’s an accessible option for you, watch it with subtitles and not dubbed. It’s substantially better.
Hannah’s Picks
tick, tick…BOOM!
Netflix
The Andrew Garfield renaissance may have started with Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s release, but it should have started November 12 when tick, tick…BOOM! released on Netflix. Starring in the film adaptation of the late Jonathan Larson’s rock monologue about writing a musical, Garfield gave his best acting performance to date expressing a depth of emotion as well as his first singing performance, which was stunning. tick, tick…BOOM! marks the directorial debut of musical theater giant Lin-Manuel Miranda, who proves his keen eye and capability of building a scene in phenomenal ways throughout the film. The entire cast provided incredible musical and acting performances, and musical theatre fans will enjoy a slew of cameos and Easter eggs from approximately 40-years of musical theatre history.
As can be expected of any Larson work, the soundtrack is emotional and compelling. You can check out my article on which three songs make me consistently cry from the film here.
The Witcher Season 2
Netflix
The two-year wait for The Witcher season 2 was excruciating, but ultimately the pay-off was more than I could have asked for. The budget for this series obviously increased following the success and popularity of season 1, and with that we have much better overall design, especially in the armor department. Henry Cavill once again earns his crown as the “king of geeks” with his devoted and intense portrayal of Geralt of Rivia. Joining Cavill with equally stunning performances, Freya Allen, Anya Chalotra, and Joey Batey once again steal every scene they’re in, but we are also introduced to plenty of new characters. In this season, rather than isolation and loneliness being the underlying theme, we have the themes of family and hope, despite how hard life currently is on the Continent for anyone non-human. You can check out our episode recaps for season 2 here.
Midnight Mass
Netflix
Look, Mike Flanagan is a genius. The level of care and attention to detail Flanagan puts into every scene and his understanding of the deepest parts of the human psyche came together beautifully for Midnight Mass. I personally always enjoy seeing work that deconstructs organized religion and exposes the all-too-frequent and all-too-dangerous cult mentality that is beneath a thinly veiled mask of acceptance and love. Blindly following any group can be dangerous, and the citizens of Crockett Island unfortunately learn this in a literal blaze of fire. The script is moving with multiple emotionally moving monologues that make audiences think about the bigger picture of life and our place in the universe, as well as incredible performances from every single member of the cast. Check out our review of Midnight Mass, as well as episodic recaps here.
Kaity’s Runner Up: ThePower of the Dog
KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX
As someone who does not enjoy Westerns, Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog took me by surprise. While I admittedly watched for lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch (what can’t he do, right?), I was taken aback by just how topical this film set in 1925 turned out to be. When one thinks of the Western genre, they don’t expect an absolute attack on toxic masculinity, but that’s exactly what this film was. Incredibly strong performances told this twisting story in few words, and the stunning cinematography really rounded this out as one of 2021’s best. It started a little slower than I would have liked, but by the second act, the story was rolling in full force until its shocking and absolutely satisfying ending.
Hannah’s Runner Up: The Guilty
Netflix
Jake Gyllenhaal may not have been the internet’s favorite person this year thanks to a decade old relationship rehash, but that didn’t stop him from giving an incredible performance in The Guilty. This film is a remarkable piece of pandemic-era storytelling, having been filmed on an 11-day schedule with an extremely light cast. While Gyllenhaal gave an incredible performance his second team-up with directorAntoine Fuqua, I still prefer the original Danish version of this film Der Skyldige which is ultimately why The Guilty is my runner-up. Check out our review of The Guilty as well.
We know we didn’t get all of Netflix’s greatest 2021 hits, so share your favorites with us!
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